reviewed by Charity Bishop
     

The maiden voyage of the new Galaxy-class starship, the USS Enterprise, is in for a surprise. Captained by the formidable Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and en route to Farpoint Station, they are stopped by a powerful superior being who represents a collective that intends to prosecute the ship's inhabitants for all of man's past transgressions. Picard manages to convince him to grant them an opportunity to prove that humankind has matured and "Q" laughingly replies that their response at Farpoint will determine whether or not they are permitted to live. Once reaching the base, they discover that a murderous force is afoot. Built in haste and under instructions to create life on a dead world, the leader of the scientific team is unusually nervous and seems to be hiding something. Just what it is, the Captain and his associates must find out -- before another man winds up dead.

Among the memorable individuals audiences will encounter on board the starship are Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), an android fascinated with replicating human emotions, the beautiful and telepathically talented Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), a friendly Klingon known as Worf (Michael Dorn), and the resident physician, Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), whose husband perished on a mission under Captain Picard. Her son Wesley (Wil Wheaton) is fascinated with the ship and hopes to one day become a member of the Federation's star fleet. Though talented, he is not immediate in gaining favor with Picard and must strive to earn the respect of the commanding officers on board, not the least of which being Picard's second in command, Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Once contending with the problems at Farpoint, the Enterprise carries them into distant galaxies and unknown worlds, hostage situations and kidnappings, temporary vacations and situations in which everyone on board is acting just a bit unusual.

Though most of my friends assured me that this series was just as good as the original, I had my doubts. While I will always have a soft spot for the earliest representations of the sci-fi genre, I will admit that The Next Generation became addictive for me. Admittedly, in my opinion the first episode is the weakest in the season, since it takes awhile to establish everyone's relationships to one another and I did not find "Q" that intriguing of a villain, but as the series progresses the episodes mature and reveal much more about the characters than we ever learned on Star Trek. The easy manner of storytelling permits us to become familiar with the different personalities and grow fond of all of them. My personal favorite is Data, because of his logical mind and humorous attempts to "be human" or figure out "antiquated human phrases." He is, in a sense, the new Spock. There is one guest appearance from DeForrest Kelley as a very old but still grouchy Dr. McCoy but all other characters are new. The Federation has changed and there are some unusual new alliances and races.

I was warned that the special effects are quite dated but in honesty they are not that bad, and certainly impressive for their origins. One doesn't expect much and in that respect they are great. There are some terrific episodes and thought-provoking explorations of "progress." It does represent a united federation of planets and imply that future races have grown beyond such petty indulgences as owning private property, etc. (which smacks of Communism) but there is no political agenda behind it and thus it is not too insulting to our imaginations. Being a later representation of the series, there is a tad more content here and there but most of it is not too atrocious. The second episode, aptly entitled "The Naked Now," is probably the one that will generate the most concern toward family viewings. In it, the crew stumble upon a star ship whose entire crew has perished. Numerous naked bodies are scattered about, covered in frost (nothing explicit is shown), and the source of the "madness" that overtook them is traced back to a disease that generates aggressive sexuality. It effects several of the main characters, and one of them beds Data (she comes onto him, he consents, and the scene fades out as they fall back onto the bed). He later seems rather pleased that "all his parts are functioning." There are occasional references to and brief conversations about sex. It's debatable whether or not Riker has been intimate with a beautiful woman in "Angel One." There are numerous references to a nude wedding in "Haven" but nothing transpires on screen. Many of the costumes for the women are revealing but the worst is in "Justice," in which the team visit a planet in which sensual love is all the inhabitants aspire to. The costumes are skimpy at best -- for the women and the men.

There are not many anti-Christian elements apart from the natives believing a hostile and unflinching alien race that is watching over them is in fact "God," but "Lonely Among Us" features an entity that jumps from person to person, in a sense possessing them for short amounts of time. Deanna Troi is also a natural telepath in that she can sense intentions and interprets for her Captain ("He is hiding something... he is nervous," etc). It might not appeal to everyone but for fans of the genre or those looking to extend their too-short visit to the original Star Trek series, it is a fun way to pass a long weekend.