STAR TREK's Jonathan Frakes Explains What He Wants to See From William Riker in STAR TREK LEGACY Series
After the success of Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Jonathan Frakes believes that it’s possible that Paramount will greenlight the proposed spinoff series Star Trek: Legacy. The project was pitched by Picard showrunner Terry Matales, and it was envisioned as a continuation of The Next Generation and set after the events of Picard.
If the show does end up moving forward, Frakes has a pretty solid idea of what William Riker’s role in the series would be. He recently shared his ideas for Riker’s continuing story during an interview with Star Trek Explorer #8 (via: StarTrek.com). He sees Riker taking on a role similar to that of Charlie in the Charlie's Angels franchise. He explained:
"The Rikers' marriage is back on track. In my mind, for the show to be able to move forward, Riker would have to be a captain and have his ship, or he would be promoted to admiral and be a liaison. I'm only half-kidding when I say it would be great for me if the show carries on and I'm like Charlie from Charlie's Angels. They'd have to come to my office one day a week for a meeting with Riker. That'd be perfect. Then I could direct a bunch of the episodes and be around the show. I suspect if it does go forward, it would be Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, and Ed Speleers, who's now in Starfleet, and Mica Burton and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, who played Geordi's daughter. I would also imagine Lulu Wilson, who played the Rikers' daughter in season one and was so fabulous, could be a part of it. She could come back and maybe be in Starfleet."
He went on to say:
"It feels to me like there's a real opportunity for three of the legacy characters' children to carry on and sort of be the next Star Trek: The Next Generation. It just feels like it's laid out there. It's the blueprint for the next phase."
This sounds like a great way to handle the character moving forward. We just have to wait and see if Paramount actually decided to move forward with it. They should! Star Trek: Legacy would make for a great series! When previously talking about it, Frakes said:
“I think they can’t deny not only the fan reaction, but the fact that the numbers put the show at the Top 10 on the streaming charts. And that season of Star Trek: Picard was arguably among the best seasons of any Star Trek — I think we all agree on that. I mean, Star Trek fans are loyal. It’s not millions and millions of people, and it’s not the youngest fandom in the world…”
Frakes went on to say that he has no doubts that Star Trek: Legacy will get made one day, saying:
“I am an eternal optimist, and I believe in a perfect world, they will find the assets and the energy and hire Terry to put together this Legacy show and that will, in fact, come to fruition.”
Let’s hope it does! In the meantime, what do you all think of the direction that Frakes would like to see his character Riker go?