Good scenes in mediocre episodes

[TV's Frank]

I'm the type of fan that is going to find something to praise in most anything I love, even just admiring production design, music, costumes or the writer's ambition. I decided to revisit some TNG episodes that are often considered mediocre or sub-par and find the gems in them. For example, the TNG 2nd season opener “The Child” isn’t considered a great episode by any stretch and yet upon rewatching it recently for the first time in many years, I was really impressed by the scenes between Guinan and Wesley. Those scenes, with just the nice exchange between then and Wesley's melancholy, were a real highlight of the episode. In addition, I really like Rob Bowman's direction of the episode, there are some great camera placements and the birthing scene in nice, especially when we focus on Riker watching silently from afar.

Any other examples of good or great scenes in middle-of-the-road TNG episodes?

 

[Khan Jr]

Data's scene with the Klingon captain in "The Chase" cracked me up.

 

[Qonundrum]

Spoiler: PIC reference

Riker had an awesome scene in the Picard finale, but I think that's due to Frakes acting his socks off (as usual, he's good.)

 

[Dale Sams]

*I* don't think they are mediocre episodes but "The Royale" and "Neutral Zone" (S1 E25) arn't held to great levels.

Royale has "Baby needs a new pair of shoes" and The Neutral Zone has the scene on the bridge near the end

 

[TV's Frank]

*I* don't think they are mediocre episodes but "The Royale" and "Neutral Zone" (S1 E25) arn't held to great levels.

Royale has "Baby needs a new pair of shoes" and The Neutral Zone has the scene on the bridge near the end

Good submissions! I think that every episode is probably someone's favorite... except maybe Code of Honor! The Royale and The Neutral Zone can be considered in that middle pack of episodes, not top 25 or anything, but each has some winning aspects.

 

[JesterFace]

Might an episode be weak or good, there must be at least one good scene in every episode.

 

[Orphalesion]

Might an episode be weak or good, there must be at least one good scene in every episode.

I challenge you to find a good scene in Justice and Code of Honour, then

I'd also add Angel One, but I guess the scene where Riker dresses up in the skimpy outfit can be considered "so bad it's good"?

 

[Dale Sams]

I challenge you to find a good scene in Justice and Code of Honour, then

I'd also add Angel One, but I guess the scene where Riker dresses up in the skimpy outfit can be considered "so bad it's good"?

Not a scene per se...but in my head canon, Picard only spares Wesley because he's Bevs kid. If it had been some rando..."Sorry dude, PD and all."

 

[Mojochi]

I challenge you to find a good scene in Justice

The scene with that Edo God space station thingy is pretty cool looking

My nomination will be Data in Home Soil putting the moves on the microaliens trying to kill him with the laser

 

[Farscape One]

I challenge you to find a good scene in Justice and Code of Honour, then

I will take that challenge, because even as much as I DESPISE the ENTERPRISE finale, I did love the final moments with the various Enterprises. So I CAN do this.

"Code of Honor" - Geordi shaving. That scene was a nice view on their friendship early in the series. I enjoyed Data's attempt at humor here, with his 'includaling' accident being the real humor.

"Justice" - Picard and Data in the lounge room. He apologizes to Data and reminds him that he simply sees things differently than humans. One of the earliest examples of Picard being a mentor to Data that always hit great beats throughout the series.

 

[trynda1701]

"We'll Always Have Paris" just felt so awkward as an 'past love' episode for Picard. Yet I did like the first attempted beam down where the beams are being scattered, it looks as if the actors where slightly moving in beam. Very dramatic! And then Data taking out the security system.

 

[at Quark's]

I always liked the "Picard seeing his dead mother" scene in Where no one has gone before, even though the entire scene is a bit cheesy (just as the episode itself). It is (I think) the first time we saw the 'vulnerable' side of Picard, his astonishment when he sees her, his acceptance of what he sees after an initial hesitation, his impatience when Riker interrupts his 'vision', his grief when she is gone and he realises it was 'only in his thoughts' after all, and then his getting his act together again.

 

[Orphalesion]

The scene I Haven when Wyatt and Lwaxana talk about the possibility about two people who have never met sharing a mental bond and whether all life is one with each other on a fundamental level.
Lwaxana, for once, seems a lot more sincere, approachable and down-to-earth in that scene as opposed to her loud, flashy persona in the rest of the episode and most of her other appearances.
I still think I would have liked to see more of that Lwaxana.

 

[Marc]

I still think I would have liked to see more of that Lwaxana.

Wasn't she similar in Half A Life (the one where she falls in love with a man from a planet where they end the lives at certain point) and there was also a DS9 episode where she and Odo are stuck in a turbo lift.

 

[JesterFace]

I challenge you to find a good scene in Justice and Code of Honour, then

Um.. it's been a very long time since I visited seasons 1 and 2 apart from few classic episodes.
I have to trust the judgement of others here who have found something good in those episodes.

 

[Orphalesion]

Wasn't she similar in Half A Life (the one where she falls in love with a man from a planet where they end the lives at certain point) and there was also a DS9 episode where she and Odo are stuck in a turbo lift.

Yes those episodes also had snippest of her like that, what I meant is I would have liked to see more than that and less of "Auntie Mame in Space" in general.

 

[TV's Frank]

I always liked the "Picard seeing his dead mother" scene in Where no one has gone before, even though the entire scene is a bit cheesy (just as the episode itself). It is (I think) the first time we saw the 'vulnerable' side of Picard, his astonishment when he sees her, his acceptance of what he sees after an initial hesitation, his impatience when Riker interrupts his 'vision', his grief when she is gone and he realises it was 'only in his thoughts' after all, and then his getting his act together again.

I think that "Where No One Has Gone Before" is often considered one of the more solid examples from the shaky S1, but that scene you cite is certainly a highlight. The episode does have its cheesy moments and it's more dramatically overwrought like much of S1, but I think it's high points (FX, The Traveler, ambitious story, Ron Jones score) outweigh it's missteps.

 

[Sakonna]

The full episode is terrible, but I love the scene in "Cost Of Living" where Lwaxana tells Deanna of her engagement, and Deanna's frustration as Lwaxana slow-walks the reveal that she hasn't even met this man. Their performances are just excellent here, they had such a believable, lived-in, mother-daughter vibe.

Hey, and I guess Lwaxana's monologue to Alexander about being alone later in this episode is good too! And given such additional resonance by Gene's recent-at-the-time death.

 

[Batai]

Dr. Crusher's facial expressions in "Sub Rosa."

 

[ED-209]

Picard and Wesleys discussions in that one where he needs a new heart. Patrick made that episode