‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Retro Recap – ‘Encounter at Farpoint’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

I will never forget the summer of 1987. For trailers and promotional commercials for a new adventure set in the Star Trek universe began to air and I found myself fixated upon every last one of them. Because up to this point, all I knew was Kirk and Spock and Bones, courtesy of reruns of The Original Series and movies that I outright adored. So, the chance to enjoy new adventures with a new crew in a new time period left me supremely excited, to the point where I was counting down the days to September 28th, the big day when this new show would be unveiled and when 7 p.m. rolled around on that fateful day, my father and I were front and center in front of the family’s 27” T.V. to embark on a new journey through the stars by way of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Of course, ‘Encounter at Farpoint’ delivered in every way imaginable to a young mind. It had bigger and better special effects. The new Enterprise was slick and beautiful, and the characters were brilliant and bold and of course, I was hooked and for the next seven years, I was always home by 6:30 p.m. so my dad and later on my baby brother, and myself, could see what galactic wonders the crew of the 1701-D would encounter and those are definitely days I remember fondly. But while it is always wonderful to take a trip down memory lane, time and life experience have a way of sullying some of our fondest childhood memories, especially when it comes to shows that aired thirty-plus years ago since it was such a different time in history, making me slightly cautious in taking the time to revisit this magnificent series.

But as it turns out, this particular pilot actually holds up far better than one might expect, thanks in large part to the fact that this story embodies the spirit of the franchise. Because the sense of adventure that the saga is known for is everywhere to be found here. Something attributed to the strange new world we venture to in this tale, since Deneb IV and its people are elements we’ve never seen in this franchise before. Plus, the introduction of Q helps to ease one into this brave new world since omnipotent beings were a staple of The Original Series and the wonder of this opening tale doesn’t end with a return to the franchise’s roots. 

Because the plot is also quite delightful. For the entire mystery surrounding Farpoint Station is quite engrossing in its own right, since you know deep down something is amiss in this place and that definitely sucks you in since your mind is curious to learn its exact secrets. Something that is only further enhanced by the arrival of the second alien vessel and its unique decision to only fire on the Bandi people and well, your curiosity pays off in spades since the twist ending is both beautiful and powerful. And oddly enough, watching the wounded alien reunite with its mate and coming to understand that Q wanted Picard and his crew to think deeper about this situation are elements that truly make this pilot top notch when you take a moment to ponder upon their subtle meanings.

---

For in essence, those elements serve to remind us that Star Trek and all of its iterations are about mankind reaching its potential as a species, and seeing Picard think outside the box here to treat a previously unknown species with kindness and gentleness and generosity is what gets the message across. In that, we can be better, and we can be kind, if we just take a moment to pause and listen and learn and offer our hand in peace and that’s definitely a message that we can all use right now in these turbulent times, and it was most certainly a hint of things to come for this series since it is still regarded as the most optimistic series in the franchise. But while it is nice to know the groundwork was laid down here for future voyages, this particular pilot is not without its flaws. 
​
After all, the first journey out of the gate is always an awkward one. For the cast aren’t quite comfortable with their characters just yet, which does explain some of the uneven acting that pops up here and there, as they try to find their character’s voices. Plus, there are some visual mistakes that are glaring here, the kind that would not go unnoticed in 2020 since fans would call them out in real-time and rightfully so, since some of them are painfully obvious. But in the end, none of that matters, because it quickly becomes clear, that this series was trying to do something different with the franchise and hints of what these characters are going to stand for are present in the framework of this story, which is exciting to say the least.

Because you know it won’t be long before Captain Picard begins to grow his diplomatic skills and his moral center, and it will be amazing to watch Riker become comfortable as a first officer and see Troi come to understand her role as a leader aboard the ship. Or how Worf will soon come to embrace his role as the man who keeps this Galaxy Class starship safe, and it will be equally as delightful to watch Geordi find his calling as one of the Starfleet’s finest engineers, and see Doctor Crusher care for this crew in the same manner she cares for young Wesley. But most important of all, it won’t be long before Data begins his long journey toward understanding and displaying the best parts of humanity.

Which quite frankly, has me motivated to continue these ongoing missions. Because the fact of the matter is, that despite being made over thirty years ago, The Next Generation still elicits a sense of wonder and awe from its audience. For its overall story is still pure and still hopeful in every sense of those words and watching this pilot, honestly made me feel as though I was eight years old all over again, and really the only thing missing from this particular viewing was my father and his insightful commentary. And it is going to be a true treat in the days to come, to be able to reflect upon all the incredible and uplifting messages that this pioneering series has to offer. Until next time.

---