10 Crossover Events In The Star Trek Universe (Pre-Star Trek Picard)

4. Scotty, Star Trek: The Next Generation

star trek the next generation Relics
CBS

When: TNG, S6, Ep 4, ‘Relics’

James Doohan had been one of the more vocal original cast members when news of The Next Generation first appeared. He felt that the new show was simply rehashing many of the older stories from TOS and, to be fair, he had a point. ‘The Naked Now’, ‘The Child’ and ‘Unnatural Selection’ from TNG’s first and second seasons were either copies, updates or entire lifts of stories from TOS.

However, Doohan’s family made him sit down and watch the show and he grew to enjoy it on its own merits, mirroring the reactions of TOS fans who had slowly grown to respect TNG during its run.

Why It Was Great

This is an episode of pure nostalgia, leaning more heavily on call backs than ‘Unification’ before it and, excellent as both stories were, it’s ‘Relics’ that brings the fun quotient up several more notches.

‘NCC-1701. No bloody A, B, C or D.’

Scotty and Picard, sharing a drink on the bridge of the original Matt Jeffries Enterprise is an iconic image, heart-breaking in it’s delivery showing not just the memories of time gone by but the aging of the very man who could be counted on to keep everything together.

Chronologically Scotty’s last appearance in Star Trek, his team up with Geordi to save the day with the good old know how that only he could muster is a pure delight from start to finish. An excellent use of one of the originals, coupled with clever special effects to show off the old bridge, makes this one of the best crossover events in the Trek universe.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"