Star Trek: The Next Generation: Encounter at Farpoint

Kate says I know it's cheesy, I know it's dated, I know Troi's character is rather silly, I know the plot is one of Roddenberry's "There are no bad guys; it's just a big misunderstanding!" ideas. I know there are loads of nits and that Star Trek is hard to take seriously when it comes to science-fiction.

I still love it. Other than Stargate, Star Trek is the only show that will consistently give me what I want: single-plot episodes that pay-off a "What if?" problem. I'm a single-plot episode junkie. These types of episodes evoke little pings of gratification in my brain. Yup, you can blame my cave-dwelling ancestors for the narrative arc. Whatever gene that wants it, I got it in buckets.

Yes, Star Trek's universe doesn't always make sense. Yes, Roddenberry's rather lovely vision of the future is rather naive (and didn't work since dystopias are easier to write about than utopias). Nevertheless, there's something ruthless about the insistence on plot that I really admire. So many shows keep turning themselves into whatever the something else is this week or year. Star Trek, on the other hand, got a format and stuck to it. More or less.

And I LIKE it: "What if?" problem is set-up; "What if?" problem is paid-off: instant gratification. This is what genre fiction is supposed to be if people would just stop being so ashamed of it and silly academics would stop trying to make out that some other deep profound purpose is or should be at work.

As for the Next Generation pilot, I like the introduction of "Q" (which is paid-off extremely well throughout the series and in the season finale). I admire Patrick Stewart. The man can act! Brent Spiner, of course, is always a pleasure. I like Worf's character (remember, for classic Trekkies, Worf's appearance on the bridge would have meant a great deal). I do like it better when he grows his hair long, but, eh. I like Geordi. I like Crusher better than that other doctor (the one from Season 2). And I think Riker was necessary and well-cast character. (Picard needs a Kirk on the bridge.)

I have no opinion about Denise Crosby. I thought she was used well in later seasons, but I never felt particularly attached to her. In all honesty, despite my love for Star Trek: NG, I rarely rewatch Seasons 1 or 2. The show improves greatly over the first two seasons. Season 3, which I own, is truly the best. It contains "The Hunted," "A Matter of Perspective," "Yesterday's Enterprise," "The Offspring," "Hollow Pursuits," "The Most Toys," and "Sarek." The last five are classics: rather remarkable for one season.

Back to the pilot: I can't stand the uniforms! They improve massively later on. (The gray turtleneck really makes a difference.) Wesley was a mistake, but at the time (80's), the coy, precocious boy/girl genius was kind of a staple on almost all shows, and after Season 1, Wesley was used fairly intelligently, even if they never dressed him right.

Troi never bothered me as much as Wesley, but it took the writers almost five seasons to figure out how to use Troi's character intelligently. Note that a psychologist/therapist never shows up in another Star Trek on a captain's right hand (no, Neelix doesn't count). It really is a VERY 80's pilot.

But it sets up its problem, keeps it going, and pays it off reasonably intelligently.

What more can one ask for?!

Mike says that despite the over-acting (Leave Tasha frozen! Leave her... awww... When's that slime monster episode again?) and the 80's motifs, this is a really good pilot! I love "Q," and some of my favorite episodes include him. His inclusion in the finale was a MUST, and I was so happy they went that way.

Watching the pilot, I can't help but wonder if several possible plotlines were developed and then dropped: for instance, despite the scene where Picard makes it clear that he and Crusher don't know each other well, I couldn't help but puzzle over certain things--and had to wonder if Wesley was originally intended to be Picard's son!

And even though the Riker/Troi storyline plays out, I can't help but wonder if Riker was supposed to be a telepath hiding his abilities!

And, knowing that the grand design of Star Trek is showing a mankind that doesn't need a god, I can't help but wonder if that was who and what "Q" was supposed to be--God, trying to Judge Man and determine their fate when Mankind (at least as they are presented in the show) has outgrown him.

I liked the framing of the episode a lot, and the idea of using the mission as a "test." I think this episode really plays homage to the old "higher power" episodes from classic Trek. I Love DeForest Kelley's cameo. A while ago, Kate talked about series premieres that "set the scene," and this episode really does that--it tries to show us the updated Trek universe and introduces us to a bigger ship, crew, and universe.

The use of the holodeck to explain the creatures was nothing short of Brilliant. It's only the best scenes and scripts that can use a single scene for multiple purposes--like showing us the advanced technology of the ship, Riker and Data's relationship, and introducing a concept that helps us to solve the mystery later. I wonder if this was another scene meant to show man's maturity compared to God--that they have advanced to a point that they can create and shape their own worlds--at least to a point.

All in all, this was fun to watch, and it's great to know that a show with a good setup went on to improve in many areas. Also, listening to the opening credits on a good sound system (that was cranked way up) is AWESOME.