DVD, TNG S5 (Cause and Effect)
A brave decision for a TV series and one I suspect could never happen nowadays because people would be more likely to turn over to something else or fiddle with their gadgets than appreciate the subtle differences of…
A brave choice for a TV series to make and one I suspect could never happen today because people would be more likely to turn over to another channel or play with their gadgets than appreciate the subtle differences of…
A brave choice for a TV series and one I suspect wouldn't happen these days since viewers would be more likely to turn to other channels or play with their gadgets and things than have patience to appreciate the subtle differences of seeing the same events transpire over and over again. Sorry, but the gag had to be done!
The point is that we are able to see those events from different perspectives, new routines get added and time unfolds a little differently as realisation gradually becomes stronger at their predicament. Add to that the mystery of the three's which even we don't know about since it is Data's message that he only has time to tell himself. They were stuck in the time loop for over seventeen days, so it's a wonder it took so long for the déjà vu to become vivid enough that Beverly questioned it. It may have been that the memories or whatever echo of past events that stuck in their perceptions took a while to build up to a noticeable level - practice makes perfect, and that could hold true for memory becoming more familiar as much as anything.
Jonathan Frakes must have had a headache helming this story. At the same time the opportunity to replay the same scenes over and over again could be a great gift to a director as it would be a challenge to find ways of making them interesting even when the same dialogue or actions were occurring. Frakes did a very good job of positioning the camera in alternative ways without becoming showy and drawing attention to the camera moves rather than the subject, the mark of his confidence as a director. It must have been especially tough because he featured so much in the episode, so plaudits to him for pulling it off in style.
While it probably isn't an episode to watch too often, seen in moderation you can appreciate the desire to push the envelope, and of course with such ideas Brannon Braga had to be in their somewhere! The teaser could be the shortest of the series - where 'Enterprise' and sometimes 'Voyager' tended to go for a short and snappy intro, 'TNG,' and to an even greater extent, 'DS9,' took their time setting an episode up. No need in this case: Picard's strangled cry for all hands to abandon ship is fantastic no matter how many times we see it, though I think first was best of the four loops we see. The mechanics of the episode were so absorbing I could happily have viewed a few more loops, and to leave the audience wanting more is a high compliment.
The one aspect of which I wished there could have been more investigation was the USS Bozeman from 2278, a time between 'The Motion Picture' and 'Star Trek II,' quite probably one of the first ships to have those 'film-era' uniforms. I so wanted Captain Bateson to ask where Captain Kirk was, but the Enterprise-D looked nothing like the refitted original so he wasn't going to ask that. My one question would be why the Bozeman didn't come out of the loop sooner, as for eighty years or so there was no other ship to collide with, so it must have been a time distortion directly from his time to the 24th Century so he wasn't necessarily reliving the same events for eighty years.
****
Monday, 25 July 2011
The Outcast
DVD, TNG S5 (The Outcast)
The most important detail of this episode is Troi's casual reference to the date the Federation was founded: 2161. And the other is that, for whatever reason, perhaps as simple as he forgot to shave, Geordi has a beard. The rest of it feels like an extended PSHE (personal, social and health education) lesson at school! Whether it's Soren asking about the intricacies of human reproduction or the contrived love story that appears between her and Riker, it all feels dull. The J'naii don't help matters - their very nature being androgynous means that they are all generic with none of the differences gender would provide, so their clothing, voices and restrained mannerisms make them seem utterly uninteresting. Like Vulcans, but with all the coolness and history stripped away.
It's no wonder Soren was intrigued by and attracted to the idea of two different genders. That wasn't enough to convince me of the possibility of Riker and her/it becoming so incredibly attached that he'd risk his career to rescue her. Though it was the series at a low ebb I still found some scenes to enjoy among the regulars - Riker and Troi speak openly to each other for once after recent episodes have seen them both 'compromised' in the eyes of the other. Worf is an especially good friend after the events of the last episode, volunteering to help Riker in his crisis, and Picard's tactful handling of Riker at the end all spread a warm glow into a colourless episode. The J'naii seemed to all be played by women, a bit like the Talosians in 'TOS' and perhaps if they'd had their voices altered as those aliens did they might have been more believable entities. Saying that, Megan Cole (who would later appear in 'DS9' as Romulan Senator Cretak), made a very good androgynous person, though I'm not sure that's much of a compliment!
The unfortunately monikered Soren (since the name brings to mind 'Kirk-killer' Soran), got her moment of glory, though I suspect Will had introduced her to Shakespeare, specifically 'The Merchant of Venice' which includes a very similar speech to the one she makes. The concept of a genderless race was vaguely interesting, but I'd have liked to have found out more about the culture and how such a society existed, especially as they claimed to have 'evolved' out of the need for gender which was rather far-fetched, instead of going into a vague mire of individual rights. The J'naii appeared to have some degree of space travel so you'd think they would have realised their lack of gender was an anomaly rather than the norm in the galaxy at large! 'Enterprise' attempted a similar story with a species that had three genders, and that was equally dull so it could be a running theme with these kinds of episodes.
*
The most important detail of this episode is Troi's casual reference to the date the Federation was founded: 2161. And the other is that, for whatever reason, perhaps as simple as he forgot to shave, Geordi has a beard. The rest of it feels like an extended PSHE (personal, social and health education) lesson at school! Whether it's Soren asking about the intricacies of human reproduction or the contrived love story that appears between her and Riker, it all feels dull. The J'naii don't help matters - their very nature being androgynous means that they are all generic with none of the differences gender would provide, so their clothing, voices and restrained mannerisms make them seem utterly uninteresting. Like Vulcans, but with all the coolness and history stripped away.
It's no wonder Soren was intrigued by and attracted to the idea of two different genders. That wasn't enough to convince me of the possibility of Riker and her/it becoming so incredibly attached that he'd risk his career to rescue her. Though it was the series at a low ebb I still found some scenes to enjoy among the regulars - Riker and Troi speak openly to each other for once after recent episodes have seen them both 'compromised' in the eyes of the other. Worf is an especially good friend after the events of the last episode, volunteering to help Riker in his crisis, and Picard's tactful handling of Riker at the end all spread a warm glow into a colourless episode. The J'naii seemed to all be played by women, a bit like the Talosians in 'TOS' and perhaps if they'd had their voices altered as those aliens did they might have been more believable entities. Saying that, Megan Cole (who would later appear in 'DS9' as Romulan Senator Cretak), made a very good androgynous person, though I'm not sure that's much of a compliment!
The unfortunately monikered Soren (since the name brings to mind 'Kirk-killer' Soran), got her moment of glory, though I suspect Will had introduced her to Shakespeare, specifically 'The Merchant of Venice' which includes a very similar speech to the one she makes. The concept of a genderless race was vaguely interesting, but I'd have liked to have found out more about the culture and how such a society existed, especially as they claimed to have 'evolved' out of the need for gender which was rather far-fetched, instead of going into a vague mire of individual rights. The J'naii appeared to have some degree of space travel so you'd think they would have realised their lack of gender was an anomaly rather than the norm in the galaxy at large! 'Enterprise' attempted a similar story with a species that had three genders, and that was equally dull so it could be a running theme with these kinds of episodes.
*
Absolute Power
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (Absolute Power)
…And it was all a dream. And yet it was really all a lesson about absolute power corrupting absolutely, and so the groan-worthy route of the cliche was softened greatly, even managing a sting in the tale with a beautiful ending. This is certainly not one of those episodes you can watch half-asleep, you have to be focused on what's happening because it covers a fair bit of past events. The opening sets things up well with a trip to Abydos where Kasuf, Share's old Dad has had a strange experience. The team arrive to see a spectacular visual effect of a sand whirlwind which leaves behind a young boy who claims to be the Harsesis, the child Apophis fathered with Amaunet/Sha're. They'd been on the lookout for the kid ever since he was taken off by Oma, or Mother Nature, an energy being, but his genetically ingrained knowledge of the Goa'uld was highly valued in the fight against them.
He turns out to be wiser than they realised because he knows that giving Earth all this knowledge at once would corrupt them, so Daniel gets to live an entire year in a dream in which he begins by treating Teal'c as a mere resource, becomes impatient and demanding and eventually rises to take control of the powerful satellite system he helped create with the Goa'uld knowledge, destroying Moscow and becomes twisted enough that he wants to destroy any opposition to himself. There was a very true moment after Jack failed to assassinate him, and Daniel says he was never very bright and he sadly agrees. Daniel is suitably chastened upon awakening, and the Harsesis leaves, his mission over, presumably to return to Oma, maybe to go into the galaxy and teach someone else a lesson, and it's all very fitting and quietly wise.
I had never seen this story before, but it certainly helps having seen … from … season where we learned about the Harsesis. They even mention the nanites which overran O'Neill, we see Apophis begging for his life in an imagined scenario by the power-crazed Daniel, and there are links to the Goa'uld and the Tok'ra. I didn't realise it was Shifu teaching Daniel something until it said 'One Year Later.' Clearly they weren't going to do another time travel story right after the last one, so it had to be something to do with Shifu touching Daniel's forehead, and there was even a clue before that when Daniel mentions how he lived a lifetime in a dream when Amaunet tried to kill him. It wasn't very easy to believe, anyway, with Daniel quickly becoming this important, integral figure in the Pentagon, ordering team members around, and, I assume, sending Teal'c to his death. None of that would happen, but it made for a reasonable look into another 'what if?' scenario. I have a feeling his Asian assistant in the bunker was the same guy who played the Eighth Doctor's gang member assistant in the 'Doctor Who' TV film. I liked the way they left it open for Shifu to come back since 'many paths cross,' so hopefully that will be another element to explore in the future, worth mining for being the only other link, aside from Kasuf, to Daniel's dead wife.
***
…And it was all a dream. And yet it was really all a lesson about absolute power corrupting absolutely, and so the groan-worthy route of the cliche was softened greatly, even managing a sting in the tale with a beautiful ending. This is certainly not one of those episodes you can watch half-asleep, you have to be focused on what's happening because it covers a fair bit of past events. The opening sets things up well with a trip to Abydos where Kasuf, Share's old Dad has had a strange experience. The team arrive to see a spectacular visual effect of a sand whirlwind which leaves behind a young boy who claims to be the Harsesis, the child Apophis fathered with Amaunet/Sha're. They'd been on the lookout for the kid ever since he was taken off by Oma, or Mother Nature, an energy being, but his genetically ingrained knowledge of the Goa'uld was highly valued in the fight against them.
He turns out to be wiser than they realised because he knows that giving Earth all this knowledge at once would corrupt them, so Daniel gets to live an entire year in a dream in which he begins by treating Teal'c as a mere resource, becomes impatient and demanding and eventually rises to take control of the powerful satellite system he helped create with the Goa'uld knowledge, destroying Moscow and becomes twisted enough that he wants to destroy any opposition to himself. There was a very true moment after Jack failed to assassinate him, and Daniel says he was never very bright and he sadly agrees. Daniel is suitably chastened upon awakening, and the Harsesis leaves, his mission over, presumably to return to Oma, maybe to go into the galaxy and teach someone else a lesson, and it's all very fitting and quietly wise.
I had never seen this story before, but it certainly helps having seen … from … season where we learned about the Harsesis. They even mention the nanites which overran O'Neill, we see Apophis begging for his life in an imagined scenario by the power-crazed Daniel, and there are links to the Goa'uld and the Tok'ra. I didn't realise it was Shifu teaching Daniel something until it said 'One Year Later.' Clearly they weren't going to do another time travel story right after the last one, so it had to be something to do with Shifu touching Daniel's forehead, and there was even a clue before that when Daniel mentions how he lived a lifetime in a dream when Amaunet tried to kill him. It wasn't very easy to believe, anyway, with Daniel quickly becoming this important, integral figure in the Pentagon, ordering team members around, and, I assume, sending Teal'c to his death. None of that would happen, but it made for a reasonable look into another 'what if?' scenario. I have a feeling his Asian assistant in the bunker was the same guy who played the Eighth Doctor's gang member assistant in the 'Doctor Who' TV film. I liked the way they left it open for Shifu to come back since 'many paths cross,' so hopefully that will be another element to explore in the future, worth mining for being the only other link, aside from Kasuf, to Daniel's dead wife.
***
Monday, 11 July 2011
Ethics
DVD, TNG S5 (Ethics)
There are many cords that bind the rope of this story, what might be better called a struggle. While Worf must face death or life, difficult decisions abound, people get angry, and the harmony of the Enterprise is unmistakably unbalanced. I'm not sure who has the toughest time of it: Dr. Crusher as she loses control of both her patient and his treatment against the unethical shortcuts taken by the specialist Dr. Toby Russell; Will Riker, requested by Worf to help him carry out the Klingon ritual suicide; Deanna, who must deal with a confused young boy that doesn't want to see his Father die; or Picard who plays devil's advocate throughout. At first I was a little surprised at his stance since he has so often valued life above all else, yet it also makes sense for him to present the Klingon side of it as he's been so involved in the inner workings of the race and well comprehends the mindset.
That mindset tends to be inflexible, a word that would also describe Worf, perhaps the character we've met most set in his ways, and just as he would find with Dax on DS9, he learns to unbend his stiff neck a little, no pun intended for such a harrowing ordeal. I'm not talking about the barrel falling on his back - if these containers were so heavy you'd think protocol would demand some kind of restraint to keep accidents from even having a chance of happening. Maybe the accident could have been more dramatic than a single barrel knocking Worf's spine to pieces, but that added to the shame of his position. Klingons have always been the most macho, manly aliens (yes, even the women!), so their incomplete medical knowledge and lack of concern for those that had become invalids is both fitting for their culture and horrifying, reminding us that they would rather let the disabled die than care for them, much like 'The Masterpiece Society.'
Worf treats his culture with the utmost reverence, more so because of his long absence from it, so he always would be quick to defend and follow that path, yet he also has the Starfleet rules and ethics that govern that organisation firmly ingrained in his being, the conflict always strong. Like Spock he chose to follow the Klingon way, but in a human environment, and he lives because of those interweaving sensibilities. Tackling the controversial subject of suicide was only part of the remit of the episode it seems to me, as there is just as much heat between Beverly and Dr. Russell on the ethics of medicine. Though Crusher rarely shows much emotion, being an excellent doctor and needing dispassion to play her role effectively, her frustration and anger at Worf's apparent death leads her to slam her hands down and forcefully turn away.
Dr. Russell's dispassion is far stronger, but this is because she appears to care more about her own achievements and the possibilities of her ideas and research than the patients she is trying to heal. Beverly gives her a deserved earful at the end because it was only due to Worf's redundant or backup brain functions that he stirred to life, and her shortcuts to success were terrible. At the beginning of the episode I wondered why she wasn't in Starfleet and wearing a uniform. By the end I could see why. She even had the misguided notion that Beverly was jealous of her ideas rather than horrified at her lack of safe procedure and lack of thorough research.
The suicide angle was covered through Riker's involvement. He too has some experience with the Klingon race, and for most of their ways he shows respect, such as when he joined a Klingon ship on exchange, but to assist the killing of a friend was beyond his ethics and he let Worf know it. There was a moment after his rant against the Hegh'bat when I thought he was going to agree to do it, but he sensibly found a loophole and helped Worf to see that it was a selfish course to take, that the challenge was in living and being there for those that he mattered to, citing past examples including Marla Aster and Tasha Yar. Poor Alexander finds more confusion for himself. It was typical of Worf to try and put a brave face on his injuries at first, but he was shamed even more when his strength gave out in front of his son. Deanna does an excellent job of attempting to explain and being with the young Klingon boy, and it's a very nice moment when Worf asks her to care for him in the event the operation fails. Perhaps it was her steady advice and support for Alexander that drew Worf to her as more than a friend in later episodes? I would suggest it wasn't good sense to send the little lad home with a huge knife - he might have tripped!
Up until this point I don't believe we had ever seen what a Klingon foot looked like, and certainly not a Klingon exoskeletal spine! We get all kinds of details about Klingon anatomy and their redundant systems, and they are described as 'over-designed,' a fitting epithet as we later learnt there was a great deal of genetic manipulation in their history thanks to 'Enterprise.' The prosthetics were excellent, and without being gory, the medical procedure was implemented believably. We know Worf won't die, yet his apparent death is so shocking and has such an impact, especially to Beverly, that his recovery is all the more joyous. Alexander is allowed to help his Father, if only to provide improved morale.
I love it when doctors in Trek pull rank, and it was a tricky moment for both Crusher and Picard when he comes to suggest she might have been hasty in forbidding Dr. Russell to practice aboard. In his own way it may be that he genuinely felt that Worf's best chance lay with the new procedure, but if he's seen her record and her attitude to her profession he might not have been ever so slightly condescending. It was like he suspected Beverly of losing her professional perspective in the light of what she'd learned about the kind of person the otherwise renowned Russell was and he was gently pulling her up about it, knowing full well he didn't have the authority to change her decision. His diplomatic skills were in full flow, and he needed them against Beverly since she has a little less subordinate respect for him than most.
Although the issues of respecting culture were addressed, I'm glad that wasn't the only moral of the story, and also that it came down more on the side of life than on giving up, which doesn't seem like a true Klingon's way. The arguments are there and Picard would be a strong voice in any discussion, so the fact that he appears to support that course means it was certainly given due weight. Ultimately the choice, if there even should be a choice, was made, and Worf lived to learn from it rather than giving up, and yet retained his Klingon honour by taking the risk - a good, balanced story, well told.
***
There are many cords that bind the rope of this story, what might be better called a struggle. While Worf must face death or life, difficult decisions abound, people get angry, and the harmony of the Enterprise is unmistakably unbalanced. I'm not sure who has the toughest time of it: Dr. Crusher as she loses control of both her patient and his treatment against the unethical shortcuts taken by the specialist Dr. Toby Russell; Will Riker, requested by Worf to help him carry out the Klingon ritual suicide; Deanna, who must deal with a confused young boy that doesn't want to see his Father die; or Picard who plays devil's advocate throughout. At first I was a little surprised at his stance since he has so often valued life above all else, yet it also makes sense for him to present the Klingon side of it as he's been so involved in the inner workings of the race and well comprehends the mindset.
That mindset tends to be inflexible, a word that would also describe Worf, perhaps the character we've met most set in his ways, and just as he would find with Dax on DS9, he learns to unbend his stiff neck a little, no pun intended for such a harrowing ordeal. I'm not talking about the barrel falling on his back - if these containers were so heavy you'd think protocol would demand some kind of restraint to keep accidents from even having a chance of happening. Maybe the accident could have been more dramatic than a single barrel knocking Worf's spine to pieces, but that added to the shame of his position. Klingons have always been the most macho, manly aliens (yes, even the women!), so their incomplete medical knowledge and lack of concern for those that had become invalids is both fitting for their culture and horrifying, reminding us that they would rather let the disabled die than care for them, much like 'The Masterpiece Society.'
Worf treats his culture with the utmost reverence, more so because of his long absence from it, so he always would be quick to defend and follow that path, yet he also has the Starfleet rules and ethics that govern that organisation firmly ingrained in his being, the conflict always strong. Like Spock he chose to follow the Klingon way, but in a human environment, and he lives because of those interweaving sensibilities. Tackling the controversial subject of suicide was only part of the remit of the episode it seems to me, as there is just as much heat between Beverly and Dr. Russell on the ethics of medicine. Though Crusher rarely shows much emotion, being an excellent doctor and needing dispassion to play her role effectively, her frustration and anger at Worf's apparent death leads her to slam her hands down and forcefully turn away.
Dr. Russell's dispassion is far stronger, but this is because she appears to care more about her own achievements and the possibilities of her ideas and research than the patients she is trying to heal. Beverly gives her a deserved earful at the end because it was only due to Worf's redundant or backup brain functions that he stirred to life, and her shortcuts to success were terrible. At the beginning of the episode I wondered why she wasn't in Starfleet and wearing a uniform. By the end I could see why. She even had the misguided notion that Beverly was jealous of her ideas rather than horrified at her lack of safe procedure and lack of thorough research.
The suicide angle was covered through Riker's involvement. He too has some experience with the Klingon race, and for most of their ways he shows respect, such as when he joined a Klingon ship on exchange, but to assist the killing of a friend was beyond his ethics and he let Worf know it. There was a moment after his rant against the Hegh'bat when I thought he was going to agree to do it, but he sensibly found a loophole and helped Worf to see that it was a selfish course to take, that the challenge was in living and being there for those that he mattered to, citing past examples including Marla Aster and Tasha Yar. Poor Alexander finds more confusion for himself. It was typical of Worf to try and put a brave face on his injuries at first, but he was shamed even more when his strength gave out in front of his son. Deanna does an excellent job of attempting to explain and being with the young Klingon boy, and it's a very nice moment when Worf asks her to care for him in the event the operation fails. Perhaps it was her steady advice and support for Alexander that drew Worf to her as more than a friend in later episodes? I would suggest it wasn't good sense to send the little lad home with a huge knife - he might have tripped!
Up until this point I don't believe we had ever seen what a Klingon foot looked like, and certainly not a Klingon exoskeletal spine! We get all kinds of details about Klingon anatomy and their redundant systems, and they are described as 'over-designed,' a fitting epithet as we later learnt there was a great deal of genetic manipulation in their history thanks to 'Enterprise.' The prosthetics were excellent, and without being gory, the medical procedure was implemented believably. We know Worf won't die, yet his apparent death is so shocking and has such an impact, especially to Beverly, that his recovery is all the more joyous. Alexander is allowed to help his Father, if only to provide improved morale.
I love it when doctors in Trek pull rank, and it was a tricky moment for both Crusher and Picard when he comes to suggest she might have been hasty in forbidding Dr. Russell to practice aboard. In his own way it may be that he genuinely felt that Worf's best chance lay with the new procedure, but if he's seen her record and her attitude to her profession he might not have been ever so slightly condescending. It was like he suspected Beverly of losing her professional perspective in the light of what she'd learned about the kind of person the otherwise renowned Russell was and he was gently pulling her up about it, knowing full well he didn't have the authority to change her decision. His diplomatic skills were in full flow, and he needed them against Beverly since she has a little less subordinate respect for him than most.
Although the issues of respecting culture were addressed, I'm glad that wasn't the only moral of the story, and also that it came down more on the side of life than on giving up, which doesn't seem like a true Klingon's way. The arguments are there and Picard would be a strong voice in any discussion, so the fact that he appears to support that course means it was certainly given due weight. Ultimately the choice, if there even should be a choice, was made, and Worf lived to learn from it rather than giving up, and yet retained his Klingon honour by taking the risk - a good, balanced story, well told.
***
Canamar
DVD, Enterprise S2 (Canamar)
You can tell a series hasn't developed its characters enough when the scenes on a rusty old prison transport with the Captain and Engineer are much more enjoyable than the title ship and her crew! Perhaps a negative way to begin a positive review, but it is true - Archer and Trip's adventure with the colourful characters (literally), of the prison ship was full of verve and drama, but whenever the action moved back to T'Pol and the crew's diplomatic efforts on board the NX-01, if it didn't drag, it at least heightened the anticipation of returning to the plight of the prisoners. Trip and Archer's friendship and partnership in dangerous times is a real draw for the series, and one of the best developed so far on the series - as in Season 1's 'Desert Crossing' it improves what is a fairly simple action story.
The motley collection of captured smugglers, bad guys and possible innocents made for fascinating scenes, and I especially enjoy any time the wider Trek universe is pillaged for ideas - the bad Nausicaan dude could have been any generic alien heavy, but it perpetuates the reputation his people have for violence, and he did look pretty cool. Another well-realised alien looked cool for a different reason, his nervous dangling facial appendages helping to sell his twittery, annoying character, providing a source of humour as he bores Trip to death with constant inane babble. At the same time he adds some colour to the mix of aliens, which I don't believe included any other known races, though one looked vaguely Klingon (but obviously wasn't, from his weak behaviour), and one like the alien that Trip fought in 'Dawn.'
The main memory I had of this one was the excellently choreographed fight between Archer and the convict Coroda, the one who'd implemented the takeover in the first place, as they battle on a sinking ship - the transport has been flown into a degrading orbit to destroy the evidence, but Coroda, in a mix of anger at Archer's 'betrayal' at saving everyone instead of letting them go down with the vessel, and misguided belief he can change his plan and fly the ship out of danger rather than trust Archer's people, takes it out on the Captain, who's only trying to save him. Because of that he goes down with the ship, his harsh life having led him to eschew trusting anyone rather than lose control. It made me wonder what connection he had with the Nausicaan, and whether they had pulled some jobs in the past, though we're given just enough backstory about his troubled life to care what happens to him.
The direction is excellent. Although the location is only a cramped main room and a cockpit, the way it's filmed gives it the impression of a feature film, helped by some strong music throughout and some strong images: the Enterprise as seen gliding over a planet, the transport listing over, the pursuit ships, the Enolians themselves with their slicked back spiky hair and extreme cheekbones were effectively shot with shadows, and the various aliens all contributed to a confident, assured production, and another example of a style I wish they could have sustained more often on the series. Maybe it helped seeing Archer and Trip, as well as the Nausicaan, in leather jackets, looking like casual Han Solo-type drifters, although I recognised some of the wardrobe in the episode: the black, pipe-ribbed standard baddie uniforms of the guards had, I'm sure, been used on 'Voyager' (such as in 'Warlord'), while Coroda's attire looked very much like the Miradorn's clothing from 'DS9.' It didn't matter because they suited the parts, and I think this may have been the best surly, burly Nausicaan featured for a long time!
Mark Rolston was a familiar name, he'd been in at least one other Trek - 'TNG' ('Eye of The Beholder'), and made the most of a basic thug role. Among the many references are an Orion Slave Girl which Zumas the gabby alien had mentioned, Archer mentions Coridan (later to be a member of the Federation), and Coroda was imprisoned on suspicion of stealing a 'brace' of Latinum, possibly the first mention of the valuable substance on this series, and a new denomination. In what was a brilliantly executed surprise, when Reed, Travis and security storm out of the airlock (for once Reed's expertise is fully apparent!), it looked like Mayweather might have been holding a phaser rifle, but it flashed by so quick I couldn't be sure.
What stopped the episode from rising up to classic status, while still being another of the best episodes of the season, were that it wasn't really original - it made me think of 'The Chute' on 'Voyager' which had a more personal angle on two Starfleet officers being confined in an alien prison. Unoriginality doesn't matter too much because it was done well, but I would have liked to have seen the transport burn up either from inside or out, which was a strange omission after so many great CGI ship shots in the episode. I also wanted to see Trip pitted against the Nausicaan, which never happened (and I thought the brute repaid the surprise beating Trip gave him, but it didn't happen). The teaser was a little redundant since we're shown the empty shuttlepod before the Enterprise knows it's empty which dampens the 'cliffhanger' of T'Pol asking for biosigns aboard and there not being any. The only other moment that left me wondering was after the escape back to Enterprise - some of the captives were innocent, but what about the ones that were legitimate criminals? The Enolian representative came across as rather apologetic, when most races they've encountered have been only too happy to exploit or impose on the Enterprise without qualms. Were the prisoners handed over to him or allowed to go free?
***
You can tell a series hasn't developed its characters enough when the scenes on a rusty old prison transport with the Captain and Engineer are much more enjoyable than the title ship and her crew! Perhaps a negative way to begin a positive review, but it is true - Archer and Trip's adventure with the colourful characters (literally), of the prison ship was full of verve and drama, but whenever the action moved back to T'Pol and the crew's diplomatic efforts on board the NX-01, if it didn't drag, it at least heightened the anticipation of returning to the plight of the prisoners. Trip and Archer's friendship and partnership in dangerous times is a real draw for the series, and one of the best developed so far on the series - as in Season 1's 'Desert Crossing' it improves what is a fairly simple action story.
The motley collection of captured smugglers, bad guys and possible innocents made for fascinating scenes, and I especially enjoy any time the wider Trek universe is pillaged for ideas - the bad Nausicaan dude could have been any generic alien heavy, but it perpetuates the reputation his people have for violence, and he did look pretty cool. Another well-realised alien looked cool for a different reason, his nervous dangling facial appendages helping to sell his twittery, annoying character, providing a source of humour as he bores Trip to death with constant inane babble. At the same time he adds some colour to the mix of aliens, which I don't believe included any other known races, though one looked vaguely Klingon (but obviously wasn't, from his weak behaviour), and one like the alien that Trip fought in 'Dawn.'
The main memory I had of this one was the excellently choreographed fight between Archer and the convict Coroda, the one who'd implemented the takeover in the first place, as they battle on a sinking ship - the transport has been flown into a degrading orbit to destroy the evidence, but Coroda, in a mix of anger at Archer's 'betrayal' at saving everyone instead of letting them go down with the vessel, and misguided belief he can change his plan and fly the ship out of danger rather than trust Archer's people, takes it out on the Captain, who's only trying to save him. Because of that he goes down with the ship, his harsh life having led him to eschew trusting anyone rather than lose control. It made me wonder what connection he had with the Nausicaan, and whether they had pulled some jobs in the past, though we're given just enough backstory about his troubled life to care what happens to him.
The direction is excellent. Although the location is only a cramped main room and a cockpit, the way it's filmed gives it the impression of a feature film, helped by some strong music throughout and some strong images: the Enterprise as seen gliding over a planet, the transport listing over, the pursuit ships, the Enolians themselves with their slicked back spiky hair and extreme cheekbones were effectively shot with shadows, and the various aliens all contributed to a confident, assured production, and another example of a style I wish they could have sustained more often on the series. Maybe it helped seeing Archer and Trip, as well as the Nausicaan, in leather jackets, looking like casual Han Solo-type drifters, although I recognised some of the wardrobe in the episode: the black, pipe-ribbed standard baddie uniforms of the guards had, I'm sure, been used on 'Voyager' (such as in 'Warlord'), while Coroda's attire looked very much like the Miradorn's clothing from 'DS9.' It didn't matter because they suited the parts, and I think this may have been the best surly, burly Nausicaan featured for a long time!
Mark Rolston was a familiar name, he'd been in at least one other Trek - 'TNG' ('Eye of The Beholder'), and made the most of a basic thug role. Among the many references are an Orion Slave Girl which Zumas the gabby alien had mentioned, Archer mentions Coridan (later to be a member of the Federation), and Coroda was imprisoned on suspicion of stealing a 'brace' of Latinum, possibly the first mention of the valuable substance on this series, and a new denomination. In what was a brilliantly executed surprise, when Reed, Travis and security storm out of the airlock (for once Reed's expertise is fully apparent!), it looked like Mayweather might have been holding a phaser rifle, but it flashed by so quick I couldn't be sure.
What stopped the episode from rising up to classic status, while still being another of the best episodes of the season, were that it wasn't really original - it made me think of 'The Chute' on 'Voyager' which had a more personal angle on two Starfleet officers being confined in an alien prison. Unoriginality doesn't matter too much because it was done well, but I would have liked to have seen the transport burn up either from inside or out, which was a strange omission after so many great CGI ship shots in the episode. I also wanted to see Trip pitted against the Nausicaan, which never happened (and I thought the brute repaid the surprise beating Trip gave him, but it didn't happen). The teaser was a little redundant since we're shown the empty shuttlepod before the Enterprise knows it's empty which dampens the 'cliffhanger' of T'Pol asking for biosigns aboard and there not being any. The only other moment that left me wondering was after the escape back to Enterprise - some of the captives were innocent, but what about the ones that were legitimate criminals? The Enolian representative came across as rather apologetic, when most races they've encountered have been only too happy to exploit or impose on the Enterprise without qualms. Were the prisoners handed over to him or allowed to go free?
***
Power Play
DVD, TNG S5 (Power Play)
After one or two links to the century this season we almost get another throwback to the 22nd Century, long before 'Enterprise' was even a twinkle in Rick Berman's eye - we hear of the USS Essex, a Daedalus-class ship, and for a while there it seems a freak accident could have kept their Captain and crew's consciousness alive, but it was not to be. It would have been very informative to be able to talk to a person from that era, but it was easier to believe these were the usual energy beings, evil Organians, you might say, especially given their non-Starfleet behaviour. For all their vigorous actions against the hostages they had some kind of moral code, the leader, inhabiting Troi's body, was unwilling to see her fellow inmates die and accepted defeat rather than trying to carry out her plan and escape with the other two bodysnatchers, as I imagine they could have rushed Picard and got out of the bay before he blew the hatch. Troi also says the leader was intelligent, but then a lot of villains are. It makes you wonder what happened to the rest of their race and why they chose that moon to incarcerate the criminals.
Though there are some strong dramatic moments, there are several points that stop the episode from being as good an overall piece as it could have been. The shuttle crash could have been better (though it was fun to see seat restraints, I don't remember such things being used since perhaps 'The Galileo Seven' on 'TOS'). Keiko, Molly and O'Brien are nicely integrated into the story, but the moments with the alien inside O'Brien were belligerent without being too dangerous, not enough revulsion in there. The alternative characters came out quite well - Troi is always more disturbing than most people as a villain because she's usually so soft, benevolent and doll-like.
Brent Spiner was excellent as a violent criminal only held in check by his leader, but oozing hate from every pore, quite different from Lore in the way he held himself, and with no disguising of his moods. His moments with Worf, the tough guy on board who could easily be smashed by the android strength showed the Klingon's qualities. Data's strength was an issue for me at first - he beats the locked out helm control in frustration, but it doesn't smash, and he can't open the turbolift door, though a little later he makes up for it by smashing a wall console to pieces and he certainly shoves Worf around. I'd love to see Worf and Data fight, even though it wouldn't be fair as Worf would try his best, but Data would be victorious. Picking Picard of the ground by his throat was very Darth Vader!
Hostage situations can be tense, but I couldn't quite describe this situation in that way. It had its moments but a lot of the time was spent waiting for the crew to come up with a rescue plan or the entities discussing what to do, in Ten-Forward. The best moments were when they shockingly attempted a takeover of the bridge, then went on the run, a bit like last season's 'Brothers,' and the walk to the Cargo Bay with anxious security men hovering around them like moths to a candle. Troi and O'Brien also had an effective 'death' scene when the entities are forced from their bodies.
The story came to a somewhat inevitable end with the criminals giving up, but these were hardened, desperate people that had been trapped for five centuries, so you'd think a certain madness would come out, but they seemed to have learnt to be quite patient. I'd love the Essex to have featured in an 'Enterprise' story, but it was not to be. Alien beings taking over bodies is nothing new, but this particular set-up reminded me of 'Return To Tomorrow' from 'TOS' where three trapped consciousnesses took human forms. I wanted to learn about these people, to sympathise or be horrified by what they might do, the closest scene to achieving this being Data standing nose to nose (or forehead to chin!), with Worf, but they remained in control. It struck me that both O'Brien and Keiko have been remarkably patient when you think about the number of times either of them have been possessed by aliens or whatever. Just another day in the life of a Starfleet family I suppose.
***
After one or two links to the century this season we almost get another throwback to the 22nd Century, long before 'Enterprise' was even a twinkle in Rick Berman's eye - we hear of the USS Essex, a Daedalus-class ship, and for a while there it seems a freak accident could have kept their Captain and crew's consciousness alive, but it was not to be. It would have been very informative to be able to talk to a person from that era, but it was easier to believe these were the usual energy beings, evil Organians, you might say, especially given their non-Starfleet behaviour. For all their vigorous actions against the hostages they had some kind of moral code, the leader, inhabiting Troi's body, was unwilling to see her fellow inmates die and accepted defeat rather than trying to carry out her plan and escape with the other two bodysnatchers, as I imagine they could have rushed Picard and got out of the bay before he blew the hatch. Troi also says the leader was intelligent, but then a lot of villains are. It makes you wonder what happened to the rest of their race and why they chose that moon to incarcerate the criminals.
Though there are some strong dramatic moments, there are several points that stop the episode from being as good an overall piece as it could have been. The shuttle crash could have been better (though it was fun to see seat restraints, I don't remember such things being used since perhaps 'The Galileo Seven' on 'TOS'). Keiko, Molly and O'Brien are nicely integrated into the story, but the moments with the alien inside O'Brien were belligerent without being too dangerous, not enough revulsion in there. The alternative characters came out quite well - Troi is always more disturbing than most people as a villain because she's usually so soft, benevolent and doll-like.
Brent Spiner was excellent as a violent criminal only held in check by his leader, but oozing hate from every pore, quite different from Lore in the way he held himself, and with no disguising of his moods. His moments with Worf, the tough guy on board who could easily be smashed by the android strength showed the Klingon's qualities. Data's strength was an issue for me at first - he beats the locked out helm control in frustration, but it doesn't smash, and he can't open the turbolift door, though a little later he makes up for it by smashing a wall console to pieces and he certainly shoves Worf around. I'd love to see Worf and Data fight, even though it wouldn't be fair as Worf would try his best, but Data would be victorious. Picking Picard of the ground by his throat was very Darth Vader!
Hostage situations can be tense, but I couldn't quite describe this situation in that way. It had its moments but a lot of the time was spent waiting for the crew to come up with a rescue plan or the entities discussing what to do, in Ten-Forward. The best moments were when they shockingly attempted a takeover of the bridge, then went on the run, a bit like last season's 'Brothers,' and the walk to the Cargo Bay with anxious security men hovering around them like moths to a candle. Troi and O'Brien also had an effective 'death' scene when the entities are forced from their bodies.
The story came to a somewhat inevitable end with the criminals giving up, but these were hardened, desperate people that had been trapped for five centuries, so you'd think a certain madness would come out, but they seemed to have learnt to be quite patient. I'd love the Essex to have featured in an 'Enterprise' story, but it was not to be. Alien beings taking over bodies is nothing new, but this particular set-up reminded me of 'Return To Tomorrow' from 'TOS' where three trapped consciousnesses took human forms. I wanted to learn about these people, to sympathise or be horrified by what they might do, the closest scene to achieving this being Data standing nose to nose (or forehead to chin!), with Worf, but they remained in control. It struck me that both O'Brien and Keiko have been remarkably patient when you think about the number of times either of them have been possessed by aliens or whatever. Just another day in the life of a Starfleet family I suppose.
***
Conundrum
DVD, TNG S5 (Conundrum)
If anyone should have been embarrassed it should have been Ro Laren, who was the instigator of the attraction between Riker and her, and Troi had no right to be so smug either - she doesn't usually get upset at Riker when he shows attraction for people other than her, and yet she's acting as if he's her boyfriend or something, yet in the previous episode she was off being romanced by the leader of a planet and Riker kept his own thoughts in check! A case of women ganging up, I fear. It was meant to be a funny scene, and Riker is a bit overly romantic, and in another situation might have deserved it I must admit, but it demeans his character a bit too much (like in 'Star Trek IV' when the 'TOS' crew are made to look like fools in the 20th Century). I thought Ro would have been disgusted with herself, unless she secretly is drawn to Number One?
As an episode it was quite good, with 'Clues' being the closest story to it in terms of personal mystery. This didn't have the intense fascination, and failed to keep the tension at the end for more than a few seconds, preferring to get it over with swiftly, with just enough time for a candid chat between Picard and Riker, about why the Sartaarans needed the Enterprise, then it was done. Though they suggest the Sartaarans needed the ship because their weapons weren't as powerful, surely if they could make their enemy lose all memories that would be an incredibly potent form of attack in itself!?
Importantly, it was a study of character, like an alternate reality, but with the real characters enacting events, often not in the way that might have been expected. They all quickly came to their rightful positions, their skills naturally to the fore, but we also find out what they might be like without rank. Picard, though he gets things moving is too diplomatic to worry about who holds the reins, while Worf's security-minded consciousness leads him to fill the gap of Captain because he trusts himself and isn't backward in coming forward. Riker and Ro prove that they might have been friends if it weren't for the chain of command, though she also comes across as a bit pushy. Troi is the one among Ten-Forward to answer to the bridge, and feels a connection with Riker that is quite charming, while Crusher and Geordi soon fall into their integral roles.
Data is the only one to end up in a comically ridiculous position, as bartender. I so much wanted to see how Guinan would have reacted to the situation, but unfortunately neither she nor the O'Briens show up. I didn't understand what, or if there even was a link between the main story and Troi beating Data at tri-dimensional chess. I didn't believe in that, as Deanna isn't that brainy, and Data could see so many moves ahead. Technically Troi lost the match because she took the pieces off the board before she'd won, so she should forfeit the match! The Samarian Sunset drink was an excellent effect, and, for a bottle show, the episode had plenty of good effects, such as MacDuff's inner alien being revealed in phaser blasts, and the model work for ships, drones and the station. I didn't twig MacDuff was a plant until the crew manifest came up as I thought he was just a bridge crewman, not noticing his pips, so that was clever, but I was expecting Picard to work out that his Executive Officer was the one who was always at the forefront of urging on the mission, even though he felt it wasn't right. I also wondered how Crusher managed to restore their memories when they couldn't get to the medical files, because that didn't change even after MacDuff's plot is foiled.
A good idea, competently exercised, but needing a little more friction between the characters, and maybe more fumbling around before they slotted neatly into their rightful positions. Then they wouldn't have been Roddenberry's idealised, 'perfect' humans, so I can see why that was kept to a minimum, but such experimentation could have gone a long way to making it a classic had the opportunity been used to the full. Even so, a mystery plus people acting out of character, plus a dangerous mission equals entertainment.
***
If anyone should have been embarrassed it should have been Ro Laren, who was the instigator of the attraction between Riker and her, and Troi had no right to be so smug either - she doesn't usually get upset at Riker when he shows attraction for people other than her, and yet she's acting as if he's her boyfriend or something, yet in the previous episode she was off being romanced by the leader of a planet and Riker kept his own thoughts in check! A case of women ganging up, I fear. It was meant to be a funny scene, and Riker is a bit overly romantic, and in another situation might have deserved it I must admit, but it demeans his character a bit too much (like in 'Star Trek IV' when the 'TOS' crew are made to look like fools in the 20th Century). I thought Ro would have been disgusted with herself, unless she secretly is drawn to Number One?
As an episode it was quite good, with 'Clues' being the closest story to it in terms of personal mystery. This didn't have the intense fascination, and failed to keep the tension at the end for more than a few seconds, preferring to get it over with swiftly, with just enough time for a candid chat between Picard and Riker, about why the Sartaarans needed the Enterprise, then it was done. Though they suggest the Sartaarans needed the ship because their weapons weren't as powerful, surely if they could make their enemy lose all memories that would be an incredibly potent form of attack in itself!?
Importantly, it was a study of character, like an alternate reality, but with the real characters enacting events, often not in the way that might have been expected. They all quickly came to their rightful positions, their skills naturally to the fore, but we also find out what they might be like without rank. Picard, though he gets things moving is too diplomatic to worry about who holds the reins, while Worf's security-minded consciousness leads him to fill the gap of Captain because he trusts himself and isn't backward in coming forward. Riker and Ro prove that they might have been friends if it weren't for the chain of command, though she also comes across as a bit pushy. Troi is the one among Ten-Forward to answer to the bridge, and feels a connection with Riker that is quite charming, while Crusher and Geordi soon fall into their integral roles.
Data is the only one to end up in a comically ridiculous position, as bartender. I so much wanted to see how Guinan would have reacted to the situation, but unfortunately neither she nor the O'Briens show up. I didn't understand what, or if there even was a link between the main story and Troi beating Data at tri-dimensional chess. I didn't believe in that, as Deanna isn't that brainy, and Data could see so many moves ahead. Technically Troi lost the match because she took the pieces off the board before she'd won, so she should forfeit the match! The Samarian Sunset drink was an excellent effect, and, for a bottle show, the episode had plenty of good effects, such as MacDuff's inner alien being revealed in phaser blasts, and the model work for ships, drones and the station. I didn't twig MacDuff was a plant until the crew manifest came up as I thought he was just a bridge crewman, not noticing his pips, so that was clever, but I was expecting Picard to work out that his Executive Officer was the one who was always at the forefront of urging on the mission, even though he felt it wasn't right. I also wondered how Crusher managed to restore their memories when they couldn't get to the medical files, because that didn't change even after MacDuff's plot is foiled.
A good idea, competently exercised, but needing a little more friction between the characters, and maybe more fumbling around before they slotted neatly into their rightful positions. Then they wouldn't have been Roddenberry's idealised, 'perfect' humans, so I can see why that was kept to a minimum, but such experimentation could have gone a long way to making it a classic had the opportunity been used to the full. Even so, a mystery plus people acting out of character, plus a dangerous mission equals entertainment.
***
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