tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20032850031123585372024-03-05T03:00:01.348-08:00Warp Speed to NonsenseEvery episode of Star Trek summarized, reviewed, and made fun of (just a little). Updates Mondays.Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.comBlogger304125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-23453611219373307622023-02-06T15:45:00.002-08:002023-02-06T15:45:39.563-08:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Twenty "Cost of Living"ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Twenty "Cost of Living"<br />
Production Order: 20<br />
Air Order: 20<br />
Stardate: 45733.6<br />
Original Air Date: April 20, 1992<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMaGQ713Q4aGnUm_Ritg2WGUFPxuGtTw3r8hGGP_mbPpQVV4jvRSv2JoB0HPaXUIeLxSiNWkZJkeFrDTMbU0XdfwIAlbH18T3IcxKGI7tXPXiV53rAnp4WaEuaRNFaUr3CRxebjClSbkYQ1yZiyxkqtrqMB8MGNJuDTv84QfYwme7d4ccmkE1N_NR9g/s628/col1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="628" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMaGQ713Q4aGnUm_Ritg2WGUFPxuGtTw3r8hGGP_mbPpQVV4jvRSv2JoB0HPaXUIeLxSiNWkZJkeFrDTMbU0XdfwIAlbH18T3IcxKGI7tXPXiV53rAnp4WaEuaRNFaUr3CRxebjClSbkYQ1yZiyxkqtrqMB8MGNJuDTv84QfYwme7d4ccmkE1N_NR9g/w400-h291/col1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>This cold opening is wild, y'all.</div><div>We start out pretty much in the middle of a sentence, with Worf yelling that the photon torpedoes are ready. I had to restart the episode a few times before realizing that that's just where it starts.</div><div>The basic gist is: they're near a planet, and an asteroid is about to hit, threatening to send the inhabitants the way of the dinosaurs. Did the people of this planet contact Starfleet/the Enterprise to ask for help? Dunno. That part isn't important, so it doesn't come up.</div><div>Anyway, they blow it up. Data reports that there's still a chunk big enough to cause catastrophic damage, and that it'll hit the planet's atmosphere in less than one minute. But the core of this chunk is made of something that will not be destroyed by another torpedo. <br /><div>Worf attempts a tractor beam, but reports that the core of this hard-ass Gusher fruit snack will not allow it to be tractored away safely, so Picard says to use the deflector dish to make a particle beam, and that finally does the trick.</div><div>The asteroid disintegrates, Data proclaims that it is no longer a threat, Picard tells the helm to put them back on course, and glitter rains down on the E as it flies away.</div><div><br /></div><div>Opening credits and stuff.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFf6-faAQ-0_0ah9LPTQUPB3mUtq02A-dnEjNv0Ju7JJkT9s-2fxou0hgWflFhQhqzvVPXPSSPe7RV3JECMgCa8oqCi5C1uJ24l8TWOnLhthL-4Eg92R-4ZaIgWMQDnCQz4FSw5aagN1L8fSDw9nnJgcXoh7yFl7KMXLA7VNQNzJsGuDTFGeyG-6r4xQ/s610/col2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="610" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFf6-faAQ-0_0ah9LPTQUPB3mUtq02A-dnEjNv0Ju7JJkT9s-2fxou0hgWflFhQhqzvVPXPSSPe7RV3JECMgCa8oqCi5C1uJ24l8TWOnLhthL-4Eg92R-4ZaIgWMQDnCQz4FSw5aagN1L8fSDw9nnJgcXoh7yFl7KMXLA7VNQNzJsGuDTFGeyG-6r4xQ/w400-h300/col2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We jump right into a new scene after the credits. </div><div>Alexander and Worf are in Troi's office, rehashing an argument.</div><div>Worf told Alexander yesterday that he needed to put his dirty clothes in the 24th century version of a hamper before he could play, and Alexander is arguing that the rule doesn't apply today, as Worf hadn't said it today. Basically, Worf didn't make it clear that this rule was a Forever Rule, and Alexander is playing semantics.</div><div>Troi is over it. Bickering Klingons are probably more chaos than she's used to in her office.</div><div>She suggests a contract between them, where they each get to do things they want after the obligations set down in said contract are fulfilled.</div><div>Alexander is suspicious. "You mean I have to do what he says."</div><div>"No, I mean that you're <i>both</i> bound to the contract," she corrects.</div><div>"That's bribery," growls Worf.</div><div>UGH. I spent a long time in early childhood education, and you know who howls about "bribery" regarding kids when a reward system is suggested?</div><div>a. People who declare that they deserve a beer after their hard day of work;</div><div>b. People who think that yelling at their kid will solve the problem, a sort of "beatings will continue until morale improves;"</div><div>c. People who refuse to recognize that the yelling isn't ever going to work.</div><div>This Venn Diagram is a circle.<br />
If you feel a rising need to shoot down a reward system by calling it bribery, you need to STFU.</div><div>Which Worf needs to do right now.</div><div>Shut the fuck up, Worf.</div><div>Anyway, she recognizes that Alexander has a point, and asks him what he'd like from Worf.</div><div>"No yelling," Alexander requests.</div><div>Worf starts to yell that he does not yell, then catches himself, and repeats quietly and calmly that he does not yell.</div><div>Sassy Troi Moment: "Well then, you should have no trouble with that part."<br />
She wraps up the session by suggesting that they return to quarters and talk about what they'd each like in their contracts.</div><div>Worf reluctantly agrees, and as they're leaving, Troi pulls Alexander aside, and tells him that even if it doesn't feel like it, Worf cares enough about him to set rules. That most children eventually grow to appreciate their parents...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gCQJoVEuUurnx3xR3tKR5vFQFFnDvXdZqXekYPHMFuhrGpIiyB-1QXy6AU8lCeMk5OrLfeHsN1dANDeNkaqCpFrs1Dvr5izItTRH-HIoBcSKHof8WoKWyKl2mp0v3Eny79sYmGY7CQZGJFDhBcLE_BrYEgvoc33fVKjViSR51SsbO9snZf7eNBUFPg/s603/col3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="603" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gCQJoVEuUurnx3xR3tKR5vFQFFnDvXdZqXekYPHMFuhrGpIiyB-1QXy6AU8lCeMk5OrLfeHsN1dANDeNkaqCpFrs1Dvr5izItTRH-HIoBcSKHof8WoKWyKl2mp0v3Eny79sYmGY7CQZGJFDhBcLE_BrYEgvoc33fVKjViSR51SsbO9snZf7eNBUFPg/w400-h304/col3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>... a line of dialogue that was only added because of the next second, where Riker calls Troi to tell her that her mother just came aboard.</div><div>"Oh, fuck me," sighs Troi.<br />
"IT'S MOTHER!" Lwaxana Troi calls over Riker's open comm as she steps off the transporter pad. "I have good news - I'm getting married!"</div><div>Hmmm, do you also feel that the office scene ending with Lwaxana coming aboard would have made a much better cold open, with the marriage announcement coming just before the credit break? Yeah, me too. Which makes that asteroid scene feel like like an "episode's too long, need another scene" addition, but it's not. They have an unrelated, kind of unremarkable sci-fi B-plot shoehorned into this episode, and needed to set it up before Lwaxana came aboard.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpRtf2byyqU6M1wUErthOWSvNaW8l3BjBqrPuZN6bIocd-iboIU4mYS4beEg6Hi7Fu8Mtju-OETFLJ0qcT1g7BEMr4xOUK0JSWYmnHIEgHSfM-UPl2AY1Q1jWhXvcUfZK1gzh-ECZh1NtDmwwlBUbEsUM_0luIGyVPgf85n2NrmMyLAN2eynGA8XVyA/s610/col4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="610" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpRtf2byyqU6M1wUErthOWSvNaW8l3BjBqrPuZN6bIocd-iboIU4mYS4beEg6Hi7Fu8Mtju-OETFLJ0qcT1g7BEMr4xOUK0JSWYmnHIEgHSfM-UPl2AY1Q1jWhXvcUfZK1gzh-ECZh1NtDmwwlBUbEsUM_0luIGyVPgf85n2NrmMyLAN2eynGA8XVyA/w400-h301/col4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So instead of a credits break, we go straight to Ten Forward, where Troi drops heavily into a chair while Lwaxana holds court, walking and talking about how Ten Forward would be a lovely setting for a wedding. She intends to get married on the Enterprise. Like, in a few days.</div><div>"This is sudden," Troi objects. "Who is this guy? How long have you known him? Where did you meet?"</div><div>Lwaxana cheerfully calls her "plodding," and asks where she got such pedestrian genes, asking all these questions.</div><div>Probably from her father. You know, the guy you selected to have children with, Lwaxana.</div><div>"These are not weird questions!" Troi insists. "Who is he?"</div><div>Lwaxana starts going off about how her new man is "absolute perfection," and so awesome, and finally answers that "he's Campio, third minister to the conference of judges to the planet Kostolain." Gosh, are you sure he's suited to Lwaxana Troi, daughter of the Fifth House, holder of the sacred Chalice of Rixx, and heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed?</div><div>But it turns out that she's never actually met Campio. They've been texting via Space Tinder, and decided to get married.</div><div>Troi is unimpressed. "Don't you think you should meet the man you're marrying before you commit to spending your life with him?"</div><div>Sassy Lwaxana Moment: "Deanna, I love you, but you do make everything sound like an epitaph."<br />
<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN_HZR8ITOHFYd9w8TJzrHJ2mGrmdhXOY0ihy66U-eLImHQ_MSVRtOE3YBaOo3cw72UPfM2S-T8iCJyQmQYd6ht-XQb91Wus23McpDL40awBrVl2nowgMKjhaWyQQ1O7rDcwRosYwQXFSJDsya1d7zRAS93pDeiwDIpN4qFwP5CX4wV0B-n3uluAHVw/s608/col5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN_HZR8ITOHFYd9w8TJzrHJ2mGrmdhXOY0ihy66U-eLImHQ_MSVRtOE3YBaOo3cw72UPfM2S-T8iCJyQmQYd6ht-XQb91Wus23McpDL40awBrVl2nowgMKjhaWyQQ1O7rDcwRosYwQXFSJDsya1d7zRAS93pDeiwDIpN4qFwP5CX4wV0B-n3uluAHVw/w400-h300/col5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Worf and Alexander come in, arguing. Worf apologizes for the interruption, and tells Troi that they are having trouble with the contract. Troi introduces Alexander to her mother, and Lwaxana gushes over the younger Klingon, telling him that she once knew a tall warrior named Alexander... and I think she starts making herself out to be Cleopatra? Anyway, she calls him "Little Warrior" (which is kind of a fitting nickname for a Klingon, tbh), but then interrupts her own thoughts to demand "what contract???"</div><div>Troi cheerfully explains that it's a father-son contract, but Lwaxana is disgusted, and informs them all that "contracts are for people that don't trust each other."</div><div>"I'm guessing that if he breaks the contract, he'll be punished?" she demands.</div><div>Worf puts it in kindlier terms, but agrees.</div><div>"Uh-huh, and if you break the contract, what is he going to do about it?"</div><div>Yeah, Mr Woof. Who sanctions you? Can he haul you up in front of Counselor Troi if you fail to uphold your part of the contract?</div><div>Troi starts to tell her mother to butt out, but then Lwaxana tells Alexander that the point to life is to enjoy enjoyment, and that he shouldn't be worrying about some dumb old contract.</div><div>Deanna is done. Worf is done. Lwaxana and Alexander are BFFs now.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8sJNmcrVVBqHcGBIwT69geZJyvR6Ir6ObY9ZPeSmI3K2eTRpm_7atlSExbSSmUc0977sUY_rPE2tRUJDd574f7r0DP_7HSuHFqBuwmdcdTyMi39pLbJJlo6scGDhq7C91Bm8tc3nrPpsKViNjpjDnldRlKW-Vk0_wXm-zAJDHc_Lp903OLbis-u8cA/s606/col6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="606" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8sJNmcrVVBqHcGBIwT69geZJyvR6Ir6ObY9ZPeSmI3K2eTRpm_7atlSExbSSmUc0977sUY_rPE2tRUJDd574f7r0DP_7HSuHFqBuwmdcdTyMi39pLbJJlo6scGDhq7C91Bm8tc3nrPpsKViNjpjDnldRlKW-Vk0_wXm-zAJDHc_Lp903OLbis-u8cA/w400-h301/col6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard and Riker are walking through the corridor, and Picard is bitching about the fact that Lwaxana Troi just fucking shows up whenever she wants to, and pulls her shenanigans on his ship, all because her daughter is one of his officers, and he's over it.</div><div>Riker replies that their heading will take them near where the groom is going to be, in about 31 hours, and that Lwaxana also picked the E to hold her wedding because she feels that the honor of giving away the bride should fall to Picard.</div><div>You know the sheer joy that Riker felt in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/06/sttng-season-two-episode-nineteen.html">"Manhunt"</a> when Troi told Picard that her mother's sex drive had possibly quadrupled, and that Lwaxana had chosen Picard as a potential mate? Yeah, he's got that same level of amusement now.</div><div>They stop. There's a reconsideration.</div><div>Angry, Yet Sassy Picard Moment: "Permission for an onboard wedding is granted, Number One. Nothing would please me more than to give away Mrs Troi."</div><div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZaclQQTEAjv28eQ6Q8w9dFOq0wqoDMWMYC57f2dz_Ohf_yumutuh5aPh8u9VGxojhLgMZuQ9jG-P4v2gPbx71FObRuA7pNiNzB7oX3zOWGfBB9kpndvlPFRwBchqqeI2IpWEc6NATW2h2Uu8uxyFDh0hn5w_T7Vc6goypR1HiLnQFFQuC8uEBqvx1g/s605/col7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="605" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZaclQQTEAjv28eQ6Q8w9dFOq0wqoDMWMYC57f2dz_Ohf_yumutuh5aPh8u9VGxojhLgMZuQ9jG-P4v2gPbx71FObRuA7pNiNzB7oX3zOWGfBB9kpndvlPFRwBchqqeI2IpWEc6NATW2h2Uu8uxyFDh0hn5w_T7Vc6goypR1HiLnQFFQuC8uEBqvx1g/w400-h303/col7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>But then as they walk away, the camera swings upward to a corner near the ceiling, and there's a glittery, moving... something.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6o1d_diu4dKJ_sRHHArkmv20fMg_sqeYGzin3EnpygtpiLvRoezupP-2Hb8IVXIa90skiB2pVpS4wP1DDS88fQys1TP9Nts5dktOQ_WCMe3hc0LQ6lBe0AoNxaDgHFh3gXlxrSPVQd5LJ1xLvxfjwuBRh1hUx_I11szNlw17AfiBBh5ckO1yBMXQTA/s608/col8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="608" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6o1d_diu4dKJ_sRHHArkmv20fMg_sqeYGzin3EnpygtpiLvRoezupP-2Hb8IVXIa90skiB2pVpS4wP1DDS88fQys1TP9Nts5dktOQ_WCMe3hc0LQ6lBe0AoNxaDgHFh3gXlxrSPVQd5LJ1xLvxfjwuBRh1hUx_I11szNlw17AfiBBh5ckO1yBMXQTA/w400-h303/col8.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Alexander is fidgeting with the laptop in Troi's office when Lwaxana comes in, looking for Deanna. He admits that he's shown up early for their appointment to avoid having to deal with his father.</div><div>"I hate him," says Alexander. "He's all about rules. I wish my mother was here, but she died."</div><div>Lwaxana is sympathetic, and says that they should go do something fun.</div><div>"Let's go have a mud bath on a colony of free-thinkers!"</div><div>So they go, hand-in-hand, down the corridor to the holodecks, where she knocks on the wall to get the attention of the computer, creating another delightful scene where Majel Barrett talks to herself.<br />
"Hey," says Majel. "You got the Parallax Colony on Shiralea VI?"</div><div>"I do," replies Majel.</div><div>They go in, and are greeted by a head in a bubble.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqYuq55pY_LILBtZYSv2-96qeyMtpQqX-ghI_mKQZeD9a0hbRNdOVJUS-rBa7YbVWSnfkNtsYC10gLxRWWAEktgLFzmUtm1vlu7Ia5n1UdkfxcX1XpV1nECXJcXy4Ymi80emssa_EiAfMAze3eSGiMCh1YxN68zm8A3MJp_AcbDGGLkb2PTeE7xnVbw/s608/col9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="608" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqYuq55pY_LILBtZYSv2-96qeyMtpQqX-ghI_mKQZeD9a0hbRNdOVJUS-rBa7YbVWSnfkNtsYC10gLxRWWAEktgLFzmUtm1vlu7Ia5n1UdkfxcX1XpV1nECXJcXy4Ymi80emssa_EiAfMAze3eSGiMCh1YxN68zm8A3MJp_AcbDGGLkb2PTeE7xnVbw/w400-h303/col9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>The head says nothing, and Lwaxana tells Alexander that it's a wind dancer, and that it stands guard over the colony, and keeps out anyone whose heart is not joyous. She kisses the bubble, and it appears to blush, then leads them into the colony.</div><div>Okay, this episode won Emmy awards for both costume design and make-up, so you're getting pics of all of these alien weirdos.</div><div>First up, fire sculptor:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9X1-fFHXA_cJAyAdfVxPzM9z0StvT4UCxeCrG4WUlrcWvCbsPABjeDTd3FThOIfS6wZMy9I2h-_Zrfhx4FrKjd0epwAXGOk4w8VfiprXozPMhOvaQ9XpetunWjHC5uH8qZaYveBOUtVe9Z6fmANVY4vccYSkViMsMKUr0QCs95v504vV66Wg35EFsw/s608/fire%20sculptor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="608" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9X1-fFHXA_cJAyAdfVxPzM9z0StvT4UCxeCrG4WUlrcWvCbsPABjeDTd3FThOIfS6wZMy9I2h-_Zrfhx4FrKjd0epwAXGOk4w8VfiprXozPMhOvaQ9XpetunWjHC5uH8qZaYveBOUtVe9Z6fmANVY4vccYSkViMsMKUr0QCs95v504vV66Wg35EFsw/w400-h304/fire%20sculptor.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Next up is the juggler, and he gets a bunch of lines and becomes the de facto tour guide of the colony program, so I'll grab a few of him. This dude has extra shoulder blades and ears that connect like headphones and L-shaped eyebrows that grow out from his forehead.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwfIR5iVQarpTBdlmQTCy1q2ooql6Ala2gibNn_E7_x45fQYs0SmgKGOJxP-eSK_HsSmjinRpLIk0ft8RYS9JGrf2NJ-6gVch-hBkADMhnfByIrsUwi_OLS0kmbk_H0IJ7nndkSb4M5EN9U0f0lx3UIJVKrhbimVInKjx-JxTb2NImQsIDvCE8vOGFg/s603/juggler1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwfIR5iVQarpTBdlmQTCy1q2ooql6Ala2gibNn_E7_x45fQYs0SmgKGOJxP-eSK_HsSmjinRpLIk0ft8RYS9JGrf2NJ-6gVch-hBkADMhnfByIrsUwi_OLS0kmbk_H0IJ7nndkSb4M5EN9U0f0lx3UIJVKrhbimVInKjx-JxTb2NImQsIDvCE8vOGFg/w400-h305/juggler1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYEXlzcO-IehmBO00WrCJ27LOZpW9SUuN8Weu304DBCquBW0GnEzIvdXvs2DurUCg6RdZilfdSc6D1-PUGDh2gLrAf7a-mqOYpbmkgyFLBFyCuLgZVbG9vNtgJT8_66I5Txfu_W2sAcVWLxYtRuTZyc9FqVbFAu8_IaLyVCeezEXKYTJRDYJDdTIOQQ/s605/juggler%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="605" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYEXlzcO-IehmBO00WrCJ27LOZpW9SUuN8Weu304DBCquBW0GnEzIvdXvs2DurUCg6RdZilfdSc6D1-PUGDh2gLrAf7a-mqOYpbmkgyFLBFyCuLgZVbG9vNtgJT8_66I5Txfu_W2sAcVWLxYtRuTZyc9FqVbFAu8_IaLyVCeezEXKYTJRDYJDdTIOQQ/w400-h250/juggler%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIaQXfPWdywqB5JAIfSthKKwOOOYry_EKrp9g1doXsrkzS3nsMHF2wPrrpTcka2m7IF0B3J0gIRshUIqx9o3d0RlM1h-pqA_aMwhhvSF8kc6poJVjp7KfZNT6yvFMRrOZlIZXkpPOGYrXVrjhws-kg4bZUGmslvkKF4YEoOjF6VRg_v_8ajuqB8_LjQ/s602/juggler3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="602" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIaQXfPWdywqB5JAIfSthKKwOOOYry_EKrp9g1doXsrkzS3nsMHF2wPrrpTcka2m7IF0B3J0gIRshUIqx9o3d0RlM1h-pqA_aMwhhvSF8kc6poJVjp7KfZNT6yvFMRrOZlIZXkpPOGYrXVrjhws-kg4bZUGmslvkKF4YEoOjF6VRg_v_8ajuqB8_LjQ/w400-h303/juggler3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div>He invites them to Laughing Hour, and when they say they're here for a mud bath, he decides to go with them. He tells Alexander that he never drops a ball, because they're his worlds.</div><div>They all move on, and the juggler invites a matching pair of people to join the mud bath gang. This matched set argue about whether or not they will join in. The juggler tells Alexander that they argue because they're friends.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYHWPWu6QwLngNPk7HU3BCGzpo2AxdQEr_g0Ny8sLHuEM3Vb6YjLVGBbjesbQEn_TjRsDW9OGczJOIbTHoOYKa_4GDGOoySHquCgDyWlot_8gCdtHUdQ-RMRl98LiCnM4rSPgZ7AFjOKwzFTtcaf9CZOqKzcCMMenyxVuJJInHDjC7VI868QTjRDoeg/s596/contrarians.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="596" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYHWPWu6QwLngNPk7HU3BCGzpo2AxdQEr_g0Ny8sLHuEM3Vb6YjLVGBbjesbQEn_TjRsDW9OGczJOIbTHoOYKa_4GDGOoySHquCgDyWlot_8gCdtHUdQ-RMRl98LiCnM4rSPgZ7AFjOKwzFTtcaf9CZOqKzcCMMenyxVuJJInHDjC7VI868QTjRDoeg/w400-h310/contrarians.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd90CAWnAhKnMN5LSKhxzA3o29NE_S_QvKv1DVSGUqwYEFP0nh346REAlV0cJiKKZbhUCsX78-9mMB1Gnu8zcEr7PJB1czUsgeWm7l_jOzEIy1YHoD1efniuE4bfImDf7bkGVg2czdzXHwU0ywOnJZ4xQefAJJPmTZ9fiJrP7BA5_v9WrTlCbFsnQzCA/s612/contrarian.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="612" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd90CAWnAhKnMN5LSKhxzA3o29NE_S_QvKv1DVSGUqwYEFP0nh346REAlV0cJiKKZbhUCsX78-9mMB1Gnu8zcEr7PJB1czUsgeWm7l_jOzEIy1YHoD1efniuE4bfImDf7bkGVg2czdzXHwU0ywOnJZ4xQefAJJPmTZ9fiJrP7BA5_v9WrTlCbFsnQzCA/w400-h301/contrarian.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Then there's this guy. He stands and talks in a low, slow voice about lessons of the day, and how every moment needs to have a purpose. He ends with "The higher... the fewer..." which... I dunno. Colony of free-thinkers. Just go with it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZs2ldLEB1zvAe_XKXd2EmJXv14U20KiGiadqwT7LwLm8aNk7J9OsdiA2hkhuN_bcLxPpf9ZAYMehb1YmWSKJQ5VoALlyYnthR80-6MTnEtxe-J3OFqaIe8TXYhJM8TxnMTMj9By8lYiZDktZdloRh7-KcPMq41O3JIyh-JtMnqwUJmGPcIqgP8KqABA/s601/orator.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="601" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZs2ldLEB1zvAe_XKXd2EmJXv14U20KiGiadqwT7LwLm8aNk7J9OsdiA2hkhuN_bcLxPpf9ZAYMehb1YmWSKJQ5VoALlyYnthR80-6MTnEtxe-J3OFqaIe8TXYhJM8TxnMTMj9By8lYiZDktZdloRh7-KcPMq41O3JIyh-JtMnqwUJmGPcIqgP8KqABA/w400-h304/orator.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Alexander goes back to the contrarian couple, and tells them in a low, slow voice, "the higherrrrr, the fewerrrrr." They look puzzled. He's baffled them with bullshit.</div><div>Lwaxana laughs and says that he's opened his mind to more than just fighting.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back in Worf's quarters, our resident Klingon is on his knees, digging stuff out from underneath the couch, including dirty clothes and something that looks like a handheld game. There is much grumbling about his kid. It's a very... parental moment.</div><div>Troi drops in. "Alexander didn't show for his appointment. Is he not here?"</div><div>Worf is annoyed. He addresses the ceiling. "Majel, where is Alexander Rozhenko?"</div><div>"Holodeck," replies Majel.</div><div>Troi asks Majel if Alexander is alone, and Majel replies that he's with Lwaxana.</div><div>Given that Alexander's reward for fulfilling his contract was getting to fight monsters on the holodeck, neither is surprised.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back in the bath, the yellow Higher/Fewer guy, who seems to be labeled in the credits as "poet," makes a toast to "all the creatures within us." They all touch cups.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumLsK0X3DWa_wQFChOlrdUHOeT2KwECjS8ULnpjP3va0_U50WsKiWSB2st11y-Rz-_k1MtH9bnqApvSx75-EB04PoO7f-BLwu6GK3PSKeM9h_oZTOXa76x0Dgub1GS-2ZcO8eLa2varwfP265C7MqseLrFKzEGFxg267FJCEzlH5CFHcj84EyxKj2Xg/s606/col10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="606" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumLsK0X3DWa_wQFChOlrdUHOeT2KwECjS8ULnpjP3va0_U50WsKiWSB2st11y-Rz-_k1MtH9bnqApvSx75-EB04PoO7f-BLwu6GK3PSKeM9h_oZTOXa76x0Dgub1GS-2ZcO8eLa2varwfP265C7MqseLrFKzEGFxg267FJCEzlH5CFHcj84EyxKj2Xg/w400-h301/col10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Alexander asks Lwaxana about "the creature within us" comment, and she explains that everyone has little people within themselves that represent thoughts and feelings, and you carry them wherever you go.</div><div>Lwaxana: "The secret is not the variety of life, it's the variety of us."</div><div>I just love how stoked Brian Bonsall appears to be in this scene. "Me and some aliens sit in a big tub of mud? Really?"</div><div>It's Little Kid Energy.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Z4BDZ7ctkYh1EZgDv9EKAYwW7-avoYS0KOCvLhKe8I0PBQSYSHe9on8o8emP_aEXFDO-FaAa1kw7om1y6y_RwBWem59Puvx-gHo_jLK8yASl_fIWjYBlAutYr4pBtBPibNgtbxgWSBX28cdlcPZDAd5pGAXW9eilB94z0dOKXCPkCTPTJ-3o8oObTA/s608/col11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="608" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Z4BDZ7ctkYh1EZgDv9EKAYwW7-avoYS0KOCvLhKe8I0PBQSYSHe9on8o8emP_aEXFDO-FaAa1kw7om1y6y_RwBWem59Puvx-gHo_jLK8yASl_fIWjYBlAutYr4pBtBPibNgtbxgWSBX28cdlcPZDAd5pGAXW9eilB94z0dOKXCPkCTPTJ-3o8oObTA/w400-h301/col11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Also, those cups are edible, so they all toasted, drank whatever was inside, and are now happily munching on the containers.</div><div>Entertainment is called for, and some music starts.</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, Worf and Troi have entered the holodeck. They're approached by the floating head gatekeeper bubble, who tries to play the same games that it played with Alexander and Lwaxana. Instead, Worf swats at it and the bubble pops.</div><div><br /></div><div>The entertainment has arrived, and she's sporting body-paint-as-costume.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxxcLVPG2atRpUPpRztIoSjgMjWy_eRHfNTkKOHhL9fjsRQ48UWFXCEJhFMTy96mGiXz0I86gGD7k1W0ur6cF_MREtTmes8NqsVfiROrCG7cwOXDabApyytXvKysTgGZhioLzu778LX1_64L40RPwAuSN7bsU5Y0zddPGsy-uFtFe6dt_iaE9xSMeRg/s608/col12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="608" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxxcLVPG2atRpUPpRztIoSjgMjWy_eRHfNTkKOHhL9fjsRQ48UWFXCEJhFMTy96mGiXz0I86gGD7k1W0ur6cF_MREtTmes8NqsVfiROrCG7cwOXDabApyytXvKysTgGZhioLzu778LX1_64L40RPwAuSN7bsU5Y0zddPGsy-uFtFe6dt_iaE9xSMeRg/w400-h301/col12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTiHZ7M_nvuFEaKyIzMBEDv53AYdYCPwejuGSpSv3jYnb7FtS2pNUx0S5HFUx0quwr7-2vNbXfsmgG939OJRomiOCj2K2O6l2MVf-O50-0vH5ygnbzJVrNrQE8Y9Ha5FjROMImMlp2phxa1fNNajDaNgPUkIrQxbXfZJuZj6zJEmj-aCZxJGpWdWYAw/s602/col13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="602" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTiHZ7M_nvuFEaKyIzMBEDv53AYdYCPwejuGSpSv3jYnb7FtS2pNUx0S5HFUx0quwr7-2vNbXfsmgG939OJRomiOCj2K2O6l2MVf-O50-0vH5ygnbzJVrNrQE8Y9Ha5FjROMImMlp2phxa1fNNajDaNgPUkIrQxbXfZJuZj6zJEmj-aCZxJGpWdWYAw/w400-h304/col13.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEz3wbs3xY42qSIv0ucAHIvz2TZ-llR0yOdN0d60JPzPmfQuz8olkHKCPXAJ7trExFZmEB9aTiZiWaM6ZoPn0ej37om643hCV4X1nmS_fmfB4Xi_AkO4UXUWqKb4MgdS-uQNTglV1iDtnPHDE2n-9aHg-DoofQVVVWrNjENjrHAdEDikTI4XGNSn5Fg/s608/col14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="608" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEz3wbs3xY42qSIv0ucAHIvz2TZ-llR0yOdN0d60JPzPmfQuz8olkHKCPXAJ7trExFZmEB9aTiZiWaM6ZoPn0ej37om643hCV4X1nmS_fmfB4Xi_AkO4UXUWqKb4MgdS-uQNTglV1iDtnPHDE2n-9aHg-DoofQVVVWrNjENjrHAdEDikTI4XGNSn5Fg/w400-h301/col14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Every time I see something like this, I wonder how long it took that poor dancer to "get into costume."</div><div>Hours, probably. First, careful paint following an intricate pattern, then painstaking application of all of those little scales.</div><div>All for ten seconds on camera where she dances like an <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2013/11/season-1-episode-165-menagerie-part-2.html">Orion slave girl</a>, and the poet guy blows her kisses like your least favorite uncle.</div><div>Then who should show up but Counselor Troi and The Fun-Time Ruiner Band.</div><div>They're wearing their best "you're in so much trouble" eyebrows, and because she wants to continue to be thought of as easygoing, Lwaxana invites them in.</div><div>Nothing doing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7T6Kh9eRLvHqieXZ9GQX4mjnP33iYklhQmSA5TNkROioB0Baxm0WzPBxcmlRwRHGcLLcW0yTzwqJVx8jCFoAIDW3nfUZAoIftqNNBtxEkI1JCL4NmH-0LnMvi4Ab3BScgMZXwlxjta22N6Lc8cNlg0OnzIecaQf8kugcysycK-cjMUce4en_bR9DP7w/s603/col15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="603" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7T6Kh9eRLvHqieXZ9GQX4mjnP33iYklhQmSA5TNkROioB0Baxm0WzPBxcmlRwRHGcLLcW0yTzwqJVx8jCFoAIDW3nfUZAoIftqNNBtxEkI1JCL4NmH-0LnMvi4Ab3BScgMZXwlxjta22N6Lc8cNlg0OnzIecaQf8kugcysycK-cjMUce4en_bR9DP7w/w400-h303/col15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Later, after she's put on clothes, Lwaxana gets lectured by her daughter... who has a point. Troi tells her that she's trying to teach Alexander responsibility, and it isn't helping anything that Lwaxana is giving him a bunch of mixed messages.</div><div>Sassy Lwaxana Moment: "I exposed you to all sorts of mixed messages when you were that age. You still turned out deadly dull."</div><div>Lwaxana Troi: making bad parenting look funny.</div><div>She then stuffs fruit in her mouth so that she's talking with her mouth full for the next few lines.</div><div>"You need to butt out," Troi insists. "Plan your wedding instead. It's three days away."</div><div>Lwaxana shrugs this off. "Nah, Mr Homn is doing all of that. And Campio sent his mother's wedding dress to us, so Mr Homn is altering it to fit me."</div><div>Troi is outraged. "You're not going to be naked at your own wedding?"</div><div>Sorry, what?</div><div>Is... there some kind of cultural thing behind that? Going into a committed relationship with nothing to hide, or something?</div><div>Memory Alpha: "During a Betazoid wedding, tradition dictated that all people present must appear without clothing, at the wedding ceremony, to honor the act of love the ceremony commemorated."</div><div>Oh.</div><div>Yeah, Imma RSVP no, but thanks for inviting me. Just post the pics to Faceb...</div><div>Um, just describe it to me.</div><div>"Campio's culture is more conservative," sighs Lwaxana. "I'm adjusting and compromising and shit. It's fine."</div><div>Girl, are you compromising, or are you heading down the path to erasing your own personality?</div><div>She orders tea from the replicator, but gets a cup full of sausages instead. She fishes the sausages out and drinks the gross-ass tea in the bottom of the cup.</div><div>Nasty.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Qn0WMf3HAwRoWSXHTnDb1W8yY7tC5pRRlLn87oJiA43LV-_s3rmDDZop6piV-wnvgW0e0zlKqbygksX0a-cx_5AGKbBsjjtxSq_sX7NQKVMPdRQKUBuVIo5fQZLJ0aYB_wP4t2w2rty-pnuP7gNpInez7GtA4KatxZ9YvQxy_v1_QGWgfuELgO2wrQ/s606/col16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Qn0WMf3HAwRoWSXHTnDb1W8yY7tC5pRRlLn87oJiA43LV-_s3rmDDZop6piV-wnvgW0e0zlKqbygksX0a-cx_5AGKbBsjjtxSq_sX7NQKVMPdRQKUBuVIo5fQZLJ0aYB_wP4t2w2rty-pnuP7gNpInez7GtA4KatxZ9YvQxy_v1_QGWgfuELgO2wrQ/w400-h304/col16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the next scene, we find out that it's not Lwaxana's computer illiteracy that's mucking up her ability to use the replicator. Data and La Forge exposit that there have been over 200 complaints about busted replicators in the last few hours, and they haven't found the reason. There's an energy fluctuation in an access tube, so they decide to check it out.</div><div>For some reason, they change clothes. They're now wearing those worker bee coverall things, which is unexplained. I mean, they crawl through these tubes all the time in regulation uniforms, so why did they change now?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1qU4Zs0W3xzCXzyq74ROgufIYWXFidwzpKM-VFvzko-nAaTUx231ofkbaTU4AwkDA0--pseKmJMthXlKKWYWMhGfqlEpbsPXl2eMN0TrRMaCqzuYVIqbx6rQ_j_4af7_jlIBe1rbGlyZXNVtFNhmPM92oW9fiYg-6GFttytZniwFdpEA7umbnBSVPA/s603/col17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1qU4Zs0W3xzCXzyq74ROgufIYWXFidwzpKM-VFvzko-nAaTUx231ofkbaTU4AwkDA0--pseKmJMthXlKKWYWMhGfqlEpbsPXl2eMN0TrRMaCqzuYVIqbx6rQ_j_4af7_jlIBe1rbGlyZXNVtFNhmPM92oW9fiYg-6GFttytZniwFdpEA7umbnBSVPA/w400-h305/col17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, they take off a panel, and do a scan, and La Forge says it looks mostly okay, but then the panel starts leaking pink slime.</div><div>Um. That's not great, guys. Last I checked, that foretells the coming of Viggo.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEYUvugHeUTSlMrIvY1t0coFxxRsuyBRBgod2py7SsNU_GgcWtcyu1Pt9hgLR9JE1BTXCJ9XbaCD7IxkhXoaRTP0yqYuhSY9NpvVTcSydGq50S4POeJLvz-qLkILmEwJNaG_jlkGXr8067HGc8cc0DMuHaoJcTxtWMg_w32jHHokjMS7lnq_4jtGcjA/s606/col18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="606" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEYUvugHeUTSlMrIvY1t0coFxxRsuyBRBgod2py7SsNU_GgcWtcyu1Pt9hgLR9JE1BTXCJ9XbaCD7IxkhXoaRTP0yqYuhSY9NpvVTcSydGq50S4POeJLvz-qLkILmEwJNaG_jlkGXr8067HGc8cc0DMuHaoJcTxtWMg_w32jHHokjMS7lnq_4jtGcjA/w400-h305/col18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Lwaxana is trying on her wedding dress, and oh, lordy.</div><div>What is this ensemble?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtfGWcFWJTCcvzaWiUN6FgeGMvXhYI22POmsSZWGxGFhN5kopIsiz5qxFxerpI83fmQR_hPlqN6_M0nEz9xJbO85ytok_Hy-ugkM57Uy9SxNcFbg3INQsjJT-FLyirnx-FdTbMkvyjT1DLhxRi-qRmquh4Wh0pnxMPn0_S977aAd7JureLqZdqK3nYA/s608/col19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="608" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtfGWcFWJTCcvzaWiUN6FgeGMvXhYI22POmsSZWGxGFhN5kopIsiz5qxFxerpI83fmQR_hPlqN6_M0nEz9xJbO85ytok_Hy-ugkM57Uy9SxNcFbg3INQsjJT-FLyirnx-FdTbMkvyjT1DLhxRi-qRmquh4Wh0pnxMPn0_S977aAd7JureLqZdqK3nYA/w400-h303/col19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>She is also not impressed, and complains to Mr Homn about having to wear anything at all.</div><div>"Can we make it more... naked? Like, can we lower the bodice?"</div><div>He takes a look, then shakes his head. She suggests raising the hemline, and he shakes his head again.</div><div>Sassy Lwaxana Moment: "What a constant joy you are."</div><div>The door chimes, and it's Alexander. There's some decent physical comedy here, where a small Klingon child has to look way, way up to see Mr Homn, whose mouth is full of straight pins from his tailoring duties.</div><div>I feel like Carel Struycken doesn't get enough credit for his comedic timing.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOjQ5X9y9Y6noOX0RilJTriH7eX6uqdTrd2qtWOOVys24femzuqFZ6zwz08RZXxGItylGAMBulbnsf1hcOpBhb9c3ZLiVhEdhu34-o-w18Gr8PAiCquCmZMp8ecyBO8SgRM6VJIdvFbamf4IsgHydQe8YjkT8uwvHA95R3ijtdjyWzZWTnm1sbztjcw/s604/col20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="604" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOjQ5X9y9Y6noOX0RilJTriH7eX6uqdTrd2qtWOOVys24femzuqFZ6zwz08RZXxGItylGAMBulbnsf1hcOpBhb9c3ZLiVhEdhu34-o-w18Gr8PAiCquCmZMp8ecyBO8SgRM6VJIdvFbamf4IsgHydQe8YjkT8uwvHA95R3ijtdjyWzZWTnm1sbztjcw/w400-h305/col20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Alexander wants to apologize to Lwaxana, just in case he got her into trouble. She hugs him and tells him that she isn't in trouble, except where this dress is involved.</div><div>"What's it for?"</div><div>"I'm getting married." </div><div>You don't sound very enthusiastic, L.</div><div>"Why?" asks Alexander.</div><div>Sassy Lwaxana Moment: "You sure my daughter didn't send you?"</div><div>She explains that people get married when they want to spend their lives with someone. When he muses that a person must like someone a whole lot to want to spend their life with someone else, she gives a sad, quiet speech about how it's easy when you're young and vibrant, and have a lot of choice; but when you're older and your choices are limited, you compromise and settle for someone who's maybe just... okay... to keep from being alone.</div><div>Majel Barrett doesn't really have to work to sell it here. Gene Roddenberry had just died four months earlier, and this speech probably sucked to recite.</div><div>They exchange a smile, and he holds her arm in support, cuz Alexander is a good friend.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGQeSdL44hYSMxD8f2w5QNBaX-bdMGXkYYSFZfUz1rQWoij4Z50ZKDOkCcZaZj1IVnfBx3wGXTmAZ51BC-xPasHNt4Ault7mhu18CERtsaOAfA_4zcwNDVY6MsECD1ZEmA-XkS4sXqvbBVYMhXa9Mem9KNtLRghmEwvLjY42PI62vF6-R8vkBrtXPcA/s605/col21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGQeSdL44hYSMxD8f2w5QNBaX-bdMGXkYYSFZfUz1rQWoij4Z50ZKDOkCcZaZj1IVnfBx3wGXTmAZ51BC-xPasHNt4Ault7mhu18CERtsaOAfA_4zcwNDVY6MsECD1ZEmA-XkS4sXqvbBVYMhXa9Mem9KNtLRghmEwvLjY42PI62vF6-R8vkBrtXPcA/w400-h304/col21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Upstairs, La Forge and Data explain to Picard and Riker that the replicator system panel components had turned into goo.</div><div>"We don't know what the deal is, though."</div><div>The ship rocks.</div><div>Worf calls out that the inertial dampers are failing. Riker says they've lost attitude control, and are moving to backup systems. Data reports that they've lost helm control.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div>The shaking continues when we return from commercial, but they soon get it under control with backup generators. They continue on their way, but at impulse speed, which is like a stroll. Picard asks the senior officers to get to the bottom of why the inertial dampers failed.</div><div>Thirty minutes later, and La Forge is setting a glass tube of pink goo on the Obs Lounge table.</div><div>You don't gotta tell me twice: y'all got guh-guh-guh-ghosts in the machine.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-UJr2ZPBGE4cHeoLxC_BS6G3pqjE891B7WdNsyM9jp7EVWLhFiJ1xyzlXeZFk6znqI9dMQyV7JpjA_fWnSO0Lod7-clP3igh9_ohG3ZSAMg4dY9KZHUHTUaTmDjrrFbCMRCpK6Msw9n1tbqvC0_3JLMA4Z7ScVzPfYGW6o7WumCzN3NBjoj_g5S24w/s2016/red%20shirt%20casper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-UJr2ZPBGE4cHeoLxC_BS6G3pqjE891B7WdNsyM9jp7EVWLhFiJ1xyzlXeZFk6znqI9dMQyV7JpjA_fWnSO0Lod7-clP3igh9_ohG3ZSAMg4dY9KZHUHTUaTmDjrrFbCMRCpK6Msw9n1tbqvC0_3JLMA4Z7ScVzPfYGW6o7WumCzN3NBjoj_g5S24w/w400-h300/red%20shirt%20casper.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"The metals in the inertial damper systems have converted to this gelatinous goo, same as the ones in the replicator system," says La Forge. "We don't know why."</div><div>"Those systems are unrelated," frowns Picard. "Keep looking into it."</div><div>The transporter room calls Picard: Minister Campio is beaming aboard.</div><div>(And I thought that was weird, because they had an emergency in space, but they managed to limp to Kostolain in 30 minutes? But nah. Campio is beaming over from a small ship.)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgQwDY5ksJ72FaVcP-KARhGPz_UIAGboRIVaASPIZXmSuc4aiWpJ6DI6mmqZx3aymWUt5KaIrMcZfxiD3OoQXyFPZPq6h5sqnv6mRjJt2pgAY2weUsnj0Vuros47O3kVSwLx7j3y0WPVGxIPR6QkfAy-idtUUfkiNeoqr_jSQAAfMRKTa42J8rkn3fg/s608/col22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="608" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgQwDY5ksJ72FaVcP-KARhGPz_UIAGboRIVaASPIZXmSuc4aiWpJ6DI6mmqZx3aymWUt5KaIrMcZfxiD3OoQXyFPZPq6h5sqnv6mRjJt2pgAY2weUsnj0Vuros47O3kVSwLx7j3y0WPVGxIPR6QkfAy-idtUUfkiNeoqr_jSQAAfMRKTa42J8rkn3fg/w400-h304/col22.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Campio beams over, and hey, it's that guy.</div><div>That guy that's in everything, and voices every character.</div><div>Tony Jay.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE72e-e71vUDW81L5eYFup6N-w15ZPKc0Rrp7EoZgwC8yi8iKka8RiMCf-CWciyo-LYZBLI2Pneqox57V4-45AQfeHz87qKxVMIznJH8J7BX8rgAdgPF-44I5OxLwA829oW9k9DwKOTgCyLuy12PPU_VKiPg4LGAzTuMIkJ6o12bRhyGyKU-9buZhP2Q/s608/col23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="608" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE72e-e71vUDW81L5eYFup6N-w15ZPKc0Rrp7EoZgwC8yi8iKka8RiMCf-CWciyo-LYZBLI2Pneqox57V4-45AQfeHz87qKxVMIznJH8J7BX8rgAdgPF-44I5OxLwA829oW9k9DwKOTgCyLuy12PPU_VKiPg4LGAzTuMIkJ6o12bRhyGyKU-9buZhP2Q/w400-h303/col23.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I've just noticed that the black-on-black patches on Campio's jacket match<br /> the silver-on-silver patches on the wedding dress</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Tony Jay's earlobes are melting, has no one told him?</div><div>Anyway, Lwaxana greets him in a big, flowery way, cuz it's Lwaxana, and he tells her that she's lovely. She steps up to kiss him, but a hand comes between her lips and Campio.</div><div>"No need to be too familiar," says the hand's owner.</div><div>"Oh, yeah. This is the protocol master, Erko," says Campio. "We don't need to acknowledge his existence, for the most part."</div><div>Picard hurries in and introduces himself, and apologizes for being late, because he was taking care of ship's business. There's an awkward moment where he offers his hand to Campio to shake in greeting, but Campio serenely bows to him instead, making Picard slowly lower his hand.</div><div>Anyway, Troi is introduced to her new stepfather, and then Lwaxana takes over again, asking wtf is up with having a protocol master?</div><div>"Gotta make sure things are proper," says Campio.</div><div>"Sure, sure," agrees Lwaxana, with all of the enthusiasm of a dead fish.</div><div>Girl: pomp and circumstance. Not your scene. Run.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESykI-_7WTUoPnT3DB52dqR_XA02QB3XEjZ6Qm58DrVvltLifmKiSOs2I1ZlVJs4uktm74gdIqTS7-WLUd1xVw4r0-B7uFc6wkCcwFin6oSJFnESxtZlNwnMkcR-HSNa85jamxb2xgBu-fJmPDl8FGtd7FD58uDGlFQ54L0JqiRngi53QzBlJdbM1AA/s606/col24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESykI-_7WTUoPnT3DB52dqR_XA02QB3XEjZ6Qm58DrVvltLifmKiSOs2I1ZlVJs4uktm74gdIqTS7-WLUd1xVw4r0-B7uFc6wkCcwFin6oSJFnESxtZlNwnMkcR-HSNa85jamxb2xgBu-fJmPDl8FGtd7FD58uDGlFQ54L0JqiRngi53QzBlJdbM1AA/w400-h304/col24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Upstairs, La Forge and Data are going over the chemical composition of the goo and affected parts of the replicator and damper systems. They eventually realize that there's an organism on the ship that is eating nitrium (both present in those affected systems), and the pink slime is the castoff waste.</div><div>The goo is poo, ewwww.</div><div>"Aw, shit," says La Forge. "There's nitrium in the dilithium chamber, and the power transfer conduits."</div><div>"Cool, so we're fucked," says Data. </div><div>Well, they needed to Disable the Ship, and I guess that's a good way to do it.</div><div>La Forge and Data jump up and head to the lift to see if they can stop the organism from eating the ship's innards.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQdAagaf92UBI1GrvhUSZZ3gEETulkQBTZMSrMZmFnf_oXnJxslSYSflm_qMWUAiHRbS3nM7dqlM_FS8Z_PZR0MEi_IVoNX5F2WT7wf_D6g3SNAS_lhKTdnJ47LluTLEEBG5XPVXUqC9Ui2hPPWjl3FtwaI9YXtge3Q79JCw5ffTsGCPlFH5yEHQopQ/s606/col25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="606" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQdAagaf92UBI1GrvhUSZZ3gEETulkQBTZMSrMZmFnf_oXnJxslSYSflm_qMWUAiHRbS3nM7dqlM_FS8Z_PZR0MEi_IVoNX5F2WT7wf_D6g3SNAS_lhKTdnJ47LluTLEEBG5XPVXUqC9Ui2hPPWjl3FtwaI9YXtge3Q79JCw5ffTsGCPlFH5yEHQopQ/w400-h303/col25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worf and Alexander are in their quarters. Worf is putting dinner on the table, and Alexander is... yelling the word "HA!" Not in any kind of joyful way. Just yelling that noise.</div><div>Bud, you're being annoying. Like, I'm not your parent, and <i>I</i> want to eject you out the airlock.</div><div>When questioned about his actions, Alexander proclaims that it is his Laughing Hour.</div><div>Sassy Worf Moment: "It is your dinner hour."</div><div>He picks up Alexander by the elbows and sits his ass at the table.</div><div>And honestly? He's upholding his part of the contract. He wants to yell at this nonsense. He's struggling to maintain his composure, but he does maintain it.</div><div>"I have another appointment with Mrs Troi to talk about happy wisdom," Alexander announces. He gets up from the table and starts to leave.</div><div>Worf asks where tf he thinks he's going.</div><div>"I gave my word I would meet up with Mrs Troi," says Alexander. "I thought you said a Klingon never goes back on his word. I am confused, Father."</div><div>YOU LITTLE SHIT.</div><div>"You can see her after," says Worf. "Sit down and eat."</div><div>Alexander walks up to Worf and simply says, "the higher, the fewer," before walking out.</div><div>Worf breaks some crunchy little piece of food in frustration.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUrcIKYDSE2WFwJx7VEJ8cjmsDqvzo0AzwLw3kn-L9gXrxk2zAQWNr5CwRCB7UBBCuZqFod5c2ZrgcgorvnidKhn6eoSCsZvlRdVYaCaahNgckEjrOe6Uo1D5Pf3fVZEpgT3HCssM1LE8NtEQ5DPdzZVOhm5QevImz6hiz2oK6vIV5UNLpILXyHTZRQ/s600/col26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUrcIKYDSE2WFwJx7VEJ8cjmsDqvzo0AzwLw3kn-L9gXrxk2zAQWNr5CwRCB7UBBCuZqFod5c2ZrgcgorvnidKhn6eoSCsZvlRdVYaCaahNgckEjrOe6Uo1D5Pf3fVZEpgT3HCssM1LE8NtEQ5DPdzZVOhm5QevImz6hiz2oK6vIV5UNLpILXyHTZRQ/w400-h306/col26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Alexander turns up in Lwaxana's quarters, just as Erko is telling Campio and Lwaxana that they need to start talking about wedding stuff. But Lwaxana isn't into it.</div><div>"Ooh, sorry. I promised Alexander we'd go for another mud bath."</div><div>They try to head out, but are blocked by Worf, who has shown up with reinforcement, in the form of Deanna.</div><div>"It's his dinner time," growls Worf.</div><div>"Okay, then. Picnic before mud bath!"</div><div>There's some physical comedy where Lwaxana and Alexander try to leave, but are essentially penned in by Campio (who is insistent that they do wedding stuff now); Erko (who is very concerned that she's being too casual with Campio, and not taking wedding stuff seriously); and Worf and Deanna (who want Alexander to finish his dinner). She tells Mr Homn to take care of her guests while she's gone.</div><div>Lwaxana tries to get Campio to agree to let them go for their soak for 30 minutes, and he tries to compromise by saying that Alexander can hang out in the room if they sit and talk wedding prep now.</div><div>"Hell no!" says Erko. "It's not okay to have a kid present during this consultation. It's also not okay for a servant to be there."</div><div>He tries appealing to the level-headed daughter, but Deanna points out that her mother is a runaway bride. They all look around: Lwaxana and Alexander snuck out.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOHF0Beket_MfMod4IeXd-EGlVYwTxbhs9LColm_9a0iKSHeIxyI-ulypc5WPuRzKCdOpDDA0qGSnvrQOdaadrb7SW5eYWQR_IihwZR-xwB-llMrc4K20bKpt4seXUpjbuEqKb5Braoo6yQ9s_8yjRJAs_j9kY8YmPTpaZTcJW2RAb2IftsWRc4p1IQ/s604/col27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="604" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOHF0Beket_MfMod4IeXd-EGlVYwTxbhs9LColm_9a0iKSHeIxyI-ulypc5WPuRzKCdOpDDA0qGSnvrQOdaadrb7SW5eYWQR_IihwZR-xwB-llMrc4K20bKpt4seXUpjbuEqKb5Braoo6yQ9s_8yjRJAs_j9kY8YmPTpaZTcJW2RAb2IftsWRc4p1IQ/w400-h304/col27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Downstairs, Data and La Forge have determined that the dilithium chamber and energy transfer conduits are in tact, but scans of a nearby access panel that the organism has at least made it down to that level. They remove the panel, and the glitter organism shimmers up a wall. Pink goo drips down into the panel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSEKFZ8JZxbbmyxS95nWTRo9a52VwXCbTwrXbU7BHTqNcxmWr_SAVmazLHl35dWzK9joWcTozBILDe86WYwV5PPjoCyZE8Swea2MFQvNsgxc0LEWhAVRrD6f1JL2jNBH4hLGlOCCYIqgs_FwQhXQtjmahDtwvLw5o7PaddwKBYv4Lwo9BEwIv6HnJ8A/s617/col28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="617" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSEKFZ8JZxbbmyxS95nWTRo9a52VwXCbTwrXbU7BHTqNcxmWr_SAVmazLHl35dWzK9joWcTozBILDe86WYwV5PPjoCyZE8Swea2MFQvNsgxc0LEWhAVRrD6f1JL2jNBH4hLGlOCCYIqgs_FwQhXQtjmahDtwvLw5o7PaddwKBYv4Lwo9BEwIv6HnJ8A/w400-h297/col28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Lwaxana and Alexander are sitting on the edge of the mud bath when the juggler comes by, looking downtrodden. He tells Alexander that he was juggling, and caught one of the balls in his mouth.</div><div>"Tasted good, so I ate it. Then I ate the others. Now I have none. If you ever have a world, plan ahead: don't eat it!"</div><div>Alexander laughs, because how the hell else does one respond to that? Then he turns to Lwaxana, who he's perceived as being less than excited about her upcoming nuptials.</div><div>"That guy you're marrying... he wouldn't ever take a mud bath, would he?"</div><div>"He might," she starts to say, then ends with, "yeah, probably not."</div><div>They start to leave, and he suggests that maybe she asks one of those creatures inside of her to help her out here, seeing as how she's unhappy.</div><div>When she asks impatiently what he's talking about, he apologizes, but she hugs him quickly and tells him not to.</div><div>Oops, the holodeck is melting. Time to go.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclyCJcYwmox5TX5pTIauA-aVU4EYwFa1XvngLuI1FehOxdd---TnZf2oJsTcapFCRUYEJi0yIrcqiDJ3IlbEU2wyBKveH5KQBqUDW2Mh-BUFb3lCh0SypA3ssfCFqh_iN1G2nJ4zoP02NoG1IuGraBmMS0lzP748OP1qsSvcev-rfwVdWDSAYgBoRsg/s605/col29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="605" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclyCJcYwmox5TX5pTIauA-aVU4EYwFa1XvngLuI1FehOxdd---TnZf2oJsTcapFCRUYEJi0yIrcqiDJ3IlbEU2wyBKveH5KQBqUDW2Mh-BUFb3lCh0SypA3ssfCFqh_iN1G2nJ4zoP02NoG1IuGraBmMS0lzP748OP1qsSvcev-rfwVdWDSAYgBoRsg/w400-h303/col29.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Down in Engineering, Data and La Forge are telling Picard about how they think the organism is one that eats metal, specifically nitrium.</div><div>"Sucks to be us, because there's nitrium everywhere on this ship," says La Forge. "It could eat its way through our life support and engines."</div><div>"Hey, didn't that asteroid we blew up have a squishy nitrium center?" Picard asks.</div><div>Data responds in the affirmative.</div><div>"And it was from the Pellaris field, right? What if we went back there? Offer the organism a buffet of nitrium."</div><div>Sure, but I have two concerns:</div><div> - this B-plot is like the one from <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2019/02/sttng-season-four-episode-sixteen.html">"Galaxy's Child,"</a> where a baby... thing has attached itself to the Enterprise, and they have to find others of its kind to drop it off;</div><div>- you don't know where that organism came from. You're assuming it came from the asteroid field. It could be that you're introducing an invasive species.</div><div>Nitrium-based food for thought.</div><div>Picard pages Riker and ask how long to the Pellaris field. The answer is five hours, 20 minutes at warp nine. They set the course, but Data points out that if the thing eats the ship, they might not get there in time. (Again... like "Galaxy's Child.")</div><div>They briefly discuss how a certain gas can make the organism cold enough that it won't eat as quickly, and La Forge points out that by the time they sense the energy fluctuations, the organism has eaten the nitrium and gone on to its next meal.</div><div>There's a power fluctuation, and La Forge tells them that the backup generators have failed, and they need to switch to the backup backups.</div><div>They leave him in Engineering and get in the lift.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtWxRFcrKrWWsE8GA87_7iNlDIhS3FQyygIKpQsg0XBTM1KaYH4ocQftqv8fusvQjNlcnN6CbwVOWNIi8oVSSH_FnuiTwqFnoH3JFSCJ7TirzsyujJBUEm2z8KeyoU3HjMjobBnOs2xnkFLhQAdcTQh50io6UMyMIGUus6obv9AzD5AWJII1Y7br7CA/s605/col30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtWxRFcrKrWWsE8GA87_7iNlDIhS3FQyygIKpQsg0XBTM1KaYH4ocQftqv8fusvQjNlcnN6CbwVOWNIi8oVSSH_FnuiTwqFnoH3JFSCJ7TirzsyujJBUEm2z8KeyoU3HjMjobBnOs2xnkFLhQAdcTQh50io6UMyMIGUus6obv9AzD5AWJII1Y7br7CA/w400-h304/col30.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard asks Data if he has any idea of how to get the organism away from the ship and into the asteroid field, and Data suggests pumping nitrium into a particle beam and shooting it at the asteroid field.</div><div>"Oh, like bread crumbs," says Picard. "Okay, start on that plan when we hit the bridge."</div><div>But then the lift slows, and the power flickers, and goo drips down into the lift car.</div><div>"The speed is fluctuating," says Data, as though Picard isn't standing right there.</div><div>"Computer, stop at the next level," says Picard.</div><div>What's going to happen? Will they get trapped in the lift? Will the car fall like it did in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/07/sttng-season-five-episode-five-disaster.html">"Disaster"</a>? Will they have to get off at another level and climb their way up to the top of the ship through the Jeffries Tubes, eating up the time that Data needs to calculate the particle beam reconfiguration?</div><div>"Oh, it dropped us off at the bridge," says Data, prying the doors open. They even line up nicely with the floor.</div><div>Crap, that was anticlimactic. That felt like a waste of dramatic music. Was the episode running short or something?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKpAzlumyjBLE-WZKd1Z6ZO62VabKNUGjhBJ3GsE5aIpNtsjt_sPAGznUo5SBHcH11qAi_n9BDWCdYiE9Z7xYBzp5DKIbXCfTNSQeS-68MMahrVxi-8XIIyamuNXcB35_VORwc_hWfYAummOzjBnIIXQyMPv9L8DEaF-1YKDLGg95UJGLfmCNHvoNEg/s605/col31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKpAzlumyjBLE-WZKd1Z6ZO62VabKNUGjhBJ3GsE5aIpNtsjt_sPAGznUo5SBHcH11qAi_n9BDWCdYiE9Z7xYBzp5DKIbXCfTNSQeS-68MMahrVxi-8XIIyamuNXcB35_VORwc_hWfYAummOzjBnIIXQyMPv9L8DEaF-1YKDLGg95UJGLfmCNHvoNEg/w400-h304/col31.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Red alert is in full effect on the bridge, and a number of things happen at once: through La Forge, we learn that the organism has reached parts of the warp core, and the ship has slowed down to just under warp six. They definitely won't make it to the asteroid field in time now. Life support starts failing on certain decks, and people are starting to show signs of sweating through their uniforms. </div><div>Jae sighting!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrsvcBXmakxtcSJr-mtzBnwLXfHZsW4ncMqGKxjrNzF6kb8haubeh-Rdl71YvNOJjCxlTRjZrtDREOjgjiWxetpK2wrnuKS5H9yvIdnBwj5jUZUyoxyAhGITHUo4W1mKK9esxlm92waruZdZ1b6MMHMLRH-1p9tYWrkXh5spyL0VJDW9tn9T-H_RiKQ/s608/jae%20sighting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrsvcBXmakxtcSJr-mtzBnwLXfHZsW4ncMqGKxjrNzF6kb8haubeh-Rdl71YvNOJjCxlTRjZrtDREOjgjiWxetpK2wrnuKS5H9yvIdnBwj5jUZUyoxyAhGITHUo4W1mKK9esxlm92waruZdZ1b6MMHMLRH-1p9tYWrkXh5spyL0VJDW9tn9T-H_RiKQ/w400-h300/jae%20sighting.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard orders the evacuation of these decks, sending people to congregate on specific decks with emergency life support. Engineering is in chaos, and someone in the background sprays the warp core (or a spot near it) with something that looks like a fire extinguisher.</div><div>Picard asks Data for an ETA at their current speed, and Data returns with just under 2.5 hours.</div><div>"We may pass out," pants Picard, as life support is clearly failing on the bridge. "If that happens, you have to do the thing, Data."</div><div>Oof, the number of times that Data is called upon to Do The Thing Because Everyone Else May Die... maybe it's best that he doesn't have an emotion chip. That could weigh heavily on a person.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6JvEH_cYnyaro5FyE7GI7cWrJ1r2WKKAhF1L1wa8_BZDAcYKauo5lfwUjALT77b5Zh2NPPGoJZGZQb2B_V467yrcEmwSAPk1EwcPd-rXjvrXrCWI5X6XpMUlKbfut1n15TiVnaJJOgy7x9EOI0Wsy_ig6-384ad4BkHe-FM3uZDJ1Ew3-JQftgxt_A/s607/col34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="607" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6JvEH_cYnyaro5FyE7GI7cWrJ1r2WKKAhF1L1wa8_BZDAcYKauo5lfwUjALT77b5Zh2NPPGoJZGZQb2B_V467yrcEmwSAPk1EwcPd-rXjvrXrCWI5X6XpMUlKbfut1n15TiVnaJJOgy7x9EOI0Wsy_ig6-384ad4BkHe-FM3uZDJ1Ew3-JQftgxt_A/w400-h304/col34.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So Data does the thing, and we see him roll up on the asteroid field...</div><div>... and I know those are space rocks, but they look like bits of chocolate candy.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymY9gi0FN12AcjmXzWr0E4hMBj_c2m1CRlIRUBjew_EgpWEQ1DG4MRWpaISwVSgKNc8pXl8jNN2vTIzjItnaITKZ3xBsB6gpCQSz3EWXqa13QBHlSVte-SxloHfeENV3Sfa8W0fyLrl2DIPOFBKgS5FcU5ttmAwe4tH8CciqygbStUt6lFg5UbkS5dA/s604/col33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="604" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymY9gi0FN12AcjmXzWr0E4hMBj_c2m1CRlIRUBjew_EgpWEQ1DG4MRWpaISwVSgKNc8pXl8jNN2vTIzjItnaITKZ3xBsB6gpCQSz3EWXqa13QBHlSVte-SxloHfeENV3Sfa8W0fyLrl2DIPOFBKgS5FcU5ttmAwe4tH8CciqygbStUt6lFg5UbkS5dA/w400-h301/col33.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br />
It's a field of Buncha Crunch.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHAKoE8WpsoP9nLc7KghXmlFTHtZzYZr7sfQtMaK-QdE3o7huSziyZHaLXxRJgp-G5cpLqIcrt_AELKHqP6WrJPbT6MxynBBRpZMjHkF-7ocghzAfme40zE9WyTiSREDVjTfofk6PC5BKRkq6K3DfuXl8h9SJeFtMYTrLuuwMYKC7gOFS8Nrv6zyJXw/s538/buncha%20crunch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="538" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHAKoE8WpsoP9nLc7KghXmlFTHtZzYZr7sfQtMaK-QdE3o7huSziyZHaLXxRJgp-G5cpLqIcrt_AELKHqP6WrJPbT6MxynBBRpZMjHkF-7ocghzAfme40zE9WyTiSREDVjTfofk6PC5BKRkq6K3DfuXl8h9SJeFtMYTrLuuwMYKC7gOFS8Nrv6zyJXw/w400-h306/buncha%20crunch.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oop, and Data has less than one minute to fire off the particle beam into the asteroid field to ditch the goo-making organism, because Majel is telling him that the integrity of the dilithium chamber is about to fail. He parks the E, transfers the remaining power of the warp core to life support, and reconfigures the particle beam to drop those bread crumbs for the organism to follow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The lights on the bridge switch from red alert to regular daytime lights.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He turns on the beam, and there's a cool shot of the beam and the glittery organism, against the backdrop of the underside of the ship.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfxWlBmf-kpKYGM5eIsY__Lz3D_nNW9Q_viKv7QUlNNLeUHttyRxw4CIylACmNmxau7-dUVVpYxlVePoXI4NQDV-glTKknsFRltMU0kywPlyXtWFPH7iIb94_cjYvQY-7COOHuwqhq-ae6t4vKbtJUYKYSiDqFDb354SYJNLHrIXDvu2jy7VJ6Qz1MA/s614/col32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="614" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfxWlBmf-kpKYGM5eIsY__Lz3D_nNW9Q_viKv7QUlNNLeUHttyRxw4CIylACmNmxau7-dUVVpYxlVePoXI4NQDV-glTKknsFRltMU0kywPlyXtWFPH7iIb94_cjYvQY-7COOHuwqhq-ae6t4vKbtJUYKYSiDqFDb354SYJNLHrIXDvu2jy7VJ6Qz1MA/w400-h297/col32.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bridge crew starts waking up, and Data tells a groggy Picard that he Did The Thing. Picard thanks him, and sets Worf to the task of checking for casualties with La Forge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Picard's Log 45733.6: "All of our temp repairs are done, and now, on to the wedding."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">People are gathered in Ten Forward, which has been decorated to look like a swanky hotel lobby in the 1990s. Picard and Riker are wearing their dress uniforms. Mr Homn is dressed more formally, Deanna has switched into a nice dress that sort of resembles her blue dress. Campio is wearing some kind of ceremonial cuff around his shoulders. But it's clear that they've been waiting a while. Worf is sitting boredly in a chair. As is Alexander. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibn0Wevamv5FZJ2Zdjn9CmnV-ax-_enB3U8VLqpjt5qYPzmM-GSn_sGD0UjiX0q9gpjG9pJ5zfbbsSuNDHLxTpCL9lZqCmt1mb01EjpO2NbS2q5hkZV5Ypz1nB-FU-Mgtj3VZipDgNGlhkFWEuRAxqnMsfat4MHJdN9dlXCGJ2DRnYVxwMa_MrwlWvLg/s601/col34.5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="601" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibn0Wevamv5FZJ2Zdjn9CmnV-ax-_enB3U8VLqpjt5qYPzmM-GSn_sGD0UjiX0q9gpjG9pJ5zfbbsSuNDHLxTpCL9lZqCmt1mb01EjpO2NbS2q5hkZV5Ypz1nB-FU-Mgtj3VZipDgNGlhkFWEuRAxqnMsfat4MHJdN9dlXCGJ2DRnYVxwMa_MrwlWvLg/w400-h304/col34.5.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Worf: "This is a waste of my time."<br />Alexander: "My girl deserves better."</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">People are milling about. Erko goes to the Ten Forward doors, and looks out into the corridor in annoyance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"You'd think she'd be on time to her own wedding," Riker says quietly to Picard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then we hear the doors whoosh open.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbFOwb7UyOT85LdCiIHJNW4JFHh_bJfEHkVfu4rfOkjS4wGElGcNUio6OCTJHFYM8gEVJQgP8QAt29u8-BCnrg28LEo3QlYqxIVd1ptRiodpjmNSQiAO1PqYgpoadX6GXdoh8BiPLzl6Vf77gs_TXkx_iWyIZ58B-U6YY88siFfCwU73ekKx7xB6Rnw/s611/col35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="611" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbFOwb7UyOT85LdCiIHJNW4JFHh_bJfEHkVfu4rfOkjS4wGElGcNUio6OCTJHFYM8gEVJQgP8QAt29u8-BCnrg28LEo3QlYqxIVd1ptRiodpjmNSQiAO1PqYgpoadX6GXdoh8BiPLzl6Vf77gs_TXkx_iWyIZ58B-U6YY88siFfCwU73ekKx7xB6Rnw/w400-h300/col35.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErywrT7t2PIyUvDS9SP099MVtvDKuZvw_ROP7UGK5XUrua8heyej4IXNnOR_BxT37-wShzht9tQwoegALduKmyRsmCMJhfoXTJ8tusguVLzv-N8F79fgM5r-g1YDeYRmD9AKGyI-LnHbolbDqM_kzB0ZrmJXX5HS5aXzRq9tvG3sVIegOfa_BkCiOtg/s608/col36.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="608" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErywrT7t2PIyUvDS9SP099MVtvDKuZvw_ROP7UGK5XUrua8heyej4IXNnOR_BxT37-wShzht9tQwoegALduKmyRsmCMJhfoXTJ8tusguVLzv-N8F79fgM5r-g1YDeYRmD9AKGyI-LnHbolbDqM_kzB0ZrmJXX5HS5aXzRq9tvG3sVIegOfa_BkCiOtg/w400-h304/col36.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04uq9CeGKDqtT6F-27eKKUNhXJHUDUi3TovB4v2G3JsuBgV6oOYsBcwqlGzpQIDYfuNXIrEirYYNWfBk2rUni6yIEgmWfCE4xJgPcAFNbfgmnI04i48ShRYrJIm4Ft1191efFAa4i64eZkyuzcb8Da5LQhB7tSH_kiGpDMe-bdaZ4ReX3aes6CEUlAg/s611/col37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="611" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04uq9CeGKDqtT6F-27eKKUNhXJHUDUi3TovB4v2G3JsuBgV6oOYsBcwqlGzpQIDYfuNXIrEirYYNWfBk2rUni6yIEgmWfCE4xJgPcAFNbfgmnI04i48ShRYrJIm4Ft1191efFAa4i64eZkyuzcb8Da5LQhB7tSH_kiGpDMe-bdaZ4ReX3aes6CEUlAg/w400-h301/col37.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXloETDAuUHdQXP7i9SrDF5NscdoYGG7G0dsgtL7IkQc83WQKebhk_eO2riaeumEjwA2TeJCXpML7_4C_K9BLsxmJTve0Tnx7JryP7TnZOq1hAjMcqsZ6DjHvXjiueQ0RucJlhfbkFW3TQ_iCONga3UmxwmcYwnUUlgeBBDQVcIWgPG_VJJ3i6cRi6xA/s607/col38.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="607" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXloETDAuUHdQXP7i9SrDF5NscdoYGG7G0dsgtL7IkQc83WQKebhk_eO2riaeumEjwA2TeJCXpML7_4C_K9BLsxmJTve0Tnx7JryP7TnZOq1hAjMcqsZ6DjHvXjiueQ0RucJlhfbkFW3TQ_iCONga3UmxwmcYwnUUlgeBBDQVcIWgPG_VJJ3i6cRi6xA/w400-h303/col38.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That side-eye smirk to the Kostolainians, tho</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYFziAuUVV7Zhg4OOswPTRiAnjXc8xlcZP9vTF9RneqcVOIV-XKyYBm2Cwt8y2TX8RI3iwNWwH-HsNelpfm3xmO43RhIDz7QBKT6JDYPYna1fIsw_wNYKodH4O-0gAbj5-NaVObsQlQjn-g9ANnKvJ18o1CO5THVEsJtcefRmr4uf6maBpOIFUvgfvA/s608/col39.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="608" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYFziAuUVV7Zhg4OOswPTRiAnjXc8xlcZP9vTF9RneqcVOIV-XKyYBm2Cwt8y2TX8RI3iwNWwH-HsNelpfm3xmO43RhIDz7QBKT6JDYPYna1fIsw_wNYKodH4O-0gAbj5-NaVObsQlQjn-g9ANnKvJ18o1CO5THVEsJtcefRmr4uf6maBpOIFUvgfvA/w400-h304/col39.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIoo5ciyyKar3KVlLdC_TfQpjnYbf-VYo5U-fyg7wqTASj0iYtbVaqF-DbQHE9bInjhPJHZ_8PWgd3CJ8BwV5onDxt6Cfp_BxtwX6vSTfDYbUkcKQVb_OOUnJ4STN0mI1rFZNXpwwrtTLtqOza120VFeJqbhcjqxvMH8in_vCdpTLMBDbz--khuDYBw/s610/col40.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="610" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIoo5ciyyKar3KVlLdC_TfQpjnYbf-VYo5U-fyg7wqTASj0iYtbVaqF-DbQHE9bInjhPJHZ_8PWgd3CJ8BwV5onDxt6Cfp_BxtwX6vSTfDYbUkcKQVb_OOUnJ4STN0mI1rFZNXpwwrtTLtqOza120VFeJqbhcjqxvMH8in_vCdpTLMBDbz--khuDYBw/w400-h300/col40.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbSOQx6vaZfMOE3Jfja1mp3ySbJPcyT8KIVkzN4AJZrgcCdwpj79pXtgqo2PYytopIJIazXDNhBJBlcuiyq-6eO_3vKDzpYXXV2YBKhH3q0tWQHsoJPDMGfiF4zTbUbqGYfmsFOIZRHmU0O8FTFxpNR5I4KHwZl5XYyRg9k-nNzS0Pv4pA8-uJ5aHKg/s609/col41.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="609" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbSOQx6vaZfMOE3Jfja1mp3ySbJPcyT8KIVkzN4AJZrgcCdwpj79pXtgqo2PYytopIJIazXDNhBJBlcuiyq-6eO_3vKDzpYXXV2YBKhH3q0tWQHsoJPDMGfiF4zTbUbqGYfmsFOIZRHmU0O8FTFxpNR5I4KHwZl5XYyRg9k-nNzS0Pv4pA8-uJ5aHKg/w400-h303/col41.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">FUCK YEAH LWAXANA!</div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-stIBoAz7nw--aJr-6N7beATRmQ1oilpwHL02trzZAansLwkJYPTGhRrl_L3wEnpmCe0ueQWgVXNpG_g3PXSHdToQDS1yM52G44zRMermHlP8LOUQ0b43h0WDA8jBUyxc04JoBXToKIu5MtocNfQ9FdPRIR9EwQwTpn0FSpFUQXjPAng7P0ywIVssg/s611/col42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="611" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-stIBoAz7nw--aJr-6N7beATRmQ1oilpwHL02trzZAansLwkJYPTGhRrl_L3wEnpmCe0ueQWgVXNpG_g3PXSHdToQDS1yM52G44zRMermHlP8LOUQ0b43h0WDA8jBUyxc04JoBXToKIu5MtocNfQ9FdPRIR9EwQwTpn0FSpFUQXjPAng7P0ywIVssg/w400-h300/col42.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMj7gEEPoNh9VSFlxkZVDnway4MC6GdkWwb9kY-RhDNT9her1B4O1ijelJixCyERiUAY8LmifH8eQk6HPf9DCRWPEgeRSyP6zeLnucsyG3ruV3DevIRPAxfqnFeZa9hPSdMAH-jXrPkuQ2Wmyi92hGZasXoNZpAsd6zoeLQI-txUdIoG11dcICzuMuw/s608/col43.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="608" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMj7gEEPoNh9VSFlxkZVDnway4MC6GdkWwb9kY-RhDNT9her1B4O1ijelJixCyERiUAY8LmifH8eQk6HPf9DCRWPEgeRSyP6zeLnucsyG3ruV3DevIRPAxfqnFeZa9hPSdMAH-jXrPkuQ2Wmyi92hGZasXoNZpAsd6zoeLQI-txUdIoG11dcICzuMuw/w400-h301/col43.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_dDoppMZSRQ78q2AEVMFAHnQ1bjI25GI0JCjY6Z8xl3DIjdQOX_4JUeFRKhpVeEZaTkUFcvcia3l9kMbKGz1upAnVQu2yxLv_T4Q_SZCV9OA_-9Fmt2JXSMUloEo_0SZweIwfg6jiIRDTK2nGXggVGdLv_K5cdzVDjz3NzLG510I17lOHhKZA7DH5g/s601/col44.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="601" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_dDoppMZSRQ78q2AEVMFAHnQ1bjI25GI0JCjY6Z8xl3DIjdQOX_4JUeFRKhpVeEZaTkUFcvcia3l9kMbKGz1upAnVQu2yxLv_T4Q_SZCV9OA_-9Fmt2JXSMUloEo_0SZweIwfg6jiIRDTK2nGXggVGdLv_K5cdzVDjz3NzLG510I17lOHhKZA7DH5g/w400-h305/col44.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6bvhJskgq8WrpfSW_1XsOd94LuhALnUMe0Ted_4tyaTvBVwUxgCn1efdcVRtyrs1qCr9pu0xXJyWruBi0Mz8YNmVH2Km12PC3Jh9nuesqzKVN9xwOXUEzj6JV9qvOe2Bm_jk1Np_n7b1CH6NmWAUTfq0Manpw_9MVYeMpM4v-c95oaPmF2RKfZZKcQ/s606/col45.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="606" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6bvhJskgq8WrpfSW_1XsOd94LuhALnUMe0Ted_4tyaTvBVwUxgCn1efdcVRtyrs1qCr9pu0xXJyWruBi0Mz8YNmVH2Km12PC3Jh9nuesqzKVN9xwOXUEzj6JV9qvOe2Bm_jk1Np_n7b1CH6NmWAUTfq0Manpw_9MVYeMpM4v-c95oaPmF2RKfZZKcQ/w400-h301/col45.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U jelly, bro?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITAoS_Rve3cMvvjuDpHaHrEtzjvgkNgSgKEDYXtzuQn1i_gZ0uIlJAZlXbYm8lP06D5_IaXqBOFGv-I8ov-vB_qsxoChyBLHX8w284dBCNMzIpJ6_dv3SYV0LTPM55iCdOvNJR2TJrNiJdj3bc9NZ7nvAZQWXPJKsd10vkWpf6POP8hkyI6e2yIvkIA/s606/col46.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITAoS_Rve3cMvvjuDpHaHrEtzjvgkNgSgKEDYXtzuQn1i_gZ0uIlJAZlXbYm8lP06D5_IaXqBOFGv-I8ov-vB_qsxoChyBLHX8w284dBCNMzIpJ6_dv3SYV0LTPM55iCdOvNJR2TJrNiJdj3bc9NZ7nvAZQWXPJKsd10vkWpf6POP8hkyI6e2yIvkIA/w400-h304/col46.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bahaha, fucking Erko</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Erko grabs Campio, and they flee, scandalized. Lwaxana just shrugs. That shit was never going to work, anyway.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnKUo5cZ-OZci74b_Z1BbVGnHjAooZAA91JQYWGPb1B7Kaqf0pyy1TWd44qS1vRh-9jZlTfU9yaBiP5ffUMhG0Q80pymyrtxtOgkeYB1EA9a47woy9xB6kPfCKxvhNS_mYOa3fTLGLsiKAPHLm1MUBLXEDsVJ3WzjZ1foYWrFpgTxppAojy_NWE64jQ/s604/col47.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="604" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnKUo5cZ-OZci74b_Z1BbVGnHjAooZAA91JQYWGPb1B7Kaqf0pyy1TWd44qS1vRh-9jZlTfU9yaBiP5ffUMhG0Q80pymyrtxtOgkeYB1EA9a47woy9xB6kPfCKxvhNS_mYOa3fTLGLsiKAPHLm1MUBLXEDsVJ3WzjZ1foYWrFpgTxppAojy_NWE64jQ/w400-h304/col47.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lQ-WMHAdfY4mPfeJh9cqlJIFnxvFJsy_6Rh0dNlARheosJogHlhnQMke-iWhK1Iw8oDPszX_oFF-kJKJeGhM4M8aR6gMBwdku_JuFRXHEyJMHurjmWBRmZ2_sHM4A5sl8nCC6jA2RT9rrVr-ocVVKcaSni5n7xwfRlLkf4wk7fpjyfyBfv3uRqrUTQ/s606/col48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="606" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lQ-WMHAdfY4mPfeJh9cqlJIFnxvFJsy_6Rh0dNlARheosJogHlhnQMke-iWhK1Iw8oDPszX_oFF-kJKJeGhM4M8aR6gMBwdku_JuFRXHEyJMHurjmWBRmZ2_sHM4A5sl8nCC6jA2RT9rrVr-ocVVKcaSni5n7xwfRlLkf4wk7fpjyfyBfv3uRqrUTQ/w400-h303/col48.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Thank gods, I thought I was going to have to spend holidays with that asshole."</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>In our final scene, we return to the free spirit colony on the holodeck.</div><div>And after ditching that stick in the mud Campio, Lwaxana Troi, true queen that she is, is wearing a literal fucking crown in the mud bath.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6eoumE1w3U6GoiumCNPrSpvZY5dqvMMG2lwStzGzZGuLCtSgSCpgztF5H_u_Nm3TyjfKBK1uBQEakHcMfH8A6FFhPdjwpGzcMz7aYsewcsDc3o150ZoUHH-q-PqcILRZFtgK4EZ-IxG50nJ5RI3t9iAR1zPAHpg5WOnxodKl3FHGtRz9wxTHVSgTAA/s604/col49.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="604" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6eoumE1w3U6GoiumCNPrSpvZY5dqvMMG2lwStzGzZGuLCtSgSCpgztF5H_u_Nm3TyjfKBK1uBQEakHcMfH8A6FFhPdjwpGzcMz7aYsewcsDc3o150ZoUHH-q-PqcILRZFtgK4EZ-IxG50nJ5RI3t9iAR1zPAHpg5WOnxodKl3FHGtRz9wxTHVSgTAA/w400-h304/col49.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>She muses on the fact that she had set out to teach Alexander about the joys of life, but that he ended up reminding her to not let go of those joys.</div><div>Brian Bonsall with the big Little Kid Energy again that's so charming.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NYGy6ZKMoH_GOmfkMY7PCcRvYEyZNDMzWj2qskNIEmGPTsbMIVZJmVu0pLiRmFW4jnKh2eFR2zmT6UpA3z3FSPMwYG4lpLCKnzi0xoDEihOiyQiOzhh9p5yz9ioeOUgOloT2Kfmqw8WzQsnRrOZRj2WDNQehPX_vu1FSn4IXhmo3JDmeGnqBm8RZLw/s606/col50.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="606" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NYGy6ZKMoH_GOmfkMY7PCcRvYEyZNDMzWj2qskNIEmGPTsbMIVZJmVu0pLiRmFW4jnKh2eFR2zmT6UpA3z3FSPMwYG4lpLCKnzi0xoDEihOiyQiOzhh9p5yz9ioeOUgOloT2Kfmqw8WzQsnRrOZRj2WDNQehPX_vu1FSn4IXhmo3JDmeGnqBm8RZLw/w400-h301/col50.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Check out the wig they've put on Deanna. It's giving Grecian Muse. Or Marge Simpson.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNX8yDWNZGnypEZydoltI4nZdpUjNedvUZ_crsv0kpkLULVsE8j5ystYQSvxNAs9XPxpwix08xkPBKrq63Dmn_MpzBFV7WZaVF9l8lr_23Tt6FD0zbx4VuvTrcICFsC3QTtttcIlSgZaxdh_kMrOEJ0hn6j__D_J0Zemgf65hwSbdhExYkzn-zYYvpA/s605/col51.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="605" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNX8yDWNZGnypEZydoltI4nZdpUjNedvUZ_crsv0kpkLULVsE8j5ystYQSvxNAs9XPxpwix08xkPBKrq63Dmn_MpzBFV7WZaVF9l8lr_23Tt6FD0zbx4VuvTrcICFsC3QTtttcIlSgZaxdh_kMrOEJ0hn6j__D_J0Zemgf65hwSbdhExYkzn-zYYvpA/w400-h305/col51.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"We still have to learn to live in the real world," she reminds them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Only when necessary," agrees Lwaxana.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And Mr Woof, coming in hot with that last line of the episode:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkrfjkxcmEEz1r5nvu4nHyukYNFPiXjuL-Pr043WoAjHo6N4IRnTZ0x88KMPy9YMqpSKe5SVtDbZXtiMPtCoVKgk7Kht2ITZUm6bILocnSHLmq1jluzyaeOhhpjbn4o-HuJAIb5QFOVK2DYdcCgjwW6XSboeR4weipmRIxTiNbOhTulLfOefhsvNaBw/s605/col54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkrfjkxcmEEz1r5nvu4nHyukYNFPiXjuL-Pr043WoAjHo6N4IRnTZ0x88KMPy9YMqpSKe5SVtDbZXtiMPtCoVKgk7Kht2ITZUm6bILocnSHLmq1jluzyaeOhhpjbn4o-HuJAIb5QFOVK2DYdcCgjwW6XSboeR4weipmRIxTiNbOhTulLfOefhsvNaBw/w400-h304/col54.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div>So this is not a ground-breaking or thought-provoking episode, but it's not crap, either. It's mostly character-building and heavy on interpersonal relationships, adding to two themes we have already been exploring: Worf struggles with parenting; and Lwaxana Troi is uncomfortable with aging. Neither is necessarily needed to further the overall story of the Enterprise, but it does the round the characters out.</div><div>We know that Worf was dragged kicking and screaming into parenthood, and that he foisted the responsibility off onto his parents initially, but has since taken up the mantle. We know he's having a hard time, but he's trying. That's important. He's shown putting in the effort to not only provide for his child, but to actually raise a decent human, one tiny step at a time.</div><div>Lwaxana Troi is not a series regular, but we see her taking shape from a mostly two-dimensional irritant in her daughter's life, to someone with whom we can experience the discomforts that come with aging. This crew is already thought of as being older and more experienced that the TOS crew, but Lwaxana opens the door to the choices presented to us as we get older, and how those choices shape our later years.</div><div>Overall, I like this episode. It's fun and funny, and the physical comedy is good. The make-up and costuming are great. It's light-hearted without being slapstick, and the sad moment when Lwaxana explains to Alexander why she's settling... you understand why she's choosing that path. It's a nice little addition to season five.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Fun Facts:</div><div>- The first draft of this episode was written by Peter Allan Fields (executive script consultant). He did not like the B-plot, but was okay with it being there once it became obvious that Lwaxana's friendship with Alexander was going to be the main focus of the episode. "We don't want to do them all like that. This is a science-fiction show and the science is fun, but in this case it was the personal story that was most important."</div><div>- There was a scene cut from the final script that involves Deanna and Worf talking about parents and children, where Deanna tells Worf about how Lwaxana ruined her sixth birthday party, by disappearing halfway through, and showing up later dressed as a Koropian princess, carried on a sedan chair by four men. (YIKES. YIKES ON BIKES.) They joke about the adage that grandparents and grandchildren get along because they share a common enemy. This scene was meant to build the initial ground for a Worf-Troi romance.</div><div>- Michael Westmore, the make-up designer, said that he never knew what was going to land in his lap project-wise, due largely to the holodeck. He enjoyed making the characters from the Parallax colony.</div><div>- The poet's hair and beard were made from dyed hemp rope. Each strand was hand-laid.</div><div>- Good Morning America was on the set during this shoot.</div><div>- There's a Ligonian glavin (the spiky glove with claw thing) on display in Worf's quarters. (No, I cannot write the word "glavin" without hearing it said in Professorr Frink's voice from "The Simpsons.")</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuJPTbVZOyqwH4gCH1d73Klh8sQ8AObUtq4wXa3M45RPpkc7HIpKnGZ0YlxBQfiae8lOiv84c06UPLIDKc7a-kZdmLHnaymLnH2oYImq1D2nfYGHhOTD2gbm5aUUWhH4y5G_7HKhzlg4RjWltTiSlUfb2gqNm5DlISOkDZipo3RjzLfPRKrPmu2HzeQ/s451/glavin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="451" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuJPTbVZOyqwH4gCH1d73Klh8sQ8AObUtq4wXa3M45RPpkc7HIpKnGZ0YlxBQfiae8lOiv84c06UPLIDKc7a-kZdmLHnaymLnH2oYImq1D2nfYGHhOTD2gbm5aUUWhH4y5G_7HKhzlg4RjWltTiSlUfb2gqNm5DlISOkDZipo3RjzLfPRKrPmu2HzeQ/w400-h360/glavin.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>- Christopher Halstead (First Learner) will later appear in DS9.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsYzD9iGGuioe1HJrTsYURTiV4ZXc_-1YTNkeoWM4qSea58BtufRMXl-TBIpya-onmwJf3Df_BaGdZIcCFgIXc-E2eT9C8b5TRbkgtzFmFc0_1N5qbHutekTnTDsliZ_bCLRu1ZnYEJlddrvJJXcP-a193UO7_UfzbKYjIxUxk5ZIHURNH_bgkJ80_w/s288/first%20learner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="266" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsYzD9iGGuioe1HJrTsYURTiV4ZXc_-1YTNkeoWM4qSea58BtufRMXl-TBIpya-onmwJf3Df_BaGdZIcCFgIXc-E2eT9C8b5TRbkgtzFmFc0_1N5qbHutekTnTDsliZ_bCLRu1ZnYEJlddrvJJXcP-a193UO7_UfzbKYjIxUxk5ZIHURNH_bgkJ80_w/w369-h400/first%20learner.png" width="369" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>- Albie Selznick (the juggler) will appear twice (as different characters) in Voyager.</div><div>- Larry A Hankin (the wind dancer) is a fairly well-known character actor, whom you've probably seen before. He'll appear three times in Voyager, as the same character.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH2i2EYltblH-JExiZVX3PM8eT2hUFMOIuk3Q2GdWU-QlpEJC8pPhs1a4AuJacxRRxSPiFzNoBIkBPbs-O2zFjQFZUp52k0_VM6SpWUNmHhjRiN1-I8S1C3kozMjXthmWFUSs1uQr1S4ISP7SFWL0DTxyspcJI0--Y7qmLntxh6WbBjO6NKh06R52qg/s269/larry%20hankin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH2i2EYltblH-JExiZVX3PM8eT2hUFMOIuk3Q2GdWU-QlpEJC8pPhs1a4AuJacxRRxSPiFzNoBIkBPbs-O2zFjQFZUp52k0_VM6SpWUNmHhjRiN1-I8S1C3kozMjXthmWFUSs1uQr1S4ISP7SFWL0DTxyspcJI0--Y7qmLntxh6WbBjO6NKh06R52qg/w335-h400/larry%20hankin.png" width="335" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>- Hankin's wind dancer scenes were not filmed during principal photography, but filmed nearly a month later, when the crew was filming "Imaginary Friend."</div><div>- This is the second appearance for background actor Holiday Freeman (she first appeared as a Jnaii civilian in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/04/sttng-season-five-episode-seventeen.html">"The Outcast"</a>). She'll appear multiple times over the remaining seasons of TNG (mostly as an Enterprise crewmember) before appearing in the backgrounds of DS9 and Voyager. In this episode, she plays the companion of the First Learner.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJ9XGj7oahQ51QpNEWT5512GTnaeEd4QrC81ZTED0Ohz9R2btpv3qs5iJKTpQ7pnccIepcVnt7b1Dh2J8TayG0r2ot42OxTsj-b51NdOwHvH5EMp-V9sNuSIzLXHFOLBJMeR-GhQfpRYZb5p7yMwSQcUT-Qfbt468YQUwmfqmxveIbQRhLNzpKMGy6A/s300/holiday%20freeman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="221" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJ9XGj7oahQ51QpNEWT5512GTnaeEd4QrC81ZTED0Ohz9R2btpv3qs5iJKTpQ7pnccIepcVnt7b1Dh2J8TayG0r2ot42OxTsj-b51NdOwHvH5EMp-V9sNuSIzLXHFOLBJMeR-GhQfpRYZb5p7yMwSQcUT-Qfbt468YQUwmfqmxveIbQRhLNzpKMGy6A/w295-h400/holiday%20freeman.png" width="295" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>- Director Winrich Kolbe remarked that this episode "...was fluff, but nice fluff." He noted that sometimes, Star Trek episodes get to feeling similar. "After a while, you just want to throw your hands up, 'Okay guys, you know what to do.' You want to go to the director of photography and say, 'Just shoot the damn thing. You can reach me at my home number.' This type of episode is exciting to me. I suddenly had to direct comedy." He also said that he and Majel got on like a house on fire: "We had a tremedous rapport and loved working together." </div><div>- Rick Berman was uncertain of how the episode would turn out, but once costuming, make-up, and visual effects were added, he found it "charming." He credits Michael Dorn with giving a "funny, great performance."</div><div>- Along with Emmy awards for costuming and make-up, this episode was also nominated for Hairstyling.</div></div><div><br />
<br />
Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 2<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
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To date: 2</div>
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Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Worf Moment: 2<br />
To date: 3</div>
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Sassy Riker Moments: 0<br />
To date: 4</div>
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Sassy Picard Moments: 1<br />
To date: 1</div>
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Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date: 2<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Keiko Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 1<br />
To date: 4<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments: 0<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 4<br />
To date: 10</div>
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Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 0<br />
To date: 35</div>
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Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 0<br />
To date: 9</div>
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Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date: 4<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date: 2<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 0<br />
To date: 18<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 0 (Lwaxana ordered Jestral tea)<br />
To date: 7</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 2</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynck-XUPEdsSq4MklUmL7nrI3k0Y1Sa-xj5T_slw-SxLtCXLASeysJejzs4oATZ_DxqDeS_4YEnqMKSaAwljTXLJ-jO3ssQb4WEsEVaVeN-bYSu4cVMD_AKKX_2jc14W-pA2zM_fDqRbgrVltBzXZej_2pc1z8aVn8IjQAkekv9gcrH_cewS2tKed2g/s2016/morna%20the%20Mighty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynck-XUPEdsSq4MklUmL7nrI3k0Y1Sa-xj5T_slw-SxLtCXLASeysJejzs4oATZ_DxqDeS_4YEnqMKSaAwljTXLJ-jO3ssQb4WEsEVaVeN-bYSu4cVMD_AKKX_2jc14W-pA2zM_fDqRbgrVltBzXZej_2pc1z8aVn8IjQAkekv9gcrH_cewS2tKed2g/w300-h400/morna%20the%20Mighty.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold, Morna the Mighty!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-6433191717999497242023-01-23T21:52:00.000-08:002023-01-23T21:52:14.455-08:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Nineteen "The First Duty"ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Nineteen "The First Duty"<br />
Production Order: 19<br />
Air Order: 19<br />
Stardate: 45703.9<br />
Original Air Date: March 30, 1992<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihWLATnWUXS2ys38vz7eaT4ss3A12w5h-Z-t7SJT6sA7Z5_ARDiVyrM6l9NEdJR8litCz6uvSVW8Moxz1N7cwO59Iw87POmbh2oLjJ1y1rt5bOVvS16-ZsScjjjtWIQ1lScJh9-mCt4ty5sqyeQzmW5qf7joSujE-HHhQ15W7FHRJNBcOB7hNQS9dlw/s605/fd1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="605" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihWLATnWUXS2ys38vz7eaT4ss3A12w5h-Z-t7SJT6sA7Z5_ARDiVyrM6l9NEdJR8litCz6uvSVW8Moxz1N7cwO59Iw87POmbh2oLjJ1y1rt5bOVvS16-ZsScjjjtWIQ1lScJh9-mCt4ty5sqyeQzmW5qf7joSujE-HHhQ15W7FHRJNBcOB7hNQS9dlw/w400-h305/fd1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />
Picard's Log 45703.9: "Going back to Earth, cuz they asked me to give the keynote at the Academy graduation ceremony. Will also see Wesley Crusher, cuz he's part of this flight team that will be doing a flying demonstration that's gonna be broadcast to the ceremony. Should be a cool couple of days."<div><br /></div><div>Senior staff is working on the bridge when Worf tells Picard that they're ten hours out from Earth, and Picard replies back to let Starfleet Academy know, and to also send his regards to Superintendent Brand. This kicks off a brief, friendly convo between Picard and Riker about the superintendents that were overseeing the Academy when they were attending: Riker notes that his super was Vulcan, and had memorized the personnel files of every cadet, making it feel like you were attending academy with your parents; Picard muses on his own own super, a Betazoid with full telepathic powers.</div><div>"He didn't have to ask you why you were there to see him."</div><div>"<i>You</i> were in the super's office?" laughs Riker.</div><div>(Remember: this is before we learn about the dom-jot incident. As far as the audience knows, he's a Boy Scout who likes archaeology.)<br />
<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL7z89MuCGXJrO9TsP1vWNVo7S8e_jmqePHHxJpBRnNHFhfUmrU1oGmImlUk29bHN3IRjGDHKopg-Ut-_MMEWdIaVCuzC6r8xRDVnnPreVpVxhjiTMKdfj-QFFYA7dfo4bzGvsNYUjVxNQsEAop_-4uxI8gHUG-xrHcgYOAc3v3zCzJX_RbjPm0KAAw/s607/fd2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="607" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL7z89MuCGXJrO9TsP1vWNVo7S8e_jmqePHHxJpBRnNHFhfUmrU1oGmImlUk29bHN3IRjGDHKopg-Ut-_MMEWdIaVCuzC6r8xRDVnnPreVpVxhjiTMKdfj-QFFYA7dfo4bzGvsNYUjVxNQsEAop_-4uxI8gHUG-xrHcgYOAc3v3zCzJX_RbjPm0KAAw/w400-h301/fd2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>"Admiral Brand is calling for you," Worf announces. "But like, on a private channel."</div><div>So Picard goes to his ready room.</div><div>He's all smiles when he greets Brand, but her news is pretty sobering: there's been an accident, and it involves Wes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWrMu4bKJZAIQSH8zsugTaf5cep1bu185wyKUNT_vuK0GA-Cogn_kO35mAO6k5M2bUT9oX918GpA4PZw26z1F2kYioEor1pYox9ipjLfSCrafE-ptWN1CdT9APIi0XKFboJKnijQs_JscoKOpUzOjFCAxs5s53-f1vjjYwYSIQ0zIjXrVCwoUxrKtOg/s605/fd3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWrMu4bKJZAIQSH8zsugTaf5cep1bu185wyKUNT_vuK0GA-Cogn_kO35mAO6k5M2bUT9oX918GpA4PZw26z1F2kYioEor1pYox9ipjLfSCrafE-ptWN1CdT9APIi0XKFboJKnijQs_JscoKOpUzOjFCAxs5s53-f1vjjYwYSIQ0zIjXrVCwoUxrKtOg/w400-h304/fd3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm sure they did it this way for maximum drama, but when we return, Picard is in Crusher's office, telling her about Wes' injuries, <i>because they failed to call his mother first.</i><br />
That's some bullshit, Brand. You always contact next of kin <i>first. </i>"Friend of the family" does not get dibs.</div><div>Anyway, Wes has some burns and several fractures to his arm, and Crusher drops into doctor mode right away to deal with the stress, telling Picard what medical procedures they'll probably take to patch her kid up.</div><div>He points out that Wes is fine, and she says "I know he's fine" several times in this voice that is not convincing.</div><div>It's similar to using my Customer Service Voice to apologize to a customer for something that was totally their own fucking fault: you're not gonna buy it, but I'm gonna try selling it anyway.</div><div>He explains (because somehow the Academy and its infirmary can't be bothered) that Wes and the flight team were practicing their routine near Saturn, and there was a collision of the crafts. All of the crafts were destroyed, four pilots (including Wes) made it out, but one kid, Joshua Albert, died.</div><div>Crusher muses that Wes has been excited to join this team, even though it was dangerous, and that he spoke often of Josh Albert, his friend.</div><div>"He's perfectly fine," Picard reminds her.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKAUvj2li88QwSFZTB5ThgdNRxOHCixBUSQ9qNZrHkRs2MQaPrN-XqvmSRUa2GcDt--zecvfyjbhpXV1GdedfLo-pjvcH15kTY9a_nhS3n7JEDYCeAtYDcBvSQ1zEeJWZxTAROnZ0BY6geVNB-ArOvmbkJ1baFMXKkFlADSwk8Cv_aWR17DnJ6UxbKA/s609/fd4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="609" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKAUvj2li88QwSFZTB5ThgdNRxOHCixBUSQ9qNZrHkRs2MQaPrN-XqvmSRUa2GcDt--zecvfyjbhpXV1GdedfLo-pjvcH15kTY9a_nhS3n7JEDYCeAtYDcBvSQ1zEeJWZxTAROnZ0BY6geVNB-ArOvmbkJ1baFMXKkFlADSwk8Cv_aWR17DnJ6UxbKA/w400-h301/fd4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The E has arrived at Earth, and aw man, the Academy flag is flying half-staff.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqECd7YrQMWRyHOjkwr_wMkq0xg2F2-oE3QtbOzbOjE6WQZldUpII0dn4yHtPHS8USBFbA6alHzVtJ8BWc55tWB2JysJ5iz7Zh7GoDz5RS3M7CVSH0mjKCfR0XBapNLUUsZiGmt9lZMlbHCITwuOLJMRIPClNgRaKIJT2hYe3CzRUa6DRoX75zPoaOg/s605/fd5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="605" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqECd7YrQMWRyHOjkwr_wMkq0xg2F2-oE3QtbOzbOjE6WQZldUpII0dn4yHtPHS8USBFbA6alHzVtJ8BWc55tWB2JysJ5iz7Zh7GoDz5RS3M7CVSH0mjKCfR0XBapNLUUsZiGmt9lZMlbHCITwuOLJMRIPClNgRaKIJT2hYe3CzRUa6DRoX75zPoaOg/w400-h303/fd5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There's a meeting with some parents, presumably of other cadets, and includes Picard, Crusher, and Lt-Commander Albert, Joshua's father. There's one other pair, but they have no lines, so we don't really know who they are.</div><div>Admiral Brand tells the group that the wreckage of the crafts was pretty mangled, and they only managed to get one black box, which was also pretty banged up. They're going to try to pull footage from it, and there's going to be an inquiry with Nova Squadron - the flight team - later that day.</div><div> Brand tells the others that some people have suggested that commencement be canceled, but Brand and Josh's father talked, and agreed that it should go on, to show the cadets that death is a part of being in Starfleet, and that life continues on.</div><div>After the meeting breaks up, Picard approaches Brand and offers her the use of the Enterprise for the investigation, should she need it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgTyhsbLLB0HAJT11OWcc1_WzXL8R40gpdL-xD4nPFV7gu-d3W3gnHCiIcQ2uw6-BNIwi4CAxSr_YMykGyL7nnQcKLZ1SxlR-vxewM3uAU3RP7-eHhOnGbY_46iJIQmbKHbN70ln3PPxMekrLAhTQM6rE2HTqP2lyc11MtFcFn62QsOhFdgp412iDvw/s606/fd6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="606" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgTyhsbLLB0HAJT11OWcc1_WzXL8R40gpdL-xD4nPFV7gu-d3W3gnHCiIcQ2uw6-BNIwi4CAxSr_YMykGyL7nnQcKLZ1SxlR-vxewM3uAU3RP7-eHhOnGbY_46iJIQmbKHbN70ln3PPxMekrLAhTQM6rE2HTqP2lyc11MtFcFn62QsOhFdgp412iDvw/w400-h303/fd6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Wes is in his quarters doing arm-resistance exercises to work out the kinks in his arm. (Beverly had mentioned a "regeneration series" in her office earlier, so presumably, medicine in the 24th century can repair bones quickly and easily.)</div><div>Also, this resistance-training device is pretty sweet. I don't know anything about physical therapy, but I think this is cool.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWe7YZi1mOlLnV5guvR340_zazf03TfMpmCN3FtQ7mku_vKLLDqv454Hz3_pLKpbi55xxpULxqN2mI_gPdOsczJXtjGtNMwYYsC2AALBln6ruBqc_rfJXZdi5U5X7diERleEPpejk8WXuquZUYqqULtLycnh3zVTCy8dsMAVBrXj81Ww-hTx8-uhwEQ/s603/fd7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWe7YZi1mOlLnV5guvR340_zazf03TfMpmCN3FtQ7mku_vKLLDqv454Hz3_pLKpbi55xxpULxqN2mI_gPdOsczJXtjGtNMwYYsC2AALBln6ruBqc_rfJXZdi5U5X7diERleEPpejk8WXuquZUYqqULtLycnh3zVTCy8dsMAVBrXj81Ww-hTx8-uhwEQ/w400-h305/fd7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>There's a knock at the door, which opens on a regular-ass hinge, as opposed to sliding open like on a starship, and Picard and Beverly are there to visit. He invites them in and reiterates that he's fine, just a little sore from the accident and medical treatments.</div><div>Ever the doctor, Beverly examines his arm and the device he was using. They both tell Wes that they're sorry to hear about Josh, and ask if he'd like to talk about it.</div><div>"Not really," he replies. "I've done nothing but talk about it the last two days, and I'd kind of like a break."</div><div>Picard says he's there to talk if Wes changes his mind.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfFf8s1BI8IniRMvdxFvzzglU4Y4BoT5ua-m2sVPZehl90-jSG_qzdubctIIWlF9L9xWIE0sAXWGYzmn1AEl8Pn2y1vB38CmCj32Bnt3i35KbDftBhxiD1spHSdyF4U9dE5JRq--vGFPwl1nChKFjl9ORg_l0DPT8jcxw2DHRFvho-ajf08sZlXv46Q/s606/fd8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="606" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfFf8s1BI8IniRMvdxFvzzglU4Y4BoT5ua-m2sVPZehl90-jSG_qzdubctIIWlF9L9xWIE0sAXWGYzmn1AEl8Pn2y1vB38CmCj32Bnt3i35KbDftBhxiD1spHSdyF4U9dE5JRq--vGFPwl1nChKFjl9ORg_l0DPT8jcxw2DHRFvho-ajf08sZlXv46Q/w400-h303/fd8.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Another knock at the door. Wes is a popular guy.</div><div>It's <strike>Tom Paris</strike> Nicholas Locarno, the leader of Nova Squadron. By the bars on his collar (four, as compared to Wes' two), he's a senior. Nick notices who else is in the room, and drops to attention, but Picard tells him to be at ease.</div><div>Beverly and Picard ask how Nick is doing, and he says he's alright, but has never lost anyone under his command before.</div><div>"Yeah, that never gets easier," says Picard kindly.</div><div>Wes crosses to the door and holds it open. "Um, can you guys leave? I need to talk to Nick alone."</div><div>Wow.</div><div>Okay, then?</div><div>Bit sus, Wes.</div><div>Beverly and Picard are also surprised, but do as he asked, telling him they will see him at the inquiry.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeswZLhDA_TnYi0G6_SL_W-qgFDvIKwBBjcbPiCaS2sjiPzrOryTJyrLNZLdujYZ0hsFF4G2NMacie2XKrVb7wr3IewY4iPvQ3NZCaxoEmZ0fU2FJqqVPa9vox9NMfsnWwIFp7kJw7dTD8GumrksYlk9Jgn-fALs0-qH-kh3xF7BHEv12VhKKweYR8Q/s604/fd9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="604" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeswZLhDA_TnYi0G6_SL_W-qgFDvIKwBBjcbPiCaS2sjiPzrOryTJyrLNZLdujYZ0hsFF4G2NMacie2XKrVb7wr3IewY4iPvQ3NZCaxoEmZ0fU2FJqqVPa9vox9NMfsnWwIFp7kJw7dTD8GumrksYlk9Jgn-fALs0-qH-kh3xF7BHEv12VhKKweYR8Q/w400-h305/fd9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Once they've left, Nick tells Wes what time the inquiry is, and asks if he's ready. Then he reassures the underclassman that it'll all be okay as long as Nova Squadron sticks together.</div><div>Maybe he's just being nice, and a good squadron leader.</div><div>Or maybe Nick Locarno is <i>also</i> sus.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music, so you know where that's going! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaG5A09dC9lLfIDg37aYy4CsTAIncvOcv8sBNFneCWQ9t_tJU5xcjxUr2AUkdNqkJxhi7i8HX4HcvTyczSEIrDFMTNEz-L1KrOLKBtHjB_KZ3XvLBAw8hS0_RS8x84tJc_zlAxOEjGU2Sc-pBHhIV7TemQ5xrQFrPJ8XTi9KRgKCl-A1Zgoj9FvlIz_g/s605/fd10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="605" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaG5A09dC9lLfIDg37aYy4CsTAIncvOcv8sBNFneCWQ9t_tJU5xcjxUr2AUkdNqkJxhi7i8HX4HcvTyczSEIrDFMTNEz-L1KrOLKBtHjB_KZ3XvLBAw8hS0_RS8x84tJc_zlAxOEjGU2Sc-pBHhIV7TemQ5xrQFrPJ8XTi9KRgKCl-A1Zgoj9FvlIz_g/w400-h303/fd10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Back on his old stomping grounds, Picard decides to take a walk, maybe see an old friend.</div><div>Y'all, it's Boothby!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nvW90iMuRs4zxW2FL-xjX0UIpDZ-4L4CqGxDQsKziMdKKaxLP_FcIOXZeyp8lKdMzgAEbzgdVOHB1GG3z5iJ00mfW3dWtaBApqnIPd9cL_m92OVTtQeRocVHwOPiOHE8IvaBa3VHEce2L_EakjgqC0TdlOPA7Yjqn_AO-taP4-GicJs1e6tEAnciPw/s608/fd11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="608" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nvW90iMuRs4zxW2FL-xjX0UIpDZ-4L4CqGxDQsKziMdKKaxLP_FcIOXZeyp8lKdMzgAEbzgdVOHB1GG3z5iJ00mfW3dWtaBApqnIPd9cL_m92OVTtQeRocVHwOPiOHE8IvaBa3VHEce2L_EakjgqC0TdlOPA7Yjqn_AO-taP4-GicJs1e6tEAnciPw/w400-h303/fd11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We hear him chastise a kid for sitting in a flower bed before we see him kicking that same cadet out. But like, in Boothby's defense, it was really obviously a flower bed.</div><div>Boothby is an older guy, the grounchy groundskeeper, and he wields a sharp-looking trowel. If I'm building an army of fictional characters, I want fucking Boothby on my side.</div><div>He looks up in confusion when Picard calls him by name.</div><div>" It's Jean-Luc Picard? Class of '27?"</div><div>Boothby Sassy Moment: "I know that. What happened to your hair?"</div><div>The list of people who can safely screw with Picard is short, and Boothby is at the top.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCJJ_BeGHl5G_pJETTvN7Fg-2h3Lf3xoOa-4lU1495s4yz6zNYDi1_nzghb2BqRXM3UeZcR-7DwvY_4U4081nswRXgW5XURRNhnACESzMIryiuKgFTHNTMWkY1LyR6bEs7mAZEjFmrYApbviTmZ_6qQaDtiLj0ynyLL54CFMJ19uzZYHywYdPOYZIQw/s607/fd12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="607" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCJJ_BeGHl5G_pJETTvN7Fg-2h3Lf3xoOa-4lU1495s4yz6zNYDi1_nzghb2BqRXM3UeZcR-7DwvY_4U4081nswRXgW5XURRNhnACESzMIryiuKgFTHNTMWkY1LyR6bEs7mAZEjFmrYApbviTmZ_6qQaDtiLj0ynyLL54CFMJ19uzZYHywYdPOYZIQw/w400-h304/fd12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Picard offers to help Boothby replant the flower bed, and the old gardener starts talking about how impressive Picard has become, captain of the Enterprise, giving the commencement address. Guess he did remember Picard.</div><div>They get up and start walking the grounds, and Boothby leaves his gardening tools on the ground (???).</div><div>"So, hey," says Picard a little awkwardly. "Thanks for like, helping me out at the Academy. I don't think I would have graduated if it wasn't for you."</div><div>"Meh," scoffs Boothby. "You were young and dumb and made a mistake. We've all been there. And you knew what to do. I just pointed you in that direction, made sure you listened to yourself."</div><div>"Yeah, but I didn't talk to you for months. I thought you were a cranky old man."</div><div>Sassy Boothby Moment: "I was. And by the way, I was about the same age you are now."</div><div>Damn, Boothby.</div><div>"Things is, you turned out okay. That was the important part."</div><div>They stop at this metal thing with a roll top, and I think it's a place to store his tools?</div><div>Picard asks if he knew Josh Albert.</div><div>Boothby names off the members of the Nova Squadron: Crusher, Sito, Hajar, Locarno, Albert. "I know them all."</div><div>Worrying music, and a close-up on Picard...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzToNtuTOAcUD00R1ryZQPeb_V0Zg9AChoi7OtQZVHwqEPNDpWXDdYd9b1lnyL5QKCFGLr7Ien6NPkWFOcUGxmTNbCVeI5Ds0uo_tplY5rc3LYkbSKL0wnvfLxlyIIEjaKezG0PPBneeoof6mclYZp93f875uJR-C-LReJdicsg7yvv8ghWCOs4azLJQ/s603/fd13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="603" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzToNtuTOAcUD00R1ryZQPeb_V0Zg9AChoi7OtQZVHwqEPNDpWXDdYd9b1lnyL5QKCFGLr7Ien6NPkWFOcUGxmTNbCVeI5Ds0uo_tplY5rc3LYkbSKL0wnvfLxlyIIEjaKezG0PPBneeoof6mclYZp93f875uJR-C-LReJdicsg7yvv8ghWCOs4azLJQ/w400-h304/fd13.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Back in Wes' quarters, the members of Nova Squadron have lined up in a row so Locarno can inspect them before the inquiry. He's friendly about it, though. When Sito admits to being nervous, he says reassuringly that he is too, but they'll be okay. He gives a quick pep talk about how leading the team has been the highlight of his Academy years, and he's grateful for their friendship. They all file out, and he briefly looks uncertain before following.</div><div><br /></div><div>We jump straight to the inquiry, and watch a Powerpoint about the routine that Nova Squadron was practicing, while Locarno describes it.</div><div>"...we were in a diamond-slot formation, prepping for a Yeager Loop. Then Cadet Albert's craft collided with Cadet Hajar's. I hit the emergency beam-out, and ended up at the evac stations on Mimas. Everyone beamed off, except Josh."</div><div>The little crafts on the demo blow up, the members of Nova Squadron shift uncomfortably in their seats. So does Josh's father.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhPmdct49_dsbZOp-fFO0h6P7kwPvHfIcfdqMseiXTVLU8mqMbM3Zc4PjejdmnzidqfNRGC78QOzwsJOoj3W0CzPKswj15BNXCAyUOvlf8FDk9ja9192PXw5Gq9l3i2nUfq-PFS8fyPZOa3eXFBpBOd8X4IDHDI5t925Qu1hbrx4rO28uGLlPxhciPA/s603/fd14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="603" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhPmdct49_dsbZOp-fFO0h6P7kwPvHfIcfdqMseiXTVLU8mqMbM3Zc4PjejdmnzidqfNRGC78QOzwsJOoj3W0CzPKswj15BNXCAyUOvlf8FDk9ja9192PXw5Gq9l3i2nUfq-PFS8fyPZOa3eXFBpBOd8X4IDHDI5t925Qu1hbrx4rO28uGLlPxhciPA/w400-h304/fd14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Jean Hajar is called to the carpet. She was in charge of filing the flight plan, and Brand points out that the information given indicated that they did a turn a lot closer to Saturn than what was listed on the flight plan.</div><div>"It was still within safety parameters," Hajar objects.</div><div>GIRL NO.</div><div>"That wasn't the question," says Brand icily.</div><div>Y'all, that is Admiral Brand. Like, I'm afraid of this woman, and I don't even know her.</div><div>Hajar quickly apologizes, and says that the team had discussed changing the flight plan after it had been filed, and the decision to make the change was further discussed while flying to Saturn, and that it was such a small thing that she didn't feel it was worth mentioning.</div><div>Captain Satelk, the Vulcan helping Brand with the inquiry, asks Hajar if she saw the collision happening before she transported off. When she says no, he asks the entire team. Shaken heads all around.</div><div>Then he asks Sito if she saw Albert in trouble, as she was in the tail position.</div><div>"I didn't," she replies. "I was flying on sensor only, not visual."</div><div>"Say what now?" asks Setelk.</div><div>The gallery starts whispering.</div><div>Crusher, who is not a pilot, quietly asks Picard what the problem is.</div><div>"It's weird to fly on sensors alone during that kind of maneuver," he whispers back. "You need to be able to see the other ships to check proximity."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWaL4kDQYHZ-DUISgCWM-24ZuFKA7LCAeapUUXANNGxa1dkj5LkDJ8P2PrZOurGW3ns82fm2pEe7EBYW1xC_mUcnpPr6TUXjNgNhPlBwUmQaIwO6yjrH11y3oOpa5w8Gn93iYtBevj0iKUGKCmRi4NGhYnzfzr3ySoH522n1pJyjiMUJJFgt4QLWHOQ/s608/fd15.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="608" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWaL4kDQYHZ-DUISgCWM-24ZuFKA7LCAeapUUXANNGxa1dkj5LkDJ8P2PrZOurGW3ns82fm2pEe7EBYW1xC_mUcnpPr6TUXjNgNhPlBwUmQaIwO6yjrH11y3oOpa5w8Gn93iYtBevj0iKUGKCmRi4NGhYnzfzr3ySoH522n1pJyjiMUJJFgt4QLWHOQ/w400-h299/fd15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Sito quickly ends up in the weeds as Brands starts grilling her about not knowing the location of Josh's ship in relation to her own. Locarno stands up quickly, and offers more insight.</div><div>"Josh was... an awesome pilot, but he had been getting nervous lately about the close fly-bys. He would pull away last-minute."</div><div>Brand is now unimpressed with Locarno. "You let him fly in this condition? And didn't report it to anyone?"</div><div>"We were friends, and had been flying together for a long time. I thought he would handle it, if I gave him some time. I was wrong."</div><div>And now Brand wants to be really clear: "You're saying the accident was Cadet Albert's fault?"</div><div>Sito and Crusher exchange a look, and Locarno glances at them briefly. </div><div>"I think he got scared, pulled away, and crashed into Hajar's ship. We didn't say anything because we didn't want our friend to be remembered as someone who panicked."</div><div>Brand is pissed, but keeping it to a simmer. "You let someone fly who was unfit to do so, and you didn't report it. That's a serious lack of judgement. We're getting the black box info in soon, so we'll look at that, and reconvene the inquiry tomorrow."</div><div>Picard scowls at Nova Squadron from the audience. Lt-Cmndr Albert looks distinctly uneasy.</div><div>Wes looks at Locarno.</div><div>"It's fine," says Locarno. "Everything's fine."</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-GvdhcplFLrUudxDrwLd35Lc9nSanUOJCl0I8Cri070MyHZaMWROgGz5AUZx94E8ns8NUeQAmiHud1GWa8M1TDK-ptUJ3t8O22MLN-OhDW1PPt8HIjzQSdiztKdGFumoRxi_Q5DWh5zgEp31de9Fm5yNTaodERCLLo1_iOwIwEKhlqH-jyh81Sap8g/s605/fd16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-GvdhcplFLrUudxDrwLd35Lc9nSanUOJCl0I8Cri070MyHZaMWROgGz5AUZx94E8ns8NUeQAmiHud1GWa8M1TDK-ptUJ3t8O22MLN-OhDW1PPt8HIjzQSdiztKdGFumoRxi_Q5DWh5zgEp31de9Fm5yNTaodERCLLo1_iOwIwEKhlqH-jyh81Sap8g/w400-h304/fd16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Back upstairs, Picard asks Data and La Forge to go over the testimony and the info from the black box - made available to the E by Brand - to reconstruct the accident.</div><div>La Forge says he isn't sure if they can contribute much, as the Academy has some of the best equipment out there for the task, but Picard stands firm, with the explanation that Wes is one of their own. They agree.</div><div><br /></div><div>Downstairs, Nova Squad has gathered in Wes' quarters again.</div><div>Damn, look at that view of San Francisco. I'd put up with the Academy's shitty math classes to get a view like that.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZRYq0mGzMCpt7LlFETNlB4LFC6KqgFFt8RatA-IWylIq8RlvD3taP2l_j56Lg07cPxYZJJImbrxjRbgKc_bIEzwJoy9QU8TmB8IShG8QhmoAp4q2X8vOnpqUExrIYV3utgut8D_xNSRLzbfhhiVz1-PmTY326gb_duHpGbOwzQFZdX0m_7zfZye2dQ/s607/fd17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="607" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZRYq0mGzMCpt7LlFETNlB4LFC6KqgFFt8RatA-IWylIq8RlvD3taP2l_j56Lg07cPxYZJJImbrxjRbgKc_bIEzwJoy9QU8TmB8IShG8QhmoAp4q2X8vOnpqUExrIYV3utgut8D_xNSRLzbfhhiVz1-PmTY326gb_duHpGbOwzQFZdX0m_7zfZye2dQ/w400-h303/fd17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Sito is pissed. "You told them that the accident was Josh's fault. That's not true."</div><div>"You lied!" Wes accuses Nick. "You said we weren't going to have to lie to them."</div><div>Nick is now facing three angry teammates. "I didn't lie! Josh panicked."</div><div>"We don't know that!" yells Wes.</div><div>So, with the inquiry on his ass, and his teammates pissed at him, Nick elects to gaslight the team. "Josh was getting nervous, and no one wanted to say anything because we're all friends."</div><div>Hajar shakes her head. "He must have pulled out too soon. He was probably scared."</div><div>NICK LOOKS ALMOST SURPRISED THAT JEAN TOOK THE BAIT.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VkYhOHHTk__13pui-tuU94jcRrnQc8CsyR-9yr4sX0-OkeFKl7JO-u3qU_O9m_v7p-ECrJnFHhQhbBGL5XFHIykC_YeDM0d5D--TDrTca6Rqnz4DR5STjWWKZJrbbqgOfuNc7P0oBtU42FNeVNscptjBW1anvRDp3lB38QhNJh7oOGuT3_ZlNvs_Qw/s608/fd18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="608" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VkYhOHHTk__13pui-tuU94jcRrnQc8CsyR-9yr4sX0-OkeFKl7JO-u3qU_O9m_v7p-ECrJnFHhQhbBGL5XFHIykC_YeDM0d5D--TDrTca6Rqnz4DR5STjWWKZJrbbqgOfuNc7P0oBtU42FNeVNscptjBW1anvRDp3lB38QhNJh7oOGuT3_ZlNvs_Qw/w400-h303/fd18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Nick looks at Sito, who gives a tiny, sad nod: the accident was Josh's own fault.</div><div>But Wes is not convinced.</div><div>So Nick lowers the boom: "I know you want to protect Josh, but that comes at the expense of our careers. You wanna walk in there and tell them everything?"</div><div>Whoa-ho, what's <i>everything</i>, Nick?</div><div>"They'll kick us out," agrees Sito.</div><div>Y'all: look at the blocking in this shot. Everyone against Wes.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LsLWHONv1kCfaxsE7mJRb_meJZuHZcnZ0gD1l8zb7usWeRdoC_EyAgwu2K5JrzUBF_TCrmq96Tqh_pgXsVjoVo9tC8u5GkE76ZBZ3hYasiP2YByVXaTlus5I1HTXivIcABChWWC5ieEp5O44NCDXKEyIQT2DzOATuNdhUoP91Mp_t__mtJhOeFozVw/s606/fd19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LsLWHONv1kCfaxsE7mJRb_meJZuHZcnZ0gD1l8zb7usWeRdoC_EyAgwu2K5JrzUBF_TCrmq96Tqh_pgXsVjoVo9tC8u5GkE76ZBZ3hYasiP2YByVXaTlus5I1HTXivIcABChWWC5ieEp5O44NCDXKEyIQT2DzOATuNdhUoP91Mp_t__mtJhOeFozVw/w400-h304/fd19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Nick holds up a padd and tells them that it's the black box info, that it was so badly damaged that they could only pull a little info from it, and all of it is from before the crash.</div><div>"We're golden," he says.</div><div>"You don't have to lie," Sito insists. "Just don't give them any new information."</div><div>Girl, that is a lie by omission. </div><div>Hajar looks uncomfortable. </div><div>And Nick goes in for the kill. "I knew I wanted you on this team, Wes, because you've been out there, doing the thing, counting on others and with them counting on you. You know what's like. And we promised each other that we would stick together, through it all, because we're the elite, we're Nova Squadron. And then, after graduation, we were gonna try to get posted together. Josh can't be part of those plans anymore. He'd want us to still be a team, though."</div><div>Wes still looks uneasy.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHHTqA928SvHYIcdGDc10hvWICPamSqhRdSvOXZfRw2n8U5HxswC3FmraBxyWxwUN4E5a9aT6GM7R-lFUU5K4BClrLeeH1C4D_d6o8-yvjSTO1oDNC4j5v7vWpYRR6IPRQRKnMxto-RhDaL1hZ4h0aop85eqmUT6qztZMHgELdyr6qr1WOOzC8mpCxQ/s455/fd20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="455" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHHTqA928SvHYIcdGDc10hvWICPamSqhRdSvOXZfRw2n8U5HxswC3FmraBxyWxwUN4E5a9aT6GM7R-lFUU5K4BClrLeeH1C4D_d6o8-yvjSTO1oDNC4j5v7vWpYRR6IPRQRKnMxto-RhDaL1hZ4h0aop85eqmUT6qztZMHgELdyr6qr1WOOzC8mpCxQ/w400-h301/fd20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Wes is in the inquiry room, going over his Powerpoint presentation by himself, to lock in what he wants to say. Josh's dad comes in with a sweater, and says that he found it in Josh's room, and was told that it belongs to Wes.</div><div>"We went skiing in Calgary last month," says Wes quietly, taking the sweater. "Josh forgot his, so I lent him one."</div><div>They talk briefly about how Josh looked up to Wes, and considered him a good friend, who had helped Josh with some of his classes. Albert then reminisces about how much Josh hated math, but knuckled down when he found out about the Academy entrance requirements.</div><div>He ends by saying that he's sorry that Josh let the squad down, how they could have all been killed.</div><div>Let's layer that guilt on real thick, shall we?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteVXKbJSHGw3_z0Y9nHgj4dfP5opHOBLHFWyzu38ZahaCh1xBqs05dFYd_GDUGIRLyQbwozKzbVPS5Uaek90X3nBDBImlopMTeX7tLytOZwZCA25FomQmQEXyUOCyeB6ZCrCrYnKy7b-Mb-JAhYLJ9jB3tOZr5ovegx-pgEG3AUdhcco_PiAScjPW9Q/s605/fd21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="605" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteVXKbJSHGw3_z0Y9nHgj4dfP5opHOBLHFWyzu38ZahaCh1xBqs05dFYd_GDUGIRLyQbwozKzbVPS5Uaek90X3nBDBImlopMTeX7tLytOZwZCA25FomQmQEXyUOCyeB6ZCrCrYnKy7b-Mb-JAhYLJ9jB3tOZr5ovegx-pgEG3AUdhcco_PiAScjPW9Q/w400-h303/fd21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We return to the inquiry room later, for the second part of the investigation. Wes is giving his Powerpoint, and explaining what's happing on the black box video. There isn't anything weird about the footage. After, Brand asks him to describe what happens after the footage ended.</div><div>"Nick gave the signal to start the Yeager Loop, so we got into diamond slot formation. Nine seconds later, my proximity alarm when off, and Josh's ship collided with mine. I managed to hit the emergency transporter, and ended up on the evac station at Mimas."</div><div>Brand asks if he'd like to add anything, and he replies no.</div><div><i>Just don't give them any new information. </i></div><div>Setelk asks Wes to describe a Yeager Loop. He does so, making a diamond shape with his hands to simulate the diamond slot formation.</div><div>"Was the team in diamond slot formation the whole way through the Loop?" asks Setelk.</div><div>Wes replies in the affirmative, and repeats that again when Brand asks if he's sure.</div><div>So Brand and Setelk pull up the navigation satellites around Saturn, and enhance a section, showing Nova Squadron in a more... circular shape.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9h6GS9oBmIFbYMPCYDiC-hx0zJhc2JTtMmSd0oFvnJnvsEV4gPm1A8dFjl2F5bqdJ2Lnru_e-FOkzMDBJAOZThlgk76v6PkhNc1jtG61uJEp02Io-cOgQDAe8bgeTOcI8_c0lOVv1tBzR1sVF6ZPdOjrRtF063je1QLvk0UuWBbSEYExEU4MxEBXfyA/s609/fd22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="609" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9h6GS9oBmIFbYMPCYDiC-hx0zJhc2JTtMmSd0oFvnJnvsEV4gPm1A8dFjl2F5bqdJ2Lnru_e-FOkzMDBJAOZThlgk76v6PkhNc1jtG61uJEp02Io-cOgQDAe8bgeTOcI8_c0lOVv1tBzR1sVF6ZPdOjrRtF063je1QLvk0UuWBbSEYExEU4MxEBXfyA/w400-h300/fd22.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That ain't no diamond slot formation</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Locarno shifts in his seat.</div><div>"So, this was taken seven seconds after you completed the Yeager Loop," says Setelk.</div><div>"That a diamond slot formation?" asks Brand.</div><div>"No?" says Wes.</div><div>"You have an explanation?" Brand presses.</div><div>"I have none," replies Wes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzgvWj6lOuRzegOdyVPtOPydHmWUxwawuYU--bMEXdBd_ED8QbbNVh5LrBZdQ_z47XDPo2mXKsXQXx3MimsM80oJEkPBTdk4j2oKk1XhEeWcyFfgbuj2C3k-t5ASX-4waKBjAFsL9q2FaTS8HRLgoeIzlv7ZDbhG8J-SKJAq0yC3rhfVrtMb7xQESrA/s606/fd23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="606" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzgvWj6lOuRzegOdyVPtOPydHmWUxwawuYU--bMEXdBd_ED8QbbNVh5LrBZdQ_z47XDPo2mXKsXQXx3MimsM80oJEkPBTdk4j2oKk1XhEeWcyFfgbuj2C3k-t5ASX-4waKBjAFsL9q2FaTS8HRLgoeIzlv7ZDbhG8J-SKJAq0yC3rhfVrtMb7xQESrA/w400-h303/fd23.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Close-up of Dooooom!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Beverly visits Wes in his quarters (maybe during a recess? Or they'll continue the inquiry later?).</div><div>"Everything's going to be fine," she assures him. "Data and La Forge are looking into the black box and satellite footage."</div><div>"Why?" he asks in surprise.</div><div>"It might have been tampered with," she insists. "I know you're telling the truth, but the sat image makes it look like you're lying."</div><div>Oh, Beverly. You think so highly of your Good Egg kid that you're willing to entertain thoughts of conspiracy theories rather than accept the fact that your kid actually <i>is</i> lying, and is receiving a hefty dose of peer pressure at the same time.</div><div>Wes is unimpressed. Especially after Beverly says that she's been talking with the other parents, and intends to approach Brand about delaying the inquiry.</div><div>"Please stay out of this," he says firmly. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBYM5ThfK544Tt8L_mGJRCOXh5tzwvxqdgXJpKl7oNsE3MHzhWULbKggyH7uBC8BkWZwIBaPBsyrxPbdGuoWsDqxH0FCJhp_JMQQk2VJcMcMR31J67NALQUncf6TxSqHpE51R6tnwkiG5GYQGnRUWBwMVXZGB2dvpCm-0r8toCx-2aNpPBW9T-pCq0g/s608/fd24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="608" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBYM5ThfK544Tt8L_mGJRCOXh5tzwvxqdgXJpKl7oNsE3MHzhWULbKggyH7uBC8BkWZwIBaPBsyrxPbdGuoWsDqxH0FCJhp_JMQQk2VJcMcMR31J67NALQUncf6TxSqHpE51R6tnwkiG5GYQGnRUWBwMVXZGB2dvpCm-0r8toCx-2aNpPBW9T-pCq0g/w400-h301/fd24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard approaches Boothby again, who is pulling weeds.</div><div>"You could use a herbicide to get rid of those instead of pulling them by hand."</div><div>Sassy Boothby Moment: "And you could explore space on a holodeck instead of a starship."</div><div>LOL.</div><div>Boothby talks briefly about a Parrises Squares tournament that took place during Picard's time at the Academy, and the massive celebration that took place afterward. Then he compares those cadets to the ones now: the current students are so enamored with Nova Squadron that the team is basically treated like gods.</div><div>"That's hard to live up to," he notes. "Nick Locarno is the heart of that team. Keeps them together, and they'd do anything he asked, even if it meant certain doom."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqZKIbKbVel0St16Wib3rgatVQdUXejhe2QgQWXfJHZOMbbPs387MHF8UgqlQTzhgFMUE49kEiAwZ7fOdh9uaVuK-cFs7LkeKyb-NP_yZu0xWGeG5M9djxvZ9lSBxnsehX9zNl43_8bn9wZylT5YGuOJVyaKSh2Pb8Mi7xX878bhgi1XOHDjk9ZkZiA/s607/fd25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="607" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqZKIbKbVel0St16Wib3rgatVQdUXejhe2QgQWXfJHZOMbbPs387MHF8UgqlQTzhgFMUE49kEiAwZ7fOdh9uaVuK-cFs7LkeKyb-NP_yZu0xWGeG5M9djxvZ9lSBxnsehX9zNl43_8bn9wZylT5YGuOJVyaKSh2Pb8Mi7xX878bhgi1XOHDjk9ZkZiA/w400-h305/fd25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Upstairs, Picard and Crusher check in with Data and La Forge.</div><div>They know that the crash occurred a few seconds after the nav sat images, but can't account for why the team was not in diamond slot, or why the crash occurred.</div><div>"Too many variables," says La Forge. </div><div>Picard asks if the black box indicated that there was anything wrong with Wes' ship.</div><div>They name off a few things that are not really noteworthy, then mention that his coolant interlock was open, which is weird.</div><div>"That's typically closed, unless you're performing a check on coolant levels," says La Forge. "But we don't think Wes was doing a check like that."</div><div>"You'd have to have it open to fill the coolant tank, but that can only be done in a maintenance bay," muses Picard. "Are there other reasons it might have been open?"</div><div>La Forge pauses before suggesting that it's the first step in purging the plasma exhaust.</div><div>"Not a good choice while in-flight," Data notes.</div><div>La Forge agrees, saying that the engine would ignite the plasma.</div><div>"Oh, fuck," says Picard.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCXQsSTDLytqVyNLQdi-CSgIHrThTkwqwZ9VQKb0MKTktOhaelrtN07tynkvGsrc-sEVYBByVRKzKhI_Um9uVWC_AtuownL4WRzUbcIFe0k6JPbn7WPODjHauJDPKz5Lxnn-mwXXTpmfQtgZR_ELbZjaeJPJA6cz7pAnSNlPAoUaUbjevRMM6joIaYA/s610/fd26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="610" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCXQsSTDLytqVyNLQdi-CSgIHrThTkwqwZ9VQKb0MKTktOhaelrtN07tynkvGsrc-sEVYBByVRKzKhI_Um9uVWC_AtuownL4WRzUbcIFe0k6JPbn7WPODjHauJDPKz5Lxnn-mwXXTpmfQtgZR_ELbZjaeJPJA6cz7pAnSNlPAoUaUbjevRMM6joIaYA/w400-h300/fd26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worrying music... commercial break.</div><div><br /></div><div>Picard is in his ready room when the chime goes off, and Wes steps in.</div><div>Oh lordt. Called to the principal's office.</div><div>Picard spins his laptop and shows Wes a demo on the screen, where five ships move into a circle formation, fly across it in different directions, and their emissions ignite, causing a starburst pattern.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL74oF_tbxiGDgpn81OS51N_yGInAQEM00C3VyyCjqelMDo3874oFf8EW6I5QRkhzdY2JJzomrlVuDdCBobMCJd6fWpN4cYUMmpSeEbkwbmAtLcKos165ahHaSJDZBCL30Cx3IJVfVewXFpNHBrvDIzlZ6einHW8Z08jijh8SAeIlCSWix3NJVveawg/s610/fd27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="610" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL74oF_tbxiGDgpn81OS51N_yGInAQEM00C3VyyCjqelMDo3874oFf8EW6I5QRkhzdY2JJzomrlVuDdCBobMCJd6fWpN4cYUMmpSeEbkwbmAtLcKos165ahHaSJDZBCL30Cx3IJVfVewXFpNHBrvDIzlZ6einHW8Z08jijh8SAeIlCSWix3NJVveawg/w400-h300/fd27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"What's this, please?" asks Picard solemnly.</div><div>"A Kolvoord Starburst," says Wes.</div><div>"It's an awesome maneuver, where five ships cross very closely, then ignite their plasma, but it hasn't been done in a hundred years. Why?"</div><div>Wes shifts. "It was banned following a training accident."</div><div>"Yeah. And all five cadets died."</div><div>Whoomp, there it is.</div><div>There's a long pause, where Picard stares at Wes and gathers his thoughts. "I think Nick Locarno convinced Nova Squadron to learn the Kolvoord Starburst for the graduation commencement. If it worked, he would graduate in a blaze of glory. But it didn't. Nick fucked around, you all found out, and Josh Albert is dead. Is that what happened?"</div><div>Wes looks away, and when Picard presses him, Wes replies that he chooses not to answer.</div><div>DANGER, WIL WHEATON, DANGER!</div><div>"Are you fucking claiming the fifth?" Picard demands. His voice is all low. Wes is in the shit now.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1M0fZgKQd8Seu9NZ_8bOnSL5pJqrmH00c1Vh1-48HCFV1goBRAbXGGepPrup3ZTMqdYwauKdCl6GyRmdcy1xD2e8Zz9dzSRh96GyQuo4eG8Yae6p5ejiFC1JZgusU9Z5kymIg1yMlbmDoOEoFIwe9Mw15u28B1Mm3rDJKbipgxHSLZbBZWxpQ1OnCng/s606/fd28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="606" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1M0fZgKQd8Seu9NZ_8bOnSL5pJqrmH00c1Vh1-48HCFV1goBRAbXGGepPrup3ZTMqdYwauKdCl6GyRmdcy1xD2e8Zz9dzSRh96GyQuo4eG8Yae6p5ejiFC1JZgusU9Z5kymIg1yMlbmDoOEoFIwe9Mw15u28B1Mm3rDJKbipgxHSLZbBZWxpQ1OnCng/w400-h301/fd28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>"You lied to the inquiry," Picard accuses him.</div><div>Wes gets defensive, a poor choice. "I said the crash occurred after the Yeager Loop. It did."</div><div>"You left out that in between the Loop and the crash, you attempted a banned maneuver. That's a lie of omission." </div><div>Picard starts talking about the events of <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2016/01/sttng-season-one-episode-one-encounter.html">"Encounter at Farpoint,"</a> when a young Wes comes aboard the ship, and Beverly brings her son to the bridge, where he cheekily sits in Picard's chair, and begins naming off all of the bridge parts and what jobs they perform. How he was annoyed, but realized that Wes could be a badass Starfleet officer, and later made him an acting ensign. He had never questioned Wes' commitment of conviction until now.</div><div>And he states off the basis for the title of this episode: "The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth - whether it's scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth. It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based."</div><div>And he hits the point, hard: either Wes tells Brand what actually happened, or Picard will.</div><div>This is not Wes' day. "Captain..." he whispers.</div><div>But Picard cuts him off with a sharp "dismissed!"</div><div>Picard did not come to play. And he is really unimpressed with Wesley's response.</div><div>Wes turns and leaves quickly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIxPYUeEsZIfICMCZmJcEJcHo8kcwrZPZ8caFAfBx5fxNmqDMT49yzOduTvk-MXpJc9Y4O3-tTFWMtQxFwqXctkvHqlkKRpqWo3CxanzvsRtXPH1Sqie3DF7FIieBr60Ul-M7OinubElSOuDYlJtU4rQwLZ9EcyKqUImifY3IzqXxex620EWETV1olg/s607/fd29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="607" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIxPYUeEsZIfICMCZmJcEJcHo8kcwrZPZ8caFAfBx5fxNmqDMT49yzOduTvk-MXpJc9Y4O3-tTFWMtQxFwqXctkvHqlkKRpqWo3CxanzvsRtXPH1Sqie3DF7FIieBr60Ul-M7OinubElSOuDYlJtU4rQwLZ9EcyKqUImifY3IzqXxex620EWETV1olg/w400-h300/fd29.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Downstairs, Wes is pacing in his quarters when Nick knocks on his door.</div><div>"They know everything," Wes says, and he explains how he got hauled onto the E so that Picard could map out just how Josh Albert died, and how Picard has threatened to go to Brand.</div><div>"Do they have evidence?" Nick asks.</div><div>"No, but he knows exactly how it happened."</div><div>Nick sort of half-laughs nervously. "So he has a theory? Let him talk to Brand. The inquiry will ask if that's what happened, and we'll say no."</div><div>SLIPPERY SLOPE, NICK.</div><div>"I can't call Captain Picard a liar," Wes decides. "I'm going to tell them what happened."</div><div>Nick gets mad and reaches into his Big Bag of Emotional Manipulation. "<i>You're</i> going to tell the truth, <i>you're</i> going to come forward - who are you? <i>You're</i> going to decide what happens to me and Sito and Jean?"</div><div>Again, Wes versus The Team.</div><div>And Nick pulls out more gaslighting bullshit. "Did Picard tell you some story about honor and duty?"</div><div>Wes looks away, so Nick knows he's correct.</div><div>"Look, if you want to throw away your career, that's fine. Resign from the Academy and just walk away. But don't ruin our careers as well."</div><div>Wes is shocked, but he shouldn't be. Since we met Nick, he's been talking Wes and the rest of the team into lying and saving himself. He's not a good friend. But maybe up til now he's been covering his tracks. Or he was friends with Wes, and Wes was too close to see it. "You'd throw me under the bus?"</div><div>"To save the team? Yes. This team is more important than either of us. If I was you, Wes, I would put the team first. But that's me."</div><div>Nick leaves in a huff. (He doesn't slam the door like I expected, but that may be because the set is too fragile for door-slamming.)</div><div>In a lot of these scenes, someone drops a load of information on the floor at Wesley's feet and leaves, forcing Wes to pick up the broken pieces and examine them. This is no exception.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SDMWhCVL-9L0jL_SGAnejucr6NlAnWXfmijIpoTkXSudC19Ehfr2CNZPOTIK6F9yEnP4Sr9veRcFvWwrEfj2AP7HPpdTSNUj_noPkjSO8BEoFaVLr2S-rR2lHfK_BpSxN_ZvEz3DSSJs8HI0gRmQBTS0f0Ju-bU1zerB6jbtAZzWOaYTmBPZDLaLrA/s605/fd30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="605" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SDMWhCVL-9L0jL_SGAnejucr6NlAnWXfmijIpoTkXSudC19Ehfr2CNZPOTIK6F9yEnP4Sr9veRcFvWwrEfj2AP7HPpdTSNUj_noPkjSO8BEoFaVLr2S-rR2lHfK_BpSxN_ZvEz3DSSJs8HI0gRmQBTS0f0Ju-bU1zerB6jbtAZzWOaYTmBPZDLaLrA/w400-h301/fd30.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Last part of the inquiry, and Admiral Brand has decided to give her closing statements directly to the table with Nova Squadron.</div><div>"After having gone over the testimony, black box info, and navsat images, Captain Setelk and I are left with the feeling that things don't add up. So either the data is wrong, or you lied. That's really suspicious... but suspicion isn't proof, and we don't have that."</div><div>Oof, just being part of an inquiry that ends with a feeling of suspicion and lies and cover-ups is not going to bode well for the careers of anyone on Nova Squadron. This is the sort of shit that follows you around.</div><div>Now for the doling out of punishments: they each get a formal reprimand on their permanent records for filing an inaccurate flight plan, and for allowing Josh to fly, even though they knew he was not doing well. They're also getting their flight privileges revoked.</div><div>Brand rings the bell to close the inquiry, and Nick probably figures he should go somewhere with the rest of his team to celebrate this slap on the wrist, but Wes stands up.</div><div>"I... have something to add to my testimony."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9ck3MVqcM61lQ9M0K-80iZ_hVlL8oOR5xn2Lxp9ZHSy-0f_zD8TXah2mxEpFbhSnCVzDU9EdVZrG6SfqSNGlFbD9vbaU7Y92rwvB3bXc6557dTc7yDrnqKD_5C-mSperOcoToEwn5wgHypdsyssyTboy5vuJnG06xKioDMazHKUPLUpm_7NcXo_t_A/s609/fd31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="609" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9ck3MVqcM61lQ9M0K-80iZ_hVlL8oOR5xn2Lxp9ZHSy-0f_zD8TXah2mxEpFbhSnCVzDU9EdVZrG6SfqSNGlFbD9vbaU7Y92rwvB3bXc6557dTc7yDrnqKD_5C-mSperOcoToEwn5wgHypdsyssyTboy5vuJnG06xKioDMazHKUPLUpm_7NcXo_t_A/w400-h301/fd31.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"We... didn't get into diamond slot formation after the Yeager Loop. We attempted a Kolvoord Starburst because we wanted to do something cool for commencement. We figured we were invincible, but we weren't. Josh was nervous doing it, but we talked him into it. He didn't let us down, we let him down. It wasn't his fault."</div><div>Picard looks glad that he won't have to go to Brand after the fact with his suspicions.</div><div>Albert looks stunned that this kid just admitted that the team's crazy stunt got his son killed.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLizklt8RDt-8cpcPKgTt13MQlj5x8Sp-YOKIIv7vCz4iLYGEiLekHbN0Qxec1csB9iwhMmhRoa39u1sNAMfNAIYxqrgWgc9L8JHTRH07uyT1f4qCQRbQcymtxLWsHXQZBX-kBHU5IeIu9J8PvVLUqNJhcgl1pJE3--rreOQ_da1DlK8DDxiEIrpjtQ/s601/fd32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="601" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLizklt8RDt-8cpcPKgTt13MQlj5x8Sp-YOKIIv7vCz4iLYGEiLekHbN0Qxec1csB9iwhMmhRoa39u1sNAMfNAIYxqrgWgc9L8JHTRH07uyT1f4qCQRbQcymtxLWsHXQZBX-kBHU5IeIu9J8PvVLUqNJhcgl1pJE3--rreOQ_da1DlK8DDxiEIrpjtQ/w400-h303/fd32.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Brand looks sad. Like how your mom looks when she says, "I'm not mad, just disappointed."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBgKFYTcnYmlCqQW9Vcfe-Kz9I5f1wk_V1GcNIaAOFCdpCVdZKqzpnwgxhaLj-TjCv_gTk2TLZYOT9YOGEjdKHHBOc751UtHMkP5bd63HQWC55hFgAx5hqWq6o5kjm5H-XhU2qQi9FEKgrb8yr_rv6t3FazDnJSTBtPVCkkNDIy1uf8enw9MnYnCDJw/s603/fd33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="603" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBgKFYTcnYmlCqQW9Vcfe-Kz9I5f1wk_V1GcNIaAOFCdpCVdZKqzpnwgxhaLj-TjCv_gTk2TLZYOT9YOGEjdKHHBOc751UtHMkP5bd63HQWC55hFgAx5hqWq6o5kjm5H-XhU2qQi9FEKgrb8yr_rv6t3FazDnJSTBtPVCkkNDIy1uf8enw9MnYnCDJw/w400-h304/fd33.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>She asks if Nick, as the leader of Nova Squadron has anything to say.</div><div>Nick stands, looking uncomfortable in his own skin, and Brand has to prompt him again.</div><div>"No, sir," he finally says quietly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgHr3sGLw1yE93PB8MMquGSx1a9RFqGmZEnsjyj1zZ0DLem5mvUmD1uqate-hAeGvtS-xBm3uwckhr0LBMKq2hyBXwtw20hTCGzgzUq69DkkljiRr8QCUWt9CbZ4CNB7hk7a22KZDyX_i3w_ZsbtZyZyjOV3vu0EYgFOK2Wap-mblwUmT8klS7WFgww/s608/fd34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="608" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgHr3sGLw1yE93PB8MMquGSx1a9RFqGmZEnsjyj1zZ0DLem5mvUmD1uqate-hAeGvtS-xBm3uwckhr0LBMKq2hyBXwtw20hTCGzgzUq69DkkljiRr8QCUWt9CbZ4CNB7hk7a22KZDyX_i3w_ZsbtZyZyjOV3vu0EYgFOK2Wap-mblwUmT8klS7WFgww/w400-h301/fd34.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Wes is sitting outside in the garden, doing a thousand-yard stare, when Picard approaches.</div><div>"Nick Locarno has been expelled," he says simply.</div><div>Damn. Like a week before graduation. Sucks to suck, Nick.</div><div>Wes sighs. "We all deserved to be expelled."</div><div>"You almost were," Picard replies. "Locarno asked them not to. He took full responsibility as Nova Squadron leader, and said he talked you all into doing the maneuver, then talked you into covering up the accident."</div><div>"He protected the team, like he said he would," says Wes sadly.</div><div>They start walking down the path.</div><div>"I feel shitty," Wes confesses. "I let everybody down."</div><div>Picard is pulling no punches. "You should feel shitty. And frankly, you're not getting off scot-free. Admiral Brand has decided that all of your credits for this year will be erased. You'll have to repeat it, and you won't get to move forward with your friends. It's going to be really uncomfortable being on campus, with everyone knowing what you did."</div><div>Wes thanks him, and Picard reminds him that he knew what to do all along.</div><div>"I just made sure that you listened to yourself," he says, repeating Boothby's phrase from earlier.</div><div>They shake hands, say goodbye, and exit in different directions.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywBOpNIXKEtS817SgAqOG-iU1qNygJ-TRMSKHoOscpFkEJevggxehul6mDD-mOJsntKLYBI0hmto22V61RU_EiV4r_oHOtvNonw6YQlpdDApUDixe5YssjqMn-lJBwiTd2w7RUZ_Rb8Dr7WoOS_CwzROZhRbEDCCm-p_N5HEH-u8hXu6mjcg70AyJFw/s605/fd35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywBOpNIXKEtS817SgAqOG-iU1qNygJ-TRMSKHoOscpFkEJevggxehul6mDD-mOJsntKLYBI0hmto22V61RU_EiV4r_oHOtvNonw6YQlpdDApUDixe5YssjqMn-lJBwiTd2w7RUZ_Rb8Dr7WoOS_CwzROZhRbEDCCm-p_N5HEH-u8hXu6mjcg70AyJFw/w400-h304/fd35.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Y'all, this is a great episode. Like, really REALLY great. It's one of my favorites, and part of the reason why I name as season five as my go-to when I think "what should I watch today?"</div><div>The guest stars were well-cast, PatStew and Wil Wheaton both did a fabulous job, and this humble little Earth-bound episode shows us a slice of life at Starfleet Academy.</div><div>It's my favorite Wes episode, and in my opinion, the best Wes episode.</div><div>There are some cool, subtle things that I noticed while watching this for review, going through each scene with a fine-toothed comb:</div><div>- The ups and downs of power and status, as portrayed through blocking. When Brand addresses Nova Squadron during her closing remarks, she stands in of them, while they sit. They must look up at her. She is a rear admiral, superintendent of the Academy, and in charge of the inquiry. Nick Locarno often stands when trying to convince Wes to go along with the cover-up, or when getting angry at him for not doing so. They're power positions. But there are some places where those power positions shift to indicate a different kind of relationship. When Picard approaches Boothby, he does so as Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the Federation flagship Enterprise, and he is initially standing over the old gardener. He occupies a higher office in Starfleet than Boothby does. But both times he talks with Boothby, he quickly crouches down to the same level as a sign of respect and friendliness. When he approaches Wes in the last scene to talk to him about consequences, Wesley is sitting on a rock. He stands, and they do a walk-and-talk. Here, they are on more equal footing, each having made a horrible mistake as a younger person, each determined not to let it fine their lives. Though they address each other formally when parting, they shake hands and depart with a kind of equality.</div><div>- Oof, these characters tell one another that they're fine a lot. Especially when they're really not. Beverly says it multiple times to Picard in a manic way, as though trying to convince them both. And Wes, who probably picked this trait up from his mother, does the same. </div><div>"My kid was injured in a life-threating accident? He is fine I am fine, we are fine."</div><div>"I was injured in a horrible accident, where my friend was killed, and I am being gaslighted by my other friends, into lying about said accident, but we are probably all getting expelled? I am fine."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_7qglI6hTIivdYVuq8Utn6BANaPML0RzDIOj9lS0YZyLCW34S2Ofyddza87-qxQ0J_MfLV5sQkPER0iLjIx7JHUybkXc-Ot4nWtfpjhPtN5Xc0PPlDz9ZIihdGKX96SiZNVHS5hyYc1Uh3kwGghDxYpx2igWKjZAKZlsZoZVIWJ_TG45m69whsdM1A/s1400/this-is-fine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_7qglI6hTIivdYVuq8Utn6BANaPML0RzDIOj9lS0YZyLCW34S2Ofyddza87-qxQ0J_MfLV5sQkPER0iLjIx7JHUybkXc-Ot4nWtfpjhPtN5Xc0PPlDz9ZIihdGKX96SiZNVHS5hyYc1Uh3kwGghDxYpx2igWKjZAKZlsZoZVIWJ_TG45m69whsdM1A/w400-h300/this-is-fine.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>- Wes is alone for much of this episode. We first see him doing am exercises, alone, in his quarters. Others enter to speak with him, but he is ultimately left alone again. The blocking pits the team against Wes when they are trying to convince him to lie in the inquiry. The team is separated from everyone else by placing them behind a long table on their own. Wes practices his testimony by himself. He leaves the ready room, and presumably, the Enterprise, by himself. He spends a lot of time thinking, and feeling small in general.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMoqv7Uf36nMAdydP5d1jgFJqXhKQ63jPPfVQ5HVXYp0Vf1oDFkcVRqLUGLRpd2MMIzPgRjNqjGulecS8nyIxNUWVH3ZQ1PC-I39eV7XKKYYV9Bx5wG9jcnWSC70JjB7sR_eCV1Bft8tB4WDQjY32vzLOo4uFjhs8j2GzXun4SAursv0F-oMozk0HNA/s608/alone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="608" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMoqv7Uf36nMAdydP5d1jgFJqXhKQ63jPPfVQ5HVXYp0Vf1oDFkcVRqLUGLRpd2MMIzPgRjNqjGulecS8nyIxNUWVH3ZQ1PC-I39eV7XKKYYV9Bx5wG9jcnWSC70JjB7sR_eCV1Bft8tB4WDQjY32vzLOo4uFjhs8j2GzXun4SAursv0F-oMozk0HNA/w400-h303/alone.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I want to give this episode 10/10. Entertainment Weekly named it #9 on their Top 10 Episodes to watch for the 20th anniversary of TNG, and it definitely deserves to be on that list. During all prior viewings, I would have assigned it that 10th star without hesitation, but this time, something is sticking in my craw, and that something is Nick Locarno. Or rather, his actions. He ends by taking the fall, and saving his teammates from certain expulsion. He cares more about the team than his own career. And he does the right thing in the end. Maybe it's because I've encountered more gaslighters in the last few years than I had previously had, or maybe because I'm more jaded now, but... "ultimately did the right thing" is not something that I would attribute to people who resort to gaslighting and emotional manipulation the way Nick did. In my experience, these kinds of people will go down with the ship, the whole time proclaiming that there is no leak. It feels more in line for Nick to say that Josh was responsible the whole time, rather than agreeing that Wes was telling the truth about the Kolvoord Starburst. At that point, everyone would have been expelled, but to his dying day, Nick would have named Josh as the reason for the accident. Am I saying that people who sometimes use gaslighting or emotional manipulation are never likely to do the right thing? No. We've all done it, I'm sure. You talk someone into something that's sketchy, or you convince a friend to take the fall. If you feel guilty later, congrats! Your moral compass is correct, and you have screwed up. But Locarno seemed a bit practiced at his techniques, and I'll bet he used something similar on Josh to get him to do the Starburst. There's actually a really interesting debate among the showrunners (discussed below) as to whether or not Locarno is "redeemable."</div><div>That's it. The one thing that bugs, and it doesn't even bug me that much.</div><div>The rest of this episode is masterful. Well done, Star Trek.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Fun Facts:</div><div><br /></div><div>- The character of Sito was Shannon Fill's first professional acting job. She auditioned at the suggestion of a friend, and was surprised to learn that she had won the part.</div><div>- There's a funny discrepancy between Sito and the rest of Nova Squadron: she doesn't have an individual name. (Nicholas Locarno, Jean Hajar, Joshua Albert, Wesley Crusher, and... Sito) This probably wouldn't have mattered much if the team didn't refer to each other by given names, but they do. Sito is only ever referred to by her family name. It's possible that she just goes by Sito to avoid the confusion of "family name first" naming convention that the Bajorans use, but that isn't addressed. Sito will appear in TNG in a later episode, where she will receive the individual name of Jaxa.</div><div>I actually found a cool t-shirt on TeePublic that gets it wrong in the other way, listing everyone by family name,<i> except</i> Sito, who is listed by her given name:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRmfNWZPYqs8EXW_M4MYXmFQ8xDlJCQUTb5M-FkZC-YTtpT9CxatCiAW8ifVfhpACvfhnyAdEWXqjOfSJw7RN04syGhWak2jkVkSvzmlKwxUjo7izkUPHNVE2K64hVWFjCeS5BX2XoEXAabo4zDXGRNaDOJ-iRTOIY0oM3g9emK3GrwXm4oaTNh_W7Q/s435/tshirt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="435" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRmfNWZPYqs8EXW_M4MYXmFQ8xDlJCQUTb5M-FkZC-YTtpT9CxatCiAW8ifVfhpACvfhnyAdEWXqjOfSJw7RN04syGhWak2jkVkSvzmlKwxUjo7izkUPHNVE2K64hVWFjCeS5BX2XoEXAabo4zDXGRNaDOJ-iRTOIY0oM3g9emK3GrwXm4oaTNh_W7Q/w400-h395/tshirt.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOTwjnaOkdWEIHE-dbrhxNLH2QGKRcQXTKJEoCU9lKkuF8s_cq45Eus2XC1BvT5DMGbwI1PYkLEI29bsskhr44C-Q717H980Qg9W4GOjfTWrPgb6IrHu9-WjQj2hgxB2I1y7QIFFv3X1F9BRr6xDPLZReoUWn7tGokyv9xdCqQfTHm2w67qDy-qCgEg/s391/oops.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="138" data-original-width="391" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOTwjnaOkdWEIHE-dbrhxNLH2QGKRcQXTKJEoCU9lKkuF8s_cq45Eus2XC1BvT5DMGbwI1PYkLEI29bsskhr44C-Q717H980Qg9W4GOjfTWrPgb6IrHu9-WjQj2hgxB2I1y7QIFFv3X1F9BRr6xDPLZReoUWn7tGokyv9xdCqQfTHm2w67qDy-qCgEg/w400-h141/oops.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>- This is the first appearance of Starfleet Academy.</div><div>- The character of Kolvoord on "The Expanse" may have been named after the Kolvoord Starburst. Naren Shankar, executive producer of that show, co-wrote this episode.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PhxfOdcQPwEMpxwV6tgeeGDfP9GvvrlS86n7nibmLLdSBDEi-RhoN5OJjbaamFOq0U5otihWxGZTgcnHCnBaJgDncE7e-LCYGfvjQ0iRB2K6eQm0mzw2AgRrh3UGyAyA2xAesDZdqas9q_Vo8ZRnUzjuuzaa1-Fihny2JX2QTI5uEirWaaHPsSIS-w/s401/kolvoord.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="371" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PhxfOdcQPwEMpxwV6tgeeGDfP9GvvrlS86n7nibmLLdSBDEi-RhoN5OJjbaamFOq0U5otihWxGZTgcnHCnBaJgDncE7e-LCYGfvjQ0iRB2K6eQm0mzw2AgRrh3UGyAyA2xAesDZdqas9q_Vo8ZRnUzjuuzaa1-Fihny2JX2QTI5uEirWaaHPsSIS-w/s320/kolvoord.png" width="296" /></a></div><br /><div>- The million-dollar question: why is Tom Paris (Voyager), Tom Paris and <i>not</i> Nicholas Locarno? Voyager producer Jeri Taylor has stated that Locarno was definitely the inspiration for Paris, and that he was in the Voyager early treatment initially, but it was felt that Nick Locarno was a bad guy pretending to be a good guy, whereas Tom Paris is a good guy pretending to be a bad one. Robert Duncan McNeill (Locarno/Paris) agreed. Taylor wrote Paris, always intending the character to be played by McNeill, but when it came time to hash things out, they felt like they needed a character who was similar, but who had a different drive for doing things the way he did. Co-writers of this episode, Ronald D Moore and Naren Shankar, disagreed with the assessment that Locarno was "irredeemable," and did not see why the character of Tom Paris was changed from Nick Locarno.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMZODTB_ue21Rji_Ek-P-jF0IeikdISrXsohs3cIBlHjb6w1gTllVQ1xh70zoov5Eh-Nu-74N1waOx2_4ttKcb9qnZsFdHx5p1Jx6bE4IqqaYeJ1vxBI5GVbnddyAVrwb1-9fnkqdvkhjhMWKYh9gkolQ4eMAXU6pyvhhOzOrpwL8y-vUU0RTkxHlSA/s281/tom%20paris.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="262" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMZODTB_ue21Rji_Ek-P-jF0IeikdISrXsohs3cIBlHjb6w1gTllVQ1xh70zoov5Eh-Nu-74N1waOx2_4ttKcb9qnZsFdHx5p1Jx6bE4IqqaYeJ1vxBI5GVbnddyAVrwb1-9fnkqdvkhjhMWKYh9gkolQ4eMAXU6pyvhhOzOrpwL8y-vUU0RTkxHlSA/w373-h400/tom%20paris.png" width="373" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>- In a Star Trek novel (Star Trek: Coda: The Ashes of Tomorrow), Wesley Crusher mistakes Tom Paris for Nick Locarno. Paris tells Wes that he gets that a lot. Lol.</div><div>- A photo of McNeill as Locarno is later used as a photo of young Tom Paris in Voyager.</div><div>- Naren Shankar had done a Writer's Guild internship with the show on a previous season, and she and Moore had become friends. They developed this story based on Moore's membership in the ROTC when he was younger, and they had the idea of catching up with Wesley Crusher at the Academy, and doing an episode about friendship versus duty. Rick Berman was not initially sold. He felt that solid Star Trek stories were about going into space, and this story was set on Earth. Michael Piller was able to sell him on the idea by pointing out that there is a lot of peer pressure on younger people, and the idea of choosing what's right over loyalty to your friends would resonate with viewers. Berman agreed on the condition that no more than three sets were used.</div><div><br /></div><div>- Originally, Wesley's crime was much worse, and the cover job more obvious. Berman felt that Wesley Crusher was capable of screwing up really badly, but that the original crime suggested was too much. They toned it down so that Wes and his friends would face serious consequences, but would not commit anything too awful.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQqEdhpeDGja9456niejOkiN-uL2RoVnS9QRSOmLVFgEMF1UroDqkUFAB7O5qELKQXxdF4XfJkLop9nvcRFcy03mkt8mX94k8P0tPkU715Tqa3Cg5cQQk_ZsV5T2NfFGC2-h1-k--RkAJa3utV24RHdxHhb4UCwZDiPFzGAaVM7FFNmZ0vOsVj2Ox3A/s443/kvs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="443" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQqEdhpeDGja9456niejOkiN-uL2RoVnS9QRSOmLVFgEMF1UroDqkUFAB7O5qELKQXxdF4XfJkLop9nvcRFcy03mkt8mX94k8P0tPkU715Tqa3Cg5cQQk_ZsV5T2NfFGC2-h1-k--RkAJa3utV24RHdxHhb4UCwZDiPFzGAaVM7FFNmZ0vOsVj2Ox3A/w400-h313/kvs.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46W3U4R2tVRPhdZCdjXpWBbO6Yo6EA9ULRYJ8Qz0eQxAidMiPeCrkBVkKCiItMCkn61us0Mtz8zN2WP5wQ_Y2jX8cYwH7rgR0BidixtNn4YTuVpiZlUYasIk7yDduNYbLsPTXY2UWluW-KjI8k1JobLjiSiaAKCKtH5O4JqxFIK1WzEhji_zr0OvX5Q/s610/fd27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="610" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46W3U4R2tVRPhdZCdjXpWBbO6Yo6EA9ULRYJ8Qz0eQxAidMiPeCrkBVkKCiItMCkn61us0Mtz8zN2WP5wQ_Y2jX8cYwH7rgR0BidixtNn4YTuVpiZlUYasIk7yDduNYbLsPTXY2UWluW-KjI8k1JobLjiSiaAKCKtH5O4JqxFIK1WzEhji_zr0OvX5Q/w400-h300/fd27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>- Shankar, Moore, and Piller argued over the ending of this episode. Pillar felt that Wes should tell the truth, and Moore thought that Wes would side with his friends. So they sat down and argued about it in a productive way. Piller made the final decision of "Wes tells the truth," but both agree that the episode is a good one, and there appears to have been no ill will afterward. Moore would later elaborate on the argument, saying that he and Shankar were pushing for a different story: initially, Nova Squadron's aim was "we all hang together," and the punishment for silence would be that the entire team gets expelled. In this case, Wes coming forward by himself would be seen as saving his own skin and letting everyone else take the fall. That would make Picard's speech one where he advocated for Wes to not ruin his own career by siding with his friends. Then Locarno would throw himself under the bus to save the team. A similar plot, but it reads very differently. Moore said "...I preferred the story about a young man willing to stand with his friends rather than a morality tale about telling the truth."</div><div><br /></div><div>- We never find out what Picard had done that Boothby helped him with... because one was never conceived. The writers had Picard talk to Boothby about the case and Nova Squadron, but the scenes were weak and not terribly interesting. They came up with the idea of having Picard face a similar crisis of character at the Academy, which Boothby would help him with. Piller tried to come up with the idea, but Berman argued that it didn't matter what had happened, that it was more important to show that you could have something derail your life, and still become a Jean-Luc Picard.</div><div>- Nick Locarno wasn't in the first draft at all. Instead, Nova Squadron was lead by Lt-Cmdr Albert, a career-minded officer.</div><div>- The outdoor scenes for the Academy were filmed at the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant's Japanese Garden. These locations were also used for the outdoor scenes in season one's <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2016/04/sttng-season-one-episode-nine-justice.html">"Justice."</a>. The outdoor shots, combined with the matte painting of the Academy buildings and San Francisco cityscape, will be reused in "Time's Arrow."</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VnwsHJ7BX9ron8BAgTfZi5eexFXZBFMIQ7sjtlz57eR4tM6ypMlDbaXwHRHvQD5iKMWctf37mvI4isUu4pXvuu1WrXUHDnFNGp9rCUN0lW_Y2GezxQsDVlI6B6alEAruBfRUksaVD0r6gIqX78Yqm9pc1AgBwh_B2hQTnCu8ISsGyz2XR-Z3irPidg/s544/academy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="544" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VnwsHJ7BX9ron8BAgTfZi5eexFXZBFMIQ7sjtlz57eR4tM6ypMlDbaXwHRHvQD5iKMWctf37mvI4isUu4pXvuu1WrXUHDnFNGp9rCUN0lW_Y2GezxQsDVlI6B6alEAruBfRUksaVD0r6gIqX78Yqm9pc1AgBwh_B2hQTnCu8ISsGyz2XR-Z3irPidg/w400-h299/academy.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A reused shot of the Academy, with the flag painted at full staff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />- This is the first appearance of Boothby. When the math is done about the comment he makes to Picard about age, Boothby turns out to be around 104 years old here. We'll see him twice more in Voyager.<div>- Boothby is played by Ray Walston, an actor best known for the sitcom "My Favorite Martian."<br /><div>- Show producers wanted Ashley Judd to play Ensign Robin Lefler again for this episode, but the timing could not be worked out.</div><div>- Ricard Fancy (Satelk) will show up again in season two of Voyager.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimF5aCiaGmQ16DkhVCSZR4aHJMdcIn40MrE_nWlh-jGSM2kDdRPrLeRIb0jPJKIqmgblNk_8Cwj22933s0Dm5BDp-HKam4vgPl6ZoWOjsLcMuU884Mi7YCE-02pauEZzhWy0IIsi4IRdW1kIi6hyotyE3lRr6w0hU8eTdF1-QiggPCmGUgafT_cyO0_A/s408/satelk.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="363" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimF5aCiaGmQ16DkhVCSZR4aHJMdcIn40MrE_nWlh-jGSM2kDdRPrLeRIb0jPJKIqmgblNk_8Cwj22933s0Dm5BDp-HKam4vgPl6ZoWOjsLcMuU884Mi7YCE-02pauEZzhWy0IIsi4IRdW1kIi6hyotyE3lRr6w0hU8eTdF1-QiggPCmGUgafT_cyO0_A/w356-h400/satelk.png" width="356" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>- When talking to Picard, Boothby mentions Picard performing what sounds like a wrestling move at a match with a Ligonian. You remember the Ligonians... from <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2016/03/sttng-season-one-episode-three-code-of.html">"Code of Fucking Honor."</a> This is the last time they're ever mentioned in Star Trek, and good riddance.</div><div>- The events of this episode will form the basis for two seven season episodes.</div><div>- Wes has a model of the Enterprise in his quarters. It's actually a replica of the Star Trek ships that Franklin Mint made in the late 1980s.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJR8pxWyqKmiMML_C3M4suKvCef_j_K1MXQ17-EsH2Z-T0UWIyhzoiigelYRrbNz12bcbQLbNMubP6r_6oazaxWwb1bxCxgGg-Bznv3UbDRs7N5pNt9iMk2eevQLFIB7cgDGUD-K7fn59PZCX2r-cbWsoA-nGMwPrm8d87_ZLUvY8VCCejALfBhAuz2g/s438/replica.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="438" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJR8pxWyqKmiMML_C3M4suKvCef_j_K1MXQ17-EsH2Z-T0UWIyhzoiigelYRrbNz12bcbQLbNMubP6r_6oazaxWwb1bxCxgGg-Bznv3UbDRs7N5pNt9iMk2eevQLFIB7cgDGUD-K7fn59PZCX2r-cbWsoA-nGMwPrm8d87_ZLUvY8VCCejALfBhAuz2g/w400-h255/replica.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>- Rick Berman felt that the success of this episode was down to the directing by Paul Lynch, and the casting of Ray Walston as Boothby, as well as the casting choices for the other cadets. Paul Lynch felt that the credit for this episode went to Wil Wheaton.</div><div>- This episode is shown to Air Force cadets as an introduction to the honor code.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br />
<br />
Red deaths: 1<br />
To date: 2<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
To date: 2</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Riker Moments: 0<br />
To date: 4</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date: 2<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Keiko Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments: 0<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 3<br />
To date: 6</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 0<br />
To date: 35</div>
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Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 0<br />
To date: 9</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date: 4<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date: 2<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 0<br />
To date: 18<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 0<br />
To date: 7</div>
</div>
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47: 0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To date: 2</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJ4ilCXQQlkbG6SMwUuW-_LK6S8Pb-GJoImLLX6YAAcjh2iw_7-dfqiNLEuEjtxPSFZSLJFVbgBzxvyvG-wJBIDfs5BPaZyzYvaY9e6CfeADgMHq-aWoLpejSbqZP4jjme8tjX4tFEhWUszZxDLzqPoTE8ssUqBZhT0yqc-Bd3HnGBoWf_FbM7dJswA/s275/pie%20nap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="275" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJ4ilCXQQlkbG6SMwUuW-_LK6S8Pb-GJoImLLX6YAAcjh2iw_7-dfqiNLEuEjtxPSFZSLJFVbgBzxvyvG-wJBIDfs5BPaZyzYvaY9e6CfeADgMHq-aWoLpejSbqZP4jjme8tjX4tFEhWUszZxDLzqPoTE8ssUqBZhT0yqc-Bd3HnGBoWf_FbM7dJswA/w400-h300/pie%20nap.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What a week, huh?"<br />"Lemon, it's Monday."</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-59127906955806000892023-01-02T13:47:00.000-08:002023-01-02T13:47:17.040-08:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Eighteen "Cause and Effect"ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Eighteen "Cause and Effect"<br />
Production Order: 18<br />
Air Order: 18<br />
Stardate: 45652.1<br />
Original Air Date: March 23, 1992<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLbxnunX5N1vZH1rLnW4PXiJ9xK5m3N35F9alNWp5ZiENyI4mtR8waOvGV9ml9dEZG1SZSzw8Rox6mAkRbX6ai3bkRpywmSuOt_0V8nWDmCn_HsxaGtcboZHDrlf-LuX5ZUB_oPcgQ5uCp9YHE3Pz3OPVQ7r1xiZ1rthjqhwJnDqvGMYkH94NnivLlg/s605/cae1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="605" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLbxnunX5N1vZH1rLnW4PXiJ9xK5m3N35F9alNWp5ZiENyI4mtR8waOvGV9ml9dEZG1SZSzw8Rox6mAkRbX6ai3bkRpywmSuOt_0V8nWDmCn_HsxaGtcboZHDrlf-LuX5ZUB_oPcgQ5uCp9YHE3Pz3OPVQ7r1xiZ1rthjqhwJnDqvGMYkH94NnivLlg/w400-h303/cae1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>We open on the wildest cold opening we have ever gotten on Star Trek: it's mid-catastrophe. There's something really fucking wrong with one of the nacelles. Major, major shaky cam. People falling out of seats. Data loudly reporting antimatter venting. La Forge yelling that they need to eject the warp core. The warp core ejection is not working. Picard yells to Majel that all hands should abandon ship.</div><div>Then the E explodes.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqx2Ax-Attspq23ZVsuMPxJvyQ0WW9qKZRsvTjBnYlYPlwXZPin2NIQbCtnWRiG-k5Kp58SG3UWPzMZDdNVk5HbqZSGRwah7tGy3GDqiZDsuJBpLNeYpvGNiQoNx-zDUZ3MK5zR9_iM2UzcMqcVFF6Fhj7GbfFxFHD4pLpNPFLgb2qh8RaW468AjAcw/s609/cae2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="609" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqx2Ax-Attspq23ZVsuMPxJvyQ0WW9qKZRsvTjBnYlYPlwXZPin2NIQbCtnWRiG-k5Kp58SG3UWPzMZDdNVk5HbqZSGRwah7tGy3GDqiZDsuJBpLNeYpvGNiQoNx-zDUZ3MK5zR9_iM2UzcMqcVFF6Fhj7GbfFxFHD4pLpNPFLgb2qh8RaW468AjAcw/w400-h301/cae2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Shit, y'all. Did I just encounter a "we now return to our regularly-scheduled programming, in progress" situation?</div><div>Nope. I put the disc in the drive and selected this episode from the menu.</div><div>Damn. Then it just cut straight to the opening credits. No chill.</div><div><br /></div><div>When we return from the credits, we get an exterior shot of the Enterprise, and that "all is well" background music. Are we... doing a Zombie Gallileo premise? Zombie Enterprise? Are we starting from the end, then jumping back to the beginning? "It all started when..."</div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log 45652.1: "Going into an unexplored region called the Typhon Expanse. Gonna do some charting and stuff."</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead of going to people charting, we're starting out with the weekly poker game. Data shuffles the cards for himself, Riker, Worf, and Crusher.</div><div>Riker: "Sometimes I think he's stacking the deck."</div><div>Data: "I didn't."</div><div>Worf: "I hope so."</div><div>Data deals: an 8 for Riker, and ace for Worf, a queen for Crusher, a 4 for himself. Worf elects not to bet, so Data deals another round: 10 for Riker, a 7 for Worf, another queen for Crusher, and Data gets a 9. They begin betting, then Data deals a third time: a jack for Riker, a 4 for Worf, a 2 for Crusher, and Data gets a 6.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHBmffV5Zld6PW07AnJtB1CVCMjMYmKcCXyuCuqdvvF4x9X2PEe9SV6AlMzJWLWzermzqSBGWJmboI2Wvf3UdbGTzqYCRxWF-s9NQLVJtsGAqabf3tO5r0NF20pEsjXu0UYBLDm8W8dBh_T8BLyfEaoFXW2M61N1NfRN9MNlq29Vhl7UIWW_WQX-SbQ/s608/cae3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="608" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHBmffV5Zld6PW07AnJtB1CVCMjMYmKcCXyuCuqdvvF4x9X2PEe9SV6AlMzJWLWzermzqSBGWJmboI2Wvf3UdbGTzqYCRxWF-s9NQLVJtsGAqabf3tO5r0NF20pEsjXu0UYBLDm8W8dBh_T8BLyfEaoFXW2M61N1NfRN9MNlq29Vhl7UIWW_WQX-SbQ/w400-h303/cae3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Crusher adds 20 to her bet, Data does as well, but Riker calls and raises another 50. Worf is flabbergasted by this, but ponies up. As do Crusher and Data.</div><div>Then, as Data deals again, he gives Riker 7 and suggest that Riker may have a straight. Worf gets an eight, and for the second time this hand, Data suggests that Worf's cards suck.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vQtAHa5p_2q2PghxFo3N4HNru-qY-E2YCFlAPEIa6W67nqknPW28LzMbXWFygVJ6r5C2HRyIwJ7Yxw9Zry-XwGLKLL72XwR0Kwfk5CsYtHCPfOMIUKhxkWEbCQa_a6bCqym5-g7uagSPdfAWYs4I8xhGpR8rYONnNgfPymwHKDYUrIRJ8DqKfcpsgw/s603/cae4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="603" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vQtAHa5p_2q2PghxFo3N4HNru-qY-E2YCFlAPEIa6W67nqknPW28LzMbXWFygVJ6r5C2HRyIwJ7Yxw9Zry-XwGLKLL72XwR0Kwfk5CsYtHCPfOMIUKhxkWEbCQa_a6bCqym5-g7uagSPdfAWYs4I8xhGpR8rYONnNgfPymwHKDYUrIRJ8DqKfcpsgw/w400-h303/cae4.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Today is a good day to be disassembled</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Crusher gets an 8, Data gets a 9.</div><div>Crusher raises 20.</div><div>Data folds.</div><div>Riker sees her bet and raises 100.</div><div>Worf folds.</div><div>Crusher raises 200.</div><div>Riker sees her 200 and raises 300 more.</div><div>She tosses more in the pot, but we don't know how much. Riker sighs and turns his cards over. He did not have a straight, as Worf predicted. Crusher celebrates. She tells Riker he has a tell when he's bluffing, but then says she's just kidding, and that she only had "a feeling" that he was bluffing.</div><div>Nurse Ogawa calls Crusher. "Commander La Forge needs to see you in sick bay."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWv6vBh66ugkGtdSjgo_gfanabkipWEXqpWXodK4ShltqRCIJihZJLAYG8rlpjRjaKrgl-IOiyMutehQBIHDCpNOQIUyERBAU4iZticcSKclgZvma_mGdug-t7DEntcN9SjSteNMMS2wc3DfKhJXeLeNty4vAzYbhz8wZsEj6JtB5fg_JsNUI00Av9CA/s603/cae5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWv6vBh66ugkGtdSjgo_gfanabkipWEXqpWXodK4ShltqRCIJihZJLAYG8rlpjRjaKrgl-IOiyMutehQBIHDCpNOQIUyERBAU4iZticcSKclgZvma_mGdug-t7DEntcN9SjSteNMMS2wc3DfKhJXeLeNty4vAzYbhz8wZsEj6JtB5fg_JsNUI00Av9CA/w400-h305/cae5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In sick bay, La Forge explains that he got dizzy and almost fell off of a catwalk, but was caught by an ensign. Crusher, taking scans, tells him that he has all of the symptoms of an inner ear infection, but none of the physical evidence.</div><div>"Working too hard," she suggests.</div><div>He admits to having put in a lot of extra hours on the Typhon Expanse project. She tells him that she's going to give him a shot for the dizziness, but that he needs to find time to relax.</div><div>And then she pauses. "Have you had these symptoms before?"</div><div>"No. Why?"</div><div>"Pretty sure I've talked to you about this, and given you a hypospray for dizziness."</div><div>"Not me," he asserts. "Maybe another patient?'</div><div>"No, pretty sure it was you." </div><div>They both kind of shrug it off, and he leaves.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbOhRqzb_mtEFDNJ8Y3Ka_M_UiLINLykdLU1_Hh8EBiJzrwmkDuJoaRXOmu-WMcJDINx6FVd_iag290Vt-z65LEQ_KyTJ_sAh9RDbBAf5IREsqy7xPs15Y_asWgP9Ngp_wWs2mZpx5BLMWPQsMKumn_SifL3sWwqB4Yf-TLbkCkbJO1YH3O3NZsiF6w/s606/cae6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="606" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbOhRqzb_mtEFDNJ8Y3Ka_M_UiLINLykdLU1_Hh8EBiJzrwmkDuJoaRXOmu-WMcJDINx6FVd_iag290Vt-z65LEQ_KyTJ_sAh9RDbBAf5IREsqy7xPs15Y_asWgP9Ngp_wWs2mZpx5BLMWPQsMKumn_SifL3sWwqB4Yf-TLbkCkbJO1YH3O3NZsiF6w/w400-h305/cae6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Next we see Crusher's bedtime routine: she hums while deadheading her orchids in her jammies, drinks the world's tiniest glass of wine (the glass is only big enough to hold like a shot of liquid), then she turns out the lights and gets comfy in bed. Almost as soon as she's closed her eyes, she starts hearing some garbled noise. She reaches out to turn on the light, knocking over her glass, which smashes on the floor. The noises stop abruptly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaNILLKGxTTYKw12zdzpyZHX8mMxtEebR0yOwwevteGNwupwxs3S2kj9l1S9HHlxjh10TgtWrJpydHO1uSpznDKrwk4-r2f8-8Vv7ffMl1dStLCJ3sj3MjUF9bQUMF2APe-sBN7B-cBVga5eSSGFGNQ1xgXF30zf4MwHL4y2iGmaOBSeT15zS7j75_w/s609/cae7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="609" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaNILLKGxTTYKw12zdzpyZHX8mMxtEebR0yOwwevteGNwupwxs3S2kj9l1S9HHlxjh10TgtWrJpydHO1uSpznDKrwk4-r2f8-8Vv7ffMl1dStLCJ3sj3MjUF9bQUMF2APe-sBN7B-cBVga5eSSGFGNQ1xgXF30zf4MwHL4y2iGmaOBSeT15zS7j75_w/w400-h304/cae7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the morning, we attend a senior staff meeting, minus Worf for some reason. They talk about tests they're doing in the Typhon Expanse, and how equipment is holding up. Crusher is distracted. When La Forge finishes his PowerPoint about Typhon Expanse Stuff, Crusher says she would like to report a weird anomaly.</div><div>"I heard voices in my room last night. Ten other people reported hearing the same thing at that same time."</div><div>Troi asks what they were saying, but Crusher says she couldn't tell. Data says there were no weird sensor reports, and Riker asks him to check them after the meeting. Troi reports no weird feelings at that time, and La Forge suggests that maybe it's a problem with the comm system.</div><div>Worf pages Picard from the bridge. (Okay, now we know <i>where</i> he is, but why he isn't at the senior staff meeting is never addressed.) "Getting some weird readings off the starboard bow."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Uyf_hIPkXTuKnaD1p_iHPDF-Hx6EId223AtVQzfvrZYTGEhWcwZLnSL9FhY8ifceux9D5xnNUK7GH124VJrfeIkJZGU3gzNv3LPoIShOYhDoJfa5fZ84gD3AQasS81bmz87vCXyuxLP2X1BzMWvKdy6ufRWQdIf-fqlhX3926fwwpji45pTdmkmItA/s607/cae8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="607" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Uyf_hIPkXTuKnaD1p_iHPDF-Hx6EId223AtVQzfvrZYTGEhWcwZLnSL9FhY8ifceux9D5xnNUK7GH124VJrfeIkJZGU3gzNv3LPoIShOYhDoJfa5fZ84gD3AQasS81bmz87vCXyuxLP2X1BzMWvKdy6ufRWQdIf-fqlhX3926fwwpji45pTdmkmItA/w400-h301/cae8.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On the bridge, Ro tells Picard that they didn't sense it until they were almost on top of it, and Worf reports that it's a distortion of the time-space continuum.</div><div>"Let's back away," says Picard wisely.</div><div>But Ro reports that the thrusters are not responding.</div><div>The power goes out.</div><div>"The distortion is fluctuating," announces Data.</div><div>Riker calls for red alert, and the klaxons begin.</div><div>"Ooh, hell no," says Troi. "We need to GTFO, now."</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIQEBMTZD9kKc9XM_kiFTjpX-xdXngWo__gonkdko-maT6cXuDuRmtKuvie7qhnqq8Fb0iuX8JgmvhFX1RjfhZ99vvED0NQoEM5J6on9D3wp33Qh3WjU47ai12BHheaNsbhvgIXhNWu_0SR9tFiraaLUwt_STF-kff7ViDiGzViptEYvpEY5dzokDnA/s606/cae9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIQEBMTZD9kKc9XM_kiFTjpX-xdXngWo__gonkdko-maT6cXuDuRmtKuvie7qhnqq8Fb0iuX8JgmvhFX1RjfhZ99vvED0NQoEM5J6on9D3wp33Qh3WjU47ai12BHheaNsbhvgIXhNWu_0SR9tFiraaLUwt_STF-kff7ViDiGzViptEYvpEY5dzokDnA/w400-h304/cae9.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#cloudswiththreateningauras</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"Somethings coming out of the distortion," says Data.</div><div>It's a hella old Starfleet vessel.</div><div>Picard calls for shields, but there are none. No way to move, no way to protect themselves, and they are on a collision course with the other ship.</div><div>"Hail them," says Picard.</div><div>"No answer," says Worf.</div><div>Picard polls the bridge: how do we get out of this?</div><div>"Decompress the main shuttle bay," suggests Riker. "It may push us far enough out of the way."</div><div>That's not a terrible idea. But Picard goes with Data's suggestion: to use the tractor beam to move the other ship to a non-collision course.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DlX0_bpx3NiwDvtESP7-RebfOaqqzTNCb84owsLrEcI6WVfAd_Pf37zxdwAGjjqhuyGw3tr3ZuCLp6uraumW6B2qlaufBcGnWYWJ9fIabDZElBxQWvKE7IdpzkpjbMzD41XJPCGA0eFo3Jq0hAaGbY0QLyEEI5Tn7iTswmbzubIlju6IVGhinSAO7Q/s600/cae10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="600" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DlX0_bpx3NiwDvtESP7-RebfOaqqzTNCb84owsLrEcI6WVfAd_Pf37zxdwAGjjqhuyGw3tr3ZuCLp6uraumW6B2qlaufBcGnWYWJ9fIabDZElBxQWvKE7IdpzkpjbMzD41XJPCGA0eFo3Jq0hAaGbY0QLyEEI5Tn7iTswmbzubIlju6IVGhinSAO7Q/w400-h305/cae10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The tractor beam keeps the other ship from crashing head-long into the E, but it glances off the nacelle, causing it to explode.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNp5BgN4SY7KdBXjuTXhQMAf3iYN13TB2AaKuSZOTpSvuppyHkb7-gDuUmxC5OUl-trSZzLGEHcDSX1D2yugng2A8iDlUxiU8NhOAK1ZvdIbovzugc9gQ8elqdbXCoHPtIv1tCqW0-7c17B9mKEOpgwwxpRRKJ2fs3rsZl6EHkRV1u-MeYito5OQdYtA/s600/cae11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="600" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNp5BgN4SY7KdBXjuTXhQMAf3iYN13TB2AaKuSZOTpSvuppyHkb7-gDuUmxC5OUl-trSZzLGEHcDSX1D2yugng2A8iDlUxiU8NhOAK1ZvdIbovzugc9gQ8elqdbXCoHPtIv1tCqW0-7c17B9mKEOpgwwxpRRKJ2fs3rsZl6EHkRV1u-MeYito5OQdYtA/w400-h303/cae11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Damage reports start pouring in - casualty reports, the nacelle venting plasma, the ship losing attitude control.</div><div>Riker yells for everyone to hit the escape pods.</div><div>They need to eject the core, but the ejection systems aren't working. Picard calls for all hands to abandon ship.</div><div>The E spins out of control in space, then explodes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUzZPoE56Qh8RaxnFutmO4CsVfDPWTcnipsMvD6bRC2eS-GY18bGv4lwhhKq5VQ7itKYuHHAXsajxeqQLt9JmkpgxSLLMnYVp4r4J_jELQl6x81m-coQCu9hMStjWaaRmqf-_jSU6rjUuJHcD73oi12CaZgEltMqRygyieRxBnpDXUZ-bc6qA0llj6A/s601/cae12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="601" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUzZPoE56Qh8RaxnFutmO4CsVfDPWTcnipsMvD6bRC2eS-GY18bGv4lwhhKq5VQ7itKYuHHAXsajxeqQLt9JmkpgxSLLMnYVp4r4J_jELQl6x81m-coQCu9hMStjWaaRmqf-_jSU6rjUuJHcD73oi12CaZgEltMqRygyieRxBnpDXUZ-bc6qA0llj6A/w400-h306/cae12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log 45652.1: ""Going into an unexplored region called the Typhon Expanse. Gonna do some charting and stuff."</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Instead of going to people charting, we're starting out with the weekly poker game. Data shuffles the cards for himself, Riker, Worf, and Crusher.</div><div>Riker: "Sometimes I think he's stacking the deck."</div><div>Data: "I didn't."</div><div>Worf: "I hope so."</div><div>Data deals: an 8 for Riker, an ace for Worf, a queen for Crusher, a 4 for himself. Worf elects not to bet, so Data deals another round: 10 for Riker, a 7 for Worf, another queen for Crusher, and Data gets a 9. They begin betting, then Data deals a third time: a jack for Riker, a 4 for Worf, a 2 for Crusher, and Data gets a 6.</div><div>Crusher adds 20 to her bet, Data does as well, but Riker calls and raises another 50.</div><div>Then he stops.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGx52H8nPuY8KNfatiHEdM_2p-DDaIlek_ap12HkBngjTlKK4d1Vxc6EQ6P6N3Oh3fzdQjvwbFW5TR2dp1jaZ2LKeQeIADaBxOeh2CkGLH3MJ_OJ_P7_-DZocjR20MfvbLOHv7h6WNc0lG-Dt3c93WXX_uhp01TgMcTc1yYxiKhccsa60bsnRkZKeoQ/s598/cae13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="598" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGx52H8nPuY8KNfatiHEdM_2p-DDaIlek_ap12HkBngjTlKK4d1Vxc6EQ6P6N3Oh3fzdQjvwbFW5TR2dp1jaZ2LKeQeIADaBxOeh2CkGLH3MJ_OJ_P7_-DZocjR20MfvbLOHv7h6WNc0lG-Dt3c93WXX_uhp01TgMcTc1yYxiKhccsa60bsnRkZKeoQ/w400-h309/cae13.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A long, uneasy pause from Crusher. "How did you know that?"</div><div>"I had a feeling," he replies slowly.</div><div>"Me too."</div><div>Nurse Ogawa calls. "Doctor, La Forge is in sick bay to see you."</div>
<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsCJKR1oS7l5VkFbKx5As1D6fzBq31XBXn_3sBXK2af0YPz0R0Wq1UMFeqVQ87NwKujqenHo7ubWRpNMAa42sw1f_WuzVX6LDCWVPVxw8bAJ85PvmwlqCS__ee7eAVilxTFgxsRZWrbXyXLc2c5wVtcOrahp8H2fQqEraYzy5GSBMTGBgoGUFEar17w/s602/cae14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="602" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsCJKR1oS7l5VkFbKx5As1D6fzBq31XBXn_3sBXK2af0YPz0R0Wq1UMFeqVQ87NwKujqenHo7ubWRpNMAa42sw1f_WuzVX6LDCWVPVxw8bAJ85PvmwlqCS__ee7eAVilxTFgxsRZWrbXyXLc2c5wVtcOrahp8H2fQqEraYzy5GSBMTGBgoGUFEar17w/w400-h304/cae14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>In sick bay, La Forge explains that he got dizzy and almost fell off of a catwalk, but was caught by an ensign. Crusher, taking scans, tells him that he has all of the symptoms of an inner ear infection, but none of the physical evidence.</div><div>Another long pause from Crusher. "Have you... had these symptoms before?"</div><div>Now he considers. "I think maybe yes. But I don't remember when."<br />
"We've had this convo, and I've given you this exam. Let's check the medical logs."</div><div>They pull up his info, and even though she's treated him for VISOR-related headaches, no mention of dizziness or inner ear infections.</div><div>"Deja vu?" he asks.</div><div>"Both of us?" she counters.</div><div>Glitch in the Matrix! Look for the cat!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWkqTzamPxrZDG236Jn992iq-xs50vqyC09rggaoFrVVOOWz1YfXy5HpOUw7kmeYw_QlWcd7cFGledj9z_j3TxorrIKeqV0xSIAo0EYh6NV2pBUnTheg5ko0L8QxI2IUAsqJlkjaFWOqquj9DEPyQEgM23EIkrZEyeoUhl7BAh0Y3CC0c96CDXMpzJw/s206/matrix%20cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="189" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWkqTzamPxrZDG236Jn992iq-xs50vqyC09rggaoFrVVOOWz1YfXy5HpOUw7kmeYw_QlWcd7cFGledj9z_j3TxorrIKeqV0xSIAo0EYh6NV2pBUnTheg5ko0L8QxI2IUAsqJlkjaFWOqquj9DEPyQEgM23EIkrZEyeoUhl7BAh0Y3CC0c96CDXMpzJw/w367-h400/matrix%20cat.jpg" width="367" /></a></div><br /><div>Next we see Crusher's bedtime routine: she hums while deadheading her orchids in her jammies... drinks a sip of her shot of wine... then she turns out the lights and lies uncomfortably in bed. Almost as soon as she's closed her eyes, she starts hearing some garbled noise. She reaches out to turn on the light, knocking over her glass, which smashes on the floor. The noises stop abruptly. This time, she calls Picard.</div><div>She goes to the ready room, and while I understand her feeling the need to be dressed in something that is not her jammies, I cannot for the life of me figure out why she put her uniform back on. Picard isn't even fully in uniform - he's wearing the grey undershirt thing that we sometimes see when he has the cranberry coat unzipped. </div><div>Anyway, he gives her some steamed milk, a recipe that belonged to his Aunt Adele, which he's programmed into the replicator.</div><div>... isn't that just the equivalent of saying "milk, hot"? Why... why is there a recipe?</div><div>She sniffs it and notes that there's nutmeg in it.</div><div>"Whenever I get insomnia, I try to perfect the recipe," he says.</div><div>You sprinkled some shit in some milk, then made it warm. And like, you didn't even do it. You told the replicator to do that. How exactly are you "perfecting" this? By adding one more speck of nutmeg than the last time you got insomnia? "Computer, add 14 specks of nutmeg"?</div><div>I know this is a dumb thing to nitpick, but it feels like a recipe for how to make ice.<br />
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mC-BJOUVdjqMWrifPspvgu_UTOE-NNzCKs3w66PJ-Js-zxaCdGelyxJllnbeE72DKGY9pgI-KMLRZIIogDrBKTWMNxFWRthaNF4V6CP-Kti6vsmuJg3ZXzCcqwmu3cXwwAx9jpmsGwaLAjWnTz0Txo7t3Er1_kkHFIWtOWo1O4RZwKP5xuovrwVxiA/s605/cae15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="605" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mC-BJOUVdjqMWrifPspvgu_UTOE-NNzCKs3w66PJ-Js-zxaCdGelyxJllnbeE72DKGY9pgI-KMLRZIIogDrBKTWMNxFWRthaNF4V6CP-Kti6vsmuJg3ZXzCcqwmu3cXwwAx9jpmsGwaLAjWnTz0Txo7t3Er1_kkHFIWtOWo1O4RZwKP5xuovrwVxiA/w400-h300/cae15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />
<br />She tells him that breaking the wine glass triggered her deja vu harder than anything else had, like she's been walking around feeling like this all afternoon, but the glass really solidified it for her.</div><div>He picks up a book, and tells her that he's been reading it, but it feels like he keeps reading the same paragraphs over and over. He thinks he might have read this book years ago, and just didn't remember doing it.</div><div>She's still weirded out by the voices thing, so he tells her that he'll have La Forge and Data run a diagnostic, and they can talk about it at the morning meeting.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyf6yb6cDL8rqS1wf-cxJj5rWgxvNi7o576KuBra9IUtZKkpPTGYX-F71nFJ0Rvg0Rbs2V-pCh4dst5B3Rv4BS3AW45XpAmk7L3UNBiqZKCCyE0DqctiIVV3ZymbP0MsrfRyKrEt5yBMffLnA-r7u2mbeFCry0pOhKzA3L4aWsi0m-dRSj7eOyrwlag/s606/cae16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyf6yb6cDL8rqS1wf-cxJj5rWgxvNi7o576KuBra9IUtZKkpPTGYX-F71nFJ0Rvg0Rbs2V-pCh4dst5B3Rv4BS3AW45XpAmk7L3UNBiqZKCCyE0DqctiIVV3ZymbP0MsrfRyKrEt5yBMffLnA-r7u2mbeFCry0pOhKzA3L4aWsi0m-dRSj7eOyrwlag/w400-h304/cae16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>At the meeting, La Forge and Data report that there were no auditory anomalies reported by sensors at the time Crusher said she heard them.</div><div>"But ten other people reported hearing them at that time," she insists.</div><div>Worf pages Picard from the bridge. "Getting some weird readings off the starboard bow."</div><div><br /></div><div><div>On the bridge, Ro tells Picard that they didn't sense it until they were almost on top of it, and Worf reports that it's a distortion of the time-space continuum.</div><div>"Let's back away," says Picard wisely.</div><div>But Ro reports that the thrusters are not responding.</div><div>The power goes out.</div><div>"The distortion is fluctuating," announces Data.</div><div>Riker calls for red alert, and the klaxons begin.</div><div>"Ooh, hell no," says Troi. "We need to GTFO, now."</div><div>Crusher narrows her eyes. This all seems super familiar.</div><div><div>"Somethings coming out of the distortion," says Data.</div><div>It's a hella old Starfleet vessel.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhTHVIQRTjj69Ohml2avFrT8RmFaGG29Hsuf2h-4v4cwjRvJEC4BrWT9YHS6yLEA0h60ho4Nz_hN_JwIxHrQ1iYnmynEtDVm38HJNHQ0YntjIHWbZHsi_Vf9OByds6TGlTjgy8-kdNyD_893xUuK2L0oGgFQy9mdn-VR9sOt1mrM3yKwzzHb1qnUhdA/s602/cae17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="602" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhTHVIQRTjj69Ohml2avFrT8RmFaGG29Hsuf2h-4v4cwjRvJEC4BrWT9YHS6yLEA0h60ho4Nz_hN_JwIxHrQ1iYnmynEtDVm38HJNHQ0YntjIHWbZHsi_Vf9OByds6TGlTjgy8-kdNyD_893xUuK2L0oGgFQy9mdn-VR9sOt1mrM3yKwzzHb1qnUhdA/w400-h305/cae17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard calls for shields, but there are none. No way to move, no way to protect themselves, and they are on a collision course with the other ship.</div><div>"Hail them," says Picard.</div><div>"No answer," says Worf.</div><div>Picard polls the bridge: how do we get out of this?</div><div>"Decompress the main shuttle bay," suggests Riker. "It may push us far enough out of the way."</div><div>That's not a terrible idea. But Picard goes with Data's suggestion: to use the tractor beam to move the other ship to a non-collision course.</div></div><div><div>The tractor beam keeps the other ship from crashing head-long into the E, but it glances off the nacelle, causing it to explode.</div><div>Damage reports start pouring in - casualty reports, the nacelle venting plasma, the ship losing attitude control.</div><div>Riker yells for everyone to hit the escape pods.</div><div>They need to eject the core, but the ejection systems aren't working. Picard calls for all hands to abandon ship.</div><div>The E spins out of control in space, then explodes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div></div>
<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YtPuq9y1-WE6dXicbefZOOpaWkKWim4HUFBxddmJeiCR6X08W3fY5ki1j1O8OH-_ghW5hL-Omo3pJnYf0vcQjQF_pTeacXNHXLcCAOUYuu25gSc00Ij-rjb4knGpU2JHqmAiiR8bYiQcgDYVZCkR_jRTBZst1n8mgiTnAZv7fq-yJlu90450TF2Z5A/s608/cae18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="608" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YtPuq9y1-WE6dXicbefZOOpaWkKWim4HUFBxddmJeiCR6X08W3fY5ki1j1O8OH-_ghW5hL-Omo3pJnYf0vcQjQF_pTeacXNHXLcCAOUYuu25gSc00Ij-rjb4knGpU2JHqmAiiR8bYiQcgDYVZCkR_jRTBZst1n8mgiTnAZv7fq-yJlu90450TF2Z5A/w400-h304/cae18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div>Picard's Log 45652.1: ""Going into an unexplored region called the Typhon Expanse. Gonna do some charting and stuff."</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Instead of going to people charting, we're starting out with the weekly poker game. Data shuffles the cards for himself, Riker, Worf, and Crusher.</div><div>Riker: "Sometimes I think he's stacking the deck."</div><div>Data: "I didn't."</div><div>"I hope -- so," Worf falters.</div></div><div>"Something wrong?" asks Riker.</div><div>"I am experiencing <i>nIb'poH</i>, the feeling I have done this before."</div><div>Cool, Klingons get that too.</div><div>Sassy Riker Moment: "Yes, last Tuesday night."</div>
"No, I've been having the same experience," Crusher agrees. "Deal the cards, Data."</div><div>Data deals: an 8 for Riker, an ace for Worf.</div><div>"You're going to give me a queen," she says.</div><div>He turns over a queen.</div><div>"You're getting a 4."</div><div>He turns over a 4.</div><div>She implores him to deal, even though no one has bet. They are no longer playing a game. She correctly guesses what he will deal several more times. Then Worf correctly guesses, and finally, Riker.</div><div>Data notes that the odds of this happening are astronomical.</div><div>And none of them can put their fingers on why they would know those cards.</div><div>Crusher pauses, then hits her comm badge and asks Nurse Ogawa if La Forge is in sick bay.</div><div>"Nope," says Ogawa. "Oh, wait..."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDbUnFDoRg4rFIZEupwwGrRRhwacHx34h4B0nMq1DVcCICC5J6SGkO5r8GxcxlquogsOBGwDkPln0wL4FvyYh4vd5DEo_HZR81ko1-dgaM2AEeVo2bsNCpccq9ZLzNPDnWS__E1AYtVw0AMrsQbCrp09QqTbzEDgZ4uR0FcZ5hugq8NxhM2chE-FIwA/s600/cae19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDbUnFDoRg4rFIZEupwwGrRRhwacHx34h4B0nMq1DVcCICC5J6SGkO5r8GxcxlquogsOBGwDkPln0wL4FvyYh4vd5DEo_HZR81ko1-dgaM2AEeVo2bsNCpccq9ZLzNPDnWS__E1AYtVw0AMrsQbCrp09QqTbzEDgZ4uR0FcZ5hugq8NxhM2chE-FIwA/w400-h306/cae19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Everyone at the poker table exchanges looks of confusion and concern.</div><div><br /></div><div>A little while later, Picard strolls into sick bay, having clearly been paged there.</div><div>"You been having deja vu?" Crusher asks him.</div><div>"Yeah, the last few days. Especially while reading," he says.</div><div>"People have been reporting stuff like that. And I've been having it, too," she explains. "Like I had a feeling that La Forge would be coming into sick bay. He has all the symptoms of an inner ear infection... but no infection. So instead of running the same old tests, I ran an optical diagnostic on his VISOR. There are these teeny tiny shifts in the dekyon field that are showing up in his vision as blurry afterimages."</div><div>"It could be something wrong with the warp core," says La Forge. "I'm going to run some tests."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRFBauMqOTEtIQr61BL9LSQ-P5UjM_gtlF3l0_fAo7CDYjoi9abAE9osMcB4WKPFnINUus8p1UYwB_J-cb7bWJGveNXLqziOaIIvFTia54k74-6Cidak9oeoRchRidN1-agwX-R10ypb1i2mK_5WjOEHchz-CVXHXOg7ch_MwXo9mW2m5Gxqr8HIemA/s605/cae20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="605" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRFBauMqOTEtIQr61BL9LSQ-P5UjM_gtlF3l0_fAo7CDYjoi9abAE9osMcB4WKPFnINUus8p1UYwB_J-cb7bWJGveNXLqziOaIIvFTia54k74-6Cidak9oeoRchRidN1-agwX-R10ypb1i2mK_5WjOEHchz-CVXHXOg7ch_MwXo9mW2m5Gxqr8HIemA/w400-h303/cae20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This next scene is shot with a handheld camera, which is a bit shaky and kind of distracting. Crusher is going about her bedtime routine, but with the air of someone acting out the motions, because she's studying what's happening. She picks up her trimming scissors to trim her orchids, but something about the scissors seems too familiar. She sets them down and backs away. She picks up the wine/shot glass, but that feels weird, too. She starts to take a sip, but thinks differently. Instead of setting it down on the nightstand, she puts it on another table.</div><div>She turns out the light. The garbled voices start. She grabs a tricorder and begins scanning, recording the voices. When she turns the light back on, the voices stop.</div><div>Crusher calls La Forge. "I just heard voices in my room, but there's no one here."</div><div>"Sensors just picked up something weird here," he replies.</div><div>She excitedly tells him that she's on her way, and grabs her lab coat. In the process, her coat sweeps the wine glass off the other table, and it smashes to the floor.</div><div>Too familiar. Very uneasy. This all happened before, right?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIz4bh1ePTug6bLrW9XgOZqI61w1cotH-LuFBsMOYTcUsmZRK3ElVwQ56oDOR04ahMfRS0ctAbcVUOh8fh5Yaxeiq1vr0_QwzyUw2S2tTtRZzjML2AS69wkTNLWyGTAy1nwQBPjYhYOlLsI1__5bi5mULT3b7tCGZZcYYxHwZy2kOU0qqwt7PS5xWVg/s601/cae21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="601" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIz4bh1ePTug6bLrW9XgOZqI61w1cotH-LuFBsMOYTcUsmZRK3ElVwQ56oDOR04ahMfRS0ctAbcVUOh8fh5Yaxeiq1vr0_QwzyUw2S2tTtRZzjML2AS69wkTNLWyGTAy1nwQBPjYhYOlLsI1__5bi5mULT3b7tCGZZcYYxHwZy2kOU0qqwt7PS5xWVg/w400-h305/cae21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Down in Engineering, La Forge and Data have plugged the tricorder recording into the computer. They tell her that the sound she heard was real, but doesn't match anything made by the ship, or communications sent in the ship, at the time. It <i>does</i> match up with a distortion in the dekyon field. They try filtering out background noises to isolate the voices.</div><div>Data gives it a closer listen.</div><div>"It's about... 1000 voices? It's the Enterprise crew. Our voices."</div><div>Bro.</div><div>BRO. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?</div><div>To show that this is concerning,</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWf_4DlOQO66dM-ObredFtWwlgNJtNoZNRcbEbXlYkcnID3wo6G1d-VdwUZdwn3kO5JtDeHNrPaMlmL39GVx-9a42a5arWldYftvi6YTda_8whTuJsa54H49_WpiKBaChbZ5GGxNc0xNqEJM1w6a61Dgj2idlLdn1Qw6PDuMTK1QLKlzm56yIwpyZCfg/s608/cae22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="608" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWf_4DlOQO66dM-ObredFtWwlgNJtNoZNRcbEbXlYkcnID3wo6G1d-VdwUZdwn3kO5JtDeHNrPaMlmL39GVx-9a42a5arWldYftvi6YTda_8whTuJsa54H49_WpiKBaChbZ5GGxNc0xNqEJM1w6a61Dgj2idlLdn1Qw6PDuMTK1QLKlzm56yIwpyZCfg/w400-h301/cae22.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone reports to the Obs Lounge for a senior staff meeting. La Forge and Crusher apologize for the early start, saying they "couldn't wait for 0700 hours."</div><div>Shit, what time is it?</div><div>La Forge has a PowerPoint up, showing a layered, avocado-shaped space, and a tiny blip moving along the outside of the avocado shape, then the blip rushing straight across, back to its start point. Over and over again.</div><div>"We think we're stuck in a temporal loop," says La Forge. "We keep reliving time over again."</div><div>Troi asks if this is what's causing the deja vu. Crusher responds that yes, but deja vu is just a feeling of repeating, where this is real.</div><div>"Each time we start over, we forget that we've already lived that, and think each time is the first time," says La Forge.</div><div>Riker is alarmed. "We may have had this convo before?"</div><div>"Yep," says La Forge. "And because we only have vague feelings of having done this, we don't know how long we've been stuck in this loop. Hours? Days? Years?"</div><div>Crusher and La Forge suggest that her hearing voices and him seeing afterimages are echoes of the previous loops played back.</div><div>"How did we get here?" asks Picard.</div><div>Now it's Data turn. "Okay, I analyzed the voices, and it's us. 150 regular ships' operations conversations. 252 personal convos. 5 couples getting intimate -"</div><div>"Dude, the point!" interrupts Picard.</div><div>You... you don't want to hear what positions your crew members like, Picard?</div><div>"The voices indicate that something bad enough happens that you order all hands to abandon ship." He plays the cleaned up voice recordings:</div><div><i>Worf tells the bridge crew that there's a distortion in the time-space continuum.</i></div><div><i>Data announces impact in 36 seconds.</i></div><div><i>Picard tells everyone to abandon ship.</i></div><div>"So we get too close to a time-space distortion," explains La Forge. "We collide with something that causes an explosion, it rips the time-space continuum, we get stuck, over and over."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdGac6X91pSgExHM2t3H_9ap-RmDOmtXz0Xx7FYqoLYGFJuITPvLMdo4OYE6ZCtmW4XfN5ALyU2fh72eRuI-Z0FVCgZY1Q5X20UFTQp6bbFniZwQRyr5EVyT_Vh4d_U3mxMcU-Q5vfwgN_BIZyqZbWBILY-iAtFWrALNCSlVCOPiq1y0sCfbnieclDg/s607/cae23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="607" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdGac6X91pSgExHM2t3H_9ap-RmDOmtXz0Xx7FYqoLYGFJuITPvLMdo4OYE6ZCtmW4XfN5ALyU2fh72eRuI-Z0FVCgZY1Q5X20UFTQp6bbFniZwQRyr5EVyT_Vh4d_U3mxMcU-Q5vfwgN_BIZyqZbWBILY-iAtFWrALNCSlVCOPiq1y0sCfbnieclDg/w400-h300/cae23.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>They come to the conclusion that avoiding the collision could keep them from being knocked back into the loop.</div><div>"So we should reverse?" suggests Worf.</div><div>"Reversing may have been what got us into this," points out Riker.</div><div>"Ohhhh," groans Picard. "No second-guessing. We keep going forward until we have reason to not."</div><div>"Gotta rain on your parade," says La Forge. "We may not figure out how to avoid the collision until it's too late to do so. And if we get sent back to the beginning of the loop, we may forget all of this sleuthing we just did."</div><div>Ooh, baby. Who wants to watch an explosion and a poker game again? It's Must See TV, y'all!</div><div>There's a long-ish science-filled discussion here about how to avoid that, but the gist is, they're going to send a one-word message to Data in the next loop, giving him the information subconsciously.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZA2cGpqjCbTSkNNrbVj3GTrjX-2-EFCE0aMvi8Eww64GqQbrUtI_a2OmPaRdZhONifQpZ6dsXrUH6c1Fr1jYMCcsoQvCwEIUS39Eaz9reRV2vrFXjnLbcL8LYAo-RipHKhMO4V5qXLM0gARiN7i2sXaA36BcPa0ROJWQPePu3F1pF941QTwCCTu6jbg/s607/cae24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="607" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZA2cGpqjCbTSkNNrbVj3GTrjX-2-EFCE0aMvi8Eww64GqQbrUtI_a2OmPaRdZhONifQpZ6dsXrUH6c1Fr1jYMCcsoQvCwEIUS39Eaz9reRV2vrFXjnLbcL8LYAo-RipHKhMO4V5qXLM0gARiN7i2sXaA36BcPa0ROJWQPePu3F1pF941QTwCCTu6jbg/w400-h305/cae24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Down in Engineering, Crusher oversees La Forge fiddling with Data's brain. There's no way to tell if he'll get the message, how he'll perceive it, or even what message to send.</div><div>"We may have sent this to Data a dozen times," says La Forge.</div><div>"Does it feel familiar?" asks Crusher.</div><div>"No."</div><div>"Then maybe it's the first time."</div><div>Oops. No time for conjecture, or to figure out what message to send. They're being paged to the bridge. Red alert.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1oTUzy-3FDpUTRLC_iub6dtGhLXbC9MKu2e1d5mQxawIronnwryGUlvsKD8rY24Pz4CSsK_kI1gDkSMdvja4d9hNSM0QDoK7a87puETtiBNorpZI2IlpELm-ermShf6EwYHcurRPSi_Wk21bKiREpzeoNzkpnSfzQKWIkvKURIV5vqeVKGNpvC5-ZQ/s596/cae25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="596" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1oTUzy-3FDpUTRLC_iub6dtGhLXbC9MKu2e1d5mQxawIronnwryGUlvsKD8rY24Pz4CSsK_kI1gDkSMdvja4d9hNSM0QDoK7a87puETtiBNorpZI2IlpELm-ermShf6EwYHcurRPSi_Wk21bKiREpzeoNzkpnSfzQKWIkvKURIV5vqeVKGNpvC5-ZQ/w400-h304/cae25.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This turned out to be a really cute photo of Gates McFadden</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>They hit the bridge, where Riker is telling Picard that they need to figure out how this went down before.</div><div>"Let's back away," says Picard wisely.</div><div>But Ro reports that the thrusters are not responding.</div><div>The power goes out.</div><div>"The distortion is fluctuating," announces Data.</div><div>"Ooh, hell no," says Troi. "We need to GTFO, now."</div><div>"Somethings coming out of the distortion," says Picard.</div><div>It's a hella old Starfleet vessel.</div><div>Picard calls for shields, but there are none. No way to move, no way to protect themselves, and they are on a collision course with the other ship.</div><div>"Hail them," says Picard.</div><div>"No answer," says Worf.</div><div>Picard polls the bridge: how do we get out of this?</div><div>"Decompress the main shuttle bay," suggests Riker. "It may push us far enough out of the way."</div><div>That's not a terrible idea. But Picard goes with Data's suggestion: to use the tractor beam to move the other ship to a non-collision course.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSqQ6Q8dXVHq12yRpRJ7EwnbDk0khu4HNskqhhcOMrZgX4uUoEDoVzr8FaOw2D0jAHiKJBtHwFLK7t53Y18VwEyrmnBuAHbrTv9-DvYWtMEBd0iJD2dMj0lAYhDT6zLGs47sa3PnnfKRXdy67Iupnhmle2mUY3Q9QKdq2pS14N9Z3MGnwWiSbG_IIzA/s601/cae26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="601" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSqQ6Q8dXVHq12yRpRJ7EwnbDk0khu4HNskqhhcOMrZgX4uUoEDoVzr8FaOw2D0jAHiKJBtHwFLK7t53Y18VwEyrmnBuAHbrTv9-DvYWtMEBd0iJD2dMj0lAYhDT6zLGs47sa3PnnfKRXdy67Iupnhmle2mUY3Q9QKdq2pS14N9Z3MGnwWiSbG_IIzA/w400-h304/cae26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The tractor beam keeps the other ship from crashing head-long into the E, but it glances off the nacelle, causing it to explode.</div><div>Damage reports start pouring in - casualty reports, the nacelle venting plasma, the ship losing attitude control.</div><div>Riker yells for everyone to hit the escape pods.</div><div>They need to eject the core, but the ejection systems aren't working. Picard calls for all hands to abandon ship.</div><div>Data, realizing that he has less than no time, uses the emitter on his arm to text himself a message.</div><div>The E spins out of control in space, then explodes.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDevBToT47r4bPp7zqmqmvI1lSW88oiZvi5obDqe11YyNjNRx0mmr8M58JVfnq2Kcxs8DbmDCyb_arDK2D2b_F9jJoqsHm1QmVPB4dxM2w5eGaPdA2y43HNW3Zr_aC5kyLxJD63bzqLLpbs0ajjZjdVI-qtltMmQHyvhlPddE6cm8Tm1YqwGr7Tdgi5g/s603/cae27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDevBToT47r4bPp7zqmqmvI1lSW88oiZvi5obDqe11YyNjNRx0mmr8M58JVfnq2Kcxs8DbmDCyb_arDK2D2b_F9jJoqsHm1QmVPB4dxM2w5eGaPdA2y43HNW3Zr_aC5kyLxJD63bzqLLpbs0ajjZjdVI-qtltMmQHyvhlPddE6cm8Tm1YqwGr7Tdgi5g/w400-h305/cae27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div>Picard's Log 45652.1: "Going into an unexplored region called the Typhon Expanse. Gonna do some charting and stuff."</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Instead of going to people charting, we're starting out with the weekly poker game. Data shuffles the cards for himself, Riker, Worf, and Crusher.</div><div>Riker: "Sometimes I think he's stacking the deck."</div><div>Data: "I didn't."</div><div>"I hope -- so," Worf falters.</div></div><div>"Something wrong?" asks Riker.</div><div>"I am experiencing <i>nIb'poH</i>, the feeling I have done this before."</div><div>Cool, Klingons get that too.</div><div>Sassy Riker Moment: "Yes, last Tuesday night."</div>"No, I've been having the same experience," Crusher agrees. "Deal the cards, Data."</div><div>Again, she names off what cards Data is going to deal to them, and when he does, <i>they come up all threes.</i></div><div>Riker, Worf, and Crusher were all certain that they knew what the cards were going to be, and none of them had guessed all threes. When Data deals again, each member of the game gets dealt a three-of-a-kind.</div><div>But before they can ponder on this repetition of threes, Ogawa calls.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwsipI6kFOOs7t_MPZRPgIW4cpnDFQJ0xK3K1Pn2u_JsHIp-mwvkG05tos9wIminBP5eqzlSU0q4c-DFFARjhjrtIMT5gA1vNCI9RHYwn5Cs_h7VyVMHrb2OGxVd1znxhGeJAz_YJzbKLx36-40gtBTeDw4r7lRvxl38T_S5zYY69iQr0t-FPYWyoLg/s606/cae28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwsipI6kFOOs7t_MPZRPgIW4cpnDFQJ0xK3K1Pn2u_JsHIp-mwvkG05tos9wIminBP5eqzlSU0q4c-DFFARjhjrtIMT5gA1vNCI9RHYwn5Cs_h7VyVMHrb2OGxVd1znxhGeJAz_YJzbKLx36-40gtBTeDw4r7lRvxl38T_S5zYY69iQr0t-FPYWyoLg/w400-h304/cae28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>In sick bay, La Forge explains that he got dizzy and almost fell off of a catwalk, but was caught by an ensign. Crusher, taking scans, tells him that he has all of the symptoms of an inner ear infection, but none of the physical evidence.</div><div>Another long pause from Crusher. "Have you... had these symptoms before?"</div><div>Now he considers. "I think maybe yes. But I don't remember when."<br />"We've had this convo, and I've given you this exam. Let's check the medical logs."</div><div>They pull up his info, and even though she's treated him for VISOR-related headaches, no mention of dizziness or inner ear infections.</div><div>"Deja vu?" he asks.</div><div>"Both of us?" she counters.</div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSM3zCDBE7nIPq55Qp910AFewQ6oiUmqivWR85sc3jkS9MNrq_x0wfV2AYpvsQpV0QvwCWrlojD6IqMuon7ke0Hl3P-Sza-EKTfCjgss5MG2wG6MlYIg9cpGw26V2P1PeF0PnlRYPqmKl8_bIFjFSWSMqG_K9pJXsTWHhOyNCvhGw7U5naH2JpT7IRPQ/s604/cae29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="604" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSM3zCDBE7nIPq55Qp910AFewQ6oiUmqivWR85sc3jkS9MNrq_x0wfV2AYpvsQpV0QvwCWrlojD6IqMuon7ke0Hl3P-Sza-EKTfCjgss5MG2wG6MlYIg9cpGw26V2P1PeF0PnlRYPqmKl8_bIFjFSWSMqG_K9pJXsTWHhOyNCvhGw7U5naH2JpT7IRPQ/w400-h303/cae29.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This shot's wild. We start in tight on La Forge's face, then pull back,<br /> away, and down</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>She elects to do an optical scan, and this time we see it happening.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvu3HXj208xTOT6qBiPtmpgOb5Trv_v-V59Jnozdo5Ih7M6D9TmIZC_ohWVQKABhsF4uKMeBIQ7-v1x38vYqCabFqrkmZcyLgUJr-PQr89BtfmUNBklM75I_tkLXchBxW8WzJHJDSuBClFl8kAIrmDToo6t0SLBBPRj4uoFF3x-1Wp4qgi6LY2dMzZg/s603/cae30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="603" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvu3HXj208xTOT6qBiPtmpgOb5Trv_v-V59Jnozdo5Ih7M6D9TmIZC_ohWVQKABhsF4uKMeBIQ7-v1x38vYqCabFqrkmZcyLgUJr-PQr89BtfmUNBklM75I_tkLXchBxW8WzJHJDSuBClFl8kAIrmDToo6t0SLBBPRj4uoFF3x-1Wp4qgi6LY2dMzZg/w400-h304/cae30.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard is the ready room, having a cup of Earl Grey (hot), and reading.</div><div>I... is he wearing sweatpants? No shade, because sweatpants are the shit, but I've never really seen him as a sweatpants guy.</div><div>(Okay, upon a deeper dive into uniforms, it looks like the "captain's jacket" uniform - designed by Robert Blackman for Patrick Stewart - had a looser trouser that gathered near the ankle, reminiscent of Wrath of Khan-era uniforms. Still funny to think of Picard kickin' it in sweatpants, though.)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7D_Ds-4DfO50M9DAz5bqj1f64c7K6-QwVr3c0J4MmX7jMeh11CIppV5m7eE6yIdIT2gz7-dCJqj4i32047_2skuW1dGXbvHox67EDeXaDPSSAtjqkoXmOijIZqsnWzKnF8DiwhbsvOwegR4gujWjKTesRlupEoJW6Q4a2gsjYC0ZylbKwVLgyjavcg/s605/cae31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7D_Ds-4DfO50M9DAz5bqj1f64c7K6-QwVr3c0J4MmX7jMeh11CIppV5m7eE6yIdIT2gz7-dCJqj4i32047_2skuW1dGXbvHox67EDeXaDPSSAtjqkoXmOijIZqsnWzKnF8DiwhbsvOwegR4gujWjKTesRlupEoJW6Q4a2gsjYC0ZylbKwVLgyjavcg/w400-h304/cae31.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>He flips frustratedly through his book, trying to figure out if he's read it before.</div><div>Crusher pages him to sick bay.</div><div><div>A little while later, Picard strolls into sick bay, wearing the cranberry coat over the charcoal shirt.</div><div>"La Forge has all the symptoms of an inner ear infection... but no infection. So instead of running the same old tests, I ran an optical diagnostic on his VISOR. There are these teeny tiny shifts in the dekyon field that are showing up in his vision as blurry afterimages."</div><div>"It could be something wrong with the warp core," says La Forge. "I'm going to run some tests."</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQE2RQLjqpl_ULK39ycb2dbmk3fBpI-UYPn6XOowxpAfyXoI4_HHKU4x8KvxtTlRm8EriSotNz1lDFQ68qb5DvmZlvwl9iCF_TKPFQ0PcQgcyCzyztVRaGxlqMe-kqvKiC7m6FP9gQl6SuPf0dZV-nsevFvYqQJvOhN6ggvqm-KlbZPBIBCxR1D7IIMw/s602/cae32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="602" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQE2RQLjqpl_ULK39ycb2dbmk3fBpI-UYPn6XOowxpAfyXoI4_HHKU4x8KvxtTlRm8EriSotNz1lDFQ68qb5DvmZlvwl9iCF_TKPFQ0PcQgcyCzyztVRaGxlqMe-kqvKiC7m6FP9gQl6SuPf0dZV-nsevFvYqQJvOhN6ggvqm-KlbZPBIBCxR1D7IIMw/w400-h306/cae32.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>La Forge and Data are down in Engineering, running diagnostic tests on the warp core regarding those dekyon distortions, but the results keep coming up as 3.</div><div>"Not possible," says La Forge.</div><div>"That number keeps appearing to me today," Data admits.</div><div>There's a distortion on deck 9, and Crusher calls.</div><div>"There are voices in my room, but no one is there," she says.</div><div>"We're getting dekyon distortions," he replies. "Can you come down?"</div><div>She says she will, and we hear the sound of breaking glass. She assures them that she's fine, but sounds like she's saying it through gritted teeth.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQ2G63IlHLb8PlDJ7zAaxNo6Q_Tap4HzSID6O7JlolaGdP51qIrucZK6-RxNqvOwROLUux7z0m54URQQgFQbQP6Y6-XM0czbXz2HfwbktjvdeE7ZUAxBbWJAYVdpenYgnCh2jiy8PCBSCQhozs_hq7zh-0DWY33M4Z--DS_3Zmo3XMw7Llxjgnf1-IQ/s607/cae33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="607" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQ2G63IlHLb8PlDJ7zAaxNo6Q_Tap4HzSID6O7JlolaGdP51qIrucZK6-RxNqvOwROLUux7z0m54URQQgFQbQP6Y6-XM0czbXz2HfwbktjvdeE7ZUAxBbWJAYVdpenYgnCh2jiy8PCBSCQhozs_hq7zh-0DWY33M4Z--DS_3Zmo3XMw7Llxjgnf1-IQ/w400-h305/cae33.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">When writing out my summaries, I leave a space for screencaptures, then<br />mark them with a keyword, the episode title initials, and which number <br />screencapture I'm putting there. I shit you not, this one came up, unplanned,<br /> as (threes cae33). Lol.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>.<br /><div><br /></div><div><div>Everyone reports to the Obs Lounge for a senior staff meeting. </div><div>"The voices indicate that something bad enough happens that you order all hands to abandon ship." Data plays the cleaned up voice recordings:</div><div><i>Worf tells the bridge crew that there's a distortion in the time-space continuum.</i></div><div><i>Data announces impact in 36 seconds.</i></div><div><i>Picard tells everyone to abandon ship.</i></div><div>"So we get too close to a time-space distortion," explains La Forge. "We collide with something that causes an explosion, it rips the time-space continuum, we get stuck, over and over."</div><div>They come to the conclusion that avoiding the collision could keep them from being knocked back into the loop.</div><div>"So we should reverse?" suggests Worf.</div><div>"Reversing may have been what got us into this," points out Riker.</div><div>"Ohhhh," groans Picard. "No second-guessing. We keep going forward until we have reason to not."</div><div>"So we keep seeing the number three all over the ship," adds La Forge.</div></div><div>"To the tune of 2085 times," says Data.</div><div>"That can't be a coincidence," La Forge says, "so I ran some ship-wide diagnostics, and found that Data has some dekyon emissions coming from his brain. If I wanted to send a message from one loop to the next, that's how I'd do it."</div><div>"But what does three mean?" asks Picard.</div><div>"Run a level-3 diagnostic on our key systems?" suggests Riker.</div><div>La Forge agrees.</div><div><div>Ro pages Picard from the bridge. "Getting some weird readings off the starboard bow."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1sK0M5XGB_4SB6zgvTjobf40CiS9iSz3eTR3JAO1OS4vBjj_Wb-iSF9cjAFlqNN2CFoJx2Wi5m9ajMh-4hWXPATQuyJzEkohmIEq_qtE9KGuThKIQV-B_iNBfyvDkR7LFLGDwR3wQBzfWOtVu_F2rEhf1yCPkfxZVLMNcHWnFQ2ohePzhor4HHMNKYQ/s603/cae34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="603" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1sK0M5XGB_4SB6zgvTjobf40CiS9iSz3eTR3JAO1OS4vBjj_Wb-iSF9cjAFlqNN2CFoJx2Wi5m9ajMh-4hWXPATQuyJzEkohmIEq_qtE9KGuThKIQV-B_iNBfyvDkR7LFLGDwR3wQBzfWOtVu_F2rEhf1yCPkfxZVLMNcHWnFQ2ohePzhor4HHMNKYQ/w400-h300/cae34.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>On the bridge, Ro tells Picard that they didn't sense it until they were almost on top of it, and Worf reports that it's a distortion of the time-space continuum.</div><div>"Let's back away," says Picard wisely.</div><div>But Ro reports that the thrusters are not responding.</div><div>The power goes out.</div><div>"The distortion is fluctuating," announces Data.</div><div>Riker calls for red alert, and the klaxons begin.</div><div>"Ooh, hell no," says Troi. "We need to GTFO, now."</div><div>"Somethings coming out of the distortion," says Picard.</div><div><div>It's a hella old Starfleet vessel.</div><div><div>Picard calls for shields, but there are none. No way to move, no way to protect themselves, and they are on a collision course with the other ship.</div><div>"Hail them," says Picard.</div><div>"No answer," says Worf.</div><div>Picard polls the bridge: how do we get out of this?</div><div>"Decompress the main shuttle bay," suggests Riker. "It may push us far enough out of the way."</div><div>That's not a terrible idea. But Picard goes with Data's suggestion: to use the tractor beam to move the other ship to a non-collision course.</div><div>But as they prepare to engage the tractor beam, Data slowly looks to his left.</div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOLWdraRUS07lAV8xUoK8SRv9UzUFkfmXLtkPJL3dotJwy5RhLr8qHh7pR5_uqalhi79HFNzHt23j6fkKciNoSJ11wfNFxzPdBN4Q6hTUutLN9mwdE5WYUB6SSFylNq9fvgHcmhiJ9lx27penmMKuPRNklk_iv1zzlIhidRrFyJoG04uUGY7f48mS1g/s607/cae35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="607" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOLWdraRUS07lAV8xUoK8SRv9UzUFkfmXLtkPJL3dotJwy5RhLr8qHh7pR5_uqalhi79HFNzHt23j6fkKciNoSJ11wfNFxzPdBN4Q6hTUutLN9mwdE5WYUB6SSFylNq9fvgHcmhiJ9lx27penmMKuPRNklk_iv1zzlIhidRrFyJoG04uUGY7f48mS1g/w400-h301/cae35.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"The tractor beam won't work," he says suddenly. "I'm going to decompress the main shuttle bay."</div><div>He does, and... the other ship glides quietly past the Enterprise.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCiFaSb18_4zRzHFwAiAeNXGUqWWl7gRe8eKNBw0Ri4hAq08oOtiirByctTSSBhwgyGT7LW0E5WF-p3VhEQCWp6oGR7WGxrK8U-7_rsPJByV5D9t_gKSO_07dBJsrEPIawQ2EawUMU__c8Uo99Wilb8CFxzscZz_5xbroQhhDAPuX_OD2FqkFPSJa3A/s601/cae36.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="601" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCiFaSb18_4zRzHFwAiAeNXGUqWWl7gRe8eKNBw0Ri4hAq08oOtiirByctTSSBhwgyGT7LW0E5WF-p3VhEQCWp6oGR7WGxrK8U-7_rsPJByV5D9t_gKSO_07dBJsrEPIawQ2EawUMU__c8Uo99Wilb8CFxzscZz_5xbroQhhDAPuX_OD2FqkFPSJa3A/w400-h309/cae36.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The power comes back on, and Worf announces that they are clear of the distortion.</div><div>"Yoooo, what happened?" Picard asks.</div><div>"I guessed that number three might indicate the number of pips on Commander Riker's collar, meaning that his plan to deflect the other ship might be the correct choice," Data explains.</div><div>"Maybe you subconsciously stacked the deck in the poker game," suggests La Forge.</div><div>"Yeah, I may have been responsible for those other occurrences of three," says Data.</div><div>"Can someone call Starfleet and find out <i>when</i> the fuck we are?" Picard requests.</div><div>Worf does a quick check. "Our clocks are off by a little more than 17 days."</div><div>Did they die at least 17 times? How the hell do I count that?</div><div>Data changes the clock.</div><div>"Incoming call," says Worf.</div><div>Oh, <i>now</i> they wanna talk.</div><div>"It's the USS Bozeman, Soyuz-class."</div><div>"Um, those were retired like, 80 years ago," points out La Forge.</div><div>Oh, hey. It's Kelsey Grammer. In a Wrath of Khan uniform.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgrVR33dwT5PHEAkfct4LL-tJU-EUr0OyBA5vJe3eFvaDTcUjr4abQqS5jhQoVWlOjC4-nOW2qPuT8p6xRYlxOXKJGP-iLfd8oPtiyd6OMbxSHbX35jr3rd2PDYRCmWU84_DPgN3kUR2w4juAa3VSCG5XasHo_2U_8Vn6bwtBDBjAFcd-YAkwnbEtsw/s608/cae37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="608" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgrVR33dwT5PHEAkfct4LL-tJU-EUr0OyBA5vJe3eFvaDTcUjr4abQqS5jhQoVWlOjC4-nOW2qPuT8p6xRYlxOXKJGP-iLfd8oPtiyd6OMbxSHbX35jr3rd2PDYRCmWU84_DPgN3kUR2w4juAa3VSCG5XasHo_2U_8Vn6bwtBDBjAFcd-YAkwnbEtsw/w400-h303/cae37.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"Hey, I'm Morgan Bateson, captain of the Bozeman. Can we help you?"</div><div>"Um, I'm Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the Enterprise, and I was going to ask the same question of you. Do you know what just happened?"</div><div>Bateson considers. "We saw this temporal distortion, then your ship appeared out of nowhere and we almost hit you."</div><div>"Yeah, we've been stuck in a temporal causality loop, and think you have been, too."</div><div>"Nah," says Bateson. "We just left starbase three weeks ago."</div><div>Picard tries to hide a cringe. "What... year is it?"</div><div>"2278, of course," replies Bateson.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6VL16FS0pukZLyRZCE7wptS_X_jGUDTmAUtOh5uxZnFJ6b7hePVsQBn4RB5DAPCWMyJ1KeeENgLQ8LafeNDMGVHTL9QqD4s2X1NuX-2adwdoM1u-1TWwAUlwuiOR0HuS9Qh7lFFTjSIA4Mtb7VE98q2TCmPCpIE3JFGkajUJMXgGFhj4zHH_svQvxQ/s1000/is%20it%20though.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1000" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6VL16FS0pukZLyRZCE7wptS_X_jGUDTmAUtOh5uxZnFJ6b7hePVsQBn4RB5DAPCWMyJ1KeeENgLQ8LafeNDMGVHTL9QqD4s2X1NuX-2adwdoM1u-1TWwAUlwuiOR0HuS9Qh7lFFTjSIA4Mtb7VE98q2TCmPCpIE3JFGkajUJMXgGFhj4zHH_svQvxQ/w400-h304/is%20it%20though.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>"Hmm, yeah." Picard is gonna have to break out the extra-strong Earl Grey for this one. Some top-shelf shit from Guinan's private stash. "How about you beam over to my ship? We have some uh, things to discuss."</div><div>Also, please be nice to the security chief.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hopeful, uplifting music as Picard tells Frasier Crane that he's been Groundhog Day'ing for 90 years.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFPHrfPXktSBpPU9NRKI54eiEzDgpClMxmVKAnFSdBuiGcZ29uNjy7pXSwxBlZmxh7fm_UDqOFw66Xm3u1UDjql0XzoMXDmi-mSwOApHZkRYL1hNgZxkK7vml2OTDVZOjIjSP-bFZib-EOaKsYc0sdxnue54aREL-KeyGYRunaG_oQmtkuqKZjRz3Ag/s607/cae38.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="607" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFPHrfPXktSBpPU9NRKI54eiEzDgpClMxmVKAnFSdBuiGcZ29uNjy7pXSwxBlZmxh7fm_UDqOFw66Xm3u1UDjql0XzoMXDmi-mSwOApHZkRYL1hNgZxkK7vml2OTDVZOjIjSP-bFZib-EOaKsYc0sdxnue54aREL-KeyGYRunaG_oQmtkuqKZjRz3Ag/w400-h301/cae38.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*******</div><br />
After last week's episode, this one is a palette-cleanser. Did the writers intend that? Nope. </div><div>Seriously, I just slid through this episode like a hot knife through butter. I honestly don't have a lot to say about it besides the fact that I liked it. It's a solid sci-fi story, and a twist on the time-travel tropes that we've become accustomed to, and a bit bored with. Brannon Braga came up with the concept because he wanted to do a time travel story that hadn't been done before, and couldn't think of one that covered a temporal causality loop. (This episode aired almost a full year before Groundhog Day was released. While the spec script for Groundhog Day seems to have existed before this episode was written, I didn't see any evidence of Braga "copying" the concept. And frankly, the end results are completely different. Comparisons of the two would be akin to comparing Yogi Bear and Cocaine Bear because there are bears involved with both.) Great pains were taken to film each loop in a different way than previous loops, and it shows. Unusual camera angles were utilized, and while you could get bored with watching the same scenes play out over and over, you don't because they're just different enough.</div><div>Good job, Star Trek. Help yourself to a Saurian brandy.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Fun Facts:</div><div><br /></div><div>- A dekyon is a subatomic particle that can be both naturally-occurring, or artificially made. They were invented for this episode.</div><div>- Lol, I love this "pancakes and poker" story from Brannon Braga: "I came up with the poker game while I was eating pancakes and pouring syrup. I had no idea how it happened - because it was before the sugar rush. I knew then that the poker game would somehow be utilized for once, and lay it in so the viewer think it's just a poker game and it turns out to be the key to saving their entire existence." And that "utilized for once" comment explained by Ronald D Moore: "The poker games for a while was the cliche padding. If the show was short, it was time to write a poker game. Because we had written it so much, we stayed away from it and now it got used for a reason." Reminds me of Norman Rockwell talking about how, if a painting wasn't going well, he would add a puppy.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpM7dMKUeWoRf8lkj2W5naq0PtDS4pPyAakmfs4xnslJ9_YnBR79rSH6B9cPQiW_C9VkzEKHsyjCmOEcef6u3dDT4UTmZdsuZf-a97GMSGRngIEYInVX5MXVpD6HMn68Tf7uz1F-NtQyeluU6925SYmr9lsj3sAhnGrm9wfZ04G6-izoU4IW6KkTJNw/s426/bts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="426" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpM7dMKUeWoRf8lkj2W5naq0PtDS4pPyAakmfs4xnslJ9_YnBR79rSH6B9cPQiW_C9VkzEKHsyjCmOEcef6u3dDT4UTmZdsuZf-a97GMSGRngIEYInVX5MXVpD6HMn68Tf7uz1F-NtQyeluU6925SYmr9lsj3sAhnGrm9wfZ04G6-izoU4IW6KkTJNw/w400-h291/bts.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br />- Originally, Riker was supposed to win the poker game with three aces, further indicating that his plan would be successful, but Rick Berman thought that Data would not deal Riker three aces.</div><div>- Braga on make each loop unique: "In a way, doing the same scenes over was comforting; it was fun to come up with different takes and to think how I could get that glass to break each time. It wasn't until I got to the final draft that I thought to have the glass break over the intercom on that final loop through. So it was finding those little nuggets and pathways and weave through as we were structuring it. That was a terrific challenge."</div><div>- Braga referred to the cold open ending with the ship blowing up "the ultimate teaser."</div><div>- When director Jonathan Frakes received the script for this episode, he thought that the writers were screwing with him, as each act appeared to be the same set of scenes.</div><div>- Rick Berman told Frakes not to reuse footage of early scenes for later ones, so they shot each set of scenes with different angles. In some cases, multiple cameras were used to shoot the same scene so that it could be edited together differently later.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPu9VqWSskPh5locYMtPB-IDE9O1Muhlo3RZxYEFzPt3aZN-Z7pZp2fdRlnmax9rklcyetAmw7lEAHwu-JtUA51kDdDaE9O2smJScovVaLJpeRRGdO6XbNPXx5tZ8qFmQPs9Fw4mOi1gcL6NjnZM9T3BDYm_QXiUa3p6vckXM-jHpe8AD9fJ9lKQJDQ/s433/director%20frakes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="433" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPu9VqWSskPh5locYMtPB-IDE9O1Muhlo3RZxYEFzPt3aZN-Z7pZp2fdRlnmax9rklcyetAmw7lEAHwu-JtUA51kDdDaE9O2smJScovVaLJpeRRGdO6XbNPXx5tZ8qFmQPs9Fw4mOi1gcL6NjnZM9T3BDYm_QXiUa3p6vckXM-jHpe8AD9fJ9lKQJDQ/w400-h310/director%20frakes.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Double the fun?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />- Frakes remarked of getting different angles of the bridge scenes, "I'd watched a lot of directors by then, and directed a few episodes, so I knew all the possible bridge angles - and I think I used<i> all</i> of them." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>- Show runners wanted Kirstie Alley to return as Saavik to play a crew member to Kelsey Grammer's Captain Bateson, but the timing could not be worked out.</div><div>- The Bozeman was originally going to be a Constitution-class ship, but the cost of building a TOS-era bridge set, model, costumes, and props was too much. So they switched the ship class to Soyuz, and slightly altered the USS Reliant miniature. This way, they could reuse costumes, props and sets from Movie 6. Mark Okuda and Greg Jein designed the changes to make the Miranda-class Reliant into the Soyuz-class Bozeman. They used the fan-made book "Ships of the Fleet, Volume One" as a reference.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbhlvgx391pViJ0l9k7mGaiE3BZAKkW9SQTvfFifvBdoQXA_NmOK6P8JUHBHzhI2WJaf0U1sfHpPSjhugSlYTj34jvi2NxguDdEWuh6nqSW1bkpjFUeQu45wu-dtgMTzGIz9yZwRxKOCOFEkRW9_9xDf1Uu7W3UJo_DzHRPuarCltDGNi1XB6bgzX0A/s403/bozeman%20notes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="301" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbhlvgx391pViJ0l9k7mGaiE3BZAKkW9SQTvfFifvBdoQXA_NmOK6P8JUHBHzhI2WJaf0U1sfHpPSjhugSlYTj34jvi2NxguDdEWuh6nqSW1bkpjFUeQu45wu-dtgMTzGIz9yZwRxKOCOFEkRW9_9xDf1Uu7W3UJo_DzHRPuarCltDGNi1XB6bgzX0A/w299-h400/bozeman%20notes.png" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Okuda's notes for altering the Reliant</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>- Typically, an exploding starship is created onscreen by superimposing footage of an explosion over the top of footage of the model. In this case, they wanted a better explosion, so the FX team dropped the model from the ceiling of the sound stage, filled with pyrotechnics, and filmed by a high-speed camera. Effects Supervisor Gary Hutzel noted that usually, whatever is left of the model is thrown away, but he had a hunch that the pieces of leftover Enterprise might come in handy, so he picked up the pieces and saved them. These pieces were later used in a DS9 episode when another Galaxy-class ship explodes.</div><div>- This is the only episode where the main shuttlebay is shown. Science Fiction Modelmaking Associates was contracted to make a maquette of the main shuttlebay. They also made five shuttlecrafts and one shuttlepod. The two shuttlecrafts in this photo were named Berman and Piller, after the producers. Despite having this cool model, it was never used again, and was eventually auctioned off in 2008.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oj5Gw_H_88K4pgzAQvb0cKegwerQhXEYCOTp-EzLa6YT_DfQuqPMQ8lNHglhlRhLjFiX7V_dMazaNvhbEY2-B-Zigrsf23pdvGQdlU556KsWgNMj33F5kY_CzPxxR118xFK7Alq9VwZ5RfCjPJjYVMubbLdDgunJ7TiASTB13z1gTv4y3knhjkItlw/s503/shuttle%20bay%20maquette.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="503" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oj5Gw_H_88K4pgzAQvb0cKegwerQhXEYCOTp-EzLa6YT_DfQuqPMQ8lNHglhlRhLjFiX7V_dMazaNvhbEY2-B-Zigrsf23pdvGQdlU556KsWgNMj33F5kY_CzPxxR118xFK7Alq9VwZ5RfCjPJjYVMubbLdDgunJ7TiASTB13z1gTv4y3knhjkItlw/w400-h126/shuttle%20bay%20maquette.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>- Also created for this episode was a large model of a nacelle.</div><div>- This is the third episode to feature the destruction of a Galaxy-class ship.<br />- Despite getting a last name in season four, this is the first episode where we hear that Alyssa's last name is Ogawa. Crusher has just been calling her "nurse" this whole time.</div><div>- This is the second time that Picard's Aunt Adele is mentioned. In the first case, her recipe for curing the common cold is ginger tea and honey. Boy, Aunt Adele was sure a fan of recipes that involve heating a liquid and adding another ingredient.<br /><div>- The Bozeman left starbase halfway between Movies 1 and 2. Bateson and his crew wearing the red uniform means that it had been in use in Starfleet for at least seven years before being worn by Kirk & Co in Movie 2.</div><div>- This is the first time it is mentioned onscreen that one may eject a warp core. It will be mentioned more times, but not actually seen until DS9.</div><div>- This is the first episode to feature Ro's new haircut. (And now I'm left wondering what she thinks of Mott.)</div><div>- When this episode premiered, local TV channels were flooded with calls from viewers who were not paying attention, and thought the show was broadcasting the same scenes over and over again.</div><div>- Bateson and his crew are featured in the TNG novel "Ship of the Line."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfrr-IxtFIsYyhTckZazsstIU_11NOEgJVKP5du2o92opzXqXQL7jaRT3li4cCASlcMpB0Q7IReFiiAFgGyGb3kXoc-qF0djksVKoY4IAvvR7KNZYpFMbNBKTIDyBWHhSyYigqGfncuBhPUned4ynxXRCTWiTJ-WysHRoaNlKV2MV69QjcgiwtpxAIg/s403/shipoftheline.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="249" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfrr-IxtFIsYyhTckZazsstIU_11NOEgJVKP5du2o92opzXqXQL7jaRT3li4cCASlcMpB0Q7IReFiiAFgGyGb3kXoc-qF0djksVKoY4IAvvR7KNZYpFMbNBKTIDyBWHhSyYigqGfncuBhPUned4ynxXRCTWiTJ-WysHRoaNlKV2MV69QjcgiwtpxAIg/w248-h400/shipoftheline.png" width="248" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
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Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0*<br />
To date: 0*</div>
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Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
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To date: 2</div>
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Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3</div>
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Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
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Sassy Riker Moments: 1<br />
To date: 4</div>
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Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 2<br />
To date: 2<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Keiko Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments: 0<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 0<br />
To date: 35</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 1<br />
To date: 9</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 1<br />
To date: 4<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 1<br />
To date: 2<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 0<br />
To date: 18<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 1<br />
To date: 7</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 2</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">*Technically 15,419. </div><div style="text-align: left;">907 crewmembers x 17 explosions, if we're guessing 1 explosion per day. Which then didn't happen after all. Schrodinger's Temporal Causality Loop Explosion?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkH_BEh2FfNI7R7QSF7Zmx3XtjBMvUieDZpDvQQD7zldLdAt1kULjTUGNtdH_kaTmI7tPJRWYTm2qPN90sQTWKam0r5QfO6q6dFRZeiJCy1OQDhc3R3Q-Ql-9wQAfpiKXndLrCUZImPe5vHg8NZCSXDsE06zzlJScr0rxsjpAfvu8xU3i49IarVI5gYg/s2016/Pie's%20box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkH_BEh2FfNI7R7QSF7Zmx3XtjBMvUieDZpDvQQD7zldLdAt1kULjTUGNtdH_kaTmI7tPJRWYTm2qPN90sQTWKam0r5QfO6q6dFRZeiJCy1OQDhc3R3Q-Ql-9wQAfpiKXndLrCUZImPe5vHg8NZCSXDsE06zzlJScr0rxsjpAfvu8xU3i49IarVI5gYg/w400-h300/Pie's%20box.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DO NOT touch Pie's box</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
</div>
</div></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-50299098998782329142022-12-27T02:27:00.000-08:002022-12-27T02:27:31.800-08:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Seventeen "The Outcast"ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Seventeen "The Outcast"<br />
Production Order: 17<br />
Air Order: 17<br />
Stardate: 45614.6<br />
Original Air Date: March 16, 1992<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sorry for the skipped weeks. There was a lot that I had to say about this episode, and I needed the extra weeks to think and write about it. Regardless, I'll probably forget several points I wanted to make. This topic is entirely too big to fit into an episode.</span></span><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lOG4M7vTJrqNczcgoYsaC8o_MLIUTWw6p3lPRqwr89fNU9Vu6BhxsMICBjq28MyFYV3kmjjmsNtn4Ss-9W7VC8gQ67iZ1Ub_2kwnZBjuA8Son_wMDxlTekmKpB7r83ajgOj2JIc9VHoVBUHHOYgjCvWKhZ5zkWKFP66rQqSM7oF_fnBRNATtZKOFyg/s606/to1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="606" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lOG4M7vTJrqNczcgoYsaC8o_MLIUTWw6p3lPRqwr89fNU9Vu6BhxsMICBjq28MyFYV3kmjjmsNtn4Ss-9W7VC8gQ67iZ1Ub_2kwnZBjuA8Son_wMDxlTekmKpB7r83ajgOj2JIc9VHoVBUHHOYgjCvWKhZ5zkWKFP66rQqSM7oF_fnBRNATtZKOFyg/w400-h303/to1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br />
<br />
Picard's Log 45614.6: "This androgynous race, the J'naii, have asked for our help in finding their lost shuttlecraft."<div><br /></div><div>Okay, a quick note here: we're dealing with a species this episode that doesn't recognize gender in their culture. Star Trek uses the term "androgynous," and it kind of works in some cases, and in others, they kind of mean non-binary. BUT we're also talking about a show written and filmed in the very early 90's, and terminology has changed and evolved since then.</div><div>For the curious, a good definition between the two is</div><div> <span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #202124; color: #bdc1c6; font-size: 16px;">Non-binary is a term that refers to any gender identity that isn't male or female. </span><b style="background-color: #202124; color: #bdc1c6; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Androgynous refers to an outward appearance of indeterminate gender</b><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #202124; color: #bdc1c6; font-size: 16px;">. While some non-binary people may express themselves androgynously, it is a personal choice that is not a requirement of non-binary gender identity.</span></div><div><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #202124; color: #bdc1c6; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div>(Snagged from <a href="https://genderrights.org.au/faq_type/trans-101/#:~:text=Non%2Dbinary%20is%20a%20term,of%20non%2Dbinary%20gender%20identity.">here</a>.)</div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">You can also identify as a gender and select an androgynous look, but that's more of a mainstream idea, so I assume that readers are aware.</span></span></div><div>In this episode, the J'naii present androgynously, but are also non-binary.</div><div>Star Trek is... trying. It's an unintentional theme for this episode.</div><div><br /></div><div>So here's the low-down: a J'naii shuttlecraft with two crew members has disappeared in space near their planet. They asked the Enterprise, with its fancy equipment, to help them find it. They can't find the shuttle in the star system, and Soren, the J'naii character that we'll be focusing on, confirms that the shuttle could not have left the solar system, so it has to be here somewhere. A debris scan turns up nothing.</div><div>But then Data announces that he's found a neutrino emission that's not connected to anything, and he has no guess as to why it could be there.</div><div>"Probe?" he asks.</div><div>"Make that shit so," agrees Picard.</div><div>So they launch a probe, which... disappears also. Transmitting one moment, gone the next.</div><div>"WTF?" asks Soren.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Zoom-in on Picard! Opening credits break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukKO3fTl18lsY-6ZkhvfbOZaxw5u2lBLXnZzgfa1y1VYFEi5g5XwBClmJdQ45aNuylTlU-JFHYnrD1y5tjDjRbOkMhYwkNqRf_pgIYD3gqXrX8gGj6wfrGdJ60W-fmeY5KR-0cmsOzD0PplKVnNxOgz3ucIESmqj-QLQw_kj2zrpvc7NFwhRmjp-o6w/s603/to2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="603" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukKO3fTl18lsY-6ZkhvfbOZaxw5u2lBLXnZzgfa1y1VYFEi5g5XwBClmJdQ45aNuylTlU-JFHYnrD1y5tjDjRbOkMhYwkNqRf_pgIYD3gqXrX8gGj6wfrGdJ60W-fmeY5KR-0cmsOzD0PplKVnNxOgz3ucIESmqj-QLQw_kj2zrpvc7NFwhRmjp-o6w/w400-h304/to2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log, supplemental: "Okay, the disappearance of the probe suggest that we found the first ever example of "null space," which is a cool theory, but has never been proven. Riker is working with a team of J'naii specialists to figure this out."</div><div><br /></div><div>Downstairs on the J'naii homeworld, Soren and Riker are giving a Powerpoint to a bunch of other J'naii, who are presumably scientists and politicians, or are otherwise People In Charge.</div><div>Soren explains the null space theory: "It's a little pocket of space that forms when a star system does. We think there may be one in our system. If something like a shuttlecraft enters that space, the pocket absorbs the energy the shuttle gives off. And energy bends around the pocket, so it's kind of cloaked. We think the probe went into the pocket, and we think our shuttle did, too."</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bQcjrS4wsMu30TZ591_YJbx8SIAYiFkQ4y8W9mTKhnaLnWM5qVaJ_9tmHffA-hhnnkhO95C5XhPUTwQTWJrydKnjX91ILuoCr_NpLjNCqdjFG5o7IZyVPOoQOZ4tAtxLZnoaDoWuCppPT3Iz2OHj6939P1vH9uS5FNPJGpeomo7i48Ns6b6VIQj0vg/s603/to3.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bQcjrS4wsMu30TZ591_YJbx8SIAYiFkQ4y8W9mTKhnaLnWM5qVaJ_9tmHffA-hhnnkhO95C5XhPUTwQTWJrydKnjX91ILuoCr_NpLjNCqdjFG5o7IZyVPOoQOZ4tAtxLZnoaDoWuCppPT3Iz2OHj6939P1vH9uS5FNPJGpeomo7i48Ns6b6VIQj0vg/w400-h305/to3.png" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I don't love these bowl haircuts, but maybe they're all the rage on J'naii</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Noor, who is the head of the J'naii government (no formal title given here), asks if they think their shuttle is still in the pocket.</div><div>"We do," says Soren. "And based on our propulsion systems and what we think we might know about the pocket, the shuttle is in there with life support for about ten days."</div><div>Noor seems optimistic that the crew could still be alive, and while they don't say how long the shuttle has been missing, it has to be less than ten days here.</div><div>"Our plan is to take a Starfleet shuttle into the pocket," says Riker. "It will absorb the energy from the shuttle, but our transporter chief is working on a way to beam us and the J'naii crew off of the missing shuttle."</div><div>Noor thanks Riker for his help, and the meeting breaks up.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAJHuAk9AX-s2wzbYqt6blMbcqu6Oa1gT5DWfpIrL07y1CCL79iiWZSRbO3GEix30cFqKbmrQS3TcfIUpzOIaOdVlnQtI9c4bsrOT9pg0InxAQhW25ORWDWeY3wnuLPeJQBVzLcXislKJlb2xdpIXtv2cPAqETYKSglgEAz-rG3Xag7Ikek9YBfOuNg/s599/to4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="599" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAJHuAk9AX-s2wzbYqt6blMbcqu6Oa1gT5DWfpIrL07y1CCL79iiWZSRbO3GEix30cFqKbmrQS3TcfIUpzOIaOdVlnQtI9c4bsrOT9pg0InxAQhW25ORWDWeY3wnuLPeJQBVzLcXislKJlb2xdpIXtv2cPAqETYKSglgEAz-rG3Xag7Ikek9YBfOuNg/w400-h303/to4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"I would like to pilot the shuttle," Soren tells Riker once everyone else has left.</div><div>"It's a Starfleet craft," he argues.</div><div>"Yeah, but I can't ask any of you to risk your lives for my people," says Soren.</div><div>That's fair. It's also courteous.</div><div>They both state that they're awesome pilots, so Riker suggests that they team up to get the job done. Soren agrees, and they get to work right away.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI05RJ9YGQDs1t5rVeKTcs24qksgau884GuOReRR_PgK0Qvxu_NJ4reW7q9QEJBj3EOj0CDdLuSE2hwNYJyuxlz-w9BmfIpODfp4RCnUeg1nA-oWLdXDkHwUPJ4vSzquAJMXgPxCGnIghw7Ria0wfbyjlO0SSEFe0JI4LgoX6Peh7qCR66pL1P-TvDhA/s606/to5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI05RJ9YGQDs1t5rVeKTcs24qksgau884GuOReRR_PgK0Qvxu_NJ4reW7q9QEJBj3EOj0CDdLuSE2hwNYJyuxlz-w9BmfIpODfp4RCnUeg1nA-oWLdXDkHwUPJ4vSzquAJMXgPxCGnIghw7Ria0wfbyjlO0SSEFe0JI4LgoX6Peh7qCR66pL1P-TvDhA/w400-h304/to5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>They go back to the shuttle bay on the E, and Riker introduces Soren to the shuttle they'll be using. Soren knows their way around a shuttlecraft, which becomes apparent. Riker mentions that shuttles don't usually come equipped with weapons of any kind, but this one has been outfitted with a phaser array.</div><div>"We're going to shoot the phasers at where we think the pocket is, and map out where the energy disappears. Then we can get a feel for the boundaries. La Forge thought it up."</div><div>Y'all. That's fucking smart.</div><div>They get on the shuttle, and Riker says they'll do a flight simulator later, but now they can go over controls. Soren is no slouch. They pull up schematics and quickly figure out where everything is, and how it works.</div><div>"My parents were pilots. I grew up in shuttles. Then I went to flight school and trained under Krite."</div><div>"He had a good student," Riker remarks.</div><div>This gives Soren pause. "We don't have gender. There's no he or she here."</div><div>Riker tosses his hands up in a kind of surrender, but he's smiling. "Okay, for the last two days, I've been trying to speak without using personal pronouns. I mean, I can't use <i>it</i>. My people find that insulting."</div><div>(Eh, not all of them. Some enby people do use "it" as a pronoun. But yeah, a lot of people bristle at using <i>it</i> because it has been insulting.)</div><div>Now, this convo makes me bristle a bit. Riker's complaint could go two ways here:</div><div>"I am trying, but this is a different way of thinking, and slipping back into familiar patterns is proving to be a hurdle. Please be patient with me as I navigate this. My goal is to be respectful."</div><div>Or</div><div>"I am trying, and am therefore above criticism. I will probably give up at some point, tell people behind your back that you are nuts, and will eventually assign you whatever gender and pronouns I personally feel most comfortable with."</div><div>Always go with the former, y'all. Patience is granted to those who are earnestly trying.<br />
<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK2Dg0MqwEliEYUvABCAlhUUJ2KBGBzIFs8RTK92K7bgLw-lxk_druX4qe-n_iDQOyDPaoppGcT7Lj1Lk5X8jWhgkhea8vP8kGhZqGQPIhWHtwcVzWOk-w2uSuZBvD2hD7KYcTsMw8-MewPtkYf5xS1OdrIlxpPiX8SocFFgGR5u_xM80os7GqS5xGQ/s604/to6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="604" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK2Dg0MqwEliEYUvABCAlhUUJ2KBGBzIFs8RTK92K7bgLw-lxk_druX4qe-n_iDQOyDPaoppGcT7Lj1Lk5X8jWhgkhea8vP8kGhZqGQPIhWHtwcVzWOk-w2uSuZBvD2hD7KYcTsMw8-MewPtkYf5xS1OdrIlxpPiX8SocFFgGR5u_xM80os7GqS5xGQ/w400-h305/to6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>"We use a neutral pronoun, but there isn't really a translation," Soren explains.</div><div>Pssst, Riker: humans have been using the singular "they" for nearly 1000 years by your time. Just use "they."</div><div>But I guess he hasn't thought of that, and says he will try his best.</div><div>It is time for lunch.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pNaN8_cMeBN04iNIzVizaE3RUi8xSSXt-vv27u4IB-93fXWUSOJPDoxkqK2WbeR8XLen7Ryqwxh-2Uyas0wxuyKVhMgzi5VWSdzspU1AmIdgGD2KNadQqewQUxL-71SpGZc9w-1dqENGxR9OqQhUXKoQjVhFVhAuwkc7gmG7qOAyaApITqPlZ-a0Dw/s606/to7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pNaN8_cMeBN04iNIzVizaE3RUi8xSSXt-vv27u4IB-93fXWUSOJPDoxkqK2WbeR8XLen7Ryqwxh-2Uyas0wxuyKVhMgzi5VWSdzspU1AmIdgGD2KNadQqewQUxL-71SpGZc9w-1dqENGxR9OqQhUXKoQjVhFVhAuwkc7gmG7qOAyaApITqPlZ-a0Dw/w400-h304/to7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In Ten Forward, they are served bowls of split pea soup, and Riker says he programmed the replicators to make his father's recipe.</div><div>"It's good for keeping you warm on cold Alaskan nights," he says cheerfully.</div><div>"We prefer to sleep with friends for warmth," Soren replies.</div><div>Riker is taken aback.</div><div>"No, not like mating," Soren corrects. "Like, platonic spooning."</div><div>Sassy Riker Moment: "Still sounds better than pea soup."</div><div>They briefly discuss how they're each finding the other's culture and ways of thinking to be completely different from their own.</div><div>"So you're male," says Soren. "What the difference between you and females?"</div><div>"Umm." Riker is not sure how to answer, because that's a complicated question. And so, I shit you not, he replies, "Snips and snails, and puppy dog tails."</div><div>Soren is alarmed.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivozvskaN92xTwzRDO_Px4cEqLqAKY3E5XI3fCVeNiTmWfK_yylij6aBz9x7ZszOGRZRcPnjb4Z9T9JvjW9UEY9kA9VNAARFFWHTCdDjDF32jjr8FyBpaAB5hKhThSHAQSEPuMVhHyV66O7suzKjFgPZdAelyh_hQFU6V2n2wWWKfPESy7re_GXBMAxg/s608/to8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="608" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivozvskaN92xTwzRDO_Px4cEqLqAKY3E5XI3fCVeNiTmWfK_yylij6aBz9x7ZszOGRZRcPnjb4Z9T9JvjW9UEY9kA9VNAARFFWHTCdDjDF32jjr8FyBpaAB5hKhThSHAQSEPuMVhHyV66O7suzKjFgPZdAelyh_hQFU6V2n2wWWKfPESy7re_GXBMAxg/w400-h301/to8.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>He fumbles, then replies that there are a lot of similarities, but males and females are built a little differently, and that they have different sexual organs. When Soren asks about emotional attitudes, he says that that sort of question can take a lifetime to answer.</div><div>Riker asks what things are like on a planet with no gender, and as an example, he asks who leads if they're dancing, which is kind of a funny, stupid question.</div><div>"Whoever is taller," says Soren simply. They make a remark that Terrans and J'naii are probably not all that different, and Riker agrees that there are most likely more similarities than differences.</div><div>Soren looks over at a hetero couple behind them in Ten Forward, then asks Riker what he finds attractive in a female.</div><div>"She has to laugh at my jokes," he quips.</div><div>Soren grins.</div><div>Another J'naii who was on the bridge earlier enters Ten Forward and sees them.</div><div>"Hello, Commander."</div><div>Soren gets up hastily and thanks Riker for going over the shuttle controls, but now they have to be going, and they offer their seat to the other J'naii... Krite, the flight instructor.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ml67OS0VI2SH3Y73mpOj0XVZKVz6FLZzc-JE_PheNtdaaRGxdQJVXhwi41sesep6SukRWPumvS5r2-lw8wOAM3K145qbCQnDK9gdJt7A7d4NY7s-1_0pUJOWllKH8n85uZOV6mmRQDiDmnLySYrbcDqGxp1FzwUeGi-qRzOOfRdmYUGDNlXdlJoSLA/s607/to9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="607" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ml67OS0VI2SH3Y73mpOj0XVZKVz6FLZzc-JE_PheNtdaaRGxdQJVXhwi41sesep6SukRWPumvS5r2-lw8wOAM3K145qbCQnDK9gdJt7A7d4NY7s-1_0pUJOWllKH8n85uZOV6mmRQDiDmnLySYrbcDqGxp1FzwUeGi-qRzOOfRdmYUGDNlXdlJoSLA/w400-h304/to9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log, supplemental: "Riker and Soren are going out in the shuttle to try to map the null space pocket. If it works out, they can start the rescue."</div><div><br /></div><div>On the shuttle, they have started shooting phaser pulses into and around the space pocket, and after the first few manual shots turn up good info, set it to the computer to finish the task.</div><div>"So tell me about your sexual organs," says Soren conversationally.</div><div>Jesus, Soren. Buy a guy dinner first.</div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Uhhhh," says Riker.</span></span></div><div>"I'm interested in what's involved with two sexes during mating practices," Soren presses.</div><div>Y'all wanna have a weird-ass sex talk? I'm getting the worst flashbacks to <a href="http://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2014/04/season-2-episode-38-apple.html">Kirk explaining sex to the Vaalians.</a></div><div>"Um, men inseminate the women, women bear the children," Riker mumbles.</div><div>Wow, Riker. Drier than Ben Shapiro's wife.</div><div>"Oh. Our people inseminate a fibrous husk. We've heard about the mating practices of some other species, and our way seems less risky and painful."</div><div>Soren is aiming for "Sahara," apparently.</div><div>Now they get defensive and prickly over whose mating practices are more pleasurable.</div><div>I'm fucking done. Can I stop writing this review now?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZD68fBEtvBlrtuVOrS6ctDUms4pasAgnYG6-T8cqFZTHmKBqTQOEoRxjtC3peqm2dtEdCdt_Zauy01RQMcnTJgkkofsCKSjAUvCbVNIHMzxeIZpxqv7-qwNsahJdiIY55SLAzYZaJCuPCtrnBz9SDnop0M0vn4GGUQvqiZSf2vcuMeokFQ7Y2pFswQQ/s606/to10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="606" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZD68fBEtvBlrtuVOrS6ctDUms4pasAgnYG6-T8cqFZTHmKBqTQOEoRxjtC3peqm2dtEdCdt_Zauy01RQMcnTJgkkofsCKSjAUvCbVNIHMzxeIZpxqv7-qwNsahJdiIY55SLAzYZaJCuPCtrnBz9SDnop0M0vn4GGUQvqiZSf2vcuMeokFQ7Y2pFswQQ/w400-h303/to10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>They find a neutrino emission coming from inside the pocket, and Soren thinks it may be coming from their shuttle, so they make a note of the coordinates.</div><div>"I wonder if a human and a J'naii are sexually compatible," they muse.</div><div>"Um, I dunno," replies Riker.</div><div>But before they can get into a discussion as to whether or not the peepees match, Soren notes that their people wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.</div><div>"The J'naii find gender to be offensive. We used to have two sexes - like you - but we evolved. My people now find such a thing primitive. No offense or anything."</div><div>Riker finds that amusing. "Yeah, but primitive can be fun."</div><div>The computer has completed the mapping project, and they turn the shuttle around to go back to the E. Unfortunately, the shuttle's nacelle skims one of the boundaries of the null space pocket, and several layers of engine disappear, then reappear. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2wPsW2iE1qwNPQHhoVvncO42zsYLMjwS_YrkJTPo2eB0IR8cuXSl-EOUEl5XJ5UdlourqAGmBKClA9BBqTGlsn2t1V6MwrKSEKbszqcuBlnUeUAMQu9IeX8keWmY4_EYrpW5qmG7l0T6r9Lmi9-o8vrHE2M1FtaB7ZZlBRSw12853DZw9Gwhw46Cvw/s640/to11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="640" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2wPsW2iE1qwNPQHhoVvncO42zsYLMjwS_YrkJTPo2eB0IR8cuXSl-EOUEl5XJ5UdlourqAGmBKClA9BBqTGlsn2t1V6MwrKSEKbszqcuBlnUeUAMQu9IeX8keWmY4_EYrpW5qmG7l0T6r9Lmi9-o8vrHE2M1FtaB7ZZlBRSw12853DZw9Gwhw46Cvw/w400-h288/to11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The engine fails, and Riker and Soren try to adjust to using just the one engine. It's not going well. The shuttle careens, and Soren, making their way to the back of the cabin to make a manual adjustment, is thrown forward, smacking their head.</div><div>Riker calls the E. "Engine failing, shuttle losing control, and Soren needs to be beamed to sick bay."</div><div>La Forge tractors them back in.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTuNI8MAO-oKJiWxA3DfDg9rnzGTDj38WXXP2OOeISaZjzGNEJJNFR1GdRQc2raaYF5FxazMXFul8OXl25RiCMsIDyCyVv73Yy3KvcyqlatgpsTFpCTLEvQL0qdMYsr8RdmjcTKiqD38gvZGB6Gx9jgbg6hWoTMvpmUnGBe2XsGdmSaffCrQyUaAnJw/s603/to12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTuNI8MAO-oKJiWxA3DfDg9rnzGTDj38WXXP2OOeISaZjzGNEJJNFR1GdRQc2raaYF5FxazMXFul8OXl25RiCMsIDyCyVv73Yy3KvcyqlatgpsTFpCTLEvQL0qdMYsr8RdmjcTKiqD38gvZGB6Gx9jgbg6hWoTMvpmUnGBe2XsGdmSaffCrQyUaAnJw/w400-h305/to12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In sick bay, Soren is being examined, and Crusher tells them that they just have a minor concussion.</div><div>"So you're female," says Soren. "What's that like?"</div><div>"Huh?" asks Crusher.</div><div>So far, Soren has asked Riker what it's like to be male, and Crusher what it's like to be female; and Riker has asked Soren what it's like to be genderless. But these are all "as compared to what?" questions. No one knows any different. </div><div>"Okay, so females have longer hair a lot of the time, and they wear it more elaborately. And females wear color on their faces and nails." Just some things that Soren has noticed. "Is it to attract a male?"</div><div>"It can be," concedes Crusher.</div><div>"But the males don't do it. Is it down to the females to do all of the attracting?"</div><div>"No." Crusher is amused. "Males try to be attractive, but play it off like they're not, even if it's currently the most important thing to them."</div><div>"But they don't wear color on their faces," Soren asserts.</div><div>"Nope," Crusher agrees.</div><div>"Woof, this scene feels dated," Lady Archon typed, thinking of male make-up artists with cosmetics contracts, and all of the boys she knows who have nicer manicures than her.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90EUh2wF0-gtitXFXf9rJXAl6WSocRMlbzdlr8fqiwLK9aGkIE0EIUqR5aXGR2sX6KrkU0jQd_4otkSipNUXa3K3sxZ8e7fzeYmE8lUoAsNGH1Sjp7mw5E7WYMJY1x7bJI_XsZdfxPSArCQvW78mJn1CJ2wKaqcDcLxzISaRCTuL0J5JjsmQ-F9I8_Q/s604/to13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="604" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90EUh2wF0-gtitXFXf9rJXAl6WSocRMlbzdlr8fqiwLK9aGkIE0EIUqR5aXGR2sX6KrkU0jQd_4otkSipNUXa3K3sxZ8e7fzeYmE8lUoAsNGH1Sjp7mw5E7WYMJY1x7bJI_XsZdfxPSArCQvW78mJn1CJ2wKaqcDcLxzISaRCTuL0J5JjsmQ-F9I8_Q/w400-h306/to13.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"Are the females considered superior to males?" Soren asks.</div><div>"No, actually it used to be the other way around. But that was a long time ago."</div><div>Dated, yet optimistic.</div><div>Riker comes in to check on Soren, and Crusher releases the J'naii to go finish their rescue mission.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later, Crusher gets together with Worf, Troi, and Data for their regular poker game. It's Troi's turn to deal, and she proclaims the game to be "Federation Day."</div><div>Worf, in place of the audience, asks what that is, and she replies that the Federation was founded in 2161, so twos, sixes, and aces are wild.</div><div>"That is a woman's game," Worf grumbles. "It favors a weak hand."</div><div>COOL. LOVE ME SOME CASUAL SEXISM.</div><div>Fortunately, Crusher and Troi aren't going to let him get away with it, and they do that lovely thing where they make him describe his misogyny until it boils down to him just being an asshole. He also doesn't like the J'naii.</div><div>"They're all the same, no males or females. It's weird."</div><div>Crusher spills the tea: "I think one of them is sweet on Riker."</div><div>"That's not right," grumbles Worf.</div><div>Dude is the authority on what's right, apparently.</div><div>Again, everyone makes him break it down until he sheepishly looks at his cards and says he doesn't know what kind of hand he has with all of these wild cards in the mix.</div><div>I hope he loses his fucking shirt.</div><div>Don't be a dick, Worf.</div><div>Ohhh, after multiple viewings, I think they're having Worf be the maybe-homophobe/possible ally here: the cisgender-heterosexual observer who is just too confused by everything related to queerness to get it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1SZf9VBhNOlaj2XI_1TO7WIW-0CpYU-t7y5G5NnECD3_uzdDKxIaCY-p1JiVu6Vy0sVU1ecjzvICBhcp3mzdEz2ANWjQeLHIVAgTzxeOzYw7jwcXYcHqtjN3ZGsjaqduGlo_mritgmVXDo7FzTz7EWQf85c1DGHmXdoQcUWFg4KgWVQHpedgG1Rn5g/s603/to14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="603" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1SZf9VBhNOlaj2XI_1TO7WIW-0CpYU-t7y5G5NnECD3_uzdDKxIaCY-p1JiVu6Vy0sVU1ecjzvICBhcp3mzdEz2ANWjQeLHIVAgTzxeOzYw7jwcXYcHqtjN3ZGsjaqduGlo_mritgmVXDo7FzTz7EWQf85c1DGHmXdoQcUWFg4KgWVQHpedgG1Rn5g/w400-h306/to14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On the shuttle, Riker tells Soren that the transporter for the shuttle is ready to go, but La Forge is still working on the transporter that should be able to grab them all from inside the pocket. </div><div>They need to get under the dashboard to access a panel, so Riker does something unusual: he removes the back of the chair that Soren was sitting in. It's made to look like it's a thing that he has to do to access the panel better, but I think it was actually a thing that Jonathan Frakes did so that the camera operator could film what they were doing. It's... strange.</div><div>They climb under the dash and begin using tools with glowing ends to alter...something.</div><div>"Can I tell you something?" Soren asks furtively. "I could get into a lot of trouble for saying something."</div><div>"What's that?" asks Riker.</div><div>"I find you attractive."</div><div>Riker was only half-paying attention, but now puts his tool down.</div><div>"On my planet," says Soren, "sometimes people are born different. They experience urges to be male or female, rather than genderless. I am one of those people who identifies as female. We have to hide who we are, or they'll try to "fix" us through pyschotectic therapy."</div><div>"How long have you known?" asks Riker quietly.</div><div>"All my life," she replies. "But I didn't understand until I was older."</div><div>She tells Riker a story about being a kid in school, and another child preferred a gender (male). This kid was teased relentlessly, and sometimes they would beat the hell out of him. He disappeared for a while, and when he came back, he was made to stand in front of the whole school and talk about how he was given psychotectic treatments, and it cured him of having a gender.</div><div>Oh, yay. Conversion therapy with a touch of George Orwell.</div><div>Riker is fully invested in this confession. "Do you have relationships with other people like you?"</div><div>"Yes, with people who identify as male. I have to live a life of lies, but I feel like I can be honest with you." She touches his face, and he opens his mouth to respond, but she tells him not to. "Just think about it."</div><div>She gets up and leaves the shuttle.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXw7QJiWdz3IsehkLiDF63SpuSxmSZh-KRYOrNZ5vkhjtPOr111ias90WByx4EiLrRjiv98upPxraxsXLe8Vp-VMUhHzMNN-9BFWsKPEZhYbgydzgZMO2tm3KQiviaTnYG8A9WmZBGlpAPhE-t2dor5-Oc3bCED9r9vUwm3RxYCRWDkRNThl9O_mgIg/s605/to15.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXw7QJiWdz3IsehkLiDF63SpuSxmSZh-KRYOrNZ5vkhjtPOr111ias90WByx4EiLrRjiv98upPxraxsXLe8Vp-VMUhHzMNN-9BFWsKPEZhYbgydzgZMO2tm3KQiviaTnYG8A9WmZBGlpAPhE-t2dor5-Oc3bCED9r9vUwm3RxYCRWDkRNThl9O_mgIg/w400-h304/to15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Wait, did she just ask him out? </div><div>Soren moves quick. I'm wondering, though... what is her endgame? He showed up on her doorstep because of a space anomaly, and he'll be leaving presumably once they find the lost shuttle (sometime tomorrow), so is she asking for a quickie with an alien? Like <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2019/01/sttng-season-four-episode-fifteen-first.html">Lanel</a>?</div><div><br /></div><div>The next morning at 0800 hours, Soren and Riker are ready to go. La Forge talks to them briefly about how they'll need to get in, get the J'naii pilots, and get out, because the pocket will drain their shuttle quickly, as will the altered transporters. Soren and Riker get in, and there's a little song and dance to launch the shuttle. Picard wishes Riker and Soren luck over the comm channels, and as an added charm, Riker tells Picard that he'll see him at dinner.</div><div>The shuttle is launched.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SIXTJo_-sryiyfw9vn8Q7NHpMcZubmH0eDaE1zu9TxQwhJkAI99jGLWPV5VWXBOW6TqI8ShJqVpe9Rkp5hgQP9-KvZmL-wWKCXNWFARNgARa8LGYVMzu_ZZgk5Tf1Ir6BAhwZIF-rD58PNGxthV1y5M8w2UueQT-253qj-8mhX6C4AGZI-5jriJQXQ/s602/to16.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="602" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SIXTJo_-sryiyfw9vn8Q7NHpMcZubmH0eDaE1zu9TxQwhJkAI99jGLWPV5VWXBOW6TqI8ShJqVpe9Rkp5hgQP9-KvZmL-wWKCXNWFARNgARa8LGYVMzu_ZZgk5Tf1Ir6BAhwZIF-rD58PNGxthV1y5M8w2UueQT-253qj-8mhX6C4AGZI-5jriJQXQ/w400-h304/to16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker and Soren pilot the shuttle forward with 100% power, and slip into the pocket space.</div><div>Wild.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNt9geJWnzvz-VawZL0IdFjFBpc0NP4ywo0vID7Wig3tVh2tAZ5TQ0eTXCNpmrG3FAUAp_U9y1W_7OwSev0G6aaSzg-ViySJONHy11VtiAFCM_0ZGIzK30gQ-V9cPI_KUZRWfmkjXFVkg9jXvEywfk4LKWym64m3wReO0HZYE4lWFvtWlnj1lT_LQyQ/s601/to17.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="601" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNt9geJWnzvz-VawZL0IdFjFBpc0NP4ywo0vID7Wig3tVh2tAZ5TQ0eTXCNpmrG3FAUAp_U9y1W_7OwSev0G6aaSzg-ViySJONHy11VtiAFCM_0ZGIzK30gQ-V9cPI_KUZRWfmkjXFVkg9jXvEywfk4LKWym64m3wReO0HZYE4lWFvtWlnj1lT_LQyQ/w400-h305/to17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The shuttle's power drops by 16% just going in.</div><div>Riker tries calling the E, but gets no answer.</div><div>Out the window, they see the J'naii shuttle, the Taris Murn.</div><div>Man, that milky off-white of the pocket space is creeping me out. It looks like when a movie is trying to get all high-concept about the afterlife, and it's portrayed as being basically a blank white canvas. Or when Coraline walks too far from Other Mother's house, and the world disappears.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbdhITZfSYo0u-2GBeiQRend6BdKckL1gYRcXJa1ng54wNguIgxNk3sei-L-jbHLn6a_qGvQ90lqKqIZa-U0cddBYyvrosl2MA_X2alybAE_5LujlyNSZ1yJzhcUjGagKUZM15mBahHkxzvqRtw9ece1UVKz0S7rK98nBbBrVFA9uwHdCVGdsWN9BqQ/s604/to18.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="604" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbdhITZfSYo0u-2GBeiQRend6BdKckL1gYRcXJa1ng54wNguIgxNk3sei-L-jbHLn6a_qGvQ90lqKqIZa-U0cddBYyvrosl2MA_X2alybAE_5LujlyNSZ1yJzhcUjGagKUZM15mBahHkxzvqRtw9ece1UVKz0S7rK98nBbBrVFA9uwHdCVGdsWN9BqQ/w400-h304/to18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Soren tries to call the other ship, but gets no response. Riker's scans come back - the pilots are alive, but unconscious.</div><div>Time to transport over.</div><div>They try it, but it doesn't work. The pilots do not rematerialize.</div><div>"Down to 34% power," says Soren. "Much more, and we won't be able to beam ourselves out."</div><div>Riker makes some adjustments to the transporter, and attempts another beam. This time it works, and quick scans of the J'naii pilots shows that they're in need of medical attention.</div><div>They try to beam all four out, but again, it does not go through.</div><div>Soren checks the power. "We're at 9%. Not enough to get us out."</div><div>"We'll run out of life support in an hour if we just sit here," Riker notes. "Okay, we pretty much have one shot. I'm gonna dump power from everything - propulsion, life support, absolutely everything - into the transporters. That should give us enough juice."</div><div>"That should give us too much," Soren points out. "The shuttle will explode."</div><div>"Sure," he answers. "But if we do nothing, we die anyway. At least this way, we have a chance of making it out alive."</div><div>She agrees, they set the shuttle to overload, and jump back into position. This time, it works. They beam off, and the shuttle explodes.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZT7QUsOwTvf5ZK_lUOzKT0zCoEEVN_cOW1QHQ8iKfbmvdW6HxBGlbsBASzAJI-xrRua_aE-sNo7U2xwyArRJ95Xh9GC-1BAEYPrWKLFvILT2VDGIs3yvBKwLiIkb4wHsDiZnJTJ1LN5qeodwQVMCEZIkYficxCP0crtt9e6EvJvPC0__DOPljsHLezA/s608/to19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="608" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZT7QUsOwTvf5ZK_lUOzKT0zCoEEVN_cOW1QHQ8iKfbmvdW6HxBGlbsBASzAJI-xrRua_aE-sNo7U2xwyArRJ95Xh9GC-1BAEYPrWKLFvILT2VDGIs3yvBKwLiIkb4wHsDiZnJTJ1LN5qeodwQVMCEZIkYficxCP0crtt9e6EvJvPC0__DOPljsHLezA/w400-h303/to19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone is beamed directly to sick bay. Crusher confirms that the J'naii pilots have been deprived of oxygen, but that they'll recover nicely.</div><div>Krite thanks Riker for his help. Riker offers his thanks to Soren.</div><div>"Will you all join us for dinner on our planet?" asks Krite.</div><div>"Sounds awesome," says Picard cheerfully.</div><div>Then Krite suggests that Noor will want a first-hand report, and asks Soren to beam back down to the surface right away.</div><div>Soren says she will see Riker at the celebration later, and there's the briefest of shots of Krite, watching them, before both J'naii leave.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_Qh6lbcpCOJhnuzrZVOAKfwzNjRU5ncuQvupdIssKYcBPL-dp-KYF5Yj42Xda5vfEVBOlCcCQWZkUzkyO7zR71oRKl6_zdpLdQnpM1JiFGcu0vZEnd_96XN6XmMMXRy0krXeqprSMT-YVwU3Fj8FtBtXbIKWWA4P4JEdbS_aaaDPFeWLUtcQTa6eMg/s603/to20.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_Qh6lbcpCOJhnuzrZVOAKfwzNjRU5ncuQvupdIssKYcBPL-dp-KYF5Yj42Xda5vfEVBOlCcCQWZkUzkyO7zR71oRKl6_zdpLdQnpM1JiFGcu0vZEnd_96XN6XmMMXRy0krXeqprSMT-YVwU3Fj8FtBtXbIKWWA4P4JEdbS_aaaDPFeWLUtcQTa6eMg/w400-h305/to20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Later, everyone is enjoying the party, when Soren spots Riker sitting on a bench outside by himself. She approaches him, calling him the guest of honor.</div><div>"I can only take so much of social functions before I need to get some air," he explains.</div><div>"I would have thought you'd be used to these kinds of functions," she suggests.</div><div>"Nah, I was raised outdoors. Don't care much for crowded rooms."</div><div>Yeah, watching this during a pandemic... I gotta agree.</div><div>They get to talking about exobotany, and she offers to give him a nighttime tour of the garden. Seems innocent enough, but I'm aro-ace, and I never recognize flirting anyway, so what do I know?</div><div>Krite watches them go, because Krite is a creeper. Reminds me of Martin from <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/04/sttng-season-five-episode-thirteen.html">Masterpiece Society</a>. Why is it that when this show wants to indicate that someone is watching someone else, and is suspicious of that person, the watcher gets kind of stalkery, and them doing the watching is typically followed by dramatic music and sometimes a commercial break?</div><div>The foliage is pretty thick, and it seems like there's a path. Soren starts telling Riker about the different kinds of plants, like a trees whose leaves turn blue in winter, and another whose flowers only bloom rarely.</div><div>Riker pulls her arm, and lets her know without words that he's been doing that thinking that she asked him to do.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0A6Saa31COhcGSa9K5ZgkANIP49bz8KVjw5xgJcaQsPdt1-mOLgryonbP0dLOpgXoepWnP_pyRcZ0PQf3qm_pcNsaajjbU20xLhGaYzZKVE9ZMlgcY4pj6qVvwbZgeKH2Um4V0u_SywNvc4rjk1LgTp5nMMlsU7hzuRVjZKZyimUuHNV50GNiAx_56g/s604/to21.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="604" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0A6Saa31COhcGSa9K5ZgkANIP49bz8KVjw5xgJcaQsPdt1-mOLgryonbP0dLOpgXoepWnP_pyRcZ0PQf3qm_pcNsaajjbU20xLhGaYzZKVE9ZMlgcY4pj6qVvwbZgeKH2Um4V0u_SywNvc4rjk1LgTp5nMMlsU7hzuRVjZKZyimUuHNV50GNiAx_56g/w400-h303/to21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Picard's Log 45620.4: "We don't want other people getting lost in space, so we're hanging out here for a bit to chart the null space pocket."</div><div><br /></div><div>Troi is in her quarters, looking through a plastic case, and removing antiques: some dolls and books and jewelry, as well as some old-school photographs.</div><div>Riker comes in for a visit, and she tells him that her mother sent her a box of stuff from her father's Terran ancestors. They look at some of the stuff together for a few moments.</div><div>"Hey, um... I need to talk to you," he starts. "I met someone who has become important to me."</div><div>"Soren?" she guesses.</div><div>"Yeah. And we're friends, right? You and me? I want to make sure that nothing is going to change between us," he says earnestly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTF9uCb0ojHgZ5mG60fWd1c2bHIGdzyQUOl01wIXZ-Ul5o2uhIJDNTp7tWxHfxKTeJqg73erdatPgxos9_AOHW4w7rJdKsnj38Q6eI96_Jz_8b_7nbH1rs24vagMTzGRjdOzJX-kEEgQqqba58XrVi0uSS219Gz5qqB17_wnU7buuIc1bg25kYh8O1AQ/s598/to22.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="598" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTF9uCb0ojHgZ5mG60fWd1c2bHIGdzyQUOl01wIXZ-Ul5o2uhIJDNTp7tWxHfxKTeJqg73erdatPgxos9_AOHW4w7rJdKsnj38Q6eI96_Jz_8b_7nbH1rs24vagMTzGRjdOzJX-kEEgQqqba58XrVi0uSS219Gz5qqB17_wnU7buuIc1bg25kYh8O1AQ/w400-h309/to22.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"Of course things will change," she smiles. "That's what relationships do. They change. But we'll still be friends, maybe even better friends than we are now."</div><div>Oh, I like that answer. Because it's true. You have no idea how things are going to go, and blindly saying "nothing will change between us!" rings hollow.</div><div>Riker is relieved.</div><div>He and Deanna are still friends.</div><div>Friends who kiss, apparently.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXas52vF2xjN45DYCD_e-LVINEEjVR820qGwhYSmZLWyv3uE3WAaQ9Ldcd0MFtiqK-wlyOg48GgIkv5Yji08gZVNJhLa7VFzjcTLg2lFrkrVY_LqCyG33SBFHxhiTMM_GyUMqvpXWf-JXhHuMbnNiFOyjorQ1Fo7Mdfb-kCWTYvEtPDx2Q6gpNeqnAQ/s604/to23.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="604" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXas52vF2xjN45DYCD_e-LVINEEjVR820qGwhYSmZLWyv3uE3WAaQ9Ldcd0MFtiqK-wlyOg48GgIkv5Yji08gZVNJhLa7VFzjcTLg2lFrkrVY_LqCyG33SBFHxhiTMM_GyUMqvpXWf-JXhHuMbnNiFOyjorQ1Fo7Mdfb-kCWTYvEtPDx2Q6gpNeqnAQ/w400-h308/to23.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker goes to some quarters. Looks like maybe they were assigned to Soren while she was working with Riker? I don't know. But Soren isn't who is waiting for him. It's Krite.</div><div>"Hey, Soren and I had an appointment to talk about null space - "</div><div>"Nope. Soren isn't here. We know what the two of you were doing."</div><div>Making out in a garden?</div><div>Riker is getting pissed. "WHERE IS SOREN?"</div><div>"With the thought police. Leave it be."</div><div>"Not gonna happen." Riker stalks from the room.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjjaPoIq7cemOXIHJNlnvGhBehjzoRjKZrcXPlqVMPsJAwMdjoxOiaKwieGPR_Wo3ena5IsvP1yT0dgo5FaS1eUY40qC4W1xEwem99zuEWH3QO9VN6MHIbg_yltQ8COTkXoXXdhzN7for12pknjoiuW3HfPcKs2nLGsmQwseZ9aXbDV0iKZ75k7_mCQ/s604/to24.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="604" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjjaPoIq7cemOXIHJNlnvGhBehjzoRjKZrcXPlqVMPsJAwMdjoxOiaKwieGPR_Wo3ena5IsvP1yT0dgo5FaS1eUY40qC4W1xEwem99zuEWH3QO9VN6MHIbg_yltQ8COTkXoXXdhzN7for12pknjoiuW3HfPcKs2nLGsmQwseZ9aXbDV0iKZ75k7_mCQ/w400-h305/to24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Downstairs on the surface, Noor is holding a trial in an official-looking room.</div><div>"Are you aware of the charges?" they ask.</div><div>"I am," replies Soren, who is sitting by herself in front of Noor.</div><div>Riker bursts in.</div><div>"The hell?" asks Noor. "These are closed proceedings."</div><div>"I need you to know what really happened," he says. Riker can see the writing on the wall. He throws himself under the space bus. "I was attracted to Soren, and she explained your ways, but I pursued her. I acted in an inappropriate manner according to your culture."</div><div>"That true?" Noor asks Soren.</div><div>"No," says Soren quietly. She stands up. "I am tired of living a lie. I am female. I was born like this, and I am not sick, and I do not need to be cured. We're like you. We haven't injured you. But you attack us, because we're different. Why are you punishing us, and trying to change us?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYk9b2muVHwQH-k3aNXz4lV4bjcPDScHcktUz7UjC_4GTlwO2UkirHyc34c22C94NPjOgY97mtx0TArZjyKWhIMiqbbvgpCpKM6koJTXl_tOy6fMfy-d3EMdvwRqU-xpb8WCEG4vCYxdaPzsxwPL6SPo6kcNXlNjPM1s8A5xMhEgG4r15ZhwK_Kxs8rw/s607/to25.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="607" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYk9b2muVHwQH-k3aNXz4lV4bjcPDScHcktUz7UjC_4GTlwO2UkirHyc34c22C94NPjOgY97mtx0TArZjyKWhIMiqbbvgpCpKM6koJTXl_tOy6fMfy-d3EMdvwRqU-xpb8WCEG4vCYxdaPzsxwPL6SPo6kcNXlNjPM1s8A5xMhEgG4r15ZhwK_Kxs8rw/w400-h304/to25.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small; vertical-align: inherit;">There's a subtle, muted rainbow among the costumes on the J'naii</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We return where it left off, in the official-looking trial room.</div><div>Noor: "I congratulate you, Soren. Your decision to admit your perversion makes it much more likely that we can help you."</div><div>Jesus, Noor. I want to complain that Star Trek is laying it on thick here, but these are things that homophobes have actually said to queer people (and still do), so I can't even be annoyed.</div><div>Noor gestures to some guards, who start to take Soren away.</div><div>Riker jumps in - now or never. "Wait - you don't have to take her away. I can take her with me, on the Enterprise. You won't have to deal with her, and she won't be here, influencing other people. Everybody wins!"</div><div>"No, you don't understand," Noor says. "Soren is sick, and wants to get well. That's what all sick people want. We take care of our people. We're not cruel. We want them to get better. Our treatment has a high success rate, and people are grateful after we've cured them of their deviance. Everyone wants to be normal."</div><div>This last statement pisses Riker off. "She is!"</div><div>But Noor tells the guards to haul Soren off, to start conversion therapy tomorrow, and Riker beams off the surface.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHlDGP9-NQgrj11LIKo62djBFVDJtLTME_qgDnWHOV93LaYrfOkjiq849hydsOtOpmcnr2vu37YB7dQ2ZVpBfPmpnFS9Gx06V1Euy5wj10SyTX_7DOWT6nm-TkBuo7jy4rFT5QLLFHK7XSr9SPEz-fNNMACxjYUvgLKwpZPTSOi2p1jcvWxQcK2hqBg/s599/to26.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="599" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHlDGP9-NQgrj11LIKo62djBFVDJtLTME_qgDnWHOV93LaYrfOkjiq849hydsOtOpmcnr2vu37YB7dQ2ZVpBfPmpnFS9Gx06V1Euy5wj10SyTX_7DOWT6nm-TkBuo7jy4rFT5QLLFHK7XSr9SPEz-fNNMACxjYUvgLKwpZPTSOi2p1jcvWxQcK2hqBg/w400-h306/to26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Get into the <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2013/09/season-1-episode-11-dagger-of-mind.html">Neural Neutralizer</a>, deviant!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEi-wdx2ihsGiutKvP2oqZ0rZo1QN34-Jo0LtAqm5trzu2qHhJDZfHL-EqMnpUgjEObe1u4f3Ia8tjvHZF4jrwUgIHZTqiaTnoBx-7KTkMpEBLxo5XAbgv6rVT5pTfl6DKfHjjPMUQkHIMNliMPRsu-YmBkJTN79noT-ZIGDpciUwyz7KMVEJCbRUWPw/s473/DOTM16_zps162a7444%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="473" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEi-wdx2ihsGiutKvP2oqZ0rZo1QN34-Jo0LtAqm5trzu2qHhJDZfHL-EqMnpUgjEObe1u4f3Ia8tjvHZF4jrwUgIHZTqiaTnoBx-7KTkMpEBLxo5XAbgv6rVT5pTfl6DKfHjjPMUQkHIMNliMPRsu-YmBkJTN79noT-ZIGDpciUwyz7KMVEJCbRUWPw/w400-h256/DOTM16_zps162a7444%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Upstairs, Riker is using Picard as the friend-therapist again, which... is still not the worst idea, although I do hope he's asking if this is okay first. Trauma-dumping on your boss is not the best choice, ya know?</div><div>Riker is frustrated and angry, because he cares for Soren, and recognizes that she's only going up on the mental chopping block because of him.</div><div>"I can't let them do the conversion therapy."</div><div>"Soooo, it sounds like you're asking permission to do something rash," Picard suggests. "I could talk to Noor for you instead?"</div><div>"They don't want to hear it," Riker replies.</div><div>"You can't get involved with J'naii internal affairs. It's against the Prime Directive," points out Picard.</div><div>Riker knows that. And he also knows that he could be risking his career over this.</div><div>"I can't defend your actions, after a certain point," says Picard.</div><div>This is not what Riker wants to hear. He formally asks Picard's permission to be excused, then leaves.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXv8M3U7EA8Q-SAh3xjZJ_j5Aj0QcjgBOOA5mtC-pnccKVJJ1QhuugauzPZYAURJ7YVjIQ05Sc-3C-gCwxR4MpG2sx4eI7IByOhCASCbsiJoslXeOOqidagiLx5JtNJPLVpBb7zRvwgy-BgljaVg56OwP_4qBR3iCG94R5qcEUrWI7igRxotFI7baUA/s607/to27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="607" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXv8M3U7EA8Q-SAh3xjZJ_j5Aj0QcjgBOOA5mtC-pnccKVJJ1QhuugauzPZYAURJ7YVjIQ05Sc-3C-gCwxR4MpG2sx4eI7IByOhCASCbsiJoslXeOOqidagiLx5JtNJPLVpBb7zRvwgy-BgljaVg56OwP_4qBR3iCG94R5qcEUrWI7igRxotFI7baUA/w400-h304/to27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker is rushing around his quarters, gathering tools for whatever he's about to do, when the door chimes. It's Worf, who comes in with the plans to deploy warning buoys around the pocket of null space.</div><div>It's pretty much revealed then that Worf was using the buoy deployment as an excuse to come talk to Riker about his plans to spring Soren from gender jail. He wants in.</div><div>Riker admits nothing, but Worf is insisting that he accompany his friend to the surface to help him. </div><div>Two episodes in a row about the Riker-Worf friendship, which was maybe not done on purpose, but which is still kind of interesting. Because they are friends, Riker is not willing to help Worf commit suicide. And because they are friends, Worf is willing to risk his career and a possible interstellar incident to help Riker rescue his new girlfriend.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Gdbzy-uKhkhy3Qi-depSdJ_ZYfRRU8QO22BtgirKFqwOhRcTyN5YmxZxIKd1E2C4kiA-H8BnQx5CO7g2OhUhAPUuN8T7sHmttVwADL0mb6lMpwlvZyfgYxCU0S8WW0WQPp1Y0pI2w_RbbWAdnPnBgZgaSYsJGJqU5tTZnAPveHS8K3B4zD5OLHY4ew/s603/to28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Gdbzy-uKhkhy3Qi-depSdJ_ZYfRRU8QO22BtgirKFqwOhRcTyN5YmxZxIKd1E2C4kiA-H8BnQx5CO7g2OhUhAPUuN8T7sHmttVwADL0mb6lMpwlvZyfgYxCU0S8WW0WQPp1Y0pI2w_RbbWAdnPnBgZgaSYsJGJqU5tTZnAPveHS8K3B4zD5OLHY4ew/w400-h305/to28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It's nighttime on the surface, of the same day that Soren is sentenced? I'm not sure. Without log entries, and with the E in space, the demarcation is kind of fuzzy. Riker has clearly accepted Worf's offer to ninja together in the bushes, but it is unclear whether they have come to Soren's rescue before or after that first treatment.</div><div>I know to save money on sets, they keep reusing the same building over and over again, but it really comes off as the J'naii only having one building for everyone and everything. Before, it was an official building for a Powerpoint, and then a party, then a trial. Now it's a mental hospital or something. There's no change to the building or the surrounding gardens. All of J'naii culture and activity is in that one building. Like <a href="https://www.npr.org/2015/01/18/378162264/welcome-to-whittier-alaska-a-community-under-one-roof">Whittier, Alaska</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>A bunch of people, dressed like regular J'naii rather than health professionals or patients, exit through the door where Riker was taking a break from the party earlier. Who are these people? Unclear.</div><div>Worf and Riker wait until those people have walked off, then Soren exits, flanked by the guards from before.</div><div>Riker steps out of the shadows and asks the guards if he can talk to Soren alone, which we all know isn't going to happen, so he and Worf start a fistfight. Worf stays behind to finish the job, while Riker runs off into the garden with Soren.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzQHOo7iRk00XUuaPHuMI6N2zH4r4gLVUu6H41cFQdvIw7WZqtTHNCJ1coxVwDHEvn3221o50Zxjs0yyx02jhhPG0MC_RgR-cJAqz_6h04GP0A6HYTqm6N9EBlkyBlV3TzMZNNORZHqpjkRdWg6Ikc1K0dSBUV6tpZhpI2YRIYjOXaH_gZGvyRQ8NVg/s603/to29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzQHOo7iRk00XUuaPHuMI6N2zH4r4gLVUu6H41cFQdvIw7WZqtTHNCJ1coxVwDHEvn3221o50Zxjs0yyx02jhhPG0MC_RgR-cJAqz_6h04GP0A6HYTqm6N9EBlkyBlV3TzMZNNORZHqpjkRdWg6Ikc1K0dSBUV6tpZhpI2YRIYjOXaH_gZGvyRQ8NVg/w400-h305/to29.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But Soren gets Riker to stop.</div><div>"It's okay," he says. "We'll go back to the Enterprise and you won't have to do the treatments. I won't let them hurt you."</div><div>"You don't understand," says Soren. "We've always been at war with Eurasia."</div><div>FUCK.</div><div>You can see Riker's face fall. Has Soren already had a treatment? Been brainwashed? Gaslit? Is this code-switching?</div><div>Either way, Soren is all, "I am happier now, because I was sick, and I will get better, and I'm sorry I dragged you into this."</div><div>Riker is stunned. This was not what he was expecting. "I love you," he says desperately.</div><div>"I'm sorry," says Soren, walking away into the darkness toward the building.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctg66sySA72oTfPkAd4T9_0uSPqhqrVgOibJFlS5WstQ-feN5AvJ2gc3o_s0bOjV90NgZ52kcG5I-IQBuFnrpAKHtHo2zjEvm62CtHethOizheAPwFbqXRbZMa2Q7yWWyO4VdP4xnsQSjQNOtZXnXm6vPAJphHIFMnFqn0QbGTHyjnkjHbM8V_qLFOw/s613/to30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="613" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctg66sySA72oTfPkAd4T9_0uSPqhqrVgOibJFlS5WstQ-feN5AvJ2gc3o_s0bOjV90NgZ52kcG5I-IQBuFnrpAKHtHo2zjEvm62CtHethOizheAPwFbqXRbZMa2Q7yWWyO4VdP4xnsQSjQNOtZXnXm6vPAJphHIFMnFqn0QbGTHyjnkjHbM8V_qLFOw/w400-h299/to30.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Upstairs on the bridge, Picard and Data are discussing the next assignment, when Riker comes in.</div><div>"We're going to the Phelan system," Picard tells him.</div><div>"Cool," mutters Riker.</div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Didn't know what to tell Starfleet as to when we could get there," says Picard, dancing around the actual reason. "We done with the J'naii?"</span></span></div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Yep," says Riker tonelessly.</span></span></div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">And he does the thousand-mile stare they warp away from the J'naii homeworld.</span></span></div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ami6edXnOJntxVVDAyzupqnN8FEDIibiPbSC8zoexP8POkel86HT-WBKZl3ts_lH0A2MKwGvbKjU_oKflVFGDdoZOHGovK63Sp2ngeqnWwhJ80kHxsNla60AGEMIi7U0wispkkzvibO8jR251RZlThMoZbRsgyiy7EcAUfPeTucjtIUQsXpJcuJSWQ/s603/to31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="603" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ami6edXnOJntxVVDAyzupqnN8FEDIibiPbSC8zoexP8POkel86HT-WBKZl3ts_lH0A2MKwGvbKjU_oKflVFGDdoZOHGovK63Sp2ngeqnWwhJ80kHxsNla60AGEMIi7U0wispkkzvibO8jR251RZlThMoZbRsgyiy7EcAUfPeTucjtIUQsXpJcuJSWQ/w400-h301/to31.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*******</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Before I get into the crux of the issues with this episode, let's discuss some side stuff.</div><div style="text-align: left;">For me, the B-plot is top notch sci-fi. Was it written specifically for this episode, with these characters in mind? Or was it an idea the writers had kicking around, kept in a hat somewhere until they needed a B-plot? Honestly, I don't think it matters. As far as I can tell, null space pockets don't exist in science. But they could. And the idea of a dangerous little pocket of space where one could disappear and not escape, is great.</div><div>One-episode romances rarely work for me. I get that they're put in to give the protagonist extra encouragement to Do The Thing, and to encourage the audience to root for the protagonist to Do The Thing, but they feel rushed. While there are definitely people in the universe who form attachments almost instantly, the truth is that more time is needed to for the audience to form an attachment to that pairing. There are instances of where it works, like in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/01/sttng-season-four-episode-twenty-three.html">"The Host,"</a> where we start the story several weeks in. We see Crusher and Odan in the middle of their relationship, rather than the outset, and we're good with it. With stories like this and <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/04/sttng-season-five-episode-thirteen.html">"Masterpiece Society,"</a> we see the moments where the couples meet, they form an attachment really quickly, and we're lead to believe that they're instantly all-in. Like, life-changingly all-in. Throw your career away, move to another planet, all-in. This person that they hardly know. This episode tries to make up for the lack of time involved by having Riker go to Troi to declare how much Soren means to him, and by insisting to Picard that his relationship with Soren is "not trivial." While we have no idea how long the Enterprise crew was working with the J'naii, it feels very Romeo and Juliet... in that they seem to have known one another about 4 days.</div><div>I think someone was not paying attention to dates for these few episodes, as this one takes place 10 days after Worf is paralyzed. By all accounts, he should not be in this episode, as he is either preparing for surgery, or recovering from it...</div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawm41CnMzvaWRoTy9yZxMMgw9MNt9mKNo5DWHqHpGhJEQyA71SDwyy_fs57m2Vpwe1zxwgceajh3Pu60b7KxiKCNyVAVvKTHcwtJm3itL1_knJWOtc5YLKeYc08uiYy3s-oMTmGx-BT1Tue9PAH0WAIRZloaziL7yo8lpOY0SwWHkpoW3YmlPZFzfuQ/s1941/mckayla%20maroney.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1941" data-original-width="1456" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawm41CnMzvaWRoTy9yZxMMgw9MNt9mKNo5DWHqHpGhJEQyA71SDwyy_fs57m2Vpwe1zxwgceajh3Pu60b7KxiKCNyVAVvKTHcwtJm3itL1_knJWOtc5YLKeYc08uiYy3s-oMTmGx-BT1Tue9PAH0WAIRZloaziL7yo8lpOY0SwWHkpoW3YmlPZFzfuQ/w300-h400/mckayla%20maroney.webp" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So let's get into it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Picture it: the US, around the late 80's, early 90's.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3PQy18uOICjrm9UU_p4JkG6Nm-4-DLyBQhH3d2DMaA5NMGstgSeTPhpejteZcQrhaWL4Y2dubAWK2rY3DneAOzjdG5bX0oiHHJ3rhg-ly8HNcfubzetT45xqW-872ydhww3HDgDHeghtEgnZ5rLM7uCvxhUTucc9Jn8yvipeZ0o-TfzJjlSDE-PLPQ/s1000/sophia1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3PQy18uOICjrm9UU_p4JkG6Nm-4-DLyBQhH3d2DMaA5NMGstgSeTPhpejteZcQrhaWL4Y2dubAWK2rY3DneAOzjdG5bX0oiHHJ3rhg-ly8HNcfubzetT45xqW-872ydhww3HDgDHeghtEgnZ5rLM7uCvxhUTucc9Jn8yvipeZ0o-TfzJjlSDE-PLPQ/w400-h400/sophia1.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The gay community has been left reeling from the AIDS epidemic. That motherfucking piece of shit Reagan has actually rejoiced in the mysterious deaths of gay men, because he figures it will solve The Gay Problem.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6rGIi1sf6klZS2N2HjAPrj6sCYDIKhpdM87ZIK_tFyiHjRXX-iFi8ZT93ns5b-r4rVcCwuCm9HweHIskoOHZxLSWYsrXmLiYGwdJ-VTkhBuIqA-jbI9n_Sm7vj7rkV5Pecn0m5bqWVX3_pDuScMc07hF01KW6ib9eEdkVZi6CIk4JtGS3zv4YeCxIQ/s700/sophia2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="700" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6rGIi1sf6klZS2N2HjAPrj6sCYDIKhpdM87ZIK_tFyiHjRXX-iFi8ZT93ns5b-r4rVcCwuCm9HweHIskoOHZxLSWYsrXmLiYGwdJ-VTkhBuIqA-jbI9n_Sm7vj7rkV5Pecn0m5bqWVX3_pDuScMc07hF01KW6ib9eEdkVZi6CIk4JtGS3zv4YeCxIQ/w400-h299/sophia2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's at least another six years until "The Puppy Episode" on Ellen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And so the gay community asks Star Trek, "please could you make a gay episode, because when you talk about forbidden things, you wrap it up in sci-fi, to get away with it?" Which makes sense, given that, even though the Hays Code had been ditched in 1968, people were still toeing the line when it came to gay stories in the mainstream. (And frankly, we are <i>still</i> dealing with repercussions from the Hays Code in the form of the <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BuryYourGays">Bury Your Gays</a> trope.) Several letter-writing campaigns pointed out that they had tackled a lot of sensitive topics this way, but had not yet covered queer stories.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before his death, Gene Rod had suggested that they add two men holding hands in the background of some episodes but both Michael Piller and Rick Berman rejected this idea.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(I agree. A "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" moment is not good representation. It's too subtle, and comes off as wishy-washy, and feels like you're either taking baby steps until the mainstream catches up; or suggests that you think that we live in a post-homophobic world, which we definitely do not.)</div>The writers kicked the idea down the road a few times before it was finally taken up by Jeri Taylor, who was eager to write such a story.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I am not a gay person, but as a woman I do consider myself in a particular minority; I know what it feels like to be disenfranchised - not in that precise way - and I felt like I had a touchstone to some of the feelings that must be involved."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, Jeri. Jeri, Jeri, Jeri. This is a great place to start, but an exceptionally bad place to end. Because I don't think she ever gave her script to a gay person.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>You start with the feelings of discrimination you feel, but you end by finding out if it matches the feelings of discrimination by a member of that group.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The feelings I get from being charged a uterus tax at the mechanic are different from the feelings I have when being queer-bashed. And neither is the same as the feelings that other queer people get while being queer-bashed. As a person with a lot of transgender friends, I have a front row seat to their experiences. But I am not living them.</div>Am I saying that giving that giving the script to a gay person to look over would have fixed this episode?</div><div>Hell no. I've already spoken about the trans opera, where a gay man wrote the opera based on the life story of his friend, a trans woman. My friends and I were invited to see it, and found it a bit tone-deaf. The people involved all seemed to be patting themselves on the back for making the First Trans Opera, but did not seem open to criticism during the Q&A. And the film "Stonewall" was written by gay man, and hideously whitewashed.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZYcfRxNt1RGqtuxaCUXhvYmZUCWvq_mveu53Og1a5fjXdbkvOzvPr5AVsQrEl8s6s3brDWTuwQW1Belul7upePpFEzwv2PzAkKqF-F-A_E1zVYc1_piY0mz1i-Uw3MBN0UEr71xkAZbYuhlrlA9RSAseWtSHxAFLZVeSlrRVU5n5HYYpyV6a2VeAKA/s1440/stonewall%20film.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZYcfRxNt1RGqtuxaCUXhvYmZUCWvq_mveu53Og1a5fjXdbkvOzvPr5AVsQrEl8s6s3brDWTuwQW1Belul7upePpFEzwv2PzAkKqF-F-A_E1zVYc1_piY0mz1i-Uw3MBN0UEr71xkAZbYuhlrlA9RSAseWtSHxAFLZVeSlrRVU5n5HYYpyV6a2VeAKA/w266-h400/stonewall%20film.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Queer people make crap too. But there was a possibility that this could have turned out better than it did, and I don't feel like it got that chance.</div><div>Did all of it suck? No. Soren's speech to Noor in the courtroom scene was pretty accurate, though her closing line of "What makes you think you can dictate how people love each other?" feels awkward because, while it pertains specifically to queer people, it doesn't really pertain to the J'naii. No one is asking them to choose different partners. Soren stated that she tends to choose partners who identify as male, but no one would have known that that would be why Soren had that partner, unless he was also outed as having a gender. And the J'naii might not even object to their pairing. Their sole concern seemed to be gender.</div><div><br /></div><div>As ever, it all comes back to sex. Soren and Riker discuss what sex is like for humans versus J'naii. Soren wonders if humans and J'naii are sexually compatible. She asks Riker about his genitals. People are obsessed with sex. And I get it, humans are a curious lot. If something is different from our learned experience, we ask a lot of questions to gain a better perspective. But queer people are tired of having awkward, invasive conversations about queer sex. And trans people should never - and I do mean NOT FUCKING EVER - be asked about their genitals. Cisgender, heterosexual people never get asked about sex or genitals, because we as a species seem to have collectively declared cishet as the default (debatable), and we already know all of that. But here is some advice, when one feels like asking another about sex or genitals:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIS4E5gAQUC6xkzrKAMOxUaTTBArz0SfMS2SbWteYJ_WT3JCRomkrdb0cNeYpBA-aZCvfoA5eYsQv9Kt1RwoekRuLsu7fi8dDLRH08Ycu5cf75CgQdZD6-p-9jCddsHleJ1N8cQhhUyVb8qKI-gK4WbRgTn5m17dith00jM06wUcVDra7NAqphH1sjLQ/s600/joojle%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIS4E5gAQUC6xkzrKAMOxUaTTBArz0SfMS2SbWteYJ_WT3JCRomkrdb0cNeYpBA-aZCvfoA5eYsQv9Kt1RwoekRuLsu7fi8dDLRH08Ycu5cf75CgQdZD6-p-9jCddsHleJ1N8cQhhUyVb8qKI-gK4WbRgTn5m17dith00jM06wUcVDra7NAqphH1sjLQ/w400-h400/joojle%20poster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Google does not give one loose fuck about giving you the answer to an otherwise invasive question. It has neverending patience for such a thing, and if you feel such compunctions, you can erase your browser history afterward.</div><div>This also leads me to believe that Jeri Taylor never ran this script by gay people: queers are done talking about sex. Being that it was 1991 and there was no wide-spread access to the internet at that time, a queer editor may have sighed and said "okay," when presented with Taylor's script, but the response would have been apathetic. An acceptance of an irritation for the sake of knowledge.</div><div><br /></div><div>The part where they made all of the J'naii queer, and a small number of the population feels like an itchy, ill-fitting sweater. "We'll flip the situation on-end, so that straight people will know how it feels."</div><div>No? Not really? It comes off as a rehash of season one's <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2016/06/sttng-season-one-episode-fifteen-angel.html">"Angel One,"</a> where the writers tried to convey a sense of patriarchy vs feminism by representing a matriarchal society. That episode wasn't great, either. You can't just reverse the situation and expect it to stick your whole landing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then we come to the weirdness of the actors chosen: the J'naii are all played by female actors. Now, I'm not going to complain about the lack of enby actors to play enby characters. This was 1991, and non-binary people were in shorter supply because it just wasn't safe to be out. For anyone. For every out musician/actor/public figure, how many closeted ones? Dozens, is my guess. Did they purposefully cast only females to play genderless people? Seems like it. Because if they had chosen a male actor to play Soren, to be kissed by Riker, that would have technically been a same-sex kiss, and called Riker's sexuality into question. Which Jonathan Frakes actually called out as being kind of cowardly: "I didn't think they were gutsy enough to have taken it where they should have. Soren should have been more obviously male. We've gotten a lot of mail on this episode, but I'm not sure it was as good as it could have been - if they were trying to do what they call a gay episode."</div><div>And receive mail they did - conservative viewers wrote in to complain about the "gay episode," but Star Trek received far more mail from queer viewers who felt that the show had not gone far enough. Rick Berman noted that the writers tried not to let viewers influence their choices in making television too much, but thought that "having Riker engaged in passionate kisses with a male actor might have been a little unpalatable to viewers."</div><div>BOO, RICK BERMAN. Are you the same franchise that celebrated an interracial kiss between Kirk and Uhura, or what?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_gFGTfO75f8nW8TioKsv8h11ITHPchPf58s3OYP0siJ5s3Qt-JkesU7mLI1JAld9vlOCwyay_gWMM59kR8EN-7Bv9NYXGLUBbbXWKLKZKhcVoX8rq2DPuc-4njqN2j0mxDlE3BWKdnkMUCdqM5ucdlYaG12LYN9PgCUw62yPnNwANWIxl4YawKug7w/s450/Plato's_Stepchildren_kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="450" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_gFGTfO75f8nW8TioKsv8h11ITHPchPf58s3OYP0siJ5s3Qt-JkesU7mLI1JAld9vlOCwyay_gWMM59kR8EN-7Bv9NYXGLUBbbXWKLKZKhcVoX8rq2DPuc-4njqN2j0mxDlE3BWKdnkMUCdqM5ucdlYaG12LYN9PgCUw62yPnNwANWIxl4YawKug7w/w400-h200/Plato's_Stepchildren_kiss.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Because this episode is a layer cake of heavy sighs, I should note that Jeri Taylor said that she "really wanted to make a statement about tolerance, broad-mindedness, and acceptance for those who are disenfranchised." Michael Piller had similar thoughts, concerning not being balanced in viewpoints: "I don't think there is another side that's easily supportable. I think that bigotry is bigotry, prejudice is prejudice, and it can be said with all the fervor and belief, but it still comes out as prejudice. I don't know how to make an intolerant person attractive."</div><div>Intentions there were good, but Hell & Handbaskets. You know the drill.</div><div><br /></div><div>It kind of goes sideways again when you recognize that the writing staff is very proud of this episode. Lots of back-patting by straight cis writers, writing a queer episode that no queer person seems to have read beforehand, and which queer people generally object to for being too subtle. Rick Berman said: "We thought we had made a very positive statement in a distinctly Star Trek way, but we still got letters from those who thought it was just our way of "washing our hands" of the homosexual situation."</div><div>Yeah, Rick. Definitely feels that way.</div><div>It reminds me heavily of <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/04/sttng-season-five-episode-twelve.html">"Violations,"</a> where the writing staff stood around and congratulated themselves on having written a "creative" rape episode. It just feels so tone-deaf.<br /><div><br /></div><div>The last thing that I want to talk about is legacies.</div><div>Sometimes, something is made that is considered groundbreaking for the time, but comes to be known later as being problematic or not pushing the envelope far enough. Camp and cross-dressing has been acceptable in comedy, as long as it was played for laughs, and being gay was not mentioned outright. Sitcoms began featuring <a href="https://www.logotv.com/news/dj18yx/gay-television-timeline">gay characters</a> in the 1970's. But real-life people like Liberace and Paul Lynde never publicly came out. Too dangerous. Paul Lynde could get away with thinly-veiled jokes his whole life, playing it for laughs, but never saying the thing outright. Star Trek banks on the same - they could produce shows during the Vietnam War that were very clearly <i>about</i> the Vietnam War, because they could hide behind the concept of science fiction. And when that works, you can end up with a very poignant message. When it doesn't, the best you can say is that an attempt was made. This episode falls into the latter category. The envelope wasn't pushed hard enough, and when I think about content to recommend to people as good examples of queer content in otherwise straight shows or films, I am not reaching for this episode. I am, in fact, sending people to watch TOS' <a href="http://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2014/03/season-2-episode-31-metamorphosis.html">"Metamorphosis,"</a> an excellent example of a trans allegory, even if Star Trek had not intended it to be so. It works as good sci-fi, a queer story, and a fine specimen of Star Trek storytelling. This episode is... not that.</div><div>In the end, "The Outcast" doesn't really talk about gay issues, queer issues, trans issues, conversion therapy... it just kind of quietly whispers to itself in the corner about those things while the writers congratulate themselves.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLw0GHdi8HJNsQ3S1en2804-u4qQ_fAXp7hVqqzZQUyiYkjpLtq7q2zLT7KkuHQqQfC3z7mWYUMn0dqMpwWQ1AUHRYvjLtS9_Q_jElrCvBV2RYvCNtruUyKACFw1JlOZVb8tOFLLXqVe-dEd-UfQbK7wUudBLHUdG5j_jnf68tDw6gCLSfAhuTSKKww/s740/8660a307c9acf6eb5323eb09a6135e83.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="553" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLw0GHdi8HJNsQ3S1en2804-u4qQ_fAXp7hVqqzZQUyiYkjpLtq7q2zLT7KkuHQqQfC3z7mWYUMn0dqMpwWQ1AUHRYvjLtS9_Q_jElrCvBV2RYvCNtruUyKACFw1JlOZVb8tOFLLXqVe-dEd-UfQbK7wUudBLHUdG5j_jnf68tDw6gCLSfAhuTSKKww/w299-h400/8660a307c9acf6eb5323eb09a6135e83.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>
<br /><br />Fun Facts:</div><div><br /></div><div>- The concept of null space will come up again in both Voyager and Discovery</div><div>- Megan Cole (Noor) will later appear in two episodes of DS9.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjauF5ggIZZPmiuptSH4Cird_NBa_BIa0R9tD8870njij5HeX4ZeVFDm_BRNkVVomrUYgAr5LmAOyimfFwBq9y-M3Y0Why-54POz6WDIwR2ygaYN3W3_uzhleYwpRtlqjiuLcIImUWKYeKiAm0Ug0eTnz5fmdtUBJBpOl0hk2McO-aXNxrU9PmMdjGqzg/s326/megan%20cole.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjauF5ggIZZPmiuptSH4Cird_NBa_BIa0R9tD8870njij5HeX4ZeVFDm_BRNkVVomrUYgAr5LmAOyimfFwBq9y-M3Y0Why-54POz6WDIwR2ygaYN3W3_uzhleYwpRtlqjiuLcIImUWKYeKiAm0Ug0eTnz5fmdtUBJBpOl0hk2McO-aXNxrU9PmMdjGqzg/w385-h400/megan%20cole.png" width="385" /></a></div><br /><div>- The poker game Federation Day is the first time that we hear that the Federation was formed in 2161.</div><div>- This is the first appearance of La Forge's beard. LeVar Burton prefers facial hair, but the producers were not into it. He basically snuck it in, but would be made to shave prior to the filming of the next episode. It will appear in two more TNG episodes, then two TNG films.</div><div>- The Magellan was the first armed shuttlecraft on TNG.</div><div>- It's tough to know how Klingons feel about gender equality. In "Angel One," Worf notes that Klingons like "strong women." K'Ehleyr is offered a spot on the Council in exchange for favors, but it is later revealed that women cannot sit on the Council. Lursa and B'Etor are forced to gain power through a bastard brother of their father. Women go to war alongside the men, and a female warrior carries just as much clout as a male. But here, Worf complains that the poker game that Troi has chosen is a "women's game" because it favors a weak hand. Figure it out, Star Trek. Starting to feel like the old, "can Data use contractions?" argument.</div><div>- There's a Vermeer painting hanging on the wall behind Worf during the poker scene. It's called "Woman Holding a Balance," which is rather apt for a poker scene in an episode where a woman is deciding whether or not to come out as female. These are Data's quarters, so it'll be seen there again in season six.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUZq4twdnHGFC5UUxnywqCLVaHb4KRWV_EPLINFUQaobeBHJo4HN68upQ5tP398OOaw-LOwQVr-OfQ2ZGEOeeIPlC-4X2b1zjkLGMUWmamFx5-X1MSZZbzorJ4quERIA0p-wTT0mbM4L9vR9TKqbI-dEnt870tCMWInlGhm6WzdV2a4WA64HwD6QjMQ/s720/637px-Johannes_Vermeer_-_Woman_Holding_a_Balance_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="637" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUZq4twdnHGFC5UUxnywqCLVaHb4KRWV_EPLINFUQaobeBHJo4HN68upQ5tP398OOaw-LOwQVr-OfQ2ZGEOeeIPlC-4X2b1zjkLGMUWmamFx5-X1MSZZbzorJ4quERIA0p-wTT0mbM4L9vR9TKqbI-dEnt870tCMWInlGhm6WzdV2a4WA64HwD6QjMQ/w354-h400/637px-Johannes_Vermeer_-_Woman_Holding_a_Balance_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><br /><div><br />
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Red deaths: 0<br />
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To date: 2</div>
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Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
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Sassy Riker Moments: 1<br />
To date: 3</div>
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Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
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Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Keiko Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
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To date: 3<br />
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Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 0<br />
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Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date: 3<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 5<br />
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Tea, Earl Grey: 0<br />
To date: 6</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 2</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJ5d6YnmSBAqZcNe2ObTH6PbIXA1WUPkv4FMB6BYCAw73flM9qEKGL8HO-WGf-oBE-gzSrbPTrS3Btqtu5hvK-DYhxJ65IjrA6AzyxuTxXH_YJhIeQnAryxp1N6Th3glY3AnSWxqbJdsh5QE--ax-_NTC9Dp9k5YTmzanXUQ0DzPvxX-1JJgTNRrjMQ/s2016/pie%20red%20light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJ5d6YnmSBAqZcNe2ObTH6PbIXA1WUPkv4FMB6BYCAw73flM9qEKGL8HO-WGf-oBE-gzSrbPTrS3Btqtu5hvK-DYhxJ65IjrA6AzyxuTxXH_YJhIeQnAryxp1N6Th3glY3AnSWxqbJdsh5QE--ax-_NTC9Dp9k5YTmzanXUQ0DzPvxX-1JJgTNRrjMQ/w300-h400/pie%20red%20light.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Pie for Klingon Council<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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</div></div></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-56376314766760311302022-12-05T22:29:00.000-08:002022-12-05T22:29:33.277-08:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Sixteen "Ethics"ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Sixteen "Ethics"<br />
Production Order: 16<br />
Air Order: 16<br />
Stardate: 45587.3<br />
Original Air Date: March 2, 1992<div><br /></div><div>A quick trigger warning here: discussions of suicide<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPEGng0JH5FzJm52x5ZWoP3RTGD_350e00LSG9aZblOoWJ2Nko9owskXkeGlew8XhLGSrEWQE45rYr38fq0n4CkfQuQCGfhoHx7HejHHMX9rUK38lOZhRTdl8ZrTgaK6sG1LlqU0CaC0-nWLs-H_CDJwLNBSnJA5GIZRvt4zfmUGOCJUdJqJ5ZQiqKw/s605/e1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPEGng0JH5FzJm52x5ZWoP3RTGD_350e00LSG9aZblOoWJ2Nko9owskXkeGlew8XhLGSrEWQE45rYr38fq0n4CkfQuQCGfhoHx7HejHHMX9rUK38lOZhRTdl8ZrTgaK6sG1LlqU0CaC0-nWLs-H_CDJwLNBSnJA5GIZRvt4zfmUGOCJUdJqJ5ZQiqKw/w400-h304/e1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>We open in the middle of a casual conversation, and I love crap like this. These people do not power down after a shift. They're coworkers who talk about mundane, unrelated shit at work. (That being said, as much as I love the Borg, I would probably not enjoy a show set on a Cube. Unless it was done like The Office.... BRB, gonna pitch an Office-style Borg show to Netflix.)</div><div>Anyway, La Forge tells Worf that Troi was bluffing during their last poker night, and that's why Worf lost.</div><div>"No, that's really not like her," Worf insists.</div><div>They're looking for some kind of minor leak somewhere, and in between, Worf tries to convince himself that his hand was not strong enough to call.</div><div>"Your hand was fine, her hand was crap," La Forge argues, scanning stuff.</div><div>"How do you know what I had?" Worf demands.</div><div>"Y'all are playing with decks that are transparent in infrared light," says La Forge, tapping his VISOR.</div><div>YO. OUR MANS CHEATING AT CARDS.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-O8CMw47IVxAoXiPjet8eGOJp-9MourKegvuKuXak6kvdv4YGcPPpZQXqc59QebcBRq6kLY_wO_DSU-BFzrdlNJXmNc8Yzz2YfAeRUOt9tyFN9HVmQBimdwV7AqgS6axjKyRPPEmCcAsBrFbPal-319ZB4w9ZC1NNitUwzoVJKuMAHyF_9FLF0MPnCQ/s601/e2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="601" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-O8CMw47IVxAoXiPjet8eGOJp-9MourKegvuKuXak6kvdv4YGcPPpZQXqc59QebcBRq6kLY_wO_DSU-BFzrdlNJXmNc8Yzz2YfAeRUOt9tyFN9HVmQBimdwV7AqgS6axjKyRPPEmCcAsBrFbPal-319ZB4w9ZC1NNitUwzoVJKuMAHyF_9FLF0MPnCQ/w400-h305/e2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>La Forge still isn't finding the leak, and remarks that he should get a different kind of equipment. He walks away, talking to some others, and Worf continues down a line of big canisters, still scanning.</div><div>We can see from the POV on the upper shelving where the leak is coming from, based on the fact that one canister has partially iced over on the backside.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictDtC3nfPMQ6nrGlH9VhgqOP1W6VsB7_HMysjP_dB5fBnaX7SInwh8r5Nvitdb5puiqFOh1_QDrbiIVpeKvShYEKF_7rvy2f4bO-rNNO9dpAJGzZfw23LQyr2aPvDoaYL8gSWhPRrfTSAr1OobmNFWuhwRJYv7QASGbkVB5EAJWW1jg39ST5mATUJlQ/s601/e3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="601" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictDtC3nfPMQ6nrGlH9VhgqOP1W6VsB7_HMysjP_dB5fBnaX7SInwh8r5Nvitdb5puiqFOh1_QDrbiIVpeKvShYEKF_7rvy2f4bO-rNNO9dpAJGzZfw23LQyr2aPvDoaYL8gSWhPRrfTSAr1OobmNFWuhwRJYv7QASGbkVB5EAJWW1jg39ST5mATUJlQ/w400-h306/e3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The lower, leaking canister beings to buckle, and both come crashing down on Worf, striking him in the back. The others rush forward, and La Forge frantically calls for a medical emergency to the cargo bay.</div><div><br /></div><div>Worf wakes up on a medbay bed. Crusher explains that a leaking container fell on him.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNo3vHnWuuBbzKlQa1LzUU-GBBG2uczvRLk5FLlqgGqwfjw6h5Y1xlqLy_9ab-XJDzL5yDiwOKvEHvWtBJJii0PkNV5yNFtYDGwm-qu1HUG6pYQq9f7wX3mVC8nTIYW7P3c5OxG0aiP8ZefIr5LXwE4yuc78t0gPBiT3Ly5LN41Fi87Zb0TsQsF5_UA/s604/e4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="604" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNo3vHnWuuBbzKlQa1LzUU-GBBG2uczvRLk5FLlqgGqwfjw6h5Y1xlqLy_9ab-XJDzL5yDiwOKvEHvWtBJJii0PkNV5yNFtYDGwm-qu1HUG6pYQq9f7wX3mVC8nTIYW7P3c5OxG0aiP8ZefIr5LXwE4yuc78t0gPBiT3Ly5LN41Fi87Zb0TsQsF5_UA/w400-h304/e4.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nurse Ogawa sighting!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>He tries to sit up, then tells Crusher that the restraints on his bed aren't necessary, that he doesn't intend to bolt from sick bay.</div><div>"So about that," says Crusher gingerly. "Those containers hit your back and crushed your spine. It isn't possible to repair it."</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, fuck.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Opening credits!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuDoYzwzd2vieY7MAFDheGQ4iDx0qC8i3oWyaaBSW-4QortUs4FVqdHaeDHhBPYwgNxDiKh95qryuzLpiv18OgbYqz9tKTycAub7ccgdyxnhyF0XChhZn6B8_LoeWwChDzDiH5ivE0mGFB9tzKYSPXZxHLoBNRKe0WU9tbVLLlyrWKdI6h4LRgr_gWQ/s615/e5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="615" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuDoYzwzd2vieY7MAFDheGQ4iDx0qC8i3oWyaaBSW-4QortUs4FVqdHaeDHhBPYwgNxDiKh95qryuzLpiv18OgbYqz9tKTycAub7ccgdyxnhyF0XChhZn6B8_LoeWwChDzDiH5ivE0mGFB9tzKYSPXZxHLoBNRKe0WU9tbVLLlyrWKdI6h4LRgr_gWQ/w400-h296/e5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log 45587.3: "We pulled Worf off of active duty, and we're bringing into a neuro-specialist, but Dr Crusher thinks he may be permanently paralyzed."</div><div><br /></div><div>Crusher meets Dr Toby Russell in the transporter room, and they greet one another warmly. Dr Russell tells Crusher that she read Crusher's paper on cybernetic regeneration, and our good doctor is stoked, as the paper went largely overlooked by the medical community. They seem pretty excited to be working together.</div><div>Russell tells Crusher, as they make their way through the corridor, that she's surprised at what little interest the Klingons seem to have concerning Worf's condition, and the type of medicine needed for treatment.</div><div>"Yeah, they have a cultural bias," Crusher admits. "When I asked about it, they said they usually let the patient die. So they have little to no research on neurological trauma."</div><div>Klingon neurology: the final frontier.</div><div>"Worf is struggling with his injuries," Crusher adds. "But he's a good guy, once you get to know him."</div><div>"Oh, um, I like to maintain distance with patients," Russell admits. "Like, as the ship's doctor, you need to get to know them, but I feel like if I take a step back, I can give you an unbiased opinion."</div><div>Crusher agrees that this is a good course of action.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5C--I6MNzfueKZ0YRNb2Vso2r1hw5hFFIKpcuxjV4z4N_uhzeQr8r3ffE5DRXcHwtzDFVuJvgA2-SqMypeG-AEaZhoWWLFX7j0hDZtFU0-Xv61aCTjxZQ839MHZ0TDGOQeZ4HJkrgEWA2QX5HPmQSA7DfAhnUSIHmz98z9AsyceHZ57T8PFRxgHfYSg/s604/e6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="604" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5C--I6MNzfueKZ0YRNb2Vso2r1hw5hFFIKpcuxjV4z4N_uhzeQr8r3ffE5DRXcHwtzDFVuJvgA2-SqMypeG-AEaZhoWWLFX7j0hDZtFU0-Xv61aCTjxZQ839MHZ0TDGOQeZ4HJkrgEWA2QX5HPmQSA7DfAhnUSIHmz98z9AsyceHZ57T8PFRxgHfYSg/w400-h306/e6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>OMG.</div><div>OMG, Y'ALL.</div><div>I paused the video and caught Riker making kawaii face.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwc7r4kw1bmMP-B1zyK41bkushuOugdUn4-11mNk44HMD0DjzngspcxPeS_xgHNnqtz5gDSgWAP-4m_60HVx2DrLVXSj3m8WdT8RRgJxdKf-fOtK6W3ajOv5KxsETPF38sfuR0qIulibKTGguyu8WiZ_49Fzy7t5FhJ_IixIM-G2MZz29wEFKPO9W0w/s604/e7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="604" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwc7r4kw1bmMP-B1zyK41bkushuOugdUn4-11mNk44HMD0DjzngspcxPeS_xgHNnqtz5gDSgWAP-4m_60HVx2DrLVXSj3m8WdT8RRgJxdKf-fOtK6W3ajOv5KxsETPF38sfuR0qIulibKTGguyu8WiZ_49Fzy7t5FhJ_IixIM-G2MZz29wEFKPO9W0w/w400-h305/e7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Sassy Riker Moment: "You look pretty good for someone who's been eating sick bay food for three days." </div><div>Okay, that was a solid joke, but I'm kind of sad that it still lands in the twenty-fourth century. Replicator food can taste like anything, but somehow sick bay food still sucks? Boo, replicator engineers. Get your shit together.</div><div>Anyway, Worf does not laugh. He asks Riker to sit.</div><div>(We get a Picard Maneuver here instead of a Riker one. Mixing it up.)</div><div>Right away, Worf hauls out the self-pity. "Thank you for seeing me in this condition."</div><div>Jesus. Okay, buddy. Rein it in.</div><div>"Meh," replies Riker. "There's no shame in being injured."</div><div>"Okay, but I'm not just injured. Dr Crusher thinks my paralysis is permanent."</div><div>Ah. This was not yet common knowledge.</div><div>Riker's face falls, and his cheerful demeanor evaporates. He apologizes, and when Worf asks for a favor, Riker fiercely replies that Worf should name it.</div><div>"I want you to help me die. There's a Klingon suicide ritual, the hegh'bat, and I need help to perform it."</div><div>"Whut?" asks Riker. "You're kidding."</div><div>"Nope," says Worf. "When a Klingon becomes a burden on his friends and family, and can no longer face his enemies, then he should choose to die. My life as a Klingon is over."</div><div>Remember in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/02/sttng-season-two-episode-eight-matter.html">"A Matter of Honor,"</a> when Riker is talking to his Klingon crewmates on the Pagh, and Klag talks about how his father was captured by Romulans rather than killed by their hand, and now he will die useless and old, and he should have died? Same shit... different day. It's the idea that, once you have outlived usefulness, you no longer have a purpose (either self-imposed or societally). It's what the Kaelons were trying to avoid by creating a "maximum age" that one might reach in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/01/sttng-season-four-episode-twenty-two.html">"Half A Life."</a> And avoiding uselessness due to infirmity was (kind of/part of) the object of genetic engineering on <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/04/sttng-season-five-episode-thirteen.html">"The Masterpiece Society."</a> The low down? We've talked about this a lot.</div><div>Less than ten minutes in, and we're getting heavy.</div><div>Riker is nonplussed. He stands up.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSAmI0OcUZjwnyoPkDMAWKVvpATMKe8kBAnc-SXLk2UF6QSfeADbCOSM2-YEuYOkMJj7kzKw289xctpmJPk_RufB7q9xmo2fV_v7alOTp-XolW--mkzOOm5WMY3Eh9B1GLikE68oztGnd0L5D3npxPtF9GFcqK1oqvfJsdW9egjSpmaotcBlU_01SnA/s607/e8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="607" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSAmI0OcUZjwnyoPkDMAWKVvpATMKe8kBAnc-SXLk2UF6QSfeADbCOSM2-YEuYOkMJj7kzKw289xctpmJPk_RufB7q9xmo2fV_v7alOTp-XolW--mkzOOm5WMY3Eh9B1GLikE68oztGnd0L5D3npxPtF9GFcqK1oqvfJsdW9egjSpmaotcBlU_01SnA/w400-h301/e8.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That equipment is giving TOS</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Worf was not expecting this answer, and I feel for him. I've also made a comment about myself/my life, and thought I would get a sympathetic response from a friend, but instead got something completely different.</div><div>But it's because of their friendship that Worf decides that he should explain his reasoning better.</div><div>"We've been friends and colleagues for a lot of years now, and we've fought together. I want to go out with honor and dignity, but I need your help. Please."</div><div><br /></div><div>Quiet dramatic music. Commercial break.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyZLsIO_acIB6kJdS1HYz_R2Oe0IfwbgWvubUXlfLeftAwbPyw2PTcBCVy6OBQFeYwlbvoe5GhA3D-sH1JSjcfuuiP8kqI8uHmZf5UlkpEjWdeV8txRU1NW3sSqj4N_xbdbPKJeAlxRX22pv4QzHTTldjGxFKWLq2gMShKpjJdxEBXZMZTTtwAIXlUQ/s605/e9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="605" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyZLsIO_acIB6kJdS1HYz_R2Oe0IfwbgWvubUXlfLeftAwbPyw2PTcBCVy6OBQFeYwlbvoe5GhA3D-sH1JSjcfuuiP8kqI8uHmZf5UlkpEjWdeV8txRU1NW3sSqj4N_xbdbPKJeAlxRX22pv4QzHTTldjGxFKWLq2gMShKpjJdxEBXZMZTTtwAIXlUQ/w400-h300/e9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There's a cool scene next were Dr Russell and Dr Crusher talk about Klingon anatomy with a hologram of Worf's spine between them.</div><div>Russell remarks that she thinks Klingon bodies are "overdesigned" because they have redundancies of all of their vital functions. Crusher replies that the Klingons call it brak'lal, and she thinks it's freakin' sweet. (For the record, I do as well.) It kind of makes sense: you're a warrior race, and could die in battle. If you do die, it means your back-ups failed, too. You're <i>hella</i> injured. You gonna complain? No. You were probably meant to die, because someone did the job well enough. And the attitude that you're hearty enough to withstand most things, and brag about it? Kind of deserved there.</div><div>Russell points out that there's just more to go wrong with all of those redundancies, and I guess there's something to that.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpn-ZpVpfSspW9IUi1qvWFw4KJNkTaRNi02ySEhkpzmCBTA6HxYJfvo62dyslSYRzj4-s1T6jkiP02Zs5xBkVdvkm_oUErkw7rjlos71nhLCL5y44kMq91PgFsBm5zccXZ4Ggc6bYClx_fYZdDngKcTPGvmvNfmUAoInWuHN_Ccq9fH50RSYTLfD-Lg/s605/e10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpn-ZpVpfSspW9IUi1qvWFw4KJNkTaRNi02ySEhkpzmCBTA6HxYJfvo62dyslSYRzj4-s1T6jkiP02Zs5xBkVdvkm_oUErkw7rjlos71nhLCL5y44kMq91PgFsBm5zccXZ4Ggc6bYClx_fYZdDngKcTPGvmvNfmUAoInWuHN_Ccq9fH50RSYTLfD-Lg/w400-h304/e10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>She then takes Crusher to a machine she had brought on board and tells our CMO that it's basically a 3-D printer for DNA. You tell the machine what part to grow based on the DNA input, and it spits out a new one. It's called a genetronic replicator, and Crusher says she's read some stuff on the early research that Russell has been doing with it.</div><div>"Instead of fixing him up in little ways, we can just grow Worf a new spine," says Russell.</div><div>Crusher is surprised. "You've already progressed to doing this on humanoids?"</div><div>"No, this will be the first time on a humanoid," Russell says casually. "But I've done a bunch of holo-simulations."</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEc6Xr8VmReHeUjeOXKvoT1RqiTJmdGOJY0V-92lhmS2qvX-i2XMcjB-rj7qlG4bzDbXxE6k3o0sqDAZ7oKy0YcQ4w3s1sFjw2jj9axb8RRqccCj8smmXKWYyjGQolchJMhsz-zD8gcoP4o5xiNnfNIVpAtH_9Mj26zXGMUphoCz39H_VLvNc2T2TvGg/s605/e11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="605" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEc6Xr8VmReHeUjeOXKvoT1RqiTJmdGOJY0V-92lhmS2qvX-i2XMcjB-rj7qlG4bzDbXxE6k3o0sqDAZ7oKy0YcQ4w3s1sFjw2jj9axb8RRqccCj8smmXKWYyjGQolchJMhsz-zD8gcoP4o5xiNnfNIVpAtH_9Mj26zXGMUphoCz39H_VLvNc2T2TvGg/w400-h303/e11.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wow, a whole 37%</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Sassy Crusher Moment: "Even a holographic patient would balk at those odds."</div><div>Then they both make some excellent points:</div><div>Russell: "We have to try it on a person eventually."</div><div>Sure...</div><div>Crusher: "Yeah, but it's a spinal column, and we don't know enough about Klingon physiology to detach the old one and reattach a new one."</div><div>In the end, Crusher admits that the genetronic replicator is awesome, and that the progress Russell is making is great, and the whole thing could revolutionize medical science, but right now, it's still in the early stages, and the risk is too great to Worf for her to sign off on it. She tells Russell that they'll have to use conventional methods this time.</div><div>Picard calls Crusher to the bridge, and Russell is left looking disappointed.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WFl8P09Hn84caYua2Igl-qlrlIhDRFSCV6fwimwElax0VrC7p1QRuLqV7YpwD6IORxGZfz4iqSklqzQ55EiC1312YRM3908lEYktV5SWc9UzYHb09O15eLVRcLXSkmsR5Wp7C8FMYS6Og-fPLY4kSuq1XKh3K_2cuU6ocKuUBy4S0m6vZO8IqyYhlw/s606/e12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="606" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WFl8P09Hn84caYua2Igl-qlrlIhDRFSCV6fwimwElax0VrC7p1QRuLqV7YpwD6IORxGZfz4iqSklqzQ55EiC1312YRM3908lEYktV5SWc9UzYHb09O15eLVRcLXSkmsR5Wp7C8FMYS6Og-fPLY4kSuq1XKh3K_2cuU6ocKuUBy4S0m6vZO8IqyYhlw/w400-h303/e12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Crusher hits the bridge, and Picard and Riker tells her that they've gotten a distress call for a ship that needs medical help. They'll be at the crash site in 7 hours.</div><div>"The ship's complement is 23," says Riker, "but they were carrying 517 colonists."</div><div>"Well, fuck," says Crusher. "I need to convert all three shuttle bays into triage centers, and can you ask all personnel with medical training to report to me?"</div><div>They agree, and she leaves to set things up.</div><div>Riker asks Picard to talk in the ready room.</div><div>He is openly pissed off now, and kind of using Picard as a therapist. Which is not his job, but this dude does have a pretty good moral base, so.</div><div>In this case, Riker is struggling with the old, "that's against my beliefs, so you can't do that."</div><div>"They aren't against his, though, " Picard points out. "They're very much within his beliefs. You're coming at this like a human. You or I, we could live with a disability like this. Worf considers his life over, and his culture backs that up."</div><div>"I would be more okay with it if he wasn't asking me to participate," growls Riker.</div><div>"He's asking because you're his friend," says Picard gently. "If you take the personal beliefs part out, then you're just left approaching it as his friend. He wouldn't have asked if he didn't value your friendship."</div><div>"That's where I started," sighs Riker.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIFBnS3UpXhPpUMXA1Z8HYWe4QF2uuLnmumLLcQ93dZtcm8xP9f_LqdB2X91VqQbA8wQ8Ie-QNKyu2tCi_vQgO1isn4k9qsG2nEYMQWT1DYRr-uKCMawIcAY8ztzZlYN35LImrSmjyqRKRrzBR6Gqn65yTJK1rJ60z4x5kdXcPM0oRMP9xo_NPeLoEQ/s492/e13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="492" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIFBnS3UpXhPpUMXA1Z8HYWe4QF2uuLnmumLLcQ93dZtcm8xP9f_LqdB2X91VqQbA8wQ8Ie-QNKyu2tCi_vQgO1isn4k9qsG2nEYMQWT1DYRr-uKCMawIcAY8ztzZlYN35LImrSmjyqRKRrzBR6Gqn65yTJK1rJ60z4x5kdXcPM0oRMP9xo_NPeLoEQ/w400-h299/e13.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A lot of people are angry about this situation.</div><div>For instance, the very young son of a murdered woman, who was sent away to live with human grandparents for a while, and is now living on a starship with a paralyzed father who may also die. It must suck to be Alexander sometimes.</div><div>And now he's yelling at Troi, because he's certain that Worf wants to see him, but Troi is not letting it happen.</div><div>"That's not true," she says gently. "He's been very badly injured, and he doesn't want anyone to see him in that weakened state."</div><div>"That sounds like Klingon crap," Alexander spits. "My mom wasn't into that, and I'm not, either!"</div><div>"No, but it's very important to him."</div><div>"I just want to see him," says Alexander sadly.</div><div>I think maybe he's staying with her while Worf is in sick bay. It's not really covered where children go, or who is looking after them, if their parents aren't available for whatever reason, but he's definitely too young to just hang out by himself, and she suggests that he get ready for bed, so she may have picked up some babysitting duties.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehJMx5VzLb-HWRMyWOy__k7D4v7de4QS89q2pg2tPead3HDKxIJRqAkwxvrDWvmZCmSoQgxSOiJjxsyxjnNkHzBtAmBPOnOcSCyib5mXck9GPtYpxiPCs3UmXtU3m4JgWX-JVzL1PWXjhf8edsNHah8RQmoXcRNZiyGoebfes-huzqwVlsYv3X5TiWA/s606/e14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehJMx5VzLb-HWRMyWOy__k7D4v7de4QS89q2pg2tPead3HDKxIJRqAkwxvrDWvmZCmSoQgxSOiJjxsyxjnNkHzBtAmBPOnOcSCyib5mXck9GPtYpxiPCs3UmXtU3m4JgWX-JVzL1PWXjhf8edsNHah8RQmoXcRNZiyGoebfes-huzqwVlsYv3X5TiWA/w400-h304/e14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"Your kid is pissed," Troi tells Worf in the next scene. "He's hurt and confused, and doesn't understand why he can't see you."</div><div>"You know why I left the instructions I left," he argues.</div><div>"Yeah. Klingon honor. But right now, I'm dealing with your terrified kid, and maybe instead of worrying about your honor and everything else, you start thinking about your child."</div><div>Girlfriend does not mince words. Then she turns and marches out of sick bay.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgfJPNaPPVqe-PI5JpBz8tALRzOSSUvmdxH0XiKBckaGe7pYE9C1GZwkzCgpLtXLN4AnBSrapigK5W-t8IKx8DNhsCuYDHuJyqmte3FbHs8ERgUMX4nmfiLDykLspHsSTWy_IsM9qxswSeMMjPSN8DdHt5MGX8QC--Xgwr8XUj5pb84GSKl-ipjUGng/s604/e13.5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="604" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgfJPNaPPVqe-PI5JpBz8tALRzOSSUvmdxH0XiKBckaGe7pYE9C1GZwkzCgpLtXLN4AnBSrapigK5W-t8IKx8DNhsCuYDHuJyqmte3FbHs8ERgUMX4nmfiLDykLspHsSTWy_IsM9qxswSeMMjPSN8DdHt5MGX8QC--Xgwr8XUj5pb84GSKl-ipjUGng/w400-h306/e13.5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Drs Russell and Crusher approach him. They're here to map out his recovery for him. Crusher explains that they'll basically implant some relays that go between his muscles and brain, so that when he thinks about getting up and walking somewhere, the implants will facilitate that. </div><div>"You'll eventually regain 60-70% of your motor control."</div><div>Worf tunes out about halfway through.</div><div>Russell then explains that they're going to start by putting what look like ankle monitors on his thighs. He'll train with them for a while to get him and his muscles used to the process, then they'll go in and implant the relays.</div><div>She puts one on and encourages him to think about moving his leg. He does so, and his leg jerks on the table.</div><div>Worf is not into this. He gives Crusher a "this is some bullshit" look, but she assures him that this was a great start.</div><div>Russell and Crusher assure him that he just needs to start working with the cuffs, but he gets mad and rips it off, flinging it across the room.</div><div>"No way. Sixty percent of my mobility is not good enough. I'm not doing this."</div><div>Russell jumps in, and starts pitching <i>her</i> method while Crusher frowns behind her.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-Iyj9GaTuXzaxS7Dy1XjhB-r8esTLPeZy0jq5Hahmksr4YQlxvFlvfB-akLI56u97ybQzG__DCVJG7U1y0j5VP7dHCjt9BZVCD2PmA0JykiWyV1950bG0WO0R6kS6S0XHZBN51s2jy3VsiYauvRFx_ZmvUP9DLhHIZfsjXQj2J5mh38BA_6TR9ldjw/s603/e15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-Iyj9GaTuXzaxS7Dy1XjhB-r8esTLPeZy0jq5Hahmksr4YQlxvFlvfB-akLI56u97ybQzG__DCVJG7U1y0j5VP7dHCjt9BZVCD2PmA0JykiWyV1950bG0WO0R6kS6S0XHZBN51s2jy3VsiYauvRFx_ZmvUP9DLhHIZfsjXQj2J5mh38BA_6TR9ldjw/w400-h305/e15.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If looks could kill, you'd be reeling from the pain</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worf clearly has some kind of private room in sick bay, because Russell and Crusher <i>go back to</i> sick bay to talk, using the front door. Maybe there are private rooms across the corridor?</div><div>Okay, yeah. Found a thing. Sick bay is massive, y'all. But we only ever see it piecemeal.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKnq14LzMIeg_eLHD3IksFK2DDWkZd-asL9FR_zakoxpY0NE7G4ODMeKmwC0o_I_p-5gQdYp7Tq3U5NVbrpcJHvFdQeHMp-iXSldrVoPb23_0K-iezg3v5qbsvVBdro8WqPch997P_qlser1wIZcFYWGJLyyPUFPsY9jwUaRhgR2W7RCFrVqP7bGOmw/s450/Enterprise-D-sickbay-deck-plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKnq14LzMIeg_eLHD3IksFK2DDWkZd-asL9FR_zakoxpY0NE7G4ODMeKmwC0o_I_p-5gQdYp7Tq3U5NVbrpcJHvFdQeHMp-iXSldrVoPb23_0K-iezg3v5qbsvVBdro8WqPch997P_qlser1wIZcFYWGJLyyPUFPsY9jwUaRhgR2W7RCFrVqP7bGOmw/w400-h400/Enterprise-D-sickbay-deck-plan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Oops, forgot to include the critical care/triage section in my yellow loop</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Anyway, Crusher yanks Russell back into the main patient area.</div><div>"WTF? We talked about using genetronics, and decided that it was too risky," says Crusher.</div><div>"He doesn't want to do it your way, and I offered him an alternative to suicide," Russell argues.</div><div>Crusher sighs. She doesn't want to malign a colleague, but said colleague did just fuck up all of the shit. "I checked with Starfleet Medical, and you've been rejected for humanoid testing for genetronics three times now. You can't use my patient as a guinea pig."</div><div>"That's some red tape bullshit," says Russell.</div><div>But they're interrupted by Picard, who calls to tell Crusher that they've reached the crash site. She tells Picard that they're ready, and she starts to leave sick bay, when Russell grabs her arm.</div><div>"Do you need help?"</div><div>Crusher agrees, because this woman is still a doctor, and her patient load has gone from manageable to insane.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWzGDQJTHG_G7_2GCSQ8g_RtvM6cuiMP2-VRlyPJtKvVvR4QCnCH3YLlyHT-mhjV6yFdSn3Cr2FDVDIz20kBK9CNPjQyr9RGZ44Ricb77dEDJTLlI45FxhRnPFpjAv0h2Anqqor9YDu7e3ZUz-pHR1Tp5eOI40X3taYfWesld3Vx21K1QXoyacZPBYw/s606/e16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWzGDQJTHG_G7_2GCSQ8g_RtvM6cuiMP2-VRlyPJtKvVvR4QCnCH3YLlyHT-mhjV6yFdSn3Cr2FDVDIz20kBK9CNPjQyr9RGZ44Ricb77dEDJTLlI45FxhRnPFpjAv0h2Anqqor9YDu7e3ZUz-pHR1Tp5eOI40X3taYfWesld3Vx21K1QXoyacZPBYw/w400-h304/e16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi takes Alexander to Worf's sick bay room, and they both surprised to see him standing next to the bed. He's wearing the cuffs on his thighs that he though were BS, but he seems willing to do it if it helps him save face in front of his kid.</div><div>"Deanna says you hurt your back," says Alexander.</div><div>Read: "Deanna spun me some bullshit lie, and you're clearly fine, as you're standing."</div><div>"I did hurt my back," Worf confirms. "We have a lot to talk about."</div><div>But the cuffs fail or something, and he crumples to the floor. Troi and Alexander rush to him, to help him, but you know that's not what he wants, and he growls at Troi to take his kid out of sick bay.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7srQpzaGB9QccXNIfHWJLBx5wi0QgKf1he_SFn9L-ddnZAg-0CMK5m7l_KZAnKKUH9vPXFgS5nt56CbI6thcEo_21xgzfC4YIFn4CRVNdAqS130gF-w968yYgS3zyS783kkp2sGSPN5Dbor9ygKD8rqjh1pFpA8DDIyb8rUkLKpZoAAuJAYh5qQC8g/s604/e17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="604" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7srQpzaGB9QccXNIfHWJLBx5wi0QgKf1he_SFn9L-ddnZAg-0CMK5m7l_KZAnKKUH9vPXFgS5nt56CbI6thcEo_21xgzfC4YIFn4CRVNdAqS130gF-w968yYgS3zyS783kkp2sGSPN5Dbor9ygKD8rqjh1pFpA8DDIyb8rUkLKpZoAAuJAYh5qQC8g/w400-h305/e17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We go down to the triage centers in the cargo bay, where beds are set up in a grid pattern, and the patients are in various states of injury. We follow Crusher as she does quick visual scans of them, then encounters Russell, who has a blanket pulled up over one patient, indicating that he's dead. She's running a medical tricorder over the body.</div><div>"What happened?" asks Crusher.</div><div>"(Medical science)," replies Russell.</div><div>"From (medicine)?" asks Crusher, puzzled.</div><div>"No, he couldn't have that. I gave him (some other treatment) that I've been working with. Been getting good results with it."</div><div>Crusher is stunned. The audacity of this bitch. "You experimented on him?"</div><div>"The treatment I tried is leagues ahead of those other medicines," Russell argues.</div><div>"Yeah, but (medicine 2) would have saved his life!"</div><div>They're basically rehashing the earlier conversation in sick bay: Russell wants to test her theories on people in the hopes that there will be a better outcome, but Crusher wants her to use more conventional treatments that will result in a less risky one.</div><div>"He didn't die for nothing," says Russell. "I got really good data from him regarding the treatment I gave him, and we can use that to save lives in the future!"</div><div>"Cool, you gonna tell his family that?"</div><div>Y'all, now we know why she doesn't like to get to know her patients. </div><div>They're at an impasse here, but only one of them is Chief Medical Officer on this ship, so Crusher relieves her of medical duty.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxeQIJ71FdhixsLQ6gPVIW_RP1SfqPv_jka6bAHVN34MlwLnt6sew_JUqW7eILVNXayupk19WlaxcGAvhN6SrPiQxc4lW0HLDjhUhFr5HDuz4ZMepLPePSAGQ1tGyZEZyLJ18_DL3S4O9_UtF5L8sdiGnLHimbmEy2A-4pQQvnAHmTwtR2ZZDGjMCnQ/s603/e18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxeQIJ71FdhixsLQ6gPVIW_RP1SfqPv_jka6bAHVN34MlwLnt6sew_JUqW7eILVNXayupk19WlaxcGAvhN6SrPiQxc4lW0HLDjhUhFr5HDuz4ZMepLPePSAGQ1tGyZEZyLJ18_DL3S4O9_UtF5L8sdiGnLHimbmEy2A-4pQQvnAHmTwtR2ZZDGjMCnQ/w400-h305/e18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Crusher is in her office doing paperless paperwork when Picard drops by.</div><div>"So you relieved Russell of medical duty?"</div><div>"Yeah, she's nuts. Thinks it's cool to experiment on people because she has a hunch and a few good tests." Crusher is not having it.</div><div>"So you're probably not going to like this..." Picard starts. "... but what if we let her do that treatment on Worf?"</div><div>"Are you high?" she asks. "If we do my treatment, he could get 60% of his mobility back. If we do her treatment, he could die on the table."</div><div>"Sure," he concedes. "But he'll end it before your treatment. He knows about risks and dying. We could maybe convince him to put off the ritual until after Russell's surgery. If he dies on the table, then he dies. We do the surgery, it doesn't have the intended outcome, he ends it anyway. In most of these cases, it ends with his death."</div><div>"Cool, so I should ignore the Hippocratic Oath? Also, fuck that noise - dude is not committing the ritual under my care. I will post security Golds to his room to keep it from happening."</div><div>Like Riker, she's thinking like a human. And not even every human, because we can't agree how we feel collectively about suicide.</div><div>He scoffs. "How long are you going to do that? You can't watch him every second. And you're ignoring his culture and beliefs in favor of your own. He should get a say in his own life."</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAI3KDteOUTJWk-2D5WCRdjTu0Jh3fjzBJ_0XrpA4K95b3cflxMrHTg4CwEPxFA8oQjpzhd_ulAsN-UAsnt9Fa4s6wnjve6WLlenV6DI8Jj1RdcYQI-VjtSuRdpt1crFlv5RSJmUB8vrWxiUcQ7Rlc8NsZKqmDjrFrng6XFGXl6fRbnSJBIvsaWtkrEA/s605/e19.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="605" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAI3KDteOUTJWk-2D5WCRdjTu0Jh3fjzBJ_0XrpA4K95b3cflxMrHTg4CwEPxFA8oQjpzhd_ulAsN-UAsnt9Fa4s6wnjve6WLlenV6DI8Jj1RdcYQI-VjtSuRdpt1crFlv5RSJmUB8vrWxiUcQ7Rlc8NsZKqmDjrFrng6XFGXl6fRbnSJBIvsaWtkrEA/w400-h301/e19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker enters Worf's room. He's got one of those floor-length grey ceremonial vests that Klingons like so much, and he drops it on Worf's feet, pulling out a wicked-looking Klingon dagger as he does so.</div><div>Worf steels himself. "I'm ready."</div><div>"Yeah, no," snarls Riker. "Been reading up on this ritual, and it sucks. I have to respect your beliefs, but I don't have to like them. How many of our friends and colleagues have died on this ship, fighting until the end? And you want to just do it? Have you considered how your friends might feel afterward?"</div><div>"It's not like I'm eager," Worf argues. "Are you going to help me or not?"</div><div>"I might have, because we're friends... but like I said, I've been studying the hegh'bat ceremony, and it turns out that I'm not supposed to. The right person for the job, according to Klingon law, is a family member, preferably the eldest son."</div><div>"Alexander is a little boy," argues Worf.</div><div>"But he's old enough to hold a blade, which makes him a man in Klingon tradition. You just don't want it to be him because you don't want to look at him."</div><div>Damn, Riker. This Alexander move is kind of bitchy.</div><div>"Nah, bro. I'm not helping you." Riker drops the knife on the vest and leaves.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKkUTHpjLdzBExVW25IL1-hd1Zi42GjfiYfqVFk2nQ9QtY3E7l3aKu0RSsnHyqZAvblVXTDmvaD-i8Tu3ZCJ7yx399e9aa1dGwo-32kc0DYQnVe1A9oBf9ckilWeNH2ggmT1iD1dTPRh7qJXAKuiPksH9Bkhe9hlUI9vjauGb4IX0YKpNZqAAkbv1Ug/s606/e20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKkUTHpjLdzBExVW25IL1-hd1Zi42GjfiYfqVFk2nQ9QtY3E7l3aKu0RSsnHyqZAvblVXTDmvaD-i8Tu3ZCJ7yx399e9aa1dGwo-32kc0DYQnVe1A9oBf9ckilWeNH2ggmT1iD1dTPRh7qJXAKuiPksH9Bkhe9hlUI9vjauGb4IX0YKpNZqAAkbv1Ug/w400-h304/e20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the next scene, Alexander has been paged to Worf's room. The vest and knife have disappeared from Worf's feet.</div><div>"So I've tried really hard to teach you about Klingon ways and traditions. According to Klingon tradition, I must kill myself after this kind of injury."</div><div>Alexander lowers his head. Seems like he kind of expected something like this. This kid is way too used to disappointment from life.</div><div>"But I'm breaking with tradition here," Worf says. "I'm gonna live. I still have to have a dangerous operation, and I could end up dying anyway. Just... I won't be doing it myself." He hands Alexander the knife. "Can you take this back to our quarters, please?"</div><div>Alexander takes the knife and starts to leave, but turns and smiles at Worf, who smiles back.</div><div><br /></div><div>Slightly hopeful music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinU-LxRBSN7Mxlk7GqBCJ7BBiJiKpLpyEenTazHkDfD7qfzvav-y8UJM2ZEkNXMu_UayeqXgV_TLnv4v7iwkeFd94Il0g_I5-NYP-6SgUbgThavs2-upLs3-DNGHDdISKVxpJuZH-aWkyGNaAkQaUHBnAHFGPqEtFgLph0fm-4zfjF0WitCX7qLw-gw/s612/e21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="612" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinU-LxRBSN7Mxlk7GqBCJ7BBiJiKpLpyEenTazHkDfD7qfzvav-y8UJM2ZEkNXMu_UayeqXgV_TLnv4v7iwkeFd94Il0g_I5-NYP-6SgUbgThavs2-upLs3-DNGHDdISKVxpJuZH-aWkyGNaAkQaUHBnAHFGPqEtFgLph0fm-4zfjF0WitCX7qLw-gw/w400-h297/e21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Crusher's Log, supplemental: "I talked to Starfleet Medical, and I thought long and hard about how I felt about stuff, and we're going forward with the genetronic procedure."</div><div><br /></div><div>Alexander and Troi are in Worf's room, and Alexander is eagerly telling his father about how they're doing multiplication in school. Nurse Ogawa comes in and says nothing, but everyone knows that It's Time. Worf assures his kid that they'll talk again soon, and Alexander leaves.</div><div>"If I die, he's kind of on his own..." says Worf tentatively.</div><div>"I'll get him to your parents," Troi promises.</div><div>"No, they're elderly. Um, would you consider maybe... ya know, raising my kid?"</div><div>Bro, you're doing this now? Like, after you considered the hegh'bat? And not before? You've had weeks of just lying there, and you didn't think to get your shit together on this?</div><div>Troi is stunned. "Me?"</div><div>"Yeah. Well, I mean, you were really helpful when he first came on board, and you're my friend, and I respect you. I think you'd do a really good job."</div><div>She squeezes his hand and agrees before leaving.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHw00jGZwSWtsBSHvtFWDPOSBxAiiWmpo7-6eAhyvN2OcW6U_NfmNaUdDw85nVES77gepGZEX9K3pqXgWVmZ0PDUMXAdtueRo8NaLnfeNcq9LjQH6VVRebe_LGZNEUdx0gXRA9vUc1pDp1y9EifxutpXTwoQp22mUP1nl533AIPARnaVbNAWGZdMMTOg/s606/e22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHw00jGZwSWtsBSHvtFWDPOSBxAiiWmpo7-6eAhyvN2OcW6U_NfmNaUdDw85nVES77gepGZEX9K3pqXgWVmZ0PDUMXAdtueRo8NaLnfeNcq9LjQH6VVRebe_LGZNEUdx0gXRA9vUc1pDp1y9EifxutpXTwoQp22mUP1nl533AIPARnaVbNAWGZdMMTOg/w400-h304/e22.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We go into surgery, and they begin by putting Worf's brain on life support. They have just under three and a half hours to get it reattached or the brain dies.</div><div>Yoo, Klingons got ridged backs.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgPInn837skvNvaMK29-9g7YEhE_HEEwBSgxxjhToOuho1tdIAsNmsLWmuiNzbLdG4Le7eIkb-9J9Xfjnj6xv3iP9azfcmd1FNlEEjJ7p_G4H2Ce_LZQriQcprpFXie8hPtCezm09op9Fr4us4F4m3A1BdN2vcvQ_7r5U8F-XXeGlqnhXTrTRLwlf7w/s608/e23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="608" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgPInn837skvNvaMK29-9g7YEhE_HEEwBSgxxjhToOuho1tdIAsNmsLWmuiNzbLdG4Le7eIkb-9J9Xfjnj6xv3iP9azfcmd1FNlEEjJ7p_G4H2Ce_LZQriQcprpFXie8hPtCezm09op9Fr4us4F4m3A1BdN2vcvQ_7r5U8F-XXeGlqnhXTrTRLwlf7w/w400-h304/e23.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Up in the ready room, Picard and Riker are having a very subdued, distracted meeting about routine ship shit. Riker's go-to worried look is generally dropping his chin in his hand, and his elbow on a table. Riker asks Picard if there's been any word on how things are going. Picard responds no. It's a pretty tense moment.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieMOTANm-mpOHjbbTEkAAyRTP2piEMqBiPSbKQC6OV_McGl-AOshF_iR6pMjj28wN9Ao4fa2AJDUkh_Y_jTWuioTXte9gL1QRGCkGtNnYIoBe7mCerR2wToqHNfBT39aqRrTVrn2nvDG-j3rFhFQw_6TT845VKewdmnpJ36-1yvNpAWw5z0q9vby00w/s602/e24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="602" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieMOTANm-mpOHjbbTEkAAyRTP2piEMqBiPSbKQC6OV_McGl-AOshF_iR6pMjj28wN9Ao4fa2AJDUkh_Y_jTWuioTXte9gL1QRGCkGtNnYIoBe7mCerR2wToqHNfBT39aqRrTVrn2nvDG-j3rFhFQw_6TT845VKewdmnpJ36-1yvNpAWw5z0q9vby00w/w400-h308/e24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Down in surgery, Worf's spine has been removed and is being scanned by the 3-D DNA thingamabob, and props to whoever decided that, to make the spine look more like it came from a body and less like it's just some piece of sculpture, it should drip. Kinda gross. Good job.</div><div>Oop. The machine thing is beeping. Russell says it's having trouble scanning some part of the spine, and that she's seen this in previous simulations, but she was sure that she had corrected for it. She says she can scan it in manually, that it'll just take a little longer.</div><div>Ogawa tells them that they have one hour and forty-five minutes left.</div><div><br /></div><div>We duck over to see Alexander and Troi playing some computer game. She's distracted and not really responding to the game, but in contrast, he seems to be engaging a little too much.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later, they put what looks like a slimy tube in Worf's back, and I think maybe that's his spinal cord? It isn't clear. He's got less than 30 minutes to brain death at this point. They close him up and can see the treatment growing him new connections. Everybody in the operating theater is feeling pretty good.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsEg_T6mQV4KxkfO6rJkGoZ6Uc0nJHoOsSNw-YkuiZvZFOYDbLqtovnl3icgnLx-Uu5NCrJPXUl6oCGp6kWy9Ny5PjaZk2Brlt9dQ4BTEdcjmL3G1yuQaZzrrybJPOhkDnMnA5hFd7LmybRCPs3gIuTtJsy-I7sjIKRXlKqOWqps2kWOKJFCcfu4xBQ/s609/e25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="609" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsEg_T6mQV4KxkfO6rJkGoZ6Uc0nJHoOsSNw-YkuiZvZFOYDbLqtovnl3icgnLx-Uu5NCrJPXUl6oCGp6kWy9Ny5PjaZk2Brlt9dQ4BTEdcjmL3G1yuQaZzrrybJPOhkDnMnA5hFd7LmybRCPs3gIuTtJsy-I7sjIKRXlKqOWqps2kWOKJFCcfu4xBQ/w400-h301/e25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Alexander has fallen asleep in Troi's lap.</div><div><br /></div><div>Go time. Ogawa disconnects Worf from life support, and everything goes well. Until he starts crashing. Crusher immediately starts calling for hyposprays to get his blood pressure and heart activity going again, with Ogawa calling out results from the computer, and handing over the equipment as Crusher asks for it. Russell, though participating, looks stunned.</div><div>How? This has happened in 67% of her simulations. How is she surprised? Did she think it wouldn't happen that way because it was a real patient this time?</div><div>They use a cortical stimulator, and get a few seconds of brain activity before it flatlines. Crusher orders Ogawa to hit it again, but no activity this time. She asks her to do it multiple times, probably too many. She doesn't want to give up.</div><div>"Doctor," says Russell quietly.</div><div>Crusher realizes that she just can't pull it out, and calls it. She is not okay.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrz8mlpo9G0XIP9lLgI6v15rdvhFoyzS5t7rHDAlUiSp5ksws7JoxUQ6ihJp4jR1-tNQShiH-hYKS8p2n3Ed2lW1lJcqFJe3QGj1ZdImcTVNQWF4HM5bqQ6g0obHkT0nUWwhpLcgYxI0uLqT00hrNaPHUrvsuZE1XUVVqqPROKOno8MjgnaTia6cEWQ/s601/e26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="601" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrz8mlpo9G0XIP9lLgI6v15rdvhFoyzS5t7rHDAlUiSp5ksws7JoxUQ6ihJp4jR1-tNQShiH-hYKS8p2n3Ed2lW1lJcqFJe3QGj1ZdImcTVNQWF4HM5bqQ6g0obHkT0nUWwhpLcgYxI0uLqT00hrNaPHUrvsuZE1XUVVqqPROKOno8MjgnaTia6cEWQ/w400-h305/e26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Crusher goes into the waiting room, where Troi and Alexander are. She's clearly been crying.</div><div>"I'm so sorry," she tells Alexander quietly.</div><div>"I want to see him," Alexander says forcefully.</div><div>Troi tries to deflect him, but he's pretty insistent, and honestly, I'm with him. People seem to constantly tell this kid no, or let him down. Give him one already.</div><div>So they let him into the operating room, where Worf is now lying right side up, and Alexander appears to be struggling with wanting to cry, and trying to be a stoic little Klingon, even though he hates that shit. He gives in and sobs while Troi holds him.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUE1klat-FUU5JROiaYl1aCW4xfNkewS5dDrwNHa9pJuxAx5roJb_KSNNo8xL0bLI6qlwYa5QPIz7W6A4hYvE5VuKrFOtkBgxxRkVR3i7h39DEFjpyBxubxFtt2taOKpFj585VXlqwme-7nmWXYuZH-DSQw1TM7Sugv6w2iN5btim4htyqdA7em9vJlw/s603/e27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="603" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUE1klat-FUU5JROiaYl1aCW4xfNkewS5dDrwNHa9pJuxAx5roJb_KSNNo8xL0bLI6qlwYa5QPIz7W6A4hYvE5VuKrFOtkBgxxRkVR3i7h39DEFjpyBxubxFtt2taOKpFj585VXlqwme-7nmWXYuZH-DSQw1TM7Sugv6w2iN5btim4htyqdA7em9vJlw/w400-h304/e27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And then Worf flinches. Just the tiniest bit.</div><div>"What the hell..." says Crusher. She has Ogawa turn the vital signs monitor back on, and gives Worf a hypospray.</div><div>The monitor starts beeping.</div><div>"Guess those synaptic redundancies have synaptic backups, too," says Crusher.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmob2-6Z4JVlfG4upu_3rlx2NZguK8paX_Go0gHFAFCUb36T9Zblils_Eu3wG9KssqR5VzceuWnn7SyxTy1uqTynFOtXM1cetCNcW03ppYxDiputSpZTmrHfl3-SOl2g-TsZDKpN60kLAU6VzmBniFcYgSv-riCT_eV6bfyb1cicGejyHC9-5CkT8gA/s603/e28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="603" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmob2-6Z4JVlfG4upu_3rlx2NZguK8paX_Go0gHFAFCUb36T9Zblils_Eu3wG9KssqR5VzceuWnn7SyxTy1uqTynFOtXM1cetCNcW03ppYxDiputSpZTmrHfl3-SOl2g-TsZDKpN60kLAU6VzmBniFcYgSv-riCT_eV6bfyb1cicGejyHC9-5CkT8gA/w400-h306/e28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Later, Russell goes to Crusher's office to eat crow.</div><div>She remarks that Worf's recovery is going well, but Crusher is playing Russell is Dead.</div><div>"Really?" asks Russell. "You're still not going to admit that my treatment is why Worf is alive, and that my research is good?"</div><div>Crusher looks up. She's got that contemplative look on her face, like she's thinking of where to hide your body after she absolutely kills the fuck out of you.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5pXXdMyhSNMhW_Ar4v1T2BKDsfyLOx7fsGRrX9MTEXj2D8qR8dSk6LQw12Km4iaOiUwaD550psSl8b_bOTPjXpg8WXPKA4H8a5NqyjPhHqBcbPIED2ANvNMzOtkWR1Di7KYh5E0e_cdqguzp8WjOBR3TJhNs8O5Z2a3cy_ioyuK9Z_XyOUwCC3KKWA/s605/e29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5pXXdMyhSNMhW_Ar4v1T2BKDsfyLOx7fsGRrX9MTEXj2D8qR8dSk6LQw12Km4iaOiUwaD550psSl8b_bOTPjXpg8WXPKA4H8a5NqyjPhHqBcbPIED2ANvNMzOtkWR1Di7KYh5E0e_cdqguzp8WjOBR3TJhNs8O5Z2a3cy_ioyuK9Z_XyOUwCC3KKWA/w400-h304/e29.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>She then proceeds to quietly, murderously dress down Russell, noting that she gambled, and Worf won, and she's glad that he's okay, but that Russell is reckless in her methodology. That medical research is slow and painstaking, but done in a way that mitigates harm to patients. Russell is impatient, and barrels through. Crusher marks that medical science will probably congratulate Russell on her success, but that if Crusher were in her shoes, she doesn't think that she could accept the kudos.</div><div>Russell looks like she wants to reply, but then closes her mouth and leaves. Wisely.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWTf8Dkiq1H6WYHjNh_m7O59EE0AIXBS9kyBYdxVH-jNiApzVzgkj0D_ECwmPsrO4gFBnk3b1ZqiczqfC-agTgIAIwaJaPvL-6KDXE1vPHa3JrG_95XnWSxpz5JXin8wS6tbOPdto96h6sZHAS0YL8ODLQhOREy7MFPG6SBfWVSFh1wDYvsNrV88NeA/s610/e30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="610" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWTf8Dkiq1H6WYHjNh_m7O59EE0AIXBS9kyBYdxVH-jNiApzVzgkj0D_ECwmPsrO4gFBnk3b1ZqiczqfC-agTgIAIwaJaPvL-6KDXE1vPHa3JrG_95XnWSxpz5JXin8wS6tbOPdto96h6sZHAS0YL8ODLQhOREy7MFPG6SBfWVSFh1wDYvsNrV88NeA/w400-h300/e30.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We jump over to the physical therapy room, where Worf is learning how to walk again, and hey --</div><div>Klingon feet are ridged, too.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9pPKzmC177AyD21_ZAB2xNv77flv6mwK50iNcp2DbwpG460L9G_W0lD5kaWorawucaylHPPF3uH4o6oZE-_ltP4v1z2Uo-9JIC5faP3YTQYCWnMdc_C63QaeQiCkgR5FUTmZQx__QBDaetbyiCgrCxEO3IFsJp-37afx6ft-Xq36Y-uNHEtAt-3XQQ/s606/e31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9pPKzmC177AyD21_ZAB2xNv77flv6mwK50iNcp2DbwpG460L9G_W0lD5kaWorawucaylHPPF3uH4o6oZE-_ltP4v1z2Uo-9JIC5faP3YTQYCWnMdc_C63QaeQiCkgR5FUTmZQx__QBDaetbyiCgrCxEO3IFsJp-37afx6ft-Xq36Y-uNHEtAt-3XQQ/w400-h304/e31.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Crusher tells Worf not to rush, that his body is still getting used to being upright and Doing The Thing again. He crumples on the apparatus, and Alexander starts forward, but is pulled back by Troi.</div><div>"Remember, your dad said he wanted to do this by himself," she reminds him.</div><div>"That's okay," says Worf. "I would like my son's help."</div><div>Yaaassss, be a good parent, Worf.</div><div>"We will work together," Worf says to Alexander. They smile at one another.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCt9l081Zl2tjZZQ_V75qWBbGhIto6wkZ_hNNmdSkqrEUzwFg9AOw0OBbMc8F14T_wkWOrSzN84-N9VyIA4XJMcATdit5M7zXCoRipoplgxK_cek-8xZTmXJ0-on3G5e2zSdeWTCoW-GwJr1Psl5R0J3K-07yL9zc_DLDOarosdaed0Ofj5pehVBmEw/s604/e32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="604" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCt9l081Zl2tjZZQ_V75qWBbGhIto6wkZ_hNNmdSkqrEUzwFg9AOw0OBbMc8F14T_wkWOrSzN84-N9VyIA4XJMcATdit5M7zXCoRipoplgxK_cek-8xZTmXJ0-on3G5e2zSdeWTCoW-GwJr1Psl5R0J3K-07yL9zc_DLDOarosdaed0Ofj5pehVBmEw/w400-h305/e32.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IkAMu3QtC31ndVMHjn9JvaB9cvFltqBGDUaNll-jha9pYqzTxY8ymOuXj5MEMPLwOeB64nKO6buYf-8FrUKSiu8cDtxokj-f88rgS55fNXPMn0E8RzTXIVVZ8RYUZDeg5GwGGEy3A4tn2pjgAvb8YBwk2lG3gHgJx_YrSuTy701Yo8SXKJBAeg3jxA/s605/e33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IkAMu3QtC31ndVMHjn9JvaB9cvFltqBGDUaNll-jha9pYqzTxY8ymOuXj5MEMPLwOeB64nKO6buYf-8FrUKSiu8cDtxokj-f88rgS55fNXPMn0E8RzTXIVVZ8RYUZDeg5GwGGEy3A4tn2pjgAvb8YBwk2lG3gHgJx_YrSuTy701Yo8SXKJBAeg3jxA/w400-h304/e33.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>And Worf sends this text to everyone he knows:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvw1U4FVF7Xd00QFLyXvuqZqAfhbHZpaYDRgOJCAark_W_UOUVQT4doqvYpcWuN81GUqisAcqKAK1Ewnutlgn84xH2xMr-PxFPHsRCQjBwK3H34bU83Y0oC6huPvniz-7BUS_XcyM-OufOnroNhmS3vqcWtNInaOsIo-kmT2bo8RgqgSdS3uBEdL3Ddg/s671/i%20lived%20bitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvw1U4FVF7Xd00QFLyXvuqZqAfhbHZpaYDRgOJCAark_W_UOUVQT4doqvYpcWuN81GUqisAcqKAK1Ewnutlgn84xH2xMr-PxFPHsRCQjBwK3H34bU83Y0oC6huPvniz-7BUS_XcyM-OufOnroNhmS3vqcWtNInaOsIo-kmT2bo8RgqgSdS3uBEdL3Ddg/w358-h400/i%20lived%20bitch.jpg" width="358" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Oof, this one is tough. I like that we get two stories about ethics in one episode, but that they're completely different. (Also, we get two instances in the cold open about ethics: Troi bluffing about her hand, and La Forge admitting that he can see through certain decks. "Don't worry," he adds, "I only peek afterward.")</div><div>I'm going to assign Crusher and Russell to the A-plot because we see more of them than we do of Worf and Riker. In that instance, Crusher is forced to grapple with a colleague who - let's admit it - practices medicine in a Nazi doctor-like manner. To Russell, the ends justify the means. It's fine that her colonist patient died, because she still got good data to improve her medication down the line. She's just breaking some eggs to make an omelet, so it's fine, right? Regarding that patient, Crusher states that she doubts that this information will bring his family comfort, but why would Russell care? She doesn't get close to her patients to "form an unbiased opinion," but here she has a bonus: it will be Crusher that most likely breaks the news to that man's loved ones, not Russell. She doesn't have to cover any of the messy parts. She gets a small taste of it when Worf dies on the table, and she actually has to experience what that's like, but she's probably returning to her lab and holo-simulations after that. Crusher gets to pick up the pieces afterward, with Worf's physical therapy and continued care. Does Russell's way produce results quicker? Yes, undoubtedly. But she tends to steamroll over the Hippocratic Oath of "do no harm" in order to get there faster. Or, as Crusher put it, "you take shortcuts, right through living tissue." Even Starfleet could see that her practices were less than stellar, given that her request for humanoid testing had been rejected three times.</div><div>The bonus fuckery is that the surgery was successful. Did it rest entirely on Russell's research? Hell no. The procedure was hers, of course, but it technically would have failed, had it not been for Klingon "redundancies." It only worked because Worf "rebooted" after he officially died. On any other humanoid, their odds would have most likely fallen into that 63% failure rate. Crusher's procedure would have meant less risk, but also, a less that favorable outcome, from Worf's point of view. It has to suck for her that Worf chose (and Picard advocated for) the morally ambiguous procedure over her safer, more assured one. A rollercoaster for sure.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvtTs4e4Q_aS-aYzLaSLnRE2cU_BQlP85eAMrmBrep2VjrlBXZp5T764-6vtAmtn-qb6okvXBFVu8-a6ZgvLMCp72y_ds41CAkf8Y1DavwapRvthXdURXs1el9EI4Ov7FKO0KQHuzQKmt10NHbK6AZeVyXEH0n4ahEhpywwUpZZvb4C_afysQub1qXA/s599/e34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="599" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvtTs4e4Q_aS-aYzLaSLnRE2cU_BQlP85eAMrmBrep2VjrlBXZp5T764-6vtAmtn-qb6okvXBFVu8-a6ZgvLMCp72y_ds41CAkf8Y1DavwapRvthXdURXs1el9EI4Ov7FKO0KQHuzQKmt10NHbK6AZeVyXEH0n4ahEhpywwUpZZvb4C_afysQub1qXA/w400-h308/e34.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Then we have our B-plot with Worf and Riker (guest-starring Troi and Alexander). </div><div>We can't fully know how we'll deal with it when faced with a future colored by disability, until we actually come to that bridge ourselves. We can only guess. DNR papers are signed or rejected on that guess. And we may change our minds. I definitely have.</div><div>Worf did here as well. And it was a risk. His culture suggested that it was better to live life entirely whole and healthy, or not at all, and he was willing to go that route, though it does seem that (from conversation) not every Klingon in this situation will choose the same. Ending it would have been clean (for him). Risky surgery, recovery, and possible disability are... less so. And it's possible that his recovery was long and there were setbacks (offscreen), and that there were times when he regretted the choice he had made, however briefly.</div><div>Because this show is sometimes serialized and sometimes not, they might have gone either way: showing his recovery over a longer period, noting that he was on light duty, or still on medical leave; or having the genetronic procedure really be the "miracle cure" that Russell proclaimed it was, and showing him back at work functioning perfectly. They might have even gone with Crusher's procedure and shown him with partial mobility, working to gain more. The possibilities are more open with a format like this to show such things.</div><div>And the writers did not shy away from showing the emotions involved with the process.</div><div>Klingon culture skewing toward ritual suicide lines up with not only what we know of Klingons, but coincides with what Worf seems to have been feeling. "This sucks and I want to be done" is valid. As is, "this looks like it might be too much going forward, and I'd like out." Ultimately, we don't know why he changed his mind. Was it Riker, talking about their friends going down fighting? Troi asking about Alexander? Thoughts of Alexander himself? It's possible that it's because the hegh'bat was never fully off the table. He was definitely of that mind when Crusher was describing only getting part of his mobility back. But, as Picard suggested, he might have still followed through with the ritual after Russell's surgery, if things went sideways. In this way, it might have been a safety net of sorts.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidC01MO1B7w56zM6XJv3HJt9JfaGeoO5bYBUx6fmq8ZBQ5cOSj_CkesnDdf73SXq7BY7D5kG6OUmyUkRW0ouZ52-OSRgChdr8yiRwFd3uBEVf32_wvxebx6h_LrMJ1p3Ymde-DoTXk-bmnB5EJHWhqixK1IRRd9MvQtV1F_6jqpKQC0M8Y0B-0ivRFhg/s607/e35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="607" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidC01MO1B7w56zM6XJv3HJt9JfaGeoO5bYBUx6fmq8ZBQ5cOSj_CkesnDdf73SXq7BY7D5kG6OUmyUkRW0ouZ52-OSRgChdr8yiRwFd3uBEVf32_wvxebx6h_LrMJ1p3Ymde-DoTXk-bmnB5EJHWhqixK1IRRd9MvQtV1F_6jqpKQC0M8Y0B-0ivRFhg/w400-h303/e35.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Riker's feelings on the matter are also explored. He struggles between being there for his friend by assisting him with one last wish, and being angry that he was asked to do so. He doesn't agree with Worf's decision, and tries to talk him out of it in a rather aggressive way. You know it's grief talking rather than actual anger, because we're like that, as a species. Sad that your friend might be dying? Go aggro on 'em. Once Worf has made the decision not to proceed with the hegh'bat, Riker's main reaction becomes worry: will his friend survive the risky surgery? What if he does, and his condition is actually worse, and it starts the cycle of possible suicide rituals all over again? Was any of Riker's anger at Klingon rituals, or honor, or selecting to Opt Out in the face of an uncertain future? I don't think so. I think it was just sadness that he might not have much time left with his friend, and he was being asked to facilitate that end.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a decent episode. It's one I don't often remember, because I saw it so late. (Have you ever watched hours of a show, over and over again, and then come to find out that there's an episode that you've never seen, because it either doesn't get shown often, or by chance, it was played at a time when you weren't watching? This is that episode for me.) But it's interesting nonetheless, because it expands character development and addresses some issues that we don't always talk about. We don't talk about them because they're uncomfortable. But we should talk about issues like disability and suicide, so that we can weather those storms better when we come across them.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>Fun Facts:</div><div><br /></div><div>- Ronald D Moore, who wrote the teleplay, found this episode tough to write. "I wasn't a big fan of doing medical shows to begin with, and that particular one had a ton of medical jargon and technology and medical ethics."</div><div>- Herbert J Wright suggested that nanobots be released into Worf's bloodstream to eat away the damage in his body, but this idea was rejected, feeling that the sci-fi elements would take away from the dramatic ones.</div><div>- It was important to the writers to show all of the viewpoints on euthanasia evenly here. Moore noted that culturally, Worf would have a very specific viewpoint, and the doctors would have others. Michael Piller noted that it was important not to spoon-feed the audience a solution and call it concrete: "I love grays. I don't love black and whites. I don't like answering questions so easily for the audience [...] with 'Ethics' again, we went out of our way not to make it easy for the audience to know what the right thing to do was."<br />
- The scene where Worf and Riker first argue originally ended in a more heated fashion, where they get right in each other's faces. (Or, you know, Riker gets in Worf's.) This was edited out, as it was felt to be "too much." I gotta agree. It was stronger as edited.</div><div>- The surgery scenes were filmed with Michael Dorn's photo double, Al Foster.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kXgWYyd2oKTDx8uwBbkS5uOJlPlvDIKYMl67zuQfW16hcM6hpS4yEGW9XYgG9_B3ap2HKescalbrCbephRLwyo3D5gjFiYIYz5y6ziI-jRHCnnH2KIJr9fJ-95MSXqxgNSH2bBTiHG5qk3PFfNf47LLcSp-EJl0jQzOoS66OL1wbKkzDyeh74-um7Q/s428/chip%20chalmers%20directs%20ethics.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="428" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kXgWYyd2oKTDx8uwBbkS5uOJlPlvDIKYMl67zuQfW16hcM6hpS4yEGW9XYgG9_B3ap2HKescalbrCbephRLwyo3D5gjFiYIYz5y6ziI-jRHCnnH2KIJr9fJ-95MSXqxgNSH2bBTiHG5qk3PFfNf47LLcSp-EJl0jQzOoS66OL1wbKkzDyeh74-um7Q/w400-h318/chip%20chalmers%20directs%20ethics.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chip Chalmers directs the surgery scenes.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>- The containers that fall on Worf are actually made of styrofoam.</div><div>- The scientific paper that Dr Russell references on cybernetic regeneration was one that Dr Crusher mentioned working on in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2016/07/sttng-season-one-episode-sixteen.html">"11001001."</a></div><div>- A similar Klingon ritualized assisted suicide will come up in DS9. In that ritual, a Klingon's spirit will be granted entry into Sto-vo-kor. With this ritual, it is not known.</div><div>- Both Director Chip Chalmers and Michael Piller felt that this episode succeeded, not only dramatically, but in giving balanced views to the subject matter.</div><div>- In the Star Trek novel "A Time for War, A Time for Peace," Russell and Crusher encounter each other again, and after a bristly argument, Russell chides Crusher for still not being able to let go of the situation, despite it being ten years later. Crusher notes that after the surgery, there was an initial chatter and publishing of papers, then genetronics disappeared from the conversation altogether.<br />
<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi99-n4JcJGqu3j0DNXpN3XiJ24pv4MbHC_ng-L89WCnCQTtDsPC_1IYUSysjSD8iwuMYYkH3ih3yGmt1YObiIR835C7xrP9DQV2llz-BwAqNTX3tbqIcxoYWR1a1QaTrvK0Je5hUC0mGgyi6egy5WJQIjnZnVfr22Evj5OVDmxq5jMshCEsPbZ0QkDQ/s407/st%20novel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="253" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi99-n4JcJGqu3j0DNXpN3XiJ24pv4MbHC_ng-L89WCnCQTtDsPC_1IYUSysjSD8iwuMYYkH3ih3yGmt1YObiIR835C7xrP9DQV2llz-BwAqNTX3tbqIcxoYWR1a1QaTrvK0Je5hUC0mGgyi6egy5WJQIjnZnVfr22Evj5OVDmxq5jMshCEsPbZ0QkDQ/w249-h400/st%20novel.png" width="249" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Gold deaths: 1 (Nah, I'm counting it. Dude was dead.)<br />
To date: 1<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy La Forge Moments: 0</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
To date: 2</div>
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Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3</div>
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Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
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Sassy Riker Moments: 1<br />
To date: 2</div>
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Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Keiko Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 1<br />
To date: 1<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments: 0<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3</div>
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Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 0<br />
To date: 35</div>
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Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 1<br />
To date: 9</div>
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Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 1<br />
To date: 3<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 3<br />
To date: 13<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 0<br />
To date: 6</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 2</div>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iZKIPd-INf7_VZHx3RHs_CXip3TMoo7ACqEdXSch3LAgRvzBZMvC9v4_G0kMgjE3P4BbzTEOOkybXB2PC6_DbTt5p5Xabe3S5aIp3ZyyPp5XCPcqgn66OwUvRswRw4NuHEWg1XcZxj1FkiggLiwT0sEpF50iiTRXQ0M2khdfCu-sqOHRZOgsudeG_w/s206/orwin%20dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="155" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iZKIPd-INf7_VZHx3RHs_CXip3TMoo7ACqEdXSch3LAgRvzBZMvC9v4_G0kMgjE3P4BbzTEOOkybXB2PC6_DbTt5p5Xabe3S5aIp3ZyyPp5XCPcqgn66OwUvRswRw4NuHEWg1XcZxj1FkiggLiwT0sEpF50iiTRXQ0M2khdfCu-sqOHRZOgsudeG_w/w301-h400/orwin%20dragon.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orwin is a dragon</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-72910188225285465092022-11-27T22:38:00.000-08:002022-11-27T22:38:53.939-08:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Fifteen "Power Play"ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Fifteen "Power Play"<br />
Production Order: 15<br />
Air Order: 15<br />
Stardate: 45571.2<br />
Original Air Date: February 24, 1992<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_-ylnoj94wLwsXxSXMABTsgoz7u493hNbxlfiGU_mo2w3k61_1BK7tHvibsTgsRTkLqnpwyrSPkDXShhpHtFC3m_daoPLiSjku8QLO-2eigLmbD06-lqdzjKpMLNp7f9FAG6ghD5fL3juNKwh0DFnME6oxtmvJS-uP-1r7571FB0qiqB-BkZ_Skdkg/s907/tumblr.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="907" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_-ylnoj94wLwsXxSXMABTsgoz7u493hNbxlfiGU_mo2w3k61_1BK7tHvibsTgsRTkLqnpwyrSPkDXShhpHtFC3m_daoPLiSjku8QLO-2eigLmbD06-lqdzjKpMLNp7f9FAG6ghD5fL3juNKwh0DFnME6oxtmvJS-uP-1r7571FB0qiqB-BkZ_Skdkg/w400-h174/tumblr.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I've been getting a lot of alerts lately about people following my Tumblr, which is wild because I quit posting to it years ago when they started that big kerfuffle about censorship. I've also been hearing that it's closer to old Tumblr these days, so I added some more posts. You can follow it if you want. My name there is stayinalivejim and my pic is that same pic of me and my cat Imzadi.</div><div>Or don't follow it. Whatever. I'm not your moms.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxHfu6EPZXa7q6Lg5HvpavSzknNxZbIdS2ttr0iqkpBsqtB1zdcUAzlHtINOPcJH98oUYXiYlDFupXLFRJFdiSdlu5T4ADlUV9rO98JgenCzp1QssSygipm8T0076uDzJ1y9P-3y027uJryPmUK5ee649J9ZdWQDjx0uCz4RXjCDXGeLxCwzrpMxchQ/s719/pp1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="719" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxHfu6EPZXa7q6Lg5HvpavSzknNxZbIdS2ttr0iqkpBsqtB1zdcUAzlHtINOPcJH98oUYXiYlDFupXLFRJFdiSdlu5T4ADlUV9rO98JgenCzp1QssSygipm8T0076uDzJ1y9P-3y027uJryPmUK5ee649J9ZdWQDjx0uCz4RXjCDXGeLxCwzrpMxchQ/w400-h280/pp1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log 45571.2: "So we're orbiting this unexplored moon of Mab-bu VI, and the moon is Class M, but uninhabited. I have no idea what the planet is actually like, because it'll never be mentioned again, but we are picking up some super-weak distress signals, so we're gonna check it out."</div><div><br /></div><div>On the bridge, the crew is struggling to figure out what kind of distress signal it is, because it sounds weird.</div><div>"Maybe it's because there's shit-tons of interference from the atmosphere," Worf suggests.</div><div>Data says he thinks he might remember it from the Academy, so he checks the Googles. "Yeah, it's from a Daedalus-class ship."</div><div>Picard and Riker both make Math Lady Meme Face, because that's a ship that hasn't been in use for almost 200 years.</div><div>More Googling reveals that the USS Essex, captained by Bryce Shumar, went missing in this area about 200 years ago. The signal they're hearing matches the one that the Essex would have used.</div><div>"Bit late," Riker remarks.</div><div>"Yeah, that's ghost ship stuff," shrugs Picard. "Let's take off."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxe7_VQt_l5r-e_qoFHU7-aSN4cEVza8sl-ikna5xPNnfihWBxAW2X7HAF-zInuGzUuRkJILDG9__0_NSUaJzZa5n00pyBoBg4rA8M3RDn9yqNykSSam9dcH_W_oT5G_4NEOxtJpcvM2Ac0IXOCYn2phoswelLef1B5O8lDSi8-HynAX8g684pz2Q3fQ/s719/pp2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="719" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxe7_VQt_l5r-e_qoFHU7-aSN4cEVza8sl-ikna5xPNnfihWBxAW2X7HAF-zInuGzUuRkJILDG9__0_NSUaJzZa5n00pyBoBg4rA8M3RDn9yqNykSSam9dcH_W_oT5G_4NEOxtJpcvM2Ac0IXOCYn2phoswelLef1B5O8lDSi8-HynAX8g684pz2Q3fQ/w400-h280/pp2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>But Troi has entered the bridge, and while Picard is telling Riker to alert Starfleet that they found out where the Essex disappeared to, Troi interjects that she feels someone is on the surface, alive.</div><div>WHAAAAAAA....??????</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Opening credits break!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kC_nVvZUOPduyhzUN17MkNEKExTAU4FN4q1UouUb1-TfWhSBNUwk-G9bq0rJQfI5bdALDInTOOYWdn59oXgKXN_agxM8xXt_v5fYyWsBTbhjgKJMqzRxLtTlJgy2YG9DUl7C4us6LWpdVU7GGPOZsfVURz_r23iA2WtX28kJY0ggXGTjkxH4aVTB2g/s756/pp3.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="756" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kC_nVvZUOPduyhzUN17MkNEKExTAU4FN4q1UouUb1-TfWhSBNUwk-G9bq0rJQfI5bdALDInTOOYWdn59oXgKXN_agxM8xXt_v5fYyWsBTbhjgKJMqzRxLtTlJgy2YG9DUl7C4us6LWpdVU7GGPOZsfVURz_r23iA2WtX28kJY0ggXGTjkxH4aVTB2g/w400-h266/pp3.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ro is unnerved. I am unnerved. That is an unnerving thing to say.<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Riker's Log, supplemental: "The interference of the storms on the moon is too much to beam people out, so we're taking a shuttle down to see if we can find those people Troi is on about."<div><br /></div><div>This is supes weird, even without the storm interference thing. Remember when a shuttle crashed on an uninhabited planet, and <a href="http://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2014/03/season-2-episode-31-metamorphosis.html">Kirk & Co found Zefram Cochrane</a>, a dude who went missing in his old age and should have been dead for 150 years, but was alive and well and about 35 years old? Or when Riker, Data, and Worf investigate some weird human remains on an inhospitable planet, only to find the corpse of a <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/04/sttng-season-two-episode-twelve-royale.html">21st century astronaut who had been living in a fake casino</a> for decades? Or when the E got stuck in a battle field full of radiation, because Picard found a 1000 year old <a href="http://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/09/sttng-season-three-episode-six-booby.html">Promellian battle cruiser</a> and was itching to check it out? Ghost ships in Star Trek are Bad News Bears.</div><div>So where are we going? Once more, unto the breach, to look at a ghost ship. In a flimsy-ass shuttle pod.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12y0tAtg87TriqK4OUQPr4Cc_ESiBQYNtqkp9PVsxg0C604wtvkzeSZAVBo6hZJ15bzyidPlexdE2JLh4Z8IBdDea0py1sJ4YeG7fG4-cSTYSreCtZC6ryFVkVyO39_NoYM-MsmjdDH-aycONrtPUHOze0F8-Hjb_CxklGsjylmgMb47FBD-Gr0SDdw/s723/pp4.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="723" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12y0tAtg87TriqK4OUQPr4Cc_ESiBQYNtqkp9PVsxg0C604wtvkzeSZAVBo6hZJ15bzyidPlexdE2JLh4Z8IBdDea0py1sJ4YeG7fG4-cSTYSreCtZC6ryFVkVyO39_NoYM-MsmjdDH-aycONrtPUHOze0F8-Hjb_CxklGsjylmgMb47FBD-Gr0SDdw/w400-h279/pp4.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Troi is absolutely wishing that she'd taken that Dramamine</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The trio battles it out with the storm for a few minutes, but they lose thrusters and impulse power, and let the bridge crew know that the shuttle is going down. Riker never did pinpoint that distress signal.</div><div>On the bridge, Worf says he can guess at their location on the surface, but the signal is bouncing around because of the interference.</div><div>"I've got it," announces Ro at the helm. "I followed them in."</div><div>I like this. You know that Ro is not just some trouble-maker who struggles to fit in. She does her job, and she's good at it. Otherwise, Picard would not keep her around. Plus, she gives enough of a shit about her coworkers to have taken extra (typically unnecessary) steps to ensure she could find them again.</div><div>On the surface, the back hatch of the crashed shuttle is blown, and our intrepid heroes climb out. Riker's arm is broken, but they're otherwise okay.</div><div>Riker attempts to use his comm badge to call the ship, but Data surmises that the interference (really getting tired of typing that word) is blocking communication. They take stock: the surface of the moon is no good for growing things, which makes Riker doubt that anyone is living there; and Data reports that all of the equipment on the shuttle is damaged. There's a storm rolling in that I can only describe as "sparkly."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwKe3Tln-6ugeSJYryKt91vQs3N4NWI9Larcc7GZk0158LOSFGbODJEMyovECNExuMgn5wLaR20_zU--Fx1w64TtcYECbOxGn31M3FEKZAEzhque00HYz8RaaiT5gx1FctQJ0mE1xP5dutmspFDDC4uB1z5iu4dqKH102DGKGJ06DyDfiefE5eatg4g/s720/pp5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="720" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwKe3Tln-6ugeSJYryKt91vQs3N4NWI9Larcc7GZk0158LOSFGbODJEMyovECNExuMgn5wLaR20_zU--Fx1w64TtcYECbOxGn31M3FEKZAEzhque00HYz8RaaiT5gx1FctQJ0mE1xP5dutmspFDDC4uB1z5iu4dqKH102DGKGJ06DyDfiefE5eatg4g/w400-h279/pp5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Data notes that there are "high EM bursts" in this storm, and for Riker, this seals the deal - no life forms here. But Troi says she's certain that they're not only here, but coming in with the storm.</div><div>Dramatic music!</div><div><br /></div><div>Down in the transporter room, La Forge is telling Picard over the comms that there's no way they can get a lock on the away team with those EM bursts. Can't fly a shuttle in, can't beam them out.</div><div>"I can do it with a pattern enhancer," O'Brien offers. "I can beam down with it, set it up, and it should boost the patterns enough to get us all back."</div><div>"It's like a 50/50 chance that he'll basically be vaporized," La Forge says.</div><div>Woof. Those odds suck.</div><div>"I can do the thing," says O'Brien confidently. He hops on the transporter pad with a pack that looks like a fancy tripod.</div><div>Picard is uncertain, but Worf says that the storm that's rolling in will make things harder, and the captain tells the chief that it's up to him.</div><div>With some nods, La Forge beams O'Brien to the surface.</div><div>He materializes next to a broken shuttle nacelle.</div><div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pdw_39qDyiInnw5XcagCM1WfmdlsRGRnKXkMxIr3o8zD7_b91OZJgia5EZF0UJGJC7_fuc1D6oJA6vFydeDYzMbaKQPGsssqwMFR0u7qt-RPWxg4y_qY_2VhgL3PskaCTUMkexOkV3np6NG-0CpfT6h708nWvvOXX8J5wMBNryj40zri3zXn8oa7Pw/s719/pp6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="719" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pdw_39qDyiInnw5XcagCM1WfmdlsRGRnKXkMxIr3o8zD7_b91OZJgia5EZF0UJGJC7_fuc1D6oJA6vFydeDYzMbaKQPGsssqwMFR0u7qt-RPWxg4y_qY_2VhgL3PskaCTUMkexOkV3np6NG-0CpfT6h708nWvvOXX8J5wMBNryj40zri3zXn8oa7Pw/w400-h279/pp6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The others wave him over.</div><div>Sassy O'Brien: "Nice spot for a picnic, sir."</div><div>He hands out the pattern enhancer rod-things, and instructs them how to set them up in a triangle shape. They need to hurry up, because you know, storm. Also, apparently, he feeds Molly lunch, and she's too young to understand that if her dad gets trapped on an inhospitable planet, he can't do the thing, and she will be sad.</div><div>O'Brien sets up one of these metal traffic cones, which is hit by a bolt of lightning. All four are thrown backward into the pattern buffer tringle, and briefly knocked out.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvSr5els40QJSBSBAmptm404XyVxQbJGRzdgPwbZdGEjz1axHL3iqf-7_E14PwP9VQqAiKBrtu1PLlbtFRKMXCNFcLcqP5Ssu1GCn7IQFXa1wIqr6qOZ2N2AL6TivnQSPrljhHqthxpz9dAY_x0Ovy9Uvxrp7qtnS5EPjk8TI9UPUJHKItoUB14tYGQ/s715/pp7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="715" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvSr5els40QJSBSBAmptm404XyVxQbJGRzdgPwbZdGEjz1axHL3iqf-7_E14PwP9VQqAiKBrtu1PLlbtFRKMXCNFcLcqP5Ssu1GCn7IQFXa1wIqr6qOZ2N2AL6TivnQSPrljhHqthxpz9dAY_x0Ovy9Uvxrp7qtnS5EPjk8TI9UPUJHKItoUB14tYGQ/w400-h281/pp7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>While they're unconscious, our away team, plus one, is approached by roving balls of light, which seem to check them out. The balls then meld into the chests of Troi, O'Brien, and Data. Another ball checks out Riker, then decides against the... melding thing with him, and it flies away.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZvaPHf_H2SBjft9cd-alV5FuJAG1Y6jE74gnan3L_Y5_dGYmMe9Xl73b-zrmQcUlIBxtEPMJi2bp13TZvjiPEtYkdtDMFRY_ssZumf_2yI1fbVqYxf52kqsHArxLCEgoKOsmebGkm4CeKfs5xQPKtxuaBizYnpAMqOSKjwk1HQa6OIDwtDOEIweJmA/s716/pp8.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="716" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZvaPHf_H2SBjft9cd-alV5FuJAG1Y6jE74gnan3L_Y5_dGYmMe9Xl73b-zrmQcUlIBxtEPMJi2bp13TZvjiPEtYkdtDMFRY_ssZumf_2yI1fbVqYxf52kqsHArxLCEgoKOsmebGkm4CeKfs5xQPKtxuaBizYnpAMqOSKjwk1HQa6OIDwtDOEIweJmA/w400-h281/pp8.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Just so we're clear, there are four lights here<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Riker recovers, gets up, and activates the pattern enhancer. They all beam off the surface.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi comes to in sick bay. She sits up and screams before being comforted by Crusher. Everyone is there, and fine. Riker's arm has been fixed, and he goes right back on duty, because of course he does. He even brags to Picard that this is not his first broken bone.</div><div>Bro, this is not America. You get free health care from Starfleet. You can sit out the rest of your shift after that stupid moon gave you a concussion.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-k69ggd_SLoOIiSDSGb3PoFJ8U0MCrWfbxAbp7k76J-zZ-mcm2m7Xi8Avhd77R9XCXzV2BbugQQosHs4cxzigm44fugwqRkNGLE4zm-cbUWoLHYuaVRIf0ljL3oL9ERkTLf3Yr4-7c82DZy9kgluBqwTVTrv3qliUuJXcAJD40LLESNtbD_ETXlBLVw/s722/pp9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="722" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-k69ggd_SLoOIiSDSGb3PoFJ8U0MCrWfbxAbp7k76J-zZ-mcm2m7Xi8Avhd77R9XCXzV2BbugQQosHs4cxzigm44fugwqRkNGLE4zm-cbUWoLHYuaVRIf0ljL3oL9ERkTLf3Yr4-7c82DZy9kgluBqwTVTrv3qliUuJXcAJD40LLESNtbD_ETXlBLVw/w400-h278/pp9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>But no. They're all going right back onto duty. They start talking about how Troi feels like there was life in and around that storm, and as they get into the turbolift, Riker asks Data if they can reconfigure the scanners to cut through the storm, and Data answers back with science talk, but there's a second or so of Mid-90's Modem Booting Up noise in the middle of his sentence. He apologizes like he had a frog in his throat, and says he will look into it to make sure he's fine.</div><div>When they hit the bridge, Troi asks Picard for a meeting in the ready room, and Riker tells Ro to put them into a synchronous orbit. </div><div>Data takes his place at Ops. "I think we should start our lifeform search at the southern polar region."</div><div>"That makes no sense," says Riker. "That's like starting our search from scratch. Better to start where we crashed."</div><div>Data argues that they have no idea where the Essex is, but Riker just restates that he wants to start at their crash site, and go from there. Our android friend acquiesces. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8UYIc9A9DRya62caug6iiZxrGPoScVsDhHrQazr2Sbzexv51zdljmn5SbN0CH2kd50IpvgVZUZgVPg0i6jCy7vBj7B3cn4WDB6-F9NmqV_BcIDt5ML4TEKZtfLVi_4XPkVMgWeuT6nr9L6g2UZtZI6AWIqJL4eyq_idQ34TS3-QC1uRlDgtG8mj1ZA/s596/pp10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="596" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8UYIc9A9DRya62caug6iiZxrGPoScVsDhHrQazr2Sbzexv51zdljmn5SbN0CH2kd50IpvgVZUZgVPg0i6jCy7vBj7B3cn4WDB6-F9NmqV_BcIDt5ML4TEKZtfLVi_4XPkVMgWeuT6nr9L6g2UZtZI6AWIqJL4eyq_idQ34TS3-QC1uRlDgtG8mj1ZA/w400-h308/pp10.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the ready room, Troi explains that she was hearing voices calling to her in a telepathic manner on the moon's surface, and much like Data, suggests that they go to the southern polar region to look for the Essex.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But out on the bridge, Ro asks Riker if he changed her heading.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"No?" he asks in confusion.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She also says she's been locked out of helm functions.</div>"Weird. Can you see what's going on, Data?" Riker touches Data's shoulder, but Data hauls off and smacks him one.<div>And when an android lands a punch, <i>you</i> land several feet away.</div><div>Riker calls for security to the bridge. Worf instantly has a phaser in hand, and tries to shoot Data, but he's tackled from behind by O'Brien. Ro now has a phaser, and tries to take down O'Brien, but he manages to take her out with a phaser first.</div><div>Like last episode, none of these people (except Worf, for whom open carry makes sense) seems to be carrying a weapon, yet they all instantly have phasers in hand. Which leads me back to the conclusion that there are little compartments on the bridge for phasers, tucked away out of sight, but which the bridge crew can access quickly if need be. Otherwise, these people are just... manifesting weaponry.</div><div>And much like Kirk, anytime our heroes get into a fire- or fist-fight, they win. Unless they need to lose for story purposes. Which needs to happen here.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuc1id4iFeUdLWUayk6HdzEhNuWkEiY9rnauf4x_dqL53HyzvE9rrtVy7QllwWf3sZ5ePJSvJvLvQp5W4cXLBSegrsBr5kLZVHrqkDNYWzbRwVRSfnzHfzP1xx_867UdOrm0KbXmFL6GFJO3xT7tJOKZx5mNxYFjeUOcd6Ym0FqN2pt46WKejTYZEMA/s605/pp11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="605" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuc1id4iFeUdLWUayk6HdzEhNuWkEiY9rnauf4x_dqL53HyzvE9rrtVy7QllwWf3sZ5ePJSvJvLvQp5W4cXLBSegrsBr5kLZVHrqkDNYWzbRwVRSfnzHfzP1xx_867UdOrm0KbXmFL6GFJO3xT7tJOKZx5mNxYFjeUOcd6Ym0FqN2pt46WKejTYZEMA/w400-h306/pp11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker recovers just long enough to call out to Majel to transfer all bridge functions and commands to Engineering, before O'Brien stuns him with a phaser. Ops goes dead. A severely pissed-off Data watches his console go down, then bangs on it angrily.</div><div>This action scene has gotten too loud to not be noticed in the ready room, and Picard asks "What the shit...?" while walking toward the door.</div><div>And speaking of Kirk's fighting style, Troi takes him down with that two-handed chop-punch thing to the back. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuocQmX4aUSPMmw3hz1Pr5Ro66XCWRll80OmlgBq1lYs6rWu8G5pUYUcOHkLNd_oB9sm8HqwRzfwVYTzHVR_K8GWsPY05QyRI2l4jXjayCx4IW2IthC6Hnp8hSA7YKdNSnM2JcEMNJ8Kc3EFSNQfbaxKxbly6Q5OvrSfrOOeA_AXxzLK8RTzTuVfwHQ/s601/pp12.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="601" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuocQmX4aUSPMmw3hz1Pr5Ro66XCWRll80OmlgBq1lYs6rWu8G5pUYUcOHkLNd_oB9sm8HqwRzfwVYTzHVR_K8GWsPY05QyRI2l4jXjayCx4IW2IthC6Hnp8hSA7YKdNSnM2JcEMNJ8Kc3EFSNQfbaxKxbly6Q5OvrSfrOOeA_AXxzLK8RTzTuVfwHQ/w400-h300/pp12.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lol, blurry fight scene screencaptures are the best</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi exits the ready room, and stalks onto the bridge, demanding to know what happened.</div><div>"He wouldn't go to the south pole," Data snaps, as he and Troi and O'Brien get into the lift to go to Engineering.</div><div>Troi admonishes Data, saying she had almost convinced Picard to take them there.</div><div>What's at the south pole, y'all? You looking for anti-Santa, or something?</div><div>As soon as they exit, Riker gets up off the floor and re-enables the bridge command. Picard enters the bridge, and Riker tells him that Troi, Data, and O'Brien tried to commandeer the ship. Worf also gets up, and locks the turbolift.</div><div>Now the unlikely trio in the turbolift is extra pissed, because they're trapped. But no worries, because Miles is an Engineer. He starts the lift again.</div><div>We bounce back and forth, with Worf putting security measures into place, and them bypassing it, and Worf gets the lift shut down again. Eventually, Worf and two Golds rush to where the lift has stopped on deck 13, but when the doors open, they find just the trio's comm badges. Oops. They got off on ten.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8c_qSufr7Gt774Z0aqW_e_skjZ270OUrJEFYqkyCICoaLk2kEt3IZKeTcMHjbbc7RMVwyPor_hkj0qk1hfGNnPy0WVhKUhWTNLOEB9z4gMes7ry1FkC5QLLRqRqfuBaeMqR0XWkK4qFFzGDAl54CG1AfXkWwTwYrQsZ4zovAf1sJH0jGAMFRgcTBY_Q/s601/pp13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="601" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8c_qSufr7Gt774Z0aqW_e_skjZ270OUrJEFYqkyCICoaLk2kEt3IZKeTcMHjbbc7RMVwyPor_hkj0qk1hfGNnPy0WVhKUhWTNLOEB9z4gMes7ry1FkC5QLLRqRqfuBaeMqR0XWkK4qFFzGDAl54CG1AfXkWwTwYrQsZ4zovAf1sJH0jGAMFRgcTBY_Q/w400-h297/pp13.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The trio is stalking crew quarter corridors, and is stymied by a security force field. No help from O'Brien here: he isn't able to engineer their way out.</div><div>"Hold my phaser," says Data. He goes to the nearest comm panel, breaks it open, and then just shorts the fucker.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fkg4UIAt00yy5IyYkYktyQZd-nuG_tiwdoiESDH69XEoIBoPHD8eb-Yg8NcXPZHM_1VTTA6UU6Bi8-6zVWei91t9bky1gfOYqBtBx7CbegYpRb9ltiQJrmJ_NF3nRjSMWNj8MGu2j2zxhzj8Lw0rMLvhe5MfYcowU1N-59Dfm59L8D90iCZ5FPqsNA/s601/pp14.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="601" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fkg4UIAt00yy5IyYkYktyQZd-nuG_tiwdoiESDH69XEoIBoPHD8eb-Yg8NcXPZHM_1VTTA6UU6Bi8-6zVWei91t9bky1gfOYqBtBx7CbegYpRb9ltiQJrmJ_NF3nRjSMWNj8MGu2j2zxhzj8Lw0rMLvhe5MfYcowU1N-59Dfm59L8D90iCZ5FPqsNA/w400-h305/pp14.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"In case of hostile takeover, break glass."</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The bridge crew realize that the trio are probably headed for Ten Forward, and direct Worf and the others to go there.</div><div>In Ten Forward, Keiko O'Brien is trying to soothe her crying baby. Her husband walks in with two coworkers and yells at everyone to get on the floor. All three have phasers, and when Keiko tries to ask her husband what's happening, he yells at her to get on the floor again.</div><div>People start getting down.</div><div>The security Golds run in.</div><div>There's a fire-fight between them, Data, and O'Brien. Troi just fucking shoots everyone. </div><div>Security golds: check.</div><div>Civilians: check.</div><div>Everybody gets phasered.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-AqvqgTISPwn3gGWNpYyv0oB2IZV_dIl3j_5N0b6Mt63FQRNNX4HdP85FJeP0cP_FnpYFxJb_CbWJalMne7WAJdXWC5USuPd7DW-6wkObyij6sXk-DgILnY_65bSx3insSgJyRRW-HlY0Oqpa-l0gAtNNPEMypKBjl55G8f3C4zW041DXVXqX99bIA/s602/pp15.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="602" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-AqvqgTISPwn3gGWNpYyv0oB2IZV_dIl3j_5N0b6Mt63FQRNNX4HdP85FJeP0cP_FnpYFxJb_CbWJalMne7WAJdXWC5USuPd7DW-6wkObyij6sXk-DgILnY_65bSx3insSgJyRRW-HlY0Oqpa-l0gAtNNPEMypKBjl55G8f3C4zW041DXVXqX99bIA/w400-h304/pp15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>They manage to take down the security Golds, and Picard calls Worf, asking if Worf can hear him.</div><div>Worf struggles to sit up on his elbows, but does so at phaserpoint.</div><div>"Yes, bridge," snarls Troi. "He can hear you."</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IGSrNF4dvdjJLGFqHpRyeZfdbmKYy0324RzfEUo5FQXlJkAf40AIXRsf7WWR2JdRNCnst09cchZchyCCnUWEo56BJnLlHc6tHmBzTeBV16ZF9FFJwvxI-O2e6BhtXWeG5hCtzSl3R-dSCDwm13YxmM808ko38dh-xT5RgNaYU021egMr-4KkG6gqPA/s603/pp16.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="603" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IGSrNF4dvdjJLGFqHpRyeZfdbmKYy0324RzfEUo5FQXlJkAf40AIXRsf7WWR2JdRNCnst09cchZchyCCnUWEo56BJnLlHc6tHmBzTeBV16ZF9FFJwvxI-O2e6BhtXWeG5hCtzSl3R-dSCDwm13YxmM808ko38dh-xT5RgNaYU021egMr-4KkG6gqPA/w400-h303/pp16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log, supplemental: "So, um... Data, Troi, and Chief O'Brien tried to take over the ship, but have now taken hostages in Ten Forward."</div><div><br /></div><div>The bridge attempts to shut out the trio from the computer access in Ten Forward, but is frustrated to find that this has been preempted: O'Brien already has control of those panels, and has locked the bridge out. A transporter tech has attempted to beam them out, but O'Brien has already locked them out of that as well.</div><div>Based on who is allowed to yell at whom:</div><div>Troi is the top of the food chain here.</div><div>Then Data.</div><div>O'Brien is at the bottom.</div><div>They're all assholes, but they have a hierarchy.</div><div><br /></div><div>The transporter tech calls the bridge to say that O'Brien has taken the transporter system offline and put it in diagnostic mode. Which is pretty smart of O'Brien, because that system will be down for hours now. </div><div>This is the second episode in a row that they've used diagnostic cycles as Disable the Ship story devices, and honestly, I'm not mad at it. I like when mundane shit like that is utilized for storytelling.</div><div>Ro tells Picard that there are 17 people in Ten Forward, but that's all she's got, because they just shut down internal scanners, too.</div><div>Picard pages Crusher to the bridge.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEife95QxskHj32K1uiNGFEfidh9FDxBtPXLHtaiqfOZaCN9ghdzJ8rXylUb8JD-sHQfsmU1-u0w85Sj11iBipp5EJz_y_G5ekCUelOzaxTmng4klT3KDnHEEGshBDzyNZhnzioTX8_7NXrHdNkv8AYCTi53aNRnJuUloU8komlgiB6uELSBa21tYeAY4A/s599/pp17.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="599" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEife95QxskHj32K1uiNGFEfidh9FDxBtPXLHtaiqfOZaCN9ghdzJ8rXylUb8JD-sHQfsmU1-u0w85Sj11iBipp5EJz_y_G5ekCUelOzaxTmng4klT3KDnHEEGshBDzyNZhnzioTX8_7NXrHdNkv8AYCTi53aNRnJuUloU8komlgiB6uELSBa21tYeAY4A/w400-h297/pp17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We continue to go back and forth here.</div><div>Data and O'Brien have isolated Ten Forward with force fields, and taken everyone's comm badges.</div><div>Riker suggests that they flood Ten Forward with some kind of knockout gas, but La Forge points out that it won't affect Data, and that any plan they have has to include taking down all three at once.</div><div>Crusher shows up on the bridge, and Picard asks her to check the transporter logs to see if return patterns show anything different than the originals.<br /><div>Finally, Picard calls Ten Forward to ask if they can talk and avoid violence.</div><div>The trio does not answer Picard.</div><div>Instead, Troi muses on the fact that normally, she would be upstairs, advising the captain to gain their trust.</div><div>Data decides to pick a fight. "Come for me, bitch!" he says to Worf.</div><div>Worf basically shrugs.</div><div>Troi tells Data to knock it the fuck off, because honestly, what purpose would that serve?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiOAQCMSehOjlgGNblGsjjB3cuFu1U5QhxUcEXRG0QhjNHzOTPsHajgglURGKrdpJWDRByoesv1c4kWGXao0N9Ph55v5bYvkKwBO7XAY1rFtU4NeDbMOwlywV1m-qWRecwxIqbdQAmvUBrMmLpM4mnBo31-OP0oqz7bawBA7MTAJz9cl1V2r6FUNPJg/s610/pp18.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="610" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiOAQCMSehOjlgGNblGsjjB3cuFu1U5QhxUcEXRG0QhjNHzOTPsHajgglURGKrdpJWDRByoesv1c4kWGXao0N9Ph55v5bYvkKwBO7XAY1rFtU4NeDbMOwlywV1m-qWRecwxIqbdQAmvUBrMmLpM4mnBo31-OP0oqz7bawBA7MTAJz9cl1V2r6FUNPJg/w400-h300/pp18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard calls Ten Forward again, asking if anyone down there needs medical attention.</div><div>"We can talk about that once you move the ship to the southern polar region," Troi snarls back.</div><div>Picard confers with Riker that moving the ship may buy them some time; they agree but Picard tells the helm to move like molasses.</div><div>At this time, Crusher tells Picard that her transporter log exam has turned up mostly normal, but with added synapse activity attached to Troi, Data, and O'Brien.</div><div>"Maybe extra life forms, hitching a ride on our people?" she suggests.</div><div>"Why not me?" asks Riker.</div><div>"You were injured," says Crusher. "Maybe pain made you immune to whatever those are."</div><div>"We could give 'em a plasma shock?" says Ro. "Like, it hurts, but doesn't cause physical damage."</div><div>She and La Forge come up with a complicated, time-sensitive plan, wherein they'll crawl through the ceiling of Ten Forward, wait until all three are standing near one another, drop the force fields, and then shock them. It should overload Data's neural net, making it effective for all three.</div><div>"Cool," says Picard. "Then once the energy things leave our people, we have to find a way to catch and contain them. Crusher, you're in charge of that part. Figure it out."</div><div>Ooh! I know! I can contribute!</div><div>You just do this:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-cTCkn4PLZxAzqL6Bxq-34YyBMEFxgyWA-kK2tedMTSMU-GFKqagayEuxObp7LnuTxoNbGqt67hK_s6XzsGOwAli56kNIzuX3NAXcQ11DL_yPJSNnuimD_1V80GdCersArMYF4aUnMyPsvupwZlHkd9GenT_bf1YSTNjUL71Y468eEC2uhjVdyuhPw/s1312/gb%20proton%20streams.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="1312" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-cTCkn4PLZxAzqL6Bxq-34YyBMEFxgyWA-kK2tedMTSMU-GFKqagayEuxObp7LnuTxoNbGqt67hK_s6XzsGOwAli56kNIzuX3NAXcQ11DL_yPJSNnuimD_1V80GdCersArMYF4aUnMyPsvupwZlHkd9GenT_bf1YSTNjUL71Y468eEC2uhjVdyuhPw/w400-h220/gb%20proton%20streams.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLKPRrqdT54v0O3mH3fOQaH0EWDtF8SGp6jZZ-zIJED5KlJRoDEq7SI4dnkLQ5Tc_toHdAVyKKe0EKMrve7bfGXPkGnpNcs-uQc7z6bIhMMJrOXTxFFwV-yQxsraSiQo0QU-r83ty9843O6D2heSpSp40uMXS55Ji-SVGyhjsjrSrnsR4eYRfDiYLZQ/s491/gbtrap.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="491" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLKPRrqdT54v0O3mH3fOQaH0EWDtF8SGp6jZZ-zIJED5KlJRoDEq7SI4dnkLQ5Tc_toHdAVyKKe0EKMrve7bfGXPkGnpNcs-uQc7z6bIhMMJrOXTxFFwV-yQxsraSiQo0QU-r83ty9843O6D2heSpSp40uMXS55Ji-SVGyhjsjrSrnsR4eYRfDiYLZQ/w400-h259/gbtrap.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Now that they have a plan to trap Gozer & Friends, Picard calls Ten Forward again.</div><div>"Hey, how many wounded?'</div><div>"Five," says Troi. She forces Worf to tell Picard about the injured people. "I'm not releasing anyone, though."</div><div>"Okay, look," says Picard, "those people need medical attention, so if you let them out, I'll take their place."</div><div>Troi and Co. do a little huddle, then agree.</div><div>On the bridge, Riker objects to this trade, but Picard points out that, with the trio in charge, he's a hostage no matter where he is on the ship. They all are. This way, he can find out who they are, and what they want.</div><div>He pages a medical team to Ten Forward, and hops in a lift. "If Ro and La Forge's plan doesn't work, then we'll have to try something else. Pay attention, I may be able to get it done a different way."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHScZTFmR_FeGcBY9pCjoR_oGkNldcKvMOyaGpqBu_aqe3h3kvsWltZVSg0Pm8iph7T9cptTCXsZ83wZPMTErxyBYNgNtssqUVAiP9ZGHwgGB0KNRptnwTiwrOzZYQSn4PvXWoKb2sCb_6YNfRcp8gQW8yMIg1GbE0n04V65be0BJ4PRurkB06oTWjw/s604/pp19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="604" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHScZTFmR_FeGcBY9pCjoR_oGkNldcKvMOyaGpqBu_aqe3h3kvsWltZVSg0Pm8iph7T9cptTCXsZ83wZPMTErxyBYNgNtssqUVAiP9ZGHwgGB0KNRptnwTiwrOzZYQSn4PvXWoKb2sCb_6YNfRcp8gQW8yMIg1GbE0n04V65be0BJ4PRurkB06oTWjw/w400-h305/pp19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The next scene is a bit creepy. Molly is crying again, while Keiko tries to soothe her. Hotheaded Data rushes up with a phaser and yells at her to shut it up.</div><div>"I'm trying to calm her," says Keiko, who is also trying to remain calm, and also not doing a great job. She isn't frightened, though. She's pissed af. "She's scared. Why don't you let us go?"</div><div>O'Brien comes up to her. "I know you. I know who you are, and I know what that is."</div><div>He also clearly has no fucks to give for Molly, other than telling Keiko to shut her up.</div><div>It feels like Star Trek is trying to invoke That Scene from M*A*S*H. You know the one.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDR-5lKIdES8tetLixkNO-zFSNM5Nl7aenmCYVpJ4e-oZXJwgQ_CS3ft3PvVyUZsO4T5nNWxAVMkKFAvpIc-p-yr05KrktLsWDdRPSUAiQSXXO4lnUWqExNbbm1q_cX839PNcs-iUircjitUsKsjHvEXwGYVzNepbEDS0j2LiAxBVn7mzm3mMMPrwy7g/s606/pp20.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="606" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDR-5lKIdES8tetLixkNO-zFSNM5Nl7aenmCYVpJ4e-oZXJwgQ_CS3ft3PvVyUZsO4T5nNWxAVMkKFAvpIc-p-yr05KrktLsWDdRPSUAiQSXXO4lnUWqExNbbm1q_cX839PNcs-iUircjitUsKsjHvEXwGYVzNepbEDS0j2LiAxBVn7mzm3mMMPrwy7g/w400-h301/pp20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The trio drops the force fields around Ten Forward, and Picard enters with a medical team. They rip his comm badge off.</div><div>"Hello, Picard," says Troi. "I am Captain Bryce Shumar, from the Essex."</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5PXGWXzTGCpMVoyRPQdo1ica6FENlXOY4SCIDy7Hbs71Rsu8x5Yyns51g-0CdU-WaudYd0w6u67mCIfTTBDJIaX63Do0-6mnd_2sQe7oIgDNqcYZrrCtNFrHzOGGIGeqJ_Z6fF-YGQnaYIzf9zDKMBuw5rgAxE8eskcbTgxpIiJD-7SKSP1xnBJ3Pg/s605/pp21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5PXGWXzTGCpMVoyRPQdo1ica6FENlXOY4SCIDy7Hbs71Rsu8x5Yyns51g-0CdU-WaudYd0w6u67mCIfTTBDJIaX63Do0-6mnd_2sQe7oIgDNqcYZrrCtNFrHzOGGIGeqJ_Z6fF-YGQnaYIzf9zDKMBuw5rgAxE8eskcbTgxpIiJD-7SKSP1xnBJ3Pg/w400-h304/pp21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br />
Troi-Shumar introduces Picard to her first mate, Commander Steven Mullen (Data), and her security officer, Lt Morgan Kelly (O'Brien). She (he? let's stick with she here) tells Picard that they've survived for the last 200 years as spirits of some kind, and that they need his help.</div><div>"Is Troi alive?" he asks uncertainly.</div><div>"Um, <i>yeah," </i>says Troi-Shumar, as though insulted. "I'm not interested in harming her, or anyone else. But while I'm inhabiting her, I also have access to all of her knowledge of you, so don't get clever."</div><div>Okay, interesting. Here we have two episodes in a row that deal with different identity crises (missing vs overridden by ghost... things), and in both cases, just the identity was altered. They still have full range of knowledge of the host bodies. It kind of makes me wonder how this episode might have gone differently if they didn't have that information.</div><div>"Sooo, this help you need...?" he asks.</div><div>"Our consciousness has been trapped on this moon for 200 years," she says. "We need to get the hell out of here."</div><div>This is beyond Picard's paygrade. "Um, how did it happen?"</div><div>Troi walks away. "Dunno. We were caught in an electromagnetic storm, just like your shuttle, and our bridge was struck by lightning. It ripped the ship apart, and our consciousness was absorbed into the storm."</div><div>The medical team takes the injured people away, and Picard asks why she wasn't just straight-forward with this info, instead of taking a bunch of people hostage.</div><div>"Because Troi knows Picard, and knows that he doesn't believe in ghosts. You don't believe my story now, either."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ45prvC68Rlyg3Qp1UpRtldbpWor_jXXTusqxf_69zjpGuc4BdAoJnswE3yVNAKyoQ2O7gy_tnazp0XKuuU5qKbR5XxK-KDnXI_15vMsTMrqO54EAef_I3mEimRBgL1Hyj8pUlA4paMow2nM6UVRX0H-50Ab26dwTig5ZPJx7z0PNHDsjQKnZRMs1_A/s598/pp22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="598" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ45prvC68Rlyg3Qp1UpRtldbpWor_jXXTusqxf_69zjpGuc4BdAoJnswE3yVNAKyoQ2O7gy_tnazp0XKuuU5qKbR5XxK-KDnXI_15vMsTMrqO54EAef_I3mEimRBgL1Hyj8pUlA4paMow2nM6UVRX0H-50Ab26dwTig5ZPJx7z0PNHDsjQKnZRMs1_A/w400-h308/pp22.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>He asks Troi-Shumar about some ship designation and command information, and she lists off the info he wants. He's looking for a blue checkmark.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOBCjbAz7sR0tBUAA25vinjKmRF13m_9fPMzh2_U9Qw7Vsq1S0G65lCUAbcIvG-2fwdYaGj5wo66l3xz2R94PNWGOXz7VhAZyTSyMZmamqfUr9clH0SeQrwXhK2vtE8AssHqYC_jV_5NAuEmpxPNvk9UWnOVIKiFVf_yFFa2uLibuCE-HWa9Iq0VBMA/s609/ppcheckmark.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="609" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOBCjbAz7sR0tBUAA25vinjKmRF13m_9fPMzh2_U9Qw7Vsq1S0G65lCUAbcIvG-2fwdYaGj5wo66l3xz2R94PNWGOXz7VhAZyTSyMZmamqfUr9clH0SeQrwXhK2vtE8AssHqYC_jV_5NAuEmpxPNvk9UWnOVIKiFVf_yFFa2uLibuCE-HWa9Iq0VBMA/w400-h301/ppcheckmark.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"Look, I'll give you the help you want, but you need to stop with the hostage situation."</div><div>"Not gonna happen," she replies. "That requires trust, and neither of us trusts the other."</div><div>Data-Mullen grows impatient. "He's manipulating you," he insists. "He's going to try to delay helping us until they can be rescued by someone else."</div><div>Props to Brent Spiner here. He plays a convincing slimeball.</div><div>"Yeah, probably," she answers. "But Picard won't risk more violence, so it's just easier for him to go along with what we want, and help us."</div><div>"What do you want, bottom-line?" Picard asks.</div><div>"To end this Highlander shit," replies Troi-Shumar. "To not be trapped here in some non-corporeal form. We wanna be able to walk through that fucking archway at the end of The Good Place."</div><div>Girl, same.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSaGR35RHGIrYbdrCfCGFBouz1X4zTMVAokGgLHu5Ej_khFuA5Eo95E1PYRvgiKd3u8YN-i5B1Vre0cSQ4Be0CRi6MwsdygxufP2UctocH_JA4nAcayJzyZR6G15ZeeRzMrDNDMln5sDb0ZqlXvmxhabK-drNrCmznyIjGbmHk7TMPTWYR7uvNlIIdQ/s603/pp23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="603" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSaGR35RHGIrYbdrCfCGFBouz1X4zTMVAokGgLHu5Ej_khFuA5Eo95E1PYRvgiKd3u8YN-i5B1Vre0cSQ4Be0CRi6MwsdygxufP2UctocH_JA4nAcayJzyZR6G15ZeeRzMrDNDMln5sDb0ZqlXvmxhabK-drNrCmznyIjGbmHk7TMPTWYR7uvNlIIdQ/w400-h304/pp23.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Ro and La Forge are Die Hard-ing their way through some kind of access tunnel above the ceiling of Ten Forward, dragging a machine thing that looks like a big blender.</div><div>Sassy Ro Moment: "Finally. I never want to see this part of the Enterprise again."</div><div>Sassy La Forge response: "I hear you - this is what starship designers call easy access."<br />
Not gonna lie: that grating looks like murder on the knees.</div><div>Also, I know they're not dealing with a cheap cardboard drop-ceiling, but it seems like they should be lowering their voices.</div><div>Ro removes some grates, and drills down, and puts the blender-looking thing over the hole to scan Ten Forward. She can see Picard and Troi-Shumar, but notes that Troi, Data, and O'Brien all have to be standing in the circle on the monitor for the beam-thing to work.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEc6k67RYysAnsp6uOSd8CbScALtYZYhRGjrHHfRtJumqVBELuG1b6Bo2OHV8xS5Kfiu04sRRD8yC7aoXjqAjfKpFrXJZpny9U6aCD8KjKBAOnRKGUbqx9WcOIOqirD1G8uZ2g0-1SMkllvrYS7dWFpwjYPAw-IFeVXmRY9xjezPokW2ZXzPBYpR3g3g/s608/pp24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="608" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEc6k67RYysAnsp6uOSd8CbScALtYZYhRGjrHHfRtJumqVBELuG1b6Bo2OHV8xS5Kfiu04sRRD8yC7aoXjqAjfKpFrXJZpny9U6aCD8KjKBAOnRKGUbqx9WcOIOqirD1G8uZ2g0-1SMkllvrYS7dWFpwjYPAw-IFeVXmRY9xjezPokW2ZXzPBYpR3g3g/w400-h303/pp24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br />
<br />
La Forge calls Crusher on the bridge to find out if she's figured out how to do the containment field, and <i>now</i> he's whispering. Like the access tunnel they're in was perfectly sound-proof until Ro drilled a tiny hole in the floor. Whatever.</div><div>Anyway, through science-talk, Crusher tells him that she thinks that if they flood Ten Forward with the same kind of ion particles as that storm on the moon, it can trap the ghost... things once they shock the ghost-things out of their people. It... sounds more elegant and plausible the way Crusher explained it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBDuYAQZdvH3HQSdVMMZmbU9it8WjW6zvOQcUbioAtjiGH8DxkOvJdgH4VQkwkwrv08n5_Ds6ndEMkAA64IhTJyWUiRxFxXK3j1r7JZljYkk-hPEZK5cB7Byrr-S3PdMc1PTjNQFUzhQOOCHYX2GAu4KBma1S7-V7CE-qatwyuSe6cPxpv2VHYT9czg/s600/pp25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="600" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBDuYAQZdvH3HQSdVMMZmbU9it8WjW6zvOQcUbioAtjiGH8DxkOvJdgH4VQkwkwrv08n5_Ds6ndEMkAA64IhTJyWUiRxFxXK3j1r7JZljYkk-hPEZK5cB7Byrr-S3PdMc1PTjNQFUzhQOOCHYX2GAu4KBma1S7-V7CE-qatwyuSe6cPxpv2VHYT9czg/w400-h303/pp25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi-Shumar breaks away from Picard to talk to Data-Mullen, and Picard moves over to talk to Worf. They talk quietly about possession stories from both the Klingon and Terran cultures, but Picard is still skeptical. They don't act like Starfleet officers. Worf wonders if the ghost-for-200-years situation has changed them to act this way. </div><div>Data-Mullen is all hyped up on agro-juice. Before he talked to Troi-Shumar, he told O'Brien-Kelly to watch Worf. This guy has a real problem with our resident Klingon. Now, he stalks over and separates Picard and Worf.</div><div>Meanwhile, O'Brien-Kelly has decided to be creepy toward Keiko again, using memories that he's harvesting from Miles' brain.</div><div>"I gave you that bracelet," he says, picking up Keiko's wrist. "In McKinley Park. I put it in your pocket, and you were surprised."</div><div>He seems to be marveling at the weird sensation of being given access to someone else's life in a really intimate way, but he's got a really threatening aura at the same time.</div><div>Keiko is unnerved, and rips her hand away. It doesn't help that he's got a phaser aimed at her. Is Miles fighting with Kelly internally? He suddenly grabs her face like he's going to kiss her aggressively, and she fights and screams and cries.</div><div>"Leave her tf alone," says Troi-Shumar.</div><div>Does... does this guy lack impulse control? Feels like it, the way Troi-Shumar barked at him.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfwANtaoP8nweboSdJEM9Ok4khPY_SUR-RpRxKo0oVu_HdicXvhISZqBnF_u7Ix5tmcHboWX6MxPMxGFXKMe4fip_jekiYVfJ6WsNFZzQos68Gq7ilwZV9AvKqhPnCO7Z_NprkTOw8AAg3wVzCabOtTPS-kETx-PusynA3N1ziTw1PLl2EF1QXkEBpw/s608/pp26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="608" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfwANtaoP8nweboSdJEM9Ok4khPY_SUR-RpRxKo0oVu_HdicXvhISZqBnF_u7Ix5tmcHboWX6MxPMxGFXKMe4fip_jekiYVfJ6WsNFZzQos68Gq7ilwZV9AvKqhPnCO7Z_NprkTOw8AAg3wVzCabOtTPS-kETx-PusynA3N1ziTw1PLl2EF1QXkEBpw/w400-h301/pp26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"We're approaching the southern region," says Picard. "I need to give the bridge crew our next instructions. What do you need us to do now?"</div><div>"Go to the south pole. When our ship broke up in the atmosphere, the bridge landed there. Beam up our skeletons, and take them back to Earth for burial," says Troi-Shumar.</div><div>"No probs," replies Picard. "You gonna let my people go first?"</div><div>"Noop."</div><div>"Come on," urges Picard. "Be cool. We'll take you home. If you're Starfleet, you don't need to act like this."</div><div>Troi-Shumar digs in her heels.</div><div>And so does Picard. "Fine. Let the hostages go, or I won't cooperate."</div><div>"Really?" asks Data-Mullen. "How about if we start killing people? Will you cooperate then?" He grabs Worf and jams the phaser under the Klingon's chin.<br />
He really, <i>really</i> fucking hates Worf.</div><div>Now O'Brien-Kelly chooses a hostage, and <i>quelle surprise! </i>he selects Keiko, who hands her baby off to another hostage.</div><div>"Choose one to die, or I kill them both!" barks Data-Mullen.</div><div>Shit, Shumar. Reign in your boys.</div><div>But, oh hey. When Data-Mullen backs away, they line up in the circle.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4NqStlbo6XgbSFB08WKH3Pb7PPy22G3CfJ6U2l3UzllKkpaZ7zwe6--M0ZniHwMzVP5kzztViKCgLuq7dKh60-kFz62NNDHvpH-IAWN5bJsaC5gzTULBQup7oO7AAqS4XX_VpAKLM2tZuS4cHHRVtDYBuWgrSTkRjK1Fzl_5RF1sQFzLZLLQ2uoXWA/s605/pp27.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="605" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4NqStlbo6XgbSFB08WKH3Pb7PPy22G3CfJ6U2l3UzllKkpaZ7zwe6--M0ZniHwMzVP5kzztViKCgLuq7dKh60-kFz62NNDHvpH-IAWN5bJsaC5gzTULBQup7oO7AAqS4XX_VpAKLM2tZuS4cHHRVtDYBuWgrSTkRjK1Fzl_5RF1sQFzLZLLQ2uoXWA/w400-h304/pp27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>For some dumbass reason, they aren't all ready to go. Ro tells La Forge that they're all in the circle, but La Forge says it'll take 7 seconds to drop the force field, then he calls Crusher to flood Ten Forward with the ion-things. In the time it takes to turn off one thing and turn on two others, Data-Mullen has stepped outside of the circle, so the blender-scanner-circle-thing only zaps Troi and O'Brien. They hit the deck, and the floaty balls of light exit their bodies.</div><div>Data-Mullen is pissed, and steps to Picard. "Call that shit off!" And he uses Data-strength to wrap his hand around Picard's throat and lift him off the ground.</div><div>Picard rasps out, "Bridge, call off the plan."</div><div>The ion and zappy blender are turned off, and the floaty balls of light settle back into Troi and O'Brien.</div><div>Troi stalks over and asks Picard if he's going to cooperate now.</div><div>He squeaks out a yes, and Data-Mullen puts him down.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwc1z3IkNbilF_Yur1hmuNkASVVmSAc3fESbvjrC6e4MySK3JRR3mPKNnQjNC3NrrKDSBBlNSKMWBkCsGhvuwvVONmHg7XqeuMO45QafFDTX6l54zv302ylsKj6yeIknk8rApcP1IU-dUTPoBzTaQuRtDcFpzCp9oop5P8CbQr5L2yLAeJOFhwIpEHg/s603/pp28.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwc1z3IkNbilF_Yur1hmuNkASVVmSAc3fESbvjrC6e4MySK3JRR3mPKNnQjNC3NrrKDSBBlNSKMWBkCsGhvuwvVONmHg7XqeuMO45QafFDTX6l54zv302ylsKj6yeIknk8rApcP1IU-dUTPoBzTaQuRtDcFpzCp9oop5P8CbQr5L2yLAeJOFhwIpEHg/w400-h305/pp28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Riker's Log, supplemental: "Moved the ship to the south pole, but we're not seeing the wreck of the Essex anywhere."</div><div><br /></div><div>Riker calls Ten Forward. "Hey, we're looking for your ship, but not finding anything where you say it is."</div><div>"We're gonna send you the exact coordinates of our remains," Troi-Shumer replies. </div><div>Data-Mullen types in coordinates that get sent to the bridge from the little console in Ten Forward that I swear was not there in previous episodes.</div><div>Riker cuts comms to Ten Forward, and asks La Forge, who is working Ops, if he sees anything. </div><div>"Nope," says La Forge. "Just an ion storm."</div><div>Riker says he doesn't want to just blindly beam up whatever's at those coordinates without knowing what might be there, but La Forge says there's no way that transporters will work in these storms anyway. </div><div>Riker calls Ten Forward again, and tells them that there's no way the transporters will work with this interference.</div><div>O'Brien-Kelly bursts out that they're lying.</div><div>"We gotta be able to use the transporters," says a worried-looking Data-Mullen to Troi-Shumer.</div><div>Picard pipes up from across the room. "Yeah, we've been having issues with the transporters since we got here. That's why we used the shuttle instead of beaming down. And then O'Brien had to go down there and boost the signal manually. He's the guy who knows the most about the transporters."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g4uY9UVDOE5WqfiC9uKa32APARZXCPc2RhHgWAuzd0-grkU3G5IJxxptK9KmyhcKpIEDawpdy-hvN4ZYhLmC0-hZ-KYsejM9dCBkCBtWSKPVTW7KGC1Xynk5oImKI7xiaDGgdPgHIlRnk3dcbd_dAbCZt4aUwFfTWoEKYcHDbzKjytcSXKWe-FkAQw/s598/pp29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="598" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g4uY9UVDOE5WqfiC9uKa32APARZXCPc2RhHgWAuzd0-grkU3G5IJxxptK9KmyhcKpIEDawpdy-hvN4ZYhLmC0-hZ-KYsejM9dCBkCBtWSKPVTW7KGC1Xynk5oImKI7xiaDGgdPgHIlRnk3dcbd_dAbCZt4aUwFfTWoEKYcHDbzKjytcSXKWe-FkAQw/w400-h304/pp29.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>O'Brien-Kelly tells Troi-Shumer that he can't operate the transporters from Ten Forward. He needs a transporter pad. Picard offers to guarantee safe passage for O'Brien-Kelly to a transporter pad in a cargo bay. They dismiss this idea based on the fact that they do not want to be separated.</div><div>"I could take you all," Picard offers. "Look, I'm offering based on the idea that you can't take all of the hostages, and that's my biggest concern, keeping people safe."</div><div>"We're screwed if we leave Ten Forward," argues Data-Mullen. "That's outside of the force field, and they could beam us back to the surface."</div><div>O'Brien-Kelly thinks he can fix it, and comms Riker. "Send us the control of the transporter to Ten Forward."</div><div>"I can't do that unless you release control of the computer," Riker responds.</div><div>O'Brien-Kelly thinks Riker is lying, and Picard offers to talk to Riker.</div><div>"Heeeeyyyy, Number One. I think I found a way to end this hostage situation. We're going to guarantee safe passage of... our guests to cargo bay 4."</div><div>Riker recognizes that this is the clue that Picard was talking about earlier, and agrees.</div><div>O'Brien-Kelly confirms that he can get into the transporter controls now. But then he calls the bridge angrily. "I SAID ALL OF THEM! INCLUDING SHUTTLECRAFT TRANSPORTERS!"</div><div>Upstairs on the bridge, Ro hits the railing. "Well, fuck."</div><div>"You tried," Riker says in a consoling way.</div><div>He calls Ten Forward back to confirm that they've transferred all controls to O'Brien-Kelly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP071qsUoxl0Umv6EDPtc8Xjwpx1RzRY5L2DIGA8ScK8mJSwe2L4Muv_w4So5w39d0rz1OPs4OoG1ujpQ8VB07sGS-dzTJTD4eM1yaSRsrbm2aaxWXWipAeobHyDw0JeYfnixRvBffdW9KHlWhqvR9oQecTEgi5oKxEdP27AR8fmT-mZLzynWtxSt8kQ/s602/pp30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="602" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP071qsUoxl0Umv6EDPtc8Xjwpx1RzRY5L2DIGA8ScK8mJSwe2L4Muv_w4So5w39d0rz1OPs4OoG1ujpQ8VB07sGS-dzTJTD4eM1yaSRsrbm2aaxWXWipAeobHyDw0JeYfnixRvBffdW9KHlWhqvR9oQecTEgi5oKxEdP27AR8fmT-mZLzynWtxSt8kQ/w400-h305/pp30.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> O'Brien-Kelly tells the others that he's setting up access codes that only they will have, so no one else can transport them off the ship.</div><div>Data-Mullen mentions that the crew still has access to phasers, so it's back to taking hostages again. He says "the Klingon!" so fast that I'm starting to think that this is a set up for a rom-com about how much they hated each other at first, but now they're starring in some feel-good Hallmark Christmas movie where they run the cutest little B&B in upstate Vermont.</div><div>O'Brien of course goes straight for Keiko, and she asks quietly if she can leave Molly behind in Ten Forward. She might be wearing him down, because he gestures at her to hand the baby off to the same woman as before, but his face says, "yeah, I guess so."</div><div>The six make their way through the corridors to the cargo bay, passing security Golds that were posted up along the route, just in case.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0-g7WgC-zlfxpSjSU5DeE5UPgvzywsLhzlasUX8gmojLawJsh4sqVDSnWwn4k_Gx5VR6hTX3xPQRjw8FKEz8F6no1PS0x48cKvj26uolqbImfB9K6SyIqUtnBxWgWEgIVlxtFrPqyZ-JWa62QCp8eTxt8Xyy6UcAOGHLy2IBOs8xl0PsUmNq5hGQhg/s600/pp31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="600" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0-g7WgC-zlfxpSjSU5DeE5UPgvzywsLhzlasUX8gmojLawJsh4sqVDSnWwn4k_Gx5VR6hTX3xPQRjw8FKEz8F6no1PS0x48cKvj26uolqbImfB9K6SyIqUtnBxWgWEgIVlxtFrPqyZ-JWa62QCp8eTxt8Xyy6UcAOGHLy2IBOs8xl0PsUmNq5hGQhg/w400-h305/pp31.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>They reach the cargo bay, and Picard is done playing. While O'Brien-Kelly and Data-Mullen set up the transporter, he asks Troi-Shumar how exactly they're going to free their consciousness from the planet.</div><div>"It'll just happen as we get further away from the moon," she says impatiently.</div><div>"How do you know?" he asks. "You basing that on science? Honestly, who are you?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Up on the bridge, Crusher and La Forge are plotting out their previous zapping plan, but altered to work with the transporters.</div><div>"This gonna work?" asks Ro.</div><div>"Maybe, maybe not," Riker admits. "Thing is, Picard picked cargo bay 4 on purpose. If things go south, we have to blow the doors."</div><div>Nobody likes this plan, but their choices are limited, so Ro readies herself to possibly murder her crewmates and captain.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UELF905ww9sJadwr42hInVNNPWOFl50u-R7uwxjOnM-pwDHXSlq5ndwxcoOlCM5KxFfiyyCoF3H8ciOpSesmVr-kWrPP81FMB9zVPglyPL_3R0qFKGMgBua5dZkDiI7_NGtFWUCMDFwlMxjeAc4hwTZC4uc9C1aendEECLF8PBwKxwwS_-GDB2lyJw/s603/pp33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="603" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UELF905ww9sJadwr42hInVNNPWOFl50u-R7uwxjOnM-pwDHXSlq5ndwxcoOlCM5KxFfiyyCoF3H8ciOpSesmVr-kWrPP81FMB9zVPglyPL_3R0qFKGMgBua5dZkDiI7_NGtFWUCMDFwlMxjeAc4hwTZC4uc9C1aendEECLF8PBwKxwwS_-GDB2lyJw/w400-h305/pp33.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi-Shumar finally gives up the ghost (so to speak), once O'Brien-Kelly beams up a column of glitter with wind.</div><div>"Yeah, okay, you were right," she says. "We're convicted prisoners from the star system Ux-Mal, separated from our bodies 500 years ago, and our spirits trapped on this prison-moon. We tried to escape on the Essex, but the ship couldn't break free of the storms. We couldn't just ask for your help outright, because there's no way you'd agree to facilitate a jailbreak of hundreds of prisoners. We're beaming up our friends, and we're gonna take over your bodies and use them to go home."</div><div><br /></div><div>Up on the bridge, Crusher confirms that whatever soup is in the transporter beam contains hundreds of... something. The same something that our fake Starfleet ghosts are made of. She floods the cargo bay with her "containment field," indicated here by a dimming of the lights in the cargo bay.</div><div><br /></div><div>Somehow, Troi-whoever knows exactly what this means.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYR3-CHbR_vj7HUzndZJCsDDrwnl4cukCmdxUB-w-J11gzgO-PQExhPzk4GYQ2v9R6EWoI6_2JzJ8pKfsYvCXJEnXwySeYN3xTTM4aNe87-i9z4nknxPPTKbrpBiaJMqB5sruC8pv0XvXhWPRHDyrE3urrf0Tsa4dOBm1tOhDY4EqgircnXXw1aL3uog/s599/pp34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="599" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYR3-CHbR_vj7HUzndZJCsDDrwnl4cukCmdxUB-w-J11gzgO-PQExhPzk4GYQ2v9R6EWoI6_2JzJ8pKfsYvCXJEnXwySeYN3xTTM4aNe87-i9z4nknxPPTKbrpBiaJMqB5sruC8pv0XvXhWPRHDyrE3urrf0Tsa4dOBm1tOhDY4EqgircnXXw1aL3uog/w400-h306/pp34.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>She jams a phaser under Picard's chin and tells him that they're all going to die.</div><div>Which Picard finds mildly amusing, seeing as how they're just taken all of her friends hostage.</div><div>"We still have your friends' bodies," sneers Not O'Brien. "And we could still kill you."</div><div>"I'm cool with that," shrugs Picard.</div><div>"Yeah, I'd die for my kid," adds Keiko.</div><div>And Not Data seems to have overlooked that Klingons are the Good To Go Whenever species of the Alpha Quadrant.</div><div>Not Troi realizes that she's playing a losing hand, and advises Picard to stay the fuck out of their neighborhood, before the tiny balls of energy leave the bodies of Troi, O'Brien, and Data and join the energy soup in the transporter beam. Worf sends them back to hell.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22UiRaIiPebP1XGx3TvmdBvNKNuFiFy9ltVgHXF1g2EDuBRJqNaq4TaxfVaTKRZdDot-6dK4Ycvpkr9PYzyuZzZ--zFhPWiRjxjQMqgzOCekfC95EXRWLbIytoiwervJVr36JlJTmFWwBtMBgGkd74eeFIBHOuE7i7O1fM70ZZf0WSZWPu6pWBxG6oA/s601/pp35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="601" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22UiRaIiPebP1XGx3TvmdBvNKNuFiFy9ltVgHXF1g2EDuBRJqNaq4TaxfVaTKRZdDot-6dK4Ycvpkr9PYzyuZzZ--zFhPWiRjxjQMqgzOCekfC95EXRWLbIytoiwervJVr36JlJTmFWwBtMBgGkd74eeFIBHOuE7i7O1fM70ZZf0WSZWPu6pWBxG6oA/w400-h306/pp35.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That's a phaser, but it looks like they're giving an on-scene interview</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log 45572.1: "Crusher took a look at our three friends, and determined that they are fine, and that there will be no lasting effects."</div><div><br /></div><div>Picard exits sick bay with Troi, Data, and Worf, and he asks Troi what it was like to be stuck with an alien entity inhabiting her body.</div><div>"Hmmm, like I was there and aware, but someone else was controlling my body and speaking with my voice. Super weird."</div><div>Data apologizes to Worf for whatever his own alien had done, and Worf tells him that it's fine.</div><div>Data: "Your restraint was most remarkable."</div><div>Sassy Worf Moment: "You have no idea."</div><div><br /></div><div>Back in sick bay, Crusher tells O'Brien that he's fine, and that he and his wife should go home and rest.</div><div>He asks Keiko how she's doing, and she says that she is also fine, and glad that he's normal.</div><div>He tells her that if he could have killed the thing inside of him, he would have.</div><div>"I know," she smiles, holding Molly. "We both do."</div><div>And the camera zooms in on Molly, who seems to be in good spirits, despite the fact that her fucking dad was supposed to feed her hours ago.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFhIBjyubc4zMuAM3VcJJQB4ep_Ds6GzUtA3i0iN7Y3Qh_VAZDCjjfrlBUI416KCAG2AL5y0RuzFYTMGfJSnrE5wT48nllKhvrb45ILT_1RMA_wouZYTWS0o_tVChF-mUhYI36GU-zatUcK5Nh3lW-YP3SBFc1DgOzqSN6Y2jnHjzE2QRKYSDu32Y8g/s606/pp36.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="606" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFhIBjyubc4zMuAM3VcJJQB4ep_Ds6GzUtA3i0iN7Y3Qh_VAZDCjjfrlBUI416KCAG2AL5y0RuzFYTMGfJSnrE5wT48nllKhvrb45ILT_1RMA_wouZYTWS0o_tVChF-mUhYI36GU-zatUcK5Nh3lW-YP3SBFc1DgOzqSN6Y2jnHjzE2QRKYSDu32Y8g/w400-h304/pp36.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lol, good job, babies playing Molly. Extra teething biscuits for you.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*******</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So this is one of those episodes that I often forget about, but mostly because it's similar enough to season seven's "Interface" that my brain conflates the two. (Spoilers: Starfleet ship trapped on an inhospitable planet, and "ghosts.") When I start to watch this episode, I always ask, "Is this the one with La Forge's mom?"</div><div style="text-align: left;">No, it is not.</div><div style="text-align: left;">It is kind of wild that they scheduled two episodes in a row that dealt with amnesia/body take-overs in a row, but maybe they figured that these two episodes were different enough. We've now reached the point where episodes are being produced and aired roughly in order, so I don't think it was accidental that they ended up in this sequence. I might also be drawing red lines where they don't belong.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNg26TISmDILFgBHAfpq9352v9R5a6JE2l4FAELfufNK-0Cs0OtjKMHCgoiieurXCWv0a_3bu8ONhUGbff3pphmuSXPrvK0EY-spATt6nO9lTN6j7Ze7zeWnf97UW8QK4Ntu7l0R2q-lR1aBg41tegllWr1zke8X6qxrZOTqMaNNq_JsHR2mjJQ3YUA/s1200/Charlie___Sunny.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="1200" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNg26TISmDILFgBHAfpq9352v9R5a6JE2l4FAELfufNK-0Cs0OtjKMHCgoiieurXCWv0a_3bu8ONhUGbff3pphmuSXPrvK0EY-spATt6nO9lTN6j7Ze7zeWnf97UW8QK4Ntu7l0R2q-lR1aBg41tegllWr1zke8X6qxrZOTqMaNNq_JsHR2mjJQ3YUA/w400-h296/Charlie___Sunny.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have a few takeaways here:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first is that Keiko gets over being threatened by her husband really, <i>really</i> quickly. He threatened their kid, too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"But Lady Archon," one argues, "twas not Miles. Twas a body snatcher."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's true. But it <i>looked</i> like him. It s<i>ounded</i> like him. It had all of his <i>memories. </i>And while many people around her could have told her that her husband was under someone else's control, it would have been so easy for Keiko to reject that. All she has to go on is someone else's word, and maybe Crusher's transporter bioscans.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know that they needed her to be fine and accepting to wrap up the episode and prove that All Was Well again, I doubt she would have been okay with it right away. What's my logic here? Dreams. (No, no, stay with me.) When you're dreaming, and someone you know not only makes an appearance, but treats you like shit, you wake up loathing that person. You know it was a dream, and that that person has not actually wronged you, but your brain says otherwise. You wake up angry, and remain angry, until you are actually able to calm your spicy brain. In reality, I feel like this would have ended with Keiko in Troi's office a few times, before she could fully trust her husband around herself and her kid. (Seeing the fallout of a shitty situation is not done often, but I genuinely applaud Star Trek for going there: "<a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/02/sttng-season-four-episode-twenty-four.html">The Mind's Eye</a>" from season 4 ends with La Forge in the counselor's office, and <a href="http://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2018/04/sttng-season-four-episode-two-family.html">"Family,"</a> which shows Picard dealing with the aftermath of the Locutus situation were both reality interrupting sci-fi to let the viewers know that hey, the human brain is pretty delicate, and we aren't as stoic as we like to pretend.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEtXPQbZEF2tu-EQ1Exs7ug1oZXWCyeNd7uBb9UOqLnvTRSwlunBQZ5CGeZowPya_fVRFBUGR916FVgwBE5j46Qw55zhucHqApf3I2CWWWfqMpoQ3Pt62sJOsBQ0yrPKJTJJE8V8kwlQt3czenk549w2C4vn2JbTNbMgpArKW17GP_-JjPoQ2SCc34A/s600/ppcheck2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEtXPQbZEF2tu-EQ1Exs7ug1oZXWCyeNd7uBb9UOqLnvTRSwlunBQZ5CGeZowPya_fVRFBUGR916FVgwBE5j46Qw55zhucHqApf3I2CWWWfqMpoQ3Pt62sJOsBQ0yrPKJTJJE8V8kwlQt3czenk549w2C4vn2JbTNbMgpArKW17GP_-JjPoQ2SCc34A/w400-h306/ppcheck2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">As long as you have 8 bucks, it doesn't matter who you are</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other thing that I want to talk about is the Ro/Riker relationship. It's already established that they don't get along because Ro is a bit of a shit-stirrer, and that's not how Riker rolls. (Like, he's okay with certain kinds of shit-stirring, but her brand does not mesh well with hers.) Every now and again, we get to see times where they get along. Ro doesn't hate her crewmates. She gets along with quite a few of them, actually. And she gives a shit about their safety. I like when we're shown instances of Ro going about her regular ship's duties, and when it's obvious she's trying really hard. She swears when she isn't able to zap the alien body-snatchers in Ten Forward, and when is upset when her trick to turn over control of all but the shuttle transporters goes awry. And Riker consoles her. "You tried, you did your best." This is what makes him a good manager: she failed, but he recognizes that it wasn't from something she did, and now she feels bad. We see a lot of them being hostile to one another, but it isn't like that all of the time, or he'd write her up; or she'd request a transfer to another ship. She challenges him, but it isn't anything that he can't handle. When she does something in an unusual way that works, he's quick to compliment her instincts. This is a nice balance. They'll never be BFFs, but they can work together to get the job done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overall, I don't find this episode terrible. It's not one of my favorites, and I often forget that it exists, but I don't find it annoying or especially implausible.</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Fun Facts:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- "Power Play" was a working title for the TOS episode <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2014/01/season-1-episode-25-this-side-of.html">"This Side of Paradise."</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Brannon Braga explained that the earlier scripts were a bottle show, taking place mostly in Ten Forward, and Michael Piller told him not to be afraid of writing seven or eight pages of dialogue between Troi and Picard. He agreed, but found the suggestion overkill. When he turned in those 7-8 pages, Piller told him that it was too much. Well, no shit.</div><div style="text-align: left;">- The shuttlecraft <i>Campbell</i> was named after sci-fi writer John W Campbell.</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Director David Livingston recalled that he fun part of this episode was using existing characters, and creating new personalities for them. Though they are never given formal names, the crew gave the unknown being characters nicknames: Troi was Slash, Data was Buzz, and O'Brien was Slugger.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDfIpNp21lIWYMfvLXmZcDR2QCgt3kGt90ihUclU1qXXnJ2nvqxFRy86yLfQswby3rz0-pwzaBqb0qjNCh4cdOamArPin1y8Clhs3b2jcdmDuP1wJIEibWTyIhlUMDbTPKrWAtJIT7MKaoDnyai1ci9N6h5h9ZjlCvqHOfDQdtnqA1nigeUVjkVCm9w/s600/ppcheck3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDfIpNp21lIWYMfvLXmZcDR2QCgt3kGt90ihUclU1qXXnJ2nvqxFRy86yLfQswby3rz0-pwzaBqb0qjNCh4cdOamArPin1y8Clhs3b2jcdmDuP1wJIEibWTyIhlUMDbTPKrWAtJIT7MKaoDnyai1ci9N6h5h9ZjlCvqHOfDQdtnqA1nigeUVjkVCm9w/w400-h306/ppcheck3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">- Brent Spiner enjoyed doing different characters to Data, but the challenge here was playing a character who is a jerk, but not too similar to Lore.</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Director Livingston talked about the difficulties of shooting the inhospitable planet scenes: atmosphere, wind and lightning are all difficult on their own, let alone together. And the floor was sandy, so Marina Sirtis kept having to get back in the make-up chair, because her make-up was getting "sandblasted off."</div><div style="text-align: left;">- For the scene on the planet where Data, Riker, O'Brien, and Troi get thrown across the set, Marina Sirtis was the only actor who opted to play the stunt herself. It did not pay off: she broke her coccyx. And her not using the stunt double didn't make a difference, as you see so little of her that it wouldn't have mattered. Sirtis: "It could have been Worf in Troi's costume, and we wouldn't have known the difference."</div><div style="text-align: left;">- A photoshoot for trading cards was also done during the filming of this episode.</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Molly is played by the Tadeski twins. These babies also played Molly in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/07/sttng-season-five-episode-five-disaster.html">"Disaster,"</a> the episode where Baby O'Brien is born. In some parts of this episode, a fake baby was used.</div><div>- The broken nacelle from the <i>Campbell</i> shuttle will be used again in DS9.</div><div>- This is the first appearance of the pattern enhancers.</div><div>- This is the second episode where Deanna Troi's body is taken over by a non-corporeal entity. The first time is in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2019/01/sttng-season-four-episode-fourteen-clues.html">"Clues."</a> She must be starting to feel like an Airbnb.</div><div>- Brannon Braga felt that this episode was a really great action episode, with fights and phasers.</div><div>-Michael Piller felt that this episode was well-directed, but didn't get as "dark and broody" as he wanted it to. He liked the performances by Brent, Marina, and Colm, but thought the script was lacking.</div><div>- This episode was nominated for a sound editing Emmy.<br /><br /></div><div>
<br />
Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy La Forge Moments: 1</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
To date: 2</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;"><div>Sassy Ro Moments: 1</div><div>To date: 3</div></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Worf Moments: 1<br />
To date: 1</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Riker Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 1<br />
To date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Keiko Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To Date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To Date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">
To date: 3</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 1<br />
To date: 35</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 0<br />
To date: 8</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date: 2<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 2<br />
To date: 10<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 0<br />
To date: 6</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 2</div>
</div>
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPlGArvqa6E-BvhLkCgUEHCO6APeFSGitM-4V7r_IEyrvMgtErP-8A2khYBWhyXwbe755mAJrxUrL8y1mx0PxYzg90hkBC9Sgv7NfITW7mASN6wERNzRQrBAQOfzXDjrtUv5WdQU17GbwjSm9c5dJsTuGDJHPJ4hWdLor_XneShBQKYFrGGyzikjzZQ/s2048/pie%20toe%20cleaning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPlGArvqa6E-BvhLkCgUEHCO6APeFSGitM-4V7r_IEyrvMgtErP-8A2khYBWhyXwbe755mAJrxUrL8y1mx0PxYzg90hkBC9Sgv7NfITW7mASN6wERNzRQrBAQOfzXDjrtUv5WdQU17GbwjSm9c5dJsTuGDJHPJ4hWdLor_XneShBQKYFrGGyzikjzZQ/w300-h400/pie%20toe%20cleaning.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10/10 toe cleaning. No notes.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br />Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-74543443736931964562022-11-07T11:06:00.000-08:002022-11-07T11:06:09.666-08:00Avast, there be an annoyance ahead<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfZH7Nl1VLYKAVgKo6JhdmEZwM9W96HVmR8peJaybskHfTUF2sxHVCxOm81by3uX6a4BzSwlq77Jry-0OL_PNBw7TcRlJT_FQseVpiwJPPehl8QT6fHbCl7h4XqEz_LAYbbfy73BMPxwH9JjXc-aKv8VWaiIZ0nIIz-tn2QiHiiTQH_o1nxK-1t7mVw/s720/weird%20al%20pirate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="720" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfZH7Nl1VLYKAVgKo6JhdmEZwM9W96HVmR8peJaybskHfTUF2sxHVCxOm81by3uX6a4BzSwlq77Jry-0OL_PNBw7TcRlJT_FQseVpiwJPPehl8QT6fHbCl7h4XqEz_LAYbbfy73BMPxwH9JjXc-aKv8VWaiIZ0nIIz-tn2QiHiiTQH_o1nxK-1t7mVw/w400-h394/weird%20al%20pirate.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Apologies for the late post. I discovered (a bit late) that the Jack Sparrow site that I've been using to watch episodes and pull screencaptures from does not always have full episodes. The last episode (Conundrum) was missing the final scene, which threw me for a loop, but whatever, it was one scene. This episode (Power Play) was missing the back half. I can't fake half of an episode. I could fork over the cash for a Paramount+ account (like our household needs <i>more</i> streaming services), but the odds are good that they've blocked screencaptures, like a lot of those services are doing. So I broke down and ordered season 5 on DVD, which will not only allow those screencaptures, but will also have all of the episodes in their entirety. (I checked this freaking Stede Bonnet site, and surprise, more than just one episode was missing at least half, if not final scenes. You get what you pay for with Anne Bonny internet.)</p>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-20461654109864150622022-10-31T00:00:00.001-07:002022-10-31T00:00:00.155-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Fourteen "Conundrum"ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Fourteen "Conundrum"<br />
Production Order: 14<br />
Air Order: 14<br />
Stardate: 45494.2<br />
Original Air Date: February 17, 1992<div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUQACNceOli35TOtb6Y-pCOQY7n1lVBOLc_w_WSYpjlHzIgEbRhNDci8afzfqmkjlbKn4kWyu8HyIYm81uMn6AowoSoHboYBsodIo_1kBCKTZnyGz_vw2bAjzy90Cmx1HtXGcrmguJJIPm-bZxx9jyis1t3XnahvF56NuVjN_p4gxqTwZuB-uBx2k5Q/s750/st%20tweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="750" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUQACNceOli35TOtb6Y-pCOQY7n1lVBOLc_w_WSYpjlHzIgEbRhNDci8afzfqmkjlbKn4kWyu8HyIYm81uMn6AowoSoHboYBsodIo_1kBCKTZnyGz_vw2bAjzy90Cmx1HtXGcrmguJJIPm-bZxx9jyis1t3XnahvF56NuVjN_p4gxqTwZuB-uBx2k5Q/s320/st%20tweet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I get a Twitter account? Sure as shit sounds like me.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br />
<br /><br /><br />Picard's Log 45494.2: "We're checking out some subspace signals that could mean life in this one sector. Pretty cool."<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNJ7ylq1nS9O6x72AOWr5KzXSMGD_hUpCuj5y2n6Hqa3n1niT5eDtOhj4Un7Oinldhdec7kIs_tVQmJtcI22Kmta3LvaGah_zjB9i1JvDfLtF0pUZTo90e58o4Qm1T8W9Ag4S71yyAmkZa8Qm4PFHZxyUac7j5ipkvFjUfrQL72-RVIQwxss7fGJMeQ/s744/co1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="744" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNJ7ylq1nS9O6x72AOWr5KzXSMGD_hUpCuj5y2n6Hqa3n1niT5eDtOhj4Un7Oinldhdec7kIs_tVQmJtcI22Kmta3LvaGah_zjB9i1JvDfLtF0pUZTo90e58o4Qm1T8W9Ag4S71yyAmkZa8Qm4PFHZxyUac7j5ipkvFjUfrQL72-RVIQwxss7fGJMeQ/w400-h269/co1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>In Ten Forward, Troi and Data are engaged in a 3D chess match, and I have to give credit to Troi for having the chutzpah to go up against Data. Sure, he played to only a stalemate with <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/07/sttng-season-two-episode-twenty-one.html">Sirna Kolrami at Strategema</a>, but he was a master, and I've never heard of Troi being good enough to beat a walking computer. I don't think it's even been mentioned before that she plays. <br />
Data, for the sake of bringing the audience in, explains how she's made a bad move, and will lose the game. (This part comes off as a bit mansplain-y, and I've had to re-watch it and mentally dissect it multiple times. It's been brought to my attention that sometimes excited neurodivergent info-dumping looks like mansplaining, especially when the ND info-dumper is male, and the recipient is female, and if I examine Data's character, one might draw parallels between him and neurodivergent people. So this could be an info-dump on his part. Either way, Troi does not appear to be upset, and it seems as though this part was written specifically to note to the audience that Data thinks this move will lose her the game.)<br />
And with her next move, he goes all Surprised Pikachu. Her strategy was not the usual one to his moves, and he predicts that she'll win in another seven moves.</div><div>He compliments her for tripping him up, and she reminds him of their wager: he owes her a Sumerian Sunset, a fancy drink, "made in the traditional style."</div><div>He agrees, and gets up to make it.</div><div>Wait, what would Data have won?</div><div>I have questions!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_WRea3IQcIkP2fyWtx246eDXjYIgLiyX_-yt3Sm97D2SkSkNsjb2PZLVUIOvaPWKUvz-otXB8wlhkamtaBP6hk0IN4fa6coVfDKKbKbbHBFov_0xPKXpm-HdFiAuego2v3fvMHrBX8iLEPtmdEKi0kV768nZ1SQEAROC2QYZcOFM8OnxP6mQdzGfSQ/s715/co2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="715" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_WRea3IQcIkP2fyWtx246eDXjYIgLiyX_-yt3Sm97D2SkSkNsjb2PZLVUIOvaPWKUvz-otXB8wlhkamtaBP6hk0IN4fa6coVfDKKbKbbHBFov_0xPKXpm-HdFiAuego2v3fvMHrBX8iLEPtmdEKi0kV768nZ1SQEAROC2QYZcOFM8OnxP6mQdzGfSQ/w400-h280/co2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br />
<br />
Down in sick bay, Crusher is scanning a patient in a bathing suit, and telling her that she tore some ligaments. They briefly discuss diving technique, and it's revealed that the patient (simply a crewmember known as Kristin) has been swimming on the holodeck.</div><div>Wait -- I have questions about that, too! How does one swim on the holodeck? Yeah, yeah, I know: "in the water." But... how is that done? (And what does it look like if you end the program mid-stroke?)</div><div>Anyway, Crusher fixes the ligament with her scanny-fixy device, and recommends swimming safer with another program with a wading pool.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiX9p48T6y9Thn4Nv69dbifpNu7UDy74bJvtObdzQLfQbGC9GXqcyd25x-gpW3EjiJ097Atk9Ku9rwsaG7yl-wLLY5pkj1dIDyPTrxZSiYdIBSaPlErQruFcUApB4W7TQvY_cLnOJ_cEAMd9XondzSvynBk6yDAvjBOH263M4P6evuHZx27UMcyGDoqg/s721/co3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="721" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiX9p48T6y9Thn4Nv69dbifpNu7UDy74bJvtObdzQLfQbGC9GXqcyd25x-gpW3EjiJ097Atk9Ku9rwsaG7yl-wLLY5pkj1dIDyPTrxZSiYdIBSaPlErQruFcUApB4W7TQvY_cLnOJ_cEAMd9XondzSvynBk6yDAvjBOH263M4P6evuHZx27UMcyGDoqg/w400-h278/co3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And now we're in some corridor, moving fast-paced with Riker and Ro as he chews her out for doing some duty, but in a way that pisses him off. Same shit, different day. They take the lift up to the bridge, where Worf tells Picard that they found the origin of that subspace signal, in the form of a little ship.</div><div>The ship scans them. It doesn't have any weapons, and doesn't really pose a threat, so Picard takes a dogs-sniffing-butts posture: no shields.</div><div>"Okay, but now they're scanning stuff they shouldn't be scanning," Worf interrupts. "Like, they're sniffing around our computer systems."</div><div>"Rude," says Picard. "Shields up."</div><div>Picard is relaxed. The Enterprise is a Great Dane, and could easily step on this tiny chihuahua. Except, you know, the Great Dane is unaware that chihuahuas are insane little nightmares.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ggkJhDHoXBOimWpVCRBrdhDr2TtCgGtpJp3VYXhnxsei0tJYmpz3NI2MnGyLEoxG3jeFfu4guweUy2q-I0tWOFlf2HBMP4LFVMtt0RQC-fRaOR3Yrww-U6oqJj1XtN-PP9jYrjMBm_TZRz8KAcegyuLwia0_UWUCY_K52mHPLvkJfckliuaAT3iRRQ/s697/co4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="697" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ggkJhDHoXBOimWpVCRBrdhDr2TtCgGtpJp3VYXhnxsei0tJYmpz3NI2MnGyLEoxG3jeFfu4guweUy2q-I0tWOFlf2HBMP4LFVMtt0RQC-fRaOR3Yrww-U6oqJj1XtN-PP9jYrjMBm_TZRz8KAcegyuLwia0_UWUCY_K52mHPLvkJfckliuaAT3iRRQ/w400-h259/co4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Back in Ten Forward, Data has made the drink (is he allowed behind the bar? Can <i>anyone</i> just go behind the bar?), and he sets it in front of Troi. The liquid is clear, but when he flicks the side of the glass to make it vibrate, the contents swirl neon red and green before combining into a red-orange.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBE98Mo8JW1rXqQ0m8QItZBA_kjA00txkMbh63R5uO13cYjF2fh4caDVFgbIEMSziuc8qQn1xrI_rJ33qsYINmJvF1vrlaEWLtJt8q0qLx0NZybV8IHM6xjToBp33rbgRK2-6_15FaM7zauPAd36mxUK_FBNGCRpzFkBl36nl6zQQPkZFdqntTgXr7g/s726/co5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="726" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBE98Mo8JW1rXqQ0m8QItZBA_kjA00txkMbh63R5uO13cYjF2fh4caDVFgbIEMSziuc8qQn1xrI_rJ33qsYINmJvF1vrlaEWLtJt8q0qLx0NZybV8IHM6xjToBp33rbgRK2-6_15FaM7zauPAd36mxUK_FBNGCRpzFkBl36nl6zQQPkZFdqntTgXr7g/w400-h276/co5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"I hope you enjoy it," he tells her.</div><div>There's a weird neon green flash of light across Data, and he repeats "I hope you enjoy it."</div><div>Troi is startled.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAn6wu-C8vNwLQD3a60fWtvDeWsxFncTDWrRXdwIyfH14_egfeNlF5c6AYQFnlPtH7qzqQBP0pWoAGWLZTHYsnrULPtGORKZjr5f_s5KBZ58Cq145YMhGaQD-KO0_PQxacytOnBK6kwEt4IPoh1eqORhJXmo3yRDN9KwRo-BI9wnyfkz8gZjwzjJUEg/s699/co6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="699" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAn6wu-C8vNwLQD3a60fWtvDeWsxFncTDWrRXdwIyfH14_egfeNlF5c6AYQFnlPtH7qzqQBP0pWoAGWLZTHYsnrULPtGORKZjr5f_s5KBZ58Cq145YMhGaQD-KO0_PQxacytOnBK6kwEt4IPoh1eqORhJXmo3yRDN9KwRo-BI9wnyfkz8gZjwzjJUEg/w400-h263/co6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Up on the bridge, Worf and La Forge report that the computers are going down, and Ro tells them that the helm isn't responding to evasive maneuvers. The green light flashes across the bridge as well. When it's gone, they all start looking around in confusion.</div><div>"I... I don't know who any of you are," admits Riker.</div><div>"Same," says Picard. "I don't know who I am, either."</div><div>Uh-oh.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Opening credits break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcoAKWcgGYJsBGQn_JoITFJ9j-tt334M-vhd5cPujvNsGSwFhtxukuDWqQ-EL-YWCJA3agBALdve74fB8x1P3twb_D6MNraoO93y6C_df-DQVRmJNqwkgT2VM5g9GilSSEuYw9KoHvJNv08bhewR1cXWwkRoSrQ_sWrl9sK0Q2zu-Oe0jGWKl_zUSAA/s690/co7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="690" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcoAKWcgGYJsBGQn_JoITFJ9j-tt334M-vhd5cPujvNsGSwFhtxukuDWqQ-EL-YWCJA3agBALdve74fB8x1P3twb_D6MNraoO93y6C_df-DQVRmJNqwkgT2VM5g9GilSSEuYw9KoHvJNv08bhewR1cXWwkRoSrQ_sWrl9sK0Q2zu-Oe0jGWKl_zUSAA/w400-h263/co7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We return to the same moment on the bridge, where everyone is standing around, trying to ascertain who they are, and where they are, beyond just "in a spaceship."</div><div>"I think I'm the pilot," Ro volunteers. She types in some commands at her station. "Helm's dead."</div><div>"Oh!" says Picard. "But you still know how to work it!"</div><div>She considers the incongruity of that.</div><div>Riker and Worf look at Tactical, and come to the same conclusion: they know how to work the ship, but who they are is a mystery.</div><div>Riker counts pips, and sees that Picard has more.</div><div>"You're the leader."</div><div>"Hang on," says Worf, gesturing to his baldric. "I'm decorated too."</div><div>Picard says he doesn't think establishing a hierarchy is important now, but figuring out who they are is.</div><div>"What happened to us?" asks Some New Guy.</div><div>He's wearing Command Red with three pips, and has had several lines, but we've never seen this guy before.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKq82vjcEIfP-tJjVIf_IA6R5u7WMNwi6hhq8vx1D0QL8aheNwpKqtcqvLJhQWRZf-H1rW8AwtuybXwrk2_snrKCPMcXd9Q9BP_vCcwhOnf8eYHt6iSocl_dxOpi4DoN4jnC5enzmWFzWcDCmjgom235tjVvAJRRUJSLSpG2rYdkh0k_w7CZRhBfdzvg/s692/co8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="692" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKq82vjcEIfP-tJjVIf_IA6R5u7WMNwi6hhq8vx1D0QL8aheNwpKqtcqvLJhQWRZf-H1rW8AwtuybXwrk2_snrKCPMcXd9Q9BP_vCcwhOnf8eYHt6iSocl_dxOpi4DoN4jnC5enzmWFzWcDCmjgom235tjVvAJRRUJSLSpG2rYdkh0k_w7CZRhBfdzvg/w400-h259/co8.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>La Forge checks his station. "The scanner signal is stuck in a holding pattern, or something. It keeps looping. And there's debris in front of us."<br />
"Like from a destroyed ship?" asks Riker.<br />
Together, they form a hypothesis that they were in some kind of battle with another ship, that the other ship hit them with some kind of something that knocked their memories loose, and they fired on the other ship, destroying it.</div><div>Picard wonders if any part of their ship took damage, and asks Majel.</div><div>No response.</div><div>"Oh, I was able to call up the ship's directories," offers La Forge.</div><div>They find out that they have life support everywhere, but no means of moving or communicating outside of the ship.</div><div>But they <i>can</i> use the comm links.</div><div>Picard suggests that others on the ship might have knowledge of their identities, but Ro speculates that there may be a boarding party on board, so they should be careful how they word things.</div><div>Worf just takes the initiative to broadcast to the ship: "Hey, have a representative from your group contact the bridge to give a status report."<br />
Yeah, that works.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ll1ePZ4WoV4t61O6GSVxh_Az73egS2UdSSC-6MAPE9kcD1v2d5givVT9vxvnJdH2ibj8qlTnKdxnbhAZnbzoP9DiKOA3Qmb9Tco2ocSbta91O7ce2Fd8VDQxh5kbcA0rF3-i2wWH6jsNqCOReyj51KDUH2eyxoPlMybKkvTVbcW2rnwPVDMWJ5ukiQ/s697/co9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="697" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ll1ePZ4WoV4t61O6GSVxh_Az73egS2UdSSC-6MAPE9kcD1v2d5givVT9vxvnJdH2ibj8qlTnKdxnbhAZnbzoP9DiKOA3Qmb9Tco2ocSbta91O7ce2Fd8VDQxh5kbcA0rF3-i2wWH6jsNqCOReyj51KDUH2eyxoPlMybKkvTVbcW2rnwPVDMWJ5ukiQ/w400-h259/co9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Down in sick bay, Crusher muses on the thought that other people are also clueless as to who they are. Kristin is just straight baffled.</div><div>"Ow," she says, moving her shoulder.</div><div>Crusher picks up her scanny-fixy and does the thing, noting that she knows how to use the equipment.</div><div>"That's cool for you," Kristin laments, "but I'm a patient in a bathing suit. Do you have some clothes I could borrow?"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQbWjETq3hwCKI3D9IB86O1aK4w2r8eLJgiRQBHLmHHrebOqBFVzE10JnizKljqGJiGBcIGdlM9xbje-iFXUnGgJSrI_mjueaX723B0gKqlp8cy0Dl4AR88LoH88f31UkhYzPYgLDPf2aizC7rOTgNNvbO40oK-dpg3_raJHZ7FFlMtHM1wbaC_2ymw/s714/co10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="714" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQbWjETq3hwCKI3D9IB86O1aK4w2r8eLJgiRQBHLmHHrebOqBFVzE10JnizKljqGJiGBcIGdlM9xbje-iFXUnGgJSrI_mjueaX723B0gKqlp8cy0Dl4AR88LoH88f31UkhYzPYgLDPf2aizC7rOTgNNvbO40oK-dpg3_raJHZ7FFlMtHM1wbaC_2ymw/w400-h283/co10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worf is sitting in The Big Chair, and tells New Guy about the tactical stuff he found on the ship while the rest of the bridge crew pours over computer stations, looking for things to jog their memories, or to determine what the situation might be.</div><div>"We sound like a battleship," says New Guy.</div><div>"I think so?" agrees Worf.</div><div>I mean... they're not wrong exactly. The Enterprise, while on a generally diplomatic and fact-finding mission, is armed with decent shields and weapons to defend herself against attack. If you don't know what "armed to the teeth" means in Starfleet, just having this level of defense as a baseline may make it seem like you're on a battleship.</div><div>Riker says that the whole crew has checked in now, and Ro is eager to get down to other parts of the ship to find out what's what.</div><div>He pumps the brakes, says they need to coordinate and work together, and she states that she doesn't like feeling out of control and needs to do something. It's the same old butting of heads between this pair, but because they don't know that they don't like each other, they communicate better.</div><div>Riker tells Worf that they are going together to check the ship, and he agrees, in a very command-like fashion.</div><div>La Forge goes with them, and they take the lift to Engineering.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zjhaIOgFOuMYmsxI2eh9tGzC5EHluULdKk3etlHeku3NynWJzfT1S-wcttrP99YyWsmXVKMwcBewyywaB_rct2emAo83xaNOZMVb1HQogBeek0sHEDvz-fpY79WgANND9deoDYFwkwENx77zSFYveoQaOdvGy50LYgVX1y1nKIR4ioK6XgmFomt61A/s693/co11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="693" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zjhaIOgFOuMYmsxI2eh9tGzC5EHluULdKk3etlHeku3NynWJzfT1S-wcttrP99YyWsmXVKMwcBewyywaB_rct2emAo83xaNOZMVb1HQogBeek0sHEDvz-fpY79WgANND9deoDYFwkwENx77zSFYveoQaOdvGy50LYgVX1y1nKIR4ioK6XgmFomt61A/w400-h260/co11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /> </div><div>Down in Engineering, they've discovered that the ship works just fine pretty much everywhere, but they can't access the controls at all. <i>The ship has amnesia toooooo!</i></div><div>La Forge has figured out where to go to possibly re-establish those controls, and Ro thinks they should focus on weapons and shields, in case they're attacked again.</div><div>"Also, personnel files," adds Riker. "We'd like to find out who we are."</div><div>Riker and Ro leave to do crew surveys.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJjG0gfHmqhHfNS7YItKeP50x97DfYT-8Wlc62I7khnU8fZNp96XznJVuc13o3AsnOkqKx7ZpglHQ9nzqTKSZTUxIgbRTzjdDYutyRx6PXuc9ZoBJgkEdy6I2nsuuOG1qIKJtkS3FFgWUrs-dVIByPU44ucT4AiEPDTwIICCIgmY21756ob5evdB2dQ/s730/co12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="730" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJjG0gfHmqhHfNS7YItKeP50x97DfYT-8Wlc62I7khnU8fZNp96XznJVuc13o3AsnOkqKx7ZpglHQ9nzqTKSZTUxIgbRTzjdDYutyRx6PXuc9ZoBJgkEdy6I2nsuuOG1qIKJtkS3FFgWUrs-dVIByPU44ucT4AiEPDTwIICCIgmY21756ob5evdB2dQ/w400-h275/co12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worf is in the ready room Big Chair, when Picard and New Guy come in to give reports: no injuries or deaths reported from the surveys, and everything is great, but no one knows who they are, and no one can run the ship.</div><div>"We should get battle-ready as soon as we have control of the ship," says Worf.</div><div>Kahless love you, Worf. You have no idea who you are, but you're ever-ready to beat the shit out of someone.</div><div>"Oh. I think we should get the ships' logs first," suggests Picard, "to see who we are."</div><div>"Disagree."</div><div>Kind of wild to see Picard making reasonable suggestions here, and Worf outright dismissing them. It's a reversal of their power dynamic, where Picard considers Worf's suggestions, but usually takes a different tack. It definitely works better the other way around. I don't think a Picard would get very far under Worf's command.</div><div>La Forge calls. He's been able to get control of things via Engineering, and can send that stuff up to the bridge.</div><div>"Now we're ready," rumbled Worf.</div><div>"Sure, but for what?" Picard adds.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdwbrtdjyckG-37-0ZCRUpyeQfZ44Idf55NhdVCAFaUAlTFmL3JaDtInppYN1aU6r9yMbevtX-spmMrfS9C6tAAJc0y6brlIBuYic4Broou-QgFjS3q6melZwRp0rFzKeNSCcMLogV-7OI3n33-AGL0EIRmxymxtmBPMKqIzb1E5e1ORSz3sut9I1LQ/s722/co13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="722" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdwbrtdjyckG-37-0ZCRUpyeQfZ44Idf55NhdVCAFaUAlTFmL3JaDtInppYN1aU6r9yMbevtX-spmMrfS9C6tAAJc0y6brlIBuYic4Broou-QgFjS3q6melZwRp0rFzKeNSCcMLogV-7OI3n33-AGL0EIRmxymxtmBPMKqIzb1E5e1ORSz3sut9I1LQ/w400-h279/co13.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The bridge is different now. Worf is in The Big Chair again, New Guy is at Tactical, and Picard is at the helm, because Ro is absent.</div><div>They start by firing phasers off into space to see if they work right. Once Worf is satisfied, Picard suggests that they run a full diagnostic to make sure all of the systems are running correctly.</div><div>"Fuck that," barks Worf. "That would put everything offline again, and make us vulnerable."</div><div>New Guy sides with Picard, saying that some of the computer systems were damaged, and Worf sees that this could be a valuable thing. They start the diagnostic.</div><div>Maybe I was wrong about the Worf-Picard relationship here.</div><div>Crusher comes in, and reports: she's been scanning the brains of crew members, and have found that everyone still has their long-term memories, but that they've been denied access.</div><div>"Is there a way to go around those roadblocks?" asks Picard. "To see if we can get at those memories another way?"</div><div>"I'm trying," says Crusher, "But I need to compare these new scans with the ones on file. Can I get access to medical records?"</div><div>Worf, still salty, gives Picard some side-eye. "We're running a diagnostic, and everything is temporarily down right now."</div><div><div>Picard tells her that they'll make medical records a priority when everything is back up.</div><div>Worf is clearly not pleased that Picard has overstepped in promising Crusher the medical files, because he wanted to play with rocket launchers, and also, he's probably in charge.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekqM0QQsoVx19M8FDMTtbqwLOCbsRn2Nt8AvBuhm68XVkGCm4LJqvF52CiWPjuXa4_W1gr9byuHqov2C7xxS0P7WwhYFiJfIabbhaeXQDvoNAEHlOEfe0Bij5zumGeTqApXmmGxTYAZzpd7WI3HhuVUoWIuHQb_j6tCUo33c_ygKFax7w5YKiW9c9Tw/s717/co14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="717" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekqM0QQsoVx19M8FDMTtbqwLOCbsRn2Nt8AvBuhm68XVkGCm4LJqvF52CiWPjuXa4_W1gr9byuHqov2C7xxS0P7WwhYFiJfIabbhaeXQDvoNAEHlOEfe0Bij5zumGeTqApXmmGxTYAZzpd7WI3HhuVUoWIuHQb_j6tCUo33c_ygKFax7w5YKiW9c9Tw/w400-h279/co14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker and Ro are conducting surveys of the living quarters for the crew, and enjoying one another's company. They're all smiles as they head for Ten Forward.<br />Riker remarks that he'd like to have some fun in the holodeck he spotted, and Ro laughs that he doesn't strike her as the type of guy who needs a holodeck to have fun.</div><div>Once in Ten Forward, they meet up with Troi, the rep for this group, who tells them that there are two unusual things here:</div><div>- the bartender is an android, whose memory has also suffered the same fate as his biological coworkers;</div><div>- and she has the ability to sense emotions in others.</div><div>"Also, whoa? I know you," she says to Riker. "Like, I don't <i>know</i> you, but there's a strong connection between us." </div><div>Worf calls the survey team to tell them to return to the bridge - they got into the personnel files.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpRq8-eXrbckh8RQOQgqlGWiifJN6xkwmCg45ROEAUk7J17P3Kh8_Xywd1DbV4Bbb1ki9iEs1z4IXB8PuPZ7_-KxqbPqWsxR5IZXOk5zhpieLjq1gadNO03tUqTlxr2fRveXTJ363gErkYWsqoCTEoMvOrs_Pv16-HieduXPyzBHUKnMLzxePKY9cFA/s719/co15.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="719" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpRq8-eXrbckh8RQOQgqlGWiifJN6xkwmCg45ROEAUk7J17P3Kh8_Xywd1DbV4Bbb1ki9iEs1z4IXB8PuPZ7_-KxqbPqWsxR5IZXOk5zhpieLjq1gadNO03tUqTlxr2fRveXTJ363gErkYWsqoCTEoMvOrs_Pv16-HieduXPyzBHUKnMLzxePKY9cFA/w400-h280/co15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>La Forge has been able to access the personnel files, and while he can't get the full biographical data, they're satisfied with a crew manifest.</div><div>There are some surprises: the New Guy is Commander Kieran MacDuff, the executive officer. Riker is the second officer. And Worf is decidedly <i>not</i> the captain. He seems pretty mortified, and apologizes to Picard for assuming that he was in charge.</div><div>"It's cool," says Picard graciously. "We're all just trying our best. Don't even worry, bro."</div><div>Picard also tells the others that they need to find out all they can from the ship's files and report back, and to grab the communications officer to help them.</div><div>Sassy Ro Moment: "He's in Ten Forward, waiting tables."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLENSkgC5aEm5G9AevPetOAStruAAcabX-yt7yzGzXRla3U3c8rFL2EbHHy_vTjXuTqXv68OJMGvi82zDTbFxoer4yUDy6YGFA5AvQt8xpy4pFztreznYy4c7UXzdsVO5xTrdBVSmuB8mNrpusWbpRmzhg7LB6jRa8_fwMKMt7wPwhGdRJSaT4xYjeiQ/s717/co16.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="717" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLENSkgC5aEm5G9AevPetOAStruAAcabX-yt7yzGzXRla3U3c8rFL2EbHHy_vTjXuTqXv68OJMGvi82zDTbFxoer4yUDy6YGFA5AvQt8xpy4pFztreznYy4c7UXzdsVO5xTrdBVSmuB8mNrpusWbpRmzhg7LB6jRa8_fwMKMt7wPwhGdRJSaT4xYjeiQ/w400-h280/co16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So now we know something about New Guy - that his name's MacDuff, and for some reason, he has Riker's title. Whenever they introduce a new crewmember that the others know but the audience does not, we are asked to suspend the disbelief that this person never existed before now, has always been part of the crew, and has just never appeared in the stories of the ship thus far. And as Star Trek storytelling goes, that means that New Guys are Redshirts, introduced as friends and coworkers, so that we'll get the feels when they die at the end of the episode.</div><div>I'd be willing to go along with the idea that this guy is a Redshirt, and that he maybe works a different shift so we never see him until the story where his death is featured... except he has Riker's job.</div><div>So friends, it's time to plaaaaayyyyy....</div><div>Villain or Redshirt, the game where we spin the wheel to find out whether MacDuff is the antagonist, or destined to die at the end.</div><div>tikatikatikatikatikatikatikatika</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAbI4eRJlmR0GVlXcUQOtHueLlr24hHN5YYb9UdKYxo2EdEGsQbY6kwGOkwRtBqW8vprDYDI8KHmPudLxrycNPcuR5O70pfxU7MrOPThq8vQKcb-GMwGy_u6Pyhn6hzR_qz_EDDoAelo_j54zJfYyjkWXnrTQGHKWnxaqV0v83GsqW0M2WJM_FKfjHQ/s482/spinning%20wheel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="394" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAbI4eRJlmR0GVlXcUQOtHueLlr24hHN5YYb9UdKYxo2EdEGsQbY6kwGOkwRtBqW8vprDYDI8KHmPudLxrycNPcuR5O70pfxU7MrOPThq8vQKcb-GMwGy_u6Pyhn6hzR_qz_EDDoAelo_j54zJfYyjkWXnrTQGHKWnxaqV0v83GsqW0M2WJM_FKfjHQ/w328-h400/spinning%20wheel.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Later, the senior staff meets up in the Obs Lounge for the report.</div><div>La Forge and Data report that they've learned the ship is named Enterprise.</div><div>Yep.</div><div>And they're part of a group, the United Federation of Planets.</div><div>Okay.</div><div>And the Federation is at war with the Lysian Alliance.</div><div>Sorry, what?</div><div>"The Lysians are a genocidal race, determined to wipe us out," says La Forge.</div><div>"The Federation thinks the Lysians have a new weapon which is helping them win the war," says Data.</div><div>"And they're using this weapon to easily take Federation ships," La Forge adds.</div><div>Uh-huh, uh-huh, interesting. *nods*</div><div>Apparently, this weapon uses some kind of wave to shut down ships' computers and give crews amnesia.</div><div>"Oh, that's what happened to us," says MacDuff.</div><div>Thank you, Captain Obvious.... or should I say "Commander Redshirt"?</div><div>tikatikatika</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVRu9Qv27MGD4d6BUJvPRzAZvcTnNj_oPsLdMQlT745Fg-41SCqELk2yXZtSs4-orSt4zsRN3qXC_YoaGmFCFFgB-cmX725l75Yh5w8FApEHAOVubid3xzgm91uZmjo7RvtukXGS_i8tjDgy15hRxkrhHYoXmRaQQ_JcWUYhaLK6IWSdM3Bdj7l29QA/s695/co17.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="695" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVRu9Qv27MGD4d6BUJvPRzAZvcTnNj_oPsLdMQlT745Fg-41SCqELk2yXZtSs4-orSt4zsRN3qXC_YoaGmFCFFgB-cmX725l75Yh5w8FApEHAOVubid3xzgm91uZmjo7RvtukXGS_i8tjDgy15hRxkrhHYoXmRaQQ_JcWUYhaLK6IWSdM3Bdj7l29QA/w400-h261/co17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard asks La Forge for mission records, to lock down what it is that they're doing out here in BFE, Space. La Forge puts an image of a space station on the viewscreen. The mission is to go into Lysian territory and take out their command station.</div><div>"We may have the wrong info," suggests Troi. "Our computers were seriously damaged. We should call Starfleet and check in with them, make sure we're doing the right thing."</div><div>"But if we use subspace communication, it'll give us away," Worf points out.</div><div>The boys lay things out: they need to maintain radio silence, and take down Lysian central command, which will end the war. There are other ships working in conjunction to help them achieve victory, but nothing will happen unless they take down that station.</div><div>Hmmm, convenient.</div><div>Picard ends the meeting by having MacDuff set a course for the station.</div><div>Troi looks uneasy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5y_Pjohv4w-klrycmrjMQ_f3V4t0LU_s1Z-GRJ48XtKnEB-NI8DI8_p8BNrrn8DHo00Ye72g-vqD6bmBhxd13te8DunxPIodiKWiMgQSO7ebYlQj9OZjNBRoea-EzEgyE2bnHUTiucchFrV0Jwz60y5lJY5LrBLD9khTPZ6Y96EbfoUPk6oqucPNDag/s696/co18.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="696" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5y_Pjohv4w-klrycmrjMQ_f3V4t0LU_s1Z-GRJ48XtKnEB-NI8DI8_p8BNrrn8DHo00Ye72g-vqD6bmBhxd13te8DunxPIodiKWiMgQSO7ebYlQj9OZjNBRoea-EzEgyE2bnHUTiucchFrV0Jwz60y5lJY5LrBLD9khTPZ6Y96EbfoUPk6oqucPNDag/w400-h258/co18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker escorts Troi to her quarters, and she invites him in. But once inside, she looks around, and admits that nothing seems familiar, as though everything here belongs to someone else.</div><div>"You're the only thing that seems familiar," she says. "but it's not like I know who you are. Just memories of a good feeling, if that makes sense."</div><div>She is, however, having bad feelings about this insta-war.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMw79qfGj6ERNLFCsB2-xky0XUMDYaz9oZ_27LsF-teXgfJtPPNrpaTB6JptJsQix1FlDkA4Juo9gzFK_pw07RYjX8jzMlrxKoExr8fezZnHin96a8zJzWHl-zrZSS8bvYgsKfNrx-r8OAYR1tE5X47IMEKmcQEgzNhL8stml64Ot92zWWfHgPhyirw/s715/co19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="715" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMw79qfGj6ERNLFCsB2-xky0XUMDYaz9oZ_27LsF-teXgfJtPPNrpaTB6JptJsQix1FlDkA4Juo9gzFK_pw07RYjX8jzMlrxKoExr8fezZnHin96a8zJzWHl-zrZSS8bvYgsKfNrx-r8OAYR1tE5X47IMEKmcQEgzNhL8stml64Ot92zWWfHgPhyirw/w400-h280/co19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker goes to his own quarters, and looks around for a moment, not really recognizing anything. And then he sees that Ro is there, in a nice dress, hanging out.</div><div>They're all smiles, like before in the corridor.</div><div>Oh, eyeroll. Dude has a fucking horga'hn in his quarters.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio40Oja-zaR_81kzEsU3uzp0wMFnx3KQTSzAOklaLOlgf_9ZEkhVkMGrFnS8GlWxN73uW3k7xLtYipkcrfZ1LN8GMZsK4OHAnOF9FqxfhdR-L03L7J1YBq5yS56JtvOX3iubOZJr_J-9ppltt2meXmcAhSSHo5qUQt1MTjwirvkd29ZuoCnULJHwMTjA/s696/co20.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="696" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio40Oja-zaR_81kzEsU3uzp0wMFnx3KQTSzAOklaLOlgf_9ZEkhVkMGrFnS8GlWxN73uW3k7xLtYipkcrfZ1LN8GMZsK4OHAnOF9FqxfhdR-L03L7J1YBq5yS56JtvOX3iubOZJr_J-9ppltt2meXmcAhSSHo5qUQt1MTjwirvkd29ZuoCnULJHwMTjA/w400-h258/co20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Ro says she didn't like the way her quarters were decorated, and that she feels she spent most of her off-hours in his quarters, and it's not subtle that she intends to sleeps with him, and that he does not object.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrp4NgkyhTB7bKRjLjsD29m91W0l5OMjj49NbAVQny7PwpjmMUvbMLuhJtfL2mivGNUrN037nuDcVnscB7HNNVDGrWa8ptcYUBBkd2-gT80ZyNWDVVz1nSmNlJuwHBAQkReQDd9hGw-u4zTRM9oZMirM7IKweeCnkydrq7tSobf54RRePfeBZXES_Dgg/s718/co21.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="718" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrp4NgkyhTB7bKRjLjsD29m91W0l5OMjj49NbAVQny7PwpjmMUvbMLuhJtfL2mivGNUrN037nuDcVnscB7HNNVDGrWa8ptcYUBBkd2-gT80ZyNWDVVz1nSmNlJuwHBAQkReQDd9hGw-u4zTRM9oZMirM7IKweeCnkydrq7tSobf54RRePfeBZXES_Dgg/w400-h278/co21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We go up to the bridge, where a course has been set for the Lysian command center, and helm tells Picard that they're a little less than two days' time from their destination.</div><div>Commander Villain Or Redshirt is there in Riker's chair, looking less than at-ease. </div><div>Data reports that there's a vessel ahead, and it matches Starfleet's description of a Lysian destroyer ship, with disruptor weapons. MacDuff gets up and goes to tactical, immediately calling up the phaser array. Why is he doing Worf's job?</div><div>"Hang on," says Picard. Dude asks questions firsts, then shoots later. It's not his style to go in, guns blazing. He asks Data what kind of tactical capabilities the warship has.</div><div>"Very few shields," Data reports. "And way less fire power than us."</div><div>"Yikes," says Riker. "We could blow them out of the sky."</div><div>The Lysians hail them.</div><div>Picard starts to pick up, but MacDuff interrupts by saying that that could be how they got their memories erased last time, by opening the comm channel to talk.</div><div>This sparks an argument: the Enterprise bridge crew wanting to open the channel to talk, and MacDuff yelling that talking could mean that they get their memories erased again. This is why you pick your senior staff, kids - because otherwise people yell at each other across the bridge.</div><div>The Lysians stop hailing them, and power up their weapons.</div><div>Picard raises shields.</div><div>The Lysians fire. Picard gives the order to return it. The Lysians get vaporized, like a fly in bug zapper.</div><div>MacDuff, satisfied, sits back in his chair, and congratulates Picard on a job well done.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIC49I5YwGLKZs8PFrqdeBPlcQ_OV5uUi6dvpXY_f0U7jl3qwvuFIPLlnorhiiqWhoThcyhHLOyc6eZTgUc__cYSIyAx5qlkn5OOnDnDBcCVE9XVh3RSkdG9bS2dwaYz-LRp2CLBA89BnDrN9Mk_-dHfnjQ62EQJ6m_2R41LvOiNTdGcdaO-oHgqQBg/s722/co22.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="722" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIC49I5YwGLKZs8PFrqdeBPlcQ_OV5uUi6dvpXY_f0U7jl3qwvuFIPLlnorhiiqWhoThcyhHLOyc6eZTgUc__cYSIyAx5qlkn5OOnDnDBcCVE9XVh3RSkdG9bS2dwaYz-LRp2CLBA89BnDrN9Mk_-dHfnjQ62EQJ6m_2R41LvOiNTdGcdaO-oHgqQBg/w400-h278/co22.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Later in the Obs Lounge, everyone is in agreement that the Lysian high command has probably been alerted that something went wrong with their warship, and they'll probably be looking for trouble.</div><div>Picard asks Crusher if she's found a way to restore their memories.</div><div>"Yes, via [science]," she answers. "But I don't want to start anything unless I have the medical files."</div><div>"We hit a speedbump on that," La Forge adds. "But Data and I think we found the way to get those, so maybe three more hours?"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPEHvkP7C2NUYoTkEz8qUvQeuAQn_As8cYCH7crVu5gYOmDDUaEsd93tQpeJYlZh2IHQdvt4BXIID1n4VC2oPxLFEWLtVzMykMWj5iN1UKHlk1YMIm3XrvxfVFbMJCQY6lCcIRT1JDzLDGMqDI4U5frU0LrWSXUtSSE262OD0yBU0s370zlUM9J_Ebg/s722/co23.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="722" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPEHvkP7C2NUYoTkEz8qUvQeuAQn_As8cYCH7crVu5gYOmDDUaEsd93tQpeJYlZh2IHQdvt4BXIID1n4VC2oPxLFEWLtVzMykMWj5iN1UKHlk1YMIm3XrvxfVFbMJCQY6lCcIRT1JDzLDGMqDI4U5frU0LrWSXUtSSE262OD0yBU0s370zlUM9J_Ebg/w400-h278/co23.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Down in Engineering, everybody's favorite chief-engineer-and-android-buddy-combo has hit another file wall.</div><div>"It's cool," says Data. "The road has washed out, so I will simply rebuild it."</div><div>And he starts doing his Data thing of typing a million WPM.</div><div>Sassy La Forge Moment: "You must have been one hell of a bartender."</div><div>They consider Data's position, being different from everyone else on board: he's either one of a race of androids, with a home planet and a culture; or he could be built by Starfleet, with a complicated construction, so only one per ship; or he could be unique in the universe.</div><div>I'm afraid it's mostly the latter buddy. But you do have a psychopathic brother, sooo... there's that?</div><div>"I got in," Data announces. "All of the medical files, personal logs and ship's logs are gone."</div><div>"Ugh, that's bullshit," says La Forge.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftG_7FvpQTp2AFmmZwoPXvpLAeMhUVXcR_vZuP3ZxZLEe4ZU1hsPMV9NUSMPWU43N__s8zVVlP-qqFYzzNmeHM3Y8AVvg-ZcWaWMF-uOjii6rUSmHYGZuh8TdwCq34nJfKlhlP4xEdOZmNRfDiWenCiyB08tRAqc1J-kVKhyojUaUHPJWTefMQQO3XA/s720/co24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="720" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftG_7FvpQTp2AFmmZwoPXvpLAeMhUVXcR_vZuP3ZxZLEe4ZU1hsPMV9NUSMPWU43N__s8zVVlP-qqFYzzNmeHM3Y8AVvg-ZcWaWMF-uOjii6rUSmHYGZuh8TdwCq34nJfKlhlP4xEdOZmNRfDiWenCiyB08tRAqc1J-kVKhyojUaUHPJWTefMQQO3XA/w400-h279/co24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi goes to see Riker in his quarters. She feels weird about the war still, and he says that makes sense, because war sucks, but they have to finish this mission.</div><div>Then he tells her that he's been exploring who he is, and shows her a bunch of stuff on the table related to Will Riker. He's surprised that Riker plays music, and climbs mountains. She picks up a book and he tells her to check the inscription: "To Will, All my love, Deanna."</div><div>"Explains the connection you feel," he tells her.</div><div>They're about to kiss when the door chime goes off. It's Ro.</div><div>They try to play it like it's cool, and Troi leaves.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BPJvPNF-WNHDJ--cXiTwbf-i_4cGrjgqG8yZqB7kxpi4morXHhb453prMBYFUtZgDSD228EaLhaQW505Cqw3UqQQTcaa2xG38i6AssgokY8sMVlWGg7EW_b52B6ubKANTKewJgKM4nVbE-3r9JptNQx8VLRQUlfA-yv8SRAGYzTu8clM_TyayeXN7w/s696/co25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="696" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BPJvPNF-WNHDJ--cXiTwbf-i_4cGrjgqG8yZqB7kxpi4morXHhb453prMBYFUtZgDSD228EaLhaQW505Cqw3UqQQTcaa2xG38i6AssgokY8sMVlWGg7EW_b52B6ubKANTKewJgKM4nVbE-3r9JptNQx8VLRQUlfA-yv8SRAGYzTu8clM_TyayeXN7w/w400-h259/co25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On the bridge, La Forge explains to Picard, MacDuff, Riker and Crusher that he's annoyed with how specific the damage to their computers and memories are. Crusher is as well.</div><div>"In both cases, we have skills intact, but no personal connections to who we are?"</div><div>Picard asks Crusher if they can do the memory retrieval, and she replies that they can, but she doesn't love that plan. It's risky.</div><div>"We should do it," says MacDuff. "I volunteer as tribute."</div><div>Shocker. What a hero.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSeZEOFGal5xRPrctnwbzOxlkIGu7ae2CPGANHjfwnP4KXn9-0bTRram_JAvoouFu_gZRwyQb0V2nenXCGeALWSwD79CDqi97A1IuKSe5KzAs7puF-1cWEllM9Oj8kt40Pp71I0m1fe41soj77gku2zJ6KVBhxvXEvyr4sKUplZ0xlMErZdB5yTAkaw/s696/co26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="696" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSeZEOFGal5xRPrctnwbzOxlkIGu7ae2CPGANHjfwnP4KXn9-0bTRram_JAvoouFu_gZRwyQb0V2nenXCGeALWSwD79CDqi97A1IuKSe5KzAs7puF-1cWEllM9Oj8kt40Pp71I0m1fe41soj77gku2zJ6KVBhxvXEvyr4sKUplZ0xlMErZdB5yTAkaw/w400-h259/co26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So they set him up down in sick bay, and hook him up to some machine. Wouldn't you know it, he isn't responding until he starts to have seizures.</div><div>"You almost died!" says Crusher. "Do you remember anything?"</div><div>"No, I'm sorry," replies MacDuff.</div><div>She walks away, and he smiles a tiny smile while the music crescendos.</div><div>tikatikatikatika</div><div>tick</div><div>tick</div><div>tick</div><div>Villain!</div><div>Dramatic music!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5eUeSg9WlE_A6tA3vE5UJimddkjnsSyfV-rCkd6f8ksaG9ogQvcYIyqUjg6VtMndFtW15zcBHVFJPaL0qni3ZPMgbqfOBUdYI-pZHhWWm0mfoqiBl0kX4RbZYwvSv25GFgNwBR2LG6DZ1Nwi7BJ97OoApc4sFpE-Rf8ZyasyFNd7kXoNSJo9RfOXGg/s112/v4-460px-Make-a-Prize-Wheel-Step-18-Version-2%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="112" data-original-width="76" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5eUeSg9WlE_A6tA3vE5UJimddkjnsSyfV-rCkd6f8ksaG9ogQvcYIyqUjg6VtMndFtW15zcBHVFJPaL0qni3ZPMgbqfOBUdYI-pZHhWWm0mfoqiBl0kX4RbZYwvSv25GFgNwBR2LG6DZ1Nwi7BJ97OoApc4sFpE-Rf8ZyasyFNd7kXoNSJo9RfOXGg/w271-h400/v4-460px-Make-a-Prize-Wheel-Step-18-Version-2%20(2).jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYooWeWckcPd7IxFN1XxgYWEJjZhChyq5_QhJMwhdodBUrIYLeCe8TXaPt9qEU4MXJZ0uX1XGx9K8oTShaeg7TOdkFDVG_u-ujZ2k0jsdRCb7iUpjx6IN_qzWxzliS2lHyQFN9IbEIsGYdTHTXBjGTaH9lxD9tgsD8wNIlnSSq4v06_b9XxsCn2b5ag/s690/co27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="690" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYooWeWckcPd7IxFN1XxgYWEJjZhChyq5_QhJMwhdodBUrIYLeCe8TXaPt9qEU4MXJZ0uX1XGx9K8oTShaeg7TOdkFDVG_u-ujZ2k0jsdRCb7iUpjx6IN_qzWxzliS2lHyQFN9IbEIsGYdTHTXBjGTaH9lxD9tgsD8wNIlnSSq4v06_b9XxsCn2b5ag/w400-h261/co27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Later, Picard calls MacDuff into the ready room.</div><div>He's really uncomfortable about this war, and the mission that Starfleet has supposedly set them on. </div><div>"Oh, me toooo," oozes Commander Villain. "But our superiors probably feel differently, and who are we to argue?"</div><div>"Also," says Picard angrily, "the one enemy ship we encountered, we squashed like a bug. That's some bullshit."</div><div>"If you want to stop the mission until we regain our memories, that's cool," shrugs MacDuff. "But by sitting it out until then, we risk the countless lives that could be lost by not finishing this war."</div><div>Ugh. This asshole did his homework. Yes, let's drop an A-bomb on the under-muscled Lysians and claim the moral high-ground.</div><div>The scene ends with MacDuff leaving the ready room, and Picard staring out the window.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlJbnIr_uUjsHJIMcICeKP_COFBZROXKqntiq7jMiQJGNXjeOm7Xd1IGw6xlpk9c1YSiTDSW-IJq0yzEpBDtTbXp_SGF9ZwfHxCIG70YamYdzcRiHMqRk-FQQSLDu-sCYafmZV6_4bjoFvD91qeUQZpDWEqxN1uAL2_f9nGThrCF9QjfHs1RVBdbZkw/s719/co28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="719" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlJbnIr_uUjsHJIMcICeKP_COFBZROXKqntiq7jMiQJGNXjeOm7Xd1IGw6xlpk9c1YSiTDSW-IJq0yzEpBDtTbXp_SGF9ZwfHxCIG70YamYdzcRiHMqRk-FQQSLDu-sCYafmZV6_4bjoFvD91qeUQZpDWEqxN1uAL2_f9nGThrCF9QjfHs1RVBdbZkw/w400-h279/co28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>MacDuff is sitting at a table in some quarters (whose quarters did he steal???) when Worf comes in.</div><div>Of course.</div><div>MacDuff wasn't making headway with Captain Diplomacy, so he's going to appeal to Lieutenant Cowboy instead.</div><div>Y'all. I just noticed that he did the Villain Circle, where the antagonist walks around a protagonist while giving a monologue. I never noticed that before. In the scene with Picard just now, he kept his face mostly downward and his eyes averted, as a subordinate might, but got up and faced Picard head-on when spewing his "we gotta do the thing to shorted the war and save lives" speech. Erich Anderson is making some really specific acting choices here.</div><div>"We're men of action," MacDuff tells him. "We're not like the others."</div><div>Worf agrees, then asks Commander NotMacDuff if he doubts that Picard can handle the situation.</div><div>"I just think we should consider the moral implications of <i>not</i> blowing the Lysians out of the sky," MacDuff answers.</div><div>Worf says nothing, and leaves. The audience is left in the dark as to how our resident Klingon will choose to act.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjd02YdWLsXGiFHG4dwSEnTtfYn3GY8qFKcXYGs_eJkRdan5MJJd_zNWFiwdcVz2egwZeFe-4ppNEnu351yqlmpdcoWXOMxlNbqvhrWhx4V020GwTs9rg48-tK4dkVUiVfeO6rnZ3pUSGi_fUM4EeB46vMpyrl0WUPa-wn0Tp17V-qkbRsNCZmGMQ2Q/s690/co29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="690" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjd02YdWLsXGiFHG4dwSEnTtfYn3GY8qFKcXYGs_eJkRdan5MJJd_zNWFiwdcVz2egwZeFe-4ppNEnu351yqlmpdcoWXOMxlNbqvhrWhx4V020GwTs9rg48-tK4dkVUiVfeO6rnZ3pUSGi_fUM4EeB46vMpyrl0WUPa-wn0Tp17V-qkbRsNCZmGMQ2Q/w400-h263/co29.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>When we come back, the E is sliding into Lysian space, near their central command. They have a bunch of little ships surrounding it, and the bridge crew figures out that they're unmanned sentry pods. And what are these sentries armed with? Some kind of laser, and minimal shields.</div><div>Cat toys and two-by-fours. </div><div>Picard is uneasy, so he has Worf lock phasers on some of those little sentry ships, and put up the shields before creeping into Lysian space.</div><div>And because Worf is good at his job, he just blows all those sentries out of the sky. Their bitty lasers are doing nothing to the E. Like smacking a line of ants with a flip flop.</div><div>Worf is now uneasy as well. "Um, where are the warships?"</div><div>Bro, there are none. Commander Liar is fucking with you.</div><div>He and Picard decide that maybe there are warships closer to the command center, and they roll up on it, but no warships appear.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuASVI36Ab030kbcGGVOO-XAUkW7AOM5S3TQXAPSiP4VL0uwxawV5kdaZpjExynIwBVU5UrCk4dOdiN019YESd9hHhPaVrDgzlTmoaU6Z12kmgr6GdBp1l5F_0_4BzJ-4O_myjbN0o3G3OX6zKQxZEvKq9OtVNoYZdGQCTXOlHbCSHhp3oqUDxRDO2w/s724/co30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="724" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuASVI36Ab030kbcGGVOO-XAUkW7AOM5S3TQXAPSiP4VL0uwxawV5kdaZpjExynIwBVU5UrCk4dOdiN019YESd9hHhPaVrDgzlTmoaU6Z12kmgr6GdBp1l5F_0_4BzJ-4O_myjbN0o3G3OX6zKQxZEvKq9OtVNoYZdGQCTXOlHbCSHhp3oqUDxRDO2w/w400-h276/co30.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There are no sentries now, either.</div><div>"Sooo, the weapons on the command center are like, slingshots," Data reports.</div><div>"We could take them out with one photon torpedo," cringes Riker.</div><div>Troi asks how many people onboard the center, and Data returns an answer of 15,000.</div><div>This is too many red flags. Starfleet can move in grey areas pretty easily as far as morals go, but this crew in particular, headed up by this captain, tries to be the good guys as much as they possibly can.</div><div>Picard hesitates.</div><div>MacDuff, so close to getting the Enterprise crew to essentially begin genocide, is now impatient. He yells at Picard to press the Big Red Button.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiI8DDQzEUqyghDEGjJon0dQg7zMKSVQpxKzWelFcnR46Aaklg21LoMR01uwSr0RD3eSJPpsqHSqHeLjyqytH_7CpuU7N0yNG6vfgpNOd6s3zQ7SMByqa2moyuSMsB0GXs1o5Z-7q2R6uVi1J4EUd-ud4jV9kfJpjTpFzocDwQq8mzSV0LNPkB0jIqA/s759/co31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="759" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiI8DDQzEUqyghDEGjJon0dQg7zMKSVQpxKzWelFcnR46Aaklg21LoMR01uwSr0RD3eSJPpsqHSqHeLjyqytH_7CpuU7N0yNG6vfgpNOd6s3zQ7SMByqa2moyuSMsB0GXs1o5Z-7q2R6uVi1J4EUd-ud4jV9kfJpjTpFzocDwQq8mzSV0LNPkB0jIqA/w400-h238/co31.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"Dude, they're like 100 years behind us, technologically," Riker points out.</div><div>"Naw, not doing this," Picard decides. "Open a channel. I wanna talk to them."</div><div>Nope. MacDuff has a break, and yells at the bridge crew that the captain is mentally unfit for command, and that he's taking over. He demands that Worf fire all weapons.</div><div>Worf stares him down instead of murdering innocent people, so MacDuff punches him. He tumbles over by the science center. Picard and Riker are on their feet, and Riker has a phaser. </div><div>I... was he carrying that on him? Or does the bridge have phasers stashed in little access panels for emergencies?</div><div>He fires on MacDuff to keep him away from tactical, and when the phaser washes over him, we get this nightmare fuel:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kDekycisG0g0W9H4m0GsRarqGeHevQSyELtls4rilstVtYXxYqLVZq1qzm6gFb2xOQD8JYJbuQj1Lz6qt-vxx-CZ5QTPu2hG2ZC6lxLwXCZlNQYK8fvM8mRDSHCI_tADsozwBSRZNb6Yd6RirSBTsqW7oCwJYUEFfz3Mw4EU-GOnXaV-P0IfdYK98w/s574/co32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="538" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kDekycisG0g0W9H4m0GsRarqGeHevQSyELtls4rilstVtYXxYqLVZq1qzm6gFb2xOQD8JYJbuQj1Lz6qt-vxx-CZ5QTPu2hG2ZC6lxLwXCZlNQYK8fvM8mRDSHCI_tADsozwBSRZNb6Yd6RirSBTsqW7oCwJYUEFfz3Mw4EU-GOnXaV-P0IfdYK98w/w375-h400/co32.png" width="375" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But it doesn't stun him. He stumbles back, then goes for tactical again. Both Riker and Worf fire on him again, this time knocking him out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Captain's Log, supplemental: "Going to a starbase. Crusher has started working on a way to restore crew memories."</div><div><br /></div><div>In the ready room, Picard tells Riker that the Lysians identified "MacDuff" as a Satarran.</div><div>Who?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HOb460vbzs8ecMhBNHcb0HpuaqlOQRhO22LXKM5UBw1nKDyD_idVt3NSbt4tvtdpbPZ86rJwNRb8dc6d5QZIpq3doyCzWZ1_1CK2-O4UwbGlP-IhAuqQaPXp0g02gi-8iddQmY06aLFTm-kpT1u-PN8gKFAUk2vnJRssJa3hk0ULQGnsEQ_1Es2CtQ/s1200/sontaran.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HOb460vbzs8ecMhBNHcb0HpuaqlOQRhO22LXKM5UBw1nKDyD_idVt3NSbt4tvtdpbPZ86rJwNRb8dc6d5QZIpq3doyCzWZ1_1CK2-O4UwbGlP-IhAuqQaPXp0g02gi-8iddQmY06aLFTm-kpT1u-PN8gKFAUk2vnJRssJa3hk0ULQGnsEQ_1Es2CtQ/w400-h200/sontaran.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Apparently, the Satarrans and Lysians have been at each other's throats for decades, pretty much evenly matched weapons-wise, but the Satarrans have this clever device that enables them to wipe the memories of the crew of another ship, as well as scramble info in their databanks, so... they just found them a bigger dog in the yard, and convinced him to eat their enemies.</div><div>"Yikes on bikes," remarks Riker. "We almost inadvertently ended their war with a photon torpedo."</div><div>"Indeed," says Picard, sipping his Earl Grey, hot.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_Wc6I6BM9w7oPYYU70axD0i_A430VeQ1cLLLN1yptx-ub5pNfQFZkUJCgSRBVeoFwxejqg7pEb_gBRgDfnPWACWCrJWntytYApSdOPuDVRjf875eecPrg9YGZrPFuzNI1q1J4wwNpBFeFRlSpFiwtix7edZey29-5gpPWG4egSuQEWBPFML-TvgJUA/s700/co33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="700" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_Wc6I6BM9w7oPYYU70axD0i_A430VeQ1cLLLN1yptx-ub5pNfQFZkUJCgSRBVeoFwxejqg7pEb_gBRgDfnPWACWCrJWntytYApSdOPuDVRjf875eecPrg9YGZrPFuzNI1q1J4wwNpBFeFRlSpFiwtix7edZey29-5gpPWG4egSuQEWBPFML-TvgJUA/w400-h285/co33.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The pirated video player I'm using to watch this episode cuts off the last scene, but Memory Alpha says Riker goes to Ten Forward, and finds Ro and Troi sharing a drink at a table.</div><div>Now that everyone has their memories back, it's extra awkward, because Riker and Ro do not get along, but have now seen each other naked.</div><div>Ro is all, "thanks for the weird-ass memory, weirdo," while Troi remarks that they may have been acting on subconscious desire.</div><div>Way to make it more awkward, Troi.</div><div>"Maybe I was just confused," Riker suggests.</div><div>Sassy Troi Moment: "If you're still confused tomorrow, you know where my office is."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfIkAq75lOEomOaZscw63UK4wNUFYh83u-OKPLQbBRHDIfAmhjbY_loInJxJdTsKE17yrHeVUTojgnzWRYDabMv0q8pZZiDs1DBhx7ZoXAy3lBt-zqCAKYdEEuTTtHetWgcTzoVtqlDvfEwseA6SKLBf-yd01Y2gY9Pdl12icBQK1Nz43NjMnfKdO0w/s1280/co34.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="1280" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfIkAq75lOEomOaZscw63UK4wNUFYh83u-OKPLQbBRHDIfAmhjbY_loInJxJdTsKE17yrHeVUTojgnzWRYDabMv0q8pZZiDs1DBhx7ZoXAy3lBt-zqCAKYdEEuTTtHetWgcTzoVtqlDvfEwseA6SKLBf-yd01Y2gY9Pdl12icBQK1Nz43NjMnfKdO0w/w400-h301/co34.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*******</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I really like this episode. It isn't one that really stands out to me, but I do like the elements of it: you have a bit of mystery, some sci-fi tech that doesn't really get explained, but doesn't really have to be, and there's a basic spy component. The idea that you have two warring factions that evenly-matched for weapons, but one has a weird technology that has nothing to do with weaponry, but can be utilized to get some... that's really interesting. We've had inventions like that throughout our own history, why wouldn't another species?</div><div><br /></div><div>Scientist Ed: I invented a ray that can wipe the memory of someone's identity.</div><div>Scientist Steve: That's cool. What do we do with that?</div><div>Ed: Dunno.</div><div>Bigwig Carl: You idiots are supposed to be thinking up weapons that we can use against the Lysians.</div><div>Steve: Yeah, I'd rather invent a life-saving medicine that we can offer to our people at little to no cost.</div><div>Bigwig Richard: Fuck that. I have an idea. What if we wipe the identities of another species, one with awesome weapons, and then tell them that their mortal enemy is the Lysians? No blood on our hands, and we can pretty much kill them all quickly and easily. No more Lysians.</div><div>Ed: That's evil.</div><div>Carl: No one asked your opinion. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcADLEg9BM8qVJnAU97Yw27VElCYiVpMcFQVO6CTM5OVDSC_mMd0CFdTofObt3LWENWgQzHbNPZ4_9tQdWtnUkmeonbKBsZg7qlcluuSUPhjahZdS9b2QtCKI4QeLnQU1x2IkI8EX3vR7f2eRZG4iqAHH4vYYslBOtyABviiDVNDG8Pa2uhDz33yBwA/s700/Leonardo-sythed-chariot.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="700" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcADLEg9BM8qVJnAU97Yw27VElCYiVpMcFQVO6CTM5OVDSC_mMd0CFdTofObt3LWENWgQzHbNPZ4_9tQdWtnUkmeonbKBsZg7qlcluuSUPhjahZdS9b2QtCKI4QeLnQU1x2IkI8EX3vR7f2eRZG4iqAHH4vYYslBOtyABviiDVNDG8Pa2uhDz33yBwA/w400-h281/Leonardo-sythed-chariot.jpg" title="(Okay, not the best example, as Leonardo definitely designed weapons, but you get what I mean.)" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Okay, not the best example, as Leonardo definitely<br /> designed weapons, but you get what I mean.)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to the memory-wiping ray-thing, they also somehow had the technology to make one of their own look like a Starfleet officer, and they did so in such a way that not even Crusher and medical equipment noticed that "Kieran" was not from Earth. Sounds like maybe the Satarrans have had priorities elsewhere.</div><div>Also, Fake MacDuff had a huge job: he not only had to procure a Starfleet uniform, and take on the mannerisms of someone in an alien military-based organization, but he needed to know a bunch of stuff about humans in general, and Starfleet specifically. What kinds of things was he studying when making his Terran Rogue character sheet? (And was he binge-watching Derry Girls for inspo on his name?) </div><div><br /></div><div>It turns out that making an amnesia ray that wipes out someone's identity is really more sci-fi than IRL, because in most cases of amnesia, people still recall who they themselves are, but are generally missing chunks of their past memories, or have trouble making new ones. Seems like you'd have to target a really specific area of the brain to just pick out the identity parts (plus their ray managed to catch Data -impressive). The brain is a pretty wild machine, though. "I can't recall who I am, but I know how everything around me works" still functions as a premise because that absolutely happens. You can wake up from a coma and not remember big chunks of your life, but motor skills still work. You can use hand tools and navigate a space. Something's missing, but it's that one thing. My friend got sick and developed Capgras Syndrome, where you think loved ones have been replaced with imposters. Nothing else wrong, just that.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6bx8i9bcew4IY-EOKKt8aYLLWVVyQooOYzQxPQfeP3AlFCXlfexsBD0rFfD3b31w1WdDYyar32fGE0LHrGxijBuIBy3dqUYICO6fJ-Eceqsjg4U3f8pRsz4D35OLzHoVsPGBHmjD1QDisjknKny62igiKRWBepuRHzH1-OhaArdk9r3_uilbwg2ALw/s4296/capgras%20syndrome.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2818" data-original-width="4296" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6bx8i9bcew4IY-EOKKt8aYLLWVVyQooOYzQxPQfeP3AlFCXlfexsBD0rFfD3b31w1WdDYyar32fGE0LHrGxijBuIBy3dqUYICO6fJ-Eceqsjg4U3f8pRsz4D35OLzHoVsPGBHmjD1QDisjknKny62igiKRWBepuRHzH1-OhaArdk9r3_uilbwg2ALw/w400-h263/capgras%20syndrome.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The gist here is that there were probably too many working parts for the Satarrans to pull this off, but it doesn't bother me. Sure, they'd have to have intimate knowledge of the brains of all of the species aboard the Enterprise, as well as knowledge of how the E's computer banks worked, and that they most likely had to target Starfleet as their Biggest Dog in the Yard, and spend years on their research, but... I think the premise here was interesting enough for me to shrug it off and decide that it didn't matter that much.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Fun Facts:</div><div><br /></div><div>- The original idea for this episode came from drafting soldiers by rewriting their memories, which is a gross way to get foot soldiers, but could be a thought-provoking story. It's a premise that will be used in a season four Voyager episode, "Nemesis."</div><div>- There were three "amnesia" episodes pitched for season four, and this was not polished enough to be made until season five. The others were <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2018/08/sttng-season-four-episode-eight-future.html">"Future Imperfect"</a> and <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2019/01/sttng-season-four-episode-fourteen-clues.html">"Clues."</a></div><div>- The premise here, according to Brannon Braga, was <i>if everyone forgets who they are, how will they get along, and will they figure out who is who?</i></div><div>- This episode is a bottle show.</div><div>- The Lysian central command is a reuse of the Edo god from <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2016/04/sttng-season-one-episode-nine-justice.html">"Justice."</a></div><div>- When Riker tells Troi that he is surprised that he can play the trombone, he plays a bit of "The Nearness of You," which he had also played in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2016/07/sttng-season-one-episode-sixteen.html">"11001001."</a></div><div>- This is the third time we see Picard take the helm. (The other two are "11001001" and <a href="http://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/09/sttng-season-three-episode-six-booby.html">"Booby Trap."</a>)</div><div>- Michael Piller thought this episode didn't live up to the original premise.</div><div>- Rick Berman said it was "thought-provoking," but not great.</div><div>- Brannon Braga thought the mystery bit with MacDuff didn't work well.</div><div>- Braga, Ronald D Moore, and Jeri Taylor all spoke highly of the love triangle between Ro, Riker, and Troi. Taylor specifically cited that Ro being involved in a comedic bit hit nicely.</div><div>- Michelle Forbes said that she especially enjoyed those parts as well, working with Jonathan Frakes and exploring a different side of an established character.</div><div>- This episode won an Emmy for special FX.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Red deaths: 0 (Imposter Alien in Red Shirt doesn't count)<br />To date: 1<br />Gold deaths: 0<br />To date: 0<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Blue deaths: 0<br />To date: 0<br />Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />To date: 0</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy La Forge moments: 1</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 1</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Ro Moments: 2<br />To date: 2</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />To date: 0</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Riker Moments: 0<br />To date: 1</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />To date: 0</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />To date: 0<br />Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />To date: 0<br />Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />To date: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Keiko Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 3<br />Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />To date: 0<br />Sassy Troi Moments: 1<br />To date: 3<br />Sassy Guinan Moments: 0<br />To Date: 1<br />Sassy Guest Star Moments: <br />To date: 3</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 3</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 34</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 0<br />To date: 8</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: <br />To date: 2<br />Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />To date: 1<br />Picard Maneuvers: 1<br />To date: 8<br />Tea, Earl Grey: 3<br />To date: 6</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 2</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNn7Rt4NkdynlN0sYtbJAazVvYwqJ-mwpmkJaU8Ek6lLBRvOE4RZDBhKyPu7I7RU1G-wsLiqUDqX-N9SbOpJxdIj95Hoc957BjN8fvE2oGoEHFZx9yX_FyiBSiC-y7pDSRIK2e0PgucH37RCV3rGO8z3uu_v7ce-yDX-1raXrNWQXEj_S5WLduTYCow/s206/pie%20asleep.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="154" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNn7Rt4NkdynlN0sYtbJAazVvYwqJ-mwpmkJaU8Ek6lLBRvOE4RZDBhKyPu7I7RU1G-wsLiqUDqX-N9SbOpJxdIj95Hoc957BjN8fvE2oGoEHFZx9yX_FyiBSiC-y7pDSRIK2e0PgucH37RCV3rGO8z3uu_v7ce-yDX-1raXrNWQXEj_S5WLduTYCow/w299-h400/pie%20asleep.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-70442610205777129132022-08-19T21:50:00.002-07:002022-08-19T21:50:28.576-07:00Hey, Where'd You Go?<p> Where'd I go?</p><p>Nowhere, honestly. I'm still here.</p><p>Unfortunately, "here" includes a really old, bad laptop and poor-quality wifi. Between the two, the internet flickers on and off like a dying lightbulb. Not an exaggeration: I had to redo my resume today, and it took forever. </p><p>Blog posts take an average of 12 hours to write and assemble, and while Blogspot is good about saving frequently, that flickering internet thing means I could lose an entire post at the end of the process.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWDFQyu3XuSX3buH7zCs4NSKcI3oYPefQ7f-0mB8mGKi6G0joBh3tpcjjFra-7BhrD2Izad3-0gI6mPYGAlfEdb_wQLwzKsyREnXZZ9KaZ7t09kon4TTXLadsVO8B4lsFbKQd6K-6Po4RUS7d3wKPZNpOZ9pw9Dvb7OXhQlM2bh03MVm7UI92jGGRww/s550/laptop%20irritation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="550" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWDFQyu3XuSX3buH7zCs4NSKcI3oYPefQ7f-0mB8mGKi6G0joBh3tpcjjFra-7BhrD2Izad3-0gI6mPYGAlfEdb_wQLwzKsyREnXZZ9KaZ7t09kon4TTXLadsVO8B4lsFbKQd6K-6Po4RUS7d3wKPZNpOZ9pw9Dvb7OXhQlM2bh03MVm7UI92jGGRww/w400-h256/laptop%20irritation.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At this point, I think I may have to go back to my roots and write each post by hand, then transcribe them at the local library computer lab.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll look into it, we'll see how it goes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stay tuned, Trek fans.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">LLAP,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lady Archon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-21552428136957189702021-07-05T20:56:00.000-07:002021-07-05T20:56:19.154-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Thirteen "The Masterpiece Society"ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Thirteen "The Masterpiece Society"<br />
Production Order: 13<br />
Air Order: 13<br />
Stardate: 45470.1<br />
Original Air Date: February 10, 1992<div><br /></div><div><br /><br />
<br />
Picard's Log 45470.1: "We're going to the Moab sector. Our scientists have been tracking the stellar core of a neutrino star, to see if it fucks with any of the planets it passes."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUoTzrPniGK3OCyoGd_OKG3ZAShucCFDTYdEQfxEl3got4csiMB_IQCfFNgdEMUdUPM3_osLfIr1T-udQyS-FUCWf4l40uge_hFd7lysd07G8wP8dRz9Rq0Yx6aOMmwaRahYTlgiaKI8M/s632/ms1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="632" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUoTzrPniGK3OCyoGd_OKG3ZAShucCFDTYdEQfxEl3got4csiMB_IQCfFNgdEMUdUPM3_osLfIr1T-udQyS-FUCWf4l40uge_hFd7lysd07G8wP8dRz9Rq0Yx6aOMmwaRahYTlgiaKI8M/w400-h268/ms1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Picard enters the bridge, and Riker tells him that they have a problem: the core fragment will pass by Moab IV in six days, and while that was expected, they were not expecting a colony to be on that planet. And they're human.</div><div>"The hell?" asks Picard. "There shouldn't be humans here."</div><div>"They're in an artificial environment on the surface," Data confirms.</div><div>"Ships reported missing in this sector?" Picard asks.</div><div>Nope, none. And hails are getting no response.</div><div>"How'd they get here?" Picard is baffled.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9zk6CdYoNjlVGuHS09aW5gkbGj9sohFPryDfzDb3268da-9FLIyImjq_-yzr9quPN2cQFxCMWWxS2_HfZnBBc-lgBr13WHvhbD0ZrkcRBl6Cu5yeA4s1bGZEEoyiw3YWbbXr-ImKHCNS/s636/ms2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="636" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9zk6CdYoNjlVGuHS09aW5gkbGj9sohFPryDfzDb3268da-9FLIyImjq_-yzr9quPN2cQFxCMWWxS2_HfZnBBc-lgBr13WHvhbD0ZrkcRBl6Cu5yeA4s1bGZEEoyiw3YWbbXr-ImKHCNS/w400-h253/ms2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>"Pretty sure they know we're here," La Forge calls from the Engineering station. "I can see some activity."</div><div>"Let's try the lower EM band channels from the last century," Picard suggests to Worf, who opens the channels.</div><div>"Hey, this Picard from the Enterprise, the ship in orbit? Sorry to ring your doorbell, but we need to talk to you. Kind of urgent here."</div><div>"The defensive shield went up," Worf announces.</div><div>"Okay, we're not here to hurt you," Picard says. "Hella earthquakes coming to you in less than a week. Like, real bad. Everything-coming-down bad. Please answer."</div><div>And now they wanna talk.</div><div>A human named Aaron Conor shows up onscreen, and see that guy hovering in the background? That's Martin Benbeck, and he is not happy.<br />
<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4k_pfu9vOfBDfJHHeHi0t5m90dk4dNUVH-lz9MIgvwf4dzQBl-nH_kjHVF3wbT3HwBo2tk8PJpG7Y5gL_W0JokTuCuFANfZihJMNkqorDKxcgmkFKZdF_sPHh0NYFq_H2lt4m38UDBoM/s638/ms3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="638" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4k_pfu9vOfBDfJHHeHi0t5m90dk4dNUVH-lz9MIgvwf4dzQBl-nH_kjHVF3wbT3HwBo2tk8PJpG7Y5gL_W0JokTuCuFANfZihJMNkqorDKxcgmkFKZdF_sPHh0NYFq_H2lt4m38UDBoM/w400-h269/ms3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>"Look, not to be rude," says Conor with diplomatic patience, "but we're not into chit-chat, and we don't like outsiders."</div><div>Huh, same. A whole colony of introverts?</div><div>"We only answered because of your warning," he adds.</div><div>"Yeah, this core fragment -"</div><div>"Cool," says Conor. "Listen, we've also been tracking that thing, and we're fine. Our structures have been designed to handle 8.7 on the Richter scale."</div><div>"Here's the thing," says Data. "Given the core's size, and what kind of quakes this will cause... y'all gonna die."</div><div>"We need to evacuate you," Picard says.</div><div>"Ooh, that's not gonna happen."</div><div>Like, flood waters are rising here, and you're all gonna drown, and they come by in a lifeboat, and you say No Thanks?</div><div>"Okay, we can find alternatives." Picard is losing patience. "You wanna come on board our ship, and we can figure something out?"<br />
"Our environment is sealed," Conor argues. "Nobody can come in or out."</div><div>Picard smiles a Not-A-Smile. "We have matter/energy transport."</div><div>Conor has an "ooh, shiny!" reaction to that. He doesn't want to leave. He's the HBIC, and he's needed there. But he will consent to a few E crewmembers beaming down, if nothing more so than he can see it in action.</div><div>Benbeck's face has a "the fuck you say!" look now. We have no idea who this guy is, but he's pissed, and wondering how Conor has the audacity to let these people beam down.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcd-OdPBSEjOEJxoqLNUW4Yw9WOMXqThNh3FeZNC24pcnbIel4H7YMQ3hbwnS18xtZylI9gWxF5zK7RxRyHj5lyGbcZKz4F_I6kGdNQdeSCtUqxXWa0eRSqeyNkaCyN-_O9A0acsKjPSC/s639/ms4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="639" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcd-OdPBSEjOEJxoqLNUW4Yw9WOMXqThNh3FeZNC24pcnbIel4H7YMQ3hbwnS18xtZylI9gWxF5zK7RxRyHj5lyGbcZKz4F_I6kGdNQdeSCtUqxXWa0eRSqeyNkaCyN-_O9A0acsKjPSC/w400-h261/ms4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We go down to the surface of Moab IV and get a nice matte painting of the surface:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdCjazofZX4hpUVT4ACp_RPR9gYFugSq03as0lgGzGdmXOcQCWgFuD8fLnzfUjnChhslWJddLqzOYE7jyA8nzvyIj-MTsUZD9dRLU_5ULa4A6ucA9bYtT3-jOtu7hEVOCtVdkgTceTygj/s645/ms5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="645" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdCjazofZX4hpUVT4ACp_RPR9gYFugSq03as0lgGzGdmXOcQCWgFuD8fLnzfUjnChhslWJddLqzOYE7jyA8nzvyIj-MTsUZD9dRLU_5ULa4A6ucA9bYtT3-jOtu7hEVOCtVdkgTceTygj/w400-h261/ms5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Kinda scary, and... Mars-like. Not inhabitable outside.</div><div>Inside the biosphere, Benbeck follows Conor to berate him: outsiders are not allowed, period.</div><div>The away team - Riker, Troi and La Forge - beam down in a courtyard, and Conor has another star-struck moment.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHqUmcrbQGERSt7zjjiDqjmkbr3o1v_GRB-r-xGH3DqftiYhoHTOIWvJgmzDOvxjlaQPbtcRCZN3YNYSrfpoi1hPlkumNG1IT3L8wWTNOrQgDSYQT-CpY92mfN3VKV-NJcvW8KvXTRCpk/s637/ms6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="637" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHqUmcrbQGERSt7zjjiDqjmkbr3o1v_GRB-r-xGH3DqftiYhoHTOIWvJgmzDOvxjlaQPbtcRCZN3YNYSrfpoi1hPlkumNG1IT3L8wWTNOrQgDSYQT-CpY92mfN3VKV-NJcvW8KvXTRCpk/w400-h269/ms6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But Benbeck is having none of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Opening credits break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNpqiSMZVEs0tiNZp7f9nISkPsmLAol3B9zWWShxQPHs2oVkNeySwOpZoSWxIrcOi95aygnr_kaHFfwVJX9TmotVABptXUUet-KI-_az2WaLB_9DFxkOIEjWwkdVuU3wK0mJHYBV216uC/s1275/ms7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1275" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNpqiSMZVEs0tiNZp7f9nISkPsmLAol3B9zWWShxQPHs2oVkNeySwOpZoSWxIrcOi95aygnr_kaHFfwVJX9TmotVABptXUUet-KI-_az2WaLB_9DFxkOIEjWwkdVuU3wK0mJHYBV216uC/w400-h262/ms7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the courtyard, Conor and Benbeck tell the away team about how they have a closed society, which has been completely genetically-engineered: each person has been engineered to be the perfect specimen of their job and part in society, and their environment has as well, which is why leaving would fuck up all the shit.</div><div>"It would be suicide," argues Benbeck.</div><div>Getting a bit hyperbolic there, buddy. Have you all been genetically-engineered that you breathe a slightly-altered form of oxygen that's only available in this biosphere? No? Then it wouldn't be suicide to leave, just difficult. And it would leave an imbalance in the system, but no one would die.</div><div>Conor explains that the founders of their society selectively-bred its members to be without flaws, and to build a paradise.</div><div>"We've evolved," marvels Benbeck, "beyond..."</div><div>He stumbles in his thinking, because he's looking at La Forge, who is standing before him, physically disabled with a prosthesis.</div><div>"Beyond us," La Forge finishes in disgust.</div><div>You expect Benbeck to push back a little at that, to declare that that isn't what he's saying at all, but he says the quiet part out loud, possibly because good manners wasn't part of his genetic menu.</div><div>"Well, yeah. No one in our society would be blind. No offense," he adds.</div><div>Sassy La Forge Moment: "I can see you just fine, sir."</div><div>Benbeck starts to argue, but Conor cuts him off to say that this is an example that they haven't perfected everything yet, and they still need to work on some things.</div><div>Cooler in that shade, y'all.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkTDH8XvNxA5cupzB6uKmArPHez_7S0n5Bpb0at1e7-CXApb69yRniTU8C_A6-YyNxEI4ByFScIql86G1GalSYd9tCR8aCVhs1IHrJsQXM4ROoqP7Y9Pvqv-B2rqtx1SOZrH8EMDKDo6v/s319/ms8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="319" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkTDH8XvNxA5cupzB6uKmArPHez_7S0n5Bpb0at1e7-CXApb69yRniTU8C_A6-YyNxEI4ByFScIql86G1GalSYd9tCR8aCVhs1IHrJsQXM4ROoqP7Y9Pvqv-B2rqtx1SOZrH8EMDKDo6v/w400-h258/ms8.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Conor further explains that every living thing in the biosphere has been engineered to work in harmony with all of the others, to maintain a balance, so they can't just extract themselves.</div><div>"You being here has already affected The Balance," snaps Benbeck.</div><div>Spoiler alert: they will never show any evidence of this balance being tipped, which makes it hard to believe the struggle to evacuate is a real one, and not just something they've been programmed to think.</div><div>"If we all die, then The Balance won't matter much, will it?" asks Conor.</div><div>Benbeck closes his mouth and walks away.</div><div>Conor apologizes to the away team, but explains that Benbeck is "performing his function" exactly as he was designed. Dude is a human Data?</div><div>He explains that Benbeck's function is to interpret the desires of the founders and make sure that they're being carried out, like a judge.</div><div>HOLD THE MOTHERFUCKING COMM BADGE.</div><div>Dude is a one-man Supreme Court? This is a TERRIBLE idea. Not to mention stagnating. What if the people decide to move forward in a progressive way, and Benbeck tells them no? Is there any way to enforce that, or is that the be all, end all? What The Founders Wanted isn't the only way to live. Just... this idea is awful. Maybe there are 8 other Benbecks who meet and make a judgement? I don't know. I just hate this system so much.</div><div>Conor says that he was designed to be the leader of the people, and that everyone knows exactly what their role is, and what to do. He launches into a defense of their society that's definitely still an issue here: are there people who go their whole lives without knowing their purpose? Are there people who are listless because they haven't figured out what they're good at? What if there are amazing poets stuck in deadend jobs, who can never become those amazing poets because of the aforementioned unsuitable work?</div><div>Now, I think about this a lot, because the things I am good at are not deemed worthy of paychecks in the current system.</div><div>But they took one problem, and genetically-engineered a solution? An entire society full of people who have been designed to never be unhappy at work, with a Benbeck to make sure they're smiling through it all? What if their scientists want to take up music as a hobby? Are they allowed hobbies?</div><div>Anyway, Conor says they treasure their way of life, and Troi tells him that they'll help him preserve it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2aK8KjIcYcE4sEHRrKXKVJlraWfQ4UCeg8zkm6URZyZQcA-cKsGZi9NxzFDME76TVjZXWGnIpmFxMOmLLF1E8FnFthnmnjr1_ri0IGPF81jJR11cgqr2OjQoeZuWzS4DjqsrUF0gmJWx/s640/ms9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="640" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2aK8KjIcYcE4sEHRrKXKVJlraWfQ4UCeg8zkm6URZyZQcA-cKsGZi9NxzFDME76TVjZXWGnIpmFxMOmLLF1E8FnFthnmnjr1_ri0IGPF81jJR11cgqr2OjQoeZuWzS4DjqsrUF0gmJWx/w400-h258/ms9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Conor takes the away team to a science lab and introduces them to Hannah Bates, a theoretical physicist. She and La Forge start comparing notes right away on the stellar core and what they can do to protect the colony.</div><div>Riker beams back, but Troi asks to stay to see more of the biosphere.</div><div>When Riker beams out of the lab, Bates also has an "ooh, shiny!" moment.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfA5OPjke2utBWhq0PDI2j6gL2QB21PPFOdBkhQAQ6rZjJ7t-GOugH26Q6d1PvRY_-Dzasz9ss2ObGqFK3XywoUdHPjKMGcFUNN9ijFUzT-xxRaObczE2brFqrTZyZg-JrR9IAM5mZVOT-/s631/ms10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="631" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfA5OPjke2utBWhq0PDI2j6gL2QB21PPFOdBkhQAQ6rZjJ7t-GOugH26Q6d1PvRY_-Dzasz9ss2ObGqFK3XywoUdHPjKMGcFUNN9ijFUzT-xxRaObczE2brFqrTZyZg-JrR9IAM5mZVOT-/w400-h263/ms10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Spoiler alert: they're going to have Troi and Conor fall for one another.</div><div>Also spoiler alert: nobody ships this.</div><div>Troi and Conor walk through a garden, and she worries (but not a lot) that being there has fucked up all of the shit, but he shrugs it off as "damage done." He admits that today has been exciting, meeting new people, and meeting her. She tells him that this place is great, and that if they had a hotel, she'd book her next vacation there.</div><div>"I'll have them build a hotel," he tells her cheerfully.</div><div>Meh.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUKxkzbnr4akT9I3gVS_2HLKbctmWCeJQ9X-aW0MYBLZW4LbPxlNDjuHTrgt6MhHX3dlyPvMcq0J-V3omzy_j6JxRfYkou7KkzmvandJs9YAPZ_e_Qevir2TjEZPCvL5TePiXX2MPMiFL/s641/ms11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="641" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUKxkzbnr4akT9I3gVS_2HLKbctmWCeJQ9X-aW0MYBLZW4LbPxlNDjuHTrgt6MhHX3dlyPvMcq0J-V3omzy_j6JxRfYkou7KkzmvandJs9YAPZ_e_Qevir2TjEZPCvL5TePiXX2MPMiFL/w400-h259/ms11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the lab, La Forge and Bates agree that the magnitude of the earthquakes caused by the stellar core fragment would destroy the biosphere enough to ruin the careful environment set up inside. Bates asks La Forge what kind of power the E can generate, and she shows him a theory she came up with when they first noticed the fragment headed their way: that they can move the fragment just enough to pass by them without impacting the planet. She tells La Forge that the colony doesn't have the power to move the fragment, but the E might.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOEqLCOhI0YfUGSeQY1lR1McsXvYkBrXmSABQjrHTbJZINDKHWWom8N0i5DZ8ajaLgcdf_pzMEaMh39D_2MSYT_lqiE3mJn1ATlIpg0vwuKydbiBn7-5BLMRQdksucZa1OX1ZMdUQgngM/s638/ms12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="638" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOEqLCOhI0YfUGSeQY1lR1McsXvYkBrXmSABQjrHTbJZINDKHWWom8N0i5DZ8ajaLgcdf_pzMEaMh39D_2MSYT_lqiE3mJn1ATlIpg0vwuKydbiBn7-5BLMRQdksucZa1OX1ZMdUQgngM/w400-h259/ms12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>La Forge and Bates tell Troi and Conor about their plan, and of course, Benbeck is there. He needs to be so he can tell them sternly that the founders would not approve.</div><div>Basically, Bates needs to transport up to the E to help La Forge alter the ship's tractor beam.</div><div>Conor notes that, prior to this day, no one had ever left or visited.</div><div>Benback tries to convince Conor not to let her leave, but does so in a plaintive voice rather than a lecturing one. He talks about The Balance again. And he's worried about how transporting Bates will affect her DNA.</div><div>La Forge is over this ableist asshole. "It won't! We have more than 100 years proof of that!"</div><div>Conor agrees to let Bates transport up, and she goes with La Forge and Troi. But not before Troi gets permission from Conor to come back. Because, you know, she like-likes him.</div><div><br /></div><div>A shot of Benbeck looking disapproving! Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOc39S2KF6wYuMfMFIaaogGkoA049zXC5fWC-P3xWTMoQD9ldoDYrY4JbofK21yWjhyUukmsBbrXM8eFFpXGuKa6kf1AGq6E9aA73MS_meauTFbIjFdPMCkTbInVIm6WyGjzi-VIkCKWk/s639/ms13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="639" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOc39S2KF6wYuMfMFIaaogGkoA049zXC5fWC-P3xWTMoQD9ldoDYrY4JbofK21yWjhyUukmsBbrXM8eFFpXGuKa6kf1AGq6E9aA73MS_meauTFbIjFdPMCkTbInVIm6WyGjzi-VIkCKWk/w400-h260/ms13.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is this, the animated series? He stood like this <br />through the entire scene</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log, supplemental: "La Forge and Bates have been working on their plan, but they have to get it done within 48 hours, or we'll have to evacuate the colonists instead."</div><div><br /></div><div> In the ready room, Picard asks Troi how likely it is for the colonists to evacuate. She tells him honestly that they're very attached to their environment, and some will choose death over leaving.</div><div>He makes an irritated comment about how the colonists have taken "dubious science and turned it into dogma."</div><div>"You don't approve?" she asks.</div><div>"Eugenics was a crappy idea, and it should have been left in the past." </div><div>When she notes that the colonists have seemed to make it work for them, he remarks that genetic manipulation has done away with all of the things that make a human a human: uncertainty and struggle and the like.</div><div>"I wouldn't want to live like that, with my future having been written before I was born. Would you?" he asks her.</div><div>She admits that she's been thinking about that a lot, but doesn't have an answer.</div><div>When he asks about Conor, she waxes poetic about how he's "the perfect administrator."</div><div>"Could you talk him into leaving, if need be?" he suggests. "If he's a good leader, he should be able to see reason, and the others may follow."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHo92LKAopLdjeYmiedMgzixNtZ7i0YKOFwJJ8bY1PuESEUOGloIDH5IS9GCfqQD66U_L5y0FIzsUi-KeWihUg6g9IgrLzZt-eJBWqWDbqxA-Xz42eB2ruwsK0xreHcDGvn0wJkLhH7iON/s637/ms14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="637" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHo92LKAopLdjeYmiedMgzixNtZ7i0YKOFwJJ8bY1PuESEUOGloIDH5IS9GCfqQD66U_L5y0FIzsUi-KeWihUg6g9IgrLzZt-eJBWqWDbqxA-Xz42eB2ruwsK0xreHcDGvn0wJkLhH7iON/w400-h261/ms14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Downstairs in Engineering, things are not going well. Bates and La Forge keep trying to beef up the power to the tractor beam so they can shift the fragment, but the system keeps overloading.</div><div>La Forge sits down at a console, tired, and takes off his VISOR.</div><div>Bates is stunned to see his eyes. "Were you always blind?</div><div>Girl, how did you not know? Did you think he was wearing a banana clip on his face for fashion?</div><div>La Forge apologizes - he thought she knew, and didn't realize he'd dropped a bomb on her. But when he starts to put the VISOR back on to cover up, she quickly tells him not to, that she didn't mean to embarrass him.</div><div> At least she's not a jerk like Benbeck is.</div><div>He tells her that he's never been embarrassed by it, and that he was born blind.</div><div>She asks to see his VISOR out of scientific curiosity, which he allows.</div><div>"I would never have been born on your planet, would I?" he asks.</div><div>"No," she admits.</div><div>"I would have been eliminated as a fertilized cell," he continues.</div><div>Bates explains that it was the wish of the founders that no one should suffer with disabilities. She isn't defending it, per se. Just stating facts. But she's lived her whole life with these facts, and no one has ever challenged them in her very small world.</div><div>"Who gave them the right to decide that I wouldn't have something to contribute?"</div><div>Bates is stunned. She doesn't have an answer to that, and says so. She's being far more open-minded about the situation than Benbeck. Handing La Forge his VISOR, she asks how it works.</div><div>He's more than willing to explain the science behind it, and when she asks how it handles sensory overload, he has a lightbulb moment. He realizes that the answer to their problems comes through with VISOR technology - that short pulses of energy won't overload the tractor beam system like a continues stream would.</div><div>She sees the idea immediately and recognizes that it could work.</div><div>"You see the irony that a man who never would have existed in your society, is about to save it, using tech that allows him to work around that disability, right?"</div><div>A little heavy-handed, Star Trek. But it's a point in favor of disabled people that he gets to point that out directly to her.</div><div>To her credit, Bates takes it in stride, and gives him a bashful smile in return.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCjOTsQIRSVqhr1mE0kKajmARAWfJuATImi9RoOxsBWoiQxWpb12aEA7UfwfA-SMnNjQPFDzMR7xp77aTNs6bO_sE1Q-8Om9N14nSZp_-19uY_lpwXI8F2ox9libaKdSi9hN2mqb1vVX-/s571/ms15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="571" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCjOTsQIRSVqhr1mE0kKajmARAWfJuATImi9RoOxsBWoiQxWpb12aEA7UfwfA-SMnNjQPFDzMR7xp77aTNs6bO_sE1Q-8Om9N14nSZp_-19uY_lpwXI8F2ox9libaKdSi9hN2mqb1vVX-/w400-h278/ms15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi and Conor are enjoying an outdoor concert with a bunch of others, while a kid plays the piano. The concert is interrupted by a brief earthquake, and Conor tells the kid to continue playing, then he walks away. Troi follows.</div><div>"Maybe I'm naïve," she says, "but couldn't you just remake this somewhere else?" </div><div>He responds by citing Humpty Dumpty, and there's her answer: once broken, they can't put it back together again.</div><div>She says she's sorry she can't help more, and he tells her that she's been very helpful and supportive these past few days. Then they both agree that starting an affair would be wrong of them, and proceed to make out in the garden.</div><div>Again, nobody ships this.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-c3wjs8YJPM6PbstUvct0Gu1x2e0OtGUeOGcoM5Pg_kFyMzpEIJSRxBY72_JljqcQxl5Lf63fnr43fY3TK_xJZcQB7YQYVum9qixYLZaKMStXDiwUjczs_HP6s1EeFn3njF5pKkoSs8H/s576/ms16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="576" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-c3wjs8YJPM6PbstUvct0Gu1x2e0OtGUeOGcoM5Pg_kFyMzpEIJSRxBY72_JljqcQxl5Lf63fnr43fY3TK_xJZcQB7YQYVum9qixYLZaKMStXDiwUjczs_HP6s1EeFn3njF5pKkoSs8H/w400-h274/ms16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Upstairs, Bates and La Forge show their progress and plan to Riker and Picard, noting the VISOR technology. They can boost the power of the tractor beam by 300% this way, with the pulses.</div><div>"But you said you needed 400 percent," Riker reminds them.</div><div>"We do," Bates admits. "We can't get that, but we can move the fragment just enough that it won't do catastrophic damage. We'll have to shore up the biosphere. Between the two, that should do the trick."</div><div>"We can beam down teams of engineers to help with that process," adds La Forge.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlY3dNF5_hz36w4-PJwuiC6gWmTIlAtuGL-OvVnygrjVV0GHrAVhdpaTww58QJBYkgFlVYZ-MKp37VNlXjdT5rxhT5YjmptPa11tvYUWVA0rYWw9KfvJl6yucRA0vKGr9DQ3vVCuLQuG5c/s587/ms17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="587" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlY3dNF5_hz36w4-PJwuiC6gWmTIlAtuGL-OvVnygrjVV0GHrAVhdpaTww58QJBYkgFlVYZ-MKp37VNlXjdT5rxhT5YjmptPa11tvYUWVA0rYWw9KfvJl6yucRA0vKGr9DQ3vVCuLQuG5c/w400-h269/ms17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And now, the inevitable break-up.</div><div>It's morning on Moab IV, and Troi is picking out a song on the piano like an adult who half-learned a song as a kid and wants to see if she can still remember how to play it.</div><div>Conor approaches and says she's up early, implying that she slept with him.</div><div>"I'm going back to the ship, and I won't be coming back here," she tells him. "This is wrong, and I'm angry with myself for letting it happen."</div><div>"It's fine," he tries to tell her, but she cuts him off.</div><div>"Really? And how would Benbeck feel about adding half-Betazoid DNA to your society? A few days ago, you wouldn't talk to us, and now you're inviting me to stay here and further fuck up The Balance!"</div><div>He attempts to argue with her, saying that they don't have to continue a relationship, that he'll be a good boy, and keep it in his pants if she'll stay and help him, but they're interrupted by Bates and La Forge beaming down.</div><div>"We can do the thing," Bates reports. "But we need 50 scientists and engineers to beam down and help us fortify the shields and structure."</div><div>Conor balks. That's a lot of people messing up this unseen Balance that they keep going on about. "Alternatives?"</div><div>"None," she states.</div><div> He agrees, and La Forge starts beaming teams and equipment down.</div><div>There's another slight earthquake, and now I'm wondering... is the earthquake supposed to represent the shift in The Balance? It's never talked about, and this whole time I've been thinking that these smaller tremors were due to the fact that the fragment is inching closer to them, but maybe these other, smaller ones were due to the balance shift. That's confusing. Is it an indication of imbalance or not?</div><div>Anyway, beam-down, tremor, dramatic music, yada yada, commercial break.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxqNiGaKa5nLKi-bNKDDExTE403JvOp6Owbz_r8Y3KhosKS3YYf1fLQzk_Exx3QbwKE1bNuAduu3JoNyFAz_TEWgGN3amDuLRht4UkzYtaOGmlApu4ntkA2fn_PEwgNxeGS6mr0pL04ae/s574/ms18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="574" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxqNiGaKa5nLKi-bNKDDExTE403JvOp6Owbz_r8Y3KhosKS3YYf1fLQzk_Exx3QbwKE1bNuAduu3JoNyFAz_TEWgGN3amDuLRht4UkzYtaOGmlApu4ntkA2fn_PEwgNxeGS6mr0pL04ae/w400-h279/ms18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log, supplemental: "Gonna do the thing."</div><div><br /></div><div>They bring the ship up next to the fragment, and down in Engineering, La Forge and Bates wish each other luck before going to different stations to work on shifting the stellar core.</div><div>They start the process, and to make the scenes involving "move big ball a little bit" more tense, they're moving life support to the minimum levels, and then they lose life support completely on several decks. Worf gives evac orders to those decks. La Forge calls for more power, Riker gives it but warns that they need to use the power quickly, and some emitters shut down. They manage to move the Big Glowy Ball just enough, five seconds before all life support shuts down ship-wide.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcW14r_0LWVlv74TdAQgpo5jQwExhxlvPtUQLWfhT640-m4fDIkWK-5fEF0Sshx7aHCdCabcYXVt6WmTKTthEXD-AQNdN7R22Uuq1C_0hSnajoOOAVKtmxZ7FZi_HeQkUkdfZm8AKTb65s/s592/ms19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="592" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcW14r_0LWVlv74TdAQgpo5jQwExhxlvPtUQLWfhT640-m4fDIkWK-5fEF0Sshx7aHCdCabcYXVt6WmTKTthEXD-AQNdN7R22Uuq1C_0hSnajoOOAVKtmxZ7FZi_HeQkUkdfZm8AKTb65s/w400-h268/ms19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard calls Conor to tell him the good news, and they also patch Bates and La Forge in in Engineering.</div><div>"That's so great!" says Conor. "Bates, we can't wait to honor you when you get back!"</div><div>And Bates smiles, but when they cut the screen, she stops smiling, and steps into the immediate foreground, with the faraway look that says "trouble brewing."</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHUs_cgS98XN_kpp5G1oSOSFId6ECwP7J5w5hiOD82szvXfqDJCSSl5RJ8AtsKRj15xmy-e5s8bTvw-9q4vGnY-RiEvQ7uTyX1DF7bxgBqhw_31LqeIw0ZQdpriSWut8kr4m1THS6w0kE/s578/ms20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="578" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHUs_cgS98XN_kpp5G1oSOSFId6ECwP7J5w5hiOD82szvXfqDJCSSl5RJ8AtsKRj15xmy-e5s8bTvw-9q4vGnY-RiEvQ7uTyX1DF7bxgBqhw_31LqeIw0ZQdpriSWut8kr4m1THS6w0kE/w400-h275/ms20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log, supplemental: "Moved the fragment enough that, even though the colony was rocked heavily, it's in one piece."</div><div><br /></div><div>Downstairs, La Forge and Riker are overseeing the pack-up and beam-up of the E crew and their equipment, and they say goodbye to Conor.</div><div>An alarm goes off, one that Conor recognizes as a breach warning. They all run for Bates.</div><div>We jump to Bates scanning the inside of the biosphere with a little handheld. She tells them that there's very tiny structural damage, and that the biosphere has been breached, and that they may have to evacuate in the next few hours. They begin moving very fast toward the lab to run diagnostics, and in the end, only La Forge and Bates end up there.</div><div>She starts typing frantically, telling him that there's a small crack below the surface, and includes a toxic leak.</div><div>"Uh-huh," he says flatly. "Why are you doing this? There's no leak, and no breach. My VISOR would have seen it instantly."</div><div>Ah, Bates had not banked on that. "Well, fuck. Here's the thing: I was bred to be the best scientific mind in my generation, but here I am, seeing your tech, which is so far beyond what we have. And I have to wonder if someone deciding all of my needs would be met way before I was born would lead us all into a situation where we're living in the Dark Ages."</div><div>"I guess necessity really is the mother of invention," he replies.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQX9aNKKLfSZ3DcwR8kYWKsIFEsJvZ6DHLYa9rJNLtzSnnjQKAQCO43_9lHRhmPE9Cfp7AtrgFCbOaJy4HOA_HJ6jT8ZtatP4oi-7nuh6VcVRDYMdAr8usqqPNDMkuCZeLvaj6tl4wFaYw/s577/ms21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="577" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQX9aNKKLfSZ3DcwR8kYWKsIFEsJvZ6DHLYa9rJNLtzSnnjQKAQCO43_9lHRhmPE9Cfp7AtrgFCbOaJy4HOA_HJ6jT8ZtatP4oi-7nuh6VcVRDYMdAr8usqqPNDMkuCZeLvaj6tl4wFaYw/w400-h275/ms21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We jump to the Obs Lounge, where La Forge tells the senior staff that Bates wants to leave the colony.</div><div>Riker then tosses in that there are probably more than just Bates: the away teams were getting a lot of curious questions from the colonists about the World Outside.</div><div>"She wants asylum," La Forge says.</div><div>A discussion erupts about whether or not they can grant that. Starfleet basically says yes, and Gates McFadden gets paid to sit in on this one scene and deliver two lines about how genetically integrated the colony is, and how there will be big gaps in The Balance if some people leave.</div><div>"Well, we saved them from destruction," shrugs Worf.</div><div>"Did we?" demands Picard. "Fuck, I need to meet with Conor."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnRBGJUu7RubjG2-WEACRdx7sTMuhFUMYH33XkGEWTonaxrcPCtPQns4sKFVs_8I5UGK3X0vUF0gbEg9Lfyhk-a9tb9t3iEJvSSdpPWDXoG-TwEQvA5Jnx9vsuEzWmvpgY2EGf7Qs9962/s578/ms22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="578" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnRBGJUu7RubjG2-WEACRdx7sTMuhFUMYH33XkGEWTonaxrcPCtPQns4sKFVs_8I5UGK3X0vUF0gbEg9Lfyhk-a9tb9t3iEJvSSdpPWDXoG-TwEQvA5Jnx9vsuEzWmvpgY2EGf7Qs9962/w400-h275/ms22.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi is chosen to go to the surface with Picard, to introduce him to Conor, and they get in the lift.</div><div>"So hey," she says uneasily. "I screwed Conor. Thought you'd like to know. It was not professional at all, and I ended it, and I didn't intend to see him ever again, but here we are."</div><div>Picard pauses. "Everybody makes mistakes. Pobody's nerfect."</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9GIdf5h0BeFlnMEYxJqM2327JjLg_dpz7LNy5GIdCqxOWnyCUKBxw6SBNs4lyAILcr7tM3FZf_jvdC2tQ-SbRCXTN9fHsP-AUWS8wExdUeEXR0ZJhc-mGRBe1QdlU8jkQn5loKvv0wIo/s573/ms23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="573" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9GIdf5h0BeFlnMEYxJqM2327JjLg_dpz7LNy5GIdCqxOWnyCUKBxw6SBNs4lyAILcr7tM3FZf_jvdC2tQ-SbRCXTN9fHsP-AUWS8wExdUeEXR0ZJhc-mGRBe1QdlU8jkQn5loKvv0wIo/w400-h278/ms23.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awkward Elevator Conversations With Your Boss, Vol I</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On the surface, we're joining an argument already in progress between Conor, Benbeck, and Bates. Bates tells an angry Benbeck that the best course of action would be for the colony to rejoin the human race. Benbeck chastises her for wanting to leave, and further upsetting The Balance. Troi and Picard come in, and Benbeck yells that they should have never picked up the phone when the E called.</div><div>"We'd be dead if we hadn't answered those hails!" Bates yells back.</div><div>"You can't take her!" Benbeck yells at Picard.</div><div>"I'm leaving, and I'm taking the dozen or so people with me that want to go!" she fires off.</div><div>Troi takes Bates for a walk while Picard and Conor talk. </div><div>That... leaves a weird taste in my mouth, two dudes deciding whether or not a woman can leave. I know there's a bit more to it than that, but... yeah.</div><div>Benbeck does not go quietly.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BaLozhQFLWKWIah9dJRRpTYq0vuuqjWFTCMTPV5m3bIVd2KdrdJ2Vk9CnA3FQvt5d37Apaa2ubfY15phhJpBT_L0e62kjXQBKhkTdItB2xGeEY5kt7WJ-yFPsgWRK4H4771yUsy8vt27/s574/ms24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="574" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BaLozhQFLWKWIah9dJRRpTYq0vuuqjWFTCMTPV5m3bIVd2KdrdJ2Vk9CnA3FQvt5d37Apaa2ubfY15phhJpBT_L0e62kjXQBKhkTdItB2xGeEY5kt7WJ-yFPsgWRK4H4771yUsy8vt27/w400-h275/ms24.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, what is this TAS homage?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"He saw this coming," laments Conor.</div><div>The following argument between them is basically Conor talking about how he knows how Bates feels, because he has also been dazzled by the outsiders, but he was bred to be the leader of the colony, and cannot allow it to be destroyed by letting people leave.</div><div>"Just take your ship and go," he begs.</div><div>"I can't," says Picard. "They as humans have a right to request asylum. I can't ignore that."</div><div>"But what about the rights of others who would stay behind and have to deal with their loss in the colony? The loss of The Balance?"</div><div>"Let's have a meeting with the people who are thinking of leaving," Picard suggests. "I can encourage them to stay, but if they want to go, I'm taking them with me."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTxGDtRzIa5ULp8cWWH-lKw2iZxV32eLWI_LLJK_JcYB28EiSIAp-Bq1HfHvfWyCDnJt2UKvww0oEhHmIEFtTMCqiLmd2npymP8WaPdcP7Hd1MuTsyLwPigldZW0_ETAai3bRNcyZuGn7/s574/ms25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="574" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTxGDtRzIa5ULp8cWWH-lKw2iZxV32eLWI_LLJK_JcYB28EiSIAp-Bq1HfHvfWyCDnJt2UKvww0oEhHmIEFtTMCqiLmd2npymP8WaPdcP7Hd1MuTsyLwPigldZW0_ETAai3bRNcyZuGn7/w400-h276/ms25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And now, another argument: Picard admits that they have been disruptive to the colony; Conor begs the defectors to stay; Benbeck yells that they can't leave, and Bates insists that she and the others want the opportunity to explore the stars, like Picard does. </div><div>Conor proposes that the defectors wait for six months, as a compromise.</div><div>"That's six months of you trying to convince us to change our minds," Bates points out.</div><div>"Wait the six months," Picard urges. "See if you really want to leave. We'll come back then, for those who still want to leave."</div><div>"I'm not changing my mind," Bates insists.</div><div>Conor pauses. "When you want to come home, we'll welcome you."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbTm9wu8sRPZbXpE1luKdSpxBLbDyPuIhfbcQBtFASXlQAGX2gDg5sPwZKTPVUC16HC0GFznd0ixuwfSaT7k6z3vdT-anVV7k47VaxuyaIvS6rTrfrts8AgoovD61yyIrBk-0Ul_lOxFi/s569/ms26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="569" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbTm9wu8sRPZbXpE1luKdSpxBLbDyPuIhfbcQBtFASXlQAGX2gDg5sPwZKTPVUC16HC0GFznd0ixuwfSaT7k6z3vdT-anVV7k47VaxuyaIvS6rTrfrts8AgoovD61yyIrBk-0Ul_lOxFi/w400-h279/ms26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Later, Troi and Conor walk in the garden again.</div><div>Conor ends up telling her that he's in love with her, and always will be.</div><div>She doesn't reply.</div><div>Because even she doesn't ship it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZoEl_rorWvOn-2fvvZsM2Nlx1xvgRd5xV5fGpGHLjmP01SubZM7Zes8JJcttdoCY8Wr0-1rzTLqsOzNnsIYquYnkBxEGEyLk21kNbRHSzW_E0TsTLAt6V0zlPRce_fe2lQdUVUpvr97p/s579/ms27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="579" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZoEl_rorWvOn-2fvvZsM2Nlx1xvgRd5xV5fGpGHLjmP01SubZM7Zes8JJcttdoCY8Wr0-1rzTLqsOzNnsIYquYnkBxEGEyLk21kNbRHSzW_E0TsTLAt6V0zlPRce_fe2lQdUVUpvr97p/w400-h274/ms27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the last scene, Riker enters the ready room to tell Picard that 23 colonists have come aboard, and they're ready to leave now. Picard suggests that this is a good example of the Prime Directive, but Riker doesn't think it is, because the people in question are human, and the PD is about alien cultures. Picard ends the episode by stating that he thinks their presence at this colony may have been just as destructive as the core fragment might have been.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QbFZURQRNvS_gPBGOlgHhweF6gmaKOGo4ezxQp5jxbHONADHeiOkMUQ2hUTqzuS6RDJz5l8uKbS-qQzk0guIwB9jmvFYn8CmSWZdIkOGfbfzs9h8cx49PS0i0KOZ5xHhCAT2scccB9bu/s575/ms28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="575" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QbFZURQRNvS_gPBGOlgHhweF6gmaKOGo4ezxQp5jxbHONADHeiOkMUQ2hUTqzuS6RDJz5l8uKbS-qQzk0guIwB9jmvFYn8CmSWZdIkOGfbfzs9h8cx49PS0i0KOZ5xHhCAT2scccB9bu/w400-h276/ms28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So... this episode is not really worth writing home about. Director Winrich Kolbe noted that it lacked energy, and I have to say that I agree. There are multiple takes on eugenics in Star Trek, and this is just another. Let's put it this way: you go to the library looking for a book about the Earth. You take down all the books the library has about Earth, and you look through them all, trying to find the most new information. Each book has repeat information, though some have something new. This episode is like the book that has repeat information only. It tried to have something new, but didn't succeed. The closest it comes is to ask, "we saw what happens when people who have genetic manipulation like what they got, what happens when they don't?" And the answer is... they are dissatisfied, and leave. Honestly, I think the better story here would have been to follow those people and see how they fit into the society they were re-entering, as people who had had their flaws genetically removed prior to birth. This episode is really just an entry in the category of "Star Trek episodes that deal with eugenics." And there are better entries.</div><div><br /></div><div>The one thing this episode has going for it is the point that disabled people have something to offer society at large. In this case, La Forge's VISOR held the key to keeping the colonists alive, and without that technology, finding the answer to their problem would have been nigh on impossible. Interestingly, fans found themselves wondering if this episode had a pro-life theme. Show-runners denied this, though it is a conversation that occurs organically here.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMR0eK_2E178yBXi2Bgv_Ch1KpSCjx2cmJp4OkyBzAqEaJjA_20iNY8M5PMXh3ube0t_CvNWRHdsqd-AXk5sLLsq6V62GZQiqn_cV2_f_YH6eqkNCOi0_dibrg2UTc21vaeyxx6X3GuRa/s242/b5bd030095fb3d8491fa08bd06494c18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="163" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMR0eK_2E178yBXi2Bgv_Ch1KpSCjx2cmJp4OkyBzAqEaJjA_20iNY8M5PMXh3ube0t_CvNWRHdsqd-AXk5sLLsq6V62GZQiqn_cV2_f_YH6eqkNCOi0_dibrg2UTc21vaeyxx6X3GuRa/w269-h400/b5bd030095fb3d8491fa08bd06494c18.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, there were several things that bugged me about "Masterpiece Society."</div><div>One was that it takes place so soon after last week's episode. Troi, Riker, and Crusher were all mentally assaulted, and the last time we saw the E, it was headed for the Ullian homeworld so those crewmembers could undergo treatment for their assaults. We have no idea how long they were there, but less than two weeks lapsed between the beginning of that episode, and the beginning of this one. Not only was the time short, but it feels like Troi would know that it was not a good idea to jump into a new relationship with someone right after that kind of trauma. And she fell immediately for a guy who's about as interesting as dry toast.</div><div><br /></div><div>Second: the whole Balance thing was murky at best. It's never show in any tangible way, and it's never explained if those smaller quakes were The Balance trying to shift itself. The whole episode keeps telling us about an invisible boogey man, but never gives evidence. Was the evidence supposed to be those smaller quakes? It's unknown; not one line of dialogue ever indicates that the quakes were either related to the core fragment, or related to The Balance. Why not toss a line in, and clear that up?</div><div><br /></div><div>Thirdly, this colony was established after the (in-universe) Eugenics War of the 1990's, but before Khan and his ilk reappeared on the scene in the 23rd century. (Given how isolated the colony was, they would not have known about his return either way.) This means that these founders chose eugenics for their colony, knowing only that a race of superhumans had been bred on Earth, and proceeded to take over, and fuck up all of the shit. Did the aforementioned founders decide that they alone knew how to genetically manipulate DNA to make good humans? Did they figure that being tied to a society, as well as the conditions in the biosphere, would keep them all in line? What were they using to prevent more Khans?</div><div><br /></div><div>This could have been a pretty good episode, but it just wasn't.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYq3_1ffmr39SVPCZG_3t51zEo2D_av1gm16rzIGoWcXUXEiMPXm9n7xIDOCNNOxGJ6GE6yyJpPVmokBAlGRIO9mmILb_iUNvXW94-6g4bd1gBiCufxd21BV1maEX_AvPRbZUxuF29JPDX/s1400/Khan-Other-Superhumans-Star-Trek-TOS-Space-Seed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYq3_1ffmr39SVPCZG_3t51zEo2D_av1gm16rzIGoWcXUXEiMPXm9n7xIDOCNNOxGJ6GE6yyJpPVmokBAlGRIO9mmILb_iUNvXW94-6g4bd1gBiCufxd21BV1maEX_AvPRbZUxuF29JPDX/w400-h200/Khan-Other-Superhumans-Star-Trek-TOS-Space-Seed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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<br />
* A quick note about using the name Moab here. For all of us asking, "Like the Mormon city in Utah?" the answer is no, it was named after the biblical city of Moab (MOH-ub), which was in Jordan. While digging for whether or not there might be Moab, UT connections, I found that Moab, UT was so named (as the tale goes) by a postmaster that noted that both Utah and Jordan were part of the "far country." Future residents didn't like that Moab the biblical city was known for incest and idolatry, and several attempts were made to change the name, but it remained Moab. Could some connections be made between the Moab System and ancient Moab being incestuous and idolatrous? Meh. You can make it if you want to. But the writers only cared to share enough with interested fans that they used that name to reference Moab in Jordan. (They did, however, seem to use the Moab, UT pronunciation of the name: Moh-AB.) </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSDpIgfl2Xy19gJagL2l5OqleTNhqSOGEqTG5D9YpLeCgvnmwW2N57mpRWBPstn7_Rxtl4CSy_OQAA1RhGqVY1onBvVT2nPYnSocHfoU8jDMC89mEeMgop0I_EcfgMWfD2WTZl8865IPr/s2048/08c982eb9666bfda1262a6d338013a82.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="2048" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSDpIgfl2Xy19gJagL2l5OqleTNhqSOGEqTG5D9YpLeCgvnmwW2N57mpRWBPstn7_Rxtl4CSy_OQAA1RhGqVY1onBvVT2nPYnSocHfoU8jDMC89mEeMgop0I_EcfgMWfD2WTZl8865IPr/w400-h219/08c982eb9666bfda1262a6d338013a82.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Fun Facts:</div><div><br /></div><div>- The story for this episode was titled "The Perfect Human," and featured an Eden of beautiful people and skimpy clothes. Which sounds exactly like season one's <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2016/04/sttng-season-one-episode-nine-justice.html">"Justice,"</a> honestly. In this case, everyone was beautiful and perfect because of genetic engineering. But there wasn't anything terribly interesting about that.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetEn_o3ATQdQx-M8taH2z26SebkLReKbNCpsP8gnf_JIbMoEVD3v9u4uLDqLDnoFd1TmuOIUEwwn7Bn_PvM9p0xgfyfJOfsD7lmWsnLvqKA8yTCQ4hivN8E8ekiK3OX5odRCozfKcHB4z/s1325/Edo%252C_female_and_male.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1325" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetEn_o3ATQdQx-M8taH2z26SebkLReKbNCpsP8gnf_JIbMoEVD3v9u4uLDqLDnoFd1TmuOIUEwwn7Bn_PvM9p0xgfyfJOfsD7lmWsnLvqKA8yTCQ4hivN8E8ekiK3OX5odRCozfKcHB4z/w400-h326/Edo%252C_female_and_male.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>- It passed through the hands of five writers before getting to Michael Piller, who wrote the script we see here, which is... kind of nothing like the original story. Piller's struggle with this script was to figure out how to define a genetically-engineered society.</div><div>- Producer/screenwriter Adam Belanoff suggested that it would be far more interesting to have a more diverse group of people, who have each been engineered for their specific goals in life, and to have them work and exist in perfect harmony with each other and within the biosphere. Belanoff explained that, in a world where everyone is perfectly engineered, people would get bored, and things would stagnate. So, the struggle comes from one person destroying the balance if they left.</div><div>- Rick Berman wanted to make sure that the tumultuous outdoor effects could be seen through the windows of the biosphere, which proved a little tricky for the production team. It involved a lot of blue screens in the background.</div><div>- Sick bay scenes were filmed at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Maybe those ended up on the cutting room floor? There were no sick bay scenes in this episode.<br />
- Ron Canada (Martin Benbeck) and Dey Young (Hannah Bates) will return again in episodes of DS9.</div><div>- John Snyder also played Bochra on season two's "The Enemy."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4__47tU394ODUWEHxun3y4qz2qkKiWGltWTvz7613EOrDhyphenhyphene8Nzoe0-yFVtyQyozkOJhuJkVxRyv9m27ynP-rUYo8ZgApsy3lkWZvPo9OpyiPYgvPuIM8MPMlxJciLPD8oQ2Y1WFn6Hj/s500/bochra.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="500" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4__47tU394ODUWEHxun3y4qz2qkKiWGltWTvz7613EOrDhyphenhyphene8Nzoe0-yFVtyQyozkOJhuJkVxRyv9m27ynP-rUYo8ZgApsy3lkWZvPo9OpyiPYgvPuIM8MPMlxJciLPD8oQ2Y1WFn6Hj/w400-h291/bochra.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>- Picard's opinion of eugenics being a bad idea whose time has passed refers to the Eugenics Wars of the 1990's, and Khan Noonien Singh.</div><div>- It also comes up in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/02/sttng-season-two-episode-seven.html">"Unnatural Selection,"</a> though Picard offers no criticism there.</div><div>- Eugenics will come up again in DS9 and Enterprise.</div><div>- Michael Piller was apparently not loving this season up to this point, but considered this to be kind of a turn-around for him. He liked the idea that this situation featured a Kobyashi Maru, in that everyone did everything right, but things didn't turn out well in the end.</div><div>- Neither Rick Berman nor Jeri Taylor liked this episode. Berman thought it was "slow and talky," while Taylor just didn't like the concept at all.</div><div>- Berman and director Winrich Kolbe both referred to "casting difficulties" when discussing their dislike of this episode, which is a diplomatic way of saying that neither liked John Snyder (Aaron Conor) in this role. There may have more to it than that, but that was all that Memory Alpha would admit to on the subject.</div><div>- Ronald D Moore had a colorful way of expressing himself here: "This is another example of a show that doesn't really work too well. We sort of show up at a genetically perfect colony - which in and of itself is starting to bore me - and when we get there, it's <i>"Gee, Troi falls in love with one of the people."</i> You can't wait to get up and get a beer." Lol.</div><div>- Adam Belanoff's genetics teacher called him after watching the episode, telling him that the drama was good, but the science was "terrible."</div><div>- Found a 47:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UKTI_XurmGIpNJnFycDyYeLMP2fwXL18n2psKUGYfUH-tjLk503NiizRDY1emEcCUkHjmwNaAYMPsZTM_pEYXBbeN7QxBrPaZI571uIxgHgpx4ucYhswK6SD-X3KjRLqSvMLipl9TNV_/s307/47.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="307" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UKTI_XurmGIpNJnFycDyYeLMP2fwXL18n2psKUGYfUH-tjLk503NiizRDY1emEcCUkHjmwNaAYMPsZTM_pEYXBbeN7QxBrPaZI571uIxgHgpx4ucYhswK6SD-X3KjRLqSvMLipl9TNV_/w400-h354/47.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br />Red deaths: 0<br />To date: 1<br />Gold deaths: 0<br />To date: 0<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Blue deaths: 0<br />To date: 0<br />Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />To date: 0</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy La Forge moments: 1</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 0</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />To date: 0</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />To date: 0</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Riker Moments: 0<br />To date: 1</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />To date: 0</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />To date: 0<br />Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />To date: 0<br />Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />To date: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Keiko Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 3<br />Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />To date: 0<br />Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />To date: 2<br />Sassy Guinan Moments: 0<br />To Date: 1<br />Sassy Guest Star Moments: 1<br />To date: 3</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 0<br />To date: 31</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 0<br />To date: 8</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 1<br />To date: 2<br />Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />To date: 1<br />Picard Maneuvers: 3<br />To date: 8<br />Tea, Earl Grey: 2<br />To date: 5</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 2</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMkoSX5nLDfXcw9E3JcIzINz4H5TEDVC_2stEG6I6UTbWdFjGBspXdtbQOBCZosNwHAs-tf0x8yBhdtjq5eKOvQQOWwsmgTxNyz_dA6d8RbZdxxIQHZPGLMbI78RbJtiF0u-c0OzijLhU/s2015/Don-Don.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2015" data-original-width="1120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMkoSX5nLDfXcw9E3JcIzINz4H5TEDVC_2stEG6I6UTbWdFjGBspXdtbQOBCZosNwHAs-tf0x8yBhdtjq5eKOvQQOWwsmgTxNyz_dA6d8RbZdxxIQHZPGLMbI78RbJtiF0u-c0OzijLhU/w223-h400/Don-Don.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />Our Don-Don passed away this weekend. Gentle reminder to <br />consider senior cats and those with FIV when adopting. <3</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><br /></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-38767931931734785812021-06-21T12:43:00.000-07:002021-06-21T12:43:19.024-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Twelve "Violations"ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Twelve "Violations"<br />
Production Order: 12<br />
Air Order: 12<br />
Stardate: 45429.3<br />
Original Air Date: February 3, 1992<br />
<br />
Content warning: rape<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYQCkDVQh7TLwEieFylbJdxA4KXd7WbTZ0PasdKGxfY5cqzEPnDZ7choW9Tjllm-XAqGDfrPhv9EC2KzrPuPSnD6o_CpoWRQbXX_2t5iSki6XDDOkOz6BUnY7DSDEapo8XrFVmSxtmlCC/s1280/star-trek-the-next-generation-essential-episodes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYQCkDVQh7TLwEieFylbJdxA4KXd7WbTZ0PasdKGxfY5cqzEPnDZ7choW9Tjllm-XAqGDfrPhv9EC2KzrPuPSnD6o_CpoWRQbXX_2t5iSki6XDDOkOz6BUnY7DSDEapo8XrFVmSxtmlCC/w400-h225/star-trek-the-next-generation-essential-episodes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I fucking hate this episode. Spoiler alert.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In fact, I wish I could just leave it at that, and declare that one sentence to be my entire review, but I guess I committed to watching all of Star Trek, even the episodes that I hate, so that can't be it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm gonna complain about it, though.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PGYwBnxU5CHjp7pqyhM5hKHPqhTMCceyzDjKkkMMiELGbarGGRO0229X7ia7Vp5LnCD_WieEG6lcGwvFUvs5Ve_J9jxrjriYUEVpsv0POBXoAUYmNDNtfdUdXO9jZ88fDv21SIvJCCcf/s579/vi1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="579" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PGYwBnxU5CHjp7pqyhM5hKHPqhTMCceyzDjKkkMMiELGbarGGRO0229X7ia7Vp5LnCD_WieEG6lcGwvFUvs5Ve_J9jxrjriYUEVpsv0POBXoAUYmNDNtfdUdXO9jZ88fDv21SIvJCCcf/w400-h275/vi1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Picard's Log 45429.3: "Setting up the episode for you by telling you about the peeps we're transporting, the Ullians. They're telepathic, and can read your memories, and have ways of drawing the memories out so you recall stuff you've forgotten. They're historians, and we're taking them to their next stop, because we're just doing this mapping survey thing that won't come up again."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Keiko is sitting in Ten Forward with the Ullians and a crowd of onlookers while the Ullian does his parlor trick. This is the part of this episode that I actually like: the Ullians are an interesting race, and their memory retrieval thing is actually pretty benevolent.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Keiko's lost memory involves remembering a chipped cup, but it isn't connected to anything in her mind. Just a nagging feeling that it's important. The shots here are interspersed: the Ullian encouraging Keiko to explore the memory through her other senses (what sounds she hears, what the dark liquid in the cup tastes like, ect); Keiko reaching for a cup that doesn't exist before her, and describing the memory based on those sense prompts; and the parts of the memory that she is recalling. Eventually, she remembers that the cup is the brush wash that her grandmother used when doing Japanese calligraphy. When she was small, it was Keiko's job to fill the cup with water, and bring it back to the table, where she would watch her grandmother write with the brush. She's delighted to get that memory back, and thanks the Ullian.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_C0b5IdDvuK_4J9bO-fg8wt2yYNBcYS4ZK_wq7smvaYbuKlXzPOamwG5ctvg_Ry1VD9m0ZSWG6y0s2eGp2oBp-YSl5nCwtIU9UBUupRLkHZbKGW_Xg1xuLxYuaVqjm2h6g7eHr0sH1ip/s634/vi2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="634" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_C0b5IdDvuK_4J9bO-fg8wt2yYNBcYS4ZK_wq7smvaYbuKlXzPOamwG5ctvg_Ry1VD9m0ZSWG6y0s2eGp2oBp-YSl5nCwtIU9UBUupRLkHZbKGW_Xg1xuLxYuaVqjm2h6g7eHr0sH1ip/w400-h251/vi2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Ullian - his name is Tarmin - fishes around the crowd for another participant, and invites Crusher, with the hook that she's "thinking about that first childhood kiss."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The younger Ullian, Jev, chastises him: they're not supposed to probe people's minds without permission.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I know," says Tarmin cheerfully. "But I can't resist when there's a beautiful lady involved."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ew. (Also, it seems that I've incorrectly assumed all these years that the older female Ullian, Inad, was Jev's mother. I figured they were a family unit. But Inad is quite a bit older than Tarmin and is listed as being just another member of the delegation, which is why she doesn't object to Tarmin flirting with Crusher.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Crusher laughs, and she and Tarmin walk off together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">La Forge asks Riker if there's anything he'd like dug up out of his memory, and we get a Sassy Riker moment:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"None that I'd care to share with an audience."</div>Me: *claps like they do on Family Feud* Good answer, good answer!<br /><div>They also leave, as do Keiko and Inad.</div><div>Jev sits down at the table and looks broody.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Opening credits break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1ncXQR0J62esFJLvojyXz1gLcbzspEAu-uoIr2_w4CoHHLq08KK9SSl-R2qK-GlCR-UVNDbaEoMQH-joCgC7FfmHLKJB4kU0bCMtGE1gxtmr14PUfm7KG86nhIm3kjqnwDPQd5x7gTez/s640/vi3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="640" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1ncXQR0J62esFJLvojyXz1gLcbzspEAu-uoIr2_w4CoHHLq08KK9SSl-R2qK-GlCR-UVNDbaEoMQH-joCgC7FfmHLKJB4kU0bCMtGE1gxtmr14PUfm7KG86nhIm3kjqnwDPQd5x7gTez/w400-h245/vi3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Data and La Forge are on their way to an official dinner with the senior officers and the Ullians, and they have a brief convo about memory. Data is confused about how humans seem to forget things, especially since human brains are set up the way his positronic one is. La Forge corrects him, because they are set up the same way, but adds that human brains aren't as good at storing info for a long time.</div><div>"Like, I don't remember my last birthday at all," he says. "But I remember getting my first pet as a little kid. Remember it like it was yesterday."<br />
"So you remember the good memories better?" asks Data.<br />
"Not necessarily. Sometimes the bad memories are the most vivid."<br />
<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefTO6EBLX-p3h1LpXOqqhxl6ZyPTSWwB846Ql5WDfX80s_TrJKvi_9x2JEGS3muFxFo7-jXxMMPmP3mmkUFuG5AIxs6-7myLryx8XSmO1VZYiwWPEHoND8-p6ZPh1dVXGQiNbsUODlqfQ/s637/vi4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="637" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefTO6EBLX-p3h1LpXOqqhxl6ZyPTSWwB846Ql5WDfX80s_TrJKvi_9x2JEGS3muFxFo7-jXxMMPmP3mmkUFuG5AIxs6-7myLryx8XSmO1VZYiwWPEHoND8-p6ZPh1dVXGQiNbsUODlqfQ/w400-h249/vi4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>At the dinner, the Ullians describe their work. This particular trio is traveling the stars, going to different planets, and retrieving important memories, then (presumably asking before) collecting them for posterity. It's a cool historical cataloging project, and I really like that.</div><div>Tarmin, gregarious and extroverted, interrupts Jev to tell the E crew that his son is not very good at memory retrieval, and bragging about how he got important memories out of certain people.</div><div>Crusher tries to goad Picard into retrieving memories, but he demures. Tarmin also tries to get Picard to participate, but Inad reminds him that influencing others is not their way, and that participants must be willing. Again, Tarmin defends himself by saying that he's seen plenty of people who want to do it, but need some encouragement to come forward. He tries to get Worf to sign up.</div><div>"Klingons do not allow themselves to be... probed," says Worf firmly.</div><div>Tarmin objects, and tries to get the other crew members to agree to the process, but there are no other takers.</div><div>They talk briefly about how memory retrieval isn't something all Ullians can do, and that it takes training. Inad says that Tarmin is especially good at it. Tarmin takes the compliment and again turns it around to insult Jev's abilities.<br />
This is clearly not a new occurrence, and Jev excuses himself.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVdJyqyvmngva5CByFhte6oE_ZEmyIRC4RqUtz2rm0mPl7OgCA7mDzUf06w0hWS9QODqDMMFIf96mOGpvJIteUKYoZ_KuqaqwJYxvhS5Kp8Sdhq4D5T8TXLc-cauadIIe79u93LdX2R8Q/s639/vi5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="639" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVdJyqyvmngva5CByFhte6oE_ZEmyIRC4RqUtz2rm0mPl7OgCA7mDzUf06w0hWS9QODqDMMFIf96mOGpvJIteUKYoZ_KuqaqwJYxvhS5Kp8Sdhq4D5T8TXLc-cauadIIe79u93LdX2R8Q/w400-h249/vi5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi follows Jev out to the lift, and says she knows how it feels to have an overbearing parent. She reveals here that she can't read Ullians, and they exchange children-of-challenging-parents stories. They share a laugh, and he thanks her when she gets out on her own deck. There's a brief zoom-in on him and some warning music.</div><div>We've had two close-up shots of this guy, and both have included scary dramatic music and a creeper look. They're not being subtle here.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrorrfsprE0Bl_YgVYWPm54Fe4gtAUNbAHPYGiEmIayvRzeLt1qWE1pCozxf-3np4eVbdBPxeAvUk_nO21nz-7fg8tX4A4XvfRa6MZBgw3j5gpf3xh5gyQ45GIiEEBV6ms0dbIK0JlVyo/s638/vi6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="638" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrorrfsprE0Bl_YgVYWPm54Fe4gtAUNbAHPYGiEmIayvRzeLt1qWE1pCozxf-3np4eVbdBPxeAvUk_nO21nz-7fg8tX4A4XvfRa6MZBgw3j5gpf3xh5gyQ45GIiEEBV6ms0dbIK0JlVyo/w400-h251/vi6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi is getting ready for bed in her quarters when she starts to remember something. The memory scenes are fractured and filmed in a hazy fashion so it's obvious that the audience is looking at something that is being remembered, or that has been tampered with.</div><div>In the memory, Troi and Riker are cleaning up after a poker night in his quarters. She drops the box of poker chips, which scatter on the floor. Riker asks if she ever thinks about how they were together previously, and hints that maybe they should get together again. She tells him no, that it wouldn't be appropriate while they're serving on the same ship.</div><div>The memory disturbs Now-Troi, but it continues. And now Memory-Troi is on the floor, and Riker is on top of her, while she tries to push him off, crying for him to stop.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7Gw_oxMahsVZHdbE5LB37VCSgY4CSwielj_kzbmxOBxWf6R4jU4mxBGP-yPiC0BYHX_-H0LZv4KekY7ejpTeel0e_g7XwqKajPHudELDA1S0XdNIOZ1VUu7VFyeqPC-3D-JJnqJGDAgJ/s635/vi7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="635" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7Gw_oxMahsVZHdbE5LB37VCSgY4CSwielj_kzbmxOBxWf6R4jU4mxBGP-yPiC0BYHX_-H0LZv4KekY7ejpTeel0e_g7XwqKajPHudELDA1S0XdNIOZ1VUu7VFyeqPC-3D-JJnqJGDAgJ/w400-h250/vi7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Then the memory changes, and now it's Jev (in Riker's clothes) forcing himself on her, telling her that she's pretty, and also Jev is watching himself attack Troi from across the room? </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlyYtEtcCripUwDSwTbOdIMDWXC1V_Fi1IwLZ5j0zTaOWmB46vQxmjYjLTtlboBwWvVdTelvkowJfjpl99F2kl-0cHWfly0KZY6jHpi1VYAAn3UveHbv4I18o__y_GLz8rllZAc0trtWi/s632/vi8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="632" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlyYtEtcCripUwDSwTbOdIMDWXC1V_Fi1IwLZ5j0zTaOWmB46vQxmjYjLTtlboBwWvVdTelvkowJfjpl99F2kl-0cHWfly0KZY6jHpi1VYAAn3UveHbv4I18o__y_GLz8rllZAc0trtWi/w400-h251/vi8.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSo6dj-aIV_dLvAzdPNOCWttxgplZHOOZo_4OdYN5hXHA3r3KAGFyr_ogKv6v_0MfgjqAMOz8MGB8lUih1pO84h3E8cWIBHLaYqItihPcVqJ7_1onPzpYlBtakIgPadKwygX1wm6Ox_ok/s321/vi9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="321" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSo6dj-aIV_dLvAzdPNOCWttxgplZHOOZo_4OdYN5hXHA3r3KAGFyr_ogKv6v_0MfgjqAMOz8MGB8lUih1pO84h3E8cWIBHLaYqItihPcVqJ7_1onPzpYlBtakIgPadKwygX1wm6Ox_ok/w400-h245/vi9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Now-Troi screams and falls to the floor, unconscious.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuZkfvx0ufcR7TsSIrJwAAnxrgNmPIdtGQje8AkMVx7nJBzlh69SCsnVHvVwmQA4VqoDg0FiG4n5YdmSxsdK-smFAcscWqqCqB4X8LjQ1CookExshLo4H2pbLpkMQAEnLbaeCDIgubzb_/s617/vi10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="617" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuZkfvx0ufcR7TsSIrJwAAnxrgNmPIdtGQje8AkMVx7nJBzlh69SCsnVHvVwmQA4VqoDg0FiG4n5YdmSxsdK-smFAcscWqqCqB4X8LjQ1CookExshLo4H2pbLpkMQAEnLbaeCDIgubzb_/w400-h258/vi10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log 45430.9: "Troi is in a coma."</div><div><br /></div><div>Down in sick bay, Crusher tells Picard and Riker that someone found Troi in a coma in her room that morning, when she failed to show up for an appointment. They can't find any cause for it, and they can't revive her.</div><div>"Who was the last person to see her conscious?" asks Picard.</div><div>"She left the dinner last night with Jev," says Riker. "I'll ask him if she seemed off."</div><div>Picard says to also ask the Ullians if they would be okay with an exam, and Riker leaves.</div><div>Crusher tells Picard that she will also check the bio filters, just in case the Ullians brought some kind of organism on board that the filters didn't catch.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdVjhKgAclu8gNOWI6g-AnvKZ266V6RZoRt-iPSkj9DF95Yi8fCty4zIGFAh4jZ0KMvuMwJhyphenhyphenLCm4DCUmuGUfjksrZHtDjHM6DirPPI-OBj7xVVTSkcJH9jYgnGMKQCfcbyXafB39l5DN/s641/vi11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="641" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdVjhKgAclu8gNOWI6g-AnvKZ266V6RZoRt-iPSkj9DF95Yi8fCty4zIGFAh4jZ0KMvuMwJhyphenhyphenLCm4DCUmuGUfjksrZHtDjHM6DirPPI-OBj7xVVTSkcJH9jYgnGMKQCfcbyXafB39l5DN/w400-h251/vi11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker finds Jev in Ten Forward.</div><div>"Hey, so Troi is in a coma. You were the last person to see her before it happened. Did you go with her to her quarters?"</div><div>Jev is defensive, but not aggressively so. "Are you suggesting I did something to her?"</div><div>Riker flashes a smile that is not a smile. "No, I just want to know what happened before she fell into a coma."</div><div>"We talked in the turbolift," Jev replies grudgingly. "Then we got off on different decks."</div><div>"I'm not accusing you of anything. Did she seem sick?"</div><div>"No."</div><div>"Would you guys submit to an examination? Dr Crusher wants to make sure that you're not carrying anything that might have made her sick."</div><div>Jev scoffs. "Fine, I guess -"</div><div>"Cool, thanks," Riker interrupts, then he gets up and leaves Ten Forward.</div><div>As before, we watch Jev narrow his eyes, and there's dramatic music. Not suspicious at all there, buddy. You heard someone has had a medical emergency, and you show no concern, then get defensive.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBM0HzZhF4uZV2miHUiRUbv5ZPuKD3NkdxKisXKc0t_SLYOvd7AGsqYW_H3MsWgXBEAY10aG2FSQ7CJVSJUaCejQF31wlKPb7h0DxuI-VQCjcCMKfjQ2Zy8yWiHT-r21IKufFhSs0RaZF/s615/vi12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="615" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBM0HzZhF4uZV2miHUiRUbv5ZPuKD3NkdxKisXKc0t_SLYOvd7AGsqYW_H3MsWgXBEAY10aG2FSQ7CJVSJUaCejQF31wlKPb7h0DxuI-VQCjcCMKfjQ2Zy8yWiHT-r21IKufFhSs0RaZF/w400-h260/vi12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Back in sick bay, Riker tells an unconscious Troi that he's heard that people in comas can hear others talking to them, and that maybe it's helpful for healing, and that he'd heard she had done the same for him. (He's talking about that shitty non-episode <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/07/sttng-season-two-episode-twenty-two.html">"Shades of Gray."</a>) Then he basically starts reciting a personal log, about boring ship crap.</div><div>Crusher comes up to him, and pulls the Doctor Card, ordering him to go to bed, and promising to tell him the moment she wakes up.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR81QBNawukWxq9EObHYhgTKeUjWQt2n7WZy42Lc9KEDXQfptdRx4Jm4ZCpTR1a886yK2p4AhzNNanTKa5F0vNvxaHma0pQH0MufdDO9Umdl6aCHi0pGR7FfuQ9XzDeshWCAg1hsjJxLGF/s647/vi13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="647" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR81QBNawukWxq9EObHYhgTKeUjWQt2n7WZy42Lc9KEDXQfptdRx4Jm4ZCpTR1a886yK2p4AhzNNanTKa5F0vNvxaHma0pQH0MufdDO9Umdl6aCHi0pGR7FfuQ9XzDeshWCAg1hsjJxLGF/w400-h245/vi13.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker is in his quarters (not going to bed as ordered) when he starts remembering a bad memory: there's an emergency situation in Engineering, La Forge has to bring down a barrier to keep the emergency contained to the warp core area, and Riker is conducting people out.</div><div>"Keller is still in there!" a crewman yells at Riker.</div><div>Riker calls for Keller, but there's no response.</div><div>"I need to close the door!" La Forge yells.</div><div>Riker hesitates, then tells La Forge to drop the barrier.</div><div>"You've killed Keller!" the crewman screams.</div><div>It's a swirling mess of people yelling, and the crewman repeating over and over that Riker is responsible for Keller's death. Then the yelling crewman is Jev in a gold Engineering uniform.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOvwOuJHTNa-0AyKFxJU-A1b5vdO51p5iqdGXE2WlxIyhO8lhShXEdr_zcs-wroRKJSpPmEvXJQgL9OUdKkxY7bAjQ9PlRdcSIZnYKfFeZaTcj0684wBcKioC-5NvKOux3rBoR4hWvYA8/s635/vi14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="635" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOvwOuJHTNa-0AyKFxJU-A1b5vdO51p5iqdGXE2WlxIyhO8lhShXEdr_zcs-wroRKJSpPmEvXJQgL9OUdKkxY7bAjQ9PlRdcSIZnYKfFeZaTcj0684wBcKioC-5NvKOux3rBoR4hWvYA8/w400-h253/vi14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard pages Riker, but gets no answer. He asks Majel where Riker is, and she replies that he's in his quarters. Worf offers to go get him. But when Worf arrives at Riker's quarters, he finds the commander slumped over his desk.</div><div>Guess he asked too many questions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KKUdF4PB-hM59PvrpbJ2r2UGbeAmcBwBFMUaz7OZVeB7gZHgHtO51xO4QA2_hxIUYhDoSQEt0HwgRhfqVZvFhQWfbu4fTLyLFMMNmQyzOoRIUI2CM6DeOZ-EvZ-nJS81PGSUOI2qiPjD/s612/vi15.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="612" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KKUdF4PB-hM59PvrpbJ2r2UGbeAmcBwBFMUaz7OZVeB7gZHgHtO51xO4QA2_hxIUYhDoSQEt0HwgRhfqVZvFhQWfbu4fTLyLFMMNmQyzOoRIUI2CM6DeOZ-EvZ-nJS81PGSUOI2qiPjD/w400-h261/vi15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Crusher's Log 45431.7: "Riker is now my second unexplained coma patient. I looked over the Ullians, but they aren't carrying anything harmful."</div><div><br /></div><div>In the Obs Lounge, Crusher tells Picard and Worf that her examinations of Riker and Troi were compared to previous physical results. Their comas looks like Iresine Syndrome, but it can't be, because that illness has decreased histamine levels, and neither Riker nor Troi have those changes.</div><div>"No one was sick before the Ullians came on board," says Worf. "We should quarantine them."</div><div>Ah, Worf. Straight to the most severe solution, but the man really is just doing his job. I think he'd probably start chucking people out of airlocks if Picard would support it.</div><div>"I think it's too early in the game to do that," says Picard.</div><div>"Here's the weirdness," says Crusher. "The increased electrical activity I found in both Riker and Troi is in the same area of the brain that deals with memory."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qyk9FrG-KKf6W_zC1vVnmTLWb_bEAJrtdf3iajsysQPGwfkGT55z9BJIuf3E5ToKYXKA6iioZO5zD75D9AUdnIWKCS239De3BNhGGPXBS-wu9szfEybFjJgbBmz6b4a3rk_2_F5PwoWX/s646/vi16.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="646" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qyk9FrG-KKf6W_zC1vVnmTLWb_bEAJrtdf3iajsysQPGwfkGT55z9BJIuf3E5ToKYXKA6iioZO5zD75D9AUdnIWKCS239De3BNhGGPXBS-wu9szfEybFjJgbBmz6b4a3rk_2_F5PwoWX/w400-h245/vi16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard and Crusher talk to the Ullians.</div><div>"You think we did something to them?" asks Termin.</div><div>"You already examined us," says Jev. "We aren't carrying anything."</div><div>"Sure," concedes Crusher. "But these comas are producing electrical activity in the memory function part of their brains, and we're thinking that it might be related to your procedures. I'd like to monitor your next memory retrieval."</div><div>They agree.</div><div>And of course, the scene ends with a close-up on Jev, who literally makes the villainous eye movement of looking back and forth quickly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukD-OsjIijg0Dt16s3KUTC3jU9vU-gJy_l3GcznbWSblFIqs0qAwXSts-bNdXYj0yYutPICz1-um7XQLY6jVl-zB6uLKQb6rytM41nv667rE9JYFe2Wi07PDfjY9Qs-VEneJNLY1MR44Z/s637/vi17.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="637" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukD-OsjIijg0Dt16s3KUTC3jU9vU-gJy_l3GcznbWSblFIqs0qAwXSts-bNdXYj0yYutPICz1-um7XQLY6jVl-zB6uLKQb6rytM41nv667rE9JYFe2Wi07PDfjY9Qs-VEneJNLY1MR44Z/w400-h250/vi17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Later in sick bay, Crusher tells Keiko that, as the only person on the E who has gotten the memory retrieval, they'd like to examine her to see if she has any of the activity that Riker and Troi do. Keiko gladly agrees, but Crusher's exam turns up nothing.</div><div><br /></div><div>In Engineering, La Forge argues with Majel. He's trying to find any non-medical causes for the comas, but scans for chemical causes turns up nothing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Crusher is in her office when Dr Martin, the other doctor working on this case with her, drops in. She tells him that she's still looking at the medical records, but can't find anything. He says the same, and it seems his shift is over, so he's taking off. After he leaves, she starts to zone out, and we see more of that memory view, hazy and vertigo-inducing.</div><div>In the memory, younger versions of Beverly and Picard go to see the body of Jack Crusher. In the jumbled way of these scenes, we get snippets of mixed conversation - Beverly thanking Picard for coming, him telling her that she shouldn't remember Jack this way, she insisting that she needs to come to terms with the fact that he's gone. Jev, dressed as Picard, pulls the sheet back to reveal a now-scarred Jack. Now it's Jev as Jack. Jev-Jack opens his eyes, and Beverly screams while Jev-Picard watches.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLkjK9_ukLzHGfMxEejUC-7FuLOoJ-zJZNRQLYPlla9nDG_k9_grXJZS0M8_N0f3Ptjwf-cs8NW7nqnOyHNBCfhmELq6NAQGGfI6JhbfwlIELmiyP-KOJG1573s14eFPllNZ0m9Sywwad/s637/vi18.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="637" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLkjK9_ukLzHGfMxEejUC-7FuLOoJ-zJZNRQLYPlla9nDG_k9_grXJZS0M8_N0f3Ptjwf-cs8NW7nqnOyHNBCfhmELq6NAQGGfI6JhbfwlIELmiyP-KOJG1573s14eFPllNZ0m9Sywwad/w400-h248/vi18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the corridor, La Forge tells Data that he's spent the last two hours looking for any kind of agent that might have caused those comas, and found nothing. They turn into sick bay to find Crusher slumped over her desk.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our boys go up to the ready room to talk to Picard. La Forge says Crusher had him checking for non-medical things that might have caused the comas, but it turned up nothing.</div><div>"Crap," says Picard. "The only link left is the Ullians. We're going to have to restrict them to quarters."</div><div>"Is that going to help anything, seeing as how they're telepathic?" asks La Forge sensibly.</div><div>"Meh," Picard admits. "But what else can we do? Post a guard? Set up a forcefield? None of those are going to make a difference, but this is our only choice. Data, will you look at the other planets the Ullians have visited where they were retrieving memories? See if there were other comas?"</div><div>Dr Martin pages Picard - Troi is awake and asking for him.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjdlzaSZcOhuyH-5S11ZKHIHVcMtKI5TbpcWWlx7spsPtvbidHxiNTUv3q4RT2exTWHPLzmNFPMPfComDeRS7oDxrmgGADvUzqUfmDspFds9A6IYu6UptJKRq98itkCx4VB3bm8ocM24R/s631/vi19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="631" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjdlzaSZcOhuyH-5S11ZKHIHVcMtKI5TbpcWWlx7spsPtvbidHxiNTUv3q4RT2exTWHPLzmNFPMPfComDeRS7oDxrmgGADvUzqUfmDspFds9A6IYu6UptJKRq98itkCx4VB3bm8ocM24R/w400-h254/vi19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard interviews Troi in sick bay while Dr Martin runs an exam. Unfortunately, the last thing Troi remembers is brushing her hair, and then, nothing. She's surprised to learn that she's been in a coma for three days, and that Riker went into a coma the next day, and Crusher last night. Behind her, Dr Martin runs through a series of emoticon-faces. Picard tells her to stay in sick bay and rest, and to call him if she remembers anything else.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZ0_beas1oRkcykeBzzbpWKxfI9bdKOwjLG4HZX9brFhA9o5wXIVggbPLV4y2D_K1-DQQuj2nXZENFMvg30PdLR3TSckgTyYkrKLC5CQwbKBHJ0mazPdS9UAFbb-vp1dLMuSEhGijFzre/s640/vi20.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZ0_beas1oRkcykeBzzbpWKxfI9bdKOwjLG4HZX9brFhA9o5wXIVggbPLV4y2D_K1-DQQuj2nXZENFMvg30PdLR3TSckgTyYkrKLC5CQwbKBHJ0mazPdS9UAFbb-vp1dLMuSEhGijFzre/w400-h250/vi20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> Picard goes to see the Ullians, and ask that they remain confined to quarters. </div><div>Tarmin is pissed. "We haven't done anything!"</div><div>"I'm not saying you have," Picard says calmly. "Thing is, we've tried looking for everything that might have possibly caused this, and you guys being part of it is still coming up the only answer."</div><div>"You think we intentionally harmed someone?" asks Jev.</div><div>Oh, shut up, you sociopathic motherfucker.</div><div>"Can we prove our innocence?" asks Jev. "Bring us Troi. You said she doesn't recall what happened before the coma. I can do a retrieval, and then we'll know for sure."</div><div>Um, shouldn't it be the most talented person for the job doing the retrieval?</div><div>"I want no part in this!" Tarmin storms from the room, and that settles that.</div><div>Picard hesitates. "I don't want her going through what might be a dangerous process."</div><div>"It makes the most sense, though," reasons Idan.</div><div>Okay, and why isn't she doing it? She's the oldest member of the team and has most likely been doing it the longest. Why are they relegating this task to the junior member?</div><div>Idan asks if Keiko has suffered any adverse affects, and when he says she has not, Idan tells Picard that they may monitor the situation with doctors and witnesses. Picard agrees to talk to Troi.</div><div>And, as with every scene that includes Jev, the scene ends with a close-up on him.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTaUYMT7r3uz3bhsPhAaoLTAnXfx6B87gbuXRQNb9U6pborebD6QbzqJWocInR62cEROCQj_09VKKtD-JAOBfw92lvolY-bLVf5Eef2sr8rnW9o-rHsKEoM2mmBpeXTpFB1a0kiW6AFjT/s641/vi21.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="641" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTaUYMT7r3uz3bhsPhAaoLTAnXfx6B87gbuXRQNb9U6pborebD6QbzqJWocInR62cEROCQj_09VKKtD-JAOBfw92lvolY-bLVf5Eef2sr8rnW9o-rHsKEoM2mmBpeXTpFB1a0kiW6AFjT/w400-h250/vi21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Data and La Forge are working at the science station and talking through things: they've heard back from 9 of the 11 planets the Ullians have visited, and have found no unexplained comas.</div><div>"Maybe..." muses la Forge, "we're not looking for the right thing. Crusher said it looks like Iresine Syndrome, but with decreased histamine levels, right?"</div><div>Data agrees.</div><div>"What if other doctors are not so meticulous, and never bothered to check histamine levels?"</div><div>Data muses out loud that La Forge is now looking up cases of Iresine Syndrome on those planets, and surprise: they find two on one of the planets the Ullians visited, during the time of the visit.<br />
They start checking the others.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbvspJu9Jm_K4L2-ncitb3uh2JyJSMbkGm-LF4w75u1kKF6kHsKMBfdOJvYX58miDOqDdoD4rtH3pvN9cCZrnpgwnbDZxq0S-tMZGNbpVbBwIPG6uuAPkd_JUsHvmhh5XQ65u4Cw40d7I/s640/vi22.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="640" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbvspJu9Jm_K4L2-ncitb3uh2JyJSMbkGm-LF4w75u1kKF6kHsKMBfdOJvYX58miDOqDdoD4rtH3pvN9cCZrnpgwnbDZxq0S-tMZGNbpVbBwIPG6uuAPkd_JUsHvmhh5XQ65u4Cw40d7I/w400-h249/vi22.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div>Idan and Jev have gathered in Troi's quarters, along with Picard and Worf. (Kind of surprised that a member of medical staff isn't there as well, but okay.) Picard tells Troi that she doesn't have to do this if she doesn't want to, but she's adamant, because something happened, and she isn't sure what other way to take to get the information.</div><div>She gets her hairbrush at Jev's request, and holds it as he focuses.</div><div>"Someone's touching my hair," she says in confusion.</div><div>"There was someone in your quarters with you?" asks Jev.<br />
"No," she amends. "I was brushing my hair, then I got hot chocolate, and I was thinking about something that happened years ago. I was thinking about Will Riker." She smiles.</div><div>"That's a good memory," says Jev. "Go into it."</div><div>And we know how this goes. The original memory is corrupted when Riker suggests they get together, and she turns him down, and instead of being disappointed like he probably was IRL, he instead begins assaulting her. Only this time, fake Riker doesn't turn into Jev. He turns into Tarmin.</div><div>Troi is crying, and tells lying liar Jev that, in her memory, she was assaulted by Tarmin. </div><div><br /></div><div>Extra-dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3eVP57Wbzljghfm57_Yokfy6VbHh64tuOkUvuC2xtLj2DPN5-KGzbOHeBGBmDxfgvOWvbqDER2L4fiuvhu-zXV8EkLVdZrC6g-Y9rAjW4PR-Iko9W-Rih3rVwfP50opKFDnS7mYcjOac/s650/vi23.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="650" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3eVP57Wbzljghfm57_Yokfy6VbHh64tuOkUvuC2xtLj2DPN5-KGzbOHeBGBmDxfgvOWvbqDER2L4fiuvhu-zXV8EkLVdZrC6g-Y9rAjW4PR-Iko9W-Rih3rVwfP50opKFDnS7mYcjOac/w400-h245/vi23.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log 45433.2: "We're headed for the nearest starbase, where we're going to drop the Ullians. They're going home."</div><div><br /></div><div>POS Jev meets with Picard in his ready room.</div><div>"If you want to press charges against my father, you can," Jev tells him. "The punishment for such a thing is stiff on our planet, and you can easily add your own."</div><div>For the second time since we started following his career, we see Picard frown and admit that the Federation doesn't have a punishment to fit that kind of crime. He admitted as much in The Survivors, where the punishment would have been for genocide. (And we know that the Federation has laws against genocide, given that this was discussed during TOS' The Conscience of the King.) Here, he admits that memory invasion is not considered a crime.</div><div>
Y'all, that's rape. It's a violation of bodily autonomy. Just like it was in the last fucking movie, when Spock forced his way into Valeris' mind. And even if there's no current law against that specifically, that's often how we get laws: someone does something really awful or dangerous, and we decide to make a law making it punishable if that thing is done again. And even if there is no law made, that's never stopped us before. The phrase "crimes against humanity" is basically a short version of "we all got together and decided that you're a real piece of shit."</div><div>Quit pussy-footing around this "we don't have laws against that" business. We've met several species that possess telepathic powers, and I'm willing to bet that the ones in the Federation have laws against mind invasion. Adopt those. It wouldn't even be that hard - you have a friend in the JAG office, for fucks' sake!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uhiTuXf1hqT-wiSEDW3NHbcJ4zzZiQ5amT-N5npO4L8o-bxv6VQkGqyJaUiHxDngZhKbNAayV1yGeYfTYt1KpoairDsOGHNxZvsxCGBDR9_PnUagg0Pq-Ku4IM9_6CAUZk515rNWobnN/s633/vi24.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="633" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uhiTuXf1hqT-wiSEDW3NHbcJ4zzZiQ5amT-N5npO4L8o-bxv6VQkGqyJaUiHxDngZhKbNAayV1yGeYfTYt1KpoairDsOGHNxZvsxCGBDR9_PnUagg0Pq-Ku4IM9_6CAUZk515rNWobnN/w400-h250/vi24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Jev tells Picard that he has recently learned that mind invasion used to be a problem with his people centuries earlier, and Picard asks what would tempt a person to do such a thing?</div><div>"A perverse sense of pleasure?" asks Jev, most likely naming his own list of reasons. "A wish for control?"</div><div>"Your father maintains his innocence."</div><div>"My father doesn't like to admit when he's wrong," says Jev.</div><div>But he <i>isn't</i> wrong here.</div><div>"It's hard to believe he'd be capable of this," he adds.</div><div>He <i>wasn't</i>.</div><div>Before leaving, Jev tells Picard that they are monitoring his father's telepathic activities, to ensure he would assault anyone else.</div><div>He won't, because he hasn't. Is anyone monitoring you?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2Md00IysCIRa4h5_VHPvoyTGadMgJmxABc82QlgIPEnuctr4otb3e7Pum6SUZd-ndWX-gBraaz9Te9gon-6EUhiK-Pmov23A1kUtTbl8Ajey_Cg2BSGUC9RNMsYxrzP6Kj80-t0Hdg4e/s637/vi25.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="637" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2Md00IysCIRa4h5_VHPvoyTGadMgJmxABc82QlgIPEnuctr4otb3e7Pum6SUZd-ndWX-gBraaz9Te9gon-6EUhiK-Pmov23A1kUtTbl8Ajey_Cg2BSGUC9RNMsYxrzP6Kj80-t0Hdg4e/w400-h250/vi25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard calls La Forge and Data at the science station for a check-in. They make plans to contact back all of the medical facilities and let them know the real reason for the comas. They sign off from Picard.</div><div>'Hey, just heard back from those last two planets," La Forge tells Data. "No Iresine Syndrome, but two unexplained comas on one planet. And both occurred when Tarmin was back on his home planet, nowhere near there."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3NFT5zg1KuqTrsesNRT_EzTGyAj9uAe7BEovZsOwMW48c3wEDoQP9f52Z7QIpdls1eNg7RhVH4AEGGut483EXTC1VDFs4oVcUbC-RcGAVY2-a_gJZWF8o63_ssK9xwgua7tjQp5YEyxe/s639/vi26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="639" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3NFT5zg1KuqTrsesNRT_EzTGyAj9uAe7BEovZsOwMW48c3wEDoQP9f52Z7QIpdls1eNg7RhVH4AEGGut483EXTC1VDFs4oVcUbC-RcGAVY2-a_gJZWF8o63_ssK9xwgua7tjQp5YEyxe/w400-h255/vi26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Jev drops in on Troi to say goodbye and apologize for his father again.</div><div>"We can still be friends," she says.</div><div>"After what he's done? I'm not sure I can."</div><div>Okay, so: rapist, lying liar, playing the victim, anything else?</div><div>"You're upset, do you want to talk?" she asks. "You'll feel better."</div><div>"Why do you have to be so nice?" he laments. "So lovely."</div><div>Oh, there we go. Victim-blaming and gaslighting! A whole row in Abuser Bingo.</div><div>And the tainted memory comes up again. Riker's quarters, post-poker, Troi spills the chips...</div><div>"It's happening again," says Now-Troi in a panic. "It was you all along!"</div><div>"So beautiful," he oozes. "So fragile."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6W8qTF6dlEzzecqFJtT8m_qBhgupx78bwLObmE6M6l9p73FWPNQNv8zmgYmd8PzKZyyrcPypjeWJHdOEEIczmK-BVlwiE21ZyCWgta7TQO-GMDzk3fc_KRhkcu43uXclXYX2sAttXvil1/s635/vi27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="635" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6W8qTF6dlEzzecqFJtT8m_qBhgupx78bwLObmE6M6l9p73FWPNQNv8zmgYmd8PzKZyyrcPypjeWJHdOEEIczmK-BVlwiE21ZyCWgta7TQO-GMDzk3fc_KRhkcu43uXclXYX2sAttXvil1/w400-h256/vi27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the memory state, Jev is immediately Riker, on top of her, asking if she still thinks of them. But Now-Troi fights back, slapping Jev, hauling out her Klingon self-defense moves, hitting him with a padd. He manages to literally throw her off, then the door opens behind him, and Worf levels Jev with one good punch. He's followed in by a couple of security Golds and Data. Jev gives her one last longing look before being hauled off.</div><div>"How did you know?" Troi asks Data.</div><div>"Jev was the only Ullian present for all of the unexplained comas we found," he tells her.</div><div>Troi's look says, "oh yay, a serial rapist."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvZQKQzuXKaUpA5s8ox-KngGf9qUCqCBTGUOYuWr6hRJdcG2kyjKuhH0sKp5tBqQIbRFQ_3ZZ_U7DG8MGMs7vxmOXVhgcEv-AG4mozg1YOZQAkYauLybLmkxF6u5NMKgHa1liqm8C1YCT/s638/vi28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="638" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvZQKQzuXKaUpA5s8ox-KngGf9qUCqCBTGUOYuWr6hRJdcG2kyjKuhH0sKp5tBqQIbRFQ_3ZZ_U7DG8MGMs7vxmOXVhgcEv-AG4mozg1YOZQAkYauLybLmkxF6u5NMKgHa1liqm8C1YCT/w400-h256/vi28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log 45435.8: "We're dispensing with the starbase and going straight to the Ullian homeworld."</div><div><br /></div><div>The senior staff meets with Tarmin in the Obs Lounge. Gone is the gregarious guy. Now he's the somber father of a serial offender.</div><div>"The finest doctors and specialists are standing by on my homeworld to help you over your trauma," he tells them. "We haven't had to deal with this kind of rape for centuries, but the medical records still exist, and they'll be able to help you."</div><div>Picard gives a quiet speech about how humans also used to be violent, but they evolved past that and found other ways to resolve differences, but the seed of violence exists in everyone still, and they must guard against allowing it to consume them.</div><div>The end, roll credits, hopefully to never watch this episode again.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSVW_5qlD-QAxNo2icFVhrVH42Aue2fISIekwjZm_7t65gLs-tizoV_JZpZTG2mFyobWn7tvdMi7O9Fc1QScEEM5IcG3WN-ELKXo_tw3W0rBPICv4J677NtG06Vp7fqBdHwznqY3A9lNd/s642/vi29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="642" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSVW_5qlD-QAxNo2icFVhrVH42Aue2fISIekwjZm_7t65gLs-tizoV_JZpZTG2mFyobWn7tvdMi7O9Fc1QScEEM5IcG3WN-ELKXo_tw3W0rBPICv4J677NtG06Vp7fqBdHwznqY3A9lNd/w400-h253/vi29.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So there you go, an episode I hate, mostly because it's one in a series that I call The Victimization of Troi Series. </div><div>We started out season two with Troi being <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/01/sttng-season-two-episode-one-child.html">impregnated </a>without her knowledge or consent. While she ultimately chooses to keep the pregnancy, we have no idea how much of that was due to the influence of Ian, the alien baby who, you know, did the deed.</div><div>This is our second installment, where a sociopath breaks into Troi's mind to mentally rape her.</div><div>In season six, we get an episode called "Man of the People," where yet another sociopath does shitty mental things to Troi without her knowledge or consent.</div><div>(And I'd be a bit remiss in not mentioning <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/09/sttng-season-three-episode-eight-price.html">"The Price"</a> from season 2, where Troi falls in love with (surprise!) a sociopath. While no violations occur there to her, the writers like to hook her up with people who have no remorse for hurting others, so "The Price" gets an asterisk in this list.)</div><div>And here's a shitty spoiler: in the tenth movie, Troi gets mentally raped again, and the writers explain that it was "an homage" to this episode.</div><div>How about this? STOP RAPING TROI.</div><div><br /></div><div>Every time I have a hardcore emotional reaction like this, I tend to check in with others: did they feel anything similar? Is this episode well-liked, and I'm the odd-one out? Am I over-reacting? Have I put some spin on it due to personal experience?</div><div>The answers I got back were all over the place.</div><div>The show-runners and writers all think that this is an exemplary episode, and they are proud of themselves for having written and produced a rape episode that is not only different, but was "handled well."</div><div>I found out through clicking around that IMDB offers users the opportunity to review episodes out of 10 stars, and again, it was a mixed bag. Some found, like the writers, that the exploration of "a different kind of rape" was interesting and lent a nice sci-fi bent to the concept. Others rated it low, and stated flat out that the subject matter would not be suitable for all viewers. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3522912/?ref_=tt_urv">One reviewer</a> noted that someone else had mentioned that this episode contained "no suspense, only rape," and found this to be true going forward: Jev is revealed to be the antagonist at the outset, and you don't have to ask yourself "who is the actual mysterious rapist?" It's Jev. The episode tells you that in the cold opening. Some recalled the mind rape of Valeris in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2021/02/star-trek-vi-undiscovered-country-part-2.html">"The Undiscovered Country."</a> All told, more than 2000 IMDB users rated this episode, and it came up with a 6.3 out of 10.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFUKyxbYHGAUtG4h16xxUitDYbNtVXuZ0_QhhPZNV0LO7YFpFTcbujtEBpSOeX6FRwyV01NbOJzXbJBKzq2R04vwsnJy7f0K-MVTmgJTn6nJ-0vsrsoizgw3RQJySq9SyyS3OHF9ZTllL/s745/uc69.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="745" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFUKyxbYHGAUtG4h16xxUitDYbNtVXuZ0_QhhPZNV0LO7YFpFTcbujtEBpSOeX6FRwyV01NbOJzXbJBKzq2R04vwsnJy7f0K-MVTmgJTn6nJ-0vsrsoizgw3RQJySq9SyyS3OHF9ZTllL/w400-h203/uc69.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I also ended up in conversation about this episode with my friend Legolas, and he confessed that he too hated this episode. He suggested something I found rather disturbing: that this series of "Troi is Violated" episodes unintentionally points to Star Trek telling viewers that empathy with only bring you harm. </div><div>I balked at this, because that's a ridiculously harmful message, but here we are - Troi, the most trusting and open person on the crew, is often abused by people who are able to break into her head and manipulate her. She carries a vulnerability that's different from the others. Am I saying it's just her? Hell no. We've seen plenty of other characters on this show be abused by outsiders who use their particular vulnerability against them. But in this case, we are not talking about the entry being blindness, or being an android, or coming from an honor-bound culture, but empathy. It's a thing most people have, and should use more often, but why would we when we're being taught to always have our guard up, to not trust people, to make ourselves vulnerable for the sake of seeing others, when the outcome is that someone with no empathy will view us as weak? Jev even calls Troi "fragile." Is this the ultimate take-away? In the TOS episode <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2015/01/season-3-episode-63-empath.html">"The Empath,"</a> the empathic, mute alien Gem carries the wounds on her body every time someone else is hurt, and at the end, takes on Bones' fatal wounds to save him, sacrificing herself. All so some shitty aliens can gain some knowledge via experimentation. She was asked to die, basically.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27AeQWHVM3XlMane8LgvaM3xl2OuM-V6bpx46c2e-JDRszI8ZziKcfioAjSE3-mfOYg3sYdht59vnxcA-ppxNKULQWNl8wH8LWznP9lFkSG8bJARtkjfvi9ehAM5atv0bf_ds6YrcoHiT/s400/te19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="400" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27AeQWHVM3XlMane8LgvaM3xl2OuM-V6bpx46c2e-JDRszI8ZziKcfioAjSE3-mfOYg3sYdht59vnxcA-ppxNKULQWNl8wH8LWznP9lFkSG8bJARtkjfvi9ehAM5atv0bf_ds6YrcoHiT/w400-h318/te19.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I'd like to hope that "people with empathy are weak and ripe for the picking" is not Star Trek's message here, collectively. But the fact that they keep selecting her over and over again for this kind of torture makes me think that it might be possible, which I hate. <div>I want to think that this show teaches empathy and acceptance. But it gets a little harder to believe that each time they play Troi Gets Violated.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Fun Facts:</div><div><br /></div><div>- The script went through multiple rewrites, each coming at the rape aspect differently. They knew they wanted to do a rape episode, but didn't want it to be the same kind of story that the writers had seen many times before. They came up with the mental violation as a way to add the sci-fi spin.</div><div>- Jeri Taylor liked the idea that the assault was mental rather than physical, and exploring the violation of the mental vs the physical was the goal.</div><div>- The writing staff wrote memory sequences for all of the major characters and then chose the ones they liked. La Forge's fire memory from <a href="http://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/04/sttng-season-five-episode-eleven-hero.html">"Hero Worship"</a> was written for this script, as well as a memory for Ensign Ro about the action that resulted in her dishonorable discharge and arrest.</div><div>- Eve H Brenner (Inad) will return to play a different character in season three of Voyager.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQKy0wZjAvK-MsZTaiaW16HMhDJhtgXXzAIy6WwbiZJpeyJu27ZwsBPYAnhnxRiTNTwaBg5AxPn7VhQNMzMbVLElLRR9xe-eZ3-G3mrjlykGG0HvWwImOK29AcifuvGGDRL3E0gLReWMT/s638/idan+hair.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="638" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQKy0wZjAvK-MsZTaiaW16HMhDJhtgXXzAIy6WwbiZJpeyJu27ZwsBPYAnhnxRiTNTwaBg5AxPn7VhQNMzMbVLElLRR9xe-eZ3-G3mrjlykGG0HvWwImOK29AcifuvGGDRL3E0gLReWMT/w400-h251/idan+hair.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>- Rick Fitts (Dr Martin) will return to play another character in Voyager, season 4. Sadly, we will not see him as Dr Martin again, which is a shame, because I liked Dr Martin.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYSxzHt-1BAJzxxf4X7TdE_y0ALwOxjXHJpvxc7FJlv-xoYpS3WcJzsShKHBvWIcNHT-z6p598Zkf_6dy5GHXuyc3RuKlRQMvo3fZtju0AQkiHr_dJsJ3jNP8EGga5NT9Xs2IK9Y-z4lw/s451/dr+martin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="451" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYSxzHt-1BAJzxxf4X7TdE_y0ALwOxjXHJpvxc7FJlv-xoYpS3WcJzsShKHBvWIcNHT-z6p598Zkf_6dy5GHXuyc3RuKlRQMvo3fZtju0AQkiHr_dJsJ3jNP8EGga5NT9Xs2IK9Y-z4lw/w400-h359/dr+martin.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /> - This is the only time in Star Trek where Keiko appears onscreen, but Miles does not.</div><div>- This is the second of three appearances by Doug Wert (Jack Crusher).</div><div>- Brannon Braga and Rick Berman were both pleased with how this episode turned out.</div><div>- Jeri Taylor called it "Roddenbery weirdness." She felt that some of the episodes they had been doing were more political, or emotional, and that they lacked a bit of sci-fi.</div><div>- Jonathan Frakes felt that it would be out of character for Riker to dwell on the death of a fellow crewmember, but Michael Piller felt that Jev was just going inside Riker's mind and playing around, trying to up the drama.</div><div>- Jeri Taylor noted that she received disappointed letters from fans afterward, saying that they hoped the flashback scenes would lead to a rekindling of the Riker-Troi romance, but she stated that the flashbacks were only meant as flashbacks, and not as an indication of the future.</div><div>- Though not a fan of specialty camera effects, Berman gave director Robert Weimer permission to use the one for the memory sequences, as he felt that it was warranted to differentiate between reality and memory.</div><div>- This is the first episode produced following the death of Gene Roddenbery. Production was shut down early one day so that cast and crew could attend the funeral.</div><div><br /></div><div><br />
Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
To date: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Riker Moments: 1<br />
To date: 0</div>
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Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0 </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Keiko Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
To date: 2<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments: 0<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0<br />
To date: 2</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 0<br />
To date: 31</div>
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Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 0<br />
To date: 8</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 1<br />
To date: 5<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 0<br />
To date: 3</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MBFFqyfG4RiMs-WF2hwFpEsRjiVlNubRdcexe1lfqCx1hWwgg6gW6CplGFOAVA1iKJndpkP845AZ1DhShfyl2mXaSH7WgDHUugSs40If40Q2enTGp-suUDvn2ZleUh3mfNrPVj50pr5f/s960/Orwin.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MBFFqyfG4RiMs-WF2hwFpEsRjiVlNubRdcexe1lfqCx1hWwgg6gW6CplGFOAVA1iKJndpkP845AZ1DhShfyl2mXaSH7WgDHUugSs40If40Q2enTGp-suUDvn2ZleUh3mfNrPVj50pr5f/w300-h400/Orwin.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orwin, the dragon cat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
</div>
</div></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-76627041933740837312021-06-07T00:00:00.001-07:002021-06-07T00:00:00.226-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Eleven "Hero Worship"ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Eleven "Hero Worship"<br />
Production Order: 11<br />
Air Order: 11<br />
Stardate: 45397.3<br />
Original Air Date: January 27, 1992<div><br /></div><div>I have just learned that, in the military (all branches), if a member of the military has a pet, that pet has a rank, and it is always one rank above that of the service member. This way, if that service member is a complete piece of shit and beats their pet, they are disciplined not only for beating a fellow officer, but for beating a <i>commanding</i> officer. You can get dishonorably discharged for that. That's... that's brilliant. This also means that, if Star Fleet followed that same protocol, that Spot is actually Commander Spot.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjv01NsXa7SsI1UrhDVEYk25ClkTDsbZ1jCpOr2l-gUMC44QzaXLExQEf1Pmj34heF08f4N8wqXWF8uGdIBDzLWUmCbqj2sUTsZChsb417Vvj1lWJcCRKYPFFRDVX04MfwGPOf8IORgea_/s753/Spot%252C_2370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="701" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjv01NsXa7SsI1UrhDVEYk25ClkTDsbZ1jCpOr2l-gUMC44QzaXLExQEf1Pmj34heF08f4N8wqXWF8uGdIBDzLWUmCbqj2sUTsZChsb417Vvj1lWJcCRKYPFFRDVX04MfwGPOf8IORgea_/s320/Spot%252C_2370.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREJC_gc9tYr4VHlAylk8CMAgMgFwVyDxtJ21_js_OUmCxpEbxe7Ga4mzhUTvy4ijxSOqnUtRw76Wua3WLPdAXv_aPrgfKo9vMOqmYIhExVOU1pxpwtbOaup7THv0ObusSG5ik-NgLctR9/s264/hw2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="264" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREJC_gc9tYr4VHlAylk8CMAgMgFwVyDxtJ21_js_OUmCxpEbxe7Ga4mzhUTvy4ijxSOqnUtRw76Wua3WLPdAXv_aPrgfKo9vMOqmYIhExVOU1pxpwtbOaup7THv0ObusSG5ik-NgLctR9/w400-h255/hw2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br />Picard's Log 45397.3: "Going to see what happened to the Vico, a research ship that was checking out the black cluster."<div><br /></div><div>The E hits the black cluster, and they find the Vico right away. It's adrift in space, and when they pull up visuals, it's obvious why: a big chunk of the front end is gone. Crap.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hyD9Zy9Yg4BXii5f3DPJ_Vz3vytirPvMP7oASJZjmbSUbbKgHlgMoUbCtRBa0m6XpuSn2lKagDjBg0P8qrKy3vgGJBNqWQxSV5ubc3ngC7S5p7Q-pHxHYo8dbiVwFna3FEuOVOuDNj1G/s531/hw1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="531" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hyD9Zy9Yg4BXii5f3DPJ_Vz3vytirPvMP7oASJZjmbSUbbKgHlgMoUbCtRBa0m6XpuSn2lKagDjBg0P8qrKy3vgGJBNqWQxSV5ubc3ngC7S5p7Q-pHxHYo8dbiVwFna3FEuOVOuDNj1G/w400-h269/hw1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Data does scans and determines that there are no life signs, and that many of the decks are exposed to space. They can't get a lock on the computers to get information transfers over because those systems are closed behind emergency bulkheads.</div><div>"Is it stable enough for an away team?" asks Picard.</div><div>"Kinda?" says Data. "The chance of collapse is pretty high, though."</div><div>Picard tells Riker to form an away team, but to make sure the transporter chief keeps a lock on each of the members, just in case.</div><div><br /></div><div>Riker chooses Data and La Forge, and they beam over.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xCFJNv2G_w3zd9k4f2Xfo51f1YAQQ8GrNwBRIqbeJXBDCn1CjnBN_C0MdXIJFYsEt_HUhw9QlnGU7v5ehb5pj1GRomLEkoC-P4rFuWHFfgvrMY2O4Fdu27cbnya1A9_Au07BrcOBo-II/s583/hw3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="583" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xCFJNv2G_w3zd9k4f2Xfo51f1YAQQ8GrNwBRIqbeJXBDCn1CjnBN_C0MdXIJFYsEt_HUhw9QlnGU7v5ehb5pj1GRomLEkoC-P4rFuWHFfgvrMY2O4Fdu27cbnya1A9_Au07BrcOBo-II/w400-h229/hw3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The Vico is a mess of twisted wreckage and fallen crewmembers, all dead. Beams threaten to fall over. The computer stations they try are non-functioning, so they tap directly into the computer core and begin transferring files through a device.</div><div>There's a weak human voice nearby, and Riker and Data leave La Forge with the computer to check it out. They wander onto the destroyed bridge with a palm light, and finally find the source: a human kid.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Opening credits!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi531AaZoIbPmhAKt-yoiIZ_Rleg7FBAW-6g07PboETfdPssU09dagsaX77O4yhaPi_TQoTYpkfo5qOrrntUPlGJT0o82kdvND1IUtJ1xJkeDocjoLN6wIGXbjLGWeBjBIpENBWqvH7lRlt/s543/hw4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="543" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi531AaZoIbPmhAKt-yoiIZ_Rleg7FBAW-6g07PboETfdPssU09dagsaX77O4yhaPi_TQoTYpkfo5qOrrntUPlGJT0o82kdvND1IUtJ1xJkeDocjoLN6wIGXbjLGWeBjBIpENBWqvH7lRlt/w400-h244/hw4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log, supplemental: "Well, shit. There was a kid alive in the wreckage, and the sensors were blocked from seeing him. Gonna attempt a rescue, but the going will be tough."</div><div><br /></div><div>The transporter chief gets a lock on the kid, but he's pinned under a fallen beam, and the shielding in place is keeping things dicey. They tell Crusher to prepare for an emergency beam straight to sick bay, and the chief throws the controls. It starts to work for a hot second, then fizzles out: too much interference.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKZLVa-JpmzKE_wSID1B7gX_ZdY1BQbAmgCPuQY901hs4EsENa-Ke7GuNgeMxHKhlh7TWiAUbMTPv-crqdMH8Z8RYEXkymWPvT1tHCjtgO6LdpnGs0IGwRLevw0I4s_BTnWpUiyd3agR3/s525/hw5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="525" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKZLVa-JpmzKE_wSID1B7gX_ZdY1BQbAmgCPuQY901hs4EsENa-Ke7GuNgeMxHKhlh7TWiAUbMTPv-crqdMH8Z8RYEXkymWPvT1tHCjtgO6LdpnGs0IGwRLevw0I4s_BTnWpUiyd3agR3/w400-h255/hw5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>"No good," the chief tells the group. "Can you move the kid to the corridor? I think I can get a lock there."</div><div>Data looks around and does some quick calculations before telling Riker and La Forge (who has finished the computer transfer) that he can move the beam to get the kid, but the whole bridge is like one big game of Pick-Up Sticks, and moving this one beam might upset the balance. "I think you guys should beam back first."</div><div>Riker and La Forge agree and go back to the corridor so the chief can grab them. Once they're out, Data goes over the plan with the kid: he's gonna lift the beam, then they both run like hell for the corridor.</div><div>"How can you lift that by yourself?" asks the kid.</div><div>"I am an android," states Data. He tries a bit of bedside manner: "It is going to be... okay."</div><div>The kid nods, Data counts off, then moves the beam. The kid books it for the corridor, and Data drops the beam. The wreckage around them creaks and starts to fall around them. They hit the beam-out point and energize just as another beam falls right where they had been standing.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedrD0xR4GWnOyYXql7gEmxfmISsV-dvsoU0jtXjV1bYej9-AiICmJHi-TkalOF0FAoac_YUL0d9ubVRl6JINGEjbDuqj9yYjC0AKkUrmSbmPvwJGVIzhQc_3JbvWv1PqlNqU58F8ZrM1y/s524/hw6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="524" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedrD0xR4GWnOyYXql7gEmxfmISsV-dvsoU0jtXjV1bYej9-AiICmJHi-TkalOF0FAoac_YUL0d9ubVRl6JINGEjbDuqj9yYjC0AKkUrmSbmPvwJGVIzhQc_3JbvWv1PqlNqU58F8ZrM1y/w400-h255/hw6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>They appear in sick bay, and Crusher smiles at the kid, who backs closer to Data.</div><div>"Don't be afraid," she smiles.</div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log, supplemental: "We explored the rest of the Vico, and found no other survivors. We're getting the kid trauma counseling."<br />
<br />
The kid, Timothy, tells his story to Troi and Crusher in sick bay while he holds Data's hand: "They had purple helmets and phaser rifles. They came in and started shooting. They didn't see me."</div><div>Crusher leaves to get Timothy some food, and Data tries to excuse himself to go to Engineering to help La Forge, but Timothy won't let go of his hand.</div><div>Troi asks Timothy if he'd like Data to stay, and the kid nods.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwMqqQmNR0em1IoBAzNtA3z0VN2N17ErkS3z39zjee3gFYS3LMe8U1CCB9voycS6won_xSCTWmG2D1dAD9h2zfmR3NoSJiQbFEt1I0jfpY7cyKgv9MCbb46vbib6639REeEu8ZWvQyxxK/s525/hw7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="525" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwMqqQmNR0em1IoBAzNtA3z0VN2N17ErkS3z39zjee3gFYS3LMe8U1CCB9voycS6won_xSCTWmG2D1dAD9h2zfmR3NoSJiQbFEt1I0jfpY7cyKgv9MCbb46vbib6639REeEu8ZWvQyxxK/w400-h255/hw7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>In Engineering, La Forge shows Picard schematics of the Vico, and where things were located. It'll be a bit before the computer info from the Vico can be accessed.</div><div>"Timothy was outside the computer core when we found him. His mother was the ship's engineer, and they found her body in the core. His father was the second officer," says La Forge, "and most likely on the bridge when it was exposed to space."</div><div>"Most likely," says Picard heavily.<br />
<br />Down in sick bay, Timothy has fallen asleep and finally let go of Data's hand.</div><div>"His whole world is gone," Troi tells Data. "We have to help him build a new one."</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxinTnhabiXTgJYDNaKn1DUgjmUeqzADlTX6EfWeQRJIXxWuPDtheVDOcixrOUelpgVU3oW35TT9CpCGE4gmvCyvjVkkRofj2Qvl1yN8F5mC4AK8w2Y9IjW0pWqcA6l4rrRMGmX8NoKQw1/s527/hw8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="527" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxinTnhabiXTgJYDNaKn1DUgjmUeqzADlTX6EfWeQRJIXxWuPDtheVDOcixrOUelpgVU3oW35TT9CpCGE4gmvCyvjVkkRofj2Qvl1yN8F5mC4AK8w2Y9IjW0pWqcA6l4rrRMGmX8NoKQw1/w400-h253/hw8.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Back in Engineering, La Forge and Data look at what the computer device was able to pull from the Vico. It doesn't look good - almost 85% of the info is gone, and there are no sensor logs. La Forge thinks he can maybe use the E's sensors to boost. </div><div>Data is curious, and asks La Forge if he ever experienced any trauma as a kid.</div><div>It's a moment before La Forge answers, and he's obviously bothered by a memory. "I was caught in a fire once when I was five. It was before I got my first VISOR, and it was only for a few minutes, but those were the longest few moments ever. It was years before I let my parents get out of earshot. I needed to know they were there all the time."</div><div>"Timothy doesn't have that anymore," notes Data thoughtfully.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uhuy012XFGgP-KZiIXjKqBjnbteLzYiek0nd2YtTLUdCUDHrqXgvFtcSMipqN9MSBiFDWlksa60m9FhWZz3evXyre3Ti7e2Foh4FqOqduI5WTb8tXYVjMALf93cZPRSMMlhs9oNW5kNY/s531/hw9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="531" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uhuy012XFGgP-KZiIXjKqBjnbteLzYiek0nd2YtTLUdCUDHrqXgvFtcSMipqN9MSBiFDWlksa60m9FhWZz3evXyre3Ti7e2Foh4FqOqduI5WTb8tXYVjMALf93cZPRSMMlhs9oNW5kNY/w400-h251/hw9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Timothy, who has been released from sick bay, has been shunted sideways into the schoolroom. The teacher reads aloud from a mythology textbook to the rest of the class, but pauses in his reading to ask Timothy to sit down with the other kids and follow along with the reading. Timothy, who is using a building set to make a model of a temple schematic on the wall, insists that he isn't finished. The teacher looks to a window into another room, where Troi watches Timothy.</div><div>I have to question pretty much everything about this scene. Why is Timothy in the classroom, and not Troi's office? Why is the teacher insisting that Timothy stop what he's doing and join the others? The kid is traumatized. He won't want to sit quietly with the group while his head is full of immediate, bad memories. Leave him alone to build his model. And what's with the weird observation window into the schoolroom? Is it the foyer into that area, where parents say goodbye to their kids when dropping them off? Because it's used several times in this episode to spy on Timothy, and that's just off-putting.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kQc4nXBMmeV1RAu22kOHDwwn-PRN3PM66sFsJpJJGodJVM2Q3H5d-fxGWPQXK74vLntDLylp0i7C7reW8NMMV3CWsi2OF74es1thiXN8fA021fGkkkxdysfTVU4KaZ1Ub12RcYv4WNRq/s521/hw10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="521" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kQc4nXBMmeV1RAu22kOHDwwn-PRN3PM66sFsJpJJGodJVM2Q3H5d-fxGWPQXK74vLntDLylp0i7C7reW8NMMV3CWsi2OF74es1thiXN8fA021fGkkkxdysfTVU4KaZ1Ub12RcYv4WNRq/w400-h258/hw10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On the bridge, Data and La Forge have put together some schematics of what they think happened to the Vico: they were in the black cluster and attacked with some kind of disruptor weapon at close range. Afterward, gravitational waves pushed the ship out of the black cluster.</div><div>"That kind of attack sounds like it came from a cloaked vessel, like the Romulans, or the Klingons," says Picard. "But we're nowhere near either of those territories."</div><div>"Could be the Breen," suggests Data.</div><div>"Maybe," concedes Picard. "Timothy described helmets and phaser rifles and a boarding party."</div><div>"Boarding party seems unlikely," interjects La Forge. "There were no chemical or electrical traces of anyone else being on board."</div><div>Troi enters the bridge, and the conversation.</div><div>"Could he have been mistaken, or lying about a boarding party?" Picard asks her.</div><div>"Hard to say now," she admits. "I don't sense he was lying, but his emotional trauma is through the roof."</div><div>La Forge heads off to try more scans, and Troi asks Picard if she can have Data stay with Timothy.</div><div>Data is surprised.</div><div>"He trusts you, because you rescued him," she explains. "I'm worried about his behavior, but I think it will be beneficial to have you hang out with him."</div><div>Hoping Timothy might tell Data the whole story, Picard agrees.</div><div>"What should I do?" asks Data.</div><div>"Just hang out with him," says Troi. "He finds you comforting."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkXpWOE5rwe7-bFmMjNXN6KXX1tWhHC_2QzMRkd-WnCWPY6w1QVYZpcAtpF7pmtR6nviMVypj-6VUFHtQXUjmbhs8vXOi_gE-XCqx01AQ-zaJRaqN8bvkuV9oYl3RtQJDO1kLQakoJ79g/s522/hw11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="522" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkXpWOE5rwe7-bFmMjNXN6KXX1tWhHC_2QzMRkd-WnCWPY6w1QVYZpcAtpF7pmtR6nviMVypj-6VUFHtQXUjmbhs8vXOi_gE-XCqx01AQ-zaJRaqN8bvkuV9oYl3RtQJDO1kLQakoJ79g/w400-h256/hw11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> Data goes to Timothy's assigned quarters to find that he's been allowed to take the model set with him. Timothy is attempting to build the model again, and Data correctly guesses which temple it is. Timothy is glad to see Data and cheerfully tells him about the different parts of the temple, courtesy of the teacher's instruction.</div><div>"What do you think?" asks Timothy.</div><div>Ack, NO.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9QCIhFDIJHsMKyP1DIdbK2PqUICfG8HzTkEs6cKRu1FTqAGtc04skNGTN7YWuOXti9TCumFh7iM7HuO1to8HtvPTv77kuj3dyyBleFBw_G7GFOob73IT17xgrNF6ABTWogKKvo4JE3ja/s500/5174fa098e15f790ec6435492b99f6a1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="500" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9QCIhFDIJHsMKyP1DIdbK2PqUICfG8HzTkEs6cKRu1FTqAGtc04skNGTN7YWuOXti9TCumFh7iM7HuO1to8HtvPTv77kuj3dyyBleFBw_G7GFOob73IT17xgrNF6ABTWogKKvo4JE3ja/w400-h265/5174fa098e15f790ec6435492b99f6a1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Data opens his mouth, then pauses. He's encountered this before, and seems to know that when humans ask for an opinion, they don't always want an honest one. "Do you want an honest opinion?"<br />
Timothy nods, but he doesn't really, because humans are complicated. They say they want an honest review, but they don't. </div><div>Your emotionally delicate friend asks if you like a thing they made? You say you love it, regardless of how you actually feel. Your sister asks if you like her wedding dress? You love it. Your coworker tells you her baby name: YOU. LOVE. IT.</div><div>Timothy is too young and too emotionally raw to know that he doesn't actually want an honest opinion, so when Data starts to methodically tell him which parts are not correct, he dejectedly drops the remaining parts and slumps onto the couch behind him, declaring that Data hates the job he's done.</div><div>"I am not capable of hatred," Data corrects him.</div><div>Timothy tries again, but the pieces won't stay in place, and he is disappointed again. "I can't do anything right."</div><div>Data starts to help him, but La Forge pages him to Engineering. He starts to leave, then turns back and reassembles the model at super-human speed.</div><div>"How come you can do that?" Timothy asks.</div><div>"I'm designed to exceed human capacity."</div><div>"So you're better than humans?"</div><div>"That's really subjective. It's a feeling, and I don't have those," he explains. "I'm not capable of emotions."</div><div>"You don't feel happy... <i>or sad</i>?" asks Timothy.</div><div>"Correct." Data turns to leave again, and before he gets in the lift, Timothy calls out and asks if he will stop by again later, so they can build something else.</div><div>Data replies that this is acceptable.</div><div>Timothy goes back into his room, smiles at the model, then goes to his mirror. He mimics Data's speech patterns and head movements. "I am designed to exceed human capacity. That is correct."</div><div><br /></div><div>Mildly worried music... commercial break.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VpSWphhQ6GjWYCyC1KOFfaSPQb6YpiK50oCurcUB4PHEsSAPWoYLvRukwBWKQrZ8tDlekqRBycGEsQTbnYjUfsgmfmpXJHsNmCipGBKyYhXCrTueiRn0ostU6kazWuEMXealeiLDGS_L/s526/hw12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="526" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VpSWphhQ6GjWYCyC1KOFfaSPQb6YpiK50oCurcUB4PHEsSAPWoYLvRukwBWKQrZ8tDlekqRBycGEsQTbnYjUfsgmfmpXJHsNmCipGBKyYhXCrTueiRn0ostU6kazWuEMXealeiLDGS_L/w400-h250/hw12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There's a brief scene where the senior officers discuss going into the black cluster to see if they can find out more about what happened to the Vico. They're going to try the next day. Picard asks Troi if she has gotten any more info out of Timothy about what happened, and she tells him no, but that she has an appointment with him soon.</div><div><br /></div><div>Troi goes to her appointment with Timothy 2.0. He's wearing a sweater that resembles Data's uniform, and he's dropped his contractions, and has adopted the head movements of everyone's favorite Soong son.</div><div>"You sound like Data," she laughs.</div><div>"I am an android," he replies.</div><div>To her credit, she rolls with the punches. "Cool, let's go for a walk."</div><div>They end up in Ten Forward, where Timothy tells a server that androids don't need to eat or drink, but that he will order something to taste it.</div><div>"How long have you been an android?" Troi asks him.</div><div>He replies that he's always been one, and while he slips in contractions, he continues with the head movements.</div><div>She asks him what it's like to be an android, and he repeats Data's assertions that he's designed to exceed human capabilities, but does not feel emotions.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVjQM_bT596ewoSWDxQXFlkKxqC6u3MzifhYYLhL9ZrXsvXGsxlcj6WodqQbu2rXrC1UKe3iTV0m7xEDjARz5opOIB9-R8X07DZa4ay0L2Pd6FyKOoGydD_Gu7Avw3f_D1RaAnGvYPT-J/s551/hw13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="551" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVjQM_bT596ewoSWDxQXFlkKxqC6u3MzifhYYLhL9ZrXsvXGsxlcj6WodqQbu2rXrC1UKe3iTV0m7xEDjARz5opOIB9-R8X07DZa4ay0L2Pd6FyKOoGydD_Gu7Avw3f_D1RaAnGvYPT-J/w400-h241/hw13.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>There's a quick cut to the ready room.</div><div>"Whut?" asks Picard.</div><div>"Yeah, he's decided to be an android," Troi confirms. "It's called enantiodromia, which means "conversion into the opposite." He's basically suppressing his emotions by pretending that he wasn't designed to have any."</div><div>"So... what do we do about it?" Picard asks.</div><div>"Lean into it," she replies. "He's trying to figure out who he is, and he'll keep up the android thing as long as he needs to. When he feels safe to be himself without the android persona, he'll ditch it. It's not a good time to ask him about the Vico. In the meantime, I think we should go along with it."</div><div>Picard looks at Data. "Make him the android that he can be."</div><div>Data looks puzzled. Weirdest. Assignment. Evar.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcemk_JcqHgEt-U_ZOuzu8YFzj6Zm3AbBLu6bwvdp5MLOKlJy7fJAPGqadne5SHzmYiYnok-wYAu5kvN76J2ZMTyYBpmZhj1a5T8ygkEfbSvw1MCG2zjt6l5OJt-Ebo9piw8mlChk4roF4/s530/hw14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="530" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcemk_JcqHgEt-U_ZOuzu8YFzj6Zm3AbBLu6bwvdp5MLOKlJy7fJAPGqadne5SHzmYiYnok-wYAu5kvN76J2ZMTyYBpmZhj1a5T8ygkEfbSvw1MCG2zjt6l5OJt-Ebo9piw8mlChk4roF4/w400-h253/hw14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Back in Timothy's quarters, Data is checking himself out in the mirror so he can do Timothy's hair the same way. But Timothy is doing his Data Head Movements, and Data asks him what he's doing. When Timothy explains, there's a moment of physical comedy where they're both doing it, Timothy because he's mimicking Data, and Data because he's pondering the implications of the movements.</div><div>"I didn't realize that that was so distracting," he admits.</div><div>He begins slicking back Timothy's hair with pomade.</div><div>"How come you're not captain?" Timothy asks.</div><div>"My service record does not warrant that rank."</div><div>Timothy pauses, and he drops the android act for a bit. "What's the scariest thing that's ever happened to you?"</div><div>"I do not experience fear."</div><div>"But what if you had a nightmare?"</div><div>"I do not have nightmares, because I do not require sleep." Data gets a clue. "Are you having nightmares?"</div><div>Timothy pauses. "I do not require sleep," he says quietly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nGdMUE5ksRY8ScVPJXgBvvlLv0L3AkCKOxGCzVqp_HRHlnmrSSJRBpgg93swMMBRAypTjP2Kpou9jca07BER2jA1fD9LxzQN4gCOP4SfPevKkVpptq4BdbLAd3ZUOjDDXj7Bqlw8O-KL/s529/hw15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="529" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nGdMUE5ksRY8ScVPJXgBvvlLv0L3AkCKOxGCzVqp_HRHlnmrSSJRBpgg93swMMBRAypTjP2Kpou9jca07BER2jA1fD9LxzQN4gCOP4SfPevKkVpptq4BdbLAd3ZUOjDDXj7Bqlw8O-KL/w400-h253/hw15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Data accompanies Timothy to sick bay for a check-up, and Crusher has clearly been clued in to the situation, because she tells him that all of his circuits are functioning within normal parameters.</div><div>As a side note, Dr Crusher has a great bedside manner with kids. In New Ground, she explained to Alexander which of his bones was broken. If I was a kid, I would absolutely be okay going to Crusher for medical stuff.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62FhZi8qhMAfdl47oSDwNGVQg0c2aMdotLjpudQ2CxJfW1xoSDgSmoD58AZzJ-UhT0hjHm1GIDqZkG42lnpiPVh54HIk7GmUgSnGrgUZS-UM9Q-CH5dIPKPs4hXLDWfDdP98jJbKinLSx/s535/hw16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="535" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62FhZi8qhMAfdl47oSDwNGVQg0c2aMdotLjpudQ2CxJfW1xoSDgSmoD58AZzJ-UhT0hjHm1GIDqZkG42lnpiPVh54HIk7GmUgSnGrgUZS-UM9Q-CH5dIPKPs4hXLDWfDdP98jJbKinLSx/w400-h250/hw16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Later, Timothy and Data share a Bob Ross moment in Data's quarters. Timothy yawns while painting, and Data asks if he needs to go back to his quarters.</div><div>"I'm fine," Timothy insists. Then he thinks. "The servos in my mouth are designed to approximate human movements."</div><div>Lol, Timothy. You brilliant little shit.</div><div>Data pauses, then tries out the fakest-looking yawn ever. </div><div>"That is not bad," Timothy compliments his friend.</div><div>Data asks Timothy if his painting represents anything, and Timothy says no, but you gotta guess that it probably does because it's rather... violent? aggressive? There's a lot of red and black, with jagged shapes.</div><div>Data, thinking that a little probing might be in order, reminds Timothy that he can talk to him about anything. He starts to tell the boy about how he sometimes worries about talking to his friends about specific things, because he isn't certain he's communicating in a way that humans will understand. But when he looks back at Timothy, he sees that his Mini Me has fallen asleep. He sets his palette down, then carefully carries Timothy to a couch.</div><div><br /></div><div>Gentle music, commercial break.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5ElayiGInBZXyupEZTT60oJCnWExnFnIHz7bro-McMwnbO9HIyR9Ni2RvbeDiytJesZUtClOmjzpc1FZv736OEa4pp_uHk7L6nw-oysSIZawDC_smsNq9i5eTXhzDjtJwUT1lYYiCYOZ/s493/hw17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="493" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5ElayiGInBZXyupEZTT60oJCnWExnFnIHz7bro-McMwnbO9HIyR9Ni2RvbeDiytJesZUtClOmjzpc1FZv736OEa4pp_uHk7L6nw-oysSIZawDC_smsNq9i5eTXhzDjtJwUT1lYYiCYOZ/w400-h253/hw17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It's time to enter the black cluster, and Data has been replaced on the bridge because he's playing How To Train Your Android. </div><div>The E proceeds inside, and occasionally, the bridge crew rocks in unison to indicate that they are going through energy waves - little ones, but they're big enough to get past the shields.</div><div>"Crap, there's something off the starboard side," announces Worf. "No, wait - port bow. No, wait - starboard. WTF?"</div><div>Riker checks his own screen. "Sensors all over the place. Like, reflections? Seems like there's something there, but also not?"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1knN6hii3Vi8H0_yF5BGMRl5gCaDOiwyREAHArgk0vfhBtyW8asmnysDJOB2MBp_mAX6ARD55M-wwmfH5-2Y8XxWes3zoOX1RUVFbxZn31A0bpd8Al0nCOw92sWg1HFdhoKD2PrXdNOB/s487/hw18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="487" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1knN6hii3Vi8H0_yF5BGMRl5gCaDOiwyREAHArgk0vfhBtyW8asmnysDJOB2MBp_mAX6ARD55M-wwmfH5-2Y8XxWes3zoOX1RUVFbxZn31A0bpd8Al0nCOw92sWg1HFdhoKD2PrXdNOB/w400-h258/hw18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi and Data are watching Timothy play with some other kids in the school room, but through that window that Troi was using before. Data is surprised to see Timothy laugh.</div><div>"He's back to being human," Data notes. "Is my work with him done?"</div><div>"I don't think so," says Troi. "I think he needs more of a push. Could you talk to him about your own interest in humans?"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkS12F5mh-Y5osVFqHPrC79J5e8jJaVbQ6sbnFv7Vh_g3zegfa_CI0vYPm7XfmQfovtRA896zF_xBv6OoLNXnQ-VF9uKUYkyfR5aVmigJaYiCjilV9IoVZ-vz460Nc0PKceZb4-aJZPt4/s491/hw19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="491" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkS12F5mh-Y5osVFqHPrC79J5e8jJaVbQ6sbnFv7Vh_g3zegfa_CI0vYPm7XfmQfovtRA896zF_xBv6OoLNXnQ-VF9uKUYkyfR5aVmigJaYiCjilV9IoVZ-vz460Nc0PKceZb4-aJZPt4/w400-h254/hw19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We move to Ten Forward, where Data and Timothy are drinking synchronized smoothies. Timothy asks Data how his smoothie is, and Data replies that he can taste it, and analyze textures and how sweet things are, ect but he can't give an opinion, because that's a feeling, and he isn't designed for that.</div><div>"I often wonder about what it's like to have your mouth water in anticipation, or how it feels to enjoy food," Data admits. </div><div>Timothy is surprised. "Sounds like you don't want to be an android."</div><div>"But I am," replies Data. "I can't change that."</div><div>"Do you wish that you weren't an android sometimes?" Timothy asks.</div><div>"Sometimes. I watch humans carefully to more accurately do as they do."</div><div>This answer makes Timothy grouchy. "But androids are smarter and stronger than humans."</div><div>"Sure, but I can't take pride in those things, or any of my accomplishments."</div><div>"But having emotions means you have to be sad sometimes," says Timothy. Definitely not a place he wants to go.</div><div>"Yeah, but I'd gladly take being sad sometimes if it meant I could enjoy my dessert," Data answers.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfsfAh9-kbf-ieUWIonTdBC_Xnzyl_zcVGKdZt5ucpEEYAjGnpF5teS9B8dLHRW2r0KHQiwmcswsK8U4ZkqpbY7QVZ74Hzgt9eBB_K8-vYDHCeVZuuwnl_I7Iu-Sw2hz96LHvUDb-oq24/s491/hw20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="491" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfsfAh9-kbf-ieUWIonTdBC_Xnzyl_zcVGKdZt5ucpEEYAjGnpF5teS9B8dLHRW2r0KHQiwmcswsK8U4ZkqpbY7QVZ74Hzgt9eBB_K8-vYDHCeVZuuwnl_I7Iu-Sw2hz96LHvUDb-oq24/w400-h256/hw20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Back on the bridge, Worf has been asked to try the sensors in a bunch of different ways, but ends up calling them "useless" in frustration. Everything is being reflected back from the gravitational waves.</div><div>Picard calls Data to the bridge, and when he arrives, they try an experiment:</div><div>"Fire the phasers, full power."</div><div>They do, and the beam breaks up, forking in different directions in front of them.</div><div>"Data," says Picard thoughtfully, "would a disruptor beam do that in here?"</div><div>"Probably," Data replies.</div><div>"And how would a cloaking device work in this place?"</div><div>"Not very well."</div><div>"So what are the odds that a cloaked vessel could fire on the Vico in here with a disruptor weapon?"</div><div>"Not great."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhae033Jcwq8pkiPecrFizNohsocglzzoF2OnUsbBN5NY4vsUZg1h5Q8gZDOstUv-D9tuRjvciAnmbL3kbIkkpRv3GvCC_lvhXjG4b4P1SDdHm6bwGYVupzqz_WiLPemXRdIuMQr_O4c-wh/s493/hw21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="493" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhae033Jcwq8pkiPecrFizNohsocglzzoF2OnUsbBN5NY4vsUZg1h5Q8gZDOstUv-D9tuRjvciAnmbL3kbIkkpRv3GvCC_lvhXjG4b4P1SDdHm6bwGYVupzqz_WiLPemXRdIuMQr_O4c-wh/w400-h258/hw21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi brings Timothy to the ready room to talk to Picard and Data.</div><div>"Explain to us again what happened," says Picard. "The tests we're running don't add up with what you described."</div><div>Timothy has dropped the android act. "We were attacked!" He's briefly angry.</div><div>"Androids don't lie," says Data gently.</div><div>There's a pause, then Timothy whispers, "It was me. I killed them all."</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmFGjquVloaSmMGP9Sz6C7Fj9gTooCastnXf2gPZrrN1AGJxGcNiqEuaskW6_9D0wZ6ugpYGGs9pYp9SNbYnDw-nUHcCNCqyKNyDdMvMYIDxvjJcCOTtPMqQNgAJ5wtsteTEKrAqh8qj3/s492/hw22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="492" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmFGjquVloaSmMGP9Sz6C7Fj9gTooCastnXf2gPZrrN1AGJxGcNiqEuaskW6_9D0wZ6ugpYGGs9pYp9SNbYnDw-nUHcCNCqyKNyDdMvMYIDxvjJcCOTtPMqQNgAJ5wtsteTEKrAqh8qj3/w400-h256/hw22.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Timothy starts crying. "Everything was shaking, and I was trying to steady myself, and my arm hit the computer panel, and everything blew up. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it!"</div><div>"Oh. Timothy, that isn't possible," says Troi softly. "You couldn't have caused that by touching a computer panel. It was just a coincidence that the ship blew up when your arm touched that panel."</div><div>Together, they tell him that every panel needs to have a clearance code plugged in first to be activated, and simply touching a panel would have no affect on the Vico whatsoever.</div><div>"We're trying to figure out what actually happened," says Picard. "Can you remember anything else before the accident?"</div><div>There's another wave, and Timothy tearfully recalls the Vico rocking in this way as well.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6F7gJzGwBcfXyOHF8CW0ZZ_M51Y72iMIRtp2F9iQgbK1MtUHiFIXVi1x3Ae59yhdZtz0oBm4HNxv857P4akOqLMnvFaRFfJW6UBuKM-jm53CJbvBdqe1S4nSm4DQIv15aazQU3v9AXmex/s490/hw23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="490" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6F7gJzGwBcfXyOHF8CW0ZZ_M51Y72iMIRtp2F9iQgbK1MtUHiFIXVi1x3Ae59yhdZtz0oBm4HNxv857P4akOqLMnvFaRFfJW6UBuKM-jm53CJbvBdqe1S4nSm4DQIv15aazQU3v9AXmex/w400-h255/hw23.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On the bridge, Worf tells Riker that the wave intensity has increased. They increase shields.</div><div>Picard and the others come out of the ready room, and Picard tells the helm that he wants them to turn around and rocket out of there.</div><div>"I can't," says Helm. "It won't let me form a warp bubble." </div><div>Timothy looks sharply at her.</div><div>Another wave rocks the ship, harder.</div><div>"No impulse power! Helm isn't responding!"</div><div>"We couldn't get out either," says Timothy.</div><div>"Um, let's go downstairs, get out of their way," suggests Troi.</div><div>"No!"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyTeewoTbwlEOVeJkg8wYNTIVW43rdkithy9V6AmMl1kRMy2M4UP5OYCBNjAW1uKVHdBbpnBB9CCrFFfF5u6Wiz5XjYt5GA-iXUFaR_nKzYZHH3xDL9wvbLQ4aMh-Cn6gYGlASi-3RoYP/s493/hw24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="493" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyTeewoTbwlEOVeJkg8wYNTIVW43rdkithy9V6AmMl1kRMy2M4UP5OYCBNjAW1uKVHdBbpnBB9CCrFFfF5u6Wiz5XjYt5GA-iXUFaR_nKzYZHH3xDL9wvbLQ4aMh-Cn6gYGlASi-3RoYP/w400-h254/hw24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker asks La Forge in Engineering to get him more power to the shields, and Timothy tells Data that that's what they kept saying on the Vico: more shields.</div><div>Data pulls Timothy over to the science station at the back of the bridge, and asks him to recall everything they said on the Vico before the accident.</div><div>"Just <i>more shields</i>," Timothy insists.</div><div>Data begins typing in fast Data-fashion. Picard asks La Forge for more shields; there's another, bigger wave; more shields, more shields...</div><div>"I can divert power from the warp engines to the shields," La Forge says.</div><div>"They said that, too!" Timothy tells Data.</div><div>"Done!" says La Forge. "The shields can't get any stronger!"</div><div>"Drop the shields!" yells Data.</div><div>"The hell?" asks Riker.</div><div>Data addresses Picard directly with his most Serious Data Face: he is not fucking around.</div><div>"Make it so," Picard tells Worf.</div><div>Shields down, and instead of this</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwl7oyQ46Ws9WY_kJPDEeBixfjJZvBOrbD_BA_quACjYQe_Xvf2aHP6UhwqSIHkMRpCWZz8j16iTdgK6f9taxMTnYsUHtYlAHwl2Ei3Ss6f6Z5w0S60YpIzyGMMzGD_oNNVrDbtWfD4Wf/s524/The%252BGreat%252BWave%252Bof%252BKanagawa%252Bby%252BKatsushika%252BHokusai%252BPainting%252BPrint.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="524" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwl7oyQ46Ws9WY_kJPDEeBixfjJZvBOrbD_BA_quACjYQe_Xvf2aHP6UhwqSIHkMRpCWZz8j16iTdgK6f9taxMTnYsUHtYlAHwl2Ei3Ss6f6Z5w0S60YpIzyGMMzGD_oNNVrDbtWfD4Wf/w400-h275/The%252BGreat%252BWave%252Bof%252BKanagawa%252Bby%252BKatsushika%252BHokusai%252BPainting%252BPrint.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>this happens</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9lcaZFZ75R3SfxwnNBLR4MEedLv0maXqZ7e9ALCUGXxDNADoN5dKuHyVGbf2F1VL-GZPRb4X2oW6v3DmV8eL3BsjZv7qhuJa6yIQ3mC6qjvgmDji5YrdFevJqaMir_lTzBENB18NhshV/s1300/105321574-waves-lapping-at-your-feet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1300" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9lcaZFZ75R3SfxwnNBLR4MEedLv0maXqZ7e9ALCUGXxDNADoN5dKuHyVGbf2F1VL-GZPRb4X2oW6v3DmV8eL3BsjZv7qhuJa6yIQ3mC6qjvgmDji5YrdFevJqaMir_lTzBENB18NhshV/w400-h266/105321574-waves-lapping-at-your-feet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div>Everyone turns to stare at Data.</div><div>"Our shields were increasing the wave," he explains. "When Timothy told me he heard the Vico's crew calling for more shields, I plugged our shield strength into the computer with the wave amplification, and found that they correlated."</div><div>"Yikes," says Riker. "We dumped warp power into the shields. That wave would have blown us to bits."</div><div>"That's what happened to the Vico," Data agrees.</div><div>With no shields, the helm comes back online, and they are able to navigate out of the black cluster on impulse.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQRTNaFlNnUWEWdFJ7pe9pwR9rbsi7FaliDGpDn5K-xn_qCE2dnP1PJH6_yJE6WRxI58HwvMlO1s1_3SkW2akGBqZFw69SQ1oB_VWO2pq2S4oiwdTNvHXUXxRml48Z7ZzoeQFPz2s5KMG/s488/hw25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="488" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQRTNaFlNnUWEWdFJ7pe9pwR9rbsi7FaliDGpDn5K-xn_qCE2dnP1PJH6_yJE6WRxI58HwvMlO1s1_3SkW2akGBqZFw69SQ1oB_VWO2pq2S4oiwdTNvHXUXxRml48Z7ZzoeQFPz2s5KMG/w400-h258/hw25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And back to the schoolroom, where the teacher is leading the kids in a round of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" (a bit on the nose there, Star Trek). A sad-looking Timothy half-heartedly sings along while Troi and Data watch from behind the window. (Is Timothy not creeped out that they watch him all the time?)</div><div>"He's sad," remarks Troi, "but he's a human kid again."</div><div>When Data does not reply, she asks if he's finding it hard that Timothy doesn't want to be like him anymore.</div><div>"I... don't have the capacity to feel that?" he points out.</div><div>He goes into the schoolroom once the others clear out, and sits next to Timothy.</div><div>"How are you?" asks Timothy.</div><div>Data answers in typical Data fashion, then asks Timothy the same.</div><div>"I miss my parents, but I'm... okay," says Timothy. "You probably think it was silly that I was copying you."</div><div>"They tell me that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," Data answers.</div><div>"Can we still be friends, even if I'm not an android?" Timothy asks earnestly.</div><div>"I have many human friends, and would be pleased to count you among them," Data replies.</div><div>Timothy does his best Data impression. "That would be acceptable."</div><div>And he smiles.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNi1fV6734wp4X3TK4gAzoQz4uZoDkWbEQnRJVmy34dHDmQXlIkBAiFAud2KDN59HTlF_qUsRhwLMAEa4h8pTaiu_e03tsR-DLm9Mmqm86kUPYMIhSpW92VN1r27Bc3kK09tMNYQCWrM5/s419/hw26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="419" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNi1fV6734wp4X3TK4gAzoQz4uZoDkWbEQnRJVmy34dHDmQXlIkBAiFAud2KDN59HTlF_qUsRhwLMAEa4h8pTaiu_e03tsR-DLm9Mmqm86kUPYMIhSpW92VN1r27Bc3kK09tMNYQCWrM5/w400-h301/hw26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I like this one. It's a character-development story with a strong science-based B-plot that ties together nicely with the A-plot. Though it's not one that I frequently remember, it's a nice addition, and one where we see the script flipped on Data. He often tells humans how much he'd like to be like them, but here, someone wants to be like him. And it's nice to see Data helping someone navigate confusing feelings. You can see him thinking when Timothy presents a tough situation, and Data correctly chooses what to say next, not based on logic or what programming might choose, but knowledge that humans are not likely to make choices logically. He chooses poorly when Timothy asks for his opinion on the model, but this was after asking if the boy really wanted an honest opinion or not. He most likely filed this away as humans saying that they wanted an honest opinion when they didn't.</div><div>I liked the juxtaposition of Data and Timothy each coveting something that the other had: Data wanting emotions and Timothy wanting none, but Data pointing out that he was an android and could not change that fact probably helped Timothy to see that, as a human, he was going to have emotions whether he wanted them or not.</div><div>Overall, just a nice little episode. </div><div><br /></div><div><br />
Fun Facts:</div><div><br /></div><div>- The story about La Forge's traumatic childhood memory of the fire was originally meant to go into the script for the next episode, "Violations."</div><div>- It was during the filming of this episode that the crew learned of the death of Gene Roddenberry.</div><div>- Michael Piller felt that this season made better use of Troi as a counselor than previous seasons, and joked that he and Jeri Taylor were adding in more scenes for her like this because they were both in therapy.</div><div>- However, Joe Menosky had a love/hate relationship with Troi, and felt that having a counselor onboard the ship, as a senior officer, dated the show. (I feel like it doesn't, as therapy has come back around in a big way, and people relate to it more than ever. But that's me.)</div><div>- The landscape painting that Data is working on was made by special effects guy Dan Curry. The art department made a copy of the unfinished painting on a canvas, making it look as though Data was mid-way through the project.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghoQPjFvXolNhqv9sCJuLsD3RDnRD4E90kUPuUfCx5tbn5rt8zLbW6uokhgCoP1YL-j8NfoE0hKTC2EdRiwrN9Nz27AgeLtYL2UvIrJ7-S0v69l_XkutbNN2u75xJhKPjtA6mbLxngIDU_/s494/painting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="494" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghoQPjFvXolNhqv9sCJuLsD3RDnRD4E90kUPuUfCx5tbn5rt8zLbW6uokhgCoP1YL-j8NfoE0hKTC2EdRiwrN9Nz27AgeLtYL2UvIrJ7-S0v69l_XkutbNN2u75xJhKPjtA6mbLxngIDU_/w400-h265/painting.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>- This is the second mention of the Breen onscreen. (They will not actually make an onscreen appearance until DS9.)</div><div>- La Forge tells Data that the fire incident occurred before he got his first VISOR, meaning that he's probably had several growing up.</div><div>- Brannon Braga listed this episode as his favorite of the "kid episodes."</div><div>- Michael Piller thought it was a "great premise" and "very entertaining," but not very memorable.</div><div><br />
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To date: 1<br />
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Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
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Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
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Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
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Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
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Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
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Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Keiko Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
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Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0<br />
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Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 7<br />
To date: 31</div>
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Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 0<br />
To date: 8</div>
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Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
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Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
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Picard Maneuvers: 1<br />
To date: 4<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 1<br />
To date: 3</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LFQEbjDtkP_JlCc_LL0Xk-hWJHMU3l5s72tVoOVIp3bO5rQGZsWXK5VVi_bTPIOwI5qWMJ4k3YKADzzQQLh4JuuXvFsLtoXVbs7IOfllm4tkSsgr71KMpBxxK8yEUipEbRolvB3w-K0q/s2016/195024968_816656535892645_2135655420402173482_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LFQEbjDtkP_JlCc_LL0Xk-hWJHMU3l5s72tVoOVIp3bO5rQGZsWXK5VVi_bTPIOwI5qWMJ4k3YKADzzQQLh4JuuXvFsLtoXVbs7IOfllm4tkSsgr71KMpBxxK8yEUipEbRolvB3w-K0q/w299-h400/195024968_816656535892645_2135655420402173482_n.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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</div></div></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-870811488558260662021-05-31T08:40:00.000-07:002021-05-31T08:40:33.861-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Ten "New Ground" ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Ten "New Ground"<br />
Production Order: 10<br />
Air Order: 10<br />
Stardate: 45376.3<br />
Original Air Date: January 6, 1992<div><br /></div><div>Okay, so I meant to post this two weeks ago when I announced that I would be posting again, but I've hit another snag: Netflix has flipped the switch that makes it impossible to get screencaptures now. I have access to TNG through three of my four streaming services, but they all have this block, including when watching via SafeMode or Incognito browsing. My choices now are to torrent like I did with movie #6, or start purchasing DVDs of each season. Since I have neither the funds to purchase decades of Star Trek, nor the room to store them, I am trying to torrent. But because owners are pulling shows to open even more streaming services that no one wants to pay for, everyone and their targ is returning to pirating, and the torrent servers are so overloaded that I keep getting booted from the site. The last two weeks the servers sat at pretty much 100% use, so I would watch two minutes, then get booted again, and there was no rhyme or reason to when fewer people might be on. Very frustrating.</div><div>Anyway, thanks for your patience. I'm hoping there are more days ahead when I can jump in and get those screencaptures easily.</div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNF9H0j1dB9fGXp2ZlkfhglBai3EnpZR4AVDDNDdOOzpNj1Ad6HZhNM-hbH0F4WwZBNmwIJdnShyaXIFMQSnuw2Wm8dxrWX8phnBGAiwl3UK18QmegUXaQAKq2Y3lAtxkHQ5-2xPHr8jgi/s576/ng1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="576" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNF9H0j1dB9fGXp2ZlkfhglBai3EnpZR4AVDDNDdOOzpNj1Ad6HZhNM-hbH0F4WwZBNmwIJdnShyaXIFMQSnuw2Wm8dxrWX8phnBGAiwl3UK18QmegUXaQAKq2Y3lAtxkHQ5-2xPHr8jgi/w400-h280/ng1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br />
Picard's Log 45376.3: "So this scientist on Bilana III has invented a new way to reach warp speed without warp. It's called the soliton wave, and we've been asked to help him run the first tests."<div><br /></div><div>Oh man, is La Forge ever stoked for this shit. This is hardcore science mixed with warp engine stuff, and he cannot contain himself.</div><div>"We're watching history in the making!"</div><div>"Um, cool?" replies Data.<br />
But he can't get either Data or Worf to get onboard, and runs after another engineer, hoping to get a high-five for science, or something.<br />
Worf is paged to a communication station for a phone call from a nearby transport ship. Oh hey, it's his mom.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PQz6cFEdBmIYALLiGEhomAyfgAEpT8geUKfmsnkzyMf3vs-yTmQ_kh4iw2tfN6NagsfEY6mig1U6WvDNSh8XOdAY8bxMKXnV1vHfOBV0pvsOG3CCGgX0KxKTwoBn0lPfNvistCGEgXHl/s580/ng2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="580" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PQz6cFEdBmIYALLiGEhomAyfgAEpT8geUKfmsnkzyMf3vs-yTmQ_kh4iw2tfN6NagsfEY6mig1U6WvDNSh8XOdAY8bxMKXnV1vHfOBV0pvsOG3CCGgX0KxKTwoBn0lPfNvistCGEgXHl/w400-h276/ng2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>She tells him that they're in the sector, and hopped on a transport to come over for a visit. He asks if his father is with her, and she replies that he isn't, but she brought Alexander, because she thought it would be nice for them to do a quick catch-up. Probably a good idea. He hasn't seen his kid in at least a year, and does he talk to Alexander via subspace communication? Hopefully this isn't his first meet-up or call since K'Ehleyr died, but we have no idea. He doesn't really talk about Alexander. He agrees, and the pair beams over a bit later.</div><div><br /></div><div>I really like Mrs R's clothes here. Simple, but with good lines.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwiUQ7i40iHr3P13HSZrrlN1HcSxNllug1bYonxTa2Fetgps6D3UCTq5cseWMJxtpvFsSeKcwvb5lISPHTO37urTokTAZqnRwdUwo4Sy8U__OqWtrcXnN6EXLR_sRqXU4CyCCVF8-GAbI/s552/ng3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="552" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwiUQ7i40iHr3P13HSZrrlN1HcSxNllug1bYonxTa2Fetgps6D3UCTq5cseWMJxtpvFsSeKcwvb5lISPHTO37urTokTAZqnRwdUwo4Sy8U__OqWtrcXnN6EXLR_sRqXU4CyCCVF8-GAbI/w400-h289/ng3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>She gets off the transporter pad and greets him, asking if he has grey in his beard. All good, it's a nice reunion. Then he walks over to the pad and Worf and Alexander exchange literal, formal "hellos" and a handshake. Ugh.</div><div>"It's nice to see both of you. How long can you stay?" asks Worf.</div><div>"I'm not going back," Alexander replies, slightly confused.</div><div>Worf turns to look at his mother, who looks guilty.</div><div><br /></div><div>Worrisome music that builds to a dramatic crescendo! Opening credits!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkgtfhbWDQ7_RCS_lIc6iJpD8gxo1JMeEsKymEWNuOt8CeZv3SF0ijikO0cZMz_VCyYcr9Ulq7BXNyt-G2CFocE5nOOujhJzDF-17yT77ghMEe8JNN0RvJgy7K7BbQ7wl9EuohknS7-WZ/s576/ng4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="576" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkgtfhbWDQ7_RCS_lIc6iJpD8gxo1JMeEsKymEWNuOt8CeZv3SF0ijikO0cZMz_VCyYcr9Ulq7BXNyt-G2CFocE5nOOujhJzDF-17yT77ghMEe8JNN0RvJgy7K7BbQ7wl9EuohknS7-WZ/w400-h275/ng4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Helena and Worf enter Ten Forward sans Alexander, and she makes a remark about how excited the little boy was to see the play area, explaining his absence.</div><div>"He's going to love it here!"</div><div>Making a lot of assumptions, Helena. And now we have to get down to brass tacks, because she's basically doing a drive-by drop-in: "here, you're in charge of this small human now." </div><div>(Although honestly, turnabout is fair play. He did the same to them. "Turns out I'm a father, his mother was just brutally murdered, surprise! you're raising him!" Do the Rozhenkos have a "better to apologize than ask permission" policy in their family? Did Sergey do the same to Helena? "Hey, I'm home from Starfleet. Brought you another son!")</div><div>They sit at a table. "What's the deal?" asks Worf.</div><div>Helena talks briefly about what a joy it has been to have Alexander around, how their house feels less empty, ect, but when probed, she gets to the point: they're getting on in years, and cannot keep up with a small child.</div><div>"Also, sometimes he's hard to handle. Disobedient."</div><div>"Klingon children are difficult," he replies.</div><div>I'm sorry.</div><div>Did... did you just mansplain Klingon children to your own mother? You, who have never raised a kid? Are you shitting me, Worf?</div><div>"Yeah, I know," she tells him. But she's a little kinder to him than I would have been, because she's trying to talk him into something. "You should know that he doesn't always tell the truth."</div><div>Worf is alarmed that his kid is a liar.</div><div>"He needs the guidance of his father," says Helena. "You gotta do what you gotta do as a parent, but also, the transport ship back to Earth is leaving soon, so you gotta make up your mind pretty quick here."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1BgTA4nrZPNozyaEgVGa4ms3FQhzwwhjR82TPNHrfHm6eY240bFCz3PdQ6Qh91XfVGVd5WhNLLq9OSDFuT-jibRXmhr1tRcSUZifl88IDI2HIwxqq3P7xctWhT14yQpDjtAnY0KQ7bx9/s563/ng5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="563" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1BgTA4nrZPNozyaEgVGa4ms3FQhzwwhjR82TPNHrfHm6eY240bFCz3PdQ6Qh91XfVGVd5WhNLLq9OSDFuT-jibRXmhr1tRcSUZifl88IDI2HIwxqq3P7xctWhT14yQpDjtAnY0KQ7bx9/w400-h284/ng5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Guess they came to a decision, because in the next scene, Worf and Alexander are walking through the corridor, and Worf is asking his kid the kinds of questions that an adult asks a kid they don't know, because they don't know how to talk to this specific kid.</div><div>"Did you like school on Earth? Your teachers? You were staying in my old room, how was that?"</div><div>Y'all, I'm starting to think that this really is the first time he's interacted with Alexander in the last year.</div><div>Shit's awkward.</div><div>They go into the school section, and meet the teacher, Miss Kyle.</div><div>She asks questions of them both, but Alexander has opted to ignore her and look around. Is he using the cover of "new experience in a new place" to cover the fact that he's being rude? The tone of this scene certainly seems to make it that way.</div><div>They sit down to do paperwork, and Miss Kyle asks Alexander how to spell his last name. He ignores her. But he can't when the teacher asks Worf for Alexander's date of birth, and he doesn't know. There's a long silence, then Alexander sighs and drops his act, telling her his birthday. Kind of sad. Worf had a whole year to find that out and didn't.</div><div>Miss Kyle is quickly figuring out that this will be easier if she just asks his Earth school for his records, and asks before they go how long Alexander will be onboard the E.</div><div>"We don't know yet," says Worf.</div><div>Alexander goes Surprised Pikachu. </div><div>This poor kid. His mother is murdered, his father dumps him on his grandparents (he doesn't really know any of them!), then after a year or so, his grandparents dump him back on his father, and his father doesn't know if he will stay. No wonder he's acting out. I would too!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dk3Z7lxltgkuBHvtFjzUpWYdQLXBoB7ajyJra3VzHDy6eUBvr7JjeRqgxrsDju_N05w1pKhXj7tbDEgiKlwb5EWvGbmcBK9gaw8vOF64EySEU89OzeHBuyi2gLGl2-QP7WtHHhC_vFvh/s576/ng6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="576" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dk3Z7lxltgkuBHvtFjzUpWYdQLXBoB7ajyJra3VzHDy6eUBvr7JjeRqgxrsDju_N05w1pKhXj7tbDEgiKlwb5EWvGbmcBK9gaw8vOF64EySEU89OzeHBuyi2gLGl2-QP7WtHHhC_vFvh/w400-h278/ng6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard is sitting in his ready room, annoyed. Apparently, Worf is late for their meeting, and he rushes in and makes apologies.</div><div>"I had to enroll my kid in school."</div><div>This is not news to Picard, as he nods.</div><div>Picard forges on: they're about to get several new security officers.</div><div>Miss Kyle pages Worf, who looks briefly panicked before telling her "go ahead."</div><div>She wants to talk about placement tests for Alexander.</div><div>"Not a good time!" he interrupts, trying to get back to his meeting with his boss.</div><div>Picard starts talking about the security Golds again, but Crusher calls Worf.</div><div>"I need to schedule a physical exam of Alexander, and get his records from Earth -"</div><div>"Not fucking now!" yells Worf.</div><div>"No rush," says Crusher breezily.</div><div>Okay, I need to know: this ship has families aboard, but it is still military. Why are the teacher and the ship's doctor calling Worf while he's on duty? Is there not some way for them to look up his work schedule and determine when a better time to call might be? If this is happening during a meeting with the Big Boss, could it not also happen when he's on the bridge, calculating when to fire torpedoes? What about other parents on the ship? Would teachers call Crusher when she's performing surgery, or delivering a baby? Send. A Fucking. Email.</div><div>Fortunately, Picard is mildly amused at these interruption, as opposed to Worf, who is fuming.</div><div>"Okay, look: you're not the only crewmember dealing with a new family member on board. Go do the things, and we'll talk about security stuff later."</div><div>Worf seems mortified. He stiffly thanks Picard and leaves.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrbuSLPqjfCtmI7G6xJzCtQUCHOeESBXpbJi0LNghuayPgXWDrtaxJ7RczfgnjTez1A51mWW4Ckw6fdYXoMz-eCXi7RjRNTKyBR_8obQkNwKzWkVJRGUE51Fq3U0zxznheL5bHRiS_Cp3/s578/ng7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="578" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrbuSLPqjfCtmI7G6xJzCtQUCHOeESBXpbJi0LNghuayPgXWDrtaxJ7RczfgnjTez1A51mWW4Ckw6fdYXoMz-eCXi7RjRNTKyBR_8obQkNwKzWkVJRGUE51Fq3U0zxznheL5bHRiS_Cp3/w400-h276/ng7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> Later, we get a little mileage on our B-plot, as the senior crew meets up in the Obs Lounge with Dr Ja'Dar to hear about the soliton wave experiment. He explains that they'll have their ship waiting in space within range of a lab on their planet. When the wave is activated, it'll push the ship in the direction it needs to go, and when the ship approaches the destination planet, a lab on that surface will deactivate the wave, and it'll coast to a stop. The E will follow the experiment ship fairly closely to watch what kind of readings it gets, to determine if the tech is sound, and what adjustments still need to be made.</div><div>Riker jokes that La Forge is about to be made redundant.</div><div>"Hope so!" says La Forge cheerfully.</div><div>(It's kind of weird to hope you'll be put out of a job, but I know how he feels: I did cat rescue for 10 years, and rescuers want nothing more than to be jobless. Spay and neuter your pets, please. Thx.)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbkykZEPqVPu7GnIt5_8aiMIC4upXCB1I5wB5P9dSN1SCtpmGdmDtwW4J71jlbkyJ-wFb21dhrvi84j2nDGoDERGAxLIOuOc_WSCL8WULz-zBUPBTaRfYtasWzNLro8rWPptrjcyAGdzJ/s570/ng8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="570" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbkykZEPqVPu7GnIt5_8aiMIC4upXCB1I5wB5P9dSN1SCtpmGdmDtwW4J71jlbkyJ-wFb21dhrvi84j2nDGoDERGAxLIOuOc_WSCL8WULz-zBUPBTaRfYtasWzNLro8rWPptrjcyAGdzJ/w400-h280/ng8.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worf is clearly attempting to get some work-life balance here, but his coworkers keep dragging Life back into Work, as is evidenced when he returns to his station, and Troi pops out of her chair like a freaking jack-in-the-box to talk to him about Alexander. She just starts going on about how great Miss Kyle is, blah blah blah, and you can tell Worf just wants to get his shit done, but then she interrupts to ask him if he's going on the father-son field trip today.</div><div>He tells her politely that they can't attend.</div><div>"Why not?" </div><div>Gettin' pushy there, Troi.</div><div>"Because I have to fucking work."</div><div>You know when you work retail, and your friends and family are constantly asking you all November and December what your holiday plans are, and you tell them that you are working, and they butt in with a Can't You Just?</div><div>"Can't you just get that day off? Can't you just ask your manager? Can't you just call out sick?"</div><div>NO.</div><div>That's what this feels like: Can't You Just drop everything for me/ Alexander/ this weird new situation? Dude needs some time here - time to do his job, time to adjust to the situation, time to interact with his kid, time to get things squared away for both of them - and he only has time for one of these things at a time.</div><div>Troi puts on her counselor hat and tells him in a Serious Tone that the field trip would be a good way for him to meet the parents and other kids in Alexander's new class.</div><div>He hesitates, then agrees to go, meaning that he'll have to put off those personnel reviews that Picard wanted him to do. </div><div>He needs some FMLA, stat.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2Vo9_bWIObPJzlD4sKt5cONSTZ3ycEWhYFUXpz-fxi6ZK9Gn6hVc9A_fEAJJwndzuaue9pqYs3AJ191BWrOg7ICqHS6EG8unLEMw174oHouRgkx0A3aveiVw9GiFDvv5xbhfdH5rLjmK/s578/ng9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="578" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2Vo9_bWIObPJzlD4sKt5cONSTZ3ycEWhYFUXpz-fxi6ZK9Gn6hVc9A_fEAJJwndzuaue9pqYs3AJ191BWrOg7ICqHS6EG8unLEMw174oHouRgkx0A3aveiVw9GiFDvv5xbhfdH5rLjmK/w400-h276/ng9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We skip to the field trip, where dads and kids are in the biolab looking at a white rhino diorama, while Miss Kyle explains that they went extinct in the 22nd century.</div><div>Cool. I love it when Star Trek makes a prediction about the human race, and we fail hard in real life. (If you're keeping score at home, the last male white rhino died in 2018. The remaining two are females, and science is excited to let us know that now, we have five viable white rhino embryos.)<br />
Miss Kyle moves over to a cage with animals in it. She explains that they're called gilvos, and that they're a threatened species, and that the E is transporting them to a new habitat on a different planet. Alexander, who has been looking at another diorama, is suddenly interested, and moves to the cage. When Miss Kyle excuses the group to explore, she approaches Alexander, and tells him that the lizard models are for everyone to play with, and not his to take.</div><div>Worf is aghast. "My kid didn't steal anything. Did you?"</div><div>"Nope," says Alexander.</div><div>"I saw him put it in his jacket," she replies.</div><div>Worf checks Alexander's pockets, and surprise: a plastic lizard. Worf makes a "well, shit" face.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2p4tdYUw9esWAVde_dvHF2SMo4QygpfcNMV4utjMEPiu0OMe1w2tUGEOtReS6Y2SCQgbD_yUVQ5gVrhiacnnaYhIGLtUUxvJxMV01WmOO_NIK4KbKttUBvrI6JQX8OryXn4CMb5WfHaq_/s574/ng10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="574" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2p4tdYUw9esWAVde_dvHF2SMo4QygpfcNMV4utjMEPiu0OMe1w2tUGEOtReS6Y2SCQgbD_yUVQ5gVrhiacnnaYhIGLtUUxvJxMV01WmOO_NIK4KbKttUBvrI6JQX8OryXn4CMb5WfHaq_/w400-h276/ng10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br />
<br />Worf's Personal Log, 45376.8: "Well, Mom was right: my kid's a liar. So now I gotta deal with this crap, and honestly, I'd pretty much rather do anything else."</div><div><br /></div><div>Worf and Alexander are back in Worf's quarters, and Alexander basically sits in a chair while Worf lectures him about honor. Because Alexander's gonna not only understand that, but go along with it? Come on, Worf. His mother had no patience for Klingon stuff, and I doubt his grandparents were spoon-feeding him stuff about honor.</div><div>When Worf demands to know why Alexander stole the model and then lied about it, Alexander replies "I don't know" to both questions. That's valid. Sometimes you do dumb shit, and you don't know why. Especially when you're a kid.</div><div>They talk about Kahless and his brother Morath, who fought for 12 days and nights because Morath did something dishonorable. Then Worf tells Alexander that he lost everything when he was five, but he still had his honor (really? At five? Okay, then.).</div><div>Alexander apologizes for his behavior, and promises not to do it again.</div><div>Worf accepts his apology, and says that it's good enough for him, and he won't bring it up again.</div><div>Which, you know, is not terrible parenting.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAtpq8iWhVxl03GM8dESnbWR1ma3PfJEF-bauDpenCMpCi5BmR4GkSl68rlYCIFt7SCvVo26m0ZPTIzKEBtIeMCpdYXgUjnM3tyt55EPgKN0zGNXhkjn-mO4REiohwwvp2DsovMmdhvuE/s583/ng11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="583" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAtpq8iWhVxl03GM8dESnbWR1ma3PfJEF-bauDpenCMpCi5BmR4GkSl68rlYCIFt7SCvVo26m0ZPTIzKEBtIeMCpdYXgUjnM3tyt55EPgKN0zGNXhkjn-mO4REiohwwvp2DsovMmdhvuE/w400-h271/ng11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi catches Worf in the corridor later and asks how the field trip went. He explains what happened, and how he handled it, and while I don't think he did a bad job, he has an air of "don't worry, I conquered parenthood" when explaining it.</div><div>She offers to help him if there's further conflict, but he turns her down. They enter the bridge.</div><div>Time for more B-plot.</div><div>The test ship has been towed into place, the wave is ready to be fired up, and Picard wishes Dr Ja'Dar good luck.</div><div>They start the wave, and the ship takes off like a shot. The E follows closely at the wave's heels, monitoring speed and whatnot. La Forge says it's going faster than predicted, but still within parameters, and it has an efficiency rate of 98%.</div><div>"Holy shit," says Data, "That's 450% more efficient than our warp drive."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7ODB84hLlLYRicQznyXR04ReEGw6ZIVMllute3Bembw2PPU5fi_3HJ9HWLogFI583CZOnZ36jLSUarKKmV5LZ44xHFFa3jLIEmvmgLpR96c4g52u09DmUgDQcqiRYO6n2L3qaZbve9JY/s567/ng12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="567" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7ODB84hLlLYRicQznyXR04ReEGw6ZIVMllute3Bembw2PPU5fi_3HJ9HWLogFI583CZOnZ36jLSUarKKmV5LZ44xHFFa3jLIEmvmgLpR96c4g52u09DmUgDQcqiRYO6n2L3qaZbve9JY/w400-h281/ng12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard has Riker tell Science Lab 3 to test for gamma emissions, and all hell breaks loose. The wave's efficiency rate drops to 73%. The warp bubble becomes unstable. The wave begins expanding outward, and hits the E like a ton of bricks.</div><div>"Brakes, brakes!" yells Picard.</div><div>The wave gallops away from the halted Enterprise, and poof -</div><div>The test ship explodes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOlHLJ9Vtj0kvktSjxbzKxiqmO1LUmCNcXCSkXHSAbHVBAzGYvfuRBbcXRmann45C27GrzgmDFro_6ZMR4BRc3LkyjI4S-Wx7ZACcxo95IEDA_GYHlL7NzWDix5pTtp16PH7fPcEehlnl/s577/ng13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="577" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOlHLJ9Vtj0kvktSjxbzKxiqmO1LUmCNcXCSkXHSAbHVBAzGYvfuRBbcXRmann45C27GrzgmDFro_6ZMR4BRc3LkyjI4S-Wx7ZACcxo95IEDA_GYHlL7NzWDix5pTtp16PH7fPcEehlnl/w400-h275/ng13.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>When we return, everyone gets up off the floor and returns to stations. The blowback from the soliton wave and subsequent explosion have left the E listing. A few injuries coming in, but mostly their warp drive is out.</div><div>Dr Ja'dar calls to check on them, and they compare findings.</div><div>"I'm sorry it didn't work," La Forge tells him. "It was cool to see for as long as it lasted."</div><div>"Hope you can be there when we try again," Ja'Dar replies.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6e4C0-oIm-Qy0GNeimZn8Db7mnkcLeldRHGgjzEi5ata5LVJ7hbCo-kapySoxNYR8-zRp6V6pWXfif90dZOg_gjVgXNR-gP_KLZUKbKC6caKvmaumsO4yZphYi9k04u1VwrxYhM8bya4/s566/ng14.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="566" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6e4C0-oIm-Qy0GNeimZn8Db7mnkcLeldRHGgjzEi5ata5LVJ7hbCo-kapySoxNYR8-zRp6V6pWXfif90dZOg_gjVgXNR-gP_KLZUKbKC6caKvmaumsO4yZphYi9k04u1VwrxYhM8bya4/w400-h278/ng14.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jae sighting!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worf shows up to a parent-teacher conference with a "what now?" look on his face, and Miss Kyle starts out with compliments: Alexander is smart, and he'll probably be a good student based on his test scores. But his behavior sucks. He's kind of an aggressive jerk to the other kids, and he talks back.</div><div>And here we go again: the Klingon who has been a parent for a hot minute starts Klingon-splaining Klingon children to someone who has more experience with kids than he does.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZWMQyuBs2u25yaqJNPLZ1HaLzdq1m1a5SQ1NEUNBayfesn7GneJfULFbtrgL09qJX_NkOfkj50hdQ7kA0U9zjsBtCDhmJbu8Q2gsz3nzzUecMKv8REKoHgXx3VJigzI2iulupSP_GXRD/s694/vina+facepalm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="694" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZWMQyuBs2u25yaqJNPLZ1HaLzdq1m1a5SQ1NEUNBayfesn7GneJfULFbtrgL09qJX_NkOfkj50hdQ7kA0U9zjsBtCDhmJbu8Q2gsz3nzzUecMKv8REKoHgXx3VJigzI2iulupSP_GXRD/w400-h305/vina+facepalm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Just stop, Worf. These women are humoring you.</div><div>Alexander steals from the other kids, and starts fights, then gaslights them, claiming he did no such thing.</div><div>"He also told me that you told him that Klingons do not listen to teachers."</div><div>Worf goes all Surprised Pikachu. "I didn't say that!"</div><div>Miss Kyle waves him off. "Of course not." </div><div>She starts to tell him that Alexander is struggling emotionally and taking it out on the others, and that she would suggest they both go to Counselor Troi for help on this matter, but he stands up, and demands that the computer tell him where Alexander is now.</div><div>"Holodeck four," says Majel.</div><div>Worf storms out of the teacher's office.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9rOy0v1AUnVtpX8giQyrQcUd8SFWpRxKyjbS9MQat_K2LJnklMS4fxcKn3LlCaxSA38h0ithASo_XAjUJgiueAqxQC7Pm7yghDBWsYBm4TMJsT8tZ547oQ5brcVvT20w9F1UGxlY4Ul8/s570/ng15.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="570" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9rOy0v1AUnVtpX8giQyrQcUd8SFWpRxKyjbS9MQat_K2LJnklMS4fxcKn3LlCaxSA38h0ithASo_XAjUJgiueAqxQC7Pm7yghDBWsYBm4TMJsT8tZ547oQ5brcVvT20w9F1UGxlY4Ul8/w400-h279/ng15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>He gets down to the holodecks, and finds that Alexander is using Worf's calisthenics program.</div><div>Oh.</div><div>The program that was running when he was conceived.</div><div>That's not... weird.</div><div>When Worf goes inside, he sees Alexander battling it out with the skull-headed monster, and he's doing alright, wielding a bat'leth that's clearly too big for him. He takes down the monster with some effort, and for a brief moment, Worf has a "that's my kid, the tiny warrior" look on his face.</div><div>He pauses the program, and Alexander, excited by his victory, turns greets Worf.</div><div>Worf remembers that he is here because his kid is in trouble at school. "You didn't ask permission to take my bat'leth or come down to the holodeck," he says evenly.</div><div>"You wanted me to be a warrior!" Alexander argues.</div><div>"Yeah, and I also wanted you to listen to your teachers, but you're being a little shit in class. Not cool."</div><div>Alexander starts shouting. "She hates me and makes up stories about me! She's lying!"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4nGwlfUMRqT6hCvwC7UTWT9yovxFCgIxkj-_RxHsxB49gPSTJpZegMFfOtkmf_x4BvcPiqAnl645w-tLEXdn1q7_fpYAO2iiQS4rC2UX3KlQB5BL7_FqdGfOetvpYrZ7eSx4AMzABG2V/s575/ng16.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="575" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4nGwlfUMRqT6hCvwC7UTWT9yovxFCgIxkj-_RxHsxB49gPSTJpZegMFfOtkmf_x4BvcPiqAnl645w-tLEXdn1q7_fpYAO2iiQS4rC2UX3KlQB5BL7_FqdGfOetvpYrZ7eSx4AMzABG2V/w400-h276/ng16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worf takes the bat'leth, and tells Alexander to go back to their quarters.</div><div>"You said we could go see the gilvos again!" Alexander protests.</div><div>"Yeah, not anymore," Worf replies. "You promised me you would quit lying and stealing, and you're still doing both."</div><div>Then: "I have failed in my duties as your father."</div><div>Okay, that's a bit harsh -</div><div>"You do not understand what it means to be Klingon."</div><div>What.</div><div>That's... that's not really the entirety of your job, Worf. Your job as a parent is to raise a functional adult who is capable of getting on with other adults. You're looking at this like it's a binary of honorable or not honorable. Can you add honor and Klingon stuff in there? Yeah, but in the end, your kid has to be able to function in both Klingon and non-Klingon situations, and right now, he's struggling. Deal with his lying and stealing and the underlying emotional issues causing that, and make "honor" the Klingon sprinkles on your parenting doughnut.</div><div>"I'm gonna send you to a Klingon school," Worf decides. "Then you can learn what it means to be honorable." </div><div>Cool. So this kid has rarely had any stability ever in his young life, and you're gonna shake things up again?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfqVamTaqibN1SbodtK-4q-JGV7iHs6uXFhwTUcjZu5bqfygxjRLvPBFVUa31XQ9uNasGlQlM3MfdCdT956-zHhB-t8t8c5z2tiHZ_AK9IxaGGVxrs_3TYWlMCz-T-zl5rYR9t-v1VcPD/s640/ng17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="640" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfqVamTaqibN1SbodtK-4q-JGV7iHs6uXFhwTUcjZu5bqfygxjRLvPBFVUa31XQ9uNasGlQlM3MfdCdT956-zHhB-t8t8c5z2tiHZ_AK9IxaGGVxrs_3TYWlMCz-T-zl5rYR9t-v1VcPD/w400-h275/ng17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Up on the bridge, Riker checks in on how well things are proceeding with ship repairs while the Enterprise picks itself up and checks for tiny rocks in its skinned knees.</div><div>La Forge is trucking along, but needs to replace some things, and it's going to be another hour. Data has sensors back online, and he's checking for the soliton wave.</div><div>"Oop," he says. "The wave is still headed for the colony at the receiving station, but the speed has jumped up to warp 4."</div><div>They get Dr Ja'Dar back on the line to report this new situation.</div><div>"Power has increased by a factor of 12," says Data. "It'll have increased by a factor of 200 by the time it reaches the receiving station."</div><div>"Can we still stop it when it reaches its destination?" asks Riker.</div><div>"Fuck no," says Ja'Dar. "With that kind of power, it'll not only take out the station and the colony, but it'll blow half the planet away."</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKD3RJLnGqS7Es2P7AeCSJhOgP04Edn6b9_AcVzFqXnqJI45g6dH5BASTR3IG5SFqb27UHfIS6ZZc5ItMwVqFoE5P2bKeLK7wCK_zv76lJFxeTEVSgS8d7V05Cbzlub_FaSlpF5O4n8DC/s640/ng18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="640" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKD3RJLnGqS7Es2P7AeCSJhOgP04Edn6b9_AcVzFqXnqJI45g6dH5BASTR3IG5SFqb27UHfIS6ZZc5ItMwVqFoE5P2bKeLK7wCK_zv76lJFxeTEVSgS8d7V05Cbzlub_FaSlpF5O4n8DC/w400-h278/ng18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worf goes to see Troi. Don't know how he ended up there, but it's the right move. She walks him to the idea that Alexander is acting out because his entire fucking life, starting with his mother's death, has been one unpleasant surprise after another, and he has zero control over it. That that's what one does when one has no idea how to handle feelings. She also tells him that it would be normal for Worf to be mad at K'Ehleyr for having his kid, not telling him, and then dying, leaving him alone with Alexander.</div><div>Therapy: that shit's where it's at, y'all.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FeffEuf6zTziyoMObnFFdq3DrDumI9q1hh3GVRVakCuKj5tYieUzpf1kAYwlR__hNrAiD8M-NHGrAD_C2QUui1Wa2EAhJyf2NCx5S4ptcmql-GTaR-0bhxxW2UvkHYTulRifQMTL3R6n/s572/ng19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="572" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FeffEuf6zTziyoMObnFFdq3DrDumI9q1hh3GVRVakCuKj5tYieUzpf1kAYwlR__hNrAiD8M-NHGrAD_C2QUui1Wa2EAhJyf2NCx5S4ptcmql-GTaR-0bhxxW2UvkHYTulRifQMTL3R6n/w400-h275/ng19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worf goes back to his quarters, where Alexander is rage-packing.</div><div>"I want you to understand why I'm sending you to a Klingon school," Worf begins calmly.</div><div>"Because you don't want me!" Alexander yells back. "You're ashamed of me!"</div><div>"That's not true," Worf states.</div><div>"Yes it is! You only care about your honor!"</div><div>Worf starts to shout back, and you know he's gonna say that this new accusation isn't true, either. But he stops, and the look on his face says it all: Alexander read him like a book, and it's absolutely true. (Therapy: helping you to get get your shit figured out.)</div><div>Then he says something else that's true: "If your mother were here, she would not like us to fight."</div><div>Doing good, dude. Now don't fuck it up by using that as an excuse to treat your kid like shit.</div><div>Alexander is still pissed. "If my mother were here, she wouldn't be sending me away!"</div><div>Also true.</div><div>Unfortunately, we don't get the next bit, because Worf gets paged to the Obs Lounge.</div><div>He leaves, telling Alexander to stay in his quarters, that he'll be back soon, and they can continue their discussion.</div><div>An angry Alexander flips his suitcase.</div><div>Imma give Worf an 8 here. He kept his cool for the most part, and is starting to get a little perspective.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfm4Gh8aQRCGHFLC0lM6VixtGCag7RTbAmK_mbV2w-CorQo7lLF3Jeh6Sebgpoku82nbQUhFyt2zFHgeW2u5gTzHYlnmtiQA0B-Z-lv3Ia3S0znd3nh-fGe5grlx1e1K74CIBNrm40s_ZU/s573/ng20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="573" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfm4Gh8aQRCGHFLC0lM6VixtGCag7RTbAmK_mbV2w-CorQo7lLF3Jeh6Sebgpoku82nbQUhFyt2zFHgeW2u5gTzHYlnmtiQA0B-Z-lv3Ia3S0znd3nh-fGe5grlx1e1K74CIBNrm40s_ZU/w400-h278/ng20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worf reports to the Obs Lounge, where La Forge and Data tell Picard and Riker that they have two plans to stop the soliton wave:</div><div>1) use the engines of the E to match the frequency and amplitude of the wave and neutralize it; or</div><div>2) set off a bunch of photon torpedoes in front of the wave to break it up.</div><div><br /></div><div>La Forge is uncertain of this first plan, because the amplitude and frequency of the wave is constantly changing, so trying to match would be an uphill battle. Setting off the torpedoes in front of it has a better chance of working, but this plan has a rider: the wave is now traveling at a little more than warp 6, so they'll not only have to catch up to it, but get out in front of it, which means going through it.</div><div>"Why can't we go around it?" asks Riker.</div><div>"It's not only been increasing in speed, but also increasing outward into space," explains Data. "It would take too long to go around."</div><div>Me:</div><div>Me:</div><div>Me: So we're going to ignore the Z-axis? You can't go over or under? </div><div>Me:</div><div>Me: Fine. Whatever. Do it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just when I think that Worf is not here for any reason that to segue more smoothly to the B-plot, Picard finally turns and asks what current shield strength is like.</div><div>"About a third," Worf admits.</div><div>"I guess we're all getting seasick, then," Picard decides.</div><div><br /></div><div>Other than my complaint about the Z-axis, I don't have much to say about this scene, except for the fact that I had to watch it three times to get the gist of their plan... because the way that Data and La Forge are sitting is really distracting. Was it easier to fit them both into frame this way? Are they just Guys Being Bros? Or were they simultaneously shooting the cover for their 80's new wave album? Feels like a moment Data+Geordi shippers would screencap and use as "proof" that they would make a good couple.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeV-IQJqrVkef8oslI6xJDfZrhYA8n_9U3weS9q0A-fEPravEf_U-LQKnO79spF-JmLMm5yuzxVK9DIgSQL0xATGbQhHBhTRZdzc2nq5xqifrKQpSBkGHhsUXZkqQQeV225BRS_wXCCsr/s574/ng21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="574" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeV-IQJqrVkef8oslI6xJDfZrhYA8n_9U3weS9q0A-fEPravEf_U-LQKnO79spF-JmLMm5yuzxVK9DIgSQL0xATGbQhHBhTRZdzc2nq5xqifrKQpSBkGHhsUXZkqQQeV225BRS_wXCCsr/w400-h275/ng21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There's a brief scene here where they go back to the bridge, and they catch up to the wave before jumping in it, riding it, and coming out in front. The helm is keeping pace just ahead. The "rough ride" was over in a few seconds, but Worf reports the damages gained: shields at 12%, transporters and tractors offline. A few bumps and bruises.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then we get a hot second of Alexander wandering into the biolab to see the gilvos again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back to the bridge for more problems: because of shields being down, when they fire the torpedoes, certain parts of the ship near the tubes are going to be flooded with radiation, and will need to be evacuated.</div><div>"Do the thing," agrees Picard.</div><div>Oh no, wait - there's a fire in biolab 4.</div><div>"Cut it off to prevent oxygen from letting it spread."</div><div>"There are life-forms in there," Data interrupts.</div><div>"We're transporting endangered animals," Riker tells him.</div><div>"Yeah, those too, but I meant humanoid?" Data interjects.</div><div>"Majel," says Picard, "who is in biolab 4?"</div><div>"Alexander Rozhenko," says Majel.</div><div>Swooping close-up on Worf!</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDFN1K04vR655WKtEqyDLJ_cY1uhAlJQWpgFL4l4QFd_dK7koMEh0liV4RJd556Yd9fvqqRnJVNW9RmG54BHiymiLJ-jzWyZ55vIUNz8uP57uHPrvnF8R2AKSMREkYBErnfWeH1XLryyt/s577/ng22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="577" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDFN1K04vR655WKtEqyDLJ_cY1uhAlJQWpgFL4l4QFd_dK7koMEh0liV4RJd556Yd9fvqqRnJVNW9RmG54BHiymiLJ-jzWyZ55vIUNz8uP57uHPrvnF8R2AKSMREkYBErnfWeH1XLryyt/w400-h276/ng22.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard calls biolab 4, but Alexander doesn't answer. They can't transport him out, because those are down. And now we get some back and forth in an effort to build tension: the speed of the ship is dropping, because La Forge lost some power couplings when they went through the wave.</div><div>"Best to fire those torpedoes now," La Forge advises.</div><div>"When we fire those torpedoes, biolab 4 will flood with radiation," Data points out.</div><div>Worf has already moved toward the lift. "Can I go get my kid?"</div><div>"Yeah, take Riker, too," says Picard. "Data, how long before the wave hits the colony?"</div><div>"Four minutes."</div><div>"You got three minutes to hit the right part of the ship, rescue Alexander, then get the fuck out," Picard tells Riker and Worf.</div><div><br /></div><div>Riker and Worf reach biolab 4 quickly enough, but the door controls have shorted out. Worf is on a mission. He pushes Riker out of the way and fucking takes the wall apart to get to the circuitry. Then he delicately moves the circuit parts around to restart the door controls and hits the Open button.</div><div>Flames burst out of the open door.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnyQKDTyWJ9dIJHrsHRRXku-_6f1YYtZ3CJHQPtqiBt1QQpLTf9YwXxm8VKaMgf7QYMtaoGfA2FOZJ0pJjF3WyRqdhRD7gopylI2g1v_L_c9wCHanR0mRTlgWvfY-RnDgzGULgiAr6skG/s638/ng23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="638" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnyQKDTyWJ9dIJHrsHRRXku-_6f1YYtZ3CJHQPtqiBt1QQpLTf9YwXxm8VKaMgf7QYMtaoGfA2FOZJ0pJjF3WyRqdhRD7gopylI2g1v_L_c9wCHanR0mRTlgWvfY-RnDgzGULgiAr6skG/w400-h275/ng23.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>They rush in and start yelling for Alexander, but get no response.</div><div><br /></div><div>Up on the bridge, Data reports that the wave is starting to catch up to them.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a smoke-filled biolab 4, Worf realizes that he is standing near the gilvos, and flips over some fallen beams. Bingo. An unconscious Alexander is on the floor under another beam. He calls Riker over, and together, they try to lift the beam. No go. Riker dashes off to find something to make a lever.</div><div>Alexander coughs and asks for Worf. "I'm scared. My leg hurts."</div><div>Worf has "Mom Lifts Car Off Kid" moment, and manages to move the beam off of Alexander, just as Riker rolls up with a lever. Riker has a hilarious "well, fuck" moment here before tossing the lever aside and helping Worf pull more debris off Alexander.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTImouNKukrYebhN7ujbCJYdoj3zBPi4L4J7KOvZqbwFlu_NDolKpeYLdQaCY1ypwc6ZZ8u69ty3eajpvL_vHuhXfo6WT-G7-zGRFuAJdsZeqtF0AdSWbWbN2_r88mhF2ECf1zzaTszfW/s577/ng24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="577" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTImouNKukrYebhN7ujbCJYdoj3zBPi4L4J7KOvZqbwFlu_NDolKpeYLdQaCY1ypwc6ZZ8u69ty3eajpvL_vHuhXfo6WT-G7-zGRFuAJdsZeqtF0AdSWbWbN2_r88mhF2ECf1zzaTszfW/w400-h275/ng24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXMzN6zmfNzUDiEPiOVRc0RerZmkN1HHIGdzHzi5WVTSKpoGiRoMdRCMEsvAT6wnD-tDUAjf0AxM3gqtN32skPKTiipIFeDNwQkik_NNn-bYoRq_46TAcScm_jhI9zMU3XpJJYQi38OmM/s576/ng25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="576" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXMzN6zmfNzUDiEPiOVRc0RerZmkN1HHIGdzHzi5WVTSKpoGiRoMdRCMEsvAT6wnD-tDUAjf0AxM3gqtN32skPKTiipIFeDNwQkik_NNn-bYoRq_46TAcScm_jhI9zMU3XpJJYQi38OmM/w400-h275/ng25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Worf grabs up Alexander, who shouts "The gilvos, they'll die!"</div><div>Riker protests initially, but they're just right there.</div><div><br /></div><div>"We need to fire the torpedoes!" Data warns. "Wave coming up on our six!"</div><div>Picard tries calling Riker. No answer. He tries calling Worf. Same.</div><div>"Out of time!" yells Data.</div><div>"Fire the torpedoes!" Picard calls.</div><div>The ship fires, the wave dissipates.</div><div>And Worf and Riker stumble out of biolab 4 with Alexander, and the gilvos.</div><div>Picard calls again.</div><div>"We're here, we're out," pants Riker.</div><div>Um, y'all should probably hoof it out of the radiation zone, Riker.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBfj-FqRc9E1gdqUeR9c9idpak5ncyzqeDhDE6Z1gJ9NT4jrnOU2w7fpryhXUL2gzgDsITlzhCSuvyz3w3STtn_vEvaTn1l7BFTGdWPkIjP-jC6yvQFsJNj__uUpRp1Ydszi5_55LSf39/s574/ng26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="574" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBfj-FqRc9E1gdqUeR9c9idpak5ncyzqeDhDE6Z1gJ9NT4jrnOU2w7fpryhXUL2gzgDsITlzhCSuvyz3w3STtn_vEvaTn1l7BFTGdWPkIjP-jC6yvQFsJNj__uUpRp1Ydszi5_55LSf39/w400-h278/ng26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Down in sick bay, Crusher does one last scan of Alexander, and tells him that he's lucky, because he only ended up with a broken leg and some smoke inhalation. Then she tells Worf that she wants to keep Alexander overnight for observation, before leaving.</div><div>"Did I get you in trouble?" Alexander asks.</div><div>Worf seems surprised that Alexander is thinking of him. "Don't worry about it."</div><div>"Am <i>I </i>in trouble?"</div><div> "Yeah," says Worf. "But we can deal with that later."</div><div>Alexander makes an earnest plea to be good at the Klingon school, and make him proud, and Worf pauses.</div><div>"Klingon schools are designed to toughen up their students through physical and mental challenges. But if you want a bigger challenge... you can stay here, and slog through my crappy parenting."</div><div>"I accept," says Alexander formally.</div><div>And they smile at one another, and Worf remarks that he thinks K'Ehleyr would be pleased.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV44S-tHq2g6KHgsmTHPgwzuI5h23k3R5Z0ykr8J_K3rTYXgMb55HBq_MtGrUbGrUwVR3LIYz6G2ktcx3wZUdYRfcVviaFQH0mv522Cixll8LiDQhnKcxdhS2JQd7r5IDjdsG789NMJd4z/s563/ng27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="563" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV44S-tHq2g6KHgsmTHPgwzuI5h23k3R5Z0ykr8J_K3rTYXgMb55HBq_MtGrUbGrUwVR3LIYz6G2ktcx3wZUdYRfcVviaFQH0mv522Cixll8LiDQhnKcxdhS2JQd7r5IDjdsG789NMJd4z/w400-h281/ng27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof7tycD6OT_n2vvkyR4TYBKYTWGVVTKg1TmLXvSVweUerXr4d4gJ8wvw61-vmF0V-XwbF4NzTMwkldk-JaPUHTYJA9iTLHcW6rFahYXFPefXmu4ZwN-pirF4V6o-fbTkZmMJ4IaMuJT-r/s282/ng28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="282" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof7tycD6OT_n2vvkyR4TYBKYTWGVVTKg1TmLXvSVweUerXr4d4gJ8wvw61-vmF0V-XwbF4NzTMwkldk-JaPUHTYJA9iTLHcW6rFahYXFPefXmu4ZwN-pirF4V6o-fbTkZmMJ4IaMuJT-r/w400-h279/ng28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So this episode is not great, but it's not the worst Star Trek has to offer, so there's that. It just kind of... exists? I mean, they needed a way to reintroduce Alexander back into the cast as a tertiary member, and it serves that purpose, but I'm definitely not putting up there as an exemplary piece of craftsmanship.</div><div>The low-down: when Alexander was brought in on Reunion, several things were in play: they needed Duras to die, and Worf to get involved. How to do both? Bring back K'Ehleyr, then have her murdered by Duras. How to make Worf really give a shit about a woman who was essentially his ex? An Oops Baby. The thing was, the writers didn't really want to deal with adding Alexander to the roster at that point, as they had bigger fish to fry, so they shipped him off to the Rozhenkos.</div><div>Doing this was a bit of a cop out, but it added another layer to Alexander's story: this kid keeps being passed around. We have no idea if K'Ehleyr took him with her on every diplomatic mission, but the odds are that the answer is no, which means he was being deposited somewhere while she worked on certain missions. One parent, but lots of guardians. Then she's brutally murdered, and it seems he will go to this brand-new parent, but nope, passed off again to strangers. Strangers who are presumably kind to him, and maybe they'll show him some Klingon stuff that they showed Worf, but what good does that do? K'Ehleyr wasn't into that. She actively pushed it away. Now this kid has human grandparents who aren't sure if they should raise him as human, Klingon, some kind of mixture? And a year later, Alexander is back on his father's doorstep. Contrary to K'Ehleyr, Worf is All About That Klingon Life, and at the first sign of hardship, Worf is talking about moving Alexander to a Klingon school, where they probably would have eaten him alive. Like, he's 1/4 human, with a mother who hates Klingon ways, and a father who suffered through a discommendation. Worf probably would have shunted him to Kurn with the instructions "don't tell them whose son he is." Not great, considering that Alexander already had Worf pegged as being obsessed with honor and appearances.</div><div>I'm really okay with a good, flawed character. I think Worf is interesting, and making him a crappy father doesn't sit horribly with me. I should revise that: he's an unprepared father. Alexander showed up like the fucking Spanish Inquisition, and Worf was forced to just deal with it. So what does he do? He puts on some bravado and pretends that he knows all about child-rearing when he actually knows nothing. This is an unknown battle. He seems reticent at first to take anyone's advice, but he appears to get at least some of it after he shows up in Troi's office. (I still wonder why he did that, but I'm not counting the gift horse's teeth. He went, he got good advice, things improved.)</div><div>So now we have a kid that's carrying too much emotional baggage, and a father who hadn't even prepared for the idea of fatherhood, let alone considered being a single parent. It's a nice layer to add to the character of Worf. He tried to chicken out on parenthood, this guy who wants everyone to think he's fearless.</div><div>And the bottom line? This episode wasn't fantastic, but it was a piece of the story that needed to be added, so it was.</div><div>*shrug*</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br />
<br />
Fun Facts:</div><div><br /></div><div>- Michael Piller brought the idea for Alexander's arc back for season five, so they could explore Worf as a father, see things through the eyes of a young Klingon, and see other parts of the ship via Alexander.</div><div>- The original Alexander was played by Jon Steuer in season 4's "Reunion," but was recast in this episode. Showrunners wanted someone slightly older, who could work more hours, and had better acting chops. Jonathan Frakes guessed that Steuer being a shy kid probably got him recast, as he didn't have a "little warrior" vibe.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKqgXSew-rk2mz5Qm9e9vU0FYrY8TQzccjBdcWBLWUxocCJKmo2Nyf-7UWg7FGo6-kGy2AnWSysJVXzKi4_VZL3Eez-MZrcqE9jzP1e5gR-ZOZ9nL2TO9L1w8QnVVrWhv6kvUW5aF2Nto/s350/Jon+Steuer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="350" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKqgXSew-rk2mz5Qm9e9vU0FYrY8TQzccjBdcWBLWUxocCJKmo2Nyf-7UWg7FGo6-kGy2AnWSysJVXzKi4_VZL3Eez-MZrcqE9jzP1e5gR-ZOZ9nL2TO9L1w8QnVVrWhv6kvUW5aF2Nto/w400-h360/Jon+Steuer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon Steuer as Alexander</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>- Jon Steuer was replaced by Brian Bonsall, who would play Alexander in another six episodes spread over seasons five, six, and seven. Bonsall had played Andy Keaton for three years on Family Ties, and producers liked that he had a lot of acting experience.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPy94NQc78SkUe93IAAi1pZyflb73J3zfUDHfYLsNrz2qHVtDVko9FmPD3Y_3lHMDVTGW3S8dzE6RAMivbQIVNwLAUjnc5BBanEjDZODZcGAx2j5H5wiW5Jt2_VLGuYqdApKRe16CHAn2f/s397/brian+bonsall.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="260" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPy94NQc78SkUe93IAAi1pZyflb73J3zfUDHfYLsNrz2qHVtDVko9FmPD3Y_3lHMDVTGW3S8dzE6RAMivbQIVNwLAUjnc5BBanEjDZODZcGAx2j5H5wiW5Jt2_VLGuYqdApKRe16CHAn2f/w263-h400/brian+bonsall.png" width="263" /></a></div><br /><div>- Both Michael Piller and director Robert Scheerer were impressed by Bonsall's work. Scheerer noted that Bonsall really enjoyed the character of Alexander, and playing around in his Klingon make-up.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zEb8ygwrvF_F2CyyKiCGiwknHtG7kmtqWT-0A6sGAwBCLYO6vongaCsbRahvPQ-L9Rd-67hiV7zGUBW7Nz4wnRll7sN9dItck3KdwpODKqL_J9_hFVG9VC4DnYYdkMIMOtgFD7fofZGu/s180/Brian_Bonsall_during_New_Ground.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="123" data-original-width="180" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zEb8ygwrvF_F2CyyKiCGiwknHtG7kmtqWT-0A6sGAwBCLYO6vongaCsbRahvPQ-L9Rd-67hiV7zGUBW7Nz4wnRll7sN9dItck3KdwpODKqL_J9_hFVG9VC4DnYYdkMIMOtgFD7fofZGu/w400-h273/Brian_Bonsall_during_New_Ground.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonsall between takes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>- This is Georgia Brown's last performance on Star Trek as Helena Rozhenko, and sadly, her last performance before she passed away in 1992.</div><div>- Richard McGonagle, who played Dr Ja'Dar, will appear twice in Voyager.</div><div>- Brannon Braga reported that this episode didn't do very well with audiences. He felt that episodes that featured too much character development came off as soap opera-y. Rick Berman thought that the episode was done well, but didn't stand out. Both seemed to come to the conclusion that character pieces + weak sci-fi b-plots = weaker episodes.<br />
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Sassy La Forge moments: 0</div>
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To date: 3</div>
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Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
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Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
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Sassy Riker Moments: 0<br />
To date: 7</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Picard Moments: 0</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
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Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
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To date: 1<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Sassy Keiko Moments: 0</div><div>To Date: 3</div>
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
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To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0<br />
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Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 0<br />
To date: 24</div>
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Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
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Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
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Tea, Earl Grey: 0<br />
To date: 2</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47:</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDIDY8Sr7WTmvBx-0_XuMPG5M-pcfeFx1LH8m7DydqZxtVxZ2hqKoHpyJrg9qP9oulxG_Lb9hTMMpclmdnXgav5xr-7xtV-9vz16Qz9thjYGS9QkrWoKLaYK_mQ3wKoPsPJnz2aWvw47c/s206/Don%2527s+new+boots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="154" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDIDY8Sr7WTmvBx-0_XuMPG5M-pcfeFx1LH8m7DydqZxtVxZ2hqKoHpyJrg9qP9oulxG_Lb9hTMMpclmdnXgav5xr-7xtV-9vz16Qz9thjYGS9QkrWoKLaYK_mQ3wKoPsPJnz2aWvw47c/w299-h400/Don%2527s+new+boots.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don is looking very dapper in his matching<br />boots and sweater combo. (Himbs had to get<br />IVs for an upper respiratory infection.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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</div></div></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-2604865091208741772021-05-15T20:52:00.000-07:002021-05-15T20:52:38.198-07:00Tokens of Offering at The Altar of the Wifi Gods<p> Hello, Trek fans!</p><p>It has been a little while.</p><p>My laptop is still broken, so I am still using the slow one that Gimli lent me, but I am not longer trying to survive off of group wifi - yes! (It was "McDonald's wifi bad" - so bogged down I couldn't even open the blogspot page to type up each entry. It was <i>fun</i>.)</p><p>Either way, I can start writing and posting blog posts again, so watch this space for new posts!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnduLwVXUySpMyulVVHhlL1xy1U25pg6WH3OkZkZH-pMEMzfetFXuN4g7pOdjAb7z7JOXlMvJ-uCBz_uusWzsoGVvGT76q-vfQ38ctWnmlJSjli9-Jx_ntBvMCNGJEc_jy_1JYToNDoQPi/s1415/Ken+jennings+mask+meme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnduLwVXUySpMyulVVHhlL1xy1U25pg6WH3OkZkZH-pMEMzfetFXuN4g7pOdjAb7z7JOXlMvJ-uCBz_uusWzsoGVvGT76q-vfQ38ctWnmlJSjli9-Jx_ntBvMCNGJEc_jy_1JYToNDoQPi/w300-h400/Ken+jennings+mask+meme.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same, Ken. I will wear this <br />thing until the 24th century.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-26078208717044023972021-02-22T00:00:00.001-08:002021-02-22T00:00:06.140-08:00Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Part 2)<p> Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country</p><p>Release date: December 6, 1991</p><p>Stardate: 9521.6</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: #888888; color: #141414; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This blog entry brought to you by a slow laptop, spotty wi-fi, and a pirated copy of this film, which sometimes just cuts out for no reason. </span></p><p>And now, also rolling blackouts caused by inclement weather.</p><p><br /></p><p>So Christopher Plummer died. I really hate it when things that I'm covering also happen in real life, but there's nothing I can do about it but address it.</p><p>Though he was widely known for his theater and voiceover work, I mostly know him from this movie (on which I couldn't really find a recorded opinion from him), and The Sound of Music movie (which he hated).</p><p>A lot of his theater work included Shakespeare, and while those kinds of actors tend to find doing Star Trek a step down, he may have been at least amused to deliver Shakespeare in Klingon. And while I know that he considered Sound of Music a step down and probably less powerful than some of his other projects, I like the fact that he's heavily associated with this powerful image:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsB0-39SmTDRIwik_WADyUkAQp0PfiVcM8ohxBvxNmQTvNNFWcgOOELPV2E2dWILd9G-mAgAMDZMHbL-IECu7OGxoujecvrtox_YV3diWsILoG2fLa3P2ZuILVBHDJdVX22Ylal8PRcQpG/s525/christopher+plummer.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="525" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsB0-39SmTDRIwik_WADyUkAQp0PfiVcM8ohxBvxNmQTvNNFWcgOOELPV2E2dWILd9G-mAgAMDZMHbL-IECu7OGxoujecvrtox_YV3diWsILoG2fLa3P2ZuILVBHDJdVX22Ylal8PRcQpG/w400-h246/christopher+plummer.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Because fuck Nazis, and RIP Christopher Plummer</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*******</div><br /><p></p><p>*Majel Barrett voice* "Previously in this film... Space Chernobyl on a Klingon moon has destroyed the environment of Qo'nos. The Empire has determined that they only have 50 years until the planet becomes unlivable. They can continue to pay for their bloated military, or make peace with their enemies and use their resources to fix their homeworld. Spock, as an ambassador, has been communicating with their High Commander Gorkon, and has arranged for the Enterprise and her OG crew to escort Gorkon's ship to a peace conference on Earth. Kirk hates Klingons, doesn't trust them, blames all of them for the death of an adult son that he knew for a hot second. Kirk invites Gorkon and his people to a dinner on the E. It's awkward, and everyone gets plastered on illegal Romulan ale. After dinner, Gorkon and his people return to their ship, and two torpedoes hit the Klingon Bird of Prey, disabling their gravity. A pair of people in white spacesuits and gravity boots beam over and kill Gorkon, their ship's doctor, and multiple other Klingon crew members. When the gravity is restored, there are a lot of bodies. Kirk tries desperately to determine if the Enterprise fired those torpedoes, and he and McCoy beam over to find out what happened. Gorkon is barely alive. McCoy attempts to save him, but is unfamiliar with Klingon anatomy, and too much damage has been done. Kirk and McCoy are arrested for the assassination of Gorkon. The Federation decides that the best way to keep the peace is to allow the Klingons to put the pair on trial and determine consequences for them. Kirk and McCoy are found guilty, and given a life sentence on the penal colony of Rura Penthe. Frustrated, the Enterprise crew is determined to solve the mystery of those torpedoes: Spock posits a theory that there is a cloaked ship beneath the Enterprise, which is where the torpedoes originated. He puts his new favorite pet, Vulcan Lt Valeris, on the case to find the mysterious gravity-booted murders.</p><p>And now, the conclusion."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRM9db08TWOOZtogqdkYdKOvu2mFad2cj-XX48i8dx38yfsqMDp7gnHbdRPeB2YuLJu_9Y8_eHhXEvrKtD-ps896MQpgPBuupoVdtFWephzz5wnpdaeDiH1_gAPdb1fjgOJAfF3Yzh7S9r/s844/uc42.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="844" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRM9db08TWOOZtogqdkYdKOvu2mFad2cj-XX48i8dx38yfsqMDp7gnHbdRPeB2YuLJu_9Y8_eHhXEvrKtD-ps896MQpgPBuupoVdtFWephzz5wnpdaeDiH1_gAPdb1fjgOJAfF3Yzh7S9r/w400-h161/uc42.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>We go to Rura Penthe, and it's fun. Like Hoth. Two weak-ass suns, a blizzard, and everyone in raggedy-looking furs. One guy pulls out a key fob and clicks it, opening some kind of trap door in the snow. Two Klingons emerge with a box. </p><p>Not ominous at all.</p><p>The guy who speaks is the concierge, and he's here to tell you about the amenities here at Gulag Rura Penthe. (Yeah, he did use the term gulag. I was unable to find it, but have to wonder how Russians viewed this film. It's not really a secret that Klingons are often compared to Russians, and here, the Klingons actually know enough about Russian Earth from earlier centuries to use that term to refer to a penal colony.) So here are said amenities: there are no fences or gates or stockades or guard towers. You work. If you work well, you live. If you do a bad job, they put your ass outside. That's it. Oh, and there's a magnetic block on Rura Penthe that keeps people from being beamed off the surface. Just as an example, they haul a guy upstairs and toss him, mostly naked, into the snow. He freezes to death before everyone goes inside.</p><p>What a fun place.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywaC2hjSJcZL6ndDMYkcvUthz8ZK365NtmIskEN7oxQWBCnvh5EbHxccat5fdIkC_FYpoYLFsUE5k50xvA5bHpIT-OaL2VjT854q4-c2ro84lDOMdTLntLrD62YrrwVH-E9fhK1smzDh2/s844/ucrura+penthe.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="844" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywaC2hjSJcZL6ndDMYkcvUthz8ZK365NtmIskEN7oxQWBCnvh5EbHxccat5fdIkC_FYpoYLFsUE5k50xvA5bHpIT-OaL2VjT854q4-c2ro84lDOMdTLntLrD62YrrwVH-E9fhK1smzDh2/w400-h159/ucrura+penthe.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>And the warden and his assistant haul the box back down through the trap door. What... what was that box for?</p><p>Inside looks like the inside of the Matterhorn ride at Disneyland, fake compacted snow carved into tunnels, and criss-crossing catwalks. I know this movie cost a lot, but man, those "carved snow walls" are kind of... early TOS.</p><p>There are quite a few alien species milling about, and Kirk immediately is beset upon by a guy who is much, much taller than he is. The guy starts talking to him in an alien language, and picking at his fur coats.</p><p>"I'm sorry," says Kirk. "They took our universal translators."</p><p>I get that. It's like when cell phones became a regular thing, and you no longer needed to memorize phone numbers, because every number was already programmed into the phone. My aunt recalls numbers so old that they start with KLONDIKE, and I have to pause when asked about my own number. You get a little lost when you rely on tech for things, and then it goes away.</p><p>Guy picks him up and yells at him, and it's pretty obvious to me that he wants Kirk's fur, but this other prisoner steps forward and says that the big guy wants Kirk's allegiance to "the Alien Brotherhood."</p><p>"He can have it!" says a frantic Kirk.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqkETjkAj-T4uJmJv51Hk4987QqSRuNC4VBizptQAl9E8TWU3osDfrz1z_LDquGoxMKJIbJ56lvoIZjfm-2O4wVYCDWRHv4L3IvW4AaNr1tUsxsF0sI9dJpXDIR6ukqazSxVDBlRd84t9/s747/uc43.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="747" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqkETjkAj-T4uJmJv51Hk4987QqSRuNC4VBizptQAl9E8TWU3osDfrz1z_LDquGoxMKJIbJ56lvoIZjfm-2O4wVYCDWRHv4L3IvW4AaNr1tUsxsF0sI9dJpXDIR6ukqazSxVDBlRd84t9/w400-h196/uc43.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Y'all, no. Maybe it's because it sounds exactly like "Aryan Brotherhood," or maybe it's because anything called "_________ Brotherhood" in prison is bound to be a racist gang, but maybe don't join something you've just heard of? </p><p> It turns out that he also wants Kirk's coat, but the smaller prisoner tells the big guy to GTFO. He lumbers off.</p><p>"I'm Martia," says the new prisoner. "You must be Kirk and McCoy." She gives them a spliff to smoke, because sure, why not? "We don't get a lot of presidential assassins in here."</p><p>Kirk proclaims their innocence.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vINAT08kmo7pYrPKBRbANgocZfafNiay-Qdm-Sh092KrpPfzcXzEVeS_cq0nia7kCdEcukmzzm49NLX8qEv2IJvBJX00QNvYU-FPe5pOAz9vqoUTTWbiLXJVfToTWKLsXZLGbfaZzODa/s843/uc44.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="843" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vINAT08kmo7pYrPKBRbANgocZfafNiay-Qdm-Sh092KrpPfzcXzEVeS_cq0nia7kCdEcukmzzm49NLX8qEv2IJvBJX00QNvYU-FPe5pOAz9vqoUTTWbiLXJVfToTWKLsXZLGbfaZzODa/w400-h164/uc44.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>For some reason, Valeris is searching the Enterprise kitchen with Spock and Chekov. I say for some reason, because why is there a galley at all? They have replicators. Anyway, they're looking for the boots.</p><p>Valeris wonders out loud if the boots have been disposed of, and asks Spock why the assassins would have brought them back, when they could have left the boots on the Klingon ship.</p><p>"No gravity yet," Spock replies. "They would have floated off the transporter pad."</p><p>"Garbage?"</p><p>"I have people looking."</p><p>"Vaporizing," suggests Chekov. "No boots, no evidence."</p><p>Valeris goes to a wall panel that contains a surprising arsenal of phasers. In the kitchen. She pulls out a phaser and proceeds to shoot a huge stockpot without really warning anyone. Galley workers jump out of the way at the last minute, and the stockpot vaporizes, leaving what looks like mashed potatoes and a whisk behind.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEMEhMGlUuzR3oE4TinuMnuWjuEl23G-tvjkicGufTCjJqBK0kKL6fU6dTP3fKnV9-Lld0aSP6Cy75FGi2rsq5kvs1u0jWeoebrTu5PfL_VQtVGXDD_pCaTcf7eH8O0eNvpKOqhE7706M/s843/uc45.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="843" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEMEhMGlUuzR3oE4TinuMnuWjuEl23G-tvjkicGufTCjJqBK0kKL6fU6dTP3fKnV9-Lld0aSP6Cy75FGi2rsq5kvs1u0jWeoebrTu5PfL_VQtVGXDD_pCaTcf7eH8O0eNvpKOqhE7706M/w400-h164/uc45.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I have problems with a lot of things in this moment, but let's pause to enjoy these WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK faces from Chekov and the galley workers. This is some straight tea that will be spilled around the ship later.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DyHFYKYk9Cm3ECXFMxQPDBPtg48Il66zn0-nfkhSTnZcc3JhKrFwAOFQA-Saa3pGeato5qDXirahwOj59k88Xwq1-zMxNeCbuNzAIHUlNTEgrA5nE6Lv8SfhKlmNR5WrEiFFEe308X6U/s846/uc46.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="846" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DyHFYKYk9Cm3ECXFMxQPDBPtg48Il66zn0-nfkhSTnZcc3JhKrFwAOFQA-Saa3pGeato5qDXirahwOj59k88Xwq1-zMxNeCbuNzAIHUlNTEgrA5nE6Lv8SfhKlmNR5WrEiFFEe308X6U/w400-h160/uc46.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>So firstly, why the hell is it so hard to say, "hey, step to the side"? You don't just fucking discharge a weapon in a crowded room without warning people.</p><p>Secondly, the phaser vaporized the pot only. I... just... whut. Why would it not vaporize the whisk and the food in the pot? We've seen them vaporize people - it did not just vaporize the skin or bones, and drop a bunch of internal organs on the ground in a splattery pile. The whole person goes. Did she grab a special kitchen phaser that has a dial setting for "Vaporize Pot Only"?</p><p>And why is the food frozen in time? It looks like potatoes, but maybe it's something stiffer? Okay. But having worked in commercial kitchens with food that kind of stiffens... it all oozes, even just a little. And without a pot there, that food is now sitting directly on top of whatever heat source they're using, probably burning.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaoWe-4MDcx1OT77o7ZeIla0BLXcqiiwO7rcH7aEKmzm360jaWlWzPrMCeWUOC2TxDe6S6YjBIZbpxaQbbUB-Mo-w93t_QH2gWfpbsLFXS-9tE3Zc9_8vYcP5sqo7ZYto7rv3PFkQdXfj/s846/uc47.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="846" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaoWe-4MDcx1OT77o7ZeIla0BLXcqiiwO7rcH7aEKmzm360jaWlWzPrMCeWUOC2TxDe6S6YjBIZbpxaQbbUB-Mo-w93t_QH2gWfpbsLFXS-9tE3Zc9_8vYcP5sqo7ZYto7rv3PFkQdXfj/w400-h161/uc47.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Anyway, no one is asking these questions, because as soon as the phaser went off, it sets off a klaxon alarm, which is what Valeris actually wanted to happen in the first place. It illustrates the answer to Chekov's question of "why didn't they vaporize the boots?" Answer: an alarm goes off if a phaser fires in the ship.</p><p>Uhura rushes in with a pair of Security Guys, who look like they're playing laser tag. "Did someone fire a phaser?"</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-cfVNFkJDb2bnr_mokVWe3pfNBqhAz0ngK-jE6oNJATWYQw4PWnJ-ku88d7hFXTDimgvYZMt8r_lfAxs2V-1PMT4Ny5KxLGsgrbaObKNP9il1uOoTwLxPmEQub1QwfwwC85oA-8PI588/s847/uc48.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="847" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-cfVNFkJDb2bnr_mokVWe3pfNBqhAz0ngK-jE6oNJATWYQw4PWnJ-ku88d7hFXTDimgvYZMt8r_lfAxs2V-1PMT4Ny5KxLGsgrbaObKNP9il1uOoTwLxPmEQub1QwfwwC85oA-8PI588/w400-h160/uc48.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Chekov says it's fine, and shoos the Security Guys out. But then Scotty rushes in the other door, demanding the same thing, and I'm curious as to how everyone knows that it was Valeris In The Kitchen With a Phaser.</p><p>ALSO WHY ARE WE STILL IN THE KITCHEN, PLEASE?</p><p>Uhura tells Spock that Starfleet Command wants to know why they're still sitting in space. So Spock asks Scotty how long it will take to fix the warp drive problem.</p><p>"There isn't one?" he asks in confusion.</p><p>Spock tries again: "If we go back to Earth and don't find those boots, we'll never see Kirk or McCoy again. HOW LONG on the warp engine fix?"</p><p>"OH. Coupla weeks?"</p><p>I...</p><p>Why are you having this conversation in the kitchen, in front of galley workers? People who could turn you in to Starfleet Headquarters? People who are now accomplices, or could testify at your court-martial? I'm not saying "don't rescue your friends." I'm saying "call a senior meeting in a place that isn't filled with underlings." If 2021 has taught us anything, it's that if you're about to do something sketch, you don't fucking livestream it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_M4Ci0ogm2bweS1iPVoXf2I5uxK5RJjipyrHn3PF3zm_dJ16FBhcMY-kCR2OXTmJaXdbRlsImUt92FR8QESPn2o8Dmjo7bj9F6p5KlzjaCjTqGZz3w3GwxiYK_RsmWo_Smemj5A3cqAY/s849/uc49.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="849" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_M4Ci0ogm2bweS1iPVoXf2I5uxK5RJjipyrHn3PF3zm_dJ16FBhcMY-kCR2OXTmJaXdbRlsImUt92FR8QESPn2o8Dmjo7bj9F6p5KlzjaCjTqGZz3w3GwxiYK_RsmWo_Smemj5A3cqAY/w400-h160/uc49.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Back on Rura Penthe, Kirk has landed himself in a fight with another big alien. And rather than break it up, the warden opts to turn on a spotlight so he can see better. Kirk ends up against a wall, and the alien manages to drop him onto his back. A swift double-kick to the knees, and the alien goes down, whimpering.</p><p>Kirk is surprised.</p><p>Martia takes a drag off her cigarette. "You nailed him in the nads."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljjLvDEsdVbpzkfBKWWro0JAD5drXgI3uDt3ZDSeNKWmx2wp1tuPonFyGxbwXywsesUwjr0LbTUFzjXX1Jx44FTkNkpr2Omf3ro5O46t8WwGu2EE_mHxJ-QyMmxcy8H4KVTnV9rm0grPU/s846/uc50.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="846" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljjLvDEsdVbpzkfBKWWro0JAD5drXgI3uDt3ZDSeNKWmx2wp1tuPonFyGxbwXywsesUwjr0LbTUFzjXX1Jx44FTkNkpr2Omf3ro5O46t8WwGu2EE_mHxJ-QyMmxcy8H4KVTnV9rm0grPU/w400-h161/uc50.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTel78kuMAcuF4gMwii41yB9PPwG4sXPaLfgvQbwXA8UibFHrtkTcZs0KSbjJKDs3IGSQ4AnrVvKvnton4NlUPMZRI8wKhh4a8-g4gAX3NC9txVqRvf1SAVVS2Q82jnCH62vANLXs7fZpu/s813/raj.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="610" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTel78kuMAcuF4gMwii41yB9PPwG4sXPaLfgvQbwXA8UibFHrtkTcZs0KSbjJKDs3IGSQ4AnrVvKvnton4NlUPMZRI8wKhh4a8-g4gAX3NC9txVqRvf1SAVVS2Q82jnCH62vANLXs7fZpu/w300-h400/raj.png" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guess it's just the ladies, Raj</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>"You want to get out of here?" asks Martia.</p><p>She's talking about Rura Penthe, not a hook-up.</p><p><br /></p><p>Later, Kirk and Bones are lying in bunks. Bones bitches about being three months out from retirement, and Kirk asks if Bones is afraid of the future. Bones makes a Kobayashi Maru joke.</p><p>"No, really," says Kirk. "I think I'm afraid of change. Peace with the Klingons means no more Neutral Zone. It means actually learning to not hate Klingons. And like... I didn't even consider that Gorkon might be genuine in his efforts to make peace. If this is hard for me, it might be even harder for others. It might be unthinkably hard for people willing to assassinate Gorkon, and who might try again. They're still going forward with that peace conference."</p><p>Y'all, any time Kirk asks "Am I the Asshole?" without having to consult Reddit first, I'm down. Kirk is racist. He knows he's racist, and here, he's recognizing that his own racism may be holding him (and the Federation) back from progress. He saw a flicker of it in that captain's log when he suggested that he and others like him would need to get out of the way of history. Talking is not doing, though. He recognizes that he is having this issue, but when faced with it in the flesh, he suggested that Chang was like Hitler. <i>Listen, Reflect, Do. </i>He's doing the reflecting here, but needs more practice with<i> Listen </i>and<i> Do.</i></p><p>There's a noise, and Kirk and Bones both grab rocks off the ground, just in case. But it turns out to be Martia.</p><p>"Nobody's ever escaped from here. I know how to get out of the magnetic shield that prevents beaming, but I need help once outside the shield. You're the first person to come along in months who might be able to do it. Can you do it?"</p><p>"What do you need?" he asks.</p><p>She makes out with him, which is not a fucking answer. </p><p>Bones rolls his eyes hard, because he's the audience here. He's all of us.</p><p>When she finally extracts all of the saliva from his mouth, she tells him to meet her at a specific work lift tomorrow, and they'll go from there. And again, she doesn't tell him what else she needs for their escape. She just leaves.</p><p>Bones: "What IS IT with you?"</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPEC_LQzoxZsV6k9GicZv7N2IC5aL7t553RO4PR7_-l5TwPjEjJj6i2k3W1WXJ70qwxIV5vvkUjMNZtVNIiNN9RD92kXu9X9t5CKR9XSEbjkde8ePk6gprdSwnbmcl6q6R1LvGsCxCjRK/s848/uc51.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="848" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPEC_LQzoxZsV6k9GicZv7N2IC5aL7t553RO4PR7_-l5TwPjEjJj6i2k3W1WXJ70qwxIV5vvkUjMNZtVNIiNN9RD92kXu9X9t5CKR9XSEbjkde8ePk6gprdSwnbmcl6q6R1LvGsCxCjRK/w400-h168/uc51.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Sulu is awakened in his quarters. (If I'm reading the Navy bells chart right, it's 0230. Oof.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eKHZ17vBg5S8w9y3RMe_2SxkCHCj6imInLlqdwklTqfvLud8_lFfGeQV9lATb_1PST-HQYnKb3JxQ3BbGExM1NCt0xujBgUSQxvTFTaZytLiHS5MKbh2116ERcl4EkefpScSLjOitwN1/s845/uc52.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="845" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eKHZ17vBg5S8w9y3RMe_2SxkCHCj6imInLlqdwklTqfvLud8_lFfGeQV9lATb_1PST-HQYnKb3JxQ3BbGExM1NCt0xujBgUSQxvTFTaZytLiHS5MKbh2116ERcl4EkefpScSLjOitwN1/w400-h170/uc52.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Hey, look. It's v smol Christian Slater.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AMHCtGFxj6LiChgzT3R-tmfEOOZv2P2YNI7doGgrXZdjo3eMxWHZ3kx3ClaOWcskbnAM07FDUmiI7_xSLl7r478yFwE1ol2553NbEIuS-BmvT_SDHeyoW3kIOmniVw9QYvUOqGc-4UYd/s846/uc53.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="846" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AMHCtGFxj6LiChgzT3R-tmfEOOZv2P2YNI7doGgrXZdjo3eMxWHZ3kx3ClaOWcskbnAM07FDUmiI7_xSLl7r478yFwE1ol2553NbEIuS-BmvT_SDHeyoW3kIOmniVw9QYvUOqGc-4UYd/w400-h159/uc53.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>"Starfleet Headquarters wants us to forward them any info we have on the Enterprise," says crewman Slater.</p><p>Sulu pauses. "Tell them we don't know anything."</p><p>Slater is confused.</p><p>"You got a hearing problem?" demands Sulu.</p><p>Slater quits slouching against the door frame and stands up. "No, sir." </p><p>He leaves with the information that his captain has elected to be quietly subversive here, and Sulu slumps back in his bed.</p><p><br /></p><p>On the E, Chekov has found dried Klingon blood on the transporter pad, backed up with some dramatic music. This is pretty lucky, considering how often the military cleans. Spock confirms in a lab that it's Klingon, but that it isn't the smoking gun they need to take to Starfleet.</p><p>In truth, someone from the delegation may have dripped a spot of blood on the pad before or after dinner.</p><p>"We need to look at uniforms," Spock announces.</p><p>And now... A MONTAGE! Many crewmembers open drawers, go over uniforms with scanner things, and equipment that looks suspiciously like metal detectors dressed up to be more tech-y go through the corridors, I guess looking for blood?</p><p>Someone slides open a wall locker, and yells "SIR!" He hands a single gravity boot over to Valeris, who slides the door back to reveal the crewmember's name on the locker: Dax. She then sticks the gravity boot to the door of the locker and turns to smile off-camera, like a 6th grader standing next to the science fair project that her mother made. </p><p>You didn't do shit, Valeris.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsK1-Cc-uX-gA5Mo72_QCO4pzf2dur1VTpACcoHatrjVKd9VbqxTFfy2lNlqG9Nm2sGNzO9aXZQBpmauD2Rq_yFKzi9EfafS_agjR2FN0M0RgV25m8O-0S1BDKEXpqflqOvJkV10IsXCFV/s845/uc54.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="845" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsK1-Cc-uX-gA5Mo72_QCO4pzf2dur1VTpACcoHatrjVKd9VbqxTFfy2lNlqG9Nm2sGNzO9aXZQBpmauD2Rq_yFKzi9EfafS_agjR2FN0M0RgV25m8O-0S1BDKEXpqflqOvJkV10IsXCFV/w400-h161/uc54.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>In the morning, Kirk and Bones get in line for that specific work detail Martia described. They're given helmets and shuffled onto some kind of lift. They do not see Martia among the others in the lift, and Bones tells Kirk that he thinks they've been had. The big dude behind them laughs and says, "No, doctor" in Martia's voice.</p><p>She explains that this work detail doesn't "take girls," then gives them further instructions when they get off the lift.</p><p>Ah. A shapeshifter. You'd think that Rura Penthe would know about that ahead of time, and somehow figure out how to mark her so she couldn't move around the facility undetected like that.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-Ews2I-BLuPo4nIrKVlcMNkvjtL_6JofTNGi9WLc9DTsH8OEN3tKv3CstyAzuKyKwwPFJierpg1LCsouXAgWU4tB59oms5cv_690vJu2LEiNS8-1L5z-wIqbGxOdvoWvWSKYmUkskeZI/s847/uc55.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="847" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-Ews2I-BLuPo4nIrKVlcMNkvjtL_6JofTNGi9WLc9DTsH8OEN3tKv3CstyAzuKyKwwPFJierpg1LCsouXAgWU4tB59oms5cv_690vJu2LEiNS8-1L5z-wIqbGxOdvoWvWSKYmUkskeZI/w400-h166/uc55.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The E has pulled crewman Dax into the locker room, and Chekov seems to have appointed himself prosecutor.</p><p>"Are you familiar with Russian tales of Cinderella? If the shoe fits, wear it."</p><p>He grabs the boot off the locker door and drops it on the floor at Dax's feet. Then he beams at the others, because this is clearly all wrapped up.</p><p>Spock points at Dax's feet.</p><p>Not The Guy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsoCLsiVzJEKkz6QJVZzksqUlYK546IAzC4EivbEmf5lBeeRYPlj71IuMqngQ8XtTTpPOigSuS-jl8zGSEURXHqOCpPZo7wVcOL-8du5TIpPMNxdHFu9bq2Fc0AbFFSujqDGZY21LiaQK/s841/uc56.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="841" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsoCLsiVzJEKkz6QJVZzksqUlYK546IAzC4EivbEmf5lBeeRYPlj71IuMqngQ8XtTTpPOigSuS-jl8zGSEURXHqOCpPZo7wVcOL-8du5TIpPMNxdHFu9bq2Fc0AbFFSujqDGZY21LiaQK/w400-h164/uc56.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Martia gets off the lift, followed by the boys. Kirk rudely admits Morning After Regrets to Bones. But they follow Martia regardless. She leads them to the end of the tunnel, past three Klingons having breakfast, and when the Klingons have failed to notice them, she melts down into a small human girl, tiny enough to slip out of her metal foot shackles. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmEmf6ywv_q8jsi2DMiB2YAQzcyz5XxeH41P0rMBC22poPRDO6g5Hh-lfa9ZhZgv6foyxW_B2JDNxY1GXVEvlbqntUYSDppHfEFkTEJ5Q1xSxR4bvAXbOvTp2MLWV21elvmid_qBRfz2y/s843/uc57.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="843" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmEmf6ywv_q8jsi2DMiB2YAQzcyz5XxeH41P0rMBC22poPRDO6g5Hh-lfa9ZhZgv6foyxW_B2JDNxY1GXVEvlbqntUYSDppHfEFkTEJ5Q1xSxR4bvAXbOvTp2MLWV21elvmid_qBRfz2y/w400-h164/uc57.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>She then opens a little metal door in the wall and tells them to follow her. Once in this new tunnel, she turns back into the big guy again, and impatiently urges them to climb a wall. Martia has a small stash of extra furs set aside, which she distributes before they go outside.</p><p>And go outside they do. It's pretty freaking miserable, and Martia still has not fully explained her plan, so Kirk and Bones have no idea what part they play, or why she thinks they fit the bill so nicely for her escape. They make their way to the edge of a frozen waterfall. and up on the E, Uhura finds them on a sensor. They're just outside the magnetic shield.</p><p>Apparently, though, the E is nowhere near Rura Penthe. That's deep inside Klingon space, and Spock tells Chekov that they're going to have to do some fancy footwork to get in that far before Kirk and McCoy freeze to death.</p><p>On the surface, Bones stumbles and tells Kirk to leave him there to die, but Kirk admits that Spock stuck a Lo-Jack on him just before they beamed over to Gorkon's ship, which is why Uhura was able to find them on the sensors so far away. Bones expresses doubt that anyone will come for them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIoW_nkYpOqM1L7JvjZKTGLeFhkZDdkqPYWfUVI2Aed5GZRzYEY40nm9npiKkRAiDPUGIvlYmuMAXjMLfYoyn9hFd_PMQvP95yDTToLN_K9SshyphenhyphenogW_JakC_p8VP5iPUjiznht2ML11Xj/s847/uc58.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="847" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIoW_nkYpOqM1L7JvjZKTGLeFhkZDdkqPYWfUVI2Aed5GZRzYEY40nm9npiKkRAiDPUGIvlYmuMAXjMLfYoyn9hFd_PMQvP95yDTToLN_K9SshyphenhyphenogW_JakC_p8VP5iPUjiznht2ML11Xj/w400-h159/uc58.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Out in BFE Klingon Space, the E has been sighted. Or you know, it's a blip on a radar. They can't see that it's a Federation ship. And the guy running the radar appears to be hung-over. </p><p>He calls the E, but I don't know what he's saying, because the pirated copy of this film has the spottiest subtitles ever, but he's probably just asking them who they are and what they're doing. Basic sentry stuff. When no one answers right away, he's joined by another guy, but I get the feeling like this is a tollbooth in the middle of nowhere, and they either nap or play on their phones all day, because they both seem surprised to be working.</p><p>Back on the E, half a dozen bridge workers are helping Uhura page through hard copies of old-looking books. Chekov provides the exposition to the audience that if they use the universal translators, they'll be spotted quickly. Uhura will have to respond in Klingon specifically. (Before I get notes, reboot Uhura speaks Klingon fluently, but original Uhura does not.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqgo_T8zxcIpJtnC6vo32nYMgk79-poZqeRH_Rlwi5xKfNOdsxyonibPK9T2gQmxNMApEqg4XCts0AtBNIYRzunoRQo82WGMDEzF5SgUllQchvRUmfBHPfRHjU39N4mwya2wEqX4FmxuP/s845/uc59.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="845" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqgo_T8zxcIpJtnC6vo32nYMgk79-poZqeRH_Rlwi5xKfNOdsxyonibPK9T2gQmxNMApEqg4XCts0AtBNIYRzunoRQo82WGMDEzF5SgUllQchvRUmfBHPfRHjU39N4mwya2wEqX4FmxuP/w400-h161/uc59.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>She finally finds what she needs to say in one book, and haltingly tells the sentries that they're the freighter Ursva, and that they're six weeks out from Qo'nos. Her grammar is not good, and the sentries exchange WTH faces. </p><p>The sentries ask where they're going, but it takes Scotty several minutes to figure out what they asked and relay it to his crewmate.</p><p>Her grammar is just as bad in reply:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaQPIfhNKHvr9CO8Vjfi5zBQqMLHuBxZ7ndymKOUXGta21xI9hDFkz_kKwjKSkcMYRIsUl8OunACIIjxOPGX9xwFQs80yG-IAyyn-no3_QXfob0lRz9uXdKD0LfEAQWJLK1gvp4YbxcYL/s839/uc60.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="839" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaQPIfhNKHvr9CO8Vjfi5zBQqMLHuBxZ7ndymKOUXGta21xI9hDFkz_kKwjKSkcMYRIsUl8OunACIIjxOPGX9xwFQs80yG-IAyyn-no3_QXfob0lRz9uXdKD0LfEAQWJLK1gvp4YbxcYL/w400-h163/uc60.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>but gets the message across that they're taking supplies to Rura Penthe.</p><p>"Don't catch any bugs," replies the sentry. They laugh.</p><p>The E crew all look at each other before another crewmember mimes that they should laugh back. </p><p><br /></p><p>Down on the surface, Martia leads the boys into a relatively sheltered area, and strikes some kind of space-flare over what looks like an iced-over campfire. They all warm their hands, and Kirk asks Martia about her shapeshifting trick.</p><p>Her people have the ability, she explains.</p><p>Bones is surprised, because he thought her people were a myth. "How do we know which you is the real you?"</p><p>She melts from the big guy back into the shape we originally saw, which is Iman, with feather hair and yellow eyes. "I picked a pleasing shape."</p><p>Kind of not an answer, but okay.</p><p>And then Kirk just straight-up punches her.</p><p>"What the fuck?" yells Bones.</p><p>"What's the deal?" Kirk yells at Martia. "Where did you get these extra clothes, and that flare?"</p><p>Kirk: If you can't seduce 'em, accuse 'em of conspiring with your captors.</p><p>"I bet that flare is to alert the Klingons where we are," he continues. "What are you getting out of this?"</p><p>"A full pardon," she admits.</p><p>Kirk is correct, because of course he is. Kirk is never wrong, and he always wins the fight. Yawn.</p><p>"It'll look really good when you're killed trying to escape," she says. Then she morphs into Kirk.</p><p>Martia-Kirk knocks out Bones cold. "Surprise!" Interestingly, she has Kirk's voice, even though she's always had her own voice in other shapes.</p><p>Kirk: "I can't believe I kissed you."</p><p>Martia-Kirk: "It must have been your life-long ambition."</p><p>That's... that's a pretty good self-deprecating joke, Star Trek. Oh, right. Leonard Nimoy wrote this script. LOL.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdMImOLc4fdKWXMN43luP_xa2-hyC2QPI4nO-mxQIYT8_pPVufikn4HQyeA2DaSMCakQa1wUOfCPZncqQR4AY2PINQKSlYBYnvFDlGaLcJ2bzVU8aszwsuBcy98gLfQAfXB60i_dJgwNC/s847/uc61.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="847" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdMImOLc4fdKWXMN43luP_xa2-hyC2QPI4nO-mxQIYT8_pPVufikn4HQyeA2DaSMCakQa1wUOfCPZncqQR4AY2PINQKSlYBYnvFDlGaLcJ2bzVU8aszwsuBcy98gLfQAfXB60i_dJgwNC/w400-h161/uc61.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>They fight.</p><p>I have three thoughts here:</p><p>1) I never remember this film, because I always fall asleep at the beginning, and I always wake up when Kirk is fighting himself. Every time.</p><p>2) This is absolutely Kirk's wet dream.</p><p>and 3)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0i-GBGmoZJaP1rfQneyYgal38mUZnWGeG16BChtEY4t_W3wImvk_knuYA-Er9Bb5j0JK4XEGqcDZoLjeGos8hvaFzUbCX2lE7Z2iWbvXmnDHbCQ1ukNQrqbpwgFcrj8qjHqtZAZkzSaO/s751/applebees+parking+lot.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="751" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0i-GBGmoZJaP1rfQneyYgal38mUZnWGeG16BChtEY4t_W3wImvk_knuYA-Er9Bb5j0JK4XEGqcDZoLjeGos8hvaFzUbCX2lE7Z2iWbvXmnDHbCQ1ukNQrqbpwgFcrj8qjHqtZAZkzSaO/w400-h88/applebees+parking+lot.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Also, it appears that Bones was carefully laid out in an angel position here, yet I can find nothing written about it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenwG7xV6mM0YzVrtPRsXI9cupsYUaQEvS30hVq_f08-blTxQN3u3a_3SwaosvlYcyUzyVe_IQXRByg6iEzeflPXie-TF6IYvXwRDd2w0TeJGs2lwO2bja64Voyrcwrf5oegG6q6HtppyL/s842/angel.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="842" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenwG7xV6mM0YzVrtPRsXI9cupsYUaQEvS30hVq_f08-blTxQN3u3a_3SwaosvlYcyUzyVe_IQXRByg6iEzeflPXie-TF6IYvXwRDd2w0TeJGs2lwO2bja64Voyrcwrf5oegG6q6HtppyL/w400-h173/angel.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The fight ends quickly when the Klingons show up, and we briefly get one of those "don't kill me, kill him!" moments. It feels like this situation shouldn't come up as often as it does, but that it actually comes up enough to be considered a trope.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRT7eZR0B-xRcx0eQUAnzkB6n-2hpyPfAAj-lfQA85jZNom0HifobYZFPYNuDtuc7WFNZgUPkD14Upqezc0V2twVLvkAzoAxB8EbFxH795GZ7nSq8Az6HfIQ3QyIeL_KN-eOYU72JjYve/s847/uc62.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="847" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRT7eZR0B-xRcx0eQUAnzkB6n-2hpyPfAAj-lfQA85jZNom0HifobYZFPYNuDtuc7WFNZgUPkD14Upqezc0V2twVLvkAzoAxB8EbFxH795GZ7nSq8Az6HfIQ3QyIeL_KN-eOYU72JjYve/w400-h160/uc62.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Anyway, the Klingons fry Martia (though we don't know why they knew who to pick - maybe it didn't matter?). "No witnesses."</p><p>And now, another trope:</p><p>Kirk: "Tell us who wants us dead!"</p><p>Warden: "Why not? You're all going to die, anyway. His name is -"</p><p>And then Kirk and Bones are beamed onto the E.</p><p>The Klingons fire into the space where they were beamed from, but they're gone.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlVCtgFcgBq7GmRY2GUTE_66UZRmCzqORZwbZGTVlpyB80qg8BfW0xtO79226g43nlbDYdYqmFnQKLUF0DSWLGB1__zDPQWCO7fgUKLsPzwf_TolhRXewC_t8WSc9yvum1RsoLSeZxo7c/s844/uc63.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="844" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlVCtgFcgBq7GmRY2GUTE_66UZRmCzqORZwbZGTVlpyB80qg8BfW0xtO79226g43nlbDYdYqmFnQKLUF0DSWLGB1__zDPQWCO7fgUKLsPzwf_TolhRXewC_t8WSc9yvum1RsoLSeZxo7c/w400-h161/uc63.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Kirk gets off of the pad swearing, demanding to know why Spock couldn't have waited another few seconds.</p><p>"You wanna go back?" asks Scotty.</p><p>"Fuck no," replies Bones.</p><p><br /></p><p>Later, Scotty is hanging out in the Obs Lounge by himself, looking over some schematics, when he hears a vent rattling nearby. Taking the vent screen off, he finds two sets of white uniforms covered in Klingon blood.</p><p><br /></p><p>Elsewhere, Chang finds out that Kirk and Bones have escaped. And that's all I could glean from that mostly-unsubbed scene. His ship flies off.</p><p><br /></p><p>Kirk, Spock, Bones, and Chekov are walking through the corridors, catching each other up on things: the Klingons are able to fire torpedoes from a cloaked Bird of Prey, but Spock thinks the assassins are on the E. Kirk asks if the peace conference is still on, but Chekov reveals that the time and location is secret. Scotty, presumably having run the length and breadth of the ship, bursts right into their space with the uniforms. Before they can say anything, the door in front of them whooshes open, exposing two crewman bodies on the floor. It's those guys who were on duty in the transporter room and made a bunch of racist comments when the Klingon delegation beamed back to their ship.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeICVTUR7RvbpkkiNtlb1XLIBS7Nf9nl6PUgPBA-JS7rerYvmSxbg1es5UzjDvTd0pAq3LQFmovcAWmxg_UzrBkvFXN_4X-Ou455og3xvwMK2lRdzmQNZGZhnzN0UjSgZ_7twCN6JfxB3/s1600/clue-movie_1516837817.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeICVTUR7RvbpkkiNtlb1XLIBS7Nf9nl6PUgPBA-JS7rerYvmSxbg1es5UzjDvTd0pAq3LQFmovcAWmxg_UzrBkvFXN_4X-Ou455og3xvwMK2lRdzmQNZGZhnzN0UjSgZ_7twCN6JfxB3/w400-h225/clue-movie_1516837817.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0cog-n9JirWonVnudSYwlrV732KqsY5ukJDlJIDxriH71Onyzmk-9EMl4clA3u-ZWmQII8vA2o3PkAhmB9vYuSBdIAoLZLtwBhfzmkeQQ99mx3TqCkrI1YNrNrSOP2jqzBbW8tqzptg5/s846/uc64.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="846" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0cog-n9JirWonVnudSYwlrV732KqsY5ukJDlJIDxriH71Onyzmk-9EMl4clA3u-ZWmQII8vA2o3PkAhmB9vYuSBdIAoLZLtwBhfzmkeQQ99mx3TqCkrI1YNrNrSOP2jqzBbW8tqzptg5/w400-h161/uc64.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVKK6ppytYH6yP0V6lzkkD0UyUakUARQK6QhaYbBHrJPOFLSL2zYqe7n10BHzpWop9CKkT-d5PwSXe615tm_eJc1iINm8U9gfInH4jF3AonEQWoG6bMclErFEgUFnKpR4911A9xMamcS9/s754/uc65.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="754" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVKK6ppytYH6yP0V6lzkkD0UyUakUARQK6QhaYbBHrJPOFLSL2zYqe7n10BHzpWop9CKkT-d5PwSXe615tm_eJc1iINm8U9gfInH4jF3AonEQWoG6bMclErFEgUFnKpR4911A9xMamcS9/w400-h199/uc65.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Bones rushes forward to check the bodies and determines that they were hit with a phaser on stun at close range. Scotty confirms that he uniforms he found belonged to these men, Burke and Samno.</p><p>"First rule of assassination, " says Kirk, "is to assassinate the assassins."</p><p>He and Spock step off to whisper in a corner together.</p><p>"Why weren't they vaporized?" asks Bones.</p><p>"It would set off the alarm," Chekov replies.</p><p><br /></p><p>So they set a trap.</p><p>Over the PA, Uhura requests that a court reporter come to sick bay to take statements from Yeomen Burke and Samno.</p><p>Someone walks carefully into a darkened sick bay, there to kill off the yeomen they thought they had killed before. Two bodies, covered in ship blankets, are lying on biobeds. When the person approaches one body, the body reaches up and turns on the light.</p><p>It is Spock.</p><p>And the person with the phaser is... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BKkZfS7jpNDwZu-62rymApSumyqO67YQb7HR-dctLWUNjzHGg0Id55lemQtG_uKe7M-rkuXdMAURPwlMf9U9COrumgiiOoTn-dMmUjQLxbbnGt0RpzU69rI_IRUW7QoCVf71PYhQJKM2/s748/uc66.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="748" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BKkZfS7jpNDwZu-62rymApSumyqO67YQb7HR-dctLWUNjzHGg0Id55lemQtG_uKe7M-rkuXdMAURPwlMf9U9COrumgiiOoTn-dMmUjQLxbbnGt0RpzU69rI_IRUW7QoCVf71PYhQJKM2/w400-h205/uc66.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>"Logically, you have to shoot me," Spock tells her.</p><p>"I'd rather not shoot you," she falters.</p><p>"Yeah, I'd rather you didn't as well," says Kirk, springing from the other bed.</p><p>Spock knocks her phaser across the room.</p><p>Bones steps from the shadows. "I think we're done here."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXXfr1ihimuK8OQvr5Kcq203u4VCmgwYhOL98xK69Tu39hs2mjMlqFxZPlhT5DdUGgbr6bg49OhY6Fk8ZWJSat1KDvBT-bijXw3nHJ-oDEEzF1TYic4OXqGWirgteb7HMuQr-o3eYgmnL/s844/uc67.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="844" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXXfr1ihimuK8OQvr5Kcq203u4VCmgwYhOL98xK69Tu39hs2mjMlqFxZPlhT5DdUGgbr6bg49OhY6Fk8ZWJSat1KDvBT-bijXw3nHJ-oDEEzF1TYic4OXqGWirgteb7HMuQr-o3eYgmnL/w400-h163/uc67.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>They interrogate her on the bridge, with a full crew complement watching. Valeris is defiant, telling Spock that she tried to warn him at the beginning of the voyage, and that she isn't the one who betrayed the Federation, that it was them.</p><p>Honey, did you just try to gaslight the Enterprise crew?</p><p>She monologues about how Klingons are untrustworthy, and how Kirk believes that they should die, and how trustworthy can they be, if they conspired to kill their own chancellor?</p><p>"Who is "we"?" asks Spock.</p><p>"Everyone who stands to lose something from peace."</p><p>"GIVE US THEIR NAMES," he replies, annoyed.</p><p>"I don't remember," she answers, and turns her back to the lot of them.</p><p>Nope. Not what Spock wanted to hear. He walks up to her and spins her roughly around to face him. Then he forces her into a non-consensual mind meld, and I'm sure you know how I feel about that shit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNroG1NZlc6ofuuCfJV4Uu10dDHUoa8SNkizpI_Gpb36lW-CFTUHWW855t2N8RW1rrrzpp3pJ4675IMdbH9brN6xce2ARCoTHXbZGYAOede2l11UXO3qb37VS9PptaBrNxFWjmZrR8h6m-/s848/uc68.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="848" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNroG1NZlc6ofuuCfJV4Uu10dDHUoa8SNkizpI_Gpb36lW-CFTUHWW855t2N8RW1rrrzpp3pJ4675IMdbH9brN6xce2ARCoTHXbZGYAOede2l11UXO3qb37VS9PptaBrNxFWjmZrR8h6m-/w400-h165/uc68.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>They say the names out loud together, as they are uncovered:</p><p>"Admiral Cartwright."</p><p>No surprise there.</p><p>"General Chang."</p><p>Shocker. </p><p>"The Romulan Ambassador, Nanclus."</p><p>Wow, didn't see that coming.</p><p>"Where is the peace conference?" asks Kirk.</p><p>Spock does a two-handed meld, and Valeris starts screaming and crying, and seriously Star Trek, this is really not okay.</p><p>After a moment, Spock lets go: she doesn't know.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrI_B24FpVg1g8Pd0qw60feafFFRUoHlJNkok0nt7hvErpHX_OgZpJexoEpVxvK9xfKNN5tqBFKuMgzfV_JBx3gwy3o3kA939ohmR18LLO_sttHtnfQqu1WTOFlHbLsZPR2d76on9XW8_/s745/uc69.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="745" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrI_B24FpVg1g8Pd0qw60feafFFRUoHlJNkok0nt7hvErpHX_OgZpJexoEpVxvK9xfKNN5tqBFKuMgzfV_JBx3gwy3o3kA939ohmR18LLO_sttHtnfQqu1WTOFlHbLsZPR2d76on9XW8_/w400-h203/uc69.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>They decide that the Excelsior probably knows, and surprise! they do. They call Sulu.</p><p>"You realize even talking to me could get you into trouble?" Kirk asks Sulu.</p><p>"Sorry, communications are breaking up?" Sulu replies. "Anyway, the conference is at Camp Khitomer, near the Romulan border. It starts today."</p><p>"We're kind of screwed," Kirk tells him. "They have a cloaked Bird of Prey that can fire weapons. Think they're gonna try another assassination."</p><p>"How many like that?" asks Sulu.</p><p>Kirk prods Valeris, and she admits that it's just a prototype.</p><p>"I can rush," Sulu warns, "but I probably can't get there in time."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKec01DFzOf4vVzbN71B3FHoKTGa1bzLgAQWSmJnguFNzq8ZPtqcXbZisCvQYFOjkq1bT0CW5j2DoBvreA1gGmJSNbVevt4jfOhH94vji6USWwwAcOc99uMKFRtJzjHJu0v6ONPFIlOrVI/s842/uc70.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="842" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKec01DFzOf4vVzbN71B3FHoKTGa1bzLgAQWSmJnguFNzq8ZPtqcXbZisCvQYFOjkq1bT0CW5j2DoBvreA1gGmJSNbVevt4jfOhH94vji6USWwwAcOc99uMKFRtJzjHJu0v6ONPFIlOrVI/w400-h163/uc70.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Later, Kirk goes to Spock's quarters. They talk about their own prejudices - Kirk wasn't willing to give the Klingons a chance because of David's death; Spock trusted Valeris based on her accomplishments as a Vulcan.</p><p>"Have we outlived our usefulness?" Spock asks.</p><p>"I think everyone's a little human," jokes Kirk.</p><p>Hmmmmm.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN2W2jEPlq14bbtUJJVBcJRfUe7tqylpd8Eh4PEVEex2K1noqkfvZHVZWQHaPrXoLuD2f61ULPu739MMQLp2BpEzKmZTV4-GHj35UdpzL8DGtTIRS750gzj901LqKA6x7Iv9iyD6iehb6/s744/uc72.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="744" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN2W2jEPlq14bbtUJJVBcJRfUe7tqylpd8Eh4PEVEex2K1noqkfvZHVZWQHaPrXoLuD2f61ULPu739MMQLp2BpEzKmZTV4-GHj35UdpzL8DGtTIRS750gzj901LqKA6x7Iv9iyD6iehb6/w400-h204/uc72.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Camp Khitomer is actually pretty cool-looking. I wonder how much of that is matte painting?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwWKnYP4s-Uk1ojsEkZkDFldj5SQJCWJHKGFVom72Nwj5WXBoDww3nJA1L0d2K-PYeom_8Z7hZAQ5KNE8HryTOcEiRVZI7g623s9vn_N_whm9kchXMgxn67MLHZ_T5FUUG8HOkcASW5x9/s847/uc71.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="847" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwWKnYP4s-Uk1ojsEkZkDFldj5SQJCWJHKGFVom72Nwj5WXBoDww3nJA1L0d2K-PYeom_8Z7hZAQ5KNE8HryTOcEiRVZI7g623s9vn_N_whm9kchXMgxn67MLHZ_T5FUUG8HOkcASW5x9/w400-h169/uc71.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The Federation president opens the peace conference. Azetbur is there, as is Cartwright, who eyes some triangular decoration on the wall.</p><p>A Bird of Prey, now known to be Chang's ship, and also the prototype that can fire weapons while cloaked, rushes toward Khitomer. The Enterprise does as well.</p><p>We see a lot of very nervous crewmembers on board the Enterprise. They won't know if they've found the cloaked ship until there's a radiation burst, and by that point, it'll be too late. </p><p>They arrive at Camp Khitomer. No Bird of Prey in sight.</p><p>"Heeeey, Kirk," comes Chang's voice over the comm system. "I can see you, can you see me?"</p><p>Uhura starts hitting buttons frantically, trying to pinpoint where the voice is coming from.</p><p>"This is how it should be, right?" Chang continues. "We can't be friends, we're enemies. We should keep being enemies."</p><p>The Bird of Prey fires on the E, which rocks in space.</p><p>Kirk orders the E to back up. And there's a pause.</p><p>"What's he doing?" asks Kirk.</p><p>"Trying to figure out why you backed up," Spock guesses.</p><p>The Bird of Prey fires again.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSlQFnsDiE98KN5BzsTAYA-NgOlVBwxNQmsYOuWTx2HM76pXzJhcsVVOTAx3-IMiP2_q2opMRgvptxo-oGq7q9NZX7fq3QJWFA2Sc_Zb3Co6rE6MJPha3I2QPf-TKqi6Kpl-Jm8dCQ1Bi/s844/uc73.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="844" height="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSlQFnsDiE98KN5BzsTAYA-NgOlVBwxNQmsYOuWTx2HM76pXzJhcsVVOTAx3-IMiP2_q2opMRgvptxo-oGq7q9NZX7fq3QJWFA2Sc_Zb3Co6rE6MJPha3I2QPf-TKqi6Kpl-Jm8dCQ1Bi/w400-h0/uc73.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMj6Koa4Qttd1mZum2IXXjhdw6mlp3GiFev5J5xtbFt0zOwZfovhA8Lori5IHSkg5jN7a6ijKok93aBFaI-QEVU3m3hBMTaNKvq3ImgWR_EBXkdJPcChW9Ki5uoAGXx0Vmq6M13l1xbQub/s844/uc73.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="844" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMj6Koa4Qttd1mZum2IXXjhdw6mlp3GiFev5J5xtbFt0zOwZfovhA8Lori5IHSkg5jN7a6ijKok93aBFaI-QEVU3m3hBMTaNKvq3ImgWR_EBXkdJPcChW9Ki5uoAGXx0Vmq6M13l1xbQub/w400-h163/uc73.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>At the conference, Cartwright is sweating bullets. Like, enough that it's noticeable. And he keeps looking at that triangular wall decoration. I know we need to make it obvious that an assassination is about to go down, but this is a secret conference, and it was made secret after an assassination. They should have hella security, and that security should be watching Cartwright at this point. He's like, TOO nervous.</p><p>Azetbur has taken the president's place at the podium, and speaking of her father's legacy. Another Klingon looks around, then gets up and walks down a corridor holding a suitcase of some kind. Do they not even have "security theater" here, where it looks like they have hella security, but it's largely ineffective? Why is this guy allowed to just walk around with a mysterious case at a tenuous peace conference?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMoY2eQMR62k_rfOh230aNm9n1_pdmJJG6NEKm_MXtzcDE1OPlitsHzU-SRtBMitmZZL7nUNCVaAm7WTkoAHNZ1GShbL4WtWP1BkLfn_Tnu5dOq_FoIZq3TT23rK88OX5Kmzn9mv3HiVo/s839/uc74.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="839" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMoY2eQMR62k_rfOh230aNm9n1_pdmJJG6NEKm_MXtzcDE1OPlitsHzU-SRtBMitmZZL7nUNCVaAm7WTkoAHNZ1GShbL4WtWP1BkLfn_Tnu5dOq_FoIZq3TT23rK88OX5Kmzn9mv3HiVo/w400-h161/uc74.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The Bird of Prey fires again. The E is not doing very well in this fight. Explosions go off under the stations on the bridge, and the senior officers try to determine how to find a black cat in the dark.</p><p>"It runs on fuel," suggests Spock.</p><p>"Maybe it has a tailpipe," says Uhura. "We are carrying a bunch of science equipment meant to experiment in gaseous anomalies." </p><p>"You wanna help me do surgery on a torpedo?" Spock asks Bones.</p><p>They hurry off to the torpedo bays.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZUDuuyUvUlK0w8DQ898RxyLr1qaLMlWJSnbc48irjtYXfbENYPiOuztx5GREhOMjKWbj1mGFe3HKpcGy-NRIU2aRF6KZlYmPpObC9Yquw41ojSZvvGILJoGLGPcTSOKT57jaAnu8r3Ig/s842/uc75.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="842" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZUDuuyUvUlK0w8DQ898RxyLr1qaLMlWJSnbc48irjtYXfbENYPiOuztx5GREhOMjKWbj1mGFe3HKpcGy-NRIU2aRF6KZlYmPpObC9Yquw41ojSZvvGILJoGLGPcTSOKT57jaAnu8r3Ig/w400-h166/uc75.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>At the peace conference, the Klingon with the case has gone somewhere where there is a pane of frosted glass between himself and the conference. He cuts a hole in the glass and can see the conference inside the room. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Excelsior arrives at the side of the limping Enterprise, which amuses Chang. He blows a hole in that ship, then another straight through the hull of the Enterprise. The whole time, he's quoting Shakespeare over the PA system. These scenes are spliced together with the Klingon at the peace conference assembling some kind of weapon, and Bones and Spock reconfiguring a torpedo.</p><p>"I'd pay him actual money to shut the hell up," Bones says of Chang quoting Shakespeare.</p><p>They load the torpedo and fire it.</p><p>On his viewscreen, Chang watches the torpedo seek out the general area of the "tailpipe" of the Bird of Prey. When it goes off, it lights up the ship like a fucking Christmas tree. And our two Federation ships simply fire on it like Space Invaders until it blows up.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrESwM_Di9B6u5bOQwQboKOiQT3bXbBtitkXMWGkTwcuRpz51A9a2ZfwEEhCaQ0PMjZ2E_JtjK8ppIGsUOqSIwzYb2g3L6W7N9D6MxE0Hj0hZjLvw1U4D4pzaHeHpUMNYuEbfRk7tUyb-V/s850/uc76.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="850" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrESwM_Di9B6u5bOQwQboKOiQT3bXbBtitkXMWGkTwcuRpz51A9a2ZfwEEhCaQ0PMjZ2E_JtjK8ppIGsUOqSIwzYb2g3L6W7N9D6MxE0Hj0hZjLvw1U4D4pzaHeHpUMNYuEbfRk7tUyb-V/w400-h164/uc76.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53NqRm6FK271UXj7JlTOdETDAM_R0PzsXq_tmxwPquHq5DP338zaYnrjVS_8vnOhplchBmJ1FBSNhpEdlbL3rCPxMuRCNmebL5WJMgduuQlP1csI9h7Mo8F-X9k_QIJXnIYs3oljIbD4P/s848/uc77.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="848" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53NqRm6FK271UXj7JlTOdETDAM_R0PzsXq_tmxwPquHq5DP338zaYnrjVS_8vnOhplchBmJ1FBSNhpEdlbL3rCPxMuRCNmebL5WJMgduuQlP1csI9h7Mo8F-X9k_QIJXnIYs3oljIbD4P/w400-h161/uc77.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The Klingon assassin lines up his shit through the hole in the glass. He's going for the Federation president, who is at the podium speaking again.</p><p>The Enterprise OG crew beam into the back of the conference room. Kirk sends Scotty to find the assassin, and then, lacking all chill, they force their way into the peace conference, yelling. The assassin fires. Kirk dives for the president and takes him down.</p><p>"Kirk, Enterprise," he says. (I wonder if he meant to beam the president up just then, but he didn't. So I don't know why he yelled that. Is... is he introducing himself?)</p><p>Klingons surround Azetbur. We see through the assassin's scope that he's looking for a new target, but the key people to kill are being locked up tight among others. Bones grabs Nanclus, holding him at phaser-point.</p><p>Cartwright steps forward. "Arrest them!"</p><p>"Arrest yourself," comes Spock's voice. He steps forward with Valeris in tow. "We have a full confession."</p><p>Upstairs, Scotty has found the Klingon assassin. What's the best way to keep him from shooting someone? Why, get a running start, and push him through the glass, that's how. Dude explodes out of the front of that triangular decoration on the wall and hits the floor like a Hefty bag full of soup. Cartwright takes the brief pause in his being accused of conspiracy to turn and run.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3g9kvfPJY_nLqlcyRxkgFXx778lwHGSLfja3QOgBd5422eKSCFZ_xbyDmgHJ5GAYbu7JXizW0ScyxWzu4_a7m2yjeAooivXuX78eOHEENDZNE6jL_dmUanCRcwinZesV8f2-F3MRkZm-/s846/uc78.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="846" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3g9kvfPJY_nLqlcyRxkgFXx778lwHGSLfja3QOgBd5422eKSCFZ_xbyDmgHJ5GAYbu7JXizW0ScyxWzu4_a7m2yjeAooivXuX78eOHEENDZNE6jL_dmUanCRcwinZesV8f2-F3MRkZm-/w400-h161/uc78.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>But look who's beamed in just now, right in front of Cartwright?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_w3RZf5NXdH88-4mBx-8a-JtVB1TvxLBYqi2pw4rritpL8u8XwmeGySe7ogHMC2d8vlDC_KfZo6wmVs6q2lUV0LpDoUUWhXfqJBuMsm5o2hjtKUggmi9XoiqzWQQh3wqAdns2FlLJdMlS/s850/uc79.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="850" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_w3RZf5NXdH88-4mBx-8a-JtVB1TvxLBYqi2pw4rritpL8u8XwmeGySe7ogHMC2d8vlDC_KfZo6wmVs6q2lUV0LpDoUUWhXfqJBuMsm5o2hjtKUggmi9XoiqzWQQh3wqAdns2FlLJdMlS/w400-h161/uc79.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Azetbur pushes through her guards. "What the absolute fuck?"</p><p>Kirk gets off the president. "Some people are really, really afraid of change."</p><p>Which is... true, but not an actual explanation of what just happened.</p><p>Azetbur looks around and smiles at Kirk. "You've restored my father's faith."</p><p>"And you've restored my son's," he replies.</p><p>Did... did I miss something? David had faith that was taken away? To my recollection, his main encounter with Klingons was when they tried to take Project Genesis, and he admitted that it was no good. Then they killed him to get what they thought would be a good weapon.</p><p>Did Kirk just say that because it sounds like it ties things up nicely?</p><p>Then, I shit you not, everyone claps. And several members of the OG Enterprise crew step forward with him on the dais. Where the fuck is Cartwright if Sulu is standing next to Kirk?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr6IpKQhVra-_65gnzw53MOYRQ9pPrR-9MUHzvLHUgqj8bPGupQ_H6sUyQ9DOtsQUwvSUTU0zjW40aMHnZRyKh1EvOuiHZcRPTgQ8pM7U4Wc6TuD0v3THNguyi9ghh7F7YMDUEE4KLeIf/s847/uc80.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="847" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr6IpKQhVra-_65gnzw53MOYRQ9pPrR-9MUHzvLHUgqj8bPGupQ_H6sUyQ9DOtsQUwvSUTU0zjW40aMHnZRyKh1EvOuiHZcRPTgQ8pM7U4Wc6TuD0v3THNguyi9ghh7F7YMDUEE4KLeIf/w400-h163/uc80.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The OG crew goes back to the bridge of the E, talking about how they saved civilization again, but the good news is, they aren't being arrested or charged.</p><p>Sulu and the Excelsior call to exchange goodbyes. Kirk thanks Sulu for his help, and the ships part ways.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoEa1ovQfY_jbDxwMSkdOA-Q9PPBxnWg1rfzan49Cvd9oNgvw609EbDRebypSvXcqohQ_1mgWKyGV2KOGR1xRnhn2zNdbqHJ6unI7Z6H6fhov2rDVhT2YIvvEUYQr4wLIm4Nq53Y5YIkL/s843/uc81.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="843" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoEa1ovQfY_jbDxwMSkdOA-Q9PPBxnWg1rfzan49Cvd9oNgvw609EbDRebypSvXcqohQ_1mgWKyGV2KOGR1xRnhn2zNdbqHJ6unI7Z6H6fhov2rDVhT2YIvvEUYQr4wLIm4Nq53Y5YIkL/w400-h166/uc81.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>"So this is goodbye," says Chekov.</p><p>Uhura turns from her station, and tells the others that they've been ordered back to space dock immediately... to be decommissioned.</p><p>Everyone pauses, and I know that I should be all emotional here, but... they're due for retirement in three months. And their ship is a hot mess. There are actual, physical holes in their hull. They're going to have to limp home as it is.</p><p>"If I were a human, I would say <i>go to hell,</i>" remarks Spock.</p><p>Chekov, knowing they can't just hang out here, asks for a heading.</p><p>"Second star to the right, and straight on til morning," Kirk smiles.</p><p>Okay, trading the Bard for Barrie. And who knows what the hell Chekov types in, because what Kirk just told him is not a location.</p><p>The TOS cast gathers for a tableau, with the helmsman seat left empty to signify Sulu. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoBqpt0NkyqEelQuz2wuTfnINpMaG-KieWM6qe429LfqPLmkHTNcWwyH-4CCZN-yyNokSOu0qsWmxNJWblXVcBSns-Pt0DLe23iTBl0QEVO77rY2O8UymCX9rmCuxPV6oa_NaoC7ai9lX/s847/uc82.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="847" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoBqpt0NkyqEelQuz2wuTfnINpMaG-KieWM6qe429LfqPLmkHTNcWwyH-4CCZN-yyNokSOu0qsWmxNJWblXVcBSns-Pt0DLe23iTBl0QEVO77rY2O8UymCX9rmCuxPV6oa_NaoC7ai9lX/w400-h160/uc82.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Kirk's Log 9529.1: "This is the final voyage for the Enterprise under my command. Others will take our place and our legacy and go where no man - and no one - has gone before."</p><p>The Enterprise flies off toward a star, and the end credits music plays while the cast's signatures appear one by one on screen.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NZ0vC7sWh-EbpMX78fPMLa6mhyphenhyphenOxO3qNA69VSHxJbBvgyjs6vfjDUNPTJxdnfqCpyoC0kE6WsGExMl5xQx2Mi2MPYDQDOtqYLKOFJR96y-WNfpqB5k38o0gaBrgKTiipu6ZYD_ZksFP7/s842/uc83.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="842" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NZ0vC7sWh-EbpMX78fPMLa6mhyphenhyphenOxO3qNA69VSHxJbBvgyjs6vfjDUNPTJxdnfqCpyoC0kE6WsGExMl5xQx2Mi2MPYDQDOtqYLKOFJR96y-WNfpqB5k38o0gaBrgKTiipu6ZYD_ZksFP7/w400-h165/uc83.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFz6sfXvneIRlvZXowK0NnqoigvENAMlErtQuLYQxMke2C8zGE6gWOxk9KjkWq0dbgM0nsI2pQxiDj4xyYRkATiNyCgnLIfgKds6xkgnaJkaJQWnZ_4Uubso5pqLREkSVXkzbheOjfGYk/s1249/DeForest+Kelley.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="1249" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFz6sfXvneIRlvZXowK0NnqoigvENAMlErtQuLYQxMke2C8zGE6gWOxk9KjkWq0dbgM0nsI2pQxiDj4xyYRkATiNyCgnLIfgKds6xkgnaJkaJQWnZ_4Uubso5pqLREkSVXkzbheOjfGYk/w400-h170/DeForest+Kelley.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73Rfeekfn0531TSjOddMQzk5lB6E9Kd1azXxA5APGlM7rUJE5ScXp7FMvS9bdZRerW8YPRu-YW4o2Tf6qICSPz6r4WvdWiGU3OwQujU4sb3fojtRJ9clSaR2_Qs5YcsO01zI1Be8_7-wk/s1244/george+takei.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="1244" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73Rfeekfn0531TSjOddMQzk5lB6E9Kd1azXxA5APGlM7rUJE5ScXp7FMvS9bdZRerW8YPRu-YW4o2Tf6qICSPz6r4WvdWiGU3OwQujU4sb3fojtRJ9clSaR2_Qs5YcsO01zI1Be8_7-wk/w400-h169/george+takei.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD6XxyX3zGHusUMRPgn8Y73RQmpKMrGKC8oDVZXj0zXSurlLXkEFfZRk-ZLTwnQUr5tiJQD3cxbfCIM9dlnJvaY0jPXjmbxWPb3Xocf-3uBgpyKdDsYZKmaXdsEDFbnZPb0UG2BuhHtOP/s1251/JImmy+Doohan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="1251" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD6XxyX3zGHusUMRPgn8Y73RQmpKMrGKC8oDVZXj0zXSurlLXkEFfZRk-ZLTwnQUr5tiJQD3cxbfCIM9dlnJvaY0jPXjmbxWPb3Xocf-3uBgpyKdDsYZKmaXdsEDFbnZPb0UG2BuhHtOP/w400-h169/JImmy+Doohan.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSFWbl4AGd65lvDuAApS4xoo1k_7Z_oXAjgFzwupSSLzaGagRPRo5jOl2JwZpExc2eQq087VVZesVx1TQ799Bz_AazanD3q5SKu9LNRFxGAIOFZ9Z6Jw4jv5lGQHzZv8cqMsx6TqzoH-0/s1249/Leonard+Nimoy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="1249" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSFWbl4AGd65lvDuAApS4xoo1k_7Z_oXAjgFzwupSSLzaGagRPRo5jOl2JwZpExc2eQq087VVZesVx1TQ799Bz_AazanD3q5SKu9LNRFxGAIOFZ9Z6Jw4jv5lGQHzZv8cqMsx6TqzoH-0/w400-h169/Leonard+Nimoy.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvXDQHutIa7WFbRwYFniZ4BWC58u8cIR0ChA7H9nn-kyY07Jr6nJA3C9XeWFYPj3zK5nj_SHeJCZ6IVVTMRxBvCMgFMjDKwYDzdqu5u8em-Wj-23Td2lvoGPaXUJKO5OrwHWjlbjK-UXc/s1245/Nichelle+Nichols.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="1245" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvXDQHutIa7WFbRwYFniZ4BWC58u8cIR0ChA7H9nn-kyY07Jr6nJA3C9XeWFYPj3zK5nj_SHeJCZ6IVVTMRxBvCMgFMjDKwYDzdqu5u8em-Wj-23Td2lvoGPaXUJKO5OrwHWjlbjK-UXc/w400-h170/Nichelle+Nichols.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0O4zwf9uDff8vZgxmw_gFzFrfKCpibSUr_tgzQWkEc-hs1tIRMeyh3QIROZunAI5YvjMKw-sN1b5gCKdPCTeOGbl2Kq9jSwQ0xyrpLQiXS598rU3_cde5CzWKwq12tmc0aavQE3o6nAlR/s1252/Walter+koenig.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="1252" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0O4zwf9uDff8vZgxmw_gFzFrfKCpibSUr_tgzQWkEc-hs1tIRMeyh3QIROZunAI5YvjMKw-sN1b5gCKdPCTeOGbl2Kq9jSwQ0xyrpLQiXS598rU3_cde5CzWKwq12tmc0aavQE3o6nAlR/w400-h169/Walter+koenig.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dlmb9wZARKgre_zNHrziICZJbQQeDO83j_Z9H8kEx0pM9IMayqu_yQE3Myd7amIjCIoLG9SWVF4AHGFeDFCk_6fBLC0TMYF9vhKRUZ6oy5PSk8F3nm_EgCLDQSR56pWIK5av357hlS-X/s1250/William+Shatner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="1250" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dlmb9wZARKgre_zNHrziICZJbQQeDO83j_Z9H8kEx0pM9IMayqu_yQE3Myd7amIjCIoLG9SWVF4AHGFeDFCk_6fBLC0TMYF9vhKRUZ6oy5PSk8F3nm_EgCLDQSR56pWIK5av357hlS-X/w400-h170/William+Shatner.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">*******</p><p style="text-align: left;">Okay, so that's out last voyage with the full original cast. We'll see a few later on in cameos, but no more together. It's one last goodbye, but not a passing of the baton, which will come in the next film. Though it doesn't appear that they were necessarily working on Generations during the filming of movie 6, it seemed that Paramount had always intended movie 7 to be a baton-passing situation. Of the TOS cast, only Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov will appear in Generations.</p><p style="text-align: left;">And this film is pretty good. It holds up to the overall opinion that the even-numbered Star trek movies are the best ones, and if I'm going to put them order of which ones I enjoyed the most, I'd rank my favorite as The One With the Whales first, followed by Wrath of Khan next, and Undiscovered Country third. What can I say, I love that goofy-ass movie 4. It has the world's stupidest premise, but they made it work for them. But the things that I loved so well about WoK and Undiscovered Country were missing in movie 4: that of Kirk having to come to terms with himself. He's older, and his brash cowboy diplomacy doesn't work very well in a world that is less uncharted wilderness, and more suburban.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I do believe that Gene Rod being upset that this film is racist is correct... but it's necessary. People are trash. They just are. Sometimes, it's for shitty reasons, and sometimes it's for emotional reasons, but it exists. Roddenberry's dream of a world where there is no interpersonal conflict or money, or religion or racism sounds great, but that's not who we are. We're messy, and we do shitty things for shitty reasons. It honestly makes no sense for Kirk to be perfectly fine being buddies with the Klingons just because they said "okay, truce, we're broke." Kirk did not like Klingons from the outset, and certainly not after killing David. I know I give him a lot of shit for being broken up over the death of a guy he barely knew, but in truth, the thing he's most likely struggling with here is the loss of What Could Have Been. We've all experienced that. You feel robbed of the potential of something, even if it would have turned out badly.</p><p>They saying goes that you become more conservative as you become older, but I don't think that's true. I think that as we get older, we become tired of keeping up with things. We get complacent, and at some point, the decision is made to draw a line in the sand: "I'm not going to bother learning anything new beyond this point. Things are fine the way they are." Kirk believed that his attitude toward Klingons was just fine. He didn't like them, and blamed them all for David's death. Here, he is a bit behind Azetbur, who doesn't love the thought of peace with the Federation, but is smart enough to know that blaming the entire organization for Gorkon's death would not be wise. Once Kirk finally realizes that he is not only getting in his own way, but that of history, he is on the right track. He still needs to take action however, and I feel like as a species, we are still trying to figure out that we are getting in our own way before we too can make strides forward. We still struggle so much with Us vs Them, that we fail to see that there is no Them, only Us.</p><p>Characters I Really Liked:</p><p>Gorkon - Honestly, I think he already liked humans before this situation. He seemed several steps ahead of his countrymen, and had already begun the work of passing that along to his daughter when he died.</p><p>Azetbur - She's really abrasive, but ultimately knows that her father is right, and is willing to do the hard work. </p><p>Colonel Worf - Kind of surprising. Did he also like humans before defending them in court? Either way, he could have pulled some Bruce castor bullshit and didn't. he was a decent lawyer, and recognized that his clients were getting a biased trial.</p><p>You Annoy Me, Go Away:</p><p>Valeris - I hated her dumb haircut, her weird enthusiasm to be working with Kirk, and her turncoat crap. Am I annoyed that the villain (or one of them) turned out to be a Vulcan? No. I just straight-up didn't like her. She definitely didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of a non-consensual mind meld, though. Can we stop doing those, please?</p><p>A Little On the Flat Side:</p><p>Martia - I liked her look, but she was a bit one-dimensional for me. She has no backstory - what was she in for? Was she actually just a plant, and lied about the pardon thing? She really only existed to show Kirk and Bones how to get out of the mines and beyond the magnetic shield. She was a tool for the Klingons, and the script kind of treated her that way.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Fun Facts:</p><p>- In the original story, the Klingon assassin turned out to be Colonel West in disguise. When he falls to his death in the peace conference, someone notices that his blood is red, and not the magenta of Klingon blood. It is then that they pull back his disguise, revealing the final conspirator. When Colonel West was removed from the story, the assassin simply became another Klingon, and no further examination of the body was done on camera.</p><p>- Christopher Plummer didn't love the forehead ridges and wigs that often adorn actors playing Klingons, and requested lighter make-up - he wanted to look a bit more human, and remarked later that he thought he looked like Israeli military leader Moshe Dayan. John Colicos, who played Kor on DS9, said: "I tried to get rid of my wig but they wouldn't go for it. I guess you have to be Christopher Plummer before they'll let you be a bald Klingon."</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_39xRiMY1PzJwcA_l-xYMZIwOafZGG-Dz5SC8zN0QUy9bQuoTcXc5cA-_jkrKdJKRALxkn9EOo2Kz12NmAFLX8NBLYpM2a5dVi-1Vw0VltNBEZTdLi3HXtQgdfYGUy-cr-LtdlFf3zGq/s529/chang+concept+art.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="529" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_39xRiMY1PzJwcA_l-xYMZIwOafZGG-Dz5SC8zN0QUy9bQuoTcXc5cA-_jkrKdJKRALxkn9EOo2Kz12NmAFLX8NBLYpM2a5dVi-1Vw0VltNBEZTdLi3HXtQgdfYGUy-cr-LtdlFf3zGq/w400-h325/chang+concept+art.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chang concept art</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>- Chang's part in the conspiracy here was likened to that of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the man who plotted to kill Hitler in 1944. (The difference here is that Stauffenberg was trying to end a war, while Chang was attempting to start and prolong one.)</p><p>- The odd idea of a panel of weapons in the kitchen is actually backed up by a really early episode of TOS, where McCoy asks Rand how she was able to make coffee when the power went out, and she replied that she'd used a phaser to warm it. That raises like 5 more questions with that one answer, but whatever.</p><p>- Something that Martia says multiple times is "fendo pompsky." It's basically an expletive without a translation, and became a popular thing to say among the crew. They even had it embroidered inside of the crew jackets.</p><p>- The opening scene on Rura Penthe was heavily influenced by "Bridge on the River Kwai."</p><p>- Garry Marshall was directing a rom-com on a nearby soundstage, and in order to get a genuinely surprised reaction out of Al Pachino, he arranged to have Pachino open a door while filming to reveal Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley, in full Star Trek make-up, on the other side of the door. Only Pachino was visible on camera.</p><p>- The president's office in Paris is a re-dress on TNG's Ten Forward set. The doors still show the TNG-style insignia.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkujfOCRNMAQbz-SvYyKqNEgpDIzvKBKoZoh6hiXDtxJDCaHUBhOuQcjyLMLfAnnQ9O92qRo8ne1_lKrFtDv9dQtphmwHT1k1kD4T6HMoFC5PRYBJbEXwjiK1lMFtpiVRr4xNCaxZ0U1E/s624/ten+forward.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="624" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkujfOCRNMAQbz-SvYyKqNEgpDIzvKBKoZoh6hiXDtxJDCaHUBhOuQcjyLMLfAnnQ9O92qRo8ne1_lKrFtDv9dQtphmwHT1k1kD4T6HMoFC5PRYBJbEXwjiK1lMFtpiVRr4xNCaxZ0U1E/w400-h171/ten+forward.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>- The book that Uhura pages through while talking to the Klingons is labeled "Introduction to Klingon Grammer," instead of "grammar."</p><p>- Pfaltzgraff, maker of china sets, made 3000 sets of those Excelsior teacups. It seems the company made several different sets of Star Trek designs in the early 1990's, which you can only buy on the secondary market today. Another maker made 25 sets of the Excelsior cups in 2020 for San Diego Comicon, which sold out in 2 hours.</p><p>- Movies 2-5 used the opening Star Trek fanfare for their opening credits; but movie 1, this film, and the reboots do not.</p><p>- Kirk says during the dinner scene that an advantage of being "1000 lightyears from Starfleet Headquarters" was being able to drink Romulan ale. Based on calculations from the more-advanced Voyager getting home from the Delta Quadrant, being 1000 lightyears from Starfleet Headquarters meant that it should have taken the Enterprise more than a year to reach Earth.</p><p>- This is the third time that a shapeshifter has taken Kirk's form. The first two times occurred in <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2015/03/season-3-episode-71-whom-gods-destroy.html">"Whom Gods Destroy"</a> and <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2015/07/sttas-season-one-episode-six-survivor.html">"The Survivor."</a> </p><p>- Christian Slater got his Star Trek cameo via his mother, who was a casting director. The script indicated that Rand was originally supposed to be the one to wake Sulu, but Slater was subbed in. Slater was apparently a huge Trek fan, and he told interviewer Graham Norton that the uniform he wore in this short scene had actually been the one that Shatner had worn during Wrath of Khan, and that he had stolen it from the set and taken it home. Director Nicholas Meyer said that he tried to film Slater in such a way that audiences would ask, "Wait... is that...?" </p><p>- So that joke I made about the security guys running into the galley wearing laser tag vests... I looked up the history of laser tag to see if this was another one of those things where Star Trek influenced real life, and the answer is... yes. But not via the vests. Laser tag guns were most likely based off of the infrared phaser toys released in conjunction with movie 1 in 1979. In 1982, George Carter III designed an arena-based laser tag game, an idea he got while watching Star Wars in 1977. As a further link, there is a kind of laser tag match called a Borg Match, wherein a team of players shares a pool of resources.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBwOX08CN1qnN1pa-BnzVxuOC31ZPUIqzTh4b6b9iPMdG2m1OBKKtwETFi8ARkAz6kD8pIudx-dNju5qyENm2p5rQO5U8NTTaTU5Ha0qFEdeIZccYAU6L-qWt0xbaz-K_6uQSsSvoe3kR/s275/moar+pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="275" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBwOX08CN1qnN1pa-BnzVxuOC31ZPUIqzTh4b6b9iPMdG2m1OBKKtwETFi8ARkAz6kD8pIudx-dNju5qyENm2p5rQO5U8NTTaTU5Ha0qFEdeIZccYAU6L-qWt0xbaz-K_6uQSsSvoe3kR/w400-h300/moar+pie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-7474096479762642132021-02-01T00:00:00.001-08:002021-02-01T00:00:01.524-08:00Star Trek VI :The Undiscovered Country (Part 1)<p> Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Part 1)</p><p>Release date: December 6, 1991</p><p>Stardate: 9521.6</p><p><br /></p><p>So long-time readers of this blog are aware of three things:</p><p>1) I am the Queen of the Clusterfuck</p><p>2) This often ends up involving weird tech issues, which means that</p><p>3) I am Newton Pulsifer</p><p>Here is what has conspired in the months since my last post:</p><p>- The charge cord for my laptop frayed. Seemingly out of nowhere. One day, it was fine. The next day, shot to hell. It gave me a partial charge, then died.</p><p>- Ordered a new one online. Plugged it in, charged my laptop once. Now there's the smell of ozone. "I think you fried the battery."</p><p>- Ordered a new battery. Charged my laptop again, but it did not charge. "It's probably the charge port," said Legolas. "My brother can fix it when we see him next."</p><p>- We moved halfway across the country to where Legolas' brother lives. (Not because of the laptop, we were moving here anyway.)</p><p>- Legolas' brother has not been available.</p><p>- "You can use my extra, older laptop," offers Gimli. Y'all, this laptop... it is so slow. It takes longer to boot up than it took for a website to load on landline internet in 1995. But it will allow me to write my blog.</p><p>- We are staying in temp housing where all of the utilities are covered by the "rent payment." Including wi-fi. The free wi-fi here is spotty as hell. </p><p>- Star Trek 6, and all of their other movies, have left streaming services. ALL streaming services. "I can pirate it for you," offers Gimli. "But their servers have been overloaded because people don't want to pay for 50 streaming services, so sometimes it doesn't work."</p><p>This blog entry brought to you by a slow laptop, spotty wi-fi, and a pirated copy of this film, which sometimes just cuts out for no reason.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFObazEqT08y09og2fmXaC4ksRL0hd3YQTKHKLv9wHfmYb4yBHZS_Y7V9mfpP1v5607uZ7YsS8N7Jq_PuurKAKfAQvxsqhrhwskiWWEy_cC-Sj8V3-PkfXJAoBTL0aePzov-PcsK4pZu0X/s228/sarcastic+yay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="228" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFObazEqT08y09og2fmXaC4ksRL0hd3YQTKHKLv9wHfmYb4yBHZS_Y7V9mfpP1v5607uZ7YsS8N7Jq_PuurKAKfAQvxsqhrhwskiWWEy_cC-Sj8V3-PkfXJAoBTL0aePzov-PcsK4pZu0X/w400-h353/sarcastic+yay.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>We're starting out with another memorial placard, to remind people that Gene Rod died, just in case you forgot, or you don't watch Next Gen, or you're just feeling sentimental. I guess it's nice. No birth or death dates though, which is a bit unusual.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvP4XGn4hain29tnomrgicgwgsGJD8AG0D4kRgb9qC7G3YR0C1x3AS8V3uyICrY3uuxbmjESF7LxzSHqGcciQzxs8qEgLFP1nGSH9hRXXreSSISejcP9XW6amqEt9RAVV8uzC6dPcreT_G/s840/uc1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="840" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvP4XGn4hain29tnomrgicgwgsGJD8AG0D4kRgb9qC7G3YR0C1x3AS8V3uyICrY3uuxbmjESF7LxzSHqGcciQzxs8qEgLFP1nGSH9hRXXreSSISejcP9XW6amqEt9RAVV8uzC6dPcreT_G/w400-h174/uc1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The opening credits take about the same amount of time as the Enterprise making its way to the center of V'ger. I'm already bored, and we haven't done anything.</p><p>Fortunately, a big-ass explosion follows the credits, so at least there's that.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfU7AY0aPFxgs_yO7me-iF_CTVrQWo9Ft-N-jT3NGq1pBcPg684VD8MXCxople44iZYsgX5KZaBnt4tyOjbO6axrMBr4TzGWTUOCjcSizI_6ILzEEBRSIOEWtLNWMuhgBz4jU43Nbc01T/s850/uc2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="850" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfU7AY0aPFxgs_yO7me-iF_CTVrQWo9Ft-N-jT3NGq1pBcPg684VD8MXCxople44iZYsgX5KZaBnt4tyOjbO6axrMBr4TzGWTUOCjcSizI_6ILzEEBRSIOEWtLNWMuhgBz4jU43Nbc01T/w400-h163/uc2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Captain Sulu's Log, 9521.6: "Finished my first three-year mission as the captain of the Excelsior. Heading home from the Beta Quadrant."</p><p>Noice.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xDHlWumH4S9ZAKA_CH0KnCzIk4TFXxP_2rohu_vp-kFN6w48NeM2biOA79w-Qwz29vBso6hfqetdE31J_CepbglH-WtLQTUXmc7zTqOojgD-u0Gz4PLchsBu5uhF6SLL7HYgqx_fmKtY/s841/uc4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="841" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xDHlWumH4S9ZAKA_CH0KnCzIk4TFXxP_2rohu_vp-kFN6w48NeM2biOA79w-Qwz29vBso6hfqetdE31J_CepbglH-WtLQTUXmc7zTqOojgD-u0Gz4PLchsBu5uhF6SLL7HYgqx_fmKtY/w400-h158/uc4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10DQ4E-i8pPBJ37bCPHAXSQ75kketjRXeAEEYeKTEfnbdzrJpseglOJaa9QHNg2Vp3dYCzYi0-EBuvyIdvh0A1wbm8Nmoi3pEiTob7jUWzTg_AZ2Uht9Y0_1c1W0qdcC4VMTuQv-p34Oz/s834/uc3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="834" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10DQ4E-i8pPBJ37bCPHAXSQ75kketjRXeAEEYeKTEfnbdzrJpseglOJaa9QHNg2Vp3dYCzYi0-EBuvyIdvh0A1wbm8Nmoi3pEiTob7jUWzTg_AZ2Uht9Y0_1c1W0qdcC4VMTuQv-p34Oz/w400-h165/uc3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I like that our boy Georgie got a promotion. And the writers stopped making him fall for every trap baited with drugs. Let the man drink his tea and make smooth jokes.</p><p>But here comes a huge energy wave from that explosion, to ruin his good time.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYHgxDC-k7w6exhhV_vrYWjiSMeZBjbqynUIyHu-uT5Ur0PvckilmtQqUh-vbwOYUysvx8ckOeWUefKlnmPDLHbtLUcs9Zk3UIlEjGwi_ag48G2KBkAhK2RGkEJXhR3Zeu0tn1ixJnqNN/s849/uc5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="849" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYHgxDC-k7w6exhhV_vrYWjiSMeZBjbqynUIyHu-uT5Ur0PvckilmtQqUh-vbwOYUysvx8ckOeWUefKlnmPDLHbtLUcs9Zk3UIlEjGwi_ag48G2KBkAhK2RGkEJXhR3Zeu0tn1ixJnqNN/w400-h161/uc5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>He yells for shields, but it's already pretty much on top of them. The ship rocks, and people fall out of chairs. Interestingly, we also see crew members falling out of bunks elsewhere on the ship. Don't see a lot of that kind of thing. I like "below deck" content. The bridge is nice, but I like to see other parts of the ship, too.</p><p>Once they drag themselves back into chairs, and get damage reports, science officer Dimitri Valtane calls out that the wave came from Praxis, a Klingon moon.</p><p>"Shit," groans Sulu. "They had an energy production facility there."</p><p>Oh, yay. Space Chernobyl.</p><p>Sulu asks the comms officer to call the Klingon High Command and ask if they need help, and oh, hey. It's Rand.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8AY56HfrKke21V8MJ9oj0dwtuDbavbbnaDrSexzx9urUZ3oywFidLl9gTm000jTz8aG2uvJ8GSZP5ZNX_bXndUXkMqTDyunumut1CaVAI2_DrGhvIjCzGTt31T5e4OHZjvq4rOxESVMn/s848/uc6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="848" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8AY56HfrKke21V8MJ9oj0dwtuDbavbbnaDrSexzx9urUZ3oywFidLl9gTm000jTz8aG2uvJ8GSZP5ZNX_bXndUXkMqTDyunumut1CaVAI2_DrGhvIjCzGTt31T5e4OHZjvq4rOxESVMn/w400-h159/uc6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I know I don't like TOS Rand, but Films Rand seems to have gotten her shit together, and I like that Grace Lee Whitney was included. As of film 5, she was credited with the rank of Lieutenant, which is way better than her Search for Spock credit of "woman in cafeteria" (fucking RUDE, y'all).</p><p>Valtane tells Sulu that he can't confirm the existence of Praxis.</p><p>"Fuckfuckfuck," says Sulu, and he has Valtane put it up on the viewscreen.</p><p>Oops. There's like, a chunk left.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65TWcquhxwepa6lofvL399_gritkHuVs34u6gAcRkcT3KZBUCuXEUeKGLOak3jpw7qAEJb75EjZWzo7pbXGgqSU835IPdSxQKIOc2HVn8yUh9WFxVM9jrWR7Xxk9oBoU_L81yn_erBMDI/s844/uc7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="844" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65TWcquhxwepa6lofvL399_gritkHuVs34u6gAcRkcT3KZBUCuXEUeKGLOak3jpw7qAEJb75EjZWzo7pbXGgqSU835IPdSxQKIOc2HVn8yUh9WFxVM9jrWR7Xxk9oBoU_L81yn_erBMDI/w400-h164/uc7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>"Garbled message from Praxis," announces Rand.</p><p>Holy crap, how?</p><p>The short communication shows an injured Klingon at a piece of equipment, and he tries to choke something out before the the whole thing ends in fire. It's then interrupted by some pre-recorded a-hole Klingon, Brigadier Kerla, speaking on behalf of the High Command. And just like with Chernobyl, he's decided to go casual.</p><p>"There's been a small incident on Praxis, but we're taking care of it. Don't cross the Neutral Zone, and don't violate the treaties. No bigs. Klingons out."</p><p>The Excelsior crew stands with jaws on the floor. Sulu smells bullshit.</p><p>"Oh, fuck that guy!" he rages.</p><p>A funny-ish moment:</p><p>Rand: "Do we report this, sir?"</p><p>Sulu: "Are you kidding?"</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMP4TH2sMRBe-Wifg89DiFiaV97-FrK33PMED7qtzAceJfSZL-XYre7_mbvrDOhPWe1R32YsVz4smTNwX66vfOJLmNMMAZyTmtPdezch0w84JvtzawziATLBHMnoqGVnd34ioc_X0BUP1/s848/uc8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="848" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMP4TH2sMRBe-Wifg89DiFiaV97-FrK33PMED7qtzAceJfSZL-XYre7_mbvrDOhPWe1R32YsVz4smTNwX66vfOJLmNMMAZyTmtPdezch0w84JvtzawziATLBHMnoqGVnd34ioc_X0BUP1/w400-h161/uc8.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>We hop back to the Alpha Quadrant, and head straight for San Francisco, home of Starfleet Headquarters. It's two months later.</p><p>The rest of the senior crew from the E are here (minus Spock and Sulu), and they're all kind of grumbling about this meeting that could have been an email.</p><p>"Um, why am I here?" Chekov asks Kirk uncertainly. He is not a Head Bitch in Charge at Starfleet.</p><p>They all sit around an oblong table with a bunch of other top Starfleet officials, and someone brings the meeting to order and announces the C-in-C.</p><p>(This is where Starfleet trips me up again regarding hierarchies in their system. I had to rabbit-hole down several pages of Memory Alpha to figure this shit out. The C-in-C is Commander in Chief and senior fleet admiral. He's basically top of the tops, and only answers to the President of the Federation of Planets, who is C-in-C of the whole kit and kaboodle. This C-in-C is named Bill. Yeah, I know. He doesn't get a last name, we only ever hear him called Bill. So, ya know... Head Honcho Bill, it is.)</p><p>Bill gets up and tells the group that this is a hella secret meeting, and then reveals that the Klingon Empire is probably only going to last another 50 years. </p><p>Really? How do you know that, Miss Cleo?</p><p>But he doesn't say. Instead, he lets Starfleet's "special envoy" tell them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3dUHR05NhxzebKUAppAG-l3vxWRka50MDGNGXLmgCVXouqb-v8K5t0zFJgVAPfth36G7ozdDkdKLYKCxT25EVQHGh7fz4TI2I-4hW4224sqe-Lxf7Gi7AVh_-VT0s3D5p5QP5p8uWqtQ/s844/uc9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="844" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3dUHR05NhxzebKUAppAG-l3vxWRka50MDGNGXLmgCVXouqb-v8K5t0zFJgVAPfth36G7ozdDkdKLYKCxT25EVQHGh7fz4TI2I-4hW4224sqe-Lxf7Gi7AVh_-VT0s3D5p5QP5p8uWqtQ/w400-h163/uc9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Spock explains about the explosion and subsequent non-existence of Praxis, and how it's fucked up the environment of Qo'nos so badly that the planet will become unlivable in 50 years.</p><p>OKAY THEN, DRAMA LLAMA. NOT THE WHOLE DAMN EMPIRE. ONE FREAKING PLANET.</p><p>Anyway, the Klingons have a super-bloated military budget and they can't afford to clean up their atmosphere <i>and</i> run their military, so last month Spock met with the Klingon leader Gorkon to talk about peace and getting rid of the military outposts near the Neutral Zone.</p><p>The brass start talking: are they going to do away with the military branch of Starfleet altogether? The answer given is that peaceful shit like exploration and things will continue on, but maybe the military part might go away.</p><p>Yeah, I call bullshit. Starfleet <i>only</i> has a military branch because of the Klingons? Like, they've literally encountered <i>no other</i> aggressive people in their travels? Even if that were true, and they formed the military part because of the Klingon Empire, they wouldn't just break it all down and go home because the Klingons waved a white flag.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixND-j8LrrdELau3SZW_Agxqen532o0OTYgTxESVxNJeYvTN3pVhUH0POdTgyvuP5dN4soOVNiPYCnQBzor9LhFs1P-0i12mt6cLNPng9z3E_uo-KNFrrbdlEbT5qghdbl_IKb8Qred-l/s863/uc10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="863" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixND-j8LrrdELau3SZW_Agxqen532o0OTYgTxESVxNJeYvTN3pVhUH0POdTgyvuP5dN4soOVNiPYCnQBzor9LhFs1P-0i12mt6cLNPng9z3E_uo-KNFrrbdlEbT5qghdbl_IKb8Qred-l/w400-h163/uc10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>So then Admiral Cartwright speaks up, and rather than play nice with the Klingons, he suggests that Starfleet take the opportunity to kick 'em when they're down, and defeat the Klingons "once and for all." Geez, this guy could be friends with Worf. He straight-up calls the Klingons space trash. Like, that's not how Starfleet plays. Yes, they have a military branch, and like Picard, they do indeed take people like Worf into consideration, but they're willing to entertain the idea of olive branches more often than not.</p><p>But who is speaking up now? Why, it's Kirk, and he agrees with Cartwright!</p><p>"Klingons are not trustworthy, and we should take them down."</p><p>Okay then, racist.</p><p>Fortunately, Spock breaks in with logic: they should move forward with Gorkon's suggestion, lest other voices whisper Grima-like in his ear about going down in a blaze of military glory. And then he and Head Honcho Bill drop the bomb: Spock has volunteered the Enterprise, captained by Kirk, to go meet with Gorkon and escort them back to Earth for a peace conference. This explains why Chekov and "lower brass" are here.</p><p>Kirk is flabbergasted and tries to argue that ambassadors would do a better job, but Spock and Bill counter by saying that there are a lot of Klingons who will feel the same way that Kirk and Cartwright do, that they should just fight the Klingons to extinction, and that Spock has personally vouched for Kirk & Co to Gorkon.</p><p>Then Bill rushes the meeting to an end, because he doesn't want to fight about it anymore, or maybe he has explosive diarrhea or something. He's just like, "Okay, meeting's over. Hella classified, don't tell anyone." And he's gone.</p><p>There's a good Bones moment as they all exit.</p><p>Cartwright: (to Kirk) "I don't know whether to congratulate you or not, Jim."</p><p>Bones: "I wouldn't."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2SWpeExg2jY7jWgNACfnDrcLTYO7GKpy-5pxuqIffnv0jshuIz40Ip1_sjpL7lN6NaMTmgvLA_Q_aOEJ5OAoNqNhl3zrkw9FA2-E-2y1CSrdi-DkjYRueW2G9zxmbkT0YKwT-eViMVeE/s849/uc11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="849" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2SWpeExg2jY7jWgNACfnDrcLTYO7GKpy-5pxuqIffnv0jshuIz40Ip1_sjpL7lN6NaMTmgvLA_Q_aOEJ5OAoNqNhl3zrkw9FA2-E-2y1CSrdi-DkjYRueW2G9zxmbkT0YKwT-eViMVeE/w400-h165/uc11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Everyone leaves, and it's just Kirk and Spock staring at one another from opposite ends of that table.</p><p>"What the absolute fuck," spits Kirk.</p><p>"There's an old Vulcan proverb," says Spock. "<i>Only Nixon can go to China.</i>"</p><p>Was... was that a joke? Basically, because Nixon was so anti-communist, only he could open diplomatic relations to China and not be accused of "being soft" on communism. Kirk is Nixon. Mr Kobayashi Maru-gate. How apropos, Spock.</p><p>Kirk is not convinced.</p><p>"They are dying," says Spock quietly.</p><p>"Then let them die!" barks Kirk. He huffs for a moments, then says, "We were supposed to be able to retire in three months."</p><p>But that's not a good enough argument.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsL6SZMIdCh9J8hvn_Quc1cG6cwbZzqk7HYkxHOH7pqszNruoQ-KgH0EEChMDrtNHAw2ZUvymoufkpK21Fqh1i6BMK4XuLVezzTdKWuWT-55S2KG9kkF0sQYE5ZoZ-mCu_g6SPZI2n7zC/s847/uc12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="847" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsL6SZMIdCh9J8hvn_Quc1cG6cwbZzqk7HYkxHOH7pqszNruoQ-KgH0EEChMDrtNHAw2ZUvymoufkpK21Fqh1i6BMK4XuLVezzTdKWuWT-55S2KG9kkF0sQYE5ZoZ-mCu_g6SPZI2n7zC/w400-h164/uc12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The senior staff get delivered the E, and there's a Vulcan helmsman there who Spock already knows, Valeris. Spock explains to Kirk that Valeris was the first Vulcan to graduate top of the class from the Academy, which seems... late? Vulcans are fucking smart. Why'd it take so long?</p><p>Did you forget that Kim Cattrall was in this movie? Lots of people do. Just so you know, I fucking hate her hair-do. The bob, bangs, and headband are fine, but she shaved the side of her head to "accentuate the ears," which is just... you know having black hair and a severe haircut already do that, right? I never knew how much I liked that little hair triangle in front of the ears until I encountered a situation where it was gone. (Oddly, there's no name for that little bit of hair that grows down in front of your ear. It isn't "sideburns" because that refers exclusively to facial hair, and it isn't "vellus," which is the peach fuzz that grows directly on the side of your face, also in front of your ears, but not the same.)</p><p>Anyway, here's WonderVulcan.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoKMH-dYLdf8HkDbQVx5SthFqYs6oWw6lMTvj2Rpu6IjA-OZG81ZFuiOIJ5xr_2_DpWCXi6240MgsSBjSjrKX7V5MMDarNmvruAsIVulXpgHRbhzZNNGQOU9FaB7TAf35DKPgWuP1aVuZ/s850/uc13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="850" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoKMH-dYLdf8HkDbQVx5SthFqYs6oWw6lMTvj2Rpu6IjA-OZG81ZFuiOIJ5xr_2_DpWCXi6240MgsSBjSjrKX7V5MMDarNmvruAsIVulXpgHRbhzZNNGQOU9FaB7TAf35DKPgWuP1aVuZ/w400-h162/uc13.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>They get ready to leave, and Kirk tells Valeris to do one-quarter Impulse power. She turns to tell him that thrusters only are recommended while in space dock, and everyone's like, "ooh no, she kind of sassed him? She questioned the captain." Now, I don't like either of these characters, so when he gives her a gentle smile and says, "yep, I gave the order I gave," and she's forced to do it because he's the captain, and because he's an old-timer with experience, and WHO WOULD DARE TO QUESTION JAMES T. KIRK, I'm just like "who gives a shit, let's get on with this frickin' movie already."</p><p>Kirk gives Spock this smug smile that says "kids these days," and Spock shrugs at him. That moment was two minutes of my life that could have ended up on the cutting room floor, and this film would not have suffered.</p><p>Loveletter shot.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JKyMpjz793SM35Fkee7JSC8vZHxaPgfJ7lDPA8e1tsznf3C1KKaJyIvBHiyC0Dao3vjN78OXX7ivfqVMdEV2JjaCmxgKIXPPbJ4lc1QkJYnDMJnMO3-jNHpqNejao8meEObOfBm6pvGd/s851/uc14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="851" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JKyMpjz793SM35Fkee7JSC8vZHxaPgfJ7lDPA8e1tsznf3C1KKaJyIvBHiyC0Dao3vjN78OXX7ivfqVMdEV2JjaCmxgKIXPPbJ4lc1QkJYnDMJnMO3-jNHpqNejao8meEObOfBm6pvGd/w400-h165/uc14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Kirk's Log 9522.6: "I don't trust Klingons, and I never will. They killed my boy, a grown adult I knew as a person for half a second. Spock thinks this will be historic, and maybe he's right, if I can only get out of my own way."</p><p>Kirk is wandering around his quarters, putting things away, looking forlornly at a pic of David on a shelf, basically talking to himself, and then VALERIS IS THERE.</p><p>She just appears in the open doorway without ringing the bell, which is rude af. Learn some damn manners, Valeris.</p><p>He even gets on her for it: "you could have knocked."</p><p>She has a Vulcan fangirl moment, and he tells her that she piloted well out of dock, and she cheerfully tells him that she's "always wanted to try that."</p><p>Ah, I see. Speeding out of space dock was a test: will you eschew Starfleet for captain's orders? Y'all, don't do that. Don't make an employee you just met prove their loyalty to you.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lFbJTPwA3EOhnxS40a7wptlLoLvC7nZw8XgLgC6mSjNp-LWqdOdXnNBL_UAKBUXLGkdM3PUw50X7SGheptUvetiYPyiTJZN-oROj_HU1ReGHUERh5DiJtv333HHAkEUnEGgep0nWlXXY/s846/uc15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="846" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lFbJTPwA3EOhnxS40a7wptlLoLvC7nZw8XgLgC6mSjNp-LWqdOdXnNBL_UAKBUXLGkdM3PUw50X7SGheptUvetiYPyiTJZN-oROj_HU1ReGHUERh5DiJtv333HHAkEUnEGgep0nWlXXY/w400-h161/uc15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Hey, you want more Valeris in this next scene, even though we just saw her two seconds ago with Kirk? Well, now she's in Spock's personal quarters, too! Very cozy with the senior officers, will she have a girls' day with Uhura later? Build a hot rod with Scotty? Have a dinner-date with Chekov?</p><p>We get some exposition here: Spock was her sponsor to the Academy, and he's impressed by her career thus far. He has a painting of the expulsion from Eden hanging in his quarters that he says reminds him that all things end, then she asks him if he's recognized that the Federation has reached a turning point. He tells her to have faith that the universe will right itself, then admits that this is his final voyage with the Enterprise, and he wants her to replace him. They briefly share a drink before all officers are called to the bridge.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUhv_XVR1Bs11bsuWJOWTDdRA1D3YxYMCBbJjinreOUcUFm1I4bkLoEZAYG14INUKsiiAD4WPlCMRkNngpkB3rk6KBGjcK8GhoT0YeGRJm0G6kJH9Us8vGrq5y4Z-fOnz7rEVEnLC90EC/s848/uc16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="848" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUhv_XVR1Bs11bsuWJOWTDdRA1D3YxYMCBbJjinreOUcUFm1I4bkLoEZAYG14INUKsiiAD4WPlCMRkNngpkB3rk6KBGjcK8GhoT0YeGRJm0G6kJH9Us8vGrq5y4Z-fOnz7rEVEnLC90EC/w400-h161/uc16.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The E rolls up on an Klingon cruiser, and for a moment, they don't know what to do. Raise shields? Kirk remarks that he's never been this close to a cruiser, and after a moment, decides that opening hailing frequencies is a better idea. Because, you know, he's escorting this ship to a diplomatic function, and not blowing it out of the sky in some kind of space skirmish. He introduces himself to the Klingon that appears onscreen, Chancellor Gorkon. Kirk is not warm, but he is courteous, and to the surprise of Spock and Uhura, invites Gorkon and his entourage to dine with them at dinnertime. Gorkon accepts, and Kirk says he'll arrange to have them beamed over.</p><p>They sign off, and on his way off the bridge, Kirk mutters to Spock, "I hope you're happy."</p><p>Not exactly an olive branch.</p><p>Valeris calls out to Kirk that they have some Romulan ale onboard, which might make the evening go more smoothly, and he commends her for "officer thinking."</p><p>Is getting wasted with an enemy a good idea, or a bad one? Guess we'll see.</p><p>Chekov spicy moment: "Guess who's coming to dinner."</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJHpnoITROe3jr701EYodn-3rN27jKyAuaJ3a3tuRvRTWogANvJ2yYc6f_MUM9vH6ZL0Kw_kPg-LYQ-jE1WPrQI_lWkdlMFNbGz1d6IcO8qQuSmRmJdbfvt-XGki81Rp9wc_mlQhRReqj/s847/uc17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="847" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJHpnoITROe3jr701EYodn-3rN27jKyAuaJ3a3tuRvRTWogANvJ2yYc6f_MUM9vH6ZL0Kw_kPg-LYQ-jE1WPrQI_lWkdlMFNbGz1d6IcO8qQuSmRmJdbfvt-XGki81Rp9wc_mlQhRReqj/w400-h164/uc17.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every time I watch this, my brain asks "Alan Rickman?"<br />No, brain. That is David Warner.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>We go down to the transporter room when it's time, and I never noticed that the transporter crew is behind a screen, like when x-ray techs cover you in lead aprons, and run behind a shield. Is there fear of radiation with early transporters? It isn't really explained, and I don't recall transporter shields in the original E. They definitely aren't in TNG.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-V_9gx2RMDZASi4-x_Sc5ij7kdJtM8wdPvUQgn6sijUeNGe1IGMvwzH7oOq0JjNnAN9Cjz9HB9VQVSEkiCs5CDDkuLi0WNO_YMiRXoaKXAcH4UethRzSCmTpptMIoF68plOdaCoeTC8U/s840/uc18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="840" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-V_9gx2RMDZASi4-x_Sc5ij7kdJtM8wdPvUQgn6sijUeNGe1IGMvwzH7oOq0JjNnAN9Cjz9HB9VQVSEkiCs5CDDkuLi0WNO_YMiRXoaKXAcH4UethRzSCmTpptMIoF68plOdaCoeTC8U/w400-h163/uc18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Anyway, Kirk goes down to meet the party with some of his senior staff, and the Klingons get beamed aboard. The camera does this thing where it starts at the bottom with those horned Klingon boots that I think are kind of stupid-looking, then it pans upward. Gorkon appears to be kind of intimidating, and he's using a cane that was absolutely the fang of some gigantic animal. But when they're all there, and he introduces himself to Kirk, he's genuinely nice. He's seen the writing on the wall. To survive, he has to make friends. And he's gonna go for it. He even thanks Spock for setting up the peace conference.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhmIzuV1mN4UYdTy1szGEMLLrhI6vy2nvKUZE5K4FC6oTYbPMtHXTHM4eEe1zSjdQgWJ59pwcNF9uoBqwCgLF2bOXIjKhufJu3JUdcFxyvbItVNJZB_d5ziumJ1FqTEazU6n6bnk1GpJc/s848/gorkon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="848" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhmIzuV1mN4UYdTy1szGEMLLrhI6vy2nvKUZE5K4FC6oTYbPMtHXTHM4eEe1zSjdQgWJ59pwcNF9uoBqwCgLF2bOXIjKhufJu3JUdcFxyvbItVNJZB_d5ziumJ1FqTEazU6n6bnk1GpJc/w400-h161/gorkon.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Gorkon introduces his daughter Azetbur, and much like Valkris in movie 3, I hate her hair. So far, we've seen three kinds of Klingon styling: TOS, TOS film, and TNG. In TOS, you mostly just had to wear the plain-ish clothes, have a Fu Man Chu mustache and be slathered in a lot of fake brown bottled tanning oil. In the TOS films, there's enough budget to give them forehead ridges and shiny clothes with pops of red, but they do weird shit with their hair. In TNG, they get to have actual hair that can just be hair, and the clothes have mostly been toned down to neutral leather-type "casual armor," which seems to be a combination of the TOS and TOS film styles of clothing. It's like, in the intervening years between TOS and TNG, the Klingon Empire shrugged and asked "who wants to go Panem Capitol style?"</p><p>Anyway, Azetbur is wearing the front half of a chainmail coif on her forehead, and I have to wonder if she walks two steps behind her father, clapping coconut shells together.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqL3ZM9xZtVfdIWN8hSehktH4BBIvdX_U8AqhzPC_s7kjCvBzwhPv4reDF8FdOb4EaW7QCDDrZwZJivp9lAuADV3spaFc0YvaoPwpSnXHCWfH5as1yeIQF8lMX_CKDd1UBsRhir6vkkS1f/s844/uc19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="844" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqL3ZM9xZtVfdIWN8hSehktH4BBIvdX_U8AqhzPC_s7kjCvBzwhPv4reDF8FdOb4EaW7QCDDrZwZJivp9lAuADV3spaFc0YvaoPwpSnXHCWfH5as1yeIQF8lMX_CKDd1UBsRhir6vkkS1f/w400-h161/uc19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Next we get to see Brigadier Kerla, Gorkon's military advisor. He made that "everything is fine" Chernobyl video. He's just real tall, and he gets to have regular hair. Behind him is General Chang, Gorkon's chief of staff. We're supposed to be wary of Chang, because he has an eyepatch that appears to be bolted to his face. Like, I'm not afraid of this guy because he's handicapped.</p><p>"I've so wanted to meet you, Captain," he tells Kirk.</p><p>Kirk is taken aback. "I'm not sure how to take that."</p><p>"Sincere admiration, Kirk," butts in Kerla.</p><p>"From one warrior to another," Chang finishes.</p><p>Kirk is nonplussed. He considers himself to be better than the Klingons, but it's possible that they genuinely feel a kinship with him via their own values.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKQAeshb9i-dgUJC9yNYZRp0boPurtSxw4fjTIaAATjDkKyNP_GukPvISLd69IfOmCHP77L_N_Svfd46Kwv2IAS7W6UNkPtZBKR4mIt7-RGqb2Zl7UsXkCf-LIvJkfnj2awTsrNxPLbVi/s843/uc20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="843" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKQAeshb9i-dgUJC9yNYZRp0boPurtSxw4fjTIaAATjDkKyNP_GukPvISLd69IfOmCHP77L_N_Svfd46Kwv2IAS7W6UNkPtZBKR4mIt7-RGqb2Zl7UsXkCf-LIvJkfnj2awTsrNxPLbVi/w400-h161/uc20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Kirk offers them a tour. There are two other Klingons on the pad that don't get names or lines, and they all just follow out. Two transporter workers wait for the doors to close before hauling out some shitty racist comments about how Klingons all look alike and smell, and only the upper management is allowed to talk, and SURPRISE IT'S VALERIS AGAIN.</p><p>She's very </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2rDh6GBT3GwQq9GuJDg07xZRXLWjirCRg-GVa6xM9Bcdaidc0OZfRsGhvIaAFMWx5FCW1wzzQlNb2mfwPdzL_8y-rAKkwGXRBVYgaSA1UydXaSvMvJxghPe41g5Cx1PxUihDC91Im7kC/s1000/template-dwight-scared-by-angela-0c6db91aec9c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="803" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2rDh6GBT3GwQq9GuJDg07xZRXLWjirCRg-GVa6xM9Bcdaidc0OZfRsGhvIaAFMWx5FCW1wzzQlNb2mfwPdzL_8y-rAKkwGXRBVYgaSA1UydXaSvMvJxghPe41g5Cx1PxUihDC91Im7kC/w321-h400/template-dwight-scared-by-angela-0c6db91aec9c.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><br /><p>She stares the two racist guys down, then tells them to get back to work.</p><p><br /></p><p>Let's all go to dinner, shall we?</p><p>The camera pans along the table, and we see the Klingons carefully watching and copying their Federation counterparts, as the dinner is set by human standards, and the Klingons are unaware of napkin rings. I kind of like that. Strangers in a new country being offered hospitality need to look to their hosts for clues as to how to proceed, and this isn't any different. Everyone gets some Romulan ale, and Gorkon proposes a toast to "the undiscovered country." When the entire table looks confused, he clarifies, "the future."</p><p>Spock recognizes the reference as Hamlet, and Gorkon says there's nothing quite like experiencing it in the original Klingon. Chang then quotes more Shakespeare in Klingon, the Klingons laugh, the Federation members try to, but they have no idea what he said. Kerla asks Kirk how they're drinking Romulan ale if it's illegal. Kirk replies that it's a benefit of being 1000 lightyears from Starfleet Headquarters. McCoy toasts Gorkon as an architect of the future, to which everyone raises a glass.</p><p>So far, so good.</p><p>But things start to unravel. Chekov says that the Federation believes that every sovereign planet has "inalienable human rights."</p><p>Azetbur makes a point I've been trying to make for years: "Human rights. The very name is racist. The Federation is a <i>homo sapiens</i>-only club."</p><p>And she's right. Has the human race come so far only to continue using exclusive terms like that?</p><p>Kerla voices concern that his people's culture will be destroyed with this possible nice-making. McCoy states flatly that it won't be, but doesn't offer evidence.</p><p>Chang pulls out the old "to be or not to be," and says that his people are asking themselves that question. "We need breathing room." His tone is light.</p><p>"Hitler, 1938," says Kirk.</p><p>Spock looks sharply at him.</p><p>Yeah, Hitler said a lot of shit, Kirk. Maybe don't draw parallels between him and diplomatic dinner guests.</p><p>Gorkon, who understands what Kirk said, replies evenly that it appears that they have a long way to go.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6XoE5phtXySQ9278lgmPNIogRa4kWLtokjwtiOK_cG2KUrXY9hpsFMFOm_ByPn4X0R5R41T5adcvCA8M5udtbJIbK6EVWHO5GXNszlqdenHplSMiClsWw7uN1zT0u9YkVADEMkLWYlLH/s845/uc21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="845" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6XoE5phtXySQ9278lgmPNIogRa4kWLtokjwtiOK_cG2KUrXY9hpsFMFOm_ByPn4X0R5R41T5adcvCA8M5udtbJIbK6EVWHO5GXNszlqdenHplSMiClsWw7uN1zT0u9YkVADEMkLWYlLH/w400-h161/uc21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>They take the Klingons back to the transporter room, and there are some weak, "we should do this again sometime" sentiments. They're all lined up opposite one another, as though they're about to play dodgeball. (Not gonna lie, I think the Klingons would enjoy the hell out of dodgeball.)</p><p>Gorkon steps forward and says quietly, "You don't trust me, do you?"</p><p>Kirk is silent.</p><p>"I don't blame you. If there is to be a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it."</p><p>Man, I like Gorkon. I like Gorkon A LOT. Here's a guy who recognizes that his old thinking patterns are going to need to radically change, that he needs to be able to embrace an enemy like a friend if his people are to survive, and he admits that he might not be up for the job. I also like that Kirk admitted to this as well, in his earlier log, where he tells himself or whoever is listening, that he needs to get out of the way of history. Change is difficult. Gorkon is up for the challenge, but is Kirk?</p><p>They exchange their goodbyes, and Chang jokingly quotes more Shakespeare at Kirk before they get on the pad and transfer back.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhk5Cp2KanbzQEvSzPHYrWyi0OoTsKFFZcrX6qsXoJrIbpTloGEXqOlrgsyKJFLedB2tDQf4vif7XSUiq32rU2y8uGOOIs0qX4NhhzdDsa9vjcToUtSygBdSbKUXopJbdL3VNUDNq3dsf/s854/uc22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="854" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhk5Cp2KanbzQEvSzPHYrWyi0OoTsKFFZcrX6qsXoJrIbpTloGEXqOlrgsyKJFLedB2tDQf4vif7XSUiq32rU2y8uGOOIs0qX4NhhzdDsa9vjcToUtSygBdSbKUXopJbdL3VNUDNq3dsf/w400-h163/uc22.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>There's a huge sigh of relief from the E senior crew as soon as the Klingons are gone, and Uhura and Chekov sit on the pad and complain about the Klingons' table manners, which... just reminds me that they're comparing what they think of as good table manners to people who have completely different ways of doing things. Like, how burping at a meal is considered both good and bad manners, depending on where one is from.</p><p>Spock remarks that diplomatically-speaking, they had not done that well.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm gonna go sleep this shit off," mutters Kirk. "Let me know if there are more ways we can screw this up."</p><p>And McCoy, ever the drinker, wanders off in search of black coffee.</p><p><br /></p><p>We briefly join Kirk in his quarters where he looks longingly at David's picture again and records in a captain's log that they screwed the pooch as far as diplomatic dinners go, and their manners kind of sucked, and he makes a note to the galley that they should never serve Romulan ale at diplomatic functions ever again. So much for Valeris' "officer thinking." He lies down on his bunk in his full dress uniform, presumably with the intention of never waking up again, but then Spock pages him to the bridge.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU961xbJlUjnuSTgk9G10zeYvrB7G0YTaPnFcw3kDkevQ2dmXSWomAmZbwR33dfAMJXa_MFqIdFLUZwl20WfFc_B1hYiXg9LsyE5nsW86b-di7PIGLrEsQ-7vyAQxl73Wyapx2kB63dXC4/s841/uc23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="841" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU961xbJlUjnuSTgk9G10zeYvrB7G0YTaPnFcw3kDkevQ2dmXSWomAmZbwR33dfAMJXa_MFqIdFLUZwl20WfFc_B1hYiXg9LsyE5nsW86b-di7PIGLrEsQ-7vyAQxl73Wyapx2kB63dXC4/w400-h166/uc23.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>When he arrives, Spock tells him that there's a huge amount of radiation coming from the E.</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>Nobody knows.</p><p>"Valeris?" he asks. "Radiation surge?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Chekov?"</p><p>"Only the size of my head," bemoans Chekov.</p><p>And then, just like Valeris, a SURPRISE TORPEDO.</p><p>The E has fired on the Klingon cruiser. Pandemonium erupts on the bridge as they try to figure out if it really was the Enterprise who fired on the cruiser (it was) and why (dunno).</p><p>There's a brief scene of Gorkon and two others at a conference table on the cruiser, confused as their ship rocks.</p><p>A SECOND TORPEDO, and now there are Klingons running through corridors away from fireballs. The cruiser loses gravity controls.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHATreSivhbgVOfrjuSgs-6CW2F7Q-YymjY9AhjQ8sCz3g_Rq-aGJ-J_l6iYfuDeJl-OjjAnNRxR6JHhR1M9BDoBavMHTkn0gS8EkQo6V0C3HXuIlZfxsuJnPJB4BuholHglksFB5HRRmn/s853/uc24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="853" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHATreSivhbgVOfrjuSgs-6CW2F7Q-YymjY9AhjQ8sCz3g_Rq-aGJ-J_l6iYfuDeJl-OjjAnNRxR6JHhR1M9BDoBavMHTkn0gS8EkQo6V0C3HXuIlZfxsuJnPJB4BuholHglksFB5HRRmn/w400-h163/uc24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>"WTF?" Kirk yells over the comm system. "Scotty, did we just fire torpedoes at the cruiser?"</p><p>"NO!" yells Scotty. "I'm looking at our inventory, and we still have all of our shit!"</p><p>Kirk yells at Uhura to call the Klingons, and we see Klingons floating in the corridors and rooms of the cruiser, trying to get a handle on what is happening, while Uhura's voice echoes throughout the ship.</p><p>A pair of fully-suited figures in gravity boots transport to the cruiser. They make their way through the corridors, and shoot everyone they encounter. In the zero-gravity environment, everyone is thrown back while globules of magenta blood gush forward. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXER2zEsUK4NuP2ateLRfTl6juHK5wxjQyDRBFrR9hxz-rjJaM7nSIzfa7WVRGdJ31H0VPxFqlwIDxou6WjinZ9c8Ditim2V3U5T3gMUxz0xlJBLQjeoJgckriqSKn8_BffkYnDyCtU-MS/s844/blood.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="844" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXER2zEsUK4NuP2ateLRfTl6juHK5wxjQyDRBFrR9hxz-rjJaM7nSIzfa7WVRGdJ31H0VPxFqlwIDxou6WjinZ9c8Ditim2V3U5T3gMUxz0xlJBLQjeoJgckriqSKn8_BffkYnDyCtU-MS/w400-h161/blood.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFMVZduiD5t36SOKR3WaGSulzD-Okg9eg0XjyvggGS6mytOQsTSSUimqXMrAH9t0g_Yj2wvwuP9jDotIC2f3vyOrKWcBJUM2obAlP5MgpsBlFqlcIRV2n9rgGLxmAnwM5SyYbu5-LP3qW/s600/kinda+sus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFMVZduiD5t36SOKR3WaGSulzD-Okg9eg0XjyvggGS6mytOQsTSSUimqXMrAH9t0g_Yj2wvwuP9jDotIC2f3vyOrKWcBJUM2obAlP5MgpsBlFqlcIRV2n9rgGLxmAnwM5SyYbu5-LP3qW/w400-h400/kinda+sus.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/i/sticker/White-Kinda-sus-by-Sherpdraws/58575815.EJUG5" target="_blank">Kinda sus sticker</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>"I can hear shooting and yelling," Uhura reports back.</p><p>The two figures finally find Gorkon, and shoot him as well. Then they wordlessly return to where they beamed on, and disappear.</p><p>The Klingons manage to get the aux gravity running again, and the bodies hit the floor. Blood splatters everything.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGutJF5IbIZdBRYIQ-m5bKFXxZxobynfKMmPcFM8khe3Cm7zdEZkO0VP6GT6dNeKmVfGXAf7TBYPjJl0gr2qTxx6S5FGOWiJoC1TiV_Y0ArqT16IhIe8fuxxraTPh8WD9SMoeFnqTMESM/s849/uc25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="849" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGutJF5IbIZdBRYIQ-m5bKFXxZxobynfKMmPcFM8khe3Cm7zdEZkO0VP6GT6dNeKmVfGXAf7TBYPjJl0gr2qTxx6S5FGOWiJoC1TiV_Y0ArqT16IhIe8fuxxraTPh8WD9SMoeFnqTMESM/w400-h161/uc25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Kirk manages to get Chang onscreen, and Chang growls that he's coming after Kirk for betraying them.</p><p>"We didn't fire, though!" says Kirk frantically.</p><p>"Data banks say we did," Spock replies soberly.</p><p>The Klingon cruiser, weak and limping in space, comes about and powers weapons.</p><p>"Shields?" asks Valeris.</p><p>"Shields!" yells Chekov.</p><p>Quick-thinking, Kirk responds, "Surrender, surrender!"</p><p>The others are baffled, but Uhura frantically tells the cruiser that they're surrendering in an attempt to get the cruiser to not fire on them.</p><p>McCoy appears, because he's needed in this scene, and Kirk declares that he's going over to the cruiser. </p><p>"Me too," says McCoy. "They might need a doctor."</p><p>Spock tries to go, because he dragged the E and her crew into this, but Kirk tells him to take the con instead, because he needs Spock to get them back out of this mess.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsDdtsBYSG5BUGzFy59PjbTGA_Yqz0AQkNBdWuH6FBZ5Vr1hqdlHXwccwDXsAN9pE9ejEeKLVec_3L8EV10U9FoakgT2GEG9FoqplvxTifKDUvuuOu5hTO0a_8INRNvADdNo6br4H_C_R/s844/uc26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="844" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsDdtsBYSG5BUGzFy59PjbTGA_Yqz0AQkNBdWuH6FBZ5Vr1hqdlHXwccwDXsAN9pE9ejEeKLVec_3L8EV10U9FoakgT2GEG9FoqplvxTifKDUvuuOu5hTO0a_8INRNvADdNo6br4H_C_R/w400-h161/uc26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Uhura tells the cruiser that two are coming over unarmed, and Kirk and McCoy are forced to repeat that they are unarmed when they beam over and find themselves staring down the barrel of Kerla's blaster.</p><p>"We don't know what happened!" Kirk protests. "Help us help you."</p><p>Kerla hauls Kirk and McCoy through the ship while other crew members carry away dead bodies. They end up in the room where Gorkon was shot.</p><p>"WTF happened?" asks Kirk.</p><p>"You fired on us!" yells Chang. "You aimed for the gravity, and then two of your people beamed aboard in gravity boots and shot the place up!"</p><p>"Do you have a doctor?" asks McCoy.</p><p>"Not anymore," snarls Chang.</p><p>Azetbur gives her permission for McCoy to look at Gorkon, then they haul him up onto the table for better lighting.</p><p>But it's no good. Gorkon is barely alive, losing blood, and McCoy realizes with horror that virtually none of his equipment works because Klingon anatomy is completely different. His suturing device is not closing the wounds. Frustrated and running out of options, he sees that Gorkon has gone into arrest and climbs onto the table to do CPR. It works for about 30 seconds, wherein Gorkon has just enough time to whisper "don't let it end this way," to Kirk, before dying.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqW5mbv2uPu5GP2iAXS1aO8G1FwQccXh9hUw9NWq5KRS9OncUh2C82Ggx4ZKaLJX7UhKSFCHvM3qYSFQnZchWHH-OKQw3jkegqWQLvXocbOAhutc-zf4M5p9-EyiETjzQeYmHV-W71Htq/s846/uc27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="846" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqW5mbv2uPu5GP2iAXS1aO8G1FwQccXh9hUw9NWq5KRS9OncUh2C82Ggx4ZKaLJX7UhKSFCHvM3qYSFQnZchWHH-OKQw3jkegqWQLvXocbOAhutc-zf4M5p9-EyiETjzQeYmHV-W71Htq/w400-h161/uc27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Chang arrests Kirk and McCoy for assassinating Gorkon.</p><p>"He tried to save him," says Kirk weakly, as they're hauled out in handcuffs.</p><p><br /></p><p>Back on the E, Uhura looks up from her earpiece. "They've been arrested."</p><p>Spock springs into action. "Okay, I'm captain of this ship now, Uhura call headquarters and update them, ask for further instructions. We have to figure out what the hell happened here tonight. We fired on the cruiser."</p><p>"There's no way," objects Scotty.</p><p>"Well, we did," says Spock.</p><p>"But we need to get the Captain and Dr McCoy back," says Valeris. "We can't let them be taken prisoner back to Qo'nos."</p><p>"We can't fire on them, armed conflict was what we were looking to avoid here," Spock points out.</p><p>"What if we can't figure it out?" asks Chekov.</p><p>"Then we have to leave it up to the diplomats," says Spock, disappearing into the lift with Valeris and Scotty.</p><p>No dramatic music! But end of Act 1!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRalELa83YdkGw8tPjYzzVm96NbGgrcSvyFWUC9hkeY3UPETNAmpxm0KUI0IHGhjxqs59nY7tNgHFIkk-o4cSyk1yXABsQlBhwosW8iuw-ciGFkVfSa1H3SmLBgvp6VzAbx6qJfyWzBfH/s848/uc28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="848" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRalELa83YdkGw8tPjYzzVm96NbGgrcSvyFWUC9hkeY3UPETNAmpxm0KUI0IHGhjxqs59nY7tNgHFIkk-o4cSyk1yXABsQlBhwosW8iuw-ciGFkVfSa1H3SmLBgvp6VzAbx6qJfyWzBfH/w400-h155/uc28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Meanwhile, back at Federation Headquarters, the president of the whole kit and kaboodle is arguing with a Klingon ambassador, Kamarag. The ambassador feels that his people are owed the right to arrest Kirk and McCoy, and have them stand trial for the murder of Gorkon. The president disagrees, and instead, asks Sarek for his opinion.</p><p>"Not gonna lie," says Sarek. "I think the Klingons have that right, under the interstellar law they quoted."</p><p>The president looks at Nanclus, a Romulan ambassador. "I agree with them. The law is pretty clear here," Nanclus replies.</p><p>Gotta say, I do too. From the POV of the Klingons, Kirk and McCoy are guilty. Do we know that Kirk didn't fire those torpedoes, and McCoy tried to save Gorkon? Of course. But interstellar law says that the Klingons have the right to charge them. So they do.</p><p>It's three against one, and the Federation president begrudgingly admits that he is not above the law. He won't extradite Kirk and McCoy back to the Federation.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHSLO8oRYYvi4FCOHLwWfcDhhrnz8iSFuO3HrdSuyFNFriGgT6-TYfI5g6GO6TZwS8A0pJ7MGVm3hsrWlbusvyZ0bP3Buc89Iyl2u-9rGV3JfB4fQ7klODBJH59K6BjJCjma2YNhZshh6/s848/uc29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="848" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHSLO8oRYYvi4FCOHLwWfcDhhrnz8iSFuO3HrdSuyFNFriGgT6-TYfI5g6GO6TZwS8A0pJ7MGVm3hsrWlbusvyZ0bP3Buc89Iyl2u-9rGV3JfB4fQ7klODBJH59K6BjJCjma2YNhZshh6/w400-h156/uc29.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Back on the E, the ship has been ordered back to headquarters on the double, and Uhura flings her communicator away from her in frustration, reporting to Chekov the news.</p><p>"We can't leave them," Chekov objects.</p><p>"*cough cough* sabotage *cough cough*," suggests Valeris.</p><p>Uhura pauses. "Oh man, Chekov. Our shit's broken."</p><p>"Oh nooooes," he replies.</p><p>I mean, you could maybe check with Spock first. He'd probably get on board.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieL5f0hK9_8A7ridmuUCJrPAfMbjMSQjnY2RfvWlgxnvT2RRr20teX6tZXd-WH8CVcqv2cv2nwkH9zuUDbsevE2Hbiy0QqQooguIXvyTvx0WIkFwdWo1B6HXEsAeRCXIaUMpffa0KcnRXd/s843/uc30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="843" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieL5f0hK9_8A7ridmuUCJrPAfMbjMSQjnY2RfvWlgxnvT2RRr20teX6tZXd-WH8CVcqv2cv2nwkH9zuUDbsevE2Hbiy0QqQooguIXvyTvx0WIkFwdWo1B6HXEsAeRCXIaUMpffa0KcnRXd/w400-h161/uc30.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The president's office is now full as he speaks with Azetbur via screens. He starts to offer her condolences on her loss, but she cuts him off.</p><p>"I've been named chancellor in my father's place."</p><p>I don't recall it working that way, but maybe the High Council made an emergency decision to pass it down the line. Go on.</p><p>"The long and short of it is, that you want this peace conference to continue, but if it's going to happen, we won't be extraditing the prisoners. And you won't attempt to rescue them. Or we'll call that shit off and declare war."</p><p>Sarek is sitting in front, and he lets a small, inaudible reaction slip. He was involved with this thing with the Klingons as well, and feels responsible, because he pulled Kirk and the E into it along with Spock.</p><p>"We're... gonna let you do the thing," says the president hesitantly. "We hope you'll be able to join us in a week here for the conference."</p><p>"Yeah, the conference now needs to be on neutral ground, and the location be kept a secret," Azetbur insists.</p><p>Ugh, that's going to suck for whoever is doing the catering at the new location.</p><p>Everyone signs off, and we switch over to Azetbur's ship. Her advisors are telling her (in Klingon) to go to war with the Federation, or they'll become slaves. She replies that war is "obsolete, just as we are in danger of becoming," and that they need to go forward with peace, as her father wanted.</p><p>"Your father was killed for what he wanted," Chang tells her in Standard.</p><p>She speaks to the others in Standard as well. "We're going with peace here. But Kirk will pay for my father's death."</p><p>(Big ups to Memory Alpha here. The site I am using to pirate this film is spotty with subtitles, and doesn't always translate Klingon, which makes it harder to watch.)</p><p>I have to say, she's being smart about this. I don't like Azetbur, she rubs me the wrong way. In a film where you should be rooting for Kirk, she should be the villain, right? But I don't like Kirk. And even if I did, girlfriend has a legal right to charge him in her father's death. It's really smart of her to blame Kirk and McCoy only for this murder, and not the entire Federation. The Klingons still need peace, or they'll "become obsolete." Declaring war on the Federation will all but make them extinct, and won't solve their problem of having a dying homeworld to fix. Her advisors may want war, but she recognizes that peace is the correct course of action to save her people.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtq9-odtnjH0jufYcYbE7JxxvQYeKUYPmDlxe08VK0jSuKXNC-HeEmJvxWvwT0uQOfTlgwfJcpfY8Q5zpv361_xlIsZBbd_SLyXDLVYq9PHKFMMKblqrHsD-_awr1gYYAvbDG1qqY0iFBp/s847/uc31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="847" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtq9-odtnjH0jufYcYbE7JxxvQYeKUYPmDlxe08VK0jSuKXNC-HeEmJvxWvwT0uQOfTlgwfJcpfY8Q5zpv361_xlIsZBbd_SLyXDLVYq9PHKFMMKblqrHsD-_awr1gYYAvbDG1qqY0iFBp/w400-h160/uc31.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>We go straight to the trial, which is a big ole MOOD. The space it's taking place in is some kind of windowless underground chamber, with a hole that lets in moonlight. The moonlight forms a spotlight on Kirk and McCoy, who are standing on a short platform in the middle of the floor, holding translation machines to their ears, as the trial is being conducted in Klingon. There are steep viewing boxes going all the way up and around, filled to the brim with Klingons, and a small box where the translators sit. The whole thing is being broadcast back to the Federation president's office, where several people are watching, including Admiral Cartwright, the guy who wanted to declare war on the Klingons and just wipe them out.</p><p>Chang is running the show, but is not the judge. He's the prosecution. Fortunately for me and these iffy subtitles, Chang begins in Klingon, we go to the translation box to hear what they're translating to Kirk and McCoy, then the film switches over to English so I won't have to scan back through Memory Alpha, giving the impression that they're still speaking Klingon.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidYqsQ-fXt0GwA9rHNwmBiJvI00Hqns-hgrtHY8Kc0gnBrtdkL9tPE-UKCk4EdKnlZEs-CfyLyMj5vm2ASsTrVi4DZBsRbAkmG__NmVVWVB_lPKwRw-oQGbVf5Q8XyYo_MggsEl-0-btg/s844/uc32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="844" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidYqsQ-fXt0GwA9rHNwmBiJvI00Hqns-hgrtHY8Kc0gnBrtdkL9tPE-UKCk4EdKnlZEs-CfyLyMj5vm2ASsTrVi4DZBsRbAkmG__NmVVWVB_lPKwRw-oQGbVf5Q8XyYo_MggsEl-0-btg/w400-h161/uc32.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Then we see that this trial is also being broadcast like television - I guess anyone can tune in? The Enterprise bridge crew is watching.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZLdXi3FwFX7MwA99-PZNnp6eUtFtwGsokeO81sY1eOBZq41BJeT2ieUvdAU86psGcKCGjeUguNy0xbr9lmSCeAYtQYSTJVIS6tkTTjeX4ph3umdlWBLYNOKxhlnuWLc60kvJKImkGXY6/s850/uc33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="850" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZLdXi3FwFX7MwA99-PZNnp6eUtFtwGsokeO81sY1eOBZq41BJeT2ieUvdAU86psGcKCGjeUguNy0xbr9lmSCeAYtQYSTJVIS6tkTTjeX4ph3umdlWBLYNOKxhlnuWLc60kvJKImkGXY6/w400-h161/uc33.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNtALWEZKwyfyyqgjjJgWRqLjtNb6pd9GrsQi8bxYlO9OJDVvaNdOcMBE6IBa0I-JZ2zDJZACtistC4hC3wUFvby4_3nKRbApQCAd1ARZOJ2dxH7iDzT0mxlWTE8SztCr4yUNKid-Z1gP/s857/uc34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="857" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNtALWEZKwyfyyqgjjJgWRqLjtNb6pd9GrsQi8bxYlO9OJDVvaNdOcMBE6IBa0I-JZ2zDJZACtistC4hC3wUFvby4_3nKRbApQCAd1ARZOJ2dxH7iDzT0mxlWTE8SztCr4yUNKid-Z1gP/w400-h159/uc34.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Because it isn't completely explained, and is kind of confusing, let me clarify one thing: Michael Dorn, who plays Worf on TNG, is playing Colonel Worf here, an ancestor of TNG Worf (Rozhenko), and the guy for whom TNG Worf was named after. Colonel Worf appears to be the public defender for Kirk and McCoy. And he's doing a pretty good job, so you know this isn't some kind of drumhead bullshit.</p><p>The first witness gets up and says that he and the others were working when the gravity shut off, and two people in Starfleet uniforms walked onto their ship and started killing Klingons.</p><p>"How did you know they were actually Starfleet members, and not others in the Starfleet uniforms?" asks Col. Worf.</p><p>The judge shoots this down, telling Worf that they're dealing in facts, not theories.</p><p>Can I object? Because that was a good question. Literally no one but the peeps in those suits knew who the peeps in the suits were. Without anyone to charge directly, they're charging Kirk, the captain of the ship, insinuating that he either planned the assassination, or should at least take responsibility, as he was in charge of the ship. (They think McCoy had a direct effect on Gorkin's death, so he should technically be tried separately, but I digress.)</p><p>Then Worf asks the witness how the suspects were walking through the ship with no gravity. Magnetic boots, the witness replies.</p><p>Spock takes notice. This is the first he's hearing of gravity boots.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJI1EkHhFqw_LvQ_pJGCViKUDinrHGlfr90O9LN7Nkij2twzZa_AXBYCmybBTp6VCF6_7bIU5uzULJ07eB2CGBM_oI0tGYelK9QAjq6-hpE_nKP2X8TuwWYE5QihnzT2Dnz0M-3o5f8U8/s847/uc35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="847" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJI1EkHhFqw_LvQ_pJGCViKUDinrHGlfr90O9LN7Nkij2twzZa_AXBYCmybBTp6VCF6_7bIU5uzULJ07eB2CGBM_oI0tGYelK9QAjq6-hpE_nKP2X8TuwWYE5QihnzT2Dnz0M-3o5f8U8/w400-h161/uc35.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Chang specifically asks McCoy about his medical status.</p><p>McCoy joke: "Aside from a touch of arthritis, I'd say pretty good."</p><p>He gets a laugh out of one random Klingon in the audience. Tough crowd, but at least one guy appreciated it. McCoy then tells Chang that's he's been a ship's doctor for 27 years, and that he gets to retire in three months.</p><p>"Yeah, you drank a lot of Romulan ale at dinner that night," says Chang.</p><p>"Um, we all did?" replies McCoy in a <i>duh</i> voice.</p><p>Chang takes a different tack: "Was the Chancellor alive when you started working on him?"</p><p>McCoy admits that the Gorkon was barely alive, but that the damage was too much, and that he and his equipment were not familiar with Klingon anatomy. Chang suggests that McCoy is old and incompetent as a doctor.</p><p>McCoy pleads with him: he tried to save Gorkon, the "last, best" hope for peace between their peoples.</p><p>They let the witness go, and Chang turns to Kirk: did he not plan to take revenge for the death of his son at the hands of the Klingons?</p><p>Kirk is appalled at this suggestion, and Chang plays the captain's log for the court, the one where Kirk says that Klingons are untrustworthy, and that he blames them for David's death. It's pretty damning. The audience is pissed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7BXRb6uh-lLz2Qn69Nlgv1BMtu2XeXFfTZ3YkLSPa7hbBYAjHZQRDkA6kFKJmDvFoqLW646QbfmHf80Ab6EErY8SCRfIdY4JoOnxvhQlQvcnx_oyFnPhU8MCsyp7svJJYs7dY7QrgQE6/s848/uc36.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="848" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7BXRb6uh-lLz2Qn69Nlgv1BMtu2XeXFfTZ3YkLSPa7hbBYAjHZQRDkA6kFKJmDvFoqLW646QbfmHf80Ab6EErY8SCRfIdY4JoOnxvhQlQvcnx_oyFnPhU8MCsyp7svJJYs7dY7QrgQE6/w400-h161/uc36.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>"Hey," interrupts Worf, "Kirk's political views don't come into play here."</p><p>"They do, though," says Chang. He launches into a recitation of Kirk's spotty service record; of his going above or around superiors or ignoring orders; the fact that he was demoted from admiral.</p><p>"Those things are true," Kirk admits.</p><p>"And were you obeying or disobeying orders when you assassinated the chancellor?" demands Chang.</p><p>Worf objects all through here, but the judge is A) biased; and B) trying to keep the peace in his courtroom.</p><p>"I didn't see what happened," Kirk points out. "I didn't know he had been assassinated until we boarded your ship."</p><p>"You're in charge of the ship," says Chang silkily. "Do you take responsibility for your people? Even if they carried out an assassination?"</p><p>"That's a set-up!" yells McCoy.</p><p>"Don't answer!" adds Worf.</p><p>But the judge tells Kirk to answer.</p><p>He pauses, then states that, as captain, he takes responsibility for the actions of the people on his ship.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOdvwPNOuEccYBM7_AJnhXWT2luytd0Xs8HKUgDwvp6USmXwe9phgaYX0U-j6s0v4uLqypgOBhLSVN3NbAg4Uuz2j9kj7zZ0c1Cb8_ND2JwL6cijShXJ6hqTYzACwua7k1xOeIImxgN6i/s849/uc37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="849" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOdvwPNOuEccYBM7_AJnhXWT2luytd0Xs8HKUgDwvp6USmXwe9phgaYX0U-j6s0v4uLqypgOBhLSVN3NbAg4Uuz2j9kj7zZ0c1Cb8_ND2JwL6cijShXJ6hqTYzACwua7k1xOeIImxgN6i/w400-h161/uc37.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Spock is surprised.</p><p>On the Excelsior, Sulu's bridge crew watches the trial, and he tells Rand to message the Enterprise and offer their help.</p><p>The judge pronounces Kirk and McCoy guilty of their charges.</p><p>Worf tells the court that he wants it on record that the charges are purely circumstantial. It's okay, Colonel Worf. You were a good lawyer. Shit was stacked against your clients.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2ez7Vqs4RPbQ44dUZFBUd0181ZKV6ZHTxs10zU1LOtrciW4ZBR1AY5lZu4ixu_8VaUFzybN30YWkQlnolITOndcTusmS8eI-Ze7E7J0S8NzC3JZAz_oGaY4FrfqJnERpelUGlcNi9RHI/s851/uc38.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="851" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2ez7Vqs4RPbQ44dUZFBUd0181ZKV6ZHTxs10zU1LOtrciW4ZBR1AY5lZu4ixu_8VaUFzybN30YWkQlnolITOndcTusmS8eI-Ze7E7J0S8NzC3JZAz_oGaY4FrfqJnERpelUGlcNi9RHI/w400-h161/uc38.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The judge hands down a sentence: in an attempt to keep the peace, he will not sentence them to death. The audience is not pleased. Instead, he is sending them to the dilithium mines on the penal asteroid Rura Penthe. It is a life sentence.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQG9Pm9G0QbgVNfEr602lUrQGJvblMKQCqb0G6rrq_7u5EFw5WHBmy5ymA5YsaWBGqpA-WlaOCMjmMqK70ybVCnb2vRzqmt2LMZiaDO3K2062Q8AjSH-ELBwDBhBNUNri39Kt3XkjygIyu/s845/uc39.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="845" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQG9Pm9G0QbgVNfEr602lUrQGJvblMKQCqb0G6rrq_7u5EFw5WHBmy5ymA5YsaWBGqpA-WlaOCMjmMqK70ybVCnb2vRzqmt2LMZiaDO3K2062Q8AjSH-ELBwDBhBNUNri39Kt3XkjygIyu/w400-h163/uc39.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The reaction on the E bridge is not good. Rura Penthe has a reputation, as evidenced when Scotty remarks that it would have been better had they been given death sentences.</p><p>Spock asks Valeris to play him the torpedo video again. It's pretty clear that it came from the Enterprise.</p><p>"No way!" Scotty objects again. "We have all of our torpedoes!"</p><p>Spock quotes Sherlock Holmes (but claims that it's an ancestor) that, when you've examined the probable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the answer. "If we didn't fire, and they didn't fire on themselves, then it must have come from someplace else."</p><p>"There were no other ships," Chekov points out.</p><p>Spock starts walking them to his theory. "There was a radiation burst."</p><p>"From the Klingons?" asks Uhura.</p><p>"Nope, too far away. Maybe it was a ship beneath us."</p><p>"The Klingons would have seen it," says Scotty.</p><p>"You sure?"</p><p>"Bird of Prey?" asks Valeris.</p><p>But how could that be, as Birds of Prey cannot fire when cloaked, and the ship would have to be cloaked to not be seen by the Klingons?</p><p>"This is nuts!" yells Scotty. "That can't be done! Are we going to go to Starfleet headquarters and tell them that there's some impossible, invisible new weapon out there, and that's why Kirk is innocent? They'll think we're trying anything to get them free!"</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR45M-R3qSa42yrmHKMDSqIapy9A9AMvzJ8oivwSXnn73QXo3nHYS5tejLASVBFB1d14vQ5cRvUXHSZCkWrRAmU7q5uBcFCSIP04ALbv4BshcKqu_dcMwDh6ioVXxq2sw5VcWwDjh3Np29/s839/uc40.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="839" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR45M-R3qSa42yrmHKMDSqIapy9A9AMvzJ8oivwSXnn73QXo3nHYS5tejLASVBFB1d14vQ5cRvUXHSZCkWrRAmU7q5uBcFCSIP04ALbv4BshcKqu_dcMwDh6ioVXxq2sw5VcWwDjh3Np29/w400-h163/uc40.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>"Pretty much," says Spock. "We can't go to them with a theory."</p><p>"Why would the Klingons fire on their own guy?" asks Uhura.</p><p>"Good question," Spock acknowledges. "We need to find proof to take to Starfleet. Valeris, you're in charge of that investigation."</p><p>"Okay, wait," says Chekov. "If the killers were on this other, cloaked ship, then they beamed over from there, and not here."</p><p>"Records say they either beamed over from here," Spock says, "or they altered the records from here. Either way, we need to look here."</p><p>"For what?" asks Chekov.</p><p>Spock looks at Valeris.</p><p>"Two pairs of gravity boots," she says simply. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHyleimvpgdR4C6hIKmECxlNpyUKoci0Q10qemxtKJsgCdNspbbIMDESTeQeKVxDxEOiGhhfapNpaTs8_K3CPy0BgGfBSb7EUIdEGGwACDUG298guzJBN9XaFYM86ML58rujbFwA5Cwo4/s846/uc41.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="846" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHyleimvpgdR4C6hIKmECxlNpyUKoci0Q10qemxtKJsgCdNspbbIMDESTeQeKVxDxEOiGhhfapNpaTs8_K3CPy0BgGfBSb7EUIdEGGwACDUG298guzJBN9XaFYM86ML58rujbFwA5Cwo4/w400-h163/uc41.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Gonna pause here, at roughly the halfway point. We'll pick up again next time at Rura Penthe, and watch Kirk's wet dream, where he fights himself.</p><p><br /></p><p>Fun Facts:</p><p>- This film came very close to not getting green-lighted. Movie 5 had gods-awful box office numbers (I wonder why!), and Paramount had had a series of films that were expensive flops. But they also didn't want the series to end with the crapfest of Final Frontier, so they made Star Trek a deal: the movie 6 budget was not to exceed the movie 5 budget, even by $1. Harve Bennett proposed a Starfleet Academy prequel, which would have been far cheaper to make, but was met with resistance from Gene Rod, the fanbase, and the original cast. By the time it was scrapped, Bennett had sunk 18 months of pre-production into the prequel film. In frustration, he left Star Trek after 10 years with the franchise.</p><p>- After Bennett left, Paramount president Frank Mancuso Jr turned to Leonard Nimoy. He wanted an original cast film. Nimoy suggested a parallel of the Gorbachev/Perestroika/Glasnost situation between the Federation and the Klingons. Mancuso liked this idea, and Nimoy requested that Nicholas Meyer (director of move 2 and writer of movie 4) be brought on as co-writer and director.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1Vppu8KluUAWBTtoDpqb9-xF5JUw6KPT2EBWwOwm89sMRXEpn8IyCbTM-awM_LaSkEYf2gSzPsNk7ak-c36MZCblS8DtteYEvqmQw7dABBubVAQI3_nI7hsyoYibunIOBIsDYq_svxOV/s630/cast.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="630" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1Vppu8KluUAWBTtoDpqb9-xF5JUw6KPT2EBWwOwm89sMRXEpn8IyCbTM-awM_LaSkEYf2gSzPsNk7ak-c36MZCblS8DtteYEvqmQw7dABBubVAQI3_nI7hsyoYibunIOBIsDYq_svxOV/w400-h258/cast.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cast with Nicholas Meyer</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>- When Nimoy contacted Meyer, Meyer was in the UK shooting another film, "Company Business," which had a similar Glasnost theme. Meyer felt like the studio butchered the story he wanted to tell with "Company Business," and decided that he could tell the story better with Star Trek. Interestingly, Kurtwood Smith (who played the Federation president) also appeared in "Company Business."</p><p>- Meyer had originally gotten along well with both Harve Bennett and Gene Roddenberry, but after Meyer largely re-wrote the limp movie 2 script and included more militaristic aspects of Starfleet, Gene got angry. It didn't gel with his vision for Starfleet. (Meyer declined to work on movie 3 as he hated the idea of Spock being brought back to life after the beautiful death scene in movie 2.) They also clashed over Saavik, a Meyer character. Meyer wanted to take her in a certain direction in this film, and Gene disagreed. Meyer was annoyed because he felt Saavik was his character to do with as his wished, and Gene was essentially without power when it came to the studio. Things were being shown to him as a courtesy at this point. In the end, Saavik as a character fell through for unrelated reasons, and it became moot.</p><p>- Viewing this film was one of the last things that Gene Roddenberry did before he died. The film was mostly finished, and he gave it a thumbs up initially, but decided later that he disliked the thread of racism toward the Klingons. He had his thoroughly-hated lawyer Leonard Maizlish start legal proceedings against Nimoy and Meyer to get 15 minutes of the more militaristic scenes cut from the film, but Roddenberry died two days later, and the proceedings were dropped.</p><p> - Outside of the original cast, the only other actors to play in both this film and the first were Mark Lenard, (who played a Klingon captain in TMP, and Sarek here) and Grace Lee Whitney, who played Rand in both films.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq29pvN9uwOqCNNdzm-AOm0NjaBMU3Xm_mB1sTAcDkOE8DMLZFCiT0b60TwrKCb7zktSb0SMgWDtLetNcoUlxU2pSVhJ3XZKsqxYIMNm5SdENoIrPnxg-OVc3tGMqfP-dy4byKy5luYMxh/s425/sarek.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq29pvN9uwOqCNNdzm-AOm0NjaBMU3Xm_mB1sTAcDkOE8DMLZFCiT0b60TwrKCb7zktSb0SMgWDtLetNcoUlxU2pSVhJ3XZKsqxYIMNm5SdENoIrPnxg-OVc3tGMqfP-dy4byKy5luYMxh/w339-h400/sarek.png" width="339" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>- There seems to be some confusion here as to whether Rand is a Lieutenant commander here, or a Lieutenant junior grade.</p><p>- Grace Lee Whitney was brought back to the films after Gene Rod admitted that his firing her from the show was "a mistake." Her Star Trek credits ended up being 8 TOS episodes, four bit cameos in the films, and an episode of Voyager. She also participated in several fan films.</p><p>- Star Trek attempted to give Head Honcho Bill a last name at least twice:</p><p><span> -In the novelization of this film, he is named Admiral William Smillie.</span><br /></p><p><span><span> - Bill is played by Leon Russom, who will later appear as a different character, Vice Admiral <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Toddman, in DS9. Some Star Trek games have listed Bill as being Bill Toddman, to draw that <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>connection between the two characters.</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span>- The little coffee table on the bridge of the Excelsior actually hid the apparatus that was used to shake the set when the ship went through the energy wave.</span></span></p><p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGp4FeBv6UyhR-HMqNeg4ufrwpTRl7dhFHzbC9Kb7ZLLtRGu7dg1FCGSiGPdsp3L3sRedvMsmf8Q45olunCjNttmgyYKCy8j5nRhpx0IzGstr-SUT-N_OJzMNXDnytxDYBkj3zcGwxxag/s606/table.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="606" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGp4FeBv6UyhR-HMqNeg4ufrwpTRl7dhFHzbC9Kb7ZLLtRGu7dg1FCGSiGPdsp3L3sRedvMsmf8Q45olunCjNttmgyYKCy8j5nRhpx0IzGstr-SUT-N_OJzMNXDnytxDYBkj3zcGwxxag/w400-h239/table.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span><br /><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span><span>- When Sulu drinks his tea, the cup has a lovely inscription of USS Excelsior. When it falls off the table and shatters, there are no markings on the cup. The prop department loved this little cup so much that they didn't want it damaged, so they smashed another.</span></span></p><p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpljfsyYoWDK2VnDCg0CgqDQjAhdYhJuTw-FPo66wnNIbSiT3IV86ezhkk_67TOnafaZkB1ExCNWgroYDPnrqqCvinrTHUlM6IctsSQXnBLgWvYvilZloR-QnPBruimnaM9TrWYlb_wyoC/s846/teacup.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="846" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpljfsyYoWDK2VnDCg0CgqDQjAhdYhJuTw-FPo66wnNIbSiT3IV86ezhkk_67TOnafaZkB1ExCNWgroYDPnrqqCvinrTHUlM6IctsSQXnBLgWvYvilZloR-QnPBruimnaM9TrWYlb_wyoC/w400-h164/teacup.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XHiTAibqGGLOh1gh57pKMIZUYDJQnOWQ4-CdGGwaHfiBylXUku3JtGudG-GwPI7lcbfUlOKpKzkm5szTM67SEZa1dotxyF3yMp5tK2IMvkyvX79aFkpWtH4C7WuAGhRVKng0jCC6O1Vz/s675/smashed+cup.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="675" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XHiTAibqGGLOh1gh57pKMIZUYDJQnOWQ4-CdGGwaHfiBylXUku3JtGudG-GwPI7lcbfUlOKpKzkm5szTM67SEZa1dotxyF3yMp5tK2IMvkyvX79aFkpWtH4C7WuAGhRVKng0jCC6O1Vz/w400-h216/smashed+cup.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p>- Kim Cattrall initially turned down this movie because she had decided that Star Trek did not produce strong female roles, and was not interested in being another "pretty face." She accepted the role when she learned that producers wanted her to develop the character. Valeris' hairstyle was her idea, as well as several other key points in development.</p><p>- Kim Cattrall had initially auditioned to play Saavik, but was turned down for the role. When Nicholas Meyer wanted to bring Saavik back for this film, he only wanted Kirstie Alley. But Alley was very popular on Cheers, and her asking salary by then was too much. Meyer then decided that, if he could not have Alley, he would create a new character to take her place. Robin Curtis, who also played Saavik, was disappointed that she had not be considered when Alley was not available. Part of Cattrall turning down this film initially was because she thought she was being asked to play Saavik, whom she considered "just a girl."</p><p>- Lol, MASH Easter egg:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfD_Vsa2meZ5XsHIognfsny_alNwqYAgt9kaEM1jDa3MFZ1exOg2jaXDsvBwgvIE7UAwwVT0TfDRKhXGxURu_YC-2r9yryIdj7KqBEZvfSoyfb02ZCCTRd_fp9djvUpWDx98GbKG8UXty/s841/mash+easter+egg.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="841" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfD_Vsa2meZ5XsHIognfsny_alNwqYAgt9kaEM1jDa3MFZ1exOg2jaXDsvBwgvIE7UAwwVT0TfDRKhXGxURu_YC-2r9yryIdj7KqBEZvfSoyfb02ZCCTRd_fp9djvUpWDx98GbKG8UXty/w537-h239/mash+easter+egg.png" width="537" /></a></div><br /><p>- Chancellor Gorkon was played by David Warner. If he looks familiar to you, you have a better eye than I do. He played Ambassador St John Talbot in movie 5. He'll also play a key Cardassian role, Gul Madred, in season 6 of Next Gen.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QNhSsO88bO-DbYX86Gk8k9-s6GwUrHQ1BgfYjRcQSGSYvCfOn7FLX6mYly1cWvWvmb4hILdxzTtxMy7y08uw09WaRwJu1_bjHlJuflOHxrVzftJb4BNSv0Om1S8ZeNjr3PFKHvuPT5OB/s605/st+JOhn+Talbot.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QNhSsO88bO-DbYX86Gk8k9-s6GwUrHQ1BgfYjRcQSGSYvCfOn7FLX6mYly1cWvWvmb4hILdxzTtxMy7y08uw09WaRwJu1_bjHlJuflOHxrVzftJb4BNSv0Om1S8ZeNjr3PFKHvuPT5OB/w318-h400/st+JOhn+Talbot.png" width="318" /></a></div><br /><p>- The blue food at the dinner party scene was considered inedible by the cast, and Nicholas Meyer finally offered them $20 for each bite they took. William Shatner made $240 before he threw up. (The blue food was dyed squid.) No one else was able to swallow it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nVTJ709kWxoNOgZc7oUM2X5Oa2UAKTpc6nOiK4eo20_2FUCxKYoyUbDyPV4teG3koSnY7o_glcvQ52WkhjAqiPvUaiXKLK8lLPxsoK8pAVKRz55ixBWYV1IhJN2ZQQaiTWAybb5y7czY/s286/blue+food.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="286" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nVTJ709kWxoNOgZc7oUM2X5Oa2UAKTpc6nOiK4eo20_2FUCxKYoyUbDyPV4teG3koSnY7o_glcvQ52WkhjAqiPvUaiXKLK8lLPxsoK8pAVKRz55ixBWYV1IhJN2ZQQaiTWAybb5y7czY/w400-h327/blue+food.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>- In the original script, the dinner party scene was supposed to wind up nearly ending in a fist fight. Cuts were made to the final film, and the dinner party ended up being just uncomfortable.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFrZNNC9GBuUKEVPi9wBM0Aq-z6r4NzQFn-pNvgs1SeJ5jHs5rxWge1nvyrY7ugRbDtUMUSDWo9VC2ZsdVbRLF9DaA2BeaTGoSrAYfJv7NluC7027-4bnTEU_IGF2uC2hLrW4bS9j0px8/s841/mash+easter+egg.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="841" height="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFrZNNC9GBuUKEVPi9wBM0Aq-z6r4NzQFn-pNvgs1SeJ5jHs5rxWge1nvyrY7ugRbDtUMUSDWo9VC2ZsdVbRLF9DaA2BeaTGoSrAYfJv7NluC7027-4bnTEU_IGF2uC2hLrW4bS9j0px8/w400-h0/mash+easter+egg.png" width="400" /></a></div>- Spock quotes Sherlock Holmes, and claims that it was said by an ancestor of his, leading some fans to wonder if Spock might be distantly related to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle via Amanda Grayson. (Sherlock said the quote, but it was written by Doyle.) Honestly, I think the guy who claimed that "only Nixon could go to China" was an old Vulcan saying was just fucking with them, in a similar (but less goofy way) to Chekov continually claiming that certain non-Russian things are really Russian.<br /><p>- Between all of the characters (but mostly Chang), Shakespeare quotes came from the following plays: Hamlet, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Richard II, The Merchant of Venice, King Henry V, and King Henry IV (Part II).</p><p>- This is the last production to feature the entire TOS crew, but the final screen-time for DeForest Kelley and Nichelle Nichols. The others will be featured in other shows and films.</p><p>- This is the first canon mention of Sulu's first name, Hikaru. It had previously been used in novels, and approved by both Roddenberry and Takei, but had not been used in the shows or films until this point.</p><p>-This film was nominated for two Academy awards, for make-up and sound effects. It was nominated for a Hugo award for best drama, and nominated for five Saturn awards. It won the Saturn award for Best Science Fiction Film.</p><p>- This is the first film to confirm that Kirk's middle name is Tiberius. It had been previously mentioned in the TAS episode <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2015/10/stts-season-two-episode-two-bem.html">"Bem."</a> (Haters who claim that TAS is not canon can eat me. You can't claim it's not while simultaneously picking out from that series that things that you would like to be canon.)</p><p>- Rene Auberjonais (who plays Odo on DS9) was cast to play Colonel West. He filmed his scenes, but they were later cut, as Gene Rod did not like the ideas that the character was presenting. The scenes were later re-added to certain re-releases into new media formats, but were cut again when re-released on Blu-ray.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBTocCZy8X_1vF0m9njR1wPVtqf-2lrYUaXNFOI900_Ce2Vi1rLS_7j7xf4Mw8t8YJHHu9SZRLtPGfjRxo4K1lshNdy0d4npAL_ivdtBPx3OWoS1nKXFqHW0si5uSQHaodvOt-OaWVP1w/s402/colonel+west.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="340" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBTocCZy8X_1vF0m9njR1wPVtqf-2lrYUaXNFOI900_Ce2Vi1rLS_7j7xf4Mw8t8YJHHu9SZRLtPGfjRxo4K1lshNdy0d4npAL_ivdtBPx3OWoS1nKXFqHW0si5uSQHaodvOt-OaWVP1w/w339-h400/colonel+west.png" width="339" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>- West wears an admiral's rank, but this is not correct. The Naval equivalent of a Colonel is a captain. The reason why there is one instance of a non-Naval rank in Starfleet is because Gene had toyed with the idea for years of the possibility of Starfleet also having an Army and/or Marines branch. Having a colonel was Star Trek's version of dipping their toes in the water, but the idea never appears to have gone anywhere.</p><p>- West was meant to be a caricature of Oliver North of the Iran-Contra Affair. Auberjonais was a friend of writer and director of Nicholas Meyer, who wrote the character to be a political jab at North.</p><p>- The scenes of West that were cut included him presenting a plan to the president to rescue Kirk and McCoy, and which was given the thoroughly unimaginative name "Operation Retrieve." West gives this presentation with Admiral Cartwright, Nanclus, and Sarek in the room. The president rejects this plan, as he feels it would have sparked a war with the Klingons. West, Nanclus, and Cartwright all make the case that the Klingons are in a weakened position, and a war would be an easy win. The C-in-C then enters and tells the president that Kirk has saved their planet previously, and the president replies that Kirk can save it again, by standing trial. </p><p>- The President of the Federation in this film is an unnamed Efrosian.</p><p>- Michael Dorn found out that he got the part of Colonel Worf when Meyer and Herman Zimmerman happened to be walking by the TNG soundstage and told him.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2OZ29S9fEwQwol5g48zc8qFpheiC_Sm8nMPBJXFjwxPjYJsk8oqbuSoHbP1Vzf2_qQMcfyRaRTFw9s7WQggHN_P312hF7HLbecH9QX_0CB-hNASgZylOme3GRJUnav5K3cVhE3vhnJP7/s506/colonel+worf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="506" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2OZ29S9fEwQwol5g48zc8qFpheiC_Sm8nMPBJXFjwxPjYJsk8oqbuSoHbP1Vzf2_qQMcfyRaRTFw9s7WQggHN_P312hF7HLbecH9QX_0CB-hNASgZylOme3GRJUnav5K3cVhE3vhnJP7/w400-h335/colonel+worf.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>- The original script featured a prologue, which would catch the audience up with the characters: Kirk was back together with Carol Marcus; McCoy was showing up drunk to medical celebrity events (as a form of protesting the hypocrisy of it all); Uhura was a radio show hostess; Scotty was an engineering professor; Chekov was competing and losing in grandmaster chess tournaments; and Sulu was working as a cab driver on some backwater alien planet. (Of those, I only like McCoy's prologue - because it seems in-character - and Scotty's, which has a bit of dignity. In the actual film, Uhura states that she should have been chairing a communications seminar at the Academy when they called her to that top-secret meeting. I like that better.) The prologue was scrapped altogether when they discovered that it would have been too costly to film.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNrDvNjCdoH0HGeezQRpwePlkYJ6CitXopskPJrI8xECKTQsnNyb4L8Q-xNfI8seDRcm8ssKIJRWhn27zNTDl3C1vcIkVTWdri9NdWTuJmenhB97fkDdJ7ru3e4BbQRYX9SvXvxfcUBr7P/s495/scotty%2527s+classroom.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="495" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNrDvNjCdoH0HGeezQRpwePlkYJ6CitXopskPJrI8xECKTQsnNyb4L8Q-xNfI8seDRcm8ssKIJRWhn27zNTDl3C1vcIkVTWdri9NdWTuJmenhB97fkDdJ7ru3e4BbQRYX9SvXvxfcUBr7P/w400-h204/scotty%2527s+classroom.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A storyboard of Scotty's prologue "classroom"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>- The line "Guess who's coming to dinner?" was originally an Uhura line, but Nichols refused to say it, as it referenced the Sidney Poitier film of the same name, and she felt the line was too racist. It was given to Chekov instead. Another Uhura line "Would you let your daughter marry one?" (in reference to the Klingons) went straight into the trash, as she also refused to say it.</p><p>- Brock Peters (Admiral Cartwright) also struggled with the racist overtones of this film, and the fact that he had to say the line "bring them to their knees," as this was a line that had been used in other films against Black people.</p><p>- Most Star Trek productions are met with budget crises, and movie 6 was no exception. When Meyer turned in his budget proposal, Paramount was under the guise of one guy in charge. By the time he got back from the UK, ready to start pre-production, it was under the eye of another, who turned his proposal down. The prologue got the axe, and on-location filming in Alaska (to simulate Rura Penthe) was off the table. Sets were recycled, TNG builds were redressed (as TNG was on summer hiatus), and models were built on the private dimes of crew. Some of the cast and crew even agreed to partial deferment of their wages.</p><p>- It was even suggested that cutting ILM for special effects might save them money, and selecting a cheaper company. But this is what had happened with movie 5, and the effects were abysmal. No one wanted that. In the end, the special effects were trimmed to 51 from 115. (Thirty of those originally cut effects would later be added back in, as the film made no sense without them.)</p><p>- Even with all of these trims, the Head Bitch in Charge of Paramount told Meyer that the cuts were not enough, and he needed to make movie 6 for the same budget as movie 5. It could not be done, and the Head gave movie 6 the axe. So what happened? Yet another new Head Bitch in Charge! In what the media was calling "The Studio Shuffle," Paramount had recycled through numerous Heads over a short period of time, essentially going through them like a tiny island nation goes through dictators. Stanley R. Jaffe, the Paramount interim president, told Meyer to make his movie. They would find him the money.</p><p>- The biggest set expense was the bridge. The studio had needed the room between films, so put the bridge set outside for storage. It had been completely destroyed in some freak weather, and only the turbolifts survived. In the end, they had to rebuild the entire thing, and use it for the bridges for both the Enterprise and the Excelsior.</p><p>- Shatner had wanted to direct this film. Remember that weird contract clause that Shatner and Nimoy had, that said that whatever one got, the other was entitled to as well? Nimoy had, at this point, directed two films to Shatner's one. And the one that Shatner had done was the bucket of elephant snot known as Final Frontier, and he wanted to "redeem" himself. Nimoy had originally been offered the director's chair for this film, but had given it instead to Meyer. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dTBsp1oqcJYXo1g1Bx90PxOvl375-Y-Hz0j-zy9ToM8Fx-p_LVqa08e1BK40Fsazz-XrBbPwowojRJ5kHtoVWJCejrjkoJAx80hS_dbiq_-npUaRmyltO1BANsajSPEwnQJ0z_8p-XMV/s310/soundtrack.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="310" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dTBsp1oqcJYXo1g1Bx90PxOvl375-Y-Hz0j-zy9ToM8Fx-p_LVqa08e1BK40Fsazz-XrBbPwowojRJ5kHtoVWJCejrjkoJAx80hS_dbiq_-npUaRmyltO1BANsajSPEwnQJ0z_8p-XMV/w400-h400/soundtrack.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-mrN7cgKGBklqevWxIweNh0Q8dDjTAZiS_r1oAJCIzIOGHxCbhyphenhyphenqDQvb2tTMX2AhQiqg-eWvASMBbJqlF09_T_62hcoY98ndcgMKBRChdum9LGGWRTpjxrpnp47nmcaZf4Lx1_XdwSXQ/s1840/pie+tummy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="1840" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-mrN7cgKGBklqevWxIweNh0Q8dDjTAZiS_r1oAJCIzIOGHxCbhyphenhyphenqDQvb2tTMX2AhQiqg-eWvASMBbJqlF09_T_62hcoY98ndcgMKBRChdum9LGGWRTpjxrpnp47nmcaZf4Lx1_XdwSXQ/w400-h300/pie+tummy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tummy rub, please</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-11619014055903950962020-10-06T01:58:00.002-07:002020-10-06T01:58:53.508-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Nine "A Matter of Time"ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Nine "A Matter of Time"<br />
Production Order: 9<br />
Air Order: 9<br />
Stardate: 45349.1<br />
Original Air Date: November 18, 1991<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOM8zWe1x-2dMg2dbztnOUZ1Tq8Q418-WuD9NYDi8TJLlpmI2g4knqPZxjT1Wy572CAvdX1Qxf_JuuZSQB0-heAHTmB7swNpOqqmwrtKk32RivWuW0cVz4td1kB_kPsRK5O3W34kd5o6F/s415/mt1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="415" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOM8zWe1x-2dMg2dbztnOUZ1Tq8Q418-WuD9NYDi8TJLlpmI2g4knqPZxjT1Wy572CAvdX1Qxf_JuuZSQB0-heAHTmB7swNpOqqmwrtKk32RivWuW0cVz4td1kB_kPsRK5O3W34kd5o6F/w400-h303/mt1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log 45349.1: "We're going to Penthara IV, where this big-ass asteroid hit a continent. There was nobody near the crash site, but the dust and crap it kicked up into the atmosphere has created a nuclear winter that's really similar to the ones Earth had in the 21st century."</div><div><br /></div><div>You motherfuckers, if you narrow that down to "the last few months of 2020," I'm gonna lose my shit. Keep your damn predictions to yourself, Star Trek.</div><div><br /></div><div>Riker goes to Engineering, where La Forge and Data have been working on the problem.</div><div>"They're kind of fucked," La Forge tells him. "Hopefully, we can help them become less fucked."<br />
Picard calls Riker back to the bridge: Worf says they passed a weird little time distortion, close enough that it's probably not a coincidence.</div><div>La Forge says he can spare the hour or so it will take the E to check out the distortion.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sRhxd0xLsY4iATUtud993T6HjODseXDHpkPmlCOnlSVXRCMezxKSo60E_-WQVuzeWxrfD-QCXeSuFG6yE8IRq-Ny8tLK2p7qqwL-rnlTNAJcvvU1hP2GiMtJLXE4-K92j3wflvsT81Gf/s414/mt2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="414" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sRhxd0xLsY4iATUtud993T6HjODseXDHpkPmlCOnlSVXRCMezxKSo60E_-WQVuzeWxrfD-QCXeSuFG6yE8IRq-Ny8tLK2p7qqwL-rnlTNAJcvvU1hP2GiMtJLXE4-K92j3wflvsT81Gf/w400-h300/mt2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It's a shuttle-thing. When they try scanning for life-forms, it's found that their scans won't penetrate the hull.</div><div>Worf sends a hail, and then, in confusion, tells Picard that he needs to scooch over.</div><div>"Yeah, I'm not moving my ship," frowns Picard.</div><div>"Not the ship," corrects Worf. "You specifically."</div><div>"Huh?" asks Picard. </div><div>He moves toward Worf instinctively, and a guy beams directly into the spot where he had been standing.</div><div>"Sorry!" says this new guy cheerfully. "You were standing where I needed to be!"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjOSOyR9KRn-FES_o7WpiKS_MSt1mcjMGG6gDy2UbqYJShEOuT1e7IfIyOFcZz2jUfoSQe5_5TSH4S_X3ZxvgU8QprVpqz-wXR802hqwjq9oX4oyGwt14rdg3qJ22zpBcRXk2AdLh6hw5/s419/mt4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="419" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjOSOyR9KRn-FES_o7WpiKS_MSt1mcjMGG6gDy2UbqYJShEOuT1e7IfIyOFcZz2jUfoSQe5_5TSH4S_X3ZxvgU8QprVpqz-wXR802hqwjq9oX4oyGwt14rdg3qJ22zpBcRXk2AdLh6hw5/w400-h297/mt4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>He introduces himself as Dr Berlinghoff Rasmussen, a time traveling historian from 26th century Earth.</div><div>"I've traveled back 300 years to find you!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Opening credits break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcmRdW47h_3WIbERCrKNs0Oy4GpcRZryuGCjCtUuHeFJCEIAOpkijp8YExCGGBagff1bK8yp5gPK944vj5Pf9FcmP0KlrXCu3uTv6tKBmL3cBoADT5Dz4-7AkSZrahs2j07pUgU9-3AU2/s418/mt3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="418" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcmRdW47h_3WIbERCrKNs0Oy4GpcRZryuGCjCtUuHeFJCEIAOpkijp8YExCGGBagff1bK8yp5gPK944vj5Pf9FcmP0KlrXCu3uTv6tKBmL3cBoADT5Dz4-7AkSZrahs2j07pUgU9-3AU2/w400-h300/mt3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>When we return, Rasmussen and Picard are in the ready room, and Rasmussen is wandering around, looking at Picard's stuff with nosy interest.</div><div>"This is weird," says Picard. "Seriously, wtf are you?"</div><div>"I specialize in 22nd through 24th century, early interstellar travel," says Rasmussen. He points to the open book Picard has on display near the door and remarks that future historians assume that the book is open on his desk rather than the stand.</div><div>"Y'all are really interested in the crap I keep in my ready room?" asks Picard, who seems unimpressed.</div><div>Rasmussen tries to butter him up by remarking on Picard's modesty, but Picard isn't having it.</div><div>"Why are you here to see me, though? There are a lot of other cool people out there in the galaxy, both in Starfleet and out."<br />
"I can't give you more details," says Rasmussen. "Could change the future."</div><div>But he hints that something awesome might be coming soon to the Enterprise, and he's here to see it happen. He can only get info from them, they can't ask him about the future. Then he measures out the size of the ready room by walking and tracking his paces.</div><div>"Ha! I was right! Seven meters!"</div><div>The ready room is bigger than the time-travel pod he came in, which Worf said was five?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3Al7Eb0E8r5DhjRQOhF9iDFhomYSeDTQJGbIVfnTOH_ZNUWgIo9TCuMu8nWwn8MXGAMFaUK0gwTHwk75zRa4tHTo3oXEkgc6TfvVHTkS1uz0Yft-B_N7uha_RW1CmiOVh5XtMZzugir2/s417/mt5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="417" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3Al7Eb0E8r5DhjRQOhF9iDFhomYSeDTQJGbIVfnTOH_ZNUWgIo9TCuMu8nWwn8MXGAMFaUK0gwTHwk75zRa4tHTo3oXEkgc6TfvVHTkS1uz0Yft-B_N7uha_RW1CmiOVh5XtMZzugir2/w400-h299/mt5.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone meets up in the Obs Lounge.</div><div>"How come you picked today, this ship?" asks La Forge.</div><div>"You'll see." Rasmussen is practically dancing in his chair. He's giving off a distinct Willy Wonka vibe. "Worf, do you always sit on that side of the table?"</div><div>"I guess? Why?"</div><div>"Not important!" sings Rasmussen. Is he going to go home and build a diorama?</div><div>"When did historians start using time travel to study?" asks Riker.</div><div>"Can't tell you that!" Rasmussen grins. "We all know the dangers of time travel."</div><div>"Can... you tell me if they've figured out how to cure the Talurian plague by the 26th century?" asks Crusher. </div><div>Picard makes a gesture at her, and she protests that it can't hurt to ask something like that, but he's adamant: butterflies and shit.</div><div>"Okay, homework!" says Rasmussen. "I'm gonna give you all surveys to fill out, and get them back to me ASAP. If there's a question of security breaches, check with the captain to see if it's okay to answer. Also, thank you for "curbing your curiosity"!"</div><div>Sassy La Forge Moment: "If I hand my assignment in on time, can I get a glimpse into next week's poker game?"</div><div>Rasmussen exits with Data, who has been assigned to show the professor to his quarters.</div><div>Riker wants to know why Rasmussen thinks he "picked the right day."</div><div>Picard shrugs. "You know as much as I do."<br />
They all look at Troi.</div><div>"He isn't telling us everything."</div><div>"Of course not," says Crusher. "He can't."</div><div>Riker muses on the idea that Rasmussen might be an imposter - they've certainly seen enough of those.</div><div>All they have are facts that can't point in one direction or another. Rasmussen is human, there <i>was</i> a temporal distortion, and his ship is definitely beyond their technology.</div><div>Worf makes a subtle noise: he isn't quite comfortable.</div><div>"Yeah, I agree," says Picard. "We don't know this dude. Put his time pod thing in the shuttle bay with a guard. This is gonna be weird, but I've looked at his credentials, and everything checks out."</div><div>... how? You read his future CV, from the future, at a time when his credentials don't exist?<br />
Picard seems cautious, but at the same time, excited. A little too willing to trust? I dunno. He tells them to do the questionnaires.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7Ajvanzpl_rfbg1DdEYEXlfNJtn95e5RT-Xw8EqSxa7qrnqqCO16GHAGKvoMg4FbkpDs2ge9HA905DNbujP1JVBh3FZcdt8M16L3v1yUamwvnXiBiDvDEJjki36qbYewu29VIqfES9Ah/s419/mt6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="419" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7Ajvanzpl_rfbg1DdEYEXlfNJtn95e5RT-Xw8EqSxa7qrnqqCO16GHAGKvoMg4FbkpDs2ge9HA905DNbujP1JVBh3FZcdt8M16L3v1yUamwvnXiBiDvDEJjki36qbYewu29VIqfES9Ah/w400-h297/mt6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, Data is taking Rasmussen to his quarters, but the professor is creeping on him. So fucking rude. Don't care if he's different. Stop doing that shit. He fucking touches Data's ear while going on about how it's like encountering a Model T or a Gutenberg bible. Maybe Data isn't uncomfortable being casually examined, but I'm uncomfortable for him. Personal space, motherfucker.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5kjpiy_5lBNBDN2G6DdHjK6y7S_Zz18V7NHg9WiFuvg5gbAB0ZM8zKC5WS-gF8TugwirTIwbuxV1XVWqS38Sdiai_GLUTCHGtO7BPCFM9DHdLhfPyuJ4M_NDXv47Ggm0DKnh83YBeqbR/s416/mt7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="416" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5kjpiy_5lBNBDN2G6DdHjK6y7S_Zz18V7NHg9WiFuvg5gbAB0ZM8zKC5WS-gF8TugwirTIwbuxV1XVWqS38Sdiai_GLUTCHGtO7BPCFM9DHdLhfPyuJ4M_NDXv47Ggm0DKnh83YBeqbR/w400-h301/mt7.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The lift stops, and Data gets out a little ahead of Rasmussen. I know it's because he knows the way and Raz doesn't, but I'd run from this guy, so that's how I'm reading it.</div><div>While they walk down the corridor, Data points out that he is more akin to Ford's Model A automobile, as he is not the first Soong-model android. Then he lets Rasmussen into his quarters. </div><div>Rasmussen does not seem impressed by the accommodations. He looks at things, checks stuff out, but without the same enthusiasm as before. And he starts treating Data like a personal servant.</div><div>"Problem?" asks Data.</div><div>"It's fine for now. I'll make up a list of things I need."</div><div>Raz wanders into the bathroom area, where he knows how to access the sink, and washes his hands.</div><div>"Hey..." says Data tentatively. "I'm guessing you know if I'm... still alive in the 26th century?"</div><div>Rasmussen says nothing. He turns and holds out his hands to Data, who then figures out that he is asking for a towel. He just... stares ahead while Data gets one from a drawer, and drops it over Raz's outstretched hands.</div><div>He walks away without answering Data's question. </div><div>On his way out, Data pauses and says, "You seem to know a lot about the Enterprise, and Captain Picard, so I have to assume you know -"</div><div>"Don't you think you should stop assuming things, given the situation?" asks Rasmussen, drying his hands.</div><div>"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," says Data quietly. He leaves.</div><div>Rasmussen looks around his quarters, and smiles to himself.</div><div>I could write an entire fucking book about that scene alone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtlFDYx7WW5xvgCif01u6Nq4NR0tNDuvOPkYRE5fgsnrnkx1SqGcaJTqZCbLKJdpaO1cGmbnjZYPjS1K6lW4zv0BcTvODHcxRCf2fCyXft9bCU_8D5N9LArycjKXmdAhnNXj_n6UhfVRM/s415/mt8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="415" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtlFDYx7WW5xvgCif01u6Nq4NR0tNDuvOPkYRE5fgsnrnkx1SqGcaJTqZCbLKJdpaO1cGmbnjZYPjS1K6lW4zv0BcTvODHcxRCf2fCyXft9bCU_8D5N9LArycjKXmdAhnNXj_n6UhfVRM/w400-h300/mt8.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log 45350.3: "We made it to Penthara IV, and holy shit, are they ever screwed."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvSOu4I2_y9CYwLumVzpkww34pqEc3-eDTrw_YfVbZpfwVfEEf2dhvA8mA4Kur0WFDqvFMZGZV-_YEBUK7FiyybwGbTiYvxCMzRUOmtPIrjTkM2Ay-jRjhIOFYGHcGbW37rzB8HIZVh8H/s412/mt9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="412" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvSOu4I2_y9CYwLumVzpkww34pqEc3-eDTrw_YfVbZpfwVfEEf2dhvA8mA4Kur0WFDqvFMZGZV-_YEBUK7FiyybwGbTiYvxCMzRUOmtPIrjTkM2Ay-jRjhIOFYGHcGbW37rzB8HIZVh8H/w400-h303/mt9.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard and La Forge are downstairs in a Pentharan lab, talking to the their lead scientist, Hal Moseley. The plan is to drill into the earth, release gasses that will warm everything, and stop the nuclear winter.</div><div>Moseley is surprised, and notes that they previously were trying everything they could to avoid creating greenhouse gasses, and now here they are, creating them on purpose.</div><div>I know that feel. I typically believe in "touch everything, never use hand sanitizer" when building a good immune system.</div><div>La Forge confirms that if they heat the planet enough, it will give Penthara enough time to repair the damage itself.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqddXPgaixAhmD3Yk4s5b_BrzAVwegf01qzezdu1qKT-tt7mVuvvbidv8gQtKu8XWmDAGPRoMlQ2INIk5wo6A5Ucq-JuSmlT79aGoaUp6z4Hpdk-v6Vo88PszrOkm8qvzyDdo3fBRzR3c5/s419/mt10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="419" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqddXPgaixAhmD3Yk4s5b_BrzAVwegf01qzezdu1qKT-tt7mVuvvbidv8gQtKu8XWmDAGPRoMlQ2INIk5wo6A5Ucq-JuSmlT79aGoaUp6z4Hpdk-v6Vo88PszrOkm8qvzyDdo3fBRzR3c5/w400-h300/mt10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Riker, Crusher, and Worf are having a drink at a table in Ten Forward when Rasmussen comes in. Riker calls their attention to his presence, and Worf replies "I hate questionnaires."</div><div>But Crusher, who seems just as excited about this historian as Picard, calls him over to join them. Riker and Worf exchange dark looks, and Worf glares at Rasmussen when he sits between him and Crusher. Raz hands out the questionnaire USB sticks.</div><div>"Complete these by tomorrow!" he says cheerfully.</div><div>"Tomorrow?" asks Worf. He looks like Raz has just announced a pop quiz on something that wasn't in the syllabus.</div><div>Riker seems just as pleased, but pastes a fake-ass smile on his face and replies, "yes, sir!"</div><div>Remember forever ago, when I suggested that Jonathan Frakes had customer service experience, because he hauls out those skills at the drop of a hat? I'm suggesting that again.</div><div>Rasmussen says that everyone seems so calm, and Riker point-blank asks him if something big is going to be happening soon.</div><div>"Oh, I can't tell you that," says Rasmussen. "Just that when history records things, it doesn't record what little things people were doing a week before an event, or a day, or even an hour."</div><div>That's... only partly true? People can tell you what they were doing when JFK was shot, when the Twin Towers fell, and what was for dinner the night before the Titanic sank. People have a morbid curiosity for that kind of thing.</div><div>"Just do your thing and pretend I'm not here," he says.</div><div>If only, asshole.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgSfmn_BeHd1DBFXgXnwrQvBjA8Yjwd9TYHgy7YF_tKeNC_qgfUvN6S0AEOgb3dlx8dHXT2v5rKnVyFhVuWvWmCSOxuJIP1HN6533VsKy507-r8p5NFO8E46RhQR-kCeSrcmutNtXkIt_/s419/mt11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="419" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgSfmn_BeHd1DBFXgXnwrQvBjA8Yjwd9TYHgy7YF_tKeNC_qgfUvN6S0AEOgb3dlx8dHXT2v5rKnVyFhVuWvWmCSOxuJIP1HN6533VsKy507-r8p5NFO8E46RhQR-kCeSrcmutNtXkIt_/w400-h300/mt11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"How come there are no other records of historians visiting other events?" demands Riker.</div><div>"We're super careful," says Rasmussen. He is very bouncy. "Another historian and I recently visited a 22nd century vessel."</div><div>So... you were careful then, but are throwing this shit out the window now?</div><div>Crusher is immediately pulled in. "Oh, they didn't have quarantine fields then! Did you see masks and gloves?"</div><div>Rasmussen then waxes rhapsodic about what kinds of things people want to know about the past, based on their own interests. Crusher asks about medical stuff. When Riker talks about important progress made by humans, he cites the warp engine, because he's an explorer. And clearly Worf, who is primitive af, has said "phasers."</div><div>Worf does not appreciate being analyzed this way. If that questionnaire is on a Scantron, he's drawing a dick.</div><div>But Rasmussen seems cagey, and checks some kind of ring watch, looking around the room.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiok2jR_GltLrf2ZXwbDTF-GAiXz8BaPq7azLu3ZCCs8xVMtAWWhyphenhyphenPaM6EDecQ4bQre1ykE4CBQem822m3O0Q381xUloYY47ktWu98hujwLeWsaN8TknCMI2I3zMQpJCKdZLTcCDOd7GC_c/s419/mt12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="419" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiok2jR_GltLrf2ZXwbDTF-GAiXz8BaPq7azLu3ZCCs8xVMtAWWhyphenhyphenPaM6EDecQ4bQre1ykE4CBQem822m3O0Q381xUloYY47ktWu98hujwLeWsaN8TknCMI2I3zMQpJCKdZLTcCDOd7GC_c/w400-h299/mt12.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We go down to Engineering, where La Forge is busy figuring out how many holes he'll have to punch in Penthara IV to get the results they need.</div><div>Jae sighting!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hWhwuLLOtZkxO7jNLSsT5LrFy6RF68C5OX0-hrFv422m90J_UJxi1vNI8vSefOXjs8Ms7sCg-7vOgyq737yQfbfH7-QfECDakP2Ol_m3dcPnecBsvkgNNJQayn56xoDV21JVXp9Pc7IC/s416/jae.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="416" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hWhwuLLOtZkxO7jNLSsT5LrFy6RF68C5OX0-hrFv422m90J_UJxi1vNI8vSefOXjs8Ms7sCg-7vOgyq737yQfbfH7-QfECDakP2Ol_m3dcPnecBsvkgNNJQayn56xoDV21JVXp9Pc7IC/w400-h301/jae.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>La Forge and Data talk briefly about possible earthquakes at the drill sites, but La Forge says that Moseley has reported no earthquakes in the last 100 years.</div><div>Wait... are they fracking? </div><div>Rasmussen shows up to hand out assignments, telling La Forge and Data that their questionnaires shouldn't take more than a few hours. La Forge is kind of annoyed. He's trying to save a planet and millions of people, and this guy wants to know what he had for breakfast. He sets the USB aside and asks Data to go over some 23,000 computations to find any anomalies.</div><div>Rasmussen sits in a chair next to la Forge, and maybe it's the blocking, but he's sitting really close to La Forge. Too much energy, too little personal space.</div><div>"Is that as fast as he can go?" Raz asks La Forge, while watching Data blow through computations.</div><div>"Not fast enough?" grumbles La Forge. He does not have customer service skills.</div><div>"Not a lot known about Data's efficiency, or its part in this event," says Rasmussen.</div><div>Yes, he calls Data IT.</div><div>Data completes the computations, and tells La Forge that everything looks good: 209 anomalies, but within parameters.</div><div>"You're here to witness this mission," La Forge guesses.</div><div>"Oh, I can't say," Rasmussen insists again. He checks his ring watch. "You should just ignore me, get on with your mission."</div><div>Data tells Rasmussen he will fill out his questionnaire ASAP, and moves to the pool table.</div><div>"Data... at Penthara IV!" says Rasmussen, as though he's an announcer on a radio drama.</div><div>La Forge attempts to shake Rasmussen, but Raz is all up in his face, asking about his VISOR.</div><div>"How do you like it? I have a picture in my office of you wearing that VISOR."</div><div>"It helps me see, I like it fine," snaps La Forge.</div><div>Then Rasmussen starts naming off famous people who were also blind, and La Forge mutters about how Rasmussen told them to ignore him and go about their jobs.</div><div>La Forge then calls Picard to tell him that they have everything in place, and he's ready to go back down and get stuff ready with Moseley. He leaves, probably glad to get away from the time-traveling historian.</div><div>While Data is busy, Rasmussen slips a padd off the pool table and into his pocket. "Who says these events are less exciting when you know the outcome?"</div><div>Data looks up. "Nobody says that."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqYsog1YeRXXLJIcXP8J2cCL87S0szBhbUUAHHeHOEQxjWybNqyOZduVVAX3zidF5E8sCDnOB0Bj5kdHHK_PZY_B7Hxemm7NT7pKOAUdZNgmGOAK71lsuWcFwydiiD-0TV7coklZ9AwLZ/s420/mt14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="420" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqYsog1YeRXXLJIcXP8J2cCL87S0szBhbUUAHHeHOEQxjWybNqyOZduVVAX3zidF5E8sCDnOB0Bj5kdHHK_PZY_B7Hxemm7NT7pKOAUdZNgmGOAK71lsuWcFwydiiD-0TV7coklZ9AwLZ/w400-h296/mt14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The next set of scenes is a mish-mash about the bridge, Data in Engineering, and La Forge and Moseley on the surface, all cooperating to drill the bore holes on the surface at the right place, and to the right depth. They drill the holes.</div><div>The lift at the back of the bridge opens, and here comes Interfering McGee. He cheerfully asks what he missed, and sits in Riker's chair.</div><div>Everyone is currently communicating about surface temperatures, and nothing is happening so far.</div><div>Slowly, the temperature-taking stations start seeing a rise in temp, and Moseley thanks everyone heartily for giving them time to fix the problem. Picard accepts his thanks, and tells Moseley that they'll stay in orbit for a while to make sure that things are progressing smoothly.</div><div>Rasmussen quotes back Moseley's last sentence about being given time. "We knew how you did it, but to see it in action was awesome."</div><div>Picard is no longer excited to have this guy on board.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyHnps88l905xTeAQCy-1w4hCaRbdUEAAGBWqpCltDsgVkn57VxQ3C9XMvY-0IczwcLowC_qYiUdsH1KqIGcw41OnoJfp7BvBxEJaNiVlpJYDYT3s_IEHRA-y8jOW4cZtdMu2fLuwG8Os/s416/mt15.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="416" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyHnps88l905xTeAQCy-1w4hCaRbdUEAAGBWqpCltDsgVkn57VxQ3C9XMvY-0IczwcLowC_qYiUdsH1KqIGcw41OnoJfp7BvBxEJaNiVlpJYDYT3s_IEHRA-y8jOW4cZtdMu2fLuwG8Os/w400-h300/mt15.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Troi is down in sick bay, talking to Crusher while the latter uses a tool to patch up a bleeding crewmember.</div><div>Troi tells Crusher that she can't put her finger on it, but she thinks Rasmussen is playing some kind of shell game with them: he wants more than to just witness history.</div><div>Annnd, speak of the devil.</div><div>Rasmussen comes in, loud and obnoxious. He wants to talk about the questionnaire Crusher turned in. Troi tries to excuse herself, but he insists on her staying.</div><div>"Can I see the neural stimulator you were talking about?" he asks Crusher.</div><div>She leaves to get it, and now Troi is stuck with Rasmussen. She starts to walk away, and he follows her around the sick bay, telling people on the biobeds that they're "a credit to the uniform," and that "you'll be telling your grandkids that you were at Penthara IV."</div><div>World's loudest fly on the wall.</div><div>"You don't trust me," he says to Troi. "They all said to me "Picard's empath won't trust you.""</div><div>Presumably, he's talking about his friends. Or maybe other people from the future that also hate him.</div><div>"<i>Picard's empath</i>?" she echoes. </div><div>She doesn't get a name, even though everyone else does. She's just a tool. Like Data.</div><div>"You should trust me, though. We're very alike, in that we're not like the others. I have knowledge of the future, and that's like you knowing everyone's emotions." When this doesn't win her over, he tosses out, "Some of my best friends are empaths."</div><div>I roll my eyes hard. He has black friends.</div><div>He goes on about how they're colleagues, and they could learn from each other, blah blah blah, and she finally tells him that she doesn't trust him, end of story. Crusher comes back, and Troi takes off.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5pG1HPIShpL-w5XYOO0iwVQCdCwmcm1VWxLZh_MuPeHj7G_nmzknft-lu5atm8nUX7s6Fr6fCTZAB9P8nZDKCiixAkl3EWzHWLOOnznMOvLG0ixHxYfMNM2t1NtF-TBmc4Fg_h2lBLa9/s418/mt16.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="418" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5pG1HPIShpL-w5XYOO0iwVQCdCwmcm1VWxLZh_MuPeHj7G_nmzknft-lu5atm8nUX7s6Fr6fCTZAB9P8nZDKCiixAkl3EWzHWLOOnznMOvLG0ixHxYfMNM2t1NtF-TBmc4Fg_h2lBLa9/w400-h296/mt16.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the smile you smile at someone who won't leave you <br />the fuck alone. This smile doesn't reach the eyes.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Crusher gives him the neural stimulator, and asks if there's anything else he wants to see. He follows her down the hall to her office, and starts telling her that he finds her interesting, and he gets right up in her space, the way he did with Data. She shrinks two inches and leans away from him while keeping the convo light, but he's invading her space.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAlY0sFKAoGClfVB5ZNMGRfv9x6lNjAiRbT8e9OGZ3plgsNFi9LwLwJHnqqfc_Cpp0w_rVy-myGMIqmSGsLqtRaTYnI0MCO6aJgmSWPUoZBgh4LJfxIESIPHwy7GoHErqhtnrg9djLu8m/s416/mt17.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="416" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAlY0sFKAoGClfVB5ZNMGRfv9x6lNjAiRbT8e9OGZ3plgsNFi9LwLwJHnqqfc_Cpp0w_rVy-myGMIqmSGsLqtRaTYnI0MCO6aJgmSWPUoZBgh4LJfxIESIPHwy7GoHErqhtnrg9djLu8m/w400-h303/mt17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>He blocks her from going into her office and tells her that no one else has ever given him thoughts of "not going home."</div><div>She does this thing that all women know how to do to get away from a creeper without inviting him to continue antagonizing her: she dips out of his space, does a smile-laugh, gives him a no that doesn't contain the word no.</div><div>This guy keeps swinging back and forth between "annoying" and "predator." Incel from the future.</div><div>She also reminds him that they have no idea if they're related, and she could be his great-great-great-great grandmother.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJToZxdJxDOSz6cCp1sD8VVi1wrNtddA1CII9pnlImc3hJ8PkeYC9YjGZEJfP7tAXRBzL_A505srgccNnk-TRLy7o-fXSgsAu0qLFOqj3sDz7qUrIO4g-EHmmbU1fMS4tqTf36MUdlvJ6/s295/my+own+grandpa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="294" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJToZxdJxDOSz6cCp1sD8VVi1wrNtddA1CII9pnlImc3hJ8PkeYC9YjGZEJfP7tAXRBzL_A505srgccNnk-TRLy7o-fXSgsAu0qLFOqj3sDz7qUrIO4g-EHmmbU1fMS4tqTf36MUdlvJ6/w399-h400/my+own+grandpa.jpg" width="399" /></a></div><br /><div>He takes the stimulator and they exchange another smile before he leaves.</div><div><br /></div><div>Up on the bridge, Riker complains to Picard that Rasmussen's questionnaire only asked him about previous iterations of the Enterprise, and that he wanted to know if they "had a grasp of the fundamentals."</div><div>Data starts to talk about how his questionnaire focused on Dr Soong, but then an alarm goes off.</div><div>"Hella earthquakes downstairs," reports Worf.</div><div>Riker jumps up to check out Science. "Gnarly volcanoes going off, too!"</div><div>They're able to call La Forge, who says that he and Moseley are okay, but the earthquakes were really big, like 8.5 on the Richter scale.</div><div>More volcanoes. More earthquakes.</div><div>"The volcanic ash is a major problem," says La Forge. "It's making the first problem worse. The dust from the asteroid hitting knocked out 80% of the sunlight, causing that nuclear winter. The ash would take it down to zero. That'll happen in a few days."</div><div>"The Co2 we drilled for wouldn't help us at that point," says Moseley.</div><div>Riker calls Picard over to Science. He overlays two maps: one where they drilled, and the other is a map of the volcanic eruptions. It matches exactly.</div><div>"Fuck me, we've collapsed the mantle," says Picard.</div><div>"We have some ideas, but we have to work them out," La Forge tells Picard.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP_jC96uJLNX4W_C-NxAD1tuoczvbqX913R2npRg5bdpVE4P9WV5yOChBRUfbocdrlve_1k86SLuujsD8M277qnrDk0TSoEuBt1SAPf3GXF4V6fBk8BdhMnpgIHjpjBNwQxcggvQds6NI/s419/mt18.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="419" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP_jC96uJLNX4W_C-NxAD1tuoczvbqX913R2npRg5bdpVE4P9WV5yOChBRUfbocdrlve_1k86SLuujsD8M277qnrDk0TSoEuBt1SAPf3GXF4V6fBk8BdhMnpgIHjpjBNwQxcggvQds6NI/w400-h297/mt18.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Rasmussen goes to Data's quarters, and instead of ringing the bell like any courteous person, he just fucking walks in.</div><div>P E R S O N A L S P A C E</div><div>He gets blasted with four musical compositions in the face, and I'm not sad, because he deserves that shit.</div><div>Data is sitting at his work station, doing his bit for this mission, while listening to - and analyzing - the different compositions. Rasmussen asks him to "thin it out," so Data eliminates each one until there's only one left, then turns it way down.</div><div>"I can do like 150 at once," Data explains, "but when I'm analyzing them for aesthetics, I try to do ten or less."</div><div>Rasmussen gets on his case for only doing four, but Data explains that the work he's doing for La Forge right now is very important.</div><div>"So, hey," says Rasmussen, "not a lot of Soong's work made it to my century. Can I get some schematics?"</div><div>"When I'm done here."</div><div>"Cool. I leave at 9:00 tomorrow morning, so I'll need it before then."</div><div>La Forge calls Data's tiny laptop. "Did you run the numbers?"</div><div>"Yeah, no errors," says Data. "But the wiggle room is like, nothing."</div><div>Data tells La Forge that he will give the news to Picard.</div><div>In the meantime, Rasmussen has taken this time to pocket a tricorder while Data's attention was on La Forge and, you know, saving millions of lives.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBKJpXi9iQ9_cVEjYWiUO_NuPkwg82zXP8h8f4SPG22enpm-xRDay6ig0gfiOWZ3w4bdso87KfXT9dPyMYZQF031MwsnnUjvoCbBhgsrkElz1w9f9mEJOuEwPTTMHCtkern2kXsyQzGZQ/s418/mt19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="418" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBKJpXi9iQ9_cVEjYWiUO_NuPkwg82zXP8h8f4SPG22enpm-xRDay6ig0gfiOWZ3w4bdso87KfXT9dPyMYZQF031MwsnnUjvoCbBhgsrkElz1w9f9mEJOuEwPTTMHCtkern2kXsyQzGZQ/w400-h299/mt19.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Data goes to the ready room. "So here's the plan: we could use the phasers on the Enterprise to charge up the dust particles in the air - like lighting a spark in a gas-filled room. We could then position the ship to deflect that energy back into space, rendering it harmless, and clearing the atmosphere."</div><div>"Downside?" asks Picard.</div><div>"If we get the numbers wrong on the phasers by like, the tiniest amount, it will burn off the atmosphere of the planet."</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0bR8kT9KSOs5iCUWTMNUDMlsvFlvih6YpTLweofqI484C70L3Vz2v5a-qCSf9g2i7YU79GRWLIRTkK4cFqGtJoNMhD58XzXQRkPiyM8Y361BMpcD87zWqaLFYLB3EAmlxEJLiXjWAKKR/s418/mt20.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="418" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0bR8kT9KSOs5iCUWTMNUDMlsvFlvih6YpTLweofqI484C70L3Vz2v5a-qCSf9g2i7YU79GRWLIRTkK4cFqGtJoNMhD58XzXQRkPiyM8Y361BMpcD87zWqaLFYLB3EAmlxEJLiXjWAKKR/w400-h300/mt20.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's log, supplemental: "I told La Forge to talk to Dr Moseley about the plan, and Moseley is going to his own people, to see what they want to do. In the meantime, I'm struggling with ethics."</div><div><br /></div><div>Picard is staring out the window in the ready room when Rasmussen comes in. Picard has asked him to come.</div><div>"You can probably guess why you're here," says Picard. "If I don't do anything, tens of thousands of people will die. If I do one thing, I could save everyone. But if the numbers aren't exact, I could kill every living thing on the surface of the planet."</div><div>"That's sure a pickle to be in." </div><div>Rasmussen doesn't say everything in a cheerful tone, but it's always very light-hearted. As though he's an NPC in a role-playing game: nothing affects him. Everyone around him is treating this situation with the solemnity it deserves, and he's just watching a show. The thing is, I've seen both NPCs and viewers of shows be more invested in the outcome that this guy is.</div><div>"I could ask for your help," suggests Picard, and before Rasmussen has time to object, Picard breaks in and tells him that he isn't looking for the outcome, as he knows Rasmussen can't give it to him. "But I would be remiss if I didn't ask for the outcome."</div><div>"Yeah, well, not gonna tell you," says Rasmussen. "I'm okay knowing the outcome and not giving it to you."</div><div>"How can you be?" asks Picard. "How can you be okay knowing millions of people could die, and just watching it?" </div><div>He doesn't have a dog in this fight, that's why. Everyone in this century lived and died before he was born. In his mind, they are already dead, and so is Picard and his crew. </div><div>"Let's put it like this," says Rasmussen, "and say I tell you that no one died. You'd assume what you did was correct, and try it again. But what if I told you everyone died, and you went in a different direction. Then, what if one of those people grew up -"</div><div>Picard interrupts him, because he knows where this is going: it's that tired, old "what if you just saved Hitler?" philosophical question. "This is not a class in temporal logic!"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Rgqvl5o_6ECJ6gSN2W05zzyYE21H9fqyPnETFbN9F_Iu5ePzYZ8FxISKyyqYEUxpb4RFqndGMSvJ0xeGzPVugPefJILqqYVVqQ7a9FldRq1WEo98s5rHb-ddbk9unRjBk6DhVFaqXHLB/s417/mt21.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="417" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Rgqvl5o_6ECJ6gSN2W05zzyYE21H9fqyPnETFbN9F_Iu5ePzYZ8FxISKyyqYEUxpb4RFqndGMSvJ0xeGzPVugPefJILqqYVVqQ7a9FldRq1WEo98s5rHb-ddbk9unRjBk6DhVFaqXHLB/w400-h299/mt21.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"If I give you info about this event, it could change my history, and that of the entire galaxy," says Rasmussen. He seems to relish the idea that he has information that others do not.</div><div>"I have two choices," Picard says. "And I either pick the choice that leads to your history, or I pick the other that changes the future. You know about the Prime Directive, which talks about interfering in the development of alien worlds -"</div><div>Rasmussen looks uncertain.</div><div>" - and I have sworn to uphold it. I've broken it, several times, in instances where I felt it was the correct course of action. It's possible that you follow a temporal version, and in that case, would there not be instances where you might do the same?"</div><div>They go back and forth, and the long and short of it is, Rasmussen isn't budging, and Picard finally gives up. </div><div>Riker calls to say they're pretty much within the window they need if they're going to do the thing.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDXAK3-EPxk4B9VDYOy55SH_4a_-WhqK9ZoTPAs5K_65QU3d7NMiGZ78JHDoY7NYf-3Rw8CLeQcImT9uyME7HDxzrgRXffoTBuV1TdRvgIlN7aWpcEioNgZmAERuL4jwK8EmqlfSBYRgV/s415/mt22.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="415" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDXAK3-EPxk4B9VDYOy55SH_4a_-WhqK9ZoTPAs5K_65QU3d7NMiGZ78JHDoY7NYf-3Rw8CLeQcImT9uyME7HDxzrgRXffoTBuV1TdRvgIlN7aWpcEioNgZmAERuL4jwK8EmqlfSBYRgV/w400-h299/mt22.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>They go out onto the bridge.</div><div>"So you made a choice?" asks Rasmussen.</div><div>"No," said Picard. "I just realized that, without your input, I have the same choices as before. And I can play it safe, or I can take a risk. I'm a risk-taker. So we're gonna do the thing. Program the firing sequence."</div><div><br /></div><div>Dramatic music! Commercial break!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQysItDNJAJaWE-7qbAR8vbxrbRY883Kt4VOzDwA4v5GOykKRfCfpebZE7lk1yBv5DcHi6HD8QAMkKlgKNRl4VCBiHiyo1yaK6tEouxm9C47-uspUiWirQ3Sarr2OiRc6TeD0vPr62jVA/s416/mt23.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="416" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQysItDNJAJaWE-7qbAR8vbxrbRY883Kt4VOzDwA4v5GOykKRfCfpebZE7lk1yBv5DcHi6HD8QAMkKlgKNRl4VCBiHiyo1yaK6tEouxm9C47-uspUiWirQ3Sarr2OiRc6TeD0vPr62jVA/w400-h299/mt23.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard's Log 45351.9: "Moseley talked to the colony's leaders, who gave us the go-ahead."</div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone begins prepping, setting up phasers, and keying in calculations. Picard tells La Forge that it's time to come back upstairs, but La Forge tells Picard that he'd rather stay, that they'll need help on the surface to get everything tweaked, right up until the last second.</div><div>"They have computers that can do the thing," Data confirms, "but La Forge being there to do it himself would be more helpful."</div><div>Picard agrees.</div><div>"La Forge remained below," quotes Rasmussen.</div><div>Dude, STFU. No one asked for your running commentary. Sit down and watch, or leave the bridge.</div><div>They finish the last of the prep, then fire the phasers, and finally, the deflector dish.</div><div>The atmosphere erupts into fireballs.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDWhzKUMM0XGzYjt3hziPu7BHSjnBOSvjzSxEGJtCAvddqNB3jvWdCdMKsdNHjib54wCbXq-vsVxnz5PgxVG5tXEJnPtiJdTQ3imU5zQZ1f2AfYFqd_qks9YBRvSCsUh45Z0rrLQpGksX/s435/mt24.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="435" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDWhzKUMM0XGzYjt3hziPu7BHSjnBOSvjzSxEGJtCAvddqNB3jvWdCdMKsdNHjib54wCbXq-vsVxnz5PgxVG5tXEJnPtiJdTQ3imU5zQZ1f2AfYFqd_qks9YBRvSCsUh45Z0rrLQpGksX/w400-h284/mt24.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After a moment, warp-coil-blue clouds cover the surface, and envelop the Enterprise. The crew rides it out, then turns the ship, and directs the cloud-vapor stuff off into space. The planet atmosphere clears. Rasmussen is on the edge of his seat as though, you know, he doesn't know how this is going to pan out.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aSs2B7mcUGCvDox584Sbsws9_gATpNNb1D3czEZbMpPH9jNGuY-WcTj_XZ50r8JG-FjZfVshyphenhyphenCAgCDMCkstyjcPrrMHMN694FiHtO7CI1nEJlvaz92RoLfF6NsoPrEgEBVmDAT8NCLkm/s439/mt25.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="439" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aSs2B7mcUGCvDox584Sbsws9_gATpNNb1D3czEZbMpPH9jNGuY-WcTj_XZ50r8JG-FjZfVshyphenhyphenCAgCDMCkstyjcPrrMHMN694FiHtO7CI1nEJlvaz92RoLfF6NsoPrEgEBVmDAT8NCLkm/w400-h283/mt25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6IrXZyD_oyOeVe1AImZiUbZbiGIm841btp5GDzKV60kwglxQJ1nPxVVmGGVrXuuojaPPPTb8gvSSDsbW3sZTdAiHkwwktTxaxJzlwDld5C5nWU9922jyzF4UkY6_NMa3S7o3vrlQck5-/s417/mt26.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="417" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6IrXZyD_oyOeVe1AImZiUbZbiGIm841btp5GDzKV60kwglxQJ1nPxVVmGGVrXuuojaPPPTb8gvSSDsbW3sZTdAiHkwwktTxaxJzlwDld5C5nWU9922jyzF4UkY6_NMa3S7o3vrlQck5-/w400-h301/mt26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picard calls La Forge. He and Moseley confirm that everything looks good, and Moseley thanks Picard again.</div><div>"We're gonna hang out in orbit for a while to keep an eye on those volcanoes," says Picard, "but they'll probably cool down on their own."</div><div>As soon as the viewscreen is off, Rasmussen pops out of Troi's chair and announces that it's time for him to go. He talks too much, patronizingly points out that Picard did the thing without any help, and remarks that Riker is taller in person. Then he leaves the bridge, and Picard and Riker share a look before Picard turns to Worf.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYhe2_qk6xwQsksHgf8YBD73eM1nlvNiLEh6RP-ZDP1aLLZAKHcUqhwKCmVHjI5PdcdDZRzPw6g1G44HCFPvLz5HzNEpXs182pKIv3z810EHdpoyc7GsodFL6MPylPji5GzQFiWe6wdpo/s413/mt27.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="413" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYhe2_qk6xwQsksHgf8YBD73eM1nlvNiLEh6RP-ZDP1aLLZAKHcUqhwKCmVHjI5PdcdDZRzPw6g1G44HCFPvLz5HzNEpXs182pKIv3z810EHdpoyc7GsodFL6MPylPji5GzQFiWe6wdpo/w400-h301/mt27.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Rasmussen enters the cargo bay a bit later with his bags packed, and finds the senior crew waiting for him.</div><div>"We need to look in your time machine," says a stony-faced Picard.</div><div>Rasmussen teases him about being curious, but when he realizes that Picard is not fucking around, he checks his ring watch again and says that Picard cannot be serious.</div><div>"Stuff is missing," Picard tells him. "It better not be on your ship."</div><div>Rasmussen steps forward to get on board, but Worf blocks him. "Let us in, or I'll blow it up."</div><div>And the would-be time traveler switches tactics: "My equipment is sensitive, so I'll only allow Data on board."</div><div>"Why Data?" asks Riker suspiciously.</div><div>"Because if I order Data not to say anything about what he sees in there, minus our things, he won't," says Picard.</div><div>Data agrees, and Rasmussen opens the door with his handprint. They go inside, the door closes behind them, and Data immediately recognizes a bunch of missing items.</div><div>Rasmussen pulls a phaser on Data and tells him that he did some research, and that he's got the phaser set for the highest stun setting, which is enough to immobilize Data.</div><div>But our android friend elects to ignore the threat. "Why do you have these items?"</div><div>And now, like any tropey villain, Rasmussen monologues: he's not from the 26th century, but the 22nd. He's an inventor, one that hasn't invented anything worth a damn, and he intends to go back and pop up every now and again, claiming that he invented each of these objects, thus setting himself up for life. And changing time.</div><div>"But this time pod is beyond the technology now," points out Data.</div><div>"Oh, this ship is legit," Rasmussen admits. "The time traveler I stole it from came back to my time, and told me that it was from the 26th century. These are his clothes, too."</div><div>So that story about himself and a time-traveling historian on a 22nd-century ship was probably real. It's just that the historian traveled there alone.</div><div>"Anyway, I was going to do the invention thing, but thanks to Picard insisting that you be the one to check out the time pod, I now get to go back to my time with you," says Rasmussen. He checks the ring watch. "The self-timer on the ship means that it will leave in about two minutes. You're gonna wake up in New Jersey."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_6YZpLXxWWJQVZ7FDY6dxDhCXe_x6Kl3aG5XvIbD4_zOuAP_SXQ1kiwhifnDXrLZea8ELAhuHncfe_VEXCHTORgPSPoVTCGigAfMo3nD9EqLB8J-r0q_KTlmZIkRDRqqzVDFuqtAo8q0/s418/mt28.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="418" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_6YZpLXxWWJQVZ7FDY6dxDhCXe_x6Kl3aG5XvIbD4_zOuAP_SXQ1kiwhifnDXrLZea8ELAhuHncfe_VEXCHTORgPSPoVTCGigAfMo3nD9EqLB8J-r0q_KTlmZIkRDRqqzVDFuqtAo8q0/w400-h300/mt28.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>He pulls the trigger, but the phaser just... clicks.</div><div>Sassy Data Moment: "I assume your handprint will open this door, whether you are conscious or not."</div><div>A moment later, the door opens, and Rasmussen and Data climb back out, Raz bitching about the broken phaser.</div><div>"You were right, he took our stuff," Data tells Picard. "And he's not from the future. He's from the past."</div><div>"All that shit about not altering your history, and here you are, altering mine," says a displeased Picard to Rasmussen.</div><div>"It was a misunderstanding." says Raz quickly, trying to move around Picard. "I need to get back on the ship."</div><div>Worf has stepped onboard and grabbed the items. Picard adds the stolen phaser to the pile. </div><div>"That might have worked if you have taken fewer things," says Picard. "We got suspicious because of that. Our scanners can't penetrate the time pod, but we managed to set them to scan the inside and deactivate those items when the door opened. Worf, could your security people take him to the brig, and call the nearest starbase to say we will be dropping him off?"</div><div>Rasmussen tries to scramble around them again, but the door to the time pod closes, and the whole thing disappears.</div><div>Oops. Missed your train.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LMxzW7DixGDUXNKpBRTqh_OZ69XM130PZw-feXfmxFUPRh1kFqiM4vL1i3OL1dp_wM9hFRp_P8mLT4mQblir58vZQhad3l2ULIgyvHKcK_JH25trprk4NlTp4AH1YTVt_CvpgG1xzNVZ/s417/mt29.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="417" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LMxzW7DixGDUXNKpBRTqh_OZ69XM130PZw-feXfmxFUPRh1kFqiM4vL1i3OL1dp_wM9hFRp_P8mLT4mQblir58vZQhad3l2ULIgyvHKcK_JH25trprk4NlTp4AH1YTVt_CvpgG1xzNVZ/w400-h299/mt29.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV26ddbysNE5WlRFbL1cYmX0KrONJqNMIauUgsY0K2SWk377pgv2ZST7FvnJm56BRvMpOSHFFb95p6l8-eRMqyCvaRxrbsIrYBUrhO_e3SsEGoII6IBTeshAflSMdaOmsmW6jqzdzsRS6Y/s420/mt30.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="420" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV26ddbysNE5WlRFbL1cYmX0KrONJqNMIauUgsY0K2SWk377pgv2ZST7FvnJm56BRvMpOSHFFb95p6l8-eRMqyCvaRxrbsIrYBUrhO_e3SsEGoII6IBTeshAflSMdaOmsmW6jqzdzsRS6Y/w400-h297/mt30.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"Welcome to the 24th century, motherfucker," says Picard, as Worf hauls him away.</div><div>And the E leaves orbit of Penthara IV.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdV9_bORhVkgYeCH5hyi1P_67jB3OvaTWpcPikTCxzgnOq6z7RZDAO25D4SR3nKUXaTS5gaLnuZxz-iy_5TZGFcfzkMEw-n8HzuAJya5kD3DqDCbDZQU5yJjJiTHfkC4gbU2w_PyaL5R0/s444/mt31.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="444" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdV9_bORhVkgYeCH5hyi1P_67jB3OvaTWpcPikTCxzgnOq6z7RZDAO25D4SR3nKUXaTS5gaLnuZxz-iy_5TZGFcfzkMEw-n8HzuAJya5kD3DqDCbDZQU5yJjJiTHfkC4gbU2w_PyaL5R0/w400-h283/mt31.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So, this episode.</div><div>I actually started writing this review weeks ago, but found that I was struggling to get through it. I just... didn't want to spend time with it.</div><div>The thing about going through each episode and film with a fine-toothed comb is that you pick up on subtleties that the writers and actors always wanted you to notice, but you didn't for whatever reason. You suddenly see tiny motions that the actors make, a word choice, a shifted tone, and Easter eggs sprinkled in the background. The content becomes more layered. And that's exactly what happened here.</div><div>This episode was meant to be a lighter note after the heavier palette of "Unification," and in truth, it is. It's a goofy one-off about a con man who convinces the E crew that he's a time-traveling historian, when in fact, he's a failed inventor from the past, here to swipe technology and then pass it off as his own, in his own time, to get rich. It doesn't really have any consequences attached to the outcome. The Federation isn't going to have to go to war with someone else in the quadrant because of his actions, and after he talks to the authorities in Starfleet, Rasmussen will probably be let go to figure out how to live his life in the wrong century.</div><div>But when I dumped the purse of this episode out on the table and picked through the contents, I saw something that I hadn't noticed previously: Rasmussen is a predator. He isn't presented as such; the writers clearly just made him a guy who was hiding his true intentions. But somewhere in there, he mixed in things that maybe had not been intended. He creeps on people who are not White Males In Charge. He starts by invading Data's space in the lift - he doesn't see Data as a threat, so it's okay to stand too close, to literally size him up, to touch his ear. I will never watch that scene and not think of some rude white rando just <i>touching</i> a Black person's hair without asking. Thinking he has the right to do so, because this person is not on the same level as he is. </div><div>And Data, who has no emotions, and is still learning about humans, does not object. Rasmussen is just some weirdo. Sometimes humans are weirdos, and they act in anti-social ways. Data shrugs it off and continues the conversation as though this man did not violate his personal bubble. Maybe he's used to humans treating him like an object. Does that make it okay? Fuck no. Rasmussen is still wrong, regardless of how Data does or does not react. Later, he calls Data "it," and treats him like a servant, ignoring Data's earnest questions before <i>deigning</i> to speak to him, if only to lecture him about knowing too much about the future. And when he enters Data's quarters, he does not do him the courtesy of ringing the doorbell first. Everyone on this ship has the good sense and manners to ring the doorbell first, to offer the occupant the opportunity to refuse them entry if they so wish, but not this guy. Data's just a machine, so who cares?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiig9eYC93oQuJ8ng122KkTa4GSocSKoVvtkd2PYYs0GxvURcjZf-eSzBejulgTrdLgvvgNxink_E853wrjqKJDl_73WowWlYXhlLkIK7b_BjQAw5dyhr5WccQ4NzvqXcIf0BUSZF0CSLW7/s417/ear+toouching.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="417" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiig9eYC93oQuJ8ng122KkTa4GSocSKoVvtkd2PYYs0GxvURcjZf-eSzBejulgTrdLgvvgNxink_E853wrjqKJDl_73WowWlYXhlLkIK7b_BjQAw5dyhr5WccQ4NzvqXcIf0BUSZF0CSLW7/w400-h299/ear+toouching.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Next up is La Forge. Again, Rasmussen invades his personal space: he stands too close, follows at his heels. He doesn't touch La Forge, but he asks weird, invasive questions about La Forge's VISOR at a time when he is clearly too busy too talk. And let's be honest: La Forge is fully aware that he is disabled, and like other disabled people, he knows that will attract attention from people who are curious. If you approach La Forge when he's not busy and stressed, and ask politely about his VISOR, he may tell you about it. Or he may not. It isn't his job to educate others about how he sees or makes his way in the world. But Rasmussen respects none of that. "That's your VISOR, huh? How do you like it? I have a picture of you in my office wearing that." It's like he glued himself to La Forge's back, and won't shut the fuck up. And La Forge practically leaps at the chance to go back to the surface of Pentara to get the hell away from him.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrvJ0imUnhKR4MDIwHGLlZ8jInUZCKFpjHviqKmSZCt1s1pYTThc4w1dfCZ7ei_hLtaj7JRD2sUHalhqOMOLp5w3uf7qIprmCQuv68F1rNQvVuoBFr8-PKvdn6Dh_jrTHmn6iWR5YH9fR/s416/momve.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="416" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrvJ0imUnhKR4MDIwHGLlZ8jInUZCKFpjHviqKmSZCt1s1pYTThc4w1dfCZ7ei_hLtaj7JRD2sUHalhqOMOLp5w3uf7qIprmCQuv68F1rNQvVuoBFr8-PKvdn6Dh_jrTHmn6iWR5YH9fR/w400-h299/momve.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The predatory behavior is most obvious with Dr Crusher. He traps her in the hallway, won't let her get to her destination. He hits on her, and she's forced to do what every woman on the planet (or off) has been forced to do: smile a smile that never leaves your lips, uncomfortably duck around the guy, give him a rejection that isn't a flat-out no, try to end on a cordial note, and hope the encounter is over. Because if you don't let him down easy, he could hurt you. Follow you home. Stalk you. Kill you. Watch the shadows, never walk alone after dark, keep your keys between your fingers. Never accept a drink from a stranger.</div><div>It's just as important who he doesn't creep on. Picard and Riker are white men with high-ranking jobs. He bullshits them, but he maintains a polite distance. Worf is a threat. And Troi, though he tries to sweet-talk her, is also a threat: she knows he's untrustworthy, so he attempts to talk her around to his side. But she isn't buying what he's selling, and that small weapon allows her to walk away, even as he's trying to get into her space to convince her.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBqDi-kwBBK2yO_SOy4nvh1QjcYUoXD2k2ZDNEUK0PR5BWCCSTax9k_ruQn7KEySWcbjhIE1yBJQnx8oM40fRt4CGSQQH2XSiirQ2ANFAUmfAgGrhHjMOAsn_E-JaeVwNQe_hDSWFTCNV/s417/blocking.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="417" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBqDi-kwBBK2yO_SOy4nvh1QjcYUoXD2k2ZDNEUK0PR5BWCCSTax9k_ruQn7KEySWcbjhIE1yBJQnx8oM40fRt4CGSQQH2XSiirQ2ANFAUmfAgGrhHjMOAsn_E-JaeVwNQe_hDSWFTCNV/w400-h299/blocking.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So there are our three: a Black disabled man, a woman, and an Other, all of whom he treats as being beneath him. He's walking around the ship, wiping his White Male Privilege on every surface. Are people in the 22nd century still that shitty? Because that's either a learned behavior, or sociopathy. I'm willing to accept either in this case.</div><div>Surely, Matt Frewer was directed to get predatory with those characters, right? With the exception of Picard, he has very few encounters in the story with the No Creep Zone of Worf, Troi, and Riker. They specifically selected three characters who, in this 21st century, are exactly the kind of person who would get creeped on, and who might, out of a sense of self-preservation, not report said creeping. It seems too intentional. It must be mentioned in Memory Alpha, right? No. Not a single sentence. Was it a side-note? "Hey, Matt. Be real "pushy" with these characters"? Was it an acting choice on Frewer's part? </div><div>I couldn't be the only one to notice these things, correct? Other people must have noticed, it's so blatant once you give it a good look. I Googled the episode to see if anyone had talked about it at all. Several Reddit forums came up, and surely, something must be there, because what else is Reddit for, than to dissect things into oblivion? Nope. Nothing. The handful of Reddit threads I found brought up other interesting topics having to do with this episode, but not one thing about Rasmussen being a predator. Are we, as a society, still so deliberately obtuse to this problem? It's frustrating to me that I spent so many weeks being thoroughly creeped out by this character that I struggled to write this review, and it isn't acknowledged anywhere. I feel sort of alone in pointing this out, as though someone will step forward and tell me that I'm reading into the situation, that something I saw with my own eyes doesn't actually exist. </div><div>Same as it ever was.</div><div><br /></div><div>I suppose I should talk about the rest of the episode.</div><div>Firstly: Matt Frewer. He was a great choice for this character. It was written specifically for Robin Williams, but when Williams ducked out, the part went to Frewer, a guy who you want to like, but... can't. He's just unsettling enough that, while his antics are funny, he's completely untrustworthy. He perfects street magic for the purpose of stealing your wallet. He's like Boris fucking Johnson, a guy who pretends to not know what he's doing, in order to cover up the fact that... he doesn't know what he's doing. But you don't notice because he's being funny and charming.</div><div>As a character, Rasmussen had a pretty good set-up: he found a time-traveling historian, and stole his clothes and time pod. Did he kill him? We have no idea. Certainly, he stranded the real historian in the 22nd century. Next, he most likely learned of the Enterprise-D and her crew from the time pod. Maybe, like the Delorian in Back to The Future, the pod's destination was pre-set, and the information pulled up already, so all Rasmussen had to do was read up on it. But when he arrived in the 26th century, all he had to do was proclaim himself to be from the future, then steadfastly refuse to give out info on that time, lest he mess up the future. It's kind of the perfect cover. Steal things, but feign interest in the event currently taking place. Oh, and give out questionnaires to glean more info.</div><div><br /></div><div>It seems a bit strange at first that Picard would go along with this so willingly. Is it because his last brush with time travel (Sela) turned out to be true when he questioned it? He's usually such a skeptic, but he hopped right on board, and Crusher jumped onboard with him. Is it possibly because Rasmussen pretends to be an historian, something that Picard relates to? Either way, he was only fooled for so long before becoming suspicious himself. And he probably admitted, if only to himself, that he had hoped that the whole thing were real, because the idea of an historian who studies events via time-travel sounds awesome, and Jules Verne-esque. (It is though, Picard! So cool!)</div><div>The cracks in veneer were brought upon not only by the missing items, but Rasmussen's personality. The guy came off like a pushy superfan, and I would imagine that celebrities feel the way the crew of the Enterprise did when interacting with this guy who knew absolutely everything about them, when they knew nothing about him. "I have pictures of you!" "You're taller in person!" "I knew your ready room was seven meters wide!" The guy was <i>superfuckingexcited </i>to be there, and let everyone know it. Would an actual historian, trying to blend in, really fangirl over every little thing like that? Nope. He probably would have docked at a starbase, invented a reason to be onboard, and gotten to know the crew, thus protecting the timeline. Rasmussen was a bit too Saturday morning breakfast cereal to be real.</div><div>Despite Reddit not turning up anything on my predator observations, it did turn up some interesting talking points. Among my favorites:</div><div>- Was it morally okay for the E crew to strand Rasmussen in the 24th century? He might have had a family back in the 22nd century, and by keeping him in the 24th, where his family had been dead for quite some time, may have been cruel and unusual punishment.</div><div>- Did Rasmussen kill the historian? Reddit seems to think he did, though we can't say for sure. If he did, that's pretty shitty, and he definitely deserves to be brought up on charges for it. But he might have just knocked the guy unconscious and stole his clothes and ship, stranding him in the 22nd century. Because we don't know anything about the 26th century, we have no way of knowing if the historian's time-travel system left him a way to communicate through time that he was stuck. Maybe there was a way for him to get back, and maybe there wasn't. (If there wasn't he should have done the next best thing, and marry that cute guy from Hull.)</div><div>- Observing things changes the outcome. Hell yes, Science Side of... Reddit! That's a great point!</div><div>- Someone mentioned the "plot hole" in letting the time pod disappear with the 24th century tools on board, but I think they failed to see that Worf had grabbed the tray with the tools off the pod before it disappeared. But it does raise a good point: where did the time pod go? Back to 22nd century New Jersey? That seems pretty dicey, guaranteed to change the future at least a little, unless it showed up at the feet of the (non-dead) historian, who got in it and left immediately. Leaving a time pod laying around in New Jersey is not a good idea.</div><div> </div><div>The low-down: others will see this as a fun, goofy one-off, but I can't unsee those predator moments. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
<br />
Fun Facts:</div><div><br /></div><div>- Writer Rick Berman was interested in the idea of a time traveler who says he's from the future, but is actually from the past. He enjoyed writing the script for this episode.</div><div>- The character of Rasmussen was actually written for Robin Williams. Williams was a Trek fan, and wanted to do a stint on the show. But when he finished filming <i>Hook, </i>his wife was 8 1/2 months pregnant, and the timing was just too close on the heels of that film.</div><div>- Rick Berman and Michael Piller admitted that getting the tech parts of the B-plot were tricky, and that they spent a lot of time going over research with tech experts to get it right.</div><div>- The time pod ship is a redress of the Nenebec, the broken-down ship in season four's "Final Mission." The exterior of the time pod will be reused for a different ship later.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_6kauy2dYVcsXeW1OMISWfhN6ciPiO0q8mf0GWJ2FutwnWfFzjUULu713iy6CW2ksZG0Dj27nr14j5hkU5VX_1eTVH2P_ayAepsYvG2ytJk0joZoeZR4mysdTtu-87Zz_PlNAvyj814e/s500/time+pod.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="500" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_6kauy2dYVcsXeW1OMISWfhN6ciPiO0q8mf0GWJ2FutwnWfFzjUULu713iy6CW2ksZG0Dj27nr14j5hkU5VX_1eTVH2P_ayAepsYvG2ytJk0joZoeZR4mysdTtu-87Zz_PlNAvyj814e/w400-h249/time+pod.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>- This is the first of five appearances of conn officer Ensign Felton.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVoqvU8o8LeeYxMF3kkS_0FjfTssNHVNbb5dNvShK_YGnDP7I9pANVGtMV4BRT1DwLF_bJyvMEKW2RYIB4ancqo5hUEp9zKJHuyWCiLb1dMr0Cd07rQPCPChVM9SYsyv1vflTDzAyXtnR/s254/felton.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVoqvU8o8LeeYxMF3kkS_0FjfTssNHVNbb5dNvShK_YGnDP7I9pANVGtMV4BRT1DwLF_bJyvMEKW2RYIB4ancqo5hUEp9zKJHuyWCiLb1dMr0Cd07rQPCPChVM9SYsyv1vflTDzAyXtnR/w359-h400/felton.png" width="359" /></a></div><br /><div><br />
- Among the things that Rasmussen tries to steal: a VISOR, a padd, a tricorder, a phaser, isolinear chips, and a d'k tahg. What... wtf was he going to do with a Klingon weapon? Did he just think it was cool?</div><div>- This is the first mention of the Enterprise-B.</div><div>- Michael Piller thought this lighter-toned episode was a nice palette-cleanser after the heavier Spock arc.</div><div>- Though director Paul Lynch thought Matt Frewer was great in this episode, he nevertheless considered "A Matter of Time" to be his least favorite episode of the five he directed.</div><div>- This episode won an Emmy for Visual Effects.</div><div>- I looked up Jonathan Frakes' IMDB to see if they listed any non-acting jobs he had over the years, and the answer is yes: he was an usher at a live theater, a waiter, and a furniture mover, all of which require customer service skills.<br />
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<br />
Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy La Forge moments: 3</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Riker Moments: 0<br />
To date: 7</div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 1<br />
To date: 1<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sassy Keiko Moments: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
To date: 2<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments:<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0<br />
To date: 2</div>
</div>
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Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 4<br />
To date: 24</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 0<br />
To date: 8</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 1<br />
To date: 3<br />
Tea, Earl Grey:<br />
To date: </div><div style="text-align: left;">Mentions of the number 47: 0</div><div style="text-align: left;">To date: 1</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKNbr1Koggw4JzN-SR7fznucUBcz9YvJuNkXiTE-VJjL7Hcy2_bzfGgHTYL2Vy2nBh9IPKRN4Wv7uTBbmezkB106DjzugNRr5prvjAxTq3XhXpmyuuhJaKuGWj4JKZuazgMgODKpuc6vn/s280/Pie+10520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKNbr1Koggw4JzN-SR7fznucUBcz9YvJuNkXiTE-VJjL7Hcy2_bzfGgHTYL2Vy2nBh9IPKRN4Wv7uTBbmezkB106DjzugNRr5prvjAxTq3XhXpmyuuhJaKuGWj4JKZuazgMgODKpuc6vn/w400-h400/Pie+10520.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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</div></div>Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-41975673296384538872020-09-08T01:42:00.000-07:002020-09-08T01:42:46.863-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Eight "Unification II"ST: TNG Season Five, Episode Eight "Unification, Part II"<br />
Production Order: 8<br />
Air Order: 8<br />
Stardate: 45245.8<br />
Original Air Date: November 11, 1991<br />
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Just in case you forgot that Gene Roddenberry had died, this second part opens with an "in memorium" card like the first part.<br />
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Then there's a recap, and if you want a refresher, here's the <a href="http://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2020/08/sttng-season-five-episode-seven.html" target="_blank">review</a> from the first part.<br />
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Let's jump right into it: Spock, at the entrance to the cave, asks Picard why he has come to Romulus, which is a good question. Recall that Spock packed a bag and just kind of fucking left, not expecting his employer to send someone after him.<br />
You work for the government, Spock. You're allowed a certain amount of freedom, but hightailing it into enemy territory is not going to go unnoticed.<br />
Which Picard then spells out for him.<br />
"It's none of Starfleet's beeswax what I'm doing here. I'm doing a personal peace mission, and I'll tell Starfleet about it when I'm good and ready."<br />
Again, no.<br />
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And then Picard says the line that fully sums up the difference between TOS and TNG: "Ambassador, with great respect for all that you've achieved on behalf of the Federation, this sort of cowboy diplomacy will not be easily tolerated anymore."<br />
He's right. When you're the first to do something, you can write your own rulebook. But when it's 100 years later, it's no longer a question of "wagon train to the stars." You're now in "settlement of the stars," and there are rules to follow. Dumb, dumb, dumb red tape.<br />
And Picard, ever the diplomat, chooses his words with care. He gets it. He understands that Spock wants to do this secret peace mission without orders signed in triplicate, sent in, sent back, queried, lost, found, subjected to public inquiry, lost again, and finally buried in soft peat for three months and recycled as firelighters.<br />
Spock repeats the phrase "cowboy diplomacy" as though it leaves a bad taste in his mouth.<br />
"Look," says Picard, "you can't just fuck around with stuff that could have big-time implications for the Federation. You gotta talk to them. Or at least me. I was sent by them to find out what you're doing."<br />
"Ugh," replies Spock.<br />
"Okay, allllso? I gotta tell you something bad."<br />
Spock kind of reads his face. "Sarek is dead?" He digests the information, then asks Picard to take a walk with him.<br />
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They go into another part of the cave, and Spock says that he is aware that Picard mind-melded with Sarek. They talk briefly about how Sarek was a great ambassador and voice of the Vulcan people, and Picard tells Spock that Sarek was very proud of him, and loved him.<br />
Spock brushes it off. "That's Bendii Syndrome, messes with your emotions."<br />
"No, it's true," insists Picard.<br />
"I'm gonna level with you," says Spock. "I'm here because there's a growing movement toward reunification, and my friend Pardek thinks there might actually be a possibility of it taking hold."<br />
Picard is surprised - the Vulcans and Romulans went their separate ways a long time ago. There are a lot of really big differences in those peoples now.<br />
"Yeah, it does seem unlikely," Spock admits. "But what if I don't jump on this chance, and it goes away?"<br />
Picard asks how Pardek fits in, and Spock tells him that there's some new young proconsul in the Senate who might be open to hearing about reunification. Pardek thinks the proconsul could be persuaded by him.<br />
"Okay, legit," Picard agrees. "But why not talk to the Federation first?"<br />
"You remember my part that I played in gaining peace with the Klingons?"<br />
No.<br />
"Of course," says Picard. "That shit went down in history."<br />
It did?<br />
"Naw, history left shit out."<br />
You mean, like it always does?<br />
"I got Kirk and his crew snagged into that mess, and I was responsible for how it played out," Spock finishes. "I didn't want more of that to go down with the Romulans in the same way."<br />
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At this point, the audience may be very confused. This two-parter, as discussed, was made to go along with the sixth movie. It was a cross-promotion. At this point, the movie was finished but had not been released. But they added in this allusion to the film as a teaser. The film takes place 85 years before this episode, so Picard knows what Spock is talking about. Fans of both TNG and TOS who have seen trailers for the film may know roughly what he's talking about.<br />
(Here's a trailer so you can see how much they might have seen.)<br />
For what it's worth, I barely remember this film because each time I sit down to watch it, I fall asleep and wake up to Kirk fighting himself. Though now that I've watched the trailer, I do vaguely recall the Klingon with the eyepatch, and Kim Cattrall's entirely unfortunate haircut.<br />
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So anyway, Spock doesn't feel great about that thing with the Klingons from when he was younger, and he wants Picard to go away so he can work his magic in peace.<br />
"That's not logical," says Picard. "I think you're letting emotion cloud your judgement."<br />
OKAY: can we stop using that whole logic/emotion thing as a weapon against Vulcans? It's OLD, and frankly, it's not clever. It also shows a lack of understanding (possibly intentional) against an entire race of people. Honestly, I'm disappointed in Picard for pulling that shit.<br />
In return, Spock cocks an eyebrow, which is actually all the more that that comment deserves. "You sound like my father."<br />
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<br />
<br />
"No, I sound like a Starfleet officer, and I can't just walk away from this. You're putting yourself at risk."<br />
Spock counters with "I was involved in cowboy diplomacy long before you were born."<br />
I hate this whole conversation. Older doesn't automatically make you wiser, Spock. I know a lot of elderly dumbfucks, and quite a few younger people who have their shit together. It also doesn't make your plan better that you've been doing this longer than Picard has been alive. Old, bad plans are still bad.<br />
"Still hanging out here until you're done with this self-imposed mission," Picard replies stubbornly.<br />
Spock: "In your own way, you are as stubborn as another captain of the Enterprise I once knew."<br />
No. Nope. No. Do not compare Kirk and Picard. They're not even a little bit the same.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Ugh.<br />
Anyway, that was just the cold open. Dramatic music and opening credits and stuff.<br />
<br />
Data and K'Vada enter the bridge of ... K'Vada's ship (name your ships, writers!), arguing: Data says that Picard needs to hang out on Romulus a while longer, and K'Vada is annoyed.<br />
"I also need to use your computers."<br />
"Not gonna happen," snorts K'Vada. "You can't have our access codes."<br />
"You can change them when we leave Romulus," Data replies sensibly. "I want to try to break into the Romulan computer system."<br />
"Also not happening. We've been trying to break into those for-fucking-ever."<br />
"Are you guys androids? No? Plus, Picard says we can share any info I get with you guys."<br />
Dangling the idea of secret Romulan information in front of K'Vada proves to be the correct bait, and he gives Data permission to do the thing.<br />
"Cool," says Data. "And while we're chatting, we need to be able to contact the Enterprise from here."<br />
"Are you high?" asks K'Vada. "They'll spot us in a second."<br />
"Nah, we can piggyback our signal on a Romulan one, and it'll just look like background interference."<br />
K'Vada is confused, and Data realizes that he has inadvertently used a human colloquialism. (Good for you Data, picking up bad habits from humans.) He gives a brief explanation, then tells K'Vada that he's been going over the specs for both Romulan and Klingon communication arrays, and says they're compatible.<br />
K'Vada gives his blessing, and Data thanks him.<br />
Overall, K'Vada seems like a fairly reasonable guy. Data just had to give him full explanations for things before he agreed.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Down on the surface, we follow one Romulan, who gives some orchids to another, who carries them back into that same restaurant that Data and Picard visited earlier. Picard and Spock are at a table, and the guy with the orchids puts them in some water and sets them on the table.<br />
It's code.<br />
"The senate let out," Spock tells Picard.<br />
"Is this really a thing?" Picard asks. "Like, you know people who are into this movement?"<br />
"Yeah, I've spoken to people in four provinces. They're underground, but all over. It's kind of a problem for the senate, truthfully."<br />
They stop talking, because a woman (not the Soup Nazi from before) has shown up with their bowls. When she leaves, Picard says he isn't sure this is going to work. Spock says he thinks Picard is close-minded.<br />
I have to object here. Being close-minded and being realistic are two totally different things. Picard will negotiate with anyone.<br />
I'm finding myself annoyed with this Spock, which is weird, because I'm normally heavily pro-Spock. I think maybe I don't like the pairing of Spock and Picard? The things they are saying to one another both make some sense, but this Spock seems... combative? I guess maybe he's just miffed that he got caught. Or he's troubled by the death of Sarek. Both?<br />
I do like the next exchange, though:<br />
"We've been taught to mistrust the Romulans our whole lives," says Spock. "We need to set that aside, and see if there's a way that we can get together."<br />
Picard nods. "I'll be the first to offer kudos if we can get rid of the Neutral Zone, but I don't think the movement is big enough right now to change the landscape of Romulan politics."<br />
They're interrupted by a Romulan teenager, who Spock introduces as his friend, D'Tan. D'Tan has a little book with him that he's eager to share with Spock: a book about Vulcan culture that adults have been reading to him since he was a kid. Spock is surprised and pleased to see the book, but Pardek shows up and chides D'Tan for bringing the book out into public.<br />
They decide that being in this public space isn't doing them any favors, so Picard and Spock walk away from untouched bowls of soup... again. Surely someone has noticed Picard continuously ordering food that he doesn't eat before leaving.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Pardek walks them through the streets (backstreets, though, no other people present), and he asks Picard what he thinks of the Federation's enemies.<br />
"These people aren't anyone's enemies," says Picard fairly.<br />
Pardek talks about how the Senate is kind of afraid of the reunification people, but how young people like D'Tan will eventually take over, and they won't allow the prejudices of older people like himself to continue being the status quo.<br />
*cough cough* Greta Thunberg cough cough*<br />
He also says that meeting Spock has only encouraged them more.<br />
Spock says he was surprised to get such an enthusiastic greeting from reuni people.<br />
"We're passionate," says Pardek. "I think the Vulcans will come to appreciate that in us. Anyway Spock, the proconsul wants to meet with you."<br />
Eyebrow raise.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Riker's Log, 45245.8: "So we're still near the junkyard investigating the whole Vulcan-ship-parts-on-a-Ferengi-freighter thing, and our trial has lead us to this bar, and the ex-wife of a dead smuggler."<br />
This space bar, y'all. It has hardcore Mos Eisley cantina vibes.<br />
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<br />
<br />
The ex-wife Amarie is a four-armed musician playing an organ-like instrument in the corner. Riker walks up and asks if she knows any blues songs. She plays a little Andorian blues and asks who he's looking for.<br />
"You. I need to ask about your husband."<br />
She's friendly and willing to talk. "Which husband?"<br />
"The dead one. He was into some bad business and took the evidence when he went."<br />
She sizes up his uniform and guesses that he's from the Enterprise.<br />
"Do you know his partners?"<br />
"Why should I help you?"<br />
"Honestly? No idea."<br />
She considers him. "Well, I mean you did kill my ex, which is a good start. Put some money in my tip jar, and that might jog my memory."<br />
This is a problem. The Federation, and Starfleet by extension, doesn't believe in money. He proposes a trade: he'll teach her some Earth blues in exchange for info.<br />
She picks it up quickly, and tells him to hang out for a few days. "Sooner or later, this arms dealer will show up, a fat Ferengi named Omag. He always stops here to get food and asks me to play <i>Melor Famagal</i>."<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Pardek takes Spock to the proconsul's office, and Neral starts out being all charming, asking Spock to call him Neral, because he doesn't care for titles, then he throws out a ta'al, which Spock returns. Pardek takes his leave, but not before Neral asks if he will see Pardek and his wife at the state dinner the following evening.<br />
"Looking forward to it," he says, walking out the door.<br />
Neral remarks to Spock that Pardek is a bit too "man of the people," and is rarely invited to official functions.<br />
They get down to brass tacks: Neral supports reunification, thinks it will come eventually, and that the old Senate leaders have lost the respect of the people. Spock is surprised to hear a proconsul speaking like a member of the underground.<br />
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<br />
<br />
"I'm prepared to publicly endorse reunification. Do you think the Vulcans will agree?" Neral asks.<br />
"I think they'll be cautious," Spock replies. "There's been a lot of distrust over the centuries."<br />
"You could lead the way," Neral suggests.<br />
A secretary or someone pages Neral : the Senate is meeting again.<br />
He asks to see Spock tomorrow, and when the ambassador agrees, sends him off with a <i>Jolan Tru</i>. Then he remembers who he is talking to, and gives him a "live long and prosper" instead.<br />
Spock nods and leaves. After a moment, another door off to the side opens.<br />
Oh, fuck me.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Back in the cave, Spock tells Picard, Pardek, and the others what he and Neral discussed. The underground are hopeful, but Picard is skeptical: Neral couldn't have become proconsul without the support of Romulan traditionalists. The others try to argue, but Spock agrees with Picard.<br />
"It's not logical to think that he would support reunification now."<br />
"He's probably looking to expose members of the underground by saying he agrees with you," Picard suggests.<br />
Yeah, not what they want to hear.<br />
"I bet the Federation has a problem with the Romulans and Vulcans forming an alliance!" yells one.<br />
"Untrue!" Picard yells back.<br />
Spock heads off the argument. "I came here to see if I could get the ball rolling on reunification, and I intend to keep going in that direction. I'm still going to meet the proconsul tomorrow."<br />
He and Picard leave the cave.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Once out of earshot, Picard accuses Spock of allowing the emotions of the underground to sway his emotions. He thinks is not being logical in trusting Neral.<br />
"You sound like my father," Spock says again.<br />
"Look, that's the second time you've said that, said that his words are coming out of my mouth, but this is my own opinion," Picard argues.<br />
"I hear him more clearly now that he is dead," Spock muses. "I may have brought my arguments with him to you. It's not intentional."<br />
"Is it really that important for you to get the last word?"<br />
"No, but I will miss the arguments," admits Spock. "That's all we had in the end. I looked beyond pure logic. He thought that was weak. He would have seen this mission of reunification as being worthless, but I don't think it is. Logically, I don't have a reason for why I think this is important. I just do."<br />
"But what if it's a Romulan trap?"<br />
"It could be. But either way, we have to find out what the trap is, if it is. So I'll go along with it."<br />
This is something that Picard understands.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Upstairs, Data is working on the encryption key to get into the Romulan computer systems. Picard and Spock come in, and he tells them that he has not quite cracked the code. Spock offers to help him, as he has experience with this kind of thing. Data agrees, and Picard ducks out to take off his make-up.<br />
"There's a 43-part cipher key in the Romulan code," says Spock.<br />
"Yeah, I've got all but the 29th," Data replies.<br />
Spock gives him the tiniest look like "STFU, you got 42 ciphers cracked?"<br />
"It's weird," says Spock, "Picard is very Vulcan-like. I see why my father agreed to mind-meld with him."<br />
"Huh." Data pauses. "I had actually considered the captain to be one of my role models in my quest to be more human."<br />
They both think on this.<br />
"You have great analytical skills, better than average physical skills, and no emotion," says Spock. "There are some Vulcans that aspire all their lives to be the way you were designed."<br />
Another pause.<br />
"You're half-human," says Data.<br />
"Yep."<br />
"But you've chosen to go with the Vulcan way of life. You've actually ditched what I've sought my whole life."<br />
Spock glances at him, then says he has cracked the 29th cipher, and attempts to break into the proconsul's files.<br />
Data asks politely if he can ask a personal question, and when he replies that he may, he asks if Spock has missed his humanity.<br />
"I have no regrets," Spock replies.<br />
Data nods in agreement, then points out that this is a human expression.<br />
Spock thinks about this, then says quietly, "Yes. Fascinating."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Worf is hanging out in the Star Wars bar with Amarie (it's clearly his shift), and asks if she knows Klingon opera.<br />
She replies that she doesn't get a lot of requests and may be rusty, but yeah, she can give him some <i>Aktuh and Maylota</i>. Worf sings along. Loudly.<br />
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<br />
<br />
"God, WTF is that shit?" yells a patron walking in. "You know what I want to hear!"<br />
"Yeah, yeah." Amarie starts playing "Melor Famagal."<br />
Worf looks around and spots Omag coming in, with a girlie on each arm. The Klingon hits his comm badge. "Hey, Commander. A fat Ferengi just arrived."<br />
"That Malor Famagal in the background?"<br />
"Yep."<br />
"OMW," Riker replies.<br />
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<br />
<br />
A few minutes later, Omag has a plate of food in front of him, and is displaying the worst table manners in the galaxy, banging on the table and yelling for a waiter.<br />
"There a problem?" asks Riker, approaching the table.<br />
"Yeah, I need more napkins!"<br />
Sassy Riker Moment: "Use your sleeve."<br />
Omag: "What?!"<br />
Sassy Riker again: "Use one of their sleeves. I don't care."<br />
*snort*<br />
Omag demands to know who he is, and Riker gives his name, rank, and ship.<br />
"Am I supposed to salute?" demands Omag. He laughs at his own joke. The girlies fake-laugh at it.<br />
Whatever. No Sassy Points for you. The joke has to actually be funny.<br />
"We're investigating a Vulcan ship," says Riker.<br />
"I don't deal in those. Vulcans are pacifists. I only deal in warships."<br />
"We know you're tied to it," Riker replies. "Who would be in the market for a Vulcan ship?"<br />
Omag makes another joke that the girlies fake-laugh at, and Riker is out of fucks. He dumps the food in Omag's lap, then strides around the table and yanks him out of his chair by his collar.<br />
"You're gonna tell me what I want to know, or I'm gonna get your right of passage through this sector revoked."<br />
It seems Omag is a coward. He tells Riker that he traded it to a Barolian freighter, and Riker has to shake him down for the location.<br />
"Galorndon Core!" yelps Omag before Riker drops him in his chair.<br />
Sassy Riker then grabs a napkin from nearby, wipes Omag's mouth, then tucks the napkin into his shirt. "Enjoy your dinner."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Y'all.<br />
I just noticed that there are two spots at the tops of Omag's lobes that are worn down to holes, and... is that an oo-mox thing? Did... did he rub there so much, that there's no longer flesh there? Is there a Ferengi version of "you'll go blind" that warns of rubbing the flesh away?<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Why did I notice that? Why?</span><br />
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<br />
<br />
Time for a Skype!<br />
Picard and Data are piggybacking the Romulan carrier waves to talk to Riker and the others.<br />
"The Barolian freighter at Galorndon Core makes me think of Romulans," says Riker. "It's right on the Neutral Zone border."<br />
"Vulcan ships and Romulans," muses Picard. "The Romulans are talking to Ambassador Spock about reunification."<br />
"That's a big deal."<br />
"Yeah. Reunification is something that the ambassador wants to champion, even if there's a chance it will fail."<br />
"How do these things fit together?" Troi asks.<br />
"Dunno," says Picard. "But I think you should check out Galorndon Core."<br />
They start to lose the carrier wave, so they say their goodbyes, and the E heads for Galorndon Core.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Back on Unnamed Cruiser, Data tells Picard that he's found something in Romulan subspace logs about Galordan Core and Barolian ships.<br />
K'Vada, who would never drop some eaves, tells Data that the Barolians have a trade route near there, and that they trade with the Romulans, and it's probably routine.<br />
"I don't think so," says Data. "There are Romulan intelligence codes mixed into the messages."<br />
K'Vada is figuring out that if he keeps his mouth shut and his ears open, and just agree to whatever Data asks for, he may gain something.<br />
"Can you figure out what the Intelligence code says?" Picard asks Data.<br />
"Yeah, it's one-four-zero-zero."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Spock is walking through the street when he's approached by D'Tan, who puts some small, pyramidal dice in his hand. Spock is surprised. He tells D'Tan that the markings on the dice are the basis for the Vulcan language.<br />
"Those were my toys," D'Tan tells him. "They've been passed down through the generations, teaching kids how to speak Vulcan for the time when we would be reunified."<br />
Another member of the underground approaches, and tells them that Spock's Federation friends want to meet with him again, that he's alerted Pardek, and they'll all meet up in the caves.<br />
<br />
Okay, I gotta pause here: Vulcans do not have the same forehead ridges that Romulans have, yet Spock is able to wander around Romulus as though he does. Nobody bothers this member of the dreaded Federation as he walks through the streets, talking to Senate members, ordering food and then eating nothing in cafes, and openly talking about reunification. He took D'Tan over near a building to look at his dice, but he just told the kid that the proconsul "spoke of nothing other than reunification" at their second meeting. The Romulans are set up as a people who will spy on your grandma for changing her pie crust recipe, yet they're letting Spock just hang out? Is this also something that Spock has accounted for, and will only be so secretive as to "play the part"?<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard and Data meet up with Spock and Pardek, though interestingly, Picard and Data are wearing their Starfleet uniforms. I'm baffled as to why they would make this choice: not only do they not look like Romulans currently, they are openly wearing the bright-ass colors of the enemy. On a planet where muted earth tones are the norm. They couldn't have acquired or changed into other Romulan clothes? Or just worn the Romulan clothes they already have, but with the hoods up?<br />
Anyway, our bright-ass Starfleet officers tell Spock and Pardek about the 1-4-0-0 code, and Spock says that that pretty much confirms that Neral is fucking him over.<br />
The others are surprised.<br />
"1-4-0-0 is 1400, the time when Neral is scheduled to make the reunification announcement tomorrow. It's tied somehow to the stolen Vulcan ship."<br />
"How?" asks Pardek.<br />
"You're about to find out," says Sela, stepping into the cave.<br />
Romulan guards run forward and snatch phasers from the holsters of Picard and Data.<br />
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<br />
<br />
She welcomes Picard to Romulus and makes note of "that android I've come to respect in battle."<br />
What's that now? Got your ass handed to you by a Machine Man? Yeah, you better recognize.<br />
Pardek panics. "Someone betrayed our location!"<br />
"Yeah," says Spock in resignation. "It was you."<br />
The old Romulan flounders. "But we've been friends for 80 years!"<br />
"Yeah, but you invited me here, and arranged for me to talk to Neral, and you knew that Picard and Data had come back to the surface with info. It's only logical that it was you."<br />
"Your service to your people is appreciated," Sela tells Pardek.<br />
Pardek looks very pleased with himself, and exits, saying "<i>Jolan tru</i>, Spock."<br />
Yeah, namaste, you traitorous motherfucker.<br />
Probably why he was suddenly being invited to state dinners again.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Sela then announces to the group that reunification will take a different form going forward: Romulus will be taking over Vulcan. And she has her soldiers lead the Federation members from the cave at disruptor-point.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
The E has arrived at Galorndon Core. Remember this place? La Forge and a Rom officer got trapped on the surface in an<a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/09/sttng-season-three-episode-seven-enemy.html" target="_blank"> earlier episode</a>.<br />
Scans are not bringing up life signs on the surface, but they discuss the possibilities of cloaked bases here or nearby.<br />
Worf gets another piggybacked Romulan message: "Stay at Galorndon Core, diplomatic mission going great, will advise."<br />
"It had the right hidden codes," Worf adds.<br />
Riker looks suspicious anyway.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard, Data, and Spock are all lead into Sela's office, where she is texting on some kind of small Romulan padd.<br />
"Sorry," she says. "I'm writing a speech for you, Mr Spock. I do enjoy writing, but I don't get to do it very often in this job."<br />
Data trying to be helpful: "Perhaps you would be happier in another job."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVXa_w6L73bC4eGKNQGP3qtQQjNlWidw53dV0gwlmfGcgVMaqAeltSz_i9MsPY2b4uXelmxH-bm_pfxEUJFGUtn7i7TTYO_2L6JcagoxFZ5RqEKK4pHeFZRKNIHzL3UzhjEz53TkNRe_P/s1600/un27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="414" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVXa_w6L73bC4eGKNQGP3qtQQjNlWidw53dV0gwlmfGcgVMaqAeltSz_i9MsPY2b4uXelmxH-bm_pfxEUJFGUtn7i7TTYO_2L6JcagoxFZ5RqEKK4pHeFZRKNIHzL3UzhjEz53TkNRe_P/s400/un27.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this her office, or Neral's? It's the same fucking office</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Lieutenant Commander Data: Life Coach.<br />
Sela hands the padd to Spock. "So you're going to give this speech alongside the proconsul, announcing the peace initiatives. It'll be broadcast on Federation frequencies as well, saying that a peace envoy is heading for Vulcan. We got three Vulcan ships to do it." She looks at Picard. "We've been following the Enterprise's investigation into the theft of the T'Pau, but what they don't know is that we have two more. Also, I sent them a message from you, saying they need to stay at Galorndon Core."<br />
"Whatever," says Picard. "The E will overtake those ships the minute they hit the Neutral Zone."<br />
"Yeah, they'll be busy with something else when that happens," Sela replies.<br />
"The Federation will come to the aid of the Vulcans," says Picard.<br />
"Yeah, but by the time that happens, we'll have taken over."<br />
Spock has skimmed the speech by now. "Yeah, I'm not reading this."<br />
"Then I'll kill you all," she states flatly.<br />
"Psssht," replies Spock. "You were gonna do that anyway. So I'm not cooperating. The end."<br />
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<br />
<br />
"I fucking hate Vulcans." Sela rips the padd from Spock's hand. "Whatever. We have a holographic Spock who will deliver the speech. We really wanted an interactive, live Spock that could answer questions, but you make do with what you have."<br />
She turns on the holo-Spock, who gives the first part of the speech about three Vulcan ships (the Nina, the Pinta, and the T'Pau) in the Neutral Zone, who are carrying the future of Romulus and Vulcan.<br />
"Are you shitting me?" asks Picard. "That's not gonna fool anyone."<br />
"I don't need it to," Sela insists. "I just need it to confuse people long enough for the ships to reach Vulcan."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Then she and the guards just... leave. Are they standing guard outside? We have no idea. But Picard, Spock, and Data are left alone. I mean, even if you think your captives are particularly stupid, you don't leave them alone. And here we have a Vulcan ambassador, the captain of the Starfleet flagship, and a fucking ANDROID. Not even Pakleds would assume they're just going to hang out.<br />
Immediately, Spock asks Data if the Romulans know that he has access to their systems. Data is pretty sure they don't.<br />
"Cool," says Spock. "Let's make a diversion."<br />
<br />
The E is sitting at Galorndon Core when the "peace envoy" rolls up from the Neutral Zone.<br />
"They're Vulcan?" says Worf.<br />
They all kind of look at one another in confusion, and Riker says to hail them. Worf reads off the message they get back: they're a peace envoy headed for Vulcan, and the E should listen to the subspace channels, because there will be a speech forthcoming! Hooray!<br />
Riker narrows his eyes, and asks La Forge if any of those ships matches the T'Pau.<br />
La Forge does a quick check. "No, but one of those might have had just enough changed on it that we couldn't tell if it was or not."<br />
"We're gonna follow them," says Riker.<br />
"The captain said -" Worf begins, but Riker cuts him off and says to follow anyway.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Sela and her guards return to her office to find it empty, and somehow, she's shocked. Is she really so narcissistic that she believes no one is as clever as she is?<br />
And then -<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Sela and her guards shoot at them while Riker repeats "drop your weapons, drop your weapons." The disruptor beams go right through Riker and those two Security Golds.<br />
"Holograms," she huffs.<br />
Then Picard and Spock literally materialize out of the walls and take down the guards before Sela notices. She turns to find a disruptor in her face.<br />
Sassy Spock Moment: "I'm afraid I don't know much about disruptor settings."<br />
She drops her own weapon, and it's revealed that several walls of the office were also holograms, when one disappears and Data is shown behind it. He switches off the Riker and Gold holograms.<br />
"You're too late, anyway," snarls Sela. "The ships are on their way to Vulcan, and the speech will be broadcast any minute now."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Dr Crusher bursts onto the bridge and tells Riker that she just got a distress signal from Dilisian IV, that they're having a problem with the environment, and need emergency evacuation.<br />
This is pretty fucking convenient.<br />
"Are there other ships in that area?" he asks her.<br />
"An archaeological ship," she says. "Not big enough for a really big evac."<br />
Really, REALLY convenient.<br />
Riker looks at La Forge.<br />
"If one of those ships is the T'Pau, they hella wiped the fingerprints clean," says La Forge.<br />
"Ships in the Neutral Zone," calls Worf.<br />
Riker is about to order a course set for Dilisian IV, but Worf tells him that there's a subspace message coming through on all channels, so they toss it up on the viewscreen.<br />
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<br />
<br />
It's Spock.<br />
Holo-Spock? Let's find out.<br />
"By now, Federation sensors have seen that there are three Vulcan ships heading for Vulcan from the Neutral Zone. They carry Romulan invasion forces, and need to be stopped."<br />
Real Spock starts to repeat the warning, but the message cuts out. Oops, Roms figured out they weren't broadcasting their Trojan Horse bullshit.<br />
"Kayso, call Dilisian IV, and see if there's actually an emergency," Riker tells Crusher. Let's go after those Vulcan ships."<br />
<br />
Back in Sela's office, Data reports that at least part of the message went out before being shut down, but he's pretty sure the gist was clear: take out those fucking ships.<br />
Sela's all, "You'll never get out of this building," like she's a freaking Bond villain or something.<br />
What, you got ill-tempered sea bass down the hall?<br />
"While I was hacking your systems, I took a look at the schematics for this building, and we should be able to exit easily through the underground tunnel that's east of where we are now," Data tells her. "And I shut off a bunch of security shit while I was at it." He starts to walk away, then thinks better of it. "We can't let you warn the guards," he tells Sela. Then he drops her with a damn Vulcan neck pinch.<br />
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<br />
<br />
The E shows up to fly alongside the Vulcan ships, which have changed tack and are now high-tailing back to the Neutral Zone.<br />
"Fuck THAT noise," says Riker.<br />
A Romulan warbird decloaks next to the Vulcan ships.<br />
"Hail those assholes," Riker tells Worf. "Tell them to get the hell out of Federation space, and leave the Vulcan ships."<br />
Both the warbird and the E power up weapons, but then the warbird very quickly destroys the smaller ships and re-cloaks.<br />
"Fuck," says La Forge quietly. "That was like 2000 Romulans they just killed."<br />
They're all kind of startled.<br />
"Um, Worf contact the Unnamed Klingon Cruiser, and tell them we want to know when the captain and Data are back on board safely."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard, Spock, and Data are lead into a new cave, which they are assured was never visited by Pardek.<br />
Picard asks what the underground will do now.<br />
"Continue to teach others," they tell him. "To prepare for the day when we can be reunified."<br />
"The Federation looks forward to that day," Picard smiles.<br />
Data tells Picard that they need to go to reach their beam-up site, and all three walk into an outer cave.<br />
"Sooo, I'm not going with you," Spock tells the others. "This is still something I need to work on, and it's obvious now that it won't happen via politics and diplomacy. We'll get there, though. These people need a new philosophy, and it may take a long time, but I need to help them."<br />
Picard smiles. "I don't think I can argue with you once you've made up your mind."<br />
"I've actually found the arguments to be pretty useful," Spock admits.<br />
"Sarek found your arguments equally valuable."<br />
"You may know him better than I did," says Spock. "We never mind-melded with one another."<br />
And as a parting gift, Picard offers Spock the opportunity to mind-meld and learn more about Sarek.<br />
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*******</div>
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Okay.</div>
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I... want to like this episode more.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I actually liked the B-plot better than the A-plot, which is kind of weird. The funny thing is, both the A- and B-plots in the first episode were stronger than in this one. And I'm not alone in that opinion - the writers and show runners thought that the second part of this two-parter was the weaker episode. Interestingly, the things I did and didn't like about this episode were mirrored by what the various writers and actors had to say:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Michael Piller thought it was talky and too political after that two-parter on the Klingon Empire (Redemption I and II). He also wanted to provide more chemistry between Picard and Spock. While I don't dislike the talkier episodes per se, this one didn't feature much in terms of things that were going on. It did get a little flat, honestly. And I didn't care for the chemistry between Picard and Spock at all. I'm not certain why. Is it because they're very similar in nature? Is it because I like them mainly for their interpersonal relationships within their own shows, but do not like the cross-over? Once they had reached an agreement of "this is on shaky ground but worth pursuing," I liked the pairing better. Then, the outright bickering was less annoying and had more meaning.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Cliff Bole thought Piller was being too hard on himself, but did say that he agreed with the "talky" thing, and wished they had had more action with the characters on Romulus. "We shouldn't have been in the cave so long." Yeah, I was excited at the prospect of seeing the forbidden Romulus, but then we spent most of the time in those caves, or in politicians' offices. I probably can't have it both ways here, because I did complain about Spock walking around in broad daylight but it would have been cool if they went to an underground meeting in someone's house?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Brannon Braga liked the scene between Data and Spock. Same! Each show has had what's referred to as a "mirror to humanity character," someone who is part-human, or looks human, and has to find their humanity. Spock and Data were the mirror character for their respective shows, and the fact that one has pushed his humanity aside while the other seeks it out made for a great comparison. Each walks away with the other's viewpoint on his mind, and possibly alters his own perception a little.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Leonard Nimoy thought that there should have been more to the story, and anticipated them calling him again to pick up the thread, but they never did. SAME SAME SAME SAME SAME. This is probably what disappointed me most: the idea of a species splitting off and becoming two people who war with each other, but later coming together (maybe not to be one again, but at least to be allies) is not only a big idea, but an interesting one that's worth exploring. So many facets. You could easily do a spin-off show based on reunification. And they just... left it. So frustrating. At least do an arc that's longer than 2 episodes?</div>
<br />
Things I liked:<br />
- Romulans. Actual Romulans that were not politicians, and not part of the military. We got to see some Roms that weren't assholes that were part of a giant evil conspiracy. I want to hug D'Tal, and his sweet optimism, and his excitement in showing Spock his toys. We saw a tiny bit of that with Jarok in "The Defector," but got to see more of it here.<br />
- The idea of reunification. And Spock being excited about the prospect.<br />
- Amarie. She was a fun character, but we probably won't see her again, because why would we spend more time in a space bar that isn't Ten Forward?<br />
- The B-plot. It was a fun space mystery.<br />
- K'Vada developing a respect for Data, and maybe deciding that helping Starfleet officers wasn't such a waste of his time.<br />
<br />
Fun Facts:<br />
<br />
- These episodes are only one of two pairs that same the same naming convention: Unification I and II, rather than "Parts I and II." The other pair is Redemption I and II.<br />
- Leonard Nimoy wanted his son Adam to direct this episode, but the timing didn't work out, so Cliff Bole was tapped to direct instead, even though it wasn't his turn. (TNG directors worked on a rotation.) Adam Nimoy would later direct two other episodes of TNG.<br />
- Because of scheduling, this episode had to be filmed before Unification I, though certain scenes from that episode were filmed during filming for this episode.<br />
- Boom operator Bill Gocke briefly appears in the reflection of a glass pyramid on Neral's desk. However, when the episodes were remastered for Blu-ray release, Gocke was digitally removed.<br />
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<br />
- The blues that Riker teaches Amarie is "Freddie Freeloader" by Miles Davis.<br />
- Leonard Nimoy said that filming these episode was "hectic but enjoyable" and reminded him of filming TOS, as compared to doing films, which had a slower pace.<br />
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<br />
- This was Nimoy's final appearance for nearly 20 years. He would next appear in the reboot film Star Trek in 2009.<br />
- This is the third of five Star Trek appearances that Nimoy made without William Shatner: the unaired pilot "The Cage;" TAS' "The Slaver Weapon;" this episode; and the first two reboot films.<br />
- Final appearance of Sela. I don't love Sela, but I do like Denise Crosby, so that's a bit sad.<br />
- In the pilot episode of TNG, Data escorts a very old Leonard McCoy around the Enterprise, and tells Data that he reminds him of a Vulcan he once knew. Data finally gets to meet said Vulcan in this episode.<br />
- First mention of Klingon opera.<br />
- Data uses two contractions here when speaking to Sela.<br />
- Data is only one of a handful of non-Vulcans to use the Vulcan neck pinch.<br />
- "Unification I and II" were the highest-rated episodes since "Encounter at Farpoint."<br />
- Some people felt that sela's plan to invade Vulcan with three ships was insufficient, but Michael Piller felt the only way to do it successfully would be via Trojan Horse.<br />
- Amarie was played by four people: Harriet Leider was the actor in the make-up; Cindy White was her photo double and close-up on one pair of hands; Jerry Zimmer was the pianist and played the second set of hands; and when all the filming was done, it was decided that Leider's voice didn't work for the character, so Judy M Durand recorded her lines in post-production. We'll hear Judy's voice again, as she does the voice work for Cardassian ships and outposts, including DS9.<br />
- This episode was nominated for an Emmy for Art Direction.<br />
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<br />
Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Riker Moments: 3<br />
To date: 7</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Sassy Keiko Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
To date: 2<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments:<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0<br />
To date: 2</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 3<br />
To date: 20</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 0<br />
To date: 8</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 0<br />
To date: 2<br />
Tea, Earl Grey:<br />
To date: 2<br />
Mentions of the number 47: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
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Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-42971582179973814652020-08-17T02:32:00.001-07:002020-08-17T02:32:04.532-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Seven "Unification"ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Seven "Unification"<br />
Production Order: 7<br />
Air Order: 7<br />
Stardate: 45233.1<br />
Original Air Date: November 4, 1991<br />
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I realized this week that we are stuck in the world's longest bottle show.</div>
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No guests stars, existing sets only.</div>
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Just in case that's not depressing enough for you, TNG wants to remind you that Gene Rod is dead.<br />
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This isn't the first episode following his death, as The Game was aired four days after that, but it's probably better that it landed here: they may not have had the time to add the card onto The Game, and the first of a two-parter story arc where a major character from his first show is featured in a political plot enmeshed with his final show was probably more meaningful.<br />
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Picard's Log 45233.1: "We were scheduled to do a thing, but we've been recalled to a starbase instead, and Admiral Brackett wouldn't say why over subspace channels."<br />
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Brackett, now in the ready room, tells Picard that one of the Federation's most trusted ambassadors has gone missing, and nobody knew where he went. Then two days ago, he was spotted on Romulus.<br />
"Do you think he defected?" asks Picard in surprise.<br />
"We'd be fucked if he did," Brackett replies. "He has hella secrets."<br />
She shows him some crappy video stills from Romulus, and then tells the computer to zoom and enhance, because this is the future, where you can do that.<br />
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Dramatic-Ass Music! Opening credits break!<br />
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Picard's Log 45236.4: "This is... kind of tough. Like, I mind-melded with Sarek a year ago or so, and now I have to use what I learned through him to find his son."<br />
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Riker joins Picard in the Obs Lounge to tell him that they're coming up on Vulcan, that Perrin has been told of their plans, and that she'll be beaming up to the ship to talk to them.<br />
"What about Sarek?" asks Picard.<br />
"Too sick to travel, she says."<br />
"Fuck me," sighs Picard. "He's dying, and I get to be the one to tell him that his son may have betrayed the Federation."<br />
"Have you met Spock?" asks Riker.<br />
"Just the one time."<br />
(Ugh, he's talking about when he mentioned that he had met Spock at his wedding. Remember that little slice of not-canon that Spock married Saavik, because she was pregnant with the kid that teenage Spock had squirted into her while going through pon farr on the Genesis planet from movie 3? For some reason, they left that crap in TNG even though they decided against making that the eventual outcome. Spock is listed on Memory Alpha as being divorced... from T'Pring.)<br />
"Do you know a lot about him from the mind-meld?" Riker continues.<br />
"Not a lot," Picard admits. "They had kind of a strained relationship..."<br />
"Yeah, I get that," replies Riker.<br />
Because he does.<br />
"Oh, hey," says Picard. "Got a B-plot for you. Starfleet found metal fragments in a box marked "medical supplies" on a Ferengi ship. Looks like they're Vulcan. Starfleet wants us to look into it."<br />
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Later in the ready room, Picard gets himself and Perrin a couple cuppas of mint tea. She seems pleased until Picard asks about Spock.<br />
"He didn't even say goodbye to Sarek," she says.<br />
"Do you think he was kidnapped?"<br />
"No, he left on purpose. He wrapped up all of his affairs before going."<br />
Picard is struggling a bit. He feels the need to tiptoe, and knows he doesn't have the time.<br />
"Okay, look: can I ask what happened between you and Spock?"<br />
"Nothing between us," she insists. But it's crap. "Between Spock and Sarek. They always argued, and that was fine, but then when there was the question of the Cardassians, Spock came out in opposition of Sarek publicly."<br />
"And Sarek was offended?" asks Picard.<br />
"No, I was offended," she corrects.<br />
So it is between you and Spock. Quit playing games, lady.<br />
"I'm really protective of my husband," she replies. "Nobody sees him like I do. He's wasting away in his bed, whispering to himself. He wants to see Spock, and make amends."<br />
"Can I see him?" asks Picard cautiously.<br />
She pauses. "If anyone else asked, no way. But you're a part of each other."<br />
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Riker goes down to one of the cargo holds to see La Forge about those possibly-Vulcan metal fragments, and holy shit, didn't Picard say these were found in "a box"? WTF kind of box was it that could hold these huge metal fragments? Also, those are not fragments, those are ship parts. You say "fragments," and it conjures up archaeologists digging up pottery the size of your pinky nail.<br />
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So the Vulcans don't know what this was, but they've figured out that it was definitely theirs and definitely made for space travel, based on the kind of metal it's made from. Sounds like it was on the Ferengi cargo ship, then that ship went down in an asteroid belt.<br />
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Down on Vulcan, Perrin has brought Picard to Sarek's chambers, where the elder Vulcan is tossing and turning on an uncomfortable-looking bed.<br />
Picard's face is very "well, shit."<br />
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"He's like this most of the time," she tells Picard. "All emotions, all the time. I'll see if I can get him to acknowledge you." She grabs Sarek's shoulder and shakes him, yelling his name. "Sarek! Picard is here!"<br />
"Go the fuck away," he growls back.<br />
"Okay, I'll leave you to it," says Perrin almost cheerfully to Picard. "He'll either talk to you or ignore you."<br />
I want to like Perrin because Sarek liked her well enough to choose her, but I don't. Fuck off, Perrin.<br />
She leaves, and now Picard is shouting at Sarek.<br />
The guy is having emotional health problems. Nobody said that Bendii Syndrome leads to deafness.<br />
"Sarek! It's Picard! I need to talk to you! About Spock!"<br />
Sarek starts telling Picard to go away at first, but the magic word here is <i>Spock</i>.<br />
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He rolls over. "Picard? That you? On Vulcan?"<br />
"Yeah." Fortunately, no one is shouting now. "I need to talk about Spock. He's been seen on Romulus. Do you know why?"<br />
"No."<br />
"Was he going to meet someone? Did he know someone on Romulus?"<br />
Sarek wracks his emotion-addled brain. "Um, Pardek?"<br />
"Who is that?"<br />
"A Romulan senator? I think they met at the Khitomer Conference? He came home all excited because he thought maybe we could open and maintain communications with the Romulans, but that's nonsense. Pardek didn't have any support in the senate, and Spock was always impressionable. He never listened."<br />
Picard is stoked. This is pretty good info. "You think he went to meet Pardek?"<br />
But Sarek is no longer clear-headed. "Pardek? The Romulan senator? How do you know him?"<br />
"I've... heard of him," says Picard. "What do you think they met about?"<br />
Sarek starts rambling. "I dunno. He never tells me anything... he used to go into the mountains as a boy and be gone for long periods of time, and I'd ask him what he was doing, but he refused to tell me. I would forbid him to go, and he would ignore me. Then I would punish him, and he would just take it. Secretly, I admired him. Very stubborn."<br />
Sarek lays back down, and Picard realizes that that's probably all he's getting.<br />
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<br />
"Hey," says Picard quietly. "I know you struggle with him, but I also know that you love him."<br />
"Tell him," says Sarek quietly.<br />
He tries to make the ta'al sign, but cannot. Picard helps him to shape his fingers the right way, and makes the sign back.<br />
"Peace, and long life."<br />
"Live long, and... and..." Sarek turns over and begins sobbing. "Spock... my son..."<br />
"... and prosper," Picard finishes quietly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3AR1uJ0dvfMDO1hQGzT2wiVuvcDE2jDc2FkgWx2cC1bp4cxXU7JkHhvKe7IlYUdBI3SXgbxFJpCLAkM5SEMN2oylDHJobcdO4VaeAVWQU3Z8nG_mtiabUPeA7sb3I5uJ7oyHoDyAT7hf/s1600/un12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="416" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3AR1uJ0dvfMDO1hQGzT2wiVuvcDE2jDc2FkgWx2cC1bp4cxXU7JkHhvKe7IlYUdBI3SXgbxFJpCLAkM5SEMN2oylDHJobcdO4VaeAVWQU3Z8nG_mtiabUPeA7sb3I5uJ7oyHoDyAT7hf/s400/un12.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This show hates me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Picard's Log 45240.1: "Okay, so I gotta go to Romulus, and to get across the Neutral Zone, I need a ship that can cloak. Gonna ask my buddy Gowron. I did him a bunch of favors in the Klingon civil war, so he owes me, right?"<br />
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The E has been hailing Qo'nos for three days without an answer. Gowron is ignoring them.<br />
"Um, speak candidly?" asks Worf. "Gowron is rewriting Klingon history, claiming that his courage and prowess won the war, and that he pretty much did it singlehandedly."<br />
"So us showing up would be a reminder that he had help," says Riker.<br />
"Ugh, I don't give a shit," says Picard. "I just need a fucking ship. If he won't answer, Worf, get me someone who can, like someone from the High Council?"<br />
Worf agrees, and goes back to his station to see if he can find Picard a ride.<br />
Data calls Picard over to the science station: he has found video footage of Pardek, the senator that Sarek mentioned. Together, they do the zoom-and-enhance on the blurry photo of Spock and another person, and discovers that the other guy in the photo with Spock is definitely Pardek.<br />
"Do we have info on this guy?" asks Picard.<br />
"Yeah, he's been in the Senate for about 90 years." (Holy fuck, how about some term limits, Romulus?) "He's considered to be kind of a radical by the leadership because he advocates for peace. He's thought of as a man of the people."<br />
Picard nods. Sounds on brand for someone Spock would be friends with.<br />
"Where can we find him when the Senate is not in session?" asks Picard.<br />
"He represents the Krockton Segment, and has a house there," replies Data. "Also, I did some extra credit homework: He has relatives in that sector, and the Senate does not meet on the third day of the Romulan week, so he'll probably be there on that day."<br />
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<br />
<br />
"I got someone on the phone?" says Worf.<br />
"Gowron? Someone from the High Council?"<br />
"Nope. He's the junior adjutant to the diplomatic delegation. His name is B'ijak."<br />
Ah. An assistant with a title, an over-inflated sense of self-importance, and little to no salary. A gatekeeper.<br />
And that he is.<br />
"Hey, so, the Council and Gowron are both super busy right now."<br />
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<br />
<br />
"Yeah, we've been calling for three days," says Picard, irked.<br />
"Still busy," says B'ijak. "If you want, I can give Gowron a message for you?"<br />
You little shit.<br />
"Cooool," says Picard. "So this is the message to take to Gowron, leader of the High Council of the Klingon Empire: Jean-Luc Picard, his Arbiter of Succession, needs a favor."<br />
B'ijak is now curious, in spite of himself. "What kind of favor?"<br />
"I need a cloaked ship."<br />
And now B'ijak is laughing and being an asshole. "Uh-huh. And how would this benefit the Klingon Empire? Cuz you know he's gonna ask."<br />
Whatever, B'ijak.<br />
"He would earn our gratitude," says Picard smoothly. "And if he isn't able to do us this favor, then I can find... others in the Klingon Empire who would help out the Federation here, and then they would have our gratitude instead."<br />
B'ijak looks uncomfortable.<br />
"Also, please tell Gowron that I'm pleased to hear how well he's doing. Clearly, he's a great leader." And Picard smiles a "fuck that guy" smile.<br />
B'ijak hangs up with signing off.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Down in sick bay, Crusher is taking scans of Picard and Data, to fit them with prosthetics so they'll look Romulan. She says altering Data's skin to be the right color shouldn't be a problem, as long as they can make him gold again later.<br />
Riker comes in to ask Picard if he can spare a moment to see the progress that La Forge has made on those metal pieces, but Crusher tells him that it'll have to wait, because he and Data have appointments with Mott the barber to be fitted for Romulan hairpieces.<br />
I really like this weird little scene of Crusher cheerfully measuring their heads and facial features while referring to herself as a tailor. We get to see the behind-the-scenes parts of Starfleet officers becoming spies.<br />
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<br />
<br />
It also segues nicely into Riker and Picard going back to the cargo hold.<br />
"What we have here is what's left of a Vulcan deflector array," La Forge tells them. "It came from a ship called the T'Pau, which was decommissioned years ago, and has been sitting in a starship junkyard at Qualor II."<br />
Worf calls: "There's a decloaked Klingon ship off our portside, compliments of Gowron."<br />
"Oh, wow, how nice of him," says Picard. "Thank the captain of that ship and tell him that Data and I will be over shortly."<br />
Riker says that he wants to take the E over to Qualor II to check out that B-plot, and that's how we part ways.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard and Data transfer over to the Klingon ship (no ship name given cuz they want to make my job harder), to meet with the captain, K'Vada. K'Vada is pissed off because he doesn't want this assignment, but would any Klingon? Really? They all appear to be pissed off to be helping the Federation, regardless of the assignment or timeframe.<br />
"I wanna know what this mission is about!" K'Vada roars.<br />
"Classified," says Picard cheerfully.<br />
"You going after the defector?" he demands. "Ambassador Spock? Everybody knows he defected to Romulus."<br />
"The mission is to take us to coordinates near Romulus," says Picard. "Can't say anything else."<br />
"If the Romulans catch us, we could all be killed."<br />
"Yep."<br />
K'Vada gives the orders to start for Romulus, and I can't tell if he's still grouchy about the whole thing, or if he's been placated by the idea that they might all die playing spy games with the Romulans.<br />
The Klingon ship and the E part ways in different directions.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
K'Vada shows Picard and Data around the ship, clearly intending for them to complain about the lack of amenities: they will be sharing quarters, as there is a lack of space.<br />
"Cool," says Picard.<br />
Picard's bed is just a metal slab, because Klingons don't "soften" their bodies with a pad.<br />
"I like it that way," Picard replies cheerfully.<br />
K'Vada seems disappointed. Clearly, he's never met Picard.<br />
"You're gonna eat with us," he tries one last time.<br />
"Sweet, fresh gagh! Been a long time," he smiles at Data.<br />
Someone from the bridge calls to tell K'Vada that they're at the Neutral Zone, and K'Vada asks if Picard intends to follow through with this plan.<br />
"Yep."<br />
K'Vada cloaks the ship and tells them to head in. He seems confused as to how he feels about this little bald guy.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgGIt-ok5sNNeGr30qLA11445uUqupFCDsIgJBz4BXSydaXvyqqwKqOkAQ59v0ni30qA5WxIMvPYrckObhcAMhza99TWuuUTeTDFMUse41Nk2xP28W3It1ZeoQwPKiLuEhNgg3CBegtr2/s1600/un19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="420" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgGIt-ok5sNNeGr30qLA11445uUqupFCDsIgJBz4BXSydaXvyqqwKqOkAQ59v0ni30qA5WxIMvPYrckObhcAMhza99TWuuUTeTDFMUse41Nk2xP28W3It1ZeoQwPKiLuEhNgg3CBegtr2/s400/un19.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picard would smile and tell anyone that their crappy accommodations are<br />presidential suite-level, because he's a diplomat. But here, he's straight-up<br />fucking with K'Vada.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Riker's Log 45240.6: "On our way to the junkyard at Qualor II. It's run by the Zakdorn. Trying to find out why the Ferengi had parts off a decommissioned Vulcan ship from this yard."<br />
<br />
Worf tosses up an open line on the viewscreen, and it looks like they caught a guy off-guard, because he wasn't even looking at the screen when the line opened.<br />
"Hi, I'm William Riker from the starship Enterprise," says Riker in a friendly voice. "I'm looking for info on a Vulcan ship, the T'pau, and I'm told it's here."<br />
The guy turns to the camera. "Klim Dokachin, quartermaster of this surplus yard. Do you have an appointment?"<br />
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<br />
<br />
"Um, no?"<br />
"Then you need to talk to scheduling." And Dokachin just closes out the chat.<br />
Wow, this episode is gatekeeper-heavy.<br />
Riker is taken aback. "Who does he think he is?" he asks Troi in surprise.<br />
Troi is amused as hell: "The quartermaster of the supply yard with information you need."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Riker has Worf open the channel back up, and immediately mispronounces the Zakdorn's name. Good start, buddy.<br />
"The reason I'm here is of the utmost importance to the Federation. We need access to your files and computers and things. My people can do it."<br />
"Yeah, I don't let others into my computer system," says Dokachin stubbornly.<br />
That's fair, I guess. If you hand your phone to your friend to show them a funny meme, and they start scrolling through your nudies, you'd be pissed too.<br />
"Okay, <i>your</i> people."<br />
"Oh. I really don't have people to spare for that activity. Wish I did."<br />
Riker is annoyed. "Then what do you suggest?"<br />
"Dunno. Call me back when you're in orbit." He closes out the chat again.<br />
"Come the fuck on," sighs Riker.<br />
Troi is still heavily amused. "He's king of his hill. You're gonna have to treat him like that."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">....yaaaaay.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
They hit orbit, and Dokachin comes on board.<br />
He looks around and starts waxing poetic about how he doesn't usually get to see starships in condition this good, and they're always falling apart by the time he gets them.<br />
"We really do need this info on the T'Pau," says Troi earnestly.<br />
He turns and asks who she is, and she gives him her name and position on the ship.<br />
He addresses no one in particular, and talks about Riker as though he isn't standing right there: "He probably thinks we don't get a lot of handsome women out this way, and that I'd cooperate more with someone like you... he's right."<br />
Grins between Troi and Riker as Dokachin sits at the science station, where the E has been tied into the junkyard's computers. He locates where the T'pau is docked, and tells the helm where to go. Then suddenly he's all smiles, and asking Troi if this is her first visit to a junkyard, and how she'd be surprised at what one might find on old ships.<br />
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<br />
<br />
He starts telling her that he found a 14-foot eel in someone's locker in a freighter, and if she wants, and there's time, he'll show it to her, because he nursed it back to health, and is keeping it as a pet.<br />
I like this guy. He's a little too full of himself, and a little too into Troi just cuz she's cute, but he did rescue an ailing animal and seems to be keeping it as a companion. Like, would I want to deal with him in real life? Hell no. But he makes for someone interesting to watch on television.<br />
So they roll up on the coordinates, and... empty space.<br />
"It's missing?" asks Riker.<br />
"The fuck?" Dokachin starts frantically typing at the science station, telling them that he's never lost a ship. Also, he has each of his ships cross-categorized four ways, and he'll find that fucking ship if it kills him.<br />
"Okay, think," says La Forge. "Was stuff stripped from the T'Pau when it came in? Things that could be used on other ships?"<br />
Dokachin replies in the affirmative, and says that those things would be on the Tripoli.<br />
"Great, because we have the T'Pau's deflector array laid out in pieces on our cargo hold floor," snaps La Forge.<br />
Dokachin was not expecting this answer. He insists that he's never lost anything in the junkyard as they rush to where the Tripoli is docked.<br />
Empty space again.<br />
He's about to lose his mind. Up in here, up in here.<br />
"But... we beam things to the Tripoli on a regular basis!" he splutters. "We beamed stuff here yesterday! We're supposed to beam stuff here today!"<br />
"'kay, when are you beaming stuff to the Tripoli spot today?" asks Riker.<br />
"Two hours?"<br />
"Yeah, I bet someone will park themselves right there and pick up that shipment of stuff that you're beaming," guesses Riker. "Let's move into a spot nearby and shut down everything but sensors and life support so we look like a derelict."<br />
Y'all're a pretty shiny derelict, but go on then.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Back on... K'Vada's ship, Picard and Data have reached a rest period, and Picard remarks that the Klingons probably thought it would be funny to put them both in the same quarters. Data responds that he doesn't need to sleep, so Picard should take the... shelf.<br />
Picard lies down and turns on his side, but Data is just... standing there. The captain turns back over.<br />
"What are you doing?"<br />
"Going over the files I need to prepare to impersonate a Romulan."<br />
"Oh."<br />
But Data had turned to speak to him, so when Picard rolls back over, Data now appears to be staring at him.<br />
"That's unnerving, Data."<br />
"Should I stop going over the files?"<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard simply gets up and tells Data that he doesn't need to rest, and they should just go over those files together.<br />
K'Vada pages Picard to the bridge. When they arrive, he hands them a padd and says that they intercepted a message that might be of interest to Picard.<br />
Picard reads off the padd to Data that Sarek has died.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Back on the E, the time has arrived for the transfer to the Tripoli.<br />
"I see a ship on sensors," says Worf. "But they're riding without license plates. No way to tell who the hell that is."<br />
It's fancy, too.<br />
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<br />
<br />
"It's hella loaded up with cargo," says La Forge. "Looks like weapons?"<br />
The ship slides into the Triploi's spot, and the depot prepares to transfer stuff.<br />
"Let's power up," announces Riker.<br />
Lights and engines come back online, and the other ship powers up weapons, turning to the E.<br />
"Hey," says Riker to the open channel, "this is Commander Riker of the Enterprise. You stealing Federation shit or what?"<br />
No response. Instead, the other ship powers up phasers.<br />
Normally, when another ship starts posturing, there's a certain sense of LOL involved, because the Enterprise packs bigger weapons, but here La Forge is like, "Um, they match us?"<br />
Shields go up, and the E takes a few hits.<br />
"Hit 'em with a phaser," Riker tells Worf, "but aim for their weapons systems. I don't want to do anything but knock the gun from their hands?"<br />
Worf does as he's told, and La Forge reports that they've taken down the forward shields on the mystery ship, and one of their phaser arrays.<br />
Then:<br />
"Shit," says La Forge. "There's a bunch of little internal explosions, and with as much weaponry as they're carrying -"<br />
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<br />
<br />
Riker makes his best "fuck, who was that?" face, and because Picard is elsewhere, the camera does that swoop-in close-up shot of Riker instead.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard has put the Romulan prosthetics on himself and Data, and they sit to check out their handiwork. Picard has a little box of tools he used to do it, and I thought at first that prosthetics were done surgically, but maybe not? Is the surgery so simple that Picard was taught how to do it? Or are they glued on?<br />
"You seem lost in thought since we got that message about Sarek," Data remarks.<br />
"Yeah, the mission has kind of changed for me," says Picard. "I was just going to Romulus to ask Spock what the hell he was doing there, but now I also have to carry the message that his father has died. It's a weird position to be in. I know a lot about Sarek because of the mind-meld connection, and their relationship was tenuous at best."<br />
"Won't it be easier for him, being Vulcan? I mean, won't he see it as the logical conclusion to life?"<br />
"Not necessarily," Picard answers. "It's complicated, even for Vulcans, and recall that Spock is half-human. He's spent a lot of time wrestling with that kind of thing."<br />
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<br />
<br />
They're ready to go, but K'Vada has decided to fling some shit, telling them sarcastically that they look "sweet."<br />
"Do you know what they'll do to you if they find out who you are?" he asks. He actually, literally hisses at Data.<br />
"Yeah, we do," states Picard.<br />
"Whatever. Just so you know, this assignment doesn't include rescue missions!"<br />
They roll their eyes and follow him to the transporter room.<br />
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<br />
Hellooo, pretty matte painting!<br />
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Meanwhile, back on Vulcan...</div>
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Pardek walks into the pro-consul's office, and Neral (said pro-consul) shows him a pic of Captain Picard of the Federation and asks if Pardek knows him.</div>
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"No? I've never seen that guy before."</div>
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"I got word that he was coming here, and might be here already," says Neral. "I want you to circulate his picture around, and let the security forces know. He's probably disguised as a Romulan if he's here."</div>
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"I'm right on top of that, Rose."</div>
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Data and Picard are in the city, looking around at the buildings, and Data uses their surroundings to figure out where Pardek and Spock were photographed,the doorway to a legal intercessor's office. The name on the wall is close to Pardek's, and Data guesses that it's a relative. After knocking, then trying the door handle, Picard guesses that the office isn't open for business this early. Data's pretty sure that he knows Pardek's schedule well enough that Pardek will be there within a few hours, so they elect to go to the restaurant across the way to get something to eat.</div>
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So they go into the restaurant, and wouldn't you know it, Romulus has a Soup Nazi. She serves them some slop in a bowl and interrogates them, after Picard asks if she knows when the intercessor's office opens.</div>
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"Why do you want to know?"</div>
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"I need his services. He was recommended."</div>
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"I haven't seen you here before."</div>
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Holy shit, lady. He just told you he was in the neighborhood because he wanted to talk to the guy across the way. Like, I know Data and Picard are technically spies, but she seems overly suspicious for someone serving soup at a restaurant.</div>
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"We traveled here from Rateg," Data offers.</div>
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"You don't have a Rateg accent," she insists.</div>
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Data being Data, he starts telling her that it's a myth that people from Rateg speak with a specific inflection, blah blah blah, and Picard jumps in to stop him by saying they come from just outside that city.</div>
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"Or maybe you're from security forces, come to pick up that intercessor. Is he in trouble?"</div>
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Crap, what a vulture. She seems pretty excited about the idea that she might see some action.</div>
"Yeah, we're not security forces," says Picard.<br />
She switches tactics so fast I get whiplash.<br />
"Doesn't matter to me. I don't know when he opens. Eat your soup, courtesy of a <i>loyal</i> establishment. <i>Jolan tru</i>."<br />
Ugh. I want to ask wtf is wrong with her, but I know what's wrong with her: Romulans tend to be shitty, suspicious people who churn out more shitty, suspicious people. Remember <a href="http://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2017/10/sttng-season-three-episode-ten-defector.html" target="_blank">Jarok</a>, the Romulan who defected to the Enterprise to prevent a war that was never going to happen, because his own people had been feeding him false information the whole time?<br />
Also, <i>jolan tru </i>is a greeting/exit term, like "aloha." It means "find peace" or "may your day be filled with peace," but the way she spit it out, clearly she didn't mean either of those things.<br />
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<br />
<br />
As soon as she leaves, our boys notice that there are a pair of Romulans watching them in military uniforms. Are they security forces? I don't know. Those are starship uniforms, and maybe they all wear the same thing.<br />
"I don't think we can stay here for very long," says Picard quietly.<br />
"It's cool," says Data. "Isn't that Pardek over there?"<br />
It is indeed. They ditch the soup, and turn to leave, but now those uniformed assholes are all up in their faces with guns. I bet that Soup Nazi is just wetting herself with excitement, preparing to gossip to all of her friends and neighbors about how she saw two spies, who were claiming to be from Rateg, hauled off at gun-point, and didn't that just serve them right?<br />
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<br />
<br />
Our boys have no choice but to go with the gun guys, who lead them into a cave.<br />
Pardek follows them in. "We had to get you off the street quickly, Captain Picard. Romulan security knows that you're here. You're okay, we're friends."<br />
The two gun guys start stripping the uniforms off, and it's clear that they must have nicked those uniform coats from actual security to pull off the ruse of taking Picard and Data off the street.<br />
"I'm on an important mission for Starfleet," says Picard. "I have to find Ambassador Spock."<br />
"You have found him, Captain Picard."<br />
And this magnificent mofo steps from the shadows.<br />
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<br />
<br />
This is a great episode.<br />
Maybe you're a fan of the old show but not the new, and you find out that a beloved character from the old show is going to be on the new one, so you tune in. Maybe you weren't a fan of the new show, but decide to give it another view after this episode.<br />
Or maybe you're a fan of the new show but not the old, but still have some respect for those older characters. Maybe based on this arc, you decide to check out the old show.<br />
It's a nice passing of the baton, even if it didn't completely make the fandom into a melting pot. They'll do it again with the films, in 1993. It won't create that fandom harmony there, either. There will probably always be divides in the Trek fandom, based on personal tastes. TOS and TNG have very different tones, and attract different audiences, though like Doctor Who, will always encourage fans of one or the other to give a fair shake to other parts.<br />
But let's take a look at this episode: we jump right in, feet first, by announcing that Spock will be appearing. No doubt Star Trek probably announced this to the fans ahead of the episode coming out, either telling them that a TOS character would be appearing, or that it was Spock specifically. So right away, the audience is excited. But now the writers are tasked with maintaining that excitement, especially knowing that Spock will not appear on camera. What to do? Have Picard formulate a plan to go to Romulus, a place where the audience has never actually been, to play spy games. And have him check in with another beloved old TOS character, Sarek. We've already seen Sarek on this new show, and he's developed a horrible Vulcan disease. That episode was powerfully driven by Mark Lenard, and while he doesn't star in this episode, Lenard turns in another magnificent performance as the dying Vulcan struggling with Bandii Syndrome.<br />
The similarities between Bandii and Alzheimer's are striking, with Sarek vividly recalling his son't childhood, 100 years or more ago, but failing to realize one breath after the fact that he had told Picard about Pardek. he shakes and mumbles to himself, at times incoherent, and his trembling on his bed, in his pajamas and bare feet, give him an air of a strong man crumbling. That Picard must help him form the ta'al is not only heartbreaking, but speaks volumes about Picard, aiding an old man in preserving some dignity. You know that Sarek must perish soon, but you want his outcome to be different.<br />
You mutter "dammit" when he dies.<br />
Picard's story continues to be interesting after this encounter: he must still find Spock, but must now also tell him that Sarek has passed. But what of Spock? Has he defected? What is he doing? Does this spell doom for the Federation?<br />
What is Romulus like? Will he and Data be able to pass as Romulans?<br />
When they arrive, it seems as though the common person is just as suspicious in general as the military members that the Federation has encountered over the years. Their whole culture is based on these ideas of "trust no one."<br />
(Something that I really like: Memory Alpha states that one of the first things that the Romulans did when splitting from the Vulcans, was to ditch the Vulcan language and develop their own. Yet, both groups have a greeting/departure term that is the same whether one is coming or going, and both means "peace" essentially. Yes, yes - you're very different.)<br />
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Another part of this episode that I love is the B-plot.<br />
Not all B-plots are created equal, but I feel this one is pretty strong. First, the mystery of the decommissioned Vulcan ship parts on the Ferengi cruiser, in a box marked "medical supplies." Then, the mystery of the missing decommissioned ship, followed by another missing decommissioned ship: where are these ships, and who is that taking their place? And why? When the new battleship goes up in flames, it kills the leads the E crew had of finding out what happened to the T'Pau. These are all compelling reasons to tune in for the second part, and while I'm not sure this B-plot was strong enough to stand on its own as an A-plot, it does make for a solid B. I'm glad they didn't wrap this plot up with this episode, and simply have another B-plot with the second half of this episode. I'm also glad they didn't skimp on the B-plot. There have been plenty of episodes where the A-plot was interesting, but I couldn't have cared less about "what everyone else was doing." A strong Star Trek episode is made stronger with a solid B-plot.<br />
Writer Jeri Taylor was afraid that this episode would not be successful, as people would have to wait the entire episode for one shot of Spock at the end, but I think she hit it out of the park. Qa'pla, Jeri.<br />
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Fun Facts:<br />
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- Frank Mancuso Sr, who was chairman of Paramount Pictures, suggested the idea for this arc. 1991 was the 25th anniversary of Star Trek, and it was thought that a crossover would tie the two series together nicely. Rick Berman and Nicholas Meyer worked with Leonard Nimoy to insert TNG references into Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and Nimoy agreed to appear on TNG. Berman: "We structured a deal with him: he got very little, a little more than scale [union salary minimum]. But with Leonard as executive of Star Trek VI, what you had in essence was a cross-promotion. It made everybody happy."<br />
- This was not the first Spock-on-TNG story pitched to Leonard Nimoy. In the second season, a two-parter was pitched to him called <a href="https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Undeveloped_Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation_episodes#Return_to_Forever" target="_blank">"Return to Forever,"</a> and would have been written by Tracy Torme. It fell through.<br />
- Leonard Nimoy didn't like the idea for the first story pitched to him, and the idea of a Romulus and Vulcan reunification came up in talks between Nimoy, Berman, and Michael Piller. Nimoy liked the idea of a peaceful story arc rather than a warlike one.<br />
- The inspiration for this episode came from the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990.<br />
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- To Michael Piller, the title also meant a unification of TNG and TOS, which he felt were separated in the minds of the fans. Rick Berman agreed: he felt that the fans saw TOS and TNG as competing entities.<br />
- Once the story was in place, it was determined that it was too expensive to try to film as one episode, and split it, having Spock appear at the end of the first episode.<br />
- Michael Piller wanted to write both episodes, but found that he couldn't. He gave her the first part to Jeri Taylor to write, and she remembered that part of the tough aspect of that first episode was keeping the audience's interest going when the reason they were tuning in was to see Spock, and he doesn't appear until the last moment of that first episode.<br />
- Ronald D Moore, as a fan of TOS, gave Taylor insight into Spock, and especially the relationship between Spock and Sarek.<br />
- A plot to kill Jeri Taylor via exhaustion: Pocket Books approached her about doing a novelization of "Unification." Wanting to break into novel-writing, she agreed. They gave her a 30-day deadline (WTF?), so she wound up writing the novelization at the same time as she was writing the script. All Unification, all the time. "It was like an endless finals week."<br />
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- Because of Leonard Nimoy's schedule, "Unification II" was filmed first.<br />
- This was the first time that a recurring original series cast member died... permanently. Lots of main characters from TOS died, but were then brought back to life through weird sci-fi crap or life-saving measures. Here, Sarek just dies.<br />
- Mark Lenard only read the part of the script where he had lines, and had no idea his character had died off-screen until he saw a viewing at a convention later. He wasn't thrilled, but Jimmy Doohan joked that, because it was off-screen, they could bring him back at a later date.<br />
- Fran Bennett (Fleet Admiral Shanthi) was scheduled to reappear in this episode, but for reasons unknown, was replaced by Karen Hansel as Admiral Brackett.<br />
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- Though Brackett is labelled as a Fleet Admiral in the script, her pips seem to denote that she is a Vice Admiral instead. It is suggested that she is indeed a Vice Admiral, but calling her Fleet Admiral is about a position instead of her rank - she might actually be in charge of a fleet of ships.<br />
- This is the first time a Star Trek episode visits Romulus.<br />
- Sarek tells Picard that Spock would disobey him as a kid, and run off to the mountains on Vulcan. He's talking about <a href="http://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2015/06/sttas-season-one-episode-two-yesteryear.html" target="_blank">"Yesteryear."</a> And now I really want to binge TAS again.<br />
- The Unification arc were the highest-rated episodes of TNG since "Encounter at Farpoint."<br />
- Berman and Piller both thought that Part I was better than Part II. Jeri Taylor was pleased with how it turned out, saying that she thought that it might have gone sideways, as the audience was waiting "for the good stuff to happen [in part 2]." Moore thought the scenes with Sarek turned out well.<br />
- Jonathan Frakes seems to be the dissenter here: he felt the audience was cheated, expecting Spock to show up the whole episode, and only getting that one shot at the end. He did, however, enjoy the comedic aspect of Data unintentionally staring at Picard while the captain tries to sleep.<br />
- One of the shots of the Enterprise-D flying through a field of derelict ships is a recycled shot from "The Best of Both Worlds."<br />
- This episode was nominated for an Emmy for Dramatic Underscore.<br />
- The novelization of this episode by Jeri Taylor expanded on K'Vada's backstory: he was grouchy during this mission because he got into a nasty argument with his wife prior to leaving, and she had dislocated his shoulder. His ships' doctor had not done a good job healing the injury, and it was bothering him. He was also impressed enough by Data's abilities to consider mentioning to the Klingon fleet that they should think about adding androids to their ships.<br />
- Malachi Throne (Pardek) played in three episodes of TOS, and was with Leonard Nimoy for both his first and last appearances on Star Trek television episodes: he played the voice of The Keeper on the unaired pilot "The Cage," and played Pardek in both parts of "Unification." Throne was originally offered the part of the doctor on that pilot, but turned it down because "he didn't want to play the third to the hero and his sidekick." He wanted to try out for Spock, but the part had already gone to Nimoy. He was finally offered the part of the voice of the Talosian Keeper. Later, when filming for the "envelope" portion of "The Menagerie" began, he was cast as Commodore Mendez. His voice-over work on "The Cage" was pitch-altered so that it was not obvious that Throne was playing both parts.<br />
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- Neral was described in the script as "a Romulan Bobby Kennedy." He was played by Norman Large, who will show up again as a different character in season 7, then as others in DS9 and Voyager.<br />
- On DS9, Neral appears in a wanted poster in Odo's office, and it was made canon that he was now a wanted man. Why? Because they used his make-up continuity photo for a wanted poster.<br />
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- Neral will later be played by a different actor (Hal Landon Jr) on DS9, for reasons unknown.<br />
- Erick Avari (B'iJik, the guy who can "give Gowron a message from Picard") has been in everything, but it's hard to recognize him under all of that Klingon make-up:<br />
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- Erick Avari will appear later as different characters on DS9 and Enterprise.<br />
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<br />
Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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To date:<br />
Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Wes Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Riker Moments: 1<br />
To date: 4</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Sassy Keiko Moments:<br />
To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 1<br />
To date: 2<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments:<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0<br />
To date: 2</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 3<br />
To date: 17</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 1<br />
To date: 8</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 1<br />
To date: 1<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 1<br />
To date: 2<br />
Tea, Earl Grey:<br />
To date: 2<br />
Mentions of the number 47:<br />
To date: 1<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfvHWTcUmHj4ZK0FMBkArb30dZek_6kUeSVCeLlodH1EGJVHY7LRqW2RRdNk2Cxd6u5ej8o3VN3gNVuOVs6aS99f3cnjjoy8SFOSgt-EYlIsKTc-p6OjXgapGvpbdEt_wYorWNq0f_hku/s1600/109935960_302488450873999_4993445773852714240_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="352" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfvHWTcUmHj4ZK0FMBkArb30dZek_6kUeSVCeLlodH1EGJVHY7LRqW2RRdNk2Cxd6u5ej8o3VN3gNVuOVs6aS99f3cnjjoy8SFOSgt-EYlIsKTc-p6OjXgapGvpbdEt_wYorWNq0f_hku/s400/109935960_302488450873999_4993445773852714240_n.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's just rude, Pie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-75057273996249188492020-07-20T11:57:00.002-07:002020-07-20T11:57:37.669-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Six "The Game"ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Six "The Game"<br />
Production Order: 6<br />
Air Order: 6<br />
Stardate: 45208.2<br />
Original Air Date: October 28, 1991<br />
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We start out on Risa, where Riker is hanging out in his jammies with some chick who is wearing the kind of jammies that you want to be seen in. They're goofing off and playing, and you're supposed to get the feeling that Riker is on vacation and having a good time, and even though we don't have any inkling that the girl, Etana, is evil af, there's something... that makes you wary of her? Maybe it's because the chase game that they're playing is Riker trying to get his communicator back from her, and she chucks it out the window. Seems like he's gonna get mad, but then he doesn't. They tumble onto the bed instead, and I guess he's just... never going back to work? Then she produces this little headset and puts it on him.<br />
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<br />
<br />
"It's a game," she tells him. "Everyone on Risa is playing it."<br />
FUCK ME, THIS BITCH HAS GOAT EYES.<br />
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<br />
<br />
A thousand previous viewings of this episode: "this girl is a jerk."<br />
One viewing on a laptop, where the screen is close enough that I can see the creepy-ass contacts they put her in: nightmares.<br />
<br />
GoatGirl turns on the headset, and Riker can see a holographic playing field in front of him. There's a cone and a disc, and she tells him to concentrate, and put the disc in the cone. He does, and has a tiny orgasm.<br />
"That's your reward," she giggles.<br />
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<br />
Dramatic music! Opening credits break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard's Log 45208.2: "Lots of housekeeping; Riker is coming back on board from Risa, and we're going to the Phoenix Cluster. It's unexplored, so everybody and their dog is transferring to this ship temporarily to do Science."<br />
<br />
Riker enters the bridge, and Picard lays out how hella busy they are: their five weeks in the Phoenix Cluster has been cut to two, because now Starfleet wants them to do a diplomatic mission to Oceanus IV. Picard is putting Riker in charge of scheduling all of these science teams in various labs and with specific equipment.<br />
"Oh, also," he adds, "Wesley Crusher is on vacation from the Academy, and we'll be meeting up with his shuttle soon."<br />
"Cool," says Riker. "We could use another hand around here, seeing as how we're super busy."<br />
Y'all... Picard just said Wes is on vacation, and you're already putting him to work?<br />
(Okay: I asked my Navy hook-up Agent K abut this, and she confirmed that, as a recruit, Riker can absolutely order Wes around if he wants, and Wes has to say yes. Everybody outranks him. It's the military. I guess his choices are: hang out in San Francisco on break, or go see his friends and risk shoveling coal in Engineering.)<br />
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<br />
<br />
Riker goes down to Engineering, which is bustling with Golds trying to get things ready for the Black Friday Sale of Science: too many bodies fighting for the few gadgets on the shelf. La Forge is all over it, but still feeling the burn. He pulls in Ensign Robin Lefler, and talks her up to Riker: she's such a superstar that La Forge has made her a mission specialist.<br />
Riker asks her about sensor arrays, and how many people can use them, and can they have it up and running by the time they get to the Phoenix Cluster? He's impressed by her answers, and she goes back to the task at hand.<br />
Alone-ish, Riker pitches his new MLM to La Forge: he's brought something back from Risa that La Forge just has to try.<br />
"Sounds good," says La Forge. "Can it wait, though? I'm real busy right now."<br />
They agree to catch up later, and Riker leaves.<br />
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<br />
<br />
He goes up to Ten Forward, where Troi is having a moment with a chocolate sundae. It's not even subtle. The sundae is in a dish on a pedestal. They start talking about chocolate, and Troi outlines each step in her sundae-eating ritual.<br />
Time for Riker to pull out his MLM again: "I brought something back from Risa that's better than chocolate."<br />
Troi has interest and time right now, which is good news for Riker.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Y'all, this is the weirdest little ship I've ever seen.<br />
It's the USS Cochrane, an Oberth-class ship, and apparently, we've seen this class before, not only in the third movie, but several times in TNG.<br />
I guess I've just... never noticed it before?<br />
Anyway, that's the ship that brought Wes out here for a visit.<br />
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<br />
<br />
He beams on board with help from O'Brien, and they greet each other warmly before Wes congratulates O'Brien on the birth of his daughter.<br />
It seems that Wes was expecting to be met in the transporter room by his mother, and maybe some others, because he asks where everyone is.<br />
"Senior staff meeting," says O'Brien. "You're supposed to go to your mom's quarters."<br />
Disappointed, Wes asks if it would be okay for him to drop into the Obs Lounge to say hello to the senior staff. That seems like a big ole breach of protocol, but O'Brien checks to see if that would be okay.<br />
"Yeah, I guess," Worf agrees when O'Brien calls.<br />
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<br />
But when Wes walks into the Obs Lounge, the lights are off. He wanders in, confused, before they all yell "surprise!" and turn the lights on. They do a quick catch-up, and Worf offers cake that he made himself. Data researches whether or not Wes found the surprise fun. Picard talks to him in Latin. Riker asks if Wes wouldn't mind lending a hand with their tight scheduling while he's on board. (At least he asked.) Wes says this is fine, and La Forge tells him to come down to Engineering once he's settled.<br />
Crusher asks Troi what kind of game she was talking about, and Troi tells her to come by her quarters, and the counselor will show her. The MLM is spreading.<br />
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<br />
<br />
There's kind of a fun exchange here where Data walks Wes to his quarters, and Data asks how Wes' first year at the Academy is going. Both admit to struggling with pranks: Data doesn't really get them, and Wes isn't really the type. But Wes admits to getting someone back after they programmed a sonic shower to dump mud on him, and Data gives him a forced "good for you." Then they discuss the sheer awkwardness of Sadie Hawkins dances, which are just kind of awful no matter which century you live in.<br />
"I can't dance," Wes admits.<br />
"Really?" asks Data. "Your mother taught me a while ago. I can teach you, if you want. I have a shit-ton of holodeck programs about dancing."<br />
Yeah, I seem to recall that you also had an agreement with Crusher to not tell anybody about your dance lessons, Data.<br />
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<br />
<br />
A bit later, Wes goes down to Engineering and La Forge sets him up to help out. But then Wes hits a snag: he can't get the computer to do what he wants. Lefler walks by and tells him that the computer gets weird sometimes about that, but he can calibrate it by hand. When he objects that the computer will still have to do it, she walks over with her degree from the School of Hard Knocks and shows him how.<br />
"Law 17," she quotes, "When all else fails, do it yourself."<br />
Wes is amazed when it starts working and he jumps up to introduce himself. He gets a bit starry-eyed, and she laughs, confirming that she knows who he is, then tells him that his neutrinos are drifting, and he better get back to his console. On her way out of Engineering, Lefler checks him out.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Up on the bridge, Data informs a flustered La Forge that two science groups are bickering over who gets to use the thermal imaging array first.<br />
"Like I give a shit," says an impatient La Forge. "Tell them to flip a coin."<br />
"Huh, I'll replicate one."<br />
Which... yeah, I guess you'd have to, as they don't have those anymore. Interesting what phrases seem to have lasted into the 24th century, when the physical object that's attached has not. I like stuff like that.<br />
Crusher pages Data to sick bay.<br />
When he arrives, Crusher tells him that she needs her tricorder reprogrammed a specific way, and that he does it so much faster than she could, and she needs it right away, so he's completely distracted with the tricorder when she shuts him off.<br />
Riker and Troi come in from a lab in the back, and together, they move Data's prone body onto a table. Crusher pops open a panel on the back of his head and shoots a beam into the circuitry.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Wes and Picard are having some Earl Grey (with a nice-ass tea set, too) and having a nice catch-up. Wes admits that he took Picard's advice and met Boothby the gardener at the Academy, and that Boothby gave him a tour of the grounds.<br />
"Who is A.F.?" asks Wes. "Boothby said he caught you carving those initials into his prized elm tree?"<br />
Picard does a series of facial expressions that include wistful smiling and minor cringes. "Someone I knew. But if you meet someone whose initials you want to carve into that tree, tread carefully. I failed organic chemistry because of A.F."<br />
Thank you. More <i>Adventures of Young Dumbass Picard</i>, please.<br />
But now Picard is being paged into sick bay as well, so he gets up and walks into the lair of the Murderous MLM.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Crusher is there, along with La Forge and Riker, and Crusher pulls some BS out of her ass about how Data came in complaining about a servo malfunction, and that honestly makes no sense, because Crusher only deals with meatbags. When Data has a problem, he talks to La Forge. But nobody calls her on it.<br />
(I know, I know. When they were putting Lore together, she was supervising the process in sick bay. She's not completely ignorant of Data's systems and stuff, but honestly, how often does he come to her? Never, he goes to La Forge.)<br />
La Forge pokes around in Data's circuits, and determines that everything is working okay, but the signals are not reaching Data's brain at all. "Like he's in a coma."<br />
Riker, who is in on this MLM crap, protests that Data runs self-diagnostics all the time, so maybe they should check his logs. Oh, and also his quarters.<br />
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<br />
<br />
La Forge and Riker check out Data's quarters, but a frustrated La Forge says there's nothing to indicate what this problem might be.<br />
Sassy Riker Moment: "We could ask his cat."<br />
"You seem stressed," says Riker. "You've been so busy, you could stand to relax a little. I have this game..."<br />
(Unanswered question: how does La Forge play this game? Does it fit over the VISOR? Or would he need to take it off?)<br />
<br />
Down in Engineering, Wes compliments Lefler on her knowledge of conduits.<br />
"Law 36: go with what works."<br />
When he presses her about the law thing, she admits that when she learns something new, she makes up a law so she won't forget it. She has 102 so far. She then compliments his own skill level with "they said you were good..."<br />
"How come I think you know more about me than you're letting on?"<br />
"I have friends at the Academy. Sometimes your name comes up." Then she brings up the kid who used the sonic shower to spray Wes with mud: "How did you get the anti-matter regulator to spray chili sauce?"<br />
He seems embarrassed. "There's like... more to that story."<br />
"Uh-huh. And what about your birth mark?"<br />
Damn. Pulling out the big guns.<br />
Law 46: Life isn't always fair.<br />
"Okay: you know a bunch of stuff about me, and I want to know some stuff about you," he proposes. "Ten Forward, 1900 hours. Join me for coffee?"<br />
Smooth, Ex-Lax.<br />
"Nope," she replies. "But I will have dinner with you."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard's Log, supplemental: "We finally made it to the Phoenix Cluster. Data still down for the count."<br />
<br />
Wes heads back to his mom's quarters and finds Beverly playing that stupid game. She pulls in a sharp intake of breath each time she's rewarded, so her breathing is super uneven.<br />
She's caught off-guard, and takes it off, admitting that the game was for him, but that she couldn't resist.<br />
"Put it on? Try it out?" she insists, pushing it at him.<br />
"Yeah, I'm busy right now. How is Data?"<br />
"Geordi's working on it. He should be fine, though."<br />
"Maybe I should help..."<br />
"No," she says quickly. "You're on vacation. You're already helping."<br />
"Okay. I'm actually late for a dinner date with Robin Lefler from Engineering." He goes to the clothes closet to check out his choices.<br />
"Oh, I know! You could invite her back here, I could replicate some more games, and we can all play together!"<br />
Oof. Her MLM game is not as slick as Riker's. She wants it too bad.<br />
He turns and gives her a look. "Are you fucking kidding me? A date with my mom?"<br />
She tries to cover it by saying she just really wants to spend some time with him while he's here, but how can anything make up for the awkwardness of "bring your date here, and play a game with your mom"? Ugh.<br />
She appears to back off, then tries one more desperate time to put the game on him ("just one quick game!") before moving away and setting the headset down on a table.<br />
He turns back to the closet with a WTF was that? face.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Wes and Lefler meet up in Ten Forward and Wes gets his wish for info: Lefler's parents were specialists in high demand, so she got dragged all over the sector a lot, and learned to depend on herself. After a few minutes, talk turns to the weird game that's going around Engineering. Lefler says pretty much everyone but herself has tried it, and Wes says that his mom has one for him, and has been pushing it hard on him.<br />
"It's just a fad," Lefler reckons. "Some thing from Risa that'll be gone next week. You gonna try it?"<br />
They look over at a Gold at another table that looks like she's dying or something. She's clearly playing the game and ignoring the drink the waiter sets down in front of her.<br />
"I think I want to look at it first," he admits.<br />
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<br />
<br />
They're both immediately down for the sheer nerdiness of this activity, and jump up to rush to an open lab. Which I'm surprised they find, because isn't the ship currently crawling with scientists champing at the bit to get their hands on scientific equipment? Maybe the equipment they're using doesn't have any overlap with the equipment that the others want.<br />
Anyway, they get a copy of the game and hook it up to the equipment and turn it on. Somehow, said equipment acts like eyeballs and an attached brain. And the results are not good.<br />
Each time the player gets the disc into the cone, they get a reward from the pleasure center of the brain. The game is psychotropic. Addicting. And interferes with the higher reasoning functions of the brain.<br />
"Fuck," says Wes. "We have to tell Picard."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Wes rushes up to the bridge, where he finds Picard in the ready room.<br />
After a moment of small talk, he gets to the point: that game floating around the ship? He's run some tests, and he thinks it's addictive, and messing with the higher reasoning functions of the players.<br />
Picard looks disturbed. "Well, that sucks. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll start an investigation into it."<br />
He tells Wes that it's good to have him back on board, and Wes leaves.<br />
As soon as the kid is gone, Picard picks up and puts on the game.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
We're taken back into Ten Forward by someone wearing/playing the game. They approach Lefler, who is sitting unnerved at a table by herself. It's no surprise why. Ten Forward was empty at 1900 hours, but now it's full of people who are all sitting around playing the game. The person whose POV we're following turns out to be O'Brien, who asks if Lefler has played this great new game. She fakes a smile and replies that she has.<br />
I'm a little worried here: if O'Brien has one, then Keiko probably does too, and who is watching their kid? Some people seem to be able to play a few levels and put it down, but others appear to be doing nothing but playing. Please, please, please, let the O'Briens be "play a few levels" people.<br />
Wes shows up and hurriedly tells her that he talked to the captain, who is looking into it.<br />
Some random Gold shows up, and asks where their games are.<br />
"We left them in our quarters," Lefler lies.<br />
"You can use mine!"<br />
Shit, these people are pushers. We've officially left the polite side of the MLM now, and rushed forward into "you WILL buy my products!" territory.<br />
They get up to move away from the Gold.<br />
"You wanna know the extra creepy part in all of this?" asks Wes. "There's one person on board that wouldn't have been affected by this thing, and he suddenly became catatonic right before the thing exploded."<br />
"Data," nods Lefler.<br />
They get the hell out of Dodge.<br />
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<br />
<br />
In sick bay, they set up the tricorder to scan Data and get the output up on the readouts. They're able to find a tiny amount of damage that keeps his brain from sending signals to the rest of his body. The cuts in the wiring are really, really precise.<br />
"Only two people on this ship would know where to cut and how in order to do this," says Wes worriedly. "Commander La Forge, and my mother."<br />
"Why would they do that?" asks Lefler.<br />
"Dunno," says Wes. "But with Data out of the way, it leaves everyone open on the ship to get addicted. Which they have. You think this is worse than just "playing for pleasure"? Like there's something bigger going on?"<br />
"Data would be a threat to that," Lefler points out.<br />
"And I think we're the only people left on the ship who are not addicted."<br />
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<br />
<br />
There's a tiny scene here on the bridge with the senior crew. Worf alerts Picard that they're at some rendezvous coordinates and that there's another ship that's on course to meet them. Picard tells the others to go and replicate what they need, and adds that they need to make sure that Wes gets one, too.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Crusher shows up at her quarters with multiple games in her hand, and reinforcements: Worf has followed her in, also armed with games. But what they find makes them smile and leave: Wes and Lefler are on the bed, wearing games, and breathing unevenly. Mission accomplished.<br />
Once they're gone, the games come off, and Lefler excitedly tells Wes that the fake games they made worked. He suggests that they keep them close, just in case.<br />
Lefler has duty in Engineering now (were... were they up all night? Like, 16 hours?), and Wes tells her to get some security code or something. They can't trust anyone now, including Picard.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Upstairs, the E has met up with the approaching ship, and Picard calls the senior staff to the bridge. Worf flips on the viewscreen.<br />
Oh, yay. It's GoatGirl.<br />
"Welcome, Etana," says Picard. (He knows her name?) "The Enterprise has been secured. We await your further instructions."<br />
Has he been in contact with her? How does he know her plans? Did Riker give them to him once he was onboard with the game?<br />
Anyway<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
When we return, Etana lays out her "further instructions:" Riker is to take a shuttle to another system, and start handing out games there. La Forge and Troi are going to a nearby starbase to start this MLM shit.<br />
"We can also get the game into Starfleet Academy," Picard tells her.<br />
She is pleased, and her people, the Ktarians, commend him.<br />
And now comes the part of the episode where I always seem to zone out. Because I never remember how things go with Etana. I know how it ends-ends, but not the part with Etana. Maybe it's something exciting that I just keep missing!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Wes dodges people in the corridor, standing around, blissed out on game vibes. He escapes into the lift, but then there's Nurse Ogawa, breathing heavily in an uncomfortable way while the game plays her.<br />
"What level are you on?" she asks in a dreamy voice.<br />
"Only ten," he laments. He's not a terrible liar. He does sound genuinely sad about that.<br />
"I'm level 47," she says proudly. "Don't fight it, just let the game play itself."<br />
"Cool," he replies distractedly.<br />
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<br />
<br />
He exits into Engineering. Lefler's at a pool table table console, and as he walks to the other side, he asks if she got those codes.<br />
No answer.<br />
She gives him a blissed-out look, then stands and holds out a game. "It's your turn."<br />
Oops.<br />
Here come Riker and Worf, also armed with games, and Wes is forced to make a quick get-away, dashing into the corridors.<br />
Riker has the computer throw up a forcefield across the corridor ahead of Wes, and he skids to a halt. But Wes has something else up his sleeve, and fixes a personal site-to-site transporter for himself, beaming into the transporter room. Once he hops off the pad, he scrambles something in his communicator, then drops it in another corridor.<br />
This has made things difficult for La Forge on the bridge, who can't track him, because Wes did something to the security trackers. Picard orders that transporters and shuttle bays be sealed.<br />
"He transported to Transported Room 3," says La Forge. "Deck six."<br />
Picard has deck six corridors closed off with forcefields.<br />
Wes hits a junction with a forcefield, and pauses. Then he pulls out a phaser (was he issued that, or did he loot the armory before going to meet Lefler in Engineering?), and sets it on a ledge along the corridor wall, programming it to shoot at the forcefield at intervals. He takes off down another corridor.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Security Golds discover and report the phaser trick.<br />
There's a cool shot in Engineering of Riker and Worf attempting the find Wes over a pool table console.<br />
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<br />
<br />
"Ooh, unidentified heat source!" yells Worf.<br />
Yep, ya boy is in the Jeffies tubes.<br />
He's not doing too badly, but then the next section he opens reveals Worf!<br />
Crap!<br />
Back into the junction! Close the tube off!<br />
But Worf is too strong, and pries the door open. Go! Just go!<br />
Nope, here comes Riker.<br />
Trapped like a rat.<br />
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<br />
<br />
They haul him onto the bridge and force him into the Big Chair. He knows what's coming next, and isn't giving up without a fight. Riker holds his head still while Picard delicately places the game on his head, like an Olympic official of old placing a crown of laurel leaves on a victor's head.<br />
Wes has his eyes squeezed shut, so they pry them open.<br />
WTF? That's some 1984 shit right there.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard turns it on, and the playing field appears, but Wes refuses to play.<br />
Fuck yo disc.<br />
When he won't put the disc into the cone, a newer, bigger cone appears and swallows the disc for him. <i>Here's your shot of endorphins, motherfucker. Play the game right, and you can have more.</i><br />
Wes relaxes, and more cones and discs appear.<br />
"That's right," say the senior staff soothingly. "Play the game."<br />
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<br />
<br />
The lights dim.<br />
The lift opens.<br />
Fuck yeah, android!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Data has a hand-held flashlight, which flickers bright-ass light into the faces of each crew member, and Wes, who rips the game off his head.<br />
"Lights!" Data yells.<br />
The lights come back up, and everyone looks dazed as hell.<br />
"Worf, there's a little alien ship nearby," barks Data. "Tractor it, and raise the shields."<br />
There's a moment after he does so, then Worf says the alien ship wants to know why they're being tractored.<br />
"What the hell?" demands Etana, bursting onto the viewscreen.<br />
"Your plan was bad," says Picard. "And you should feel bad."<br />
"Fuck you all!" yells Etana. "Let me go, or I'll fire on you and destroy your ship!"<br />
Picard looks at Worf, who types some things.<br />
"Ooh, yeah," says Worf. "We have big guns, and she has like... a slingshot? But like, a Nerf slingshot."<br />
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<br />
There's less than two minutes left in the show, so they have to do some mad exposition and wrapping up here: at some point before going back to Engineering, Wes managed to reconnect Data, who then reconfigured the flashlight to flash. It seems that Wes' shenanigans of parkouring all over the ship were mostly to buy Data time to get that figured out. He also set all of the consoles on the ship to flash the same pattern at people to try to catch everyone. It won't though, so they're going to take medical teams around, looking for people to flash in person.<br />
And they're gonna tow Etana's ship to the nearest starbase.<br />
So that's it. That's why I can't ever remember what happens to Etana. Because the answer is... nothing. They figure out that she's trying to take over the ship, then they haul her off to the nearest starbase. No explanation as to why she was trying to take over the Federation, or who she might have been working for. She just goes away.<br />
And that's it for the Ktarians. This was their introduction to the Star Trek universe, and it was... quiet? It was a shrug. Less annoying than the Ferengi, so at least there's that.<br />
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<br />
Picard's Log 45212.1: "We dropped Etana's ship off, and now we're going to rendezvous with the ship that'll take Wes home."<br />
<br />
Wait, what happened to all of that Science they were supposed to be doing? They were only at the Phoenix Cluster for a few hours before this shit went down - are they ditching Wes and going back? Did he really only get a few days off? Time to travel to the E, one day there, plus travel time back?<br />
(Math: begin time for starting out for the Phoenix Cluster is 45208.2, or March 17, 2368 at 4:49 AM. They are going to rendezvous with the USS Merrimac, which will take Wes home, and the current time is 45212.1, or March 18, 2368 at 3:05 PM. Wes was on board for less than 35 hours. He didn't even get to stay for the weekend.)<br />
<br />
Wes is packing his things while Lefler playfully pesters him. She pulls out some shiny shorty-shorts that he had in his pack and says she never saw him wearing those - was he afraid someone would see his birthmark?<br />
"I wonder who started that birthmark rumor?" he asks jokingly.<br />
They share a kiss, and it's a pretty long one.<br />
Then they agree to write, and proclaim that they'll miss one another, and then Riker pages him to announce that the Merrimac is there to get him. The hug they share is long too. On his way out, she gives him a book of her laws, so he'll remember.<br />
"Law 103," he suggests. "A couple of lightyears can't keep good friends apart."<br />
Friends? Good FRIENDS? Crusher, did you just cockblock yourself? Cuz you seem real into her, and she to you, but you just called her a friend after a fairly heavy kiss. Then he kisses her again, but on the cheek, and those are some mixed-ass signals.<br />
He leaves, and the E goes... I dunno, back to the Phoenix Cluster maybe.<br />
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<br />
This episode is a mixed bag for me.<br />
I like Wes and Robin Lefler, and I like how well they play off of each other. I like the conspiracy theory thing, and that this episode was a one-off, and they're like "Wes is back for this episode!" It's another lighter episode, which is helpful, because the next two are heavy. I like Troi's weird sundae-eating ritual, and Wes' cadet uniform with the department color on the top, and the black on the bottom. I love how varied and interesting the shots were. I'm always appreciative of when a director asks "Can we show it from another angle we haven't used before?"<br />
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<br />
I don't love Etana. She's a gorgeous girl, and her hair is amazing, but holy fuck, THOSE EYES. Nightmare-inducing. I know we'll see Ktarians in DS9 and Voyager, but will they have those eyes? Maybe if they were on a character that I liked.... but man, I'd have to like that character a lot. A LOT. I'm really annoyed that all we see of Etana's great plan is where it falls flat at the end. She probably spent years perfecting that dumb game, and trying to figure out when she could give it to any Starfleet officer, let alone the XO of the fucking flagship, and then... nothing. She has the whole damn ship ready to spread that game among the stars, and someone wakes up the android. Was she working with or for someone, or was she working by herself? What was the endgame? Were the Ktarians ready to go to war with the Federation? Were they looking to run the quadrant? What if they encountered a race whose brains did not work in a fashion similar enough to humans, where the game would not work? I know this show only gets an average of 44 minutes in which to tell a story, but they kind of pulled a Shakespearean comedy here in terms of villains: for a Shakespearean comedy, you can plop a villain on the stage for a few acts, and then thumb your nose at him at the end, because he isn't meant to do anything more that fuck up all of the shit for a while. But, despite being lighter than some other Star Trek fare, this was not a comedy. Her arc ended badly, and we don't even learn about her plan, let alone how she was punished for it. Irritating.<br />
I do not love Wes and Lefler's date night clothes.<br />
His pants were puffy at the top, and fitted down below, and his shoulder pads were too big. Architectural, but in all the wrong ways.<br />
Her outfit was... several pieces all dyed the same orange and layered on top of each other. The top and dress were too dissimilar to go together, and maybe buying different pieces and dying them was a way to get around a budget constraint, but I would have hated it less had they just created one piece. Also, her shoes and tights were dyed to match her outfit. So matchy. And I hate colored tights. I hate when Troi wears her teal dress and they put those dyed-to-match tights and shoes on her too. Why are they monochromatic blobs? Go through Lwaxana Troi's trunks and steal her shoes. At least they'll be interesting.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
So that's "The Game." Some fun stuff, some what-the-hell-was-that, some Wes ruining a good thing for himself and Robin Lefler.<br />
<br />
<br />
Fun Facts:<br />
<br />
- This was the third iteration of this script, which had been kicked around the writers' room since season four. It was finally given to Brannon Braga as a first assignment. Michael Piller felt that Braga's efforts here showed promise.<br />
- The episode was pitched by Susan Sackett and Fred Bronson. Bronson based it on Tetris, which he had on his computer, and which he found mildly addicting.<br />
- Brannon Braga made the story a bit darker than it had originally been, giving it a "Wes comes home, and his family's out to get him" twist.<br />
- The main theme for this episode is "kids addicted to video games," which makes me roll my eyes, especially when you consider that Fred Bronson based it on his own addiction to Tetris. Brannon Braga like the irony that here, the child comes to find the adults addicted.<br />
- This is the second and last time we see Robin Lefler. They were looking to add her to another episode after her work on "Darmok", and decided that it worked nicely to give Wes a girlfriend. Attempts were made to bring Lefler back in other episodes, but scripts were rewritten, or things weren't able to be worked out. On an episode of Late Night, Judd told David Letterman that she was making a cameo as Wesley Crusher's wife in Star Trek: Nemesis, but Wil Wheaton admitted no knowledge of this: "Somehow, I'm not surprised Wesley doesn't know he's married." Wheaton's part was later cut from Nemesis.<br />
- Braga also liked the idea that Wes would have loosened up a bit at the Academy, pulling a couple of pranks.<br />
- Some audience members had trouble with the concept that all of these very smart people - including Picard - would become addicted to this game, but the whole issue there is that each person got the game from someone they trusted.<br />
- When Crusher knocks Data out, Brent Spiner hit the bed so hard that he injured his chin and had to go to the hospital. Upon his return, he was immediately asked to film the scene again.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Director Cory Allen with Spiner and Wheaton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
- Wil Wheaton noted that he was Ashley Judd's first kiss.<br />
- The game prop was made from telephone headsets.<br />
- The engineering lab is a reuse of the sick bay lab.<br />
- The Ktarian ship is a reuse of the Zalkonian warship... which was a redress of the Tallarian plague ship.<br />
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<br />
<br />
- First appearance of the Starfleet cadet uniform.<br />
- A matte painting is used to extend a Jeffries tube in this episode.<br />
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<br />
- Joe Menosky first began including the number 47 in the fourth season, and the writers would slip it in as an in-joke, adding it to LCARS readouts and into dialogue, which I guess I haven't been paying much attention to. Here, it is mentioned when Wes gets in the lift with Nurse Ogawa, who blissfully tells him that she is on level 47 of the game.<br />
- Jonathan Frakes thought the episode was fun, but was disappointed with the final graphics for the game. Apparently, they had been talked up quite a bit, and Frakes was expecting something more sophisticated.<br />
- Writer Marc Scott Zicree was unimpressed with this episode, and Wes in particular: "He falls in love with a girl and they share a chocolate mousse - give me a break." (Is he talking about the sundae scene? Wes and Lefler don't eat chocolate mousse.)<br />
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<br />
Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
To date:<br />
Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Wes Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Riker Moments: 1<br />
To date: 3</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1 </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Sassy Keiko Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments:<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 1<br />
To date: 2</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 8<br />
To date: 14</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 0<br />
To date: 7</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 0<br />
To date: 1<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 2<br />
To date: 2<br />
Mentions of the number 47: 1<br />
To date: 1<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47l7iQ9091wbDdbnT9p-ZJ2qD0lsnQEGNWhzvPyt2neLMSQi6rhm1FdJrcJRb5JFuwIvt4Uc53kQEAGjtx0kthASJKFdBQrE1-O_Q-IXMnjWxcA9N2wR3T4hiUbjjeDM4alZrkCNW-ydn/s1600/were+you+writing+this+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="352" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47l7iQ9091wbDdbnT9p-ZJ2qD0lsnQEGNWhzvPyt2neLMSQi6rhm1FdJrcJRb5JFuwIvt4Uc53kQEAGjtx0kthASJKFdBQrE1-O_Q-IXMnjWxcA9N2wR3T4hiUbjjeDM4alZrkCNW-ydn/s400/were+you+writing+this+blog.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry, were you writing this blog?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-11924255616707472882020-07-06T04:23:00.000-07:002020-07-06T04:23:44.268-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Five "Disaster"ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Five "Disaster"<br />
Production Order: 5<br />
Air Order: 5<br />
Stardate: 45156.1<br />
Original Air Date: October 21, 1991<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMysKJSGZ9sGKU9sLAd4WEQHE8RzP9TujCIk_d8J1uKI9iAYDrhwT16qWmRWUebz1lfV-uPqY65ZDcC8HUq3VoleX6n7ZoyigrYDFpLE4pFJPv3n4bUsxo6kxas3zNSNXeZUKi32GaX3qd/s1600/frosted+frakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="960" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMysKJSGZ9sGKU9sLAd4WEQHE8RzP9TujCIk_d8J1uKI9iAYDrhwT16qWmRWUebz1lfV-uPqY65ZDcC8HUq3VoleX6n7ZoyigrYDFpLE4pFJPv3n4bUsxo6kxas3zNSNXeZUKi32GaX3qd/s400/frosted+frakes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Picard's Log 45156.1: "Taking a couple days off between missions and stuff."<br />
<br />
The O'Briens are in Ten Forward with Riker, Worf, and Data, and boy, is Keiko pregnant. (Don't worry, I did the math. They got married in essentially May, and this is the following February. I don't give a shit when she got pregnant, but I did want to check that they've been together long enough for her to be that pregnant. This is not a soap opera, where a character gets pregnant during one episode, has the kid during the next, and a week later, the kid is legal age. Miles and Keiko have had plenty of time to make and bake a kid.)<br />
Anyway, they're talking names, which is a thing you should never do until after the birth certificate is filled out, and nobody can give their opinions.<br />
It's a friendly argument. Keiko wants Hiro after her father. Miles wants Michael after his. Riker jokingly offers his own name.<br />
Miles makes his exit, saying he's got a thing on the bridge.<br />
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Crusher is down in one of the cargo bays, attempting to talk a reluctant La Forge into joining her musical. After some hassling, he agrees to try it, and gives her a few lines of "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General." He then breaks off, feeling ridiculous, and insists that he cannot sing in front of people. She waves him off and makes a note in her padd that she's just going to give him the role.<br />
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On the bridge, Troi introduces Picard to three kids: they're the winners of the primary school science fair, and apparently, the grand prize is a tour of some of the ship with the captain. Marissa keeps her head down. Jay Gordon just smiles. Paterson enthusiastically asks if they can see the battle bridge and torpedo bays.<br />
"No, we're going to see the hydroponics lab and astrophysics," he replies.<br />
Meh. Like, those can be cool, and they're science-y, but I get Paterson wanting to see those other things. Hydroponics is exciting to a select group of people.<br />
Picard and the kids get into the lift just as O'Brien gets out.<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moment to Troi: "Do I feel worse for the captain, or the kids?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKP72GAKnJ750jen1mgl6s91ofjrTaAbJ-fwvbd8eKROcEa9goPDHK0Mj4_Eqg-m6FyR7LYTzYH-O4epEhM6DPyo5BboNqSol1-Wd7G9HpBg7xBRMdvcMOID9PYmK5gdrSIMexWyaUydk/s1600/di4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="413" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKP72GAKnJ750jen1mgl6s91ofjrTaAbJ-fwvbd8eKROcEa9goPDHK0Mj4_Eqg-m6FyR7LYTzYH-O4epEhM6DPyo5BboNqSol1-Wd7G9HpBg7xBRMdvcMOID9PYmK5gdrSIMexWyaUydk/s400/di4.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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In the lift, Picard tries to make small talk with the kids, and finally lands on asking what they did to win the science fair. Paterson gleefully replies that he planted radishes in some kind of special dirt, "and they came up weird!"<br />
Picard:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbt7JxCWP9I4Gbup8B9pslrHlNwBajjWqI_w-jzKSgzHSMOpicZuIOoMS-WHW_XHOvboicOE229u2P7jimUHETapEr3I592SQRI8KDXGgXOcZ76iQvti6oo8Goc6PqoI-NM7HSrgVapnS/s1600/di5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="414" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbt7JxCWP9I4Gbup8B9pslrHlNwBajjWqI_w-jzKSgzHSMOpicZuIOoMS-WHW_XHOvboicOE229u2P7jimUHETapEr3I592SQRI8KDXGgXOcZ76iQvti6oo8Goc6PqoI-NM7HSrgVapnS/s400/di5.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Jay Gordon did a thing with a specific kind of moth.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNbmGkflxt3TGoqFwoOMpUUr71zQa9TQZp3aImjH-8Hnp9mfy0ya_oKSt9fv1dDRJ7A7MNUiEjftq8FdyMasyoMDQKrrzKbcsKBhkGprVytO0EyUVHmkklRRxPA-F1myseGF9tFYSCByH/s1600/di6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNbmGkflxt3TGoqFwoOMpUUr71zQa9TQZp3aImjH-8Hnp9mfy0ya_oKSt9fv1dDRJ7A7MNUiEjftq8FdyMasyoMDQKrrzKbcsKBhkGprVytO0EyUVHmkklRRxPA-F1myseGF9tFYSCByH/s400/di6.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Death is this kid's favorite topic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Picard is pulling out his very best diplomacy replies, feigning interest. He's actually pretty skilled, so maybe he's really interested.<br />
Marissa isn't able to answer, but not because she's shy.<br />
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DISASTER!<br />
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The lights flicker, and the lift drops abruptly. It's falling.<br />
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In Ten Forward, in the cargo bay, on the bridge, the whole ship rocks violently, and the lights go out. Klaxons blare.<br />
The woman in charge on the bridge gets off the floor and sits at the conn, asking for a damage report. She guesses they hit a quantum filament.<br />
O'Brien, at Worf's security console, calls out that life support is down, but switching to back-ups, and both warp and impulse engines are offline.<br />
The guy at Data's station (finally looked it up, it's Ops Management) announces that they're coming up on another filament.<br />
"All decks, brace for impact!" yells the CO.<br />
The ship rocks again, and both she and the guy at Ops are thrown to the floor as the consoles explode.<br />
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Dramatic music! Opening credits break!<br />
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When we return, the ship is at red alert. O'Brien and Troi are okay, and Troi starts calling for medical teams. No answer. No answer from anyone she tries. Communication is down. Ensign Mandel - the guy at Ops Management - tries to open one of the lifts and determines that that is down as well. They are trapped on the bridge, unless they find the power to beam off. Lt Monroe, the CO, is dead.<br />
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Picard is in a living nightmare: trapped in a broken lift with three weeping children. He asks if they're okay, but they don't answer. He tries to rouse the bridge, but no answer again.<br />
Jay Gordon goes to a dark place: "They don't answer because they're dead."<br />
Damn, kid. Second time in the last two minutes that you've mentioned death. I know things have gone to hell in a handbasket quickly, but you're really gonna jump straight to everyone being dead?<br />
Jay Gordon: "We're gonna die, too."<br />
Guess he is.<br />
Picard, annoyed because these kids are not his equipped-for-all-occasions-and-ready-to-take-orders crew, snaps that a rescue team will come get them, and everything will be fine, so they should stop crying.<br />
The kids cry harder.<br />
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On the bridge, O'Brien puts out a distress call, but admits to Troi that he can't even tell if they're broadcasting. He'll leave it on auto-repeat just in case, though.<br />
The lift opens. Not the one with Picard and the kids. They're in the one closest to the ready room, at the front of the bridge. This is the lift at the back of the bridge, next to the Engineering station. Ro climbs unsteadily out, and the lift is halfway up the deck, so there's clearly no using it.<br />
She confirms that she's fine and asks what happened. O'Brien fills her in.<br />
"We can't take the lift out," she says. "An emergency bulkhead closed beneath it."<br />
Most def trapped.<br />
They decide to do Isolation Protocol, and Troi, who is standing in for the audience, asks what that is.<br />
"If the ship thinks the filament breached the hull, it will close off bulkheads to contain it," explains O'Brien as he and Ro punch commands into Worf's station. "We need to find out if that's the case, and then open the bulkheads if there's no breach. We can't get out of here unless we open those bulkheads."<br />
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<br />
"I got sensors," announces Mandel. "Scattered readings of life signs in the saucer section."<br />
"Ten Forward?" asks O'Brien. "My wife's there."<br />
"Dunno," says Mandel. "The scans aren't that specific."<br />
"Drive section?" asks Ro.<br />
"It isn't scanning there," Mandel shrugs.<br />
They look at Troi. But her sensors are about as accurate as the ones on E just now - she's getting vague feelings of people who are alive or hurt, but nothing she can pinpoint.<br />
"Emergency procedures," Ro decides. "Who's the CO?"<br />
They point to Monroe. Oops.<br />
"Counselor Troi is next in line," says O'Brien.<br />
This is news to everyone on the bridge right now, including Troi.<br />
"Ex-squeeze me?" asks Ro.<br />
"She has the rank of lieutenant-commander."<br />
And it's clear that Troi never expected that to mean anything. She probably forgot.<br />
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<br />
Ro doesn't look pleased, but there it is: besides Troi, they are two ensigns and a non-com.<br />
"Fuck me," breathes Troi. "Okay, um, I need suggestions."<br />
"Emergency procedure alpha two," says O'Brien. "Everything to manual override."<br />
She agrees, and he starts the procedure.<br />
Ro takes this moment in stride. "Stabilize life support, and get intership communication back up?"<br />
Troi agrees to this also, and asks Mandel to help Ro.<br />
So far okay, but she seems weirded out that they keep calling her "sir."<br />
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<br />
The Enterprise looks hella weird powered fully down.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_VUoweTB8aSKuvyQa0Hz26fEQpeZR9-chh5gdgnWIPrN0txc76cMk47Q6M4cRmxpBgAt4Eiq1w9RvfKtrDlJhiBL666ST8kFj6xAlCwYNiDJHaQbyiVD1YAHiC6y8V7anjDvt3TxiQe2/s1600/di14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="414" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_VUoweTB8aSKuvyQa0Hz26fEQpeZR9-chh5gdgnWIPrN0txc76cMk47Q6M4cRmxpBgAt4Eiq1w9RvfKtrDlJhiBL666ST8kFj6xAlCwYNiDJHaQbyiVD1YAHiC6y8V7anjDvt3TxiQe2/s400/di14.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is its emo phase</td></tr>
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<br />
Ten Forward is a mess, because none of those tables and chairs are attached to the deck like in other places. Keiko is lying on the floor, and tells Riker that she's feeling "foggy," but okay. He tells her that they'll get her to sick bay for a check when they can.<br />
Data comes in through the broken Ten Forward door and meets with Riker and Worf to give them the scoop: bulkheads have cut off the bridge, turbolifts are not working, and heavy damage has blocked them off from sick bay. He's telling everyone that wounded should be brought to Ten Forward.<br />
"Well, crap," says Riker. "I think we gotta go with the assumption that everyone on the bridge is dead, and no one is flying the ship."<br />
Okay, that last part is correct: girlfriend is dead in the water.<br />
Riker asks Data if they can get to Engineering to get control of the ship, and Data replies that the only way is through Jeffries tubes. Riker leaves Worf in charge of Ten Forward, and he and Data set off to journey through the bowels of the ship to Engineering.<br />
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Down in the cargo bay, Crusher and La Forge have discovered that they are trapped. The door won't open. La Forge says he can get it open manually, and takes a wall panel off. Crusher leans against the wall.<br />
"This wall is really hot!" she yelps.<br />
"Where?" asks La Forge in alarm.<br />
Too late. The panel opening explodes. La Forge is thrown across the room.<br />
Crusher runs to check him, and he says he's fine, but they're pretty much fucked, because something in the wall near the hand actuator for the door was damaged, and now there's a plasma fire. Crusher scans it with her tricorder and remarks that there's a shit ton of radiation coming off of it, and they're gonna get hella poisoned if they don't put it out.<br />
"Not enough drama," says La Forge. "Which is why those barrels are in here. They're full of stuff that's typically stable, but bad times will be had by all when that radiation reaches them."<br />
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Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
We switch over to the turbolift. The kids have stopped crying, and Picard is trying to get the emergency hatch on the ceiling open, but he isn't tall enough, and he's injured, so he just falls over.<br />
Jay Gordon hasn't talked about death in a while, so he chimes in now to say that they're all going to die.<br />
Picard needs a new plan. What to do when you don't have a reliable crew? Make a new one.<br />
"I'm making you my first officer because you're the oldest," he tells Marissa. He pulls two pips from his jacket (we're doing the Captain's Jacket again this week) and puts them on her collar.<br />
She's pretty psyched, and it gives her a confidence that she lacked earlier.<br />
"You wanna be my science officer? Picard asks Jay Gordon.<br />
He puts another pip on Jay Gordon, who finds this cooler than death, and Paterson gets the remaining pip, as Executive Officer In Charge of Radishes.<br />
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<br />
Data and Riker: they're now in the Jeffries tubes, crawling. And that deck is textured. I'm sure Data doesn't give two shits, but holy crap, that's gotta be hard on Riker's knees.<br />
He guesses where they are on the ship, and Data confirms: 52 meters to go before they can get out into a corridor.<br />
Psht, that's not gonna happen. The name of this episode is "Disaster," not "Data and Riker Crawl Safely and Breezily To Engineering."<br />
There's an explosion behind them, and Riker calls out that it's a coolant leak.<br />
Crawl faster, boys.<br />
They make it to a panel where Data types in a code, and he closes off the bulkhead behind them.<br />
Riker breathes easily, but Data points out that there's a crackling electricity blocking their way up ahead.<br />
Is... is this Galaxy Quest?<br />
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In the cargo bay, Crusher has calculated that they have three or four hours before the radiation does permanent damage, but they'll still need several days of treatment when they get out of there. They also have some time before the crap in the buckets explodes. And La Forge has been trying, but he can't get the transporter to work. They elect to move the buckets to the side of the bay where the radiation is lowest, but they have to do it by hand, because they can't use the anti-grav units with the bay full of radiation.</div>
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On the bridge, O'Brien explains quantum filaments to Troi: "It can be hundreds of meters long, but has like, no mass. So it's hard to detect."</div>
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"Oh, like a cosmic string?"</div>
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"No. That's a completely different phenomenon."</div>
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ARE YOU SURE? CUZ IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME FUCKING THING TO ME, O'BRIEN.</div>
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Sometimes I think the writers are screwing with us. "Let's make the ship hit something that sounds like outer space thread. We can't use "cosmic string." Let's call it a quantum filament."</div>
Next week, they'll run into some interstellar twine and be really fucked.<br />
There's a "computer coming online" noise behind them, and Ro slides out from under the Engineering console.<br />
"How'd you do that?" demands O'Brien.<br />
"There was power in the phaser array," Ro explains. "I dumped it into the Engineering console."<br />
O'Brien splutters. "You can't - you can't just - dump raw power from one - that's - that's not correct protocol!"<br />
Ro is annoyed. "We're not going to get anywhere by playing it safe."<br />
Okay, but like, she's right. Should you dump a bunch of raw power from the phaser array into the Engineering console on a regular day? No. But it's kind of like having emergency supplies, and then not using them for an emergency, because what if a bigger emergency occurs? An emergencier emergency? You have to take some weird risks when you're floating dead in space, wondering if everyone else is dead. Cuz you could die, too, while following the correct protocols, which were not necessarily written for this weird-ass circumstance.<br />
O'Brien is pissed, and sets his jaw, but she did get shit up and running, so he's just going to stew and go with it.<br />
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<br />
"We have impulse power," says Ro, "but there's a weird spike in the containment for warp."<br />
"Shiiiiit," says O'Brien. "Can we do anything from here?"<br />
"Noop," Ro replies.<br />
Troi looks lost, so O'Brien explains it to her and us: when they hit the filament, it was like coming into contact with a live electric wire. It changed the polarity of the anti-matter containment unit. The unit's at 40% containment and falling. When it hits 15% -<br />
"Ship go boom," says Ro.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
Data can't shut the electrical current off from the panel he has open. So he and Riker are stuck between a coolant leak and this electrical shit, which he puts at half a million amps.<br />
"Can we interrupt it?" asks Riker. He looks around.<br />
"My body is non-conductive," Data offers. "It would melt my primary couplings, but it shouldn't do anything irreparable."<br />
"Yeah, android or not, I wouldn't ask anybody to do that," Riker says stubbornly.<br />
Okay, remember that two seasons from now. There will be a test.<br />
"Also, if we get to Engineering, I'm gonna need your help with getting things up and running again. I don't have that info."<br />
Data thinks. "My head is protected from power surges. You could easily take it off and carry it with you."<br />
There's a pause.<br />
"Data, that's fucked up."<br />
"I would be okay. All of my head stuff would stay in my head."<br />
Riker thinks. This is the emergenciest emergency, so...<br />
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<br />
<br />
And so, Riker takes off his head.<br />
<br />
Jay Gordon climbs on Picard's back, and together, they are able to hoist him onto the roof of the lift.<br />
"Can you see down the sides of the lift, to where there are two clamp-things?"<br />
"Yeah," says Jay Gordon. "But one clamp is broken."<br />
Picard helps him back down, but Picard falls in the process. He addresses his Number One.<br />
"The clamps are part of the emergency system, and they hold the lift in place in case anything happens. But because one is broken, the lift is going to fall. So you have to get your crew out to safety. There's a ladder that runs up the shaft, and you will need to climb it to the next open doorway."<br />
The lift shakes, and the kids jump.<br />
"What about you?" XO Marissa asks.<br />
Picard explains that his ankle is broken, and he will slow their progress. He's giving her an order (though in a calm, collected way).<br />
Damn. He's choosing death. That must suck.<br />
Marissa haltingly tells the boys that they have to climb the shaft, but Paterson objects: he wants to stay with Picard, he doesn't want to take orders, and he doesn't want to play officer anymore.<br />
Picard starts to lose patience - they don't have time to argue. The kids need to get the hell out of there, soon.<br />
Marissa takes a deep breath, then turns and puts her foot down. "The crew is sticking together. Everybody goes, or everybody stays."<br />
Sassy Picard moment: "This is mutiny."<br />
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<br />
<br />
He quickly walks them through taking a control panel off the wall and pulling out yards of optical cabling.<br />
<br />
La Forge and Crusher are moving the last of the barrels across the cargo bay, which has to suck, as they're being poisoned at the same time.<br />
"Levels are still going up," says Crusher. "We need to get that fire out."<br />
"We can't," La Forge replies. "It's being fed fuel from the ship's internal systems, which we can't turn off. We have to cut off the oxygen supply." He looks around. "Actually, that's not a terrible idea. What if we open the doors? It'll suck the barrels out into space, and cut off the oxygen."<br />
"Okay, what about us?" she asks. "We grab a hold of something near the door controls?"<br />
They decide to grab onto a ladder that's bolted to the deck.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Keiko is up and helping Worf with injured people when she starts having contractions. Because of course she is.<br />
"This is kind of a bad time," he tells her.<br />
"No shit? I hadn't noticed," she snaps.<br />
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<br />
<br />
In the Obs Lounge, Ro and O'Brien argue about what to do next. The containment field on the anti-matter unit is still dropping, and even though they have about two hours until it's too weak to contain the anti-matter, Ro points out that the power coupling is also failing, so it could actually go at any moment. She thinks they should separate the saucer section and put some distance between themselves and the drive section.<br />
O'Brien is horrified. "What if there are people alive in Drive?"<br />
"There's no evidence that there are," Ro argues.<br />
"What if you were alive in Drive? Would you want the people in Saucer to abandon you?"<br />
"No, but we can't afford to not act, and risk whoever is alive in Saucer!"<br />
Troi thinks. "There's no power in Engineering?"<br />
"Nope," Ro confirms.<br />
"What if we send them some power to turn on a console, so they could fix the problem? They may not even know that there is one."<br />
"We also don't know if there's anyone alive in Engineering to receive the info we'd be sending," Ro argues. "We don't have time to keep talking about this."<br />
Troi makes up her mind. "Chief, send the juice down to Engineering. I think there are people alive in Drive, and I want to give them the chance."<br />
O'Brien leaves to do as Troi decided.<br />
"You may have just brought about our deaths," Ro snaps at Troi.<br />
What, has she been talking to Jay Gordon?<br />
At least Troi seems confident in her decision.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard and his motley crew are up on the ladder in the lift shaft, tied together by the optical cabling. Picard tries and fails several times to jumpstart the door directly above the lift. No good.<br />
"We need to climb up to the next deck and try that door," he tells them.<br />
"What if that one doesn't open?" asks Paterson meekly.<br />
"Then we'll be stuck here forever," Jay Gordon replies.<br />
This kid reads Edward Gorey, doesn't he?<br />
There's a creaking below, and they grip the ladder harder. Thundering, the lift falls. Paterson sobs.<br />
"We, um... we need a climbing song," says Picard, trying to lift their spirits. "Is there a song you sing in school?"<br />
Marissa thinks. "<i>The Laughing Vulcan and his Dog</i>?"<br />
Picard admits that he does not know that song, and then, because he's French, the Frenchman suggests the Frenchiest song that ever Frenched: <i>Frere Jacques</i>.<br />
It's 700 years old at this point, so everybody knows it, and that's what they sing, climbing a ladder while tied together, Picard hopping on his one good foot.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpx_MdrQ1twvOeJk3c4k8cS8m22gdTeU-0hYsjlK03RJAYOO3y7DTRyz0dn6Fqp2Yi2_lX7iKAH5rVY9lDGF62FIMKf3a1ISJLRyViT80gHho5a-pUtI3f7bIIz-9bdIO4PiByHaD8h2xe/s1600/di27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="418" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpx_MdrQ1twvOeJk3c4k8cS8m22gdTeU-0hYsjlK03RJAYOO3y7DTRyz0dn6Fqp2Yi2_lX7iKAH5rVY9lDGF62FIMKf3a1ISJLRyViT80gHho5a-pUtI3f7bIIz-9bdIO4PiByHaD8h2xe/s400/di27.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's a really interesting camera angle here, where they positioned the camera <br />behind the ladder, and did one long shot of each of the characters climbing<br /> upward in a row, singing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Worf reports to Keiko that she is doing well, and that things are progressing quickly. He's doing things very by-the-book.<br />
"Has the baby turned?" Keiko asks breathlessly.<br />
He's not sure what this means.<br />
She tells him that the baby's head needs to be down to deliver, and that the baby hadn't turned yet, but Dr Crusher wasn't worried because Keiko still had a month to go. She asks Worf if he's delivered a baby before.<br />
"Yes. No. I mean, a computer-simulated baby via a Starfleet emergency medical training?"<br />
Yeah, holo-baby is not the same.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Down in the cargo bay, Crusher tells La Forge what they're in for vis-a-vis almost suffocating.<br />
"Fifteen seconds of useful orientation, then ten seconds of WTF, then we pass out."<br />
"Once we close the doors again, one of us has to make it to that panel to depressurize the bay." He points across the bay at a wall panel.<br />
Sounds fun.<br />
They grab the ladder, and La Forge hits the button to open the door. Several deep breaths, then he hits the button to drop the shields.<br />
The barrels get sucked out. Crusher almost loses her grip on the ladder. The fire goes out. Carefully, La Forge reaches out to hit the button for the door, and they both stumble drunkenly toward the panel on the wall. La Forge hits the deck. Crusher slaps the panel before dropping to the floor. The bay repressurizes.<br />
Success! I mean, they're still trapped, just... not dying as actively?<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Hey, where are the barrels? Did they not show the back half of the ship because they couldn't figure out how to film the barrels floating behind it? Did they not have a Tiny Barrel Model budget? Okay, I know they had a Tiny Barrel Model budget because they made Tiny Barrel Models for the barrels-getting-sucked-into-space sequence, but was it that they didn't have a Fishing Wire To Hold Up The Tiny Barrel Models in Space budget? Was it 5 pm on a Friday, and the Tiny Barrel Model special fx crew really just want to go home?<br />
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<br />
<br />
On the bridge, Ro is becoming impatient. The containment field has dropped to 20 percent.<br />
Troi is pacing. She starts to ask Ro if she's done the prep to separate the saucer section, but they're interrupted when the power coupling goes. There's a bad moment, then O'Brien is able to patch it.<br />
Ro yells "I told you so!" at Troi.<br />
"Who's the Head Bitch in Charge?" Troi barks back. "You or me?"<br />
Ro, chastised, agrees that Troi is HBIC. Troi sits regally in the Big Chair, not exactly confident, but at least projecting it.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Riker and the Disembodied Head of Data have reached Engineering. They hook up Data to the system in the Jeffries tube, and Data is able to bypass the door to get them in.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
I'm really sad that humans in the 24th century don't seem to celebrate Halloween. So many lost opportunities for Data to win costume contests. On the other hand, the last Star Trek Halloween episode was kind of <a href="http://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2014/02/season-2-episode-30-catspaw_24.html" target="_blank">crap</a>, so maybe no big loss?<br />
<br />
Anyway, the door opens, and Riker is surprised to see that there's no power on this deck, but some of the monitors are lit up and working.<br />
"Those monitors are being powered by the bridge," Data says. "Maybe there's something they need us to know?"<br />
Riker pushes some buttons. "Holy shit, the containment field's at 18 percent! Do you know how to fix it?"<br />
Data, whose head is still hooked up to the Jeffries tube, calls back that this is something he can't do. "I can do a thing if you connect me!"<br />
He walks Riker through the connection, and there's a bit of physical comedy here where Riker hits the wrong thing.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Sassy Riker Moment: "I'm trying. You need a bigger head."<br />
Data keeps up a running tab of the containment field's failure, but then he's in, made the connection, brought things to a halt. He stabilizes the containment field.<br />
<br />
Up on the bridge, O'Brien announces that the containment field is stabilized, and that the containment rate is rising.<br />
Looks like it's time to eat some cROw.<br />
"Sorry," Ro tells Troi quietly. "You were right."<br />
"Yeah, but it could have easily gone the other way," Troi replies graciously.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard finally finds a door that will open, and he hauls himself up out of the lift shaft, pulling the kids out with him.<br />
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<br />
<br />
One more check-in.<br />
Worf congratulates Keiko on being dilated to ten centimetres.<br />
"You may now give birth."<br />
Sassy Keiko Moment: "That's what I've been doing!"<br />
This scene has some great Keiko and Worf comedy moments:<br />
Worf: "Well, bearing down is the next stage. It should start at full dilation." Pause. "It has not begun. Why has it not begun?"<br />
Keiko: "I don't know! I don't think it's up to me. It happens what it happens!"<br />
Worf: "My computer simulation was not like this. That delivery was very orderly."<br />
Keiko: "Well, I'm sorry!"<br />
She screams.<br />
Worf: "Did you feel an uncontrollable urge to push?"<br />
Keiko: *enraged nodding*<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
He's been checking in on what he should via a padd, and now announces that he must encourage her to push, gently but firmly. So he does.<br />
Worf: "Push, Keiko. Push."<br />
Sassy Keiko Moment; "I AM PUSHING!"<br />
Somehow, through this comedy of errors, they manage to deliver a baby (but no afterbirth, because somehow that always gets skipped), not a Hiro or a Michael, but a two-month-old named Molly.<br />
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<br />
Picard's Log, supplemental: "Heading to the nearest starbase for repairs. Slowly getting back to normal."<br />
<br />
The lift near the front of the bridge opens, and Troi exits with the kids.<br />
"You can't stay away from the Big Chair, can you?" Riker teases her.<br />
Sassy Troi Moment: "I don't think I'm cut out to be Captain. First Officer, maybe. I understand there aren't that many qualifications."<br />
Worf and Riker exchange looks. We don't see the face of Ro, who is sitting at the conn, but I imagine she snort-laughed.<br />
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<br />
Sassy Riker Moment: "Captain Picard to the bridge. PLEASE."<br />
Picard comes out of the ready room, and is genuinely pleased to see the kids.<br />
Marissa tells him that they made him a commemorative plaque, for helping them out of the lift shaft, and for helping them to not be scared.<br />
Paterson announces proudly that he made the back piece, and upon inspection, Picard sees that there are like six holes, made with some kind of wobbly drill.<br />
He thanks them and invites them back later so they can have their tour, which will now include the battle bridge. He starts to take his new, huge plaque into his ready room, and calls over his shoulder "you have the bridge, Number One."<br />
Riker and Marissa: "Aye, sir."<br />
They exchange a smile, and I just noticed that all of the kids are still wearing their pips.<br />
GOOD GOD THAT'S ADORABLE.<br />
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*******</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I really like this episode. It's not one that's super memorable, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. I do like that it's a one-off, and that it breaks from the typical fare they usually give us. And I'm into this "characters in situations where you wouldn't expect them"; Worf in a comedic situation, Picard having a good interaction with kids, Crusher problem-solving outside of sick bay, Riker crawling through Jeffries tubes, Data just being a head. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Mostly what I like here is Troi. She's put in charge and given two bickering subordinates that she must reign in. She wisely asks for suggestions, then makes a decision from them. While O'Brien replies "aye, sir," and does what he's told, Ro fights her at every step. In the end, she wins Ro over by being humble about being correct. What's more, this idea of Troi-in-charge will be visited later, in another episode that I like.</div>
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Two continuity issues that I have:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Firstly, La Forge's VISOR seems to provide him with infrared sensors, so why did he not see that the wall was hot when he opened the panel to find the hand actuator for the door? He also didn't say that there was a bunch of radiation coming off of the plasma fire, though I suppose he might have seen it, but Crusher happened to say it first. Am I giving the VISOR too much credit? I feel like we've seen it detect things like heat sources and radiation before this. Did the writers forget, or did they just need to give Crusher more lines? </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Secondly, Troi and the kids exit from the lift at the front of the bridge... the same lift they climbed earlier. If the carriage crashed and was destroyed at the bottom of the shaft, shouldn't that lift be out of commission until they reach a starbase where it could be repaired? Did they have another carriage in storage somewhere on the ship? Did engineers build another? We have no idea how much time has elapsed, but it seems like they'd get the engines working and limp to the nearest starbase as quickly as possible, not leaving enough time to clear the shaft of the destroyed carriage, repair the broken clips, and build a new carriage. (Also related: how do none of these kids have turbolift PTSD?)</div>
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<br />
<br />
Fun Facts:<br />
<br />
- This is a bottle show.<br />
- First appearance of Molly O'Brien. I'm kind of amused that Memory Alpha noted that.<br />
- The premise for this episode was pitched by several outside writers, and Jeri Taylor decided to jump on it because it sounded like fun to do a "disaster movie" theme, and because she liked the idea of changing up what kinds of stories they were telling.<br />
- During writing sessions, they were pitching ideas of what could happen to the characters, and Michael Piller left the room. Someone suggested that Riker take off Data's head. Ronald D Moore thought it was hilarious. When Piller returned, Moore suggested it. Piller also thought the idea was hilarious, but figured it would never fly. Moore: "I wrote it and Rick [Berman] never said a word. It's amazing that we got away with it."<br />
- Worf's story came from the need to pit Worf against other kinds of challenges. Michael Dorn was on board because he felt he didn't get to do enough comedy. Moore: "I think he got tired of us beating him up all the time."<br />
- A huge building at NASA developing its own rain and weather patterns inside inspired the writers to add rain to the turboshaft scenes, but it was later nixed because of the difficulties in getting the rain to work in the indoor sets.<br />
- By naval standards, Deanna Troi should not have been the CO. Moore elected to bend the rules for the sake of the story.<br />
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<br />
- Moore jokingly suggested that they get Shelley Winters to guest star on this episode, which he called "an homage to disaster movies."<br />
- Moore said that he liked the song title "The Laughing Vulcan and His Dog" for the imagery evoked, and denied that it was inspired by Sybok.<br />
- In an early script, the ship is disabled when it collides with an asteroid. But they figured that the more scientific viewers would complain that the damage done to the ship would not match up with "hit by asteroid," so they invented quantum filaments. From the Star Trek Encyclopedia: "We're not entirely sure what a quantum filament is, but we do know it's not a cosmic string."<br />
- The plasma fire effect was achieved by filming hot water and dry ice in a glass tray, then lighting it green.<br />
- The kids don't receive last names in the script, but their full names were on the plaque they give Picard at the end of the episode. The last names given are basically the actors' last names.<br />
- If Erika Flores (Marissa) looks familiar, you may recognize her as being the first Colleen Cooper on "Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman."<br />
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- This is the last episode where the saucer separation is mentioned.</div>
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- First appearance of the Jeffries tube junction set.</div>
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- Though he thought the episode was fun, Michael Piller didn't feel like this one made it into his list of top episodes because there were not enough mystery or sci-fi elements. He was also disappointed with Ro's role here, and wished that she had had some more "wins" on the ship before being put back into a position of having to go on the defensive.</div>
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- This dude Samuel Stokes wrote "The Laughing Vulcan and His Dog." It's charming af.</div>
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<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EBg9T_3CI1A/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EBg9T_3CI1A?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
Red deaths: 1<br />
To date: 1<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Jay Gordon talks about death: 7</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Riker Moments: 2<br />
To date: 2</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Picard Moments: 1<br />
To date: 1 </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 1<br />
To date: 1<br />
Sassy Keiko Moments: 3<br />
To date: 3<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 1<br />
To date: 1<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments:<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 2<br />
To date: 6</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 1<br />
To date: 7</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 1<br />
To date: 1<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 0<br />
To date:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblvodte-eUF3NvjsGW1NigkdTBzqIn_GnekA4zaDc9nZVYOYz0LZ3wz5fVKUdRq9iCWYx49lSHNTDf05uIOBZVu-Zu0yCYxBQXjFxsokR8ZPSkFvi5Uwltdma2D2U-mX9ku7Tpi7OnEiv/s1600/Boo+and+Pookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblvodte-eUF3NvjsGW1NigkdTBzqIn_GnekA4zaDc9nZVYOYz0LZ3wz5fVKUdRq9iCWYx49lSHNTDf05uIOBZVu-Zu0yCYxBQXjFxsokR8ZPSkFvi5Uwltdma2D2U-mX9ku7Tpi7OnEiv/s400/Boo+and+Pookie.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boo and Pookie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
</div>
Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-17335682747430796912020-06-22T00:04:00.000-07:002020-06-22T00:04:14.808-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Four "Silicon Avatar"ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Four "Silicon Avatar"<br />
Production Order: 4<br />
Air Order: 4<br />
Stardate: 45122.3<br />
Original Air Date: October 14, 1991<br />
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<br />
We open in a grove of trees on the surface of some planet, where a lady in charge, Carmen, is telling Riker about their colonization plans. They chit-chat about being adventurous. and how pioneering involves adventure, but also putting down roots and making a place a home. They quickly make a date to share Carmen's dried chicken curry rations in her tent that night, and she says that she makes "the most memorable desserts."<br />
Shit, that was quick. I mean, no shame here, and maybe they've known each other for a while at this point, but maybe make a moment to swap health stats? Or have they cured STIs in the future?<br />
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<br />
They're joined by Data and Crusher, who are full of praise for the upcoming colony.<br />
There's a rumbling noise in the distance, and Riker asks Carmen if they've started construction and not informed him. She replies no, and then they see it:<br />
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<br />
<br />
"Fuck," says Riker.<br />
He asks Data where the nearest cover is, and Data indicates some caves not far off. They begin gathering colonists and quickly herding them to the caves.<br />
"What is that?" yells Carmen over the wind.<br />
"We've seen this before!" Riker calls back.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Opening credits break!<br />
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<br />
Everyone runs after Data, who is leading them to the caves. Riker ends up grabbing up a kid who is not running fast enough, but then an old man stumbles. Carmen goes back to help him, and screams for Riker. He passes the kid off to someone else and runs back toward Carmen, but too late. The crystalline entity, who is devouring life in strips off the planet's surface, om nom noms them both while Riker watches.<br />
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<br />
On the bridge of the E, Worf reports that there's a "disturbance" on the surface of Melona IV, near the outpost where Riker, Data, and Crusher are helping. But they're too far away, so he doesn't know what it is.<br />
"Electrical storm?"<br />
"Contact them," replies Picard.<br />
Worf tries, but gets no reply. "The disturbance is increasing, though."<br />
"Hmmm." Picard contacts La Forge in Engineering. "You see this shit on Melona?"<br />
"Yeah," says La Forge. "It's weird, and bad."<br />
"Let's check it out," says Picard. "Warp eight to Melona colony."<br />
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<br />
On the surface, Riker and Data have ushered the colonists into a cave, and Data surmises that the metal content in the make-up of the cave may help shield them. They use phasers to cave in the entrance for protection, but now they have an air problem. Riker says he hopes there's a ventilation source for this cave. They then use phasers to cause the rock face near the ceiling to glow, so they have some light.<br />
Crusher says most of the colonists are fine, then asks about Carmen.<br />
"She didn't make it," says Riker stoically.<br />
He tells the colonists (and it looks like an Enterprise Gold worker in coveralls?) that they should be fine, but he doesn't know about the air situation, so sit tight, and don't move around a lot. When Riker walks away to raise the E, he gets no response. Data says the metal in the rock may be interfering with communications.<br />
"How do we know this cave will protect us from the crystalline entity?" asks Riker.<br />
"We don't," shrugs Data.<br />
Outside, they can hear the thudding and shaking of the entity doing its thing.<br />
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<br />
The E rushes to Melona, but it is still six hours away. Worf continues to hail the colony, but is not getting a response.<br />
"Just because they're not answering, doesn't mean anything's wrong," Troi tells Picard. "Maybe their phones just died."<br />
"Sure, sure," says a worried Picard.<br />
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<br />
On Melona, the colonists are sweaty and out of breath. Crusher tells Riker and Data that one man has lost consciousness. They briefly discuss the fact that they haven't heard the entity in over an hour, but maybe it's waiting out there for them. Hiding inside, they die. Going outside, maybe they'll die, too.<br />
There's a crash, and Riker goes to investigate.<br />
After a few tense moments at the cave-in site, Worf tosses some rocks out of the way. He's followed by La Forge and an away team of helpers.<br />
"The hell happened?" asks La Forge.<br />
"Crystalline Entity showed up and ate two colonists," says Riker bitterly.<br />
He and Data go up top while the others care for the colonists.<br />
And they take in the scene.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard's Log 45122.3: "Told Starfleet Command that we're going after the Crystalline Entity. They sent us a scientist, Dr Kila Marr, to help us. She's become an authority on the Crystalline Entity."<br />
<br />
Riker meets Marr in the transporter room. As soon as she materializes, she tells Riker that she's stoked to be there. It's one of those situations where something terrible happens for others, but for the person studying that thing, they're inappropriately happy. Like when Scotland Yard tells Sherlock that there's been a murder, and he's all "Yaaasss, it's Christmas!"<br />
Her excitement is explained right away when she tells Riker that his group is the only one to have survived an attack from the Crystalline Entity. Then she narrows her eyes a bit and is briefly... unsettled.<br />
"Your android was there, too?"<br />
"<i>Lieutenant Commander Data</i> was there, yes," he corrects. He's not into that whole <i>treating a crewmember like a possession</i> thing.<br />
"Let's get started!" she says brightly.<br />
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<br />
<br />
There's a meeting in the Obs Lounge with some senior officers and Marr. Crusher moves away from the monitor like she just finished a presentation, and tells the group at large that when they exited the cave, there was no life left on the surface.<br />
"That's typical," Marr nods. "Could be years before anything grows there again."<br />
Then Data starts talking, and her face melts from one of active interest to "I can't believe the audacity, that it would talk to me."<br />
Great. Another automatonophobic asshole.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That side-eye from Troi is amazing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
"I went over the deets," says Data. "It's the same thing that destroyed the colony on Omicron Theta."<br />
Marr kind of ignores Data's comment, and addresses Crusher's: "It needs a lot of material to keep going, so it strips all life from a planet to convert into energy. It even takes soil bacteria. But this time, there were survivors! I wonder why it left you guys alone..."<br />
Riker, who was really looking forward to that dried chicken curry dinner with Carmen, objects that it didn't spare everyone.<br />
"But it did leave some! That's never happened before!"<br />
"So the cave we were in contained kelbonite and fistrium," says Data. "We think maybe it couldn't reach us through there?"<br />
Again, her face melts. And it's subtle, but she's avoiding talking to Data at all. She's still actively participating in the conversation, but not actually answering him. "I wanna do interviews with the survivors," she tells Picard. "And I want to go inspect the colony, get as much info as I can."<br />
"Sure," says Picard. He assigns Data to help Marr.<br />
"Cool," says Data.<br />
"No no no no no," replies Marr. "I want to pick my own team."<br />
"Um, Data has more experience with this that anyone else on the ship," Picard tells her. "Also, he comes from Omicron Theta."<br />
"I know he does." Marr's voice become rather terse. "I also know his brother Lore worked with the Crystalline Entity, and allowed it to kill everyone on the surface of the planet. I think I should be allowed to not work with him."<br />
Picard is picking up what she's throwing down. "Nope. You can ask for other people to join your team, but you're working with Data here."<br />
"Fine." She gets up and leaves.<br />
Some of the others follow.<br />
Troi: "You don't need to be an empath to sense that woman's feelings."<br />
"Yeah," agrees Picard. "But if she's going to be a shitty scientist because she can't build a bridge and get over it, then we need to figure something out real quick."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Down on the surface, a team of Blues scan the cave. Marr does the same. Data comes in and tells her that he found some stuff in the soil that wasn't there before the attack. She ignores him. He tries to get her attention again, and fails.<br />
"Y'all, you've made it clear that you don't like me," he says. "But if you don't talk to me sometime, we won't get anything done."<br />
"I can hear you," she replies coldly. "If you have anything new to say to me, I will talk back. But what you found was found at the last three attack sites. It's not new. It seems to be something that the Crystalline Entity leaves behind when it consumes living matter. I'm still interested in why your group was not killed."<br />
"The metal in the caves -" he starts to say.<br />
"Yeah, yeah, the caves," she says dismissively. "In two other attacks, people hid in caves. In one, the cave was deeper than this one. But they were killed anyway."<br />
"Was the metal in the caves -" he starts again.<br />
She snaps her tricorder shut. "I think it was you. I think you lured it here and told it to attack the people."<br />
He is... as surprised as Data can be. "You think I'm working with the Crystalline Entity?"<br />
"Yes!" She's pretty pissed.<br />
"Oh, I see. You think that Lore and I are the same. We're not. My programming is very different from Lore's."<br />
And now she's angry, because he isn't angry at her accusation. She seems to want him to have an emotional outburst. "You can't feel anything, can you?!"<br />
"That's true, Doctor."<br />
Irritated, she goes back to scanning. And like a fucking sociopath, she just jumps right back into scanning shit and mentioning to him that there's trace elements of some something in the cave walls.<br />
"My son died on Omicron Theta," she says quietly. "He was 16. That's why I became an expert on the Crystalline Entity. One day, I will track it down and find it. And if I found out you've been helping it, I will see to it that you're disassembled piece by piece."<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Marr and Data are down in Engineering with La Forge, plugging the info they've collected into the computer to see how they compare with the other attacks. But when everything is in, it appears that there's nothing new. Marr is disappointed.<br />
"Did you think you'd get a different result?" asks Data, curious.<br />
She actually answers: "I've never been able to examine a site so soon after an attack. I thought I might find something new." (She doesn't actually look at him, though.)<br />
"Have you tried scanning your stuff for gamma radiation?"<br />
"Why?"<br />
"(Science.)"<br />
"That's a good idea," La Forge tells him.<br />
"I think it's dumb," she argues.<br />
He and La Forge do it anyway, and get something new and unexpected. Marr, who has been standing stubbornly with her back to them, wanders over when Data calls her name.<br />
Oh, look at that. The fucking android was helpful to have on your team. Despite the fact that you treated him like shit.<br />
"It's... leaving anti-protons behind." She looks at La Forge. "Can we have the ship look through space to see if it left more anti-proton breadcrumbs in space? Could we follow it like a trail?"<br />
"Yep," says La Forge. He starts plugging it in.<br />
And she actually nods to Data in a... non-threatening way as they both exit.<br />
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<br />
<br />
As they walk through the corridor, Marr admits that she owes thanks to Data for his help just now. Data replies that he actually got the gamma radiation idea from a scientist who was working on Omicron Theta at the time of the attack. Marr is surprised. She has read this scientist's work, but was not familiar with the gamma radiation thing.<br />
They get in the lift.<br />
"Um, I heard you were programmed with the experiences of the colonists," she says.<br />
"Yeah, that's true," he replies. "Journals and logs and things. Dr Soong also experimented with downloading their temporal lobes into my programming."<br />
"You have their thoughts?" She looks a little unnerved.<br />
"Kind of. It was like, a bigger picture thing of the colony?"<br />
She is interested.<br />
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<br />
<br />
On the bridge, Data and Marr show Picard the trail that they found. Data projects that the Entity is probably heading for the Brechtian Cluster, as there are inhabited planets there. Picard has the conn set a course for there to head it off, and Marr tells him she also has calculations set up to alter the photon torpedoes, to kill the Crystalline Entity. She hands a padd to Worf so he can start plugging them in.<br />
"He should do that, yes," says Picard, "but let's hope we won't have to fire on it at all."<br />
This was not what Marr had anticipated. She wants Picard to kill it. She's a big game hunter, and she wants a piece of crystal mounted on her wall.<br />
Everyone on the bridge is like "WTF?" but they're professional enough to not all turn and look at her.<br />
He invites her into the ready room.<br />
"Why are we hunting this thing if we're not going to kill it?" she demands once the door closes.<br />
"Seriously? This isn't Space Safari. We're not out to exact revenge on this thing."<br />
She basically asks him sarcastically if he's going to offer it a safe space, and I roll my eyes. So far, she's threatened Data and a giant space crystal with destruction, and it's starting to feel like she long ago decided that that was her only option. What a fucking Karen.<br />
"I want to try to communicate with it," says Picard. "Find out what it needs, and see if we can't figure out something else for it to consume. It's okay for Worf to reconfigure the torpedoes in case we need them, but I'm hoping we won't."<br />
In Marr's mind, this is out of the question. The Crystalline Entity is a mindless killing machine that needs to die, and she wants to be there when it happens.<br />
Picard compares the Entity to Earth's sperm whale, eating thousands of cuttlefish. "It is not evil. It is feeding."<br />
(Remember this analogy; it's important.)<br />
Marr seems to think she speaks for the Entity's victims, and declares that "we're not talking about fish, we're talking about people!"<br />
"We're gonna talk to it," says Picard firmly. "Data has worked out some good ways to try. Go help him."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Data is in his quarters playing some classical guitar when Marr rings the door chime. When he tells her to come in, she sees the guitar and politely asks if she's disturbing him. She gives him a <i>mostly apology. </i>(Not actually saying the words apology or sorry, but using the phrase "I may have been wrong." She seems humbled, at least.)<br />
For those of you following along at home, she began with wanting to take two sentient beings apart, but has halved it down to one. One murder instead of two is progress, I guess...?<br />
He accepts her quasi-apology in the most Data way: "I have not been injured by you."<br />
They get down to brass tacks, and start talking about communicating with the Crystalline Entity. Data has an idea that's similar to playing crystal goblets, using graviton pulses. He goes to his work station to pull up his research for her.<br />
While he's working, she hesitantly asks if he has memories in his banks of her son, Renny.<br />
"I don't have minute-to-minute stuff, but things like journals or specific memories, I have those, yeah," he replies.<br />
"Um, did he blame me for going away?"<br />
Data checks his memory banks, and tells her he finds nothing there against her.<br />
She goes into a story about how she left her kid on Omicron Theta with friends to pursue her career as a scientist, and kept telling herself that she would go back to visit "next month," but then he was killed with the others by the Crystalline Entity, and she missed her chance to see her kid again.<br />
And there we have it: she switched her career and became hell-bent on murdering the Crystalline Entity, possibly Data, and probably Lore... because she feels guilty. I've seen some real bad behavior from people who feel guilty about things, then take it out on unrelated people. Trying to get service workers fired or in trouble, yelling at people, armed robbery.<br />
But Data gives her a good answer - Renny was proud of her for being an accomplished scientist.<br />
She's overjoyed, and starts to ask for more information, but they are both paged to the bridge.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbf-7OhmBVCz9gbUeJRzSiUvFFMNeA4xQIDZscERBOgs3Z0aBZ5ClsXzdsGN9X5TQSRy20_nNQrV-xbu6ZJlnpoYpGpwBW3uQ_lQh8BGVG6Iih4wus34gq87rjxOxtsme1-Ft0y4WBK9iA/s1600/sa19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="415" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbf-7OhmBVCz9gbUeJRzSiUvFFMNeA4xQIDZscERBOgs3Z0aBZ5ClsXzdsGN9X5TQSRy20_nNQrV-xbu6ZJlnpoYpGpwBW3uQ_lQh8BGVG6Iih4wus34gq87rjxOxtsme1-Ft0y4WBK9iA/s400/sa19.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What amazing composition. I want to paint it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When they arrive, there's an audio-only distress call from a ship called the Kallisko. They're being chased by some kind of thing with a "crystalline structure."<br />
"You got shields?" asks Picard.<br />
"Like, some?" replies the Kallisko's captain. "We're a transport ship. Pretty weak weapons."<br />
"Evasive maneuvers!" Picard advises. "Outrun it!"<br />
But they're under attack now, and they can hear people screaming in the background. The Kallisko's captain requests that the Enterprise contact Boreal III to let them know what happened, then there's silence. Picard tries to get Worf to re-establish the link, but no one is there to pick up the phone.<br />
Marr steps away, clearly traumatized by the sounds of people being destroyed by the Crystalline Entity.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard's Log 45125.7: "I sent Data, Marr, Riker, and Crusher to the Kallisko to check it out. They're coming back now."<br />
<br />
The away team enters the bridge and tells Picard that there's nothing alive left on the Kallisko, but the engines should start right back up again, and a skeleton crew could take it to the nearest starbase. Picard nixes this idea - they don't have time. He has Worf contact said starbase to send one of their crews out instead. Then he asks Marr and Data if they've found a way to talk to the Entity yet.<br />
Marr replies that they're working on it still, and she and Data get in the lift.<br />
After a moment of her staring off into space, Data notes that she seems distracted, and she confesses that hearing the audio from the Kallisko call made her wonder about Renny, asking if he called out for his mother as dying soldiers sometimes do, and wondering if he was disappointed that she didn't come help him.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard is in the ready room when Riker comes in to tell him that they're still following the Crystalline Entity to the Brechtian Cluster. Picard replies that Starfleet is sending Carmen's family her personal things, and would Riker like to include a letter to them?<br />
Riker agrees, and is about to leave when he turns and asks if he can speak candidly.<br />
"I think maybe I agree with Dr Marr," he admits. "We should kill the Entity."<br />
Picard frowns. "Why?"<br />
"It's killed thousands, and it'll kill thousands more if we don't kill it first. Those deaths are on my conscience if we let it go."<br />
"Uh-huh. Is it that, or is it personal?"<br />
Riker is offended. "I'm not a newbie. I've lost people on missions. But if we stop to talk to it, we might lose our chance to kill it."<br />
Picard is disturbed.<br />
Riker excuses himself to go write his letter.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Data and Marr are back in Data's quarters, and Marr begins writing a program that they can send to the Science station on the bridge, one where they can control the sounds and vibrations being made via graviton beams. She quietly asks if Renny was happy on Omicron Theta.<br />
Data does a quick search. "He seemed pretty content. Lots of entries for Parrises Squares matches, and those are happy."<br />
She waxes rhapsodic of small Renny being asked frequently by the big kids to join him for matches, and how his love of the game blossomed from there.<br />
"I'm also getting a lot of happy stuff from a girl named Janina?" he offers.<br />
She is surprised. Renny had never mentioned a girlfriend.<br />
She hesitantly asks him for a favor: she knows he can mimic the voices of others, so could Data talk to her in Renny's voice? Like, read aloud his journals and stuff?<br />
He tells her that a lot of Renny's journals are letters to family and friends, and she says that's fine, so he accesses those files and begins speaking. The letter Data picks is written to Marr, so unless it was written but not sent, she has presumably already heard it. Doesn't matter. Looks like she's going to cry.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard's Log 45129.2: "Still following the Entity. Data and Marr have the communication thing ready. We could either do great things today scientific-wise, or we could screw the pooch. Guess we'll find out."<br />
<br />
On the bridge, Marr and Data finish the communication system set-up while Worf tracks the bread crumb trail. He thinks it's between the E and the Brechtian Cluster, but they don't have an exact location.<br />
"What if we turn on the graviton pulses to lure it to us?" suggests Marr.<br />
I... why am I suddenly thinking of Bugs Bunny cartoons where Bugs dresses in drag and calls "yoohoo" to Elmer Fudd? Has the graviton pulse system made the Enterprise an appealing mate to the Crystalline Entity? Why does my brain even work like that?<br />
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<br />
The Crystalline Entity approaches, and Dr Marr is taken in by how beautiful it is.<br />
The Entity checks them out. They check it out. Data, after poking Marr to get a response, turns up the frequency of the pulses per second. After they do this a few times, the Entity sends some graviton pulses back.<br />
"This is so fucking cool," breathes Picard.<br />
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<br />
<br />
"Y'all, it's sending back a pattern of pulses," says La Forge.<br />
"Sweeeeet, communication." Picard is stoked. This is clearly what he wanted.<br />
"It's gonna take a bit to figure out what the patterns mean," says Data. "We're communicating, but it may be saying "yo mama" to us."<br />
"I'm gonna do a continuous beam!" says Marr.<br />
The noise is loud and irritating. The crystal seems to back off.<br />
Troi jumps up. "I don't think it likes that!"<br />
"Go back to pulses," Picard tells Marr.<br />
She doesn't move, just watches the Entity.<br />
"Dr Marr," says Data.<br />
The Crysalline Entity is vibrating.<br />
"This is Bad News Bears," Troi tells Picard.<br />
"Shut it off!" barks Picard.<br />
Marr turns and tells Data<br />
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<br />
<br />
"I can't shut it off," says Data. "She locked the code up."<br />
"Fuck!" yells La Forge. "Maybe I can shut it down manually!" He runs to the Engineering station.<br />
The crystal is vibrating faster. Marr set the program to ramp things up steadily.<br />
"I can do the thing," yells La Forge, "but it will take time!"<br />
Too late.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard is incensed. "Worf, get her the fuck off my bridge."<br />
"It will never hurt anyone again," says Marr airily, in this rather <i>certifiable</i> voice.<br />
"Maybe I should take her," Data suggests.<br />
"Good, fine, don't care," says Picard angrily. "Don't leave her alone."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Once in her quarters, Marr turns to look at Data, and he assures her that he will stay with her, as though he wasn't commanded to guard her here. She smiles and squeezes his hand, then asks how long he will live.<br />
"I don't really have a life expectancy," he replies.<br />
"Good. As long as you're alive, he's alive." She keeps shifting. She addresses Data, she addresses her dead son. "Do the thing again, Data. Tell me you understand, Renny. I killed it for you, because I love you, and wanted you to be at peace."<br />
But Data isn't Renny, and can't give her what she wants.<br />
"I can't find a file like that," he says. "Honestly, from what I have of his journals and things, I think he'd be disappointed with you. He was proud of your awesome career as a scientist, and you just destroyed it."<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
*******</div>
<br />
<br />
So this episode... rarely shows up on my radar. It comes after three amazing episodes, and before one that I often recall. It features the Crystalline Entity, which is something that doesn't interest me much, and includes a character with automatonophobia, which frankly pisses me off.<br />
Let's take a look at it.<br />
We have another run-in with the Crystalline Entity, and Carmen is thrown under the bus to die so we get the full weight of the situation. But we've known her for 90 seconds, and while I'm not happy that she and an old man bite the dust, I don't have an attachment to her. Maybe Riker does, but there isn't enough there in the story to make me feel things for Carmen.<br />
Once everything is relatively back to normal, we get a new character, Dr Kila Marr, who has made it her life's work to study the Crystalline Entity after it ate her son. She has automatonophobia, which annoys me to no end, though she at least has good reason for it: she thinks Data is in cahoots with the Entity, the way Lore was. That's fair. I hate it when people hate on Data just because they're assholes. They at least gave Marr a backstory to go with it. Then she discovers that Data isn't, in fact, in cahoots with the Entity, and actually has something she wants, which is both information and ties to her kid.<br />
Girlfriend loses her mind and kills the thing, citing that she did it for her son. She doesn't quite get the crazy eyes of some of those TOS bitches, but you can tell something is off, because she keeps addressing Data as Renny. He tells her that she killed her own career in hunting down this Entity and destroying it, all to find out that her kid would not have approved.<br />
If you're thinking that this episode is gnawing around the edges of something that you can't quite put your finger on, I have the answer: it's basically a rewrite of TOS' "<a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2014/04/season-2-episode-35-doomsday-machine_7.html" target="_blank">The Doomsday Machine</a>," wherein a Starfleet officer goes on a Moby Dick quest to destroy a thing called a planet killer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsxF-69uMGPwjJFaAcWDVbXjFRFN-M2oE3IkVAJJdkU8JmrhA-JflkMH6GYeP2brm88-C76B3lKNHhcV3jC1FSm1NZEsr850ANZsujWLQ_eXFtnBc4lRsdFN-Hgjck1vVJXffLogGB6gd/s1600/rip+windsock.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="461" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsxF-69uMGPwjJFaAcWDVbXjFRFN-M2oE3IkVAJJdkU8JmrhA-JflkMH6GYeP2brm88-C76B3lKNHhcV3jC1FSm1NZEsr850ANZsujWLQ_eXFtnBc4lRsdFN-Hgjck1vVJXffLogGB6gd/s400/rip+windsock.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WHO REMEMBERS THE FUCKING WINDSOCK?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You have a thing that kills indiscriminately. In TOS, it was a doomsday device that no one had been able to shut off. Here, it is just A Thing That Feeds.<br />
You have someone who is hunting it out of guilt. In TOS, the Ahab character tried to beam his crew to safety, but they ended up being killed by the planet killer. In this episode, a scientist's son is killed before she could make it back to visit him.<br />
The hunter loses their ever-loving mind, and winds up with nothing. In TOS, he went kamikaze to take the planet killer down. It didn't work, and Kirk had to jury-rig a better solution. In TNG, she succeeds in killing the Crystalline Entity, but destroys her career in the process, and doesn't even get the satisfaction of thinking her kid would have wanted that, because Data confirms that he wouldn't.<br />
<br />
In the end, the thing I liked most about this episode was Marr's wardrobe. She wore two dresses, both in solid colors, and of simple, architectural design. They put her in something unobtrusive so as not to take away from her character, which was smart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1Q7boou5-5EflC_rg3zFhyphenhyphen7qLI_GuBZL6tTILknNQ3T03d_ecDXM7PR4Zvnnt9l2aR3jp8sNXpA1EUxzXJb4ifDTGHhaKb63TWwkyfCj11lFhmK56FG8RjwcOHGHREMuWzhrwz8G2cwu/s1600/silicon-avatar-hd-231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1Q7boou5-5EflC_rg3zFhyphenhyphen7qLI_GuBZL6tTILknNQ3T03d_ecDXM7PR4Zvnnt9l2aR3jp8sNXpA1EUxzXJb4ifDTGHhaKb63TWwkyfCj11lFhmK56FG8RjwcOHGHREMuWzhrwz8G2cwu/s400/silicon-avatar-hd-231.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Also, I didn't hate Ellen Geer in the role of Dr Marr. She gives a decent performance, and manages to handle the full roller coaster of a woman who loathes, then loves, the android that carries her son's memories.<br />
<br />
Fun facts:<br />
<br />
- The title "Silicon Avatar" refers to Data. Here, the word avatar is taken to mean "a repository of knowledge."<br />
- Both Jeri Taylor and Michael Piller liked the Moby Dick aspect of this story, and Jeri Taylor felt like she related to Kila Marr as a mother. Rick Berman was also excited for this story.<br />
- Brent Spiner was not impressed with this story. He thought they went with this script because they were having trouble getting production ready on the next episode ("Disaster"), but this one was ready to go.<br />
- Michael Piller later said he didn't think it was as effective as it could have been.<br />
- Director Cliff Bole was satisfied with the finished episode, but thought that, if he were to do it over again, he would have made changes. He didn't think one episode was sufficient time to tell Kila Marr's story.<br />
- One of the Melona colonists is wearing Salia's outfit from "The Dauphin."<br />
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- The outdoor scenes for this episode were filmed in the Santa Clarita Valley.</div>
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- This is one of four episodes where Data mimics someone else's voice.</div>
<br />
<br />
Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
To date:<br />
Sassy Ro Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Worf Moment: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Riker Moments: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments: 0<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0<br />
To date: 1</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 4<br />
To date: 4</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 4<br />
To date: 6</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 1<br />
To date: 3<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely feral pepper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-51775409232125105702020-06-01T12:29:00.001-07:002020-06-01T12:29:16.751-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Three "Ensign Ro"ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Three "Ensign Ro"<br />
Production Order: 5<br />
Air Order: 5<br />
Stardate: 45076.3<br />
Original Air Date: October 7, 1991<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just wait until we've done this for the length of the V'Ger scene -___-</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We open with Picard visiting the barber, Mr Mot.<br />
<div>
I'm sure some of you have forgotten what that is, so I'll let you know there's a place you go to where a person cuts your hair, and gossips with you. </div>
<div>
Mr Mot is here for the gossip. Picard is not. And man, does Mot have opinions. He knows exactly how Picard should handle the Romulans.<br />
<div>
Picard is 1000% done. "Yeah, you did an awesome job," he says evasively, checking his reflection.</div>
<div>
Mot tells Picard that Riker was in yesterday, and completely agrees with Mot's assessment.</div>
<div>
Sure he does.</div>
<div>
Riker pages Picard to the bridge (distress signal from the Solarion 4 colony), and the captain makes his escape.</div>
<div>
"I told him we shouldn't have colonized so close to the Cardassians," Mot tells no one in particular.</div>
<div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
By the time Picard hits the bridge a few minutes later, the distress signal has abruptly cut off, and there's no raising them again. The colony's only 30 minutes away, so they lay in a course.</div>
<div>
"Heard you were talking about Federation policy with Mr Mot," says Picard wryly to Riker.</div>
<div>
"He's the best barber in Starfleet," Riker laments. "I gotta just go with it."</div>
<div>
"Hey, so, getting another signal," says Worf. "Only audio."</div>
<div>
They broadcast it into the bridge. "We're the Bajora," says a vaguely threatening voice. "We destroyed the colony on Solarion 4, and we're gonna keep doing shit like that until we get our home back."<br />
<br />
Dramatic music and zoom-in on Picard! Opening credits break!<br />
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<br />
OH.<br />
YO.<br />
I forgot, because I always hit the "skip intro" button, that the opening credits change in one specific way for season five:<br />
They changed how the title of the show is presented. It occurs about 50 seconds in, and you can see it here in all of its terrible glory:<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
That's gonna be a no from me, dawg. Fortunately, they return to their senses, and the original title, by season six.<br />
Bonus rabbit-hole times - somebody synced up all of the season openings for this show and played them in split screen:<br />
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<br />
<br />
Okay, more show:<br />
<br />
<br />
Picard's Log 45076.3: "Arriving at Lya Station to drop off survivors of Solarion 4. Gonna meet with Admiral Kennelly to talk about the Bajoran terrorist attack."<br />
<br />
Admiral Kennelly is sick. He sneezes at Picard, and my quarantine brain wants to scream, "Six feet back, motherfucker!"<br />
But Picard just orders him ginger tea with honey from the replicator.<br />
Kennelly seems taken aback by this kindness, and Picard mentions that it's his Aunt Adele's cure for the common cold. Kennelly chuckles and says that it's some virus he got from the Cardassian liaison.<br />
Then they get down to brass tacks: the Cardassians have had trouble with terrorist attacks from the Bajorans ever since they took over the Bajoran homeworld 40 years earlier. The Bajorans have never attacked a Federation outpost before, but Kennelly says that's a new Bajoran terrorist leader in town, Orta. And Orta wants attention.<br />
"Okay, so what's our move?" asks Picard.<br />
A sensible question that's responded to with a bad answer.<br />
"I'm sympathetic to the Bajorans," Kennelly says. "They've been kicked off their homeworld, and they're forced to wander around, looking for a new place to stay. That's shitty. But this new attack is not a good move, and I want you to tell them that."<br />
Picard snorts derisively. "You could get a diplomat to tell them that. Why am I here?"<br />
"Find Orta, and put him back in his place, any way you can," says Kennelly simply.<br />
"What the hell does <i>any way you can</i> mean?" asks Picard suspiciously. "What am I offering him in exchange for not attacking Federation outposts?"<br />
"Amnesty."<br />
Picard laughs. It's bullshit, and they both know it.<br />
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<br />
<br />
"Okay, also the promise that we're going to work on this issue with the Cardassians. But like, quietly. Behind the scenes," says Kennelly. "But they have to be patient."<br />
Picard pauses. You know that he's definitely read <i>Letter From Birmingham Jail</i> and taken it to heart. "They've been putting up with this shit for decades, and getting thoughts and prayers in return from bystanders. Why the fuck should they accept that answer?"<br />
"It's your job to make sure they do."<br />
Picard and Kennelly stare at one another, then Riker pages Picard from the transporter room.<br />
"We're getting word that a new crewmember is transferring onboard. Did you approve that?"<br />
"No."<br />
"Yeah, well, Ensign Ro Laren is waiting to beam aboard, and she has orders."<br />
"Ro Laren? From the <i>Wellington</i>?"<br />
"Okay, that was me," Kennelly breaks in. "I assigned her here. I talked to her about this mission, and thought she would be an asset."<br />
"The fuck?" demands Picard. "I should be getting a say in crew assignments to my ship! Also, after what she did, she shouldn't be serving on any ship, let alone the flagship! There are lot of Bajorans in Starfleet, pick another!"<br />
Kennelly barks at Picard that Ro Laren is joining his crew, end of story. When Picard seems to angrily accept this, Kennelly drops a bomb on the audience: it was really difficult to get her out of prison.<br />
Hello, sorry? Spill some tea, show!<br />
"She's that important to the mission," Kennelly insists.<br />
Eye twitching, Picard tells Riker to beam her aboard.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Riker is also hesitant, but Picard assures him that he will talk to him later about it.<br />
Ro Laren appears on the transporter pad, and immediately, Riker's ire is up. Ro looks distinctly uncomfortable, and Riker's frosty reception is not helping. She hands him her orders on some kind of 24th century USB, and gives the correct response of "Ensign Ro Laren reporting as ordered, Commander."<br />
And man, does Michelle Forbes do a masterful job here of juggling Ro's discomfort and edge of attitude. She doesn't want to be here, but she is.<br />
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<br />
You remember Michelle Forbes, right?<br />
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<br />
<br />
"On this starship, you'll abide by standard Starfleet dress code," he barks.<br />
She makes a "how did I know?" face, then turns her head and removes an ornate earring from her left ear.<br />
The audience isn't aware yet, but the earring is not a decoration. It's a symbol of her religion, and by extension, her culture.<br />
And I call bullshit here.<br />
Now, I know that Gene Rod included "no human religion" as part of his world-building, but you're going to tell me that it's strictly enforced on Starfleet ships on non-human crew members? Really? I bristle as much as Ro does when Riker barks this intolerant crap at her.<br />
Fuck you, Riker.<br />
<br />
Anyway, there's some dramatic music and a commercial break.<br />
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<br />
When we return, Riker and Picard are in the ready room. Riker is bitching about how people won't want to serve with Laren, and Picard tries to cheer things up by smiling and saying that it won't be for long, just until this mission is over.<br />
When she comes in, Picard evenly addresses her as Ensign Laren and offers her a seat.<br />
"Ensign Ro, sir," she corrects.<br />
Then she tells him, in a clipped voice, that in the Bajoran culture, the family name goes first, followed by the individual's name (much like Chinese or Korean). Laren is her individual name. She then explains that a great number of Bajorans have just shrugged it off and reversed their names to make it simpler on other people, but Ro refuses, and sticks to the old naming traditions.<br />
Picard apologizes - he didn't know - and she excuses him from not knowing. But the message here is "now you do."<br />
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<br />
Picard is polite, but professional: he knows about her past and the incidents that led to her court-martial, and he's concerned about her being on the ship for this delicate mission.<br />
And while Ro has her hackles up, she is following protocol and replying with "sir." "Yeah, I don't want to be here, either."<br />
"Then why did you agree?" asks Riker.<br />
"Honestly? It's better than prison."<br />
This sets Riker off. He starts to yell that the people on the Enterprise - the flagship of Starfleet - worked their asses off for an assignment to this ship. (Himself included.) It's a fair point.<br />
"This wasn't my idea," she says curtly.<br />
Sensing that things are going south, Picard calmly tells both that Starfleet is insisting on this collab, and they're going to have to work together, regardless of how any of them feels about it.<br />
Ro breaks in to say that they won't have to worry about her, she knows how Starfleet do, so they should just get the thing done so they can all go their separate ways. Then she gets up and leaves.<br />
Picard takes a breath. "Dismissed."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard's Log, supplemental: "Going to the Valo system, near the Cardassian border, where there are a bunch of Bajoran settlement camps."<br />
<br />
Picard has called the senior staff, plus Ro, into the Obs Lounge to talk strategy and go over the sitch. Data gives the rundown on the camps in that sector, and suggests that they talk to Jas Holza on Valo III.<br />
"Oh, I met him at a symposium," says Crusher eagerly. "He seemed like a good, caring leader, and a great dancer."<br />
The others seem on board with contacting Holza, while Ro rolls her eyes in the background.<br />
Riker tells Ro he'd like her to take the con on this mission, and she doesn't answer.<br />
He's immediately angry. "WTF, Ro?"<br />
"Holza's a nobody," she finally answers. "He's just some mouthpiece to make Bajorans look good, and he doesn't actually have any power, and he isn't respected among the Bajorans."<br />
Fortunately, Data is the one to speak up here. "Who should we ask instead?"<br />
She thinks the question is ridiculous, that nobody wants to talk, and they're desperate enough to martyr themselves. Worf states that the E is well-armed, and ready to take on insurrectionists, and she promises him that they will. She thinks this mission will end in bloodshed.<br />
Remember that. It's important.<br />
Picard doesn't like her, but he recognizes that maybe Kennelly was right about her having knowledge that they can use, so he repeats Data's question: whom should they talk to?<br />
She recommends going to Valo II, and finding a guy in a camp named Keeve Falor. "He has no diplomatic experience, and he won't ask you to dance."<br />
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<br />
The away team beams down on Valo II: Picard, Worf, Data, and Ro.<br />
<br />
Picard's Log, supplemental: "Humans were shit-flinging monkeys when the Bajorans had art and culture. This straight-up sucks."<br />
<br />
It certainly does. They've landed in a refugee camp where the people are dirty, hungry, and cold. They encounter some kids, and Ro stops and puts her uniform coat on one little girl, telling Picard that she used to be just like this kid. (I wonder briefly if she's allowed to just give away a part of her uniform like that, but in Star Trek, she could easily replicate a thousand uniform coats. The real concern here would be if they were trying to hide the presence of Starfleet members on Valo II, and someone saw the coat on the kid.)<br />
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<br />
<br />
The girls are shooed away by a guy who recognizes Ro. She introduces Keeve Falor to the rest of the team.<br />
"Thank you for meeting with us, Mr Keeve."<br />
Keeve is surprised that Picard knew to address him this way, and Picard gives the credit to Ro.<br />
"I'm pleased you still remember," he says coolly to Ro.<br />
Ahh, there we go: a dig at Ro for leaving behind poverty and oppression for the glitz and glamour of Starfleet.<br />
Remember when <a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2018/05/sttng-season-four-episode-six-legacy.html" target="_blank">Tasha Yar's sister</a> did the same?<br />
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<br />
<br />
Keeve offers them a tour of the camp. He tells Picard that Bajorans are not violent as a race, but passion about their cause has led to some taking up arms. They get around to Orta, and Picard asks if Keeve knows where he is.<br />
"No," says Keeve, "but I wouldn't tell you if I did know. In truth, I don't like that they've attacked Federation outposts. You guys are innocent bystanders, and I don't believe in attacking people that aren't our enemies. But here's the thing: you were innocent bystanders when the Cardassians took our home and tortured us."<br />
"Yeah, we didn't love that, but it happened within Cardassian space," admits Picard.<br />
And I'm just like, <i>McKayla Maroney face </i>to that shit, Picard.<br />
I get it: they have a tenuous peace with the Cardassians, but if you became friends with a popular kid in school and you found out that they routinely beat the shit of some kid for no fucking reason, how badly would you still want to be friends with them? Sometimes diplomacy sucks balls.<br />
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<br />
Keeve calls him on it: "Yeah, you guys are pretty adamant that you don't get involved in the internal affairs of other cultures. That's pretty fucking convenient for you."<br />
This is something that Picard struggles with, as we clearly saw two episodes ago when he had to come up with a clever work-around to keep the Klingon Empire from collapsing into civil war. But that's too deep a dive to take right now with Keeve.<br />
"I really didn't come here to talk Federation policy," says Picard. "I can offer you some help, though."<br />
"Oh, yeah? Maybe I was wrong. We attack you, and you offer us help? Maybe the Bajorans should have attacked the Federation a long time ago." He turns to Ro. "What say you?"<br />
Ro does not mince words: "I think you're a small man who feels a rush of power in his belly and enjoys it far too much, Keeve. Stop talking and listen."<br />
Daaaamn.<br />
"So we're working this treaty any way we can," says Picard. "Now that we're technically friends with the Cardassians, we can talk to them on your behalf, work things diplomatically on the back end. But you guys can't be attacking us in the front."<br />
Keeve pauses, but he is angry. "We're really different people, Picard. Your world is about diplomacy. Mine revolves around blankets."<br />
Picard doesn't miss a beat. He directs Data and Worf to fire up the replicators on the ship and to provide blankets and supplies to every person in the camp. This has the desired effect of assuaging Keeve's doubts.<br />
"Go back to your ship," he tells Picard. "I'll see if I can get you some info."<br />
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<br />
<br />
After he leaves, Picard tells Ro that she was helpful at this meeting.<br />
She disagrees, noting that giving the refugees supplies was more helpful.<br />
He laments that the technology exists that would mean that no one would have to live like this, yet they still do.<br />
Ro replies that she refused to live defeated like this, and the camera swoops up behind them to show the camp.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
Picard's Log 45077.8: "Keeve Falor has directed us to a moon of Valo I. Gonna meet with Orta tomorrow."<br />
<br />
Ro is sitting by herself at a table in Ten Forward, staring into her drink. Troi and Crusher approach, and ask if they can sit with her, but she declines. For some reason, they just walked into the room, and after being turned down, they leave. Did they go to Ten Forward expressly to have a drink with Ro? The camera follows them past the bar, where La Forge is telling Guinan that if he ever ends up on an away mission with Ro, he won't turn his back on her.<br />
"She doesn't belong here, or in the uniform," he insists.<br />
"Huh, sounds like someone I'd like to meet," she replies.<br />
Guinan approaches Ro. "Am I disturbing you?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Good. You look someone who wants to be disturbed."<br />
"No, I want to be alone."<br />
"No, you don't." Guinan smiles, because she's Guinan. "If you wanted to be alone, you'd have stayed in your quarters. But you're here, so you want to be around people. I'm Guinan. I listen, and I tend bar."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Ro ironically asks if she's heard anything interesting, and Guinan replies that she's heard some stuff about Ro, about how she never told the full story of "what happened at Garon II" and that she never spoke up in her defense at her court-martial.<br />
"There was nothing to defend," says Ro bitterly. "I disobeyed direct orders, eight people on the away team died, it was all my fault."<br />
Guinan sizes her up. "You work so hard at torturing yourself, I gotta guess that you enjoy it."<br />
"Who the hell are you again?"<br />
"I'm your friend Guinan."<br />
"I don't stay anywhere long enough to make friends," Ro declares, trying her best to shake Guinan off.<br />
"Too late," says Guinan cheerfully. She gets up and walks away from a slightly bemused Ro.<br />
Ro gets a call that there's a subspace communication for her, so she leaves to take the call, looking less than pleased.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Ro returns to her quarters to take the call.<br />
It's Admiral Kennelly, who tells her to make a report.<br />
"Things are going the way you said they would," she says.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music!<br />
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<br />
An away team consisting of Picard, Troi, Data, and Worf gathers in the transporter room. Ro is missing. When they can't raise her via comm badge, they ask Majel.<br />
"She's not on board," Majel replies.<br />
The transporter chief (not O'Brien) checks the logs and says she beamed down six hours earlier, and there's no activity at that site.<br />
"Fuck me," sighs Picard. He instructs the chief to beam them to that exact spot, and has the team pull out phasers.<br />
They beam down into a cave. Tricorder scans show people have been there in the last ten hours. They split up to scan the surrounding caverns, and get ambushed by Bajorans with big guns.<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
Ro walks in with a dude in a mask. He removes the mask, and apologizes for his appearance, as the Cardassians mutilated his face years ago, and cut his vocal chords. He speaks mechanically through a box on his neck.<br />
I gotta say, kudos to the make-up and special effects people here, and to budget. They didn't have to make Orta like this, or spend the money or time on it, but they really wanted to give him tangible reasons to run a terrorist cell against the Cardassians, and it's effective.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard is not impressed. "You didn't have to kidnap us."<br />
"Yeah, I talked to Ro, and decided that I did," Orta replied.<br />
"I want peace," Picard insists.<br />
"Not interested."<br />
"I didn't come here to fuck up the negotiations," Ro tells Picard. "I came here to convince them to talk to you."<br />
"Seriously? You've done enough," barks Picard.<br />
"I didn't want this to end in bloodshed," she replies.<br />
Remember that? Avoiding the bloodshed that she's sure will occur is Ro's MO here.<br />
He tells her that it won't, but she tells him that there are things he doesn't know.<br />
"Enlighten me," he snaps.<br />
"We're both being fucked over," Orta tells Picard. "Bajorans didn't destroy the colony on Solarion IV."<br />
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<br />
Back on the bridge, Worf declares Orta to be full of shit. "He admitted to dozens of attacks on Cardassians. He's lying because he doesn't want us to put the smack-down on him."<br />
"He wasn't lying," says Troi.<br />
"Then who the fuck set them up?" demands Worf.<br />
"Someone wanting to draw us into the fight?" suggests Data.<br />
"What would be gained by that?" asks Ro earnestly.<br />
Picard requests that Ro join him in the ready room. When she does, he tells her straight-up that she isn't to leave the ship without permission, and he's now sending her to her room for the rest of the mission. She tries briefly to defend herself, but decides against it, and leaves.<br />
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<br />
Ro is sitting on her bed in the dark when the door chime goes off.<br />
"What?" she calls. (Not "come," which seems to be the standard, but "what?" Ro is having none of this shit.)<br />
Guinan comes in.<br />
Sassy Guinan Moment: "Hi, it's me, Guinan. I heard you got grounded."<br />
Ro says she doesn't want to talk, and Guinan spends a few minutes coaxing things out of her.<br />
"I'm in this situation, and I'm trying to figure out if I can get out of it without anyone getting killed. Like, I'm in huge trouble, and I'm not in control of anything, and I don't know who to trust. I especially can't trust myself."<br />
"Yeah, I know that feel," says Guinan. "I got into some huge trouble once, and I would probably still be in that situation if I hadn't trusted this one guy."<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard is very surprised when Guinan and Ro appear in the ready room.<br />
"Why tf are you here?" he demands. "Ensign Ro has been confined to quarters."<br />
"Yeah, she needs to talk to you about some stuff," says Guinan. "And she can go back to her room when she's done."<br />
He starts to protest again, but she interrupts with the magical words. "She's. My. Friend."<br />
She turns on her heel and leaves.<br />
Picard pauses. "Guinan is picky about who she calls friends."<br />
Ro tells Picard that she's pretty sure she's going back to prison either way, but man is she tired of this cloak and dagger crap. She tells him that the mission that Kennelly offered her as her ticket out of prison is different from her helping Picard talk to Orta. The secret mission is for Kennelly only: Ro was to offer Orta weapons, ships, and things that would help him in his fight against the Cardassians. In exchange, Orta would go home to the camps.<br />
"That's... what?" Picard is stunned. "He's secretly offering supplies to terrorists?"<br />
"Yep. And if you confront him, he'll deny it. I didn't leave the ship without permission. He gave it to me last night."<br />
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<br />
Picard sits heavily in his desk chair. "Fuck me. Starfleet cannot supply weapons to terrorists."<br />
She agrees, but tells him why she felt she had to participate: she tells a haunting story of having to watch the Cardassians torture her father to death while she was a child, and how ashamed of him she felt as she watched him beg for mercy. She realized later that she'd been manipulated, and was tired of feeling badly about her people. She agreed to the mission from Kennelly because it would mean that her people would get a leg up. But now she feels lost. This was not the right choice, and it feels like she's being manipulated again.<br />
"Did you make the offer to Orta?" he asks.<br />
"No. Something felt... off when he told me they hadn't attacked Solarion IV."<br />
"Have you talked to Kennelly again?"<br />
"No. I don't know who to trust. But your weird bartender got inside my head, and she said you were her friend, and that she trusted you, so..."<br />
Picard smiles wryly. "Do you think Orta would go along with us if we came up with a new plan?"<br />
Ro shrugs. "Maybe?"<br />
"Because the original plan was to get him to go back to the camps, any way we could. What if we do that? Let's shake up some shit and see what falls out."<br />
<br />
Determined music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
Picard's Log, supplemental: "I think we're in the middle of a conspiracy. About to find out soon."<br />
<br />
Picard has Kennelly up on the viewscreen on the bridge, where Ro has been sprung and is now working con again.<br />
Kennelly congratulates Picard for getting Orta to agree to return to the camps, and Picard humbly says it was a group effort, with major thanks to Ro. Then Picard gives the exact time and ship class of the flight that Orta and his people will be taking back to Valo III. As an aside, he asks Kennelly how his Cardassian virus is.<br />
"All better now," replies Kennelly.<br />
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<br />
<br />
They sign off, and the E gets ready to escort the Bajoran ship back to the camp. A ship comes up from the surface, and it's a bit... Scooty Puff Jr.<br />
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<br />
"Hail the ship," says Picard.<br />
"There's only audio," says Worf. "The ship doesn't have visual capabilities."<br />
You don't say.<br />
"Hey," says Picard. "We're here to escort you to Valo III."<br />
"Cool," responds a female voice. "Just a heads up: we can't go any faster than half-impulse."<br />
YOU DON'T SAY.<br />
So they chug along with this tiny-ass ship<br />
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<br />
<br />
and then Data, who was asked to keep an eye on the Cardassian border, says there's shit happening along the Cardassian border. Two Galor-class warships.<br />
"Top of the line," says Riker.<br />
Picard takes a stab at where the Cardassians will turn on their cherry lights and pull them over. He tells the Bajoran ship to keep going to their destination, and then has Ro turn the E to go see the Cardassians. He's all smiles when he answers their hail.<br />
"Hey, what's up? This is Picard of the Enterprise."<br />
"Gul Dolak of the Cardassian militia," says the dude onscreen.<br />
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<br />
<br />
They do this weird little smiley dance where they both declare themselves to be good friends and neighbors to the other, and you know that when the audio gets muted, both captains will mutter, "what a dumbass" to their respective XO's.<br />
And Picard is all, "how can I help you?" in that same tone I used to give Karens who were about to screech at me for some dumb entitled reason.<br />
"So that Scooty Puff Jr with you is carrying a terrorist. We know the markings on the ship," says Karen Dolak.<br />
And Picard is all<br />
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<br />
"Really? A TERRORIST you say? Oh my goodness! Well, there won't be a terrorist attacks today. We're taking Bajoran <i>settlers</i> to the camp on Valo III. You can watch us go there, if you want."<br />
"No, we want you to move off so we can make them into space dust," frowns Dolak.<br />
"Oh, but this is neutral space," says Picard. "You don't have any jurisdiction here. Also, I promised these people I would take them home."<br />
"Those are enemies of the Cardassian Empire. We're gonna get 'em however we can," snaps Dolak.<br />
"That a threat?" asks Picard.<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moment: "It is a complaint... from your Cardassian neighbors."<br />
I know that's not meant to be funny, but the multiple use of the word neighbor in this exchange makes me think of Picard and Dolak sharing a clipped conversation over a white picket fence about property lines, and I really just cannot even here. Gul Dolak gives Picard an hour to trim the branches on his tree... or else.<br />
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<br />
After signing off, Picard tells the crew to let Starfleet know what's going on, and when Kennelly calls (WHEN, not if) to put it through to the ready room.<br />
There's a faint red flashing light reflecting off the upper wall in the ready room, and I like that they added that as a reminder that the E is sitting on red alert. We rarely see red alert in a place other than the bridge.<br />
We skip straight to the call.<br />
"Isn't it so weird that the Cardassians knew exactly where we would be at what time with a specific person?" Picard asks Kennelly.<br />
"Nah," Kennelly brushes him off. "They totes watch the border all the time. They probably saw that it was Orta's ship."<br />
"Hmmm, what should we do now?" asks Picard.<br />
"Our top priority is to protect the treaty with the Cardassians, no matter what."<br />
Wow, really? What a complete piece of shit you are, Kennelly. First you insist that the top priority is to get Orta to Valo III. Then you insist that the most important thing is to not break the treaty. If Picard completes his mission, he pisses off the Cardassians, possibly ruining Federation-Cardassian relations. If he kowtows to the Cardassians, he fails to complete his mission.<br />
And Kennelly has put him here.<br />
"Kind of not possible to make both the Cardassians and Bajorans happy here," Picard replies sensibly.<br />
"Maybe you should give up Orta," Kennelly suggests. "We need to keep being friends with the Cardassians. That's the big picture here."<br />
"Yeah, I see a different big picture. One where the Cardassian liaison with his Cardassian virus picks some chump Starfleet admiral and says <i>"Hey, you were attacked by the Bajorans, so now we both have problems with them. Common enemy. We can't find the leader, can you?"</i> Because this whole thing has been about the Cardassians using the Federation to out Orta, so they can move in and kill him."<br />
Kennelly pauses. "I think your tin foil hat is on too tight. Your new direct order is to withdraw." And he ends the call.<br />
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<br />
Picard re-enters the bridge and tells them that they've been ordered to move off, which they do. The Cardassians move in quickly and take out Scooty Puff Jr with two shots. Space dust.<br />
Ro lets out her breath. Picard was right.<br />
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<br />
"Kennelly calling," Data announces. "Secure channel. Ready room?"<br />
"Nah, put in onscreen," Picard insists. He really wants a bunch of people to know what an asshole Kennelly is.<br />
"The Cardassians destroyed the Bajoran ship," Picard reports.<br />
Kennelly looks down, as though he's feeling empathy for the Bajorans on that ship. His face is really punchable, you guys.<br />
"All hands lost?" he asks.<br />
"No, sir," Picard barks.<br />
"Survivors?"<br />
"No, sir. The ship was empty."<br />
And then it's Kennelly's turn to be all<br />
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<br />
but this time it's genuine. "Whut."<br />
"It was remote controlled, with communications run through the ship's system from elsewhere."<br />
Kennelly isn't ready to give up the ghost, so he asks, "Was this your idea?"<br />
"No, it was Ensign Ro's, but I backed it, because I thought this might go down this way."<br />
Now Kennelly is pissed. All pretense out the window. "They're terrorists! They killed our people!"<br />
"Yeah, they didn't, though," says Picard.<br />
"Orta tell you that?" Kennelly sneers.<br />
"Yep. Have you seen their crappy ships? They're older than fucking Stone Henge, and they don't even have warp. They can't get the freaking things out of<i> this</i> system, let alone going to another, and pull off an attack."<br />
Now Kennelly is confused. "Who attacked the outpost, then?"<br />
IQ tests are not required to become admirals, are they?<br />
Worf is most likely rolling his eyes at his security station and sarcastically muttering. "Probably the Cardassians."<br />
Picard is going to have to walk him through this. "The Cardassians most likely staged it, then looked around for the most naive Starfleet admiral they could find to do their bidding."<br />
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<br />
Down on the surface of Valo III, Ro asks Picard what will happen to Kennelly, as they walk through the camp.<br />
"I'm guessing court-martial," he replies.<br />
Sassy Ro Moment: "Well, if he gets sent to the stockade on Jaros II, tell him to request a room in the east wing. The west wing gets awfully hot in the afternoons."<br />
She asks how long until they're due back at the station where they picked her up, and he says not for a few weeks. She says maybe she should find other transport out there, instead.<br />
"Orrrr, you could - hear me out - stay," suggests Picard.<br />
She laughs. "Yeah, I'm not really Starfleet material."<br />
"I dunno," says Picard. "You have some good qualities that Starfleet could mold into better ones. You could learn a lot."<br />
"I always thought Starfleet had a lot to learn from me," she grins.<br />
"That's an attitude that's prevalent in some of the best officers in Starfleet," he replies. "Could be a challenge."<br />
"I never turn down a challenge. I guess we could try. But only with one exception." She pauses and puts her earring back one.<br />
And he smiles and requests a beam-out for two.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Damn, I love this episode, too!<br />
Season five, you so sexy!<br />
<br />
There's something about Michelle Forbes, y'all. The show runners decided to make a new female cast member, but wanted her to be edgy. They felt like the rest of the cast was pretty much cut from the same cloth, and while that's not terrible, it means that most of the time, someone on the show suggests something, and they all go, "okay, sounds good." (I'm wondering now if they were kicking themselves concerning Yar, and added in another female-with-a-troubled-past to make up for it. Nothing in what I've read suggests it, but perhaps there was a spark of that idea?) But Ro Laren...<br />
Ro Laren does not want to be on a ship that everyone wants to be on. Ro Laren does not want to be in or work with Starfleet, when most people she encounters on this ship have made Starfleet their career. A person whose extreme childhood trauma shines through every comment she makes or action she takes. And who to play this character? Michelle Forbes, the actor that sobbed with her father in one moment, and absolutely destroyed Lwaxana Troi with a look the next. In an episode that contained David Ogden Stiers and Majel Barrett, Michelle Forbes managed to not only hold her own in a five-minute scene, but make such an impression that show runners were like, "Fuck y'all, can we get her back?"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Les Landau directs Michelle Forbes</td></tr>
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<br />
Ro is so complex a character that playing all of the intricate parts that make her up is like trying to do a complicated high-beam routine, and then sticking the landing. She's not quite hero, not quite anti-hero, but somewhere in the middle. It's similar to how I feel about Chief O'Brien being fleshed out, and making him racist toward Cardassians (again, because of trauma): it makes the character more well-rounded, and less black and white. You root for their success, but cringe when they make poor choices.<br />
And the way they've introduced her here works well. It is her journey, and her instinct and feelings of being helpless that drive the story. The Cardassian-terrorist-crooked admiral story is the B-plot!<br />
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<br />
Let's talk about that Cardassian-terrorist-crooked admiral plot, shall we? It's a pretty good one. We haven't seen much of the Cardassians thus far, and we weren't going to, originally. The initial story involved Romulans, but it was thought that they had just covered Romulans, and they wanted to go in a different direction. This was our first look at the Bajorans, and covered their occupation by the Cardassian Union, their refugee status, and their fighting back against the Cardassians. A lot was packed into the backstory of this new race, though we'll find out more as we go along.<br />
But it also presents a nice problem for the Federation to bump up against: sometimes, you gotta make nice with walking piles of shit in order to keep the peace. The Federation has thus far learned to be friendly, cordial, whatever with some very different people, and has come out of it okay; but here, they're holding a tentative peace just to prevent outright hostilities, as evidenced by the nicey-nice speeches between Picard and Dolak. They actually kind of hate each other. But here's a fun bonus: the Cardassians are subjugating a race that the Federation kinda likes, adding a layer of "hey, could you not?" to their discussions with the Cardassians.<br />
Then we have our terrorist cell. You're not supposed to like Orta. He's not a likable guy at all. But his plight is understandable. His people may have begged, pleaded and cajoled with the Cardassians to get them to back off, and now they're just over it. We don't know. We just know that at this point, Orta has chosen violence. To combat, you know, fucking torture. Maybe you don't agree with his methods, but you understand them. And we understand Ro and her reactions. And that of Keeve. Here are a people who have been tortured and colonized (and whose lives continue to be one long shit-show under the Cardassian Union), and they're tired, and just want the Cardassians to leave them alone. Talking clearly didn't work, and sometimes you Google "how to build a guillotine."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dramatic music! Head-chopping sounds!</td></tr>
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<br />
It's always interesting when things get shaken up with Picard. He often gets candid with his commanding officers, and they let him because there's mutual respect there. But Kennelly puts the smackdown on him concerning Ro, and he's forced to acquiesce. It's wild to see him doing a little bow and scrape when so often, the bowing and scraping are done for him by lower-ranking officers. It's also interesting to see him caught off-guard by a lowly ensign, and the weird bartender. It's rather a hilarious thing to watch when a captain bests an admiral like this, and given Kirk's history of doing it as well, I have to wonder if something similar happened to Gene Rod while he was serving.<br />
And lastly, our dumbshit admiral. Now, we've seen a lot of admirals do stupid fucking shit on this show across all iterations (I think in the animated series, too!), and frankly, I always enjoy that. I think too often we see idiots and bootlickers get promotions without merit, and you're stuck in a lower position, watching them receive accolades they haven't actually earned. So there's a bit of schadenfreude involved when some asshole admiral fucks up all the shit and gets court-martialed. LOL. Fuck you, Kennelly.<br />
If I have any complaints about this episode, it's the "Cardassian virus." I don't understand why that was included. It feels like maybe there were scenes cut that explained why that was in there at all - it didn't further the plot or explain anything at the end. *shrug emoji*<br />
A quick aside, because I like talking uniforms: I'm really into Ro's blousy sleeveless top in raspberry, and the high-waisted pants. It looks like it feels cool under those uniform jackets, and it still looks professional when the jacket is gone. (Also, pants pockets? I don't remember those pants having pockets. Were they added just to Michelle's pants because Ro is the type of character to put her hands in her pockets?)<br />
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Fun Facts:<br />
<br />
- In this episode, female Bajorans are shown wearing their earrings on the left ears, and males are shown as wearing them on the right. In later episodes, it will be switched to right ear for everyone. However, Ro continues to wears hers on the left.<br />
- Ro Laren was originally meant to play Number One to Benjamin Sisko on DS9, but Michelle Forbes turned down the offer, and Kira Nerise was created in her place. (Kind of a cool IRL parallel to Ilia from the aborted Phase II series and ST:TMP being rewritten as Deanna Troi, and Decker of the same productions became Riker.)<br />
- Jeffrey Hayenga (Orta) will later play a Vulcan on Enterprise.<br />
- Though not seen in person again, a wanted poster of Orta will appear in Odo's office in nine episodes of DS9. The photo used was a make-up continuity reference photo.<br />
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- Gul Dulak's wanted poster will also be seen in Odo's office. Again, the photo used is from a make-up continuity shot. Wonder what he did. I mean, "complete asshole" is not a crime, so what did he actually do?<br />
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- A special jacket was used to accomplish Ro taking off her jacket and putting it on the Bajoran kid: Starfleet jackets zip up the back, not the front. But it would have been strange to watch Ro struggle to get the thing off, so they changed it up slightly. (Aside: if one does not have a partner to zip them into their uniform, how is that accomplished? Do you catch someone in the lift on the way to your shift, and ask for their help? Did O'Brien get married simply so he would stop pulling muscles trying to wriggle into his uniform?)</div>
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- Though this episode did not inspire the DS9 show, it certainly informed it.</div>
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- This is the only TNG episode where the term "Bajora" is used when referring to the people. It would be used a few times in the first season of DS9 as well, and then never again. (I'm glad. It's clunky.)</div>
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- The Bajorans were not created to comment on a specific group of humans, but on any group of humans who have been oppressed and subjugated. Certain episodes may reflect special circumstances tied to one human group or another, but overall, they are meant to reflect oppressed people in general.</div>
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- Nana Visitor (Kira Nerise on DS9) remarked that Bajoran women tend to be aggressive, and compared them to Celtic women.</div>
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- The Bajoran camp scenes were filmed in an area close to where the outdoor scenes for "Darmok" were filmed.</div>
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- This is the first appearance of the barber, Mot. Other Bolians have been seen in the salon, but this is the first time we encounter Mot specifically.</div>
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- The uniform thing: Worf is allowed to wear a Klingon baldric. Troi is allowed to not wear the uniform at all. But Ro is dinged for a piece of cultural jewelry? It seems that Starfleet itself is not super strict about the uniform. Variations like Worf's and Troi's are actually left up to the people directly in charge of those officers. So Riker could have made an exception to the rule for the earring, but because he had a chip on his shoulder concerning Ro, demanded that she follow the stricter version of the uniform. Still a dick move.</div>
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- It's stated here that the occupation of Bajor has lasted 40 years, but differing dates have made it possibly 50 or 60.</div>
- Bajoran nasal ridges included a winged part that goes above the eyebrows in this episode, and the first episode of DS9. However, the wings were later ditched because they interfered with the actors' frown lines. Following that change, Bajorans were marked with 4-7 nasal ridges.<br />
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- Michelle Forbes was the inspiration for Michael Westmore's make-up design for Bajorans: basically, Forbes was pretty, and he didn't want to fuck that up by covering her in a bunch of weird make-up.<br />
- Bajor was not part of the Federation, so Ro would have had to get a Starfleet officer to sponsor her before entering the Academy.<br />
-Lya Station Alpha (where they picked up Ro and talked to Kennelly) was reused footage from "11001001"... which was reused footage from movie #3.<br />
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Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
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Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: </div>
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Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
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To date: </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Ro Moments: 1<br />
To date: 1</div>
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Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: </div>
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Sassy Riker Moments: 0<br />
To date: </div>
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Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments: 1<br />
To Date: 1<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 1<br />
To date: 1</div>
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Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 0<br />
To date: </div>
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Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 1<br />
To date: 2</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 1<br />
To date: 2<br />
Tea, Earl Grey:<br />
To date:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKBVVgh-ZtmJXBkTtxZtcELMOnJGTTet0f823VIm1TQ27DBfvbP1OtD8HKcdbUB08fBgsre8UT0NWm883OXTC78011yMA3b2Ht96BCjylM9uQnHmhXvF0exDr4tH3X1h6MSIVKAsf00Ic/s1600/cat+furniture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="720" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKBVVgh-ZtmJXBkTtxZtcELMOnJGTTet0f823VIm1TQ27DBfvbP1OtD8HKcdbUB08fBgsre8UT0NWm883OXTC78011yMA3b2Ht96BCjylM9uQnHmhXvF0exDr4tH3X1h6MSIVKAsf00Ic/s400/cat+furniture.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am cat furniture</td></tr>
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Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-53480979879815789892020-05-18T00:00:00.000-07:002020-05-18T00:00:11.116-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Two "Darmok"ST:TNG Season Five, Episode Two "Darmok"<br />
Production Order: 2<br />
Air Order: 2<br />
Stardate: 45047.2<br />
Original Air Date: September 30, 1991<br />
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Picard's Log 45047.2: "Going to the uninhabited El-Adrel system to meet up with these people who call themselves The Children of Tama."</div>
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Picard has gathered the senior officers in the Obs Lounge to talk about the Tamarians. Apparently, they arrived at El-Adrel IV several weeks earlier and have been broadcasting a mathematical progression at Federation space ever since. The progression doesn't mean anything, but it's more like those gold records that Carl Sagan launched into space in the 1970's - math is universal.</div>
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"So they're saying "we're here, come see us?" asks Riker.</div>
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"Probably?" shrugs Picard.</div>
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Data explains what the senior officers and audience need to know about this situation: that the Federation and the Tamarians have come into contact a handful of times over the last century, and even though no fights were started, no communication was established. Other captains that encountered them labeled them as "incomprehensible."</div>
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Worf, ever cautious, says that they may have been threatening the Federation.</div>
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"Nah," says Troi. "The other accounts say they were peaceful."</div>
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Picard says he appreciates Worf's caution, but agrees with Troi. "Starfleet wants us to try to communicate. I think we can do it."</div>
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Remember that optimism, Jean-Luc.</div>
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In the next scene, the E has arrived at El-Adrel IV, and the Tamarians are up on the viewsccreen.</div>
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The captain smiles. "Rai and Jiri at Lungha. Rai at Lowani. Lowani under two moons. Jiri of Ubaya. Ubaya of crossed roads at Lungha. Lungha. Her sky grey."*</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMmmP3filPH3-rl8F5kFY50sMp5KMnG1w9uXgkAi9LkBv4iEchAHxvsb9XnGvsbnJUNZzc5Z2z_e9YcqZkQt-wxR93j2AnFq8FkLuq7JaO9xOlfvqUinZpnKlpFHomgG0Jdw4vi1euq0z/s1600/d2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="255" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMmmP3filPH3-rl8F5kFY50sMp5KMnG1w9uXgkAi9LkBv4iEchAHxvsb9XnGvsbnJUNZzc5Z2z_e9YcqZkQt-wxR93j2AnFq8FkLuq7JaO9xOlfvqUinZpnKlpFHomgG0Jdw4vi1euq0z/s400/d2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"WHUT?"</td></tr>
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Picard does a tight-lipped white people smile (you know the one), but it's obvious to everyone that he's not getting it.</div>
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Hilariously, the Tamarian captain does that thing where you're trying to be understood by someone else, so you repeat what you just said slower and louder. Apparently, some things are universal.</div>
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Troi tells a confused Picard that she senses nothing but good intentions.</div>
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Picard stands. (He's wearing some kind of new Casual Friday captain's uniform that consists of a grey shirt with a black knitted turtleneck, under a cranberry suede jacket with a black leather yoke. So, no Picard maneuvers.)</div>
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"Okay, so you guys seem friendly. Would you be interested in signing some peace treaties and stuff with us?"</div>
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There's a pause on the Tamarian ship. </div>
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Then the Xo bursts out laughing. "Kadir beneath Mo Moteh." It's real clear from his tone that he means, "This is dumb. I told you it was pointless. They don't understand us."</div>
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The Tamarian captain holds up a hand to him and in a threatening voice barks, "The river Temarc. In winter."</div>
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Properly chastised, the XO hangs his head.</div>
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The captain thinks. "Darmok," he suggests to the XO.</div>
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The XO is flabbergasted. "<i>Darmok</i>? Rai and Jiri at Lungha," he insists.</div>
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The captain shakes his head. "Shaka. When the walls fell."</div>
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"Zima at Anzo. Zima and Bakor," the XO argues.</div>
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"Darmok at Tanagra," the captain says.</div>
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The argument gets heated.</div>
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"Mirab, his sails unfurled," yells the XO.</div>
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The captain just keeps saying, "Darmok" calmly. He's made up his mind.</div>
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The XO hates this plan. They were supposed to execute the plan of Rai and Jiri at Lungha, but the captain has decided that it won't work.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirjMXORRFS5zcSC9G-0FKO8elAbtQHR4TsI32AOgtu_Xl9HATVStQueiiCw9CtXWgQbczI8lMq_gzVmpJFMkOhkEZE_THIP6IEsvRNEZoxtQGLiE7amrtGkXpctvz9f8bygMIFDBP5wO-/s1600/d4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="418" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirjMXORRFS5zcSC9G-0FKO8elAbtQHR4TsI32AOgtu_Xl9HATVStQueiiCw9CtXWgQbczI8lMq_gzVmpJFMkOhkEZE_THIP6IEsvRNEZoxtQGLiE7amrtGkXpctvz9f8bygMIFDBP5wO-/s400/d4.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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He silences the XO, who bows his head obediently, then the captain takes the ceremonial-looking knife from the front of the XO's uniform. The captain takes out his own knife and holds them up.</div>
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"Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra." He transports away.</div>
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A moment later, so does Picard.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damn, look at the side-eye on that XO.</td></tr>
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"The fuck?" yells Riker. "Shields up!"</div>
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"Can't do it, " says Worf, "too late!"</div>
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"Crap, where did he go?" demands Riker.</div>
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"Both captains are on the surface of the planet," reports Data. "And we can't beam them out because the Tamarians have put up a scattering field in the ionosphere."</div>
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Down on the planet, Picard looks around. He steps from behind a bush to see the Tamarian captain. The captain holds the knives aloft.</div>
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Dramatic music! Opening credits!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYluffcKYzDPx_H9Y5Plqb2lsE33NvHMWbCsuQGR1NS7FcuIml0Tdw2YoN3-epfGL2nLeAhtRxOpYXyRoh3lXUkGZ_Jr2gMTDYNGqPdVjSQqJcnVKibgd8pFDm3V0dh9Qie7IjKiYJDEx/s1600/d7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYluffcKYzDPx_H9Y5Plqb2lsE33NvHMWbCsuQGR1NS7FcuIml0Tdw2YoN3-epfGL2nLeAhtRxOpYXyRoh3lXUkGZ_Jr2gMTDYNGqPdVjSQqJcnVKibgd8pFDm3V0dh9Qie7IjKiYJDEx/s400/d7.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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On the E, Riker goes into overdrive: how can he fix this? And what exactly is he fixing?</div>
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Data reports that, because of the scattering field, there is no way to communicate with the surface, from either ship. But the Tamarians have left things open for sensors, so they can tell if their captain is in good health still.</div>
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Worf surmises that it might be a contest between champions, Picard vs the Tamarian.</div>
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Ugh, is this fucking "<a href="https://warpspeedtononsense.blogspot.com/2013/12/season-1-episode-19-arena.html" target="_blank">Arena</a>" again?</div>
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"Theirs was armed," says Riker ominously.</div>
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On the surface, the Tamrian captain repeats "Darmok and Jalad," while holding up the knives.</div>
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"You want to fight me?" asks Picard. He sounds a bit aggressive, but he's pretty sure he was just kidnapped by an alien whose language is beyond his reach, and who is armed.</div>
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"Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra," says the captain. He tosses a knife at Picard, underhand, so that it lands at his feet.</div>
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"Noop," says Picard. He tosses the knife back. "Not fighting you."</div>
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The Tamarian sighs and puts the knife back in its sheath on the front of his uniform. "Shaka. When the walls fell."</div>
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This is not going well. Annoyed, he walks away.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6APDkv6nn7vU8c0RBxukVYu7KDhoXG5hnje5ALtVtsV2ycmIU1vwlzeKF35eWagqvqz2E4YazagyINRiauR3VIUKVBVXsFD3lqMMcnwcIRVpnZR7GJx03_WQ6rINy3H9tsybiIraaet03/s1600/d8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="413" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6APDkv6nn7vU8c0RBxukVYu7KDhoXG5hnje5ALtVtsV2ycmIU1vwlzeKF35eWagqvqz2E4YazagyINRiauR3VIUKVBVXsFD3lqMMcnwcIRVpnZR7GJx03_WQ6rINy3H9tsybiIraaet03/s400/d8.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Data tells Riker that both captains are in good health, and some 60 feet away from one another.</div>
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Riker asks Worf to hail the Tamarian ship.</div>
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"You kidnapped our captain, we want him back," he snaps at the Tamarian XO.</div>
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"Kiteo. His eyes closed," says the XO. "Chenza at court. The court of silence." When Riker does not respond to his words, the XO gets angry. "Chenza!"</div>
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"Crap, I can't communicate," says a frustrated Riker.</div>
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"We'd have to look into it further," says Data.</div>
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Riker decides to have Worf assemble some Gold Shirts and take a shuttle down to get Picard.</div>
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"They stopped us from stopping their transporter," Data points out. "They can stop a shuttle."</div>
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"Yeah," says Riker, "but I'm hoping they won't."</div>
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It's nighttime on the surface, and the Tamarian has started a small fire and set up camp for himself. A bit away, Picard is a good little Boy Scout, rubbing a stick in some dry grass to make his own little flame. It goes out, and he tosses the stick away in frustration.</div>
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"What now?" he asks the Tamarian. "Am I going to freeze to death before you can kill me?"</div>
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The Tamarian chuckles. "Shaka. When the walls fell."</div>
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"Yeah, yeah. Shaka," Picard agrees in irritation.</div>
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The Tamarian gets up. "Darmok at Kanza. Jalad at the Kiteo?"</div>
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Picard is at a loss. "Picard of the Federation? Of the starship Enterprise? Of the planet Earth?"</div>
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They're both really trying here, but it's obvious they're not getting through to one another.</div>
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The Tamarian turns away and mutters, "Kadir beneath Mo Moteh."</div>
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He takes off the pins he was wearing, and does a little ritualistic movement over them before setting them out around his encampment, probably for protection. Picard watches with interest.</div>
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The Tamarian settles down to sleep, but he can hear Picard pacing to keep warm. Maybe a different kind of diplomacy? He gets up and grabs a stick from his fire, then tosses it in Picard's direction.</div>
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"Temba," he says, gesturing at the stick.</div>
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Picard pauses. "Does Temba mean fire?"</div>
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"Temba," says the Tamarian again. "His arms wide."</div>
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"Temba's a person?" says Picard in surprise. "His arms wide? In like... generosity? In giving? In taking!"</div>
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He picks up the flaming stick. "Thank you!"</div>
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The Tamarian grins.</div>
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Fuck yeah, communication. And they'll do some more in the morning.</div>
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Hopeful music! Commercial break!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiP4bZVqRGnB_-eX6vCyOfml_rmFEIecwdzWNBegoWa5jf8vVfRDg8VG0-H_ICxrnc-FIpwHLcey095Q9xC6_BX7e6yuDiOoR4y_RxdiWyHvid_E7pCHDNRWlR29l0TC7BH-pfEeo004x/s1600/d10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="415" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiP4bZVqRGnB_-eX6vCyOfml_rmFEIecwdzWNBegoWa5jf8vVfRDg8VG0-H_ICxrnc-FIpwHLcey095Q9xC6_BX7e6yuDiOoR4y_RxdiWyHvid_E7pCHDNRWlR29l0TC7BH-pfEeo004x/s400/d10.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Riker's Log, supplemental: "Sending down a shuttle to get Picard."</div>
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Riker puts Worf and another Gold in a shuttle and sends them down. Everything is going well, and they know they will lose communication once they get inside the ionosphere. But the Tamarians shoot phasers at the shuttle.</div>
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"We're hit," says Worf. "The starboard nacelle is not working. We can land, but not take off again."</div>
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"The hell?" asks Riker. "That's it? Okay, limp it back home."</div>
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"They adjusted the phasers so that they'd cripple the shuttle, but not harm the people inside," says Data.</div>
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The senior officers meet in the Obs Lounge.</div>
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"I think I can boost up the transporter to punch through that field, but it'll take like a day to do it," says La Forge.</div>
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"He could be dead by then," objects Troi.</div>
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Girl, you've sensed these people. You really sure they're going to kill him?</div>
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"I don't think so," says Worf. "He's a hella good warrior."</div>
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Riker and Worf get into it: Worf wants to attack the Tamarian ship, Riker doesn't want to start an interstellar war. It ends when Riker says he'll consider firing on the Tamarians as a last resort. Worf makes an "okay, I guess" gesture.</div>
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Riker finally assigns Troi and Data to research the Tamarians and try to come up with something by morning.</div>
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Downstairs, Picard wakes up. It is morning, and his campfire has gone out. The Tamarian captain is gone. He makes his way over to the Tamarian's encampment, and offers an apology for intruding. He checks out the pins, but they have no meaning for him. Then he notices a journal of some kind, and sits down to look at it.</div>
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Upstairs, Troi and Data are going over the footage of the conversation between the Tamarians. Troi points out that Darmok seems to be the focus of an argument between the captain and XO. Troi asks Majel for Darmok entries in this sector, and Majel begins her list. It's 47 entries long.</div>
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Troi sighs. For all of their fancy translation tech, and their experience of meeting other cultures in space, they can't seem to communicate with this one species. And that's the thing: the universal translator is working fine, giving them the names of places and people, utilizing pronouns and other articles of language, but the context is missing. And one wrong word in the wrong place could lead to bad times.</div>
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Data asks Majel to Google Tanagra: a ruling class on planet A, a drink on planet B, an island on Shantil III.</div>
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"Hold the fucking combadge," says Troi. "Cross-reference with Darmok?"</div>
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"Darmok is a mythohistorical hunter on Shantil III," says Majel.</div>
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"Fuck yeah," smiles Troi.</div>
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On the planet's surface, Picard has discovered that the journal is a captain's log. The Tamarian comes running up.</div>
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"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean -" Picard begins.</div>
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"Shaka." The Tamarian knocks the log from Picard's hand: they have better things to do right now. He tries to push the other knife into Picard's hand. "Temba!"</div>
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"No, we're not fighting -"</div>
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But there's a roar nearby, seemingly coming from all around.</div>
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"Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra."</div>
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The roaring continues, and some rocks fall from the top of a nearby hill.</div>
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"Temba, his arms wide." The Tamarian gestures at Picard with the knife again.</div>
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"Sounds good." Picard takes the knife.</div>
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Upstairs, Worf tells Riker that there's an electro-magnetic force heading for Picard's position.</div>
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"Like a life-form. It's appearing and disappearing, but getting closer to the captain."</div>
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"Attacking him?"</div>
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Worf nods.</div>
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Riker calls La Forge. "How long on that boosted transporter?"</div>
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"Two, maybe three hours?"</div>
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"I need it now."</div>
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"Crap. Okay, give me like, two minutes? It... will probably not work, though."</div>
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Riker and Worf discuss the fact that they'll tip off the Tamarians as to what they're doing if they try this, but both agree that they need to try.</div>
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Riker gives the go-ahead, and tells O'Brien to stand by.</div>
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Picard and the Tamarian are holding their ground with daggers out, and some kind of... blurry thing appears behind them briefly.</div>
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"Mirab, with sails unfurled?" asks the Tamarian.</div>
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Picard gestures for the other captain to come closer to him.</div>
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"Shaka, when the walls fell."</div>
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The blurry thing appears on their other side, the disappears again.</div>
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"Y'all, you said that before. Does "Shaka, when the walls fell" mean failure?"</div>
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"Darmok," says the Tamarian, "and Jalad..."</div>
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"At Tenagra, yeah," says Picard. The Tamarian seems to celebrate, but Picard is frustrated. "I know the words but I have no context!"</div>
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Upstairs, La Forge and Lefler have almost got the transporter hack running, and they have O'Brien at the ready.</div>
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Downstairs, Picard and the Tamarian are almost surrounded by the beast thing, which keeps phasing in and out of their space.</div>
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The Tamarian pushes Picard away from him. "Uzani! His army at Lashmir."</div>
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"Was it like this at Lashmir?" asks a breathless Picard, still trying to figure out what the Tamarian is saying.</div>
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The beast appears again, then disappears.</div>
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With a pause in the action, the Tamarian gestures. "Uzani, his fist open."</div>
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Picard starts making guesses. "To lure an enemy?"</div>
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The Tamarian gestures again. "Uzani, with fist closed."</div>
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"To attack?" Picard ponders. "You communicate by examples and metaphors." He takes several steps away. "Uzani, with fist open."</div>
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The Tamarian whoops. "Sokath! His eyes uncovered!"</div>
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"Fuck yeah!" yells Picard.</div>
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The beast comes back, and they both begin attacking it with the daggers. Picard gets in a few stabs, but the beast knocks him back, shredding his shirt. (A very TNG throwback to "Arena": somehow, anytime Kirk's shirt rips across the front, we're stuck looking at his nipple. Picard's shirt is ripped across the abdomen. He is not a pin-up. Picard is sexy in other ways.)</div>
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The Tamarian gets in a few good stabs, and hell, he even head-butts the fucking thing. But when it knocks the Tamarian down, it keeps coming. Picard jumps up to run to his defense, but the E has shit timing, and tries to transport him away.</div>
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It isn't working. They've only got part of his pattern, and both La Forge and O'Brien report that they can't get any more. They're just kind of holding him in limbo while he watches that beast thing beat the everloving fuck out of the Tamarian captain. On the bridge, Worf reports that the life signs of the Tamarian are fading.</div>
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"WTF?" demands Riker. "They can see what's happening, are they just going to let him die?" </div>
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He has Worf open the channel.</div>
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"What are you doing? Your captain is hurt!"</div>
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"Kailash!" yells the XO. "When it rises."</div>
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"Damn, they hung up on us," says Worf.</div>
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O'Brien reports that he can't hold Picard any more, and they drop the transport.</div>
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As soon as Picard reappears, the beast finishes what it is doing, and takes off. </div>
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"Fuck fuck fuck fuck," says Picard, rushing to the Tamarian's side.</div>
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The Tamarian is bleeding. "Shaka..."</div>
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"...when the walls fell," Picard finishes quietly.</div>
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Riker's Log 45048.8: "Our transport hack didn't work, and I'm getting impatient with these people."</div>
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Riker calls a senior officer meeting in the Obs Lounge.</div>
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The skinny: the transporter thing failed, and tipped their hand to the Tamarians, who deepened the scattering field. Picard's life signs are fine, but the Tamarian captain is hurt, possibly dying. The beast has moved off, but if the Tamarian dies, Picard could be going up against the beast by himself.</div>
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"We need to attack their ship to get the scattering field turned off," says Worf again.</div>
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Riker doesn't want to cause an incident. "Can we knock out their equipment to shut it off without causing them harm?" he asks La Forge.</div>
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"It'd be like surgery, but I can adjust the phasers to do it. Worf and I could do it in a couple of hours."</div>
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He tells them to get on it, then turns to Troi and Data. "Can we resolve this without firing on them?"</div>
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Data and Troi explain that the Tamarians don't really have any sense of self-identity, and that they think and speak in examples from their own mythohistorical accounts.</div>
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"It's like saying <i>Juliet on her balcony</i>," Troi offers.</div>
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"You're referring to romance, but if you don't know who Juliet is or why she's on the balcony, then you won't get that it's about romance," says Crusher.</div>
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"Yep," says Troi. "We don't have context because we don't know their stories. We figured out that Darmok was a hunter, and Tanagra an island, but without the Tamarians to fill in the story, we'll never know what Darmok was doing there, or why it was important."</div>
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"And we're not in any position to ask them for storytime," sighs Riker.</div>
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It's nighttime planetside again, and the Tamarian is not doing well. He mentions Darmok and Jalad again, and Picard says he understands that they have something in common with the pair, but he now needs to know more to fully get it. He starts to ask in his own language for more, then realizes that that won't work.</div>
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"You said "Temba, his arms wide" when you gave me the fire and the dagger. Temba, his arms wide. Darmok." Picard makes a <i>give me </i>gesture.</div>
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<i>And it works.</i></div>
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"Darmok on the ocean," says the Tamarian.</div>
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Picard grabs a rock, declares it to be Darmok, then places it on the ground and draws a circle in the dirt around it. "That's the ocean. Darmok on the ocean. Is that... being alone? Isolated?"</div>
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The Tamarian doubles over in pain, and Picard jumps up, but he is waved away.</div>
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"Kiazi's children, their faces wet."</div>
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When things have settled, he asks for more about Darmok.</div>
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"Darmok on the ocean, Tanagra on the ocean. Darmok at Tenagra."</div>
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"A country?" Picard guesses. "Oh, an island! Temba!"</div>
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"Jalad on the ocean. Jalad at Tenagra."</div>
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"He... went to same island as Darmok?"</div>
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Now shit's getting serious. The Tamarian sits up. "The beast at Tenagra."</div>
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Picard is surprised. This is new. "Beast?" He lets this sink in. "They arrived separately. They fought the beast together. Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra."</div>
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The Tamarian finishes grandly. "Darmok and Jalad on the ocean."</div>
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Picard smiles. "They left together."</div>
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Sometimes I think going over these episodes with a fine-toothed comb will ruin the magic, but it never fails: I get chills when the Tamarian says "Darmok and Jalad on the ocean," and Picard realizes that they left as friends. It is so good, y'all. This episode is amazing.</div>
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The Tamarian is wracked with pain again, and doubles over. "Zinda! His face black, his eyes red!"</div>
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Picard jumps up again, but the Tamarian waves him away. "Callimas at Bahai."</div>
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There is a pause, and Picard surmises that the Tamarian knew this would happen. That there was a beast-thing here, and that when two people face a danger, it can bring them together.</div>
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"Kira at Bashi." The Tamarian points to his ear. "Temba, his arms wide."</div>
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Picard tries to decline the invitation to tell a story, but when the Tamarian looks disappointed, he thinks, "meh, why not?"</div>
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This scene is lovely. Picard becomes animated in his storytelling, and the Tamarian is fully engaged. The camera makes a big, slow swing in towards them and the campsite, then around the space, with close-ups on both Picard and the Tamarian. That's some damn good composition and camera work.</div>
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He tells the story of Gilgamesh, a king who annoyed his subjects. They asked the gods for a friend for their king so he would leave them alone. Enkidu, a wildman, came to the city, and he and Gilgamesh fought. They became friends. They went out adventuring. They decided to take on the Great Bull of Heaven, who was killing people. They fought the bull, but Enkidu was struck down by the gods, and Gilgamesh wept.</div>
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The Tamarian, who was enjoying the story immensely, takes his last breath as Picard finishes the </div>
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tale.</div>
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Dramatic music, commercial break.</div>
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Riker's Log, supplemental: "I'm out of options. I have to fire on the Tamarians and risk war."</div>
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The phaser hack is done, and they're preparing to fire.</div>
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"So the Tamarian died," Data reports.</div>
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"The Tamarians know that, too," says Riker. "They'd have to." He confirms with La Forge that they're ready with the phasers.</div>
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"Kayso, the electro-magnetic beast thing is heading for the captain," says Data.</div>
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On the surface, Picard has laid out the Tamarian, placed his dagger on his chest, and his hands on the dagger. There's a growl nearby.</div>
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"Fuck." If he dies, then no one will know the sacrifice that Tamarian captain made.</div>
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The beast starts appearing around him.</div>
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Shit starts happening in quick succession: </div>
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Data reports that the beast is closing in on Picard.</div>
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La Forge says that the phasers are ready.</div>
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Riker orders Worf to fire.</div>
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The phasers cut across the Tamarian ship.</div>
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The field is down.</div>
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The beast approaches.</div>
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Picard raises his dagger.</div>
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And O'Brien scoops him off the face of the planet just as the beast lunges.</div>
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Picard hops off the transporter pad.</div>
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On the bridge, the shields go up, but not before the Tamarians get a few shots in.</div>
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"Let's gtfo!" yells Riker.</div>
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"They took out our starboard nacelle," calls Data. "No warp available."</div>
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Fire is exchanged on either side, and the shields on the E fail. They can't take another hit.</div>
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The lift opens, and there's Picard. "Open the fucking channel."</div>
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When the channel is open, the Tamarian XO is pissed. "Zinda!"</div>
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"Temarc!" barks Picard. "The river Temarc. In winter."</div>
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This gives the XO pause. "Darmok..."</div>
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"And Jalad," Picard confirms. "At Tenagra."</div>
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"Sokath! His eyes open!" yells the XO joyously.</div>
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And Picard tells him the story. "The beast at Tenagra? Uzani. His army. Shaka, when the walls fell."</div>
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The Tamarians stop and make a ritualistic move with their daggers to mourn their fallen captain.</div>
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Picard holds up the captain's log, which he must have slipped into his jacket before laying out the Tamarian captain. "Temba, his arms wide."</div>
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The XO appears grateful, and signals to someone behind him. The journal materializes in the XO's hand. "Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel," he says somberly. "Mirab, with sails unfurled," he calls over his shoulder to his crew.</div>
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Picard holds up his dagger. "Temba, his arms wide."</div>
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"Thank you," says Picard quietly.</div>
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The power comes back on. The Tamarians prepare to leave and close the channel.</div>
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Picard and Riker take their seats.</div>
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"New friends?" asks Riker.</div>
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"Not sure," says Picard. "But at least they're not new enemies."</div>
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Picard is reading in his ready room when Riker comes in to give him a damage report. Picard sets down his book and Riker notices that he's reading the Homeric hymns.</div>
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"Practice for when we see the Tamarians again?" smiles Riker.</div>
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"I was just thinking about the fact that so much of that helped shape our own culture. It might be helpful in understanding them better." He pauses. "You know, Dathon was willing to risk all of our lives just to communicate. And his sacrifice means that we may have made a new ally. That was more important to him than his own life."</div>
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Riker leaves, and Picard picks up the dagger on his desk. He goes to the window, and performs the ritual that he saw the Tamarian crewmembers do, to honor his friend Dathon.</div>
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*If you haven't seen this episode before, or if you have and don't quite understand Tamarian, I've quoted them word for word in this blog entry, and you can pick up on what they're saying based on tone and repeat of words and phrases. A few of these I never quite picked up on, despite many viewings, and was surprised when I found the translation list.<br />
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Shaka, when the walls fell = failure, a screwing of the pooch<br />
Rai and Jiri = some kind of peace talk, a meeting of cultures<br />
Kadir beneath Mo Moteh = they/ you/ I don't understand<br />
The river Temarc in winter = frozen, stop, stfu<br />
Chenza at court, the court of silence = not listening<br />
Mirab, with sails unfurled = leaving<br />
Uzani, his army at Lashmir = a tactical spreading out of soldiers<br />
Uzani, his fist open = to lure an enemy<br />
Uzani, his fist closed = to attack an enemy<br />
Temba, his arms wide/open = to give<br />
Sokath, his eyes open = to see, to understand<br />
Zima at Anzo, Zima and Bakor = bad shit arises from bad communication<br />
Kailash, when it rises = a sacrifice<br />
Kiteo, his eyes closed = refusing to understand<br />
Darmok on the ocean = being alone or isolated<br />
Kiazi's children, their faces wet = crying for no reason, nothing to worry about, nothing you can do<br />
Zinda, his face black, his eyes red = anger, pain, knowing that life will not continue<br />
Callimas at Bahi = I'm fine, the pain is gone<br />
Temba at rest = no, thank you; keep it<br />
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Y'all, I love this episode so much. So fucking, fucking much. I'd say this is my favorite episode, but it's tied for first with "Inner Light," which bookends this season. So many awesome episodes this season!<br />
Just in case you're thinking, "those are both Picard-centric episodes," you're right. I love Picard episodes. And this one is just great Star Trek all around: mysterious new alien species; creative ways around communication; some hand-to-hand combat that doesn't get tiring (long-time readers will recall that I hated TOS' H2H combat scenes that went on forever); space battles that show off model work; special effects. And it's well-balanced. We get all of those things, but they don't seem to drag to the episode down by giving us too much of each. It's just plain good storytelling, done well.<br />
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If you've ever looked up "Darmok" online, you'll know that people love to write about how this episode predicted meme culture. It's kind of the only thing that people talk about when talking about this episode, which is a shame. They're also pretty short, and say the same thing, which is "we talk like Tamarians when we use memes!"... and then don't follow through with anything else. In fact, when I went looking for more thoughts on the ideas presented in this episode, the only article I found that actually delved into it further was <a href="http://twincitiesgeek.com/2018/05/how-star-trek-the-next-generation-predicted-meme-culture/" target="_blank">this one</a> from 2018. While a darling of linguists, "Darmok" presents a weird problem: that you can't really build an entire language by citing example. You'd need another way to communicate more specific ideas. (Could you modify it to be more specific? "Shaka, when one brick slipped off the wall" for when you fail just a little?) While Memory Alpha apocrypha anthology "The Sky's the Limit" gives the answer for the Tamarians learning these stories through plays, it's never explained here in the show how they came to learn them. We're not given any follow-up on the Tamarians.<br />
To be honest, it doesn't really other me. Would I be interested in following it up with more reading on the subject? Absolutely. Have I actually thought about running a seminar where participants have a conversation in a shared mythology context, say in Harry Potter examples at LeakyCon, the Harry Potter convention? Maybe. Do I think it could be done in quite a few fandom groups, given that the world used for the context of the examples is expansive enough? I do. Do I think that shit would be fun? Fuck yeah.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnD7fUN-etpcem4dqVKSqL8ZDtrDTfUYF4N58hmohW0pKjoefDOgNmb9qDf_3ku3lkxaQeWXxpZ_geheGPQtLLttzNhQziblMDMfbt3uI1olLGPgyM8UUibeR1hQH9aHiLUpxTCkcem5Cu/s1600/darmok+meme.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="961" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnD7fUN-etpcem4dqVKSqL8ZDtrDTfUYF4N58hmohW0pKjoefDOgNmb9qDf_3ku3lkxaQeWXxpZ_geheGPQtLLttzNhQziblMDMfbt3uI1olLGPgyM8UUibeR1hQH9aHiLUpxTCkcem5Cu/s320/darmok+meme.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shockingly accurate</td></tr>
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Because I'm all about the aesthetics, let's talk about the costume department for this episode. I'm really into Dathon's uniform. From far away, it appears to have a few little details, but none of them jump out at you or look cluttered. His shirt appears to be some kind of faux leather in hunter green and grey, with silhouettes of some pattern on the sleeves. Then he has a kind of wrap-around vest, a belt, and a holster for his dagger.<br /><br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbxl1FNFYkSoJE6TsOhSpFXBpZfxAX_0cJ_leyM7s5NNsJw7_cwmfJmjP4ZBv9IyTmLyN_ZsHOikWD19eidUjT96yKOU42KAaxZpTkb6oKzQncCfkpzNuw8kvTdpCKCmJF8AJMoey9gA3/s1600/dathon+uniform.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="417" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbxl1FNFYkSoJE6TsOhSpFXBpZfxAX_0cJ_leyM7s5NNsJw7_cwmfJmjP4ZBv9IyTmLyN_ZsHOikWD19eidUjT96yKOU42KAaxZpTkb6oKzQncCfkpzNuw8kvTdpCKCmJF8AJMoey9gA3/s400/dathon+uniform.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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In close-up shots you can see his vest decoration. The part that lays underneath is covered with what I thought were colorful dots embroidered on, but what turned out to be colored grommets. The part of the vest that layers on top is decorated with colored stripes. The attention to detail here is nice, and I imagine that to the Tamarians, quite a bit of it was probably imbued with deeper meaning.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrnKp8FNL27XfZqTB9ZDtoyOU8bLKv8ZaTa-ivoYWweVvfpI4lxBg03fRi2TsxZ-InSZzZ-5vxdL-ptRiFm0OtF-GOWHtV0-9l5Gyb_-nCGTjsuyGSXAQBy77o-HRLTpxAtlkihW9WzAs/s1600/dathon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="420" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrnKp8FNL27XfZqTB9ZDtoyOU8bLKv8ZaTa-ivoYWweVvfpI4lxBg03fRi2TsxZ-InSZzZ-5vxdL-ptRiFm0OtF-GOWHtV0-9l5Gyb_-nCGTjsuyGSXAQBy77o-HRLTpxAtlkihW9WzAs/s400/dathon.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have mixed feelings about Picard's new captain's uniform, introduced in this episode. Do I hate it? No, I think I just like the regular uniform better. I've noticed that when they want to try a new uniform style, they'll put it on Patrick Stewart first, and switch the other actors over after. (In some cases, you can see season one uniforms on background actors through season four.) In this case, the change was suggested by Stewart himself, who had trouble with the one-piece uniforms, and producer David Livingston remarked that the jacket combo was reminiscent of submarine and aircraft commanders, who sometimes have special jackets. (If we're comparing TOS and TNG Casual Friday Captain Shirts, then Picard wins hands down. I really did not love that green shirt on Kirk.)</div>
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The coat over shirt approach is quite a bit more casual than the solid uniform jacket that zips up the back rather than front, and the fabrics are different, with a suede comprising the bulk, and a black leather quilted shoulder.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKQlbXovdj5_u5RIxEGQrFVC-bSG2rMf0TPgG1kv7nQrylI6fiUfv5k4MvnFDrcw2Znv02-Ph0VhIGl7uotYMfHjQlbxjE9SJcKBLQiu3srh38plmD0dR26fNy7ll2C9AJvhGuWGWQe0G/s1600/picard%2527s+jacket.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="418" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKQlbXovdj5_u5RIxEGQrFVC-bSG2rMf0TPgG1kv7nQrylI6fiUfv5k4MvnFDrcw2Znv02-Ph0VhIGl7uotYMfHjQlbxjE9SJcKBLQiu3srh38plmD0dR26fNy7ll2C9AJvhGuWGWQe0G/s400/picard%2527s+jacket.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The shirt underneath is grey and, although looser than the standard uniform, is styled the same, with the solid color on the bottom, and the black yoke at the shoulder and collar. Only here, the yoke and collar are textured. It's either a sweater material, or corduroy. I can't tell, honestly.</div>
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The whole ensemble is not terrible, but I feel like the double layer of textured yokes would get bulky and the whole thing seems hot.</div>
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This combo will be seen in four episodes, then disappear without a trace.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZhgksKCsG_ycSLJ-9Lz2lf_25ezJ3-Ub-Ct9ehZGbsMwoWD6IBZCnXjVQuk-01h2tEOlK1w1MEQImos3JhR8w4BBew9o811eoQ-yITVwW8VTwoqIOkFtyxdqFWrRkTdAQKko787VPAL8/s1600/dathon+and+picard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="415" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZhgksKCsG_ycSLJ-9Lz2lf_25ezJ3-Ub-Ct9ehZGbsMwoWD6IBZCnXjVQuk-01h2tEOlK1w1MEQImos3JhR8w4BBew9o811eoQ-yITVwW8VTwoqIOkFtyxdqFWrRkTdAQKko787VPAL8/s400/dathon+and+picard.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Fun Facts:<br />
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- This episode is one of the longest to come to fruition from script to filming. They toyed with the script for two years before reaching a finished product that they liked. It was based on writer Philip LaZebnik's premise of the inability to communicate between two peoples. Rick Berman hated the premise, but Michael Piller thought it was interesting, and gave it to Joe Menosky to work out. Menosky created the monkeywrench that the Tamarians spoke in allusion and metaphor drawn only from their own mythology. Rick Berman would eventually admit that he loved the finished episode.<br />
- Menosky drew inspiration from three sources for his allegory theory:<br />
- the work of psychologist James Hillman<br />
- the quote "every word is a poem"<br />
- Chinese poetry and philosophical works.<br />
- Michael Piller called Darmok "the prototype of what Star Trek should be." It had a monster, a space battle, top-notch performances from great actors, and a message of communication between peoples.<br />
- The story of Gilgamesh comes from the ancient Babylonian poem "The Epic of Gilgamesh," and the tale of Gilgamesh and Enkido mirrors that of Darmok and Jilad, as well as Picard and Dathon; two enemies come together to fight a foe and become friends before one is killed and mourned by the other.<br />
- Paul Winfield (Dathon) previously played Capt Terrell on Wrath of Khan. (Remember him? He and Chekov had ceti eels in their ears which brainwashed them. He later died via self-inflicted phaser wound.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKASAh7SC5iFbSpzOeBLJV1lTLF1KjUHpVZCjSFsfq5OVp-tEc6rww8y6JnfZZbK5xFuxQNmr8T-GkbLQq7sdQAsSoFSq10ZMgCxC8128pOWfvG3ej17_Enqr0PHZ2ZHh-0dyx_ctcR5c/s1600/Capt+Terrell.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKASAh7SC5iFbSpzOeBLJV1lTLF1KjUHpVZCjSFsfq5OVp-tEc6rww8y6JnfZZbK5xFuxQNmr8T-GkbLQq7sdQAsSoFSq10ZMgCxC8128pOWfvG3ej17_Enqr0PHZ2ZHh-0dyx_ctcR5c/s1600/Capt+Terrell.png" /></a></div>
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- Patrick Stewart felt this episode was award-worthy. Have to agree.<br />
- Robin Lefler is played Ashley Judd. She'll feature heavily in the upcoming episode "The Game."<br />
- This is the first episode to feature the alternate captain's uniform of a grey shirt under an open cranberry jacket. The jacket here is a suede material and the black shoulder parts are some kind of leather-looking material. In future episodes, the leather material will be replaced by black suede.<br />
- First appearance of the Type 6 shuttlecraft. It looks like a bulbasaur, just sayin.'<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWcseiPXkOUqpl8eo4d4oB3P9JkwNgFjNOZjwC5Ykzt7JZmvKntbkbZ5yqaZaGBDUb_ZzY_rCVXKeYYUkZ2DjaHMNccoohCqyfMbMVnblEZQ3TuquUh2bKH4sKIQy9Hh6dJpcPN3Dx_pt/s1600/type+6+shuttlecraft.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="402" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWcseiPXkOUqpl8eo4d4oB3P9JkwNgFjNOZjwC5Ykzt7JZmvKntbkbZ5yqaZaGBDUb_ZzY_rCVXKeYYUkZ2DjaHMNccoohCqyfMbMVnblEZQ3TuquUh2bKH4sKIQy9Hh6dJpcPN3Dx_pt/s320/type+6+shuttlecraft.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7u5Bre-hQQsIp_FCDAL_qsTHa4_OuAuRGN90Sy6BajHb-F04NMoQyhyphenhyphenMRVeVtjy2FVXv-OAcP0ZAbAThFXhj3DO9aApeD0IAG9RjziM4yz513JwOvrTRMGWy9ljxXaHGIEQ66UFe-BqSu/s1600/yo-c-yossi-levi-bulbasaur-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7u5Bre-hQQsIp_FCDAL_qsTHa4_OuAuRGN90Sy6BajHb-F04NMoQyhyphenhyphenMRVeVtjy2FVXv-OAcP0ZAbAThFXhj3DO9aApeD0IAG9RjziM4yz513JwOvrTRMGWy9ljxXaHGIEQ66UFe-BqSu/s320/yo-c-yossi-levi-bulbasaur-pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art by Yossi Levi</td></tr>
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- This is the first appearance of Data's redesigned quarters. The previous ones were taken to be used in Star Trek 6, and then destroyed. (Given how often they reuse and redress Star Trek sets between series and films, it seems strange to me that they would destroy them. The only reason I can think of for doing so would be lack of a place to store them.)<br />
- Director Winrich Kolbe had mixed feelings about this episode. He thought the story was great, but struggled to film an episode where the actors essentially speak a different language. He likened it to directing a film in Russian without actually being able to speak and understand Russian.<br />
- This episode is often used by linguistics teachers to teach the differences in understanding language.<br />
- Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies was so intrigued with the billing blurb for this episode that he deliberately did not watch the episode, choosing instead to think about the idea on his own:<br />
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<span style="background-color: #2e2e33; color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">"</span><i style="background-color: #2e2e33; border: 0px; color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I've seen lots of </i><span style="background-color: #2e2e33; color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">Star Trek: The Next Generation</span><i style="background-color: #2e2e33; border: 0px; color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, I think it's a lovely show – but there's one episode, the billing for which is so fascinating I've actively avoided ever seeing it,</i><span style="background-color: #2e2e33; color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">" Davies explained. "</span><i style="background-color: #2e2e33; border: 0px; color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I love the idea so much, I'd rather think about it. Forever. The episode is called 'Darmok', and the synopsis simply says that Captain Picard is trapped on a planet with an alien who can only talk in metaphors. Wow. That sounds brilliant. How does that work? What happens? How does it end? I've got no idea – not seen it! But it keeps resonating with me. I've just looked up its TX date, and it's almost 20 years old. I've been thinking about that story and its potential for almost 20 years! Would it have sustained itself for that long in my head if I'd seen it on BBC2, long ago in 1991? I think the mystery keeps the concept alive. Here I am, still wondering, right now! And I can see the idea bleeding into my own work. In 2008, I wrote a </i><span style="background-color: #2e2e33; color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">Doctor Who</span><i style="background-color: #2e2e33; border: 0px; color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> episode called 'Midnight'. Is it like 'Darmok'? I don't know. But stripped down to its essentials, it's a story about a hero, an alien, and words. That's practically the same billing. Maybe the two shows are profoundly different, but I know for a fact that all those years of wondering about 'Darmok' led me to that script.</i><span style="background-color: #2e2e33; color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">" (</span><i style="background-color: #2e2e33; border: 0px; color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">SFX</i><span style="background-color: #2e2e33; color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">, issue #200, p. 140)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI1dHLS32sEUt4vm69bZXj1PAebVEh4sw2R99VtKsRoh_5lG4bPHBcERt1N2huSPSX6oIf0vvWk7mfmxIBXZJ7PL-lmUCgXb_jxnBIoLHfqFWIqPq3xic8A-ahPK1F823eTTZS42GFINF/s1600/Doctor-Who-Midnight.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI1dHLS32sEUt4vm69bZXj1PAebVEh4sw2R99VtKsRoh_5lG4bPHBcERt1N2huSPSX6oIf0vvWk7mfmxIBXZJ7PL-lmUCgXb_jxnBIoLHfqFWIqPq3xic8A-ahPK1F823eTTZS42GFINF/s400/Doctor-Who-Midnight.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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As both a Trek fan and a Whovian, I can say that I've watched both, but never realized that they shared a root concept. However, I love that two works based off of the same concept came out so differently. It's something that I've always been fond of, and liked particularly in art school when the class was given the same assignment, and all turned in things that were loosely related, but totally individual.<br />
Also, Russell: you should watch Darmok.<br />
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Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
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Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: </div>
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Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
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Sassy Wes Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0</div>
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Sassy Worf Moment: 0<br />
To date: </div>
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Sassy Riker Moments: 0<br />
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Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: </div>
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Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
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Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
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Sassy Guinan Moments:<br />
To Date:<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 0<br />
To date: 3</div>
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Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 0<br />
To date: 3</div>
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Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 1<br />
To date: 1</div>
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Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 1<br />
To date: 1<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 0<br />
To date:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQjTmFEwD_tHVAJ39hrRNo88HK79g001mo4bKjBb2uQeX3PLrlIvs7tuOqWwG-a9c-vltr8SN9gb5nEUVb1UOTWt33Kl9bPzUaoIQnN8jgNgd1abRfn6FvtBFe_VdoXpPnZx-mnhZs6U5/s1600/Mona+and+Micelli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQjTmFEwD_tHVAJ39hrRNo88HK79g001mo4bKjBb2uQeX3PLrlIvs7tuOqWwG-a9c-vltr8SN9gb5nEUVb1UOTWt33Kl9bPzUaoIQnN8jgNgd1abRfn6FvtBFe_VdoXpPnZx-mnhZs6U5/s400/Mona+and+Micelli.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awwww, yeah! Mona and Micelli are getting a home!</td></tr>
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Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2003285003112358537.post-7407260720555768462020-04-28T21:57:00.002-07:002020-04-28T21:57:33.314-07:00ST:TNG Season Five, Episode One "Redemption II"ST:TNG Season Five, Episode One "Redemption II"<br />
Production Order: 1<br />
Air Order: 1<br />
Stardate: 45021.3<br />
Original Air Date: September 23, 1991<br />
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Sorry for the last post this week.<br />
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<br />
So a recap, because season four ended on a cliffhanger:<br />
Gowron is going to be made the Chancellor for the Klingon Empire (as per Picard's choice as arbiter for the Rite of Succession in the episode Reunion). However, the family of Duras objects, because they say that Duras had a secret son, Toral, who now claims the Chancellorship. Picard doesn't want to become involved again, but he looks at the laws anyway, and is like, "hell no, you're not Chancellor. You can't just claim leadership because your father wanted to do so. Shit doesn't work like that. Also, you're like 12? What honorable deeds have you done for the Empire? None, that's how many. GTFO of here with your claim."<br />
So Toral's gang is headed up by his aunts, Duras' sisters, Lursa and B'Etor. They're pretty fucking fabulous, but also sketchy as Duras. Clearly, this crap runs in the family. Also in Toral's gang? Romulans. Including the Shadowy Commander from "The Mind's Eye."<br />
Worf asks Gowron to restore his honor, now that he is going to be Chancellor. Gowron was unaware that Duras and his shit were behind the whole discommendation thing, and he's disgusted that it's gone down that way, but he can't do the thing: lots of people on the council still support the Duras family, and he needs their support.<br />
Annoyed at not being able to establish a fucking 12-year-old as the head of the Empire, the Duras sisters, with backup from other petaQs who lack honor, attack Gowron's ship to take the Chancellorship by force.<br />
Worf to Gowron: "My brother Kurn has a bunch of ships who could kick the ass of the Duras gang. My price is restoring my family's name."<br />
Picard to Worf: "I know you were on leave to try to get your name restored, but you gotta come back to the E so we can leave. We can't get caught in a Klingon civil war."<br />
Worf to Picard: "Guess I gotta resign my commission, bro. Gowron has a place for me on his ship."<br />
Kurn and his gang show up. There's a small skirmish, and the Duras family backs off.<br />
Gowron is made Chancellor. He restores honor to the House of Mogh.<br />
The Shadowy Commander is revealed.<br />
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Dramatic music! Let's get back into it!</div>
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Some time has passed, and now Worf has been assigned to Kurn's ship. We open in a battle that is going poorly for Kurn. Worf recommends retreating, but Kurn yells at him for not knowing his place. Instead, Kurn has the helm set to fly into the nearest sun.</div>
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Everybody on board: "WTF?"</div>
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Worf is yelling out computer specs: "Shields failing. Outer hull temperature exceeding design specifications!" Which is... unintentionally funny. </div>
Kurn has them fly hella close to the surface of the sun, close enough to kick up some solar flares, and because those two ships were riding their asses, they fly right into those solar flares, and die (dis)honorably in battle.<br />
(If you die during a Klingon civil war, is your death considered honorable? Is it up to the victors to write your history, or is it still considered (somewhat) honorable because you died in battle? Do you go to Sto'vo'kor, with occasional visits from Fek'lhr? Do you join the Barge of the Dead to Gre'thor, but you get to sit in business class? Is there a Klingon Medium Place?)<br />
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Picard's Log 45020.4: "Went to a starbase to convince Admiral Shanthi to let us get involved with this Klingon thing."<br />
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See, this is where I'm #TeamPicard. He spent the last episode telling Gowron and Worf that he couldn't get involved, even though he knew he should, because he knew that just straight-up getting involved would not bode well. Here, he has a good plan, which he explains to Admiral Shanthi: that they go to the Klingon-Romulan border and form a blockade to cut off the supplies from the Romulans to the Duras family. Involved, but also not.<br />
"But the Roms have cloaking devices," Shanthi argues.<br />
"Yeah, but my chief engineer has a theory - each ship sends out a tachyon beam to the others, so we form this kind of net. If the Roms attempt to fly through it, they'll light up like a fucking Christmas tree."<br />
Shanthi is hesitant to jump in (the Klingons are allies, but this is clearly an internal matter), but Picard convinces her that the Duras family, long thought allied with the Romulans, would destroy the peace treaty between the Klingons and the Federation.<br />
She finally agrees to talk to the other admirals, and gives him permission to assemble a fleet.<br />
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Dramatic music! Opening credits break!<br />
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Picard's Log 45021.3: "Okay, so convincing Starfleet to do the thing wasn't too hard, but now getting ships is sucking hard."<br />
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Riker, La Forge and Data are in the ready room with Picard, helping him form his fleet.<br />
"Kayso, there are only like 12 ships in this quadrant within a day's travel," says Riker.<br />
La Forge adds that any others are in dry dock or in for repairs, and a lot of them don't have full crews assigned to them.<br />
"Craaaap," says Picard. "Okay, we'll pull some of these ships listed for repair. Will, you're gonna command the Excalibur, and La Forge, you're gonna be his XO. Data, will you put together a list of experienced Enterprise crewmen that we could put on those other ships to round out those crews? I want a fleet ready by tomorrow, and it looks like we only get 20 ships or so."<br />
They all agree, and Riker and La Forge leave.<br />
"So hey," says Data. "You've said that there's a severe shortage of senior officers to command ships in this fleet, but you didn't assign me to lead a ship. Technically, my 26 years of service would mean that I am qualified."<br />
"Oh. Um. I thought your services would be best suited here."<br />
But Data cuts to the heart of the matter, "If you don't think that Starfleet is ready for an android captain, I can work on getting my shit up to snuff -"<br />
"Um, actually the Sutherland needs a captain. I think you'll be awesome in that position."<br />
"Cool."<br />
Data leaves to compile his list, and Picard is left looking a bit sheepish.<br />
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Down on Qo'nos, Worf has entered some kind of social gathering (looks like a bar, but there is no physical bar? I think there are tables?). Everyone is drinking and arm wrestling and being rowdy, normal Klingons. Kurn introduces Worf to his drinking partner, Captain Larg.<br />
"Larg flies for the Duras family, he tried to kill us yesterday!"<br />
Kurn and Larg seem plenty cheerful, as well as kind of drunk.<br />
"Annnnd, you're drinking with him?" asks Worf.<br />
"Yeah, capital city is neutral ground, so here, we're not #TeamGowron or #TeamDuras, we're all #TeamWarrior!"<br />
Larg leaves and Worf updates Kurn on how the repairs to their ship is going.<br />
"Psht, that's duty shit," Kurn admonishes. "Have a drink and relax! Why are you so hung up on duty? I don't give a shit how repairs are going!"<br />
Worf eventually agrees to have a drink.<br />
Across the room, Lursa and B'Etor watch them and remark on how different the sons of Mogh are. They have designs on Worf.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbCaZCTW0U4iz0cqMaKC3w9f824MAHNWsYThxlNIuagJROkD2vpZikadTsQBlZNk30XZjNpgFez8Ys98U8jo_V6hK3hGzkduWviPXk1fkZb9VpFxNRemdgHB79OyIdJShpGdN5Hhkzvje/s1600/r25.4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="415" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbCaZCTW0U4iz0cqMaKC3w9f824MAHNWsYThxlNIuagJROkD2vpZikadTsQBlZNk30XZjNpgFez8Ys98U8jo_V6hK3hGzkduWviPXk1fkZb9VpFxNRemdgHB79OyIdJShpGdN5Hhkzvje/s400/r25.4.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kurn and Larg are like Klingon Catskills comedians.<br />Trade a barb, laugh like hell. Repeat.</td></tr>
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Data reports to the Sutherland and tells the XO, Lt Commander Christopher Hobson, that he'll be taking command, and to note it in the ship's log.<br />
"Um, I'd like to transfer," says Hobson.<br />
"How come?"<br />
"I... don't think I'd be a good first officer for you."<br />
That's... honest?<br />
"Okay, why?" asks Data. "Your service records are good, seems like you'd be a good fit."<br />
After dancing around the issue, Hobson finally comes out with it: he's automatonophobic.<br />
Remember that word? I had to go looking for it to describe Lt Maddox in "The Measure of a Man," and it translates to "fear of robots." It basically means "people that treat androids like toasters." Toasters that they beat with baseball bats for fun, because why not? They're toasters.<br />
"I understand your concerns," says Data in an almost soothing tone. But then because he's a cold motherfucker: "Request denied."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3qCXiTMn2pr0YAOhdET0mA7KSMT5Yu9Sb6cWcb92TqlHConzJTPxlatk_rGracYEJpIiFa93WQq0rqQ6ywMiL_xg2DhZNXl66yWY9qmDzGITHG-KZuXCfHUSUV8YnoChvpHtOqVuAfw5/s1600/r26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="418" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3qCXiTMn2pr0YAOhdET0mA7KSMT5Yu9Sb6cWcb92TqlHConzJTPxlatk_rGracYEJpIiFa93WQq0rqQ6ywMiL_xg2DhZNXl66yWY9qmDzGITHG-KZuXCfHUSUV8YnoChvpHtOqVuAfw5/s400/r26.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lt Commander Meatbag Privilege</td></tr>
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The fleet gets underway.<br />
This is a pretty sweet shot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZXvcDA7B9egJ3C4WbY_FLJPHOFv9sTZnwxlU_OAe9Js6v7hR1Iw5_aCWRozpS9WrjEcQW9qYsEYRDIdKL4FBG1am32M5AltldgnG60nlQPH6JcS-7NBoOZV21RaAxKek8cvC-P2YZjYY/s1600/r27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="417" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZXvcDA7B9egJ3C4WbY_FLJPHOFv9sTZnwxlU_OAe9Js6v7hR1Iw5_aCWRozpS9WrjEcQW9qYsEYRDIdKL4FBG1am32M5AltldgnG60nlQPH6JcS-7NBoOZV21RaAxKek8cvC-P2YZjYY/s400/r27.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What class ships does the script call for?"<br />"Just pull out any Federation model that isn't broken."</td></tr>
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Back on Qo'nos, the Duras sisters are concerned that their Romulan supplies aren't showing up quickly enough.<br />
"It's fine," says Sela. "It'll be fine."<br />
They get word that Picard has left starbase 234 with a small fleet of ships that are heading for Klingon space.<br />
Toral jumps in, ever the eager beaver. "Are they entering the war? Can we attack them?"<br />
"OMG, shut him up, or get him out of here," Sela barks.<br />
Are you paying attention, Toral? All of these people are using you. If you live to adulthood, you should fuck them up.<br />
Sela asks her assistant, General Movar, to go back to Romulus and rouse a bunch of ships, then to go to a set of coordinates she gives him.<br />
Lursa is looking at the padd with the info. "Picard only has 20 ships? We should be fine."<br />
"Don't discount Picard yet," says Sela.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQBYjuNPLoHClnp5KU3rlFN3LhSfnhoT1UMr9HlwfLuX7hzXDxwpKNzGaoiQmv5_f5O6ZWy21jDcJx3lb1Dv_cmKnAmOxKlxP_WeDhigcq-5EjB1uwoRP7YWfA_eScVqvOgNNnhJWgyZ5/s1600/r28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="414" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQBYjuNPLoHClnp5KU3rlFN3LhSfnhoT1UMr9HlwfLuX7hzXDxwpKNzGaoiQmv5_f5O6ZWy21jDcJx3lb1Dv_cmKnAmOxKlxP_WeDhigcq-5EjB1uwoRP7YWfA_eScVqvOgNNnhJWgyZ5/s400/r28.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the composition of this shot: Sela and Movar, calling the real shots;<br />Lursa and B'Etor, making secret plans without them;<br />and Toral, excluded in the corner, trying to see what's going on.</td></tr>
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Worf and Kurn report to Gowron on how things are going. Gowron is unhappy that Duras seems to be getting additional help from somewhere.<br />
"Maybe they just have better leadership!" yells a voice from the back. It's Kulge, some asshole that wants Gowron to know that he's a shitty leader.<br />
Gowron is psyched - a chance to cut a bitch? Yaaasss!<br />
"Y'all, really?" yells Worf. "Come on, we have a war to win. Fighting amongst ourselves isn't doing any good."<br />
"Gowron has to face this challenge," Kurn hisses at him.<br />
Gowron hops off the dais and they both produce knives, like this is Klingon West Side Story or something.<br />
But this is not how Worf is used to doing things. He's used to being the too violent, too impatient, too suspicious Klingon among talky humans. Now he's the too cautious, too patient, too talky Klingon-raised-by-humans.<br />
Gowron and Kulge go at one another.<br />
"Seriously?" demands Worf.<br />
He tries to get between them to break up the fight, but it only results in Gowron getting the chance to jam his d'k tahg between Kulge's ribs. He then gives Worf a kind of thank-you grin.<br />
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<br />
The fleet arrives at their spot on the Klingon-Romulan border and begins taking their positions.<br />
On the Sutherland, a small problem has occurred: radiation is leaking onto decks 10-12 because the power couplings are overloading.<br />
"Why are they overloading?" asks Data. "How come the back-ups didn't kick on?"<br />
"We left the repair yard before we could test everything fully," Hobson replies.<br />
He immediately starts issuing orders to crewmembers to take care of the situation, which includes taking phasers and photon torpedoes offline.<br />
"Uh, no," says Data. "You don't issue commands. You run that shit by me first."<br />
And then Hobson pulls some straight BS, which is to then sarcastically say that he was trying to save some human lives by issuing those commands, in a tone that is clearly meant to be heard as "You weren't interested in the humans on this ship, and <i>someone</i> had to be."<br />
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<br />
STFU, Hobson. Like, are you actually automatonophobic, or are you mad that you didn't get to be captain? Both? Suck it up and quit playing games like you're some butthurt tween. Cuz you're acting like Toral, and at least that kid has the excuse that people are treating him like shit. Go sit in your quarters and write bad poetry if you're gonna be like that.<br />
Hobson backtracks what he was doing, then goes to stand next to the crew. "You're right. What should we do, <i>SIR</i>?"<br />
Data repeats the orders that Hobson gave, because those were in fact the correct course of action.<br />
"Very good, sir," says Hobson snottily before they all scatter to do their jobs.<br />
I wonder whose side the crew is on.<br />
Probably Hobson's, since they all know him. Maybe he's less of a knob normally.<br />
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<br />
<br />
The tachyon field goes up. It's impressive-looking, but I'm wondering how large it actually is. Because, like The Tholian Web, it isn't connected to anything, so you'd have to make it big enough that going around is a huge inconvenience. Or over. Or under. We're working in three dimensions, here. The Romulans can travel on the Z-axis, yo.<br />
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<br />
<br />
The Roms see it immediately, and Movar asks Sela what they should do: the Federation will find them right away, regardless of cloaks.<br />
"Let's start working on a way to break down the field," she says. "But until then, let's convince Picard to go away."<br />
On the E, O'Brien (who has taken Worf's spot at tactical) tells Picard that a warbird is decloaking, and that they're being hailed.<br />
So then Picard and all of those TNG Year Ones on the bridge make Surprised Pikachu Face, because Is That Tasha Yar?<br />
"I'm Commander Sela," she says.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
<br />
"Get the fuck off our border within in the next 20 hours, or we're taking you down," Sela growls at Picard.<br />
She cuts off communication, and Picard meets with Crusher and Troi in the Obs Lounge.<br />
"She's not lying," says Troi. "She totes believes she's the daughter of Tasha Yar."<br />
"But that doesn't make sense," says Crusher. "I checked Yar's medical records. She was never pregnant. She was also too young to have a kid. She'd be like, five years older than Sela."<br />
"Maybe she's a clone," says Troi.<br />
"Or surgically altered," offers Crusher.<br />
"Eh," says Picard. "This is weird, but I'm not gonna change my strategy. Ball's in their court."<br />
Crusher and Troi leave, and then surprise of surprises, Guinan comes in.<br />
"So I heard the daughter of Tasha Yar is on the Romulan ship?"<br />
"Yeah," Picard smiles. "I think it's a weird ploy to distract us."<br />
"Cool, cool," says Guinan. "Hey, what do you know about the Enterprise-C?"<br />
"Oh!" He was not expecting that question. "It was lost defending the Klingon colony on Nerendra III from the Romulans."<br />
"Uh-huh, what about survivors?"<br />
"There were rumors about prisoners taken back to Romulus, but probably not."<br />
"Yeah, no," says Guinan seriously. "There were survivors. Tasha Yar was one. She wasn't a kid at the time, and I'm pretty sure you sent her there."<br />
"That's... not possible. That was 23 years ago. And Tasha Yar died just a few years ago, before you came on board. You never met her." He's pretty angry now. "Is this some kind of intuition?"<br />
"Yeah, and if it's true, then you're responsible for this situation."<br />
Picard considers this. "Craaaap. I'm gonna need to meet this woman in person."<br />
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<br />
Worf and Kurn go back to the socialization place/probably a bar, and they get into a nasty argument about Gowron and Kulge. Worf thinks that Gowron should set aside any and all challenges to his leadership until the war is over. Kurn is pissed off that Worf isn't getting the whole<i> Klingon</i> thing, and is extra pissed off that he joined up with Gowron against his own wishes, and now Worf is bitching about it.<br />
Kurn yells at him that maybe he should not have joined the war effort, and takes off. The second Kurn disappears, two other Klingons rush in and jump Worf, beating the absolute shit out of him. Once he is unconscious, they drag him off.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Sela stalks into the Obs Lounge, demanding to know what "very urgent" thing Picard wants to talk about. He invites her politely to sit. He seems mildly concerned, not the hard-ass he sometimes becomes when dealing with hostile people. Because what if he caused this? That would suck.<br />
"We're not here to be aggressive," he tells her.<br />
Sassy Sela Moment: "Uh-huh. And I should tell my superiors that there are 23 Federation ships on our border for what? Humanitarian reasons?"<br />
"We're just here to keep outsiders from interfering in internal Klingon affairs," he replies.<br />
"We're not doing any of that," she replies silkily. "But if we wanted to get into Klingon space, how would you stop us? You can't see us."<br />
He smiles. "Then why don't you just do it?"<br />
And a smile from her. "Let's cut the crap. I'm here because you want to know how Tasha Yar could be my mother."<br />
And he does cut the crap: "Okay. I've heard that she was on the Enterprise-C when it was destroyed 24 years ago, that she survived, was taken back to Romulus, and had a child with a Romulan."<br />
"But it can't be true, right? Because she would have been a child 24 years ago? But she wasn't. She was on that ship, sent there from the future by you."<br />
She tells Tasha Yar's story:<br />
Yar survived the destruction of the Enterprise-C, and the few survivors were brought before a Romulan general, who was going to execute them. But he was taken with Tasha, and they made a deal - he would spare the survivors if she became his consort. She gave birth to Sela a year later.<br />
Picard asks if he can meet Yar, and she grows quiet.<br />
"When I was four, she wrapped me up one night and tried to sneak me out of the compound. I realized that she was taking me away from my father and my home, so I screamed. My father gave her a home and a child, and she betrayed him. She was executed." Sela gets up angrily and goes to the window. "Everything that was in me that was human died then. I'm nothing but Romulan now."<br />
"I don't really have any reason to believe you," he replies. "But either way, I'm not letting it affect our next encounter."<br />
"You have 14 hours to GTFO," she barks before leaving.<br />
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<br />
<br />
B'Etor gets all up in Worf's business, doing the Klingon growl-purr-mating noise. Worf wakes up, fully ready to get it on with whatever dream girl may have popped out of his unconscious, but then he realizes that it's B'Etor, and his tiny warrior is no longer raring to go.<br />
"Ugh, what do you want?" he demands.<br />
Lursa is there, and she gets a Sassy Moment: "Same thing as you - personal honor, glory for the empire."<br />
"Yeah, fuck you guys," sighs Worf. "Seriously. But not literally, gross."<br />
"Our brother was dumb for making you an enemy," purrs B'Etor, who is still all over Worf. "We want to be friends."<br />
"Then stop opposing Gowron," he answers simply.<br />
Lursa gets down next to Worf. "Toral will be the leader of the council, everybody knows that. But he's still young, and he needs a father figure, someone with a strong hand to guide him. Which could be you, if you were mated to B'Etor."<br />
"Ew, that's nasty." He pushes B'Etor off and stands up. "The kind of Klingon Empire you would have us rule is one where there is no honor, and all the shots are called from Romulus."<br />
A little screen opens. Sela has obviously been doing a Zoom call to this room. "That's enough, he doesn't want in. Hand him over to the guard for now, we have more important shit to take care of. B'Etor can play with him later."<br />
A Romulan guard hauls Worf away.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Picard calls Gowron. "If you attack now, Lursa and B'Etor will call for supplies, and the Romulans will try to run the blockade, exposing them."<br />
"Support for their side will fall away once it's realized that they're working with the Romulans," nods Gowron. "Cool. Okay. Oh, also - Worf has been captured by the Duras. I hope he dies well."<br />
"Yaaaay," says Picard.<br />
Riker returns to the ready room on the Enterprise to talk strategy with Picard.<br />
"So the Excalibur is gonna feign some engine trouble," Picard tells him, "and you're gonna fall back to these coordinates with these two other ships. It's gonna look like there's a hole in our tachyon net. But there won't be, because the E and another ship are gonna swing around and close the gap, trapping them."<br />
"Sweet," grins Riker.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Movar goes to Sela with the news that #TeamDuras is being attacked in three sectors and they're failing hardcore.<br />
"Fuck me," gripes Sela. "You mean "they were caught off-guard and are crying for help," right?"<br />
"Pretty much," shrugs Movar.<br />
"You figure out how to get around the blockade?" she asks.<br />
"We think so. When we get close enough, we send out a tachyon pulse that should disrupt a big enough hole in the net for us to slip through."<br />
They're looking at a live screen, and Movar notices that a ship is limping away, its warp drive failing.<br />
"Picard is redeploying the fleet! He doesn't have enough ships to maintain the net. We can sneak through!"<br />
Sela pauses. "No. That's what Picard wants. He tossed out some bait, and expects us to take it. Instead, let's use that tachyon pulse to disable the net where it's weakest... the ship with the android captain."<br />
<br />
Dramatic music! Commercial break!<br />
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<br />
<br />
When we return, Picard and O'Brien have figured out that the tachyon net is down around the Sutherland and its surrounding ships. Picard checks in with Data, who is aware that his part of the net is down.<br />
"Crap," says Picard. "Okay, tell the fleet to break it down, and regroup at Gamma Eridon. We're gonna set up the net there."<br />
The call goes out, and Data acknowledges the change, telling his helm to set coordinates for Gamma Eridon. He pauses, then goes to the science station and does a long-range scan.<br />
Hobson gets curious and sits beside him. "What are you doing?"<br />
"I think when the Roms sent that tachyon disruptor signal out, they may have created residual halos of tachyon particles around themselves."<br />
"But we have no way of detecting those?"<br />
Up until now, Hobson was curious. But when Data calls for an all-stop, he gets a bit combative.<br />
"We were ordered to go with the fleet to Gamma Eridon."<br />
"Yeah," says Data, "but disintegrating particles don't last long, and by the time we get ready to move the fleet, there won't be evidence of the Romulans anymore. Bring the phasers back online."<br />
"WTF?" demands Hobson. "That will flood three decks with radiation again!"<br />
"And we'll do radiation protocol as soon as possible. Bring the phasers online."<br />
"You don't care about the people working on those decks!" yells Hobson. "We're not machines!"<br />
And Data feigns some emotion here, having noticed that a sharp tone will often get the CO what they need when there is resistance. "Bitch, did I stutter? PHASERS. NOW."<br />
Hobson scoots to his station with his tail between his legs.<br />
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<br />
<br />
O'Brien reports that the Sutherland has stopped, instead of heading to Gamma Eridon. Picard asks O'Brien to hail Data.<br />
"The Enterprise wants to know why we've stopped," Hobson tells Data.<br />
Data simply asks Hobson for a sensor schematic on the viewscreen, and to overlay what kinds of tachyon emissions might be out there.<br />
"Are you going to answer?" Hobson asks. He's following Data's orders, putting up the schematics as requested, but he's getting argumentative about it.<br />
Data seems to have located four Romulan ships, and tells Hobson to reconfigure the photon torpedoes in a specific way.<br />
"Those emissions could be anything -" Hobson starts.<br />
"DO IT!" yells Data.<br />
Picard finally breaks in. "Data, you were supposed to rendezvous with us at Gamma Eridon. Acknowledge."<br />
"Fire the torpedoes," Data tells Hobson.<br />
"Didn't you hear Picard?"<br />
"I said FUCKING FIRE, you piece of shit!"<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Hobson fires the torpedoes. And surprise, three Romulan ships light up like the Hindu festival of Duwali.<br />
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<br />
<br />
"Fuck," says Sela. "Reverse course back to Romulus, the whole fleet."<br />
"But the Duras need these supplies," Moval argues. "What should I tell them?"<br />
"They're on their own," says Sela. "We've been caught."<br />
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<br />
<br />
"Um, they're heading back for Romulan space," Hobson reports quietly.<br />
"Cool," says Data. "Send a report to the flagship, take the torpedoes offline, and begin cleanup of decks 10-12."<br />
"Yes, sir... captain."<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Sooo... some shit's going down on Qo'nos.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Lursa and B'Etor burst into their quarters and tell Toral that they've been defeated, that their Rom friends failed to show up with supplies.<br />
The Romulan guard hauls Worf in, and Lursa commands him to kill Worf.<br />
"Fuck that shit," says Worf, promptly punching the guard.<br />
They get into it while the Duras family watches, then Lursa hits a button on some little box, and she and B'Etor are beamed away. Without Toral. Who notices that he's been straight-up abandoned. Worf finally takes down the guard, just as Kurn and his guys walk in.<br />
"Toral," taunts Kurn. "The next leader of the Empire. Gowron would like to see you again."<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swear to god she's smiling at Toral, making Lursa the galaxy's shittiest aunt.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Picard's Log 45025.4: "Sent the fleet back to Federation space, and we're now back at Qo'nos, where I'm gonna give the High Council a report on the Romulans."<br />
<br />
<br />
Picard is in his ready room when Data comes in and says he is here for his punishment. He did not follow orders, and should be sanctioned.<br />
"Yeah," says Picard evenly. "But here's the thing: Starfleet isn't necessarily looking for people to blindly follow orders. You analyzed the situation, and made some choices. Those choices did not follow orders, but you did a good job, and I've noted it in your record."<br />
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<br />
<br />
On Qo'nos, Picard gives the report to Gowron, who tells him that there is one last bit of business before he can go. A side door opens, and Worf and Kurn enter.<br />
Then Gowron calls, "bring him," and two guards enter with Toral.<br />
Gowron formally accuses Toral of treason.<br />
"The Duras family will one day rule the Empire!" Toral calls out.<br />
Kid, stop. Listen, for once.<br />
Sassy Gowron Moment: "Perhaps, but not today."<br />
"Worf," says Gowron, "this kid's family wrongly took your name and honor. I give you his life."<br />
He hands Worf a d'k tahg. Suddenly, Toral has nothing to say. He's doing that "trying real hard to be a brave boy" face.<br />
Worf approaches Toral slowly... then drops the knife at his feet.<br />
Kurn comes up behind Worf. "What are you doing? Kill him!"<br />
"No," says Worf.<br />
"It's the Klingon way!"<br />
"Yeah, but it's not my way."<br />
Worf turns back to Gowron. "This kid hasn't actually done anything to me, and I'm not going to kill him for crimes committed by his family."<br />
"Okay, Kurn can kill him," shrugs Gowron.<br />
"Fuck yeah!" Kurn scoops the knife off the ground, and Toral looks twice as alarmed.<br />
"No," Worf interrupts. "You gave me his life, and I have spared him."<br />
Gowron: "As you wish."<br />
He looks pissed. Kurn looks pissed.<br />
"Request permission to return to duty, sir," Worf says to Picard.<br />
"Granted," says Picard.<br />
And they leave the hall like boss bitches.<br />
YEAH, BOY.<br />
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<br />
<br />
I keep going back and forth on this episode.<br />
First, I was slightly disappointed by it, mostly because I assumed that the second half picked up where the first half ended, and I thought, "Two skirmishes are not a civil war. Could I get an arc here, or something?" But then I read in Memory Alpha that some time had passed between parts one and two, and I thought maybe they had intended for the missing middle to have played out in real time, over the summer break. They evidenced this by noting that Worf was assigned to Gowron's ship initially, but had been reassigned to work with Kurn in part two. The idea of the war lasting several months worked better, with unseen battles taking place over that period of time. But when I ran the actual stardates, it came up with a total of ten days from the start of episode one to the end of episode two. Which is... less disappointing that the 3-4 days I originally thought it was, but more disappointing than the three months or so that was my second guess? When I think of civil wars, the length seems to speak of a longer struggle than ten days. I actually looked up the average length of human civil wars, and the answer came back at 7-12 years. (Trivia nobody wants: the shortest was the Anglo-Zanzibar War in 1895, clocking in at 45 minutes. The longest is ongoing: 72 years and counting, in Myanmar.) So I got ten days, and that's less than the arc I wanted, but I'll suck it up.<br />
<br />
I have mixed feelings about Toral, more than I originally did in previous viewings. Sure, he's a cocky little shit, but he's being used by both his aunts and the entire fucking Romulan empire, and that has to suck. Then he's almost murdered by the House of Mogh, with approval by the Chancellor. That's a lot to take in for a kid.<br />
Small, weird story: years ago, I went to an adult prom with my friend Teacup. We got all dressed up, and at the last minute, I found out she had invited her on-again off-again boyfriend. I anticipated being the third wheel that evening, but instead the boyfriend and I bored Teacup by talking Klingon politics. Namely, we debated whether or not it was considered honorable to kill Toral. It seems like, had he been just some kid, it would have been a wash. Toral had, at that point, done no honorable deeds, engaged in no battles. Has he even passed the Age of Ascension? (He looks 12. The actor playing him was 15 at the time, but Hollywood frequently hires child actors that look younger, so they can work longer.) Being that his father had wronged the House of Mogh, and Gowron had captured and given him to Worf to kill, it may have been considered honorable to kill him. Worf did not think so. Gowron and Kurn certainly did.<br />
<br />
Some things I liked: Klingon politics. Always a sucker for that. I hate human IRL politics, but give me some of that good Klingon shit any day. I liked Data being forced to confront more android discrimination, because frankly, he's going to get that his entire career, and they shouldn't shy away from it. He's different, he's going to be treated badly because humans are not always on the same page, and that journey should be shown.<br />
<br />
I like the introduction of Sela. She's interesting, she has a great backstory, and she's here to fuck up your shit. She's also a bit of a mirror to Worf: living between worlds, but she chooses one world defiantly over the other. Worf has picked up more human traits than he realizes. Sela purposefully pushes away her humanity.<br />
<br />
Sela leads to my favorite part of this episode, which is that the ongoing storyline of Romulans-meddle-in-Klingon-affairs ripples outward, across several seasons of this show, and into others. We'll see Sela, Gowron, the Duras sisters, Toral and Kurn again in different episodes, and in films.<br />
All in all, a good installment.<br />
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<br />
Fun Facts:<br />
<br />
- Denise Crosby came up with the idea for Sela. She enjoyed doing "Yesterday's Enterprise" so much that she began thinking of other ways she could return to the series. In her original idea, she toyed with he idea of Yar getting together with Castillo, and ending getting pregnant before being captured. The fully-human baby would end up being raised by the Romulans. The writers liked the idea, but when they got back to her about it, they told her it made more sense for Sela to be half-Romulan.<br />
- Like "Best of Both Worlds," the second half was not written until summer break, and the writers had no idea how the story would end.<br />
- Ronald D Moore noted that they had a hard time incorporating Sela into the story, but that he needed some kind of Romulan connection. They kept hinting at the Romulans having done terrible things, but it hadn't been shown much at all. This way, Romulans-acting-badly could been seen in real time.<br />
- The effects on the surface of the sun were created by vibrating oatmeal on a light table, shooting it in negative, and tinting it orange.<br />
- Christopher Hobson was named or a long-time friend of Ronald D Moore. Crewmembers of the Sutherland Keith and Terry were named for Moore's brothers.<br />
- This arc and the upcoming "Unification" arc are the only two-parters to not include the word "part" in their names. ("Redemption II," rather than "Redemption, Part II").<br />
- Footage of the Excalibur is reused from "Yesterday's Enterprise."<br />
- Footage of the Birds of Prey were reused from The One With the Whales.<br />
- O'Brien serves as tactical officer here, which makes sense, as he had served as tactical officer on the Rutledge.<br />
- Uncredited credit: Cliffton Jones played the helmsman on the Bortas in the first episode, and Keith on the Sutherland in the second.<br />
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<br />
- Michael Dorn liked the episode, but felt like they tried to pack too much into the story. He felt as though Data's experience on the Sutherland deserved its own episode.<br />
- Fans asked Brent Spiner about being emotional on the Sutherland when Hobson opposes Data, but Spiner assured them that Data was not exhibiting emotion, but copying the tone of voice he had seen other commanding officers employing when in similar situations.<br />
<br />
Red deaths: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Gold deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Blue deaths: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Unnamed color crew deaths: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Geordi moments: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Worf Moment: 0</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Riker Moments: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy Picard Moments: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sassy NPC Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Data Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy O'Brien Moments: 0<br />
To date: 0<br />
Sassy Crusher Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Troi Moments: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Sassy Guinan Moments:<br />
To Date:<br />
Sassy Guest Star Moments: 3<br />
To date: 3</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that it is mentioned that Data is an android: 3<br />
To date: 3</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Troi reacts to someone else's feelings: 0<br />
To date: </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number of times that Geordi "looks at something" with his VISOR: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Number of times when Data gives too much info and has to be told to shut up: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Picard Maneuvers: 0<br />
To date:<br />
Tea, Earl Grey: 0<br />
To date:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNGb1E_6vfzURMrDithLPUHlRgQJse0O3vv0vcFeGmjnDguwHlg-rQenYlHdv-Z7h9sUL1BHWwZZHax-Ru6BKrc4pk5sNx6x_u0fkk7kNdI6gNS9j1PIv6eIobWEqBm7ZlbQplMitXQpW/s1600/pie+human+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="352" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNGb1E_6vfzURMrDithLPUHlRgQJse0O3vv0vcFeGmjnDguwHlg-rQenYlHdv-Z7h9sUL1BHWwZZHax-Ru6BKrc4pk5sNx6x_u0fkk7kNdI6gNS9j1PIv6eIobWEqBm7ZlbQplMitXQpW/s320/pie+human+face.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why does Pie have Human Face here?</td></tr>
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Last of the Archonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05235468580971451512noreply@blogger.com1