10 Best Riker Episodes In Star Trek
2. The Best Of Both Worlds
Imagine a world where Patrick Stewart had bowed out of Star Trek at the end of the third season. The camera would pan around, closing in on Jonathan Frakes's face ordering Worf to fire. Boom, season 4 and it's Captain Riker in charge. Another universe, maybe? Although judging by the image, maybe it was best that Stewart stayed.
There is no denying the fact that the Best of Both Worlds ranks among the Next Generation's best episodes. They are tightly written and they display the Borg in their full horror. What many tend to forget though is that this is less of a Picard story than it is a story about Riker.
The fallout of the episodes certainly revolve around Picard's attempts to come to terms but it is Riker who has to deal with the situation at hand. Finally, we see Captain Riker, however briefly. Frakes has to balance the character's switch in role, his balancing of the loss of Picard and the attempt to save the Federation all in the space of the one story. It's a tall order. Guinan potentially phrases it best when she sees Riker swaying. She tells him that her relationship with Picard was deeper than anyone knew and she was ready to resign him to his fate.
Riker, ever the heroic, struggles to come to terms with this. This struggle is clearly shown on screen. Frakes delivers one of his best performances as the reluctant Captain, thrust to the fore, desperate to save them all.