Whenever you consider crucial individuals in Star Trek historical past, by way of actors at the very least you may look to the legacies of individuals like William Shatner or Patrick Stewart. However the true reply to that query is in all probability Jonathan Frakes, who has been part of just about all televised Trek for the reason that ‘70s—and when Discovery ends in just a few months, it’ll break the development of his affect, at the very least in entrance of the digital camera.
‘I Noticed Jonathan Frakes Giving Patrick Stewart a Noogie’
Since starring as William T. Riker in The Subsequent Technology, Frakes has made a visitor look in virtually each Star Trek collection since, both as Riker or a facsimile of him, or his villainous transporter clone brother Thomas (chargeable for the best pretend beard reveal in tv historical past, because of Deep Area 9). Simply three collection have gone with out an on-screen Frakes look up to now—Discovery, Prodigy, and Unusual New Worlds—and now we all know at the very least certainly one of them by no means will.
When requested by Den of Geek at a latest look throughout SXSW whether or not or not Frakes would make an on-screen look in Discovery’s ultimate season, co-creator and producer Alex Kurtzman provided a really resoundingly flat “No.” It’s not stunning contemplating that, as Discovery is now up to now into Star Trek’s future, Riker is extraordinarily lifeless at this level. No less than it can all the time have a particular connection to Frakes via his position as a equally constant Trek director—Frakes has been commonly directing episodes of Discovery since its first season, and can direct the penultimate episode of the present in season 5. Nevertheless it does certainly imply the top to a decades-long development of creating Frakes probably the most constant Trek actors within the franchise historical past, and there’s one thing oddly unhappy about that.
Prodigy and Unusual New Worlds each nonetheless have time to have their very own Frakes appearances—Prodigy is ready in 2385, whereas Riker was nonetheless in lively service even after the start of his son Thaddeus, for whom he would step again from lively responsibility to attempt to assist deal with when he was recognized with mendaxic neurosclerosis within the run-up to the occasions of Star Trek: Picard. Unusual New Worlds (which like Discovery has a Frakes connection via directing; he shot the present’s unbelievable crossover with Decrease Decks, “These Outdated Scientists”) being pre-original Trek would make a Riker look very tough, however Frakes may nonetheless play some position, whether or not it’s an ancestor or a completely new character.
We’ll have to attend and see—and behold what Frakes cooks up as his parting reward for Discovery—when season 5 begins streaming on April 4.
