Revisiting ST-TNG...

[RAMA]

It still baffles me to this day that they couldn't find compelling storylines for Crusher as Chief Medical Officer.

It's why they had her inviting scientists aboard and expressing interest in a science completely divorced from her field. And it's why later she's going to get involved with a ghost.

Its fairly common to see scientists "interested" in other disciplines other than their own and to in fact promote them...Stephen Gould, Carl Sagan, et al. As a physician that worked at Starfleet medical, Crusher probably has an added interest. On top of that, it rings true that she's interested in destroying stereotypes about certain species, as she often treats anyone that needs help, not matter what their agenda (Romulans, Klingons, etc).

RAMA

 

[RAMA]

Crusher may be entitled to command under normal circumstances, but not in a combat situation. The issue isn't so much her performance (which I still think was bullshit given her background), but rather Picard's decision in the first place. That was inexcusable. If Crusher had lost the ship it would have been directly Picard's fault.

And also note that early on Picard left Laforge in command in place of a senior ranked Chief Engineer ("Arsenal Of Freedom").

I don't have a problem with it, mainly because the Starfleet of the 24th century is less rigidly militaristic and ritualized than previous generations...but this isn't really unusual in other centuries either. Kirk's Enterprise was multi-purpose...Archer's Enterprise didn't even carry crew members that were considered "military" until the MACOs came aboard.

RAMA

Was Picard or Riker that more valuable on the ground than being in command of the Enterprise? That is what the writers' are asking you to swallow.

It still baffles me to this day that they couldn't find compelling storylines for Crusher as Chief Medical Officer.

It still baffles me that Sulu was put in command of the Enterpise. Crusher is a higher ranking officer than he is and a certified bridge officer.

RAMA

 

[BillJ]

I don't have a problem with it, mainly because the Starfleet of the 24th century is less rigidly militaristic and ritualized than previous generations...but this isn't really unusual in other centuries either. Kirk's Enterprise was multi-purpose...Archer's Enterprise didn't even carry crew members that were considered "military" until the MACOs came aboard.

RAMA

Was Picard or Riker that more valuable on the ground than being in command of the Enterprise? That is what the writers' are asking you to swallow.

It still baffles me to this day that they couldn't find compelling storylines for Crusher as Chief Medical Officer.

It still baffles me that Sulu was put in command of the Enterpise. Crusher is a higher ranking officer than he is and a certified bridge officer.

RAMA

SPOCK: Sulu is an experienced combat officer.

I'm sorry. If you leave Crusher in command then something pops up... it's one thing (similar to Arena). But you knew you were dealing with the Borg and you took the two most experienced combat officers (Picard and Riker) and put them on the surface. Leaving an inexperienced officer in command.

You can try and spin it any way you like... but the above are the facts of the situation. Picard was made to look inept to get Gates McFadden some screen time.

 

[Distorted Humor]

It still baffles me to this day that they couldn't find compelling storylines for Crusher as Chief Medical Officer.

After watching some of season 2, I was thinking how much fun we could of had if Dr. Selar had ended up as CMO.

 

[Warped9]

After watching some of season 2, I was thinking how much fun we could of had if Dr. Selar had ended up as CMO.

I gotta say that that is an intriguing thought.

 

[Trekker4747]

The Decent two-parter was just terrible in almost every possible way of execution. There's pretty much nothing redeemable about it. "Liaisons" I could go either way on but lean more towards "lame" than anything else. In fact it was almost a sign of things to come in the field of "Grocery Store Romance Novel Turned Episode" episodes we'd get.

 

[Warped9]

Candidly I'm glad I didn't pop for any season sets beyond 4th because I'm just not getting enough out of the later seasons. On the flip side there's enough worthwhile material that I'm glad to have the first four season sets in my library.

 

[Trekker4747]

So I take it the later seasons you're either Netflixing or getting from the library?

 

[Warped9]

So I take it the later seasons you're either Netflixing or getting from the library?

Yep.

 

[RAMA]

Was Picard or Riker that more valuable on the ground than being in command of the Enterprise? That is what the writers' are asking you to swallow.

It still baffles me to this day that they couldn't find compelling storylines for Crusher as Chief Medical Officer.

It still baffles me that Sulu was put in command of the Enterpise. Crusher is a higher ranking officer than he is and a certified bridge officer.

RAMA

SPOCK: Sulu is an experienced combat officer.

I'm sorry. If you leave Crusher in command then something pops up... it's one thing (similar to Arena). But you knew you were dealing with the Borg and you took the two most experienced combat officers (Picard and Riker) and put them on the surface. Leaving an inexperienced officer in command.

You can try and spin it any way you like... but the above are the facts of the situation. Picard was made to look inept to get Gates McFadden some screen time.

He didn't really have that much experience, Crusher had a longer career at that point. If you are qualified (which she was) and Picard trusted her (which he certainly did), then there was no reason to expect he couldn't leave her in command. The Borg attack was not from the usual collective, and although my recollection may be faulty at this point, there was no ship detected anywhere near the planet at the time.

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

I'm sorry. If you leave Crusher in command then something pops up... it's one thing (similar to Arena). But you knew you were dealing with the Borg and you took the two most experienced combat officers (Picard and Riker) and put them on the surface. Leaving an inexperienced officer in command.

You can try and spin it any way you like... but the above are the facts of the situation. Picard was made to look inept to get Gates McFadden some screen time.

Wait, weren't Picard's orders basically "If there's trouble, run. Don't fight."

Do you REALLY need experience to say "Set course, opposite direction, engage!" The computer could have done that for all it mattered. Who cares that it was Crusher? Really, there are hangups on THIS?

Plus, they're up against the Borg. It didn't matter about experience, they were outclassed and outgunned. Oddly, she probably did better than anyone else would have in that exact same situation. Combat experience was completely irrelevent. I'm sure Picard understood that, even if some of the audience may not have.

 

[Armus]

I ended up selling all my TNG box sets on ebay. For some strange reason I ended up keeping season 7, arguably TNG's weakest season! I recently watched "All Good Things" ,"Gambit Part I", "Lower Decks", "Pegasus", "Parallels" "Phantasms", and "Thine Own Self". I was like now there is nothing left worth watching! Incidently, I have had more pleasure watching TNG on *******.com now that I don't own them than when I had all the seasons.



mod note: Please do not link to sites breaching copyright, even if it's a fairly well-known site like that one. I've just edited it out this time, since I got to it very quickly after it was posted, but offences will often garner warnings. It's something we just can't allow on this board, and the top-down instruction from the board administration is that we should come down hard on it. I'm quite sure that site doesn't have a licensing agreement with Paramount to stream episodes. Cheers, Holdfast

 

[RAMA]

I ended up selling all my TNG box sets on ebay. For some strange reason I ended up keeping season 7, arguably TNG's weakest season! I recently watched "All Good Things" ,"Gambit Part I", "Lower Decks", "Pegasus", "Parallels" "Phantasms", and "Thine Own Self". I was like now there is nothing left worth watching! Incidently, I have had more pleasure watching TNG on *******.com now that I don't own them than when I had all the seasons.



mod note: Please do not link to sites breaching copyright, even if it's a fairly well-known site like that one. I've just edited it out this time, since I got to it very quickly after it was posted, but offences will often garner warnings. It's something we just can't allow on this board, and the top-down instruction from the board administration is that we should come down hard on it. I'm quite sure that site doesn't have a licensing agreement with Paramount to stream episodes. Cheers, Holdfast

My first complete set of STNG will be the bluray, remastered edition, and I'm not double dipping till then! It'll be the ultimate version of Trek.

RAMA

 

[Warped9]

"Interface" ***

Laforge uses a new type of probe in the hope of rescuing his mother and her crew.

This was competently done, but it was really about Laforge trying to come to terms with the loss of his mother. The idea of a probe operated by telepresence isn't a new one in science fiction and it was interesting that they tried to depict it here, but how they did it was rather on the cheap because instead of showing us an actual probe they just used Laforge walking around without his visor.

Competently done, but ultimately I didn't find it particularly engaging.

 

[startrekwatcher]

I'd only give it 2.5 stars. It's pretty pedestrian. Ben Vereen was criminally under-used. The story didn't have quite the emotional punch it needed to have and like so many episodes this season it feels like the actors are just going through the motions.

It also didn't help these early S7 episodes were airing at the same time as the far more gripping Circle trilogy on DS9.

 

[Gepard]

...but it was really about Laforge trying to come to terms with the loss of his mother.

You say that like it was claiming to be about something else.

 

[Warped9]

...but it was really about Laforge trying to come to terms with the loss of his mother.

You say that like it was claiming to be about something else.

You're right. Clumsy wording on my part. The idea of Laforge pushing himself while trying to come to terms with his mother's loss is a valid one, but the way it was done here struck me as rather dull. Someone else mentioned that at this point it feels like the TNG characters are mostly going through the motions, and I pretty much agree with that view.

 

[Trekker4747]

Never was a fan of this episode, personally.

There's not accepting the loss of your mother and then there's just plain delusions Geordi was having here when everything we're being told says it can't be his mother. It also sort of negates the "concept" that death in the future isn't countered with great levels of mourning as people have learned to accept it as another chapter of life.

 

[Gepard]

Someone else mentioned that at this point it feels like the TNG characters are mostly going through the motions, and I pretty much agree with that view.

I recall an issue of Star Trek: The Magazine where one of the writers for the show essentially admitted they were desperate for ideas by season seven, and that's why so many of the episodes featured family members popping up out of nowhere. It definitely feels like they'd run out of steam by this point, and I agree that "Interface" isn't very engaging.

 

[RAMA]

Someone else mentioned that at this point it feels like the TNG characters are mostly going through the motions, and I pretty much agree with that view.

I recall an issue of Star Trek: The Magazine where one of the writers for the show essentially admitted they were desperate for ideas by season seven, and that's why so many of the episodes featured family members popping up out of nowhere. It definitely feels like they'd run out of steam by this point, and I agree that "Interface" isn't very engaging.

From what I recall...there was a premeditated PLAN to bring the familial nature to STNG's 7th season. The episodes I mainly like from that season though, are not the family ones!! Parallels, Thine Own Self, Masks, Schisms, Pegasus, etc. I wish they had stuck to more of that storytelling for season 7.