Rev Bem

Andromeda Character


name=Behemial Far Traveler (Rev Bem)
gender=N/A
race=Magog
affiliation=New Systems Commonwealth
"Andromeda Ascendant"
"Eureka Maru"
Wayism
portrayed=Brent Stait
seasons=1-2 (Regular), recurring seasons 3 & 4

Rev Bem, also known as Reverend Behemial Far Traveller, is a fictional character in the television series "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda", played by actor Brent Stait. The name "Bem" refers to "bug-eyed monster", [Rev Bem biography, DVD extra] a nickname for science fiction aliens. Brent Stait had to leave the role during the second season after developing an allergy to the prosthetics he wore.

Biography

He is a Magog and a devout member of the Wayist religion, therefore he has to control his baser instincts to kill other living beings for food, or forcibly infest them with Magog eggs for reproduction. His full Wayist name is Reverend Behemial Far Traveler, shortened to Rev Bem. His original name is a series of loud screeches in his native Magog tongue. The closest English translation is Red Plague.

Rev Bem is kind and understanding when most beings he encounters greet him with a shriek of terror and aim a weapon at him; indeed, Dylan once said that Rev was the closest thing to a savior he had ever met. He commonly served as the ship's physicist and psychiatrist during his time on the ship, providing someone for the crew to talk to about their problems and performing scientific analysis of recent discoveries. The most noble detail about his personality is his refusal to fire weapons or kill any beings despite the danger the crew face; when he was once forced to kill Magog in self-defence when the "Andromeda" first encountered the Magog worldship and the Spirit of the Abyss, he subsequently starved himself for several weeks to make up for his actions.

During a visit to a people with perfect genetic memory who were being taught the values of Wayism and faced threat from slavers, Rev Bem's genetic material was extracted by a woman who infested herself with his larval offspring. Although he was an unwilling participant in the event, Rev nevertheless allowed the children to be born, hoping that the 'mother's' genetic memory would result in the creation of Magog with some degree of innocence. After the birth, this hope was proved to be correct; while the children were initially indiscriminately violent, they demonstrated a willingness to cooperate with humans shortly after birth that had never been seen in a Magog before.

Rev Bem's last appearance as a regular cast member was in the mid-second season episode "Ouroboros", where he departed to try and find himself, his faith tested after the confrontation with the Abyss. He guest starred in the third season episode "What Happens to A Rev Deferred?", in which he undergoes a final transformation that purges his Magog nature, and in the fourth season episode "Fear Burns Down to Ashes".

References