William T. Riker (played by Jonathan Frakes) has long been a favorite among Star Trek fans, and the character is now back in action with his old Captain in Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard.
But, despite his jovial personality and easy-going charm, Riker’s command record leaves much to be desired. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, the number of times things go horribly wrong when he is left in charge is astounding. And of course, in the movie Star Trek: Generations, he actually manages to crash the Enterprise-D’s saucer section into a planet. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of Riker’s worst moments as acting Captain.
“The Battle”
In this first season episode, DaiMon Bok, a Ferengi captain with a grudge against Picard for killing his son many years ago, uses alien technology to warp Picard’s mind and force him to experience vivid hallucinations. Picard is tricked into using his old ship, the Stargazer, to attack the Enterprise. Riker is in charge of the Enterprise and, as the tension builds and it becomes obvious something is seriously wrong with Picard, Riker desperately calls upon Data for advice, shouting: “The Picard Manoeuvre. What is the defense against that, Data?”
When Data replies that there is no defense, Riker is stumped and simply orders Data to invent a defense… fast. It is only by Data’s quick thinking that the Enterprise is saved.
“Darmok”
The Children of Tama are a unique alien species whose entire language is based on metaphor. In the past, they have proven impossible to establish diplomatic relations with, so the Federation sends out its flagship to have another go.
When Picard opens communications with a Tamarian ship over the planet of El-Adrel, he meets Dathon, their captain. It quickly becomes clear that things are going nowhere. Dathon makes the bold decision to forcibly transport Picard and himself to the planet, where they will have to cooperate to fight a dangerous creature. To make matters worse, the Tamarian ship deploys a scattering field, making it impossible to beam Picard up.
Riker is immediately forced to assume command, and begins to plan a rescue attempt. But due to a series of clumsy maneuvers and misunderstandings, the situation is made a whole lot worse. Things get to the point where the Enterprise and the Tamarian ship are about to destroy one another. Riker fires at the Tamarians, temporarily disrupting their scattering field and allowing Picard to beam aboard. Thankfully, Picard rushes onto the bridge at the last possible moment and successfully talks the Tamarians down, narrowly averting interstellar war.
“Rascals”
“Rascals” is a significant low point in Riker’s career. When Picard, Guinan, Keiko, and Ensign Ro are de-aged to 12-year-olds in a transporter accident, Commander Riker is appointed acting captain of the Enterprise.
He’s been in charge for barely five minutes when the flagship of the Federation is boarded and taken over by a small band of Ferengi pirates. Riker has barely enough time to blurt out a pointless order to “initiate intruder alert!” before a mere two Ferengi beam onto the bridge and capture the entire command crew. It is only by the efforts of the young crew members that the ship is saved.
“Timescape”
Picard has left the Enterprise to attend a scientific conference and has placed his Number One in charge yet again. He returns only to discover the Enterprise is frozen solid in time, seemingly locked in battle with a Romulan Warbird. Worse still, the Enterprise’s warp core is breached, and if the normal flow of time were to resume, the ship would be completely destroyed in a matter of seconds.
Even though it later transpires that the Enterprise was actually trying to help the Romulan vessel, it is sheer luck that Picard was away at the time of the confrontation. This leaves the viewer to wonder just how long the Enterprise would have been stuck there, were it not for Picard’s return.
“Genesis”
Worf is testing a new photon torpedo guidance system. However, there are a few teething troubles and one of the warheads flies off-course into a dense asteroid field. The Enterprise is too large to pursue, so Picard (eager to do some complex piloting) speeds off in a shuttlecraft with Data to retrieve the stray warhead.
Riker is left in charge, with everyone assuming things will be quiet until the captain returns.
After three days, Picard and Data return, only to find the Enterprise adrift. They soon discover that the crew has de-evolved into ancestral lifeforms. Riker himself is an early human caveman who attacks Picard on sight. Working together, Picard and Data manage to retrieve the potentially catastrophic situation.
