Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) had a lot of romantic relationships during the seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but I have always had a soft spot for his romance with Ensign Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes). Ensign Ro was one of the most interesting characters on TNG, and she was one of the first Bajoran characters in Star Trek, two years before Star Trek: Deep Space Nine introduced Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor). In other words, Ensign Ro was the introduction of one of the most iconic species in Star Trek.
Commander Riker was an equally interesting character. In many ways, Commander Riker started out as Star Trek: The Next Generation's answer to Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) from Star Trek: The Original Series - a young adventurer brave in the face of danger who never turns down a chance for romance. But Commander Riker was also a model Starfleet officer, and it was no accident that he was "Number One" on the Federation's flagship, the USS Enterprise-D. It's probably no surprise, then, that the upstanding commander and the rebellious ensign made such an interesting pair.
Ensign Ro & Commander Riker Were A Fun Star Trek: TNG Couple While They Lasted
Opposites Attract, And They Had Great Chemistry
Ensign Ro and Commander Riker were only a couple for one episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 5's "Conundrum." That episode showed just how much potential the two of them really had. From Ensign Ro's first TNG episode, she and Commander Riker clashed. As a young Starfleet officer, then-Lieutenant Ro disobeyed an order, resulting in the death of eight crewmembers and the loss of her rank. Commander Riker took an immediate dislike to Ensign Ro as a result and was always especially hard on her.
There is no moment of Ensign Ro and Commander Riker's brief onscreen romance that isn't a delight to watch.
In Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Conundrum," Commander Riker, Ensign Ro, and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise lost their memories .Riker and Ro developed a sexual relationship, and all the personality quirks that made them clash earlier turned into delightful banter, and the pair had some of the best chemistry in Star Trek. There is no moment of Ensign Ro and Commander Riker's brief onscreen romance that isn't a delight to watch, and I only wish that the two of them could have been a couple longer than one episode.
Why Ro & Riker Could Never Work As A Star Trek Couple Long Term
Commander Riker Was Always Going To End Up With Counselor Troi
Unfortunately, the basic circumstances of Star Trek: The Next Generation meant that Ensign Ro and Commander Riker could never have lasted as a couple. From the very first episode of TNG, "Encounter at Farpoint," Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Commander Riker have had an on-again, off-again romantic relationship. Even though both Counselor Troi and Commander Riker had other romantic relationships on TNG, it was always clear that the two of them would end up together eventually.The irony of Commander Riker and Ensign Ro's brief amnesiac relationship is that Counselor Troi herself commented that the two of them were likely acting on subconscious urges that they usually suppress. Of course, no matter what emotions the two of them were suppressing, by Star Trek: Nemesis, Riker and Troi were happily married, and Star Trek: Picard shows that their marriage stayed strong decades into the future. So, while it is a lot of fun to see Ensign Ro and Commander Riker together, the two of them could never have lasted as a couple on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
