Star Trek: Future Imperfect

Episode: "Future Imperfect"

Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Season 4, Episode 8

Original Air Date: November 12, 1990

via Memory Alpha

During an away mission, Riker falls unconscious.  When he comes to, it's 16 years later.  He is now captain of the Enterprise.  He's both a widower and a father.  A Romulan diplomatic delegation, led by Tomalok, is coming aboard to negotiate a peace treaty.  He doesn't remember anything of the time in between.

Perhaps all is not as it seems...

This may be the best Riker episode so far, not so much for the story itself which is mostly forgettable but for establishing the character.  Especially in the aftermath of "The Best of Both Worlds," it's time for Will Riker to come into his own.  There's a new confidence.  Even though he's not quite ready to accept being ship captain, it's not difficult to believe from the viewer's perspective.

And the Jean-Luc/Ethan/Barash story is both sad and sweet.  As Elton John would say, "It's lonely out in space."

Acting Notes

via The Godfather Wiki

Andreas Katsulas (Tomalok) was born May 18, 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri.  His most famous role was that of G'Kar on Babylon 5.  On the big screen, he is perhaps best remembered as the one-armed Sykes in The Fugitive.

Katsulas died of lung cancer in 2006.