Star Trek: First Contact was arguably the best movie of the Next Generation Era of films.
Star Trek: First Contact did a great job telling the story of Jean-Luc Picard’s lingering PTSD, which he obtained after the Borg assimilated him into the collective. Fans saw Picard go through the gamut of emotions, which often involved a return flight to “rage” every so often. It also did a great job highlighting Data’s quest for humanity, and the complicated struggle of time travel.
What it didn’t do a great job with, and this is coming from someone who considers this his all-time favorite Trek movie, is a balance of using every character as well as one another. Some characters got far more to do than others, and that’s the sad reality of a film franchise.
Unlike television, not every character can be given equal measure throughout a season. So we’re looking at just how important every character was to the greatest story of First Contact.
Ranking how each of the core cast of The Next Generation was used in Star Trek: First Contact
7. Beverly Crusher
Outside of her normal duties, and getting the sick and wounded out of Sick Bay before the Borg arrived, Beverly Crusher didn’t exactly have the most fleshed-out plot. Her big “moment” came as s set up to put over Lily, telling Lily that once a captain makes up his mind, the discussion is over.
6. Geordi La Forge
Crusher didn’t have a real big moment on her own, while Georid La Forge’s big singular moment came when he and Reginald Barclay essentially scare off Zefram Cochran due to all of their gushings about him in the future. You expect it from Barclay, but not from Geordi.
5. William Riker
William Riker had far more lines, than many in the film but he was constantly being upstaged by Zefram, Deanna, or the events happening on the Enterprise. He added color to the events on the planet, but anyone could’ve done that.
4. Worf
Worf had a few huge moments, his attack with the Defiant, the battle on the ships’ haul, his one-liner “Assimilate this!” and of course that cold “IF YOU WERE ANY OTHER MAN, I WOULD KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND” to Picard. Worf got to Worf-out really hard in this film and we loved it. My only complaint; we needed more Worf doing his Worfiest.
3. Deanna Troi
You may not realize this, but Deanna Troi had one of the best, most low-key moments in the whole movie when she’s hanging out with Zefram. It was outright hilarious and added some levity to the proceedings. It was a unique way to use the famed ship’s counselor, letting her get drunk with a booze hound.
2. Data
Data’s quest for humanity was a large part of the film, and one of the more obvious ones. His line at the end really delivered how vital it was for him to have a key role in the film. When the battle was over and Data shared with Picard that he briefly thought about taking the Queen up on her offer, Picard asked him how long of a time, to which Data quipped; “0.68 seconds sir. For an android, that is nearly an eternity.”
1. Jean-Luc Picard
As mentioned above, the film was Picard’s personal Mobey Dick story, peppered on top of a story of a man dealing with PTSD. Picard’s arch is the driving force of the film and arguably the best part of the film.