2. Thomas Riker's Return
Deep Space 9 was probably the best series in terms of maintaining continuity and its use of guest stars. Indeed, DS9 managed to craft an entire episode around a one-shot TNG character Thomas Riker, a transporter clone trapped for 8 years on an uninhabited planet. Season 3s Defiant featured Tom Riker stealing the Defiant for the Maquis in an attempt to uncover a secret Cardassian operation in the Orias System a shipyard that would have a major impact in the later Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast two-parter. At the end of Defiant, Tom Riker was handed over to the Cardassians, sentenced to life in a prison camp for his acts of terrorism, but a promise was made Major Kira would come back to rescue him. That promise went unfulfilled. Its not exactly clear what happened to the intended Tom Riker follow up. While the producers made it known that he wasnt a subject they were interested in getting pitches for, that didnt mean the producers had buried the story at that point. In interviews, Ron Moore suggested that the writing staff was seriously considering bringing back Tom Riker during the later seasons and Jonathan Frakes pitched a Tom Riker episode to Moore that tied into the Cardassian rebellion subplot of the final season. Whatever the reason, Tom Riker being consigned to the dustbin of forgotten characters is unfortunate in a better world, maybe his episode wouldve taken the place of such stinkers as Let He Who is Without Sin or Profit and Lace.