Second Chances

DVD, TNG S6 (Second Chances)

We've seen duplicates before so many times: parallel versions, alternate versions, mirror, android or clone versions, even some from different time periods, but this time it's personal. The reason Riker never got on with his Father is probably the same reason he can't get on with what is essentially a twin brother - they're the John Wayne of the Trek universe and one ship ain't big enough for the both of them. It could also be the fact that they see their own flaws in the other as Worf suggests to Data in a continuation of their personal conversations from the preceding episode. One word to describe this episode is certainly personal - Troi chats openly about things in the past to someone who's almost a stranger.

Why does Tom Riker look practically the same as Will? I suppose they really did make the same decisions over facial hair and even hairstyle - Tom could have chosen to grow his really long or shave to a skinhead. He might have parted it differently or done all kinds of things with his appearance, only Mr. Mot could ever hope to understand his reasoning. It is credible that they would both look so similar, but I can't help feeling this episode should have gone further than reminding us about the Riker/Troi thing and delved into the psychology of being alone for eight years. Tom seems to be practically the same as Will, but I suppose if he'd been a gibbering idiot it would have taken far too much of the story to get to the point where he could be a genuine contender against Will.

So what does the episode consist of? There's not much of a mystery as Tom's origins are swiftly explained. He doesn't have a nefarious ulterior motive as he's still a true blue Starfleet officer. So all that's left to play are the reactions from the crew on seeing a new version of their Commander walking around (which they don't address), and Troi going slightly gooey over him (addressed by her girly chat with Beverly). There's something missing here and the word drama springs to mind. Yes, the two Rikers are almost at each other's throats, but they're too professional to do what you'd expect and have a big fight. I wonder if this was a limitation with the technology of the time or a creative decision? It shouldn't have been a technical problem as Kirk was beating himself up all the time on 'TOS' so I can only assume they wanted to delve into the idea of what two Rikers on the Enterprise would amount to.

Sadly, it's not a lot, with only the scene on the rickety bridge to bring some kind of closure to the pair. But it's a strange moment, not exactly a friendly one, just a realisation that they are both alike, maybe? It's difficult to pin down exactly what's going on, although the poker scene suggested Tom bowing to Will's superiority or station or something. I like that Picard proves such a good mediator again, his conciliatory tone when dealing with Will very wise. I think what's missing is that you never really believe anything bad will come of their actions because they're both proved such straight-up Starfleet officers. Not even the first African American female astronaut guest starring as a Transporter operator, or Levar Burton directing for the first time can save the episode from mediocrity.

As with many aspects of Trek, 'DS9' came along and shook things up a bit and there's certainly a lot more drama in the sequel, 'Defiant,' on that series, but two Rikers should have provided all the necessary drama in this episode. Tom's career took a bit of a dive and he went the way he came, joining the Maquis, sacrificing himself for the cause and ending up in prison from which we never hear from him again. Add to that that Will and Troi do eventually get married and you have to wonder why Tom never returned as this resentful enemy, like Kes on 'Voyager,' to take revenge on the double and his wife who never came to his aid. Stuart Baird might have had more success if he'd gone down that route, an extra double to add to Shinzon and B4 wouldn't have stretched credibility any more than it already was. Maybe Tom was freed and lived out a quiet life away from Starfleet. Either way he started out trapped and apparently ended that way too, so that's a bit negative and makes the character seem a bit of a dead end and this episode an exercise in digging up the past, but not in the best way.

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