Second Chances presents us with an intriguing, if somewhat implausible premise.  But if you can accept where the episode is leading, the results are provocative.  What keeps it from truly becoming an exceptional classic is the choice it ultimately makes – or, rather, that it doesn’t make.  Riker is once again the focus of the episode.  And, unfortunately, the stagnation to his character couldn’t be more clear.

The Enterprise is investigating the site of an eight year old doomed mission involving the U.S.S. Potemkin, Commander Riker’s former ship.  It was due to his daring and bravery during that mission that he was propelled, quickly, up the promotional ladder.  This in turn led to a two year long estrangement from Troi.  The backstory is important because on the surface of the planet, the discover a single survivor: a man by the name of Lieutenant William Riker.

How this predicament came to be stretches the boundaries of plausibility, but it works.  LaForge goes on about a split transporter beam with one signal making it through to the rescue vessel and the other being reflected back to the surface – resulting in two identical copies of William T. Riker.  The episode then is an exploration of Commander William Riker’s past decisions, about who he has become, and who he might have been.  In that sense, this is Riker’s version of Tapestry.

The two Rikers are, in many ways, at odds with one another – at first due to their disbelief at what has happened, and secondly due to what can only be understated as an awkward relationship.  It isn’t difficult to understand why.  The two men have lived very different lives over the past eight years and, as a result, are different people.

Lieutenant Riker’s isolation has made him a bit more reflective, thoughtful, and tender.  But he is also willing to give up a little bit more readily.  Whereas Commander Riker is determined, bold, but perhaps has become a bit too angry over the course of the series.  And as Lieutenant Riker points out, Commander Riker often appears to “play it safe.”

Front and center to their disparate views is, of course, Troi.  Lieutenant Riker had spent eight long years missing her, desiring to return to her.  Indeed, the promise of reuniting with her one day was part of what allowed him to survive.  So for him, seeing her once again on board the Enterprise, inspires a great deal of hope.

Troi, however, is clearly conflicted.  She has come to accept the deep personal friendship she has developed with Commander Riker, but there is also a part of her that seems to regret that they weren’t something more.  And as a surprising positive for this episode, Troi’s performance, for once, seems perfect.  She doesn’t overplay the conflict within her, even as she starts to fall for Lieutenant Riker’s romantic advances.  And yet she manages to clearly convey that conflict.  Kudos to Troi.

In the end, however, the Enterprise isn’t big enough for two Rikers.  And Lieutenant Riker must depart.  I know that I assumed that his departure would likely be due to his death – because, really, can you imagine having two Rikers alive in the same universe?  But instead, Lieutenant Riker merely transfers to a frontier starship.

This is, I think, a missed opportunity that could have completely revitalized the series.  Commander Riker’s character has long stagnated.  His ascendancy was complete with The Best of Both Worlds, Part II and since then there has been very little for his character to do.  Indeed, the joy seems to be gone from Riker as he spends a great deal of his screen time being angry at some one or some thing.  His character hasn’t grown or faced any real challenges almost four years.  It was time to make a change.

If you’ll permit me, let’s explore a different possibility.

Imagine if Commander Riker somehow did not survive the episode.  What would have happened?  Memorials aside, Data would have been elevated to Number One.  His character could then have begun facing a series of new challenges associated with his new status on board the ship.  And Lieutenant Riker could have remained on board the ship as a bridge officer.  His character has been in isolation for eight years.  Exploring that character could have been the basis for a great many episodes.  In one fell stroke, the actor, the character, and the series would have been revitalized.

But alas, that did not occur.  And really, the decision not to make such a drastic change isn’t a bad one.  It is the safe decision.  It is the one Commander Riker would have made.

Second Chances provides more fodder for though and discussion than most of the recent TNG episodes.  The exploration of Riker as a character was certainly engaging.  But I cannot help but feel a little disappointment that, following the events of the episode, his character doesn’t seem to grow.  And the result is just more of the same.

Filed under: TNG Reviews