Tom Paris. When did he stop being a 'bad' boy?

[JirinPanthosa]

Tom Paris was never written as a bad boy. The writers liked to tell us he was, but they were never able to show us he was. In Non Sequitur they showed him as a directionless degenerate but not a bad boy.

They did manage to portray him at various times as not respecting authority, but he never had the assertiveness that bad boys are usually associated with.

And if you don't believe somebody from the 24th century could have a 20th century obsession, google 'Society for Creative Anachronism'.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

His supposed bad boyness in Non Sequitur is a complete joke. Directionless, sure.. but degenerate is pushing it. Harry keeps remarking about how he's a drunk yet Tom seems not even slightly intoxicated? The whole thing is weird. We're supposed to believe Sandrines is some terrible dive and Tom is in the gutter yet all we see is a dude playing pool.

 

[RoJoHen]

Tom was basically just a teenager. He made mistakes, and he got defensive and shitty when you called him out. At some point his hormones calmed down and he grew up.

 

[WoTe]

The earliest reference I can think of to Tom having an interest in the 20th century was Future's End, and in that case it was a plot point to make him the ship's expert in contemporary Earth.

It was well before that, in "The '37s" where they revealed that Paris was an aficianado of the 20th century via his familiarity with the old truck they find floating in space that leads them to the Briori planet, and ultimately, Amelia Earhart.

Before that, even. Season 1, episode 6, The Cloud.

Paris makes Sandrines which already suggests a liking for the historical and on top of that programs a 1950s Pool player.

PARIS: You see that pool table, Harry? The table at Sandrine's at Marseilles has attracted the world's greatest hustlers throughout the centuries. I thought it might be fun to programme in some of the great players to shoot with.
GAUNT GARY: Eight ball in the cross side.
PARIS: Gaunt Gary, Ames Pool Hall, New York City, 1953. They say that he hustled the great Willie Mosconi himself.
KIM: Mosconi? Was he some famous billiard player?
GAUNT GARY: The game is pool, kid. Pool.

 

[Jedman67]

Paris's character was heavily inspired by the Wesleys classmate Nick who was also played by McNeil. Having a bad accident that caused the death of a classmate or fellow officer is not something you shrug off easily.