Yeah, I hear ya but the writers pulled that kind of stuff all the time. For example, how many times was Troi conveniently not on the bridge at the very moment when her empathic ability would have resolved the entire episode?
Devil's Due
- Thread starter Flying Spaghetti Monster
- Start date
Yeah, I hear ya but the writers pulled that kind of stuff all the time. For example, how many times was Troi conveniently not on the bridge at the very moment when her empathic ability would have resolved the entire episode?
...It's cute how they circumvent the issue in this episode, having her refer to the adversary's "incredibly focused mind", a potentially classic magic trick in the age of telepathy. Gul Dukat could do that, too, shrugging off Vulcan probing.
I think a full range of reactions would be plausible. If "Ardra" casts a holographic spell over the seat, it would no doubt involve both the exterior appearance of her in uniform, and the interior appearance of a bridge-as-usual, encasing the actual helmsman in an illusory calm. Although it could also encase him in a fantasy of some other sort, pleasant or unpleasant...
Figuring out how magic is done is either great fun or then not. Here I'd love to try. Dropping of holoprojectors (suitably holographically camouflaged, of course) in various unobtrusive corners could be a standard conjurers' method for making reality appear more interesting than it really is.
Timo Saloniemi
I think a full range of reactions would be plausible. If "Ardra" casts a holographic spell over the seat, it would no doubt involve both the exterior appearance of her in uniform, and the interior appearance of a bridge-as-usual, encasing the actual helmsman in an illusory calm. Although it could also encase him in a fantasy of some other sort, pleasant or unpleasant...
Figuring out how magic is done is either great fun or then not. Here I'd love to try. Dropping of holoprojectors (suitably holographically camouflaged, of course) in various unobtrusive corners could be a standard conjurers' method for making reality appear more interesting than it really is.
Timo Saloniemi
Yep. Xon became Data. Will Decker became Will Riker. Ilia became Troi. The male Komether became the female Ardra.
Stella Stevens and Adrienne Barbeau were considered for the role of Ardra before Marta DuBois was cast. Barbeau later replaced the actor who originated Senator Kimara Cretak in DS9.
But would Komether try to chat up Kirk? (Even better, this episode didn't take place on Sadie Hawkins' Dance Day - there's hope for Geordi yet!)
A little fun is great, but if I find and read that novel, when she's invariably arrested again, I absolutely do not want to read anyone saying "Throw the book at her."
...Unless I do...
Oh! That explains why this always had a definitive TOS-Vibe to me. I can totally imagine Kirk saying Picards lines when outwitting the "devil"
I want that plot twist with a race of Devils --- you know lots of them everywhere just like very evil and going by that name and definition .. heck it could become a whole new episode... or worse a tv show..
---I like this topic.. and people's reactions written down to read I read thru once then went back to find the quote I used .. with the species devil .. that was difficult it seemed to be hiding in the third review of all the post.. but I was intrigued by this comment the most. ---
What I wonder is why they "had" to change course of the shuttle after the enterprise disappeared you know watching this episode tonite and remembering most of it I looked to see if that was a flaw or what.. 000 really I think they should have just continued to the shuttle bay where I was last.. --- it would of been the normal thing to do if they did not have to pull away to keep the continuity of the whole scene and episode.---
I also wanted her Ardra to suffer some consequences for her acts.. something that would be more apt to keep her from doing this on other planets --- maybe not throw the book but ,,, with the con crushed they could have clipped her wings and cut her nails by something equal to what that century and "galactic law" would of liked.. .. 000 just an observation where she walked away scott free.. so yeah I did not like that 000
overall great episode in my marathon run thru the episodes in order one by one.. I almost skipped it for the number of times having see it after it aired.. - and .. knew the whole thing but I am glad I did watch it again.
I thought it was fun to see someone pick on Picard. And have been down on the planet in his pajamas! I like it because it is so silly and Data as the judge is cool too!
Plus Ardra was the "Dragon Lady" on another of Mrs. Silvercrest's favorite shows, Tales of the Gold Monkey.
I used to find this episode incredibly silly. But on my last re-watch I actually enjoyed it. The actress just has so much fun playing Ardra 
And, seriously, as each new Trek show just gets greyer and "edgier" in some silly attempt at "realism", the more I enjoy the cheese in 80s/90s Trek.
And well...for a recycled script from Phase II it's pretty good imho, or at least quite a LOT better than "The Child".
A few of the things Ardra does seem a bit too powerful for me (the Earthquakes) but there's a lot of fun in the episode; the scene where Ardra tries to seduce Picard, the scene where she takes on the form of the Klingon devil and the whole trial. "I like earth quakes!"
Also, just watching it again, the civillian clothes are pretty good.
And, seriously, as each new Trek show just gets greyer and "edgier" in some silly attempt at "realism", the more I enjoy the cheese in 80s/90s Trek.
And well...for a recycled script from Phase II it's pretty good imho, or at least quite a LOT better than "The Child".
A few of the things Ardra does seem a bit too powerful for me (the Earthquakes) but there's a lot of fun in the episode; the scene where Ardra tries to seduce Picard, the scene where she takes on the form of the Klingon devil and the whole trial. "I like earth quakes!"
Also, just watching it again, the civillian clothes are pretty good.
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And slinky and sexy beyond mortal ken. I was SO upset when they stuck a fake forehead on her for this episode.
Devil's Due works much better than The Child because it was rewritten many times to make it work for TNG while the script for The Child was hastily thrown together after the writer's strike. The female guest star and the Ron Jones music make this ep come alive. I read somewhere that this episode was the highest watched episode of the season with 14 million viewers.
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