What Star Trek Ep/Movie Did you Watch Today?

[stargatefan234]

DS9: Facets, The Adversary

[Alan Wake]

TNG 6.15 'Tapestry' -- Wonderful, terrific, excellent episode of TNG. Definitely one of the highlights of season 6.

DS9 1.09 'The Passenger' -- Yet another early DS9 whodunit episode. Ho hum.

TNG 6.16 'Birthright, Part 1' -- Opens very nicely, a great TNG/DS9 crossover--again with Worf devouring food that Geordi found disgusting. I like how well this integrates TNG and DS9, makes it really feel like DS9 is a Federation outpost at which ships do regularly stop. Still, I think it's just more evidence of how bogged down the Enterprise has become by diplomatic/ambassadorial, defense, and in this case aid missions. It's kind of sad to see the Enterprise's exploration mission diverted like this.

That said though, it's an interesting pair of episodes. One of the first things I noticed (for the first time, oddly enough) was how incredibly unprofessional the coloured-shoulder Starfleet uniforms look compared to the standard duty uniforms of TNG. There's just something about the DS9 uniforms (at this point)....that really makes them look like they're the pyjamas that others have accused the TNG uniforms of looking like. There's also still no explanation or justification given as to why a frontier outpost would be fully stocked with new Starfleet uniforms, while the flagship of the Federation is not. But I digress....

These make a great little addition on to the Worf story development. Besides being kind of fun to see Worf carrying on aboard DS9 two and a half years before he's reassigned there, the idea of Worf possibly finding his father alive in a Romulan prison camp adds an interesting new dimension to Worf's story. Even though it turns out that Worf's father really is dead, it sets up an interesting story in its own right.

The B-Plot of Data's dreams/hallucinations/visions starts off a little puzzling, but gets more interesting as it goes along. The Data/Worf conversation in Ten Forward regarding visions is a nice character moment between the two that we rarely get to see, and does fit very nicely into the Worf A-plot. The subsequent investigation of it, through conversation with Picard, through painting (very nice tie-in to established Data habits), is all neat. The full-length dream sequence seen nearer the end of the first episode is especially interesting IMO.

TNG 6.17 'Birthright, Part 2' -- After a bit of obvious explanation at the beginning, it sort of turns into a story of pacified and domesticated (if you will) Klingons.... I've heard once or twice before people accusing Worf of blind racism here, and frankly I just don't see how anyone can say that. These people are obviously suffering from a deeply ingrained Stockholm Syndrome.

If there's any real criticism to be made of this episode, I think it's Worf's intrusion into other peoples' childrearing. He immediately starts sowing the seeds of revolt into the younger generation who have known no other life than in this little colony--and probably appealing to their adolescent rebelliousness in the process. I find this a little iffy, but it can be forgiven for the good of the story.

Worf taking the Klingon boy on a hunt was a great little capsule too, to fit into the story. He gives his word to return to the camp--which we as viewers know he'll keep. The boy learns the hunt, feels the rush of the warrior, and brings that spirit back to inspire the others.

When the time comes for Worf's execution at the hands of the Romulan leader, he does exactly what we know he'll do: defiantly stands ready to take it. He's joined by the boy, who speaks on behalf of the other malcontents that Worf's stirred up, and FINALLY the Klingon elder grows a pair and stands beside Worf as well. It only took two episodes.

I did really like the little white lie at the end of the episode, Worf informing Picard that the refugees were survivors of a crashed ship and that no-one had survived Khitomer. It's not normal for Worf to lie to Picard....but in this context it manages to work without breaking the illusion.

Very nice review man, makes me want to go back and watch those episodes right now.

[DigiFluid]

DS9 1.10 'Move Along Home' -- Oh man, right near the bottom of the barrel as far as Trek goes. I hate this godforsaken episode.

DS9 1.11 'The Nagus' -- And now, we start to see the beginnings of some of the traits we know and love about DS9. I don't mean specifically the Nagus himself, I know a lot of people out there don't like him What I mean, is that this early in the game we got a character-centred episode which did wonderful things for expanding on their race's civilization and culture in ways never before examined. Further, it's an expansion on stuff outside of the standard Starfleet/human norm that we were all used to at this point. Fun stuff. AND I loved Quark congratulating Rom on his treachery at the end of the episode

TNG 6.18 'Starship Mine' -- This is....a bit of an odd episode, which I think rather unfortunately spent most of its time trying to figure out which direction it wanted to go in: light or dark. On one hand, we've got Data learning to make small talk down on the planet, much to the amusement of the senior staff (and me busting a gut laughing at it too).

On the other hand, we have Picard up in the Enterprise fighting for his life. He leaves one guy unconscious in sickbay to die by the sweep, baits another into a trap that gets him killed, impales another guy's leg with a crossbow and leaves him to die in the hall, and with the Ten Forward trap he sets gets a third killed as well (who, incidentally, is the Lyta actress from Babylon 5 again); while another of the thieves is killed in cold blood by his boss. Finally, Picard booby traps the storage container which destroys the escaping ship and everyone aboard. Very dark. But then, it kind of fails to do that effectively. Particularly when juxtaposed against the humour of the situation on the planet for most of the beginning of the episode.

Odd.

[DigiFluid]

TNG 6.19 'Lessons' -- Strange little bottle episode, this one. Picard gets involved with one of his officers, which for some reason is not prohibited by regulations. Ends with them still 'involved' but with her career having been effectively ruined (or at least set back) by her requesting a transfer to a lesser ship than the Enterprise.

DS9 1.12 'Vortex' -- "Paranoia must run in your species," a line near the beginning of the episode which would end up encapsulating the whole episode. This is a great little early Odo origins episode; a jaunt into the Gamma Quadrant, some GQ history/legends surrounding changelings. I don't know if the writers had even the vaguest of ideas Odo's origins at this point, but regardless, it's some cool foreshadowing.

[stargatefan234]

DS9: The Way Of The Warrior Pt 1

[DigiFluid]

DS9 1.13 'Battle Lines' -- And down goes the first of many station Runabouts, adios Yangtzee Kiang! Kira's agony over Kai Opaka's death is palpable; we know from the pilot that she's pretty much the only force on Bajor preventing the outbreak of a civil war.

The premise of this episode, a group of people fighting an endless war and resurrecting, is very sci-fi and very interesting. It's extremely depressing, and in true Star Trek fashion, is left with a ray of hope as Opaka remains on the planet to do what she can to create peace.

Another good DS9!

[nx01a]

I LOVE 'Vortex', Digi. It's one of my favourite first season episodes. I was so curious about Odo's origin in the beginning and this one had angst AND 'splosions.

TNG: The Enemy... Apart from Wesley doing his usual Boy Wonder routine [in an almost Rodney way, everyone looking to him for a solution] and Geordi immediately recognizing the neutrino stream as Wesley's idea, NOT Data's... A very enjoyable episode. Worf's hatreed for the Romulan is reciprocated. G'Kar's a Romulan! It was scary how closely the Fed came to war with the Romulan Star Empire.

TNG: Second Chances... More enjoyable than I remember. Then again, it's just a joy seeing Deanna in that sexy blue uniform. Poor Thomas. I'm glad the writers didn't go down the expected 'duplicate tries to kill and usurp duplicate's life' approach.

[DigiFluid]

I LOVE 'Vortex', Digi. It's one of my favourite first season episodes. I was so curious about Odo's origin in the beginning and this one had angst AND 'splosions.

And an inverted and slightly recoloured Mutara Nebula

TNG: The Enemy... Apart from Wesley doing his usual Boy Wonder routine [in an almost Rodney way, everyone looking to him for a solution] and Geordi immediately recognizing the neutrino stream as Wesley's idea, NOT Data's... A very enjoyable episode. Worf's hatreed for the Romulan is reciprocated.

That was such a strong episode all around, but my favourite aspect of all of it was just how intense Worf's prejudice against Romulans is.

[Ice Wolf]

TNG: "Elementary, Dear Data"

Moriarty is a pretty good adversary.

[stargatefan234]

DS9: The Way Of The Warrior Pt 2

[Lt.Colonel John Sheppard]

The Forgotten and E2 from enterprise.

[Captain Chaap]

Flesh and Blood (VOY) - I like episodes that feature the Hirogen

[the fifth man]

This evening I watched the Enterprise episode "The Expanse". Great season finale IMO.

[nx01a]

As they say in Babylon 5, "it was the year everything changed."

Heading home to watch VOY 'The Omega Directive'. The look on 7/9's face as she watched Omega stabilize... Almost religious ecstacy.

[maneth]

TOS: Court Martial. Great twist to the story.