Amph [NERRRD] Observations, rhetorical questions, comments & 55 Years of Star Trek (General Thread)

Is it me, or does the station look kinda low-rez/low-poly compared to the other stuff in those screenshots?

 

I could see that for Starbase 37, but you'd imagine they'd invest more resources into such a key location in the Trek universe.

 

Hmm, I guess that makes sense. "Everybody line-up to try to the wormhole!"

 

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VOY 213: Prototype
-Premise: A sentient robot enlists Torres' help to make it possible for it to construct new members of its race.

-T2Q Comments: The POV shot intro is pretty neat. "This looks like some kind of programming center" you mean the part that is obviously a head and face? nahh...

Wow, this thing looks really cheap- it's like a bad halloween mask. It's like something TOS would have used- though the facial design evokes the protoype C-3PO.

"I shouldn't have to remind you that I'm a doctor-"
"-not an engineer"

Did Tuvok just say "Our Tarkin sensors cannot penetrate it"?

I like the inclusion of the Data references- almost makes you wish such a crossover was possible.

"I'm going to try adjusting the flux capacitors.."

There;'s something about the delivery of "Is it possible we've stumbled into some kind of...robotic war?" thats just a bit too goofy.. add in Torres full-on "My god, what have I done?!" and, yeah... I don't know what to say about this episode... even though the Classic Cylon backstory machines-keep-on-fighting story is overused these days, it's still a good one- and there's a lot to like about this episode (and the battle with the Ha'tak-looking Destiny hybrids is more extensive than one would antiticpate...but the cheese kinda kills it with the cheap costumes and corny cliched lines. Yet there's enough good here that I wouldn't mind watching this one again down the road.

So, I guess Good Episode (barey), But Not Necessarily Essential.

Trivia: Final Trek episode directed by Frakes, who shot scenes in ways that would make the eye slits in the robot masks unnoticeable. One of the robot arms seen on the table is that of Johnny Five. The Pralor internal comm beep uses the same sound used in the Terran campaign briefings in Starcraft.


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VOY 216 (214): Death Wish
-Premise: A member of the Q Continuum comes aboard Voyager, seeking asylum so he can commit suicide. Q arrives onboard to stop him, leaving Captain Janeway to mediate a moral dilemma.

-T2Q Comments: NOTE: Stardate indicates this takes place after 213: Prototype.

Another Q- a dysfunctional one at that. Janeway thinking he's "the" Q is a nice touch, and I like Q2's non-chalant "oh well" attitude to wiping out Voyager's male crew members by accident and being unable to remember how to undo it. Real Q arrives (though wearing the Voyager uniform- would have been nice if he had the old style).

"Oh, well I guess that's what we get for having a woman in the Captain's seat. You know, I was betting that Riker would get this command."

"Did anyone ever tell you angry when you're beautiful?"

Oh, wait-crap, I just realized this is turning into a Starfleet trial episode... my spidey sense is tingling... but then Q calling himself to the witness stand is hilarious ("Vulcans.."), so I'm at ease for the moment.

Riker brought in among others..though he seems all too calm about the notion of Q wiping his memory.

"Without Q there would have been no Wlliam T Riker at all. And I would have lost at least a dozen REALLY good opportunities to insu

 

Ah! Good point!

 

That would have been a nice detail transition, oh well. Yeah, guess he just switches to fit in.

 

Nice

 

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VOY 214 (215): Alliances
-Premise: Janeway tries to form an alliance with the Kazon.

-T2Q Comments: It would have been nice if we had gotten to know this crewmember or seen his friendship with Chakotay prior to this episode so that his death would have more impact. It's good that they're exploring Federation principles in more depth... that's not something I was anticipating anything outside of DS9 doing much of, and the comparison to the Klingon/Federation alliance is valid to some degree (and amusing, given the Water Klingon nickname).

Seska returns. Another nose/forehead alien race- could have just given them a cool visor or eyewear to achieve a similar, if not superior, effect. One thing about this episode, though- they went awfully quickly from "we have only thrusters and will be lucky to get warp drive working again" to "business as usual".

The (re)introduction of the Trabe puts a new spin on the Kazon...but the Trabe seem to be pretty well known, at least to Neelix...so why didn't he make a big deal about the "Kazon stole from the Trabe" angle before?

Kinda funny, given their shared "trying to get to Earth" plotlines, that Janeway's initial proposal would sorta make Voyager the equivalent of Galactica (albeit amongst a more heavily armed convoy). Also interesting that the Trabe potentially suggest a new Federation of sorts.

Would be nice if the Trabe's betrayal, as witnessed by the Kazon that Janeway saved by warning them, actually led to some Kazon tribes being more lenient towards Voyager.

Janeway's speech about Federation principles and alliances is all well and good..until you start thinking about the eventual Borg "alliances" of sorts to come (and the speech is kinda preechy and comes across as a tacked-on lesson too).

So this episode was pretty major, I think- besides the Seska subplot (and the apparently recurring crewmember traitor linked to her) and overall Kazon material, this is one of the first episodes where you get the feeling things could have a major, major impact and plausibly change the status quo by building something meaningful. In that regards, the Trabe betrayal, though portrayed well, feels conceptually cheapening- as if they had to force a reset button in there, no matter how much the show would have trmendously benefitted from the script succeeding.

So, one of the few Voyager episodes to seize upon something great- and though it sadly pulls back at the end from achieving that greatness out of necessity (presumably), to it's credit they pull things off in a way that success seems actually plausible (as opposd to one of those pre-ordained "of course you know this'll all go away/not happen by episode's end" vibe similar situations in Trek tend to have)

Definitely Essential.

Trivia: Originally, Culluh was to die in this episode.



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DS9 414: Return to Grace
-Premise: Kira and Gul Dukat chase the Klingon Bird-of-Prey that destroyed a Cardassian outpost where Cardassian and Bajoran representatives were holding a conference.

-T2Q Comments: Continuation of Duhkat's daughter subplot- not surprising that it's another Duhket/Kira episode. I forget if I commented on/noticed this before in a previous Duhkat episode, but Duhkat's makeup looks different now.

"I can just imagine that Klingon Captain explaining this to his superiors."
"He won't get the opportunity."
(kaboom!)
"Was that necessary?"

 

He's Duhkat's second? Then yes, I believe this is his first appearance, going by the "role of a extra/shot like a main" trivia comments.

 

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DS9 415: Sons of Mogh
-Premise: Worf's brother Kurn arrives on the station, and asks Worf to kill him.

-T2Q Comments: Worf's black robes here with the grey stripe evokes the B5 Army of Light uniforms (but not so much so that I'll add it to my list). Worf/Dax teased. Worf's brother Kurn returns.

"Tell me, Worf, does Starfleet ever make mistakes- even in their furniture?"

"I have never asked you for anything" actually, I'm pretty sure you asked for a hell of a lot back in those TNG episodes.

The runabout chairs recline, for some reason, that's nice to know, ha. The scene where Sisko reprimands Worf illustrates a big difference between Picard and Sisko- I think Picard, while not approving, would have discussed or debated the issue- Sisko just gets mad and says "No! End of story!"

"He'll be alright...again" Bashir's medical care is kind of a running joke here this episode so far as Kurn is concerned.

"There..very ugly. Well, uglier....joke."
"I got it."

Mine field detontation a neat shot. "Just like flushing quayle"

Well, that was an unexpected way to tie off that character/plotline- always figured they'd just regain their house after this Klingon conflict ended. Definitely Essential.

Trivia: While hinting at Worf/Dax, Moore originally wanted to insert a line that Worf was no longer involved with Troi but was unable to find an appropriate place for it. The exchange between Kurn and Worf about the comfort of Worf's quarters echoes a similar conversation from Kurn's first appearance in TNG: Sins of the Father.



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VOY 216 (217): Meld
-Premise: Tuvok is plagued by the senselessness of a murder aboard Voyager.

-T2Q Comments: "I will not rest until I see you smile."
"Then you will not rest."

Wait...the dead body guy's name was "Mr. Darwin"? For real?

Interesting- watching this back to back with Sons of Mogh, an episode that dealt with a mindwipe, here we have the guest actor, Brad Douriff, who underwent death of personality/mindwipe on B5.

Not unexpectedly, going by the title of the episode, here comes a mind meld.

"Try your luck again- tommorow you could be a winner"

God, please punch Neelix in the face, just one little omniscient jawcracker is all I ask. That'll do, Vulcan, that'll do.

So, this ends up being a pretty decent episode- though more on the strength of the guest actor than Tim Russ (who isn't bad either) or the plot, though the Paris gambling subplot doesn't really go anywhere, even though they hinted at something between Paris and Chakotay. Good Episode, But Not Necessarily Essential/Potentially Essential (it's final state will depend on Brad's character's recurring appearances).

Trivia: The original pitch from a writing intern involved Tuvok melding with a racist alien serial killer, which would lead to Tuvok venting repressed feelings regarding humans. At this point in the production they were under a "great time crunch" and were writing shows as quickly as possible to get them "up on their feet" because they were unsure what the next show was going to be.

A psychiartrist was hired as a consultant on the script and Tim Russ consulted with two doctors for insights into the criminal mind. A cut scene involved Chakotay "dressing down" Tuvok for not knowing about Paris's gambling operation. This was Braga's favorite episode from Season 2. The scene where Tuvok loses control in Sickbay was included in a performance reel Tim Russ showed when seeking acting work.



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VOY 217 (218): Dreadnought
-Premise: Voyager encounters Dreadnought, a Cardassian missile that B'Elanna Torres reprogrammed during her time in the Maquis. Even though lost in the Delta Quadrant, the missile still believes it is on a Maquis mission in the Alpha Quadrant, setting an int