Actor Eddie Paskey (left rear) making his first appearance aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise in the second pilot for Star Trek, Where No Man Has Gone Before.
Although Paskey’s character is best known as Lieutenant Leslie, in this episode - as well as The Naked Time - he is Lieutenant Ryan. In Mudd’s Women he’s addressed as “Connors.” It’s not until the episode Balance of Terror that he becomes Lieutenant Leslie, the name his character keeps for the remainder of his appearances.
Paskey had to leave the showing the middle of the third season due to pain from an old back injury and cluster headaches. Despite that early departure, Lt. Leslie still managed to appear in more episodes than either Sulu or Chekhov.
Lt. Ryan/Connors/Leslie was quite the industrious crew member, working in numerous different departments and stations throughout the ship. He wore uniform shirts of all three principal colors before it was settled he would stay in a red shirt.
True to form, that red shirt got Lt. Leslie killed in the episode Obsession. Strangely enough, he was right back at work in the very next episode, Wolf in the Fold, with no explanation. Apparently there was an unfilled scene in Obsession where Dr. McCoy is able to save Lt. Leslie’s life. I guess the producers thought no one would notice; they weren’t quite as continuity conscious as folks are today.
