Synopsis: Lt. Riker, the duplicate of Commander Riker created in a transporter malfunction, poses as the original in order to take the Defiant and deliver her to the Maquis.
This episode can be seen as an illustration of James Hillman’s acorn theory, the idea that we are all born with our own internal daimon that contains all the information that we need to become who we are.
In “Defiant” Lt. Thomas Riker, he goes by Commander William Riker’s middle name in order to create his own identity, comes to Deep Space Nine. Like William Riker he is charming and well respected in Starfleet. He asks Major Kira Nerys to give him a tour of the Defiant, and once she unlocks the controls, he stuns her with a phaser and takes the vessel away. He wants to take it to Cardassian space in order to destroy a secret military base. As soon as Kira regains consciousness she does her best to impede Riker’s efforts and mentions to him on several occasions that he is not a terrorist, he is a Starfleet officer. That he wants to be a hero, but terrorists can’t be heroes.
That Kira’s words eventually carry the day and Tom Riker, when cornered, surrenders to the Cardassian authorities is because she is appealing to his inner daimon. Like William Riker, he considers himself a hero, or at least wants to act like one, and by sacrificing himself to save his crew, he will be true to himself. It was his destiny.
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