Jonathan Frakes On Directing Jack Quaid’s Hilarious ‘Riker Maneuver’ In Star Trek Crossover

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Jonathan Frakes shared how he felt about directing Jack Quaid’s funny “Riker Maneuver” scene in the crossover episode between Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Directing an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for the first time led to a hugely popular installment that fans especially loved.

In season 2, episode 7 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, titled “Those Old Scientists,” Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome reprised their roles from the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, appearing in live-action. The episode featured Ensign Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) unexpectedly traveling through time to the 23rd century, where he encountered Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) aboard the USS Enterprise.

During a recent episode of his podcast, Dropping Names… And Other Things, Jonathan Frakes shared a funny story about filming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. He explained that Jack Quaid playfully did a “Riker Manuever” while sitting on a saddle in Captain Pike’s office, which made Frakes laugh so much they had to redo the scene. You can hear Jonathan tell the story and see a clip from the podcast below.

Jonathan Frakes explained that Jack Quaid was a big fan of Anson Mount’s character, Captain Pike, and was excitedly exploring Pike’s office on set. Frakes decided to film Quaid’s exploration using a steadicam. Quaid examined the office, and when he playfully climbed onto a horse saddle displayed there, Frakes knew they had a great moment to capture. He told the crew to start filming, anticipating a fun scene.

He did that amazing thing again – we call it ‘the take’. As he swung his leg over the saddle and got comfortable, he yelled, ‘RIKER!’ I was operating the camera, and honestly, I couldn’t help but mess it up a little. It was too good to not react!

Brent Spiner: Did you use that take?

Jonathan Frakes: Every inch of it.

Jonathan Frakes, famous for playing Commander Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, developed a distinctive habit of casually swinging his leg over the arm of his chair – a pose fans nicknamed the “Riker Maneuver.” When Jack Quaid replicated this pose in the Strange New Worlds crossover episode, it was a huge hit with Star Trek viewers and a clever tribute to both Frakes and his work on TNG.

According to Jonathan Frakes, Jack Quaid’s now-famous “Riker Maneuver” happened because Quaid ad-libbed the moment. Frakes points out that this kind of improvisation is a key difference between the current Star Trek shows on Paramount+ and older Star Trek series. In shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation, actors were expected to deliver their lines exactly as written and weren’t permitted to improvise.

The crossover episode between Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks was a huge success. Many fans consider ‘Those Old Scientists’ to be one of the best episodes of any Star Trek series on Paramount+, and it quickly became a favorite due to its heartwarming celebration of Star Trek fans themselves.

Jonathan Frakes is very impressed with Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome’s ability to improvise and their comedic timing. They enthusiastically joined the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Frakes enjoyed directing them. Quaid’s spontaneous creation of the “Riker Maneuver” is a key reason why the episode “Those Old Scientists” is so memorable.

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2026-01-28 03:38