Jonathan Frakes envies one thing Star Trek: the original series What do you wish to the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation also has. Frakes played Commander William T. Riker for 7 seasons of CNG and in total 4 CNG films. Frakes, who is also one of Star TrekCinema’s most prolific directors returned as Captain Will Riker in Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Picard. As first officer of the USS Enterprise-D and E, Riker was a key member of Star Trek: TNGThe bridge crew, but Frakes identified something crucial about The original series that CNG was missing.
In it Star Trek oral history “The Fifty Year Mission: The Next 25 Years” by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, Jonathan Frakes looked back Star Trek: The Next GenerationThe race is successful, but notes that Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and Riker didn’t have the kind of banter that Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) shared Star Trek: The Original Series. Read Frakes’ quote below:
I wish we had found a way to have the irony and wry banter of the original’s triumvirate. Picard, Data and Riker should have that. We had our own relationship, but there are moments between Kirk, Spock and McCoy that I’ve always envied. That’s a small complaint on a show I was very proud to be a part of.
Star Trek: The Next Generation Cast Had Something TOS Never Did
The camaraderie among the TNG cast is legendary.
Star Trek: The Next GenerationPicard, Riker, and Data may not have had the same kind of banter that Kirk, Spock, and Bones had in Star Trek: the original series, but CNG had something Terms of Service I never had. As evidenced by their acclaimed reunion and victory at the end of Journey to the stars: Picard In season 3, the crew of the USS Enterprise-D was closer and had more camaraderie than the crew of Kirk’s Enterprise. As close as Kirk, Spock, and Bones were, the rest of the Enterprise bridge crew was relegated to supporting roles. But The crew of Picard’s Enterprise is very close-knit, And this also applies to the real-life actors, who have been dear friends for more than 35 years.
Journey to the stars: Picard Season 3’s climactic poker scene echoes the poker game at the end of the series finale. Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Ironically, Commander Riker was the odd man out of Picard’s central triumvirate in the Star Trek: The Next Generation films, two of which were directed by Jonathan Frakes. He CNG The films created a central trio of Picard, Data and Worf (Michael Dorn), who typically saw action together. Riker often headlined the films’ B-stories, while Picard, Data, and Worf participated in the main action. While Kirk, Spock, and Bones’ banter is endlessly entertaining, Star Trek: The Next GenerationFans will probably prefer how genuinely and endearingly relatable the entire USS Enterprise-D cast is.
Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: the original series are available to stream on Paramount+.
Source: “The Fifty Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to JJ Abrams: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek” by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross