Released to celebrate 30 years of the Star Trek franchise, First Contact laid the foundation for its next 30 years from Enterprise to Picard.
Summary
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Star Trek: First Contact had a profound impact on the franchise as a whole, influencing the future development of the characters and stories for years to come.
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The film introduced important elements such as the origins of the Federation, the character of Zefram Cochrane, and the terrifying Borg Spheres.
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First Contact also marked the debut of the iconic Borg Queen, who became a prominent and influential villain in the Star Trek universe.
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the most acclaimed Star Trek: The Next Generation movie, Star Trek: First Contact improved the broader franchise in several ways. Released in 1996 to celebrate. Star TrekOn the 30th anniversary, the film saw Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) travel back in time to save Federation history from the temporal manipulations of the Borg Collective. Star TrekThe 30th anniversary celebrations were a hugely exciting time for fans, which in retrospect feel like an early version of the sprawling shared fictional universes that dominate the current pop culture landscape. As well as First contactthere were special episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Journey to the stars: Voyager that celebrated the franchise’s past in unique ways.
Various events and innovations seen in Star Trek: First ContactIt went on to influence the broader franchise for years to come. For example, it is debatable First contactmore than the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation Two-part “The Best of Both Worlds” that influenced the characterization of Admiral Picard in his eponymous 2020s spin-off series. First contact It delved into Picard’s post-traumatic stress from his assimilation into the Borg Collective and showed how that trauma was capable of clouding his normally impeccable judgment. This is just one of the many ways in which Star Trek: First Contact it improved the broader franchise for the next 30 years and more.
10 Star Trek: First Contact Impacted DS9’s Dominion War Arc
In it Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “In the Shadow of Purgatory”, Sisko observes that the Borg attack on First contact has further weakened the Federation, making it the perfect time for the Dominion to invade the Alpha Quadrant. Present at this meeting is Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), who then leaves Deep Space Nine in a hurry, knowing that the invasion is imminent, placing DS9 at the center of the conflict. In the following episode, “By Inferno’s Light”, Dukat announces the Cardassian Union’s alliance with the Dominion and decides to join the winning side. If the Borg had not attacked in First contactso it is possible that Dukat did not sign this pact which ultimately led to his death and the devastation of Cardassia Prime in DS9The end.
9 Star Trek Reintroduced Zefram Cochrane, Made Him Better
There were several legacy characters that appeared in the Star Trek Celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the franchise. Journey to the stars: Voyager had Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had the cast of the Terms of Service episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”. Star TrekThe inventor of warp speed, Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell), was the legacy character appearing in Star Trek: First Contact. In it Terms of Service In the episode “Metamorphosis”, Zefram Cochrane (Glenn Corbett) was already a legend and lived a strange existence on an asteroid. First contact brilliantly took the time to explore why Cochrane became a legend, showing the flawed but brilliant scientist perform his history-making first warp flight.
8 Star Trek finally got its origin story
The origins of Star TrekThe United Federation of Planets was so nebulous that Gene Roddenberry couldn’t settle on a name for Starfleet for several episodes. Star Trek: First Contact finally gave fans an origin story for the Federation, in the form of the first meeting between humanity and the Vulcans. This key moment was enough to open humanity’s eyes to the stars and direct it towards the search for new worlds and strange civilizations. First Contact in Montana expanded the Star Trek universe by showing the extensive relationship between humanity and the Vulcans, and also gave the franchise a new period of history to explore.
7 First Contact Setup Star Trek: Enterprise
When opening the Star Trek canon by representing the first step towards the founding of the United Federation of Planets, First contact paved the way for Company. The good of Star Trek: Enterprise That’s how he opened up the franchise again by stripping it down to the basics. Focusing on the emotional connections between the characters and dedicating episodes to sending messages to Earth. Company in a credible reality that suggested Star TrekUtopia was within our reach. Company would also address the direct consequences of First contact in season 2, when leftover Borg drones were reactivated in Antarctica, causing chaos for Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the crew of the Enterprise NX-01.
6 First Contact’s Voyager cameos emphasized the broader Star Trek universe
Star Trek: First Contact is decidedly a Star Trek: The Next Generation movie, but contains many nods to its fellow franchises. In addition to the cameo of Star Trek: Deep Space NineThe USS Defiant, First contact It also featured two cameos by actors from Journey to the stars: Voyager in different roles. Robert Picardo played the role of the emergency medical hologram on the USS Enterprise-E, which possibly created the DS9 episode “Doctor Bashir, I Guess”, in which Starfleet searches for a new model for the second wave of the EMH program. TravelerNeelix’s Ethan Phillips also appeared as the nightclub maitre d’ in the Dixon Hill holonovel powered by Picard and Lily Sloane (Alfre Woodard).
5 Picard’s “The Line Must Be Drawn Here” Speech
Star Trek: First Contact Arguably giving audiences Patrick Stewart’s last standout performance as Jean-Luc Picard until his 2020s spin-off series, Picard has always shown himself to be a fair and balanced man, who toes the line when it comes to the rules of Starfleet and the principles of the Prime Directive. In First contact, however, gives a furious speech about his own thirst for revenge against the Borg Collective. Lily compares Picard to Captain Ahab from Moby Dick, and she is not out of place. The comparison is enough to snap Picard out of his bloodlust and decide to put the safety of his crew before his own desire for revenge, avoiding Captain Ahab’s fate.
4 First Contact Improved Data’s Star Trek Generations Story
The story of Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and his emotion. Star Trek Generations It’s an irritating distraction from the more interesting stories taking place elsewhere. Star Trek: First Contact takes a much more interesting approach in Data’s quest to understand what it is to be human. Captured by the Borg Queen (Alice Krige), Data is seduced by the promise of being able to feel the sensory pleasures of human flesh. There is some degree of ambiguity as to whether Data has truly turned to the dark side, but of course he remains loyal to Picard and the Enterprise. It was a statement that Data would become human in Star Trek on its own terms, without sacrificing its integrity.
3 Borg spheres were introduced in the Star Trek franchise
The Borg Cubes are enough to strike fear into the heart of Starfleet’s bravest officer, but Star Trek: First Contact provided a new innovation. In some ways, the Borg Sphere scout ship was even scarier because it was faster, more maneuverable, and capable of time travel. Borg Sphere also gave the Collective an exit, doubling as an escape pod when the Cube was destroyed by the Enterprise in First contactThe initial battle. Ultimately, the Borg Spheres also look really cool and would appear again in later episodes of Journey to the stars: Voyager.
2 First Contact was the first proper Star Trek action movie
Star Trek: First Contact It was clearly a huge influence on the beloved first-person shooter. Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force, which pitted players against all kinds of villains. The scenes of Picard, Data, and Worf moving through the hallways of the Enterprise sending out Borg drones were exciting action scenes tinged with survival horror. The battle in the saucer section of the Enterprise-E and Picard using a machine gun to dispatch the Borg are hugely memorable moments that really gave the franchise its first action movie. is the tone of First contact that JJ Abrams Star Trek Movies would later adopt, favoring action and spectacle over the more cerebral ideas of earlier beginnings. Star Trek films.
1 The debut of the Borg queen in Star Trek
From the moment the Borg Queen’s body was assembled into Star Trek: First Contact, something new and exciting was given to the franchise. The Borg Queen was a controversial addition in First contactlaunch, but became an icon Star Trek villain. While the Borg drones, with one or two exceptions, did not have any characters to interact with, the Borg Queen had a distinctive personality. This gave Patrick Stewart someone to act alongside, giving real weight to Picard’s quest for revenge in First contactThe exciting climax.
The Borg Queen’s seductive tactics, her status as Picard’s nemesis, and hints of her loneliness ultimately shaped the next decades of Borg stories. Introducing the Borg Queen by Alice Krige in Star Trek: First Contact He had such a huge impact on the franchise over the next three decades. That story seems to have finally come to an end with the climax of the Star Trek: The Next Generation meeting at Journey to the stars: Picard season 3, but he leaves a long legacy, starting with his memorable entrance into First contact.