Conspiracy episode.

[Markinvirginia]

I remember watching this episode in the first run back in the 80's. At the time, there were lots of complaints that the new Star Trek show didn't have enough action, etc.

Then this episode came out of no-where. It seemed (at the time) that it was almost a slap back to fans complaining about the lack of action. But it seemed to go too far the other way. Heads exploding, eating worms etc.

I am curious how it is interpreted by different generations, especially Bing viewers.

Does it seem as out of place in the first season as I recall?

 

[OldManDoom]

I love this episode. It's one of the few season one episodes that I can stomach.

I wouldn't say it went too far. Perhaps, it's just because I'm a little younger and didn't see the episode until I was over the age of twelve. I do know that it was banned in some countries because it was deemed too graphic. But compared to these days Conspiracy is quite mild.

I would say it stands out instead of "out of place".

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Is there any truth to the rumor that this episode was supposed to feature no aliens at all, just a coup within Starfleet (similar to Homefront/Paradise Lost on DS9) but Gene refused to allow it, so the 'bluegill parasites' were introduced instead?

 

[Finn]

^I thought it was always meant to be some kind of alien incursion, after they gave up on the Ferengi and before they decided to go with the Borg?

 

[Timo]

The TNG Companion book explains that there was to be a Starfleet Coup type plotline, and that Roddenberry nixed this, and this all is described in the "Conspiracy" chapter. It doesn't necessarily follow that an alien invasion plotline wasn't always in the planning as well, though.

Once written, "Conspiracy" was then intended to segue through "The Neutral Zone" to something like "Q Who?", with further invasion activities by the parasites. Somewhere en route, the invaders were changed into an all-new species, described as "insectoid", but the process of making "Q Who?" turned these expensive critters into the cheaper cyborgs, and they were then retroactively blamed for "The Neutral Zone", too. The insectoids would no doubt have been connected to that episode, too, but nothing suggests the writers would have made a further connection all the way back to "Conspiracy".

...That was left to the novels, which tied "Conspiracy" to "The Host", of all things.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Balok's Decoy]

I am curious how it is interpreted by different generations, especially Bing viewers.

I'm currently binge watching TNG, and I did not think this episode worked at all. It's so silly and the fact that Picard and Riker don't think twice about phasering a sentient being kinda goes against what we have been told (and see constantly later) about Picard and the Enterprise crew's personal rules about killing other lifeforms.

 

[Timo]

Umm, what personal rules? Riker kills people left and right. What racist motivation would he have for excluding weird aliens from his list of victims?

Picard, fitting his position, sometimes kills entire populations. And always thinks of the big picture. When did he decide not to kill an individual if the action would help preserve a larger whole?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Balok's Decoy]

Star Trek shows are always inconsistent when being consistent would get in the way of the story. But in general, the stated protocol for Stafleet is not to kill things until you have no other choice. Like the microbes eating away at the Enterprise computer -- didn't kill them. Or all the times Worf is like "We should destroy it!" And they don't, because they don't even know what "it" is.

 

[JRoss]

I remember watching this episode in the first run back in the 80's. At the time, there were lots of complaints that the new Star Trek show didn't have enough action, etc.

Then this episode came out of no-where. It seemed (at the time) that it was almost a slap back to fans complaining about the lack of action. But it seemed to go too far the other way. Heads exploding, eating worms etc.

I am curious how it is interpreted by different generations, especially Bing viewers.

Does it seem as out of place in the first season as I recall?

What is a Bing viewer?

 

[RAMA]

How funny. other episodes had more action than Conspiracy. The episode was a dark, paranoid build up to a conclusion that surprised many, but action? Not really.

The two main things I remember about the episode? The meeting in the cave with the starship captains. There'd never been anything like it. I was debating if any of it was true.

Data searching the archives, coming away with a shocking conclusion.

Neither are action. All dialogue.

RAMA

I remember watching this episode in the first run back in the 80's. At the time, there were lots of complaints that the new Star Trek show didn't have enough action, etc.

Then this episode came out of no-where. It seemed (at the time) that it was almost a slap back to fans complaining about the lack of action. But it seemed to go too far the other way. Heads exploding, eating worms etc.

I am curious how it is interpreted by different generations, especially Bing viewers.

Does it seem as out of place in the first season as I recall?

 

[Kor]

This episode violated Gene's vision.

Kor

 

[RAMA]

This episode violated Gene's vision.

Kor

I'm guessing this is joke.

 

[Kor]

I'm guessing this is joke.

Kor

 

[RAMA]

Kor

Well you know, you can't always tell with Klingons.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I'm currently binge watching TNG, and I did not think this episode worked at all. It's so silly and the fact that Picard and Riker don't think twice about phasering a sentient being kinda goes against what we have been told (and see constantly later) about Picard and the Enterprise crew's personal rules about killing other lifeforms.

Picard isn't Batman. He doesn't have a compulsion against killing at all costs, he sees it as an unfortunate last resort for defense.

 

[Catarina]

Is this the episode where that creepy centipede thing comes out of the dudes mouth? *shudders*

 

[DonIago]

Mouth, chest cavity, it's all good.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^I thought it was always meant to be some kind of alien incursion, after they gave up on the Ferengi and before they decided to go with the Borg?

No, supposedly the original version of this episode dealt with a simple military coup within Starfleet. It had no "aliens" (i.e. the bluegills) or anything like that. The rumor was that Gene Roddenberry wouldn't allow it and thus he insisted the alien angle be introduced in its place.

 

[Finn]

Mmm. Alright. Nice to read about new tidbits about TNG.

 

[Catarina]

Mouth, chest cavity, it's all good.

And one last time *shuuudddeerrrr*