She was on DARK SKIES right before she got cast as Seven. Great show, by the way. When I met her, I commented to her about it and she was surprised and happy someone remembered that show.
Defend an awful Trek episode
- Thread starter Oddish
- Start date
I'd defend "The Man Trap," but everybody and his dog seems to be doing so.
Ok, time for "Favorite Son"...
1. It's one of those rare episodes that lets Harry be more than a durable redshirt.
2. It's completely unexpected that he apparently loses it and attacks that ship out of nowhere.
3. Kristanna Lokan is one seriously yummy alien Terminatrix!
4. This one was originally supposed to have Harry actually be an alien, which might have allowed his character to grow in a new direction. The powers that be, acting with their customary intelligence, vetoed this. But it was a nice thought.
1. It's one of those rare episodes that lets Harry be more than a durable redshirt.
2. It's completely unexpected that he apparently loses it and attacks that ship out of nowhere.
3. Kristanna Lokan is one seriously yummy alien Terminatrix!
4. This one was originally supposed to have Harry actually be an alien, which might have allowed his character to grow in a new direction. The powers that be, acting with their customary intelligence, vetoed this. But it was a nice thought.
Checking Wikipedia, Ryan had a son born in 1994 and got divorced from her first husband in 1999. She remarried in 2007 and had a daughter in 2008. I assume TV work was more appealing to a single working parent because it's much less travel and more regular hours.
Trek actors often seem to get typecast, unfortunately. Even Patrick Stewart and William Shatner seem to have had little luck on the silver screen. And while Shatner, Brooks, Mulgrew, and Bakula all have had successful non-Trek TV series, most of the others have not. Indeed, the most successful Trek series actors (Frakes, Macneil, and Dawson) seem to have found their niche behind the camera.
I didn’t even know it was supposed to be bad? I’m so out of step with fandom consensus. It’s a great episode.
I know that was also a big reason that Jeri Ryan went right into Boston Public after VOY ended. She wanted to avoid getting typecast as the space babe on a science fiction show.
Things I like about "Catspaw" include:
1. The horror,
2. The very alien aliens.
And:
3. The architecture/ interior decoration. It is one of the shows which I like to watch for that reason, including "The Squire of Gothos", "Wolf in the Fold", "Plato's Stepchildren", and "Requiem for Methusaleh".
However, I admit that "Catspaw" has the biggest logical flaw of any TOS episode.
The term "suing for peace" is used for when the losing side in a war begs for peace.
1. I don't remember any indication that the Federation and the Romulans were at war at the beginning of Nemsis.
2. I don't remember any indication that Romulans were losing to the Federation in the war which I didn't seen any indication was being fought.di
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Good thinking. Wonder if that's why Mulgrew took on a role so crazy different from Janeway.
It actually reminds me of Daniel Radcliffe's first post-Potter role, going on stage to play Alan in "Equus". Pretty far from the relatively wholesome Harry Potter...
As I mentioned earlier, I will defend "MOVE ALONG HOME".
Let's count to four...
1. The concept is fantastic. How many of us have wanted to actually be in one of their favorite games?
2. It's an early illustration of just how advanced the Gamma Quadrant is technologically. Before this, we only had the Tosk hunters, who also proved very technologically advanced.
3. This is THE moment when Quark turned from being just another Ferengi to a layered, complex character. His pleading with Falow was definitely a turning point with Quark.
4. Our Starfleet heroes had only their wits and deductive reasoning skills to help them. Too often, we see Starfleet officers technobabble their way out of scenarios. This was a refreshing change of pace.
Then three more...
5. While their physical appearance was nothing special, the Wadi's costumes were very memorable. Among the most brightly colored ones I've seen in the franchise.
6. I don't care what anyone says, that tune was catchy.
7. One of the rare times in the show we hear Avery Brooks sing. The man has a great voice.
Now, do you see?
Will you say, "He convinced me"?
Let's count to four...
1. The concept is fantastic. How many of us have wanted to actually be in one of their favorite games?
2. It's an early illustration of just how advanced the Gamma Quadrant is technologically. Before this, we only had the Tosk hunters, who also proved very technologically advanced.
3. This is THE moment when Quark turned from being just another Ferengi to a layered, complex character. His pleading with Falow was definitely a turning point with Quark.
4. Our Starfleet heroes had only their wits and deductive reasoning skills to help them. Too often, we see Starfleet officers technobabble their way out of scenarios. This was a refreshing change of pace.
Then three more...
5. While their physical appearance was nothing special, the Wadi's costumes were very memorable. Among the most brightly colored ones I've seen in the franchise.
6. I don't care what anyone says, that tune was catchy.
7. One of the rare times in the show we hear Avery Brooks sing. The man has a great voice.
Now, do you see?
Will you say, "He convinced me"?
I can see people reasonably classifying VOY S04E11 Concerning Flight as awful, but I love it, and I believe I can defend it.
The climax of the episode is Holo-nardo da Vinci (played by Jonathan Rhys-Davies) using a hang glider. I rest my case.
The climax of the episode is Holo-nardo da Vinci (played by Jonathan Rhys-Davies) using a hang glider. I rest my case.
A lot of people hate on The Alternative Factor, but it aired right before The City on the Edge of Forever making Harlan Ellison's classic feel even more impressive by comparison!
The Outrageous Okona is an incredible example of a script so unfunny that a rewrite by a team of comedians could only raise the final draft up to 'terrible'. It should be studied in scriptwriting classes as it has so much to teach us.
Profit and Lace features a bunch of actors who are really trying. You could forgive them for not giving this script their all, but no one's half-assing it. This is a full-ass episode.
Coda may be several failed story ideas stitched together with the premise of 'it was all a dream' but Janeway literally tells the villain to "Go back to Hell, coward!", which is exactly what you should say when your ghost dad tries to lure you into his matrix.
Two Days and Two Nights has a scene or two with crazy sleep deprived Phlox that made me smile. Or maybe I'm thinking of the bloopers.
Ephraim and Dot inspired me to watch a whole bunch of classic Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry cartoons to confirm that it really was as utterly abysmal as I thought it was, and anything that can inspire me to do something so rewarding and joyful can't be all bad. (Even though my final conclusion was that it was, in fact, all bad.)
The Outrageous Okona is an incredible example of a script so unfunny that a rewrite by a team of comedians could only raise the final draft up to 'terrible'. It should be studied in scriptwriting classes as it has so much to teach us.
Profit and Lace features a bunch of actors who are really trying. You could forgive them for not giving this script their all, but no one's half-assing it. This is a full-ass episode.
Coda may be several failed story ideas stitched together with the premise of 'it was all a dream' but Janeway literally tells the villain to "Go back to Hell, coward!", which is exactly what you should say when your ghost dad tries to lure you into his matrix.
Two Days and Two Nights has a scene or two with crazy sleep deprived Phlox that made me smile. Or maybe I'm thinking of the bloopers.
Ephraim and Dot inspired me to watch a whole bunch of classic Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry cartoons to confirm that it really was as utterly abysmal as I thought it was, and anything that can inspire me to do something so rewarding and joyful can't be all bad. (Even though my final conclusion was that it was, in fact, all bad.)
"Masks". Not a great episode, but I really appreciated that it brought the show back to its roots by discovering a new, if lost, civilization. By season 7 Next Generation had largely lost the exploration and discovery aspect of the premise, and Masks, as mediocre as it was, brought back those aspects.
Although I can think of plenty of boring Trek episodes, I couldn't think of an awful one that I wouldn't give the time of day, as per the OP (ENT: "Precious Cargo" doesn't count because I love it, and I'm going to watch it for the fifty billionth time later today along with "Vanishing Point"), so I thought I'd forget this thread and rewatch "Threshold" as I remembered it as being entertaining and fun, if ridiculous. It was not.
However, despite the terrible, terrible science/logic and that most of the characters suddenly turn into morons, I did find something positive to say about it, in addition to Oddish's points below:
4. After he'd pulled out his tongue, I thought Paris' pleading to be released from his confinement from sickbay and let go was very well acted/filmed. Robert Duncan McNeil was just the right blend of pathetic and desperate to tug on my heartstrings that I would have let him go. And probably given him a hug, too!
(As I was writing this, I suddenly remembered that there are absolutely loads of Discovery and Picard episodes that I found to be awful, but I'd have to rewatch them to find any positive bits to defend, and I'm not going to subject myself to that. Except for PIC: "The End is the Beginning" which gave us the fascinating pixmit/pikhmit Romulan cards.)
However, despite the terrible, terrible science/logic and that most of the characters suddenly turn into morons, I did find something positive to say about it, in addition to Oddish's points below:
4. After he'd pulled out his tongue, I thought Paris' pleading to be released from his confinement from sickbay and let go was very well acted/filmed. Robert Duncan McNeil was just the right blend of pathetic and desperate to tug on my heartstrings that I would have let him go. And probably given him a hug, too!
(As I was writing this, I suddenly remembered that there are absolutely loads of Discovery and Picard episodes that I found to be awful, but I'd have to rewatch them to find any positive bits to defend, and I'm not going to subject myself to that. Except for PIC: "The End is the Beginning" which gave us the fascinating pixmit/pikhmit Romulan cards.)
That in itself is enough, as far as I'm concerned. That guy is awesome, whether he's Gimli, Sallah, or Leonardo.
That's why Janeway died 17 times and she's still an admiral. After she basically told him to go piss up a rope, death is now scared to mess with her.
More seriously, Coda is a disturbing and mind bending episode, and one I'm fond of as well.
Alright, I really think Dear Doctor is a very strong episode of Enterprise. Classic Star Trek ‘no good answers’ moral quandary, brilliantly written and played by all involved…
Now I’m going to hide in an underground bunker in preparation for the opinion apocalypse…
Now I’m going to hide in an underground bunker in preparation for the opinion apocalypse…
- I quite agree. I did think about "Dear Doctor" for this thread, but I really like the episode even though I don't entirely agree with the ending (not that I completely disagree with it either).
Do you have room for one more in your bunker?
Don't worry. Some of us actually think other people are entitled to their opinions.
I think the best way to sell people on an episode that isn't really good is to boil the concept down to a "TV Guide" summary and use very specific language about the general concept. See my postings for "Spock's Brain" and "Star Trek Nemesis" earlier in this thread.
Here's my shot at "The Way to Eden"
The Enterprise rescues a group of young rebels, who are led by a brilliant scientist and professor, Dr. Sevrin. The group of rebels, who include a former love of Ensign Chekov, have adopted an anti-establishment and anti-technology philosophy, and are on a quest to find a mythical paradise planet called "Eden." As Sevrin's sanity becomes more and more in question, Kirk struggles to manage this group of radicals, who eventually take over the Enterprise and set course for the world they believe to be their mythical destination...which lies across the Neutral Zone and deep in Romulan territory.
Here's my shot at "The Way to Eden"
The Enterprise rescues a group of young rebels, who are led by a brilliant scientist and professor, Dr. Sevrin. The group of rebels, who include a former love of Ensign Chekov, have adopted an anti-establishment and anti-technology philosophy, and are on a quest to find a mythical paradise planet called "Eden." As Sevrin's sanity becomes more and more in question, Kirk struggles to manage this group of radicals, who eventually take over the Enterprise and set course for the world they believe to be their mythical destination...which lies across the Neutral Zone and deep in Romulan territory.
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