Amph To Boldly Trek Where Many Geeks Have Gone Before- VOY: Drive, Repression & Imperfection

Yep, and Sela returns as well.

 

It has it's moments, and from what I've read, it recieved a bit of circulation amongst language/communication classes.

 

[image=http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/8/89/Gene_Roddenberry_title_card_Unification_part_1.jpg] [image=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/e/ec/USS_Enterprise-D_powered_down.jpg] [image=http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/d/dd/PicardDataRomulus.jpg]
507: Unification I:
-Premise: To the Federation's surprise, Ambassador Spock has traveled to Romulus. Fearing he has defected, they send Captain Picard and some of his officers on a covert mission to determine why.

-T2Q Comments: Opens with Gene Roddenberry dedication card. Spock makes his TNG-era debut..as the second "Vulcan" Federation Amabassador to seemingly defect to the Romulans.

Interesting that they're tying the Cardassian backstory into Spock and Sarek's.

"I must must find Spock" so, you wish his help in the search for Spock? Sorry, couldn't resist

Kitimer conference reference to ST6, which came out about the same time as this episode, IIRC.

Very good scene with Picard and Sarek. Gowron and Klingons? Cardassians and Vulcans and Romulans? My, don't we have a full plate here.

Father Abydos as Klingon- dynamic reuse of the D turnabout stock footage with the Bird of Prey underlayed.

Supply Depot 359

Having the D shutdown to blend in is an interesting strategy...but wouldn't someone question why a top of the line Galaxy-class would already be in this junkyard? Mystery warship equal in arms to Galaxy-class?

Romulus surprsingly similar to later incarnations- Pardek played by the same actor who played Prime Minister Malachi in B5's The Coming of Shadows and also appeared in The Cage and The Menagerie.

Not a hugely gripping cliffhanger, but I suppose they save those for season cliffhangers . With the death of Sarek, reintroduction of Spock, continuation of Klingon and Romulan plotlines and a potential Cardassian connection, this one is quite obviously Essential.



[image=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/6/66/Spock2368.jpg]
508: Unification II:
-Premise: On Romulus, Picard and Data meet with Spock, who claims to be trying to reunite the Romulans and Vulcans. While Spock works to achieve his goal, powers within the Romulan government seek to pervert his mission into an invasion of the Federation.

-T2Q Comments: Interesting that this recap actually changes the portrayal of events slightly- the klingon cloaking shot is flipped, and the Enterprise phaser shot actually results in the mystery ship's immediate destruction.

Maybe it's simply more the level of acting capability being better matched- but having Spock and Picard in the same scene has far more impact than the later moments of Kirk and Picard meeting. Spock reflects on ST6 events here.

"i did not anticipate such a passionate response to my arrival" wonder if he was talking about the fans here?

oh god this smugglers widow 4-armed musician looks awful- as much as I like the rest of the set, I think the curse/rule remains that Star Trek Can Not Do Cantina Scenes. Please Stop Trying.

...and Sela returns through the Bad Guy Hiding in the Closet Door.

Interesting to have a science-station-like conversation between Spock and the (essentially) Spock-like character. Klingon opera a rather random moment and the Ferengi with the sci-fi simily silliness ("that's like a (insert unreferencable description that is supposed to provide greater reference) moose!").

Gotta wonder- if you're piggybacking your transmissions onto an enemy carrier wave, wouldn't a text or audio-only message be less noticable than a full video transmission, being less data to transmit and/or be noticed?

And why the hell is Picard and Data down on the planet without their disguises? The planet the D goes to, Galomdon Core, is the planet Geordi was stranded on in The Enemy.

Data's smirk after the neck pinch amusing. Kind of an odd moment to end on, but still, pretty good conclusion, though the weakest of the 3 two-parters thus far, still good and this one, like the first, is Definitely Essential.



Up next: [b

 

I don't know for certain- but I don't think any TNG-era cast appear in the movie, other than the new bad guys and elder Spock having come from there. The comic does the transition, AFAIK.

 

Had to post this: Man robs store with Klingon weapon

[image=http://www.thedenverchannel.com/2009/0204/18642086_640X480.jpg]

But comicmix.com's description sums it up best:

It?s come to this.

A man wielding a batleth robbed two 7-Eleven stories in Colorado Springs overnight. The first assault using the deadly Klingon weapon occurred at 1:50 a.m. when a man police described as white in his 20s, wearing a black mask, black jacket, and blue jeans walked in brandishing the weapon. The clerk recognized the traditional armament and forked over an undisclosed amount of cash.

Thirty minutes later, according to The Denver Channel, the same man hit a second store but this time the clerk showed bravery in the face of certain death. He too recognized the ancient weapon but refused the demand and the would-be thief showed his true colors and fled.

 

Not forgotten- just needed to take a break to care of some other stuff. I figured the holiday crash course bought me some time on the whole

I'll probably have the next episodes up within a week or two.

 

[image=http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/b/b9/Rasmussen%2C_Berlinghoff.jpg]
509: A Matter of Time:
-Premise: A time traveler claiming to be from the 26th century arrives to witness an attempt to save a doomed planet.

-T2Q Comments: Yay time traveler! I'm too easy.

Moloch in Watchmen one day, Crazy Historian the next day...er...20 years ago (...which is roughly when Watchmen is set! )

How can you know if the credentials of a time traveling historian from 300 years in the future "are in order"? "Am I still alive in 26th century?" do comics count? A colleague in the 22nd century? wonder if we've seen him or her- is there an Enterprise connection there?

One interlude thought- if this guy really is from the 26th, how could they not have detailed records on aspects of the ship and crew when TNG era tech can recreate exact environments in holodeck realism from even a 2D recording, let alone the more sophisticated scans and stats the ship maintains, and Starfleet doesn't strike me as the type to have poor record keeping.

Stewart is really good in the past/future ethical discussion. Well, what do ya know- the deflector dish actually worked for once (though not in the way the anti-Borg weapon did, so that's still a bust).

Of course he takes the time to explain his plan to Data instead of stunning the super-fast android- a shame there's no Enterprise connection (unless the missing 26th explorer is mentioned).

"I assume your handprint will open this door, whether you are conscious or not."

So there's still a 26th century timepod in the 22nd century somewhere...

This episode is later referenced by Odo on DS9. Apparently Rassmussen was written to be played by Robin Williams, a Trek fan, but he declined so he could play Peter Pan in Hook.

Good EPisode, But not Necessarily Essential, but I'll look forward to rewatching this one down the road.



[image=http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/6/63/Soliton_wave.jpg]
510: New Ground:
-Premise: Worf's son Alexander comes to live on the Enterprise; the crew helps guide a test vehicle for a revolutionary new form of interstellar travel.

-T2Q Comments: Geordi geeking out is amusing- especially since he later WILL be present to witness Cochrane's first warp flight.

Return of Alexander and momma Worf.

Yikes! Queen Empress Ponytail the Great!

Good catch on Worf not knowing Alexander's birthday. Interesting notion of warp driveless warp travel- sort of like catching a warp wind with a sail- hopefully this isn't a technology fated to impossibility- it'd be a nice thing to have down the road.

Well, I expected the test to go wrong, but I'd like to see it not fall into the "because of Flaw X, we'll never be able to use this" realm of "how do we discard this thing we'll never speak of again?".

Skeletor- round 3! Would take most of the planet with it? Sounds like it has military applications...well, at least Evil Tarkin-like military applications.

I like how Riker's "brace for impact" is followed by a gripping stance in his chair that just underlines the need for restraints like those finally introduced at the end of Nemesis. I guess the Federation wasn't big on "Avoid a ticket- click it"

So if the ion radiation was a concern for that section with the bio lab and the surrounding levels...how is the hallway outside the lab safe exactly? G;ad to see the technology isn't fully discarded in-universe even if we probably will never hear of it again.

Good Episode, and since it's key with bringing Alexander aboard, I think I'll rank this as Definitely Essential


[image=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/b/ba/SSVico.jpg]
511: Hero Worship:
-Premise: Data helps the only survivor of a wrecked ship, a child, cope with the loss of his parents. Meanwhile, the crew investigates the causes of the wreckage.

T2Q Comments: Just as a thought- the flashlights they use on this show don't seem to be very practical- sure they function so far as giving off light, but th

 

Well, the point I was making was that Worf couldn't know- the kid was already walking when he found out he HAD a kid, and only had a short time with the woman before she was killed, under circumstances he wasn't likely to ask what the birthday is, and right after that the kid was sent off with the grandparents.

 

[image=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/3/3d/Jev.jpg] [image=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/9/94/Picard-Jack_Crusher_corpse.jpg]
512: Violations
-Premise: Several crew members suffer violent hallucinations and comas as alien researchers visit the ship.

-T2Q Comments: Psi-Corp Historians, ha- And we have a completely context-free ominous expression and music build to end the teaser on- why not just have him whisper to the audience "I'm naughty- teehee!"?

I am infinitely amused and entertained by Geordi's systematic inquiry of the computer's senors not picking up the compounds- I actually suspect I could watch a whole episode of this and not get bored, so long as it builds to a point.

Picard with hair- pecular notion, somehow I just think he's been eternally bald. As a midway comment, I quite like the way they shot the dream sequences- i just wish the bad guy and his next victim wasn't so obvious or telegraphed as it makes it almost like a slasher film.

And the bad guy betrays himself for no reason (though he would be caught eventually it seems- as Worf smacks him down in one with little effort and a "here, hold this" to his underlings).

Outside of the telegraphing issues, it's not a bad episode and has some technical merits- but because of the aforementioned issues it does fall short of the mark. Average



[image=http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/9/94/Genome_Colony.jpg]
513: The Matserpiece Society
-Premise: The Enterprise tries to save a "perfect" colony from destruction, but the assistance causes damage of its own.

-T2Q Comments: So they limit the frequency their hails go out on in semi-emergency situations? Wouldn't that be problematic when dealing with a variety of races and tech levels?

And they've found the domicile of Orin Zento- bring on the Rush Act!

"Would you ever choose to live aboard a ship in a bottle?" well, maybe in a season or so...

And Picard's final musings puts the survival of the colony over it's people n an instance not applicable to the prime directive. See,s like a stretch to justify "we art uber" mentality.

Slow episode but it's pacing is appropriate to the story and characters, and, shocker- a Troi story that doesn't suck AND includes a romance plotline? Impossible!: Good Episode, But Not Necessarily Essential


[image=http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/a/a6/Satarran.jpg] [image=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/thumb/d/d8/Lysian_central_command-galaxy_class.jpg]
514: Conundrum
-Premise: After the crew's memories are mysteriously erased, the computer records indicate that the Federation is at war with the Lysians, and that the Enterprise has been ordered to attack their command center.

-T2Q Comments: Hmm- maybe we should have tried those lower band frequencies when trying to hail them, no?

I was almost hoping for a body swap scenary instead of amnesia as thats usually bad news for a story but here's hoping...

"I am decorated as well". Nice to see Worf in "command" again.

The Lissian Nerve Center station was used as something else before- as a god satellite or something (after looking it up, it was the Edo God from the "ok" but unnoteworthy "Justice"). I do like how the destruction of the "destroyer" is shot as to give the phasers the impression of being a hard hit or punch.

They're being a bit too obvious with this Macduff guy- if he wasn't sitting in a command chair he'd have been less conspicuous.

Riker gets busy even when he doesn't know who he is- that's got to be disheartening on some level, knowing that your mental capacities don't count towards anything there- but then again, I'm guessing the benefits have been encouraging him enough to understandably distract from that notion for the time being, ha.

Why must all the evil people smirk to the camera?

I like the feeling of the Enterprise under "poised to attack" missions, really kinda makes you pause a moment to consider her power when not contrasted against all-p

 

[image=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/c/c8/Troi_and_Data_taken_over_my_Ux-Mal_criminals.jpg]
515: Power Play
-Premise: Alien entities take over the minds of Data, Troi, and Miles O'Brien.

-T2Q Comments: "Someone's down there...alive." well, I assumed they'd be alive when you said "someone's down there" since you sense living minds miss empath.

Seatbelts!

No final words for the guy whose about to do something you think only has a 50/50 shot of succeeding?

Whose the jackass just strolling around like he accidentally wandered on set? ha!

Lyta! ok, that was kinda badass- the systematic stunning of the people in ten forward in particular. Nice attempt factoring in the shuttlecraft transporters- those, presumably independent of those on the D, are often overlooked in such situations where transporter controls are disabled/locked out/etc.

Interesting notion of a penal colony- vaguely reminds me of a notion I was had of using the transporters as a type of prison ala Scotty's trick.

Anyways, really Good Episode, But Not Essential in the definition of it but I would say it's a must see regardless- however, it is disappointingly hockey-free.


[image=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/6/61/Drtobyrussell.jpg]
516: Ethics
-Premise: After Worf is paralyzed by a freak accident, his only hope may be a visiting doctor with questionable morals.

-T2Q Comments: "There's no way we can repair this kind of injury"...somehow that jut doesn't track right with me based on what we've seen their medical technology is capable of. Guest doctor looks quite familiar...and, aha, knew there'd be something techwise plausible.

They're obviously going for a Kavorkian parallel here. The smile from Alxander is a neat moment- finally starts to show a bit of personality. I think we see the first seeds of the Troi/Worf relationship here.

The suspense in the surgery is a little undercut by knowing he survives and recovers, but that's not the fault of the episode at the time and at least they did plant the seed of the source of the recovery in the episode and didn't make it a straight "it started working later" excuse.

This event is referenced in a later alternate universe in Season 7, though I'll still call this one Good Episode, But Not Neccesarily Essential


[image=http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/a/a9/Soren.jpg]
517: The Outcast
-Premise: Riker falls in love with Soren, a member of an androgynous race known as the J'naii, who dares to be female.

(note: as I took my notes, I spelled J'naii as Genii, since they're pronounced the same)

-T2Q Comments: An androgynous race called the Genii...and Miles would later play a character of a different Genii race in SGA.

"Commander, tell me about your sexual organs" oh boy- it's things like fantasies of banging green chicks and genderless beings that creates such stigma around Trek. Naturally, blue headtails are a-ok.

...and we go from the Kavorkian allegory episode to the homosexuality allegory episode.

Random Geordi Beard- ahoy!

"If we stay here we're dead anyways"- they couldn't send another shuttle after you? Riker will chase any tail that moves, won't he? That's right, Ro- after you he went right for the sexless being- either it was so good no other could match it or so bad he was turned away from it- I'll leave it to you to decide which.

The relationship is not trivial- it'll only be forgotten by the next episode! Worf's intrusion into the storyline seems a tad arbitrary, though they have been playing up the Riker/Worf friendship lately.

So I'm guessing the Genii never bothered to connect the dots on the two security guards assaulted by a human and a Klingon? Not necessarily bad but a bit too overt in it's allegory, IMO- they were either trying to hard to push social progress or somewhat clumsily addressed the issue to go "see? we touched on it, let's move on" out of some lingering uneasiness about the subject; so it's "Average".


Up next: 518:

 

Supposedly Frakes was dissapointed in the choice to have the race all portrayed by female actresses and thought the message of the episode could have been more powerful if it had been male actors.