A Collection of Episode Reviews Originally Posted on the MI6 Forums Between October 7, 2009 and February 22, 2010
"The Child"
And so season 2 begins. What's essentially happening here is a reuse of an old 1970s Trek script because of the 88 Writer's Strike, with new elements added to introduce us to the new elements of Season 2. And frankly, these new elements are the best part of the episode. I've always held a liking for Whoopi Goldberg's Guinan character -- up to and including her appearance in Generations. I also think her scenes with Wesley in this episode are by far the best acting Wil Wheaton's done in the show up to this point.
As for the Troi stuff - meh.
I will say that its almost weird seeing Worf and Geordi in their familiar gold uniforms after a year in the burgundy. But Riker finally looks like Riker with his trademark Frakes beard.
"Where Silence Has Lease"
I like the spooky atmosphere on the ghost-Yamato, and Picard's speech to Data about death is a highlight, but once Nagilum got revealed I got bored quickly. "Advanced alien tests humans to learn about them" is such a stock plot in Trek that I am totally bored by it. I never like that the implications of all these omnipotent, non-coporeal beings is never explored. You're telling me all they do is wait in space for passing starships to play with?
"Elementary, Dear Data"
Pretty damn classy episode and you know that Data's having fun over-acting, but it's really the playing Moriarty who sells the whole thing. Good cerebral stuff.
"The Outrageous Okona"
Han Solo visits the Enterprise and it is awesome. Data tries stand-up and it's not nearly as interesting. The two are then cross-edited annoyingly.
Wesley Saves the Ship: 4.5
"The Schizoid Man"
This episode was really good. Fairly good script excellently enhanced by the acting of Brent Spiner and W. Morgan Sheppard (Graves), as well as some fancy direction from Les Landau of all people. A stand-out show. Also, Susie Plakson is hot as Vulcan Dr. Selar.
"Loud as a Whisper"
I knew the basic plot of this episode before going in, but had never seen it before, and honestly I was expecting a "deaf people are people too" after school special type story, but it turned out to be a really good episode, thanks in part to the actor playing Riva. Troi also felt very well used in this episode -- she's a much better character already than she was in Season 1. Too bad the "dignitary they must transport has the hots for Troi" angle will be reused for every Troi episode from here on if my memory holds true. This episode also had some great Geordi moments, like the scene where Pulaski offers to get him ocular implants.
Character reviews!
PICARD - Patrick Stewart is pretty cool guy, but there really still hasn't been enough of Picard to make me notice him. He's sort've running things, and giving speeches, but he's not yet the really awesome Captain I know he eventually becomes.
RIKER - It feels like Riker's been relegated to the background -- he's not as fun as he was in Season 1.
GEORDI - Moving Geordi to Chief Engineer felt weird at first, but honestly LeVar Burton is still charming enough for it to work, and it really gives Geordi his own unique place in the cast.
WORF - Worf fits great as security chief, but still seems like a snarling Klingon stereotype.
TROI - So much better than last season! She still has a tendency to state the obvious, but Marina Sirtis appears much more comfortable in the role.
DATA - The best character on the show so far, thanks in no small part to Brent Spiner's wonderful acting.
WESLEY - I like that he has a job now. He seems less arbitrary this way. So far he's not gotten on my nerves too much.
PULASKI - She's okay. She's a competent doctor. I haven't gotten much else from her.
GUINAN - Very cool character.
"Unnatural Selection"
So I suppose someone in the writer's room realized they had introduced a new doctor character and that they'd probably have to do something to develop her, rather than just go with "female McCoy" gags all the time. Ironically, the biggest Pulaski episode so far was apparently the one that made Diana Muldaur decide to quit the series after only one season -- she hated the make-up time needed for her (admittedly really super few) accelerated aging scenes.
The episode, of course, is a rip-off of "The Deadly Years" (TOS) with some illegal and dangerous genetic engineering thrown in. It also features my least favourite Trek deus ex machina -- that of restoring someone using the old pattern from the transporter buffer, first seen in "The Lorolei Signal" (TAS).
In other news, this episode is big because Colm Meaney's nameless transporter chief is dubbed O'Brien, and we establish his personality as an awesome NCO who can fix anything.
So I've decided this about TNG: O'Brien makes everything better.
"A Matter of Honor"
Probably the best Klingon episode produced up to this point in Trek's history. Certainly the bes Riker episode so far, except perhaps the Minuet one. Really enjoyable to watch, full of great dialogue and characterization -- even the Wesley-related subplot was funny and fresh, despite Wesley continuing to be a massive dork. Also, even tiny doses of O'Brien appear to be awesome.
A great episode, perhaps the best of the second season thus far.
"Measure of a Man"
Probably without a doubt the absolute finest episode of TNG so far. Definitely this is something I would point a fan of NuTrek too and say "NO! THIS is what Star Trek is supposed to be!" I absolutely LOVE the scene between Picard and Guinan as they discuss the implications of slavery. I think this show finally got what TNG could be here -- it could actually do the "social allegory" thing even better than TOS ever did by making it more cerebral -- more like Roddenberry wanted -- than action adventure. They figured out that TNG wasn't an action adventure show, but that the actors were so good, especially in this episode Stewart, Frakes, and Spiner, that they could sit them in a room and let them talk and it would be good. I think this is the first time they figured out that the real true key to the Picard character was to make him the moralizing figure, make him the one Captain in Starfleet who really BELIEVES all the stuff about the Prime Directive and the founding principles of the Federation and all that -- and then to give him fantastic speeches to deliver.
Great episode. Far above the VOY rip-off of it.
"The Dauphin"
Well, I suppose a stretch of good episodes in TNG Season 2 was too good to be true. This is a big time Wesley episode, and it's also just pretty poor in general. I find it hard to believe the crew would put up with Anya this much. If I was a security chief and some bitch was bragging to me about how she was so powerful she could destroy anyone on board -- I'd be showing her out the airlock. Also, what was Shelly from Twin Peaks doing in this episode? She's here for a single scene and that's it! Jamie Hubbard is cute as Wesley's first crush, but really this one falls flat on its face. The only really good scenes are Worf explaining Klingon mating rituals, and the Riker/Guinan flirting scene in Ten Forward.
"Contagion"
Very good episode. Kind've a second season version of "Disaster" where we really put the crew through their paces. Lots of cool interesting concepts at every turn, and actually a very good depiction of a shipboard computer virus, obviously by someone who actually knows how one works -- impressive for an episode from 1988!
"The Royale"
A boring piddle of an episode with no central conflict and loses steam halfway through. Colourful costumes and amusing scenarios don't make up for the fact that the crew solves the dilemma by doing nothing.
"Time Squared"
What starts as a valiant attempt at a temporal paradox episode gives up in the third act and has the crew basically win because they did nothing.
Both these episodes were pretty dull and suffered by not actually personifying the danger and having the main conflict solved too early leaving nothing for our characters to do in the third act.
"The Icarus Factor"
A pretty damn good Riker episode with a pretty damn good Worf subplot. This could almost be a DS9 episode, with the way it works the character dynamics. However, on DS9, a character like Riker's father would've become a recurring one, rather than just disappearing after this one episode. I would be tempted to call the whole thing brilliant, if it wasn't for the finale -- the "anbojitsu" martial art that Pulaski was so worried about turns out to be two combatants in a heavily padded arena dressed in Power Ranger body armour clumsily swinging batons at each other.
"Pen Pals"
Data violates the Prime Directive like eight or nine times over. Good effects in this episode, and strong performances from the cast though. I've decided I like what they're doing with Wesley in this season, although I think Wil Wheaton self-destructs his own character with his performance.
"Q Who?"
This episode, sh*t got real. The best, without a doubt, episode of TNG so far. Makes you sit up and pay attention. Great Q. Great Guinan. And here are the Borg as they should be -- implacable, undefeatable, relentless. Superb episode. TNG finds itself here. "They'll be coming," Oh, yes, Picard....
CHARACTER ROUND-UP
My impressions of the characters so far.
PICARD -- Stewart has definitely improved this role dramatically. Especially in the last two episodes I really see the Picard character as I recognize him. Easily one of the best parts of the series.
RIKER -- Riker, if more developed, seems more subdued this year instead of being practically the series protagonist in season one. Is it the beard?
GEORDI -- Geordi is practically an entirely different character in this season, but I think I prefer this version. I like that he seems very competent, despite being fairly young.
WORF -- Worf continues to improve and is for sure one of my favourites on the show. He's maybe two-dimensional now, instead of one-dimensional in first season. Always good for a one-liner, too.
TROI -- Troi isn't annoying anymore. I like her now. She's still useless, though.
DATA -- Brent Spiner makes Data work, but all in all he kinda bores me at this point.
WESLEY -- I like Acting Ensign Crusher. I like this learning on the go, Midshipman Hornblower style stuff. I just don't like Wil Wheaton.
PULASKI -- She's an okay character, but I don't like how soft she's become. She started out irascible, but now she's basically a big push-over and kind've super-boring.
GUINAN -- Guinan is cool. I like her mystery and her confidence and basically all the scenes she is in are good scenes. Great Whoopi Goldberg role, or the greatest Whoopi Goldberg role?
O'BRIEN -- Everything is better with O'Brien.
"Samaritan Snare"
This was actually a really good episode. The Pakleds are probably one of the better examples of the tried and true "not what they seem" Trek trope of alien races, and the humor with them and Geordi is quite well done. Also, Riker in command is great and is it just me or did anyone else actually think it'd be cool if Picard died in the operation and Riker actually became Captain? Speaking of Picard his subplot is great and basically overshadows the main plot, and not only is it written well, it's shot well too. Lots of great effects shots in this one. And I even like the continuation of the "Wesley getting into the Academy" subplot because it heralds the fact that one day he'll be gone.
"Up the Long Ladder"
A fairly forgettable episode involving cloning and Irish people and Pulaski hitting on Worf and a really hot guest turn from Rosalyn Landor. Apparently the Irish thought it was racist against them -- meh, less than the Lucky Charms cereal commericials.
"Manhunt"
Yeah. I dread the yearly visits from Roddenberry's wife. This episode is just unconfortable for everyone, though there are a few funny bits, such as in the Dixon Hill program.
Is it just me, or is Majel Barrett wearing some sort of contact lens? Either than she's high out of her brain this whole episode.
"The Emissary"
The first in a long line of "Let's f*ck Worf's life up until it gets totally ridiculous" episodes. Suzie Plakson is just great, though. Also, holy sh*t Worf takes everything too seriously. It's like a Jew being Super Kosher just because he lives in Kansas and feels the need to distinguish from all the Methodists.
"Peak Performance"
Very good episode. Two gripes -- 1) Why does the Ferengi ship come out of nowhere to attack the Enterprise? Makes no sense, even for early TNG's Villain Ferengis. 2) Why does Worf's gambit work on them? The whole reason it worked on the Ent-D was that Worf had the security codes to fool the sensors.
"Shades of Grey"
Well that was a waste of an hour.
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