Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes Reveals Mind-Blowing Similarities Between Strange New Worlds and TNG

Summary

Frakes was thrilled to helm a comedy-focused crossover episode, fully aware of the tremendous comedic talents possessed by the cast of Strange New Worlds.

In the Strange New Worlds crossover, there is room for more creativity, as seen through Jack Quaid's nod to Frakes' iconic "Riker Maneuver" and the opportunity for all characters to showcase their humor.

Star Trek icon Jonathan Frakes reflects on his experience directing the crossover episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, drawing parallels to his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Frakes, known for his portrayal of Commander William T. Riker, the First Officer of USS Enterprise-D under Captain Jean-Luc Picard's command (played by Patrick Stewart), initially ventured into directing with "The Offspring" in TNG season 3. Since then, he has established himself as one of the franchise's most prolific directors, helming Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and episodes from various other series.

Jonathan Frakes, in a recent Variety interview conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike, drew comparisons between his directing experience on the crossover episode of Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks, and his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Frakes noted that guest stars Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome had more creative freedom to improvise, contrasting it with the stricter nature of his previous show, where it felt as though they were performing Shakespeare or Chekhov.

Jonathan Frakes Knew Strange New Worlds' Crossover Would Be A Comedy "Playground"

Jonathan Frakes, with his extensive experience working on numerous Star Trek shows, is highly knowledgeable about the franchise. Having previously directed episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 2, he had the opportunity to collaborate with Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, and Rebecca Romijn, who are now part of the cast of Strange New Worlds. This familiarity led Frakes to anticipate the enjoyable experience of directing a crossover episode with a comedic focus, as he shared with Variety:

"I was already aware, from my time working with Anson on 'Discovery,' that he possesses a clever sense of humor, despite it not being prominently featured in his portrayal of Pike. Rebecca, in addition to being a comedian, is also a talented singer. And Ethan has a charming wit. So, unbeknownst to many, I had a feeling that this project was going to be incredibly fun."

Without explaining or noting, here is the revised content:

One instance of the freedom for crossover guest stars in Strange New Worlds to improvise was Jack Quaid's Boimler paying homage to Frakes' well-known "Riker Maneuver," which refers to his unique way of sitting. The entire Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crossover is incredibly enjoyable, with Boimler and Mariner making "curiously specific" references and Captain Pike reacting flustered yet pleased to Boimler's admiration. All characters have the opportunity to be funny, and Frakes's affection for the Star Trek franchise is evident. Luckily, Jonathan Frakes has no intentions of departing from Star Trek anytime soon.