What was with Troi in "Encounter at Farpoint"? - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

Neo · 14th October 2001, 11:13 PM

i just saw "encounter at farpoint", and i must admidt i found troi to be extremely annoying. don't get me wrong, throughout the rest of the series i thought she was great, but in the pilot she spoke with some phoney eastern european or italian accent and every other line to come out of her was "i feel pain...great pain..". she actually reminded me of delenn from B5 more than she reminded me of the later Troi.
and that "cheerleading" outfit...i don't quite know what to say about that.

i'd say that troi changed more than any other character after season one. she was so more natural-seeming later in the series, as opposed to her phoney over-acting in the pilot

Aing-Tii · 15th October 2001, 01:02 AM

I don't think they gave her much to work with, did they? Her lines were pretty insipid. And she was supposed to be the "sexy one" hence the ridiculous cheerleading outfit!

I agree she grew a lot over the series in lots of good ways. I never much cared for her outfits they were just so she'd look "sexy" I guess. They never made sense! And she was plenty attractive without the costumes and wigs! (I was so happy when she finally got to wear her OWN hair in the movies! :laugh2

But later on she got some great eppy's like the Romulan one (Faces?), etc. I loved it when she became a Commander, finally. And she looks just fine in her Starfleet uniform!

:star::star::star:

Dave · 15th October 2001, 10:35 PM

I think that you both summed up what I would have said.

Interestingly though, originally Denise Crosby went for the Deanna Troi role, while Marina Sirtis auditioned for Natasha Yar! Now it would have been really strange if they had changed places!

Neo · 15th October 2001, 11:42 PM

Really Dave.... could not have seen that..... oooo spooky

imported_Data · 15th February 2002, 09:58 PM

I'm trying to picture those two switching places, and I must say, it's extremelly odd! I'd have to agree with Neo, it's spooky!

Boranon · 7th September 2002, 08:43 PM

If you think about it- everyone looked stiff or odd in Encounter at farpoint, not just Troi.

It was, after all the pilot episode- and needless to say STTNG worked out many of the bugs they first Encountered! lol and created a superb show!

RationalLunacy · 16th February 2004, 05:30 AM

I met Marina Sirtis several years ago in San Francisco. She explained the "phony" accent as her attempt to make Betazoids sound "different" from humans. In actuality, Marina is the daughter of Greek immigrants to the United Kingdom. Her accent was derived from her parents' Greek accent, combined with her own natural British accent.

Marina gradually toned down the accent in the next few episodes. Finally, when Gene Roddenberry cast Majel Barrett to play Lwaxana Troi, the accent quickly disappeared, because it would have been incongruous for Deanna to have such a heavy "Betazoid" accent while her mother had none.

Occasionally, vestiges of that accent resurface throughout the series, but only because it is Marina's true speaking voice.

Picard67 · 18th November 2005, 03:25 AM

You MET her?!?! No freaking way. How cool.

lol, Troi really pis..bothered me in encounter at farpoint. he,he.

I think that the directers made a big mistake trying to make her 'the sexy one'.

If I was a male (which I am not) then I would have been far more attracted to Tasha anyway, dude, esp in the episide where the whole crew went wako and Tash and Data...well...you get the picture. YOW!

lordoftime · 7th November 2006, 02:56 AM

Again it was too early for the actors to all have nailed down how they were going to play their roles, as they would in the seasons that followed.....

Whitestar · 8th November 2006, 02:31 AM

Personally, I don't think the character of Troi was very well developed in the seven seasons where the writers had plenty of opportunity to do so, let alone the rest of the Next Gen cast, except for maybe Picard and Data. Plus, it didn't help the fact that Marina Sirtis is a not a very good actress either. Her only capable emotions were looking cold and concerned. If I had it within my power to remake Next Gen, the character of Troi would have been changed to a human with no telepathic/empathic abilities and be reduced to a recurring character, followed by a senseless death scene.

lordoftime · 8th November 2006, 03:16 AM

Mostly Troi said she felt something or couldnt sense anything. Riker had great episodes where something new was convincingly added to his backstory. Worf suffered thru most of TNG and Ds9 conflicted over his heritage. Sad really they never fiound something more for him. And they tried some new ground for Dr Crusher as well. Geordie not sure about. There were two or three episodes that used him, but then of course they made matters worse by bringing in the Ensign Ro character, as well as taking time on Chief O'Breien that should have been on the regular cast.

14th October 2001, 11:13 PM	#1 (permalink)
Neo Red Pixie Boot Wearer Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: North West UK Posts: 4,596	what was with troi in "encounter at farpoint"? i just saw "encounter at farpoint", and i must admidt i found troi to be extremely annoying. don't get me wrong, throughout the rest of the series i thought she was great, but in the pilot she spoke with some phoney eastern european or italian accent and every other line to come out of her was "i feel pain...great pain..". she actually reminded me of delenn from B5 more than she reminded me of the later Troi. and that "cheerleading" outfit...i don't quite know what to say about that. i'd say that troi changed more than any other character after season one. she was so more natural-seeming later in the series, as opposed to her phoney over-acting in the pilot

7th September 2002, 08:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
Boranon Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: USA Posts: 26	Troi and the Encounter If you think about it- everyone looked stiff or odd in Encounter at farpoint, not just Troi. It was, after all the pilot episode- and needless to say STTNG worked out many of the bugs they first Encountered! lol and created a superb show!

7th November 2006, 02:56 AM	#9 (permalink)
lordoftime My name is Infernus Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Belgium Posts: 154	Re: What was with Troi in "Encounter at Farpoint"? Again it was too early for the actors to all have nailed down how they were going to play their roles, as they would in the seasons that followed.....

8th November 2006, 02:31 AM	#10 (permalink)
Whitestar Registered User Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 338	Re: What was with Troi in "Encounter at Farpoint"? Personally, I don't think the character of Troi was very well developed in the seven seasons where the writers had plenty of opportunity to do so, let alone the rest of the Next Gen cast, except for maybe Picard and Data. Plus, it didn't help the fact that Marina Sirtis is a not a very good actress either. Her only capable emotions were looking cold and concerned. If I had it within my power to remake Next Gen, the character of Troi would have been changed to a human with no telepathic/empathic abilities and be reduced to a recurring character, followed by a senseless death scene.

8th November 2006, 03:16 AM	#11 (permalink)
lordoftime My name is Infernus Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Belgium Posts: 154	Re: What was with Troi in "Encounter at Farpoint"? Mostly Troi said she felt something or couldnt sense anything. Riker had great episodes where something new was convincingly added to his backstory. Worf suffered thru most of TNG and Ds9 conflicted over his heritage. Sad really they never fiound something more for him. And they tried some new ground for Dr Crusher as well. Geordie not sure about. There were two or three episodes that used him, but then of course they made matters worse by bringing in the Ensign Ro character, as well as taking time on Chief O'Breien that should have been on the regular cast.

15th October 2001, 01:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
Aing-Tii gimboid goddess! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West coast of USA Posts: 170	I don't think they gave her much to work with, did they? Her lines were pretty insipid. And she was supposed to be the "sexy one" hence the ridiculous cheerleading outfit! I agree she grew a lot over the series in lots of good ways. I never much cared for her outfits they were just so she'd look "sexy" I guess. They never made sense! And she was plenty attractive without the costumes and wigs! (I was so happy when she finally got to wear her OWN hair in the movies! :laugh2 But later on she got some great eppy's like the Romulan one (Faces?), etc. I loved it when she became a Commander, finally. And she looks just fine in her Starfleet uniform! :star::star::star:

15th October 2001, 10:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
Dave Wherever I Am, I'm There Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Greater London Posts: 11,595	I think that you both summed up what I would have said. Interestingly though, originally Denise Crosby went for the Deanna Troi role, while Marina Sirtis auditioned for Natasha Yar! Now it would have been really strange if they had changed places!

15th October 2001, 11:42 PM	#4 (permalink)
Neo Red Pixie Boot Wearer Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: North West UK Posts: 4,596	Really Dave.... could not have seen that..... oooo spooky

15th February 2002, 09:58 PM	#5 (permalink)
imported_Data 'meba Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Alaska Posts: 362	I'm trying to picture those two switching places, and I must say, it's extremelly odd! I'd have to agree with Neo, it's spooky!

16th February 2004, 05:30 AM	#7 (permalink)
RationalLunacy Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: USA East Coast Posts: 6	I met Marina Sirtis several years ago in San Francisco. She explained the "phony" accent as her attempt to make Betazoids sound "different" from humans. In actuality, Marina is the daughter of Greek immigrants to the United Kingdom. Her accent was derived from her parents' Greek accent, combined with her own natural British accent. Marina gradually toned down the accent in the next few episodes. Finally, when Gene Roddenberry cast Majel Barrett to play Lwaxana Troi, the accent quickly disappeared, because it would have been incongruous for Deanna to have such a heavy "Betazoid" accent while her mother had none. Occasionally, vestiges of that accent resurface throughout the series, but only because it is Marina's true speaking voice.

18th November 2005, 03:25 AM	#8 (permalink)
Picard67 The Local TTFer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: The Enterprise Posts: 6	You MET her?!?! No freaking way. How cool. lol, Troi really pis..bothered me in encounter at farpoint. he,he. I think that the directers made a big mistake trying to make her 'the sexy one'. If I was a male (which I am not) then I would have been far more attracted to Tasha anyway, dude, esp in the episide where the whole crew went wako and Tash and Data...well...you get the picture. YOW!