ENCOUNTER AT FARPOINT (Season 1, Episode 1) Star Trek TNG

I am so excited about starting the series over again that I couldn't wait to actually start watching the episode! So I'm here...still in my pajamas on daylight savings Sunday - totally pumped up! I spent part of this morning building the blog page! Now here we go!!!!........

It is funny watching the first and second seasons. Though my dear friend Crombs (blogging companion & best friend) almost completely hates the first two seasons, I still find that I enjoy them! The production value is very limited and several episodes of the first season are rehashed ideas from the original series but there's still something magical about them. The entire cast is thin & fit - all in their prime!

These early episodes immediately remind you that Roddenberry's dream was to create a show that challenges the human tendencies towards different cultures and races. Furthermore, though I am not a huge Tasha Yar fan I do enjoy the fact that the Chief of Security is a slender blond woman with lots of spunk!!!

"ENCOUNTER AT FARPOINT" opens with Picard's very first Captain's log, Star Date: 41153.7

I love the fact that there are both men and women in those short uniform skants! I'm a sucker for a man in a kilt...this is the closest that STNG comes to giving me all that!

This episode's saucer separation is by far my favorite! It's slow, dramatic, and beautifully shot! There are few shows that have taken filming on film so seriously in the 80's. I also enjoy the manual reconnection!

I am noticing loop holes already! Troy has incorrect ranking pips. In this episode she's ranked Lieutenant Commander - but she doesn't take the test to be a commander until much much later in the series!!

It's interesting - the first episode feels much like the original series in many ways. I mean obviously, new ship, new crew, new technology, etc - but all of the camera work feels exactly the same! Riker most of all seems to be channeling the demeanor of Kirk! I will be curious to see how much of the original series lives in the writing/camera work/etc of this series when I revisit TOS.

FAVORITE MOMENT IN THE ENTIRE EPISODE!!!!
When Data is escorting 137 year old Admiral McCoy to meet with Picard, McCoy expresses joy about being on the enterprise, and explains, "A new ship but she's got the right name...you treat her like a lady and she'll always bring you home!!!" LOVE IT!

It is this episode where we meet Q for the first time! Prejudicely challenging the 'savage nature' of humans! This is an interesting commentary on the idea of ethnic cleansing because Q's approach and argument is clearly misguided and clearly absurd!
"If we're going to be damned then we should be damned for who we are!" - Captain Jean Luc Picard (Season 1, Episode 1, "Encounter At Farpoint")


LINKS
Lt. Commander Combs Blog!!!
Episode Summary on Wiki
Trek Space
Lethal Poetry Productions
The Mojdeh Project