Unveiling the Forgotten Character in Star Trek's First Contact: A Must-Read!

Summary

The creation of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets is narrated through the origin story of Star Trek: First Contact, which portrays humanity's inaugural interaction with the Vulcans.

Lily Sloane played a pivotal role in the movie, aiding Captain Picard in his fight against the Borg and rediscovery of his humanity. However, despite Alfre Woodard's outstanding portrayal, Star Trek has failed to delve into Lily Sloane's character or her lasting influence on the franchise post-First Contact.

Star Trek: First Contact, directed by Jonathan Frakes, is considered the most popular and successful film in the Star Trek: The Next Generation series. It introduced new characters to the Star Trek canon, with one of them unfortunately being forgotten over time. In this film, Captain Jean-Luc Picard leads the USS Enterprise-E on a mission to prevent the Borg from assimilating Earth in the past. The debut of the Borg Queen and the portrayal of Dr. Zephram Cochrane's first warp flight, which led to the momentous First Contact with the Vulcans, were key plot points in the movie.

Star Trek: First Contact serves as the origin story for the Star Trek universe, as it was the meeting with the Vulcans that ultimately led to the establishment of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets. While the film's secondary plot focused on Commander William Riker's efforts to ensure Cochrane's warp launch occurred as planned, Captain Picard found himself engaged in a life or death battle with the invading Borg on the Enterprise. Assisting him in this fight was an unexpected ally from the 21st century, Lily Sloane, who served as the audience's point of view character, especially for those who were not familiar with the Star Trek franchise.

Star Trek Forgot About First Contact’s Lily Sloane

Lily Sloane played a significant role in Star Trek: First Contact, but sadly, her character was not further developed in subsequent Star Trek films. In the movie, Lily worked alongside Zephram Cochrane to construct the Phoenix, a starship capable of warp travel, using a nuclear missile as its foundation. She faced the challenge of sourcing enough titanium for the ship's cockpit, which took her six months to accomplish.

During the battle against the Borg, Lily stood by Captain Picard's side and witnessed his fixation on defeating the cyborgs transform him into a single-minded Captain Ahab-like figure. However, she played a crucial role in helping Picard regain his sanity, enabling him to heroically defeat the Borg Queen with the assistance of Lt. Commander Data.

Lily and Picard's friendship formed the emotional core of Star Trek: First Contact. Alfre Woodard's portrayal of Lily captured her strength, vulnerability, and likability. She reacted to the terrifying circumstances she found herself in with a relatable human response, making her relatable to audiences. Lily provided moments of levity, remarking, "It's my first ray gun" and "You broke their little ships," adding to the film's charm. While hints of potential romance between Picard and Lily were dropped, it was not pursued further in the Star Trek franchise. Although unforgettable to those who saw Star Trek: First Contact, Lily's character unfortunately did not have a lasting impact on the series.

What Happened To Lily Sloane After Star Trek: First Contact?

Zephram Cochrane reappeared in Star Trek: Enterprise, set almost 88 years after First Contact, but the fate of Lily Sloane remains unknown in the Star Trek canon. In the film First Contact, Lily witnessed "Zee" making history with the Vulcans. However, her name seems to have been forgotten, and there is no recognition of her like there is for Dr. Cochrane in Bozeman, Montana. The Phoenix had a 3-person cockpit, with Commander Riker and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge as Cochrane's co-pilots, but considering the time travel element, Lily Sloane could potentially be recorded as the one who joined Zephram on the inaugural warp jump in 2063.

Similar to Dr. Gillian Taylor in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Lily Sloane played a significant role but does not appear in subsequent Star Trek installments. Alfre Woodward's casting in Star Trek: First Contact was notable due to her accolades, yet it is peculiar and unfortunate that Star Trek has not capitalized on Woodard's character or Lily Sloane's importance to the origin of Starfleet.