DVD, TNG S5 (New Ground)
The backdrop of a possible new form of warp propulsion without the use of engines, is only there to provide a framework in which to keep Worf busy as he confronts his most challenging adversary yet: his young son. Until the end in which the wave becomes a major threat to the ship, and specifically to Alexander, it's just one other thing keeping Worf from interacting consistently with him, and imparting the love and guidance needed. The episode title is very apt, as some difficult, and certainly new ground for Worf, is covered - obedience to parents, the behaviour of children, the responsibilities of parenting and pitfalls therein are all tough ground. Worf can take on so many situations, but the personal has always been a little more painful for him than most, and it shows. Deanna helps him see that he's still got some degree of anger and frustration at the death of his mate and Alexander's Mother, K'Ehleyr - it seems vengeance on his enemy, Duras, didn't end the pain, which is a lesson in itself. Though Klingon views are fascinating, they're being watched by humans and judged by human standards, and while we might have cheered Worf on in the dual, we knew it was wrong to seek revenge.
It is heartening to see Worf's crewmates be so understanding, from Deanna's advice, to Picard's understanding, and Riker's staunch assistance in the rescue - I'm not sure we've seen the two burly figures taking on a physical task together since Season 3's 'The Hunted' and they certainly looked formidable charging down corridors. Perhaps they should have used that pairing more often? It was also nice to see Worf's training programme, another Season 3 throwback, only this time we get to see the setting on novice, with the tiny Klingon boy fighting the skull-faced opponent. Notice how at that level of difficulty the computer enemy allows the participant to get up rather than attacking full on.
We also get to hear a little more Klingon lore as Worf reveals the statue of two muscular Klingons wrestling, which he keeps in his quarters, is the well-known Kahless fighting his (lesser known) brother Morath, although sneakily they'd never sported ridges before. Appropriately in a story about a new form of propulsion, Zefram Cochrane is name-checked again. Other connections (or not), are that I thought the name of the planet they were visiting was called Bellana (very suitable for a Klingon-centric story!), though it was actually Bilana III. And the Corvan Gilvos would be seen again in 'DS9' as a pet Quark has during his very short reign as Grand Nagus in Season 1's 'The Nagus.' I also thought Dr. Ja'Dar looked rather like a Grazerite, as represented by the Federation President in 'DS9' Season 4.
As intriguing as this new soliton wave technology was, it was never going to replace warp drive as not only would Geordi be out of a job, but the series would be rather less exciting. I noticed one seemingly major flaw with the idea: if a ship is riding a wave, how do they change course, or turn a corner? As I said, that part of the story only existed to hang Worf's personal problems on. They could very well have killed off Alexander (played here for the first time by Brian Bonsall), as they did his Mother, but this time they decided the time was right to do something different. I have to admit to preferring the warrior persona of Worf, rather than his fatherly one, but the episode remains compelling in small ways, helped by the exciting finale, and wonderful scene with Worf's adopted Mother, Helena Rozhenko, who is just as good as last time she appeared. It would have been nice to see Sergei too (he's got all the diagrams!), but the importance of Worf's decision is the main thing, putting him into a new era for his character that would last to the end of the series, until he joined 'DS9' and began another era.
***
Monday, 27 June 2011
Cease Fire
DVD, Enterprise S2 (Cease Fire)
The Andorians made their long-awaited comeback in this episode after appearing in two good stories in the first season. This is the lesser of the three, but it succeeds on merit by bringing Jeffrey Combs as Shran, back to the series. Though his Andorian character doesn't have the subtlety of his Vorta or the joyous awfulness of his Ferengi roles on 'DS9' the forceful and occasionally exaggerated behaviour marks him out as different, continuing to form this old alien race of which we know so little. It would have been fun if Captain Telev of the Andorian ship had been in a scene with Shran as he was played by Christopher Shea who was another person to play a Vorta (though again, Weyoun and Keevan never shared any scenes). Suzie Plakson was also a well-known face in a new role, though she was much better known as Klingon Ambassador K'Ehlyr in 'TNG' and a female Q in 'Voyager.' Her formidable blue-skinned soldier gives even Archer a bit of trouble, though he does gain the upper hand in the punch-up.
The flaws of 'Enterprise' unfortunately come through again in what could otherwise have been an intense war story. Though there is some action: Archer and the Vulcans pinned down by weapons fire, and that fight, I never had the feeling of any tension or a sense of danger. The weapons were set to kill, since we learn that Andorian weapons don't have a stun setting, so maybe some judicious use of sound effects might have made the threat seem more real - the glancing blast Soval received must have just caught him rather than being a full-on beam. I think this lack of strong feeling was exemplified by the fact that after what was supposed to be a tense stand-off with Trip keeping Enterprise between the Andorian and Vulcan ships and the planet (though if they'd all split up and gone in at different approach vectors he couldn't have done much about it, I imagine), the good news comes through and he tells Reed to turn off the Tactical Alert. I didn't even realise the alert was on! It's a far cry from the blaring red-alert sirens and ominous low-lighting of the other series' and seems tame in comparison.
In some ways, that's the point, the mission of the series was to portray the early days of Starfleet, not replicate what had gone before, but oddly there's less of a seat-of-your-pants feeling in this than in the more high-tech future ships, and it shouldn't be that way. To crush the episode in a pit of weak atmosphere would do it an injustice, for the series is also able to justify its existence with things that couldn't be done before: early in the episode Archer ponders whether his mission should be more than charting comets and meeting new races, and that becoming part of a wider community is also important. This becomes his first solely diplomatic mission, and despite bumps along the way (with shades of Kirk and General Chang in 'Star TrekVI' - warriors that don't trust peace between their peoples), a momentous moment is seen in which humans, Vulcans and Andorians sit round the same table and drink a toast together. If that's not the first inklings of the Federation, I don't know what is and it brings a warm glow of recognition of what this small moment means!
Soval continues to give me mixed feelings. It's always good to have a familiar face, and a character which can change and grow over time. This episode is the first that allows the Vulcan Ambassador to do that as he's along for the ride, but he always seems so expressive to me, that's the trouble, and while berating T'Pol for supposed crimes of emotion he exhibits disgust and frustration, emotions both! At least we learn a little more about him, how he was an intelligence operative a hundred years ago (in our century!), how he believes T'Pol could have been so much more if she'd remained part of his diplomatic staff rather than joining Enterprise, and he upholds the traditional Vulcan values of nonviolence when he admits he hasn't handled a weapon in fifty years. So it makes a difference to have him along, even sowing the tiny seeds of respect between him and Archer that would grow into the future.
The other Vulcans don't seem to share his peaceful ways. So much for the stereotype of Vulcans as peace-loving beings that don't like to kill or act aggressively. As shown in this episode they have soldiers and plans of war as much as the Andorians, and it seems so hard to accept from all we know about them previously. I could go on about the Vulcans for a long time, but I will at least say I felt the Vulcan assistant to Soval was much more the portrayal I wish all examples of the race would present. I do wish the race had been shown to be cool, as we know they are, but although there were times when they could have shown their superior strength or other physical abilities, T'Pol and Soval are left to provide covering fire and Archer gets all the good stuff. See 'Marauders' for a superior war-based episode.
The dark night CGI of the exteriors worked really well disguising any lack of depth with shadows, and while the shuttlepod crash was functional rather than exceptional, we did get to see it. V'Lar, the Vulcan they helped in 'Fallen Hero' is mentioned, and best of all, though it was unspoken in the episode, Shran now owes Archer which would guarantee another appearance at least. As usual, the antennae, moving in time with their overblown feelings, were fascinating to observe, providing such a stark contrast with the composed and unrevealing Vulcans. We also see more gorgeous Vulcan ships and some Andorian vessels, and while the lack of the other characters (though there are some nice character-building moments between Archer and Phlox, and Archer and T'Pol), and sense of peril almost turns it into an average episode, I can't complain about those things when they go to the trouble of an away mission among the Andorians.
***
The Andorians made their long-awaited comeback in this episode after appearing in two good stories in the first season. This is the lesser of the three, but it succeeds on merit by bringing Jeffrey Combs as Shran, back to the series. Though his Andorian character doesn't have the subtlety of his Vorta or the joyous awfulness of his Ferengi roles on 'DS9' the forceful and occasionally exaggerated behaviour marks him out as different, continuing to form this old alien race of which we know so little. It would have been fun if Captain Telev of the Andorian ship had been in a scene with Shran as he was played by Christopher Shea who was another person to play a Vorta (though again, Weyoun and Keevan never shared any scenes). Suzie Plakson was also a well-known face in a new role, though she was much better known as Klingon Ambassador K'Ehlyr in 'TNG' and a female Q in 'Voyager.' Her formidable blue-skinned soldier gives even Archer a bit of trouble, though he does gain the upper hand in the punch-up.
The flaws of 'Enterprise' unfortunately come through again in what could otherwise have been an intense war story. Though there is some action: Archer and the Vulcans pinned down by weapons fire, and that fight, I never had the feeling of any tension or a sense of danger. The weapons were set to kill, since we learn that Andorian weapons don't have a stun setting, so maybe some judicious use of sound effects might have made the threat seem more real - the glancing blast Soval received must have just caught him rather than being a full-on beam. I think this lack of strong feeling was exemplified by the fact that after what was supposed to be a tense stand-off with Trip keeping Enterprise between the Andorian and Vulcan ships and the planet (though if they'd all split up and gone in at different approach vectors he couldn't have done much about it, I imagine), the good news comes through and he tells Reed to turn off the Tactical Alert. I didn't even realise the alert was on! It's a far cry from the blaring red-alert sirens and ominous low-lighting of the other series' and seems tame in comparison.
In some ways, that's the point, the mission of the series was to portray the early days of Starfleet, not replicate what had gone before, but oddly there's less of a seat-of-your-pants feeling in this than in the more high-tech future ships, and it shouldn't be that way. To crush the episode in a pit of weak atmosphere would do it an injustice, for the series is also able to justify its existence with things that couldn't be done before: early in the episode Archer ponders whether his mission should be more than charting comets and meeting new races, and that becoming part of a wider community is also important. This becomes his first solely diplomatic mission, and despite bumps along the way (with shades of Kirk and General Chang in 'Star TrekVI' - warriors that don't trust peace between their peoples), a momentous moment is seen in which humans, Vulcans and Andorians sit round the same table and drink a toast together. If that's not the first inklings of the Federation, I don't know what is and it brings a warm glow of recognition of what this small moment means!
Soval continues to give me mixed feelings. It's always good to have a familiar face, and a character which can change and grow over time. This episode is the first that allows the Vulcan Ambassador to do that as he's along for the ride, but he always seems so expressive to me, that's the trouble, and while berating T'Pol for supposed crimes of emotion he exhibits disgust and frustration, emotions both! At least we learn a little more about him, how he was an intelligence operative a hundred years ago (in our century!), how he believes T'Pol could have been so much more if she'd remained part of his diplomatic staff rather than joining Enterprise, and he upholds the traditional Vulcan values of nonviolence when he admits he hasn't handled a weapon in fifty years. So it makes a difference to have him along, even sowing the tiny seeds of respect between him and Archer that would grow into the future.
The other Vulcans don't seem to share his peaceful ways. So much for the stereotype of Vulcans as peace-loving beings that don't like to kill or act aggressively. As shown in this episode they have soldiers and plans of war as much as the Andorians, and it seems so hard to accept from all we know about them previously. I could go on about the Vulcans for a long time, but I will at least say I felt the Vulcan assistant to Soval was much more the portrayal I wish all examples of the race would present. I do wish the race had been shown to be cool, as we know they are, but although there were times when they could have shown their superior strength or other physical abilities, T'Pol and Soval are left to provide covering fire and Archer gets all the good stuff. See 'Marauders' for a superior war-based episode.
The dark night CGI of the exteriors worked really well disguising any lack of depth with shadows, and while the shuttlepod crash was functional rather than exceptional, we did get to see it. V'Lar, the Vulcan they helped in 'Fallen Hero' is mentioned, and best of all, though it was unspoken in the episode, Shran now owes Archer which would guarantee another appearance at least. As usual, the antennae, moving in time with their overblown feelings, were fascinating to observe, providing such a stark contrast with the composed and unrevealing Vulcans. We also see more gorgeous Vulcan ships and some Andorian vessels, and while the lack of the other characters (though there are some nice character-building moments between Archer and Phlox, and Archer and T'Pol), and sense of peril almost turns it into an average episode, I can't complain about those things when they go to the trouble of an away mission among the Andorians.
***
A Matter of Time
DVD, TNG S5 (A Matter of Time)
What stands out for me is how easily Rasmussen was trusted. There was no time for him to earn the crew's trust, they just accept what he says at face value without asking for any proof, except for the fact that his ship is made of a material they haven't discovered yet - surely there are plenty of materials Starfleet doesn't know about, but that doesn't mean someone hasn't invented it! However much I love all the talk of 22nd or 26th centuries, knowing the twist coming at the end meant that Rasmussen's presence on the ship was merely coincidental to the 'main' event on the planet. Unfortunately, this was a rather dull storyline, though I would praise the excellent matte paintings of the surface, whether it was the snowy base or the Enterprise's attempts at blasting holes in the surface. The old grey uniforms make an appearance, worn by grey old men doing grey old things, and the danger and import of the situation never fully comes across, as anything more than a part of Picard's rant about history, the past and the future.
I was expecting Rasmussen to be discovered in some ingenious way, slowly revealing himself by his lack of knowledge, or being accused at a key moment of not knowing what was going to happen, such as when he looks so nervous during the Enterprise's attempt at saving the planet. Instead it comes to a head inside his little tinfoil ship (why does future tech always look silver and shiny?), the phaser (which, incidentally he holds with his finger well away from the button leaving Data an easy opportunity to disarm him when he's leaning into the cockpit, though it was unnecessary as we find out), stops working thanks to the computer remotely deactivating it. Is that a new thing? I don't think we've ever heard of the computer having that capability!
So all of Rasmussen's bluster, his flitting around like a particularly irritating fly on the wall, making smug comments, intimating he knows so much, was all an act while he picked up a few bits of technology so he could pretend he invented them back in his own century. If I had a time-pod I'd be zipping round the universe at different places, not trying to improve my life back home, but this inventor seems to lack imagination, perhaps the reason why he fails. The performance was good, and he was quite a fun sort of character, giving Beverly the chance to show off her comic timing, Data, his strange, but plausible habit of listening to several musical compositions at the same time, and Picard to get angry and speak for a lot of captain's that would like a rant against the reverence for the timeline!
If the story isn't up to much, the episode does at least provide some fun and fascinating references. Right from the start, and to foretell the theme of the episode, Picard mentions the nuclear winters of the 21st Century (something we have to look forward to, according to the Trek calendar of events!), which was perhaps the earliest reference to the Third World War coming in the mid-21st Century, the aftermath of which was seen in 'Star Trek: First Contact,' (and perhaps something like that was referred to in 'TOS'). He also mentions Khan Singh (as a poor argument against saving the lives of children who might grow up to be someone nasty). We don't learn much of the 26th Century since Rasmussen won't, and can't, tell. We know they have time travel ships, though it's unclear whether it was Federation or not, and that they're happy to visit the past. What we don't know is why Temporal Investigations (something we'd hear of later, in the spinoffs) don't intervene (and almost never do) when people travel from their own time. How did Rasmussen decide to come to the Enterprise, what repercussions would it mean for his non-ancestors, and where did the pod go? These questions are all thrown up in the last minutes, and consequently there's not a very satisfying feeling of conclusion to the story.
According to Crusher the 22nd Century didn't have quarantine fields so they used surgical masks and gloves. Is that why the NX-01 crew rub themselves with gel for decontamination? We've certainly seen Phlox wearing such apparatus to perform surgery, which makes me wonder if the creators of 'Enterprise' made sure any mention of that century was used as reference for the series. Worf says there weren't any phasers at that time, although we see the new weapon at the beginning of 'Enterprise' - this could mean that there weren't phasers before this, and Worf was hardly going to know the exact date phasers were invented, so for half of that century he'd have been right! We also get the first reference to the Enterprise-B, albeit indirectly, as Riker's questionnaire includes questions about the last two Enterprise's. Most importantly for the series, was the first mention of the Temporal Prime Directive, even though it obviously hadn't actually been created then, but Picard talks about the time when there is a temporal version of the prime directive, and until then he'll do whatever he feels is right (much like Captain Kirk).
If Rasmussen had been a bit more sensible, had tried to be unobtrusive and less of a smug, excited child, he might have succeeded in his plan, but at least he got second prize: he got stranded from a time of danger and insecurity to a time where there is no poverty or troubles at home. He might be annoyed to begin with, but I'm sure he went on to be happy with his lot. He might have wanted to make money and have a good life, but in the 24th Century there is no money so he can have a good life without it. I couldn't help noticing in one scene in the scientist's operations room on the planet when Geordi is talking to the ship, that int he background the technician looks like she's wearing a red nose at first! It's actually a big red dot on the transparent board, but until she moves it's quite funny!
**
What stands out for me is how easily Rasmussen was trusted. There was no time for him to earn the crew's trust, they just accept what he says at face value without asking for any proof, except for the fact that his ship is made of a material they haven't discovered yet - surely there are plenty of materials Starfleet doesn't know about, but that doesn't mean someone hasn't invented it! However much I love all the talk of 22nd or 26th centuries, knowing the twist coming at the end meant that Rasmussen's presence on the ship was merely coincidental to the 'main' event on the planet. Unfortunately, this was a rather dull storyline, though I would praise the excellent matte paintings of the surface, whether it was the snowy base or the Enterprise's attempts at blasting holes in the surface. The old grey uniforms make an appearance, worn by grey old men doing grey old things, and the danger and import of the situation never fully comes across, as anything more than a part of Picard's rant about history, the past and the future.
I was expecting Rasmussen to be discovered in some ingenious way, slowly revealing himself by his lack of knowledge, or being accused at a key moment of not knowing what was going to happen, such as when he looks so nervous during the Enterprise's attempt at saving the planet. Instead it comes to a head inside his little tinfoil ship (why does future tech always look silver and shiny?), the phaser (which, incidentally he holds with his finger well away from the button leaving Data an easy opportunity to disarm him when he's leaning into the cockpit, though it was unnecessary as we find out), stops working thanks to the computer remotely deactivating it. Is that a new thing? I don't think we've ever heard of the computer having that capability!
So all of Rasmussen's bluster, his flitting around like a particularly irritating fly on the wall, making smug comments, intimating he knows so much, was all an act while he picked up a few bits of technology so he could pretend he invented them back in his own century. If I had a time-pod I'd be zipping round the universe at different places, not trying to improve my life back home, but this inventor seems to lack imagination, perhaps the reason why he fails. The performance was good, and he was quite a fun sort of character, giving Beverly the chance to show off her comic timing, Data, his strange, but plausible habit of listening to several musical compositions at the same time, and Picard to get angry and speak for a lot of captain's that would like a rant against the reverence for the timeline!
If the story isn't up to much, the episode does at least provide some fun and fascinating references. Right from the start, and to foretell the theme of the episode, Picard mentions the nuclear winters of the 21st Century (something we have to look forward to, according to the Trek calendar of events!), which was perhaps the earliest reference to the Third World War coming in the mid-21st Century, the aftermath of which was seen in 'Star Trek: First Contact,' (and perhaps something like that was referred to in 'TOS'). He also mentions Khan Singh (as a poor argument against saving the lives of children who might grow up to be someone nasty). We don't learn much of the 26th Century since Rasmussen won't, and can't, tell. We know they have time travel ships, though it's unclear whether it was Federation or not, and that they're happy to visit the past. What we don't know is why Temporal Investigations (something we'd hear of later, in the spinoffs) don't intervene (and almost never do) when people travel from their own time. How did Rasmussen decide to come to the Enterprise, what repercussions would it mean for his non-ancestors, and where did the pod go? These questions are all thrown up in the last minutes, and consequently there's not a very satisfying feeling of conclusion to the story.
According to Crusher the 22nd Century didn't have quarantine fields so they used surgical masks and gloves. Is that why the NX-01 crew rub themselves with gel for decontamination? We've certainly seen Phlox wearing such apparatus to perform surgery, which makes me wonder if the creators of 'Enterprise' made sure any mention of that century was used as reference for the series. Worf says there weren't any phasers at that time, although we see the new weapon at the beginning of 'Enterprise' - this could mean that there weren't phasers before this, and Worf was hardly going to know the exact date phasers were invented, so for half of that century he'd have been right! We also get the first reference to the Enterprise-B, albeit indirectly, as Riker's questionnaire includes questions about the last two Enterprise's. Most importantly for the series, was the first mention of the Temporal Prime Directive, even though it obviously hadn't actually been created then, but Picard talks about the time when there is a temporal version of the prime directive, and until then he'll do whatever he feels is right (much like Captain Kirk).
If Rasmussen had been a bit more sensible, had tried to be unobtrusive and less of a smug, excited child, he might have succeeded in his plan, but at least he got second prize: he got stranded from a time of danger and insecurity to a time where there is no poverty or troubles at home. He might be annoyed to begin with, but I'm sure he went on to be happy with his lot. He might have wanted to make money and have a good life, but in the 24th Century there is no money so he can have a good life without it. I couldn't help noticing in one scene in the scientist's operations room on the planet when Geordi is talking to the ship, that int he background the technician looks like she's wearing a red nose at first! It's actually a big red dot on the transparent board, but until she moves it's quite funny!
**
The Serpent's Venom
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (The Serpent's Venom)
Heavy on the Goa'uld politics, but since they haven't featured too much lately, that's good news. Even better, this quickly becomes a mission with Jacob to stop an alliance between Heru'ur and Apophis, who, having taken Sokar's over fleet, is fast becoming the greatest threat to the galaxy, one that even the combined System Lords won't be able to defeat. Teal'c meanwhile, has gone to Chulak to stir up rebellion after an attack by Apophis left many slaughtered, only to be captured by Rak'nor, played by Obi Ndefo (better known to Trekkers as General Martok's son Drex in 'DS9'), who has issues thanks to his Dad believing in Teal'c when he rebelled against the Goa'uld, which got him and his family killed. Rak'nor wears a scar where his emblem was, but he turns out to be not such a bad chap after all, which was easy to anticipate since he was wincing quite early into Teal'c's torture by Terak.
Other predictable moments were Terak being sent to Apophis' ship in place of Teal'c, and the SG-1 team successfully rescuing their colleague, though it's a bit harsh that they end up making the situation worse as Apophis has somehow managed to cloak an entire fleet ready to take out Heru'ur if he tried any tricks. It's been a long time since we last saw that guy, but it doesn't look like we will again! Christopher Judge gives one of his best performances as the stubborn prisoner, holding out to the end against all forms of pain. He certainly looked in shape for it, but it's his strong beliefs that come through so well, eventually convincing Rak'nor whose side he should be on.
It would have been nice to see Bre'tak, but you can't have everything. I don't believe he was captured and killed, as that was most likely another tactic used by Terak to get at Teal'c. He knows he's won when the torturer smashes the Goa'uld 'webcam' in frustration that his abilities aren't making the traitor yield. It takes quite a long time before we get to the Goa'uld leaders, but a lot of knowledge coming our way and the update of where things are with the Goa'uld, is useful. Carter and Daniel get to do some brain work with the mines (which look like mini TIE Interceptors!), and O'Neill is always good company, to paraphrase Jacob. I wouldn't rate it as one of the best Goa'uld episodes, but it certainly does the job, and the CG effects for the ships and mines were adequate. The main thing is that it leaves you wanting to discover the aftermath of the SG-1 team's bungling, and what it will mean for Earth and its allies.
***
Heavy on the Goa'uld politics, but since they haven't featured too much lately, that's good news. Even better, this quickly becomes a mission with Jacob to stop an alliance between Heru'ur and Apophis, who, having taken Sokar's over fleet, is fast becoming the greatest threat to the galaxy, one that even the combined System Lords won't be able to defeat. Teal'c meanwhile, has gone to Chulak to stir up rebellion after an attack by Apophis left many slaughtered, only to be captured by Rak'nor, played by Obi Ndefo (better known to Trekkers as General Martok's son Drex in 'DS9'), who has issues thanks to his Dad believing in Teal'c when he rebelled against the Goa'uld, which got him and his family killed. Rak'nor wears a scar where his emblem was, but he turns out to be not such a bad chap after all, which was easy to anticipate since he was wincing quite early into Teal'c's torture by Terak.
Other predictable moments were Terak being sent to Apophis' ship in place of Teal'c, and the SG-1 team successfully rescuing their colleague, though it's a bit harsh that they end up making the situation worse as Apophis has somehow managed to cloak an entire fleet ready to take out Heru'ur if he tried any tricks. It's been a long time since we last saw that guy, but it doesn't look like we will again! Christopher Judge gives one of his best performances as the stubborn prisoner, holding out to the end against all forms of pain. He certainly looked in shape for it, but it's his strong beliefs that come through so well, eventually convincing Rak'nor whose side he should be on.
It would have been nice to see Bre'tak, but you can't have everything. I don't believe he was captured and killed, as that was most likely another tactic used by Terak to get at Teal'c. He knows he's won when the torturer smashes the Goa'uld 'webcam' in frustration that his abilities aren't making the traitor yield. It takes quite a long time before we get to the Goa'uld leaders, but a lot of knowledge coming our way and the update of where things are with the Goa'uld, is useful. Carter and Daniel get to do some brain work with the mines (which look like mini TIE Interceptors!), and O'Neill is always good company, to paraphrase Jacob. I wouldn't rate it as one of the best Goa'uld episodes, but it certainly does the job, and the CG effects for the ships and mines were adequate. The main thing is that it leaves you wanting to discover the aftermath of the SG-1 team's bungling, and what it will mean for Earth and its allies.
***
Stigma
DVD, Enterprise S2 (Stigma)
One of the few issue-driven stories of the season, and a loose sequel to Season 1's 'Fusion' in which T'Pol was forced to mind meld against her will. This was part of a network agenda of programmes dealing with AIDS, but I found it most interesting from the Vulcan perspective. They believe melds are dangerous (and it seems they are to some people), though in later series', melds appear to be a common practice among the race, so a cure must have been discovered. The only thing is, and this is something that applies to many aspects of Vulcan culture which have been altered in 'Enterprise' as opposed to how they were portrayed in 'TOS' and later, is that the time difference for Vulcans is minimal between the 22nd and 24th centuries, since they tend to live to over 200 years. This means that many people that were born in the earlier century went on to be seen in the 23rd and 24th centuries, and yet they have so completely changed, become so much more emotionless, with so many different attitudes.
Vulcans seem to change or approve of change so rarely, that to see so much difference in only one or two generations has always been hard to swallow for me. They are so linked to their ancient past, too, that to have a blip of a hundred years or so is difficult to comprehend. I know that they went about showing how Vulcan society changed in Season 4, but it's still hard to accept, and this is another episode where the Vulcans get angry and raise their voices, speak with passion or act dishonourably, one of my biggest annoyances with the series.
It was still interesting to watch thanks to some nice, informal scenes between crew members, such as Trip and Hoshi (with some Denobulan-speech, plus subtitles, which I always appreciate), or Trip and Malcolm, showing their friendships a little more, essential to a rounded story. The 'humorous' B-story of Phlox' second wife Fesal coming aboard and becoming rather taken with Trip was a bit of an embarrassment amid such weighty goings-on on the Vulcan side, undercutting the serious scenes a bit, its only reason for being to show the different ways of Denobulans, who seem to have a very loose definition of family. How a society could survive with such casual ways, I don't know (just as the Ocampan's short lifespan and only one mate made it difficult to see a future in their society!), but there is some fun seeing Trip struggle with his quest to escape Fesal, and Phlox' reaction to his qualms.
The CGI rendition of the alien conference planet was well done, with some beautiful shots of the different times of day, though whenever people are shown they still aren't up to scratch, walking stiltedly. The NX-01's own conference room, which seems to have appeared from nowhere this season (last seen in 'Precious Cargo'), is used again, though I can't quite see the whole command staff sitting round a table discussing events, like they did in all the other series'. Somehow, the area at the back of the bridge is more suited to the action-focused style of this series. Actually, I think this is one of the few episodes in which the bridge isn't seen on screen.
T'Pol was by far the most restrained of the Vulcans seen, and her desire not to taint the reputation of the melders by admitting that her illness was caused through coerced meld was admirable. Archer's forceful assistance was also good to see, as was Dr. Yuris', sacrificing his own career to get T'Pol her treatment showed that not all melders were like the one that attacked her. It is ironic that mind melds should become so much a part of Vulcan life, but even more so that they went away from the founding precepts of the past to become closed-minded to the custom. I doubt if most people watching saw the story as anything other than the sci-fi context it was placed in, and it isn't the most gripping episode either. Its main legacy was annoying me with the way the Vulcans act, but it did have a certain watchability to it thanks to good direction.
**
One of the few issue-driven stories of the season, and a loose sequel to Season 1's 'Fusion' in which T'Pol was forced to mind meld against her will. This was part of a network agenda of programmes dealing with AIDS, but I found it most interesting from the Vulcan perspective. They believe melds are dangerous (and it seems they are to some people), though in later series', melds appear to be a common practice among the race, so a cure must have been discovered. The only thing is, and this is something that applies to many aspects of Vulcan culture which have been altered in 'Enterprise' as opposed to how they were portrayed in 'TOS' and later, is that the time difference for Vulcans is minimal between the 22nd and 24th centuries, since they tend to live to over 200 years. This means that many people that were born in the earlier century went on to be seen in the 23rd and 24th centuries, and yet they have so completely changed, become so much more emotionless, with so many different attitudes.
Vulcans seem to change or approve of change so rarely, that to see so much difference in only one or two generations has always been hard to swallow for me. They are so linked to their ancient past, too, that to have a blip of a hundred years or so is difficult to comprehend. I know that they went about showing how Vulcan society changed in Season 4, but it's still hard to accept, and this is another episode where the Vulcans get angry and raise their voices, speak with passion or act dishonourably, one of my biggest annoyances with the series.
It was still interesting to watch thanks to some nice, informal scenes between crew members, such as Trip and Hoshi (with some Denobulan-speech, plus subtitles, which I always appreciate), or Trip and Malcolm, showing their friendships a little more, essential to a rounded story. The 'humorous' B-story of Phlox' second wife Fesal coming aboard and becoming rather taken with Trip was a bit of an embarrassment amid such weighty goings-on on the Vulcan side, undercutting the serious scenes a bit, its only reason for being to show the different ways of Denobulans, who seem to have a very loose definition of family. How a society could survive with such casual ways, I don't know (just as the Ocampan's short lifespan and only one mate made it difficult to see a future in their society!), but there is some fun seeing Trip struggle with his quest to escape Fesal, and Phlox' reaction to his qualms.
The CGI rendition of the alien conference planet was well done, with some beautiful shots of the different times of day, though whenever people are shown they still aren't up to scratch, walking stiltedly. The NX-01's own conference room, which seems to have appeared from nowhere this season (last seen in 'Precious Cargo'), is used again, though I can't quite see the whole command staff sitting round a table discussing events, like they did in all the other series'. Somehow, the area at the back of the bridge is more suited to the action-focused style of this series. Actually, I think this is one of the few episodes in which the bridge isn't seen on screen.
T'Pol was by far the most restrained of the Vulcans seen, and her desire not to taint the reputation of the melders by admitting that her illness was caused through coerced meld was admirable. Archer's forceful assistance was also good to see, as was Dr. Yuris', sacrificing his own career to get T'Pol her treatment showed that not all melders were like the one that attacked her. It is ironic that mind melds should become so much a part of Vulcan life, but even more so that they went away from the founding precepts of the past to become closed-minded to the custom. I doubt if most people watching saw the story as anything other than the sci-fi context it was placed in, and it isn't the most gripping episode either. Its main legacy was annoying me with the way the Vulcans act, but it did have a certain watchability to it thanks to good direction.
**
Unification II
DVD, TNG S5 (Unification II)
It is possible that this episode was a lot less than it should have been and didn't live up to the responsibility of bringing Spock into the 24th Century. It had worked in a small way with Dr. McCoy, but we didn't get to know him at his ancient stage of life, and when Scott came aboard he hadn't aged, so Spock was the first main character of 'TOS' to be fleshed out in his new life so long after the character we knew. He shows himself to have become a lot more human in manner, his emotions far less checked, and the same for his views. When Picard confronts him he is unapologetic for his behaviour, even defiant, and, like Kirk would later, pulls the old 'I was doing this before you were born, son' kind of attitude. His character was true to the way he changed between the series and the films. This was his final appearance in the Trek mythos, at least it was for almost twenty years until he became the cornerstone that made 'Star Trek XI' work, and the main reason for watching it - by then he was even more relaxed, and able to advise his younger self to use both sides of his heritage as he had learned to do through his long life.
Thanks to this, his involvement with the Romulans makes sense in that film, and you can understand, to a degree, why they felt it was his responsibility to help them. Perhaps the reunification movement had become much stronger by then, and Spock an open ally, though that isn't mentioned in the film. He begins the episode saying reunification has little chance of success, but by the end has resolved to stay and work at it, perhaps spurred on by Pardek's betrayal. I wondered why he felt able to move through the streets since he was clearly a Vulcan, and everyone must know the famous Spock. It must have been that he was among friendlies, and so felt secure to move about, or suspected the Romulans knew he was there.
Though the episode again feels a bit loose, the other Enterprise-based participants not having a worthwhile storyline, Spock's presence means things are never dull, and there are plenty of opportunities that are not missed between he and Picard, and more especially he and Data - their discussion of being human and Data's demonstration of a neck pinch on Sela being stand out moments. I don't see why they didn't take the unconscious Sela with them to be imprisoned, but then a lot of her side of the story didn't make a lot of sense. This time her plan is to lure Spock to Romulus, get him to read a speech advocating a peace delegation from the Romulans (even though she can fake up a holographic version - but apparently needed Spock so the display would be more interactive. Who would be asking the questions?), which are then supposed to arrive on three ships filled with troops to take over Vulcan by force.
And then what? They'll fight the entire might of the Federation to keep hold of that barren desert planet just so she can say "I own Vulcan"? She admitted she hated the Vulcans anyway, so what would this enforced unification provide, unless it was an opportunity to commit genocide. In any case the plan was flimsy, appeared not to have a realistic goal, and had zero percent chance of success, which makes me wonder if Sela simply enjoyed manipulating events and hoped to die in glorious battle against the Federation. In that case she could have come up with a much simpler plan, but we wouldn't have got to see Spock.
The episodes were promotionally motivated, as a cross-pollination for 'Star Trek VI'. Perhaps it would have been better to come up with something a bit simpler as the whole sub-story of the runaround after a missing Vulcan ship, a fat Ferengi and a four-armed piano player seemed to have very little point to it, aside from some silly, but fun scenes of Riker performing a jazz number on the ivories, and Worf having a singalong with the Klingon opera! Was there an Antican in the background of that seedy bar? One of the waitresses looked vaguely Andorian. Like 'Redemption' before it, the episode title continues the new tradition of leaving the 'part' out of 'part I' or 'part II,' but the crime is in Sela's name being shown in the opening credits: where's the surprise reveal? I recognised Vidal Peterson who went on to play Cardassian boy Rugal in 'DS9' ('Cardassians')
Despite the admitted flaws and the fact that the story isn't exactly sharp and flowing, preferring a stately pace full of political talk and the slow and steady march to the inevitable revelations, having Spock a part of Trek again, walking with Picard, a living legend with the current Captain of the Enterprise means it was all worth it. I would have liked the question of Vulcan and Romulus moving closer towards reconciliation to be addressed over the following years in the series or its spinoffs, but sadly, I'm not sure it was ever even mentioned again, probably because the Romulans were best left as untrustworthy adversaries. Similarly, I think this was the last we saw of Sela, shown to be less of an intelligent schemer than she first seemed, though of course it was not quite Denise Crosby's final appearance in the series.
***
It is possible that this episode was a lot less than it should have been and didn't live up to the responsibility of bringing Spock into the 24th Century. It had worked in a small way with Dr. McCoy, but we didn't get to know him at his ancient stage of life, and when Scott came aboard he hadn't aged, so Spock was the first main character of 'TOS' to be fleshed out in his new life so long after the character we knew. He shows himself to have become a lot more human in manner, his emotions far less checked, and the same for his views. When Picard confronts him he is unapologetic for his behaviour, even defiant, and, like Kirk would later, pulls the old 'I was doing this before you were born, son' kind of attitude. His character was true to the way he changed between the series and the films. This was his final appearance in the Trek mythos, at least it was for almost twenty years until he became the cornerstone that made 'Star Trek XI' work, and the main reason for watching it - by then he was even more relaxed, and able to advise his younger self to use both sides of his heritage as he had learned to do through his long life.
Thanks to this, his involvement with the Romulans makes sense in that film, and you can understand, to a degree, why they felt it was his responsibility to help them. Perhaps the reunification movement had become much stronger by then, and Spock an open ally, though that isn't mentioned in the film. He begins the episode saying reunification has little chance of success, but by the end has resolved to stay and work at it, perhaps spurred on by Pardek's betrayal. I wondered why he felt able to move through the streets since he was clearly a Vulcan, and everyone must know the famous Spock. It must have been that he was among friendlies, and so felt secure to move about, or suspected the Romulans knew he was there.
Though the episode again feels a bit loose, the other Enterprise-based participants not having a worthwhile storyline, Spock's presence means things are never dull, and there are plenty of opportunities that are not missed between he and Picard, and more especially he and Data - their discussion of being human and Data's demonstration of a neck pinch on Sela being stand out moments. I don't see why they didn't take the unconscious Sela with them to be imprisoned, but then a lot of her side of the story didn't make a lot of sense. This time her plan is to lure Spock to Romulus, get him to read a speech advocating a peace delegation from the Romulans (even though she can fake up a holographic version - but apparently needed Spock so the display would be more interactive. Who would be asking the questions?), which are then supposed to arrive on three ships filled with troops to take over Vulcan by force.
And then what? They'll fight the entire might of the Federation to keep hold of that barren desert planet just so she can say "I own Vulcan"? She admitted she hated the Vulcans anyway, so what would this enforced unification provide, unless it was an opportunity to commit genocide. In any case the plan was flimsy, appeared not to have a realistic goal, and had zero percent chance of success, which makes me wonder if Sela simply enjoyed manipulating events and hoped to die in glorious battle against the Federation. In that case she could have come up with a much simpler plan, but we wouldn't have got to see Spock.
The episodes were promotionally motivated, as a cross-pollination for 'Star Trek VI'. Perhaps it would have been better to come up with something a bit simpler as the whole sub-story of the runaround after a missing Vulcan ship, a fat Ferengi and a four-armed piano player seemed to have very little point to it, aside from some silly, but fun scenes of Riker performing a jazz number on the ivories, and Worf having a singalong with the Klingon opera! Was there an Antican in the background of that seedy bar? One of the waitresses looked vaguely Andorian. Like 'Redemption' before it, the episode title continues the new tradition of leaving the 'part' out of 'part I' or 'part II,' but the crime is in Sela's name being shown in the opening credits: where's the surprise reveal? I recognised Vidal Peterson who went on to play Cardassian boy Rugal in 'DS9' ('Cardassians')
Despite the admitted flaws and the fact that the story isn't exactly sharp and flowing, preferring a stately pace full of political talk and the slow and steady march to the inevitable revelations, having Spock a part of Trek again, walking with Picard, a living legend with the current Captain of the Enterprise means it was all worth it. I would have liked the question of Vulcan and Romulus moving closer towards reconciliation to be addressed over the following years in the series or its spinoffs, but sadly, I'm not sure it was ever even mentioned again, probably because the Romulans were best left as untrustworthy adversaries. Similarly, I think this was the last we saw of Sela, shown to be less of an intelligent schemer than she first seemed, though of course it was not quite Denise Crosby's final appearance in the series.
***
Monday, 13 June 2011
Unification I
DVD, TNG S5 (Unification I)
For all the padding that draws out the episode and tries to warrant the running time of two hours, most likely so a budget of worthwhile proportions could be used to defray such costs as bringing back some major guest stars as well as presenting Romulus on the best scale that could be achieved, it still comes out on balance as a good episode. This is undoubtedly from the vein of anticipation running through the episode like silver in dull rock, and also for the playing out of such momentous events in the 'Star Trek' world, the like of which resounded outwards, even to the last film in 2009, no small achievement in such a long-running franchise with its myriad major plots and long-running arcs. But somehow, anything related to Spock has so much weight to it, perhaps because he was the original face that drew so many in, and was there from the very earliest beginnings.
It must have been a coup to get such an iconic character back to a series that had begun by distancing itself from its predecessor, not the least because the original actors were still making films at the time. By this late stage of the series, well into middle age, it had found its audience, proved itself by making as many long-lasting creative additions to the known universe of races and planets as 'TOS,' and felt it could get away with ties to the old series. It helped that Leonard Nimoy had been making the final 'TOS' film that year, which I think was still to be released at the time of the episode, so this was also a savvy marketing ploy to ensure the 'TNG' audience would be interested in the new film, as much as it was a tribute to those characters. Gene Roddenberry was also saluted with a dedication at the start of the episode as he had recently died, so it is fitting that it should be one of his first creations that everyone is looking forward to seeing in the episode, though we're kept waiting until the very last seconds.
More important than the appearance of Spock, something most people probably imagined was just about impossible, was Sarek's terrifying, yet gripping scene, his last, for we learn shortly after that he has died. The great tragedy of his descent into the illness that is killing him, that robs him of his dignity, more so for one who had such standing and presence, is pitiable to watch, and just as hard for Picard who gained a personal connection with him after sharing a mind meld in Season 3. It is a tribute to Picard that he is able to rouse Sarek and patiently, if painfully converse with him. It's also special that, though last time the Ambassador came to the Enterprise, this time the ship goes to Vulcan, and Picard to Sarek's dwelling. After the planetscapes of the films it's a little disappointing not to see the world, as Sarek stays secluded in a dark room, but the fireworks of Mark Lenard's final performance leave all such thoughts of deficiency in the hot, Vulcan dust.
It's certainly the strongest moment in the episode, and tells us even more about the strange antagonistic, yet honourable bond between the Father and his son. It's also good to see Perrin return, this time to present a different view of Spock. His own Mother was of course protective of both husband and son, but Perrin thinks mainly of Sarek, saddened that Spock didn't meet with him before going on this journey, and it shows that not even the great Spock is perfect in all he does, in all eyes. It's fascinating to hear that the two Vulcan ambassadors were on different sides on the subject of the Cardassian war, something that connects 'TOS' to 'DS9' in a small way.
After such harrowing, revealing scenes, having the Enterprise loitering in a junkyard, or Picard and Data trying to get some sleep on a Klingon ship doesn't quite live up to the scope of such personal and far-reaching concerns, though the possibility, however remote, of Spock being a defector are, shall we say, fascinating. And the scene with Picard trying to sleep while Data stands there putting him off is rather enjoyable! It's clear the episode is being drawn out a little unnaturally by these things. We get to see another member of the Zakdorn race, though he's much less obnoxious than the last one in 'Peak Performance', and in fact the most officious person is the Klingon adjutant that deigns to speak to Picard after he's been waiting three days to contact Gowron - it shows how untrustworthy the Klingon leader is that rather than strengthen the bonds between his people and the Federation, he would rather make himself stronger, a warning sign about the kind of guy he is. Mark my words, someone's going to have to put him in his place one of these days (and it's going to be a guy with a wrinkled forehead and a ponytail).
It was a way of keeping Gowron out of the episode, perhaps to save some money, but I'd have preferred more Klingon involvement. We get a Klingon Captain who isn't particularly helpful, but that's a typical Klingon for you. I had to wonder who did the amazing Romulan facial reconstruction for Picard and Data. The android didn't do it as he shows surprise at how good it looks, so was it Picard? Couldn't they have brought Beverly along? In the other storyline I didn't buy that a ship would be fooled into thinking the Enterprise was just a floating relic, like the other ships in the junkyard - even the Zakdorn noted how good it looked. Perhaps the enemy ship was automated?
Another big event is the first time we ever got to see what the streets of Romulus were like. Okay, so we can't see much, and it could have been a medieval town for all we can tell, but there were certainly more Romulans than had ever been on screen before, that's for sure! I felt Sarek's death was a little weakly thrown in - Data noting that Picard looks a bit subdued wasn't enough to convey the magnitude of it, but it's difficult to have an emotional scene on the macho, spare, dark environment of a Klingon Bird of Prey. Perhaps a visual communication from Perrin might have been more sensitive? Still, Spock's involvement at the end was exciting, even though it's called 'Unification I,' not hiding that it will be a cliffhanger.
Nimoy and Lenard aren't the only actors from 'TOS' to appear - Malachi Throne, who played Commodore Mendez, as well as the voice of the Talosian Keeper is the Romulan Senator Pardek. Erick Avari went on to a more recognisable role as Vedek Yarka on 'DS9' ('Destiny') and 'Enterprise' ('Terra Nova'). And Proconsul Neral went on to be played by a different actor in 'DS9'. And finally, one other link to 'TOS' is the name of the Vulcan ship which was missing: T'Pau.
***
For all the padding that draws out the episode and tries to warrant the running time of two hours, most likely so a budget of worthwhile proportions could be used to defray such costs as bringing back some major guest stars as well as presenting Romulus on the best scale that could be achieved, it still comes out on balance as a good episode. This is undoubtedly from the vein of anticipation running through the episode like silver in dull rock, and also for the playing out of such momentous events in the 'Star Trek' world, the like of which resounded outwards, even to the last film in 2009, no small achievement in such a long-running franchise with its myriad major plots and long-running arcs. But somehow, anything related to Spock has so much weight to it, perhaps because he was the original face that drew so many in, and was there from the very earliest beginnings.
It must have been a coup to get such an iconic character back to a series that had begun by distancing itself from its predecessor, not the least because the original actors were still making films at the time. By this late stage of the series, well into middle age, it had found its audience, proved itself by making as many long-lasting creative additions to the known universe of races and planets as 'TOS,' and felt it could get away with ties to the old series. It helped that Leonard Nimoy had been making the final 'TOS' film that year, which I think was still to be released at the time of the episode, so this was also a savvy marketing ploy to ensure the 'TNG' audience would be interested in the new film, as much as it was a tribute to those characters. Gene Roddenberry was also saluted with a dedication at the start of the episode as he had recently died, so it is fitting that it should be one of his first creations that everyone is looking forward to seeing in the episode, though we're kept waiting until the very last seconds.
More important than the appearance of Spock, something most people probably imagined was just about impossible, was Sarek's terrifying, yet gripping scene, his last, for we learn shortly after that he has died. The great tragedy of his descent into the illness that is killing him, that robs him of his dignity, more so for one who had such standing and presence, is pitiable to watch, and just as hard for Picard who gained a personal connection with him after sharing a mind meld in Season 3. It is a tribute to Picard that he is able to rouse Sarek and patiently, if painfully converse with him. It's also special that, though last time the Ambassador came to the Enterprise, this time the ship goes to Vulcan, and Picard to Sarek's dwelling. After the planetscapes of the films it's a little disappointing not to see the world, as Sarek stays secluded in a dark room, but the fireworks of Mark Lenard's final performance leave all such thoughts of deficiency in the hot, Vulcan dust.
It's certainly the strongest moment in the episode, and tells us even more about the strange antagonistic, yet honourable bond between the Father and his son. It's also good to see Perrin return, this time to present a different view of Spock. His own Mother was of course protective of both husband and son, but Perrin thinks mainly of Sarek, saddened that Spock didn't meet with him before going on this journey, and it shows that not even the great Spock is perfect in all he does, in all eyes. It's fascinating to hear that the two Vulcan ambassadors were on different sides on the subject of the Cardassian war, something that connects 'TOS' to 'DS9' in a small way.
After such harrowing, revealing scenes, having the Enterprise loitering in a junkyard, or Picard and Data trying to get some sleep on a Klingon ship doesn't quite live up to the scope of such personal and far-reaching concerns, though the possibility, however remote, of Spock being a defector are, shall we say, fascinating. And the scene with Picard trying to sleep while Data stands there putting him off is rather enjoyable! It's clear the episode is being drawn out a little unnaturally by these things. We get to see another member of the Zakdorn race, though he's much less obnoxious than the last one in 'Peak Performance', and in fact the most officious person is the Klingon adjutant that deigns to speak to Picard after he's been waiting three days to contact Gowron - it shows how untrustworthy the Klingon leader is that rather than strengthen the bonds between his people and the Federation, he would rather make himself stronger, a warning sign about the kind of guy he is. Mark my words, someone's going to have to put him in his place one of these days (and it's going to be a guy with a wrinkled forehead and a ponytail).
It was a way of keeping Gowron out of the episode, perhaps to save some money, but I'd have preferred more Klingon involvement. We get a Klingon Captain who isn't particularly helpful, but that's a typical Klingon for you. I had to wonder who did the amazing Romulan facial reconstruction for Picard and Data. The android didn't do it as he shows surprise at how good it looks, so was it Picard? Couldn't they have brought Beverly along? In the other storyline I didn't buy that a ship would be fooled into thinking the Enterprise was just a floating relic, like the other ships in the junkyard - even the Zakdorn noted how good it looked. Perhaps the enemy ship was automated?
Another big event is the first time we ever got to see what the streets of Romulus were like. Okay, so we can't see much, and it could have been a medieval town for all we can tell, but there were certainly more Romulans than had ever been on screen before, that's for sure! I felt Sarek's death was a little weakly thrown in - Data noting that Picard looks a bit subdued wasn't enough to convey the magnitude of it, but it's difficult to have an emotional scene on the macho, spare, dark environment of a Klingon Bird of Prey. Perhaps a visual communication from Perrin might have been more sensitive? Still, Spock's involvement at the end was exciting, even though it's called 'Unification I,' not hiding that it will be a cliffhanger.
Nimoy and Lenard aren't the only actors from 'TOS' to appear - Malachi Throne, who played Commodore Mendez, as well as the voice of the Talosian Keeper is the Romulan Senator Pardek. Erick Avari went on to a more recognisable role as Vedek Yarka on 'DS9' ('Destiny') and 'Enterprise' ('Terra Nova'). And Proconsul Neral went on to be played by a different actor in 'DS9'. And finally, one other link to 'TOS' is the name of the Vulcan ship which was missing: T'Pau.
***
The Curse
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (The Curse)
An ideal episode for a rainy Sunday evening, this story marks the debut of Anna Louise Plowman as Sarah/Osiris. I didn't remember the story particularly, but I had a feeling I'd seen Steven and Sarah, before she was revealed as a Goa'uld, but looking back at my records I find Channel 4 showed this after the following episode, which is a bit strange. Knowing that Sarah was going to become Osiris rather dampened the twist of the episode, but I enjoyed the alternative perspective the episode offered up: that of the real civilian world and Daniel's academic and archeological past, his ties and the difficult situation he's in, shown through the fact he can't share what he's seen and knows to his colleague.
The long-awaited fishing trip happens at last for O'Neill, dragging a bored Teal'c with him, although the real reason was to remove the best soldiers from the story so that Osiris could get away from the lesser party of Daniel, Sam (sorry), and Dr. Fraiser, who got a rare trip off base. I'm surprised that Carter, who's all but admitted her love for her superior, made excuses, and seemed to prefer working on a motorbike with Sergeant Siler. Maybe O'Neill should be worried? I think the main thing is that she still serves under Jack and doesn't want to complicate matters more than may already be. But enough of the soap storyline - it's good to hear a bit of Goa'uld lore and go back to that side of the series which has been pushed aside to a degree this season. We get a roll call of the enemies so far destroyed: Seth, Ra, Sokar, Hathor... A reminder of what the SGC has achieved so far.
I thought Sarah was in more episodes before being a Goa'uld, but it all happens here. Also, I felt I recognised the face of Dr. Jordan, Daniel's former mentor, but couldn't place him. I don't know what Steven was doing in the museum storage area, in the dark without a torch, and he seemed very shady indeed. I got the feeling he wouldn't be above making a quick buck on some artefacts. He also didn't look that old, yet had been assisting Dr. Jordan for fifteen years. Maybe he dyes his hair? I wasn't sold on the ancient temple site from which the two symbiont jars had been excavated. The archeologists couldn't have done much of a good job if they didn't fully search the site and realise there was a huge pyramid (the ship) buried behind it. The rising technology opening looked a bit suspect too, as if they could have chipped through it with a pickaxe. And what kept the power going all those years? Seeing the deceased symbiont being opened up was good, but though there were some pretty good sets, and it worked as an Earth-based episode, the threat level and atmosphere were never sustained for long. Only the scene with Jackson creeping through the museum in the dark had any feeling of danger. Osiris got away all too easily, but I look forward to seeing her again.
**
An ideal episode for a rainy Sunday evening, this story marks the debut of Anna Louise Plowman as Sarah/Osiris. I didn't remember the story particularly, but I had a feeling I'd seen Steven and Sarah, before she was revealed as a Goa'uld, but looking back at my records I find Channel 4 showed this after the following episode, which is a bit strange. Knowing that Sarah was going to become Osiris rather dampened the twist of the episode, but I enjoyed the alternative perspective the episode offered up: that of the real civilian world and Daniel's academic and archeological past, his ties and the difficult situation he's in, shown through the fact he can't share what he's seen and knows to his colleague.
The long-awaited fishing trip happens at last for O'Neill, dragging a bored Teal'c with him, although the real reason was to remove the best soldiers from the story so that Osiris could get away from the lesser party of Daniel, Sam (sorry), and Dr. Fraiser, who got a rare trip off base. I'm surprised that Carter, who's all but admitted her love for her superior, made excuses, and seemed to prefer working on a motorbike with Sergeant Siler. Maybe O'Neill should be worried? I think the main thing is that she still serves under Jack and doesn't want to complicate matters more than may already be. But enough of the soap storyline - it's good to hear a bit of Goa'uld lore and go back to that side of the series which has been pushed aside to a degree this season. We get a roll call of the enemies so far destroyed: Seth, Ra, Sokar, Hathor... A reminder of what the SGC has achieved so far.
I thought Sarah was in more episodes before being a Goa'uld, but it all happens here. Also, I felt I recognised the face of Dr. Jordan, Daniel's former mentor, but couldn't place him. I don't know what Steven was doing in the museum storage area, in the dark without a torch, and he seemed very shady indeed. I got the feeling he wouldn't be above making a quick buck on some artefacts. He also didn't look that old, yet had been assisting Dr. Jordan for fifteen years. Maybe he dyes his hair? I wasn't sold on the ancient temple site from which the two symbiont jars had been excavated. The archeologists couldn't have done much of a good job if they didn't fully search the site and realise there was a huge pyramid (the ship) buried behind it. The rising technology opening looked a bit suspect too, as if they could have chipped through it with a pickaxe. And what kept the power going all those years? Seeing the deceased symbiont being opened up was good, but though there were some pretty good sets, and it worked as an Earth-based episode, the threat level and atmosphere were never sustained for long. Only the scene with Jackson creeping through the museum in the dark had any feeling of danger. Osiris got away all too easily, but I look forward to seeing her again.
**
The Game
DVD, TNG S5 (The Game)
I think it was designed to be a comment on computer game addiction, but I'm not sure how well it met that directive - the optical gaming technology was quite attractive, even if the graphics were nothing to write home to the Academy about! Ashley Judd, later to be a film star, made a cool character of Robin Lefler (and I can understand why she went on to be used in the book line), like Sonya Gomez in Season 2, she appeared to be a likely recurring character, although I don't believe she ever turned up again after this and 'Darmok'. The main draw of the episode is Wesley Crusher's return to the Enterprise after a year away, and, like Nog after him, it was good to see him again. At first I felt the greeting from the senior staff was a little forced, everyone having their bit to say, but later on it really was forced as everyone gets caught up in 'the game,' and so it didn't detract from the fun of having Wes back and part of the crew again.
Data seemed particularly sprightly, having plenty to say and do before it becomes obvious why: he spends most of the story in sickbay in the android equivalent of a coma, only revived in time to save the day. Wesley often got the rap for being a child genius and rescuing the ship from its problems, but he rarely did, and I have the feeling it was this episode that reinforced that fallacy in people's minds - he gets to come back and then saves the ship, though this time it was with the teamwork of Lefler, and later, Data. I never felt the sinister nature of what was happening went far enough. Okay, so O'Brien wanders into Ten Forward playing the game, and Nurse Ogawa stands addicted in the turbolift, but I wanted more terror as Wes is tracked and chased through the bowels of the ship. The best moment is when he realises Lefler's compromised and you see the hulking shapes of Riker and Worf looming behind him, and that scene where they chase him is quite shiveringly scary as they are the two most unstoppable human or Klingon forces aboard!
I did wonder why the phaser shooting the forcefield didn't spin off down the corridor since it would be pushed back from the recoil of the beam, wouldn't it? Or is there no force pushing back from a phaser beam? Katherine Moffat went on to play Pallra, another femme fatale in 'DS9' Season 2 ('Necessary Evil'), but I believe she can be credited as the first Ktarian we see, Etana Jol (in the most embarrassingly awful opening for a long, long time!), scampering around a bedroom with Riker chasing after her. I'm amazed she didn't trip over her own trailing garment - maybe there are outtakes somewhere? Ktarians never made a great deal of impact on the Trek universe, but they were responsible for Naomi Wildman's protuberances on 'Voyager' as her Father was a member of that race.
In the scene where Wesley visits the ready room it seemed a bit obvious that Picard had tried the game, but perhaps we were supposed to realise that to add tension to the scene, though the shot of him taking off the headset can't actually be seen as that, it's just an out of focus swivel of the chair and the sound of something being put on a table (and it didn't seem to be hidden by the chair, so Wes should have seen it!). Likewise with the scene in engineering when Lefler doesn't answer and he realises she's succumbed to the game - it seemed obvious, but again maybe we're supposed to be shouting "Watch out, Wesley!" Nothing good ever came out of Risa, it seems, and this Risan game is just another in a line of mishaps associated with the pleasure planet. Maybe the 'Shore Leave' planet was a safer bet, at least the characters didn't follow you off-world!
Molly is named for the first time and it's nice that O'Brien was there to greet Wesley when he arrives, and all the stuff he and Picard talk about is such a pleasure, and continues the work started in 'Final Mission' in which Picard experiences such envy for youth and the beginning of the journey. The Ktarian vessel looked suspiciously like the Tarellian plague ship from Season 1! I wouldn't say this was a strong episode, it doesn't go far enough with the forcible attraction of the game (though seeing Wes held down in the Captain's chair, then Worf clamping his head in place and Riker squeezing his eyes open was probably enough for most people - interestingly, even though his eyes are supposedly held open against his will, he blinks, which means he could have shut them at any moment!), and it doesn't really have anything to say about gaming addiction, a moral side of the story missing in favour of mild horror, but it brings back the Enterprise's star pupil and shows him pursued by his friends in an action-packed and chilling way - however I don't think sufferers of epilepsy would find Data's solution very helpful.
***
I think it was designed to be a comment on computer game addiction, but I'm not sure how well it met that directive - the optical gaming technology was quite attractive, even if the graphics were nothing to write home to the Academy about! Ashley Judd, later to be a film star, made a cool character of Robin Lefler (and I can understand why she went on to be used in the book line), like Sonya Gomez in Season 2, she appeared to be a likely recurring character, although I don't believe she ever turned up again after this and 'Darmok'. The main draw of the episode is Wesley Crusher's return to the Enterprise after a year away, and, like Nog after him, it was good to see him again. At first I felt the greeting from the senior staff was a little forced, everyone having their bit to say, but later on it really was forced as everyone gets caught up in 'the game,' and so it didn't detract from the fun of having Wes back and part of the crew again.
Data seemed particularly sprightly, having plenty to say and do before it becomes obvious why: he spends most of the story in sickbay in the android equivalent of a coma, only revived in time to save the day. Wesley often got the rap for being a child genius and rescuing the ship from its problems, but he rarely did, and I have the feeling it was this episode that reinforced that fallacy in people's minds - he gets to come back and then saves the ship, though this time it was with the teamwork of Lefler, and later, Data. I never felt the sinister nature of what was happening went far enough. Okay, so O'Brien wanders into Ten Forward playing the game, and Nurse Ogawa stands addicted in the turbolift, but I wanted more terror as Wes is tracked and chased through the bowels of the ship. The best moment is when he realises Lefler's compromised and you see the hulking shapes of Riker and Worf looming behind him, and that scene where they chase him is quite shiveringly scary as they are the two most unstoppable human or Klingon forces aboard!
I did wonder why the phaser shooting the forcefield didn't spin off down the corridor since it would be pushed back from the recoil of the beam, wouldn't it? Or is there no force pushing back from a phaser beam? Katherine Moffat went on to play Pallra, another femme fatale in 'DS9' Season 2 ('Necessary Evil'), but I believe she can be credited as the first Ktarian we see, Etana Jol (in the most embarrassingly awful opening for a long, long time!), scampering around a bedroom with Riker chasing after her. I'm amazed she didn't trip over her own trailing garment - maybe there are outtakes somewhere? Ktarians never made a great deal of impact on the Trek universe, but they were responsible for Naomi Wildman's protuberances on 'Voyager' as her Father was a member of that race.
In the scene where Wesley visits the ready room it seemed a bit obvious that Picard had tried the game, but perhaps we were supposed to realise that to add tension to the scene, though the shot of him taking off the headset can't actually be seen as that, it's just an out of focus swivel of the chair and the sound of something being put on a table (and it didn't seem to be hidden by the chair, so Wes should have seen it!). Likewise with the scene in engineering when Lefler doesn't answer and he realises she's succumbed to the game - it seemed obvious, but again maybe we're supposed to be shouting "Watch out, Wesley!" Nothing good ever came out of Risa, it seems, and this Risan game is just another in a line of mishaps associated with the pleasure planet. Maybe the 'Shore Leave' planet was a safer bet, at least the characters didn't follow you off-world!
Molly is named for the first time and it's nice that O'Brien was there to greet Wesley when he arrives, and all the stuff he and Picard talk about is such a pleasure, and continues the work started in 'Final Mission' in which Picard experiences such envy for youth and the beginning of the journey. The Ktarian vessel looked suspiciously like the Tarellian plague ship from Season 1! I wouldn't say this was a strong episode, it doesn't go far enough with the forcible attraction of the game (though seeing Wes held down in the Captain's chair, then Worf clamping his head in place and Riker squeezing his eyes open was probably enough for most people - interestingly, even though his eyes are supposedly held open against his will, he blinks, which means he could have shut them at any moment!), and it doesn't really have anything to say about gaming addiction, a moral side of the story missing in favour of mild horror, but it brings back the Enterprise's star pupil and shows him pursued by his friends in an action-packed and chilling way - however I don't think sufferers of epilepsy would find Data's solution very helpful.
***
Disaster
DVD, TNG S5 (Disaster)
Not expecting much from this I was very impressed indeed, perhaps more than I had a right to be, but so much is contained in the story, so many great ideas and great moments, and best of all, seeing all these characters put in life-threatening or uncomfortable situations outside of their expertise, and watching them triumph and come through: Troi having to make what may be life and death command decisions; Riker having to deal with Data's head; Worf assisting Keiko give birth to little Molly; Picard stuck in a turbolift with some children; Dr. Crusher stuck in a cargo bay with Geordi - sorry, I meant with a plasma fire emitting radiation… All of these positions would be fine for other people, if you moved the complement around, but Picard, for example, has always had an aversion to children, but is shown to have moved on from that by his diplomatic and sensitive handling of his three subordinates.
It began after his terrible Borg experience when he returned home to Earth and met his nephew. I think he let go of a lot of baggage on that visit. Wesley Crusher has probably been the single most positive youthful impression on the Captain. Over the years he got to know the young man and even became proud of him in a Fatherly way, and his loosening up from the stiff and starchy officer of early seasons has really come through in the last couple of seasons. The other most important storyline was Deanna's - we learn she has the rank of Lieutenant Commander, though she clearly never expected to find herself in a command position as she doesn't know all the procedures. But she listens to the ideas of Ensign Ro and the experience of Chief O'Brien and makes her choices without looking back. I love the way she sits in the Captain's chair after standing up to Ro, who is almost on the verge of insubordination, in line with her character, and who sees Troi's lack of confidence and wants to push harder for what she thinks is the best course of action. It's also really big of her to admit she was wrong once Troi's way is proved right.
O'Brien too, holds up admirably, working away despite the thought that his wife and unborn child may have perished. In reality Keiko is Worf's problem, and the gruff Klingon, the least likely person you'd have expected to perform midwife duties, is actually very helpful, doing the right things, but also getting Keiko riled enough that she finishes the job! And his line "You are now fully dilated to ten centimetres. You may now give birth" is an all-time classic! Riker and Data's story isn't quite as compelling, but the image I had of Data's headless body stumbling sleepwalker-like towards the charged current as Riker carries his head under his arm, was priceless. I only wish it had happened! That we don't get to see the Commander detach Data's head and carry it along is one of the few missing pieces that might have elevated the episode even higher, but it's still such fun to see the android's head sitting on a worktop, plugged into the ship's computer (and Riker connects something wrongly giving Data cause for polite complaint!).
Crusher and La Forge's case is quite interesting, as is the pairing (with a humorous opening where we don't quite know what the Doc's trying to convince him to do, and his weak performance of Gilbert and Sullivan!), but the ending was a little rushed and I wanted to see them holding on for dear life, like in last season's 'Remember Me' in which Crusher was sucked off the ground. Still, it's good to see them work together and win the day. The whole episode was a tour de force for the crew, cast and recurring characters, and could only have been bettered with the addition of Guinan (she must have been trapped somewhere else on the ship), the naming of Molly, Riker carrying Data's head, and seeing how Picard got up out of the turbolift (with a long shot of them climbing, their singing drifting distantly down). In short, there was very little to fault, and it was the complete opposite of its title.
****
Not expecting much from this I was very impressed indeed, perhaps more than I had a right to be, but so much is contained in the story, so many great ideas and great moments, and best of all, seeing all these characters put in life-threatening or uncomfortable situations outside of their expertise, and watching them triumph and come through: Troi having to make what may be life and death command decisions; Riker having to deal with Data's head; Worf assisting Keiko give birth to little Molly; Picard stuck in a turbolift with some children; Dr. Crusher stuck in a cargo bay with Geordi - sorry, I meant with a plasma fire emitting radiation… All of these positions would be fine for other people, if you moved the complement around, but Picard, for example, has always had an aversion to children, but is shown to have moved on from that by his diplomatic and sensitive handling of his three subordinates.
It began after his terrible Borg experience when he returned home to Earth and met his nephew. I think he let go of a lot of baggage on that visit. Wesley Crusher has probably been the single most positive youthful impression on the Captain. Over the years he got to know the young man and even became proud of him in a Fatherly way, and his loosening up from the stiff and starchy officer of early seasons has really come through in the last couple of seasons. The other most important storyline was Deanna's - we learn she has the rank of Lieutenant Commander, though she clearly never expected to find herself in a command position as she doesn't know all the procedures. But she listens to the ideas of Ensign Ro and the experience of Chief O'Brien and makes her choices without looking back. I love the way she sits in the Captain's chair after standing up to Ro, who is almost on the verge of insubordination, in line with her character, and who sees Troi's lack of confidence and wants to push harder for what she thinks is the best course of action. It's also really big of her to admit she was wrong once Troi's way is proved right.
O'Brien too, holds up admirably, working away despite the thought that his wife and unborn child may have perished. In reality Keiko is Worf's problem, and the gruff Klingon, the least likely person you'd have expected to perform midwife duties, is actually very helpful, doing the right things, but also getting Keiko riled enough that she finishes the job! And his line "You are now fully dilated to ten centimetres. You may now give birth" is an all-time classic! Riker and Data's story isn't quite as compelling, but the image I had of Data's headless body stumbling sleepwalker-like towards the charged current as Riker carries his head under his arm, was priceless. I only wish it had happened! That we don't get to see the Commander detach Data's head and carry it along is one of the few missing pieces that might have elevated the episode even higher, but it's still such fun to see the android's head sitting on a worktop, plugged into the ship's computer (and Riker connects something wrongly giving Data cause for polite complaint!).
Crusher and La Forge's case is quite interesting, as is the pairing (with a humorous opening where we don't quite know what the Doc's trying to convince him to do, and his weak performance of Gilbert and Sullivan!), but the ending was a little rushed and I wanted to see them holding on for dear life, like in last season's 'Remember Me' in which Crusher was sucked off the ground. Still, it's good to see them work together and win the day. The whole episode was a tour de force for the crew, cast and recurring characters, and could only have been bettered with the addition of Guinan (she must have been trapped somewhere else on the ship), the naming of Molly, Riker carrying Data's head, and seeing how Picard got up out of the turbolift (with a long shot of them climbing, their singing drifting distantly down). In short, there was very little to fault, and it was the complete opposite of its title.
****
Dawn
DVD, Enterprise S2 (Dawn)
This was touted at the time as the 21st Century, widescreen version of 'Arena,' one of the most fondly remembered 'TOS' episodes, but the Arkonians aren't the Gorn, and, though it pains me to say it, Trip is no Captain Kirk. The main thing is this wasn't treated as an opportunity to learn something new about him, it was just an attempt at an action story, failing to add a dimension to what is a fairly standard plot - two enemies trapped in an inhospitable environment, fighting each other and/or trying to survive. The high watermark for this plot is 'The Ascent' from 'DS9,' and there are slight similarities between the two, in that Trip and the alien have to work together to carry the transmitter high enough to get a message out, but it's not a patch on that great story, and the parallels only drag it down.
I think the main problem is that rather than go outside for a location shoot and the conditions that would have been difficult to control (though they'd already pulled off a similar locale for 'Desert Crossing' last season), it's all done on a soundstage, and no matter how good the rocks and sand are, they aren't going to convince as the great outdoors - you don't get many long shots or look down on them from high up or see them silhouetted against the sky because there isn't one, and it subconsciously makes a difference. There is some good lighting, the close ups of the Arkonian at night with the fire lighting up one side are very good, and the makeup design is excellent. But still, they don't have a strong personality and were definitely not the modern equivalent of the Gorn - though that creation could be laughable, it was also unforgettable, and these aliens seemed a bit generic.
It didn't help that their motivation was xenophobia, which didn't really explain the extreme reaction of the shuttle pilot to shoot at Trip without warning or provocation and though he all but apologises at the end, there seems little basis for T'Pol to compliment Archer on achieving more diplomatically with the race in one day than the Vulcans managed in a century. That part was interesting as it showed the Vulcans didn't always have success when they landed and tried to guide newly warp-capable species and there was a nice ending, from Trip recounting many of his adventures as he sinks into unconsciousness, to T'Pol's compliment to Archer and Trip finally being able to communicate with his antagonist, but it made me think more about 'Unexpected' the episode where he gets pregnant, mentioned as one of his memories, and how much better that was as an entertaining experience. I have to ask myself how entertaining this was in comparison, and it doesn't hold up well.
The fight scenes were well done, brutal and well-directed by returning hand Roxann Dawson, there was some degree of danger at first when it is down to Trip's ingenuity to protect him from a monstrous-looking unknown alien packing a phaser, but quickly loses that momentum. Not having the UT to make sense of the alien's speech added drama, and was playing to the limitations of the series, but overall it comes out as more of 'The Enemy' ('TNG'), than 'The Ascent' on the scale of 'stranded on a planet' stories. Gregg Henry also played Gallatin, one of the Son'a in 'Star Trek: Insurrection'.
**
This was touted at the time as the 21st Century, widescreen version of 'Arena,' one of the most fondly remembered 'TOS' episodes, but the Arkonians aren't the Gorn, and, though it pains me to say it, Trip is no Captain Kirk. The main thing is this wasn't treated as an opportunity to learn something new about him, it was just an attempt at an action story, failing to add a dimension to what is a fairly standard plot - two enemies trapped in an inhospitable environment, fighting each other and/or trying to survive. The high watermark for this plot is 'The Ascent' from 'DS9,' and there are slight similarities between the two, in that Trip and the alien have to work together to carry the transmitter high enough to get a message out, but it's not a patch on that great story, and the parallels only drag it down.
I think the main problem is that rather than go outside for a location shoot and the conditions that would have been difficult to control (though they'd already pulled off a similar locale for 'Desert Crossing' last season), it's all done on a soundstage, and no matter how good the rocks and sand are, they aren't going to convince as the great outdoors - you don't get many long shots or look down on them from high up or see them silhouetted against the sky because there isn't one, and it subconsciously makes a difference. There is some good lighting, the close ups of the Arkonian at night with the fire lighting up one side are very good, and the makeup design is excellent. But still, they don't have a strong personality and were definitely not the modern equivalent of the Gorn - though that creation could be laughable, it was also unforgettable, and these aliens seemed a bit generic.
It didn't help that their motivation was xenophobia, which didn't really explain the extreme reaction of the shuttle pilot to shoot at Trip without warning or provocation and though he all but apologises at the end, there seems little basis for T'Pol to compliment Archer on achieving more diplomatically with the race in one day than the Vulcans managed in a century. That part was interesting as it showed the Vulcans didn't always have success when they landed and tried to guide newly warp-capable species and there was a nice ending, from Trip recounting many of his adventures as he sinks into unconsciousness, to T'Pol's compliment to Archer and Trip finally being able to communicate with his antagonist, but it made me think more about 'Unexpected' the episode where he gets pregnant, mentioned as one of his memories, and how much better that was as an entertaining experience. I have to ask myself how entertaining this was in comparison, and it doesn't hold up well.
The fight scenes were well done, brutal and well-directed by returning hand Roxann Dawson, there was some degree of danger at first when it is down to Trip's ingenuity to protect him from a monstrous-looking unknown alien packing a phaser, but quickly loses that momentum. Not having the UT to make sense of the alien's speech added drama, and was playing to the limitations of the series, but overall it comes out as more of 'The Enemy' ('TNG'), than 'The Ascent' on the scale of 'stranded on a planet' stories. Gregg Henry also played Gallatin, one of the Son'a in 'Star Trek: Insurrection'.
**
Tangent
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (Tangent)
Not one of 'Stargate's finest hours, more like one of its dullest, but how exciting can being stuck in a death glider be, especially one that is apparently floating through space, rather than speeding along, as it's supposed to be! And while on the subject of nitpicking, how can a collision with a missile that leaves no visible damage, reduce the life support and power on board, apart from obviously attempting to add some tension to a remarkably tensionless situation (I had the constant feeling that the Asgaard could appear at any moment and save them). There are some nice shots of the glider flying past in a demonstration on Earth, but it shows up one of the flaws in the series: that they don't have their own ship, like most space/sci-fi series'.
Waiting around for them to try out each option before eventually coming up with a way to rescue Jack and Teal'c doesn't make for the most riveting story, although it picks up a little when Carter and Daniel head off to a Goa'uld world to find a nearby Tok'ra agent, but it's obviously a budget-saving episode since they spend about ten seconds there on a hilltop before being transported up by Jacob Carter. His presence is about the only thing that saves the episode from complete tedium, even getting off a 'Star Trek' reference when discussing the ring transporter ("Who do you think I am, Scotty?"), though it does draw attention to the fact that compared to that Transporter, the ring transporter is a bit feeble since it can't even grab people sitting in the glider!
It seems like a while since we last saw Jacob so it's great to have him back, and funny that he's so superior about the Tok'ra when talking about their technology compared with human's. Even Apophis is resurrected, if only in voice, spouting a message about the glider's special programming which will send it back to one of his bases. The other worthwhile moment is Teal'c's little speech before going into deep sleep, calling O'Neill a brother. It sounded like the ship which approaches Jacob's is owned by Heruer, someone we haven't seen in a long time, and a Tok'ra and another powerful ally get mentioned, though I can't recall the names. A few little bits to keep the mind active. I had seen this years before and remembered being underwhelmed the first time. Guess what, nothing's changed.
**
Not one of 'Stargate's finest hours, more like one of its dullest, but how exciting can being stuck in a death glider be, especially one that is apparently floating through space, rather than speeding along, as it's supposed to be! And while on the subject of nitpicking, how can a collision with a missile that leaves no visible damage, reduce the life support and power on board, apart from obviously attempting to add some tension to a remarkably tensionless situation (I had the constant feeling that the Asgaard could appear at any moment and save them). There are some nice shots of the glider flying past in a demonstration on Earth, but it shows up one of the flaws in the series: that they don't have their own ship, like most space/sci-fi series'.
Waiting around for them to try out each option before eventually coming up with a way to rescue Jack and Teal'c doesn't make for the most riveting story, although it picks up a little when Carter and Daniel head off to a Goa'uld world to find a nearby Tok'ra agent, but it's obviously a budget-saving episode since they spend about ten seconds there on a hilltop before being transported up by Jacob Carter. His presence is about the only thing that saves the episode from complete tedium, even getting off a 'Star Trek' reference when discussing the ring transporter ("Who do you think I am, Scotty?"), though it does draw attention to the fact that compared to that Transporter, the ring transporter is a bit feeble since it can't even grab people sitting in the glider!
It seems like a while since we last saw Jacob so it's great to have him back, and funny that he's so superior about the Tok'ra when talking about their technology compared with human's. Even Apophis is resurrected, if only in voice, spouting a message about the glider's special programming which will send it back to one of his bases. The other worthwhile moment is Teal'c's little speech before going into deep sleep, calling O'Neill a brother. It sounded like the ship which approaches Jacob's is owned by Heruer, someone we haven't seen in a long time, and a Tok'ra and another powerful ally get mentioned, though I can't recall the names. A few little bits to keep the mind active. I had seen this years before and remembered being underwhelmed the first time. Guess what, nothing's changed.
**
Silicon Avatar
DVD, TNG S5 (Silicon Avatar)
To me, it seemed the story could end one of two ways: either Dr. Marr would find redemption through learning to work with Data and accept him, or she would ruin everything by destroying the Crystalline Entity, which is what she chose to do. Actually she saved Picard from a difficult decision. Had the entity proved to be an intelligent being, had they been able to communicate with it and learned that its insatiable appetite would mean it could never stop its destructive tendencies, they would have had to face whether they had the right to destroy it or not. At first thought it would be obvious - that it deserved to die for its behaviour, but if it was sentient who were they to make that decision, just as in Season 3 Picard couldn't punish Kevin Uxbridge for his annihilation of a species.
There was too much of an emphasis on Dr. Marr for my liking. I didn't remember what happened in the episode, I was impressed and pulled in by the busy opening and shock death of Carmen the colonist (played by Susan Diol, a few years before she showed up in 'Voyager' as Dr. Pel), but the story, a bit like 'Arena' in 'TOS' became something quite different to what it began as. In that old classic, they go to a colony, which has also been pulled apart, then chase the Gorn ship and it turns into a fight to the death on an alien world. In this, we have a crisis at a colony, then it becomes a personal vengeance story, 'Moby Dick'-style. Dr. Marr's hatred isn't immediately apparent, but long before she started on Data, right as she stepped off the transporter platform, in fact, I had an immediate dislike of her. Either I'm an exceptionally good judge of character, or her unbalanced persona was not subtle. She at first seems like a bit of an eccentric, perhaps one of those, like Dr. Pulaski that found it hard to relate to an android, but it quickly, shall we say, crystallises into anger against Data's brother, Lore, before revealing itself as guilt against herself for leaving her son on Omicron Theta, where the Crystalline Entity killed all the occupants, bar Data, Lore and Dr. Soong - only last season we learnt that Soong survived, so new facts about that event are always pleasing to learn.
Dr. Marr does seem to take over the storyline, though Data is shown in his best light through her persecution, but there's something creepy about the way she almost begins to believe Data is her dead son since he has some of his memories and can speak in his voice, though I don't think we can excuse her by suggesting she was mad, she was just eccentric and driven to wish her son would have been proud of her actions. She knew what she was doing. Data's abilities are one of two great moments in the episode, the first being the attack on the colony with some excellent effects in which trees and grass gets blasted away by the entity and the camera follows the fleeing people. The other is the touching scene in which Data reads a letter Dr. Marr's son wrote, in the boy's voice as his Mother listens sadly.
The story could very well have been about Riker's wish for revenge on the entity since it killed Carmen who he was becoming friendly with, and though Marr's Mother-son bond was a stronger motivation, it didn't necessarily have to focus so much on her. Picard's scientific detachment, though noble, does seem rather cold, suggesting the right of the entity to go around killing planetfuls of people! It wasn't quite that, he wanted to be able to communicate, but maybe if he'd been in the attack or his own family were killed, I wonder if he'd have remained so calm. I also noticed he called Number One 'Mr.' Riker at one point, which isn't his normal vernacular. It was good indeed to see the Crystalline Entity again (a space danger, like The Doomsday Machine), and to tie into Data's backstory, though I would have liked to see Lore again, instead of hearing his name. It makes you wonder if they'll run into every unvanquished foe before the series reached a conclusion, but I'm sure there were plenty that never were heard of again. To sum up, I would say, less is Marr.
**
To me, it seemed the story could end one of two ways: either Dr. Marr would find redemption through learning to work with Data and accept him, or she would ruin everything by destroying the Crystalline Entity, which is what she chose to do. Actually she saved Picard from a difficult decision. Had the entity proved to be an intelligent being, had they been able to communicate with it and learned that its insatiable appetite would mean it could never stop its destructive tendencies, they would have had to face whether they had the right to destroy it or not. At first thought it would be obvious - that it deserved to die for its behaviour, but if it was sentient who were they to make that decision, just as in Season 3 Picard couldn't punish Kevin Uxbridge for his annihilation of a species.
There was too much of an emphasis on Dr. Marr for my liking. I didn't remember what happened in the episode, I was impressed and pulled in by the busy opening and shock death of Carmen the colonist (played by Susan Diol, a few years before she showed up in 'Voyager' as Dr. Pel), but the story, a bit like 'Arena' in 'TOS' became something quite different to what it began as. In that old classic, they go to a colony, which has also been pulled apart, then chase the Gorn ship and it turns into a fight to the death on an alien world. In this, we have a crisis at a colony, then it becomes a personal vengeance story, 'Moby Dick'-style. Dr. Marr's hatred isn't immediately apparent, but long before she started on Data, right as she stepped off the transporter platform, in fact, I had an immediate dislike of her. Either I'm an exceptionally good judge of character, or her unbalanced persona was not subtle. She at first seems like a bit of an eccentric, perhaps one of those, like Dr. Pulaski that found it hard to relate to an android, but it quickly, shall we say, crystallises into anger against Data's brother, Lore, before revealing itself as guilt against herself for leaving her son on Omicron Theta, where the Crystalline Entity killed all the occupants, bar Data, Lore and Dr. Soong - only last season we learnt that Soong survived, so new facts about that event are always pleasing to learn.
Dr. Marr does seem to take over the storyline, though Data is shown in his best light through her persecution, but there's something creepy about the way she almost begins to believe Data is her dead son since he has some of his memories and can speak in his voice, though I don't think we can excuse her by suggesting she was mad, she was just eccentric and driven to wish her son would have been proud of her actions. She knew what she was doing. Data's abilities are one of two great moments in the episode, the first being the attack on the colony with some excellent effects in which trees and grass gets blasted away by the entity and the camera follows the fleeing people. The other is the touching scene in which Data reads a letter Dr. Marr's son wrote, in the boy's voice as his Mother listens sadly.
The story could very well have been about Riker's wish for revenge on the entity since it killed Carmen who he was becoming friendly with, and though Marr's Mother-son bond was a stronger motivation, it didn't necessarily have to focus so much on her. Picard's scientific detachment, though noble, does seem rather cold, suggesting the right of the entity to go around killing planetfuls of people! It wasn't quite that, he wanted to be able to communicate, but maybe if he'd been in the attack or his own family were killed, I wonder if he'd have remained so calm. I also noticed he called Number One 'Mr.' Riker at one point, which isn't his normal vernacular. It was good indeed to see the Crystalline Entity again (a space danger, like The Doomsday Machine), and to tie into Data's backstory, though I would have liked to see Lore again, instead of hearing his name. It makes you wonder if they'll run into every unvanquished foe before the series reached a conclusion, but I'm sure there were plenty that never were heard of again. To sum up, I would say, less is Marr.
**
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