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

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DS9 109: The Passenger
-Premise: An alien criminal, attempting to prolong his life, hides his consciousness inside the mind of a station crew member.

-T2Q Comments: (I suspect I know what twist this episode will have, despite having no memory of this episode...)

Na'toth #1!

"There's nothing wrong witha good dillusion- I sell them to people upstairs every day."

The scene with Sisko and this starfleet security guy is kinda interesting in that it, and presumably this guys subplot, underline the Starfleet/Bajoran arrangement on the station.

If you were the Ferengi, would you be cleaning to the level of polishing the details of the place in the dark? it's not quite mopping the floor, ya know? Ha, and apparently Quark is now seeing the level of cleaniness and searching capable in the dark

...and now the twist guess is becoming much more likely given certain editing and dialogue choices

...hmm, ok, it's not quite what I guessed, but now, thanks to Odo's list, I suspect the real twist!

...damnit, wrong again!

Stuntmen cannon fodder aboard the freighter have really bad TOS-esque reaction acting skills. Evil Bashir is kinda corny too, maybe not voicewise, but facial expression-wise.

Yes, Doc, we just beamed out part of your brain. At least Na'toth #1 did the sensible thing and dusted it.

I liked this episode outside of Bashir- again it has some good character moments with Sisko, Odo and Quark, but it's standalone. Not bad, just Average, though I wouldn't mind watching it again.

Trivia: The "non-Vulcan" comment is a reference to Spock's trick with McCoy in Wrath of Khan.


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DS9 110: Move Along Home
-Premise: A visiting delegation from the Gamma Quadrant turns four crew members into "pieces" for a bizarre game.

-T2Q Comments: The first official delegation from the Gamma Quadrant...and they are completely human looking with sponge stamps on their foreheads...what. the. frell. are they even trying? We've had at least a few interesting alien designs come through the wormhole already, why not reuse parts of those I mean? I mean, yes, I know, "The Observers did it", but still, come on!

Bashir annoys again- hopefully he improves as he gets a handle on the character, as we've seen the actor can do very good work ala 24.

God, this rhyming hopscotch scene is silly- not necessarily in concept maybe, but, geez.

Quark seems to reach the conclusion to what has happened rather easily- for something so strange, you'd think there'd be something else besides the four (leaving the fact of "four" being either the first clue or the final clue that seals the deal) to make him think of the possibility.

"Well, I'm not in Starfleet."

"Is it against Starfleet to PRESS A FEW BUTTONS?"

Not sure I feel about how Quark's "trust a gambler!" instincts didn't pay off- feels like it should have been the right call, to warrant Quark's attitude in the game, even if what they did do leads to an interesting choice.

The "it's only a game"/"not in any real danger" is just a crappy twist- it's like "it was all a dream", it all didn't matter and is a cheat to the viewer...though I grant it is a more realistic outcome than something where aliens put others in danger at random for games. Outside moments with Quark, I'd classify this one as "Ok". Not much reason to not skip it.



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DS9 111: The Nagus
-Premise: With the sudden death of Grand Nagus Zek, Quark becomes the new leader of the Ferengi Alliance, but he also becomes a target for murder.

-T2Q Comments: What's uglier than a Ferengi? An old Ferengi. Interesting minor connection between this and the previous episode by carrying over the "Mrs. O'Brien is away at Earth" thing.

"That's because your daughter's 3. Wait until she's fourteen."

The Ferengi dinner scene is kind of interesting, it a

 

I vaguely remembered parts of The Nagus, but the main plot. I somewhat remembeedr Quark's line about Rom trying to kill him and rewarding him for it. I also, more clearly, remembered Jake secretly teaching Nog how to read after he's forced out of the school.

 

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TNG 618: Starship Mine
-Premise: On an evacuated USS Enterprise-D, Picard plays a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with terrorists who want to steal toxic waste from the warp core as a lethal beam sweeps the ship.

-T2Q Comments: I think this sets a record for the number of times the word "captain" has been spoken within a single minute. So this sweep/cleaning hasn't been done in the 5 years they've been active, and have apparently accumulated more of this radiation than typical ships would in that period of time...so when they were pulled in for major repairs over Earth after the Borg attack, why didn't they cleanse it of radiation then?

Not-Tuvok appears here. Combined with Not-Paris and we're a good skip towards Voyager already.

The Data/Hutch pair off is hilarious. The one chick here is played by the same actress who played Dodger on B5's GROPOS & Day of the Dead episodes- and Patricia Tallman appears again. It's a B5 Twofer episode (underlined by B5 having debuted a month prior to this episode's original airing).

So I'm guessing Hutch is dead? They haven't really touched upon him, only Geordi. This one moment here I think might illustrate a distinction between Kirk and Picard, as far as I perceive it- when the one guy chasing Picard through the crawl tunnels is killed by the energy field, Picard stops a moment in regret over the loss of life, while I can't help but think Kirk would have smirked a little in amusement at tricking the bad guy.

When Picard uses the door opening device the one time, while he attaches it and presses it to the door, the door noticably bends inwards as if made of wood or plastic (like it probably is on the set). It didn't cross my mind till we see the shot of the barrier crossing over it it- but if they're looking for a way off the ship, and the shuttlebay is unaccessible, why not just take the Captain's Yacht?

Not-Lyta is sorta shrugged off after the explosion. So Ten Forward is now the most radioactive place on the ship, ha.

Anyways, great episode, and one I've been looking forward to seeing again for awhile. It's Die Hard on a Starship, what's not to love? The whole baryon sweep thing is a great plot device too (even if not terribly subtle in name ).

Technically this one isn't "Definitely" Essential, as it doesn't connect to any other plotlines or recurring characters, but, I see no reason why anyone should miss this episode. So I'll pull rank and go "Definitely Essential".


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TNG 619: Lessons
-Premise: Picard falls in love with one of his subordinates, but he can't deal with having to order her into dangerous situations.

-T2Q Comments: Communications, library and replicator systems offline due to Stellar Cartography- "What could they possibly be doing down there?" My guess? Talking about their bookclub via a game of telephone while consuming a feast. I'm absolutely positive I'm right about this one. Damn. Missed it by that much.

The pause at the response to "Have you been playing long?" in regards the flute is a nice touch. On the upshot, at least this chick is closer in age to Picard than his usual one-shot romantic interests, and she bares more than a passing resemblance to Beverely.

I'm glad they didn't take the cliched way out and kill her off inside a single episode. This would have been a more effective episode had she been established as a crew member in prior episodes instead of coming across as the guest star love interest she is.

Oddly enough, this episode almost feels like it could have been an episode of BSG, without the doom and gloom, replaced with more optimism. Even though the flute is a followup to The Inner Light, I'll say this is a Good Episode, But Not Necessarily Essential- though I could see why one would call it Potentially Essential.



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DS9 113: Battle Lines
-Premise: A runabout carrying Kai Opaka crashes on a planet of eternal war, where it is impossible for the combatants to die.

-T2Q Comments: Is it me, or does Kira tend to be almost skipping when she walks? Perhaps that hopscotch game has had lasting impact afterall!

Return of the holy lady from the pilot. The "never can die" war aspect is kinda interesting in concept as a variation of the Hatfields and the McCoys.

Not the most intriguing episode, but not terrible either. Depending on how important Opaka is, I'll go with "Potentiall Essential, But Not Necessarily Good", otherwise if sh'e sunimportant, it's "Average".


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DS9 114: The Storyteller
-Premise: Chief O'Brien is appointed spiritual leader of a Bajoran village. Meanwhile, Nog and Jake try to help their new friend settle a struggle between two Bajoran villages.

-T2Q Comments: I'm glad Miles finds Bashir as annoying as I do. "Do I annoy you?"

Ew, half-Twi'leks.

Is this village matte the same one used for Worf's lost prison camp? yep, it is.

I think this old dude is the Dodanna-esque leader of the Star League in The Last Starfighter.

I don't recall this fancy cloud creature battle, yet I recall Jake and Nog and this chick. How is it I'm completely blanking on all these main A-Plots, yet remembering the C-Plots?

Minor connection to the celestial orbs from the pilot. Despite the semi-Watchmen-esque notion of creating a common enemy to unite a people, I can't help but shake the thought that the message is this village is full of gullible morons who really need to get themselves a TV or something.

I think the episode might have been more interesting without the Miles/Julian/SToryteller plotline. "Ok Episode, But Not Necessarily Essential".

Trivia: Not surprisingly, this script was originally pitched for TNG Season 1 and was rewritten to a DS9 episode only a few weeks before the show premiered. Odo's bucket debuts here. This episode is apparently important to the "season 8" relaunch novel series.



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TNG 620: The Chase
-Premise: Picard tries to finish his old archaeology teacher's monumental last mission: solving a puzzle that leads many factions to the secret of life in this galaxy.

-T2Q Comments: Alas, no Charlie Sheen, Claudia Christian, Henry Rollins, or even Flea, in this one.

I think I remember this artifact. Yridian destroyer appears here- same race that was played by Papa Bauer in the Birthright DS9 crossover, and will continue to be a recurring species.

This DNA puzzle-program is a very neat idea- though I'm sure the answer to be revealed won't be related, this seems like it would have been an excellent opportunity to reconnect to The Preservers aspect of things.

Cardassians and Klingons- the plot thickens! From spoilery fragments I've accidentally come upon, I can't help but think the Klingons destroying a planet and the Cardassian's reaction to it as being typical of Klingons isn't somehow an unintentional hint of things to come.

"I will send you my mother's recipe."

Geez- and then the Romulans show up- how long till Ferengi pop in?

Hmm, they never really ID the "Ancient" by any name or term so maybe they were The Preservers.

Last conversation with the Romulan does a good job of reunderlining the cold war tensions and hopes.

Very Good Episode, But Not Necessarily Essential.

Trivia: Apparently, early drafts of this script DID have the Ferengi in it, as well as a Vulcan, and was toned to be more comedic in a "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" style. Moore did consider, but purposefully did not specify, that the ancient species was The Preservers- commenting that they "could" be and still be an internally consistent notion. A deleted scene had Crusher tes

 

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TNG 621: Frame of Mind
-Premise: Riker thinks he is losing his mind when reality keeps shifting between an alien hospital and the Enterprise, where he is rehearsing a play.

-T2Q Comments: Another hazy teaser- if it's one thing TNG never seemingly mastered... Seems kinda weird to be sending the XO of a ship on an undercover mission solo- isn't that what lower ranks and special operatives are for?

I know we're not really given context, but that seems like an odd scene to end a play on- end an act on, sure, but the whole play?

The "nooooooo!" is a bit funny. This alien design is kinda distracting- they should have just used all humans or something- why not use Tasha's planet again or something?

Level 16 of a phaser can destroy half a building? I mean, sure, we saw Data fry an entire aquaduct system but that coulda been chalked up to the conduit itself or some kind of chain reaction- that's awfully powerful for a mere standard issue hand weapon.

Ahahahahaha- here I was, about to comment that they've been handling this type of story very well, seemingly avoiding the annoying cliche of having the character revealed to be on a bed hooked up to a strange machine in the real world towards the end...when, with about 5 minutes to go, Will is revealed to be on a bed hooked up to a strange machine in the real world.

"Capatin's Log, Stardate 46678.1. Commander Riker has returned safely from his mission to Talonis IV. Doctor Crusher has hit the reset button."

They should have given us a few more moments of Riker taking down the set, still, despite the last minute cliche, this was a "Good Episode". It's always hard doing an episode where the character wonders if their crazy and if the world of the show is a delussion when the audience knows that (shy a massive, radical revelation about the entire nature of the series) the character's world is definitely real. This does a good job of handling that balancing act, though.


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TNG 622: Suspicions
-Premise: Dr. Crusher violates Starfleet regulations and medical ethics when she investigates the death of a Ferengi scientist.

-T2Q Comments: I remember parts of this episode- don't remember the Ferengi scientist but I remember the shuttle flying into the corona and the metaphasic shielding and the concluding "I don't play tennis" scene. The meta-phasic shielding comes into play in Descent, so even though this is an average-to-good episode, I'll go with "Potentially Essential". This is also Guinan's final appearance on the show



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DS9 115: Progress
-Premise: An old farmer refuses to leave the moon where he lives, even though it is about to be made uninhabitable by toxic gases. Meanwhile, Jake and Nog set out to turn an inordinate amount of seemingly worthless condiments into profit.

-T2Q Comments: Sisko sounds really bored in this Station's Log entry. Ah, Morn humor.

Let me guess- the Green Acres couple here ain't gonna let themselves be kicked off their land! We can't have Data show up with a phaser and resolve this plotline quickly, can we?

Why are they wasting time trying to figure out what a stem-bolt (sorry, self-sealing stem bolt) when they could just use a computer terminal to look it up?

The Doctor's official request scene is actually pretty amusing. Nice reflection of SIsko's command style.

Well, it's not Data with a phaser, but Kira with a torch works too...

This episode seems to feel oddly incomplete- like there should have been another scene with Nog and Jake or with this old guy and Kira after they beam up.

This episode, outside the Jake and Nog plotline, is really kinda dull, and her "friend" here is never seen again in the series, so nothing gained- "Forgettable".





Up next: TNG 623: Rightful Heir, DS9 116: I

 

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TNG 623: Rightful Heir
-Premise: At the Klingon monastery on Boreth, Worf sees a very real vision of Kahless the Unforgettable.

-T2Q Comments: "Worf- what the hell are you doing?" Going cross-eyed, apparently. Following up Birthright's events here. Swordfight with bat'lha is better than you'd think the weapon capable of. The guy who plays Kahless is really good, appropriately captivating.

Not much to say about this episode- it's quite excellent, and tackles subject matter not usually addressed by Trek in so mature and developed a fashion. Also evolves the Klingon plotline further. Definitely Essential.

Trivia: Kahless originally appeared in TOS: The Savage Curtain (though as a barbaric murderer, the discrepancy apparently explained as that manifestation was based on Kirk's perceptions). Final appearance of Gowron on TNG. Deleted dialogue involved a reference to the Duras sisters.


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DS9 116: If Wishes Were Horses
-Premise: Station residents suddenly find their imaginations are manifested in physical form as a spatial rift threatens to destroy the Bajoran system.

-T2Q Comments: Odo has no sense of smell- I suspect this will be something easily contradicted by accident. I think I vaguely remember the Rumplestiltskin thing.

"Why...am I fighting this?"

Bashir's situation here kinda echoes the first episode with Barclay and the real characters meeting their holo versions.

This probe launch shot is new, I think- though you know this episode hasn't really done a good job of presenting the presence and geography of this rift- I never knew how close it was to the station until this probe launched, and didn't really have an idea if it was even a visible phenomena until then either- they should have shown something earlier other than a data read-out.

I think the episode takes a turn for the worse in concept by giving these "holos" alternative motives and not really being holos or imaginary representations. Rift has gotten big enough to pick up on visual scanners? we just saw the thing next to the station earlier.

"Perimeter sensors are picking up a sub-space occilation...the hell does that mean?" absolutely nothing!

while I appreciate the "imagination is a wonderful thing" message of the episode- it's taught awkwardly with this race unfamiliar with the concept, when it's a very common ability of so many races. I liked this episode though- it's a good slightly comedic episode. The baseball left to Sisko by Bokai recurs throughout the series too. I'll put this one as "Potentially Essential", though merely "Good Episode" could apply as well; though I acknowlegde there's a slight sense of "been there done that" with TNG having explored imaginations and thoughts manifesting as real in "Where No One Has Gone Before", though it's done more sensibly.

Trivia: Bokai was first mentioned in TNG: The Big Goodbye. Rumplestiltskin was originally supposed to be a leprechaun but Colm Meany felt it was an offensive stereotype to Irish people (ironically, Colm would go on to play a Leprechaun in a TV movie in 1999, which also featured Whoopi Goldberg in it). Colm apparently said "Using caricatures or cliches of any nation is not something Star Trek is should be into"- obviously, he never watched TOS. Having the leprechaun would have fit nicely into TOS's love of Irish stereotypes.



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TNG 624: Second Chances
-Premise: The Enterprise finds a second Will Riker on a planet that he helped evacuate eight years ago.

-T2Q Comments: Ah, I remember this one too- definitely into the groove of what i saw back in the day. Very good overlay/splitscreen work in the one shot. This does bring up the old question of just what happens to you during transport- do you maintaina single consciousness, or does yours end and another exactly like you up

 

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DS9 117: The Forsaken
-Premise: An alien computer program wreaks havoc with the station's systems.

-T2Q Comments: Mama Troi arrives and targets Odo this time around- an amusing pairing for a story.

"I've always wanted to see an upper pylon."

References Menage a Troi.

"Kerzon Dax used to take perverse pleasure in assigning me to take care of VIP guests"
"oh- so now you take the same perverse pleasure in doing it to me..."
"Exactly."

I now recall Odo's regenerative cycle issue of this episode. They used that explosion down a corridor at the camera effect two episodes in a row? Also almost two episodes in a row that they've solved the problem by ignoring it, though they do divert a little here.

The probe/Bashir plotline I could take or leave but Odo/Mama Troi is a memorable one, even if it is a little cliche to have two people stuck in an elevator reconcile their relationship.

While not so much "definitely essential" I think the Mama Troi connection and the somewhat important development of Odo's character here warrants the Definitely Essential classification



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DS9 118: Dramatis Personae
-Premise: The crew becomes infected by a telepathic imprint of a culture that destroyed itself.

-T2Q Comments: Dax giving Miles advise on using a transporter just seems odd.

Odo's "seizure" is disturbing with that expression he ends up with. Crazy Kira seems like she's flirting with or seducing everyone she's trying o manipulate- Odo, Dax, etc.

Ha, I remember this "a clock!" line...strange.

"so- (smack!) this is how it all ends!" I think Sisko is channeling Shatner here for this scene (Brooks acts things very well though overall).

Kind of a hollow episode- there's some good ideas here but the "virus" (energy matrix, whatever you want to call it) is so obvious so early you know everything is not for real way too soon- and you can't help but wonder what a real mutiny story could have been like. "Average".




Up next: TNG 625: Timescape, DS9 119: Duet & DS9 120: In the Hands of the Prophets.




The Babylon Project Log:

-Space stations ending with a numerical designation that are of commerce ports in nature (prominently featuring a casino area), near a giant swirling blue vortex passageway (wormhole/jumpgate) used for travel and a location of advanced creation (prophet temple/Great Machine).
-Hard-edged female second in command, pessimistic, sarcastic security chief. somewhat ethnic doctor.
-Characters named Dukat/Dukhat
-A spiritual race recently coming free of occupation by a more militaristic civilization, the conflict of which led the spiritual race to become more militant themselves.
-Gambler conman (Quark/Londo) has somewhat fluctuating antagonistic friendship with hard-edged chief of security (Odo/Garabaldi).
-Characters played by Julie Caitlin Brown have a long-standing grudge against a notorious murderer who has prolonged their life at the expense of others through scientific experimentation (Rao Vantika/Jha'dur "Deathwalker").
-The term "Changeling" has significance in relation to early parts of both series (the B5 pilot "the Gathering" and DS9's "Vortex" & beyond), though applied to different elements (technology versus a species).
-A main character slowly constructs a device (chrysalis/clock) piece of piece in their quarters while conversing with a subordinate.

 

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TNG 625: Timescape
-Premise: Aboard a runabout, Picard, Data, La Forge, and Troi encounter time distortions; they also discover the Enterprise, frozen in time, seconds away from destruction.

-T2Q Comments: First appearance of a runabout on TNG beyond the DS9 crossover episode, no? Though this one looks mighty spacious inside (this is apparently the only episode to ever show this section of a runabout).

Haha, so this is where the Picard song bit originates from as does the Space Lincoln YTMND!

Not-Lyta #3! Picard references Face of the Enemy and Time's Arrow. Seventh galaxy destruction shown on screen- Picard takes it kind of well. The whole "let's rewind time first" solution seems to be too easily executed, or believed to be so at least.

Picard having to instruct Data to be ready to stop the power transfer seems like a redundant command- they planned this all out already and we the audience know this too.

The watched pot scene at the end is amusing enough. Well, I'm a sucker for time travel episodes and alternate reality episodes..and this is kind a a little of both, I guess time dilation is most appropriate. For me, Definitely Essential; For others, just a good Episode, but Not Necessarily Essential.



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DS9 119: Duet
-Premise: After a Cardassian man arrives on the station suffering from an illness that he could only have contracted at a Bajoran labor camp during the Occupation, Major Kira leads an investigation to determine whether he is actually a notorious war criminal.

-T2Q Comments: This alien on the screen is an interesting design, at least combined with the actor's expressions. Definitely know this Cardassian actor from many places- ah, the angry judge from Ghostbusters 2 and the one aide in a season of 24, among many others.

Bashir is suddenly very definitive about the nature of this disease despite not having even heard of it an hour prior.

The whole Gul Darhe'el initial confession scene is really excellent. "You should have heard him" wouldn't he have seen the video feed?

Well, saw that ending coming. With the episode title of "Duet" I had low expectations of a quiet episode, but this ended up being probably the best episode of the season (barring the yet-to-be-viewed-at-the-time-of-this-entry-being-written season finale which could surpass it, for all I know), despite the briefly cliched end. Too good not to call Definitely Essential- and beyond that it does help establish a better picture of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor



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DS9 120: In the Hands of the Prophets
-Premise: Orthodox Bajorans object to secular teachings about the wormhole in the station's school, causing tensions between fundamentalists and the Starfleet crew. (Season Finale)

-T2Q Comments: I do recall this opening scene- looks like they're setting up an evolution vs creationist/intelligent design type parallel here. Jake is the only one wise enough to understand the prophets are just aliens in the wormhole-strangely even Sisko backs away from that viewpoint.

"What was he doing in a Runabout at 4 in the morning?"
"Apparently, he was gettimg murdered."

Also gotta comment that I love the Ops main screen, especially when shown from angles other than dead-on. It has a great down-and-in-the-room feel with a dash of Flight of the Navigator's Max or something else along those lines. Much more visually interesting and even slightly creepier (it;s like a big eyeball watching you- especially with that on-off sound effect sounding like an electronic blinking noise or something) than a flatscreen or full-wall screen on other Trek and sci-fi shows.

The assassination attempt sequence doesn't really go down very smoo

 

Yeah that was a surprise, realizing "darn, it's a Kira episode", "oh, it's a good episode" "woah, it's a good Kira episode!"

 

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TNG 626: Descent, Part I
-Premise: The Borg begin a new offensive against the Federation, but this time they're acting as individuals; Data experiences his first emotions while fighting them. (Season Finale)

-T2Q Comments: I love how they've included Hawking amongst Einstein and Newton in the future "Wrong again, Albert!" lol. Interesting that the episode title comes up before the opening credits sequence- wonder why that is? (seems they didn't want them to distract from the phaser fight.

Return of the Borg. Gotta give them some credit that they waited 3 years to bring the Borg back "for real" (even if they are a rogue faction), as opposed to a smaller story like I, Borg. It shows intelligent restraint that Voyager never showed.

These are some badass Borg- not so much space zombies as freaking aggressive cybercommandoes. Woah, that was cool, whatever type of transit effect that was.

An Aggamemnon in Trek- didn't remember that one, ha. Spiner can be subtley creepy at times, though you normally don't get to see that too often as he tends to go quirky or campy.

Ah, so these are transwarp conduits like we'll see used in Voyager often (and, as a nice bit of continuity, the screens show the conduits ending in the Delta Quadrant). Also wanted to comment that the rogue Borg ship design was quite cool- nicely asymetrical to counter the perfect shapes of other Borg craft. Some excellent score to this episode btw.

Beverely as Captain also has some hints of possible futures. Ah, so this is where the Borg logo originated? always seemed odd to me (from reading/looking at trading cards or seeing the stands for the action figures) that the Borg (so far as they were portrayed previously) would have an ensignia like the other races. Though not quite an oh-my-god cliffhanger, one of the better cliffangers they've done- and the idea of a Lore/Data-led vicious Borg force against the Federation is a disturbing suggestion. Definitely Essential.

Trivia: The Borg building here was also used as the base of the original Power Rangers. Hawking remains the only person to play himself in a Trek show.



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TNG 701: Descent, Part II
-Premise: Picard tries to free Data from Lore's control; the Enterprise battles the Borg ship. (Season Premiere)

-T2Q Comments: Evil Data doesn't really fly- his dialogue is awful. Troi certainly isn't very consistent with the notion of negative emotions. Funny that LeVar almost pulls his hand free of the restraint. Crusher uses the Metaphasic shielding from Suspicions (and if one had skipped that episode, it seems kind of a technobabble solution pulled out her ass, so I may upgrade that episode's status).

hmm, well, there goes my theory that Evil Data's bad dialogue is intentionally bad because he's been faking it all along...

Overall this was a good-to-middle two-parter, though Evil Data kind of drags it down a bit, and the sense of a rising threat that the cliffhanger presented was never presented or realized here. It's not as good as BOBW, Redemption, Unification or Chain of Command, but surpasses Time's Arrow and Birthright.

Originally it seems they intended to have Barclay in the episode instead of Taitt, which would have been a definite improvement, sadly they went with Taitt for availability and cost issues.

This is the last we see of the Rogue Borg (though I noticed the episode does present the "Borg Collective" as a separate group from the rogues, which dispells my original concern of the Borg's evolution being ignored by later movies and shows). Still, I wish the rogues had factored into DS9 at some point as that just seems like a huge missed opportunity.

Oddly enough, I remembered the end of this episode incorrectly- I thought it ended with the Borg turning on Lore and tearing him apart. Must be thi

 

Wow- huge coincidence that you bumped this thread literally 15 minutes before I'm sitting down to continue watching episodes

Glad you've enjoyed the thread so far- it's been fun.


EDIT- Huh, turns out The Homecoming is part 1 of a true 3-parter (the only official 3-parter in Star Trek until the end of Enterprise's 4th season, 11 years later).

As such, I;ll be deviating from the episode order I previous indicated and will be watching all 3 parts first before returning to the next episode of TNG.

 

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TNG 702: Liasons
-Premise: As alien dignitaries visit the ship, Picard's shuttle crashes on a desolate moon where he meets a woman who has been stranded there for seven years.

-T2Q Comments: "They look like dresses." "You share all those qualities!"

Man..i dunno, not sure what to say about this episode...there's some interesting concepts, but the execution can vary wildly from good to silly to predictable...a few good character interactions...but I think the overall concept is harmed by having such human looking aliens. Can't say I'd want to watch this one again. Average.

Trivia: The dessert-loving ambassador's actor was actually allergic to chocolate.


Up next: DS9 201: The Homecoming, DS9 202: The Circle & DS9 203: The Siege.

 

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DS9 201: The Homecoming
-Premise: Kira rescues a Bajoran Resistance hero from a Cardassian labor camp; an extremist group calls for all non-Bajorans to leave Bajor. (Part 1 of 3)

-T2Q Comments: As expected, the Quark/Odo banter is quite amusing- it's hard not to watch this with a grin on your face.

No matter how vital of importance this earing turns out to be...would YOU leave Quark alone in your room?

"Hey Dad!" Gee whiz!

Sisko is very way too chip and chirpy so far. Interesting that a mere Federation Runabout has better defense and maneuverability than any Bajoran craft- that's quite a tech gap.

"Since the loss of the Kai" doesn't seem so important a reference to make me want to watch that other episode again

The Circle is essentially a Bajoran version of the Homeguard from B5 by the sound of it...

So all that stuff Miles just technobabbled about to make it harder for Cardassians to pick up the Runabout...why don't they do that normally? Thankfully Sisko is not so chip and chirpy now. The prison bust is a little easy but pretty good.

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HOLY ****! It's Frank Langella! Why did no one tell me Frank Langella was in a Star Trek episode?! All hail Skeletor- Master of the Universe!

(He apparantly requested his role be uncredited in these episodes, as he did it for his kids, not the money-same reason he did Skeletor, minus the credit)

...wow, that Homeguard comparison wasn't far off afterall...and this episode aired only 5 months before B5's "The War Prayer"
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(though TWP was already in the can by the time this episode aired and JMS has made it clear that it would have been impossible for either show to have influenced the other in this detail- just a weird cosmic coincidence)- it's also interesting to note that this episode almost made JMS change that B5 episode (by reshooting or digitally removing the brand), but it was left in, in response to internet fan responses.

A multi-parter? Didn't expect that- not a huge cliffhanger but, still. A good episode- but it'll be hard to judge it fully till I see the last two parts to this story


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DS9 202: The Circle
-Premise: Sisko and Odo work to reveal the real force behind the Circle's coup. (Part 2 of 3)

-T2Q Comments: This Kira's Quarters company scene is a bit too wobbly between comedic and downright sitcomic (though worth noting it was filmed in one continuos take, though some closeups were intercut). This guy is rushing things- you never use an Orb on the first date!

If Odo is impersonating a mouse- why does he have to make squeaking noises? Wouldn't it be a much more effective disguise for surveillance if he were silent?

All hail Langella!

I like the camera-on-the-lift shot.

why the hell does Bashir take the time to free her restraints instead of just pinning her with the badge for transport and untying her aboard the runabout?

Return of the chick from In the Hand of the Prophets (almost makes this feel like a 4-parter)

Admiral Chakotay? ::looks it up:: ok, it's "Chekote", but, still, that's kinda lazy given Voyager is debuting next season- they HAD to know the character names by this point!

Hazy application of the Prime DIrective here- since the Federation is already involved and that their presence is there to prevent the Cardassians from returning there.

Otherwise, Kira-centric nature of the early part of the episode aside, a very good episode.

Trivia: first time the baseball appears on Sisko's desk.


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TNG 703: Interface
-Premise: Geordi uses a virtual reality probe to explore a wrecked ship inside a gas giant, but he's preoccupied by the disappearance of his mother's ship.

-T2Q Comments: It's not a show made in the 90's if it doesn't have it;s own spin on VR

They go into the potential risks of that level of sensory input- now, despite the safety cut-off point, why would you use a probe that could do that when a less dangerous one could be remote controlled via the same particle beam used to control this one?

DS3 mentioned here, so now we have DS3, DS4, DS9 and the eventual DS5 mentioned in First Contact. The Excelsior is also mentioned- same one?

And it seems it's the type of "you die in the matrix/die in your dreams, you die for real" type scenarios- "your mind makes it real".

The casting of Geordi's dad and mom is kind of amusing, actually- while I see in the trivia notes that they were all in Roots together, both Vereen and Burton also had prominent places in PBS/NJN programming. It's like after school in 3rd grade all over again!

You know, you'd think with that Starfleet logo being the default image on a datascreen when it's not in use that they'd have a real problem with image burn-in on those things...

Why does Beverely not know who he's talking to when Geordi specifically addresses her as Mom?

And another energy being that just passes through a bulkhead...

Overall, a so-so episode. Average. Wouldn't want to see it again, despite the use of exploring Geordi's family for the first time. I think the whole probe/sci-fi plot thing lets down the episode- I think if it had stayed focused squarely on Geordi dealing with his mom's possible death and the search for her ship (without involving the "they magically ended up on the planet we happen to be at" stuff) it could have been a great episode.

Great little quote from Jeri Taylor about this episode: ""We've had the family of everybody else on board. Every other character has had their family dealt with except Geordi and probably the main reason for doing [this episode] was there was an order to finally flesh out his character more than it had been, and to show that he didn't spring isolated from Zeus' forehead." "



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TNG 704: Gambit, Part I
-Premise: While investigating Picard's apparent death, Riker is captured by pirates pillaging Romulan archaeological sites.

-T2Q Comments: Interesting initial premise so far as crew reaction scenes go- though undermined by the obviousness of Picard's death not being the real deal by the very format of the show.

We have a Huxtable on the bridge! Ah, and Admiral Chekote-Not-Chakotay shows up in this episode too (makes sense- this 2 parter aired during the DS9 3-parter so they probably just filmed all his stuff at once since he only appears on a vidscreen).

"Detached duty"- "your mission is at your discretion" well, that's something handy- surprised we haven't had a story about a captain tricking his way into recieving that to achieve a personal goal.

Interesting that this is the second consecutive non-finale/premiere 2-parter to revolve around a member of this species.

The "Barada system"? is that after Klaatu just before Nikto?

Pretty good shoot-out for Trek- definitely above average, I think it has to do with how fast the enemy weaponsfire seems to move compared to often sluggish phasers and disruptors.

Captain Data is pretty good- better than Captain Riker. Now I see why they gave him the Enterprise-E (according to the Countdown comic).

Ugh- the hair! the trollish little guy kinda works in a Karg-from-MOTU-Movie kind of way, but this other dude looks like a big-headed version of KHAAAAAAANNN! Khan lookalike he may be, I do like this pirate captain. Na'Noth #1 part t

 

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DS9 204: Invasive Procedures
-Premise: A desperate Trill tries to steal the Dax symbiont.

-T2Q Comments: The visual of DS9 within this plasma cloud is rather neat- if only for being an untypical visual.

John Glover- neat! Best Devil ever. Not-Tuvok-as-Klingon! I like how Miles' eyeline follows the phaser shot to the ceiling in a "what am i gonna have to fix later?" reaction.

There's something about this Mereel plotline that's uncomfortable- on one hand, I like the idea of Sisko trying to use the symbiote changes against Glover's crew loyalty, but on the other hand, aspects of it's subtext come across as almost TOS-like sexism in a "stupid woman, can't you see you're wrong about your man? betray him!" kind of way. It's not overt like TOS, but it's there.

"Thank you, Doctor- I feel better already."

Despite the one bit of oddness and the lack of consequence for Quark's actions, I liked this episode- I'm pretty sure I saw this one during the original run too. Wouldn't mind watching it again. Good Episode, But Not Necessarily Essential.

Trivia: Not-Tuvk-as-Klingon accidentally punched Patricia Tallman (Lyta on B5, stunt double for Nana here) during the one fight.



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TNG 706: Phantasms
-Premise: Interphasic parasites contaminating a conduit in a temporary replacement warp core cause Data's dream program to generate nightmares.

-T2Q Comments: (first off, that's the most technobabbletastic premise description I've come across on Memory Alpha thus far!)

Granted, this is Data, but I find it odd that he doesn't remove his boots before going to bed. Troi cake- mmm, delicious. I actually remember that moment, as well as the scene of Crusher sucking Riker...'s brain. Admiral Nakamora- scientist from B5: Thirdspace.

I like that they more or less recreate the piece of stock footage used so often for the warp jump to use for the second jump failure.

"Next time- see me before you see Sigmund"

The stabbing scene is certainly an eye raiser (apparently US reaction had this scene trimmed down by the BBC for the Uk airing)

"Tell him he is a pretty cat."

I remember this phased parasite things- creepy. One flaw in this analysis, as the imagery is said to have the workers represent the creatures who are "demolishing the ship" when the creatures' threat is actually devouring the crew, not the ship.

This is probably their best success yet at an episode centered around dream images or nightmares- be a nice component to a Halloween playlist. This is also something of a sequel to Birthright (it establishes that 9 months have passed since then), though not directly so, only so far as the development of the dream program goes.

As such I'd say it's standalone enough to be just "Good Episode, But Not Necessarily Essential" though I'd definitely want to see it again, so it's another borderline episode between GEBNNE and Definitely Essential (or, perhaps, "Potentially Essential).


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DS9 205: Cardassians
-Premise: Garak and Doctor Bashir investigate abandoned Cardassian war orphans on Bajor.

-T2Q Comments: Garek returns! hurrah for the interesting character! Why do these people in the background appear to be wearing slabs of rock on their heads?

I dig the whole scene between Dukat and Bashir- and it also strikes me how great a design the Cardassians are, between the more squareish forehead and neck curves, it gives them a reptilian quality while accentuating more muscular human features- like a body builder or a characiture of one, which makes them seem both strong yet thin, slender, snake-like, which juxtaposes well against the more intellectual dialogue they tend to have

 

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But now you wanna, right?