Season 6: Is it me?
- Thread starter EnriqueH
- Start date
Every episode is a dropoff after Chain of Command. 
You get a hug!
I liked that you mentioned 'The Chase' - in my opinion, it's one of the most important ST episodes out of all the hundreds of them. In the theme of this particular thread, it excuses the fallacies of any other S6 episode, and then some.
It's a whole 'nother thread to discuss why the holographic Preserver/Progenitor looks exactly like the female Founder. Maybe because it's the same actress (Salome Jens), and taking that into account, same character?
What the heck?
CLEARLY one of the most important and under-rated Trek episodes ever.
It's a whole 'nother thread to discuss why the holographic Preserver/Progenitor looks exactly like the female Founder. Maybe because it's the same actress (Salome Jens), and taking that into account, same character?
What the heck?
CLEARLY one of the most important and under-rated Trek episodes ever.
I adore this episode. Love the titular "chase," love how archaeology has adapted to the 24th century (this may actually be one of the most forward-thinking portrayals of archaeology I've ever come across), love the ending. And, of course, the importance of what it added to Star Trek canon can't be overlooked.
I didn't really watch much DS9, but yes, that whole scenario had a bit of a "let's just reuse this costume" feel to it. It could have been much more.
"The Chase" was a nice episode and it is definitely a better explanation than the "law of parallel planetary development" from TOS. It was interesting how they followed all those clues and there was a bit of a chase (hence the title) and it wasn't clear what they would find at the end. I think all parties expected something akin to an ancient weapon (the Cardassians/Romulans/Klingons in order to acquire it, the Federation in order to keep others from acquiring/using it)
Though it made me sad that the planet of nothing but plant life was destroyed, that sounded like my favorite planet ever and one of the parties killed it for no apparent reason.
Though it made me sad that the planet of nothing but plant life was destroyed, that sounded like my favorite planet ever and one of the parties killed it for no apparent reason.
The first third of the season is lackluster, but the last two thirds are great.
Funny, this variety is why I love TNG!
"Episodic" seems to be a dirty word these days, as if it's automatically somehow worse than serialisation (I hate that term "filler episode" as if somehow any episode of a show that doesn't contribute to some massive arc, or have some life-changing event, is sub-par. If an episode is entertaining, it has done its job for me!)
I liked TNG because they did great work in having a real mix of episodes. DS9 did as well, until it got dragged down by the dreary "war arc" and the disappointing season 6-7.
I've found the Chase disappointing, the ending was a let down, I kinda felt like the Klingon who headbutted Data and the Cardassian Tara King.
To quote the simulated Tomalok in Future Imperfect: "So much effort, so little accomplished..."
I think season 5 was a slight step down from the past and 6 a pretty big one (although with some very strong episodes and some improvement after the first third). It felt like some of the writers and actors were becoming less interested in the characters and especially less interested in taking risks.
At the same time, some of the characters became a little too self-righteous, for instance Picard and Crusher seemed a little too completely dismissive of Moriarty's desires and Data went way OTT, without consequences, in "The Quality of Life". OTOH, "Birthright" and then "Second Chances" and "Chain of Command" and then "Tapestry" were great in showing how Worf and Picard had and hadn't changed and were still changing.
At the same time, some of the characters became a little too self-righteous, for instance Picard and Crusher seemed a little too completely dismissive of Moriarty's desires and Data went way OTT, without consequences, in "The Quality of Life". OTOH, "Birthright" and then "Second Chances" and "Chain of Command" and then "Tapestry" were great in showing how Worf and Picard had and hadn't changed and were still changing.
I tend to think of each season as a case by case phenomenon, (overall) bad seasons have great episodes and reversely good seasons have really shitty ones. "aquiel" being an example of the latter. It's the kind of episode that makes you go: "What were they thinking!!!"
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
I said no camels! That's five camels! Can't you count?
Best thread derailment arc ever.
Indeed! Last Crusade is always appropriate for a good verbal thread bomb.
That said, you have misquoted EnriqueH. I was the one who posted both the "Let it go, Indiana." and the "I said no camels!" quotes, mainly because I disagreed with his assessment of some episodes or something. Anyway.
Agreed. I personally thought that it was a great format for TNG to be able to be so many different kinds of shows. One week, it's horror/suspense. Another week, it's comedy. Next week, morality play. The week after, all-out science-fiction. Another time, action. It was incredibly flexible this way, and I thought "Schisms" was a great exercise in suspense for the series.
Agreed again. I know some really dislike "Action Picard" from the films, but this episode was able to really use that version of the character in a satisfying and sensible way. Going back to the great moments of humor TVs Frank mentioned earlier in this thread, there's an absolutely hysterical moment at the beginning when Worf is able to finagle his way out of the reception. When Geordi tries too and gets denied, Worf shoots off the best smug, arrogant bastard smirk at La Forge. Oh, Worf! You asshole!
Indeed! A real epic adventure across the stars. I liked how they included the Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians. Nu'daq was hilarious and I just thought it was a fun adventure.
Sidebar: One of my many unsolicted story ideas I'd submitted to the Star Trek writers office at the time included a DS9 story all about connecting the Founders to the "First Humanoid" in this episodes (largely because Salome Jens played the character here and later played the Female Founder, who wore similar makeup) and in it suggested that the Founders were that ancient race that seeded all the planets in the galaxy.
People love to bitch about Brannon Braga but then forget that he did episodes like this. It's true, the writing staff all contributed to each episode but this weird, absurd time travel kind of story is undeniably Braga's style, and that it comes together so well (particularly at the end of the season) is a feat unto itself. It is ironic that they built a the rest of the runabout set for the episode and neither DS9 or Voyager ever used it, but the episode itself is, pardon the pun, timeless.
Again, I don't get the hate for this episode. It's a whodunit and it works really well. The idea of a Ferengi scientist was really interesting to me given their culture, and I wish a little more had been done to follow up on that particulra thread, but I liked it anyway.
Aquiel is just unwatchable. True Q I can handle. It has some really great comedic moments thanks to Q, and brings back some of the darker tones of his character. He even foreshadows the series finale in this episode! ("That trial never ended!")
As for Lessons, I've detailed why I like it, but I guess I can grudgingly acknknowledge why it might not be everyone's cup of tea. Still, I think for what it was, it worked beautifully.
For me it takes more than being self-contained to be a 'Filler' episode. It has to be of obviously lower quality and budget. So one standalone episode can be a great episode and another can be 'Filler'.
When you have to make 26 episodes a season, a few of them are going to be filler. Although TNG did manage to have a couple really good low budget bottle episodes especially mid-run.
I agree shows should have variety in tone, and after a long heavy arc there should be some lighter episodes. DS9 was pretty big on this too with episodes like In The Cards.
What? A big step down? A comedic romp? Did you even watch the same episode I did?
"Ship in a Bottle" is one of the highlights of Season 6, and one of the best TNG episodes! You Monster!On the subject of Filler Episodes, I'm with Trek Survivor on this one. There are only Good and Bad episodes. Focusing too much on a story arc can be bad as well (DS9 S6/7). Filler is just another word for "Badly written, empty fluff". Prime example: "Cost of Living". Ohh, just mentioning it makes my brain hurt. "The higherrrrr, the fewerrrr". Whatever.
Oh, and "Aquiel" is ten times better than "Suspicions". Suspicions is barely watchable. The actors must have had an off-day or something went wrong during editing. It feels.. wrong somehow.
Not only that, but the 'villain' is laughable and the 'twist' is so incredibly convoluted it makes my brain hurt again.
What? A big step down? A comedic romp? Did you even watch the same episode I did?
On the subject of Filler Episodes, I'm with Trek Survivor on this one. There are only Good and Bad episodes. Focusing too much on a story arc can be bad as well (DS9 S6/7). Filler is just another word for "Badly written, empty fluff". Prime example: "Cost of Living". Ohh, just mentioning it makes my brain hurt. "The higherrrrr, the fewerrrr". Whatever.
Oh, and "Aquiel" is ten times better than "Suspicions". Suspicions is barely watchable. The actors must have had an off-day or something went wrong during editing. It feels.. wrong somehow.
Not only that, but the 'villain' is laughable and the 'twist' is so incredibly convoluted it makes my brain hurt again.
I wouldn't characterize "aquial" as better than anything, less awful maybe, it'd be more compatible with the way I feel when I remember this episode. Geordi watching these idiotic personal logs alone, is enough to make me puke.
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