"Star Trek: The Next Generation" explored various adventures involving the Borg and alien encounters while delving into the close-knit relationships of the Enterprise crew.
Amidst these tales, the romantic relationship between Riker and Troi garnered attention. Jonathan Frakes, who portrayed Riker, recently revealed his dissatisfaction with how this romance unfolded on the show.
Riker and Troi (Marina Sirtis) began as former lovers on the Enterprise, separated by Riker's distant assignment. Although the characters hadn't seen each other for two years when introduced in "The Next Generation," the show emphasized their evolving friendship over an immediate return to dating throughout the seven seasons.
Frakes reprised his role alongside Marina Sirtis in "Star Trek: Picard," expressing a desire to fulfill the untapped potential of Riker and Troi's relationship from "The Next Generation."
“When they introduced this story that Marina [Sirtis], Counselor Troi, and I have a family and live on a planet that looks like rural Maine, it felt like a gift," he shared with Syfy Wire. "The gift is that we were able to play together with our friends for 33 years, but it is also the idea that Marina and I had a very specific history for these characters. We kept it close to our hearts for many years, and the writers seemed to have given up on it.”
Despite Riker and Troi eventually marrying in "Star Trek: Nemesis," the series largely focused on their platonic friendship. Frakes acknowledged the reasons behind the decisions made in "The Next Generation" but believed that revisiting the characters in "Picard" provided closure to their relationship many years after their wedding.
