Star Trek: Lower Decks Captain Will Riker is returning for Season 2

The animated series, Star Trek: Lower Decks, wrapped its first season with special guest stars

Fans watching Star Trek: Lower Decks probably weren’t prepared for the season finale’s introduction of two well-known Star Trek: The Next Generation characters. With the USS Cerritos in jeopardy, the USS Titan speeds in to save the day and the crew. Aboard, of course, is Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and his wife, Commander Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). (This series is set shortly after Star Trek: Nemesis, which means Riker and Troi’s adventures on the Titan have only been going on for about a year.)

And it’s not the last we’ve seen of the USS Titan nor of Captain Riker as Ensign Boimler (voiced by Jack Quaid) accepts a promotion and joins the crew of the Titan. And Lower Decks’ showrunner, Mike McMahan, confirms that we haven’t seen the last of Riker or the Titan.

With Boimler aboard, it stands to reason the ship has to return, and although McMahan didn’t say how many episodes we can expect Riker to appear, he said we will be seeing both Riker and the ship in Season 2.

"“You will be seeing Riker and the Titan, because Boimler is on the Titan. That’s where he serves now. I mean, it’s Boimler’s dream to serve there, and we play that out. We see how that works out for him.”"

He didn’t indicate whether or not we would be seeing more of Troi, and that may be subject to the availability of Sirtis to voice the character and/or the need for the character, especially if the intent is to move Broimler off the Titan soon. Perhaps Frakes and Sirtis were intended to be a part of Season 2 all along. All we know now is that we will hear from Riker again. If that doesn’t bump up the ratings for the animated series, I don’t know what will.