Writing in 2021, it is great to see that I am not the only person taking a retrospective look at Star Trek, the Next Generation. When this series was first released in 1987, a little less than twenty years after the end of the Original Series, many people thought that, without Captain Kirk and his crew, it couldn't really be Star Trek. However, original creator Gene Roddenberry, was fully invested in the casting, writing and overall look of the new series, so let's see how it shaped up:
This is a straightforward "Strange New Worlds" episode where an unknown life form bears no resemblance to the usual "forehead of the week" and both cast and viewers are required to absorb a little science with their Science Fiction.
The guest actors are remarkably credible: they not only speak like scientists but they actually look like scientists. Was that really so much to ask?
Film legend and veteran James Bond villain, Walter Gottel, was a treat to watch and the lovely Elizabeth Lindsey quite captures our hearts as the dedicated terraformer, Dr Kim. No plain, scientist's overalls could hide the beauty of this former Miss Hawaii. She has not worked much in television since the 1980's, dedicating herself instead to a life of research and activism.
The "Ugly Bags of Mostly Water" say Thank You to all concerned.
(Senior Trekker scores every episode with a 5)
