New kids in the class. Let's watch and discuss, Star Trek: The Next Generation

[russdm]

Well I thought it was bad because it tries to sell that it would be about watching the crew working to the respect of the natives and getting a thing (the vaccine) from them. Instead we get Luton's domestic troubles as the focus, the Yar and Yar fight, and everything helped along to make it happen. Then rhe writers remembered that they need to end the episode so they have things turn out all well.

According to tvtropes and memory alpha, this episode was written by the same person who wrote SG1 episode Emancipation. Which was viewed as another terrible episode.

[Kitten Champion]

I think that somewhat paints Katharyn Powers unfairly. Yes, Code of Honor and Emancipation are terrible, but she has written some fairly strong episodes - mostly of SG-1 - in a relatively modest television career.

Not that she was a transcended genius or anything - and there's definitely something in this basic narrative she was going for - but rather that there's a lot going on between having a written script to what actually goes on the screen that should also be accounted for.

This is most emphatically the case when we're discussing early TNG as we are, where there were more than a few writers who were not pleased with the ultimate fate of the episodes they were credited for.

[russdm]

I think that somewhat paints Katharyn Powers unfairly. Yes, Code of Honor and Emancipation are terrible,

This is flat out wrong. Code of Honor is a terrible episode. Emancipation is just "meh". It is the SG1 episode where Carter was captured after being the trade by that guy who wanted to marry that girl and the girl wanted to marry him too. The father was against it. Then, Carter was made to be one of the father's wives.

The culture was based around that of the mongols some. Carter remained behind rather than escaping so she could take steps to help out the girl. So Carter managed to get herself fighting the father and after defeating him in combat, made him agree with letting the girl marry as she wanted and also got her own freedom.

Cary (the mandarin bailiff from Encounter at Farpoint and Shang tsung) played the father in the SG1 episode.

In Code of Honor, Yar does no actions from her own drive or interest. She takes no steps to escape while she has nothing keeping her there. In fact, nearly everyone has to hold the idiot ball for the plot to work.

Picard: forgets about having a transporter and also decides that despite what Luton did was wrong for Picard's culture, decides that trying to continue diplomacy will work out somehow. Also none of the other crew suggests beaming Yar up any, despite stealing her back from Luton would work in the kind of counting coup culture of Ligon. Seriously, counting coup is about being daring and courageous before the enemy/rival without doing any real harm. Picard could have stolen her back somehow and had earned respect for it.

Yar: she decides to fight Yar and go along with everything before despite her stated history of her planet with the rape gangs mentioned about in the past episode. She has no problem being kidnapped. Then she just sticks around until the fight with Yar. Then she agrees to fight Yar when she could have just said no.

Yar, yareena, Luton's wife: she decides to challenge Yar to a fight but it is not clear what she gains. There is nothing in the culture suggesting that Luton will get her stuff if she dies or I don't recall seeing anything suggesting that. In fact, Luton gets his title and power from his marriage.

Code of Honor is alround bad. It's a terrible episode with a premise about how Luton wants to kill his wife. That is not the impression that the episode gives you at all. The episode acts like you will get to watch the crew work on ways with interacting with the natives to impress them and so earn that vaccine they need.

Which is a major problem. Vaccines don't work the way that they are treated in the episode. There is nothing stopping Dr. Crusher from making the vaccine. But they (the writers) decided that she had to try to replicate it and that made it go all putzy (unstable) and apparently fall apart. But that is not how vaccines work.

The SG1 episode doesn't include staggering amounts of stupid to make it happen and keep going. Code of Honor does do exactly that, it requires a considerable amount of stupid to work and continue working.

[russdm]

Season 1 Episode 4
The Last Outpost

Stardate: 41386.4

Plot:

The Enterprise is chasing after a ship of Ferengi design. It stole some kind of T-9 energy converter from and unmanned station (Something that would be easy to do, since unmanned means low security) and end up in a particular solar system.

This solar system is revealed later to be part of the TKON empire. After arrival, with a minor shot or two, both the Enterprise and the Ferengi are rendered immobile. Initially, the crew that the Ferengi are doing it, but learn every quickly after talking with the Ferengi leader, that they aren't.

A probe sent out reveals the force fields come from the planet below. It appears to be something worth investigating. Also, the planet thing is probably what also read through the Enterprise's databanks. That makes it definitely worth investigating.

Also, the Ferengi are mentioned as being like Yankee Trades and ascribing to "let the buyer beware" school of trading. And are described as capitalists (I think the Federation became a communist state or something)

The Ferengi and the Enterprise send a team down to the planet to investigate. They discover some giant crystals interspersed among plants and rocks. There is some engagement between the two groups, and the Ferengi zap our crew with some energy (Water Tubes, like you would use for in pools) and examine them. Then there is the bit with Yar and her having clothes.

The group manages to awaken or cause Portal, who guards the portal to the TKON Empire, which appears to test the characters. A bit of talk and an examination of human thought is carried out. after some exchange, Portal shows an interest in learning more about what has happened since the last age that it knew of.

The Ferengi, with prodding from Portal, return the T-9 device. Both ships get all there power back, and they end up leaving. Riker suggests beaming over some Chinese finger traps.

Rating:

3 - Average episode: OK to watch, but nothing amazing. This should be the default score. {Episode}
to
2 - Poor episode: Not too bad but has one or two week areas (Poor plot, weak character use, bad effects) {Ferengi as Future Villains}

[Episode Commentary]

This is the episode where we are introduced to the Ferengi as a race. They, the actors playing them, were told to act like excited gerbils. That translated out to them jumping around a little bit and waving their arms and hands a bit. It ends up being a bit much. One of the actors is Armin Shimmerman, who will go on to play Quark on Deep Space 9

The Ferengi are basically a version of Yankee Traders and are very much charaictures of some groups. They make for an interesting display.

Sadly, there were plans to make the Ferengi a new villain race. That of course doesn't work out and the episode goes to some lengths to effectively defang them before the episode is over even halfway that they will not work. Basically due to the portrayal, the writers and Gene ruin any chance of seeing them as actual threats. That will force them to shift the Ferengi to different roles. There is also a replacement needed to be made because of that. This means that the writers don't have a replacement villain for the Klingons or the Romulans.

The Ferengi will go to appear some more and go on to great portrayal as comic relief, until Deep Space 9 humanizes them up.

Wesley has not showed for the last episode or this one. Which is interesting. It will also change some as we go along here.

[Cikomyr2]

That episode is truly abysmal. But at least it has some interesting stuff to point and laugh at.

Sfdebris rightfully pointed out that the Ferengi's core concept is broken from the get go. They are meant to be "Yankee Capitalists", and yet acted secretly from the federation for years? Yankee traders were not renown to be subtle or discreet.

They had to actually write a novel to rationalize this. Basically the non canon explanation is that the Grand Nagusx upon learning that the Federation was without money, declared that the Federation was ran by mad people, and ordered to prevent all contact with such a crazy society.

[russdm]

Season 1 Episode 5/6
Where No One Has Gone Before
Stardate: 41263.1

Plot:
Ah the one with the Traveler. And Wesley gets made an acting Ensign.

This episode has the crew receive a warp specialist that can improve ship engines. As it turns out, that is actually want the guy's assistant is doing, and said assistant is traveling around to explore, bartering his/its services with propulsion in exchange for travel. It's not clear exactly when the Traveler meet K (The specialist) or if the traveler encouraged K's ideas. All for the Traveler to get the ability to travel around.

Wesley notices that the Traveler phases out some (Basically disappears and reappears). The Traveler sends the ship to 2 different places, one is galaxy M-33 and the other is Weirdo Land. In Weirdo Land, people can think things and make them real. It is not a safe place. The Crew need to leave before they end up destroying themselves. Through the traveler's help, they succeed. K's Ego, practically a character here, (He is very Egocentric) takes a blow after learning He didn't do anything really.

The Traveler mentions Wesley having superpowers. And convinces Picard to make Wesley an Acting Ensign, with all that entails. (Lots of work)

[Episode Rating]
3 - Average episode: OK to watch, but nothing amazing. This should be the default score.

{Episode Commentary}
The best moment in this Episode is in my opinion, the Picard Turbolift Scene, where Picard exits the Turbolift into what is basically empty Warp. It shows where Picard's thoughts dwell, and the moment is great because how evocative of a similar kind of scene from Doctor Who. Such an amazingly performed scene, and I think the one that makes Picard able to really understand what is happening in the Weirdo Land the ship ended up in.

The rest of the story is pretty basic. It's not one of the first seasons hidden gems of quality, as we have 4 more Episodes to get to the first (Hide and Q) and 7 for the second (Datalore). [There are a number of these "Hidden Gems", which in my opinion are simply amazing episodes. Others may disagree freely, though I would want commentary from you, why you think that I am wrong]

The Episode doesn't do anything wrong really, but not impressive either. And it goes through very little in regards to Wesley to make it terrible there. Just an average episode.

[russdm]

So, Encounter at Farpoint was a two-parter episode, being Episodes 1 and 2. So we are actually at Episode 6 and going to watch Episode 7 next. That will be fixed later.

Another interesting point is going with the Stardates, and figuring out the Episodes in universe chronogical order of when they are supposed to take place. I will leave that to interested parties.

[russdm]

Season 1 Episode 7
Lonely Among Us
Stardate: 41249.3

[Plot]
The crew are to ferry delegates from two worlds to a neutral planet/planetoid for talks. One is a race of serpent people called the Selay, and the other is a race of wolf like people named Anticans. Both groups have recently achieved space flight (Maybe Warp, maybe just their versions of the Russian/American Space Programs) and so they are also interested in joining the Federation.

Meanwhile...

The Crew encounter a floaty cloud in space traveling at warp. Through a series of events, they somehow manage to either capture or hijack some cloud energy, which then goes about trying to get home to the cloud.

Meanwhile...

There are problems with the Anticans and the Selay. And the travel to the neutral planet is a problem. Then one of the Selay delegates is going to turn into dinner for the Anticans.

[Rating]
1 - Bad episode: Multiple weaknesses (bad acting, bad story, disasterous effects, poor connection to lore)

{Episode Commentary}

This is a real whimper of an episode. The energy cloud creature/entity could have been interesting and it's own plot, but it lacks much or any real development, and no tie back to the neutral planet story. Which is a poor decision.

The plot between the Selay/Seley, and the Anticans, exists more than anything to preach about food views and about eating meat/etc, as no respect is given to any of the reasons that the two races are in conflict. Religion is mentioned along with economic systems, but are treated dismissively with a "everybody love one another" message in general. Real life conflicts are due to myriad of reasons. That could have been explored, what reasons the two sides had to be in conflict, but the entire real point is that, the Anticans end up trying to eat the Selay/Seley.

The two plots are interwoven but neither plot is actually any good. Some interesting explorations could have been made of either individual plot, but the two combined just don't work because they have very different feeling, and neither seem that related. The two plots should have been made their own episodes instead, which have worked better in my opinion.

One member of the Antican bunch is played Marc Alaimo who shows up later in another role. And Miles is back in this episode. That's great.

[russdm]

Season 1 Episode 8
Justice
Stardate: 41255.6

[Plot]

The crew have finished setting up a colony and have discovered a new paradise kind of world. The Doctor suggests that the crew need some shore leave. This is agreed with by Picard, who awaits news from the Away Team about the planet. The planet is occupied/lived on by the Edo, a race of human looking aliens wearing skimpy barely there outfits. The Edo also have a pretty free love society and are very open to stuff (Free love stuff, this board/forum is PG in Rating, I believe) happening.

Picard sends Wesley down along with the team to explore how much shore leave is possible. Apparently the Edo have no crime, but do have a system of Justice involving areas designated as crime areas, with anybody who breaks the law dying. Not like individual sentences, but one punishment for everything.

Naturally, Wesley runs afoul of the law, and gets to be punished. Sadly, despite nearly everything pointing out that Picard can just beam Wesley away (something that would have been useful in the Code of Honor episode) Picard decides to go for being Lawful over Good and insists on following the letter of the Prime Directive more so than the Spirit. Since that ends up with with trouble, a solution must happen.

Meanwhile...

Data has discovered the existence of some aliens posing as "God" for the Edo (the only thing that seems to happen in Star Trek of a divine nature, aliens posing as "God" or a God-like being) and they communicate with Data and Picard. The Edo "God" make their feelings known, and Picard carefully measures an approach to appeal to them in some form.

Meanwhile...

Through some different steps, and a serious hammy Patrick Stewart Speech (The first of many, so it gets a tracker), the Edo "God" decides and accepts the crew taking Wesley with them. Whee.

[Rating]
2 - Poor episode: Not too bad but has one or two week areas (Poor plot, weak character use, bad effects)

{Episode Commentary}

Well, this episode covers a lot over how the Justice systems of other civilizations and species should be recognized, which would have made a great episode to follow. Sadly, this is not that episode, instead we get Wesley facing death over falling over into a flower bed. Seriously.

The issue with the Prime Directive makes Picard look like bit of an ass in that he pushes following it instead of just doing something else, and makes it an issue, when it is not clear that the Edo "god" aliens will care as much. The Writers try to build in some reasoning for Picard to use. Unlike what Janeway would get with her being a different kind of captain any given week treatment.

Exploring the idea that you can't run over some other party with their justice system and impose your own, is a nice story. It is one that is very much a good Star Trek story, but the way it was cast in this episode just makes the whole matter not work. There is just no way of making a convincing arguement and much of what happens ends up being plot contrivances.

I don't recall if we get another shot at the attempted story in Justice or not, about how you have respect the culture of a people that is not you, but it might be there.

Trackers)
Rank of Miles: Ensign
Prime Directives: 2 (It came up in Code of Honor, and here)
Patrick Stewart Speech: 1 (Did I miss an earlier one? I don't think so)

[Cikomyr2]

One member of the Antican bunch is played Marc Alaimo who shows up later in another role. And Miles is back in this episode. That's great.

Everyone involved in Star Trek production at the time really loved Marc Alaimo, as he kept popping up in minor roles, until they designed the Cardassian, a race explicitly visually designed to enhance Alaimo's natural features (like his elongated neck and his pronounced brow). And then he became the biggest recurring guest actor in the history of Star Trek.

[Manga Shoggoth]

the only thing that seems to happen in Star Trek of a divine nature, aliens posing as "God" or a God-like being...

TOS and the cartoon series did this in places as well, although I think they tended to pull it off better. Mostly because it was the focus of the story rather than a plot element.

[russdm]

Everyone involved in Star Trek production at the time really loved Marc Alaimo, as he kept popping up in minor roles, until they designed the Cardassian, a race explicitly visually designed to enhance Alaimo's natural features (like his elongated neck and his pronounced brow). And then he became the biggest recurring guest actor in the history of Star Trek.

I am not complaining about that. I thought that it was worth mentioning because he showed up again until he got the role of Dukat.

There are a few other actors who played in different episodes and kept coming back.

[GloatingSwine]

TOS and the cartoon series did this in places as well, although I think they tended to pull it off better. Mostly because it was the focus of the story rather than a plot element.

Though when TOS did it it was fifty fifty whether it was aliens or a computer.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by russdm
2 - Poor episode: Not too bad but has one or two week areas (Poor plot, weak character use, bad effects)

I happened to catch this one recently, and I'd say you're being generous here. I’d give it a 1.5 at most. It was pretty gawdawful for a lot of reasons, including some extremely clunky 80s acting.

Also, as far as tracking things, how about tracking the use and re-use of ship & station models throughout the series? The Edo divine-thingy, which only appeared in translucent form in this episode, was re-used in a later season as an enemy space station.¹

Spoiler

Show

Can’t recall the title, but I think fifth or sixth season, in which the crew’s memories were suppressed and they were nearly manipulated into destroying a much less advanced interstellar power.

Also notable for a one-night stand involving Riker and Ro Laren. “Sorry, imzadi, the alien mind control made me do it” wasn’t an excuse that got him very far.

Some of the early episodes also used the movie miniatures for Regula One (upside down) and Spacedock as random starbase exteriors, which could also be fun to track.

Originally Posted by russdm
There are a few other actors who played in different episodes and kept coming back.

Shout-out for Tim Russ, who played three different characters in the TNG era, as well as others in some oddball fan-made series I’d never heard of before.

And, amusingly, a bit part in Spaceballs.

[russdm]

I happened to catch this one recently, and I'd say you're being generous here. I’d give it a 1.5 at most. It was pretty gawdawful for a lot of reasons, including some extremely clunky 80s acting.

Also, as far as tracking things, how about tracking the use and re-use of ship & station models throughout the series? The Edo divine-thingy, which only appeared in translucent form in this episode, was re-used in a later season as an enemy space station.
Some of the early episodes also used the movie miniatures for Regula One (upside down) and Spacedock as random starbase exteriors, which could also be fun to track.

Shout-out for Tim Russ, who played three different characters in the TNG era, as well as others in some oddball fan-made series I’d never heard of before.

Spoiler: Your Spoiler

Show

That Episode was Conundram

.

For that tracker, I would be checking on Memory alpha to be sure.

Well, Tim Russ (Tuvok) shows up in a later episode.

I gave the Episode a 2 rating because, coming from TOS, TAS, The TOS movies; the acting or other stuff is not that terribly bad. In a later season, I might have given it a lower score, because they should have no reason for making outright terrible episodes.

The thing is; this season has been at 3 or lower using Mango's/Manga's scale. There are better episodes (4s) and Gems (5s), but very few if at all. Being the First season of the show, I am letting things slide, because everything is all new, new for the fans, new for the actors.

I also have a different scale of quality I think than most. So, I may rate some episodes higher than others would. Which is something for people to be busy discussing about.

[russdm]

Season 1 Episode 9
The Battle
Stardate: 41723.9

[Plot]

The crew were requested to meet up at a place. They go there and find a Ferengi ship that doesn't say anything. Picard starts getting a headache. Three days pass before anything happens.

The Ferengi contacts the Enterprise and does an introduction with a request to beam over. Three Ferengi beam over onto the bridge. A Diamon/Daimon Bok, Kazago, Rata. Bok offers and gives Picard his old ship back, the Stargazer. The other Ferengi are surprised over the gift.

The crew want to learn more, and Picard tells them a story about an encounter that he had at Maxia. He encountered a ship, which turned out to be Ferengi, and had a violent result. He ended up using a special manuever. During his recollection, Picard calls out to his officer, from the Stargazer, not Will. It is a bit weird, but no one thinks anything of it.

Picard and the Crew go exploring the Stargazer. They inspect it and see what it's quality is. Picard finds a box in his quarters. The box is important. Picard has some more head problems.

Riker takes time to connect with the Ferengi, Kazago, who Riker berates a little over the gift, and what exactly is going on. Riker manages to insult Kazago, each time (2 contacts). Not the best work.

We get a few shots of Bok working with a device similar to what is in the box that was brought back from Picard's Stargazer quarters. Bok uses the device to affect the captain, giving him headaches. Bok takes some glee with doing so.

Picard ends up beaming over to the Stargazer after some events and Bok using the device. Bok arrives, or sends a message, while putting Picard under the device use, to inform him about how the ship that Picard destroyed was Bok's Son's. Bok found the Stargazer and heard all of the logs, and plotted revenge. Bok is caring out his revenge. He makes it so Picard ends up attacking the Enterprise and see ghosts.

Riker finds out some things. Riker ends up having to fight Picard in the Stargazer, he asks Data how to defeat the Picard Manuever. They do. Riker talks Picard into blowing up Bok's device. Which Picard does.

Riker, or the crew/etc. Find out that the device that Bok was using, was a forbidden Ferengi thing. Kazago ends up arresting Bok, claiming (according to Riker) that there was no profit in revenge. Picard says that there never is.
(Also, despite the ability of the crew, only Wesley figures out the connection between some scans/beeps going on with Picard's head and the Ferengi ship, revealing the whole deal with the forbidden Ferengi Device)

[Rating]
4 - Good episode: A few parts of the episode are above average - good plot points, clever use of effects and so on.
to
3 - Average episode: OK to watch, but nothing amazing. This should be the default score.

{Episode Commentary}

So, this is the real true Ferengi episode that we get. It shows the potential that the Ferengi could have, had they been given a better set of setups. None of the Ferengi are jumping around. Everyone is acting seriously, or that serious matters are happening. So all in all, good there.

The part of Wesley being the only one able to figure out anything about the Device and it working on Picard was bad. But I think that I may have ignored it some. It is not a great bit, to make the crew so incompetent here, but this is the first season, still.

I like Bok as a villain, because the performances between the two actors, Patrick Stewart and Bok's work so well. You really do get the sense of Bok being driven by revenge, and by the Stargazer and all about it, really affecting Picard deeply. That whole bit could have been played completely for laughs.

The episode shows itself really to be a good solid 4 for most of it, but it starts failing close to the end, along with the Wesley bit. The entire part about "No profit in revenge", just comes out of nowhere, and feels like a hammered in Aesop, as opposed to anything realistic.

To be honest, I take the view that Kazago realized that if something happened with the Enterprise surviving in some way, that the Federation would most likely complain to the Ferengi government over the events, and that mention of Bok using that forbidden "Thought Maker" device would become public knowledge for Ferengi. That would be really bad for Kazago, so He acted then to avoid getting his reputation damaged.

My real beef/annoyance with the "No profit in revenge" Aesop, is that it is a Human Aesop. I like my aliens having alien customs and attitudes, because they don't/shouldn't have to stick with human morals or whatever. That is why I like the Klingons and Romulans and Cardassins so much. Very different moral outlooks.

My other beef/annoyance is how much "no profit in revenge" is a {scrubbed}

We get a taste of this in the "Lonely Among Us" episode, that seems to cast the conflict between the Anticans and Seley/Selay over completely nonsensical reasons (Religion, Economic systems) to the crew, the episode treats the idea of the Anticans eating meat as being a war crime with a speech about how horrible it is from the Crew (it is mentioned as being "enslaving animals for food purposes"), and the episode ends up with the fact that the Anticans/or-just-one has killed a Seley/Selay and is trying to eat it.

{scrubbed}

The Crew entirely act that being as morally superior or culturely developed as they have gotten is free entitlement to treat the groups/races/civilizations that have not reached the same point with condenscion and derision. It's not the sort of portrayal I would expect for a Federation that people want to be a part of.

{scrubbed}

Trackers)
Rank of Miles: Ensign
Prime Directives: 2
Patrick Stewart Speech: 1 (Did I miss an earlier one? I don't think so)
Pithy Aesops: 1
{scrubbed}

[Scarlet Knight]

So this is the first episode that points to Wesley as being Star Trek's Mozart child prodigy, I guess.

[Cikomyr2]

So this is the first episode that points to Wesley as being Star Trek's Mozart child prodigy, I guess.

Seeing the rather amazing list of genuine geniuses that exist in the Trek verse, it's really impressive.

[The Glyphstone]

Maybe he actually projects a Stupidity Field, empathically draining the intelligence from everyone around him.

[Cikomyr2]

Maybe he actually projects a Stupidity Field, empathically draining the intelligence from everyone around him.

So some sort of intelligence vampire.

that sort of technology in the Star Trek verse is clearly already existing. The Red Shirts of TOS had a similar field that drained all the bad luck.

[GloatingSwine]

So some sort of intelligence vampire.

that sort of technology in the Star Trek verse is clearly already existing. The Red Shirts of TOS had a similar field that drained all the bad luck.

In TNG they use ensigns in much the same way. They're made to sit at strategically placed bridge consoles that are designed to fail like fuses to protect the important staff.

[Kareeah_Indaga]

In TNG they use ensigns in much the same way. They're made to sit at strategically placed bridge consoles that are designed to fail like fuses to protect the important staff.

...important consoles or important crew members?

[The Glyphstone]

...important consoles or important crew members?

Yes. characters

[russdm]

Season 1 Episode 10
Hide And Q
Stardate: 41590.5

[Plot]

The crew are on their way to assist a colony that had some kind of accident. We see preparations being made for that. The ship is traveling at Warp 9.1

Then Q shows up to say hi. Q appears as a three-headed serpent with a glowing ball/orb/bubble, then appears as a Starfleet Admiral. Then Q takes the crew, minus Picard to some planet.

Q says, before taking the crew, that the Q are interested in humans. The Q want to learn, and Q is there to help. Q promises to give Q powers. Q takes the crew to a planet, to have a game. Then Yar gets put in a penalty box.

Q appears a French Field Marshal, and speaks with Riker. They have a pretty friendly conversation. Q describes about the reason for the "games". Q gives Q power to Riker. Riker uses the Q power to spend them back.

During part of this, Picard is alone on the Bridge. He tries a few different things, nothing works. Yar shows up for penalty. Yar and Picard talk. Q shows up to speak with Picard, then the two share Shakespeare quotes in Picard's ready room. Then the others come back. Then events happen that Riker sends everyone back.

Riker learns some things about the Q and the galaxy, while the others are briefly gone. Then Riker sends everyone back.

Picard convinces Riker to not use the Q powers any. Riker agrees. The crew go to the colony place. They perform their mission.

Riker misses a chance to save a child, because he promised Picard that he wouldn't use the Q powers. Riker agonizies over this, then complains some. Riker also lets the new powers go a little bit to his head. He gets more familiar with the captain, calling him "Jean-Luc". Picard notices that.

The crew finish their mission, and Riker gives everybody some gift. They are very touching ones. Of course, Riker gets some backlash from the crew, who don't trust him. Q shows up again, speaks some, and then has to acknowledge the wager made earlier. After the Q take Q away, the crew comment on the Q's problems with humans.

They head off to new adventures.
[Rating]
5 - Excelent episode: Episode excels in most or all ways - major character development, good story and so on
Hidden Gem Episode

{Episode Commentary}

Well, the plot summary is probably not fully accurate, and I am not mentioning everything that happened. Still, I would say that...

This is one of the Hidden Gems that I mentioned before that were in the first two seasons. This episode is probably one of the best from Season 1, and only a couple more can top it or as good. (I will mention those when we get there)

I love the performances by John de Lancie, Patrick Stewart, J Frakes (Plays Riker). They really sell this episode and what happens. The other performances are pretty great as well, though there is not much of them. The episode really could have turned far worse than it did.

We learn an awful lot about the Q in this episode, plus we have very great humanizing moments for Picard, like his lines with Q and how Picard reads Shakespeare (like the Actor). Then we have how much "human" Picard is, how much he comes across as caring in this episode, due to the scenes with Yar being in the Penalty box. Those are lovely scenes too, and really go to show what kind of character Picard could become.

I think that it is rather surprising that this episode is so good. Sure there are some technical goofs with the remasters (I don't know if that is what Netflix has) but overall the story is good.

The other plot, about the colony, is given just enough drama and gravitias that it works with the other story. The last attempted two-plot story episode, "Lonely Among Us" did rather poorly with its two plots and trying to mesh them together. It all works here, somehow. Probably due to how it focuses on the crew in a human type way.

So? Do fellow playgrounders agree? Disagree?

Trackers)
Hidden Gems: 1
Rank of Miles: Ensign
Prime Directives: 2
Patrick Stewart Speech: 2 (Did I miss an earlier one? I don't think so)
Pithy Aesops: 1
Klingon Proverbs/Beliefs/Sentiments: 1) Drink not with thine enemy;
Worfed (Worf loses to establish danger): 1

[Cikomyr2]

I felt that Riker's flip to the dark side at the end was prompted by his denial of his new ability. He was angry at the situation, and thought everyone resented him for sticking to his guns.

[russdm]

Season 1 Episode 10/11
Haven
Stardate: 41294.5

[Plot]

The crew have arrived at a planet called "Haven", where the crew are stopping off for R&R. On the Bridge, Picard mentions the rumors/stories about the planet. Data responds. There is a request for beaming.

A box is beamed on board that talks. We learn that Deanna has an arranged marriage.

We meet the Millers and Lwaxana Troi, Deanna's mother. We learn that Deanna's father was human. Lwaxana is a pretty big ham. We meet Wyatt who Deanna is to marry, but he has been thinking of someone else.

Preparations go under way for Deanna and Wyatt's marriage, when a ship arriving. It is a plague ship, but has the woman that Wyatt has been thinking of and drawing on board. Being a doctor/medical-student, Wyatt goes on board, to meet the woman and also to help cure the plague. The ships leaves.

The Millers leave, Lwaxana leaves. Earlier in the episode there were some party moments for the wedding. The episode concludes with the crew off to their new/next destination.

[Rating]
4 - Good episode: A few parts of the episode are above average - good plot points, clever use of effects and so on.
&
3 - Average episode: OK to watch, but nothing amazing. This should be the default score.

{Episode Commentary}
This episode waffles between being "Good" and "Average". Pretty much everything besides Lwaxana is not all that impressive and just doesn't linger with you. Wyatt and his deal, is actually interesting, and is the other good part of this episode. It makes for some nice little interpersonal conflict between the woman and Deanna, which will Wyatt pick.

Lwaxana is of course the star of the Episode and the actress is hamming it up. She also did the original pilot as Number Two. She also voiced the computer. Her assistant is interesting some too. We also get some nice acting moments / character moments for Picard, Data, Riker, and Troi. Those are always nice.

Lwaxana will be coming back of course, and will always make a big splash whenever she does. She is one of the better secondary characters for the show.

The box that shows up for the transporter pad is of course played by Armin Shimmerman who would be playing Quark. So, this and the episode "The last outpost" both feature him.

So? Do fellow playgrounders agree? Disagree?

Trackers)
Hidden Gems: 1
Rank of Miles: Ensign
Prime Directives: 2
Patrick Stewart Speech: 2 (Did I miss an earlier one? I don't think so)
Pithy Aesops: 1
Klingon Proverbs/Beliefs/Sentiments: 1) Drink not with thine enemy;
Worfed (Worf loses to establish danger): 1

[Manga Shoggoth]

The one thing this is doing is highlighting the number of episodes I have either not seen or completely forgotten. I have no memory of this one at all.

Season 1 Episode 10/11
[Rating]
4 - Good episode: A few parts of the episode are above average - good plot points, clever use of effects and so on.
&
3 - Average episode: OK to watch, but nothing amazing. This should be the default score.

Pick one. The whole point of a rating is that it is a single measurement. (That's why my original suggestion had seperate scores for Story, Character, Technical, Lore and Overall - that way you can score each broad area, then give an overall score)

[Kareeah_Indaga]

The one thing this is doing is highlighting the number of episodes I have either not seen or completely forgotten. I have no memory of this one at all.

Second this.

Pick one. The whole point of a rating is that it is a single measurement. (That's why my original suggestion had seperate scores for Story, Character, Technical, Lore and Overall - that way you can score each broad area, then give an overall score)

Disagree here. I’m perfectly fine with a range, especially since russdm is explaining the reason for the score.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Kareeah_Indaga
I’m perfectly fine with a range, especially since russdm is explaining the reason for the score.

Seconding this. OP is doing the heavy lifting in terms of watching, evaluating and writing up an extensive summary of each episode. I'm fine with the occasional borderline rating, especially since, as noted, OP explains his reasons for the dual rating on this one.

As for remembering episodes, most of these I remember very well, but this one counts as "just barely." That's partly because I try to block out all memory of Lwaxana, who I can't stand.

Nice catch on Armin Shimmerman as the voice of the box, though.

[The Glyphstone]

Its no different than just saying "3.5" on a 1-5 scale.

Maybe we need a tracker to track our number of trackers?