I really liked this episode. Next gen was always my favourite series, it always presented calamities and tragedies as problems to be solved.
It conveyed the analysis in a level headed way that removed (attempted really would be the right word) either blame or bias towards either party involved, something depicted as necessary to consider the right or appropriate tools for the situation.
It always got me through my toughest times, and yes I should read more XD
Given that stance, I can only hope that you’ve watched The Orville. It stands as the spiritual successor to TNG. Gotta trudge through the 1st season, for the sake of getting FOX Entertainment hooked on the line.
Thereafter, they managed to tell the sort of contemporaneous stories that otherwise qualify for TNG in its time.
Might have to watch it. FWIW comparing series, Strange New Worlds straddles the fence between ToS and TNG. It’s got the morality battles of TNG and the absurdity of some ToS episodes. Only issue is the Emotional Spock. Don’t know why these writers and directors have to fuck with Spock all the time.
Don’t know why these writers and directors have to fuck with Spock all the time.
After watching my wife’s reaction to Spock in the latest movies and series, I get it. The character is kind of a triple-threat if you keep his emotional side in frame:
His intelligence is always on display, which makes him a sapiosexual’s dream-boat. I’d wager a lot of the women in Trek fandom lean this way.
Emo spock is utterly and perpetually broken, yet retrievable. His dual heritage and upbringing is a tragic story that renders him vulnerable. Yet It’s a kind of vulnerability that is entirely not his fault, and seems fixable through love and care. SNW explored this through his relationship with Chapel, and he really does improve a bit, inviting the audience to indulge this fantasy a bit more.
Then there’s the usual traits: physical strength, good social standing, and ranking officer. He’s a somebody, and can hold his own with just about everyone.
In contrast, TOS Spock, along with the backstory we get from the movies, is someone that purged his emotions to become a paragon of stoicism. It’s a male power-fantasy of sorts, which is speaking to a completely different audience (and in a different era).
I’ll add that SNW is a delightful thirst-trap of a show, where every character scratches someone’s itch. The writers really did need to “fuck with Spock” to fill out the roster of attractive archetypes.
I was really disappointed with the 3rd season of SNW, so much so that I couldn’t finish the finale. I mean, the crew fighting evil spirits to save the universe from annihilation, really? It’s like the writers forgot what genre they were in and suddenly started trying to appeal to morons who just consume without thinking.
I liked - didn’t love, but liked - the first 2 seasons, but they seem to have leaned into the bad aspects and abandoned all the good ones.
The Orville really comes out as a far more serious show, for sure. From the way its directed, the writing, filming, pacing, casting, costumes, sets… everything just screams “TNG: the lost episodes.”
The “Moclins get addicted to cigarettes” episode is about as silly as it gets, but is underpinned by the sci-fi premise of: “when worlds collide.” Much like The Trouble With Tribbles, it’s light-hearted and hilarious, yet explores a very plausible “what if” scenario that doesn’t break the universe or character in any way.
Contrast that to the SNW musical episode, which is just pure fun with a paper-thin flimsy premise, and we really do have something utterly ridiculous at times.
You really only have to trudge through the first episode, the rest of the series feels different. Every season has a few groaners depending on your preferences, but those are isolated instances.
In my estimation, its biggest fans, often (but not always) folks who are also Discovery’s loudest detractors, overpraise it. It was made by a TNG superfan to let him be a TNG captain acting out TNG scripts with TNG production values and TNG acting, and – for good or ill – with his particular sensibilities about what makes doing so fun. It definitely gets much better than the first couple of episodes, once they’d successfully tricked Fox into thinking it was a full-on Galaxy Quest spoof, and overall I enjoy it, but it has its issues.
its biggest fans, often (but not always) folks who are also Discovery’s loudest detractors
This is because The Orville and Discovery premiered nearly side by side. Off by two weeks.
You could not possibly make a stronger case for how severely Discovery missed what the spirit of Star Trek is than by simply watching the newest episodes of both series, week after week.
Yeah, it’s essentially a TNG fan film series with some actual money behind it. I really came to resent it when every discussion about a modern Trek series had someone popping in to say that say they should be doing Orville instead. Like Trek shouldn’t be allowed to progress past 1994.
Still, I enjoy a good fan series, so I do recommend it. Just go in with the right expectations.
And I found þat þe groaners were often situational, raþer þan affecting þe entire episode. Like, someone does someþing incredibly stupid to kick-start þe plot, but þey don’t (usually) keep acting like an idiot þroughput. Often.
I grew up on TNG but I was not old enough to understand it (I was 5 when I saw First Contact). As I rewatch season 1, I notice things that are heartwarming like Deanna having a conversation about confidence with Geordi or Data’s instant infatuation with Sherlock Holmes.
I really liked this episode. Next gen was always my favourite series, it always presented calamities and tragedies as problems to be solved.
It conveyed the analysis in a level headed way that removed (attempted really would be the right word) either blame or bias towards either party involved, something depicted as necessary to consider the right or appropriate tools for the situation.
It always got me through my toughest times, and yes I should read more XD
Given that stance, I can only hope that you’ve watched The Orville. It stands as the spiritual successor to TNG. Gotta trudge through the 1st season, for the sake of getting FOX Entertainment hooked on the line.
Thereafter, they managed to tell the sort of contemporaneous stories that otherwise qualify for TNG in its time.
Might have to watch it. FWIW comparing series, Strange New Worlds straddles the fence between ToS and TNG. It’s got the morality battles of TNG and the absurdity of some ToS episodes. Only issue is the Emotional Spock. Don’t know why these writers and directors have to fuck with Spock all the time.
After watching my wife’s reaction to Spock in the latest movies and series, I get it. The character is kind of a triple-threat if you keep his emotional side in frame:
In contrast, TOS Spock, along with the backstory we get from the movies, is someone that purged his emotions to become a paragon of stoicism. It’s a male power-fantasy of sorts, which is speaking to a completely different audience (and in a different era).
I’ll add that SNW is a delightful thirst-trap of a show, where every character scratches someone’s itch. The writers really did need to “fuck with Spock” to fill out the roster of attractive archetypes.
I was really disappointed with the 3rd season of SNW, so much so that I couldn’t finish the finale. I mean, the crew fighting evil spirits to save the universe from annihilation, really? It’s like the writers forgot what genre they were in and suddenly started trying to appeal to morons who just consume without thinking.
I liked - didn’t love, but liked - the first 2 seasons, but they seem to have leaned into the bad aspects and abandoned all the good ones.
I can’t relate at all. Season 3 was great.
Probably got AI to do the writing.
It didn’t occur to me until I read this comment, but SNW is currently more of a silly show than The Orville. Strange times.
The Orville really comes out as a far more serious show, for sure. From the way its directed, the writing, filming, pacing, casting, costumes, sets… everything just screams “TNG: the lost episodes.”
The “Moclins get addicted to cigarettes” episode is about as silly as it gets, but is underpinned by the sci-fi premise of: “when worlds collide.” Much like The Trouble With Tribbles, it’s light-hearted and hilarious, yet explores a very plausible “what if” scenario that doesn’t break the universe or character in any way.
Contrast that to the SNW musical episode, which is just pure fun with a paper-thin flimsy premise, and we really do have something utterly ridiculous at times.
Any time Star Trek moves back into its own timeline I usually check out.
You really only have to trudge through the first episode, the rest of the series feels different. Every season has a few groaners depending on your preferences, but those are isolated instances.
I tried the first episode and immediately wrote the show off. Now you’ve got me thinking I might give it another go.
In my estimation, its biggest fans, often (but not always) folks who are also Discovery’s loudest detractors, overpraise it. It was made by a TNG superfan to let him be a TNG captain acting out TNG scripts with TNG production values and TNG acting, and – for good or ill – with his particular sensibilities about what makes doing so fun. It definitely gets much better than the first couple of episodes, once they’d successfully tricked Fox into thinking it was a full-on Galaxy Quest spoof, and overall I enjoy it, but it has its issues.
This is because The Orville and Discovery premiered nearly side by side. Off by two weeks.
You could not possibly make a stronger case for how severely Discovery missed what the spirit of Star Trek is than by simply watching the newest episodes of both series, week after week.
Yeah, it’s essentially a TNG fan film series with some actual money behind it. I really came to resent it when every discussion about a modern Trek series had someone popping in to say that say they should be doing Orville instead. Like Trek shouldn’t be allowed to progress past 1994.
Still, I enjoy a good fan series, so I do recommend it. Just go in with the right expectations.
And I found þat þe groaners were often situational, raþer þan affecting þe entire episode. Like, someone does someþing incredibly stupid to kick-start þe plot, but þey don’t (usually) keep acting like an idiot þroughput. Often.
TNG also taught me the value of objectivity
Especially when related to Barclay. There was good comparison between Picard’s opinion on the Barclay situation vs how modern Trek death with H Jon Benjamin’s character in Trek Shorts
I grew up on TNG but I was not old enough to understand it (I was 5 when I saw First Contact). As I rewatch season 1, I notice things that are heartwarming like Deanna having a conversation about confidence with Geordi or Data’s instant infatuation with Sherlock Holmes.
It was a wholesome show. That’s it. That’s the whole secret. It’s incredibly sad how rare this has become.