Summary

  • Geordi being left in command of the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: Picard season 3 made sense because he is a Starfleet Commodore, the most senior officer after iral Picard.
  • Geordi was the only active Starfleet officer among the Enterprise crew left behind, making him the ideal candidate to lead the rescue mission from the center seat of the Enterprise.
  • Geordi outranks Captains Riker and Worf in the Starfleet hierarchy, making him the most suitable candidate for command based on his position of seniority and full-time active role in Starfleet.

There's a very good reason why Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) was left in command of the refurbished USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: Picard season 3. In Picard's finale, the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation was reunited with the Enterprise for one final confrontation with the Borg. Leading an away team into the heart of the Borg Cube to save his son Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), iral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) left Geordi in command of the Enterprise.

Star Trek: Picard season 3 wasn't the first time that Geordi had commanded the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek, as he had previously done so in the episode "The Arsenal of Freedom". With Picard, Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes), and Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) on an away mission, it was Geordi who was left with the conn. This is similar to how Lt. Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) would occasionally take command of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series. Captains Riker and Worf (Michael Dorn) were potential candidates to stay behind and command the USS Enterprise-D in the Picard finale, but there's another reason that they didn't, beyond their protectiveness of Jean-Luc.

Picard Leaving Commodore Geordi La Forge In Command Of USS Enterprise-D Made Sense

Picard Finale Data Geordi Worf Enterprise-D

Picard could have insisted that Riker or Worf stay behind to command the Enterprise, in the same way that he refused to allow Data and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) to the rescue mission. Instead, he ed over command of the USS Enterprise-D to Geordi, which made a great deal of sense. Geordi is a Starfleet Commodore, which made him the most senior officer on the Enterprise after iral Picard, and therefore the correct choice to stay behind and command the ship.

Commodore La Forge was also the only member of the Enterprise crew left behind who was still a serving Starfleet officer. Data had only just been brought back from the dead in a new body that didn't have a Starfleet commission. Meanwhile, Dr. Crusher had resigned from Starfleet while Deanna Troi-Riker (Marina Sirtis) was living in semi-retirement on Nepenthe. As the only active member of Starfleet and the one in a position of seniority, Geordi was the ideal candidate to lead the rescue mission from the center seat of the Enterprise.

Why Commodore Geordi La Forge Outranks Captain Riker & Worf

Commodore Geordi La Forge and the Fleet Museum in Star Trek: Picard

On a basic level, Commodore Geordi La Forge outranks Captains Riker and Worf in the Starfleet hierarchy. A Commodore sits somewhere between Captain and iral, making him the most senior officer compared to Riker and Worf. Geordi got this position by working through the ranks and also accepting the promotion to oversee the Athan Prime Starfleet Museum. During the Star Trek: Picard timeline, Riker is a Captain-at-large, essentially stepping in where needed such as when he takes command of the USS Zheng He in the season 1 finale. This is in contrast to Geordi who is still a full-time active member of Starfleet with responsibilities for his fleet of historic starships; including the Enterprise-D.

Captain Worf is also active, working with Starfleet Intelligence as a freelance contractor. Following the disastrous loss of the USS Enterprise-E, Worf has stepped away from command, presumably realizing that it doesn't suit him. Riker also struggled with these challenges while temporarily commanding the USS Titan-A, as he confronted his grief and personal fear of death. With both Worf and Riker having moved past their need to sit in the center seat, and his own position of seniority, Geordi was the ideal candidate to command the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: Picard season 3.