Summary

  • The first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation struggled to define Geordi La Forge's role as Chief Engineer, cycling through multiple characters before promoting Geordi in season 2.
  • The creators of TNG originally envisioned a smaller role for the Chief Engineer, but the larger Galaxy-class USS Enterprise required multiple engineers. They also had difficulty finding a consistent actor for the role.
  • Geordi La Forge evolved as a character in season 2, becoming a full Lieutenant and Chief Engineer. His abilities, such as his VISOR, proved useful, and he became an invaluable member of the Enterprise crew.

Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) is ed as the Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise-D, but he did not begin Star Trek: The Next Generation in that position. Following the voyages of the Enterprise-D under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Star Trek: The Next Generation took a while to find its stride after it premiered in 1987. While Geordi was introduced as one of the show's main characters, his role on the ship seemed largely undefined throughout the first season, and the show seemed unsure how to use his character.

Although the position of Chief Engineer had been a major one on Star Trek: The Original Series, TNG struggled to find a suitable character to follow in the footsteps of James Doohan's Montgomery "Scotty" Scott. TNG season 1 cycled through Chief Engineers and Assistant Chief Engineers, before finally promoting Geordi to the Chief Engineer position at the beginning of season 2. Throughout season TNG 1, Geordi held the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade and served as the ship's helmsman. This put nearly all of the main characters on the bridge, which often left characters like Geordi and Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) with little to do.

Why Star Trek: TNG Season 1 Had 4 Chief Engineers Before Geordi

The pre-Geordi engineers of the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced the much larger Galaxy-class version of the USS Enterprise, and suggested that the ship sometimes required multiple Chief Engineers. First Officer Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) even says something to this effect in the episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before." The creators of TNG originally envisioned a smaller role for the Chief Engineer, while most of the main action would occur on the bridge or on other planets. They also experienced issues with staffing and had difficulty finding an actor to consistently fill the role.

The second episode of TNG, "The Naked Now," introduces Lt. Commander MacDougal (Brooke Bundy) as Chief Engineer and Jim Shimoda (Benjamin W.S. Lum) as the Assistant Chief Engineer. Neither character would be seen after this episode. The next Chief Engineer to make an appearance was Lt. Commander Argyle (Biff Yeager), who appeared in "Where No One Has Gone Before" and "Datalore." After Argyle was Lieutenant Logan (Vyto Ruginis), who antagonized Geordi when La Forge was put in charge of the Enterprise in "The Arsenal of Freedom." Lastly, Lt. Commander Leland T. Lynch (Walker Boone) appeared in "Skin of Evil," and is notable mostly because he insisted on announcing his full name every time he answered a call.

Geordi's Original TNG Role & How His Character Evolved

Star Trek TNG Geordi La Forge Naked Now

Geordi La Forge first appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation wearing a red command uniform rather than the operations gold he would wear for seasons 2-7. While serving as the conn officer during season 1, Geordi helped investigate the deaths of the SS Tsiolkovsky crew in "The Naked Now," where he became infected by polywater intoxication he ed on to the rest of the crew. In "The Arsenal of Freedom," La Forge got his first chance at command, and he successfully led the crew of the stardrive section of the Enterprise. Also, his ability to see infrared and ultraviolet light via his VISOR proved useful on several away missions.

It was not until TNG season 2, that Geordi La Forge began to come into his own as a character. After his promotion to a full Lieutenant and Chief Engineer in season 2's "The Child," La Forge had much more to do. He proved to be an understanding and intelligent leader, as well as a crafty engineer who could quickly come up with out-of-the-box solutions. Geordi would go on to become an invaluable member of the Enterprise crew, and nearly every Star Trek series after Star Trek: The Next Generation would have a dedicated Chief Engineer as one of the main characters.