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Recap / Star Trek: The Next Generation S4E8 "Future Imperfect"

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The one where Riker tells Picard to shut up . spoilers! But don't worry, it was just a simulation .

Original air date: November 12, 1990

Riker's birthday party is cut short when the Enterprise finds some unusual readings from an uninhabited M-Class planet near the Neutral Zone, which the crew believes could be indicative of a Romulan secret base. Riker is sent to lead an away team, which arrives at a cave that suddenly starts filling up with methane gas. The team falls unconscious and is beamed up, with some difficulty.

Riker awakens in Sickbay and notices that both Dr. Crusher and himself look considerably older. When Riker mentions the mission, Crusher explains that Riker contracted an alien virus that remained dormant for years, but which has suddenly became active and put him into a coma, erasing all his memories since the moment of infection. Sixteen years have passed since the mission, and Riker has been captain of the Enterprise for nine, none of which he remembers. Dr. Crusher sadly informs him that while there is a chance for his memories to return, the damage is likely permanent.

Riker tours the Enterprise with Dr. Crusher and finds a number of changes: Geordi's VISOR is gone, replaced with cloned eyeballs; Worf now has a battle scar on his face and sits in Data's position at Ops; the helmsman is a Ferengi, and Data is now First Officer. Suddenly a Romulan Warbird de-cloaks and Riker orders a Red Alert , only to be informed they were expecting the ship. The Warbird hails the Enterprise and Riker is greeted by none other than Picard, now an Admiral with Troi as his assistant. They beam aboard and bring Riker up to speed: 4 years ago, Riker and the Enterprise rescued a damaged Romulan ship, which impressed the Romulans and finally prompted them to start peace negotiations, of which Riker was a key part. The negotiations are in their final stage, and Riker is expected to continue to represent the Federation as the last issues are hammered out and the treaty is signed. Riker doesn't feel like he's in any condition to perform negotiations, but Picard trusts his ability. Troi leads Riker to his quarters—where he finds a ten-year-old boy who calls Riker "dad". Riker is understandably shocked.

The boy, Jean-Luc, asks Riker for some details involving a past Enterprise mission and finally realizes his father doesn't remember him. Crusher had hoped that the shock of seeing the boy would trigger Riker's lost memories, but no such luck. Troi has the boy leave and tells Riker about the boy's mother, "Min," who served as ship's counselor after she left but died in a shuttle accident two years ago. Riker spends some time bonding with Jean-Luc, which they both enjoy. Riker tries to look up his service records, but the computer seems to be having difficulty bringing them up. The ships systems have been acting laggy ever since Riker woke up, prompting Geordi to run a diagnostic. Riker is interrupted by news that the Romulan Ambassador has arrived and goes to greet him—and is stunned to find that it's the Enterprise ’s old enemy Commander Tomalak. The now-Ambassador Tomalak knows of Riker's condition and is understanding of his concerns, but claims he is a changed man. Riker is also apprehensive of the fact that negotiations will be held at Outpost 23, the key to all Neutral Zone defenses. Picard informs him that Outpost 23 hasn't been strategically important in years and there is no cause for concern.

Riker is contacted with news that Jean-Luc has injured himself and rushes to see him. Riker spends more time with Jean-Luc, claiming that when he was Jean-Luc's age his own father was absent and he doesn't want to make the same mistake. After going on a fishing trip on the holodeck, Riker tries to find records of his deceased wife. Again the computer is having problems, but Jean-Luc helps him. In a family video, Riker sees "Min" for the first time... and realizes that she's actually Minuet . Riker has a "Eureka!" Moment and goes to the bridge.

An agitated Riker walks around the bridge asking rapid fire questions: why is Geordi taking so long to do a basic diagnostic? No answer. Where did Worf get the scar? What battle, what unit, what sector? No response. Why can't Data quickly solve a bunch of calculations despite his advanced brain? And did Data just use a contraction ? Riker demands the end of this "charade"... and the bridge fades away to reveal a Romulan holodeck, with only Tomalak remaining.

Commander Tomalak explains the obvious to his prisoner: using neural scanners and a holodeck, they created a Faked Rip Van Winkle for Riker, hoping to gain the location of Outpost 23. Tomalak asks what gave away the false Enterprise . Riker responds that it was the computer lag (which was due to the limited response time of the scanners), and more importantly, the presence of Minuet as his "wife". Minuet, if you recall "11001001", was a mere Holodeck program, albeit one for which Riker had such feelings that the scanners had mistaken it for true love. Riker then asks why they didn't just pull the location of Outpost 23 directly from his mind, not buying Tomalak's explanation of "gaps" in his memory since the recreation of the Enterprise was otherwise pitch perfect. Tomalak orders Riker to be sent to a cell.

In the cell is a boy who looks exactly like Jean-Luc. As Tomalak explains, his likeness was used to create Riker's fake son. After Tomalak leaves, the boy introduces himself as Ethan, and claims he and his parents were living in a new research station near the Neutral Zone and were captured by the Romulans. After Tomalak returns, they manage to make a break for it and hide in a special place Ethan found where their captor's sensors are blocked. Riker discusses getting to the communications room and contacting the Enterprise , but Ethan claims it's impossible since the security system only responds to Ambassador Tomalak's voice. Riker realizes he's being tricked again: Tomalak was never called "Ambassador" outside the Holodeck he was just in. The Romulans show up again, despite the room being sensor-immune. This prompts Riker to throw away his weapon and claim, "I don't want to play anymore." As the Romulans prepare to fire, the Romulan base fades away...

Tropes in this episode include:

• ...Riker commented on how odd it felt to have a Ferengi helmsman. Nog became an ensign nine years later (and served as the helmsman of the Defiant in the final battle with the Dominion).
• ...Riker noted that there were more Klingons in Starfleet, notably a female that he passed on a deck. B'Elanna Torres, a female Klingon/human hybrid, worked as a chief engineer on a Starfleet vessel four years later .
• ...Picard tells Riker that peace talks with the Romulans began four years ago (from the future that Riker was in), and that Riker's ship was instrumental in doing so. It's just that, right down to the date.
• Though it's probably down to prop reuse rather than intended to mean anything in-universe, the future combadge will be the norm in one of the parallel universes seen in a later episode with Worf shifting between dimensions.
• The nurse in the sickbay Riker wakes up in will appear in the present, and come to be known as major recurring character Alyssa Ogawa.
• ...and finally, Troi is seen wearing a Starfleet uniform, although she didn't wear one in the show at the time. She started doing so two years later, during the same series no less.
• Amnesia Danger : Riker thinks he's subject to this when he loses his memory just before negotiating with the Romulans.
• Armor-Piercing Question : Riker uses several of these when he sees through the charade. Riker: Worf, where did you get that scar? Worf: In combat. Riker: What battle? When? Which sector? Which unit? Mister Data, if we left immediately, when would we arrive at Outpost 23? Data: At warp 1, in three days, four hours. Riker: What about at warp 7? ( pause ) At warp 8? At warp 9? What's the matter, Data? What happened to those millions of calculations per second?
• Big "SHUT UP!" : Once he's realized the future is fraudulent, and he goes on his rant to the bridge officers, "Admiral Picard" tries to calm him down, but he responds: Riker: SHUT UP! "Picard": I beg your pardon? Riker: I said "Shut up!" As in "close your mouth and stop talking!"
• Call-Back : When Riker meets "Ambassador" Tomalak, he's unnerved, remembering how Tomalak threatened to take the hull of the Enterprise to Romulus as a war trophy in " The Defector ".
• Continuity Nod : Minuet, the holographic woman from season 1's " 11001001 ," is used to portray Riker's "wife". It's the conclusive proof to him that the reality he's in is not reality.
• Dream Within a Dream : Same idea, but with holodecks. When Riker figures out the Faked Rip Van Winkle , he is then made to believe that he has been captured by Romulans and placed in their version of a holodeck. This is merely the second layer of the deception; in truth he's still in the cave, which has far more advanced technology that is able to read his mind and create an illusion based on his thoughts, so that a lonely young alien can have some company.
• Dynamic Loading : The Enterprise computer in the false reality has severe lag, and the turbolift temporarily fails. Both are given in-universe explanations, but these are also classic video game methods to mask loading (and indeed, are used by Riker's captors to give themselves time to make up things on the fly whenever he deviates from what they had expected/prepared.)
• Faked Rip Van Winkle : The 16-year jump into the future is all a holographic illusion.
• Gilded Cage : The planet is one for Barash. He can create whatever he wishes, but he's always alone.
• How Riker unravels the first scenario: his deceased wife (obviously the computer pulling a memory of a past love from his mind to use for material) was in real life a hologram . Then he confronts his "colleagues" with a tirade of questions that they're unable to answer, such as Worf being unable to recall where he got a scar beyond "in combat," because this was never accounted for by the alien programmer.
• In the second scenario, he realizes something's amiss when "Ethan" refers to Commander Tomalak as "Ambassador" yet again.
• An interesting clue to the viewers is that when Riker sees his future son in Sickbay after a Parrises squares injury, and Dr. Crusher calls Riker aside to talk to him privately, Crusher's voice briefly comes out of the mouth of Riker's son .
• In the same scene, Dr. Crusher goes from describing "Jean-Luc's" injury as a broken arm to a broken wrist .
• A case where the lack of a real glitch is a glitch: Riker also spots Data's speech pattern when he says "I can't" instead of "I cannot". Data is unable to use contractions, unlike other androids (his "daughter", Lal, and his "brother", Lore).
• All throughout this simulation, whenever Riker tries to access computer logs, the computer suffers from severe lag. The people in the false reality try to explain that the computer has been acting up when, in truth, the lag was used by Riker's captors to mask the fact that they had to make up computer logs on the fly.
• The Greys : Barash's true form.
• Homage : A good portion of the episode is one to the classic Roald Dahl short story "Beware of the Dog", adapted as 36 Hours (1965) .
• I Never Said It Was Poison : Riker sees through the second illusion when his cellmate calls their captor "Ambassador" Tomalak. Tomalak was only an ambassador in the first illusion. Since Riker hadn't mentioned it, he realizes that his cellmate was present in both illusions.
• Last of His Kind : It's implied that Barash is the last surviving member of his species, as his mother hid him away before she and everyone else were wiped out during an invasion.
• Loads and Loads of Loading : The fact that the Enterprise computer is suffering from this is at first handwaved as being due to a computer problem, but later turns out to be a sign that the holodeck creating the simulation is trying hard to keep up with Riker's questions.
• Mythology Gag : The Romulan Warbird from the first simulation is called the Decius , named after a Romulan officer from the TOS episode "Balance of Terror", the first episode to feature the Romulans.
• Ominous Visual Glitch : The distortion of Riker's illusion is shown with distortion of the simulated reality.
• Out-of-Character Alert : Part of the reason Riker sees through the first illusion is when he learns that Geordi is allegedly still running a level one diagnostic of the systems after thirty hours; as Riker puts it, Geordi La Forge is "incapable of that level of incompetence".
• Rank Up : Along with "Admiral" Picard, and "Captain" Riker, Worf, Geordi, Troi and Data are now full Commanders in the first illusion, with Data now serving as Riker's First Officer.
• Remember the New Guy? : "Ethan" tries to invoke this using a Faked Rip Van Winkle .
• Time-Passage Beard : "Admiral" Picard has a beard and, of course, totally rocks it.
• 20 Minutes into the Future : The episode does a pretty good job of showing this with respect to TNG, with slightly different uniforms, logos, set design, etc..
• Virtual-Reality Interrogation : The second layer of virtual reality tries to explain the first layer to Riker as an example of this.
• Voodoo Shark : In-Universe . Riker asks why the Romulans didn't just pull the location of Outpost 23 from his mind. They claim they there were "gaps" in what they recovered, but he doesn't believe it because the simulation of the Enterprise was nearly flawless.
• What Happened to the Mouse? : Barash, the lonely insectoid child responsible for Riker's abduction and holographic imprisonment, is invited back to the Enterprise at the end of the episode, never to be seen or heard from again.
• Wham Line : After Riker has been made to believe that he is the Captain of the Enterprise in the future but ultimately sees through the deception, "Ambassador" Tomalak says the following: Tomalak: As you wish, Commander Riker... the charade is over.

Video Example(s):

As in close your mouth....

In "Future Imperfect" from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Data tries to explain away the difficulties he is experiencing as being from "subspace interference." But Riker isn't buying this technobabble and when Data uses a contraction, he calls him out on it. Then, Picard shows up and tries to calm him down. Riker, however, has realized something is very wrong with the whole scenario. He tells "Picard" to shut up, clarifying that this means "As in close your mouth and stop talking!"

Example of: Big "SHUT UP!"

• Star Trek: The Next Generation S4E7 "Reunion"
• Recap/Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S4E9 "Final Mission"

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Star trek: discovery season 5 - every episode ranked worst to best.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 6 Or Movie - Everything We Know

Star trek: discovery season 5 returning cast & new character guide, star trek: discovery season 5 finale ending & shocking epilogue explained.

• Star Trek" Discovery season 5 delivers 10 top episodes, answering big existential questions and resolving character storylines satisfyingly.
• Discovery season 5 is a tonal shift into a quest adventure, introducing fan-favorite new characters.
• Here is how Star Trek: Discovery's episodes rank against each other.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 was also its final season and delivered 10 of the best episodes of the series. Discovery season 5 wasn't produced to be the final season, but after Paramount+ chose to end the series, it was fortuitous that Star Trek: Discovery season 5 already felt like a natural conclusion . Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the crew of the USS Discovery asked big, existential questions in pursuit of the ancient treasure of the Progenitors, and many characters' storylines were resolved satisfyingly.

A sequel to the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6 episode, "The Chase", Star Trek: Discovery season 5 enjoyed a tonal shift into a quest adventure, as the USS Discovery pursued the literal power of creation via a series of elaborate clues that tested Captain Burnham 's intelligence and heroic qualities. Discovery season 5 also introduced instant fan-favorite new characters in First Officer Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) and the villainous couple Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis). Discovery season 5 revamped the Breen for the 32nd century and concluded with poignant romance and a flash forward to the ultimate destiny of the USS Discovery. Here's how Star Trek: Discovery season 5's episodes stack up against each other.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is the final season, but will Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery be back for season 6 or a Paramount+ movie?

10 "Whistlespeak"

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 6.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, "Whistlespeak", is a throwback to a classic Star Trek: The Original Serie s and Star Trek: The Next Generation -style story . Captain Burnham and Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) infiltrate the planet Halem'no for the fourth Progenitors' treasure clue hidden in a weather tower built by Denobulan scientist Dr. Hitoroshi Creel . Tilly nearly dies in a ritual sacrifice before Burnham reveals herself to be an offworlder, challenging the Halem'nites to balance their religious beliefs with the knowledge they're not alone in the universe.

Written by Kenneth Lyn and Brandon Schutz, and directed by Chris Byrne, "Whistlespeak" was a welcome exploration of a new culture by Star Trek: Discovery . Balancing Tilly and Burnham's exploits on Halem'no, Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) struggled with his newfound spiritual awakening, and begins to form a bond with Cleveland Booker (David Ajala). There are more exciting hours of S tar Trek: Discovery season 5 than the introspective "Whistlespeak", but it's also, pleasingly, one of the most fundamentally Star Trek episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.

9 "Under The Twin Moons"

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 2.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons", sends Captain Burnham and Captain Saru (Doug Jones) to the planet Lyrek in search of the first Progenitors clue hidden by Romulan scientist Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeman). The array of ancient defensive weapons on the graveyard planet calls back to Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes like "The Arsenal of Freedom" , and brings out the action hero in Saru , appropriately dubbing the Kelpien "Action Saru" .

The joy of "Under the Twin Moons" is the final team-up of Burnham and Saru.

Written by Alan McElroy and directed by Doug Aarniokoski, "Under the Twin Moons" turns out to be the last hurrah of Saru as a member of the USS Discovery's crew. Saru becomes a Federation Ambassador in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 and becomes betrothed to hs love, President T'Rina (Tara Rosling). The joy of "Under the Twin Moons" is the final team-up of Burnham and Saru as Michael would end Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2 by naming Commander Rayner as the USS Discovery's new First Officer.

8 "Jinaal"

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 3.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal" is the series' final voyage to Trill in search of the second Progenitors clue hidden on his homeworld by Trill scientist Dr. Jinaal Bix (Wilson Cruz). As Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker endure Jinaal's dangerous test for his clue, Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio) says goodbye to their romance with Gray Tal (Ian Alexander). Meanwhile, Commander Rayner meets with the USS Discovery's personnel , with discouraging results.

"Jinaal" is a showcase for the talents of Wilson Cruz.

Written by Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Wilkinson, and directed by Andi Armaganian, "Jinaal" is a showcase for the talents of Wilson Cruz, who relishes portraying a character very different from the compassionate Dr. Hugh Culber. Saru also struggles with his new position as Ambassador and learns the perils of mixing politics with his personal life. "Jinaal" has multiple fascinating and entertaining character beats and deepens the audience's understanding of several Star Trek: Discovery characters.

7 "Erigah"

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 7.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah" , balances the tensions of a captured Moll and L'ak seeking to escape the USS Discovery with the arrival of the Breen, led by Primarch Ruhn (Tony Nappo), to Federation HQ. Commander Rayner's revelation of the Breen's invasion of his Kellerun homeworld turns out to be key in negotiating with the fearsome aliens. However, L'ak tragically dies in an ill-fated attempt to help Moll escape , and Moll, in turn, allies with the Breen to set up Star Trek: Discovery 's endgame.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah", brought back fan-favorite Rachael Ancheril as Commander Nhan.

Written by M. Raven Metzner and directed by Jon Dudkowski, "Erigah" is the final appearance of Elias Toufexis as L'ak , who is revealed to be the Breen Scion and crucial to the Breen civil war to determine a new emperor. Both a political thriller and a heartbreaking tragedy for Moll and L'ak's love story ,"Erigah" firmly establishes the Breen as an existential threat to the United Federation of Planets, and one of Star Trek: Discovery 's best adversaries.

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

6 "Mirrors"

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 5.

Whe n Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors", sends Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker into interdimensional space in pursuit of Moll and L'ak and the third Progenitors clue, they find more than they bargain for - namely the ISS Enterprise from the Mirror Universe . "Mirrors" features vital confrontations between Burnham, Book, Moll, and L'ak, establishing exactly what's at stake for the ill-fated lovers. "Mirrors" also depicts how Moll and L'ak met in intriguing flashbacks that are also a revelatory download of information about the mysterious Breen.

"Mirrors" makes history by establishing L'ak as the first Breen to remove his helmet.

Written by Johanna Le and Carlos Cisco, and directed by Jen McGowan, Star Trek: Discovery 's "Mirrors" cleverly utilizes Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' sets to bring the ISS Enterprise to life, and lays down new canon about the happenings of the 23rd century Mirror Universe. "Mirrors" also makes history by establishing L'ak as the first Breen to remove his helmet, showing us the true face of the aliens, at last. Crucially, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 , ingeniously holds a mirror up to Burnham and Book, showing that they're not destined for the same tragic fate as Moll and L'ak.

5 "Red Directive"

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 1.

Star Trek: Discovery 's season 5 premiere, "Red Directive", sees the USS Discovery team up with Captain Rayner's USS Antares in pursuit of Moll and L'ak, who seek the ancient technology of the Progenitors. Captain Burnham and Rayner's uneasy team-up leads them and Cleveland Booker to the desert planet of Q'Mau. Following a thrilling sand bike chase, "Red Directive" culminates with the awesome sight of the USS Discovery and the USS Antares protecting a settlement from an avalanche of sand.

As a Star Trek: Discovery season premiere, the narrative heavy lifting of "Red Directive" feels effortless.

Written by Star Trek: Discovery showrunner Michelle Paradise and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, "Red Directive" masterfully establishes the high stakes of Discovery season 5 and fist-pumpingly weaves in the canon of Star Trek: The Next Generation , name-dropping Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). As a Star Trek: Discovery season premiere, the narrative heavy lifting of "Red Directive" feels effortless and propulsively sets the table for the adventures to come in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

4 "Labyrinths"

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 8.

For the final clue to the Progenitors' treasure, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths" , introduces one of the series' most memorable locations: The Eternal Gallery and Archive. When Captain Burnham enters the massive intergalactic library hidden in the dangerous badlands, she becomes trapped in her own mindscape. With an avatar of Cleveland Booker as her guide, Michael must delve into her deepest fears and regrets to prove worthy of the final clue as the Breen seek to destroy the Archive.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths", introduces Hy'Rell (Elena Juatco), who is only the third Efrosian (and first female) canonically seen in Star Trek.

Written by Lauren Wilkinson & Eric J. Robbins, and directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, "Labyrinths" is a feast for the eyes, mind, and heart. Burnham's inner journey showcases a powerhouse performance by Sonequa Martin-Green. Meanwhile, the confrontation with the Breen, with Lt. Commander Gen Rhys (Patrick Kwok-Choon) in command of the USS Discovery, ratchets up the tension effectively. Star Trek: Discovery 's voyage to the final clue of season 5 is an all-time great journey within for Captain Burnham.

3 "Lagrange Point"

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 9.

"Lagrange Point" sees Star Trek: Discovery tackling the heist genre with spectacular results. Captain Michael Burnham leads an away team disguised as Breen to infiltrate the Breen dreadnought and steal the portal to the Progenitors' technology. Meanwhile, Commander Rayner takes command of the USS Discovery, which is outmatched by the Breen's massive starship. Rayner proves exactly why he was once a decorated starship Captain as he executes Burnham's last-ditch effort to snatch the portal from the Breen.

"Lagrange Point" sets up Moll and Captain Burnam as the ultimate competitors for the Progenitors' technology.

Written by Sean Cochran and Ari Friedman, and the final Star Trek: Discovery episode directed by Jonathan Frakes , "Lagrange Point" sets up Moll and Captain Burnam as the ultimate competitors for the Progenitors' technology, and it also marks the welcome return of Ambassador Saru, who was absent from several Star Trek: Discovery season 5 episodes. "Lagrange Point" is a fantastic infiltration gambit containing action, tension, and even a pleasing amount of humor, and is a top-tier hour of Star Trek: Discovery .

Star Trek: Discovery comes to an end with season 5's finale wrapping up the Progenitors treasure hunt and an epilogue concluding the entire series.

2 "Face The Strange"

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 4.

When Moll plants a Krenim time bug aboard the USS Discovery, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange", sends Captain Burnham, Commander Rayner, and Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) careening through the USS Discovery's past and future. "Face the Strange" is the first real test of Burnham and Rayner as Captain and First Officer, and they establish trust as they work together to solve their temporal dilemma. "Face the Strange" evocatively touches upon several important Star Trek: Discovery milestones to show how far the series has come.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4 teased the possible future for Zora (Annabelle Wallis) seen in Star Trek: Short Treks ' "Calypso", foreshadowing what was to come in Discovery 's series finale epilogue.

Written by Sean Cochran and directed by Lee Rose, "Face the Strange" joyfully calls back to crucial characters and events throughout Star Trek: Discovery , like the late Lt. Commander Airiam (Hannah Cheesman). Best of all, Captain Burnham confronts her past self from season 1, making it clear just how much Michael has bettered herself throughout Star Trek: Discovery 's 5 seasons. "Face the Strange" is a rip-roaring and deeply satisfying Star Trek: Discovery time travel yarn, and it's one of the best episodes of the series.

1 "Life, Itself"

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 10.

Star Trek: Discovery 's series finale, "Life, Itself", is filled with vaulting ambition, and meets it in grand fashion. "Life, Itself" concludes Captain Burnham's quest for the power of creation as she outclasses Moll to access the Progenitors' technology. Meanwhile, the USS Discovery beats the Breen with the help of Ambassador Saru. Matching its awe-inspiring revelations and emotional high-points, Star Trek: Discovery 's series finale has multiple touching endings , including the reveal of Dr. Kovich's (David Cronenberg) true identity, the wedding of Saru and T'Rina, and the romantic reunion of Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker.

Captain Burnham chooses to banish the power of creation in a decision that's a bit pat and too abrupt, but ultimately feels right.

Written by Kyle Jarrow and Michelle Paradise, and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, "Life, Itself" delivered on the awe and wonder the hunt for the Progenitors demanded. To wrap up Star Trek: Discovery , the finale's resonant coda flashes forward 30+ years to show an elderly Admiral Burnham and Cleveland Booker had a happy life together before Michael sends the USS Discovery on its final destiny, synching the saga up with Star Trek: Short Treks ' "Calypso". Filled with grandeur, heart, and as a celebration of Star Trek: Discovery 's characters, "Life, Itself" is one of the best series finales in Star Trek , and an evocative and worthy ending to Star Trek: Discovery .

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'Best Season So Far': Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Actor Teases Upcoming Episodes

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds fans should brace themselves for an even crazier Season 3. Lead actor Anson Mount recently teased how the beloved Star Trek show would continue to throw "curveballs" at its audience in its upcoming third season .

In an interview with Gold Derby , Mount shared how excited he was for fans to see the new season, believing it to be more ambitious, and overall better, than the previous two outings. "I think it’s not just an exciting season, I think storytelling-wise, development-wise, technically; it’s going to be our best season so far and a lot of that has to do with even bigger swings being taken," he teased. " The musical episode will not be the craziest thing that we did or we have done by the end of this. We’re feeling more ownership over what it is that we’re doing and realizing that it continues to resonate."

Jonathan Frakes Teases Upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Murder Mystery Episode

Star Trek veteran Jonathan Frakes will direct a new Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode, calling it "the best episode of television I've ever done."

Strange New Worlds Is a Spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery

Mount first appeared as Captain Christopher Pike in the Season 2 premiere of Star Trek: Discovery , with the character temporarily assuming command of the USS Discovery while the Enterprise is disabled to investigate the mysterious red signals. Pike's inclusion in Discovery Season 2 was well-received by the Star Trek fandom, with many voicing that the character should receive his own spinoff that would follow the USS Enterprise before Captain Kirk took command in Star Trek: The Original Series . In May 2020, a spinoff series was confirmed to be in development, with Ethan Peck (as Spock) and Rebecca Romijn (as Number One) also joining Mount's Pike from Discovery .

The first season of Strange New Worlds premiered on Paramount+ in May 2022 and concluded that July after 10 episodes. A second season, also consisting of 10 episodes, aired between June and August 2023. The upcoming third season is expected to premiere in 2025, having been delayed due to last year's WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Season 3 will be followed by a fourth season, which was greenlit by Paramount+ in April 2024 .

Strange New Worlds' Upgraded Tech Has a Simple Explanation

Some Star Trek fans think technology on Strange New Worlds is too advanced compared to The Original Series, but there is a simple explanation.

Anson Mount Addresses MCU Return Rumors

Besides Star Trek , Mount is known for his role as the superhero Black Bolt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying the Inhuman leader in the short-lived ABC series Inhumans and the Phase 4 movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness . The actor, who has repeatedly expressed interest in returning as Black Bolt , recently shut down rumors of an appearance in Marvel Studios' upcoming crossover movie, Avengers: Secret Wars .

In a post on the social media platform X, Mount responded directly to the one spreading the rumor of his MCU return, writing, "This is so interesting. Please tell us more about this contract I apparently signed in my sleep. I’m so curious to hear all the juicy details from a feed that is clearly not a click-farm." The original X post with the rumor was subsequently updated with a community note to alert further readers that the so-called scoop was false.

The first two seasons of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are streaming on Paramount+.

Source: Gold Derby

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Release Date May 5, 2022

Cast Jess Bush, Melissa Navia, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn, Christina Chong, Anson Mount

Main Genre Sci-Fi

Genres Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure

Rating TV-PG

What We Know About Captain Pike’s Next Voyage in ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 3

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It's a huge sigh of relief when a spinoff of a classic like the original Star Trek (which ran from 1966 to 1969) is well done, polished, and gripping. Especially when that show stands out in a franchise with twelve - yes, you read that right - twelve corresponding series. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , which serves as a prequel to the original (and iconic) Star Trek series, follows Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ) as he leads his crew through the galaxy aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. The show, which premiered in 2022, was met with high critical acclaim from the beginning and continues to find fans with each new season - an impressive feat in a time when so many shows get lost in the streaming shuffle. Now renewed for a third season right after its Season 2 finale, here's everything we know so far about the next chapter in the epic space adventure.

With Season 2's finale leaving fans wanting more, it's only natural to be itching for Season 3 to come as soon as possible. While episodes are expected to return in 2024, the production window was from December 2023 to June 2024 for Season 3 , so we may have to wait a bit before we get the answers we're craving .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike (played by Anson Mount) and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds throughout the galaxy in the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

While Strange New Worlds premiered its first two episodes on CBS in 2022, all episodes are now streaming on Paramount+. It can be assumed that the third season of the show will also premiere on the CBS-affiliated streaming service. Subscriptions to Paramount+ are available in two tiers: Paramount+ Essential (with commercials, $5.99/month) and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME (commercial-free, $11.99/month).

WATCH ON PARAMOUNT+

With production recently ending, there is still no official footage from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3. That said, we hope to get our first look at the new season sometime later this year. Stay tuned to Collider as we await more info.

Leading the charge is fan-favorite Captain Pike , played by Anson Mount. Mount is no stranger to the Star Trek world, as he also appeared in Star Trek: Discovery in 2019. His other credits include films like Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the Britney Spears -led 2002 drama Crossroads . Ethan Peck 's Spock is another character who appeared in Discovery alongside Mount. Peck also worked on shows like Madam Secretary and 10 Things I Hate About You . The astute La'an is played by Christina Chong , whose credits include Johnny English Reborn and Tom and Jerry .

Erica Ortegas is played by Melissa Navia , whose guest roles include Bull , Homeland , and Billions . Rebecca Romjin plays Una-Chin Riley, Pike's Number One. While Romjin is known for films like X-Men and Austin Powers , perhaps her most unforgettable role was as Cheryl, the gorgeous girl with the disgusting apartment in Season 4 of Friends . Rounding out Pike's crew are Babs Olusanmokun ( Dune ) as Dr. M'Benga, Celia Rose Gooding ( Foul Play ) as Nyota Uhura, and Jess Bush ( Playing For Keeps ) as Nurse Christine Chapel. Arguably, one of the best parts of the Season 2 finale was the appearance of Lieutenant Montgomery Scott ( Martin Quinn ), of the infamous - and incorrect - quote from the OG series: "Beam me up, Scotty!"

Strange New Worlds is produced by CBS Studios , Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment, and distributed by Paramount+. The show was created by Akiva Goldsman , Alex Kurtzman , and Jenny Lumet , with Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serving as co-showrunners . Kurtzman, Goldsman, Lumet, and Myers are executive producers on the series, alongside Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin , Frank Siracusa , John Weber , Rod Roddenberry , and Trevor Roth .

The series was originally set to film early in 2023 but due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the series was delayed by several months. Thankfully, they recently wrapped up filming in Canada earlier this year. Anson Mount took to Instagram to celebrate the conclusion of filming.

Mount also wrote a heartfelt message to fans after concluding production, saying:

“So that’s it guys, that is a wrap on season 3, at least from me, there’s still a little bit of work to be done. I feel like I could sleep for a week, but I still have many travels and many things ahead of me to do, and I’m trying to keep spoilers out of the shots here. Thank you for your patience, especially during the strikes, it wasn’t anyone’s intention for us to be delayed to that extent. Thank you for sticking with us, thank you to our lifelong Star Trek fans, I am one of you and it’s because of people like you that I get to live out my dreams like this and I’ll never stop thanking you for having me in your house.”

With many unanswered questions in the Season 2 finale, there are lots of possibilities for where Season 3 could take Captain Pike and his crew. After the fun and games of the previous musical episode , things switched back to danger mode very quickly, and viewers were ultimately left with a cliffhanger. With the re-appearance of the Gorn (the reptilian-humanoid extraterrestrials first seen in Star Trek in the 1960s), Pike was faced with a decision: heed the commands of the Enterprise not to engage with the Gorn, or do whatever he can to save his people. Pike, being the always-optimistic hero that he is, decides he must try and save his crew. And, when he sees young Gorn working together, his hunch that the species may be able to communicate leads him to want to try and save his crew without violence. While it's unclear how big a role the Gorn will play in Season 3, perhaps Pike's interest in their ability to communicate will be an important factor in not having this happen again.

To add (gross) insult to injury, it is revealed that Gorn eggs have been planted in Pike's love interest, Captain Batel, and she may have to sacrifice herself in order to save everyone else. This is also not resolved in the finale, adding another layer to what Season 3 might bring. Will she survive? And if so, what happens to the Gorn eggs? Additionally, diehard Star Trek fans were no doubt thrilled to see Montgomery Scott appear in the Season 2 finale. While the character first appeared in the 1960s, as portrayed by James Doohan , this is his first time on Strange New Worlds. The re-introduction of this iconic character leaves a lot of potential for Season 3.

There are still many more stories to be told and strange new worlds to explore. In a surprise to no one, Paramount+ has already renewed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for a fourth season. Mount took to Instagram , saying:

"We’ll see you again in the spring when Star Trek: Strange New Worlds goes back into production for Season 4!"

The Mandalorian (2019-)

Disney+'s runaway hit The Mandalorian has taken the world - and the internet - by storm. Premiering in 2019, show creator and showrunner Jon Favreau ( Chef ) has confirmed that Season 4 has already been written. The series follows a Mandalorian bounty hunter, played by Pedro Pascal ( The Last of Us ), as he travels through the galaxy after the fall of the Galactic Empire. Oh, and let's not forget about his companion, the now-iconic Grogu AKA Baby Yoda . WATCH ON DISNEY+

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

In the spirit of revisiting classic sci-fi television, for an updated version of the original Battlestar Galactica , try 2004's refreshed version. While not entirely a remake, it offers a more modern view of the cult classic, which originally ran from 1978-1979. Starring Edward James Olmos ( Stand and Deliver ), Mary McDonnell ( Donnie Darko ), Jamie Bamber ( Law and Order: UK ), and, who can forget, Katee Sackhoff 's iconic Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, the show is sure to hit that same, familiar space exploration note.

Buy on Amazon

Lost In Space (2018-2021)

For another modernized take on a classic, try the remake of Lost in Space , based on the original that ran from 1965-1968. The Robinsons are a family who wanted to start over on a space colony (very relatable), but they end up on an uncharted alien planet instead and must struggle for survival. The remake stars Toby Stephens ( Die Another Day ) and Molly Parker ( The Wicker Man ) as Mr. and Mrs. Robinson and ran for three seasons on Netflix.

WATCH ON NETFLIX

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55 Years Ago: Star Trek Final Episode Airs, Relationship with NASA Endures

Johnson space center.

The voyages of the Starship Enterprise came to a sudden and premature end on June 3, 1969, with the airing of the final episode of the Star Trek original television series. Ironically, the show’s cancellation came just six weeks before humanity embarked on its first voyage to land on another celestial body. Although the show ran for only three seasons, it generated a devoted fan base disappointed by the cancellation despite their write-in campaign to keep it on the air. But as things turned out, over the decades Star Trek evolved into a global phenomenon, first with the original episodes replayed in syndication, followed by a series of full-length motion pictures, and eventually a multitude of spin-off series. With its primary focus on space exploration, along with themes of diversity, inclusion, and innovation, the Star Trek fictional universe formed a natural association with NASA’s real life activities.

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry first had the idea for a science fiction television series in 1964. He presented his idea, a show set in the 23 rd century aboard a starship with a crew dedicated to exploring the galaxy, to Desilu Productions, an independent television production company headed by Lucille Ball. They produced a pilot titled “The Cage,” selling it to the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) network that then bought a second pilot titled “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” NBC introduced the show to its fall 1966 lineup, with the first episode “The Man Trap” airing on Sep. 8. To put that date in perspective, NASA launched Gemini XI four days later, one of the missions that helped the agency achieve the Moon landing nearly three years later. Meanwhile, Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise continued its fictional five-year mission through the galaxy to “seek out new life and new civilizations.” The makeup of the Enterprise’s crew made the show particularly attractive to late 1960s television audiences. The major characters included an African American woman communications officer, an Asian American helmsman, and a half-human half-Vulcan science officer, later joined by a Russian-born ensign. While the show enjoyed good ratings during its first two seasons, cuts to its production budget resulted in lower quality episodes during its third season leading to lower ratings and, despite a concerted letter-writing campaign from its dedicated fans, eventual cancellation.

Despite the show’s cancellation, Star Trek lived on and prospered in syndication and attracted an ever-growing fan base, turning into a worldwide sensation. Often dubbed “trekkies,” these fans held the first of many Star Trek conventions in 1972. When in 1976 NASA announced that it would name its first space shuttle orbiter Constitution, in honor of its unveiling on the anniversary of the U. S. Constitution’s ratification, trekkies engaged in a dedicated letter writing campaign to have the orbiter named Enterprise, after the starship in the television series. This time the fans’ letter writing campaign succeeded. President Gerald R. Ford agreed with the trekkies and directed NASA to rechristen the first space shuttle. When on Sept. 17, 1976 , it rolled out of its manufacturing plant in Palmdale, California, appropriately accompanied by a band playing the show’s theme song, it bore the name Enterprise. Many of the original cast members of the show as well as its creator Rodenberry participated in the rollout ceremony, hosted by NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher . Thus began a lengthy relationship between the space agency and the Star Trek brand.

During the development of the space shuttle in the 1970s, the need arose to recruit a new group of astronauts to fly the vehicle, deploy the satellites, and perform the science experiments. When NASA released the call for the new astronaut selection on July 8, 1976, it specifically encouraged women and minorities to apply. To encourage those applicants, NASA chose Nichelle Nichols, who played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the Starship Enterprise, to record a recruiting video and speak to audiences nationwide. She came to NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston in March 1977, and accompanied by Apollo 12 and Skylab 3 astronaut Alan L. Bean , toured the center and filmed scenes for the video in Mission Control and other facilities. NASA hoped that her stature and popularity would encourage women and minorities to apply, and indeed they did. In January 1978, when NASA announced the selection of 35 new astronauts from more than 8,000 applicants, for the first time the astronaut class included women and minorities. All distinguished themselves as NASA astronauts and paved the way for others in subsequent astronaut selections. Nichols returned to JSC in September 2010 with the Traveling Space Museum, an organization that partners with schools to promote space studies. She toured Mission Control and the International Space Station trainer accompanied by NASA astronaut B. Alvin Drew . She also flew aboard NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) airborne telescope aircraft managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, in September 2015.

Meanwhile, the Star Trek brand renewed itself in 1979 as a full-length motion picture with the original TV series cast members reprising their roles. Over the years, several sequels followed this first film. And on the small screen, a reboot of sorts occurred in 1987 with the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a new series set in the 24 th century aboard the Enterprise-D, a next generation starship with a new crew. That series lasted seven seasons, followed by a near-bewildering array of spin-off series, all built on the Star Trek brand, that continue to this day.

James Doohan, the actor who played Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, the Starship Enterprise’s chief engineer, had early associations with NASA. In April 1967, Doohan visited NASA’s Dryden (now Armstrong) Flight Research Center in California, spending time with NASA test pilot Bruce A. Peterson. A month later, Peterson barely survived a horrific crash of the experimental M2-F2 lifting body aircraft. He inspired the 1970s TV series The Six-Million Dollar Man, and the show’s opening credits include film of the crash. Doohan narrated a documentary film about the space shuttle released shortly before Columbia made its first flight in April 1981. In January 1991, Doohan visited JSC and with NASA astronaut Mario Runco (who sometimes went by the nickname “Spock”) toured the shuttle trainers, Mission Control, and tried his hand at operating the shuttle’s robotic arm in the Manipulator Development Facility. In a unique tribute, astronaut Neil A. Armstrong , the first person to step on the lunar surface , spoke at Doohan’s retirement in 2004, addressing him as “one old engineer to another.”

George Takei, who played Enterprise helmsman Lt. Hikaru Sulu, and his husband Brad, visited JSC in May 2012. Invited by both Asian American and LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Groups, Takei spoke of leadership and inclusiveness, including overcoming challenges while in Japanese American internment camps during World War II and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. He noted that Star Trek remained ahead of its time in creating a future when all members of society could equally participate in great undertakings, at a time when the country struggled through the Civil Rights movement and the conflict in Southeast Asia. The inclusiveness that is part of NASA’s culture greatly inspired him. JSC Director Michael L. Coats presented Takei with a plaque including a U.S. flag flown aboard space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-135 mission. He also visited Mission Control and spent some time with Robonaut.

Leonard Nimoy played the science officer aboard the Starship Enterprise, the half-human, half-Vulcan Mr. Spock. The actor watched in September 2012 when space shuttle Enterprise arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, on the last leg of its journey to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, where it currently resides. “This is a reunion for me,” observed Nimoy. “Thirty-five years ago, I met the Enterprise for the first time.” As noted earlier, the Star Trek cast attended the first space shuttle’s rollout in 1976. Following his death in 2015, European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti paid tribute to Nimoy aboard the International Space Station by wearing a Star Trek science officer uniform, giving the Vulcan greeting, and proclaiming, “Of all the souls I have encountered … his was the most human.”

Captain James T. Kirk, played by actor William Shatner, a life-long advocate of science and space exploration, served at the helm of the Starship Enterprise. His relationship with NASA began during the original series, with references to the space agency incorporated into several story lines. In 2011, Shatner hosted and narrated a NASA documentary celebrating the 30 th anniversary of the Space Shuttle program , and gave his time and voice to other NASA documentaries. NASA recognized Shatner’s contributions in 2014 with a Distinguished Public Service Medal , the highest award NASA bestows on non-government individuals. NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Communications Robert “Bob” N. Jacobs presented the medal to Shatner. The award’s citation read, “For outstanding generosity and dedication to inspiring new generations of explorers around the world, and for unwavering support for NASA and its missions of discovery.” In 2019, Shatner narrated the NASA video We Are Going , about NASA’s plans to return astronauts to the Moon. He has spoken at numerous NASA-themed events and moderated panels about NASA’s future plans. On Oct. 13, 2021, at the age of 90, Shatner reached the edge of space during the NS-18 suborbital flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle, experiencing three minutes of weightlessness.

Elements of the Star Trek universe have made their way not only into popular culture but also into NASA culture. As noted above, Star Trek fans had a hand in naming the first space shuttle Enterprise. NASA’s Earth observation facility aboard the space station that makes use of its optical quality window bears the name the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF). The connection between that acronym and the name of a Klingon officer aboard the Enterprise in the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series seemed like an opportunity not to be missed – the facility’s official patch bears its name in English and in Klingon. Several astronaut crews have embraced Star Trek themes for their unofficial photographs. The STS-54 crew dressed in the uniforms of Starship Enterprise officers from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, the second full-length feature motion picture of the series. Space shuttle and space station crews created Space Flight Awareness (SFA) posters for their missions, and more than one embraced Star Trek themes. The Expedition 21 crew dressed in uniforms from the original series, while the STS-134 crew chose as their motif the 2009 reboot motion picture Star Trek.

As much as Star Trek has influenced NASA, in turn the agency has left its mark on the franchise, from episodes referencing actual and future spaceflight events to NASA astronauts making cameo appearances on the show. The first-season episode “Court Martial” that aired in February 1967 featured a photograph of the December 1965 Gemini VI launch adorning a wall aboard a star base. In the second-season episode “Return to Tomorrow,” airing in February 1968, Captain Kirk in a dialogue about risk-taking remarks, “Do you wish that the first Apollo mission hadn’t reached the Moon?” a prescient reference to the first Apollo mission to reach the Moon more than 10 months after the episode aired. Astronaut Mae C. Jemison , who credits Nichelle Nichols as her inspiration to become an astronaut, appeared in the 1993 episode “Second Chances” of Star Trek: The Next Generation , eight months after her actual spaceflight aboard space shuttle Endeavour. In May 2005, two other NASA astronauts, Terry W. Virts and E. Michael Fincke , appeared in “These are the Voyages…,” the final episode of the series Star Trek: Enterprise.

In the 2016 documentary “ NASA on the Edge of Forever: Science in Space ,” host NASA astronaut Victor J. Glover states, “Science and Star Trek go hand-in-hand.” The film explores how for 50 years, Star Trek influenced scientists, engineers, and even astronauts to reach beyond their potential. While the space station doesn’t speed through the galaxy like the Starship Enterprise, much of the research conducted aboard the orbiting facility can make the fiction of Star Trek come a little closer to reality. Several of the cast members from the original TV series share their viewpoints in the documentary, along with those of NASA managers and scientists. Over the years, NASA has created several videos highlighting the relationship between the agency and the Star Trek franchise. In 2016, NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden led a video tribute to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of the first Star Trek episode.

In 2021, on the 100 th anniversary of Gene Roddenberry’s birth, his son Rod hosted a virtual panel discussion , introduced by NASA Administrator C. William “Bill” Nelson , about diversity and inspiration, two ideals the Star Trek creator infused into the series. Panelists included Star Trek actor Takei, Tracy D. Drain, flight systems engineer for the Europa Clipper spacecraft at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim , Swati Mohan, guidance and operations lead for the Mars 2020 rover at JPL, and Hortense B. Diggs, Director of the Office of Communication and Public Engagement at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The mutual attraction between NASA and Star Trek stems from, to paraphrase the opening voiceover from the TV series, that both seek to explore and discover new worlds, and to boldly go where no one has gone before. The diversity, inclusion, and inspiration involved in these endeavors ensure that they will live long and prosper.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

All good things... (1994), andreas katsulas: cmdr. tomalak, photos .

Quotes 

Commander Tomalak : [of Picard's proposal]  Has Starfleet Command approved this arrangement?

Capt. Picard : No.

Commander Tomalak : I like it already. Agreed.

Commander Tomalak : So, Captain, how long shall we stare at each other across the Neutral Zone?

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'Star Trek: Discovery' ends as an underappreciated TV pioneer

Eric Deggans

Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham. Michael Gibson/Paramount+ hide caption

First, an admission: Though this column will offer a lot of discussion and defense of Star Trek: Discovery as a pivotal show, it won’t spend much time talking up the series’ current, final season or its finale episode, “Life, Itself,” dropping Thursday on Paramount+.

That’s because, for this critic, the last few seasons of Discovery have been a bit bogged down by the stuff that has always made it a tough sell as a Trek series: overly ambitious, serialized storylines that aren’t compelling; new characters and environments that don’t impress; plot twists which can be maddening in their lack of logic; big storytelling swings which can be confusing and predictable at once.

'Star Trek: Picard' soars by embracing the legacy of 'The Next Generation'

The show’s finale features the culmination of a sprawling scavenger hunt which found the crew of the starship Discovery bounding all over the place, searching for clues leading to a powerful technology pioneered by an alien race which created humanoid life throughout the galaxy. Their goal was to grab the technology before another race, ruthless and aggressive, could beat them to it, laying waste to everything.

It's no spoiler to reveal that Discovery ’s heroes avoid that nightmarish scenario, wrapping its fifth and final season with a conclusion centered on Sonequa Martin-Green’s ever-resourceful Capt. Michael Burnham and fond resolutions for a multitude of supporting characters (there’s even a space wedding!)

Still, this good-enough ending belies Discovery ’s status as a pioneering show which helped Paramount+ build a new vision for Star Trek in modern television – breaking ground that more creatively successful series like Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds would follow years later.

And it all began with a singular character: Michael Burnham.

A take on Star Trek for modern TV

Discovery debuted in 2017 on CBS All Access — the streaming service which would become Paramount+ — facing a serious challenge.

As the first new Trek series in a dozen years, it had to chart a path which offered a new vision of the franchise without going too far — carving out a new corner in the universe of Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spock not long after the release of Star Trek Beyond , the third feature film produced by J. J. Abrams featuring rebooted versions of those classic characters.

Producers set Discovery ’s story 10 years before the days of Kirk and Spock (originally depicted on NBC for three seasons starting way back in 1966). The new series wouldn’t be centered on a starship captain, but its second in command: Burnham, a Black woman who also happened to be the hitherto unknown adopted daughter of Vulcan ambassador Sarek, Spock’s father (she would get promoted to captain of Discovery much later).

A Black human woman who was raised among the emotionally controlling, super-intellectual Vulcans? Who Trek fans had never heard of over nearly 60 years? Before I actually saw any episodes, my own feelings ranged from cautiously intrigued to cynically pessimistic.

But then I saw the first episode, which had an amazing early scene: Martin-Green as Burnham and Michelle Yeoh as Discovery Capt. Philippa Georgiou walking across an alien planet – two women of color marking the first step forward for Star Trek on a new platform.

People once sidelined in typical science fiction stories were now centerstage — a thrilling, historic moment.

Michelle Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou and Sonequa Martin-Green as First Officer Michael Burnham in the very first episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Jan Thijs/CBS hide caption

And it got better from there. Back in the day, Trek writers often felt hamstrung by creator Gene Roddenberry’s insistence that, in the future depicted by the show, humans were beyond social ills like greed, prejudice, sexism, war, money and personal friction. The writers chafed, wondering: How in the world do you build compelling stories on a starship where interpersonal human conflict doesn’t exist?

But Discovery found a workaround, putting Burnham in a position where logic led her to mutiny against her captain, attempting a strategy which ultimately failed — leaving humans in open combat with the legendarily warlike Klingons. Discovery also featured a long storyline which played out over an entire season, unlike many earlier Trek shows which tried to offer a new adventure every week.

'First, Last And Always, I Am A Fan': Michael Chabon Steers Latest 'Star Trek'

The show’s first season had plenty of action, with Harry Potter alum Jason Isaacs emerging as a compelling and unique starship captain (saying more would be a spoiler; log onto Paramount+ and check out the first season). Fans saw a new vision for Trek technology, leveraging sleek, visceral special effects and action sequences worthy of a big budget movie, with design elements cribbed from several of the franchise’s films.

Later in its run, Discovery would debut Ethan Peck as Spock and Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, classic Trek characters who eventually got their own acclaimed series in Strange New Worlds . So far, five other Trek series have emerged on Paramount+ from ideas initially incubated on Discovery – including a critically acclaimed season of Picard which reunited the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Not bad for a series one TV critic eventually called among “the worst in the [ Trek ] franchise’s history.”

Discovery’s unappreciated legacy

Unfortunately, Discovery has taken some turns which didn’t work out quite so well. At the end of Discovery ’s second season, the starship jumped ahead in time nine centuries – perhaps to remove it from Strange New World ’s timeline? – placing it in an environment only distantly connected to classic Trek .

And while Discovery initially seemed cautious about referencing classic Trek in its stories, later series like Strange New Worlds and Picard learned the value of diving into the near-60-year-old franchise’s legacy – regularly tapping the show’s longtime appeal, rather than twisting into knots to avoid it.

There are likely fans of Discovery who would disagree with this analysis. But I think it helps explain why the series has never quite gotten its due in the world of Star Trek , initially shaded by skeptical fans and later overshadowed by more beloved products.

Now is the perfect time to pay tribute to a show which actually accomplished quite a lot – helping prove that Roddenberry’s brainchild still has a lot of narrative juice left in the 21st Century.

Future Imperfect (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entries
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Cast and characters
• 3.4 Production
• 3.5 Continuity
• 3.6 Reception
• 3.7 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-stars
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stunt double
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8.1 Other references
• 4.8.2 Deleted references
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

Commander Riker is having his birthday party in Ten Forward . In front of everyone, he plays the trombone and fails to hit a high note. Everyone laughs as he wishes for music lessons when blowing out the candles on his cake. Captain Picard and Lieutenant commander Data are leaving to join the party on the bridge when Ensign Gleason detects some unusual subspace frequencies. The source is determined to be coming from the M-Class but uninhabited planet Alpha Onias III near the Romulan Neutral Zone . Picard mentions a rumor about a secret Romulan base in the sector, and sends Riker to lead an away team and investigate whether the Romulans are involved. Riker, Worf and La Forge beam down to the surface. The mission is aborted after the surface unexpectedly fills with methane gas . The away team falls unconscious and transporter chief Hubbell tries to have them beamed up but informs Picard that there is too much interference to obtain a positive lock.

Riker awakens in sickbay to nurse Alyssa Ogawa . Doctor Beverly Crusher comes over, happy that Riker remembers her and asks him what else he remembers, calling him "captain." In the mirror, Riker sees himself aged.

Act One [ ]

Crusher gets some water to go through the explanation she clearly expected with Riker and tries to calm him. He explains the last thing he remembers was being on Alpha Onias III. She states that was sixteen years ago. She explains to him that he is recovering from Altarian encephalitis he picked up on that away mission all those years ago. This virus has caused a form of amnesia , destroying all his memories from the moment he became infected to the present. Riker tries to piece together what has happened in the sixteen years since that away mission. He is now captain of the Enterprise , a position he has held for the past nine years. Crusher suggests they try associational therapy to see if he can gain back those memories. Riker tells her he wants to get started, as nothing is more familiar to him than the interiors of the Enterprise . Crusher warns him that in many cases, the memory loss is permanent.

Lots of changes on the Enterprise in 16 years

Crusher leads Riker to his quarters, but he changes the destination to the bridge, saying that will be most likely location to jog his memory. On the way, he notices a significant delay in the computer. Crusher explains that La Forge is running a diagnostic due to a malfunctioning processing attenuator. As he enters the bridge, he is surprised to see La Forge no longer needs his VISOR due to having cloned implants, Data is now his first officer with Worf in Data's old position, and his helm officer is a Ferengi ensign .

Captain Riker temporarily places the Enterprise on red alert when a Romulan warbird decloaks . He is quickly informed by Data that the warbird was expected and there is no cause for alarm. The Enterprise opens communications, and Admiral Picard appears on screen with Deanna Troi to say hello, and they beam over. It turns out that the admiral and a Romulan ambassador have arrived to sign a peace treaty between the Romulan Empire and the Federation . Captain Riker has been a key figure in these negotiations after having saved some Romulans in a prior encounter.

After the briefing, Troi goes with Riker to his quarters to talk more. He still does not remember anything. Suddenly, he hears a trombone in the next room. It is his son.

Act Two [ ]

Riker's son, whose name is Jean-Luc after the admiral, starts talking about school, however, it's clear he doesn't remember him. Troi asks to talk to Riker alone. She explains she didn't tell Riker since shocking him might produce a better effect. He asks who the mother is. Troi calls her Min, an "excellent captain's wife and ship's counselor," and says she died two years prior. After Troi leaves, Riker has a brief exchange with Jean-Luc on the trombone, and then tries to call up his service record, but the computer stalls again.

Later, Riker goes with Troi and Picard to the transporter room to meet the ambassador and give him a tour of the ship. However, it is revealed that the ambassador is none other than Tomalak . Riker is surprised as the last time the ambassador encountered the Enterprise at Nelvana III , he stated he would take the Enterprise 's hull back to Romulus as a trophy. Troi privately tells him that was a long time ago.

When they reach the bridge, Riker asks to speak to Troi and Picard privately to express concerns with trusting Tomalak given all the previous events. He is especially alarmed that they'll be taking Tomalak to Outpost 23 to sign the treaty, since it is the key to the Federation's defences in the Neutral Zone. Picard assures Riker that Outpost 23 no longer serves that purpose. Breaking the conversation, Crusher informs Riker that Jean-Luc is hurt in sickbay.

Act Three [ ]

Jean-Luc was playing parrises squares and broke his arm. Riker initially scolds him, but Crusher asks if he was hurting himself like this when he was his son's age. Riker starts taking to a fatherly role and tells Jean-Luc that he is the most important to him, and explains that his father wasn't there for him. He commits to building new memories with Jean-Luc, mentioning his Curtis Creek program . Back in his quarters, he calls up family records. However, he recognizes his wife in the video as really Minuet , a holodeck character who appeared to Riker three years prior . Thus, he immediately realizes all is not as it seems, and becomes angry. La Forge calls him to the bridge.

On the bridge, Riker interrogates La Forge on why he shut down the warp engines. La Forge responds he has discovered that the antimatter containment fields are fluctuating and he will have the warp core back online. Riker then questions him on the constant computer delay and La Forge responds he is running a level 1 diagnostic . But this has taken thirty hours, and Riker observes the task would never take La Forge more than four. He tells La Forge he is incapable of that level of incompetence. Next, he asks Worf where he received one of his scars, but Worf is unable to answer or provide any details at all. Riker then confronts his first officer, who cannot complete computations as fast as Data ordinarily would. In fact, Riker catches Data saying "can't" instead of "cannot," immediately calling him out for using a contraction when the real Data would not. When Picard arrives on the bridge and interrupts Riker, he shouts at the Admiral to "shut up". He then loudly asks if anyone else has anything to say, or if instead they should end the charade of what he has been experiencing.

Tomalak walks away from the others and agrees. The Enterprise and all its people disappear as holograms. He appears now to be in a Romulan holodeck.

Act Four [ ]

It seems that this has all been a holodeck fantasy put on by the Romulans for their own purposes in getting information from Riker. Tomalak asks how he figured it out, and he explains the time lag is due to the neural scanners. Riker informs him that Minuet is really a holodeck character. Tomalak is surprised, since, in Riker's mind, she is quite real. Riker is skeptical of the situation, asking why can't the neural scanners figure out the location of Outpost 23. Tomalak says they are calibrated for Romulan minds. Riker is unconvinced, given the incredible detail of the entire program, but Tomalak ends the conversation and orders that Riker be taken away.

He takes Riker to a cell while explaining that he and his "colleagues" beamed down a kilometer away from the location of the Romulan base. La Forge and Worf were allowed to beam back to the Enterprise , which has left the area. In the cell, he sees the child whose image was used for Riker's son. He has apparently been abused in some way. Tomalak leaves him to "give careful thought" to his situation. The child identifies himself as Ethan, the son of researchers on Miridian VI which is close to the Neutral Zone. Riker is surprised that the Enterprise didn't know about this research station, but promises to help him escape.

Suddenly, Tomalak comes in with a guard to question Riker again. Riker doesn't answer, but Ethan charges at the guard. Riker subdues them both and fires their disruptor at a few other Romulans on the way to Ethan's secret hiding place which Ethan had found earlier.

Act Five [ ]

The chasing Romulans use their scanners to find them, but leave. Ethan says he heard them earlier say that the rock masks the scanners. Ethan takes Riker even further into the hiding place and shows him he has mapped the area and knows how many guards there are in different areas. Ethan suggests going to the shuttlebay and stealing a ship, but Riker says the best plan is to reach the communications array and send a message to the Enterprise. Ethan immediately says the array is protected by voice print identification and the only person who has access is Ambassador Tomalak. Riker catches this, explaining that Tomalak is a Romulan Captain and was only an ambassador in the simulation, something he never told Ethan. The Romulans break in and demand Riker's weapon, but Riker has realised it is the boy who is behind everything and demands it be brought to an end, refusing to play along in his fantasies any more. The Romulan base disappears, leaving Riker with Ethan in a large cave -like structure.

" To me, you'll always be Jean-Luc. Two to transport. "

At the same time, the Enterprise finds his signal and successfully contacts him. After confirming with Picard that La Forge and Worf were beamed up to the Enterprise an hour before and are alright, Riker turns to the boy. He reveals that he was stranded here by his mother intentionally to save his life from invaders that killed his people, and was given technology up to the level of a sophisticated holodeck. She promised that she would return at a later time, but as Riker notes, it's clear that she wasn't able to keep it. He has lured Riker into this because of his desperate loneliness. Riker sympathizes and offers to take him back to the Enterprise, telling him he doesn't need to be alone anymore. The boy then shows his true identity as an insectoid child named " Barash ". Just before the two transport up to the ship, Riker says, " To me you will always be Jean-Luc. "

Log entries [ ]

• Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2367

Memorable quotes [ ]

" So, what did you wish for, Will? " " Music lessons. "

" Number One? Happy birthday. "

" Dr. Crusher? He's awake. " " Beverly. " " Will, you remember me. That's good. What else do you remember, captain? "

" What's the problem? " " I had to shut down the warp engines, captain. " " Why? " " Antimatter containment fields are fluctuating. It's nothing to worry about, though. " " We're on the edge of the Neutral Zone, at impulse power and you're not concerned? " " I'll have the engines back online in no time. " " Like you tracked down that faulty processing accelerator… " " I'm running a level 1 diagnostic! " " For thirty hours? That would never take you more than four. You're incapable of that level of incompetence, Mr. La Forge! "

" WORF! Where did you get that scar? " " In combat. " " What battle? When? Which sector? Which unit?! "

" Mr. Data, if we left immediately, when would we arrive at Outpost 23? " " At warp 1: three days, four hours – " " What about at warp 7? At warp 8? AT WARP 9?! " (Data is unable to answer) " What's the matter, Data? What happened to those millions of calculations per second? " " Pardon me, sir. I am experiencing sub-space interference which limits my abilities, I can't operate as quickly as I… " (interrupting) " …What did you say? " " I said I cannot operate as… " (interrupting) " No, that's not what you said. You said I CAN'T. You used a contraction didn't you? " " Sir, I can explain if you would just give me a moment " " No, you CAN'T, don't even try! "

" Captain, perhaps it would be best if we discussed this… " " SHUT UP. " " …I beg your pardon? " " I said SHUT UP! As in close your mouth and stop talking! " " Will, I sense how upset you are. You're angry and impatient. " " Deanna, back off. " ( pause ) " Well, would anyone else like to speak up? Or shall we end this charade? "

" My name is Barash. " " To me, you'll always be Jean-Luc. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Final draft script: 13 September 1990 [1]
• Premiere airdate: 12 November 1990
• First UK airdate: 25 May 1994

Story and script [ ]

Gene Roddenberry visits the set during production

• Brannon Braga recalled, " We've had some amazing pitches, but the most notable we ever heard was in 'Future Imperfect,' where the team came in and said we have a story where Riker wakes up from an accident fifteen years in the future… Riker has a son, is the captain of the Enterprise and has no idea what happened. Mike Piller said, 'Stop, we'll buy it.' " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 211)
• The only major change to J. Larry Carroll and David Bennett Carren 's pitch was the addition of the Romulan fantasy within a fantasy. Michael Piller commented, " The first draft was a little flat after we got into the story, just like " Remember Me ". You had a situation where you are into it and something strange is happening and yet it can't just turn out to be a dream at the end of the show because it's not satisfying. What you do is you get to the third act and you need to do something that moves the action forward. This is one of the best examples of the notion that you shouldn't censor yourself. I just talked and David Carren said, 'You mean that he thinks it's a real Romulan plot for an act?' and I said, 'That's not what I mean at all' – then I said, 'Stop, wait a minute, what if that's exactly what we do and play it out as a Romulan gag for an act.' That's what I think made that show work. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 211)
• The turbolift scene with Riker and Barash was added because the episode was running short. Carroll and Carren met with Rick Berman and Michael Piller to create a new scene the night before it was filmed. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 148)
• This episode's title is a play on words. In grammar, an imperfect tense is one where the verb describes an unfinished action (is doing) ; the future imperfect therefore takes the form will be doing . In the episode, the false reality (set in the "future") created by the alien for Riker was inaccurate (or "imperfect") in ways that allowed him to find out what was going on.

Cast and characters [ ]

• Guest star Andreas Katsulas was not comfortable with his recurring role as Tomalak in this episode. " I felt much more comfortable when he was an incredible giant on the screen, just a face. Suddenly when I had to account for everything else, I didn't feel support and nothing was supporting what I was doing. I was happy not to recur unless it would have gone back to a screen character. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 211) Katsulas would subsequently appear as Tomalak one final time in " All Good Things... ", once again seen only on a viewscreen.
• This episode marks the first appearance of Alyssa Ogawa , albeit only in the illusory future.
• Wil Wheaton ( Wesley Crusher ) does not appear in this episode.

Production [ ]

• Michael Westmore recalled that the aging make-up in this episode was intentionally more subtle than in previous installments. " Each member of the TNG cast was supposed to have aged sixteen years. The producers decided that rather than having each actor sit in a makeup chair for two or three hours, it would be a better idea to suggest their age by changing the hairstyles, and maybe doing a little rubber stretching around the eyes. I thought it was a sensible approach, because most of the actors were in their thirties, and even aging them sixteen years would only put them somewhere in their forties. Most people don't look dramatically different at that age, and it would have been a waste of time and energy using prosthetics to achieve that effect. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 180)
• The song Riker plays on his trombone is Misty by Errol Garner.
• The sets for the Romulan base in Barash's illusion were redresses of the Borg interiors from " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ". ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 148)
• In the episode's trailer, Riker's line " Shall we end this charade? " has him using the British pronunciation "shuh-RAHD", whereas in the finished episode, the line is dubbed with the more familiar American pronunciation, "shuh-REYD".
• Several items from this episode were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including a component from the Romulan holodeck. [2]

Continuity [ ]

• Riker comments on the unlikelihood of a Ferengi ensign, though Nog became an ensign just seven years later in DS9 : " Favor the Bold ".
• A female Klingon appears as a Starfleet officer on board this version of the Enterprise . About four years after this episode airs, a female half-Klingon by the name of B'Elanna Torres works as a chief engineer of USS Voyager , a Starfleet vessel.
• Geordi La Forge 's eyes have been replaced with cloned organs, so he doesn't need his VISOR anymore. In Star Trek: First Contact , his visor is replaced with technological implants and in Star Trek: Insurrection , the regenerative effects of the planet Ba'ku's rings temporarily regenerated his retinas.
• The events of this episode state that Riker becomes a captain seven years after the away mission on Alpha Onias III. However, Riker takes command of his own ship, USS Titan , twelve years after the events of this episode.
• The simulation supposedly takes place sixteen years into Riker's future. This would be 2383 , four years after the events seen in Star Trek Nemesis . Admiral Picard states that the peace talks with the Romulans originated in an event four years prior, the same time period as Nemesis . And Riker's ship was in charge of the task force handling discussions with the Romulans.
• Picard is an admiral in the simulated 2383, working on relations with the Romulans. Canonically, Picard is promoted to admiral between 2379 and 2381 , in order to take charge of the Romulan rescue armada. ( Star Trek Nemesis , PIC : " Remembrance ", " Absolute Candor "; LD : " The Stars At Night ") (Non-canonical material, including the press kit for Picard and the novel The Last Best Hope indicate Picard was promoted in 2381 .)
• Troi appears in a standard uniform in this episode. She begins wearing a standard uniform with TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part I ".
• The Starfleet communicator features horizontal bars, rather than an oval, around the Starfleet insignia, in a design similar to the design seen in Star Trek Generations , and also used in " Parallels ". The bars are used to replace the rank insignia from the collar of the uniform. Officers have silver arrowheads with gold bars (for full pips), silver bars (for hollow pips), and black bars (used to fill out the design to have four bars). The admiral's communicator uses inverted colors, with a gold arrowhead, with a silver star, and silver bars. Given that the admiral has four bars and a diamond in the center, he is a full admiral.
• Although apart from the rank insignia, the uniforms seen in Barash's simulated future resemble those in use in 2367 , Admiral Picard's uniform bears a slight resemblance to those actually in use in the 2380s .
• The relationship between Riker and his son is strikingly similar to that of Benjamin Sisko and his son, Jake , at the beginning of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , only three years later. Most notably, both fathers lost their wives a few years prior and fishing is an important hobby.
• Riker references the claim Tomalak made in " The Defector " that he would display the broken hull of the Enterprise in the Romulan capitol. He also recalls Picard's comment from the same episode, " You've always said it's a chess game with the Romulans, " where, indeed, Picard had previously stated, " It's always a chess game with them, isn't it? "

Reception [ ]

• Director Les Landau observed, " It was an opportunity for Jonathan to take charge of an episode and it just shows the dynamic quality of Riker to have to deal with not only having aged fifteen years, but to discover that you have a son and have been married and [are] captain of the Enterprise . Can you imagine waking up one day and finding out that you've skipped fifteen years on your CD? There were lots of tricks and false leads, and yet there was something universal about the theme of this alien at the end which was the embodiment of this little boy. The final moment where Riker sees this alien being in the caverns of this other world and says I will take you with me and you will always be a part of me, goes back to the basics of what Star Trek is all about. It's that caring for the Human condition, love for the universal being. It sounds very esoteric and snobbish to talk this way, but that's when Star Trek is at its best. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 211)
• A mission report for this episode by John Sayers was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 15 , pp. 50-53.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 41, 9 March 1992
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 4.3, 4 June 2001
• As part of the TNG Season 4 DVD collection
• As part of the TNG Season 4 Blu-ray collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard / Jean-Luc Picard (hologram)
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge / Geordi La Forge (hologram)
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf / Worf (hologram)
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher / Beverly Crusher (hologram)
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi / Deanna Troi (hologram)
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data / Data (hologram)

Guest stars [ ]

• Andreas Katsulas as Tomalak (hologram)
• Chris Demetral as Jean-Luc / Ethan
• Carolyn McCormick as Min Riker

Co-stars [ ]

• Patti Yasutake as Alyssa Ogawa (hologram)
• Todd Merrill as Gleason
• April Grace as Transporter Chief Hubbell
• George O'Hanlon, Jr. as Transporter Chief

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Arratia as Alfonse Pacelli (hologram)
• Rachen Assapiomonwait as Nelson
• Majel Barrett as USS Enterprise -D computer voice
• Bowman as sciences division officer
• Michael Braveheart as Martinez
• Debbie David as Russell
• Gilbert Combs as Romulan officer
• Nyra Crenshaw as operations division officer
• Robert Daniels as illusory Romulan officer
• Michele Gerren as science division officer
• Tim McCormack as Bennett
• Michael Moorehead as civilian
• Keith Rayve as civilian
• Joycelyn Robinson as Gates (hologram)
• Richard Sarstedt as command division officer
• Dana Tjulander as Barash
• Natalie Wood as Bailey (hologram)
• Command division officer
• Female Klingon crewman
• Female science division officer
• Ferengi ensign
• Science division officer
• Six Romulan officers
• Ten Forward waiter
• Ten Forward waitress
• Two civilian women

Stunt double [ ]

• Unknown stunt performer as stunt double for Andreas Katsulas

Stand-ins [ ]

• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
• James Washington – stand-in for Michael Dorn

References [ ]

2366 ; 2367 ; 2374 ; 2379 ; 2381 ; 2383 ; ability ; accident ; advice ; age ; agreement ; alliance ; Alpha Onias III ; Alpha Onias system ; Altarian encephalitis ; angry ; antimatter containment field ; Apollo spacecraft ; arm ; association ; associational therapy ; away team ; Barash's mother ; Barash's species ; Barash's species homeworld ; battle ; battle cruiser, Romulan ; birth ; birthday ; birthday cake ; birthday party ; brain ; brain pattern ; brain tissue ; calculations per minute ; candle ; case ; cavern ; celebration ; cell ; Celsius ; charade ; chess game ; class M ; colleague ; coma ; combat ; communications ( communications system ); communicator transponder scan ; compression attenuator ; computer ; concern ; contraction ; Curtis Creek ( creek ); Curtis Creek program ; damage ; " damn it "; day ; D'deridex -class ; debate ; deceit ; Decius ; defense ; delirium ; desire ; distrust ; DNA ; dream ; Earth Outpost Station ; embouchure ; Ethan's parents ; " explanation ; eye ; family record ; fantasy ; Federation ; Federation space ; feeling ; Ferengi ; fever ; fictional Starfleet uniform ; first officer ; fish ; fishing ; Fornax Disaster ; Fornax Disaster sun ; friend ; Galaxy class decks ; Greenburg ; guard ; gym ; hail ; hand ; heavy metal ; " hello "; hiding place ; holodeck ; holographic program ; home video ; host ; hour ; " house of cards "; hull ; Human ; hydrogen sulfide ; idea ; image ; impatient ; implant ; impulse power ; incompetence ; infection ; information ; invaders of Barash's homeworld ; " jog my memory "; kidnapping ; kilometer ; Klingon ; level 1 diagnostic ; life sign ; life support ; living quarters ; location ; marriage ; Melbourne , USS ; memory ; memory banks ; memory loss ; memory pattern ; methane ; million ; minute ; mission ; Miridian VI ; mistake ; Misty ; mouth ; mouthpiece ; musical note ; muscle ; music lesson ; name ; namesake ; Nebula -class ; neck ; negotiation ; negotiator ; Nelvana III ; neural scanner ; neural synapse ; nova ; number one ; Onias sector ; opportunity ; order ; Outpost 23 ; Parrises squares ; particle-wave emission analysis ; patient ; peace ; picnic ; picture ; power emission ; pressure ; problem ; processing accelerator ; question ; ramp ; recovery ; red alert ; report ; research station ; response time ; retrovirus ; Riker, Kyle ; rock ; Romulan ; Romulan base ; Romulan battle cruiser ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; Romulan territory ; scar ; sector ; security survey ; security system ; service record ; session ; ship's counselor ; shuttle ; shuttlebay ; smell ; song ; sound ; spokesman ; Starfleet Command ; storeroom ; strain ; subspace frequency ; subspace interference ; subspace message ; subspace transmitter ; sulfur dioxide ; supply depot ; surface ; survey team ; thought ; " Three Blind Mice "; time lag ; tone ; tooth ; tour ; Transporter Room 6 ; transporter signal ; treaty ; tricorder ; trombone ; truth ; tunnel ; turbolift ; unit ; vacation ; VISOR ; visual record ; voice ; volcanic gas ; war trophy ; warbird, Romulan ; warp coil ; warp engine ; water ; weapon ; week ; " whoa "; wife ; wrist ; year

Other references [ ]

• Service Record – Captain William T. Riker (remastered) : Alpha Onias expedition ; Axanar ; Beta Quadrant ; Brettner ; Deneva Special Congress on Interstellar Affairs ; Enterprise -D, USS ; Excalbian Campaign ; Gamma Hydra sector ; Grankite Order of Tactics ; Karagite Order of Heroism ; Praetor Campaign ; Preantares Ribbon of Commendation ; Sargon Region ; Starbase 384 ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry ; Starfleet Medal of Honor ; Titan , USS ; Zavolta Planetary Geosciences Survey Expedition

Deleted references [ ]

External links [ ].

• " Future Imperfect " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Future Imperfect " at Wikipedia
• " Future Imperfect" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Future Imperfect" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " Future Imperfect " at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Calypso (episode)