Few characters have left as lasting a mark on Star Trek as Jonathan Frakes’ William T. Riker. Riker in Star Trek: The Subsequent Era wasn’t solely one of the crucial impactful characters launched within the sequence that revived the franchise – he was a career-defining function for Frakes.
All through the present’s seven seasons, Frakes delivered a magnetic efficiency as Captain Picard’s (Patrick Stewart) loyal but fiercely impartial first officer. Over time, Riker grew to become one of the crucial succesful and well-rounded officers in any version of the Enterprise.
His affect reached far beyond The Next Generation, with appearances throughout Deep House 9, Decrease Decks, and Star Trek: Picard, and a number of other different Star Trek exhibits. Jonathan Frakes’ nuanced appearing and command of the function made Riker a permanent fan favourite – and his greatest episodes show why.
The Outcast (TNG Season 5, Episode 17)
Frakes Introduced Empathy And Conviction To One Of Star Trek’s Most Quietly Revolutionary Tales
“The Outcast” stays considered one of Star Trek: The Subsequent Era’s most groundbreaking episodes, tackling problems with id and gender lengthy earlier than they grew to become widespread TV dialogue factors. Riker types a deep emotional reference to Soren (Melinda Culea), a member of an androgynous species named the J’naii who identifies as feminine, a forbidden act in her society.
Jonathan Frakes’ efficiency right here is delicate and honest, mixing Riker’s trademark confidence with an understated tenderness hardly ever seen from the character. His chemistry with Culea sells the forbidden romance on the episode’s core, grounding its science fiction premise in actual emotional stakes.
Frakes himself has called for the story to have gone additional in representing same-sex relationships (through Salon), which underscores how a lot he invested in Riker’s empathy and open-mindedness. It’s a efficiency that proves Riker in Star Trek may very well be each commanding and deeply compassionate.
Seventeen Seconds (Picard season 3, Episode 3)
Frakes Reminded Followers Why Riker’s Maturity And Command Presence Nonetheless Matter A long time Later
By the point of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Will Riker has advanced from formidable first officer to seasoned chief. In “Seventeen Seconds,” he’s thrust again into the thick of command, navigating disaster alongside an older, extra battle-hardened Picard.
As an older Riker, Jonathan Frakes shines on this trendy Star Trek episode, showcasing the load of years spent making unimaginable decisions. His restrained efficiency conveys expertise and fatigue, but additionally heat and humor that recall his TNG days. Watching Riker conflict and reconcile with Picard is a reminder of their shared historical past, and the way far each males have come.
Frakes directs a number of Picard episodes himself, however as an actor right here, he reclaims the highlight effortlessly. “Seventeen Seconds” proves that even after many years, Riker in Star Trek still commands every bridge he stands on.
The Offspring (Season 3, Episode 16)
Frakes’ empathy shines by within the episode he calls his private favourite
“The Offspring” marks Jonathan Frakes’ directorial debut, and his favourite TNG episode (through Slashfilm). The story follows Information’s (Brent Spiner) creation of an android child named Lal (Hallie Todd), exploring parenthood and humanity by the android’s eyes.
Although Frakes directed, his efficiency as Riker stays important. He balances humor and sensitivity within the early scenes, reacting to Lal’s naive makes an attempt at understanding humanity with heat and endurance. It’s an understated however deeply human portrayal that reinforces Riker’s compassion for his crewmates.
Frakes’ twin contribution – each behind and in entrance of the digital camera – captures every part that makes Riker in Star Trek such a multifaceted character: professionalism, coronary heart, and respect for the unknown.
No Small Components (Decrease Decks season 1, Episode 10)
Frakes Introduced Riker’s Swagger Into Animation With out Lacking A Beat
Within the Lower Decks season 1 finale, “No Small Components,” Jonathan Frakes returns to voice an animated Riker commanding the USS Titan. The second he seems, horns blaring and grin broad, it’s like he by no means left.
Regardless of the comedic tone of Decrease Decks, Frakes performs and exaggerated Riker who has all of the qualities of his TNG counterpart with a lot much less of the nuance, which is exactly why it really works. His over-the-top confidence and booming vitality parody his youthful self with out diminishing him. It’s each nostalgic and contemporary, displaying how effortlessly Riker matches into any period of Star Trek.
“No Small Components” demonstrates Frakes’ pure capacity to adapt his efficiency throughout mediums. Whether or not live-action or animated, his Riker remains unmistakably heroic and hilariously himself.
The Drumhead (TNG Season 4, Episode 21)
Frakes Turned Quiet Defiance Into One Of Riker’s Most Principled Moments
TNG season 4’s “The Drumhead” is greatest remembered for its courtroom drama and exploration of paranoia aboard the Enterprise. When a witch hunt for supposed traitors begins, Riker is compelled to weigh loyalty towards conscience.
Jonathan Frakes delivers a restrained but highly effective efficiency, displaying Riker’s inside wrestle as obligation collides with ethical integrity. His exchanges with Admiral Satie (Jean Simmons) crackle with depth, revealing a person deeply conscious of the price of blind obedience.
It’s a showcase of delicate energy moderately than grand gestures. Frakes captures Riker’s ethical spine, the quiet certainty of a person who’s grown into his personal command philosophy, setting the stage for his eventual captaincy.
Time’s Arrow (TNG Season 5, Episode 26)
Frakes Gave Riker A Combine Of Urgency And Appeal In One Of Star Trek’s Wildest Time-Journey Adventures
“Time’s Arrow” sends the Enterprise crew again to Nineteenth-century San Francisco to rescue Information from an alien plot. It’s a tonal shift for TNG – a mixture of a classic Star Trek time travel story and and sci-fi thriller – however Frakes grounds it together with his regular, charismatic presence.
Riker’s management and decisiveness anchor the ensemble, and Frakes balances the humor of the premise with real urgency. His rapport with the remainder of the solid – notably with Picard and Information – reinforces the unshakable loyalty that defines Riker in Star Trek.
The episode’s lighter tone provides Frakes room to play with Riker’s swagger and quick wit, proving that the character’s confidence by no means overshadows his compassion or braveness. It’s additionally an ideal instance of Riker being an interesting character off the bridge in addition to on it.
Second Possibilities (TNG Season 6, Episode 24)
Frakes Confronted Himself – Actually – In One Of His Most Technically Difficult Performances
In The Next Generation season 6’s “Second Possibilities,” a transporter accident reveals a replica of Riker created years earlier. The result’s two Rikers, every representing completely different paths the person might have taken. It’s not solely an amazing episode of The Subsequent Era, however a standout instance of how a lot Frakes understands Riker as a personality.
It’s a tour-de-force efficiency from Jonathan Frakes as each Will and Thomas Riker. Delicate variations in tone, posture, and angle make every model distinct, but recognizably the identical man. His capacity to play off himself so convincingly is each technically spectacular and emotionally wealthy.
“Second Possibilities” is a thematically deep episode, even for The Next Generation, and explores remorse, id, and ambition (all themes central to Riker’s arc). Frakes captures the ache of confronting one’s personal misplaced potential, creating one of the crucial memorable appearing showcases in Star Trek historical past.
Greatest Of Each Worlds Pt. 1 & Pt. 2 (TNG Season 3, Episode 26 & Season 4, Episode 1)
Frakes Proved Riker May Lead The Enterprise Underneath The Most Unattainable Stress
“Better of Each Worlds” stays considered one of Star Trek’s defining moments, and a profession excessive for Jonathan Frakes. When Picard is assimilated by the Borg, Riker takes command of the Enterprise and should determine whether or not to destroy his captain to save lots of humanity.
Frakes instructions the display with depth and confidence, portraying Riker as each decisive chief and haunted buddy. His scenes of silent reflection reveal a person burdened by obligation but pushed by resolve. It’s the closest Riker ever involves surpassing his mentor, and he does it with grace.
This TNG two-parter cemented Frakes as a dramatic powerhouse throughout the franchise. Riker in Star Trek was by no means extra human, or extra heroic, than right here. Riker would later come to command his bridge within the Trek timeline, and it’s in “Better of Each Worlds” that his true potential first shines.
Future Imperfect (TNG Season 4, Episode 8)
Frakes Delivered Emotional Depth In A Story Constructed Fully Round Riker’s Heartbreak
“Future Imperfect” is without doubt one of the greatest Jonathan Frakes episodes of Star Trek not as a result of it focuses on Riker as a Starfleet officer, however on the person behind the badge. It begins with Riker awakening 16 years sooner or later solely to find the life he remembers could be a lie.
The episode depends nearly fully on Frakes’ capacity to hold its emotional weight. He portrays confusion, longing, and heartbreak with nuance, as Riker struggles to reconcile false reminiscences of household and fatherhood. Frakes retains the efficiency grounded, letting quiet gestures and fleeting expressions reveal the character’s ache.
Even when the phantasm collapses, the episode lingers due to how authentically Frakes captures Riker’s loneliness. It’s a masterclass in restraint, proving that Star Trek’s most powerful moments typically come from its most human performances.
Body Of Thoughts (TNG Season 6, Episode 21)
Frakes Gave A Profession-Greatest Efficiency In Riker’s Most Psychologically Intense Episode
In “Body of Thoughts,” Riker finds himself trapped between actuality and hallucination, uncertain if he’s nonetheless aboard the Enterprise or imprisoned in an alien asylum. It’s considered one of TNG’s darkest and most disorienting episodes – and Frakes is extraordinary all through.
His descent into paranoia is each terrifying and heartbreaking. Frakes commits fully to Riker’s unraveling psyche, balancing uncooked concern with defiant energy. It’s a showcase of vary and emotional management hardly ever seen in Star Trek.
“Body of Thoughts” cemented Frakes as extra than simply the assured first officer, it proved his depth as a dramatic actor. For a lot of followers, this stays the definitive instance of Riker in Star Trek at his most human, weak, and unforgettable.
- Created by
-
Gene Roddenberry
- First Episode Air Date
-
September 8, 1966
- Forged
-
William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Wil Wheaton, Avery Brooks, Nana Customer, Rene Auberjonois, Alexander Siddig, Cirroc Lofton, Armin Shimerman, Colm Meaney, Terry Farrell, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Jeri Ryan, Robert Duncan McNeill, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, Garrett Wang, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, Scott Bakula, Linda Park, John Billingsley, Anthony Montgomery, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, Sonequa Martin-Green, Mary Wiseman, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Oyin Oladejo, Emily Coutts, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn, Michelle Yeoh
- TV Present(s)
-
Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Short Treks, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek Lower Decks, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
