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I didn't see Haftel's help as trying to give him credibility or reasonableness but more like it actualized the relationship between Data and Lal to him when the emergency happened

Doe posted...

I didn't see Haftel's help as trying to give him credibility or reasonableness but more like it actualized the relationship between Data and Lal to him when the emergency happened

Perhaps, but it doesn't really change my belief that his "redemption" or whatever comes out of nowhere. I could maybe buy it if he were given a few moments throughout the episode of gradually accepting the validity of artificial life or at least pausing to consider his view or even if he wasn't so obviously sinister until the last couple of scenes.

Reasonableness might have been a poor choice of words on my part. The general vibe is that they're trying to make him almost likeable at the last second, when he's been a complete hate sink beforehand. It just doesn't work for me and I think keeping him as a straight villain would have improved both his character and the overall episode.

Episode 17: Sins of the Father

Getting a lot of family lately.

Picard isn't fully comfortable with Kurn, but does his best to be tolerant. Love the loyalty he shows to Worf. Speaking in the Klingon language is beautiful.

Riker initially struggles to accept that he's temporarily lost his job. Tries to be helpful to Kurn, but it isn't appreciated.

La Forge is exasperated by Kurn. Keeps up his sarcasm.

Worf is straining himself to be so stoic. Having his patience snap is a great moment. I quite like the way Dorn speaks the line when he announces his presence to the Klingons. A mixture of projection to make himself heard and anger at the insult to his family. Continues to be the poster boy for honour and is apoplectic with rage when the depth of the deception is revealed.

Crusher offers caviar and lends emotional support to Worf.

Troi seems to be the only one Kurn is vaguely decent to.

Data is confused by Wesley's behaviour. It's quite nice seeing the whole crew chip in to clear Worf's family's name.

Wesley gets into a right nervous flap over Kurn's command.

K'mpec is fairly reasonable, even if he is in on the conspiracy. Quite liked Kahlest. Duras is fairly standard.

Kurn has an air of smugness and overt formality to him that immediately conflicts with the family atmosphere. Makes it clear that he dislikes everyone from the start. The slimy way he deliberately baits Worf is a delight. Gets a bit friendlier later on. His initial behaviour made me wonder if this was some plan against his brother, but he's actually alright. Lightly bowing his head after being forced to shun his brother is a wonderful closing shot. Man's in intense emotional pain.

The captain's mess is wonderfully awkward. I like that Kurn is kept in shadow when Worf confronts him to show that he has a secret. The pyramid like design of the Klingon manages to effortlessly present a fully formed culture. I'm seeing influence from both Mesoamerica and east Asia. Once it's clear that a conspiracy is afoot, the very next scene starts on the Klingon empire symbol, which is a nice way of showing that image is what this is really about. The mist covered streets do a great job of showing that this society is in decay. Picard's fight scene is much better than the previous attempt.

It was mentioned previously in this topic that the decay of the Klingon empire will be a recurring theme going forward. If this is how it starts, I'm excited to see how this arc continues. Honour is a very weird thing. Aside from the list of honourable actions being very arbitrary, there's the matter of image, or how it's more important to look honourable than it is to be honourable. The potential civil war is only a real threat because honour has proven to be an impractical way to structure a society. Maintaining the illusion and keeping some measure of peace requires performing paradoxically dishonourable actions. And, naturally, its a powerful family that insists on this farce. Regardless of values, the highest echelon in any society will always have the capacity to subvert decency whilst pretending to be an exemplar of it.

What I found especially interesting is how even sincere honour is shown to be counterproductive at best. K'mpec says it straight, but the best thing, for both Worf and Kurn, would be for them to ignore this. Honour, however, demands that Worf either destroy his society, be executed or be basically exiled. Despite being betrayed by his society, hes still willing to fall on his sword for it. The only concession he makes is to slightly attack his own honour by hiding the truth and, even then, Picard is confidant that the opportunity to spill the beans will inevitably come. All this runabout has actually accomplished is wound Worf's faith in Klingon values and make him look like a cowardly idiot in the eyes of his society. And that's without getting into the nonsense of having a family be responsible for the actions of one of its members. I mean, Duras is an arse, but he shouldn't be in this situation, either. One of my issues with tragedy, in a great many franchises, is how the victims are all too often completely arbitrary. Here, however, Worf is a victim of his own values. He's incapable of ignoring this problem and he suffers because of his own decision. This is the kind of tragedy I like.

Worf episodes tend to be pretty great and this is no exception. The ending being difficult to swallow feels earned for once.

On holiday, so, you lucky souls get a twofer. Allegiance, next.

Episode 18: Allegiance

Two Picards is always going to prove to be fun.

Picard can't even have a nap in peace. Immediately makes himself useful in the prison and keeps diplomacy going. Liked the significant look when he realised Haro knew too much and the way he luxuriated in having the aliens at his mercy.

Other Picard manages to copy his mannerisms with just enough stiltedness to be a little uncanny. Compared to most imposter stories, he manages to cover his tracks well, especially by running to Troi and Crusher to confirm how Picard like he is. Tries a bit too hard to be liked, though, which completely derails the disguise by the halfway point. The sing along is beautifully absurd.

Riker is a little skeptical of the course change and said skepticism only continues to mount. Actually challenging the other Picard's authority is brilliant and the literal back and forth (that the camera itself joins in on) is a wonderful scene.

La Forge is initially eager to please.

Liked Worf leaping into action at the start. Loved the both of them unenthusiastically joining the song. Electing to do nothing during the dispute is a nice moment.

Crusher is a little sassy. Likes the dinner a little too much for by tastes, but I appreciate how she has no compunction about speaking frankly. "Out with it" has such an imperious delivery. Absolutely love the look at the end.

Troi's powers continue to be useless, but at least she starts putting the clues together earlier than anyone. Very happy to be at the poker game. In fact, she's straight up cute, there.

Data does his job, but it's nice seeing him at the poker game.

Wesley is confused, but at least he's wise enough to follow Riker.

Haro is adorable and gets some good anxiety in, even with the revelation of who she really is. Tholl is a misery guts who reminds me of Doctor Who's Tivolians. Esoqq is fun.

The box thing that energises Picard looks very out of place. Like a piece of the sky. The prison is an appropriately claustrophobic set and they do decent work with camera angles to keep it interesting. The alien designs are as great as always, except for the actual villains, which are quite unpleasant to look at. Maybe that's the point, but still.

The themes of a sincere relationship versus cloying sycophantism and of the necessity of cooperation are pretty standard. I did like how it's basically a send up of the typical TOS plot of advanced aliens studying humanity, with Picard refusing to entertain the game and turning the tables so he can lecture them about how they're not remotely as advanced as they claim to be.

There's not too much to talk about, really, but I had fun. Pretty good episode.

Tomorrow is a Captain's Holiday.

i've never particularly cared for that one. i find it especially boring in reruns, after knowing the twist.

splodeymissile posted...

Here, however, Worf is a victim of his own values. He's incapable of ignoring this problem and he suffers because of his own decision. This is the kind of tragedy I like.

The great irony of Worf is that he's a Klingon raised by human parents. Those parents cared enough about him to make sure he learned as much about his culture as possible, but he never actually had any Klingons around to learn how that culture works in real life. It's like a human child was adopted by aliens and was raised solely on stories of Golden Age Superman and Captain America.

The result is that Worf, raised on the myths and legends of his people, is more-or-less the exemplary Klingon.

Episode 19: Captain's Holiday

As if he would ever be allowed a break.

Picard is a tired grump who doesn't understand fun. Knows full well that Riker's interest in Risa is primarily focused on women. Saying it in sync was pretty funny. I like to imagine Stewart had a fair bit of fun playing Picard's increasing irritation with the endless interruptions, but what the fuck was that outburst in his final scene with Vash? Did he give up? Gets a bit happier when his holiday starts to turn into work.

Riker is very excitable over Risa. I don't think he's ever geeked out like that before. Tries to get his captain laid which is actually pretty funny.

Worf is a little paranoid, but it is his job.

Crusher tries the same trick that Spock pulled on Kirk, but Picard sees through it.

Troi is sweet. Threatening with Lwaxana doesn't work much better than Crusher's plan, but it's a great effort. I don't know if this is deliberate effort on the writers and producers or Sirtis taking matters into her own hands, but between her visible excitement in the poker game last episode and her silent "yes" here, she's injecting a lot personality into Troi than before.

Javok is an utter creep and the other characters are just sort of there. Vash's actor is putting a lot of effort into a complete nothing of a role, however.

The cold open had an interesting, if slightly odd, choice of sort of starting in media res. The time travel angle may have played a role, though, since it could just be a very early visit by the Vorgons. There's some decent amusement in the ever escalating amount of nonsense that Picard has to deal with, although I think Stewart's acting is doing most of the work. The relationship between Picard and Vash turns to utter cliche quickly and, while ive no objection to Picard having a relationship, the way its presented reminds me of the most uncomfortable parts of early Bond films. Actually, Picard, in general, acts quite Bondian and im not sure i like it. We do get some nice male gaze and its probably less sexist than some other episodes, but I expect better at this stage. It's clearly meant to be a daft episode, especially with how ridiculously casually they start the time travel plot, and I can enjoy it a little because of that, but, by definition, it's in no danger of being a season highlight and there's an unmistakable feel of laziness. Risa is a beautiful planet, though.

Apparently, part of the reason this episode even exists is because Stewart wanted do more screwing and shooting on his show. In that regard, making a slightly James Bond/Indiana Jones themed episode makes perfect sense. There's a bit of a standard adventure blockbuster feel to the thing when the expedition actually starts. So, my problem is kind of the same I had with A Matter of Perspective: there's not enough for this to be anything but somewhat shallow. It goes through many of the standard tropes, but only as a whistle-stop tour, which means it can't do too much that is actually interesting. In many regards, it feels like a parody that forgot to include jokes. I find myself drawing a blank for what I can even say about it.

Completely stupid, but seemingly deliberately so. It just about avoids feeling like a waste of time. Perhaps that's another of my controversial opinions, though.

Tin Man sounds like a Data episode.

Tin Man isn't a Data episode. Tin Man refers to an alien

Tin Man is my favorite episode of The Next Generation

I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I view Picard as an ultimately sexless creature lol. So I didn't love his relationship with Vash.

pegusus123456 posted...

but I view Picard as an ultimately sexless creature

And you held this view even after seeing Patrick Stewart sunbathing in his undies? >_>

Kim_Seong-a posted...

And you held this view even after seeing Patrick Stewart sunbathing in his undies? >_>

It intensified it.

Would you maintain this view knowing Patrick Stewart was named one of the sexiest men alive by I wanna say People Magazine?

I really liked Vash but I also enjoy femme fatale types and adventure stories.

Episode 20: Tin Man

Seeking out new life in the truest sense.

Always nice to see Picard get reacquainted with an old friend. He can't really stand Elbrun. Love how patronisingly cordial he is to the Romulan.

Riker's had an old wound opened by Elbrun's presence. Neither he nor Picard seem very sympathetic to the stresses of La Forge's job.

La Forge doesn't enjoy time constraints.

Worf continues his distaste for Romulans.

Crusher has a measure of sympathy of Elbrun.

Troi is initially very concerned about Elbrun at first. Born out of worry and genuine empathy for his condition. Bringing him back from the merge is an amazing moment for her.

Caught Data's face dropping when Elbrum mentioned that it's like he's not there. Had a truly epic manner of getting out of the captain's chair. A bit of trepidation over having his art looked at. Interestingly self deprecating over whether his mind counts as love. Spiner reads it as though Data is resigned to not being truly alive. Has genuine compassion for Elbrun. That final speech about belonging is truly beautiful.

Wesley asks the obvious questions.

Havent seen O'Brien in a fair while, so, this was a minor treat.

Desoto is alright. Elbrum is certainly interesting. His demeanour seems to be a combination of impatience from reading everybody's thoughts ahead of time and sensory overload. A lot of it is also a profound level of isolation and anxiety. Initially terrified by Data. I imagine he's so reliant on telepathy that he would naturally overlook any minds that didn't register. The actor is truly brilliant at portraying someone permanently on the brink of a mental breakdown. A lot of his behaviours remind me of how people with autism will sometimes act.

Kind of cool having a tracking shot follow Riker and La Forge into a lift. Elbrum provides an effective way to get inside character's minds. Gomtuu is such a simple design that it falls into the effortlessly alien. Like a considerably more benign Planet Killer. The energy shock wave is cool, but I feel we're back to somewhat weak explosions. The interior of Gomtuu has an interesting organic style that avoids being actually disgusting. I'm often quite terrible at recognising instruments, but using what I believe to be a little flute/didgeridoo piece to emphasise how full of joy both Elbrun and Gomtuu have become is an absolutely sublime moment. It's actually quite interesting how often those sounds are used, in a range of media, to show a sense of spiritual peace.

One of the things I've found myself admiring, as I go through this journey, is how casually Star Trek treats the idea of relationships, of various sorts, between different species. Despite truly loving it, though, there's been a few problems. The two that most immediately come to mind are Metamorphosis, which would've been truly sublime (I'm sometimes a bit casual with that word, but here I mean it in its most rigidly literal definition) to the point of perfection if Cochrane didn't embody the worst of 60s attitudes and The Dauphin, where I couldn't even have the luxury of tolerating a stock plot without Wesley being an entitled git. The common theme is a sort of humanoid supremacy, where vaguely resembling "ordinary" people is a prerequisite for deserving love. Here, though, they correct my biggest problem with this. Gomtuu isn't remotely human. It's an inexplicably naturally occurring living spaceship. Yet Elbrun falls in love (not necessarily in the romantic way, although there's no reason why not) with it and vice versa through simple understanding and empathy. Giving Elbrun his condition, which I've already mentioned reminds me of severe autism and schizophrenia, is another way of subverting this obsession with normalcy. He's somewhat difficult to deal with by the standards of neurotypical people and his obvious frustration pushes him into unlikeable by people who don't immediately understand him, but the episode is in no doubt that he deserves that same sense of belonging.

And, of course, Data, despite audience familiarity, is the most alien of the bunch because its arguable to some whether he even counts as alive. Yet neither Elbrun nor Gomtuu, if the sudden transport is any indication, consider him any less deserving of love and belonging and Data himself clearly feels a bit more at peace with himself for the experience.

The only minor quibble might be that Picard and Riker verge into slightly out of character territory due to their attitudes towards Elbrun. However, this seems like a quite intentional way of highlighting how ill suited the world is to this man. Even reasonable authority figures aren't particularly helpful to him. And Picard, at least, obviously comes around by the end. There are a few other ideas touched on, like loss of identity, the meaning of existence and perhaps even, how we treat the mentally unwell, but the final takeaway is that, whatever their ultimate fate is, Elbrun and Gomtuu both experienced a sublime moment all for them and even the apparently emotionless Data could not appreciate its value, but share in the moment, too.

A true update of and improvement on one of the best TOS episodes in every possible way. Stunningly beautiful.

Let's hope watching the next episode isn't among one of these Hollow Pursuits.

Oh the next one should be good for you, like broccoli is good for you.

Episode 21: Hollow Pursuits

Focusing on a random, lower ranked crew member isn't a bad idea. We get some holodeck addiction, too, which always seemed like an inevitable con of the technology.

Picard is the only one who genuinly wants to help Barclay, at first. But even he thoughtlessly continues the nickname.

Riker shows some authority, which is quite nice to see. Manages to be one of the few avoid being unlikeable, despite how he acts. I don't even know why. Maybe it's that I agree with him on how freaky making a simulation of real people is. Loved the shit eating grin at Troi's reaction.

La Forge has a bit of bite to his authority, too. His stilted friendliness and attempts at encouragement are alright. More open minded than I expected about Barclay's fantasies considering how mean spirited most of the episode feels.

Worf has his usual position.

Crusher stars in a fantasy.

Considering how she's been treated in some episodes, I half wondered if that was the real Troi in the cold open. Great as a counsellor, as expected. Keeps herself open minded right up until she sees herself. "Muzzle it" is a great line.

Naturally, Data is one of the only few who actually flags up how cruel they're all being to Barclay.

Wesley is mildly insufferable, but the narrative is aware of that, so, its not as big a problem as it sounds. Starting the nickname is a black mark against his character, though. Pretty much kills most of the fondness i was developing for him.

O'Brien gets a bit frustrated.

Guinan is the only one who comes across as decent in this mess.

Barclay is not remotely endearing. In fact, I find him pathetic. The general nervousness and neuroticism would actually be sympathetic, but seeing his fantasies of beating up his bosses and treating Troi as a sex object just kill any like I have for this man. Confessing to La Forge does engender some feels, but it really is hard for me to care about this man. Part of that might be how nasty the rest of the episode is, though. I fell into virtual apathy pretty quickly. Can't fault the acting, though.

Liked opening with a holodeck simulation. In fact, the scene structure does great at blurring the audience's view of reality, especially when he goes to see Troi for real and her perfectly innocent behaviour manages to inadvertently be coded as sexual. The garden simulation is honestly quite beautiful. Most of the cast are just a little unlikeable here. I couldn't even enjoy their musketeer counterparts.

I understand what this episode is trying to do. Barclay's difficulties are never properly diagnosed, but anxiety seems like a pretty safe bet, to start with. So, it has a good point about trying to understand people of various different stripes, encouraging mental health work and not losing yourself to fantasy. But I just don't like it. Most of the crew come across as either apathetically negligent or willfully cruel. Barclay is deliberately introduced with his worst foot forward and, while peeling back the layers of his personality grants some sympathy, he remains mostly unlikeable to me. I just can't get over what he fills his fantasies with. Despite trying to make us feel for this individual, the episode treats him with contempt, from the misnamings, especially when Picard does it, to the cringe "comedy", both of the contents and people's reactions to it, over what is basically his porn folder. The episode itself presents him as a freak, has the characters treat him like a freak, but wants to pretend it's promoting tolerance and understanding, just because a few of the regulars eventually demonstrate a reluctant patience and he's given one of the more transparent opportunities to save the day. It's at the point where I almost didn't want to make a review at all.

A grossly mean-spirited and unlikeable episode.

Tomorrow we'll have The Most Toys.

Considering his previous simulation of Leah Brahms, Geordi comes off as a bit hypocritical here.

sometimes I apply the title "Hollow Pursuits" to video games. If you get addicted to video games, you can get lonely, and have psychological problems

McMarbles posted...

Considering his previous simulation of Leah Brahms, Geordi comes off as a bit hypocritical here.

Tbf, he did bring that up himself in an attempt to emphasize with Barclay's situation and to show him there is a line to how far a fantasy shouldn't go.

Also, fun fact: Barclay was meant to symbolize the more rabbid part of the fanbase at the time they wrote this.

Episode 22: The Most Toys

We're back to back on dodgy nerds, I see.

Everyone has a reaction to Data's apparent death, but Picard's is among the most visible. There's an initial strain of anger, even when he's trying to be cordial and he has great fatherly empathy for La Forge.

Riker seems to keep his professionalism a bit more than the rest, though he is still obviously broken up about it. More than a bit dubious of Data's final lie.

La Forge is in deep mourning and denial. The scene of him and Wesley going through his possessions manages to be incredibly moving, even though the audience has already seen that he's still alive. Love that it's his deep knowledge of who Data is that leads him to solving the mystery.

Worf had a pretty powerful initial reaction, too. Getting much better at tolerating therapy.

Crusher pops in with some babble to make the deduction seem more plausible.

Troi does her job and is quite pleased at the progress Worf is making.

Data's blunt, no nonsense manner can be incredibly intimidating in the right context. Spiner's allowing a very subtle anger to enter some of his lines and it's great seeing Data probe for emotional vulnerabilities. Love that the only part of the collection he's especially impressed about is a living creature. Adopting a vacant stare is a great act of defiance. Giving in to rage just before the close is perfect.

Wesley is appropriately horrified by Data's supposed death.

O'Brien seems to have returned to being a regular fixture.

Fajo is a particularly slimy, love to hate villain. Has all the freaky nerd characteristics, including a desire for control, blatant psychopathy, capriciousness and a weird sexual energy in how he fixates on his interests. The actor plays him to an uncomfortable perfection.

Spiner does better than most across this franchise at playing a statue. When Data is first brought to the collection room, the camera gradually raises to loom over him, which is a particularly predatory angle. The relative lack of music and insistent ambiance is great at making the collection room all the more uncomfortable. Varria's dive (and, really, her whole character) is one of the most pathetic things I've ever seen.

Never understood collectors. Well, I've never understood the snobby types who hoard things in their original packaging, act haughty about their wasted wealth and generally sneer at everyone who might have one or more items less than them. I imagine people who are into stamp collecting (which isn't my bag, but I don't judge, as i have some odd pasttimes, myself) or similar get a thrill out of the artwork or the genuinely interesting histories an object may have or even just the sense of completing a set (which, as someone who works with maths and logic a lot, I can actually comprehend), so, those folks are alright by me. But the sweaty nerd stereotype who crams their shelves with unopened toys just perplex me. I've no objection to adults actually playing with toys or legos or colouring books and the like (I mean, we're all gamers here, so, its a particularly fragile glass house), but if you are going to grab this stuff, at least use it as a hobby. I guess that's my objection to them, actually. The attitude towards one's hobbies. The stereotype that Fajo embodies is not only socially maladjusted (and rarely through an actual disability, but more through a complete lack of interest in other people as people) and quite immature besides, they almost seem to have an anti hobby. There's no personal satisfaction or fun in any sane sense to be had. It's pure ego stroking and greed. A means of using wealth and privilege to compare and gloat over people with less. (I mean, depriving children of toys would maybe be tolerable if youd play with the damn things yourself). Rather than developing or even truly enjoying themselves through their interests, they obsessively try to maintain a narcissistic image of being more successful than someone else. It's an attitude of punching down from people too pathetic to be cruel in a more typical and respectable way. I'm not sure I want to grasp it.

Pretty decent episode. Gets Data's emotions right for the ending, if nothing else.

Sarek sounds suspiciously familiar. Wonder if it'll be the same actor.

the actor that played Fajo went on to star in another show named Warehouse 13

This episode shows Data does have a dark side in him. Yet again ironically showing how human he actually is, even if he isn't capable of realizing it.

I mostly remember the actor for Fajo as the lawyer in "Frasier" that Daphne left for Niles lol.

hexa posted...

the actor that played Fajo went on to star in another show named Warehouse 13

I think I remember watching the first two episodes of that. Can't remember much that happened in them. Was he the one who was already working there?

splodeymissile posted...

I think I remember watching the first two episodes of that. Can't remember much that happened in them. Was he the one who was already working there?

yes

https://warehouse13.fandom.com/wiki/Arthur_Nielsen

Episode 23: Sarek

So, Sarek is feeling his age and everyone else feels it with him.

Picard's got a bit of hero worship going on. Little disappointed by the reality of the visit. Doesn't enjoy seeing the vulnerabilities in Sarek. The scene after the mind meld is little more than a welcome excuse to show off Stewart's acting.

Riker isn't thrilled by Sarek's attendants. Tries vainly to keep some sort of order. Has the right of it in his and Picard's argument. I've always found the way we treat certain individuals to be grossly patronising.

La Forge isnt necessarily wrong about Wesley. Hes just throwing stones at a glass house. Burton manages to inject quite a lot of venom into his lines. Its fairly chilling.

Worf manages to have some comedic lines.

Even knowing that emotions are being fucked around with, i was still shocked to see Crusher hit Wesley. Sweet seeing her look after Picard during his breakdown.

Troi is the only one who thinks to involve Perrin. Does her job as a counsellor.

Data continues his love for music. Actually seems to really get into it. Appropriate for him to convince Sakkath through logic.

Wesley having a vaguely healthy love life is still surreal to see. Hes probably the most objectively sympathetic in the argument with La Forge, but hes also still the most irritating. Maybe thats on me and my patience running out for this character, though. Can't fault him against his mum, though. Might be that inexplicably angry Wesley is too close to insufferability.

O'Brien starts a bar fight, which sounds about right.

Sarek's actor hasn't missed a beat. Interesting that old age has loosened his emotional control. He's clearly feeling the enfeeblement that comes with being past your prime and it frustrates him. The tears and significant looks are beautiful. His breakdown is heart-rending.

His attendants are a bit obnoxious. They have a snottiness that's usually the first clue that there may be a conspiracy, but Sakkath, at least, is alright.

Perrin has a truly atrocious outfit. The character herself is fine, though, if a bit unable to face reality.

Sarek beamed over with his hood up and back turned for no reason other than to make his reveal more dramatic. Speaks to the problem of knowing episode titles ahead of time, I suppose. The slime is, in fact, disgusting. Appreciated the more dynamic camera during the concert. This episode seems similar to Yesterday's Enterprise in that it's deliberately more cinematic. Walking into the bar fight is a good comedy moment, especially with Worf. The music during the arguments is quite tense. Naturally, the lighting is dim and the shots very close and intimate when discussing and carrying out the mind meld.

I'm a little bemused that they called this episode "Sarek" and not just because I spoiled the surprise for myself by knowing the title. If I remember right, the last time Sarek showed up was in The Voyage Home and even then, he wasn't exactly too important a character, such that casual audiences might just know him as "Spock's dad". So, this is seemingly an episode for long term fans from the 60s and 70s, since they're the only ones who are likely to even understand the title. With this in mind, the idea of trotting out a previous guest star for one last hurrah almost seems a little odd. "Next" Generation, after all. Luckily, they make the episode primarily about dignity in old age and that applies to the character and the franchise. Sarek's last mission isn't really about the Legarians, it's about starring in one final episode at all. And it has to be final because even ignoring the fact that actors themselves are going to age, die or simply be disinterested, we can't really turn TNG into a reunion tour for TOS. Regardless of how meta you want to take Sarek's role, he's clearly a very tired, almost ghoulish vision of himself. Lenard actually playing him is irrelevant (though its great they got him back) to the fact that he and every other TOS character and concept would become straight up zombies is this show turned into a reference machine.

And his party, as well as Picard for a bit, are, out of love, trying desperately to keep him as he was, despite the fact that time has moved on. Not unlike how some fans would also treat the idea of him. Despite insisting on dignity and respect, by refusing to face reality or allowing him to face it himself, they run the risk of stripping away any pride he actually has and leaving behind an increasingly pathetic and vacant caricature of himself. Once his attendants have stopped coddling him, he's immediately confused by the actual circumstances of his life and in desperation at the need to avoid completely fouling up his final task. Patronising attitudes have only made the problem worse, since, rather than being allowed to retire gracefully, he's stressed out over the fact that his only apparent options all lead to him embarrassing himself on the galactic stage (when's he's not in complete denial at the sudden bombshell dropped on him). It's only through Picard showing genuine empathy for his emotions (in a pretty direct way) that he avoids making a complete mess of things and feels satisfied that he can gradually peace out from the world with his head held high all the while. Many among the elderly need some degree of assistance, but I'm not convinced treating them like particularly ignorant infants or disguising their complications for the sake of image is the best way to help.

The position of TOS isn't too dissimilar. While it's best works embodied the optimism of the 60s and it set the stage for how utopian this show is, a lot of that good was somewhat accidental and there's no sense in dredging up random ephemera just because someone has a couple of happy memories. Nostalgia is an especially hollow drug. In my original review, I had a decent amount of praise for The Naked Now, despite it being a rehash of a TOS episode. In hindsight, some of that may have been due to it only being the second episode because most of the other rehashes, I've been quite negative on, even though I may have enjoyed their 60s counterparts. They're of their time and pretending that they or their ideas haven't aged at all just makes things uncomfortable. Khan and Sarek both work because the time difference is part of the plot. I don't doubt that other things from Kirk's time will recur as we go forward. So, long as the repeats are genuinely updated, kept few and spread out, I won't have too much of an issue. Unfortunately, I also don't doubt that I'll encounter more than a few references for their own sake.

A truly moving look at old age that successfully criticises thoughtless nostalgia, though the title makes me wonder if everyone involved understood the message.

Mnage Troi doesn't sound promising, but I'm hopeful.

Episode 24:Mnage Troi

Lwaxana is back and so are the Ferengi.

Making up an excuse to leave on the spot seems like a poor idea against a telepath, but Picard manages it. Sweet of him to give Riker some time off. The overacted poetry recital was the probably the only genuinely funny part of this.

Riker finds Lwaxana's outburst hilarious. Actually, he finds the whole thing hilarious until they all get transported. Good chess player.

La Forge is encouraging of Wesley.

Worf respects Lwaxana.

Crusher tries to see Wesley off.

Troi is still frustrated with her mother. Straight up barks at her to stop being patronising, which is nice to see. Headbutting Riker's chest in despair is great. Some great physicality with the telepathy scenes, including her reaction to the kiss.

Data drones on for a bit.

Never thought I'd see Wesley be a champion for other cultures. The inevitability of change and how it affects young people, as well as the need to choose your own path, is a good story for him, though its not too well developed.

Lwaxana is still in matchmaker mode. Quite sedate compared to her previous appearances. On the back foot for once, since this is basically a role reversal of her previous appearance. Truly love how strained she is in trying to be polite to Tog. She's a completely different character compared to Haven, but this is considerably better than Manhunt. It's kind of remarkable how, by my standards, she's spent more time out of character than in.

Tog is a skeevy little rat. His fellow Ferengi have fallen straight into bumbling joke villains.

Lwaxana and Homn wandering into the background was a nice sight gag. It fits for the Ferengi, but stripping Troi and Lwaxana is closer to uncomfortable than funny. That can be said for most of the perving, though. It's a comedy episode (I think), but apart from Picard's antics, it didn't feel much more than occasional pleasent and that's before they decide to strip the characters.

Even if you didn't know or care about production history, you could probably sense changes based purely on how recurring guest stars are treated. Q wavers between teacher and trickster mode and nobody can decide whether the joke is on Lwaxana or not. Haven worked because she was far more lucid and astute than she presented and ultimately knew better than everyone. Her antics were a source of personal amusement because she knew that etiquette and formality are actually the biggest joke going. Here, though, and in Manhunt, she's been reduced to Troi's annoying relative. The jokes on her, first, by having her be a cougar parody and now, by giving her an unwanted suitor, perhaps as an act of strange comeuppance. Even if I'm reading too much into how she's being used, I can confidently say that it's not my preferred version of her.

Oh, and there's a strand of making your own decisions that sort of links Wesley's and Lwaxana's stories, but it's undercooked. At least in red, he'll be more bearable to look at.

Nothing particularly awful but, kind of bland, all in all.

Due for some Transfigurations, tomorrow.

is this the "oomox" one?

Yep. Not sure I needed to know that much about Ferengi habits.

Episode 25: Transfigurations

A mysterious alien and a confidence boost for La Forge.

Picard is very decent to John Doe. Understandably more terse after Worf temporarily dies.

Riker loves La Forge's newfound confidence.

I was afraid that La Forge making a tit of himself around women was going to be the norm going forward. It was a bit more bearable here, but still cringey. His confident self is a little off, at first, too, but I definitely prefer him this way.

Worf might be speaking from a Klingon perspective, but, frankly, his ideas will accomplish more than La Forge will ever manage. Seeing him fuming at how hopeless La Forge is and the geeking out is quite funny.

Figured that this might be a Crusher episode from how prominent she was in the cold open. It's nice seeing her work and get mildly stressed ect. Her developing relationship with John Doe is very sweet. I especially like how it's only ambiguously romantic.

Troi provides a bit of obvious insight into the Zalkonians.

Data shares in the geeking out. Quite liked his technobabble scene, which is unusual for me, since i recognise it for the blatant padding it is.

Wesley definitely looks better in red. I actually quite liked him and his mum having a candid conversation over dinner.

O'Brien enjoys kayaking, but the feeling apparently isnt mutual.

Henshaw is adorable and i wouldn't mind seeing her and La Forge stay together. Completely different character from her last appearance, though.

John Doe is a fine character. Not overly angsty and able to crack some jokes about his situation. More of a puzzle than anything too dynamic, though. And his vaguely spiritual exposition isn't bad, either.

The shot of them beaming to the planet is beautiful. The injuries are more grisly than I would've expected from this show. John Doe's makeup is great. This is one of those episodes with near perfect pace, direction and lighting. Every scene in the first half is a joy in some way. The second half got a bit more standard, but I still liked it. The Zalkonian ship just screams fascism.

John Doe is simultaneously a stand in for a Christ/Buddha/other prominent religious figure fusion and also a persecuted faith at once. Even leaving his true name unspoken as both a sign of humility and universality. Ordinarily, I would be a bit dismissive over having seen this sort of story before, especially as I'm more than a bit sick of Christianity, in particular, showing up where its not welcome, but I actually love the time taken to genuinely explore this idea. John Doe isn't just a bog standard miracle worker, his healing entails both physical injuries and making individuals better. I was honestly worried that La Forge's confidence would be revealed to be closer to a narcissistic arrogance that he was better rid of or that when John Doe inevitably left, the status quo would reassert itself and La Forge will have apparently learned a lesson, but in practice have just spun his wheels for an episode. Letting his new surety in himself be portrayed as an unmistakable good thing that he presumably gets to keep was a truly pleasant surprise. Equally pleasent was how John is somewhat deferential to Crusher (even thanking her for his life. I also particularly like thay they're able to have an emotionally intimate relationship that doesn't devolve into outright romance) and the other characters and willing to have an equal dialogue with them. Instead of dictating a set of rules or blindly venerating an arbitrarily significant figure, the episode's conception of faith seems to be based on genuine self improvement, the ability to be one's true self with confidence and the having of actual conversations that benefit all parties' understanding of truths. There's no hierarchy in this sense of spirituality which is a neat, if obvious, contrast to Sunad. They don't go as deep into this as I would like, and i think the mystery of what John Doe is gets in the way of who he is, a little, but touching on it at all is more than most shows ever manage.

Pretty standout episode.

We close with The Best of Both Worlds

Still trying to catch up on these episode reviews since I last posted. I'm only up to post 431. The hilarity of Coft rage quitting the topic because TC is continuing to watch every episode like he stated in the OP and dared to find enjoyment in some of the lesser episodes. Whew.

Continuing to enjoy your reviews TC.

Episode 26: The Best of Both Worlds

Netflix spoilt that this was only part one.

Like how relatively casual Picard gets when it's just him and Hanson. Adopts a blunt manner when encouraging Riker's career. Anxiously paces around the bridge waiting for the Borg to show up.

His brief appearance as Locutus is suitably unnerving.

I'm not sure poker should be among Riker's priorities right now. Keeps passing up promotion. Settled into life on the Enterprise. Quite like his relationship with Shelby in the first half. Some moments she impresses him, others she annoys him, but he always handles it maturely. Nice to see him get outplayed at poker. I'm surprised that this episode was the one chosen for his internal debate of ambition versus contentment, but I don't mind it. Very stiff when Shelby goes behind his back and I don't blame him.

La Forge is quite a negative soul at poker. Desperately wants to be a fly on the wall during Riker and Shelby's conversation.

Worf takes Picard's assimilation particularly hard.

Crusher shows up for some briefings and has a similar reaction to Locutus.

Troi is still adorable whenever she plays poker. Disappointed at Wesley's caution. Very much on the side of Riker's happiness and I think her arguments are far better than Picard's. Love that she framed it as something Riker already knows.

Data helpfully explains poker etiquette and seems to be slightly better at dealing with bluffs.

Wesley joins poker night. Needs to take more risks.

O'Brien does his job, even when someone new orders him to.

Guinan offers some hope that, even if they lose, humanity will ultimately win.

Appreciate Hanson's candour at how outmatched they are. Bit of a chivalrous pervert towards Shelby. Thinks Riker needs more ambition.

Shelby is hyper competent and has a bit too much initiative for Riker's liking. The episode frames her as a young Riker analogue, but I don't recall him being too reckless in the first season. Seems like a sneaky retcon to give the illusion of character growth. Or maybe my memory isn't as great as I like. Either way, I like it, but I'm also a little bemused by it. Liked her character right up until she got needlessly snotty about going behind Riker's back. The turbolift conversation is a fantastic way of making her instantly unlikeable without breaking her prior characterisation. By the end I loved to hate her.

Similar to Q Who, the music tells you that you're in for a doozy just as the episode starts. The removed colony is surprisingly beautiful. One overhead shot that zooms out makes the whole area look quite picturesque, apart from the blatant crater. It's like a broken painting. The lighting seems to be far more dark and moody than usual. Noticed the smash cut to Riker asking Troi why he's still on the Enterprise. The Borg theme is great. A cacophony of harsh, metallic booms surrounding a choir. Many people harmoniously sealed in unaesthetic technology. Love the uncanny, unnatural way the cube rotates and drifts through space. More so than their last appearance, it resembles something that should not exist. Found the nebula beautiful. The charges, the cube engines and the general Borg ambience are awful to listen to in the best possible way. I pity the people who had to wait for season 4.

It's bloody difficult to even pretend to do an analysis of this, since I haven't seen the second half yet, but I will jot down a few things I've noticed. Firstly, the title seems to refer to two things: The Borg philosophy of assimilating the best of every culture into themselves and Riker's position as first officer. The former is obvious and the latter speaks to how Riker is afforded a measure of authority, without too many stresses that Picard instead has to deal with. Naturally, he's forced into command. The Borg are also finally an indictment of thoughtless multiculturalism, as opposed to the vaguely eldritch horrors of Q Who. They outright state a doublethink of incorporating distinctiveness, whilst simultaneously adapting it into their own homogeneity. Could also find links with the Federation (and, by proxy, America) spreading democracy, alongside their hyper commercial culture. Following on from Q Who, complacency is a big issue, too. Hanson admits that Q's warning has been known for over a year and yet they've accomplished nothing, yet La Forge and the rest are able to make innovations in relatively short order. The disagreement between Riker and Shelby plays into this, as well and I love that they ultimately present her as simultaneously unlikeable and, more often than not, completely right.

In some ways, it looks like it's going to be as harsh a deconstruction of Star Trek as The Wrath of Khan was. Luckily, they're might be a final theme of humanity that can win the day. Guinan maintains hope and a lot of effort is made to strip Picard of who he is. Clearly, the species can provide some credible threat to the Borg, yet.

The first truly outstanding season finale that Star Trek has managed.

End of season rankings, next.

.....
.....
.....
...Fire.

If you think that cliffhanger is compelling now, think about this at the time, there was a rumor going around that Patrick Stewart was holding out for more money and the studio was planning to kill off his character for real.

Shame that this entire topic will just fade away soon.

Riker becomes Captain and retains the enterprise -- he truly got the best of both worlds :)

splodeymissile posted...

The episode frames her as a young Riker analogue, but I don't recall him being too reckless in the first season.

She is the alluded to pre-S1 gunner Riker who flopped his relationship with Troi

Smiffwilm posted...

Shame that this entire topic will just fade away soon.

Everything's ephemeral.

splodeymissile posted...

Everything's ephemeral.

All good things....

Croft took his time about it, but it seems ive finally been blocked, too. Maybe i had one opinion too many for him to tolerate lurking.

End of season 3

Top 6: (definitely an overall quality upgrade, as this was the hardest list for me to finalise so far. I'm leaning towards the more feel good episodes, though)

The Bonding (a beautiful exploration of healthy grief and of Worf's character)

Deja Q (I may not prefer trickster Q, but I can't deny he's absolutely hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt)

Yesterday's Enterprise (redeems Yar's character through a brilliant time travel plot, with the production firing on all cylinders)

Sins of the Father (I'm convinced Worf episodes can do no wrong)

Tin Man (anything that makes me feel the sublime is an automatic shoe in)

The Best of Both Worlds (how season finales should've been done from the start)

Bottom 6: (these were considerably easier)

The Ensigns of Command (utterly stupid and not in the fun way)

The Price (sexist and bewilderingly unsexy is not a good combination)

The High Ground (as vapid as a Law and Order episode)

Captain's Holiday (the best of this bunch, but it's still an almost complete nothing)

Hollow Pursuits (noble intentions with absolutely piss poor execution. Probably my most controversial inclusion, though)

Mnage Troi (I may have been a bit too generous initially. Troi doesn't have much luck with her episodes)

Miscellaneous thoughts

Evolution (almost made the top 6 [expect to see this a lot])

Who Watches the Watchers (almost made the top 6)

Booby Trap (in light of the character development in Transfigurations, I've reappraised it and i like it slightly more. In no danger of either list, though)

The Defector (almost made the top 6)

A Matter of Perspective (almost beat out Captain's Holiday for a spot in the bottom 6)

The Offspring (I've softened a little on how they handled Data's emotions)

Sarek (almost made the top 6)

Transfigurations (I still like it a lot, but my praise may have been a bit too glowing, initially. It's in the good, but not great pile)

Yeah, I still think the first two seasons are far better than they are giving credit for, but I can't deny that this is a severe improvement. The amount of contenders for the top 6 made this list take most of the day to finalise.

Tomorrow, we conclude with The Best of Both Worlds, part two.

Bottom 6:
Hollow Pursuits (noble intentions with absolutely piss poor execution. Probably my most controversial inclusion, though)

I liked Hollow Pursuits more than you did. Lieutenant Barclay shows that loneliness and addiction are still problems in the far future. The way that he caricatured the top officers was amusing and relatable

Lieutenant Barclay shall appear in more episodes. I don't find him pathetic, but rather empathetic. Lieutenant Barclay is going to play a more important role in helping his fellow officers

Feel free to fill up the remaining posts with whatever you like. New reviews here:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/400-current-events/80318827

season 3 is so tough for me to rank (i like all but 3 or 4 episodes), so i'll just share imdb's opinion instead.

their top 6, without the comparisons to other seasons:

BoBW 1
Yesterday's Enterprise
Deja Q
The Offspring
The Defector
Sins of the Father

(i'd mostly agree with this, though in a different order. also maybe swapping in WWTW for Deja Q)

Bottom 6:
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
Menage a Troi
Evolution
The Bonding
A Matter of Perspective

(I really like The Vengeance Factor, and like A Matter of Perspective and Evolution enough to keep them out of my bottom 6. I really don't like Allegiance or The Survivors, which along with Menage a Troi and The Bonding, are the four S3 episodes i usually skip in reruns.)

also, it amuses me that i'm one of the few Cassie didn't block, since i think i was the first to actually call him out on his shtick. i guess i gave him a fair shake in more appropriate topics, which might have been what "saved" me.

Medussa posted...

also, it amuses me that i'm one of the few Cassie didn't block, since i think i was the first to actually call him out on his shtick. i guess i gave him a fair shake in more appropriate topics, which might have been what "saved" me.

It's a gimmick as far as I'm concerned. They claimed earlier in the topic they will not and have not watched any trek episodes that even sound uninteresting or lame, yet they also claim the only Trek they watched the entirety of is Enterprise and TOS?

Shenanigans I say.

Make it so!