Television Review: The Last Outpost (Star Trek: The Next Generation, S1X05, 1987)

The Last Outpost (S01E05)

Airdate: October 12th 1987

Written by: Herb Wright
Directed by: Richard Colla

Running Time: 22 minutes

One of the enduring strengths of Star Trek as a franchise lies not merely in its visionary ideals, but in the demonstrable capacity of its creators to learn from stumbles, transforming early missteps into foundational lessons. The inaugural season of Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), whilst noble in ambition, provided ample opportunity for such refinement. Nowhere is this more evident than in The Last Outpost, the fifth episode, which, despite possessing more than valid arguments for classification as a failure—derivative plotting, unconvincing production values, and a disastrous introduction of a key alien race—ultimately served as a crucial, albeit painful, building block. Its shortcomings were not merely forgiven but actively dissected, informing the show’s subsequent evolution towards the legendary status it would eventually secure. This episode stands as a stark reminder that even the most revered institutions must sometimes falter publicly before they can truly soar.

The plot revolves around the Federation’s first significant encounter with the Ferengi, a mysterious and ostensibly hostile species previously only hinted at in the series premiere, Encounter at Farpoint. Set in 2364 AD, the USS Enterprise-D pursues a Ferengi vessel suspected of stealing a T-9 energy converter from the Gamma Tauri IV outpost. The chase culminates in the Delphi Ardu system, near its fourth planet, where both ships suffer a sudden, inexplicable total power failure, leaving the Enterprise utterly vulnerable. Captain Picard, facing annihilation, has no recourse but to offer unconditional surrender. His hail, however, yields two profound shocks: the bizarre, never-before-seen physiology of the Ferengi, and the even more bewildering sight of the Ferengi Daimon (effectively their captain), Tar (played by Mike Gomez), also offering surrender. It transpires both vessels have been disabled by an ancient energy field emanating from the planet—a relic of the long-extinct, galaxy-spanning Tkon Empire. An away team led by Commander Riker descends to investigate, encounters a group of Ferengi, and a skirmish ensues. This is abruptly halted by the appearance of Portal 63 (Darryl Henriques), a powerful entity once the guardian of the Tkon Empire. Portal 63 subjects Riker to a test of character; upon passing, it restores both ships’ power, compelling the Ferengi to return the stolen converter before departing.

Whilst the opening trio of episodes (or quartet, considering Encounter at Farpoint as a two-parter) were largely unremarkable but serviceable introductions, The Last Outpost represented a noticeable and concerning downgrade in quality. It signalled, with uncomfortable clarity, the significant hurdles TNG faced in attaining the cultural resonance of its predecessor. The core issue lies squarely with Herb Wright’s script, which feels strikingly unoriginal. The central premise—two warring factions rendered helpless and subjected to a morality test by an ancient, omnipotent guardian—is lifted from the iconic Original Series (TOS) episode Arena. The lack of meaningful innovation here was particularly damning for a show striving to establish its own identity; instead of forging new narrative ground, it stumbled over well-trodden paths, failing to justify its existence beyond a pale imitation.

Furthermore, the episode marks TNG’s first significant foray onto the surface of a desolate, uninhabited planet—a setting that would become a staple. Regrettably, the execution was lamentable. The alien landscape was reconstructed on studio sets, but the results were utterly unconvincing. Even by the modest visual effects standards of mid-1980s syndicated television, the matte paintings and physical sets appeared cheap, static, and profoundly artificial. The overall aesthetic felt not merely dated, but actively worse than the often-championed practical effects of TOS, lacking even that series’ occasional sense of tangible scale or mystery.

Pacing compounded these problems. The sudden, total power failure aboard the Enterprise should have generated intense, sustained melodramatic tension—a genuine "ship in a bottle" scenario. Instead, the peril is handled with clumsy brevity. The crisis aboard the flagship feels abbreviated and underdeveloped, sacrificed to an overemphasis on the relatively mundane events unfolding on the planet’s surface. The transition between ship and planet lacks urgency, diffusing the narrative momentum and making the central threat feel less immediate than it ought to have been.

However, the episode’s most profound and enduring failure lies in its introduction of the Ferengi. Gene Roddenberry, keen to avoid recycling Klingons or Romulans, had mandated that TNG discover new recurring antagonists. The Ferengi were intended to fill this void. Yet, Andrew Probert’s design rendered them visually grotesque—short, bulbous-nosed, with oversized ears and snaggle teeth—whilst Wright’s script reduced them to one-dimensional caricatures: obsessively greedy, materialistic, and profit-obsessed to the point of absurdity. While one might interpret this as a satirical jab at the ultra-materialism of Reagan’s America, the execution was catastrophically heavy-handed. The Ferengi’s diminutive stature, bizarre vocal patterns (reminiscent of poorly conceived comic relief), and overtly cartoonish behaviour made them utterly implausible as a serious threat to the Federation. They evoked laughter, not dread. Mike Gomez’s Daimon Tar, despite earnest effort, came across as a buffoon rather than a cunning adversary.

Roddenberry himself swiftly recognised the experiment’s failure. Within the season, the Ferengi were largely sidelined as credible villains, their role as the Federation’s primary nemesis ultimately usurped by the terrifying Borg. Armin Shimerman, playing the Ferengi Letek in this episode, later concurred, acknowledging the race’s initial unsuitability for serious antagonism. Roddenberry pragmatically repositioned them as sources of comic relief—a role they would inhabit for several seasons. Yet, this "mistake" was spectacularly redeemed years later in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. DS9, without contradicting TNG’s established Ferengi traits, meticulously developed their complex, misogynistic, yet fascinatingly structured capitalist society. Shimmerman, now cast as the iconic Quark, transformed the species from a joke into one of Star Trek’s most compelling and enduring elements, proving the initial concept had latent potential tragically squandered in The Last Outpost.

Finally, the episode holds a minor but notable place in Trek history for breaching a longstanding content barrier. Benefiting from the comparatively lax censorship of 1980s syndication compared to network television, Captain Picard was permitted to authentically reference his French heritage. He utters the French word "merde"—a direct, unexpurgated reference to excrement. This seemingly small moment, impossible under the stricter NBC standards governing TOS, signalled TNG’s potential for slightly grittier, more human characterisation, a subtle but significant step towards the franchise’s gradual maturation.

Ultimately, The Last Outpost remains a deeply flawed entry. Its unoriginal script, shoddy production design, poor pacing, and disastrous handling of the Ferengi collectively mark it as one of TNG’s weakest early outings. It starkly revealed the gulf between Roddenberry’s vision and the production’s initial capabilities. Yet, its true significance lies precisely in its failure. The lessons learned were absorbed and actively corrected. The Ferengi’s journey from laughable menace to nuanced society, the shift towards more original storytelling that culminated in the Borg saga, and even the willingness to allow Picard a touch of earthy humanity—all stem, in part, from the hard-won wisdom gleaned from this misfire. It is a testament to Star Trek’s enduring philosophy that even its stumbles, when honestly confronted, become stepping stones towards a more perfect future. Without the cautionary tale of The Last Outpost, the heights TNG later achieved might never have been scaled. It is, therefore, not merely a failure, but a necessary and ultimately valuable misstep on the long road to boldly going.

RATING: 4/10 (+)

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