"Disaster" - ruminations, part one

[Qonundrum]

I will be coming back to this episode in chunks and then adding replies to this post...

Ronald D Moore had a ton of work to do in order to get this story into something even remotely presentable... It's almost a story so (bad, overall) that I'd want to read the original rough draft handed to him that he had to rewrite. But the premise is decent and DS9 took it and went much farther with it in the refined "Starship Down".


What I did like so far:

Troi is the highest ranking officer on the Bridge, but isn't a Bridge command specialist. O'Brien and Ro were, so far, being helpful in presenting options. At the same time, even I was screaming the obvious at the TV about checking life support first (that needs a CO's approval in an emergency situation and neither O'Brien nor Ro knew that?!), but the bigger point is a plot reversal: In season 1 we saw Geordi being coached by Troi. Now she's in the hot seat while he's stuck in a hot room. ((I recall a later scene where Ro is opting for an extreme measure, which is shot down, and at the end she's told "But you could easily have been right." In which case, that'd make Troi look really bad, assuming anyone was still alive. I'll know in a while when I get back to the episode... ))

Despite the grossly contrived setup by chucking them onto the Bridge, getting Picard to deal with children was one of the better subplots set up so far.

Worf taking the lead in an area he's not familiar with and already showing to do be better at it. (But I recall there's a situation later on where the plot twist gets turned as well...)


What seems flaky so far:

Why can't Geordi see across the spectrum with his VISOR like he's done a hundred times so far in the show to see the imminent explosion behind the bulkhead when he's done that before? He should be able to see something long before Crusher felt the heat. Or is the ship super-fragile? Amazing there's no warp core breach yet...

Why does Geordi mention radiation but not heat regarding the fancy chemicals in the big yellow tubs? The ship produces a lot of radiation of many sorts.

Why are turbolifts designed to be so tall that you can't even begin to get out of the otherwise yet oddly-required escape hatch being present?!

Why are kids now allowed on the Bridge? The plot point could have been in any meeting room, the ship has about 600 of those...

Seeing the ship collide with a string might have helped - it's easy to see this episode was a cost-cutter, or choosing to place the money for the effects scenes later on - which I recall were nicely done, even if one involves yet another absurdity (YAA) involving Data's head. I'll get there in a commercial break or two from now.

 

[diankra]

Well, I'd guess visiting the bridge was a special treat for the kids. If you were a kid growing up on a starship wouldn't you want to see the bridge?

 

[Tosk]

If I made weird radishes, I'd be wanting a bridge visit as a reward.

 

[amp]

Troi is the highest ranking officer on the Bridge, but isn't a Bridge command specialist. O'Brien and Ro were, so far, being helpful in presenting options. At the same time, even I was screaming the obvious at the TV about checking life support first (that needs a CO's approval in an emergency situation and neither O'Brien nor Ro knew that?!), but the bigger point is a plot reversal: In season 1 we saw Geordi being coached by Troi. Now she's in the hot seat while he's stuck in a hot room. ((I recall a later scene where Ro is opting for an extreme measure, which is shot down, and at the end she's told "But you could easily have been right." In which case, that'd make Troi look really bad, assuming anyone was still alive. I'll know in a while when I get back to the episode... ))

In the context of the episode, I enjoyed the bridge scenes with Troi, O'Brien and Ro. But at the same time I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that Troi would be in the chain of command when she's a counselor with no training or experience in commanding a starship.

 

[diankra]

In the context of the episode, I enjoyed the bridge scenes with Troi, O'Brien and Ro. But at the same time I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that Troi would be in the chain of command when she's a counselor with no training or experience in commanding a starship.

Particularly given that the next season has her taking the test to put her in the command line...

 

[Qonundrum]

Well, I'd guess visiting the bridge was a special treat for the kids. If you were a kid growing up on a starship wouldn't you want to see the bridge?

If I made weird radishes, I'd be wanting a bridge visit as a reward.

Y'all got me there... and they were well-behaved, having kids running around during a surprise red alert situation wouldn't be as good.

In the context of the episode, I enjoyed the bridge scenes with Troi, O'Brien and Ro. But at the same time I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that Troi would be in the chain of command when she's a counselor with no training or experience in commanding a starship.

Yeah, for the dramatic impact it's interesting to see someone so green... but otherwise Troi would surely defer command where needed?

Particularly given that the next season has her taking the test to put her in the command line...

Ah, but on initial viewing in season 5 without any foreknowledge, what might one guess could happen? The journey becomes more interesting in retrospect. But at the time it's too easy to conjure up any number of thoughts. Even in retrospect, the dot-connecting doesn't always add up in the way one perceives it. Correlation vs causation and all that...

 

[Qonundrum]

AND NOW, THE CONCLUSION:
(dun, dun duuuuuuun)


Why oh why did I stop just then? Maybe it's for the best as the episode could only improve.

Picard's subplot with the weight of leadership was excellently handled, especially as he dislikes kids and feels uncomfortable. Not just the audience and the kids he dealt with but it was a learning moment for Picard too.

The Data subplot wasn't anything like what I'd remembered, the details were covered. I'd still wish his head were disconnected and then Riker pushing his frame into place, but Data isn't made out of balsa wood. But the scenes still manage to work. Ronald D Moore's talents, after a rocky setup, pay off beautifully... for all the vignettes...

Ro vs O'Brien was highly entertaining. Indeed, both Ro and Troi are proven right - in ways that felt natural. And I liked the ending where Troi acknowledges with some deftness Ro could have been right. Ro seemed to respect her a bit more after the situation was saved...

...Troi would indeed make a good commander and she too gets to be authoritative. Great incidental music can be heard in their scenes as well. Lastly, Sirtis really pulls out all the stops and even outdoes Forbes (and Stewart) in this episode for best performance. But everyone on this show was really well cast. Which might be why the show ultimately survived season one.

Crusher and LaForge make a great pairing, though Data needed to be there to remind them they are going to be blown into space. Not sucked into it just like how Data had to remind Riker about that as well. Pesky humans, harumph! He could have helped in saying to exhale all the way first before releasing the hatch.

So I'll give it a 8/10, but I've yet to get to the other subplot, which adds so much balance to the story - one that largely handles its situations very well.

Worf's subplot was the comic relief. Subtle but not inappopriate, Dorn steals the scenes he's in, but Chao has great chemistry with him. I also loved how Worf states simulations didn't work the same way in real life. That might be an underlying reason he's willing to become a test patient in a later episode, the one I don't like. But it makes me want to consider rewatching "Ethics", where - as I recall - the guest Doctor mentioning how far simulations can go is wrong and real people are needed after a point versus the codswallop "genuine research takes time" also depends on real people and variables outside of what the textbooks tell them (ugh, Crusher, ugh... If there was nobody else in the time period anywhere where they could do a trial run of playing with the nerve endings without risk to the patient, the one who wanted to die and agreed to have the experimental operation done... but that's a future review awaiting. My mind might change again for it as it did "Disaster".)

Almost forgot - never watch this episode while eating, especially toward the end. Was not expecting that...

So, 8.5 or 9 out of 10, even with its questionable opening.

 

[Timo]

In the context of the episode, I enjoyed the bridge scenes with Troi, O'Brien and Ro. But at the same time I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that Troi would be in the chain of command when she's a counselor with no training or experience in commanding a starship.

Whether Troi's in the command chain or not isn't quite the point here, though. The point is that the bridge has Ro, a commissioned officer, and O'Brien, a noncom, and the two are engaged in a power struggle, with opposite ideas about how to save the ship. So O'Brien sides with the only available superior officer Troi and turns her into his mouthpiece. Except it doesn't work quite that way in the end...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Qonundrum]

Whether Troi's in the command chain or not isn't quite the point here, though. The point is that the bridge has Ro, a commissioned officer, and O'Brien, a noncom, and the two are engaged in a power struggle, with opposite ideas about how to save the ship. So O'Brien sides with the only available superior officer Troi and turns her into his mouthpiece. Except it doesn't work quite that way in the end...

Timo Saloniemi

Oooh, good point! I didn't see it like that - O'Brien trying to hide behind Troi as a mouthpiece, that is. I perceived it as both of them trying to get the CO at the time to go their way (not entirely unlike kids dealing with the parent in the room) and it was Troi who made the decision independent of what both were saying. Counseling, in a way, has some command skillset tendencies.

I also forgot to mention, Troi having to take in both sides and learn technobabble all while dealing with 1,400 thought patterns from all the crew... Sirtis sells everything extremely well.

 

[amp]

Whether Troi's in the command chain or not isn't quite the point here, though. The point is that the bridge has Ro, a commissioned officer, and O'Brien, a noncom, and the two are engaged in a power struggle, with opposite ideas about how to save the ship. So O'Brien sides with the only available superior officer Troi and turns her into his mouthpiece. Except it doesn't work quite that way in the end...

Timo Saloniemi

But that's not how the episode actually goes. First they discuss who's in command, and only later do O'Brien and Ro start arguing about the best way to proceed.

RO: We need to start emergency procedures. Who's the duty officer?
O'BRIEN: Lieutenant Monroe was in command, but she's dead. I believe Counsellor Troi is the senior officer on the deck.
RO: Counsellor Troi?
O'BRIEN: She carries the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

The dialog about whether to separate the saucer and whether anyone is still alive in the drive section comes much later.

 

[at Quark's]

Just rewatched the episode. Does look a bit like Worf pushes Keiko off her chair during those first impacts .....you go Worf, treating a lady in her final stages of pregnancy like that! :P

 

[Khan Jr]

I have to wonder if everyone in Engineering was indeed killed when the disaster hit, since the containment failure wasn't able to be addressed until Riker & Data got down there.

Why can't Geordi see across the spectrum with his VISOR like he's done a hundred times so far in the show to see the imminent explosion behind the bulkhead when he's done that before? He should be able to see something long before Crusher felt the heat.

Maybe this could be rationalized as Geordi often setting his VISOR to filter out behind-the-bulkheads stuff while he's on the ship. If he saw all the EPS conduits and such all the time it'd be like living inside Tron.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Oooh, good point! I didn't see it like that - O'Brien trying to hide behind Troi as a mouthpiece, that is. I perceived it as both of them trying to get the CO at the time to go their way (not entirely unlike kids dealing with the parent in the room) and it was Troi who made the decision independent of what both were saying. Counseling, in a way, has some command skillset tendencies.

I also forgot to mention, Troi having to take in both sides and learn technobabble all while dealing with 1,400 thought patterns from all the crew... Sirtis sells everything extremely well.

I would've appreciated the episode more if Troi actually made a difficult decision and the plot took a turn for the worse for Picard and the crew. Nothing too bad, I'm not blood thirsty to see see characters die or seeing things explode - just an added obstacle which I thought could be fun to watch. It's easy for O'Brien to claim the protocols but it's just a blueprint, I thought it would be fun to see his protocols be challenge by "Murphy's Law", and getting something out of Troi which I never saw before.

 

[shivkala]

I love this episode and enjoyed it on a recent re-watch. BUT, there are SO many logic holes in the shuttle bay scenes alone. You've already pointed out some, but the biggest thing to me is why do they have to get to a panel on the back wall, directly across from the bay doors, to re-pressurize the bay? What kind of crappy design is that? Is there even a situation in which having the control there makes more sense than anywhere else? So, basically, the ship designers figured if the bay was ever depressurized, the back wall would be the best place to put the controls to re-pressurize it?

Not to mention, with the way the computers are with LCARS, I thought that officers could configure interfaces to do more than what they were designed for. So even if it was back there, why couldn't Geordi reroute it to the console he used to decompress the bay?

Failing all of that, why, exactly was it necessary for Crusher to be by that console? Certainly she could have held on to something along that wall and been close by after Geordi closed the bay doors. Then, if she failed, Geordi could attempt to get over there in enough time.

 

[Batai]

Without Troi to referee, Ro and O'Brien would have been butting heads every inch of the way and Ro would have pulled rank and gotten her way about separating the ship. Going with O'Brien saved hundreds of lives, as well as the ship itself.

 

[trekshark]

why do they have to get to a panel on the back wall, directly across from the bay doors, to re-pressurize the bay? .

Agreed. I always thought it was dumb for it to not be the same panel that depressurized/opened the door

 

[amp]

I was trying to figure out which of the cast would have been killed had Ro had gotten her way and separated the saucer section:

• O'Brien, Troi and Ro were on the bridge obviously.
• Worf and Keiko were in Ten-Forward so they would have been okay.
• Picard was in the turbolift with the kids, so it depends where the lift stopped. They were headed to the science labs which are spread all over the ship, so we really don't know what would have happened to them.
• Crusher and La Forge were in a cargo bay. The cargo bays in both the primary and secondary hulls, so again they are a question mark.
  
• Riker and Data (or Data's head at least) were on their way from Ten-Forward to Engineering via the Jefferies tubes. So it depends where they were at the moment of separation. But if they made it to the secondary hull--which seems likely--they would have been toast.

Final score: Five safe, although only two of those--Worf and Troi--were main credits regulars. Five potentially lost, including the captain, first officer, second officer, chief engineer, and chief medical officer. Ouch!