ALL THE STAR TREK: June 2013

Thursday, June 20, 2013

TNG S04E04

Ladies and gentlemen, the amazing self-captioning Wesley Crusher.

In this installment:
(viewed June 19th, 2013)

Star Trek: The Next Generation, S04E04 - "Suddenly Human"

"Suddenly Human"

Talarians: One of the more prominent "T-races" in Star Trek
"But if the have abused the boy, why would he so devoutly wish to return to them?"

I guess Captain Picard didn't do so well in his psychology courses at Starfleet Academy.
"You're probably not aware of this, but I've never been particularly comfortable around children."
This is why you don't take in strays. They'll stab you with your own d'k tahg.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

TNG S04E02, S04E03

In this installment:
(viewed June 18th, 2013)

Star Trek: The Next Generation, S04E02 - "Family"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S04E03 - "Brothers"

"Family"

McKinley Station, where the Enterprise is receiving repairs and refit after the events of "The Best of Both Worlds", is the largest drydock-type space station that we see in Star Trek--it's clearly designed to facilitate work on the gargantuan Galaxy-class starships.
When Lt. Worf's parents visit, we learn that his adopted father was a chief petty officer aboard the USS Intrepid (one of the starships that responded to the Khitomer Massacre, where they rescued and later adopted a young Worf).
I know it's the 24th Century and people have migrated and blended and all that...but this episode reminds us rather harshly of the inconsistency of having a British stage actor play a Starfleet captain of French origin. Even his family have British accents :P
You know...compared to his brother, Jean-Luc Picard is downright laid back.
We learn in this episode that a project, called Atlantis, is being pursued on Earth at this time--an effort to raise the floor of the ocean and produce a new sub-continent on the planet.
Smiling Worf is a little bit creepy.
People seem to think Picard won't throw a punch. I'm not sure where they get that idea. Dude'll throw down if he has to.
"So, my brother is a human being after all."
I very much appreciate the fact that they worked hard in this episode to reflect on the aftermath of the Borg attack in "The Best of Both Worlds"--both the damage to the ship, and the damage to Captain Picard. Compared to a modern science fiction franchise like the Battlestar Galactica reboot or even the last few seasons of DS9 before that, they don't do a lot of serialization in TNG. But it's nice that they don't just sweep the huge, traumatic events of the previous two episodes under the rug and give us another "alien of the week" episode right away. It speaks volumes about the generally high level of writing and producing that TNG enjoyed starting in its third season.

"Brothers"

If you screw up in school, you get sent to the vice principle. If you screw up on board the Enterprise, you get sent to the First Officer.
All of these years that Data has been in Starfleet, and no one thought to check him for malware? :P
"ONE-SEVEN-THREE-FOUR-SIX-SEVEN-THREE-TWO-ONE-FOUR-SEVEN-SIX-CHARLIE-THREE-TWO-SEVEN-EIGHT-NINE-SEVEN-SEVEN-SEVEN-SIX-FOUR-THREE-TANGO-SEVEN-THREE-TWO-VICTOR-SEVEN-THREE-ONE-ONE-SEVEN-EIGHT-EIGHT-EIGHT-SEVEN-THREE-TWO-FOUR-SEVEN-SIX-SEVEN-EIGHT-NINE-SEVEN-SIX-FOUR-THREE-SEVEN-SIX. LOCK."

That's amazing. I have the same combination on my luggage!
When your hyper-intelligent android decides to hijack your ship, there isn't a whole hell of a lot you can do about it.
The Star Trek writers love the name Noonien/Noonian (e.g. Singh, Soong).
Hey kids, it's Lore!
This is the episode where Data (almost) receives his emotion chip.
"Often-Wrong's got a broken heart,
Can't event tell his boys apart"
"They're brothers, Data. Brothers forgive."

Uh. Some has apparently forgotten what just happened to Data, like...five minutes ago.

Monday, June 17, 2013

TNG S03E26 & S04E01

"The Best of Both Worlds" (S03E26 & S04E01)

The tone of this episode is set so perfectly from the very beginning. The eerie and understated music, the vagueness of Captain Picard's opening log entry, the hurried tone of the away team and finally the utter desolation of the New Providence colony.
"If this is the Borg, it would indicate they have a source of power far superior to our own."

Although that source of power isn't detailed on-screen for quite some time, we can assume that the mystery technology to which Captain Picard refers is what we end up knowing as the Borg transwarp conduits--although of course Starfleet doesn't even know that technology exists at the time of these events.
Commander Riker is offered command of USS Melbourne (NCC-62043) in this episode, a Excelsior-class starship that will later be destroyed at the Battle of Wolf 359.
"Got another king in the hole, eh Data?"

"I am afraid I cannot answer that, Wesley. And as you are a new-comer to the game, may I say: it is inappropriate for you to ask."
Lt. Commander Shelby: The She-Riker.
"We have engaged the Borg."
The evacuation of engineering early in the encounter with the Borg cube is the source of one of my favorite images to use when locking a thread over on the Ars OpenForum:
"You do an end-run around me again, I'll snap you back so hard you'll think you're a first year cadet."
Captain Picard makes two great history references in this episode: Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson and the HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and the Roman emperor Honorious and the Visigoth sack of Rome in 410 CE.
If efforts by Commander Riker and Lt. Worf are any indication, the possession of a beard does not offer one any significant advantage in a hand-to-hand fight with a Borg drone.
"Strength is irrelevant. Resistance is futile. We wish to improve ourselves. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us."

"Impossible! My culture is based on freedom and self-determination."

"Freedom is irrelevant. Self-determination is irrelevant. You must comply."

"We would rather die."

"Death is irrelevant."
The away team beaming from the Enterprise to the Borg cube to retrieve Captain Picard while both ships are at warp is one data point in a much larger series of inconsistencies with regard to what can and cannot be done while a vessel is traveling at warp speed. In some cases, little interaction with the environment around a ship (including with other ships) is possible when a starship is at warp. In others, almost anything can be done. That's not a nit that I'm picking with this particular episode (which is one of my and probably every other Trekkie's favorites), but this is one of the more prominent examples of those inconsistencies.
Back when I first became aware of Ethernet and started having small LAN parties with my friends using 10Base-T hubs, I wanted equipment that looked like the Borg distribution nodes :)
Counselor Troi's primary function in a crisis seems to be supervising evacuations :P
Commander Riker "makes the hard choice" and orders the use of the improvised deflector weapon, even though it might kill the now-assimilated Capatain Picard. Lt. Commander Shelby, despite her earlier tough talk, is willing to lose the opportunity to (possibly) stop the Borg cube in order to try to again to save Captain Picard.
"Your resistance is hopeless, Number One."

Locutus is just, like...super menacing, isn't he?
Okay, confession time: As much as I joke about hating Riker (and I seriously do sometimes), and as often as I've held steadfast to the opinion that he was never a true "Captain of the Enterprise", I actually think he's great in this episode. The role is well-written and Jonathan Frakes puts in as fine a performance as I think we get to see at any point during his Star Trek career.
Guinan states that her relationship with Captain Picard was "beyond friendship, beyond family", but doesn't elaborate any further. I don't think that backstory ever gets told. I'm not saying I would have wanted a whole "Guinan & Picard" flashback episode, but I have to admit that I'm modestly curious.
The Star Trek crew put in a lot of effort to create the "graveyard", the aftermath of the Battle of Wolf 359. Studio models were kit-bashed and destroyed to create a variety of destroyed and disabled ships, including USS Tolstoy, USS Kyushu, and the aforementioned USS Melbourne. Several newly-defined ship classes came out of this effort, including the New Orleans, Cheyenne, Springfield, Challenger, Freedom and Niagara classes.

As always, Ex Astris Scientia has a wonderful set of well-researched articles about the ships of Wolf 359--including reconstructions of the studio models--on its Starship Articles page.
The rescue mission to retrieve Locutus/Picard is a just a great sequence. It's as exciting to watch today as it was when I first saw it.
The final tactic taken against the Borg, which succeeds, is the time-tested tactic of taking your opponents greatest strength (in this case, the Borg's collective consciousness) and using it agains them.
"How much do you remember?"

"Everything."

Well, the good news is that Starfleet isn't going to hold that against you. Oh, wait...
There's an extended shot of the haunted look on Captain Picard's face at the end of this episode that's just amazingly well-done.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

TNG S03E17, S03E18, S03E19, S03E20, S03E21, S03E22, S03E23, S03E24, S03E25

After the disappointment of having my commentary on the previous five episodes disappeared through a combination of Blogger's overly-zealous auto-save feature and my own stupidity*, it's nice that my first episode back is another of my favorites. The frequency of high-quality episodes in the third season really drives home how much better TNG got after its first two seasons.

* - I know folks wanted me to re-watch these, especially "Deja Q" and "Yesterday's Enterprise". I'm not going to do that now, but I may circle back to them at some point in the future. I might do a "Best of TNG" re-cap or something at the end of the series.

In this installment:
(viewed June 16th, 2013)

Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E17 - "Sins Of The Father"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E18 - "Allegiance"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E19 - "Captain's Holiday"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E20 - "Tin Man"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E21 - "Hollow Pursuits"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E22 - "The Most Toys"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E23 - "Sarek"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E24 - "Ménage à Troi"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E25 - "Transfigurations"

"Sins Of The Father"

As with many (but not all) of my favorite TNG episodes, Ron Moore did some work on the story. He's probably my second-favorite Trek writer/producer/director, behind Nick Meyer.
Commander Kurn's address to the bridge officers of the Enterprise is the first time that the official name of the military branch of the Klingon government is given on screen--the Klingon Defense Forces.
We see again the Klingon tendency to remind people that, under some other circumstances, they would have killed them.
"I AM A KLINGON! IF YOU DOUBT IT, A DEMONSTRATION CAN BE ARRANGED!"

^^^ This is the Worf-iest Worf that Worf ever Worfs.
"Set coordinates for the first city of the Klingon Imperial Empire."

This is a great episode, and generally very well-written. But fess up, who let this piece of dialog through?
This episode is our first look at the Klingon homeworld (later definitively named to be "Qo'noS" or "Kronos"), and specifically the first look at the chambers of the Klingon High Council. Both of these will be featured in many future Star Trek episodes and films.
Khitomer, the site of the Romulan attack which Worf's father is accused of having abetted, is presumed to be the same planet (or at least the same system) where the peace summit shown in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered country occurs (and where the Khitomer Accords were signed).
K'mpec is the first named Chancellor of the Klingon High Council that we meet in Star Trek, although Gorkon is chronologically first from an in-universe perspective.
The USS Intrepid (NCC-38907), the first Federation ship to respond to the Khitomer Massacre, was an Excelsior-class starship.
Captain Picard's loyalty to Worf (going so far as to serve as his Cha'DIch, when asked) and his growing familiarity with Klingon custom and the politics of the Klingon Empire foreshadows his involvement in the Klingon Civil War.
"Then you must be ready to fight--something Starfleet does not teach you!"

"You may test that assumption at your convenience."
Klingons love K names, don't they?
Kahlest says that Mogh was "loyal to the Emperor". This statement is inconsistent with later evidence that the Klingon Empire no longer had a single monarch and was ruled by the High Council. When the clone of Kahless appears in "Rightful Heir", the eventual compromise is for him to serve as a symbolic figurehead, an emperor in name only.
"You are still fat, K'mpec."

"Allegiance"

USS Hood (NCC-42296) is one of the most frequently-mentioned starships in TNG. She was Commander Riker's assignment prior to the Enterprise, and frequently rendezvous with her for one purpose or another. In this episode, she is due to assist the Enterprise on a terraforming mission to the planet Browder IV.
I remember this episode mainly for the disgusting little food discs that the alien kidnappers provide as nourishment for their captives.
This Kova Tholl guy is certainly a smug little delta bravo, isn't he?
Esoqq is pretty cool, though.
The closest Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher ever get to hooking up, and it's Alien Replica Picard™.
Drinking, singing Picard is the best Picard.
"The abnormal energy reading in the Captain's quarters was never explained."

OH YEAH THAT.
Oh, sneaky Riker is sneaky.
"Now get off my ship."

"Captain's Holiday"

This episode is the first mention or appearance of Risa, "the pleasure planet". And of course Commander Riker is the one who suggests it as a vacation destination for Captain Picard :P
Riker (to Picard): "Have I mentioned how imaginative the Risian women are, Captain?"
Troi (under her breath): "Too often, Commander."
Vash! I'm not sure how I forgot about her.
"The Horga'hn is for a friend."

"I see. Someone close to you?"

"That's right."

"Someone you love."

"I wouldn't go that far."

Tricking Picard into carrying around a Horga'hn? Riker, you magnificent bastard!
Sovak, the Ferengi trying to get his hands on both the Tox Uthat and Vash, is played by Max Grodénchik. He's better known to Star Trek fans as another Ferengi: Rom, brother to Quark and father to Nog, on DS9.
Captain Picard is kind of a blanket hog.
Transporter Code 14: "Blow it up real good"
"Number One, about that Horga'hn you requested..."

"Yes?"

"You and I need to have a little chat about that."

"Tin Man"

And again, it's the USS Hood meetin' up with the Enterprise! I like Captain DeSoto. I wish we got to see more of him. He's one of the few non-Picard Starfleet captains seen on TNG who doesn't come across as a complete tool.
"I see, he was a colleague of yours?"

"No, he was a patient."

Our "mission specialist" is a former psychiatric patient? That doesn't bode well.
"He's a very unique person."

No, screw you Troi. You're a therapist from an educated society, and you just said that you went to university. NO EXCUSES.
Tam Elbrun: This is why people hate telepaths.
USS Adelphi, a ship who lost her captain at the Ghorusda Disaster, is listed in the Star Trek Encyclopedia as being an Ambassador-class starship.
This is the episode where the Romulan D'deridex class warbird is given its name for the first time, described as a "cruiser".
My name is Sam, and I whole-heartedly endorse the use of the nickname "Billy Boy" when referring to Will Riker.
The Chandrans sound a lot like Tree Ents.
The psychological problems encountered by Tan Elbrun as a result of his telepathy are well-explored and wonderfully voice my own horror at the very thought of people with that sort of ability. I'm awfully glad it's science fiction, and not science fact.
I always thought that Tin Man / Gomtuu looked like a cross between an unshelled almond and a wasp's nest.
"Russell, watch the lateral grid balance...no, no, no. That's too much! We'll have to do it manually."

Damn it, Russell. Get it together!
Before this re-watch of TNG, I'd never noticed the one minor (externally-visible) physiological difference between Humans and Betazoids: Betazoids have entirely-black irises.
The visual effect for the wave that Gomtuu uses to destroy the Romulan warbird is very similar-looking to the visual effect of the wave that precedes the disappearance V'Ger in orbit over Earth in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, shortly after Commander Decker and the V'Ger probe in the form of Lt. Ilia merge.
"You don't trust me?"

"No Tam, I don't believe that I do."

You know, because you're a mentally unstable telepath who just mind-talked an unknown lifeform into destroying a Romulan ship. And your black eyes creep me out.
"Okay, Russell. We're going to try starting retro-sensor element 32, only. You in?"

KEEP IT TOGETHER, RUSSELL.
Gomtuu's interior? Kinda icky.
How come nobody ever just shoves the Enterprise out of the way? They always have to fling it across space, spinning aft-over-teakettle.

"Hollow Pursuits"

Woohoo! Our first episode featuring Lt. Reginald Barclay. He's the kind of character that should irritate me, but I've always liked him. I don't know if it's how he's written, Dwight Schultz's portrayal of him or a combination of both. But I always found him to be a sympathetic character who provided a good amount of humor without going so far as to become annoying (to me, at least--I know some Trekkies didn't like him).
This episode is also the reason why, as I have suggested before, Starfleet should have a regulation against creating holodeck characters that resemble real people without their permission :P
Dude, Barclay. You just got "damn-it"-ed by Chief O'Brien.
I'm not saying that Geordi and Riker aren't justified in their concerns about how flaky Barclay is in this episode, but they do kind a come across as a bit...well, mean. I'm glad that Picard tells them to suck it up and make friends with the poor bastard.
Falsely-friendly La Forge is a little bit unsettling O_o
Hey Wes, you're acting like a know-it-all and making Barclay look bad. Back off, kid.
Ha! It's nice when they throw in references to other sci-fi franchises, like the mention of the flux capacitor from Back To The Future in this episode :)
"I'll look forward to your report, Mr. Broccoli."
"Maybe I'm not making myself clear, Guinan. Barclay, well...he's always late. The man's always nervous. No one wants to be around this guy."

"If I thought no one wanted to be around me, I'd probably be late and nervous too."
The lead-up to Geordi discovering Barclay's illicit holodeck program makes me cringe. Talk about trainwrecks. It also makes me wonder why holodecks (and holodeck programs) aren't password protected.
And all of Barclay's social anxiety issues? It makes me wonder if they stop producing benzodiazepines between the 21st and 24th Centuries :P
"You should know, Barclay's been running some...unique programs."

"I don't care what he's been running. I've just run out of patience."

Uh, this is going to be bad D:
"This is a violation of protocol. Crew members should not be simulated in the holodeck."

"Commander, I don't think there's any regulation against..."

"Well, there ought to be."

Right?!? That's what I've been saying.
The section of dialog after the Enterprise's engines go into overdrive and can't be shut down is some really, really spectacular Treknobabble.
"Wasn't invidium used in medical containment fields?"

"Not for over a century."

"The Mikulaks might still be using it."

"And one of those cannisters was broken."

Damn it, Micalaks!
WHAT'S PROGRAM NINE?!?

"The Most Toys"

Lt. Cmdr Data dies? Yeah, they're going to have some questions about that. That's gonna upset a few folks.
The trader Kivas Farjo is played by Saul Rubinek, who is better known to many geeks as Artie Nielsen on Warhouse 13.
"For an android with no feelings, he sure managed to invoke them in others."
"Personally, I'd be delighted to see you go around naked."

Um...
Palor Toff's, uh...jewelry? It creeped me out when I first saw this episode, and it creeps me out now.
"Mr. Crusher, put is into low orbit. Mr. Data, scan...my apologies, Mr. Worf."

AWKWARD.
The studio model for the Varon-T disruptor is one of the more frequently re-used prop weapons in Trek.
"The Jovis has a maximum speed of Warp 3..."

So, in all of his effort trying to obtain valuable objects, Farjo didn't think that a faster ship might be a good idea? I mean, the dude obviously has money.
So, Kivas isn't just greedy and eccentric. He's also a total d**k, as it turns out.
He also really, really wasn't paying attention when Data was trying to explain to him that his android programming included being able to differentiate between murder and killing in self-defense, was he?
"Your collection has been confiscated. All of your stolen possessions are being returned to their rightful owners. You have lost everything you value."

"No sir, it does not. I do not feel pleasure. I am only an android."

"Sarek"

Commander Riker mentions that Ambassador Sarek was instrumental in the establishment of the "Klingon alliance"--presumably the proceedings at Khitomer which resulted in the Khitomer Accords.
Aww, Wesley's got himself date!
Hey! Stop hitting on Sarek's wife, Jean-Luc. It's not very captain-like behavior.
The Wesley and Geordi fight in the conference room (as a result of the emotional transference from Sarek) is the second-best thing about this episode.
During the string recital in Sarek's honor, we see a a Starfleet officer to Data's left wearing a Starfleet uniform. The guy seems to old to be a Starfleet officer, unless he was a starship captain or flag officer--my guess is that they hired a real violinist and the guy happened to be older. I haven't take the time to look back through the credits for the episode to see if I can confirm that suspicion, though.
If your Vulcan is crying, you're gonna have a bad time.
Who's this sciences division idiot in Ten Forward? Doesn't everyone know that you don't pick a bar fight with Miles Edward O'Brien. He'll kick yer teeth in.
The fight between Riker and Picard on the bridge (also a result of Sarek's emotional transference) is the best thing about this episode.
When it's decided that Ambassador Sarek and Captain Picard will participate in a mind meld in an attempt to help Sarek regain his emotional control ahead of the conference with the Legarans, the writers give us a little refresher course on what the mind meld is like (sort of a "Hey, in case you haven't seen Star Trek III in a while...").
After the mind-meld, while Sarek and Picard and still telepathically linked, Sarek refers to Riker as "Number One" two different times.
During ths same period, Picard is in his quarters ravaged by the emotions that Sarek has "offloaded" onto him. During this time, he mentions Spock and Amanda Grayson by name, saying how much he (Sarek) loves/loved them.

"Ménage à Troi"

An episode with the Troi girls, kickin' Ferengi butt across the galaxy with my favorite first officer? Sign me up! Or better yet, really really don't sign me up. At all.
It's established here that Betazoids can't read the minds of the Ferengi, presumably because of structural differences in the Ferengi brain.
The Ferengi doctor, Farek, is played by Ethan Phillips--better know to Trekkies as Neelix on VOY.
"The Sacred Chalice of Rixx" is an old clay pot with mold growing in it."
I believe this is the only time we see the surface of Betazed.
This is also the first mention of the Ferengi sexual practic of Oo-mox.
USS Bradbury (NX-72307) is a transport ship that was scheduled to transport Starfleet Academy students from Betazed to Earth. While it's never shown on screen, the Bradbury-class is one of several such vessels for which the Advanced Starship Design Bureau has put forth a conjectural design.

(design and rendering by members of the ASDB)
It is from this episode that one of the most famous Trek-related funnily-captioned photos:

(contains profanity)
This is the episode where acting Ensign Crusher becomes Ensign Crusher and gets himself a grown-up uniform.

"Transfigurations"

"I have a lot to teach you about women."

Geordi just isn't giving up on Christy Henshaw, is he? Your beach date bombed, dude. Let it go.
"I'm going to hook up your nervous systems through the tricorder."

Yeah, that seems totally safe and legit. No worries there at all, really.
The bored look on Worf's face while Geordi and Data are discussing how they can access the data on the computer component from the alien escape pod is pretty hilarious--topped off with "LESS TALK. MORE SYNTHEHOL."
"I've been tutoring him. He learns very quickly."
Okay, never mind Geordi. Don't let it go. All you needed was a zap to the brain from an alien. Seems like you're all set now.
Chief O'Brien is eight shades of awesome. But he's approximately 100% less impressive in a wet suit.
Why's Dr. Crusher gotta go fall for the weird alien with amnesia? WHAT DOES HE HAVE THAT I DON'T HAVE?!?
Worf breaking his neck? That's gonna feel familiar later on.
The Zalkonians and their apparent ability to suffocate people at will and over great distance (and the established ability of the "evolved" ones to heal the sick and even resurrect the dead) are a good example of another species that is encountered as part of a weekly episode and then never heard from again--even though one would assume that a species with these sorts of abilities would be of intense interest to the Federation and the other Alpha/Beta Quardant powers. It's not a fault of this episode, which in general is well-written and entertaining. But it's a common occurrence in the "alien of the week" episodes that make up a good portion of the Star Trek canon.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

TNG S03E12, S03E13, S03E14, S03E15, S03E16

In this installment:
(viewed June 15th, 2013)

Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E12 - "The High Ground"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E13 - "Deja Q"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E14 - "A Matter Of Perspective"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E15 - "Yesterday's Enterprise"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E16 - "The Offspring"

So, I watched five episodes of TNG today, and I had a load of commentary for each one. Behind-the-scenes trivia, humorous jabs at the plots and cast, relevant images and videos...you know, my usual wall-of-text stuff.

And then I somehow deleted all of it. ALL OF IT. I didn't delete the draft, I just accidentally like...did a "select all" and then hit backspace or something. I don't know.

But because Blogger's autosave works in increments that seem like nanoseconds, my mistake was autosaved as the new draft version. I Ctrl-Z'd my butt off, to no avail. And some Googling returns no valid methods to revert this draft to a previously autosaved version.

So what am I to do? Well, I certainly didn't memorize everything and I'm not going to re-watch all of the episodes.

This is doubly frustrating, as I'm right in the middle of the third season of TNG and some of these episodes were real classics.

But our lesson for today? From now on, I do what every content-generating person has learned to do for all eternity--I'm composing the actual text of my posts in another editor and then copying the raw text into Blogger and formatting it, insert images and links, etc.

Oh, and the primary image for the post I was going to make on these episodes was a naked Q.

F**k you, Blogger.

These are a few of my favorite starship designs...

Don't worry, I have no intention of broadening the scope of this blog to encompass all sorts of general Star Trek topics. I may turn this into a general Star Trek fan site after I've completed my one-year mission, but for the time being it will primarily remain a location for the documentation of that "mission".

But every so often I nerd out about starships featured in the various Trek episodes that I'm watching and it got me thinking about my favorites.

So here they are, my top five favorite Star Trek ship designs...

I should note that this particular top five is based solely on my appreciation for the aesthetics of each design, not necessarily their in-universe capabilities, strengths or weaknesses.

And there are a great many other starship designs that I find quite pleasing to the eye. An "honorable mention" list would be quite long, but might include classes like the D7/K't'inga, Sovereign, Valdore, Ambassador, Galor, Newton and many others.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

TNG S03E11

In this installment:
(viewed 6/10/2013)

Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E11 - "The Hunted"

"The Hunted"

The leader of Angosia III, Prime Minister Nayrok, is played by James Cromwell. Mr. Cromwell makes several appearances in various Star Trek films and television series. Most notably, he plays Dr. Zefram Cochrane--famed inventor of the warp drive--in Star Trek: First Contact (and later briefly reprises the role in ENT).
I like how the two security guys can't handle Danar, so Chief O'Brien has to throw down. Don't mess with Miles O'Brien, son. He'll put a hurtin' on ya, then when Lt. Worf and Commander Riker show up you're in real trouble. That's like the three toughest guys on the Enterprise.

(who aren't androids)
Who gave Counselor Troi access to the brig?!?
Apparently having voodoo cells or whatever that let you evade electronic sensors also let you get out of a transporter beam by practicing extreme tai chi.
I would like to rig all of the rooms in my parents' place to be capable of flooding with anesthizine on command. Kids be crazy, yo.
This Danar guy is pretty good. They'll probably make him the villain in the next Star Trek movie.
"Mr. Worf, you are personally responsible for the Captain's safety."

"I understand."

So, you know...no pressure.
It's not a terrifically original story, but this episode is a solid example of Star Trek's way of using a 23rd/24th Century setting to address current (at the time) issues. In a pre-Iraq War world, the most recent major military conflict to have yielded serious problems with combat veterans reintegrating with society was the Vietnam War. It was with that conflict--still less than two decades in the past at the time this episode aired--in mind that this episode tried to teach a lesson about the responsibility a society has toward the people it asks to fight and die for it in time of war.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

TNG S03E05, S03E06, S03E07, S03E08, S03E09, S03E10

In this installment:
(viewed 6/9/2013)

Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E05 - "The Bonding"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E06 - "Booby Trap"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E07 - "The Enemy"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E08 - "The Price"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E09 - "The Vengeance Factor"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E10 - "The Defector"

"The Bonding"

I wonder if the crew of the Enterprise-D considers themselves very lucky to have Captain Picard commanding them...except when he volunteers them for every archeology-related mission under the sun.
There's an exchange early in this episode on the bridge between Commander Riker and Ensign Crusher. They're discussing how difficult it's going to be for the now-orphaned Jeremy Aster, and Wesley compares it to his own experience (when his father was killed in the line of duty). Scenes in which either of these characters show genuine heart and don't make me laugh, or irritate me, or make me roll my eyes are pretty rare. This is one of them.
And then Captain Picard is voice of the audience as we all ask "Kids on the Enterprise? Whose idiotic idea is this, anyway?"
"Jeremy, on the starship Enterprise no one is alone. No one."
Lt. Worf and Counselor Troi are having a therapy session in what looks like one of the ship's computer cores. I guess "Evolution" isn't the only time we see it afterall!
Did Troi not just say to leave the kid alone, Worf? You big, dumb bastard.
Oh, great. Space ghosts. And not the good kind, either.
"Chief O'Brien, Jeremy and I are going down to the surface."

THE HELL YOU ARE, GHOST LADY.
I love the fact that, after playing cat-and-mouse around the ship for a while, Picard's just all "Enough of this nonsense. I'll take care of this right now!" and marches down to confront the alien lifeform posing as the late Lt. Aster.
We also get another touching Captain Picard & Ensign Crusher After School Special, this one about grief and dealing with our emotions.
Hey kiddo, that ceremonial joining of Worf's house? That's not going to seem like such a good idea in a couple of seasons :P

"Booby Trap"

This episode opens with Geordi getting shot down in flames on a holodeck date with Christy Henshaw, who is played by Julie Warner. Warner would go on to play a character who dates Chris Farley in Tommy Boy. So that probably doesn't feel very good.
"Survivors on Orelious IX after all this time? Not possible."

"Well...hardly possible, Number One."

You tell 'im, Captain.
Picard: "Didn't anyone here build ships in bottles when they were boys?"Worf: "I did not play with toys."Data: "I was never a boy."O'Brien: "I did, sir."Picard: "Thank you, Mr. O'Brien."
Looking for a solution to their entrapment in the same Menthar trap that ensnared the Promellian battlecruiser a thousand years before the Enterprise showed up, Geordi brings up records by one of the Galaxy class' designers. It's the first time we see and hear of Dr. Leah Brahms.
You know, between La Forge and Barclay, I wouldn't be surprised if post-TNG Starfleet regulations prohibited the use of a living person's likeness in holodeck recreations without their express consent. Buncha creepers up in here, I swear to dog.
Sentiment aside, does anyone think it's slightly ridiculous to have Captain Picard pilot the ship out of the booby-trapped debris field? I mean, I know he's awesome and at one time was probably a hotshot pilot and all that--but he's over the hill, and you've got a ship full of freshly-trained and certified helmsmen (helmspersons?). Oh, and that android you guys keep forgetting about.
All joking aside, this sequence of the episode contains some really great motion-controlled model work by the special effects team.
"You have used the asteroid's gravitational pull as a slingshot."

Yeah, Data. That's kind of an old trick.
Creepy Geordi is creepy.

"The Enemy"

I've always liked Romulans, especially the TNG/DS9-era ones. But in hand-to-hand combat they're not, generally-speaking at least, going to be a good match against a Klingon. Stupid Romulan is stupid.
Unlike Jim Kirk, Geordi must've been a Boy Scout.
Ah, neutrinos! Is there anything you can't do with a neutrino?
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back a wonderful Romulan and friend of the show, Commander Tomalak!
When expressing his hesitation to escalate tensions with the Romulans, Captain Picard says that he fears Galorndan Core would be remembered in history in the same way as Pearl Harbor or Station Salem-One. Although there's no on-screen description of what may have occurred at Salem-One, the comparison with Pearl Harbor and Picard's dialog indicate that an interstellar war of some sort may have started with an incident at a place called "Station Salem-One".
I've always been a fan of the design of the TNG-era Romulan disruptor pistol. I think it's more functional-looking and less "generic alien ray gun"-looking than many other non-Starfleet weaponry designed by the prop masters for the various Star Trek series. As a major alien power in the Star Trek universe, I think it's important for the Romulans to have a distinct aesthetic (much like the Klingons).

Although I liked the Valdore-type warbirds shown in Star Trek: Nemesis, one of the (many) things I didn't like about that movie was how the Remans--although a Romulan off-shoot--had a "style" that was just all points and no real functionality. From their disruptor rifles (which, in fairness, I think was actually a design change to the Romulan disruptor rifle during DS9) to the atrociously ugly Scimitar, it was all way too "alien of the week". But I can gripe about Nemesis when I get to it :)
"Yeah, the Romulans kind of killed my parents. So I'm not so much on board with helping out here. This guy can go whistle."
Centurion Bochra seems a little delusional. I know the Romulans are fiercely proud and violently nationalistic, but to believe that humans will be extinct and the Romulan Empire will span the entire galaxy? He's clearly not working with a full bowl of soup.
Similarly, his surprise that Geordi's parents allowed him to live despite his disability paints a picture of a barbaric, warrior culture more like the Klingons or the Spartans of Earth's history. At this point in TNG, the real texture and flavor of Romulan culture was clearly still being fleshed out. Eventually the picture we get of them is of a sophisticated, if proud, people with traditions much more like Earth's Roman Republic. They'll come to be known more for their cunning and ingenuity than their ferocity, although they're certainly depicted as capable warriors when the situation calls for it.
"The first Federation-Romulan joint venture!"

Yeah, the second one's kind of going to be a doozy.
I kind like the fact that Worf doesn't change his mind and save the Romulan's life at the last minute, overcoming his own prejudices and old hatreds--despite being encouraged to do so by his Captain, his Executive Officer and his Chief Medical Officer (all of whom also happen to be his friends). It's a little glimpse of real life and darkness underneath the shiny veneer of Roddenberry's 24th Century utopia. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this episode was written by Ron Moore.

(As it turns out, it was not. But it was written by Michael Piller, who's almost as awesome.)
Ah, that big, beautiful D'deridex. I had a lovingly-painted model of this class (from the AMT "Adversary Set" that also included a Ferengi D'Kora and Klingon Bird-of-Prey). I should build another one sometime.
"If Commander La Forge has located a second survivor..."

It might mitigate the damage Worf did by letting the first one die :P
Geordi's going to need a new uniform. Like...a lot.

"The Price"

The Manitoba Journal of Interplanetary Psychology? Seems legit.
The replicator totally just put Counselor Troi on a diet.
The Barzan Wormhole is thought to be, at the time of this episode, the only known stable wormhole in the galaxy. Of course, this would later prove to be untrue (although the Bajoran Wormhole was technically an artificial creation of the Prophets, so it may not count).
"Then who gets the chairs?!?"
Oh, joy. Ferengi.
Well, I don't care for this Devinoni fella at all. Not one bit.
This episode is the first time we see a Ferengi shuttle.
Between Devinoni's creepy wooing of Counselor Troi and his condescending attitude toward Commander Riker in the negotiations...well, I'm not normally one to embrace traditional macho shenanigans. But even though I'm no fan of Riker's, I kind of want him to knock this guy's block off.
Also: 24th Century sensual massage is unbearably uncomfortable to watch.
I wonder if Gates McFadden and Marina Sirtis got extra pay for agreeing to wear these ridiculous leotards and stretch with their butts facing that mirror?
These forks keep showing up on TNG, particular when Troi or her mother are eating. Leave it to the Betazoids to have needlessly ornamental eating utensils.
Speaking of which, is there anything less interesting than two Betazoids arguing? I guess they could be doing it on a holodeck reproduction of 1940s Siam or something.
Gah, this guy is such a douchebag. He sucks so bad that he has me rooting for Riker. DOWNVOTE.
I don't think there's anyone that Captain Picard shouts "screen off!" about more often than the Ferengi.
"You could be my conscience."

Wow. What woman could resist that offer?

"The Vengeance Factor"

I had completely forgotten everything about this episode.
In what will become a recurring theme, Lt. Worf is shown up by Lt. Commander Data when he tries (and fails) to open a jammed door that Data waltzes over and opens without any trouble. I've often thought that one of the reasons many Trekkies don't think that the Worf character really got good until he moved to DS9 is that it's hard to be the baddest mofo in the room when you share the room with an android who's superior to humanoid lifeforms in almost every measurable way--including strength and endurance, things upon which you pride yourself.
Stop hitting on the Sovereign's chef, Commander Riker. We've got Gatherers to track down.
"Your ambushes would be more successful if you bathed more often!"
I'm running a little short on witty commentary for this episode (it's not bad, just a little slow), but I do think it's interesting that "Acamar" is one of the available battlefields in the multiplayer version of Star Trek: Legacy.
Whoah, lady. He may want to sleep with you, but he'll still totally kill you. If we've learned one thing, it's that Commander Riker is both a lover and a fighter.
That said, Riker seems pretty good at handling the emotions associated with being forced to personally kill someone with whom you were having sex O_o

"The Defector"

Honestly, I watched as much TNG today as I did because I wanted to get to this episode. It's one of my favorite TNG episodes, certainly one of the best out of the third season.
And I'm pretty sure this Henry V scene at the beginning of this episode is a result of Patrick Stewart reminding the writer (it's a Ron Moore episode, whee!) that he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Although it's referred to in non-canon sources as the "Talon" and "Lanora" class, the Romulan scout ship shown in this episode--the first Romulan ship we've seen in TNG other than the much larger D'deridex-class warbird--is never called anything other than "scout ship".
Sublieutenant Setal / Admiral Jarok is played by Trek vet James Sloyan, who will go on to play the Klingon K'mtar (TNG, "Firstborn"), Bajoran scientist Mora Pol (DS9, "The Alternate" & "The Begotten") and alien-of-the-week Ma'Bor Jetrel (VOY, "Jetrel").
Heh. I enjoy that Dr. Crusher kind of shoots Worf a dirty look when they refer to the "incident" at Galorndan Core (in which Worf allowed a Romulan officer to die rather than permit some of his cellular material to be used to save him).
When Captain Picard gets his secure transmission from Starfleet Command, it's one of the relatively few times that the realities of communication across the vast distances of space--even with subspace radio--is acknowledged.
The two ships dispatched to assist the Enterprise are USS Monitor and USS Hood. They are Nebula- and Excelsior-class starships, respectively.
Although we won't see her on-screen until the fourth season, the IKS Bortas--the Klingon ship that communicates with the Enterprise during the incident in this episode--is a Vor'cha-class "attack cruiser" and will serve as the flagship for future Chancellor of the High Council and master of crazy eyes, Gowron (my personal favorite Klingon).
"Somehow I think we're going to catch the Romulans with their pants down on Nelvana III, just like he says."

"With their...pants...?"

"A metaphor--catching them in the act."
"Arrange a meeting between myself and Captain Picard. Tell him Admiral Jarok wants to see him."
Picard asks Jarok if he will help them overpower the "B-type" warbirds they are likely to encounter if open conflict between the Romulans and the Federation occurs. This is mostly likely a Starfleet designation for the D'Deridex class, the only type of warbird seen for the duration of TNG.
Lt. Commander Data's log entry describing the Enterprise's crossing into the Neutral Zone is the first time the treaty between the Federation and the Romulan Empire is called by its name--the Treaty of Algeron.
"Permission to withdraw from the Neutral Zone."

"At your earliest possible convenience, Number One."

Uh, too late guys...
And back for an encore guys and gals, it's Commander Tomalak!
"I expected more from you than an idle threat, Picard."

"Then you shall have it."
"...a letter to his wife and daughter."

"Sir, he must have known it would be impossible for us to deliver it."

"Today, perhaps. But if there are others with the courage of Admiral Jarok, we may hope to see a day of peace when we can take his letter home."

Saturday, June 8, 2013

TNG S0301, S03E02, S03E03, S03E04

In this installment:
(viewed 6/8/2013)

Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E01 - "Evolution"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E02 - "The Ensigns of Command"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E03 - "The Survivors"
Star Trek: The Next Generation, S03E04 - "Who Watches The Watchers"

"Evolution"

WAKE UP, WESLEY! WE'RE STARTING THE THIRD SEASON!
I never thought I'd be so glad to see a Nehru collar (i.e. hooray for the new uniforms!)

(courtesy of Star Trek: The Magazine, by way of Ex Astris Scientia)

This was the first style of Starfleet uniform that I ever owned, back when I used to do such things. I had a science/medical tunic in this style when I was an adolescent. I believe I purchased and then wore it to one of the Starbase Indy conventions in the early 1990s, with Lt. Commander pips if I recall correctly. Sorry, there are no pictures.
Hey kids, it's Dr. Bob Kelso!
Also: I'm sure you'll all be very surprised to hear that I'm thrilled to see Dr. Crusher back in sickbay. So long, Dr. Pulaski!
"So far, we're showing nothing unusual in the computer log for that time period."

Ah, it sounds like like every phone call I ever have at work!
Beverly Crusher: The only mother ever to complain about her high-achieving, emotionally mature, morally strong 17-year-old son.
I guess they need to reformat Enterprise again.
"There has not been a systems-wide technological failure on a starship in 79 years."

That's...some pretty impressive uptime.
"I'm scared, Guinan. I think that everything that's going on might be my fault."

Legions of Star Trek fans agree with you, Ensign Crusher. I mean, not me. But definitely legions.
Oh, for pity's sake. Who gave Wesley access to the nanites? THE NANITES?!?
"Wes, do you think you're going to get a good grade?"

"I always get an 'A'."

"So did Dr. Frankenstein."
"I think I've made a horrible mistake."

And hey, everybody welcome Ensign Gob!
This is the first, and I think perhaps the only (although I may be mistaken), time that we actually see the interior of Enterprise's impressive computer core.
Wait, did Commander Riker just say that it was toxic levels of nitrous oxide? Well, at least it's a hilarious way to die.
Worf has a point. Letting the killer nanites have control of your android probably isn't a great idea.
You apologize! You apologize to those nanites!

"The Ensigns of Command"

The opening of this episode shows Chief O'Brien in the background, tuning up what looks like a cello as part of Commander Data's string quartet.

This is ridiculous of course, as we all know that O'Brien doesn't play the cello. He plays the whiskey bottle.
"Number One, any speculation on what we might find down there?"

"My guess would be a lone survey craft. Maybe a dozen or so survivors."

Or, you know...15,000.
"Only you would get this excited over a walking calculator."

Ah, the 1980s. When a "calculator" was still a separate thing that people had and wasn't an app on their phone :P
Honestly, if you've got a seemingly-impossible technological task to accomplish, you can't get a better team than Geordi La Forge and Miles O'Brien. The only way they could do better is if they'd stumbled upon the USS Jenolan earlier and had good ol' Montgomery Scott to act as team captain.
Also: I just bummed myself out by reminding myself that "Relics" isn't until the sixth season :(
"Even if we get the Sheliak to talk, they're not likely to be accommodating."

"Captain, when the treaty was first negotiated, the Federation sent 372 legal experts. What do we have?"

"Thee and me?"

And an android who can process and analyze enormous amounts of legal documentation in seconds? Why do they always forget about the android?
The Sheliak kind of look like someone hit a Tholian with a fire extinguisher.
"I don't have any silly prejudice against computers. I like them! Not that any computer we have is half as sophisticated as you are."

"No, I would say not."

Even Data permits himself a moment of pride every now and again (even if he doesn't technically possess the capacity to process the emotions associated with "pride").
This Gosheven guy is like...really attached to his aqueduct.
"Use that fancy positronic brain of yours and carry out your mission."
Commander Jerkface.
First Lt. Yar, now the star-struck ("android-struck?") colonist. The ladies love Lt. Commander Data!
"Now, are we progressing Mr. La Forge?"

{a mangled sample container materializes on the transporter pad}

"About like you'd expect, Sir."

"Splendid, spendid. Carry on!"
Counselor Troi presents: Intergalactic Language 101.
The Sheliak colony ship was a kitbash of the Merchantman model with some additional components. Included in these additional components--no joke--are the hull sections from submarine model kits.
Apparently one phaser blast can nuke an entire aqueduct?
Speaking of which, I forget that the third season of TNG brings us not only the improved uniforms, but also the slightly less ridiculous-looking Type 2 phaser.

"The Survivors"

Until this episode forged its own narrative path, I think every Trekkie assumed the destruction of Delta Rana IV was the result of a Borg attack.
I mean, it makes sense. Commander Riker is about as smart as a tetherball.
"Sir, may I say you're attempt to hold the away team at bay with a non-functioning weapon was an act of unmitigated gall."

"Didn't fool you, huh?"

"I admire gall."
For people like me--males of a generally heterosexual persuasion who watched TNG during their pre-pubescent and pubescent years, the third season of the show is also notable for the introduction of Counselor Troi's teal dress. I'm relatively certain that this was the context in which my brain first noticed cleavage.
I would've liked for the Husnock (extinct at the time of this episode) to be featured in another episode.
{Worf makes an awful face while drinking tea.}

"What do you think, Mr. Worf?"

"Good tea...nice house."

Again, I'm pretty sure they accidentally gave Worf all of the funny lines.
I like how Captain Picard figures out what's going on with Kevin Uxbridge way before everyone else, and just opts not to explain himself to anyone.
Like the Husnock, it would've been neat to see the Douwd show up again in Trek.
"No, no, no. You don't understand the scope of my crime. I didn't kill just one Husnock, or a hundred, or a thousand. I killed them all--all Husnock, everywhere."

AND NOT JUST THE MEN. BUT THE WOMEN...AND THE CHILDREN TOO!

"Who Watches The Watchers"

A holographically-hidden observation post up on a hillside to monitor a pre-warp civilization? Why does that sound so familiar?
Hey kids, it's Ray Wise! I prefer to remember him as Satan in the tragically-canceled comedy series Reaper.
~~Satan~~'s Liko's daughter, Oji, is played by none other than Pamela Adlon (credited in this episode as "Pamela Segall"). She's a crazily talented actress and producer who's very familiar to me from her involvement in shows like HBO's Lucky Louie, Showtime's Californication, and FX's Louie (oh, and she voiced Bobby Hill on Fox's King of the Hill).
Do you think Riker really wanted to beam down to look for the missing researcher, or do you just think he was hoping for a chance to bed a new alien race?
"I believe I have seen the Overseer. He is called...The Picard."
So, we go through the trouble of fabricating authentic native clothing and having temporary cosmetic surgery to alter their appearances...and we don't bother to come up with alien names for our away team?
Counselor Troi has just executed a very cunning tactic taught at Starfleet Academy, known as "HEY LOOK OVER THERE!"
And Dr. Barron is asking Captain Picard to pull a C-3PO.
Picard shows a woman from a pre-warp civilization around the Enterprise. Why does that sound so familiar?
This is at least the third time that we've seen TNG reference the concept sometimes called Clarke's Third Law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
This isn't the last time Troi will have to don the ol' ears and eyebrows. She will be disguised as a major in the Romulan Tal Shiar in the sixth-season episode "Face of the Enemy".
"Are you sure you know what he wants? That's the problem with believing in a supernatural being."

Troi is referencing the sticky metaphysical concept of divine revelation.
Captain Picard offering his life to dispel Liko's belief that he is a god? Pretty ballsy.