Everyone Forgets 1 Important Thing About Counselor Troi In Star Trek Generations’ Controversial Enterprise Destruction

When talking about Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) in Star Trek Generations, everyone seems to forget what Troi already went through in Star Trek: The Next Generation. In an era when mental health matters still carried a huge social stigma, making one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's main characters a counselor was revolutionary. At the same time, TNG didn't seem to know what to do with Deanna Troi when it came to episodes that featured her as the primary character, and frequently cast Deanna as a romantic interest or a passive actor in her own stories.

In Star Trek Generations, Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) orders Deanna Troi to take the helm after the USS Enterprise-D is attacked. An imminent warp core breach forces the Enterprise to perform a saucer separation, but the shock wave from the breach knocks the Enterprise's saucer out of orbit. With Troi at the helm, an emergency landing on Veridian III destroys the Enterprise-D's saucer. Skeptics blame Troi for crashing the Enterprise, claiming that the starship wouldn't have suffered such a fate if the conn weren't entrusted to the ship's counselor, but those naysayers are forgetting something crucial.

Counselor Deanna Troi Became A Starfleet Commander In Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 7

"Counselor" Was Troi's Title, Not Her Rank

Counselor Deanna Troi earned the rank of Starfleet Commander in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 16, "Thine Own Self". Two years earlier, in TNG season 5, episode 5, "Disaster", Troi's rank of Lieutenant Commander made her the highest-ranked person on the bridge. While temporarily in command of the USS Enterprise-D, Troi had been uncertain of her command abilities, and relied on lower-ranked officers to guide her. Knowing it could happen again, Troi asked to take the Bridge Officer's Exam. Riker administered the exam, which Troi passed by learning to prioritize the ship over the crew.

The fact that Counselor Troi held the rank of Lieutenant Commander for most of Star Trek: The Next Generation's run wasn't always obvious, because Deanna preferred wearing civilian clothing on duty. After Captain Edward Jellico (Ronny Cox) made Troi wear a uniform in TNG season 6's two-parter "Chain of Command", Lieutenant Commander Troi's rank was clearly displayed on her collar. Wearing a Starfleet uniform signaled a shift in how Troi was written, as more episodes emphasized Counselor Troi's skill as a Starfleet officer. After her promotion to Commander, Troi—and her peers—became more confident in her leadership skills.

Commander Deanna Troi Was Qualified During Star Trek Generations’ Controversial USS Enterprise-D Crash Landing

Troi Is Not To Blame For The Starship Enterprise's Destruction

Commander Deanna Troi was a qualified Starfleet officer in Star Trek Generations, and Commander Riker knew it, which is why he ordered Troi to take the conn. When the USS Enterprise-D was knocked out of Veridian III's orbit, the starship was past the point of being saved. There were no catastrophic personnel casualties in Star Trek Generations' Enterprise crash, precisely because Deanna Troi knew what she was doing. Troi's additional Command Track training allowed her to maintain composure and make quick judgment calls during an emergency, so Troi could pilot the Enterprise-D crash-landing on Veridian III safely.

Believing that Troi couldn't pilot the Enterprise-D because she was the ship's counselor is reductive, and fails to account for the Star Trek ethos of people being multifaceted individuals. Riker was only initially skeptical of Troi taking the Bridge Officer's Exam because it wasn't a requirement for Troi to perform her counseling duties. Instead, Deanna Troi saw where her weaknesses were, and sought to improve herself by taking the opportunity to further her education. Because Troi advocated for herself in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the USS Enterprise-D crew could walk away from the Star Trek Generations crash relatively unscathed.