While Star Trek has a history of turning even the most difficult characters into fan favorites, the franchise certainly had its work cut out with one particularly complicated Starfleet officer. Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) as the first Bajoran in a recurring role. She immediately hit it off with Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) – which is to say he didn’t like her, and she liked him even less. By the time she made her debut appearance in season 5, episode 3, “Ro Laren,” Ensign Ro already had a reputation for causing trouble.
Her path to promotion was diverted with a court-martial after her refusal to follow an order led to the deaths of eight Starfleet officers. Riker’s insistence on having Ro remove her traditional Bajoran earring was a bit much, especially considering its cultural significance. But he wasn’t alone in his initial distrust of the new crew member, and it took a few episodes before she could change their minds. Unfortunately, the good faith Ro earned was constantly at odds with her stubborn will and hidden agendas. But she was beloved by fans despite her flaws, and it gave her character a chance to soar beyond its boundaries.
Ro Laren’s Childhood
Like many major Star Trek characters, Ro had a troubled childhood. She and her parents, Ro Talia and Ro Gale, were among many Bajoran families displaced into refugee camps by the Cardassian Occupation. In one of the most powerful scenes of The Next Generation, Ro describes being a young child and watching her father murdered by the same Cardassian officer who, only moments prior, had lured her into the room with candy. Ro bounced from place to place until she finally ran away.
How she ended up in Starfleet is anyone’s guess, though it may have been an attempt to distance herself from her Bajoran roots and the trauma therein. In fact, much of her story can be seen as her struggling to cope with the aftermath of the occupation. Ro could often be hostile in her interactions with others and, like fellow Bajoran Major Kira Nerys, had a tendency to come off as confrontational. If Starfleet had the same security as her emotional walls, many of the franchise’s conflicts never would have started in the first place.
Ro Laren's Complicated Relationship with Starfleet
For Ro, life on the Enterprise was neither a piece of cake nor an unauthorized attempt to enter the Romulan Neutral Zone. She brought with her a sense of perseverance, loyalty, and independence that could drive some people up the wall. Still, these traits helped her strike up friendships with characters like Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), and eventually even Riker.
Ro’s unlikely friendship with Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) gave fans of The Next Generation one of the cutest scenes of the series. Back when producers were still trying to make the Ferengi scary, season 6, episode 7, “Rascals” saw the crew forced to defend the Enterprise after a transporter accident turned them into 12-year-olds. Ro resists Guinan’s attempts to get her to let loose and be innocent, until she realizes she’s not strong enough to resist the call of jumping on a bed with a friend. While it wasn’t enough to make up for the trauma of her past, it must have felt cathartic for her to create a childhood memory not associated with pain or loss. The sweet moment strengthened her bond with Guianan.
Yet despite these friendships, her relationship with Captain Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) was undoubtedly the one that defined Ro's Starfleet career throughout Star Trek.
Ro Laren & The Maquis
When Ro first joined Starfleet, she was as reluctant to be there as the Enterprise crew was to accept her. She only became an officer to avoid prison for her crimes, an admission Riker bristled at when she first shared it with Picard. Multiple missions spent fighting alongside the crew may have softened Ro's edges and made her easier for others to work with. Yet, her main goal was prioritizing the needs of her fellow Bajorans. Along with Ro’s advanced tactical training, it’s what made her a top contender for Admiral Kennelly (Cliff Potts) sending her on clandestine missions right under Picard’s nose.
Ro was so effective in these unofficial missions that Picard had no choice but to approve her infiltrating the Maquis. Ro received the order to gather intel on the rebel group and figure out how to take them out from within in season 7, episode 24, “Preemptive Strike.” Instead, she realized that her purpose of putting Bajor first was more in line with the Maquis' goals, so she turned her back on Starfleet to join them.
It wasn’t an easy choice, and it certainly wasn’t without its sacrifices. It did, however, give Ro a chance to pursue a life that had previously only allowed her to react to choices made by others. This time, she was in a position to do real good – or so she thought.
Ro once told Picard, “I serve the Federation, but I am Bajoran.” It’s a mindset she developed after spending years feeling ashamed of her identity prior to her appearance in Star Trek. It’s also reflective of the more complex aspects of her story. Ro had great potential as a Starfleet officer, something made more apparent by her father/daughter-esque bond with Picard. The problem is that she always had a bigger goal in mind, which took her away from what others wanted for her. In The Next Generation, Ro joined the Maquis because they were more willing than Starfleet to make the hard calls to protect people. When asked why she was choosing the Maquis, she replied:
“It's been a long time since I really felt like I belonged somewhere.”
In Star Trek: Picard, Ro rose among the ranks, and became a commander once more after she was recruited by Starfleet Intelligence. Then she gave her life trying to give everyone else a chance to survive. Ro Laren's life was never an easy one, though it had almost as many ups as it had downs. The point of her story was survival. Ro always found a way to survive, even when the cards were stacked against her. In many ways, she’s a reminder to Star Trek fans of what it looks like to stand by one’s own morals even when left standing alone.