Shelby’s Cocky Grin from “The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1”
Star Trek: The Next Generation had a rough start. Season one’s episodes weren’t all the best, and in fact one episode copied an episode of Star Trek directly (“The Naked Time”/”The Naked Now”), but by season four, the show was in its stride. What could possibly be at the pinnacle of season four? A cliffhanger.
Elizabeth Dennehy was cast as Commander Elizabeth Shelby. She was cocky, arrogant, but her work showed that she can get the job done. When we first meet her, she’s so confident she’s getting Riker’s job that she talks to him as if he’s already packed and leaving. Riker’s still undecided on if he’s taking the captain position on the U.S.S. Melbourne, so he pushes back on her arrogance.
The two of them are very headstrong – Riker’s not sure if he wants to leave, Shelby is desperate for his job. At the point where the Enterprise is in a Borg tractor beam and can’t get loose, Shelby just stands up and tells Data what to do in order to break free. She doesn’t ask for permission, she just does her own thing, and it works. This shot is immediately after her idea gets the Enterprise loose. She knows she was right, and just showed everyone on the bridge that she’s the smartest one in the room.
The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1
Aired: June 18, 1990 (Season 3, episode 26)
Director: Cliff Bole
Category: TNG
