Star Trek: Top 10 Riker Moments
2. Burying The Hatchet In A Ground That's Frozen Solid - The Icarus Factor
When offered command of the USS Aries, Riker is greeted by his father, who has been assigned to brief him on that ship's mission. The reunion is tense - Will left home at fifteen, feeling as though his father neither cared for him or loved him.
The Icarus Factor is essential in understanding why Riker is the way that he is. There was a certain level of pride keeping him aboard the Enterprise, though that is balanced by the care and respect he feels for his crewmates. That said, he's not perfect.
In an anbo-jyutsu match that irritates both Pulaski and Troi, the Riker men face off before finally admitting that they do love each other, despite their estrangement. Will goes through the ringer but ultimately decides to stay in his position, now with the knowledge that he had a relationship with his father once again.