Star Trek: Picard sees not only Jean-Luc Picard return to Star Trek but William Riker and Deanna Troi too, but they’re not alone as they are now parents.
When William Riker and Deanna Troi returned to Star Trek, they returned as parents. That revelation was nothing unexpected for the fans of Star Trek: Picard, as everyone had hoped that Troi and Riker would stop their back and forth coupling and just settle down. This was a long time coming, and even though the series takes plays decades after the stories of the Next Generation, and the crew of the Enterprise-D (and E), the couple wanted to make sure their children carried on their memories.
A great way of doing that is to name your child after someone close to you, and according to Picard season one’s showrunner Michael Chabon, that’s exactly what the parents did. According to Chabon, Riker and Troi named their son Thaddeus Worf Riker-Troi. For those who have seen any episodes of just about any of the golden era of Star Trek, you’ll recognize the name “Worf” as Thad’s middle name.
The name Worf of course is in reverence to Worf, son of Mogh, the former security officer and future captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, who served alongside Troi and Riker during their time on the ship and even at one point was romantically involved with Troi.
The name was revealed on a Medium.com post, where Chabon described more of Thad’s imaginary world of Ardani.
It’s a nice tip of the cap to long-time fans of the franchise, to see Worf honored in the most humbling of ways. To give a child the name of someone who means so much is a huge honor, and it shows just how much respect, admiration, and love for Worf that the couple has/had.
Of course, Chabon’s post may just be to get fans excited about the new novel Star Trek The Dark Veil, which follows the Riker-Troi family onboard the U.S.S. Titan. It’s also the book that will introduce Thad to the canon of Star Trek as well.
The book is on sale now.