There’s a reason why millions of people still love the Star Trek franchise to this date, despite being one of the oldest franchises in all of Hollywood. Although the franchise has a certain moral code and the classic fight between good vs. evil, there’s more to it than meets the eye.
From giving homage and references to having some detailed easter eggs that only the keen-eyed fans know, the Star Trek franchise has become a global pop culture phenomenon, and the characters Thad and Kestra were more than easter eggs for the world.
Star Trek: Picard introduced the children of Captain Riker
It was 1966 when Star Trek: The Original Series debuted, starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in leading roles. The series found much fame and critical acclaim (partly due to the space race that was going on at the time).
After a brief pause, the world was introduced to Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, and the world hasn’t forgotten the franchise since. Hundreds of characters were introduced over a span of hundreds of episodes and tens of movies, and fans got to know the deep lore that these characters had behind their kind faces.
As time went by, the Star Trek franchise started dropping references and easter eggs to their previous characters who weren’t in the franchise anymore as a homage to the wonderful universe that they had created together.
One of these easter eggs was the names of the children of Captain William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Although they haven’t been heavily involved in the franchise yet, their names are a story in themselves, which paid homage to one of Riker’s ancestors from the Civil War era, while their daughter was named after someone special, too.
Thad and Kestra are more than just easter eggs
In Star Trek: Picard, the world is finally introduced to the children of Captain William T. Riker and his wife, Commander Deanna Troi. Their oldest child, named Thaddius Troi-Riker, tragically passed away, while their daughter Kestra Troi-Riker is still alive and well.
Thaddius Troi-Riker was named after an ancestor of William T. Riker, named Thaddeus Riker, who served as the commander of the 102nd New York Infantry. When he was wounded in battle, he was saved by another soldier, who we find out was actually a Q (as in, the species) and called himself “Quinn”.
If it weren’t for “Quinn”, Captain William T. Riker wouldn’t have existed, and we all know how that would have ended up. However, their son tragically passed away from an illness.
Their daughter, named Kestra Troi-Riker, is another brilliant homage to Commander Deanna Troi’s older sister Kestra Troi, who also tragically passed away when she was young. Shortly after Deanna’s birth, his elder sister Kestra Troi ran after her dog, who had run away and accidentally drowned, leaving scars for Kestra Troi to bear.
In the franchise, Kestra Troi-Riker is alive and doing well, and it feels really nice to know that, despite not being an active part of the franchise, the two names have a story on their own.
With 3 seasons to its name, Star Trek: Picard currently stands at a rating of 7.5/10 on IMDb and a whopping 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. The iconic show is available to stream on Paramount+.
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