This is a very meh episode. Not insultingly awful or mindblowingly dumb, but not great either. The A story (if you can call it that) is about Troi losing her empathic powers and having to learn to cope with only having the powers of a human. In theory this isn't the worst, but it gets handled like a highschool motivational film about how all you really need to succeed is to believe in yourself. There are scenes where this actually works pretty well, and then there are all the other parts where it just seems dumb and you want Troi to stop whining. But then she helps Data figure out the mystery of the flat aliens and then gets her powers back magically when the aliens leave despite Crusher saying cells in her brain had died, but whatever.
The episode opens with Troi counseling a member of the crew about the loss of her husband and it kinda feels like they just took the stereotypes they had about psychologists and made this part from those. As she finishes she is struck by a headache just as the crew on the bridge notice a strange sensor anomaly. They try to go to warp but the warp field collapses and they are stuck. Not only are they stuck though, they are also being slowly tugged and can't stop it. Troi calls Dr. Crusher to come help her but people all over the ship are having similar symptoms. After some treatment Troi realizes she can't sense peoples emotions and after pretending to be fine pretty much completely freaks. Her next therapy appointment goes fine but she feels she can't do her job and tenders her resignation to the captain.
Meanwhile the ship is caught in a field of two dimensional things that may be life and can't get out despite Geordi's best efforts. Even worse the find out what they are being dragged towards, a cosmic string fragment with intense gravity that will destroy the ship if they can't stop from falling into it. Meanwhile Troi continues snapping at literally everyone on the crew and is hella rude to both Dr. Crusher and Guinan. Eventually Picard asks her to help Data figure out how to communicate with the beings and she somehow figures out maybe they are attracted to the string or something so they need to pretend to be a string and it works and the ship is safe.
Review: While watching it most of this episode seemed ok, but as soon as I finished it started feeling crappier the more I reflected on it. Troi isn't the strongest character in the series and having an entire episode focused on her being mad at everyone because she lost her powers isn't really the best use of an episode.
4 out of 10
Monday, August 31, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
TNG: Final Mission
TNG: Final Dragging out of Wesley leaving for the Academy. After this episode he damn well better have left for the academy or I am going to be genuinely annoyed. This episode lacks the dramatic highs of last episode, but it also doesn't sink nearly as low in the abyss of dumb plot choices. Wesley and Picard are even better together than in the shuttlecraft for six hours in Samaritan Snare. Also the shuttle captain in this episode is about the worst person you could imagine being stuck with on a desert planet which helps the episode a bit as well. The subplot about the waste ship contaminating a peaceful planet works ok, they still don't understand momentum very well, but at least this time they put an unreasonably dense asteroid field in the way to make it a little tense.
The episode opens with Wesley being called to the bridge and being reprimanded for being late. This is all to reveal that after teasing it for the preceding 3 seasons he is finally going to Starfleet academy and leaves in two weeks. Before he leaves Picard decides to take him on a trip to settle a mining dispute that again puts them on a long shuttle ride together. This time they are taking a mining shuttle for no clear reason, but they are. The shuttle is captained by an irritable man named Dirgo. Just after the Enterprise warps out of the system to handle a distress call the shuttles thrusters explode and they have to ditch onto a barely habitable desert moon. Dirgo of course didn't pack any emergency supplies so they are forced to set off across the desert without any supplies.
Back on the ship Riker finds a ship full of toxic garbage has taken orbit around a peaceful planet. And since they don't understand how radiation works it is the radiation itself rather than the radioactive material that is threatening the planet. Geordi has a plan to put thrusters on the barge and send it into the star, but when they try the ship almost breaks apart. Instead they will have to tow her in through an asteroid field. This means they have to bring the ship dangerously close to the radioactive barge. They make it through with only ten seconds remaining until they receive a fatal dose of radiation, so that means they all get cancer next week right??? Oh wait, the writers don't understand science at all.
Down on the planet they find a cave and it even has water! But the water is protected by a forcefield. Dirgo tries shooting it but is attacked by some sort of unexplained energy being for his trouble. Wesley is almost killed in a cave in but Picard knocks him aside and takes the majority of the damage. Picard is badly hurt and possibly dying. Water would really help by Wesley is unable to think his way though the problem. So Dirgo tries shooting through again but is killed this time by the energy thing. Wesley tries punching buttons on his tricorder after shooting the field again and for some reason it works this time and he saves the day. The Enterprise gets there just in time to keep both Wesley and Picard alive.
Review: This is a solidly average episode, but I swear, if in the next episode Wesley isn't either at the Academy or actually leaving from it I am coming back and subtracting a point.
5 out of 10
The episode opens with Wesley being called to the bridge and being reprimanded for being late. This is all to reveal that after teasing it for the preceding 3 seasons he is finally going to Starfleet academy and leaves in two weeks. Before he leaves Picard decides to take him on a trip to settle a mining dispute that again puts them on a long shuttle ride together. This time they are taking a mining shuttle for no clear reason, but they are. The shuttle is captained by an irritable man named Dirgo. Just after the Enterprise warps out of the system to handle a distress call the shuttles thrusters explode and they have to ditch onto a barely habitable desert moon. Dirgo of course didn't pack any emergency supplies so they are forced to set off across the desert without any supplies.
Back on the ship Riker finds a ship full of toxic garbage has taken orbit around a peaceful planet. And since they don't understand how radiation works it is the radiation itself rather than the radioactive material that is threatening the planet. Geordi has a plan to put thrusters on the barge and send it into the star, but when they try the ship almost breaks apart. Instead they will have to tow her in through an asteroid field. This means they have to bring the ship dangerously close to the radioactive barge. They make it through with only ten seconds remaining until they receive a fatal dose of radiation, so that means they all get cancer next week right??? Oh wait, the writers don't understand science at all.
Down on the planet they find a cave and it even has water! But the water is protected by a forcefield. Dirgo tries shooting it but is attacked by some sort of unexplained energy being for his trouble. Wesley is almost killed in a cave in but Picard knocks him aside and takes the majority of the damage. Picard is badly hurt and possibly dying. Water would really help by Wesley is unable to think his way though the problem. So Dirgo tries shooting through again but is killed this time by the energy thing. Wesley tries punching buttons on his tricorder after shooting the field again and for some reason it works this time and he saves the day. The Enterprise gets there just in time to keep both Wesley and Picard alive.
Review: This is a solidly average episode, but I swear, if in the next episode Wesley isn't either at the Academy or actually leaving from it I am coming back and subtracting a point.
5 out of 10
TNG: Future Imperfect
This is the first time I have felt so strongly different about different parts of an episode. Had they quit after the first 2/3rds of this episode it would have been a memorably good episode with a cool Romulan plot. But the writers couldn't resist making this a holodeck inside the holodeck episode to make you always question if reality could be a holodeck simulation. And maybe I am just jaded living in a post Matrix world, but these days plots like this just don't work for me. Ignoring the ending for a moment, it is really cool getting to see a vision of what things will be like 16 years into the future of the Federation. Even the idea of making peace with the Romulans turns out through the course of this show to not be impossible.
The episode opens with Riker's birthday party. They are all having fun making jokes about his trombone playing and eating cake. On the bridge one of the unnamed yellow shirts notices an anomaly, the ship is being scanned. It is coming from an apparently unoccupied planet, but there are rumors of a hidden Romulan base in the area so they are immediately suspicious. Riker leads an away team of him, Geordi and Worf down into caves below the surface. They arrive and find it empty, but they are quickly overwhelmed by poison gasses that for some reason their sensors didn't detect. There is a transporter problem and then...
Riker wakes up in sickbay, but things don't quite look right. Dr. Crusher is older than she should be and Riker himself has gray in his beard. It turns out he contracted a virus on the mission he was just on and when it activated it erased he memories up to that point. So now it is 16 years later, he is captain of the Enterprise and can't remember any of it. He even has a son Jean Luc who after initially having a hard time dealing with he starts to accept. It is a critical time for the Enterprise, they are in the final stages of a peace treaty with the Romulans and are about to host their ambassador. Admiral Picard shows up and has faith Riker can do what needs to be done. Somehow it comes up that Riker needs to tell the Romulans the location of a base that 16 years earlier was a critical link in the defenses against the Romulans and Riker doesn't want to tell. He takes a break from work to go hang out with his son and realizes he doesn't remember his now diseased wife at all. He has his son bring up video of her, and it all falls apart. The video is of him, Jean Luc, and Minuet...
The holodeck simulation comes to an end. It was a Romulan trap to try and get the location of the secret base! Riker is thrown in a cell with a boy who looks just like Jean Luc. The boy tries to help him escape and they make it out of their cell and hide in a hidden part of the base only the boy knows about. But he slips up again and refers to the Romlan as ambassador when he is clearly a captain. Riker then realizes the second level is also a simulation and the boy ends it. It turns out he has been trapped here with only his holodeck and got lonely so he brought Riker in to act as his father. They both beam up to the Enterprise and it ends there.
Review: The last third of the episode is so much worse than the first 2/3rds that I am literally going to have to divide the score in half. Romulan intrigue is interesting and makes sense in the context of the show. Why the hell would the kid create a future that is a Romulan trap?
4 out of 10
The episode opens with Riker's birthday party. They are all having fun making jokes about his trombone playing and eating cake. On the bridge one of the unnamed yellow shirts notices an anomaly, the ship is being scanned. It is coming from an apparently unoccupied planet, but there are rumors of a hidden Romulan base in the area so they are immediately suspicious. Riker leads an away team of him, Geordi and Worf down into caves below the surface. They arrive and find it empty, but they are quickly overwhelmed by poison gasses that for some reason their sensors didn't detect. There is a transporter problem and then...
Riker wakes up in sickbay, but things don't quite look right. Dr. Crusher is older than she should be and Riker himself has gray in his beard. It turns out he contracted a virus on the mission he was just on and when it activated it erased he memories up to that point. So now it is 16 years later, he is captain of the Enterprise and can't remember any of it. He even has a son Jean Luc who after initially having a hard time dealing with he starts to accept. It is a critical time for the Enterprise, they are in the final stages of a peace treaty with the Romulans and are about to host their ambassador. Admiral Picard shows up and has faith Riker can do what needs to be done. Somehow it comes up that Riker needs to tell the Romulans the location of a base that 16 years earlier was a critical link in the defenses against the Romulans and Riker doesn't want to tell. He takes a break from work to go hang out with his son and realizes he doesn't remember his now diseased wife at all. He has his son bring up video of her, and it all falls apart. The video is of him, Jean Luc, and Minuet...
The holodeck simulation comes to an end. It was a Romulan trap to try and get the location of the secret base! Riker is thrown in a cell with a boy who looks just like Jean Luc. The boy tries to help him escape and they make it out of their cell and hide in a hidden part of the base only the boy knows about. But he slips up again and refers to the Romlan as ambassador when he is clearly a captain. Riker then realizes the second level is also a simulation and the boy ends it. It turns out he has been trapped here with only his holodeck and got lonely so he brought Riker in to act as his father. They both beam up to the Enterprise and it ends there.
Review: The last third of the episode is so much worse than the first 2/3rds that I am literally going to have to divide the score in half. Romulan intrigue is interesting and makes sense in the context of the show. Why the hell would the kid create a future that is a Romulan trap?
4 out of 10
Friday, August 28, 2015
TNG: Reunion
When this episode began all I remembered was that it is the one that introduces Worf's son and I recalled that not being the greatest of story lines. But what I forgot is that this is also the episode where Worf decides the next chancellor of the Klingon Empire by killing one of the candidates with his bat'leth. I know the Klingons are down with it, but it does seem a little unrealistic that a member of Starfleet could leave his ship and kill a member of the ruling council of another government and get away with only a reprimand on his record.
The Enterprise is studying a radiation anomaly when unexpectedly a Klingon cruiser decloaks and hails them. It is the ambassador K'Ehleyr who you will recall had a thing with Worf in The Emissary. She tells them there is an urgent matter to be discussed and requests to beam aboard. Picard sends Worf to greet her which he is less than pleased with, but of course he does it and it isn't just her, their son Alexander beams over as well. Worf is shocked to learn he has a son but there are even more important matters. She meets with Picard and tells him the Klingon empire is near civil war and Chancellor K'mpec is dying and needs Picards help. Picard beams to the cruiser and meets with K'mpec who tells him he needs Picard to act as arbiter of succession, there are two rival factions: one lead by Duras and the other Gowron. One of them has poisoned K'mpec and he wants Picard to figure out which one and stop them from becoming Chancellor. Picard doesn't want to do it, but he doesn't have any choice in the matter.
K'mpec dies and both Gowron and Duras arrive and there is after the ceremonial jabbing of the dead guy with pain sticks to prove he is dead they get ready for the rights of succession, but it is interrupted by a bomb going off. Back on the Enterprise Worf and K'Ehleyr meet and discuss their future. Worf can't accept being with her since he is discommendated and she doesn't care about that or any other Klingon tradtitions. Picard decides to do the slow and traditional rights of succession which neither of the candidates is happy about, but neither can they do much. Gowron goes the K'Ehleyr and tries to get her to speed things up by offering her a seat on the council, but she refuses.
Data investigates the bomb and discovers it had a Romulan trigger. Picard tells this to both candidates who insist on their own investigations. Meanwhile K'Ehleyr is investigating the Khitomer massacre and coming close to the truth about Duras' father. Duras finds out and confronts her in her quarters. And by confronts I mean he murders her. Worf and Alexander find her just in time for her to tell him who killed her before dying. Worf does the Klingon death scream and runs off. Dr. Crusher arrives too late and tells the captain. He asks the computer where Worf is but he isn't on the ship. He is on Duras' ship and demands the right of vengance. He is told his discommendation disqualifies him, but Duras didn't know K'Ehleyr was his mate. They fight and just as Worf is delivering the killing blow Riker arrives, but not in time to stop him. Picard is disappointed in Worf, but since the Klingons aren't upset by this and Worf wants to stay on the ship he just gives him a written reprimand and sends him on his way. Worf sends Alexander off to live with his human parents after a heartfelt goodbye.
Review: This is a better episode than I remember and that is good especially after the last few. Klingon politics are are brutal as ever and Worf is about as good as he gets.
7 out of 10
The Enterprise is studying a radiation anomaly when unexpectedly a Klingon cruiser decloaks and hails them. It is the ambassador K'Ehleyr who you will recall had a thing with Worf in The Emissary. She tells them there is an urgent matter to be discussed and requests to beam aboard. Picard sends Worf to greet her which he is less than pleased with, but of course he does it and it isn't just her, their son Alexander beams over as well. Worf is shocked to learn he has a son but there are even more important matters. She meets with Picard and tells him the Klingon empire is near civil war and Chancellor K'mpec is dying and needs Picards help. Picard beams to the cruiser and meets with K'mpec who tells him he needs Picard to act as arbiter of succession, there are two rival factions: one lead by Duras and the other Gowron. One of them has poisoned K'mpec and he wants Picard to figure out which one and stop them from becoming Chancellor. Picard doesn't want to do it, but he doesn't have any choice in the matter.
K'mpec dies and both Gowron and Duras arrive and there is after the ceremonial jabbing of the dead guy with pain sticks to prove he is dead they get ready for the rights of succession, but it is interrupted by a bomb going off. Back on the Enterprise Worf and K'Ehleyr meet and discuss their future. Worf can't accept being with her since he is discommendated and she doesn't care about that or any other Klingon tradtitions. Picard decides to do the slow and traditional rights of succession which neither of the candidates is happy about, but neither can they do much. Gowron goes the K'Ehleyr and tries to get her to speed things up by offering her a seat on the council, but she refuses.
Data investigates the bomb and discovers it had a Romulan trigger. Picard tells this to both candidates who insist on their own investigations. Meanwhile K'Ehleyr is investigating the Khitomer massacre and coming close to the truth about Duras' father. Duras finds out and confronts her in her quarters. And by confronts I mean he murders her. Worf and Alexander find her just in time for her to tell him who killed her before dying. Worf does the Klingon death scream and runs off. Dr. Crusher arrives too late and tells the captain. He asks the computer where Worf is but he isn't on the ship. He is on Duras' ship and demands the right of vengance. He is told his discommendation disqualifies him, but Duras didn't know K'Ehleyr was his mate. They fight and just as Worf is delivering the killing blow Riker arrives, but not in time to stop him. Picard is disappointed in Worf, but since the Klingons aren't upset by this and Worf wants to stay on the ship he just gives him a written reprimand and sends him on his way. Worf sends Alexander off to live with his human parents after a heartfelt goodbye.
Review: This is a better episode than I remember and that is good especially after the last few. Klingon politics are are brutal as ever and Worf is about as good as he gets.
7 out of 10
Thursday, August 27, 2015
TNG: Legacy
Unlike the last few episodes this one I have mixed feelings about. It feels like it is just going to be a little too happy but then the thing they have been hinting at the whole time happens and nobody is shocked by Data. I liked Tasha Yar a lot better on this watching than when I watched originally, but the way they keep bringing up her death over and over is getting to be a little much. It is at least interesting to have Data be the one who falls in love with the traitor.
The episode opens with the officers Poker game and Data manages to out bluff Riker, but Riker tries to get his chips with a magic trick. A trick Data sees through instantly. They are interrupted by Riker being called to the bridge, a Federation ship has issued a distress signal. It is on an, "emergency orbit," around a rebellious human colony. Just as they arrive the ship explodes but an escape pod makes it out. But for some reason they can't beam the people out so the end up on the surface. The planet is the one Tasha grew up on with the rape gangs and vicious factions. Riker leads an away team and they are met by a raider party which takes them to their leader. The colony is now divided between two factions who for some reason all agreed to have implants that don't let them get near the enemy base without setting off an alarm and you can't take it out or it will explode.
The group they meet isn't the one with the crew but they do have Tasha's sister who offers to help get the crew back.She beams up to the Enterprise and quickly makes friends with Data. They try to get to crew back once but her implant sets off the alarm. She tells Data she wants to join Starfleet and even gives him a kiss. The only plan they can come up with is to blast a hole in the planet with the ships phasers and beaming in through the hole. And the only way it will work is if Tasha's sister goes with them. So they remove her chip and blow a hole in the planet. They get to their crew and rescue them, but the alarm goes off! Tasha's sister has gone off on her own and killed several member of the other faction. Data finds her messing with the fusion reactor and realizes she is going to destroy the reactor and disable the factions defenses. Riker shows up and distracts her long enough for Data to stun her and turn off the reactor overload. Picard decides to release her back to her people and Data is really hurt by the whole thing. Or it seems that way at least, in theory he has no feelings.
Review: Better than the last few, but still not a great episode. The betrayal seems kinda obvious, but it is interesting to see how in effects Data.
5 out of 10
The episode opens with the officers Poker game and Data manages to out bluff Riker, but Riker tries to get his chips with a magic trick. A trick Data sees through instantly. They are interrupted by Riker being called to the bridge, a Federation ship has issued a distress signal. It is on an, "emergency orbit," around a rebellious human colony. Just as they arrive the ship explodes but an escape pod makes it out. But for some reason they can't beam the people out so the end up on the surface. The planet is the one Tasha grew up on with the rape gangs and vicious factions. Riker leads an away team and they are met by a raider party which takes them to their leader. The colony is now divided between two factions who for some reason all agreed to have implants that don't let them get near the enemy base without setting off an alarm and you can't take it out or it will explode.
The group they meet isn't the one with the crew but they do have Tasha's sister who offers to help get the crew back.She beams up to the Enterprise and quickly makes friends with Data. They try to get to crew back once but her implant sets off the alarm. She tells Data she wants to join Starfleet and even gives him a kiss. The only plan they can come up with is to blast a hole in the planet with the ships phasers and beaming in through the hole. And the only way it will work is if Tasha's sister goes with them. So they remove her chip and blow a hole in the planet. They get to their crew and rescue them, but the alarm goes off! Tasha's sister has gone off on her own and killed several member of the other faction. Data finds her messing with the fusion reactor and realizes she is going to destroy the reactor and disable the factions defenses. Riker shows up and distracts her long enough for Data to stun her and turn off the reactor overload. Picard decides to release her back to her people and Data is really hurt by the whole thing. Or it seems that way at least, in theory he has no feelings.
Review: Better than the last few, but still not a great episode. The betrayal seems kinda obvious, but it is interesting to see how in effects Data.
5 out of 10
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
TNG: Remember Me
The mid season slump came really early in season 4! This is one of those episodes that I guess maybe they thought was "hard science fiction" but really it is just silly. Dr. Crusher is trapped in a static warp bubble (I think this may be the first time they use this particularly bad bit of technobabble) created by her thoughts that is gradually shrinking which manifests itself as people on board the ship vanishing with no trace. And nobody but her seems to notice that it is happening. What???? That doesn't actually make any sense and to top it off with a visit from the traveler to tell Wesley how awesome he is is just the worst. That may be a one point subtraction right there in fact.
The episode opens with Dr. Crusher greeting an old colleague who is visiting while they are in starbase. He talks about missing all his friends who have died and this makes Beverley sad so she stops by engineering to see Wesley. Wesley is doing some sort of experiment with the engines that causes a flash of light, but everything seems fine. Beverley goes about her business but when she visits her doctor friend he is gone. And there is no trace of him or record of him being there. Worf even has teams search the ship but he doesn't turn up. More and more people keep disappearing and no one seems to listen to her. It gets to the point that she is the only one on the ship and when she asks the computer it turns out there are no other ships or any more universe other than a rapidly shrinking bubble around her.
Back in the real world Dr. Crusher is missing and they figure Wesley's experiment is to blame. They race back to where it happened because spacetime works that way in this universe I guess but Wesley can't do it alone! Fortunately (for him, not us) the traveler appears and helps guide Wesley. There is some phasing in and out of reality for both of them but just at the last second Beverley figures it out and goes to engineering in her bubble universe and makes it to safety just in time. And rather than talk about how what Wesley did was reckless they just all congratulate him and the traveler for saving the day.
Review: As I was watching the first 2/3rds I was thinking, "this isn't great, probably a solid 4/10," but when the traveler showed up and it became apparent how this was all about the power of though I realized this:
3 out of 10
The episode opens with Dr. Crusher greeting an old colleague who is visiting while they are in starbase. He talks about missing all his friends who have died and this makes Beverley sad so she stops by engineering to see Wesley. Wesley is doing some sort of experiment with the engines that causes a flash of light, but everything seems fine. Beverley goes about her business but when she visits her doctor friend he is gone. And there is no trace of him or record of him being there. Worf even has teams search the ship but he doesn't turn up. More and more people keep disappearing and no one seems to listen to her. It gets to the point that she is the only one on the ship and when she asks the computer it turns out there are no other ships or any more universe other than a rapidly shrinking bubble around her.
Back in the real world Dr. Crusher is missing and they figure Wesley's experiment is to blame. They race back to where it happened because spacetime works that way in this universe I guess but Wesley can't do it alone! Fortunately (for him, not us) the traveler appears and helps guide Wesley. There is some phasing in and out of reality for both of them but just at the last second Beverley figures it out and goes to engineering in her bubble universe and makes it to safety just in time. And rather than talk about how what Wesley did was reckless they just all congratulate him and the traveler for saving the day.
Review: As I was watching the first 2/3rds I was thinking, "this isn't great, probably a solid 4/10," but when the traveler showed up and it became apparent how this was all about the power of though I realized this:
3 out of 10
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
TNG: Suddenly Human
Season 4 is taking a pretty serious nose dive from the high standards set by season 3. This episode isn't awful, but I swear if I have to hear Troi tell Picard one more time what a great parent he would make and that he wouldn't understand because he isn't a parent I will take 5 points off the score. Any episode that is about Picard having do deal with a child is going to be not great so I am not sure why they didn't stop making them. It is like one of the writers is a nagging relative who won't shut up that he doesn't have kids. The actor playing the boy isn't awful, but this script isn't a gift to anyone.
The Enterprise picks up a distress signal from a small Telarian ship and despite knowing they are often booby trapped Riker beams over when fading life signs are detected. They find it is crewed by 5 boys, 4 Telarian, and one Human. They are all injured to various degrees but all survive with treatment on the Enterprise. But they aren't exactly fitting in as they constantly drone loudly and refuse to be touched. The human child is named Jono has suffered numerous injuries growing up and will only respond to captain Picard. Despite it being a terrible idea he ends up staying with Picard who is pressured into being a surrogate father by Troi who is just the worst this episode.
They eventually figure out that he is the child of two Starfleet officers killed in a Telarian attack and his grandmother is an admiral. But they keep ignoring that he wants to go home. Eventually the Telarian ship arrives and the captain demands they return his son. Picard refuses and the Telarian says it will be war if he isn't returned. Picard tries to convince him to be human with racket ball and ice cream but eventually Picard ignores Crusher and Troi and sends the boy back to his father.
Review: This episode is so preachy only to discover it was wrong in the last minute and fix everything. It feels like after TBOBW TNG just kinda lost momentum and decided it need to have more small stories. But if so, make them good stories like Family. I am taking a point off for Troi in this episode.
2 out of 10
The Enterprise picks up a distress signal from a small Telarian ship and despite knowing they are often booby trapped Riker beams over when fading life signs are detected. They find it is crewed by 5 boys, 4 Telarian, and one Human. They are all injured to various degrees but all survive with treatment on the Enterprise. But they aren't exactly fitting in as they constantly drone loudly and refuse to be touched. The human child is named Jono has suffered numerous injuries growing up and will only respond to captain Picard. Despite it being a terrible idea he ends up staying with Picard who is pressured into being a surrogate father by Troi who is just the worst this episode.
They eventually figure out that he is the child of two Starfleet officers killed in a Telarian attack and his grandmother is an admiral. But they keep ignoring that he wants to go home. Eventually the Telarian ship arrives and the captain demands they return his son. Picard refuses and the Telarian says it will be war if he isn't returned. Picard tries to convince him to be human with racket ball and ice cream but eventually Picard ignores Crusher and Troi and sends the boy back to his father.
Review: This episode is so preachy only to discover it was wrong in the last minute and fix everything. It feels like after TBOBW TNG just kinda lost momentum and decided it need to have more small stories. But if so, make them good stories like Family. I am taking a point off for Troi in this episode.
2 out of 10
Monday, August 24, 2015
TNG: Brothers
While having Brent Spiner as both Data and Lore has been compelling, having him play three characters at once is apparently too much. Especially with the terrible aging makeup that put on him for Dr. Soong that make him look more like an alien than an old person. Also Data taking over the ship and risking all their lives (not just the one sick kid) raises all sorts of questions about the security of command on a Starfleet vessel. It kinda seems like maybe they should have different controls in place if one person, even a person such as Data, can so easily take over all command functions.
The episode begins with kids so you know it isn't going to be great. One kid pranked his brother by pretending to be killed in a laser tag game and the younger brother ran off and ate a fruit that gave him deadly parasites that was just there waiting to be eaten for some reason. This whole episode seems like maybe it is time to review procedures on the ship. While Data is taking the offending child to go apologize he starts twitching and stops talking. He then goes straight to the bridge and changes course on the ship before shutting down life support on the bridge. You would think it would be easier if he did it the other way around, but whatever. He seals them all out and takes the ship somewhere. He even programs it so that after he leaves even Picard can't easily fix things by faking Picards voice and setting a long numeric pass code.
Data evades their attempts to keep him from transporting and beams to the surface of a planet. He finds himself in the presence of Dr. Noonian Soong, his creator. Dr. Soong doesn't seem to give a damn about the havoc he has raised and only wants to hang out with Data and be cool. This goes great until Lore shows up and things get tense. Dr. Soong tells them he is dying and that he made an emotion chip for Data so he can be more like Lore. But Lore tricks him into installing it into him instead and then flees. Data is left to explain his behavior and I guess they save the kid.
Review: Not the best written episode and having Dr. Soong give so little care for the safety of the Enterprise is kinda shocking really. Data has such I high regard for life it is actually unclear where he got it from. Not an awful episode, but much weaker than the ones that came before this season.
4 out of 10
The episode begins with kids so you know it isn't going to be great. One kid pranked his brother by pretending to be killed in a laser tag game and the younger brother ran off and ate a fruit that gave him deadly parasites that was just there waiting to be eaten for some reason. This whole episode seems like maybe it is time to review procedures on the ship. While Data is taking the offending child to go apologize he starts twitching and stops talking. He then goes straight to the bridge and changes course on the ship before shutting down life support on the bridge. You would think it would be easier if he did it the other way around, but whatever. He seals them all out and takes the ship somewhere. He even programs it so that after he leaves even Picard can't easily fix things by faking Picards voice and setting a long numeric pass code.
Data evades their attempts to keep him from transporting and beams to the surface of a planet. He finds himself in the presence of Dr. Noonian Soong, his creator. Dr. Soong doesn't seem to give a damn about the havoc he has raised and only wants to hang out with Data and be cool. This goes great until Lore shows up and things get tense. Dr. Soong tells them he is dying and that he made an emotion chip for Data so he can be more like Lore. But Lore tricks him into installing it into him instead and then flees. Data is left to explain his behavior and I guess they save the kid.
Review: Not the best written episode and having Dr. Soong give so little care for the safety of the Enterprise is kinda shocking really. Data has such I high regard for life it is actually unclear where he got it from. Not an awful episode, but much weaker than the ones that came before this season.
4 out of 10
Sunday, August 23, 2015
TNG: Family
Everybody remembers The Best of Both Worlds being an amazing episode, but what really sells TNG as a show deeper than just an action show is this very emotional followup. Most shows would move pretty quickly back to normal even after the kind of horror experienced by Picard, but TNG has him going home to settle things with his brother and Worf reconciling with his parents after being dishonored by the Klingons. Finally the short bit about Wesley getting to meet a hologram of his father is really touching.
The episode begins with the Enterprise being repaired on earth and the crew deciding what they will do with some time off. Picard has decided to spend some time in the village he grew up in, Worf is getting a visit from his family, and well, those are the stories we get tonight. Troi is at her worst as a nosy but unhelpful councilor questioning Picard on why he would possibly want to go home. When he arrives Picard is greeted by his enthusiastic nephew, but it is clear that his brother does not hold him in such high regard. His sister in law is happy to see him but his brother would rather spend time working on his grape vines. Back on the ship Worf is less than eager to meet his parents again but they are very happy to see him. Maybe this is why he isn't excited, but his father is eager to see as much of the ship as possible and his mother just wants to spend time with him.
Back on Earth Jean Luc keeps getting into fights with his brother about the nature of progress but is also met happily by an old friend working on making a new continent. The friend keeps trying to recruit Jean Luc, and does manage to at least tempt him. Back on the ship Worf isn't doing a great job with his parents, but they have a nice talk with Guinan which gets them feeling a little better. Eventually they end up in Worfs quarters and he tells them he is happy they came. He even accepts their comfort when discussing his dishonor before the Klingon empire.
Down in France Jean Luc and his brother get into a quarrel over a bottle of wine and end up in a fist fight that turns into a mud wrestling match which ends with them both laughing. Jean Luc admits to his brother how upset he is about having been unable to stop helping to Borg kill all those people and his brother is happy to learn he is still human on the inside. The make up and Jean Luc decides staying with Starfleet really is the best place for him to be. The episode ends with Wesley getting to watch a holographic recording of his father telling him about himself and it made me cry a bit.
Review: After all the action is it really great to get to see how the various characters are dealing with the trauma they just went through. Picard and his brother are especially great together. Also, can I move to future space France? It looks pretty nice!
8 out of 10
The episode begins with the Enterprise being repaired on earth and the crew deciding what they will do with some time off. Picard has decided to spend some time in the village he grew up in, Worf is getting a visit from his family, and well, those are the stories we get tonight. Troi is at her worst as a nosy but unhelpful councilor questioning Picard on why he would possibly want to go home. When he arrives Picard is greeted by his enthusiastic nephew, but it is clear that his brother does not hold him in such high regard. His sister in law is happy to see him but his brother would rather spend time working on his grape vines. Back on the ship Worf is less than eager to meet his parents again but they are very happy to see him. Maybe this is why he isn't excited, but his father is eager to see as much of the ship as possible and his mother just wants to spend time with him.
Back on Earth Jean Luc keeps getting into fights with his brother about the nature of progress but is also met happily by an old friend working on making a new continent. The friend keeps trying to recruit Jean Luc, and does manage to at least tempt him. Back on the ship Worf isn't doing a great job with his parents, but they have a nice talk with Guinan which gets them feeling a little better. Eventually they end up in Worfs quarters and he tells them he is happy they came. He even accepts their comfort when discussing his dishonor before the Klingon empire.
Down in France Jean Luc and his brother get into a quarrel over a bottle of wine and end up in a fist fight that turns into a mud wrestling match which ends with them both laughing. Jean Luc admits to his brother how upset he is about having been unable to stop helping to Borg kill all those people and his brother is happy to learn he is still human on the inside. The make up and Jean Luc decides staying with Starfleet really is the best place for him to be. The episode ends with Wesley getting to watch a holographic recording of his father telling him about himself and it made me cry a bit.
Review: After all the action is it really great to get to see how the various characters are dealing with the trauma they just went through. Picard and his brother are especially great together. Also, can I move to future space France? It looks pretty nice!
8 out of 10
TNG: The Best of Both Worlds: Part II
The follow up to part 1 is a little disappointing, but mostly in that it is hard to follow the best episode of a series that also ended of a cliffhanger. Cliffhanger episodes became so normal in Trek that it has hard to remember that this is the first time it was ever done. On the sides of what this episode does well, the battle being only shown in its aftermath works really well, Riker and Guinan are great together, and the solution of having Data, a unique form of computer life unknown to the Borg, hack into the Borg mind and put them to sleep makes a surprising amount of sense for a show so known for its technobabble.
The episode begins with the plan from the previous episode not only failing to even slow the Borg down, it takes so much power they are unable to pursue for several hours. The admiral in charge of the fleet thanks them for buy time, but it doesn't look like it will be enough. Riker is officially promoted to captain of the Enterprise and he proceeds to get the ship ready for battle, but he isn't quite feeling it. Guinan confronts Riker in the ready room and tells him that he not only needs to let go of Picard for emotional reasons, but also tactical since everything Picard knows is now part of the Borg. This shakes Riker, but also puts him in the right place to start planning the next phase of the attack. Shelby is promoted to first officer so that everyone else can stay in the positions they are most well trained to take care of.
Riker sets in motion a plan to separate the saucer section from the drive section when they fight the Borg which had been discussed before, but Riker has other things in mind. When they engage the Borg the drive section opens fire and uses new tactics to evade the tractor beams while the saucer section throws out anti-matter. The anti-matter covers the signature of a shuttle that Data and Worf fly into the Borg ship. Using the shuttle transporter and the newly introduced emergency transporter armbands they beam on board, grab Picard, beam back the shuttle and fly out. O'brien get them all on the drive section just as the shuttle is destroyed. Rather than stay and fight the Borg fly towards earth and high warp.
Locutus is given to Data to try and link minds while Riker prepares to fight to save earth. The Borg blow right through the, "Mars Perimeter," which as shown is only three small ships, but whatever, budgets. They get to earth and start fighting but it isn't working. Data has gotten into the Borg mind but can't make them turn off their weapons, but Picard suddenly awakens and says, "sleep!" Data manages to tell the Borg to go to sleep just before they breach the warp core. The malfunction causes the cube to self destruct. The ending scene has Picard with bandages on his head back in charge of the Enterprise. Shelby is off to help rebuild the fleet and Riker is back where he wants to be.
Review: A satisfying conclusion to an intense cliffhanger episode is always a hard thing, but this episode does it as well as any. Not quite as thrilling as part 1, but a solid episode never the less.
8 out of 10
The episode begins with the plan from the previous episode not only failing to even slow the Borg down, it takes so much power they are unable to pursue for several hours. The admiral in charge of the fleet thanks them for buy time, but it doesn't look like it will be enough. Riker is officially promoted to captain of the Enterprise and he proceeds to get the ship ready for battle, but he isn't quite feeling it. Guinan confronts Riker in the ready room and tells him that he not only needs to let go of Picard for emotional reasons, but also tactical since everything Picard knows is now part of the Borg. This shakes Riker, but also puts him in the right place to start planning the next phase of the attack. Shelby is promoted to first officer so that everyone else can stay in the positions they are most well trained to take care of.
Riker sets in motion a plan to separate the saucer section from the drive section when they fight the Borg which had been discussed before, but Riker has other things in mind. When they engage the Borg the drive section opens fire and uses new tactics to evade the tractor beams while the saucer section throws out anti-matter. The anti-matter covers the signature of a shuttle that Data and Worf fly into the Borg ship. Using the shuttle transporter and the newly introduced emergency transporter armbands they beam on board, grab Picard, beam back the shuttle and fly out. O'brien get them all on the drive section just as the shuttle is destroyed. Rather than stay and fight the Borg fly towards earth and high warp.
Locutus is given to Data to try and link minds while Riker prepares to fight to save earth. The Borg blow right through the, "Mars Perimeter," which as shown is only three small ships, but whatever, budgets. They get to earth and start fighting but it isn't working. Data has gotten into the Borg mind but can't make them turn off their weapons, but Picard suddenly awakens and says, "sleep!" Data manages to tell the Borg to go to sleep just before they breach the warp core. The malfunction causes the cube to self destruct. The ending scene has Picard with bandages on his head back in charge of the Enterprise. Shelby is off to help rebuild the fleet and Riker is back where he wants to be.
Review: A satisfying conclusion to an intense cliffhanger episode is always a hard thing, but this episode does it as well as any. Not quite as thrilling as part 1, but a solid episode never the less.
8 out of 10
Saturday, August 22, 2015
TNG: The Best of Both Worlds: Part 1
Now this is the TNG I remember. It is so good I actually watched it twice, once last night with friends and again today for my review. And you know what, it was at least as good the second time. The conflict between Shelby and Riker is pretty much perfect. You can see how concerned she is but you also want Riker to just do what needs to be done. Everything with Picard is as good as it gets for Trek. The battle is pretty one sided, but that is the point, the Enterprise is totally out classed and in serious trouble. I remember having to wait an entire summer to find out what happened and being stressed about it the whole time! Fortunately for me I get to watch to conclusion as soon as I finish this write up.
The episode opens with the Enterprise investigating the disappearance of a Federation colony. The entire colony has been scooped out of the ground and there is no one left. It looks like the Borg so they meet with an admiral and are assigned Lt. Commander Shelby who is the fleet tactical expert on the Borg. She is aggressive and makes no secret that she is after Riker's job because surprise! He has been offered his own command again. There have been some new weapon developments, but none of them are ready. Suddenly the Borg arrive and start destroying the shields. Their weapons are useless but they manage to stop the attack long enough to flee into a nebula. Geordi gets to work modifying the ship to use some new tech Shelby knows about but it isn't looking good.
The Borg use some sort of space depth charges to drive the Enterprise from the nebula and knock out their shields, but instead of destroying the ship several Bord beam onto the bridge and kidnap the captain. As soon as they disappear the cube takes off at high warp towards earth. The Enterprise pursues, but can't match their speed for long. In addition the only weapon they have will only work if they aren't at warp. Shelby leads an away team over to try and save the captain and stop the cube, but they only find Picards empty uniform.
The away team does manage to force the Borg out of warp by destroying their critical green pyramids but this also signals the Borg on the ship to start attacking. And of course the Federation weapons only work for a few shots before the Borg adapt. But there is hope! They find the captain, only something is wrong, he has been turned into Borg! They beam back to the ship and tell Riker. They are hailed by the Borg only this time it is Locutus, the name the Borg have chosen for the former Picard who orders them to surrener. Over Shelby's objections (totally unclear why she is objecting at this point) Riker orders the weapon to be fired. Stunning cliffhanger!
Review: This episode has great music, great drama and great use of characters. I would spend my time raving about how perfect it is but that is just more time not watching part 2!
10 out of 10
The episode opens with the Enterprise investigating the disappearance of a Federation colony. The entire colony has been scooped out of the ground and there is no one left. It looks like the Borg so they meet with an admiral and are assigned Lt. Commander Shelby who is the fleet tactical expert on the Borg. She is aggressive and makes no secret that she is after Riker's job because surprise! He has been offered his own command again. There have been some new weapon developments, but none of them are ready. Suddenly the Borg arrive and start destroying the shields. Their weapons are useless but they manage to stop the attack long enough to flee into a nebula. Geordi gets to work modifying the ship to use some new tech Shelby knows about but it isn't looking good.
The Borg use some sort of space depth charges to drive the Enterprise from the nebula and knock out their shields, but instead of destroying the ship several Bord beam onto the bridge and kidnap the captain. As soon as they disappear the cube takes off at high warp towards earth. The Enterprise pursues, but can't match their speed for long. In addition the only weapon they have will only work if they aren't at warp. Shelby leads an away team over to try and save the captain and stop the cube, but they only find Picards empty uniform.
The away team does manage to force the Borg out of warp by destroying their critical green pyramids but this also signals the Borg on the ship to start attacking. And of course the Federation weapons only work for a few shots before the Borg adapt. But there is hope! They find the captain, only something is wrong, he has been turned into Borg! They beam back to the ship and tell Riker. They are hailed by the Borg only this time it is Locutus, the name the Borg have chosen for the former Picard who orders them to surrener. Over Shelby's objections (totally unclear why she is objecting at this point) Riker orders the weapon to be fired. Stunning cliffhanger!
Review: This episode has great music, great drama and great use of characters. I would spend my time raving about how perfect it is but that is just more time not watching part 2!
10 out of 10
Thursday, August 20, 2015
TNG: Transfigurations
Despite their best efforts this episode feels kinda generic. I will write a proper summary below, but let me try a one sentence version: Enterprise rescues alien with amnesia, Crusher heals/falls in love with him but his people are afraid of his evolution and want to kill him but he evolves into a god. I realize that isn't the simplest story ever, but almost feels like a clip show compiled from elements of other episodes. I wouldn't be surprised if it was simplified to save money for The Best of Both Worlds Part 1 (and who can really be mad about that?).
While surveying a star system the Enterprise finds a crashed space ship and one survivor. Dr. Crusher needs someone's brain to stabilize the victim and Geordi volunteers. He gets a blast of energy but it works and then bring the victim back to the ship. The victim known as John Doe makes a miraculous recovery but his memory seems to only come back in a highly selective fashion. He exhibits magical healing powers but also seems t be losing control of the yellow glow that comes out of him. At one point he tries to steal a shuttle to flee the ship and accidentally kills Worf, but uses his powers to heal him so it is ok. Eventually his people show up and demand that they can have him back to execute him for being a disturbance. He turns onto a glowing yellow energy being that can transport people so his people I guess decide not to kill him? Also Geordi gets confidence out of the deal and now has a girlfriend.
Review: Not a great episode as you can probably tell from my very brief summary. This is the episode about stereotypes and how they are always right. The nerd can't find love only because he lacks confidence, oppressive governments are afraid of change that will clearly benefit everyone, and evolution means we are all only one mutation away from turning into beings of pure energy. Not unwatchable certainly, but not TNG at its best.
3 out of 10
While surveying a star system the Enterprise finds a crashed space ship and one survivor. Dr. Crusher needs someone's brain to stabilize the victim and Geordi volunteers. He gets a blast of energy but it works and then bring the victim back to the ship. The victim known as John Doe makes a miraculous recovery but his memory seems to only come back in a highly selective fashion. He exhibits magical healing powers but also seems t be losing control of the yellow glow that comes out of him. At one point he tries to steal a shuttle to flee the ship and accidentally kills Worf, but uses his powers to heal him so it is ok. Eventually his people show up and demand that they can have him back to execute him for being a disturbance. He turns onto a glowing yellow energy being that can transport people so his people I guess decide not to kill him? Also Geordi gets confidence out of the deal and now has a girlfriend.
Review: Not a great episode as you can probably tell from my very brief summary. This is the episode about stereotypes and how they are always right. The nerd can't find love only because he lacks confidence, oppressive governments are afraid of change that will clearly benefit everyone, and evolution means we are all only one mutation away from turning into beings of pure energy. Not unwatchable certainly, but not TNG at its best.
3 out of 10
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
TNG: Menage a Troi
You know you are in trouble when the most clever part of your episode is the title. That isn't actually fair, but when it comes to Lwaxana episodes it might as well be. The fortunate thing about this episode is it largely avoids putting Lwaxana together with Picard and instead has a revolting Ferengi trying to win her love. Normally having a villain kidnap a woman so they can be together would feel creepy and awful and it still does a bit, but to have it happen to Lwaxana at least has some nice irony to it.
The episode begins with the Enterprise attending a trade conference at Betazed and hosting a reception for the event. Lwaxana is there along with assorted aliens including two Ferengi. One of the Ferengi, DaiMon Tog, is quite taken with Lwaxana but she gets understandably upset when he asks her price. Wesley is supposed to leave the Enterprise for oral exams to get into the academy but of course the writers can't commit to him leaving the show so he is going to leave at some point, THIS EPISODE (lies of course). Since the Enterprise is apparently going right back to Betazed Deanna and Riker go on shore leave together while the Enterprise is out surveying a nebula of some sort.
On Betazed Deanna and Will are getting romantic until Lwaxana and Mr. Homn arrive with a picnic basket. They are interrupted with Tog appears with a bouquet of flowers, but his plan this time is more direct and he beams them aboard his ship. They are knocked out in the process and when they awaken Tog tells them he intends to woo Lwaxana but also use her abilities to cheat at the trade conference that I am pretty sure just ended. His doctor doesn't trust her but that seems like a good call. Riker manages to knock out the guard left with him and Deanna while Lwaxana is rubbing Tog's ears.
Even though communications are blocked Riker manages to send a signal that only Wesley can detect so of course he misses leaving for the academy. The Enterprise finds the Ferengi vessel and for whatever reason they decide that Picard has to declare his undying love of Lwaxana. After rescuing them they proceed back to Betazed at a leisurely warp 9.
Review: This is far from the worst Lwaxana episode but it is also one of the overall weaker episodes this season. Tog's plan of kidnapping two Starfleet officers in addition to Lwaxana was clearly never going to work. They always talk about how capable the Ferengi are but all the ones we see are total idiots.
4 out of 10
The episode begins with the Enterprise attending a trade conference at Betazed and hosting a reception for the event. Lwaxana is there along with assorted aliens including two Ferengi. One of the Ferengi, DaiMon Tog, is quite taken with Lwaxana but she gets understandably upset when he asks her price. Wesley is supposed to leave the Enterprise for oral exams to get into the academy but of course the writers can't commit to him leaving the show so he is going to leave at some point, THIS EPISODE (lies of course). Since the Enterprise is apparently going right back to Betazed Deanna and Riker go on shore leave together while the Enterprise is out surveying a nebula of some sort.
On Betazed Deanna and Will are getting romantic until Lwaxana and Mr. Homn arrive with a picnic basket. They are interrupted with Tog appears with a bouquet of flowers, but his plan this time is more direct and he beams them aboard his ship. They are knocked out in the process and when they awaken Tog tells them he intends to woo Lwaxana but also use her abilities to cheat at the trade conference that I am pretty sure just ended. His doctor doesn't trust her but that seems like a good call. Riker manages to knock out the guard left with him and Deanna while Lwaxana is rubbing Tog's ears.
Even though communications are blocked Riker manages to send a signal that only Wesley can detect so of course he misses leaving for the academy. The Enterprise finds the Ferengi vessel and for whatever reason they decide that Picard has to declare his undying love of Lwaxana. After rescuing them they proceed back to Betazed at a leisurely warp 9.
Review: This is far from the worst Lwaxana episode but it is also one of the overall weaker episodes this season. Tog's plan of kidnapping two Starfleet officers in addition to Lwaxana was clearly never going to work. They always talk about how capable the Ferengi are but all the ones we see are total idiots.
4 out of 10
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
TNG: Sarek
It seems odd talking about an episode about Vulcans being emotional, but this one manages to pull it off. The scenes of the crew fighting each other vary somewhat in how successful they are at seeming genuine, the one between Geordi and Wesley didn't really work for me. The only thing I remember from this episode as a kid was that there were aliens coming and they needed to live in a slime pit but you never get to see the slime aliens. For that being what I remember this episode being about there was disappointingly little in the episode about it, but I guess maybe trusting me at age 9 to make plot decisions isn't the most logical course.
The episode opens with Picard preparing to greet their honored guest Ambassador Sarek. Before Sarek arrives his two aides beam over and insist that Sarek is too worn out for any social contact but when he arrives he seems vigorous as ever. Sarek insists in inspecting the conference room/slime pit and isn't pleased with what he sees. Geordi is hassling Wesley about asking an ensign on a date in the slime room since clearly you assign an acting ensign to the job of preparing for super sensitive aliens who care about every detail. Picard stops by Sareks quarters to invite him and his wife to a Mozart concert in his honor. His wife agrees to ask him and after Picard leaves she goes to the back room to check on Sarek and finds him frustrated at his inability to meditate. Back in the slime room Riker has to stop a fight between Geordi and Wesley that is getting extremely heated.
The concert starts as planned by Sarek suddenly starts crying and has to leave. There are starting to be signs of trouble all over the ship. Worf tries to discipline one of his subordinates for being insubordinate, Wesley gets yelled at by his mom, and a huge brawl breaks out in Ten Forward. Troi thinks that it may be coming from Sarek but his aides refuse to let the captain even discuss it with him. Crusher thinks that he may have a rare degenerative Vulcan syndrome that causes total loss of control over emotions. Data manages to get one of the aides to admit he is using his limited telepathic abilities to help Sarek stay in control. The captain confronts Sarek who has a full out breakdown over it.
The treaty signing is now jeopardized since the slime aliens will deal only with Sarek. Picard starts plans to delay the conference by Sarek's wife tells him there is another way. He can mindmeld with Sarek and carry his emotions with him why the signing takes place. Picard agrees by has to talk Sarek into it since the strain on Picard will be enormous. We get to see some serious emoting from Patrick in this one but of course the plan goes off perfectly. Sarek returns home to retire and be secluded and Picard gets to carry part of him in his mind forever.
Review: This is a good episode about the challenges of aging and the stress of not being able to do what one once could. Mark Lenard is fantastic as always. Not the greatest executed episode of all time, but well made enough to enjoy.
6 out of 10
The episode opens with Picard preparing to greet their honored guest Ambassador Sarek. Before Sarek arrives his two aides beam over and insist that Sarek is too worn out for any social contact but when he arrives he seems vigorous as ever. Sarek insists in inspecting the conference room/slime pit and isn't pleased with what he sees. Geordi is hassling Wesley about asking an ensign on a date in the slime room since clearly you assign an acting ensign to the job of preparing for super sensitive aliens who care about every detail. Picard stops by Sareks quarters to invite him and his wife to a Mozart concert in his honor. His wife agrees to ask him and after Picard leaves she goes to the back room to check on Sarek and finds him frustrated at his inability to meditate. Back in the slime room Riker has to stop a fight between Geordi and Wesley that is getting extremely heated.
The concert starts as planned by Sarek suddenly starts crying and has to leave. There are starting to be signs of trouble all over the ship. Worf tries to discipline one of his subordinates for being insubordinate, Wesley gets yelled at by his mom, and a huge brawl breaks out in Ten Forward. Troi thinks that it may be coming from Sarek but his aides refuse to let the captain even discuss it with him. Crusher thinks that he may have a rare degenerative Vulcan syndrome that causes total loss of control over emotions. Data manages to get one of the aides to admit he is using his limited telepathic abilities to help Sarek stay in control. The captain confronts Sarek who has a full out breakdown over it.
The treaty signing is now jeopardized since the slime aliens will deal only with Sarek. Picard starts plans to delay the conference by Sarek's wife tells him there is another way. He can mindmeld with Sarek and carry his emotions with him why the signing takes place. Picard agrees by has to talk Sarek into it since the strain on Picard will be enormous. We get to see some serious emoting from Patrick in this one but of course the plan goes off perfectly. Sarek returns home to retire and be secluded and Picard gets to carry part of him in his mind forever.
Review: This is a good episode about the challenges of aging and the stress of not being able to do what one once could. Mark Lenard is fantastic as always. Not the greatest executed episode of all time, but well made enough to enjoy.
6 out of 10
Monday, August 17, 2015
TNG: The Most Toys
Last nights episode (technically the second for that day, the joys of falling behind by a day) featured a hero who was both creepy and a bit annoying. Today's episode has a character with both those characteristics, but this time he is the villain. Today's villain is a classic super capitalist/egotist/collector who values his collection of rarities far more than life, well at least more than other peoples lives. There is a subplot about Geordi trying to figure out what really happened which never really pays off like it seems like it was intended to when they discover the cyanide poisoning was artificial, but whatever.
The episode begins with Data preparing to fly a shuttlecraft loaded with a dangerous cargo back to the Enterprise. The unstable unobtanium (they make up a different fake substance name, but it isn't much better) is needed to purify the water at a Federation colony and there is no other source for it within range. Just before departing Data is asked for a fingerprint to verify the transfer but it is a trap and the box knocks him out. On the way back to the Enterprise the shuttle (with the right proportions of materials to make up a fake Data) explodes for no apparent reason. The merchant seems sad, but of course Troi isn't on the bridge when you need her so they let him take off and head to the colony.
On the merchant ship Data awakens in a room filled with fine art. The merchant Fajo explains he is a collector of unique things and he has obtained Data for his collection. Data refuses to cooperate but escape seems impossible for the time. Back on the ship Geordi isn't taking the loss of Data well but nobody else seems to think his death was suspicious. Geordi keeps pushing and finds a problem with Data's communications with the ship but only Wesley seems to buy it. Data is busy pissing off Fajo and trying to convince his aide that she would be better off helping Data. Fajo makes this easier when he threatens to kill aide to convince Data and Data gives in and sits in the dumb chair.
The Enterprise arrives at the colony and discovers that the poisoning was a ploy. But the poison is so expensive there must be another reason. When they look into Fajo's history they find out he is a collector of rare objects and they put 2 and 2 together. Meanwhile the aide helps Data try and escape but Fajo catches them and kills her. Data is about to kill Fajo to stop his reign of terror but is transported back to the Enterprise just as he fires the weapon. Fajo is arrested and Data is back in action.
Review: There is a reason Data episodes are generally well thought of. The combination of Brent's acting and interesting writing makes this a somewhat disturbing but also thought provoking episode.
7 out of 10
The episode begins with Data preparing to fly a shuttlecraft loaded with a dangerous cargo back to the Enterprise. The unstable unobtanium (they make up a different fake substance name, but it isn't much better) is needed to purify the water at a Federation colony and there is no other source for it within range. Just before departing Data is asked for a fingerprint to verify the transfer but it is a trap and the box knocks him out. On the way back to the Enterprise the shuttle (with the right proportions of materials to make up a fake Data) explodes for no apparent reason. The merchant seems sad, but of course Troi isn't on the bridge when you need her so they let him take off and head to the colony.
On the merchant ship Data awakens in a room filled with fine art. The merchant Fajo explains he is a collector of unique things and he has obtained Data for his collection. Data refuses to cooperate but escape seems impossible for the time. Back on the ship Geordi isn't taking the loss of Data well but nobody else seems to think his death was suspicious. Geordi keeps pushing and finds a problem with Data's communications with the ship but only Wesley seems to buy it. Data is busy pissing off Fajo and trying to convince his aide that she would be better off helping Data. Fajo makes this easier when he threatens to kill aide to convince Data and Data gives in and sits in the dumb chair.
The Enterprise arrives at the colony and discovers that the poisoning was a ploy. But the poison is so expensive there must be another reason. When they look into Fajo's history they find out he is a collector of rare objects and they put 2 and 2 together. Meanwhile the aide helps Data try and escape but Fajo catches them and kills her. Data is about to kill Fajo to stop his reign of terror but is transported back to the Enterprise just as he fires the weapon. Fajo is arrested and Data is back in action.
Review: There is a reason Data episodes are generally well thought of. The combination of Brent's acting and interesting writing makes this a somewhat disturbing but also thought provoking episode.
7 out of 10
Sunday, August 16, 2015
TNG: Hollow Pursuits
I think this attempt at a story about the people on the decks below the bridge would have worked a little better if they hadn't made Barclay so unlikable. Lets be honest, most people are going to be justifiably pissed off if you make holographic copies of them to have sex with. This was illegal by the time DS9 came around, but I guess the writers hadn't really thought it out in TNG. Also, being chronically late in a military organization like Starfleet (I can hear Gene rolling over in his grave) being late all the time is a serious problem. But at the same time I feel like we have all gone to our boss about something like this only to be told to work in out like Picard does so I guess I can't be too upset.
The episode opens with Barclay in Ten Forward getting into a fight with Geordi and Riker and then making out with Troi. But of course this is just a holodeck simulation, a creepy holodeck simulation. He is interrupted by Geordi asking where he is since he is supposed to be on duty. He arrives in the cargo bay to find that one of the anti-grav carts has broken and the containment vessel it was carrying has broken open. Barkley is assigned to fix it and Geordi discusses his dissatisfaction over Barclay with Riker. Barclay claims to have fixed it, but it fails again breaking another containment vessel. Hopefully it wasn't anything important or dangerous...
Geordi and Riker go to the captain to talk about transferring Barclay to another ship, but Picard refuses to pass the buck and insists Geordi try harder. Geordi goes to Guinan to talk about Barclay and she isn't really very helpful other than describing him as creative. In an effort to reach out Geordi invites him to the engineering staff meeting which only seems to make Barclay more nervous. Geordi eventually finds Barclay in the holodeck playing a three musketeers simulation with all the parts played by members of the crew. Geordi says he will keep his secret for some reason. Things keep getting worse on the ship, a glass melts in Ten Forward, the transporter stops working and there are problems with the engines.
After an appointment with Troi that goes terribly Barclay fails to show up in the bridge so Riker, Troi and Geordi storm into the holodeck and are outraged to find simulations of themselves. But luckily for Barclay the gas pedal in the Enterprise sticks and he is the one who figures out that the problem started with the broken containment pod in act one (which actually makes no sense since it was the anti-grav unit failing that caused the containment vessel to break which is what they decide broke the anti-grav unit). He saves the day by injecting coolant into the engine and everybody forgives all the rest of his terrible behavior.
Review: This is probably the weakest episode so far this season. I am not really sure what they were going for by making Barclay so unlikable and then having the solution to the final crisis be for him to fix the thing he probably broke in the first place. Also his turning his back on the holodeck feels hollow since he doesn't actually delete all his programs.
3 out of 10
The episode opens with Barclay in Ten Forward getting into a fight with Geordi and Riker and then making out with Troi. But of course this is just a holodeck simulation, a creepy holodeck simulation. He is interrupted by Geordi asking where he is since he is supposed to be on duty. He arrives in the cargo bay to find that one of the anti-grav carts has broken and the containment vessel it was carrying has broken open. Barkley is assigned to fix it and Geordi discusses his dissatisfaction over Barclay with Riker. Barclay claims to have fixed it, but it fails again breaking another containment vessel. Hopefully it wasn't anything important or dangerous...
Geordi and Riker go to the captain to talk about transferring Barclay to another ship, but Picard refuses to pass the buck and insists Geordi try harder. Geordi goes to Guinan to talk about Barclay and she isn't really very helpful other than describing him as creative. In an effort to reach out Geordi invites him to the engineering staff meeting which only seems to make Barclay more nervous. Geordi eventually finds Barclay in the holodeck playing a three musketeers simulation with all the parts played by members of the crew. Geordi says he will keep his secret for some reason. Things keep getting worse on the ship, a glass melts in Ten Forward, the transporter stops working and there are problems with the engines.
After an appointment with Troi that goes terribly Barclay fails to show up in the bridge so Riker, Troi and Geordi storm into the holodeck and are outraged to find simulations of themselves. But luckily for Barclay the gas pedal in the Enterprise sticks and he is the one who figures out that the problem started with the broken containment pod in act one (which actually makes no sense since it was the anti-grav unit failing that caused the containment vessel to break which is what they decide broke the anti-grav unit). He saves the day by injecting coolant into the engine and everybody forgives all the rest of his terrible behavior.
Review: This is probably the weakest episode so far this season. I am not really sure what they were going for by making Barclay so unlikable and then having the solution to the final crisis be for him to fix the thing he probably broke in the first place. Also his turning his back on the holodeck feels hollow since he doesn't actually delete all his programs.
3 out of 10
TNG: Tin Man
Tin Man is one of the most scifi TNG episodes I have seen so far. The idea of a living ship was new to me when I originally watched this episode, but now having seen most of Farscape it doesn't seem quite so new. This episode also gives more background into Betazed psychic powers and how they generally manage to keep from going insane from them. I am guessing they named the creature Tin Man because it had lost its crew and therefore heart and need to get one or die from the loss. This suggests that whoever in Starfleet named the thing already knew the end of this episode, but whatever.
The episode begins with a surprise meeting with the USS Hood. It arrives bringing secret orders (although the information in them was clearly already compromised) and a passenger. The passenger is a first contact expert named Tam, although he is most famous it seems for a first contact mission that went wrong and got most of the team killed. He is a much more powerful than normal empath not exactly emotionally stable himself. Riker doesn't trust him knowing what happened previously and Dianna used to act as his therapist. The mission here is there for is to contact a living space ship that a probe encountered past the edge of explored space. They need to hurry since the Romulans are known to be on there way as well. The catch is Tin Man is orbiting a star which is about to explode so there won't be much time. The ship sets off at high warp but on the ship tensions are high as well.
The only one on the ship Tam seems to get along with is Data since he has no thoughts to transmit. The ship arrives but as they come out of warp a Romulan ship appears and shoots the Enterprise before racing towards Tin Man. When they are unable to contact it they prime their weapons but Tam warns Tin Man and it destroys the Romulan ship and badly damages the Enterprise. This is a problem both because there is another Romulan ship on the way but also the star is close to exploding. Tam decides to only option is for him to go over to Tin Man and Picard agrees if Data goes with him.
Upon arring Tam learns that Tin Man once had a crew who died long ago and that being alone it now wants to die. Data seems somewhat unimpressed that Tam now wants to join with Tin Man, but when the Romulans arrive and try to kill Tin Man it throws the other two ships away and transports Data back to the bridge of the Enterprise. Tam and Tin Man disappear never to be seen again.
Review: I guess my summary is a little short but that is because I am doing two today, not because I didn't like the episode. It was actually quite good and better than I remembered. For some reason I remembered Wesley going over to Tin Man and that being a problem, but luckily my memory was incorrect.
7 out of 10
The episode begins with a surprise meeting with the USS Hood. It arrives bringing secret orders (although the information in them was clearly already compromised) and a passenger. The passenger is a first contact expert named Tam, although he is most famous it seems for a first contact mission that went wrong and got most of the team killed. He is a much more powerful than normal empath not exactly emotionally stable himself. Riker doesn't trust him knowing what happened previously and Dianna used to act as his therapist. The mission here is there for is to contact a living space ship that a probe encountered past the edge of explored space. They need to hurry since the Romulans are known to be on there way as well. The catch is Tin Man is orbiting a star which is about to explode so there won't be much time. The ship sets off at high warp but on the ship tensions are high as well.
The only one on the ship Tam seems to get along with is Data since he has no thoughts to transmit. The ship arrives but as they come out of warp a Romulan ship appears and shoots the Enterprise before racing towards Tin Man. When they are unable to contact it they prime their weapons but Tam warns Tin Man and it destroys the Romulan ship and badly damages the Enterprise. This is a problem both because there is another Romulan ship on the way but also the star is close to exploding. Tam decides to only option is for him to go over to Tin Man and Picard agrees if Data goes with him.
Upon arring Tam learns that Tin Man once had a crew who died long ago and that being alone it now wants to die. Data seems somewhat unimpressed that Tam now wants to join with Tin Man, but when the Romulans arrive and try to kill Tin Man it throws the other two ships away and transports Data back to the bridge of the Enterprise. Tam and Tin Man disappear never to be seen again.
Review: I guess my summary is a little short but that is because I am doing two today, not because I didn't like the episode. It was actually quite good and better than I remembered. For some reason I remembered Wesley going over to Tin Man and that being a problem, but luckily my memory was incorrect.
7 out of 10
Friday, August 14, 2015
TNG: Captain's Holiday
This is another episode I remember fondly and it manages to hold up pretty well. I think it has been mentioned before but this episode does a lot to show the interest the captain has in archaeology. It also goes a fair way to establishing Risa as the sex planet of the galaxy. TOS had it's shore leave planet, but it was always a little more PG than what TNG gets away with in this one. I can't really argue with a Picardcentric episode other than maybe to complain that the part with him being grumpy goes on a little too long and cuts into the adventure part at the end.
The episode opens with two aliens materializing on Risa and asking the computer there where to find Picard. It says he isn't there and has no reservation, but one alien reassures the other, "he will come." With that we cut back to the Enterprise where Picard is returning from a tense two weeks of negotiations that he was successful at, but have left him stressed out. After resisting every suggestion he go on leave Picard finally relents when Troi mentions her mother will be joining them for the week at star base while the ship is repaired. That threat is too much and Picard agrees to a week on Risa.
When he arrives a mysterious woman sees him while trying to hide from a Ferengi and gives him a kiss when she needs some cover before running off. This starts Picard in a bad moon and it gets worse when he buys a idol Riker asked him for and the local women won't leave him alone until one of them explains it to him. Next the Ferengi from earlier threatens him if he doesn't give the Ferengi back some disk there will be trouble. And finally the mystery woman Vash shows up but Picard gives her the slip, but not before she can drop the mystery disk into his pocket. Back in his hotel room two mysterious aliens who claim to be from the future are hanging out. Picard is pissed at first, but then they explain they are here to find a mysterious McGuffin from the future and history records Picard as having found it on Risa. After they leave Picard finds the disk in his pocket.
Picard goes to Vash's room and finds her cleaning up a mess left behind when the Ferengi Sovak tried to find the disk. She explains she was the student of a professor who spent his life trying to find the McGuffin. Just before he died he discovered useful information on the location and it is on the disk. Picard agrees to help her find it and they set out, but not before Sovak tries to stop them, but of course Picard outsmarts him. After Vash tries to seduce Picard a few times they make their way to the cave that is supposed to have the McGuffin. First the aliens from the future arrive and then Sovak with a gun. After hours of digging they give up and return to the hotel dejected. Picard figures it out however and catches Vash as she is leaving the hotel. The aliens show up too and Vash explains they are the ones who tried to steal the information from her professor originally so Picard uses a made up transporter code (as far as i can tell) and destroys the McGuffin.
Review: This is more of an adventure episode than most this season, but it manages to succeed at that quite well. Picard is great as always and a plot involving aliens from the future is a cool way to keep things interesting!
7 out of 10
The episode opens with two aliens materializing on Risa and asking the computer there where to find Picard. It says he isn't there and has no reservation, but one alien reassures the other, "he will come." With that we cut back to the Enterprise where Picard is returning from a tense two weeks of negotiations that he was successful at, but have left him stressed out. After resisting every suggestion he go on leave Picard finally relents when Troi mentions her mother will be joining them for the week at star base while the ship is repaired. That threat is too much and Picard agrees to a week on Risa.
When he arrives a mysterious woman sees him while trying to hide from a Ferengi and gives him a kiss when she needs some cover before running off. This starts Picard in a bad moon and it gets worse when he buys a idol Riker asked him for and the local women won't leave him alone until one of them explains it to him. Next the Ferengi from earlier threatens him if he doesn't give the Ferengi back some disk there will be trouble. And finally the mystery woman Vash shows up but Picard gives her the slip, but not before she can drop the mystery disk into his pocket. Back in his hotel room two mysterious aliens who claim to be from the future are hanging out. Picard is pissed at first, but then they explain they are here to find a mysterious McGuffin from the future and history records Picard as having found it on Risa. After they leave Picard finds the disk in his pocket.
Picard goes to Vash's room and finds her cleaning up a mess left behind when the Ferengi Sovak tried to find the disk. She explains she was the student of a professor who spent his life trying to find the McGuffin. Just before he died he discovered useful information on the location and it is on the disk. Picard agrees to help her find it and they set out, but not before Sovak tries to stop them, but of course Picard outsmarts him. After Vash tries to seduce Picard a few times they make their way to the cave that is supposed to have the McGuffin. First the aliens from the future arrive and then Sovak with a gun. After hours of digging they give up and return to the hotel dejected. Picard figures it out however and catches Vash as she is leaving the hotel. The aliens show up too and Vash explains they are the ones who tried to steal the information from her professor originally so Picard uses a made up transporter code (as far as i can tell) and destroys the McGuffin.
Review: This is more of an adventure episode than most this season, but it manages to succeed at that quite well. Picard is great as always and a plot involving aliens from the future is a cool way to keep things interesting!
7 out of 10
Thursday, August 13, 2015
TNG: Allegiance
Unlike a few of the recent episodes I know I saw this one when it originally aired. I say this with some certainty because I definitely remembered who the traitor was in the group of prisoners Picard finds himself in. I was also able to see the exact moment when Picard figured it out, but didn't want to reveal it. I feel kinda bad saying this, but Allegiance could have been a TOS episode, but it wouldn't have been as smart. If this was Kirk instead of Picard he would have found a way to get out and defeat his captors in fisticuffs, not by forcing them to end the experiment. Also I kinda think maybe Picard shouldn't have let his kidnappers go at the end of the episode, but I am no expert is space law.
The episode begins with Picard reading and listening to some soothing music in his quarters. The camera changes to an odd low angle from the side shot as he falls asleep. The low angle shows a purple slab of energy appearing over him and then he disappears. On the bridge Worf notices the energy surge in the captains quarters and rushes there with a security team, but when he arrive the captain greets him at the door, but something doesn't feel right. The real Picard awakens in a holding cell of some sort with two other prisoners, a grey dude named Tholl and a Bolian Starfleet cadet named Haro. Tholl has been there for at least 10 days and Haro at least 3. There is a column in the middle of the room that has disks of gelatin in it for nutrition.
Back on the Enterprise the impostor Picard is acting strange. Instead of meeting with the USS Hood as they are scheduled to he has the ship slowly fly to a pulsar. He shows up at the officers poker game and tells Geordi to work on getting the engines more efficient and then asks Troi in the crew really trust him. Later in Ten Forward he asks Geordi and Worf if they are with him before buying a round of Ale for the whole bar. That may not be super odd, but he then leads the whole place in a rousing drinking song from his Academy days. Riker calls a meeting of the senior staff to discuss the situation. He doesn't call for mutiny, but asks them all to watch for behavior that might endanger the ship or crew.
Back in the cell a vicious alien named Esoqq appears in the fourth bed and immediately tries to start a fight, But Picard is such a badass he manages to talk him down by showing he understands his culture. Tholl turns out to be the opposite of Esoqq, a total pacifist who wouldn't even fight to keep his planet from being invaded. Over Tholls objections Picard gets the other to try and escape and the Bolian cadet manages to open the door, but behind it is a blank wall of metal, it was a trick. It is then that Picard realizes they aren't prisoners, they are test subjects and tricks the Bolian into revealing information no cadet would ever have. She admits to being an alien and transforms into two of them and call off the experiment. And just in time, back on the Enterprise the impostor Picard tries to destroy the ship by flying too close to the pulsar. Riker relieves him of command, but it is extremely tense until the real Picard shows up and gets rid of the impostor. He briefly imprisons the aliens who took him captive to teach them a lesson before telling them to get his ship.
Review: A cool episode about how much the crew trust the captain and at the same time about why he is in fact such an awesome person totally deserving their trust. Not the most groundbreaking, but a solid episode.
7 out of 10
The episode begins with Picard reading and listening to some soothing music in his quarters. The camera changes to an odd low angle from the side shot as he falls asleep. The low angle shows a purple slab of energy appearing over him and then he disappears. On the bridge Worf notices the energy surge in the captains quarters and rushes there with a security team, but when he arrive the captain greets him at the door, but something doesn't feel right. The real Picard awakens in a holding cell of some sort with two other prisoners, a grey dude named Tholl and a Bolian Starfleet cadet named Haro. Tholl has been there for at least 10 days and Haro at least 3. There is a column in the middle of the room that has disks of gelatin in it for nutrition.
Back on the Enterprise the impostor Picard is acting strange. Instead of meeting with the USS Hood as they are scheduled to he has the ship slowly fly to a pulsar. He shows up at the officers poker game and tells Geordi to work on getting the engines more efficient and then asks Troi in the crew really trust him. Later in Ten Forward he asks Geordi and Worf if they are with him before buying a round of Ale for the whole bar. That may not be super odd, but he then leads the whole place in a rousing drinking song from his Academy days. Riker calls a meeting of the senior staff to discuss the situation. He doesn't call for mutiny, but asks them all to watch for behavior that might endanger the ship or crew.
Back in the cell a vicious alien named Esoqq appears in the fourth bed and immediately tries to start a fight, But Picard is such a badass he manages to talk him down by showing he understands his culture. Tholl turns out to be the opposite of Esoqq, a total pacifist who wouldn't even fight to keep his planet from being invaded. Over Tholls objections Picard gets the other to try and escape and the Bolian cadet manages to open the door, but behind it is a blank wall of metal, it was a trick. It is then that Picard realizes they aren't prisoners, they are test subjects and tricks the Bolian into revealing information no cadet would ever have. She admits to being an alien and transforms into two of them and call off the experiment. And just in time, back on the Enterprise the impostor Picard tries to destroy the ship by flying too close to the pulsar. Riker relieves him of command, but it is extremely tense until the real Picard shows up and gets rid of the impostor. He briefly imprisons the aliens who took him captive to teach them a lesson before telling them to get his ship.
Review: A cool episode about how much the crew trust the captain and at the same time about why he is in fact such an awesome person totally deserving their trust. Not the most groundbreaking, but a solid episode.
7 out of 10
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
TNG: Sins of the Father
TOS really only had one alien race with an actual culture and that was the Vulcans. Sins of the Father is TNG starting to expand the culture of the Klingons and this episode is a big part of that. As far as I can tell this is the episode that introduced the Klingon high council and Klingon politics in general and it does a really good job of it. It also finally digs a bit deeper into Worf showing him to be both a true Klingon and what it means for him to be a true Klingon. I think it is a safe assumption that the Klingon obsession with honor is based on the Japanese samurai and this new direction makes the Klingon empire both more interesting and potentially more dangerous, even as an ally.
The episode begins with Klingon commander Kurn reporting for duty as part of the officer exchange program Riker participated in last season. This time a Klingon first officer will serve as first officer aboard the Enterprise and it looks like it is going to be a rough ride. Kurn can't stop barking at Wesley (can't really fault him there), makes life hell for Geordi by inspecting engineering in the middle of maintenance and generally seems ready to start a fight with Riker at all times. They have a dinner in his honor and Kurn can barely eat the food. He also continuously insults Worf by suggesting he is not a real Klingon. Worf finally confronts Kurn in his quarters and just as Worf is about to start a fight with him Kurn calms things down by admitting Worf really is a Klingon at heart, and not only that, Kurn is Worf's younger brother.
Kurn has sought out Worf because their father, Mogh, has been accused of giving the defense codes to the Romulans allowing the Khitomer massacre to take place. Worf has no choice but to return to the Klingon homeworld and convince the High Council of his fathers innocence or face execution if he fails. Picard insists on taking the Enterprise there and standing with Worf at the trial. Kurn becomes Worf's Cha'Dich, a second who will fight for him in the trial if necessary. They arrive and are greeted coldly by the council. At the first intermission the head of the council pulls Worf aside and tells him to leave and the procedure will be dropped, Worf of course refuses. Meanwhile Duras meets with Kurn and tries to kill him when he refuses to give up as well. Kurn is badly hurt by Dr. Crusher manages to save his life. Now Picard must serve as Cha'Dich to Worf.
While the trial continues Riker leads an effort to uncover the truth about the massacre and discovers that there was another survivor, the woman who took care of Worf, and not only that, she is living in the Capital. Picard gets an intermission and goes to find her. At first she refuses to help by finally after Picard is ambushed outside her house she agrees to help. As soon as she walks into the trial the head of the council recognizes her and calls for a closed session. In private he admits that Mogh was innocent and that it was Duras' father who was the traitor, but Duras is part of a powerful family and such an admission would destroy the council and plunge them into civil war. Picard refuses to let them execute Worf when they know the charges are false, but Worf agrees to be disgraced if it will save the Empire and they will spare Kurn's life. The council agrees and Worf leaves both the hero and a disgrace.
Review: Season 3 really delivers on solid episodes and this one is no exception. Patrick Stewart delivers a powerful performance and Michael Dorn is great as well. This is an episode they are proud to reference over and over as Trek continues to expand the roll of the Klingons.
8 out of 10
The episode begins with Klingon commander Kurn reporting for duty as part of the officer exchange program Riker participated in last season. This time a Klingon first officer will serve as first officer aboard the Enterprise and it looks like it is going to be a rough ride. Kurn can't stop barking at Wesley (can't really fault him there), makes life hell for Geordi by inspecting engineering in the middle of maintenance and generally seems ready to start a fight with Riker at all times. They have a dinner in his honor and Kurn can barely eat the food. He also continuously insults Worf by suggesting he is not a real Klingon. Worf finally confronts Kurn in his quarters and just as Worf is about to start a fight with him Kurn calms things down by admitting Worf really is a Klingon at heart, and not only that, Kurn is Worf's younger brother.
Kurn has sought out Worf because their father, Mogh, has been accused of giving the defense codes to the Romulans allowing the Khitomer massacre to take place. Worf has no choice but to return to the Klingon homeworld and convince the High Council of his fathers innocence or face execution if he fails. Picard insists on taking the Enterprise there and standing with Worf at the trial. Kurn becomes Worf's Cha'Dich, a second who will fight for him in the trial if necessary. They arrive and are greeted coldly by the council. At the first intermission the head of the council pulls Worf aside and tells him to leave and the procedure will be dropped, Worf of course refuses. Meanwhile Duras meets with Kurn and tries to kill him when he refuses to give up as well. Kurn is badly hurt by Dr. Crusher manages to save his life. Now Picard must serve as Cha'Dich to Worf.
While the trial continues Riker leads an effort to uncover the truth about the massacre and discovers that there was another survivor, the woman who took care of Worf, and not only that, she is living in the Capital. Picard gets an intermission and goes to find her. At first she refuses to help by finally after Picard is ambushed outside her house she agrees to help. As soon as she walks into the trial the head of the council recognizes her and calls for a closed session. In private he admits that Mogh was innocent and that it was Duras' father who was the traitor, but Duras is part of a powerful family and such an admission would destroy the council and plunge them into civil war. Picard refuses to let them execute Worf when they know the charges are false, but Worf agrees to be disgraced if it will save the Empire and they will spare Kurn's life. The council agrees and Worf leaves both the hero and a disgrace.
Review: Season 3 really delivers on solid episodes and this one is no exception. Patrick Stewart delivers a powerful performance and Michael Dorn is great as well. This is an episode they are proud to reference over and over as Trek continues to expand the roll of the Klingons.
8 out of 10
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
TNG: The Offspring
This is an episode I remember finding annoying as a kid, but as I have grown older and gotten to watch kids grow up I think I get it better than I used to. Also since the gap was originally much wider I didn't get the references to Measure of a Man that Picard makes when negotiating with the Admiral trying to take Lal away from Data. Also the scenes of Lal interacting with people in Ten Forward make more sense, but I actually kinda agree with the Admiral that maybe working as a cocktail waitress is a bit of a waste of her talents. At the same time I can't think of someone better than Guinan to patiently guide someone into humanity.
The episode begins with Wesley, Troi and Geordi making their way to the cybernetics lab. Ever since some big conference Data has been spending all his off duty time there with the door locked and they are all wondering what he has been up to. When they come in Data greets them and introduces them to Lal, his android child. At the conference Data learned about a breakthrough in positronic brain construction that has allowed him to copy his programming into Lal's brain to get it to function as he does. And I say it because Data created Lal without gender or features of a specific race with the intention of allowing Lal to pick it's own appearance. Captain Picard is offended Data didn't ask him before creating a new android but Data correctly explains none of the other crew consult the captain before procreating. And he is right, but so is the captain, Starfleet command is very interested in Lal and the admiral in charge of cybernetics research wants to transfer Lal to his custody.
Meanwhile Data and Deanna take Lal to the holodeck to pick an appearance and gender, Lal decides to become a human female and Troi fully approves. However even with a more human appearance Lal is having a hard time fitting in. The kids in school either laugh at her or ignore her and she has a hard time with not being able to fully be human. Data decides that working with Guinan might be a good way to learn about humans and Guinan proves to be a good teacher. There is a funny scene where Lal watches to people kissing in Ten Forward and then grabs Riker as he walks in for a drink and kisses him, just as Data walks in to demand what Riker's intentions are towards his daughter. During the same interation Data observes Lal using a contraction, something his program has never mastered.
But there are bigger problems, the Admiral rendezvous with the Enterprise and after observing Lal and interviewing her still insists that she be transferred to him. This causes Lal to have an emotional breakdown and I do mean breakdown because the experience of emotions starts a breakdown in her neural pathways. At this point the Admiral seems to get it and agrees to help Data try to save Lal, but it is too late. Lal suffers a total neural breakdown and Data is forced to deactivate her. But not before transferring her memories to himself so she can live on inside of him.
Review: Not as hard hitting as Measure of a Man, but a good look into what the consequences of creating artificial life might be like. I really appreciate that the admiral is willing to see things Data's way in the end, it often seems like Starfleet command are so terrible at their jobs the Enterprise should just go start it's own Federation.
7 out of 10
The episode begins with Wesley, Troi and Geordi making their way to the cybernetics lab. Ever since some big conference Data has been spending all his off duty time there with the door locked and they are all wondering what he has been up to. When they come in Data greets them and introduces them to Lal, his android child. At the conference Data learned about a breakthrough in positronic brain construction that has allowed him to copy his programming into Lal's brain to get it to function as he does. And I say it because Data created Lal without gender or features of a specific race with the intention of allowing Lal to pick it's own appearance. Captain Picard is offended Data didn't ask him before creating a new android but Data correctly explains none of the other crew consult the captain before procreating. And he is right, but so is the captain, Starfleet command is very interested in Lal and the admiral in charge of cybernetics research wants to transfer Lal to his custody.
Meanwhile Data and Deanna take Lal to the holodeck to pick an appearance and gender, Lal decides to become a human female and Troi fully approves. However even with a more human appearance Lal is having a hard time fitting in. The kids in school either laugh at her or ignore her and she has a hard time with not being able to fully be human. Data decides that working with Guinan might be a good way to learn about humans and Guinan proves to be a good teacher. There is a funny scene where Lal watches to people kissing in Ten Forward and then grabs Riker as he walks in for a drink and kisses him, just as Data walks in to demand what Riker's intentions are towards his daughter. During the same interation Data observes Lal using a contraction, something his program has never mastered.
But there are bigger problems, the Admiral rendezvous with the Enterprise and after observing Lal and interviewing her still insists that she be transferred to him. This causes Lal to have an emotional breakdown and I do mean breakdown because the experience of emotions starts a breakdown in her neural pathways. At this point the Admiral seems to get it and agrees to help Data try to save Lal, but it is too late. Lal suffers a total neural breakdown and Data is forced to deactivate her. But not before transferring her memories to himself so she can live on inside of him.
Review: Not as hard hitting as Measure of a Man, but a good look into what the consequences of creating artificial life might be like. I really appreciate that the admiral is willing to see things Data's way in the end, it often seems like Starfleet command are so terrible at their jobs the Enterprise should just go start it's own Federation.
7 out of 10
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