Encounter at Farpoint
- Episode aired Sep 26, 1987
- TV-PG
- 1h 32m
On the maiden mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), an omnipotent being known as Q challenges the crew to discover the secret of a mysterious base in an advanced and civilized fashi... Read allOn the maiden mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), an omnipotent being known as Q challenges the crew to discover the secret of a mysterious base in an advanced and civilized fashion.On the maiden mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), an omnipotent being known as Q challenges the crew to discover the secret of a mysterious base in an advanced and civilized fashion.
- Mandarin Bailiff
- (as Cary-Hiroyuki)
- Main Bridge Security
- (as Timothy Dang)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis marks the final television appearance of DeForest Kelley before his death on 11 June 1999, discounting his appearance in ST:DS9 Trials and Tribble-ations (1996), which was archive footage from Star Trek (1966). Kelley filmed his scene on Tuesday 2 June 1987.
- GoofsWesley is dripping wet when talking to Captain Picard outside the holodeck. As holographic matter cannot exist outside of the holodeck, the water should have disappeared once he stepped through the door. However, just moments before, Data explains to Riker that the holodeck uses a combination of holograms and actual material that is materialized (similar to the way the food replicators create food) so the water could very well be real.
- Quotes
Admiral Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy: How old do you think I am, anyway?
Lt. Commander Data: 137 years, Admiral, according to Starfleet records.
Admiral Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy: Explain how you remember that so exactly!
Lt. Commander Data: I remember every fact I am exposed to, sir.
Admiral Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy: [looking at both sides of Data's head] I don't see no points on your ears, boy, but you sound like a Vulcan.
Lt. Commander Data: No, sir. I am an android.
Admiral Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy: Hmph. Almost as bad.
- Alternate versionsThe original Columbia House video release had the episode cut into two parts, as it was re-aired, while later releases has the episode in its original two hour cut that was on the Paramount Home Video release.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Star Trek: The Next Generation: Hide and Q (1987)
The "goofy" part is the character of Q, an omniscient being, who suddenly appears on the Bridge of the Enterprise just past the 5-minute mark (!) and shortly later transports most of the Bridge crew to some absurd trial against humanity with a bunch of barbarians as the audience. This part of the story was written by Gene Roddenberry and he was pressured to add it to D.C. Fontana's script to make "Encounter at Farpoint" a double episode.
The problem with the Q subplot is that it's premature. The purpose of a pilot episode is to establish the characters and the basic tone of the series. Fontana's story about the cast grouping together and their experiences at the Farpoint station accomplish this, but Roddenberry's Q story seems tacked-on, outlandish and premature.
Sure, the character of Q was based on Trelane from the Original Series episode "The Squire of Gothos," but (1) that episode wasn't introduced until the second half of the first season when the serious tone of the series was well established, and (2) Trelane was presented in a believable way despite his goofy antics. It's called good writing.
In "Encounter at Farpoint," by contrast, it's not 6 minutes into the story -- the very first episode of the series -- and this goofball character suddenly appears on the Bridge and proceeds to kidnap the Bridge crew and take them to some bizarre trial in the midst of a bunch of uncouth barbarians. These events take place in the first half hour and it just mars the seriousness and credible-ness of the rest of the 2-part episode.
Thankfully, everything else is like the Original Series, just better, at least as far as appearances go. The writing wouldn't catch up till the third and fourth seasons, although there are some gems here & there in the first two, e.g. "Heart of Glory," "Conspiracy," "The Schizoid Man," "A Matter of Honor," "The Dauphin" and "Q Who."
The pilot runs 1 hour, 31 minutes.
GRADE: B-/C+
- Wuchakk
- May 8, 2013
Details
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- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
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- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1