I guess the creator realized that nobody liked them so she got them replaced by Janna and Jackie as the protagonists ' friends , who are way more likable and interesting characters . And i ' m glad she got rid of them because they were just annoying and not funny to watch . I guess they were supposed to fit in the socially awkward loser friend role but the problem is that we already have Marco for that , and so making them pointless characters indeed . <| sep |> I ' ve always found the hugesmall couples to be cute somehow . These guys are no exception . <| sep |> I think that ' s what made her relationship with Barclay really interesting , because he ' s not the typical human in the 24 th century . His neuroses and phobias made him prone to crippling anxiety , which is where someone like Troi could shine a bit more . The best series to really explore the need for dedicated counselors on the ship would have be Voyager . Interestingly , there was the Pathfinder arc where Troi reconnected with Barclay and tried to help him through his seeming obsession with Voyager .