star trek tng farpoint

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Encounter At Farpoint Part 1 and 2

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DeForest Kelley

Colm Meaney

Miles O'Brien

John de Lancie

Michael Bell

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Star Trek: The Next Generation : "Encounter at Farpoint"

Let's start with the bridge. In the original series, it looked like a cabin on a ship. A large ship, sure, some kind of battle cruiser or a luxury liner, but still identifiably nautical, with curved display panels, the hard angles, the way everything essentially worked to support the single central point of the captain's chair. It wasn't easy on the eyes, but it was functional. It was here to get the job  done .

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Now look at the bridge of this new  Enterprise , and it's… different. It's different, right? The captain's chair is still in the middle, but he's flanked on either side by seats for his officers, and the majority of the heavy duty computer equipment is up a rise  behind  the captain's chair. He can't look to his right and converse with his science officer from a seated position. In fact, if he wants to talk to any of the people standing at the back wall, the captain has to stand up. The helmsmen are in the traditional down-front position, but they look half a mile away. While the bridge on  TOS  revolves around the captain, this new bridge is more an environment full of tools which the captain has to draw from. The original bridge is designed for a man who dives into a situation, phaser on stun, two-fisted and grinning. This new bridge is for the strategist. It may take him twenty minutes to plan his next move, but you probably shouldn't get too attached to your king.

(A quick aside: the first season of  Star Trek: The Next Generation  is a bumpy, bumpy ride. When a show runs as long as this one, and when it hits the heights  Next Gen  [from here on referred to under the approved abbreviation,  TNG]  eventually does, it's easy to focus on the great moments and ignore the awful ones. In the weeks to come, I expect I'll be reminding myself over and over of the Borg and the totally bad-ass time loop episodes and Locutus and the fact that Tasha Yar eventually dies. But we can't just skip ahead. We're nerds, for god's sake, and some things, like continuity and completism, are sacred.)

The  TNG  bridge is important, because it indicates a difference of intention that gives the show its own identity even in the early, rougher seasons. If the bridge of the  TNG Enterprise  is more contemplative by design, it makes sense that it is also more democratized. On the original show, the major focus was Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, in that order. Lip service was paid to the ship's more than four hundred souls, and a handful of other supporting characters caught our attention from time to time, but there was never any question of who ran the place, and who really mattered. Uhura and Sulu and the rest were part of that stable of faces whose development relied more on the needs of the episode than on any inherent integrity of their personality. So Sulu could be a botanist one episode, because a writer wanted to show off some fake space plants, and it never gets mentioned again.

TNG  changed that. While there are still definite leading figures, the difference between lead and support is a lot fuzzier, and right from the start, you get a sense that these people have lives even when they aren't on camera. I'm not suggesting those lives are richly developed or particularly complex right now, and I'll freely admit, if I didn't know how much better the show got down the road, I'd be a lot less excited at the prospect of hanging out with these people. But even without advanced knowledge, there is  potential  here. The drama of the show isn't just going to come from alien threats and space-time anomalies. We're also going to have to deal with a crew that has its own fair share of needs, ambition, and suffering.

So we have: Geordi La Forge (Levar Burton), a blind man with a special visor that allows him to "see," at the cost of constant pain; First Officer William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), former lovers meeting again and re-opening old wounds; Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), with a dead husband and an irritatingly chipper son, Wesley (Wil Wheaton); Worf (Michael Dorn), a Klingon and a Starfleet officer; Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby), who has some serious issues with her past; Data (Brent Spiner), an android who wants nothing more than to be a real live boy; and Captain Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) an irritable bald man who dislikes children. Of such humble beginnings, dynasties are built. Not all these subplots are immediately promising, but introducing them this early on is a show of good faith, an implication of a cohesive community which only needs our attention and time to grow.

The downside to all this is that "Farpoint" has a number of scenes whose only reason for existing is to give us exposition that doesn't immediately matter. At an hour and a half, the show's pilot episode is basically a two-parter, and while it's necessary to spend time introducing us to this new world, there's a lack of urgency that occasionally makes the episode less an adventure than a homework assignment. The episode starts strongly enough, with the  Enterprise  running afoul of Q (John de Lancie), a god-like being who demands the ship stop its explorations because of humanity's essential savageness. This leads to lots of shouting, running around, showing off the new special effects, and while it's rather silly in retrospect (why would Q stop them while they were on their way to Farpoint? They haven't yet gone beyond the limits of Federation knowledge), it's familiar and exciting enough to work as a hook.

But then we get the saucer separation, a long, rather pointless sequence that only exists because it kind of looks cool. Once the ship arrives at Deneb IV, home of the unusual Farpoint base, whatever urgency remained evaporates. Q gives Picard a deadline, and a mission, and the real story behind Farpoint is clever, but the mystery is treated with the same importance as introducing Riker to his new captain (Picard has Riker manually re-connect the ship's body and saucer sections, a not all that tense scene that simply repeats what we saw ten minutes ago, in reverse), setting up the Crushers, showing off the Holodeck, and so on. While "Where No Man Has Gone Before," the first episode of the original series, kept raising the stakes with its major threat, the danger in "Farpoint" is only really relevant when Q is on-screen, and even then, it's not all that nerve-wracking, especially when Q starts giving orders at the climax which guide Picard into making the right choice. General rule of thumb: when an impish being of immense power starts encouraging you to do something, it's a good idea to do the opposite.

As beginnings go, this is more functional than inspiring, and there are already harbingers of problems we'll have to face in the episodes to come. Yes, Wesley is as annoying as promised. Tasha Yar is one note and tedious. Denise Crosby isn't given a whole lot to do in the role, but surely she could've found some other setting beyond "overwrought shouting." Marina Sirtis doesn't fare much better. Troi's importance as ship counselor is questionable from the start, as her half-Betazoid ability to sense emotion allows her to say things like "I sense a powerful mind" whole seconds before the  Enterprise  goes into Red Alert. I always wondered if the show wouldn't've been better off revealing in some later season that Troi's "gift" was nothing more than the instincts and intuition of an extremely clever con-woman. This would explain how, despite having spent her entire life experiencing the feelings of everyone around her, Troi is more vulnerable the the passions of strangers than a normal person. (You'd think she would've developed some kind of protective distance. I don't imagine therapy would be very helpful if your therapist started crying before you did.)

There's the expected clumsiness of actors trying on new roles, some really painful music cues, and a pacing that suffers from the occasional stutter. The score manages to make DeForest Kelley's cameo appearance more mawkish than it should've been, and stutter-wise, there's a thirty second shot of Engineering that has nothing to do with anything. Sure, it looks cool, but we'd already seen the area at the start of the episode, we trust that it hasn't moved. I could've done without the corny reminders of Troi and Riker's long-buried love, and the central question of humanity's potential for growth has been done so often that it barely even registers anymore.

There are bright spots, though, even excluding hindsight. Patrick Stewart is a damn fine actor. His initial take on Picard is a little off-putting, stressing his temper and authoritarian ways over the intelligence and charisma he would later bring to the part, but even so, he does strong work. I especially enjoyed his encounter with Beverly and Wesley on the bridge. It's not a great scene, but Stewart (and, to give her credit, McFadden) makes it work. Data is overly smug, and Brent Spiner occasionally smiles (which doesn't work at all), but the character is striking, and leaves more of an impression than, say, Riker's genial blandness. Story-wise, while Q's ethical probing doesn't leave an impression, the resolution of the Farpoint crisis does, proving in a believable way that Picard and his team really are ready to face whatever challenges lie before them.

In the weeks ahead, we'll be plumbing the depths of  TNG , so expect all manner of cheap shots and sarcasm. I'll be drinking heavily and when I drink, I get mean. No matter how bad it gets, though, there's a bright future ahead, and even at its worst, we know these characters are capable of more. I needed the chemistry of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy to get me through the roughest patches of season three, and now I have a whole ship full of people to depend on. Watching "Farpoint," I enjoyed myself regardless of the episode's quality because these are familiar faces. I grew up with this cast, this design, and even when the series hits rock bottom, I have that to hold on to. So strap in, settle back, visor in place, aaaaand—e ngage .

Stray Observations:

• We'll be seeing Q again, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I always enjoy John de Lancie's performance. Q is the end of the line for god-like beings, and despite the silly costumes and accents he's forced to wear in "Farpoint," de Lancie makes it work. He and Stewart play off each other very well.
• Kind of got caught up in everything, so in case you were wondering: the Farpoint station is actually an alien creature forced to build itself into a base. The creature's mate shows up, fires on the planet, and Picard realizes what's going and helps free the trapped creature, thus proving to Q's satisfaction that the  Enterprise  is mature enough to explore further into the galaxy.
• Good to see the Rule of Three is still in effect. (Whenever a character in a future society lists past events, they always mention two true things, one made-up, in that order.) Q starts off as a ship captain, then becomes a World War II officer, and finally a soldier wearing what looks like a suit made of gym mats. Do they ever mention the "military controlled by drugs" mythos again?
• Spiner's Data smile is  so  creepy. I can't help wondering if his facial expression inspired the creation of Lore.
• Speaking of threes, given the amazing number of  TNG  episodes, I'm switching over to a new format and doing three episodes per entry instead of the usual two. In this way, I hope to get to the end of the series before the heat death of the universe. So, next week, look for "The Naked Now," "Code of Honor," and "The Last Outpost."

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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Encounter at Farpoint

A look back at the episode that launched a beloved crew.

The new U.S.S. Enterprise-D and its crew set out "to boldly go where no one has gone before." Their first mission of the Galaxy-class starship U.S.S. Enterprise-D is to explore the mystery surrounding the creation of the Farpoint Station located on planet Deneb IV. While trying to negotiate a friendly agreement for Starfleet to use this energy-powered base, Captain Picard and his crew also attempt to discover how the Bandi inhabitants of Deneb IV built the station.

Preview Star Trek: The Next Generation , " Encounter at Farpoint, Pt 1 ".

Farpoint Station

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Farpoint Station, as it first appeared

Farpoint Station was a starbase built in an extremely short time on Deneb IV . The Bandi , a species inhabiting Deneb IV, offered this station to Starfleet . The Bandi were not a very advanced civilization and Starfleet was intrigued by this engineering performance.

The Farpoint entities, in their natural forms

Groppler Zorn of the Bandi kept a model of Farpoint Station in his office in Old Bandi City .

In 2364 , the crew of the USS Enterprise -D investigated this station and found out that it was, in fact, the space vessel lifeform enslaved by the Bandi. Following its liberation by the Enterprise -D, Captain Jean-Luc Picard worked with the Bandi to schedule the reconstruction of the station. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " The Pegasus ")

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

In an initial story outline that D.C. Fontana wrote for "Encounter at Farpoint", the conceptual origins of Farpoint Station were evidenced. The outline involved an orbital gun platform built around a captured being. The alien's captors intended to use the platform to forward their dreams of expansion, meanwhile feeding the central entity sufficient quantities of the mineral balmine to keep it alive. The Enterprise -D crew freed the entity by persuading it to crash land on the planet and by then leading a revolt against its captors. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (1st ed., p. 24))

Farpoint maquette and set [ ]

Illustrator Rick Sternbach helped design Farpoint Station, creating concept drawings of both the station's exterior and an early version of the interior Farpoint mall, during April 1987 . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission , p. 49; Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 12 , pp. 28-29) To create the elevated views of Farpoint Station as well as its adjacent Bandi city and the surrounding landscape, a maquette was built at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) by Gregory Jein , who was a specialist in building these kind of models. It, combined with a background matte painting for the long views, was filmed at ILM by, among others, visual effects camera operator Robert Hill . ( The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 2 , p. 41)

The Farpoint Station display model in Groppler Zorn's offices, was not the same as used on the maquette. " I designed the station, yes. The desktop model was built for first unit filming, of course, but the ILM FX version was done later and I don't believe they were under any real constraints to match the desktop. If you go back to the Voyager episode " 11:59 ", you'll see that the Millennium Gate complex bears a striking similarity to the Farpoint Station. I wonder how that happened, " Sternbach recalled, a bit tongue-in-cheek, as he had also designed the Millennium Gate. [1] [2]

The mall was constructed on Paramount Stage 16 , as a set that Production Designer Herman Zimmerman was instrumental in creating. " Even the biggest stage at Paramount isn't as big as the ordinary shopping mall, so that had to be done with some camera tricks, " he said. " We took [Stage] 16 and turned every bit of it into the shopping mall. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 12 , pp. 28-29)

Rick Sternbach later auctioned off a large part of his Farpoint Station design art on 26 April 2003 in Profiles in History 's The Ultimate Sci-Fi Auction in three lots: 230 , 231 , and 232 . These lots were estimated at US$300-$500, US$600-$800, and US$300-$500, and sold for US$275, US$400, and US$300 respectively.

Apocrypha [ ]

In the non- canon Deep Space Nine Millennium novel The Fall of Terok Nor , it is revealed that, by 2374 , a real Farpoint Station was constructed, a project that is referenced in dialogue at the end of "Encounter at Farpoint". Star Trek: Star Charts also mentions Farpoint.

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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".
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Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

• Gene Roddenberry
• Patrick Stewart
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• Trivia Almost everyone in the cast became life-long friends. At LeVar Burton 's 1992 wedding, Brent Spiner served as best man, and Sir Patrick Stewart , Jonathan Frakes , and Michael Dorn all served as ushers. Man of the People (1992) (#6.3) aired on that day.
• Goofs It is claimed that Data can't use contractions (Can't, Isn't, Don't, etc) yet there are several instances throughout the series where he does. One of the first such examples is heard in Encounter at Farpoint (1987) , where Data uses the word "Can't" while the Enterprise is being chased by Q's "ship".

[repeated line]

Capt. Picard : Engage!

• Crazy credits The model of the Enterprise used in the opening credits is so detailed, a tiny figure can be seen walking past a window just before the vessel jumps to warp speed.
• Alternate versions The first and last episodes were originally broadcast as two-hour TV movies, and were later re-edited into two one-hour episodes each. Both edits involved removing some scenes from each episode.
• Connections Edited into Reading Rainbow: The Bionic Bunny Show (1988)

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• September 26, 1987 (United States)
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Encounter at Farpoint Stardate: 41153.7 Original Airdate: 28 Sep, 1987

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Every Star Trek: TNG 2-Part Episode Ranked, Worst To Best

• TNG established two-part stories and season cliffhangers, building on The Original Series' foundation.
• The top 10 TNG two-parters all feature well-developed stories that allow each character to shine.
• Iconic episodes like "Chain of Command" and "The Best of Both Worlds" showcase TNG's storytelling depth.

Throughout its seven seasons, Star Trek: The Next Generation had some of Star Trek's best two-part stories. Following the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D, TNG began in 1987 with a feature-length premiere entitled "Encounter at Farpoint." After its initial release, this premiere was broken into two episodes, making it TNG's first two-part story. Two-part stories would become a staple of Star Trek moving forward, with nearly every season of TNG , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek: Voyager incorporating them. TNG also established the practice of ending each season with a cliffhanger that was resolved in the first episode of the following season.

Star Trek: The Original Series had Star Trek's first two-parter in TOS season 1, episodes 11 and 12, "The Menagerie." These episodes included footage from the original unaired Star Trek pilot, "The Cage," and introduced Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter), as well as several other elements that became important to the franchise. Star Trek: The Next Generation has ten two-part episodes, none of which rank among the worst episodes of TNG . With two episodes, these stories have more room to breathe and can easily incorporate stories for multiple characters without feeling overstuffed. Here are all 10 TNG two-parters, ranked from worst to best.

Best Star Trek: TNG Episode Of Each USS Enterprise-D Main Character

"encounter at farpoint", star trek: the next generation season 1, episodes 1 & 2.

"Encounter at Farpoint" is not a bad Star Trek story, but it pales in comparison to the phenomenal television that Star Trek: The Next Generation would produce in later seasons. Still, none of those later stories would exist without the history established in TNG's feature-length season premiere. Captain Picard leads the first mission of the newly commissioned USS Enterprise-D , as the crew investigates Farpoint Station and encounters the powerful entity known as Q (John de Lancie). With a quick cameo from Admiral Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), "Encounter at Farpoint" ushers in a new era of Star Trek, introducing the world to a new Enterprise crew who would become just as beloved as the original.

Q went on to become one of Star Trek's best recurring characters, and a major influence in the life of Captain Picard. Q returned to antagonize Jean-Luc in Star Trek: Picard season 2, and appeared before Jean-Luc's son Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) in Picard season 3.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 7, Episodes 4 & 5

When the USS Enterprise-D crew members hear that Captain Picard has been killed while on an archeological dig, they set out to discover the truth. During the investigation, Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) is captured by the same mercenaries who had captured Picard and faked his death. Picard and Riker then secretly work together to infiltrate the mercenary crew, eventually discovering the ancient Vulcan artifacts the mercenaries have been searching for. "Gambit" is an incredibly fun two-parter, but it has few lasting implications, and the story probably could have been trimmed down to fit in one episode.

"Birthright"

Star trek: the next generation season 6, episodes 16 & 17.

In "Birthright, Part I," Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) both set out to learn more about their fathers. After an energy discharge strikes Data, he begins experiencing bizarre dreams, in which he encounters his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner) . Worf's story follows the Klingon warrior as he investigates an ultimately false claim that his father is alive in a Romulan prison camp. "Birthright, Part II" focuses entirely on Worf, as he teaches the young Klingons in the prison about Klingon culture. While Data and Worf's stories are both interesting, the two episodes of "Birthright" feel more disparate than other two partners, and some of the questions raised in "Part I" go unanswered.

The Enterprise-D is docked at Deep Space Nine throughout "Birthright," and Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) visits the Enterprise and helps Data investigate his dreams.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6, Episode 26 & Season 7, Episode 1

When the Starship Enterprise encounters a strange group of Borg, Data experiences anger for the first time. At the end of "Descent, Part I," Data's evil brother, Lore (Brent Spiner) , reveals himself to be the leader of this Borg group, and Data and Lore declare their intent to destroy the Federation. Later, Data's morality subroutines are reactivated, releasing him from Lore's control. He then turns against Lore, just as Riker and Worf arrive with a group of rebel Borg led by Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco). "Descent" marks an important step in Data's journey to explore his humanity, and follows up on Hugh's story that began in TNG season 5, episode 23, "I, Borg."

Which Star Trek Shows & Movies Do The Borg Appear In?

"time's arrow", star trek: the next generation season 5, episode 26 & season 2, episode 1.

In a classic Star Trek time travel story , Data, and later more of the Enterprise-D crew, travel back in time to 19th-century Earth after they discover a 500-year-old version of Data's disembodied head buried in a cavern. In the past, Data encounters future Ten Forward bartender Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg), as well as American author Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain (Jerry Hardin). "Time's Arrow, Part I," ends with Captain Picard and his crew about to join Data in the past. While this may not be the most exciting cliffhanger, the 19th-century misadventures of Data and Mark Twain, in particular, make for some incredibly fun moments.

"Unification"

Star trek: the next generation season 5, episodes 7 & 8.

When Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is reported missing, Captain Picard takes the Enterprise-D to investigate his last known location - Romulus. Picard and Data then disguise themselves as Romulans, eventually finding Spock working underground on a "personal mission of peace" to reunite the Vulcans and Romulans . Spock gets great moments with both Data and Picard in "Unification." He and Data speak about their opposing desires - Spock wants to be logical without emotion, while Data wants to feel emotions. Picard shares the news that Spock's father, Sarek (Mark Lenard), has passed away, and Spock later mind melds with Picard to experience the memories Sarek had previously shared with the Captain.

TNG's "Unification" aired just before the release of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , and teased the events of the upcoming film.

"Redemption"

Star trek: the next generation season 4, episode 26 & season 5, episode 1.

Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation , Worf often struggles to reconcile his Klingon heritage with his duties as a Starfleet officer, and that struggle comes to a head in "Redemption." With the looming threat of a Klingon civil war, Worf and his brother Kurn (Tony Todd) help install Gowron (Robert O'Reilly) as the Klingon Chancellor, angering Lursa (Barbara March) and B'Etor (Gwynyth Walsh) Duras. Although Picard cannot get involved in the fighting, he does assemble a group of ships to create a blockade between the Klingon and Romulan border (including the USS Sutherland under the command of Data ). Not only do both parts of "Redemption" have some tense action sequences, but they also offer a glimpse into Klingon culture and more insight into Worf as a character.

"Chain of Command"

Star trek: the next generation season 6, episodes 10 & 11.

In one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's most harrowing stories, Captain Picard is kidnapped by Cardassians while on a covert mission. Although Picard is subjected to various forms of torture at the hands of Gul Madred (David Warner), he defiantly refuses to break. Patrick Stewart and David Warner both deliver powerhouse performances, making it impossible to look away any time the two are onscreen. ​​​​​ Ronny Cox, too, delivers a solid performance as Captain Edward Jellico, who commands the Enterprise while Picard is being held captive. As Jellico's command style is vastly different from Picard, he and Riker butt heads and he eventually relieves Riker of duty.

"Chain of Command, Part 2" was the last TNG episode to air before the premiere of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and it set up the Cardassians to be major antagonists on that show.

Captain Picards 10 Best Star Trek TNG Episodes, Ranked

"all good things...", star trek: the next generation season 7, episodes 25 & 26.

Star Trek: The Next Generation's two-part finale brilliantly wraps up the series, while bringing the entire story full circle. Q returns to continue humanity's trial, but this time he helps Captain Picard jump through time to find a way to stop a potentially catastrophic anomaly. Picard jumps from the present to the past just before the Enterprise-D investigated Farpoint Station, to an alternate future where he works on his family's vineyard. After Picard successfully solves Q's riddle, he finally joins his crew members for a game of poker , in an iconic final scene that was recreated for the finale of Star Trek: Picard season 3.

"The Best of Both Worlds"

Star trek: the next generation season 3, episode 26 & season 4, episode 1.

"The Best of Both Worlds" is often cited as one of Star Trek's best stories for a reason. When Captain Picard is assimilated by the Borg, Commander Riker takes over command of the Starship Enterprise and must face off against his former Captain. The effects of Captain Picard's assimilation and the subsequent Battle of Wolf 359 continue to reverberate throughout the Star Trek universe. Star Trek: Picard season 3 , in particular, references Picard's time as Locutus of Borg and brings back Admiral Elizabeth Shelby (Elizabeth Dennehy), who first appears in "The Best of Both Worlds."

The "To Be Continued" at the end of "The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1" remains one of the best television cliffhangers of all time , and it established the Star Trek tradition of season-ending cliffhangers. The second part of the story may not be as tension-filled as the first, but it does a good job of wrapping up the story in a satisfying way. Although TNG rarely followed up on specific stories, the episode that directly follows "The Best of Both Worlds," entitled "Family," shows the aftermath of Picard's assimilation and how profoundly it affected the usually unflappable Enterprise Captain. "The Best of Both Worlds" remains one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's finest hours, and it established a tradition of Star Trek two-parters that produced some truly amazing episodes.

Cast LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Showrunner Gene Roddenberry

Screen Rant

Star trek: tng has a surprising fleetwood mac connection.

A member of Fleetwood Mac made a surprising appearance on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

• Mick Fleetwood, drummer of Fleetwood Mac, made a cameo in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episode "Manhunt" as an alien ambassador.
• Fleetwood was a big Star Trek fan and requested to be part of the show, shaving his beard for the role and beaming on board the USS Enterprise-D.
• Many musicians have made surprise appearances in Star Trek, including Michelle Phillips, Iggy Pop, and Tom Morello, showcasing the franchise's appeal to diverse celebrities.

Classic 1970s rock band Fleetwood Mac has a surprising connection to Star Trek: The Next Generation . Beginning with its two-episode premiere in 1987, TNG brought live-action Star Trek back to television for the first time since the cancelation of Star Trek: The Original Series . While many fans of TOS were initially nervous about a Star Trek series that didn't feature Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) or Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Star Trek: The Next Generation went on to become a massive hit and one of the greatest science fiction series of all time.

Thanks to reruns and syndication, Star Trek: The Original Series developed a significant fanbase in the years following its cancelation. Many celebrities have talked about their love of Star Trek over the years, but some went even further, requesting a role in a Trek project. For example, Whoopi Goldberg reached out to TNG's producers and eventually took on the role of Ten Forward bartender Guinan, who appeared in 29 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation , as well as the movies Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: Nemesis . Mick Fleetwood, the drummer and leader of Fleetwood Mac, was also a huge Star Trek fan. After requesting a role in Trek , Fleetwood appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2, episode 19, "Manhunt" as an alien ambassador.

10 Star Trek Guest Star Actors You Forgot About

Mick fleetwood was in an episode of star trek: tng, fleetwood was unrecognizable in a cameo in tng season 2, episode 19, "manhunt.".

Mick Fleetwood plays an Antedian dignitary in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episode, "Manhunt." Both of whom spend most of the episode in a catatonic state. Fleetwood was a big Star Trek fan and wanted to be a part of the show in whatever way he could, although he did have one request. In a 2015 interview with the Vancouver Sun , Fleetwood spoke about his TNG role, saying he told producers that he would shave his beard " if you promise me that I get to beam down or beam up." Due to the extensive prosthetics required to play the fish-like Antedian, Fleetwood did shave his beard, and the Antedians were beamed onto the USS Enterprise-D at the beginning of the episode. Despite being unrecognizable, Mick Fleetwood got his wish to be part of the Star Trek universe.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 's "Manhunt," the USS Enterprise-D picks up two Antedian dignitaries, including Mick Fleetwood who need transportation to a conference on Pacifica. Soon after the Antedians arrive, the USS Enterprise-D receives a message that Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) will also be traveling to the conference. The mother of Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Lwaxana has entered a part of a Betazoid woman's life known as The Phase, and she is determined to find a husband. She initially sets her sights on Captain Picard, but ultimately leaves the Enterprise without a partner. Before she departs, however, Lwaxana reveals that the Antedian dignitaries are actually assassins who were planning to set off a bomb at the conference.

Lwaxana Troi had previously been introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, episode 11, "Haven," and, in total, she appeared in six episodes of TNG and 3 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek Has Other Surprising Musician Cameos

Star trek has a long history of celebrity cameos, including multiple rock stars and singers..

Mick Fleetwood was not the only musician who popped up in Star Trek over the years. Before Fleetwood's appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation , Michelle Phillips of the pop group The Mamas & the Papas portrayed Picard's former flame, Jenice Manheim, in TNG season 1, episode 24, "We'll Always Have Paris." The "Godfather of Punk," Iggy Pop appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 10, "The Magnificent Ferengi," as a Vorta named Yelgrun. DS9's executive producer Ira Steven Behr was responsible for casting Iggy Pop, as he was a big fan of the musician.

Tom Morello, former guitarist for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, was such a big Star Trek fan that he reportedly contacted producer Rick Berman to request a role in Star Trek: Insurrection . Although Morello briefly appeared as a member of the Son'a species, his character was uncredited and barely seen. Because of this, he was asked to return for Star Trek: Voyager season 6, episode 20, "Good Shepherd," in which he portrayed Starfleet Crewman Mitchell. With its massive and dedicated fanbase, the Star Trek franchise has had quite a few memorable celebrity cameos, including several famous musicians.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star trek: deep space nine, star trek voyager.