Deep space nine: Defiant

[drewder]

With thomas riker joining with the maquis in this episode i wonder if there was any thought of putting him in on Voyager as the first officer. It seems likely that chakotay got the job as a "affirmative action" choice where they thought he could represent Native Americans the way uhura had represented blacks on the original series. Unfortunate considering how poorly chakotay represented Native Americans.

[SlackerinDeNile]

Good lord I hope not, 180 or so episodes and 4 movies should have been enough for anybody.

Chakotay poorly represented Native Americans because the writers didn't know how to represent them.

[MyUserName]

I always did want Thomas to return, he was an interesting anomaly of a character that more could have been done with. I dont think even the books so much as name dropped him, and they had the return of Illiana Ghemor, the cardassian double agent that Kira was once thought to be in Second Skin.

[Darth Wedgius]

I think Thomas Riker showed up in an alternate future in some DS9 books. And died.

I would have been happy to take Thomas Riker over Chakotay, who I think the writers didn't do much with and, when they did, usually didn't do it well. And Beltran's performance is the only one of any Star Trek series regular that I disliked; I hear it was intentional on his part, but that doesn't make it any better.

But putting Thomas Riker in from the start would have probably overshadowed Captain Janeway, and I don't see them doing that to the first regular-character-type woman captain. If he could have come in a year after the pilot, when her character had been established, sure. It's a long walk from the alpha quadrant but he could've been on a prison transport taken by the Caretaker, or just reversed the wrong polarity while making toast.

If they'd brought Voyager back to the alpha quadrant in season four or five, send Chakotay back to the Hekawi, and put Thomas Riker in as exec... Or move Tuvok to exec (he'd had enough time to establish himself as Not Spock by then) and make Riker the security officer, so Riker would be in the shadow of two trusted officers... Coulda, woulda...

[Meushell]

Given how Voyager treated its characters, I think Thomas was better off.

I do wish DS9 followed up with this episode. Thomas really did get the short stick in life.

[APlotdevice]

Poorly is an understatement. If they had Sulu dressing in a Deel (Mongolia) while practicing Wudang quan (China) with a Katana (Japan, you’d have something resembling Chakotay’s representation of Native Americans.

[Karha of Honor]

With thomas riker joining with the maquis in this episode i wonder if there was any thought of putting him in on Voyager as the first officer. It seems likely that chakotay got the job as a "affirmative action" choice where they thought he could represent Native Americans the way uhura had represented blacks on the original series. Unfortunate considering how poorly chakotay represented Native Americans.

Did not go far enough. i would have preferred Captain Chakotay.

[RobbyB1982]

I personally really like Chuck's idea where they promote Will Riker to captain and move him off the ship, (thus finally completing his character arc several years late) and Thomas comes in at a lower rank and romances Diana while everyone else moves up a rank. Would have shaken things up nicely.

But possibly been confusing to any viewers that missed the transfer episode... I assume Thomas would have to shave differently to help emphasize the difference on top of the different colored uniform.

WOuld have been way more interesting than just throwing Thomas away into this one DS9 episode and then never again. They realllly had no idea what to do with him.

[Archon_Wing]

Chakotay poorly represented Native Americans because the writers didn't know how to represent them.

Well, I'm pretty sure Charkotay was just a poor representation of a human being period, though he was not the only case in Voyager.

[drewder]

One problem with modern trek is that when they're coming up with a new series idea instead of saying how can we write a compelling story they ask how many SJW check boxes can we check off.