View source for Geordi La Forge

{{Short description|Star Trek character}}
{{Redirect|VISOR||Visor (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox character
| image       = GeordiLaForge.jpg<!-- Do not replace with publicity shots, they will be deleted, screen caps only please -->
| caption     = [[LeVar Burton]] as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
| first       = {{Plainlist|
* "[[Encounter at Farpoint]]" (1987) <br> (''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|The Next Generation]]'')
}}
| last        =
| creator     = [[Gene Roddenberry]] <br> [[D. C. Fontana]]
| portrayer   = [[LeVar Burton]]
| species     = Human
| gender      = Male
| affiliation = [[United Federation of Planets]]<br />[[Starfleet]]
| position    = Head Curator<br/>(Starfleet Museum – [[Star Trek: Picard|PIC]] Season 3)<br/>Chief Engineer<br />(USS Enterprise-E, <br />USS Enterprise-D – [[Star Trek: The Next Generation|TNG]] Seasons 2–7, Movies)<br />[[Helmsman]]<br />(USS Enterprise-D – TNG Season 1)
| title       = [[Starfleet ranks and insignia|Commodore]]<br />([[Star Trek: Picard|PIC]]: Season 3)<br />[[Starfleet ranks and insignia|Lieutenant Commander]]<br />([[Star Trek: The Next Generation|TNG]]: Seasons 3–7, Movies)<br />[[Starfleet ranks and insignia|Lieutenant]]<br />([[Star Trek: The Next Generation|TNG]]: Season 2)<br />[[Starfleet ranks and insignia|Lieutenant, Junior Grade]]<br />([[Star Trek: The Next Generation|TNG]]: Season 1)
| family      = Edward La Forge (father)<br>Silva La Forge (mother)<br>Ariana La Forge (sister)<br>Alandra La Forge (daughter)<br>Sidney La Forge (daughter)
| origin      = [[Mogadishu]], [[Somalia]], Earth
}}

'''Geordi La Forge'''{{efn|Also spelled '''LaForge'''.<ref>http://www.st-minutiae.com/resources/scripts/269.txt LaForge</ref>}} ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|ɔr|d|i|_|l|ə|_|ˈ|f|ɔr|dʒ}} {{respell|JOR|dee|_|lə|_|FORJ}}) is a fictional character who appeared in all seven seasons of the American [[science fiction on television|science fiction television]] series ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' and its four feature films as well as the third season of ''[[Star Trek: Picard]]''. Portrayed by [[LeVar Burton]], he served as [[helmsman]] of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS ''Enterprise''-D]] in the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1|first season]] of ''The Next Generation'', then occupied the role of the chief engineer for the rest of the series and in the films before appearing as a commodore in ''Picard''. La Forge has been blind since his birth and uses technological devices that allow him to see – a [[#VISOR|VISOR]] in the series and the first film, replaced by ocular [[prosthesis|prosthetic]] implants in the last three films and in ''Picard''.

==Concept and development==
[[Gene Roddenberry]] created the character in honor of George La Forge, a [[quadriplegic]] [[Trekkie|fan]] of the [[Star Trek: The Original Series|original ''Star Trek'' series]], who died in 1975.<ref name=nemecek15>[[#Nemecek2003|Nemecek (2003)]]: p. 15</ref> He was not the first to honor La Forge in the ''Star Trek'' franchise; a character directly named for George La Forge was written into the 1980 ''Star Trek'' novel ''[[The Galactic Whirlpool]]'' by [[David Gerrold]].

A casting call was placed with agencies for the role, which described him as friends with Data, and specified that La Forge should have "perfect diction and might even have a [[Jamaican Patois|Jamaican]] accent" and instructed those agencies not to submit "any 'street' types."<ref name=shrager75>[[#shrager1997|Shrager (1997)]]: p. 75</ref>

LeVar Burton auditioned for the role in 1986.<ref name=shrager75/> He had previously appeared in ''[[Roots (1977 miniseries)|Roots]]'' and other major network shows. He stated that "years ago I was doing a TV movie called ''Emergency Room'' and it was a fairly miserable experience. But there was a producer on that show, a man named [[Robert H. Justman|Bob Justman]].... six, seven years later, I get this call from Bob Justman and he's working at Paramount on this new Star Trek series and he said I remember your love of the show, we've got this character, would you be interested in coming in and seeing us? And I said was [franchise creator] Gene Roddenberry involved? He said he is. And I said I'll be right there."<ref name=audition>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/burton/page6.shtml |title=Interviews {{!}} LeVar Burton {{!}} Auditioning for Geordi |publisher=BBC Cult |access-date=August 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028095321/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m9j6 |archive-date=October 28, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Roddenberry was very pleased with Burton at his first audition.<ref>Schrager (1997). p. 76</ref> Among the other actors considered for the role were [[Wesley Snipes]], [[Reggie Jackson]], [[Kevin Peter Hall]], [[Clarence Gilyard]], and [[Tim Russ]], who would later play [[Tuvok]] on ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/08/star-trekcasting.html|title=Letters of Note: STAR TREK/Casting|access-date=March 25, 2010}}</ref> Snipes was close to getting cast, but lost to Burton; he would later say that he was disappointed at first, but later said that he was grateful how things turned out saying if he had gotten the role he would have been in television more than film.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://collider.com/wesley-snipes-interview-coming-2-america-major-league-black-panther/ | title=Wesley Snipes on 'Coming 2 America', His Ridiculous 'Major League' Audition, and Almost Playing Geordi la Forge in 'Star Trek | website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] | date=March 11, 2021 }}</ref>

Burton also commented that he was anxious about his role, because he feared that ''The Next Generation'' was going to flop: "At the beginning, you know, there was a lot of conversation in the press at what a bad idea this was [but] I thought that since Gene was involved we had a real good shot of making a good show that would carry on in that tradition of Star Trek."<ref name=audition/>

Throughout the series, Burton was equipped with Geordi La Forge's trademark VISOR, which he found extremely unpleasant to wear:<blockquote>It's pretty much a living hell. 85 to 90% of my vision is taken away when the VISOR goes on. I bumped into everything the first season—light stands, overhead microphones, cables at my feet—I tripped over it all. So it's a sort of conundrum. The blind man, who puts on the VISOR and sees much more than everyone else around him, when the actor actually does that he's turned into a blind person. Then there was the pain. In the second season, we re-designed the VISOR and made it heavier and the way we actually affixed it was that we screwed it, we literally screwed it into my head and so there were screws that we would turn and there were flanges on the inside that would press into my temples and so after fifteen or twenty minutes of that I got headaches. So I had a daily headache for about six years. Which was also no fun.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/burton/page16.shtml |title=Interviews {{!}} LeVar Burton {{!}} VISOR Pain |publisher=BBC Cult |access-date=August 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221032639/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m9j6 |archive-date=December 21, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref></blockquote>During the series, Burton's character was Chief Engineering Officer, and thus was often portrayed repairing machines or discovering new scientific phenomena. Burton commented how hard it sometimes was to deliver the [[technobabble]] used by La Forge in these scenes with a straight face: "Technobabble brings with it its own challenge. I'm not an engineer, I just played one on TV. The methodology that I found most successful was to really spit it out as fast as I possibly could. Giving the illusion that I knew what I was talking about when, in fact, I really didn't."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/burton/page2.shtml |title=Interviews {{!}} LeVar Burton {{!}} Technobabble |publisher=BBC Cult |access-date=August 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430014840/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/burton/page2.shtml |archive-date=April 30, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{Quote box
 |quote = Lt. (J.G.) Geordi La Forge<br>An away-mission regular who is racially black and birth-defect blind – although with prosthetic super-high tech artificial "eyes" which can detect electromagnetic waves from all the way from raw heat to high frequency ultra-violet, making other crewpersons seem hopelessly "blind" by comparison. His closest friend is Data, and the two of them are particularly efficient when working together on away missions. Because of his "eyes", Geordi can also perform some of the functions of a tricorder.
 |source = [[Gene Roddenberry]], Geordi La Forge's description, ''Star Trek: The Next Generation Writer/Director's Guide'', March 23, 1987.<ref name=rodd6>[[#roddenberry|Roddenberry (1987)]]: p. 7</ref>
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}} Asked about his favorite scenes, Burton answered that he especially liked [[holodeck]] adventures: "The [[Sherlock Holmes|Holmes]] and Watson [[Elementary, Dear Data|episodes]] for [[Data (Star Trek)|Data]] and Geordi, the [[Robin Hood]] [[Qpid|episode]], you know, those were a lot of fun for us. I think the holodeck was a very cool concept, you know. You can create a three dimensional reality. I mean, how cool is that?"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/burton/page3.shtml |title=Interviews {{!}} LeVar Burton {{!}} The Acting of Science |publisher=BBC Cult |access-date=August 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422164230/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/burton/page3.shtml |archive-date=April 22, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Following the end of the series, Burton has stated how much he gained from ''The Next Generation''; "When I got married my best man was Brent ([[Brent Spiner|Spiner]], who portrayed the series character [[Data (Star Trek)|Lieutenant Commander Data]]) and my groomsmen were Michael ([[Michael Dorn|Dorn]], [[Worf|Lieutenant Worf]]) and Jonathan ([[Jonathan Frakes|Frakes]], [[William Riker|Commander Riker]]) and Patrick ([[Patrick Stewart|Stewart]], [[Jean-Luc Picard|Captain Picard]]). No matter what, we will always be family to each other. I mean in every respect. There have been times when there have been feuds within the family, when it hasn't been all hugs and kisses. But we have stuck together."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/burton/page8.shtml |title=Interviews {{!}} LeVar Burton {{!}} A Friendly Crew |publisher=BBC Cult |access-date=August 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610062848/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/burton/page8.shtml |archive-date=June 10, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==VISOR==<!-- This section is linked from [[VISOR]] -->
===In universe===
In the ''[[Star Trek]]'' [[fictional universe]], a '''VISOR''' is a device used by the [[blindness|blind]] to artificially provide them with a sense of sight. A thin, curved device worn over the face like a pair of sunglasses, the VISOR scans the [[electromagnetic spectrum]], creating [[Visual perception|visual]] input, and transmits it into the brain of the wearer via the [[optic nerve]]s.<ref name=Farpoint>"[[Encounter at Farpoint]]". ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''. Season 1, Episodes 1 and 2. September 28, 1987</ref><ref>"[[The Masterpiece Society]]". ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Season 5, Episode 13. February 10, 1992</ref> The [[sensor]]s are located on the [[wikt:convex|convex]] side, that covers the [[Human eye|eyes]] and attaches at small input [[Jack (connector)|jacks]] implanted in the [[temple (anatomy)|temples]]. The only VISOR seen on screen was used by Geordi La Forge, who was blind from birth.<ref>"[[The Enemy (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Enemy]]". ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Season 3, Episode 7. November 6, 1989</ref> VISOR is an [[acronym]] for "Visual Instrument and Sight Organ Replacement";<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Okuda|first1=Mike|author-link1=Michael Okuda|last2=Okuda|first2=Denise|author-link2=Denise Okuda|title=[[The Star Trek Encyclopedia]]|publisher=[[Pocket Books]]|year=1997|edition=Second|page=546}}</ref> however, the complete term never appeared in the series, but only in novelizations and other written tie-in products.

The VISOR also caused LaForge some persistent pain, which could not be treated without interfering with the device.<ref name=Farpoint/> [[Beverly Crusher]] and [[Katherine Pulaski]], the two high-ranking doctors who served on the ship, were unfamiliar with the device when first meeting La Forge.{{episode needed|date=December 2012}}

The device does not reproduce normal human vision, but does allow the character to "see" energy phenomena visible to the naked [[human eye]] while expanding the wearer's full perceived spectrum to 1&nbsp;Hz — 100 PHz. This also allowed the character to see human vital signs such as heart rate and temperature, giving him the ability to monitor moods and even detect lies in humans (but not aliens).<ref>"[[Up the Long Ladder]]". ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Season 2, Episode 18. May 22, 1989,</ref> In the episode "[[Heart of Glory]]", Captain Picard keys the main viewer to Geordi's visor allowing him to see the way he does. Seeing all the overlapping and different wavelengths was highly confusing to the Captain, prompting him to ask Geordi how he was able to differentiate between them all. Geordi's response made the comparison of a child hearing many different sounds at once and eventually being able to pick out what they needed; it is a learned talent.

In the episode [[The Mind's Eye (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|"The Mind's Eye"]], the access to Geordi's brain through the interface makes him a target of Romulan brainwashing.

In the episode [[Interface (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|"Interface"]], Geordi uses an experimental interface to his VISOR. In an environment too dangerous for humans to be in, Geordi sees, hears, feels and acts through a robot.

Twice in the series, Geordi refused to be granted natural vision, first by [[William Riker|Commander Riker]], who had been given extraordinary amounts of power by [[Q (Star Trek)|Q]], because it would have come at the cost of Riker's humanity,<ref>"[[Hide and Q]]". ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Season 1, Episode 10. November 23, 1987</ref> and later by Doctor Katherine Pulaski.<ref>"[[Loud as a Whisper]]". ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Season 2, Episode 5. January 9, 1989</ref>

Sometime between 2371 and 2373, before the time of the film ''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]'', Geordi's VISOR was replaced by [[prosthesis|cybernetic eyes]], performing the same functions. On film, they are depicted using a combination of cosmetic [[contact lens]]es and [[computer-generated imagery|CGI]].{{citation needed|date=December 2012}}

There was a short time period in ''[[Star Trek: Insurrection]]'' where Geordi gained actual eyesight, due to the effects of fictional metaphasic radiation, in the atmosphere of the planet Ba'ku. However, the effects of the metaphasic radiation wore off after leaving the planet, and the cybernetic eyes were once again used in the film ''[[Star Trek: Nemesis]]''.

===Reality===
''[[New Scientist]]'' magazine reported on research as to whether a device similar to a VISOR can actually be created for blind or visually impaired people. Partial sight has been successfully restored to blind rats by installing an implant behind the [[retina]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7216-bionic-eye-may-help-reverse-blindness/|title='Bionic eye' may help reverse blindness|date=March 31, 2005|newspaper=[[New Scientist]]|access-date=September 15, 2020}}</ref>

Several types of [[visual prosthesis]] are in development or trials in humans, and one device has been approved for sale in the European market. {{As of|2006}}, 16 blind people worldwide have had sight partially restored in a procedure where electrodes implanted in their brains take impulses from a camera to allow patients to see lights and outlines of objects.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://rdu.news14.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=82612 |title=New device allows woman to see, even without eyes |date=March 31, 2008 |newspaper=News 14 Carolina |access-date=August 30, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060522053800/http://rdu.news14.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=82612 |archive-date=May 22, 2006 }}</ref> There is a device developed by NASA called a [[Joint Optical Reflective Display]], or JORDY, that is presumably named for Geordi La Forge.

On August 14, 2012, the [[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]] published an article stating the encoding of image information by the [[retina]] into patterns of action potentials has been replicated successfully by a prosthetic device and scientists have successfully restored full vision to blind mice. Scientists were able to mimic this ocular response using glasses, and speculate that a similar pair of glasses may be available for human use within two years.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Nirenberg|first1=Sheila|last2=Pandarinath|first2=Chethan|date=August 13, 2012|title=Retinal prosthetic strategy with the capacity to restore normal vision|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|volume=109|issue=37|pages=15012–15017|doi=10.1073/pnas.1207035109|pmid=22891310|pmc=3443127|bibcode=2012PNAS..10915012N|doi-access=free}}</ref>

LeVar Burton, who played the character of Geordi La Forge, disliked the VISOR prop because it restricted his peripheral vision – albeit less than its prototypes – and the constant pressure of the prop's arms on his temples caused headaches. In commentary for ''[[Star Trek Generations]]'', film writers [[Ronald D. Moore]] and [[Brannon Braga]] noted Burton also felt the prop limited him as an actor, as it denied him the use of his eyes in conveying emotion. The original prop was inspired by a one-piece women's hair clip brought to production by Michael Okuda during the initial conceptual development of the VISOR prop.

==Fictional character biography==
In the series, Geordi was born [[blindness|blind]] and wears a VISOR, an arc-shaped [[prosthesis|prosthetic]] attached at the temples that provides him with [[visual perception|vision]]. [[Cybernetics|Interfacing]] directly with his brain, the device enables him to "see" much of the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] – [[radio wave]]s, [[infrared]], [[ultraviolet]], and beyond, but not normal light perception, though it does allow Geordi to see the visible light section of the electromagnetic spectrum.<ref>{{Citation
| last = Lasbury
| first = Mark E.
| title = The Realization of Star Trek Technologies The Science, Not Fiction, Behind Brain Implants, Plasma Shields, Quantum Computing, and More
| publisher = Springer International Publishing
| orig-date = August 24
| year = 2016
| chapter = 7 Geordi's Visor: A Vision of the Future
| pages = 199–228
| language = English
| isbn = 9783319409146 }}
</ref>

La Forge was born February 16, 2335, in [[Mogadishu]], [[Somalia]] of the African Confederation on Earth to Silva La Forge, a Starfleet command track officer and eventual Captain of the USS ''Hera'' (NCC-62006) and Edward M. La Forge, a Starfleet [[astrobiology|exozoologist]].<ref>(''TNG'': "[[Interface (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Interface]]")</ref> He has also mentioned having a sister, Arianna. La Forge stated that with two parents in Starfleet he was an "[[army brat]]", frequently moving homes depending on where his parents were stationed around Earth (or other planets), which mirrors Burton's own youth (he was born on an American base in Germany). He attended Zefram Cochrane High School<ref name="Star Trek: First Contact">(''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]'')</ref> and then [[Starfleet Academy]] from 2353 to 2357.<ref>(''TNG'': "[[Conundrum (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Conundrum]]")</ref> In 2357, he was assigned as an [[Ensign (Star Trek)|ensign]] aboard the USS ''Victory'' under Captain Zimbata.<ref>(''TNG'': "[[Elementary, Dear Data]]")</ref> After his first cruise, he was transferred to the USS ''Hood'' serving with then Lt. Commander [[William Riker]] for her 2361-64 cruise, during which he was promoted to [[lieutenant (junior grade)|lieutenant junior grade]].<ref>(''TNG'': "Conundrum")</ref>

La Forge once impressed Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]] by staying up all night to fix a shuttle craft that Picard mentioned had a superficial problem. Upon learning this, Picard decided he wanted Geordi on his next command<ref>(''TNG'': "[[The Next Phase]]")</ref> which ended up being the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS ''Enterprise''-D]] where Geordi was assigned to him as a helmsman. At the beginning of [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2|Season 2]], he was promoted to Lieutenant and named Chief Engineer; in [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3|Season 3]], he rose to Lieutenant Commander, a rank that he held for the duration of the series and movies. He and the android [[Data (Star Trek)|Data]], the second officer aboard the ''Enterprise-D'', quickly become friends.

In 2372, Geordi is transferred to the new ''Sovereign''-class starship [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|''Enterprise''-E]]. When the ship travels back in time to the 21st century, he works alongside Dr. [[Zefram Cochrane]] and helps him successfully launch Earth's first warp-capable vessel and achieve [[First contact (science fiction)|first contact]] with the [[Vulcan (Star Trek)|Vulcans]].<ref name="Star Trek: First Contact"/>

During the Ba'ku incident, La Forge began to experience pain in his eyes after sojourning on the planet. Doctor [[Beverly Crusher]] removes his ocular implants to discover that his [[optic nerve]]s have regenerated and he has gained normal sight. This effect is caused by the healing properties of the Ba'ku [[ring system]] and, at the time, it is speculated that the effect will fade after La Forge leaves Ba'ku.<ref>(''[[Star Trek: Insurrection]]'')</ref> This diagnosis proved correct; La Forge again wears the implants in ''[[Star Trek: Nemesis]]''.

[[File:Star Trek- Picard season-three Starfleet field jacket, operations division (1 March 2023, aboard Star Trek- The Cruise VI, 1 of 4).tif|thumb|left|The operations-division Starfleet field jacket as worn by Burton in the [[Star Trek: Picard (season 3)|third season of ''Star Trek: Picard'']]]]
In the [[Star Trek: Picard season 3|third season]] of the sequel series ''[[Star Trek: Picard]]'', La Forge is revealed to have fathered two daughters, Alandra and Sidney, who have joined Starfleet by 2401. Like their father, Alandra has become an engineer while Sidney has become a pilot. Alandra serves alongside Geordi while Sidney serves aboard the USS ''Titan''; he has become overprotective of them nonetheless. La Forge has become a Commodore and is the head curator of the Starfleet Museum, wherein he has been working on a secret project for twenty years. Picard, Crusher, their son Jack, and the ''Titan'' crew, on the run from a Changeling conspiracy in Starfleet, seek La Forge's help to try to clone the ship's signals, but La Forge points out that Starfleet has upgraded their ships to "talk" to each other. However, when his daughters and Jack steal a [[cloaking device]] from the Museum and install it on the ''Titan'', La Forge reluctantly goes along with them, whereupon he is reunited with an altered form of Data, fighting with his "evil twin" [[Lore (Star Trek)|Lore]] for control of their common android body.<ref>(''Picard'': "[[Star Trek: Picard season 3#ep6|The Bounty]]")</ref> La Forge helps Data overcome Lore's dominance of the body, which allows Data to kill the main antagonist of the season.<ref>(''Picard'': "[[Star Trek: Picard season 3#ep7|Dominion]]", "[[Star Trek: Picard season 3#ep8|Surrender]]")</ref> La Forge is reunited with the rest of the ''Enterprise'' crew; he helps Data and Crusher find the true nature of Picard's neurological disorder and loses his daughters to it, forcing La Forge to reveal his secret project: the full reconstruction of the ''Enterprise''-D.<ref>(''Picard'': "[[Star Trek: Picard season 3#ep9|Võx]]")</ref> Picard uses the ''Enterprise'' to infiltrate the antagonists' collaborators' base; La Forge assumes temporary command, letting Crusher destroy the base's power source with the ''Enterprise''{{'s}} torpedoes, eliminating the collaborators' threat once and for all, and oversees Picard's rescue. La Forge greets his daughters, who have been returned to normal, on the ''Titan'' over video; he is last seen playing poker with his ''Enterprise'' crewmates at the Ten Forward bar in Los Angeles, content with his life.

===Alternate timelines===
In one of the alternate universes experienced by Worf in the Season 7 episode "[[Parallels (Star Trek: The Next Generation)]]", Geordi is killed in a Cardassian attack on the ''Enterprise'' when Worf is suddenly confronted with unfamiliar tactical controls and cannot raise the shields in time. Geordi's VISOR is revealed to be the trigger of Worf's unplanned shifts through the timelines.

In the alternate timeline of ''The Next Generation'' series finale "[[All Good Things... (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|All Good Things...]]", La Forge has, by 2395, married "Leah" and had three children (Alandra, Brett, and Sydney) with her. He left Starfleet and became a novelist. However, these events may never happen because of the divergence of the time line at the episode's end.

In the alternate 2390 future in ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''{{'}}s "[[Timeless (Star Trek: Voyager)|Timeless]]", La Forge is a [[Captain (Star Trek)|captain]] and the [[commanding officer]] of the USS ''Challenger'', doing his best to stop [[Harry Kim (Star Trek)|Harry Kim]] and [[Chakotay]] from altering the time line. He had micro-implants in his eyes, allowing him to see without wearing his visor. However, Kim and Chakotay succeed in their mission, erasing the alternate time line. Despite trying his best to stop them, La Forge is sympathetic to their actions and even offers a full pardon if they stop. When they refuse, La Forge is forced to attack, but wishes them good luck and says that in their place, he would probably do the same. When the group's ship suffers a warp core breach and is going to explode, he offers to beam them aboard his ship so that they can survive, but they refuse and tell him to move off to a safe distance, which he does.

In the holographic alternate history depicted in "[[Future Imperfect]]", a fictitious La Forge had cloned eye implants and had no need of his VISOR.

During the non-[[Star Trek canon|canon]] events of the comic book mini-series ''[[Star Trek: Countdown]]'' (a prequel to the 2009 ''[[Star Trek (2009 film)|Star Trek]]'' film), Geordi (now a civilian) is reunited with Data and Picard during an effort to stop a massive [[supernova]] that threatens all of existence. Geordi ultimately designs the ''Jellyfish'', the advanced spacecraft that is piloted by [[Spock|Ambassador Spock]] in the film.<ref>''Star Trek: Countdown'' #3–4</ref>

==Reception==
Critics and fans have responded favorably to the character. Burton himself has complained on DVD featurettes about the lack of romantic interests for his character. At least one scholar, however, states that out of seven principal black characters across the ''Star Trek'' series, only La Forge and [[Tuvok]] "really qualify as nerds, and neither of them compares with the extraordinary geekiness of the teenaged [[Wesley Crusher]]." According to Dr. Ron Eglash, the construction of the La Forge character stands up to the standards of [[Afrofuturism]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Eglash|first=Ron|title=Race, Sex and Nerds: from Black Geeks to Asian-American Hipsters|journal=Social Text|date=Summer 2002|volume=20|issue=2|pages=49–64|url=http://homepages.rpi.edu/~eglash/eglash.dir/ethnic.dir/nerds.dir/nerd.htm|access-date=August 30, 2013|doi=10.1215/01642472-20-2_71-49|s2cid=73590826|archive-date=December 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209003214/http://homepages.rpi.edu/~eglash/eglash.dir/ethnic.dir/nerds.dir/nerd.htm|url-status=dead|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

In David Greven's book ''Gender and Sexuality in Star Trek'' (2009), he described the use of the VISOR as a means to obscure the face of the character, describing it as a "surprisingly clunky symbol of blindness". However, he felt that the bionic eyes used in the film series were an improvement but followed a pattern of African American eye modifications in fantasy and science fiction films such as [[Halle Berry]] as [[Storm (X-Men)|Storm]] in ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]]'' (2000). Greven suggested that these changes were to create the impression that the wearer was alien in nature and to highlight the difference between that character/actor and the others in the film.<ref name=greven100>[[#greven2009|Greven (2009)]]: p. 100</ref>

In 2018, [[TheWrap]] ranked Geordi as the 11th best main cast character of ''Star Trek'' shows, noting his ability to come up with technical solutions on short notice and his friendship with [[Data (Star Trek)|Data]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/all-39-star-trek-main-characters-ranked-from-spock-to-wesley-photos/|title = All 39 'Star Trek' Main Characters Ranked, from Spock to Wesley (Photos)|date = March 21, 2018}}</ref> In 2016, the character of Geordi was ranked as the 21st most important character of [[Starfleet]] within the ''Star Trek'' science fiction universe by [[Wired (magazine)|''Wired'' magazine]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/09/star-treks-100-crew-members-ranked/|title=Star Trek's 100 Most Important Crew Members, Ranked|last=McMillan|first=Graeme|date=September 5, 2016|magazine=Wired|access-date=March 20, 2019|issn=1059-1028}}</ref> In 2016, ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' ranked "[[Relics (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Relics]]" as the 62nd greatest of the ''Star Trek'' franchise up to that time, noting that LeVar Burton has many great scenes with original cast veteran [[James Doohan]] reprising his famous character Scotty.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/star-trek-episodes-best-100-924455|title='Star Trek': 100 Greatest Episodes|author=Aaron Couch and Graeme McMillan|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=August 9, 2016|access-date=January 26, 2021}}</ref>

In 2017, [[IndieWire]] rated Geordi as the 8th best character on ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/09/star-trek-the-next-generation-characters-ranked-1201882388/|title='Star Trek: The Next Generation': Ranking the Crew, From Picard to Pulaski|last1=Miller|first1=Liz Shannon|date=September 30, 2017|website=IndieWire|language=en|access-date=March 21, 2019}}</ref> [[Comic Book Resources|CBR]] ranked La Forge as the 13th best [[Starfleet]] character of ''Star Trek'', in 2018.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-starfleet-members-ranked/|title=Star Trek: The 25 Best Members Of Starfleet, Ranked|date=October 27, 2018|website=CBR|language=en-US|access-date=June 20, 2019}}</ref>

In 2017, [[Screen Rant]] ranked La Forge the 9th most attractive person in the ''Star Trek'' universe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/star-trek-most-attractive-characters/|title=Star Trek: 20 Most Attractive Characters|date=December 15, 2017|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US|access-date=July 12, 2019|archive-date=April 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416012852/https://screenrant.com/star-trek-most-attractive-characters/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2018, [[TheWrap|''The Wrap'']] placed La Forge as 11th out 39 in a ranking of main cast characters of the ''Star Trek'' franchise prior to ''[[Star Trek: Discovery]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/all-39-star-trek-main-characters-ranked-from-spock-to-wesley-photos/|title=All 39 'Star Trek' Main Characters Ranked|date=March 21, 2018|website=TheWrap|language=en-US|access-date=June 22, 2019}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Speculative fiction|Television}}
* [[Visual prosthesis|Artificial eye]]
* [[Human echolocation]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book|last=Greven|first=David|title=Gender and Sexuality in Star Trek: Allegories of Desire in the Television Series and Films|year=2009|publisher=McFarland & Co.|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=978-0-786-44413-7|ref=greven2009}}
*{{cite book|last=Gross|first=Edward|author2=Altman, Mark A.|title=Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages|year=1995|publisher=Little Brown & Co.|location=Boston|isbn=978-0-316-32957-6|ref=grossaltman|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/captainslogsunau00gros}}
*{{cite book|last=Nemecek|first=Larry|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion|year=2003|edition=3rd|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|isbn= 0-7434-5798-6|ref=Nemecek2003}}
*{{cite book|last1=Reeves-Stevens|first1=Judith|last2=Reeves-Stevens|first2=Judith|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Continuing Mission|year=1998|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|edition=2nd|isbn=978-0-671-02559-5|ref=Reeves-Stevens1998}}
*{{cite book|last=Roddenberry|first=Gene|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation Writer/Director's Guide|year=1987|url=http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Star_Trek/2_The_Next_Generation/Star_Trek_-_The_Next_Generation_Bible.pdf|publisher=[[Paramount Domestic Television]]|location=Hollywood, CA|ref=roddenberry|access-date=August 23, 2013|archive-date=March 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311173222/http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Star_Trek/2_The_Next_Generation/Star_Trek_-_The_Next_Generation_Bible.pdf|url-status=dead}}
*{{cite book|last1=Shrager|first1=Adam|title=The Finest Crew In The Fleet: The Next Generation Cast On Screen And Off|year=1997|publisher=Wolf Valley Books|location=New York|isbn=978-1-888-14903-6|ref=shrager1997}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/character/1112463.html Geordi La Forge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712015516/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/character/1112463.html |date=July 12, 2010 }} at the official Star Trek website
{{Memory Alpha}}

{{Star Trek: The Next Generation}}
{{Star Trek: Picard}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:La Forge, Geordi}}
[[Category:Star Trek: The Next Generation characters]]
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