‘ENSIGN RO’ (TNG)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
This ‘Star Trek: TNG’ episode features the first appearance of the Bajorans from the planet Bajor (or Bajora as it’s called in this story). The Bajorans would be prominent in the spin off, ‘Deep Space Nine’.
This episode also features the first appearance of Michelle Forbes as Ensign Ro Laren. Michelle Forbes previously appeared in the tale, ‘Half a Life’ as a different character. This is Ro Laren’s first appearance.
In this episode, the Enterprise receives the news that the Solarion Four settlement has been destroyed. It seems the Bajorans are responsible for this terrorist attack as the Enterprise investigates.
The Bajorans are these religious and rebellious people with alien noses that have been under the occupation of the Cardassians. This was when the Cardassians were at the height of their own empire.
The terrorist actions of the Bajorans is something of prominent plot thread that occurs during the ‘TNG’ and ‘DS9’ shows. It is because of those Cardassians that the Bajorans have gone all out terrorism.
Captain Picard meets up with Cliff Potts as Admiral Kennelly, who survived the attack of the Solarion Four settlement by Bajoran terrorists. Admiral Kennelly briefs Picard on what happened in the attack.
Apparently there’s this Bajoran terrorist called Orta who has been responsible for the attack on Solarion Four. Kennelly orders Picard to search for Orta and send him to the Bajoran settlement camps.
Against his wishes, Picard is assigned a controversial person by Kennelly to help with their mission to find Orta. This happens to be Ensign Ro Laren, a Bajoran who has this really bad reputation in Starfleet.
Apparently, Ro Laren was involved in the loss of thousands of lives on the planet Garon II when she was serving aboard the starship Wellington. Picard isn’t happy to have Ro Laren aboard the Enterprise.
But Kennelly is insistent that Picard has Ensign Ro accompany them aboard the Enterprise during the mission, since apparently she can help. With a lot of reluctance, Picard agrees to let Ro Laren on board.
It’s clear that Picard and Riker aren’t happy with Ro Laren aboard the Enterprise due to her past record. Ro Laren isn’t happy with being on board either as she develops this sulky, difficult attitude in the tale.
I think it’s fair to say that Ro Laren became the template for what many Bajoran female characters would be like in ‘Star Trek’. This is clearly the case with Major Kira Nerys who features in the ‘DS9’ TV series.
Ro Laren is visibly an angry woman who wants no part in the mission the Enterprise has in searching for Orta. She disrespects the Starfleet code of dress when she’s asked to remove her Bajoran earrings.
It also turns out Bajornas are addressed with their first name as their surname and their surname as their first name. You don’t call Ensign Ro as ‘Ro’ by her forename. You call her ‘Laren’ as her forename.
Despite this difficult attitude she has, Ensign Ro works with the Enterprise crew so that she can ‘get it over with’. They seek information, leading them to the moon Vallor One where he is seemingly based.
During the mission, Ensign Ro refuses to socialise with the rest of the crew. She even refuses to allow Beverly Crusher and Deanna Troi to join her whilst she is in Ten Forward. Ro Laren seems so rude here.
But Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan isn’t ‘swayed’ by Ro Laren’s rude attitude and she joins her at her table to chat to her. Gradually during the episode, Ro Laren and Guinan become good friends in ‘TNG’.
There are moments when Ensign Ro can become rebellious and even goes down to the moon to find Orta six hours before the Away Team beams down. But she comes across as a really good soul in ‘TNG’.
By the end of the episode, after dealing with Jeffrey Havenga as Orta and a certain conspiracy involving Admiral Kennelly, Picard invites Ensign Ro to be one of the Enterprise’s crew. Ensign Ro readily accepts.
‘Ensign Ro’ is a pretty good introduction to Ro Laren as a recurring character in ‘TNG’. Michelle Forbes delivers a terrific performance as the character. I do like how the Bajorans get introduced in ‘Star Trek’.
‘Ensign Ro’ (TNG) rating – 8/10
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