Bigger, Badder, Balder: Revisiting Star Trek: The Next Generation

[Paul Weaver]

This is the first time we get to see the ship’s warp core,

Sorry to disagree, but it was seen in EaF, Picard walks through Engineering on the top level, down the lift, then off. Worf also did the lift later, after all they had to get their money's worth.

https://tng.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x01/farpoint_hd_058.jpg

Engineering also appears to be the primary evacuation route for the many civilians who seem to live in the stardrive section (an odd choice given most quarters are in the saucer section, but we see much later in Generations, dozens of kids with their teddies need to evacuate from the stardrive)

I do miss the early Ferengi, and one of the things I think DS9 really did wrong was having Zek (and even people like Brunt) travelling in shuttles.

I do think Last Outpost is the best post-EaF episode so far though.

 

[Trollheart]

Sorry to disagree, but it was seen in EaF, Picard walks through Engineering on the top level, down the lift, then off. Worf also did the lift later, after all they had to get their money's worth.

https://tng.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x01/farpoint_hd_058.jpg

Ah right sorry. I think I probably meant first in which it's actually mentioned.

Engineering also appears to be the primary evacuation route for the many civilians who seem to live in the stardrive section (an odd choice given most quarters are in the saucer section, but we see much later in Generations, dozens of kids with their teddies need to evacuate from the stardrive)

It does seem to have been badly planned out doesn't it? If there's a WCB you go, um, through engineering to get to safety?

I do miss the early Ferengi, and one of the things I think DS9 really did wrong was having Zek (and even people like Brunt) travelling in shuttles.

Why do you think that was wrong? There were the odd Ferengi ships - wasn't there one in "The Magnificent Ferengi"?

I do think Last Outpost is the best post-EaF episode so far though.

Well maybe but let's be fair: it ain't got much competition, has it?

 

[at Quark's]

Zek is the Ferengi Head of State - of equal rank to the Klingon Chancellor or the Romulan Emperor/Praetor or the president of the Federation, diplomatically at least. You'd expect such a guy to have his own fullblown starship (either as his personal property or assigned by the State)- especially so in a culture that's intent on showing wealth and status.

 

[Trollheart]

It's a good point. After all he has his own personal bodyguard, lives in a palace, yet he has to hitch a ride on a shuttle? Does seem odd. And don't some Ferengi own planets? Surely they can own starships? I wonder is it just that a) they're too tight to shell out for one or b) they just enjoy being ferried around by others?

 

[Trollheart]

How does the chart look, then, after now four episodes? Hmm. Well, kinda a lot like this, really.

After all his actions in this episode, Riker is making serious gains on Tasha, and strides to the number two spot, up one place. He is in fact the only riser, with Yar remaining, for now, at the top, everyone else either falls or remains where they are, though there is a slight change at the bottom, as we'll see.

Q is the biggest drop, not surprisingly, falling to 7 from his last position of 4, making this a drop of three places, while the other ladies on the crew drop one place each, Troi from 5 to 6 and Beverly from 2 to 3. Wesley drops two places from his previous position of 7, which makes him the first to occupy a number 9 slot, while O'Brien goes one better (or worse) dropping two also to make this, finally, an actual top ten, with him at number 10.

Everyone else remains where they are, for now.

 

[Paul Weaver]

It's a good point. After all he has his own personal bodyguard, lives in a palace, yet he has to hitch a ride on a shuttle? Does seem odd. And don't some Ferengi own planets? Surely they can own starships? I wonder is it just that a) they're too tight to shell out for one or b) they just enjoy being ferried around by others?

Perhaps the like the anonymity. "Oh it's a random shuttle of which there are many", vs "oh look it's Space Nagus One and it's massive fleet heading to the Beta Quadrant, the Nagus is off to Pantax 4, time to short the stocks"

 

[Trollheart]

Ha ha I think you've hit on it. Zek is probably afraid of being assassinated, and the Nagus' royal shuttle would be a prime target!

 

[Jellico]

I still think a Grand Negas should have his own carrier group.

 

[Trollheart]

Episode title: “Where No One Has Gone Before”
Season: 1
Importance: 5 (first introduction of the Traveler, who will feature later in quite a spectacular way)
Crisis point(s) if any: The Enterprise goes beyond the known galaxy? I’d call that a crisis point, wouldn’t you?
Original transmission date: October 26 1987
Writer(s): Diane Duane (based on her TOS novel The Wounded Sky), Michael Reaves
Director: Rob Bowman
Stardate:* 41263.1
Destination: Unknown and unplanned
Mission (if any): Originally just an upgrade of the engines by a so-called Starfleet expert. It of course goes wrong.
Main character(s) in Plot: Wesley
Main character(s) in Subplot (if any): Picard, Riker
Not appearing: O’Brien
Villain/Monster (if any): n/a
Deaths: 0
Lives saved (episode): 1 (The Traveler)
Lives saved (cumulative): 2
Locations:

Shipboard:
Bridge
Engineering

Space:
M33 Galaxy; way way way beyond any charted space

Other:

Earth colony ++

Ships/vessels: 1 (USS Fearless)
Space battles: 0
Bodycount
Historical
0
Incidental
0
Direct
0

Total: 0
Running total: 83

Make it so: 0
Engage!1
Combat factor: 0
Planets visited: 0
Planets mentioned: 1 (Tau Alpha C)
Mysteries: 1 (How in the name of James T. Kirk did we get out here, and how do we get back?)
Patients in sickbay: 1 (The Traveler)

Data v Humanity: n/a

Data 1 - Humanity 2

Character scores:
Picard 10
Riker 10
Troi 10
Bev 10
Geordi 20
Data 10
Worf 10
Wesley 95
Yar 10

Earl Grey: 0
Shuttlecraft: 0
Admirals: 0
Starbases: 0
First contact: 0
Humour: 0

Episode rating: 5/10
Episode score: 240

Interesting that in the previous episode it seemed Geordi was chief engineer (as he will be) but here we have a guy called Argyll, who is clearly Scottish in no doubt an attempt to pander to fans of TOS (let’s be honest here: at this point fans of the classic show are probably in the vast majority of those watching this; it has not yet really had a chance to gain its own following, so you can’t blame them for the constant callbacks to Kirk and Co.) - maybe LaForge is off-duty? Still, considering these adjustments to be made, even if off-duty you would think he would want to be involved. Actually no, I see now he’s at the helm. Maybe he was just in engineering that last time. Anyway, who do I hate more in this episode? Kosinksi or Wesley? Hard to choose, so hard. But I think in the end it comes down to pure arrogance and Kosinksi has that in spades, or quantum shovelling devices, or whatever the hell they use in the 24th century.

"How dare you! I did NOT fart!"

Hey, why does Picard not even raise an eyebrow when Geordi tells him they’re passing Warp 10? Isn’t that supposed to be impossible? Or at least, far beyond the capabilities of his GALAXY CLASS starship? Also, is there some reason the Traveler is dressed like a refugee from a Nazi concentration camp? Funny though how he does exactly the reverse of what Picard wanted. “I asked for fucking reverse, not to slam your foot down on the god-damned accelerator!”

This is, in my opinon, the first episode where TNG showed what it was capable of. Using the grand traditions of TOS it nevertheless managed to throw off the shackles of its parent show and walk unaided into a bright new future. We had great effects, an interesting premise, lots of interaction between the crew, and the old slogan was finally justified. I could have done with less Wesley and more Beverly, but that’s how it is.

 

[Jellico]

What happened to Kosinski? There was one mention of him in a latter episode. He was a throw away. I would have liked to have seen him again.

 

[Trollheart]

Oh I wouldn't. He was an arrogant SOB and he put all onboard in danger. Hold on though: he was mean to Wesley. Hmm. Maybe I'm all turned around on the subject...

 

[Jellico]

It’s just that something more could have been done with Kosinski. He was a real space jerk, but the tension, even if we’re embarrassed for him, makes for a more interesting story.

 

[Jellico]

This is, in my opinon, the first episode where TNG showed what it was capable of. Using the grand traditions of TOS it nevertheless managed to throw off the shackles of its parent show and walk unaided into a bright new future. We had great effects, an interesting premise, lots of interaction between the crew, and the old slogan was finally justified. I could have done with less Wesley and more Beverly, but that’s how it is.

This was one of the best early episodes. Wesley was my least favorite during the season, but it does show us the Traveler explaining to Picard (or was it Riker) of Wesley’s potential. What if it had been more or a warning? That might have been interesting.

 

[Trollheart]

And so on to the chart. Any major changes? Well, yes..

The biggest one is a stunning climb for Wesley Crusher, who leaps a full six places and, perhaps rather rudely and ungratefully, and in a move which might earn him a clip on the ear, pushes his mother down one place. Wesley is now at number 3, one of only four characters to have broken the 100 point mark at this stage.

But one's rise invariably means the fall of others, and apart from the woman who bore him (as he bores all of us, sorry) Wesley also displaces his captain, who falls one place to number 6, Data, Q, Geordi and Deanna, who all fall one place as well, and even poor old Worf drops a place to number 9. Miles O'Brien, still without a name, miserably props up the table at number 10, how appropriate for an Irishman! Someone wake him up: it's chucking out time!

This, interestingly, gives Yar her fourth week, as it were, at the top: she's been there since "The Naked Now" and has retained that position through "Code of Honor", "The Last Outpost" and now "Where No One Has Gone Before."And she's not even here anymore! In fact, the only one likely to catch her is Riker, and he's a good 70 points behind her. Could be there for a little while...

 

[Trollheart]

Episode title: “Lonely Among Us”
Season: 1
Importance: 1 (mostly for Data’s interest in Sherlock Holmes)
Crisis point(s) if any: Picard leaves the ship to become a being of pure energy. Sorry, a BALD being of pure energy.
Original transmission date: November 2 1987
Writer(s): Michael Halperin (teleplay by D.C. Fontana)
Director: Cliff Bole
Stardate:* 41249.3
Destination: Parliament
Mission (if any): Deliver delegates of two warring nations to a conference
Main character(s) in Plot: Picard
Main character(s) in Subplot (if any): Riker, Data
Not appearing:
Villain/Monster (if any): Alien intelligence
Deaths: 1
Lives saved (episode): 1 (Picard)
Lives saved (cumulative): 3
Locations:

Shipboard:
Transporter Room
Bridge
SIckbay
Engineering
Beverly’s Quarters
Outside the quarters assigned to the Antican
Observation Lounge
Ready Room


Space:
Energy cloud

Other:


Ships/vessels: 0
Space battles: 0
Bodycount
0
Historical
0
Incidental
1 :Assistant Engineer Singh

Direct
0
Total: 1
Running total: 84
Make it so: 0
Engage! 0
Combat factor: 0
Planets visited: 0
Planets mentioned: Parliament
Mysteries: Presence of alien intelligence on the ship
Patients in sickbay:1 (Worf)
Data v Humanity: Data falls under the spell of Sherlock Holmes, an obsession that will grow.
Data 1 - Humanity 3
Character scores:
Picard 10
Riker 10
Troi 20
Bev 10
Geordi 10
Data 45
Worf 10
Wesley 10
Yar 0
O’Brien 10
Earl Grey: 0
Shuttlecraft: 0
Admirals: 0
Starbases: 0
First contact: Alien cloudy intelligence thing
Humour: 4
Episode rating: 5/10
Episode score: 290

After the pretty great “Where No One Has Gone Before” it was probably unlikely they’d get another episode as good, and no they don’t, but it’s close. Basically though it’s pretty much the TOS episode “Journey to Babel” rewritten: same idea; delegates being ferried to a conference and the Enterprise crew have to keep them apart. But the subplot about the alien intelligence is good, though I see it having been lifted later for the Babylon 5 episode “All Alone in the Night”, which is kind of odd, as the title is somewhat similar. Hey! Doesn’t Beverly look like a Borg when she examines Worf in sickbay? Don’t tell Picard! Why, when the alien leaves her and she finds herself, to her surprise, on the bridge, with no idea how she got there, does she not report it? Surely this is odd to her, and she should report any such weirdness to Picard? But she just smiles and goes back to her quarters.

"Resistance is futile! You will be assimilated!"
(Come on: the caption writes itself!)

As things begin to break down, Picard is most upset when Data tells him subspace radio is out. Surely he can at least get BALD FM? No dice, says Data. This episode is the genesis for Data’s ongoing interest in Sherlock Holmes, which produced some great episodes, including holodeck ones. Nice to see Bev out of uniform (stop that!), wearing a pretty red dress. A little too much Wesley for my tastes, but then, a second of Wesley is too much Wesley. The first time Picard is relieved of command (or at least, an attempt is made to do so), and slightly looking back to the terrible series finale of TOS, though Picard refrains from being as brutal as Kirk, and instead just orders Beverly, Riker and Troi to report to sick bay.

"Mom, I'm not Captain Picard: can you please take your hand off my leg?"

 

[Trollheart]

We're now six episodes in. Four more and I'll begin posting the episode chart, see which is doing better than the others. For now though, here's our sixth character chart, with a few small changes.

Not surprisingly, Yar remains on top and in fact the top three stay the same, while Data's efforts in this episode allow him to nudge Doctor Crusher further down the chart to number 5, while he picks up fourth place, rising three from last episode's position of seventh. This means Geordi has to make room for the doc and slides one to sixth while she takes fifth, pushing Geordi to displace his captain, who falls two places to eighth place as Deanna, a non-mover, remains at seventh. Another non-mover, Worf remains at nine while Q falls to ten, but expect him a resurgence from him soon. O'Brien, still with hardly anything to do and only a few lines, actually falls out of the top ten to become the first character to occupy the eleventh spot.

 

[Trollheart]

It's official: there's something wrong with me.

For some reason I thought we were past "Skin of Evil" and Yar was dead, so I reduced her points to zero and was talking about her not being here any more. Thanks to those kind individuals who just retreated, not making eye contact, smiling indulgently while reaching for the phone, and did not tell me I was, well, as wrong as could be. I don't know why I thought we were where we were, but I've been going through a bad divorce, the kids, the job... actually none of that is true. I'm not married (who'd marry me, now honestly?) and I have no kids, a fact for which the world breathes a collective sigh of relief. I guess, put it down to old age.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah: stay out of my booze.
Now, withour further ado, and with a Yar far more alive than I had thought, on we go.

Episode title: “Justice”
Season: 1
Importance: 0
Crisis point(s) if any: Wesley not being put to death, sorry, Wesley being sentenced to death
Original transmission date: November 9 1987
Writer(s): Worley Thorne, Ralph Wills
Director: James L. Conway
Stardate:* 41255.6
Destination: Rubicun III
Mission (if any): None; first contact and then shore leave. Everyone can let their hair down. Um. With one important exception.
Main character(s) in Plot: Wesley
Main character(s) in Subplot (if any):
Not appearing: O’Brien
Villain/Monster (if any): Big machine orbiting planet. Answers to “God”.
Deaths: 0
Lives saved (episode): 1 (Wesley)
Lives saved (cumulative): 4
Locations:

Shipboard:
Bridge
Observation Deck

Space:
Orbit of the planet

Other:
Rubicun III


Ships/vessels: 1 (this “God” thing)
Space battles: 0
Bodycount

Historical
0
Incidental
0
Direct
0
Total: 0
Running total: 84


Make it so: 0
Engage! 0
Combat factor: 0
Planets mentioned:
Mysteries: What is this “God” thing anyway?
Patients in sickbay: 0
Data v humanity: Data operates as a way to exchange information with “god” so
Data 2 - Humanity 3
Character scores:
Picard 0
Riker 25
Troi 15
Bev 10
Geordi 10
Data 10
Worf 15
Wesley 60
Yar 25
O’Brien 0

Earl Grey: 0
Shuttlecraft: 0
Admirals: 0
Starbases: 0
First contact: 2 (The Edo; they shouldn’t have bothered. No such thing as a free ride. Literally. Also the god thing)
Humour: 0
Episode rating: 3/10 (It’s awful, but I give it some small credit for not taking the easy way out, and having Picard give the Edo the finger. Not like that. It would be… inappropriate.)
Episode score: 155

So do we call this a sexist episode? Well, it’s hard to say. It’s not like women - or men - are being treated any differently. It’s certainly a sexually-charged one, which to some degree makes me wonder how it got through the censor? I mean, sure, there’s no nudity (though a lot of flesh is on display) but the overall feeling is one of promiscuity, and in America, and especially on American TV, that’s usually a big no-no. Of course, these are the permissive 80s, so maybe. Bush wouldn’t spoil everyone’s fun by trying to drag the US back into the 1950s for another two years, and Ronnie wasn’t too bothered, so maybe. You have to wonder though, would the theme from Benny Hill be out of place here? So much running around in skimpy costumes. Americans wouldn’t have got it though. You don’t get it, do you? Probably just as well.

I’m sure I didn’t think this when I first saw it, but I’m thinking it now, even though I know it’s wrong. With everyone so pretty and handsome and vital, what of the older folk? How can they run around and would constant sex not wear them out? Is it possible this is a Logan’s Run deal, where people only live to a certain age, so that all are young? I mean, yes, it’s not what happened, but it could have been part of the reason why this planet is too good to be true. There’s never any worse comment than “It’s like Eden”, because there’s always something slithering through the grass.

"Why can't our God invent the ****ing wheel? I swear, if I have to run one more time..."

It’s quite funny when the Enterprise is put on high alert because what appears to be a soap bubble has penetrated the ship! When asked by the bubble why they left colonists on the last planet they were on (not that it’s any of its ****ing business, but anyhow) Picard says the colonists had sought to create a new lifestyle. The bubble could have said “A gay planet? Not in my system, buster!” But sadly, it does not. Oh well. Makes you wonder though what the hell these losers do all day? How can you sit around kissing and fondling and having great sex and you know what that sounds great: where is this planet again? But seriously: how does anything get done? We all remember the similarly named Eloi, don’t we? Huh? Huh?

This idea of the Punishment Zone: weird huh? No signs, no warnings, anywhere could be the Punishment Zone at any time, so nobody breaks any laws in case it just happens that they do so within the PZ. But then, isn’t that the elimination of crime due to terror? And how can there be one punishment for everything, that punishment being death? What is the point? To hard-code the idea of never, ever breaking a law into the people? But no matter how law-abiding a society is, people will always break little laws. How many of us have crossed against the traffic light? Smoked in a non-smoking zone? Hopped on a bus without a ticket? Downloaded illegal mat… you know what, let’s just gloss over that one. But the fact remains: nobody is totally and 100% lawful all the time. And for the slightest slip, you get death? Sounds more like a society living in fear to me.

"Didn't I blow you out of my ass a few episodes ago?"

Fair play to Yar! All that time in Starfleet Academy, she sure can recognise a syringe when she sees one! It’s hilarious how these mediators are completely taken aback by the fact that anyone would stand up to them. Total wimps. Very annoying Wesley’s up-himself announcement “I’m with Starfleet. We don’t lie.” That is, of course, a lie. Starfleet lie when it suits them, and if they think they’re some sort of Supermen, well, nobody need be any the wiser unless they want to be surveying planets out on the Galactic Rim for the rest of their career, right? When Liator says “God is somewhere out there” I keep expecting Linda Ronstadt to start singing, and images of a cartoon mouse to scroll across the screen. When Rivan asks why they don’t just take Wesley back with all their superior firepower (well, the Edo have none unless you count those huge bazungas um, never mind) you can see Beverly going hell yeah, why don’t you? This is my boy (possibly YOUR boy!) and if you ever want to get within a light year of my action again you’ll go in there guns blazing and rescue my kid, or I’ll know the reason why!

"Oh, typical man! A blonde cutie shows up and you forget all about me!"

“God” seems pretty pissed off about Picard half-inching his “child”. A case of “she’s my bird, wanna fight about it?” Picard gives in like the nerd he is. Hell, plenty more blondes in the galaxy, right? Certainly a case here of the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the one, though Picard doesn’t see it that way. Funny when Beverly says “Then your god is unfair!” I mean, what god worries about being fair? That’s for mortals. You can see though, after having to endure Picard’s speech and then listen to Riker add his little bit of sidekick “Yeah” the God-thing surely goes “Oh hell with this. If I have to listen to one more platitude… I’m going for a lie down.” Don’t blame it.

To give it credit, this is the first TNG episode where Picard really steps up; he tries his best to satisfy the Prime Directive, the guiding principle behind his entire career, but when it comes down to a choice between following Starfleet rules and saving a member of his crew (even if it is only Wesley) - and possibly, more importantly, showing Beverly what a man he is and how he’ll protect her (his?) kid, he’s ready to throw the rule book out the window. It is quite likely that when he makes his report the brass back home will say “yeah I think he was right to do that. **** those promiscuous sexpots and their orbiting god - hold on here: sex at the drop of a what? Hmm. Where does it say that planet was?” Then again, it they re-read it and see it was only Wesley, maybe they’ll change their mind and think he should have let him get the death jab.

Overall though, a pretty powerful episode which very easily and effectively swings from nudge-nudge fluff to deadly serious without seeming too abrupt a change. I would have to say, in retrospect, one of the better ones of the early first season. I see nobody, including Wil Wheaton, agree with me. And so I say, **** all of them.

 

[Jellico]

Sorry, this one is really stupid. ‘’ Well hello! Join us!” It’s so……….seventies. Yar said she studied their costumes, but she didn’t know that they had one punishment…death?

 

[Trollheart]

Um, I assume you mean their customs. Not too much of the old costume there to study...

 

[Trollheart]

An interesting one this time: despite some gains in terms of points, they all seem to balance out and literally nobody moves. Everyone remains where they were. For those wondering how Picard managed a 0 when he definitely was in the episode, it's just that the things he did that went against what would be considered Starfleet protocol, weighed against the good he did, cancelled each other out. If anyone really wants the figures I can post them, but basically things like acting against Starfleet protocols, putting his feelings before his duty, bad command decision and so on just left him with a net zero score.

Here's the chart, for what it's worth.