Characters going new places / characters going nowhere

[Thrawn]

In this thread, name two characters: one character that is going places you never expected that character's arc to go (hopefully in a good way, and not including Janeway's death, let's keep that out of this), and one character that you feel could be developed more than they are so far. Explain why.

(Basically, I want to talk a bit about the huge variety of main characters that there are right now, and the huge successes as well as the potential blind spots; I'm curious to see what others think.)


I'd say Tuvok is really going places I wouldn't have expected; this arc from Destiny with

Spoiler: Mild Destiny Spoilers

him slowly losing control over his emotions

is just fascinating, and I can't wait to see where it leads.

On the flipside, it seems to me like Geordi has more or less been in exactly the same place since he got his new eyes put in; brief flirtations aside, I'd really like to see that character growing or changing in some way. At least finally let the man find some love! He's been trying since early TNG to find companionship.


What do you all think?

 

[Hoshi_Mayweather]

Good post, Thrawn...



Even though I'm still behind on a lot of Trek books, I'm glad to hear that Ezri grew from the Ensign we saw in DS9 to a Captain of a new (and powerful) Federation vessel. (One character that is going places).

Demora Sulu I understand becomes Captain of the Enterprise in later novels, which I thought was cool.

There are more examples, I'm sure...but those come to mind right now.

And yes! Geordi should find some love soon... (A character that needs development).

 

[Claudia]

I agree on Tuvok.

I also like Picard's recent development - and I'm looking forward to seeing him as a father

The character I'd like to learn more of is Keru. He's got an interesting and tragic past, but so far none of the Titan-books have really focused on him...

 

[Baerbel Haddrell]

In this thread, name two characters: one character that is going places you never expected that character's arc to go (hopefully in a good way, and not including Janeway's death, let's keep that out of this), and one character that you feel could be developed more than they are so far. Explain why.

(Basically, I want to talk a bit about the huge variety of main characters that there are right now, and the huge successes as well as the potential blind spots; I'm curious to see what others think.)


I'd say Tuvok is really going places I wouldn't have expected; this arc from Destiny with

Spoiler: Mild Destiny Spoilers

him slowly losing control over his emotions

is just fascinating, and I can't wait to see where it leads.

On the flipside, it seems to me like Geordi has more or less been in exactly the same place since he got his new eyes put in; brief flirtations aside, I'd really like to see that character growing or changing in some way. At least finally let the man find some love! He's been trying since early TNG to find companionship.


What do you all think?

I think putting Tuvok on the Titan did the character a lot of good. It made him so much more interesting and three dimensional than before which includes the Voyager TV series. I very much hope he stays where he is also after "Full Circle". ("Before Dishonor", the "teaser" in "A Singular Destiny" - The more I think of it, the more I am dreading the arrival of that book).

Recently Geordi got some remarkable scenes, especially in Destiny. His confrontation with Picard is one of my favourites I have ever read in a Star Trek book. I am hoping this trend will continue.

 

[captcalhoun]

Ezri's going places.

Geordi's not.

 

[DarKush]

I agree that Geordi is one of the most underdeveloped characters, but it started out that way on TNG, and Trek Lit. seems to be continuing that tradition.

 

[Claudia]

I think putting Tuvok on the Titan did the character a lot of good. It made him so much more interesting and three dimensional than before which includes the Voyager TV series. I very much hope he stays where he is also after "Full Circle". ("Before Dishonor", the "teaser" in "A Singular Destiny" - The more I think of it, the more I am dreading the arrival of that book).

What do those teasers say? I'm afraid amazon.de still has Singular Destiny listed as not available... *sighs* And was there any indication in the Titan-books themselves that he thinks about leaving? Will that perhaps be addressed in "Over a Torrent Sea"?

I sure hope that he'll stay on Titan. He never quite fit in with the VOY-crew, except for Janeway... So, I'd see no reason why he should return there at all.

 

[Sci]

I agree that Geordi is one of the most underdeveloped characters, but it started out that way on TNG, and Trek Lit. seems to be continuing that tradition.

I'm really surprised to hear people say that. I thought that Geordi got a lot of good scenes in Greater Than the Sum. And, more to the point, I thought one particular line made it clear that his character was going to undergo a fundamental, self-driven change in later books. I'm paraphrasing it from memory, but the line went something like this:

Everyone else has been able to start a family. So what's stopping me?

 

[Tino]

As a big fan of Geordi, I'm very unhappy with his development as there is none. Would it hurt to finally give him a girlfriend or does he have to stay the lonely engineer after nearly twenty years? Or at least some more screen time, with hard moral decisions to make or developing a new Data-like android.

 

[JoeZhang]

I think the Tuvok developments are sort of "meh". As for Geordi, yeah he does seem to get the short straw when it comes to something to do.

 

[DimesDan]

As a big fan of Geordi, I'm very unhappy with his development as there is none. Would it hurt to finally give him a girlfriend or does he have to stay the lonely engineer after nearly twenty years? Or at least some more screen time, with hard moral decisions to make or developing a new Data-like android.

Well he and the Chief Enginneer on board Aventine have a very flirtasous conversation in Mere Mortals and even arange a date for after the war is over!

 

[Christopher]

I'd say Tuvok is really going places I wouldn't have expected; this arc from Destiny with

Spoiler: Mild Destiny Spoilers

him slowly losing control over his emotions

is just fascinating, and I can't wait to see where it leads.

Actually that's been a thread in the TTN novels from Taking Wing onward.


As for Geordi, I think he has grown, just not in the predictable way. As we saw in A Time for War, A Time for Peace and Greater Than the Sum, he's grown into an understanding that you don't have to strive for ever higher career advancement to be content -- that there's nothing wrong with staying in one place if you're already doing the thing that makes you happiest and that you do best.

In terms of his personal life, he did have some success in that regard in Destiny: Lost Souls (it was much more than flirtation), though it remains to be seen where he goes from there.

 

[Baerbel Haddrell]

What do those teasers say? I'm afraid amazon.de still has Singular Destiny listed as not available... *sighs* And was there any indication in the Titan-books themselves that he thinks about leaving? Will that perhaps be addressed in "Over a Torrent Sea"?

I sure hope that he'll stay on Titan. He never quite fit in with the VOY-crew, except for Janeway... So, I'd see no reason why he should return there at all.

I have got "A Singular Destiny" now but I want to read the last few Bleach Mangas I haven`t finished yet first. (By the way, it is amazing that Amazon.de is so far ahead of the English translations. I am SO tempted but I already spent so much money recently...).

Maybe someone is so kind and puts this teaser here using spoiler protection? I am not very good with this and don`t want to make a mistake that gets people mad at me.

Or have a look at the discussions of "A Singular Destiny". It shouldn`t be too difficult to find.

I will probably start reading the book at the end of the week. To me, the "teaser" is more a "turn-off" but nevertheless, it is a minor part of the book and after reading the comments so far, I am confident that I will enjoy the book very much.

 

[Marie1]

Going places (albeit sometimes in circles)- Taran'atar
Not going places- a toss up between Ezri and Julian for me.

 

[LightningStorm]

Going places interesting: Kira, Christine Vale, Jacob Sisko, and Garak.

Kira because of the whole Mirror Universe and Illiana Ghemor arc. I can't wait to see how that all comes out and then of course the Ascendants where I'm sure Kira will play a rather large role.

Vale because she seemed to just kind of pop up in the novels and stuck to a point of becoming quite interesting quite fast. Then the Titan promotion and her constant battle with the Riker/Troi conflict of interests is making her a great character IMO.

Jake because of the events of Rising Son and WoDS9: Bajor (especially the latter).

Garak, well, because he's Garak. But specifically because of his role as a pro-democracy leader in post-Dominion War Cardassia.

Blind spots: Geordi, Chakotay, and Travis Mayweather.

Geordi mostly the same reasons others have stated. But as Sci pointed out he seems to be a blind spot that is going to be explored in the future, hopefully.

Chakotay, this (like Geordi) extends from not much to do on-screen. As one of the few (here) who actually liked the Spirit Walk books I did like that his character was trying to be explored. Based on rumors I've heard about the upcoming Voyager books I'm hoping he will suddenly become one of the "going interesting places" people.

Travis, again like the other two, not much on-screen. And the books seem to have mostly forgotten about him too. Though, perhaps he will get some sort of major role in the future given what happened in Kobayashi Maru.

 

[JD]

One other character who hasn't really done much yet in the books is Hoshi. She hasn't really done much in the first two Relaunch books.
As for going interesting places, I think Worf is another character who has gotten some pretty good development lately, with him being first officer on the Enterprise, and his relationship with Jasminder.

 

[ClayinCA]

Admittedly, I'm a little behind on my DS9 reading, but it seems to me that Sisko isn't going much of anywhere since they brought him back; I was looking forward to seeing how his time among the Prophets changed him.

I agree with everyone's comments about the directions they're taking Tuvok in the books; while I never much cared for him on television, I think he's taken great strides forward in the books. I'll also add that I'm looking forward to seeing the challenges and changes that the Picards and the Rikers will face with parenthood.

 

[LightningStorm]

Admittedly, I'm a little behind on my DS9 reading, but it seems to me that Sisko isn't going much of anywhere since they brought him back; I was looking forward to seeing how his time among the Prophets changed him.

When you get to Fearful Symmetry (side 1) you'll see a LOT of foreshadowing with regards to Sisko.

 

[ClayinCA]

Oh cool - good to know! Thanks.

 

[Trent Roman]

Characters going places: Kira's arc has always been interesting; falling in and out of favour with her religious community, acclimitizing herself to command, and now hints of a greater role to play within the coming conflict with the Ascendants and/or as the 'Hand of the Prophets'. Ezri, I've not yet read Destiny, but obviously has gone somewhere and fast. Tuvok, yes, thank goodness he was rescued from the VOY-R books; I'm not quite sure I see the same amount of character development there others do, but I'm just glad to see him active.

Characters going nowhere: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, LaForge; I liked the idea of a Captain LaForge in "Timeless", and would like to see it come to pass. Who else? Janeway, obviously, being dead or at the very least absent. Wesley Crusher, ditto. The Doctor and his think tank. Torres, siting around a monastery moping over her mother. Mayweather and Sato, who aren't getting any screentime with the books being focused on a conspiracy to which they are not privy.

And, more to the point, I thought one particular line made it clear that his character was going to undergo a fundamental, self-driven change in later books. I'm paraphrasing it from memory, but the line went something like this:
Everyone else has been able to start a family. So what's stopping me?

LaForge's inability to find a mate seems to have been stopping him, a situation as yet unresolved. A better question might be: should it? Why does he need to pair up before starting a family? In the wake of Destiny, there must be plenty of orphans out there who need a good home. Just because he hasn't been able to find any happiness in love, does it preclude finding happiness in raising a child (or more, but let's start with one, yeah)?

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman