The Big Goodbye - Cool Episode!

[Savoy 1984]

I was watching this episode the other day and I've got to say I really enjoyed it as this really did have a bit of everything, I mean how can you fault an episode of Star Trek that as; Beverly Crusher in Stockings, Gangsters, Data acting like a gangster and of course space ships.

I just wondered what everybody thought of this episode and which bits you liked the best, in my opinion it's a well rounded episode and very enjoyable, I'll have to buy this.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I like it.

Though, of all the Star Trek “spoofs” this probably my least favorite, but that has a lot to do with the fact that “The Maltese Falcon” is one of my top five all-time favorite movies.

 

[ialfan]

I didn't like it at all because half the episode is spent in awe over their new holodeck. It just bores me.

 

[CaptainStoner]

It's fairly universally hailed as the first A grade episode for TNG. I can watch it every few years still.
You can get it in the Picard collection, which can be found for around 14 dollars.

 

[Mr. Fergy]

It was a good, early, episode, IMHO.

 

[ladyheather69]

Didn't this episode win a Peabody?

I also enjoyed this episode. They rely so heavily on their advanced computers and technology that when it doesn't work they way they have known for their whole lives, it is fun to watch their reactions(not that I enjoyed watching the "red" shirt guy get shot mind you)

 

[DS9forever]

The scene at the end where Picard talks to the alien of the week and the crew whoops and applauds had me convulsing. Its terrible. The rest of the episode was good though.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Great episode. The first real TNG episode.

 

[MadBaggins]

Jammer gets so much wrong.

 

[CaptainStoner]

Didn't this episode win a Peabody?

I also enjoyed this episode. They rely so heavily on their advanced computers and technology that when it doesn't work they way they have known for their whole lives, it is fun to watch their reactions(not that I enjoyed watching the "red" shirt guy get shot mind you)

It won an Emmy for costuming, and a Peabody Award. Not too shabby!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Goodbye

 

[CorporalClegg]

Fascinating.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

Definitely TNG's first A-grade episode, as has been mentioned, but whenever I watch it I can't stop myself for dinging it for giving birth to the holodeck-malfunction-puts-the-characters-in-danger cliche.

 

[Red Ranger]

I always liked it. A nice homage of sorts to film noir and detective novels. Data as Carlos from South America always makes me chuckle, esp. when the newstand guy says of Data's skin, "Nice tan!" Agreed that the alien of the week first contact was a bit weak, but I liked how Picard had to learn to speak in their language -- a situation that would probably be common, even with the Universal Translator. -- RR

 

[Mott the barber]

It was the first holodeck malfunction ep in the history of Star Trek, but arguably the best.

 

[Red Ranger]

Hey, how can you not like an ep with the great Joseph Tierney? I love how his name, Cyrus Redblock, is an homage to Sydney Greenstreet! -- RR

 

[jimbtnp2]

It was the first holodeck malfunction ep in the history of Star Trek, but arguably the best.

This episode like many in S1 was to illustrate that everything WASN't perfect, despite GR's talking points, he knew that it would make for bad story telling

B&B never figured that out

 

[Cyrus]

Top-notch episode. The only bad part was having Wesley as the main holodeck expert.

The writer of this episode (Tracy Torme) wanted the holodeck scenes to be in black and white, a trick they finally tried later in a VOY episode.

 

[CorporalClegg]

^
I think the black and white would have been too much. They already borrowed too much from Falcon as it was that it would have just made it silly.

With BoC, the black and white worked because the episode wasn't a homage to anything specific and relished in its camp.

 

[Kegek]

Hey, how can you not like an ep with the great Joseph Tierney? I love how his name, Cyrus Redblock, is an homage to Sydney Greenstreet! -- RR

I presume you mean Lawrence Tierney; the star of such stark noirs as Born to Kill?

Yeah, his presence is a nice touch.

 

[Red Ranger]

Hey, how can you not like an ep with the great Joseph Tierney? I love how his name, Cyrus Redblock, is an homage to Sydney Greenstreet! -- RR

I presume you mean Lawrence Tierney; the star of such stark noirs as Born to Kill?

Yeah, his presence is a nice touch.

D'oh! Thanks for the correction. Don't forget his great turn in Reservoir Dogs. "Cough up a buck, ya cheap bastid!" Too bad they couldn't have made the holodeck parts in black & white. What a cool touch that would have been. -- RR