It’s always great to hear from Star Trek legends about the future of the franchise. Star Trek is now expanding in all sorts of directions on Paramount Plus, with multiple Star Trek series to add to the complex Star Trek timeline. Jonathan Frakes has now offered up his hopes about the possibility of a Star Trek Legacy release date, as well as what that might mean for Riker.
Riker is, of course, right up there with the best Star Trek characters and Frakes was a crucial member of the Star Trek The Next Generation cast. In recent appearances, we’ve seen him join the ranks of the best Star Trek captains with his command of the USS Titan in both Picard and Lower Decks.
As for the future, Jonathan Frakes told Star Trek Explorer that he thinks Riker deserves a promotion in order for his storyline to continue. And in fact, he’s looking to another of the best TV series from the past for inspiration.
“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.”
The prospect of a Star Trek Legacy series has been a popular one in the Trek fandom, with the planned show likely to follow Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) as captain of the USS Enterprise-G.
Frakes said: “I suspect if it does go forward, it would be Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, and Ed Speelers, 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.”
Frakes has big plans for the future of Riker and he definitely wants to remain a part of the Trek universe going forward, as long as there’s a big admiral gig in the future. Sounds like a good plan to us.
If that’s not enough from the Enterprise crew, find out how to watch the Star Trek movies in order and learn why we think the TNG movies were always doomed to fail. You can also hear more from Frakes as he explains why the TNG cast were “assholes” on set and learn about the one TNG episode Frakes wants to see banned from streaming.