While watching TNG for the first time..

[davejames]

Maybe if it were any other ship. But this is the freakin Enterprise. I'm sure MOST aspiring captains in Starfleet would have been willing to put their careers on hold to serve on that ship.

And seeing the long careers a lot of these captains have in Trek, nine or ten years (or whatever Riker ultimately served) as second in command doesn't really seem like that long a time.

 

[RandyS]

When I first saw him in 1987, I wasn't thinking about Riker, but I was familiar with the actor from watching cop/detective shows. My first thought was: "Oh, so Frakes is one of the GOOD guys this time?".

 

[kingplaya4]

I was only in middle school when the show was at its peak, but I recall disliking Riker, I think it was a combination of finding him dull and angry. I also disliked Warf at the time so probably not a very informed opinion.

On a rewatch I like him a lot more than someone like Laforge who was one of my favorites back in the day. He's got some personal charm and he's kind of like a second captain even in season seven which I'm watching now. Several times both he and Picard are on the bridge during an attack and Riker gives the orders for some reason.

 

[Newton]

Having seen Riker for the first time in a season 1 episode, I thought he was a bit strict and boring. The way his character evolved was pleasing. He turned from a bit of a douche to a person who wasn't afraid of being casual and having fun, yet maintaining his air of authority.

 

[Trekker4747]

Riker was pretty easy-going in Season 1/2 it was after then he turned much more into a hardass. I'm not sure I could see season 3-7 Riker gleefully cooking eggs for his comrades one morning, or falling in love with a computer simulation, or chuckling gleefully as he's given god-like powers by Q.

Hell, use that as a guide. When Q shows up on the Enterprise for the second time in Season 1 Riker is pretty amused by it. When Q shows up in the third season Riker is a hardass about it. (Granted, by that point Q was partly responsible for damage to the ship and the loss of 12 crewmen.)

In S1/S2 Riker was more-or-less our Captain Kirk through-point. Young, brash, womanizing and willing to have an ounce of fun when the situation allowed. Hell, could you see Season 3 Riker having fun on the "Royale" planet? For most of that time, according to Troi, Riker was amused and once they found the "solution" to getting to leave he was having some fun.

I can't see Season 3-on's Commander William T. "Crew Evaluation Reports" Riker having that level of fun.

 

[BillJ]

Riker was pretty easy-going in Season 1/2 it was after then he turned much more into a hardass. I'm not sure I could see season 3-7 Riker gleefully cooking eggs for his comrades one morning, or falling in love with a computer simulation, or chuckling gleefully as he's given god-like powers by Q.

Hell, use that as a guide. When Q shows up on the Enterprise for the second time in Season 1 Riker is pretty amused by it. When Q shows up in the third season Riker is a hardass about it. (Granted, by that point Q was partly responsible for damage to the ship and the loss of 12 crewmen.)

In S1/S2 Riker was more-or-less our Captain Kirk through-point. Young, brash, womanizing and willing to have an ounce of fun when the situation allowed. Hell, could you see Season 3 Riker having fun on the "Royale" planet? For most of that time, according to Troi, Riker was amused and once they found the "solution" to getting to leave he was having some fun.

I can't see Season 3-on's Commander William T. "Crew Evaluation Reports" Riker having that level of fun.

This, a thousand times this.

Picard and Riker both seemed to have the fun sides of their personalities sucked out of them as the series progressed.

 

[Trekker4747]

Now, don't get me wrong, I love me some Riker and he certainly still had him some moments after the tonal change in Season 3 but to suggest that S3-onwards Riker is the "lighter" and more easy going of the two "concepts" of him is just... Insane. Hell, as another example look how Barclay is treated by Riker in "Holo Pursuits!" Riker is at his most militant, hard-ass, "Going to whip these maggots in line!"-iest in this episode. Again, certainly not a way of acting that Season 1/2 Riker would have behaved.

 

[marksound]

Thoughts in 1987: doofy swagger, smiles at the wrong times, sounds ridiculous barking orders ...

Thoughts in 2012: doofy swagger, smiles at the wrong times, sounds ridiculous barking orders ... decent director.

 

[Trekker4747]

Thoughts in 1987: doofy swagger, smiles at the wrong times, sounds ridiculous barking orders ...

Thoughts in 2012: doofy swagger, smiles at the wrong times, sounds ridiculous barking orders ... decent director.

Love your avatar... Looks like a modern take on the Balladeer from Dukes of Hazzard.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRX4mlFi06A[/yt]

 

[davejames]

Now, don't get me wrong, I love me some Riker and he certainly still had him some moments after the tonal change in Season 3 but to suggest that S3-onwards Riker is the "lighter" and more easy going of the two "concepts" of him is just... Insane. Hell, as another example look how Barclay is treated by Riker in "Holo Pursuits!" Riker is at his most militant, hard-ass, "Going to whip these maggots in line!"-iest in this episode. Again, certainly not a way of acting that Season 1/2 Riker would have behaved.

Yeah he became a major hard-ass with the junior, "below decks" officers, but certainly not with the main bridge crew.

With them, he felt pretty much like the same guy all the way through the series. At least to me.

 

[Trekker4747]

Now, don't get me wrong, I love me some Riker and he certainly still had him some moments after the tonal change in Season 3 but to suggest that S3-onwards Riker is the "lighter" and more easy going of the two "concepts" of him is just... Insane. Hell, as another example look how Barclay is treated by Riker in "Holo Pursuits!" Riker is at his most militant, hard-ass, "Going to whip these maggots in line!"-iest in this episode. Again, certainly not a way of acting that Season 1/2 Riker would have behaved.

Yeah he became a major hard-ass with the junior, "below decks" officers, but certainly not with the main bridge crew.

With them, he felt pretty much like the same guy all the way through the series. At least to me.

Well, more-or-less that's true.