Star Trek: The Next Generation solved one of its early character problems when it made Geordi La Forge the Enterprise-D's chief engineer in season 2. Played by LeVar Burton, Geordi was a lieutenant junior grade who primarily served as the ship's helmsman during TNG season 1. Born blind, Geordi was able to see through the use of an advanced prosthetic called a VISOR. Long a champion of people living with disabilities, series creator Gene Roddenberry was enthusiastic about the idea of a blind man piloting the ship.
Despite the producers' good intentions, Geordi was never a comfortable fit as the Enterprise-D's helmsman. The bridge in general was overloaded with too many main characters in TNG season 1, and Geordi often ended up as a bit player. The stagnant development of the show's ing cast eventually led to Denise Crosby's Lieutenant Tasha Yar leaving Star Trek: TNG before season 1 concluded. The show was luckily able to hang onto Burton, and Geordi made a creative leap in TNG season 2 that would help to define the character going forward.
Why Geordi Was Made Chief Engineer In TNG Season 2
Making Geordi the Enterprise-D's chief engineer at the start of TNG season 2 solved a couple different problems the show had endured in its initial season. The benefits to Geordi were immediate; instead of being just another officer on the bridge, Geordi now essentially had his own set, as he was almost always the main featured character in the engineering section of the ship. If the Enterprise-D was experiencing a technical problem - and it often did - Geordi was the man to fix it.
Of course, Star Trek series that followed having some equivalent main character from the start.
Geordi As Chief Engineer Improved La Forge’s Character
Geordi was a likable enough character in TNG season 1 largely due to Burton's inherent charms, but he didn't really become the character people loved until he moved to engineering. No one could deliver TNG's trademark technobabble like Geordi, and his childlike enthusiasm for science and technology felt right at home in engineering. Geordi often became the show's problem solver; whether it was an oncoming Borg attack or an issue with the warp nacelles, Captain Jean-Luc Picard always felt at ease with Geordi keeping the ship running.
Geordi is set to return in final TNG movie, Star Trek: Nemesis. Early promotional images and trailers suggest Geordi may have returned to the command division, as he appears to be wearing the uniform of a commodore. Geordi showed plenty of leadership skills in his time on the Enterprise-D, so he's almost certainly a more than capable command officer. Geordi found himself and his purpose as chief engineer of the Enterprise-D on Star Trek: The Next Generation, which solidified him as one of the franchise's richest characters.