Could extraterrestrials be coexisting with us right now? Would we be aware of their presence? While the Star Trek series is renowned for its mission to explore new life and civilizations, there are scarce instances where Starfleet teams establish first contact with civilizations that mirror humanity. Over time, the franchise has largely focused on humanoid aliens, offering a canonical explanation for this prevalence. Additionally, the fact that most aliens converse in English is easily excused by the existence of the Universal Translator. However, dating back to the era of the original series, a lingering question remained: If inhabitants of the Star Trek cosmos were to transport to our world, how would humanity respond?
Thirty-five years back, The Next Generation subverted the typical narrative of Trek tales regarding alien cultures with an episode titled “First Contact.” Although the title is widely recognized from the 1996 movie, the Season 4 installment bearing the same name presented a more intimate and philosophically intricate narrative. Airing during the week of February 19, 1991, TNG delivered this distinctive episode, offering a compelling narrative rooted in classic science fiction traditions.
The episode opens with a teaser where a species known as the Malcorians uncovers that Riker (Jonathan Frakes) has been residing among them, surgically altered to look like one of them. The distinctiveness of this episode lies in its initial perspective: we view events through the eyes of the “aliens,” casting the familiar Starfleet crew as the extraterrestrial unknowns. This dynamic echoes the alien abduction and Roswell fascinations prevalent in the late 20th century. Essentially, this stood as the most X-Files-like episode of Star Trek up to that time. While TOS briefly explored the Enterprise as a UFO in 1967’s “Tomorrow Is Yesterday,” and Strange New Worlds revisited similar themes in its 2022 premiere, this TNG episode offered a unique take.
At that point, depicting a scenario that should logically be common within the Star Trek universe had rarely been explored in canon. This significance lies in the episode’s establishment of the covert methods Starfleet employs to infiltrate alien planets prior to official first contact. It also provided a backstory revealing how initial contact with the Klingons had disastrously failed in the past.
Nevertheless, the episode’s core strength lies in its nature as a clever, introspective science fiction story rather than being dependent on obscure Trek lore. The teleplay was crafted by several TNG veterans, including Dennis Russell Bailey, David Bischoff, Joe Menosky, Ronald D. Moore, and script editor Michael Piller. The story concept originated with Marc Scott Zicree, who later penned the acclaimed DS9 episode “Far Beyond the Stars.” Consequently, “First Contact” possesses a grounded, humanist tone that transcends the Trek canon. Fans of Ursula K. Le Guin’s short stories or classic sci-fi novels will find this episode aligns well with that traditional sensibility.
Setting aside the convenience of everyone speaking English—implying the Universal Translator functions even during private Malcorian conversations—the allegorical strength of “First Contact” permeates every scene. The episode makes no attempt to hide that Malcorian society is a reflection of our own. A leading space explorer, Mirasta (Carolyn Seymour), expresses dismay that Starfleet has been collecting data by monitoring her planet’s culture. “I hate to think how you would judge us based on our popular music and entertainment,” she remarks. This serves as a clever meta-joke, considering that in 1991, The Next Generation was itself a dominant force in mainstream pop culture, unparalleled by other space-themed sci-fi series at the time. This metatextual theme is reiterated when the planet’s Chancellor, Durken (George Coe), suggests that rumors of actual aliens (Riker) will be dismissed amidst the flood of entertainment—specifically science fiction—on their “daily broadcasts.”
Ultimately, “First Contact” cleverly alludes to the concept of television series featuring aliens living among humans, while simultaneously being an episode of such a show. This layered approach helps mitigate the episode’s inherent implausibilities. By the end, this interpretation of “First Contact” encourages viewers to focus on the optimism of benevolent extraterrestrials rather than the fear of invasions or hidden saucers. The episode tenderly posits a future where we might be viewed as the “little green men,” and suggests that such an encounter might be a positive experience.