Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About B'Elanna Torres

2. "An Unruly Teenager Who Grew Into A Woman"

Star Trek Voyager Parallax B'Elanna
CBS Media Ventures

That's how Roxann Dawson quite brilliantly described her character's development "over the course of seven years" in an interview at the Voyager wrap party in 2001. B'Elanna Torres, as well as a certain "flyboy," had no doubt the most well-defined and distinct arc of the series — going from easily irascible Maquis rebel with a deep lack of self-worth to Starfleet convert with a newfound confidence and a family.

Much like Voyager's path through the Delta Quadrant, B'Elanna's journey was far from a straight line (little ever is), but Dawson was largely satisfied with how her character was portrayed throughout, both the good and the bad, telling Star Trek: Voyager The Official Magazine in June 1997:

I don't want B'Elanna to be a goody two-shoes. I don't mind seeing her darker, uglier sides. That's important. It's part of who she is. It's good to see her at her worst. It's good to see her learn from her mistakes. That's what makes a character interesting.

In a 2003 interview for StarTrek.com, Dawson further praised the character development over the seven years, feeling that each change was "earned in the writing". Dawson noted that the depiction of Tom and B'Elanna's conflictual relationship — as two strong-willed individuals just trying to make things work — had helped, in some way, to redefine what it meant to be married and that the pair would probably still be "fighting and loving each other" back on Earth.

Contributor
Contributor

Jack has been a content creator for TrekCulture since 2022, and a Star Trek fan for as long as he can remember. He has authored over 170 articles, including one of TrekCulture's longest, and has appeared several times on the TrekCulture podcast. He holds a first-class honours degree in French from the University of Sussex, a master's with distinction in Language, Culture and History: French and Francophone Studies and a PhD in French from University College London (UCL). He has previously worked in the field of translation. His interests extend to science-fiction television and film more widely. His favourite series is Star Trek: Voyager, followed closely by Stargate SG-1.