Riker appeared throughout the third season of “Star Trek: Picard,” and one of the dramatic subplots involved his reconciliation from his wife Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). The two had become uncomfortable in their relationship since the death of their young son, and it would take a kidnapping and an extreme combat scenario to bring them close again. In the show’s final scenes, they even talk about going to Florida on their vacation, a difficult feat, seeing as Florida was destroyed back during the events of “Star Trek: Enterprise.”
With their relationship ostensibly patched, Frakes would love to see Riker and Troi back together again and involved in the action. Seven of Nine may be the captain of the Enterprise-G, but, as Frakes sees it, Riker should be there to helm a starship of his own. He said:
“The Rikers’ marriage is back on track. In my mind, for the show to be able to move forward, Riker would have to be a captain and have his ship, or he would be promoted to admiral and be a liaison. I’m only half-kidding when I say it would be great for me if the show carries on and I’m like Charlie from ‘Charlie’s Angels.’ They’d have to come to my office one day a week for a meeting with Riker. That’d be perfect. Then I could direct a bunch of the episodes and be around the show.”
This all feels a mite cheeky on Frakes’ part, and he may only be half-serious. He’s been known to make similar suggestions for himself in the past.