I was today years old when I realized Geordi La Forge wasn’t supposed to be the Chief Engineer in Star Trek: The Next Generation

I really believed I was an expert on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I've seen the show more times than I can remember, quoted it at dinner parties, and even had arguments over warp core physics like it was important. But for some reason, I was today years old when I learned that Geordi La Forge—yes, Geordi—wasn't even the Chief Engineer when the show originally aired.

It's seriously crazy. I always figured Geordi was the Enterprise-D's in-house tech whiz from day one, but that wasn't even close to true. In TNG's early days, Geordi was on the bridge—but not deep in the engine room. What we learned later is that the show didn't commit to a regular Chief Engineer in season one, and Geordi wasn't promoted until season two. Wait, what?

In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Geordi didn't initially play an engineering role

In fact, Geordi La Forge was the Enterprise's helmsman when the series began in 1987. That’s right—he was flying the ship, not fixing it. As cool as he looked in his VISOR while rerouting power to the dilithium matrix in later seasons, that wasn't his original job. He was just another bridge officer with no command over the warp core, plasma injectors, or whatever other tech buzzwords the show tossed around.

I double-checked to ensure I hadn't dreamed it, and yep—it's true. Geordi was a junior officer in The Next Generation's original series bible. He wasn't supposed to be in command of anything significant in engineering, and certainly not running the show down there.

There were numerous engineers in the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation

Here's where things get really weird. During that first season, the position of Chief Engineer was essentially a revolving door. One episode featured Chief Engineer Argyle. Another featured Logan. Then MacDougal, and even a fellow named Lynch. I wish I were kidding, but each of them appeared only once or twice before vanishing like they were beamed into outer space.

It was as though the writers had not quite made up their minds about who they wanted in that role. Where the captain's chair and ops station had obvious, distinct characters, the engineering room was shoddy. And frankly, it paid a price. The lack of continuity made it difficult to care for any of the engineers they added to the roster—none of them stuck.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation, when did Geordi assume leadership?

That shift didn’t happen until season two. At that point, Geordi La Forge was formally appointed Enterprise-D's Chief Engineer. From what I’ve read, the showrunners realized they needed someone stable in the role. And since Geordi was already part of the main cast and LeVar Burton had clearly proven himself, they bumped him into the spot.

It made sense. Instead of constantly writing in fresh guest stars to play engineers no one remembered, they bestowed the role on an actor everyone knew. Geordi brought stability, and suddenly scenes involving engineering seemed more realistic. That move actually altered the show's dynamic in ways I never realized until now.

In retrospect, it was the best course of action

Now that I know the history, I actually understand why that choice was so important in Star Trek. Geordi brought a level-headed, technical approach to the show. Once he was in engineering full-time, we had storylines that included repairing gargantuan system malfunctions, constructing impossible solutions, and even approaching moral conundrums from a systems perspective.

Episodes such as "Booby Trap" or "Galaxy's Child" in Star Trek would not have been successful with an unmemorable side character in that capacity. That it had to be Geordi was Geordi. Putting him in that role benefited the writers to develop his character beyond "guy with the cool eye visor." He became more complex, and his relationship with Data was brought to the forefront, which—let's be honest—was one of the greatest on the show.

Thus, I discovered at the age of today that Geordi La Forge wasn't always destined to serve as the Chief Engineer on Star Trek: The Next Generation. It literally blew my mind. I always assumed he was born to that position (in a storytelling way), but in actuality, he was promoted out of necessity, and it worked out perfectly.

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I suppose sometimes the greatest characters aren't thought out so well at the beginning. They grow, just like our favorite shows.

Also read: Star Trek: The Next Generation had depicted a darker version of Voyager back in Season 2, which fans might have missed

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