Jonathan Frakes' guest spot as Lieutenant Thomas Riker inStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 3 is effectively a remake andStar Trek’s version of the first Jack Ryan movie,The Hunt for Red October.Posing as Commander William Riker fromStar Trek: The Next Generation, Thomas charms his way into Deep Space Nine with a nefarious agenda:Will Riker’s transporter clonesteals the USS Defiant to use as a weapon against the Cardassians,with Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) aboard as Tom’s prisoner. What’s more, Riker reveals hequit Starfleet and joined the Maquis.
1990’sThe Hunt for Red Octoberwas the first big-screen blockbuster adapted fromTom Clancy’s series of novels centering on CIA analyst Jack Ryan. InRed October,Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) steals the Red October, the Soviet Union’s most advanced nuclear submarine. As the United States and Soviet navies mobilize to hunt the Red October, Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) deduces Ramius' true goal: the Soviet captain intends to defect to America.Thomas Riker’s mission inStar Trek: Deep Space Ninehas fascinating echoes of Ramius' scheme inThe Hunt for Red October.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s “Defiant” Is An Unofficial Hunt For Red October Remake
Thomas Riker Is Star Trek’s Marko Ramius
InStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 3, episode 9, “Defiant,” the USS Defiant is essentially the nuclear submarine inThe Hunt for Red October. TheDefiant is equipped with a Romulan cloaking device, which is akin to the Red October’s silent propulsion system, the caterpillar drive. Thomas Riker has also ‘defected’ to the Maquis, just as Captain Ramius planned to turn himself into the United States.Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) finds himself in the Jack Ryan role, gauging Riker’s mindset and deducing his true intentions.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Cast & Character Guide
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had the biggest cast of characters of any Trek show, meaning that Captain Sisko had numerous allies in the Dominion War.
A scene between Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) and Sisko where they debate Riker’s motivations is similar to moments InThe Hunt for Red Octoberwhere the CIA and the White House ponder what Captain Ramius is up to. The Russians also play games and deceive the United States Navy inThe Hunt for Red October,just as Cardassia’s Obsidian Order hides a secret fleet they are building in the Orias system. However,Thomas Riker’s outcome differs greatly from Ramius': the Maquis defector is voluntarily captured by the Cardassians, whereas Jack Ryan helps Ramius and his crew defect to the United States.
Star Trekhas never resolved what happened to Thomas Riker afterStar Trek: Deep SpaceNine’s “Defiant.”
Interestingly, the writer ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 3, episode 9, “Defiant,“Ronald D. Moore, did not intentionally base his story onThe Hunt for Red October, which hit movie theaters four years earlier. Further, Commander Sisko’s role in “Defiant” echoes the President of the United States played by Henry Fonda in the 1964 thrillerFail Safe, which is about the United States and Russia working together to shoot down an American plane en route to launch a nuclear strike against Moscow. Regardless,the similarities between “Defiant” andThe Hunt for Red Octoberare intriguing.
Star Trek: TNG Has A Hunt For Red October Connection
Gates McFadden Was The Original Cathy Ryan
Star Trek: The Next Generationhas a fascinating connection toThe Hunt for Red October. Gates McFadden, who plays Dr. Beverly Crusher and is one ofStar Trek: The Next Generation’s main cast members, had a cameo appearance as Dr. Cathy Ryan in the opening minutes ofThe Hunt for Red October.McFadden had hoped to continue playing Cathy in the sequels, but the role was recast with Anne Archerwhen Harrison Ford took over the role of Jack Ryan from Alec Baldwin in 1992’sPatriot Gamesand 1994’sClear and Present Danger.
Star Trek’s Gates McFadden Explains Her Jack Ryan Movie Disappointment
Exclusive: Gates McFadden appeared as Cathy Ryan in The Hunt for Red October, and she reveals why she was recast for the Jack Ryan sequel films.
In 2014, aStar Trekleading man became Jack Ryan. Chris Pine, who played Captain James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams’Star Trekmovies, was cast as Tom Clancy’s hero inJack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, opposite Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner, and Kenneth Branagh. Unfortunately, the reboot was unsuccessful, and Pine didn’t continue as Jack Ryan. In hindsight,Star Trek: Deep Space Nineunintentionally making their own version ofThe Hunt for Red Octobermakes “Defiant” an even more compelling watch for Tom Clancy fans.
