Why didn't Riker accept his own command for so long? - Page 2

RAMA · June 21 2008, 01:17 PM

I would say sometimes people get into a comfort zone and want to stay there. Riker obviously had better opportunities for exploration on ENterprise than anywhere else, the flagship also had a certain prestige to it. He knew after the Enterprise he could have his pick of the litter in starships.

RAMA

Lilith · June 21 2008, 01:19 PM

RaymondJames wrote:

And Why hasn't Picard retired yet or been promoted. I think its pretty much tye same reason Riker turned down offer after offer, pride and or stubborn as hell. In the Titan novles I believe both Laforge and Worf turned down the XO posting on Titan, Vale who took it turned it down once or twice before.

Well, I think being a captain for seven years is really not that long.

I wonder if any of the mentioned episode was ever written with the possibility in mind that Riker actually would leave. Did they ever ask Frakes if he'd be okay with being written out of the show, or was it always preemptively decided that he wouldn't?

DanCPA · June 21 2008, 06:21 PM

Picard doesn't leave because he is the Captain of the Federation's Flag Ship. It's his ship... and we've seen that Picard gets very few "orders" from the chain of command above him. He has the job he wants with the crew that he wants... Why would he want to go serve at a desk job.

Riker on the other hand, is still a second fiddle...

KayArr · June 21 2008, 08:15 PM

Because it's a tv show, and Frakes is a major cast member. In real life, I'm sure such a person would have moved on long before Riker did. I wish that writers wouldn't address it AT ALL, just ignore it, rather than shining a light on the fact that he sticks around for no apparent reason. He only sticks around because he's a fictional character on a televsion program.

aloha62 · June 21 2008, 08:57 PM

When you are earning some major points by doing a good job in the flagship under the most well respected (and influential?) captain of the time perhaps holding out for when your not offered a bag of snot to captain is a good idea.

In the end presumably he got the titan, a far greater command one that was worth the gamble.

GotNoRice · June 22 2008, 01:08 AM

What's not to like? He still got plenty of time in the big chair but in the end probably half the responsibility Picard has.

Also it seemed like he enjoyed being the one to go on the away missions and not be stuck on the ship, in fact it seemed like they hammered that in during several episodes.

Therin of Andor · June 22 2008, 01:23 AM

TighsEye wrote:

smeos wrote:

Because it would have taken him off of the series.

And truth be told, I would not have had with that. I would have enjoyed seeing Riker promoted and leave the show after BoBW. It leaves room to bring in a new XO and adds a bit of realism to the show.

Yeah, but Paramount would essentially be firing Jonathan Frakes, the series' #2 billed actor. TBoBW was written with a cliffhanger, of Picard's life in the balance, because there was a real chance that Patrick Stewart might not agree to returning for Season Four. So Riker's chance of promotion was dashed at the point where Stewart decided to stay on.

DanCPA · June 22 2008, 01:30 AM

Therin of Andor wrote:

Yeah, but Paramount would essentially be firing Jonathan Frakes

Yup, it would. But it would also be hiring a new actor to replace him.

CaptainStoner · June 22 2008, 01:37 AM

One part is the already mentioned angle of it being the Enterprise. XO on the big E might very well be much more attractive an assignment than Captain elsewhere. A lot of that has to do with Picard, but also the rest of the crew. I think Riker might have been seeing a bigger picture than he was letting on. That staying with the crew he was with would, in the end, make him a better officer all around.
Then, there is Troi. You know he was thinking about it, off and on, the whole series.
So although we don't tend to think of Riker as exceptionally wise, I think if he were a d20 system character, he would have something like a 15, maybe 16 Wisdom.

Therin of Andor · June 22 2008, 01:43 AM

TighsEye wrote:

But it would also be hiring a new actor to replace him.

Sure, but you don't fire an actor in an ongoing series who is always professional, never fights with management, knows his lines, delivers a good performance, wants to continue, and is popular. Unless you run out of story ideas for his character, or you've come up with an amazing, award-winning way to write out the character.

darkshadow0001 · June 22 2008, 01:51 AM

RaymondJames wrote:

And Why hasn't Picard retired yet or been promoted.

Because Kirk told him not to in Generations. And above all, you could not turn down what James T. Kirk had to say.

Trekker4747 · June 22 2008, 02:17 AM

darkshadow0001 wrote:

RaymondJames wrote:

And Why hasn't Picard retired yet or been promoted.

Because Kirk told him not to in Generations. And above all, you could not turn down what James T. Kirk had to say.

That and the retirement age in the 24c is bound to be pretty damn late in life, if such thing even exsists.

MeanJoePhaser · June 22 2008, 02:42 AM

That the Enterprise was so frickin' important (Flagship) and Picard thought Riker was so great, is probably all that kept starfleet from forcing the issue more than they did.

I can justify Riker hanging on after Best of Both Worlds pt. 2. Starfleet is down a lot of ships, Picard may be human again...but who's to say Starfleet trusts him 100%. They need Riker there.

But at some point...Riker would've been reassigned, probably post GENERATIONS. That Sovereign-class Enterprise didn't get built overnight.

Trekker4747 · June 22 2008, 03:43 AM

MeanJoePhaser wrote:

Sovereign-class Enterprise didn't get built overnight.

It's likely they already had one ready and just simple renamed it Enterprise when the -D was destroyed and reassigned the -D's crew to the new E.

RaymondJames · June 22 2008, 04:03 AM

Lilith wrote:

RaymondJames wrote:

And Why hasn't Picard retired yet or been promoted. I think its pretty much tye same reason Riker turned down offer after offer, pride and or stubborn as hell. In the Titan novles I believe both Laforge and Worf turned down the XO posting on Titan, Vale who took it turned it down once or twice before.

Well, I think being a captain for seven years is really not that long.

I wonder if any of the mentioned episode was ever written with the possibility in mind that Riker actually would leave. Did they ever ask Frakes if he'd be okay with being written out of the show, or was it always preemptively decided that he wouldn't?

I am just thinking Starfleet will eventuallu pressure him into taking a promotion, and I feel he will be a stubborn ass and refuse it, holding on to being Commanding officer of the Enterprise-E.. proably the F too

(i think there is anovel or two with the F and Picard was serving as CO for a while)

June 21 2008, 01:17 PM	#16
RAMA Vice Admiral Location: NJ, USA	Re: Why didn't Riker accept his own command for so long? I would say sometimes people get into a comfort zone and want to stay there. Riker obviously had better opportunities for exploration on ENterprise than anywhere else, the flagship also had a certain prestige to it. He knew after the Enterprise he could have his pick of the litter in starships. RAMA __________________ “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”—Stephen R. Covey

June 21 2008, 06:21 PM	#18
DanCPA Admiral Location: TrekBBS C/O 2001	Re: Why didn't Riker accept his own command for so long? Picard doesn't leave because he is the Captain of the Federation's Flag Ship. It's his ship... and we've seen that Picard gets very few "orders" from the chain of command above him. He has the job he wants with the crew that he wants... Why would he want to go serve at a desk job. Riker on the other hand, is still a second fiddle... __________________ Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference -

June 21 2008, 08:15 PM	#19
KayArr Commander	Re: Why didn't Riker accept his own command for so long? Because it's a tv show, and Frakes is a major cast member. In real life, I'm sure such a person would have moved on long before Riker did. I wish that writers wouldn't address it AT ALL, just ignore it, rather than shining a light on the fact that he sticks around for no apparent reason. He only sticks around because he's a fictional character on a televsion program.

June 21 2008, 08:57 PM	#20
aloha62 Lieutenant	Re: Why didn't Riker accept his own command for so long? When you are earning some major points by doing a good job in the flagship under the most well respected (and influential?) captain of the time perhaps holding out for when your not offered a bag of snot to captain is a good idea. In the end presumably he got the titan, a far greater command one that was worth the gamble.

June 22 2008, 01:08 AM	#21
GotNoRice Fleet Captain Location: SF Bay Area, California	Re: Why didn't Riker accept his own command for so long? What's not to like? He still got plenty of time in the big chair but in the end probably half the responsibility Picard has. Also it seemed like he enjoyed being the one to go on the away missions and not be stuck on the ship, in fact it seemed like they hammered that in during several episodes.

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June 22 2008, 01:37 AM	#24
CaptainStoner Knuckle-dragging TNZ Denizen Location: Hill dweller	Re: Why didn't Riker accept his own command for so long? One part is the already mentioned angle of it being the Enterprise. XO on the big E might very well be much more attractive an assignment than Captain elsewhere. A lot of that has to do with Picard, but also the rest of the crew. I think Riker might have been seeing a bigger picture than he was letting on. That staying with the crew he was with would, in the end, make him a better officer all around. Then, there is Troi. You know he was thinking about it, off and on, the whole series. So although we don't tend to think of Riker as exceptionally wise, I think if he were a d20 system character, he would have something like a 15, maybe 16 Wisdom.

June 22 2008, 02:42 AM	#28
MeanJoePhaser Admiral Location: Missile Command	Re: Why didn't Riker accept his own command for so long? That the Enterprise was so frickin' important (Flagship) and Picard thought Riker was so great, is probably all that kept starfleet from forcing the issue more than they did. I can justify Riker hanging on after Best of Both Worlds pt. 2. Starfleet is down a lot of ships, Picard may be human again...but who's to say Starfleet trusts him 100%. They need Riker there. But at some point...Riker would've been reassigned, probably post GENERATIONS. That Sovereign-class Enterprise didn't get built overnight.