Jonathan Frakes has seen Star Trek fandom at its best and its worst. As Commander Riker on The Next Generation, he experienced the pre-internet era of Trek fandom. Now, as director of Starfleet Academy, he's witnessing what social media has done to that community. And according to Frakes, it's gotten worse.
"The trolls are hiding, and the trolls are hating," Frakes told IGN, describing fan toxicity as "dimensionally more painful" today than during the TNG years. This isn't just an old man yelling at clouds. This is someone who lived through both eras offering firsthand testimony about how the conversation has deteriorated.
In the '80s and '90s, if you hated an episode of Star Trek, you wrote a letter to Cinefantastique or complained to your friends. Now, you can harass actors directly on social media, organize review-bombing campaigns, and turn your displeasure into a full-time hobby. The barrier between fan and creator has collapsed, and not always in healthy ways.
Star Trek fandom has always been passionate, but the current era of Discovery, Picard, Strange New Worlds, and Lower Decks has exposed fault lines. Some fans object to the politics (despite Trek always being political). Others hate the aesthetics (despite Trek constantly reinventing itself). And a vocal minority has turned their disappointment into weaponized harassment.
Frakes' comments matter because they come from someone with deep credibility. He's not a newcomer defending a controversial creative choice. He's Number One, a beloved figure in Trek history, saying "this has gotten out of hand."
