Defend an awful Trek episode

Discussion in 'General Trek Discussion' started by Oddish, Apr 27, 2022.

  1. Vger23

    Vger23 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It's a gorgeous looking episode, too...and it's very off-beat from the "usual" TNG fare.
     
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  2. Vger23

    Vger23 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Star Trek Nemesis (it's actually not hard at all to create a "TV Guide Summary" that would make this movie sound like an absolute blockbuster).

    The Enterprise is sent to Romulus to assess the political landscape after a violent coup by a Reman leader leads to the Romulan Empire suing for peace. Upon arrival, it quickly becomes clear that all is not what it seems, as the mysterious Reman leader is revealed to be a young and ambitious clone of Captain Picard, a remnant of a discarded Romulan plot to infiltrate Starfleet. Now, Picard and the Enterprise crew, isolated from Federation space and Starfleet support, must work to understand the true intentions of the Romulan peace overture, and ultimately fight for their lives in an epic battle of survival.


    When I write the basic summary like that....it's clear that the basic idea is exciting and has merit as a potentially really cool Star Trek / sci-fi adventure and intrigue story. I think they just completely over-cooked some of the plot elements, and it ended up being less than the sum of its parts.
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2022
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  3. at Quark's

    at Quark's Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Threshold

    Has this 'what were they smoking when they wrote this episode- I might want to try some of that stuff too!' feel to it. Anything can happen, and anything is going to happen. The episode is entertaining, more so than many dull, predictable episodes that make you want to fast forward because you've seen the resolution coming 10 minutes in. Just leave your sense of logic at the door and you'll be able to enjoy it. Don't let yourself be bothered that many of the concepts (whether fictional or loaned from the real world) don't really hold water the way they are represented here if you think about them for a second, just accept them as givens within the story, and you'll be fine.

    Actually has some interesting genuine character development of Paris too. He starts the episode as someone who is still yearning for greatness and won't let his chance at it be robbed by Janeway. Achieves his 'greatness' and desperately tries to latch onto it (despite increasing irrationality), with some of his uglier more repressed feelings coming out as well. Learns of the whole experience that the 'quick fix' of achieving the record he wanted doesn't really mean that much, and that ultimately, not even the opinions of others about him, are as important as his own opinion about himself.
     
  4. Oddish

    Oddish Admiral Admiral

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    11:59...
    1. It takes Voyager in a different direction for a week.
    2. It allows Kate Mulgrew to stretch a bit.
    3. It has a serious message that just because a person wasn't quite as impressive as you think, their life still has value.
     
  5. FederationHistorian

    FederationHistorian Commodore Commodore

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    • The fake tribunal that Archer and T’Pol set up and participated in is a it of foreshadowing to Archer doing something similar to Degra in “Stratagem”. It indicates a pattern of behaviour in terms of tactics Archer employs with his crew. Overall, its the best scene of the episode.
    • Its very clear that Kaitaama was supposed to be spoiled and entitled, to contrast with Trip’s work ethic and get on his nerves.
    • Trip and Kaitaama hooking up in the manner they did is straight out of TOS, and no old school fans should have a problem with it.
    • Kaitaama/Padma Lakshmi looks like she would have fit in and could have joined the crew in the NX-01 jumpsuit.
    • This episode was actually an example of a first contact not going so smoothly, something that actually fits in with the theme of the show of the crew not really knowing what they are doing or what to expect.
    • That is episode happened to air a couple days before Nemesis premiered (which is also touted as bad by many fans, and in some instance, had theatres completely empty on premiere day) is pure coincidence.
     
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  6. Jedi Marso

    Jedi Marso Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    It just goes to show that if you were shrunk down to the size of an action figure, your loving house panther would mercilessly hunt you down, fang you a while for sport, and then eat you.
     
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  7. Admiral Archer

    Admiral Archer Captain Captain

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    DS9: "Move Along Home"

    Granted it's been a year or two since I last watched it, but I freaking love this episode. From what I remember it was a lot of fun, and felt very much in the same vein as "The Trouble With Tribbles". Not sure why it gets so much hate, it seems like harmless fun to me. :shrug:
     
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  8. Jedi Marso

    Jedi Marso Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Sub Rosa and The Game had something in common that I sorta liked. Both involved a certain redheaded doctor getting her freak on a bit. :vulcan:
     
  9. Orphalesion

    Orphalesion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    The episode just has a very exotic, alien "vibe" to it, and a certain "Planetary Romance" flair I'd like to see more of. The costumes, that weird colour changing rose, Lwaxana's plant pet, the idea of a planet so gosh darn beautiful that it heals sickness and mends broken hearts (that's totally a tale that would develop among the culture of freelance space captains) the design of the plagueship and the brief glance we see of Haven and its ruler. The concept of two lovers sharing a bond across time and space before ever meeting.
    And I love the brief glance we see of "sincere Lwaxana" when she has that talk with Wyatt about how all life is fundamentally one. If we had seen more of that side of Lwaxana, I think she'd be more popular (unfortunately her next, and worst, appearance cemented her as a unfunny sex joke/embarrassing relative joke until late in TNG's run)

    That's just an element that kinda got lost on TNG as the series went on.
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2022
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  10. Oddish

    Oddish Admiral Admiral

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    In "Move Along Home" I thought the fact that none of the characters was in actual danger was a nice offbeat touch.
     
  11. gweeps

    gweeps Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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  12. Nyotarules

    Nyotarules Vice Admiral Moderator

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    TNG Code of Honor
    'Look, mum, black people on TV, and there is more than two of 'em!'
     
  13. Galileo7

    Galileo7 Commodore Commodore

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    TOS "The Way to Eden"
    ...for the final TOS appearance of the Shuttlecraft full-scale mockup now named Galileo II.

    :techman:
     
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  14. Summer Solstice

    Summer Solstice Captain Captain

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    Time And Again:
    - Kes' telepathic abilities are pretty cool
    - I think all the characters had something to do in this episode
    - I like Janeway's hair

    False Profits:
    - it was cool to have a follow up to "The Price"
    - Neelix pretending to be a Ferengi was funny
    - the Ferengi really should have listened to the whole of the myth

    Infinite Regress:
    - Jeri Ryan has incredible range as an actress

    The Fight:
    - I feel that there's an average episode in here somewhere just trying to escape
    - it was cool to see Chakotay boxing
    - having the aliens communicate through images of the crew talking was cool
     
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  15. Oddish

    Oddish Admiral Admiral

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    Change "episode" to "bit of fan service", and you can apply that to "These Are the Voyages".
     
  16. Farscape One

    Farscape One Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I absolutely hate NEMESIS. It's why I picked that as my first thing to defend.


    "MOVE ALONG HOME"... I genuinely love it! I have defended that episode quite probably more than anyone else on this site. Later tonight, I can list positive things about it.

    And the count will be more than four.
    In fact, it'll be three more.
    But if you see...
    You might just say, "He convinced me."
     
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  17. Orphalesion

    Orphalesion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Does anybody know why she didn't become more famous/successful as an actress? She honestly seems good enough to be in movies. Good movies, not "Dracula 2001"
    When GoT was still on a friend and I talked about how she would have made an excellent Cersei. Lena Headey was, of course, also excellent in that role (until the series turned to crap) but I think a Cersei played by Jeri Ryan could have been closer to the book...and there was the fact that the real life friendship between Headey and Peter Dinkelage bled over into the show, causing two characters who should absolutely loathe each other to act more like confidants.
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2022
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  18. 1001001

    1001001 Serial Canon Violator Moderator

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    For whatever reason her career has been on television. But she's done a ton of it.

    She was on Boston Public for years. Shark, Leverage, Two and a Half Men, Warehouse 13, Body of Proof, Bosch...

    That's not a bad career at all. Maybe TV was a choice?
     
  19. Bornin1980something

    Bornin1980something Captain Captain

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    These Are The Voyages

    • Shran married Jhamel the Aenar.
    • They named their daughter Talla!
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2022
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  20. Orphalesion

    Orphalesion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Ah
    I didn't even know she did all that much. Because a lot of those are shows I didn't watch much or at all.Also I wouldn't call Tow and a Half Men a career-highlight :barf:

    The only things I remember her from back in the day are Voyager, that awful Dracula 2000(2001?) movie and I think she was on OC California?