Making sense of "Masks" episode

[Paradise City]

Was Colm Meaney visiting the set or something? He was long on the DS9 rota by that stage.

I enjoyed the episode. It's a modification of the Contagion episode where some virus does something bizarre to the ship, Data acts up and Picard the archaeologist unlocks the puzzle towards the end. I admit I always have a soft spot for episodes that muck around with the ship itself.

Spiner's acting here is corny but it entertained me and is well with the boundaries of what you often get with Trek.

 

[Herbert]

I always enjoyed this episode but I'll be the first to admit that it's batshit crazy. It's like the writer dropped acid before writing it.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

I can't figure out if I like Masks or not. I love the performance aspect of it, but the actual story is pretty up there in ridiculousness which makes it hard to pass off as good. And I love ancient races and their weird technology, so its as if there is a good episode buried in here but the execution is lacking. In fact, Spiner's performances, while I enjoy, so obviously are made the point of the episode rather than the story kind of makes them a flaw in themselves. But I do enjoy it far better than A Fisftful of Datas, which can be argued to be the same basic episode. But I'm not a fan of westerns so that could just be bias on my part.

 

[RAMA]

Well, this is probably the 5th Masks thread here in the last 2 years. Suffice it to say it's in my top 30 or so favorite episodes. Between the acting, production design, alien archaeological angle, it's an episode I highly recommend to non-Trekkies. I've never had a bad reaction to it.

 

[Gary7]

I can't figure out if I like Masks or not. I love the performance aspect of it, but the actual story is pretty up there in ridiculousness which makes it hard to pass off as good. And I love ancient races and their weird technology, so its as if there is a good episode buried in here but the execution is lacking. In fact, Spiner's performances, while I enjoy, so obviously are made the point of the episode rather than the story kind of makes them a flaw in themselves. But I do enjoy it far better than A Fisftful of Datas, which can be argued to be the same basic episode. But I'm not a fan of westerns so that could just be bias on my part.

I agree, it doesn't make any sense... what's the point of "playing out" this "chase and be chased" thing between Masaka and Korgano? It's one thing to retell a story, either in some elaborate display or to directly communicate intensely to another being (like what happened to Picard in "Inner Light"), but another to be destructive and kill other life forms to tell the tale. Made no sense. And what... the damned Enterprise computer is vulnerable AGAIN? Wouldn't they all have done something about anti-virus protection by then after narrowly escaping assimilation by the Borg years earlier?

Picard's acting was over the top, and at times I thought of Shatner and his overacting moments. Well, after that Spiner confession, it all makes sense now. They were doing this while struggling to keep straight faces, feeling it was all some ridiculous farcical episode! Overall I thought Masks was a curiosity, but after seeing it about 3 times now, I've no desire to ever see it again.

 

[Handsomeyoungensign]

Certainly not a bad thing.. Keep those good ones in view so as not to forget..

Well, this is probably the 5th Masks thread here in the last 2 years. Suffice it to say it's in my top 30 or so favorite e
e

isode I highly recommend to non-Trekkies. I've never had a bad reaction to it.

 

[Gary7]

Part of what I don't like about Masks is that it's a telltale sign of the near ending of TNG. Many Season 7 episodes were peculiar and "reaching", telegraphing the fact that story ideas were running thin. And that feels sad.

 

[Handsomeyoungensign]

How fitting that ender... "All Good Things...."

Part of what I don't like about Masks is that it's a telltale sign of the near ending of TNG. Many Season 7 episodes were peculiar and "reaching", telegraphing the fact that story ideas were running thin. And that feels sad.

 

[Desert Kris]

I really enjoyed Masks, but it saddens me to learn that the cast were laughing about it. Yet, not too sad. I hope the cast had fun with it, in a sense. I have enjoyed watching it in another sense. I was fascinated by the mythology/spiritual aspect of the episode, and I didn't view it through the lense of perspective that it should be reflective of the logic of hard science fiction. I actually think ST is capable of being a somewhat fantastical science fictional show, but not hard sci-fi. I certainly regard TOS that way.

I've seen Season 7 criticized a fair amount for pushing the envelop, seemingly out of desperation because they were running out of ideas. Well, maybe that's true, but I like a lot of the stories, and in part because the get a little out there...it's like the writers were relaxing a little bit about strict boundaries for stories. That out-there quality makes those episodes exciting, and therefore fun to watch.

 

[RAMA]

Part of what I don't like about Masks is that it's a telltale sign of the near ending of TNG. Many Season 7 episodes were peculiar and "reaching", telegraphing the fact that story ideas were running thin. And that feels sad.

Masks was wonderfully creative and several steps above Braga's darker season 7 episodes. There was also a plan ahead of time to do family centered episodes. To me, those family episodes were the most "reaching" because they were so far in deep space and required jumping through hoops to get them to work, while Masks was simply excellent.

 

[Gary7]

We all have our favorites ranging from high to low (or not at all), and I thought Masks, while indisputably creative, a very bizarre episode. Almost as surreal as Genesis. In of itself, I found Picard to be a bit too "relaxed" in it. There was a ticking alien time bomb in the Enterprise, and Picard is all fascinated with the archaeological symbolism of the alien culture, indulging in his personal interest. And while the knowledge was helpful to figure out how to solve the problem, I just didn't feel the proper sense of urgency from him. That's only one aspect of several. It was just so peculiar. I must confess that I don't hate the episode and it was enjoyable to a degree (putting aside the plausibility factors). Plus, Spiner was quite entertaining.