Jonathan Frakes was reportedly not happy with the lack of conflict between his William Riker and Captain Picard on Star Trek: TNG. Frakes played the first officer of the Enterprise and was Picard’s Number One, and his job was to be the voice of reason, even if the captain was wrong. TNG never showed this conflict, which was there for the taking.
Frakes mentioned that the rule posed by creator Gene Roddenberry on Starfleet members not having any interpersonal conflict was the reason for this dynamic to never be explored in the series (via Trek Movie).
That was a huge ongoing issue. That was Gene [Roddenberry]’s direction. One of the things that makes drama is conflict, and he was adamant about not having conflict inside the family. And I’m wondering if we didn’t miss opportunities as a result. That was an ongoing struggle with all of us as actors, and I think for the writers as well. It is hard to have everyone get along all the time and make it interesting.
Roddenberry’s rules have been a topic of debate for quite some time now, with many writers at the time unhappy with his strict rules for the show. However, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds can bypass these rules and show more of the Captain-First Officer clash in the upcoming season 4.
Gene Roddenberry’s Rules on Conflict Ruined Many TNG Writers’ Experiences
Gene Roddenberry used the futuristic setting of Star Trek to express his opinion on current-day politics and sociocultural events, crafting the futuristic society to resemble a Utopia that the people at the time would love to be in. However, Roddenberry was also a stickler for rules, and his rules had to be followed by the writers of the show.
While TOS had its own share of challenges, when TNG began development a decade or more later, Roddenberry’s rules became even more binding, and several writers were unhappy with the way things were going. William Shatner mentioned that he heard of writers feeling ‘claustrophobic’ with the number of rules they had to follow.
One of the most controversial ones among the writers was Roddenberry’s idea of interpersonal conflict in the future. The showrunner reportedly wanted human society to evolve beyond conflicts in the future, and hence, forbid any interpersonal conflict in the stories. This became a problem as conflict is the fundamental part of screenwriting.
After Roddenberry took a backstep in the show’s day-to-day functioning, the show seemed to grow its wings and include more conflicts in episodes. By the time he passed away in 1991, the series had done away with many of the creator’s rules.
Captain Pike and Una Share the Dynamic Jonathan Frakes Craved for in TNG
Jonathan Frakes had a huge problem with William Riker not standing up to Captain Picard more frequently, as it was the first officer’s job to bring another viewpoint to the decisions taken by a captain. However, Gene Roddenberry’s insistence on avoiding interpersonal conflict meant that such a dynamic could never be explored.
However, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has seen plenty of such moments shared between Captain Pike and his Number One, Una. The Enterprise captain preceding Picard and Kirk has a more inclusive style of leadership and trusts his crew to make the best decisions when a conflict arises. Una and Pike have butted heads often, and she has been the voice of reason.
Captain Pike is usually an emotional being and wants to make sure that everyone is happy and fulfilled. However, there are times when this becomes an obstacle to smooth functioning. This is when Una steps in, and a lot of the others, too, like Spock.
There are times when La’an and Ortegas also disagree with the captain. The upcoming season 4 can definitely build more on these differences of opinion.
What do you think of Jonathan Frakes’ opinion on Riker-Picard? Comment below.
Star Trek: TNG and Strange New Worlds are available to stream on Paramount+.
