First Contact: The Next Generation Introcast

FIRST CONTACT : ‘UNNATURAL SELECTION’ SEASON 2 EPISODE 7 In ‘Unnatural Selection’ Pulaski gets a disease which makes her age rapidly. That might have been a more effective plot device if she didn’t look quite old already. Andrew, James and Alex try hard to care as the writers go out of their way to try and make this oddly unlikeable character in some way sympathetic. Listen to th...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘THE SCHIZOID MAN’ SEASON 2 EPISODE 6 The Schizoid Man was originally written as a star-vehicle for Patrick McGoohan but unfortunately he was unavailable so instead the rest of the cast try and fail to fill the massive gap. It’s another Data episode so you really should like it but it also features the crew acting at season one levels of stupid so maybe you won’t. Liste...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘LOUD AS A WHISPER’ SEASON 2 EPISODE 5 A deaf negotiator comes on board to be transported to a planet to help resolve a long running conflict. Thank goodness it isn’t one of those really badly done episodes where they tackle an “issue” in the least subtle way possible. No, wait! It’s exactly that. Listen to the previous episode,   ‘The Outrageous Okona...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘THE OUTRAGEOUS OKONA’ SEASON 2 EPISODE 4   A roguish smuggler boards the Enterprise and quite literally charms the pants off half the crew. In a mostly unrelated sub-plot, Data wonders what it’s like to be funny; something the writers struggle with throughout the episode. Listen to the previous episode,   ‘Elementary Dear Data’ here       &nbs...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘ELEMENTARY DEAR DATA’ SEASON 2 EPISODE 3 Geordi and Data head to the holodeck to play Sherlock Holmes and would you believe it, something goes wrong leaving Doctor Pulaski trapped. The crew consider just leaving her there but eventually decide to do something about it. Listen to the previous episode,  ‘Where Silence Has Lease’ here           Th...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘WHERE SILENCE HAS LEASE’ SEASON 2 EPISODE 2 The Enterprise gets sucked into a hole in space. They get put through a series of weird tests by a big floaty headed alien called Nagilum. Will they be able to escape? Ensign Haskell fans might not want to watch this one. Listen to the previous episode, ‘The Child’ here           The post First Contac...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘THE CHILD’ SEASON 2 EPISODE 1   It’s a new season of Star Trek: The Next Generation and that means change. Listen to three men awkwardly discuss the incredible failings of a the season 2 opener and try to work out how this ever got past a first script meeting. Maybe the wise words of Maurice Hurley will provide an answer? Listen to the previous episode, our Season 1 ove...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS’ SEASON 1 OVERVIEW To celebrate one year since the good ship First Contact launched, here’s our overview of season 1 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It hasn’t been that long since we watched all of these episodes but how much can TNG newcomer Alex remember? Listen to the pr evious episode, ‘The Neutral Zone’ here     &nbs...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘THE NEUTRAL ZONE’ SEASON 1 EPISODE 25 First Contact reaches the first season finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Yes, it’s definitely the finale, even if it doesn’t feel like one. It has Romulans and everything, what more do you want? Listen to the pr evious episode, ‘ Conspiracy Theory’ here         The post First Contact: &#8216...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘CONSPIRACY’ SEASON 1 EPISODE 24 Strange things are happening within the Federation and the Enterprise heads back to Earth to investigate. Will Starfleet’s finest be able to uncover the conspiracy? Sadly, the finest are all incapacitated but Picard’s crew will have a go since they have nothing better to do. Listen to the pr evious episode,  ‘We’ll Always hav...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS’ SEASON 1 EPISODE 23 A science-fiction show evoking Casablanca? That’s just ridiculous and clearly no show could pull it off. Luckily this episode also features some weird time anomalies and everyone loves those.       Listen to the previous episode, ‘Skin of Evil’ here The post First Contact: ‘We’ll Always Have...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘SKIN OF EVIL’ SEASON 1 EPISODE 22   Counselor Troi is kidnapped by an angry puddle on the way back from a conference. Attempts to rescue her have tragic consequences. Andrew, James and Alex try to fight through the tears to bring you this new episode of First Contact.               The post First Contact: ‘Skin of Evil’ Season 1 Episode 22 a...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘SYMBIOSIS’ SEASON 1 EPISODE 21 Does Star Trek: The Next Generation have something to say about drugs? Well yes, but we’re not really quite sure what it means. Andrew, James and Alex discuss the highs and lows of this episode and wonder what the hell the Prime Directive even means any more.           The post First Contact: ‘Symbiosi...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘THE ARSENAL OF FREEDOM SEASON 1 EPISODE 20 Investigating the disappearance of the ultra slow USS Drake, The Enterprise arrives at an automated planet that sells weapons and for some reason Picard decides to venture down leaving Geordi in charge of the Enterprise. For reasons that will soon become clear, Andrew, James and Alex discuss  this season one episode with reference shampoo...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘HEART OF GLORY’ SEASON 1 EPISODE 19 Klingons were never supposed to be a big part of the universe of Star Trek: The Next Generation but luckily most people didn’t listen to Gene Roddenberry’s ideas for the show. This episode features the return of the warrior race, allowing us to explore the backstory of the thus far under utilised Worf. Join Andrew, James and Alex as...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘COMING OF AGE’ SEASON 1 EPISODE 18   Wesley heads down to a Relva VII to take the Starfleet entrance exam but will he have what it takes to be Krypton Factor champion 1988? Meanwhile the Enterprise finally comes under investigation for all the weird stuff that happens on the ship. Andrew, James and Alex review the what could be the best episode of Star Trek: The Next Generati...

FIRST CONTACT : ‘HOME SOIL’ SEASON 1 EPISODE 17   The Enterprise arrives at a Terraforming colony where everyone is acting suspicious. Then one of the colonists is murdered and they should have a reason to act suspicious but instead it turns out they haven’t done anything wrong. In fact the supposedly deserted planet has a weird twinkly life form on it and they’re not...

FIRST CONTACT : SEASON 1 EPISODE 16 “WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS”   We’ve always said that Star Trek is at its best when children are the focus so we were overjoyed to see that Wesley and some little ones were to feature heavily in this story of an ancient civilisation and some kidnapping. Andrew, James and Alex evaluate this middling episode from The Next Generation’s first...

FIRST CONTACT: SEASON 1 EPISODE 15 ‘TOO SHORT A SEASON’ The elderly and sick Admiral Jameson arrives on the Enterprise to return to a planet where he negotiated more than 40 years previously. Soon after boarding his illness appears to be abating and he starts looking younger, not that he looked that old in the first place, more like a man who was covered in latex and painted. Andrew, J...

FIRST CONTACT SEASON 1 EPISODE 14 – ‘11001001’   The Enterprise stops off at Starbase 74 for some computer upgrades giving the crew 48 hours of downtime. What could possibly go wrong? Well if your ship is being upgraded by some desperate computer enhanced aliens then plenty as they steal the ship with only Picard and Riker on board. Join Andrew, James and Alex as they discus...

FIRST CONTACT SEASON 1 EPISODE 13 – ‘ANGEL ONE’ Star Trek was perhaps at its most effective when taking on social issues and using science fiction to comment on the problems of the day. In contrast Star Trek: The Next Generation  lacks the maturity to take on more complex than a Rubix cube and even then it would only get one side right. This week the crew visit a matriarchy calle...

FIRST CONTACT SEASON 1 EPISODE 12 – ‘DATALORE’ The crew decide to explore Data’s origins as they happen to be passing the planet where he was discovered 26 years ago and nobody has bothered with a return visit since. Beneath the surface of the planet they discover an underground base and inside find an android identical to Data. Or could he be Data’s evil twin? Yep de...

FIRST CONTACT  SEASON 1 EPISODE 11 – ‘THE BIG GOODBYE’ The Holodeck takes centre stage this week as Picard becomes noir detective Dixon Hill, to get away from the stress of delivering a precise greeting to the Jarada to begin Federation negotiations. However, wouldn’t you know it, something goes wrong trapping Beverley, Data and Lieutenant Redshirt inside and now it seems these holographic b...

FIRST CONTACT SEASON 1 EPISODE 10 – ‘HAVEN’ It’s the moment we’ve a ll been waiting for: the first app earance of Lwaxana Troi, Deanna’s overbearing mother. We talk about the practicalities of naked weddings as well as the diverse career of Mr. Homn actor. Carel Struycken. It’s a sitcomesque comedy of manners and the whole team find it hilarious, especiall...

FIRST CONTACT SEASON 1 EPISODE 9 -‘HIDE AND Q’ It’s return of Q and after playing some fun games involving dressing up, he has something pretty special to offer Riker. It’s not all fun and games for the rest of the crew though as Tasha Yar gets put in the penalty box and Wesley gets horribly murdered. Andrew, James and Alex discuss the bizarre pacing of this episode and off...