Favorite Moment in Trek History

[Coops]

It changes but one that stuck with me for a while was Harris Yulins performance as Marritza in DS9s 'Duet' (shame about the very end of the episode).

More recently, the piccolo TNG theme at the end of Picards opening titles. Brings a lump to my throat and I've no idea why...

 

[Kilana2]

Ziyal being shot, Dukat going crazy and Garak mourning......

And Jadzia's death.

 

[Vger23]

I’m a TOS and DS9 fan far above the other series, but this one is very easy for me. It’s easily “The Best of Both Worlds” cliffhanger.

I remember watching that episode like it was yesterday, and the buzz that was all around the show all summer long. It was the closest to “mainstream” that Trek has ever gotten in terms of just general excitement and popularity. I’d put it even ahead of the 2009 film for that.

Not only is it my favorite moment in Trek history, but I think it is the best.

I also think TNG survived on the points earned on this one episode through a lot more mediocrity than we’d care to admit.


The only other moment that even comes close is the premier of Star Trek- The Motion Picture, which essentially ushered in the new era of the franchise for the next 25 years.

 

[fireproof78]

I also think TNG survived on the points earned on this one episode through a lot more mediocrity than we’d care to admit.

I completely agree on this point. I think it set a point that things could happen and unfold in ways not expected and it brought a lot of viewers back.

 

[Vger23]

I completely agree on this point. I think it set a point that things could happen and unfold in ways not expected and it brought a lot of viewers back.

Yeah, and I don't want to be misunderstood....I really like and appreciate TNG, but I think this one amazing moment created a lot of "good will" that carried the show through some ups and downs that followed.

 

[fireproof78]

Yeah, and I don't want to be misunderstood....I really like and appreciate TNG, but I think this one amazing moment created a lot of "good will" that carried the show through some ups and downs that followed.

I think a lot of times our favorite franchises get by are those special moments.

 

[Oddish]

I think that by S3, TNG had begun to discover it's own identity, and was no longer in danger. It's just fortunate that it made it through Season 1. In that period, it was still trying to emulate TOS's style of storytelling. It wasn't until "Measure of a Man" that TNG showed the true extent of its potential.

 

[Vger23]

I think that by S3, TNG had begun to discover it's own identity, and was no longer in danger. It's just fortunate that it made it through Season 1. In that period, it was still trying to emulate TOS's style of storytelling. It wasn't until "Measure of a Man" that TNG showed the true extent of its potential.

I liked S1 and S2 a fair amount. I thought “Measure of a Man” was dull.

I know those are unpopular opinions.

 

[Oddish]

But I believe in a free country, and that includes the right to believe and share unpopular opinions. And I do it all the time.

 

[fireproof78]

I liked S1 and S2 a fair amount. I thought “Measure of a Man” was dull.

I know those are unpopular opinions.

Measure of a Man was one of those episodes that got by on the drama and performance of the actors. As a story I struggle with it from the word go. The idea of the executive officer automatically being the prosecution was a stretch. That the question of AI and Data's participation in Starfleet had not been broached before was a further stretch. It just all adds up to very little going on.

 

[Vger23]

Measure of a Man was one of those episodes that got by on the drama and performance of the actors. As a story I struggle with it from the word go. The idea of the executive officer automatically being the prosecution was a stretch. That the question of AI and Data's participation in Starfleet had not been broached before was a further stretch. It just all adds up to very little going on.

Agree.

I don't think it sucks, because it clearly does not....I just think it's boring. It's a halfway decent episode. I don't think NEARLY as highly of it as most people seemingly do. I think it has several logic and writing flaws (some of which you've pointed out here), and I think it's horribly dull at times, especially when you consider that in that age of television and in the franchise, there was zero chance that Maddox was going to win that case. So as soon as they named Picard the lead defense guy, even 14 year old VGer23 knew that some booming and bloated speach by Picard would be the solution.

Like so many other things, YMMV. Like I've always admitted, "hey, I'm the guy who loves Star Trek V...so take my opinions with a grain of salt"

 

[Oddish]

Maybe we knew the outcome, but it was still an interesting journey that got us there. Especially the whole thing with Riker being forced to prosecute.

 

[fireproof78]

The journey was just fine. Just a bit less that engaging.

 

[at Quark's]

In that period, it was still trying to emulate TOS's style of storytelling. It wasn't until "Measure of a Man" that TNG showed the true extent of its potential.

Potential, yes. Not yet the realization of it. Measure of a man, to me, feels like one of those (pseudo-)philosophical episodes that TNG would later become famous for, but made in a time before they found the right touch for such episodes - in my view, it's far too heavy handed, with Riker acting as if he's on a cheap stage, rather than in court, seemingly instructed to make his lines as dramatic as he possibly could. And that's of course if you choose to ignore the logical gaps that makes their conundrum possible in the first place ('if they think such a trial is necessary, shouldn't it have been held before he even entered Starfleet Academy?' , etc).

Back on topic.... I'm not sure my answer to 'favorite moment in Trek history' would be the same as the answer to 'favorite moment in Trek', if I take the first one to mean that it should be historically significant, and / or it must have actually happened in the past of their timeline, which for example would disqualify episodes such as the Inner Light, or Yesterday's Enterprise. In that case, I might choose the first few minutes of DS9's Sacrifice of Angels , when they they encounter that 1254-strong Dominion fleet, and the tension and dialog on the bridge moments before they go into battle (and those battle sequences themselves also were awesome for the era).