A Journey

[startrekwatcher]

I watched all of season three plus BoBW II in the last few weeks but I guess instead of reviewing the episodes I got behind on I'll just start up with where Sgt. Scrooge is.

Tin Man- B+.

Another solid outing from season three. I liked Tam especially understanding how overwhelming the whole experience of having everyone's feelings/thoughts was, the action sequences stood out, the character moments(Troi/Tam, Troi/Data, Data/Tam) were solid. Also I really thought the visuals and the set design of Tin Man were outstanding.

The Most Toys-B+

I liked this one as we saw the crew's reactions to Data's "death". Brent did a good job especially in the shot of him facing Kivas one final time. I also liked the idea of a 24th century collector.

Sarek-A-.
I'm glad TNG sparingly used TOS characters. Sarek worked and the story offered an interesting insight into the Vulcans. Both Stewart and Lenard gave great performances. And the in-fighting among the crew due to the Bendii were enjoyable.

Menage a Troi- B.

I like Lwaxana and I thought this was a fairly entertaining, if not high-brow, outing. I liked the various Ferengi characters, Riker/Troi(one of the few Trek romances that worked for me), seeing Betazed, the disrobing scene and the attempts to escape held my attention.

I also liked Picard trying to save Lwaxana and the moment Wesley received his field comission.

Transfigurations- B.

This one gets lost because it precedes BoBW but I still find it entertaining. Good but not great. I liked the mystery and the various interactions.

 

[startrekwatcher]

I thought I'd better make the next two reviews in a separate post given their length. Needless to say I love them both.

The Best of Both Worlds-- A+.

I'm fairly stingy with excellents or A+s but I have no hesitation in doling it out here. This has withstood the test of time becoming a part of television history. It is an absolute stunning classic even 17 years later.

I loved it when I was 13 and I love it as much now always making sure I would catch it whenever it was on in reruns over the years and I always knew when I happened upon it because of the instantly recognizable teaser with the establishing shot of the Enterprise entering orbit of Jouret IV overlaid with Picard’s log followed by the away team beaming down to New Providence colony to learn the fate of its inhabitants only to discover in a shocking visual- the colony was gone all that was left was a massive crater. What an ominous note to launch the episode on.

This episode is rightfully hailed as one of the best of Trek and I certainly wouldn’t dispute that. This watershed moment in tv history was one of those fortunate instances where writer Michael Piller was able to come up with a storyline that resonated on every level with the viewer. I think a large part of its appeal of course is depicting a near Armageddon by taking it as far as he could allowing the audience to believe the worst case scenario could happen. He conceived in my opinion the ideal portrayal of a doomsday-level event and thankfully its presentation came across perfectly incorporating all the necessary and desired elements one would hope to see in such a dire situation. That of course includes a worthy enemy capable of upping the stakes to epic proportions.

And that leads me to a second reason for its popularity owing in no small part to the presence of the Borg, who fans had been hoping to see ever since “Q Who?” ominously hinted at an inevitable confrontation.

The Borg are just one of those instances of writers catching lightning in a bottle by creating an alien race that catches on like wildfire with the fans and that captures their imagination. I mean how many races have that kind of impact after only one brief appearance. Sure they might not be the first cybernetic race in science fiction but Hurley must be applauded for doing something original with them making them such a fascinating group with quite intriguing characteristics and unique behavior. They weren’t quite like anything I personally had seen before. Their appeal for me and I suspect a great many others is the idea of a race of beings that communicate on every level that they are alien. Their society is so fundamentally different in every way..

Also making BoBW just that more effective, Piller knew full well that the audience would be clamoring for the Borg right away but he wisely didn’t cave into that pressure choosing instead to wisely postpone the confrontation with the Borg for just a while longer to allow our anticipation of the encounter to build as we patiently waited through the crew’s careful and sensible investigation into the destruction of New Providence colony then subsequently their preparations for engagement once confirmation of the Borg as the mysterious attackers was determined.

This allowed for the inclusion of some nice scenes showing the characters possibly for the last time before all hell breaks loose--the crew playing poker and Riker contemplating his future. Seeing Riker ponder why he can’t seem to move on and take a command given how driven he was was particularly strong. I’ve certainly been there myself. We also get an effective scene showing the crew fatigued struggling to devise countermeasures culminating with the first of several power struggles with Riker and Shelby.

Atmosphere is always crucial in selling the idea that our crew is in a bleak situation and this episode fortunately has it in spades. Scenes like Riker informing Picard all ships are on yellow alert or the one where the admiral is briefing the senior staff on a possible contact exemplifies this perfectly. Everyone knows the Borg are out there somewhere in Federation space they are just waiting to hear about it. I love the presentation--“At nineteen hundred hours yesterday, the USS Lalo departed Zeta Alpha Two on a freight run to Sentinel Minor Four. At twenty-two hundred hours and twelve minutes, a distress signal was received at Starbase one five seven. The Lalo reported contact with an alien vessel…described as cube-shaped. The distress signal ended abruptly. She has not been heard from since.” That clearly sent chills up the staff’s spine much as it did mine based on the various reactions captured by the camera knowing they were swimming with sharks. I liked how Hanson delivered with emphasis cube-shaped.

The delayed gratification was well worth it when the moment finally arrives signaled by that unforgettable operatic music piece with the haunting voices that accompanies the dreaded moment of visual contact between the Borg and the Enterprise with the sight of the Borg vessel barely visible soon filling the screen revealing the chilling sight of the cube in all its intimidating glory. Wow, what a powerfully effecting image. At that moment it conveyed to me perfectly the sensation one would experience confronting evil incarnate as the cube itself pierced right through me. Picard somberly turns to Worf-“Dispatch a subspace message to Admiral Hanson, we have engaged the Borg.” Fantastic moment as we fade to commercial.

This episode also made me appreciate TNG’s approach to using battlescenes sparingly. For it is in moments like these where we see the Enterprise throwing everything it has in its arsenal (from phasers to a whole spread of photon torpedoes to high energy bursts from the deflector dish to Borg beams slicing into the engineering section to Geordi having to evacuate and seal it off) at the Borg cube that makes it all the more special. I know it isn’t as impressive as what can be done these days with FX but for me at that time I got a real kick out of it and even all these years later I think it still is pretty cool. The fact the Enterprise was fighting instead of talking also further reinforced the gravity of the situation. And the coinciding scenes showed how intelligent these people really are--seeing Shelby come up with a temporary countermeasure allowing for an escape, Picard thinking of the safety of others by hiding inside the Paulson nebula to keep the Borg from harming anyone else(and seeing the cube wait patiently unfazed for the Enterprise to come out before sending in the charges is just so Borg), Wesley & Geordi coming up with the idea of channeling energy through the deflector dish.

Basically every scene in this episode is a favorite but I particularly like this one. In a brief moment of reprieve inside the dust cloud(a simply beautiful visual with the Enterprise all lit up), Picard and Guinan gather in a deserted Ten-Forward to discuss the situation they find themselves in. The references I thought were quite appropriate given the circumstances putting this bleak situation in effective historical perspective. Picard ponders soberingly that much like the ancient Roman Empire, the Federation could very well be facing its own downfall as they face their own 24th century Visigoths—the Borg. Afterall while this is a devastating possible reality one could objectively look at how many civilizations or in the Trek universe how many alien civilizations no longer exist for one reason or another. “Another page in history.” Indeed

I also love how Guinan always shows up in earth-shattering moments dispensing some interesting words of wisdom. Here her pep talk to Picard is interesting and perfectly Guinan in that it is both reassuring and optimistic in one way in that she gives some hope that whatever happens humanity will survive in some form but troubling in that she can't promise him he’ll prevail and that any rebuilding of the human race would be difficult. I’m sure at that moment Picard would have loved nothing more than to hear from such a wise soul that everything will be alright but in typical Guinan fashion she is pragmatic knowing from personal experience the worst might be before them.

After being flushed out by the magntometric guided charges the Enterprise is quickly overtaken and Picard kidnapped. As the crew collects themselves Worf delivers further bad news—the Borg are now on a direct course to Sector 0-0-1—Earth. Seeing the Enterprise struggle to keep pace with the fast moving cube was interesting. Then it comes-- the scene as the Borg escort Picard to the central chamber of the cube revealing in a great matte shot the endless rows upon rows upon rows of Borg. We were used to seeing adversaries who had a hierarchy, leaders, governments to negotiate with; individuals with understandable motives ranging from greed to power to pride and a hope always existed for reconciliation because they always had a similar working frame of reference for the universe they co-existed within. But now the Federation was facing for all intents and purposes a force of nature devoid of any malice or pride directed at their victims, with seemingly no apparent weaknesses, no burden from morality, possessing superior technology, and having a psychology that couldn’t grasp the idea of diplomacy.

What follows is a chilling dialogue that perfectly captures the essence of the Borg by demonstrating just how incompatible the Borg are.

“Strength is irrelevant. Resistance is futile. We wish to improve ourselves. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service ours.”

But more than that the exchange reveals a society where a fundamental part of humanity-death- doesn’t exist and therefore is incomprehensible. It is beyond their grasp and they lack the frame of reference to understand what it means to humans and other races. And that is why Piller’s decision to add the disturbing element of assimilation to the Borg mythology is so brilliant and terrifying. The idea that the Borg would even deny death as a release from the horrors of assimilation is just a downright disturbing prospect to consider and Stewart's reaction says it all.

When the Borg in unison tell him “Death is irrelevant”, Picard is speechless.

This episode is just full of OMG moments. The presentation of Picard’s reveal of having been assimilated was highly effective providing the most impact with the profile before turning to show half of his face and head were implanted with technology as the laser attachment filled the screen. It hit me like a ton of bricks and the actors did a great job in conveying their stunned reactions and sense of loss whether Shelby’s initial look of horror or Worf’s “He is a Borg” or Beverly thinking of recovering him to Wesley holding his head down.

This was a punch to the gut because by this point in the series I had developed a real attachment to Picard and given how it seemed at the time that the assimilation process was irreversible, I truly believed the man I knew was gone forever. And finally the cliffhanger ending was perfect. I wasn’t happy having to wait until the fall. It was a long summer. I was pretty young then and the ending held so many possibilities. I had no awareness of Usenet and didn't participate in any speculation or generating scenarios. I just anxiously awaited the premiere.

One can debate whether the Borg over the years became a pale shadow of themselves but here they were at their zenith. They were an unstoppable lethal juggernaut who acted with impunity.

And I’ll always have fond memories of this episode because it made me take note of the writer and this is where my respect for Michael Piller started and why I continued to follow his work over the years. These two hours are just so wonderfully written with all the details you'd want, a fair amount of battles, tension, suspense as well as intelligent and reflective dialogue. This is perfection.

The Best of Both Worlds II--A+.

I have a very clear memory of the cool promo they had for this episode. “You once knew him as your captain…”

What impresses me is the fact Michael Piller wrote this months later with very little idea how he was going to wrap up Part I yet you couldn’t tell that from watching this masterpiece. I thought it was every bit as solid as Part I and was permeating with the same off-the-scale tension. The show amazingly managed to maintain the momentum built up three months earlier without skipping a beat picking up right where it left off.

The episode was relentless with its action, surprises, harrowing moments, and characterization. Everything was left in doubt until the very end whether it be the fate of Earth or the fate of Picard. I had no clue what would happen from scene to scene and I had no idea how things would ultimately end up.

But first things first, the teaser needed to resolve the cliffhanger regarding what would happen when the deflector fired on the cube.

It turns out that the Borg not only assimilated Picard’s body but all of the knowledge he possessed as well. It might have been just me but I never suspected, even for a second, that they would keep him alive by having the weapon fail to work due to Picard's knowledge that was assimilated by the Collective mind. I didn’t see this coming although in hindsight I really should have. The seeds were laid in Part I so subtlely that I wonder if Michael even knew that they were there to exploit until he sat down to write the second half.

Some writers plan ahead and intentionally go out of their way to put in place plot points that they know they’ll use to get out of a seemingly impossible situation in Part I therefore allowing for an exit from the corner they backed themselves into storywise. I never got that feeling here. This seemed more of an instance of a good writer being creative. I just loved the brilliant simplicity of how Michael resolved this.

This allowed for us in the audience to wonder a little longer about the fate of Picard as well as allowing the story, of course, to continue but it plausibly played off of the Borg’s pre-established MO making the hopes of a victory all the more unlikely given that the deflector was their ace in the hole—their best and only countermeasure to the Borg.

As the crew regroup trying to determine their next course of action and make necessary repairs light years away from their captain, we get our first glimpse of the nightmare Picard is experiencing aboard the cube as it continues en route to Earth. Much like in “Chain of Command”, this is a trauma that Picard must endure alone on his own and one that no one else can even begin to fathom and for which no one can take his place for him. In an agonizing scene to watch, we witness the indignity Picard is subjected to as he is treated like an inanimate object as further alterations are made to him as part of the ongoing assimilation process. We get the first indication that a part of the man is still alive struggling to break free, aware but trapped in his own body helpless to do anything—the Borg not even affording him an opportunity to at least fight back.

It also workd so well because it continues to show how alien the BOrg are. They aren't doing this as punishment or torture but that is the effect nonetheless--they have no empathy. They see it as nothing more than a normal part of how they exist and they can’t even begin to understand the mental torture they are inflicting upon him as they leave Picard as not much more than a neutered silent observer passively watching as he is compelled to assist the Borg in the systematic deconstructing of his humanity as he raises his arm to receive an armature or as a device implants technology into his brain and drains the color from his face.

Picard can only shed a single tear that falls from his cheek. I loved that subtle but powerful touch. This scene is so powerful because it doesn’t use graphic violence or conventional torture but is just as unnerving in that it takes place in such a cold environment with a sterile medical process that facilitates the transformation. This is why I find the portrayal of surgical assimilation to be a thousand times more effective than the instant assimilation facilitated by nanoprobes in demonstrating effectively the horrors of assimilation. The Borg cube is the equivalent of a 24th century house of horrors where unspeakable acts are committed.

The crew is later contacted by Admiral Hanson to brief them on the stand Starfleet intends to make at Wolf 359(I just think that is such cool name). Afterall as Troi puts so bluntly, nanites might be all that is left of the Federation. Here we once again wonder if the Federation will be successful and whether Locutus would escape death once more. The scene shows an acceptance that all hope of retrieving Picard is gone and that the priority now is saving Earth and the rest of the Quadrant from a similar fate befalling them.

The scene works though most effectively when Hanson recalls how he first met Picard and I was most certain Picard was leaving the show no matter what happens which is all the more tragic given that Picard is still alive on that cube.

Another thing both hours has going in its favor is its fatalism.

Michael Piller took every opportunity to keep upping the stakes and portraying events so devastating in their unpredictability realizing the Borg invasion was the one chance to really pull out all the stops. The Borg steamrolled through 39 starships leaving what we later learn is 11000 deaths in its wake. Nothing comes close to the dramatic impact of this scene until years later with DS9 and the Dominion War. I suspect some might have been disappointed in not seeing the actual battle but I preferred this creatively just seeing the aftermath. (First Contact was the time when a full scale Borg battle sequence could have been done justice and been a thrill. In fact I was expecting that but I wasn’t particularly satisfied with it).

Just when you think the Borg threat could not get any more dangerous- they have assimilated an entire colony, kidnapped and assimilated Picard, absorbed all his knowledge now they have just crippled the Federation fleet and are proceeding unimpeded straight to Earth undaunted. The scale of devastation was hard-hitting. The Borg truly seemed unstoppable.

Shelby begins naming off the destroyed ships and the crew takes a moment to absorb this and think of the lives lost in a solemn sobering moment. I also liked the touch of the Melbourne being one of the ships destroyed.

Locutus was a chilling figure. Stewart must be commended on how he captured perfectly the controlled tone never once betraying emotions in his delivery yet he was able to convey menace chillingly. No one before or after has come close to walking this fine line. Jeri Ryan’s portrayal in “Scorpion II” was too human-like.

The wonderfully choreographed assault on the cube with the Enterprise separating off into the saucer and drive sections unleashing the anti-matter spread was not only a visually stunning sight to behold.

Picard’s exchange with Worf was excellent further showing even more insight into the Borg mindset and was yet another great example of Piller's great writing.

By the time Riker is within a second of ordering Wesley to warp into the cube I was drained and on the edge of my seat I was so viscerally engaged in everything that was happening.

The solution was clever. It was just different enough but still keeping with Borg parameters to make sense and played well off the theme of the best of both worlds ie the Borg using Picard to see Federation weaknesses and now the Federation using the Borg part of Picard to see their weakness. Personally for a weak cop-out ending I look to First Contact where by destroying the Queen all the Borg on the E-E self-destruct. And I love the execution of the cube’s demise with it giving off sparks initially before blowing up into pieces as we see the various parts be blown outward.

But even then the suspense wasn’t over since the very real possibility existed Picard could die when his link was severed. I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting him to survive and return to the series but the way in which it was done was extraordinarily satisfying. Patrick captured the sense of wariness just as I would have imagined after his ordeal. Then in the next scene with the accompanying music capturing the emotional release with its upbeatness as though one was emerging from darkness as the Enterprise is in orbit of Earth.

And the final scene as Picard looks with the reflection of Earth framing him as that wonderful little piece of music plays we know the worst is still ahead of him as he begins the process of healing emotionally.

Michael Piller must be congratulated on getting the most out of the Borg’s one major appearance. I figured the Borg were just a one shot wonder and we’d never see them again. I even felt the episode hinted that it might be the whole of the Hive—the entire Borg race—on that one cube and so I felt he did everything he could have using them to full effect that their presence afforded.

 

[WillsBabe]

^ Wow, fantastic reviews, startrekwatcher!

I'm glad someone else liked Menage a Troi, too. It's not the best episode in the world but I like the Riker/Troi touches and the whole thing has a different atmosphere to a lot of episodes. I think that's because of the unusual combination of characters getting in on the action.

 

[Bosch571]

nice piece of writing startrekwatcher :thumbsup:

 

[tomalak301]

Startrekwatcher,

Do you do reviews for a living? If not, maybe you should because that was well detailed and quite fantastic.

I was on a roll last night. I don't think I've been this addicted to this show before, yet this weekend I think I saw like 11 or 12 episodes. I almost don't want to review all of them, but this is the Journey thread so here it is:

The Hunted - B

This one was very interesting and another in the line of underrated shows. I really liked what Danar was able to pull against the Enterprise, even though they took a lot of time with it. As for the messege of not allowing the veterans to come home, it was a bit heavy handed, but I don't think it's dated. I think we as a society take better care of them, but even now with soldiers coming back from Iraq, we could be doing a better job.

The High Ground - B+

This one is very timely. There are some great arguments about terrorism "One mans terrorism is another mans Independence". I'm a little surprised that this episode was banned in the UK, but I could see why.

Deja Q - B

I'm not as fond with this episode as some. Is it very good, sure, but it's not my favorite Q episode. Some of the jokes are just not funny anymore, like the "eat any good books lately" line but it was great to see the crews reactions to Q being mortal. There were some funny bits like some of the interaction between Q and Data but other than that, it's a fun show.

A Matter of Perspective - B+

This one is very interesting. Loved the scene at the beginning with Data criticizing Picard and the "You're a dead man Apgar." I really liked the use of the holodeck, even though the solution had me scratching my head a little bit. So the Generator on the planet read the Generator in the holodeck causing the Creiger Waves? I thought the holodeck was computer generated with replicated matter. It seemed a tad bit convienent but this episode was still great nonthaless.

Yesterday's Enterprise - A

What more can be said about this one. It's a classic, and one of the franchise's best episodes. It really does respect Star Trek by expanding the universe and with lines like "Let history never forget the name, Enterprise." Guinan was great here as the conduit between the two timeframes and the arguments between her and Picard were fantastic. I think if I only had one minor qualm, it was the relationship between Castillo and Yar but other than that, awesome episode.

The Offspring - A

Another great show. I think this set between Defector and where I'm at now was when this show really hit its stride and never let up. Lal was a great character and Hallie Todd played her well. I loved the scene in Ten Forward when Lal grabs Riker and Data comes in with the "What are your intintions towards my daughter." The look on Riker's face was great. It was very emotional at the end "I will love for the both of us" and I almost choked up. Hey, it's been a while since I've seen this episode.

The guy who played the admiral was very familer. Did he also play Quinn in Voyager's Death Wish?

Sins of the Father - A

The start of Worf's discommendation arc. I've always found this storyline interesting and it really takes off here. Some were arguing the intentions of the Klingon high council with covering up what happened at Kitomer but I will say not all Governments are peachy clean. In fact, this episode was realistic because it does show a corrupt government willing to do anything to protect itself, even cover up a crime in the face of individual honor. I loved Khalest at the end. "You're still fat, K'mpec". Great stuff.

 

[tomalak301]

Watched some more last night:

Allegiance - B-

Many tend to think this episode is forgettable, but I actually like it. It was great watching Picard figure out everything (Even though the other three people were not very good) and who cannot find Picard singing drinking songs amusing. The ending when Picard is just sitting there watching the two aliens in the force field was classic Picard.

Captain's Holiday - C-

The only reason this episode gets a C- is because I found Vash incredibly hot, and the stuff at the beginning with the crew badgering picard to go to Risa was amusing. Other than that, this episode isn't very good. I don't care about the Tox whatever, and Rom, ah I mean Solak was annoying. It really was a preview to Rom on DS9.

Tin Man - B-

I used to dislike this episode because Tam got on my nerves. However, over time he has become a sympathetic character and Data's reaction to him finally finding peace with Tin Man was actually quite touching. As for Tin Man himself, that was a beautiful design. Whenever I see this episode now, I always think it was a preview to Farscape. Yeah I know other Scifi series probably had living ships, but the set of Tin Man always reminds me of Moya now.

 

[Sakrysta]

I'm just hopping in with a couple comments because my TNG DVDs have been packed for a move and I won't see them again for a while.

"Tin Man" is one of my all-time favorites, largely because of Harry Groener. He does such a fabulous job of building a character, of making him more than words on a page. I thought the episode gave Deanna a chance to shine and actually fulfill her role reasonably, and I particularly appreciated Tam's friendship with Data.

One has to comment on the music as well. Of all the TNG episodes, only "The Inner Light" and "Lessons" have music as immediately recognizable to me as the music of "Tin Man." There's an aquatic, whale-like nature to Gommtuu's theme that is hauntingly beautiful.

Of course, Harry Groener is better known in the SFF community as The Mayor in Buffy's third season. They had to blow up the high school to get rid of him.

Oh, and for those who don't know, Hallie Todd (Lal) is now Lizzie McGuire's mom on the Disney channel. Had I not recognized the actress' name, I would never have known, the change in appearance is so drastic.

 

[tomalak301]

I really enjoyed the music in this episode too. It's interesting to because this was Jay Chattaway's first musical work for Star Trek (According to Jammer at least) and he would go on to do some very questionable musical scores throughout his 15 years.

 

[Kegek]

Jay Chattaway's score for "Tin Man" is, IMHO, the best episode score for any TNG episode (with the Ressikian flute theme from "The Inner Light" as the best individual piece). It was an impressive flair, before Berman sadly tightened the reins and made the music largely bland.

 

[The Old Mixer]

"Deja Q"--A very entertaining episode, though it pretty much defangs Q of whatever menace that he previously had. Great interplay between Q and the various characters with the shoe on the other foot. Very Trek, in that the human condition is explored via an alien...this one an omnipotent being who is reduced to being merely human. The one part that makes me wince is when Guinan actually says, "How the mighty have fallen," when it's so much the obvious thing to say in that circumstance that it really doesn't need to be said. Always loved Q's gift to Data.

A.

 

[tomalak301]

Hallow Pursuits - B

I see a lot of myself in Lt. Barkley, an outsider, different, kind of addicted to something that is outside of society. It's not that extreme in my case, but this episode does hit home for me. I like Barkley as a character and it was interesting to see him develop as the series went on. Still, since we're talking about just this episode, it was a great introduction. The problem was a lot of technobabble, but the main thing was to show how useful Barkley. That scene when Picard called him Broccoli was kind of painful on an emotional level. What does that do to an already shattard psyche when the Captain is making fun of you.

I loved the scenes on the holodeck. First you had Riker being all ticked at how "he" was portrayed, and then he's all smiles when Troi meets her "character."

The Most Toys - B

This episode was mostly insignifcant a lot of the way through it. There seemed to be a lot of repitition between Fajo and Data in wanting Data to conform, but it was all building to the climax, which saved the episode. It has brought on the debate of whether or not Data would have killed him, and I actually think he would have. He did say if it was necessary he would, and I think even androids can be pushed to that breaking point. The stuff on the ship ended up being inconsequential, but it was nice to see Geordi figure it all out.

 

[tomalak301]

I'm almost there. Tonight was pretty much the calm before the storm. Tomorrow I will definitely start season 4.

Sarek - A+

I mentioned that Defector was my favorite episode of the season. Well, this was probably my second favorite of the season. I don't know what it is, but episodes like this and Defector don't get talked about very much and that might be the reason why there is a certain awesomeness about them. Granted, like I've already mentioned, Yesterday's Enterprise and Best of Both Worlds are great episodes, but these two had something a lot more to them that makes them underrated classics.

This was a very cool episode. One criticism leveled against TNG was it's treatment towards the "spirit" of Star Trek and it's characters. I think I see the same phrase, "DS9 was the only trek series that had the same spirit as the original", mentioned all the time on this board, yet it's episodes like this where TNG definately respects it's elder. I love that TNG isn't the original series, but when they bring on characters from that era, it is done so awesomely and with so much class and respect that I almost question that criticism.

Case in point, Sarek. This episode was an allegory on terminal diseases (I was thinking aids) and it dealt with how someone with so much influence had to react when he had it. In fact, I think this episode was done before this incident, but remember when Magic Johnson reported that he had to retire because of HIV. I wonder how that must of felt both for him and the fans and media. I would have kept it secret for a long time too just to have some dignity.

That's what happened in this episode, and I think Sarek was the most appropriate character to do it. I know people love Spock, but Sarek was a very influential character in the original, and Leonerd appearing in TNG was quite a tribute. I loved that scene in Sarek's quarters with just him and Picard and he was trying to justify that he was in perfect health. I also loved the concert scene when we see the tear. There was also the incidences around the ship that were interesting, but this was a Sarek story and personally, I could have done without the extracurricular stuff.

Then we have the scene at the end with Picard taking all the emotion Sarek had. If that isn't going out with dignity I don't know what is. Stewart was awesome here and that definitely paid homage to Star Trek, Allowing the most influential person in federation history to complete his final mission. See, TNG can bow to it's elders without hitting people over the head with it, unlike Trials and Tribble-ations.

Anyway, awesome episode, and definately my second favorite show fo the season.

Menage A Troi - B-

I've not seen this episode in a long time. I actually thought I would give it a lower grade since it is Ferengi, and Lwaxana in the same show. It was a double whammy of forgettables. However, I found this one amusing. The scenes on Betazed were great (I loved the look on Betazed, it almost reminded me of Bajor) and I liked Riker playing chess with that Ferengi guy. Other than that, it was silly, but the episode makes up for it with Picard quoting Shakespeare poetry. That was too funny. Also, Wes really grew up in this episode with the Uniform. I've always liked Wes, so seeing that uniform on him was nice and long past due.

Transfigurations - C

There isn't much to say about this one. It was decent, and the ending was nice but it took a while to get there. I did like seeing Christy and Geordi back together again. Where has she been since Booby Trap.

Tomorrow Night, what I consider the first three part episode in Trek: Best of Both Worlds I, II, and Family.

 

[The Old Mixer]

JingleBellRok301 said:
There seemed to be a lot of repitition between Fajo and Data in wanting Data to conform

More Fajo trying to control Data, like an object. There's some very disturbing subtext in all of that, but I'll save it for my own review.

The stuff on the ship ended up being inconsequential, but it was nice to see Geordi figure it all out.

Well, Data did get a better send-off here than he got in Nemesis.

This episode was an allegory on terminal diseases (I was thinking aids) and it dealt with how someone with so much influence had to react when he had it.

I always saw it as more of an Alzheimer's thing...in fact, didn't Picard reference a grandfather who suffered form Alzheimer's in this episode? It's about the loss of control and dignity, moreso than eventual death.

I loved that scene in Sarek's quarters with just him and Picard and he was trying to justify that he was in perfect health.

"It is illogical! ILLOGICAL!"

(I loved the look on Betazed, it almost reminded me of Bajor)

Don't know for sure, but wouldn't doubt if they reused locations.

I've always liked Wes, so seeing that uniform on him was nice and long past due.

Too bad it lasted so short a time before he was off the show.

Tomorrow Night, what I consider the first three part episode in Trek: Best of Both Worlds I, II, and Family.

You guys are leaving me in the dust. I don't even know how soon I'll be buying Season 4.

 

[Kegek]

JingleBellRok301 said:
Tomorrow Night, what I consider the first three part episode in Trek: Best of Both Worlds I, II, and Family.

IMHO, also the best. "Family" is a coda that makes the events of BOBW so meaningful.

 

[startrekwatcher]

Best of Both Worlds was a very dramatic moment not just in the Trek universe but in the series itself. It really gave momentum to the series that IMO would propel it for the remainder of its days.

The Borg invasion was a life altering experience in the TNG universe and its effects from the 6 day invasion nicely reverberates and lingers here in “Family”, an episode that did an oustanding job in showing the aftermath.

After such a harrowing time where one wouldn’t be sure if they would live to see another day the natural reaction would be to reconnect with loved ones in order to regain that sense of normalcy.

There are three stories taking place and each one worked. Picard’s of course was the most engrossing. I liked seeing the show visit Earth and seeing a slice of 24th century life(the Atlantis project, attitudes about technology). The on location shooting was nice especially of the vineyards and the home felt very warm and inviting from outside as well on the inside with some nice design. It definitely felt lived in. I loved Marie and Rene. Robert was appropriately gruff. The family dynamics felt real from sibling rivalry to familial obligations Robert respects to Picard's need to leave it behind and forge a new life for himself in space.

Picard and Rene had some great chemistry and Marie reminded me a lot of strong women in my family who did her best to smooth things over.

Seeing Picard vulnerable was an interesting break from the usually self assured man as he tries to come to grips with not only the nightmare of his assimilation but with the reality that he played an indirect role in the murder of thousands of innocent lives. The scene where he breaks down is absorbing and was one of those moments where TNG showed that it was a solid drama.

Old wounds with Robert play into this and eventually leads to Picard’s breakdown where he reveals all this to his brother and begins his path to healing. I know some thought that even this follow-up didn’t go far enough in portraying consequences from his assimilation but I ‘m quite satisfied with it and I really don’t need to see it brought up each week. I can accept that he’ll continue his counseling sessions offscreen and work through it eventually coming to terms that he can live with. I’m not saying everyone would react that way. Sure for another person it might just be too much to live with. Every victim will respond differently to an assault and the way the writers chose to handle his was plausible.

Worf’s story was decent and I liked meeting his foster parents, I especially liked Helena. Guinan shined again. The dialog worked well from O’Brien's tale of his nurse chasing father to Geordi in engineering. I also thought Wes’ scene as he listens to a pre-recorded holoprogram(cool idea btw) from his father was sweet. Loved the final shot of Rene under the tree as a shooting star is seen above. Great hour--I‘ll give it an A- or 3.5/4 stars. It was one of those shows that is touching and reassuring.

Brothers--B+. 3 stars/4

I liked this one too. It isn't groundbreaking or what I would call great but was quite solid.

I liked the Data action sequence when he takes control of the ship. Brent did a good job in three roles. I even liked the Potts brothers B-plot. Overall the episode worked a lot for me because it resonated given that I have a brother and that there is only two of us. I have to admit the scene where Soong says good-bye to Data and Data says he can't grieve for his father moved me to tears.

I also liked a lot of the material and ideas the story covered and the final scene was perfect with Beverly telling Data that "brothers forgive." and his expression on his face.

 

[startrekwatcher]

Suddenly Human-

We finally get to one of a handful of TNG episodes from season 3 to season 6 that I don’t find all that great but I do find it alright in spots. Chad Allen is pretty good, the dilemma is pretty interesting, the Picard/Jono interactions are pretty good, the stabbing of Picard is rather shocking and the ending isn’t what I expected with him not returning to his human family. But still something was missing. C+.

Remember Me

It is the another in a series of episodes this season where TNG takes a single character and makes them the headliner of a particular episode(Bev here, Data next in Legacy, Worf in Reunion, Riker in Future Imperfect, Wes in Final Mission, Troi in the Loss, Data in Data’s Day etc). This is a personal favorite from year four.

TNG really could have rested on its laurels following BoBW but the show continued to churn out solidly entertaining hours in what I find is its most consistent season.

The episode is an example of really strong storytelling with its elegant construction, its fresh sci-fi concept, its deft handling of its mystery elements, its skilled balancing of both plot/character and its nice pacing. On its own it is a great show for its entertainment value alone but the thought put into assembling it only enhances it that much more for me as a viewer. It also didn’t hurt that this was a good mystery and I love mysteries.

The way the writer Lee Sheldon built the tension up of the mystery by first cleverly focusing our attention on one man’s isolated disappearance and localizing the threat to the ship was a great hook leading to a host of questions--What is going on? Why Quaice? Who took him? Why erase all evidence that he ever existed?

It starts out like a routine missing person’s investigation which nicely works as a way of having the audience settle into a comfortable feeling before things get really interesting and the plot thickens. I particularly liked all the attention to details—Worf mentioning that even if Quaice is missing why would his luggage be missing, the crew suggesting checking for replicator usage since Quaice couldn’t go long without eating, scanning for Quaice’s communicator, Picard suggesting Quaice might have returned to the starbase amidst all the traffic and Beverly realizing O’Brien would have remembered seeing the two of them in the transporter room.

Then we get our next twist… O’Brien denies ever seeing Quaice! Is Beverly now the focus? Is there a conspiracy by Starfleet? Why? Is Picard involved and why would Bev be left out of the loop? Because of her relationship with Quaice? What was Quaice possibly involved in? Why is O’Brien lying? Is O’Brien lying? Or did someone or something alter his memory? Once again I liked she thought to run a scan on him to see if he had been tampered with.

If those moments weren’t surprising enough the scope of the unknown threat continues to widen even further with a series of nicely placed revelations that pack a nice punch. First, there are now more missing faceless crewmen, then the crew complement has dwindled, then no one seems to remember Worf

These are shocking revelations on their own but made even more insidious by the fact that they don’t faze the crew at all, who casually accept it as normal—the way things have always been. The crew continues to act intelligently about the threat considering Wes’ experiment might hold the answers before determining it couldn’t have the reach to effect anyone beyond Engineering.

Another nice misdirection that throws our suspicion off of the obvious but ultimately turns out to be the culprit. Also it soon becomes clear whatever is happening is beyond just an alien conspiracy. Something is wrong with the very universe itself—a staggering prospect. Then Beverly has her run in, which was nicely presented, with the mysterious vortex that seems very likely to be the source of the bizarre happenings.

It all culminates in an appropriately surreal scene where Picard tells Beverly that they are the only crew the Enterprise has ever needed. The way Beverly described all of the senior staff as she was trying to convince mostly herself that all of these people were real and not some figment of her imagination was handled well. Beverly ordering the computer to take continuous scans of Picard in the hope of gathering data that might explain what is going on was another demonstration of her being on the ball.

The two actors have always had chemistry And I really liked that poignant moment after everyone has finally disappeared and she makes a promise to them all that she will *never* forget any of them and that pained look on her face. She now realizes for whatever reason she is the only one left in the universe and the staggering responsibility of not only finding these people but saving the universe itself which is literally becoming nothing is devastatingly overwhelming.

And that brings up another aspect I'd like to acknowledge. The void outside the ship captured in an effectively unsettling way the nihilistic situation she was facing.

The reveals are timed for just the right moments not revealing too little or too much too early and spoiling the speculation. Sometimes the payoff is never quite the equal to all the build up but this was a perfect way to handle the mystery. The big reveal that Geordi & Wes are trying to reach her and she has been inside the bubble all along is so very clever. A brilliant twist and the execution of said twist was outstanding as we see them on the otherside working to maintain the threshold as the camera panned from her side to theirs.

The idea Beverly created her own reality based on what she was thinking about at that moment when she was pulled into the warp bubble was a clever idea and one that was quite satisfying, holding up just as strongly to all the previous build-up.

Then came the ultimate WTF mind-boggling moment when she learns that she is the only one left in a universe that is only 700 meters in diameter and the shape of the universe is very familiar. The writers just kept ratcheting up the insanity. It was great. It reminded me of the very best of the Twilight Zone where perception and reality are distorted.

The last 10 minutes were just as tension-filled and thrilling asBeverly raced to reach the threshold. space starts collapsing and more of the ship ceased to exist and Beverly raced to reach the threshold in time. In hindsight all of the clues were there, the internal logic holds together even after the mystery is solved. I liked how little details like Quaice’s conversation plays a role but at the same time they are down played so subtlely that you dismiss them.

Gates did a fantastic job as Dr. Crusher trying to solve the mystery in these extraordinary circumstances. And this episode also showcased exceptionally well the qualities I like best about her. She is a formidable woman with such a steely resolve that once she has her mind made up not even someone like Picard can say no to her. And even when others might cave in and succumb to the overwhelming situation she finds herself in, she remains steadfast keeping her wits about her never letting herself fall to pieces. She just keeps thinking up more ideas to solve this dilemma even getting into it with the computer. She got in some good lines—“ Was he invisible? Did I carry on a conversation with thin air?”, “Will, I didn't conjure up one of my best friends from a test tube.”, “I'm sorry I lost my temper. You do remember that?” and Picard’s “vividly” in reply, “If there isn't anything wrong with me... maybe there's something wrong with the universe...” or her clicking her heels line. And I loved the moment when she sits in the captain’s chair.

Wil Wheaton did a great job as well as a son back in the real world who is having to cope with the realization that he very well may be responsible for his mother’s death if he can’t reach her inside the nightmare he placed in her. I loved how they toyed with us when Beverly rushes to Engineering to find Wesley before he actually disappears.

The reveal also allows for everything that happened to hold together and make sense—the loss of people, the effected memories, the logic just works so well. Not only did it build on an already pre-existing thread established all the way back in “Where No One Has Gone Before”, which doesn’t make it seem contrived or out-of-the-blue, but the manner in which the writer uses the earlier conversation to play into the heart of the dilemma by taking the notion of losing people in your life to its most concrete reality was very clever and subtle. I really liked that element a lot.

This was a mystery show where I had no clue as to what was going on until the actual reveal and for me those are the best kinds of mysteries.

I also thought including the Traveler made sense. And the final scene although rather brief was a nice way to cap things off after everything Beverly had been through. However brief his appearance, I really liked Quaice too and the way the two managed to sell the warmth and long history between them in such a short amount of time was impressive(The way Beverly intertwined her arms in his as they walked down the corridor for instance). Not to mention I’ve always thought that the name “Quaice” was really cool. I also liked the title works as both a plea and as a question.

This is one of those episodes that the show did over the years that really was fun and exploited the series’ sci-fi premise to wonderful effect. In this age of long-running storylines and elaborate mystery shows like Lost or Heroes I enjoy from time to time just watching a nicely constructed one hour episode. The episode for me is an A.

And thanks for the compliments about the reviews. JingleBellRok301 I'm not a professional critic just someone in their free time who enjoys waxing on about TNG. Once I get started sometimes I lose track and get on a long-winded roll. I figure this is a discussion board so why not communicate all the elements I liked or disliked. Who knows maybe some poster will see the episode or an element of the episode in a way they hadn't before. And who knows maybe I'll learn to appreciate an episode in a different way after reading someone else's thoughts.

 

[K-Star]

OMG, people are starting to get ahead of me! I better start on season 4 soon (good thing I have extra copies of season 4 and 5 here at home. I didn't bring any of my series set from school because I knew I had 4 and 5 here.)

 

[Spider]

I've got to finish up season three myself. Hopefully I'll do that Saturday. The holidays are taking up to much of my time, but I have all of New Year's week off, and I plan to make a serious dent in season four, or finish it entirely that week. Along with a million other things I've got planned.

 

[Kegek]

"Brothers" is one of my all-time favourite episodes. Not just of TNG, but of Star Trek in general. Most of the credit goes to Spiner in his great three role performance. Of particular note; Noonien Soong's speech on the need for constancy.

 

[startrekwatcher]

Legacy--B+ 3stars/4

Three years have passed since Tasha was killed and most of the crew have accepted the loss and moved on with their lives only now to come face-to-face with a person from her past-her sister. What follows is an interesting look at how this would naturally stir feelings for their fallen comrade and a desire to reconnect on some level with Tasha through Ishara. And it is the crew’s reactions to Ishara Yar are what elevate this episode in my eyes.

Beth Touissant did a good job of portraying a hardened yet wounded individual who never could break totally free of the society she grew up in feeling a misplaced allegiance to Hayne & the rebels. It was a nice contrast to how Tasha turned her life around and didn’t let her environment consume her. The continued display of Ishara's disgust & resentment with her sister was cutting and sad not subsiding even after learning Tasha had died. That carried a nice punch.

I especially liked the Picard/Ishara exchange in sickbay where Picard talks of the woman Yar became.

The crew’s initial skepticism about who Ishara was wise and I thought they took sensible precautions but eventually she began to prove herself and the crew embraced her especially Data of course given his closeness to Tasha. There were several scenes I thought were really nice or moving like any of the Data/Ishara scenes and Brent did a great job.

I truly felt for Data being taken in by Ishara especially in the final scene when Data struggles with this very cruel betrayal. Even though it was coming I really was hoping Ishara would have a change of heart and not betray the crew but sometimes one can’t escape their past so I felt for her. She was clearly torn and on some level and wasn’t being totally deceitful with Data but still she couldn’t betray the people that she perceived as her family either.

Instead of finding something fulfilling from this encounter with Ishara it ended up leaving everyone pretty much empty & stung by the events. They were all ready to leave Turkana IV behind. The only good thing to come of it was the safe return of the hostages. And the cold android way Data dismissed Ishara in the transporter room was biting I thought. Overall one of TNG’s more depressing endings.

As for the rescue plot I did like the action sequences and the idea of the myographic scanner. Plus Data's technical description of familiarity that he experiences was great and of course would be mentioned again in "Times Arrow I" also written by Joe Menosky.

Reunion-A- 3.5 stars

I thought this was one of the darker episodes of the series. With K'ehler's death and Worf killing Duras. It advanced the Klingon arc TNG had set up and paved the way for the season finale.

Future Imperfect-A- 3.5 stars

Future Imperfect is another of TNG’s episodes that blends an interesting sci-fi plot with nice characterization as well as placing a character in a surreal situation. Riker’s plight as he was faced with the overwhelming reality of having seemingly lost 16 years of his life and then learning on top of that that he is a father was involving. The scenes between Riker and “Jean-Luc” were especially well done as they struggle to get through this awkward situation.

One of the nice human aspects that came out of this situation was seeing Riker’s concerns of not ending up being the kind of father Kyle was to him in his childhood especially after the loss of his mother. One can easily imagine the greatest fear for someone like Riker would be to fail their own child. It is clear Riker hopes he has been a better father to Jean-Luc than Kyle was to him especially in the wake of his mother’s death. He consciously wants to not fail his son which comes through wonderfully in the brief scene in the turbolift well played by Frakes. And it was sad that just as Riker was getting used to the idea of being a father he learns it was all a trick.

The one Riker and Troi conversation where they reminiscence and the final scene where Barash reveals his plight as a child left alone after losing his parents were both touching. I really liked the Riker/Troi scene. Marina did a great job at being a nice reassuring and sympathetic presence for Riker amidst all this chaos and confusion. And Barash’s alien was for once truly unique design. So it goes without saying I felt for his plight and that is always nice. And Riker comes off great as he reassures Barash and tells him that he would always be Jean-Luc to him.

It is interesting to note the illusion Barash ended up creating was based on scans of Riker’s mind. It is quite interesting insight into Riker and consistent with the way a child deprived of closeness to another person would behave and think. Barash provided a pretty ideal “future” that he believed would make Riker happy. Here he is captain of the Enterprise, the place he has been most comfortable, surrounded by all of his friends. I have heard some people grouse over how realistic it was for most of the crew to have remained on the ship all these years but I think it makes sense in this context. Besides the crew ultimately did stay together for about that long up until Nemesis. So I am more than willing to go along with it since it is not that big of a deal in such a great story.

I also appreciated that Barash’s behavior & reactions were consistent with how a child, desperate for attention and attachment, might think and react. Barash is intent on seeing that Riker focuses on him that he creates the “future” scenario to play on Riker’s loss of his mother by making him a widower and then to remove Troi from the equation by having her no longer assigned to the Enterprise and their relationship ultimately not work out.

The updates on the crew were fun with Geordi having his sight back, Data in a red uniform as his first officer, Admiral Picard, Tomalak, a Ferengi Starfleet officer, another Klingon officer and a female no less may be that is where Worf got his scar, Riker’s telling “Picard” to shut up were all great things; the birthday teaser in the beginning tied in nicely with the theme of the episode and had some great banter; the great reveal in sickbay at the end of the teaser.

I personally thought the idea of using Minuet to clue Riker into the fact something was up was extremely clever and made so much sense given his fondness for her back in 10010001. A great example of using continuity to enhance a subsequent plot. I didn’t even catch onto it earlier when they were talking about “Min”. The plot twists were great especially since everything was pointing to a Romulan plot and something like this was so consistent with their motus operandi but then to spring another level of deception upon us was great. I was wondering how Riker would escape a high security Romulan secret base. I was glad it misled us into believing the obvious. I loved the ominous turn things started taking when Riker started confronting the crew. And the visual of Barash lighing up his scanners was good. It was well-written, well-acted, had some nice suspense & misdirection as well. I was perfectly satisfied with the extra twist myself.

It would have been too obvious and straightforward had it all been just a Romulan ploy. Besides with only so few minutes left in the story this resolution offered a nice elegant way of getting Riker out of a seemingly inescapable corner while at the same time providing a nice poignant ending with Barash. I liked the idea that it wasn't some elaborate scheme by the Romulans but an effort by a lonely child seeking companionship.