[s7e5] Second Chances 🎯 Simple

He still carries the same intense romantic feelings for Troi from eight years ago, effectively a "time capsule" of their relationship.

The duplicate was created by a massive energy surge in a planet's distortion field. [S7E5] Second Chances

He chose his career over Deanna, leading to the friendly but non-romantic relationship seen throughout the series. He still carries the same intense romantic feelings

One beam successfully returned Riker to the USS Potemkin , while the second reflected back to the surface, rematerializing an identical Riker. [S7E5] Second Chances

The episode is heavily praised for its emotional depth, specifically exploring the "road not taken" regarding Riker and Deanna Troi.