Same here!
It was actually the last episode I'd ever seen and never
saw it all the way through until recently. But I like it!
Masks?
- Thread starter LMFAOschwarz
- Start date
Same here!
It was actually the last episode I'd ever seen and never
saw it all the way through until recently. But I like it!
I love the mythology presented in "Masks" regarding the sun and moon. I really love it.
The episode's biggest weakness is the premise that the extinct race would jeopardize an alien starship, just to make sure that they understand their mythology. As a form of assault merely for communicating with an extinct race, it parallels the mind rape idea in "The Inner Light". At least in "Darmok", some implied urgency for living races to communicate is a conceivable motivation to justify increasing the pressure to bridge the gulf, after failing to do so through more conventional means.
The episode's biggest weakness is the premise that the extinct race would jeopardize an alien starship, just to make sure that they understand their mythology. As a form of assault merely for communicating with an extinct race, it parallels the mind rape idea in "The Inner Light". At least in "Darmok", some implied urgency for living races to communicate is a conceivable motivation to justify increasing the pressure to bridge the gulf, after failing to do so through more conventional means.
What I also recall, is that it had a really weird concept, almost like something from the 1st season of Space:1999. I can't explain it any better than that...
There are some episodes with alien forces possessing Alpha personnel in first-season Space: 1999 (a fairly standard sci-fi premise really), two of which that come immediately to mind are "Force of Life" and "The Troubled Spirit".
"The Troubled Spirit" is by far the better of the two. It involves a doppelganger motif, which might suggest a vague similarity to "Masks", and it also involves facial disfigurement, suggesting a further parallel, though nowhere near enough to assume it in any way was an inspiration for "Masks". I consider "The Troubled Spirit" noteworthy for its distinctively creepy atmosphere. Despite some obvious faults, some might consider it worth checking out.
"The Troubled Spirit" is by far the better of the two. It involves a doppelganger motif, which might suggest a vague similarity to "Masks", and it also involves facial disfigurement, suggesting a further parallel, though nowhere near enough to assume it in any way was an inspiration for "Masks". I consider "The Troubled Spirit" noteworthy for its distinctively creepy atmosphere. Despite some obvious faults, some might consider it worth checking out.
It was an odd, odd episode. I would never recommend a non Trek viewer to watch this episode as it is no way representative of how good TNG was or how great some of the characters where. That being said, I did enjoy the episode, just really can't wrap my mind around why I do...
Yeah, it was oddly common for Trek aliens to destroy-you-by-communicating-with-you. I blame V'Ger.
I never really realized how often it happened until Voyager's "The Haunting of Deck 12."
The crazy alien space cloud is "just trying to communicate so it can get home."
The Universal Translator: It works...or you die!
You're right about The Troubled Spirit. It's more of a ghost story, really, than science fiction!
Also, another Masks reminder may be the way alien hyeiroglyphics (sp.) appear on moonbase Alpha screens in Space Brain.
It's actually one of my favorite episodes for just that reason.
Especially as the old man, trying to keep warm.
It ranks right up there with "Loud as a Whisper" and Tin Man.
Similar threads
