Comment Stream

Re: DS9 S5: Children of Time

Just had an urge to watch this randomly again.

A thought occurs: The trees they planted... are they still there? Wherever that was filmed? Would love to know!

Re: DS9 S7: Treachery, Faith, and the Great River

When I heard that Aron Eisenberg had died, like many others, I was devastated... mainly because I never got the chance to meet him and tell him how much I loved Nog and how much the characters growth over the course of the series made me love DS9. But on the day I heard, I watched this episode, because it just shows Nog in such a joyful light. I agree with mentions above that in my mind the A plot is the Nog/Obrien Plot, whilst the Ode/Weyoun part is obviously integral to the Series in general, for me it's secondary. The seen with O'Brien and Nog in the replimat where Nog explains the Great River... just wonderful.

Re: SNW S2: Those Old Scientists

Boimler running away from Una in the Corridor. My god, I haven't laughed so much in years.

Re: SNW S2: Subspace Rhapsody

My biggest regret about this episode was that I accidentally found out it was coming. I would much rather have gone in having no idea it was going to be a musical. However this is a small critique and not the fault of the episode.

I found myself grinning like an idiot when Spock started singing (I'm so glad the first one to sing was him). I just sat thing thinking "this is really happening... it's just going to build to something magnificent" and it did. I have had "Status Report" on constant loop, I now know it word for word. I have no doubt that the songs will be performed at cons, on cruises etc (probably badly) by fans. But who cares.

"Keep Us Connected"... wow. Celia Gooding is absolutely amazing. And I can't help but think it's so sad that Nichelle Nichols didn't get to see this, I would hope that she would have loved it and been so proud of this character growth for Uhura.

The K-Pop Klingons were just fabulous, if completely absurd, but fit the narrative.

All in all it was just absolutely wonderful. Completely different and unlike anything we've ever had. This is right up there with "The Inner Light", "In the Cards", and "Tuvix" as one of my favourite episodes ever, all for completely different reasons. It just made me so damn happy, which is no mean feat in this day and age. I hope it made you happy too.

Re: DS9 S4: Bar Association

I thought I had seen every DS9 ep, but apparently not, finally watched this one today. Found it quite entertaining, I'd give it 2.5 stars easily. Some thoughts:
I wonder if this predates Doctor (on Voyager's) mobile emitter? What about a holographic Quark on every Starship? :D

It was nice to see the genesis of Rom as an engineer on the station. It's still one of my favourite things that Rom and Nog got so much character development over the course of the series.

All in all I liked this, would watch again.

Re: TNG S2: The Royale

I don't often disagree with Jammer, but I think 1 star for this episode is quite harsh. I'd personally give it a 2.75 if such a thing were possible, it's not the most amazing episode but it definitely has its moments.

Re: SNW S1: Spock Amok

This was just such a joy. Sure don't look too closely, but who cares, it just made me feel so damn good, and I just love every single one of these characters so much. I want to get a T-Shirt made that says "SIGN THE SCORCH". Rebecca Romijn is simply awesome, Anson Mount is awesome, Ethan Peck is awesome... you get the picture. Simply wonderful, I need to watch It again.

Re: DS9 S3: Distant Voices

Wow. I have been a DS9 fan since the beginning, but I'd never seen this episode until last weekend (somehow missed it and must have skipped past it in various rewatches I've done over the years).
Agree Siddig does an amazing job playing an old man, the makeup was very good as well, some of the best old age makeup I've seen on the series. The story however dragged terribly. It think part of the issue was that there wasn't really an B plot... I guess given the nature of the story you couldn't really have one but it was definitely missing something, it just crawled along at times. Not to mention the fact that whoever was left behind in sickbay didn't seem to be doing anything at all to try and save him! I'm glad I've seen it but I think next time I'd just skip over it.

Re: TNG S5: The Inner Light

It's funny, I don't recall crying the first time I watched this many years ago, but that final scene where Riker gives him the flute, I cry every single time I see it now. Maybe it's because I'm older, and it means so much more.

The perfect episode. Go well.

Re: VOY S3: Before and After

I always loved this episode. Great ep that used the character of Kes in a very interesting way. I’d love to see a version that somehow included reference to more stuff that happened to Voyager later, eg reference to the Delta Flyer, maybe show Astrometrics, hell even have Seven of Nine onboard at the same time as Kes.

I’ve been listening to the Delta Flyers Podcast and I can’t wait to hear them talk about Lien’s departure and the arrival of Jeri Ryan. I wonder how much they’ll go into the behind the scenes decisions of what went on there. I didn’t hate Kes (and I actually got an autograph from Lien when she came to Australia in 1997… though it was a very strange con appearance from her at the Opera House from her.)

Re: TNG S3: Tin Man

This episode holds a very dear place in my heart for several reasons. First being back in 199x (maybe 1?2?) I had bought my first Stereo VCR and this was the first episode I ever watched in glorious stereo. I watched it late at night with headphones and it just blew me away. When I watch it now, I watch it on a big screen and turn up the volume and it takes me back to that time in my life, every single time. This is probably my most watched ever TNG episode as a result.

Second, a band called "Eighteen Strings" bought out a track called "Tin Man" which has a sample in one mix of Tam Elbrun saying "Finally, all the voices are Silent. Only Tin Man Speaks to me now." In Australia, this song was used as the theme for the radio show "Martin Molloy" and if you were a fan of that show then you know what I'm talking about.

Third: I think this episode has one of my favourite pieces of acting from Jonathan Frakes. If I ever met him I'd have to ask him about this moment. In the scene where Tin Man throws the Enterprise clear of Beta Stromgren (god I love the name of that star), Riker is standing up on the bridge and kind of rotates around in a very particular way as if the ship is spinning around him before he sits down, which of course it is. A very, very simply thing but I'm sure it took great skill to pull that off and make it look believeable.

Moment of annoyance though: Picard has a go at Elbrun about not telling them about the Romulans, but Data had already said he knew about that from the briefing info they received when Elbrun boarded. If Data knew, why didn't HE tell the Captain/Riker as soon as he read it about the possibility of an encounter with the Romulans? For some reason this has always annoyed me.

Otherwise, this to me is a near perfect episode. I can watch it over, and over.

"Russell, watch the lateral grid balance!" Shame poor Russell didn't get paid enough to reply!

Re: TNG S6: Face of the Enemy

I love this episode. Marina is great in it, probably one of her best episodes. Carolyn Seymour is fabulous. About my only major critique is that, assuming Troi isn't a native Romulan Speaker (how could she be), then obviously she's using the universal Translator, which surely even though it seems to be "masked" to the viewer, would be at least even partially obvious to the Romulans. I guess this is a critique of all of Trek though something that you essentially have to set aside otherwise you simply couldn't watch just about any episode ane take it seriously!

Re: PIC S1: Nepenthe

Loved, loved, loved this episode. Didn't realise Jammer was reviewing Picard, glad you are. Also congrats on 25 years. I think I've been there for about 20 of them, your DS9 reviews were required reading after each episode I would watch.

I think the biggest disappointment about Hughs death was that we didn't actually get at least a scene between him and Seven. One of the massively wonderful things to come out of Trek (not even for the Fans... pretty much just for them) is the friendship between Jeri Ryan and Jonathan Delarco, who become friends simply because they both played members of the same race. The thing I was most looking forward too about Picard was at least a scene (or maybe more) between the two, and we didn't get it! Ripped off.

Picard/Riker/Troi was just wonderful. Kestra was awesome, the young actress who plays her was perfect. If I'm only allowed to watch one episode of Picard over and over, this would be the one.

Re: DS9 S5: Business as Usual

I really like Steve Berkoff, he was awesome in Octopussy, one of my favourite Bond movies!

Re: DSC S2: An Obol for Charon

The scene with Stamets and Tilly singing her favourite song is probably for me one of the major highlights of this series. I don't know why, but I just watched it over and over. Moments like this make a lot of the other mediocrity and treknobabble of the show worth it.

Re: ORV S2: Sanctuary

It's enough to drive you, crazy if you let it...

So much fun. God I love this show. It makes me feel young again.

Re: TNG S6: Lessons

I rewatched this the other day on Netflix (I hadn't watched it in HD, it's always nice to rewatch a TNG ep in HD that you haven't seen it before). I love this episode for many reasons. First Wendy Hughes: as an Aussie I was a fan of hers and so I was thrilled to see her on TNG. She didn't change her accent at all, so it was a thrill to have an Australian, a classy Australian (not some red neck yobbo) on my favourite show. The chemistry between her and Patrick Stewart was palpable. The show was well written but you can't write chemistry, between another two actors this could have been a dreadful bore but thankfully it wasn't.

I guess the part that sticks with me is when Picard explains the significance of his Flute, something which is obviously difficult for him to talk about. I love the scene very much. I love "The Inner Light" and although I wouldn't technically call this a sequel, it's still nice to get it referenced in a major way which is relevant to the plot.

I can't help but think that if TNG were made these days it would be a very different show with complex story arcs that require lots of focus and attention. Essentially with most episodes (or two parters) are pretty much self contained and apart from some storylines (eg Worf's discommendation, Picard being assimilated etc) there aren't that many story arcs. I wonder if they ever remade TNG (and it's probably inevitable, recasting the characters) how different it might be.

Re: ORV S2: A Happy Refrain

I'm afraid I have to disagree. Sometimes you just have to suspend belief and enjoy yourself. This is up there with one of my favourite hours of TV of all time (yes, really). I simply loved it, and the final Raining Scene was just perfect in my opinion, even if completely ridiculous. I guess what I'm more annoyed about is that the two parter "Identity" undid what this episode achieved for Isaac and Claire, which makes you wonder what was he really thinking during this episode. But, by itself, I loved this.

Re: VOY S7: Endgame

Just finished watching seasons 6 and 7 of Voyager for the first time. Love the series one of my all time faves.
Didn’t like this ending though, very unsatusfying. Chakotay/Seven romance is awful! Total cop-out script, we don’t even get to see the actual return home which was supposed to be plot payoff of the whole series.
That said, I still rank the series very high, loved all the characters and I will miss them. Until the next binge!

Re: VOY S7: Natural Law

I kind of liked this episode had a bit of an Avatar vibe.
Seven looks awesome outdoors in natural light with her hair down. Just sayin.

Re: VOY S6: Fury

I liked the original Kes character so looked forward to this episode but, yeah, pretty awful. However I thought the episode now carries a lot of tragic irony given the real-life struggles of Jennifer Lien. I wonder if any Trek people have reached out to her and tried to help her?

Re: TNG S5: The Next Phase

God I love this episode. Yes, sure you can pick plenty of technical holes in it, but all the character elements are so great that I think you can forgive them. I remember whooping for joy when Data finally worked it out and Geordi and Ro appeared at their own funeral the first time I watched it.

If I was trying to get someone into TNG I might show them this, because it stands on it's own so well and is so thoroughly enjoyable.

Re: TNG S7: Eye of the Beholder

I didn't mind this episode. I think my major annoyance with it, like some others have mentioned, is Calloway's reaction to her boyfriend killing himself. She reacts more like she got told she'd lost her holodeck privileges for a few weeks than a tragic personal event. Given that suicide is obviously a rarer event in the Trek Universe than it is in real life, I'm actually surprised that generally it wasn't written to be more of a shock to just about everyone on board, and that they wouldn't straight away be looking for some kind of left of centre explanation rather than "he actually wanted to kill himself rather than live in the idyllic Federation, I can't believe that".

But again like others, the best bit was seeing inside the Nacelle. I feel sorry for anyone posted there regularly, I reckon after the initial "this is so cool!" it would probably get rather dull. Plus in an attack, the Nacelles are usually the first things to get hit, I can't see many surviving one of the Nacelle explosions we've seen at various points in the series.

Re: TNG S7: Parallels

This is probably one of my favourite episodes of the series, and definitely one of my favourite Worf episodes. I don't think we've ever had any other Worf episode where Worf was the central character and it wasn't some Klingon political drama. Here we have Worf with a totally sci-fi premise which is totally out there. I just loved it. All the little touches were fantastic. I still feel so horrible seeing dead Geordi naked on the biobed... why take his clothes of so that anyone can just come into sickbay and take a look?

Re: DS9 S4: The Visitor

Although I love this episode and agree it is one of the best of DS9, it's since been surpassed by other singular episodes of other shows as what I would consider "The best hour of Television ever". For me they are "The Constant", from "Lost", and "Ozymandias" from "Breaking Bad". The latter was quite probably one of the singular most heart stopping Television outings I've ever had. I didn't sleep that night after watching it.

I rewatch "The Visitor" quite often. Probably the single elements that drag it down for me, are the elderly makeup on Dax and Bashir. Whilst their performances were fantastic, it was quite obvious they were wearing makeup. Maybe Westmore had a day off?