Famous Firsts In 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' Quiz

Answer: Guinan

As the enormous cubical ship is seen for the first time, Picard asks Guinan if she can identify its origin. She explains that the alien race inside the cube call themselves the Borg.

Answer: La Forge

A Borg drone -- the first one ever seen on 'ST:TNG' -- materializes in Engineering right before the eyes (well, VISOR) of Lieutenant Geordi La Forge.

Answer: Dr. Crusher

'The Host' opens with a scene depicting Beverly Crusher and Odan, her new Trill lover, sharing an intimate moment in the turbolift.

Answer: None of these

Guinan's race is never named during the series -- all she ever says is, 'We've been called a race of listeners.' It wasn't until the 1994 theatrical release 'Star Trek: Generations' that we hear Beverly Crusher identify Guinan's (and Dr. Tolian Soran's) race as El-Aurian...which is probably a play on words, since 'auris' is Latin for 'ear.' A race of listeners. Get it?

Answer: Third

Quite unlike Captain Kirk, huh? Picard's first (shown) lover was Vash, a smuggler of sorts he met in the third season episode 'Captain's Holiday.' I don't recall Kirk going without female companionship for more than three episodes, much less three years!

Answer: true

The Bajorans were shown for the first time in the fifth season episode 'Ensign Ro,' and Ro Laren herself was the first member of that race to appear on screen.

Answer: Dr. Julian Bashir

Bashir made the acquaintance of Data and La Forge in the sixth season episode 'Birthright, Part I.' Quark was the only other 'DS9' denizen to show up on 'TNG,' and that was in the seventh season's 'Firstborn.'

Answer: Deanna Troi's mother

We've seen everyone mentioned above, but Lwaxana Troi was the first to make an appearance, in the first season episode 'Haven.'

Answer: Sarah MacDougal

Argyle and Logan (whose first names I made up for this question, as they were never stated on the show) both held the chief engineer slot at certain times, but Sarah MacDougal was the first to be identified as the chief engineer, in the first season episode 'The Naked Now' -- the same episode in which Jim Shimoda was identified as the assistant chief.

Answer: McCoy

We've seen Spock, Sarek, and Scotty make appearances...but McCoy has them all beat, since he appeared in the very first episode, 'Encounter at Farpoint.'

Answer: Geordi La Forge

It happened off-screen, but Geordi was a Lieutenant at the end of the second season and a Lieutenant Commander at the start of the third. (Funtrivia player soong also informs me that Geordi went from a Lieutenant Junior Grade in season 1 to a full Lieutenant in season 2.) Wesley held the very unofficial rank of 'Acting Ensign' the first couple of seasons, but received an official promotion to full Ensign near the end of season three. Deanna Troi received a promotion to the rank of Commander in the seventh season episode 'Thine Own Self.' Beverly's had three full pips (Commander's rank) on her collar since the series premiere.

Answer: Dr. Katherine Pulaski

At the end of the second season episode 'Unnatural Selection,' Picard is so happy that Dr. Pulaski has survived her mission that he gives her a big hug the second she steps off the transporter platform. I about fell out of my chair, since Picard is not what one would call a demonstrative man.

In later seasons, Picard threw an arm around Beverly once in a while, but that was well after the incident with Dr. Pulaski.

Answer: 'The Naked Now'

Fitting, since in 'The Naked Now' the crew is exposed to the same intoxicating virus that plagued Kirk's crew in the original 'Star Trek' episode 'The Naked Time.' And for the record, Picard is the one who speaks Kirk's name, as he's reading aloud from some old logs pertaining to the virus.

Answer: 'Darmok'

One of my favorite episodes, as it centers around both lingusitics and mythology. And MAN, but that jacket was cool.

Answer: 'The Offspring'

This third season episode featured Data's 'daughter' Lal, an android he constructed. There's a note in Picard's opening log stating that Riker is away on a mission, to account for Frakes' being too busy directing to act in the episode! Riker makes a brief, hilarious appearance in Ten Forward, and then is never seen again in the episode.

Answer: The USS DRAKE

We learn in the first season episode 'The Arsenal of Freedom' that Riker was offered captaincy of the DRAKE, but he turned it down in order to serve on the Federation flagship. He was offered the ARIES in the second season episode 'The Icarus Factor,' and the MELBOURNE in the third season finale 'The Best Of Both Worlds, Part I' -- he accepted neither offer, of course.

The YAMATO was the ENTERPRISE's sister ship that was destroyed in the second season episode 'Contagion,' but there's never been a mention of Riker having been offered that particular command.

Answer: The Klingon cruiser PAGH

In the second season episode 'A Matter Of Honor,' Riker serves as first officer aboard the PAGH as part of an officer exchange program. Riker eventually kicks the captain out of his chair and takes over the ship in order to save the ENTERPRISE. He then hails Picard and company and introduces himself as 'Captain William Riker, of the Klingon vessel PAGH.' Riker would later identify himself as the captain of both the HATHAWAY (in 'Peak Performance') and the ENTERPRISE (in 'The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II')...but 'A Matter Of Honor' came first.

Answer: Dr. Katherine Pulaski

Diana Muldaur played Rosalind Shays on 'L.A. Law,' and Dr. Katherine Pulaski in the second season of 'ST:TNG.' Corbin Bernsen, who played Arnie Becker on 'L.A. Law,' played 'Q2' on 'ST:TNG,' but not until the third season's 'Deja Q.' Jennifer Hetrick, 'L.A. Law's Corrine Hammond, didn't show up as Vash until the third season episode 'Captain's Holiday.'

Alan Rachins, Douglas Brackman on 'L.A. Law,' never appeared on 'ST:TNG.'
Dr. Cameron was played by Jennifer Morrison on the series "House", Dr. Weaver by Laura Innes on "ER", and Dr. Bailey by Chandra Wilson on "Grey's Anatomy".

Answer: Admiral Mark Jameson

Admiral Jameson makes himself mighty comfortable on the bridge of the ENTERPRISE during his ambassadorial mission in the first season episode 'Too Short a Season,' even going so far as to call Will 'Number One,' as Picard does.

Funtrivia player kazzy67 has reminded me that Sarek called Will "Number One" after his mind-meld with Picard in the third season episode "Sarek".

Answer: '11001001'

When the Bynars hijack the ENTERPRISE with only Picard and Riker on board, they opt to destroy the ship rather than let it fall into alien hands. Fortunately, a peaceful solution is eventually reached, and the countdown is aborted.

A much more dramatic employment -- and last-second deactivation -- of the self-destruct system occurred in season two's 'Where Silence Has Lease.'

Answer: Beverly Crusher

Crusher: 'You've never mentioned this before, Data.' Data: 'Doctor...if you had an 'off' switch, would *you* tell anyone?'

Answer: 'The Last Outpost'

Armin Shimmerman played one of the Ferengi soldiers in this episode, and years later would play Quark, everyone's favorite Ferengi bartender, on 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.'

Answer: 'The Game'

Wesley returns to the ENTERPRISE just in time to save its crew from a mind-altering VR game that enslaves all who play it. Wesley also finds time for romance with Ensign Robin Lefler, played by -- ready? -- Ashley Judd. Ah, the early years.

Answer: 'Evolution'

'Evolution,' the third series opener, was the first aired episode featuring the new uniforms. 'The Ensigns of Command' was actually the first third season episode to be shot, but for some reason 'Evolution' aired first.

Answer: 'Family'

The fourth season episode 'Family' was a quiet epilogue of sorts to the slam-bang 'Best of Both Worlds,' set mostly on Earth and Starbase 1 (which orbits Earth). There were a few scenes aboard the ENTERPRISE (which was undergoing massive repairs at Starbase 1), but none aboard the bridge.