My TNG reviews

[WarpGirl]

Who knows VHS is practically obsolete in 20 years they might be worth a lot of money. Better hang on and keep them for investment purposes.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Ouch, KTR. I've got all those episodes on VHS. Hubby ordered them from some kind of club and never watched them. Guess they'll stay in the plastic now.

You have all the TNg episodes on VHS tapes!? That will take up a huge amount of space! My complete DVD box set is very small - the size of four video cassettes.

[Distracted]

Yep. Took up about four shelves in a bookcase 'til we put 'em all in storage. Now they're in four boxes.

[WarpGirl]

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

1-09 Justice

Dear God, this episode is all kinds of awful. Easily the worst that The Next Generation has offered until now, and probably ever. Even scantily clad girls (in typical weird 80s big hair) can save this utter dreck.

We have peace-loving hedonists with capital punishment for every, even the most trivial, transgressions. And boy wonder Wesley naturally stumbles into it. Considering my feelings for him, I almost wish he had been executed.

Then we have an inane interpretation of the sacred Prime Directive that makes no sense. In the end Picard does violate it to save the boy, but not after copious amounts of hand-wrangling and talking where Kirk, a known basher of God-like creatures, would've resolved this in 30 seconds and felt good about it. This is one of the reasons I can't stand the Prime Directive, at least not as the "evolved" Feds of the 24th century have made it to be.

A big fat zero grade for Justice.

(-)


1-10 The Battle

So far The Battle is The Next Generation's best outing, which admittedly isn't saying much. It is a somewhat intriguing mystery to be solved, with Picard's headaches and the return of his old ship, the Stargazer. Even the silly Ferengi fared better here than they did in their first appearance in The Last Outpost.

However, it took them way too long to figure out that the headaches and the Ferengi was connected. And how is that no one, let alone Picard himself, failed to recognise the glowing sphere put into his chest?

This episode also told you everything you need to know why the Ferengi never could be a credible threat. Making war is seldom, if ever, a profitable affair, and those capitalist caricatures are all about making profit. It's the main reason the Ferengi captain was relieved of command by his first officer. He wasted a fortune on un-Ferengilike petty revenge.

I'll give The Battle a grade of 4-.




1-11 Hide and Q

While John de Lancie is an excellent actor and he really nails the role of Q, I can rarely stand the times he appear on Star Trek, although I must admit that some of the verbal sparring between him and Picard can be fun - in moderation. Hide and Q is no exception. Q is just an annoying trickster playing games with the characters.

This time he is for some inexplicable reason interested in Riker, and grants the first officer Q powers. Riker, however, is no Gary Mitchell and thus the whole story failed to grab me. Instead he seems mostly benevolent and gives up his god-like powers. Another way of saying that these humans have "evolved" so much that they don't fall for the temptation. Come on, would anyone seriously decline such an offer!

Also, am I a bad person for cheering to myself when Wesley got stabbed to death? And by the way, his ten year older self did not look anything remotely like the adult Wil Wheaton.

I give a generous grade of 3- for Hide and Q, thanks mostly to Picard and Q talking Shakespeare.




1-12 Too Short a Season

This episode had two major themes, both of which could've been an interesting story, but unfortunately both were squandered as they were shoehorned together. First we have the "fountain of youth" theme, but all we got was a guest character agonizing over not being vigorous enough to helm a mission. We mostly see him trying to hide the fact he's taken some alien youth drug.

And then we have the story about arming both sides of a conflict resulting in a long devastating war (reminiscent of the original series' A Private Little War). Too bad that all that amounts to some tin pot dictator wanting to exact revenge on Admiral Dorian Gray.

The aging makeup for the Admiral was just plain awful. Why is it that they never could do that convincingly on Star Trek, except for the first try in the original series' The Deadly Years?

Another grade of 3- to this episode, and that's mostly for the interesting concepts that, alas, failed in execution.




1-13 The Big Goodbye

I have to admit that I find The Big Goodbye somewhat enjoyable - for first season Next Generation anyway. While the Holodeck Malfunction™ plot would become cliché as modern Trek went on, this was the first instance, so I can't fault it from being a trope originator.

The Dixon Hill universe looked very good, and I'm just not talking about Beverly Crusher's attire (Rowr!), and the adventures therein seemed sufficiently pulpy. The episode also touched on the subject of sentience for holograms, something that will become a big part of not just this series but subsequent Treks as well.

The b-plot with some never seen aliens wanting Picard to greet them in their native insectoid language was both uninteresting and silly. And I hated that once again it's boy wonder Wes who saves the day.

I'll give a 4+ to The Big Goodbye.




1-14 Datalore

Datalore is the first episode in this series that is quite good. Finally we get to learn about Data's interesting backstory. And we meet his brother Lore. While the concept of an "evil twin" is a bit clichéd, it is put to good use here, even if Lore sometimes was over the top. Brent Spiner totally nailed the dual roles of both Data and Lore.

What was lacking was a sufficient motive for Lore. What was his goal anyway? He summoned the Crystalline Entity, but to do what? Feed on the Enterprise crew? What would he do then? Wouldn't it be better for him to just try and infiltrate Federation society?

I was also really annoyed that it was boy wonder Wesley who was the only one who noticed the switcheroo, making all the adult crew members look stupid. We're supposed to cheer for him and agree that they were stupid, but all I could do was cheer when first Picard and then Dr. Crusher said "Shut up, Wesley!"

I'll give Datalore the middle grade of 5+ on my 10-graded scale.




1-15 Angel One

Just when you had hoped that they would have run out of god awful story ideas, someone thought up Angel One. A planet run by women with men as second class citizens, with some men planning a revolt, and Riker seducing the lead matriarch who must secretly lust for manly men… Urgh, I can't go on! And we didn't really need Riker to show off his hairy chest, now did we! Another Urgh!

Then there was a totally redundant b-plot about some virus almost incapacitating the entire ship, but for some convenient reason Dr. Crusher stayed healthy. At least Wesley didn't save the day.

I'll give my third big fat zero this season. Even the intriguing mention of a Romulan threat couldn't elevate it since we never see them.

(-)


1-16 11001001

This episode is the first above average episode of The Next Generation. If only the rest of this first season could've had the same standard. 11001001 features an intriguing new species in the Bynars, a people so interconnected to their super-computer that they like and talk in "digitalese". That in itself is a solid science fiction concept and as such a novel one, especially for Star Trek.

I can even forgive Riker and Picard for getting too caught up with holo-girl Minuet in a New Orleans jazz bar because she does come off as something different than your average holo-character. A shape of things to come, I wonder, especially since the Bynars now have upgraded the Holodeck as well.

And I loved those visuals with the Enterprise entering and docking at the Starbase. It felt very much like the movies featuring the original series' cast.

11001001 gets the first grade of 6+ from me.

[WarpGirl]

Oh my goodness! I can't breath I'm laughing so hard. This is why I don't find it necessary to agree with you. You're just too dang funny.

For the record you really are over the top with the Wesely hate. And I don't really see the difference between 23rd century, Prime Directive, and the 24th century versions but whatever.

I'll never EVER understand why Brent Spiner never won an Emmy or a Golden Globe for DATA or Lore. That man is one of the greatest actors of his generation by far.

Thanks for the smiles, even if I do think you're 75% wrong.

[Cogito]

For the record you really are over the top with the Wesely hate.

And there was me thinking it was nicely understated.

[WarpGirl]

LOL! I accept the fact I am alone.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

And I don't really see the difference between 23rd century, Prime Directive, and the 24th century versions but whatever.

The Prime Directive in TOS was a directive not to interfere with pre-warp civilizations. Still, common sense ruled and Kirk on many occasions did interfere when there was something wrong, like god-like computers or something kept people enslaved.

By TNG the Prime Directive had become a rigid non-interference directive that sometimes even applied to space faring civilizations. And they wilfully tried not to interfere even when a world was threatened with utter destruction. That's genocide by omission.

For the record you really are over the top with the Wesely hate.

And there was me thinking it was nicely understated.

I do have to restrain myself...

[WarpGirl]

Well regarding the Prime Directive... What difference does it make? Kirk still broke it regularly, and paid for it. Picard broke it often enough. Sisko may have (not sure). Janeway broke it. And Archer never had it... (BAD IDEA) Either was it still got broken lots!

Ya know... I wonder what you'd say to someone who hates T'Pol? At least I get an amazing laugh out of your Wesely hate.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

:lol: Well regarding the Prime Directive... What difference does it make? Kirk still broke it regularly, and paid for it. Picard broke it often enough. Sisko may have (not sure). Janeway broke it. And Archer never had it... (BAD IDEA) Either was it still got broken lots!

Not broken enough!

Ya know... I wonder what you'd say to someone who hates T'Pol? At least I get an amazing laugh out of your Wesely hate.

I have always thought that T'Pol's character got abused a lot by the writers and producers. But she was never a Mary Sue.

[WarpGirl]

Thank you for making me smile.

[panyasan]

TNG was sooo 80-ties!

It was great fun to read your reviews. Agreed with your view on Lore. Loved him and Data. Really had to laugh at your remark of hairy-chest-Riker. The image of Riker in a ballet-costum with hairy chest just made me giggle again.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Really had to laugh at your remark of hairy-chest-Riker. The image of Riker in a ballet-costum with hairy chest just made me giggle again.

It made be go -->

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

1-17 Home Soil

I actually liked Home Soil, despite it being somewhat derivative of the original series The Devil in the Dark. But it too had a solid hard science fiction premise, both with regards to terraforming and the concept of inorganic life forms. The plot events might not have been the most surprising, but it still kept my attention even through the talky parts. In the end I wondered how this odd life would look in three centuries, when they said we'd be ready for renewed contact.

Still, the crystal-like aliens were rather arrogant and I couldn't sympathise with them fully, even if I laughed at them calling us humans "ugly bags of mostly water", and too quick to go to "war". Ironically, the diplomat Picard resolved this through some use of force, even if it was just by dimming the lights.

I'll give Home Soil another grade of 6+.




1-18 When the Bough Breaks

I don't like children on Star Trek, I don't like that the Enterprise-D is populated with children, and I definitely don't like Wesley Crusher. So it's no wonder that I really didn't like this episode. For all I care Wes and the kidnapped children could have remained on Aldea. I never got a sense of real parental concern anyway and the kids must have been drugged for not pulling off any tantrums. Bad acting.

Then we're supposed to believe that these people are so lazy, clueless and disinterested that they let their whole lives be guided by a computer they can't even begin to repair if the need would arise.

I can give no higher grade than a 1- to When the Bough Breaks.




1-19 Coming of Age

For an episode centred on Wesley, Coming of Age was surprisingly tolerable, probably because the wonder boy didn't save the ship again. Instead we saw his Starfleet Academy entrance test. While not particularly interesting, it wasn't outright bad either. And we got to see a hot young Vulcan female, which is always a plus.

The b-plot featured an irritating investigator prying into the affairs aboard Enterprise, which seemed to go nowhere until the Admiral in charge revealed he had been looking in to see if Picard could be trusted. This sets up the coming episode Conspiracy and is the first attempt at a story arc. Still, it was a bit anti-climactic since Picard declined the offer of heading up the Academy and we never learn what's behind the Admiral's suspicions.

In the end, though, I cannot give this a higher grade than 4 out of 10.




1-20 Heart of Glory

As overused that the Klingons got to later on in modern Trek, this was really the first time they got showcased and we got some idea how Federation-Klingon relations are in the 24th century. And we got a nice backstory into Worf, originally just meant as some background character to let us know that there's now peace between old adversaries. I like it, and I came to like most of the stories dealing with Klingon politics, but then again I'm also a political junkie besides being a Trek fan. Still, I'm more interested in the Romulans.

Since Worf was pretty unknown at this juncture, even for his Enterprise crewmates, it worked to play up the factor of whether he would be lured by these Klingon renegades, even if some scenes (like the non-hostage with the child) was a bit too drawn out. Michel Dorn showed that he's one of the best Next Generation actors. And Vaughn Armstrong, in a first of many alien roles, made a good Klingon.

I also liked the earlier scenes when they boarding party walked around in a nicely wrecked freighter. Even Picard caught up watching through Geordi's visor plot was amusing.

I'll give a grade of 6+ to Heart of Glory. It was almost worth a 7.




1-21 The Arsenal of Freedom

I suppose they thought this would be a moral story about the evils of peddling weapons, but that mostly fell flat since normally people kills people, but here we have automated weapons that kill its creators. Besides, the plot mostly deals with the away team (how I hate that phrase; what was wrong with "landing party"?) avoiding flying light bulbs. I laughed at Riker's line about commanding the Lollipop - "It's a good ship!" One could almost hear Shirley Temple in the background.

What I really liked about this episode was how well LaForge handled himself in the big chair. But I wanted to hit Troi with a shovel for spouting psychobabble to him during battle! Geordi kicking ass was a real treat to watch though.

The scenes involving Picard and an injured Dr. Crusher were also nice and understated and probably got the Picard/Crusher shippers' hearts beat a little faster. Apparently this was meant as a love story at first, but Roddenberry changed his mind.

The Arsenal of Freedom gets a grade of 4+ from me.




1-22 Skin of Evil

I can find no redeeming qualities with Skin of Evil, the episode most infamous for killing off Tasha Yar in the most pointless way imaginable. The tar pit monster was just awful, both as a character and as an effects prop. One might applaud the show for depicting a pure evil character, but no, they have to have Troi doing a psychobabble analysis of it and thus it's not really its fault for being a dick. It was created that way and then abandoned. Poor misunderstood Armus!

I was never invested much in Tasha, so I didn't mourn much for her going away, and apparently actress Denise Crosby thought the same since she asked to leave the show due to being disappointed about how her character was handled. Can't say I disagree with that. I just wish that they'd gotten rid of the useless Troi instead.

Another zero grade for this turd of an episode.

(-)


1-23 Symbiosis

It's rather insulting that this episode is called Symbiosis since the relationship between the two worlds appears to be more one-sided and parasitic, effectively enslaving their neighbours to drug addicts.

Yeah, doing drugs is bad, and I actually agree with the message and Yar's lecture, but really, this is no place for such a heavy-handed public service announcement. That felt so forced and cringe-worthy. Ugh!

And I absolutely loathed the Prime Directive as described by Picard here. This is a perversion of how the directive was originally intended. Kirk never allowed compassion and common sense be overruled by some uncompromising diktat, but here we have Picard pontificating about how good it is to leave people to their own devices even if that is bad. I will never subscribe to such an immoral non-interference directive, and that is the biggest beef I have with all modern Trek.

Even seeing two Wrath of Khan alums (Merritt Butrick and Judson Scott) couldn't save this episode. I can only give this a grade of 1-