As a huge Star Trek: The Next Generation fan, I always found the running gag about Riker wanting his own command pretty funny. But it turns out there was a really smart reason behind it! Apparently, the writers were facing a problem: the show was too successful. Giving Riker his own ship was considered, but ultimately they realized breaking up the core crew would’ve been a mistake. It’s something modern franchises could really take to heart – sometimes the best thing you can do is resist the urge to split up a winning team. It really speaks to the show’s strength and willingness to prioritize the ensemble over individual spin-offs.
Big movie franchises are increasingly creating spin-offs and exploring multiple universes, but this can sometimes weaken the quality of the original story. The things fans loved about the initial films often get spread too thin. Luckily, the creators of this show didn’t need to worry about side stories focused on a different character, allowing them to concentrate on the main cast and develop their roles fully.
Riker Rejecting Command was the Best Move for The Next Generation
Even before fans started joking about Commander Riker always turning down chances to captain his own ship, the idea was part of the original plan for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Riker was intentionally created as a contrast to Captain Picard – where Picard was a thoughtful, intellectual leader, Riker was more action-oriented and relied on his gut feelings. This made him a natural candidate to be a captain himself.
Riker was remarkably effective as First Officer, so much so that Starfleet saw him as someone with abilities beyond his current role. However, he was essential to the success of the crew, holding everything together. As the show gained traction in its third season, thanks to Michael Piller’s leadership, it became obvious that taking Riker away for a spin-off series would be too risky.
As a huge Trek fan, I always heard whispers that Voyager was originally going to star Jonathan Frakes as Riker! It wasn’t necessarily something that was going to happen, but the idea was definitely floated around. I think introducing his clone, Thomas Riker, in that fantastic episode was a clever way to explore what a Riker-led series could have been, while still keeping the original Riker firmly on the Enterprise. It felt like a way to scratch that itch without actually changing the established canon.
In the episode, we see Riker considering life beyond the Enterprise. When Captain Picard is captured by the Borg, Riker takes command of the ship. He’s joined by Commander Shelby, who is promoted to First Officer to help fight the Borg. Shelby is driven and ambitious, which highlights how comfortable Riker is with his existing role.
William Riker was considered for command of the USS Melbourne. Unfortunately, that ship was destroyed during the Battle of Wolf 359, a fight against the Borg. Had Riker accepted the position, he would have perished. This situation is a strong parallel to Star Trek: The Next Generation as a whole. If a key character had been lost in a possible spin-off series, the show might not have become the fan favorite it is today.
The Next Generation Understood the Importance of Its Core Cast
Today’s franchises can learn a lot from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The show successfully maintained its core identity – something many sprawling universes struggle with. Fans know what makes a story special, and straying too far from that foundation is a major gamble.
As a huge Star Trek: The Next Generation fan, I’ve always thought something really smart happened behind the scenes. It would have been easy to give Riker his own command, but keeping him as Number One actually made the show what it was. Sometimes, bigger isn’t better – sticking with the original team, and letting Picard remain firmly in the Captain’s chair, is what helped TNG become such a classic and have the impact it did.
Found an error? Send it so it can be corrected.
Read More
- MLBB x KOF Encore 2026: List of bingo patterns
- Married At First Sight’s worst-kept secret revealed! Brook Crompton exposed as bride at centre of explosive ex-lover scandal and pregnancy bombshell
- Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials of 2026: Ranked and Reviewed
- ‘Reacher’s Pile of Source Material Presents a Strange Problem
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Meme Coins Drama: February Week 2 You Won’t Believe
- eFootball 2026 Starter Set Gabriel Batistuta pack review
- Olivia Dean says ‘I’m a granddaughter of an immigrant’ and insists ‘those people deserve to be celebrated’ in impassioned speech as she wins Best New Artist at 2026 Grammys
- Why Andy Samberg Thought His 2026 Super Bowl Debut Was Perfect After “Avoiding It For A While”
- February 12 Update Patch Notes
2026-02-14 00:10