+++ title = "Crew of The Next Generation" author = ["Michał Sapka"] date = 2023-11-17T23:00:00+01:00 categories = ["star-trek"] draft = false weight = 2003 primary_menu = "star-trek" abstract = "The crew of USS Enterpise during TNG" [menu] [menu.star-trek] weight = 2003 identifier = "crew-of-the-next-generation" parent = "tng" name = "Crew" +++ The greatest thing about serving aboard Enterprise-D was the crew. I loved each and every one of them. They felt like friends, like family. What helped to create that bond was the free time activities I could witness. Picard's Shakespearean's performances; Riker's concerts; Data's poetry readings. Even in the grimmest of circumstances, everyone remained professional and human. This is what I miss the most in recent adventures, the human part. This is the greatest crew of I have ever met. ## Captain Jean-Luc Picard {#captain-jean-luc-picard} {{< img-r "st-tng-picard.jpeg" >}} The Next Generation {{< /img-r >}} Picard was 51 when he became the captain of USS Enterprise. His age surely helped him at the command, but also made it more difficult to deal with the crew Enterprise-D was created in time of relative peace, so it was not a warship. It was designed to accommodate entire families and so the crew was living with their children. And if there are two things Picard could not stand, one of those were children. He kept a clear line between himself and his crewmates. Yes, he bonded, and the bond changed him - but he was the commander, so his will would always need to be final. This is why he allowed the rest of the crew to spend time together but without him - they needed to rely on each other as mates, but the commander can not become one. This made him a bit of loner, always skipping late night poker games. The deck was his entire world. Picard is a born diplomat, always ready to create peace instead of conflict - be it when dealing with the crew or with treats. We've all heard about Picard Maneuver before he joined, but after serving under him the name became synonymous with tucking in shirt. Jean-Luc did it all the time. ## Commander William T. Riker {#commander-william-t-dot-riker} {{< img-r "st-tng-riker.jpg" >}} The Next Generation {{< /img-r >}} Will Riker was the first officer at USS Enterpise and an amazing right hand of Jean-Luc. Much less strict and more risk taking than his superior officer. Always ready to banter and play games with the crew. An amazing trumpet player (a Jazz fan! I always love meeting fellow jazz fans) and a well known womanizer. And, initially, an owner of a magnificent beard. We still laugh remembering when he proposed Picard to take a day off at Risa. Our captain was never fond of lower forms of entertainment, so he was not aware that he went to a burdello-planet equipped with jamaharon, a symbol of sexual interest. I'm sure he was at least a bit amused, but he never showed it. Will, however, was a great tactician known for several invented strategies. What made him great was not following the protocol, but the contrary - at one point Data calculated that Riker followed standard practices only 21 percent of the time. I also fondly remember talking about his undercover missions. A real life human chameleon! ## Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge {#lieutenant-commander-geordi-la-forge} {{< img-r "st-tng-geordi.jpeg" >}} The Next Generation {{< /img-r >}} Geordi moved ranks - starting with lieutenant junior grade aboard the USS Enterprise, but always being the person best understanding the ship. Whenever we needed to make it go faster than it should - he was there. He was blind and his visors were the only way he was able to see the world. On a few occasions he was able to cure his eyesight, but always rejected the possibility. La Forge was the best friend of Data. ## Lieutenant Tasha Yar {#lieutenant-tasha-yar} {{< img-r "st-tng-tasha.webp" >}} The Next Generation {{< /img-r >}} Tasha was a security officer when we first joined Enterprise. We had not many chances to learn about her, due to hear death by end of first year. All I can say is that she was a strong woman, fitting for a security officer in the Starfleet. Luckily we were able to meet her again, a few years later. She was alive in another dimension. ## Lieutenant Worf {#lieutenant-worf} {{< img-r "st-tng-worf.jpg" >}} The Next Generation {{< /img-r >}} Worf son of Mogh, was the Klingon from House of Martok who was raised by human family of Rozhenko. Proud warrior torn between two races who sworn his allegiance to the federation - in fact he was the first Klingon to serve in the federation. At Enterprise, he served as command division bridge officer up till Tasha's death, after which was appointed to be security chief. Worf is a mixed bag, we were rarely able to predict him. As a Klingon, his honor was the most important. He was always ready to fight, never thinking about own survival. Often we saw him saving a crewmate even before we knew what was going on. But he was also raised as a human. He was living according to Klingon's customs, but the environment he was raised in added a huge doubt in them. He was unlike any Klingon I've ever met. Later on he had a son - a Klingon named Alexander Rozhenko. I felt that he was unable to find himself in fatherhood and his father stories were the ones I felt least interesed in. The son left Enterprise, and we've never heard of him again. ## Doctor Beverly Crusher {#doctor-beverly-crusher} {{< img-r "st-tng-bcrusher.jpeg" >}} The Next Generation {{< /img-r >}} Beverly was the chief medical officer aboard the Enterprise and the mother of Wesley. She was, as it seems, the closest friend to Jean-Luc (sans Riker), and maybe even more? Picard was a friend of her late husband and their friendship goes far back. One time a ghost of her dead grandma possessed her, and it was the most off the wall adventure we had. Glad it's over, and I never want to talk about this one ever again. ## Commander Deanna Troi {#commander-deanna-troi} {{< img-r "st-tng-troi.png" >}} The Next Generation {{< /img-r >}} Deanna was a Betazoid–Human who served as counselor aboard the Enterprise. As a half-betazoid she was capable of extra-sensory empathy, what allowed her to help the crew with loads of emotional problems. Another trick up her sleeve was limited power of telepathy, which proved very useful during Picard's negotiations on the bridge. Whenever her mother visited the ship, Jean-Luc had to hide as he never hid having the hots for him. She was also very, as you may put it, close with William, often refering to him as **imzadi** ("Beloved" in Betazoidian). They also knew themselves from before the journey, so who knows what happened? ## Commander Data {#commander-data} {{< img-r "st-tng-data.png" >}} The Next Generation {{< /img-r >}} Commander Data, an android, was our operations officer. He was the first android to serve in the Federation. His primary goal in life was to experience it as a human. This pushed him towards music and owning a cat, Spot. He was also known for writing poetry, some of which you can find [on my website](_star-trek/tng/data-poetry_) His brother, Lore, was unlike Data, Envious and happy to deceive - always a problem. ## Starfleet Cadet Wesley Crusher {#starfleet-cadet-wesley-crusher} {{< img-r "st-tng-wesley.jpg" >}} The Next Generation {{< /img-r >}} Wesley, was placed aboard the Enterprise as son of Beverly Crusher. Soon after he joined the Starfleed Academy where he was allowed to learn while serving on the Enterprise. Some other Starfleet Cadets may have hated his guts, saying that he was unfit for service. I hover was very fond of him as his adventures - even if a lot of problems aboard the ship were a direct result of his failed experiments.