I Forgot Michelle Forbes Was On Star Trek: The Next Generation Just Months Before Ro Laren Debuted

Ensign Ro Laren made her Star Trek debut in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, but Michelle Forbes had appeared in TNG before that. Following the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D, TNG established its core cast of characters in the show's first two seasons. Still, TNG continued to introduce new secondary characters throughout its run, some of whom were more of a success than others. By TNG season 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 across Star Trek: The Next Generation seasons 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 in Star 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 in TNG season 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 on Lwaxana 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 tradition and 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.

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 Trek debut, "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 in Star 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 important TNG episodes, before she eventually broke Picard's heart by abandoning Starfleet to join the rebel group known as the Maquis.

Between being a Bajoran and her role with the Maquis, Ro influenced several elements that became much bigger storylines on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. When Rick Berman and Michael Piller were creating DS9, they intended Ro to be one of the show's main characters. Michelle Forbes turned down the opportunity to portray Ro on DS9, not wanting to be locked into a potentially lengthy television series. Forbes' decision to pass on the role led to the creation of Nana Visitor's Major Kira, who became an iconic Trek character 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 in Star Trek: Picard season 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 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Tragically, Ro was killed in a shuttle explosion, sacrificing herself to give the Titan-A the chance to escape.

Despite Ro's apparent death, Picard season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas revealed that he initially planned for her to survive. Ro could have been beamed out just before her shuttle exploded, although this has not been officially established. According to official Star Trek canon, Ro Laren is dead, but Star Trek has certainly brought characters back from the dead before. Whatever happens, Michelle Forbes' Ro Laren remains one of the most interesting secondary characters introduced on Star Trek: The Next Generation.