38 years after Star Trek: The Next Generation began, Jonathan Frakes made Star Trek history, thanks to LEGO. Announced on Star Trek Day in September, LEGO has unveiled its first collaboration with Star Trek: The USS Enterprise-D with nine mini-figures featuring the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Of course, every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation began with Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard reciting the immortal mission statement: “Space, the final frontier… These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise…”
TNG‘s modernization of Star Trek: The Original Series’ version of “Space the final frontier…” was to update “where no man has gone before” to the more inclusive “where no one has gone before.”
In Star Trek: The Next Generation’s era, only Captain Picard spoke the famous “Space. the final frontier…” spiel. Further, it was never said at all in any of the four Star Trek: The Next Generation movies. This means Jonathan Frakes’ Commander William T. Riker never got to give Star Trek’s classic speech… until now.
Jonathan Frakes Finally Says Star Trek’s Opening Speech Thanks To LEGO
For the first time since being cast as Commander Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, Jonathan Frakes finally gets to recite Star Trek‘s classic “Space, the final frontier…” speech in LEGO’s announcement video for the USS Enterprise-D set. Check out this historic moment for Frakes and Riker below:
Saying the “Space, the final frontier…” speech is usually a privilege reserved for whoever is the Captain of the Enterprise in a Star Trek TV show. In Frakes’ era, only William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk and Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard gave the speech each week in their respective TV series.
Commander Riker may have been First Officer of the USS Enterprise-D (and E in the Star Trek: The Next Generation movies), and Will occasionally got to command the Enterprise, but he was still in a supporting role to Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard.
However, Jonathan Frakes’ Riker now becomes the latest First Officer to say “Space, the final frontier…”, and it’s about time the honor was afforded to Riker, who is now ranked Captain in Star Trek: Picard.
Which Captains Have Said Star Trek’s Famous Opening Speech?
Because “Space, the final frontier…” is the mission statement of the Starship Enterprise, only William Shatner’s Captain Kirk, Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard, and Anson Mount’s Captain Christopher Pike in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds say in every episode of their TV series.
Surprisingly, Scott Bakula’s Captain Jonathan Archer never got to say “Space, the final frontier…” in Star Trek: Enterprise. Archer only delivered the line, “To boldly go where no one has gone before,” after Kirk and Picard in the final scene of Star Trek: Enterprise‘s series finale.
Like Captain Archer, Chris Pine’s Captain James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies only gets to say part of the “Space, the final frontier…” speech.
In the Star Trek movies, “Space, the final frontier” is only said three times, and twice by Leonard Nimoy’s Spock. The Vulcan delivers Star Trek‘s mantra posthumously at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and again at the end of Star Trek (2009). The entire Star Trek Beyond cast gives the speech at the end of the film.
Thanks to LEGO, Jonathan Frakes’ Commander Riker finally and deservedly joins the exclusive list that says “Space, the final frontier…” to mark the arrival of the $400 USS Enteprise-D set from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Release Date
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1987 – 1994-00-00
- Network
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Syndication
- Showrunner
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Gene Roddenberry
