Second Chances 

Riker's exact duplicate is discovered on Nervala IV. His first order of business: resume his relationship with Deanna. Second order: obey orders from his superior - himself.

Director:

LeVar Burton

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (created by), René Echevarria (teleplay by)

Stars:

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Patrick Stewart	...	Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Cmdr. William Riker / Lt. Thomas Riker
LeVar Burton	...	Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn	...	Lieutenant Worf
Gates McFadden	...	Dr. Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Commander Data
Mae C. Jemison	...	Lt. Palmer (as Dr. Mae Jemison)

Storyline

A natural distortion field surrounds Nervala IV, giving one chance every eight years to visit its surface. Riker's team, once assigned there, deserted their equipment in effort to flee before the planet's distortion field resumed. Now returned, Cmdr. Riker finds Lt. Riker, an unknowingly created duplicate of himself marooned there for eight years.

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Plot Keywords:

captain's log | voice over narration | bearded man | enterprise the starship | automatic doors | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 1993 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

It's not known what post Lt. Riker held aboard the Potemkin. Script materials suggest it may have been as operations officer in an unused storyline.

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Goofs

The first time Lieutenant Palmer beams the two Rikers back down to the station, a quick camera shot of her control console shows it to be completely blank and dark, even though she is punching buttons (which beep) and verbally confirming the coordinates, etc. she is supposedly reading on the panel.

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Quotes

Commander William T. Riker: [playing Poker against himself] Here's your fifty... and, uh, ten more.
Lt. Thomas Riker: You didn't take any cards. You must be holding something. Why not make it a little sweeter?
Commander William T. Riker: No, thanks.
Lt. Thomas Riker: Playing it safe?
Commander William T. Riker: [turning to Data] You in?
Lt. Commander Data: I will call.
Lt. Thomas Riker: Here's your ten, and it will cost you another one hundred.
Commander William T. Riker: [smiling] I practiced in the mirror too long to be fooled by that face. You're bluffing. Here's your hundred... and... twenty more.
Lt. Commander Data: Dealer folds.
Lt. Thomas Riker: I thought if one thing were clear by now it's that you and I play...
[...]

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Connections

References Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Icarus Factor (1989)

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Soundtracks

I Remember You
(uncredited)
Written by Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer

User Reviews

Since they BOTH have beards, it's hard to know which one is evil!

Riker and others land on a place where Will had landed eight years earlier. There, they meet ANOTHER Will Riker--identical in every single way. It turns out that the transporter created another Riker and abandoned him on the planet all that time! The big difference is that their experiences and memories from the last eight years are different--otherwise they both are Riker! And, the newly discovered Riker REALLY wants to pick up where he left off with Deanna Troi.

This is a very odd episode, as Riker I seems VERY defensive and competitive towards his newly discovered self. This didn't make a lot of sense--one of the downsides of this otherwise decent episode.