A question about the episode "Threshold"

[LastStarDate]

Hello everyone, this is my first post!

My observation while watching this episode was about the "Transwarp" issue. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Excelsior have transwarp drive? If it had that capability, then why is it such a new thing in this episode?

 

[JNG]

To make a long story short: because the transwarp drive on the Excelsior was never shown to work, because there's no real evidence any Starfleet vessel was ever designed around a transwarp drive after that, and because the term "transwarp" has been used to refer to dissimilar systems of dissimilar origin and thus must be assumed to be a general term referring to any drive "beyond" the more familiar Trek warp drive.

Think of "The Great Experiment" U.S.S Excelsior and the "Threshold" attempt to jazz up warp drive with a heretofore unknown dilithium isotope (or whatever) as two different attempts to surmount one or more limitations of conventional warp drive, both of which were ultimately unsuccessful for what were probably different reasons. I should also point out that "Threshold" made almost no sense from a Trek Tech point of view and many wise persons, including tech consultants for the series and the episode's writer himself, admit to its many flaws and encourage fans to feel just fine about pretending it never happened.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

There is only one legitimate question concerning the episode "Threshold":

"Why, oh why?"

 

[LastStarDate]

many wise persons, including tech consultants for the series and the episode's writer himself, admit to its many flaws and encourage fans to feel just fine about pretending it never happened.

I appreciate that, I just got my laugh of the day!

 

[B_L_T]

I know that this is the episode that is universaly hated among all fans, but I do like it. It did win an emmy award for makeup and effects

 

[The Borg Queen]

It's all very well and good "pretending it never happened" but it DID.

Whether anyone likes it or not, Threshold is a part of Canon. So tough.

 

[B_L_T]

It's all very well and good "pretending it never happened" but it DID.

Whether anyone likes it or not, Threshold is a part of Canon. So tough.

I agree! The episode is canon forever. So why complain about it? There are actualy worse episodes in Star Trek

 

[Moocey]

Threshold is one of my favorite Voyager episodes. It's one of those "it's so fucking horrible that it's awesome" eps.

 

[TGTheodore]

It's all very well and good "pretending it never happened" but it DID.

Whether anyone likes it or not, Threshold is a part of Canon. So tough.

It got me my second sale to Strange New Worlds, so I LOVE the episode!

And I outlined a Voyager novel having to do with some of the repercussions of that episode.

And if you actually sit down and watch the episode, rather than trusting 10-year-old memories or popular myth, most of it is quite good. It's just that a few of the scenes and one of the concepts ...

--Ted

 

[Timewalker]

I should also point out that "Threshold" made almost no sense from a Trek Tech point of view...

Actually, this episode makes no sense from any point of view.

I know that this is the episode that is universaly hated among all fans, but I do like it. It did win an emmy award for makeup and effects

I hate this episode. The premise is ridiculous, the science is nonexistent, and the revolting changes Tom went through nearly made me throw up when I watched the episode.

This is one I will never watch again. Ever.

 

[Jeri]

I know that this is the episode that is universaly hated among all fans, but I do like it. It did win an emmy award for makeup and effects

I didn't know that; thanks! I like it, too; so not universally hated. I'm a fan of Tom, and it's all about Tom. Plus, Robbie did a great job acting in what must have been difficult circumstances (in Sick Bay, covered with stuff and yelling a lot of the time).

 

[Deks]

I personally liked Threshold myself.
And the reason why Tom evolved into what he did at an incredible speed can be explained within the confines of Trek universe just fine.
If Tom was occupying every point in the universe, then he might have been present in an area of universe where it affected him in an adverse fashion which resulted in accelerated evolution in a particular direction.
Also keep in mind that Tom probably visited the area of space where thought and matter converge (from TNG season 1) ... so it's possible that it had unexpected effects given his own thoughts and slight emotional immaturity in the early seasons.

There are multiple aspects of the universe that SF has 0 clue about.
They only explored about 12% of the galaxy after all as TNG stated (Voyager not included) and as such know nothing about what kind of areas of space exist in the unexplored regions of the Milky Way galaxy itself ... let alone the rest of the UNIVERSE which contains billions upon billions of galaxies.

There are infinite amount of possibilities and theoretical solutions that could explain why the events in Threshold happened as they did (many of which SF would never even begin to imagine, let alone us whose technology/understanding of the universe is centuries behind]) and why did traveling at such a velocity started drastic evolutionary changes in a human.

 

[Akiraprise]

the revolting changes Tom went through nearly made me throw up when I watched the episode.

That's my favorite part of the episode.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Threshold allowed is NOT. Is episode FORBIDDEN!

 

[The Borg Queen]

I like the way they "cure" him with antimatter and he doesn't explode like a Warp Core breach!

 

[DrTaylor]

Hello everyone, this is my first post!

My observation while watching this episode was about the "Transwarp" issue. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Excelsior have transwarp drive? If it had that capability, then why is it such a new thing in this episode?

1.Yes
2.Because it could.

Seriously, someone asked Brannon about it at Vegas, and he said something along the lines of, "Let's not talk about Threshold. Not my finest moment." Which, yeah.

I think it's best not to dwell on this one. If even the author can't be proud of his work, then maybe we should just try to ignore it.

 

[Jeri]

If even the author can't be proud of his work, then maybe we should just try to ignore it.

I doubt he'd have cause to feel this way, outside of fan reaction; he named his network show "Threshold."

 

[Deks]

I like the way they "cure" him with antimatter and he doesn't explode like a Warp Core breach!

Why would he?
He was exposed to a radiation treatment through anti-protons.
I fairly doubt that it would be hazardous to his health in a condition he was found if it's administered in low enough quantities.
Plus this is the 24th century we're talking about.
They have to be able to come up with a conversion process to extract what they need from usually dangerous sources in order to come up with potential solutions which can be used in other areas like medicine because space is unpredictable.

Also as I said before ... since Tom was occupying the entire universe at the same time, he could have possibly went through some area of it that triggered evolutionary process at an incredible rate.
SF only explored 11% of the galaxy, and we as a species have a limited understanding of the universe.
Who knows how would individual areas of the universe affect us in reality ... let alone in Star Trek.

Although ... the episode WAS kicked out of canon.
The later season ('Day of Honor' episode) confirms that by Torres stating: 'We don't know anything about TW technology. Playing around with it could be dangerous.'
And Tom stating something along the lines of not flying through TW before (in the same episode).

So technically speaking the episode happened yes. However, is it part of canon? Unfortunately no.
I'd personally want it to be, but alas, it's been kicked out of canon and it stuck like that in later seasons.

Honestly, why can't the writers come up with decent explanations for some of the episodes that apparently made 'no sense'?
I mean come on ... when speaking on a universal scale, MANY things won't make sense.
Heck we have things in real-life that make scientists question themselves and the established laws of physics by examining phenomena in our solar system alone and outside of it (through a telescope no less).

 

[TGTheodore]

Although ... the episode WAS kicked out of canon.
The later season ('Day of Honor' episode) confirms that by Torres stating: 'We don't know anything about TW technology. Playing around with it could be dangerous.'
And Tom stating something along the lines of not flying through TW before (in the same episode).

Or 'Day of Honor' REALLY screwed up.

--Ted

 

[Orac Zen]

And if you actually sit down and watch the episode, rather than trusting 10-year-old memories or popular myth, most of it is quite good. It's just that a few of the scenes and one of the concepts...

Agreed. There are plenty of worse episodes than this, but people have built it up into a complete monstrosity that has no redeeming features whatsoever. There's some good acting and some terrific dialogue, and while it lapses into Magical Trek DNA Syndrome (TM) it doesn't become completely unwatchable.

Nah, there are plenty of worse episodes than "Threshold".