A Journey
- Thread starter Spider
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At first I was one of the Pulaski haters. But now I find that I actually like her! I do however prefer Dr. Crusher.
Excellent. 
I actually like both Crusher and Pulaski. But I don't "get" hate in general, and I definitely don't comprehend hating fictional people. It's just utterly ridiculous.
Having watched "Unnatural Selection" a short while ago - an episode I've always really enjoyed - my impression of Pulaski as a very worthwhile character played by a terrific, under-appreciated actress has been reinforced. I like Bev but I wouldn't have been the least bit sorry if Pulaski had remained.
I actually like both Crusher and Pulaski. But I don't "get" hate in general, and I definitely don't comprehend hating fictional people. It's just utterly ridiculous.
Having watched "Unnatural Selection" a short while ago - an episode I've always really enjoyed - my impression of Pulaski as a very worthwhile character played by a terrific, under-appreciated actress has been reinforced. I like Bev but I wouldn't have been the least bit sorry if Pulaski had remained.
I'm glad to finally see some people coming around.
Seriously though, Crusher was great for TNG (The best female on the show portrayed brilliently by Gates and bringing us a lot of good Hammer Moments on the BBS as well with the Crusher shipping
), but so was Pulaski. I really do wish she had returned.
"The Enemy"--Now that I'm reviewing these right after having watched them, maybe I'll try to grade them. Hmmm...B or B-, I'd say. Basically Enemy Mine lite, but does more than any previous episode to set up the Romulans as a recurring threat in this series. Lots of contrivances drive the story...Geordi and the Romulan each needing the other, Worf being the only potential donor despite the presence of Vulcans on the ship, and of course both the forces which caused Geordi to be lost on the planet and the solution to getting off are pure technobabble.
Two things impressed me this time around. First, when I was younger, I actually wanted to see Worf give in and do the right/sensible thing in donating his plasma (or whatever he was supposed to be donating). This time, I appreciated the audacity in having him refuse, despite everyone's attempts to pressure him. This is what made Worf such a compelling character--that he was the one regular on this show who was allowed to consistently act like something other than one of Roddenberry's "evolved" humans. Kudos to those involved for allowing Worf to be Worf here.
And ultimately, it came down to Picard's decision. Worf made it clear that he was ready to act against his own beliefs if he was ordered to do so...but Picard wouldn't give the order. I used to think of it as a slap in Picard's face, that Worf wouldn't give in when Picard begged him. Now I see it as more of an impasse...Worf won't give in to anything less than a direct order, and Picard won't cross the line by ordering a crewmember to do something above and beyond the call of duty which is against that person's own beliefs, whatever the consequence.
Second, Picard's resolve in dealing with the Romulans. Granted, he's willing to put himself at their mercy as a gamble to save Geordi...but in his dealings prior to that, he doesn't blink. It's nice to see that in spite of the attitudes which cause the characters to insist that Starfleet isn't a military organization and to balk every time Worf wants to put a security officer in Sickbay, these people know when it's time to stand up and not take any crap.
Two things impressed me this time around. First, when I was younger, I actually wanted to see Worf give in and do the right/sensible thing in donating his plasma (or whatever he was supposed to be donating). This time, I appreciated the audacity in having him refuse, despite everyone's attempts to pressure him. This is what made Worf such a compelling character--that he was the one regular on this show who was allowed to consistently act like something other than one of Roddenberry's "evolved" humans. Kudos to those involved for allowing Worf to be Worf here.
And ultimately, it came down to Picard's decision. Worf made it clear that he was ready to act against his own beliefs if he was ordered to do so...but Picard wouldn't give the order. I used to think of it as a slap in Picard's face, that Worf wouldn't give in when Picard begged him. Now I see it as more of an impasse...Worf won't give in to anything less than a direct order, and Picard won't cross the line by ordering a crewmember to do something above and beyond the call of duty which is against that person's own beliefs, whatever the consequence.
Second, Picard's resolve in dealing with the Romulans. Granted, he's willing to put himself at their mercy as a gamble to save Geordi...but in his dealings prior to that, he doesn't blink. It's nice to see that in spite of the attitudes which cause the characters to insist that Starfleet isn't a military organization and to balk every time Worf wants to put a security officer in Sickbay, these people know when it's time to stand up and not take any crap.
I've got to give the credit where credit is due:
Michael Piller.
This aspect of the plot was quite troubling to the TNG staff. They wanted to come up with a way for Worf to give his blood that wouldn't make it seem like a cop out. Then Piller said - why doesn't he just let him die?
They didn't even consider it seriously at first, but soon enough... damn. Stuff like this is why I loved this show.
Well, I've finished season 2. I won't bore everyone with detailed commentary but in general most episodes were as good, bad or indifferent as I'd remembered them to be. "The Measure of a Man" is still classic Trek, "Q-Who?" is still one of the very few episodes in which I can stomach Q, and "The Emissary" is still fun. "Shades of Grey" and "The Royale" bored me as much as they ever did. "Manhunt" is still ridiculous... Eh, you get the idea.
Starting on season 3 reminds me that it would have been...pleasant...if there had been some sort of explanation for the Crusher / Pulaski switcheroo. Even a throwaway line would have sufficed. Episodic television or not, nothing really isn't good enough. A minor quibble, but mildly annoying all the same.
Starting on season 3 reminds me that it would have been...pleasant...if there had been some sort of explanation for the Crusher / Pulaski switcheroo. Even a throwaway line would have sufficed. Episodic television or not, nothing really isn't good enough. A minor quibble, but mildly annoying all the same.
The Enemy – C+
Your standard trapped on a desert island, or in between battle lines, or on another planet story about two foes needing to help each other survive. This episode does two things well, it cements Geordi as the quintessential TNG character of high moral value, but yet realistic; and it has introduces us to Tomalak, a Romulan they should have used more.
The silly technobble brings it down slightly, but it’s still an enjoyable episode if not a somewhat by-the-numbers effort on the part of the writing staff. I did like the part of Worf making the decision to let the Romulan die even if the situation that brought it about was a tad hackneyed.
The Price – C-
I’m sorry, but again Sirtis shows she doesn’t have the acting chops to pull off certain types of emotion. The idea of the worm hole and the delegations competing to bid for controlling access to it was quite good though. And the fact it was unstable, and left the Ferengi stranded was also good. However the irritation factor of Troi being in love and the mundane character she fell in love with brings this one down.
I’m hoping the get into the next DVD this evening. The next two episodes up, The Vengeance Factor and The Defector are good ones.
Your standard trapped on a desert island, or in between battle lines, or on another planet story about two foes needing to help each other survive. This episode does two things well, it cements Geordi as the quintessential TNG character of high moral value, but yet realistic; and it has introduces us to Tomalak, a Romulan they should have used more.
The silly technobble brings it down slightly, but it’s still an enjoyable episode if not a somewhat by-the-numbers effort on the part of the writing staff. I did like the part of Worf making the decision to let the Romulan die even if the situation that brought it about was a tad hackneyed.
The Price – C-
I’m sorry, but again Sirtis shows she doesn’t have the acting chops to pull off certain types of emotion. The idea of the worm hole and the delegations competing to bid for controlling access to it was quite good though. And the fact it was unstable, and left the Ferengi stranded was also good. However the irritation factor of Troi being in love and the mundane character she fell in love with brings this one down.
I’m hoping the get into the next DVD this evening. The next two episodes up, The Vengeance Factor and The Defector are good ones.
"The Price"--The Ral character used to really get under my skin...and in some ways he still does. Yet there's also something fun to watch about his strange combination of "aw shucks" Midwestern looks and accent and his OTT, calculated smarminess. Maybe I can sit back and laugh at him a little more now that I also know the actor as the similarly-infuriating character of Lloyd Braun, George's childhood nemesis on Seinfeld. When they were sitting around the negotiating table, I half expected him to offer everybody Chinese gum.... Whatever the case, he does seem to have something that makes him more entertaining that the typical soap opera actor playing a Boyfriend of the Week.
Apparently there was much ballyhoo about this episode having Trek's first scene of a couple together in bed, but I wasn't aware of it at the time. I don't think Sirtis does too bad a job here. Granted, the show partly hinges on her sex appeal, and I've never found her that appealing. And Troi seems to cave way too quickly to Braun's...er, Ral's...very sudden and forward advances. But the scene between her and Crusher is cute...wow, these characters sometimes take off their uniforms, let their hair down, and act something like real people!
And I have to say, Ral's argument about the ethics of using empathic powers is the stronger one. Naturally TNG looks upon profiteering with distaste...but in a galactic society in which aliens of all sorts of unique abilities interact, why would his use of such an edge be considered morally wrong because he uses it in the interests of his clients rather than Federation?
The Ferengi are finally in their element here. (More credit to Michael Piller?) The overall story is an interesting one, giving our crew a different type of challenge than usual. This is the episode that establishes the quadrant system that will play a key part of the next two spin-off series...and the very idea of a stable wormhole wound up becoming the focus of DS9. Riker's brief interaction with Mendoza about poker is entertaining.
I may be crazy, but I think I'm giving this one a solid B. I found it more entertaining than the predictable and contrived A-plot of "The Enemy".
Apparently there was much ballyhoo about this episode having Trek's first scene of a couple together in bed, but I wasn't aware of it at the time. I don't think Sirtis does too bad a job here. Granted, the show partly hinges on her sex appeal, and I've never found her that appealing. And Troi seems to cave way too quickly to Braun's...er, Ral's...very sudden and forward advances. But the scene between her and Crusher is cute...wow, these characters sometimes take off their uniforms, let their hair down, and act something like real people!
And I have to say, Ral's argument about the ethics of using empathic powers is the stronger one. Naturally TNG looks upon profiteering with distaste...but in a galactic society in which aliens of all sorts of unique abilities interact, why would his use of such an edge be considered morally wrong because he uses it in the interests of his clients rather than Federation?
The Ferengi are finally in their element here. (More credit to Michael Piller?) The overall story is an interesting one, giving our crew a different type of challenge than usual. This is the episode that establishes the quadrant system that will play a key part of the next two spin-off series...and the very idea of a stable wormhole wound up becoming the focus of DS9. Riker's brief interaction with Mendoza about poker is entertaining.
I may be crazy, but I think I'm giving this one a solid B. I found it more entertaining than the predictable and contrived A-plot of "The Enemy".
I've now watched as far as "The Price". One thing that struck me as I made my way through these episodes was that I'd managed to forget how good "The Bonding" is. I'd thought of it as a Klingon-ritual-heavy episode, and given the sense of ennui with which I regard Klingons and Klingon-heavy eps it had faded somewhat from my mind. It's actually a very enjoyable episode which effectively explores the theme of loss. I particularly liked the Bev / Wesley scene - good stuff.
About the only thing I like about the otherwise rather bland Ral ("The Price") was his line "Conformity is not my style." I've used that as a sig here on a few occasions. It's a line that works for me rather well.
Lord knows when I'll get around to the next batch of episodes.
About the only thing I like about the otherwise rather bland Ral ("The Price") was his line "Conformity is not my style." I've used that as a sig here on a few occasions. It's a line that works for me rather well.
Lord knows when I'll get around to the next batch of episodes.
The Vengeance Factor – B-
Despite some outrageous flaws, I really like this episode. The Gatherers are a bunch of my relatives from East Texas who left their pickups on blocks to roam outer space, and should under no circumstances be trusted. Even though they were silly caricatures, I still liked them. I guess it’s because I grew up with folks just like them.
And at the end, why didn’t they just beam Yuta to an Enterprise holding cell instead of killing her?
I thought Picard did his diplomatic shtick very well. But Riker should have nailed Yuta when he had the chance, but I guess that’s just the Gatherer in me.
The Defector – B
This is a great episode, and Jarok is a great Romulan character showing that not all Romulans are the same, which is a reality sometimes not given to all Trek aliens. The effect of his whole plan falling apart when he learns the invasion was all a ruse is somewhat diminished when you already know it’s going to happen, but it’s still quite dramatic.
A classic Romulan episode. Star Trek spent to much time on the Klingons when they should have been spending more time on the Romulans.
The Hunted – B
Another Star Trek message show done really well by the TNG writers. This is obviously about Vietnam veterans not receiving the welcome home they deserved, and how hard it was for them to integrate themselves back into a society that called them “baby killers”. For those who lived through the 70s the theme of this episode is painfully clear.
Danar is a sympathetic and memorable character, both written and acted well. Even Troi is believable in this episode. Picard makes all the right decisions in this one, including at the end. The moments between Data and Danar were effective for both of them.
The High Ground – C-
Another Star Trek message show done NOT so well.
In this one, they beat us over our heads with their message stick and Finn does not come off as believable to me. Perhaps because I just finished watching a much better character of Danar that this one was, while at best average, coming off as rather sanctimonious.
The phase shifting was nice, and I liked how Crusher handled herself in this one. But over all, not an episode I would normally rewatch. It’s not getting a D because I liked Crusher in this one, and I thought the hug between her and Wesley at the end was quite touching.
The scene where Picard was explaining to Wesley what terrorism is was HORRIBLE.
Despite some outrageous flaws, I really like this episode. The Gatherers are a bunch of my relatives from East Texas who left their pickups on blocks to roam outer space, and should under no circumstances be trusted. Even though they were silly caricatures, I still liked them. I guess it’s because I grew up with folks just like them.
And at the end, why didn’t they just beam Yuta to an Enterprise holding cell instead of killing her?
I thought Picard did his diplomatic shtick very well. But Riker should have nailed Yuta when he had the chance, but I guess that’s just the Gatherer in me.
The Defector – B
This is a great episode, and Jarok is a great Romulan character showing that not all Romulans are the same, which is a reality sometimes not given to all Trek aliens. The effect of his whole plan falling apart when he learns the invasion was all a ruse is somewhat diminished when you already know it’s going to happen, but it’s still quite dramatic.
A classic Romulan episode. Star Trek spent to much time on the Klingons when they should have been spending more time on the Romulans.
The Hunted – B
Another Star Trek message show done really well by the TNG writers. This is obviously about Vietnam veterans not receiving the welcome home they deserved, and how hard it was for them to integrate themselves back into a society that called them “baby killers”. For those who lived through the 70s the theme of this episode is painfully clear.
Danar is a sympathetic and memorable character, both written and acted well. Even Troi is believable in this episode. Picard makes all the right decisions in this one, including at the end. The moments between Data and Danar were effective for both of them.
The High Ground – C-
Another Star Trek message show done NOT so well.
In this one, they beat us over our heads with their message stick and Finn does not come off as believable to me. Perhaps because I just finished watching a much better character of Danar that this one was, while at best average, coming off as rather sanctimonious.
The phase shifting was nice, and I liked how Crusher handled herself in this one. But over all, not an episode I would normally rewatch. It’s not getting a D because I liked Crusher in this one, and I thought the hug between her and Wesley at the end was quite touching.
The scene where Picard was explaining to Wesley what terrorism is was HORRIBLE.
Amen. This is a criticism I have for TOS, TNG and DS9.
The High Ground" is mildly controversial in Britain and Ireland. Not merely because the terrorist plot is a thinly veiled analogy to the contemporaneous Troubles in Northern Ireland, but because Data, using examples of the violent success of terrorism, eludes to the Reunification of Ireland of 2021(!). When seen in the UK, this scene was censored; sometimes the episode was pulled altogether. Last year I think the episode was shown at a film festival for the irony of it, but I didn't pay close attention.
Something I forgot to note about "The Price"--There's a nice "fourth wall" sort of moment in the teaser when the frustrated Troi is putting off picking up some messages from her mother, and winds up getting into a sparring match with the computer....
"The Vengeance Factor"--Meh. Can't say it's a bad episode, but it doesn't really grab me on any level either. Feels like a Season 2 episode. C+.
"The Defector"--Much, much more like it. Hey, did I tell you guys this Ronald D. Moore kid had a good script in him, huh? The Shakespeare makes for a fine "calm before the storm"...Jarok's interactions with the crew are great...even knowing how it all plays out, the mounting tension is still effective...and the reveal of the Klingons, subtly set up in a couple of places, is still a great moment--when I originally watched the episode, it had me literally jumping out of my chair. We finally see the much-talked-about Alliance in action, and it was worth the wait. Until that moment, I was sure that we were in for a two-parter. The episode really isn't all that different from the first part of "The Best of Both Worlds", save that the story was resolved in one episode.
Altogether, I'd say that this episode is rivalled only by "The Measure of a Man" as the best TNG episode to date. I have a hard time justifying not grading it...
A+.
"The Hunted"--Danar tends to come off as a bit too pompous and clever, but he does pull some cool tricks. Breaking out of the transporter beam was way OTT, though. And why didn't that overloaded phaser that went off in the "Jeffries Tube" (more of an access corridor) blow out the deck? Can you set the overload to "Stun"?
The message seems a little dated since Desert Storm, when the American public did a 180 in its attitude towards the troops.
Tidbit for those who didn't know: the Angosian prime minister is played by James Cromwell, who'll later play Zephram Cochrane in First Contact.
C+.
"The Vengeance Factor"--Meh. Can't say it's a bad episode, but it doesn't really grab me on any level either. Feels like a Season 2 episode. C+.
"The Defector"--Much, much more like it. Hey, did I tell you guys this Ronald D. Moore kid had a good script in him, huh? The Shakespeare makes for a fine "calm before the storm"...Jarok's interactions with the crew are great...even knowing how it all plays out, the mounting tension is still effective...and the reveal of the Klingons, subtly set up in a couple of places, is still a great moment--when I originally watched the episode, it had me literally jumping out of my chair. We finally see the much-talked-about Alliance in action, and it was worth the wait. Until that moment, I was sure that we were in for a two-parter. The episode really isn't all that different from the first part of "The Best of Both Worlds", save that the story was resolved in one episode.
Altogether, I'd say that this episode is rivalled only by "The Measure of a Man" as the best TNG episode to date. I have a hard time justifying not grading it...
A+.
"The Hunted"--Danar tends to come off as a bit too pompous and clever, but he does pull some cool tricks. Breaking out of the transporter beam was way OTT, though. And why didn't that overloaded phaser that went off in the "Jeffries Tube" (more of an access corridor) blow out the deck? Can you set the overload to "Stun"?
The message seems a little dated since Desert Storm, when the American public did a 180 in its attitude towards the troops.
Tidbit for those who didn't know: the Angosian prime minister is played by James Cromwell, who'll later play Zephram Cochrane in First Contact.
C+.
Creepy and unnatural though it is, I agree with Spider (
). The Klingons were never particularly interesting, IMO, and the "depth" they got over the course of TNG, DS9 and Voy didn't amount to much and was incredibly boring after a while. Hearing various Klingons parrot "It is a good day to die" ad nauseam was just flat-out ridiculous.But I digress...
I've watched as far as "Sarek" - I actually watched it for the first time since Mark Lenard's very untimely death. Terrific episode that does justice to the character - as it should. Other brief comments:
"The Vengeance Factor" - okay, but not particularly memorable.
"The Defector" - James Sloyan contributed some good performances to Trek; this was certainly one of them. As a dyed-in-the-wool Babylon 5 fan it's always a joy - tinged now with great sadness - to see Andreas Katsulas. The episode itself is pretty good, too.
"The Hunted" - enjoyable ep. Perhaps a bit cliched now, but still enjoyable.
"The High Ground" - about as subtle as a brick through a window and overly simplistic, but not as perversive as it's been made out to be. Still, that's easy enough for me to say.
"A Matter of Perspective" - it seems extraordinary that a holodeck programme with this level of detail could exist - in that sense, the ep is silly. In another sense, it's good to see the holodeck used for something other than amusement. And at least for once it didn't malfunction.
"Yesterday's Enterprise" – I've never been as enamoured of this ep as some. TNG went on to do better than this, and a few better eps preceded it. Perhaps it's my disappointment with the whole ridiculous Sela thing but even at the time I didn't get all the gushing over this. Having said that, Guinan is especially enjoyable and Garrett is a captain I'd be happy to work for.
"The Offspring" – brilliant then, brilliant now. One of TNG's best, for mine. "Thank you for my life" is one of the most wrenching lines in the entire series. Hallie Todd is marvellous as Lal and the whole cast seemed to fire up for this episode. Wonderful stuff.
"Sins of the Father" – gah, dreary Klingon stuff. Politics, honour, "it is a good day to die" – spare me.
"Allegiance" – amusing enough, but really – Bev should have twigged much earlier than she did that "Picard" was a fake.
Silly, but fun."Captain's Holiday" – this was more bearable than I remembered it but it's still not among my favourites.
"Tin Man" – run-of-the-mill episode. Nothing outstanding or dreadful; it's just sort of there.
"Hollow Pursuits" – gah, Barclay. I know I'm one of the few people who's never seen the appeal of the character and this episode reminded me why. He's whiny and annoying. And boring.
"The Most Toys" – mostly blah but the last few minutes are terrific. Would Data have shot to kill? Fajo is one of the most thoroughly obnoxious characters in the series and it was interesting to see that Data has limits to his tolerance.
"Sarek" – see above. Seeing it again was bittersweet but it's every bit as good as I'd remembered.
Not sure when I'll get to the next batch of eps, but I'm greatly enjoying seeing TNG again. It's been far too long.
I have finals this week so my TNG viewing will return next weekend. I'm not sure how much but I stopped at Who Watches the Watchers and now that seems like old news. Looking forward to the rest of the season.
Deja Q – B-
This is a great Q episode, one that I’ve always liked. The sub-plot of them trying to move the moon was rather stupid, but doesn’t distract as much as I remembered. Come on folks, you can’t tell me with the enormous power and technology of the Enterprise D they couldn’t adjust the orbit of a moon quite easily? I’m not buying that.
But Q being human in this episode is fun and De Lancie handled it wonderfully. To me, this is kind of a TNG Candy episode, comical in many aspects and not really significant, but nonetheless quite enjoyable. Corbin Bernsen as the other Q was a great bit back in the 90s when this episode was first shown, as he was a very popular actor on LA Law at the time. I used to watch LA Law quite a bit, so that was cool to see him as a Q.
A Matter of Perspective – C
Another blah episode, not bad, not particularly good, just sort of a filler episode. As OZ stated, it was nice to see the holodeck used for something besides fantasies and not have it predictably malfunction. I thought the ending was a little forced and sudden. The forehead alien lawyer Krag was mildly interesting, the rest of them were not.
Yesterday's Enterprise – A
This is a TNG classic that that belongs right up there with the best of Star Trek TV IMO. I’m not sure what I can say about this superb episode that hasn’t been said already. Captain Garret is a great character; it would have been interesting to see more of her in command of her ship. The military make over of the Enterprise was fun to see, and in some aspects, was a tad more believable than our usual Enterprise.
The Offspring – A
A real tear jerker, this one. It was so sad to see Lal die, and I must agree with OZ again that the line “Thank you for my life, father” has to bring tears to your eyes unless you are either comatose or an android.
I love that scene where Lal grabs Riker and kisses him, and Data says “What are your intentions towards my daughter?” Anyone notice the credits on this one, Frakes directed. This is also the first Star Trek script from René Echevarria who went on to write many more excellent episodes of TNG and DS9, including I, Borg and Lower Decks; two more of some of my all time favorites of TNG.
Sins of the Father – C+
As far as Klingon episodes go, this one was good, but I’m not a big fan of the Klingon culture as, in the long run, they aren’t a logical fictional construct to me. But they do make good TV is done right, and it was interesting to see the inner workings of the Klingon High Council in this one, even if they weren’t making a lot of sense. Any society that is as supposedly grounded in honor as the Klingons are, would not, IMO, allow the traitorous Duras family anywhere near the High Council.
This is a great Q episode, one that I’ve always liked. The sub-plot of them trying to move the moon was rather stupid, but doesn’t distract as much as I remembered. Come on folks, you can’t tell me with the enormous power and technology of the Enterprise D they couldn’t adjust the orbit of a moon quite easily? I’m not buying that.
But Q being human in this episode is fun and De Lancie handled it wonderfully. To me, this is kind of a TNG Candy episode, comical in many aspects and not really significant, but nonetheless quite enjoyable. Corbin Bernsen as the other Q was a great bit back in the 90s when this episode was first shown, as he was a very popular actor on LA Law at the time. I used to watch LA Law quite a bit, so that was cool to see him as a Q.
A Matter of Perspective – C
Another blah episode, not bad, not particularly good, just sort of a filler episode. As OZ stated, it was nice to see the holodeck used for something besides fantasies and not have it predictably malfunction. I thought the ending was a little forced and sudden. The forehead alien lawyer Krag was mildly interesting, the rest of them were not.
Yesterday's Enterprise – A
This is a TNG classic that that belongs right up there with the best of Star Trek TV IMO. I’m not sure what I can say about this superb episode that hasn’t been said already. Captain Garret is a great character; it would have been interesting to see more of her in command of her ship. The military make over of the Enterprise was fun to see, and in some aspects, was a tad more believable than our usual Enterprise.
The Offspring – A
A real tear jerker, this one. It was so sad to see Lal die, and I must agree with OZ again that the line “Thank you for my life, father” has to bring tears to your eyes unless you are either comatose or an android.
I love that scene where Lal grabs Riker and kisses him, and Data says “What are your intentions towards my daughter?” Anyone notice the credits on this one, Frakes directed. This is also the first Star Trek script from René Echevarria who went on to write many more excellent episodes of TNG and DS9, including I, Borg and Lower Decks; two more of some of my all time favorites of TNG.
Sins of the Father – C+
As far as Klingon episodes go, this one was good, but I’m not a big fan of the Klingon culture as, in the long run, they aren’t a logical fictional construct to me. But they do make good TV is done right, and it was interesting to see the inner workings of the Klingon High Council in this one, even if they weren’t making a lot of sense. Any society that is as supposedly grounded in honor as the Klingons are, would not, IMO, allow the traitorous Duras family anywhere near the High Council.
Hey now, it is possible to like the Romulans and want to see more of them without putting down the Klingons. But YMMV. What I would like to have seen put onscreen was why the Klingons and Romulans hated each other so much, and how the Klingons saw humans/The Federation as being different. How "honorable" do Klingons find humans in general?
Perhaps we wound up getting so much Klingon stuff that it's easy to overlook the significance of what Ron Moore brought about. By the end of TNG, they had supplanted the Vulcans as the best-developed alien race in Trek, IMO.
*Whew.* It's not just me then. I thought I might take some flak (pardon the expression) for my opinion. In this day and age, I just feel like the "message" is preaching to the choir. I find the sci-fi concept of genetically-engineered super-soldiers who are too altered to ever resume normal lives to be more interesting.
I think you mean "subversive". I mean, I got a little perversive when we briefly got to see Gates in chains, but I don't think that's what you're talking about....
Realistic or not, the level of detail that could be brought up with a vague description was established at least as far back as the Bynar episode ("1001ever"). And it did sort of malfunction, but in this case their holodeck problem was vital in solving the crime."A Matter of Perspective" - it seems extraordinary that a holodeck programme with this level of detail could exist - in that sense, the ep is silly. In another sense, it's good to see the holodeck used for something other than amusement. And at least for once it didn't malfunction.
Well...to her credit and that of the rest of the crew, this was an interesting twist on the already-timeworn theme of the Captain being altered or an imposter, in that he wasn't doing anything particularly malicious, just frakking with them to see how they'd react.
Maybe it's old hat from before I was hanging out on this forum much, but I'd like to see what the writer has to say about this episode after all these years. Don't know if I'm allowed to call him out by name, but he used to go by his actual name around these parts.
I buy it...I think they were establishing the limits of what sometimes seemed like limitless power, but was definitely limited, at least in their ability to constructively channel it. That their abilities stopped at moving planet-sized objects wasn't hard to swallow. I'd find it harder to swallow if they could casually push around a moon in one episode, yet not be able to wipe out a Borg cube in one shot the next.
I believe the Cinefantastique writer who did the annual TNG episode reviews agreed with me that he was channeling Jack Nicholson's recent portrayal of the Joker in this one. His delivery of "I'm the one who got you kicked out" perfectly echoed Nicholson's "I'm glad you're dead".
What about Vulcans, huh, huh?
His first directing stint, IIRC.
I think you're contradicting yourself here. It's not logical for an alien race to be one-note, perfect, and unvarying from individual to individual. We'd seen plenty of Klingons who acted on less-than-honorable motives, particularly in TOS. Worf is trying very hard to be the ideal representative of what a Klingon is supposed to be, but assuming all Klingons would put honor first is like assuming that all humans would put the moralities espoused by their religions first. The fact that Moore establishes here that the Klingons can be ruled by other motivations than honor...that they play politics and that the emphasis on family prestige and honor can come into conflict...makes them a more realistic fictional construct in my book.
As I've said before, "The High Ground" was considered subversive enough to be banned in the UK - the only Star Trek episode to have this dubious honour.
Got to agree with Mixer, though. Look at the real world, where politicians daily pay lip service to popular virtues while abrogating them in private. Details about the Klingons being technically obsessed with honour but not always pure of motive is a recurrent theme in Moore's Klingon work, my favourite episode is actually the farcical "House of Quark" on DS9, and the most scathing criticism was probably provided by Ezri Dax in "Tacking into the Wind." For all the flaws and simplicites of the Moore Klingons, this was the one aspect I liked the most.
And it's got to be said:
Khalest. Best female Klingon. Ever. Not that there's a lot of competition, but I loved that character. "You are still too fat."
Compared to Nicholson's manic Joker, he seemed rather subdued and normal - more like Q's boss than some vaudevillean psychopath.
Got to agree with Mixer, though. Look at the real world, where politicians daily pay lip service to popular virtues while abrogating them in private. Details about the Klingons being technically obsessed with honour but not always pure of motive is a recurrent theme in Moore's Klingon work, my favourite episode is actually the farcical "House of Quark" on DS9, and the most scathing criticism was probably provided by Ezri Dax in "Tacking into the Wind." For all the flaws and simplicites of the Moore Klingons, this was the one aspect I liked the most.
And it's got to be said:
Khalest. Best female Klingon. Ever. Not that there's a lot of competition, but I loved that character. "You are still too fat."
Compared to Nicholson's manic Joker, he seemed rather subdued and normal - more like Q's boss than some vaudevillean psychopath.
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