Masks: Love it or hate it?

[mitchconner]

This episode has one of the lower ratings on TV.com but I've seen several people here seemed to like it. I always thought this was an underrated episode. It was such a strange, alien concept, and plus Brent Spiner got to play something other than an emotionless android. Just like when he appeared on Enterprise, he's truly an amazing actor. I could totally envision him in the Benjamin Linus role on Lost.

So, Masks: Good, Bad, Mediocre?

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

It was... OK.

 

[Winterwind]

Don't know how to vote. The thread title asks "Love it or hate it?", two options. The poll has three, the opening post has three and "sucky" and "meh" mean much the same to me. Yeah, yeah I'm being picky but you need consistency in survey or the results are worthless. And forum polls need to be accurate and valid, dammit!

Didn't care for it and skipped it when I did a series re-watch recently.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

I think "meh" is frequently considered more akin to 'mediocre' than 'dreadful', which is what I think when I read "sucky".

 

[Winterwind]

In that case "meh" should be the middle option. Damn. This is even harder now...

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Yeah, good point, it probably should be the middle... hrm.

 

[mitchconner]

Then you both are very "meh"...

 

[DevilEyes]

Masks is an incomprehensible mess, and it's not even fun in its weirdness. So, sucky.

 

[Harvey]

I love it when TNG went into weird, sometimes dark places, so I'm rather fond of "Masks." I also like "Genesis," even though that one quite possibly makes less sense.

 

[DonIago]

I liked it, but I by no means loved it. Another "TNG does something unusual that may or may not really work" episode.

 

[antiquityscion]

I am indifferent to it. I reserve my hate for another season 7 episode, Genesis.

 

[TroiFan4ever]

I love it when TNG went into weird, sometimes dark places,

Do you like "Dark Page" then?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE "Masks"! I just wish Troi was the one possessed instead since the episode before this one was mostly about Data. I still don't get all the hate.

I am indifferent to it. I reserve my hate for another season 7 episode, Genesis.

You know, I used to not like "Genesis" but now I find myself watching every now and then...

 

[Supernuke]

I love this episode! It is unique IMO.

 

[RAMA]

Another mask thread?

 

[donners22]

Aw, I thought this was a thread about the TNG book of the same name (which I love).

 

[Harvey]

I love it when TNG went into weird, sometimes dark places,

Do you like "Dark Page" then?

Kind of, yeah. It's probably the best show with Lwaxana Troi, although it's been a while since I've seen her TNG episodes.

 

[MrPointy]

Masks is one of those ones I don't mind watching, even though it's crap. I think the core idea is interesting (Joe Menosky weirdness), but it's executed poorly (people trying interpret Joe Menosky weirdness when he's not there).

 

[Admiral Shran]

I love it, but it's certainly not my favorite of the series by any stretch.

I like that it's just a fun little adventure with nothing behind it. That kind of episode is fun every now and then, and TNG was often lacking in that department.

 

[Seven of Five]

I've seen Masks a couple of times, though the second time it was just boring background noise. Joe Menosky had a knack for inserting some interesting ideas into his scripts, but I agree with whoever suggested that without him there to see things through, it wouldn't work properly.

Was this when he was on sabbatical? How many episodes he did whilst away from Star Trek. One I distinctly remember was the very average Dramatis Personae of DS9's first season.

 

[RAMA]

For a rather thorough discussion on why Masks does not "suck" look here:

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=140025&highlight=Masks

Sample:

...the living archaeaology, the myth was exactly what was most interesting!! It has a personal link with two of the main characters that works really well. The acting was brilliant in support of it. Its not even remotely weird, it all follows a pretty simple logic, and even the transformation of objects and computer systems has a perfectly reasonable explanation (if you are inclined to believe in energy to matter conversion and back again, its not really that hard). There were far weirder concepts used in ST that's for certain.

RAMA