star trek tri quarter

These ER Docs Invented a Real Star Trek Tricorder

The original 1960s Star Trek series took place in a universe of the future with personal communicators, holograms, and the technology to send humans beyond our solar system. In many ways that future is here. We have smartphones, virtual reality, space travel — and now the tricorder.

In the show, the tricorder was a handheld medical device that could scan a patient, read his or her vital signs, and diagnose problems in minutes. A working prototype invented by a Philadelphia-based emergency room physician Basil Harris may not look like the ones used by Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy and Commander Beverly Crusher throughout the sci-fi series, but it’s advanced enough to offer a medical diagnosis in minutes and anyone can use it.

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The device — which won top honors during the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE competition — still needs to undergo more testing and receive regulatory approval before it’s available to consumers. But Harris said that may happen in just a few years and he’s aiming to keep the price around $200.

“It’s doing exactly what I do in the ER,” Harris explains. It starts by continuously monitoring a patient's vital signs and then asks questions through its smartphone or tablet app to better understand the symptoms. “It uses all of that objective information together in the way your doctor would to come up with a diagnosis.”

Out of the box, DxtER looks like a medical kit with an orb-shaped digital stethoscope, an EKG sensor that sticks to your chest, a spirometer to measure lung function, and a finger probe that non-invasively measures glucose, white blood cell count, and other blood tests.

The device's app explains how to use each of the sensors and once attached those sensors send the patient's vital signs to the app for diagnosis. And similar to the tricorder in the shows, the device can diagnose a variety of problems including pneumonia, sleep apnea, diabetes, a UTI, and 30 other conditions.

“It’s really like a complete office visit in a 5-pound box,” Harris says.

He and a team of doctors and engineers have been working on DxtER since 2012. As part of winning April's XPRIZE competition, the team received a $2.6 million to help get the needed regulatory approvals and take the next steps to produce and market the device.

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The capabilities of these devices could dramatically change everyday life for a lot of people, says Grant Campany, project lead for the Tricorder XPRIZE competition.

"[For individuals with chronic dieseases] who have a hard time even getting into the hospital, being able to manage their care from their home is a profound improvement,” Campany says. “Anything we can do to keep people healthy and not at the hospital translates into economic benefit, too.”

In rural areas where communities don’t have access to healthcare facilities, devices like these could have a big impact on the quality of care available, Campany adds. “The opportunity is just completely transformational.”

Harris predicts people will soon use personal medical tricorder devices at home — and that tricorders will play a big role in the future of healthcare.

Making Healthcare Smarter

DxtER is able to analyze and record symptoms as soon as patients first start having them, Harris explains, which means faster and better care.

“Acute ailments could be diagnosed and managed from home — or with improved, focused access in medical facilities," he says. "Many chronic conditions could be better managed, keeping people healthy and out of hospitals."

“It’s really like a complete office visit in a 5-pound box."

Imagine you have a 3-year-old daughter who wakes up Saturday morning with a phlegmy cough and slight fever. You suspect it’s more than a cold, but your pediatrician’s office is closed until Monday. DxtER could quickly tell you whether she has pneumonia and needs to be taken to a 24-hour clinic — or whether she just needs rest, Harris explains.

Or if your aging father who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) one day seems to be more worn out than usual, DxtER could record his vital signs and help decide whether he should go to the emergency room. And if you go to the ER, data from the tricorder will help the doctor better understand the symptoms to decide what care your father needs.

“Five years from now when someone comes into my ER with their tricorder device — whether it’s ours or another one — I want to be able to believe that data and take the next step,” Harris says. The goal is for DxtER to make it easier to deliver higher quality care to more people more efficiently.

The artificial intelligence algorithms DxtER uses to diagnose conditions were based on Harris’ 12 years of clinical experience as an ER doctor. His team also ran several chart review studies during which they compared DxtER’s evaluation of real patient data with the diagnoses those patients received. That data allowed the team to refine the algorithms for DxtER’s AI.

The complete DxtER prototype was tested by XPRIZE for the competition (along with other entries) in a lab at the University of California San Diego.

“I think we’re going to see a lot of evolution and transformation over the next three to five years,” Campany says. The ways we collect health data have transformed over the last decade, making a real tricorder possible, reliable, and affordable, he adds.

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Another team in the competition, Dynamical Biomarkers Group out of China, plans to market their tricorder device for use in its country's rural villages to facilitate better care where it isn’t available.

The next step for Harris’ team is getting FDA approval for each component of DxtER and then approval of the complete device. They are in the process of launching a trial to validate the safety and effectiveness of DxtER’s finger probe as a non-invasive glucose sensor, hemoglobin sensor, and white blood cell count sensor.

That component alone could dramatically change how people with diabetes manage their condition, Harris says, “saving them from the hassle and pain of multiple finger sticks a day.”

The Power Relies on the Data

Others share Harris’ and Campany’s optimism for tricorder technology, but say the changes won't happen overnight.

“This technology could potentially gain more power when we are able to collect huge amounts of data,” says Dr. Gene Fridman, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who was not involved in developing DxtER or in the XPRIZE competition (but has invented the “ MouthLab ” device, which uses AI to test a person’s vital signs via a small mouthpiece and thumb sensor).

Tricorders won't replace doctors, Friedman says. But the more data they gather and the better the AI is able to predict and diagnose ailments, the more these devices will help individuals at home make smarter decisions about when to get care, which ultimately leads to more efficient and less expensive care overall.

By Friedman's estimates, “in the next 10 to 20 years it’s going to be a big revolution in personal healthcare."

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How to transform your smartphone into a real-world Star Trek tricorder

When the first flip-top phones appeared in the ‘90s, prompting amazed gasps of, “Hey, this is just like the communicator in Star Trek !” it felt like we were on the cusp of an amazing sci-fi future. These days, however, James T. Kirk’s handy interstellar mobile device looks a bit clunky—and it’s shamefully low on functionality. With no text or web capability, the communicator’s only uses are voice calls and the occasional deployment as a medium-yield timed explosive.

To compete with today’s phones we’ll have to turn to another bit of Star Trek equipment: the tricorder . Fans will know the tricorder as the palm-sized (at least by The Next Generation ) device filled with enough sensors and computers to scan the surrounding area, allowing its wielder to deliver whatever exposition the  Star Trek writers needed the audience to know.

Sure, the tricorder might seem like a convenient plot device, but your own humble phone has a surprising quantity of sensors and computing power at its disposal. With a few choice app installations you can leverage that power fully. Soon you will be the one scanning for new life forms and subspace disturbances.

It’s life, Jim…

One tool on your phone that’s only going to become more powerful is photo recognition. The more photos we take and upload, the more data computers have to learn from, the more accurate their guess work gets.

Apps such as Tree ID , from the Woodland Trust in the UK, and Leafsnap on the iPhone use visual recognition techniques on a photo you take of a tree’s leaves to identify its species.

For a more practical (if potentially alarming) photo-recognition trick, you can use your phone as a medical tricorder and install the Lubax app to photograph any worrying moles, spots, or lesions and receive a diagnosis—although we wouldn’t advise substituting that for visiting an actual, real-life, non-holographic doctor.

If you’re merely looking to detect life forms rather than identify them—handy for finding pesky xenomorphs on your ship—you can track them with a motion detector app. Or take a closer look at things using one of the various magnifier apps on the market. Or say you want to establish the size or distance of an approaching alien, you can do so with Smart Measure . It uses a combination of your phone camera and some high school trigonometry to measure sizes and distances at the tap of a touchscreen.

I’ve detected an anomaly

Those are all clever ways of using your phone’s camera, but there’s a lot more to your phone than that. You’re carrying a positive laboratory of scientific instrumentation in your pocket. For instance, starting with the obvious, your phone can pick up and measure sounds. Apps like Sound Meter allow you to monitor volume up to 100 decibels.

Magnetic Field Detector

More recent phones even have internal temperature sensors. Smart Thermometer allows you to access that sensor and track temperatures. But some of your phone’s sensors can be a little bit more esoteric. The Magnetic Field Detector app, for instance, lets you measure the location and strength of magnetic fields. You know what has magnetic fields? Metals like steel and iron. Oh snap, now your phone’s a working metal detector!

Hailing frequencies open

More than that, your phone can track satellites. Satellites in space .

We don’t need to tell you that with Google Maps you already have access to a complete photorealistic map of the planet Earth and your position on it (which, by the way, is maybe a function the Enterprise should have used a little more often on their own tricorders). But that tracking works two ways. With GPS Status & Toolbox you can find the position of satellites, the strength of signal you’re getting off of them, the speed they’re travelling at, and more.

Boldly going where others have gone before

Of course, if all that sounds like too much work (not to mention storage space) you can cut a lot of corners and simply download the Scientific Sci-Fi Scanner app.

The “sci-fi scanner” has access to a great deal of scientific data, including solar wind plasma readings from the  US ACE satellite, the last 10 months of land surface temperature, sea surface temperature, vegetation index, chlorophyll concentration data, meteorological data, and magnetometer readings. All this data is displayed through an easy-to-read interface that, by some kind of huge coincidence, happens to look almost exactly like the computer interfaces in a TV show we can’t remember the name of.

Here’s the Star Trek Tricorder that won the $3 million Qualcomm Xprize

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Basil Harris is like a real-world Dr. McCoy. He and his small team at Final Frontier Medical Devices have created a Star Trek Tricorder, like the fictional one that Bones McCoy carried around in the TV series decades ago. And they did such a good job in their five-year journey that they recently won a total of $3 million in prizes in the Qualcomm Tricorder Xprize contest.

I interviewed Harris at an event at Silicon Valley Comic-Con , which takes place Friday through Sunday at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, Calif. With its blend of fictional entertainment and real-world technology, the Tricorder is just the kind of gadget that fits well at the show.

“I still can’t believe it,” Harris said about winning the prize, which included milestone money and a $2.6 million final award.

Harris showed off DxtER (pronounced Dexter), which is a collection of devices that measure your vital signs. When Harris demoed it to me, I could tell he was a little nervous, as his blood pressure was high. I could see it on the iPad tablet that was receiving a signal from the sensor attached to Harris’ body.

The devices — such as sensors you strap to your side — are meant to empower patients.

Above: The Qualcomm Xprize Tricorder contest.

“We wanted to put Dr. McCoy in the device, so that you don’t have to rely on the medical doctor for everything,” Harris said. “The Xprize foundation said you not only have to give the information, but you also have to program Dr. McCoy into it so someone with no medical knowledge can operate it.”

The Xprize contest required contestants to be able to diagnose 13 conditions and monitor five vital signs. Harris, who is an emergency room doctor, and his brother George led a team of seven at the company (also known as Basil Leaf Technologies ) that worked on nights and weekends to create DxtER. The prototype can now detect 34 conditions, but before bringing it into the world Harris said it will need to detect more than 100 conditions to be really useful.

It currently detects conditions such as stroke, anemia, diabetes, tuberculosis, Hepatitis A, and others. If your vital signs reach dangerous levels, it could give you a warning about the risk of an imminent stroke or heart attack. Harris is targeting a price of around $200. That’s not a bad deal.

But Harris adds, “We’re not trying to replace the doctor. We want you to have this information so you can interface with the doctor.”

The device has a couple of sensors that attach directly to your fingertips. Over time, Harris wants to shrink that down into the form factor of a watch. That part of the device shines infrared light into your finger and detects your blood flow. From that, it gets data on your white blood cell count and your heart rate. It also has sensors strapped to your side that measure your EKG details. It sends that data via Bluetooth to your smartphone.

“We do it all non-invasively, getting a reading on glucose, hemoglobin count, and white cell count without drawing any blood,” Harris said.

Harris’ Pennsylvania-based team managed to beat out 28 other teams, including runner up Dynamical Biomarkers Group, a team from Taiwan led by Harvard’s Chung-Kang Peng. Dynamical Biomarkers won $1 million.

Above: Elements of the DxtER tricorder.

The nonprofit XPrize Foundation was started in 1995, and it organizes contests designed to spark big leaps in innovation.

The Harris brothers grew up watching Star Trek. While Basil Harris was interested in medicine, George Harris became a network engineer. The combination of their skills helped them create the tricorder.

The team has built 65 devices so far, and these have all gone through testing at the University of California at San Diego. The device is now going through testing with the Food and Drug Administration, but it might be about three years before all of the tech comes to the market, Harris said.

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A real-life medical tricorder: XPrize wants to make it so

From CNET Magazine: An XPrize competition aims to turn a 50-year-old science fiction concept into a powerful medical device that's accessible to all.

If you've ever watched "Star Trek," you've probably coveted one of the ingenious gadgets carried by those polyester-wearing space travelers. Much of the sci-fi series' futuristic tech is the stuff of dreams. But one device, in particular, has always seemed to have life-changing potential. In the "Star Trek" universe, the medical tricorder is an indispensable tool -- a handheld portable scanning device that diagnoses medical conditions within seconds.

This fictional device could solve age-old dilemmas. A typical visit to the doctor today isn't easy: drive to the doctor's office, wait up to an hour in the lobby before an assistant checks your vitals, wait for the doctor to come in and ask questions, travel to have your blood drawn, then wait up to a week for results. And this scenario assumes a lot, not the least of which is that you live near a doctor, have health insurance, can afford to pay the bills and a job flexible enough to let you off work. To simplify the onerous process, the XPrize Foundation is attempting to turn the decades-old tricorder dream into a modern medical reality.

XPrize doesn't shy away from an audacious challenge. This nonprofit organization holds competitions designed to make significant technological breakthroughs in a variety of fields -- all with an eye toward addressing major global challenges. XPrize competitions have focused on everything from private space travel or building a lunar lander to finding more effective ways to clean up oil spills. The Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize competition, announced in 2012 and in its late stages now, will award $10 million in prizes to teams that make a real-world medical diagnostic device inspired by the "Star Trek" tricorder.

The goal is to make a lightweight, easy-to-use device that can monitor key health indicators as well as diagnose much more serious problems. To meet the challenge, tricorders must be able to track five basic vital signs -- such as blood pressure, heart rate and temperature -- in real time and for at least 72 hours straight. They must accurately diagnose 13 "core" conditions, including diabetes, Hepatitis A, stroke and tuberculosis. In addition to those, teams are required to pick three "elective" conditions for diagnosis, ranging from HIV or melanoma to whooping cough or strep throat. The devices need to be able to send that data to the cloud so patients and doctors can access and talk about the results. And that all has to happen with one device that weighs less than 5 pounds, including all of its necessary chargers and attachments.

That's an ambitious goal. "We have to create a system that is verifiably safe and that works at a very high, clinical level. And it has to have a very futuristic consumer experience," said Robert Kaul, the president and CEO of Cloud DX, a Toronto-based company that is competing in the XPrize challenge. "Every one of those [goals] is a huge challenge, but creating all of those in six to eight months is crazy."

Another competitor put it more simply: "It's like giving people a bicycle and saying the first one to Mars wins," said Walter De Brouwer, CEO of Scanadu, which is both a company in Silicon Valley and a team participating in the challenge.

But a lot of smart people are giving it a shot. When the challenge was announced at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show , more than 300 teams registered. A tough selection process whittled down that group to 10 finalists from around the world remained. Now the group is even smaller. In April, two of those teams (Scanadu in California, and Zensor, based in Ireland) combined efforts to work as one team, making a total of nine teams gunning for the top prize.

The teams are making fast progress. They've developed working prototypes that are currently being tested by actual patients at the UC San Diego Medical Center so doctors and the competing teams can learn how these devices might fare in the real world. Those consumer tests work in two ways. First, patients already have known conditions, which allows judges to test the accuracy of the tricorders' diagnoses. Second, they also can offer real-world feedback on how well the products are designed and how easy or hard they are for regular people to figure out.

Not as seen on TV

In concept, the similarities to the medical tricorders on "Star Trek" are apparent. And associating the competition with the franchise was a highly strategic move by XPrize. Part of the purpose of these competitions is to make great technological advances, but another equally important goal is educating the world about critical problems, said Grant Campany, senior director of the Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize Challenge. There are 40 million people in the world who call themselves trekkies, according to Campany. So by creating a real-life version of a prominent "Star Trek" device, the foundation knew they'd catch the attention of a huge audience from the beginning.

But the devices that come out of this competition won't necessarily look like the ones that graced the sick bays of the starship Enterprise. For one thing, teams took different approaches to solving this problem. And because they'll be testing for so many factors, devices need a variety of sensors and attachments.

Measuring heart rate, for example, typically requires attaching sensors to the skin. For blood pressure, an arm cuff or wristband is standard; for bloodwork, a finger prick test. These all might require special components beyond a basic handheld unit like those used on "Star Trek." And the requirement that vital signs have to be monitored continuously for three days means patients would have to sleep with the product attached to them.

Cloud DX considered all their options. "We looked at sleeves, wrist cuffs, gloves, combinations of biosensors adhered to the body," said Kaul.

When measuring heart rate, Cloud DX didn't want to use the sticky adhesive that's typically used to attach sensors to a patient's chest because, well, it gets itchy. After testing many approaches -- and yes, sleeping in them -- their team settled on the idea of a collar that goes around the back of a patient's neck, with weighted sensors that hang down over his chest.

To measure temperature and oxygen saturation, they designed a small device -- reminiscent of a hearing aid or a Bluetooth headset for a mobile phone -- that sits in a patient's ear with a sensor pointing down to the ear drum.

"It's not just about deploying great technology, but it has to be consumer friendly, futuristic and comfortable," said Kaul. And that's not an exaggeration. Nearly half of the teams' final scores will be based on how consumers interacted with the device -- in short, could people figure out how to use it? Did they enjoy using it?

One mission, many sequels

The consumer products that eventually hit store shelves are likely to be diverse. The XPrize competition is essentially a hyper-charged, hyper-focused test bed. Teams are pushing to figure out what works and what doesn't in both long-term health monitoring and disease diagnostics in an insanely short period of time. But when they go on to actually sell these things, it's likely that they'll focus on one area with a more specialized device.

So how will devices like these ultimately fit into people's lives? The initial goal of the XPrize competition was to solve the problem of access, creating inexpensive take-home devices that could make huge strides in rural areas with little access to medical facilities. But they'll do other things too. Once the competition is over, some teams might take their products in different directions.

"In 5 to 10 years, it's very realistic to believe that tricorders will exist in many forms and be available in many places," said Campany. "We're starting out diagnosing 15 conditions. But as teams prepare to go to market, they might just focus on one capability."

Teams are already making those plans, and some have consumer products in the works. Cloud DX is now taking preorders for a vital-signs monitor called Vitaliti. And Scanadu has already announced the Scanadu Scout, a small health monitor designed by Yves Béhar, and the Scanaflo, an at-home urine analysis kit.

Where and how people will buy the tricorders is still a question. Teams envision selling their tricorders in just about any channel that exists, according to Campany. You might go into CVS to buy or rent one. A large healthcare provider like Kaiser Permanente might loan them out to patients who need long-term monitoring. When it comes to products that are more focused on fitness, people might buy them at a big sportswear store, Best Buy or Amazon.

Uncertainties in the prognosis

For all that promise, tricorders have a long way to go. Regulatory approval presents one big hurdle. It's one thing to develop a cool gadget in a lab. But it's another to get legal clearance and bring it to market. Genetics testing startup 23andMe once offered at-home ancestry and genetic health analysis kits but was forced by the Food and Drug Administration to halt the health screenings . In order to avoid similar regulatory snafus, XPrize partnered with the FDA from the very beginning.

"We're pushing the envelope pretty hard here," said Campany. "The last thing in the world we want is to see these devices make profound diagnoses but yet the FDA has no idea how to handle it." At the moment, 18 employees at the FDA volunteer their time to be available for teams with questions along the way. This helps the teams understand how they need to build devices in order to get approval, long before they've gone too far down a road that might turn out to be a dead end. "The access is unprecedented," Campany said.

Another question is how these devices fit in with the doctor-patient relationship. What happens, for example, when the tricorder delivers really bad news? Like, "you've got cancer" news? Normally that news would be delivered by a doctor, who can give immediate advice and information about how they'll tackle the disease. But what happens if a machine is the one making a diagnosis?

And the winner is...

While teams will have to navigate those questions eventually, first they have to make something that works. First-, second- and third-prize winners will be announced in January 2016, on the 50th anniversary of the debut of "Star Trek." Get ready to see a whole new wave of devices designed to help you live long and prosper.

Dara Kerr contributed to this story, which appears in the summer edition of CNET Magazine. For other magazine stories, go here .

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Published May 27, 2020

The Captain's Quarters, Ranked

Where would you want to spend your time?

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While I’ve been at home during quarantine, like many other Trekkies, I’ve been rewatching Star Trek . Perhaps it is this extended time at home that caused me to pay closer attention to the homes of Star Trek captains. (It could also be that I recently watched three full seasons of Property Brothers too — it’s been a long few months.)

I started to think about what qualities would make for the best living space aboard a starship. Three things stood out to me as the most important: the flow of the room, the amenities present, and the comfort of the space in space! Within each of these categories I thought about what elements I thought were essential and adjusted my rating based on their presence or absence. I’ve ranked each room out of ten in each of the three main categories and then added these to give an overall score out of thirty.

Captain Kirk’s Quarters - USS Enterprise (NCC - 1701)

While small, the flow of Kirk’s room is better than your average college dorm room. There are two distinct spaces in the room (office area and sleeping area) which are made clear by the furniture and the small dividing wall. It is this partial wall that makes this space more like a small apartment and less like a dorm room. The entrance into the room is in the office area which lends additional privacy to the sleeping area. While a sliding door between the two rooms would have provided more privacy the room flows well for its size.

Amenities: 5/10

Kirk’s quarters have most of what a Starfleet officer needs. There is a computer, communication system, desk, chairs, built in drawers, and a closet/bathroom. The main drawback for me was the lack of access to food in the quarters. If I was Captain of a starship I know I would want to be able to have a midnight snack without leaving my room.

Comfort:  3/10

The comfort of Captain Kirk’s quarters gets a low rating for a few reasons. The first is the complete lack of windows — even tiny college dorm rooms have one window! The second is the bed. Kirk’s bed appears to be only marginally more comfortable than the beds in sickbay — at least in sickbay you get a blanket. And what is with that weird rectangular pillow? Also, orange is not the calming color you would expect in your bedroom. What keeps this room from getting an even lower score  for comfort is the presence of personal items including a potted plant.

Overall Score: 15/30

Captain Picard’s Quarters - USS Enterprise (NCC - 1701 - D)

The first thing that stands out about Captain Picard’s quarters is the size. This space is comparable to that of a loft apartment rather than a dorm room. The main living space is open concept with sight-lines between the seating, eating, and working areas. Furniture and accessories define what each space is used for without cutting it off from the rest of the room. A full wall with a sliding door gives the bedroom more privacy. The bedroom itself is spacious (maybe even the size of Kirk’s whole quarters). My only critique is the placement of the desk - personally I find it awkward to not be able to see who is entering my room while I’m sitting at my desk. I would have placed the replicator and bookshelves on that wall and moved the desk to the same wall as the door to the bedroom.

Amenities: 10/10

Picard’s quarters do not seem to be lacking anything Starfleet officers might need. He has a computer, desk, dining table, seating area, bathroom, bookshelf, and most excitingly a food replicator. As captain I could very easily pass my time in this room before the next adventure came.

Comfort: 9/10

Windows! Not only are there windows but there is a whole wall of windows in the main living area and in the bedroom. All in all the furniture in this space also appears to be comfortable. Having both a couch and armchairs also makes it more possible to have guests come and feel welcome in the space. Moving on to the bed the first thing that stands out is the size, no more college dorm sized bed for the captain. Second, the bed actually has blankets and, depending on the season, no weird rectangular pillow. The only drawback comfort wise for me are the carpets. The carpet itself is not a problem (I’m sure carpets on the Enterprise D are kept very clean) but the color. The beige tone that was chosen is very dull and is the only reason keeping these quarters from a perfect score.

Overall Score: 28/30

Captain Sisko’s Quarters - Deep Space Nine

Flow: 10/10

Much like Picard’s quarters Sisko’s quarters are also an open floor plan. In fact, because of the more industrial look of Deep Space Nine these quarters are slightly reminiscent of old mills that have been converted into lofts. Personally, I like the industrial look of the quarters on Deep Space Nine . The main living area has three distinct spaces: a desk for doing work, a seating area with a couch and two chairs, and a dining area. While the room appears to be slightly narrower than Captain Picard's, the arrangement of furniture makes the space feel open. Additionally, a smaller work area leaves more room for the dining and sitting areas. Having the bedrooms come off of different sides of the room gives both Captain Sisko and Jake privacy. I know if I had to get up early to run a space station, I wouldn’t want my teenage son to keep me awake.

Despite being a reclaimed Cardassian space station, Sisko’s quarters are not lacking in any of the basic needs of a Starfleet officer. One of my favorite things is that Sisko was able to get quarters that had room for his son. The fact that Jake has his own space gives this room major points. Other than the additional room for Jake there is a desk, seating area, dining area, and food replicator. I also appreciated that while he could replicate food there is the space in the quarters for Sisko to cook his own food.

Comfort: 7/10

There were a few reasons that Captain Sisko’s quarters received a lower rating for comfort. While there are windows in this space they are considerably smaller than those on the Enterprise-D . Furthermore, only one of the two bedrooms has a window. The low light level in the space also affected the comfort rating. I can imagine that while Sisko was preparing food he might have appreciated better lighting — especially when chopping vegetables. While the darkness is due to this being a former Cardassian station I think it would have been possible to replicate some accent lamps (perhaps even a salt lamp or two). In the pilot of Deep Space Nine , Jake points out that their newly assigned quarters have no bed. O’Brien assures the two of them that they can get “a real bunk off the Enterprise ''. This assertion leads me to believe the beds in the room would be similar quality to that on the Enterprise-D , and not the uncomfortable Cardassian beds we hear so much about on the show.

Overall Score: 27/30

Captain Janeway’s Quarters - USS Voyager (NCC - 74656)

The flow of Janeway’s quarters is very similar to those on the Enterprise-D . This makes sense considering the two ships were constructed in a similar time period. The set up of the main living area allows for Janeway to do work from her desk while also having space to have crew over for dinner or just to talk. The main flaw I see in this space is the fact that there are two entry ways. I’m sure there is a practical reason to have two of them and I would simply eliminate one. I think it makes the most sense to keep the one that is closer to the bedroom area. Also, considering Janeway has a rather large office off of the bridge I would also consider shrinking down the work area. Sisko has a very small desk in his quarters and I think something like that would fit better on Voyager .

Amenities are of utmost importance on Voyager considering how much time the crew spends onboard the ship. Janeway’s quarters have a work area, eating area, sitting area, bedroom, bathroom, and replicator. Even though Neelix is always cooking, we all know the crew is thankful to have replicators in their rooms. Plus, how else would Janeway get her morning coffee?

The absolute best part of Janeway’s quarters is the presence of a huge bathtub! What better way to relax when thrown into a distant galaxy than in a giant bubble bath. Her bedroom also receives high points because of the huge windows along with blankets and real pillows on the bed. However, the comfort in the living area furniture does not quite match up with that of the bedroom and bathroom. While it makes practical sense to build furniture like the couch into the wall it could have been more comfortable if padding were added to the arms. Having large windows in the main living space is a positive feature of the space. The grey carpet, while still slightly bland, is better than the beige carpet on the Enterprise .

Captain Archer’s Quarters - Enterprise (NX - 01)

Out of all the captain’s quarters, Archer's is most similar to a dorm room. (My own dorm room was probably only slightly smaller.) There is a smallish entryway that is set apart from the rest of the room but this is the only real division in the space. There is no separation between the working and sleeping areas. Additionally, there are only two spare chairs in the room making it very awkward for any guests to come and visit. I do appreciate that the bed is placed out of sight of the door, this does give the space some privacy. The only reason that this room does not get a lower flow rating is that there is room for Porthos to have a dog bed, even if he does spend a lot of time on Archer’s bed.

Amenities: 4/10

The amenities in this room cover the basics, but there is nothing very exciting. There is a desk, computer station, two chairs, bed, and bathroom. Like the Enterprise-1701 there is no way for the captain of the NX-01 to make food in his quarters. Archer does have a decent amount of storage space (at least enough room for food for Porthos) in the entryway to his room, which does help the small space seem a little more useful.

Comfort: 4/10

Archer’s quarters also receive a low rating on comfort. One of the main reasons is the size of the bed. Even at 5’ 2’’ I prefer to sleep in a full sized bed. (Clearly a nice bed is an important factor for me.) Overall, the room is also very grey. While I was not a big fan of the orange accents on the Enterprise NCC-1701 at least there was an attempt at a pop of color in the design of that room.

Overall Score: 13/30

Captain Lorca’s Quarters - USS Discovery (NCC - 1031)

Like the rooms on the Enterprise NX-01 and NCC-1701 the captain’s quarters on Discovery are a single room. Out of the three Lorca’s quarters have the biggest floor plan, there is much more space to move around this room. The main spaces in the room appear to be a seating area and sleeping area. While I like the size of the sleeping area I do wish there was more separation between it and the rest of the room. There are two small walls but they don’t really create any privacy in the space.

Not much show time is spent in Lorca’s quarters so it is hard to tell what amenities are present in this room. There appears to be a seating area, bed, and bathroom. Based on the fact that the show takes place before The Original Series I would guess that there are no food replicators in the quarters. This drops the amenity points. A plus for this space is the seating area, if Lorca was more social he could have had visitors come to this space.

Comfort: 6/10

Like the other early ships there are no windows in this space and this brings the comfort rating down. However, unlike the Enterprise NX-01 and NCC-1701 these quarters have a bed that actually looks comfortable. This fact raises the comfort score a little bit.

Overall Score: 18/30

So how do all the captain’s quarters stack up? It turns out that the newer a ship was, the higher overall ratings I gave it. As one may have expected from the start, newer ships tended to have more space for quarters and better amenities within the quarters which helped them get higher scores. The older ships tended to be smaller and were lacking basics like windows and food replicators. If I had to choose a ship to live on I would choose Deep Space Nine or Voyager. What about you?

Final Rankings:

1st - Tie between Janeway’s quarters on Voyager and Picard’s on the Enterprise - D with overall scores of 28 out of 30.

2nd - Sisko’s quarters on Deep Space Nine with an overall score of 27 out of 30.

3rd - Lorca’s quarters on Discovery with an overall score of 18.

4th - Kirk’s quarters on the Enterprise NCC-1701 with an overall score of 15.

Last - Archer’s quarters on the Enterprise NX-01 with a score of 13.

Zoe (she/her) is a kindergarten teacher from Western MA. She was introduced to Star Trek through her dad’s VHS tapes of TOS (the ones in the grey box with two episodes on them) and has since watched every episode of Trek. You can follow her on Twitter @zoeneeley.

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Star Trek: The Original Series Handwritten Speech Graphic T-Shirt

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It's time to boldly go where no one has gone before and proudly wear what no one has worn before with a Star Trek: Original Series style! This Star Trek: Original Series Handwritten Speech Graphic T-Shirt is a perfect way to "live long and prosper" with your favorite crew members like Captain Kirk, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, Bones, and Spock.

PRODUCT DETAILS:

• This comfortable tee is a must have!
• Made of: 100% Cotton
• Care: Machine wash cold inside out with like colors and tumble dry low.
• Additional Information: Do not iron on print location. Taped neck and shoulder seams for durability.

Ordering Information

• Return Policy: We will gladly accept returns for any reason within 30 days of receipt of delivery.
• Shipping: Ship times are estimates of time in transit after your product leaves the fulfillment center. Some items in your order may ship separately to arrive faster.
• Availability: Ships to the United States and Puerto Rico.
• Shipping Policy: For more information, see our Shipping Policy .

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Star Trek: The Original Series Delta Personalized Laser Engraved SIC Tumbler

A Star Trek enthusiast not using this Star Trek: The Original Series Delta Personalized Tumbler is highly illogical! Perfect for keeping your drinks hot and cold in the office, home, or while traveling the galaxy, getting this tumbler is an extremely logical choice. *Note: Allowed number of characters within personalization is 9.

• This double wall vacuum insulated tumbler with a no-sweat exterior is perfect for on the go drinks!
• Made of: 18/8 stainless steel that's non-toxic & BPA free.
• Temperature control: Maximum temperature retention that insulates the mug and protects your hands from the hot or cold. Keeps ice longer - holds ice for up to 24 hours and keeps drinks hot - works great for hot beverages.
• Convenient design: Narrow and tall design fits in most cup holders.
• Lid included: Splash Proof lid lets you know exactly how much drink you have. The sliding closure resists spills and is straw friendly.
• Size: Available in 20 oz or 30 oz.
• Care instructions: Easy to clean. Hand-wash only.
• Return Policy: All personalized items are nonreturnable. We regret that we are unable to refund any personalized item.
• Availability: Ships internationally to most countries around the world.
• Shipping Policy: For more information, see our Shipping Policy here .

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Star Trek Starfleet Academy EST. 2161 Fleece Hoodie

Warm, cozy, and ultra-comfy, this Star Trek Starfleet Academy EST. 2161 Hooded Sweatshirt will be your favorite cold-weather look.

• Get cozy in this super-soft traditional hoodie!
• Fit: Comfy and casual fit. Order a size up for a looser fit.
• Made of: 50% polyester / 50% cotton
• Care: Machine wash cold inside out with like colors and tumble dry low

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Star Trek Starfleet Academy Alumni Personalized Grey Adult Short Sleeve T-Shirt

Make your alumni status official by wearing this Star Trek Starfleet Academy Alumni Personalized Adult Short Sleeve T-Shirt! It also makes a great gift for any Star Trek fan.

• This is the perfect tee to lounge around in!
• Fit: This crew neck shirt is comfortable and lightweight.
• Made of: 100% Combed Ring-Spun Cotton and 90/10 Cotton/Polyester in color
• Additional Information: Its design is drapey and easy to wear on the go or while lounging at home.

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Star Trek: The Original Series Live Long and Prosper Deltas Pillow - 16" x 16"

Star Trek fans everywhere will love displaying this Star Trek: The Original Series Live Long and Prosper Deltas Pillow in their homes. Beautifully designed, comfortable, and featuring the iconic Vulcan greeting, this pillow will become your favorite household item!

• This decorative throw pillow is double-sided, so you can show off your favorite show from all angles!
• Made of: Soft Spun Polyester.
• Size: 16” x 16”
• Additional information: Pillow insert included. Zipper enclosure allows for easy removal and wash.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Delta Personalized Laser Engraved Wine Tumbler with Straw

Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will feel like an official crew member aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise when they receive this Star Trek: The Next Generation Delta Personalized Wine Tumbler. Whether you gift it to your fellow Star Trek fan or add it to your own bar cart, this wine tumbler lets you unwind and represent Captain Picard's crew in style.

• The perfect laser engraved 12 oz wine tumbler for all occasions!
• Made of: 18/8 lightweight , lead free stainless steel that won't alter flavors.
• Temperature control: Keeps hot beverages toasty for over 3 hours. Keeps your favorite cold drinks chilled for 9 hours.
• Convenient design: Double walled and vacuum insulated tumbler provides a sweat proof and condensation free exterior.
• Lid included: Push-on , BPA free sip lid that allows you to take your drink on the go unlike your traditional wine glass.
• Additional information: Straw is included.
• Care instructions: Top rack dishwasher safe.

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Star Trek: Picard Seven of Nine Cardboard Cutout Standee

The return of Seven of Nine is nothing short of exciting for Star Trek fans. which makes this Star Trek: Picard Seven of Nine Standee the perfect addition to your home. Whether you take a selfie with your new Seven of Nine standee or place it in your media room for everyone to see, this standee is a must-have for Star Trek: Picard fans.

• Easel glued to the back to make it free-standing
• Size: 68in x 19in
• Material: Cardboard
• Return Policy: This item is non-refundable

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Star Trek: The Original Series Captain Kirk Cardboard Cutout Standee

The man. The myth. The Legend. Welcome the iconic Captain Kirk into your home by displaying this Star Trek: The Original Series Captain Kirk Standee proudly for everyone to see! From your media room to office space, this standee looks great anywhere it goes.

• Easel glued to the back to make it free standing
• Size: 70in x 20in 

Additional Information: This item is nonrefundable. No returns accepted. 

Star Trek: The Original Series Wash Your Hands Tribbles Adult Short Sleeve T-Shirt

Much like Tribbles, germs can spread faster than the U.S.S. Enterprise at warp speed! That is why washing your hands is a highly logical choice now and always. Add this Star Trek: The Original Series Wash Your Hands Tribbles Adult Short Sleeve T-Shirt to your wardrobe and inspire your household to wash their hands throughout the day.

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Star Trek: Generations Delta Logo Fleece Crewneck Sweatshirt

Cozy and colorful, this Star Trek: Generations Delta Logo Crew Neck Sweatshirt is the perfect look for those chilly nights up in space. Featuring a beautifully bright galaxy within the iconic Starfleet Delta, this crew neck sweatshirt will quickly become the favorite style of any Star Trek fan.

• Get cozy in this super-soft traditional crewneck sweatshirt!
• Fit: Comfy and casual fit

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Star Trek: The Original Series Juan Ortiz Obsession Premium Gallery Wrapped Canvas

This Star Trek: The Original Series Juan Ortiz Obsession Gallery Wrapped Canvas perfectly captures the madness of Kirk as he transitions from redemption to obsession when hunting a creature he encountered 11 years prior. With a bold design, this canvas is sure to grab the attention of any fellow fan!

• Show off your love for your favorite character or show with this Premium Gallery Wrapped Canvas.
• Made of: Premium artist-grade canvas with a classic texture is a beautiful finish for every print.
• Design: Perfect corners every time! Our manufacturing process allows us to create corners free from unsightly bulges or excess material.
• Additional information: Every canvas comes with a fully finished black back | with pre-installed hanging hardware.

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Star Trek: The Original Series Ships of the Line Righteous Wrath Acrylic

If your love for space exploration is stronger than Apollo’s grip, then you will love hanging this Star Trek: The Original Series Ships of the Line Righteous Wrath wall art in your home or office! Featuring an electric design, this 11 x 16 acrylic piece will look great anywhere you hang it.

 PRODUCT DETAILS:

• Superior image sharpness and brilliant color range.
• Highly durable and better than glass — acrylic won’t fade or break.
• Every frame comes with a built-in hanger and beautiful stand.
• Ready to gift! Each acrylic comes packaged in an official Star Trek box.
• 11 in x 16 in

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Mirror Universe Terrans Unite Premium Poster

Show your pride for the Terran Empire by displaying this boldly designed Star Trek: The Next Generation Mirror Universe Terrans Unite Premium Poster at home or in your office.

• This poster is a fun addition to any room!
• Made of: Premium, satin photo paper and pigment based ink.
• Size: 18" x 24"
• Not included: Does not include frame.
• Shipment: Ships rolled in a tube.

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Star Trek: Picard Property Of Personalized Stemless Wine Glass

Featuring your name alongside Captain Picard, this Star Trek: Picard Property Of Personalized Stemless Wine Glass will quickly become your favorite wine glass for a relaxing night in.

• Elegant, catchet stemless wine glasses.
• Large wine glasses hold 17 oz of your favorite wine.
• Laser Engraved

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Star Trek: The Original Series Lucky Red Shirt Premium T-Shirt

It's time to boldly go where no one has gone before and proudly wear what no one has worn before with a Star Trek: Original Series style! This Star Trek: Original Series Lucky Red Shirt Premium T-Shirt is a perfect way to "live long and prosper" with your favorite crew members like Captain Kirk, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, Bones, and Spock.

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Star Trek: Discovery Universe Delta Silver Metallic 11 oz Mug

Coffee is a neccessity when you've got to battle for the binary stars. Before you battle start your day with the Star Trek: Discovery Universe Delta Silver Metallic 11 oz Mug. Coffee is a necessity when you've got to battle for the binary stars. Before your battle starts, start your day with the Star Trek: Discovery Universe Delta Silver Metallic 11 oz Mug.

• Sip your favorite beverage and represent your favorite show with this ceramic mug!
• Capacity: 11 oz
• Care: Dishwasher and microwave safe
• Additional Information: Large, easy-grip handle.

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Star Trek: Discovery Universe Logo Sherpa Blanket

Cozy up on the couch, turn on your favorite show and get lost in a different universe with the Star Trek: Discovery Universe Logo Sherpa Blanket .

• This blanket with soft and smooth mink-touch front with tan Sherpa back is a must have!
• Made of: 100% polyester
• Size: 37" x 57", 50" x 60"
• Care: Machine washable in cold water. Tumble dry on low.
• Additional Information: Yarn stitched edges

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Star Trek: The Original Series Beam Me In Doormat

Whether you are toasting another successful mission or celebrating a safe return home, this Star Trek: The Original Series Beam Me In Doormat will be your favorite!

• Safe for outdoor or indoor door mat use.
• Doormat is 1/8" fleece smooth with latex action backing and white bound edging.

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Star Trek: The Original Series Cats Coaster Set of 4

Take your love of  Star Trek: The Original Series  and add it to your home with the  Star Trek: The Original Series Cats  Coasters - set of 4. These coasters are the perfect gift for any fan of  Star Trek: Discovery  and are sure to have your guests talking!

• These Star Trek coasters are perfect for your coffee table!
• Size: 3.75"x 3.75"
• Made of: Premium hardwood with cork bottom to help protect your furniture
• Quantity: Sold in a set of 4
• Additional Information: Set comes with Mahogany Coaster Holder

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Star Trek: The Original Series Kirk's Chair Cat Pillow - 16" x 16"

This Star Trek: The Original Series Kirk’s Chair Cat Pillow is so comfortable, you will feel like you are in purr-adise each time you use it. From cat naps to Star Trek marathons, this pillow lets you experience ultimate comfort.

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Star Trek: Discovery Starfleet Command Personalized Wine Glass

Take a break from saving the universe and relax with the Star Trek: Discovery Starfleet Command Personalized Wine Glass. Even Commanders need a glass of wine every now and then! Add your name to show you've officially joined the ranks.

• Elegant, catchet wine glasses.

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Star Trek Ships of the Line Delta Pillow - 16" x 16"

Let the Federation of Planets know you are the biggest Star Trek fan in the galaxy with this Star Trek  Ships of the Line Delta Pillow. Featuring the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, NCC-1701-D, Deep Space 9, Voyager, and the Star Trek Delta, this pillow makes a great housewarming gift for any fan.

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Star Trek: The Original Series Crew Cats Sherpa Blanket

Cuddle up in this vibrant Star Trek: The Original Series Crew Cats Sherpa Blanket to experience the purrr-fect amount of coziness during your next Star Trek marathon. Featuring the feline versions of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, Uhura, and Chekov, this sherpa will become your favorite blanket in the galaxy.

• Size: 37? x 57?, 50" x 60"
• You'll never need another blanket! This blanket is the perfect addition to your home, it looks good and is a nice companion on cool nights.
• Soft and smooth mink touch front with a tan sherpa back.
• Made Of: 100% polyester.
• Care: Machine wash cold on gentle cycle with mild detergent and similar colors. Tumble dry low or lay flat to dry for the longest life.

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Star Trek Starfleet Academy Command Sock

Bright and colorful, these Star Trek Starfleet Academy Command Socks are the perfect way to show off your Starfleet Academy Command status! Stylish enough to go with any outfit, these socks are comfortable enough to wear throughout the galaxy.

PRODUCT DETAILS: 

• These custom knit dress socks are comfortable and breathable, perfect for all-day wear.
• Made of: 77% Cotton, 21% Nylon, 2% Lycra
• Size: One size fits most. Men's shoe size: 7-14 and women's shoe size: 7.5+
• Multi-item Orders: Expedited shipping options are not available in the checkout for multi-item orders that include Fast Ship items AND products that are not noted as Fast Ship.

Star Trek: Discovery DISCO Sock

From the Pride Parade to your own home, these Star Trek: Discovery Pride Socks are perfect to wear anywhere in the galaxy. With a comfortable feel and vibrant design, these socks are a great addition to any Star Trek: Discovery fan’s wardrobe.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Poker Cats Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Get ready to up the decor ante when you add this Star Trek: The Next Generation Poker Cats Gallery Wrapped Canvas to your home! Featuring the feline versions of Worf, Crusher, La Forge, Data, and Riker, this canvas is the purrr-fect gift to get any Star Trek and poker enthusiast.

• Premium artist-grade canvas with a classic texture is a beautiful finish for every print.
• Pigment based inks create a vibrant print that resists fading and scratches.
• Perfect corners – every time! Our manufacturing process allows us to create corners free from unsightly bulges or excess material.
• Every canvas comes with a fully finished black back, with pre-installed hanging hardware.

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Star Trek: Picard Chateau Picard Vineyard Logo Tri-Blend Raglan Hoodie

Perfect for cool days at the vineyard, this Star Trek: Picard Chateau Picard Vineyard Logo Adult Tri-Blend Raglan Hoodie will keep fan’s cozy and warm throughout the grape-picking season. Featuring the beautiful Chateau Picard Vineyard, this hoodie will make you smile each time you see it.

• Thin, lightweight and breathable, you will love wearing this comfy hoodie!
• Fit: Long, raglan sleeves give this hoodie a more comfortable fit
• Made of: 50% Polyester / 25% Combed, Ringspun Cotton / 25% Rayon

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Star Trek: Picard Coat of Arms Picard Family Forever Beer Stein

Raise a glass of your favorite beverage in this Star Trek: Picard Coat of Arms Picard Family Forever Beer Stein to show that your loyalty to the Picard family will never end. This beer stein also makes a great wedding, graduation, or holiday gift.

• German-style detail
• Product Dimensions: 6.6" H x 6.6" W x 3.0" D

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Star Trek Starfleet Academy EST. 2161 Personalized Pint Glass

With your name front and center, this Star Trek Starfleet Academy EST. 2161 Personalized Pint Glass will make you smile each time you use it. It also makes a great gift for any fan.

• Sip your favorite beverage in style with this drinking glass!
• Made of: Durable Lead Free Glass
• Sizing: Holds 16 oz
• Care: Dishwasher Safe For Convenient Use, Optional Hand Wash To Preserve Design
• Additional Information: Not recommended for hot beverages

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After disastrous 2023, a ‘bumper’ crop of Georgia peaches is coming

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

In the 130 years Lawton Pearson’s family has been growing peaches in Middle Georgia, few harvests have been as disappointing as last year’s, when his crop — and most others in the state — were almost entirely wiped out by two March cold snaps.

Trees covered with quarter-sized fruit and delicate pink flowers were blasted by last year’s freezes, leaving the promise of an ample harvest to rot, prompting the federal government to declare a disaster across the heart of Georgia’s peach country.

But this year has been the “exact opposite,” Pearson said, giving farmers and fruit lovers across the Peach State reason to rejoice. Aided by a relatively cool winter and a deep freeze-less spring, Pearson said a “bumper” crop of Georgia’s trademark peaches should be heading to grocery stores and farmers markets soon.

“We’re all excited to tackle this beast of a crop that we get to pick,” said Pearson, a fifth-generation peach farmer and co-owner of Pearson Farm near Fort Valley, about 30 miles southwest of Macon.

The peach rebound was hailed by Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper who said “consumers in Georgia and across the country, can look forward to enjoying a great crop of our iconic Georgia peaches very soon.”

Agriculture remains Georgia’s top industry . Peaches aren’t Georgia’s most valuable agricultural product — that would be broiler chickens — nor is Georgia the nation’s top peach producer, having been surpassed long ago by California. But Georgia is still proudly known as the Peach State.

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Peaches and blueberries, which are now the state’s most valuable fruit crop , both depend on a mix of hot and cold temperatures for successful harvests. But as human-caused climate change pushes average temperatures up in Georgia — especially in winter — it is disrupting the delicate balance plants and growers depend on. The result has been massive crop losses in recent years.

Peaches and blueberries need to spend a certain amount of time in temperatures between 32 and 45 degrees for healthy buds and fruit to emerge when warmer temperatures arrive. Conversely, an abnormally warm winter can trick plants to awaken from dormancy early, putting them at risk of damage if freezing temperatures return.

That’s exactly what doomed the state’s peach crop last year.

Egged on by Georgia’s warmest winter on record to start 2023, most peach trees in the state had full blooms or even small fruit out by mid-March, when back-to-back freeze events struck. The result was devastating — many peach growers lost 90% or more of their crop.

Georgia farmers also lost about 80% of their peach crops to a freeze in 2017 , while the blueberry harvest of 2022 was also upended by a cold snap .

This year, the weather cooperated.

Temperatures from January to March were still 1.2 degrees warmer than the 30-year average, but they were a far cry from 2023′s exceptional heat, when average temperatures were 5.1 degrees above normal to start the year.

Winter’s chill did return briefly in mid-March, but most peach blooms survived unscathed.

“Because it wasn’t quite as warm this winter, it delayed the blossoming of the peaches,” said Pam Knox, an agricultural climatologist at the University of Georgia. Temperatures during the March freeze did not sink much below freezing, nor stay there for very long, which also aided growers, Knox added.

With the threat of a freeze in the rearview mirror as temperatures push into the 90s in parts of the state, farmers are preparing to harvest.

For the first time in years, Pearson said his staff is having to thin the crop to ensure their peaches grow as large and sweet as possible. Some shake their trees or hit branches with wiffle bats to knock the fruit loose. Others, like Pearson, prefer to pluck the unwanted fruit off by hand.

“When you have a full crop of peaches, it’s kind of a mountain to climb,” Pearson said. “Picking them is easy, but thinning them is the hard part.”

The expected bounty of peaches should also provide an economic jolt to rural Middle Georgia.

Selena Hall, the tourism specialist at the Byron Welcome Center just off Interstate 75 in Peach County, said late May and June — in the thick of the harvest — is always high season for visitors seeking their Georgia peach fix. She said many tourists still made the trek last year, but were greeted with few fresh peaches to choose from.

This year, she said “hopes are really high.”

“Once it gets started, it’s wide open until the end of the season,” Hall said.

Georgia’s blueberry crop, which is now worth an estimated $449 million , is in the thick of the harvest and is also poised for a big year, said Zilfina Rubio Ames, an assistant professor and small fruit extension specialist at UGA.

Ames said that after freeze events resulted in some down years for Georgia blueberries, this year’s full crop has brought some packing and shipping challenges. Competition from low-priced imports are causing some headaches, though Ames said she expects this will go down as a good season for Georgia’s blueberry industry.

Despite the bounce back in 2024, the future for Georgia’s fruit growers isn’t all peachy.

Average temperatures in the state are continuing to rise, especially in winter. That’s likely to continue causing problems for temperamental crops like peaches, Knox said.

To adapt to the warming climate, farmers like Pearson are playing “defense” by investing in huge fans and sprinkler systems that can protect crops in a freeze. At the same time, they are also working with breeders to develop new peach varieties better adapted to the warmer winters that are expected in the future.

After nearly all the peaches available in supermarkets last year came from California or overseas, Pearson said customers should begin to see the famed Georgia-grown fruit on shelves in the next couple of weeks.

“We feel like everyone is ready to go and ready to forget last year,” he said.

Deanna Troi

• View history

Deanna Troi was a female Betazoid – Human hybrid Starfleet officer . Under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard , she served as the counselor aboard the USS Enterprise -D and the USS Enterprise -E . In 2379 , Troi transferred to the USS Titan ( Star Trek: The Next Generation ; Star Trek Nemesis ). By 2399 , she and her husband William T. Riker lived on the planet Nepenthe with their daughter, Kestra Troi-Riker . Their son, Thaddeus Troi-Riker , died of Mendaxic neurosclerosis soon after their arrival on Nepenthe. ( PIC : " Nepenthe ")

As a half-Betazoid, Troi was capable of extra-sensory empathy , but was incapable of reading aliens with brain structures dissimilar to Humans and other Betazoids, such as the Breen and the Ferengi . Like most Betazoids, Troi had telepathic abilities. Due to her half-Human heritage, however, the range of her telepathic abilities was limited compared to full-blooded Betazoids, and she could usually only read the thoughts of other Betazoids, most notably her mother . Troi's empathic skills made her an important asset to the Enterprise -D and her abilities were often particularly useful when dealing with hostile races. Since she could usually determine, through use of her abilities, whether others were lying, she repeatedly proved herself invaluable in many suspenseful situations. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " Ménage à Troi ", " The Loss "; VOY : " Inside Man ")

• 1 Early life and career
• 2.1 2364-2365
• 2.2 2366-2367
• 2.3 2368-2369
• 2.4 2370-2371
• 3.1 Project Pathfinder
• 3.2 Marriage and transfer
• 4 Aboard the USS Titan
• 5 Life after Starfleet
• 6.1 Exercise
• 6.2 Chocolate
• 7.1.1 Beverly Crusher
• 7.1.2 Reginald Barclay
• 7.1.3 Natasha Yar
• 7.2.1 Lwaxana Troi
• 7.2.2 Ian Andrew Troi
• 7.2.3 Kestra Troi
• 7.2.4 Alexander Rozhenko
• 7.3.1 William T. Riker
• 8 Anything but canon account
• 9 Alternate realities and timelines
• 10 Holograms
• 11 Miscellaneous information
• 12 Chronology
• 13.1 Appearances
• 13.2.1 Performers
• 13.2.2 Concept origins
• 13.2.3 Personification
• 13.2.4 Introduction
• 13.2.5 Serialization
• 13.2.6 Reappearances
• 13.2.7 Reception and aftermath
• 13.3 Apocrypha
• 13.4 External links

Early life and career [ ]

Deanna Troi as an infant

Deanna was born on March 29 , 2336 , near Lake El'nar on Betazed . She was born to Betazoid Ambassador Lwaxana Troi and Human Starfleet officer Ian Andrew Troi . Deanna was actually the second of their two children, the first being Kestra Troi , born in 2330 . However, Kestra drowned when Deanna was an infant. Stricken with grief and regret, Lwaxana removed all evidence of Kestra's existence from her own life and even repressed all memories of Kestra. She also made her husband swear never to mention Kestra again. Because of this, Deanna did not learn of her sister until 2370 , when Lwaxana's memories resurfaced. ( TNG : " Conundrum ", " Dark Page ")

As required by Betazoid custom, Deanna was genetically bonded with a Human male named Wyatt Miller at a young age. Wyatt was the son of Steven and Victoria Miller , close friends of Deanna's parents. Due to their genetic bonding, Deanna was scheduled to marry Wyatt in adulthood. ( TNG : " Haven ")

According to her mother, Deanna had a talent for languages as a child. ( TNG : " Dark Page ") During her adult life, Deanna also recalled having visited Enterprise NX-01 as a little girl, although she was not absolutely sure, as she always got "those museum ships" mixed up. ( ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ")

As a child living on Betazed, Deanna learned aspects of Human culture from her Human father, Ian. One such aspect was a fondness for stories set during Earth 's Ancient West , which he often read to her. ( TNG : " A Fistful of Datas ") To fall asleep, she would ask him to sing the American song " Down in the Valley "; while this was her favorite, it was his singing that made her feel safe. ( TNG : " Dark Page ") As she was half-Human and half-Betazoid, she never felt trapped between the two worlds to which she belonged, instead choosing to embrace the richness of her dual heritage. ( TNG : " The Emissary ") She also heard stories from her maternal grandfather, who told them telepathically; something of a traditionalist, he rarely spoke, saying speech was for "offworlders and people who didn't know any better." ( TNG : " Eye of the Beholder ")

Deanna's father died in 2343 , when Deanna was only seven years old. Even so, she remembered him fondly, and when she became pregnant by an alien energy being in 2365 , she named the child after her father. ( TNG : " Half a Life ", " Dark Page ", " The Child ")

In grammar school, Deanna had to memorize Jonathan Archer 's speech at the Federation Founding Ceremony . ( ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ") Deanna began studying psychology at the University of Betazed sometime in the 2350s . During her time there, one of her patients was Tam Elbrun , a Betazoid male who had been suffering from mental instability due to his lack of the Betazoid's natural ability to "tune out" the thoughts of others. ( TNG : " Tin Man ")

Janaran Falls was where Deanna and William Riker spent their last night together

Deanna Troi entered Starfleet Academy in 2355 . She graduated in 2359 , majoring in psychology . ( TNG : " Conundrum ") On her homeworld of Betazed, she met William T. Riker , a Starfleet lieutenant who was stationed on the planet. The two began a relationship sometime between 2357 and 2361 , and the relationship lasted several years. After Riker was assigned to the USS Potemkin , the two planned to spend their holidays together on Risa in 2361. However, Will had to cancel their plans after he was quickly promoted to lieutenant commander – deciding to make his career his top priority, Will stopped pursuing Deanna, and the couple eventually lost contact with each other. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " Ménage à Troi ", " Second Chances ") By 2364 , Troi held the rank of lieutenant commander . That year, she was assigned as ship's counselor aboard the USS Enterprise -D. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

Aboard the USS Enterprise -D [ ]

2364-2365 [ ].

Troi during the Farpoint Mission

Troi proved herself to be an important asset to the crew of the Enterprise -D during the ship's first mission to Farpoint Station in 2364. Her ability to sense feelings and emotions yielded vital clues which allowed the crew to determine that the station was actually a shapeshifting space vessel lifeform being forced into servitude by the Bandi . By rescuing the creature and reuniting it with its mate, Troi and her shipmates managed to pass a test of Humanity's intentions imposed on them by Q . ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

Soon after, Troi was affected by polywater intoxication that caused her and the majority of the Enterprise 's crew to act out of character, but she was quickly taken to sickbay and provided with medical treatment. ( TNG : " The Naked Now ") Her empathic abilities were also useful a short time later, when she assisted in uncovering the intentions of Ligonian leader Lutan after he kidnapped security chief Natasha Yar. ( TNG : " Code of Honor ")

Later that year, the Enterprise traveled to Haven , a legendarily beautiful planet near Beta Cassius . The planet was also the location of Wyatt Miller, who was scheduled to marry Troi as a result of their genetic bonding. Having expected that the marriage would not take place due to the years-long distance from her homeworld that serving aboard the Enterprise would cause, Deanna initially did not inform her crewmates of her obligation. Nevertheless, she agreed to honor her vows taken years earlier, even though she had since become doubtful of them and would need to leave the ship with her new husband once they had been married. While Deanna's mother, Lwaxana, and both Wyatt Miller's parents were aboard the Enterprise , a social gathering known as a pre-joining announcement was held to celebrate the forthcoming wedding. The marriage itself was permanently canceled, however, when Wyatt, a doctor by profession, chose to join his fantasy lover (a real woman he had had frequent dreams about) aboard an infected Tarellian vessel. ( TNG : " Haven ")

When a planet in the Delphi Ardu system drained the Enterprise of its power, Troi and the majority of the ship's crew suffered from exposure to extreme cold and were forced to endure almost deadly oxygen deprivation. ( TNG : " The Last Outpost ")

Upon first contact with the Ferengi species in 2364, Troi reported that she could discern neither thoughts nor emotions from them, giving her the initial impression that they could shield those from others. She later mentioned, however, that she could sense one of the Ferengi was hiding something. ( TNG : " The Last Outpost ")

Troi in late 2364

Troi was unable to detect any feelings from the Traveler when he was encountered by the Enterprise 's crew in the same year. ( TNG : " Where No One Has Gone Before ") However, she was later instrumental in discovering that an alien force had been invading the minds of crewmembers aboard the Enterprise and was influencing Captain Picard, who later temporarily blinded Troi while he was under the alien's influence. After Picard beamed himself and the alien into space, the crew believed that he could not be recovered, but Troi sensed that the captain had separated from the alien influence. Thanks to her advice, Picard was ultimately returned safely to the ship. ( TNG : " Lonely Among Us ")

While searching for survivors from the doomed Federation freighter Odin , the Enterprise journeyed to the planet Angel I , becoming the first Federation vessel to visit the planet in sixty-two years. As Angel I was home to a female-dominated society, Troi, who commented early in the visit that a description of the planet made her suspect the location would be very much like her own homeworld, gratefully accepted the offer to make initial contact with Angels I's inhabitants and managed to arrange a meeting with a reticent head of the planet's government . ( TNG : " Angel One ")

Later that year, Troi was returning from a conference when her shuttle suffered a sudden instrument malfunction and subsequently crash landed on Vagra II . There, a lonely but sadistic entity that referred to itself as Armus held Troi prisoner by surrounding her shuttle with a force field and prevented her crewmates from rescuing her, even going so far as to kill Lieutenant Yar. Troi and her shuttle pilot, Lieutenant Ben Prieto , were eventually rescued after Wesley Crusher and Worf discovered that the field weakened when Armus was provoked, due in part to Troi's intelligence regarding Armus' emotional state and psychology. ( TNG : " Skin Of Evil ")

Troi in 2365

Near the end of her first year aboard the Enterprise , Troi was looking forward to a moonlight swim on the ship's oceanic destination of Pacifica , an experience she believed could not adequately be replicated by the ship's holodeck . She did not get the opportunity to enjoy her swim, however, as the Enterprise was diverted to Dytallix B and then to Earth . ( TNG : " Conspiracy ") Deanna later helped Clare Raymond , a recently revived Human from the late 20th century , learn about her descendants and locate distant relation Thomas Raymond . ( TNG : " The Neutral Zone ")

In early 2365 , Troi became pregnant by an alien who wished to experience Human feelings and relationships. He grew at an accelerated rate and within hours was an eight-year-old boy. At the same time, a plasmic plague struck the ship and threatened to kill everyone within hours. The alien realized that he was the source of the plague and sacrificed his Human life to save the ship, reverting to his alien form and then leaving the craft. Troi experienced both the joy of childbirth and the heartbreak of losing a child. ( TNG : " The Child ")

Later that year, when Ira Graves downloaded his memories into Data , Troi discovered that the changes in Data's personality were actually Graves. ( TNG : " The Schizoid Man ")

2366-2367 [ ]

Lieutenant Commander Troi in 2367

The next year, Troi fell for a delegate, Devinoni Ral , at a conference for the rights to a wormhole . Troi and Ral had an instant attraction to each other. She learned that he was part Betazoid and had been using his mental powers to influence the negotiations. When the Ferengi threatened to blow up the wormhole, stating that there was a secret deal between the Federation and the Barzan , Troi suspected that this was staged by Ral to acquire the rights to the wormhole. The Barzan gave the rights to Ral, but it was soon discovered that the wormhole was unstable and worthless. Ral quickly left and bade goodbye to Troi. ( TNG : " The Price ")

Troi thereafter met her former patient Tam Elbrun again, when he was being transported by the Enterprise on an ultimately successful mission in which Elbrun made first contact with and subsequently remained with an alien lifeform that looked like an organic spaceship and was called " Tin Man ". ( TNG : " Tin Man ")

Troi losing her telepathic abilities

Troi became the object of affection for a new crewmember named Reginald Barclay . He was too shy to approach her, so he created a holoprogram to interact with her. Troi counseled him, and he eventually ended the program. ( TNG : " Hollow Pursuits ")

While attending a trade conference on Betazed, Deanna, along with Lwaxana and Riker, were captured by the Ferengi , who wanted to use Lwaxana's telepathic abilities to give them an advantage in negotiations. They used mind probes on Deanna and Lwaxana, but Riker was able to send a message to the Enterprise , communicating the location of the Ferengi ship, and they were then rescued. ( TNG : " Ménage à Troi ")

Troi temporarily lost her powers when she came in contact with two-dimensional lifeforms that had caught the Enterprise in their magnetic force. They were heading for a cosmic string which would destroy the Enterprise . Picard asked her to use her Human abilities to try to determine the aliens' intentions – as he pointed out, her degrees in psychology were not tied to her powers and she was still the most qualified person on the ship for the task. Troi determined that the cosmic string was their home; the Enterprise was able to break free, and after the aliens left, her powers returned. ( TNG : " The Loss ")

While investigating the USS Brattain , which had become stranded in space, the Enterprise found one crewmember alive, a Betazoid science adviser. The rest of the crew had killed each other. The Enterprise crew discovered that the ship was caught in Tyken's Rift , which sapped all the energy from the ship. Additionally, the crew of the Brattain had succumbed to madness through sleep deprivation from an unknown cause. The same thing was happening to the Enterprise . The crew was on the verge of madness, and only Data and Troi were unaffected, as Data did not require sleep and Troi's partially Betazoid physiology processed dreams at a different frequency. Data believed that an explosion would get them out of the rift, but the plan failed. Troi had experienced a single, recurring nightmare , but determined that it was an act of communication from other beings stuck on the other side of the rift. This communication had caused the dream states of the rest of the crew to become disrupted. In a dream state, she relayed a plan of cooperation that would release each ship. Her plan worked. ( TNG : " Night Terrors ")

2368-2369 [ ]

Troi took command of the Enterprise after it was hit by a quantum filament that caused major damage and trapped the officers in various parts of the ship. She decided not to separate the bridge and engineering , and to divert power to engineering, a decision that ended up saving the ship. ( TNG : " Disaster ")

Troi counseled Worf and Alexander Rozhenko , who had boarded the ship to stay with his father. Her efforts helped stabilize their relationship. Whereas Worf was about to send his son to a Klingon school, Troi observed that the boy was difficult because of the death of his mother, leaving him with a feeling of abandonment, and that sending him away would only make the boy worse. ( TNG : " New Ground ")

During a visit by telepathic aliens, Troi was attacked and lapsed into a coma. On waking, she believed she had been attacked by Riker. She ultimately discovered, though, that one of the aliens, who had participated in the attack, had been using his telepathic powers to make her think her attacker had been someone else than he himself. ( TNG : " Violations ")

While helping to save a closed society of genetically-engineered Earth colonists, Troi became romantically involved with their leader, Aaron Conor . After the colony was saved, the romance ended as she returned to the ship and he declined to leave his colony. ( TNG : " The Masterpiece Society ")

Troi's body was taken over by an alien spirit after the Enterprise investigated the disappearance of the USS Essex , an event that had occurred almost two hundred years previously. Troi, along with O'Brien and Data, was possessed and hijacked the Enterprise , taking hostages in the process. The Troi alien stated that he was Bryce Shumar , captain of the Essex , and that he and his crew's spirits had been caught up in the magnetic field of the moon . He asked that their bones, which were on the planet, be returned to Earth, so that their spirits could rest. Picard did not believe "Troi", and found out that she wished to return to the planet to get the other alien spirits, so they could take over the crew's bodies. The moon was actually a penal colony, and the spirits were really criminals. After Picard threatened to destroy the Enterprise and their existences, the spirits decided to stay alive on their moon. ( TNG : " Power Play ")

After Lwaxana boarded the Enterprise and announced that she planned to marry (again), Troi's attempts to counsel Alexander, Worf's son, about meeting his responsibilities were disrupted by her mother. Deanna also became upset that her mother was not going to follow the traditional Betazed marriage rituals. In reality, Lwaxana was suffering a mid-life crisis, and in the end, she terminated her relationship with her suitor. ( TNG : " Cost Of Living ")

Troi as a victim of rapid aging induced by Ves Alkar

In 2369 , Troi met Ves Alkar , a Federation mediator who routinely transferred, telepathically, his dark thoughts and emotions to other hosts, so that his mind was clear and able to mediate conflicts more effectively. After Alkar's previous receptacle expired, Troi was tricked by him into performing a "funeral meditation", which established a link – deliberate on Alkar's part – between them. The effect of this transfer caused Troi to act aggressively and, due to the fact she was a non- Lumerian , to experience rapid aging faster than his previous victims. Before Alkar left for a conference, Troi attempted to use a knife but Picard stopped her. After that, Troi was taken to sickbay by Riker, who was the first to know something was wrong due to knowing her better then anyone, and two security guards so Dr. Crusher can help her. When Alkar refuses to release Troi, Dr. Crusher induced death-like symptoms, to trick Alkar into severing the link by trying to take another female Lumerian as his receptacle, at which point Troi was revived by Crusher and the Enterprise crew thwarted Alkar. ( TNG : " Man Of The People ")

Troi later participated in an Old West holodeck program with Worf and Alexander. It became too real when a malfunction released the safety protocols as a result of Data interfacing with the Enterprise 's computers, causing the characters to take on the android's appearance and abilities. Troi helped Worf rescue Alexander and put the outlaws in jail. ( TNG : " A Fistful of Datas ")

Troi as Major Rakal in 2369

Later in 2369, Troi was kidnapped and surgically altered by the Romulan underground movement . She was forced to assume the role of Major Rakal , an operative for the Tal Shiar , aboard the IRW Khazara . While there, Troi befriended Sub-Commander N'Vek , who helped her to adopt her role and also revealed the true nature of her mission – to help Vice-Proconsul M'ret and two of his aides defect to the Federation. Troi discovered that she wielded much power over the crew of the Khazara , as many people were frightened of the Tal Shiar. However, she had a conflicted relationship with the Khazara 's commanding officer , Commander Toreth . When Troi's mission took a turn for the worse and a fight with the Enterprise seemed imminent, Deanna seized command of the Khazara . She managed to successfully complete her mission by concealing a transporter beam inside a low-level disruptor blast. N'Vek was killed by the Khazara 's helmsman after Toreth retook command, and the Enterprise barely managed to beam Deanna back on board before the Khazara fled under cloak . ( TNG : " Face Of The Enemy ")

Troi, along with Picard, Data, and Geordi La Forge , returned from a conference to find the Enterprise and a Romulan ship suspended in time, a condition caused by aliens who were using the warp core as an incubation for their young. While helping to investigate the situation, Troi demonstrated her knowledge of Romulan engineering principles, acquired during her time aboard the Khazara . She and her companions drove out the aliens, after which the timeline was restored. ( TNG : " Timescape ")

At the end of the year, Troi, together with Picard and La Forge, was captured and imprisoned by Lore, who planned to lead a group of individualized Borg drones to destroy the Federation and had brainwashed Data into helping him. Troi and her inmates stole a transceiver that they used to restore Data's ethics. The prisoners were finally rescued by Hugh , Data, and the Enterprise . ( TNG : " Descent ", " Descent, Part II ")

2370-2371 [ ]

Lieutenant Commander Troi in 2370

Troi promoted to full commander

When the Enterprise took part in a cultural exchange in early 2370 , Troi served as the liaison for Loquel . She was frustrated by his behavior to the point she felt as though she was going crazy , as all he wanted to do was indulge himself and party. Eventually, she discovered his assignment was to experience pleasure. ( TNG : " Liaisons ")

Supervised by Riker without any favoritism towards her, Troi tried to pass the Bridge Officer's Test in 2370. She attempted the engineering qualification several times without much luck, after which Riker told her the tests were canceled. However, he also gave her a hint which let her know that the test was really about her ability to send a crew member to his death. Troi went on to successfully pass the test. She was then promoted to the rank of commander and began to include bridge command as part of her duty shifts . With this development, Troi acquired Starfleet status as a line officer, in addition to her previous status as a staff officer. ( TNG : " Thine Own Self ")

Troi helped save her mother's life when Lwaxana was suffering a severe mental breakdown due to a long-repressed memory. With the help of a telepathic alien, Deanna managed to enter into her mother's mind and find the source of the mental trauma. She found out she had once had an older sister who had died in a drowning accident that Lwaxana blamed herself for. Deanna was able to help Lwaxana accept the death and convince her that she was not to blame. ( TNG : " Dark Page ")

After a crewmember, Daniel Kwan , committed suicide on board the Enterprise , Troi was asked to investigate, since the crewman had had empathic abilities and Troi might be able to find out why he had killed himself. After examining Kwan's station, Troi became insanely jealous of Worf; when she found him in the arms of another female crewmate, Troi killed Worf and attempted suicide. She was preparing to jump to her death when Worf, who was actually still alive, saved her. It turned out that everything Troi had experienced had been in her mind. When the Enterprise -D had been under construction, one of the crew, an empath, had committed murder and suicide, leaving an empathic message that had been picked up by Kwan, leading to his death. Troi had picked up the same message, but had been more fortunate. ( TNG : " Eye of the Beholder ")

Deanna struggles to regain control of the Enterprise

In 2371 , Troi piloted the Enterprise -D on the orders of Commander Riker during the Battle of Veridian III . The warp core breach that destroyed the ship's secondary hull knocked the primary hull out of orbit, and she was forced to pilot it to a crash-landing on the planet. Despite her inexperience as a pilot and having to land in rugged terrain, she succeeded in bringing the ship down, saving the crew with minimal casualties. She was the last person to pilot the Enterprise -D, as the saucer section could not be salvaged. ( Star Trek Generations )

Aboard the USS Enterprise -E [ ]

In 2372 , Troi transferred to the Sovereign -class USS Enterprise -E, with most of the senior staff of the Enterprise -D. ( Star Trek: First Contact ) She continued the occasional role of bridge command as part of her duty shifts, while posted to the Enterprise -E. ( Star Trek: Insurrection )

In 2373 , Troi and her crewmates disobeyed Starfleet orders by taking part in the Battle of Sector 001 . The Enterprise was instrumental in the destruction of an invading Borg cube but pursued a remaining Borg sphere back in time to 2063 , subsequently destroying the Borg craft before it could prevent the historic first flight of Zefram Cochrane 's Phoenix warp ship.

Troi in 2063 , drunkenly toasting a drink with Zefram Cochrane while watched by Commander Riker

After the Borg attack, two teams of officers beamed to the surface of Earth, with Troi serving as a member of the second team. She searched for Zefram Cochrane on the planet and accepted a civilian's offer of a drink in return for information. After three shots of tequila , Troi, having become extremely drunk, discovered that the civilian was actually Zefram Cochrane himself. After she and the inventor were found in a bar by Riker, Troi continued to share a drink of extremely strong tequila with Cochrane, who she officially reported was " nuts ", before losing consciousness due to her large consumption of alcohol .

Troi supervising the launch of the Phoenix prototype warp ship

After she came to, Troi helped to convince Cochrane of the importance of his first warp flight, which he was considering canceling following the Borg attack. Troi later supervised the launch of the Phoenix from Earth, Cochrane blasting the song " Magic Carpet Ride " in her ear, a few seconds before launch. By overseeing the launch, she assisted in preserving what followed the historic flight: First Contact between Humans and Vulcans. ( Star Trek: First Contact )

Two years later, in 2375 , Troi helped Captain Picard prepare to host a reception for a visiting delegation of Evora representatives – after having read a Starfleet report on their species – and later attended the ceremony with Picard, Riker, and Dr. Crusher. Later, Troi alone downloaded all Starfleet records on the Son'a and studied them with Riker. She was also in command of the bridge just before the Enterprise -E arrived at the Briar Patch . Upon encountering members of the Ba'ku – whom the Son'a had been observing until recently – Troi used her empathic abilities to sense that several Ba'ku children present had incredible mental discipline and clarity of perception.

Troi, armed with a phaser rifle on Ba'ku

After it was learned that the Son'a were attempting to discreetly relocate the Ba'ku from their planet, Troi helped to evacuate the Ba'ku from their village to the safety of a mountain range. Around this time, she noticed that her breasts had started to firm up, a result of the age-decelarating properties of metaphasic radiation in the Ba'ku planet 's rings. She also helped eliminate Son'a drones , but after Picard and a Ba'ku woman became trapped following a cave-in, her plan to cut away rock using her phaser was discarded, as it was thought to be too dangerous. Once the two imprisoned humanoids were released, Troi stayed with the refugees as most of the other senior officers left to successfully prevent the Son'a from relocating the Ba'ku, who were actually their own distant relations. ( Star Trek: Insurrection )

Project Pathfinder [ ]

In 2376 , Deanna Troi visited Lieutenant Reginald Barclay while she was enjoying shore leave on Earth. Barclay, an old friend of hers from the Enterprise -D and -E, told her about his role in the Pathfinder Project – a mission to determine a method of communicating with the USS Voyager , stranded in the distant Delta Quadrant . Barclay, using a holographic simulation of the starship and its crew, had devised a plan to contact Voyager , but had become obsessed with the starship. Troi feared that he was suffering from a relapse of holo-addiction , a condition he had previously recovered from with her assistance. Although Troi was scheduled to leave Earth aboard the Enterprise the next morning, she decided to ask Captain Picard for a temporary leave of absence, so that she could spend some time with Barclay. Later that night, Barclay left his apartment and headed to Starfleet Command, where he finally managed to establish communication with Voyager . Deanna later shared a drink with Barclay to celebrate his success. ( VOY : " Pathfinder ")

Troi was serving aboard the Enterprise when Barclay contacted her from Jupiter Station . His friend and the inventor of the Emergency Medical Hologram , Doctor Lewis Zimmerman , was terminally ill on Jupiter Station and was only expected to live a few more months. The officers aboard Voyager had managed to send a member of their crew, a Mark I EMH named simply The Doctor , to Jupiter Station, but Dr. Zimmerman was refusing to be treated by The Doctor, whom he saw as inferior to the later Mark III and Mark IV EMHs.

Attempting to strengthen relations between Voyager 's Doctor and his creator, Lewis Zimmerman, in 2376

Barclay suspected that Troi might be able to persuade Zimmerman to allow The Doctor to cure him before he died. Although the Enterprise was in the middle of a mission almost seven light-years away, Troi agreed that the plan sounded like an interesting challenge and requested leave from Captain Picard. A week later, she arrived at Jupiter Station but was unable to mediate an agreement between the two doctors. She and Barclay eventually came up with an alternative strategy: create a malfunction in The Doctor which Zimmerman would have to repair, thereby bringing them closer. It worked according to plan. ( VOY : " Life Line ")

In 2377 , Troi was sunbathing on a beach when Barclay crept up on her. He told her that he had created an advanced interactive hologram in his own image with the express purpose of sending it to Voyager , but the program had gone missing on its way to the starship. Troi helped Barclay and his supervisors at the Pathfinder Project determine that the crew of a Ferengi casino ship had stolen the hologram. Troi and Barclay discovered that the Ferengi had reprogrammed the hologram and sent it to Voyager in an attempt to acquire Borg nanoprobes from Seven of Nine . After the casino ship opened a geodesic fold – a gateway to the Delta Quadrant – Troi suggested sending a warning message to Voyager through the geodesic fold, but Barclay told her that subspace transmissions could not pass through the anomaly.

Instead, Barclay contacted the casino ship from the Voyager simulation at Starfleet Command while Troi stood next to him and watched from outside the Ferengi 's view. Pretending to be his hologram, Barclay told the Ferengi that Captain Janeway had discovered their plan and was furiously preparing to attack with powerful weaponry. The Ferengi believed the trick and closed the geodesic fold. Shortly before Deanna left San Francisco, Barclay was working on programming another version of his hologram with security protocols so it couldn't be stolen again. She convinced him to get out of the office and start experiencing life again, namely by going out on a double-date with herself and Riker, and Riker's friend, a teacher named Maril they wanted to introduce to him. ( VOY : " Inside Man ")

Marriage and transfer [ ]

Wedding ceremony in Alaska

Will Riker and Deanna married in 2379 , shortly before their transfer to the USS Titan . Their wedding party in Alaska included Captain Picard as best man, Dr. Crusher as bridesmaid, and Data, La Forge, Worf, and Wesley Crusher as groomsmen. Guinan was also present. Another ceremony, a traditional Betazoid wedding , was planned on Betazed shortly following. However, that ceremony was delayed when the Enterprise was diverted to Romulus . ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Troi guides Worf in targeting the Scimitar

In 2379 , Troi made her final voyage aboard the Enterprise as the ship journeyed to Romulan space on a diplomatic mission in which she and her crewmates met new Reman Praetor Shinzon . Aboard the Enterprise , Troi was telepathically violated by Shinzon, who seemed obsessed by her. She used their residual link to her advantage, however, during the Battle in the Bassen Rift ; after the Enterprise was nearly disabled, Troi took the helm and, under Captain Picard's orders, crashed the ship into Shinzon's Reman warbird , the Scimitar , further disabling that craft. Troi was later saddened to learn that the fatalities of the battle had included not only Shinzon but also Data. She subsequently joined the USS Titan under Riker's command, and was due to return to Romulus on another diplomatic mission. ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Aboard the USS Titan [ ]

Troi with Riker on board the Titan

In 2380 , Troi was on the Titan , when that ship saved the USS Cerritos when it was attacked by the Pakleds . ( LD : " No Small Parts ")

Deanna Troi in 2380.

About a year later , Troi would give birth to her and Riker's first child, Thaddeus Troi-Riker . ( PIC : " Nepenthe ")

Life after Starfleet [ ]

Deanna Troi holding an infant Thaddeus

Troi and Riker, along with their two children, Thaddeus Troi-Riker and Kestra Troi-Riker , settled on the planet Nepenthe in an effort to mitigate Thaddeus' Mendaxic neurosclerosis . Unfortunately, the disease proved fatal, and Thaddeus died. He would have survived had the Federation not imposed a ban on synthetic lifeforms after the 2385 attack on Mars . ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ", " Nepenthe ")

Deanna Troi on Nepenthe in 2399

Retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard arrived on Nepenthe in 2399 with Soji Asha , whom Troi could not sense any emotion from, and Riker immediately recognized as being an android descended from Data. As Picard had expected, Riker and Troi both offered to help him without hesitation, opening their home to him and Soji for as long as they needed. ( PIC : " Nepenthe ")

Personal interests [ ]

Exercise [ ].

Deanna enjoyed swimming, but didn't think swimming on the holodeck was an adequate substitute for swimming in a real ocean. ( TNG : " Conspiracy ") She often used exercise programs on the holodeck, though, when she needed to take her mind off frustrations. ( TNG : " The Emissary ")

Troi and Beverly Crusher often exercised together. ( TNG : " The Price ") With Crusher, Troi also took mok'bara classes. ( TNG : " Second Chances ", " Masks ", " Sub Rosa ")

Chocolate [ ]

Deanna once said that she had never met a form of chocolate that she did not like. ( TNG : " The Game ") Data mentioned to Q that, when Counselor Troi was in a bad mood, she often ordered a food containing chocolate. ( TNG : " Deja Q ") Dr. Crusher once described Counselor Troi as loving chocolate. ( TNG : " Remember Me ")

Aboard the Enterprise -D, Troi enjoyed playing poker with her crewmates. She was not known to bluff, according to Worf, but was quick to point out that perhaps she was good enough that he simply never caught her. ( TNG : " Eye of the Beholder ")

Troi once idly played a melody on a piano on Moab IV . ( TNG : " The Masterpiece Society ")

Personal relationships [ ]

Friendships [ ], beverly crusher [ ].

Deanna Troi and Beverly Crusher became very good friends. They often worked out together and took mok'bara classes, taught by Worf. ( TNG : " The Price ", " Second Chances ", " Sub Rosa ", " Masks ")

Deanna and Beverly often advised each other on romantic relationships. At one point, Deanna worried that her romance with Devinoni Ral was proceeding too fast, but Beverly assured her that perhaps she did not need to be rational regarding a whirlwind romance. ( TNG : " The Price ")

While Crusher was using the salon aboard the Enterprise -D, Troi arrived there and was surprised to find Beverly using the salon at the same time, as Crusher rarely visited the salon. Recognizing romantic feelings Crusher had about Trill Ambassador Odan , Troi happily admitted to Beverly this detection of romance, even though Beverly and her paramour were trying to keep their relationship a secret. However, Troi also sensed the dual nature of the ambassador, and warned Beverly to be cautious. Later, when the Odan host was implanted in Will Riker's body, Deanna counseled Beverly, in a discussion they had in Ten Forward , on the mixed feelings Crusher then felt towards Odan and Riker. Although Beverly wished she had never met Odan, Deanna advised Beverly not to wish such a thing and mused that to love was impossible without risking pain. Troi encouraged Beverly to accept Odan's love if she still felt it while he was in Riker's body. ( TNG : " The Host ")

When time-traveler Berlinghoff Rasmussen came aboard the ship, Troi didn't trust him and told Crusher about her feelings of suspicion. ( TNG : " A Matter Of Time ")

After the Enterprise rescued transporter duplicate Thomas Riker from a research station on Nervala IV in 2369 , the possibility of Troi entering a romantic relationship with him came up, since Tom Riker – as a duplicate of Will Riker – had memories of having had a relationship with Deanna and was interested in pursuing a romance with her. Troi and Crusher chatted about a date with Tom during a workout, where Crusher mischievously pointed out that Troi should not be afraid to try a relationship with the duplicate Riker. When Tom Riker entered the gym and Beverly then decided to leave the two alone, Troi was initially shocked by Crusher's departure, but it led to Deanna becoming intimate with Tom. ( TNG : " Second Chances ")

Deanna accompanied Beverly to Felisa Howard 's funeral in 2370 and back to Felisa's home following the services. She counseled Beverly about erotic dreams Crusher had experienced after reading her grandmother's journals, dreams which were due to the influence of Ronin . After Beverly met Ronin on Caldos, Deanna reminded her that her feelings of romance might simply be due to shared trauma, but Beverly brushed off her concern. ( TNG : " Sub Rosa ")

Reginald Barclay [ ]

" I feel your confidence "

Troi's relationship with Reginald Barclay did not start off very well. Because he was intimidated not only by Troi's beauty but by her status as ship's counselor, he even went as far as to meet with a holographic version of her rather than with the real Troi. In Barclay's holoprogram of The Three Musketeers with the senior staff serving the primary roles, Troi told Riker and La Forge that there was nothing wrong with a healthy fantasy life, until she found her likeness was the Goddess of Empathy . After this incident, she began a real-world counseling relationship with Barclay, including helping him through his bout of transporter phobia . ( TNG : " Hollow Pursuits ", " Realm Of Fear ") This counseling relationship eventually turned into friendship, and Barclay called upon her to help him when he was assigned to the Pathfinder Project. ( VOY : " Pathfinder ")

Natasha Yar [ ]

Troi was tearfully angry when Lieutenant Yar was frozen by Q during a trial ceremony at which he acted as judge, and she furiously shouted, " You barbarian! " at Q. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

While Yar was infected with polywater intoxication later that year, Troi was startled to find Yar in her quarters, Yar having sought Troi for advice regarding her hair and clothes. Even though the lieutenant seemed playfully content, Troi sensed that she was actually very uncertain and was fighting something. Concerned for her crewmate and friend, Deanna asked Yar what was wrong and, after the lieutenant left without answering the question, immediately reported her strange behavior to Captain Picard. Unknown to Troi at the time, however, she herself had contracted the polywater intoxication from Yar during their brief encounter. ( TNG : " The Naked Now ")

After Yar was kidnapped by Ligonian leader Lutan , Troi helped uncover the intentions of her friend's captor, remarking at one point that she believed Yar was physically very attractive. After Lutan announced his decision to make Yar his First One , Deanna tricked the lieutenant into admitting, in the presence of Captain Picard, that she had felt good when Lutan had said he wanted her. Troi's deceit shocked Yar, as she regarded Deanna as a friend, but the counselor explained that she had used deception only so that Yar would answer honestly how she felt about Lutan. Troi later argued in favor of Yar's partaking in a fight to the death against a challenger to her entitlement, advising Picard that the lieutenant would easily be able to beat her opponent – Lutan's current First One, Yareena . ( TNG : " Code of Honor ")

Lwaxana Troi [ ]

With Lwaxana in 2364

Deanna had a tense relationship with her mother and was often visibly irritated when Lwaxana showed up on the USS Enterprise -D unannounced. Also, Deanna was often not as concerned about her own love life as her mother was. Going over Lwaxana's diary entries from 2365 to that present year of 2370 , Deanna wryly noted that the only "bad" thing she could find were references that she was still unmarried at the time. ( TNG : " Haven ", " Ménage à Troi ", " Dark Page ")

Ian Andrew Troi [ ]

Deanna was devasted by her father's death once she fully understood that he wasn't coming home again after he suddenly died in 2343 , when Deanna was around seven years old. She remembered him fondly, years later. When she became pregnant by an alien energy being, Deanna named the resulting child after her father. ( TNG : " Half a Life ", " The Child ")

Kestra Troi [ ]

Deanna Troi was only a few months old at the time her older sister, Kestra Troi, died during a family picnic they went on with their parents. Since Lwaxana buried the memory instead of dealing with the loss, Deanna did not know anything of Kestra Troi until 2370. She would go on to name her own daughter Kestra years later in her sister's memory. ( TNG : " Dark Page "; PIC : " Nepenthe ")

Alexander Rozhenko [ ]

When Worf's son Alexander came to live with him on the Enterprise , Troi played a significant role in helping Alexander define and develop a relationship with his father, as well as assisting Worf's bond with his son. When Worf was severely injured in 2368 , Deanna was requested, by Worf, to look after Alexander if Worf died; as Worf saw it, she was the best person to care for his son. ( TNG : " Ethics ") Deanna's affection for Alexander was reciprocated, as Alexander came to trust Troi and developed a great affection for her, and an even greater affection for her mother, Lwaxana. ( TNG : " Cost Of Living ") In late 2370, Deanna gladly accepted a request from Worf that she formally become Alexander's Soh-chIm , an honorary role equivalent to that of a godmother. ( TNG : " Parallels ")

Romance [ ]

William t. riker [ ].

Troi kissing Riker on Betazed

Deanna had an extremely close relationship with Will Riker, occasionally referring to him as imzadi , a Betazoid word for "beloved". Before they served together on the Enterprise -D, Troi taught Riker how to read her thoughts when she telepathically projected them. They learned each other's abilities but couldn't say "goodbye" when they parted.

After Troi was assigned to the Enterprise -D in 2364, she was reunited with Riker. Although they informed Captain Picard that they already knew each other, neither Riker nor Troi initially revealed the intimate nature of their former relationship. Troi seemed fairly eager to be alone with Riker, and while at Deneb IV 's mysterious Farpoint Station, she suggested that they explore a network of passages below the station together, an idea that Riker refused. Before he later endangered his own life to investigate why a space vessel lifeform believed to be a ship was attacking Deneb IV, Troi expressed, in an outburst of emotion, her extreme fear that Riker could be hurt. She soon managed to resume her former sense of calm, however, and returned to the Enterprise , as Riker had ordered. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

During the Enterprise 's subsequent missions, Troi referred to Riker as "Bill" on at least two occasions. ( TNG : " The Naked Now ", " Haven ")

While under the influence of polywater intoxication, Troi was drawn to Riker, and in an attempt to seduce her former lover, she sensuously embraced him in main engineering. When he picked her up in his arms and began carrying her to sickbay, she asked if he wouldn't rather be alone with her in his mind than ensuring she was hospitalized. Riker, however, did not surrender to her seduction and succeeded in taking her to sickbay. ( TNG : " The Naked Now ")

Troi and Riker were later asked by Captain Picard to exhibit use of the Enterprise 's holodecks to a party of Ligonian representatives, while the group of Ligonians were negotiating with the ship's crew upon visiting the vessel. When Ligonian leader Lutan instead requested that Lieutenant Yar demonstrate defense training in one of the holodecks, Picard's request went unanswered and Troi lost the opportunity to work solely with Riker. ( TNG : " Code of Honor ")

Troi's life, as well as the lives of virtually the entire crew of the Enterprise , was later saved by Riker when he managed to persuade Portal 63 of the long-extinct Tkon Empire to release the starship from his control, as the Portal had trapped the Enterprise in an energy field that was draining the ship's power and forcing its crew, including Troi, to endure extreme cold and almost deadly oxygen deprivation. ( TNG : " The Last Outpost ")

Deanna and Will Riker get intimate with each other again in 2375

During the Enterprise -E's mission to Ba'ku in 2375 , Deanna and Will were affected by the metaphasic radiation of the planet's rings, which eventually led to their reviving their relationship. ( Star Trek: Insurrection ) Deanna and Will Riker married four years later . ( Star Trek Nemesis )

They settled on the planet Nepenthe with their two children, Thaddeus Troi-Riker and Kestra Troi-Riker . Thaddeus died of Mendaxic neurosclerosis , which could have been cured with a positronic matrix had the Federation not imposed a ban on synthetic lifeforms after the 2385 Attack on Mars . ( PIC : " Nepenthe ")

Deanna shares a romantic moment with Worf in 2370

Although Worf was distrustful and uneasy around telepaths, Troi became a trusted exception. There was some early antagonism between them, especially when he insisted that her unexpected pregnancy (with Ian ) had to be aborted for the safety of the ship. But she later helped him adjust to his new role as a father to his son, Alexander , at which time Worf grew to trust and respect Troi. ( TNG : " New Ground ", " Ethics ", " Parallels ")

After an encounter with alternate realities showed him a life with Troi as his wife, Worf's eyes were opened to a new possibility, and he began to pursue her. Though surprised, Troi welcomed the advances, and the two enjoyed a romantic relationship through 2370 . Deanna wasn't thrilled by Worf's concern about Riker's interest in the matter, but the triangle's tension was eased by the advice of Captain Picard. ( TNG : " Parallels ", " Eye of the Beholder ", " All Good Things... ")

By the next year, the romance seemed to have dissolved amicably. Worf transferred to Deep Space 9 and began a romantic relationship with Jadzia Dax , with the two later marrying. Troi and Riker resumed their relationship around the time Worf was grieving Jadzia's death. Worf's only visible unease at their wedding in 2379 was the result of imbibing too much Romulan ale and discomfort at the prospect of appearing naked at their Betazed marriage ceremony. ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ", " Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places ", " You Are Cordially Invited "; Star Trek Generations ; Star Trek: Insurrection ; Star Trek Nemesis )

Anything but canon account [ ]

A hologram of Deanna Troi

Alternate realities and timelines [ ]

In an alternate timeline briefly created in 2366 , Deanna Troi was not serving as a senior officer aboard the Enterprise -D when the ship encountered its predecessor, the Ambassador -class starship USS Enterprise -C . There was no one shown to be serving as ship's counselor in her place, suggesting that the position did not exist due to the constant state of war in that timeline. ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ")

In 2369 , Q sent Captain Picard into an alternate timeline in which he was a mere lieutenant jg assigned to the Enterprise -D as an assistant astrophysics officer . Although Troi and the other senior officers were less familiar with Picard than they were in his own universe, she and Riker provided advice he sought from them regarding his career prospects. Deanna was eager to leave the meeting, believing that Ten Forward was not the best place to have their discussion, but shortly before leaving the room with Riker, she suggested to Picard that they meet later to resume their conversation. ( TNG : " Tapestry ")

In 2370 , Lieutenant Worf encountered a quantum fissure that caused him to begin shifting between quantum realities . In at least one universe, Troi participated in a surprise celebration for Worf's birthday. Later, Troi spoke with Worf about his son, Alexander, and graciously accepted his offer to serve as his son's Soh-chIm , formalizing her motherly relationship with Alexander. In two other universes that Worf visited, Troi was married to him in an extremely loving relationship. In the first of those universes, Deanna's romantic affiliation with Worf had begun approximately three years earlier, after he had sought Riker's formal permission to court Troi, in the belief that to do otherwise would be dishonorable. In the latter of the two universes, Troi was the mother to two children that Worf fathered, and he was the Enterprise 's first officer. They had a son named Eric-Christopher , who was born in 2367 , and a daughter named Shannara , who was born in 2368 . However, Troi had no knowledge of Worf's son, Alexander. Although she believed that the Worf who was indigenous to her own universe might not return, Troi kissed Worf goodbye before the Klingon departed her ship in the Curie , a Type 6 shuttlecraft . ( TNG : " Parallels ")

In an unknown, alternate future timeframe , Troi died from unknown causes, and a funeral was held in her memory. Both Worf and Riker were extremely saddened by her demise, and each blamed the other for preventing a relationship with her, causing relations between the two men to become estranged for the next twenty years. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Holograms [ ]

The holographic Goddess of Empathy

Deanna Troi has been holographically duplicated on a number of occasions.

• In 2366 , Reginald Barclay , while suffering from holo-addiction , created at least two holographic characters based on Troi in his holodeck fantasy worlds. One referred to itself as the Goddess of Empathy and wore a toga-like garment while displaying aggressively flirtatious and exhibitionist tendencies. ( TNG : " Hollow Pursuits ")
• In 2367 , a holographic version of Troi featured in a holographic illusion which Barash trapped Riker in and which was set in the year 2383 . This illusory Troi had similarities and differences to the actual Troi, looking older but acting as if she could still sense the feelings of others. Having supposedly accepted a position at Starfleet Command offered to her by " Admiral " Picard, the fictional Troi held a commander 's rank and served as Picard's aide, no longer assigned to the Enterprise -D. As the Federation was on the verge of signing a peace treaty with the Romulans, Troi accompanied Admiral Picard aboard the Decius , a Romulan Warbird that also carried Ambassador Tomalak , from Romulan space to the Enterprise . In a conversation with Riker, Troi spoke highly of " Min ", a now-deceased woman who had married him and had replaced her as ship's counselor following her departure from the Enterprise . However, after Riker discovered that the woman Troi had referred to was apparently Minuet (a holographic fantasy character he had once created), Troi tried to prevent him from angrily demonstrating the errors of the illusion by encouraging him to become calm. The illusion ended shortly thereafter. ( TNG : " Future Imperfect ")
• In 2369 , a hologram of Troi was created by James Moriarty as part of a holographic illusion to trick Captain Picard into releasing his control over the Enterprise -D. ( TNG : " Ship In A Bottle ")

Miscellaneous information [ ]

Lieutenant Commander Troi in Starfleet uniform in 2369

Troi frequently wore casual attire while on duty, possibly due to her position as ship's counselor. ( TNG : " The Naked Now ", et al. ) However, while serving under Edward Jellico in 2369 , she was ordered to wear a standard duty uniform, which she began doing at that time. She continued to use the uniform after Captain Picard resumed command. ( TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part I ")

Troi's quarters aboard the Enterprise -D were located at deck 9 , room 0910. ( TNG : " Clues ")

Troi was able to beat Data in a game of three-dimensional chess , using "intuition." When faced with the Kriskov Gambit , instead of countering with the el-Mitra Exchange as is characteristic, Troi chose to leave her king vulnerable, devising a completely unanticipated response to a classic attack, and forcing checkmate in seven moves. ( TNG : " Conundrum ")

Troi with Riker on a holographic recreation of the Enterprise NX-01 bridge

Among the holographic environments that Troi visited are sickbay and engineering aboard the Intrepid -class starship Voyager , and the bridge, captain's ready room and engineering aboard the NX-class starship Enterprise . ( VOY : " Life Line ", " Inside Man "; ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ")

Despite being half Human and half extraterrestrial by Human standards, Troi was able to participate, without disguise, in away missions that involved traveling to periods of Earth's past before official First Contact took place with the Vulcans. This was because, externally, Betazoids were physically indistinguishable from Humans in every aspect but one: the irises of their eyes were completely black. Humans are known to have irises a very dark brown so as to be nearly black, so this wasn't a telling feature in any case. ( TNG : " The Price ") ( TNG : " Time's Arrow "; Star Trek: First Contact )

Troi did not like riding horses because of their "own mind", as Betazoids become too involved in the thoughts and shifting passions of animals. ( TNG : " Pen Pals ")

Lwaxana mentioned her daughter while talking to Constable Odo aboard Deep Space 9 in 2369 and remembered her experiences with DaiMon Tog . ( DS9 : " The Forsaken "; TNG : " Ménage à Troi ")

In 2380 , Beckett Mariner mentioned Troi to Brad Boimler as a prominent Starfleet officer. ( LD : " Second Contact ")

Chronology [ ]

Starfleet biography of Troi from 2368

• 2336 : Born on Betazed to Ian Andrew Troi and Lwaxana Troi
• 2336: Older sister, Kestra , drowns
• 2343 : Father, Ian Andrew Troi, dies
• 2350s : Begins studying psychology at University of Betazed
• 2359 : Meets and begins relationship with Starfleet officer William T. Riker
• 2359: Graduates from Starfleet Academy
• 2361 : Breaks off romantic relationship with Riker
• 2364 : As Starfleet officer with rank of lieutenant commander , assigned aboard USS Enterprise -D as ship's counselor
• 2364: Prearranged marriage to Wyatt Miller is called off
• 2365 : Son, Ian Troi , is born and dies
• 2370 : Promoted to rank of commander after passing Bridge Officer's Test
• 2371 : Successfully pilots Enterprise -D's saucer section in safe crash landing on Veridian III , immediately following saucer separation after Battle of Veridian III
• 2372 : Assigned as ship's counselor aboard USS Enterprise -E
• 2375 : Rekindles romantic relationship with William T. Riker
• 2379 : Married to Riker in ceremonies held on Earth and later on Betazed
• 2379: Transfers aboard USS Titan with Riker
• 2381 : Gives birth to son, Thaddeus Troi-Riker aboard the USS Titan
• 2399 : Living on planet Nepenthe with Riker and their daughter, Kestra Troi-Riker . Thad died several years prior.

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Encounter at Farpoint "
• " The Naked Now "
• " Code of Honor "
• " The Last Outpost "
• " Where No One Has Gone Before "
• " Lonely Among Us "
• " Justice "
• " The Battle "
• " The Big Goodbye "
• " Angel One "
• " Too Short A Season "
• " When The Bough Breaks "
• " Home Soil "
• " Coming of Age "
• " The Arsenal of Freedom "
• " Symbiosis "
• " Skin Of Evil "
• " We'll Always Have Paris "
• " Conspiracy "
• " The Neutral Zone "
• " The Child "
• " Where Silence Has Lease "
• " Elementary, Dear Data "
• " The Outrageous Okona "
• " Loud As A Whisper "
• " The Schizoid Man "
• " Unnatural Selection "
• " The Measure Of A Man "
• " The Dauphin "
• " Contagion "
• " The Royale "
• " Time Squared "
• " The Icarus Factor "
• " Pen Pals "
• " Samaritan Snare "
• " Up The Long Ladder "
• " Manhunt "
• " The Emissary "
• " Peak Performance "
• " Shades of Gray "
• " Evolution "
• " The Ensigns of Command "
• " The Survivors "
• " Who Watches The Watchers "
• " The Bonding "
• " Booby Trap "
• " The Enemy "
• " The Price "
• " The Vengeance Factor "
• " The Defector "
• " The Hunted "
• " The High Ground "
• " A Matter of Perspective "
• " Yesterday's Enterprise "
• " The Offspring "
• " Sins of The Father "
• " Allegiance "
• " Captain's Holiday "
• " Tin Man "
• " Hollow Pursuits "
• " The Most Toys "
• " Ménage à Troi "
• " Transfigurations "
• " The Best of Both Worlds "
• " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II "
• " Brothers "
• " Suddenly Human "
• " Remember Me "
• " Reunion "
• " Future Imperfect "
• " Final Mission "
• " The Loss "
• " Data's Day "
• " The Wounded "
• " Devil's Due "
• " First Contact "
• " Galaxy's Child "
• " Night Terrors "
• " The Nth Degree "
• " The Drumhead "
• " Half a Life "
• " The Host "
• " The Mind's Eye "
• " In Theory "
• " Redemption "
• " Redemption II "
• " Ensign Ro "
• " Silicon Avatar "
• " Disaster "
• " The Game "
• " Unification I "
• " Unification II "
• " A Matter Of Time "
• " New Ground "
• " Hero Worship "
• " Violations "
• " The Masterpiece Society "
• " Conundrum "
• " Power Play "
• " The Outcast "
• " Cause And Effect "
• " The First Duty "
• " Cost Of Living "
• " Imaginary Friend "
• " The Next Phase "
• " Time's Arrow "
• " Time's Arrow, Part II "
• " Realm Of Fear "
• " Man Of The People "
• " Schisms "
• " Rascals "
• " A Fistful of Datas "
• " The Quality of Life "
• " Chain Of Command, Part I "
• " Chain Of Command, Part II "
• " Ship In A Bottle "
• " Face Of The Enemy "
• " Tapestry "
• " Birthright, Part I "
• " Birthright, Part II "
• " Starship Mine "
• " Lessons "
• " The Chase "
• " Frame of Mind "
• " Suspicions "
• " Second Chances "
• " Timescape "
• " Descent "
• " Descent, Part II "
• " Liaisons "
• " Interface "
• " Gambit, Part I "
• " Gambit, Part II "
• " Phantasms "
• " Dark Page "
• " Attached "
• " Force of Nature "
• " Inheritance "
• " Parallels "
• " The Pegasus "
• " Homeward "
• " Sub Rosa "
• " Lower Decks "
• " Thine Own Self "
• " Eye of the Beholder "
• " Genesis "
• " Journey's End "
• " Firstborn "
• " Bloodlines "
• " Emergence "
• " Preemptive Strike "
• " All Good Things... "
• Star Trek Generations
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek: Insurrection
• Star Trek Nemesis
• " Pathfinder "
• " Life Line "
• " Inside Man "
• ENT : " These Are the Voyages... "
• " Nepenthe "
• " Seventeen Seconds "
• " No Win Scenario "
• " The Bounty "
• " Surrender "
• " The Last Generation "
• LD : " No Small Parts "
• VST : " Holograms All the Way Down " (background hologram)

Background information [ ]

Performers [ ].

Deanna Troi was played by actress Marina Sirtis . The baby Deanna Troi in " Dark Page " was played by twins Candace and Nicole Villwock .

Concept origins [ ]

The original concept for the character of Deanna Troi was partly inspired by Ilia , a likewise empathic character created for the abandoned series Star Trek: Phase II before ultimately appearing in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Similarly, Troi's relationship with Riker has its conceptual roots in Ilia's relationship with Willard Decker from Star Trek: The Motion Picture . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission , p. 23)

Originally, Deanna Troi was meant to be a very cerebral character. David Gerrold once recalled, " Bob Justman and I spoke about a person aboard ship who serves the function of an emotional healer. Not a chaplain, because we have moved beyond mere ritual, but someone who serves as a 'master.' His/her job is to support those aboard the ship in the job of being the best they can be. That would eventually become Deanna Troi. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 100) Stated Marina Sirtis, " Gene [Roddenberry] had the idea of this character because he felt that in the 24th century mental health should be as important as physical health. " ( SFX : The A-Z of Star Trek , p. 82) Sirtis also remarked, " Troi was not supposed to be the chick on the show. Gene [Roddenberry] said she was intended to be the brain on the show. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 101) Denise Crosby added, " The original description of Troi was this cool, Icelandic blonde. " [2] (X)

At one point, Marina Sirtis likened the original concept of Troi to Spock , commenting, " She was supposed to have equal the intelligence of Spock. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 101) Denise Crosby agreed that the original notion of Troi was "almost Spock-like." [3] (X) However, the addition of Troi to the mix of TNG's main characters was actually an attempt to differentiate TNG from Star Trek: The Original Series . ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 99) Furthermore, Sirtis was initially eager to dismiss comparisons between Troi and Spock, saying, " Some of Troi's character traits may be similar to his but Troi is not a Spock clone. She is a completely new character. " The actress instead speculated that the Troi character was based on Gem , from TOS : " The Empath ". " I can only guess that the idea of that kind of character stuck in Gene Roddenberry's mind and that, when he was creating The Next Generation , he decided to use it, " Sirtis theorized. ( Starlog , issue 126, p. 46)

It was Gene Roddenberry who thought up the name "Deanna Troi". As a personal secret between himself and Susan Sackett , Roddenberry deliberately took the character's first name from Sackett's middle name, and Wesley Crusher's first name from his own middle name. (" Star Trek Redux: Log Entry 35", Inside Trek: My Secret Life with Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry )

In early brainstorming, the character of Troi was to have three breasts , but D.C. Fontana objected to this. She later recalled, " I felt women have enough trouble with two. And how are you going to line them up? Vertically, horizontally, or what? I was like, please, don't go there. And they didn't, fortunately. " [4] (X)

A character description of Deanna Troi was included in the first draft "bible" for Star Trek: The Next Generation (dated 26 November 1986 ). ( Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , paperback ed., p. 556) In that document, Troi was described as only a quarter Betazoid with some telepathic powers due to her "Starfleet officer grandfather having lived on Betazed with one of its humanoid females." Her past relationship with Riker was described as "intimate." ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., pp. 14-15))

Troi's description in the original TNG casting call (dated 10 December 1986 and reprinted in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., p. 13)) was as follows:

" LT. DEANNA TROI – An alien woman who is tall (5'8-6') and slender, about 30 years old and quite beautiful. She serves as the starship's Chief Psychologist, Deanna is probably foreign (anywhere from Italian, Greek, Hungarian, Russian, Icelandic, etc.) with looks and accent to match. She and Number One are romantically involved. Her alien 'look' is still to be determined. "

Despite having been described as a quarter Betazoid in the first draft TNG writer's guide, Troi's alien roots were not fully detailed in the casting call. This omission was presumably for the sake of simplicity. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., p. 15))

In a revision of the series bible (dated 4 February 1987 ), Troi was no longer referred to as a lieutenant, but as a lieutenant commander. However, she was still described as the Enterprise 's chief psychologist. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., p. 15))

Troi's position in one of the Enterprise -D's three center seats, the other two chairs occupied by Picard and Riker, was originally (i.e., on the eve of the 4 February revisions) to have been filled by Data. This was changed when the producers realized that Troi would be strengthened both in her shipboard role and as a character if she were to occupy the third central seat. Troi was also given the informal duty of notifying Picard of the concerns of his thousand-plus crew, a duty that was initially the official responsibility of Geordi La Forge. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., pp. 15-16))

In the final draft of the first season writer's guide (dated 23 March 1987 , most likely with the script for " Haven " under development), Troi's heritage was altered to how it is established in the series – half Betazoid, with her Starfleet father having lived on Betazed with her native mother. Also, the description of Troi's past romance with Riker was changed from "intimate" to "unconsummated." ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., pp. 14-15))

In her book BFI TV Classics - Star Trek (p. 63), Ina Rae Hark suggested that Troi was created to counteract Picard's dispassion, as Hark supposed his emotional detachment would otherwise be problematic regarding his command decisions. " TNG resolves this dilemma by having Troi serve as a link between Picard's intellectual and scientific advisers and the more passionate field operatives, " Hark observed. " She even has a seat on the bridge so that she can read the emotional nuances of potential adversaries for her emotionally tone-deaf captain. "

Personification [ ]

Deanna Troi was originally to have been played by Denise Crosby, while Marina Sirtis was auditioning for the role of Macha Hernandez, a character later to be named Natasha Yar. ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 151) By 13 April 1987 , in fact, the only actress who seemed suitable to be cast as Troi was Crosby. [5] However, Crosby herself felt she struggled with the role, later expressing, " What was a Betazoid ? It just sounded so gobbledygook and weird. " [6] (X) On 28 April 1987, a casting tape that included Susan Gibney auditioning for the part was sent from Bonnie Finnegan to TNG Casting Director Junie Lowry .

Although Producers Robert Justman and Rick Berman were happy with the arrangement of Troi being played by Denise Crosby and the security chief being played by Marina Sirtis, Gene Roddenberry decided that each of those two actresses would be better as the other's character, and the roles were consequently reversed, Roddenberry deciding Sirtis' appearance was a better fit for the alien Troi than for the Human security chief. ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 151; Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., p. 18)) Said Crosby, " From what I understand from the producers, they were sold on me, as that part […] Gene felt that – now these are his words – that […] Troi should be this exotic, otherworldly creature, and I was just this kind of American golden girl. " ("Selected Crew Analysis: Casting", TNG Season 1 DVD special features) Furthermore, the producers decided that Sirtis brought a warmth and empathy to her audition that would work very well for the role of Troi. ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before , paperback ed., p. 117) Upon learning she wouldn't be cast as the security chief, though, Sirtis at first suspected she had blown her chances of appearing in the series. ( Starlog , issue 126, p. 48) " After my third audition for Tasha, I was literally walking out the door when they called me back to read for Deanna, " Sirtis noted. ( Trek: The Next Generation , 2nd ed., p. 27) The producers asked her to audition for the Troi role, thrust some script pages at Sirtis, and gave her an hour to learn three scenes. ( Starlog , issue 126, p. 48) " While I was looking at the script, " she continued, " Director Corey Allen came in and said, 'You have something personally that the character should have… an empathy, so use it.' " ( Trek: The Next Generation , 2nd ed., p. 27) Looking back, Sirtis found that piece of advice "funny," as she didn't personally believe she herself was much like the character, having a more hot-headed temperament than Troi. At the time, though, she was encouraged by Allen's comments. Sirtis closed herself off in a room for the hour she had been given to prepare, during which the actress bore in mind that she typically never managed to audition while holding a piece of paper in her hands. " So, in that hour, I was determined to just memorize the scenes and tough it out, " she remembered. " But my knees were knocking all the while and I was scared to death. I thought, 'OK, don't panic. Just learn it, put down the papers and see what develops.' " ( Starlog , issue 126, pp. 46, 48 & 58)

Marina Sirtis was grateful that the part she was now trying out for had been changed to Troi. She clarified, " Basically, I just wanted the job! But I have to be honest; it suited me better when they swapped us over […] because the scenes were so much more emotional and I could really let go. The way I was playing it was like Greek tragedy – I'm not saying that was the right way to go, but I like that kind of stuff, because I can get my teeth into it. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 12 , p. 19)

Marina Sirtis was cast as Troi on 6 May 1987 . ("Selected Crew Analysis: Casting", TNG Season 1 DVD special features) That day, she received the call informing her she had won the role, though she had been in the midst of packing to return to England that afternoon, as her visa had expired. The news consequently startled her. " I was ready to go when the phone rang and I was told I got the job. So I unpacked! I was so excited you would have had to scrape me off the ceiling! " Sirtis exclaimed. ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before , paperback ed., pp. 117-118)

Troi's accent was devised by Marina Sirtis, who was actually born to Greek parents in North London. " I didn't want anyone to pin down my accent to any particular country, " she revealed, " and being good at accents, the producers trusted me to come up with something appropriate. " ( Trek: The Next Generation , 2nd ed., p. 27) She explained further, " It was an Eastern European accent, which kind of started with the Tasha Yar auditions, 'cause she was supposed to be from Eastern Europe. Then, when they told me to make an accent up, from Betazed, I kind of just modified that Eastern Europe accent a bit. I based it on a friend of mine, who's actually Isreali. " ("Selected Crew Analysis: Casting", TNG Season 1 DVD special features)

Designing Troi's look

An unused look considered for Troi included a " skant " version of the Starfleet uniform and a severe bun hairstyle, as well as another hairstyle that was curly and high. ( TNG Season 1 Blu-ray , "Stardate Revisited" special feature)

Introduction [ ]

Marina Sirtis with Bandi -playing performers from "Encounter at Farpoint"

Owing to the complexity of Troi's character, the TNG producers were somewhat uncertain about how to handle the part right up to the filming of series pilot " Encounter at Farpoint ". ( Starlog , issue 126, p. 46) Though Troi's rank of lieutenant commander wasn't established in that episode, Picard refers to Troi as "commander" in the very first scene. During an away mission in "Encounter at Farpoint", however, Riker mistakenly refers to her as "lieutenant", carried over from an earlier version of the script. ( citation needed • edit ) Also, with the advent of "Encounter at Farpoint", Troi became the first counselor to appear in a Star Trek series.

Coming from a theater background with very little knowledge of how to act in television productions, Marina Sirtis felt unsure about how to play Troi in "Encounter at Farpoint". " I didn't understand what I was doing; I had the impression that Troi was an open sore of emotions, but I wasn't aware that you didn't have to show emotion to get the message across, " she conceded. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 12 , p. 19) Sirtis' performance in "Encounter at Farpoint" wasn't influenced, whatsoever, by watching the footage of herself as she played the part; she and her castmates weren't allowed to see any dailies of their work on the episode until three days before it was to have its first public airing. At lunchtime three days prior to the cast screening, Sirtis commented, " The prospect of seeing myself in this show for the very first time is terrifying. " ( Starlog , issue 126, p. 46) Although she attended the screening, the actress wasn't proud of her performance in the episode. On the contrary, she later admitted, " I hated myself in the pilot. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 12 , p. 19)

The TNG producers' uncertainty about how to handle the depiction of Troi continued after the filming of "Encounter at Farpoint". ( Starlog , issue 126, p. 46) Consequently, several differences exist between the pilot episode's depiction of Troi and her appearance in the subsequent series. " People watching the pilot and then the rest of the series will think they've cast two different people in the role, " reckoned Marina Sirtis. " My character changed quite a bit between the pilot and the series. Particularly in looks. " ( Starlog , issue 126, p. 46)

The changes to Troi between the pilot and the series include the fact that she communicates telepathically with Riker in the pilot, but does not do so in the series, a lessening of her abilities that essentially avoided the emotional soliloquies that made actress Marina Sirtis cringe in "Encounter at Farpoint". ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 27)) She explained, " The producers decided that it would be too limiting to the character to just go around feeling things all the time. So, they changed the level of Troi's powers. " ( Starlog , issue 126, p. 46)

Other differences were changes in Troi's hair and clothing. Her trademark hairstyles were usually achieved with a combination of Marina Sirtis' own hair and hairpieces. The only time her own hair was used without any hairpieces was in "Encounter at Farpoint". [7] Also, Troi wears a virtually unique "skant" Starfleet uniform in that episode, but is mostly adorned in more informal attire in the series. In the pilot, she wears her curly hair down and held back by a headband, but she appears with a severe bun hairstyle throughout the first season (echoing the earlier hairstyle tried out during preproduction). Accounting for the modifications, Marina Sirtis stated, " After the pilot was shot, the producers decided that the look didn't suit the character the way she was originally envisioned. They wanted something a bit more elegant and contained. " ( Starlog , issue 126, p. 46) The factors that inspired these stylistic changes were, in Sirtis' own words, that Troi was "cerebral and kind of elegant." ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 101) Yet another reason her look needed to be changed was that the actress, on the other hand, was too overweight. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 23, No. 2/3, p. 76) " If you go back to 'Encounter at Farpoint', where I was dressed in the cosmic cheerleader outfit with the ugliest go-go boots ever designed, I was about twenty pounds heavier. Imagine a potato with matchsticks sticking out of it, and that was my shape. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 101) "Encounter at Farpoint" is the only time Troi wears a uniform with rank insignia for the first half of the TNG series.

Serialization [ ]

As the first season got underway, Marina Sirtis noticed that Troi, now clad in a variety of low-cut casual duty outfits, had become less of an intellect than the actress had first been led to believe the character would be. " Unfortunately, […] when I […] got cleavage, she lost her brain matter, " Sirtis lamented. " That was a shame […] I lost weight over the years, and […] how much cleavage I showed depended on which [costume] I wore, since they were all cut differently and some were lower than others. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , pp. 101 & 102) Through the rest of the first season, Sirtis' own hair was taken up, and the high bun was a hairpiece, added to give extra height for a demure look. [8]

Although Picard refers to Troi as "commander", as is the customary verbal address for a lieutenant commander in informal situations, in the very first scene of "Encounter at Farpoint", she is not referred to as holding that rank in any other episode of the first season. Her rank as lieutenant commander was ultimately first established by a bridge monitor that appears in the third Season 1 installment, " Code of Honor ".

Not only did Marina Sirtis feel that the change from the constantly emotional Troi in "Encounter at Farpoint" freed the character "to have more substance and scope", but the actress also liked how Troi continued to be developed as the first season went on. While the filming of " Justice " – the eighth Season 1 outing – neared completion, the actress related, " This show's writers have given me a great deal to do. I'm not just there when they need an empath. That would have gotten boring real fast. So far, I'm very pleased with the things they've given me to do. " In particular, Sirtis was of the opinion that the fact Troi's advice was taken extremely seriously by Captain Picard contributed to an overall strong role of women in the then-new series. On the other hand, although there was discussion about Troi having to take command in a (never-produced) first season episode , Sirtis vetoed that idea, stipulating, " I'm the mental person. Deanna would be dangerous with that kind of power. " Meanwhile, one difficulty Sirtis found in playing Troi was performing the scenes featuring the Enterprise shaking. " I've been pretty uncomfortable doing those scenes so far. I'm hoping it doesn't show, " she laughed. ( Starlog , issue 126, pp. 46, 48 & 58)

As the first season progressed, the writers struggled with Troi's character, believing her to be one of the hardest to write for. Marina Sirtis admitted, " I always felt that Deanna posed a big problem for the writers, that they never quite knew how to use her that effectively on the show. " Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , p. 18) In fact, according to Sirtis, Troi was almost dropped from the series, as a result. " Because they gave her these empathic powers and she wasn't just a normal psychologist, " the actress explained, " they went, 'Oh blimey, well if she can sense feelings and figure out what's going on, maybe she shouldn't be in this scene.' 'Okay, write her out.' That happened a lot, because in the first season I didn't have an office, I was just around . I remember one of the directors came up to me and said, 'You only have a couple of lines in this episode, so I told them to give you the week off and write you out.' I was like, 'Thanks very much, but that's residuals I won't be getting!' At one point I really did feel that they were thinking about losing me. I've got this from Majel [Barrett , Roddenberry's wife]. He came home one day and said, 'I think we've got one too many girls on the show,' and it didn't need a rocket scientist to work out that you need a doctor and a security chief but you don't really need a psychologist. So I had a very stressful first season, because I didn't know if I was going to have a job at the end of it. " ( SFX : The A-Z of Star Trek , p. 82)

When Denise Crosby and Beverly Crusher actress Gates McFadden left the series at the end of its first season, the decision was made to retain Marina Sirtis as Troi for the second season . " It was very ironic, because I was the one whose job was in danger, " she commented. " Come the second season, I'm the only one left of the girls. The weight lifted off my shoulders at Jonathan Frakes ' wedding, in the hiatus. Gene took me aside and said, 'The first episode of the new season is going to be a Troi episode,' and I literally just burst into tears. It was all uphill from there. " Even though Dr. Pulaski was introduced at the start of the second season, Sirtis felt that plenty room was still made for the role of Troi in that season, given that Pulaski actress Diana Muldaur was from a different generation. " So I got to do all the young woman stuff, " Sirtis noted. ( SFX : The A-Z of Star Trek , p. 82)

Troi's rank as lieutenant commander was reestablished in Season 2, appearing on the observation room viewscreen when Dr. Pulaski demonstrates an image of Troi's unborn fetus in second season opener " The Child ".

From that point on, Troi wore her hair long, in loose ringlets, and it was taken off her face, held in place by a headband. Again, this look was achieved by a combination of Marina Sirtis' own long, curly hair and hairpieces, which added extra volume and length. The hairpieces could also be styled before they were added to Sirtis' own hair, which cut down on preparation time. As the series proceeded, there were subsequent slight changes to Troi's hair. [9]

Marina Sirtis was delighted with the televised narratives concocted for Troi. " When they saw that I had range, I got great storylines – three or four good ones every year, " she enthused. " I think it was [La Forge actor] LeVar [Burton] who said, 'Troi is the soul and the conscience on the Enterprise .' Consequently I got all the emotional stuff to do, which is my dream – that's what I love to do. " ( SFX : The A-Z of Star Trek , p. 82) Sirtis felt that Troi particularly started to become more developed in TNG Season 3 . " Things definitely got better starting in the third season, " the actress declared. " She became less decorative and more interesting. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , p. 18) Sirtis never felt secure in playing Troi until around the third or fourth season, by which time the character had become firmly established as a professional psychologist, so Troi's absences from the bridge could be accounted for by presuming she was meanwhile working in her office. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 115 , p. 73)

Troi didn't appear in all the third season installments she potentially could have. In the first draft of Season 3 outing " The Enemy ", Troi was stranded on an alien planet along with Geordi La Forge. When they encountered a Romulan officer on the planet's surface, Troi incapacitated him. " I felt very excited about this, " Sirtis related. " I finally got to do something interesting and different and, of course, when the final script came not only was I not on the planet, but I had one line at the end of the show – and that was actually cut. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 202)

To portray a supposed nude scene in " Ménage à Troi ", Marina Sirtis and Majel Barrett wore skimpy underwear, contrary to claims later made by Barrett, who alleged that both she herself and Sirtis had been fully naked. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 113 , p. 19)

As each day's production on TNG often continued into the early hours of the next day, Marina Sirtis was cautious about the filming of Troi's scenes. " I often wanted another take – but I didn't necessarily ask for one because the crew was always itching to get home, " she explained. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 102 , p. 53)

By the end of the third season, Troi was the TNG main character that received the least attention from the series' writers. " The trouble with Troi is that because she's an empath you think she walks into a room and says, 'I feel pain.' That's a cliche, " Michael Piller pointed out. As a result, the writers were continuing to find that writing for her was challenging. " It is difficult, " admitted Ronald D. Moore , " because you run into a double trap of how much does she know and when. Especially when dealing with powerful aliens. It's unfortunate because the things she's had, she's been wonderful in. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 21, No. 2, p. 51)

At the start of the fourth season , developing Troi more was a goal that Jeri Taylor very much wanted to achieve. This was because Taylor thought Troi had been underused and therefore wanted to make her a more rounded and interesting character. At that point in the series, Marina Sirtis unhappily concurred with the opinion that Troi had been underutilized, citing her exclusion from "The Enemy" as an example. Michael Piller accepted that further developing Troi, together with the other main characters, was on the writing staffers' minds from the start of the season. However, he also argued, " I think the last two years have seen her develop a great deal and that does not mean it's sufficient or there shouldn't be more done, but I believe that she used to be a character who looked at the screen and said 'I sense anger out there' and we've given her a chance to actually do therapy, to do some very serious stories and make some critical contributions to the solutions or problems and really become a counselor in the best sense of the word. I don't really think that she's an underdeveloped character anymore. I feel very good about Troi. She's a really sexy lady who provides an enormous amount of emotional support to our other continuing characters. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , pp. 201 & 202)

In a scene from the first draft script of fourth season outing " Suddenly Human ", Troi stated, " I am half-Betazoid, half Human… Yes, and all woman. " Immediately thereafter, Jono touched her breasts and Troi explained to him, " They're breasts. Infants nurse on them. " ("Difficult Days: Log Entry 48", Inside Trek: My Secret Life with Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry )

It wasn't until fifth season installments " Disaster " and " Conundrum " that Troi's lieutenant commander rank was mentioned again, following the visual reference to it in "The Child". Also in "Conundrum", Deanna's birthday is shown on-screen as being March 29th, which happens to be Marina Sirtis' real birth date.

After Susan Sackett discovered she had been excommunicated by the TNG cast and crew at Gene Roddenberry's funeral (held on 1 November 1991 ), she felt as though the character of Troi was essentially being channeled through Marina Sirtis. " She seemed a lot like her character at that moment when I ran into her on my last day on the Paramount lot, " Sackett reckoned. " Perhaps she was becoming an empath like Deanna Troi. " ("All Good Things: Log Entry 59", Inside Trek: My Secret Life with Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry )

The make-up Sirtis wore as Troi's Romulan disguise is tweaked

The slight changes to Troi's hairstyle stopped at the start of Season 6 , when it was altered more significantly. This time, much of Marina Sirtis' own hair was styled more loosely around her face, with the ringlet curls hairpiece secured in a low ponytail. This style was seen for the first time in " Relics ". As the season progressed, this style was changed in favor of another style which saw Troi's hair taken back off her face, but still styled in lower ringlets and without any headband. [10]

Troi meeting Scotty in a deleted scene

In an ultimately deleted scene from "Relics", Troi met Montgomery Scott . Owing to the scene deletion, it is not explained why, at the end of the episode, Troi gives Scott a kiss goodbye, as they never actually meet during the final edit of the episode until that moment.

In " A Fistful of Datas ", Marina Sirtis had fun playing Troi in a Wild West holographic program. She especially enjoyed dressing up, and it allowed her the first opportunity to portray the character with a hint of comedy. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 113 , p. 19)

In sixth season outing " Chain Of Command, Part I ", Troi finally appeared in a Starfleet uniform. Not since "Encounter at Farpoint" had she been shown wearing a uniform with rank insignia (although a fictional depiction of a uniformed Troi appears in " Future Imperfect "). She also ceased wearing hair decorations.

Marina Sirtis was wowed by how, in penultimate Season 6 offering " Timescape ", Troi manages to instruct Data and Geordi La Forge on Romulan engine functions. In response, the actress quipped, " Amazing how, when her cleavage disappears, Troi can do other things! " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 113 , p. 19)

For Season 7 , Troi's hair was given another new look, with long, but softer, copper-colored waves, first seen in " Interface ". Again, this was achieved by a combination of Marina Sirtis' long, straightened, copper-highlighted hair and a hairpiece to add volume. Troi's hairstyle also varied in Season 7 depending on whether she was on duty or not. When off duty, her hair was looser, and she wore it with bangs. [11]

Marina Sirtis didn't enjoy performing Troi's transformation into an amphibian in seventh season outing " Genesis ". Her dislike of the experience was because she hated prosthetics and water, yet the part required her to be exposed to both. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 113 , p. 19)

Several former TNG writing staffers have expressed criticisms about Troi. " A therapist on a ship full of characters that supposedly had gone beyond Human foibles and no longer succumbed to petty jealousy and anger? Why is there a therapist on board? " stated Brannon Braga . Naren Shankar agreed, " I couldn't understand it, especially coming from an immigrant family where nobody talks about their problems, ever. The notion of having an onboard psychiatrist was so weird. I was, like, 'What does she do all day? I don't understand.' She could look at the guy on the viewscreen who's angry and go, 'I think he's angry. He seems angry to me, Captain.' " Tracy Tormé admitted, " I'm not really sure that the Deanna Troi character ever fully worked for me. I liked Marina very much as a person, but that character was a little [too] soft for me and touchy-feely. " Unfortunately for Sirtis, she felt likewise. ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , pp. 100-101) Although she spoke approvingly about Troi being "so deep with that kind of insight into people," Sirtis also bemoaned the fact that it wasn't made clear on-screen that Troi was intended to be the most intellectual of the main characters. ( Trek: The Next Generation , 2nd ed., p. 27; The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 101) " There wasn't enough range in Troi, " the actress complained. " All she seemed to be feeling was a lot of anguish. " Hence, the TNG writing staffers tried to improve their writing of Troi for Sirtis' benefit. " Poor Marina, " said Shankar, " we really tried to help her in the last few years of that show. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 101) Sirtis appreciated their efforts, remarking shortly after the series ended, " Within the last one and a half seasons, I've become much happier with my character's development. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 102 , p. 54)

Of all the TNG main characters, Deanna Troi had the most number of changes to the look of her character throughout the series, in both costume and hairstyles. Those incremental stylistic changes were important to how Marina Sirtis portrayed Troi. Moreover, the actress, in retrospect, pointed out that the advances in the portrayal of Troi coincided with how women, in general, were characterized in Star Trek . ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , p. 17) Sirtis noted that both Troi and Beverly Crusher were simultaneously in "positions of power" and "were in the caring profession, so we couldn't be too aggressive." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , p. 18) Despite Troi often doing the same kinds of things, the actress felt she was fortunate to play a character whom she regarded as essentially the "soul" or "conscience" of the Next Generation crew. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 115 , p. 73) " To me, Troi was the nicest person aboard the Enterprise , " Sirtis proclaimed, " because, instead of being wacky and zany, she was always understanding and sympathetic towards people. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 102 , p. 55) Sirtis also considered herself lucky that Troi was possessed and transformed by so many different entities in the course of the series. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 113 , p. 19)

Marina Sirtis did have one regret about Troi, at the end of the series. " If I could really travel back through time and relive the TV series, I wouldn't give Deanna a foreign accent – even though her mother is a Betazoid, " she conceded. Sirtis believed her foreign accent had been made a mockery of by the fact that Majel Barrett-Roddenberry had played Lwaxana Troi with a distinctly American accent. " But over the years, Deanna lost the [foreign] accent and sounded much more mid-Atlantic, " Sirtis observed. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 102 , p. 55)

Reappearances [ ]

For Star Trek Generations , Troi's hairstyle more resembled her off-duty look from Season 7, but this time the hairstyle was worn with her on-duty uniform. The hairpiece used was much longer, however, in much smoother waves than the style seen in Season 7. [12]

The depiction of Troi in Star Trek Generations extremely appealed to Marina Sirtis. " Steering the Enterprise was among the many things which I loved about Star Trek Generations , " she reminisced. " It's something which Deanna had never done on the television show […] [In the film,] I wanted to press the right buttons at the right time, so I sought advice from Brent Spiner (as Data, Spiner had often piloted the Enterprise on the TV series), who said, 'Marina, you're not playing the piano. You don't have to press a million buttons. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 102 , p. 53)

For Star Trek Generations , Marina Sirtis played Troi for about three weeks of the film's shoot, whereas filming the movie took fifty days. " Because Generations was obviously shot over a longer time period [than the TV series], I asked for that extra take if necessary, " she clarified. By the time of the film, Troi's accent had changed so much from sounding foreign that Sirtis noted, " She tried very hard to sound completely American during Generations." ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 102 , pp. 53 & 55)

From Star Trek: First Contact onwards, Marina Sirtis wore full wigs as Troi. The reason, again, was largely a production one. In Star Trek: First Contact , two wigs were used, one which resembled the Generations look but had caramel highlights, and a much flatter, long layered wig seen when Troi was on Earth. [13]

Acknowledging Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner as the stars of the TNG films, Marina Sirtis had no aspirations for Troi to appear in a central role in any future Star Trek film, despite the character having centrally featured in the occasional TNG episode. Shortly after her work on Star Trek: First Contact , Sirtis mused, " We could make 10 ST:TNG movies, and I really don't feel that any of them would be about my character. I'll always be a supporting actress in Star Trek . And, that's actually fine with me if they continue to do what they've done on the last two films, which is to find me something new and different to do. If they continue like that, I'd be perfectly happy. Also, I wouldn't have the responsibility of carrying a whole movie, like Patrick does. No one will blame me if a ST:TNG movie ever doesn't make any money! " However, neither did Sirtis expect, at the time of that interview, to appear in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine or Star Trek: Voyager any time soon, though she later ended up making three appearances in the latter series. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , pp. 19 & 20)

In Star Trek: Insurrection , a new long wig was used to give Troi a smooth, caramel-highlighted hairstyle. This wig was also used for her appearances in Star Trek: Voyager . [14]

In Star Trek Nemesis , another long wig was used, with highlights and layers. Sirtis has commented that, at the time the movies were made, her own hair was very similar to the wigs she wore but that production reasons meant she wore full wigs. [15]

Marina Sirtis believed that, over time, she was becalmed by portraying Troi. " The job was almost 15 years: seven years on the series, then four films, " she pointed out. " During that time I was being Deanna more hours in the day than I was being Marina, and it did kinda rub off on me. " ( SFX : The A-Z of Star Trek , p. 83)

Ultimately, Troi became the most prominent example of a counselor in the Star Trek franchise. She also set a precedent that wasn't followed until Ezri Dax became the second counselor to appear in a Star Trek series, in DS9 Season 7 .

Troi is one of four characters to appear in two series finales ( TNG : " All Good Things... " and ENT : " These Are the Voyages... "), the others being William T. Riker , Worf , and Miles O'Brien .

Reception and aftermath [ ]

Attending multiple conventions and discovering that Troi was very popular with fans who went to such events inspired Marina Sirtis into becoming more secure in her job of portraying the character, in about the third or fourth season of TNG. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 115 , p. 73) Some of the fans, though, wanted Troi to be more akin to the actress who played her. " Because the people who attend conventions are fans of Troi, I receive some positive feedback, but sometimes fans say, 'Why can't Troi be more like Marina? Marina's so much fun, but Troi is a little dull sometimes,' " relayed Sirtis. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 102 , p. 55)

Due to the low-cut costumes Marina Sirtis wore in the early days of the series, Troi became the sex symbol of Star Trek: The Next Generation . ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 102 , p. 54) An aspect of Troi's character that, in the first three seasons of the show, fascinated fans was the hint of a romance between her and Riker. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 21, No. 2, p. 51) According to Michael Dorn , the idea of Troi having a romance with Worf, when he lobbied for it at conventions, was popular too. As it turned out, though, Jeri Taylor stated about Troi's Season 7 relationship with Worf, " I've probably gotten more antagonistic mail on this than anything. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 284)

A wig believed to have been worn by Marina Sirtis or one of her doubles in the latter films was sold on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [16]

Apocrypha [ ]

In the novel Triangle: Imzadi II , set in mid- 2371 , Worf makes a marriage proposal to Troi and she accepts. However, after Riker and Commander Elizabeth Shelby rescue Troi and Worf's son, Alexander, from a hostage situation, Troi and Worf realize that they are too different to be married and that Troi still has feelings for Riker. The couple call off their engagement as a result.

In the novel The Battle of Betazed , Troi is involved in a successful attempt to liberate Betazed from the Dominion , following the events of " In the Pale Moonlight ".

In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Millennium novel The War of the Prophets , Troi was ship's counselor on the USS Enterprise -F and was killed when the ship was destroyed in an alternate future 2388 .

External links [ ]

• Deanna Troi at StarTrek.com
• Deanna Troi at Wikipedia
• Deanna Troi at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Deanna Troi at the Star Trek Online Wiki
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)