Jonathan Frakes is a reputation synonymous with Star Trek. Whereas his portrayal of Commander William Riker, Captain Picard’s ever-reliable First Officer, has cemented his place within the hearts of followers, his contributions to the franchise lengthen far past the actor’s chair. In some ways, Frakes is an unsung architect of the Star Trek universe.
His journey from appearing to directing started on Star Trek: The Subsequent Era. What started as a single directing stint on the episode The Offspring, reworked right into a multifaceted profession behind the digicam.
Frakes directed a number of extra episodes of The Subsequent Era, along with his expertise evident in his skill to stability the collection’ signature mix of drama, science fiction and exploration.
His directorial skills have been additional showcased in Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Area 9, demonstrating his versatility in dealing with totally different collection and storylines.
Arguably the excessive level of Frakes’s Star Trek directorial profession got here with the function movies First Contact and Rebellion. These movies allowed him to develop the Star Trek universe on a grander scale, introducing new characters and storylines whereas retaining the core parts that outline the franchise.
Frakes’ involvement with Star Trek has continued. His return as Riker in Star Trek: Picard was a nostalgic deal with for followers, however his directorial contributions to the collection have proven his continued progress as a filmmaker.
He seamlessly blended the accustomed to the brand new, creating episodes that resonated with each longtime followers and newcomers to the franchise. His directorial work on Star Trek: Discovery additional cemented his standing as a flexible and expert director.
Proof of Frakes’ affect is the Unusual New Worlds/Decrease Decks crossover episode These Outdated Scientists. This formidable undertaking required a deft method to combining the live-action drama of Unusual New Worlds with the animated comedy of Decrease Decks.
