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Encounter at Farpoint: Directed by Corey Allen. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby. 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.
- (7.1K)
- Action, Adventure, Drama
- Corey Allen
- 1987-09-26
- Overview
- Summary
- Memorable quotes
- Background information
- Links and references
- External links
Captain Jean-Luc Picard leads the crew of the USS Enterprise-D on its maiden voyage, to examine a new planetary station for trade with the Federation. On the way, they encounter Q, an omnipotent extra-dimensional being, who challenges Humanity as a barbaric, inferior species. Picard and his new crew must hold off Q's challenge and solve the puzzle ...
Act One
"Captain's log, Stardate 41153.7. Our destination is Planet Deneb IV, beyond which lies the great unexplored mass of the galaxy. My orders are to examine Farpoint, a starbase built there by the inhabitants of that world. Meanwhile I'm becoming better acquainted with my new command – this Galaxy-class USS Enterprise. I'm still somewhat in awe of its size and complexity. As for my crew, we are short in several key positions, most notably a first officer, but I'm informed that a highly experienced man, one Commander William Riker, will be waiting to join the ship at our Deneb IV destination." The year is 2364. Captain Jean-Luc Picard has assumed command of the new starship, the Galaxy-class USS Enterprise-D, the fifth Federation starship to bear the name Enterprise. The vessel is about to embark on its first mission to Deneb IV, beyond which lies the great unexplored mass of the galaxy. Picard, in his log, notes that he is impressed with the size and complexity of the ship as he walks through the Enterprise, surveying engineering, then finally enters the bridge, manned by tactical officer Lieutenant Natasha Yar, Lieutenant Worf, Counselor Deanna Troi and Lieutenant Commander Data. Picard continues with his log, in which he reports that the ship is en route to Farpoint Station and that the ship is short in several key positions, most notably a first officer, but Picard is informed that a very experienced officer, one William T. Riker, will fill the position. Picard sits at the captain's chair and makes an off-hand comment on how Starfleet wants the crew of the Enterprise to "snoop" around Farpoint station, to which Data makes an inquiry into the definition of the word snoop. Picard wonders how Data, a complex android with encyclopedic knowledge does not know the meaning of a basic word like "snoop". Data responds that he possibly was not designed to emulate this type of Human behavior. Picard says that it means "to spy, to sneak." Data responds, "Ah, to seek covertly, to go stealthily, to slink, slither, creep, skulk, pussyfoot, gum…" "Yes" Picard interjects, to which Data finishes, "…shoe." Suddenly, Counselor Troi senses a powerful mind. The ship then goes to red alert, with the familiar alert sound blaring through the bridge. Then, conn officer Lieutenant Torres reports that there is something strange on his detector circuit. A large field begins to appear in front of the Enterprise, which reads as solid. Picard calls for Yar to turn off "that damned noise!" and go to yellow alert. Picard orders helm to make the ship come to a full stop. Soon after controls read full stop, a white light shines on the bridge and a humanoid emerges, dressed from 16th century Europe. Picard asks the being to identify itself. The being notes that he is called "Q" and walks around the bridge, while Torres discreetly takes a hand phaser out from the bottom of his console. Q, however, senses this and freezes Torres before he can fire. Q, after showing his ability, warns the crew of the Enterprise to go back to Earth or they shall most certainly die.
Act Two
"Captain's Log, supplementary. The frozen form of Lieutenant Torres has been rushed to sickbay. The question now is the incredible power of the Q being. Do we dare oppose it?" Later, Q changes into many costumes of Earth's eras, including the late 20th century in the guise of a United States Marine Corps captain: "Actually, the issue at stake is patriotism. We must go back to your world and put an end to the Commies. All it takes are a few good men." Picard tells Q that that kind of nonsense is centuries behind them. Q brings up that Picard cannot deny that Humans are a dangerous, savage child race, which Picard denies, saying that Humans have made rapid progress in only a few centuries. Q then changes again, thinking Picard and his crew will be able to identify with the period that he next embodies, that of a soldier in the late 21st century, where Q notes that Humans learned to control their militaries through drugs. The other officers, not amused with Q's behavior, attempt to make him leave, but Q keeps on heaping disapproval on Humans, noting that when they finally reached deep space, they found enemies to fight out there as well, which Q says is "the same old story all over again." Picard says that Q is the same old story they have been seeing, self-righteous beings who prosecute and judge for things they can't understand nor tolerate. Q notes that "prosecute and judge" is an interesting concept, and asks, "Suppose it turns out we understand you humans all too well?" Picard says he does not fear the facts, and Q seems to take this as a suggestion. He then says that there are preparations to make, but notes that he will be back and will proceed the way Picard suggests. Picard, who gets many suggestions from his senior staff, orders that no stations on the ship will make audio transmissions, only printout, in an attempt to catch Q off guard, with Picard noting, "Let's see what this Galaxy-class starship can do." Picard orders Worf to head down to engineering and have them prepare for maximum acceleration. Picard also asks Data if it is possible to perform a saucer separation at a high warp velocity. Data notes that the separation is inadvisable at any warp speed; it is theoretically possible, but there can be no margin for error. Worf returns from engineering, with the report that the engine room is ready, and takes his position at the helm. Picard orders "Engage", and the ship turns away from Q's force field and warps away. The entire force field collapses into a ball and heads towards the Enterprise. The object is at high warp speed, at warp 9.6, and the Enterprise increases speed accordingly. However, the object is increasing speed. Data notes that the Enterprise may be able to match the object's 9.8 warp, but at extreme risk. However, the object reaches warp 9.9 while the Enterprise is only at warp 9.5. Picard, seeing no other alternative, calls out to the entire ship, "Now hear this, printout message, urgent, all stations, all decks, prepare for emergency saucer sep." The bridge officers are shocked at this new order. Picard orders Worf to command the saucer section, while Picard commands the battle section. Worf stands up from his conn station and tells Picard, "I am a Klingon, sir. For me to seek escape when my captain goes into battle…", to which Picard bluntly overrules him and reminds him that he is a Starfleet officer. Worf grudgingly agrees. Picard, Yar, Troi, and Data take the bridge's emergency turbolift to the battle bridge.
Act Three
"Captain's Log, Stardate 41153.7. Preparing to detach saucer section so that families and the majority of the ship's company can seek relative safety while the vessel's stardrive containing the battle bridge and main armaments will turn back and confront the mystery that is threatening us." The Enterprise's corridors are filled with crewmembers and families leaving the stardrive section to the saucer section. Picard, Data, Yar and Troi enter the battle bridge, with Chief Miles O'Brien manning the conn. First, Picard orders that Yar fire photon torpedoes towards the object. Yar complies and the torpedoes are away. Shortly after, Picard orders that the countdown to saucer separation begin. Data counts down, and the ship separates while at warp. The stardrive section turns around and heads towards a confrontation with Q. The stardrive section arrives to see the torpedoes hit the object, however, it has no effect, the point being that the detonation of the torpedoes masked the getaway of the saucer section. Picard asks Troi to send out a message in all languages that they surrender. Then, the stardrive section is soon encompassed by a sphere-shaped force field and bright white light surrounds the battle bridge. Picard, Troi, Data and Yar are taken to a World War III-style courtroom, where Troi reveals that everything that is happening is real, even the soldiers with lethal weapons. The magistrate orders everyone in the courtroom to stand as the judge enters. The judge is revealed to be Q, who charges Humanity of being a grievously savage race, to which Yar is unable to control her anger and starts to berate Q, saying that she comes from a world where a similar "court" was commonplace, and that it took people like her Starfleet comrades to save her from such atrocities. Q then freezes Yar, the same way he did to Torres. Outraged, Picard demands that Q uphold his promise that "the prisoners would not be harmed" and thaw out Yar, which he does, much to the crowd's displeasure. Picard pleads not guilty to Q's charges. Q does not take kindly to this and has two soldiers aim their weapons at Data and Troi, ordering them to push the triggers if Picard says anything other than guilty.
"Would you agree, Mr. Data, that Starfleet's orders are difficult"Difficult? Simply solve the mystery of Farpoint Station"Simple as that."
- Picard and Data, first spoken lines of the series (outside of the preceding captain's log entry)
"Farpoint Station. Even the name sounds mysterious."
- Troi
"Captain, I'm sensing a… a powerful mind!"
- Troi, sensing Q for the first time
Production history
•Initial mention by Paramount Television president Mel Harris, at press conference: 10 October 1986 (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, pp. 26 & 53) •Robert H. Justman suggests D.C. Fontana write the episode: 25 November 1986 •First story outline by D.C. Fontana: 5 December 1986 (titled "Meeting at Farpoint") (Creating the Next Generation, p. 65) •First casting call released, noting absence of script: 10 December 1986 (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 13)) •Revised preproduction schedule by Robert H. Justman and Edward K. Milkis: 30 December 1986 •Projected date of first draft story outline: 7 January 1987 •D.C. Fontana's delivery of first draft story outline (now titled "Encounter at Farpoint"): 8 January 1987 (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 66) •Projected date of second draft story outline: 14 January 1987 •Revised outline: 19 January 1987 (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 66) •Green-lighting of first draft script assignment: 21 January 1987 (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 66) •Projected date of first draft script: 16 February 1987 •First draft script: 17 February 1987 (Creating the Next Generation, p. 67) •During first meeting of new series production staff, production issues from D.C. Fontana's script are discussed: 18 February 1987 (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 7)) •Projected date of second draft script: 9 March 1987 •Second draft script: 16 March 1987 •Tentative post-production schedule by Peter Lauritson: 16 March 1987 •Projected start date of director: 30 March 1987 •Second draft script: 3 April 1987 •Projected start date of first assistant director and casting (both episode-specific): 6 April 1987 •Projected date of and actual submission of final draft script: 13 April 1987 •Projected final budget of episode: 20 April 1987 •Projected start of filming: 29 April 1987 •Breakdown of optical costs by Peter Lauritson: 12 May 1987 •Rehearsals: 26 May 1987 – 28 May 1987 ("Encounter at Farpoint" production reports) •Start date of filming, with holographic stream and parkland scene: 29 May 1987 (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 21)) •Projected start date, and second day of production, with start of filming Farpoint scenes: 1 June 1987 •Third day of production, with filming of Leonard McCoy cameo: 2 June 1987 (X) •Projected and actual end date of filming, concluding twenty-day shoot: 25 June 1987 ((X); Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission, p. 48) •Projected end date of filming: 26 June 1987 •Projected date of editor's assembly of footage: 13 July 1987 •Shooting of ILM scenes: 16 July 1987 ("The Beginning", TNG Season 1 DVD special features) •Projected date of director's cut: 3 August 1987 •Projected date of producer's cut and studio screening: 17 August 1987 •Projected date of final cut: 19 August 1987 •Projected date of on-line assembly: 20 August 1987 •Projected date of spotting, mixing, electrical effects (EFX), and additional dialogue recording (ADR): 21 August 1987 •Projected date of on-line assembly of titles and effects: 28 August 1987 •Projected dates for more ADR: 1 September 1987 – 2 September 1987 •Projected dates for score: 3 September 1987 – 4 September 1987 •Projected dates for dubbing: 9 September 1987 – 14 September 1987 (4 days) •Projected date of video duplication: 15 September 1987 •Projected date of delivery to network: 16 September 1987 •Private screening held for the crew at The Paramount Theatre: 27 September 1987 •Premiere airdate: 28 September 1987 •Projected premiere airdate: 3 October 1987 •UK premiere (BBC2): 26 September 1990
Introduction
•This episode is the series premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was the third live-action pilot episode (the other two being TOS pilots "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before") and the fourth pilot in general (counting TAS: "More Tribbles, More Troubles"). According to Beyond the Final Frontier (p. 78), though, this first TNG episode technically wasn't a "pilot", as such, because TNG had already been commissioned at the time of its making. On the other hand, much of the documentation used in its production referred to this project as a "pilot". In fact, this was the first Star Trek pilot which was presold as a series. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 24))
Story and script
•In a press conference that announced a new Star Trek series on 10 October 1986, Paramount Television president Mel Harris declared that, in the fall of 1987, "a two-hour telefilm" would launch the upcoming series, which was already entitled Star Trek: The Next Generation. (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, pp. 26 & 53) •At the first TNG meeting Rick Berman and Gene Roddenberry attended, the length of this then-forthcoming episode was the subject of heated debate between Roddenberry and Paramount. Berman stated, "There was some contention, because the studio wanted a two-hour pilot and Roddenberry only wanted to do a one-hour pilot." (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 48) The meeting was held in Roddenberry's office and, according to Berman, was "a big blustery argument." One of the debaters was President of Paramount Network Television John Pike. "The premiere episode we have to make a splash with," he recalled thinking, "and that must be a two-hour episode […] I thought Gene was going to come across the table at me, 'We're not doing a two-hour and I'm not writing a two-hour.' And I said, 'Gene, quite frankly, if you do not do this, I will bar you from the lot. We are going forward with a two-hour.' I don't know who's going to write it, and now everybody is looking around the room and nobody is saying nothing." Pike was bluffing to Roddenberry. In reality, Pike was anxious that, with tens of millions of dollars at stake if Roddenberry refused to produce the episode as a two-hour pilot, he would decline to do so and simply leave instead. As an awkward silence descended on the room, Pike found no one present was backing up his claim. (William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge) Although he had accompanied Pike to the meeting, Berman chose to totally stay out of the debate. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12, p. 16) Relaying Roddenberry's response, Pike noted, "He knew I was dead serious." (William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge) However, the issue of this episode's duration became the subject of a long-running dispute. As a compromise, the studio even attempted to persuade Roddenberry to agree to do a ninety-minute pilot instead. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 24)) Commented Producer Robert H. Justman, "I know […] we were having problems with the studio, which couldn't seem to make up its mind whether it was gonna be a two-hour pilot, an hour pilot, or a 90-minute. And so," he laughed, "we were going around and around with them." Berman continued, "There was a lot of arguing, a lot of very high-level executives came in." (Stardate Revisited: The Origin of Star Trek - The Next Generation, Part One: Inception, TNG Season 1 Blu-ray special features) •The TNG creative staff began to focus their work on the details of this first episode after concentrating on the show's backstory. For the writers, the presold nature of this episode meant the pressure was on introducing the characters instead of trying to sell the show. However, the work of the writers was not any simpler as a result. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., pp. 21 & 24)) •In a one-page memo Robert Justman wrote Gene Roddenberry about the Crusher family and their relationships with Picard (the memo was dated 11 November 1986), Justman concluded the document by expressing that the end of this initial episode could feature the departure of Beverly Crusher. He recommended, "In a bittersweet emotional love scene in the Captain's 'Ready Room,' Wesley's mother bids farewell to Picard and entreats him to protect and nurture her son. She leaves at the end of the premiere episode content only with the knowledge that Picard will be both mentor and surrogate father to her only child." In hindsight, Justman exclaimed, "Well, that certainly didn't work out!" (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12, p. 17) •Though Gene Roddenberry was recognized as the "creator" of Star Trek in general as well as Star Trek: The Next Generation in particular (in addition to the original Star Trek series), he needed to delegate some of his responsibilities in crafting this episode, as well as the series at large. For example, the producers needed guidance on a script for the pilot episode. (Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission, p. 55) In a one-page memo Robert Justman sent Roddenberry (on 25 November 1986), Justman proposed that D.C. Fontana "could write 2 hr. opener and/or episodes." Although he also listed five other writers in the same memo, Fontana was the only one Justman suggested tackle the series premiere. In late 1986, Roddenberry called Fontana with an invite to work on the outing. She recalled, "I was asked to come in, by Gene, and he said, 'Would you write the pilot?'" (William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge) Years after the incident, Fontana reflected that she was "intrigued and drawn into the process" because of this invite. Fontana was hired to write the script, as a two-hour initial installment, by early December 1986. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 6)) "So I was writing introduction of the new Enterprise, the new crew, the new captain obviously," she remembered. (William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge) Although Fontana was hired to write the episode while the deadline for initiating preproduction on it was approaching, she almost immediately ran into trouble because no one seemed absolutely sure what she should do; as of December 1986, Paramount was yet to decide whether the episode should be two hours, ninety minutes, or an hour in length. (Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission, p. 30) •An early version of D.C. Fontana's first story outline, bearing the working title "Meeting at Farpoint" (and dated 5 December 1986), was more focused on action than the episode ultimately became and had several plot points and names that were also different from the final product. For instance, Groppler Zorn was named "Elzever". The captain of the Enterprise-D, which had just completed a successful mission, was Julien Picard instead of Jean-Luc Picard, first officer was Kyle Summers, and security chief was Macha Hernandez instead of Tasha Yar. Summers was promoted to captain and was scheduled to take over command of the science vessel Starseeker at Farpoint Station. While in orbit of that facility, crew transfers included Lieutenant Commander William Ryker, Lieutenant Commander Data, Dr. Beverly Crusher and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Leslie. Ryker and Data shared a deep friendship. Following the transfer, an alien vessel appeared near the planet and sent a message that all personnel had to beam to the planet or all would die. The captain of the Starseeker was preparing to have his ship fire photon torpedoes at the newly arrived vessel, but before he could do so, the Starseeker was destroyed. At Picard's orders, the crew of the Enterprise-D beamed to the surface and made contact with their enemy, the Annoi, an ape-like species with a high technology. The Annoi enslaved both the crew and the inhabitants of Farpoint, and forced them to mine the mineral balmine. An away team including Data, Ryker, Troi, and Hernandez got aboard the Annoi ship, and, with the help of Leslie Crusher's knowledge about the vessel's layout, Troi then learned that there was no engineering room aboard the ship – the "ship" was actually a lifeform. This lifeform had been enslaved by the Annoi and needed balmine to survive. (Creating the Next Generation, pp. 64-65) Noted Fontana, "I did want the reveal at the end to be a true surprise, that it wasn't a mystical something, it was a creature." (Stardate Revisited: The Origin of Star Trek - The Next Generation, Part One: Inception, TNG Season 1 Blu-ray special features) •The series' first casting call, which was sent to talent agencies on 10 December 1986, predicted that the two-hour "TV movie" would start filming at the end of March 1987 but also noted there was no script yet available for the project. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 13)) •DeForest Kelley's cameo as an aged McCoy was a late addition to the story and was devised by Gene Roddenberry. "It came about as a result of, I think, a meeting between him and De," remembered Robert Justman. "I think it had been on Gene's mind." The scene was written after Roddenberry sought Kelley's permission for it to go ahead. It was written into a later version of the first draft story outline (dated 8 January 1987), while the episode was now called "Encounter at Farpoint". •In the same outline, the Annoi became the Annae, the people who were living at Farpoint. Data was described as looking eastern, and the story also featured Doctor Ansenzi, Dr. Crusher's predecessor as the Enterprise-D's chief medical officer. •Subsequently, D.C. Fontana submitted a revised draft of the outline (on 19 January 1987). (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 66) •Between submitting the two different drafts of the installment's story outline and receiving approval to proceed to the script stage, D.C. Fontana found that the running length of the pilot was still under review. "It had been decided between Roddenberry and Justman that the outline I had was enough for ninety minutes and that I should develop that material. As I began writing the script, and throughout the writing of the first draft, the length of the script kept bobbing up and down from two hours to an hour and a half to one hour and back up again," Fontana explained. "I was told that this was due to the fact that the decision had not been made as to whether the premiere would have a 'history of Star Trek' section, a behind-the-scenes section, or an extended preview section in addition to the dramatic story. Or whether it would be all story." Fontana was asked, every few days, by Roddenberry's attorney, Leonard Maizlish – who had started to come to the studio daily – about whether she thought the script might be an hour, an hour and a half, or two hours. While the episode's duration was undecided, Fontana was attempting to develop the outline, a task that proved extraordinarily difficult, since she didn't know how long the episode was intended to be. (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 66) •Eventually, both Gene Roddenberry and Leonard Maizlish told D.C. Fontana to simply concentrate on writing a ninety-minute episode, even though Fontana's contract specified she would be given a bonus if she wrote a two-hour pilot. Heeding their instruction, she instead developed the installment to be ninety minutes long, missing out on her bonus. (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 66) •In the first draft script, the people who were living on Farpoint were still named the Annae, although Leslie Crusher was renamed Wes Crusher. Data was still described as looking eastern, but Dr. Ansenzi was now described as Dr. Crusher's assistant aboard the Enterprise-D. The story started aboard the starship Belvedere. Ryker first met Geordi La Forge and Ensign Sawyer Markham at Farpoint. The Enterprise started a twenty-year mission to explore the galaxy and had to protect Farpoint Station from an alien vessel. (Creating the Next Generation, pp. 66-70) •Gene Roddenberry and Leonard Maizlish finally revealed to D.C. Fontana that the episode would indeed be two hours in length. (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 66) The studio had decided to make the episode two hours long so that it could be halved into a pair of hour segments for later broadcast. In the meantime, however, there were other issues which could potentially have an impact on the episode's pacing and duration. "By that time, we felt that our script was short for a two-hour," said Robert Justman, "plus the fact that by that time we knew who was going to direct it." Justman had previously worked on multiple occasions with the chosen director, Corey Allen, and therefore knew he usually paced scenes faster than any other director. This meant the production would definitely require a longer script than Fontana had written. •According to TNG Research Consultant Richard Arnold, D.C. Fontana declined the opportunity to write the extra thirty minutes. "Gene wanted Dorothy to write the two-hour script," Arnold stated. "She said she couldn't do it. She said, 'I can't in less than two weeks.'" (William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge) However, Fontana herself recollected, "I was ready and willing to expand my story to encompass the additional half hour." (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 67) •Instead, Gene Roddenberry chose to write the extra material himself. "Gene said, 'Don't worry about expanding your story. I'll put a frame on it, Dorothy,'" relayed David Gerrold. D.C. Fontana herself noted, "I was told that Roddenberry would write what came to be called 'the prequel.'" Gerrold added, "When Gene said he would put the frame on it, Dorothy said, 'There goes my bonus.' Gene said, 'Don't worry, we'll take care of you.'" (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, pp. 66-67) Gerrold retrospectively alleged, too, that the reason Roddenberry gave for arranging to do so much writing on the episode was actually dishonest. Explained Gerrold, "He says, 'I have to add thirty minutes to the script because the studio wants my name on the pilot,' which was a lie." Richard Arnold claimed that the real reason why Roddenberry took on the task of fleshing out the script was that he was capable of writing extremely well under pressure whereas Fontana wasn't. (William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge) Nonetheless, the situation reminded Fontana of an earlier scenario in which, while working together on Star Trek: The Animated Series, Roddenberry had caused her to lose out on money she was rightfully owed, due to a promotion in her career, while he sneakily acquired those finances for his own salary. (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 67) Recalling what happened after she submitted the first draft of the "Encounter at Farpoint" teleplay, she noted, "The script was taken out of my hands and it was totally rewritten by Gene." (Star Trek Magazine issue 128, p. 47) According to the reference book Creating the Next Generation (p. 67), the first draft script was submitted on 17 February 1987. However, according to the book Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission (pp. 30 & 40), Fontana completed her work on the script in mid-March 1987, when she turned in "a revised draft of a ninety-minute version of 'Encounter at Farpoint'." •As Robert Justman remembered, the ship separation sequence was a late addition which helped flesh out the script from ninety minutes to two hours. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 24)) David Gerrold recollected, "When Dorothy wrote 'Encounter at Farpoint', and we had the ship split into two parts, one of the women crew members was left in charge. Next thing, when we get the script back, here's this Klingon head of security, named Worf […] So, that's where Worf comes from. After months of Gene saying no, suddenly it gets written in." (Stardate Revisited: The Origin of Star Trek - The Next Generation, Part One: Inception, TNG Season 1 Blu-ray special features) Both Worf and the saucer separation idea were introduced in the second draft of the script. (Creating the Next Generation, p. 72) Despite identifying that draft as having been Roddenberry's rewrite of Fontana's script, Justman himself took credit for scripting the saucer separation sequence. The reason this plot point wasn't scripted until such a late draft of the teleplay was that the TNG creative staff needed to first seek Paramount's approval to have the Enterprise capable of saucer separation at all. By the time the studio allowed for that to be the case, the production crew was just about to start filming the episode. Justman explained, "I wrote it cut by cut, exactly what would happen while you're in the master scene. I wrote each individual cut to show the editors and the people who were making the photographic miniatures, compositing, what we needed, what else we needed." •Gene Roddenberry's newly-added framework introduced the character concept of Q. (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 67) Originally, that character was instead meant to be introduced in a later entry of the forthcoming series. (Beyond the Final Frontier, p. 77) Although all the other members of the writing team very gently tried to advise Roddenberry that the Q subplot wasn't very good (immediately recognizing Q as clearly a direct copy of Trelane from TOS: "The Squire of Gothos"), he was adamant about writing it into this episode. "He said, 'Trust me, the way I'll do it, the fans will love it,'" recounted Gerrold. (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 67) •Gene Roddenberry was working on the Q subplot when avid Star Trek fan Doug Drexler, who later worked extensively on the series himself, visited the TNG offices for the first time. During a chat with Edward K. Milkis and Robert Justman there, Drexler overheard a plot detail from this story. "While I was talking to Eddie and Bob, Roddenberry bursts into the room and says, 'I've got it! The captain stops the ship, turns around, and surrenders,'" Drexler recalled. "And Gene turns and looks at me and he sees a blank look on my face, and Bob says, 'Gene, you don't realize what you just did to this guy.'" (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 64) •Although Gene Roddenberry had recently been suffering from chronically lagging energy levels, Robert Justman was pleased that he was, by now, physically able to do so much work on the installment. "He finally hit his stride on the opening episode, on 'Farpoint', after Dorothy turned in her teleplay and made her revisions," Justman recalled. "Time was getting short, and Gene took it and rewrote it, and that's when he got up to speed, finally – that's when he really started cooking on all cylinders and turned in a terrific rewrite. I mean, he added the Q character and really, some elements that hadn't been there." •Although he was baffled by what the story was about, John Pike was adamant about how little he would influence Gene Roddenberry in its writing. "There was no way in the world I was gonna give any notes whatsoever to Mr. Roddenberry," he emphasized. (William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge) •According to the book Creating the Next Generation (p. 72), the Q subplot wasn't introduced into the script until the next "draft" after the one that first involved the saucer separation, which the book cited as the second draft of the teleplay. The book added that Q was also an aspect of all subsequent script drafts. However, at least one version of the second draft script did include Q. Picard surrendering the Enterprise was another element of that same script, in which Gene Roddenberry subsequently made numerous handwritten notes in preparation for creating the final draft of the script. According to Richard Arnold, the script that introduced Q was delivered by Roddenberry one week after D.C. Fontana finished her work on this entry. (William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge) •The McCoy scene was kept secret, so much so that his name wasn't referenced in the script and isn't in the completed episode's dialogue either. (Beyond the Final Frontier, p. 78) The handwritten notes by Roddenberry obscured all references to "McCoy", changing them to "Admiral" instead. The final draft script described McCoy as 147 years old, rather than 137. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 24); ) •In the final draft script, the stardate was originally given as 42353.7. The other stardates were 42354.1, 42354.22, 42354.71, and 42372.5. •The founding date of the New United Nations was given as 2016 in the shooting script, whereas the setting of Q's courtroom was given as 2049. These were changed to 2036 and 2079 respectively. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 24); ) •In the script, the frozen lieutenant's name was Graham. It was changed to Torres in the filmed episode. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 24); ) •Also, in the final draft script, Q froze both Tasha and Troi during the mock trial. Yet, in the episode, only Tasha gets frozen and eventually revived. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 24); ) •Another change was that the final draft script didn't have Picard's line, "Lets see what's out there." (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 24)) •Because the pacing of many of the filmed scenes turned out to be insufficiently long (due to Corey Allen's very fast-paced filming style), Robert Justman wrote to Gene Roddenberry and Rick Berman (on 10 June 1987) about the need for some additional scenes to be written to "pad out" the episode, in order to make the episode fill the two-hour airtime. Such scenes, the contents of which were suggested by Berman, were actually devised at essentially the last minute. They included the conversation between Crusher and La Forge in sickbay as well as Picard's more cordial reintroduction to Crusher shortly thereafter. (X) •Due to Gene Roddenberry's rewrite work on this installment, the episode went to the Writers' Guild of America for credits arbitration. (William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge) As described by D.C. Fontana, this was an automatic and fairly usual process for any episodes whose development involved heavy revision or rewrite. In a handwritten note from Fontana to David Gerrold about this episode's arbitration, she stated, "Needless to say, you never saw this. I'm in touch with the Guild on it." The Guild's conclusion was that the episode would have a split writers' credit between Roddenberry and Fontana. In hindsight, Gerrold remarked, "What he had done was jump her credit. He was now getting half the residuals for that episode, and that's in perpetuity." In Richard Arnold's opinion, though, the split credit was a fair summation of how Roddenberry and Fontana had devised the script. (William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge)
Starring
•Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard •Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker
Also starring
•LeVar Burton as Lt. Geordi La Forge •Denise Crosby as Lt. Tasha Yar •Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf •Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher •Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi •Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data •Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher
Guest stars
•John de Lancie as Q •Michael Bell as Zorn
" Encounter at Farpoint " is the pilot episode and series premiere of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, which premiered in syndication on September 28, 1987. It was written by D. C. Fontana and Gene Roddenberry and directed by Corey Allen.
- September 28, 1987
- Dennis McCarthy
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"Star Trek: The Next Generation" Encounter at Farpoint (TV Episode 1987) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
English. The new Starship Enterprise and its crew set out "to boldy go where no one has gone before". Their first mission is to explore the creation of the Farpoint station located on planet...
Sep 28, 2023 · Published Sep 28, 2023. Encounter at Farpoint: An Oral History. On the anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation's debut, we revisit its premiere episode. By StarTrek.com Staff. StarTrek.com. September 28, 1987, remains one of the most-important days ever in Star Trek history.
