Encounter at Farpoint had the chore of setting up the characters and settings of the first Trek series since the original. It also introduces Q, who is surrounded by an interesting but thin premise about proving if mankind has changed much throughout history.
I decided recently to go back and watch The Next Generation from the start. Since I have a new baby and a lot of time spent watching or holding her, I had the time. I sometimes cringe at the first season, as some of the costumes were horrible, the acting and characterizations were a little off and the special effects weren't as sharp as they could have been. That said, I was surprised how much this episode and many of the first season offerings did hold up.
Encounter at Farpoint is an entertaining start for Trek but it wasn't completely successful. Q was a great character, it was fun seeing McCoy and a lot of the other characters were well introduced. Troi was horrible and I am glad they eventually got rid of her over emotional empathy. Worf was just a token Klingon who thankfully, became one of the most complex characters through Deep Space Nine. And Yar was one of the most unfocused characters ever created for Trek, this side of Harry Kim from Voyager. The story, while classic Trek, took a backseat to the look and new characters.
This is a good start to the series. Several stinkers were to follow and the uneven second season helped The Next Generation finds its wings though it's run.
I decided recently to go back and watch The Next Generation from the start. Since I have a new baby and a lot of time spent watching or holding her, I had the time. I sometimes cringe at the first season, as some of the costumes were horrible, the acting and characterizations were a little off and the special effects weren't as sharp as they could have been. That said, I was surprised how much this episode and many of the first season offerings did hold up.
Encounter at Farpoint is an entertaining start for Trek but it wasn't completely successful. Q was a great character, it was fun seeing McCoy and a lot of the other characters were well introduced. Troi was horrible and I am glad they eventually got rid of her over emotional empathy. Worf was just a token Klingon who thankfully, became one of the most complex characters through Deep Space Nine. And Yar was one of the most unfocused characters ever created for Trek, this side of Harry Kim from Voyager. The story, while classic Trek, took a backseat to the look and new characters.
This is a good start to the series. Several stinkers were to follow and the uneven second season helped The Next Generation finds its wings though it's run.