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Recap / Star Trek: The Next Generation S1E1 "Encounter at Farpoint"

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Original air date: September 28, 1987

The Enterprise -D is out on its maiden voyage to Deneb IV to pick up Commander William Riker when suddenly she encounters a giant space net of some description, and a being that calls himself a "Q". After a reflex action results in the freezing of a Red Shirt note  literally, although TNG would later switch to goldshirts for this (he gets better), Q decides to challenge the crew: If they can prove that mankind has put aside their savagery "nonsense", he'll let them go. The challenge involves them solving the mystery of Farpoint Station, an outpost on Deneb IV that has been the site of some absolutely bizarre goings-on, mostly in the guise of apples that appear from nowhere and fabric that suddenly changes texture. Of course, all is not as it seems, and the head of Farpoint Station, Groppler Zorn, has a lot to answer for.

The year is 2364. The United Federation of Planets is enjoying a period of unprecedented peace and exploration, and the crown jewel of this period has been launched: the Galaxy -class USS Enterprise , NCC-1701-D. She's captained by Jean-Luc Picard, a forty-year veteran of Starfleet and one of their most distinguished officers. His crew is a handpicked ensemble of Starfleet's finest, including an android (Lieutenant Commander Data) and a Klingon (Lieutenant Worf), a sign of the Federation's alliance with the Klingon Empire. For her maiden voyage, the Enterprise has been assigned to visit the Bandi on Deneb IV, a planet on the edge of explored space. It seems they have constructed a space station (on the surface) and they're appealing to join the Federation.

Suddenly, the voyage is interrupted by a vast energy grid blocking their path. Picard orders full stop, and the crew is startled by someone who flashes onto the bridge. The being declares that humanity has gone too far into the galaxy and they are to return home at once. Identifying himself simply as Q, he demonstrates his powers by blocking security from entering the bridge and freezing a redshirt (though non-fatally). Picard and Q engage in philosophical debates as the former tries to explain how humans have grown up from being a "grievously savage child race". Nevertheless, he inadvertently gives Q an idea and the being departs. Worf recommends they fight while Security Chief Tasha Yar recommends escape. Thinking quickly, Picard decides to see just what a Galaxy -class starship is capable of and orders them to jump to maximum warp. A Sphere of Fear gives chase and eventually starts to overtake the Enterprise . The Captain orders all civilians into the saucer section, which separates while he takes the stardrive against Q. However, recognizing that he is outmatched, Picard broadcasts a surrender.

Suddenly, Picard, Troi, Data, and Yar find themselves in a late-21st Century court. They are heckled by the audience and threatened by armed soldiers until Q arrives, dressed in regal attire as the court's judge. He presents the charges against Picard, that humanity is a savage race. Despite promising a "fair trial", it's quite clear that the Q have already made up their mind. He has the soldiers put their guns to the defendants' heads and demands they plead guilty. Picard does so, but only provisionally. He asks Q to test humanity, to see if this is still true of humans. Q is intrigued and agrees this, noting that Farpoint Station will make an excellent test.

We then cut to Farpoint itself, and meet Commander William Riker, formerly of USS Hood and ready to assume his position as first officer of the Enterprise . He goes to meet with Groppler Zorn, the administrator of Farpoint, and asks some questions about how the Bandi were able to build the facility in such a short time despite having no advanced construction techniques. Zorn attempts to deflect this by offering some fruit. Riker asks if he has apples, to which a bushel of apples suddenly appears. After the human leaves, Zorn begins cursing an unseen force.

In the market place, Riker meets with Dr. Beverly Crusher, the new CMO, and her son, Wesley. He starts to talk about the strange occurrence in Zorn's office, but Crusher is distracted by a bolt of fabric. She off-handedly mentions it would look lovely with gold, and it suddenly has a gold pattern on it. Soon after, they get word from Lt. Geordi LaForge that the stardrive section of the Enterprise has arrived. Riker is signaled to beam aboard.

• A Form You Are Comfortable With : Q presents himself as a "fellow captain" to break the ice. This being Q however, "A Form You Are Irritated By" may be more accurate.
• Actor Allusion : Once again, Wil Wheaton falls into a stream . At least this time, there are no leeches.
• After the End : Q puts the crew on trial in an Earth Kangaroo Court from the late twenty-first century, the time of the Post-Atomic Horror following World War III .
• Appeal to Force : Once Q has put the Enterprise crew on trial, the accusation is made that humanity was once and still might be a "dangerously savage child-race". Picard says they will successfully defend themselves against the accusation if the trial is fair. Q replies that the trial will be absolutely equitable , and then promptly orders that Picard and crew be summarily executed if they enter any other plea besides guilty.
• Badass Boast : "Let's see what this Galaxy -class starship can do!"
• Beyond the Impossible : Picard tries to outrace Q and pushes the Enterprise to its maximum emergency speed of warp 9.7. Then Q's "ship" reaches warp 9.8. Data says they might be able to match that, but at "extreme risk". As Picard hesitates and considers... Yar: Now reading hostile at warp nine point nine , sir!
• Big "SHUT UP!" : Q uses this to silence the spectators when they protest him unfreezing Tasha.
• Call-Back : Admiral McCoy 's old-age makeup was designed to resemble the doctor's appearance after being hit with the rapid ageing disease in TOS's "The Deadly Years".
• The Cameo : DeForest Kelley as 137-year-old Admiral McCoy . This would start a tradition of each new Trek show having a cameo from the previous show in its pilot, though that was done away with after Star Trek: Enterprise .
• Captain Morgan Pose : Q adopts this pose when he first appears on The Bridge , well before Riker makes this his shtick.
• Captain Obvious : Troi is there right from the start, as she sees a guy covered head to toe in ice and declares "He's frozen!"
• Captain's Log : The first spoken words after the Opening Credits . "Captain's log, Stardate 41153.7. Our destination is Planet Deneb IV, beyond which lies the great unexplored mass of the galaxy. My orders are to examine Farpoint, a starbase built there by the inhabitants of that world. Meanwhile I'm becoming better acquainted with my new command – this Galaxy -class USS Enterprise . I'm still somewhat in awe of its size and complexity. As for my crew, we are short in several key positions, most notably a first officer, but I'm informed that a highly experienced man, one Commander William Riker, will be waiting to join the ship at our Deneb IV destination".
• Cerebus Retcon : When the crew is placed on trial, Picard suggests that Q judge them based on their performance on the "long mission" they have ahead of them. Q dismisses the idea but says he will judge them just based on how they perform on this specific visit to Farpoint Station. Seven years later, in the final episode "All Good Things..." , Q reveals that he took up Picard's suggestion after all, saying "the trial never ended". Later, in the Star Trek: Picard episode Penance Q states tells Picard that the trial is still on-going.
• Change the Uncomfortable Subject : A subtle example—when Riker compliments Zorn on how well Farpoint Station caters to the desires of its guests, Zorn offers him a bowl of fruit.
• Tasha Yar loses her temper and essentially goes into a tirade against the illusionary postapocalyptic courtroom. This may be a carryover from The Series Bible where her character was originally called Macha Hernandez and was essentially meant to be an expy of Vasquez from Aliens (whom the series bible specifically refers to), in that she was fiery and feisty. This was evidently forgotten immediately when the producers realized that a characterization based on a Space Marine was not exactly compatible with the non-violent, Mildly Military vision of Gene Roddenberry 's future. After this, Tasha was regularly shown to be somewhat mild mannered but still capable and independent.
• It's stated that Riker wants to be the captain of the Enterprise more than anything else. He's also depicted as being much more of a stickler for the rules, such as when he chews out Geordi for not using the proper protocol when delivering a report; quite a contrast from the more laid-back officer we see in later seasons.
• Picard implies that the Ferengi (who had yet to appear onscreen) were known for eating their nominal allies, a trait that seems unlikely now. Early appearances show them as a fairly warlike race, meant to replace the Klingons as primary antagonists, but ended up as the greedy, unscrupulous capitalists shown in most of their appearances. This is at least justified in being rumors being that the Federation hadn't actually established contact with the Ferengi yet.
• Picard's initial characterization as stern, cold and quick-tempered is never more on display than in this episode, where he snaps at his subordinates and doesn't even bother to look at his new first officer.
• Dr. Crusher is written as a Motor Mouth who frequently talks over other characters, something that more fits Dr. Pulaski's characterization when she gets introduced the following season.
• Q is much more contemptuous, dismissive, and outright hostile towards humanity than in most of his future appearances, where he's usually out to teach humanity a lesson of some kind (though definitely not above messing around with the Enterprise , and later Voyager crew).
• Chekhov's Lecture : In the holodeck, we're treated to some mild technobabble on how it converts energy to matter to make objects. Later on, it is revealed that the Starfish Aliens live on energy and use it to create objects in order to please people on the Farpoint station.
• Continuity Nod : At the end of their initial encounter aboard the Enterprise's bridge, Picard angrily dismisses Q and his whole agenda, commenting that this is far from the first time humanity has encountered arrogant Sufficiently Advanced Aliens who felt their higher level of technology gave them grounds to mock and scorn humanity for its violent past or lower power level. This actually indirectly references several stories from Star Trek: The Original Series , most prominently in the season one episodes The Corbomite Manuever and Arena .
• Department of Redundancy Department : The crew says that the mysterious ship does not match anything in their database at least twice.
• Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu? : Tasha goes ballistic at Q's Kangaroo Court . It gets her frozen for her trouble.
• Dull Surprise : The crew's faces during the saucer separation. Not helped by the fact that the theme song is blaring triumphantly in the background while our heroes stare blankly and agape at the screen.
• Early Adaptation Weirdness : In the novelization, Data says he was built by aliens secretly living on an Earth colony called Kiron III as opposed to later episodes saying he was built by a human called Noonien Soong on a planet called Omicron Theta.
• Beverly purchases a full bolt of fabric, suggesting she hand makes clothing.
• When meeting Riker, Data mentions he graduated in the "class of '78" (very likely meaning 2278). Data's original intended backstory was very different from the one which was eventually developed during the course of the first season. He was supposed to be much older and have been serving in Starfleet for much longer.
• Q's trial is stated to be taking place during the "post-atomic horror" of 2079. While the franchise has not fully mapped out the 21st Century, it is now clear that World War III occurred in the 2050s and this was followed by first contact with the Vulcans in 2063. Afterwards, the Vulcans took stewardship of Earth and helped humanity rebuild. (The hand-wave explanation could be that the whole planet Earth wasn't rebuilt all at once.)
• The holodeck behaves a bit oddly compared to later in the show. The water Wesley falls into must have been non-holographic, since it drips off him in the corridor after he leaves. Data also throws a rock, which bounces off the holodeck wall instead of merging into the scenery as it should.
• On top of that, Data is stated to be in "Holodeck Area 4-J". Holodecks would only be listed by a single number.
• Dr. Crusher decides to purchase a bolt of fabric and asks the Bandi to charge it to her account on the Enterprise , making this one of the very, very rare references to any sort of money being used by the Federation.
• Data sits at what would later become the helm console by "Code of Honor". In addition, there's a hidden phaser underneath the console.
• When Lt. Torres is frozen, Data summons medics by pressing a button on the console rather than tapping his communicator badge.
• The primary handheld weapon in this episode is the Type 1 phaser. They would rarely appear in the first season, as Gene felt they were too small to see on-screen and hardly appear afterwards.
• A male skant version of the uniform makes one of its few appearances here. Tasha is shown wearing the skant variant in the final shot.
• A dropped idea for Q was that the Q Continuum was many entities with the same face. While Q's behavior still falls under the concept of the general trickster archetype, watching this episode with this in mind, it's very clear that John de Lancie's performance is based on this idea.
• Zorn and Picard describe the Ferengi as some great force who take over planets and possibly eat people.
• At the end of the episode, Picard orders an energy beam fired from the main phaser banks. The beam is emitted from the direct underside of the saucer section, from what supplementary materials would identify as the Captain's Yacht. This was corrected for the bluray release.
• Troi telepathically speaks to Riker. This never happens again, and the ability for her to telepathically speak to people she is very close to is never brought up again. She is also emotionally impacted when she senses the feelings of the jellyfish aliens, becoming sad, angry, and joyful as she opens her mind to them.
• This was also the only episode Troi would wear any standard uniform (the skant) until season six's " Chain of Command " (excluding the illusory Troi in season 4's " Future Imperfect ").
• The ship's computer has a much different female voice than the series would use later on, and it spoke in a much more natural manner than the simple computer tone that would become the later norm.
• When formulating his plan to outrun Q, Picard says that his orders will be transmitted via "printout only", in contrast to the clearly No-Paper Future .
• Picard asks Riker if he'd like to initiate "an illegal kidnapping". Later episodes would show Picard to be quite a strickler with rules.
• Data uses contractions. Later episodes establish that he actually can't.
• This is the only time in which Picard says "supplementary" in his Captain's Log, instead of "supplemental".
• Picard's narration of his logs is very flat and subdued, compared to the more casual deliveries in later episodes.
• When Q first appears, he makes a serious and dignified attempt to pass himself off as a historical domain character once he makes first contact with the Enterprise crew. When Picard and company don't appreciate the form he's assumed, the guise drops and he stops using any pretense of respect for them. Then Q reverts to his true nature as a sardonic gadfly, and hereafter, any of his guises are cheesy, biting, and sarcastic cosplays.
• While Q still appears, disappears and changes his appearance with a flash of light, other displays of his power (such as putting a Q-grid across the turbolift entrance to block out security, or freezing Lt. Torres solid) are done with a simple glance and no flash, rather than his iconic Badass Fingersnap and flash of light combination. This is also the only time he would turn uppity humans into Human Popsicles .
• The "Previously" segment in part two is narrated by a male voice, which announces the title of the pilot episode, "Previously, on 'Encounter at Farpoint'", as though the creators didn't know if the show would be picked up for a full run and lacked the confidence to use the actual series name because it wasn't full-grown yet. Later two-parters would be narrated by Majel Barrett , who would say "Last time on ''Star Trek: the Next Generation", then a recap segment, and finish by saying, "And now, the conclusion".
• Neither Geordi nor Worf start the show in their familiar roles as chief engineer and security chief, respectively.
• This is the only episode in which the main theme plays during the episode itself.
• The Starfleet officers wear tight-fitting spandex jumpsuits with shoulder piping that would be replaced with the better-known wool two-piece uniforms with collar piping a few seasons later.
• The Ferengi (as yet unseen) are treated as The Dreaded when Groppler Zorn mentions them.
• And of course, Riker is clean-shaven.
• Replicators don't seem to exist yet. The ability of the holodeck to create things using technology akin to a transporter is considered as innovation, and the Enterprise crew seems amazed that things like the fruit bowl seemingly appear out of thin air.
• The saucer section was able to travel by itself to the Deneb planet after separation, despite being a probable long amount of distance away after being separated from the drive section while traveling at warp speed. Later episodes would establish the saucer section as having no warp drive of its own which would make travel time at impulse power incredibly long.
• Q has to "chase" the Enterprise in some manner and imprison it in some sort of force field as if he's operating some sort of ship. This occurs to a small degree in his next appearance, but soon Q has more omnipotent powers where he doesn't require such contrivances.
• Captain Picard appears in silhouette through the window of the Enterprise-D , making a captain's log entry. The first appearance of a remarkably different captain to Kirk. And then there's his speech to Q . There's a reason he's the Trope Namer there, folks. Plus the moment when he commands them to take an untested starship on its maiden voyage to well-beyond-regulation-safety-limits.
• Commander Riker boards the Enterprise and immediately has a talk with Captain Picard about his previous service. Picard brings up a time when Riker refused to let a previous CO beam down to a planet (which becomes a running theme between the two of them in the later series). Picard gruffly asks if Riker has any respect for a Captain's rank. Riker, without being either defensive or smug, says that a Captain's life means more. Picard suddenly smiles and says "Welcome aboard the Enterprise ". This scene is more or less sums up how their relationship is going to go for the rest of their time serving together.
• Data gets confused by a human figure of speech—and upon discovering its meaning, immediately reels off various synonyms like the walking encyclopedia he is. And then there's a little later in the episode when Riker finds him trying to whistle in the holodeck (he finds how easily humans can do it amazing) and makes the statement: Data: I am superior [to humans], sir, in many ways. But I would gladly give it up to be human. Riker: Nice to meet you, Pinocchio.
• After harassing the crew, Q appears on the Enterprise's main viewer. Worf draws a gun and is ready to shoot, prompting Picard to ask him if he want to put a hole in the main screen. The Son Of Mogh may be a little hot-headed, like all Klingons, but damned if he's gonna back down from people screwing with his Captain and his ship.
• Wesley begging to get to see the bridge of the Enterprise, getting overexcited in a holodeck and falling in the water established him pretty well as a smart, eager kid and probably would've been okay if they left it like that.
• Q's first appearance, as an early modern sea captain, is almost jocular ( Soundtrack Dissonance aside)—but a few seconds later he's freezing a crewman solid with a glimpse. Enter... chaos .
• Tasha's impassioned speech about how much the Federation did for her and how much of a mockery Q's "Court and Jury" setting was established her attitude, and hinted heavily at her background.
• The first thing Deanna Troi does on screen is start sensing things and recounting what she's feeling. Then later she talks right into Will's head via a kind of telepathy, establishing their romantic history.
• Geordi gets one talking about his VISOR to Dr. Crusher. Geordi : A remarkable piece of bioelectronic engineering by which I quote "see" much of the EM spectrum ranging from simple heat and infrared through radio waves etcetera etcetera, and forgive me if I've said and listened to this a hundred times before.
• Establishing Character Music : The opening scene has a soft rendering of the Star Trek fanfare followed by soft, peaceful music that leads to our first look at Captain Picard . He's quickly established as a more low-key hero than Captain James T. Kirk .
• We're introduced to Captain Picard who's seen touring the Enterprise , taking account of his ship, and we find out that the main crew isn't fully assembled yet as they're traveling to Farpoint Station to pick up their remaining officers, most notably Commander Riker.
• While TOS took an optimistic but still Knight in Sour Armor look at humanity ("we can admit we're killers, but all it takes is not killing today"), the Patrick Stewart Speech shows the more Ideal Hero approach.
• Extremophile Lifeforms : The huge jellyfish-like aliens are luminous and pliant, yet able to survive nicely in the vacuum of space.
• Famous, Famous, Fictional : When Q first appears, he is dressed as a captain from the Age of Sail , then as a US Marine from The 20th Century —and finally as soldier from the Post-Atomic Horror of the 2070s (And at the end of the episode, he is continuing the theme by wearing the uniform of a contemporary note  meaning 24th century Starfleet captain. This last one will evolve into the default outfit for him and other Q in many later episodes).
• Fantastic Honorifics : The leader of the Bandi is addressed as "Groppler" Zorn.
• Fictional United Nations : In Q's court, Data quotes a precedent from the New United Nations that established that no Earth citizen could be made to answer for the crimes of his race or forebearers. Q snaps back that they’re in a post-WWIII court, which had no consideration for United Earth nonsense.
• Funny Background Event : When Picard steps onto the bridge for the first time, Data can be seen stretching his fingers before using the console.
• Get Out! : Picard angrily orders the Crushers to leave the bridge when Wesley instinctively opens an alert on the captain's chair.
• Government Drug Enforcement : According to Q, soldiers during the post-atomic horror were controlled with drugs. One such soldier at the trial even takes a snort just before being executed.
• Greeting Gesture Confusion : Zorn apparently uses his left hand for handshakes instead of his right.
• Hanging Judge : The Post-Atomic Horror court. Picard: I recognize this court system as the one that agreed with that line from Shakespeare . "Kill all the lawyers." Q: Which was done. Picard: Which led to the rule guilty until proven innocent. Q: Of course. Bringing the innocent to trial would be unfair.
• Heinousness Retcon : The Ferengi go through several versions of this during the show's run, mostly due to initial plans for them to be the shows main antagonists falling through. In this episode, it's heavily implied they're notorious for eating other sapient species , something which is never mentioned again throughout the entire franchise (save one novel that reconnected it as part of a propaganda campaign to make them look fearsome in preparation for meeting what they believed was a truly insane faction).
• Hologram Projection Imperfection : The novelization implies that Holodecks are normally like this as Riker notes that the one he visits on the Enterprise D is the first one he saw that had realistic looking projections.
• Humanity on Trial : The Q do this because they believe humans are a barbaric race.
• Kangaroo Court : Q has made up his (their) mind already and the trial is a sham.
• Kill It with Ice : Q does this to the Redshirt Lieutenant Torres and later to Tasha Yar, though both are revived (Torres with the Enterprise 's sickbay, Yar by Q himself). Part of the Early-Installment Weirdness ; later on Q's weapon of choice for messing with people is different forms of Teleport Spam (probably because Q learned that freezing people not only means he can't mess with them any more, but the unfrozen people become very focused on their frozen comrade instead of him, making it all less fun).

• Mathematician's Answer : Troi tells Groppler Zorn that she's only half-Betazoid; her father was a Starfleet officer. This is true, but it doesn't explain that her father was human.
• Mauve Shirt : Colm Meaney is playing a nameless Spear Carrier extra in this episode. This role later evolved into Chief Miles O'Brien, who eventually even got main character status in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero / Insult Backfire : When Picard dismisses Q as a "self-righteous life form, eager to prosecute and judge anything they don't understand or can't tolerate", Q pounces on the notion with glee. "Splendid, splendid, Captain! You're a veritable fountain of good ideas. There are preparations to make, but when we next meet, Captain, we'll proceed exactly as you suggest ".
• Noodle Incident : Whatever happened on Altair 3 that Riker wouldn't let DeSoto beam into.
• Oh, Crap! : When informed by Riker that he'll be overseeing the reconnecting of the Enterprise and that it is to be done manually as ordered, Yar, O'Brien, and even Data look like they'd rather be somewhere else.
• Tasha gives one to Q that doubles as "The Reason You Suck" Speech : Picard: Tasha, don't— Tasha: I must, because I grew up on a world that allowed things like this "court"! And it was people like these who saved me from it! This so-called court should get down on its knees to what Starfleet is! What it represents!
• Permission to Speak Freely : Riker before spelling out to Picard that being his Number Two means being responsible for his safety.
• Planetville : As had been standard for Star Trek since the original series. The Bandi "capital" (and seemingly the only major settlement on Deneb IV) is a crude-looking village in the desert.
• Pink Girl, Blue Boy : The 'jellyfish' aliens, once their true forms are revealed.
• Power Echoes : Q's voice has a noticeable echo when he first appears on The Bridge .
• Proud Warrior Race Guy : Worf, of course; it's his Establishing Character Moment in fact, when Picard orders him to take command of the saucer section and lead the civilians to safety. Worf: I am a Klingon, sir. For me to seek escape while my captain goes into battle— Picard: You are a Starfleet officer , Lieutenant!
• Tasha gives another short but well-aimed anti-Q diatribe that melds this trope with Patrick Stewart Speech .
• Schizo Tech : A plot point is that the Bandi don't seem technologically advanced enough to have built Farpoint Station. It turns out they didn't.
• Screw the Rules, I Make Them! : Q promises Picard that there will be "a fair trial, absolutely equitable". This fairness lasts about half a minute, culminating in Q ordering guns to the defendants' heads and demanding a guilty verdict.
• Secret Test of Character : Picard gives Riker one as soon as he comes on board, starting with a manual reconnection of the saucer and stardrive sections and culminating in questioning his ability to follow orders — specifically, whether or not he can function as a Commander Contrarian within the bounds of Starfleet regulations. Riker passes with flying colors. Picard: I see in your file that Captain DeSoto thinks very highly of you. One curious thing, however — you refused to let him beam down to Altair Three. Riker: In my opinion, sir, Altair Three was too dangerous to risk exposing the captain. Picard: I see. A captain's rank means nothing to you. Riker: Rather the reverse, sir. But a captain's life means a great deal more. Picard: Isn't it just possible that you don't get to be a Starfleet captain without knowing whether it's safe to beam down or not? Isn't it a little presumptuous of a first officer to second guess his captain's judgment? Riker: Permission to speak candidly , sir? Picard: Always. Riker: Having been a first officer yourself, you know that assuming that responsibility must by definition include the safety of the captain. I have no problem with following any rules you lay down, short of compromising your safety. Picard: And you don't intend to back off from that position? Riker: No, sir.
• Shapeshifter Showoff Session : Q introduces himself by suddenly appearing on the bridge in the guise of a Renaissance-era ship captain, then (after some more godlike antics) becoming a US army general, then a soldier from post-atomic Earth.
• Shutting Up Now : Subverted —when Data apologizes for "commenting on everything" while on the space-dwelling life form, Riker tells him, "Don't stop, my friend". He probably ends up regretting that.
• Shut Up, Kirk! : Q cuts Tasha's impassioned speech at the trial short by freezing her solid.
• Some Kind of Force Field : Troi suggests that the Q-grid that appears in front of the Enterprise might be a powerful force field. Q makes a smaller one appear in a turbolift, stopping two Red Shirts from entering.
• Spinoff Sendoff : DeForest Kelley , as an elderly Dr. McCoy , sends the TNG crew on its way with his blessing. McCoy : Well this is a new ship. But she's got the right name. You treat her like a lady, she'll always bring you home.
• Standard Establishing Spaceship Shot : The opening scene of the episode is an exterior shot of the Enterprise approaching the camera before zooming in to a window where Captain Picard is revealed.
• Starfish Aliens : Jellyfish Aliens, to be exact.
• Sufficiently Advanced Aliens : Q is capable of transporting himself and other people around at whim, and disables the Enterprise a couple of times.
• Take That! : Q's U.S. Marine uniform is modeled after Col. Oliver North, who was implicated in the Iran-Contra scandal.
• Technology Marches On : The computer showing visitors around, with displays lighting up with traveling dots, was impressive at the time, but now seems a rather low-tech solution to the problem. This wouldn't be such an issue, except Riker treats it as new and impressive in-universe rather than taking it for granted.
• Theme Music Power-Up : The main theme blares triumphantly during the saucer separation sequence.
• Voice Changeling : Data uses this to repeat Picard and Q's words from earlier, in which the latter promised that this would be a fair trial.
• The jellyfish aliens (although the Bandi ensured that it wasn't voluntary for one of them).
• Q can also change his appearance at will, although he mainly uses it for putting on different "costumes". However, in his next appearance, "Hide and Q", he briefly takes the form of a three-headed Aldebaran serpent.
• We Will Meet Again : After completing the test, Picard demands Q get off his ship. Q obliges, but not before saying, "But I do not promise never to appear again".
• Recap/Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S1 E2 "The Naked Now"

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Published Oct 2, 2012

Catching Up With TNG & DS9 Guest Natalija Nogulich

Natalija Nogulich knows how to make an impression. Tapped to play Vice-Admiral Alynna Nechayev in the sixth-season Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “ Chain of  Command, Part 1 ,” Nogulich turned a one-off opportunity into a recurring role. She returned to TNG to play the formidable, no-nonsense character in “ Descent ,” “ Journey’s End ” and “ Preemptive Strike ,” often clashing with Picard, and then beamed over to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for the episodes “ The Maquis, Part I ” and “ The Search, Part II ,” butting heads with Sisko. Nogulich remains a fan favorite and attends a couple of Trek conventions a year, and she’s still in demand as an actress, with upcoming projects including a role in an HBO biopic about music producer Phil Spector and a recurring part on the upcoming ABC series Red Widow . StarTrek.com recently caught up with Nogulich for an extensive conversation about her Trek work and career. Let’s start with Star Trek . What was your path to TNG ? Nogulich: My agent got me auditions for a couple of roles in Star Trek , and I was not cast. The feedback they got was, “She’s too strong.” I don’t remember what the parts were, but they were guest star parts. The producers said, “We liked her and we’re going to keep her in mind.” Sometimes you go in and you don’t get something, but they’ll put you on the short list for something else. Then I was asked to come in to play this apparently Russian woman, Alynna Nechayev, but they didn’t want a Russian accent. She was a very strong woman. I have the feeling that they may have had me in mind for it specifically, though there’s no way for me to know that for sure. I went in and I booked it. Was it meant to be a one-off? Nogulich: As far as I knew, that was it. I was doing that one episode. I had no idea it’d turn into a recurring part on TNG , but also on DS9 . I absolutely loved her. I loved her because she was principled, unafraid and had the strength to stick by what she believed, even though Captain Picard always countered me. We were worthy adversaries. How did you enjoy working with the TNG cast? Nogulich: Patrick and I had a wonderful time working together. He’s a brilliant, amazing, generous, sweet and supportive actor. My favorite scene in all of the episodes is the little tea party I had with Patrick. Jonathan Frakes and Marina (Sirtis) and the whole gang… it was just thrilling. And then when I went on to work with Avery (Brooks)… Sisko would also blow his top when I gave an order about the Maquis or whatever was going on in an episode. We had this wonderful, combative relationship. It was just so much fun. I wish I could have done a dozen more episodes of both shows. I had such a wonderful time as that character. So you’re probably glad you didn’t land those earlier TNG roles for which you’d auditioned… Nogulich: Exactly. Thankfully I did not get them, and it led to something better. Let that be a lesson to me. Sometimes when something doesn’t work out, it just means that something better is waiting for you. Let’s talk about what you have going on these days. What is Red Widow ? Nogulich: Red Widow is an exciting new series for ABC which will air in January, midseason. It’s about the Russian syndicate in San Francisco. It’s kind of a Russian Sopranos . I play the ex-wife of the head guy, who’s played by Rade Serbedzija. My daughter is played by Radha Mitchell, who’s a brilliant Australian actress. Her character is the red widow. I don’t want to give away too much, but she is the red widow. It’s really great, and it’s created by Melissa Rosenberg, who wrote the screenplay for Twilight and has done many other things. She’ a very enlightened writer, and the whole staff is amazing. ABC bought eight episodes, and I’m doing five out of the eight, which is very exciting. What’s your character like? Nogulich: My character is a little bit of a diva, a Russian diva. She loves her kids and would do anything for them. She brings in a lot of the old-school Russian values and humor, even though the show is a drama. I like her. It’s such a pleasure to get scripts and go up there (to Vancouver) and act and to be able to embrace who you’re playing. Plus, all the other actors are just splendid, just top-rate actors. What do you play in the Untlitled Phil Spector Biopic ? Nogulich: David Mamet has written and directed that, and Al Pacino is playing Spector. I think it’s going to air in January, but I’m not sure yet. Helen Mirren plays Spector’s first attorney, Linda Kenney Baden. Dame Helen is a genius and my idol. It explores the first trial, in which Spector was acquitted. Of course, he ended up being found guilty in the second trial, when the old girlfriends came forth. I have one little scene as an Italian journalist. David Mamet seems to like to put me in roles where I’m not speaking English. I speak a little bit of English as well in it, actually. But it’s funny; my career has blossomed into this (spate of) playing foreign characters. I also recently played a Romanian clothes designer on Suburgatory , and that episode will air on October 24. Aren’t you from Chicago? Nogulich: Yes. I was born in Chicago. Isn’t it interesting? I did live in Europe for a while. My parents are from Serbia. I speak six languages. So maybe it’s a natural niche. What else do you have on the way? Nogulich: I do have some other acting irons in the fire, but I can’t say anything until they’re finalized. I will tell you that they’re also foreign women (laughs). You teach. You’ve also written a book, right? Tell us about the book… Nogulich: I have just finished my first novel. It’ll be published by Lulu.com and out by the end of this year. It’s called One Woman’s War , and it’s the beginning of a trilogy. It’s about revenge and forgiveness, and it has a lot of humor in it. It takes place in the Balkans and in New York City. I’m very, very thrilled about the novel. That’s been keeping me busy. I’m not one to sit around and go to the beach. I love the beach, actually, but I’m usually working on something. Wording this as sensitively as we can: you are over 40 and you’re female, which can often be the kiss of death in Hollywood. What does it mean to you to be so busy right now? Nogulich: That’s a really interesting question. I have a lot of colleagues who are having the struggle. I’ve had that down time. I’m grateful, because there are a lot of great actresses out there that aren’t working. I consider myself a good actress, but there are lots of others who aren’t working. So I’m grateful that the cards have fallen this way, but I also think a lot of it has to do, for me, with my versatility and being able to do a lot of different kinds of character. I can play comedy, drama. I can play different foreign women. I think that has helped me. I also think hanging in there is a lot of it. I have colleagues who turned 40 or 50, even, and just said, “You know what? It’s not happening. I’m going to pursue something else.” If you hang in long enough and you’re left standing, you’re going to get work. I think that’s part of it. I just feel grateful.

Click HERE to visit Nogulich's official site.

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Chain of Command, Part I

• Episode aired Dec 12, 1992

Picard is replaced as captain of the Enterprise so he, Lt. Worf and Dr. Crusher go on a top-secret mission into Cardassian space. Meanwhile, his replacement, Captain Jellico, meets his new c... Read all Picard is replaced as captain of the Enterprise so he, Lt. Worf and Dr. Crusher go on a top-secret mission into Cardassian space. Meanwhile, his replacement, Captain Jellico, meets his new command with some resistance from the crew. Picard is replaced as captain of the Enterprise so he, Lt. Worf and Dr. Crusher go on a top-secret mission into Cardassian space. Meanwhile, his replacement, Captain Jellico, meets his new command with some resistance from the crew.

• Robert Scheerer
• Gene Roddenberry
• Ronald D. Moore
• Frank Abatemarco
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• LeVar Burton
• 31 User reviews
• 8 Critic reviews

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Worf

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi

• Lieutenant Commander Data

• Capt. Edward Jellico

• Vice-Adm. Alynna Nechayev

• DaiMon Solok

• Enterprise Computer

• Ensign Gates
• (uncredited)
• Crewman Garvey
• Crewman Martinez
• Ensign Kellogg

• Command Division Officer
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Captain Jellico orders Deanna Troi to wear a proper Starfleet uniform. Even after Jellico's departure, Troi continued to wear this uniform for the rest of the series. This delighted Marina Sirtis , as the uniform reminds the audience that she is, in fact, an officer with command authority. As for fans, the general consensus was widespread approval for this change with the general agreement that Troi looked great in uniform.
• Goofs Considering Beverly is buried in a pile of rubble in the caves, she is surprisingly clean and unhurt.

Commander William T. Riker : May I present Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Admiral, welcome on board.

Vice-Adm. Alynna Nechayev : Thank you. That'll be all, Commander.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Can I get you some coffee, tea...

Vice-Adm. Alynna Nechayev : Thank you, no, Captain. I'm afraid there's no time for the usual pleasantries. I'm here to relieve you of command of the Enterprise.

• Connections Featured in Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Q: The Winged Serpent (2012)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 31

• makiefer-87128
• Mar 13, 2024
• December 12, 1992 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 45 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Screen Rant

Star trek makes enterprise’s doctor phlox species matter in discovery’s future.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 reveals that the Denobulans are still important allies of the Federation, 900 years after Dr. Phlox in Enterprise.

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, "Whistlespeak".

• "Star Trek: Discovery season 5 uncovers the vital role of Denobulans in Starfleet's future with Dr. Kreel's involvement in the Progenitors' treasure."
• "Entry of Dr. Kreel continues the legacy of Enterprise's Dr. Phlox, highlighting the importance of the Denobulans in the Federation's history."
• "Dr. Kreel's name check in Star Trek: Discovery reaffirms the presence of Denobulans in the 24th century, bridging the gap between Enterprise and the future."

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, "Whistlespeak" reveals that Star Trek: Enterprise 's Denobulan species, popularized by Dr Phlox (John Billingsley), played a hugely important role in the future of Starfleet and the Federation. The latest clue to the Progenitors' treasure is located on the planet Halem'no, a pre-warp planet which has been given a subtle helping hand from the Denobulans. Discovery season 5, episode 6 , written by Kenneth Lin and Brandon Schultz, and directed by Chris Byrne, reveals that Denobulan scientist Dr. Hitoroshi Kreel was one of the five scientists who hid the Progenitors' treasure 800 years ago.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6's revelations about the Progenitors' treasure and its link to the Denobulans is a welcome reminder of the species. Star Trek 's most notable Denobulan, Dr Phlox, was a hugely important figure in the 22nd century, serving as chief medical officer aboard the first version of the starship Enterprise . Phlox's adventures on the Enterprise NX-01 helped to establish the rules of the Federation that are still followed almost a millenia later in Discovery season 5. Discovery 's new Denobulan, Dr. Kreel, therefore, continues the legacy of Enterprise 's Phlox .

Star Trek: Enterprise Cast & Character Guide

Why it matters star trek: discovery’s dr. kreel is denobulan like enterprise’s dr. phlox.

The Denobulans were one of several alien species introduced in Star Trek: Enterprise , and were popularized by the character of Phlox. Because Enterprise was canceled , and there were no Denobulan characters seen in Star Trek 's 24th century , there was a risk that the species may have faded into obscurity. Star Trek: Discovery 's Dr. Kreel is proof that the Denobulans were alive and well in the 24th century, and still played a vital role in the affairs of the United Federation of Planets. There is no better example of this than the Federation President's decision to recruit a Denobulan scientist for their top secret Progenitors mission.

Although Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, doesn't feature Dr. Kreel on screen, he's still an affirmation of Enterprise 's big additions to the canon of Star Trek aliens . The other alien scientists searching for the Progenitors' treasure were all members of iconic species who have played integral roles in shows like the Betazoids from Star Trek: The Next Generation and the Trills from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . It's fitting, therefore, that one of Star Trek: Enterprise 's Denobulans is also part of this vitally important research group.

Other Denobulans Besides Enterprise’s Dr. Phlox In Star Trek

Although sightings of the Denobulans are rare outside Star Trek: Enterprise , Doctors Phlox and Kreel aren't the only Denobulans who have appeared in the wider franchise . In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 4, "Mugato, Gumato", two Denobulan researchers are attacked by a Mugato. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow", a Denobulan cadet accuses the Enterprise's transporter chief of stealing a ring, a dispute broken up by Lt. La'an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong).

Most notably, Lt. Barniss Frex (Eric Bauza) from Star Trek: Prodigy was the first commissioned Denobulan Starfleet officer depicted on screen. The unfortunate Denobulan became a victim of Prodigy 's Vau N'Akat villains and their Living Construct weapon when the crew of the USS Protostar visited the subspace relay station CR-721. However, Frex blamed the young Protostar crew for his misfortune when he was recovered by Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the USS Dauntless. Hopefully, Star Trek: Discovery 's Denobulan scientist will lead to further appearances from Dr. Phlox's species in Star Trek 's future.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

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Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise acts as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, detailing the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk commanded the ship. Enterprise was the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise overall, and the final series before a twelve-year hiatus until the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, with an ensemble cast that includes John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, and Connor Trinneer.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

"Star Trek: Lower Decks" focuses on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships, the USS Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi must keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies. The ship's bridge crew includes Captain Carol Freeman, Commander Jack Ransom, Lieutenant Shaxs and Doctor T'Ana. This is the second animated spin-off in the franchise after 1973-74's "Star Trek: The Animated Series," but has a decidedly more adult tone and humor.

Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: Prodigy is the first TV series in the Star Trek franchise marketed toward children, and one of the few animated series in the franchise. The story follows a group of young aliens who find a stolen Starfleet ship and use it to escape from the Tars Lamora prison colony where they are all held captive. Working together with the help of a holographic Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), the new crew of the USS Protostar must find their way back to the Alpha Quadrant to warn the Federation of the deadly threat that is pursuing them.

Starfleet uniform (2350s-2370s)

• View history

Starfleet uniforms (2364)

Starfleet uniforms (2369), with optional tricorder and phaser holsters , and armbands

In the early 2350s , the Starfleet uniform was completely redesigned. Closer in appearance to those in service during the late 2260s , the new Starfleet uniform spawned several variants, most notably in 2366 , and inspired versions yet to come.

The next major redesign came in the late 2360s , and was used in conjunction with this design for a few years before both styles were completely phased out.

• 1.1.1 Skant
• 1.2 Transitional versions
• 1.3.1 Captain's variant
• 1.3.2 Maternity uniform
• 1.3.3 Uniform undershirt
• 4.1 Lab coat
• 4.2 Medical skant
• 5 Utility uniform
• 6 Covert ops attire
• 7 Cadet uniform
• 8 Provisional uniform
• 9 Other uniform features
• 10 Rank insignia
• 11.1 Background information
• 11.2 Appearances
• 11.3 External links

Standard duty uniform [ ]

Command red

Operations gold; note that male and female styles are identical

Sciences blue, open

Introduced as early as 2353 , the standard Starfleet duty uniform in use aboard Starfleet starships , at starbases , and at Starfleet Headquarters on Earth , consisted of form-fitting jumpsuits, primarily black but prominently displaying the wearers' division of service. ( TNG : " Suddenly Human ", " Encounter at Farpoint ")

As with earlier Starfleet uniforms, the divisions were distinguished by color, with red for command , gold for operations , and blue for sciences , but switching the command and operations division colors from the earlier uniform designs , while the science division color stayed the same, with the colors shown on the chest, back and sleeves, as well as in piping along the shoulders, collar, and pant cuffs.

Worn with a Starfleet insignia combadge on the left breast, this uniform also displayed rank insignia – in the form of round pips – below the collar on the right side.

Closing at the front, the Starfleet uniform was adaptable for away team missions, including areas to attach phasers , tricorders or other equipment. While most officers wore the single-piece duty uniform, variants were available, such as the "skant" and medical skant versions.

While an updated version of this uniform was introduced in 2366, the 2350s variation remained in service, usually for lower-ranking personnel. This 2350s uniform disappeared from common use between 2367 and 2370. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " The Child ", " Shades of Gray ", " Suddenly Human ", " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ", " Violations ", " All Good Things... "; ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ")

A similar uniform design was in use by the Starfleet of the alternate reality by 2379 . ( DIS : " Terra Firma, Part 1 ")

Introduced alongside the standard duty uniform jumpsuit, a skirt or " skant "-style uniform was also available to Starfleet officers as early as 2364 . Similar to its jumpsuit counterpart, the skant uniform was a short-sleeved dress that could be worn with or without trousers, and included knee high, or shorter, black boots.

It was worn by all genders – though men tended to wear the shorter boots – until it was phased out of service in early 2365 . ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " Where No One Has Gone Before ", " The Child ", " All Good Things... ") In 2381, Ensign Mariner asserted that "nobody wears those anymore," in response to Ensign Boimler 's suggestion that they wear skants to the Command Conference held at Starbase 25 . ( LD : " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers ")

Transitional versions [ ]

A transitional version, between the Type A and Type B, of the uniform, introduced in early 2366, was designed with two vertical seams down the front of the jacket and dart seams in the underarm areas to create a more tailored look. The male design lacked the waistband found in the final Type B jacket revision. ( TNG : " The Survivors ") The uniforms were gradually phased out over a few months. ( TNG : " The Price ")

In 2366, one junior officer wore an unusual hybrid of the two primary uniform designs: a Type A one-piece uniform with division-colored shoulder and ankle piping, but featuring the Type B collar with neckline piping. ( TNG : " Sarek ")

Beginning in 2366, a new uniform variation was introduced to officers serving in Starfleet.

Retaining the same, distinct two-tone style as before, the newer version featured a higher, more formal collar. Division color piping was relocated from the yoke to the top of the collar, leaving a flat black look. The combadge remained on the left breast. Division colors were retained, with wine-red for command/helm, mustard-yellow for operations/security, and teal-blue for science/medical. Uniforms also came with a division color undershirt beneath the uniform jacket that was tucked into the pants just below the breast. ( TNG : " Ensign Ro ")

This alteration to the standard duty uniform was introduced to senior officers only at first, but was ultimately trickled down to lower-ranking crewmembers by 2368 . Still, while all officers aboard starships wore the same basic uniform, senior officers and department heads generally wore the belted version while other crew members wore the tighter, non-belted versions.

Officers continued to wear this style uniform, even after the introduction of the next uniform redesign , which at first was used only aboard starbases. Still, while the two uniforms were worn in service together (giving officers aboard ship a greater choice of wardrobe), the more formal duty uniform fell out of use aboard starships by 2371 . It continued to see use by officers serving at Starfleet Command on Earth or in other diplomatic service as late as 2374 . ( TNG : " Evolution "; DS9 : " Tears of the Prophets "; VOY : " Caretaker ")

Captain's variant [ ]

The captain's variant

In 2368, Starfleet had a uniform variant jacket made available to commanding officers in service aboard starships. ( TNG : " Darmok ", " Unification I ", " Cause And Effect ", " A Fistful of Datas ")

Maternity uniform [ ]

A maternity uniform in 2370

This appears to be a looser-fitting uniform designed to better accommodate the growth of a crew member while pregnant. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Uniform undershirt [ ]

Ro Laren wearing the Type B undershirt

The Type B uniform had a sleeveless undershirt in the wearer's division color, worn beneath the uniform jacket and tucked into the uniform pants just below the breast. ( TNG : " Ensign Ro ")

Flag officer uniform [ ]

Flag officer uniform, pre-2358

Sometime before 2358 , this uniform was available to Starfleet flag officers .

This uniform consisted of a double-breasted jacket that could presumably be opened like the jacket of the previous style , along with a featureless black belt, pants, and boots. The jacket opening was trimmed in gold, as were the black shoulders and large black cuffs. Gold trim also ran down the back in the same manner that black piping had ran down the back of the previous uniform style. Rank insignia was worn on the right shoulder just above the trim halfway between the jacket opening and the center of the collar, as well as on the cuffs. ( VOY : " Coda ")

Admiral Savar in 2364

This uniform variant, available to Starfleet admirals and other higher-ranking flag officers as early as 2364, featured a design distinguishing it from the standard duty uniform.

Consisting of a short, burgundy and black tunic, with black trousers, this uniform featured gold braid at the yoke, shoulders and collar. It was also marked by a distinct wedge of black material extending from the right shoulder down to the left waist. ( TNG : " Too Short A Season ", " Coming of Age ", " Conspiracy ")

Vice Admiral Nakamura in 2365

As early as 2365, another admiral's service uniform was available. Consisting of a short tunic top, with gold braid and yoke piping, the uniform was worn with black trousers.

The uniform rank insignia was displayed as a box-shaped insignia with pips inside, on either side of a high collar. ( TNG : " The Emissary ", " The Measure Of A Man ")

The post-2366 flag officer's uniform

With the alteration of the standard duty uniform in 2366, a new wave of uniforms for flag officers and admirals came into service.

This alteration featured a long service jacket and trousers. Similar to the standard duty jacket, the flag officer's uniform was marked by a V-shaped black cutout, trimmed in gold.

The rank insignia were enclosed pips worn on either side of the uniform collar, as well as displayed on both sleeves with four widely spaced, thin gold braid stripes ending at the cuff. ( TNG : " The Defector ", " Man Of The People ")

In 2369 , a new flag officer's uniform was introduced. Retaining the familiar long jacket and trousers, this newer version was simpler, abandoning the distinctive black wedge cutout from the previous design for a gold-trimmed closure running down the front of the uniform. The sleeves of the uniform were also modified, now bearing the rank insignia within a wide, black cuff.

This version was ultimately retired from service in the year 2374 in favor of yet another design . ( TNG : " Realm Of Fear "; DS9 : " Behind the Lines ")

Dress uniform [ ]

In the early 2360s, Starfleet personnel were issued a standard dress uniform that had a long wraparound tunic top worn with black leggings. An officer's standard rank insignia were not worn; instead, a band of gold braid ran the entire length of the jacket closure. ( TNG : " Lonely Among Us ", " Coming of Age ")

An admiral's version of this uniform also existed, which was worn in the same style, save for the gold braid, which was much thicker. Q once wore this uniform during his second encounter with the crew of the USS Enterprise -D . ( TNG : " Hide And Q ")

Introduced in 2365, this version of the dress uniform introduced rank insignia to the right shoulder and swapped the single gold braid for two narrower braids running parallel to each other (one gold, one silver), which together were the same thickness as the original. The gold braids also no longer extended below the black material that covered the shoulders from the yoke upwards. By 2366, the leggings had given way to a more standard black pants and boots. ( TNG : " Manhunt ", " Sarek "; LD : " Reflections ")

Picard in his dress uniform in 2368

In 2367, the dress uniform was again modified, this time removing several inches of material at the bottom, bringing the bottom of the jacket to mid-thigh just below the hands. A small section of the gold trim that ran vertical from the end of the top opening to the yoke was also removed, leaving only the trim above the rank insignia that ran around the collar. ( TNG : " Data's Day ", " Qpid ", " Cost Of Living ", " The Perfect Mate ", " Chain Of Command, Part I ")

By 2370, the dress uniform jacket had again been shortened, this time just removing enough material to bring the bottom to the hands, just below the waist. This uniform style was used by Starfleet until its retirement in 2374, though officers aboard the USS Voyager used it throughout their mission in the Delta Quadrant ending in 2378 . ( TNG : " Liaisons ", " Sub Rosa "; DS9 : " The Adversary ", " Crossfire "; VOY : " Course: Oblivion ", " Someone to Watch Over Me ", " Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy ", " One Small Step ", " Ashes to Ashes ")

Medical attire [ ]

Lab coat [ ].

Dr. Crusher in her lab coat

Starfleet medical personnel generally wore standard duty uniforms. In some situations, officers like Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher of the starship USS Enterprise -D wore medical lab coats over their sciences division uniform. ( TNG : " Evolution ").

Medical skant [ ]

A variant of the Type A standard duty uniform available to medical personnel. This uniform featured a tunic with a cut similar to that of the Skant style uniform, but apart from black shoulders, was completely medical-division blue. This tunic was worn untucked over separate black trousers, and standard duty boots. The initial design of this uniform featured two front pockets and a raised band in the midsection; these elements were later eliminated from the uniform. ( TNG : " The Child ", " Where Silence Has Lease ")

CMO Dr. Katherine Pulaski appeared to prefer this uniform to the Type A duty jumpsuit. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 )

Dr. Pulaski operating in surgical scrubs

During surgical sessions, scrubs were provided to doctors, consisting of burgundy-colored gowns and caps. Medical personnel also wore rubber-like surgical gloves during more intensive medical procedures and surgeries. ( TNG : " Samaritan Snare ", " Ethics "; DS9 : " Life Support ", " Profit and Lace ", " Tears of the Prophets ")

Utility uniform [ ]

The mid- 24th century uniform issue included a utility jumpsuit for technical personnel. The jumpsuit, in the three standard department colors, was worn over a black, long sleeve mock turtleneck, although some versions had a short black collar built in, and was worn with black boots. Another variation had division-color boots and black sleeves. Personnel wearing utility jumpsuits were sometimes issued combadges. ( TNG : " The Naked Now ", " Where No One Has Gone Before ", " The Big Goodbye ", " Datalore ", " 11001001 ", " Home Soil ", " Coming of Age ", " Heart of Glory ", " Symbiosis ", " Skin Of Evil ", " Conspiracy ", " The Neutral Zone ", " The Child ", " Where Silence Has Lease ", " Contagion ", " Peak Performance ", " Galaxy's Child ", " The Nth Degree ", " Schisms ", " Eye of the Beholder ")

Covert ops attire [ ]

Beverly Crusher and Worf in covert ops uniforms

In certain instances of covert operations or espionage , Starfleet officers were afforded specific attire to aid in the completion of their mission.

As early as 2369, some officers wore a black, tight-fitting jumpsuit uniform, not marked with an insignia or any kind of outwardly identifying marks. Distinguished by an optional jumpsuit hood and black boots, this uniform was sometimes worn with a backpack and technical gear for grappelling or other physically daunting tasks. ( TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part I ", " Frame of Mind ")

Cadet uniform [ ]

During the late 2360s, cadets at Starfleet Academy wore distinct duty uniforms consisting of a black, two-piece jumpsuit with division-colored shoulders, which is a reversal of the Starfleet duty uniform colors, resembling the next uniform design .

Originally, the cadet uniform maintained the low collar of the original uniform design, trimmed in black, and had no rank insignia. Two years later, the cadet uniform featured a high collar, with rank (or student year) insignia being added shortly thereafter. Both versions of the cadet uniform bore several large pockets running down the trousers. ( TNG : " Allegiance ", " The Game ", " The First Duty ", " Journey's End ")

This uniform was in use aboard Terrasphere 8 , Species 8472 's recreation of Starfleet Headquarters and the Academy in San Francisco , in 2375 alongside the next version of the standard duty uniform . ( VOY : " In the Flesh ")

Provisional uniform [ ]

The provisional uniform was worn by crewmen such as acting ensigns . There have been two variations of this uniform; the first had a light blue turtleneck tunic with navy blue shoulders and collar bordered with the colors of all three divisions. The blue division stripe crossed over the others to form an upward-pointing arrow on the left shoulder, while the red division stripe crossed under to point down. The uniform's navy blue pants matched the shoulders. The second variation was a heathered battleship grey turtleneck with matching trousers and dark charcoal gray ribbed shoulders and collar.

The first variation was worn with no combadge; the second worn with an entirely silver-colored combadge.

Other uniform features [ ]

Some officers wore alternate uniforms at times. Deanna Troi often wore casual clothing while on duty. Other officers, such as Worf, were allowed to wear accessories relating to their culture with their uniforms, but this was at the discretion of the captain. Bajoran officer Ensign Ro Laren was allowed to retain her culture's traditional earring, despite the reservations of some of her fellow officers ( TNG : " Ensign Ro ", " Chain Of Command, Part I "), and once wore a headband the same color as her division. ( TNG : " The Next Phase ") Benzite officer Mendon, participating in the Officer Exchange Program wore a uniform variant with a higher collar. It is unknown if this was in some way related to the breathing apparatus attached to his chest.

Rank insignia [ ]

The rank insignia were simplified from complex symbols from the previous uniform to small circular pips . These pips were colored either gold or black, to signify full or partial rank, respectively.

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Gene Roddenberry reviews a preliminary TNG uniform design

Studying the final uniforms

Robert Blackman examines the original uniform design

The Starfleet uniforms worn during The Original Series were designed by William Ware Theiss , who returned to design the Star Trek: The Next Generation uniforms (which were further adapted into future versions in DS9 , VOY and the TNG -era films by Robert Blackman ).

It is possible that the the command and operations division colors from The Original Series (gold and red, respectively) were switched for The Next Generation to make Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes more "commanding." [4]

Patrick Stewart claimed that the change from this Starfleet uniform to the new version after the second season of TNG was thanks to his chiropractor, who recommended Stewart sue Paramount for "lasting damage done to [his] spine." Evidently, the producers wanted to have a smooth, unwrinkled look to the Starfleet uniforms, which put strain on Stewart's shoulders, neck and back after two seasons in a lycra costume that was one size too small. [5]

Among the costumes and uniforms which were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, was an operations division uniform from this era. [6]

Appearances [ ]

• Season 1 (all episodes)
• Season 2 (all episodes)
• Season 3 (all episodes) (seen on background performers)
• " Suddenly Human " (photograph only)
• " Identity Crisis "
• " Violations "
• " Second Chances "
• " All Good Things... "
• ENT : " These Are the Voyages... "
• DIS : " Terra Firma, Part 1 " (hologram)
• LD : " Reflections " (image only)
• " The Bounty " (flashback)
• " Surrender " (hologram)
• Season 3 (all episodes)
• Season 4 (all episodes)
• Season 5 (all episodes)
• Season 6 (all episodes)
• Season 7 (all episodes)
• " Emissary "
• " Second Sight "
• " The Maquis, Part I "
• " The Maquis, Part II "
• " The Jem'Hadar "
• " Defiant "
• " Explorers "
• " The Way of the Warrior "
• " The Visitor "
• " Homefront "
• " Paradise Lost "
• " Rapture "
• " The Sound of Her Voice "
• " Tears of the Prophets "
• " What You Leave Behind " (flashback only)
• " Non Sequitur "
• " Death Wish "
• " Infinite Regress " (flashback)
• Star Trek Generations
• Star Trek: First Contact
• " Remembrance " (dream)
• " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 "
• " The Next Generation "
• " The Last Generation " (flashback; archive footage)
• " Temporal Edict " (seen on a Miles O'Brien holo-statue)
• " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers " (seen on Data bubble bath bottles)
• " Reflections " (image and flashback)
• " The Stars At Night " (flashback)
• " Parth Ferengi's Heart Place "
• " Old Friends, New Planets " (cadet uniform; flashback)
• PRO : " Kobayashi " (hologram only)
• DIS : " Red Directive " (image only)
• " Worst Contact "
• " Holograms All the Way Down "
• " Walk, Don't Run "

Skant uniform

• " Encounter at Farpoint "
• " The Naked Now "
• " Code of Honor "
• " Where No One Has Gone Before "
• " Lonely Among Us "
• " Justice "
• " The Battle "
• " Hide And Q "
• " The Big Goodbye "
• " Angel One "
• " 11001001 "
• " When The Bough Breaks "
• " Home Soil "
• " Coming of Age "
• " Heart of Glory "
• " The Arsenal of Freedom "
• " Symbiosis "
• " Skin Of Evil "
• " We'll Always Have Paris "
• " Conspiracy "
• " The Neutral Zone "

Utility uniform

• " The Last Outpost "
• " Datalore "
• " The Child "
• " Where Silence Has Lease "
• " Contagion "
• " Peak Performance "
• " The Best of Both Worlds "
• " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II "
• " Final Mission "
• " Galaxy's Child "
• " The Nth Degree "
• " The Host "
• " The Mind's Eye "
• " Redemption II "
• " Silicon Avatar "
• " Cost Of Living "
• " The Next Phase "
• " Schisms "
• " Rascals "
• " Eye of the Beholder "

External links [ ]

• Starfleet uniform (2350s-2366) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Starfleet uniform (2366-2373) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Starfleet uniform (2351-2365)  at Spike's Star Trek Page
• Starfleet uniform (2366-2372)  at Spike's Star Trek Page
• 24th century Starfleet uniforms  at Ex Astris Scientia
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Giant Freakin Robot

Star Trek TNG Best Actor Still Confused By The Best Episode

Posted: April 29, 2024 | Last updated: April 30, 2024

When you ask Star Trek: The Next Generation fans about their favorite episodes, one that always makes the list is “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” It’s an episode about time travel changing the future as we know it, and the quality of the episode was so good that it directly inspired the later reboot film Star Trek (2009). However, one Star Trek icon is still confused by it: according to Riker actor and veteran director Jonathan Frakes, “I do not know what the f*** happened in that episode… I’m still trying to understand it.”

Time Travel Never Means Good News

What’s not to understand about “Yesterday’s Enterprise?” To better understand Frakes’ comment, we need to touch on the plot of this standout third-season episode. The episode begins normally enough, but our familiar Enterprise-D crew soon encounters a rift in space and time that brings the Enterprise-C from the past to the future.

The Conflict

This immediately alters reality: the Enterprise-D is now more militarized, and the deceased Tasha Yar has replaced Worf at tactical. We discover that in this new reality, Starfleet is at war with the Klingons and losing badly. Sending the Enterprise-C back to the past is Picard’s only chance at possibly restoring reality, but he must wrestle with the moral implications of sending the ship and her surviving crew to certain death in the past courtesy of a vicious Romulan attack.

Time Travels Works A Bit Differently In Yesterday’s Enterprise

What was it, then, that confused Jonathan Frakes about “Yesterday’s Enterprise?” We can only speculate, but the safest bet is that he was confused by the nature of time travel in this episode. Most Trek episodes and films involving time travel involve characters traveling from one point in history to another–this episode features all of history changing because one ship just happens to travel through a random rift in space and time, and it’s admittedly weird to think that nothing more than flying from Point A to Point B could catastrophically doom the future.

The Paradox

Speaking of which, another part of “Yesterday’s Enterprise” plot that might have thrown Frakes off is the somewhat paradoxical nature of time travel in this episode. We see the literal moment that reality changes as the Enterprise-C comes through the rift, and after an episode of wrestling with his conscience about the decision, reality changes back to normal after Picard sends the older ship back to the past. 

It makes for great television, but it doesn’t really make sense. If the ship coming through the past was going to change reality, it would have happened long before the pilot episode of The Next Generation, so it’s strange to see this as a sudden change. For that matter, the outcome was never in doubt: the fact that we had already seen the ship and crew in the unaltered reality of earlier episodes means Picard was always destined to fix reality in this episode.

Perhaps It Helped Him Make First Contact

Perhaps because of Jonathan Frakes’ confusion over “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” he made the time travel in his film First Contact quite simple: the Borg open a rift in time and go through, with the Enterprise in hot pursuit. This was easy enough for even the most casual audiences to understand, which is exactly what you need in a feature film. Still, Frakes’ comment remains evergreen for Star Trek, and after any given Discovery adventure, I find myself quoting his words of wisdom: “I do not know what the f*** happened in that episode.”

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