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Star Trek: First Contact - Zefram Cochrane's Species
In the Movie:
-Zefram Cochrane is a human.
-The first aliens to be met are Vulcans (or Borg, if you wanna really nitpick)
-Warp drive is invented before first contact.
-Zefram Cochrane is fairly old
In the TV show, reference guide, technical manual and writer's bible:
-Zefram Cochrane is Alpha Centaurian.
-The first aliens met are Alpha Centaurians.
-Warp drive was a joint venture between humans and Centaurians AFTER a sub-light sleeper ship carrying humans traveled from Earth to A.C.
-Zefram Cochrane DIES IN HIS TWENTIES!
Visual Proof! See the examples below and post your pictures too.
TV Series Zefram C Movie Zefram Cochrane
TV Series Zefram C Movie Zefram Cochrane
Rated 4.7/10 (138 ratings) Your opinion?
Special Requirements: The Movie & TV
Contributed By: Anonymous on 01-02-2001 and Reviewed By: Webmaster
If something isn't right, please Correct this Slip-Up

Comments:
Mudd writes:
One of the things that make the Star Trek franchise what it is, is it's continuation of a story line. One of the things that frustrate fans of the show are it's inconsistencies. I think Star Trek is a wonderful show, but things like this make you think: does anyone ever double check their Star Trek facts before they start to write a story.
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Kira writes:
First contact is made with the Romulans not Vulcans.
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Steve Crow writes:
I think at least part of the "official" explanation is that Cochrane later immigrated to Alpha Centauri and became a citizen.
15 of 6576 found this helpful. Did you? Yes
Cynicat writes:
They just wanted an excuse to see Farmer Hoggett dancing again.
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Dreyfuss writes:
Basically, this is an example of the attitude of the post-Roddenberry producers have towards the original series' storylines. They really don't care about continuity, they just want to make a quick buck.
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Kira writes:
I would like to withdraw my earlier comment - I was completely wrong - there is no excuse for my own slip-up!!
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Dan writes:
I remember in one of the original series' episodes, Cochrane was found alive centuries after he had been lost in space and presumed dead.
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jpers36 writes:
Check out the TOS Giant Novel (also in paperback) "Strangers from the Sky" for yet another First Contact. Check out The TNG/TOS Giant Novel "Federation" for a completely different description of Zefram Cochrane's invention of warp drive, along with an explanation of the Starfleet insignia (you know, the comm badge thingy). Two of the best ST books you'll find, yet they totally conflict with "First Contact".
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Lt. Andrew writes:
Kira...Actually, the Vulcan's did land first because they said, "Live long and prosper." When was the last time you heard a Romulan say that?
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Soukey writes:
The last point is easy. In the episode, it was stated that the Companion regenerated Cochrane to his youth. As for the rest, true slips.
15 of 6576 found this helpful. Did you? Yes
SciFi_fan writes:
Kira is wrong, although it is perhaps a technicality, at least as far as the movie goes (Technically at this time though, Vulcans and Romulans might be the same) (In the TV Chronology, Vulcans and Romulans are similar species (or the same species) but there is a big (war, fight) that separates the "Species" (Ambassador Spock goes to the Romulan Empire to try and help bring the two cultures back together) (Reunification: ST:TNG)). I am not positive as to the Chronology of when these two cultures seperate, so technically, she may be right. I believe that it is a Vulcan that makes first contact as the hair style is Vulcan, and the "Alien" Gives a "Live Long and Prosper" Sighn to Cochrine, who can't copy the gesture, so Cochrine shakes the "alien's" hand..
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Deschain writes:
I wonder if this has something to do with the differences between creative people wanting to keep a storyline and Paramount producers wanting to sell the movie to people who don't worship the Star Trek mythos. Not to mention writers pulled into the project to revise script. Writers who, quite possibly haven't ever seen an original Star Trek episode. Probably doesn't quite match the "intentional" disqualification for slip-ups here, but certainly has more to do with cash than any artistic vision.
15 of 6576 found this helpful. Did you? Yes
dA bOmB writes:
In ways I agree with SciFi_fan. There is a good chance that at the time that first contact was made the Vulcans and Romulans were still living together as a single species. If you will remember, in TOS the Vulcans and Romulans even had the same hair style. This being in the 23rd century and first contact being made in the 21st century this is very likely. But since Vulcans do not like physical contact, it seems that the first 'aliens' were not Vulcans. But the fact that he maid the familiar hand sign and said the phrase "Live long and prosper." tends to make you believe there were, in fact, Vulcan. I believe that the 'aliens' to make first contact were, indeed, the Vulcans and Romulans before they split into the different species. But, maybe they are not different species, but just different races within the same species such as with humans. Before they split, they could have had completely different sets of morals and customs.
15 of 6576 found this helpful. Did you? Yes
Shawn writes:
To clarify: Zephram Cochrane disappeared in space as an old man and was presumed dead. The Companion restored his youth, and he continued to live out his life on some small planetoid (which no one knows about since Kirk was sworn to secrecy). Cochrane was said to be "of Alpha Centauri," but that could mean anything. The official explanation is that he lived on Alpha Centauri during his (presumed) final years. The story of warp drive being a joint venture between Terrans and Centaurians was never talked about in an episode of movie. I have read this account in "Worlds of the Federation," and probably other reference books, but this book has never been considered "official," and is very often inconsistent with the series.
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Dweazzle writes:
Actually, the Romulans split off from the Vulcans at the time of Surak, thousands of years ago. It seems one of Surak's disciples had a problem, and started a movement to reject the Vulcans increasingly pacifistic viewpoint. He left Vulcan with his followers and settled Romulus and Remus (or Romii, as its seen in a TOS episode).
15 of 6576 found this helpful. Did you? Yes
StrTrkRob writes:
VULCANS VULCANS VULCANS!!!! First contact was with the VULCANS! They say right in the movie! Worf says something about the moon blocking their ion trail, or something and "the Vulcans did not detect us" The Romulans and the Vulcans are technically the same race, and the Romulans split off from the Vulcans WAY before Zeframe Cochrane, back in Surak's time. This point is further supported when the first visual contact is made with the Romulans in the TOS episode Balance of Terror.
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aFan writes:
Cochrane would presumably have been curious about how the visitors from space could speak English, and I am sure the topic of universal translators would have come up over the years before he headed out to space to die. This is inconsistent with Kirk and Spock having to explain the universal translator to Cochrane.
15 of 6576 found this helpful. Did you? Yes
Garry writes:
Forget the movie for a moment. Watch the new show - Enterprise. This says: First Contact was with Vulcans, and that Romulans split from Vulcans around 2,000 years before the The Next Generation....Also, in the movie, doesn't Worf say "The vulcans did not detect us"? Besides, I always thought the Romulans have a V-Shaped ridge in their forehead, while Vulcans do not.
15 of 6576 found this helpful. Did you? Yes
Fivethumbs writes:
If you watch the pilot episode of the new series 'Enterprise' Zefram Cochrane is making a speech from a new colony on Alpha Centauri. He's played by the same actor as in First Contact..James Cromwell.
15 of 6576 found this helpful. Did you? Yes
Sketch writes:
This seems like a canonicity (is that a word?) issue more than anything. I've read somewhere the following list of what is canon and what's not: Most of The Original Series Most of Star Trek I - IV, VI Star Trek TNG, DS9, Voyager Star Trek Generations, First Contact, Insurrection and one or two of the Technical Manuals An example of non-canon would be Star Trek V or any of the novels. According to this list, First Contact is closer to canon than The Original Series is. I'd accept the First Contact information over that presented in "Metamorphosis". I also agree with some of the reasoning given in past comments.
15 of 6576 found this helpful. Did you? Yes
atad writes:
If you watch enterprise season 4 quite a lot of storyline anomalies are corrected and in a way that makes them make sense . Not this slip up i have to say but i felt it had to be said p.s. anyone wanting to follow the storyline of nx01 enterprise should read "THE GOOD THAT MEN DO" by a mangels/m a martin.
15 of 6576 found this helpful. Did you? Yes

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