riker star trek season 1

Follow Polygon online:

• Follow Polygon on Facebook
• Follow Polygon on Youtube
• Follow Polygon on Instagram

Site search

• Manor Lords
• Dragon’s Dogma 2
• FF7 Rebirth
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• GTA 5 cheats
• PlayStation
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Magic: The Gathering
• Board Games
• All Tabletop
• All Entertainment
• What to Watch
• What to Play
• Buyer’s Guides
• Really Bad Chess
• All Puzzles

Filed under:

• Entertainment

The best Riker episodes of Star Trek, without question

Pay respect to the #1 Number One

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: The best Riker episodes of Star Trek, without question

He’s always been our Number One.

The show is called Star Trek: Picard , but right now — three episodes into the third and final season — it’s Jonathan Frakes’ performance as Captain William T. Riker that’s charging the dilithium crystals in the warp core. That’s not a dis against Patrick Stewart or Jeri Ryan or Michael Dorn or Gates McFadden or Michelle Hurd or Todd Stashwick as Captain Liam Shaw (where did this awesome guy come from?), but Picard ’s vision of Riker feels like a fulfillment of a promise Trek fans have been waiting on for over 20 years.

As First Officer of the Enterprise, watching Riker turn down his own command was something of a recurring gag over Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s run. He finally moved to the center seat of the USS Titan (and married his imzadi , Counselor Deanna Troi) in time for Star Trek: Nemesis , but we never actually saw him on his bridge. (Also, that movie stinks like a plate of week-old tube grubs from the least profitable restaurant on Ferenginar!)

As disappointing as Picard ’s first season may have been, watching him warp in to save the day as acting captain on the USS Zheng He was a get-off-the-couch-and-cheer moment for fans of the Alaska-born commander, adventurer, occasional lawyer, lover, and, after TNG season 1, beard-haver. (Eternal bar trivia: Despite 10 tie-in novels set aboard Riker’s Titan, the first time we ever saw him at the helm was on Star Trek: Lower Decks — including some toe-tappin’ jazz , to boot!)

Today’s Riker, long out of any commanding officer’s shadow — even Admiral Picard’s —invokes a feeling of “oh, look how far he’s come” pride. When roles get reversed in the episode “Seventeen Seconds,” and Jean-Luc says to call him Number One, it brings a tear to the eye. This turns chillingly Shakespearean when Riker is forced to bark, “Remove yourself from the bridge, you’ve just killed us all!” (Don’t worry, this all gets resolved in episode 4, but no spoilers.)

The point is that Riker is strutting his stuff as a center-stage badass, and it’s terrific.

To celebrate and reflect on the character’s greatness, and to piss off fans of every stripe with our omissions and our placement, we now list the top 10 Riker episodes of pre -Picard Star Trek, which unsurprisingly all come from The Next Generation . Please send your outraged emails to [email protected].

10. “Rascals” (season 6, episode 7)

This is not a Riker episode per se , but Jonathan Frakes plays the key scene like a Ressikan flute. Thanks to a wacky transporter accident, Captain Picard, Ensign Ro, Keiko O’Brien, and Guinan (what a fab four!) end up reverting to their 12-year-old selves. When Ferengi take over the ship (!) only the quasi-younglings (aided by real youngling, Alexander Rozhenko, son of Worf!) can save the day. Key to their success is “Young Picard” creating a ruse in which he pretends to be Commander Riker’s son.

It’s obviously a very funny scene, but it also totally works as drama. How Frakes was able to pull this off with a straight face is a mystery deeper than what lurked at the center of Sha Ka Ree.

9. “The Measure of a Man” (season 2, episode 9)

Wait, hold up; this isn’t a Riker episode either! Yes, that’s true; this was one of the early-ish episodes in which Patrick Stewart showed off what would one day make him Sir Patrick Stewart — acting his brains out while arguing, in court, that Lt. Commander Data, an android created by Dr. Noonian Soong, is, in fact, a sentient being.

To make it stick, and to save Data’s life, someone had to present for the prosecution, and that duty fell to Commander Riker. What’s more, he couldn’t half-ass it.

“I can’t. I won’t,” Riker protests. “Data’s my comrade. We have served together. I not only respect him, I consider him my friend.” Of course, he must, and luckily Data is humane enough to never condemn him for it.

The following season Riker himself is put on trial in the Rashomon -inspired episode “A Matter of Perspective.” Trek writers Ira Steven Behr, Ronald D. Moore, and the late Michael Piller all later said this one never turned out like they’d hoped, but we can, and should, celebrate it for giving us the Riker facepalm .

8. “A Matter of Honor” (season 2, episode 8)

I may be getting old, but at least I can say I got to see this when it first aired, and got to come back to middle school the following Monday waving around a baggie of gummy worms and shrieking, “Gagh is always best when served live!” (When I refused to stop, Mrs. Welch gave me detention.)

This spectacular episode is a targ-out-of-water story in which Riker does some exchange-student business on a Klingon ship, the IKS Pagh. The Klingon captain jumps to conclusions about something, and soon prepares for battle against the Enterprise. Riker must figure a way to save both ships, and do it in a way that retains his (temporary) oath to Klingon honor. He uses a variant of the Corbomite Maneuver, proving that the alpha-when-necessary Riker is cut from the same cloth as Captain James T. Kirk, and not just ’cause he’s an interstellar stud.

7. “The Pegasus” (season 7, episode 12)

As with TOS ’ Spock and Kirk, DS9 ’s Kira and Sisko, and Voyager ’s Chakotay and Janeway, what’s key to Riker and Picard is loyalty . That’s why this episode hurts. Just like it’s kinda weird to see your current significant other with an old flame, watching Riker salute a previous commanding officer somehow feels indecent . What’s more, when it appears that they may be keeping some kind of secret from Picard, it’s downright scandalous.

Naturally, our guy is simply caught up in a (non-Tholian) web of ethical complexities — his old boss, played by Terry O’Quinn, broke a slew of Federation rules by dabbling with cloaking technology, killing many — and the worst you can say is that it takes him a little time to do the right thing. Perhaps to mitigate the darkness of all this, the top of this episode features one of the daffiest moments in all of Trek — the Enterprise’s youth contingent prepping for “Picard Day,” all leading to Jonathan Frakes doing a spot-on Patrick Stewart impression .

For a follow-up episode dealing with Riker struggling with his loyalty, check out “Allegiance” (season 3, episode 18), in which the bridge officers are forced to mutiny when they become convinced Picard has been captain-napped and replaced by a clone. (Luckily, their hunch ends up being correct.)

6. “Second Chances” (season 6, episode 24)

Oy, the transporter. Always causing trouble. Just ask Tuvix ! This time a malfunction causes an existential crisis for Will Riker, but a delight for us — double the Jonathan Frakes.

The Enterprise returns to a planet where, years ago, Riker led an evacuation. Little does he know that when beaming back he created, and stranded, a duplicate of himself. And whatever the opposite of Narcissus is, that’s Riker. Rikers.

The two butt heads and soon things get weird when the new Riker starts to romance our Riker’s ex-girlfriend, Counselor Troi. In time the two form an accord and “Thomas” Riker is transferred elsewhere within Starfleet. (Of course, he’ll return for an episode of Deep Space Nine for one of the best surprise twists in the entire franchise.)

5. “Frame of Mind” (season 6, episode 21)

The closest TNG ever came to The Twilight Zone . This is a wheels-within-wheels paranoia exercise that proves a pet theory of mine — production of TNG ’s sixth season coincided with DS9 ’s first, which meant the creatives still working on the last show felt empowered to get a little nuts while all eyes were on the new one. (Note: When did DS9 kick into a new gear with the Dominion War arc? When Voyager was getting started and every exec at Paramount was freaking out about Kate Mulgrew’s hair.)

Anyway, “Frame of Mind”: Riker going nuts facing the abyss of his own fractured sanity. Just watch it. It inspired the song linked above. And when you really want to see our beloved Commander lose his mind, check out that one scene in season 7’s “Parallels” when an alternate, unkempt Riker is at the end of his rope, begging for pandimensional sanctuary. It makes an excellent cosplay option .

4. “Future Imperfect” (season 4, episode 8)

So many great moments in Trek are about taking our heroes and putting them in unexpected versions of their own reality. That’s what TOS ’ “Mirror, Mirror” is, that’s what Voyager ’s “Flashback” is, that’s what TNG ’s “Tapestry” and “Yesterday’s Enterprise” and, to a degree, what “All Good Things…” are, too.

Riker gets to experience this all on his own with “Future Imperfect,” but with a twist: What if Riker woke up one day and discovered it was 16 years later? Well, he’d discover he had some handsome Reed Richards-esque gray in his hair, for starters.

One of the best things about this episode is how it rewarded dedicated fans. The first clue to solving the riddle is recognizing that Riker’s “ex-wife” is actually Minuet from the season 1 episode “11001001.” But she was a holodeck character! So if she’s real, then maybe… aha!

3. “First Contact” (season 4, episode 15)

When Gene Roddenberry was creating The Next Generation , he was determined to have a more cerebral captain in Jean-Luc Picard. This created an opening for some James Kirk-esque swashbuckling with the second-in-command, Will Riker. It is false to suggest either character was bedding alien babes all over the galaxy, but some of that cliche has a basis in reality. Though always kind and attentive, Riker did have his dalliances .

Anyway, this gets turned on its head in the absolutely brilliant episode “First Contact,” when an undercover scouting mission goes awry. Posing as an alien in a culture probably closer to our own than the Federation’s, Riker’s only way home is via the embrace of Bebe Neuwirth, in one of the finest guest shots in the entire franchise.

2. “The Outcast” (season 5, episode 17)

In this episode, the crew of the Enterprise meets up with the J’naii, a humanoid race without gender. Riker is working closely with an individual named Soren, and they hit it off. Soren, as it turns out, privately identifies as female, but must stay closeted, as J’naii culture will not allow such a thing. The two grow to have feelings for one another. Soren is eventually “caught” and will be forced to undergo conversion therapy. Riker prepares to rescue Soren, but is reminded of the Prime Directive. When does one draw the line in respecting a culture if it means denying an individual’s rights?

It’s important to remember that this was released in 1992. It was intended, at the time, to be a metaphor for gay rights. Today it reads more matter-of-fact as a story about gender nonconforming people. Whether its message is righteous or steeped too heavily in stereotypes is up for debate . (Indeed, I dedicated an episode of my old Star Trek podcast to this conversation .) One thing that I think all would agree on is that this is one of the all-time great dramatic moments for Riker. It is also the polar opposite of the corny season 1 episode “Angel One,” in which the studmuffin commander ends up on a planet ruled by women.

1. “The Best of Both Worlds” Part 1 (season 3, episode 26)

Let me tell you something about the summer of 1990: Even in that pre-internet era, there were rumors floating around that Patrick Stewart wanted to leave the series. It had only been two years since the shocking death of Lieutenant Tasha Yar. Her murder by that evil Hefty bag, Armus, was a constant reminder that TNG didn’t play by the rules: Major characters could croak at any given time on this show.

So when Picard showed up as Locutus of Borg, and Riker told Mr. Worf to fire (cueing the most heart-pounding orchestral brass this nerd ever heard), it sure was something. Was it over for Picard? Would Riker, who had been considering leaving the Enterprise for his own command, assume the captaincy with Elizabeth Dennehy’s Shelby nipping at his heels as first officer? It seemed plausible!

Obviously, Jonathan Frakes kills it in that moment, and while part 2 of this cliffhanger is more of a Picard-focused episode, “The Best of Both Worlds” is really Riker’s show. The drama stems from his unease with Shelby, making the showdown with the Borg all the more relatable. There’s a direct line from the bedeviled, younger Riker to the worldlier (and beefier) Riker of Picard season 3. And we’ve been with him every lightyear of the way.

Next Up In Star Trek

The next level of puzzles.

Take a break from your day by playing a puzzle or two! We’ve got SpellTower, Typeshift, crosswords, and more.

Sign up for the newsletter Patch Notes

A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon

Just one more thing!

Please check your email to find a confirmation email, and follow the steps to confirm your humanity.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

Star Wars: The Old Republic gets cozy with a new farming homestead

AniMay is bringing big discounts on some of our favorite anime

How to trade, set trade rules, and trade routes in Manor Lords, explained

• Final Fantasy 14 guides, tips, tricks, and walkthroughs

What you should spend Tomestones of Poetics on in FFXIV

How to get a Heavensward (Anima) relic weapon in FFXIV

I’m very scared of Helldivers 2’s new fight against the Terminid threat

Den of Geek

Zheng He & Other Ships in the Star Trek: Picard Finale Explained

Here’s what we know about the Zheng He and other ships in the Star Trek: Picard finale.

• Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
• Share on email (opens in a new tab)

Warning: This Star Trek: Picard article contains MAJOR spoilers for the season finale.

Despite praying to the Trekkie gods, a new version of the USS Enterprise did not appear in the finale of Star Trek: Picard . But, we did get fairly huge new vision of what Starfleet looks like in in the year 2399. But, what’s up with Riker’s flagship? Where does the name Zheng He come from? Are all the ships in this fleet identical? And, most importantly, is that the bridge of the USS Discovery ? 

Here’s everything we know about Riker’s fleet in the Season 1 finale of Star Trek: Picard , “Et in Arcadia Ego Part 2.”

“Zheng He” could reference the origin of the phrase “Star Fleet”

Riker says that the USS Zheng He is the “fastest, toughest” Starfleet vessel ever to be put into service. And it appears, that every other ship in the fleet is exactly the same. But are they, really? Here’s the facts so far… 

Ad – content continues below

In real life, Zheng He was a 15th-century Chinese mariner and fleet admiral. In fact, one fleet of sailing ships he commanded, the treasure fleet, was one of the first known group of ships to use star charts and constellations for navigation. In this sense, Zheng He commanded a “Star Fleet.” 

In the context of Star Trek: Picard , this is the second time a historical mariner and sailor’s name has been given to a starship. Rios’ ill-fated ship, the USS Ibn Mājid , was named for 13th century Arabian navigator. Fans have also pointed out that another version of the USS Zheng He existed in the MMORPG, Star Trek: Online .  But, that USS Zheng He was warping around in 2270, making it possible, that Riker’s new Zheng He is possibly just one of several Starfleet ships that have had that name over the years. 

What kind of ship is the Zheng He ?

According to the fan-run Star Trek Wiki, Memory Alpha, the Zheng He is a the same class of ship as the USS Ibn Mājid — both are part of the Curiosity-Class . If true, this would mean this particular class of Starfleet ship has been around for at least nine years. However, Memory Alpha might be jumping the phaser a tiny bit. In his Instagram talkbacks , Chabon simply said that many ships in the Curiosity-Class are named for historical navigators. As of this writing, it’s not clear if that automatically means the Zheng He is of the same class as the Ibn Mājid, though it might be. Chabon also said on Instagram that “ZH is brand new.” 

That said, fans of Star Trek: Online have also pointed out the ships in the new fleet feel like blends of the Odyssey and Avenger- class ships seen exclusively in the game. 

The bottomline is this: When asked directly about the specs of the Zheng He , Chabon replied, “gathering data…” and “preparing a report.” 

TLDR: We don’t actually know . Yet.

Was the fleet of ships really that big? (And were they all the same?)

Because Riker’s fleet warped in right after La Sirean duplicated its sensor image artificially, you might have thought that maybe Riker pulled something similar. But, on Instagram, Chabon made one thing clear. The fleet was big, saying: “No trickery!”

Also, while a lot of the ships look the same, Michael Chabon said on Instagram that he can nearly “confirm there are four different classes” of starships on screen. The are not all the same kind of ship, even though, at a glance, it seems that way.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

Okay, but that bridge set was just the same bridge as the USS Discovery set, only gussied-up, right?

The Captain’s chair Riker sits in does look a lot like the captain’s chair of the USS Discovery , a ship that was in service over a century before the events of Star Trek: Picard . That said, it’s not entirely clear if this was a classic re-use of a set, or not. Historically, the Star Trek franchise has done this a lot. In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , several sets for The Next Generation were re-used for the Enterprise-A . So, did something similar happen here with the bridge of the Zheng He ? 

The short answer is: probably . The popular site TrekCore has stated outright that this is the case. But it’s not clear. The chair certainly looks the same!

Could the Enterprise-E have been out there in that armada?

The answer to this is… probably not. But keep dreaming! 

Star Trek: Picard is streaming now on CBS All Access

Ryan Britt is a longtime contributor to Den of Geek! He is also the author of three non-fiction books: the Star Trek pop history book PHASERS…

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!

5 reasons why Will Riker was the goofy secret weapon of Star Trek: The Next Generation

Credit: CBS/Viacom

Everyone knows the greatest hero of the 24th century was Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the starship Enterprise , but what I propose is: Maybe he wasn't?

I love Picard as much as the next guy who is losing his hair and trying to stay chill about it, but, as '90s nostalgia for Star Trek: The Next Generation enters a fever pitch with the impending release of Star Trek: Picard in 2020, it's time to celebrate the true secret weapon of that Trek era. We're talking about Numero Uno himself, Commander William T. Riker, as played by Jonathan Frakes .

In real life, Frakes is much more than just the guy who played Riker. In addition to directing the fan-favorite film First Contact , he's also now directed three episodes of Star Trek: Discovery , with several episodes of Picard on the way. And, of course, along with a few other co-stars, Frakes is back as Riker in at least one episode of Picard next year . And the thing is, Riker's return is essential to making a post- TNG Trek show, and that's because Riker was part of the reason the entire show worked.

Riker's charm wasn't that he was cool; he was cool because he was kind of goofy. And in contrast to some of the earnestness of the rest of TNG , that was essential.

Here are five ways Riker's goofy charm saved TNG from being too serious.

05 . The slow grin

If you want to understand the goofy charm of Riker, you gotta start with the slow grin.

It's not that he has a winning smile, it's that the smile is like a sneak-attack. In Trek canon, Captain Picard perfected a warp-speed tactic called "The Picard maneuver," which is when a starship appears to be in two places at once in the middle of a space battle. Riker's grin is like that; it seems like it's coming at you from all sides and it defies the normal laws of time.

In a second, Riker will leap into the air and start kicking. (Credit: CBS)

04 . The rare flip-kick

Riker's goofy charm also comes through in his mastery of straight-up weird fighting moves. We're all familiar with the intense grimace he gets on his face when he's trying to body-haul some bad guy across the room, but do you remember his out-of-nowhere flip-kick from Season 1? Back when Riker lacked a beard, he was apparently able to move his legs in the air like he was Michelle Yeoh.

If you want the best example of this, check out the totally nuts episode called "Conspiracy."

03 . The yell

Why is it so funny when Riker starts yelling out of nowhere? The way Will says "Shields up! Red alert!" is arguably better and more thrilling than William Shatner's Captain Kirk, but it's also really over-the-top in the most perfect way.

But Riker doesn't limit his impromptu yelling to just starship commands. He yells in turbolifts, he yells at his friends, and perhaps, most memorably, he yells while performing a stage play in the episode "Frame of Mind" — but, in fairness, he is playing a crazy person.

Credit: CBS

02 . The beard

Some fans argue that Star Trek: The Next Generation didn't really get its groove on until Riker grew his beard in Season 2.

Now, while Season 2 is much less stellar than Season 3, there is some wisdom to this belief. As much as I love smooth-faced Riker doing weird flip-kicks in Season 1, we really can't start to believe Riker has achieved his Riker-ness until he gets the beard.

In every single way, Riker's beard is a microcosm of the popularity of The Next Generation ; it's both a little too much and perfectly restrained at the same time. It's trying too hard and yet sort of works even though it shouldn't. It lets Riker be a proto-hipster and an old-school macho man at the same time.

No one in actual life has been able to have the exact Riker beard. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience. Once, Jonathan Frakes asked me on the phone if my beard was "full Riker." I told him "I wish." True story!

Where would you put your legs if you were Riker? (Credit: CBS)

01 . The chair thing

If you're a fan of Riker and The Next Generation , then the one question on your mind relative to his return in Picard is whether or not he's going to do the chair thing. You know, that weird way Riker will sit on a chair in the most complicated way possible — often by looping one of his gazelle-like legs over the back, or sometimes, just by putting his foot up on the side of complicated computer consoles.

"The chair thing" also encompasses the moments in which Riker likes to plant his butt on top of computer surfaces, which is clearly some kind of power move. Either way, you can't imagine The Next Generation without Riker sitting on things in strange, new ways. He truly seeks out new sitting methods and undiscovered places to put his legs.

He boldly sits the way no one has sat before! Let's hope that next year, he keeps it going.

• Jonathan Frakes
• Star Trek: Picard
• Star Trek: The Next Generation

Related Stories

How The Chronicles of Riddick Turns a Simple Sci-Fi Story Into Dune

Face/Off Remains One of the Best & Wildest '90s Action Movies

Savages: The Slept-on Oliver Stone Thriller with a Killer Cast

Bruce Almighty Writers Pitched Devil-centric Sequel

Why Fast Five Remains One of the Greatest Films in the Fast Saga

R.I.P.D. Creators Talk Abandoned Franchise & Resurrection Hopes

Why Tokyo Drift is the Perfect Fast & Furious Spinoff

Flushed Away Director On Aardman's First CG-Animated Feature

Anthony Mackie On John Doe Vs. Sam Wilson

The Best Fantasy Movies Streaming on Peacock in April 2024

The Best Slasher Movies on Peacock for April 2024

The Best Sci-Fi Movies on Peacock in April 2024

Recommended for you.

Linda Hamilton on Resident Alien Role: "I'm Not the Funny Girl, I'm the Straight Man"

The Classic Twilight Zone Episode That Inspired Jordan Peele's Us

Resident Alien's Alan Tudyk on Harry's New Love Interest, Edi Patterson's Blue Avian

Star Trek: The Next Generation's Riker Wasn't Always Called Will

In Star Trek: TNG, Riker was nicknamed "Number One," "Imzadi" and just "Will," but in early episodes, Troi called him something else entirely.

• Riker's original nickname in Star Trek: TNG was "Bill," but it was quickly phased out.
• The early seasons of Star Trek: TNG had tumultuous production, leading to inconsistencies in storytelling and character details.
• Despite the name changes and production challenges, Jonathan Frakes's performance as Riker defined the character more than any nickname.

William Thomas Riker of Star Trek: The Next Generation is the Enterprise's first officer and resident bearded heartthrob. Growing up in Alaska, he was quite the outdoorsman, but he chose to leave the majestic wilderness from his youth to "boldly go where no one has gone before." Riker was known as "Number One," informally with Picard. Depending on when in the timeline or on which Federation starship he was aboard, he's sometimes just "Captain." To his friends, he goes by "Will," his preferred name, as stated in the Season 6 episode "Chain of Command, Part 1." However, Riker wasn't always called "Will" in the series. In fact, part of the original plan for the "most charming man in Starfleet" was to address him as "Bill."

Will Riker is one of the most beloved Star Trek: TNG characters, as evidenced by his recent turn in Star Trek: Picard Season 3. He is a loyal friend and a great Starfleet officer. This was the goal when Gene Roddenberry created the cast of The Next Generation ahead of its debut in 1987. Like with The Original Series , the Great Bird of the Galaxy, as he was known, evolved the characters as he went along. The familiar form of Commander Riker's name was one of those things, and "Bill" became "Will." The latter stuck throughout the character's development, which went well beyond The Next Generation to encompass multiple series in the franchise as well as the four TNG theatrical films. Actor Jonathan Frakes evolved to become one of the franchise's most dynamic creative forces: moving behind the camera as a director, and helming 28 episodes spread across six different series and counting. In addition, he directed two of the saga's big-screen movies — Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection — the former of which consistently ranks as one of the high points of the entire saga. The amusing details of his character's early moniker of "Bill" have come along for that wild ride.

Updated on December 30, 2023 by Robert Vaux and Joshua M. Patton: The article has been expanded to discuss more of Frakes' role behind the camera, as well as some of the creative churning in the first season of The Next Generation that led to the "Bill/Will" switch. It has also been updated to match CBR's new formatting.

Riker's Name Underwent Multiple Changes Early In TNG

The star wars franchise is in its 'star trek: the next generation' era.

According to the reference book Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , Riker's pre-production biography stated he was "privately called William by Picard and Bill by 'female friends.'" In particular, his fellow Starfleet officer (and future wife), Deanna Troi , addressed him as such in two memorable Season 1 episodes. For instance, in "The Naked Now," a virus-stricken Troi fondly referred to Riker as "Bill" when she entered Engineering. Additionally, during "Haven," she called him that twice, the first time in the Ready Room, then again on the Holodeck while they discussed their feelings for each other.

Interestingly, The Next Generation Companion also mentions that, in the script for the pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint," Captain Jean-Luc Picard opts to use the nickname "Bill" rather than refer to Riker as "William" or "Will." Nevertheless, that wasn't the only detail about Riker from the early stages of production that changed before the series aired. In the original casting call for the character, his last name was spelled "Ryker" with a "Y," rather than with an "I." Surprisingly, the preferred spelling of his nickname, "Will," is not completely clear throughout scripts or in closed captioning. In its written form, his name actually switches between "Will," with two L's, and "Wil" with one, respectively.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Cast and Character Guide

It seems as if Riker being called "Bill" has piqued the interest of avid Trekkies ever since the byname was uttered a handful of times in Star Trek: TNG Season 1 . Although the events of the Pocket Books novel Star Trek The Next Generation: Double Helix are not canon, it's worth revisiting a conversation between Data and Riker in which the android asks, "Why does Counselor Troi call you 'Bill' when the rest of your fellow officers call you 'Will'?" Riker then explains "I used to go by Bill at the Academy — but then I dated a woman named Bili Beller, so we mutually decided I’d use Will." Unfortunately, "Bill" didn't manage to have the same staying power as "Will" in both the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series and novels, so this rarely used moniker was quickly phased out after appearing only three times in Season 1.

Will Riker's Name Wasn't The Number One Problem

Star trek: the next generation made a mistake with the ship's doctor.

Production on the first seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation was tumultuous, and led to the departure of cast members Denise Crosby and Gates McFadden (though McFadden would return for Season 3 and remain with the series for the remainder of its run). Everything from the Season 1 DVD Special Features to documentaries like The Center Seaton: 55 Years of Trek detail the problems, particularly with the writing staff. Series creator Gene Roddenberry was technically the showrunner, but he relied on writers like David Gerrold or Dorothy "D.C." Fontana he'd worked with during Star Trek: The Original Series . There were also other writers he didn't know so well, like Maurice Hurley, the inventor of the Borg . The show relied on freelance screenwriters and those who made it to staff didn't stay long. This strife led to inconsistent storytelling in those early seasons. Swapping out "Will" for "Bill" isn't the only continuity or universe mistake made in TNG Season 1. But Star Trek is a universe that endures.

In a documentary directed by Star Trek 's other "Bill," William Shatner, called Chaos on the Bridge , Hurley spoke about how strict he was with Roddenberry's rules for storytelling despite calling his vision of humanity's future "wacky doodle." However, Riker remains a steadfast example of the kind of hero Roddenberry wanted to create, whether his name is Bill, Will, or just Number One. He was passionate not only about his ideals and his many paramours, but his duty to Starfleet always took precedence. With so much turnover and turmoil among executive producers, the Star Trek: TNG characters were left in the custody of their actors. It's why Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas spoke to every returning TNG actor before writing that series' big reunion. Despite the early struggles, the strength of Frakes's performance as Riker defined him more than any name the other characters called him.

Every television series takes its time to find its voice and for writers and actors to get comfortable with the characters. However, as both a reboot of a beloved TV classic and the only first-run scripted series in syndication, the growing pains were even more intense than usual. The Next Generation went through two ship doctors in its first two seasons, in part because producers couldn't decide what kind of character they wanted. Even Frakes had to audition seven times to get his coveted role. If nothing else, it ensures that the character avoids confusion with Shatner, whose James T. Kirk he initially emulated before rapidly growing into his own unique protagonist. Picard's Number One is Riker's coolest name, but Will certainly works better for everyone else than Bill.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is currently streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews
• Episode aired Nov 21, 1987

The Enterprise encounters Q again, and he tempts Riker by endowing him with the powers of the Q. The Enterprise encounters Q again, and he tempts Riker by endowing him with the powers of the Q. The Enterprise encounters Q again, and he tempts Riker by endowing him with the powers of the Q.

• Gene Roddenberry
• Maurice Hurley
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• LeVar Burton
• 24 User reviews
• 13 Critic reviews

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Natasha 'Tasha' Yar

• Lieutenant Worf

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi
• (credit only)

• Lieutenant Commander Data

• Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher

• Female Survivor
• 25 Year-old Wesley Crusher
• (as William A. Wallace)
• (uncredited)
• Operations Division Officer

• Alien Soldier
• Command Division Officer

• Science Division Ensign

• Gene Roddenberry (showrunner)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia The removal of the character of Deanna Troi from this episode alongside three other episodes made Marina Sirtis believe at the time that she was about to be cut from the show.
• Goofs On the planet, when Riker puts the glass of lemonade down on the table, it contains more than in the previous shot when he drank from it.

Q : You seem to find this all very amusing.

Commander William T. Riker : I might - if we weren't on our way to help some suffering and dying humans, who...

Q : [dismissively] Ah, your species is always suffering and dying.

• Connections Features Star Trek: The Next Generation: Encounter at Farpoint (1987)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 24

• Oct 18, 2017
• November 21, 1987 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 46 minutes
• Dolby Digital

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

Advertisement

Supported by

‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 1, Episode 7 Recap: Will Riker Makes Pizza

In this week’s episode, Picard reunites with his old Number One and his trusted counselor, Deanna Troi.

• Share full article

By Sopan Deb

Season 1, Episode 6: ‘Nepenthe’

This week’s “Star Trek: Picard” is less about the central story arc and more about taking stock of who Picard is at this point in his life, as well as his android friend. The series creators have said that the show should be viewed more as a character study than anything else. And who better to assess the captain than his former “Number One,” William Riker? And his former ship’s counselor, Deanna Troi, the Betazoid who can sense emotions?

Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis are the last actors from past iterations of “Trek” expected to appear this season. And of course, it was wonderful to see them interact onscreen again. It was nice a touch to have Troi immediately realize — without words — that Picard is in trouble because of her empathic abilities and for Riker to quickly deduce, without Picard telling him much, exactly what his quandary is.

Riker and Troi are semiretired, seemingly away from the U.S.S. Titan, and now on a planet called Nepenthe, where soil has regenerative properties. They have a daughter, Kestra — who loves language and is a pacifist, and they had a son, Thad, who died of a mandaxic neurosclerosis. (Say that three times fast.) And our favorite Trek couple does not hesitate to help Picard hide for a bit. But that was just a plot device to get Riker and Troi into an episode.

“Nepenthe” captures the feel of “The Next Generation” more so than any other episode of “Picard.” Its best moments are conversation-heavy scenes dedicated to character building. Soji slowly but surely comes to terms with her discovery that she is an android. Kestra helps her get there.

Where I thought the episode fell short was in the conversations Riker and Troi each individually have with Picard. They gently chide him, in their own ways, for being who he is. Riker accuses his old boss of “classic Picard arrogance” for not being more revealing about his situation.

“You get to make the decisions about who gets to take the chances and who doesn’t,” Riker says. “And who is in the loop and who is out of the loop.”

Unless something has changed in the last 20 years, this assessment is inaccurate. There are dozens of examples in “The Next Generation” of Picard relying on the counsel of others. Heck, he made timeline altering decisions based solely on the intuition of Guinan, the ship’s bartender. This notion that Picard is arrogant and close-minded goes against much of what we know about him. It’s a description that more befits Picard’s predecessor: Captain Kirk.

Troi nods at this and tells Picard that he “had it coming,” when Soji shoves him aside. Troi thinks that Picard is being dismissive of Soji’s concerns, but there isn’t much evidence for that either. Picard’s former ship’s counselor tells him that he needs to be “compassionate" and “patient” like the Old Picard — which thus far, from my eyes, he has been? It felt like Riker and Troi were diagnosing problems that don’t exist.

The action in this episode, written by Samantha Humphrey and Michael Chabon, mostly involves the Borg cube and the La Sirena. I must admit that my eyebrows were raised for much of these scenes. I’ve been willing to give the “Picard” writers a lot of leeway for crafting an ambitious story but there are several incongruous plot points in “Nepenthe.” This is the first episode in which these seeming holes distracted me from the story.

For example, during an early scene of this chapter, we see Hugh captured along with several former Borg drones by Rizzo. At the end of the last episode , “The Impossible Box,” Hugh and Elnor are about to face off with the Romulans pursuing them. How did Hugh get captured? Elnor is an incredible fighter. And how does Elnor avoid capture? He pops out seconds later after Hugh watches all his former Borg compatriots die.

Elnor tells Rios, “Go without me. This will not happen again.” How did it happen the first time? It’s literally why he stayed behind! (I expect some reader emails to tell me something obvious I missed.)

When Rios is headed toward Nepenthe, he is being tailed by Narek’s ship. Rios, the amazing pilot, pulls off an expert maneuver — which is that he … stops so Narek’s ship can fly right over his? (I half expected Rios to eject banana peels into space to throw Narek as well.) At some point, Rios also realizes that the ship has a tracker on board. Instead of suspecting Jurati, whom he barely knows and is behaving erratically, he points the finger at Raffi — which seemed baffling to me, given that they’ve known each other for much longer and had multiple bonding scenes in “The Impossible Box.”

It’s possible, of course, that Rios actually suspects Jurati and was trying to gauge her reaction — but that doesn’t explain his comment on the bridge, where he tells Raffi that he hopes he doesn’t have to shoot her out of an airlock. (On second thought, I’m going with Rios and Raffi truly suspecting Jurati and trying to cover for it in a bit of a clumsy way.)

Odds and Ends

We get a bit more context on why Jurati murdered Maddox through a flashback. Commodore Oh mind melds with her to show what will happen if synthetic life is allowed to exist. Mind melds have typically shown the past, yet, Oh is able to implant the future into Jurati. Either we have historically misunderstood how mind melds work in “Trek” or … wait for it … Oh Oh, it’s magic, you know … I am so sorry.

A farewell to Hugh, our naïve, hopefully optimistic former Borg drone. I would have liked to see him factor into the main plot a bit more, but it seems that none of these former “Trek” mainstays are going to.

And a possible farewell to Jurati? She seems to be feeling guilty about her true motivations. The question is whether Picard and company will ever discover what really happened here.

Next week, I imagine we’ll find out about this Captain Crandall character, who immediately cracked the code of where Soji’s home planet is, which was very convenient for the plot.

There were some lovely “Trek” callbacks in this episode. A smattering:

When Picard first arrives to Nepenthe and Kestra is pointing a bow and arrow at him, Picard mentions his heart is made of duritanium . We found out in the sixth season of “The Next Generation” that Picard, as a result of a bar fight with Nausicaans, was stabbed in the chest and had an artificial heart.

Kestra recalls that Data wanted to learn how to ballroom dance, a reference to a fourth season episode called “Data’s Day,” where Data indeed learns how to dance — a bit clumsily for Dr. Crusher’s liking. Riker refers to Troi as “imzadi” — a Betazed term for “beloved.”

And credit to Reddit for this one : Kestra was the name of Troi’s older sister, who died in the “Next Generation” episode “Dark Page.”

Sopan Deb is a basketball writer and a contributor to the culture section for The New York Times. Before joining The Times, he covered Donald J. Trump's presidential campaign for CBS News. He is also a New York-city based comedian.  More about Sopan Deb

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell speak about how “Anyone but You” beat the rom-com odds. Here are their takeaways after the film , debuting on Netflix, went from box office miss to runaway hit.

The vampire ballerina in the new movie “Abigail” has a long pop culture lineage . She and her sisters are obsessed, tormented and likely to cause harm.

In a joint interview, the actors Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough discuss “Under the Bridge,” their new true-crime series  based on a teenager’s brutal killing in British Columbia.

The movie “Civil War” has tapped into a dark set of national angst . In polls and in interviews, a segment of voters say they fear the country’s divides may lead to actual, not just rhetorical, battles.

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Star Trek: Picard - Riker and Troi Enjoy the Good Life at Home

“Nepenthe,” Season 1, Episode 7

“It’s a special treat to see Riker and Troi in the Picard episode ‘Nepenthe,’ enjoying life in their rustic log cabin. The tenderness these two share is perfectly personified in their daughter Kestra (named after Troi’s late sister) whose wild, kind-hearted soul is safe and protected under their care.” — 13 Of Star Trek's Most Romantic Moments, Ranked

Star Trek: Picard streams on Paramount+ in the United States,  in Canada on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave, and on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories.

Screen Rant

Commander riker’s 10 best star trek tng episodes, ranked.

Jonathan Frakes has become a Star Trek icon in his own right with some great moments as Commander William Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

• "The Measure of a Man": Riker defends Data's sentience in a powerful court case, showing his loyalty to his crewmates.
• "First Contact": Riker faces mistreatment and makes a tough decision on whether a civilization is ready for contact with the Federation.
• "Peak Performance": Riker proves his competence as a commanding officer during wargames, outsmarting both his own crew and the Ferengi.

As First Officer of the USS Enterprise-D, Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) appears in nearly every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , but in some, he gets a particular chance to shine. Under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Riker not only grows into a great first officer, but also becomes a close friend to Picard. Although Riker would initially be presented as a ladies' man, his relationship with Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Siritis) eventually became one of Star Trek's best romances.

A Star Trek icon in his own right, Jonathan Frakes has become one of Trek's most prolific directors, having helmed episodes of TNG , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Voyager , Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Picard , and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . Frakes also directed two of the TNG films, Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection . But Frakes began his Star Trek career by portraying the cool and confident Number One, Commander William Riker , and here are 10 of Riker's best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Related: Star Trek: The Next Generation Cast & Character Guide

10 "The Measure of a Man" (TNG Season 2, Episode 9)

One of Star Trek's best-ever courtroom episodes , TNG season 2, episode 9, "The Measure of a Man" may focus more on the character of Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), but it also gives Commander Riker a chance to shine. When Data's existence as a sentient being is called into question, Riker is given the unenviable position of arguing that Data is merely a machine. Clearly conflicted about the job, Riker nevertheless gives it his all, even finding out about Data's power switch and powering him off during the trial. Thankfully, Data's own testimony and Picard's powerful speech prove to be more persuasive, and Data is officially declared to be his own person.

9 "First Contact" (TNG Season 4, Episode 15)

TNG season 4, episode 15 offers insight into the Federation's procedures for First Contact missions with civilizations on the brink of discovering space travel. Disguised as a resident of the planet Malcor III, Riker had been working to determine whether the Malcorians were ready for first contact when he went missing. As Captain Picard meets with Malcorian leaders to figure out what happened, Riker is mistreated and interrogated at a local hospital. After Riker is returned to the Enterprise, the Malcorian leaders determine that their planet is not yet ready for first contact and the Enterprise departs.

8 "Second Chances" (TNG Season 6, Episode 24)

When the Enterprise visits as former Federation research base, they discover a duplicate of William Riker living on the planet. Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) determines that the USS Potemkin mistakenly created Riker's exact double years earlier when their transporter malfunctioned. Jonathan Frakes does a wonderful job portraying both versions of Riker, and he makes the two easily distinguishable. The appearance of the second Riker, who took the name Lt. Thomas Riker, also gives him and Counselor Deanna Troi a chance to rekindle their romance. But, in the end, Troi remains on the Enterprise while Thomas Riker accepts a transfer to another Starfleet ship.

7 "Peak Performance" (TNG Season 2, Episode 21)

Commander Riker gets a chance to command in TNG season 2, episode 21, when the Enterprise engages in wargames with the USS Hathaway. Riker is put in charge of the Hathaway, recruiting Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn), Geordi La Forge, and Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) to join him. The Hathaway is vastly outmatched, but Worf and Riker devise a plan to trick the Enterprise. Their plan works, but then a Ferengi marauder approaches the scene and mistakes the orchestrated scenario for a real conflict. Picard and Riker work together to trick the Ferengi into believing the Hathaway has been destroyed and the Ferengi flee. Riker does an admirable job as the commander of the outmatched Hathaway and proves his capability as a commanding officer.

6 "Future Imperfect" (TNG Season 4, Episode 8)

After Commander Riker falls unconscious on an away mission, he wakes up to find that sixteen years have passed, and he has no memory of them. Riker struggles to adjust to his new life, which includes a young son he does not remember. Now Captain of the Enterprise , Riker then gets tasked with hosting the Romulan Ambassador Tomalak (Andreas Katsulas). When Riker begins noticing strange inconsistencies, the entire scenario is initially revealed to be a ruse concocted by the Romulans before the final reveal that everything was created by a lonely young alien named Barash who was left alone on the planet. TNG season 4, episode 8 offers some interesting insight into Riker's character as Barash sees into his mind and gives him everything he apparently desires.

5 "The Best of Both Worlds" (TNG Season 3, Episode 26 & Season 4, Episode 1)

While the iconic "Best of Both Worlds" may not be considered an episode about Commander Riker , he plays a very important role as he commands the Enterprise after Captain Picard is taken by the Borg. After receiving a field promotion to Captain due to Picard's capture, Riker must make the impossible decision to fire on the attacking Borg ship knowing that Captain Picard is on board. Riker's order to "Fire" just before the screen goes black is not only one of Star Trek's best moments, but one of the best television cliffhangers of all time. As Patrick Stewart's contract was up after TNG season 3, many fans believed that Riker would become the new permanent Captain of the Enterprise.

4 "A Matter of Honor" (TNG Season 2, Episode 8)

As part of an officer exchange program, Riker chooses to temporarily serve as the first officer on a Klingon Bird of Prey. He dives headfirst into researching the culture and practices of the Klingons and has a fairly successful tenure on the Klingon ship. Riker even briefly takes command of the ship by beaming the Klingon Captain Kargan (Christopher Collins) over to the Enterprise. TNG season 2, episode 8 offers one of the first looks into the Klingon culture of the TNG era and shows some nice development for Riker as a character as his confidence as a commanding officer grows.

3 "The Outcast" (TNG Season 5, Episode 17)

Throughout its long history, Star Trek has often tackled social concerns, and TNG season 5, episode 17 attempts to comment on LGBTQ+-related issues. When a member of an androgynous race named Soren (Melinda Culea) comes aboard the Enterprise, they begin working closely with Commander Riker. Soren soon reveals that she identifies as female even though this goes against her people's customs. Riker begins falling for Soren, but she is eventually taken into custody by her people and "reeducated" to be properly genderless. While the success of the commentary is debatable, Frakes sells Riker's feelings for Soren, even if he does fall rather quickly, and the final scene is genuinely heartbreaking.

2 "Frame of Mind" (TNG Season 6, Episode 21)

In one of Star Trek's most unsettling episodes , Commander Riker finds himself jumping between two different realities, one in which he is performing in a play on the Enterprise and one in which he is a patient in a mental institution. It's eventually revealed that neither scenario is real as Riker shatters illusion after illusion to break through to reality. He had been captured by aliens on an away mission, and they had been trying to extract information from his mind. Jonathan Frakes plays Riker's simultaneous strength of mind and unraveling sanity brilliantly and the episode truly keeps the viewer guessing until its final minutes.

1 "The Pegasus" (TNG Season 7, Episode 12)

As the Enterprise celebrates Captain Picard Day, much to Picard's annoyance and Riker's amusement, Riker's former commanding officer beams aboard with an important mission. Now a member of Starfleet Intelligence, Admiral Erik Pressman (Terry O’Quinn) then leads the Enterprise on a mission to recover whatever is left of the USS Pegasus. Riker seems uncomfortable with Admiral Pressman on the ship, and it's eventually revealed that the Pegasus was lost because of unsanctioned cloaking experiments. Pressman wants to continue the experiments, but Riker proves he's a great Number One and finally stands up to the Admiral, refusing to make the same mistake he did as a young officer.

Jonathan Frakes shines in this episode, as he wrestles with guilt over his past actions and uncertainty about what to do next. Riker has clearly grown a lot since his time on the Pegasus not only as a Starfleet officer, but also as a person. His refusal to blindly obey Admiral Pressman and his eventual confession to Picard all fit the honorable Commander Riker we've come to know. Frakes' portrayal of Commander Riker improved over the course of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Riker became a more complex character, and "The Pegasus" might just be his finest hour.

Star Trek: Enterprise’s Hated Finale Led To A Hilarious Riker Joke That Pike Would Envy

• Commander Riker's actions in Star Trek: Enterprise's finale become a hilarious joke in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
• Riker regularly visits Captain Archer's Enterprise on the holodeck and impersonates the ship's Chef to interact with the crew.
• Captain Pike admires Captain Archer but can't visit him like Riker because there are no holodecks in the 23rd century.

Star Trek: Enterprise 's series finale was largely hated by fans, but Commander William Riker's (Jonathan Frakes) actions turned into a hilarious joke in Star Trek: Lower Decks . In turn, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' Captain Christopher Pike would be envious of what Riker was able to do in the 24th century. Pike and Riker share one big thing in common besides their Starfleet careers on the Starship Enterprise: They both look up to Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula).

Commander Riker being the focal point of Star Trek: Enterprise 's series finale , "These Are The Voyages...", was perhaps the biggest thing fans revolted against, along with the show killing off Commander Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer). Rather than being about the crew of the NX-01, Enterprise 's ending was actually about Riker trying to solve a moral dilemma from the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7 episode, "The Pegasus." The cast of Enterprise essentially became guest stars in their own finale , and they didn't even appear in as their flesh-and-blood selves. Rather, Enterprise 's people were all holograms Riker interacted with until he reached the decision he needed in TNG .

Related: Star Trek: Enterprise Cast & Character Guide

Enterprise’s Finale Led To A Hilarious Riker Lower Decks Joke

Riker regularly visits captain archer's enterprise..

Star Trek: Lower Decks season 1's finale brought back Captain Will Riker, who is now in command of the USS Titan following his promotion in Star Trek: Nemesis. In a sly wink to Star Trek: Enterprise' s series finale, Riker apologizes for being late for his duty on the bridge because he was in the holodeck, "Watching the first Enterprise. You know, Archer and those guys. What a story! Those guys had a long road getting from there to here." This basically means Riker made a regular habit of visiting the crew of the NX-01 on the holodeck after the events of Enterprise 's finale, i.e. Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Pegasus."

Riker's favorite move when visiting the NX-01 Enterprise was impersonating the ship's Chef, which let him freely interact with the crew and get to know them.

By virtue of speaking the lyrics of Star Trek: Enterprise's theme song, "Where My Heart Will Take Me" by Russell Watson and Diane Warren, Captain Riker also made Enterprise 's controversial opening credits track Star Trek canon . Thanks to Lower Decks, something that was considered a negative by Star Trek fans for almost 20 years was turned into something funny. Riker is now also clearly a big fan and admirer of Captain Archer and his 22nd-century crew of Starfleet pioneers.

Riker Visiting Archer On The Holodeck Would Make Pike Jealous

Captain archer is pike's hero..

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks established that Captain Christopher Pike also regards Captain Jonathan Archer as a hero. Pike confessed such to Ensigns Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), In fact, it was mentioning Archer's Enterprise that made Boimler realize a piece of the NX-01 was part of Pike's starship , and this was the means by which the USS Cerritos' Lower Deckers could return to the 24th century. For Boimler and Mariner, though, time-traveling to the 23rd century to meet their real-life Enterprise heroes was better than a holodeck visit, which they could do any time.

Although Captain Pike admires Captain Archer and fantasizes about what it was like for 22nd-century Starfleet to open up galactic exploration for humans, he can never do what Riker does because Starfleet doesn't have holodecks in the 23rd century . Pike can't just pop into the NX-01 and hang out with Archer and his crew like Riker does. However, Pike is doomed to have a disfiguring accident and spend the rest of his life on Talos IV. Perhaps the Talosians can use their vast powers of illusions to allow Captain Pike to finally visit Captain Archer and the crew of Star Trek: Enterprise .

Star Trek: Enterprise , Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Cast: Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating

Release Date: 2005-05-13

Genres: Sci-Fi

Story By: brannon braga

Writers: Brannon Braga

Streaming Service(s): Netflix, Paramount+

Franchise(s): Star Trek

Directors: Brannon Braga

Showrunner: Brannon Braga

Star Trek Lower Decks

Summary: The animated comedy series Star Trek: Lower Decks follows the support crew on one of Starfleet’s least significant ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Boimler (Jack Quaid), Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), and Tendi (Noël Wells) have to keep up with their duties and their social lives often. At the same time, the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.

Release Date: 2020-08-06

Cast: Jack Quaid, Gillian Vigman, dawnn lewis, Noel Wells, Eugene Cordero, Fred Tatasciore, Jerry O'Connell, Tawny Newsome

Genres: Animation, Adventure, Action

Story By: gene roddenbury

Writers: Gene Roddenberry

Network: Paramount

Streaming Service(s): Paramount+

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Release Date: 2022-05-05

Cast: Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, Rebecca Romijn, Bruce Horak, Anson Mount, Christina Chong

Genres: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Action

Story By: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet

Writers: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet

Directors: Chris Fisher, Amanda Row

Showrunner: Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman

The Game (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entries
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Story and script
• 3.2 Production
• 3.3 Cast and characters
• 3.4 Sets, props, special effects, and costumes
• 3.5 Continuity
• 3.6 Reception
• 3.7 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-stars
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stand-ins and photo doubles
• 4.7.1 Library computer references
• 4.7.2 Deleted references
• 4.8 External links

Summary [ ]

" What is this? " " It's a game. "

Commander Riker is on shore leave on Risa , where he's been spending time with a Ktarian woman named Etana . In his room at the resort he is staying at, she teases him by taking his combadge , and then, to his disbelief, throws it out a window. While they lie down together, Etana introduces to him a game involving a device that fits over the ears and projects signals into the eyes. This creates in the wearer's field of vision an image of discs going into funnels. When a disk goes into one of said funnels, the player is "rewarded" by receiving pleasure signals from the device. Etana says that the game can go as far as the player will take it, and Riker decides to continue playing.

Act One [ ]

Riker enters the bridge and notices that things are starting to get busy around the Enterprise . He says that five new science teams have just beamed in from the USS Zhukov with quarters filling fast. Captain Picard adds that on top of everything else, they only have two weeks to complete the exploration – something that Riker doesn't like, as he thought they had five weeks. This is due to the recent addition of a diplomatic mission to Oceanus IV to the agenda. Picard tasks Riker to ensure that all the science teams have an equal chance to complete their research, which would be a tough juggling act, says Riker. Picard also tells the first officer that they also have a scheduled rendezvous with a shuttle carrying Wesley Crusher , who is on vacation from Starfleet Academy and could provide some much-needed extra help.

In Engineering , Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge is up to his neck in observation schedules and explains to Riker the biggest hurdle would be sensor availability, a task made more difficult since two new exobiologists and three stellar cartographers transferred from the Zhukov . Getting down to the business of availability, La Forge tells Riker that the lateral sensors are booked solid for planetary observation, and the gamma ray scanners are being reprogrammed by Ensign Robin Lefler . La Forge compliments her work in engineering, remarking that she's the specialist for this mission. Lefler explains to Riker that they're increasing the available bandwidth of the sensors so more science teams can use the sensors at once. This is done by multiplexing the array, and Lefler assures the first officer that it will be done before they arrive at the Cluster. Riker tells La Forge that he's brought something back from Risa that he has to try. La Forge reluctantly takes a pass as he is running a full sensor recalibration in ten minutes but promises to see Riker about it later.

In Ten Forward , Riker enters and immediately eyes Deanna Troi , who is sitting at a table enjoying a large chocolate sundae . Jokingly, he asks if she's depressed, to which Troi replies, " I'm fine, Commander. " She offers him a spoonful, but he politely declines, saying he doesn't like fudge . Troi smiles and tells Riker she never met a chocolate she didn't like. Getting technical, she describes the experience by explaining the best way to eat it and enjoy it, a detailed ritual which amuses Riker. " Chocolate is a serious thing ", she informs him. He then tells her about the game he brought back from Risa, which he promises would be " better than chocolate ".

Act Two [ ]

The Enterprise makes a rendezvous with the USS Cochrane , and Wesley is transported aboard and greeted by Chief O'Brien . He congratulates him on the recent birth of his daughter . O'Brien says that she's the spitting image of her father. He informs Wesley that the senior officers are currently in a meeting, and that Wesley can go to his mother 's quarters . At Wesley's request, O'Brien hails the bridge and confirms that it's all right for Wesley to drop into the observation lounge to say hello. Worf tells O'Brien that he supposes that that would be acceptable. Wesley thanks O'Brien and leaves the transporter room with a confused look on his face.

A darkened room awaits Wesley, who looks around in confusion. The lights go on and Doctor Beverly Crusher greets her son with a big hug, followed by Picard. He speaks to him in Latin and Wesley responds back; Picard credits that his Latin has improved. Troi compliments the uniform as he is looking handsome, and La Forge says the uniform probably "drives the girls wild". Worf offers him a Tarvokian pound cake which he made himself. Data then asks if their attempts to make him uncomfortable were effective. Wesley admits they were, having wondered if he was on the wrong ship. Riker asks Wesley to assist the crew with the Phoenix Cluster survey, a request that Wesley accepts without hesitation. La Forge wants him to settle in first and then to see him in engineering to get started. Beverly then asks Troi about the game, and she invites the doctor to come by her quarters to check it out.

Wesley and Data talk about his time at the Academy, which Wesley found surprisingly challenging, as there's much more to know there than starship operations . Data recounts his awkward early days at the Academy, during which his lack of Human understanding put him at a social disadvantage. One example was practical jokes , of which the android was a victim of several. Wesley completely understands and shares a practical joke that was played on him by fellow cadet Adam Martoni . Another social obstacle was the Academy's annual Sadie Hawkins Dance . It was an awkward experience for both. Wesley admits he's not a dancer, and Data shares that he personally learned to dance thanks to Beverly, a talented former dancer. He offers to share what he learned with Wesley.

Getting right to work, Wesley begins to modify the planetary scans while keeping the datalines open for the stellar physicists . Seeing that he's having difficulties with the sensors, Lefler walks over and gives him a hand. They introduce themselves, but before they can chat, Lefler points out that Wesley's neutrinos are drifting, leaving Wesley scrambling to get back to work. Wesley looks at her as she leaves, then turns back to his work. Lefler takes a look back at him as well.

Conflicts arise between the stellar physicists and the planetary evolution team, with both of them wanting to be the first to use the thermal imaging array , Data reports. La Forge suggests they flip a coin , as they won't be able to finish the mission without working together. Data is then called away to sickbay by Beverly, who needs assistance. As he enters, she is working on an experiment using bioactive silicon and needs her tricorder modified to a certain specification. Data agrees to help, but as he works on the tricorder, Beverly shuts him off. Troi and Riker enter sickbay and Riker carries him to a bio-bed , and has the computer secure the doors. Beverly then takes a cutting tool , opens a panel on the back of Data's head, and begins to work on the android.

Act Three [ ]

Enjoying some tea with Picard, Wesley details his instructors at the Academy: Novakovich for anthropology , Walter Horne for creative writing . Picard is pleased to hear that Wesley met Boothby his first week, as he had suggested the year before . When asked how he was doing and mused that Boothby may have told Wesley some stories about Picard in his Academy days, Wesley admits Boothby didn't remember Picard until he saw an old yearbook picture. Boothby was very proud that Picard had become captain of the Enterprise and showed Wesley a grand tour of the gardens – the very same tour Picard got when he was at the Academy. Wesley then asked about the initials "A.F." that Boothby caught Picard carving in his prized elm tree , which Picard admits was an old acquaintance of his. His preoccupation with her cost him a passing grade in organic chemistry . Picard advises Wesley that whenever he meets someone whose initials he would carve in that elm tree, it should not interfere with his studies. Picard is then summoned to sickbay by Beverly.

Beverly explains to the captain that Data was complaining about a servo malfunction , and although her scans came up negative, he collapsed. La Forge determines that his higher signals are intact, but none of them are entering the rest of his body through his positronic brain , leaving him in an almost comatose state. Picard wants to be kept up-to-date on the situation.

In Data's quarters, Riker and La Forge end up with a dead end with no evidence to support a shutdown. The personal , diagnostic , and duty logs all show normal and a standard security sweep shows nothing out of the ordinary. Riker assures the troubled La Forge that Dr. Crusher has everything taken care of, and suggests that La Forge takes a break to unwind. La Forge agrees, which opens the opportunity for Riker to introduce him to the game.

Still working on the sensors, Lefler shares with Wesley her view of conduit configuration quoting her personal Law #36: " You have to go with what works ". The laws are her personal rules: whenever she learns something new, she makes a law so as not to forget it. To date, she has 102 laws . She credits Wesley's reputation for being good. Wesley realizes that Lefler knows more about him than he realizes. She admits she's heard about him from a few friends at the Academy. She also wants to know about the revenge prank he played on Adam Martoni. Wesley mentions there is another side to the story, and then Lefler inquires about his birthmark . Wesley complains he is at a disadvantage, as he hardly knows Lefler. While he needs to work on the sensor relays, he offers a chance to even the score. He invites her to meet him for coffee , but she counters with a dinner proposal, which he accepts.

Beverly clears a challenging level of the game in her quarters , but is interrupted by Wesley, who inquires about it. Embarrassed, she concedes that the game was meant for him, but she couldn't resist trying it out. When offered a chance to try it, Wesley passes and instead asks about Data's condition. She says La Forge has everything under control, and stops Wesley from going to help out, reminding him he's on vacation. Running late for his date with Lefler, Wesley promises his mother he will have time to spend with her while he's on board. She then becomes adamant for her son to try one round of the game, but he insists he needs to get ready for his date. She tells Wesley to have a good time and sets the game down on a table.

Lefler begins to talk about her life in Starfleet ; her childhood involved frequent moving, as her parents were highly in demand as plasma specialists . As a child, she enjoyed playing with a tricorder , as Wesley did with a warp coil . She concedes her parents didn't have much time to spend with her, even when she needed them, which prompted her to make her first law: You can only count on yourself . They begin to discuss the game. Lefler says everyone in engineering are going crazy over it. They glance over at a crewman at another table playing the game in a trance-like state. Lefler dismisses it as a fad, but Wesley wants to find out more before playing it. They team up to look into it, and as they leave Ten Forward, another crewman in a command red uniform begins playing while seated at the bar .

The two begin to study the game, and what it does to the brain . The highest concentration of activity is in the pleasure center of the brain, a key component in the game: it's addictive. Another unusual reading comes from the prefrontal cortex , which handles reasoning. Wesley concludes he needs to inform the captain about this discovery.

In the captain's ready room , Wesley explains to Picard what he and Lefler discovered, having concluded that the game is psychotropically addictive. Picard is even further concerned when he learns the game affects the brain's reasoning center. Picard says that he'll start an investigation immediately, and thanks Wesley for bringing it to his attention, mentioning how good it is to have him back. As soon as Wesley leaves, he turns around, picks up the game he had hidden when Wesley arrived, and resumes playing.

Act Four [ ]

By now, the game has spread through most of the ship. Wesley meets Lefler in Ten Forward and the two discuss how they're constantly being approached by people who are almost desperate to get them to try the game, as Chief O'Brien had a moment ago. Wesley tells Lefler that he's told the captain, however a crewmember interrupts asking them why they're not trying the game and is about to force hers onto Lefler's head before the two leave, but not before deducing that only Data would be immune to the game and how convenient it was that he suffered a mysterious "malfunction" just after it arrived. Wesley and Lefler look over Data's systems and determine that someone has severed a connection between his positronic brain and the rest of his body. Wesley is disturbed and tells Lefler that only two people on board the Enterprise have the training and experience to disable Data in this way: La Forge and his mother. They deduce that he has been deactivated to be kept out of the way so that the game could be spread throughout the rest of the susceptible crew.

The Enterprise arrives at some designated coordinates, and Picard sends the senior staff to see to it that the few unaffected crewmembers left are introduced to the game, reminding them not to forget about Wesley. Worf and Beverly go to see to it that Wesley plays the game, only to find that he and Lefler have already seemingly succumbed to it. Satisfied, they leave, only for Wesley and Lefler to return to normal, having replicated dummy devices to fool the rest of the crew. They agree that no one can be trusted now, however Robin has to leave to report for duty, knowing that her absence could arouse suspicion. Wesley asks her to access the codes for the security tracking system as he has a plan, and she tells him to watch his back.

Now believing the entire crew has played the game, Captain Picard summons all the senior offices to the bridge. Worf tells Picard that an alien ship is approaching and is hailing the Enterprise . Picard asks Worf to put the message on the video screen. It is Etana Jol, the woman from Risa who originally gave the game to Riker during his shore leave . She is in fact a Ktarian commander, and she now asks Captain Picard for a report. Picard answers " The Enterprise has been secured. We await further instructions ".

Act Five [ ]

Etana is delighted with Picard's response, and it is now apparent that her encounter with Riker back on Risa was designed to be more than just a romantic interlude but was part of her plan to addict Riker to the game to the point that he would bring it back to the ship. Over time, the game's addictive and mind control properties would allow Etana to gain control of the Enterprise and its crew. The true intention of the game is also clear now: it is part of a Ktarian "expansion project" and a plot to help the Ktarians take over the Federation . She now orders various members of the crew to visit nearby Federation outposts and installations to distribute the devices there, and also to make sure that all other ships in the sector get the game. In a reference to Wesley, Picard also informs Etana that they may be able to get the devices to Starfleet Academy. Etana closes the transmission by saying the crew will all be rewarded when the "expansion" is completed.

Nurse Ogawa playing the game

Wesley meets up with Lefler in Engineering, where he tells her he's prepared a site-to-site transporter program in case of an emergency and asks how she's been doing with the security system. However, he then notices that she's staring at him blankly. He realizes something is wrong as Lefler reveals she's been exposed to the game and tells Wesley it's his turn. Riker and Worf have been hiding in order to perform an ambush. Wesley manages to escape from engineering and makes a run for it with Riker and Worf in pursuit. When further progress is blocked by a force field , he activates the transport program. He is beamed to Transporter room 3, on Deck 6. In order to prevent the crew from tracking his whereabouts, Wesley ditches his combadge and deactivates it as he flees the room.

After working through some of Wesley's sabotage , the crew tracks him to deck six and traps him with force fields. Wesley takes out a type-1 phaser and sets it to randomly fire on the force field. This activity is detected, tricking the crew into thinking he was trying to cut through it and buying him time to get away. He escapes into the Jefferies tubes , but they scan for his body heat in that quarter of the saucer section . Knowing where he's going, Worf and Riker corner Wesley in a Jefferies tubes junction and capture him. Even though he grabs onto a grate to anchor himself, they eventually manage to drag him to the bridge, struggling the entire way.

Held down into the captain's chair , he is forced to use the game device, his head held still and at Picard's encouraging, his eyes forced open by Riker and Worf. Wesley still fights them while his mother encourages him to just relax and let the game play itself. In fact, the game does play itself: Wesley refuses to throw the disks into the funnels, but the funnels stretch toward the disks and pull the disks into themselves, triggering the same effects that would have been triggered if Wesley had voluntarily thrown the disks into the funnels. It would seem that he is now addicted – and Ktarian control of the Enterprise is now complete.

Data foils the Ktarian plot.

At that moment, the lights on the bridge go out, plunging the room into darkness. Data appears from the turbolift and, using a palm beacon , flashes an optical burst pattern into everyone's eyes which disrupts the games effects and returns everyone to normal. He has the lights turned back on before telling Worf to lock onto the Ktarian ship with the tractor beam . As Worf goes to do so, Data asks Picard if he is alright, and the shaken captain says "I think so, Mr. Data."

As soon as Etana's ship is captured, she angrily hails the Enterprise , demanding an explanation. When Picard says that her plot has failed, she threatens to open fire on the Enterprise , but Worf scans her ship and pointedly reports that with her ship's limited defenses, she is not a threat at all. After making it clear to Etana that she cannot escape, Riker closes the channel on a speechless Etana.

Riker is curious of how Data is working again despite being disabled. Wesley explains that he had managed to reconnect Data's positronic matrix before he went to Engineering. After learning of the situation, Data had set to work in finding a way of counteracting the game's mind control (eventually modifying the palm beacon), while Wesley distracted the crew for as long as possible with his wild goose chase. As for the rest of the crew, Data had programmed the computer to send the same coded burst patterns to all of the display screens, work stations, and terminals throughout the ship, which should cure everyone. With the conspiracy over, Picard decides to take the Ktarian ship to the nearest starbase .

Lefler is helping Wesley prepare to leave the Enterprise . His vacation is over – back to the Academy and his studies. Riker informs Wesley that his ship is waiting, and he should report to the transporter room. Wesley acknowledges that he'll be there shortly. But first he and Lefler say their goodbyes to each other, they kiss , and she gives Wesley a going-away gift – a copy of her 102 laws written down. Wesley decides to add "Law 103… A couple of light years can't keep good friends apart". She nods her approval and Wesley is transported to the USS Merrimac that will return him to Starfleet Academy. Lefler watches Wesley longingly as he leaves.

Log entries [ ]

• Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2368

Memorable quotes [ ]

" You see the disk and the cone? " " Yeah. " " Concentrate. Make the disk go into the cone. " " How do I do that? " " Just let go. "

" Would you like me to leave the two of you alone? "

" I never met a chocolate I didn't like. "

" Chief O'Brien to bridge. " " Bridge here. " " Wesley Crusher has arrived and wants to know if he can stop by the observation lounge to say "Hi." " " I suppose that is acceptable. "

" Wesley… Tarvokian pound cake . I made it myself. "

" Chocolate is a serious thing. "

" No, thanks. I don't like fudge. "

" Quomodo tua Latinitas est? " (Translation: " How's your Latin? ") " Praestat quam prius. " (Translation: " It's better than before. ") " Oppido bonum. (Translation: " Very good. ") Your Latin has improved. "

" Report. " " Welcome, Etana. The Enterprise has been secured. We await your further instructions. "

" Your neutrinos are drifting. "

" It's your turn. Play the game, Wesley. "

" Geordi, a conflict has started between the planetary evolution team and the stellar physicists. Each wishes to be the first to use the thermal imaging array. " " Well, tell 'em to flip a coin . We've got to work together on this mission otherwise we're never gonna get it done. " " A coin. Very good. I will replicate one immediately. "

Background information [ ]

• Final draft script: 23 August 1991 [1]
• Filmed: 28 August 1991 – 6 September 1991
• Additional day of second unit filming: 3 October 1991
• Premiere airdate: 28 October 1991
• First UK airdate: 25 January 1995

Story and script [ ]

• Like " Darmok ", the story for this episode had a somewhat tumultuous path to the screen. It had originally been pitched by Susan Sackett and Fred Bronson during the fourth season . However, as Ronald D. Moore recalled, " 'The Game' kicked around for quite a while and went through lots of permutations. " Many writers had taken many approaches to the story, including two drafts that were abandoned. ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230-1)
• Bronson recalled, " It was based on the fact that I had a Tetris game on my computer at home. Whenever I wanted to […] distract myself I would play Tetris and it was very addictive. " ( Starburst Special #29, p. 58)
• Michael Piller was convinced the premise couldn't be saved. However, Rick Berman reminded Piller that he had been concerned about the lack of science fiction premises on the show. Berman thus suggested giving the story to Brannon Braga , as his first assignment after joining the writing staff. Braga took the pitch in a darker direction, summarizing his treatment as " Wesley's come home and his family's out to get him. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230-1; Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 181))
• Braga compared the plot of this episode to Invasion of the Body Snatchers . ( Intergalactic Guest Stars , TNG Season 5 DVD special features) Jeri Taylor commented, " Through an evolutionary process – without really intending to ape that movie – this insidious spread of a game had its origins in kids being addicted to video games now, and what happens to them. That was the original intent and that's what drove the final story and script. That insight followed the development. " Braga added, " It's ironic to have the adolescent come back to find all the adults are addicted to a game which is something you'd expect the other way around. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230)
• Braga observed, " We were going for fun and high concept. It's an atypical show in some ways and a lot of people had trouble believing Picard would become addicted and all these people would get hooked, but that's the story. Either you tell it or you don't. Not that we didn't give a lot of thought to how the characters became addicted. The characters only become addicted because they were getting the game from people they trusted, which is exemplified in the notorious chocolate scene, which had a very mixed reaction, but I had a lot of fun writing it. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230)
• Braga saw this episode as a chance to make the character of Wesley Crusher "a little hipper", by giving him a girlfriend and by showing him to be a cadet capable of pulling practical jokes. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 181)) Braga remarked, " When I was writing the teleplay, I tried to relax him a little bit and took the opportunity to make him a more relaxed character with some personality and some spunk. He's more savvy because he was at the Academy and has gone through some changes and he'll pick up on Robin Lefler. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230)

Production [ ]

Director Corey Allen instructing Brent Spiner and Wil Wheaton

• "The Game" was filmed between Wednesday 28 August 1991 and Friday 6 September 1991 on Paramount Stage 8 , 9 , and 16 . On Monday 2 September 1991 , the production was off for Labor Day Holiday. An additional day of second unit filming was on Thursday 3 October 1991 on Paramount Stage 9 and 16.
• While at Dragon Con 2011, Brent Spiner recalled that during production of this episode, the scene wherein Data is deactivated by Dr. Crusher and falls down onto a bio-bed, Spiner actually hit the bed so hard he cut his chin and had to go to the hospital. After returning to the set, director Corey Allen immediately asked Spiner to do the scene again. [2]
• On Thursday 29 August 1991 , a camera crew from CBS This Morning visited the set and interviewed the cast members.
• "The Game" was the first episode to air following Gene Roddenberry 's death on 24 October 1991 .

Cast and characters [ ]

• This was the second and last appearance of Ensign Robin Lefler ( Ashley Judd ). After her first appearance, in " Darmok ", the writers had been looking for a vehicle for her return, and this story was seen as a perfect fit. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 181))
• Wil Wheaton fondly remembered working with Judd, noting that he was Judd's first on-screen kiss. ( Intergalactic Guest Stars , TNG Season 5 DVD special features)
• Brannon Braga admitted that he hit on Judd during filming, and was "dutifully ignored". ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 227)

Sets, props, special effects, and costumes [ ]

The optical extension of the Jefferies tube behind Worf

• The headpieces for the Ktarian game were created by property master Alan Sims , using telephone headsets . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 226)
• A suite on Risa , as it appeared in " Captain's Holiday ", was recreated for this episode. It has the same architecture and similar decorations (including a horga'hn ) as Captain Picard's room and even features the Risian ocean, seen through the window.
• The engineering laboratory is a re-use of the sickbay lab, also seen as the tactical laboratory . It includes the star chart seen behind Dexter Remmick in " Conspiracy ".
• The Ktarian vessel is a re-use of the Zalkonian warship , which itself was a redress of the Tarellian plague ship .
• Several parts of the bridge of the Ktarian ship, including the chair and the viewscreen, also appeared on Romulan ships.
• This is the first appearance of Wesley Crusher 's cadet -style Starfleet uniform . The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 181) notes that Wesley's cadet uniform lacks pips, as was later established in " The First Duty ".
• The blue-grey shirt that Wil Wheaton wore as Wesley in this episode was sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [3] [4]
• This is the first appearance of a matte painting as optical extension of the Jefferies tube . The call sheet features the note "Art/Graphic – translight backing of tube".

Continuity [ ]

• Data references the events of TNG : " Data's Day " when he tells Wesley that his mother recently taught him how to dance. This also means that Data broke his promise to Doctor Crusher that he keeps this fact between the two of them.
• Deanna Troi 's love of chocolate was established in " The Price ".
• Wesley and Picard also discuss Boothby , who was first mentioned by Picard in TNG : " Final Mission ".
• While in a turbolift , Nurse Alyssa Ogawa comments to Wesley that she is on level 47 of the Game, repeating the theme of including that number in the series.
• This episode was the second time the sonic shower was referenced and the first to mention it by name, though it was several years before one was seen again, on Star Trek: Voyager .

Reception [ ]

• Michael Piller commented, " I thought it was a great episode. That was an episode that dealt with my fascination in watching my two sons with their obsession for video games and doing a show that dealt with a non-world shattering issue but people's obsession, almost addiction, to certain types of games. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230) Piller praised Braga's efforts, and thought it showed that he had promise as a writer. " He delivered that script and did some wonderful things. He wrote scenes that didn't depend on action but went straight to character; and a two minute scene with Troi and a chocolate sundae which was wonderfully written. He has an extraordinary talent to find the moments in [a] script where you can throw in character development and spend the time doing that for the sheer delight of getting to know the character better – and not interrupting the flow. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 181))
• Brannon Braga remarked, " It was corny, even at the time. But I enjoyed writing it. It was fun to realize that Picard had been seduced by the game, and it was fun to watch Beverly Crusher attempt to entice her son. The script was produced exactly as I wrote it, so it was an extremely positive experience for me. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 227)
• Jonathan Frakes also enjoyed "The Game", commenting, " That's a fun episode… It was like O.D.'ing on Nintendo . " However, he was disappointed with the computer graphics used to depict the Ktarian game , stating " They told me it was going to be this incredible graphic, and all it was… was a tuba on a checkerboard ". ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 231)
• Writer Marc Scott Zicree was not impressed by how this episode developed the character of Wesley Crusher. Commented Zicree, " He falls in love with a girl and they share chocolate mousse – give me a break. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 106)
• A mission report for this episode by John Sayers was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 18 , pp. 38-41.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 53, 5 October 1992
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 5.2, catalog number VHR 4761, 22 July 2002
• As part of the TNG Season 5 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• Ashley Judd as Robin Lefler
• Katherine Moffat as Etana
• Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien
• Patti Yasutake as Alyssa Ogawa
• Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher

Co-stars [ ]

• Diane M. Hurley as Woman
• Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Arratia as Alfonse Pacelli
• Rachen Assapiomonwait as Nelson
• Joe Baumann as Garvey
• Cece Bell as command division officer
• Bowman as civilian
• Michael Braveheart as Martinez
• Camara as operations division officer
• Victoria Cameron as Ten Forward waitress
• Max Cervantes as operations division officer
• Cullen Chambers as command division officer
• Tony Cruz as Lopez
• Denise Deuschle as science division officer
• A. Flores as science division officer
• Goldie Ann Gareza as civilian
• Keith Gearhart as science division officer
• Melba Gonzalez as command officer
• Eben Ham as operations division ensign
• Linda Harcharic as command division ensign
• Grace Harrell as operations division officer
• Melanie Hathorn as sciences officer
• Gary Hunter as science division officer
• Joly as command division ensign
• Kast as command division officer
• Alex Landi as operations division officer
• Mark Lentry as science division lieutenant
• Debbie Marsh as command division ensign
• Michael Moorehead as science division ensign
• Randy Pflug as Jones
• Greg Poole as civilian
• Bill E. Rogers as operations division officer
• Noriko Suzuki as operations division ensign
• Curt Truman as command division officer
• Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace
• Dru Wagner as Daniels
• Christina Wegler Miles as civilian
• Garvey (voice)
• Male civilian
• Ten Forward waiter #1
• Ten Forward waiter #2

Stand-ins and photo doubles [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Cameron – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Foster – stand-in for Wil Wheaton
• Debbie Marsh – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner , Wil Wheaton , and Colm Meaney
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden , Katherine Moffat , and Ashley Judd
• Diane Reilly – stand-in for Ashley Judd
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in and photo double for Jonathan Frakes and stand-in for Colm Meaney
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
• Guy Vardaman – stand-in for Wil Wheaton
• Dana Vitatoe – photo double for Brent Spiner
• Steve Voboril – photo double for Wil Wheaton
• James Washington – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Anne Woodberry – photo double for Gates McFadden
• Diane York – photo double for Katherine Moffat

References [ ]

" a juggling act "; A.F. ; access code ; addiction ; advice ; alien ; announcement ; anthropology ; antimatter regulator ; astronomical survey ; bandwidth ; bearing ; bioactive silicon ; biosystem ; birthmark ; blade ; body ; Boothby ; bow ; brain ; brain activity ; bypass ; cadet ; calibration ; cat ; chance ; cherry ; chili sauce ; chocolate ; chocolate chips ; chocolate fudge ; chocolate ice cream ; chocolate sundae ; Cleon system ; Cochrane , USS ; coffee ; coin ; coma ; communicator ; computer ( main computer ); conduit ; cone ; coordinates ; corridor ; cortex processor ; course ; course (education); Creative Writing ; Crusher One ; dad ; damage ; dance ( dancing ); " Dancing Doctor, The "; data line ; date ; deception ; deck ; depression ; detector ; device ; diagnostics ; dinner ; diplomatic mission ; disc ; display screen ; duty logs ; ear ; effect ; elm ; Endeavour , USS ; engineering laboratory ; " even the score "; event ; exobiologist ; experience ; experiment ; expert ; explanation ; exploration ; exposure ; eye ; fad ; Federation ; feeling ; first year cadet ; " flip a coin "; friend ; forcefield override ; frontal lobe ; fun ; gadget ; Galaxy class decks ; gamma ray scanner ; gift ; " give me the creeps "; grass ; hail ; higher functions ; higher reasoning ; holodeck ; horga'hn ; Horne, Walter ; Human ; hundred ; ice cream ; illumination ; information ; initials ; instruction ; intercept course ; internal security sensors ; investigation ; Jefferies tube ; junction ; kiss ; Ktarians ; Ktarian game ; Ktarian vessel ; lateral sensor ; Latin ; Lefler's Academy friends ; Lefler's parents ; Lefler's parents' sector ; lesson ; light ; light year ; location ; long-range array ; luggage ; malfunction ; Martoni, Adam ; medical program ; medical team ; meeting ; Merrimac , USS ; Midsummer Night's Dream, A ; minute ; mission ; mission specialist ; mom ( mother ); mud ; multiplexing ; name ; nervous system ; neural output ; neurochemical analysis ; neurological behavior program ; neuroreceptor ; neutrino ; Novakovich ; nurse ; O'Brien, Molly ; Oberth -class ; observation schedule ; Oceanus IV ; online ; opportunity ; optical burst pattern ; optical sensor ; Organic Chemistry ; palm beacon ; panel ; partner ; personal logs ; phenomenon ; Phoenix Cluster ; photo ; physics lab ; place ; planetary evolution team ; planetary observation ; planetary scanner ; plasma specialist ; playing field ; positronic brain ; positronic link ; positronic matrix ; power cell ; practical joke ; prefrontal cortex ; processor ; problem ; psychotropic drug ; quarters ; region ; rendezvous ; research ; reticular formation ; Risa ; ritual ; Robin's Laws ; rumor ; Sadie Hawkins Dance ; scan field ; Science department ; science team ; sculpting ; section 23 ; section 25 ; section 29 ; section 52 ; security alert ; security containment field ; security sweep ; security tracking code ; security tracking system ; senior officer ; senior staff ; sensor array ; sensor pad ; sensor recalibration ; sensor relay ; septal area ; serotonin ; serotonin cascade ; servo ; shutdown ; shuttlebay ; shuttlecraft ; side effect ; signal breach ; signal flow ; site-to-site transport ; site-to-site transporter program ; size ; sleep ; social gathering ; sonic shower ; spoon ; specification ; Spot ; starbase ; Starbase 67 ; Starbase 82 ; starboard ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; starship operations ; status ; stellar cartographer ; stellar physics ; stellar physicist ; story ; subcommand ; subprocessor ; subroutine ; survey ; synapse ; synaptic activity ; tactical analysis ; Tarvokian pound cake ; taste ; tea ; teaching ; terminal ; testing ; " the spitting image "; thermal imaging array ; thermal sensor ; threat ; three-dimensional chess ; tour ; tractor beam ; tradition ; transporter room 2 ; transporter room 3 ; transporter system ; tricorder ; " try it on for size "; turbolift ; unconsciousness ; understanding ; " up to my neck in "; vacation ; victim ; viewer ; warp coil ; " watch your back "; weapons system ; week ; work station ; year ; yearbook ; Zhukov , USS

Library computer references [ ]

• Federation Star Chart ("The Explored Galaxy") : Aldebaran ; Alfa 177 ; Alpha Carinae ; Alpha Centauri ; Alpha Majoris ; Altair VI ; Andor ; Ariannus ; Arret ; Babel ; Benecia ; Berengaria VII ; Beta Aurigae ; Beta Geminorum ; Beta Lyrae ; Beta Niobe ; Beta Portolan ; Camus II ; Canopus III ; Capella ; Daran V ; Delta Vega ; Deneb ; Eminiar ; Fabrini ; First Federation ; Gamma Canaris N ; Gamma Trianguli ; Holberg 917G ; Ingraham B ; Janus VI ; Kling ; Kzin ; Lactra VII ; Makus III ; Marcos XII ; Manark IV ; Memory Alpha ; Mudd ; Omega IV ; Omega Cygni ; Organia ; Orion ; Pallas 14 ; Phylos ; Pollux IV ; Psi 2000 ; Pyris VII ; Regulus ; Remus ; Rigel ; Romulus ; Sarpeid ; Sirius ; Talos ; Tau Ceti ; Theta III ; Tholian Assembly ; Vulcan

Deleted references [ ]

External links [ ].

• " The Game " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " The Game " at Wikipedia
• "The Game" at StarTrek.com
• " The Game " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "The Game" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " The Game " at the Internet Movie Database
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)