Jonathan Frakes Loves That 'Star Trek' Crossover, But Is Stung By Fan Comments
Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Boimler (Jack Quaid), Riker (Jonathan Frakes), and Pike (Anton Mount) together at last! Images: Paramount+.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 - In the Star Trek Day edition of the Star Trek Explorer Magazine Johnathan Frakes gives fans the inside scoop, everything from his opinion on Riker at the end of Picard and directing the Lower Decks x Strange New Worlds episode.
When asked about the end of season 3 Frakes appears to be bursting with ideas for what’s to come. He makes jokes about Riker becoming an admiral and such so that Frakes could show up once in a while but really spend his time directing the shows. According to Frakes, “that’d be perfect.” He also hints at a show starring the kids of the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew starring Ed Speelers (Jack Crusher), Mica Burton (Alandra La Forge), Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (Sidney La Forge), and Lulu Wilson (Kestra Troi-Riker). He says, “It feels to me like there’s a real opportunity for three of the legacy characters’ children to carry on and sort of be the next Star Trek: The Next Generation. It just feels like it’s laid out there. It’s the blueprint for the next phase.” I personally adore this idea and would absolutely love a show like this.
Frakes expresses how proud he is of the Strange New Worlds x Lower Decks crossover and all the work the actors and creatives put into it. He complements Tawny Newsome (Mariner) and Jack Quaid (Boimler) on their fantastic performance and everything they brought to the screen. In addition, he expresses how much he loves the animated epilogue with the Enterprise crew. He says “it was a flat-out, unapologetic, full-on comedy episode. That was a thrill for me, as you can imagine.” As much as he appreciated the love the episode received he also says that it stings a little to hear people say things like “this is the Star Trek we’ve been waiting for” because whether they mean it or not what they’re saying is “not Discovery or Picard.” He calls it a “congratulations and a slap in the same swing.” I can understand why older Star Trek fans could have been a little shocked by the sharp tonal shift in a lot of the newer shows, however, I do tend to disagree with a lot of the incredibly harsh criticism Picard and Discovery have gotten. They are great shows that deserve as much love and respect as any other Star Trek show.
Aster is a fresh face to Daily Star Trek News, joining the ranks as a contributing writer. Though he may be young, he self-describes as a hardcore nerd, lover of cheese sticks and niche internet discourse. Outside of his long-time obsession with Star Trek, Aster is an avid cosplayer, crocheter, and Catan enthusiast who is attending school for technical theater and design. He's very excited to debut in his "professional nerd career" and finally put all his obscure nerd facts to good use.
