The Inner Light

[Infern0]

So I logged on and saw the LBL thread for the inner light and clicked on it from the main page hoping it would be a thread to discuss this awesome episode.

So I decided to create my own thread.

This is probably my favourite TNG episode of all time, and in fact one of my favourite TV episodes ever. Stewart gives a masterclass, and the writing, directing are all superb. The story is basically perfect in my opinion.

Very emotional episode, it's just a shame it didn't have more of an effect on Picards character. His assimilation by the borg was referenced a lot, but how about living like 50 years of another mans life? I think that would be at least as big of a factor.

 

[BillJ]

Personally, I think its a pretty poor episode and I detailed those reasons in the other thread. But then I love "The Royale". So what do I know?

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

I'm not going to comment on TIL here for fear of sounding like a stuck record!

"The Royale" IS awesome Star Trek though!

 

[UUS Contrarian]

They were really creative with the names in that one. Damm rightTtexas.

 

[Shat Happens]

Well, I like "Justice".

 

[Ro_Laren]

The honest can probably be said with a number of Trek characters and their experiences.

 

[2takesfrakes]

Had it not been a probe seeking out the Captain of the ENTERPRISE to mind rape, it would've been a much stronger and better episode, frankly. Had Picard beamed down somewhere, or to a derelict ship, maybe and activated a mechanism that, say, recorded and allowed people to relive their own (or others people's) memories, at least it wouldn't have come across as such a bad idea. What happens in Picard's "other" life is alright. It's got its charm. I just take exception to how it was arrived at.

 

[HIjol]

Had it not been a probe seeking out the Captain of the ENTERPRISE to mind rape, it would've been a much stronger and better episode, frankly. Had Picard beamed down somewhere, or to a derelict ship, maybe and activated a mechanism that, say, recorded and allowed people to relive their own (or others people's) memories, at least it wouldn't have come across as such a bad idea. What happens in Picard's "other" life is alright. It's got its charm. I just take exception to how it was arrived at.

TOTally agree, however, I think the writers wanted to get us right into the episode, Warp 9, and the "life"...otherwise, it would have been a "two-parter"...

 

[HIjol]

Had it not been a probe seeking out the Captain of the ENTERPRISE to mind rape, it would've been a much stronger and better episode, frankly. Had Picard beamed down somewhere, or to a derelict ship, maybe and activated a mechanism that, say, recorded and allowed people to relive their own (or others people's) memories, at least it wouldn't have come across as such a bad idea. What happens in Picard's "other" life is alright. It's got its charm. I just take exception to how it was arrived at.

TOTally agree, however, I think the writers wanted to get us right into the episode, Warp 9, and the "life"...otherwise, it would have been a "two-parter"...

 

[F. King Daniel]

You know how people say the new movies "aren't real Star Trek"? Well I don't think episodes like this are real Star Trek. It's basically watching Picard grow old, learn to play the flute, and die and could just as easily be some random TV movie on Hallmark channel. No space ships, no Starfleet, no landing parties, no aliens, nothing Trek.

 

[HIjol]

You know how people say the new movies "aren't real Star Trek"? Well I don't think episodes like this are real Star Trek. It's basically watching Picard grow old, learn to play the flute, and die and could just as easily be some random TV movie on Hallmark channel. No space ships, no Starfleet, no landing parties, no aliens, nothing Trek.

Hmmm...never thought of it like that...but I think I understand your point...

...My strongest memory of that episode stays with me to this day; what if that had, somehow, really happened to me???...just the way it did to him...how would I EVER reconcile the length and depth of the memory of that life with the one I was really living, but which had been interrupted...???

...Jesus...

...I mean, ...in the world?

 

[Shawnster]

I liked the episode.

OK, now that I've said that... one of the best criticisms I've seen about this episode centers around the probe and the ability to transfer a life and memories to Picard. The technology of the civilization was equal to mid 20th century Earth. They had barely begun sending rockets to space, yet they had advanced mind-probe technology that could immerse an individual into a virtual reality environment that could not be distinguished from reality?

 

[Enterprise is Great]

A good episode but way way way overrated. I just don't see it as a classic TNG episode. It's too slow and too talky to go there.

 

[HarryM]

Maybe they just weren't that interested in space travel. A direction toward brain interface tech tends to reinforce the idea that they are inwardly focused. It might have been a nice little hint that they had some sort of brain interface technology if they had some people using a sort of holoband or dream machine tech. "Kamie, put away the dream machine, it's time to go water the town tree" or something. In the absence of dialogue at least just show some people in the background using some sort of device.

 

[UUS Contrarian]

A good episode but way way way overrated. I just don't see it as a classic TNG episode. It's too slow and too talky to go there.

I thought TNG was the slow one.

 

[BillJ]

A good episode but way way way overrated. I just don't see it as a classic TNG episode. It's too slow and too talky to go there.

I thought TNG was the slow one.

"The Inner Light" is slow, even by TNG standards.

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

A good episode but way way way overrated. I just don't see it as a classic TNG episode. It's too slow and too talky to go there.

I thought TNG was the slow one.

"The Inner Light" is slow, even by TNG standards.

Yes, even the Pakleds find TIL languid!

 

[UUS Contrarian]

Pakleds cannot comprehend it's greatness cause they because they are dumb.

 

[Use of Time]

It was a great episode but it has a pretty bad rewatchability factor to it.