I Liked Roddenberry’s Original Plan For Geordi, But I’m Glad Star Trek: The Next Generation Changed La Forge’s Role

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry originally envisioned Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) in a different role, but I'm glad he ended up as Star Trek: The Next Generation's Chief Engineer. As the Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise-D, La Forge became more familiar with the ship's engines than pretty much anyone. Geordi clearly loved his job, and he developed a knack for finding creative solutions for the various problems the ship encountered over the years. With his ingenuity and compassion, Geordi made a great addition to the Enterprise crew of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).

As a character, La Forge went through numerous changes before he even appeared on screen. In TNG's original Director and Writer's guide, Geordi was in charge of the children's school aboard the Enterprise, although he was always intended to be blind. Roddenberry himself proposed having a disabled crew member among the ship's crew, as a way to highlight the progress made by the 24th century. Between Geordi's friendship with Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and his ability to connect even with former enemies like the Romulans and the Borg, he was one of TNG's most endearing and likable characters.

I’m Glad Star Trek: TNG Made Geordi Chief Engineer Instead Of USS Enterprise-D’s Helmsman

TNG Needed A Dedicated Chief Engineer More Than A Helmsman

In Star Trek: The Next Generation's first season, Geordi La Forge appeared as the Enterprise-D's helmsman, wearing a red uniform rather than the gold he would appear in for most of the series. As the helmsman and conn officer, La Forge only played a significant role in a handful of season 1 episodes, although he did occasionally get to take command. While it was cool to see Geordi in command of the Enterprise in episodes like "The Arsenal of Freedom," becoming Chief Engineer ultimately gave him more to do.

La Forge's position as Chief Engineer allowed him to go on away missions and made him a more significant character than he likely would've been as a helmsman. The rotation of engineers in TNG season 1 proved that the show needed a dedicated Chief Engineer, and Geordi was the perfect character to fill that position. As many of the Enterprise-D's missions involved engineering-related problems, it made more sense for TNG to have a Chief Engineer as a main character rather than a pilot.

Why Geordi Was The Right Character To Be Star Trek: TNG’s Chief Engineer

Geordi La Forge Was The Perfect Choice For Chief Engineer

Geordi La Forge was the perfect choice to be Star Trek: The Next Generation's Chief Engineer for a number of reasons. Geordi's VISOR allowed him to see things others could not, meaning he sometimes caught problems others may have missed. He was also a confident and supportive leader, which made him a great choice for a department head. Geordi's position as Chief Engineer meant he got more opportunities to work alongside Data, strengthening their friendship and allowing Geordi to help Data on his quest to discover his humanity.

After his promotion to Chief Engineer at the start of TNG season 2, La Forge quickly rose through the ranks, proving himself to be a clever and versatile engineer who refused to give up even when faced with seemingly impossible odds. Geordi had a very different personality from the Enterprise's other most famous Chief Engineer, Lt. Montgomery Scott (James Doohan), and this helped Star Trek: The Next Generation distinguish itself from Star Trek: The Original Series. Both Geordi and Scotty loved their respective ships, and the Starship Enterprise would have been destroyed numerous times over if not for their considerable knowledge and skills.