Captain Erika Hernandez, portrayed by Ada Maris, is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe, introduced in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode, "Home". Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The hierarchy of scientific classification. ... This article is about modern humans. ... Gender in common usage refers to the sexual distinction between male and female. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Captain is a commissioned rank of the Starfleet in the fictional universe of Star Trek. ... Ada Maris is a Mexican-American actress. ... Ada Maris is a Mexican-American actress. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment series and media franchise. ... The starship Enterprise (NX-01) Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. ... Home is the name of the 79th episode from the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. ...

Hernandez is the second Starfleet captain given command of a starship in Earth's Warp 5 program, and is assigned to Columbia (NX-02), the sister ship of Enterprise (NX-01). This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... One of the fictional ships called the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek, one of the most famous fictional starships. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Columbia (NX-02) an NX class starship in the Star Trek fictional universe which is featured on the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. ... The Enterprise (NX-01) is a starship in the Star Trek fictional universe commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer. ...

"Home", which takes place in 2154, establishes that some years earlier Hernandez and Enterprise captain Jonathan Archer had been in a relationship, which was briefly rekinded during a therapeutic holiday Archer took following the Xindi mission. Their relationship apparently ended because they realized that their jobs would get in the way of a serious relationship, but they both remained on good terms afterwards. Jonathan Archer is a fictional character and the main character of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Later, in the episode "Affliction", Hernandez accepted the transfer of Enterprise chief engineer Charles Tucker, though she had to withstand complaints from her engineering crew, including requests for reassignment, due to Tucker's hard-driving manner of working. Affliction is the title of a Star Trek: Enterprise television episode from season four. ... Charles Trip Tucker III Commander Charles Tucker III, known as Trip (for triple, since he is the third generation of his family to be called Charles Tucker), is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, played by Connor Trinneer. ...

In "Divergence", the Columbia was used in a risky maneuver that allowed Tucker to perform an EVA to access a sabotaged Enterprise while both ships were still travelling at high warp. She later allowed Tucker to stay aboard Enterprise briefly in order to oversee repairs. Divergence is the title of a Star Trek: Enterprise television episode from season four. ... Astronaut Bruce McCandless on an untethered EVA Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth and outside of his or her spacecraft. ...

Continuity issues

The decision by the writers of Star Trek: Enterprise to introduce a female starship captain in the mid-22nd century (more than 100 years before Star Trek: The Original Series) was controversial with some fans, who felt a female should not be shown in command of a starship at this point in history. This stems from a one-line remark by a female character in the Original Series episode "Turnabout Intruder", "Your world of starship captains doesn't admit women." The starship Enterprise as it appeared on Star Trek Star Trek is a culturally significant science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s. ... Turnabout Intruder is a third season, as well as the final first-run episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. ...

Over the years, some Trek purists have felt that this dialogue indicated that, for whatever reason, women were not allowed to captain starships at the time of TOS. Indeed the first female starship captain of that era would not appear on screen until the film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry himself was reported as saying that the line was chauvinistic and regrettable. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Paramount Pictures, 1986; see also 1986 in film) is the fourth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American scriptwriter and producer. ... Chauvinism is extreme and unreasoning partisanship on behalf of a group to which one belongs, especially when the partisanship includes malice and hatred towards a rival group. ...

Other fans take into account that the female character who said that the world of starship captains didn't admit women, Dr. Janice Lester, was emotionally unstable when she made the statement, or that she may have specifically been referring to Captain Kirk and not starship commanders in general.

An alternate interpretation of the line is that the character was referring to the fact that starship captains are "married" to their vessels, preventing long-term relationships with people from forming. This interpretation reflects an underlying theme of Star Trek that is present in all the series. The writers of "Home" took this interpretation of the line when they chose to make the captain of Columbia a woman, and there is no further canonical evidence to suggest that women were ever not allowed to command starships. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

There are still some who believe that women were prohibited from commanding starship vessels during the early years of the Federation. This would not have affected Captain Hernandez since her time was before the formation of the Federation.