Did a funny line in Star Trek: Picard? Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) is noted (and celebrated) for the height of his hair, but Chris also grew a full beard in Strange New Worlds' premiere. Pike was uncertain if he would return to Starfleet, and he allowed himself to get scruffy while he was on leave at his ranch in Montana.
Riker is the most famous bearded character in Star Trek. When he ed the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, Commander Riker was clean-shaven. However, Jonathan Frakes was not a fan of shaving, and he simply decided to stop and grow a beard before TNG season 2. Executive producer Gene Roddenberry told Frakes, "Jonathan, I love the beard," and he was allowed to keep it and make it part of his character. Riker's beard is now iconic, and Will maintained his facial hair throughout TNG and into Star Trek: Picard, although he did shave it off in Star Trek Insurrection.
Did Strange New Worlds' Finale Set Up Riker In TNG?
Strange New Worlds' season 1 finale, "A Quality of Mercy," began with a dinner date between Captain Pike and Captain Batel (Melanie Scrofano), that may have just set up Commander Will Riker's beard in TNG over a century later. When Batel regards Chris and tells him, "I miss the beard," Pike replies to his girlfriend, "I felt like it belonged to a different era of Captain." The 24th-century era of Star Trek seems to be when bearded starship captains came into fashion, and this was a clever one-liner that nods to Riker.
Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) was clean-shaven in Star Trek: The Original Series and the TOS movies, except for when he briefly grew stubble while he was a prisoner on Rura Penthe in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. iral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) never grew facial hair while he was Captain of the USS Enterprise-D and E. Nor did Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Is Riker The First Bearded Star Trek Captain?
Riker may be synonymous with his beard, but Will is technically not the first bearded Captain in Star Trek. Captain Clark Terrell (Paul Winfield) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan had a beard, as well as being the first Black Captain seen on-screen. The TNG season 5 episode, "Cause and Effect," introduced the time-displaced Captain Morgan Bateson (Kelsey Grammer), who wore a beard. At that time, Will Riker was still a Commander. In Captains Pike and Batel as a sly meta wink to Will Riker in the future.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres in 2023 on Paramount+.