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Brian Brophy didn’t return?

Really, American tv shows of that period were usually incredibly shallow. I loved Knight Rider, A-Team and McGyver but it's not like they were the most intellectually stimulating pieces of fiction out there.
Most network TV still seems really shallow to me. I wouldn't know about 95 percent of the cable/streaming-exclusive stuff.
 
Most network TV still seems really shallow to me. I wouldn't know about 95 percent of the cable/streaming-exclusive stuff.
Well, for example, Person of Interest was a network TV show but however they tried to tackle issues like the pervasiveness of new technologies and how the creation of a real AI could change the world. They had an AI in Knight Rider, and usually they used it to help some Midwest single mom from some real estate speculator who wants her ranch at any cost. And usually they stopped the aforenamed speculation with a well placed turbo bost.
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That's probably why he made his big Star Trek musical and reminds people that he was on the show, and is happy about fans approaching him about that role.

And I doubt you would have even known any of that yourself if you hadn’t had the benefit of meeting him in person and having him tell that to you.
 
I would agree that it would have been nice to bring back the original actors, the producers and Frakes (given that he directed the episode) probably thought it was more trouble than it was worth. Consider that both Ryan and Frakes admit that they had trouble reprising their roles and required extra coaching to get through their parts even though they had played those parts for years. At least there would be some major payoff to be had by bringing them back. Brophy? Did his character have any chemistry with anyone? What's the dramatic payoff?
 
I've said upthread, that Brophy's performance as Maddox wasn't that memorable for me. The character is memorable purely because of his relationship to Data. Take that away and you're left with a cipher. I had no idea who played Maddox until people started getting angry about it.

For me his performance and the part that is most memorable comes down to one scene. It's after Data has won and he calls Data him instead of a it and you can see how he has formed a new level of respect for him which feels genuine and contrasts well with how smug he was earlier in the episode. I mean he wasn't going to win a Emmy or anything but I felt he did a very good job in the episode for the role in which he was given.

Jason
 
In all seriousness though, what’s the issue? Why is it a major criticism? Do we know the details for certain? Brophy doesn’t have too many recent acting credits. Also, who’s to say he wasn’t asked? Perhaps he was and he declined?

I can’t say I was fully-expecting him to return to the role, anyway.
 
It's not a serious issue or even a issue just a topic of discussion. Except for me. I will never watch another Star Trek episode ever again for what they did to Brophy and I will go to my grave with Kurtzman's name being uttered in profanity as I slip from life to the dark blackness of death for what he did.


Jason
 
I have no problem with the cast change, but as long as this was all, we have seen of Maddox, I'm tempted to call it "namedropping". Beside of the fact, that he is a robotic scientist, there was no hint or link to "The Measure of Man" - or did I miss it?
 
Interesting topic. I haven't read every page of comments here. But here's my take, for what it's worth.

I'll admit I was curious to see if Brophy would return as Maddox. I figured I'd look it up to see.

And I'll admit I was a bit disappointed Brophy didn't return. I think whenever possible it'd always nice to get the original actor back on a role in any kind of sequel. Picard is basically a sequel to TNG after all. I'd like to think the producers at least considered bringing Brophy back for the role. When reading "The Last Best Hope" he's been the one I've envisioned in the role.

But in fairness to the producers we really don't know all the circumstances. It may very well be that Brophy is happy doing what he is doing now and wasn't keen on disrupting his life for what was a role on a single episode.

At the end of the day I won't lose sleep over it. Perhaps if it were a recurring role where he was back for weeks it might be a bigger deal. But for a single episode, not a huge deal. Sort of one of those 'it would have been nice for continuity sake but I'll live' sort of things.
 
I have no problem with the cast change, but as long as this was all, we have seen of Maddox, I'm tempted to call it "namedropping". Beside of the fact, that he is a robotic scientist, there was no hint or link to "The Measure of Man" - or did I miss it?

The novel "The Last Best Hope" features a pretty significant role for Maddox and does tie into what he was doing after "The Measure of a Man" a bit more and how it ties into Picard.

It bridges the two pretty well.
 
He told me that 2-3 weeks ago when I approached him about it (edit to clarify: he implied, but didn't explicitly say so).

I say this with all due respect, that's not entirely convincing to me. I don't know you from Adam, you might even be Adam; I've no idea. An implication to somebody on the internet that I don't know who says they spoke to him about it isn't something I can base my opinions on. Like I say, even if it was, I can fully understand not casting somebody who has done nothing much of note and only appeared once 30 years ago. For me, Riker is entirely different. Surely I don't need to list the reasons why. What I would say is that taken on good faith that he would have liked to have been approached, it's a shame because continuity is important. I'm simply saying that, for me at least, it's not a big deal. I don't think it would have been a big deal to many others who didn't know Brophy's name a few weeks ago, just like Icheb wasn't everybody's long lost love until a few days ago, now the fans are in a state of mourning. It's all a way over overanalysing and nitpicking what actually amounts to a bit part actor who appeared in one episode 31 years ago being replaced. Unwatchable.

I dunno, I can't get worked up over it. Though I respect the right of others to get worked up over anything they want to.
 
It's not a serious issue or even a issue just a topic of discussion. Except for me. I will never watch another Star Trek episode ever again for what they did to Brophy and I will go to my grave with Kurtzman's name being uttered in profanity as I slip from life to the dark blackness of death for what he did.


Jason

Are you fine with
Icheb
though? :D
 
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