Abstract
- TNG season 1 began off poorly, however episode 6 “The place No One Has Gone Earlier than” exhibits potential and marks a step ahead for the present.
- This episode introduces the idea of the Traveler and his affect on Wesley Crusher, hinting at necessary storylines to come back.
- “The place No One Has Gone Earlier than” showcases beautiful visuals, strong performances, and a contemporary tackle house exploration, setting the stage for TNG’s future greatness.
Star Trek: The Subsequent Era didn’t get off to the perfect begin, however an early season 1 episode proves that the present excels when it steps out of the shadow of Star Trek: The Unique Collection. Though TNG would ultimately produce some actually nice science fiction tv, many first-season episodes borrow a number of the worst traits from TOS. With their overly cliched plotlines and failed makes an attempt at social commentary, episodes like “Code of Honor” and “Angel One” are largely thought to be a few of Star Trek’s low factors. However not each episode from TNG season 1 suffers from these identical missteps.
In its sixth episode, “The place No One Has Gone Earlier than,” TNG begins to disclose a touch of the greatness to come back. When an skilled on propulsion named Kosinski (Stanley Kamel) visits the Galaxy Class USS Enterprise-D to experiment with the warp core, he and his assistant inadvertently ship the ship tens of millions of sunshine years from Earth. This brings the Enterprise to the top of the universe, an space of house that no human has ever seen. The visuals used to depict the farthest reaches of house are beautiful, and it is no surprise that Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew are briefly tempted to remain and discover this unknown space of house. “The place No One Has Gone Earlier than” expands on ideas launched in TOS, taking part in with metaphysical concepts and embracing the pure surprise of house journey.
TNG Started To Present Greatness When It Stopped Retreading TOS
After the Enterprise finds itself tens of millions of sunshine years from dwelling, Kosinski’s assistant reveals himself to be a Traveler (Eric Menyuk), a member of an enigmatic group of people that can manipulate house and time with mere thought. Not solely will the Traveler and his curiosity within the boy genius Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) show to be necessary transferring ahead, however he additionally looks like a very alien being. Whereas it isn’t an ideal episode of Star Trek, “The place No One Has Gone Earlier than” looks like a distinctly TNG episode, forgoing sci-fi motion for a extra dialogue-heavy plotline.
The primary 5 episodes of TNG largely really feel like retreads of storylines that had been carried out on Star Trek: The Unique Collection, they usually contained lots of the identical cliches and considerably problematic parts. TNG season 1, episode 3, “The Bare Now” even served as a direct sequel to the TOS episode “The Bare Time,” with questionable outcomes. TNG season 1, episode 6 looks like a big step ahead for the present, because it lastly begins to search out its footing. That is to not say that TNG by no means faltered after “The place No Man Has Gone Earlier than,” however the episode lastly felt like one thing totally different from lots of the Star Trek tales that had been advised earlier than.
TNG Episode 6 Hinted At The Present’s Star Trek Potential
With some nice visuals and strong performances, “The place No One Has Gone Earlier than” earns not solely its episode title, but in addition the title of Star Trek. The tip of the universe looks like an odd new world, and the episode celebrates the exploration and awe inherent in touring the galaxy. In a evaluation of this episode from 2006 in The Huffington Publish, actor Wil Wheaton wrote:
“Each episode that preceded this one was a stinker, however ‘The place No One Has Gone Earlier than’ is the primary time The Subsequent Era actually began to come back collectively. It is a strong story, with excellent pacing, and the primary actually lovely visible results we have seen. Stanley Kamel, who performed Kosinski, turned in a implausible efficiency, too.”
Kamal, certainly, performs Kosinski as an unlikable man who hides his insecurities underneath brash conceitedness. Patrick Stewart additionally delivers a standout efficiency as Picard, particularly within the scene the place he sees a imaginative and prescient of his aged mom. Jonathan Frakes, too, appears to really feel extra comfy and assured as Commander William Riker. Not solely do the characters really feel extra well-realized, however the story looks like a contemporary tackle a strong science fiction premise. Star Trek: The Subsequent Era would have a couple of extra misfires earlier than it actually achieved greatness, however “The place No One Has Gone Earlier than” provides a glimpse at what was to come back.
