Since I've been coming to this site, I've read a good amount of....how shall I say it...semi-negative....or unpleasing comments about the episode "Time's Arrow." I'm just curious as to why. Honestly, I loved the episode. The stealing your soul aliens were admittedly hokey, but the concept of everything else was, in my humble opinion, great. I guess I'm just a little different. I thought "Inner Light" was just okay, but I do admit that anytime I hear that song he was playing and when he holds that flute or whatever it was, it gets me. I also wasn't a huge fan of "All good things...". I actually liked Generations a little bit better, but I think it was because I was so excited to see it, and it was so epic for me at the time. Looking back however, "All good things..." was a better written piece of work than Generations. Anyway, my question is what do you guys think was....wrong (for lack of a better word) with the episode "Time's Arrow"?
First, I enjoyed the episode. But there were some problems with logic that I had. It made no sense for these aliens to find a specific era in hostory where they could "hide" thier work behind an epidemic of some sort. They were aliens who could travel between worlds, through time for Chrissakes. They could go anywhere, anytime. They wouldn't have had to limit themselves to that one time and era. It was pretty silly to have Samuel Clemens on the Enterprise, but I admit, it was fun and I enjoyed it. Like anything in Trek, if you ask four fans, you'll get five opinions.
I love the episode. I just finished watching it about an hour ago (for the thousandth time). I still break into giggle fits every time I see Data entering his hotel room for the first time, after the poker game, wearing a rather fancy vest and hat over his uniform, obviously won from the man whose poker face was "etched in stone". It just brings this wonderful mental image of ol' Data one upping such a player to the point where he loses the "shirt on his back".
It was a pretty ok story, just wasn't a great season finale. Season 3 had "Mr worf, Fire!" Season 4 had Yar supposedly as a romulan. Then Season 5 finale ends with the crew walking through a portal, whoopee. From what i read, the episode was originally gonna be a single part episode. But the execs were worried, that with DS9 about to start, that fans would think TNG wouldn't be coming back. So last minute, they decided to stretch it out to a two parter finale/premiere.
I still have soft spot for this two-parter - it was one of the few episodes that my library had on VHS when I was first getting into the series. Yes, in the grand scheme of things, it sucks as a season ending cliffhanger. It has some good moments though. When Data's head was found under San Francisco, I wondered what the hell was going on. Data going on to hussle his way into some clothes during poker was quite funny. I love how paradoxical the Guinan/Picard friendship is too. Each one already knew the other when they met.
The alien might not have had full control over their destination. The devise could send them to Earth, San Fransisco, in that certain year, and no where else at the moment. They took advantage of whatever travel connections they could make. The epidemic could have been a fortuitous coincident for the aliens. During that time period, you would be hard pressed to find a large city without a on going serious medical problem.
I always had a soft spot for this episode. Data interacting in 19th century San Fransisco is just so fun! Jack London and Mark Twain both added too it... too bad they couldn't work Emperor Norton into this one, it was the right time period. As a two part season cliffhanger... it wasn't that dramatic. You knew the good guys would fix everything so you weren't too worried about next season. Picard and Guinan's subplot was interesting too how things came full circle. Was it the best of the two parters? Hardly. But it was an entertaining hour and a half of material.
A particular favorite of mine. I thought the cliff-hang was every bit as strong as others - watching them disappear into the portal of the unknown to heaven knows where. It was brilliant! I spent just as much time that summer wondering what was going to happen as I did for the summer of the Borg or Yar. Between these three stories next Season Premiers; TA is my favorite.
I'm another who loves Time's Arrow. It's not my favorite two-parter, but it's up there. As many others have said, Data's performance was totally charming and I really couldn't give a crap about the aliens' logic, or lack thereof. They behaved consistently from beginning to end, at least. Its function as a cliffhanger is irrelevant to me because I always watch TNG two-parters back to back.