Summary
- Riker shines as a capable First Officer under Picard, but stumbles in “Samaritan Snare” as acting Captain, ignoring crucial advice.
- Riker’s controversial command decisions lead to Geordi’s capture by the unintelligent Pakleds, showcasing his rare missteps as a leader.
- Riker’s character growth shines in later TNG seasons and Star Trek: Picard, where he becomes a skilled Captain.
Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) became a great Starfleet Captain, but you wouldn’t know it from watching this episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. For seven seasons and four movies, Commander Riker served as First Officer on the USS Enterprise-D under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Riker generally performed well when left in command, and Picard once referred to Will as: “the finest officer with whom I have ever served.” Riker turned down several promotions over the years, choosing to remain a part of the Enterprise crew rather than take command of his own ship.
In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2, episode 17, “Samaritan Snare,” Captain Picard must travel to Starbase 515 for a procedure to replace his artificial heart. Ensign Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) accompanies Picard, and the two have some interesting discussions on their six-hour shuttle ride, making their part of the episode the better of the two stories. But the main plot of “Samaritan Snare” focuses on Riker’s near-disastrous turn as Captain. Soon after Picard departs, the Enterprise receives a distress call from the Mondor, a Pakled ship. Riker then makes a series of uncharacteristic decisions that make him look like a much worse commander than he typically is.
The Pakleds are strange aliens, even for Star Trek , and their depiction borders on offensive. The dumb aliens would not be seen on screen again until the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks , where they feel significantly less out of place.
Riker Was A Shockingly Bad Captain In Star Trek: TNG’s “Samaritan Snare”
Riker ignores both Worf and Troi, which feels very out of character.
When Commander Riker opens communications with the unintelligent Pakleds, the aliens use only simple language and do not seem to understand Riker’s questions. The Pakleds need help to “make their ship go,” and Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) thinks it will be an easy fix. Riker suggests sending Geordi, alone, over to the Pakled ship to fix the problem, prompting Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) to ask: “Do we truly need to send our Chief Engineer over to them?” Riker never offers an answer to this question. Although the Commander acknowledges Worf’s statement that they know nothing about the Pakleds, he ultimately ignores it and sends Geordi to the Pakled ship alone.
After La Forge beams over to the ship and begins repairs, Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) arrives on the bridge and tells Riker that Geordi is in “grave danger.” It’s already odd that Riker did not consult Troi about the Pakleds in the first place (as Picard almost always does with new alien species), but it’s stranger still that he completely ignores her worries. Not only does Riker underestimate the Pakleds, he also ignores the advice of both Worf and Troi, which results in the Pakleds taking Geordi hostage. Riker then concocts a ridiculous ruse to give information to Geordi without the Pakleds’ understanding, but this, too, makes little sense.
Star Trek: Picard Is The Best Version Of Captain Riker
Riker returned briefly in Picard season 1, before making a more substantial return in Picard season 3.
Will Riker becomes a better commander as Star Trek: The Next Generation continues, and by the excellent TNG two-part episode “The Best of Both Worlds,” he’s saving Earth from the Borg. Riker’s performance in “Samaritan Snare” is one of the few outliers among his otherwise accomplished career, and he does successfully get La Forge back in the end. Still, Riker does not take on his own command until Star Trek: Nemesis, when he becomes Captain of the USS Titan. Although little has been revealed about Riker’s time as Captain of the Titan, he did get to fight off some Pakled ships on Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Star Trek: Picard season 3 has some of Jonathan Frakes’ finest acting and some of Riker’s best moments.
When Admiral Picard and the reunited Enterprise-D crew must take on the Borg and the Changelings to save the Federation in Star Trek: Picard season 3, Will Riker proves what a skilled Captain he became after TNG. In Picard season 3, episode 3, “Seventeen Seconds,” for example, Riker takes Picard’s advice to fight Vadic (Amanda Plummer) and her warship, when it might have been better to flee, as he initially suggested. Picard season 3 not only has some of Jonathan Frakes’ finest acting and some of Riker’s best moments but also shows how far the former Number One has come since his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
