First Contact: The Next Generation Introcast

The Enterprise investigates a missing ship, the USS Yosemite, which is stuck in a plasma streamer with the crew unaccounted for. With weird space rays making a shuttle trip or use of the transporter impossible, Barclay suggests tying the two transporter systems together so that they can get through. But the trouble is, that will make the process take double the time and Reg has a fear of transporters this week. While in the beam, he sees some unconvincing special effects and starts to question his sanity. But when he starts glowing all blue, the crew work out that there are lifeforms in the plasma (aren’t there always) and that they’ve been caught in the transporter. Going back in and being terribly brave, Reg cuddles the giant transporter worm and beams back a missing crew member. And we all learned something about facing our fears. The post First Contact: ‘Realm of Fear’ Season 6 Episode 2 appeared first on The Spoilist.

After doing some space stuff to bulk out the Captain’s log, the Enterprise encounters a probe of unknown origin. It emits a pulse which hits Captain Picard. He awakens on an unfamiliar world and is told his name is Kamin, an iron weaver recovering from a fever on a pre-warp planet called Kataan, and he’s married to Eline. Picard is initially is reluctant to accept this as truth but finds the people to be peaceful and friendly. As the years pass, he comes to accept his new life, has children with his wife and finds solace in playing his flute, but he has concerns about the future of the planet due to the ongoing drought. Over the years, he investigates the cause all while losing friends and family. He eventually discovers that the planet is dying due to the changes in its sun. A probe is launched… the probe the Enterprise encountered right at the beginning of the episode. Picard wakes up back on the Enterprise with a lifetime of memories, forever a changed man… until next week. More First Contact season 5 episodes ‘Darmok’ ‘Ensign Ro’ ‘Silicon Avatar’ ‘Disaster’ ‘The Game’ ‘Unification’ ‘A Matter of Time’ ‘New Ground’ ‘Hero Worship’ ‘Violations’ ‘The Masterpiece Society’ ‘Conundrum’ ‘Power Play’ ‘Ethics’ ‘The Outcast’ ‘The First Duty’ ‘Cost of Living’ ‘The Perfect Mate’ ‘Imaginary Friend’ ‘I, Borg’ ‘The Next Phase’ The post First Contact: ‘The Inner Light’ Season 5 Episode 25 appeared first on The Spoilist.

While scouting a system for colonisation, the Enterprise here’s a distress call. Upon answering, they find a lone surviving Borg, Third of Five. Against protests, Crusher insists on trying to help him, eventually bringing him on board the Enterprise. Troi thinks Picard may experience trauma with a Borg on board but he insists that he’s fine, but decides to use the Borg to send a virus into the collective and wipe them out for good. However, while studying him, Geordi bonds with him, even naming him Hugh, and he begins to show signs of becoming an individual and understanding life beyond being a Borg. Even established Borg hater Guinan starts to think he’s a fairly decent dude. Can they really send him back to his demise? Or even worse, to return in a disappointing season six episode? More First Contact season 5 episodes ‘Darmok’ ‘Ensign Ro’ ‘Silicon Avatar’ ‘Disaster’ ‘The Game’ ‘Unification’ ‘A Matter of Time’ ‘New Ground’ ‘Hero Worship’ ‘Violations’ ‘The Masterpiece Society’ ‘Conundrum’ ‘Power Play’ ‘Ethics’ ‘The Outcast’ ‘The First Duty’ ‘Cost of Living’ ‘The Perfect Mate’ ‘Imaginary Friend’   The post First Contact: ‘I, Borg’ Season 5 Episode 23 appeared first on The Spoilist.

The Enterprise is transporting a Kriosian ambassador and his cargo to negotiate peace with their distant relatives, the Valtians. But before they can get there, they have to answer a distress call from a Ferengi shuttle, to remind viewers that they exist before Deep Space Nine premieres next season. Their accident was a ruse and they were really interested in the precious cargo – a woman! It is revealed Kamala is a metamorph who empathically senses what men around her want and becomes their perfect partner. She’s been promised to the Valtian ambassador and her personality will become fixed as she matures. Following an accident, the ambassador is seriously injured leaving Picard to carry out negotiations but he must work closely with Kamala to learn the traditions and rituals vital to the negotiation, but can he resist her charms? If only Troi was around to help with all this empath stuff. More First Contact season 5 episodes ‘Darmok’ ‘Ensign Ro’ ‘Silicon Avatar’ ‘Disaster’ ‘The Game’ ‘Unification’ ‘A Matter of Time’ ‘New Ground’ ‘Hero Worship’ ‘Violations’ ‘The Masterpiece Society’ ‘Conundrum’ ‘Power Play’ ‘Ethics’ ‘The Outcast’ ‘The First Duty’ ‘Cost of Living’ The post First Contact: ‘The Perfect Mate’ Season 5 Episode 21 appeared first on The Spoilist.

The Enterprise heads to Earth so Picard can deliver the commencement address to Starfleet Academy, but before they arrive, they receive news that Wesley has been involved in an accident during flight training which means we get to have one of those trial episodes Star Trek does so well. While Wesley is injured, his friend Joshua Albert is killed. During the enquiry, the visual evidence doesn’t stack up against Nova Squadron’s testimony with their leader Nick Locarno claiming it was all the fault of their dead teammate. But after consulting his old mentor, Boothby, Picard works out that they were trying to perform a dangerous and banned stunt. Picard tells Wesley what he knows and threatens to submit the evidence if he won’t own up. But will Wesley do the right thing in the end? More First Contact season 5 episodes ‘Darmok’ ‘Ensign Ro’ ‘Silicon Avatar’ ‘Disaster’ ‘The Game’ ‘Unification’ ‘A Matter of Time’ ‘New Ground’ ‘Hero Worship’ ‘Violations’ ‘The Masterpiece Society’ ‘Conundrum’ ‘Power Play’ ‘Ethics’ ‘The Outcast’   The post First Contact: ‘The First Duty’ Season 5 Episode 19 appeared first on The Spoilist.

The Enterprise is called in to render assistance to the J’naii after one of their shuttles disappears down a weird space hole. Riker works closely with a member of their species, Soren, and they become close. The J’naii are gender neutral and regard other species as more primitive, however Soren confides in Riker that they identify as female, but it is forbidden on her planet and regarded as a sickness and if anyone finds out, they will be sent to conversion therapy. There are many discussions about gender roles, makeup and Riker’s genitals, which probably made this a fun watch with the family at teatime. When Riker and Soren kiss in the gardens, their relationship is discovered and Soren is taken away. Riker attempts to intervene, and considers breaking the prime directive to do so. Following a rescue attempt, he is rejected as it’s too late and returns to the Enterprise, a little sadder than he was before. More First Contact season 5 episodes ‘Darmok’ ‘Ensign Ro’ ‘Silicon Avatar’ ‘Disaster’ ‘The Game’ ‘Unification’ ‘A Matter of Time’ ‘New Ground’ ‘Hero Worship’ ‘Violations’ ‘The Masterpiece Society’ ‘Conundrum’ ‘Power Play’ ‘Ethics’   The post First Contact: ‘The Outcast’ Season 5 Episode 17 appeared first on The Spoilist.

The Enterprise answers a centuries old distress call solving the mystery of an early Federation starship that disappeared. But Troi senses life so an away team take a shuttle down to investigate as space rays or something make transporting impossible. So Chief O’Brien beams down with a pattern enhancer but before they can return, some glowing lights possess the bodies of Troi, Data and O’Brien, leaving Riker’s alone because… well, they knew where it had been.They claim to be the dead crew but act extremely sketchy, taking hostages and shooting everyone. Picard tries to negotiate with them and they finally confess that they are all prisoners forced to live on a moon as energy, unable to escape. Picard tells them about willing to die for a cause, and fearing a long monologue, they decide to give the bodies back and then everything is fine. More First Contact season 5 episodes ‘Darmok’ ‘Ensign Ro’ ‘Silicon Avatar’ ‘Disaster’ ‘The Game’ ‘Unification’ ‘A Matter of Time’ ‘New Ground’ ‘Hero Worship’ ‘Violations’ ‘The Masterpiece Society’ ‘Conundrum‘ The post First Contact: ‘Power Play’ Season 5 Episode 15 appeared first on The Spoilist.

While carrying out the Starfleet’s primary mission, following big rocks in space, the Enterprise realises that this one is heading for a previously unknown human colony. While Picard offers assistance, the colonists are resistant. They reveal they have been selectively breeding for eight generations, to create a version of paradise, the very best of mankind where everyone’s life and role is predetermined. Without help, their home will be destroyed by earthquakes but some fear that the natural balance of their society will collapse through interaction with the outside world. Troi is charmed by their leader while Geordi keeps his distance from their head scientist, Hannah after putting into action everything that he learned on his mandatory training course. With a mixture of Hannah’s innovation and Federation technology, the colony is saved but damage has been done. Many decide to leave, seeing the greater potential in the outside world. And that means that we can end the episode by saying something deep about the prime directive. More First Contact season 5 episodes ‘Darmok’ ‘Ensign Ro’ ‘Silicon Avatar’ ‘Disaster’ ‘The Game’ ‘Unification’ ‘A Matter of Time’ ‘New Ground’ ‘Hero Worship’ ‘Violations’ The post First Contact: ‘The Masterpiece Society’ Season 5 Episode 13 appeared first on The Spoilist.

The Enterprise investigates a missing ship in a wibbly purple region of space. The only survivor is a boy named Timothy who data rescues from under a pillar. Those are always falling on people in these situations. Timothy’s way of dealing with trauma is to pretend to be an android and he starts acting like Data which allows us to play the TNG greatest hits of how weirdos in the future deal with grief and Data hanging out with a child. Meaning the crew investigate what caused the accident and work out it’s some weird echoey thing in space which amplifies power into a feedback loop. Or something like that. It doesn’t really matter. The important thing to learn is, don’t go into purple regions of space. More First Contact season 5 episodes ‘Darmok’ ‘Ensign Ro’ ‘Silicon Avatar’ ‘Disaster’ ‘The Game’ ‘Unification’ ‘A Matter of Time’ New Ground The post First Contact: ‘Hero Worship’ Season 5 Episode 11 appeared first on The Spoilist.

While the Enterprise tries to save a planet suffering from an environmental disaster, a historian, apparently from the future, arrives on the Enterprise to observe the events. His eccentric manner infuriates some of the crew, except Doctor Crusher, but I’m not sure what they were trying to do there. Anyway, they save the planet with some phasers and deflectors because they can solve all problems and the time guy is revealed to be a con artist from the past. And that’s about it. More First Contact season 5 episodes ‘Darmok’ ‘Ensign Ro’ ‘Silicon Avatar’ ‘Disaster’ ‘The Game’ ‘Unification’ The post First Contact: ‘A Matter of Time’ Season 5 Episode 9 appeared first on The Spoilist.

Riker brings something back from Risa and soon all of the crew have it. Except for Wesley, because as we know, there are some games he doesn’t know how to play. The whole crew end up addicted to an augmented reality game which requires players to get little discs into little cups. But there’s something more sinister at work, as the game alters brain chemistry making players highly suggestable. So Wesley teams up with Robin Lefler, a bright young engineer with a can-do attitude and a set of rules. Can they save the ship, just like the good old days while also being a little preachy? We have to hope so. More First Contact season 5 episodes ‘Darmok’ ‘Ensign Ro’ ‘Silicon Avatar’ ‘Disaster’   The post First Contact: ‘The Game’ Season 5 Episode 6 appeared first on The Spoilist.

Riker’s awkward seduction is interrupted by the crystalline entity which devastatingly transforms a colony which looks surprisingly like a California park into a matte painting. The survivors wait out the disaster in a cave until the Enterprise eventually comes to rescue them. They are joined by Kila Marr, an expert on the creature who lost her son in the attack by the entity on Omicron Theta, Data’s homeworld. The Doctor initially mistrusts Data, believing him to be working with the entity but later she softens when she asks him to share some of her son’s memories. Despite this, she seems intent on destroying the giant killer space crystal while Picard would rather start a dialogue. While the crew works out a method of communication, Marr uses the same to destroy the creature. She later asks forgiveness from her son through Data, but he offers none. More First Contact season 5 episodes ‘Darmok’ ‘Ensign Ro’   The post First Contact: ‘Silicon Avatar’ Season 5 Episode 4 appeared first on The Spoilist.

The Enterprise is on a mission to begin a new relationship with the Tamarians, a race who have been in contact with the Federation but have up until now, not been understood. The trend continues with Picard unable to establish a meaningful dialogue. The Tamarian Captain Dathon beams himself and Picard down the planet, offering Picard a knife. Picard refuses to fight but it is clear that is not the intention. While the Enterprise crew attempt to rescue their Captain, the Tamarians are more than a match for them as they aim not to escalate to a battle. Picard begins to understand Dathon, his species talks in metaphors, every situation references a story from their past. In their history Darmok and Jalad bonded over fighting a beast at Tanagra and Dathon has placed Picard in the same situation. When the captain finally understands, it’s almost too late as the beast fatally wounds Dathon. But on returning to the ship, Picard is able to use their form of language and begin communications. Listen to the previous episode ‘You Must Remember This: Season 4’ here. The post First Contact: ‘Darmok’ Season 5 Episode 2 appeared first on The Spoilist.