One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECTOR"

[Sexy Human]

Alright Ive spent a bit of time on here nitpicking, saying what I dont like, etc about star trek. But its kind of easier to nitpick the newer stuff.

The Defector, is one of my favorite episodes and is just fantastic. Very very entertaining, dramatic, and the acting job by Patrick Stewart was just marvelous.

The Romulan Defector as well, puts in an absolutely epic performance.

Great plot, great acting, great ending, and how can you not love Tomalak?

One question, Troi seems to be conveniently missing from this episode.... I guess it would have been to easy for her to sense he was lying in the beginning.

Nonethless, Kudos to this episode which is one of the most defining episodes of all-time.

 

[Sexy Human]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

"Is it possible this could have all been.... to test your loyalty"?

"Nelvana 3 Captain! No base. Theres nothing here".

"You still will not survive our assault".

"And you will not survive ours. Shall we die together."?

 

[Mr_Homn]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

Also some of the best music of the series.

It's definitely in my top 5 of tng. It clearly was a major influence on ds9's "duet"

 

[Mojochi]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

I too tend to favor any episode where Stewart has a great guest actor to play off of

The Defector
The Wounded
Sarek
Chain Of Command
The Drumhead

When there's another powerhouse there, it elevates from being just a tv show to being classic sci-fi theater, something which only happened very rarely on any Star Trek, & I dare say that TNG had some of those best moments of all of them, perhaps more than the other shows even

 

[Mott the barber]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

Oh yes I've said it for years this is in my top 5 if not top 3 of TNG (arguably all Trek to be honest). I've seen it more than most episodes and it gets me every time. James Sloyan was excellent.

Side note: This was the first episode to feature the snaller 4 foot E-D model.

 

[BillJ]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

It has a ton of good acting to it. But Picard was a fool to enter the Neutral Zone. A Romulan Warbird chasing a scout craft and slowed everytime the scout slowed? A censured Admiral?

It was clearly a trap.

 

[NrobbieC]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

The Defector is excellent, TNG had some wonderful drama episodes. The Drumhead is also in my top rated TNG list.

I do love Romulans

 

[R. Star]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

Clearly it was a trap in hindsight, that's no great revelation. What sold the story was the same thing that sold the episode, the sheer power and authority of the Jarok character. Pity by the nature of the episode he couldn't be around for another appearance.

 

[Satyrquaze]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

It's one of my personal favorties as well. I often find myself citing this episode when I'm rabbling on about great Trek episodes.

Admiral Jarok is a wonderfully tragic character. Everything he (apparently) does is to make sure his daughter does not grow up and possibly die in a war-torn Romulan Empire. In the end, he sacrifices everything to this end.

As he puts it: "She will grow up knowing that her father was a traitor. But, she will grow up." By contrast, it's terribly sad at the end to see him believing that he apparently did it all for nothing.

James Sloyan and Patrick Stewart play so amazingly off eachother, it's no wonder that Sloyan would be repeatedly asked back to for the other memorable roles of Dr. Mora Pol, K'mtar, and Jetrel.

And finally this episode is pure win just because of the dialogue between Picard and Tomalok with the Enterprise-D surviving only because of the Federation-Klingon Alliance. Something that (as I pointed out elsewhere) would not be possible a mere 7 episodes later after Worf's discommendation.

 

[BillJ]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

And finally this episode is pure win just because of the dialogue between Picard and Tomalok with the Enterprise-D surviving only because of the Federation-Klingon Alliance. Something that (as I pointed out elsewhere) would not be possible a mere 7 episodes later after Worf's discommendation.

Why? Picard may have needed to use another officer as a liaison to the Klingons, but they were still allies.

 

[Satyrquaze]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

Why? Picard may have needed to use another officer as a liaison to the Klingons, but they were still allies.

Possibly, But it always struck me that Picard had Worf take a call from the Klingon vessel Bortas (later revealed to be the Klingon flagship) at a security station off the bridge. This is interesting for a couple of reasons one that Worf was pointedly asked to take the call. Be it in both his duties as Chief-of-Security AND as the only Klingon serving in Starfleet. Other than Worf who can act as liasion to the Klingons? Perhaps Riker. Maybe going off his experience in the Officer Exchange Program.

I just don't see it going as smoothly with anyone else acting as liasion.

But, you could be correct.

 

[BillJ]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

Why? Picard may have needed to use another officer as a liaison to the Klingons, but they were still allies.

Possibly, But it always struck me that Picard had Worf take a call from the Klingon vessel Bortas (later revealed to be the Klingon flagship) at a security station off the bridge. This is interesting for a couple of reasons one that Worf was pointedly asked to take the call. Be it in both his duties as Chief-of-Security AND as the only Klingon serving in Starfleet. Other than Worf who can act as liasion to the Klingons? Perhaps Riker. Maybe going off his experience in the Officer Exchange Program.

I just don't see it going as smoothly with anyone else acting as liasion.

But, you could be correct.

I don't think a problem would exist because I just don't see the Klingons turning down a possible opportunity to mix it up with the Romulans, regardless of whose asking.

 

[Satyrquaze]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

Come to think of it, I wonder why wasn't there more 'mixing' on the part of the Klingons? The Romulans fired first. The Klingons' orders were to wait under cloak until the Enteprise signaled? Seems almost out of character that they were able to calmly wait. What would they have done if the Enterprise not had the oppourtunity to signal?

 

[NrobbieC]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

I imagine if things had gotten out of hand then they would've helped out, they were probably keeping an eye on the Enterprise.

 

[Satyrquaze]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

True, but there's Picard's line about the Romulan's initial attack just being 'a tap on the shoulder' or they wouldn't be around to talk about it. The implication being that between the two Warbirds, they had the firepower overwhelm the Enterprise's defenses before they or the Klingons could respond.

Luckily, the Romulans didn't necessarily want to instigate a war. They wanted prisioners and to display the captured Federation Flagship on Romulus.

 

[Timo]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

I think the Klingons would have loved the idea that they are to remain cloaked until called. Let's have the Romulans reveal their cards first and destroy the Enterprise, consider a job well done and drop shields... And then let's slaughter them all! Three birds with one stone for the glory of the Klingon Empire. "Oh, the signal must have been jammed."

Timo Saloniemi

 

[InklingStar]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

I have always loved this episode. I think a part of what makes it so epic is the Shakespearean themes. Picard is using Henry V at the beginning to help Data explore humanity, but then in the crisis he hearkens back to Shakespere's words, applying them to the situation at hand. It elevates the episode, thematically. And I just really like Henry V.

 

[Delsaber]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

TNG at its best. Star Trek at its best.

Whenever someone tries to badmouth Ron Moore in my presence, I just say "The Defector", then drop my microphone and exit stage left, kicking the door open on my way out.

 

[BillJ]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

TNG at its best. Star Trek at its best.

Whenever someone tries to badmouth Ron Moore in my presence, I just say "The Defector", then drop my microphone and exit stage left, kicking the door open on my way out.

Must not care about plot holes or characters acting ignorant to move the plot forward.

 

[Rory1080p]

Re: One of the best episodes any human has ever created... "THE DEFECT

agree it's one of the best episodes of TNG, Picard just owns in it, one of the reasons I love the show is how great Patrick Stewart was at playing Picard, he carries it off brilliantly and the speech at the end has to be one of the best moments in all of Trek for me