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Star Trek: Alpha to Delta Quadrants & Everything In Between
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A little over a week ago, I started the last episode of season two (of TNG), and it's a bloody clip show. Putting aside my distaste for clip shows, I find Deanna Troi and William Riker's relationship interesting; it seems TNG managed to unceremoniously depict an open relationship.
I have a few friends that don't like sci-fi, but they all make exceptions for the same few films--notably the Aliens and Terminator franchises. I'm wondering if you have exceptions like that?
I understand where they are coming from. I think the difference is that Star Trek lives and breathes sci-fi in every aspect from theme to storytelling and beyond, whereas those movies really fall under different genres (action or horror for example) and sci-fi is only one aspect, such as the timeframe (Alien/Aliens) or the setup (Terminator).
One of my friends went so far as to insist that Terminator isn't sci-fi. I get where he's coming from--it's essentially a monster-chasing-people-through-LA movie. But c'mon, how can you say that a movie about a time-travelling killer robot, out to kill someone's mom before he's even born, isn't sci-fi?
Lemme guess. Was it Shades of Grey? The one where Riker get's stung by a tree. Yarp, one of the worst ST:TNG episodes ever. I vaguely remember there being a worse episode, but that was probably one of the ST:Voyager episodes.
Did you notice "Chief" Miles O'Brien was a Lt. JG (one gold, one black pip) in season 1 and a full LT (two gold pips) in season 2. For some reason (never explained, but doesn't seem to matter) he got demoted in season 3 to Chief Petty Officer.
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Only true Star Trek Fans will be able to name the phenomenon in this image...
Looks like the Nexus in which Kirk and Picard met.
Only true Star Trek Fans will be able to name the phenomenon in this image...
If memory serves, I think that awful episode came about because there had been a screen-writers strike which was resolved at the last minute, meaning that there was insufficient time for the usual preparation and planning, scripting - script and scene discussions - and rehearsals, before filming an episode.
Most of the cast were embarrassed by it, and cringed years later when it came up in discussion.
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yes!
What always bothered me about this part - which is totally exciting - was the probe to "blow up" the sun.
If this system is anything like our system the sun would be about 93 million miles away and at one point earlier in the movie Worf states that it would take about 15 seconds for the probe to reach the star. That seemed quite fast for a chemical powered rocket which you see blast off. Also since the light from our star takes 8 minutes to reach us, so would the absence of the sunlight and in the film the light goes out almost instantaneously. Alas I know I am making too much out of a story!
Speaking of Dixon Hill...
S1:E11- The Big Goodbye
Picard is frazzled trying to learn a difficult greeting to open a relationship with an insect species, the Jarada. Troy suggests he takes break in the Holodeck. Accompanied by Crusher, Data, and a 20th Century expert Weyland, Picard assumes the persona of Dixon Hill Private Eye, San Francisco, 1941.
This episode borrows heavily from The Maltese Falcon. Several comedic aspects are contained in this episode, Crusher chewing gum and working on her makeup and appearance emulating a woman at police head quarters who might be described as a floozy, and Data's interpretation of his character. A scan of the ship by the Jarada screws up the holodeck, trapping them inside and removing the safety protocols putting them in serious danger.
Someone even created a shirt for purchase.
[doublepost=1492992088][/doublepost]
Oh, sorry.
This basically did provide the inspiration for the episode of DS9 where the crew basically played their own Ocean's Eleven crew. I believe the episode was Badda-Bing Badda Bang.
You knew it was going down when you saw this:
But I digress.
I still think that outside of the usuals (Inner Light, Tin Man, etc.), one of the best episodes TNG made was Relics.
And speaking of two-parters, again, you knew **** was going down when you saw him, and especially after you were hung off the cliff with Riker's last line:
BL.
This basically did provide the inspiration for the episode of DS9 where the crew basically played their own Ocean's Eleven crew. I believe the episode was Badda-Bing Badda Bang.
You knew it was going down when you saw this:
But I digress.
I still think that outside of the usuals (Inner Light, Tin Man, etc.), one of the best episodes TNG made was Relics.
And speaking of two-parters, again, you knew **** was going down when you saw him, and especially after you were hung off the cliff with Riker's last line:
BL.
What a fantastic two-parter - actually, really a three parter (The "Best of Both Worlds Part I & II" and "Family") - again, better - by far - than any of the movies. This was spellbinding television, with a superb story, (featuring new, terrifying and surprisingly threatening opponents) excellent acting - again, Patrick Stewart was compelling - and a wonderful script. First rate.
I have a few friends that don't like sci-fi, but they all make exceptions for the same few films--notably the Aliens and Terminator franchises. I'm wondering if you have exceptions like that?
I understand where they are coming from. I think the difference is that Star Trek lives and breathes sci-fi in every aspect from theme to storytelling and beyond, whereas those movies really fall under different genres (action or horror for example) and sci-fi is only one aspect, such as the timeframe (Alien/Aliens) or the setup (Terminator).
One of my friends went so far as to insist that Terminator isn't sci-fi. I get where he's coming from--it's essentially a monster-chasing-people-through-LA movie. But c'mon, how can you say that a movie about a time-travelling killer robot, out to kill someone's mom before he's even born, isn't sci-fi?
Love Aliens and Terminator. Definitely a few exceptions.
Okay.. time for a WTF post that has been bugging me for about 15 years.
for the most, Star Trek has been pretty fluent with the timelines (with the exception of when they intentionally wanted to screw with them: Time's Arrow, the Mobius, The Voyage Home, etc.). Best of Both Worlds provided the backstory to DS9's pilot, The Emmisary. Relics was even very plausible in the ST Universe. DS9 smoothly helped transition ST: Voyager in, as Voyager started its mission leaving DS9, searching for the Maquis, which Riker was one of them. So new series pilots with throwbacks/shoutouts to previous episodes.
Now, the WTF moment. There was no real mention of a Borg Queen until Star Trek: First Contact, which took place well after Voyager left DS9. IIRC, the Borg Queen gets destroyed in that movie (sorry for the spoiler, but it leads to the WTF moment), with her spine being broken..
So how, back in the Delta Quadrant in Voyager, is the Borg Queen alive again, and the main threat to Voyager towards the end of the series? And again, she gets destroyed in the finale of the series? IIRC, Voyager is still in the Delta Quadrant during First Contact, but I believe is back in the Alpha Quadrant by the time ST: Insurrection occurs, let alone ST: Nemesis.
To take it into the Transformers Generation One world (the original series), it's like Bumblebee being repaired and upgraded and takes on the name Goldbug, yet 3 episodes after that, you see Bumblebee in his original form again.
And the last part that bugs me, is that in Endgame (the Voyager series finale), the crew finally makes it home.. last you see is the ship flying towards Earth.. no story of what happens to the crew or anything outside of Janeway talking to Picard over a secure channel in a later movie, and being referred to as "Admiral Janeway". All the Maquis are gone, so what happens to the remaining Maquis who made up the Voyager crew? Did Paris see his father? Did Janeway see her husband again? They sorta "met" Barclay, who risked his career to find them, but a lot was left to the imagination, which lead to a poor ending..
BL.
for the most, Star Trek has been pretty fluent with the timelines (with the exception of when they intentionally wanted to screw with them: Time's Arrow, the Mobius, The Voyage Home, etc.). Best of Both Worlds provided the backstory to DS9's pilot, The Emmisary. Relics was even very plausible in the ST Universe. DS9 smoothly helped transition ST: Voyager in, as Voyager started its mission leaving DS9, searching for the Maquis, which Riker was one of them. So new series pilots with throwbacks/shoutouts to previous episodes.
Now, the WTF moment. There was no real mention of a Borg Queen until Star Trek: First Contact, which took place well after Voyager left DS9. IIRC, the Borg Queen gets destroyed in that movie (sorry for the spoiler, but it leads to the WTF moment), with her spine being broken..
So how, back in the Delta Quadrant in Voyager, is the Borg Queen alive again, and the main threat to Voyager towards the end of the series? And again, she gets destroyed in the finale of the series? IIRC, Voyager is still in the Delta Quadrant during First Contact, but I believe is back in the Alpha Quadrant by the time ST: Insurrection occurs, let alone ST: Nemesis.
To take it into the Transformers Generation One world (the original series), it's like Bumblebee being repaired and upgraded and takes on the name Goldbug, yet 3 episodes after that, you see Bumblebee in his original form again.
And the last part that bugs me, is that in Endgame (the Voyager series finale), the crew finally makes it home.. last you see is the ship flying towards Earth.. no story of what happens to the crew or anything outside of Janeway talking to Picard over a secure channel in a later movie, and being referred to as "Admiral Janeway". All the Maquis are gone, so what happens to the remaining Maquis who made up the Voyager crew? Did Paris see his father? Did Janeway see her husband again? They sorta "met" Barclay, who risked his career to find them, but a lot was left to the imagination, which lead to a poor ending..
BL.
Sorry.. I just got a picture of the Bork Queen crossed with Garth Knight stuck in my head...
.. Then I got your reference.
BL.
S1:E12 Data Lore- Introduces the evil, yes I said evil Lore, Data's duplicate created by Dr. Soong, except that Lore suffrers from serious human flaws including being a mass murderer. This is why visiting the planet where Data was discovered they find a dissasembled Lore. But not knowing any history, and at Data's request, they put Lore together and activate him. What could go wrong? Not to mention The Crystaline Entity eater of life.
S1:E13 Angel One- looking for survivors from a freighter accident, The Enterprise visits Angel One, an Amazon style female dominated, male suppressed society, where the women are bigger, stronger, the hunters and leaders, and well the men are pretty little boy toys with no rights. Riker goes in for a one on one diplomatic exchange dressed in the appropriate sexy male outfit with Mistress Beata. She's on the prowl too. He comes this >< close to scoring real diplomacy, except for frequent interruptions that get in the way.
S1:E13 Angel One- looking for survivors from a freighter accident, The Enterprise visits Angel One, an Amazon style female dominated, male suppressed society, where the women are bigger, stronger, the hunters and leaders, and well the men are pretty little boy toys with no rights. Riker goes in for a one on one diplomatic exchange dressed in the appropriate sexy male outfit with Mistress Beata. She's on the prowl too. He comes this >< close to scoring real diplomacy, except for frequent interruptions that get in the way.
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Well, that made me laugh.
I wouldn't mind an entire series exploring Data's (or some similar android's) development. They could call it The Omicron Automaton: A Star Trek Story.
S1:E12 Data Lore- Introduces the evil, yes I said evil Lore, Data's duplicate created by Dr. Soong, except that Lore suffrers from serious human flaws including being a mass murderer. This is why visiting the planet where Data was discovered they find a dissasembled Lore. But not knowing any history, and at Data's request, they put Lore together and activate him. What could go wrong? Not to mention The Crystaline Entity eater of life.
S1:E13 Angel One- looking for survivors from a freighter accident, The Enterprise visits Angel One, an Amazon style female dominated, male suppressed society, where the women are bigger, stronger, the hunters and leaders, and well the men are pretty little boy toys with no rights. Riker goes in for a one on one diplomatic exchange dressed in the appropriate sexy male outfit with Mistress Beata. She's on the prowl too. He comes this >< close to scoring real diplomacy, except for frequent interruptions that get in the way.
Actually, Riker's amorous stuff never really appealed to me (especially in the earlier seasons, it smacked of tedious cliché), but I did think that Jean-Luc Picard's encounter with Vash ("Captain's Holiday") was terrific, bonding over a love of archaeology, which - in Vash's case was driven by a desire for profit rather than a disinterested but passionate intellectual inquiry.
And the sort of sequel - "Qpid" - where the crew were transported to a world reminiscent of Sherwood Forest, cast as Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (and Women) was simply hilarious.
Only two more eps to watch and I've finally covered all of TNG. All good things....
7th series was very enjoyable in the main. I like the way they have been hinting at where the characters are going when the cameras stop rolling, or in some cases completing their story arcs. Even The Enterprise itself gets an episode dedicated to what it wants from life
So what next? Might take a Trek break for a bit and get some other stuff off my Netflix list, then come back for DS9.
7th series was very enjoyable in the main. I like the way they have been hinting at where the characters are going when the cameras stop rolling, or in some cases completing their story arcs. Even The Enterprise itself gets an episode dedicated to what it wants from life
So what next? Might take a Trek break for a bit and get some other stuff off my Netflix list, then come back for DS9.
DS9 is my favorite of the Star Trek series. TNG is the best overall, but DS9 has the best characters. I love the love to hate tension between Odo and Quark.
And it has the most interesting ancillary characters: Elim Garak, Gul Dukat and Weyuon are so much fun to watch. Garak is by far my favorite. There is an air of mystery that surrounds him. He's so friendly, yet at the same time so scary. Even by the end of the series, I still don't know if he's a spy, an outcast or an outcast spy. He never said he was any of those.And I like development of Chief O'Brien. He was always a family man, even on the Enterprise. In Disaster, when a quantum filament cause major damage to the Enterprise and communications go cut off, the Chief's first concern was his wife. Every other Star Fleet guy is duty first, but not El Jefe. Family first.
On DS9, he's the family man in the midst of a group of ambitious go-getters.
If you watch that first convention clip I posted in this thread, you'll love the bit where the question came from the audience member who noticed all of Frakes' attempts to "Riker" in the episodes, and then went into the definition of what it meant "to Riker". It's hilarious.. and when you look at it, made a hell of a lot of sense!
DS9 is my favorite of the Star Trek series. TNG is the best overall, but DS9 has the best characters. I love the love to hate tension between Odo and Quark.
And I like development of Chief O'Brien. He was always a family man, even on the Enterprise. In Disaster, when a quantum filament cause major damage to the Enterprise and communications go cut off, the Chief's first concern was his wife. Every other Star Fleet guy is duty first, but not El Jefe. Family first.
I think Roddenberry chose him to add a little bit of Scotty to the cast. Not just from an Irish/Scottish sense, but the fact that they both had a sense of family, where they treated their crew just as equal as family. That stood out with the relationship O'Brien had with Bashir; in that same episode of Disaster, that started the solid relationship between Worf and O'Brien, as Worf delivered Keiko's baby.
But as well, taking over DS9 in the disheveled state it was, he was running around as frantically as Scotty was on the Enterprise.
Side note about O'Brien. He was the only person to be in the pilot episodes for every NG Series. He was the officer at the conn in the stardrive section of the Enterprise for Encounter at Farpoint, He transferred to DS9 in Emmisary, and was in the pilot with the preparations in Voyager's pilot episode, as Voyager left DS9 to search for Chakotay and Tuvok in the Badlands. Each one was Colm Meaney, as Miles O'Brien.
BL.
I'm late to the party and just saw this thread!
I've watched most of TOS and TNG and Voyager (watched on TV every morning, so they weren't always in order, but I *think* I've seen all of TNG), and every episode of DS9 (similarly watched on TV, but also marathoned in order on Netflix later on).
And, of course, every movie. Personally, Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country is my favorite, even over Wrath of Khan (a dangerous opinion, I know).
I also played tremendous amounts of a game called Starfleet Command (I, II, and OP) when I was young, and my online tag is based partially on Star Trek 6.
I am really conflicted about the new Star Trek movies. They're not bad action movies in a vacuum, but they carry the Star Trek name and don't feel like Star Trek. It's like ordering a steak and getting a good pork chop- it's not that the pork chop is bad, it's that it's not what you wanted when you asked for a steak. Plus, the constant violations of basic principles of how the universe works drive me insane- like warping from Earth to Qo'nos in five minutes completely takes me out of suspension of disbelief. It's like watching James Bond jump in the river Thames in London and then suddenly swim up to Pike Place in Seattle.
I've watched most of TOS and TNG and Voyager (watched on TV every morning, so they weren't always in order, but I *think* I've seen all of TNG), and every episode of DS9 (similarly watched on TV, but also marathoned in order on Netflix later on).
And, of course, every movie. Personally, Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country is my favorite, even over Wrath of Khan (a dangerous opinion, I know).
I also played tremendous amounts of a game called Starfleet Command (I, II, and OP) when I was young, and my online tag is based partially on Star Trek 6.
I am really conflicted about the new Star Trek movies. They're not bad action movies in a vacuum, but they carry the Star Trek name and don't feel like Star Trek. It's like ordering a steak and getting a good pork chop- it's not that the pork chop is bad, it's that it's not what you wanted when you asked for a steak. Plus, the constant violations of basic principles of how the universe works drive me insane- like warping from Earth to Qo'nos in five minutes completely takes me out of suspension of disbelief. It's like watching James Bond jump in the river Thames in London and then suddenly swim up to Pike Place in Seattle.
The issue with the new ST movies is the same issue that Bayformers has with Transformers; a very bad arc off of the original timeline that may start to spin out of control. but also at that point, the producers/writers created a schism between the purists that follow the original timeline/history and those who are only seeing the new material for the first time and only have that to go off of.
The other issue is that with every episode in the original ST timeline, there was a touch of social commentary, which that commentary, regardless of it being made 25 or 50 years ago, still applies today. We can go back to the TNG episode The Drumhead, and apply the entire episode to Donald Trump's attempt at a Muslim ban in the US. And this was 25 years ago.
A couple of prominent quotes from that episode:
Sound familiar? Even more, there's this:
Again, it sounds eerily familiar to the current political climate not only the US, but the world is currently in. You can easily swap Admiral Satie for the UKIP, Marine Le Pen, and other nationalist movements.
There isn't any of that in the new arc.. it's more action and adventure without the commentary, and its the commentary that helps Star Trek maintain its longevity.
BL.
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My favorite as well. Best soundtrack of all the movies too.
The only thing I didn't like about the movie was
the scooby doo ending.