Tom Paris or Nick Lacarno?

[JirinPanthosa]

I read somewhere that Tom Paris was originally going to be Nick Lacarno, the cadet from The First Duty, played by the same actor. And that they changed that because they thought the audience wouldn't forgive Nick for what he did.

Would the character have been better had he been Nick Lacarno instead of Tom Paris?

First off I doubt anyone would have hated Nick Lacarno based on that episode. Half the crew was Maquis and Seven was a borg, and Seven briefly increased the show's ratings. And Nick Lacarno was a kid, everybody makes dumb mistakes when they're in college, if anything they would have identified more with him than a guy who'd committed vague unknown crimes in the past.

I think the character might have been stronger if he'd been Nick Lacarno.

[Melakon]

There's also speculation that the reason Locarno became Tom Paris was the writer of "The First Duty", who created the character, would have to be paid a royalty for every Voyager episode with Locarno. I suspect this is the real reason for the switch.

[Guy Gardener]

It's true that they were after a Locarno-like character but Berman was actually surprised when Bobby showed up to the general audition, and that McNiel was actually the best bloke for the job winning out against thousands... Maybe hundreds, of other actors who tried for the part..

[SchwEnt]

Locarno was written to be somewhat like a young Jim Kirk character, a charismatic risktaker who'll break rules. But rather than coming out on top like Kirk does, Locarno loses before his career had a chance to begin. It might have been interesting to see what a Kirk-type personality would be like without the success that Kirk generally had.

But I guess the Locarno/Paris idea was that Locarno was seemingly a really good guy, but deep down he was flawed. Conversely, Paris was the guy who seemed like a bad guy but really was decent and good. Take your pick.

[teacake]

He's no James T. Kirk.

[Skywalker]

Tom Paris was essentially toothless. Nick Locarno would have had an edge to him, but knowing the way VOY was written they probably would have dropped that ASAP.

[teacake]

I always wondered if B'Elanna got her teeth straightened, to fit in with the humans. No way would she have had those perfect teeth with a Klingon parent. I'm thinking when she has a midlife crisis and embraces her inner targ she will file them.

[R. Star]

teacake wrote:

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I always wondered if B'Elanna got her teeth straightened, to fit in with the humans. No way would she have had those perfect teeth with a Klingon parent. I'm thinking when she has a midlife crisis and embraces her inner targ she will file them.

If you're gonna have that expensive dentistry to fit in, why not go the whole way and have a Doctor give her a forehead job.

[teacake]

Despite being called a turtle head in childhood forehead ridges are not going to produce the feelings of revulsion that Klingon teeth would. Imagine her as a teenager, no human boy is ever going to kiss a mouth containing Klingon teeth. This is probably why she doesn't smile very often, every year at school photographs when she was told to "smile" she could hear snickering in the background.

[T'Girl]

Didn't Alexander, with his one-quarter Human ancestry, have pretty nice teeth?

[teacake]

Alexander was born with no teeth at all due to a genetic defect. K'Ehleyr had a basic set implanted by a human dentist but planned to have an eventual adult Klingon set done when he reached maturity. Unfortunately she died and the kid was shipped off to the Russians where his teeth were so gleamingly superior to everyone elses that nothing more was said about them.

[R. Star]

Maybe being a dentist just isn't an honorable profession in the Klingon Empire? Though that doesn't explain Worf.

[teacake]

Martok didn't even get an EYE replaced.

[R. Star]

Well there is Worf's comment on DS9 to Zimmerman. "I do not like doctors... any doctors."

[teacake]

They probably dig out their own rotten teeth with qutluchs.