Revisiting ST-TNG...

[Anwar]

I dunno, "Hollow Pursuits"'s storyline was pretty good at foreshadowing how folks would get addicted to "interactive stories" like World of Warcraft. It just did it in a low-key, "slice of life" manner instead of some over-the-top "Planet is enslaved by evil computer that distracts folks with hologram life!" storyline.

 

[Mysterion]

"Peak Performance" ***

The Enterprise engages in a battle simulation.

There are parts of this I like, but what really hurts it for me is the thinking behind it all: the notion that Starfleet supposedly isn't a military (which indeed it is) and that military preparedness is a waste of time. These guys wouldn't have lasted a minute in the TOS era with that kind of thinking. Anyway I was appreciating any way whatsoever the Zakdorn would have some shit kicked out of him.

Agree with your assesment of this episode. It has always grated on me the way Picard's log entry is worded, where he says that he's "Consented" to taking part in the wargames exercise. Really!? "Consented"? Does a starship captain really have the option to turn down a legitimate training assignment? I've got to imagine that the admiral who gave him the order would love to discuss that perception with Picard over a courts-martial some sunny afternoon at Starfleet Headquarters.

 

[Warped9]

"The Most Toys" ***

Data is presumed killed when he is abducted by an unscrupulous collector.

Meh. The ending is decent, but I found it a slow build to get there. The villain has some charm, but not enough to really interest me.

Those shuttlepods really are stupid looking.


"Sarek" *****

Violence breaks out among the crew while Ambassador Sarek prepares to conduct his final mission.

How wonderful to see Sarek again. And like McCoy's cameo way back in "Encounter At Farpoint" it's a fitting tribute to a great character. I felt sad watching Sarek's deterioration, the disheartening loss of control for such a dignified character. And Patrick Stewart's performance was awesome and moving.

This was a wonderful rebound after some disappointing episodes.

Here's a mistake you're making, I think: Star Trek: The Next Generation is not primarily an adventure show.

The opening narration suggests otherwise. And for the first two plus seasons it was that. The fact that it drifted away from being a space adventure is also part of the reason I drifted away from the series.

 

[Ubik]

"The Most Toys" ***

Data is presumed killed when he is abducted by an unscrupulous collector.

Meh. The ending is decent, but I found it a slow build to get there. The villain has some charm, but not enough to really interest me.

Those shuttlepods really are stupid looking.


"Sarek" *****

Violence breaks out among the crew while Ambassador Sarek prepares to conduct his final mission.

How wonderful to see Sarek again. And like McCoy's cameo way back in "Encounter At Farpoint" it's a fitting tribute to a great character. I felt sad watching Sarek's deterioration, the disheartening loss of control for such a dignified character. And Patrick Stewart's performance was awesome and moving.

This was a wonderful rebound after some disappointing episodes.

Here's a mistake you're making, I think: Star Trek: The Next Generation is not primarily an adventure show.

The opening narration suggests otherwise. And for the first two plus seasons it was that. The fact that it drifted away from being a space adventure is also part of the reason I drifted away from the series.

But, of course, as you've pointed out, the opening narration is misleading. TNG finally grew into its own, and became just as famous as its earlier counterpart, precisely by NOT being the same type of show. The first 2 seasons of TNG are not great because TOS did that cheesy-fun over-the-top adolescent gung-go adventuring Roddenberry-esque nonsense so much better than the stodgier TNG cast and writers ever did. TNG, on the other hand, is much better at the stuff it does in its later seasons.

It's exactly the same as when DS9, in its first season, tried to be TNG, but wasn't anywhere near as good at it. Then, in its second season, it became its own thing, a unique entity, and then began to thrive. Personally, I appreciate the fact that TOS, TNG, and DS9 are all different subgenres of sci-fi, with different approaches and storytelling attitudes.

 

[Warped9]

^^ I've never and still do not see TOS as cheesy. And this revisit has shown me that TNG's first two season were overall better than I remember and what many still seem to believe.

I also challenge the perception that TNG (as a series) was more evolved, more adult and more refined than TOS. It was nothing of the sort. It was simply different.

 

[Sam McCord]

I agree that "Sarek" was a superb episode... I personally regard it as amongst the very best of any Trek, because it was so moving, and the acting so good.

 

[Warped9]

^^ Well, I do think Sarek's Vulcan aid, Sakath, could be on the flat side at times.


I've been thinking that I really should keep a copy on file of these small reviews. Someday I'll get my website up and running and this would fit perfectly on there.

 

[JRS]

It is a little hard to accept that they can be so fascinated with this creature because it's not as if they'd never seen anything like it---the crystalline entity from "Datalore" was also a space going life form.

Well, it is the mission of the Enterprise to explore new life..

"Hollow Pursuits" **

Lt. Barclay has a hard time fitting in with ship's crew.

This just bored me. I watch Star Trek for space adventure and science fiction stories, not the struggles of a socially inept guest character.

I take it you are not one of the people, who complain that there never was enough conflict on TNG?
And was there anything that you liked about this episode? Its difficult to tell that from your review.
It is always good to write down both the good and the bad stuff from the episode, it makes it more worthwile to discuss and comment then(not saying that your reviews are bad, just an tought..)
Like others have pointed out, TNG is quite light on the action/adventure.
The season 3 was the one that set the tone for the rest of the series..and thankfully it did, IMHO.

 

[Ubik]

^^ I've never and still do not see TOS as cheesy. And this revisit has shown me that TNG's first two season were overall better than I remember and what many still seem to believe.

I also challenge the perception that TNG (as a series) was more evolved, more adult and more refined than TOS. It was nothing of the sort. It was simply different.

Oh, I agree with you, I don't believe TNG is more refined or "evolved," unless, of course, you say that, by definition, as time goes on, sensibilities "evolve." I truly do see TOS, TNG, and DS9 as equally masterful television series, and each of them very much products of their time. The Enterprise-D is more of a diplomatic ship than an exploration ship because that's what the show is about. These people are not cowboys on a wagon-train to the stars, to steal an old cliche, they're more like business people - Captain Picard is characterized as a CEO, and his crew are like the Board of Directors of a corporation. That's why the plots and attitudes are wholly different from TOS (after the first 2 seasons.)

Anyway, to chime in, I also think you're off in your assessment of Hollow Pursuits - it's very much a science fiction episode, because it deals with the very plausible notion of technological addiciton (like today's common addiction to Facebook.) Granted, it's dealt with very lightly, but it does bring up extremely interesting and pertinent questions, such as: is it ethical to interact with fantasy versions of real people in your own technological fantasy world? What exactly is wrong with using that fantasy world to make you happy? Is Barclay really socially and ethically hopeless, or are the Enterprise crew merely a bunch of humourless prudes?

Besides, I find the episode funny. But, of course, that's only a matter of taste.

 

[Warped9]

^^ I got the addiction analogy right off, but the episode just bored me to tears. In truth Barclay's hollow programs were little different than the daydreams many folks have about how they wish their life was really like.

 

[Anwar]

Yeah, and this was the sci-fi take on that issue.

Like I said, it's pretty predictive of how folks let interactive technology take over their lives. Like guys who get too much into MMOs.

 

[Warped9]

“Menage A Troi” *

Llwaxana Troi, Deanna and Riker are abducted by a Ferengi infatuated with Llwaxana.

Who could possibly have thought that mixing Llwaxanna Troi and Ferengi together in an episode could be a worthwhile idea? Wesley's promotion was the only small redeeming moment in this episode. The rest of the time I somehow resisted the urge to go out and stand in front of a moving truck. What a disappointment after "Sarek."

 

[Ubik]

^^ I got the addiction analogy right off, but the episode just bored me to tears. In truth Barclay's hollow programs were little different than the daydreams many folks have about how they wish their life was really like.

"The daydreams many folks have about how they wish their life was really like" have now transformed into Facebook pages, which is precisely what Facebook is for - creating a fantasy version of yourself, surrounded by fantasy versions of your friends - precisely why the episode is so interesting to me now. There are actually further parallels between the uses of the Holodeck in the episode and current uses of Facebook if you think about them, and if you notice and think about those parallels while watching the episode, it probably wouldn't bore you as much. In any case, to each his own. You're at least bang on about how terrible Menage a Troi is.

 

[RAMA]

"Tin Man" ***

The Enterprise races the Romulans to contact a space borne lifeform.

This episode usually gets a lot of praise and I have to say I think there are a lot of good ideas in it, but I thought in execution it was just okay. I can't really put my finger on why, but I think it could have been better. He may have had his reasons, but Tam Elbrun was still a little on the rude side. The idea of a space boren organism is a fascinating one, but we really don't get to see much of it. It is a little hard to accept that they can be so fascinated with this creature because it's not as if they'd never seen anything like it---the crystalline entity from "Datalore" was also a space going life form.


"Hollow Pursuits" **

Lt. Barclay has a hard time fitting in with ship's crew.

This just bored me. I watch Star Trek for space adventure and science fiction stories, not the struggles of a socially inept guest character.

How people cope with new technologies is a huge part of sci fi. I like it less than a lot of people do, but its solid nevertheless.

Tin Man is prob in my top 25-30 ST episodes of all time. I just love it. Its a much better dramatically constructed version of STTMP. I think they would have killed to have THAT script back in 1978! It really makes the Spock storyline, transferred to Elbrun pay off.

RAMA

 

[BillJ]

"Tin Man" ***

The Enterprise races the Romulans to contact a space borne lifeform.

This episode usually gets a lot of praise and I have to say I think there are a lot of good ideas in it, but I thought in execution it was just okay. I can't really put my finger on why, but I think it could have been better. He may have had his reasons, but Tam Elbrun was still a little on the rude side. The idea of a space boren organism is a fascinating one, but we really don't get to see much of it. It is a little hard to accept that they can be so fascinated with this creature because it's not as if they'd never seen anything like it---the crystalline entity from "Datalore" was also a space going life form.


"Hollow Pursuits" **

Lt. Barclay has a hard time fitting in with ship's crew.

This just bored me. I watch Star Trek for space adventure and science fiction stories, not the struggles of a socially inept guest character.

I remember watching Tin Man the first time around and thinking it was okay... then I watched it recently and still thought it was okay. But I think right around this episode is where I found the show started to be 'paint-by-numbers' fare visually. The show just became very static in its' visual and musical presentation. YMMV.

 

[Warped9]

Like I've said before I get the analogies, and maybe "Hollow Pursuits" works for a lot of folks, but it just bores me. Maybe it had more impact in it's time (it bored me then too though), but I still think it's flat.

 

[Trekker4747]

Eh, I don't personally find it to have any real deeper meaning and I think pretty much everyone acts out of character in the episode but, overall, it's an episode I like because I like the quirkiness of Barclay and he totally used the holodeck the same way I would.

It's fun but I can certainly see why some wouldn't like it. Barclay did seem like a rather "broad" representation of a neurotic person with various social anxieties one wonders how he even made it into Starfleet to begin with as an office. Probably would've made more sense for him to have been an enlisted man.

 

[Holdfast]

"Sins Of The Father" *****
"Allegiance" **

Knock a star off Sins and add one to Allegiance for me. I like 'em both but don't find either brilliant.

"Captain's Holiday" ****

Comedy is something every Star Trek series finds difficult (the only genuinely good comedy across any of the series is Trouble with Tribbles IMO), but I quite like this one and Jennifer Hetrick is very fetching too.

Although it really doesn't have anything to do with the stories something in 3rd season has changed that bugs me a little: the galaxy or setting has gotten smaller. In the earlier seasons there was a sense of the ship going forward....

Mind you TOS also did some of this, but it didn't feel so apparent because they continued to do enough stories set "out there."

The format of the show changed to one that more frequently emphasised character interaction over high-concept exploration. That's something you either roll with or don't, depending on what you want out of the series and how fixed your ideal of what Star Trek should be about is. Personally, I like both kinds of format so enjoy both types of show.

"Tin Man" ***

This episode usually gets a lot of praise and I have to say I think there are a lot of good ideas in it, but I thought in execution it was just okay.

You and me both. It's fine, but I've never found it stellar.

"Hollow Pursuits" **

You really don't like the non-exploratory eps, do you!

It's just a light sci-fi comedy riff on the theme of social anxiety. One will either enjoy it on that level or won't. I quite liked this one. Mini-Riker was amusing and the Deanna/Riker interaction as they each encountered their Barclayversions was funny.

"The Most Toys" ***
"Sarek" *****

“Menage A Troi” *

Yes, I'd agree with these.




Keep the reviews coming; they're a lot of fun to read and discuss. I agree that you should save the thread and republish it on a blog/site of your own at some stage. It's good stuff.

 

[Warped9]

Keep the reviews coming; they're a lot of fun to read and discuss. I agree that you should save the thread and republish it on a blog/site of your own at some stage. It's good stuff.

Thanks. I do want to save them although I can see myself adding a little more comment to some of them when I do so.

 

[RAMA]

"Tin Man" ***

The Enterprise races the Romulans to contact a space borne lifeform.

This episode usually gets a lot of praise and I have to say I think there are a lot of good ideas in it, but I thought in execution it was just okay. I can't really put my finger on why, but I think it could have been better. He may have had his reasons, but Tam Elbrun was still a little on the rude side. The idea of a space boren organism is a fascinating one, but we really don't get to see much of it. It is a little hard to accept that they can be so fascinated with this creature because it's not as if they'd never seen anything like it---the crystalline entity from "Datalore" was also a space going life form.


"Hollow Pursuits" **

Lt. Barclay has a hard time fitting in with ship's crew.

This just bored me. I watch Star Trek for space adventure and science fiction stories, not the struggles of a socially inept guest character.

I remember watching Tin Man the first time around and thinking it was okay... then I watched it recently and still thought it was okay. But I think right around this episode is where I found the show started to be 'paint-by-numbers' fare visually. The show just became very static in its' visual and musical presentation. YMMV.

Its interesting you mark this point with an episode that has a highly acclaimed score and garnered an Emmy nomination for visual effects!