Two mini-reviews this time, more from the goodness of season 2.
"Loud as a Whisper"
Another great Troi and Data episode, I was awestruck by the level of nuance and detail accorded so many scenes. From parallels to Earth and other planets, down to the trio of chorus members and their keeping in tune (no pun intended) with their designated functions. It's very multi-layered and each new watching always reveals some other yummy tidbit.
I like how the humor works with the story instead of being aimed at the audience.
Geordi's subplot has a tangential but neat tie-in. And a revisit to replacing the VISOR, giving Pulaski a little more character development. Geordi must have decided, after his first scene with the chorus where he was happy with himself because it's part of him, that he needed the device recalibrated or improved, but then finds out by chance that she could attempt to restore his optic nerves. Geordi leaves it open-ended in the end so we know he's considering it on some subconscious level, but we know he keeps the VISOR and only later (the movies) goes for implants that cull 20% of his visual acuity as a result, but LeVar's blue contact lenses suited him nicely in those. But, back to the story: Again, this episode has some incredibly good writing in just about every scene.
So much so that it became an influence in the season 4 story where Troi loses her magic powers and ends up all whiny and given weird camera angles.
And is it just me or might this episode have been a partial influence for the early-1990s sitcom, "Herman's Head"?
Troi attempting to take over from Riva was a great scene. One of many. Ditto for Data and his skills and talents.
Riva may have hair and beard that goes back to The Bee-Gees, but it actually suits him and proves that "styles past their time" is just pied piper cult indoctrination. If it looks good on a person, wear it with confidence. And people will know it. (So, no, there is no backhanded comment as such.)
And along with confidence, the story goes into so much with so few words. And is entertaining enough to rewatch several times.
Loved the alien feel of the chorus and how Riva demands only he should be looked at. As with the other things, this attribute is carried out consistently.
A couple gaffes:
When Picard, Data and Troi go into the observation lounge/briefing room, he calls Riva's name and Riva turns.
Also, when the chorus guy - the one representing The Libido - talked, I was amazed at how many lengthy verses could replace "I'm horny!" as representing his thoughts.
The ending being open-ended also threw me for a loop. Such warring factions, we're just going to assume each side will work together and nobody will whip out the big gun to fry everyone else in the area?!
As always for this era of TNG, the incidental music is simply perfect.
Still, this is a great example of Star Trek at its finest. 9.5/10
"Outrageous Okona" -
There's clearly a good story in the making somewhere, an update to "Romeo and Juliet".
But it's ironic in that the "let's learn comedy" falls flat when Data deals with The Comic, yet the scenes involving the other crew end up being genuinely funny. And Piscopo does a great Jerry Lewis impression. The ideas in this episode for humor are there but needed some honing because something doesn't feel quite right. Spiner does have good chemistry with Piscopo and I've seen Piscopo in other shows and he's good, but something still does not mesh and I cannot figure out where or how. Also check out youtube for The Comic's sped up joke tuned down to normal speed. And that's how you get past the censors.
Okona did more to talk than to show just how oh-so-outrageous is isn't. Apart from trying to knock up at least 3 crewmembers, though at least Teri Transporter Chief Hatcher initially calls him out on his BS. Until she beds him anyway.
Worse, it's implied he's gone off with 3 crewmembers - or about to get to the third - when he's dragged up to the bridge, thank Worf for that... Not that anyone's counting, apart from Sheldon Cooper or me, but just how many hours have gone by between his interludes? Or minutes, perhaps? I'm not sure if that's impressive in a good way or not... "Hey, I just did three people. In three minutes!!" And for people who like to think, we are not told the genders of the three crewmembers - but are shown only two. So one crewmember remains without detail description and if that person is male or female, it works just as well. He's still crawling with cooties regardless. If nothing else, they forgot to write in a very special Dr. Pulaski scene to bring out the cure for space syphilis. Is that why he's so outrageous, he boinks everything in sight?? Also note, Teri's quarters are on deck 8, room 1669. How convenient for another get-around-the-censors jape. Har-har.
But by 29 minutes in, I was fully enthralled in the episode.
At 30:02, the blu-ray player seized up and skipped to 30:28.
Nice ending, to be honest. Good twist. Okona lies to take the "pleasurable" route and marry, knowing he's going to get the kid to admit he was the one who fathered.
Some notable moments:
* "You're a droid and I'm a noid". Forever I always thought Guinan meant "annoyed" despite he alluding to "humanoid". I hate it when jokes work on multiple levels, especially when they don't intentionally speak out to the audience in breaking the fourth wall.
* Data discussing sexual attraction
* Worf and Okona during the weapons handover scene
* Picard contacts Okona, first scene we see is of his ginormous butt and teensy ponytail. It gets worse when he stands up and shows us the delightful bowl cut on the front that made so many 7 year-olds envious. Is this the scene that prompted the spiky-on-top with mullet growing down in back in real life culture?
* Riker trying to describe Okona as an omega male (in contrast to the typical alpha and beta categories, and weren't these modes of behavioral styles debunked years ago? Even by the 1980s??)
* conference call commences. "On viewer"/"Which ship?" = hilarious
* Worf admitting he has his orders preventing him from doing what half the audience is hoping for is another great moment
* The revelation when the holo-audience and Comic disappear. Pretty much any scene with Guinan in this episode
* "How much time is needed?"/"Unlimited"/"We are going to need it" = another nice line
* When the Comic reacts to Data with "More freebies?" "Comic, just continue", etc, are all smile-inducing
* Picard is particularly well-written
* The first time we get a conference call, it's pretty neat but I still couldn't help but to wonder when Jerry Springer was going to materialize in site-to-site transport onto the bridge
As always for this era of TNG, the incidental music is perfect. What the heck were they thinking of, and/or on, toward the latter end of season 4??
A few goofs:
* How does Data know when humor becomes too esoteric when he does not understand the concept of humor in the first place? It's like saying "I don't know how to drive but is it a big deal that we are driving 75MPH by a sign that is big and octagonal in shape and is bright red?"
* Should anyone in the cast, never mind Whoopi Goldberg or Brent Spiner, be outstaging Joe Piscopo?
* It's not 1950 anymore. Why is Okona surprised by the sound of a woman on the intercom when he's staring at the bridge with Troi right there??
* William Campbell is clearly trying to do more with what's on paper. What's on paper is atrocious, but his attempt to do something entertaining with it is commendable.
* The designation "1 Turbolift" is shown on the turbolift entrance on deck 8.
* the conference call mode has a vertical bar with lights moving in sequence. Other conference calls lack the visual bling
* In this episode, along with others to varying extents, we get the mini-lecture on there are no more families (despite "When the Bough Breaks" selling the opposite very poignantly and realistically (yes, parents are attached to their kids and is alluded to a number of times in TNG but to smaller levels), so just how does the 24th century rear offspring into functional adults?) and procreation and ritual, but meanwhile Okona is trying to impregnate everyone faster than Superman and the episode is treating it all as a shallow throwaway joke... or setting up for one heck of a sequel that never materialized on the proverbial transporter pad. Would have made a nice sequel during preachy seasons 5 or 6...
* Data's a droid and the audience probably got annoyed at a fair number of aforementioned proceedings.
The premise of this episode is rather sound and actually quite solid. But the execution is so far across the map I don't know what to really think of it, it's a hot mess. And not because I wanted to get the galactic gonorrhea in a tryst with both Okona and Transporter Teri there in less than 30 seconds. Then again, many of my posts are all over the map too... I'm just not as dirty.
It's still a weak point for season 2, but surprisingly better than when I first saw it all those decades ago. Never mind how great the blu-ray looks. The episode could have been a lot better, especially if they did more to sell Okona being outrageous as being other than somebody who just likes shagging people and believes that the Hubble Law of Herpes can never be seen from any scope, whether it be tele or micro?
6/10
"Loud as a Whisper"
Another great Troi and Data episode, I was awestruck by the level of nuance and detail accorded so many scenes. From parallels to Earth and other planets, down to the trio of chorus members and their keeping in tune (no pun intended) with their designated functions. It's very multi-layered and each new watching always reveals some other yummy tidbit.
I like how the humor works with the story instead of being aimed at the audience.
Geordi's subplot has a tangential but neat tie-in. And a revisit to replacing the VISOR, giving Pulaski a little more character development. Geordi must have decided, after his first scene with the chorus where he was happy with himself because it's part of him, that he needed the device recalibrated or improved, but then finds out by chance that she could attempt to restore his optic nerves. Geordi leaves it open-ended in the end so we know he's considering it on some subconscious level, but we know he keeps the VISOR and only later (the movies) goes for implants that cull 20% of his visual acuity as a result, but LeVar's blue contact lenses suited him nicely in those. But, back to the story: Again, this episode has some incredibly good writing in just about every scene.
So much so that it became an influence in the season 4 story where Troi loses her magic powers and ends up all whiny and given weird camera angles.
And is it just me or might this episode have been a partial influence for the early-1990s sitcom, "Herman's Head"?
Troi attempting to take over from Riva was a great scene. One of many. Ditto for Data and his skills and talents.
Riva may have hair and beard that goes back to The Bee-Gees, but it actually suits him and proves that "styles past their time" is just pied piper cult indoctrination. If it looks good on a person, wear it with confidence. And people will know it. (So, no, there is no backhanded comment as such.)
And along with confidence, the story goes into so much with so few words. And is entertaining enough to rewatch several times.
Loved the alien feel of the chorus and how Riva demands only he should be looked at. As with the other things, this attribute is carried out consistently.
A couple gaffes:
When Picard, Data and Troi go into the observation lounge/briefing room, he calls Riva's name and Riva turns.
Also, when the chorus guy - the one representing The Libido - talked, I was amazed at how many lengthy verses could replace "I'm horny!" as representing his thoughts.
The ending being open-ended also threw me for a loop. Such warring factions, we're just going to assume each side will work together and nobody will whip out the big gun to fry everyone else in the area?!
As always for this era of TNG, the incidental music is simply perfect.
Still, this is a great example of Star Trek at its finest. 9.5/10
"Outrageous Okona" -
There's clearly a good story in the making somewhere, an update to "Romeo and Juliet".
But it's ironic in that the "let's learn comedy" falls flat when Data deals with The Comic, yet the scenes involving the other crew end up being genuinely funny. And Piscopo does a great Jerry Lewis impression. The ideas in this episode for humor are there but needed some honing because something doesn't feel quite right. Spiner does have good chemistry with Piscopo and I've seen Piscopo in other shows and he's good, but something still does not mesh and I cannot figure out where or how. Also check out youtube for The Comic's sped up joke tuned down to normal speed. And that's how you get past the censors.
Okona did more to talk than to show just how oh-so-outrageous is isn't. Apart from trying to knock up at least 3 crewmembers, though at least Teri Transporter Chief Hatcher initially calls him out on his BS. Until she beds him anyway.
Worse, it's implied he's gone off with 3 crewmembers - or about to get to the third - when he's dragged up to the bridge, thank Worf for that... Not that anyone's counting, apart from Sheldon Cooper or me, but just how many hours have gone by between his interludes? Or minutes, perhaps? I'm not sure if that's impressive in a good way or not... "Hey, I just did three people. In three minutes!!" And for people who like to think, we are not told the genders of the three crewmembers - but are shown only two. So one crewmember remains without detail description and if that person is male or female, it works just as well. He's still crawling with cooties regardless. If nothing else, they forgot to write in a very special Dr. Pulaski scene to bring out the cure for space syphilis. Is that why he's so outrageous, he boinks everything in sight?? Also note, Teri's quarters are on deck 8, room 1669. How convenient for another get-around-the-censors jape. Har-har.
But by 29 minutes in, I was fully enthralled in the episode.
At 30:02, the blu-ray player seized up and skipped to 30:28.
Nice ending, to be honest. Good twist. Okona lies to take the "pleasurable" route and marry, knowing he's going to get the kid to admit he was the one who fathered.
Some notable moments:
* "You're a droid and I'm a noid". Forever I always thought Guinan meant "annoyed" despite he alluding to "humanoid". I hate it when jokes work on multiple levels, especially when they don't intentionally speak out to the audience in breaking the fourth wall.
* Data discussing sexual attraction
* Worf and Okona during the weapons handover scene
* Picard contacts Okona, first scene we see is of his ginormous butt and teensy ponytail. It gets worse when he stands up and shows us the delightful bowl cut on the front that made so many 7 year-olds envious. Is this the scene that prompted the spiky-on-top with mullet growing down in back in real life culture?
* Riker trying to describe Okona as an omega male (in contrast to the typical alpha and beta categories, and weren't these modes of behavioral styles debunked years ago? Even by the 1980s??)
* conference call commences. "On viewer"/"Which ship?" = hilarious
* Worf admitting he has his orders preventing him from doing what half the audience is hoping for is another great moment
* The revelation when the holo-audience and Comic disappear. Pretty much any scene with Guinan in this episode
* "How much time is needed?"/"Unlimited"/"We are going to need it" = another nice line
* When the Comic reacts to Data with "More freebies?" "Comic, just continue", etc, are all smile-inducing
* Picard is particularly well-written
* The first time we get a conference call, it's pretty neat but I still couldn't help but to wonder when Jerry Springer was going to materialize in site-to-site transport onto the bridge
As always for this era of TNG, the incidental music is perfect. What the heck were they thinking of, and/or on, toward the latter end of season 4??
A few goofs:
* How does Data know when humor becomes too esoteric when he does not understand the concept of humor in the first place? It's like saying "I don't know how to drive but is it a big deal that we are driving 75MPH by a sign that is big and octagonal in shape and is bright red?"
* Should anyone in the cast, never mind Whoopi Goldberg or Brent Spiner, be outstaging Joe Piscopo?
* It's not 1950 anymore. Why is Okona surprised by the sound of a woman on the intercom when he's staring at the bridge with Troi right there??
* William Campbell is clearly trying to do more with what's on paper. What's on paper is atrocious, but his attempt to do something entertaining with it is commendable.
* The designation "1 Turbolift" is shown on the turbolift entrance on deck 8.
* the conference call mode has a vertical bar with lights moving in sequence. Other conference calls lack the visual bling
* In this episode, along with others to varying extents, we get the mini-lecture on there are no more families (despite "When the Bough Breaks" selling the opposite very poignantly and realistically (yes, parents are attached to their kids and is alluded to a number of times in TNG but to smaller levels), so just how does the 24th century rear offspring into functional adults?) and procreation and ritual, but meanwhile Okona is trying to impregnate everyone faster than Superman and the episode is treating it all as a shallow throwaway joke... or setting up for one heck of a sequel that never materialized on the proverbial transporter pad. Would have made a nice sequel during preachy seasons 5 or 6...
* Data's a droid and the audience probably got annoyed at a fair number of aforementioned proceedings.
The premise of this episode is rather sound and actually quite solid. But the execution is so far across the map I don't know what to really think of it, it's a hot mess. And not because I wanted to get the galactic gonorrhea in a tryst with both Okona and Transporter Teri there in less than 30 seconds. Then again, many of my posts are all over the map too... I'm just not as dirty.
It's still a weak point for season 2, but surprisingly better than when I first saw it all those decades ago. Never mind how great the blu-ray looks. The episode could have been a lot better, especially if they did more to sell Okona being outrageous as being other than somebody who just likes shagging people and believes that the Hubble Law of Herpes can never be seen from any scope, whether it be tele or micro?
6/10
