Riker/O'Brien "Defiant" Exchange

[Kytee]

I just saw one of the VOY Q episodes and Riker meets Janeway in it. It appears to be a first meeting but who knows ?

Kytee

 

[Apogeal Alpha01]

That's when he found out.

 

[od0_ital]

Kytee said:
I just saw one of the VOY Q episodes and Riker meets Janeway in it. It appears to be a first meeting but who knows ?

Kytee

Yeah, but that doesn't count, since Riker didn't remember afterwards.

 

[sbk1234]

Obviously, the whole remark was made by Thomas to try and put O'Brien off, so he wouldn't blow his cover. Since O'Brien and Riker obviously knew each other well, the question would be "Why isn't O'Brian visiting with Riker?" The problem with the situation, is that it wasn't really needed for the episode. In fact, it seems to have raised a lot more questions than it had answered. It's not like Thomas was hiding his true identity for a long period of time. They could have easily steered clear of the whole situation by keeping the two characters apart. If they HAD to adress it, just a comment by O'Brien saying something like "I want to get off duty on time so I can visit with Commander Riker." Then Riker steals the Defiant before Miles' shift ends, and the whole thing is dealt with. But even that much time wouldn't be necessary to deal with the situation.
In the end, that remains my least favorite part of an otherwise excellent episode.

 

[Stormrage]

od0_ital said:
^

Accordin' to the books, yeah, Janeway & Riker were at the Academy together.

But if Riker was anti-Irish, why was Miles at the first poker game (TNG 'The Measure of a Man')?

Wondering how long it takes for an Starfleet Irishman to get drunk on his secret stash of Guinness.

 

[Crewman6]

This subject really needs to be banned forever. The theories become more absurd each passing year.

The answer is obvious in the context of the episode. It was confirmed by Ron Moore in his old AOL chats. He wrote the damn episode.

Let's put it to bed, folks.

 

[mrs260]

To add a new(!) thought to the subject... somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but not entirely... I am a slasher, after all.

The question of what O'Brien thought of all this has always been answered with "It doesn't matter. A superior officer gave him an order to get lost, so he got lost. By the time he thought it through Tom Riker and the Defiant were already gone."

But as an only semi-happily married man who embodies the "20th century everyman" spot for us, O'Brien's survival instincts would react to the phrase, "I think you know why," and he would be off the Defiant before his brain even processed it.

I propose his first thought would be, "Please tell me I didn't kiss Riker at my going-away party."

 

[Brutal Strudel]

That's funny!

 

[Danoz]

Smiley said:
There has been much speculation about the remarks made by Tom Riker and Miles O'Brien as Riker steals the Defiant. While I think it is most likely that Riker was just trying to keep O'Brien off-balance, something occurred to me as I watched "A Matter of Honor" (TNG). O'Brien was telling Riker that he would be afraid to go to the Klingon ship just moments before he beams Riker over there. Perhaps Riker blames him to some degree for sowing fear and doubt at the worst possible moment.

Maybe the writers didn't even remember the TNG episode when writing "Defiant," but it's something to talk about other than petty Internet fights and hot actresses.

Funny this thread came up, because I JUST watched this episode (bear in mind I haven't seen any episodes after this, so I tend to stay out of this forum to avoid spoilers)-- but I LOVED it. I was a little confused by this too, I would imagine he probably just wanted O'Brien to leave.