10 Times Star Trek: The Next Generation Tried To Be Sexy
And surprisingly, they’re not all about Riker.
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s gift to the world has been an enduring vision of a future in which humanity is united in peace and tolerance and spreads the values of togetherness, curiosity, and scientific progress to thousands of systems across the galaxy.
These ideals found their greatest voice in the form of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the steadfast crew of the USS Enterprise-D. Brave and clear-thinking, compassionate and resourceful, in each episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation these men and women became beacons of decency in a TV landscape too often filled with hollow violence and rank cynicism.
Well, at least they usually were. Nobody’s perfect. They were, after all, no more than flesh and blood (and the occasional positronic matrix).
Considering the changes that time brings across centuries, and with all their seeking of new life and boldly going here and there, it’s inevitable that the Enterprise crew should encounter facets of sexuality – humorous, shocking, and even tragic – that would raise an eye or two among viewers in the 21st century.
With that in mind, here are ten times when Star Trek: The Next Generation was maybe a little awkward to watch with mom and dad.
10. Riker’s Win-Win Scenario (“First Contact”)
A planet is on the verge of breaking the warp barrier. Its society is torn, though, and some feel their world is not ready. The breakthrough, they worry, will damage their culture.
Enter Commander Riker. On a mission to reconnoiter the developments, he is injured and awakes to find himself the object of great curiosity in a local hospital. Though his face has been altered to match the locals, the rest of his physiology is plainly different. He is in growing peril and must escape.
Along comes Lanel, a nurse who has conveniently “always wanted to make love with an alien.” She offers to help Riker escape if he first gives her the time of day. She dearly wants to know how humans make love, saying, “I can’t wait to learn.”
Riker being Riker, the next thing you know, he’s on his way, promising Lanel, “I’ll call you the next time I pass through your solar system.”