- "Never give up, never surrender."
- ―Commander Peter Quincy Taggart
Commander Peter Quincy Taggart is the main protagonist of Galaxy Quest series and the commander of the NSEA-Protector, portrayed by Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen).
History[]
Commander Peter Quincy Taggart is the heroic and charismatic leader of the crew and commander of the NSEA-Protector. He is also something of a playboy, being said to have had romantic relations with most of the minor female characters of the series.
He is highly courageous and has shown throughout the series to be able to lead his crew out of all seemingly hopeless dangers. His trademark catchphrase is "Never give up, never surrender!". In the final episode's cliffhanger ending, when the Protector is completely surrounded by enemies, he orders his crew to use their last resort: activate the Omega 13.
In the sequel series, Galaxy Quest: The Journey Continues, Jason Nesmith reprises his role as Taggart.
Jason Nesmith[]
Taggart is portrayed by actor Jason Nesmith, who still regards himself as the "commander" of the cast. Unlike his co-stars, he greatly enjoys the limelight and the fandom of his character, and often books several public appearances of the cast, sometimes without their approval. He is slightly egotistical and a showoff, even having his own table at conventions signing autographs seprerately from his co-stars, and is somewhat disliked by his co-stars for his scene-stealing attitude, especially Alexander Dane, who played the deuteragonist of the series and complained that Jason stole all of his best lines.
On the other hand, he is actually quite charismatic and a good showman, and he shows that he perhaps truly deserves the love and adoration of his fans. He loves his fans and enjoys connecting with them during conventions. And he often accepts invitations from fans to star in their fan-made films. He is very proud of his accomplishments in portraying his character on the show, and would take it personally if he and his role in the show are mocked or insulted by other people.
After being invited by the Thermians to save their people, he was very enthusiastic to have a chance for a space adventure and be a hero for real, and he wanted to invite his crew/co-stars to come with him. Although, he himself barely knew what he was getting himself into.
Eventually, after he becomes aware of the real danger he put himself, his friends, and the Thermians into when he accepted the job as their commander, he becomes a more responsible and surprisingly clever leader. He gave all of his teammates orders to save the Thermians, and enlisted help from Galaxy Quest fan Brandon for his encyclopedic knowledge of the show to prevent the ship's core implosion. And using an idea he remembers from an episode of the show, he lead his team to victory against Sarris' warship.
Notes[]
- While at the convention, Jason Nesmith was in the washroom and overheard attendees insulting him behind his back. This scene mirrors the same experience actor William Shatner had during a Star Trek convention.