Encounter at Farpoint Original Draft?

[BillJ]

I think we all know that DC Fontana wrote the original one-hour version of "Encounter at Farpoint". When Paramount asked for it to be expanded, Roddenberry bolted on the Q plot.

Is the first Fontana version of the script floating around anywhere? It would be interesting to see how the story was to play out with the Q bits. Maybe @Harvey or @Maurice might have some idea if it exists?

 

[JesterFace]

The addition of Q was a great one.

Perhaps (?) unknowingly at the time, it gave the entire series the "trial on humanity", which was wrapped up in 'All Good Things...'

 

[Tenacity]

The addition of Q was a great one.

Biggest downside of that was it gave us the character of Q.

 

[Tomalak]

I think we all know that DC Fontana wrote the original one-hour version of "Encounter at Farpoint". When Paramount asked for it to be expanded, Roddenberry bolted on the Q plot.

Is the first Fontana version of the script floating around anywhere? It would be interesting to see how the story was to play out with the Q bits. Maybe @Harvey or @Maurice might have some idea if it exists?

Yeah I wonder this. Were the crew always separated (a great way of introducing a large regular cast) or do they just all arrive at Farpoint on the ship in the teaser?

 

[JesterFace]

Biggest downside of that was it gave us the character of Q.

You don't like Q..?
The upside of Q was that it gave TNG a "continuing storyline", the trial of humanity through the entire series.

 

[Herbert]

Biggest downside of that was it gave us the character of Q.

The character was fine. The problem was they overused him in TNG and then compounded it by using him in DS9 and VOY.
Did he show up in Enterprise?

 

[BillJ]

You don't like Q..?

Not a matter of liking or disliking something. The original draft is a part of Trek history. Something that might of been if things had went differently, like Phase II or Star Trek: The Beginning.

 

[Samuel]

My problem with Q was that I was already familiar with John DeLancie as a comic character from the daytime soap opera "Days of Our Lives".

A weightier, more ominous actor playing Q might've made the character work for me.

 

[JesterFace]

My problem with Q was that I was already familiar with John DeLancie as a comic character from the daytime soap opera "Days of Our Lives".

That's the problem here, you have watched a daytime soap opera... but you are brave enough to admit it, congrats.

 

[Samuel]

That's the problem here, you have watched a daytime soap opera... but you are brave enough to admit it, congrats.

Give me a break. My sister controlled the remote.

 

[JesterFace]

Give me a break. My sister controlled the remote.

Apology accepted.

 

[MacLeod]

The character was fine. The problem was they overused him in TNG and then compounded it by using him in DS9 and VOY.
Did he show up in Enterprise?

Yes but DSN wisely decided that once was enough.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

My problem with Q was that I was already familiar with John DeLancie as a comic character from the daytime soap opera "Days of Our Lives".

A weightier, more ominous actor playing Q might've made the character work for me.

I think a less comical actor would have made him unbearable. What made the character work was the repartee he had with Picard, and he couldn't have had that if he were more self-serious.

 

[Armus]

I think a less comical actor would have made him unbearable. What made the character work was the repartee he had with Picard, and he couldn't have had that if he were more self-serious.

One of my favorite scenes between Picard and Q is in Hide and Q when Q shows up as a monk and asks Riker, "Are these truly your friends my brother?" It's silly but Patrick Stewart's bewildered expression is priceless.

"Let us pray... for understanding and for compassion."
"Let us do no such damn thing!"

 

[Firebird]

I think we all know that DC Fontana wrote the original one-hour version of "Encounter at Farpoint". When Paramount asked for it to be expanded, Roddenberry bolted on the Q plot.

Is the first Fontana version of the script floating around anywhere? It would be interesting to see how the story was to play out with the Q bits. Maybe @Harvey or @Maurice might have some idea if it exists?

Thanks to our friends at the Roddenberry Vault, here's Fontana's first draft outline from January 1987: http://www.roddenberry.com/media/vault/Outline-EncounterAtFarpoint.pdf

At this point, Farpoint was already intended to be a two-hour pilot episode, but definitely no indication of Q anywhere in this first version.

 

[Farscape One]

Q and Picard were a great duo on screen. Stewart having the serious character needed someone like de Lancie to offset that seriousness. It's a big reason why they sparked so well on screen. I don't think he was overused in TNG, and only done once on DS9. VOYAGER was when he was overused. "DEATH WISH" should have been his last appearance. That would have been a perfect sendoff of the character.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

I think a less comical actor would have made him unbearable. What made the character work was the repartee he had with Picard, and he couldn't have had that if he were more self-serious.

What made Q work so well was the joyful abandon with which he toyed with humanity, but could turn on a dime and be a real hard ass if/when he chose to (e.g. introducing them to the Borg). I doubt the show would have been as successful without him.

Although he was awkward in Farpoint (which character wasn't, though?), he served as a "tough love" guide for Picard through the series, culminating in the finale of All Good Things (where he gave the impression that he was never really going to let humanity perish).

Man, I wish there had never been any TNG movies. Those destroyed one of the best character developments ever.

ETA: I've never actually read Fontana's treatment for the Farpoint script. Interesting that Wesley is Leslie, Tasha Yar is Macha Hernandez, Geordi is an ensign, and some extra character (Green) is hanging around. There's your JJ TNG reboot!

 

[Vger23]

Slight divergence...but it bumms me out that so many people seem to think Encounter at Farpoint is garbage. I really liked that pilot right from the get-go. Still enjoy it today.

 

[Phoenix219]

I really like the early take of the show. Picturing it all with a more 23rd century aesthetic does wonders, though. I like Leslie and Green and Ensign La Forge, and Macha would have been more badass then Tasha for sure. Reading that felt more like reading a TOS episode. Keeping Q for his own episode keeps the highlights on the Farpoint situation. I wonder if anyone has ever fancut it this way?

 

[Armus]

Thank the studio for Q. Gene was adamant that Farpoint be a regular one hour episode but the studio wanted a big splashy two hour pilot and would not back down. According to Rick Berman, Q was inserted to lengthen the pilot.

 

[Tom]

Wow, I never realized how much material was was in the open index vault:

http://www.roddenberry.com/media/vault/

 

[Mark 2000]

The biggest problem with the Q addition was that it didn't allow Picard and crew to solve the mystery of Farpoint themselves. Every time they're about to do the wrong thing, like fire on the jellyfish ship, Q shows up and goads them into doing the right thing. He keeps giving clues through reverse psychology. Q is either stupid or secretly on humanity's side.