Scott Atwell Star Trek Discussion thread (Series and Films) (7 Viewers)

[The Obsolete Man]

I watched The Neutral Zone today. I jumped ahead. There’s still several first season episodes I like that I think were pretty good. But I wanted to see this episode. That might be another episode to list as prerequisite for Picard. It was always a favorite of the first season for me not only for the Romulan’s return, but for the cryogenic B story. What I’d forgotten was that Maurice Hurley had intended this story to be one of three that’s continued in the second season that introduced the Borg. There was a writers strike though and this episode didn’t have time for a polish so Hurley only had a short amount of time to get it ready. The Romulan and Federation outposts along the Neutral Zone had appeared to have been scooped off the surface. That’s a remnant of the Borg story I’m sure. Upon this re-watch, it also felt like a direct sequel to Balance of Terror and I like that aspect of the story too. Though Kirk had another encounter with the Romulans in a Enterprise Incident, this episode has the same feel of Balance of Terror.

So this marks the beginning of Picard’s interaction with the Romulan people which leads to the events in Picard.

They mention the planet in this episode in other Borg episodes.

Also, while I enjoy this episode, it was the height of the "Roddenberry's vision", sniffing their own farts again cause "ain't we so great in the 24th century?!?" attitude.

Picard was 100% a douchebag when interacting with the 20th century folk. I mean, for such an advanced person, he was a total dick.

But, that stuff went away after season 1, thankfully.

 

[ScottRE]

Daystrom was responsible for the creation of the Starfleet’s computer system. While his M5 creation killed hundreds of people, I’m sure the people of the 23rd century were enlightened enough to not totally vilify the man and recognized his accomplishments.

Pretty much the way Jim Kirk made sure everybody remembered Gary Mitchell for the man he was, not for what he became.

 

[John*Wells]

I am watching TNG on CBS All Access and I noticed that Encounter at Farpoint is split into 2 episodes. Why? CBS Premiered it as a 2 hour special in 1987. On the dvd and Blu it’s one episode

 

[Blimpoy06]

I am watching TNG on CBS All Access and I noticed that Encounter at Farpoint is split into 2 episodes. Why?

TNG was always meant for syndication. Having a two hour block was a luxury. Even when it repeated in 1988, I believe it was already split in to two parts. Most of what is missing is Riker watching the recap of the Q engagement. I believe the Columbia House VHS release had the split episode version. My guess is that CBS All Access just put the syndication version on it's server.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I kinda wish the Blus had included both options (especially since each episode was released twice anyway) but I do prefer the original version. Was always kinda frustrating to tune in and catch the first half of All Good Things without any resolution, or the second half without any buildup.

 

[ScottRE]

All Access has the original low res versions and the 2 part version of the premiere.

Netflix has the upgraded prints which were released on blu. Encounter At Farpoint is its original 90 minute format.

 

[BobO'Link]

You'd think if *anyone* would get it right it'd be All Access... IMHO that's a monumental cock up.

 

[Gary Seven]

You are making me want to pull my Blu Ray series set and watch them all Nelson

I am actually doing the same. I do not have a problem with first season episodes as those were the most "Star Trek" to me, seeming to expand the Utopian concept, which is the hope of Star Trek (we should be so lucky). What was dropped in later seasons that could have been expanded story wise...
1. Data wanting to be human ("I would give it all up, to be human"). While he desires to understand humanity in later seasons, that desire to be human is gone.
2. Geordi's constant internal struggle with his visor.
3. The relationship of Troi and Riker where only Troi calls him Bill.
4. Tasha's struggle with trying to be feminine in a role where she is perceived as... not so. Of course she left, so oh well.

Just a few off the top of my head.

While there may have been no real conflicts among the crew, there were internal conflicts that was potential for character growth in that regard.

I enjoy the later seasons as well but for me, there is a lot to to like in the first seasons, certainly enough to have kept me coming back in 1987.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I’m watching Mudd’s Women right now.

The ending of this episode is a bogus cheat, right? The revelation that the women are taking placebos the last time they take the drug and look beautiful because they feel beautiful, not because they took drugs. How does that track with their appearance changing again? If we never saw the versions of them without the drug it would be more honest, but since we’re shown the drug works... it’s silly to be bothered by something in a 50+ year old episode of a canceled show but it’s such a thud of a resolution to me.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Where Silence Has Lease:

“This ship has one Riker! This ship has one bridge! Grrrrrr-AAARRRKKKGGGHHH!”

 

[Gary Seven]

Worf has always been the comic relief of the show.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Where Silence Has Lease:

“This ship has one Riker! This ship has one bridge! Grrrrrr-AAARRRKKKGGGHHH!”

Obviously, Worf's never seen "Second Chances", or the Battle Bridge.

 

[Nelson Au]

Ha! I watched Haven last night and The Big Goodbye the night before. It’s been a long time since I’d seen them. Hey Gary, I never noticed before Troi calls Will, Bill! That was a neat little thing. And the romance they tried to set up between Picard and Crusher in The Big Goodbye was interesting in that they dropped it sort of.

Josh, regarding Mudds Women; when I first started getting into Star Trek, I was too
young to ask those kinds of questions. I just accepted it. Later as I got older, I began to realize the point Kirk is making is that if you’re really a real woman, anyone can see past the facade. So after Eve swallowed the colored gelatin and she felt the confidence she thought it gave her, it was just visuals done to make her look great to get the point across. and I think they exaggerated the way the girls looked without the drug’s influence, again to make the point. I’m sure those actresses looked good without any make up, so they had to visually make them ugly. Kind of like The Twilight Zone, Eye of the Beholder.

 

[Blimpoy06]

The revelation that the women are taking placebos the last time they take the drug and look beautiful because they feel beautiful, not because they took drugs. How does that track with their appearance changing again?

So after Eve swallowed the colored gelatin and she felt the confidence she thought it gave her, it was just visuals done to make her look great to get the point across.

If you watch the sequence on the planet after Eve takes the placebo, her hair and makeup aren't as exaggerated as much as they were when she took the Venus drug on the ship.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

It still feels like a cheat to me. I mean, not every episode has a perfectly reasoned ending. This one probably stands out more because I’ve seen it more. I do like that the women immediately seemed more self sufficient at the mining colony than the miners did. I kinda wish the ending was more focused on that aspect, but it’s a fifty year old episode of a show just starting out and it’s probably a minor miracle that they were finishing episodes at all.

 

[KPmusmag]

When I say weird ones, for TOS, I like The Alternative Factor, Wolf In The Fold, The Immunity Syndrome, Wink Of An Eye, That Which Survives. Or for TNG, We’ll Always Have Paris, The Royale, Time Squared, Phantasms. I mean seriously, who else rewatches The Alternative Factor or The Royale for fun?

I do, for one! It is funny with The Royale, later the night it aired we had a bunch of people over and had a blast. So there is a pleasant memory associated with it, plus I think it is kind of atmospheric in a way and captures the spirit of that genre of novel. Wolf in The Fold and Catspaw are on my Halloween play list most years, both are a bit over the top, but well-acted, without getting tool melodramatic. Wink of an Eye brings back memories of watching Star Trek as a kid with my parents and I had a really hard time grasping the speed up concept and my Dad very patiently tried to explain it to me. Ultimately, if I really like the characters, as I do with TOS, TNG, DS9, and Voyager, I am happy to spend 50 minutes with them even with a slightly lesser episode. Kind of like having family over - some times are better than others but I still appreciate the time being with them.

 

[John*Wells]

After 3 episodes of Picard, it appears to me that the writers have taken a deep space Nine /Dominion like approach. Only, this time, it’s androids being led by Romulan infiltrators.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

For anyone in the NY area, I just wanted to draw your attention to the following screening of The Motion Picture, with Douglas Trumbull in person:

http://movingimage.us/visit/calendar/2020/02/16/detail/star-trek-the-motion-picture

 

[Worth]

For anyone in the NY area, I just wanted to draw your attention to the following screening of The Motion Picture, with Douglas Trumbull in person:

http://movingimage.us/visit/calendar/2020/02/16/detail/star-trek-the-motion-picture

I saw something similar with Trumbull a few years ago, and would highly recommend it. Interesting that there's a DCP of it available now. I saw it on a 35mm print that was basically the director's cut minus the new special effects.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I saw something similar with Trumbull a few years ago, and would highly recommend it. Interesting that there's a DCP of it available now. I saw it on a 35mm print that was basically the director's cut minus the new special effects.

I wish that was what they were showing. The DCP was from the same master used to make the Blu-ray and what Fathom showed last year. It doesn’t look great. But I’m going more for Trumbull than the movie. He’s also doing a presentation for “2001” which screens that evening.