Summary
- Deanna Troi, played by Marina Sirtis, serves as the ship's counselor in Star Trek: TNG and Picard, providing emotional support and guidance to the crew of the Enterprise-D.
- Deanna's half-Betazoid heritage allows her to sense the emotions of others, making her a valuable asset when encountering unknown alien species.
- Marina Sirtis has portrayed Deanna Troi in multiple Star Trek shows and continues to be a beloved character, especially in her role in Picard season 3 where she becomes a surprise hero and plays a pivotal role in locating trapped crew members.
Marina Sirtis plays Counselor Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard. Deanna Troi served as ship's counselor on the USS Enterprise-D under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). As the ship's counselor, Troi became the heart of TNG, often helping people find connections and work through their various problems. Although the writers of TNG sometimes seemed unsure of what to do with Deanna as a character, Counselor Troi proved to be a great counselor and an invaluable addition to the crew of the Enterprise-D.
Deanna Troi was born to a Betazoid mother, Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett), and a human father. Lwaxana Troi also appears on TNG and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, becoming one of Star Trek's best guest stars. Deanna's Betazoid half allows her to sense the emotions of others, which often proves to be a useful skill when the Enterprise encounters unknown alien species. Throughout TNG, Deanna didn't resume her prior relationship with Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes), but they eventually marry in Star Trek: Nemesis, cementing their romance as one of Star Trek's greatest love stories.
Marina Sirtis’ Counselor Troi In Star Trek: TNG Explained
Counselor Deanna Troi made her Star Trek debut in the premiere episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987. As a half-Betazoid and half-human, Troi can sense the emotions of those around her and speak telepathically to other Betazoids. Troi is trained as a psychologist and serves as the ship's counselor on the USS Enterprise for all seven seasons of TNG. In addition to her counseling duties, Troi often advises Captain Picard about alien cultures and the emotional states of aliens the Enterprise encounters. Over the course of TNG and the subsequent films, Troi continues to grow and learn, eventually taking on more duties, including occasionally commanding the ship.
Soon after Marina Sirtis moved to Los Angeles, California in 1986, she was cast as Deanna Troi in TNG in her first major television role. Since TNG, Sirtis has appeared in numerous television shows, movies, and video games in both live-action roles and voice-acting for animated roles. She provided the voice for Demona in 24 episodes of the animated 1990s Gargoyles television show alongside Johnathan Frakes as David Xanatos. She has also appeared in episodes of The Outer Limits, Stargate SG-1, Make It or Break It, NCIS, and The Orville, among others.
Counselor Troi Has Appeared In Other Star Trek Shows
Marina Sirtis' Counselor Troi is one of the few characters to have appeared in three different Star Trek shows. She pops up in three episodes of Star Trek: Voyager, often alongside Lt. Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz), as Troi tries to find a way to contact the USS Voyager and then a way to help the ship return to the Alpha Quadrant. Deanna Troi also appears alongside Commander Riker in the controversial finale of Star Trek: Enterprise where Deanna helps Will work through some of his problems as they participate in a holodeck recreation of Captain Jonathan Archer's (Scott Bakula) final mission aboard the USS Enterprise NX-01.
Marina Sirtis also provides the voice for Deanna Troi in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 1 when the USS Cerritos encounters the USS Titan. After being promoted to Captain in Star Trek: Nemesis, Riker transferred to the Titan with his wife Deanna at his side. Deanna Troi makes a more substantial return to the Star Trek franchise in Star Trek: Picard, which reveals that she and Will have two children, Thad and Kestra (Lulu Wilson). Tragically, Thad passed away from an illness, leaving Troi and Riker understandably devastated and causing some trouble in their marriage. Thankfully, the two reconcile in Picard season 3 after they reunite with the rest of their TNG crew.
Marina Sirtis & Troi’s Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Controversy
Counselor Deanna Troi's return in Star Trek: Picard season 3 came a bit later in the season than many fans were expecting. Marina Sirtis lives in London and had scheduling conflicts with the filming of Picard season 3, meaning she was only available for certain episodes. After the first few episodes of Picard season 3 had aired, some fans took to social media to express their disappointment that Troi didn't play a larger role. Picard season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas even took time to respond, promising that the wait to see Troi return would be worth it.
In the second half of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Troi becomes the surprise hero of the season. Not only does she uncover the Borg DNA hidden in the mind of Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), but she also helps to locate Riker, Worf (Michael Dorn), and Picard when they are trapped on the Borg cube in Picard season 3's finale. Picard season 3 makes excellent use of Deanna's empathic abilities, as she uses them to sense her husband, Will, within the Borg cube. Will and Deanna's romance, in particular, shines in Picard season 3, and both characters have come a long way since their time on Star Trek: The Next Generation.