star trek deanna troi and william riker

The rocky relationship between Will Riker and Deanna Troi, explained

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 […]

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.

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Star Trek: Picard recap: William Riker and Deanna Troi help out their old friend

Star Trek: Picard delivers its longest episode to date with “Nepenthe,” all so it can spend as much time as possible on Picard’s long-awaited reunion with two of his closest Enterprise comrades.

Yet before that happy get-together can take place, this eighth installment flashes back to Jurati and Commander Oh’s chat at Okinawa’s Daystrom Institute. Oh knows Jurati has met with Picard, that Picard has revealed his belief that Maddox created a synthetic, and that Jurati gave him 300 GBs of material relevant to Maddox. Oh tells Jurati she wants her to accompany Picard on his off-world mission to find Maddox and the synthetic. Oh subsequently uses a Vulcan mind-meld to show Jurati the death and destruction — on a planetary scale — that will take place if synthetic life is allowed to exist. Shaken, Jurati agrees to Oh’s demands (which will require “a terrible sacrifice”) and ingests a tracking device.

On the Artifact, Rizzo demands that Hugh give up Picard and Soji’s destination (i.e. Nepenthe). She executes Hugh’s fellow XBs, but can’t kill Hugh himself because he’s protected by an “asinine” Starfleet treaty. At this point, La Sirena is released from the Artifact’s tractor beam. Although Rios knows they’re being followed by a Romulan ship (piloted by Narek), they nonetheless take off for Nepenthe — albeit not before first contacting Elnor, who’s staying behind on the Artifact because “my help is needed here.”

On Nepenthe, Picard and Soji are greeted by a young girl wearing an animal ear-decorated cloak and wielding a bow and arrow. Her name is Kestra (Lulu Wilson), and she knows Picard. On their way to the girl’s house, Kestra talks to Soji, who’s still plagued by confusion and distrust. Kestra shows her a compass but concedes it’s broken and admits that her arrows are real but that she’s a pacifist, and thus wouldn’t use them.

Kestra asks about Soji’s father, and upon hearing it’s Data, exclaims, “You’re an android?” This freaks out Soji. Trying to soothe her, Picard says that, though her memories and identity might not be real, her sister Dahj was. Then, he informs her that Dahj was murdered by the very people now hunting her. Having been repeatedly deceived, Soji is unwilling to believe anything.

At the house, Picard receives a giant hug from Kestra’s mom, Commander Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), who instinctively senses that he’s in trouble. Picard goes inside and receives a similar embrace from William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), who immediately recognizes that Picard needs a place to hideout. When Picard suggests not only raising the residence’s shields and activating its perimeter scans but also running anti-cloaking scans, Riker realizes that Picard’s problems involve Romulans. Picard states that his plan has fallen apart, he’s (temporarily) lost his crew, and Soji is still in danger, to which Riker says, “Sounds like you need a new plan.”

As Picard takes a nap and Riker continues making homemade tomato-and-basil pizzas, Kestra tells Soji about Data. She surmises that the reason Soji has mucus, blood, and saliva is that Data always wanted to be human (i.e. have dreams, tell jokes, learn how to ballroom dance).

Troi shows Picard the bedroom of her and Riker’s late son Thad, whose 18th birthday would have been a week ago. Troi tells Picard to stay as long as he likes, but she acknowledges, “I’m not as brave as I used to be, Jean-Luc.” Picard responds, “You’re getting wiser.”

Onboard La Sirena, Rios strives to lose the pursuing Narek. Jurati asks if Rios and Raffi really want to go to Nepenthe. Since Jurati was originally eager to embark on this intergalactic search-and-rescue mission, Raffi is surprised by the question. That prompts Jurati to yell, “I just want to go home! Picard can look after himself and somebody else can find that f---ing synth — why does it have to be me?” Raffi calms her down by giving her red velvet cake, which she promptly throws up.

In the medical bay, Rios says he suspects the reason he can’t shake Narek is that Raffi is being (unwittingly) tracked. Before Jurati can fully confess that she’s the one with the tracker, Rios heads back to the bridge. Upset and alone, Jurati creates a handheld device and injects herself in the neck, instigating a mouth-foaming seizure that puts her in a coma.

Picard tells Riker that his visit is “a desperate impulse. I regret it already.” Riker presses the former admiral for details, stating that ignorance of danger doesn’t keep it at bay. Not that Riker needs Picard to spell things out for him — he’s already intuited that Picard is being hunted by the Tal Shiar and that Soji is the android offspring of Data (her head-tilt gave away her lineage). “Not bad for a pizza chef,” Picard smiles.

Riker slams Picard for his classic “arrogance,” once again deciding everything for everyone, and cautions that dealing with a teenager isn’t the same as commanding a starship. Picard admits he may not be up to this challenge, which is the first “baby step” toward attaining the humility he needs.

Soji and Kestra have become fast friends, speaking to each other in a language called Viveen that Thad created. In a lush garden, Troi has Soji try a real tomato — the first food she’s ever eaten that didn’t come from a replicator. She hears about Thad’s desire for a home, which is what Nepenthe eventually became for him. Apparently, Thad died of a rare disease that could have been cured if not for the synthetic ban (which denied the family access to an active positronic matrix) — proving, according to Troi, that “real isn’t always better.” Soji is still intensely skeptical of everything, suspecting that this paradise and its kind inhabitants are part of an elaborate trap.

Picard tells Soji he understands her doubts, but she violently shoves him aside and storms off. Troi chastises Picard for not fully comprehending how shaken Soji has been by Narek’s subterfuge and attempt on her life.

While Picard struggles to forge a connection with Soji, Hugh tells Elnor he’s now going to lead an open revolt against the Romulans and seize control of the Artifact. Rizzo takes this as a violation of the treaty governing his service — thereby granting her permission to kill them both. Elnor dispatches Rizzo’s guards and directly engages her in combat. Using a dagger, Rizzo murders Hugh. She then beams away before Elnor can finish her off. With his final breath, Hugh tells Elnor that he needs an XB to activate the Queen Cell, and thanks the warrior for giving him hope. Shortly thereafter, Elnor finds a dog tag-like device that allows him to activate a Fenris Rangers SOS signal.

Over pizza dinner, Soji recounts Narek’s meditation-ritual ruse, and Kestra — with the aid of Captain Rupert Crandall, who also lives on Nepenthe — discovers the location of Soji’s homeworld, which doesn’t have a name but does have a number. Picard works hard to convince Soji that she can trust him, admitting he wants to help her because she’s the daughter of his dear friend Data. Moreover, before this undertaking, Picard was just wasting his life, whereas now, “I’m alive. And I have a mission, which means there’s not a hell of a chance that you or anyone else can stop me.”

The next morning, Picard and Riker take a walk to a forest-nestled lake. Picard has heard from Rios, and he talks to Riker about his “decidedly motley” new crew, who “seem to be carrying more baggage than all of you ever did.” Sitting on a pier bench, Riker lets Picard know that no one would think less of him if he gave up this quest. That said, Riker also says he never thought Picard had any business retiring, to which Picard replies, “And you were right.”

Picard thanks Riker for “so many things. But today, for not trying to talk me out of all this.” Riker says he knows better than to attempt that, since “that, my friend, was always a losing proposition.”

Kestra conveys to Soji that she understands what it’s like to experience something really awful (i.e. her brother’s death) and that what helped her get through it were her parents. She says Picard could be Soji’s new father figure and, in turn, Soji could be there for Picard. “I’ll think about it,” Soji responds.

After receiving Kestra’s compass as a gift, Soji and Picard say their farewells and beam back up to La Sirena.

Captain’s Log:

• Kestra is named after Deanna Troi’s late older sister, who died when Troi was an infant – events that were first recounted in Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s season seven episode, “The Dark Page.”
• Elnor’s SOS call to the Fenris Rangers strongly suggests that we haven’t seen the last of Seven of Nine.
• Presumably, Narek will also get more to do in the coming weeks, since this episode relegated him to fiddling with a toy while flying his ship (minus any dialogue).

Related content:

• Watch Whoopi Goldberg lose it as Patrick Stewart asks her to join Star Trek: Picard season 2
• Patrick Stewart on how Star Trek: Picard strives to avoid fan service
• Star Trek: Picard second trailer shows Will Riker’s return

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Published Feb 14, 2023

Where Are They Now? Star Trek: Picard Edition

Get caught up before the final voyage begins on February 16!

StarTrek.com / Rob DeHart

As excitement ramps up for the premiere of Star Trek: Picard ’s third season, we’re preparing ourselves emotionally to see characters that haven’t been on our screens in a very long time. It’s a big deal to see so many favorites from Star Trek: The Next Generation again.

Some of these characters we’ve encountered very recently within the Star Trek world, but others we haven’t caught up with in decades. If you need a refresher on where these characters are now, we’re here to help. Welcome to Where Are They Now: Star Trek: Picard edition!

Official Trailer | Star Trek: Picard - Season 3

Jean-Luc Picard

StarTrek.com

We last saw Jean-Luc Picard in the Season 2 finale of Star Trek: Picard . Our intrepid captain (now retired admiral!) was the commandant of Starfleet Academy, and after going back in time and confronting the trauma of his past, he chose to settle down at his family estate in Labarre, France, with his now-girlfriend, Laris. Though he is an android in the artificial body intended for Alton Soong, Picard continues to age as he normally would have and will eventually die.

Beverly Crusher

We haven’t seen the good doctor since the events of Star Trek Nemesis , the final movie featuring The Next Generation cast. In fact, she’s the only regular cast member who hasn’t been seen or mentioned in Star Trek: Picard thus far. When we last saw her, she was still the ship’s doctor on the Enterprise-E . Her son Wesley Crusher appeared briefly in the second season of Star Trek: Picard as a Traveler.

William Riker

Thanks to Star Trek: Picard ’s first season, we know where Will Riker is — on Nepenthe with his wife Deanna Troi and daughter Kestra. The couple moved to Nepenthe after their son, Thaddeus, came down with a deadly virus because the soil had regenerative properties. Unfortunately, Thad died, but they chose to remain on Nepenthe and away from Starfleet to raise Kestra. Riker returned to the captain’s chair to come to the rescue of Picard in the first season finale.

Deanna Troi

Deanna Troi was reassigned to the U.S.S. Titan when her husband, Will Riker, became the ship’s captain. She served as the ship’s counselor, as seen on Star Trek: Lower Decks . Troi left Starfleet when her family settled on Nepenthe, where she currently lives with Riker and daughter Kestra. She still hasn’t recovered from the tragedy of losing her son, Thad. When Jean-Luc Picard arrived at Nepenthe to find safety, she expressed fear of the dangers that follow him.

After the destruction of the Enterprise-D , Worf went on to serve as Starfleet’s Strategic Operations Officer for Deep Space 9 . He fell in love with and married Jadzia Dax, who later died at the hands of Gul Dukat. Worf was instrumental in shaping the leadership of the Klingon High Council, defeating Chancellor Gowron in single combat and passing the chancellorship to Martok. After the Dominion War ended, Chancellor Martok asked that Worf become the Federation ambassador to the Klingon Empire. Worf, now a member of the House of Martok and ambassador to Qo'noS, was last seen suffering from the effects of too much Romulan ale after Troi and Riker's wedding...

Geordi La Forge

We last saw Geordi La Forge in the film Nemesis where he was serving as the Enterprise-E ’s chief engineer and mourning the death of his best friend, Data. Along with Worf, Zhaban mentions La Forge as someone loyal that Jean-Luc should turn to for help in the show’s first season, implying that they maintain a good relationship.

Raffi Musiker

Raffaela Musiker was the operations officer aboard the U.S.S. Excelsior the last time we saw her, but her path to that position wasn’t smooth. She lost her way after the destruction of Romulus, left Starfleet, and became consumed by her addictions. However, she found a way out of the darkness thanks to her colleagues and Seven of Nine. Raffi has a son, Gabriel, but he wants little to do with her.

Seven of Nine

Seven ended the second season of Star Trek: Picard with a field commission of Commander on the U.S.S. Stargazer , thanks to Admiral Picard. Seven, whose previous name was Annika Hansen, tried to join Starfleet after returning from the Delta Quadrant on the Starship Voyager , but she was unsuccessful because she was formerly Borg. She settled in as a Fenris Ranger, helping people wherever she could in a lawless part of space before settling uneasily into a role with Starfleet at the encouragement of Picard and Admiral Janeway.

Of all the people on this list, it’s been the longest since we’ve seen Lore . The identical brother of Data , he is unstable and considers himself superior to humans. The Enterprise crew last encountered the android during the events of The Next Generation two-parter “Descent, Parts I and II,” where Lore attempted to take over a group of Borg that had become disconnected from the rest of the Collective. Following these events, Lore was deactivated and dismantled.

Swapna Krishna (she/her) writes about space, technology, and pop culture at outlets such as Wired, NPR, Engadget, and more. You can find her on Twitter @skrishna.

In addition to streaming on Paramount+, Star Trek: Picard will also stream on Prime Video outside of the US and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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Star Trek: Picard recap: William Riker and Deanna Troi help out their old friend

Star Trek: Picard delivers its longest episode to date with “Nepenthe,” all so it can spend as much time as possible on Picard’s long-awaited reunion with two of his closest Enterprise comrades.

Yet before that happy get-together can take place, this eighth installment flashes back to Jurati and Commander Oh’s chat at Okinawa’s Daystrom Institute. Oh knows Jurati has met with Picard, that Picard has revealed his belief that Maddox created a synthetic, and that Jurati gave him 300 GBs of material relevant to Maddox. Oh tells Jurati she wants her to accompany Picard on his off-world mission to find Maddox and the synthetic. Oh subsequently uses a Vulcan mind-meld to show Jurati the death and destruction — on a planetary scale — that will take place if synthetic life is allowed to exist. Shaken, Jurati agrees to Oh’s demands (which will require “a terrible sacrifice”) and ingests a tracking device.

On the Artifact, Rizzo demands that Hugh give up Picard and Soji’s destination (i.e. Nepenthe). She executes Hugh’s fellow XBs, but can’t kill Hugh himself because he’s protected by an “asinine” Starfleet treaty. At this point, La Sirena is released from the Artifact’s tractor beam. Although Rios knows they’re being followed by a Romulan ship (piloted by Narek), they nonetheless take off for Nepenthe — albeit not before first contacting Elnor, who’s staying behind on the Artifact because “my help is needed here.”

On Nepenthe, Picard and Soji are greeted by a young girl wearing an animal ear-decorated cloak and wielding a bow and arrow. Her name is Kestra (Lulu Wilson), and she knows Picard. On their way to the girl’s house, Kestra talks to Soji, who’s still plagued by confusion and distrust. Kestra shows her a compass but concedes it’s broken and admits that her arrows are real but that she’s a pacifist, and thus wouldn’t use them.

Kestra asks about Soji’s father, and upon hearing it’s Data, exclaims, “You’re an android?” This freaks out Soji. Trying to soothe her, Picard says that, though her memories and identity might not be real, her sister Dahj was. Then, he informs her that Dahj was murdered by the very people now hunting her. Having been repeatedly deceived, Soji is unwilling to believe anything.

At the house, Picard receives a giant hug from Kestra’s mom, Commander Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), who instinctively senses that he’s in trouble. Picard goes inside and receives a similar embrace from William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), who immediately recognizes that Picard needs a place to hideout. When Picard suggests not only raising the residence’s shields and activating its perimeter scans but also running anti-cloaking scans, Riker realizes that Picard’s problems involve Romulans. Picard states that his plan has fallen apart, he’s (temporarily) lost his crew, and Soji is still in danger, to which Riker says, “Sounds like you need a new plan.”

As Picard takes a nap and Riker continues making homemade tomato-and-basil pizzas, Kestra tells Soji about Data. She surmises that the reason Soji has mucus, blood, and saliva is that Data always wanted to be human (i.e. have dreams, tell jokes, learn how to ballroom dance).

Trae Patton/CBS

Troi shows Picard the bedroom of her and Riker’s late son Thad, whose 18th birthday would have been a week ago. Troi tells Picard to stay as long as he likes, but she acknowledges, “I’m not as brave as I used to be, Jean-Luc.” Picard responds, “You’re getting wiser.”

Onboard La Sirena, Rios strives to lose the pursuing Narek. Jurati asks if Rios and Raffi really want to go to Nepenthe. Since Jurati was originally eager to embark on this intergalactic search-and-rescue mission, Raffi is surprised by the question. That prompts Jurati to yell, “I just want to go home! Picard can look after himself and somebody else can find that f---ing synth — why does it have to be me?” Raffi calms her down by giving her red velvet cake, which she promptly throws up.

In the medical bay, Rios says he suspects the reason he can’t shake Narek is that Raffi is being (unwittingly) tracked. Before Jurati can fully confess that she’s the one with the tracker, Rios heads back to the bridge. Upset and alone, Jurati creates a handheld device and injects herself in the neck, instigating a mouth-foaming seizure that puts her in a coma.

Picard tells Riker that his visit is “a desperate impulse. I regret it already.” Riker presses the former admiral for details, stating that ignorance of danger doesn’t keep it at bay. Not that Riker needs Picard to spell things out for him — he’s already intuited that Picard is being hunted by the Tal Shiar and that Soji is the android offspring of Data (her head-tilt gave away her lineage). “Not bad for a pizza chef,” Picard smiles.

Riker slams Picard for his classic “arrogance,” once again deciding everything for everyone, and cautions that dealing with a teenager isn’t the same as commanding a starship. Picard admits he may not be up to this challenge, which is the first “baby step” toward attaining the humility he needs.

Soji and Kestra have become fast friends, speaking to each other in a language called Viveen that Thad created. In a lush garden, Troi has Soji try a real tomato — the first food she’s ever eaten that didn’t come from a replicator. She hears about Thad’s desire for a home, which is what Nepenthe eventually became for him. Apparently, Thad died of a rare disease that could have been cured if not for the synthetic ban (which denied the family access to an active positronic matrix) — proving, according to Troi, that “real isn’t always better.” Soji is still intensely skeptical of everything, suspecting that this paradise and its kind inhabitants are part of an elaborate trap.

Picard tells Soji he understands her doubts, but she violently shoves him aside and storms off. Troi chastises Picard for not fully comprehending how shaken Soji has been by Narek’s subterfuge and attempt on her life.

While Picard struggles to forge a connection with Soji, Hugh tells Elnor he’s now going to lead an open revolt against the Romulans and seize control of the Artifact. Rizzo takes this as a violation of the treaty governing his service — thereby granting her permission to kill them both. Elnor dispatches Rizzo’s guards and directly engages her in combat. Using a dagger, Rizzo murders Hugh. She then beams away before Elnor can finish her off. With his final breath, Hugh tells Elnor that he needs an XB to activate the Queen Cell, and thanks the warrior for giving him hope. Shortly thereafter, Elnor finds a dog tag-like device that allows him to activate a Fenris Rangers SOS signal.

Over pizza dinner, Soji recounts Narek’s meditation-ritual ruse, and Kestra — with the aid of Captain Rupert Crandall, who also lives on Nepenthe — discovers the location of Soji’s homeworld, which doesn’t have a name but does have a number. Picard works hard to convince Soji that she can trust him, admitting he wants to help her because she’s the daughter of his dear friend Data. Moreover, before this undertaking, Picard was just wasting his life, whereas now, “I’m alive. And I have a mission, which means there’s not a hell of a chance that you or anyone else can stop me.”

The next morning, Picard and Riker take a walk to a forest-nestled lake. Picard has heard from Rios, and he talks to Riker about his “decidedly motley” new crew, who “seem to be carrying more baggage than all of you ever did.” Sitting on a pier bench, Riker lets Picard know that no one would think less of him if he gave up this quest. That said, Riker also says he never thought Picard had any business retiring, to which Picard replies, “And you were right.”

Picard thanks Riker for “so many things. But today, for not trying to talk me out of all this.” Riker says he knows better than to attempt that, since “that, my friend, was always a losing proposition.”

Kestra conveys to Soji that she understands what it’s like to experience something really awful (i.e. her brother’s death) and that what helped her get through it were her parents. She says Picard could be Soji’s new father figure and, in turn, Soji could be there for Picard. “I’ll think about it,” Soji responds.

After receiving Kestra’s compass as a gift, Soji and Picard say their farewells and beam back up to La Sirena.

Captain’s Log:

Kestra is named after Deanna Troi’s late older sister, who died when Troi was an infant – events that were first recounted in Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s season seven episode, “The Dark Page.”

Elnor’s SOS call to the Fenris Rangers strongly suggests that we haven’t seen the last of Seven of Nine.

Presumably, Narek will also get more to do in the coming weeks, since this episode relegated him to fiddling with a toy while flying his ship (minus any dialogue).

Related content:

Watch Whoopi Goldberg lose it as Patrick Stewart asks her to join Star Trek: Picard season 2

Patrick Stewart on how Star Trek: Picard strives to avoid fan service

Star Trek: Picard second trailer shows Will Riker’s return

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Picard Confirms Tragic Fan Theory About Deanna Troi and Riker

Since Star Trek: Picard Season 3 began, fans worried about the relationship between Will Riker and Deanna Troi, and the news isn't great for TNG fans.

The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 4, "No Win Scenario," now streaming on Paramount+ .

Despite Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard being a reunion of The Next Generation castmates, some have yet to appear. However, in conversation with Picard, Riker confirms a tragic fan theory about why Deanna Troi isn't on this mission with them.

After demanding Jean-Luc remove himself from the bridge of the USS Titan -A , Riker joins his friend and that conflict is almost immediately quashed. Instead, Riker tells Jean-Luc a story about how after his son Thad died, he had a hard time adjusting to the loss. Riker tells his old friend that since his son's death, he had retreated into himself. Deanna, a Betazoid who can sense people's emotions empathically, couldn't take him "not feeling" anything. So, he left, back to Starfleet just in time to save Picard in the Season 1 finale, and now to rescue Beverly. Save for two brief on-screen cameos, Deanna Troi has not appeared in Picard Season 3, but now viewers know why. Riker was running away from his family, as if that would temper his sense of loss. At the start of the episode, when the only thing ahead of the crew is certain death, he just wishes they were together. Not only that, Riker's state of mind ties back to his and Troi's reintroduction in Season 1.

RELATED: Picard’s New Crusher Is Exactly Who Everyone Thinks He Is - Now What?

Deanna Troi and Will Riker Lost a Son in Star Trek: Picard Season 1

Riker and Troi had an on-again/off-again relationship during the original show. During the final season of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Worf and Troi were dating. By the time Star Trek: Nemesis debuted in theaters , Riker and Troi were on again, this time getting married before the events of the film. While Worf's relationship with Troi wasn't really mentioned again, there were apparently no hard feelings. Michael Chabon, showrunner for Season 1, said that he and the writers determined Troi and Riker gave their son Thaddius the middle name "Worf." Of course, viewers never got to meet this child, because he died about three years before Season 1, from a "silicon-based virus" that could've been cured if not for Starfleet's ban on building sentient synthetics.

In Season 1, Picard and Data's "daughter" Soji showed up on Nepenthe, the planet Troi and Riker settled on with their son and daughter, Kestra. The episode was a bit of a downer, with Kestra speaking in the language her brother made up and, essentially solo-LARPing in the world her brother created for them. While the date of his death isn't made certain, it's believed Thaddius died about three years before Picard and Soji showed up. The Troi-Riker family seemed generally happy, though who doesn't put on airs for guests? After Picard left them and before he and Riker met at Ten Forward in the Season 3 premiere of Picard , Riker's mood worsened. Perhaps Troi could've handled grief or rage, but Riker says that his lack of emotion created a chasm between him and his wife.

Riker describing to Picard what it was like to watch his son's coffin lowered into the ground is one of the most powerful moments in the franchise. Jonathan Frakes was born to play Will Riker , and this scene in particular shows why. The Riker twinkle is there in his eyes, even as he talks about the saddest experience of his life. However, it's his quiet longing to make amends with his wife, and his inability to record a sufficient message to do so, that truly sell the characters' heartbreak.

RELATED: Picard's Villain Vadic Is the Literal Next Generation of Star Trek Villain

How Picard and Crusher Helped Riker Turn Things Around

Forced to take command of the USS Titan -A, Riker had to do his best to get the crew out of trouble while dealing with these emotions. However, once they were home-free (and he hit Vadic with an asteroid), Riker was caught up with the rest of the Titan crew looking in awe at the big-eyed jellyfish aliens whose birth they witnessed. Riker may find a deeper metaphor in this, but any Starfleet nerd worth their comm badge would be stopped dead in their tracks by such an event. However, this moment was only part of what helped Riker find himself again. Along with the little alien cuties, getting back into action with old friends Picard and Crusher also likely played a role.

In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Dr. Leonard McCoy perfectly defines what makes the best Star Trek captains . They "take death and turn it into a fighting chance to live." While the idea to surf the bioelectrical charge to power the ship came from Picard and Beverly, it was Captain Riker who figured out how to do it. His inner grief and fear were holding him back, but when his old friends refused to give up, it invigorated him anew. Even more evidence of this is his turning the conn over to Picard for their escape. Another quality of a great Starfleet captain is leading without ego, realizing that the excellence of the crew is what makes Starfleet so formidable. Riker's speech to the crew is what that sounds like in practice.

At the end of the episode, when Riker is finally able to talk with Troi, he doesn't even know why he feels lighter. "There's a whole universe out there," he tells her. As thrilling and awe-inspiring as it is, Riker is saying that it's not as good as it was without Troi with him. From the trailer, viewers know that Troi eventually joins the rest of the crew. After "No Win Scenario," her reunion with Riker will take on new meaning and gravity.

Star Trek: Picard debuts new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+ .

Thaddeus Troi-Riker

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Thaddeus "Thad" Troi-Riker was a male Human – Betazoid hybrid , born in 2381 to William T. Riker and Deanna Troi on the USS Titan . He was the older brother of Kestra Troi-Riker .

• 1.1 Early life
• 1.2 Living on Nepenthe
• 2 Creations
• 3.1 Appearances
• 3.2 Background information
• 3.3 Apocrypha
• 3.4 External link

Biography [ ]

Early life [ ].

Thaddeus with his mother Deanna Troi

Thad was born on the USS Titan and raised on starships , as his parents served in Starfleet . ( PIC : " Seventeen Seconds ")

Shortly after his birth, his mother took him on a tour of engineering where he vomited. Deanna described it as projectile vomiting-"four feet in the air"-and noted that he should be studied for science. ( PIC : " Seventeen Seconds ")

As an infant, he had his picture taken with Admiral Jean-Luc Picard , a family friend and the former captain under whom both of his parents had served.

When he began to learn about people that had homeworlds , he became intrigued by the concept. He was extremely creative and artistic , creating a fantasy world that he pretended was his homeworld, called Ardani .

From the time that he was around five years old, he would eventually invent a total of twelve languages for his fantasy world, which he shared with his sister; he wrote and developed a 300-page dictionary for at least one of his languages and taught it to the rest of his family , who sometimes used it to converse among themselves.

Living on Nepenthe [ ]

After being diagnosed with mendaxic neurosclerosis , his family moved to Nepenthe , which became a real homeworld for him.

Thad was adept at archery ; he owned a longbow , a compound bow , several quivers , and had an archery trophy .

He was brought there because the soil had incredible regenerative properties, and it was hoped that he would get better. In theory , his condition could have been easily cured through the use of an active positronic matrix . However, due to the ban on synthetic lifeforms , there were no active synthetic matrices and no new ones could be created. In the absence of this treatment option, Thad died from his condition. ( PIC : " Nepenthe ")

Thad's death had a devastating effect on both Riker and Troi. Riker felt numb, but Troi, being an empath, felt everything, because she took on Riker’s emotions. So when Picard called asking for help to rescue Doctor Beverly Crusher and her son Jack , Riker jumped at the chance to leave and feel his emotions. Troi and Riker eventually apologized to each other. ( PIC : " The Next Generation ", " Disengage ", " Seventeen Seconds ", " No Win Scenario ")

When Riker was on the Borg Queen's cube and it being destroyed, Riker mentioned that he and Thad would be waiting for Deanna when she passed away. However, Deanna sensed her husband's message telepathically and was able to use it to fly the USS Enterprise -D to Riker's rescue. ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")

Creations [ ]

• Mind Witches of the Southern Ice

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Nepenthe " (photo) ( Season 1 )
• " Seventeen Seconds " (flashback) ( Season 3 )

Background information [ ]

Thaddeus was seen in a photograph in " Nepenthe " and in a flashback scene in " Seventeen Seconds ". He was portrayed by unknown infants on both occasions.

In the " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 " Ready Room episode, prop master Jeffrey Lombardi stated the photograph of Picard and Thaddeus was taken aboard the USS Titan .

According to the Star Trek: Picard Logs , he was born on his father's starship, the Titan . [1]

In an Instagram story dated 5 March 2020 , Michael Chabon stated that Thad was around 15 when he died, having lived with his family on Nepenthe for about 5 years at that point, meaning that his family moved there in 2391 , and that Thad died in 2396 . He also confirmed that Thaddeus was named after the character's paternal ancestor Thaddius Riker , depicted in the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Death Wish ", and further posited that Thad may have inherited more of his mother's Betazoid ability than his sister, Kestra.

When questioned as to the creative thought process behind having Will and Deanna lose a son, Chabon explained that "it was something that arose organically on the page as the seal was broken on an imagined Troi-Riker family, allowing the passage of time, and our show's recurrent motif of loss, to flow in. " [2]

In background notes Chabon published on 29 December 2020 , he suggested Thaddeus' middle name was Worf , and that Thaddeus had died in 2396 . Chabon further suggested that Thad was precocious aboard the ship, and had befriended one of the Vulcan officers. [3]

Thaddeus' middle name was given as Worf in the novel The Dark Veil .

Apocrypha [ ]

Before Star Trek: Picard , the Strange New Worlds VII short story "Guardians" named Riker and Troi's son as Ian Kyle Riker, born in 2382 and ascending to the rank of Fleet Admiral by 2462 .

External link [ ]

• Thaddeus Troi-Riker at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 2 Star Trek: The Next Generation
• 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)

One Star Trek Episode Almost Featured An Unthinkable Kirk & McCoy Romance

One of the franchise's campiest offerings, the Season 3 "Star Trek: The Original Series" episode "The Way to Eden" has aged pretty terribly — at least aesthetically speaking. The story finds the Enterprise crew with their hands full after rescuing a group of space hippies that includes one of Chekov's old flames from his Starfleet days. But before Chekov got his girl, the originally Bones-centric story was drastically changed to omit a questionable romance between Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the daughter of his friend and ship's doctor, Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley).

Like all good iconic franchises, the Star Trek universe is loaded with romances of varying quality from Imzadis William Riker and Deanna Troi  to the cringe-inducing Keslex (Kes and Neelix). There are epic canon romances like the heartbreaking unrequited love Chapel feels for Spock in "Star Trek: The Original Series." There are those romances that might have been but never were — at least in the Prime universe — like Worf and Troi and the many love pretzels that emerge in the unquenchably thirsty mirror universe. And that's to say nothing of the fanfic ships Trekkies have dreamed up over the decades like Garashir (Bashir and Garak) or the ship to end all ships: Spirk (Spock and Kirk).

Because the creativity of Trekkies seems to know no bounds, even the briny Enterprise doctor Bones (DeForest Kelley) has his share of fanfiction pairings — most notably, Spones (Spock and McCoy), Sybones (Sybok and McCoy), and McKirk (Bones and Kirk). While the good doctor never had the chance to play doctor with his good buddy and boss Jim in the franchise, an alternate version of McKirk very nearly came to fruition between Captain Kirk and McCoy's daughter, Joanna, in the episode "The Way to Eden."

Joanna was McCoy's estranged space hippie daughter

According to D.C. Fontana's account in Paula M. Block's "Star Trek: The Original Series 365," "The Way to Eden" underwent a handful of changes during development. Instead of Chekov's girlfriend, the young lady was meant to be Bones' 21-year-old daughter, Joanna, whom the writer envisioned as played by Nancy Sinatra or Bobbie Gentry. In the original plot, Dr. McCoy would have learned the hard way that instead of studying at nursing school, she's bumming around with the space Mansons. Far from a happy reunion, Joanna would harbor serious resentment over the fact that her father had abandoned her and her mother, only seeing his daughter thrice in her lifetime. 

As if that wasn't enough to overload her dad's tricorder, Joanna would have been pretty taken with Kirk, who everyone knows rarely turns down an intergalactic booty call. Things get even more toxic when Bones tells Kirk his daughter is a witch, just like her old lady. Despite their problems, father and daughter would have eventually come to an understanding by the end of the episode.

Joanna came from Bones' canonical back story

D.C. Fontana didn't pull the story out of nowhere. Originally conceived as part of a conversation between the writer and DeForest Kelley after the show's first season, the character was soon added to the first official Star Trek book, written by Stephen E. Whitfield and published in 1968 — a year before "The Way to Eden" aired. Incorporated throughout the book are quotations from Gene Roddenberry, denoted with all caps. As the show's first fan guide, it includes many additional details that Roddenberry considered canon but had not yet made it into episodes.

Included in the chapter titled "Chief Medical Officer" is a lengthy discussion of Dr. "Bones" McCoy. Describing Bones as a 45-year-old Georgia native and a Southern gentleman, Whitfield explains that Bones' single status is partly because he never completely got over a bad breakup.

In a Roddenberry-penned paragraph, the Star Trek creator clearly states that he plans to include a future episode dedicated to McCoy's daughter, Joanna. The passage reads, "She will be a lovely girl, and Captain Kirk, of course, is going to be involved with her." The original plans imagined Bones discovering he is a father during the series, and that revelation was meant to profoundly change the nature of his relationship with Kirk, leading to a more paternal — and occasionally angry — dynamic.

How McKirk got canceled

Despite D.C. Fontana's faithful adherence to Gene Roddenberry's plan and much to the writer's chagrin, poor Joanna would get retconned — at least partially — because a producer knew less about Star Trek than she did. When the writer turned in her script, the producer nixed the Joanna story, arguing that as Kirk's contemporary, Bones would not be old enough to have a 21-year-old daughter (even though DeForest Kelley was in his late 40s at the time). Although incensed that the producer didn't even know the canon, Fontana complied with the suggested changes, replacing Joanna with Chekov's old Starfleet girlfriend, Irina.

Fortunately, this wouldn't be the end of Joanna, who was eventually recognized throughout the franchise. In the 1983 Pocket TOS novel "Star Trek II: Biographies," the character's full name is listed as Joanna Lee McCoy, with her story further developed throughout other novelizations. The junior McCoy finishes her education, ultimately working as a nurse on the Verillian homeworld and in Centaurus' capital city. She has a son named Conner, later becoming a grandmother and great-grandmother. Unlike Fontana's original story, Joanna has a healthier relationship with her father, with "The Star Trek Concordance" confirming that they maintain regular correspondence despite their busy work schedules. 

Since this version of Joanna McCoy never joins a troupe of space Burning Man rejects, we can only hope this means she stays away from the 23rd century's most notorious, and lovable, gigolo, Captain James T. Kirk.

Screen Rant

Roddenberry's "no conflict" rule hurt riker father & son star trek: tng episode.

Roddenberry's "no conflict" rule prevented Star Trek: The Next Generation from fully exploring Will Riker's complicated relationship with his father.

• Rule against conflict in TNG made Riker father-son reunion fall flat.
• Director wanted more emotion in Riker father-son story but was overruled.
• Conflict between Riker and his father resolved too quickly, lacking depth.

Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) reunites with his father, Kyle Riker (Mitchell Ryan), in Star Trek: The Next Generation , but Gene Roddenberry's insistence on avoiding conflict made the episode fall flat. When creating TNG , Roddenberry implemented a "rule" that there would be no conflict among the show's main characters, implying that they would have moved past that by the 24th century. Many of TNG's writers struggled to adapt to this rule, as it made crafting dramatic and interesting stories more difficult. Conflict is a major part of storytelling, after all, and it does not always come from an outside source.

Roddenberry's infamous rule becomes particularly apparent in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2, episode 14, "The Icarus Factor," in the relationship between Will Riker and his father. When Commander Riker gets offered his own command of the USS Aries, his father, Kyle, shows up to brief him on his new and potentially dangerous mission. Will Riker's mother passed away when he was only two years old, and Kyle raised his son alone until he abandoned Will when the boy was fifteen. While it's clear early on that Will wants nothing to do with his father, neither man shows much emotion, despite the fact that they have not spoken in fifteen years.

Commander Riker’s 10 Best Star Trek TNG Episodes, Ranked

Roddenberry overruled adding more emotion to star trek: tng's riker father & son story, the confrontation between will and his father falls flat..

According to Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , the director of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Icarus Factor," Robert Iscove, wanted to add more emotion but was overruled by Gene Roddenberry. Riker should be feeling fifteen years' worth of resentment and anger, but he barely even raises his voice at his father. When Will points out that he's been on his own since he was a boy, Kyle has the gall to say: "Please, spare me the pain of your childhood. I hung in for thirteen years. If that wasn't enough, it's just too bad." This is a terrible thing for a father to say to his son, but "The Icarus Factor" does not give moments like this the emotional depth they deserve.

Kyle Riker is, to put it simply, a jerk with no consideration for his son's feelings. He is condescending and self-centered, making excuses for himself even in the big confrontation scene, which, again, lacks any real emotional depth. Will and Kyle finally have a real conversion during an anbo-jyutsu match (which is supposed to be "the ultimate evolution of the martial arts," but really just looks ridiculous). At one point Will says, without much inflection or emotion: "You should have been the one to die, not her," regarding his mother, which garners little response from his father. Jonathan Frakes is a skilled actor , as is Mitchell Ryan as Kyle, but it's as if they were told not to show much emotion.

Thankfully, modern Star Trek shows have mostly abandoned Roddenberry's "no conflict" rule, and Star Trek: Picard gave Jonathan Frakes the chance to show much more emotional range as Captain Riker.

Will Riker's Conflict With His Father Should've Lasted More Than One TNG Episode

The conflict between will and his father is resolved way too quickly..

As Will and Kyle continue their fight, Kyle reveals that he cheated every time he and Will did anbo-jyutsu, which leads to a moment that's meant to be cathartic for both men. Kyle says he loves his son, and Will says he's glad his father visited him, and a conflict that has supposedly lasted for fifteen years is resolved with a five-minute conversation. This aligns with another "rule" of Roddenberry's, who wanted everything to return to the established status quo at the end of each Star Trek: The Next Generation episode . So Riker resolves the conflict with his father (who, incidentally, never makes another appearance on the show) and turns down the promotion.

"The Icarus Factor" does have an entertaining B-plot as Ensign Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton), Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), and Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) recreate an important Klingon ceremony to cheer up their friend Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn).

Will's relationship with his father could have been an ongoing storyline that ran through several episodes or even seasons, but it's barely mentioned again. By the end of "The Icarus Factor," Will Riker is back to his old self and takes his place alongside Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) as the First Officer of the Enterprise-D. From the beginning, it's apparent that Riker won't be leaving the Enterprise, which removes any stakes from that particular storyline. All in all, "The Icarus Factor" would have been a better episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation with a little more conflict, a lot more emotion, and a deeper exploration of Will Riker's complicated relationship with his father.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation