Star Trek

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “The Inner Light” does not need much introduction, does it? It is the most personal episode since TOS’ “The City on the Edge of Forever.” not surprisingly, those are two of only four trek episodes to win Hugo awards for Best Dramatic Presentation. It is such a uniquely fascinating, poignant...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The Enterprise is called to assist a crippled Romulan vessel. One assumes bygones are bygones over the whole brainwashing la Forge to be an assassin, attempting to overthrow the Klingon Empire, and the aborted invasion of Vulcan. The Federation is chock full of forgiving souls, no? la For...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) It has been a long string of mediocre episodes. Thank goodness we finally get to one. While I enjoy “I, Borg” for the most part, my fondness for it has diminished because of subsequent Trek, notably Star Trek: First: Contact. Many fans do not appear to pay much attention to the fact events in “I,...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The plot is a terribly contrived mess of elements of some of the worst TOS and TNG episodes. We have a troubled, lonely kid with an overactive imagination who causes trouble for the crew. I just more or less described “Charlie X,” “And the Children Shall Lead,” “The Bonding” “Hero Worship,” a...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) This makes two episodes in a row featuring an ill advised wedding. It is definitely odd the installments were not spaced apart more wisely. “The Perfect Mate“ is not that great an episode, but I give it higher marks than I normally would because of its unintentional hilarity.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) That is most of the episode, by the way. Lwaxana and Alexander goof around in the holodeck in mud baths and the like, shirking all responsibilities they both have. Worf, troi, and Lwaxana’s hubby to be are all angry, but it matters naught.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Some side issues taint the episode for me, too. There is a replica of the original Enterprise on Wesley’s desk that is actually a pewter collectible that was available at the time. A little blatant product placement there. Normally, that would not bother meat all, but TNG has obnoxiously pro...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The plan eventually works the disaster, a collision with another ship, is finally avoided. The ship has been caught in a similar loop for ninety years or between Star Trek: The motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, if you perfer to think in geek terms. The Enterprise was fortunat...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “The Outcast” is the first Trek episode to deal with, at least arguably, the issue of homosexuality. Truth be told, it does not do that very well. Homosexual advocacy groups have criticized the episode for washing its hands of the issue after Gene Roddenberry had allegedly promised to pres...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) You might think this is the mai ethical conflict implied by the episode title, but it is not. In fact, riker is the only one who has any compunctions about performing the ritual which would involve handing Worf a knife so he can stab himself in the heart. Picard, apparently possessing a newfou...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner appear to relish the chance to play psychopaths. Sirtis still does not do it for me here, but Spiner is such a great character actor, he flows seamlessly from the good natured Data to the complete loon inhabiting his body. Colm Meaney finally getsa shot at the sp...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) As the Enterprise encounters Lysian resistance, it becomes apparent the Federation could not be at war with such a technologically inferior race. with the jig up, they learn their memories were wiped by an en enemy of the Lysians who wanted the Federation to do their dirty work for them. Int...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “The Masterpiece Society” is based on another script that had been bouncing around the TNG office. The plot centers around a genetically engineered “perfect” society which does not want the ’inferior’ Enterprise crew among them, even when the crew is trying to save the colony from being...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Boxset spotlights my review of the Star Trek: the Next Generation episode "The Game." The Camp of the Saints links to the shift away from embryonic stem cell research to adult stem cells. The Third Edge of the Sword links to my review of Star Trek: the Original Series episode The Man Trap."

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) When timothy takes a shine to Data, particularly his lack of emotion, Data is advised to play along with Timothy’s imitation of him. Not because they want to get the truth out of him, but as a psychological tool in his grieving process. It is not until the Enterprise is about to suffer the same c...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “Violations’ was borne out of the story outline for “Night Terrors,’ one of the worst Tng episodes ever. Like ’Night Terrors,” the story center around my least favorite character, Troi, so the episode does not have much going for it.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) This is nota bad episode, but I never cared much for the Worf/Alexander dynamic. I am still of the mindset Worf and K’Ehlyr would have made a better lasting pair with the cultural differences causing friction between them. Instead, we get Worf, who is trying to embrace Klingon ways he is not a...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) But I did say ’A Matter of Time” was best viewed without future Trek’s meddling. It is. A major plot pint is no one has ever heard of historians traveling through time to observe past events. In ENT, we learn there is such a thing and the 22nd century Earth Starfleet knows about them. The 22nd centu...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) It is not that bad, but the opening verbal duel with Spock and Picard is the weakest of both episodes. They are just throwing out all of Spock’s plan in one lump in order to justify his being on Romulus before the action starts. Jeri Taylor even makes an effort to distract us with aquip from Spock...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) For the record, the plots due dovetail in retrospect. In the movie, Spock volunteers the Enterprise crew to make peace with the Klingons. A conspiracy involving rogue elements trying to force an interstellar war pins the assassination of the Klingon chancellor on kirk and McCoy, sending...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) May I now present ’The Game,” which shall forever be known as the worst episode of Tng and a portent of some of the dreck Brannon Braga would write through the rest of televised trek’s run. This episode was so bad, Gene Roddenberry died what the before it aired just to spare himself the agony.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) My Funny blog links to my my review of Star Trek: the Next Generation episide "Brothers." Celebrity2Day links to my review of Star Trek: the next Generation episode "In Theory" and "Redemption II" for reasons that escape me. thanks anyway.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Call this one TNG’s homage to ’70’s disaster films, particularly The Poseidon Adventure. The Enterprise is hit by a quantum wave--just go with it--putting the crew in various predicaments within the now disabled ship. Aside for ro, it is a fun episode to watch. It does not reach the upper tie...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I seriously considered calling “Silicon Avatar” the worst episode of TNG, but I am still going to bestow that dubious honor on another installment. But at least you know where I am coming from here. This is a terrible, terrible episode.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The plot of “Ensign Ro” has yet another high ranking Starfleet official going rogue. There is something bout becoming an admiral that seems to corrupt. You would think Gene Roddenberry would be against the idea of power corrupting near perfect 24th century humans, but trek often goes to ex...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The episode introduces a couple elements to TNG. First, Picard now wears a grey undershirt with a red jacket. Yes, he becomes Starfleet’s version of The Fonz. Fortunately, trek will not fully jump the shark until the seventh season. Second, Ashley Judd joins the cast as Robin Lefler. She will o...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The episode is the penultimate story in the season long theme of the Romulan-Duras conspiracy to take over the Klingon Empire. It began with the selection of Picard as Arbiter of succession, the murder of the current chancellor, Worf’s discommendation under false pretenses, the murder...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) There is a side story about data and Jenna working to repair a techobabble anomaly that causes awful things like this to happen:But it is a throwaway to pad out the episode. Patrick Stewart made his directoral debut here and notes, without a hint of ego, naturally, that it is his favorite epi...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Further proving he is the unluckiest man in Starfleet, la forge is kidnapped and gruesomely conditioned by the Romulans to serve as an assassin. He is assigned to murder a Klingon governor in order to destabilize relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. The mystery is unra...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “The Host” introduces us to the Trill, the symbiotic species of humans plus a slug. That is the only significant aspect of the episode. The romance between the trill odan and Crusher is established solely to set up the awkward situation where the symbiotic is in Riker’s body and then another...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I am confident I have only seen this episode in its initial run. It is not so much that it is a bad episode, although installments featuring Lwaxana Troi usually are, but the morality play is so muddled. The story is about ritualistic suicide in order to avoid burdening one’s children with car...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) My inbox has been deluged--deluged, I say--by The Ten Commandments of Star Trek which appeared on Conservative Grapevine this morning. Considering how rough I have been on the obnoxious humanistic nature of Trek philosophy, I thought I would offer up this counter argument.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The episode’s story ties in with the season arc of a Romulan-Duras conspiracy to take over the Klingon Empire. A Klingon spy is exposed to be a Romulan collaborator because he believes the Empire has grown weak by its alliance with the Federation. An overzealous Starfleet admiral takes the...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Being one who enjoys picking nits, why does trio’s arrow penetrate Data’s chest here when he is bulletproof in Star Trek: First Contact? I believe he is also cautious about bullets in ’Time’s Arrow” as well. Continuity, people. That is what a story editor is for.)

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) There the ship meets a disembodied head similar to the one who claimed to be God in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. It is odd that when TNG wants to make an homage to TOS, it chooses the worst movie, one in which large parts have been declared non-canon, in order to do so. It works here for me. In the g...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The cure Crusher conveniently develops is a genocidal weapon. We overlook all that because of our emotional attachment to La Forge, but the moral conflict ought to merit at least some consideration. The planet is quarantined at the conclusion of the episode, thereby ensuring the aliens w...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) It is indeed a Troi episode. The ship becomes trapped in the same region of space as the one they were trying to rescue. Something there prevents them from engaging in Rem sleep, so everyone starts going crazy from lack of dreams. Except for troi, who is going crazy because of a recurring nightm...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) About the only thing I remembered about this episode before watching again it for this review is how pitiful it was. Take that two ways. One, the main plot involves the Enterprise accidentally killing an alien mother, leaving her child. Second, the character of la forge is degraded while try...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The powers that be finally broke the mold with “First Contact.” For the first time, we see what a first contact situation when the prime directive no longer applies would look like. What we get is an homage to ’50’s science fiction films in which the aliens are the Enterprise crew. I would call t...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) An interesting point of note: the crew in general and Picard in specific threaten to disassemble Data in order to find the truth of what has happened to them. Whatever they thought about data being alive in ’The Measure of a Man’ flies out the window when there is a mystery afoot. Is that not jus...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) ‘Devil’s Due” is the second rewritten script from the aborted Star Trek: Phase II series from the ’70’s to be adapted for TNG. You can tell, because “The Devil and Daniel Webster” vibe is reminiscent of TOS’ theme of aliens possessing a hankering for earth history. The script transfers to ne...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Did Picard make a mistake? It is hard to say even after knowing the cardassiansattempt to invade Federation space two years later, a conflict in which Picard is captured and brutally tortured, and joins with the Dominion in a conflict worse than anything the Federation had ever suffered....

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Michael Piller insisted the season’s running plotline be injected into the episode, so a subplot involving the apparent kidnapping of a Vulcan ambassador was added to give data a more traditional problem for him to deal with. Turns out the ambassador is a Romulan spy who used the Enterpri...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Conservatives4Palin also links to my Sarah Palin motivational posters. The TrogloPundit also links to my Sarah Palin motivational posters, so I have now officially hit the trifecta. Boxset spotlights my review for the Star Trek: the Next Generation episode "A Matter of Perspective."

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I do not have a whole lot to say about ‘The Loss.” The episode combines two of the worst elements of TNG: a Troi story involving a techno babble solution to a conflict. Granted, both those situations have their amusing points. Troi’s temporary loss of her powers reveals her true character for t...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Needless to say, Wesley saves them all by removing the force field. But it is the interim, where he has an emotional exchange with Picard while trying to keep him awake, that makes the episode for Wesley fans. Picard admits he envies Wesley’s youth. Wesley confesses he always wanted Picard to...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The episodes does predict the future with a high degree of accuracy. The Ferengi Nog will join Starfleet. So will half-Kilingon B’Elonna Tores. The episde takes place in 2383, four years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis in which the federation and the romulans are to negotiate a peace t...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Serving as Arbiter of Succession would certainly be a serious violation of the prime directive, but the moral conflict there is overshadowed by Klingon politics and Worf’s personal issues. The latter two are what makes the episode shine, so I can overlook the conniption fit Starfleet mu...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “Legacy” is the eightieth episode of TNG, so with it, the series officially outlasts its processor. The episode revisits the unofficial fourth season theme of family. This time, it is all about Tasha Yar and her sister. Denise Crosby is going to make an in the shadows cameo and subsequently b...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Crusher rarely gets episodes centering on her. There is only a couple I think are even remotely interesting. She is better when in her element of searching for medical miracles than in a fish out of water story like this one. It could have been worse. The story was originally set to be a subplot fo...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The Enterprise runs across a damaged ship full of Talarian children. Think of Talarians as Spartans to get an idea of what their children are like: tough, brutish, and beaten from a young age to get them used to the pain of battle. One of the children, Jono, turns out to be a human takrn as an infa...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Continuing the fourth season’s theme of family, “Brothers” deals with the data/Lore/Dr. Soong relationship. It is a unique episode in that Brent Spiner plays all three characters, each with a distinct personality, and often on the screen at the same time. The episode, more than any other,...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The situations is more poignant because it is obvious Picard is still damaged even farther down the line. The subplot of his return to France here is whether he will take an Earthbound engineering job rather than return to Starfleet. (Never mind he is not an engineer.) For a career oriented ma...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Third, and I know this is blasphemy, but Picard should never have returned as captain. This is the first time Starfleet has ever had someone assimilated. He should be whisked away by Starfleet intelligence to be studied in every method save for dissection. If he had been taken by Section 31, t...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “The Best of Both Worlds, Part I” tops just about everyone’s list of best TNG episodes. It is certainly at the top of my list. It marks a couple changes for the show. First, TNG moved out from under TOS’ shadow with the episode. It raised the level of scope and drama to a new level. Never before on smal...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I think the problem is how many common plot elements are present, but done elsewhere. The Enterprise encounters a wounded alien. The crew nurses him back to health. The alien bonds with a crewmember. In this case, it is Beverly Crusher. She falls in love with him. Hostile aliens come looking for t...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) If anything redeems this episode, I have no clue what it is. If you want to consider Marina Sirtis naked as a virtue, I really, truly, and honestly have nothing to say to you other than I will offer up prayers to spare your soul. Assuming you still have one.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) It is a great episode for continuity buffs, although since the only mention of Spock is Picard expressing embarrassment at Sarek’s love for his son, there is a gaping hole that will not be filled for another couple seasons when Spock finally shows up. But like I said above, TNG and TOS barely...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) What follows is the second time Data breaks his program by making the decision to be judge, jury, and executioner. He decides Fajo ought to die for the murder. He fires his phaser at the same time the Enterprise, the crew of which have discovered he is alive, beam him out. Data subsequently lies...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Some are better than others, mind you. “Hollow Pursuits” is average. It suffers from the usual complaint about stories featuring the holodeck--why, on a ship that can travel anywhere and run into any conceivable thing, are the writers relying on the holodeck for stories? I will grant you t...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) We both forgot Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, the Emmys in the telecast and me in my post on those who left us this year. She was not a great actress or particularly well known outside of Star Trek, but that is still enough to make merit a mention. Mea culpa for however much blame I deserve.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Starfleet assigns a Betazoid named Tam Elbrun to the Enterprise for a first contact mission with a powerful space oyster. Tam has a reputation for making first contacts, which is odd considering how many personal dislike him because one of his first contact situations got 47 Starfleet cr...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Word has it Patrick Stewart, contemplating leaving the show, asked to be featured in a more adventurous story with sex and guns. What he got for his request was “Captain’s Holiday,” as anemic an episode of TNG as one can imagine. No wonder he almost left after this season.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Things go predictably. Eventually, the real Picard figures out the cadet is associated with the aliens and is freed just in time to save the Enterprise from mutiny as his doppelganger is endangering the ship by straying too close to radiation. Picard teaches the filthy aliens the human con...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The Enterprise accepts a Klingon officer in the exchange program Riker participated in back in the second season. Kurn serves as first officer and institutes harsh Klingon discipline with Picard’s approval. Picard has such contempt for his own people. The crew grumbles under the strain,...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Data-centric episodes tend to rank higher in my book than most. “The Offspring” is no exception in spite of its obviously maudlin attempt to tug at the heartstrings. There is no particular reason for Data to have created Lal as a child other than to manipulate your emotions. It worked, blatan...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I give this episode the highest recommendation so far. It isa lovesong to the fans even though I imagine some of them will scratch their heads over some of the concepts. It is not an episode to show non-fans in order to win them over. They will just think you are crazy for liking this show. “Yesterd...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “A Matter of Perspective” is the annual budget saving bottle show with a twist to distract you from realizing it is the annual budget saving bottle show. The Rashamon style plot where the story is retold, often humorously, satisfies some fans, but I am not one of them. This is not much of an epi...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Here is where the real strength of the episode takes place. You have Data, who has spent ears studying humans close up and wants to be one teaching Q, someone who has no clue how to be human and resents he has to, interacting together. There are some fine moments between the two I could go blow by b...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) It was not supposed to be this way. Melinda D. Snodgrass, whose episodes yo yo terribly in quality, originally envisioned a parallel to the American Revolution with Picard as Cornwallis and the Romulans as the French. Picard would slowly come to realize the Federation were the oppressors. T...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The Next Generation would not be trek without an anti-war episode. “The Hunted” is not a particular fan favorite because it is not all that significant in the grand scheme of Trek, but both it and tomorrow’s “The Higher Ground” have taken on a deeper meaning in the nearly twenty years since t...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I thought “The Defector” was an interesting episode there never was a mystery as to whether Jarok was telling there really was an impending invasion. There clearly was not. The more important theme to the episode was what kind of person is Jerok? Odd, considering how few trek episode focus o...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The Troglopundit emerged from his cave the other day to draw my attention to this list ranking the Star Trek movie directors. It is not a bad list, but like any opinionated science fiction fans, I have my own ideas on who is the best. The following is my ranking, with all personal bias in full blo...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Crusher has him beamed to sickbay under the assumption the prime directive has already been violated by the observation point’s exposure. Crusher heals the man’s wounds and erases the memories of his time on the ship. Because of his unique physiology, the memory wipe does not take. When he g...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) A couple of serious piints of improvement are evident. For one, there is a lot more character development going on. The third season is when the show hits its stride by centering each episode on a different character while maintaing even quality. TOS had a tough time with that, choosing to emp...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) But the measurable loss was in the weak book ending. The season premiere’The Child” was a rewritten script from the never produced Star Trek: Phase II show from the ’70’s. The script had all the expected flaws of shifting situations and dialogue away from the originally intended character...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) We have arrived at “Q Who?,” one of the most pivotal episodes of the series. A lot of fan think that is so because the episode introduces the Borg. That is true, but it is more important because the story furthers the overall dynamic between Picard and Q that, unbeknownst to us, runs from the pil...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The plot is straightforward. A cynernetics expert named Maddox wants to take Data apart to study him. Data refuses because Maddox has not perfected his work, so he does not believe he can be put back together again properly. Maddox insists Data cannot refuse because he is a machine and theref...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) A mediocre episode at best. Data is annoying. Wesley’s man crush on Okona is irritating, too. But there is one very good point--Pulaski does not appear! I was hoping she had fallen down an elevator shaft in between episodes, but no such luck. She will be back tomorrow. Bummer.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The Enterprise is exploring a region of space no manned federation ship has ever been to. The crew encounters a hole in space. Data assures Picard nothing like this has ever been seen before even though Kirk and crew discovered a phenomenon just like it in “The Immunity Syndrome.” It would hav...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) There is nothing to see here other than the characters settling into their new, deeper roles. The drama is maudlin at best without any significant consequences. Surely they could have kicked the season off with a better episode. Indeed, several subsequent episodes are resuses of Star Trek...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) You might even consider it a double miss, depending on your opinion of writer Tracy Torme. His original plan was for their to be a coup among high ranking Starfleet officials as a commentary on the Iran Contra scandal. Gene Roddenberry had kittens over the idea. There was absolutely no way any...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Third, Picard and Crusher. The two become trapped in a cavern with Crusher seriously injured. For the briefest of moments, there are hints of romance. At least, Crusher appears about to reveal feelings for Picard. He seems oblivious and/or ambivalent. Take your pick which. Word has it writer R...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Which dovetails into the side story, although we do not realize that yet. Picard is offered the head of Starfleet academy if he wants it. The move is part of what will be revealed in “Conspiracy” as an alien plot to place key figures in important positions as a prelude to invasion. Picard turns d...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Star Trek: The Next Generation--"Too Short a Season" Not to say karmas was any better. He appears to gotten away with threatening to kill the hostages while not only remaining in power, but on good terms with the Federation. How did that happen?

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “The Big Goodbye” features the first of many holodeck malfunctions in Trek. I am of mixed emotions about that. While I have to wonder why a series set in outer space with all its wonderful possibilities has to rely on a holodeck for stories, a few of those stories have been quite good. “The Big Go...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “Haven” was awfully trite and shallow. You knew Troi was not going to get married, so you were never surprised when Wyatt found an alternate plan for his life. I obviously do not care much for the Riker/Troi relationship, so I have no emotional attachment to Riker’s on again/off again jealou...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Yesterday, I finished covering all episodes of the original series and as promised (or threatened, depending on your perspective0) I will begin covering Star Trek; The Next Generation. It will be a much more significant commitment than reviewing TOS. There are 175 or so episodes of TNG, d...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) If I may tie this in to future Trek, the most baffling aspect of “The Way to Eden” is that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” though not a direct sequel, adopts a number of the episode’s worst concepts. Out of all the episodes the story could have stolen from, this is the one chosen. It is beyond me.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I have to debate the morality of Spock wiping Kirk’s mind of Rayna's memory as well. Is it really a good idea to get rid of bad memories? Yes, they are unpleasant, but they are a part of what shapes us. Living with the pain of bad memories toughens us up. Spock is giving Kirk a crutch that might hurt i...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Star Trek--"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" I know many consider this episode a classic, but I have seen the ugly side of racism, and “Let that Be Your Last Battlefield” just insults the heck out of people who are seriously dealing with the issue on a daily basis.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) First, about the torture. I want to make sure I am avoiding any contradictions myself. If all goes well, I will be reviewing Tng’s “Chain of Command II” sometime in late December. The bulk of that episode is an imprisoned Picard brutally tortured by a sadistic Cardassian, Gul Madred, after he...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I have to start with the kiss. In recent years, it has been said by both William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols the kiss never really happened. The camera changed angles after the scene shown above, so we never saw lips locked. Now, I only have one peeper left and it has seen (no pun intended) its be...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The Enterprise discovers a ship being propelled by ion drive. A woman appearson the bridge, renders thecrew unconscious, seeks out Spock, and places her hand on his forehead. When thecrewawaken, they discover Spock in sickbay, brainless and on life support. McCoy explains they have 24 ho...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “Assignment: Earth” is the most unusual episode of Trek as it served mainly as a pilot for a new show Gene Roddenberry was cooking up. The show was to featurea futuristic James Bond character named Gary Seven, his clueless assistant Roberta Lincoln, and Isis, a cat that could turn into a hum...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) You rarely, if ever, find “Obsession” among the favorites list of your average Trek fan. I think that is unfair. Perhaps the contrivances are too mucvh to stand. I will admit it boggles the mind for Kirk and a new ensign to have juxtaposed positions from the ensign’s deceased father when encou...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) But that is not the only bad element. The episode blatantly lifts plot elements from past installments. The most blatant is another gung ho commodore taking over the ship and putting it in danger even though ’The Doomsday Machine” aired a scant few weeks previous. But we also have a mentally i...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) My TNG/DS9 era favoritism is going to shine through prominently in my review of “Metamorphosis.” The episode marks the first time the legendary Zefram Cochrane appears in Trek. I had seen the episode numerous times over the years before watching Star Trek: First Contact in 1996. As far as I a...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I will mention one nice touch. It is a timely one, too, considering the high number of casualties in the last three or four episodes. The dead crewmen is commemorated at the end of the episode rather than their being a humorous moment between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy as usual. We know the ship is ex...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) This is the second script penned by science fiction great Theodore Sturgeon. I am pleased gene Roddenberry decided to hand over the duties of creating the Vulcan mythology to someone else period, much less someone as talented as sturgeon. "Amok Time" is the second , final, and best of his fi...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I have received a special request to tread gently on this episode. It will not be a tough Task. In spite of some absurd moments--flying, plastic barf attacking Spock--”Operation: Annihilate” is one of the most solid episodes of TOS. What is more, you can imagine Kirk is certainly still in pai...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Although Scotty was not dealing drugs, another character created just for this episode, Lt. Beckwith, is dealing in Jewels of Sound, a sonic narcotic. Roddenberry objected to having any of his perfect crew showing such poor character. Perhaps this was Roddenberry's complaint, and not de...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) In stark contrast to the previous episode, ’The Alternative Factor,” the plot and theoretical science actually make sense. The Enterprise is thrown back in time to 1969. The damaged ship is spotted by an USAF fighter. The pilot has to be beamed aboard before he can fire at the Enterprise. Thus...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Star Trek--"Arena" On a less savory note, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelly all suffered damage to their hearing because of the firing of the mortar in the ground battle with the Gorn during the first act. They suffered for their art, folks.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon makes his trek debut with this episode. It is the weaker of his two outings, but considering his second was the Hugo award winning “Amok Time” in which much of Vulcan culture was established, it is not much of an insult to call it the weaker. Sturge...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I am going to combine the only two part episode of TOS into one review since the bulk of content is from the unaired pilot, ’The Cage.” I have already written about how much I liked it, so there is no need to retread old ground. “The Menagerie” was the first of three episodes in Trek history to win t...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) If there is one thing trek has been consistent with, it is making children centered episodes terrible. The only exception across five series I can come up with is TNG’s “Worship,” the episode in which a boy coping with survivor’s guilt emulates Data in order to shield his emotions. I am prett...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Star Trek is famous for allegedly being a groundbreaking source of progressive social commentary. Gene Roddenberry believed he could discuss issues of prejudice safely if he put blue skin and pointy ears on the characters. To some extent, it worked out that way. But anytime someone coos ov...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) I chose Star Trek to start with since it is the granddaddy of science fiction television series and, with 79 episodes, is relatively short enough to test my attention span. This is a hefty commitment I am taking on. Plus, I am wary of J. J. Abrams messing with the continuity of the Trek Universe. I m...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) A few weeks ago, WGN began airing Star Trek: the Next Generation in three episode blocks every Tuesday night, starting with “Encounter at Farpoint.” The Sci Fi Channel has also begun airing reruns from the beginning, but whatever reason, I have only paid attention to WGN’s run. I am watchin...