Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 4, Episode 15
February 18, 1991
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| via Memory Alpha |
An important away mission has gone wrong. Riker was supposed to be on reconnaissance on Malcor III, a world on the brink of discovering warp technology. The Malcorians are nearly ready for first contact, the initial introduction to the Federation and, through them, the broader, inhabited galaxy. Instead, Riker is injured and lying in a hospital. His cover seems likely to be blown at any given moment.
"First Contact" is a fascinating episode. We know already, from "Who Watches the Watchers," that the Federation keeps an eye on pre-warp civilizations but until now, we don't know how much about how the initial encounter is supposed to go. Granted, our Enterprise heroes still manage to screw it up but that's really not the point of the story. Instead, we see that even with the prerequisite technological advances, the Malcorians still aren't quite ready from a cultural standpoint. There's a broader life lesson in there, too: just because I'm ready for you does not mean you're ready for me.
"First Contact" is unusual in the franchise in that it is told from the perspective of an "alien" world seeing our friends as the outsiders. A few weeks back, we had a discussion in the post comments about the fact that there's not yet been a Trek series told from a non-human point of view. Perhaps a first contact narrative could be a good launching point for such a series.
Acting Notes
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| via Wikipedia |
Bebe Neuwirth has a wonderful cameo in "First Contact." She plays the part of Lanel, a Malcorian eager to help Riker but even more eager to have sex with him, always having wanted to make love with an alien. The role was written with Neuwirth in mind and Jonathan Frakes loved working with her.
Beatrice "Bebe" Neuwirth was born December 31, 1958 in Newark, New Jersey. She started ballet at age 5, then fell in love with musical theater when she went to see Pippin on Broadway at 15. She went to Julliard but didn't stay long. She took acting classes at the YWCA and found work in local ballet and theater but the big time was coming.
She got her first Broadway role in A Chorus Line in 1980. She won her first Tony in a revival of Sweet Charity. In truth, she probably could have been a star on stage alone for years but the highlight role of her career came on television as Dr. Lilith Sternin Crane on Cheers and, later, Frasier. Lilith brought her two Emmys - the second in 1991, in fact. A second Tony would come in 1997 for Chicago. On the big screen, the Jumanji franchise has been especially kind to her. She was in both the original film and the sequel Jumanji: The Next Level.
And a Tony who doesn’t really have much to say about this one. Kind of par for the course in modern Star Trek. Interesting if generic episode, otherwise. Riker doesn’t really help it be anymore interesting. As with “Watchers,” it would kind of benefit from an injection of Picard. And bringing up one with the other, it just proves “Watchers” did it already and was more interesting.
ReplyDeleteI prefer this one to "Watchers." The earlier episode is good but it is a little patronizing, too. "First Contact" brings us closer to what would happen in our own society right now, including Neuwirth's character. I find it entirely believable.
DeleteBebe Neuwirth has been a favorite of mine.
ReplyDeleteMe, too, definitely. I'm a sucker for all things Cheers-related and she was a wonderful addition to the show.
DeleteApparently, she's quite a funny lady.
I'm of mixed attitudes concerning this episode. The concept was interesting with it going with a pre-warp but technologically advanced culture. In my mind the Malcorians were stand-ins for humans and our dysfunctional planetary civilization.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand I felt how the plot unfolded was weak given the material. Yes, "Who Watches the Watchers" was a better episode even though those aliens were barely out of the Stone Age.
Always thought Bebe Neuwirth was super hot as the Aunt in Jumanji.
Neuwirth is definitely hot!
DeleteI find the story completely believable. If this happened on Earth right now, everything we see in the story would happen: the effort to destroy, the effort to cover up, the fetishization, the decision to suppress. People don't want to believe in a pandemic because it's inconvenient. The same would be true with alien contact.
I love this episode which, to me, shows what a superpower, based on fear, like the U.S., should not have the power to push that button. I love that the views of the world are in the hands of a few characters who show fear and a wish to bring arms, the scientist who wants to learn more and is open to what is out there, the leader who realizes his world is not ready yet and good ole Bebe who would welcome the aliens in al, sorts of ways.
ReplyDeleteLike I said in my comment to BB above, I think we'd see it all if it happened here now.
DeleteFrom the beginning, I think Roddenberry, disgusted by US involvement in Vietnam, wanted Trek to follow the gentler, more benevolent superpower model. It doesn't solve everything but it's a step in the right direction.