6 Ways Commander Riker Redefined Being A Star Trek First Officer

On Star Trek: The Next Generation, Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) redefined what it meant to be a Starfleet first officer. Throughout TNG's seven seasons, Riker served as the first officer on the USS Enterprise-D under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). From his introduction during the show's premiere, Riker was instantly a relatable and likable character. It's no surprise that he became a confident and accomplished officer, and he remains one of the franchise's best examples of a Number One.

Before Commander Riker, Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) was Star Trek's most well-known first officer. As a half-Vulcan science officer, Spock had a very different personality and command style from Riker. While clearly the right-hand man of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) on Star Trek: The Original Series, Spock had a less defined role as the Enterprise's first officer. Commander Riker was a different kind of Number One, and he helped shape what the position of first officer would look like moving forward.

6Commander Riker Led Away Missions Instead Of The Captain

Riker Took On Dangerous Away Missions While Picard Coordinated Things From The Enterprise

Throughout Star Trek: The Original Series, Captain Kirk regularly led away missions himself, risking his own life in the process. By the 24th century of Star Trek: The Next Generation, however, starship captains generally stayed aboard their ship while the first officer commanded away missions. TNG still found ways to give Captain Picard plenty to do without endangering his life on away missions every week. Commander Riker insisted on leading these missions, pointing out the dangers to Picard whenever the captain wished to beam down to a new planet.

Occasionally, Picard used his privilege as a captain to overrule Riker, but most often, he understood the need to remain in command of the Enterprise. For his part, Riker loved exploring new planets, and he always looked out for fellow crew members under his command. Riker rarely let himself get distracted on away missions, instead maintaining his focus and exploring with open-minded curiosity.

5Commander Riker Took More Time To Get To Know His Crew

Riker Formed Genuine Friendships With The Enterprise Senior Officers

Spock was a great first officer in many ways, but he did not spend his downtime getting to know his crew. Commander Riker, on the other hand, regularly sat down to play poker with his Enterprise-D crew, eventually coming to view them as his family. While Captain Picard kept himself at a distance, Riker maintained close friendships with all of his fellow senior officers. In this way, Riker could keep Picard informed about the crew's feelings and speak to the captain on their behalf. Picard always knew his first officer had the crew's best interests in mind.

With his friendly and outgoing attitude, Riker could befriend pretty much anyone, and he was easy to trust. This not only worked in his favor among the Enterprise-D crew but also among new faces on away missions. Riker also inspired loyalty among the Enterprise-D's crew, and they trusted his judgment in times of crisis just as they trusted Captain Picard's. This became especially apparent in "The Best of Both Worlds," after Picard was assimilated by the Borg, and Riker had to give the order to fire on his former captain.

4Commander Riker Created Duty Rosters & Managed The Enterprise-D Crew

TNG Sometimes Offered Glimpses Into The Less Glamorous Aspects Of Being A First Officer

Although Spock presumably took care of maintaining duty rosters on Kirk's Enterprise, Star Trek: The Original Series never actually showed that side of being first officer. Star Trek: The Next Generation, on the other hand, showed Commander Riker performing these kinds of duties a few times. When Captain Edward Jellico (Ronny Cox) temporarily took over the Enterprise in TNG's "Chain of Command" two-parter, for example, he wanted to change the duty roster from a three-shift rotation to a four-shift rotation.

Riker spoke to the crew and later informed Jellico that this change would cause numerous complications. Jellico insisted on the change anyway, but Riker's reluctance to implement it illustrated how much he valued his crew. Although TNG did not spend a ton of time explaining various crew shifts and how they work, it did offer more insight than TOS ever did. The crew of the Enterprise-D always seemed very efficient, and this was likely due in large part to Riker's ability to organize and advocate for his crew.

3Commander Riker Sometimes Challenged Captain Picard

Riker Was Never Afraid To Voice His Opinion To Picard

Riker was always loyal to Picard, but he wasn't afraid to challenge the captain when his orders didn't make sense. While Riker would not directly question Picard in front of the crew, he would sometimes discuss odd orders or missions with Picard in private. Picard trusted Riker and was always willing to listen. Riker, too, trusted Picard, so if the captain said that he had other information he couldn't share, Riker believed him.

Sometimes, outside alien forces would affect Picard, but Riker knew Jean-Luc well enough to tell when he was behaving strangely. In TNG's series premiere, soon after Picard first met Riker, he encouraged Will to always speak candidly. Riker assured Picard that he would follow any rules the Captain implemented, as long as they did not compromise Picard's safety. Picard always appreciated Riker's honesty, and he encouraged any of his senior officers to speak their minds with him.

2Commander Riker Was A Curious Explorer & Cunning Problem Solver

Riker Had The Perfect Temperament For A First Officer

Like many Starfleet officers, Commander Riker was an explorer at heart, with an insatiable curiosity about the universe around him. He enjoyed the unpredictable adventure of exploring new worlds, and he always managed to remain calm in a crisis. While Spock maintained a certain detached curiosity, he could be logical to a fault. When Spock led one of his first away missions in "The Galileo Seven," for example, he learned that commanding a mission required a lot more than logic alone.

By the time Riker became first officer of the Enterprise-D, he had learned how to think through problems while also relying on his gut instincts. Riker had honed these instincts throughout his career, developing a knack for coming up with creative solutions to problems. He never hesitated to investigate things that seemed out of place, and he could expertly use his surroundings to his advantage. In Star Trek: Insurrection's space battle, for example, Riker collected volatile metreon gas from the Briar Patch and vented it at pursuing enemy vessels, in a tactic that became unofficially known as the Riker Maneuver.

1Commander Riker Truly Loved His Job

Riker Genuinely Seemed To Be Having So Much Fun A Lot Of The Time

Commander Riker clearly loved being the first officer on the Enterprise. He almost always seemed to be having fun as he explored new planets and encountered new forms of life. Throughout TNG's seven seasons, Riker turned down numerous promotions, always choosing to remain on Picard's ship. As the first officer, Riker got to be more hands-on and go on more away missions than he would have as captain of his own starship. Plus, the Enterprise-D's status as the flagship of the Federation meant it got sent on many of Starfleet's most important missions.