How Do We Define Riker's Beard?

Take a look through the ever-expanding Urban Dictionary and you will find the phrase "Riker’s Beard." As a Star Trek fan, and a person simply existing on the internet, you will no doubt be familiar with the term. Here’s how the crowd-sourced dictionary describes it:

As opposed to jumping the shark, Riker’s Beard is nothing but positive. It's the symbol of a moment when something average becomes something far better. Not that Jonathan Frakes and Commander William Riker weren’t already great, but that first appearance of Riker's beard in the opening episode of “The Child” in Season 2 was the start of a relationship that would continue for almost 30 years. (Star Trek IX: Insurrection saw the beard take a trip to Risa for a few days, not that Troi was complaining.)

The decision to grow the beard was all thanks to Frakes. Tired of shaving, he opted to arrive at TNG rehearsals unshaven and luckily for the actor, Urban Dictionary, and the rest of the known universe, Gene Roddenberry liked the facial fuzz as well. Speaking at a convention, Frakes recalled the moment when Roddenberry made clear his opinion on the beard, “I love the beard. It’s nautical. We’ll keep the beard, we’ll trim it down and shape it. It’ll be decorative.”

It took five episodes of tweaking, shaping, shaving, trimming, and sticking on hair when too much had been shaved away before the producers were finally happy with the beard's structural integrity.

A stylistic choice by the actor, fueled by a desire to not shave every morning, created something that coincided with TNG stepping out of the shadow of its illustrious predecessor and becoming very much its own entity. Frakes himself was very clear which version of Riker he preferred. "Bearded, without a doubt," the actor said. "I’m so proud that Riker’s beard is in the Urban Dictionary, defined as the opposite of jumping the shark. So, I’d have to go with the beard. And I’ve always liked the beard."

As the second season continued to develop, so grew the character of Riker with it. He began to evolve from a sharply focused, career-driven first officer into the nurturing, team player full of wise words and encouragement who would eventually take command of the U.S.S. Titan in the final moments of Star Trek Nemesis 15 years later.

To do the beard justice, perhaps we should highlight a trio of great beard moments. Of course, we can’t forget the scene in Insurrection, when Riker and Troi's relationship blossoms once again, and Troi discovers what it's like to kiss her beau with a beard.

“Yuck!”

“Yuck?”

“I never kissed you with a beard before!”

“I kiss you and you say, yuck?”

The Federation's fateful encounter with the Borg during the events of “The Best of Both Worlds” saw the beard tested to its very limits as its owner pushed the boundaries of his temporary command by making decisions we believe a beardless Riker would have blanched at.

And who can forget the season-six episode “The Quality of Life” with its trio of bearded Starfleet officers — Worf, Riker and Geordi La Forge (actor LeVar Burton bearded for the one and only time on TNG due to his own real-life nuptials) — play poker with Dr. Crusher, announcing that she’s suspicious of men who wear beards because they might be hiding something.

"Hide? Don't be ridiculous, Doctor. The beard is an ancient and proud tradition."

And there you have it, a proud and ancient tradition brought to the Star Trek galaxy by an actor who very wisely decided that shaving was no longer for him. Here’s to Jonathan Frakes, William T. Riker, and most importantly Riker's Beard.