"Family" is the best thing Star Trek ever did. Discuss.

[DeafPoet]

It's been a long time since I've started a thread in a Trek forum. I'd sort of become disillusioned with things around these parts. But I've been catching a lot of episodes from all series in syndication lately, and I just happened upon TNG's "Family" tonight.

What a magnificent piece of writing this is! I think it's probably Ron Moore's first truly awesome script. We get a really good idea of who Worf is when he's not defending his honour. We get a good look at Beverly and Wesley. And more importantly, I think it's the first time that we really get a handle on who Picard is. Picard's defined later on, but I don't think it's ever more clear than here.

It's easy to say, during the TV renaissance we're in during the 2000's that the easy choice should be to put Picard in his home town at some point. That was a less obvious choice in 1990. And then we're going to split the story three ways and there's going to be NO action. Pretty courageous indeed.

Whoopi saves the Worf story and Wil Wheaton's written a blog about how he phoned in his portion of the episode. I still ennjoy those parts though.

What really gets me is when Robert goads Picard into running away. And he stalks him, taunting him mercilessly about shit he'd rather forget. It's Picard as vulnerable; something the show had never attempted before.

And then they fight and Picard breaks the fuck down. I don't think that a Star Trek character, let alone an iconic captain was ever more human. Picard made his peace with the horrible shit that happened to him and found a friend in his brother.

Star Trek was never better than this, as far as emotional honesty goes.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I live powerful, character episodes with good, honesst drama in them.

 

[DeafPoet]

^

Me too. DS9 is my favourite Trek and I think that it, in general, blows TNG away. And yet, I can't think of anything DS9 that's quite as immediately moving as "Family."

DS9 has its superlative episodes, but they just don't ring quite as true as "Family", IMO

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

It was good. "City On The Edge Of Forever" was far better.

 

[Greg Cox]

I'm always reluctant to name an atypical episode as the best ever, even though I applaud series for stepping out of their comfort zone occasionally. "Family" was well done, but if I wanted to cite an ep that showed NextGen at its best, I wouldn't choose one that's not at all representative of what the show was usually like. Shouldn't the "best" TNG ep be more like a TNG ep?

Ditto for, say, DS9 and "Far Beyond The Stars," or BUFFY and "The Body." They're all great episodes, and welcome changes of pace, but it's kind of odd to assert that the best episode of each series is the one that's nothing like all the others!

 

[sonak]

yeah, it's a cool episode, but nowhere near the best. It was good that the writers pushed for this as a follow-up to BOBW, it makes the Trekverse more "realistic" to show Picard's not "back to normal" the week after his trauma at the hands of the Borg.


wasn't it a disappointment ratings-wise, though?

 

[Distorted Humor]

I'm always reluctant to name an atypical episode as the best ever, even though I applaud series for stepping out of their comfort zone occasionally. "Family" was well done, but if I wanted to cite an ep that showed NextGen at its best, I wouldn't choose one that's not at all representative of what the show was usually like. Shouldn't the "best" TNG ep be more like a TNG ep?

Ditto for, say, DS9 and "Far Beyond The Stars," or BUFFY and "The Body." They're all great episodes, and welcome changes of pace, but it's kind of odd to assert that the best of each series is the one that's nothing like all the others!

That is why I always say "The Wounded" or "Darmok" is the best of TNG, as they are typical episodes and darn fine...

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Ditto for, say, DS9 and "Far Beyond The Stars," or BUFFY and "The Body." They're all great episodes, and welcome changes of pace, but it's kind of odd to assert that the best of each series is the one that's nothing like all the others!

That's a real good point.

Aside from my unremitting boosterism for "City" I'm a lot more comfortable with "favorites" than "bests."

 

[NickInABox]

Um, everyone knows that Sub Rosa was the best thing Star Trek ever did. Ever.

 

[BillJ]

Family was a nice wrap-up to The Best of Both Worlds, but a middle of the pack episode when compared with the all of the Star Trek episodes.

 

[Greg Cox]

Aside from my unremitting boosterism for "City" I'm a lot more comfortable with "favorites" than "bests."

Agreed. The problem with "best lists" is that people often feel obliged to recite the Accepted Canon. "City," "Tribbles," "Best of Both Worlds," etc.

"Favorite" lists tend to be more idiosyncratic and interesting.

 

[milo bloom]

It gets overshadowed by BOBW, and especially if you're watching it right after BOBW on DVD then it's kind of a lurch in mood, but it really stands out in Trek lore because we actually had our characters dealing with the fallout of a major event. It doesn't come to mind when compiling "best of" lists, but it's certainly one of the most important Trek stories made.

 

[DeafPoet]

I'm always reluctant to name an atypical episode as the best ever, even though I applaud series for stepping out of their comfort zone occasionally. "Family" was well done, but if I wanted to cite an ep that showed NextGen at its best, I wouldn't choose one that's not at all representative of what the show was usually like. Shouldn't the "best" TNG ep be more like a TNG ep?

I get what you're saying, but I disagree. The thing about your average TNG ep is that there wasn't much "there" there. But there were tons of little character beats in there. So when they finally relented and did "Family", it was great.

Should a great TNG ep look like a TNG ep? Well I guess that depends on your tastes. By that definition, it would probably be something like "Yesterday's Enterprise" or "Cause and Effect." Those are stock TNG episodes that are really good.

But I'll take "Family" any day because it takes the characters we actually deal with on a weekly basis and makes them deal with something. It's not perfect, but it's ambitious and it succeeds WAY more often than it fails.

 

[JarodRussell]

I'm always reluctant to name an atypical episode as the best ever, even though I applaud series for stepping out of their comfort zone occasionally. "Family" was well done, but if I wanted to cite an ep that showed NextGen at its best, I wouldn't choose one that's not at all representative of what the show was usually like. Shouldn't the "best" TNG ep be more like a TNG ep?

I get what you're saying, but I disagree. The thing about your average TNG ep is that there wasn't much "there" there. But there were tons of little character beats in there. So when they finally relented and did "Family", it was great.

Should a great TNG ep look like a TNG ep? Well I guess that depends on your tastes. By that definition, it would probably be something like "Yesterday's Enterprise" or "Cause and Effect." Those are stock TNG episodes that are really good.

But I'll take "Family" any day because it takes the characters we actually deal with on a weekly basis and makes them deal with something. It's not perfect, but it's ambitious and it succeeds WAY more often than it fails.

Yesterday's Enterprise is in no way a stock TNG episode.

 

[toughlittleship]

"Family" is a good episode, but it stand out because TNG didn't do that kind of episode very often. DS9 had the same kind of quality character scenes on a regular basis.

 

[Skellington]

Family was a great though little-watched episode, a very welcome come-down after one of Trek's most action-packed stories to date. It was nice to see Picard humanised and deepened a little. Best thing Trek ever did? No, but a highlight of the season for sure.

 

[ClayHefner]

I rank "The Maquis" a little higher, but "Family" is a powerful episode.
That's why I still get angry at "Generations" for killing off Robert and Rene. It retroactively stains "Family".

 

[Paradon]

Yeah, that was a really good episode. I live for episodes like that, and that's why I prefer DS9. Family and friends are part of life. Even people like Picard thinks he doesn't really need one deep down desire and need family and companionship. Why do you think he likes having breakfast with Crushers every morning? When we all get hurt badly and really sick, we wished that someone was there to visit us, bring us flowers, and to comfort us. It's true for everyone. That's what Picard needed after being captured by the Borg. He was breaking down inside and needed his family more than ever. He never knew how much he needed family until his Robert and Rene died on "Gerneration".

Anyway, I love Major Kira on DS9...! [chuckle]

 

[Shatnertage]

Someone with more energy than me should start a "riskiest episodes" thread, focusing on episodes that, while not acclaimed as Great,* do take artistic or dramatic risks that pay off--or don't. I think that's a lot of what DeafPoet is rightfully praising "Family" for.

Now, a lot of this is going to be in the eye of the beholder. Is something like "The Empath" (to say nothing of "These are the Voyages") going to be considered risk-taking, or just poorly-executed?

_________________________
The capital G is me deliberately breaking the rules of capitalization to make a point. Just saying so because this is the Internet, where nuance doesn't usually go very far.

 

[jayrath]

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