Ensign Ro Laren made herStar Trekdebut inStar Trek: The Next Generationseason 5, but Michelle Forbes had appeared inTNGbefore that. Following the adventures ofCaptain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D,TNGestablished its core cast of characters in the show’s first two seasons. Still,TNGcontinued to introduce new secondary characters throughout its run, some of whom were more of a success than others. ByTNGseason 5, the show’s status quo had been firmly established, and Ensign Ro served as a nice way to disrupt that status quo.
Despite only appearing in eight episodes acrossStar Trek: The Next Generationseasons 5, 6, and 7,Ro Laren made quite an impression. Michelle Forbes, too, stood out on producers after her first brief appearance that they brought her back to portray the eventual character. Forbes almost played a much larger part inStar Trek: Deep Space Nine,in a role that eventually became Major Kira Nirys (Nana Visitor). It’s hard to disconnect Forbes from Ro, which might be why I forgot that she had previously appeared inTNGseason 4.
Michele Forbes Star Trek: TNG Character Before Ro Laren Explained
Forbes Appeared Briefly In TNG Season 4, Episode 22, “Half A Life”
“Half a Life” centers onLwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett), as she falls in love with a scientist named Dr. Timicin (David Ogden Stiers). A member of the Kaelon species, Timicin is approaching the age of sixty, when his people voluntarily take their own lives.Lwaxana eventually convinces Timicin to defy traditionand continue his scientific research, prompting him to request asylum aboard the Enterprise. Before long, Timicin’s daughter, Dara (Michelle Forbes), visits the Enterprise in an attempt to convince him to change his mind.
Michelle Forbes’ Best Acting Roles (Including Star Trek: TNG’s Ro Laren)
Star Trek: TNG’s Ensign Ro was Michelle Forbes' breakthrough role and she went on to appear in some of the biggest TV shows of the past 30 years.
Dara challenges Lwaxana Troi, calling her out for the way she criticizes Kaelon beliefs. In only one short scene,Michelle Forbes makes Dara feel like a real person,as she passionately tells her father that she"cannot bear the thought of [him] being laid to rest on some other world.“Forbes' performance in this episode directly led to her being cast as Ro Laren. Michelle Forbes’Star Trekdebut, “Half a Life,” aired in May 1991, and “Ensign Ro” aired several months later in October 1991.
Why Ro Laren Is An Important Star Trek Character
Ro’s Arrival Shook Up TNG’s Dynamic
Not only was Ro Laren the first Bajoran character inStar Trek,but she was also a different kind of Starfleet officer. Prior to being assigned to the Enterprise,Ro had been court-martialed and demoted to ensign after a particularly disastrous away mission.Because of her past, Ro initially struggled to make friends among the Enterprise crew members, but Captain Picard took her under his wing. Ro then appeared in several importantTNGepisodes, before she eventually broke Picard’s heart by abandoning Starfleet to join the rebel group known as the Maquis.
It’s Hard To Imagine How Different Star Trek: DS9 Would Be With Ro Laren Instead Of Major Kira
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine would have been very different if DS9 followed its original plan to feature TNG’s Ro Laren instead of Major Kira Nerys.
Between being a Bajoran and her role with the Maquis, Ro influenced several elements that became much bigger storylines onStar Trek: Deep Space Nine. When Rick Berman and Michael Piller were creatingDS9,they intended Ro to be one of the show’s main characters.Michelle Forbes turned down the opportunity to portray Ro onDS9,not wanting to be locked into a potentially lengthy television series. Forbes' decision to pass on the role led to the creation ofNana Visitor’s Major Kira, who became an iconicTrekcharacter in her own right.
Ro Laren’s Star Trek Story May Not Be Over
Could Ro Have Survived Star Trek: Picard Season 3?
Michelle Forbes returned as Commander Ro Laren inStar Trek: Picardseason 3, having returned to Starfleet and begun working with Starfleet Intelligence. Ro paid a visit to the USS Titan-A to inform Admiral Picard that Changelings had infiltrated the highest levels of Starfleet. This meeting led to an intense confrontation between Ro and Picard, as they hashed out the lingering emotions from Ro’s betrayal at the end ofStar Trek: The Next Generation.Tragically,Ro was killed in a shuttle explosion, sacrificing herself to give the Titan-A the chance to escape.
Michelle Forbes' Ro Laren remains one of the most interesting secondary characters introduced on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Despite Ro’s apparent death,Picardseason 3 showrunner Terry Matalas revealed that he initially planned for her to survive.Ro could have been beamed outjust before her shuttle exploded, although this has not been officially established. According to officialStar Trekcanon, Ro Laren is dead, butStar Trekhas certainly brought characters back from the dead before. Whatever happens, Michelle Forbes' Ro Laren remains one of the most interesting secondary characters introduced onStar Trek: The Next Generation.
