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5.0 out of 5 stars
Both sides show great wisdom in this story of first contact between the Malcorians and the Federation, April 3, 2009
This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 89: First Contact [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This episode properly summarizes what can be expected on Earth if extraterrestrials were to suddenly appear and say, "Welcome to the universe!" Riker is part of a team on the surface of the planet Malcor carrying out observations of the civilization. A scientific team of Malcorians is about to carry out the launching of a spacecraft that will have warp capability so the Enterprise is there to evaluate the planet to determine if it should be extended an invitation to join the Federation. However, Riker is inadvertently caught in a riot and injured, losing his communicator. He is taken to a Malcorian hospital, where the doctors quickly determine that he has an alien internal structure.
This forces Picard to contact the planetary leader and reveal the existence of the Enterprise and the Federation. The head scientist of the Malcorian space project is overjoyed to learn of the Federation but the head of planetary security is deeply suspicious. However, the leader is a man with a level head and he agrees to hear Picard out and tour the Enterprise. As Riker begins to recover, he tries to escape from the hospital but in a bit of realistic comedic levity, a female Malcorian staff member agrees to help Riker escape, but only if he first makes love to her. While this may on the surface be absurd, given the number of humans that claim to have had a sexual encounter with a space alien, this event is plausible. The Malcorian chief of security orders the doctors to give Riker drugs that endanger his life so that he may be interrogated and the chief then tries to create a situation where Riker appears to shoot and kill him with his phaser. Fortunately, Riker is able to reset the phaser to stun before it is fired and both Riker and the security chief are beamed to the Enterprise where Dr. Crusher is able to save both of them. The episode concludes with the Malcorian leader recognizing that his planet is not ready for the Federation, but the head scientist of the Malcorian space projects asks to be allowed to become a member of the Enterprise crew. Picard grants her this permission.
The complete spectrum of reactions to the appearance of extraterrestrials, including the sexual lust, makes this an excellent episode. Absolute proof of intelligent extraterrestrials would be an enormous event, I have long considered it one of the most significant events that could ever occur to humanity, the others being absolute and irrefutable proof of a supreme being as in a God, the development of artificial intelligence and the absolute and irrefutable proof of life after death. Let us hope that if humans ever undergo the Malcorian experience, both sides are as realistic and reasonable as the Malcorian leadership and the Federation represented by the crew of the Enterprise.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
First Contact is not always a good thing, December 24, 2000
This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 89: First Contact [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Commander Riker has beamed down to Malcoria Three to visit a group of observers from the Federation. The planet is about to develop warp drive capacity, which is the point at which the Federation makes "first contact." After all, what happens when you first go out into space and discover the UFP, Klingon Empire, Cardassians, Romulans, Tholians, etc. Unfortunately, Riker is seriously injured during a riot by citizens protesting the development of this new technology and when a routine physical exam reveals he is an alien, he is immediately confined by the Minister of Security. To resolve the situation, Captain Picard and Counselor Troi beam down and meet with the Malcorian scientist who runs their warp drive program. Although thrilled to meet strange visitors from another planet (okay, two other planets), the scientist warns that if this news is made public, the citizens will think this is an invasion force. Picard meets with Chancellor Durken (always nice to see George Coe with a good part to play) and takes the Malcorian leader on a tour of the Enterprise. Everything is progressing nicely until they learn that Riker has been captured and that the Chancellor's political opponents and the planet's isolationist citizenry are about to find out everything that is going on. "First Contact" is a good title because this is certainly the best STNG episode dealing with that particular facet of tooling around the universe. Ultimately, what makes this an above-average episode is that the resolution is not the proverbial happy ending. When it provides such twists, STNG is at its best. "First Contact" is not a great episode, but it is a very, very good one indeed. It also has one of the best cameo appearances in the history of the series as Bebe Neuwirth (Lilith on "Cheers"/"Fraiser") plays a Malcorian who has the hots for Riker (there is simply no other way to put it).
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