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First Contact

Star trek: the next generation.

Disguised as an alien prior to First Contact, Will's life becomes imperiled when incurred injuries reveal his foreign internal structure to a xenophobic alien population.
Commander William Riker has been on an acculturation mission under an alias for months on the Malcorian planet, surgically altered to appear as a local, but he gets badly wounded, beyond their medical skills to correct because his internal organs are unknown to them. Captain Jean-Luc Picard decides to speed up his official diplomatic approach (a.k.a. First Contact protocols) and intercede on Riker's behalf, but they are told by a fascinated, open-minded Malcorian scientist that her planet's culture is particularly xenophobic and would reject any alien as being unequal to them. The Malcorian government keeps the matter secret but is internally divided: while Chancellor Durken is in favor of Riker's release without his people finding out and establishing friendly relations with the Federation, his powerful security minister, Krola, is prepared to go to any length to preserve their traditional way of life, including framing Riker for murder. — KGF Vissers
Captain Picard and crew are about to engage in one of their more dangerous exercises - making first contact with the Malcorians, a race on the cusp of developing warp power. Experience tells the Federation it is better to make first contact before they set off into space. An advance team has already been on the planet for some time, Commander Riker among them, posing as Malcorians to make final arrangements. Unbeknown to Picard, Riker is in a hospital, having been severely injured in a riot. Picard and Counselor Troi make contact with native scientist Mirasta Yale (responsible for the warp program), who is enthusiastic at what they propose. Not all Malcorians welcome contact, however, and the planet's leader, Chancellor Durken, must decide to what extent his people are prepared to learn definitively that they are not alone in the universe. — garykmcd
Commander William Riker is injured while visiting a planet on a First Contact mission. Hospitalized, the planet's inhabitants discover he is not one of them. Riker's predicament forces the Enterprise crew to speed up the First Contact timetable in order to save him, even though some on the planet believe the Enterprise is on a mission of conquest instead of peace. — Moviedude1
Commander William Riker has been on an acculturation mission under an alias for months on the Malcorian planet, surgically altered to appear as a local, but he gets badly wounded, beyond their medical skills to correct because his internal organs are unknown to them. Dr Nilrem (Steven Anderson) and Dr Tava (Sachi Parker) find out that he is not Malcorian (from his fingers and placement of organs). When Riker comes to, he claims he is Malcorian and was born with genetic defects. They find his phaser, which Riker explains as a toy for a neighbor's child. His communicator is missing. Dr Berel (George Hearn) is the chief of medical staff at the hospital and wants to keep things quiet till they are able to verify all available facts and reach a conclusion. Malcorians are on the verge of warp flight and Mirasta Tale (Carolyn Seymour) is head of their space program. Chancellor Durken (George Coe) is a forward-looking person and wants to pursue a technologically progressive agenda, while his powerful security minister, Krola (Michael Ensign) wants Durken to be more conservative and abandon space flight altogether. Captain Jean-Luc Picard decides to speed up his official diplomatic approach (a.k.a. First Contact protocols) and intercede on Riker's behalf, but they are told by a fascinated Mirasta, who was beamed aboard the Enterprise by Picard to prove that they are not playing a joke on her, that her planet's culture is particularly xenophobic. They believe that Malcorian is a superior race and that their planet is the center of the universe. They would reject any alien as being unequal to them. Picard informs Mirasta that Riker went missing on the planet when he was finalizing the details for the observation team. Mirasta promises to help but warns Picard the Durken and Krola will not be understanding at all in this matter. They will view this as an intrusion, an invasion even, of their society. Realizing the urgency of the situation, Mirasta introduces Picard to Durken by herself. Durken understands the diplomatic language of Picard and has a favorable impression of the Federation. A nurse, Lanel (Bebe Neuwirth) is willing to help Riker escape the hospital, but only if he makes love to her. But Riker is caught by Nilrem and is beaten up badly, aggravating his injuries. Berel saves him and transfers him to surgery. Berel saves Riker, but only barely. The matter is escalated to Krola now. Meanwhile Mirasta discusses the matter with Durken and Krola. Krola informs Durken that the aliens have already sent a spy amongst them, and the threat cannot be ignored. Mirasta tells Durken that Riker is Picard's first officer. Durken confronts Picard who defends the observations, saying that years ago a first contact with Klingons went wrong and led to decades of war. Since then, the policy of observations before first contact was formulated. Durken won't confirm Riker's release when asked by Picard. The Malcorian government keeps the matter secret but is internally divided: while Chancellor Durken is in favor of Riker's release without his people finding out and establishing friendly relations with the Federation, Krola, is prepared to go to any length to preserve their traditional way of life, including framing Riker for murder. Krola puts the phaser in Riker's hand and aims it at himself. He thinks that his death will preclude any peaceful accord with the Federation and the traditional way of life on the planet will succeed. Mirasta begs Duken to give Riker's position to Picard, else Riker will not survive interrogation by Krola. Krola fires the phaser and lies on the floor, when he is discovered by the hospital staff. That's when Beverly beams down with Worf. They find the phaser, but Riker had changed the setting to stun, before Krola fired it. Beverly saves both. Durken tells Picard that his people are not ready for this change (Krola was ready to die for that philosophy) and decides to keep the whole thing a secret. Mirasta asks Picard to take her on the Enterprise, a request that is granted by Durken

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Published Nov 22, 2015

First Contact...19 Years Later

imdb star trek next generation first contact

November 22, 1996. It's a date that remains as memorable as ever in the hearts and minds of Star Trek fans across the globe. Star Trek: First Contact opened on that day, meaning it's been 19 years since the second Star Trek: The Next Generation feature debuted in theaters and captured the imaginations of both Trek fans and mainstream moviegoers. Jonathan Frakes took his maiden voyage as a film director after previously having put his TNG co-stars and friends through their paces for several episodes of the series. The screenplay, by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore, checked all the necessary boxes: great character interaction, time travel, a memorable villain, and every other detail -- from the terrific score to winning supporting performances by Alice Krige, James Cromwell and Alfre Woodard to top-notch visual effects -- complemented Frakes' lively direction.

Here are a few factoids about First Contact:

Can you name the pair of classic pop songs heard during the adventure? "Ooby Dooby" by Roy Orbison and "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf.

First Contact beamed up $30.7 million its opening weekend in the U.S. and went on to gross $92 million domestically and another $54 million overseas.

Susanna Thompson later played the Borg Queen on Star Trek: Voyager , but Krige reprised the character in the Voyager series finale, "Endgame."

Michael Westmore, Scott Wheeler and Jake Garber were jointly nominated for an Academy Award for Best Makeup, but lost to Rick Baker and David LeRoy Anderson. Anderson later worked on Star Trek Into Darkness , which also featured a brief in-makeup appearance by his wife, Heather Langenkamp, best known for starring in several of the Nightmare on Elm Street horror films. Anderson and Langenkamp own AFX Studio, a makeup company that worked on Star Trek Into Darkness and devised many of the film's creatures.

The Cochrane role, pre-Cromwell, had been portrayed on The Original Series by Glenn Corbett. And, First Contact , Paramount Pictures offered the part to Tom Hanks, an avowed Trek fan, who passed because he was set to direct and co-star in That Thing You Do!

Cromwell was no stranger to Trek. He'd guest starred on other Trek series. And, likewise, the First Contact casting director, Frakes and producers called upon other familiar faces in old or new roles: Patti Yasutake as Nurse Ogawa, Dwight Schultz as Lt. Barclay, Robert Picardo as the EMH, and Ethan Phillips as the Holodeck Nightclub Maitre'd.

Jerry Goldsmith, the beloved and prolific composer, crafted the score for First Contact , with an assist from his son Joel Goldsmith. Sadly, Jerry died in 2004 and Joel passed away in 2012, the latter succumbing to cancer at the very young age of 54.

What do YOU recall most about seeing First Contact for the first time?

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Star Trek: First Contact

Where to watch.

Watch Star Trek: First Contact with a subscription on Paramount+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

While fans of the series will surely appreciate it, First Contact is exciting, engaging, and visually appealing enough to entertain Star Trek novices.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Jonathan Frakes

Patrick Stewart

Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Commander William Thomas Riker

Brent Spiner

Lieutenant Commander Data

LeVar Burton

Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

Michael Dorn

Lieutenant Commander Worf

Movie Clips

First Contact (episode)

An injury to Commander Riker during a reconnaissance mission threatens the prospects for first contact with a culture on the verge of warp travel.

1.2 Act One
1.3 Act Two
1.4 Act Three
1.5 Act Four
1.6 Act Five
2 Memorable quotes
3.1 Production history
3.2 Story and script
3.3 Production
3.4 Cast and characters
3.5 Continuity
3.6 Reception
3.7 Video and DVD releases
4.1 Starring
4.2 Also starring
4.3 Guest stars
4.4 Uncredited co-stars
4.5 Stunt doubles
4.6 Stand-ins
4.7.1 Script references
4.8 External links

Summary [ ]

Riker is injured, and being treated at a hospital on an alien planet . The doctors, while trying to assess Riker's injuries, notice various peculiarities in his physiology – the cardial organ in the wrong place, missing costal struts , and digits on his terminus . His face had been surgically altered to help him blend in, but not his entire body.

Act One [ ]

Riker is posing as Rivas Jakara , a tourist from the Marta community on the southern continent . When he awakens, he explains to Dr. Berel that his abnormalities are genetic , and that his own physician, Dr. Crusher is familiar with them – but she's currently on sabbatical. The doctors and hospital officials of the Sikla Medical Facility are not convinced. Dr. Berel wonders why, of all the medical facilities on the planet, did the alien have to show up here. He decides to keep it quiet until they thoroughly check out his claims, but with a guard posted at his door "29 hours a day".

Picard and Troi make first contact with Mirasta Yale

The Malcorians are on the verge of possessing warp capabilities. Mirasta Yale , an eager scientist , presents her plans for a warp drive to Chancellor Avel Durken to get approval for funding, amid objections from the minister of security , Krola , who states that the people are frightened and confused by new technology. Ultimately, the chancellor agrees to fund the warp drive program, stating that his people should be looking to the future, not the past.

Later, Picard and Troi beam into Mirasta's lab as she is working, startling her. After introducing themselves, they inform her that they have been monitoring her progress with warp drive and now feel it is appropriate to initiate first contact with the Malcorians. In response to her natural skepticism, Picard offers to provide her with proof. Mirasta accepts, and they beam her back to the USS Enterprise -D with them.

Act Two [ ]

Mirasta Yale walks into Ten Forward with Picard and Troi. After seeing her homeworld from space through the lounge's large viewports , she begins to reminisce about her times in the planetarium when she was a nine-year-old. She had always wanted to know about other worlds and cultures. Captain Picard and Deanna Troi explain to Yale that they had been monitoring her planet for years, analyzing their popular culture, broadcast signals, and entertainment. Picard explains how the Federation also sends down observation teams to blend in with the culture. He reveals to Yale that the undercover observation teams have been gathering information on her species for years. Picard then tells Yale that Riker was sent down undercover to coordinate with the observation teams in final preparations for first contact. He is now missing on the planet somewhere near the capital city . Yale agrees to do whatever she can to find him.

"Jakara" is questioned by Doctor Berel

Yale states that the Malcorians' culture holds the belief of being superior in the galaxy and that it may be difficult to change that belief. Yale asks Picard not to discuss the missing Riker in front of Chancellor Durken and Krola, for fear that Krola will use him as a scapegoat in calling the warp project as a great threat to their culture and race.

Back in the hospital, there is quite a stir. Doctor Berel is annoyed over the attention, but the nurse Tava says that it will ultimately be very difficult to hold back the interest. Riker (Jakara) is being questioned in his room. Doctor Berel tells him that there is no Doctor Crusher on the planet. He accuses Riker of being a member of an alien species . Riker continues to deny the accusations; however, the doctor advises that he believes Riker is hiding something and that he cannot stay in hiding forever.

Meanwhile, a busy Chancellor Durken reluctantly receives Yale to his office with Picard following behind. Durken is shocked over what he sees, and Yale suggests that Durken clear his afternoon schedule.

Act Three [ ]

Picard and Durken share a glass of wine

Chancellor Durken is given a tour of the Enterprise and is brought to the bridge by Picard with Yale. Chancellor Durken and Yale both meet Commander Data as well, in awe of the android , a "constructed being" as Yale puts it. Data replies that "artificial lifeform" would be the more accurate term. After the captain and the chancellor leave them to speak privately to one another, Data informs Yale that there is still no word from Commander Riker. They have continued to scan the capital city for him without success.

In Captain Picard's ready room , Picard offers Durken wine from his brother 's vineyard . Picard proposes a toast to the new friendship between the Federation and the Malcorians. Durken does not completely trust Picard's overtures of friendship, and he perceives it as a prelude to attack from an interstellar conqueror. Durken asks what Picard will do if the chancellor asks them never to return to his planet. Picard says that they will respect his wishes and stay away.

Picard explains the Prime Directive after Durken asks why the Federation would not offer their superior technology to his people. Picard says that such an act would be irresponsible and destructive. Durken agrees and goes back to his family on the planet, deciding to tell his children that he had a good day.

" There are differences in the way that my people make love. " " I can't wait to learn. "

Back in the hospital, Riker is attempting to escape by smashing out a window with a metal bench where he encounters a nurse named Lanel , who tells him he cannot escape due to the guards outside. Lanel asks if Riker is an alien. When he says no, she does not believe him. Lanel offers to let Riker escape to his spaceship in space, but only if he would make love to her. Riker says no, but Lanel insists, eager to learn how Humans make love. " I can't wait to learn ", she eagerly says.

Lanel fulfills her part of the bargain, distracting a guard by saying she thinks Riker is dead. Lanel asks if she will ever see Riker again. Riker says " I'll call you the next time I pass through your star system. " He runs into several people who stop his escape and begin to beat him. The beating exacerbates the injury to his kidney and he begins bleeding internally . Doctor Berel, growing tired of the escalation in violence, instructs his staff to contact central security and to escort Riker back to his room for surgery.

Act Four [ ]

Durkens staff meet to discuss first contact

Durken and his staff meet to discuss first contact with the Federation

Krola, Yale, Chancellor Durken, and a member of their staff are having a meeting regarding what to do in regard to first contact with the Federation. Krola believes that Yale and Chancellor Durken are being naive and that the reforms Yale and Durken are making are destroying the Malcorian culture. After they state that Krola is overreacting and that Captain Picard has no intention of conquering the planet, Krola says that they do not have to since Durken and Yale are willing to give over their planet with open arms. In order to further drive home his point, Krola says that he has captured a spy – Commander Riker. Yale then explains how the captured man is Captain Picard's first officer, and that she instructed Picard not to discuss Riker with Durken. Durken then angrily demands all the information that Yale was keeping from him.

Krola arrives at the Sikla Medical Facility to interrogate Commander Riker. Yale pleads to contact the Enterprise to help Riker. Krola asks Doctor Berel to revive Commander Riker using drugs that would increase his heart rate and vascular pressure, but Berel refuses, citing an analog to the Hippocratic Oath that he will "do no harm". Krola then promptly says that he will find someone else to replace Berel.

At their next meeting, a deeply concerned Chancellor Durken confronts Captain Picard with Commander Riker's discovery on the planet when Picard arrives in Durken's office. Picard explains that when Starfleet met with the Klingons , contact was "disastrous" and decades of war resulted. After that, the Federation decided that surveillance of this nature was necessary. He assures Durken that in time, full disclosure of the surveillance would have been made. Picard had hoped that his crew would have found Commander Riker before the Malcorians did, because the Malcorians most likely would have reacted negatively to the Federation's arrival. Durken is pleased with Picard's forthrightness, and comforted by the fact that he makes mistakes. Durken informs Picard that he will make a decision later regarding Riker.

Back in the medical facility, Krola relieves Berel as medical director and locates Dr. Nilrem , who agrees to revive Riker.

Act Five [ ]

Once Riker is revived, Krola asks to be left alone with him. Krola agrees to bring Riker's people to the hospital, but only after he answers his questions.

Doctor Crusher and Lieutenant Worf see to Commander Riker

Chancellor Durken is furious with Yale, stating that he would have asked for her resignation if it weren't for her vast expertise in space travel. Durken says that he is prepared to release Riker to Picard once he has been questioned, but Yale states that Riker condition is extremely grave, and he might not survive interrogation.

Krola demands to know why a race of peaceful people would have a need for such lethal weapons, while holding Riker's phaser . Riker explains that the weapon is only used for defense, but Krola does not believe him. Krola says that he must force Durken to keep him from forging an accord with the Federation. Krola then places the phaser in Riker's hands and fires it into his own chest, hoping to die as a martyr. Riker passes out again as Nilrem and Tava enter the room; they believe that Riker has shot Krola and that the security minister is going to die.

Doctor Crusher, Worf , and Martinez materialize in the hospital room at this point to rescue Riker. She reports Krola's condition and that she will need to beam him up as well. Picard, who is in Durken's office, receives word of this and says that he will meet them on the Enterprise . Durken accompanies him. Crusher reports that Riker was stabilized and that they saved him just in time. Krola is fine as well, because the phaser was only set on stun, but Dr. Crusher is able to ascertain that his injury was self-inflicted, answers the Chancellor's speculation that the two struggled for the weapon by explaining that Commander Riker was in no position to offer any struggle. Upon regaining consciousness, he weakly begs Durken once more not to trust the aliens nor pursue relations with them.

In Captain Picard's ready room, Chancellor Durken regretfully declines Picard's offer for first contact. He intends to delay the development of warp technology to allow the Malcorians more time to prepare themselves in regards to their society and culture. Picard agrees, though he regrets that he will not be able to learn more about Malcorian society. He asks Durken how they will keep the alien contact a secret. Durken says that even though stories of a government conspiracy will circulate for many years, they will pass in time as people deem them untrue conspiracy theories.

As a final request, Yale requests that Picard take her with him. Picard warns that the Federation may not return to Malcor III for many years, but Yale insists that space travel has been her dream since childhood. Picard summons Worf to escort Chancellor Durken to the transporter room and to assign quarters to Yale. Picard bids Durken farewell, hoping that they will meet again someday to continue their friendship.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" I can't find his cardial organ. (searching in new area) There it is. Up here. " " In his digestive tract? "

" What are you? "

" Mirasta Yale? " " Yes? " " Please, don't be alarmed at our appearance. " " My name is Jean-Luc Picard. This is my associate, Deanna Troi. "

" It's everything I ever dreamed of. "

" … will you help me [get out of here]? " " If you make love to me. " " … What? " " I've always wanted to make love with an alien. " " … It's not that easy, there are differences in the way that my people make love. " " I can't wait to learn. "

" Chancellor, I think… you might want to clear your afternoon schedule for this. "

" Will I ever see you again? " " I'll call you the next time I pass through your star system. "

" It's far more likely that I'm a weather balloon than an alien. "

" … he is a living, intelligent being. I don't care if the chancellor himself calls down here. I have sworn an oath to do no harm, and I will not! "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

Final draft script: 28 November 1990 [1]
Filmed: 30 November 1990 – 11 December 1990
Insert shot filmed: 30 January 1991
Premiere airdate: 18 February 1991
First UK airdate: 28 September 1994

Story and script [ ]

"First Contact" derived from a story that Marc Scott Zicree had pitched in the third season . Zicree recalled, " It's very hard to sell to Star Trek . They've gone months without buying any stories. I had done up something like 50 or 60 stories in pitching to the show. Usually I sell on the first or second story. I must have run fifteen stories by them before we hit 'First Contact.' Piller liked the stuff so he kept saying keep going. At one point Ira Behr was joking and said this guy is an idea machine, we should just lock him in a room and have him slip paper out from under the door. It was the day before Thanksgiving in 1989, and the meeting was at 5:00 in the morning. Everyone was sick of being there and wanted to go home, and it was a hard pitch for a while. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 216)
Piller found the concept irresistible – to show for the first time how first contacts are dealt with in the Federation. The idea went through various permutations, including versions by " Tin Man " writers Dennis Russell Bailey and David Bischoff , as well as one by Ronald D. Moore and Joe Menosky which took the point of view of the Enterprise crew. At one point the story was considered for the season cliffhanger, and in another called "Graduation" it was to have been Wesley's final episode, in which he was to remain on the planet following the cultural contact mission. According to Zicree, one version had the planet discovering the Federation by taking in a crippled Enterprise shuttlecraft, while in another the members of the away team became celebrities. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 156)
For Piller, what held the episode back was not the idea itself. He recalled, " Our rules told us we never have open shows, and we wrote the first two drafts from our point of view and I realized it wasn't working. The thing that was holding us back was a rule, and I'm very much a supporter of the rules of Gene 's universe, but I also love to break them if they're in the interest of the show. I went to Rick and said that even though I know he doesn't like to break format, this could be a special show if he would let me write it from the alien point of view. He did, as long as I let everyone know that we weren't going to ever break this rule again. No other show in the history of Star Trek has taken the alien perspective of our characters, and I think that makes it very special and very unique. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 216) This format ended up being revisited for Star Trek: Voyager 's " Distant Origin ".
The basic plot was seen as a homage to the classic science fiction film, The Day the Earth Stood Still (directed by Robert Wise ). Piller remarked, " I said it was a '50s space movie except we're the aliens and that's really the way I tried to write it. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 216)

Production [ ]

David Livingston noted, " It's the first episode where we really broke the mold. From a visual standpoint, we tried to create sets, wardrobe and medical instruments that looked evocative of our culture today, but were different, and add enough that they didn't say we just rented a gurney from Central Props. We took a lot of pains in terms of talking about the props and the set dressing, so that it looked a little bit odd. I think this we were pretty successful. It was very hard, but I think the audience identified with these people. It was how I would feel at first contact. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 216)
"First Contact" was filmed between Friday 30 November 1990 and Tuesday 11 December 1990 on Paramount Stage 8 , 9 , and 16 . On the first day, 30 November, the previous episode " Clues " was completed and only a short scene between Patrick Stewart and George Coe in the ready room was filmed. An additional scene in Riker's hospital room was filmed as an insert shot on Wednesday 30 January 1991 on Paramount Stage 8 during the production of the episode " The Nth Degree ".
Several scenes which were planned were either dropped or cut from the episode. These are scene 17 and 18 in an extended version including several background actors like Joycelyn Robinson and Gerard David and scenes 8, 15, and 16 set in the transporter room when Mirasta Yale and Chancellor Durkin were beamed aboard, went through a corridor and visited engineering. According to the call sheet of Tuesday 4 December 1990 there were also many more background performers scheduled to appear in Ten Forward.

Cast and characters [ ]

This episode marks the first instance of an actor ( Bebe Neuwirth ) from the acclaimed sitcoms Cheers and Frasier , also distributed by Paramount, guest-starring on TNG. Neuwirth's scene was written in late with her in mind for the role. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 156) The next was in the fifth season episode " Cause And Effect ", with Kelsey Grammer appearing as the captain of the time-trapped USS Bozeman . The two had starred together on both Frasier and Cheers as husband and wife, and later ex-husband and wife. The entire principal cast of Frasier , except for Kelsey Grammer, later did a skit with Kate Mulgrew spoofing Star Trek: Voyager for the Star Trek 30th anniversary special.
Carolyn Seymour previously appeared as a Romulan , Sub-commander Taris , in the second season episode " Contagion " and later played a different Romulan, Commander Toreth , in the sixth season episode " Face Of The Enemy ". She went on to play Mrs. Templeton in VOY : " Cathexis " and " Persistence of Vision ".
LeVar Burton ( Geordi La Forge ) does not appear in this episode.

Continuity [ ]

Marc Scott Zicree later wrote the story for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Far Beyond the Stars ".
"First Contact" was later used for the title of the second Next Generation film , and the eighth film overall.
When offering a glass of wine to Chancellor Durken, Picard says that the wine was given to him by his brother Robert. He is referring to the events of the episode " Family ". In that episode, Robert asks him not to drink it alone, and Picard grants his brother's wish here.
This marks the third of four times the Captain shows a native female her home planet from orbit. This also happens with Rivan in " Justice ", Nuria in " Who Watches The Watchers " and Lily in Star Trek: First Contact . This approach clearly has meaning to the Captain as he tells Anij in Star Trek: Insurrection , seeing his home planet from space for the first time was a moment where time stood still.
This is one of only five TNG episodes that don't have a stardate. The others are " Symbiosis ", " Tapestry ", " Liaisons ", and " Sub Rosa ".

Reception [ ]

Entertainment Weekly ranked this episode number eight on their list of "The Top Ten Episodes" to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation . [2]
Jonathan Frakes remarked, " I'm not sure that the writing in that episode was as good as it could have been. I really liked the story idea, [but] it had loopholes. It was loaded with great actors; George Coe and George Hearn and Bebe, who was a delight. What a funny woman. I loved that scene. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 216)
Marina Sirtis commented, " I thought it was one of the most interesting episodes of the season. It was something so obvious that we hadn't addressed and an issue that hadn't been brought up in 150 episodes of Star Trek . Of course there are going to be people who are going to get warp power and are going out into space. How do we deal with this? I thought it was a really good episode and Patrick agreed that we were exactly the right two people to go down to the planet and say hi. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 216)
Director Cliff Bole comments, " Originally, when I read it, my challenge was how to handle all the talking, because it was a very talky show. Real talky, and sometimes between just two people. I think we came out all right with it. I don't know how it stands in the [fan] rating. I would like to do a first contact story that results in a nice big conflict. I think that can be an issue show. Look at what's happening in Europe. I think they should make contact and really step into it. Picard actually made references to that in dialogue. He said something about that happening with the Klingons, that the first contact with them became a 100-year war. " ("Cliff Bole – Of Redemption & Unification", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine issue 17 , p. 34)
A mission report for this episode, by John Sayers, was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine issue 16 , pp. 26-29.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 45, 6 April 1992
UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 4.5, 16 July 2001
As part of the TNG Season 4 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

George Coe as Avel Durken
Carolyn Seymour as Mirasta Yale
George Hearn as Berel
Michael Ensign as Krola
Steven Anderson as Nilrem
Sachi Parker as Tava
Bebe Neuwirth as Lanel

Stunt doubles [ ]

Dan Koko as stunt double for Jonathan Frakes
Frank Orsatti as stunt double for Steven Anderson

Stand-ins [ ]

Michael Braveheart – utility stand-in
Bill Craig – stand-in for George Hearn
Jeremy Doyle – utility stand-in
Margaret Flores – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis , Sachi Parker , Bebe Neuwirth , and Carolyn Seymour
Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner , Steven Anderson , George Coe , and Michael Ensign
Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden and Carolyn Seymour
Randy Pflug – stand-in for George Hearn
Keith Rayve – utility stand-in
John Rice – utility stand-in
Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes , Michael Ensign , and George Coe
Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
James Washington – stand-in for Michael Dorn

References [ ]

" a lot "; accord ; acting ; address ; adrulmine ; alien ; " all right "; android ; angle ; arrival ; artificial lifeform ; " as well "; associate ; assumption ; " at home "; " at least "; attention ; Betazed ; birth defect ; Bolian ; brain activity ; broadcast signal ; capital city ; capture ; cardial organ ; cardial rate ; case ; " catch their breath "; Central Security (Malcor III) ; century ; chance ; chancellor ; Chateau La Barre ; chest ; chorus ; circulation ; circulation pattern ; Code Blue ; code 3 drill ; community ; confrontation ; confusion ; conqueror ; consciousness ; conspiracy ; cosmetic surgery ; costal strut ; cranial damage ; cranial lobe ; crisis room ; daily broadcast ; danger ; dark ages ; day ; death ; decade ; deep space ; del-scan series ; device ; diagnostic bed ; digestive tract ; digit ; diplomacy ; disappearance ; dissent ; distraction ; door ; drug ; Durken's family ; Earth ; eating establishment ; economics ; education ; Engineering station ; entertainment ; Environmental station ; era ; error : evening meal ; evidence ; experience ; expertise ; family ; fear ; federation (government); fiction ; first contact ; " for instance "; friend ; friendship ; fruit ; Garth system ; genetic mutation ; genetic trait ; goal ; grapes ; guard ; " had no business "; hallway ; hand ; high frequency E-M charge unit ; history ; home ; hour ; humor ; hundred ; idea ; idealist ; ideology ; imagination ; implant ; " in a manner of speaking "; information ; inherited genetic trait ; injury ; innocence ; instinct ; instructor ; internal bleeding ; Internal Security ; interrogation ( questioning ); Jakara, Rivas ; Jakara's father ; Jakara's neighbors ; jewelry ; joke ; journalism ; Klingon Empire ; lab ; language ; " last thing "; launch ; leader ; life ; lifeform ; light ; light barrier ; light year ; logic ; location ; " lost your mind "; Lupo ; lying ; machine ; " make love "; Malcor III ; Malcor III capital city ; Malcor III primary ; Malcor III system ; Malcorians ; Malcorian civilians ; Malcorian language ; Malcorian warp ship ; Marta community restaurant cook ; Marta community ; martyr ; medical aid ; medical facility ( hospital ); medical journal ; medical library ; medical technology ; metal ; Minister ; Minister of Security ; minute ; mission ; Mission operations station ; mistake ; mob ; month ; music ; name ; Nessor ; night ; oath ; observation team ; octare ; " of course "; office ; " on file "; " open your eyes "; opponent ; opportunity ; " out of control "; outer space ( space ); panic ; path ; patient ; peace ; permission ; philosophy ; physician ; pin ; Picard, Robert ; planet ; planetarium ; police ; policy ; political agenda ; popular music ; present ; Prime Directive ; prisoner ; privilege ; problem ; production unit ; progress ; prototype ; quadroline ; question ; reality ; recovery ; relationship ; renal organ ; resignation ; resource ; riot ; room ; rumor ; sabbatical ; schedule ; science station ; scientific community ; scientist ; search ; second officer ; secret ; security ; service exit ; Sikla Medical Facility ; sitting ; sky ; social development ; social reform ; society ; southern continent of Malcor III ; Space Administrator ; Space Bureau ; space traveler ; spaceflight ( space travel ); spaceship ; specialist ; species ; spy ; station 12 ; story ( tale ); surface ; surface reconnaissance ; surgery ; surgical cube ; surrender ; surveillance ; surveillance team ; telencephalon ; term ; terminus ; thing ; threat ; time ; " to be honest "; toast ; tourist ; toy ; tradition ; transport coordinates ; transporter room ; trauma ; trust ; truth ; understanding ; universe ; vascular pressure ; vice-chancellor ; vital buffer ; voice ; warp drive capability ; warp engine ; warp field generator ; warp program ; warp travel ; way of life ; weather balloon ; wine ; wing ; witness ; word ; Yale's parents ; year

Script references [ ]

armament ; aspiration drill ; calmative ; Central Province ; children ; conference ; cranial bone ; delegate ; demonstration ; diagnostic center ; disguise ; dreamer ; Federation ; first contact transport ; four planets ; ichor ; invasion ; journalist ; judgment ; knee ; medical officer ; realist ; resource allocation ; room ; security chief ; speed of light ; theory ; thousand ; training ; violence ; wall ; warp drive ; warship

External links [ ]

" First Contact " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
" First Contact " at Wikipedia
" First Contact " at MissionLogPodcast.com
"First Contact" script at Star Trek Minutiae
" First Contact " at the Internet Movie Database
2 Daniels (Crewman)

Paramount Pictures

It was like I was seeing a ghost.

The Rhythm Section

I need your help to find the ones who did this. I’ve got nothing to lose.

Playing With Fire

No shenanigans under my watch.

Like A Boss

We are two badass queens like those bitches who raised Wonder Woman.

I could hear the whole tune in my head. It was all there.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Next Generation crew engage in their most thrilling adventure yet. They call themselves the Borg - a half organic, half-machine collective with a sole purpose: to conquer and assimilate all races. Led by their seductive and sadistic queen (Alice Krige), the Borg are headed to Earth with a devious plan to alter history. Picard's last encounter with the Borg almost killed him. Now he wants vengeance.

Cast + Crew

LeVar Burton
Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn
Gates McFadden
Marina Sirtis
Alfre Woodard
Michael Horton
James Cromwell
Brent Spiner
Patrick Stewart
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Galaxy Brains

Star Trek: First Contact is a meta movie about the creation of the Trek franchise

John Hodgman joins the Galaxy Brains podcast to explain

by Dave Schilling

If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Graphic frame surround a photo of the Borg Queen from the from the movie, Star Trek: First Contact

The 25th anniversary of Star Trek: First Contact , easily the best Next Generation movie of them all, has prompted many articles, essays, and podcast episodes about why this particular movie worked, and the other Picard-led films were varying levels of bad. Was it the Borg? The time travel element? The humor? Jonathan Frakes’ direction?

The easiest, most likely answer is that it was the only one with a truly excellent script. The ingenious idea of splitting up the crew, the breathless pacing, and the clever action set pieces set it apart not just from the other TNG movies, but from many of the other Star Trek films too.

But what has always piqued my interest most is the performance of Academy Award nominee James Cromwell as Zefram Cochrane, the irascible, alcoholic inventor of warp drive that is sort of the MacGuffin of the entire film. The story revolves around whether or not he can get it together and go on his historic warp flight. I’ve always thought of Cochrane as a stand-in for Star Trek’s own inventor, Gene Roddenberry, and that First Contact is really a movie about the creation of Star Trek itself — a kind of futuristic roman a clef about a deeply flawed man who changed the world.

A far-out theory? Welcome to Galaxy Brains , guys. C’mon.

On this week’s show, Jonah Ray and I are joined by comedian, author and long-time Star Trek fan John Hodgman to discuss whether or not Star Trek: First Contact is a sneaky Gene Roddenberry biopic.

As always, this conversation has been edited to sound less weird.

Dave: I think a lot about Gene Roddenberry as the creator of Star Trek when I watch this movie. Zefram Cochrane in the context of the meta movie that we are watching is the creator of Star Trek. He says the words “Star Trek” in the movie. He invents warp drive. He meets a Vulcan for the first time. He’s this volatile human being with a lot of flaws, who meets his very logical person, and they have a moment of understanding. I always have thought of Zefram Cochran as basically just a stand-in for Gene Roddenberry. Gene Roddenberry has been said by many people, including his assistant Susan Sackett, in her book , and a lot of other people who’ve worked with him that he was kind of a volatile, difficult man. And that’s kind of what Zefram Cochrane’s arc is. He starts off as this guy who’s just trying to make money and make a buck. Star Trek was a means to an end for Gene Roddenberry. But then it becomes this cultural phenomenon, and he changes the world in a lot of ways. Do you see any of this parallel or am I completely off base? John Hodgman: To continue your sports metaphor, you are on base. You are safe. Dave: I know you love baseball, John. John Hodgman: I love you, love baseball, and I love it. You just threw a home base. I mean, you did a good job. Touchdown, indeed. Yeah. I’m not completely familiar with the behind the scenes true life of Gene Roddenberry, but I’m certainly familiar with his deification, you know, and the shadow as a creator that he cast and whether certain storylines would be considered “Gene enough” or “not Gene enough.” Yeah, there’s definitely I mean, whether it’s acknowledged or not, there’s definitely a feeling of, you know, don’t meet your heroes. They’re flawed people. They’re human beings. That’s not even subtext in the movie. Jonah: It’s text. More than 10 years prior to this was, I think, the big cultural shift in the culture of Star Trek, which was the Saturday Night Live sketch, with William Shatner yelling at the fans to get a life . It did remind me of that thing of just these all the nerds coming up to Cochrane and, you know, being excited and him going like, What’s wrong with you? Dave: He’s a statue, and he’s so horrified to get the statue at some point since he doesn’t see himself as that important. And I think that’s probably true of most people that we deify. John Hodgman: I mean, Gene Roddenberry created a calm, egalitarian socialist utopia of tolerance, probably because that didn’t exist in his own mind. That was a projection of something that he wished for, that he didn’t have peace of mind. Jonah: Something that Dave and I talked about earlier is maybe money did fucking make him an irritable drunk. Maybe he really thought, like if only money didn’t exist , I wouldn’t have to worry about this stuff all the time . There is something to that, like getting rid of money. John Hodgman: Yeah, right? I was just going to say it’s part of our cultural moment now. It’s like, well, after we shut down the economy for a year and people don’t feel like going back to work at those shitty jobs, we’re all of a sudden thinking, like, is there another way to do this? Dave: And Gene Roddenberry also created a world where sex was completely different than how we perceive it now, and the idea of sexuality is more just like, yeah, we have sex and we can have sex with lots of different people or aliens or whatever. It was more chill in that respect. And that was something that he was projecting in the real world, too. John Hodgman: Yeah, he wanted to have sex with everybody. He wanted everybody to have green skin. He wanted to have sex with them.

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Celebrating 25 Years of STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT

Twenty-five years ago, on November 22, 1996, Star Trek: First Contact premiered in theaters. The film was the second one to feature the crew from Star Trek: The Next Generation and the eighth Star Trek film overall. The film was a substantial hit both critically and commercially. And although we didn’t know it then, it ended up representing a specific moment in history: the apex of Star Trek ‘s penetration into popular culture. And it would never be quite the same for the franchise again after hitting this peak.

In 1996, at the time First Contact hit theaters, The Next Generation reruns were in heavy rotation, often seen five times a week in syndication in most parts of the country. Both Voyager and Deep Space Nine were airing new episodes weekly. Someone said at the time that every weekend, somewhere in the world, a Star Trek convention was happening. It took 30 years, but by 1996, Star Trek had finally conquered the world . And First Contact represented the moment when it seemed everyone in America was some shade of Trekkie.

Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-E on the bridge.

First Contact isn’t the best Trek movie (that honor will likely always belong to Wrath of Khan ) but it’s certainly top tier. And it’s easily the best of the films with the Next Generation cast. Writers Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga , who wrote the previous film Star Trek: Generations , basically knew they screwed up with that one. Yes, it made money, but it wasn’t the movie anybody wanted. So when they got the writing gig for First Contact , they doubled down. They made sure that this time, they got it right. And get it right they did. First Contact is a movie that delivers.

For those who haven’t seen it, here’s the short summary of First Contact. The cybernetic alien race known as the Borg, long the Federation’s most powerful nemesis , attack the Earth in the 24th century. Although Starfleet defeats them in battle, thanks to Captain Picard ( Patrick Stewart ), they decide to stop the Federation from ever forming. They hope to accomplish this by going back in time to the year 2063. To the very day a weary, post-World War III humanity formally meets the alien Vulcans for the first time.

The Borg attack Earth in Star Trek: First Contact.

This meeting of the two races would eventually lead to the founding of the United Federation of Planets. Without a Federation to stop them, the Borg can easily assimilate the Earth. The crew of the Enterprise follows the Borg back in time to make sure a scientist named Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) makes that first historic warp flight. And Picard has to fight off a Borg invasion of his ship, and fight off his PTSD from when the Borg assimilated him years earlier. (This occurs in the TNG two-parter “ The Best of Both Worlds “).

Moore and Braga (along with the director Jonathan Frakes) pull off something of a magic trick with First Contact . First, the film introduces an all-new state-of-the-art USS Enterprise. They destroyed the previous one in Generation ). Also, organically introducing Lt. Worf into the proceedings was a task. He was a part of the crew on Deep Space Nine then. They also had to explain Picard’s personal history with the Borg . And in an elegant, non-clunky expositional way to more casual audiences. That they did all this in the film’s first twenty minutes is a minor miracle.

Picard and his crew face off a Borg invasion in Star Trek: First Contact.

Also a small miracle is the juggling of tones throughout the movie. Essentially, First Contact is two films. It’s the story of Picard and the Enterprise crew trying to fend off a Borg invasion on their ship. Meanwhile, on Earth, Riker and other crew members try to convince a selfish man to get past his own personal shortcomings. Mainly since he’s destined to be history’s most important figure. Basically, it’s mixing the action/horror element of Aliens with a sort of comedy of errors down below on the surface, with a dash of Moby Dick- inspired pathos for good measure. It should all fall apart, but somehow, it all works.

A lot of later Trek films would try to rip off Wrath of Khan by having a bombastic, single-minded villain hell-bent on revenge. But the team behind First Contact made the hero the Captain Ahab -inspired man instead. It’s our hero who can’t see straight due to his need for vengeance. And for those loyal fans who saw Picard essentially violated by the Borg on the TV series, we completely understand where he’s coming from. Even while acknowledging he needs to get past those feelings for the good of not only his crew, but his entire world. (Spoilers: he does).

The film’s villainous Borg Queen , played by Alice Krige, also remains the Trek film series’ second-best antagonist. Unlike all the Khan knock-offs of later Trek films, the Queen isn’t seeking revenge. She’s seeking perfection . In fact, the movie’s underlying theme is two different cultures’ approaches to perfection. To the Borg, it’s forcing humanity into some kind of cybernetic/organic synthesis for our “own good.” Their only way to perfection; everyone becomes part of the same monolithic group-think. For the Federation , it’s moving past our own greed and selfishness, and building something bigger and stronger out of a diverse group of individuals. Yet keeping all those things which keep us diverse. (All these themes seem fairly timely, don’t they?)

First Contact isn’t perfect; the big Federation battle against the Borg is very brief, and could have easily gone on longer. The addition of Alfre Woodard as a 21st-century woman who becomes Picard’s conscience (as well as the voice of the casual audience) is a smart choice. But a crucial moment where she talks Picard down from making a grave mistake should have gone to Gates McFadden’s character of Beverly Crusher. Instead, Crusher has little to do in the film. But these issues are relatively minor, and First Contact remains one of the most entertaining sci-fi movies of the ’90s.

After First Contact , the following Trek film, 1998’s Star Trek: Insurrection , was a critical and box office disappointment. After Deep Space Nine and Voyager wrapped their long runs a few years later, many felt it was time to let the franchise rest and rethink itself. But instead, Paramount, ever greedy, plugged away at creating yet another Trek show, called Enterprise . A prequel series to the original Star Trek , the show originally didn’t even have the words “ Star Trek ” in the title, as they felt it should distance itself from the franchise, to gain non- Trek viewers.

It didn’t really work. Enterprise was the first Trek series outright canceled since 1969. 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis , the final Trek film with the TNG crew, ended up grossing only $43 million domestic. In just six years from the peak and First Contact , it felt like Star Trek was a relic, a dinosaur that didn’t fit in with the likes of modern and sophisticated genre shows, like First Contact writer Ron Moore’s own Battlestar Galactica reboot.

The Enterpise-E from Star Trek: First Contact.

Of course, we all know that in 2009, J.J. Abrams rebooted Star Trek to great success. And it’s now a viable film franchise once again. And Trek is thriving on the small screen more than ever. There’s Star Trek: Discovery , Prodigy, Picard, Lower Deck s, and soon, Strange New Worlds . But in 2021, no matter how popular it may be with a certain crowd, Star Trek is just another sci-fi/fantasy franchise now. It has to compete with the likes of Star Wars , Marvel, DC, the Wizarding World, and tons of others.

But for this fan, First Contact will always stand for a time when Star Trek ruled the world. A time when my non-nerd parents knew the names “Captain Picard” and “Data.” And maybe most importantly, First Contact will always remind me of a time when a mainstream action blockbuster could convey a message. “One day, this war-torn and divided world will give way to a better future, where mankind stands united.” It’s a message that should resonate with today’s world more than ever.

Featured Image: Paramount Pictures

Originally published on November 22, 2016.

Star Trek: First Contact – 8 Amazing Things About The Best Next Generation Movie

We look at our favorite things about Star Trek: First Contact.

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Released on November 22, 1996, Star Trek : First Contact was the first motion picture to focus solely on the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast (its predecessor, 1994’s better than you remember Star Trek: Generations , spent much of its running time crawling towards the meeting of Captains Kirk and Picard).

The film has the crew of the newly-commissioned Enterprise-E squaring off against the Borg once more, only this time the cybernetic creeps are looking to assimilate Earth in the past — a nifty side effect being that their plan will also prevent the planet from ever making first contact with the Vulcans and joining the United Federation of Planets. Jerks.

read more – Everything You Need to Know About Star Trek: Discovery Season 3

Fortunately, Picard and his ever-heroic crew have some help in the form of warp drive inventor Zefram Cochrane (a perfect James Cromwell) and his assistant Lily Sloane (Alfre Woodard, ditto). Meanwhile, Data has his loyalties tested by the nefarious Borg Queen (Alice Krige), the woman pulling the strings of the entire collective and giving Starfleet’s Pinocchio the tempting chance to finally become a real boy as it were.

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Star Trek: First Contact struck a chord with longtime fans and newbies alike, raking in $146,000,000. (It remains the highest grossing of all Trek films that were released before J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot). But financial gains aside, does the movie still hold up all these years later? The answer to that question is a resounding yes.

Here’s eight reasons why…

Jonathan Frakes’ taut direction

Having already helmed several episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Commander Riker himself, Jonathan Frakes, was given directing duties on First Contact . Although a film of this scope would be daunting even for the most seasoned of veterans, Frakes handled it skillfully as a first time feature director. In fact, it can be argued that due to his familarity with the source material and the cast he had crucial insider’s knowledge that helped him avoid any director/actor tensions and get better performances from his co-workers, all of whom already held him in close regard.

read more: The Essential Episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation

Like Leonard Nimoy before him, Frakes’ success on this film proved that when the Enterprise’s number two guy (heh heh) takes the director’s chair the result is nothing short of fantastic (The all around deplorable Star Trek: Insurrection being the rare exception to this rule).

Picard Loses It

With the exception of the episode “Family” and briefly in the pilot episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine we never got a chance to see how much Captain Picard’s assimilation by the Borg in the two-part episode “The Best of Both Worlds” impacted him. Indeed, as First Contact illustrates beautifully even years later he remains haunted by the experience to the point that when he has the chance to get his revenge he lets his anger take control.

read more: The Star Trek Movies You Never Saw

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For a character as stoic and unflappable as Picard always is, the film grants him an opportunity to show that Starfleet captain or not he is as flawed and human as anyone else.

The debut of the Enterprise-E

Look, I’ve got nothing but love for the Enterprise-D, but you have to admit that it possessed a very 1980s design aesthetic. Its successor on the other hand is sleeker and more battle ready, a subtle reminder that — for better or worse — the Next Generation – centric films were more about action than intellectual discourse or man contemplating his role in the universe.

read more – The Difficult Journey of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

First Contact was a film that required an ass-kicking Enterprise. The E happily delivered. But did Riker really have to take a pot shot at the comparatively dimunitive Defiant? That’s not cool bro.

Action Hero Worf

Not saddled with having to deal with spending valuable screentime on characters from the original Star Trek , the film was able to place some fan favorites from the Next Generation in the cinematic spotlight. Worf benefitted from this the most, with the Son of Mogh given an unforgettable zero gravity action sequence and his own Schwarzenegger-esque catchphrase, the immortal “assimilate this.”

The Borg Queen and Data Kinky Artifical Lifeform Hour

Admit it, you are deeply aroused by this. Or is it just me?

read more: Things You Didn’t Know About the Next Generation Movies

Anyway, the addition of the Borg Queen into the mix added a fascinating new layer to the Borg, arguably the greatest threat ever to face the Federation (with the Dominion a perilously close second). As portrayed by Alice Krige, the character is both sexy and full of menace. Audiences knew that she ultimately wouldn’t prevail in her quest to bring Data to her side, but it sure was fun, if a bit uncomfortable, watching her try.

Lily Sloane: Future Audience Surrogate

As portrayed by the ever-great Alfre Woodard, Lily Sloane is a character who is caught between the war torn reality of her present and the optimistic future presented to her by a certain Jean-Luc Picard. She stands her ground when Picard is at his most unhinged, helping to get him to return to reason by reminding him of his resemblance to a certain whale-obsessed literary figure.

read more – In Defense of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

More than just an everywoman, she is the conscience of the film. The only disappointment here is that the filmmakers didn’t make her a full-fledged love interest for the captain as it would be great to have seen him become romantically linked with a woman who was very much his equal. Ideally she would have joined him aboard the Enterprise if for no other reason than to spare audiences Picard’s tepid romance in the ever terrible Star Trek: Insurrection .

The Borg at their most ruthless

Thanks to a PG-13 rating, audiences got to experience the brutality of the Borg like never before. As a result, the hive mind seems more soulless than ever before — resulting in more than one reviewer comparing their creepiness to that of the xenomorph in Alien . Good company, that.

Zefram Cochrane: Reluctant Hero

One of the reasons that Deep Space Nine succeeded creatively is that it wasn’t afraid to show that while Gene Roddenberry’s idealistic view of the future was hopeful, it wasn’t exactly representative of how people actually behave. Star Trek: First Contact also understood this, making Zefram Cochrane a lost soul more than the hero who invented warp drive and paved the way for mankind to truly trek amongst the stars.

Delivering yet another tremendous performance, James Cromwell portrays Cochrane — one of the most important characters in Trek lore — as a damaged, greedy man who is more concerned with himself than the future. It was a bold story choice that had Roddenberry purists crying sacrilege, yet the journey from selfishless to heroism never feels like a contrivance. It is well-earned thanks to the alchemy of a tight script and a beloved character actor at his very best.

Watch Star Trek: First Contact on Amazon

Chris Cummins still believes that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the best sci-fi show ever. You can debate this point with him (although why would you want to?) on Twitter at @bionicbigfoot and @scifiexplosion .

Chris Cummins | @bionicbigfoot

Chris Cummins is a Philadelphia-based writer who has contributed to Geekadelphia, Topless Robot, Philadelphia Weekly, Philadelphia City Paper, USA Today's Pop Candy, and his own blogs, Hibernation Sickness…

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‘star trek’: the story of the ‘next generation’ crew’s greatest movie.

Jonathan Frakes, Brannon Braga, and more look back at 'Star Trek: First Contact' 20 years after the groundbreaking 1996 hit took 'Trek to new heights.

By Aaron Couch

Aaron Couch

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'Star Trek: First Contact': The Story Behind The 1996 Classic

In 1996, Star Trek was at its apex.

On the small screen, Deep Space Nine and Voyager were carrying the Trek legacy — and on the big screen, the Next Generation crew was still in its prime, having delivered a hit movie with 1994’s Generations after ending a seven-season run at the height of its popularity.

But the Trek creative team longed for more. Longtime writers Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga weren’t completely satisfied with Generations — a film they wrote but that was saddled with mandates that saw Picard (Patrick Stewart) share top billing with original series captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner ). For their next project, the pair were determined to do right by the Next Generation crew, pitting them against their greatest nemesis , The Borg — a collective consciousness bent on assimilating all life in the galaxy — and creating of a time-travel narrative that examined the origins of Star Trek itself.

Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker ) had proven himself to be a top-notch director on Next Generation , and was tapped to lead the crew of the Enterprise behind the camera for his debut feature. It proved to be a wise choice, with Frakes commanding respect and affection from the cast and crew and utilizing his TV director’s ability to make the budget look much bigger than it was.

When Star Trek: First Contact hit theaters 20 years ago on Nov. 22, 1996, it went on to earn $146 million worldwide against a $45 million budget — making it at the time the second-highest-grossing Trek film ever. It also would be considered a high point in Trek lore, with many fans arguing only Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan can top it.

“WE WANTED TO REDEEM OURSELVES”

1994’s Star Trek: Generations is still in theaters and screenwriters Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga are approached by producer Rick Berman about crafting a follow-up. The pair immediately agree — eager to get right what they feel they got wrong with the previous film.

Brannon Braga , screenwriter : When Generations came out, Kirk and Picard were on the cover of Time magazine and it’s like, “OK, how much bigger does it get?” But at the same time, Ron and I felt that we had made some missteps with Generations and we wanted to redeem ourselves and make a really great movie.

Ronald D. Moore, screenwriter : The big difference between First Contact and Generations was right at the start, there really wasn’t a list of things to do. There was no mandate. When we did Generations , there was literally a list of things that the movie had to accomplish. It had to be a transition from one cast to the other. You could only have the original series cast in the first 10 minutes. It had to have the Klingons in it, it had to have a big villain, it had to have time travel in it. It was all this stuff. With First Contact , it was really just, “OK, what do you want to do?” So the three of us worked on the story together, and I think Rick was interested in doing time travel and Brannon was interested in doing the Borg.

Braga : The first draft had Riker fighting the Borg on the ship and Picard down on the planet and everything was just backwards. Patrick Stewart, who had read that first draft, said, “Why am I not on the ship? I’m the one who got raped by this species.” We were like, “OK. Obviously he is correct.”

Moore : There were a lot of budgetary constraints. Even though the budget was obviously much bigger than your average episode was, it was still astonishing how quickly that got chewed up by visual effects budgets of the day. Paramount didn’t really spend a lot on those movies. We were reusing the sets and reusing old stuff. At the beginning, when the Enterprise comes in and the Borg are attacking Earth and there’s a huge fleet battle, that got way cut back. Likewise, a lot of the action that took place on board the Enterprise, you’ll note that we are still down to counting phaser bolts, which was such a pain in the ass, where we’re budgeting, “Well how many shots can the security guys take?” “Oh, it’s $10,000 a shot” and you’re negotiating with the production people.

Braga : There were a few “aha” moments. Definitely when we conceptualized the Borg Queen, because at an early stage we were realizing the Borg are zombies but they don’t talk and we wanted some depth. We wanted these villains to want to be understood. And the other “aha” moment for me was the idea that the hero to all of the people on the Enterprise, Zefram Cochrane, was a drunk asshole who is creating warp drive for all the wrong reasons and him realizing why he needs to do it because it’s going to change the world and I thought, if you could go back in time and meet one of your great heroes from history and they’re a jerk, it’s very shocking.

Jonathan Frakes , director and Commander Riker : Sherry Lansing, who ran Paramount at the time, said to Rick Berman, “I’ll leave this in your hands because you know this franchise.” First Contact was Star Trek 8 . Ridley Scott was not going to direct this movie. Spielberg was not going to direct this movie. The big action guys certainly were not interested in doing the eighth version of a Star Trek movie. So I threw my hat in the ring with the rest of them and I was blessed to get arguably the best job of my life.

“ GODMOMMY , I’M GOING TO DIRECT FIRST CONTACT “

The crew of the Enterprise welcomes three new additions — Alice Krige as the Borg Queen; James Cromwell as warp drive inventor Zefram Cochrane; and Alfre Woodard as Lily Sloan, Cochrane’s assistant — who would challenge Picard in ways no other character ever did.

Alfre Woodard, Lily Sloane: We are the same age, but I’m Jonathan Frakes ‘ godmommy . We were all young actors to Hollywood. We are like 22, and we would sit around and pool our money for chicken and beer and other things. It was a big gang of us and we would just crash at each other’s apartments. Besides silly and bawdy conversations with Jonathan, we also had poignant conversations, and I was talking about what my godmother meant to me. His eyes were moist and he said, “I don’t have a godmother.” I said, “Are you kidding?” Then he looked at me and said, “Will you be my godmommy ?”

Frakes : I think she’s one of our finest actresses, and Rick shares that feeling. When he found out I had a relationship with her, we just offered her the part. We had met with a number of movie stars and then it became clear that casting Alfre in that part, not only is she a great actor, she isn’t who you think of in an action-adventure-horror movie. She added a gravitas and she also could go head-to-head with Patrick. At the core of what makes the movie work is that wonderful scene in the conference room where she says, “You broke your little ships.” It’s brilliant.

Woodard : I got a call, and it might have been Jonathan saying “ Godmommy , I’m going to direct First Contact. ” I said, “Yes!” My godson was going to direct me. “Hell yeah.” Then I thought, I don’t know anything about this. I remember that first day on set, Jonathan said, “You’re from a different time anyway, so you won’t even know half the things — it will work, it will work.” That first day, I had to come through a Jefferies tube and I said, “Jonathan, who’s Jeffrey?” And he looked at me and he said, “Oh my god, what have I done?”

Frakes : Cromwell was also unlikely casting. That was the year he was up for Babe [for an Oscar nomination]. He was an actor that Rick and I had discussed because we thought it was quirky, interesting. He was appealing, he was absurd and he seemed intelligent. He felt like he could be a mad scientist.

Alice Krige , the Borg Queen : I just got sent three scenes by my agent and I said, “I’ll go in on this, but I need to see the script if they want to meet me.” She said, “No, you don’t understand. No one sees the script.” I had never seen an episode of Star Trek . So I ran over to a friend’s house, who had a whole lot of Star Trek episodes on tape. And I watched the Borg episodes. I did the audition for Jonathan and Rick and [casting director] Junie Lowry. In the course of doing those scenes for them, I suddenly kind of got her. I suddenly experienced the Borg Queen. I came out and I thought I had completely blown it. So I ran off the lot and found a payphone at a gas station and I called my agent and said, “I really, really messed that up. But I really, really want to do it. Would you ask them if I could come in again?” She phoned them and we didn’t hear anything for three weeks. I thought, “Oh well. Another one bites the dust.” And three weeks later they called and said, “Would you come in again please?” I went in and met the three of them again and, as I remember, as I left they made the offer.

Scott Wheeler, makeup artist : That character would not have worked without Alice playing the role. They were talking about Cher playing the role. And no offense to Cher, she’s had some great moments, but it would have been so gimmicky and I doubt she would have been willing to sit through the 4 1/2-hour makeup we were putting on Alice.

“THE BORG QUEEN WAS BORN”

The painstaking work of hundreds of movie artisans brings the film to life in an era when practical effects still ruled and CG was just coming on the scene. The Borg Queen is among the film’s crowning achievements under a team led by legendary makeup artist Michael Westmore .

Wheeler: Jake Garber and I basically redesigned the original TV version of the Borg. I always thought of them as this metaphor for technology destroying humanity, like Communism over free will, the collective being prioritized over the individual. It started to represent technology almost raping humanity and biology. The whole basis of the actual paint scheme was based on cadavers to represent death.

Frakes : All the Borg were on a different clock. There was an entirely different crew that showed up at 2:30 in the morning, their own set of ADs , their own set of and makeup artists, and Alice was part of that. So by the time we showed up at 6 or 6:30, they had already been there for four hours getting Borgified .

Jacob Garber, special makeup effects artist: We were the first ones there and the last ones gone. I don’t recall anything less than a 14-hour day. I ended up sneaking in a bunch of hidden messages in the Borg head pieces. I think I got about every makeup artist’s name in there somewhere. I snuck one in there that was Westmore’s House of Barbeque, I put me and a girl I was dating at the time in there.

Scott G.G. Haller , sound effects editor: It was a fun moment to be walking to lunch on the Paramount lot and seeing an extra in full Borg costume sitting on a chair outside of a sound stage, smoking a cigarette and reading a newspaper.

Wheeler: With the Borg Queen, the script had one simple description: hauntingly beautiful. I thought, “OK, why is she hauntingly beautiful?” Maybe the Borg needs a certain appeal. Maybe she’s hauntingly beautiful, because she’s sort of the seductress of the ideals that the Borg are supposed to represent. There was this beautiful face that is basically stretched over a biomechanical form. In the very front is a façade of beauty, and as you go further back and look at her, more and more you see the horror and the rot and the decay.

Krige : By the time it was all on and all done, quite simply, I felt like the Borg Queen. It was as if I had gone through a type of time warp or portal. By the time they put in the lenses, it was not me anymore. That was phenomenally helpful. And I always think of it as a collaborative performance, because you can’t think of the character separate from what she looked like.

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5 Things We Learned About ‘Star Trek: First Contact’ On Its 25th Anniversary Year

| April 6, 2021 | By: Kayla Iacovino 20 comments so far

Yesterday’s virtual First Contact Day event put on by CBS has come after over a year of virtual “conventions” that haven’t been able to hold a candle to their normally in-person counterparts. But, with a year of learning and planning, CBS showed that this virtual event thing can actually work. During the “Remembering First Contact” panel, host Wil Wheaton asked insightful questions of Star Trek vets Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, and Alice Krige, getting them to spill a few stories I for one had never heard before about Star Trek: First Contact, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Here are a few of my favorite takeaway tidbits that were new to me. For those of you walking Star Trek history encyclopedias, please feel free to expound on these stories in the comments!

Renaissance-era setting nixed for budgetary reasons… and the absurdity

During the “Revisiting First Contact” panel celebrating 25 years since the release of the beloved TNG film, Jonathan Frakes spoke about the genesis of the story of First Contact , saying:

“All three of the writers wanted a time travel story. So, the objective was to find a way to marry those big concepts [Borg and time travel]. Originally it was going to take place in Renaissance Italy, perhaps, and we were going to fight the Borg with swords? Thankfully that idea was taken away for financial reasons and logical reasons and absurd reasons, I’m sure. And, we were blessed with this, arguably the best of the Star Trek movie scripts certainly.”

We had to wait until Star Trek: Picard to get those sword fights.

Patrick Stewart had to OK Frakes as director, over Reuben sandwiches

After Jonathan Frakes was asked how he got the job as director, he told the story of the most memorable Reuben sandwich in his life.

“I believe, if the urban myth is true, the movie was offered to Ridley Scott, John McTiernan [who weren’t interested]. As I understand it Sherry Lansing, who was the head of Paramount at the time, told Rick Berman, who was the keeper of the reigns: ‘Why don’t you hire who you like?’ So, there was one caveat. The director that they hired had to be approved by now Sir Patrick Stewart. So, Rick said, ‘I’d really like you to do the movie, but Patrick’s going to have to approve you.’ So, Patrick and I had lunch at Jerry’s Deli in Studio City. And, he said, ‘I’m okay with you directing the movie. I was told that I had to make it official with you. And, that… it kind of changed my life. I believe we both had Reuben sandwiches.”

The group shares a laugh over Jonathan’s memory of his favorite reuben sandwich.

Alice Krige asked for a second audition because she thought she blew it (she didn’t)

Before her audition for the role of the Borg Queen, Alice Krige had no real knowledge of what Star Trek was all about. It took doing the audition for her to find the character, and in doing so, she was convinced she had totally biffed the audition. Of course, she hadn’t.

“My agent called me one day, and she said, ‘here are some sides for the next Star Trek movie.’ Now, I have a confession to make that I had never seen an episode of Star Trek. I said okay, but where’s the script? I can’t go in without a script. She said, ‘No, you don’t understand. NO ONE sees a script.’ I had a friend who wrote for Star Trek. I ran over to his house, and I watched all of the Borg episodes that he had on tape. I learned my lines, and I went into Paramount. And, there was Jonathan, and I did the three scenes. And, as I was doing them, I actually started to understand [the role] – it was the act of doing it – it was not intellectual. It was like a channel opened up. They thanked me politely, and I left. I ran to my car, and I drove to find the first pay phone I could find. I called my agent, and I said ‘I screwed it up. Please tell them that I can do better. And, I really want to do it again.’ Well, we didn’t hear from them for three weeks, and I thought ‘another one bites the dust’. And, then I got another call! I went in, and I did the same thing again, and I was offered the Borg Queen.”

Alice Krige as the Borg Queen.

Alice Krige needed 8 Borg wranglers to work in the Borg Queen costume

Alice Krige – who absolutely slayed in her role as the Borg Queen – spoke about how she got the role and what it was like playing the iconic character. One amusing tidbit was her mention of around eight “Borg wranglers” that were needed during her scenes.

“All the Borg wranglers. Because I must have had eight maybe? Someone who looked after my battery packs, someone who had a big pot of glue and glued the cracks. Someone looked after my feet, my hands, my head. Someone had a huge tube of – what was it? – KY jelly and a sponge. Every one of them helped make [the Borg Queen]. This was the apotheosis of collaboration for me, this role.”

Krige on the Borg Queen rig with director Jonathan Frakes during the filming of Star Trek: First Contact.

Brent Spiner was terrified of doing the missile silo jump stunt

While Brent Spiner had high praise for the film’s director, script, and co-stars, there was one aspect of making the film that wasn’t to his liking.

“We were standing alongside the missile on a platform that was very high in the air. Patrick [Stewart] knows that I am terrified of heights, so he would be bouncing on the platform to terrify me – which it did. [In the film] Data jumps off the platform and sail to the ground, and nothing happens to him. Initially, it was my stunt double, Brian Williams. He did that jump, and Jonathan [Frakes] shot him coming down from the missile silo, and then Jonathan cut to me. They printed all of that, then Jonathan came to me and said, you can tell that it’s not you. You’re going to have to do it. They took me to a soundstage, put me in a harness. And I was terrified. I hated it. They brought me up 3 feet and dropped me, and I hated it, then they took me all the way to the top, and they were to drop me, and a few feet before I hit the ground, a hydraulic slowed me down. I had to be Data, and I was able to do it, and look confident, and I landed, and the crew applauded, and I was so glad it was over. And then ‘Two-Takes Frakes’ came to me and said, ‘can we do that again?'”

That first step is a doozy.

Watch the full 25th-anniversary panel

Paramount+ has uploaded the entire Star Trek: First Contact anniversary panel to Youtube.

Find more articles on Star Trek history at TrekMovie.com .

Feature Films (TMP-NEM) , Great Links , Music , Viral Video/Mashup/Images

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Alice Krige wax the only logical choice to play the Borg queen. While Susanna Thompson was good on Voyager, Alice nailed it and I’m glad she also came back to the roll.

the 1st time Star Trek was a ‘cool’ movie to go see at the cinema

What about The Voyage Home?

yes but that was more of a comedy like Crocodile Dundee/BTTF in space, not so much an Aliens/Terminator type ‘cool’ pg13 scifi action movie that kids teens non fans could rave about in the playground, water cooler, pub etc

The first Trek movie I got to see in the theater…I was 4. I still remember gagging in my seat when Data made out with the BQ. Also I love this cast so much, I wish I was around to get pranked.

This panel was great! And yes even after 25 years and endless conventions it’s always nice to hear new stories and anecdotes which this had a lot of. Spiner’s story about being afraid of heights and doing the jumping scene in the movie was hilarious!

FC definitely had an amazing script and felt the most cinematic out of all the movies not counting TMP or the Kelvin movies. The premise worked so well and a great way to tie into the 30th anniversary sort of how well TUC and its premise tied into the 25th.

While I liked Beyond that was one of its biggest missed opportunities and not having a bigger hook that tied into the 50th anniversary more. It’s a story that could be told in any episode. But I digress.

Anyway great panel!

50th anniversary movie was there for the taking (Orci/Shatner/battle for the timelines) and could’ve been as pleasing as VI and FC, but,like a poor marksman, they missed the target..

I was on set standing in Picard’s Ready Room doorway they filmed all the takes of the “interplexing beacon” dialog scene where Alfre Woodard and Picard come up through the floor. I was so stunned that I was on set watch the new film being made. I remember touching the embroidered delta shield insignia on the back of the seats on the bridge. Jonathan Frakes made the cast do one more take of a shot and said “ok, once more with grace and alacrity” and Patrick Stewart started into a whole Shakespeare joke about the epic love story of Grace and Alacrity, acting it out while the cast and crew laughed as the lights were moved. It was all very funny and surreal. I also got to sit in the Phoenix cockpit and walk (only on the very edge) of the deflector dish. I can’t believe that was 25 years ago. Yikes. I’m old. Oh and I also interviewed Alice Krige in her house in Malibu about playing the Borg Queen. She fed me salt and vinegar potato chips and her little black dog kept licking the crumbs off my fingers. 25 years?? Where does time go???!!!!

That’s a lovely story!

Yes that is a great story. But I thought the interplexing beacon scene was on the bridge? But I love that whole bit. It had some great lines:

“The reports of my assimilation have been greatly exaggerated” “I am a Klingon” “I think’s it time we take a little stroll”

And the gag with Worf scared of zero-G. Love it. Why can’t all Star Trek films be more like this?

Wow. 25 years. I saw this movie in the theaters when I was in college. Dang I feel old now. But I just watched it again yesterday for FC Day and it still holds up very well. I love this movie.

I did hear the Renaissance story before. But it was actually someone wanted to do the time travel to the Renaissance story and someone else wanted to do the Borg. I’m glad they dropped the Renaissance bit and went with the Zephram Cochrane and First Contact story instead.

My regret is that Tom Hanks was initially cast as Zephram Cochrane, which I think would have made for a better and more popular movie. He couldn’t do it since he was directing another movie, but he did want to since he was a big Star Trek fan. James Cromwell was ok, but Hanks would have brought a big name to Trek.

Didn’t Tony Pascale do a DVD commentary for it with Damon Lindelof?

I don’t agree. Hanks was too famous. Too big. I would have watched all the Cochrane scenes and just thought “that’s Tom Hanks talking to Will, Deanna, and Geordi”. Same with the abandoned Eddie Murphy role in Star Trek IV. I’m glad they didn’t happen.

Now, if they want Hanks to cameo as Captain April on SNW, I can be down with that.

But the fact he was so famous could’ve been an added bonus for the character as Cohrene was this huge mythical figure that the TNG guys were in awe of

Tom Hanks is a fantastic actor and I think his performance would have quickly allowed the audience to believe he was Zethran Cochrane in the movie.

Big name actors appear all the time in Star Wars, just check the names.

Cromwell was great as Cochrane (and even more prestigious when you take into account he was in the classic LA Confidential the following year) but yeah Hanks in FC would’ve been a huge deal for a Trek movie in the mid 90s when Hanks was pretty much the biggest movie star on the planet at that time (along with Mel Gibson & Tom Cruise), and maybe brought in another 50 even 100m in box office worldwide

I prefer Cromwell, much more believable as a drunk, also he’s a fantastic guy and an activist I’ve marched alongside. Meeting him was a big deal for me, I never thought I’d be meeting the man who invented warp drive!

Cromwell was also coming off of an Academy Award nomination that year, so he leant a nice little nugget of prestige in his own way.

i still cringe when everyone, including the Vulcans, have their little dance party, twisting the night away to Roy Orbison’s Ooby Dooby. Not Trek’s finest moment!

The end shot was also very similar to Trek V

I remember during the live watch of First Contact with Jonathan Frakes some months back, he also related how Patrick had to approve him directing. He didn’t mention the sandwich thing though at that time. Also, the tone I got from the live watch was that Frakes was never in any danger since he and Patrick are good friends and Patrick rubber stamping Frakes’ directorship was basically a formality.

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Star trek: first contact.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 3 Reviews
Kids Say 15 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Intense, gory Starfleet adventure earns series' first PG-13.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 12+?

Spaceship explosions, ray-gun fire, dead bodies seen. Grisly close-combat with t

Quite a lot of drinking and drunkenness among the people of Earth, played comica

More bathroom talk than usual Starfleet regulations, including "bulls--t," "hell

Tie-ins with three Star Trek TV shows, innumerable action-figure/book/video game

Dialog about sexuality in general terms, mostly with the android Data being temp

Any Positive Content?

Starfleet is notably racially, gender, and species-integrated (with the addition

Picard's vengeful attitude towards the Borg is called into question by a civilia

Violence & Scariness

Spaceship explosions, ray-gun fire, dead bodies seen. Grisly close-combat with the Borg, including snapped necks, injections-implants piercing skin, disembodied or hacked-off body parts, and dissolving flesh.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Quite a lot of drinking and drunkenness among the people of Earth, played comically.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

More bathroom talk than usual Starfleet regulations, including "bulls--t," "hell."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Tie-ins with three Star Trek TV shows, innumerable action-figure/book/video game spin-offs. Zephraim Cochrane forces the crew to listen to classic rock.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Dialog about sexuality in general terms, mostly with the android Data being tempted by an inhuman villainess. He talks about being anatomically correct and programmed in "techniques." A human character described as a drunken womanizer.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Starfleet is notably racially, gender, and species-integrated (with the addition of Mr. Data, even machine-integrated), and there is a strong sense of friendship, duty, loyalty and, if necessary, sacrifice.

Positive Role Models

Picard's vengeful attitude towards the Borg is called into question by a civilian, and he relents. Mr. Data puts his own wishes to be human aside for the greater good.

Parents need to know Star Trek: First Contact is the first Trek movie to Go Where No Star Trek Flick Had Gone Before, to a PG-13 rating. It has some pretty gruesome violence and a macabre threat in the menacing Borg, a zombie-like, infectious, cybernetic race who could give younger viewers nightmares. Humans and Borg alike die in battles, with some limbs severed, and a Borg commander can detach her head at will. There is some generalized dialog about sexuality, as well as mild swearing. A historical Starfleet hero is revealed as a misfit drunkard; while his alcoholism is perhaps meant as pathos, it comes across as mainly comical. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (3)
Kids say (15)

Based on 3 parent reviews

Fine except for that one scene...

The best tng film. excellent flick, deserving of pg-13 rating., what's the story.

A theatrical spin-off of the fine TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation , STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT gets right to business with the most compelling of the villains from the program, the Borg, an army of ghoulish cyborgs from deep space, out to conquer all humanoid life. Responding to an attack on Earth by the Borg, the starship Enterprise (a new model since the previous one got trashed in the last film ) discovers the invaders have sent a Borg expedition back in time, to a war-devastated 21st-century Earth. By striking at this crucial interval, the Borg will absorb humanity at its weakest point, altering history and preventing the founding of Starfleet. Following in the same time warp, the Enterprise crew split into two teams; one beams to the wilderness of Montana of 2063, to find a genius inventor-pilot named Zephraim Cochrane (James Cromwell), responsible for faster-than-light space travel -- but he turns out to be a gangly wastrel, aghast that he's destined to be regarded as the planet's greatest hero. That's played on a comic level; more serious events unfold on the Enterprise , where Borg have taken root like an infection and are spreading throughout the ship.

Is It Any Good?

Kids (heck, adults too) who have absorbed Treklore on the level of their Pokemon or Buffy the Vampire Slayer scholarship should be delighted by the well-modulated space adventure. Though it comes on like gangbusters (or Borgbusters, as the case may be), as with many Star Trek movies, knowledge of the dense TV mythology is crucial to comprehending this maximum-warp theatrical expansion. Someone who has not seen the cliffhanger episodes in which Capt. Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) is captured and turned into a Borg, will be a bit lost -- and Star Trek: First Contact not only references them but also connects, to varying degrees, with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager , among others. In-joke lines and cameos that made audiences cheer in 1996 may seem puzzling and out of context today.

While the relatively tame stuff on Earth with Zephraim Cochrane seems to have drifted in from an entirely different (and more lighthearted) film, it gives you vital breathing space in between the Borg conflict, in which the stakes are literally a fate worse than death. Indeed, the vibe is not unlike Alien as the purposeful zombies take over deck by deck -- only to meet their match in human will and loyalty.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why the Borg are standouts among all the alien menaces on Star Trek . Why are they such memorable adversaries?

What about the side-story about Zephraim Cochrane, the legendary inventor who turns out to be an extremely reluctant hero? Can you think of any real-life equivalents in human history?

The theme of Moby Dick and obsessive vengeance arises, a reference that also came up in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . What similarities are there in the stories?

Movie Details

In theaters : November 22, 1996
On DVD or streaming : May 15, 2005
Cast : James Cromwell , Jonathan Frakes , Michael Dorn , Patrick Stewart
Director : Jonathan Frakes
Inclusion Information : Black actors
Studio : Paramount Pictures
Genre : Science Fiction
Run time : 111 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : some sci-fi adventure violence.
Last updated : March 10, 2024

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Movie Review: 'Star Trek: First Contact'

Spanning the universe within the confines of an eyeball, Star Trek: First Contact opens deep in the unblinking peeper of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), commander of the starship Enterprise . Then the camera pulls way back, revealing the captain imprisoned in a humongous cube of a fortress floating in deep space. The cube belongs to the terrible Borg. And Picard, it turns out, is having a flashback to a time (dating from the second TV season of Star Trek: The Next Generation ) when he was taken over by the galaxy’s most lethal, cybernetically gussied-up aliens, who are capable of assimilating all life, everywhere. ”Resistance is futile!” is the Borg war cry, and it was only by dint of his extraordinary Picardosity that J-L and his core company survived. As a result, though, the guy bears a huge personal grudge. So when news reaches the Enterprise , out there in the 24th century, that Picard’s nemesis is making another pass at evil — this time aiming, through a blip in the space-time continuum, to wreck the course of history by preventing the profound 21st-century first contact between earthlings and aliens — he and his crew hustle to stop the madness.

”Resistance is futile” may as well be the slogan of the whole 30-year-old Star Trek empire. But in zooming out from Picard’s glinty eyeball, this eighth feature film from the Trek factory displays a zippy new energy and a sleek, confident style fully independent of its predecessors: First Contact jettisons all vestiges of the later, lumbering, mat-haired William Shatner years (the baton, you remember, was officially passed two years ago with all the pomp of a papal election in Star Trek Generations ).

For this Trek (directed, in his first feature-film project, by Jonathan Frakes, who also runs in front of the camera to play Comdr. William Riker), the Enterprise itself has been spruced up. The famous command bridge no longer looks like a Best Western lobby. The team uniforms no longer look like Halloween costumes. Self-aware wit — that characteristic dialogue tone of the ’90s — is woven throughout the script by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore, while the plot maintains the conventions of Trek feature films, i.e., parallel stories of trouble on earth and in space. Data (Brent Spiner) gets a very special subplot involving the Borg queen (Alice Krige), whose entire head is permanently, erotically lubricated. And it’s a pleasure to see guest stars Alfre Woodard and James Cromwell, as a couple of 21st-century pioneers, used in inventive contrast to their better-known images as Serious Dramatic Actress and dancing farmer in Babe . (Cromwell plays Zefram Cochrane; Trek kers will recognize him as an old friend.)

The Borg, by the way, look fabulous, owing a big debt to the creations of Alien designer H.R. Giger. They’re a breath of fresh carbon dioxide for the Next Generation team, who rise briskly to the occasion. By the time Worf (Michael Dorn), knocking off a slimy attacker, growls a Schwarzeneggerish ”Assimilate this!” we’ve already done so, with pleasure. B+

Patrick Stewart Refused To Do One Thing For Star Trek: First Contact

After the release of "Star Trek: Generations" in 1994, the various "Trek" writers felt a great weight lifted. There were a lot of strange story requirements in place when adapting "Star Trek: The Next Generation" to the big screen for the first time, and writers Ron D. Moore and Brannon Braga bent over backwards to invent a story that fulfilled every mandate. They managed to check every box — original "Star Trek" cast members in the first 10 minutes only, Klingons had to be involved, time travel had to be a plot element — but "Generations" feels scattered as a result. It ultimately served as a "passing of the torch" from Captain Kirk (William Shatner) to Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), which was wholly unnecessary, given that Picard had already headlined his own TV series for seven seasons.

When the time came to write a sequel, Braga and Moore suddenly felt a lot freer. They could construct whatever kind of story they wanted, and bring back whatever villain from the TV show they wanted. It didn't take too long before the writers decided they wanted another time travel story, and they definitely wanted it to involve the Borg. The Borg, a species of soulless cyborgs, had appeared on several episodes of "Next Generation" and terrified audiences with their mechanical ability to assimilate technology, and people, into their collective. It was high time they appeared on the big screen.

Braga and Moore recalled the "First Contact" brainstorming sessions with clarity in the oral history book "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J.J. Abrams," edited by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross. Braga and Moore recall pushing their minds through various periods of human history, trying to think of a time when the Borg's appearance would be the most devastating. For a hot minute (really a few weeks), Braga felt that a Borg attack in 16th-century Europe would have been keen. Sadly, when the idea made its way to Patrick Stewart, the actor put the kibosh on any medieval dramas, as he heartily refused to wear tights on the big screen.

Stewart refused to wear tights in Star Trek: First Contact

To remind readers, the final version of "Star Trek: First Contact" saw the USS Enterprise use a Borg-created time hole to travel back in time to 2063, a year significant to the "Trek" timeline. In 2063, humanity was recovering from a devastating war, and nations were scattered. It was also the year an enterprising engineer named Zefram Cochran (James Cromwell) built the first ever faster-than-light engine. In "Star Trek" lore, Cochran tested his warp engine just as a ship full of Vulcans happened to be passing nearby, and it attracted their attention. The Vulcan landed on Earth, and humanity suddenly realized they weren't alone in the universe. The meeting — called First Contact — ushered in a new utopian era of peace and prosperity. The Borg's time travel shenanigans would have ultimately stopped all that from happening.

It was perhaps wise for Braga and Moore to stick to "Trek" lore — and their story very much expanded the "Trek" universe — but for a long time, Braga really liked the idea of the Borg attacking a medieval world, and dressing the "Star Trek" actors in period-appropriate clothing. He explained his thought process like this:

"I was eager to do time travel again, because I was stinging from that Nexus crap in 'Generations.' Also, we were waiting for 'First Contact' to really dip back into the Borg. But I have to say, our initial ideas for the movie were pretty lame. We were talking about the Borg traveling back to medieval times, the 1500s. It was just insane. We talked about that for a few weeks, and Patrick got wind of it through [executive producer] Rick [Berman], and he refused to wear tights on the big screen. That was his quote. But it was a dumb idea to begin with."

It wasn't a dumb idea, although Stewart and the case likely had their fill of medieval costumes after playing Robin Hood characters in the "Next Generation" episode "Qpid," which aired in April of 1991.

The film's writers considered multiple eras for the movie

Moore recalled a few other time travel locations he wanted to try before ultimate deciding on 2063. He was quoted as saying:

"We went through a variety of time periods during the development process, from the Italian Renaissance to the present to the Civil War. Nothing really got that far, but we talked about a lot of different periods in terms of what would be interesting, where the Borg would go and why, and what we could do there. We realized fairly quickly that there's been a lot of time travel done. Almost any period you go to has been done in one way, shape, or form. Then we came up with the idea of doing the near future and to involve what is essentially the birth of 'Star Trek.'"

Indeed, before the release of "First Contact" in 1996, there had already been episodes of "Star Trek" to feature the cast in ancient Roman garb, dressed as medieval figures, or even wearing caveman skins. In 1986, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" sent its characters back in time to the present, and shortly after "First Contact," "Star Trek: Voyager" would have a time travel story wherein the characters go back in time to 1996. It seems the present was already well-covered.

Instead, they elected to visit the near future, and, as Moore said, witness the origin story for the "Trek" utopia. It was ultimately a pretty good choice.

Screen Rant

Enterprise's klingon first contact subtly copied star trek's mirror universe.

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Enterprise Breaking A Star Trek Rule Within Its First 3 Minutes Was Shocking For Its Time

Two star trek captains can pull off spock's vulcan nerve pinch, star trek accidentally created 2 of hollywood's biggest current stars.

Two pivotal moments in Star Trek 's fictional history share a connection that goes much deeper than one might assume at a glance. The Star Trek timeline is filled with moments that define humanity's future, from Zefram Cochrane discovering warp drive to Star Trek: The Next Generation 's cast making first contact with the Borg. As a prequel, Star Trek: Enterprise contains its fair share of these landmark moments, with Archer and the gang frequently laying foundations for Starfleet's future. Indeed, one such historical brick was laid in the opening minutes of Star Trek: Enterprise 's very first episode.

Season 1's "Broken Bow" begins with a farmer shooting a Klingon, later identified as Klaang, after the alien's vessel crashes near his property, and this split-second example of shotgun-based violence has a huge ripple effect upon the entire Star Trek universe. The encounter represents first contact between humans and Klingons, kick-starts the Enterprise's journey among the stars, and ultimately triggers a long period of conflict between the two species involved. In addition to the above, Klaang finding himself on the wrong end of Old McMoore's shotgun also serves to foreshadow a very significant point in Star Trek 's Mirror Universe chronology.

Klingon First Contact In Star Trek: Enterprise Echoes A Key Mirror Universe Moment

History repeated itself from star trek: enterprise season 1 to season 4.

The problematic first contact between Earth and Qo'noS is almost a perfect mirror of another first contact shown much later in Star Trek: Enterprise . The two-part season 4 story "In a Mirror, Darkly" begins with Zefran Cochrane greeting the Vulcans' arrival on Earth, but instead of extending the hand of peace as he does in 1996's Star Trek: First Contact movie ending , Mirror Cochrane whips out a shotgun and blasts the Vulcan ambassador to signal a full-scale attack on the recently-landed alien ship.

It cannot be a coincidence that Star Trek history contains two separate instances of humanity meeting an alien species for the first time, shooting on sight, and altering the flow of Earth's development.

The two scenes are eerily similar - both opening scenes where an alien lands on Earth and almost immediately gets shot in the chest by the first human they clap eyes on. Just like the Klingon example from "Broken Bow," Cochrane murdering the representative from Vulcan has long-lasting ramifications for Star Trek 's future, representing the beginning of the Terran Empire's sinister reign creeping across the galaxy.

From Cochrane first opening fire, the Mirror version of humanity later goes onto subjugate the Vulcans, control numerous other planets through fear and force, and spread Terran terror far and wide. In Star Trek: Discovery , the Mirror Universe Philippa Georgiou even reveals that her world's version of First Contact Day celebrates Zefram Cochrane's brutal hello to the Vulcans, and credits the technology gleaned from the stolen Vulcan ship for starting a chain of events that allowed the Terran Empire to gradually take control of planets beyond Earth's solar system.

23 years later, the shock of hearing Star Trek: Enterprise's theme song still remains but there was nothing quite like hearing it the first time.

It cannot be a coincidence that Star Trek history contains two separate instances of humanity meeting an alien species for the first time, shooting it on sight, and altering the flow of Earth's development. The comparison between the Klaang and Cochrane incidents perhaps serves to highlight how violence and mistrust are, to some degree, inherent traits that exist across all versions of Earth . In one universe, that manifests as a scared farmer firing at a very-clearly-unhappy alien intruder; in another, it means humans greedily seizing another species' technology and killing those who stand in the way.

The Zefram Cochrane Incident Wasn't The Start Of Star Trek's Mirror Universe

The real origin of star trek's mirror universe.

Zefram Cochrane shooting the Vulcan may have ultimately led to the mighty intergalactic Terran Empire that dominates Star Trek 's Mirror Universe episodes , but it was not the starting point for the Mirror Universe itself. While Star Trek does present the Mirror Universe as a darker retelling of the Prime Universe's own history, there is no clear point where the timeline diverged and humanity was sent on a wildly different course.

The clear parallel between Klingon first contact in the Prime Universe and Vulcan first contact in the Mirror Universe remains a fascinating commentary on humanity's failings.

Archer claims in Star Trek: Enterprise that the Terran Empire has existed for " centuries " by the time of "In a Mirror, Darkly." That means it must predate First Contact Day, which occurred less than 100 years earlier. Similarly, Star Trek: Discovery 's Kovich conducts research that reveals the Terrans of the Mirror Universe carry a genetic mutation that makes them biologically more aggressive . Mirror Earth was, therefore, already walking a dark path long before the Vulcans landed. Star Trek 's Prime Universe did not split into the Mirror Universe simply because Zefram Cochrane didn't feel like entertaining visitors one day.

Nevertheless, the clear parallel between Klingon first contact in the Prime Universe and Vulcan first contact in the Mirror Universe remains a fascinating commentary on humanity's failings. Star Trek 's overriding takeaway here is that violence breeds violence, and the inability to show diplomacy and tolerance toward outsiders will often generate problems far bigger than a Klingon-sized hole in a cornfield.

Star Trek is one of pop culture's biggest multimedia franchises, spanning multiple movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and various other media. The franchise was created by Gene Roddenberry and started with the 1960s TV series starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Over the decades, several equally popular series have come out since as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Discovery.

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COMMENTS

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