Every Star Trek show is an ensemble focusing on the lives of the crew of whichever starship or space station is the primary location. Sadly, these ensembles don't always endure as actors decide to leave to pursue other roles, or in some cases are even forced out. Given the grueling schedule of delivering over 20 episodes of a Star Trek show during the 1990s, it's hardly surprising that some actors lost their passion for the franchise, especially if they found their scripts lacking.
At the time of Star Trek: The Next Generation's legendary season 3 finale, "The Best of Both Worlds: Part 1" it was rumored that Patrick Stewart could have exited the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and he would be replaced as the series lead by Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes). It's unclear how true those rumors actually were, or whether they were a means to promote what became a turning point for TNG's popular appeal. Whatever the truth of Patrick Stewart's desire to leave Star Trek behind at the time, there are several other major characters before and after Picard who were written out when the actors portraying them decided to leave the franchise.
