A Fresh Look and Hindsight

[GNDN18]

It was his choice to leave with a shuttle. You make it sound like they forced him into it and booted him off the ship. I do agree that the episode itself isn't very good though.

I remember back in the 90s reading some poorly-sourced speculation that Scotty was going to appear on DS9 immediately after the shuttle departed the Enterprise. I don't know if there was any truth to that, but it made sense to give him the ability to flit about the galaxy.

 

[Lance]

I felt all of TNG and it's spinoff two parters were padded to stretch out a story which could've been told in 50 minutes. I think "Encounter at Farpoint", "All Good Things...", and DS9's "Emissary" were originally developed as telefilms where I thought flowed better.

I always thought Farpoint flows better as two parts than as a full length feature, because I feel like the stop in between means each half is less sluggish on their own terms, but I suspect I'm in a minority about preferring it as a two parter lol

 

[Herbert]

No, it was a scripted piece of nonsense. I made it sound as ridiculous as it came off as it was the classic "bum's rush," and was only a half-step better than if they had booted Mr. Scott out an airlock. It was ignominious.

Wow, you take this stuff seriously. Everything on the show was scripted so I'm not sure what your issue is.

 

[Doc Mugatu]

Wow, you take this stuff seriously. Everything on the show was scripted so I'm not sure what your issue is.

It has to do with craftsmanship. Yes, it is ALL scripted. Hopefully it is scripted well. Sometimes it is not. The exit Mr. Scott stage right scene in "Relics" was not well written.

I always thought Farpoint flows better as two parts than as a full length feature, because I feel like the stop in between means each half is less sluggish on their own terms, but I suspect I'm in a minority about preferring it as a two parter lol

I can't agree. "Encounter At Farpoint" had a purpose in every scene. Between introducing something or someone new there was an A & B plot that had to furthered then merged. There is a flow, a rhythm, that is just as important as lighting or anything else that works towards the higher art of telling a story. Now, if it had been a cliffhanger then that would be different.

 

[Roundabout]

The Gambit two-parter was good. It seemed a bit light though and it's premise ridiculously improbable. It reminded me of the TOS novel Black Fire by Sonni Cooper (I read it back in '83 and hated it). The performances rather than the actual story itself made this one as good as it was (or at least a 100% better than the previous 2-part episode, Descent).

Data dragging Riker off to the brig at the end cracked me up. That may have been the funniest ending to any TNG episode.

I wish TNG had done that more often, concluding an episode with a scene of levity, like that one at the end of "Gambit". TOS often did that. I have read that some fans considered such humor to be inappropriate or campy, especially if there may have been deaths or tragedy in the story. I don't mind campiness and sometimes humor is a good antidote to a somber story.

 

[Lance]

Data dragging Riker off to the brig at the end cracked me up. That may have been the funniest ending to any TNG episode.

I wish TNG had done that more often, concluding an episode with a scene of levity, like that one at the end of "Gambit". TOS often did that. I have read that some fans considered such humor to be inappropriate or campy, especially if there may have been deaths or tragedy in the story. I don't mind campiness and sometimes humor is a good antidote to a somber story.

Absolutely agree, and that's another thing that the first two seasons of TNG had a real knack for as well.

"Shades Of Gray" is very damn nearly rehabilitated by its final 'everyone laughs!' moment.

 

[Tomalak]

A shame they didn't find a way to keep Alexander Enberg as Taurik in the mix or better yet transfer him to DS9 for occasional appearances. One of the hardest bits of casting, in my opinion, has been finding excellent Vulcans. This was one time they had excelled. Enberg's Vulcan was Nimoy-esque.

He basically plays the same character in Voyager, only they rename him Vorik. Maybe they were twins? The actor is Jeri Taylor's son.

 

[Doc Mugatu]

Data dragging Riker off to the brig at the end cracked me up. That may have been the funniest ending to any TNG episode.

I wish TNG had done that more often, concluding an episode with a scene of levity, like that one at the end of "Gambit". TOS often did that. I have read that some fans considered such humor to be inappropriate or campy, especially if there may have been deaths or tragedy in the story. I don't mind campiness and sometimes humor is a good antidote to a somber story.

I do agree. Definitely not every episode of course, because then it would lose its potency, but certainly more often than it did. Plus I would love to have seen a smidge more friction, like in season 2 with Dr. Pulaski, to go along with those humorous ending. I guess that's another way of saying I wish a bit more old-school TOS had found it's way into the mix.

 

[Doc Mugatu]

Finished "Masks" (S7E17). This episode reminded me of the old Gold Key TOS comics, and that, as I see it, is a good thing. Still didn't rate more than "okay." I now recall the common complaint of "deus ex machina" regarding TNG's final season. Though originally I defended against, I can now recognize the legitimacy of the complaint.

 

[Lance]

Finished "Masks" (S7E17). This episode reminded me of the old Gold Key TOS comics, and that, as I see it, is a good thing. Still didn't rate more than "okay." I now recall the common complaint of "deus ex machina" regarding TNG's final season. Though originally I defended against, I can now recognize the legitimacy of the complaint.

For me its an interesting episode with some cool concepts and some fascinating acting, but my only problem is its one of those Star Trek episodes that almost feels swallowed by the need to wrap everything up in 45 minutes. It feels disposable, and a little forgettable, even though there are some really big ideas in there. It feels like it should feel more significant than it does

 

[Tomalak]

Masks is an absolute nadir for me. It's a potentially interesting story, although a similar idea was done significantly better in The Inner Light. I just recall it being an excuse for Spiner to indulge his very worst instincts with a parade of increasingly silly voices. Jonathan Frakes looks pissed off throughout, like he can't wait for it all to be over. I don't blame him.

 

[Doc Mugatu]

For me its an interesting episode with some cool concepts and some fascinating acting, but my only problem is its one of those Star Trek episodes that almost feels swallowed by the need to wrap everything up in 45 minutes. It feels disposable, and a little forgettable, even though there are some really big ideas in there. It feels like it should feel more significant than it does

I mostly agree. I would just change the "45 minutes" to wrap up in about "minute or less" (hence the "deus ex machina" complaint). They build the story pretty well and just as they lay the foundation to something that could have been a bit more epic (like Stargate-ish) they cut it off at the knees by slapping a hastily generated mask on Picard and some light weight psychology (hand of God) to hastily wrap things up. It was a shame as they did a decent job on atmosphere.

Masks is an absolute nadir for me. It's a potentially interesting story, although a similar idea was done significantly better in The Inner Light. I just recall it being an excuse for Spiner to indulge his very worst instincts with a parade of increasingly silly voices. Jonathan Frakes looks pissed off throughout, like he can't wait for it all to be over. I don't blame him.

I wouldn't say it was the lowest point but agree that it certainly wasn't the zenith either.

I remember the TV Guide entry for TOS final episode, 'The Turnabout Intruder," was something along the lines of "William Shatner displays his acting chops by portraying Capt. Kirk with feminine characteristics." That is what came to my mind when Brent Spiner started slipping into various characters. The selling point was to let a cast member show off a bit. Nothing inherently wrong with that generally, however, here it sometimes felt like a classroom acting exercise.

 

[Doc Mugatu]

Completed "Bloodlines" (S7E22).

Picard "discovering" he has a long lost son could have been 44 minutes of cheese, but it wasn't. In fact it is episodes such as this that really illustrates how lucky this series was to have an actor the caliber of Patrick Stewart (especially considering Gene Roddenberry didn't want him). Picard's quiet moments with, or concerning, the man they believe to be his son, Jason Vigo (Ken Olandt) express, through his manner, his anguish and regret in a way that feels heartfelt and real without ever being maudlin or morose.

The first time I saw this episode I was young, footloose and fancy-free. This time I am long time married and co-parent which obviously had me seeing this episode much differently and with some empathy. For me this was definitely one of the better season 7 episodes.

Question: Was Jason Vigo in on Bok's scheme? On one hand it seems a bit improbable that Bok could re-sequence somebodies DNA for such a specific result without that person being aware. On the other hand, everyone seemed to play it as if Vigo was an innocent pawn.

 

[Doc Mugatu]

"Emergence" (S7E23)

This is another one whereby I wished I'd noticed something I perhaps overlooked before. An okay episode, but the epilogue has Picard way too nonchalant regarding the new life form they had unleashed upon the universe, and his logic, as explained to Data, is idiotic as it basically boils down to good parents, by definition, cannot create bad children. The fact is he doesn't know what it/them did or did not absorb or how it interprets anything. ARGH!

I always thought they should have this new lifeform come back in one of the features as a malignant entity. One that scares even the Q Continuum.

 

[Doc Mugatu]

Just completed "All Good Things" (S7E25).

This was first time I was able to see the whole story in one sitting since it first aired on May 23, 1994. It is still, in my eyes, an absolutely brilliant piece of work, and has set, to this day, the standard by which I measure all series finales. This one didn't just bring about a sense of emotional satisfaction and closure, but actually closed out the series by adding a new context by which to view episodes (at least the ones featuring Q). My takeaway from AGT was that Q was teaching Picard that man's greatest exploration is not a physical/external one but rather an internal/metaphysical one.

I also loved that the final episode acted to confirm my belief from the start in that Q was never a villain but rather always the ally. The teacher. His attitude stemming from the natural frustration, not arrogance, in seeking to communicate with a lifeform who has yet grasp the most basic of existential truths. I wasn't the only who looked upon Q favorably during the series run, but very much felt in the minority at times.

In hindsight, this viewing also seemed to affirm that Paramount and the franchise would have been better served if they had waited until May of 1996 for Star Trek VII. It would have given them some distance and time to rethink/rework the story. From AGT to Generations to First Contact they were 3, for all intents and purposes, time travel stories in a row. If the studio had instead hired Meyers and Nimoy in 1994 (with the 1996 release date in mind) I very strongly believe a much superior story and script (and by extension, motion picture) would have been the result. Sadly, even now Paramount seems to refuse to learn from it's own history.

Anyway, "All Good Things" was an "A++"

Now on to Deep Space Nine! The series so original that Warner Bros. felt compelled to copy (without success).

 

[Roundabout]

"Emergence" (S7E23)

This is another one whereby I wished I'd noticed something I perhaps overlooked before. An okay episode, but the epilogue has Picard way too nonchalant regarding the new life form they had unleashed upon the universe, and his logic, as explained to Data, is idiotic as it basically boils down to good parents, by definition, cannot create bad children. The fact is he doesn't know what it/them did or did not absorb or how it interprets anything. ARGH!

I always thought they should have this new lifeform come back in one of the features as a malignant entity. One that scares even the Q Continuum.

If the point of the episode was merely about proper parenting then that would be a shame.

I saw the episode not too long ago. When I saw it this time around, I couldn't help but think that it couldn't just be about a silly choo choo train ride or about the Enterprise giving birth.

"Emergence" was the second from the last episode before the series finale. I thought maybe Picard's epilogue was intended to be a metaphor and that it was meant as a way for the TNG writers to pat themselves on the back.

When Picard said that if the crew of the Enterprise had conducted themselves with honor throughout their continuous mission, whatever offspring is produced would reflect that and be just as honorable.

I thought that Picard's words might have been a metaphor for how, I assume, the TNG writers, thought of themselves. That, throughout the run of the series, the TNG writers wrote stories that reflected the high minded values and idealism that Star Trek is supposedly about.

(Continuing to assume) That in their minds, the idealism of their stories were imparted on all the viewers who had watched the show through the years. And that the viewers would take those ideals to heart and perhaps include those ideals and values in their real lives.

I have no idea if that is what the writers intended. Maybe I am giving them credit for much ado about nothing.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Finished "Manhunt" (S2 E19).
One word review: ARGH!

This was, so far, the most painful episode to watch. Three weak storylines that wouldn't have made it as "B" or "C"-plots to the average TNG episode. Boy, in hindsight, their inability to write for women really becomes glaring. Majel Barrett, in my opinion, was a better actress than a lot of folks gave her credit for - I'm speaking of some of the behind-the-scenes books that insinuate she only got cast because of her relationship to G.R.. That may or not have been true, however, that doesn't mean she wasn't good at her chosen profession. Even as Lwaxanna Troi she could have pulled off a more substantial and sophisticated character if they had written her one. Every season is allowed a clunker or two, most times folks can debate which were the best and which were the worst. Not in this case. "Manhunt" was definitely one of the worst.

Probably her best episode was the one she did on DS9

 

[Tomalak]

Probably her best episode was the one she did on DS9

I just rewatched The Foresaken and she is excellent. I think that and Half a Life are Lwaxana's best.