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Star Trek: What Happened to Thomas Riker?

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Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best Riker Episodes

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Clones and evil doppelgängers of main characters are a common trope in science fiction. They're typically the focus of an episode within a series, with their story tying up by the end of the episode. That's not the case in Star Trek . This science fiction franchise can always use a good doppelgänger story, and it did so when it created the duplicate of Commander William Riker. The existence of Thomas Riker went a different route, subverting the "evil" clone trope because they were nearly identical in every way.

Thomas Riker served as an introspective piece for Commander William Riker , giving him a glimpse at the kind of person he was, especially at the time of the transporter accident that created Thomas. William evolved into a duty-driven officer with integrity, while Thomas was the same arrogant, reckless person that William was eight years prior. Unlike other stories that feature clones, Thomas didn't go away at the end of his episode. He made several appearances throughout the Star Trek franchise.

Riker has appeared in multiple Star Trek projects, but his episodes on Star Trek: The Next Generation are the most definitive.

When William Riker was a Lieutenant in 2361, stationed aboard the USS Potemkin, he led an away mission on Nervala IV. When it came time to return to the Potemkin, William was the last to beam out. However, atmospheric distortions threatened the transfer from the surface to the ship, forcing the transporter chief to do what they could to complete the beam. Unbeknownst to most, this created an exact duplicate of William, who remained on the planet's surface for eight years. The one who would eventually call himself Thomas had just as much claim to be the original Riker as William did since, at the time of the event, they were carbon copies of each other on a molecular level.

It wasn't until 2369, when the Enterprise retrieved scientific research data, that anyone learned about Thomas's existence. Enterprise brought him aboard, where the two Rikers learned about each other for the first time. They didn't get along at first, because it was difficult to reconcile the thought that one of them was a clone while the other was the original, but it was impossible to ascertain which. Thomas had the same personality and demeanor that William had eight years prior, causing more tension between the two.

After spending some time together, William was able to accept that there was another Riker in the universe and that they were like brothers. Thomas went by their middle name, and continued pursuing a career with Starfleet, thanks to Captain Picard getting him a posting on the USS Gandhi.

Thomas Riker had been stranded on the planet Nervala IV for eight years, not giving him much opportunity to evolve as a person like William did. However, after his discovery and interaction with his clone and the rest of the Enterprise crew, Thomas begins to form a number of beliefs and ideals that deviate from William's. While the two had a tense relationship at first, they parted on good terms, with William giving Thomas their prized trombone as a parting gift.

During Deep Space Nine's tenure, a new faction known as the Maquis formed . The Maquis consisted of Federation citizens who refused to give up their territory in the demilitarized zone to the Cardassians, which the Federation ceded. While the Maquis were a less organized resistance force than the organizations they challenged, they received support from many Starfleet officers, including Thomas Riker. This put him at odds not only with the ideals of William, but also in direct contention with Commander Benjamin Sisko of Deep Space Nine.

Thomas used William's identity to board Deep Space Nine and commandeer the advanced starship USS Defiant. With Major Kira as a prisoner, Thomas and his crew plotted a course for the Orias system where they believed the Cardassians were constructing a new fleet of warships. Gul Dukat, whom Commander Sisko was working with to locate and intercept the Defiant, claimed he had no knowledge of Cardassia building any ships in the Orias system. However, Thomas's intelligence proved accurate. The Obsidian Order , Cardassia's top secret intelligence organization, was indeed building a new generation of warships.

However, Dukat was also telling the truth. He knew nothing about the Obsidian Order's operations in the system, which were against Cardassian law. Dukat managed to intercept Thomas, and Commander Sisko successfully negotiated a lighter sentence for Thomas as long as he handed over the Defiant's sensor logs of the Orias system. This compromise landed Thomas in Cardassia's labor camp on Lazon II for the remainder of his life.

After being imprisioned in a Cardassian labor camp in Deep Space 9 , nobody, including William, heard from Thomas Riker again. There were a couple of stories in novels and comics that featured Thomas, including one where Thomas's involvement with the Maquis is expanded on. In this story, it was shown to be Voyager's Chakotay who formulated the plan to steal DS9's Defiant. Another novel showed Thomas being freed from the labor camp and becoming entwined in an assassination plot.

However, none of his appearances in novels or comics are considered canon. The only other canonical appearance by Thomas was a brief mention in the Star Trek: Lower Decks episode "The Inner Fight," in which the crew of the USS Cerritos are tracking down former Starfleet officers at risk of being recruited by a mystery villain. On the list of former officers is Thomas Riker. Since he was last known to be imprisoned in a Cardassian labor camp, this appearance suggests his story is progressing and fans might get to see him in the near future.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Exploring the audacity of Star Trek: TNG's know-it-all wunderkind to pilot the Federation's flagship, the Starship Enterprise.

• Movies & TV

Thomas Riker

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Thomas Riker was the accidental transporter duplicate of William Riker , created in 2361 . He was rescued from Nervala IV in 2369 , after which he served aboard the USS Gandhi . ( TNG : " Second Chances ")

While serving aboard the Gandhi , Tom had a romantic relationship with Mary Barranco . ( Star Trek: Pendragon )

In 2370 , he joined the Maquis . Masquerading as Will Riker, Tom stole the USS Defiant from Deep Space 9 in order to destroy a secret Cardassian facility in the Orias system . He was convinced to stand down by Major Kira Nerys and Commander Benjamin Sisko in order to save his crew, accepting a sentence of life imprisonment at the Lazon II penal colony. ( DS9 : " Defiant ")

Sometime later, he was returned to Cardassia Prime , where he underwent numerous tests and experiments designed to uncover the secret of his creation. On stardate 48979.1, Starfleet Command sent Captain Sisko to negotiate for his release, offering Delkar VII in exchange. The Detapa Council refused to release Riker, in the hopes of creating an army of transporter duplicates. However, Dr. Duran Nol , Cardassia's leading geneticist , did not want to see such technology used to make war. She convinced the Council that Riker was not created through transporter duplication, but was rather "pulled in" from a parallel universe. The Council ceased support for the project, and Riker was returned to the labor camps. As a "parting gift," Captain Sisko gave him a non-functional combadge , to remind him of where he came from, and that someday he would return. ( DS9 comic : " Sole Asylum ")

• 1.1 Pendragon timeline
• 1.2 Star Trek: Banshee Squadron timeline
• 1.3 Star Trek Online / Star Trek: Constance timeline
• 1.4 Star Trek: Pirates Cove timeline
• 2 External links

Alternate continuities [ ]

Pendragon timeline [ ].

Eventually, Tom was rescued from the prison camp, and afterwards, he continued to live in the Demilitarized Zone . He became an ally of Michael Eddington , and helped form the Colonial Alliance in 2385 . He eventually became romantically involved with Ro Laren . ( Star Trek: Pendragon : "Promised Land", "Above the Wrecks of Time"; Star Trek: Sons of Liberty )

Star Trek: Banshee Squadron timeline [ ]

Following the collapse of the Cardassian Union at the conclusion of the Dominion War in 2375 , many Cardassian government facilities were simply abandoned, including the prison on Lazon II where Thomas Riker was incarcerated. Riker and a group of former- Maquis took over a guard compound and lived there, defending against other, more violent ex-inmates until 2381 .

In early 2381 , a civilian Cardassian cargo ship landed near the guard compound looking for salvage. Riker attempted to make peaceful contact and negotiate for passage off Lazon, but his Maquis associates attacked instead, killing the crew but being, in turn, themselves all killed. Before the rest of the local inmates had time to arrive at the landing site, Riker took the ship and escaped from Lazon II.

In June of 2381 , he arrived in the New Canada system and snuck aboard Starbase 901 . There he met Ensign Kimberly Tycho of Banshee Squadron and told her his story. He convinced her to help him find someplace safe to live away from the Cardassian Guard , the Obsidian Order , the Bajoran Provisional Government , and Starfleet Security . Kimberly and the other Banshees managed to smuggle him to Ba'ku where he was welcomed and offered a home by the village elders, Sojef and Anij. ( Star Trek: Banshee Squadron : "Runaway")

Star Trek Online / Star Trek: Constance timeline [ ]

Following the collapse of the Cardassian Union at the end of the Dominion war, the prison on Lazon II had been abandoned. The Maquis were left to fend for themselves after the prison broke down, in this continuity Thomas Riker had a son Joshua Riker . Thomas died before the True Way had taken the prisoners off of the planet. ( Star Trek Constance : " The True Way ")

Star Trek: Pirates Cove timeline [ ]

At some point after the Dominion War , Thomas was transferred to the Federation maximum security penal colony on I'Tana IV .

External links [ ]

• Thomas Riker article at Memory Alpha , the canon Star Trek wiki.
• Thomas Riker article at Memory Beta , the non-canon Star Trek wiki.
• 1 Daniels (Agent)
• 3 Dominion War

Thomas Riker

William Thomas "Tom" Riker  was a result of a transporter accident in 2361 that created two  William T. Rikers , genetically indistinguishable from each other, with personality and memories identical up to the point of the duplication. One of the duplicates continued to be known as William Riker. The other chose to use his middle name and be known as Thomas Riker.

• 1 Early life
• 2 Starfleet Academy
• 3.1 The  Potemkin
• 4 Eight years later
• 5 Divergent personality
• 6 Maquis affiliation
• 7 External links

Early life [ ]

William Thomas Riker was born in 2335 to Kyle and Betty Riker in Alaska on Earth. His distant ancestors were from mainland North America, including Colonel Thaddius Riker, who fought in the American Civil War.

Betty died when Will was only two years old, leaving his father to raise him alone. The Rikers remained in Alaska at Betty's wish. The only thing which kept Kyle going was Will, but he did not feel as if he could discuss the situation with him, even when Will was older. The memories of Betty's presence at their Alaska home were also painful for both. This initial trauma created a rift between the two Rikers which lasted thirty years.

When Will first started school, at the age of five, he told all of his new friends that his mother was still alive. Eventually, he told the story so often that he began to believe the lie. Soon, his teacher learned of this problem, and both she and Kyle had to talk to Will and make him realize that his mother was dead and was not coming back. Will cried the entire night following, but later realized it was an important step in accepting his mother's death. However, Will's relationship with Kyle continued to deteriorate into his early teens. He was often left to care for himself, learning such skills as cooking.

Will was never able to concentrate much on subjects such as math, as he constantly daydreamed about starships. In 2344, Will and his father went on a fishing trip. Will was able to hook a large fish, but Kyle insisted on reeling the fish in. This incident bothered Will for many years. He also practiced  anbo-jyutsu  with his father. Kyle admitted that by the time Will was twelve, his skills were superior. Will did not know that the only reason he always lost was because his father used illegal  hachidan kiritsu  moves.

Kyle completely abandoned Will by 2350, when Will was fifteen. Will held a grudge against his father for the following fifteen years.

Starfleet Academy [ ]

Will entered Starfleet Academy in 2353. During his time at the Academy, his superintendent was a Vulcan, who had taken the time to memorize the personnel files of each and every cadet. (TNG: "The First Duty") Paul Ricewas a close friend of Riker's while at the Academy.

He felt that people were out to get him during his first year at the Academy. During a battle simulation against a Tholian opponent, Riker calculated a sensory blind spot of the Tholian vessel and hid within the blind spot. This ingenious tactical strategy was noted in his record. Upon graduation in 2357, Riker was ranked eighth in his class. He set lofty goals for himself, and hoped to reach captain before thirty-five years of age.

Early Starfleet career [ ]

Seven months after graduation, Ensign William Riker's first posting was to the USS  Pegasus  under the command of Erik Pressman. He was the ship's conn officer, and his youthful appearance earned him the nickname "Ensign Babyface," coined by fellow crewmember Lieutenant Boylen.  Phil Wallace was another of Riker's friends aboard the  Pegasus .

Fresh from the Academy, Riker was still somewhat serious about his work. Loyalty and obedience to his commanding officer were top priorities. Riker's ears were still ringing with words like  duty  and  honor . This attitude caused him to behave against the principles of the Treaty of Algeron during a crisis on board the ship.

Captain Pressman had been illegally testing a prototype phasing cloaking device aboard the  Pegasus . This top-secret project was in violation of the Treaty of Algeron, not to mention extremely dangerous to the crew, leading most of the  Pegasus  officers, such as the first officer and chief engineer, to mutiny against Pressman. Riker was the only bridge officer to defend the captain, picking up a phaser and instigating a running firefight all the way to the escape pods. Only a few other crew joined Riker and Pressman. Once safely away, Riker and the others watched as the  Pegasus  apparently exploded, killing the remaining seventy-one personnel.

Although Pressman commended Riker for his unquestioning loyalty, over the years Riker began to have doubts about whether he had made the right decision. The Starfleet Judge Advocate General investigated the  Pegasus incident, but the survivors participated in a coverup. The Judge Advocate General discovered evidence of a mutiny aboard the  Pegasus  before its destruction. While further investigation was recommended, Starfleet Intelligence declared the entire incident classified and no follow up was ever conducted.

Following the  Pegasus  incident, Riker was stationed on Betazed. While there, he met Deanna Troi. The two began a relationship which lasted several years. Sometime during his early career, Riker needed to wear a feathered costume while on a diplomatic mission to Armus IX. Similarly, he wore furs to meet with the leadership council on Kabatris.

The  Potemkin [ ]

By 2361, Riker was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to the USS  Potemkin . Aboard the  Potemkin , he developed a tactic which involved using a planet's magnetic pole and shutting down all ship's systems to confuse an enemy vessel's sensors. Later in 2361, Riker led an away team to Nervala IV to rescue researchers stranded at the outpost on that world. Riker was the last to beam out. Atmospheric distortions threatened to dissipate his pattern, so the  Potemkin transporter chief compensated by creating a second confinement beam. Only one beam was needed for Riker to rematerialize, so the second beam was shut down. The  Potemkin  crew did not realize that the second beam had, in fact, been reflected back to the planet's surface. In an odd twist of fate, the second transporter beam, which had exactly the same phase differential as the distortion field, maintained its integrity and created a duplicate William T. Riker. The duplicate Riker remained stranded on the surface for the next eight years. Up until that moment, both Rikers were the same person. As a result, both had an equal claim to being the "real " William T. Riker.

Eight years later [ ]

The existence of this other William Riker (hereafter referred to as "Thomas") was discovered on Nervala IV eight years later in 2369 when the USS  Enterprise -Dreturned to retrieve scientific research that had been left behind. With the aid of Thomas, who had altered the computer systems on the planet to aid in his survival, the  Enterprise  away team was able to access the information and return to the ship with Thomas.

During the time he spent on the planet, Thomas had remained deeply in love with Deanna Troi, his girlfriend at the time. Thomas had planned to meet Deanna on Risa the year of the transporter mishap, a fact upon which he had dwelt while stranded. In contrast, the Riker that beamed off-planet eight years prior was soon promoted and made his career a priority over their relationship, and never made the trip to Risa with Deanna.

Upon his rescue, Thomas told Deanna that he could not believe Will had failed to meet her as planned and that he was hoping their relationship could resume. Initially, Deanna was opposed to the idea, but found herself won over despite her objections. In the end, however, Thomas decided that he could not remain on the  Enterprise  alongside his countpart, while Troi's feelings for him were not strong enough for her to leave the  Enterprise  with him.

Divergent personality [ ]

Thomas and William clashed almost immediately due to the resentment each felt towards the other. The eight years of living different lives made them entirely different men – William evolved into a cautious and duty-driven officer while Thomas remained impulsive and reckless. As a result of conflicts with William – who was by that time a superior officer (a commander) – Lieutenant Riker decided to leave the  Enterprise . He chose to use his middle name, Thomas, to distinguish himself from his counterpart. Captain Jean-Luc Picard managed to get Thomas a posting on the USS  Gandhi  where he could continue his Starfleet career. Upon Thomas' departure, William seemed to have accepted Thomas' existence and gave him his (or rather,  their ) trombone as a parting gift.

Maquis affiliation [ ]

In 2370, Thomas expressed dismay at the Federation's policies towards the Cardassians and the Federation colonies in the Demilitarized Zone, and later joined the Maquis resistance. In early 2371, Thomas, posing as William Riker, came aboard Deep Space 9 and stole the newly-commissioned USS  Defiant .

With Major Kira as his unwilling passenger, Thomas took the  Defiant  to the Orias system, deep in Cardassian space, where the Maquis believed that the Cardassians were building a fleet of warships. Major Kira accused Thomas of still acting like a Starfleet officer instead of a terrorist; more concerned with intelligence reports and interstellar politics than with simply hurting the enemy. Trying to locate the  Defiant  with the assistance of Commander Sisko, Gul Dukat swore that he knew nothing of the fleet in the Orias system. He was telling the truth, as the fleet had been constructed by the Obsidian Order in direct violation of Cardassian law. As the  Defiant  arrived at Orias, it was intercepted by a number of Cardassian warships.

Sisko achieved a compromise with Dukat and negotiated Thomas' surrender – in exchange for the  Defiant 's sensor logs of the secretive Orias base, Thomas' sentence would be reduced to life imprisonment in the Lazon II labor camp, while the  Defiant  would be escorted back to the Federation-Cardassian border returning the rest of the Maquis crew to the Federation for trial. Thomas was initially wary of accepting the terms offered to him, but Kira pointed out that it would accomplish his mission and let his crew escape Cardassian imprisonment, even challenging his reluctance as some kind of death wish, a desire to go out in a blaze of glory in order to distinguish himself from the other, more successful William Riker.

Immediately after Thomas surrendered the  Defiant  to the  Galor -class cruisers of the Cardassian Central Command, the  Kraxon  extended its shields around the  Defiant  to protect her from the fast approaching ships from Orias (upgraded  Keldon -class cruisers with markedly higher top speeds than regular ships of the class). Dukat was confident that the Orias ships would not dare fire on Cardassian ships. Upon seeing this, the ships from Orias – under the command of the Obsidian Order and not technically part of the Cardassian military – turned around and returned to the Orias system.

Just before Thomas transported over to the  Kraxon , Kira promised to return for him one day.

External links [ ]

• Thomas Riker article at Memory Alpha , the canon Star Trek wiki.
• Thomas Riker article at Memory Beta , the non-canon Star Trek wiki.
• Thomas Riker article at Star Trek Expanded Universe .
• 1 Invincible class
• 2 William V of the United Kingdom
• 3 George VII of the United Kingdom

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series)

Defiant (1994), jonathan frakes: thomas riker, photos .

Quotes 

Thomas Riker : [of the Defiant]  Tough little ship.

[Tom Riker has hijacked the Defiant for a special Maquis-mission in Cardassian territory] 

Major Kira : The Maquis are terrorists, and the only thing terrorists care about is attacking the enemy. I know, I was a terrorist, and if I'd had this ship then... I would've destroyed Deep Space Nine. I would've hit the Cardassians so hard, they would've screamed for peace; but I certainly wouldn't have gone flying off into the middle of Cardassia on some wild goose chase!

Thomas Riker : I guess we're different kinds of terrorists.

Major Kira : No - you're trying to be a hero. Terrorists don't get to be heroes.

Major Kira : It's not the mission you're thinking about, is it? Or even the colonists in the zone. This is about you, isn't it, you and that other Will Riker out there, the man with your face, your name, your career. You are looking for a way to set yourself apart, some way to be different.

Thomas Riker : You shouldn't go fishing today. You won't catch anything.

Thomas Riker : Looks like you got your evening all planned. Hope you've got room for the unexpected.

Thomas Riker : Call me Will.

Thomas Riker : This ship was built to fight. I think it's time she got her chance. Engage.

[Kira has blown a few plasma conduits on the Defiant, getting injured in the process] 

Thomas Riker : You're lucky you only got singed. You know, the whole plasma relay could've exploded.

Major Kira : Yeah, that was the idea.

Thomas Riker : [the Cardassians pursuing the Defiant to the Orias system]  They can chase me all they want. As long as they don't catch me.

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Picard season 3 can answer what happened to riker's doppelganger.

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Star Trek: Picard season 3 can finally give audiences an update on the whereabouts of Thomas (Jonathan Frakes), Will Riker's transporter clone. The final season of Patrick Stewarts Star Trek: The Next Generation spinoff is set to wrap things up for the crew of the Enterprise-D, giving them the send-off they never got in the movies. This means that the show can tackle many of TNG 's loose ends, such as Picard and Crusher's romantic tension, and possibly even the location of the absent Thomas Riker.

Will Riker's doppelganger was introduced in TNG season 6, episode 24, "Second Chances", where it was revealed that a transporter malfunction had created a second Riker. This transporter clone was stranded on the planet Nervala IV for eight years until he was recovered by the crew of the Enterprise. After each believing himself to be the only Will Riker for eight years, the stranded clone eventually embraced his differences and adopts Rikers' middle name - Thomas. The character was then seen again in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , but his ultimate fate remains open-ended, leaving Picard season 3 a perfect opportunity to revisit the character.

RELATED: Star Trek Delivers A Better Riker Doppelganger Story Than TNG Ever Did

Everything Known About Thomas Riker's TNG & DS9 Fate

Thomas Riker left the Enterprise-D for the USS Gandhi, but quickly became disillusioned, betraying Starfleet in DS9 for the Maquis . In DS9 season 3, episode 9, "Defiant", Thomas Riker masqueraded as Will to steal the USS Defiant. His plans to use the ship to attack key Cardassian outposts was ultimately foiled by Sisko and Gul Dukat. However, it was Major Kira who ultimately convinced Thomas to surrender himself to the Cardassians so that his fellow Maquis could live.

"Defiant" ended with Thomas Riker being beamed aboard a Cardassian ship bound for the Lazon II labor camp, where he would serve a life sentence. Kira promised that one day she would go back for him, but to date, Thomas Riker has never been seen again in Star Trek on-screen. With a full complement of the TNG cast, and surprise returning Star Trek villains like Lore and Moriarty, there may be room for Thomas Riker to make a long-awaited return.

How Picard Season 3 Can Solve Thomas Riker's Mystery

Thomas Riker was sentenced to life, so it may be that he's still serving time on Lazon II. The Dominion War may have complicated matters slightly, given the loss of Cardassian territory during their war with the Klingon Empire, territory that wasn't protected by the Treaty of Bajor. It's unclear exactly what territories were lost in the Klingon-Cardassian war, so it might be that Thomas Riker and his fellow prisoners were liberated by the Klingons. Although Thomas Riker hasn't been seen again in televised Star Trek canon, he was referenced in the massive multiplayer online role-playing game, Star Trek: Online .

It appears that Picard season 3 will canonize the Enterprise-F from the game, so it's not completely outwith the realm of possibility for them to revisit Thomas Riker's story from the MMORPG. In the game, the Cardassian Union abandoned Lazon II following the Dominion War, and Thomas Riker set up a peaceful colony with his fellow prisoners before his death. His son Joshua Riker was a prisoner of a Cardassian splinter group, and the player teamed up with Joshua to defeat the Cardassians and save Thomas' colony. While the mission was later removed from the game, and it's unlikely that Star Trek: Picard will delve into the aftermath of the Dominion War on top of wrapping up the TNG crew's stories, Star Trek: Online does reveal that there are plenty more stories to tell with Will Riker's fallen doppelganger.

NEXT: How Picard Season 2's Khan Tease Could Tie Into Season 3

• SR Originals

Lower Decks Could Finally Tell the Riker Story Deep Space Nine Left Unfinished

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• Star Trek: Lower Decks used a hunt for former Starfleet Officers to bring an old Star Trek: The Next Generation antagonist back.
• One of the names on the list of missing officers answers a question left open by the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
• The mention of this Star Trek character could help bring resolution to fans of Deep Space Nine and The Next Generation.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Lower Decks , Season 4, Episode 9, "The Inner Fight," now streaming on Paramount+.

In the penultimate Season 4 episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks , the crew of the USS Cerritos was sent to find The Next Generation character Nick Locarno . Along with him, there came a list of names of former Starfleet officers the Federation had lost touch with, including Beverly Crusher and Seven of Nine. While Star Trek: Picard satisfactorily caught up with them, the final name on the list is a big question mark. Lower Decks could tell the story of Thomas Riker, last seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine being sent off to Cardassian prison.

All throughout Lower Decks Season 4, a mysterious alien vessel has been attacking non-Federation ships in the Alpha Quadrant. "The Inner Fight" reveals command believes this vessel was chasing down personnel who used to be in Starfleet but left for one reason or another. Nick Locarno, the man behind the mystery, was a cadet expelled from the Academy for covering up an operation that killed a fellow cadet. Dr. Crusher left Starfleet when she was pregnant with her son Jack, determined to keep him safe from the life of Jean-Luc Picard. Seven of Nine similarly left Starfleet to become a Fenris ranger, reuniting with Picard and Starfleet in that series. Commander William Riker showed up, too. However, Thomas Riker, his "transporter clone" hasn't been seen in a long time either. That Starfleet assumed he was at risk for capture suggests his story may have progressed off-screen since fans last saw him in the universe.

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Thomas Riker Is the Transporter Clone of the Beloved Star Trek: TNG Character

In Season 6 of Star Trek: TNG , the USS Enterprise returned to the planet Nervala IV after the USS Potemkin narrowly evacuated the surface. There is an anomaly that prevents transporter access save for a trio of "windows" every eight years. When they returned, they found Thomas Riker, a clone of Will Riker who didn't know his duplicate made his escape. The two Rikers didn't get along well, prompting Thomas to take a post on the USS Ghandi.

Thomas also started going by his middle name to differentiate himself from Picard's Number One. He wasn't seen again until "Defiant," the ninth episode of Deep Space Nine Season 3. He posed as Will Riker , complete with phony facial hair, to steal the USS Defiant for the Maquis. This was an offshoot group of the Federation who renounced their citizenship in order to fight the Cardassians. When the Federation entered into a treaty after a war with the species, some colonies were left on the wrong side of that neutral zone.

Starfleet would not risk the treaty by defending those colonies or entering into open conflict with the Cardassians. This left the Maquis to use whatever means they could to fight Cardassians, including terroristic action. Thomas Riker stole the Defiant successfully and led a campaign against the Cardassians. Eventually, however, he surrendered the ship. He agreed to serve a life sentence in a prison camp if his crew could be returned to the Federation for trial.

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How Deep Space Nine Left Thomas Riker's Story Unfinished

While there can never be too much of Riker, sending the transporter clone away could be seen as an end to his story. He would be off toiling in the camp while the "real" Riker married Deanna Troi, had children and went on one last adventure with Captain Picard . However, right before he was turned over to Cardassian authorities, Major Kira Nerys promised him she'd rescue him from their clutches. In true Riker fashion, Thomas and Nerys shared a few moments and even a passionate kiss before he left.

There were reportedly plans to revisit the character, with Frakes reportedly even pitching a story idea. However, showrunner Ira Steven Behr ultimately decided against bringing Riker or any other past characters back. The "Defiant" episode was, as Behr said in an interview with Geek Town , "the moment where I said, 'We have to cut ties with the past…'" The other writers wanted to bring him back onto the show, however Behr said they couldn't have "used him enough to get the good storytelling going."

Even with all that, Behr admits he would have liked to bring him back. In Star Trek "apocrypha" ( meaning novels, comics and video games ), Thomas Riker appeared in a few other adventures. In canon, once the Cardassians joined the Dominion, fans assumed Riker (and any other Starfleet prisoners) were killed. However, Lower Decks shows he's alive. Since they think he's at risk of being captured, it suggests he may no longer be imprisoned in the Lazon II labor camp.

Lower Decks Perfectly Honors Star Trek's Obsession with Caves

Lower Decks Is the Perfect Place to Tell Thomas Riker's Story

While both "Defiant" and "Second Chance" are excellent Star Trek episodes, there is no denying the concept of a transporter clone is a little silly. So much so, the device was used in the Season 2 premiere of Lower Decks to get Brad Boimler back on the USS Cerritos . In Season 3, "William" Boimler was reportedly killed, but it was revealed his death was faked so that he could join the shadowy Section 31 branch of Starfleet intelligence. If Thomas Riker is still in prison, perhaps Will Boimler can rescue his fellow clone? If he's not in prison, Lower Decks is the prefect place to bring back the character.

Actor Jonathan Frakes already appeared as Will Riker in Lower Decks , so bringing Thomas in is a way to get him back on the show. Yet, in Season 4 especially, the animated Star Trek comedy has proven very adept at telling emotional, dramatic stories . The storytellers could mine Thomas Riker's life for lots of comedy while still giving this character the complete arc he deserves. After eight years in solitude, the crew of the USS Enterprise put him right back to work with no time off for healing. Starfleet then abandoned him in a hellish Cardassian prison. Any beef Thomas Riker has with Starfleet is way more justified than Nick Locarno's.

Still, just by including Thomas Riker on the list of missing former Starfleet personnel starts to tie up the loose end Behr and Deep Space Nine left dangling. His inclusion on the list suggests he's still alive. It also implies he's out of prison, perhaps as part of a prisoner exchange at the end of the Dominion war. Nonetheless, Lower Decks should use its unique place in the Star Trek timeline and canon to continue the story of the "other" Riker who deserved much better than he got, both in the narrative and the real world.

Star Trek: Lower Decks debuts the Season 4 finale Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, on Paramount+ .

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Published May 24, 2023

What Happens When Your 'Second Chances' Aren't Yours?

For the 30th anniversary of its first airing, we revisit when Riker gets to see his life take a very different path in this The Next Generation episode.

StarTrek.com / Rob DeHart

What if you had lived your life differently? What if you could encounter a different version of yourself, one who developed differently from you? What if this you was able to choose paths you had given up?

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “ Second Chances ,” Commander William T. Riker experiences just that. Eight years after a transporter accident clones Lieutenant Riker without his knowledge, the Enterprise and Commander Riker encounter the lieutenant — who had been living in solitude on Nervala IV ’s surface since the malfunction.

Star Trek: The Next Generation — Two Rikers Come Face to Face

After scanning both Rikers, Dr. Beverly Crusher observes, “Brain organization patterns are as unique as fingerprints. Except for minor, minor differences, theirs are identical. [Brain patterns] are determined by experience, mostly from early childhood.”

Later, Picard comments of the situation, “You and Lieutenant Riker have lived very different lives for the past eight years, you are now very different people. I suppose it's a little like meeting someone's twin.”

This sounds like pure sci-fi, but “Second Chances” is reminiscent of cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker’s investigations into the case of identical twins Yufe and Oskar Stohr, one raised by Nazis and the other by a Jewish family. The twins, when they finally met at age 21, were disturbed by one another — they both had the same receding red hair, thin mustaches, and identical outfits in identical colors. Too similar without being the same — eerie . But there was something more than that.

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When once asked if he loved his twin brother, whom he only met once, Yufe Stohr replied, “Love each other? We don’t even know if we liked each other.”

Similarly, neither version of William Riker likes the other. After a particularly tense argument between the two Rikers while trying to decide how best to retrieve the database from the station on the planet Nervala IV’s surface, Data and Chief Security Officer Worf are left alone to discuss the Rikers.

Intrigued by the Rikers’ dislike for one another, Data says to Worf, “I have found that humans value their uniqueness, that sense that they are different from everyone else. The existence of a double would preclude that feeling. Could that be the source of the friction?”

After a pause, Worf replies slowly, “Or perhaps it is more a matter of seeing something in your double. Something you do not like in yourself.”

Each Riker represents the different road the other could have taken — the life direction Commander Riker willingly gave up makes Lieutenant Riker livid.

“Take it,” the lieutenant says to Commander Riker, folding his hand during a poker game, effectively giving the money away without seeing the other Riker’s cards. “You always had the better hand in everything.”

Based on his findings, Steven Pinker asserts in his book The Blank Slate and his 2003 TED Talk , the biggest influences on the outcome of a child’s development of a personality are their DNA, peer group, and chance — random life events, such as being stuck in isolation on a strange planet’s surface. Even though the Rikers have the same DNA, the trajectory of their respective lives created two different individuals. This is summed up in the episode’s final scene.

By the time the final scene arrives, the two Rikers have forged a tentative truce but do not wish to further build a relationship. Lieutenant Riker is leaving to take a posting on the Gandhi and decides to go by his middle name, Thomas.

“I guess we really are different,” Commander Riker muses. “I never cared for that name.”

This final solidification that the two Rikers are, in fact, individuals rather than exact copies illuminates an earlier conversation between Counselor Troi and Lieutenant Riker.

When Deanna Troi asks, “But if you hadn't been [stuck on the planet], what would have happened between us?” She’s asking the wrong question; she already knows the answer. This is why Commander Riker warns her of the new Riker’s motivations and how he might proceed with his life — and her.

The Rikers were the same person with the same experiences then. If the transporter malfunction had never happened, Riker would have made the same decisions. But the newly dubbed Thomas RIker doesn’t have the same motivations as Will Riker. When their paths deviated, so did their selves — the foundation may be the same, but they have unique scaffolding headed in different directions. They’re two separate trees with the same root system.

In truth, the only person getting a true second chance is Deanna Troi — a second chance at having a romance with Riker, even if it’s not precisely the same version of him she knew before. But, of course, she has grown over the course of eight years as well. Change is a core part of second chances, even when they’re not ours.

This article was originally published on February 26, 2020.

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Brooke Knisley (she/her) teaches writing at Emerson College and has written for Playboy, VICE, McSweeney's, The Boston Globe Magazine, and others. She has balance issues. Find her on Twitter @BrookeKnisley.

Thomas Riker is still in prison waiting for his return to Star Trek canon

By chad porto | nov 29, 2021.

Thomas Riker is still in prison and it’s time to let him loose on the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek has already done the evil-twin storyline but the series missed out on a huge opportunity to make Thomas Riker a huge villain in the franchise. A character created during Star Trek: The Next Generation, he’s identical to Will Riker in every way. Of course, he is, they’re the same person.

Before taking the assignment on the Enterprise, a young Will Riker was involved in a transporter accident that ended up creating a copy of him. This Riker was left behind and forced to fend for himself until the Enterprise one day crossed paths with the second Riker. This Riker, now going by Thomas, rejoined Starfleet and transferred away from his other self.

During the events of Deep Space Nine, Thomas arrived on the space station, masquerading as Will. During this time it was revealed that Thomas had fallen in with the Maquis. After stealing the U.S.S. Defiant for the Maquis, he’s arrested by the Cardassians and sentenced to life in a labor camp.

Thomas Riker was set up to be a major villain in Star Trek

The story of Riker going full villain is so easy to slide into. Left behind by the Federation, his resentment builds until he joins the Maquis, not just to help them wage war against the Cardassians but maybe to gain a measure of revenge against the Federation by destabilizing entire pockets of the Alpha Quadrant; throwing things into disarray.

Riker’s arrest could finally push him over the edge and make him a full-fledged villain, raising troops to take on the powers of the Alpha Quadrant.

While such an idea isn’t likely to be explored canonically on screen, given that Riker’s actor, Jonathan Frakes, is pushing 70 and working behind the scenes these days, it should at least be explored in some facet canonically.

With IDW putting out a string of great comics, it wouldn’t be too hard to do an official story event through the pages of a graphic novel. Heck, maybe even a regular novel. Market it as Riker’s revenge against the Federation that forgot about him and you can really drive home the betrayal angle.

It needs to be handled and addressed canonically, however it’s done. It was a major plot point in DS9 that was left abandoned and fans deserve to know how it ended.

Next. 5 Star Trek related things we’re thankful for this year. dark

William Thomas Riker is a 24th century Starfleet officer known for serving as first officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise-D and U.S.S. Enterprise-E under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard . In 2361, a transporter accident resulted in the creation of his duplicate, Lt. Thomas Riker .

The addition of Jazz Musician Riker on December 28, 2016 made Riker the first crew member to have a unique character available at each rarity level.

The presence of Riker in Star Trek Timelines was first revealed in a dev blog .

Related Dev Blogs

External links.

• William T. Riker at Memory Alpha
• Thomas Riker at Memory Alpha
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• Appears in The Next Generation
• Appears in Deep Space Nine
• Appears in Voyager
• Appears in Enterprise
• Appears in Picard

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I Think Picard Should Have Given Riker Kirks Star Trek Generations Advice

• Kirk's advice to Picard in Star Trek Generations should have been passed to Riker in Star Trek: Nemesis.
• Riker became Captain in Star Trek: Nemesis, but we never found out of Picard shared what Kirk told him.
• Picard ultimately became an Admiral anyway, while Riker is still waiting for a promotion.

Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) gave Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) important advice in Star Trek Generations , and I think Jean-Luc should have passed Kirk's advice on to Captain William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) in Star Trek: Nemesis . Kirk met Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's first feature film. That historic Star Trek event saw the two Captains of the USS Enterprise team up to stop a madman named Dr. Tolian Soran (Malcolm McDowell) from destroying the Veridian star system. Tragically, Kirk died stopping Soran, but not before he imparted words of wisdom to the Captain of the Enterprise.

Following the USS Enterprise's historic five-year mission in Star Trek: The Original Series , Captain Kirk was promoted to Rear Admiral in 2270. Kirk was named Chief of Starfleet Operations, but he was ill-suited to sitting behind a desk. Kirk yearned to be back in command of his beloved Starship Enterprise, and he used his pull to do just that in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Admiral Kirk was demoted back to Captain, but it was really what Jim wanted all along . Captain Kirk commanded the USS Enterprise-A for seven more years before it was truly time for him to give up the center seat. Time travel via the interdimensional Nexus allowed Kirk to join Picard for one last heroic mission in Star Trek Generations, where Jim gave Jean-Luc his personal career advice.

Star Trek Generations Ending & Kirks Death Explained

Star Trek Generations not only passed the torch to the cast of The Next Generation, it also revealed the ultimate fate of Captain James T. Kirk.

Captain Kirks Advice Should Have Been Passed By Picard To Riker

Riker became captain in star trek: nemesis.

In Star Trek Generations, Captain Kirk urged Captain Picard, “Don't let them promote you. Don't let them transfer you. Don't let them do *anything* that takes you off the bridge of that ship, because while you're there... you can make a difference.” I believe Captain Picard should have told Commander Will Riker the same when he became Captain of the USS Titan in Star Trek: Nemesis . Although Riker didn't get to succeed Picard as Captain of the Enterprise , I think it would have been fitting and resonant if Jean-Luc evoked Kirk's memory by advising Will not to give up being Captain easily if Starfleet comes calling with a promotion to flag officer.

Kirk's career advice to Picard should have become a kind of heirloom that gets passed down.

Giving up the Captaincy of the Starship Enterprise was Kirk's biggest career regret, and Jim would have preferred to spend his life seeking out new worlds and new civilizations . Picard was very much like Kirk in terms of his devotion to his Starship Enterprise. Picard was Captain of the USS Enterprise-D and E for a total of 17 continuous years, with Riker serving as his First Officer for 15 of those years. Clearly, Picard did take Kirk's advice to heart, perhaps to Riker's regret, considering how long he waited to take over for Picard as Captain of the Enterprise. But Kirk's career advice to Picard should have become a kind of heirloom that gets passed down, with Kirk to Picard to Riker as a natural progression.

It's possible Picard did tell Riker Kirk's advice at some point after Star Trek Generations, but it never canonically happened on screen.

Picard Ignored Kirk's Advice And Became An Admiral Anyway (But Riker Is Still Waiting)

Jean-luc picard had his own problems as a starfleet admiral.

Jean-Luc Picard could not remain Captain of the Enterprise forever. Picard finally accepted a promotion to Admiral in 2381 when Starfleet assigned him to lead the United Federation of Planets' evacuation of the Romulan people as their sun went supernova. Four years later, Picard resigned in protest when the Federation prematurely ended their rescue mission after rogue synths attacked Mars and dealt Starfleet a crippling blow. A bitter Picard would spend the next 14 years in self-imposed retirement before returning to action and prominence in 2399, as seen in Star Trek: Picard' s 3 seasons. Unlike Kirk, however, Picard did not yearn to be Captain of the Enterprise again.

Despite his successful stint in command of the USS Titan, Captain Will Riker is still waiting for his promotion to Admiral. Surprisingly, the extra pips did not arrive despite Riker's heroics in Star Trek: Picard season 3. However, both Picard and Riker were able to adjust to life away from being Captain of a starship more successfully than James T. Kirk did. In his ideal world, Kirk would have been Captain of the Enterprise until his dying breath, and his advice to Picard reflected that wish. I feel Picard passing Kirk's words on to Riker would have formed a fitting chain, and perhaps Riker could have then shared Kirk's words with Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), thematically tying Kirk's ideals through Star Trek: The Original Series , Star Trek: The Next Generation , and Star Trek: Picard.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Cast Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore

Directors David Carson

Showrunner Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman

Where To Watch Paramount+

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A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

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William T. Riker

• 1.1 Ancestry
• 1.2 Early life
• 1.3 Starfleet Academy
• 1.4.1 The Pegasus
• 1.4.2 Deanna Troi
• 1.4.3 Continuing career
• 1.5.1 NCC-1701-D
• 1.5.2 Voyager
• 1.5.3 NCC-1701-E
• 1.5.4 Dominion War
• 1.5.5 Later years
• 1.6 The 25th century
• 2 Starfleet service record
• 3.1 Connections
• 3.2 Appearances
• 3.3 External links

Riker's family had lived in the United States of America since at least the mid- 19th century , when a soldier named Thaddius Riker fought for the Union in the American Civil War . ( VOY episode : " Death Wish ")

It was suggested by Astrid Kemal that there was a high likelihood that the Riker family descended from the offspring of Augments who had emigrated to Alaska following the Eugenics Wars . Riker was at first shocked by this suggestion, but later realized it was a very real possibility. ( TNG novel : Infiltrator )

Riker was born on April 15, 2335 in Valdez , Alaska in continental North America on planet Earth , the son of Kyle and Elizabeth Laura 'Betty' Riker . ( TNG episode : " Conundrum ", TNG video game : Echoes from the Past )

Riker's mother died when he was two years old. His father, a civilian strategist for Starfleet, was kept away from Earth by his duties for extended periods, forcing Riker to largely raise himself. He spent his early years either staying with various families who owed his father a favor, or enrolled in different boarding schools. On Will's 12th birthday, his father returned to Earth for one day to take him to Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. During this trip, Will expressed his feelings to his father for the first time, saying he "felt like an orphan" and wished to be able to spend more time with his father. His father resented him saying that, and it led to an argument. As an adult, Will would often look back on that day as the moment he believed his father decided to abandon him completely. ( TNG novel : Quarantine )

Kyle continued to visit his son occasionally for the next three years, abandoning him altogether when Will was only 15 years old. ( TLE novel : Deny Thy Father ) At some point during his youth, Riker was forced to hunt animals as the only alternative to starvation (deleted scene from the TNG episode : " Time Squared "). This may have contributed to his adult disgust at the idea of "enslaving animals for food." ( TNG episode : " Lonely Among Us ")

Will's maternal grandfather was a trombone player in New Orleans . In 2342 , Will fractured his collarbone after falling off Execution Rock . ( TNG novel : Fortune's Light )

During his childhood, Will took a trip to Maine . While on the coastline, he had a chance to see the North Atlantic Ocean ( TNG novel : The Forgotten War ), At some point during his youth, he visited a beach where he learned to bodysurf. He also visited an aquapark where he enjoyed riding the hydrotubes. ( TNG novel : Quarantine )

Will's best friend growing up was named Jackson Carter , whom Will nicknamed "Squibby". Carter retaliated by giving Will the nickname "Thunderball". When Will left for Starfleet Academy in 2353 , he and Carter swore that they would keep in touch, but they didn't see each other again until the year 2366 on the planet Paradise ( TNG novel : A Rock and a Hard Place ).

Another person Will called his best friend was Teller Conlon -- who later joined Will at Starfleet Academy -- onboard the USS Potemkin and the USS Yorktown . In 2361 , both were detached from Starfleet duty so they could serve on the team that forged the Imperiman Trade Agreement ( TNG novel : Fortune's Light ).

Yet another very close friend during Will's childhood was Lyrinda Halk , who was also born in Valdez ( TNG comic : " Thin Ice ").

Riker grew up – at least partially – in Fairbanks , Alaska ( TNG novel : Grounded ).

Starfleet Academy

Will entered Starfleet Academy in the year 2353, and was a member of Zeta Squadron . One of Zeta Squadron's assignments was a "scavenger hunt" style survival test on the streets of San Francisco ( TLE novel : Deny Thy Father ).

During his first year, Riker auditioned for and won a place in the Starfleet Academy Band , an honor rarely given to freshmen. Several older students played practical jokes to haze him, including stranding him aboard their band cruiser near-naked after tricking him into believing the ship had a swimming pool. While returning from a music competition on the planet Pacifica , they were kidnapped by an Orion and forced to perform for the troops on the war-torn Elofim . While there, a battle broke out, which resulted in Riker and band roadie Geordi La Forge single-handedly ending the war (which was being fought between Orion mercenaries and robots) by hacking into the robot control and sending out a message of surrender ( TNG novel : Crossfire ).

During his second year, Will enrolled in an Advanced Survival Skills class, which required him to survive alone on a jungle planet with only a compass and a knife. However, the planet suffered a hurricane far stronger than any on Earth, and Will was pinioned under a fallen tree. He spent three days trapped, lying in mud with giant leeches feeding on him, before being rescued ( TNG - Double Helix novel : Infection ).

While at the Academy, Will and a fellow cadet once re-programmed a transporter so that a particularly despised instructor would arrive at a ceremony in his honor sans clothing. The incident became a major scandal with mass punishments threatened but the students all closed ranks. The head of the Academy however felt that the reprogramming was brilliant and deserved on the part of the instructor, and let the matter drop. Riker came away from the experience determined to be more respectful of transporter technology in the future ( TNG novel : Strike Zone ).

During Will's third year at the Academy, he developed a relationship with Janice Eardman . Will enjoyed taking her on walking tours within the holodeck and fixing her favorite dish: real Strawberries and Chocolate mixed with Venduvian sauce . ( TNG novel : The Forgotten War )

Riker graduated eighth in his class in 2357 . He was extremely academic and driven, and this cost him a close friendship when he refused to help a friend cheat. One of the speakers at his graduation ceremony was Admiral Leonard McCoy ( TLE novel : Deny Thy Father ). Riker took many extra courses of study (in starship command, engineering, communications, and several sciences) both during his time at the Academy and after graduating. He took enough extra courses that he would have qualified for "several doctorates." He also held the Academy Record for all-time highest score on the Starship Reconnect Simulator, a record that was still standing in 2364 ( TNG novel : Encounter at Farpoint ).

The teenage Riker's first serious love relationship was with a gorgeous Russian ballet dancer, Paula Andropova , who was old enough to be his mother. ( TNG novel : The Eyes of the Beholders )

Early career

Riker in the 2350s.

As Will was getting ready to graduate from the Academy, he had an opportunity to fill an Ensign position on the distant Tarett IV orbital base as his first assignment. However his desire for Starship duty inspired him to turn down any orbital base or shoreside assignment. This decision had ended his relationship with Janice Eardman . ( TNG novel : The Forgotten War )

The Pegasus

Will's first assignment as a Starfleet officer was a posting as an Ensign aboard the USS Pegasus under the command of Captain Erik Pressman in late 2357 . His youthful appearance soon earned him the nickname "Ensign Babyface" from the ship's tactical officer Mark Boylan . ( TNG episode : " The Pegasus "; ENT episode : " These Are the Voyages... ")

Among the Pegasus 's assignments before the ship was lost were the extradition of war criminal Endyk Plure from the Candelar system and a harrowing encounter in space disputed by the worlds of Omistol and Ven . ( TLE novel : Deny Thy Father )

Following the Pegasus 's loss, Riker, Captain Pressman and the other seven survivors then underwent a Judge Advocate General 's inquiry about a supposed mutiny prior to the Pegasus 's apparent destruction. However, Riker and the others secretly withheld the information about the experiments with a phasing cloaking device and the investigation was stopped. ( TNG episode : " The Pegasus "; ENT episode : " These Are the Voyages... ")

Deanna Troi

By 2359 , Will was serving as lieutenant and second officer on the USS Fortuna when word of his promotion to First Officer of the USS Hood came through. Will was on the command fast track, and many even believed that he would achieve a command of his own faster than the legendary James T. Kirk , who became captain at the age of 29.

But before he could report to the Hood , which was in drydock under going repairs from an attack by Sindareen Raiders, Riker was temporarily assigned as Starfleet liaison to the Federation Embassy on Betazed .

Lieutenant Riker.

On Will's first day on Betazed, he was asked to be the Federation's presence at the wedding of the Daughter of the Third House of Betazed , Chandra Xerx . Will was utterly oblivious to the fact that in Betazoid weddings, all members of the wedding party and all of the guests are expected to be nude. It was at this wedding where Will first caught sight of Deanna Troi (much to her amusement), who was one of the bridesmaids.

Over the weeks that followed, Will pursued Deanna with only limited success. It was not until Will's rescue of Deanna from Sindareen Raiders whom had taken her captive that they each gave into their mutual passion under a waterfall in Betazed's isolated Jalara Jungle . Riker could feel Deanna in his mind, and he heard a word in her voice – " Imzadi ."

Deanna's mother Lwaxana was less than pleased with this development, and forbid the relationship to continue. At first, Deanna complied with her mother's wishes, and told Will so. She later defied her mother's wishes and left to be with her Imzadi .

Unfortunately, the rejected Riker had drowned out his sorrows with a bottle of Scotch whisky when he received a visitor in the form of Wendy Roper , the daughter of the head of the Federation Embassy, who had come to "console" him.

Deanna found the two of them in bed together, and realized that Riker was not ready for the kind of relationship that she needed from him. They parted amicably a few days later at a Betazed museum as the Hood arrived to collect Riker. Neither said "goodbye" to the other. ( TNG novel : Imzadi )

Riker attempted a reconciliation by arranging a date with Deanna a few years later on Risa while on temporary assignment to the USS Potemkin , but was unable to make the date. Riker chose to make his career a priority and did not see Deanna again until they were both posted to the USS Enterprise -D in 2364. ( TNG novel : Imzadi II )

Continuing career

In 2361 , Riker was duplicated in a transporter accident on Nervala IV . A redundant secondary confinement beam reflected off the atmosphere , rematerializing a duplicate on the surface; his duplicate was left behind alone on the planet for eight years. Riker was unaware of this incident until returning to Nervala IV in 2369. ( TNG episode : " Second Chances ")

When Riker received his rank of lieutenant commander , he was commissioned to the USS Zhukov as second officer . He went to the transporter room in Starbase 18 , transported to the ship, and made an arrogant tour around the decks. After ten hours, Riker went to the office of the first officer to ask permission for duty, where he was shocked to see that the real second officer of the ship was inside the room. Riker realized only at that moment that he was traveling on the wrong ship, the Excelsior -class USS Yorktown under the command of Captain Ledbetter . He was sent back to his own ship, but two years later Riker was promoted to serve on the Yorktown . ( TNG novel : Ghost Ship )

Riker served on the Hood under Captain Robert DeSoto as first officer , until receiving the promotion to commander and reasignment to the Enterprise-D , the Federation's brand new flagship, where he saw Deanna again. ( VOY - The Brave and the Bold, Book Two novella : The Third Artifact )

At some point, Riker and Katherine Pulaski served together prior to their mutual service aboard the Enterprise -D, resulting in Riker becoming an "enthusiastic fan" of hers. ( TNG novel : Strike Zone )

First officer of the Enterprise

Counselor Deanna Troi of the USS Enterprise, circa 2368.

In 2364, Riker transferred to the USS Enterprise -D as " Number One ," under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard . He was soon reunited with Deanna Troi who was assigned to the Enterprise as ship's Counselor . The two chose not to renew their romantic relationship at that time for professional reasons. ( TNG episode & novelization : Encounter at Farpoint ; WizKids module : Attack Wing )

Riker developed a close father-son relationship with Picard. Among other things, Picard taught the younger man fencing . ( TNG episode & novelization : Relics )

In some of his earlier missions, Riker led away teams that made first contact with species such as the Theluvians and the Creeg . Riker also took part in celebrating Christmas on board the Enterprise -D. ( TNG - Beginnings comics : " ... Where No One Has Gone Before! ", " Spirit in the Sky! ")

Later, this same year, Riker was imparted with Q powers and virtual immortality . A "gift" he later returned to the giver, after seeing how uncontrolled power can corrupt a Human . Little did he know the Q had a particular impact to his family. Years later, the mortal Riker joked with Picard and others how he planned to live forever. Riker and the crew were again joined by Q following the second encounter with him, when Q came aboard during their voyage to Faltos . ( TNG episode : " Hide and Q "; ST novels : Q-Squared , The Return ; VOY episode : " Death Wish "; TNG movie : Star Trek Generations ; ( TNG - Beginnings comics : " Q Factor ", " Q's Day ", " Q Affects! ")

During the start of his second year, Deanna Troi convinced Captain Picard to send Riker on enforced shore leave, due to concerns he was suffering from stress. Though Riker enjoyed the shore leave (which he spent mountain climbing on a planet that resembled Alaska), he resented being forced to leave the Enterprise against his will, and decided to gain some small revenge on the pair. It was during this trip he grew the beard he would have for years to come, a decision he made because he felt it would annoy the bald Captain. He soon found the beard was extremely popular with the ship's female crew members. This led to him facetiously asking Picard for "permission to be sexy", something Picard did not find amusing. ( TNG novel : Strike Zone )

Riker was close to not living, when attacked by microbes on planet Surata IV . Only the opposite of all his pleasureful memories with Deanna Troi and others he'd ever known saved him from death . ( TNG episode : " Shades of Gray ")

At some point during his early years on the Enterprise Riker took shore leave on Earth , visiting England. He brought back a rare book as a present for Picard. ( TNG novel : Dark Mirror )

Admiral William T. Riker, circa 2408.

In 2368 , Riker received a strange visitor in the form of himself , Admiral William T. Riker from the year 2408. The elder Riker had traveled back in time by way of the Guardian of Forever in order to prevent the murder of Deanna Troi by a time-traveling Sindareen , who blamed Deanna for his race's troubles in this era.

When the timeline had been restored, Admiral Riker was restored to his proper time. The younger Riker and Troi again chose not to renew their romantic relationship, but Riker long remained haunted by the vision of the bitter and joyless Riker from the future, who had lived his life without his Imzadi . The elder Riker also reminded him of his father . ( TNG novel : Imzadi )

In 2369 , Riker led a dangerous mission inside a Dyson Sphere , during which he was nearly killed trying to rescue an injured team member. However this event led to him making peace with Darrin Kane , an arrogant young Ensign who had been trying to use his family connections to damage Riker's reputation and relationship with Picard, due to his resentment that Riker was not helping his career to progress faster. Kane saved Riker's life during this mission. ( TNG episode & novelization : Relics )

Also in 2369, Riker met himself again, this time in the form of a duplicate created by a transporter accident in 2361 . This Lieutenant Riker and he had an antagonistic relationship. When Lieutenant Riker left Enterprise , he took the name Thomas Riker , and Will gave him his trombone as a gift of reconciliation. ( TNG episode : " Second Chances ")

In 2370 , the Enterprise -D rendezvoused with the shuttlecraft Goddard , carrying retired Captain Montgomery Scott . Scott utilized the old logs of the original USS Enterprise and recreated the gravity slingshot that propelled the Bounty 2 back through time, with the Enterprise following. When they determined they were back in an alternate 2293 , Picard was certain Scott intended to save James T. Kirk from death aboard the USS Enterprise -B ; Riker was the only bridge officer who doubted it, thinking it was irresponsible. When they found the timeline considerably altered, Riker theorized that Scott may have overshot his time destination, or made a second jump back in time. Eventually the Enterprise was able to rendezvous with Scott and Kirk, returning the latter to the Nexus to restore the timeline. ( ST novel : Engines of Destiny )

At some point, Troi had begun a romantic relationship with her Enterprise shipmate, Lieutenant Commander Worf . Riker was outwardly happy for his friends, but secretly harbored resentment towards Worf.

After the destruction of the Enterprise -D in 2371 , Riker finally realized the depths of his feelings of Deanna. He had no wish to hurt his friend Worf, but he resolved to tell Deanna how he felt. Riker's timing was unfortunate, as before Riker could talk to Deanna, Worf proposed marriage to her, and she accepted. At first, Riker willingly stepped aside, but soon realized that he had no wish to turn into that bitter old man from the future, and went after Deanna, Worf be damned.

At this time, Worf's son Alexander Rozhenko had been captured by Tom Riker (who had recently escaped from the Cardassian labor camp on Lazon II ) and was being coerced by the Romulan Sela , who believed him to be Will. Will Riker was, in turn, then captured by Cardassians, who believed him to be the escaped Tom. Will was rescued from the Cardassians by Worf, and the two put aside their differences in order to rescue Deanna and Alexander.

It was after this encounter that Worf and Deanna realized that they were too different for their relationship to work, and they parted amicably. Will and Deanna again chose not to renew their romantic relationship at that time, but both saw it as an inevitability that they both looked forward to. ( TNG novel : Imzadi II )

Upon arriving on board USS Voyager for the first time Q remarked that he thought Riker would have been given command of the ship. A short time later Q called Commander Riker to Voyager as a witness in an attempt to get Quinn re-incarcerated into a comet to keep him from killing himself. Riker protested Q's interference in his affairs, but Q said that if it was not for Quinn, who had saved the life of Thaddius Riker at Pine Mountain , he would not have Commander Riker around to provoke and insult at all. Q also mentioned, almost as an afterthought, that Riker's role in defeating the Borg five years earlier was so significant that, had he not been alive, the Federation would have fallen to the invaders. Riker was sent back to his own place and time without memory of this encounter. ( VOY episode : " Death Wish ")

In 2372 , Riker and most of the rest of the Enterprise -D command staff, including Deanna, requested assignment to the newly constructed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) under the assumption that Captain Picard would be given command. Starfleet Command had other ideas.

Riker strenuously objected when Starfleet gave command of the Enterprise -E to Captain Morgan Bateson , but did his duty as assigned.

Bateson stepped aside for Picard after losing command of the ship to a group of Klingons , led by his old nemesis Kozara , and Picard re-took the ship from them. ( TNG novel : Ship of the Line )

Riker then took part in stopping the Borg from changing Earth's first contact with the Vulcans . ( TNG movie : Star Trek: First Contact )

Dominion War

During the Dominion War in 2374 , Riker was then sent with a team from Starfleet's Corps of Engineers to join the crew of the Klingon battlecruiser IKS Gar'Tukh . They were sent to help enhance the defenses of an outpost on Elkauron II , which was on the edge of Gorn territory. ( TNG comic : " The Gorn Crisis ")

Will and Deanna finally resumed their romantic relationship in 2375 after feeling the rejuvenating effects of the metaphasic radiation inherent to the adopted homeworld of the Ba'ku . While in temporary charge of Enterprise-E , an armed conflict with the Son'a in the Briar Patch led Geordi LaForge to jokingly refer to the move possibly earning the name "the Riker Maneuver ," in the tradition of his captain 's Battle of Maxia Zeta . ( TNG movie : Star Trek: Insurrection )

In late 2375, Riker commanded the Enterprise when the Breen attacked San Francisco . Captain Picard was visiting family on Earth at the time. Riker led the Enterprise against the Breen vessels assaulting Earth alongside the Columbia , destroying them after a short battle. ( TNG short story : " Eleven Hours Out ")

Later years

In late 2375, Riker was given temporary command of the USS Excalibur (which he had commanded briefly during the Klingon Civil War of 2367 - 2368 ) when that ship's captain, Mackenzie Calhoun was on a temporary assignment for Starfleet Intelligence . Riker commanded the Excalibur and her unorthodox crew through an encounter with Sela and the Romulans . ( NF novel : Double or Nothing )

In late 2378 , Riker was forced to take command of the Enterprise after Picard's competence was called into question after an incident at the Rashanar Battle Site that resulted in the destruction of the USS Juno with all hands, and the seeming destruction of an Ontailian vessel. Picard was soon cleared of all charges, and re-assumed command. ( TNG - A Time to... novels : A Time to Be Born , A Time to Die )

Riker in 2379 .

After the death of Riker's father Kyle on the planet Delta Sigma IV with so much between them still unresolved, he decided that his relationship with Deanna was not something that he wanted to go unresolved any longer. Will proposed marriage to Deanna, and Deanna accepted.

Soon after, he was offered the command of the USS Titan by Admiral Kathryn Janeway . Janeway reminded Riker that Starfleet had offered him his own command more than once, and warned him that this may be the last time. ( TNG - A Time to... novels : A Time to Love , A Time to Hate )

When the Enterprise was tasked with assuaging the volatile governor of Tezwa , Kinchawn , Riker was to be a key figure in the planet's development at this period. Kinchawn, a minority conservative leader on his planet, was threatening to take border planets from the Klingon Empire , seemingly an ill-fortuned cosmic bluff that had angered the High Council . Chancellor Martok wanted to send a fleet to seize and occupy Tezwa, but the Federation President Min Zife and his chief-of-staff Koll Azernal convinced him to send an embassy and to allow the Enterprise to accompany the Klingons and pacify Kinchawn. Unbeknownst to the Enterprise or Martok, during the Dominion War Azernal and Zife had armed Tezwa with nadion pulse cannons as a potential strategy against the Dominion. Emboldened by his powerful arsenal Kinchawn had slowly took over his government, and relied upon his democratic opponents - who were trusted by Azernal - to feed the Federation chief-of-staff mistaken information. Not knowing that the cannons were active, Zife sent the Enterprise with Martok's fleet to embolden Kinchawn's political opponents. When the negotiations on the surface between Picard, Troi, the Klingon commander and Kinchawn quickly turned sour, Kinchawn revealed his power by destroying the Klingon fleet in orbit and nearly shooting down the Enterprise . Riker rescued his captain, fiancee and their bodyguards by taking the ship into the atmosphere beneath the Tezwan capital's shields, and then tow the one remaining Klingon ship's broken carcass from Tezwa. However this last action caused the already depressed officer more heartache when he realised, in confrontation with the curses of its dying captain, that in rescuing the hulk from fiery death in orbit of Tezwa, he had revoked that ship's crew's entry into Sto-Vo-Kor .

The Enterprise was then tasked with disabling Kinchawn's cannons as soon as possible, as an enraged Martok dispatched a full invasion fleet to Tezwa. Azernal and Zife, in fear of the discovery by the Klingons of their foolish gambit, instructed Picard's crew to destroy each cannon. Placed in six sites, Riker led one team to assault a tropically-situated cannon, skydiving into the jungle near the cannon. The mission was a success, with also Kinchawn's government being removed in a coup by his Federation-friendly opponents, who promptly surrendered to the Enterprise . But although his team was successful, Riker was captured by Kinchawn's troops and his other teammates KIA. ( TNG - A Time to... novel : A Time to Kill )

Conflict during the occupation of Tezwa .

Riker spent several weeks a prisoner of Kinchawn's underground resistance. The former governor had taken his military underground, and was leading an increasingly bitter resistance movement against the new Tezwan government and the Federation "occupation". Tortured and brutalised, Riker only survived because he was released by a general disgusted at the barbarity Kinchawn had descended to. He was rescued by Federation ground troops. After the ordeal, Riker accepted the offer of the Titan a few weeks later. ( TNG - A Time to... novel : A Time to Heal )

After seeing the Enterprise through a grueling inspection tour, William Riker and Deanna Troi were married in a ceremony in Riker's native Alaska .

The Enterprise was on her way to Betazed for the wedding ceremony being planned by Deanna's mother Lwaxana (who now claimed that she had always adored Will), when the ship had its fateful encounters with the mad Reman Praetor , Shinzon . After this encounter, they returned to Betazed for their second wedding ceremony, before spending three weeks honeymooning on the Opal Sea on the planet of Pelagia, in Picard's yacht the Calypso II, which he had lent them as a wedding present. During this honeymoon they were kidnapped by sea pirates. In their escape, the Calypso II was badly scratched. ( Tales from the Captain's Table )

Soon after the Betazed ceremony, Will and Deanna transferred to the Titan . ( TNG - A Time to... novel : A Time for War, A Time for Peace ; TNG movie : Star Trek: Nemesis )

The 25th century

At some point in this century, Will was an admiral with three grandchildren. ( STO novel : The Needs of the Many )}}

Starfleet service record

• Personal log , William T. Riker

William T. Riker

William Thomas "Will" Riker was a 24th century male Human Starfleet officer . Riker served as first officer for Captain Jean-Luc Picard for 15 years on the USS Enterprise -D and USS Enterprise -E before finally accepting his own command with the USS Titan . ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint "; Star Trek: First Contact ; Star Trek Nemesis )

As captain of the Titan , Riker and his wife Deanna Troi had two children: a son named after Riker's ancestor Thaddius , and a daughter named after Troi's deceased sister Kestra . Thad contracted mendaxic neurosclerosis , prompting his family to move to Nepenthe , where Thad eventually died from his condition. The Rikers remained on Nepenthe for the rest of the 24th century. ( PIC : " Nepenthe ")

In the early 25th century , Riker had returned to active duty as he was scheduled to give a speech during Frontier Day . During Captain Vadic 's attack on the USS Titan -A , Riker was temporarily placed in command by the Titan -A's commanding officer, Captain Liam Shaw . ( PIC : " The Next Generation ", " Disengage ", " Seventeen Seconds ")

• 1 Early life
• 2.1 Starfleet Academy
• 2.2.1 Service aboard the Pegasus
• 2.2.2 Stationed on Betazed
• 2.2.3 Service aboard the Potemkin and Duplication Incident
• 2.2.4 Service aboard the Hood
• 2.3.1 First year
• 2.3.2 Combat record
• 2.3.3 Diplomacy and cultural exchange
• 2.3.4 Undercover missions
• 2.3.5 Disciplinary actions
• 2.3.6 Medical record
• 2.4.1 First contact
• 2.4.2 Fighting the Son'a
• 2.4.3 Battle with Shinzon
• 2.5 Command offers
• 2.6.1 First assignment
• 2.6.2 Dealing with the Pakleds
• 2.6.3 Becoming a father
• 2.7.1 Life on Nepenthe
• 2.7.2 Return to duty
• 2.8 Rescuing an old friend
• 3.4 Other interests
• 4.1 Marriage
• 4.2.1 Jean-Luc Picard
• 4.2.4 Carol Freeman
• 4.2.5 Beckett Mariner
• 4.3.1 Kyle Riker
• 4.3.2 Thomas Riker
• 4.4.1 Beata
• 4.4.2 Minuet
• 4.4.3 Lwaxana Troi
• 4.4.4 Brenna Odell
• 4.4.7 Lanel
• 4.4.8 Carmen Davila
• 4.4.9 Etana Jol
• 4.4.10 Ro Laren
• 4.4.11 Soren
• 4.4.12 Kamala
• 4.4.13 Amanda Rogers
• 4.4.14 Rebecca Smith
• 4.4.15 Deanna Troi
• 5.1 First contact with Bragu's species
• 5.2 Malfunctioning holoprogram
• 5.3 Jam session on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
• 6 Alternate realities and timelines
• 7 Holograms
• 8 Miscellaneous information
• 9 Chronology
• 10 Memorable quotes
• 11.1 See also
• 11.2 Appearances
• 11.3.1 Character development
• 11.3.2 Legacy
• 11.4 Apocrypha
• 11.5 External links

Early life [ ]

A descendant of Yankee forebears , William Thomas Riker was born on August 19th , 2335 to Kyle and Betty Riker in Alaska on Earth . ( TNG : " The Last Outpost ", " The Icarus Factor ", " Conundrum ", " Second Chances ", " Lower Decks "; PIC : " The Bounty ") His distant ancestors included Thaddius Riker , a Union Army colonel who fought during the American Civil War of the mid- 19th century , and a particularly rugged great-grandfather of note. ( VOY : " Death Wish "; TNG : " Shades of Gray ")

According to " Chain Of Command, Part I ", Riker preferred Will over William, but was also acknowledged as Bill in " The Naked Now " and " Haven ". While his middle initial was first given in " Encounter at Farpoint ", his full middle name of Thomas was not established until " Second Chances ". In writing "Second Chances", " Rene Echevarria said he created most of the Riker background […] but the group finally decided that "simplest was best" for a middle name. Taylor recalled that "Tecumseh" [ as in William Tecumseh Sherman , later referenced by Riker in "Death Wish" ] was among those considered–and, no, "Tiberius (as in James Kirk ) never was..." ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 1st ed., p. 250)

Peter David 's novel Imzadi , which predated "Second Chances", gave Riker's middle name as "Thelonious" (possibly an allusion to jazz musician Thelonious Monk .) Jonathan Frakes voiced support for "Thelonious" on Twitter. [1] The novel Q-Squared explains that Riker's full name is William Thomas Thelonius Riker.

The Double Helix novel Double or Nothing stated that another ancestor of Riker's was an important early Federation statesman.

Betty died when Will was only two years old, leaving his father to raise him alone. ( TNG : " Interface ", " Time Squared ") The Rikers remained in Alaska at Betty's wish. The only thing which kept Kyle going was Will, but he did not feel as if he could discuss the situation with him, even when Will was older. The memories of Betty's presence at their Alaska home were also painful for both. This initial trauma created a rift between the two Rikers which lasted thirty years. ( TNG : " The Icarus Factor ")

Betty's name is from Riker's bio seen in " Conundrum ". The circumstances surrounding her death were never revealed, although " The Icarus Factor " seems to imply that it was due to illness.

When Will first started school in 2340 , the five-year-old told all of his new friends that his mother was still alive. Eventually, he told the story so often that he began to believe the lie . Soon, his teacher learned of this problem, and both she and Kyle had to talk to Will and make him realize that his mother was dead and was not coming back. Will cried the entire night following, but later realized it was an important step in accepting his mother's death. ( TNG : " Interface ")

However, Will's relationship with Kyle continued to deteriorate into his early teens. He was often left to care for himself, learning such skills as cooking. ( TNG : " Time Squared ", " Future Imperfect ")

Will was never able to concentrate much on subjects such as math , as he constantly daydreamed about starships . ( TNG : " The Royale ")

Young Will Riker with a nice catch

In 2344 , Will and his father went on a fishing trip. Will was able to hook a large fish , but Kyle insisted on reeling the fish in. This incident bothered Will for many years.

He also practiced anbo-jyutsu with his father. By 2347 , when Will was twelve, Kyle admitted that his son's skills at the sport were superior. Will did not know that the only reason he always lost was because his father used illegal hachidan kiritsu moves.

Kyle completely abandoned Will by 2350 , when Will was fifteen. Will held a grudge against his father for the following fifteen years. ( TNG : " The Icarus Factor ")

Starfleet career [ ]

Starfleet academy [ ].

Will entered Starfleet Academy in 2353 . Paul Rice was at the Academy at the same time, and they were friends. Riker's superintendent was a Vulcan , who had taken the time to memorize the personnel files of each and every cadet . ( TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part I ", " The Arsenal of Freedom ", " The First Duty ")

During his first year, Riker felt at odds with everyone, as if the world was against him. ( TNG : " Frame of Mind ")

At one point, Riker calculated a sensory blind spot on a Tholian vessel and hid within it during a battle simulation . ( TNG : " Peak Performance ")

Upon graduation in 2357 , Riker was ranked eighth in his class and was commissioned as an officer with the serial number was SC 231-427. He set lofty goals for himself and hoped to reach captain before thirty-five years of age. ( TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part I ", " Gambit, Part I ", " Second Chances "; PIC : " The Bounty ")

A cut scene from " Coming of Age " would have had Riker telling Wesley Crusher of how tough the Academy's entrance exam was for him, even reliving the fear for a moment.

Early postings and assignments [ ]

Service aboard the pegasus [ ].

Seven months after graduation, Ensign William Riker's first posting was to the USS Pegasus under the command of Captain Erik Pressman . He was the ship's conn officer, and his youthful appearance earned him the nickname " Ensign Babyface ," coined by fellow crewmember Lieutenant Boylen . ( TNG : " The Pegasus ") Phil Wallace was another of Riker's friends aboard the Pegasus . ( ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ")

Fresh from the Academy, Riker was still somewhat serious about his work. Loyalty and obedience to his commanding officer were top priorities, with his ears still ringing with words like "duty" and "honor". This attitude caused him to behave against the principles of the Treaty of Algeron during a crisis on board the ship.

Captain Pressman had been illegally testing a prototype phasing cloaking device aboard the Pegasus . This top secret project was in violation of the Treaty of Algeron , not to mention extremely dangerous to the crew, leading most of the Pegasus officers, such as the first officer and chief engineer, to mutiny against Pressman. Riker was the only bridge officer to defend the captain, picking up a phaser and instigating a running firefight all the way to the escape pods . Only a few other members of the crew joined Riker and Pressman. Once safely away, Riker and the others watched as the Pegasus apparently exploded, killing the remaining seventy-one personnel.

Although Pressman commended Riker for his unquestioning loyalty, over the years Riker began to have doubts about whether he had made the right decision. The Starfleet Judge Advocate General investigated the Pegasus incident, but the survivors participated in a coverup. The JAG discovered evidence of a mutiny aboard the Pegasus before its destruction. While further investigation was recommended, Starfleet Intelligence declared the entire incident classified and no follow-up was ever conducted. ( TNG : " The Pegasus ")

Riker's graduation from Starfleet Academy and posting to the Pegasus is depicted in The Lost Era book Deny Thy Father .

Stationed on Betazed [ ]

Riker and Troi on Betazed

Following the Pegasus incident, Riker was stationed on Betazed . While there, he met Deanna Troi. The two began a relationship which lasted several years. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " Ménage à Troi ", " Second Chances ")

Riker's tour of duty on Betazed as well as his early relationship with Troi are depicted in the novel Imzadi by Peter David.

Sometime during his early career, Riker needed to wear a feathered costume while on a diplomatic mission to Armus IX . Similarly, he wore furs to meet with the leadership council on Kabatris . ( TNG : " Angel One ")

Service aboard the Potemkin and Duplication Incident [ ]

By 2361 , Riker was promoted to lieutenant and served in the operations division aboard the USS Potemkin . Aboard the Potemkin , he developed a tactic which involved using a planet 's magnetic pole and shutting down all ship's systems to confuse an enemy vessel's sensors. He also took up poker so he could ingratiate himself with the senior officers in their games, which came across as rather obvious brownnosing. Fortunately, they realized he was young and inexperienced and decided not to hold it against him. ( TNG : " Peak Performance ", " Lower Decks ")

Later that year, Riker led an away team to Nervala IV to rescue researchers stranded at the outpost on that world. Riker was the last to beam out. Atmospheric distortions threatened to dissipate his pattern, so the Potemkin transporter chief compensated by creating a second confinement beam. Only one beam was needed for Riker to rematerialize on the ship, so the second beam was shut down. In an odd twist of fate, the second transporter beam, which had exactly the same phase differential as the distortion field, maintained its integrity and was reflected back to the planet's surface, where it also successfully rematerialized a William T. Riker. The Potemkin crew did not realize that the beam had been reflected to create duplicate Rikers, resulting in the one on the planet (later known as Thomas ) remaining stranded there for the next eight years. Up until the moment of transport, both Rikers were the same person. As a result, both had an equal claim to being the "real" William T. Riker. However, as Riker and his crewmates were unaware that he was not the sole William T. Riker after returning to the Potemkin , he retained the identity thereafter. He later received a promotion to lieutenant commander for "exceptional valor" during the mission. He was quickly posted to the USS Hood as first officer . ( TNG : " Second Chances ")

Service aboard the Hood [ ]

Riker's commanding officer on the Hood was Captain Robert DeSoto . His service aboard the ship was exemplary, despite an incident where Riker, risking a court martial , refused to allow Captain DeSoto to transport into a hostile situation on planet Altair III . He was ultimately rewarded for this action, as it was what made his profile stand out in the eyes of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " The Pegasus ")

Riker was offered his first command, that of the ill-fated USS Drake , in 2364 . However, he turned down that position for a far more enticing offer. ( TNG : " The Arsenal of Freedom ")

Service aboard the Enterprise -D [ ]

First year [ ].

Riker, with Picard and Troi during the Farpoint Mission

William Riker was promoted to commander and first officer of the newly launched USS Enterprise -D in 2364. He was ferried to planet Deneb IV by the Hood and met the Enterprise at the planet. The ship had undergone a saucer separation after being threatened by the entity known as Q . Riker reported aboard the stardrive section and was briefed about the current situation and was ordered to perform a difficult and unusual manual docking with the saucer module , which he conducted very well.

During the Farpoint mission, Riker led several away teams which discovered that Farpoint Station was a living entity, trapped by the Bandi for their own selfish purposes. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

Q was intrigued with Riker, so much so that he believed Riker deserved to be empowered with the abilities of the Q Continuum . Q made a bet with the Continuum that Riker would accept the gift and trapped the Enterprise while it was en route to a disaster on a mining colony on Quadra Sigma III . Most of its senior officers were then taken to a deadly illusion world. Riker used his newfound powers to save the crew from hostile aliens inhabiting the fantasy, bringing Lieutenant Worf and Wesley Crusher back to life in the process. Picard was concerned about these events and requested that Riker not use his supernatural abilities. However, Riker changed his mind after he refused to save a young girl killed in the disaster. He became angry with Picard, feeling he had suppressed his abilities and caused the death of the girl.

Further temptation by Q led Riker to grant several wishes to the Enterprise crew: to Geordi La Forge , normal eyesight; to Worf, a Klingon female mate; to Wesley, full growth to adulthood. He nearly transformed Data into a Human, but Data refused the offer, feeling that it would be merely an illusion. As Picard predicted, the other crew also turned down Riker's gifts because of their inherent emptiness. Riker learned his lesson, and the powers were taken away once Q was recalled to the Continuum. ( TNG : " Hide And Q ")

The Enterprise was stolen from Starbase 74 by a race called the Bynars . Their computer-based society was on the verge of collapse after the star Beta Magellan went supernova and damaged their central computer. They required the Enterprise in order to repair it. The crew evacuated, but Riker and Picard remained on board, infatuated by a holodeck program created by the Bynars as a diversion. The two were successful in retaking the Enterprise and saving the Bynar homeworld from destruction. ( TNG : " 11001001 ")

Riker became involved with the alien conspiracy which infiltrated Starfleet Command in 2364. The possessed Admiral Gregory Quinn attempted to infest him with a parasitic being in order to have an alien operative aboard the Enterprise , but Riker resisted. He struggled with Quinn and was knocked out but was able to alert other personnel to the situation. Dr. Beverly Crusher incapacitated Quinn with a phaser, then determined the nature of the neural parasites. She implanted a fake parasite on Riker, who then beamed down to Earth just in time to prevent the infested Starfleet officers from co-opting Captain Picard. He and Picard were able to find the mother creature, hosted in Lieutenant Commander Dexter Remmick , and destroy it before the alien conspiracy grew any further. ( TNG : " Conspiracy ")

Combat record [ ]

Riker in 2365

Riker was an accomplished tactician, inventing several strategies while serving aboard various starships. He apparently acquired a reputation for using unorthodox solutions, as Enterprise Second Officer Data estimated he only used traditional tactics 21 percent of the time. In 2365 , Riker was given temporary command of the outdated USS Hathaway during a combat exercise to ready for the Borg invasion. The Hathaway was to fight the Enterprise in a simulation designed to test the response of a crew when faced with a substantially superior enemy. Although Riker's crew managed to turn the poorly maintained Hathaway into something flyable and score several hits against the Enterprise during the initial phases of battle, the test turned deadly when a Ferengi marauder intervened. The Enterprise believed that the Ferengi were a holographic trick designed to divert attention from the Hathaway , and therefore did not raise shields. The Ferengi opened fire, disabling the Enterprise 's weapons and shields. The Ferengi demanded that the Enterprise hand over custody of the Hathaway , as they incorrectly assumed the Hathaway had valuable Federation secrets on board. In order to fool the Ferengi, Riker devised a plan to have the Enterprise fire photon torpedoes at the Hathaway , which would jump to warp just before they exploded, making it appear to the Ferengi as if the Hathaway had been destroyed. Worf then fooled the Ferengi sensors into believing that a Starfleet ship had entered the system, scaring them away. ( TNG : " Peak Performance ")

Riker orders Worf to fire on the Borg cube

In 2366 , the Borg launched their first invasion of the Federation . A Borg specialist, Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Shelby , was assigned to the Enterprise . The two butted heads over protocol, and Riker felt that Shelby was trying to ingratiate herself to Captain Picard in order to prove her qualifications as a first officer, particularly since Riker had recently been offered command of the USS Melbourne and was having trouble deciding whether his reluctance to accept the post meant that he had become scared of his old ambitions to become a captain himself. Picard was eventually abducted by the Borg and assimilated , becoming Locutus of Borg . Riker was then left in command of the Enterprise and faced with the difficult decision of choosing to use a new deflector dish weapon against the Borg cube , which would destroy that ship along with Picard. When a rescue attempt failed, Riker gave the order to use the weapon. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ") However, the assimilated knowledge of Captain Picard gave the Borg an advantage, and they altered their shields to resist the weapon.

Riker as captain of the Enterprise

As the Borg continued on a direct course for Earth, Admiral J.P. Hanson gave Riker a field promotion to captain. Riker chose Shelby as his new first officer. Even though their relationship had a rocky start, Riker realized that they worked well together, and Shelby had the knowledge necessary to mount a successful fight against the Borg. Riker was still reluctant to accept the responsibility in light of Picard's abduction, but Guinan , an old and close friend of Picard, was able to convince him that he needed to let Picard go not only to win against the Borg, but also to save Picard. The Enterprise was repaired after its use of the deflector weapon and warped to rendezvous with the fleet at Wolf 359 . It arrived shortly after the devastating Battle of Wolf 359 , where many ships, including the Melbourne , were destroyed. At this point, Riker formulated a plan to recover Captain Picard, in hopes that the Borg might halt their approach with Locutus gone. The Enterprise caught up to the Borg and used Shelby's plan of separating the saucer section. Picard had been briefed on this plan before he was assimilated and knew that the stardrive section was the only threat. As the Borg focused their attack, the saucer launched a shuttlecraft carrying Data and Worf. They beamed aboard the cube and brought Picard back to the Enterprise . The Borg were temporarily confused but continued on course. Data and Dr. Crusher later learned that the Borg interconnectedness gave them access to the entire Collective through Picard. Data linked himself to Locutus and accessed the Borg command structure as the cube entered Earth orbit. Initial attempts to deactivate the Borg were fruitless, and Riker prepared to ram the Borg cube with the Enterprise in hopes that the collision would disable the vessel. Picard was able to tell Data to instruct the Borg to regenerate, which was a low-priority command. The cycle ended up in a feedback loop, and the cube exploded, cutting Picard's link and restoring his Humanity. Riker returned to his post as Enterprise first officer following Picard's recovery, having proven to himself and others that he was capable of shouldering the burdens of command, but chose to remain on the Enterprise because he liked the friends and relationships he had formed on the ship rather than because he was frightened of reaching for more. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ")

During the Klingon Civil War of 2368 , Riker was placed in temporary command of the USS Excalibur along with Geordi La Forge as his 1st officer. The ship was part of an armada led by the Enterprise -D and set up a tachyon detection grid using blockade tactics in order to reveal Romulan assistance to the House of Duras . ( TNG : " Redemption II ")

On stardate 46235.7, Riker was again left in temporary command of the Enterprise when Captain Picard and three other crew members were transformed into children. The ship was attacked by a pair of B'rel -class Bird-of-Prey ships under the command of Ferengi privateers. During the battle, the Enterprise was overwhelmed and subsequently boarded by the Ferengi. The Ferengi seized control of the ship, and it was only with the help of Captain Picard and the other transformed crewmen that control was regained. ( TNG : " Rascals ")

Riker braces himself as the Enterprise -D crashes into Veridian III

Riker with the captain's chair after the Enterprise 's destruction

Riker was in command during the Enterprise -D's final battle in 2371 . The ship had been attacked by the Duras sisters by order of Dr. Tolian Soran . The sisters were given an unfair advantage, as Soran had placed a visual transmitter in La Forge's VISOR , giving them access to the Enterprise shield modulation. Riker's quick thinking led to the identification of a plasma coil flaw on the sisters' old Bird-of-Prey , which was destroyed. Unfortunately, the Enterprise suffered catastrophic damage to its warp core . Riker ordered a saucer separation, and the saucer section maneuvered to safety before the engineering section exploded. The shock wave from the blast caused the saucer to plunge into the atmosphere of Veridian III , where it crash-landed. The entire crew survived, although Riker was disappointed that he would never have the chance to command the ship. ( Star Trek Generations )

Diplomacy and cultural exchange [ ]

Riker participated in first contact with the Ferengi in the Delphi Ardu system in 2364. The Enterprise and a Ferengi marauder were trapped in orbit, paralyzed by a Tkon energy-dampening weapon. An away team commanded by Riker contacted the Tkon portal . The portal sensed Riker's great courage and dignity, while it only found deception with the Ferengi, leading it to grant Riker's request and release both ships. ( TNG : " The Last Outpost ")

Riker conducted another diplomatic mission that year on the planet Angel I . Survivors from a Federation freighter , the Odin , were discovered on the matriarchal world and sentenced to death for advancing policies to grant equal rights for male members of the society. Riker successfully argued their case to Mistress Beata , Angel I's Elected One , convincing her that change was inevitable. She later allowed the Odin crew and their families from Angel I to be moved to an isolated continent so they could continue their lives without affecting mainstream culture. ( TNG : " Angel One ")

Riker was an early participant in the Officer Exchange Program , temporarily transferring to a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, the IKS Pagh , in 2365. To prepare for the assignment, he indulged in many different Klingon foods . Worf also gave him an emergency transponder shortly before his departure, just in case of an emergency situation. On board the Pagh , Riker had to quickly learn the Klingon way of doing things, physically fighting the second officer to prove his loyalty to Captain Kargan and enduring the abusive comments of the Klingon crew. At the same time, the Enterprise became infected with a hull-degrading bacterium, which it inadvertently transmitted from the Pagh . The Klingons believed that it was a new Federation weapon and returned to attack the Enterprise . Riker was able to relieve Kargan by giving him the transponder and sending him to the Enterprise , then staging a mock battle with the Starfleet vessel to maintain the honor of the Klingon crew. Riker returned to his post aboard the Enterprise following the incident. ( TNG : " A Matter Of Honor ")

In 2366, the Enterprise hosted negotiations for rights to the Barzan wormhole . The Federation representative, Mendoza , was poisoned by the Ferengi delegation, requiring Riker to take his place. The wormhole later turned out to be useless, as its terminus fluctuated between the Gamma and Delta Quadrants . ( TNG : " The Price ")

The Enterprise responded to sensor readings which indicated a Romulan outpost on Alpha Onias III in early 2367 , on Riker's birthday. Riker led an away team to investigate but was trapped by an alien named Barash . The alien had been hidden on the planet by his mother to keep him safe from their enemies and was given technology to generate any type of fantasy. He became lonely and hoped Riker would stay to keep him company. When Riker regained consciousness, he was confronted by an Enterprise sixteen years into the future. Dr. Crusher claimed that he was infected by Altarian encephalitis and had lost all memories since Alpha Onias III. He was a single parent with one slightly troublesome child, " Jean-Luc Riker ." "Admiral" Picard then arrived on a Romulan warbird with a diplomatic delegation. Riker was to complete the final peace accords with the Romulans, which he had been working on ever since the Enterprise rescued a damaged Romulan ship. Although Riker began to accept his new circumstances and give "Jean-Luc" attention, the simulation quickly began to fall apart as the technology was not able to keep up with Riker. The Enterprise computer was much too slow, and the senior staff were unable to answer Riker's questions about the previous sixteen years. Moreover, a recording of his wife revealed her to be Minuet , a holographic fantasy. This illusion gave way to another wherein Riker was imprisoned in a Romulan laboratory. Barash stayed in the form of the child, now called " Ethan ." Riker and Ethan plotted an escape, but Riker figured out this second deception when Ethan accidentally called Tomalak "ambassador," a rank he only held in the first illusion. Barash then revealed his true nature to Riker. Will offered him safety and companionship aboard the Enterprise , and the two transported back to the ship. ( TNG : " Future Imperfect ")

The Enterprise was crippled after a defect caused its dilithium chamber hatch to explode. Initially the incident was blamed on Romulan espionage, but it was later determined to be a problem with the hatch, which had been replaced at Earth Station McKinley a few months previously. Riker participated in the initial questioning of a Klingon suspect named J'Dan . After Admiral Norah Satie came aboard and instigated a "witch hunt" with the intention of forcing out Romulan collaborators, Riker served as defense counsel for Crewman Simon Tarses . Tarses was singled out as a spy because his grandfather was Romulan. Satie's investigation was later canceled by Starfleet Command when it became apparent her accusations had very little factual support. ( TNG : " The Drumhead ")

Riker piloted Trill ambassador Odan to a meeting on Peliar Zel in 2367. En route, their shuttle was attacked, and Odan's host body injured. The symbiont was removed, and later transplanted to Riker at his insistence. Human physiology was not totally compatible with the symbiont, but Odan survived in Riker's body long enough to complete negotiations between the two moons of the planet. Odan had been romantically involved with Dr. Beverly Crusher, and she was confused by Odan's change. She tried to avoid him as much as possible as she was uncomfortable with the Trill way of life. Eventually, Crusher realized that she was attracted to Odan's personality as much as his physical appearance and made love to him in Will's body. When a new Trill host arrived, the symbiont was removed from Riker, and he recovered with no long-term effects. ( TNG : " The Host ")

Will was left in command of the Enterprise in 2368 while Captain Picard visited Romulus in search of Ambassador Spock . He was ordered to investigate the disappearance of the Vulcan ship T'Pau from Qualor II when the wreckage of its deflector array was found among the debris of a Ferengi cargo ship . The Enterprise discovered that a mercenary vessel had been stealing ship components from the surplus depot which orbited the planet. The mercenaries were killed when they attacked the Enterprise , ( TNG : " Unification I ") forcing Riker to turn to the planet for information. He found a Ferengi trader named Omag who revealed that the Vulcan parts were being sent to Galorndon Core . The Enterprise continued to investigate, and Sela attempted to divert the Enterprise by sending a fake distress signal from a Federation colony . Riker saw through the deception and the Enterprise went to intercept the stolen Vulcan ships at the Romulan Neutral Zone , but they were destroyed by a Romulan Warbird before entering Federation space . ( TNG : " Unification II ")

Riker was to escort Iyaaran ambassador Byleth during his visit to the Enterprise in 2370 , but the ambassador insisted on Worf instead. ( TNG : " Liaisons ")

Undercover missions [ ]

Riker disguised as a Mintakan in 2366

While serving on board the Enterprise -D, Riker participated in away missions in which he employed disguises to protect Starfleet's Prime Directive .

When a cultural observation post on Mintaka III was severely damaged in 2366, it was discovered by a Mintakan named Liko . Liko was severely injured after being startled by the structure's appearance, requiring his transport to the Enterprise for treatment. While there he briefly woke and saw Captain Picard, whom he believed to be a deity. Several members of the observation team were also injured and wandered from the post. Riker and Troi attempted to correct the damage done to their culture by masquerading as Mintakans. They tried to convince the Mintakans that Liko was merely delusional. Riker was able to retrieve one of the observers, Dr. Palmer , from the Mintakans, but Troi was left behind. The Mintakans, terrified that Picard was a god and would come to punish them, wanted to execute her as a sacrifice to Picard. Picard later transported their leader aboard the Enterprise and convinced her that he was not a god, and Troi was released. ( TNG : " Who Watches The Watchers ")

In 2367, Riker was injured while observing the Malcorians . In preparation for the mission, his face was surgically altered to look Malcorian. He posed as Rivas Jakara . After being injured, he was treated in the local hospital. A female Malcorian nurse, Lanel , who discovered that he was an alien, offered him help when he agreed to make love with her. Unfortunately, Riker was soon discovered by others and detained. Minister Krola , a government official who was frightened of the idea of alien visitors, attempted to kill himself with Riker's phaser. Riker was eventually rescued by Dr. Crusher and Worf. ( TNG : " First Contact ")

Riker defending himself while undercover on Tilonus IV

In 2369 , he undertook an undercover mission to Tilonus IV to find and rescue a Federation research team on the planet. He was disguised as a Tilonian merchant but was eventually discovered, ambushed, and drugged. The Tilonians then tried to operate a neural drain on him in an attempt to learn secrets in his mind, but his mind kept fighting back with recent memories that included a play about an alien sanitarium. His mental defenses eventually allowed him to regain consciousness and fight his way to his concealed communicator, allowing the Enterprise to beam him away to safety. ( TNG : " Frame of Mind ")

In 2370, Data was damaged on a mission to Barkon IV. Riker and Dr. Crusher disguised themselves as Barkonians and brought Data back to the Enterprise . ( TNG : " Thine Own Self ")

Riker as a Bajoran in 2370

Also in 2370, Riker and Ro Laren were sent on a mission to infiltrate the Maquis . Riker was disguised as a Bajoran and claimed to be a relative of Ro's. Ro eventually betrayed Riker and joined the Maquis, but she allowed him to leave. Riker wished her "good luck" as he returned to the Enterprise . ( TNG : " Preemptive Strike ")

Disciplinary actions [ ]

The Enterprise left Riker and other personnel at the research station of Dr. Nel Apgar in 2366. They were to inspect his Krieger wave converter technology, as his research had been funded by Starfleet. While there, Apgar's wife, Manua , tried to seduce him. Dr. Apgar caught them kissing, and he and Riker fought nearly the entire visit. Tensions were at a breaking point when the Enterprise returned to pick up the crew. Shortly after Riker beamed out, the station exploded, killing Apgar. Riker was initially suspected of murder due to accusations by Apgar's widow and assistant , and he was placed under arrest by Tanugan authorities. The Enterprise crew began their own investigation using the holodeck. They determined that the station was not destroyed as a result of a phaser blast from Riker into the station's power core, but as a result of an energy beam directed at Riker by Apgar. Apgar had actually been developing the new technology into a weapon which he wished to sell to the Romulans, and he was worried that Riker had discovered his plan, which would terminate the research before the weapon could be created. The beam was intended to disperse Riker's pattern as he beamed off the station, but it unexpectedly deflected off the transporter beam and into the power core. Upon this revelation, chief investigator Krag dropped all charges. ( TNG : " A Matter of Perspective ")

Shortly after Cardassian withdrawal from the Bajor sector in 2369, Captain Picard was reassigned to a covert infiltration of a Cardassian outpost on Celtris III . Command of the Enterprise was transferred to Edward Jellico at the order of Admiral Alynna Nechayev . Riker tried to convince her that he was suited for the position, but she wanted an officer with experience in dealing with the Cardassians. The transition from Picard to Jellico was difficult for the entire crew. He reassigned many crewmembers from engineering to security, placed overbearing demands on all departments, and instituted new duty shift cycles which led to personnel management problems. As first officer, Riker was the recipient of complaints. Jellico saw Riker as arrogant for questioning his changes and questioned Picard's high opinion of him. ( TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part I ") Riker was present for the negotiations with the Cardassians and learned that Picard had been captured on Celtris III. Jellico deemed Picard lost and refused to attempt a rescue mission. He and Riker got into a verbal altercation in which Riker accused Jellico of sacrificing Picard's life and Jellico accusing Riker of challenging his authority. Riker was subsequently relieved of duty, with Data taking his place as first officer. The Enterprise later developed a plan to ambush a Cardassian invasion fleet in the McAllister C-5 Nebula , involving a shuttlecraft planting mines on the hulls of the Cardassian warships. Riker was the only pilot with the experience to fly the mission, and Jellico returned him to duty following a conversation wherein they both vowed not to let their opinions of one another affect their duties. ( TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part II ")

Early in 2370, Captain Picard was believed to have been killed on Dessica II . He was transported to a mercenary ship commanded by Arctus Baran and joined their crew with the name " Galen ." The Enterprise pursued the mercenaries to the Barradas system , where Riker too was abducted. He worked with Captain Picard to learn more about the mission of the mercenaries and assumed the role of a rebellious and untrustworthy Starfleet officer, trying to gain the trust of Baran. He later attempted to deactivate the Enterprise 's shields with his out-of-date command codes, giving a signal to Data to drop the shields. ( TNG : " Gambit, Part I ") Picard reconfigured the ship's weapons to a harmless setting, and the Enterprise pretended to be damaged. The mercenaries continued on their quest, and Picard eventually learned that they were planning to assemble an ancient Vulcan psionic weapon . The final component was aboard a shuttle piloted by a Klingon named Koral , who had been pulled over by the Enterprise . The mercenaries planned a raid on the Enterprise with Riker's help. Meanwhile, Baran instructed Riker to kill Picard, who had challenged Baran's authority. The group transported to the Enterprise and found the last component, but Picard then shot Riker before returning to the mercenary vessel. Riker was merely stunned, however, and reassumed command of the Enterprise . The ship went to Vulcan and stopped T'Paal , a Vulcan isolationist , from using the weapon. Back on the Enterprise , Picard jokingly suggested that Data place Riker under arrest for treason. Data did not understand the joke, and actually brought Riker to the brig . ( TNG : " Gambit, Part II ")

Cmdr. Riker together with Admiral Erik Pressman in 2370

In 2370, the wreckage of the Pegasus was detected in the Devolin system . Erik Pressman, now an admiral, came aboard the Enterprise and the ship was sent to locate the Pegasus and to salvage it. Starfleet Security was interested in retrieving the phasing cloaking device , which also piqued Romulan interest. Pressman then told Riker that the the head of Starfleet Security had sent orders not to discuss the true mission of the Pegasus . The badly damaged Pegasus was found submerged deep within asteroid Gamma-601 , but the phasing cloak was still intact. It was returned to the Enterprise , but the Enterprise was now trapped within the asteroid as a result of Romulan weapons fire. The phasing cloak was the ship's only hope of escape, and Riker revealed its existence to the Enterprise crew, to the ire of Pressman. La Forge and Data were able to connect and activate the cloak, letting the Enterprise escape. Picard informed the Romulans of what had happened, then took Pressman into custody. Riker was also arrested, at his own insistence, and appeared before a board of inquiry at Starbase 247 . Riker, however, was allowed to return to duty despite this setback. ( TNG : " The Pegasus ")

Riker playing the chef of Enterprise NX-01 in the holodeck in 2370

Riker had only discussed the truth about the Pegasus with ship's counselor Deanna Troi, and had difficulty deciding whether or not to reveal the true circumstances of the Pegasus incident to Captain Picard. At Troi's suggestion, Riker recreated the final mission of Enterprise NX-01 on the holodeck in order to gain command insight and to try to learn from the relationship between Captain Jonathan Archer and his chief engineer, Commander Charles Tucker III . He interacted with several Enterprise crew members as " Chef ", and as a MACO participated in the mission to rescue Shran 's daughter . By observing Tucker's willingness to disobey orders during a critical moment, saving the life of Archer and ensuring the birth of the Federation, Riker realized that telling the truth and trusting Captain Picard's faith in him was much more important than obeying Pressman's orders. ( ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ")

It can be presumed that the Enterprise discovered the Pegasus within the asteroid before Riker had a chance to speak to Picard.

Medical record [ ]

While leading an away team to planet Minos in 2364, Riker was encased in a stasis field by one of the automated weapons drones reactivated by the USS Drake . Data was able to use a phaser to free him. ( TNG : " The Arsenal of Freedom ")

Riker was attacked by the Ornaran T'Jon in 2364. T'Jon wanted Picard to hand over a shipment of felicium and threatened to kill Riker if he did not comply. ( TNG : " Symbiosis ")

Later that year, Riker was "absorbed" by the malevolent entity Armus on Vagra II . He was later returned to the planet unharmed, although he was completely covered in a viscous black liquid. ( TNG : " Skin Of Evil ")

Gregory Quinn, under the influence of the neural parasites, knocked Riker out after throwing him through a table. ( TNG : " Conspiracy ")

While exploring Surata IV in 2365, Riker was stuck by the thorn of a native plant. The thorn contained an organism which began to attack Riker's central nervous system and caused him to fall into a coma. Dr. Katherine Pulaski was able to stimulate certain memory centers in Riker's brain. The emotional response provided resistance to the organism, which was suppressed. ( TNG : " Shades of Gray ")

Treated for scratches in sickbay

Riker was part of a cultural observation team on Malcor III in 2367. The Malcorians were on the verge of warp capability, and the Federation planned to make first contact with the race. However, Riker was mugged and badly injured in a Malcorian city and was brought to a Malcorian hospital for treatment. His different anatomy and physiology perplexed the Malcorian doctors, and rumors soon spread that Riker was indeed an alien. Despite his best efforts to escape, Riker was kept captive and his whereabouts left unknown to the Enterprise . Furthermore, the strong xenophobic tendencies of the Malcorians were demonstrated when Krola , a member of Malcorian leader Durken 's staff, tried to make it look as if Riker assassinated him in order to make it appear as if the Federation was hostile and therefore discourage any contact. Riker was eventually rescued by a team from the Enterprise and treated by Dr. Crusher. However, the incident proved to Durken that the Malcorians were not ready for contact with other species, and he requested that the Federation leave the system until the culture was better prepared. ( TNG : " First Contact ")

Riker's arm was broken when the Enterprise investigated an apparent distress call from the USS Essex on Mab-Bu VI in 2368. His injury prevented one of the disembodied criminals trapped there from inhabiting his body. ( TNG : " Power Play ")

In 2368, Riker was one of three Enterprise officers mentally assaulted by a Ullian named Jev . Jev forced Riker to relive an accident in main engineering where he was forced to seal a crewmember, Ensign Keller , behind an isolation door , causing her death. Riker then fell into a coma, which was believed to be a side effect of Iresine Syndrome . Investigation by Enterprise personnel revealed that Jev was the cause of the comas, and doctors from the Ullian homeworld helped with Riker's recovery. ( TNG : " Violations ")

Taken by the solanagen aliens

Riker being examined

Early in 2369, Commander La Forge made enhancements to the sensor array during a survey mission to the Amargosa Diaspora . The modifications involved channeling warp power through the main deflector. Unknown at the time, the energy signatures reached into a tertiary subspace domain and allowed a group of solanogen-based lifeforms from another universe to gain access to the Enterprise . They wanted to learn more about our universe and potentially discover a way to project their universe into ours. Riker and several other crewmembers were abducted and analyzed by the aliens, sometimes involving gory medical experiments. Riker's right arm was amputated and reattached at some point. The side effects from the experiments left him very fatigued and claustrophobic, and it was these symptoms which led him to speak to Counselor Troi. She brought Riker together with other Enterprise personnel who were experiencing similar feelings, and the group was able to create a holodeck simulation of the alien environment where they were taken. Later, Dr. Crusher found evidence of the medical experiments in all the abductees. In order to close the link between the normal universe and the solanagen universe and seal a spatial rupture forming in the Enterprise cargo bay, Riker wore a homing beacon which was able to isolate the tetryon emissions emanating from the solanagen universe and allow La Forge to initiate a graviton beam to seal the breach. Dr. Crusher also gave him a counteragent to ward off the sedative used by the aliens. Later that night, he was removed from the ship and taken to the alien laboratory, where the homing beacon allowed the Enterprise to seal the rupture shortly after Riker returned with another missing Enterprise crewmember. ( TNG : " Schisms ")

Also in 2369, the Enterprise stopped at the Remmler Array for a baryon sweep . While there, the Enterprise command crew was invited to a reception at Arkaria Base . A terrorist group took them hostage in order to secure trilithium resin from the Enterprise . Dr. Crusher devised a plan to use La Forge's VISOR as a way to knock their captors into unconsciousness but needed a distraction to make the modifications. Riker went up to one of the terrorists and tried to punch him but was hit in the jaw himself. ( TNG : " Starship Mine ")

In the play Frame of Mind

Later in 2369, Riker was sent to Tilonus IV to track a Federation research team lost when the government collapsed into anarchy . During the mission, he was abducted and held captive in a facility run by Dr. Syrus . The doctor began experiments on Riker's mind which threatened his sanity. His mind resisted the torture by accessing memories of a play, Frame of Mind , which Riker had participated in as the main character shortly before the mission. He began shifting between practicing the play on the Enterprise and actually living the plot of the play, with the characters as Tilonians . He was committed to the hospital after being found guilty of murder and was threatened with synaptic reconstruction before resorting to a procedure called reflection therapy . In the end the two events merged, with Riker being rescued from the mental hospital by the Enterprise . Syrus was present throughout the hallucinations, allowing Riker to deduce that he was fantasizing and regain consciousness. He was rescued by the Enterprise before Syrus was able to inflict further damage, and he personally dismantled the Frame of Mind set as part of his therapy. ( TNG : " Frame of Mind ")

Riker hated cats , but was one of many Enterprise crewmembers who attempted to care for Data's cat, Spot . Riker was in charge of feeding Spot while Data was away at a conference in late 2369 and was scratched on the forehead as he attempted to set down a bowl of food. Riker later passed responsibility for Spot to Dr. Crusher and was somewhat wary of entering Data's quarters. ( TNG : " Timescape ")

In 2370, Dr. Beverly Crusher treated Reginald Barclay for a case of Urodelan flu and accidentally activated a dormant gene, mutating his T cells . The gene became airborne and began to affect the rest of the crew, causing them to "de-evolve" into more primitive forms of life. Riker devolved into an australopithecine and was found by Picard and Data attempting to break open Livingston 's fish tank in the captain's ready room . He then tried to attack Picard and Data but was stunned by a phaser and taken to sickbay. Data eventually discovered a way to reverse the effects, and the crew was returned to normal. ( TNG : " Genesis ")

Service aboard the Enterprise -E [ ]

First contact [ ].

Riker aboard the Phoenix

Riker transferred to the new USS Enterprise -E in 2372 , along with most of the senior staff of the Enterprise -D. In 2373 the Enterprise took part in the Battle of Sector 001 against Starfleet orders. Thanks to the ship's intervention, the Borg cube was destroyed, but not before it launched a sphere which generated a temporal vortex and traveled to the year 2063 . The Enterprise pursued and destroyed the sphere before it could prevent the first flight of Zefram Cochrane aboard the Phoenix warp ship. The Phoenix was damaged during the attack, and several Enterprise -E crewmembers assisted Cochrane in repairs. Riker also needed to convince Cochrane of the importance of his first warp flight, as Cochrane considered canceling it following the Borg attack. Riker, along with Geordi La Forge, was present on board the Phoenix for Cochrane's historic flight. ( Star Trek: First Contact )

Fighting the Son'a [ ]

Riker in 2375

In 2375 Riker, along with the Enterprise crew, defied Federation orders and rebelled against the plan to relocate the Ba'ku people from their homeworld in order to harvest the metaphasic radiation from their planet's ring system. While Picard and the rest of the senior staff protected the Ba'ku on the planet, Riker took the Enterprise out of the Briar Patch and alerted the Federation Council to the real issues surrounding the forced relocation. During the journey out of the Briar Patch, the Enterprise was engaged by two Son'a vessels. The ship was seriously damaged in the process and forced to eject its warp core to seal a subspace tear . Riker needed to invent a new tactic on the fly. Dubbed the " Riker maneuver " by chief engineer Geordi La Forge, it involved collecting metreon gas with the Bussard collectors and then venting the gas while the ship continued to move. The cloud left behind the ship reacted with the isolytic weapons of the Son'a ships, destroying one and crippling the other. Riker then returned with the Enterprise in time to disable Ru'afo's flagship and beam Picard off of the Son'a collector before it exploded. ( Star Trek: Insurrection )

Battle with Shinzon [ ]

Commander Riker leads a team to combat a Reman boarding party

Will Riker's last mission aboard the Enterprise -E was during its encounter with Praetor Shinzon in 2379 . Although Riker was eager to begin his life aboard the USS Titan with Counselor Troi, he realized how important it was to stop Shinzon and was willing to sacrifice anything in order to prevent him from using his thalaron radiation weapon on Earth .

The Scimitar fought and weakened the Enterprise in the Battle of the Bassen Rift , sending several boarding parties to the ship. Riker and Worf took a security detail to fight off the invading Remans . The Reman Viceroy entered the Jefferies tubes in an attempt to reach the bridge and kidnap Captain Picard. Riker followed and they fought hand-to-hand, with Riker eventually killing the Viceroy by knocking him down an Enterprise maintenance shaft. ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Command offers [ ]

Riker was offered several commands during his tenure aboard the Enterprise- D and Enterprise -E. In addition to the Drake , he was offered the USS Aries in 2365 and the USS Melbourne in 2366. ( TNG : " The Icarus Factor ", " The Best of Both Worlds ") The Aries command was offered to Riker because of his exceptional abilities as an explorer and diplomat. He turned down the Aries posting because he felt he was not yet ready to leave the Enterprise and the distinction that the first officer post held. ( TNG : " The Icarus Factor ") Starfleet put a great amount of pressure on Riker to accept command of the Melbourne . Many admirals and even Captain Picard felt that he had remained too long on board the Enterprise and should have accepted a command by that point in his career, lest it seem like he was standing still in a sea of upstart officers like Shelby. Even Riker questioned why he remained as Enterprise first officer and was unable to understand what kept him from leaving. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ")

Ultimately Riker did not need to make a choice, as he was field promoted to captain during the encounter with the Borg and the Melbourne was subsequently destroyed at Wolf 359. Although it was believed Riker would have a pick of any command because his decisive leadership was a major factor in the defeat of the Borg, he still elected to remain Enterprise first officer. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ")

Q said in VOY : " Death Wish " that he "was betting Riker" would have taken command of the USS Voyager , which may mean he was also offered command of that ship before Captain Janeway .

Captain William T. Riker prior to taking command of the USS Titan .

By 2379, Riker decided to accept promotion to captain of the USS Titan , assuming command of the ship that year. Troi also transferred to the Titan . ( Star Trek Nemesis )

The novel A Time to Hate establish that it was Vice Admiral Janeway who offered Riker command of the Titan , with Janeway reminding him that Starfleet had offered him his own command more than once and warned that this may be his last chance to command his own ship.

Commanding the USS Titan [ ]

First assignment [ ].

Following Riker's assuming command of the Titan , they were dispatched to the Romulan Neutral Zone to serve as the command ship for a diplomatic task force . ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Dealing with the Pakleds [ ]

Captain Riker in command of the Titan

In 2380 , Riker, along with the Titan 's crew, saved the USS Cerritos when it was being attacked by three Pakled Clumpships . He later offered Ensign Brad Boimler a promotion to lieutenant junior grade and a position aboard the Titan based on the Cerritos ' first officer Jack Ransom 's recommendation, which Boimler accepted. ( LD : " No Small Parts ")

Three months later, the Titan fought several Pakled battle harpies . To escape, Captain Riker ordered the ship to enter a nearby anomaly , where the Titan and its crew underwent gluonic disruption . ( LD : " Strange Energies ")

Riker debriefing his bridge crew on his suspicions of the Pakled attacks

In 2381 , the Titan was ordered to investigate the takeover of a mining colony located on Karzill IV . While Riker expressed unabashed love for his captaincy of the Titan and her role in the fleet, he also admitted to Boimler that he wished he could return to exploration and "solving science mysteries" like during his years on the Enterprise -D, fondly noting " Damn, do I miss that ship. " ( LD : " Kayshon, His Eyes Open ")

Becoming a father [ ]

Captain William Riker shortly after the birth of his son Thaddeus.

Later that year, Riker and Troi welcomed their first child, Thaddeus Troi-Riker , although the delivery was touch and go. Riker was on the bridge of the Titan when he was hailed from sickbay to get down there right away. It took him seventeen seconds to get down there, during which Riker thought he was going to lose his unborn son and Thad's whole future flashed before Riker's eyes.

Sometime after Thad's birth, he met up with Picard at 10 Forward Avenue on Earth to share a celebratory drink of whiskey . ( PIC : " Seventeen Seconds ")

Riker's service aboard the Titan is the basis for the Pocket Books novel series Star Trek: Titan and The Dark Veil .

Reserved retirement [ ]

Life on nepenthe [ ].

As of 2399 , the retired Admiral Picard still considered Riker a loyal colleague who would not hesitate to join him on a mission if asked. By that time, Riker had left active service in Starfleet, though he remained in reserve as needed and settled on the planet Nepenthe . His house there was protected by shields due to trouble with the Kzinti . He remained married to Deanna Troi and along with Thaddeus, had a second child, Kestra . "Thad", as his family called him, died in childhood from mendaxic neurosclerosis , caused by a silicon-based virus that could have been cured with the aid of an active positronic matrix ; by the time Thad was diagnosed , however, there were no active matrices to be found, and none could be made due to the ban on the technology following the attack on Mars in 2385 . ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ", " Nepenthe ")

Michael Chabon stated on his Instagram that Thad was around 15 when he died, having lived with his family on Nepenthe for about 5 years at that point, meaning the family moved there around 2391 . [2]

Riker shares a moment with Picard

Picard soon arrived on Nepenthe later that year with Soji Asha , whom Riker immediately recognized as being an android descended from Data. As Picard had expected Riker and Troi both offered to help him without hesitation, opening their home to him and Soji for as long as they needed. ( PIC : " Nepenthe ")

Return to duty [ ]

Captain Riker on the Zheng He in 2399

Shortly afterwards, Riker temporarily left retirement to command the USS Zheng He at the head of a fleet dedicated to helping the residents of Coppelius resist a Zhat Vash attack. There, he confronted General Oh , claiming Coppelius to be under Federation protection, but the Zhat Vash fleet withdrew before a fight could begin, due to Soji's deactivation of the beacon. Riker contacted a relieved Picard, explaining that he had returned to help after learning of Picard's SOS in order to help his old friend since he wasn't going to talk Picard out of his plan. The Zheng He then withdrew from Coppelius with the rest of the fleet to escort the Romulans from Federation space. ( PIC : " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")

Rescuing an old friend [ ]

Captain Riker was temporarily in command of the USS Titan -A after its captain, Liam Shaw, was injured.

In 2401 , Riker had returned to Starfleet full time. He was scheduled to give a speech at the Frontier Day ceremony. He aided Picard when Riker learned of Crusher's message to Picard. ( PIC : " The Next Generation ")

Personal interests [ ]

Riker plays the trombone

Riker was a jazz aficionado, and his favorite musical instrument was the trombone . Although he was an accomplished player, his skills were not quite up to that of a professional musician ( TNG : " 11001001 ") and he had trouble with certain pieces, including " Night Bird ". ( TNG : " Second Chances ") As captain of the Titan , Riker was known to frequently clean his trombone, to the point that Boimler considered it to be somewhat disruptive. ( LD : " The Spy Humongous ")

In reality, Jonathan Frakes is a trombone player and provided the audio whenever Riker was shown playing. Riker was also shown playing the trombone in TNG : " Future Imperfect ", " Conundrum ", " The Next Phase ", " Second Chances ", and " Thine Own Self ".

Riker could also play the piano and taught Amarie , a musician in a bar on Qualor II, some jazz routines when the Enterprise visited the planet in 2368. ( TNG : " Unification II ")

Data performed Irving Berlin 's " Blue Skies " at Riker's wedding to Deanna Troi because of his knowledge of Riker's fondness for "archaic musical forms." ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Riker first began playing poker as a junior officer aboard the Potemkin . ( TNG : " Lower Decks ") He became a notoriously good player aboard the Enterprise , participating in most of the ship's weekly poker games and even teaching master classes on the game. ( TNG : " The Measure Of A Man ", " The Price ") He also knew several card tricks, one of which was used in a failed attempt to fool Data in 2367. ( TNG : " Legacy ") His poker skills were noted by Captain Picard, and their connection to diplomatic skills was one of the reasons he was selected to replace Mendoza as the Federation representative in the Barzan wormhole negotiations. ( TNG : " The Price ")

In an alternate timeline , Dr. Crusher noted that Riker raised his left eyebrow slightly while bluffing, although she later claimed to be kidding. ( TNG : " Cause And Effect ") In 2369, Riker, La Forge, and Worf made an unconventional wager with Dr. Crusher: if any of the men won the hand, she would become a brunette, and if Crusher won, the men would shave their beards . However, the senior staff were called to the bridge before the hand was over. ( TNG : " The Quality of Life ")

Riker was skilled in other forms of gambling and won large sums of latinum at the dabo tables in Quark's during an Enterprise visit to Deep Space 9 . Quark claimed he was unable to pay Riker at the time, and later voided the winnings in exchange for information about the whereabouts of the Duras sisters Lursa and B'Etor . ( TNG : " Firstborn ") Riker met DS9 officer Jadzia Dax at Quark's about this time. ( DS9 : " Defiant ")

Riker had several sports-related hobbies. Anbo-jyutsu was one such interest, ( TNG : " The Icarus Factor ") as were Parrises squares ( TNG : " Future Imperfect ", " Timescape ") and handball . ( ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ") He had skills in the martial arts, tai chi chuan in particular and took Worf's mok'bara classes. ( TNG : " Second Chances ", " Clues ") He also enjoyed fishing . One of his favorite fishing spots was Curtis Creek , which he recreated in a holoprogram . ( TNG : " The Icarus Factor ", " Second Chances ", " Future Imperfect ")

Other interests [ ]

Riker was quite skilled at three-dimensional chess , as he used the Queen's Gambit coupled with the Aldabren Exchange to defeat the Ferengi Nibor during the closing reception of the biennial Trade Agreements Conference aboard the USS Enterprise -D. ( TNG : " Ménage à Troi ") Riker had an interest in cooking from when he had had to fend for himself as a child. ( TNG : " Time Squared ", " Remember Me ") He was a member of Beverly Crusher's theater troupe aboard the Enterprise -D and played the lead in two plays, Something for Breakfast ( TNG : " A Fistful of Datas ") and Frame of Mind . ( TNG : " Frame of Mind ") His favorite vacation spot was Risa . ( TNG : " Captain's Holiday ", " The Game ") Riker also enjoyed dabo, although the beckoning profits did not appear to be the motivating factor. At Quark's on Deep Space 9 , Lt. Jadzia Dax staked Riker three strips of gold-pressed latinum when his winning-streak ran dry. He later contacted Quark and traded his unclaimed winnings for information on the Duras sisters . ( TNG : " Firstborn "; DS9 : " Defiant ")

Personal relationships [ ]

Marriage [ ].

Wedding ceremony in Alaska

Will and Deanna were finally married in 2379 , shortly before their transfer to the USS Titan . Their wedding party in Alaska included Captain Picard as best man, Dr. Crusher as bridesmaid, and Data, La Forge, Worf, and Wesley Crusher as groomsmen. Guinan was also present. Another ceremony, a traditional Betazoid wedding , was planned on Betazed shortly following. However, that ceremony was delayed when the Enterprise was diverted to Romulus . ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Friendships [ ]

Because of his fair and decisive command style and his easy-going, affable personality, Riker was popular among the Enterprise -D crew and had friendships with senior staff members as well as junior officers. ( TNG : " Data's Day ") Some junior officers, such as Sam Lavelle , found him less easy to get along with. Riker was slightly annoyed with Lavelle, claiming he was too eager to please. Later, Counselor Troi suggested that his adversity actually stemmed from the fact that Lavelle was very much like Riker when he himself had been a junior officer. ( TNG : " Lower Decks ")

Riker flirts with Guinan

Riker had known Geordi La Forge longer than any of the crew, but they didn't become friends until they served on the Enterprise together. ( TNG : " The Next Phase ") He counseled La Forge following the loss of his mother in 2370, although La Forge did not heed his advice at the time. ( TNG : " Interface ")

While Dr. Beverly Crusher was head of Starfleet Medical in 2365, Riker was one of the Enterprise officers who made sure Wesley Crusher kept up with his studies and responsibilities aboard the ship. ( TNG : " The Child ") Riker and Guinan tried to advise Wesley on his relationship with Salia , but their assistance rapidly went off track from its original intention. ( TNG : " The Dauphin ")

Jean-Luc Picard [ ]

Riker and Captain Picard on the bridge of the late Enterprise -D

When choosing a first officer prior to the launch of the Enterprise in 2363 , Captain Picard nearly passed over Riker's record. He stopped when he saw the incident with Captain DeSoto and Riker's refusal to allow the captain to beam down. This was a major factor in Picard's selection of Riker as his first officer. He was impressed that a first officer would challenge a captain's authority out of regard for the safety of the captain and the crew. ( TNG : " The Pegasus ") The trust Picard held in his first officer almost certainly saved the Federation. When the Enterprise encountered the Borg cube after the massacre at Wolf 359, Locutus of Borg, being reminded of that trust by Riker, would, though he knew perfectly well it was a lie, at least listen and respond to Riker's attempt to negotiate the circumstances of assimilation, distracting the Borg long enough to locate Locutus on the cube and effect a rescue, eventually using Picard's link to the Collective to destroy the ship in Earth orbit. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ")

Captain Picard was very cold towards Riker during their first meeting and ordered the manual docking as a test of Riker's abilities. When he performed the docking with great expertise and skill, Picard formally greeted Riker, and requested that his new first officer made sure that he didn't allow Picard to "make an ass of himself" in front of the many children aboard the ship. One year later, Picard felt as if he had not done a good job of congratulating Riker, so he did it once more, this time making his feelings clear. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " The Icarus Factor ")

Eventually, Riker and Picard became very good friends. With the best of intentions, Riker suggested that Picard vacation at Risa in 2366, asking him to return a horga'hn . Picard did not realize the history behind the statue and kept it with him after purchasing it for Riker, making it appear as if the captain was seeking jamaharon . ( TNG : " Captain's Holiday ")

The only time Riker and Picard ever verbally fought in front of the Enterprise crew was in 2366 while under the influence of emotions projected by Ambassador Sarek (whom Picard greatly respected), suffering from Bendii Syndrome . ( TNG : " Sarek ")

Picard tried to counsel Riker when he was offered command of the USS Melbourne in 2366, reminding him that the Enterprise would continue without his presence and that officers like Shelby were very much as he himself had been before he learned the lessons necessary for command of a starship. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ") Riker also came to Captain Picard for advice when Worf wanted his help with the hegh'bat and when he struggled with a decision involving Soren . ( TNG : " Ethics ", " The Outcast ")

In early 2369, members of the Enterprise crew, including Picard, were turned into twelve-year-olds by the effects of a molecular reversion field . Unfortunately, a group of Ferengi commandeered the Enterprise about that time. Believing Picard to be a child, they confined him to a classroom aboard the ship while Riker was held in the observation lounge . Picard threw a tantrum and demanded to see his "father," Riker. They pretended to be father and son for Picard to plant a suggestive message to Riker, requesting access to the Enterprise main computer from the classroom. Picard, along with the other affected Enterprise crew members, was able to design a plan to retake the Enterprise from the Ferengi. ( TNG : " Rascals ")

During the Pegasus incident of 2370, Picard tried to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ship's disappearance. He ran into many dead-ends, as most records had been sealed, and had to use many favors in Starfleet Command to even get a look at the findings of the board convened to investigate the loss of the Pegasus . Riker would not divulge further information under the orders of Admiral Erik Pressman, and Picard reluctantly continued the search. He made it clear to Riker that he hoped he still considered the safety of the Enterprise his top priority and said that if he found this to be untrue, he would re-evaluate his trust in Riker. After the crisis was resolved, Picard visited Riker in the brig and returned him to duty aboard the Enterprise , understanding Riker's mistake in the past and satisfied that he had made the correct decisions in the present. ( TNG : " The Pegasus ")

Picard served as Riker's best man during his wedding to Deanna Troi in 2379 . He gave a toast to Riker, calling him his "trusted right arm" for the previous fifteen years and lamenting his loss of a fine first officer. ( Star Trek Nemesis )

While aboard the Enterprise , Picard generally referred to Riker as " Number One ", a nickname he used for his first officer. ( TNG : " Disaster ") Chillingly, Locutus of Borg also called Riker "Number One" while dealing with the Enterprise crew. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ")

Worf considered Riker one of his closest friends, despite their vastly different personalities. Riker was one of the only Humans who participated in Worf's brutally violent holodeck calisthenics program . ( TNG : " Where Silence Has Lease ") In 2365, Worf wanted to transfer to the USS Aries with Riker, concerned for his safety. ( TNG : " The Icarus Factor ") Riker also tried to convince Worf to donate his blood in order to save the Romulan Patahk , rescued from Galorndon Core in 2366. He tried to make Worf realize that this gesture of goodwill might be the first step toward healing the differences between their peoples. ( TNG : " The Enemy ")

Riker at Worf's side after his paralysis

Worf asked Riker to assist him in the hegh'bat , a Klingon ritual suicide, following his spinal cord injury in 2368. Riker was appalled by the request, feeling that Worf's life was still worth living and that suicide would be an insult to all their comrades who had struggled for life up until their death. He researched the tradition before coming to Worf with his decision. He found that the hegh'bat was generally practiced with the oldest son, and then left it up to Worf to ask his young son Alexander Rozhenko to help. Worf was unable to ask Alexander to participate in the ritual, and later decided to attempt a risky surgery involving the genetronic replicator . ( TNG : " Ethics ")

Despite his discomfort with the androgynous nature of the J'naii , Worf helped Riker during his mission to rescue Soren , realizing how important Soren was to Riker. ( TNG : " The Outcast ")

Riker also liked to good-naturedly rib Worf, who was notorious for his lack of a sense of humor. This was proven correct as Worf only glared or growled in response to Riker's antics. During the Iyaaran visit in 2370, Riker jokingly chastised Worf for thinking the dress uniform was too feminine and weak looking, later telling Worf he thought he looked good in a dress. ( TNG : " Liaisons ")

Riker encouraged Alexander's love of jazz music by giving him several recordings. Worf, however, was not a fan. ( TNG : " Phantasms ")

Riker wanted to give Worf a surprise party for his birthday in 2370, but Deanna Troi talked him out of it. ( TNG : " Parallels ")

Riker with Worf in 2371

In late 2370, Worf began dating Deanna Troi, which placed some strain on his relationship with Riker despite Worf's best efforts to prevent it. ( TNG : " Eye of the Beholder ", " All Good Things... ") Worf tried to ask Riker for his permission to date Troi, but the attempt came off as comic rather than serious. ( TNG : " Eye of the Beholder ")

Riker first met Data on the Enterprise holodeck in 2364. Data was trying to whistle " Pop Goes the Weasel ," but could not finish the last few notes. Riker helped him finish, later giving Data the nickname " Pinocchio " in reference to Data's wish to become Human. Riker later recalled this incident fondly during Data's wake, although he was unable to remember the song Data was whistling. ( Star Trek Nemesis ) At first Riker was skeptical about Data's abilities as a machine, he even assumed that his rank of lieutenant commander was merely honorary. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

In 2365, Data's status as a sentient individual came into question. A trial was set on Starbase 173 , but the base lacked a complete legal staff. As Enterprise first officer, Riker was forced to act as attorney for Bruce Maddox and was given the difficult task of convincing Judge Phillipa Louvois that as an android , Data was not sentient. He very nearly proved that Data was a simple machine by deactivating him, but Picard's defense later made Louvois grant Data complete rights as a sentient being. Riker was distressed over the incident and felt terrible that he nearly cost Data his rights. Data did not hold any ill will towards Riker, though, and was grateful that Riker participated, for if he had not, the ruling would have been a default in Maddox's favor. He assured Riker that he would not forget that the actions the commander found so upsetting had saved his life. ( TNG : " The Measure Of A Man ")

Riker with Data aboard the Cleponji in 2366

Riker was also aware of the fondness the rest of the crew felt for Data. In 2366, after Data's apparent death in a shuttlecraft explosion (while ferrying hytritium , a compound too unstable for transporter use), upon seeing La Forge's furious refusal to accept that Data himself might have been responsible for the accident, Riker told Picard that, for someone incapable of feeling emotions, he was quite capable of bringing them out in others. Soon afterward he accidentally brought about Data's recovery, as it was Riker's suspicions – that since the hytritium, needed to purge tricyanate from the water on Beta Agni II , did so in seconds rather than hours, the water must have been poisoned – which launched an investigation of Kivas Fajo , who had provided the hytritium (in exactly the amount needed). Upon learning of Fajo's status as a collector, the crew, deducing that their friend's death had been faked, quickly tracked down Fajo's ship and returned Data to the Enterprise . ( TNG : " The Most Toys ")

Data sought Riker's help and advice on several occasions. One instance was when he asked for Riker's advice on friendship and betrayal following a mission involving Ishara Yar in 2367. ( TNG : " Legacy ") Data also asked for Riker's help when Keiko Ishikawa temporarily called off her wedding to Miles O'Brien in 2367. ( TNG : " Data's Day ") He also came to Riker for advice when he started to date Jenna D'Sora . ( TNG : " In Theory ")

Years after Data's physical death in 2379 aboard the Scimitar , Riker continued to remember Data with great fondness. His daughter Kestra Troi-Riker learned a great deal about Data and his life through stories from the past. ( PIC : " Nepenthe ")

Carol Freeman [ ]

William T. Riker and Carol Freeman.

Riker was one of Captain Carol Freeman 's old friends, close enough for Riker to consider Freeman his cha'DIch and reminisce about the times they got into trouble together, although Freeman contended that Riker alone was responsible for starting incidents. Riker was also a mentor to Beckett Mariner , Freeman's daughter. He was also the source of many contrabands that Mariner collected. Seeing Riker was the source of Mariner's frequent insubordinate behavior, Freeman was slightly annoyed when they met again in 2380. ( LD : " No Small Parts ")

Beckett Mariner [ ]

William T. Riker and Beckett Mariner.

Riker was a mentor to Ensign Beckett Mariner and a source of Mariner's contrabands, such as Romulan ale. Riker owed Mariner a favor sometime prior to 2380, which he considered paid when his ship, the USS Titan , saved Mariner's ship, the USS Cerritos from being captured and destroyed by the Pakleds.( LD : " No Small Parts ")

Kyle Riker [ ]

Will saw his father Kyle Riker for the first time in fifteen years when he came aboard the Enterprise to brief him on the USS Aries command. The two remained adversarial, despite Kyle's wish to heal any wounds before Riker departed on his mission. Dr. Pulaski, an old flame of Kyle's, told Will about Kyle's bravery following the Tholian attack and suggested that the time had come to resolve their conflict. Will and Kyle decided to settle their differences with a match of anbo-jytsu, at which time Will discovered that Kyle had been cheating since Will was twelve. The activity allowed them to vent the tension and have an actual conversation about their true feelings, which they had never done. Kyle finally told Will that he loved him before returning to Starbase Montgomery . ( TNG : " The Icarus Factor ") After this incident, Will was finally able to put their past difficulties behind him. ( TNG : " Second Chances ")

An early pitch for the episode TNG : " Interface " had Riker as the central character, recently mourning the death of Kyle Riker.

Thomas Riker [ ]

Thomas and William

The Enterprise was sent to Nervala IV in late 2369, when the atmospheric disturbances began to subside. Riker led an away team to the surface, and discovered his duplicate, later known as Thomas Riker . The two quickly clashed over various issues, including Tom's resistance to direct orders and his attempts to rekindle a relationship with Deanna Troi. Tom felt that Will was the one who had benefited from his misery of being stuck on the planet for eight years. After working together to retrieve log files from the station computers and saving one another's lives, they began to accept one another. Thomas transferred to the USS Gandhi , and Will gave him their trombone as a parting gift. ( TNG : " Second Chances ")

In the early stages of writing "Second Chances", Jeri Taylor and the TNG writing staff considered killing off William Riker and having Thomas join the Enterprise crew as his replacement. According to Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 249, Thomas would have become the helmsman, with Data promoted to first officer. However, in Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages (p. 279), Taylor is quoted stating that Thomas would have been the operations officer.

By 2371, Tom had resigned his post to join the Maquis . He pretended to be Will Riker in order to gain access to the USS Defiant , which he then stole for use by the Maquis. ( DS9 : " Defiant ")

Romance [ ]

Riker spent the night with Mistress Beata during his mission to Angel I in 2364, presenting her with an Albeni meditation crystal . She was fascinated by his strength and power, traits which were not abundant in the males of her world. Riker donned the traditional clothing of the planet, drawing snickers from Counselor Troi and Lieutenant Natasha Yar . ( TNG : " Angel One ")

The Bynars created a holographic woman named Minuet to distract Riker while they hijacked the Enterprise -D in 2364. Riker found her convincingly real and was disappointed when her program was lost after the Bynars left the ship. ( TNG : " 11001001 ") Her image was used by Barash 's holosimulators to create a wife for Riker in the illusory future he experienced in 2367, making Riker realize the deception. ( TNG : " Future Imperfect ")

Lwaxana Troi [ ]

Ambassador Lwaxana Troi entered the Betazoid phase in 2365. When she visited the Enterprise , she set her sights on several male crewmembers as potential mates, including Riker. She announced their "wedding" on the bridge of the Enterprise shortly before moving on to Captain Picard. ( TNG : " Manhunt ")

Brenna Odell [ ]

Riker was romantically linked to the Bringloidi colonist Brenna Odell , but the relationship was limited to her brief stay aboard the ship in 2365. ( TNG : " Up The Long Ladder ")

The Enterprise worked to reunite the Gatherers with their Acamarian home in 2366. Riker became involved with one of Sovereign Marouk 's aides, Yuta . Yuta was actually a Tralesta who had been genetically altered to deliver a microvirus to members of another clan, the Lornak , which the Tralestas had fought centuries earlier. The last Lornak , Chorgan , was now leader of the Gatherers, and Yuta attempted to assassinate him. Data and Dr. Crusher later discovered Yuta's true nature, and Riker was forced to kill her in order to prevent Chorgan's death. ( TNG : " The Vengeance Factor ")

Riker returned from shore leave in late 2366 and saw Data's "daughter" Lal in Ten Forward . He did not realize that she was an android and flirted with her. Lal immediately picked Riker up and planted a kiss on his lips, copying behavior she had observed earlier. When Data asked Riker what his intentions were with his daughter, Riker hastily left, embarrassed and confused. ( TNG : " The Offspring ")

While Riker was held captive in the Malcorian hospital in 2367, a nurse named Lanel approached him and offered to help him escape if he made love to her, as it had long been her dream to do so with an alien. Riker tried to maneuver his way out of the situation by claiming there were differences between their cultures, but Lanel was persistent. It is unclear just how far the two went with their relationship, but Lanel eventually helped Riker try to escape. When asked if she would ever see him again, Riker somewhat sarcastically responded he would look her up next time he passed through her star system. ( TNG : " First Contact ")

Carmen Davila [ ]

Riker romanced Carmen Davila in early 2368 while some of the Enterprise crew helped establish a colony on Melona IV . However, Davila was killed when the Crystalline Entity ravaged that world. Riker wrote a brief letter to Davila's family when Starfleet informed them of her death. Riker believed that her death and the loss of countless other lives at the hands of the Entity were reason enough to destroy it rather than attempt communication. ( TNG : " Silicon Avatar ")

Etana Jol [ ]

Riker visited Risa later that year and met a Ktarian female named Etana . Jol was actually working for a Ktarian dissident movement which attempted to take over the Federation in 2368. She was able to get Riker addicted to the game they used in the mind control plot, which he then returned to the Enterprise . Fortunately, Data, Wesley Crusher and Robin Lefler were able to reverse the effects of the game and foil the Ktarian plot. ( TNG : " The Game ")

Ro Laren [ ]

When the Enterprise was affected by a Satarran memory weapon in 2368 , Riker and Ensign Ro Laren felt an attraction to one another. They spent several nights together before Dr. Crusher discovered a way to restore the memories of the entire crew. ( TNG : " Conundrum ") Later that year, Riker later wanted to say a few words about Ro at the funeral planned when it was believed she and La Forge were dead. Ro was frustrated because she and La Forge were rephased before Riker made his speech. ( TNG : " The Next Phase ")

In 2368 Riker helped the J'naii rescue the crew of one of their shuttlecraft trapped in a pocket of null space . During the planning stages of the mission, he became close to one of their pilots, Soren . The two were attracted to one another, a relationship forbidden by the oppressive government of the J'naii. Their relationship was discovered, and Soren was arrested. She was given psychological treatment to remove her inclinations to be female. With help from Worf, Riker mounted an illicit rescue mission, but it was too late. She refused to go along with him and did not wish to be returned to the way she was before treatment. ( TNG : " The Outcast ")

Kamala , a Kriosian empathic metamorph , tried to work her charms on Riker in 2368 . He was able to resist her but needed to visit the holodeck after the encounter. ( TNG : " The Perfect Mate ")

Amanda Rogers [ ]

Amanda Rogers came aboard the Enterprise in 2369. She had a somewhat obvious crush on Commander Riker, which he found flattering but did not reciprocate. Q used her interest in him to discern whether she had the abilities of the Q, causing several cargo barrels to fall from a ledge onto Riker. Amanda deflected the barrels to Riker's side. Later, after Q had begun to tempt Amanda with her new-found abilities, she abducted Riker and brought him to a romantic fantasy environment. Will still turned down her advances, but Amanda then used her powers to cause him to fall in love with her. Ultimately, Amanda realized that the encounter was devoid of meaning and sent him back to the Enterprise . ( TNG : " True Q ")

Rebecca Smith [ ]

Will dated a new tactical officer, Rebecca Smith , in 2370. They went for a walk in the arboretum and became intimate, but the mood was ruined when Riker rolled into Cypirion cactus and was stuck by several thorns. ( TNG : " Genesis ")

Deanna Troi [ ]

Will Riker with Deanna Troi in 2375

Deanna Troi and Will Riker began an intense and close relationship shortly following his posting to Betazed. They referred to each other as imzadi , a Betazoid word for "beloved". Troi apparently taught Riker how to communicate telepathically, but he seemed to have lost the ability by 2364. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ") Will later remarked that he knew Deanna better than anyone. ( TNG : " Man Of The People ") One of their favorite and most special locations was Janaran Falls . After Riker was transferred to the Potemkin , the two stayed in touch and planned to meet at Risa in 2361 , but Will was promoted shortly after the Nervala IV mission and forced to cancel their date. He made his career a priority over their relationship, and they gradually lost touch and did not see one another until they were both posted to the new USS Enterprise in 2364. ( TNG : " Second Chances ") It was difficult to see each other again, and Troi tried to speak to Riker alone during their mission to Farpoint Station . He maintained a distance, and she did not make another attempt. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ") They eventually decided to keep a professional yet friendly relationship. They stayed close friends and confidants, often approaching each other either to talk or for support in times of crisis. ( TNG : " Violations ", " Second Chances ") As first officer and counselor, they were required to manage crew evaluations every three months. ( TNG : " Man Of The People ", " Lower Decks ")

While under the influence of the polywater intoxication in 2364, Troi attempted to seduce Riker, but Riker maintained control and brought her to sickbay . ( TNG : " The Naked Now ")

Riker was dismayed to learn of Troi's betrothal to Wyatt Miller in 2364. Troi reassured him that he would always be a special part of her life and that she still cared for him greatly. Riker was delighted when Troi remained aboard the Enterprise after Miller left to help the Tarellians recover from a plague . ( TNG : " Haven ")

Riker and Troi attended the funeral service for Natasha Yar together after she was killed by Armus in 2364. Riker comforted Troi during and following the event. ( TNG : " Skin Of Evil ")

Troi was impregnated by an alien life form in early 2365. Riker had mixed feelings about the pregnancy and resultant child but was with Troi for the birth and supported her during the ordeal, especially after the child sacrificed himself to save the Enterprise . ( TNG : " The Child ")

Troi was visibly upset when Riker almost accepted assignment to the Aries in 2365. ( TNG : " The Icarus Factor ")

When Riker was affected by the predatory plant microbe picked up on Surata IV , Troi stayed with him through his convalescence. She was present during his treatment and relayed the emotions Will was experiencing to Dr. Pulaski, giving her indication of which memories to activate and which to suppress. ( TNG : " Shades of Gray ")

During the negotiations for the Barzan wormhole in 2366, Riker was challenged by the Chrysalian representative, Devinoni Ral , in more ways than one. Ral and Troi began a romantic relationship, and Ral used this to intimidate Riker. However, the Barzan wormhole was later determined to be worthless, and Riker gleefully withdrew the Federation bid in front of Ral, who had just secured rights for the Chrysalians through underhanded means. ( TNG : " The Price ")

Later that year, Troi backed off when Riker made his interest in Yuta known. ( TNG : " The Vengeance Factor ") She stood by him after he was accused of Dr. Nel Apgar 's murder, even when it seemed he must be guilty. After he was exonerated, she squeezed his hand in affection. ( TNG : " A Matter of Perspective ")

The couple tried to take a romantic holiday on Betazed in 2366 but were interrupted by Lwaxana Troi . A Ferengi DaiMon , Tog , later arrived to kidnap Lwaxana, taking Deanna and Riker with her. They later engineered an escape and were rescued by the Enterprise . ( TNG : " Ménage à Troi ")

The Enterprise became trapped by two-dimensional lifeforms in early 2367. They also suppressed Deanna's telepathic abilities and she found it difficult to deal with her loss. Will tried to help her cope with the trauma, but she resisted. He then called her "aristocratic" and thought she was upset because her empathic powers helped her feel superior to her shipmates. When the Enterprise was freed, her abilities were restored. She apologized to Will, but also made it clear that he was not to call her aristocratic again. ( TNG : " The Loss ")

Will and Deanna attended the wedding of Keiko and Miles O'Brien together. ( TNG : " Data's Day ")

Sometime prior to 2368 , Riker and Troi had a romantic encounter following a poker night. Troi was reluctant to continue a relationship at the time and the incident remained isolated. ( TNG : " Violations ")

Both Riker and Troi were affected by the Satarran energy weapon, but Troi still felt a connection to Will. Her suspicions were confirmed when Riker found a copy of Ode to Psyche given to him by Troi, with the inscription "To Will, all my love, Deanna". ( TNG : " Conundrum ")

When Riker expressed interest in Soren, he went to see Troi in order to gain her approval of the relationship. Once again, Troi assured him that they would always be special to one another, even if they saw other people. ( TNG : " The Outcast ")

Ambassador Ves Alkar telepathically linked with Troi in 2369, using her as a receptacle for his "psychic waste". Troi's behavior was drastically altered, and she began to rapidly age due to the stress. She appeared for a crew evaluation meeting with Riker in a seductive outfit, then revealing that she had just slept with a male junior officer. Riker claimed that he felt her love life was none of his business, but Troi continued to press the issue, causing Riker to leave. Troi later tried to kiss Riker, then scratched him for no apparent reason. Riker reported this behavior to Dr. Crusher, who uncovered Alkar's plan and broke his link with Troi. Troi thanked Riker for his support, and he promised to love her even when she became old and gray. ( TNG : " Man Of The People ")

The discovery of Riker's double on Nervala IV complicated his relationship with Troi. That Riker had spent eight years pining for Troi and was eager to resume their relationship. He tried to have her transferred to the Gandhi , but she refused, not wanting to give up the life she had spent so long building on the Enterprise . ( TNG : " Second Chances ")

Lwaxana Troi felt that Riker was partly the reason Deanna was still unmarried by 2370. While suffering from strain due to repeated telepathic contact with the Cairn , Lwaxana approached WRiker in Ten Forward and yelled at him, telling him to leave Deanna alone. She later had Deanna apologize for her behavior. ( TNG : " Dark Page ")

Troi attempted the Bridge Officer's test in 2370. Riker supervised the tests and did not show any favoritism towards her. After she attempted the engineering qualification several times without much luck, he came to tell her the tests were canceled. However, by insisting to her that, despite their relationship, his loyalty was to the Enterprise , he gave her a hint which told her what the test was really about – her ability to send a crewmember to their death. Knowing that she would never simply give up, he entered the holodeck just in time to congratulate her on passing the test. ( TNG : " Thine Own Self ")

Worf began courting Troi in 2370, thankful for all the help she had provided in Alexander's care over the prior two years. ( TNG : " Parallels ") Worf was concerned that Riker might feel betrayed by their relationship and wanted to discuss the issue with Riker late that year. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Riker and Troi stayed friends into their early years aboard the Enterprise -E. He helped her through the outcome of an alcohol binge instigated by Zefram Cochrane while they were trying to convince him to conduct his warp flight in 2063 (though he made no attempt to hide his enjoyment of witnessing her drunken behavior). ( Star Trek: First Contact ) However, things changed when they encountered the radiation of the Ba'ku planet in 2375 . They began to playfully flirt with one another and ended up taking a bubble bath together. Their rekindled romance continued after the Enterprise left the Briar Patch . ( Star Trek: Insurrection )

The two were planning to vacation in 2377 . Troi arrived at the beach first; Riker was going to meet her a few days later. They later decided to spend the rest of their vacation in Tiburon instead. They invited Reg Barclay to accompany them, wanting to introduce him to a mutual friend, Maril . ( VOY : " Inside Man ")

Anything but canon scenarios [ ]

First contact with bragu's species [ ].

William T. Riker when he met Bragu

According to an anything but canon account, when the Enterprise-D arrived at a planet that was inhabited by a race that just achieved warp drive technology , three officers were assembled to make first contact with them, and Riker served as the commanding officer of the away team .

They beamed down to the building where the scientific breakthrough took place, and it's there that they met Bragu . Upon talking to them briefly, it took little time for them to learn about their fixation with boogers . They were extremely grossed out by this, especially when the scientists offered them some leftover fish cooked in a microwave . It only got worse when Bragu blew his nose on the fish, using his own snot as sauce . This was the last straw for Riker, who distracted them, telling them there was Gorn invaders behind them. They actually looked behind them, and he seized the moment to use his phaser to destroy their warp engine , and he tells them it must not be ready yet after all. The landing party then returned to the ship . ( VST : " Worst Contact ")

Malfunctioning holoprogram [ ]

Riker hologram 2

Riker hologram 1

In a malfunctioning holoprogram , two different holograms of William T. Riker showed up in this program . The first one seemed to be a holosuite program that Quark was showing to Garak in the holosuite at Quark's on Deep Space 9 to prove that he can make a fake worthy to trick the Romulans into entering the Dominion War . That too ended up actually being part of the simulation .

Another hologram of Riker shows up later in the program . This time, it seems that scene changes to the USS Voyager , where Neelix was watching a holonovel on his PADD . He decides to go to bed , and he lies down. Then Trip Tucker tells the computer to pause playback . But to his surprise, he's not the real Trip Tucker. In fact, he was part of a hologram that was a five- headed monster . The other heads were Nyota Uhura , T'Pol and Spock . Riker's head was also part of this five-headed holo- beast , in fact he was the head on the far right side of the monster's body , where the right arm was located.

At this point in the program, the computer voice begins speaking , saying that something is clearly wrong. The computer then says: "Computer, freeze program." The head of Tucker realizes that there must really be a malfunction, because it seemed as though the computer was talking to itself, and he said: "You are the computer! Who are you talk--" -- but he was cut off before he could finish his sentence , because he was frozen along with the rest of the program. ( VST : " Holograms All the Way Down ")

Jam session on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) [ ]

Riker playing along with the rest of his band

In a very unusual setting , Riker was present on the Federation 's original starship Enterprise during the 50th aniversary of Star Trek: The Animated Series .

He and Hikaru Sulu step off of the turbolift and onto the bridge with their musical instruments in hand . Riker was carrying a trombone , while Sulu was carrying his keyboard . They then decide to start jamming to one of their songs , which Riker described as falling into the genre of Post Mainframe Acid-Cardassian Ten Forwardcore .

While they were playing their music , a fleet of Klingon D7 class battle cruisers unexpectedly attacked the Enterprise . D'Vana Tendi informed everyone that the alert wasn't part of the song , nevertheless they continued to play their instruments and finally there was a violent explosion on the bridge. ( VST : " Walk, Don't Run ")]]

Alternate realities and timelines [ ]

Riker from six hours in the future

In 2365, the USS Enterprise -D encountered the shuttlecraft El-Baz from six hours in the future, including a future version of Captain Jean-Luc Picard . Using a variable phase inverter , a future log entry was retrieved showing Riker having escorted Captain Picard to the shuttlebay and standing in the bay while Picard departed the ship. ( TNG : " Time Squared ")

Riker is killed in an alternate timeline

In 2366, the USS Enterprise -C emerged from a temporal rift . Its disappearance from the year 2344 caused an altered timeline, wherein the Federation was losing a war against the Klingons. Riker was still the ship's first officer, but he was much more toughened due to the horrors of war. He questioned the plan to send the Enterprise -C back to the past, especially after Captain Rachel Garrett was killed, but Captain Picard allowed Richard Castillo to assume command and return the Enterprise -C to 2344 . Riker later worked the tactical station following Tasha Yar's transfer to the Enterprise -C but was killed in a subsequent Klingon attack. ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ")

In 2367, Beverly Crusher became trapped in a warp bubble . Her thoughts created a universe where people and objects rapidly began disappearing. Riker was one of the last Enterprise crewmembers to vanish. ( TNG : " Remember Me ")

Captain Riker of a quantum reality where the Borg had decimated the Federation

Lieutenant Worf encountered a quantum fissure which caused him to begin shifting between quantum realities in 2370. In several universes, Riker was still Enterprise first officer and planned a surprise birthday party for Worf even though Worf had made it expressly clear he did not want one. In others, he had been promoted to captain. In the final universe in which Worf arrived, Riker was the captain, as Captain Picard had been lost in the Borg encounter of 2367. In another reality, the Borg had conquered the Federation and the Enterprise was one of the few ships left. Riker was in command of that ship as well and was desperate not to return to his universe once all the Enterprise s began spilling into a single universe. After attempting to get the attention of the present-reality Enterprise by firing lightly upon them, the Borg-damaged ship was destroyed by Capt. Riker with the alternate Riker on board to prevent further damage to his ship. The events following Worf's encounter were erased from the timeline once the fissure was sealed. ( TNG : " Parallels ")

In an alternate 2364 , Riker was left on Farpoint Station when the Enterprise was diverted to investigate a temporal anomaly in the Devron system . ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

In an alternate 2370 , Riker became uncomfortable with the growing relationship between Worf and Deanna, but he refused to voice his concern. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Admiral Riker in the anti-time future timeframe

In an unknown, alternate future timeframe , Riker had been promoted to admiral and was assigned to Starbase 247. The USS Enterprise -D, substantially refitted and upgraded, was his flagship . In this timeline, Deanna Troi had died twenty years previously, causing Worf and Riker to become estranged, as each blamed the other for preventing a relationship with her. Riker attempted to make amends at Deanna's funeral, but was rejected, possibly due to the bad timing.

Picard contacted him for help in investigating the anomaly, but Riker refused to allow him passage to the Neutral Zone, thinking Picard had been affected by Irumodic Syndrome and was delusional. Later Picard convinced his ex-wife, Beverly Picard , to take her medical ship, the USS Pasteur , to investigate the anomaly. The Pasteur was attacked and destroyed by Klingon attack cruisers , but the Enterprise arrived to rescue the crew and fight off the Klingons. Immediately Worf and Riker began to bicker. Picard once again pleaded with Riker to return to the Devron system, but he was then sedated and returned to quarters. Armed with new information gathered from the other two timeframes, Picard woke and went to talk to Riker and the other former Enterprise officers. He convinced them that the anomaly existed, and the Enterprise returned just in time to watch it form. Riker ordered the Enterprise into the anomaly, where it used a static warp shell in concert with the other Enterprise s to collapse it. During this time, Riker made an overture to Worf that was accepted, asking for his old friend's help on the bridge.

After the anomaly was sealed, the timelines were erased and only Captain Picard retained memory of those events. Picard told his staff of his experiences in the future, in hopes that things such as the conflict between Worf and Riker would never happen. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Holograms [ ]

Riker seeing himself in Krag's holoprogram

William Riker was holographically duplicated on several occasions.

• In 2366, on Stardate 43610.4, a series of holographic simulations , Deposition Program Riker One , Hypothetical Krag One , Manua Simulation One , Tayna Simulation Three , and La Forge One , were used by Krag in his investigation into the murder of Nel Apgar , of which Riker was suspected. ( TNG : " A Matter of Perspective ")
• Later that year, on Stardate 43807.4, at least two holographic recreations of Riker were created by Lieutenant Reginald Barclay when he suffered from holoaddiction . One was on a recreation of the Enterprise -D; the other was part of The Three Musketeers and was considerably shorter than the real Riker. Troi believed that the latter's short stature was due to the fact that Barclay found Riker's height intimidating. ( TNG : " Hollow Pursuits ")
• In 2368 , on Stardate 45254.8, a hologram of Riker was used to fool Sela so Spock , Captain Picard , and Data could escape from Romulus . Picard told Data that he did not get the hair quite right. ( TNG : " Unification II ")
• In 2369, on stardate 46424.1, a hologram of Riker was used by James Moriarty to trick Picard into releasing his command codes. Another was used in turn by Picard to trick Moriarty into releasing his control over the Enterprise -D. ( TNG : " Ship In A Bottle ")

Miscellaneous information [ ]

The personnel files of Thomas and William T. Riker in 2371

Riker's quarters on the Enterprise -D were on Deck 8, room 0912. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " Night Terrors ", " Chain Of Command, Part II ")

By 2369, Riker had been decorated by Starfleet five times. ( TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part I ")

Riker replaced the trombone that he had given Thomas Riker with a King 3B 2103 "Legend" tenor trombone. ( TNG : " Thine Own Self ")

Riker spoke "a little" of the Klingon language ( TNG : " The Emissary ") and had a rudimentary knowledge of the Romulan language , specifically Romulan curses. ( TNG : " The Enemy ", " The Defector ")

By early 2365, Riker had permanently grown out his beard because he was tired of people always telling him how young he looked. ( TNG : " The Neutral Zone ", " The Child ", " The Pegasus ") He also felt the beard was a proud, ancient tradition and a symbol of strength. However, he did not see it as an affectation and was not opposed to shaving it; he had just gotten used to it. ( TNG : " The Quality of Life ") He briefly shaved it in 2375 after he resumed his relationship with Deanna Troi. ( Star Trek: Insurrection )

Jonathan Frakes grew the beard during the hiatus before TNG 's second season as he dislikes shaving. He returned to rehearsal before shaving it. The producers liked the change and asked him to keep the beard, although a fictional reason was not given until five years later.

In Reg Barclay's holofantasies of the Enterprise crew programmed in 2366, Riker was a short toady fellow who followed The Three Musketeers : Picard, Data, and La Forge. Riker was incensed to discover his holosimulation, which Troi believed Reg made short on purpose because Riker's height may have been intimidating. Riker then deleted the character. ( TNG : " Hollow Pursuits ")

Riker pulled from the timeline for Q's trial

Q "called" Riker to testify during the trial held to determine whether the Q later known as Quinn should be allowed to die. The trial was held in 2372 aboard the USS Voyager while it was still lost in the Delta Quadrant, and Q plucked Riker from a time period between 2366 and 2370. Riker explained the significance of a portrait of his ancestor, Thaddius "Iron Boots" Riker , colonel of the 102nd New York Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War , and later realized that Quinn was standing next to Thaddius, as he had saved Thaddius from death during the Battle of Pine Mountain . Q concluded by saying that had Quinn never existed, Q would have lost at least a dozen good opportunities to insult Riker over the years. Riker was then returned to his timeframe without any knowledge of being aboard Voyager . ( VOY : " Death Wish ")

It is uncertain from what year Riker originated; he was wearing the TNG -style uniform and combadge yet seemed to recognize that Janeway was captain of Voyager , perhaps indicating a year of 2370, which was the last year the TNG insignia was used and sufficiently close enough to the 2371 launch of Voyager for Janeway's assignment to the ship to be known.

Chronology [ ]

Starfleet's personnel file on William T. Riker, circa 2401

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Riker, W.T. reporting as ordered, sir. "

" He calls that a little adventure? "

"Fate protects fools, little children, and ships named Enterprise ."

" Mr. Worf… fire. "

" So what did you wish for, Will? " " Music lessons. "

" I'm going to miss this ship. She went before her time. "

" Smooth as an android's bottom, eh, Data? "

" Serving with you has been an honor. " " The honor was mine... captain. "

" Carol! I guess those Cali -class ships can hold their own longer than people say. " " Thanks for the assist, Captain. " " No need to be so formal. You know, I was her mentor. " " Uh, yeah, well I remember it differently. " " You were sort of my cha'DIch ! We used to get in so much trouble! " " 'We'? "

" Hey, how about you buy me a drink? You know, since we're even? Remember? The thing with the aliens where I saved your ass? " " We are not even, and we don't use money. What happened to you, man? You used to be sharp. "

" I'm sorry I'm late, I was watching the first Enterprise NX-01 on the holodeck. You know, Archer and those guys ? What a story. Those guys had a long road getting from there to here . "

" Red alert! I'm starting to think this jam session's got too many licks and not enough comp! " " WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?! "

" General, or commodore, or whatever you're calling yourself, right now I'm on the bridge of the toughest, fastest, most powerful starship Starfleet has ever put into service, and I've got a fleet of them at my back. We've got our phasers locked on your warp cores, and nothing would make me happier than you giving me an excuse to kick your treacherous Tal Shiar ass. But instead, I'm going to ask you one time to stand down. "

Appendices [ ]

See also [ ], appearances [ ].

• " Encounter at Farpoint "
• " The Naked Now "
• " Code of Honor "
• " The Last Outpost "
• " Where No One Has Gone Before "
• " Lonely Among Us "
• " Justice "
• " The Battle "
• " Hide And Q "
• " The Big Goodbye "
• " Datalore "
• " Angel One "
• " 11001001 "
• " Too Short A Season "
• " When The Bough Breaks "
• " Home Soil "
• " Coming of Age "
• " Heart of Glory "
• " The Arsenal of Freedom "
• " Symbiosis "
• " Skin Of Evil "
• " We'll Always Have Paris "
• " Conspiracy "
• " The Neutral Zone "
• " The Child "
• " Where Silence Has Lease "
• " Elementary, Dear Data "
• " The Outrageous Okona "
• " Loud As A Whisper "
• " The Schizoid Man "
• " Unnatural Selection "
• " A Matter Of Honor "
• " The Measure Of A Man "
• " The Dauphin "
• " Contagion "
• " The Royale "
• " Time Squared "
• " The Icarus Factor "
• " Pen Pals "
• " Samaritan Snare "
• " Up The Long Ladder "
• " Manhunt "
• " The Emissary "
• " Peak Performance "
• " Shades of Gray "
• " Evolution "
• " The Ensigns of Command "
• " The Survivors "
• " Who Watches The Watchers "
• " The Bonding "
• " Booby Trap "
• " The Enemy "
• " The Price "
• " The Vengeance Factor "
• " The Defector "
• " The Hunted "
• " The High Ground "
• " A Matter of Perspective "
• " Yesterday's Enterprise "
• " The Offspring "
• " Sins of The Father "
• " Allegiance "
• " Captain's Holiday "
• " Tin Man "
• " Hollow Pursuits "
• " The Most Toys "
• " Ménage à Troi "
• " Transfigurations "
• " The Best of Both Worlds "
• " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II "
• " Brothers "
• " Suddenly Human "
• " Remember Me "
• " Reunion "
• " Future Imperfect "
• " Final Mission "
• " The Loss "
• " Data's Day "
• " The Wounded "
• " Devil's Due "
• " First Contact "
• " Galaxy's Child "
• " Night Terrors "
• " Identity Crisis "
• " The Nth Degree "
• " The Drumhead "
• " Half a Life "
• " The Host "
• " The Mind's Eye "
• " In Theory "
• " Redemption "
• " Redemption II "
• " Ensign Ro "
• " Silicon Avatar "
• " Disaster "
• " The Game "
• " Unification I "
• " Unification II "
• " A Matter Of Time "
• " New Ground "
• " Hero Worship "
• " Violations "
• " The Masterpiece Society "
• " Conundrum "
• " Power Play "
• " The Outcast "
• " Cause And Effect "
• " The First Duty "
• " Cost Of Living "
• " The Perfect Mate "
• " Imaginary Friend "
• " The Next Phase "
• " The Inner Light "
• " Time's Arrow "
• " Time's Arrow, Part II "
• " Realm Of Fear "
• " Man Of The People "
• " Schisms "
• " Rascals "
• " A Fistful of Datas "
• " The Quality of Life "
• " Chain Of Command, Part I "
• " Chain Of Command, Part II "
• " Ship In A Bottle "
• " Face Of The Enemy "
• " Tapestry "
• " Birthright, Part I "
• " Birthright, Part II "
• " Starship Mine "
• " Lessons "
• " The Chase "
• " Frame of Mind "
• " Suspicions "
• " Rightful Heir "
• " Second Chances "
• " Timescape "
• " Descent "
• " Descent, Part II "
• " Liaisons "
• " Interface "
• " Gambit, Part I "
• " Gambit, Part II "
• " Phantasms "
• " Dark Page "
• " Attached "
• " Force of Nature "
• " Inheritance "
• " Parallels "
• " The Pegasus "
• " Homeward "
• " Sub Rosa "
• " Lower Decks "
• " Thine Own Self "
• " Eye of the Beholder "
• " Genesis "
• " Journey's End "
• " Firstborn "
• " Bloodlines "
• " Emergence "
• " Preemptive Strike "
• " All Good Things... "
• Star Trek Generations
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek: Insurrection
• Star Trek Nemesis
• DS9 : " Defiant " ( okudagram )
• VOY : " Death Wish "
• ENT : " These Are the Voyages... "
• " Nepenthe "
• " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 "
• " The Next Generation "
• " Disengage "
• " Seventeen Seconds "
• " No Win Scenario "
• " Imposters "
• " The Bounty "
• " Surrender "
• " The Last Generation "
• " No Small Parts "
• " Strange Energies "
• " Kayshon, His Eyes Open "
• " Worst Contact "
• " Holograms All the Way Down " (hologram)
• " Walk, Don't Run "

Background information [ ]

Jonathan Frakes goes before the cameras as Riker

Riker was played by Jonathan Frakes in all the character's film and television appearances. The young Riker seen in photographs, in the episode " The Icarus Factor ", was portrayed by an unknown actor .

Character development [ ]

During the early production stages of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Riker's name was spelled "Ryker". According to Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 13, his description in the original casting call was as follows:

" NUMBER ONE (AKA WILLIAM RYKER) – A 30-35 year old Caucasian born in Alaska. He is a pleasant looking man with sex appeal, of medium height, very agile and strong, a natural psychologist. Number One, as he is usually called, is second in command of the Enterprise and has a very strong, solid relationship with the Captain. "

Other background details which were eventually added to Riker's preproduction character bio claimed Riker "doesn't fully appreciate the female need to be needed" and that he is "privately called William by Picard and Bill by 'female friends'" (Troi does refer to him as "Bill" in " The Naked Now " and " Haven ", although this nickname was apparently dropped in favor of "Will". However, in the script for "Encounter at Farpoint", Picard refers to him as "Bill".) The preferred spelling of "Will" is not clear; scripts and closed captioning often alternate between "Wil" and "Will".

The original concept of Will Riker had much in common with the Willard Decker character intended for Star Trek: Phase II ; indeed, the background story of the love affair between Riker and Troi is somewhat similar to that of Decker and Ilia as seen in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 66)

Another source of inspiration when fleshing out the character was James T. Kirk . According to the writer's guide for the second season , " Like the legendary 23rd century Kirk (when in his early thirties), our Number One is very strong and agile and has a tendency toward 'derring-do'. Also like Captain Kirk, Riker has a healthy sex drive. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 007) Riker was also given the same middle initial T. as Kirk, although his middle name was not actually decided until " Second Chances " in the sixth season . According to Jeri Taylor , a variety of names including "Tecumseh" was considered before the writing staff settled on "Thomas" as the "simplest" choice. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., pp. 13 & 250)

Among the actors who originally auditioned for the role of William T. Riker were James Horan [3] [4] , William O. Campbell , Jeffrey Combs , Christopher McDonald , Eric Pierpoint [5] , Erich Anderson , and Vaughn Armstrong (each of whom later played at least one Star Trek role). Campbell was Gene Roddenberry 's preference for the role. However, Jeffrey Combs, Ben Murphy , and Michael O'Gorman were also regarded as front runners for the part.

In a memo from John E. Ferraro to John Pike , dated 13 April 1987 , Frakes, Gregg Marx , Murphy and O'Gorman were named as being considered for the role, with O'Gorman described as a favorite and an atypical but good choice for the role. [6] Campbell was at one point even cast as Riker. " [John] Pike didn't like him, " recalled Rick Berman . " He didn't feel he had a sense of command. He wouldn't follow this guy into battle. I think it was really more that he didn't audition that well for the part, and that's when we went to our second choice, who was Jonathan Frakes. " Frakes himself reflected, " I auditioned seven times over six weeks for this part. Unlike anything I have ever had to fight for before. The last few auditions, I would be sent to Gene's office prior to going to whichever executive needed convincing on this particular audition. I kept going up the food chain. In Gene's office, Gene would give me a pep talk, and Corey Allen , the director of the pilot [!] , was there [....] As a young actor, eager and willing, I really got caught up in [Roddenberry's] vision. " Berman concluded that Frakes "turned out to be a terrific choice." ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 95)

Riker is one of four characters to appear in two series finales ( TNG : " All Good Things... " and ENT : " These Are the Voyages... "), the others being Deanna Troi , Worf , and Miles O'Brien .

One of Riker's costumes from the first season of TNG was added to the ScienceFictionArchives.com collection and was showcased at Paris science museum during a 2010-2011 exhibition, "Science (and) Fiction: Imagination Meets Reality". [7]

Riker was the inspiration for the custom Minecraft skin of Yogscast co-founder Lewis Brindley, better known as Xephos. Originally, the skin was Riker, but it evolved into its own character. [8]

Riker was the inspiration of the TV Tropes ideal of "Growing the Beard" – the concept of a series or franchise becoming markedly better than previous installments after a certain point – by the fact that, after actor Jonathan Frakes grew a beard for season two, TNG began to take a turn for the better in various ways. [9]

Riker narrated the commentary on the Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive Technical Manual and also appeared in the original Star Trek: The Experience : Klingon Encounter ride at the Las Vegas Hilton.

According to StarTrek.com , William Riker was born on August 19 2335, in Valdez , Alaska, and his mother's middle initial was "C." [10] (X) The Star Trek Encyclopedia , 3rd ed., p. 411, also, stated that Riker was born in Valdez.

Apocrypha [ ]

In the alternate future of the Pocket DS9 book series Millennium , Riker was made captain of the Enterprise -F after Jean-Luc Picard was promoted to admiral. Among his crew were Deanna Troi, Geordi La Forge, Tom Paris , and B'Elanna Torres . However, the Enterprise -F was lost with all hands during a bloody battle with the Grigari. This timeline was eventually erased.

Before Riker's middle name was established as "Thomas", it was given as "Thelonius" – perhaps after famous jazz musician Thelonious Monk , as a way to reflect Riker's love of that music style – in Peter David 's novel, Imzadi . That book also delved into the relationship between Riker and Troi.

The novel Q-Squared gives Riker's full name as "William Thomas Thelonius Riker".

In the Star Trek: Destiny trilogy, Riker and the crew of the USS Titan were one of three ships that were instrumental in the final conflict with the Borg , including connecting the Columbia NX-02 to the Borg and locating the Caeliar and Captain Hernandez . In the follow-ups, Riker and Troi have a child together and name it Natasha, after their old friend from the Enterprise -D.

Riker is promoted to admiral in the Star Trek: The Fall miniseries, as Fleet Admiral Leonard James Akaar suspected a conspiracy in the upper echelons of Starfleet Command and needed someone in the admiralty that he knew he could trust. Despite his new position, Riker retains the Titan as his flagship and attempts to go on missions on it whenever he can.

External links [ ]

• William T. Riker at Wikipedia
• William T. Riker at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• William T. Riker at the Star Trek Online Wiki
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 World War III

“It seems like arrogance”: Jonathan Frakes Offered to Save a $60M Star Trek Bomb Featuring Spider-Man: No Way Home Star, They Just Wouldn’t Listen

Jonathan Frakes was not a fan of the director whose controversial Star Trek film flopped badly.

• 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis was a colossal failure and did not resonate with audiences.
• Jonathan Frakes is aware of the criticism of fans and disapproved the incoherent narrative.
• The actor also had disparaging remarks of the film's director Stuart Baird, who he deemed as arrogant.

The Star Trek franchise has seen a topsy-turvy journey over the years with The Next Generation TV show of the late 80s being the peak era of the franchise. The story of that era with Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard in the lead continued with four films in the 90s and early 2000s. The Next Generation storyline concluded with 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis .

The film unfortunately received negative reviews as it did not have the vibe and energy of a Star Trek film. Jonathan Frakes who played fan-favorite character William Riker in the Star Trek franchise opened up about why the film failed to resonate with audiences, while also criticizing director Stuart Baird for his arrogant nature.

Jonathan Frakes Does Not Like How Stuart Baird Handled The Production of Star Trek: Nemesis

After the 90s Star Trek films which mostly received mixed reviews from critics, the franchise returned in 2002 with Star Trek: Nemesis . The film chronicles the crew of USS Enterprise-E including Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard and Jonathan Frakes ‘ William Riker dealing with Tom Hardy’s Shinzon who has taken over the Romulan Star Empire.

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The film was majorly focused on Shinzon rather than the fan-favorite Star Trek characters that audiences have loved over the years. This unusual approach as well as the incoherent narrative left fans disappointed in the film. Frakes is also aware of fans’ criticism of the film and revealed how he offered to serve director Stuart Baird whenever he needed any help with the franchise’s lore.

In the oral history book The Fifty-Year Mission, the Star Trek actor revealed that he assured Baird that the cast is a strong ensemble and would do whatever was required to make the best film out of the material. However, the director did not approach him or enquire about anything while making the film, which Frakes interpreted as Baird’s arrogance. Frakes said (via SlashFilm ),

I remember calling him and saying, ‘If there’s anything I can do to help you, I’ve been around these people for all these years.’ And I think in the same phone call I said, ‘We’re really here to help. You’ll find that we’re a very strong team and we know how to do this and we’re really happy to help make the best movie you can.’ And he didn’t pick up either of those offers. In retrospect, it seems like arrogance. Why wouldn’t you accept that kind of offer?

The Picard clone approach with Shinzon, although intriguing, did not eventually deliver the much-needed intensity and catharsis that the film wanted the audience to feel. Star Trek: Nemesis was a big box office flop grossing only $67 million against a $60 million budget (via Box Office Mojo ). It remains one of the worst entries in the franchise.

Tom Hardy Did Not Interact With Anyone While Working On Star Trek: Nemesis

Tom Hardy starred in Star Trek: Nemesis in one of his early acting roles in the industry. He played Shinzon, a younger clone of Patrick Stewart ‘s Picard, and was the main antagonist of the film . The two stars, however, did not develop a great rapport on set due to Hardy’s solitary and non-verbal behavior.

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In Stewart’s new memoir Making It So , he detailed how Hardy did not engage or greet anyone he met on the set of the film. He spent most of his time in his trailer with his girlfriend. Therefore, for Stewart, it was incredibly hard to establish a connection with Hardy that would benefit the film. The Picard actor said (via Insider ),

Tom wouldn’t engage with any of us on a social level. Never said, ‘Good morning,’ never said, ‘Goodnight,’ and spent the hours he wasn’t needed on set in his trailer with his girlfriend…He was by no means hostile — it was just challenging to establish any rapport with him.

Stewart even believed that Hardy would never make it big in the industry and was incredibly happy when Hardy proved him wrong. The actor returned as Picard in his own show that concluded last year on a high note with its third season. Fans can watch Star Trek: Nemesis on Max. 

jonathan frakes Patrick Stewart Tom Hardy

Written by Rahul Thokchom

Rahul Thokchom is a content writer at Fandomwire who is passionate about covering the world of pop culture and entertainment. He has a Masters Degree in English that contributes to the richness and creativity in his works.

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