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Re: ORV S2: Home
I enjoy reading your reviews Jammer, and this one was no exception. However, I thought the Jar of pickles was not hopelessly corny, but kinda sweet. I'm going to miss Alara. She was a great character and I loved her two big episodes last year (Command Performance and Firestorm).
I enjoy reading your reviews Jammer, and this one was no exception. However, I thought the Jar of pickles was not hopelessly corny, but kinda sweet. I'm going to miss Alara. She was a great character and I loved her two big episodes last year (Command Performance and Firestorm).
Re: DS9 S6: In the Pale Moonlight
This is my favorite DS9 episode, possibly favorite episode of the entire ST franchise.
The way it depicts Sisko in such an anti-hero fashion. With such a believable twist of character driven by the threat of war. Well...you have already captured that.
But the fact that it cuts away the ensemble cast and lets Robinson and Avery have the full stage makes it a high quality play. Seeing the back and forth between Garek and Sisko gives me fuzzies.
Everytime I rewatch DS9, I can't help but get excited in every episode which they place Garek. The acting is incredible. Compare that with something like Smallville, where the only "good" acting was the actor portraying Lex.
The creator of DS9, Ira Behr, had always felt TOS and TNG were too "pure" and wanted a different environment. One subject to breakdowns and frailties. Well this episode really shines in depicting such a realistic visage.
That combined with the Section 31 episodes + the moral ambiguities shown with Gul Dukat makes for a relishing series that quickly erased any initial concerns of "how can they create a Star Trek without a starship???"
This is my favorite DS9 episode, possibly favorite episode of the entire ST franchise.
The way it depicts Sisko in such an anti-hero fashion. With such a believable twist of character driven by the threat of war. Well...you have already captured that.
But the fact that it cuts away the ensemble cast and lets Robinson and Avery have the full stage makes it a high quality play. Seeing the back and forth between Garek and Sisko gives me fuzzies.
Everytime I rewatch DS9, I can't help but get excited in every episode which they place Garek. The acting is incredible. Compare that with something like Smallville, where the only "good" acting was the actor portraying Lex.
The creator of DS9, Ira Behr, had always felt TOS and TNG were too "pure" and wanted a different environment. One subject to breakdowns and frailties. Well this episode really shines in depicting such a realistic visage.
That combined with the Section 31 episodes + the moral ambiguities shown with Gul Dukat makes for a relishing series that quickly erased any initial concerns of "how can they create a Star Trek without a starship???"
Re: TNG S6: The Chase
Fun and interesting episode, but why didn't Professor Galen simply come on board the Enterprise, tell Picard what he had discovered, and enlisted Picard and the Enterprise to complete his discovery? As he himself indicated, he could have completed the whole thing in a couple of weeks that way. And Picard would have been happy to oblige him.
Fun and interesting episode, but why didn't Professor Galen simply come on board the Enterprise, tell Picard what he had discovered, and enlisted Picard and the Enterprise to complete his discovery? As he himself indicated, he could have completed the whole thing in a couple of weeks that way. And Picard would have been happy to oblige him.
Re: VOY S6: Memorial
Maybe this has been addressed already or maybe the episode addressed this and I just missed it, but it seems like to me a much larger issue than 82 civilians who got slaughtered is why is this earth like planet now uninhabited? Did everyone on this planet get wiped out somehow? Because if anyone inhabited this planet surely Voyager would have contacted them.
Maybe this has been addressed already or maybe the episode addressed this and I just missed it, but it seems like to me a much larger issue than 82 civilians who got slaughtered is why is this earth like planet now uninhabited? Did everyone on this planet get wiped out somehow? Because if anyone inhabited this planet surely Voyager would have contacted them.
Re: DSC S1: The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry
I've been liking Discovery so far, but I really hope the review mentions how this spore drive technology is taken straight out of Voyager's Equinox storyline. With all this talk about Orville not being original, Discovery is basically borrowing something Voyager did and making an arc out of it. I wouldn't say that's original either.
I've been liking Discovery so far, but I really hope the review mentions how this spore drive technology is taken straight out of Voyager's Equinox storyline. With all this talk about Orville not being original, Discovery is basically borrowing something Voyager did and making an arc out of it. I wouldn't say that's original either.
Re: TOS S1: The City on the Edge of Forever
That episode and the doomsday machine episode were two of the best in my opinion. Each one is like a movie. Of course balance of terror in what are little girls made of are third and fourth.
Roddenberry was able to put together the finest cast and guest stars in to get the absolute most out of his actors in that first season.
Could Kirk have returned to retrieve Edith Keeler? When would think if there was any possibility of that he would have done so. And why not go back in time to retrieve Spock's girlfriend left in the icy wasteland of 5000 years ago while he's at it? Perhaps by bringing them forward in time they would damage the future in some unknown way. Maybe they wouldn't prevent some cosmic catastrophe from happening because they were busy with their lovers instead. We can only speculate.
That episode and the doomsday machine episode were two of the best in my opinion. Each one is like a movie. Of course balance of terror in what are little girls made of are third and fourth.
Roddenberry was able to put together the finest cast and guest stars in to get the absolute most out of his actors in that first season.
Could Kirk have returned to retrieve Edith Keeler? When would think if there was any possibility of that he would have done so. And why not go back in time to retrieve Spock's girlfriend left in the icy wasteland of 5000 years ago while he's at it? Perhaps by bringing them forward in time they would damage the future in some unknown way. Maybe they wouldn't prevent some cosmic catastrophe from happening because they were busy with their lovers instead. We can only speculate.
Re: TOS S1: The Man Trap
Skeptical,
If memory serves the salt creature did plead for its life after McCoy shot it for the first time. "Leonard No!"
Skeptical,
If memory serves the salt creature did plead for its life after McCoy shot it for the first time. "Leonard No!"
Re: TOS S1: Where No Man Has Gone Before
Skeptical,
Very astute analysis of the episode. I too noticed the religious overtones of Mitchel creating the garden, and then completely missed the significance of him being the one that hands the apple to Dehner. And no, I, like you, can't believe for a minute that is was unintentional.
I also find it interesting that you postulate that Mitchell may not have been a really good person from the beginning and that Dehner was, and this might have been the thing that allowed her to hold onto her humanity long enough to realize that Mitchell had to die. I had always assumed that it was simply because she was not as far along in the process as Mitchell and that eventually she would also succumb to the temptation to be amoral. We do apparently both agree that Kellerman turned in a great performance as Dehner.
In any event you had some great insights about the episode that I had never considered.
Skeptical,
Very astute analysis of the episode. I too noticed the religious overtones of Mitchel creating the garden, and then completely missed the significance of him being the one that hands the apple to Dehner. And no, I, like you, can't believe for a minute that is was unintentional.
I also find it interesting that you postulate that Mitchell may not have been a really good person from the beginning and that Dehner was, and this might have been the thing that allowed her to hold onto her humanity long enough to realize that Mitchell had to die. I had always assumed that it was simply because she was not as far along in the process as Mitchell and that eventually she would also succumb to the temptation to be amoral. We do apparently both agree that Kellerman turned in a great performance as Dehner.
In any event you had some great insights about the episode that I had never considered.
Re: TOS S1: Mudd's Women
Ok, I first saw this as a kid of 7. And then I went on to revisit it throughout my adult life. So my perception of it has changed through the intervening time period. But I really love this episode. And most of it comes down to the performance of Rodger C. Carmel. He really nailed the part of the con man (space pimp?) that when push came to shove was compelled to do the right thing. His performance was truly over the top and I think it made the episode. The other great performance was given by Karen Steele as Eve. She had the best lines in the whole show, "Oh, the sound of male ego. You travel halfway across the galaxy and it's still the same song." And later in her final scene (After she thinks she took the Venus drug). "Is this the kind of wife you want, Ben? Not someone to help you. Not a wife to cook and sew and cry and need. But this kind. Selfish, vain, useless."
Wow! What a line. You mean women can actually be selfish, vain and useless? You wouldn't ever have the question come up on tv of today. Women have a halo around themselves now. But 50 years ago political correctness had yet to be born.(Borne?) You could admit the obvious. That such women exist. And having the bad luck to be married to one is a one way trip to hell. Or as I have heard it said, "Marriage isn't a word. It's a sentence."
In short I thought this to be a standout episode. As a kid I loved the planet scenes because it really tried to give the impression of an outpost on a dangerous planet. As I matured into adulthood I could appreciate the commentary concerning the human condition and the relationship between men and women. And the notion that in a few hundred years out in space it will still be a struggle for us to understand each other.
And for Beth that objected to the men ogling the women...it was a plot device. The Venus drug had made them almost irresistible to most men. So yeah, there was going to be a fair share of ogling.
Ok, I first saw this as a kid of 7. And then I went on to revisit it throughout my adult life. So my perception of it has changed through the intervening time period. But I really love this episode. And most of it comes down to the performance of Rodger C. Carmel. He really nailed the part of the con man (space pimp?) that when push came to shove was compelled to do the right thing. His performance was truly over the top and I think it made the episode. The other great performance was given by Karen Steele as Eve. She had the best lines in the whole show, "Oh, the sound of male ego. You travel halfway across the galaxy and it's still the same song." And later in her final scene (After she thinks she took the Venus drug). "Is this the kind of wife you want, Ben? Not someone to help you. Not a wife to cook and sew and cry and need. But this kind. Selfish, vain, useless."
Wow! What a line. You mean women can actually be selfish, vain and useless? You wouldn't ever have the question come up on tv of today. Women have a halo around themselves now. But 50 years ago political correctness had yet to be born.(Borne?) You could admit the obvious. That such women exist. And having the bad luck to be married to one is a one way trip to hell. Or as I have heard it said, "Marriage isn't a word. It's a sentence."
In short I thought this to be a standout episode. As a kid I loved the planet scenes because it really tried to give the impression of an outpost on a dangerous planet. As I matured into adulthood I could appreciate the commentary concerning the human condition and the relationship between men and women. And the notion that in a few hundred years out in space it will still be a struggle for us to understand each other.
And for Beth that objected to the men ogling the women...it was a plot device. The Venus drug had made them almost irresistible to most men. So yeah, there was going to be a fair share of ogling.
Re: ENT S4: Bound
Bluedylan
Hey cupcake. Did the fact that I mentioned that I have quite literally had more alien tail than Captain Kirk ruffle your feminist sensibilities? I have piloted a plane to the edge of the atmosphere in my professional life and I have been 300 ft down in the Pacific ocean with nothing more than a 3 mil wetsuit and a bottle of tri-mix to sustain me in my private life. I did that last one just for kicks. In either situation one tiny mistake can kill you. Funny thing was I have never encountered any feminist at either place. Just men.
Bluedylan
Hey cupcake. Did the fact that I mentioned that I have quite literally had more alien tail than Captain Kirk ruffle your feminist sensibilities? I have piloted a plane to the edge of the atmosphere in my professional life and I have been 300 ft down in the Pacific ocean with nothing more than a 3 mil wetsuit and a bottle of tri-mix to sustain me in my private life. I did that last one just for kicks. In either situation one tiny mistake can kill you. Funny thing was I have never encountered any feminist at either place. Just men.
Re: ENT S2: First Flight
Yanks,
I have to agree with you 100% on how great this episode is. You summed it up nicely. I think anyone that found it boring didn't bother to look beyond the surface. And yeah, the final scene where T'Pol suggests naming it after A.G. was the cherry on top of the sundae. But I am biased, being a pilot.
Yanks,
I have to agree with you 100% on how great this episode is. You summed it up nicely. I think anyone that found it boring didn't bother to look beyond the surface. And yeah, the final scene where T'Pol suggests naming it after A.G. was the cherry on top of the sundae. But I am biased, being a pilot.
Re: TNG S4: Data's Day
@Jor-EL
You are not sure if the joke about the Devoras was on purpose? Come on, these people are professional writers. Something like that didn't just happen by accident. It was totally on purpose. Just to see if people are paying attention.
@Jor-EL
You are not sure if the joke about the Devoras was on purpose? Come on, these people are professional writers. Something like that didn't just happen by accident. It was totally on purpose. Just to see if people are paying attention.
Re: VOY S1: Emanations
This episode has one of the three necessary ingredients present in all the best Star Trek episodes (see my review of Blink of an Eye in Season 6) and for that it deserves to be watched.
But it is not a great episode and won't be on many people's list to watch over again (like the best are).
But it is canon for the simply reason that it shows how silly religious belief can be, especially when viewed as an outsider. It carries on the tradition of Gene Roddenberry's secular vision - episodes like Who Watches the Watchers' Devil's Due, and the excellent Voyager episode Distant Origin.
See it once for no other reason than to continue "breaking the spell" so we might one day actually live in a world like Roddenberry envisioned.
This episode has one of the three necessary ingredients present in all the best Star Trek episodes (see my review of Blink of an Eye in Season 6) and for that it deserves to be watched.
But it is not a great episode and won't be on many people's list to watch over again (like the best are).
But it is canon for the simply reason that it shows how silly religious belief can be, especially when viewed as an outsider. It carries on the tradition of Gene Roddenberry's secular vision - episodes like Who Watches the Watchers' Devil's Due, and the excellent Voyager episode Distant Origin.
See it once for no other reason than to continue "breaking the spell" so we might one day actually live in a world like Roddenberry envisioned.
Re: VOY S6: Survival Instinct
The Borg started out as possibly the greatest villain in tv sci fi history (I remember feeling terrified by the menacing looking Borg tapping into Enterprise's mainframe in Q Who) but by now there are so many whole in Borg stories they've become both a joke and a bore.
To stay how they were at the start it would probably be necessary of have the occasional assimilation of a main character (an actor who wants to leave the show) but instead they get defeated in every encounter even when their odds are overwhelming (hello Dark Frontiers).
This episode wasn't bad - and yes, finally, we get to meet aliens who actually understand the concept of the positive-sum game - but by now I'm just over the Borg.
They need to slip them that fractal-virus-whatever thingy (from I Borg) and be done with them.
The Borg started out as possibly the greatest villain in tv sci fi history (I remember feeling terrified by the menacing looking Borg tapping into Enterprise's mainframe in Q Who) but by now there are so many whole in Borg stories they've become both a joke and a bore.
To stay how they were at the start it would probably be necessary of have the occasional assimilation of a main character (an actor who wants to leave the show) but instead they get defeated in every encounter even when their odds are overwhelming (hello Dark Frontiers).
This episode wasn't bad - and yes, finally, we get to meet aliens who actually understand the concept of the positive-sum game - but by now I'm just over the Borg.
They need to slip them that fractal-virus-whatever thingy (from I Borg) and be done with them.
Re: VOY S6: Blink of an Eye
Star Trek works best when it does at least one of three things: bases a story on a hard sci fi concept; presents a compelling moral dilemma; promotes a secular humanist message (especially when that message includes exposing mythic religion for the silly superstition it is).
This episode does all three which for my money, puts among the top 5 episodes of the entire series.
This one should not be missed.
Star Trek works best when it does at least one of three things: bases a story on a hard sci fi concept; presents a compelling moral dilemma; promotes a secular humanist message (especially when that message includes exposing mythic religion for the silly superstition it is).
This episode does all three which for my money, puts among the top 5 episodes of the entire series.
This one should not be missed.
Re: VOY S5: Think Tank
Jason: your comments are spot on.
And yet I enjoyed the episode for its attempt to inject real problem solving (no deux ex machina silliness) dynamics into an episode. One of my favorite scenes is the Voyager crew's brainstorming session. This to me represents everything Star Trek is supposed to be about .
Jason: your comments are spot on.
And yet I enjoyed the episode for its attempt to inject real problem solving (no deux ex machina silliness) dynamics into an episode. One of my favorite scenes is the Voyager crew's brainstorming session. This to me represents everything Star Trek is supposed to be about .
Re: TNG S1: Encounter at Farpoint
I think most people understood exactly who Tasha (the actor) was and what she stood for - and why she left the show, and why she came back to play a short-haired, Romulan commander.
She is a great actor, but I always got a sense that her personal beliefs played a very large role is her decisions to leave and then come back later for very specific appearances.
And bless Gene Roddenberry, who was a wonderful man and welcomed her back despite her rejection of certain aspects of the Star Trek world.
I think most people understood exactly who Tasha (the actor) was and what she stood for - and why she left the show, and why she came back to play a short-haired, Romulan commander.
She is a great actor, but I always got a sense that her personal beliefs played a very large role is her decisions to leave and then come back later for very specific appearances.
And bless Gene Roddenberry, who was a wonderful man and welcomed her back despite her rejection of certain aspects of the Star Trek world.
Re: TNG S7: Force of Nature
I have to agree with Jammer on this one. Only I would give it less than two stars. A bunch of filler about Data's damn cat that was pointless as well as Geordi's efforts to get the efficiency of the engines up to snuff. Then there is the Frengi vessel whose only reason for existence is to inform us of booby traps. And finally after blundering into said bobby trap we are confronted by two aliens that tell us warp drive is screwing up the environment. This entire episode was rather heavy handed allegory filled with enough techno babble to fill a Voyager episode. And the short term solution is to drive 55 through this region of space. God it was awful and about as subtle as the old Star Trek episode about the two aliens that were black and white but on different sides of their bodies. I've seen better stories on the back of cereal boxes. The actors must cringe when ever they see this one. I'd give it one star.
I have to agree with Jammer on this one. Only I would give it less than two stars. A bunch of filler about Data's damn cat that was pointless as well as Geordi's efforts to get the efficiency of the engines up to snuff. Then there is the Frengi vessel whose only reason for existence is to inform us of booby traps. And finally after blundering into said bobby trap we are confronted by two aliens that tell us warp drive is screwing up the environment. This entire episode was rather heavy handed allegory filled with enough techno babble to fill a Voyager episode. And the short term solution is to drive 55 through this region of space. God it was awful and about as subtle as the old Star Trek episode about the two aliens that were black and white but on different sides of their bodies. I've seen better stories on the back of cereal boxes. The actors must cringe when ever they see this one. I'd give it one star.
Re: ENT S1: Rogue Planet
For "The Man" that seemed to have condescending comments concerning my ability to see a liberal agenda that is thinly veiled in Enterprise and his assertion that it must be a sad existence to see real life politics in everything one sees or reads, my only comment is that it must be difficult going through life being so stupid that one doesn't have the ability to see it. Hollywood has had a liberal agenda for years. Anyone out there that thinks this is not true is some one without the ability to think rationally. The anti hunting agenda comes through in this episode loud and clear. Pretending it isn't there is there or criticizing someone for commenting on it only reveals you for the fool you are.
For "The Man" that seemed to have condescending comments concerning my ability to see a liberal agenda that is thinly veiled in Enterprise and his assertion that it must be a sad existence to see real life politics in everything one sees or reads, my only comment is that it must be difficult going through life being so stupid that one doesn't have the ability to see it. Hollywood has had a liberal agenda for years. Anyone out there that thinks this is not true is some one without the ability to think rationally. The anti hunting agenda comes through in this episode loud and clear. Pretending it isn't there is there or criticizing someone for commenting on it only reveals you for the fool you are.
Re: Star Trek Beyond
I'm very happy I didn't need to wait three years for the Beyond review. Thanks Jammer.
I don't agree with your star ratings but I enjoy your reviews. I thought Beyond was a 3 Star film and Into Darkness was a 2.
I'm very happy I didn't need to wait three years for the Beyond review. Thanks Jammer.
I don't agree with your star ratings but I enjoy your reviews. I thought Beyond was a 3 Star film and Into Darkness was a 2.
Re: TNG S7: Lower Decks
I must agree with Peter G. that while Picard is usually painted in very heroic and morally unambiguous terms he certainly doesn't come out here snow white. He killed Sito just as if he had pushed her out an airlock and he knows it. I agree that Stewart nailed the scene where he announces Sito's death to the crew. His voice and manner conveys just the right combination of regret, guilt, and resignation.
A lot of TNG comes off as adventure in space and I think it was the writers intent to remind the viewer that if this was really the military in space things would be a lot tougher and it would probably be more like the military is now. Most of the time the viewer is invited to love Picard because he is portrayed as not only an exceptionally great man but also because you know that if you were one of his crew and were in mortal danger he would move heaven and hell to do his best to save your bacon and consequences be damned. The Picard we see here is more militaristic. Totally willing to manipulate his crew in order to accomplish the mission. More willing to see his crew not as living breathing people but as pawns on a chessboard that are at his disposal for use in any way he sees fit. This is not a Picard we are used to seeing and it is a bit uncomfortable.
I am also forced to agree that Sisco was frequently painted with a darker brush. (No double entendre intended) He was a man that tried to do the right thing but as his character progressed he continually found that Star fleet set the bar too high with the prime directive and finally he was forced to take a more pragmatic view of things. He was faced with morally ambiguous choices while at war and had to sometimes abandon his principles or else risk losing the whole ball of wax. This was very reminiscent of Kirk, a man that could dance on the head of a pin with respect to the prime directive. Most of his compromises were both creative and pragmatic.
I did like the journey that Sisko made. From a man not quite sure if his new assignment suited him to a man that was faced with an interstellar war and was forced to compromise his principles for the greater good. In some ways I see him as a sort of Lincolnesque figure. Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during his war. But he did it for what he saw as the greater good. Sisko did much the same.
And DS9, while a bit uneven, had one of the best episodes in Trek. Yes, I'm referring to Far Beyond the Stars. That show was pure art. And I'm to the right of Attila the Hun.
I must agree with Peter G. that while Picard is usually painted in very heroic and morally unambiguous terms he certainly doesn't come out here snow white. He killed Sito just as if he had pushed her out an airlock and he knows it. I agree that Stewart nailed the scene where he announces Sito's death to the crew. His voice and manner conveys just the right combination of regret, guilt, and resignation.
A lot of TNG comes off as adventure in space and I think it was the writers intent to remind the viewer that if this was really the military in space things would be a lot tougher and it would probably be more like the military is now. Most of the time the viewer is invited to love Picard because he is portrayed as not only an exceptionally great man but also because you know that if you were one of his crew and were in mortal danger he would move heaven and hell to do his best to save your bacon and consequences be damned. The Picard we see here is more militaristic. Totally willing to manipulate his crew in order to accomplish the mission. More willing to see his crew not as living breathing people but as pawns on a chessboard that are at his disposal for use in any way he sees fit. This is not a Picard we are used to seeing and it is a bit uncomfortable.
I am also forced to agree that Sisco was frequently painted with a darker brush. (No double entendre intended) He was a man that tried to do the right thing but as his character progressed he continually found that Star fleet set the bar too high with the prime directive and finally he was forced to take a more pragmatic view of things. He was faced with morally ambiguous choices while at war and had to sometimes abandon his principles or else risk losing the whole ball of wax. This was very reminiscent of Kirk, a man that could dance on the head of a pin with respect to the prime directive. Most of his compromises were both creative and pragmatic.
I did like the journey that Sisko made. From a man not quite sure if his new assignment suited him to a man that was faced with an interstellar war and was forced to compromise his principles for the greater good. In some ways I see him as a sort of Lincolnesque figure. Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during his war. But he did it for what he saw as the greater good. Sisko did much the same.
And DS9, while a bit uneven, had one of the best episodes in Trek. Yes, I'm referring to Far Beyond the Stars. That show was pure art. And I'm to the right of Attila the Hun.
Re: TNG S7: Lower Decks
I have to agree with Jammer on this one. It is a 4 star episode. But my take on this is that it's the most anti-military episode of Star Trek. It aptly illustrates to what extent the military uses psychological manipulation of its personnel to achieve its ends.
First of all we are shown 3 ensigns that are up for promotion. Sito, Lavelle, and Ogawa. Sito and Lavelle find out that they are competing for the same promotion.
Now it just so happens, un be known to the audience or the ensigns, that someone needs to volunteer for a secret and very dangerous mission. And it is further stipulated that the mission has no chance to work unless the volunteer is Bajorin. And Sito is the only Bajorin in sight.
So what happens? Picard calls Sito in his ready room and rips her a new ass by telling her that because of an earlier incident at Starfleet Academy that she participated in that resulted in the death of a cadet that he considers her unfit to serve on the Enterprise. Since she was expecting a possible promotion this blow was doubly hard on her and she leaves his presence feeling about one inch tall.
Later Worf invites her to participate in a rather unfair martial arts test. When she finally realizes the test is unfair and says so to Worf he tells her she passed the test and suggests indirectly that she has been judged unfairly by Picard.
Sito, encouraged by Worf, confronts Picard and tells him that she thinks he has judged her too harshly and asks for a transfer. Picard then tells her that his initial ass ripping was just a test to see if she would stand up for herself and that he himself asked for her personally to be posted to the Enterprise. Sito is no doubt overjoyed to hear this and leaves Picard's ready room feeling ten feet tall and bullet proof.
Shortly there after Sito is ordered to the ready room to discover that there is a mission that she is requested to volunteer for that has a high probability of her not returning. Does she volunteer for the mission? Hell yes! She knows she is up for promotion. And she just got torn down and then told it was all a test ,so her ego is all built up again better than new. Hell she would probably volunteer to eat anti-matter rather than disappoint the Captain. And the Captain knows this and uses it to his advantage.
Finally when we are on the bridge and are waiting for her overdue escape pod the jr. Officers wonder what the hell is going on. So once again we are shown military tactics in the handling of their own personnel.
For the jr. Officers, they are treated like mushrooms. Feed bullshit and kept in the dark.
For Sito. First she is torn down. Then she has "smoke blown up her ass" to build her back up again and then she is invited to die.
And finally we are shown the 3 ways to be promoted. Ogawa is promoted because she is liked by her superior. Sito would have been promoted because she volunteered for a dangerous mission. And Levelle is promoted by default. Because Sito didn't come back.
All in all I took this as a rather scathing look at military life. And it's spot on.
I have to agree with Jammer on this one. It is a 4 star episode. But my take on this is that it's the most anti-military episode of Star Trek. It aptly illustrates to what extent the military uses psychological manipulation of its personnel to achieve its ends.
First of all we are shown 3 ensigns that are up for promotion. Sito, Lavelle, and Ogawa. Sito and Lavelle find out that they are competing for the same promotion.
Now it just so happens, un be known to the audience or the ensigns, that someone needs to volunteer for a secret and very dangerous mission. And it is further stipulated that the mission has no chance to work unless the volunteer is Bajorin. And Sito is the only Bajorin in sight.
So what happens? Picard calls Sito in his ready room and rips her a new ass by telling her that because of an earlier incident at Starfleet Academy that she participated in that resulted in the death of a cadet that he considers her unfit to serve on the Enterprise. Since she was expecting a possible promotion this blow was doubly hard on her and she leaves his presence feeling about one inch tall.
Later Worf invites her to participate in a rather unfair martial arts test. When she finally realizes the test is unfair and says so to Worf he tells her she passed the test and suggests indirectly that she has been judged unfairly by Picard.
Sito, encouraged by Worf, confronts Picard and tells him that she thinks he has judged her too harshly and asks for a transfer. Picard then tells her that his initial ass ripping was just a test to see if she would stand up for herself and that he himself asked for her personally to be posted to the Enterprise. Sito is no doubt overjoyed to hear this and leaves Picard's ready room feeling ten feet tall and bullet proof.
Shortly there after Sito is ordered to the ready room to discover that there is a mission that she is requested to volunteer for that has a high probability of her not returning. Does she volunteer for the mission? Hell yes! She knows she is up for promotion. And she just got torn down and then told it was all a test ,so her ego is all built up again better than new. Hell she would probably volunteer to eat anti-matter rather than disappoint the Captain. And the Captain knows this and uses it to his advantage.
Finally when we are on the bridge and are waiting for her overdue escape pod the jr. Officers wonder what the hell is going on. So once again we are shown military tactics in the handling of their own personnel.
For the jr. Officers, they are treated like mushrooms. Feed bullshit and kept in the dark.
For Sito. First she is torn down. Then she has "smoke blown up her ass" to build her back up again and then she is invited to die.
And finally we are shown the 3 ways to be promoted. Ogawa is promoted because she is liked by her superior. Sito would have been promoted because she volunteered for a dangerous mission. And Levelle is promoted by default. Because Sito didn't come back.
All in all I took this as a rather scathing look at military life. And it's spot on.
Re: TNG S4: Data's Day
Nice episode. I have to give it three stars. As a few commentors mentioned the dance scene between Dr. Crusher and Data was worth the price of admission.
And the fact that you were getting a look at humanity through Data's eyes was a nice perspective.
However, judging by all the comments once again I do have a rather unique take on this episode. There is a rather obvious joke here that no one seems to have gotten. At least no one has commented on it. Including Jammer.
Ok, one of the plot devices was an impending wedding between Keiko and O'Brian. And another plot was the fact that the Enterprise unwittingly delivers a Romulan spy to her brothers in arms. And what was the name of the Romulan ship? The Devoras. A word that sounds almost identical to the word divorce. Get the joke now? A wedding is taking place but always looming in the background is the threat of the Devoras. (Divorce.)
Come on guys. Please tell me I'm not the only fan on the planet that got this little joke.
Nice episode. I have to give it three stars. As a few commentors mentioned the dance scene between Dr. Crusher and Data was worth the price of admission.
And the fact that you were getting a look at humanity through Data's eyes was a nice perspective.
However, judging by all the comments once again I do have a rather unique take on this episode. There is a rather obvious joke here that no one seems to have gotten. At least no one has commented on it. Including Jammer.
Ok, one of the plot devices was an impending wedding between Keiko and O'Brian. And another plot was the fact that the Enterprise unwittingly delivers a Romulan spy to her brothers in arms. And what was the name of the Romulan ship? The Devoras. A word that sounds almost identical to the word divorce. Get the joke now? A wedding is taking place but always looming in the background is the threat of the Devoras. (Divorce.)
Come on guys. Please tell me I'm not the only fan on the planet that got this little joke.
Re: DS9 S2: Paradise
Horrible. I want to see the trial once they get back. This episode was one of the worst ever in all of television, even black and white and color television shows. Horrendous.
Horrible. I want to see the trial once they get back. This episode was one of the worst ever in all of television, even black and white and color television shows. Horrendous.
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