Editing Tom Paris (section)

==Background==
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| source = [[Rick Berman]], [[Michael Piller]], [[Jeri Taylor]], Tom Paris' description, ''Star Trek: Voyager Bible'', 1995
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The writers planned to use the character of [[Nicholas Locarno|Nicolas Locarno]] as a template for Tom Paris, a previous similar character played by McNeill in the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Next Generation]]'' episode "[[The First Duty]]". ''Voyager''{{'}}s writers created an entirely new character sharing many of Locarno's attributes.<ref>''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' DVD set, Season 5, Disk 7, "Memorable Missions" featurette.</ref> One reason for this is that the writers wanted to have the character be a story of redemption, and they did not like the backstory established for Locarno.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2021-01-30|title=Star Trek: Why Voyager Avoided Reviving A TNG Character|url=https://screenrant.com/star-trek-voyager-tng-locarno-robert-mcneill-return/|access-date=2021-02-25|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref>

Paris' character has two backstories. The original backstory, and the only one acknowledged onscreen, cast Paris as a disgraced officer dishonorably discharged from Starfleet for covering up pilot error following a shuttle accident on Caldik Prime.<ref name=":2" /> In her published novel, ''Pathways'', ''Voyager'' producer [[Jeri Taylor]] provided an alternative story much more similar to Locarno's, moving the accident to Paris' Academy years and making his fellow cadets the victims of his recklessness.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}