Summary
I’ve always wondered whyStar Trek: Deep Space Nineabandoned their plans for Thomas Riker, the treacherous transporter clone ofStar Trek: The Next Generation’s Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Thomas Riker was first introduced inTNGseason 6, episode 24, “Second Chances”, in which he is discovered living in isolation on Nervala IV.This forced to Thomas to see the man that he eventually became, and he found that Will Riker didn’t live up to expectations. Thomas was appalled byRiker’s rejection of promotion, and left the Enterprise to serve aboard the USS Ghandi as a Lieutenant.
Jonathan Frakes reprized the role of Thomas Riker forStar Trek: DS9season 3, episode 9, “Defiant”, which revealed that he was now a Maquis general. In the opening of theDS9/TNGcrossover episode, the audience believes that they’re watching Commander Riker seduce Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor). However, in a notoriously silly moment, Will peels off his fake sideburns to reveal that he was Thomas all along, and he’s now in command of the hijacked USS Defiant. Thomas Riker never resurfaced after “Defiant”, and it’s only by picking apart what happened between the episode andDS9season 4 that I can understand why.
Star Trek Secretly Confirms What Happened To Riker’s Clone
William Riker’s transporter clone, Thomas was arrested by the Cardassians in DS9, but he was never seen again. Star Trek finally has an update.
The bookCaptains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyagesby Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman suggests thatthere were tentative plans to bring back Thomas Riker after “Defiant”. In a quote fromStar Trek: Deep Space Nine’s showrunner, Ira Steven Behr, he reflects on how they made Jonathan Frakes' character their own. Read Ira Steven Behr’s quote about Riker’s clone below:
“We’ll probably see a return of Tom Riker episode. What’s nice is he’s not really a part ofNext Generation, so he’s ours, and we can do what we want with him and not worry about what the movies will do withWill Riker”
With Tom sent to a Cardassian prison at the end ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 3, episode 9, the logical follow-up would be aMajor Kira episode ofDS9where she broke him out. Jonathan Frakes also felt that the ending of “Defiant” naturally provided an opportunity for a sequel. In an interview on theStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 6 boxed set, Frakes says he suggested that Tom Riker could aid Legate Damar (Casey Biggs) in his rebellion against the Dominion inDS9season 7.
I’ve always thought that Tom Riker had a lot of potential beyond just being an evil Will Riker clone
A fan rumor, debunked by Moore in one of his AOL chats, suggested that Tom would be revealed as a member of Section 31. However, none of these story ideas ever made it to the screen, asby the time ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 4, freelance writers were being told not to pitch Thomas Riker stories. I’ve always thought that Tom Riker had a lot of potential beyond just being an evil Will Riker clone, but looking into why the decision was made not to use him again, I understand why that potential was left unfulfilled.
As well as appearing in “Defiant”, Jonathan Frakes also directed three episodes ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 3.
Why Star Trek: DS9 Banned The Use Of Riker’s Clone In Scripts
In a 2018 interview withGeek Town, Ira Steven Behr explained why he changed his mind about Thomas Riker inStar Trek: Deep Space Nine. Behr acknowledges that his decision may have disappointed Jonathan Frakes and some of theDS9writers, but I do think his reasoning makes a lot of sense given the show’s direction. Read Behr’s comments below:
“I thought that character… we could have had fun with that character on DS9. At that time, unfortunately for Jonathan Frakes who really liked doing it, that was the moment where I said, “We have to cut ties with the past, for sure.” As much as I liked that character, I said, ‘We can’t bring him back. Sorry’. The guys kept saying, “We can use him.” We could never have used him enough in order to really get the good storyline going, continuing. That was a problem, to be honest, but that’s the character I would have liked to have driven”.
“Defiant” aired three days after the theatrical release ofStar Trek Generations, the success of which led to further movies for theTNGcast. The following twoTNGmovies,Star Trek: First ContactandStar Trek: Insurrectionweredirected by Jonathan Frakes. Movies are more demanding than TV, and so Ira Steven Behr is right;Jonathan Frakes wouldn’t have had the time to play Thomas Riker in a substantial way. So it makes a lot of sense forStar Trek: Deep Space Nineto cut its losses when it comes to Tom Riker, especially as Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) was about to become a series regular.
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As much as I thinkThomas Riker is a fascinating character who had much to offerStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, I’m glad that the decision was made not to use him.Introducing Worf to boostDS9’s ratings in season 4 turned out to be the best thing for the show and the character. However, ifDS9had Michael Dorn as a regular and Jonathan Frakes as a recurring guest actor, then it would look likeDS9was being propped up by beloved actorsStar Trek: The Next Generation. Instead,DS9improved Worf as a character, and Michael Dorn never overshadowed his co-stars.
IfStar Trek: Deep Space Ninehad used Jonathan Frakes more, then it seems likely he would have become the Michael Eddington (Kenneth Marshall) character. However, Eddington’s betrayal of Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) worked because audiences had spent a season watching the two men get to know each other.Sisko doggedly pursuing Thomas Riker and his Maquis freedom fighters for two seasons just wouldn’t have had the same impact. While it’s always disappointed me that we never got more from Thomas Riker, I do think that, ultimately,Star Trek: Deep Space Ninebenefited from his absence.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Cast
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.
