Star Trek: The Next Generation
Summary
WhileStar Trek : The Next Generationmay focus on the fourth-year officers on the USS Enterprise - D , several significant Lower Decks officer have memorable appearances throughout the serial . As the commander of the Enterprise - D , Captain Jean - Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) relies on every one of the crew phallus on his ship to do their jobs well . The senior police officer on the Enterprise may be the unity who get the credit for saving the day , but it take officer of every rank to ensure the ship operates well .
TNGseason 7 , installment 15 , " Lower Decks , " highlights theimportance of the ensign and young police lieutenant on the Enterprise - D , declare oneself a coup d’oeil into their lives on the ship . Not only does this sequence introduce four compelling young ensigns , but it also underscores the dangerous reality of serving on a Federation starship . WhileTNGonly had one episode that put a rightful spotlight on the Lower Deckers of the Enterprise - 500 , Star Trek : Lower Deckstook this idea and ran with it . With an entire show centered on the adventures of the lower - ranking crew members of the USS Cerritos , the Lower Deckers of theStar Trekuniverse have become more of import than ever . Here are the 10 skillful Lower Deckers who suffice on the go-ahead under Captain Picard .
Star Trek : The Next Generation has one of the most beloved cast of character in all of scientific discipline fabrication . Here are the major character of the classic .
10Suzie Plakson as Lt. Selar
TNG Season 2, Episode 6 (“The Schizoid Man”)
Although Lt . Selar only appeared in one sequence ofTNG , she was mentioned many times throughout the series . In her one appearance , she companion an away team to answer a distraint call commit out by Dr. Ira Graves ( W. Morgan Sheppard ) . At this item in her calling , Selar was serve on the Enterprise in the medical section under the command ofDr . Katherine Pulaski(Diane Muldaur ) . As one of the few Vulcans to appear onTNG , Selar was a enthralling character , and it would have been nice to see more of her . Selar was present by Suzie Plakson , who would go on to appear in a late instalment ofTNGas a Klingon , an episode ofStar Trek : Voyageras a penis of the Q Continuum , and an episode ofStar Trek : Enterpriseas an Andorian .
9Alexander Enberg as Ensign Taurik
TNG Season 7, Episode 15 (“Lower Decks”)
Another Vulcan Enterprise officer , Ensign Taurik appear as one of the Lower Deckers inTNGseason 7 , episode 15 , " Lower deck . " With his dry Vulcan wit , Taurik was sometimes misunderstood by those around him , including his higher-ranking policeman , Lt . Commander Geordi La Forge ( LeVar Burton ) . Although La Forge ab initio seemed to find Taurik annoying , he by and by requested his help to implement engine qualifying . Taurik attended regular poker game with his fellow Lower Deckers , including his roommate , Lt . Sam Lavelle ( Dan Gauthier ) . Alexander Enberg also play the Vulcan Ensign Vorik in several episodes ofStar Trek : Voyager . Although not officially canon , Taurik and Vorik were demonstrate as twin brothers in variousStar Trektie - in fiction .
8Dan Gauthier as Lt. Sam Lavelle
In " Lower deck , " Sam Lavelle made his one and onlyStar Trekappearance as an national flag alongside the other Lower Deckers . challenging and eager , Lavelle once sought out Commander William Riker ( Jonathan Frakes ) in an attempt to get to know the First Officer , but the interaction proved to be awkward . Lavelle urgently wanted to climb the Enterprise ’s ranks , but fear that Riker did n’t wish him and would not promote him . Lavelle and fellow Lower Decker Sito Jaxa ( Shannon Fill ) were both up for a promotion to the operations officer position , and Lavelle receive the forwarding after Sito was kill on a missionary station .
7Lycia Naff as Ensign Sonya Gomez
TNG Season 2, Episode 16 (“Q Who”) & Season 2, Episode 17 (“Samaritan Snare”)
Ensign Gomez appeared in two episodes ofTNGand is likely most retrieve for being theofficer who run out her drink all over Captain Picard . This encounter happened in one of her earliest scene as she hightail it out of engineering a little too quickly . As a specialist in antimatter , Gomez worked alongside Lt . La Forge in engineering and he advance her to slow down , relax , and enjoy her metre on the Enterprise . Gomez was understandably disorder after a Borg attack on the Enterprise caused the death of eighteen crewmembers , and La Forge helped her concenter on the task at hand . After her first coming into court in " Q Who , " Ensign Gomez popped up in " Samaritan Snare " and offered advice to Wesley Crusher .
As unveil inStar Trek : Lower Decksseason 2 , sequence 10 , " First First Contact , " Sonya Gomez finally channelise to the instruction division and became captain of the USS Archimedes .
6Ashley Judd as Ensign Robin Lefler
TNG Season 5, Episode 2 (“Darmok”) & Season 5, Episode 6 (“The Game”)
Although Ensign Lefler appear briefly in " Darmok , " her more substantial and memorable appearance comes in " The Game . " When Wesley Crusher visited the Enterprise on a break from Starfleet Academy , he developed a abbreviated Romance language with Ensign Lefler as they worked together to lay off an habit-forming game from taking over the work party . Although Wesley soon had to return to the Academy , Lefler gifted him with a transcript of her list of so - shout out laws before he left . Lefler had moved around a set as a nipper and had gather a lean of adages and part of advice she referred to as her laws . Ashley Judd ’s role onTNGwas her first major performing line of work , and she would go on to have a fertile calling in television and celluloid .
5Ensign Sito Jaxa
TNG Season 5, Episode 19 (“The First Duty”) & Season 7, Episode 15 (“Lower Decks”)
Sito Jaxa made her first of two appearances inTNGas a plebe in theill - fated Nova Squadronalongside Wesley Crusher ( Wil Wheaton ) at Starfleet Academy . After the accident that resulted in the death of one of her squadmates , Sito sought to save herself in the eyes of Captain Picard and the other senior officers . After calibrate from the Academy , Sito consent a position on the enterprisingness - five hundred and befriend several other ensigns on board . In " Lower Decks , " Sito served in the surety class under the command of Lt . Worf ( Michael Dorn ) , and she was recruited by Picard to assist in a covert mission to Cardassia . Tragically , Sito never made it back to the Enterprise as her escape pod was demolish by the Cardassians .
Sito Jaxa made a abbreviated return toStar Trekin a flashback in theStar Trek : Lower Decksseason 4 finale , which boast her fellow Nova Squadron member Nicholas Locarno ( Robert Duncan McNeill ) as a villain .
Star Trek : Lower Decks executive producers Mike McMahan and Brad Winters explain how Shannon Fill reprised Sito Jaxa in the season 4 finale .
4Patti Yasutake as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek Generations, & Star Trek: First Contact
Nurse Ogawa appeared in 16 episodes ofTNGas well as the first twoTNGfilms , first as a young ensign before rise to the membership of lieutenant . She was one of the fountainhead nurses in sickbay on the Enterprise - D and oftenworked with Dr. Beverly Crusher ( Gates McFadden ) . In " Lower Decks , " Ogawa joined her supporter and fellow ensigns Taurik , Lavelle , and Sito for a poker game , and she later mourned for Sito after her tragic death . Ogawa and Dr. Crusher also became friendsover the course ofTNGand Ogawa take chances her career to help Beverly inTNGseason 6 , episode 22 , " Suspicions , " after Dr. Crusher was relieved of tariff . Although she did not always have a lot to do , Nurse Ogawa became a comforting recurring presence in the Enterprise sickbay .
3Michelle Forbes as Lt. Ro Laren
Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Picard
Ro Laren made herStar TrekdebutinTNGseason 5 , sequence 3 , " Ensign Ro , " as a disgraced ensign recently transfer to the Enterprise - D. With her brash attitude and colorful yesteryear , she did not forthwith ingratiate herself to the crew or to Captain Picard . Over time , however , Picard developed a grudging esteem for Ro and became a mentor figure to her . Ro looked up to Picard and require to make him lofty . Despite Ensign Ro ’s promotion to Lieutenant , she finally left Starfleet to join the Maquis after take in how much she link up to their plight . Although Ro palpate like she was get to the right decision at the metre , she regret that her treason would doubtless disappoint and hurt Captain Picard .
Ro Laren later return inStar Trek : Picardhaving rejoined Starfleet and start working in Starfleet Intelligence . While Ro and Picard finally had a discussion about her betrayal , Ro was apparently killed soon after in a shuttle detonation .
2Dwight Schultz as Lt. Reginald Barclay
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, & Star Trek: First Contact
Although Lt . Barclay was an improbably intelligent applied scientist , he skin with anxiety and a deficiency of ego - confidence , both of which sometimes interfered with his piece of work . Although Chief Engineer La Forge initially doubted Barclay ’s power to serve on the Enterprise , Barclay eventually became one of the ship ’s best engineers . With Geordi ’s encouragement and Captain Picard ’s support , Barclay ’s confidence mature as he agnise he was able of more than he ab initio believed . Because of his anxiety and general awkwardness , Barclay became one ofTNG’smost relatable graphic symbol , and appeared in five episodes ofTNGandsix installment ofStar Trek : Voyager , as well asStar Trek : First Contact .
1Colm Meaney as Chief Miles O’Brien
Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Although Miles O’Brien became a main type inStar Trek : Deep Space Nine , he get his commencement as a recurring fictional character onTNG . O’Brien first appear as an unnamed helmsman on the Enterprise - cholecalciferol , but he finally take over the lieu of Transporter Chief . Another relatable fibre , O’Brien has an everyman qualitythat some ofStar Trek’sother big - than - life submarine sandwich lack . O’Brien just wanted to do his job , get home to his wife , Keiko ( Rosalind Chao ) , and occasionally go on a holodeck adventure with his friend . While he loosely test to stay out of worry , O’Brien had some of the worst luckof anyStar Trekcharacter .
Before swear out on the Enterprise , O’Brien had serve during the Federation - Cardassian War , and he was a decorated ship’s officer even before he joined the Enterprise crew . O’Brien was also one of the only enlisted crew members feature in aStar Trekshow . While O’Brien became a more significant case throughout previous episodes ofStar Trek : The Next Generation , he truly come into his own after transferring toStar Trek : Deep Space Ninewhere he look in 160 ofDS9’s176 episodes .
Star Trek : The Next Generationis available to stream on Paramount+ .
