A Star Trek Favorite Returned 34 Years Ago, And Delivered the Crossover Fans Were Hoping For

By 1992, Star Trek: The Next Generation had become a hit in its own right, but fans still had a soft spot for Kirk’s original crew. And who better to bring back than Scotty? James Doohan returned as the legendary engineer 34 years ago in an episode that gave fans something they rarely got to see: an original Star Trek character meeting the new crew of the Enterprise. Scotty had spent years saving Kirk’s ship, but this time, he had to figure out what to do with a starship and a world he barely recognized.

Fortunately, the writers had something considerably more interesting in mind. The guest appearance arrived with a science-fiction mystery, a few wonderfully awkward introductions, and an unexpected meeting between two generations of Starfleet engineers. There was also a holodeck, a bottle of questionable whiskey, and one of the most satisfying lines in the entire franchise. For longtime fans, this was the kind of episode that made a familiar universe feel a little bigger. And fortunately, not something that left fans with questions that needed to be answered.

James Doohan Returned as Scotty in Star Trek: The Next Generation

The episode was “Relics,” which premiered on October 12, 1992, and brought James Doohan back as Montgomery Scott, better known to just about everybody as Scotty. The Enterprise-D discovers a long-lost transport ship near a mysterious Dyson sphere, and the crew eventually rescues Scotty from a transporter buffer, where he has been preserved for 75 years. He was traveling to Norpin V for retirement, not signing up for another adventure, but Starfleet apparently has a talent for ruining a perfectly good retirement plan. When Scotty wakes up, he discovers that the Enterprise is still out there, although the captain, the crew, and practically everything else have changed.

The fun begins when Scotty meets Geordi La Forge, the Enterprise-D’s chief engineer. Geordi has the technology and training of the 24th century, while Scotty brings decades of experience keeping Captain Kirk’s ship in one piece. Their first interactions are a little awkward, particularly when Scotty wanders into Engineering and announces that he’s there to help. Geordi doesn’t exactly need an extra pair of hands, but he soon discovers that the old engineer still has something to offer. And when Scotty finally asks the holodeck computer for the bridge of his Enterprise, his demand for “No bloody A, B, C, or D” delivers the sort of laugh that only works when a show understands exactly why its audience cares about the character.

“Relics” Connected Two Generations of Star Trek in a Surprisingly Personal Way

“Relics” could have easily been a simple guest appearance, with Scotty showing up, cracking a few jokes, and giving longtime fans a reason to cheer. Instead, the episode gives him a real place in the story. He’s suddenly surrounded by people who know his name but have no idea what it was like to serve aboard Kirk’s Enterprise. That makes for some fun moments, especially when Scotty realizes just how much Starfleet has changed since he last stepped aboard a ship. It might not have been an episode that changed TV history, but for Star Trek fans, it was definitely monumental.

The best scene in “Relics” comes after Scotty helps save the day. He heads to the holodeck and asks the computer to bring back the original Enterprise, right down to the bridge where he spent so many years working alongside Kirk and the rest of the crew. Picard eventually joins him, and the two start talking about their old ships. Picard recalls his former command, the USS Stargazer, while Scotty remembers the original Enterprise. Scotty compares them to old girlfriends, and Picard knows exactly what he means. Both recognize that a newer, technically superior ship doesn’t necessarily replace the emotional attachment to the vessel where they made their careers. It’s a great little moment because neither man needs to explain why those ships meant so much to them.

Scotty also has some advice for Geordi before he goes on his way. Enjoy being chief engineer while you can, because you never know when it’ll be over. It’s a simple message, but it hits a little harder coming from a man who has just discovered that 75 years have passed without him. Scotty spent his life keeping the Enterprise running, and now he’s the one who has to figure out what’s next. For a show about exploring the future, “Relics” makes a pretty good case for taking a moment to appreciate the past. The series has also explored plenty of time travel stories you should check out—before they get lost in a temporal streaming loophole!