# Sept 28, 1987 - Encounter At Farpoint **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sept-28-1987-encounter-at-farpoint/699640 "2014-09-26T15:19:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sept-28-1987-encounter-at-farpoint/699640/61 "2014-09-29T01:30:50Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I > > Also too, thou must not criticize _Balance of Terror_. Best. Original Trek. Episode. Ever! šŸ˜ƒ Meh, I liked the version with Robert Mitchum and Kurt Jurgens better.šŸ™‚ The best ST ā€œepisodesā€ ever are: The Enemy Below Forbidden Planet Captain Horatio Hornblower For clarification, I donā€™t hate _Metamorphosis_, or most other episodes. To me, even the ā€œbadā€ ones have something good\*. But I do disagree that TOS has aged better than TNG. I guess Iā€™m a touchy-feely kinda guy, because I prefer Picard finding a non-violent solution the better way. (But he can still blast away with the best of them, should the need arise.) Itā€™s just sometimes hard for me to not cringe at the sexism in TOS. I think _The Emissary_ encapsulates what I love about TNG. They find a way to not blast the Klingons to smithereens, and itā€™s clever and fun to watch. _The Corbomite Manuever_ would be my comparison in TOS. Kirk blasts his way free of the Fesarius, then goes back and helps the survivors. Same with _Devil in the Dark_. When Kirk defends the Horta against the miners, that a cheering moment. Thatā€™s what the Federation should be about. But when Gary Mitchell reaches back and holds hands with Yeoman Nameless, I want to yell ā€œyouā€™d fly better with two hands on the controls!ā€ \*except _Spockā€™s Brain_ ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sept-28-1987-encounter-at-farpoint/699640/62 "2014-09-29T01:52:13Z")
I was in High School when it premiered and a huge TOS fan. I remember being hooked but that may be rose colored glasses. I definitely do remember my friend who was also a Star Trek fan didnā€™t like it. When I came into school the next day to talk to him about it he was making fun of the ā€œLetā€™s See whatā€™s out there.ā€ line. He eventually came around to like it though. TNG gets a bum rap these days a lot but it is still my favorite of the Series (DS9 had higher high points, probably but TNG was more consistently good after the first couple of seasons) and Picard is my favorite character of all of Trek. Heā€™s the boss/father figure everyone wishes they had. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sept-28-1987-encounter-at-farpoint/699640/63 "2014-09-29T01:57:30Z")
_ **Encounter at Farpoint** _ when it first aired: I was out of the country and I didnā€™t get to see it or the series until I returned to the States. While I was happy about the new series, the cheapness of the sets and silly acting really took me out of the moment. Ten years later: Watched the show again and couldnā€™t believe all of the terrible acting. Remembered that Denise Crosby was one of the lesbians who attacked Eddie Murphy with a bat in _ **48 Hours** _ ( the other was Margot Rose from the episode _ **The Inner Light** _). Still annoyed by the low cost set and by then tired of John DeLancie as Q. Also, beardless Riker was less dramatic than bearded Riker. Levar Burton, Michael Dorn and Patrick Stewart were there for the check and it shows. 2014: Hate this episode and the entire first season (and most of the second) Have since seen Denise Crosby in person and I would do her then and now if granted the opportunity. Marina Sirtisā€™ accent ranges from Greekish to speech impediment. Gates McFadden was not too bad, but the wide hips/flat butt are distracting. No suspense. No drama. Wil Wheaton has aged badly and he uniquely innocent and annoying in the first episode. Since Iā€™m working 2nd shift, I get to watch BBC reruns of Star Trek: TNG during the day. They routinely start at the beginning every 4-5 months and \*\*\*Encounter at Farpoint \*\*\*doesnā€™t get better with repeat viewing. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sept-28-1987-encounter-at-farpoint/699640/64 "2014-09-29T02:38:52Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I never understood why they didnā€™t get Glen Corbett back to play Cochrane in _ **First Contact** _. He would have been just the right age, prior to being rejuvenated by the Companion. That would have proven to be quite impossible, since Corbett died in 1993, three years before _First Contact_ came out in 1996. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sept-28-1987-encounter-at-farpoint/699640/65 "2014-09-29T02:42:06Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > That would have proven quite impossible, since Corbett died in 1993, three years before _First Contact_ came out in 1996. Really? I did some checking, and was sure he was still around in '96. How sad. ā˜¹ ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sept-28-1987-encounter-at-farpoint/699640/66 "2014-09-29T02:50:31Z")
No, there were two actors called Glen Corbett. [This](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Corbett) is the one who played Cochrane. And he actually spelled Glenn with two Nā€™s. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sept-28-1987-encounter-at-farpoint/699640/67 "2014-09-29T02:58:39Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > No, there were two actors called Glen Corbett. [This](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Corbett) is the one who played Cochrane. And he actually spelled Glenn with two Nā€™s. I was just looking at their pages on Wiki. I guess the first guy was the one I found. Huh! I never would have guessed. _Our_ Glenn Corbett was on _ **Dallas** _ through the '80s, so I knew he was still around until quite late in the game. He died of lung cancer at the age of 59 (my age now). What a terrible waste! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sept-28-1987-encounter-at-farpoint/699640.md?page=3)