What's with the Inner Light bashing?
- Thread starter Tiberius
- Start date
There are a lot of unsophisticated viewers who post here.
The greatness of Patrick Stewart's acting, and the nuances of his character, require a certain experience and knowledge fully to appreciate. Frankly, when I was young and much less knowledgeable about acting, I found Picard kind of dull at first as well. It just takes time, experience, and close watching - and not everyone has those.
Not enuf 'splosions?
Maybe some viewers were looking for more action in the episode. If that is the case, while I agree the story has a slower pace, I can not agree that this makes it an awful episode. I thought it was a cool concept executed in a thoughtful, touching way.
Maybe some folks are reacting more to the perceived over-reactions of those who gush over how it is the end-all of Trek episodes, rather than reacting to the quality of the episode.
Maybe some viewers were looking for more action in the episode. If that is the case, while I agree the story has a slower pace, I can not agree that this makes it an awful episode. I thought it was a cool concept executed in a thoughtful, touching way.
Maybe some folks are reacting more to the perceived over-reactions of those who gush over how it is the end-all of Trek episodes, rather than reacting to the quality of the episode.
Bullshit. Just because someone doesn't find the same things stimulating doesn't make them "unsophisticated".
It's forty-five minutes of me watching Picard watch an uninteresting movie. It's so slow they had to interject the idiotic Riker scene cutting Picard off from the probe to give it any sense of urgency at all. Star Trek: Voyager did the same concept better, called Memorial.
It's the only episode of Star Trek that my wife made me promise to never make her watch again.
For me, it's a perfectly enjoyable well produced/acted standard TNG episode. I do believe it to be massively overrated however. Also, I really don't understand the antipathy toward "action" in Star Trek from certain quarters - like it's a dirty word. For me, Star Trek is the ultimate ACTION/ADVENTURE show in the truest sense of the description - supported by iconic characters with real depth and series wide development.
If Star Trek had turned in an Inner Light every week to appease the "enlightened intelligentsia" in fandom it would have become mind numbingly boring extremely quickly. Although I enjoy both - I'd take "The Doomsday Machine" over "The Inner Light" in heartbeat - every time!
If Star Trek had turned in an Inner Light every week to appease the "enlightened intelligentsia" in fandom it would have become mind numbingly boring extremely quickly. Although I enjoy both - I'd take "The Doomsday Machine" over "The Inner Light" in heartbeat - every time!
^ "The Doomsday Machine" is one of my very favorite episodes, too. "Inner Light" is also a favorite of mine, but for different reasons. I am glad that we get both types of stories in Trek. Overall, however, I do prefer that the balance be tipped towards a greater percentage being 'action' stories.
"The Inner Light" was a well-executed episode, one I found very enjoyable. But I agree with the sentimemt as expressed by others already, it wasn't the "best" TNG had to offer. It was just a good episode.
I also agree on the matter of Stewart's acting. At times the man was brilliant, and this was one of them.
I also agree on the matter of Stewart's acting. At times the man was brilliant, and this was one of them.
I've never really seen anyone bash this episode. People either praise it or like it but think it's overrated. I've never really seen anyone just completely bash it to pieces.
There's no question that "The Inner Light" is a great episode for many reasons. However, I do agree with some of the comments above about it being overrated. I don't mean that it is somehow terrible at all, but it isn't as incredibly amazing (to me) as it is often rated to be.
I'd never bash Inner Light, but I never really got into it. It seemed like this type of episode has been so many times before.
Tapestry was almost the same type of episode that aired about a year later. (I liked Tapestry.)
I think the pace was too slow and there were some cliches in there that didn't make it stand out for some fans.
Tapestry was almost the same type of episode that aired about a year later. (I liked Tapestry.)
I think the pace was too slow and there were some cliches in there that didn't make it stand out for some fans.
I admire it for it's attempt at something different, but it is not a personal favorite, sorry. Nothing personal. I do like Patrick Stewart getting a chance to spread his wings even if I want more action in my Star Trek.
"The Inner Light" is one of the best pieces of TV, anywhere, that I have ever seen. Picard's realization at the end of his life on Kataan is so touching. The very last bit, on the Enterprise in Picard's Ready Room when he gather's his thoughts (what overwhelming thoughts to ponder!) is equally touching. When this episode hits, it hits hard.
May I refer you to BillJ's antecedent post...
Bullshit. Just because someone doesn't find the same things stimulating doesn't make them "unsophisticated".
Before this episode aired in the early 90's, you had seen many times before a character's mind living a completely different yet fulfilling and fully complete life in the span of minutes?
I can't even think of a Twilight Zone that did this, and they did everything.
Just a reaction against the OTT "loving" for the episode; most people gush over it in an embarrassing manner.
Me? It's an OK ep, but certainly nowhere near my TNG Top 10.
Me? It's an OK ep, but certainly nowhere near my TNG Top 10.
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, the Ambrose Bierce short story from 1890, is the basis for this idea. Adaptation aired on the Twilight Zone in the 60s.
Bullshit. Just because someone doesn't find the same things stimulating doesn't make them "unsophisticated".
It's forty-five minutes of me watching Picard watch an uninteresting movie. It's so slow they had to interject the idiotic Riker scene cutting Picard off from the probe to give it any sense of urgency at all. Star Trek: Voyager did the same concept better, called Memorial.
It's the only episode of Star Trek that my wife made me promise to never make her watch again.
It's 45 minutes of watching Picard COPE with how watching the last remnants of an extinct culture changes him, what he learns from it. It's 45 minutes of watching picard not just watch a culture, but become a part of it, to live in it for a lifetime.
Watching a movie is a passive act. You sit back, eat the popcorn and let the movie do all the work. THat's not what Picard did. He wasn't a spectator, he was a participant. He wasn't watching that culture, he was LIVING it, BREATHING it.
I've always gotten the impression that I've seen this idea before.
Paradise Syndrome from TOS is similar to Inner Light IMO.
And Shades of Gray from the second season, which is Riker reliving scenes from his life in a matter of minutes perhaps.
So when I saw it for the first time, for some reason, it didn't seem that unique to me. It didn't leave as big an impression.
The funny thing is a year later they do almost the exact same thing with Tapestry which is Picard reliving his life all over and then participating in a would-be life.
And Masks and so on..
One controversy I've seen about this episode, but don't really agree with, is the argument that Picard lived almost a lifetime as someone else, shouldn't he have had issues that would have carried over into other episodes besides just playing the flute?
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