When it comes to getting the Star Trek fandom’s collective attention, nothing beats a crossover. With so much content available today, it’s hard to imagine that when Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered in 1987, the only crossovers possible were those with the cast of The Original Series.
McCoy, Scotty, Sarek, and Spock would all appear on TNG. Meanwhile, Kirk and Chekov wouldn't get their opportunity until Captain Picard and company made the move to the big screen.
With that in mind, here is the Redshirts Always Die ranking of TOS characters' appearances on TNG and in the 1994 film Star Trek: Generations. Now, let's see who made the most of their crossover opportunity.
7. Scotty (Generations)
I remember when this movie came out in 1994, and I was looking forward to seeing some of The Original Series crew members, including my favorites, Pavel Chekov and Montgomery Scott. While their main story technically ended with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, I enjoyed the idea of them being there with Captain Kirk for the USS Enterprise-B's shakedown cruise. While Chekov had a sweet moment with Kirk that references their many years of service together, Scotty's presence and limited lines were sadly wasted and mostly overshadowed by Kirk's moments.
6. Kirk (Generations)
Speaking of Captain Kirk, this moment from the first act of Star Trek: Generations is simply beautiful.
As Kirk boards the new Enterprise-B for its shakedown cruise, Chekov leads him to the young woman at the helm and introduces Ensign Demora Sulu, which, of course, is Mr. Sulu's daughter.
Kirk looks a bit surprised but tells her, "It wouldn't be the Enterprise without a Sulu at the helm." Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov all appear in this initial scene. It ties in strongly with the canon, and while the franchise often feels timeless, it reminds us that our favorites from The Original Series are aging right along with us.
This film also features James T. Kirk for the final time, as he sacrifices his life to save Captain Picard and prevent the madman Dr. Soran from altering the direction of the Nexus ribbon, which allows people to experience their greatest wish once they enter it.
The scene where Kirk and Picard ride horses together in the Nexus is one of my favorite crossover moments. Jean-Luc's words and the realization that there is no true excitement in this life, something of a callback to "The Cage," encourage Kirk to leave the Nexus and help Picard defeat Soran.
5. Sarek (TNG)
You can't get much closer to a Vulcan than through a mind meld, and that's exactly what happens between Mr. Spock's father, Sarek, and Captain Picard in their tear-jerker crossover episode "Sarek." It's a clever callback to "Journey to Babel," where Sarek tries to hide his illness while on an important diplomatic mission.
Ambassador Sarek is much older now and suffers from Bendii Syndrome, which makes it difficult for him to control his emotions. He mind-melds with Picard, who carries the symptoms for him so the aged Vulcan can complete his mission.
This is one of those crossovers that fans dream of, where the aging character literally passes much of his emotions and hidden feelings to the younger one to carry into the future. While Bendii Syndrome would eventually claim Sarek's life, his encounter with Picard reminds us that the Star Trek franchise is like a chain with many links.
Seeing Sarek stripped of his logic and emotional control is heartbreaking, especially when you're a fan of The Original Series, where he's a paragon of logic yet is not above opening a can of whoop-[expletive] on that belligerent Tellerite ambassador, Gav.
4. Spock (TNG)
This two-part Next Gen episode "Unification" is one of the best of the whole series, and not just because of the appearance of the legendary Spock. Fans also get to enjoy the second appearance of Mark Lenard as Sarek in TNG. While Ambassador Spock doesn't appear in the episode until the end of part one, there's plenty of crossover goodness in the second half!
When Picard and Spock finally meet, it almost seems as if Jean-Luc is the logical one when it comes to the issue of Spock's personal mission to reunite Romulus and Vulcan. When Picard presses him on why he kept this information from the Vulcans and the Federation, we get more crossover goodness as Spock discusses some of the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
I love the boomer moment when Spock tells Picard that he was involved with "cowboy diplomacy" long before the current captain of the Enterprise-D was born. Additionally, Picard sharing Sarek's final thoughts with Spock at the end of the episode wrapped this character arc up nicely.
3. Chekov (Generations)
Pavel Chekov ranks high on my list of favorite characters. Chekov is sassy as a young man and matures into a tenderly grouchy adult who also happens to have excellent comedic timing. His role in Generations is short, but it reminds us of how important found family really is.
When Captain Harriman asks Kirk to give the order to take out the Enterprise-B, Chekov is visible in the background and having the time of his life watching Kirk squirm in front of the media that's there. When Kirk simply says, "Take us out," the entire bridge erupts into applause. When he sits back down, Chekov quips, "Very good, sir!" It's a playful moment that reminds us that these men truly are family.
2. Scotty (TNG)
Montgomery Scott appears twice on this list because unlike his crossover role in Generations, TNG's "Relics" gave James Doohan a chance to shine, and we ask the same questions he does in the episode: What do you do when you no longer feel in step with the rest of the world and no one needs what you can offer anymore?
After feeling useless in engineering, and after some harsh words from Geordi La Forge, Scotty goes to Ten Forward and asks Data for some real alcohol. Data finds something in Guinan's stock, and when he's not sure of the bottle's contents, he says, "It is green."
What a fantastic crossover moment and a beautiful in-joke for fans of The Original Series! I know I should mention Scotty going into the holodeck and onto the TOS Star Trek bridge, but please, it always takes me five to seven business days to recover after I see it.
1. McCoy (TNG)
From the moment viewers hear in "Encounter at Farpoint" that a visiting admiral would rather take a shuttlecraft to the Enterprise-D rather than use the transporter, fans of The Original Series like me knew it had to be Leonard McCoy, our beloved and forever cranky doctor, coming aboard.
When Data questions Admiral McCoy's attitude, Bones agrees that Vulcans are honorable and advanced, but then adds, "And damn annoying at times." Considering that Spock is still alive at this time too, you have to wonder if they FaceTime until McCoy gets annoyed with Spock and hangs up on him.
This TNG/TOS crossover character earns the highest rating on this list. McCoy has not changed one iota (character consistency). Plus, McCoy's scene gets an assist from the music, which turns rather tender when talk turns to the Enterprise having the right name, and the way Data respects Bones by matching his walking pace exactly. While DeForest Kelley's appearance was meant to draw in viewers for TNG's pilot, having lost him in 1999 makes this appearance in the 24th century especially poignant now.
Do you agree with our list? Who would you have picked as your favorite Star Trek: TOS/TNG crossover character? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.