deanna troi in star trek

Deanna Troi's Importance to Star Trek: TNG Exceeds Her Romance With Riker

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• Deanna Troi's role as counselor on the USS Enterprise is often overlooked but she played a vital role in maintaining the crew's mental health.
• Troi's empathy coupled with her psychology background allowed her to anticipate dangerous situations and provide valuable insights to the commanding officers.
• Troi's scientific and clinical training was also crucial in analyzing sentient behavior, especially when her empathy was rendered ineffective.

For seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation -- and its four subsequent films -- Counselor Deanna Troi played a pivotal role aboard the USS Enterprise, but her importance to the NCC1701-D's continuing mission is often overlooked. Early in the The Next Generation pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint," Troi and Riker's romantic history was established. Between that and the focus on their relationship in the Star Trek: The Next Generation sequel films and Star Trek: Picard , it's easy to forget that she was always more than the first officer's romantic interest.

When Star Trek returned to TV screens in 1987 with The Next Generation , the sequel series introduced a new position aboard Federation starships, along with its new cast of characters. Tasked with maintaining the crew's mental health, the ship's counselor served as an analyst to the crew and advisor to the captain on psychological matters. In the case of Deanna Troi, however, the role was expanded due to her training and unique talents.

Deanna Troi Cared for the Enterprise Crew's Mental Health on Star Trek: TNG

Why deanna troi wore a starfleet uniform in tng's final seasons.

On Star Trek: The Next Generation, Counselor Deanna Troi started wearing a regulation Starfleet uniform in later seasons and it changed the character.

Deep space travel is extremely hazardous, even aboard Star Trek: The Next Generation 's powerful and luxurious Galaxy Class Enterprise. Between hostile alien races, hazardous spacial anomalies and millions of lightyears separating the crew from their various home worlds, mental health is paramount on a Starfleet vessel, especially aboard the Flagship of the Federation. With her advanced training in psychology, Counselor Deanna Troi had the necessary qualifications to care for the crew of the Enterprise-D , which would turn out to be instrumental in helping the crew to function.

A perfect example of Troi's value to the Enterprise was her long-term treatment of Lt. Reginald Barclay, a member of the Engineering staff whose social anxieties often led him to retreat to the ship's holodeck in order to escape from reality in Season 3, Episode 21, "Hollow Pursuits." Troi would go on to treat him for other concerns, including his fear of using the transporter in Season 6, Episode 2, "Realm of Fear." Although he was uncomfortable with people who could read his thoughts and emotions, even Lt. Worf came to rely on Counselor Troi when his son Alexander came to live on the Enterprise in Season 5, Episode 10, "New Ground," and on through the remainder of the series.

In addition to her day-to-day duties overseeing the psychological well-being of the crew, Troi was also the person the crew turned to when more in-depth care was required. While Counselor Troi's primary duty was to maintain the overall mental health of Enterprise personnel, that didn't just mean treating phobias and general stress. The perils the crew faced could at times lead to serious trauma, and Deanna was the most qualified person aboard the ship to treat them. The senior officers in particular survived situations that led to considerable emotional and psychological distress that couldn't be left untreated without long-term damage to their well-being.

After Captain Picard was captured and tortured by Cardassians during a covert mission in Season 6, Episodes 10 and 11, "Chain of Command," he found her counseling invaluable in his recovery, as he did two years earlier, following his assimilation by the Borg in both parts of "The Best of Both Worlds." Helping Lt. Cmdr. Geordi LaForge recover from brainwashing at the hands of the Romulans who wanted him as an assassin in Season 4, Episode 24, "The Mind's Eye," required extraordinary patience and attentiveness. The mental reprogramming they'd put him through included memory suppression and neurological torture. Fortunately, her family heritage gives her an advantage in her duties as a ship's counselor.

Troi’s Betazoid Abilities Made Her Indispensable on The Next Generation

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As a trained psychologist, Troi was wholly qualified to provide mental health care and give expert advice to Captain Picard when dealing with tense situations, but she also had an inherent ability that proved invaluable. As the daughter of a human Starfleet officer and a Betazoid ambassador, Troi was an empath. Able to read the feelings of most living creatures -- even from a distance -- Counselor Troi was a valued advisor to Capt. Picard and Cmdr. Riker, both on the bridge and on away missions. Being able to sense the emotions of other species the Enterprise encountered on its voyages -- combined with her psychology background -- enabled Troi to anticipate dangerous situations and provide the ship's commanding officers with insights a more typical ship's counselor might not have.

For example, no Betazoid can read Starfleet's only android officer, Lt. Cmdr. Data , as was made clear when the powerful telepath Tam Elbrund came aboard in Season 3, Episode 20, "Tin Man" and didn't even sense his presence. From the start of the Enterprise-D's first mission in "Encounter at Farpoint," Troi was able to sense the presence of Q before he revealed himself. She also sensed the emotions of the alien entity the Bandi forced to serve as a base on their planet and its mate, which tried to rescue it. In many of the missions that followed, Troi also used her empathy to advise the captain about the general mindset of the crew. In Star Trek: The Next Generation , Season 1, Episode 6, "Where No One Has Gone Before," Troi sensed the overall confusion of the Enterprise's population as their thoughts were made real at the edge of the universe. On Deanna's advice, Capt. Picard gave the crew something to focus on to prevent further chaos until they found a way home.

Troi's empathic senses were also instrumental in helping Picard and his first officer, Cmdr. William Riker outwit opponents or work with difficult people. She was especially instrumental in helping Cmdr. Riker work with a Zakdorn quartermaster in Season 5, Episode 7, "Unification, Part I" to gain access to a surplus depot as they investigated a destroyed Vulcan starship. Unfortunately, Riker and Picard didn't always trust Counselor Troi's empathic insights, and in Season 2, Episode 17, "Samaritan Snare," it nearly cost them their chief engineer when he went aboard a Pakled ship and was nearly kidnapped by the two-man crew. With such a remarkable ability at her disposal, it might seem like Counselor Troi would have been indispensable without a psychological background. Then again, sometimes her training was more reliable than her innate abilities.

Troi Would’ve Been Irreplaceable on TNG Even Without Her Empathic Abilities

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When Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek in 1966, he envisioned a secular future for the Earth, but the series has acknowledged Christmas many times.

Since she's half-human, Troi's mind has never been quite as powerful as other Betazoids'. For that reason alone, she could never rely entirely on her extrasensory perception to understand the thoughts and feelings of other lifeforms. Thanks to her education -- both on her homeworld of Betazed and Starfleet Academy -- Troi has long possessed the scientific and clinical tools to analyze sentient behavior. This was especially useful on those rare occasions when her empathic sense was rendered ineffective. Though it can be awfully unsettling to a Betazoid, there are several species in Star Trek who are unreadable with telepathic and empathic senses.

In her first encounter with the Ferengi in The Next Generation , Season 1, Episode 5, "The Last Outpost," Troi was unable to sense their emotions, and speculated that they might possess the ability to shield their minds from telepathy. Her greatest test came when the Enterprise encountered two-dimensional aliens that were unintentionally pulling the ship towards a cosmic string in Season 4, Episode 10, "The Loss." Her proximity to the new lifeform blocked her empathic senses, forcing her to cope with the loss of an inherent ability the way anyone else would've needed to deal with losing their sight or hearing. Though she struggled at first, Troi eventually fulfilled her duty and helped free the Enterprise from the aliens' wake and regained her empathic abilities.

While Troi and Riker are Star Trek 's power couple , the half-Betazoid ship's counselor was always more than a romantic interest for the Enterprise's first officer. Counselor Troi has always been a unique, intelligent and invaluable part of the Star Trek universe. She even returned for Picard , Season 3 to prove that -- even after retirement -- there's never been anyone quite like Deanna Troi, and there never will be.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3: How Deanna Troi's Betazoid Powers Have Evolved, According to Terry Matalas

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Here's What 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 6 Was Going To Be About

Netflix's ‘one piece’ live-action series hit yet another milestone, 'the night manager' season 2 adds 'game of thrones' and 'wicked little letters' stars.

Editors Note: This article contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 8, "Surrender."

This week's episode of Star Trek: Picard finally saw the full return of Deanna Troi ( Marina Sirtis ) at the height of her power. We caught up with Troi and her husband Will Riker ( Jonathan Frakes ) in a holding cell aboard the Shrike where they worked through some of the shared trauma of losing their son. In the back half of the episode, when Deanna and Will return to the Titan, Deanna is almost knocked off her feet as her Betazoid senses are overcome with an overwhelming darkness clinging to the young Jack Crusher ( Ed Speleers ) . In the big Ready Room reunion scene, she explains that the darkness isn't necessarily coming from Jack, but rather that it has a hold on him. Finally, the episode sees Deanna sit down with Jack for a counseling session. Jack's been avoiding opening that red door all season, and "Surrender" leaves us with bated breath as Deanna decides to go through it with him.

Recently, Collider's own Maggie Lovitt sat down with Picard Season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas to discuss this pivotal episode and break down all the behind-the-scenes details. During their conversation, Lovitt asked Matalas if Deanna's Betazoid powers—which grant her empathic abilities that extend beyond the ship—had grown stronger in the years since we'd last seen her use them back in Star Trek: Nemesis . Matalas said that they asked themselves that question while writing the season. While it could be argued that The Next Generation often downplayed her skills, Deanna is an accomplished empath, and the series did establish that she has the ability to communicate telepathically with other species that share the same abilities. In Nemesis , Deanna is able to see through the eyes of another telepath, using her skills to reveal their cloaked ship. In the last two episodes of Picard, it's been revealed that Jack can use telepathy in a similar manner, having used it to save Sidney La Forge ( Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut ) from the Changelings in Episode 7 , and in an attempt to take back the bridge this week.

At the end of Episode 8, Deanna joins Jack inside his mind—something we've only seen her do with her mother in the Next Gen episode "Dark Page," from Season 7—and she's able to open the door that has haunted his nightmares all season. Matalas explained that they'd known that Deanna would be the key to this mystery from the jump. He told Lovitt:

"We always knew at the beginning of the season that Deanna Troi was going to be the one who unlocks that door. She's going to be the one that puts it all together. We only had Marina for a limited amount of time. We knew that we would have her for, essentially, the last four episodes, and we developed the story to make that happen."

RELATED: 'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3: Jonathan Frakes on Directing Episode 3's Pivotal Picard/Beverly Scene

Deanna Troi Unlocks Star Trek: Picard Season 3's Biggest Mystery

In terms of how they crafted the final moments of this episode, Matalas knew that they wanted to be able to show this scene visually, rather than showing Deanna and Jack simply having a conversation. "We wanted to put her in the space of that unlocking," said Matalas. "So it feels like you want to do that visually and not strictly through talking through it. Although, she is sitting across from Jack, but she is visualizing much more than she does." After 20 years, and given Jack's own telepathic abilities, it makes sense that Deanna would be able to put herself in his mind so that she can see what he does.

New episodes of Star Trek: Picard are available on Thursdays on Paramount+. Don't miss Lovitt's full conversation with Matalas on Episode 8, and while we wait to see what's behind that red door, you can check out our recent interview with Speleers down below.

• Star Trek: Picard (2020)

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Marina Sirtis

• View history

Marina Sirtis ( born 29 March 1955 ; age 69) is the English-American actress best known for playing Counselor Deanna Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation . She later played the role in four Star Trek films , as well as episodes of Star Trek: Voyager , the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise , episodes of Star Trek: Picard , and an episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks .

Along with Colm Meaney ( Miles O'Brien ), Michael Dorn ( Worf ) , and Patrick Stewart ( Jean-Luc Picard ), Sirtis is one of four regular Star Trek cast members to have made multiple appearances as the same character on a different series. She, Jonathan Frakes , and John de Lancie are the only performers to portray the same character on five different Star Trek series.

Sirtis credits both the Star Trek television and movie series for bringing her a following of fans that can never be rivaled. Several costumes worn by Sirtis on Star Trek were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including her evening dress from the episode " Man Of The People " [1] and her flashback costume from the episode " Violations ". [2]

• 1 Personal life
• 2.1 Early film and television career
• 2.2 TNG and the 1990s
• 2.3.1 Television
• 2.3.3 Video Games
• 3.1 Appearances as Deanna Troi
• 4 Star Trek interviews
• 5 External links

Personal life [ ]

Sirtis was born in the London Borough of Hackney to Greek parents, who initially did not want her to pursue a career in acting. She trained at the Royal Shakespeare Company, affiliated with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, to which she had to apply in secret so her parents would not find out. Once she earned a name for herself in the theater, she went on to work on television productions. Having grown up in London, she is an enthusiastic fan of soccer (her brother plays the sport in Greece) and an ardent supporter of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. .

Her father died on 24 October 1981, exactly ten years before Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry passed away. In 1992, Sirtis married rock guitarist Michael Lamper . Her TNG castmates Brent Spiner and Michael Dorn were groomsmen at her wedding.

On December 7, 2019, Sirtis' husband died in his sleep. [3]

Early film and television career [ ]

In the late 1970s, Sirtis appeared in several British television series such as Hazell and Minder . In the 1980s, she worked with director David Carson in an episode of the British crime drama Call Me Mister and in an episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes . Carson later directed Sirtis in four episodes of The Next Generation and in Star Trek Generations . Also in the early 1980s, she appeared in a famous Cinzano Bianco commercial with TOS guest actress Joan Collins .

Sirtis also participated in several films, the first of which was the 1983 British drama The Wicked Lady with her second film being Space Riders. This was followed shortly thereafter with her first role in an American production, as an unfortunate prostitute in the 1984 thriller Blind Date , which starred Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan actress Kirstie Alley . She then appeared in 1985's Death Wish 3 , which also featured Ed Lauter .

Just prior to being cast on Star Trek: The Next Generation , Sirtis made a guest appearance on the American action drama Hunter . Her episode was directed by James Darren , who later played Vic Fontaine on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

TNG and the 1990s [ ]

Sirtis originally auditioned for the part of Macha Hernandez who was later renamed (and recast) in Natasha Yar . She read for this part at her first three auditions before Gene Roddenberry wanted her and Denise Crosby to switch their roles. (" TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "The Beginning" ) Sirtis started auditioning on 23 March 1987 and was cast on 6 May 1987 on the day when she packed to leave the States. In an interview she noted that the pilot episode " Encounter at Farpoint " was the only time in the first season she wore her own hair. ( TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis"-"Casting" )

During TNG's first three years, Sirtis did not act in any other film or television production. In 1990, during a break between the TNG's third and fourth seasons , Sirtis starred in the British movie One Last Chance for director Gabrielle Beaumont . The following year, she co-starred with Zach Galligan and Jim Metzler in the horror-comedy film Waxwork II: Lost in Time .

After TNG wrapped in 1994, Sirtis began voicing the major character of Demona in the animated series Gargoyles . Her TNG co-star Jonathan Frakes also joined her on that series as the voice of David Xanatos. Two other TNG castmates, Michael Dorn and Brent Spiner , had recurring voice-over roles on the show, while LeVar Burton and Colm Meaney each voiced in one episode. Many other Star Trek alumni have lent their voices to this series, including Nichelle Nichols , Kate Mulgrew , Avery Brooks , Paul Winfield , Matt Frewer , Clancy Brown , Salli Elise Richardson , and David Warner . Gargoyles aired from 1994 through 1996, after which Sirtis and Frakes continued their roles in the subsequent series, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles , from 1996 through 1997. They also voiced the characters in various direct-to-video Gargoyles movies released through 1998.

In 1994, Sirtis made a guest appearance on the short-lived series Heaven Help Us , which starred Ricardo Montalban . In 1997, Sirtis, Leonard Nimoy , and James Doohan all had guest voice-over roles in the "Where No Duckman Has Gone Before" episode of Duckman , which starred the voice of Jason Alexander in the title role. Sirtis then guest-starred on Diagnosis Murder (in an episode written by David Bennett Carren and J. Larry Carroll ) before continuing her connection with science fiction with appearances on The Outer Limits (with Roger R. Cross ) and Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict .

2000 – present [ ]

Marina Sirtis on the set of Star Trek Nemesis

Television [ ]

In 2000, Sirtis appeared on the Sci-Fi Channel 's Stargate SG-1 . In 2003, she guest-starred on the drama series The Closer , on which Raymond Cruz is a regular cast member. In 2006, Sirtis had a recurring role on the UPN series Girlfriends , which starred Star Trek: Enterprise guest actress Golden Brooks . That same year, Sirtis was seen on the CBS series Without a Trace , playing the mother of a missing high school basketball star. Former Enterprise star Connor Trinneer played the basketball coach in the same episode, but he shared no scenes with Sirtis. Enterprise guest star Enrique Murciano was a main cast member on Without a Trace .

Sirtis and Star Trek actor Ben Cross both had supporting roles in the Sci-Fi Channel original movie Grendel , which aired in 2007. Shortly thereafter, Sirtis and her TNG castmates ( Patrick Stewart , Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden , Wil Wheaton , and Denise Crosby ) all voiced themselves in the "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" episode of Seth MacFarlane 's hit animated show, Family Guy . Sirtis previously voiced Counselor Troi for another Family Guy episode ("Peter's Got Woods"), but her segment was cut and replaced by a different TNG segment. Sirtis was also heard in an episode of MacFarlane's The Cleveland Show later in 2009.

Also in 2009, Sirtis guest-starred on the short-lived CBS series Three Rivers , working with Alfre Woodard and Spencer Garrett . She has most recently been seen in the ABC Family series Make It or Break It , along with Brett Cullen .

She guest starred on a 2011 episode of Grey's Anatomy .

Between 2013 and 2016, Sirtis appeared on three episodes of NCIS as Mossad Director Orli Elbaz (whose predecessor, Eli David, was portrayed by Michael Nouri ); other Trek actors who appeared with Sirtis included Alan Dale and Leslie Hope .

In 2019, she appeared as a schoolteacher in the episode "Sanctuary" from The Orville .

Sirtis and TNG co-star Michael Dorn worked together in the independent films Lesser of Three Evils (2005, along with Brian Thompson ) and The Deep Below (2007), as well as the unsold sitcom pilot Through the Fire , which Dorn wrote and directed. Sirtis also appeared in such independent films as Terminal Error (2002, with Michael Nouri ), Net Games (2003, with Ed Begley, Jr. ), and Spectres (2004), the latter of which co-starred Enterprise actress Linda Park as well as Tucker Smallwood .

In addition, Sirtis was part of the ensemble cast of the acclaimed drama, Crash , which won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Picture. Fellow Voyager and Enterprise guest star Daniel Dae Kim ( Gotana-Retz , Corporal Chang ) also appeared in this film. The film has since been adapted as a television series on Starz, with a cast that includes Sirtis' Spectres and Enterprise co-star, Linda Park .

Sirtis starred in a science fiction film written and executive produced by and co-starring TOS star Walter Koenig entitled InAlienable , released in 2008. Among the other performers in the film are fellow Star Trek alumni Erick Avari , Gary Graham , Richard Herd , J.G. Hertzler , Andrew Koenig , Judy Levitt , Lisa LoCicero , Courtney Peldon , Alan Ruck , and Patricia Tallman . It is interesting to note that when originally announced in 2003, this film (then known as Illegal Alien ) was set to star Sirtis' TNG co-star John de Lancie and Voyager 's Robert Picardo . [4] (X)

Her more recent film credits have included the direct-to-video sequels Green Street Hooligans 2: Stand Your Ground and The Grudge 3 . She also co-starred with John Rhys-Davies in the British film 31 North 62 East and appeared with Jack Kehler in the independent drama Otis E. She is currently set to reunite with John Rhys-Davies in an independent action thriller called Shadows from the Sky .

Video Games [ ]

In 2007, Sirtis voiced the character of Matriarch Benezia in the hit video game Mass Effect . Armin Shimerman , Raphael Sbarge , and Dwight Schultz also had voice-over roles in this game.

The voice cast of 2017's XCOM 2: War of the Chosen features Sirtis along with Michael Dorn , Jonathan Frakes , Denise Crosby , Dwight Schultz , and John de Lancie .

Star Trek appearances [ ]

Appearances as Deanna Troi [ ]

• " 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 "
• " 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 "

Star Trek interviews [ ]

• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "The Beginning"
• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis" ("Casting", "Character Notes", "Camaraderie")
• TNG Season 2 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Two" (" Ten Forward "), interviewed on 20 September 1988
• TNG Season 2 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis Year Two", interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Three" (" The Offspring "), interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis Year Three" ("Crew Profile: Riker and Troi "), interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Memorable Missions" (" Who Watches The Watchers "), interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 4 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Four", interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 4 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis" ("Crew Profile: Counselor Troi ", "Profile: Vash "), interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 5 DVD special feature "Memorable Missions Year Five" (" The Game ", " Power Play "), interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 5 DVD special feature "A Tribute to Gene Roddenberry " ("Gene Roddenberry Building Dedicated to Star Trek's Creator", "Gene's Final Voyage"), interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Bold New Directions Year Six", interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Six" ("Acting with Spiner "), interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Seven" ("The Final Episode"), interviewed on 30 March 1994
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Seven" ("Creating Stronger Women"), interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Starfleet Moments & Memories Year Seven", interviewed on 23 August 1991
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "The Making of "All Good Things..." Year Seven" ("Familiar Faces"), interviewed on 30 March 1994
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Special Profiles Year Seven" (" Lwaxana Troi "), interviewed on 1 November 2001
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Dressing The Future Year Seven" ("The Process"), interviewed on 20 March 1994
• "Marina Sirtis – Counselor Deanna Troi", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 1 , p. 24, interviewed by Marc Shapiro
• "Marina Sirtis – Counselor Deanna Troi", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 3 , pp. 50-54, interviewed by Edward Gross
• "Counselor's Profile: Rob Bowman ", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 7 , p. 5, interviewed by David McDonnell
• "The Stars, Mon Amour", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 11 , p. 14
• "Marina Sirtis – Counselor Deanna Troi", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 12 , pp. 13-16, interviewed by Christina Mavroudis
• "Marina Sirtis – Counselor Deanna Troi", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 17 , pp. 49-50, interviewed by Kamy Cunningham
• All Good Things Blu-ray special feature The Unknown Possibilities of Existence: Making "All Good Things" ( 2014 )

External links [ ]

• Marina Sirtis at Wikipedia
• MarinaSirtis.tv – official site
• Marina Sirtis at the Internet Movie Database
• Marina Sirtis at X (formerly Twitter)
• Marina Sirtis at TriviaTribute.com
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Calypso (episode)

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Star Trek: Picard finally gave Deanna Troi the love she's always deserved

Credit: CBS

There have been plenty of good Star Trek episodes focused on Deanna Troi ( Marina Sirtis ) over the years. The good counselor of the USS Enterprise-D on Star Trek: The Next Generation was always there to help her fellow crewmates or sense that something was afoot, and every now and then an episode would give her the spotlight — “Face of the Enemy” in Season 6 comes to mind as being an excellent one.

Even so, Troi never quite got the showcase she deserved until Star Trek: Picard , which gave her the best episode she's ever had.

You get the feeling every now and then that TNG never really figured out what to do with the character. As far as Season 1 is concerned, there are long stretches where she doesn’t appear at all. Other episodes feature great work from Marina Sirtis but aren’t necessarily favorites (“The Child” in Season 2). Most of our favorite Troi moments come when she’s a supporting character in other stories focused on others — Riker (constantly), Worf (especially in “Ethics”), Barclay (in almost every episode he’s in), etc. Then there are the movies.

The TNG films almost forget that she exists. She takes the helm briefly in Star Trek: Generations , has a hilarious scene of being drunk in Star Trek: First Contact , rekindles with Riker in Star Trek: Insurrection , and then deals with some Shinzon mind invasion in Star Trek: Nemesis . She is never given anything in these movies that would count as an actual subplot, though — that honor goes to Data in every single film.

She’s always there to help and support others in all of her appearances. When she has a crisis of her own, she deals with it, but these episodes are few and far between, and even then, they aren’t necessarily all-time favorites. We always loved Deanna, but it’s our opinion that she never received the proper showcase with which to really shine.

That changed with Star Trek: Picard in the episode “Nepenthe.” It features Deanna Troi at her very best, with Marina Sirtis at the height of her powers.

A great deal of this episode features Troi serving in her vocation — being a counselor. She gives much-needed advice to Picard (as well as some necessary tough love), and she also gives warm counsel to Soji, who at this point in the season is utterly lost. We see her here as a wife and as a parent, and she hasn’t lost a single counseling step.

That's on the surface, though. She is undergoing immense grief of her own, as her first child with her Imzadi died years before. That’s why they are on this planet, and that’s why they’ve stayed. She is processing immense heartache and guilt, and she doesn’t really know how to move past it.

Other characters in crisis can rely on the wise words of Deanna Troi to get them through the tough times, but where does Troi herself go? What happens when the counselor needs a counselor?

She’s had dramatic moments of crisis before. She lost her telepathy in “The Loss,” had and lost a space-child in the aforementioned “The Child,” and so on — but this is a situation with a depth that we’ve never seen her go through before. Not really. We suppose if Guinan (or Beverly Crusher) were around she’d have somewhere to turn, but they aren’t. She has to remain a rock for her family, and for the two runaways that just showed up on her doorstep. No cracks are allowed in her professional veneer.

The most incredible moment of the episode comes when a crack shows itself anyway. She breaks down just a little in front of Jean-Luc, lets it get personal for just a moment, and admits that she’s not as strong as she used to be. Picard tells her that’s because she’s gained wisdom, and he’s not wrong. Wisdom comes through experience, and they’ve all gotten a ship full of that in the years since Data first sang "Blue Skies."

It wasn’t until she said that line to Picard that we realized what strength this character has always had. When not in the midst of a wacky (yet enjoyable, always) sci-fi episodic convention, Troi was always strong and dependable for everyone. She was also warm and trusting. You could rely on her when you could rely on no one else.

When she first appeared on Picard , though, we realized that we’d always taken that warm, reliable trust for granted. She enters toward the middle of the season, and everything is awful. Nobody trusts anyone, everyone is suffering, and it feels like the galaxy is burning. Everyone is turning Picard away like he’s a 50-foot Gorn made of randy trash.

Deanna appears with a warm embrace, says she’ll help however she can, and suddenly we're all OK. Picard is OK, Soji is OK, and we the viewers are OK. Our rock of trust is here. We never fully appreciated her before, but damn did we need her in that moment.

“Nepenthe” continues to be an ensemble affair, with Picard, Riker, and the crew of the La Sirena all getting in their necessary moments. It’s Deanna’s episode, though. We needed her counsel, and we also needed someone to actually take the time to ask if she herself is okay. She’s not okay, but she will be.

This was no “oh no, Mother’s coming on board and I have another random love interest” episode for her. It was no funny toss-off line about breasts firming up, or whatever that was. Without even being the focus of the episode, Deanna Troi proved once and for all that she’s capable of so much more than that, and Sirtis plays notes that she'd never gotten the chance to play before: strong, yet vulnerable; professional, yet personal; stern, yet loving. That's Deanna Troi, and it always has been. It's just never been as clearly depicted.

She proves here to be the embodiment of all the messages of Trek , though, like everyone else on this show, she's still "working on it." She's not perfect, but she has no ego to maintain. She also showcases another superpower, one that’s constantly overlooked in our society. It’s not just because her Betazoid telepathy makes her a natural at it, either.

In the episode, she proves what the power of empathy can do, especially when talking with Soji. A newly activated synth who was just told her entire life is a lie by a lying, abusive Romulan boyfriend? It would challenge any psychiatrist, but Troi is on it. She can't use her telepathic insights with Soji, no more than she could with Data. She doesn't need to, though. She's a natural at it with or without the gifts of her species. Even when Deanna is breaking apart on the inside, her empathy and compassion for others never waivers.

She’s a character that we all could learn a lot from, especially right now... some of us just hadn’t noticed. Star Trek: Picard made us take notice at last.

• Star Trek: Picard

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Deanna Troi

• View history
• 1.1 Early life
• 1.2 Young adulthood and early career
• 1.3 The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)
• 1.4 The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)
• 1.5 Later life
• 2 25th century
• 3 Personal information
• 4 Starfleet service record
• 5.1 Connections
• 5.2 Appearances
• 5.3 External links

Biography [ ]

Early life [ ].

Deanna Troi, the second daughter of Lwaxana and Starfleet officer, Ian Andrew Troi , was born on March 29th 2336 , on the planet Betazed near Lake El-Nar . ( TNG episode : " Conundrum ", ST website : StarTrek.com )

A few months after Deanna's birth, her elder sister Kestra drowned in Lake El'nar chasing the family dog. ( TNG episode : " Dark Page ")

One of Deanna's favorite pastimes growing up was having her father, Ian, read stories to her about Earth 's ancient west era and singing songs of the era. Deanna's favorite books were in the Cowboy Ralph series, written by an author named Ernest Pratt and her favorite song was Down in the Valley . Ian's nickname for Deanna was 'Durango'. The last time Deanna spoke to her father, he promised to return home with a surprise. Sadly, Ian Troi was killed in the line of duty before returning home when she was seven years of age. ( TLE novel : The Art of the Impossible , ST website : StarTrek.com )

Troi also always longed to join a circus, but these were obsolete on Earth and had never existed on Betazed . ( TNG comic : " The Rich and the Dead! ")

Because Deanna was half-human, she could never be a full telepath, which she finally accepted at the age of 12 in 2348 , which caused her to experience feelings of isolation and inadequacy when compared to other Betazoids. ( TNG novel : Guises of the Mind ) She has "limited telepathic power" in that she could read emotions "and thought patterns of other sentient lifeforms" but with no reading of actual thoughts. ( TNG video game : The Transinium Challenge )

Young adulthood and early career [ ]

Deanna first met William T. Riker in the year 2354 at the wedding of her friend, Chandra Xerx , when Riker was temporarily assigned to Betazed. Riker actively pursued Deanna, and while the attraction was mutual, Deanna wished for Riker to mature emotionally before getting involved with him. Riker and Troi gave into their mutual passion in the Jalara Jungle after Riker rescued Deanna from a group of Sindareen raiders. At this point, Riker became Deanna's imzadi , or the first to touch her mind, soul, and body. The relationship was short-lived, as Riker tended to focus on his career and still had a roving eye for the ladies, combined with Deanna's overbearing mother. The two parted amicably, without saying "Good-Bye". ( TNG novel : Imzadi )

Deanna entered Starfleet Academy in 2355 . ( TNG episode : " Conundrum ")

Troi majored in psychology at the University of Betazed . ( TNG video game : Echoes from the Past ) and ( TNG novel : Imzadi )

In 2358 , Deanna began a four-month advanced behavioral psychology internship at Darona 's prison facility for the criminally insane. During her time at the prison, Deanna studied Hent Tevren , a Betazoid psychopath who had the ability to kill telepathically. ( TNG novel : The Battle of Betazed )

In 2359 , Troi graduated from the Academy. Later that year, she served with a senior officer named Masc . ( TNG episode : " Conundrum "; ST - Tales of the Dominion War short story : " The Ceremony of Innocence is Drowned ")

In 2361 , Deanna Troi met Will Riker at the Janaran Falls on Betazed. The two arranged to meet on Risa, six weeks later, but Riker failed to arrive. The two did not see one another until they were both posted aboard the USS Enterprise -D in 2364 . ( TNG episode : " Second Chances ")

In 2363 , Admiral J.P. Hanson assigned Troi to the staff of Captain Jean-Luc Picard , ostensibly as a first contact specialist. Her actual role, however, was to judge the captain's mental state. Deanna immediately told the captain the truth, as she felt it would be unethical to do otherwise. She remained on his staff as both contact specialist and counselor, and aided him in dealing with his emotions concerning the Manraloth .

In late 2363, Troi was promoted to lieutenant commander . While on Vulcan during a lay over on her way to Earth for the launch of the Enterprise -D, she counseled Picard (who was on Starbase 52 ) when he discovered that Beverly Crusher had been assigned as Enterprise chief medical officer . Picard later surprised her when he told her he'd found his new first officer, William Riker. ( TNG novel : The Buried Age )

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) [ ]

Deanna as the Enterprise -D's Counselor in 2367 .

Lieutenant Commander Troi was assigned to the Enterprise -D as chief counselor in 2364 . On the starship's first mission to Deneb IV , she was vital to Captain Picard in discovering the truth about Q and the Star-jellies captured by the Bandi . ( TNG episode & novelization : Encounter at Farpoint )

In 2365 , Troi had the short-lived responsibility of mother to the alien lifeform Ian Andrew Troi II . ( TNG episode : " The Child ")

Following Picard's assimilation by the Borg into Locutus , Troi counselled him on his traumatic experience. ( TNG episode : " Family ", DS9 novelization : Emissary )

In 2367 , the Enterprise was assigned to transport Luss and Coridanite ambassadors to Sindar . During the mission, Deanna was poisoned by Raxatocin , administered by a Chameloid from the year 2408 . However, Deanna's life was saved by the intervention of Admiral William Riker, also from 2408, who had traveled to the past to prevent Deanna's murder. ( TNG novel : Imzadi )

Deanna and Dr. Crusher were then sent to help with a Zelaznan fever outbreak on the Beta Hydros Four colony. After they returned to the Enterprise , they learned that Commander Riker and his team aboard the shuttle Albert Einstein disappeared. Deanna, however, kept her hope that the ever-resourceful Riker would find a way back to them. ( TNG comic : " The Flight of the Albert Einstein ")

She was hesitant at first to agree with Captain Picard to return to other duties. She also agreed to help with the memorial service to them. At the memorial service, she gave a eulogy about Lt. Worf . ( TNG comic : " Mourning Star ")

When the Enterprise was sent help in the evacuation of Lanatos , Deana sensed that the Lanatosians were hiding something. Thus, Captain Picard sent her down there, using her Lieutenant Commander rank, to find out what they were hiding.

Deanna making first contact with the Skriiti.

As she investigated, she sensed something calling out to her. She discovered a cave and inside was a herd of telepathic Skriiti . Unfortunately, the Lanatosians tried to keep her quiet by sealing her inside the cave. ( TNG comic : " Trapped ")

She was eventually rescued by Lieutenant Commander Data . She along with the captain and Data, were able to convince the Lanatosians to allow the Skriiti to be taken with them. ( TNG comic : " The Barrier ")

After Lanatos was destroyed, Deanna and one of the Skriiti talked about her sadness about Riker and the others. When the Enterprise arrived somewhere near the Klingon border, in response to a message from the IKS Ars'Lek about a ship, she sensed that ship was filled with klingons, Romulans , humans, Benzites , and Betazoids . Riker, his team from the Einstein , and the many aliens from the ship were rescued. ( TNG comic : " Homecoming ")

In 2370 , the Enterprise -D rendezvoused with the shuttlecraft Goddard , carrying retired Captain Montgomery Scott . Scott utilized the old logs of the original USS Enterprise and recreated the gravity slingshot that propelled the Bounty 2 back through time, with the Enterprise following. In this alternate universe , the Borg had assimilated Earth before they could develop warp drive, and were systematically assimilating the Alpha Quadrant . In addition, the Borg Queen had utilized several local species as unknowing technological farms; one such world was Narisias . One Narisian served on a ship the Enterprise encountered, the Wisdom , and Troi helped determine who she was by sensing a second presence in her mind controlling the body, so that the officer could not derail their plans. ( Star Trek novel : Engines of Destiny )

Also in that year, Deanna began a romantic relationship with Lieutenant Worf . ( TNG episode : " Parallels ")

After attending an Academy class reunion in 2370, Deanna returned to the Enterprise and applied to take the bridge officer's test. After working hard and taking advice from Commander Riker, Troi passed the test and was promoted to full Commander . ( TNG episode : " Thine Own Self ")

Later that year in a surprise attack on the Enterprise Deanna received substantial injuries, cranial trauma and massive internal hemorrhaging , she only survived thanks to Worf's instinct to check on her, defying orders to report to the bridge immediately. Despite Worf's efforts, she still almost died twice in sickbay. The aggressor later attacked again, however because Deanna had survived she could sense the ship had no crew which allowed the Enterprise crew to devise a way to block it's remote controlling communications and destroy the ship. Later when Troi had returned to her quarters Worf walked in on her and Riker engaged in a pillow fight, dropping the flowers he had bought her in shock. The two were just playing as friends though and as Riker departed to go on a date he reminded them the reason he had come round in the first place was to deliver Deanna's favorite dessert per Worf's suggestion. ( TNG comic : " Strategy ")

Following the destruction of the Enterprise -D in mid- 2371 , Worf proposed to Deanna and she accepted. After the couple met Lwaxana Troi on Betazed, Deanna and Worf's son, Alexander Rozhenko , were kidnapped by Sela and Thomas Riker . Deanna and Alexander were used as leverage to force Riker to assassinate Klingon Chancellor Gowron . Troi and Alexander were later rescued by Commander Elizabeth Shelby of the USS Excalibur . Following the rescue, Deanna and Worf called off their engagement, realizing that they were too different, and that Troi still had feelings for Will Riker. ( TNG novel : Triangle: Imzadi II )

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) [ ]

Nearly at the end of the USS Enterprise -E 's first year of service, the Borg returned and launched an attack on Earth. Although their main cube was destroyed, a Borg sphere traveled back in time to 2063 and conquered the planet there. The crew followed them back to this time and, while Picard and the majority of the crew fought the Collective in orbit, Troi accompanied an away team to the planet.

There, she played an integral role in convincing Zefram Cochrane to fulfill his destiny and achieve first contact before returning to 2373 . She also got drunk with him. On stardate 50900, Captain Picard posted a log entry commending Troi for her work in convincing Cochrane in continuing with his warp flight. ( TNG movie : First Contact , ST website : StarTrek.com )

In 2374 , Deanna went with the Enterprise to help convince the Gorn Hegemony to join them in their fight against the Dominion. She accompanied Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher as the ruling government was undergoing a coup backed by the Black Crest . Deanna was then taken hostage by warlord Slessshh and his soldiers. After Data defeated Slessshh, she found the last of the eggs of the political caste. ( TNG comic : " The Gorn Crisis ")

Later that year, at the height of the Dominion War , Betazed was invaded by the Jem'Hadar . In early 2375 , Deanna was part of a commando mission to free the planet. During the course of that mission, she was forced to gain the knowledge of how to use telepathic powers to kill, among other manipulative powers. Using one's powers in these ways is considered very evil by the peaceful Betazoid people. She imparted the knowledge of how to overwhelm others with emotions to her people, but kept the rest to herself. Only being a half-Betazoid, she is not a strong enough telepath to use these powers, but is the only living carrier of the knowledge of how to kill with one's mind. ( TNG novel : The Battle of Betazed )

Later that same year, the Enterprise diverted to the planet Ba'ku after Data disrupted a Starfleet operation there. After the android was neutralized as a threat, Troi and Picard led an away team to the planet with Dr. Crusher . There, Troi gave valuable insights on the peaceful, simple Ba'ku society. Shortly afterwards, Picard chose to defy the orders of Admiral Dougherty - a collaborator with the tyrannical Son'a - in order to save the Ba'ku, and Troi was among the staff that agreed to help him.

While Riker and La Forge fended off the Son'a in space, a team consisting of Picard, Data, Worf, Troi, and Crusher engaged their troops on the surface. The crisis was cut short when Riker destroyed the Son'a ship in the Briar Patch and Dougherty, along with Son'a leader Ru'afo , was killed in a conflict with Picard. With the threat vanquished Troi and Dr. Crusher helped the Ba'ku to return to normal.

It was during this assignment that Troi and Riker rekindled their romance. ( TNG movie : Insurrection )

Other missions that Troi participated in during this year included a rendezvous with the Palami, a temporal encounter with the creator of the transporter ( TNG comic : " Forgiveness "), and the rescue of Gemworld . ( TNG novel : Gemworld )

In early 2378 , Troi was serving on the Enterprise when the USS Voyager returned from the Delta Quadrant . Troi was sent to Voyager to speak to the crew as they had been through severe trauma and had not had a counselor on the ship. She worked overtime and was told by Captain Picard to treat the situation as a "catastrophic-level" duty assignment. ( VOY novel : Homecoming )

In 2379, Troi married William Riker on Earth, surrounded by her friends. She prepared to leave Captain Picard and her crewmates on the USS Enterprise -E behind, as she had chosen to accompany her husband onto the USS Titan . However, this did not occur quite as planned; the newly-married couple became embroiled in Picard's latest mission to Romulus, where the recently-appointed Praetor Shinzon had extended a hand of peace towards the Federation.

Troi was a member of the away team (comprised of Picard, Riker, Data , and Worf ) that opened negotiations, but they quickly took a sinister turn. Shinzon was revealed to be a biological clone of Picard and, with the help of the Reman Viceroy , telepathically assaulted Troi. When the crew realised that Shinzon was planning to use a thalaron radiation weapon to destroy Earth, they engaged his vastly powerful flagship - the Scimitar - in battle. The Enterprise was crippled and many were killed. She was on the bridge when the Scimitar managed to breach it. Deanna was nearly blown out of her chair and sucked into space, but she managed to grip her console in time, and hung on until the force field came up.

Troi manned the helm during this crisis, and executed Picard's order to ram the ship into Shinzon's vessel. It was with Data's sacrifice, though, that Shinzon was defeated and the Scimitar destroyed. After mourning the loss of her friend, Troi finally left the Enterprise and began a fresh chapter of her life aboard Titan . ( TNG movie : Nemesis )

Later life [ ]

In 2381 , she and Riker had their first child, named Thaddeus "Thad" Troi-Riker . Troi and Riker also had a daughter, Kestra Troi-Riker named after her late sister. She and her family eventually settled on Nepenthe hoping mitigate Thad's Mendaxic neurosclerosis after Federation banned synthetic lifeforms follow the Attack on Mars . ( PIC episodes : " Nepenthe ", " Maps and Legends ")

25th century [ ]

At some point in the 25th century , Deanna was a captain and supervised a team creating a new holoprogram. She also had three grandchildren. ( STO novel : The Needs of the Many )

Personal information [ ]

Deanna loved chocolate in various forms, including Ktarian chocolate puffs and chocolate ice cream. ( TNG episode : " Liaisons "; VOY episode : " Life Line ")

Starfleet service record [ ]

Appendices [ ], connections [ ], appearances [ ], external links [ ].

• Deanna Troi article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Deanna Troi article at the Star Trek Timelines Wiki .
• Deanna Troi article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
• StarTrek.com: Troi, Deanna
• 1 Cetacean Probe
• 2 Eclipse class
• 3 Resurgence

Counselor Troi's 10 Best Star Trek: TNG Episode, Ranked

• Marina Sirtis shined as Counselor Troi in TNG, often using her empathic abilities to save the day.
• Troi's relationships with Riker and her mother were key storylines, showcasing her evolution as a character.
• Troi's standout episodes like "Face of the Enemy" and "The Loss" underscored her growth and impact on the series.

Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) was the glue that held the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew together, and she had many memorable moments throughout the series. Half-Betazoid and half-human, Troi could sense the emotions of those around her. Not only did this prove useful for her job as ship's counselor on the USS Enterprise-D, but it also helped her uncover duplicitous aliens. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) frequently relied on Troi both for her empathic abilities and her advice regarding alien cultures. The writers for TNG did not always know what to do with Troi as a character, but Marina Sirtis always brought her all to the role.

Counselor Troi had a few running storylines throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation , including her relationship with Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), which went on to become one of Star Trek's best romances. Troi's relationship with her mother, Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) , also progressed over the course of the series, as the two learned to reconcile their very different personalities. After the end of TNG , Troi went on to appear in the subsequent films, as well as three episodes of Star Trek: Voyager and one of Star Trek: Enterprise. Troi returned in Star Trek: Picard , and helped save the galaxy from the Borg in Picard season 3. Here are Counselor Deanna Troi's best Star Trek: The Next Generation episode s.

Star Trek: TNGs Marina Sirtis & Counselor Troi Explained

With her empathic abilities and profound sense of compassion, Marina Sirtis' Counselor Troi became the heart of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

"Skin of Evil"

Star trek: the next generation season 1, episode 23.

Although not technically a Troi-centric Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "Skin of Evil" has some great moments for the Enterprise counselor that get overshadowed by the tragic death of Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) . When the Enterprise receives a distress signal from Troi's shuttle, they send an away team to investigate the planet where the shuttle crashed. On the planet, they find a malevolent tar-like lifeform called Armus.

Armus attacks and kills Lt. Yar as the Enterprise security officer tries to approach Troi's crashed shuttle. As the away team continues to try to get past Armus, Troi talks with the lifeform, using her abilities to read his emotions. In their conversation, Troi learns more about Armus, expertly manipulating his emotions, which eventually allows the Enterprise to beam her back to the ship.

Troi Is The Real Winner of Tasha Yar's Last Star Trek: TNG Episode

Lt.Tasha Yar died in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Skin of Evil," but it's an episode that also let Counselor Deanna Troi shine.

"Power Play"

Star trek: the next generation season 5, episode 15.

Troi may not be herself for most of "Power Play," but the Star Trek: The Generation season 5 episode gives Marina Sirtis the chance to play a different kind of character. When Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meany), and Counselor Troi are taken over by alien entities, they take command of the Enterprise-D. Troi takes on the leadership role, the entity possessing her claiming to be Captain Bryce Shumar of the USS Essex.

The entity in Troi later reveals that she and her friends are actually prisoners attempting to escape from a penal colony. Although they believe their plan to be succeeding, they are ultimately thwarted by Captain Picard and his crew. While "Power Play" does not do anything revolutionary in terms of its story, it is an exciting, action-oriented TNG episode that allows the actors to have fun.

"Thine Own Self"

Star trek: the next generation season 7, episode 16.

The main storyline of "Thine Own Self" focuses on Data, but the B-story centers on Troi's attempts to pass the Bridge Officer's Test. As Data works to regain his lost memories on the planet Barkon IV, Commander Riker administers Troi's exams. After passing most of the tests, Troi comes to the holodeck simulation portion of the exam, which she fails multiple times. Only after she figures out that she must order a crew member to their death to save the ship does she pass the exam.

Although Troi expresses doubt that she is cut out for command, Riker assures her that she made the right calls. During the simulation, Troi tried every possible solution to save the ship, before she realized that someone would have to die. From this episode on, Troi took on bridge command as part of her duty shifts and continued to wear a traditional Starfleet uniform .

Marina Siritis was reportedly thrilled when her character got to start wearing a standard Starfleet uniform.

"Loud as a Whisper"

Star trek: the next generation season 2, episode 5.

Star Trek: The Next Generation was still finding its footing in season 2, but there were some solid episodes that showed a marked improvement over TNG season 1 . "Loud as a Whisper" centers on deaf ambassador Riva (Howie Seago), who struggles to lead peace talks after his chorus of translators are killed. Riva forms an immediate connection with Counselor Troi, intrigued by her telepathic abilities and obvious beauty.

Deaf Star Trek TNG Guest Star Made Their Episode's Ending Better

Star Trek: The Next Generation guest star Howie Seago helped alter his character's story for the better in the season 2 episode "Loud as a Whisper."

After Riva loses his chorus, Troi encourages him to continue the negotiations, working with him to find other ways to communicate. Not only does Troi get to be a great counselor here, but she also gets a potential love interest who has no ulterior motives. Although it's never made clear whether Troi has any romantic interest in Riva, she seems to enjoy his company, and the two share some sweet moments throughout the episode.

"Night Terrors"

Star trek: the next generation season 4, episode 17.

When the USS Enterprise-D discovers the derelict USS Brattain, they find one lone survivor — a Betazoid science adviser named Andrus Hagan (John Vickery). Hagan remains in a catatonic state and Troi tries to communicate with him telepathically to no avail. From that night forward, Troi has trouble sleeping, experiencing nightmares in which she's floating in an abyss and hearing a strange voice.

Before long, the entire crew begins acting strangely, and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) determines that no one aside from Troi has been achieving REM sleep. As he does not require sleep, Data takes over command of the Enterprise , which has been rendered dead in space. Data and Troi try to determine the cause of these problems, eventually escaping their predicament with help from a psychic race trapped on the other side of a rift.

"Timescape"

Star trek: the next generation season 6, episode 25.

In this fun Star Trek: The Next Generation time travel episode , Captain Picard, Data, Troi, and Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) return from a conference to find the Starship Enterprise frozen in time, seemingly locked in a battle with a Romulan warbird. As Picard, Troi, and Data investigate the Enterprise, they find Starfleet and Romulan crew members scattered throughout the ship, all frozen in time.

Picard, Troi, and Data later learn that a creature from trans-dimensional space inadvertently caused a power surge on the Romulan ship. Data figures out a way to reverse time by a few seconds so that he, Troi, and Picard can prevent the impending disasters. While Troi is not the main focus of the episode, she remains a major player throughout and plays an invaluable role in saving the Enterprise and the Romulan crew.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 10

As the USS Enterprise-D investigates some odd sensor readings, Counselor Troi suddenly and inexplicably loses her empathic abilities. Troi feels a profound sense of loss and goes through the first few stages of grief, eventually deciding to step down from her role as counselor. The Enterprise has become trapped among a group of two-dimensional lifeforms, and Captain Picard suspects the ship's predicament is connected to Troi's loss.

Troi is able to use her knowledge of psychology to determine the motives of the creatures, which helps the Enterprise crew formulate a plan to escape. Once the Enterprise is free, Troi regains her powers along with a renewed sense of confidence in her own abilities as a counselor. Troi doesn't always come across well in "The Loss," lashing out after she loses her powers, but her reactions feel realistic and human.

Every Counselor Troi Love Interest In Star Trek: TNG

Deanna Troi's true love may always have been William Riker, but she had her fair share of romantic relationships before marrying Will.

"Dark Page"

Star trek: the next generation season 7, episode 7.

In one of the saddest Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes for the Trois, Deanna learns a dark and devastating secret about her past. When Lwaxana arrives on the Enterprise in "Dark Page," she is not her usual flamboyant self. Lwaxana has been tutoring a young alien girl named Hedril (Kirsten Dunst) , and Dr. Crusher determines that the telepathy necessary for her lessons has been taxing for Lwaxana.

When Lwaxana falls into a coma, Deanna enters her mind telepathically to figure out what's wrong. Deanna learns that she once had an older sister named Kestra (Andreana Weiner), who died in a tragic accident as a young girl. Lwaxana had repressed the memory long ago, but Hedril had reminded her of her lost daughter. The two Trois then share a moment of grief, as Deanna asks her mother to tell her about the sister she never knew she had.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5, Episode 5

When many of the USS Enterprise-D's systems suddenly stop functioning, Counselor Troi finds herself in command of the ship. As the other commanding officers are trapped in various areas of the ship, Troi must work with Chief O'Brien and Ensign Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) to determine the best course of action. Troi eventually decides not to separate the saucer section as Ro suggested and diverts power to engineering, which ends up saving the ship.

With Captain Picard trapped in a turbo lift with a group of children and Commander Riker, Data, and Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) in Ten Forward, Troi admirably rises to the occasion of being in command. Although initially worried about making the right choice, Troi gains confidence as the episode progresses, even pulling rank when Ro questions her decisions.

"Face of the Enemy"

Star trek: the next generation season 6, episode 14.

In her best Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, Deanna Troi goes undercover as Romulan intelligence officer Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar. A Romulan Sub-Commander named N'Vek (Scott MacDonald) reveals that he is part of Ambassador Spock's (Leonard Nimoy) underground movement , and that he is trying to create a way for Romulans to escape into Federation space.

Marina Sirtis knocks it out of the park here, as Troi is thrust into a complex situation with no preparation and must adapt quickly.

Troi's empathic abilities prove invaluable as she works to determine which Romulans are her allies and which are her enemies. Troi succeeds in helping three high-level Romulans defect to the Federation and the Enterprise beams her off of the Romulan ship just in time. Not only is "Face of the Enemy" an excellent vehicle for Marina Sirtis and her character, but it's also just a genuinely great episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Cast Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden

Release Date September 28, 1987

Showrunner Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman

Where To Watch Paramount+

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Star trek: tng’s “there are four lights” meaning & why it’s still quoted 32 years later.

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Captain Picard’s 10 Best Star Trek TNG Episodes, Ranked

Meemaw & dale's fate after young sheldon's ending was already hinted at in big bang theory, star trek: discovery’s “calypso” short trek & finale epilogue reveal explained.

• Captain Picard's defiance in TNG's "There are four lights" scene showcases his unwavering resolve against torture and manipulation.
• TNG's "Chain of Command" episodes bring out the complexities of leadership through the clashes between Picard and Captain Jellico.
• The emotional depth in Picard's confession post-rescue reveals vulnerability beneath his stoic facade.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) delivered several now-iconic quotes on Star Trek: The Next Generation , including "There are four lights!" , but what does this particular quote mean? While this quote makes little sense when taken out of context, it remains one of Jean-Luc Picard's most powerful moments, even 32 years after the TNG episode aired. As Captain of the USS Enterprise-D, Jean-Luc Picard was unflappable, remaining calm and level-headed while coming face to face with the unknown. Aside from the Borg, few enemies could rattle Picard, and he almost never let his fear show, especially in front of his crew.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episodes 10 and 11, "Chain of Command," Cardassians kidnap Captain Picard when he is on a covert mission. What follows is one of Star Trek's most brutal and difficult-to-watch sequences, as Cardassian Gul Madred (David Warner) tortures Picard for information about the United Federation of Planets. With incredible performances from Patrick Stewart and David Warner , Madred employs a range of tactics, including torture and gaslighting, to break down Picard, but the Enterprise Captain refuses to yield. To asset his power, Madred blinds Picard with four bright lights, ordering him to say that there are five lights, and then causing Picard pain when he insists: "There are four lights!"

Patrick Stewart and screenwriter Frank Abatemarco both consulted with Amnesty International to ensure the torture scenes were realistic and accurate.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard anchored every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but some episodes let him take more of a spotlight.

What Star Trek: TNG’s “There Are Four Lights” Means & Why It’s So Important For Picard

"tell me how many lights you see. how many how many lights this is your last chance.".

While on a covert mission to uncover and destroy a Cardassian biological weapon, Captain Picard, Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn), and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) inadvertently walk into a trap. After Picard's capture, Gul Madred works hard to break the Enterprise Captain's will, using various means of torture and brutal interrogation. Even while suffering intense pain, Picard refuses to say there are five lights when there are only four. As a final effort, Gul Madred tells Picard that the USS Enterprise-D has been destroyed in a battle with the Cardassians. Picard can either remain in captivity for the rest of his life or say there are five lights and live a comfortable life.

In the midst of the torture, Picard tells Madred: "In spite of all you've done to me, I find you a pitiable man."

Picard hesitates before guards enter and reveal that a ship is ready to take him back to the Enterprise. Before he leaves the room, Picard defiantly shouts "There are four lights!" Safely back on the USS Enterprise-D, in the final scene of the episode, Picard sits in his ready room with Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). In a heartbreaking moment, Picard admits that, if his rescuers had not arrived when they did: "I would have told him anything. Anything at all. But more than that, I believed that I could see five lights." Picard has never been so broken, but he kept his composure just long enough that Madred and the Cardassians never saw him break.

Star Trek: TNG’s “Chain Of Command” Also Introduced Captain Jellico

"forgive me for being blunt, but the enterprise is mine now.".

When Picard, Worf, and Dr. Crusher left on their undercover mission, Captain Edward Jellico (Ronny Cox) took over command of the USS Enterprise-D. Jellico then began negotiations with the Cardassians regarding the strategically important Federation planet Minos Korva. Jellico had experience dealing with the Cardassians, as he had previously helped establish an armistice between the Federation and the Cardassian Union. With his by-the-book command style and tendency to micro-manage, Jellico clashed with Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes).

Jellico has been mentioned several times since his appearance on TNG , and the character returned in Star Trek: Prodigy as an Admiral stationed at Starfleet Headquarters.

When the Cardassians inform the Enterprise that they have Picard, Jellico refuses to admit the Captain was on a Starfleet mission, which would have given him the rights of a prisoner of war. Riker protests strongly, questioning Jellico's orders, and the Captain relieves Number One of duty, assigning Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) as First Officer. Jellico later needs Riker's help to plant mines in the nebula where Cardassian ships are hiding. With the threat of the minefield, the Cardassians withdraw their fleet and release Picard. With its tense scenes and memorable characters, the "Chain of Command" two-parter remains one of Star Trek: The Next Generation and one of Captain Picard's best storylines.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

• Jean-Luc Picard

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Published Jun 13, 2015

Your Favorite Deanna Troi Moments Were...

Star Trek fans shared why they love the Enterprise-D's counselor!

StarTrek.com

It's time once again for our semi-regular Fan-Sourced feature, in which we ask StarTrek.com readers a question via our Facebook page and you share YOUR comments/replies with us!

On May 28, we asked, What's your favorite Deanna Troi moment? We received over 1,100 posted comments, and here's a smattering of what they had to say:

"Deanna showed depth of character and vulnerability in ' The Loss ' when she loses her power of telepathy when the Enterprise encounters two dimensional aliens." — Linda Marie Johnson

"When she is a cake." — Josh Truax

"Bubble bath with Riker." — Anita Mason

"When she kisses Will with the beard and goes 'Yuck!' The look on his face was priceless!" — Joni Holmes

"The fight between Doc Zimmerman and Troi on Voyager , when the EMH was transferred back to the Alpha Quadrant to rescue his kind of 'father.' These were some pretty funny moments including Deanna Troi." — Dave Lima

"When she was drunk in the movie First Contact . Hilarious!" — Yolanda Smith

"Season 7 Episode 16 ' Thine Own Self .' I loved the fact that she put on her uniform in Season 6 Episode 10 ' Chain of Command ,' but seeing her actually allowed to progress as a Starfleet officer was great. Frankly, I think this moment should have come at the beginning of the show." — Robert Ehrich Dietrich

"I think my best moment is in Nemesis .... I love the part when she helps 'find' the Scimitar . She says to her Shinzon's viceroy, 'Remember me!' I saw a new side of Troi; I never saw before. Don't mess with Deanna Troi." — Christopher Oliver

"Any moment she spends with her mother! It's hysterical." — Karen Cinq Mars

"Loved when she learned about her sister who died." — Mary O'Sullivan

"When she realizes in the Command Test Simulation she must order Geordi to repair a component to save the ship but that the order to do so means his death." — Todd Baggarly

"Any moment with Deanna is a good moment." — Matthias Schorer

"When she finds out the position of the Scimitar ." — Petar Jovandic

"I loved her wedding." — Dianna Bird

"Romulan Troi was pretty cool." — Joseph Ramelo

What Makes Deanna Troi so Special?

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews
• Episode aired Nov 28, 1987

While on a mission to a planet called Haven, Counselor Troi meets her husband to be, a marriage arranged by her father years before, as the Enterprise encounters a ship far deadlier than any... Read all While on a mission to a planet called Haven, Counselor Troi meets her husband to be, a marriage arranged by her father years before, as the Enterprise encounters a ship far deadlier than any combat could provide. While on a mission to a planet called Haven, Counselor Troi meets her husband to be, a marriage arranged by her father years before, as the Enterprise encounters a ship far deadlier than any combat could provide.

• Richard Compton
• Gene Roddenberry
• Tracy Tormé
• Lan O'Kun
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• LeVar Burton
• 19 User reviews
• 13 Critic reviews

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Natasha 'Tasha' Yar

• Lieutenant Worf
• (credit only)

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi

• Lieutenant Commander Data

• Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher

• Lwaxana Troi

• Wyatt Miller
• (as Rob Knepper)

• Victoria Miller

• Steven Miller

• Transporter Chief
• Gene Roddenberry (showrunner)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Second (albeit uncredited) Star Trek appearance of Armin Shimerman ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) 's Quark) as the face of the talking gift box.
• Goofs When Lwaxana Troi transports to the Enterprise, the transporter chief has his arms folded behind his back, but the transporter sound and actual transport happen without him touching anything. But as we all know, beaming IN does not always require the receiving operator to use his controls. They are controlled by the sending operator.

Counselor Troi : Stop this petty bickering, all of you! Especially you, Mother!

[runs out of the dining room]

Lt. Cmdr. Data : [polite tone] Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.

• Connections Referenced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Past Prologue (1993)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 19

• Oct 17, 2017
• November 28, 1987 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 46 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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