Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – The Last Outpost

Link to StarTrek.com Episode Guide

I watched this while working on revising my Life List and it reminded me that I wanted to add Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to my reading list.  This episode deals mainly with the philosophies that lay the foundation for the Federation.  The ideas it touches on are pretty basic and can be summed up fairly simply:

• discretion is the better part of valour
• trust is the foundation for relationships
• fear is the only enemy
• live & let live

Some fun stuff from this episode . . .

• This is the first time that Riker impresses a seemingly omnipotent being with his high ideals and philosophy, but it won’t be the last!
• Armin Shimerman (who later plays Quark) is a guest star as one of the three Ferengi who beam down to the planet.

Race Intro: The Ferengi

I’m so glad that the Ferengi get more developed in later episodes and that Deep Space Nine takes some time to let their race develop more fully.  The foundation is laid here for a very cut-throat capitalist society with extremely good hearing.

Cool Gadget: The Ferengi energy whip weapon