Bill Riker

[doubleohfive]

I like that they just have Picard call him "Number One", it's something only a first officer should earn.

Well, I think the idea is that subordinate officers have to address a superior officer by rank or by "sir." So "Number One" is an address that only the captain would be permitted to use anyway.

Apparently "Number One" is a traditional Royal Navy address for a first lieutenant/executive officer. It's a title that defines the officer as a deputy or subordinate, so only the person to whom the first officer is subordinate, i.e. the captain, would get to address him or her that way.

Precisely so. Which is why, after Crusher called Riker "Number One" that one time in, I think, "Lonely Among Us" (or was it "The Battle" ?) they never had anyone but Picard use that designation for Riker.

 

[varek]

I'm glad Thomas used his other name! That would really have been confusing!

 

[Silvercrest]

A possible slightly stronger reason might be in the uses of naming. The same dialogue addressed at Riker has different connotations depending on whether it's given to ``Riker'', ``Commander Riker'', ``William'', ``Will'', and ``Bill'', and it may be they just there weren't many situations where the difference in intimacy between ``Will'' and ``Bill'' was dramatically useful. This might be a side effect of how the Riker/Troi romance got forgotten for all but about three episodes. It might be significant that the only ``Bill'' uses were the first-season episodes where the romance had some bearing on the plot.

It could be that the writers didn't find it worth the effort. How many TV characters go by multiple nicknames anyway? (In addition to combinations of first name, last name, rank, etc.) The only one I can think off offhand is VOY's Doctor, but that's something of a plot/arc point with him.

 

[Riker Kenobi]

I think Riker was only called Bill in The Naked Now and Haven, and I seem to remember reading or hearing that Haven was the third episode shot even though it aired later.

He looks more like a Will anyway.

 

[FreddyE]

One novel has a dialog where somebody asks Troi why she calls Riker "Bill" when everybody else calls him "Will". She says that it´s because "Bill" sounds like the betazoid word for "shaving foam"....lol

 

[SPCTRE]

For more of Riker being called "Bill" and all the early installment weirdness you can imagine, check out Diane Carey's Ghost Ship. Written prior to TNG's premiere, it even features a Riker who is very nasty to Data.

That sounds like a fascinating read, in a time-capsule kind of way.

 

[Honorable Ensign]

I actually like the idea of Picard calling Riker "William", it would have suited the character, at least early on. "Bill" doesn't sound right at all and they were smart to drop it.

I think Picard does occasionally refer to Riker as Will in casual settings. Not at first, but that would make sense, as it probably took some time to get to know him enough.