Jonathan Frakes is the perfect person to direct the Star Trek crossover episode

Jonathan Frakes is directing the Star Trek crossover episode featuring Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks.

Jonathan Frakes will always be Commander William Riker of the USS Enteprrise-D to most fans. Why not, that’s how he rose to fame, serving aboard the Enterprise and going on adventures every week. Yet, to many more, fans will always see Riker as the man who directed some of the best episodes in Star Trek history, as well as directing his magnum opus in the film Star Trek: First Contact.

His vision for Star Trek is well-known and completely respected by those in the know. He’s an icon in front and behind the camera, so it makes total sense that he would be selected to direct the next major moment in the history of the franchise.

Star Trek’s Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds will do a crossover of epic proportions for Strange New World’s second season. It’ll feature Jack Quad and Tawny Newsome making their live-action Star Trek debuts in the series, in an episode that will lean heavily into the comedy.

Frakes would tell SFX Magazine (via Daily Star Trek) what to expect from the crossover;

"Oh god, it’s so good. I have Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome, who are both amazing. It was such a treat for me because it is a flat-out comedy. Full on. And they’re fearless over there, they take some really big swings on Strange New Worlds. They’re animated at the beginning and at the end. It’s a clever and simple product. It’s not really Roger Rabbit because what happens is these guys come over and they’re humans and you accept them as soon as they’re on the Enterprise. God, the two of them have got great energy, and it freed up the acting company on Strange New Worlds to play more broadly. Anson’s a wonderful comedian, very dry, but so’s Rebecca. It encouraged Ethan and everyone, there were just a lot of positives that came out of them having the guts to do a full-on comedy, let alone a crossover with an animated show."

If anyone can pull this crossover off, it’s Jonathan Frakes

Doing a pure comedy episode may not work in Strange New Worlds, but it might. Who knows until it airs, right? While it will absolutely be a tough task for anyone, Frakes is someone who may very well be the best person for the job.

He arguably understands the franchise better than anyone at this point, and that’s the kind of guy you want. Someone who understands what the fans want, because then you’ll always keep in mind the goal as you work through a complicated crossover like this. Going from animation to live-action won’t be easy, but Frakes clearly has a grasp on what works in Star Trek, so if anyone can pull this off, it’s Frakes.