Before Chekov, Star Trek: The Original Series Had A Different Navigator Who Often Gets Overlooked

Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) did not join the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series until season 2, but the USS Enterprise had another navigator first. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) became the most popular characters to come out of TOS. Kirk and Spock's popularity, in particular, transcended Star Trek and made its way into general popular culture. But it took many crew members to keep the Enterprise up and running, some of whom stuck around longer than others.

After his introduction in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, Ensign Chekov served as the Starship Enterprise's navigator, but he wasn't the first dedicated crew member to hold that position. Although he only appeared in two episodes of TOS season 1, navigator Lt. Kevin Riley (Bruce Hyde) became a surprisingly popular character. Bruce Hyde retired from acting soon after appearing as Riley, although he sometimes attended Star Trek conventions. Hyde's film and television career was quite brief, and he taught communications at St. Cloud State University until his death on October 13, 2015, at the age of 74 from throat cancer.

Chekov’s Star Trek Predecessor Lt. Kevin Riley Explained

Lt. Riley Served As Navigator In Star Trek: TOS' "The Naked Time"

Lt. Kevin Riley's first Star Trek appearance comes in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 4, "The Naked Time," and this is likely the role for which he's most remembered. When the Enterprise crew members are affected by a strange disease that makes them act intoxicated, Riley commandeers the ship's engineering section and declares himself captain. The Irish-born Riley then performs the song "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" repeatedly over the Enterprise communications system. Like Chekov after him, Riley brought a certain liveliness to the Enterprise crew, with his youthful energy and proud Irish heritage.

Lt. Riley's second appearance comes in Star Trek season 1, episode 13, "The Conscience of the King," which reveals Riley's history with the infamous governor, Kodos the Executioner (Arnold Moss). The episode follows Captain Kirk as he investigates a Shakespearean acting troupe, believing the leader to be Kodos. Kodos had murdered Riley's family twenty years before, and Kodos' daughter Lenore (Barbara Anderson) tries to murder Riley to protect her father's identity. Riley later tries to avenge his family by killing Kodos, but Kirk talks him out of it. It's not hard to imagine Chekov in this role, as he too was prone to passionate outbursts.

Why Riley Was A Popular Star Trek Recurring Character

If Riley Had Stuck Around, He Could've Fulfilled Chekov's Role

As Lt. Riley was particularly memorable in both of his Star Trek appearances, he quickly became a popular character among fans. Riley's Irish roots and his hilarious musical performance in "The Naked Time" made him immediately likable. With the charm and boyish good looks of Chekov and the everyman quality later exemplified by Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meany) in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Riley was easy to like. He fit in well with the rest of the Enterprise crew and would have been a wonderful addition to the regular cast.

Although he only appeared in two early Star Trek episodes, Lt. Riley has popped up in numerous tie-in novels. One of these, The Sorrows of Empire by David Mack, even depicts Riley's Mirror Universe counterpart, who succeeds Spock as captain of the ISS Enterprise. In a 2014 interview with StarTrek.com, Bruce Hyde spoke about the sometimes bizarre experience of attending conventions, where he was regularly asked to sing "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen." Despite his brief tenure on Star Trek: The Original Series, Lt. Kevin Riley remains a beloved and fondly remembered member of the Star Trek family.