The Gambits

[CaptainStoner]

I just finished pt. 2, and this 2-parter is a lot more fun than I remembered.
For starters, for episodes that are heavy on Riker, these are some of the best.
We have long segments with Riker, and then Data, in command, Picard in his undercover role, a crew of Khan-esque mercenaries, Robin Curtis as a Vulcan, good visuals, some ship-to-ship combat, a pretty cool mercenary ship, numerous twists, and a mystery.
I think some earlier buildup about the vulcan artifact would have been good, as the ending of pt. 2 was classic Trek, very TOS, although I don't know how they could have worked more of that aspect in.
I think Geordi was buried in engineering during pt.2, I can't remember seeing him.
But I would rate this 2-parter right along with Descent.

 

[WillsBabe]

For starters, for episodes that are heavy on Riker, these are some of the best.

For me, episodes that are heavy on Riker are usually some of the best.

I like Gambit. It was good to see Picard and Riker working together off the ship, having an adventure, something that we hadn't really seen before. Reminded me of the days of Kirk and Spock.

 

[Piper]

I always enjoy Gambit too, it's a bit of a romp and slightly different to the norm, but I think it's waayyy to spread out and doesn't need to be a two parter. Condense it down to a single episode and I think it'd be held in far greater esteem than it generally seems to be.

 

[Admiral Shran]

"I do not believe such an action would be in keeping with the spirit of the Treaty. However, if Koral wishes to protest, he can file a complaint with the Judge Advocate General's Office. Bring the shuttle aboard."

I loved Gambit. It's great to see Data in command.

"I do not believe such an action would be in keeping with the spirit of the Treaty. However, if Koral wishes to protest, he can file a complaint with the Judge Advocate General's Office. Bring the shuttle aboard." Classic.

Also, I loved how these episodes posed a legitimate threat to Vulcan without having to destroy the planet.

 

[CaptainStoner]

=WillsBabe;3786883
For me, episodes that are heavy on Riker are usually some of the best.

I've noticed that about you .
As for me, Gambit is a good example of the Riker I like to see. He has that gruff side, but he's not wooden. Frakes really has a lot to do in these eps, quite a range to go through. In other eps his lines just come out less smooth, which makes me think that some writers didn't "get" Riker in the same way, even though Trek series have their writing guides and such. There's still room to interpret.
And a lot of good Picard-Riker stuff. You have to love that moment in pt.2 when Riker explains he's supposed to kill "Galen" on the planet, and Picard replies, "I always felt you were after my job..."

I always enjoy Gambit too, it's a bit of a romp and slightly different to the norm, but I think it's waayyy to spread out and doesn't need to be a two parter. Condense it down to a single episode and I think it'd be held in far greater esteem than it generally seems to be.

I was thinking about the pacing also last night. On previous viewings, it felt too stretched, but for whatever reason, this time it really built nicely, and with an excellent cliffhanger. I don't know if all the plot twists could have been crunched into 45 minutes. I also wondered if it might have made a good 3-parter, with a prequel episode giving more background on the Vulcan aspect of the story.

Also, I loved how these episodes posed a legitimate threat to Vulcan without having to destroy the planet.

That's a good point. We see the cliche of planetary destruction too much in the films. This was a good, original concept, with a solid Trek-like "message" at the end that isn't too heavyhanded, I don't think. I can totally see Kirk and Spock in this episode at the end.

 

[buckeyenation]

The best parts of this excellent two-parter show Data in command of the Enterprise. We knew he'd be good at it, judging from his his previous command experience in "Redemption", and the way he handles Warf is beautifully done.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

I like Gambit. It was good to see Picard and Riker working together off the ship, having an adventure, something that we hadn't really seen before. Reminded me of the days of Kirk and Spock.

Which is why, to me, it felt odd. Like the show had all new writers or something. Adventure on TNG? Off ship?! What happened? They should be debating something ethical that involves technobabble-filled solutions!

 

[Doug Otte]

I like Gambit. It was good to see Picard and Riker working together off the ship, having an adventure, something that we hadn't really seen before. Reminded me of the days of Kirk and Spock.

Which is why, to me, it felt odd. Like the show had all new writers or something. Adventure on TNG? Off ship?! What happened? They should be debating something ethical that involves technobabble-filled solutions!

Right. Although I like the ethical dilemma episodes (but not so much the techno-babble ones), Gambit always felt like a breath of fresh air to me. It was pure entertainment!

Doug

 

[Trek Survivor]

But I would rate this 2-parter right along with Descent.

In my opinion, this is far superior to Descent. One of TNG's hidden little gems, often swept up in the general season 7-bashing.

It's good for all the reasons mentioned above, particularly the "fun adventure" angle. Very un-TNG like, but most welcome.

 

[Timo]

It does make one wonder... Picard was officially presumed well and truly dead here, just as in "Best of Both Worlds", even if our heroes had their doubts. In "BoBW", Riker was given a remote promotion to Captain rank as he inherited command of the vessel; here, he wasn't. Just a quirk of it being Federation-jeopardizing disaster time in the earlier episode, but a relatively mundane mission here?

Also, "Gambit" is not loaded with haste. Starfleet might have made the effort to send an experienced captain, somebody of Captain rank, to take over when Riker disappeared - no reason to settle for the third best! But I trust Data would have known how to fight back such a takeover within the rules and regulations of SF bureaucracy, without slowing down the plot...

Another aspect where it may be unrealistic to have our heroes sort it all out amongst themselves is the chase after Baran. Wouldn't Starfleet be able to allocate a few more ships to hunt down the pirate? Supposedly, space isn't exactly filled with that sort of villainy: apprehending Baran would be just the sort of thing Starfleet might consider worth doing, to set an example and to eliminate a rare dangerous opponent. Inserting a wiseguy into Baran's crew was a nice trick, yes, but it should have been supported by having backup starships ready to tail Baran's ship.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[CaptainStoner]

It does make one wonder... Picard was officially presumed well and truly dead here, just as in "Best of Both Worlds", even if our heroes had their doubts. In "BoBW", Riker was given a remote promotion to Captain rank as he inherited command of the vessel; here, he wasn't. Just a quirk of it being Federation-jeopardizing disaster time in the earlier episode, but a relatively mundane mission here?

Also, "Gambit" is not loaded with haste. Starfleet might have made the effort to send an experienced captain, somebody of Captain rank, to take over when Riker disappeared - no reason to settle for the third best! But I trust Data would have known how to fight back such a takeover within the rules and regulations of SF bureaucracy, without slowing down the plot...

It's true, both of these points could have been well served with a couple of quick scenes between Riker and one of the Admirals, and Data also. It seems odd to have such upheaval in a ship's chain of command without any apparent communication with Starfleet. Unless I'm forgetting something here.
I'm forced to imagine such a scene, where some Admiral, who probably knows Riker from a previous assignment, cuts the Enterprise some slack and puts the ship on "open mission".
And a coda to that might have been where Riker is given the field promotion, but upon leaving his quarters, decides not to add the 4th pip until he finds out what happened to Picard.

 

[Alrik]

Another aspect where it may be unrealistic to have our heroes sort it all out amongst themselves is the chase after Baran. Wouldn't Starfleet be able to allocate a few more ships to hunt down the pirate? Supposedly, space isn't exactly filled with that sort of villainy: apprehending Baran would be just the sort of thing Starfleet might consider worth doing, to set an example and to eliminate a rare dangerous opponent. Inserting a wiseguy into Baran's crew was a nice trick, yes, but it should have been supported by having backup starships ready to tail Baran's ship.

Timo Saloniemi

You make an interesting point Timo, but keep in mind, by this time Star Fleet already had it hands full dealing with the Maquis. They most likely believed that they had their Flag Ship, staffed with a very experienced crew, on the case. It's been quite a while since I have seen Gambit (although it is my second favorite two parter to BOBW), if I remember correctly, Star Fleet had no idea what Baran was really up to or what the repercussions could be, they just saw him as a rogue pirate and that Enterprise should be more than a match. If that was the case, I can understand why they wouldn't feel the need to send in additional resources.

 

[Trek Survivor]

You make an interesting point Timo, but keep in mind, by this time Star Fleet already had it hands full dealing with the Maquis.

No they didn't. Weren't the Maquis only formed after the events of "Journey's End" (much later in the season) when various Federation colonies found themselves now in Cardassian space after the treaty?

 

[Timo]

To be sure, after "Journey's End", no colonies were supposed to be in Cardassian space - save for ones that were completely evacuated. By the time of "Preemptive Strike" and "The Maquis", the situation had changed somehow, and now there was a special Demilitarized Zone which was apparently partially UFP and partially Cardassian space, supposedly devoid of weapons, and full of discontents - completely contrary to what had been planned in "Journey's End".

We don't know when Maquis activism began, but the first time our TNG heroes learned of it would have been "Preemptive Strike" - and even then, Starfleet didn't commit any ship resources to the task, it merely sent Lieutenant Ro. So that shouldn't have kept them from hunting down Baran. OTOH, if the Maquis had already been making noises back then, hunting down Baran would have set a welcome example that the UFP doesn't tolerate lawlessness...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Alrik]

I stand corrected. For some reason I was thinking the Maquis had been introduced earlier, but as I said, It's been forever since I've seen Season 7. But I still stand by my main point. I would think that sending Enterprise after Baran would have been considered by Star Fleet to be plenty. Sure you can send more ships to chase him down, but I would think that would have been considered over kill. As to sending a message? Enterprise is the flagship, how much more high profile can you get?