Revisiting ST-TNG...

[Trekker4747]

"Starship Mine" ***

Picard has to thwart the plans of thieves aboard a deserted Enterprise.

This had its good moments, but it was also bogged down by some tedious scenes, namely those in the base's reception room. Watching Data emulating small talk should have been funny, but I found it excrutiating. Picard keeps his own saddle?---hokay. Seeing Picard tackle a guy was cool, and he actually seems to know how to do a Vulcan neck pinch? Interesting that not long ago 24th century starships were using dilithium yet now they’re using trilithium?

I couldn't escape the feeling that this was TNG's take on a Die Hard like story yet without that film's charm, fun and energy.

I'm not sure, but I think it was explained in this episode that "trilithium" was a byproduct of the M/AM reaction, which still occurs through dilithium.

I thought this was a fun episode but agree that Data's "small talk" banter with the station commander was just, ugh. There's no way even the two most annoying men in the world could go on forever like that about simply nothing at all on stuff they read on the coasters at the local pub.

 

[Warped9]

^^ Well, someone finally thought of a way to get Commander Hutchinson to shut up.

 

[RAMA]

"Starship Mine" ***

Picard has to thwart the plans of thieves aboard a deserted Enterprise.

This had its good moments, but it was also bogged down by some tedious scenes, namely those in the base's reception room. Watching Data emulating small talk should have been funny, but I found it excrutiating. Picard keeps his own saddle?---hokay. Seeing Picard tackle a guy was cool, and he actually seems to know how to do a Vulcan neck pinch? Interesting that not long ago 24th century starships were using dilithium yet now they’re using trilithium?

I couldn't escape the feeling that this was TNG's take on a Die Hard like story yet without that film's charm, fun and energy.

I'm not sure, but I think it was explained in this episode that "trilithium" was a byproduct of the M/AM reaction, which still occurs through dilithium.

I thought this was a fun episode but agree that Data's "small talk" banter with the station commander was just, ugh. There's no way even the two most annoying men in the world could go on forever like that about simply nothing at all on stuff they read on the coasters at the local pub.

I thought this was hysterical. If it had lasted another second I'd have gone postal!!

 

[Ghrakh]

and he actually seems to know how to do a Vulcan neck pinch?

Prolly picked it up in those mind-melds.

3 stars is about right. Not a very ambitious story but still entertaining, I thought. Maybe more splosions would have helped but I doubt it.

 

[Harvey]

It should be pointed out that, cribbing from Memory Alpha's entry on the episode, "According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (2nd ed., p. 240), Picard's apparent nerve pinch was intended to be a simple carotid-artery block. This is also supported by the script."

 

[Ubik]

"Starship Mine" ***

Picard has to thwart the plans of thieves aboard a deserted Enterprise.

This had its good moments, but it was also bogged down by some tedious scenes, namely those in the base's reception room. Watching Data emulating small talk should have been funny, but I found it excrutiating. Picard keeps his own saddle?---hokay. Seeing Picard tackle a guy was cool, and he actually seems to know how to do a Vulcan neck pinch? Interesting that not long ago 24th century starships were using dilithium yet now they’re using trilithium?

I couldn't escape the feeling that this was TNG's take on a Die Hard like story yet without that film's charm, fun and energy.

I'm pretty sure the Data-small-talk exchanges are meant to be funny precisely because they are so excruciating. Humour is obviously a matter of taste, but I've always found those scenes amusing as hell. Anyway, otherwise, the episode is fine, just nothing essential.

 

[GNDN]

It should be pointed out that, cribbing from Memory Alpha's entry on the episode, "According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (2nd ed., p. 240), Picard's apparent nerve pinch was intended to be a simple carotid-artery block. This is also supported by the script."

Always viewed that as a FVNP as presented on screen and always will.

 

[Trekker4747]

"Starship Mine" ***

Picard has to thwart the plans of thieves aboard a deserted Enterprise.

This had its good moments, but it was also bogged down by some tedious scenes, namely those in the base's reception room. Watching Data emulating small talk should have been funny, but I found it excrutiating. Picard keeps his own saddle?---hokay. Seeing Picard tackle a guy was cool, and he actually seems to know how to do a Vulcan neck pinch? Interesting that not long ago 24th century starships were using dilithium yet now they’re using trilithium?

I couldn't escape the feeling that this was TNG's take on a Die Hard like story yet without that film's charm, fun and energy.

I'm pretty sure the Data-small-talk exchanges are meant to be funny precisely because they are so excruciating. Humour is obviously a matter of taste, but I've always found those scenes amusing as hell. Anyway, otherwise, the episode is fine, just nothing essential.

It's usually a matter of finding the balance between what is humorous and what is over the top. If you look at a satire-humor great like Lesile Nielsen you'll see someone who always played his roles straight, then you look at some more recent comedies where the humor is so in your-face and over-the-top it passes being funny. (See: ST:V)

This is what I think happened here in Starship: Mine, the humor of the moment was so broad and over the top it broke any "reality" the show was set in, treaded into being a farce and thus wasn't all that funny.

The "small talk" Data tries in the turbolift with Picard was vastly more interesting and "funny" than the broad stuff with Hutch because in the turbolift Data was playing it straight. With Hutch is was like an over-the-top, broad, impersonation of an insufferable small-talker and even the guy who played Hutch didn't play it naturally. Look at John Candy's character in the movie "Trains, Planes and Automobiles" where he plays a guy who's an insistant teller of anecdotes and smalltalk he does it well because he's does naturally with an infectous laugh and it seems natural.

Hutch and Data? Not so much. Looked more like a scene out of a sitcom.

 

[Warped9]

"Lessons" **

Things get complicated when Picard becomes romantically involved with one of his crew.

The first thing that made me laugh was how so many systems were off-line so that Stellar Cartography could perform an experiment. Then I though when I saw Nella Darrin's hair!

There were some okay moments in this, but overall it bored me out of my skull. And I thought the ending was b.s. because it seemed they were so quick to end things rather than wait and see if they could adjust to their new circumstance.

 

[startrekwatcher]

I enjoyed Lessons--it isn't a classic--just a nice quiet intimate hour. It works and I especially liked the fact they finally cast an age-appropriate actress with chemistry to be in a romance of the week with Picard.

And there was some genuine suspense as to whether Neela Darren survived the solar flares.

I'd give it 3 stars out of 4.

 

[Holdfast]

And I thought the ending was b.s. because it seemed they were so quick to end things rather than wait and see if they could adjust to their new circumstance.

On the contrary, I thought it was absolutely dead-on for their respective characters and a great conclusion to the episode. Picard is not the kind of person to wait and see under ANY circumstances, especially when in the sphere of interpersonal relationships. He lives by making efficient executive decisions and taking charge to manage situations, which is actually part of the reason he's still single, as he's not attracted to the kind of women who will be compatible with that approach from a man.

And Nella Darren was painted as someone strong-minded and independent who would not sacrifice the locus of control required to react any other way than she did to Picard's decision. I found it all very realistic; perhaps the most realistic relationship depicted in all of Star Trek, to be honest. Although that's not saying much, given Trek's appalling record in depicting plausible adult relationships.

For me, that makes Lessons one of my favourite TNG episodes, simply for being Trek's best "romance of the week" story. The only equally plausible romantic relationship in Trek is Worf/Dax in DS9 and even that isn't quite as coherent (but that's partly because it lasted so much longer).

 

[Ubik]

And I thought the ending was b.s. because it seemed they were so quick to end things rather than wait and see if they could adjust to their new circumstance.

On the contrary, I thought it was absolutely dead-on for their respective characters and a great conclusion to the episode. Picard is not the kind of person to wait and see under ANY circumstances, especially when in the sphere of interpersonal relationships. He lives by making efficient executive decisions and taking charge to manage situations, which is actually part of the reason he's still single, as he's not attracted to the kind of women who will be compatible with that approach from a man.

And Nella Darren was painted as someone strong-minded and independent who would not sacrifice the locus of control required to react any other way than she did to Picard's decision. I found it all very realistic; perhaps the most realistic relationship depicted in all of Star Trek, to be honest. Although that's not saying much, given Trek's appalling record in depicting plausible adult relationships.

For me, that makes Lessons one of my favourite TNG episodes, simply for being Trek's best "romance of the week" story. The only equally plausible romantic relationship in Trek is Worf/Dax in DS9 and even that isn't quite as coherent (but that's partly because it lasted so much longer).

You're wasting your breath. Warped9 doesn't consider romance on a starship between a captain and his subordinate as sufficiently pressing a topic for a science fiction show (I assume - he'll correct me if I'm wrong.) He's wrong, of course - it's a very relevant science fiction question. And it was done really well in this episode, too.

 

[TrekAlliance92]

Yeah, "Lessons" is a borefest. Why not a whole episode focused on the planetside plot, maybe with the Romulans involved or something? Two stars is too generous, IMO.

 

[SchwEnt]

TNG fell into that pattern early on and never let-up:
The dreaded A/B story plots.

TOS got by just fine with one main story, but TNG very nearly ALWAYS uses the A/B plots. It got tiresome to me. Just change it up with an A plot only or an A/B/C plot, something.

But worse than that was the A plot always being some character drama and the B plot always being the science fiction story or ship mission. And that B plot frequently was a waaayyyyy backburner plot.

Again, I'd like a change up once in a while. Let the character drama play out in the background and a larger focus on the mission at hand. Sometimes, I wanna know more about the Bersallis firestorms rather than Darren's roll-up piano.

 

[Warped9]

You're wasting your breath. Warped9 doesn't consider romance on a starship between a captain and his subordinate as sufficiently pressing a topic for a science fiction show (I assume - he'll correct me if I'm wrong.) He's wrong, of course - it's a very relevant science fiction question. And it was done really well in this episode, too.

Romance has its place, but here I was mostly bored. And a lot of that has to do with the fact that while statistically 5th and 6th seasons offer some good moments overall I'm finding these seasons to be quite bland, and "Lessons" was just more of it. Rather than an interesting divergence it just felt like more of the same.

After the first three to four seasons TNG starts to feel more like a character drama that happens to be in a science fiction setting rather than a science fiction space adventure that happens to have good character drama. There's a difference between the two and it's a matter of focus.

Even though there are occasional good moments these past two seasons are reminding me why I was driven away from the series: I was falling asleep often because of the low energy level as well as because it often didn't feel like Star Trek. Not to me.

 

[Anwar]

TNG fell into that pattern early on and never let-up:
The dreaded A/B story plots.

TOS got by just fine with one main story, but TNG very nearly ALWAYS uses the A/B plots. It got tiresome to me. Just change it up with an A plot only or an A/B/C plot, something.

TOS also did A/B plots too, but it makes it easier to do one plot when you have only 3 central characters.

 

[RAMA]

"Lessons" **

Things get complicated when Picard becomes romantically involved with one of his crew.

The first thing that made me laugh was how so many systems were off-line so that Stellar Cartography could perform an experiment. Then I though when I saw Nella Darrin's hair!

There were some okay moments in this, but overall it bored me out of my skull. And I thought the ending was b.s. because it seemed they were so quick to end things rather than wait and see if they could adjust to their new circumstance.

Nice little episode, nice touches with the instruments and playing in the Jeffries tubes. Thought the ending "love interest in danger" scenes were quite effective. Stellar cartography was a terrible set. Overall though, not one I'd recommend first in the top tier. Biggest problem is the fact Nella has to LEAVE(!!) because Picard can't handle her being in danger. Just seems like a very odd decision. ***1/2 stars

RAMA

 

[BillJ]

You're wasting your breath. Warped9 doesn't consider romance on a starship between a captain and his subordinate as sufficiently pressing a topic for a science fiction show (I assume - he'll correct me if I'm wrong.) He's wrong, of course - it's a very relevant science fiction question. And it was done really well in this episode, too.

I don't mind romance... but god was this one dull. The entire show was in a rut at this point, from the way it was written to the way it was filmed.

I know it's blasphemy, but I was merely tuning in at this point because I was used to watching (and falling asleep). They sure in the hell weren't turning out compelling material.

 

[Ubik]

You're wasting your breath. Warped9 doesn't consider romance on a starship between a captain and his subordinate as sufficiently pressing a topic for a science fiction show (I assume - he'll correct me if I'm wrong.) He's wrong, of course - it's a very relevant science fiction question. And it was done really well in this episode, too.

I don't mind romance... but god was this one dull. The entire show was in a rut at this point, from the way it was written to the way it was filmed.

I know it's blasphemy, but I was merely tuning in at this point because I was used to watching (and falling asleep). They sure in the hell weren't turning out compelling material.

Nonsense. Chain of Command (both parts), Ship in a Bottle, Face of the Enemy, Tapestry, The Chase, and Frame of Mind are all among the great episodes of the series, and therefore of the franchise.

 

[BillJ]

You're wasting your breath. Warped9 doesn't consider romance on a starship between a captain and his subordinate as sufficiently pressing a topic for a science fiction show (I assume - he'll correct me if I'm wrong.) He's wrong, of course - it's a very relevant science fiction question. And it was done really well in this episode, too.

I don't mind romance... but god was this one dull. The entire show was in a rut at this point, from the way it was written to the way it was filmed.

I know it's blasphemy, but I was merely tuning in at this point because I was used to watching (and falling asleep). They sure in the hell weren't turning out compelling material.

Nonsense. Chain of Command (both parts), Ship in a Bottle, Face of the Enemy, Tapestry, The Chase, and Frame of Mind are all among the great episodes of the series, and therefore of the franchise.

In your opinion.

By the way you picked seven out of fifty plus episodes. Not a very good ratio (if I even agreed with you on those seven). There were some good ideas in there, don't get me wrong... but the series was just 'hum-drum' in execution at this point. YMMV.