1x01 Encounter at Farpoint

[7.3/10] One of the great pleasures of life is returning to something you love with new eyes. I grew up with Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was my entree into the world of the Federation as a child, and in that sense, it will always be my Star Trek no matter how much I’ve enjoyed its successors and predecessors.

But coming back to it after so many years, and after finally sitting down to watch The Original Series, puts its pilot episode in a new context, a new light that exposes some of its flaws, but also exposes the seeds of what would become one of the foundational science fiction shows on television, and for your humble reviewer.

The first thing that stands out on rewatch is how many tropes from The Original Series are deployed here. With a script penned by Gene Roddenberry himself and star scribe D.C. Fontana, “Encounter at Farpoint Station” hits some of Gene’s absolute favorite beats. There’s the godlike being judging humanity for its barbarism, there’s the mysterious object in space that appears out of nowhere, and there’s even the society that seems nice enough on the surface but is clearly hiding some terrible secret.

It’s clear that Roddenberry and Fontana wanted to evince a sense of continuity of storytelling with the old series, and if you excise the various character introduction scenes, it’s not hard to imagine Kirk, Spock, and Bones plopped into this same sort of adventure and getting similar results.

But there’s also some DNA from Star Trek: The Motion Picture built in as well. Despite the fig leaf of the tactical reason for separating the saucer section of the Enterprise-D -- something The Original Series occasionally teased but never put into action -- the event is mostly an excuse to show off some fancy models and graphics work, while the music swells and the camera cuts to any number of reaction shots from the crew on the battle bridge. (The battle bridge, incidentally, seems to exist to create more visual continuity with the bridge of the original Enterprise in contrast to the Holiday Inn Lobby setup of the main bridge.)

The same goes for Riker manually reconnecting the saucer section. While it ties into the plot thread of Picard testing his first officer, it seems to mostly exist to inject a bit of spectacle into what is otherwise an episode that promises excitement to come, but is mostly still establishing its premise and world. The first part of “Encounter” doesn’t skimp on those space-faring moments that seem designed to say “look what we can do!”

But reckoning with the series history also shows the differences between TNG and its forbear, chief among them the acting talents of its lead. What a difference centering the show around a classically-trained actor like Patrick Stewart makes. I don’t mean to slag William Shatner -- he came to prominence in a different era and his style serves the 1960s series’ ends -- but Stewart is the biggest boon to the nascent sequel show.

He has the inherent gravitas to make the more outlandish technobabble sound convincing. He has the chops to take the silly, sweeping commentary on what humanity is or was and make it sound convincing. He has the talent to convey the layers in a Captain who puts on air of detachment when evaluating his second in command, softens once the test is passed, and reveals his own insecurity about dealing with families aboard his starship.

If there’s one thing that makes The Next Generation easier to swallow despite still shaking off the rust of its predecessor and figuring out how to chart a new course, it’s the steady hand of Stewart, there to imbue the new captain of the Enterprise with the strength and level of performance to sell him as a real, compelling figure in this fantastical world.

Coming back to the show as an adult also let’s you see how much of the heavy-machinery placement that inevitably takes place in pilots comes to the fore in “Encounter.” The episode does well to split up the crew into two halves to prevent things from getting too crowded at the beginning. Rest assured, however, that we get some shoehorned-in exposition about Tasha’s backstory, a few character-establishing moments for Data, Counselor Troi’s first pointless use of her Betazoid power, a conversation that underscores the history for Dr. Crusher and Wesley, and some explanation as to what exactly’s going on with Geordi’s visor. There’s even brief interludes for Worf and O’Brien that give them a hint of personality before they’re fleshed out as characters.

Plus Q! If there’s one thing that gives this episode a boost coming back to it as a fan, it’s the presence of one of the franchise’s favorite characters. Here, Q is a little more explicitly malevolent and moralizing than the trickster god he would later become, but it’s still a treat to see John de Lancie plying his trade in theatrical fashion. There’s a bit more Alan Alda baked into his presentation than I remembered, but seeing him hold court, freeze dissidents, and run through the costume department’s leftovers still injects some whimsy and weirdness to the proceedings.

That just leaves Riker as far as big character introductions though. He’s missing for the first half here, but Frakes’s dashing figure receives almost the same level of introduction that Picard does. What’s truly interesting is the great character work “Encounter” digs into between the captain and first officer once the rush of Q’s intergalactic cage and kangaroo court are (however temporarily) behind us. The notion of Picard testing out Riker, seeming cold and distant and yet letting his soon-to-be Number One earn his respect by completing a difficult maneuver and affirming that he’ll do his duty to protect the captain regardless of how Picard feels about it, thereby showing his skill and integrity, is a good way to not only introduce Riker but kick off one of the core professional relationships of the show.

It’s hard to tell whether from the opening hour alone whether the show’s braintrust intended to establish a dynamic between Picard and Riker to match the one between Kirk and Spock, but the groundwork is there, both actors have enough of a presence to fill out the back half of the episode, which feels more devoted to setup and introduction than the nigh-instant fireworks of the first half.

That just leaves an appearance from good ol’ Dr. McCoy to pass the torch to the new crew. He’s 137 years old, reverted to his Foghorn Leghorn-like accent from the prior occasions in which he’s prematurely aged, and is as cantankerous as ever. His back and forth with Data intentionally evokes the dynamic the good doctor once shared with his Vulcan counterpart in a way that’s a bit clumsy. But he offers a benediction on the new ship, and by extension the new show, and it’s enough to hand the baton to the next generation.

It will take some time for The Next Generation to take that baton and run with it. Elements that worked in 1966 but not so much in 1987 linger for a while before the show demonstrates why it’s the namesake for “Growing the Beard.” But even in this early installments, the roots of this essential science fiction show -- from its great central performance, to its unique cast of characters, to its cheesy but high-minded reflections on humanity -- are evident as signs of what the series would become.