Encounter at Farpoint

** out of ****

Star Trek: TNG was one of my favorite TV shows growing up. Space adventures always appealed to me, but it was the cast and the concepts the show explored that often won me over. After having seen the pilot episode, a two-parter entitled Encounter at Farpoint, I see many of the qualities I enjoyed about the series, but this is a fairly subpar episode that's only occasionally compelling.

Set some 80 years after the original Star Trek (thus placing it, if I'm not mistaken, in the 24th century), the new crew of the starship Enterprise is headed by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). The crew's assignment: to investigate Farpoint station, but before they can reach their destination they're intercepted by a god-like entity who calls "himself" Q (John De Lancey). Q has deemed the human race savage beasts and puts the Enterprise crew on trial. Their test is Farpoint and if they fail to uncover the dark secret of the station, then well...they'll assumingly receive a dreadful fate.

The first part of Encounter at Farpoint is pretty good, the characters are nicely introduced and mostly well-played by the cast. Patrick Stewart immediately stands out as the stern but well-meaning Picard. Brent Spiner is fantastic as Data, and Jonathan Frakes makes a likeable first officer as Commander Riker. Noticeably different from the original Star Trek is a larger female cast. Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, and Denise Crosby are all fairly attractive (Sirtis would later be a full-blown hottie by season two, and McFadden is actually the best-looking of all the Star Trek ladies right now, talk about aging gracefully; sorry, Jeri Ryan and Jolene Blalock just don't do it for me).

Unfortunately, the plot, while initially intriguing, ultimately doesn't really go anywhere and there's the certain feeling that fitting the whole story into two parts is really stretching it out. A lot of the material, obviously played for introductory purposes, could still have been cut out. In fact, all the stuff focusing on the mystery behind Farpoint barely adds up to a half-hour, excluding the really lengthy climax, which is just plain boring. When the secret of Farpoint is revealed (which you'll probably figure out before the cast does), all the conjecture and facts are messily spouted in one of those silly coversations where each character continues the sentence after the previous speaker has finished.

But Encounter at Farpoint works adequately enough as an intro to one of the best sci-fi television series, right up there with Stargate: SG-1 and the first two seasons of Sliders. Watch for Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Q's bailiff.

2364 year , the initial mission of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D is suspended by appearance of a strange living being called Q (John De Lancie) , a charismatic megalomaniac . Previously counselor half-Betazoide , half-human Dana Troi (Marina Sirtis) had perceived a powerful mind and an immense barrier avoids the airship goes on its destiny : the Fairpoint station . ¨Q¨ appears in the wheelhouse dressed in various suits from diverse epochs . His objective is to judge mankind accused for being a cruel and savage race . He transports to Captain Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) , lieutenant android Data (Brent Spiner) , Counselor Troi and lieutenant Tashs Yar (Denise Crosby) to a trial with a violent crowd , they are condemned for mankind crimes . Picard asks him for prove that humans have evolved throughout time .¨Q¨ assign them to go toward Fairpont to demonstrate their courage . The Fairpoint station is a sidereal base located in Deneb IV , it's inhabited by the Bandi . There , they are going : doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFedden) , her son (Wil Wheaton) and Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Riker interviews to the Station administrator Groppler Zorn (Michael Bell). Later on , there arrives the Enterprise aircraft and captain Jean-Luc Picard begins the investigation . He sends a group formed by Data , La Forge (Le Var Burton) , Troi , Yar and Riker to investigate the strange station . Meanwhile , an unknown starship moves into the Deneb IV orbit and starts shooting against the city of the Bandi , near from the Fairpoint station .

This first episode from first season is introduced the classic characters who entertain us in the overlong series . And other characters making brief appearance , such as De Forest Kelly from the original series , in an enjoyable intervention . As always , spectacular and atmospheric musical score by the great Jerry Godsmith and Alexander Courage . This TV movie is made in the typical professional manner of the franchise . This agreeable entry was compellingly directed by Corey Allen who will make other episodes . This is an amusing romp through space and time that will appeal to hardcore trekkers such as the neophyte .

USS Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew are tested by Q.

This is long-winded but interesting introduction to The Next Generation with a strong theme and some decent character moments.

Even for a two-part episode spanning ninety minutes the story packs a lot in. The two main plot threads involving Q and Farpoint station are great but unfortunately there are many character introductions with background information that slow everything down destroying the flow developed in the early scenes. I felt a retread of themes from original series episodes like 'The Squire Of Gothos' and 'The Devil In The Dark', which work well. Some parts of the trial sequence are unintentionally funny as it mixes social commentary, absurdity and emotive performances.

Picard has a fairly aggressive introduction, thrown into immediate conflict with Q and these scenes are compelling due to the themes and characters. He is also pretty combative in his leadership style.

Riker makes a cinematic entrance with an immediate test of ability and a candid conversation with Picard. This is probably the best of all character intros for me and sets the scene for what is to come in the series.

Introductory exposition dialogue is pretty clunky and contributes to the pace being laboured. There is also a substantial amount of time spent introducing the technology and environment which clutters the episode up too much.

The scene involving a character from the Original Series is a nice bit of fan service but it adds to the unnecessary screen time as it is fairly irrelevant in the grand scheme of the series.

I find some of the dramatic camera movements and extreme angled shots on the bridge a bit distracting. The musical score is pretty dramatic and changes in tone on multiple occasions depending on the emotional theme of each sequence. The well crafted saucer-section sequence is reminiscent of the 'The Cage' episode where the show theme is used during the sequence where the warp drive is engaged. In one scene you can clearly see a stunt-player standing in for Tasha Yar.

Performances are mostly great with Patrick Stewart standing out significantly with a powerful presence and masterful delivery of dialogue. All supporting cast are solid with Marina Sirtis having just one or two ropey moments.

But weird story, difficult to understand and to follow. More difficult to understand than any Star trek ooriginal episodes. But at least its not boring ans we get to know the new characters !

And like the last sentences Say " our next mission will be more interesting" i truly Hope so , ahah.

As this series progressed and we got to know and love these characters, we must harken back to the inception of the series. It's an awful lot to throw out there. Multiple characters, most of whom continue in their roles for all or most of the series. The introduction of Picard, who is a real contrast to the James T. Kirk flamboyance. There is adventure and control. We are shown the ship and get to know how she came to be. Q enters at the start and will be a factor in the future. I've always struggled with this being because when a nearly omnipotent creature show his face, it diminishes the powers of the poor crew whose efforts seem somehow futile. It's good that he bows out, for the most part, as the series continues. The expense and effort of this experiment asked us to accept a new, modern version of the somewhat tacky, though highly entertaining, original. Commander Data takes on the Spock role, but as an android brings a different kind of detachment. His programming has a couple of interesting subsystems. The first plot test Picard and the crew to become more global (universal?) in investigating a force in the universe that doesn't play by their rules. How they approach this and deal with this while being tested by Q works very well for the most part. When I first saw this, I was so pumped. Just the thought of intelligent science fiction on prime time television made me long for its success.