10 Crossover Events In The Star Trek Universe (Pre-Star Trek Picard)
3. Dr. Leonard McCoy, Star Trek: The Next Generation
When: TNG, S1, Ep 1, ‘Encounter at Farpoint’
There’s not a lot of positive things to say about TNG’s premiere episode: it’s clunky, the actors aren’t comfortable in their characters, the pacing is slow and laborious... It's a bit of a mess.
It would take quite a while for the show to find its feet, stumbling in its first season more so than any of the ones that followed. Bad writing, poor direction and behind the scenes drama meant that even getting to a second season was a miracle worthy of Scotty himself.
Why It Was Great
Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy was the heart of TOS. He was the kindly, grumbling ship’s doctor, close friend of Kirk and frequently at loggerheads with Spock. The trifecta of Kirk-Spock-McCoy is what many fans did and do still think of when you say the words Star Trek.
In this short but beautiful scene, an aging McCoy tours the new Enterprise with Data. He shuffles through the corridor, taking his time and speaking with that southern drawl so familiar to fans. When Data shows off his robotic speech pattern, McCoy is quick to point out the lack of points on his white ears, calling back to an old friend who also spoke in a cold and logical manner. He smiles.
‘Well this is a new ship, but she’s got the right name. Now you remember that you hear? You treat her like a lady and she’ll always bring you home.’
That line alone saves episode one of TNG from the rest of the dreadful dialogue, standing above almost all other crossovers that followed.