As a seasoned Star Trek enthusiast with countless hours spent aboard the Enterprise and beyond, I find myself utterly captivated by the unique quirks that each character brings to the table. Among these idiosyncrasies, none have left such an indelible mark as Jonathan Frakes’ Commander Riker and his legendary chair maneuver.
Over the course of Star Trek’s history, famous characters have subtly personalized their roles in unique ways. For instance, Brent Spiner as Data often expresses confusion through slight head tilts, while William Shatner as Captain Kirk uses staccato speech patterns. More recently, Doug Jones as Saru on “Star Trek: Discovery” is recognized for the gentle wave of his hands behind him. In the case of Jonathan Frakes as Commander Riker in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” a distinctive habit that stands out to viewers after multiple watches is the way he sits down, which has since been nicknamed by fans as the ‘Riker Chair Maneuver‘. Essentially, whenever he needed to take a seat on the Enterprise, Picard’s right-hand man would position himself astride the chair, swing his leg over the backrest before settling in for conversations with the captain or crew.
Because of a back injury sustained from moving furniture while acting up-and-coming, Frakes adapted to the multiple takes of sitting and standing on the Enterprise by swinging one leg over. He also leaned on chairs whenever possible, and this action has since become a characteristic feature of the series. As he explained to IGN, this began in Ten Forward as the chairs had low backs, making it simple. Initially, he thought it was an unconventional move, but no one stopped him from doing it.
Frakes proudly embraces the Riker Maneuver that continues to reappear
Jonathan Frakes candidly admitted that his unique seating style might seem arrogant or unappealing to some, yet he was never reprimanded for it. He jokingly remarked, “It’s a rather bold, off-putting, even unsavory cowboy move. The YouTube compilation of my ‘Riker sits down’ has gone viral, making me feel both more embarrassed and oddly proud!” This video, with over 5 million views on YouTube now, underscores the significance of this maneuver, so much so that Frakes himself directed a scene where a Star Trek colleague executed it in front of him, creating a delightfully self-referential moment.
In the seventh episode of Season 2 on “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” directed by none other than Jonathan Frakes, characters from “Star Trek: Lower Decks” – Ensigns Mariner and Boimler (played by Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid) – found themselves in the past aboard the Enterprise, under Captain Pike’s command. During one scene, I ended up sitting on Captain Pike’s saddle in his office. In an interview on the official Star Trek TikTok, Jack Quaid shared that this spontaneous move was prompted by the presence of Frakes himself, saying, “I had to do it. He’s right there, come on.” The moment wasn’t missed by Frakes, who remarked, “My wife screamed… It was so simple. And it wasn’t ‘I’m doing a ‘Riker,’ it wasn’t ‘The Riker.’ It was just–” to which Quaid added, “Riker!” There’s no question that many could have played Riker, but there’s only one who can sit like him – and that’s a fact.
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2024-08-26 21:59