Disaster

Discussion in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' started by TroiFan4ever, Jun 28, 2011.

  1. TroiFan4ever

    TroiFan4ever Commander Red Shirt

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    Hopped on YouTube and watched episode 5x03 "Disaster".

    When I first saw this episode years ago, I used to not like it, but now it's a dang-good episode!

    I knew episode 7x19 "Genesis" wasn;t the first episode with Troi watching the bridge. Well... on the brigde O'brien put Troi in charge because out of the four people there, she was a Lieutenant Commander and nobody had a rank higher than that.

    Questions:

    If they were trapped on the bridge and all the doors were locked, how did Troi, Ro, and O'brien get to the Observation Lounge... ? Well, I mean, they might've had Ro open the doors for them considering that she forced open the aft turbolift doors but how?

    When Beverly and Geordi were trapped in the cargobay, why don't they just find a big but flat object and block the green fire with that? I was thinking they could've used one of the containers but those things were heavier than they looked.

    Okay, now, I wrongfully thought "Genesis" was the first and only episode where Troi got to sit in Picard's chair on the bridge. Now I learned there was a prior episode... in "Disaster". Are there any more episodes with Troi sitting in that seat?
     
  2. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

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    from memory, the bulkheads in the turboshafts closed behind the turbolift, preventing access via the turbolifts. As for the observation lounge, it would just be a matter of either forcing the door, or it might have opened normally. As it was sealed off.
     
  3. Pauln6

    Pauln6 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    It's fun episode, but then any episode with Ro is fun plus we get Picard stuck with children. Is it just me or does Troi's approach to command bear scary parallels with NuKirk? She undertakes a high risk strategy against the evidence and common sense and succeeds through sheer luck with seconds to spare. Would you make Troi a captain?
     
  4. Canadave

    Canadave Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It's a decent episode. The problem is only two of the plots are really compelling (Worf and Picard), while the Troi and LaForge\Crusher plots are relatively dull. So I really like about half the episode, and spend the remaining parts waiting to get back to the stories that I'm interested in.
     
  5. MHT1138

    MHT1138 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    This is actually one of my favorite episodes. I find the Troi plot very compelling. The Geordi/Beverly plot is pretty good, the Riker/data plot was pretty unexciting. But Worf and Keiko, and Picard with the kids were fun storylines.
     
  6. Mojochi

    Mojochi Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Troi makes mention of taking a bridge shift in the very episode where she gets promoted, and becomes a command bridge officer, "Thine Own Self". She also mentions in that episode that her desire to be a command officer began after the event in "Disaster"

    Since her promotion happened only 10 episodes from the end of the series, I don't recall seeing her in command other than in "Genesis"

    I really like "Disaster". It's good because it manages to pull several characters out of their comfort zone, the bridge crew, Picard & the kids, Worf & Keiko. I think that's why the Riker/Data & Geordi/Beverly stories didn't engage as well, not enough challenge, comparatively

    But c'mon how could you possibly have them all be equally engaging? It's amazing that they were even able to fashion an episode that featured the entire cast so evenly, and tied it all together so well

    It's one of their best ensemble episodes, & I'm usually very fond of their ensemble episodes, like this. Night Terrors, Cause & Effect, some are better than others, but I really enjoy the ensemble stuff
     
  7. Forbin

    Forbin Admiral Admiral

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    Decent episode, but it, like many, suffered from the "We only have 5 minutes left, let's resolve the plot during the last commercial!" syndrome.
     
  8. Gary7

    Gary7 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Yeah, that ruins it for me with many TNG episodes. Thankfully there are some which aren't quite so guilty of it.
     
  9. Deckerd

    Deckerd Fleet Arse Premium Member

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    You'll notice she didn't crash it that time.
     
  10. TroiFan4ever

    TroiFan4ever Commander Red Shirt

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    What time? "Disaster" or "Genesis"?

    You know, if Troi really was to blame for the D-Enterprise's destruction in Generations, Commander Riker is the real person to blame. 'Cause you wanna know why? Test-driving the Enterprise should've been part of her exam in the 7x16 episode "Thine Own Self", but no! He just wanted to see if she would tell Geordi to go kill himself! :wtf::vulcan:
     
  11. Forbin

    Forbin Admiral Admiral

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    More precisely, she told a simulation of Geordi to go kill himself (which of course has no lasting emotional or philosophical effect on reality) after someone had made it clear to her that it was the only way she was going to pass the test (basically gave her the answers).
     
  12. Gary7

    Gary7 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I watched this episode last night and enjoyed it more than I remembered.

    It's a great call back to this episode. Sirtis did a fine job of balancing Troi's uncomfortable feelings with suddenly being thrust into the position of command and being pretty much unprepared for it. You can see her self realization so clearly. And she makes the intelligent choice of drawing upon advice from Ro and O'Brien before making a decision, rather than giving up command to someone else (taking more of an impartial position, to balance the two opposing viewpoints). Even still, you can see how she struggles with their suggestions as they're both compelling and yet quite different. Troi is uncomfortable with this and almost ashamed at how despite being a lieutenant commander, her bridge training is sorely inadequate.

    She gets very lucky, though. With the containment field nearing collapse, it would have made sense to separate the saucer section. Better for some people to survive than everybody perishing. She had no idea that Riker and Data were on it. Had Data not hooked up to the system and adjusted the containment controls in time, there would have been a warp core breach.

    What I'd have liked to see is that Troi realizes that containment control is not getting anywhere and that Ro's advice is the right choice. They try to initiate the saucer separation, but then O'Brien discovers that some of the circuitry involved with this is damaged. They can't separate. So, it was a losing proposition to begin with. But Data saves the day.

    Well said.
     
  13. Noname Given

    Noname Given Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    My problem with Disastyer was all the 'really' moments needed to make the plots they outlined work:

    - There's actually NO ONE in main engineering when the quantum fillament hit (and remember - there were two that hit and about two minutes before the second one that really messed stuff up - but in those two minutes, not ONE enginner was in or near main engineering, or heading back there? :rofl:)

    - The Bridge engineering station can access certain engineering and power systems - just not the warp core system - yet can send power to engineering monitors. Yes, maybe you can have damage that speific, but still, imo, it came across as somewhat contrived.

    - No one on the Bridge is concened with trying to even determine the wearabouts of Captain Picard knoing he's probably still in a Turbolift car.

    - As to the Turbolift Car - wow - one of five clamps damaged and the car won't hold position. (And why is they maintain full artificial gravity in a turbolift shaft on a ship floating in space to begin with?

    - Lastly (and yes probably a budgetary consideration) but, after everything and all the damage said to have occurred across the ship (to the point where everyone on the Bridge believed everyone on the Stardrive section was dead, etc; the ship is heading back for repairs under it's own power? With what happened top their Warp Core, etc; you'd think they'd end up being towed in for repairs.
     
  14. Alrik

    Alrik Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Sure it has it's flaws, but I have always liked Disaster. As pointed out up thread, all of the stories come together nicely. It was on last night, and I enjoyed seeing it again.
     
  15. TroiFan4ever

    TroiFan4ever Commander Red Shirt

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    LOL I just did! Here you go!:

    [​IMG]

    It felt like "Genesis" was a sufferer of that. That being a reason why I didn't like it as much as I do now. But I understand it better and now I see that Data was spreadying the stuff DURING the last commercial break, causing everybody to revert back to their proper forms.

    Right. The real Geordi was never in this episode.

     
  16. Mojochi

    Mojochi Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Actually, imo the best part of their situation in the cargo bay was the reason they were in the cargo bay together. She was trying to cast him as the Major General in Pirates of Penzance:guffaw:
     
  17. Noname Given

    Noname Given Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Actually (IMO) there was aniother situation where the writer did somwthing ridiculous for the sake of "drama":

    Geordi states he's able to open the bay door, and drop the door forcefield using the control terminal near the ladder they both held onto; and he can re-activate the forcefield and close the door using that same panel...BUT, to re-pressurize the Cargo bay they have to walk acroos the bar to a different control panel on the wall? :wtf:

    Are you tring to tell m that on a 24th century vessel - and with two centuries of warp/space flight experience - the control designer CAN'T/DIDN'T have a default control scheme/layout put the door, forcefield, and represurization controls on the SAME panel? (again :wtf:)

    (And yes, overall I like Disaster; I just don't see the need for illogical "drama");)
     
  18. Chuckles

    Chuckles Commander Red Shirt

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    That control panel thing was designed by the same people who build the Sulaco in Aliens!!!

    :p
     
  19. Alrik

    Alrik Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    ^

    Maybe it was installed during the Bynar upgrade. You know, one to open, one to close.
    :wtf: ;) :lol: