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Star Trek: Picard season 3 doesn’t just feature the return of the Enterprise-D bridge crew. It also includes the return of fan-favorite Bajorian Starfleet officer Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes).
This article includes spoilers for Star Trek: The Next Generation seasons 5, 6 and 7, and Picard season 3 episode 5, “Imposters.”
RELATED: Find out what happened in Star Trek: Picard season 3 episode 5, “Imposters.”
Ensign Ro
Ro was first introduced in the TNG season 5 episode “Ensign Ro.” As a new crewmember aboard the Enterprise-D, Ro made a big splash. Shortly after her arrival, she corrected William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) about a misapprehension regarding Bajorian naming customs. “Ro” is her family name and she should be addressed as such.
In fact, “Ensign Ro” was the first Star Trek episode to feature the Bajorians. The Bajorians would be more fully explored over the course of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
While Ro didn’t always have an easy relationship with her peers on the Enterprise-D, one crewmember became a fast friend: Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg). Thanks to her friendship with Guinan, Picard was more willing to reassess his initial impressions of Ro.
RELATED: Guinan: Gene Roddenberry’s final gift to Star Trek.
This first episode also saw Ro being asked to remove her Bajorian earring. Later, Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) granted her a dispensation to continue wearing it. The Bajorian earring carries religious significance. It seems as though Bajorian earrings are later permitted as part of the uniform throughout Starfleet, based on appearances in Star Trek: Lower Decks and Picard.
Ro Laren on Enterprise-D
Ro continued to appear on TNG in episodes throughout the 5th season. These include “Disaster,” “Conundrum,” “Power Play,” “Cause and Effect,” and “The Next Phase.” She also appears in TNG season 6’s “Rascals.”
In these episodes, Ro plays the role of an officer on the Enterprise-D. Given her unique perspective, she often offers conflicting assessments of the sci-fi situations in which the Enterprise crew find themselves.
One idea was to have Ro join DS9, the first spinoff of TNG, as a main cast member. However, Forbes was not interested in the offer and declined. This led to the creation of another important Bajorian character: Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor).
RELATED: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s Kira Nerys is a superb First Officer, here’s why.
Instead of transferring to DS9, Ro defected from Starfleet and joined the Maquis resistance group. This organization would play a key role in both DS9 and Star Trek: Voyager. Among the core philosophies held by the Maquis is a rejection of what they perceive to be Federation capitulation to the Cardassians. The conflict between the Cardassians and Bajorians plays a foundational role on DS9. Meanwhile, several members of the Maquis become high-ranking members of the crew on Voyager.
Commander Ro
In Picard‘s “Imposters,” Ro made a surprise return. Now working for Starfleet Intelligence, Commander Ro has been working to uncover the Changeling conspiracy that threatens Starfleet. She has worked closely with Worf (Michael Dorn) and by extension Raffi (Michelle Hurd) in this endeavor.
RELATED: Alas, poor Garrovick: 10 Shakespearian Star Trek titles.
Ultimately, Ro’s return to Star Trek continuity is bittersweet. While she is able to reconcile with Picard, she is murdered by Changeling operatives before the conclusion of the episode. However, one fact remains constant about the character. While she may have comparatively little screen time, she’s sure to dominate a disproportionate percentage of the conversation surrounding the series.
New episodes of Picard season 3 are available for streaming on Paramount+ on Thursdays.
This article was originally published on 3/20/23.
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