Episode a Week: Where No One Has Gone Before

[Captrek]

Happy Tuesday! This week’s episode: Where No One Has Gone Before.

Observations:

• Kudos to the late Stanley Kamel for his performance as Kosinski. The character must look ridiculous on paper — how can anybody be that obnoxious and oblivious? Kamel makes the character believable.
  
  
• The BluRay eye candy is spectacular. Visually the best episode so far, and probably one of the best of the series.
  
  
• Troi says, “With most life forms I can usually feel something. I may not be able to understand or interpret it, but I feel something, if only a presence. With him, nothing. Empty space. It's as though he isn't even here.” I’ve always wondered, does she feel anything from Data? It might be relevant in “The Measure of a Man.” If she does, it would be a strong point in Data’s favor. If she doesn’t, that might be useful to Maddox’s side, but the precedent of the Traveller might diminish its value.
  
  
• The BHA’s that are so pervasive in TNG/DS9/VOY are often ridiculous, but the Traveller’s hands stand out as especially ridiculous, perhaps second only to Fallit Kot.
  
  
• Nitpicks:
  
  
  • Geordi says the trip home from M33 would take 300 years. At that speed, Voyager should be able to traverse our own galaxy in a lot less than 70 years.
    
    
  • Data says a subspace message will reach home in “51 years, 10 months, 9 weeks, 16 days...” Did Spiner mess up, or was the line written that way?
    
    
  • Kosinski says, “I applied the energy asymptomatically.” Does that make any sense? I suspect the word was supposed to be asymptotically.
    
    
  • When the Targ appears on the bridge, Worf and Tasha react, but the extras working the other bridge stations aren’t even curious enough to glance over.
    
    
  • Picard cautions the crew to control their thoughts. Is that possible? When somebody tells you not to think of anything dangerous, doesn’t something dangerous (Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man?) immediately pop to mind? How can one “avoid random thoughts”?
    
    
  • “I feel such an abundance of well being on the ship. It feels like... quite wonderful.” Did Sirtis hate saying these lines as much as I hate hearing them?

Try to go easy on the Wesley hate, everybody. I like him.

 

[Timo]

Geordi says the trip home from M33 would take 300 years. At that speed, Voyager should be able to traverse our own galaxy in a lot less than 70 years.

In both cases, the characters take care to point out that the travel time estimate is only applicable if one assumes maximum speed - in a way that suggests that such a thing is impossible in practice.

It does seem, though, that maximum speed means different things inside and between galaxies. Or then the E-D simply is much faster than the Voyager, in terms of theoretical maximum speed. (With or without Kosinski magic, one wonders?)

Data says a subspace message will reach home in “51 years, 10 months, 9 weeks, 16 days...” Did Spiner mess up, or was the line written that way?

Since Data messes up both the weeks-vs-months and the days-vs-weeks, it would perhaps be a bit much to assume it's Spiner misspeaking. But FWIW, the TrekCore scripts aren't transcripts but ultimate or penultimate working scripts, and the one on this episode does NOT feature this nonsense. Rather, it asks for Data to say "51 years, 10 months-" before being cut off by Picard; perhaps Spiner had to ad-lib further numbers because Stewart was slow to react, or because the director wanted a longer ramble?

Kosinski says, “I applied the energy asymptomatically.” Does that make any sense? I suspect the word was supposed to be asymptotically.

Perhaps, but a-symptomatically makes sense as well. As in "not in response to the symptoms". Say, your aircraft starts oscillating like mad; you don't counter-oscillate with the yoke, but rather apply more throttle and see things get better. Perhaps, like Kosinski, without understanding what happened...

When the Targ appears on the bridge, Worf and Tasha react, but the extras working the other bridge stations aren’t even curious enough to glance over.

A nice touch to indicate it's taking place in their minds only.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Captrek]

Where is everybody? This is arguably the best episode so far, and our weekly discussion group is MIA.

Kosinski says, “I applied the energy asymptomatically.” Does that make any sense? I suspect the word was supposed to be asymptotically.

Perhaps, but a-symptomatically makes sense as well. As in "not in response to the symptoms".

That’s not what asymptomatic means. Asymptomatic means “not manifesting symptoms,” not “not in response to symptoms.” If what Kosinski did was asymptomatic, that means it had no effect. Come to think of it, that’s accurate, but it’s not what Kosinski was trying to say.

When the Targ appears on the bridge, Worf and Tasha react, but the extras working the other bridge stations aren’t even curious enough to glance over.

A nice touch to indicate it's taking place in their minds only.

Hmm... Is it really only in their minds? They kept saying thought becomes reality.

It does seem that what one person conjures up is sometimes seen, and sometimes not, by others. Picard sees the fire conjured by a crewman, but Riker appears not to see Picard’s maman. With Worf’s targ, it seems like Yar sees it but other people don’t.

 

[davejames]

I've always loved the direction in this episode. The way the ballerina spins into the spotlight and emerges in her regular clothing, or the dreamlike way that scene between Picard and his mother was shot...

I also love that it really felt like the ship was in some eerie, far-off place on the other side of the universe. Too often on TNG, things just felt way too safe and routine, and it never seemed like these guys were out there exploring much new, uncharted territory.

Shame this couldn't have been expanded into a two-parter where they took some time to actually look around a little before heading back.

 

[Trekker4747]

This is a favorite episode of mine as well and am glad it was one of the ones picked for the theater screenings. There's a lot of good work in this episode on all levels, everyone was really on an "A"-game here. (With the potential exception of the costume department for Man-Skirt guy. )

I also really like the effects in this episode in showing the Enterprise going to extreme warp-speeds to reach Triangulum and the edge of the universe.

On the nitpicky side, Picard says the Enterprise traveled a billion light-years to get to the "edge of the universe." The actual edge of the universe is much, much, MUCH further away. The observable edge of thhe observable universe is more than 40 billion light years away, given the makeup of where they were they were likely past the observable edge and into the "true" edge, estimated to be much, much further away though it's impossible how far away it is given that, well, we can't see it.

But this is just a good episode.

 

[The Castellan]

Happy Tuesday! This week’s episode: Where No One Has Gone Before.




Observations:

• Kudos to the late Stanley Kamel for his performance as Kosinski. The character must look ridiculous on paper — how can anybody be that obnoxious and oblivious? Kamel makes the character believable.
  
  
• Nitpicks:
  
  • “I feel such an abundance of well being on the ship. It feels like... quite wonderful.” Did Sirtis hate saying these lines as much as I hate hearing them?

Trust me, I know a lot of scientists, particularly ridigid, mainstream scientists who are even more obnoxious, oblivious and arragant than he was. I almost got kicked out school because of a heated arugment that resulted between me and crusty, old science professor because I had put togather some papers regarding free energy, and also some other stuff, and told him about it as class started and asked if he could take a look at them sometime and tell me what he thought. He, not even looking at me, TORE up the folder and threw it in the waste basket and said, "no" in front of the entire class. So, I pretty much gave him a few choice words, which was more heated than some of those political shows on tv. So, yes, someone can be worse than Kosinski.

And what did ya want Troi to say, something gloomy and dismal?

Anyhow, this is one of my favorite episodes. Loved the story, the music, especially when Picard talked to his mother, and the Traveler talking to both Picard and Wes. And the sence of really being out there, seeing amazing things. THESE are stories I want to see again and more of, not another "We gotta deal with such and such villian of the week!"

 

[Trekker4747]

In early TNG how Troi behaves when experiencing others' emotions tend to be overwhelming causing her to over-emote. That's probably mostly due to direction and them just not being sure how to portray it.

 

[Use of Time]

This was a standout episode to me. The mood, music and story were top notch in comparison to other season 1 episodes.

My only nitpick is this. Wouldn't Starfleet require Kosinsky to document and provide written reports for his upgrades. Who is checking these? I would raise my eyebrows if it was something that apparently nobody could figure out except Kosinsky and his Traveler who Starfleet knows next to nothing about. How did that guy get a clearance? This guy travels willy nilly from ship to ship doing repairs that even the engineers don't understand?

 

[Trekker4747]

Well, it seems his work began on old ships where improvements were made so perhaps Starfleet felt that showed merit. Yeah, you'd think the Starfleet Corps of Engineers would know a thing or two about what he is doing and know it's straightening out old engines but his formulas were meaningless to a brand-new ship like the Enterprise. But, perhaps, his work and results had been shuffled around enough that the left hand and right hand lost their communication skills and someone thought what he was doing had merit.

And as Argyle said, nothing he was doing could harm anything so what the fuck, let him do it and feel like he's contributing.

 

[inflatabledalek]

Probably the best episode for Wesley yet actually, there's a nice sense of wonder in his interactions with the Traveller and Wheaton is clearly grabbing the chance to play some scenes that don't make his character look a tit. If anything Riker comes off worse for being so pig headed (though at least he admits he was wrong later on).

Overall a extremely good episode, one of the few season one shows that stands up as enjoyable without any provisos ("For a season 1 show"/"Because it's daft as a brush"). The hallucination stuff is all done brilliantly, Kosinski is huge fun (and it's so sweet when the Traveller lets him help out at the end) and the regulars are all pretty much in their grove by now.

And a big round of applause to Picard's Mother's French accent, one of only a couple of times we'll hear a French character with one in the show (We'll Only Have Paris is the only other one that springs to mind) before they decide to just make everyone from that noble country English so that Stewart's accent won't seem odd.

As for the feasibility of the technobabble, I thought the fact it was all blatant nonsense even by Trek standards was a deliberate joke. Kosinski's stuff sounds like gibberish because it is.

Bowman really was one of the show's great directors, such a shame he was sacrificed on the alter of Q Who's overspend.

 

[Timo]

Asymptomatic means “not manifesting symptoms,” not “not in response to symptoms.”

Depends on context. If it's about treatment, as here (application of energy), then it's quite valid to say it's "not in response to symptoms".

Regarding Kosinski's credentials, he tells the Traveler not to change anything from the last time. Supposedly, then, things have worked out just fine at least a couple of times before, improving Kosinski's standing.

Yet the Traveler tells Wesley that it is only with Wesley's modifications that the procedure stands a chance of doing what Kosinski claims it does. So, is the Traveler always meekly punching in Kosinski's parameters - and then, when the Master's back is turned, he alters them the way Wesley did to create effects that please Starfleet and allow the troupe to proceed towards bigger and faster ships, until ultimately the Traveler gets the ship he wants?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Captrek]

Regarding Kosinski's credentials, he tells the Traveler not to change anything from the last time. Supposedly, then, things have worked out just fine at least a couple of times before, improving Kosinski's standing.

Yet the Traveler tells Wesley that it is only with Wesley's modifications that the procedure stands a chance of doing what Kosinski claims it does. So, is the Traveler always meekly punching in Kosinski's parameters - and then, when the Master's back is turned, he alters them the way Wesley did to create effects that please Starfleet and allow the troupe to proceed towards bigger and faster ships, until ultimately the Traveler gets the ship he wants?

Another possibility: Wesley's alterations are the way they did it in the first place on the other ships. The Traveller entered a flawed version here in order to test the boy.

BTW, isn't it kind of obnoxious that Picard continues to refer to Wes as "the boy" even after Wesley says it offends him? What's so difficult about calling him Wesley?

 

[Mott the barber]

Seeing this on the big screen was truly awesome. The Traveler was such a cool character.

 

[Harvey]

It's a good episode, although I don't really care for the elevation of Wesley; the episode treats him like he's the second coming. He was more interesting as a bright, but socially awkward kid.

 

[Captrek]

He’s not just a bright, but socially awkward kid. He’s an extremely bright, but socially awkward kid. I don’t think that makes him less interesting.

I guess it makes him more obviously a Gary Stu, but in his case I don’t mind that.

 

[inflatabledalek]

Also, note how it takes Picard less than the length of an episode to get back home when he's flung even further than Voyager even went rather than seven years. That's why he's awesome.

 

[Captrek]

Also, note how it takes Picard less than the length of an episode to get back home when he's flung even further than Voyager even went rather than seven years. That's why he's awesome.

Unfortunately, nobody on Voyager was interesting enough to earn a visit from the Traveller, or viewing by me.

 

[Jeyl]

Oh, this episode. I do have problems with this episode.

Why is it that almost any human who comes onboard the Enterprise is an arrogant, imposing know it all who berates anyone who simply question his methods? I just find it funny that Gene Roddenberry would look at a character like Kosinski and say "YES! This is what I'm talking about when I say that humanity has become so enlightened and so perfect!" but oppose the idea of a child grieving over his dead mother. Oh, and it's also ok for Riker to act like a jealous imbecile in Haven.

But the big problem I have with this episode is... yes. Wesley Crusher. I don't have a problem with characters who are insanely bright, I just have a problem with characters being a part of something that they didn't really earn. Like "Code of Honor" when Picard simply lets Wesley take the ops station during not one, but two critical situations, or in The Naked Now when Wesley, even while drunk, is able to accomplish what the chief engineer said would take weeks to do. When I see a regular no-name starfleet officer manning a station, I see an officer who probably took great pains to get where they are that day. The chief engineer especially since she is serving on the flagship of the federation. That is the kind of person who is able to do things that I would never be able to do, and yet this kid comes in and does a much better job..... while drunk.

I would have tolerated Wesley a lot more had he actually worked to get the position on the Enterprise bridge and not given to him simply because someone told Picard "Oh, he's so special!".

I think Ron D. Moore said it best. If Wesley is supposed to be the epidemy of human greatness, why put him at the ops station? Send him to an engineering academy where he can use his genius involving tractor beams, nanites, and other crap to better help galactic civilization? Why stick him at ops?

 

[davejames]

^ You know, more and more, it sounds like you just do NOT like TNG. Everything about it seems to annoy you.

 

[Jeyl]

^ You know, more and more, it sounds like you just do NOT like TNG. Everything about it seems to annoy you.

Dave, this is the first season we're talking about. Not many Star Trek fans like the first season as much as the rest of the series. The only reason I don't have anything nice to say is because we haven't gotten to an episode that I genuinely like.

And while it's true that TNG is not my favorite of the Star Trek series, It's still a series I enjoy watching. It does after all have some incredible stories, wonderful character moments, and important moments that would later shape future Star Trek series to come.

All you're getting here is my opinion.