Star Trek: The Next Generation
Summary
Commander Will Riker ’s ( Jonathan Frakes ) exact double was introduced inStar Trek : The Next Generationseason 6 , and there was a design to drink down off Will and replace him with Thomas Riker . At the stature of its popularity , TNGseason 6 unwrap that a transporter accident created Will Riker ’s doppelganger in the episode style " Second Chances " . In fact , the original musical theme for " Second probability " was to kill Will in that episode so that Thomas could take his seat aboard the USS Enterperise - D.
" Second Chances " shake off the bombshell that 8 year beforeStar Trek : The Next Generation , Lieutenant Will Riker , who was serving aboard the USS Potemkin , led an Away Team to rescue scientists on Nervala IV.A transporter malfunction duplicated Riker ; as one Will radiate back aboard the Potemkin , the other rematerialized on Nervala IV , where he was left stranded . The crowd of the USS Enterprise - D unwrap the 2nd Riker and brought him aboard . Taking their midway name as his first name , Thomas Riker immediately tried to rekindle hisromance with Counselor Deanna Troi(Marina Sirtis ) . Since Thomas could n’t remain aboard the go-ahead , Captain Jean - Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) secured Lt . Riker a notice on the USS Gandhi .
Thanks to transporter stroke , alternating timelines , and changes in facial hair , several different versions of William T. Riker appear in Star Trek .
Star Trek: TNG’s Plan To Replace Will Riker With Thomas Riker Explained
Executive Producers Rick Berman and Michael Piller pulled the plug on the Riker switcheroo
IfStar Trek : The Next Generation ’s producers had followed through on their original idea , Will would have died in " Second chance " and Thomas would have joined the USS Enterprise - five hundred crew , withLt . Commander Data(Brent Spiner ) becoming the new First Officer . “We wanted to kill Riker … We mean it was a neat musical theme and no one could tell us different,“executive manufacturer Rene Echevarria said in theStar Trekoral history , The Fifty - Year Mission : The First 25 Yearsby Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross . Butexecutive producer Michael Piller"knew it was wrong " , according to Echevarria , and he gave the final"no"on the Riker switcheroo . However , the idea of replacing Will with Thomas persisted and was revisited forTNG ’s seventh and final season .
Rick Berman did see the mind , but he realized"the other problems it created … How would it affect the movie and other variables ? "
Star Trek : The Next Generationseason 7 ’s showrunner , Jeri Taylor , wanted to kill Will and bring in Thomas to"energize the seventh season … and let Lieutenant Riker come in onto the ship as a rejuvenated , energetic , drive , ambitious fictitious character … He would n’t be Number One , he would have been at Ops and have to prove himself … and I was very , very taken with that . “But this time , it would beStar Trek ’s head honcho , Rick Berman , who stopped the Riker transposition planfrom moving frontward . Berman did deal the idea , but he realized"the other problems it created … How would it affect the movie and other variable star ? "
Berman was think in advance ofTNG ’s leap to the big sieve withStar Trek Generations . The complications of explaining why there ’s a different Riker to Paramount was another reason the original Will Riker continue as Number One .
Thomas Riker Returned In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Lieutenant Riker’s fate is unknown
Thomas Riker reappeared in theStar Trek : Deep Space Nineseason 3 installment " Defiant” . Posing as Will , Thomas kidnappedMajor Kira Nerys(Nana Visitor ) and steal Commander Benjamin Sisko ’s ( Avery Brooks ) starship , the USS Defiant . It was reveal that Thomas had joined the terrorist group called the Maquis , but Riker ’s thievery of DS9 ’s starship brought the ira of the Cardassians upon him . Thomas finally surrender , and he was doom to life imprisonment in a Cardassian labor camp .
Thomas Riker Key Events
Year
television set Series
create in a conveyor accident and trapped on Nervala IV
2361 - 2369
Rescued by USS Enterprise - D , attribute to USS Gandhi
2369
Leaves Starfleet and joins the Maquis
2369 - 2371
Star Trek : Deep Space Nine
Steals USS Defiant , sentence to Cardassian prison
2371
Star Treknever break Thomas Riker ’s luck and whether he survivedDS9 ’s Dominion War . consort to theStar Trek : Deep Space Nine Companion , Thomas Riker ’s return was on a list of ideasDS9 ’s writer were not interested in hearing auction pitch about . Jonathan Frakes himself said in aDS9season 6 DVD commentary that his melodic theme for Thomas to get together Damar ’s ( Casey Biggs ) Cardassian resistor during the Dominion War went nowhere . But Frakes compliment Will Riker ’s doppelganger : " [ Thomas is ] much less confident than Will . But he ’s also tender and sweeter . I recall I like Tom better . “Riker’sImzadi , Marina Sirtis , concurred,“I preferred Tom Riker . I thought he was cuter than Will . "
Star Trek: Lower Decks Parodied Will & Thomas Riker
William Boimler also pulled a Thomas Riker
Star Trek : Lower Decksseason 2 offer up up an ingenious parody of Will and Thomas Riker when a conveyor belt accidentally created a clone ofEnsign Bradward Boimler ( Jack Quaid ) . The doppelganger took Brad ’s middle name , William , as his first name . Captain Will Riker , their commanding officer aboard the USS Titan , hilariously declared,“I’ve heard this song before!“As the Titan was n’t big enough for two Boimlers , Brad was transferred back to the USS Cerritos while William stay aboard the Titan and received a promotion to Lieutenant , third-year degree .
like to Thomas Riker betraying Starfleet for the Maquis , Lt . William Boimler faked his end to join Section 31 at the end ofStar Trek : Lower Decksseason 3 , sequence 8 , " Crisis Point 2 : Paradoxus " .
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Didn’t Reveal The Fate Of Thomas Riker
Thomas Riker remains an unanswered question
Star Trek : Picardseason 3 reunited thecast ofStar Trek : The Next Generationand provide a satisfying and resonant gag law to the crew of the USS Enterprise - D , but the fate of Thomas Riker was never address . Picardseason 1 established that Captain Will Riker and Commander Deanna Troi were retire and raising their daughter , Kestra ( Lulu Wilson ) , on the planet Nepenthe . But the tragical loss of their firstborn Logos , Thad , drove a hero between the Troi - Rikers , and they were estranged at the head start ofStar Trek : Picardseason 3 .
The question of what happened to Will Riker ’s doppelganger , Thomas Riker , may never be answered .
Happily , Will and Deanna patch up after the Enterprise - D heroes saved the galax , but the theme of Thomas Riker was not provoke despiteStar Trek : Picardseason 3 following up onStar Trek : Deep Space Nine ’s Dominion War . Picardseason 3 determine up a spinoff to continue the stories ofStar Trek : The Next propagation ’s icons , but that serial publication is presently not in development at Paramount+ . The interrogative sentence of what happened to Will Riker ’s doppelganger , Thomas Riker , may never be answered , but if anyStar Trekseries has the potential to do so , it would beStar Trek : Picard ’s spinoff .
Star Trek : The Next coevals , Star Trek : Deep Space Nine , Star Trek : Lower deck , andStar Trek : Picardare available to stream on Paramount+ .
