Next Phase Episode

Discussion in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' started by Stroudarian, Dec 21, 2017.

  1. Stroudarian

    Stroudarian Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Season 5, Episode 24
    “The Next Phase”


    A question I have had since childhood, and I have often wondered about, still confuses me to this day, so herre it goes. In the episode, after LaForge, Ro and the Romulan have been altered, they seem to pass right through walls, furniture, etc. Why didn’t they fall through the floor of the enterprise? Also, since the Romulan disruptor obviously worked, since the Romulan officer was wearing the device when he was altered, wouldn’t Ro’s and LaForge’s communicator badge have also worked, at least for them? I mean, if they are wearing the device, or anything else, at the time they were altered, it should theoretically work, at least for those who have been altered (Notice that their clothes did not fall off of them). Also, speaking of the Romulan Disruptor, since the 3 altered individuals were able to pass through bulkheads and other solid objects, wouldn’t the beam from the disprutor have not been impeded by similar objects? It’s just something that I have always wondered about.
     
  2. Kor

    Kor Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Probably some hand-wavy technical mumbo-jumbo about gravity fields stopping right at the floor where they are generated.

    Kor
     
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  3. Stroudarian

    Stroudarian Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    That is interesting. I have spent the last 25 years thinking about this episode, and that idea never occurred to me. This idea makes sense in a way. Thanks.
     
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  4. Kor

    Kor Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    But then there was that time when things were going out of phase throughout the ship, and an engineering crewwoman ended up halfway through the floor.

    Kor
     
  5. Stroudarian

    Stroudarian Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Good point. I remember that.
     
  6. JesterFace

    JesterFace Fleet Captain Commodore

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    Didn't that happen in another episode 'In Theory'?

    Well, I guess that's known... But is there a connection between these episodes, not really.
     
  7. Stroudarian

    Stroudarian Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    No, no connection that I can find.
     
  8. at Quark's

    at Quark's Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    What "should" have happened (I think) is that they just floated through the Enterprise, not being able to hold on to anything. Probably they would have awakened in space because the Enterprise had moved "from under their feet" while they were unconscious. But that wouldn't have made for a very interesting episode....

    As for the communicators, I'd say it would depend upon whether these are a fully self-contained technology, or not (i.e. they still need an intermediate hub that was not phase shifted along with the devices, much like our cellphones today).
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2017
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  9. tomswift2002

    tomswift2002 Commodore Commodore

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    In “In Theory” the transformations are caused by dark matter.
     
  10. JirinPanthosa

    JirinPanthosa Admiral Admiral

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    The fact that they didn't fall through the floor isn't even the most hand-wavey question. How could they breathe? Why was there air, and why didn't it escape through the walls like the people could?
     
  11. Herbert

    Herbert Commodore Commodore

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    The most obvious answer is because otherwise they would fallen through the ship and into space. Boom, end of episode. Seriously, sometimes it's better not to try to figure out plot holes and wtf moments. Just go with it and enjoy the episode.
     
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  12. JesterFace

    JesterFace Fleet Captain Commodore

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    Sometimes the plot hole is so big it cannot be just put aside or like in this case there are so many little things that make no sense it's just weird.
     
  13. Herbert

    Herbert Commodore Commodore

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    I know. It would have been nice had Geordi come up with some technobabble to explain why they didn't fall through the floor but that wasn't written into the episode. What are you gonna do.
     
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  14. tomswift2002

    tomswift2002 Commodore Commodore

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    Don’t forget there was that table scene where Geordi gets zapped by Data’s beam and has a harder time pushing his hand (and says it’s harder) through, so maybe there is resistance when they’re cloaked.
     
  15. Herbert

    Herbert Commodore Commodore

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    Yeah but that only happens after they get zapped by Data's beam. Before that, they pass effortlessly through solids. Unless of course, it's the floor.
     
  16. tomswift2002

    tomswift2002 Commodore Commodore

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    But we still see them have some resistance, since in Ten Forward, before the pistol blows up, both Ro and LaForge dive behind the table and neither go through the bench/wall.
     
  17. Herbert

    Herbert Commodore Commodore

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    That's just part of the inconsistency of the way it was written. They can pass their hand through a table. A crew member walks right through Ro but when they dive behind the table their surroundings are seemingly solid. I think it was a piss poor writing decision. They should have realized how inconsistent it was and come up with a reason why.
     
  18. Qonundrum

    Qonundrum Vice Admiral Admiral

    It's still (IMHO) a great episode, a refreshing change for season 5, even if the laxity in physics is (grating) at times. I found the Romulan deceit and cultural sharing subplots to make up for the inconsistencies.
     
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  19. tomswift2002

    tomswift2002 Commodore Commodore

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    The show also had a similar storyline in Season 7 with The Pegasus. Both ships could pass through rocks with the phasing cloak, however, people were still able to stay in the ship without passing through the outer bulkheads.
     
  20. Unicron

    Unicron Boss Monster Mod Moderator

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    The simplest answer in my mind is, since they can breathe, they weren't phased enough to completely fall through the floor or otherwise suffocate. The plot wouldn't be workable otherwise. :angel:
     
  21. Emperor Norton

    Emperor Norton Captain Captain

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    There is no bottom to space, so there is no bottom for them to fall down to. The question is more how then they moved from side to side. But....floors on the shuttle, so floors as a context on the ship...timey whimey, wibble wobble...

    Also, I thought from the title this was going to be something like the "Phase II" version of a TNG follow on series, which I hadn't heard of before. So I am now sad.
     
  22. Ronan Fahy

    Ronan Fahy Ensign Red Shirt

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    one of the Titan books, absent enemies I think, actually goes into a lot of detail about this, asking the same questions and with geordi etc wondering why it all worked as it did, and coming up with some theories, which amount to basically it being of no use if it didn't work like thst therefore someone designed it to be affected by gravity, to allow them breath, to allow light hit their eyes etc.