Which episode with Majel Roddenberry are your favorites?
- Thread starter Falcor5
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I agree with those answering "Half a Life" and DS9's "Forsaken". Those episodes balanced out the wacky antics with more meaningful and realistic character development for Lwaxana. Majel gave great dramatic performances in those stories. Some of the plain silly episodes like "Menage a Troi" were good fun, too.
Yea without the silly and fun episodes with Lwaxana the more serious ones would not have been as powerful IMO.
Half a Life. Truly moving.
And I also loved her in that DS9 episode where she gets stuck in the turbolift with Odo (forget the name). At the end, when she talks to him about how plain she really is, and what people think of her...she has such sadness in her eyes...
Gonna miss Majel terribly.
And I also loved her in that DS9 episode where she gets stuck in the turbolift with Odo (forget the name). At the end, when she talks to him about how plain she really is, and what people think of her...she has such sadness in her eyes...
Gonna miss Majel terribly.
Commander Rabbit
Commander
Thank you for reminding me of that one -- I loved it, too.
In TNG, her best episode was Half a Life. Most of the time Lwaxana just added humor (sometimes delightful, sometimes annoying, always over-the-top) but in those two episodes, it became clear that there was much more to her.
I agree that was a great episode!
Dark Page was also a serious episode.
I re-watched "Menage a Troi" in memory of her last night. I really enjoyed it She always brought a light hearted feel to most of the episodes she was in. I don't think there is an episode she did that I didn't like, because of her
I'll go with Half a Life and Dark Page. To be honest, I was never too crazy about the character. After Haven, it seemed like the same shtick over and over again. But those two, which brought in a more serious, dramatic side of her character brought a real integrety which I found refreshing and powerful.
Well done, Majel on both of those.
Well done, Majel on both of those.
MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
"Manhunt"
The offhand way she exposed the Antedian's bombing plot was a great scene.
The offhand way she exposed the Antedian's bombing plot was a great scene.
I have to echo the love for Half a Life. It was a nice story that didn't have Lwaxana as a comedy sidekick, plus her performance and chemistry with Stiers (who I loved from MASH) was wonderful.
It's odd so many are voicing in praise for Dark Page. I thought it was one of her worst moments and one of the worst episodes.
Frankly, it was the kind of schamltzy Lifetime-style story that became fairly common in the seventh season of TNG.
Majel was good in it for what she was given, the story was just for me really weak and boring.
Her performance-and the story- in Half a Life was far more touching for me.
And I'd slightly throw "Cost of Living" in there if it wasn't for some of the goofier elements in it I didn't like. Mostly some of the stuff with the holodeck fantasy (which was just very odd for me) and Alexander's intolerable in any scene he's not with Lawxanna.
Frankly, it was the kind of schamltzy Lifetime-style story that became fairly common in the seventh season of TNG.
Majel was good in it for what she was given, the story was just for me really weak and boring.
Her performance-and the story- in Half a Life was far more touching for me.
And I'd slightly throw "Cost of Living" in there if it wasn't for some of the goofier elements in it I didn't like. Mostly some of the stuff with the holodeck fantasy (which was just very odd for me) and Alexander's intolerable in any scene he's not with Lawxanna.
"Half a Life" for a serious ep, "Manhunt" for comedy.
Another affirmation for that particular scene. To add one point, when Odo was decomposing, Lwaxana took off her wig to show her nearly bald head and her own vulnerability. That is when Odo finally was able to melt into her gown. In retrospect, I wonder if MBR was going through chemotherapy at the time and this was a quiet revelation of that fact woven into the story.
"Half a Life" is always the first episode that comes to mind, as much for David Ogden Stiers' performance as for Majel's. I ADORE his understated, introspective Timicin, and thought it was perfectly natural that Lwaxana's flamboyance would be drawn to his calm serenity. The characters brought out the best in each other.
I'm surprised to see "Cost of Living" getting the nod here. I used to despise this episode for the utter absurdity of the holodeck scenes - and Alexander's stiff little self. But the last couple times I've watched it, the episode has charmed me in its portrayal of Lwaxana's relationship with Alexander. It's in this episode that we see her "Autie Mame-ness" in all its lovely shades. I think Alexander's character would have benefitted a great deal from having Lwaxana around more often. There was a lot of his mother's spirit resurrected in that relationship.
"Dark Page" is one of those episodes that I really want to love, but somehow just can't. There are so many individual elements and character moments that I really enjoy and appreciate. But the episode is filled with distractions. That horrible sound effect whenever Maquise tries to communicate telepathically with Deanna. The completely underwhelming arboretum set substituting for a park. The obviously non-vicious wolf and pet pomeranian. The directing choices that tried to make the mindscape spooky and mysterious, and just ended up falling completely flat. And I'm sorry to say, but the very bad crying scenes from Majel. I wish the director had steered her toward a more understated grief, because that revelation scene of the source of her pain is painful for the viewer for all the WRONG reasons. Marina does such a fabulous job in that scene, but there's an utter lack of balance there. The ending scene, where they're in Lwaxana's quarters remembering Kestra was so much better.
All that said, "Dark Page" has so many delightful elements! I LOVE when Lwaxana pats/pinches Picard's tush as he walks away from her in the very beginning!
And the scene with Deanna & her father is so bittersweet and touching.
I'm surprised to see "Cost of Living" getting the nod here. I used to despise this episode for the utter absurdity of the holodeck scenes - and Alexander's stiff little self. But the last couple times I've watched it, the episode has charmed me in its portrayal of Lwaxana's relationship with Alexander. It's in this episode that we see her "Autie Mame-ness" in all its lovely shades. I think Alexander's character would have benefitted a great deal from having Lwaxana around more often. There was a lot of his mother's spirit resurrected in that relationship.
"Dark Page" is one of those episodes that I really want to love, but somehow just can't. There are so many individual elements and character moments that I really enjoy and appreciate. But the episode is filled with distractions. That horrible sound effect whenever Maquise tries to communicate telepathically with Deanna. The completely underwhelming arboretum set substituting for a park. The obviously non-vicious wolf and pet pomeranian. The directing choices that tried to make the mindscape spooky and mysterious, and just ended up falling completely flat. And I'm sorry to say, but the very bad crying scenes from Majel. I wish the director had steered her toward a more understated grief, because that revelation scene of the source of her pain is painful for the viewer for all the WRONG reasons. Marina does such a fabulous job in that scene, but there's an utter lack of balance there. The ending scene, where they're in Lwaxana's quarters remembering Kestra was so much better.
All that said, "Dark Page" has so many delightful elements! I LOVE when Lwaxana pats/pinches Picard's tush as he walks away from her in the very beginning!
And the scene with Deanna & her father is so bittersweet and touching.Similar threads
