"The question is..."

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Voyager' started by klwilbur, Jun 16, 2013.

  1. klwilbur

    klwilbur Ensign Newbie

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    Has anyone noticed the phrase "The question is..." is in practically every episode?

    Whenever they needed a character to reframe the central conflict of the story, they would have someone (usually Janeway) say "the question is..." followed by what the central conflict was.

    My wife and I are watching every episode starting from the pilot and we've noticed this all the way up through season 4.
     
  2. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Oh thank, now I will notice this forever.

    :lol:
     
  3. Shatnertage

    Shatnertage Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I'll be on the lookout for that now.
     
  4. Tosk

    Tosk Admiral Admiral

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    It's the "Ironic, isn't it?" of Voyager! (That's DS9's go-to phrase.)

    I looked at the transcripts, and it looks like it might be the fault of someone who came on board (the show, not the ship) part way in...season 1 never uses it, but season 2 and 3 use it quite a bit.
     
  5. Lynx

    Lynx Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The question is........who came up with this comment in each and every script? ;)
     
  6. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    In the lap of squalor I assure you.
    It's a secret drinking game for the producers.
     
  7. Captain Kathryn

    Captain Kathryn Commodore Commodore

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    Did you notice the signature Chakotay pipe music too whenever there was a tribal scene?
     
  8. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I didn't even think about the pipe music after being weaned on Spock's Vulcan angst music for so many years.
     
  9. Captain Clark Terrell

    Captain Clark Terrell Commodore Commodore

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    Jeri Ryan has the most full lips I've ever seen.

    --Sran
     
  10. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Other parts of her are also full.
     
  11. Captain Clark Terrell

    Captain Clark Terrell Commodore Commodore

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    Which causes me to...

    I won't go there.

    --Sran
     
  12. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Oh DO!

    I have.
     
  13. lurok

    lurok Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    The question is...oh look, a koala!...

    I shall have to look out for that phrase now. Might be a fun drinking game.
     
  14. Tiberius

    Tiberius Commodore Commodore

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    I don't ever recall hearing that phrase. What line was it in for the pilot episode, for example?
     
  15. Tosk

    Tosk Admiral Admiral

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    ^It isn't. It doesn't show up 'til season 2.
     
  16. klwilbur

    klwilbur Ensign Newbie

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    Where are the transcripts available? I'd love to take a look.

    I thought I had remembered this back into season one, but if you have checked the transcripts, I must be mistaken. Either that, or they used some variation of the phrase.

    The reason why I might notice it more than others is because it is somewhat of a pet peeve of mine. It is like a writer's crutch...the story can't tell itself so you have to have some character reframe the central conflict verbally so the audience knows what is going on. What makes it worse is that usually, it was CLEAR what was going on and it wasn't necessary to spoon feed the audience.

    The question is, whether a variation of this phrase was in Season 1. ;)
     
  17. Tosk

    Tosk Admiral Admiral

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  18. Kevman7987

    Kevman7987 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    My God. Now I will not not be able to hear it. Now I have this stuck with me along with Riker's weird-ass way of sitting down too.
     
  19. Captain Clark Terrell

    Captain Clark Terrell Commodore Commodore

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    What way is that? I remember him always putting his foot on Data's console while leaning forward over the latter's chair. It made me really uncomfortable.

    --Sran
     
  20. Lance

    Lance Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I think the directors sometimes had troubles framing shots with Riker in them. Jonathan Frakes is actually a pretty big guy, and especially with Patrick Stewart being (comparitively) small, they sometimes had to get creative just to fit him into a shot with another actor.

    Riker's characteristic "I thrust my pelvis into Data's face" leaning pose on the Ops console is one by-product of this.