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The stumbles of the first season ofStar Trek: The Next Generationhave been well-documented. Behind-the-scenes, writers struggled with the concept set down by franchise creator Gene Roddenberry. Some episodes were blatant remakes ofOriginal Seriesstories, and the show even managed to lose a key cast member. Sometimes it seemed a quadrant away from the classic-packed first season ofStar Trekin 1966.
It would be a couple of years beforeTNGintroduced the trademark two-part stories that split seasons — ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ set a high bar at the end of Season 3. But it was clearTNGwouldn’t settle for being defined by its first season. It mustered up a season finale that reasserted its vision forStar Trekwhile keeping an eye on the future.
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 1
Main Cast
Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Denise Crosby
26
Where To Watch
Stream onParamount+; Buy onApple TV+.
‘The Neutral Zone’ ends the first year ofTNGin an unusual way. It doesn’t pick up specific plot strands from the 25 episodes that went before, instead serving up two balanced storylines that dovetail into an intriguing ending. In the pre-title teaser, Worf and Data encounter a 20th-century Earth spacecraft packed with cryogenically suspended humans and retrieve three of them. The discovery recalls ‘Space Seed,’ the ominous 1967 episode of theOriginal Seriesthat introduced major villain Khan Noonien Singh, but the threat inTNGcomes from somewhere else entirely.
Mostly, the three revived humans provide comic relief and pose an inconvenience as the crew of the Enterprise investigates the loss of several Federation outposts along theRomulan Neutral Zone. The fear that theRomulan Star Empireis re-awakening after 53 years of isolation is realized at the end of the episode when the Enterprise encounters a huge Warbird and two combative commanders.
The twist is that the Romulans aren’t behind the devastating attacks, having lost bases themselves. While there’s a chance for the Empire and Federation to work together, the Enterprise crew and fans are left in no doubt that the Romulans mean business in the galaxy, as one commander promises, “We are back.” As Picard eloquently observes, “I think our lives just became a lot more complicated.”
The episode’s odd structure makes an interesting juxtaposition. The antics of the survivors from the 20th century recall some comedic moments in theOriginal Series. While the Enterprise crew are oddly dismissive of the time refugees, their presence reinforces that the exploration and knowledge-led 24th century is far removed from the 20th, and even the 23rd. It’s a timely reminder as the parallel plot reintroduces and repositions the new-look Romulan Star Empire as a major threat.
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1’s Biggest Story Arcs
The first season ofTNGdidn’t have the kinds of story arcsStar Trekfans are used to today. In the 1980s,TNGwas syndicated to local stations in the US, meaning episodes could be broadcast in any order. That made arcs impossible and led to soft resets at the end of each story — which is why the death of a major character just two episodes before doesn’t warrant a reference. However, that didn’t stopTNGfrom seeding plots that would grow over the following years.
TNG’s first year introduced Data’s long-lost brother Lore and the mysterious Traveler, both of whom would return with consequences.TNG’s first story, ‘Encounter at Farpoint,’ welcomed fan-favorite Q, the omnipotent alien who would reappear throughout and beyond the series, including the grand finale ‘All Good Things.’ However, the most significant plot arc concluded in the episode before ‘The Neutral Zone.’ Teased in the 19th episode, ‘Coming of Age,’ the penultimate episode ‘Conspiracy’ had Picard and crew uncover and foil a parasitic alien infiltration at the head of Starfleet.
After dealing with monsters close to home and Federation ideals, TNG’s second major arc was all about establishing a next-generation threat to the galaxy. Roddenberry was keen to mark theStar Treksequel series out from its 1960s forbear. Worf’s presence on board the enterprise was a clear sign that time had moved on, and hespelled it out in the series’ writing rules:
No stories about warfare with Klingons and Romulans and no stories with Vulcans. We are determined not to copy ourselves and believe there must be other interesting aliens in a galaxy filled with billions of stars and planets.
The solution was the Ferengi, a vicious and distinctive new species mentioned in early episodes before they made their presence felt in the fifth story, ‘The Last Outpost.’ As fans know, thelooks and motives of this new threat didn’t work out, and the big-lobed aliens were softly rebooted into the avaricious comic relief that became a popular part ofStar Trek:Deep Space Nine.
The Ferengi retreat left a gap, and theRomulans were ready to fill it. Using the time jump to the 24th century, the show recaptured the mystery of their reveal in theOriginal Series’ ‘Balance of Terror’ (the Federation and Romulan Empire had fought a war in the 22nd century, but before view screens!).
The updated villains, who receive a great write-up from Troi in the episode, had new forehead ridges todistinguish them from Vulcans, a new Imperial symbol, and a gigantic new warship. The impressiveD’deridex-class Romulan Warbirdwas the last ship created for the franchise by legendary designer Andrew Probert, who was also responsible for the Enterprise-D.
What do fans think of Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1’s ending?
The fan reception toTNGSeason 1 is mixed. It holds an Audience Score of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, well under the 93% earned by TNG’s seventh and final season.
However, the final episode has received generally favorable reviews. One Redditor has justified that it’s aperfect starting point for new viewers ofTNGas it expertly defines the traits of most of the main cast and sets outStar Trek’s optimistic vision
The way the revived humans are handled comes in for most criticism,as observed on Reddit. While the episode mainly uses the 20th-century throwbacks as a chance to set out the Federation charter in the 24th century, it’s at the cost of plausibility. Would the enlightened crew of the Enterprise not be more interested in the time capsule that fell into the ship’s path or wary, considering what happened with Khan less than a hundred years before?
The handling of the Romulans stands out, as the Empire snarled back with suitable threat and promise. One Redditor even suggested the episodeforeshadowed the approachDeep Space Ninewould taketo the Federation when theyprovoked the Dominion. Are the franchise’s heroes just bringing trouble on themselves with their smug assertion of how great and correct they are?
An interesting side note couldn’t help but affect how fans perceive the episode as soon as a year after its broadcast. The Romulans were a welcome returning threat, but they were a stop-gap. The Ferengi were pushed aside in preparation for a yet-to-be-revealed major new threat whose presence was felt in the devastating attacks on outposts in the Neutral Zone. It would be a while before the culprits were revealed, even if the stellar cartography and timeline don’t quite match up. ‘The Neutral Zone’ is the first sign of TNG’s definitive enemies: The Borg.
