Why Star Trek: TNG Changed Counselor Troi’s Betazoid Powers & How They Worked

Introduced in the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) had empathic abilities that proved to be vital for many missions aboard the USS Enterprise. Troi served as the ship’s counselor aboard the Enterprise under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Although Troi rarely wore a standard Starfleet uniform, she held the rank of Lieutenant Commander until she took the Bridge Officer Test and was promoted to Commander in TNG’s seventh season. While Troi became an integral part of the USS Enterprise crew, the writers of TNG sometimes struggled to write for her character.