Star Trek Randomized Rewatch: Encounter at Farpoint

TNG "Encounter at Farpoint"

After a ten-year cryosleep, this blog has awakened. The first order of business? Dipping a toe into a randomized rewatch of Star Trek on TV. "Dipping a toe" is the operative phrase, because this is not meant to hit every episode of every series; it's just a fun mechanism to get a sampling of Trek on telly. The totally scientific method a random episode is arrived at? Hitting Random Page on the Star Trek wiki, Memory Alpha, until running into an episode link. And while it might've been more befitting for the first entry returned to be something obscure, the fates dealt a heavy hitter: "Encounter at Farpoint", the pilot of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the 1987 return of Star Trek to the small screen after nearly twenty years away.

It's funny to see a TNG episode infused with the colorful energy of the original series. Specifically, zonked out concepts involving super-advanced life forms and a fair amount of histrionic acting. On the advanced life form side, John de Lancie ably struts around and chews the scenery as Q, and the space jellyfish evoke a sense of wonder. And on the histrionic acting side, guest star Michael Bell as the wonderfully titled Groppler Zorn gives a very big, constantly exasperated performance that's kind of fun to watch. Not to be outdone, series regular Denise Crosby delivers an epic rant evangelizing the Federation. As Deanna Troi, Marina Sirtis is given empathic dialogue that relies exclusively on repetition. To paraphrase, "Pain... Great pain. Joy... Such joy."

Jean-Luc Picard himself has a mixed showcase here. He does have moments of eloquent gravitas and endearment. But he also has a stiff and awkward rapport with Riker (everything is noticeably more militaristic than it would be later in the show), and let it not be forgotten that he takes command of the Enterprise, and during the first incident on his first day surrenders the ship.

Other character notes: William Riker is amused by everything around him. At this point, the Klingon Worf is there to casually represent how yesterday's enemy can be tomorrow's friend, but he has no clear function on the bridge. He's basically a functionary, and indeed in this episode he sits in both Geordi and Data's seats as ship operations demand it. Leonard McCoy's cameo is pretty great, very touching for a fan.

Director Corey Allen's most impressive touches come in the mock-trial scenes, particularly the dynamic way he films Q's crane-operated judge's chair. But certain story elements need a second draft. Particularly when Picard leaves the bridge to have a personal conversation with Beverly Crusher, at a crucial point in the story when Doctor Crusher was just preparing to beam planetside to tend to wounded people who are presently BEING SHELLED.

A baggy pilot with mixed results, caught between charm and mediocrity. 6/10.