Imaginary Friend.... why all the hate?

[Swedish Borg]

Yes, there's also one thing about that episode. Sometimes the "alien girl" is visible only to the little girl (sorry but I forget the name) sometimes to everyone*. How is that accomplished?

Not only that but she's also the only one who can hear what she says.

 

[Eckauskas]

It’s horrifically boring, tepid, and uninteresting. The actress who plays the evil imaginary girl is grating. And, the cliché of the “invisible alien that only the little kid can see and none of the adults believe in” is painful. It’s just dull, even by TNG standards.

This is bottom-5 TNG material as far as my opinions go.

Otherwise it’s fine I guess.

Yeah, I think the reason I don't care for it is that the actor playing Isabella just seems to be perennially angry and without nuance. You can understand the curiosity of other races to learn more about the Federation, but the character was just fundamentally unlikeable. I also don't much like seeing kids being manipulated either.

I don't hate it, I just don't have much desire to watch it. Alongside Hero Worship and The Bonding.

The episode also doesn't focus on any of the main characters. This one and Lower Decks are two of my least favorites.

I actually really like Lower Decks for the reason you mention. It's interesting to see how the Enterprise operates from the viewpoint of an officer who isn't privy to confidential meetings, mission logs or top secret communiques.

 

[DonIago]

Yes, there's also one thing about that episode. Sometimes the "alien girl" is visible only to the little girl (sorry but I forget the name) sometimes to everyone*. How is that accomplished?

Not only that but she's also the only one who can hear what she says.

Presumably alien girl can choose who she appears to. That doesn't seem like a huge stretch to me.

I just find the episode forgettable.

 

[Swedish Borg]

Presumably alien girl can choose who she appears to. That doesn't seem like a huge stretch to me.

I just find the episode forgettable.

So she can reach into everyone's mind individually and change their vision yet doesn't understand the concept of protecting children against possible dangers... Not very coherent. Pretty much like Data who has encyclopedic knowledge yet doesn't understand the meaning of certain words and is incapable of doing something so simple as to repeat a colloquialism without altering it.

 

[tomalak301]

I thought the child actors were not all that great (Even though I did like that one Actress in DS9's Shadowplay) and it came in the TNG Season of Children. I was already annoyed at all the children popping up in Season 5 at the time.

 

[Swedish Borg]

I thought the child actors were not all that great (Even though I did like that one Actress in DS9's Shadowplay) and it came in the TNG Season of Children. I was already annoyed at all the children popping up in Season 5 at the time.

Yes, the kid actress who played the little girl was more talented than the one who played the alien, which is likely why she was used a second time, I'd hate to think that it was only nepotism.

 

[Swedish Borg]

TOS started with two terrible children's episodes, "Miri" and "And The Children..." it did not bode well for the future series. Star Trek should just stay away from children (especially in groups) they do not have what it takes to make them work well.

 

[Physics of Trekkies]

I thought the child actors were not all that great (Even though I did like that one Actress in DS9's Shadowplay) and it came in the TNG Season of Children. I was already annoyed at all the children popping up in Season 5 at the time.

I cannot stand the one where Lwaxana babysits Alexander in the holodeck.

 

[Swedish Borg]

I cannot stand the one where Lwaxana babysits Alexander in the holodeck.

You're preaching to the choir, my friend.

 

[Physics of Trekkies]

TOS started with two terrible children's episodes, "Miri" and "And The Children..."

"And the Children Shall Lead" was Season 3. TOS did not start with that one nor any other children-centered episode besides "Miri".

 

[tomalak301]

I cannot stand the one where Lwaxana babysits Alexander in the holodeck.

Neither do I, or the one where Worf is revealed as the Galaxy's worst father in what was an extremely boring episode.

 

[Swedish Borg]

"And the Children Shall Lead" was Season 3. TOS did not start with that one nor any other children-centered episode besides "Miri".

By "started", I meant that these were the first kids' episodes of the franchise. Sorry that I wasn't clear enough.

 

[Physics of Trekkies]

By "started", I meant that these were the first kids' episodes of the franchise. Sorry that I wasn't clear enough.

Ah, got ya.

 

[JesterFace]

Yeah, I think the reason I don't care for it is that the actor playing Isabella just seems to be perennially angry and without nuance.

Well it was an alien lifeform so it shouldn't have behaved like a human child it doesn't understand.

 

[Swedish Borg]

Well it was an alien lifeform so it shouldn't have behaved like a human child it doesn't understand.

Yes, aliens that sound like really bad actors are not my cup of tea.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Children's feelings are bad television, even if they are accurate.

 

[Swedish Borg]

Children's feelings are bad television, even if they are accurate.

The operative words being "bad television".