Season 1 Geordi v the Rest of the Seasons.

[Garak007]

Been watching the HD versions of season 1 and 2 on Syfi and I am finding how Geordi had many interesting parts which I really did not take notice about the many times I've watched the show.

Season 1 Geordi commands the ship, splits the ship in two, gets to pilot the ship even being vision impaired, uses he unique vision capabilities to add the away missions. I could be biased and forgotten what Geordi had be doing in the rest of the seasons but he did seem to have a more active role in Season 1. Ok Season 2 he gets promoted to chief engineer and season 3 Lt.Cmdr but it just seems to be less as his role is spread over more episodes. If that makes any sence?

[C.E. Evans]

LaForge was toned down after season one, IMO. Roddenberry initially described him as having a "flip sense of humor" in a TV interview, and he was a kind of a in-yer-face smart-ass in those early episodes. But upon becoming chief engineer, he became more dry, more of a "company man."

[tomalak301]

I was wondering if they were going for a "Cowboy" feel for LaForge in Season 1. Star Trek has been labeled as a western in space, and there were moments when Geordi brought out his inner cowboy, sometimes in a snarky, corny kind of way. I'm glad they toned it down, but sometimes I think they might have toned it down too much. He became quite series and the two characters (Season 1 Geordi and Rest of the Series Geordi) are completely different.

[Mojochi]

Well, there's is a definite transition, but less severe than say Worf or even maybe Troi.

I suspect they had figured Geordi for a prominent Bridge role, which would have meant the character would have needed to be a more commanding personality. In his new role, it was enough that he was simply likeable, & frankly, Burton is far more fit for that

My opinion is that not only were the characters tailored over time to blend with each other, but they were tailored to blend better with the actor

After all, what Frenchman likes Shakespeare & Earl Grey Tea, what Klingon plays gunfighter on the holodeck with his kid & friends, & what emotionless android ends up being one of the funniest characters on the show? The dancing, theater producing doctor, the trombone playing 1st officer. These are all incidents of the actor shining through the character

I think it added to the show

[HansentheSwede]

Didn't his visor also have several abilities that seemed to kind of drop off in later episodes? Or at least as plot point, it feels like his visor becomes less useful as the series goes on.

[Melakon]

The best Geordi moment is in the first season blooper reel. Someone suggests some treknobabble explanation, and Burton blows his line, saying "Oh, I get where you're coming from! We drop-- shit!"

Even Stewart forgets sometimes. He's standing tall, addressing the viewscreen then suddenly blanks, saying what sounds like "Shit! Can't remember the fucking line!" The line was supposed to be "Acknowledge." And Burton had to prompt him.

[C.E. Evans]

I think Season 1 LaForge would have had more success with women.

[HansentheSwede]

Well maybe if he didn't fall in love with holograms...

[JirinPanthosa]

Laforge didn't really become an introvert until Booby Trap.

With Geordi I kind of felt in the first season, other than Arsenal of Freedom, most of his screen time was related to his blindness. After he became chief engineer he sort of became a 'king of the hill' kind of guy. Engineering was his domain, he owns it, everything about the engine must be perfect or else he's done a bad job, try to mess with his job he goes off on you.

[Lance]

I seem to recall one of the producers -- Gene Roddenberry, or maybe Bob Justman -- saying the only reason he was in the pilot's chair was because of a private joke about "having a blind guy drive the ship".

All the characters changed massively in the subsequent seasons. It does seem to me that promotion to Chief Engineer instilled a sense of responsibility into Geordi. It was quite a natural development (indeed, possibly a better development than some of the characters got, *cough* CommanderRiker *cough*).

[JirinPanthosa]

With Riker even in S1 they didn't want to write him like his premise.

At the beginning they tell us he's the guy who likes to have fun and amuse himself, the big playboy risk taker.

Good idea, although they never once wrote an episode where he came off like that.

[R. Star]

JirinPanthosa wrote:

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With Riker even in S1 they didn't want to write him like his premise.

At the beginning they tell us he's the guy who likes to have fun and amuse himself, the big playboy risk taker.

Good idea, although they never once wrote an episode where he came off like that.

Him parading around in that male gigolo suit just to get laid, fits the bill to me.

[JirinPanthosa]

R. Star wrote:

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Him parading around in that male gigolo suit just to get laid, fits the bill to me.

They had individual scenes where he seemed like a walking hormone, but he rarely seemed to be having fun on the job, he rarely seemed like a cowboy risk taker. And even his libidinal nature only came through in those specific scenes that focused on them.

[NKemp3]

Garak007 wrote:

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Been watching the HD versions of season 1 and 2 on Syfi and I am finding how Geordi had many interesting parts which I really did not take notice about the many times I've watched the show.

Season 1 Geordi commands the ship, splits the ship in two, gets to pilot the ship even being vision impaired, uses he unique vision capabilities to add the away missions. I could be biased and forgotten what Geordi had be doing in the rest of the seasons but he did seem to have a more active role in Season 1. Ok Season 2 he gets promoted to chief engineer and season 3 Lt.Cmdr but it just seems to be less as his role is spread over more episodes. If that makes any sence?

Geordi had episodes centering around him after season one (sometimes as many as two in a year). He had no episodes dedicated to him in season one. The character became more fleshed out following the premiere season and part of that was merely getting a new position and more of a purpose.

[heavy lids]

Woo-wee!