Commander Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation has an odd way of sitting in chairs, something that has become a meme in the Star Trek fandom but also has an interesting real-world explanation. Riker served as first officer to Captain Picard for all seven seasons of The Next Generation and appeared in the subsequent TNG films as well as making several cameo appearances in other Star Trek series. He is remembered for his charismatic personality and penchant for being a bit of a ladies man, but also as Picard’s strong right hand and an excellent first officer.
In addition to these traits, however, Riker also demonstrated that he had a unique way of approaching sitting in chairs. While most people would simply pull out a freestanding chair and sit down normally, Riker instead tended to approach the chair from behind and throw one leg over the back of it, usually causing him to sit straddling the chair for the rest of the scene. If the chair couldn’t be moved, Riker would sit down more normally, but even while sitting he tended to have a pronounced lean in his posture, favoring one armest or the other. Fans subsequently dubbed these two characteristics “The Riker Chair Maneuver” and “The Riker Lean” respectively, and have been poking fun at Riker’s odd way of sitting for years, even occasionally organizing “Riker Chair Mounting” contests at fan conventions in an attempt to copy The Riker Chair Maneuver specifically.
While the maneuver is certainly amusing to watch, it has a slightly more serious real-world explanation. According to a thread on Reddit, actor Jonathan Frakes has an old back injury that he sustained years before Star Trek: The Next Generation, which caused him to have to modify the way he sits. This means that both The Riker Chair Maneuver and The Riker Lean are likely more comfortable for him than just sitting down normally, especially when multiple takes of a scene would have required Frakes to stand up and sit down numerous times. Frakes’ back injury was confirmed on the same Reddit thread by fellow TNG actor Wil Wheaton, who wrote, “Confirmed. Source: I served on the Enterprise with Riker for 5 years.”
While Frakes himself has never addressed the injury directly, he did additionally comment on The Riker Chair Maneuver during a recent live commentary session for a screening of Star Trek: First Contact. During the commentary, Frakes explained that because the chairs on the TNG set usually had very low backs, it was easy to employ the maneuver to throw his leg over them. This was especially true in Ten Forward, where most instances of The Riker Chair Maneuver took place. Frakes called the maneuver a “cocky, cowboy move,” a description that both sums it up accurately and is in keeping with Riker’s established personality.
The Riker Chair Maneuver and The Riker Lean weren’t the only two standing or sitting-related moves Riker pulled on Star Trek: The Next Generation that caught fans’ attention over the years. On the bridge, especially when he was giving orders or in command of a situation, Riker would often strike a pose with one foot propped up on something, lifting his leg into the air in another cocky stance that clearly stated his confidence. Whether or not this was accommodation for the same injury has never been confirmed, but regardless, it is just one more thing fans have come to appreciate about Jonathan Frakes’ immortal performance as Riker.
