Second Chances

TNG Season 6 Episode 24
Air Date: May 24th, 1993

Cmdr. Riker returns to the planet Nervala IV where he barely escaped when the planet's atmosphere changed preventing transporter and shuttle use. Only on the return they discover that a transporter accident occurred that caused a duplicate of Riker to rematerialize on the planet surface during the evacuation. Over the past 8 years this version of Riker survived.

The episode is about using Lt. Riker to try to recover data from the station below but the real plot was about Cmdr. Riker dealing with a duplicate of himself and Lt. Riker dealing with the decisions his alternate made while he was trapped. Things like letting the relationship with Counselor Troi slip away. In the end they did get a mutual respect for each other but you can still see there was tension. Lt. Riker takes on his middle name Thomas and gets a new assignment on the USS Gandhi.

Quotes

"If you met a double of yourself, would you have difficulty interacting with him?" - Lt. Cmdr. Data

"I think so." - Lt. Worf

"Why?" - Lt. Cmdr. Data

"I am not easy to get along with." - Lt. Worf

"Ever since he came on board, I find myself thinking about the choice that you and I made." - Cmdr. Riker

"Me too." - Counselor Troi

"Do me a favor. Be careful." - Cmdr. Riker

"Will, I know you and he have had some problems." - Counselor Troi

"That's not what I'm talking about. If he had gotten off the planet instead of me, don't you think he would've made the same choices that I made? I just don't want you to be hurt again." - Cmdr. Riker

"I practiced in the mirror too long to be fooled by that face. You're bluffing." - Cmdr. Riker