General Trek Questions and Observations

[Grendelsbayne]

The fact that it is episodic doesn't mean it was handled well. The episodic nature of Trek often left things unresolved because that was the end of the episode. Doesn't mean I believe that Picard just transitioned right back in to life.

The episodic nature of the franchise far too often limited the ability/willingness to continue to explore things that should've been further explored in later episodes. But that doesn't mean the original episode itself handled it poorly at all. It didn't. That episode was perfectly believable and people complaining that it's weird or wrong that he still remembers being a captain or recognizes Riker when he wakes up are just being ridiculous.

 

[fireproof78]

Recognizing is one thing. Back to full duty stretches it for me in terms of believability.

 

[Grendelsbayne]

But back to full duty didn't happen the way it's being implied here. Yes, TNG like most early trek had Episodicitis, so the next episode is jarring from a viewer standpoint and definitely represents a major missed opportunity of story space that should have been explored. But the next episode doesn't happen five minutes later.

The Inner Light ends with Picard in his quarters, not on the bridge, explicitly trying to remember and recontextualize his real life. The next episode takes place some unspecified time later. We don't know how long Picard took before actually going back on full duty again.

 

[fireproof78]

True. It's just the impression and is one facet of episodic nature that comes across as too cavalier for my taste.

 

[Tim Thomason]

But back to full duty didn't happen the way it's being implied here. Yes, TNG like most early trek had Episodicitis, so the next episode is jarring from a viewer standpoint and definitely represents a major missed opportunity of story space that should have been explored. But the next episode doesn't happen five minutes later.

The Inner Light ends with Picard in his quarters, not on the bridge, explicitly trying to remember and recontextualize his real life. The next episode takes place some unspecified time later. We don't know how long Picard took before actually going back on full duty again.

Somewhere less than 15 stardate units, per the next episode (Time's Arrow begins on 45959 and Inner Light begins on 45944). The events of Time's Arrow I & II takes place over an entirety of 42 stardate units (Time's Arrow II ends on 46001), almost as much as three times the length of Picard's maximum recovery time.

 

[Grendelsbayne]

Somewhere less than 15 stardate units, per the next episode (Time's Arrow begins on 45959 and Inner Light begins on 45944). The events of Time's Arrow I & II takes place over an entirety of 42 stardate units (Time's Arrow II ends on 46001), almost as much as three times the length of Picard's maximum recovery time.

Stardates are a fictional time unit that has never been even remotely consistent across the franchise. They're meaningless window dressing.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Stardates are a fictional time unit that has never been even remotely consistent across the franchise. They're meaningless window dressing.

Won't hear any argument from me.

 

[Orphalesion]

Okay, first I will say that I'm not the most technical minded person, so I apologize if it's something very obvious.

But that stuff they eventually came up with in order to get around the Borg adapting to weapons very quickly that whole "re-modulating the phasers"stuff....what the hell does that even mean and how on Earth is it supposed to work? Because to me it sounds like incredible BS they had to make up because they made the Borg too OP.

"Oh no, the Borg have adapted! Our weapons are useless!"
"Re-modulate!"
"Yay! we can continue fighting!"

 

[Angry Fanboy]

...the Borg adapting to weapons very quickly that whole "re-modulating the phasers"stuff....what the hell does that even mean and how on Earth is it supposed to work?

I suppose it's akin to changing to another frequency when the enemy is jamming a particular frequency you're using - that'll buy you a bit of an advantage until the enemy starts jamming that one as well. And so on until you've run out of frequencies available to use.

 

[Orphalesion]

I suppose it's akin to changing to another frequency when the enemy is jamming a particular frequency you're using - that'll buy you a bit of an advantage until the enemy starts jamming that one as well. And so on until you've run out of frequencies available to use.

I kinda was assuming something like that, but that bring the whole thing back to being incredible BS/ a technobabble non-issue since it seems to be pretty easy to switch to a new frequency. Didn't they eventually have weapons on Voyager that automatically re-mudulated themselves? By that point it just seems laughable.
I think a better solution might have been to have the Federation develop and employ projectile weapons against the Borg?

Eidit: I don't mean your explanation is BS, it seems most likely what they are going for. I mean the concept on the shows is BS in the way it was handled.

 

[NCC-73515]

I think the trick was to rotate shield and phaser frequencies in a random, unpredictable way so they couldn't immediately adapt to all of them.

The TR-116 seems to have been developed as a potential anti-Borg weapon.

 

[MAGolding]

Stardates are a fictional time unit that has never been even remotely consistent across the franchise. They're meaningless window dressing.

Won't hear any argument from me.

If there is a lot of data, there are a lot of patterns in it. Those patterns included both intentional and unintentional, meaningful, and meaningless patterns.

Perhaps you should take a look at post number 140 on page 7 - https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/tos-chronology.304218/page-7 - and post number 144 on page 8 - https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/tos-chronology.304218/page-8 - of the thread TOS Chronology.

 

[Qonundrum]

I think the trick was to rotate shield and phaser frequencies in a random, unpredictable way so they couldn't immediately adapt to all of them.

The TR-116 seems to have been developed as a potential anti-Borg weapon.

All the Borg need do is adjust the shield harmonics to absorb any blast from any frequency - it takes more power but given their shields turn on fairly quickly and immediately stop after the blast ends, the greater usage couldn't be too much...?

 

[The Old Mixer]

'Tis the season to break out the E Plebnista...

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[Qonundrum]

'Tis the season to break out the E Plebnista...

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

The first 30~45 seconds really show how Shatner was underrated as an actor. The rest of the passage, despite being shoehorned into the plot, on its own, has some positivity on togetherness as well. The episode is woolly at times but a good actor still pulls out something larger than what's on script. On top of how sci-fi and being "out there" is harder for any actor to try to relate to.

 

[DEWLine]

Which forum would you recommend taking a query about starship names' fitness for purpose to?

(Been here 17 years, and only now does this question occur to me, right?)

 

[AlanC9]

Speaking of Shatner being underrated, I've always had a fondness for his work in "Turnabout Intruder." Shatner going full demented lunatic is a glorious thing.

I've often thought that it would have been fun to have had a few episodes with Kirk being captain while still stuck in Lester's body

 

[Gordie]

Welcome To The Canadian Mirror Verse.

Muhah! MUHAHAHA!

 

[Finn]

No condiment

 

[1001001]

Muhah! MUHAHAHA!

Not really a topic for discussion in General Trek, but I'll move it to our generic thread so people can see it.