Posted in: Movies, Paramount Pictures, Star Trek, TV | Tagged: nato, star trek, sweden

Star Trek: Sweden Makes "First Contact" with NATO; Frakes Approves

As part of Sweden's entry into NATO, the theme from Star Trek: First Contact was played - a move that actor/director Jonathan Frakes praised.

With so much going on in the world today, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. Every now and again, you get a heartwarming rare opportunity to witness history, like Sweden's accession to the alliance of NATO. The ceremony was documented on Sky News as the flag-raising ceremony in Brussels, Belgium on March 11th. Fans don't have to wait the entire 44-minute-long session to listen to the choice where the band opened with the theme to 1996's Star Trek: First Contact, originally scored by composer Jerry Goldsmith. The film, directed by Jonathan Frakes, is the second theatrical adventure for the TNG crew and the first standalone following The Original Series crossover in 1994's Generations. It follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) as it reveals he's still dealing with lingering PTSD over his initial assimilation with the Borg during the season three cliffhanger The Best of Both Worlds.

Star Trek: First Contact Theme Used Sweden's Accession into NATO

In a pseudo-retcon, it's revealed that the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) was the one responsible for kidnapping and assimilating him, making him a liaison in their attempted conquest. While the efforts failed in the syndicated series, the Collective would try again to assimilate Earth at the beginning of the film. When Starfleet tries to mount a defense, an admiral sidelines the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise-E due to his history before he defies orders to the surviving vessels in a successful counterattack, but not before the Borg unleash their contingency plan in time travel. Knowing what they did, the Enterprise flies through the rift to try to undo the damage the Borg did to preserve their future to make sure Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) and humanity make first contact with the Vulcans.

Goldsmith, who passed in 2004, has been a longtime veteran of the Star Trek franchise and composed the 1979 original score to Star Trek: The Motion Picture that featured the TOS cast. Its theme would be repurposed as the theme of TNG, the first live-action franchise series spinoff when it premiered in 1987. First Contact is another variation of that same theme. Frakes, who originally played William Riker most prominently on TNG and recently, Picard, certainly took notice of the momentous occasion writing, "Excellent choice!"

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