Paramount was worried fans wouldn't recognize Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren

Before returning to season three of Star Trek: Picard as Commander Ro Laren, Michelle Forbes appeared in six episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, starting out as an ensign. Her brief time on The Next Generation ended when, torn between her loyalty to Starfleet and her heart for the Maquis, Laren made the ultimate choice to betray Captain Picard. Her desertion left a wound in Picard that didn't heal until Laren showed up in the final season of Picard. But this almost didn't happen, and the reason is very surprising. According to Giant Freakin Robot, Paramount thought she wouldn't be recognized.

Though Forbes only spent a short time on The Next Generation, her time there made an impact and left an indelible mark on fans. We wanted to know if Laren had ever regretted her decision to turn her back on Starfleet and Captain Picard. We wanted to know what had happened to her, if she'd stayed with the Maquis or had a change of heart, and seeing her in the Starfleet uniform on the Titan gave us a feeling of resolution to her character.

Forbes stepped right back into the character, enabling Patrick Stewart to bring Admiral Picard's emotions to the forefront over the devastating heartbreak. The bar scene aboard the Titan where Admiral Picard and Commander Laren square off is both illuminating and heartwarming. It was a loose end that many fans had wanted tied for decades. Picard gave us the chance to see these two characters reach an understanding that didn't erase the past but made what had happened in Star Trek: The Next Generation's episode, Preemptive Strike, palatable. Paramount thinking we wouldn't recognize Forbes or her character was clearly inaccurate. There are some characters that we'll remember for a lifetime. Ro Laren is one of them.