Geordi La Forge
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- Geordi redirects here; for a similarly named regional culture in England, see Geordie.
| Geordi La Forge | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Species: | Human |
| Gender: | Male |
| Eye color: | no irises (brown when regenerated on Ba'ku) (electric blue with ocular implants)[1] |
| Home planet: | Earth |
| Affiliation: | Starfleet |
| Posting: | USS Victory USS Enterprise-D helmsman (1st season) and chief engineer USS Enterprise-E chief engineer |
| Position: | Helmsman Chief Engineering Officer |
| Rank: | Lieutenant Junior Grade Lieutenant Lieutenant Commander Commander |
| Portrayed by: | LeVar Burton |
Geordi La Forge is a regular character in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, played by LeVar Burton. He served as helmsman of the USS Enterprise-D in the first season, then occupied the role of the chief engineer for the rest of the series and in the TNG-era films. The character was named after Jordan La Forge, a fan of the original Star Trek series who died from muscular dystrophy in 1975.
Born blind, La Forge wears a VISOR (Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement), a half-moon-shaped prosthetic attached at the temples that provides him with vision. Interfacing directly with his brain, the device enables him to "see" much of the electromagnetic spectrum – radio waves, infrared, light, and ultraviolet. Although the neural interaction of the device causes him considerable chronic pain, La Forge throughout TNG declines alternate treatments as they could have hampered the functioning of the VISOR and his ability to see. One enigma never explained by the show was how Geordi was able to read written words, or the readouts on computer consoles without the ability to perceive light. By the beginning of Star Trek: First Contact, La Forge received ocular implants with the same abilities.[1]
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[edit] Biography
La Forge was born February 16, 2335 in the African Confederation on Earth to Silva La Forge (a Starfleet command track officer) and Edward M. La Forge (a Starfleet exozoologist) (TNG: "Interface"). He attended Zefram Cochrane High School (Star Trek: First Contact) and then Starfleet Academy from 2353 to 2357 (TNG: "Conundrum").
In 2357, he was assigned as an ensign aboard the USS Victory under Captain Zimbata (TNG: "Elementary, Dear Data"). After his first cruise, he was transferred to the USS Hood for her 2361-64 cruise, during which he was promoted to lieutenant junior grade (TNG: "Conundrum").
At some point in his career, La Forge piloted Jean-Luc Picard in a shuttlecraft. Picard made an off-hand comment about the shuttle's engine efficiency not being up to spec. La Forge stayed up all night altering the shuttle (TNG: "The Next Phase"). In 2364, he was assigned as helmsman on the Enterprise-D under Picard's command. In 2364, William Riker, under the influence of Q, grants La Forge normal sight, which he rejects (TNG: "Hide and Q").
In 2365, he was promoted to lieutenant and transferred from helmsman to chief engineer (TNG: "The Child"). In 2366, he was promoted to lieutenant commander (TNG: "Evolution"). In 2369, La Forge aided in the recovery of Montgomery Scott and worked alongside the original Enterprise chief engineer (TNG: "Relics").
Twice aboard the Enterprise-D, La Forge's VISOR proved a security risk: in ("The Mind's Eye"), Romulans capture him and use the device's input ports to send commands directly to his brain. In Star Trek: Generations, Tolian Soran manipulates the device to transmit signals back to the Duras sisters, who use the information to allow their weapons to penetrate the Enterprise's shields. Sometime between Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact, La Forge received ocular implants[1].
In 2372, he is transferred to the new Sovereign class starship Enterprise-E. When the ship travels back in time to the 21st century, he works alongside Dr. Zefram Cochrane and helps him successfully launch Earth's first warp-capable vessel and achieve first contact with the Vulcans (Star Trek: First Contact). During the Ba'ku incident, La Forge began to experience annoying pain in his eyes after sojourning on the planet. Doctor Crusher removes his ocular implants to discover that his optic nerves have regenerated and he has gained normal sight. This effect is caused by the healing properties of the Ba'ku ring system and, at the time, it is speculated that the effect will fade after La Forge leaves Ba'ku (Star Trek: Insurrection). This diagnosis proved correct; La Forge again wears the implants in Star Trek: Nemesis.
[edit] Alternate time lines
In the alternate timeline of TNG series finale, All Good Things..., La Forge has by 2395 married Leah Brahms and had three children (Alandra, Brett, and Sydney) with her. He has left Starfleet and become a novelist. However, these events may never happen because of the divergence of the time line at the episode's end.
In the alternate 2390 future in Star Trek: Voyager's "Timeless", La Forge is a captain and the commanding officer of the USS Challenger, doing his best to stop Harry Kim and Chakotay from altering the time line. However, Kim and Chakotay succeed in their mission, erasing the alternate time line.
[edit] Personal life
The major childhood trauma of being alone in his burning home caused him great distress, though he was pulled to safety after only two minutes (TNG: "Hero Worship"). His parents frequently having separate assignments also strained him as a child.
Geordi was slightly insecure concerning dating and women, though he has significant relationships with Christy Henshaw, Lt. Aquiel Uhnari, and a holograph character modeled after Dr. Leah Brahms. He was best friends with Data, and maintained close relationships with Miles O'Brien and Susanna Leitjen. He and Data often role played Sherlock Holmes, where Data portrayed the famous fictional detective and La Forge assumed the role of Dr. John H. Watson.
He enjoyed the senior officer's weekly poker game, and though his artificial "eyes" allowed him to detect bluffing and sometimes see his opponents' cards in the ultraviolet spectrum, he never "peeked" until a hand was over[2].
He also delighted in scale model building of old sailing ships, chess, swimming, skin-diving, the history of his profession, and fencing. He was not well-suited for writing or the mandolin, despite a preference for guitar music. He liked iced tea and pasta, such as fungilli. Because of his nomadic upbringing, he was adept at various languages including Hahlian.
[edit] Engineering specialties
La Forge had great talent for engineering and a keen judgment for needed modifications in the field. His intense focus enabled him to master the complexities of warp engineering and other starship systems. As a junior officer, his specialties included antimatter power, dilithium regulators, Holodeck computer programs, and climate-control computers.[3] During the Cochrane project he recalled the Phoenix test vehicle's intermix chamber from memory.
[edit] Trivia
- Geordi is notable as being the fastest promoted character in onscreen Trek. He spent one year (TNG's first season) as a lieutenant j.g., one more (the second season) as a lieutenant; in the third season, was promoted to lieutenant commander; and in the alternate future of "Timeless" (Voyager) was a captain.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b The options of ocular implants or even surgery to ease the pain from wearing the visor were eliminated early in the series in order to give Geordi a pretext to wear a VISOR that causes him to see things differently. However, it is never explained how he is able to read written words, or displays on consoles as this would require light perception. The producers felt it more appropriate as Geordi was intended as a role model for physically challenged persons. However, Burton had asked for the device's removal for some time, as he felt the VISOR's concealment of his eyes affected his performance[citation needed].
- ^ LeVar Burton is himself an avid poker player.[1]
- ^ Biography: Geordi La Forge. Professional Assessment: Report of Starfleet Engineering, Dr. Leah Brahms. startrek.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-21.
[edit] External links
- Character biography at the official Star Trek website
- Geordi La Forge article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
| Regular characters on Star Trek | |||
| The Original Series | Kirk | Spock | McCoy | Scott | Uhura | Sulu | Chekov | Chapel | Rand | ||
| Animated Series | Arex | M'Ress | ||
| The Next Generation | Picard | Riker | Data | La Forge | Worf | B. Crusher | Troi | W. Crusher | Yar | Pulaski | ||
| Deep Space Nine | B. Sisko | Kira | J. Dax | Odo | Bashir | O'Brien | Worf | J. Sisko | Quark | Rom | Nog | E. Dax | Garak | Martok | Damar | Dukat | Weyoun | Winn | ||
| Voyager | Janeway | Chakotay | Tuvok | Paris | Torres | Kim | Doctor | Neelix | Seven | Kes | ||
| Enterprise | Archer | T'Pol | Tucker | Reed | Phlox | Sato | Mayweather | ||
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