A will they/won’t they relationship that spans decades, the romance between Will Riker and Denna Troi is easily the most realistic love story Star Trek has ever had.
The two met on Troi’s home planet of Betazed, where they quickly became each other’s Imzadi (the Betazoid word for “beloved”). But young Riker was the careerist type, and after distinguishing himself by saving a group of scientists during an away mission, he received a promotion. Riker promised his lover he would come back, but turned out to be a no-show.
Fast-forward three years later and Troi took up her post on the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, the flagship of the Federation, only to find that her ex-lover had landed the role of First Officer. The shock reunion between the pair in the Next Gen pilot episode, “Encounter at Farpoint,” is a priceless Trek moment.
Throughout seven seasons of the show, Riker and Troi remained friends (though there were always sparks beneath the surface). They even shared holidays together, though we never saw anything happen on screen.
That all changed in the Trek movie Insurrection, where they shared a passionate kiss (even though Troi did say “yuck!” right after because of Riker’s beard). In a later intimate bath scene, Troi decided the beard had to go and shaved it clean.
Star Trek: Nemesis would finally see the pair get married, much to everyone’s delight. By the time of Star Trek: Picard, an older Troi and Riker are happily living together with their daughter on a remote rural planet. But in the latest season of the show, things might not be so idyllic. Riker seemed extremely eager to leave his wife and daughter to go adventuring with his old Captain, Jean-Luc Picard. There is even a cryptic line in the first episode of the third season about Troi being pleased Riker will be away for a while.
Perhaps the on/off relationship between Star Trek‘s most long-lasting love story will throw up a few more surprises yet.
