Star Trek: Enterprise’s finale established that Riker likes to visit the NX-01 crew in the holodeck, which is something Captain Pike would like to do.

Star Trek: Enterprise‘s series finale was largely hated by fans, but Commander William Riker’s (Jonathan Frakes) actions turned into a hilarious joke in Star Trek: Lower Decks. In turn, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ Captain Christopher Pike would be envious of what Riker was able to do in the 24th century. Pike and Riker share one big thing in common besides their Starfleet careers on the Starship Enterprise: They both look up to Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula).

Commander Riker being the focal point of Star Trek: Enterprise‘s series finale, “These Are The Voyages…”, was perhaps the biggest thing fans revolted against, along with the show killing off Commander Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer). Rather than being about the crew of the NX-01, Enterprise‘s ending was actually about Riker trying to solve a moral dilemma from the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7 episode, “The Pegasus.” The cast of Enterprise essentially became guest stars in their own finale, and they didn’t even appear in as their flesh-and-blood selves. Rather, Enterprise‘s people were all holograms Riker interacted with until he reached the decision he needed in TNG.

Enterprise’s Finale Led To A Hilarious Riker Lower Decks Joke

Riker regularly visits Captain Archer’s Enterprise.

Star Trek: Lower Decks season 1’s finale brought back Captain Will Riker, who is now in command of the USS Titan following his promotion in Star Trek: Nemesis. In a sly wink to Star Trek: Enterprise’s series finale, Riker apologizes for being late for his duty on the bridge because he was in the holodeck, “Watching the first Enterprise. You know, Archer and those guys. What a story! Those guys had a long road getting from there to here.” This basically means Riker made a regular habit of visiting the crew of the NX-01 on the holodeck after the events of Enterprise‘s finale, i.e. Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s “The Pegasus.”

By virtue of speaking the lyrics of Star Trek: Enterprise’s theme song, “Where My Heart Will Take Me” by Russell Watson and Diane Warren, Captain Riker also made Enterprise‘s controversial opening credits track Star Trek canon. Thanks to Lower Decks, something that was considered a negative by Star Trek fans for almost 20 years was turned into something funny. Riker is now also clearly a big fan and admirer of Captain Archer and his 22nd-century crew of Starfleet pioneers.

Riker Visiting Archer On The Holodeck Would Make Pike Jealous

Captain Archer is Pike’s hero.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks established that Captain Christopher Pike also regards Captain Jonathan Archer as a hero. Pike confessed such to Ensigns Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), In fact, it was mentioning Archer’s Enterprise that made Boimler realize a piece of the NX-01 was part of Pike’s starship, and this was the means by which the USS Cerritos’ Lower Deckers could return to the 24th century. For Boimler and Mariner, though, time-traveling to the 23rd century to meet their real-life Enterprise heroes was better than a holodeck visit, which they could do any time.

Although Captain Pike admires Captain Archer and fantasizes about what it was like for 22nd-century Starfleet to open up galactic exploration for humans, he can never do what Riker does because Starfleet doesn’t have holodecks in the 23rd century. Pike can’t just pop into the NX-01 and hang out with Archer and his crew like Riker does. However, Pike is doomed to have a disfiguring accident and spend the rest of his life on Talos IV. Perhaps the Talosians can use their vast powers of illusions to allow Captain Pike to finally visit Captain Archer and the crew of Star Trek: Enterprise.