A Journey

[tomalak301]

Sgt. Scrooge said:
I'm on call this week, so any time I have will probably be this weekend. But I plan on catching at least one and maybe two DVDs this weekend.

I plan to do a whole lot more than that this weekend. I'm way behind and want to finish up to Season 5 or 6 by the time Winter Break ends.

 

[WillsBabe]

I'm not watching since I don't have time at the moment or the peace and quiet TNG deserves, so I'm just enjoying reading everyone else's comments.

 

[Orac Zen]

I hope to make some more progress this weekend. Assuming stupid offline life doesn't interfere with such important things.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I probably won't be watching much before the holidays myself...but I think the humorous intent of my post was lost....

 

[Spider]

The Old Mixer said:
I probably won't be watching much before the holidays myself...but I think the humorous intent of my post was lost....

That happens on the internet a lot.

 

[Spider]

Allegiance – C +

Standard Trek fare and not all that interesting. But two things elevate this to a C+, Picard and Beverly (even though it’s not really Picard) and the ending where the real Picard has the aliens surrounded by a force field. I have to tell ya, I really enjoyed the Picard and Beverly stuff.

Captain's Holiday – B-

And the introduction of Risa and Vash, what more could you ask for?

Despite the stupid Ferengi this is an enjoyable, light hearted episode. The relationship between Picard and Vash should have been explored more often than it was if you ask me. A point to ponder is how soon do you think Picard was really on to Vash? And when they had their fun in the sleeping bag, was Picard just taking advantage of the opportunity (ala the Risa syndrome) or did he have something else in mind?

Tin Man – A-

Hey Dennis, I’m ‘n ur sode reviewn’ it!

I’ve always liked this one. Tam is a bit of a pain, but he is written that way. The idea of a ship that is alive is an old theme in sci-fi, but is done quite well here. Even Troi is believable in this one. The music is a departure from the standard TNG background noise and is noticeable and very pleasant. This is an episode that every time I rewatch it (and this is about the third or forth time I believe) I always see something in it I didn’t take account of before. I like the ending where Data realizes he belongs on the Enterprise, a nice moment with Troi and Data.

Dennis, if you are reading this, how much of this script was yours and how much did it change from your writing? I ask because I notice there is a co-writer on this. Kudos to you Sir for a good episode. :thumbsup:

 

[tomalak301]

I watched 2 more, I'm still way behind but so what.

The Bonding - B-

I've actually not liked this episode that much over the years so watching it today was a pleasant surprise on how interesting it really was. There were a ton of great character moments, like Wes and his Mothers embrace when they were reminacing about Jack, or Picard having to tell Jeremy that his mother had been killed. It was very interesting when Marla showed up and really set the episode in motion.

I think what really doesn't do this episode for me is the child actor. The guy who played Jeremy just isn't convincing enough to add an emotional pull to an episode that could have benifited from one. It's actually my problem with TNG on a whole when they do kid shows, mostly in Season 5 but also spattered throughout the series. The child actors just don't do anything to add that certain something to the story and actually detract from it.

Booby Trap - B

This one has always been a favorite of mine because I love those stories where there is a big problem and the entire crew has a hand in dealing with it. Granted, this was Geordi's show, but how everyone worked together to get out of the trap was great. I loved the interaction between Geordi and Leah (There was a transition from the meeting to when Geordi and Leah were arguing mercilessly and I found that funny). Sucks for Geordi to not get a real girlfriend but oh well. Actually the whole girlfriend aspect is why this episode is rated as I rated it, even though the talk with Guinan was great as always. I remember figuring out the tie-in between this episode and Times Arrow a few years ago and got really giddy when I realized something new from this series. I still do sometimes whenever I watch this one. The stuff with Picard was also great. Ships in Bottles was amusing, and then Picard piloting the ship out of the trap and using the slingshot around the astroid was awesome stuff.

I hope to watch more tonight.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Sgt. Scrooge said:
Tin Man – A-

I know Dennis might be reading...but you graded this episode higher than "The Defector"?

Tam is a bit of a pain, but he is written that way.

I'm getting ahead of my own review here, but Tam struck me as teetering on the brink of being a Mary Sue, though the actor did a good job selling the character. In the hands of the wrong actor, he could have been antoher Admiral Jameson.

The idea of a ship that is alive is an old theme in sci-fi

Indeed...a veritable cliche in literary sci fi...but it hadn't really been done in an installment of Trek yet, so it was certainly fair game here.

I like the ending where Data realizes he belongs on the Enterprise

Pretty standard episodic fiction stuff...it would have been noteworthy if he'd decided he didn't belong on the Enterprise. But YMM...um...IMHO...yeah. (Whew, hit the brakes just in time!)

Dennis, if you are reading this, how much of this script was yours and how much did it change from your writing?

Please tell us that you didn't write the part when Tam calls Riker "Billy Boy".

JingleBellRok301 said:
I remember figuring out the tie-in between this episode and Times Arrow a few years ago and got really giddy when I realized something new from this series.

Was this when she said that she was attracted to bald men?

 

[tomalak301]

^Yes it was.

 

[Spider]

I have this strange habit of liking episodes others don't, I suppose. I am a big fan of Rascals and Masks after all.

 

[tomalak301]

Sgt. Scrooge said:
I have this strange habit of liking episodes others don't, I suppose. I am a big fan of Rascals and Masks after all.

I am too. Masks was interesting, and Rascals was just funny.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I enjoyed "Rascals"...but "Masks"...well, I can only hope that when I eventually revisit it, I'll find it more entertaining than I remember....

 

[Spider]

I'm on a roll today. And if I don't get any calls from work, I'll finish out season three tonight and start in on season four tomorrow.

Hollow Pursuits – D

This episode presented a germ of a good idea, but the execution was horrible. Also, I just can’t imagine a commanding officer telling a subordinate officer to make someone who has been on report for poor performance their friend. That just seemed totally out of character for Picard. The holodeck sequences were sometimes embarrassing to watch. If I remember correctly, Barclay does have a few episodes that were good, but this is certainly not one of them. In my opinion, this is one of the low points of season three.

The Most Toys – B-

A good Data episode, and of course, the big question is at the end. Did the weapon malfunction during transport, or was Data in the process of firing the weapon and then mislead everyone afterwards? Data has misled people in the series before, but he was under orders to do so. In this case, it would have been a deliberate deception on his part, something of which he is supposed to be incapable of.

I think Data (actually the script writer) may have stepped outside the limits of Data in this episode. In the last scene Data mocks Fajo when he says “I am only an android”, and then turns and leaves.

Also, I think it is well within Data to kill Fajo, because as he said, he couldn’t allow all this to continue. But then again Data wouldn’t lie about that, he would report his actions and reasons for doing so. A bit controversial considering what we know of Data up to this point. But still, a good episode.

Sarek – B

While this is a wonderful episode, I don’t seem to be as enamored of it as some are. Mark Lenard is just superb as an ailing Sarek, but the effect of his problem spreading to the crew are overdone and sometimes approaching silly. Stewart turns in a wonderful performance. A strange episode for me as this show had some astonishingly well acted scenes mixed with absolute absurdity in others.

Ménage à Troi – D

This is actually the first time I’ve seen this episode. When the show was in it’s original run, I quickly learned not to bother watching the Lwaxana Troi episodes, and I also skipped them when rewatching the series after buying all the DVDs a few years ago. I was right to do so, especially with this one. I’m sorry, but the allusion of a naked Majel Roddenberry on my TV is just more than I can deal with. And I didn’t buy Picard’s pretentiousness at the end to get Lwaxana back. But, even if the episode sucked, it was all new TNG to me which was, well, at least interesting. Seeing Riker in heretofore unseen scenes was almost worth it. Almost.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I figured I'd fit in one more episode to finish off the disc that I was on...though as I haven't even watched the extras on the Razor DVD yet, this will likely be it from me until after the holidays.

"The High Ground"--This wasn't too bad...I found both Finn and the policewoman somewhat likeable, though both had the thankless task of virtually everything they said being exposition for their respective sides of the conflict. It's curious that the episode takes such pains not to take sides, nor to resolve the conflict...yet declares a winner in the real-world conflict that they're allegorizing. (They probably would have been better off not giving an exact date there, too....) The Federation, through Beverly, comes off as arrogant and naive here...future humanity shouldn't be so assured of its utopian nature that it needs an alien to remind it of its bloody past.

I don't remember the effect of the dimensional shift looking so fake...like they superimposed a wiggly-edged but static cutout over the flash.

Sgt. Scrooge said:
The scene where Picard was explaining to Wesley what terrorism is was HORRIBLE.

I was looking, but I didn't see a scene that qualifies. Picard briefly explained the political situation on the planet to Wesley, but didn't make any broad lectures about terrorism. He did, after talking to Wesley, make a general comment to Troi that resonates much more for me after 9/11--"History has shown us that strength may be useless when faced with terrorism." If anything qualifies as a lecture, it's when Data asks Picard about terrorism, and basically gives the lecture himself in framing his questions to Picard. That was as close as we got to Tasha's infamous "drugs are bad" speech.

Based on my grades so far, I'm going to give this one a C.

EDIT: And I forgot to mention the historic TNG first here--Picard hauls off and punches someone! That made me jump out of my chair in '89!

 

[Spider]

There was a scene in The High Ground where Picard, Wesley, and I believe Riker, were sitting in Picard's ready room and Picard was explaining the terrorists motives. While not at bad as Yar telling Wesley about the horrors of drug addiction this scene was bad.

I can see a valid point in some folks comments where it seems the writers were writing down to Wesley in places.

Well, I've got two more episodes for season three, but really, I'd rather watch The Best of Both Worlds in one setting. I may save that treat for tomorrow.

 

[The Old Mixer]

^That was the Picard/Wesley/Troi ready room scene that I referenced. But Picard's dialogue to Wesley was more exposition than lecture, and quite brief.

Data gets the Tasha Yar "Drugs Are Bad" Award here, for attempting to lure Picard into a lecture about terrorism. Thankfully, Picard doesn't bite.

 

[Orac Zen]

The Old Mixer said:
...but I think the humorous intent of my post was lost....

Obviously you were too subtle.

Sgt. Scrooge said:
I am a big fan of Rascals and Masks after all.

"Rascals" I can agree () with. "Masks" is horrible.


I finished season 3 a short while ago (although I forgot to watch "Menage a Troi" - no, it wasn't deliberate). "Transfigurations" is another subtle-as-a-brick ep but it's likeable enough. "Best of Both Worlds" part 1 remains as brilliant as the day I first saw it, although I still have a problem with how overly abrasive Shelby is. Seems to me that if she wants the first officer gig on the Federation flagship it might be an idea to follow procedures properly (it couldn't be that difficult to leave a message for Riker before she left). That minor quibble aside, it's an excellent ep.

On to season four...eventually.

 

[tomalak301]

I'm probably going to see one more before I go to bed but I wanted to get this in before maintenance and because I don't want to forget.

The Enemy - A-

I've always loved this episode. I've heard people call it cliche, and I'm sitting here wondering if that truly is a bad thing. I mean we get to find out a little more about the Romulans through the interactions with Geordi and Bochra and how they come together for a common goal is almost in the true spirit of what TNG is.

As for the ship stuff, that was great too. People say TNG doesn't take any risks, or doesn't get shady. Sometimes I wonder what show they were watching because this episode is an excellent example of TNG getting a little dark. I mean you have someone who refuses to save a life and we could have gotten an impassioned speech from Picard about the morality of it all that would be preachy. Yet we didn't. We got a great speech trying to pursuade Worf to give blood and Picard didn't push the issue. It was a great little piece of writing that does make me wonder what show others, or just myself, is watching.

The Price - C+

This episode isn't bad, but it isn't that great either. I loved it when they focused on the negotiating table and the whole Poker theme. I didn't like it when we had the Ferengi pretty much ruin a story, or Ral and Troi getting it on. However, the Ral and Troi getting it on kind of paid off in the end when Troi actually became useful for a change. There were other great moments that have been mentioned (Like Data telling Geordi that he was there if they got trapped on the other side) but other than that, this one was merely average.

The Vengeance Factor - C-

I never realized how forgettable this one was. I know many people say Alligence is the forgettable episode of the season, but I think this one comes really close. At least we got a guilt felt Riker at the end, but that really doesn't save this one. I guess it was alright but there isn't much to say about it really.

The Defector - A+

Ok, I am going to say something Blasphemous right now. I consider this episode the best episode of the season and probably in my top 10 of the entire series. Why is that blasphemous? Well, because this season offers a lot of great classics like Deja Q, The Offspring, Yesterday's Enterprise, and, of course Best of Both Worlds. Many people consider those episodes I just mentioned to be the highlights of the season. Me, I consider Defector to be the Gem of the season and an underrated classic.

We start this episode with a brillient scene in the holodeck with Picard and Data. I'm reminded of the other times Shakespeare was brought up and I love the passion that this series brings to that fine work of literature. It's respect in the deepest degree and when Picard is talking to Data, I think he is really showing the audience why Stewart is in love with Shakespeare and why we all should respect this writer. However, the episode then goes to the story with Meeting Jerok (And that beautiful score from Mr. Jones) and the meet of his defection. I love the scenes between Sloyan and Stewart because both seem to be playing off each other and it makes for some great character chemistry.

If you ever want to know why I choose my username, watch this episode and The Enemy. Both feature Tomalak, and a great showdown between him and Picard. Picard is such a great captain because he will talk to prevent a war. I was thinking the mood was like a Shark waiting to attack and then doing it without you knowing. I wonder how many times in the series did Riker just look at him with a smile and almost going "Oh, Shit" I think I've counted like 4 times this season alone. The bit with the Klingons still gets me every time. When they decloak, the look on Tomalak's face is priceless.

The ending is really touching as well. Actually it's so touching that it makes me angrier if I think about Nemesis and the missed opportunity to bring Jerok's letter home.

I wonder if this is off base (DS9 fans would probably say yes it is) but I wonder if this episode was TNG's Duet. I mean let's look at the similarities. Both episodes have characters "Behind enemy lines," both have alternate identities to try and change their respective Empires for the better, both have dark pasts ("What you Call Genocide, I call a days work" and "One planets butcher, is another planet's Hero") and both die ending the episode with a sense of the barrier of race and trust. I would say Duet was much more powerful in a sense of drama, but give credit to The Defector. This episode was one hell of an emotional ride and it was damn fun.

 

[Whoa Nellie]

Sgt. Scrooge said:
Captain's Holiday – B-

And the introduction of Risa and Vash, what more could you ask for?

It has supplied me with fantastic fanfic fodder for a decade now.

Sgt. Scrooge said:
Despite the stupid Ferengi this is an enjoyable, light hearted episode. The relationship between Picard and Vash should have been explored more often than it was if you ask me.

:thumbsup:I agree. I've always seen the Picard/Vash relationship as an homage to the great romantic film pairings of the 40's. The very compelling 'battle of wills' dynamic to the Picard/Vash relationship is reminiscent of Bogart and Bacall in the classic movie "To Have and Have Not." Vash's brazenness complements Picard's more sedate personality perfectly. She is the ideal foil for Picard's straight man. The characterizations and relationship dynamics between Picard and Vash makes this pairing a pure joy to watch. If explored more it might have been quite similar to the relationship on Stargate SG1 between Vala Mal Doran and Daniel Jackson. Although, Vash is a much more subtle version of Vala with Daniels Jackson's education and credentials. In my opinion, Vash is one of those underutilized characters with a virtual goldmine of untapped potential.

Sgt. Scrooge said:
A point to ponder is how soon do you think Picard was really on to Vash? And when they had their fun in the sleeping bag, was Picard just taking advantage of the opportunity (ala the Risa syndrome) or did he have something else in mind?

Those are good questions. I think Sovak showing up at the cave was the final piece to the puzzle for Picard. He tells Vash later, "You never intended to burn that second disc. If you had, you wouldn't have been so careless as to allow Sovak to salvage any of it. You wanted him to follow us so he could see for himself that the Uthat wasn't at the cave site. It was the only way to convince him your quest had been futile."

Of course, Picard had already double-crossed Vash with the Vorgons. It reminds me of how whenever my husband and I hear Escape (The Pina Colada Song) By Rupert Holmes, my husband asks, "Who actually has the right to be pissed in this song?"

It is also Vash who stops Picard from royally screwing up and handing the Uthat over to the Vorgons by pointing out they are the bad guys who stole it in the first place.

This brings me to another little piece of canon fodder I like to use in my fanfic. I have Vash often refer to Picard's litany of archaeological sins. This is a list of all the archaeological treasures that Picard (a so-called archaeological enthusiast) has destroyed the moment he got his hands on them.

Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie

 

[The Old Mixer]

JingleBellRok301 said:
The Enemy - A-

I've always loved this episode. I've heard people call it cliche, and I'm sitting here wondering if that truly is a bad thing.

I was probably a little hard on it at the time, forgetting that we did "learn" some interesting things about the Romulans in it. (The stuff they incorporated bore considerable resemblance to the FASA RPG version of the Romulans, which was probably in turn based on somebody's novels.)

The Defector - A+

Ok, I am going to say something Blasphemous right now. I consider this episode the best episode of the season and probably in my top 10 of the entire series.

You don't have to sell me--I gave it an A+, too! Which isn't surprising, considering that we're both BSG fans and this one is vintage Ron Moore.

I wonder how many times in the series did Riker just look at him with a smile and almost going "Oh, Shit" I think I've counted like 4 times this season alone.

An unfortunate side effect of Picard getting more to do starting this season is that Riker is often reduced to such moments rather than taking center stage himself.