Riker and Troi were only supposed to flirt
When Star Trek: The Next Generation began, it was clear from the first episode that Commander William Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi had, at one time, been involved. And, as the show went on, their relationship went back and forth, but there was always an undercurrent of romantic tension between the two. Finally, after some minor relationships with others, Troi and Riker tied the knot at the beginning of Star Trek: Nemesis, ending fifteen years of will they, or won’t they.
If it had been left up to Gene Roddenberry, though, the answer to that would have been a definite won’t as he had other ideas about the type of relationship Counselor Deanna Troi and Commander Will Riker were supposed to have. And while that included an attraction to one another, it didn’t include an eventual pairing.
Gene Roddenberry had different plans for Troi and Riker
As Screen Rant reported, Roddenberry only intended for Troi and Riker to flirt with the idea of being a couple or to “dance around one another romantically.” In the series bible, he had written that the two had met before working together on the Enterprise-D and that while an attraction was there, the pair were resolved to a strictly professional relationship, especially while on duty.
To point things even more toward the “won’t” category, Roddenberry intended for Riker to not be as confident around women as he was portrayed on screen. He would have been naïve and uncertain which would have prevented Troi from really falling in love with him.
Fortunately for Imzadi fans, the couple got their happy ending, at least for their romance anyway. Their appearance on Star Trek: Picard revealed Troi and Riker had suffered the tragic loss of their son. They were raising their daughter with both of them having retired from Starfleet (although Riker did come out of retirement to help Admiral Picard), and that’s something fans want to see a lot more of when Picard returns next year. The brief glimpse into the lives of Captain Riker and Counselor Troi wasn’t enough. Fans want more of the couple. Always.