From: thetruemelissa@gmail.com   
      
   I just read the awesomest theory on YouTube: Riker was   
   the true commander of the Enterprise-D, and Riker and   
   Deanna Troi were secretly assigned to evaluate Picard's   
   fitness for duty and command.   
      
   The comment is appended. It explains a lot, doesn't it?   
      
      
   Melissa   
      
      
      
   @indetigersscifireview4360   
   10 months ago (edited)   
   Here's my theory.  It's a long one.  It covers, not only   
   why Deanna is s always on the bridge, but also why Riker   
   never leaves the E.D. for a command of his own, why the   
   only sentient android is on the E.D., why the only   
   Klingon in Starfleet is on the E.D. and why Starfleet   
   allow the Crushers to serve with Captain Dunsel, uhm I   
   mean Picard.  And it all starts at the beginning of the   
   series with Dr. McCoy.   
      
   Picard is, in Starfleet parlance, a Captain Dunsel   
   character serving no useful function.  He rarely ever   
   does anything to save his ship or his crew.  My theory is   
   that Picard was traumatized on the Stargazer so badly   
   that he completely adopted his British persona so that he   
   wouldn't have to look himself in the mirror.  More on   
   what traumatized him so badly at the end.  After almost a   
   decade of psycho therapy without results, McCoy decides   
   on the job therapy is the only thing that may help.  So   
   he arranges for Picard to be the "Captain" of the E.D.   
   But having served with the Greatest Of All Time, James T.   
   "god killer" Kirk, he knows that Picard will need a   
   strong backup.  McCoy, having met with Riker, proposes to   
   Will that he can be Captain of the Drake OR he can be   
   Captain in all but name, of the E.D.  Riker will be in   
   command of the E.D. and help to evaluate Picard's fitness   
   to return to active duty.  Will agrees when he finds out   
   that he will be working with Deanna.  That's why, in   
   seven years, Riker never leaves the E.D.  Because he's   
   Captain in all but name.  The very first conversation   
   between Picard and Riker confirms Will's status.   
      
   Picard: So a Captain's rank means nothing to you.   
      
   Riker: Quite the reverse sir, but a Captain's life means   
   more.   
      
   This conversation, right after Riker explains that he was   
   protecting Captain DeSoto from danger, is subtext.  The   
   subtext is that Picard suspects that he's not really   
   responsible for the E.D. and her crew.  Will confirms   
   Picard's suspicion which is a relief to Picard.  Keep in   
   mind that, in Encounter at Farpoint, Picard was assigned   
   Riker as his First Officer.  The two had never met.  And   
   that Picard's first action report is to surrender to Q.   
   Q who by any metric of ability in that first episode was   
   no more powerful than the Federation.  He puts up a   
   forcefield in space.  He beams aboard the E.D.  He   
   freezes an Ensign.  He changes costumes on the fly.  He   
   creates a realistic holographic projection.  And Picard   
   is so overwhelmed by this he surrenders.   
      
   Deanna is also on the E.D. to evaluate Picard's fitness.   
   That's why she's always on the bridge.  That is also why   
   she doesn't wear her uniform after Will arrives on the   
   E.D.  She knows the uniform makes Picard uncomfortable   
   after 9 years of being in psycho therapy with Starfleet   
   doctors.  She can judge his level of anxiety immediately   
   with her empathic skills, and evaluate him as a   
   psychologist.  But she doesn't have the command   
   experience to judge his actions.  And, it just so   
   happens, that the only person she can communicate with   
   telepathically is Will Riker.  Who has enough command   
   experience to have been offered the cruiser Drake.  And   
   he's on the bridge of the E.D. too.  That's why we see   
   the two communicate through telepathy only once.  Or do   
   we?  Everyone once in a while Deanna and Will will look   
   at each other meaningfully without saying a word.   
   Usually behind Picard's back or give each other the side   
   eye.  They are evaluating his actions in the moment in my   
   theory.   
      
   So that's the basic theory.  The rest will go quickly   
   from here.   
      
   Data is First Officer in all but name, because he has no   
   ego to bruise.   
      
   Worf is Picard's security blanket.   
      
   And the Crushers, especially Wesley, are catalysts.   
      
   That leaves us with only one thing.  What could have   
   traumatized Picard so badly that the proud Frenchman took   
   on the very British persona we see?  We know that the   
   Stargazer suffered only superficial damage according to   
   Geordi and Data.  Why, then abandon ship?  It all goes   
   back to the beginning of the series and the other part of   
   the first conversation between Picard and Riker.  He's   
   uncomfortable around children.  Because Picard lost his   
   own son and/or family when the Ferengi attacked the   
   Stargazer.  And that's why he abandoned ship.  That's why   
   he's very British when in reality he's French.  And the   
   evidence is all there in the series when you watch it   
   with this in mind.  Riker turning down the Drake before   
   we meet him despite the fact that he wants to be a   
   starship Captain more than anything else.  Why Deanna   
   ditches the uniform after Farpoint station.  Why she's   
   always on the bridge.  Why Wesley stayed with the E.D.   
   when his mother went back to head Starfleet medical.  Why   
   Picard does almost nothing at the beginning but   
   eventually takes on more and more tasks.  And why the   
   E.D. goes on so many milk runs.  Go look over Farpoint   
   station.  Say hi to these aliens.  Time to come back home   
   for computer upgrades.  Take colonists to their new   
   world.  That's my theory.  Thanks for sticking around to   
   the end.??   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)