Electronic Press Kit for TNG
Stardate 41153.7, 78 years have passed since the days when the original crew of the USS Enterprise explored the unknown wonders of the universe.
This is the correct stardate for "Encounter at Farpoint. However, it is also the year 2364. 78 years would be 2386, the same year that the (bookends of) Star Trek IV are set in. Since that would've been the most recent movie at the time, this is reasonably accurate.
Now a spectacular Galaxy starship, eight times larger...
That's Galaxy-
class, dude. Many online sources are ready to give overall dimensions for the various classes, but not very many are willing to give volumes. I'll trust the figures from
ST-v-SW.net, which somehow has dimensions for everything in both the Trek and Wars universes.
For "Constitution B", their term for the refit, or what I still call "Enterprise-class" on occasion, the volume is 235,000 m^3. Enterprise-D is at 5,821,000 m^3. That's 25 times bigger (because the E-D's saucer is WAY TOO BIG).
(Meaningless aside, but I intend to return to st-v-sw.net in future once I've had time to explore properly)
To boldly go where none have gone before.
"None" seems a bit clunkier than "no one", doesn't it? I actually prefer the proto-Enterprise version, "no human." It doesn't seem to have the same racist vibes. "Oh yeah, only humanity counts as being people!"
The most technologically advanced starship ever built.
To adequately judge this station we need a proper definition of "most technologically advanced". One could certainly argue that the D'deridex class has more advanced tech, but is it designed to be totally self-contained for years on end like the E-D was designed to be?
It was Picard who ordered [Jack Crusher] on his ill-fated mission.
Oh boy, is there a lot to unpack here. Even after all these years we don't know all that much about Jack Crusher's death. He died while serving on the Stargazer in an accident on an away mission, that's it. While it's true that Picard as the captain would've ordered him on the mission, there's never been any indication that he knew of an extraordinary level of danger.
The novel
Reunion portrays the events quite differently. It wasn't an away mission, Jack was doing a spacewalk outside the Stargazer during repairs when he was injured in an accident. Picard chose to rescue security chief "Pug" Joseph first as he was closest. Jack died before Picard could return.
The novel
Q-Squared reveals that there's only one reality where Jack survived, but kharma still needed Picard and Beverly to get together, so Wesley was killed instead. Their grief split Jack and Beverly up, but it wasn't until both of them being posted on the Enterprise-D that Beverly started a relationship with Picard. It all gets a bit messy after that, by all means read the novel.
The novelization of "Encounter at Farpoint" (later contradicted by actual canon) states that Jack was killed by natives who suddenly turned violent on an away mission. I think I prefer the
Reunion version.
(An alternate version of a scene from Farpoint)
Q: You will now answer to the charge of being a grievously savage race.
Picard: "Grievously savage" could mean anything. I will answer only specific charges.
A good point, I wonder why they didn't keep this one.
I never saw Robert Justman talk before! He was one of the old hands from TOS that Gene eventually scared away when he went crazy. I remember him well from the book "Inside Star Trek."
Frakes: To a long and successful voyage, the new crew of the Enterprise!
Burton: Live long and prosper!
I remember that from the "Journey's End" documentary!
Berman: We didn't want in any way to be accused of trying to recreate the old series.
Well, you kinda muffed that one, didn't you, Rick?
It's odd to see Sirtis use such a strong English accent.
Frakes: This is science fiction in a very believable format, I think.
Not really. At this point in Trek history the universe was supposed to be very aspirational. This is what we could actually do someday. Conflict was no longer required in most cases. All that Roddenberry gospel that conflicts with creating good drama.
It's too soon to tell yet whether the relationship between Riker and Counsellor Troi will develop.
This is a question that could be taken many ways. I think it was always assumed that both parties would date other people for awhile as they built a new relationship with each other based more on friendship than sexual desire or rescuing each other. I'll refer you to the novel
Imzadi for that.
In the '80s it was understood that the chase was much more interesting than the actual relationship. Doing a long-term plotline like the O'Briens wouldn't even have been thought of at this point.
Best-known for his roles in the miniseries Roots
and the TV movie Dummy,
LeVar Burton...
I'd never heard of
Dummy. It was a 1979 film where he costars with Nikolai Roshenko actor Paul Sorvino. Burton plays a deaf man who is framed for the murder of a prostitute.
Geordi sees through the use of a VISOR-a Visual Input Sensory Optical Reflector.
Eventually the acronym will be settled as Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement. Still a little clunky, although I have to admit wondering how "reflector" has any meaning in this context.
(Dorn speculates that the creators saw that he could do anything.)
You're telling me. It could be argued that of the TNG regulars, Worf transformed the most during the series. Toss in DS9 and you might have a contender for "transformed the most in the entire franchise".
(Wil Wheaton uses the term "really rad")
Had I been drinking at that moment, that might've been a spit take. I know it's the '80s, but seriously?
Berman: I think the only way that this show can work, the only reason that it is going to work, is Gene Roddenberry.
Oh, the joys of hindsight!