“11001001”

Okay ive just finished half of season one...and here is the lowdown...

Encounter at Farpoint: Horribly dated and full of embarrassing moments (when compared with later seasons) this is TNG without bothering to struggle out of classic Trek's footsteps. They go for spectacle over logic, and stereotypes rather than character. If it wasn't for a very charming moment with Dr McCoy this would be a write off: 5/10

The Naked Now: The only reason Encounter of Farpoint didn't score lower is because the worst is yet to come and I cannot score in the minuses. A hideous episode that lacks even basic competance. The music is intrusive, the comedy is overplayed, the script defies logic and the crew behaving out of character in the second episode is just plain wrong. Would anybody in the twisted imagination of reality ever make a voice box so they could have orders given to them by the Captain? How does an android contract a virus designed for humans? And would Beverly Crusher really find Jean Luc attractive even under the influence? But don't forget: "It was an adult who did it!: 2/10

Code of Honour: Testing my paitence now. Who would have thought they could dumb down even more than The Naked Now? Tasha Yar is the most useless character so I really didn't mind them leaving her behind but no, instead we get nasty scenes like Troi revealing Tasha's lust for Lutan. Picard talking to Lutan about sex is downright odd and the fight at the end is stagey as hell. Plus could they make a planet look less fake?: 2/10

The Last Outpost: Again, very poor. The Ferengi were touted as the latest big bad but they come across here as a bad joke. Armin Shimmerman gives a really weak performance here compared to his nuanced creation of Quark in DS9 it is impossible to compare the two. Again we have an unconvincing planet, long talky scenes that go nowhere and an ending which goes beyond being an anticlimax. Surely this must get better soon: 2/10

Where No Man Has Gone Before: Finally! A sense of wonder permeates this episode, something that has been missing since the first spisode. If you notice, Rob Bowman's season one episodes tend to be the best, certainly the best made (Datalore, Heart of Glory) and this is an expensive looking trip into fantasy. The dreams that crew conjure up are visually interesting and the quiet moment between Picard and his mother give him the touch of sympathy he has needed. The idea of the Traveller is an intriuging one and im glad they followed it up in subsequent episodes. Even Wesley didn't make me grind my teeth: 8/10

Lonely Among Us: One I remember enjoying when I was seven but it hasn't aged particularly well. The performances from the regulars are still wooden and unconvincing which makes another episode where they act out of character even more disturbing. I quite liked the Selay and Anticans (especially one great scene where they discuss their meal with Tasha) but their plot is not given any room to breathe when there is an exciting blue electricity lifeform that can zap from one person to another. Yawn: 3/10

Justice: Can you believe this is directed by the same man who gave us Duet and Way of the Warrior? Astonishing. More classic Trek with the planet of sex condemning Wesley Crusher to death for crushing a few plants. Im not sure what insults more - Gates McFadden's hilarious over-delivery ("The Edo want to execute my son!"), the mad groping that takes place in every other scene or Picard's awful speech at the climax. Who Watches the Watchers did it much better: 3/10

The Battle: Tense and effective, if a little slight. It is lovely to have some backstory for Picard and seeing him face his demons givens Patrick Stewart a chance to flex his considerable acting muscles. Its a shame that the Ferengi are involved and bizarre that it took seven years to follow the story up but I am not going to criticise what is for the most part an intelligent, involving episode: 7/10

Hide and Q: And we're back in clunker territory. This might be the most butt clenchingly embarrassing episode of the first season if only for Riker's 'How did you know Sir?' at the end. Q is back (which is worth a point) but he's brought with him another studio bound planetscape with some horribly unconvincing pig soldiers (who skewer Wesley Crusher - that's point number two). This is supposed to be a parable about desire and the need to help but it features Riker at his all time low, giving in to temptation and growing a massive ego. I couldn't leave without mentioning the truly bizarre scene on the bridge between Tasha and Picard ("What am I doing, crying?" "It is okay to cry in the penalty box."): 2/10

Haven: Everything about this is bad, bad, bad...except Mrs Troi who is just the sort of rude, arrogant embarrasment this ship desperately needs. Wyatt is introduced to Deanna and tells her he is disapointed she is not someone else? Way to romance a girl! As soon we hear this it is just a matter of some waiting about until this dream woman turns up in some terrible plot contrivance, which she does. An extra point for the vine Mrs Troi brings to dinner: 4/10

The Big Goodbye: After lots of multicoloured planet sets it is a refeshing change to step into the 1940's and have some laughs. This episode brings up lots of questions about the holodeck that Trek will spend the next fifteen years exploring - but it is quite a welcome change of pace here. I even liked Beverly in this one - the bit where she jumps up and down clapping when Whalen gets shot is one of the highlights of the season!: 7/10

Datalore: Another Rob Bowman gem, with a dark script and a briliant central performance by Brent Spiner as Lore. Data's backstory proves fascinating and Lore's introduction to the series only serves to show how good Spiner is at wiping emotion from Data. Any episode where Worf gets beaten up, Picard says "Shut up Wesley!", Data gets kicked in the head and Dr Bev gets shot is okay in my book. The fact that this is an intense psychological thriller is just a bonus: 8/10

Angel One: Jow was this made in the same season as Datalore? Let alone just after it? Another classic Trek episode with heavy handed morality, Riker behaving like a chump (get a beard mate, you seem much more with it!) and another hideous speech to wrap things up. I would rather drink a bottle of bleach than put myself through this again: 2/10

11001001: Great title, great aliens, great episode. This one just has it all: buckets of imagination, visual style, a great pace, interesting character development (even if Riker is snogging his face off - again!) and even a great scene for Wesley. The evacuation of the ship is dynamic and the conclusion is genuinely surprising and affecting. More like this please: 9/10

SO Riker making out with Minuet...are holograms so detailed that they would have, say, saliva?

Plus, at the end of 11001001, they say they took Riker along because they would need "someone" to reactivate the planet in case they died, but it took both Riker and Picard, so there really are lucky that Picard "happenstanced" by.

I can't give 4 stars to such a glaring plothole, but it is one of the better S1 episodes, but that bar is very low.

11001001 is easily one of my top 10 favorite TNG episodes. It's a personal favorite one to me, since it's the first episode of televised Star Trek, I've ever seen.

I thought the concept of the Bynars to be a fascinating one, beautifully framed by a nearly perfect holodeck setting, and a terrific character outing for both Riker and Picard.

Season 1 is a season that really fluctuates between really awful shows and really stellar material as well. Conspiracy is another highlight, as is The Battle. Season 2 was a little more balanced in that regard.

I have "11001001" marked as the first TNG episode with a second half that is actually better than the first half. And that's quite the achievement.

Most eps prior to this one had interesting premises, but terrible execution. This one starts with pathetic-looking aliens, a malfunction that seems like an excuse and just another holodeck story. So, I was ready for disappointment.

Yet it works! The plot actually makes sense, character interaction is fine and the new race turned out to be pretty interesting. Even more, the title is a spoiler that doesn't actually reveal a thing! How clever is that.

But I have a BIG complaint: Riker's romance rubbed me the wrong way. It felt like he was fascinated with a selected fetish, instead of an illusion that could be a real woman. Especially when he started to choose her traits.

Compare Riker's stares to Minuet with Picard's own fascination of the scenery in "The Big Goodbye". Picard was at least enjoying an adventure. Riker seems to be entertaining his lower half.

All in all, one of the best season 1 episodes but I'm with Jack when he said the bar is very low.

3 stars from me.

----

@ Joe Ford: Agree with you for the most part, except on Datalore, that I'd rate lower.

@ Eduardo: You're right. Season 1 is very unbalanced. The bad eps were, obviously, annoying, but more annoying was the fact that the season never got a steady quality. It was more like bad ep, terrible ep, good ep, bad again, great ep, bad again, terrible again...

An amazing shot at the start, while docking Enterprise to the space station. Best shot so far in this season.

I didn't like much the diversion used (the holodeck), but it seems kinda logic since Bynars are expert at technology things. Picard and Riker came up with the solution way easily.

One question: the computer asked for both of Picard - Riker to confirm the auto destruction sequence, plus its cancellation. But what would have happened if Riker died while reaching the bridge? The ship would have just blown up?

Overall, a nice episode, a real sci-fi one! I think the best so far. Yep, 4 stars indeed.

Can't wait for the next episodes. Engage!!!

With the second half of season one bringing the whole series back down, a Holodeck themed episode with Wesley overseeing Aliens who look like castoffs from 'Alien Nation' had me fearing the worst - however, am delighted to say 11001001 proved me wrong.

The Enterprise undergoes a refit, involving Computer dependent Aliens, the Bynars who come on board to upgrade her systems. Little does the crew realise, the Bynars have an ulterior motive.

This is by some margin the best episode of TNG thus far. The Bynars are great, a genuinely intriguing concept, and it makes me wonder why they were never utilised again? Jonathan Frakes gives his best performance yet, and there is definite chemistry between him and Minuet (Carolyn McCormick) Patrick Stewart is again excellent, and I must mention Wil Wheaton who as über geek Wesley actually comes over quite well here, especially when Data gies the order to activate the Enterprise's self-destruct. The ending, whereby the Bynars motives are self- interested but genuinely explicable:

'You might have said no'

Strikes me as an excellent piece of characterisation. Director Paul Lynch is noticeably better than most other First season Directors, and this is certainly the first episode I'd rate as a 'must see' - Given the limitations of Jammer's scale, I'd have to put this at 3.5, as opposed to 4, but it's the first episode I can unambiguously say you have to watch if coming tote series fresh. A great effort -rather a shame the momentum stalled in the next two episodes....

Hmmm, Riker trying to get x-rated with a hologram is more than a tad "creepy" (even Geordi e-stalking Leah Brahms can't hold a candle to Riker's antics), never mind what happens when that "special happy moment" happens... I reeeeeeally don't want to think about that...

That aspect aside, and the fact it's just luck that Picard stays on board when the Bynar process always requires two to do things, the plot is coherent and engaging, and makes for a top-notch episode worthy of 4 stars.

The Blu-Ray's release makes the visual f/x even more sweet.

But the hokum at the start where everyone looks around and nods seems like they're all sharing some deep dark secret rather than having a feel-good camaraderie moment... Geordi and Data made a great double-act, but *shhh* is there more going on? Noting Geordi never seems to get into any relationships in the show's run and Data is apparently fully-functional, thanks to one of TNG's worst attempts to take a good story and then ruin it every so quickly by becoming juvenile about it...

Here we essentially have benevolent Borg before we meet the real thing...it's strange that the Borg wouldn't have assimilated this race by this point...they're already about 3/4 there as they are.

I waited the whole first half hour for the pianist to say "About that, don't quit your day job..."

Favorite line of that episode.


And Joe Ford--thank you! :) That was fun to read.

Wow, I had forgotten how good this episode is. I don't know if I'd go to four stars (though where exactly the 3.5 - 4 boundary is for me, I'm not sure), but it's the only episode in the season that gets above 3 from me -- I'd say 4 wouldn't be unreasonable. (I like Conspiracy, the other episode Jammer singled out as a standout, but a lot of it reads to me as fairly stupid.) I am rewatching in order (mostly) so I might change my mind on Heart of Glory I guess. Anyway while there are other good episodes in TNG season one, I think this is the only one which can legitimately be called great.

Watching this episode tonight, I caught for the very first time the logic behind the file name -- the four Bynars are, I believe, in two pairs, and the names of the Bynars in each pair are 11 & 00, 10 & 01. The file name is a concatenation of the four Bynars' names.

In addition to all the other great things about this episode Jammer and others have talked about, we also get a big dose of no-nonsense Data in command -- without any of the "aw, shucks" sense given to Data's explanation of how he broke the intent of Riker's orders while following their literal meaning in "Angel One."

I think the one significant problem I have with the episode is that Riker's end-of-episode decision to return to Minuet doesn't quite work for me. Riker wanting to chill out with a holographic woman makes sense; and him falling for her against his better judgment, and not quite knowing what that means, works even better. But for him to go back to the holodeck eager to embark on something like an actual relationship is something that requires greater consideration. Maybe more importantly, part of the emotional heft of the episode is that Minuet was a decoy created to manipulate Riker. I feel like it would have worked better if Riker were more cautious upon returning to the holodeck -- cautious both from not knowing how to deal with developing feelings for a hologram and from having just been burned by her. His unmitigated glee upon returning doesn't feel real to me. Even if it did, I feel like Picard would have, by this point, warned caution himself. But it's is not wholly ridiculous to think Riker (in particular) could let himself fall that hard for a pretty face (and that Picard would have other things on his mind).

So yeah, probably 3.5 stars from me.



Re: Jack's point, 'Plus, at the end of 11001001, they say they took Riker along because they would need "someone" to reactivate the planet in case they died, but it took both Riker and Picard, so there really are lucky that Picard "happenstanced" by.'

This is glaring and the episode-as-presented doesn't address this point or seek to resolve it. However, while some plot holes are episode-breaking, others are very easy to wallpaper over. Take your pick:

1) they had actually planned to trap another officer in another holodeck, but once Picard entered the Minuet program they realized they didn't need to trap a second person;

2) they had originally planned to modify the computer program to be optionally accessible by a single person so that Riker could run it alone, but decided not to bother installing that failsafe once (again) Picard entered the Minuet program.

Either way, the Bynars didn't screw up on that front, because they presumably knew by the time they created the containment chamber that they had two officers on the ship.

I was going to say that a second plot hole is that the Bynars make it really difficult for Riker & Picard to get to the bridge in order to help. I mean, they barricaded the turbolifts! But I suppose this is also resolvable -- it seems as if the Bynars gave Minuet extra information between Picard & Riker's departure from the holodeck and their arrival on the bridge, so that perhaps Minuet would have informed them that they could beam onto the bridge and what the current situation was.

Or the Bynars could have not been thinking clearly because their planet is dying and they were operating on a much shorter timeline than they expected to be.

"The file name is a concatenation of the four Bynars' names."

Took me a couple viewings to get the hint, but now that I know more about binary, it doesn't make much sense. As Jammer probably knows well enough, the Bynars' names are simply Three, Zero, Two, and One. (I shudder to imagine what a Bynar phone directory must look like.) So is the password 3-0-2-1? Or is it 201, which is all 11001001 means in binary?

Not that such confusion would've postponed a solution very long, nor does it spoil the episode.

Just re-rewatched this episode -- hadn't noticed before the number of scenes with Riker and Picard walking, moving in sync, shoulder to shoulder, mimicking the Bynars. Well done. Even sitting at the computer station, they turn toward the Bynars at the same time. Nice direction, and it adds to the theme. Humans, too, work better in teams.

IMDB Trivia:

Was the creator of the Borg on the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) (The episode 'Q Who?'). The Borg were also featured in Star Trek: First Contact (1996), and in the latter seasons of Star Trek: Voyager (1995).

Wrote an alternative treatment to Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga's screenplay for Star Trek: Generations (1994). Hurley's version had Captain Kirk featuring in the story primarily as a hologram.

Was responsible for Gates McFadden leaving Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) after the first season. McFadden returned for season three after Hurley left the show.

I've just finished watching the first half of Star Trek: TNG season 1 plus "Too Short A Season", so I thought i'd give you my thoughts.

Encounter at Farpoint: I thought this was a very average episode for the start of one of my favorite series of all-time. It did well at introducing the crew but the plot was lacking. It's undeniably dated and my most memorable scene would be the appearance of Star Trek TOS star Deforest Kelley: Grade E- (5/10)

The Naked Now: I believe this is an improvement over the pilot and it felt more like the series. However, I didn't like that they copied an Original Series story as it might indicate to some viewers that they were recycling old plots. I also wasn't so keen on the crew acting out of character as we needed time to know how the characters normally behaved. And with episode 2 they are already acting out of character. Having said that, I thought "The Naked Now" was a good episode and I enjoyed it, I watched it a lot when I was a kid: Grade C (7.5/10)

Code Of Honor: This episode is regarded by many as being the worst episode of The Next Generation. It's definitely not a good episode, but it's underrated. Even though the episode didn't make racial references, I believe that a planet completely run by blacks could make people think it is racist. There are some really weird things in this episode and not all the actors are superb. This episode does use concepts from the Original Series, as does a lot of season one, and not all of them pay off. The costumes look out of place for one, where it suited the Original Series, it seems out of place in TNG. The plot, conflict and acting are all average. One brief scene in which Picard discusses the Prime Directive is memorable, but really this episode is forgettable: Grade E- (5.2/10)

The Last Outpost: Now this episode started out really well and looked as though it was becoming a solid installment. It's intriguing and showed the more interesting side of Sci-Fi and exploration. Having said that, I have some critiscms. I thought that when the crew averted peril at the last possible moment was unrealistic and the basic plot seemed a little silly. This episode is the introduction to the damn annoying Ferengi and I don't believe they can ever be a threatening adversary. It's an unconvincing planet and the ending is what spoils this one for me. It had an intesting concept though: Grade E- (again.) (5.3/10)

Where No One Has Gone Before: This seems to be a love it or hate it episode and I just don't like it. The elements in this episode are of time and space and thought which I thought was a unique idea. I also liked the "traveler" and think he is a wonderfully conceived character. Everything is just too vague though, and it had sooo much potential. The writers took a path which was the worst possible path for this one and although the wonder is wondrous in it, the rest falls flat: Grade F+ (4.8/10)

Lonely Among Us: This is a very underrated episode in my view. Again, with the characters acting out of character so early on in the series is never wise. This reminded me again of TOS, with the crew being "possessed." Of course with the climax you have to suspend disbelief in order to like it as Picard beams himself into the energy field and finds his way back into the ships's computer energy only. It is far-fetched stuff but I really liked the plot of this one and what happened on board the ship: Grade: C- (7.3/10)

Justice: This really is just a silly episode. The people walking about the planet half-naked, their stupid death penalty and the god-like being above. I thought Picard's little speech at the end wasn't so bad, as I love Picard's quotes and morals which is one of my favorite things about the show. Overall though, "Justice" was a letdown: Grade F (4.5/10)


The Battle: A very tense and convincing episode! It features another Picard is "possessed" style story but it is much more effective than the previous installments. The Ferengi are also much more menacing in this episode, more than they were in "The Last Outpost." Picard's old ships gives a warmth to the episode but also a terror from which Picard has no control. It has some flaws but that doesn't stop it from being one of the better episodes of the first season: Grade C+ (7.8/10)

Hide And Q: Back to stinker land here. I hate the Q episodes anyway, besides the finale in season 7. Where a being can do what he wants, when he wants, whenever he wants, it's just not how life is. While De lancie is a brilliant acting and excellent at portraying the character of Q, I just hate the character. The episode felt very informative on how "power corrupts." The episode is again too silly. The enemy soldiers in this were terribly unconvincing and the planet landscape looked cheap and fake. I believe this story is about wanting to hep and desire and staying true to oneself, but it's just not that great. Also, the bridge scene between Picard and Tasha is very awkward, bad move there: Grade F (4.5/10)

Haven: I really don't like this episode, it's just too ridiculous to be taken seriously. I believe the aim of this one is at comedy, but it just doesn't work. It's just bad...bad...bad. I literally had more fun having my teeth pulled, it's so daft. The woman in the painting we knew would soon turn up and we knew Troi wouldn't marry. Mrs Troi is definitely the most annoying Star Trek character ever. She's a good actress, but I hate the character: Grade G (2/10)

The Big Goodbye: A lot of the episodes previously have been set on a multi-colored planets or near strange energy clouds, so It was a refreshing change to have the characters solve a mystery on the ship (the holodeck in fact: a mystery on the holodeck, and yes, literally a mystery.) Around this time I believe the series was understanding itself and what it wanted to be and had some really good episodes hittting the screen. "The Big Goodbye" was the first of the stream and this was the first "true" introduction of the holodeck. I really liked how the characters were fascinated with the simulations found on the holodeck and how real they seemed even though they were computer generated images. There are a few problems with it, it isn't perfect. It may come across as a bit daft to some audiences and the cliche aspect at the end where Wesley gets Captain Picard and the rest out just in time so Picard can make the speech greeting to the species is unrealistic. It's still a cool episode though and was a fun watch: Grade C (7.5/10)

Datalore: Easily a classic TNG. This is my favorite episode of the first season (I also love Conspiracy), but this is my fave. Everything comes together here: from plot, to character, to action and themes. It has a tense and effective atmosphere and the music contained in the episode works really well to give off the nature of what's transpiring and is very reminiscent of the "Alien" movie sounds. The characterization between Data and Lore is brilliant and the writing is very well thought out. The back-story for Data added to the plot's power and I liked how Data and Lore's speech differed which was a very good plot device. Wesley played a good part in this episode and it was directed and crafted perfectly. One of the definite highlights of this episode was Spiner. It really did show how good an actor he is, creating two completely different characters on screen. There are so many classic moments: from Captain Picard's "Shut up Wesley" to Worf getting beat up. I only have two criticisms: one is the head when they find Lore and try to make it look like Spiner's but they couldn't with the technology at the time, and the other is the way the crew treated Wesley when he voiced his suspicions about Lore pretending to be Data. We can forgive both as with the head they couldn't help it, and with Wesley it was necessary to move the story forward and support Lore's position in the plot. I also thought Riker was fooled a little too easily when Data was on the floor but we just accept that as we won't hinder, what was for the most part, an excellent episode: Grade A (9/10)

Angel One: We just go from hero to zero. How the hell is this in the same season as Datalore and more, just after it? The other bad ones had some saving grace like Picard quoting morality or the Prime Directive, but "Angel One" has no such quality. It has nothing enjoyable in it, apart from maybe Data squirting himself with perfume. This is the worst episode of the season for me and I don't think it can get much worse (quite possibly the worst of the entire series.): Grade G- (1/10)

11001001: Amazing title, superb execution. This one has a lot to offer: imagination, intersting Sci-Fi concepts, great character development and a brilliant style and pace. It's a very different episode and the setting is very ambitious, with the ship being docked at a starbase. It's a very intriguing and intelligent episode with lots going off, but everything with a meaning that creates one of the most memorable episodes of the first season. In addition, I liked how Picard and Riker stopped the auto-destruct two minutes before the ship was due to explode rather than the cliche "last second" abort, making it more realistic: Grade B (8.5/10)

Too Short A Season: I really hate this episode. Probably the worst of the season after "Angel One" in my opinion. It drags and the acting is terrible. With a very weak plot, and nothing memorable or enjoyable, it makes for a bad episode: Grade G (2/10)

The first half of season one is a mixed bag. I do believe season one is the weakest of the seven seasons, but it does have some really good ones among the stinkers. Revisiting this season was really fun and I will watch all the other seasons again too, every episode...can't wait.

Id give WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE a little more points, but otherwise agree. Data Lore and 10101010110 are the best in arguably the weakest season. I might give DATALORE a rewatch based on your review. You make it sound good.

Seriously? I think I'm being trolled because this is what you consider 4/4 stars? Mind blowing. I've been watching Star Trek TNG since Thursday in an attempt to watch as much as possible on the holiday weekend. I've seen most of it out of order but this is my first time watching start to finish. I've heard the complaints for a long time. "Wesley is a Mary Sue. I wish he'd just die already." "Season 1 sucked, wait till season 2 it gets better." "Season 2 was terrible, it's all about season 3!" and well...

I finished the first season, I'm in the middle of Season 2. And all I can say to myself is, "11001001" is the worst episode of Season 1 in my opinion. I was dumbfounded when I saw it got your 4/4 rating. Are you serious? What?

"becomes the season's most solid sci-fi concept, with the right balance of tech and simplicity. And the character of Minuet — a flawless creation of the Bynars' expert technological grasp"

Starfleet, for the umpteenth consecutive time, allows some foreign unknown entity to have unregulated access to one of it's most powerful spaceships in the entire GALAXY apparently. It get's stolen by a couple of aliens who need to clear off EXACTLY the amount of space required to store... an entire alien race... FULL STOP.

I won't even begin to break down the concept of the completely meaningless fact that there has to be TWO Bynars, and that they insist on talking at the same time which to me seems like it would actually waste time?! Since even if they "share" processing power (parallel processing theoretically) It would still be more effective to just have one of them speak unless they were saying DIFFERENT things. Then part where Riker and Picard are like "DA BYNARZ. DEY WORK IN PAIRZ SO OBV EVERTYHING IS DONE IN PAIRZ. MAKEZ DA TOTAL SENSE".

Everything about the Bynars and their extremely convoluted method of distracting only ONE person on the entire ship, through an extremely complex holodeck image that may or may not have been effective at distracting him. Why couldn't they leave the program for that AI installed in the systems. It didn't seem to take anything extra? And later on the holodeck creates extremely realistic AIs that even Data has issues with. What the hell is that?

Like honestly, I guess the whole idea is to ignore the glaring fallacies and plotholes in the episode and "enjoy it for what it is." But the issue I'm beginning to realize is, you people view Star Trek as SOLID GOLD with a bit of corrosion around the edges that you have to get to past to see the real beauty. I see it as a pile of mixed junk with maybe some rare gems inside. Literally the entire thing is campy sci-fi bullshit that's made up from start to finish, and you guys are sitting here trying to highlight the parts that are THE LEAST amount of complete bullshit. "This pile of shit is slightly less brown than the others I'd say."

I like Star Trek. But apparently NOT for the same reasons as everyone else.

"I like Star Trek. But apparently NOT for the same reasons as everyone else."

Special snowflake, huh? ;)

Special snowflake indeed. Yellow snow for sure.

Better than I remembered, and definitely a script that allowed the actors to explore their characters at a deeper level. Also nice to see an alien species that doesn't look and act human; very original! 3.5 stars.

First time this series I've thought "nice VFX".

A game of three halves this (sic). The interminable opening spends the first 20 mins or so setting up what appears to be a standard holodeck episode. A sudden switch of gears leads to a genuinely exciting middle act, before the conclusion drops the ball with a hamfisted bit of password hacking and the revelation there was no malign intent at all.

What this one does well, it does very well. The Bynars are interesting characters and Minuet actually draws some character progression out of Riker (even if the "I'm whatever you need me to be" drew perhaps the biggest cringe so far this series).

It doesn't quite pull through right to the end, but this is a definite step up from a long run of mediocre or below episodes. 3 stars

Minuet scene dragged for too long, on top of already discussed plot holes. Good, but not perfect.

I never found 11001001 a particularly interesting episode but the special effects were good, the station was beautiful and the end when Picard and Riker set the auto destruct was very well done,

i wasn't too keen on Minuet or the Binars but i think the episode just about gets 3 stars from me.

@petulant - I'm pretty sure the space station was a model re-used from one of the films, just like the USS Hood and other ships of that class.

I'd give this episode 3 stars. I don't think it's perfect, but there aren't really any flaws that I can think of. However, to give it 4 stars would be to rank it up there with the best episodes of the series, and I don't think it's at that level.

This episode is also important to remember for those watching (or re-watching) the show in order, as the character of Minuet is brought up in a later episode.

"A blind man teaching an android how to paint? That's got to be worth a couple of pages in somebody's book."

Best joke worth 4 stars by itself :D

I know this sounds like nitpicking, but these kinds of things really bother me: why couldn't they get real musicians in the holodeck scenes at the piano and drums - or at least actors who timed their movements to the music? They were so very fake that it was distracting.

@ Joe-

Ugh, I HATE that! I always notice stuff like this on movies and TV. I think this bugs other musicians most of all (I am, not sure if you are too!) I mean holy shit, it's STAR TREK, I'd be a background bassist for free!

In fact, it's amazing when I can spot somebody who DOES look like they know what they're doing. I think it was in an episode of 'Empire' that Terrance Howard was playing an acoustic guitar and it looked legit. That stuff is rare nowadays I guess.

I usually agree with Jammer but ,sorry, I think this is a real stinker.
The dodgy holo- sex with Riker and Minuet belongs in Futurama.
The Binars are not too bad actually but there is a hideously smug bout of self congratulation as the Enterprise ( having performed 'magnificently' -sorry Jean-Luc we'll be the judge of that! ) enters the reused Spacedock prop from Search for Spock with Data nodding affirmation to Geordi as Picard strokes everyone's ego ( or patronises them depending on your POV) and , as usual in Series One, there is no proper conflict.

Just as well Riker's dreamgirl has gone fropm Holodeck 4-imagine walking in on him after a few more sessions.

It is another yawnfest and gets 2 stars from me.

Regarding the "beautiful and charismatic Minuet":

Watch her scene again. Listen to what she says. Watch the response of Riker and his side-conversation with the captain.

Minuet's every comment amounts to "Ohh Riker! You fascinating man! Tell me more about you! I am nothing; I exist only to flatter you and fulfill your needs."

Riker eats it up. Sadly, Picard is equally charmed by her self-effacing slave-girl ways. both men discuss her as a woman that a man could love. Neither cares (or notices) that a selfless pleasing slave-girl is all she is.

They seem to like her that way.

Tara, there are many fantasies that regular people have that are exploitative, even evil if they were to be translated into real life. I think the observation is interesting (given the context of a supposedly evolved 24th century human being) but I am curious: what do you think this says about Picard and Riker, or men in general? It should be noted that Minuet was a fantasy designed by the Binars to distract Riker. In that she fulfilled her purpose.

Well, I have no problem with a man or woman running off to the Holodeck for a delicious escape with the adoring fantasy-partner of one's dreams.

If I were on the crew I would have been like Barclay. I mean seriously... Who could lay off a real-seeming world that can fulfill your every desire and secret psychological need? I'd skip work and have nonstop orgies with guys who acted just like Minuet.

But I wouldn't love them. I'd just get off on them. For love, I would need someone with actual opinions and, you know, a personality. Also someone who chose me freely, not a robo-boyfriend.

The ick factor of Riker and Picard isn't that they are captivated by a selfless slave-girl, but neither of them notices that she is nothing else. They talk about actually loving her. They truly don't care that she has no self. Neither of them says "She's great for fun and relaxation but she'd get boring pretty fast." They actually both seem to consider her the partner of their dreams. Slavishness Does it for them.

(See Buffy TVS for alternate takes on sexbot love.)

The TNG metamorph episode was also a bit cringe-tastic - but at least the female love interest has the line, "You know me. I am smart and alluring and adventurous, Jean-Luc, exactly as you want me to be." WhereAs in this episode, Minuet's parallel line to both men would be, "I am your fawning undemanding selfless slave, exactly as you want me to be."

The Binars sure knew what our male heroes wanted in a woman. Smart little fuckers! I would have guessed that the captain, at least, would comment that Riker's fantasy could never in the long term replace a real opinionated interesting person.

I kind of agree with Tara that Minuet is something of a 'fail' in terms of actually being what Riker and Picard suggest she is. The actors are selling something that does not really appear on the screen. To be honest I think this was just a writing and directing gaff, because while contextually it appears that it's her comportment that is what's attracting them, I think the intent of the episode is to show how advanced the holodeck is rather than how amazing she in particular is. When they say they could love her I sort of take that to mean "she seems real enough that someone could fall in love with her", i.e. the holodeck's simulation of human beings is very realistic. Contextually it does look like they are admiring her actual traits, but this is the part that I think was directed incorrectly. Riker should have been shown to be into her because she was into him (read: womanizer interested in anything pretty that finds him attractive), while Picard's fascination should have been more with the vividness. It's not that this wasn't there, exactly, but it wasn't highlighted correctly and the whole thing comes off as them being into her because she's a sex toy.

The end of the episode does specifically mention, though, that once the Bynars left she wasn't the same, which does imply something special about her program in particular, but the way it's written it may as well be magic. I don't think a Federation member would be withholding programming technology from Starfleet.

Minuet is a fail: At some point it’s clear that her goal is to keep both Picard and Riker in the holodeck, but Picard wants to leave. Why does he want to leave? Because she was fawning too much over Riker and neglecting Picard, leaving him to feel like a third wheel.

That Picard and Riker keep talking about how real Minuet seems, is similar to the other season one holodeck episode, which had little plot other than to show off the new holodeck capabilities. The Bynars seemed to have programmed the holodeck specifically for Riker, which may be why Minuet has no suggestions (dancing, etc.) which entice Picard. In the end, that Riker goes back and doesn’t find her, seems significant. Could ultimately the Bynars program nothing more than an infatuation, nothing of lasting significance, for Riker? Or was she more real than mere programming? Or?

I’m not at all into the star rating system, but four stars for this episode seems too high. The plan of the Bynars seems poor: they needed both Riker and Picard to carry it out, but only focused on Riker. If Minuet had successfully kept the two occupied, how and when were they to be notified of what they were supposed to do? And how could the Bynars be sure that they would do it?

The metamorph I thought was different than Minuet because:

1 - the men of the ship don't want to take advantage of her and clearly don't want a relationship with someone who only exists to please them.

2 - they made it clear her species has metamorphs of both genders (and that it's more common with males).

3 - she isn't computer created and has her own thoughts and goals and real personality

4 - "The Perfect Mate" actually provides an interesting moral and philosophical conundrum to us.

Definitely some creative aspects to this episode, but overall I wasn't particularly impressed -- "11001001" is a decent episode but not a great one. Don't compare it with the earlier episodes in S1 TNG. If it ran in say S4 or S5, it would be ho-hum.

What's imaginative is the Bynars as a species. What was cool and grandiose to see is the ship coming into the starbase. Props given here for the production.

The plot is pretty basic -- ship gets hijacked so it can transfer the data back to the home planet with Riker meant to be distracted. But Picard being distracted turned out to be lucky. And how did the Bynars get all the data onto the Enterprise in the first place? Minuet said the pulse or whatever had already damaged the main computer on the Bynars' planet. It was pretty obvious the Bynars were up to something from the get-go.

Here's another inconsistency: Picard is able to use his communicator while orbiting the Bynars' planet to talk to the starbase -- surely the starbase has to be out of range.

The episode was quite slow to get going -- seeing Ryker wasting time in the holodeck, the various crew members going off for various activities. The scenes with Riker and Minuet were forgettable, until they started talking about the Bynars' problem and the hijacked ship. So she's part of the Bynars plan -- but that's nothing particularly brilliant in terms of story-writing.

"11001001" gets 2.5 stars for me. I think other commenters are gushing about this episode because it appears great compared to the crap that S1 TNG had been up to this point. But there's no way "11001001" would come anywhere close to the top 10 TNG episodes for me. There is some creative sci-fi here but the episode dragged big time at the start and left me scratching my head about certain things.

3 stars

I enjoyed seeing the ship come to and dock st the Starbase. I definitely remember when I first saw this being absolutely floored Riker and Picard activated self destruct sequence. The Bynars were yet another interested nog fresh Trek species TNG offered up. The evacuation sequence was exciting seeing everyone run to the nearest hatch or beaming off the ship to safety. It was creepy as the camera panned the empty Enterprise corridors with the red alert alarm blaring
Nice episode too featuring Picard and Riker together both casually and in action mode retaking the ship-great chemistry between those two. Great twist when at the end Riker goes to see Minuet and the lady turns her head—resembling Minuet from the back—but is no longer Minuet

This episode has creepy subtext. The Bynars are weird and anti-social, but are able to program Minuet, a extremely "realistic" hologram with slick social skills. The implication is that human personality, including sexuality, can be reduced to mere 1s and 0s. ie- personality and behavior, and so human selfhood itself, are mere materialist, biochemical products programmed by causal chains (which can be analyzed, taken apart and reproduced as you would a holo-programme).

If "Next Gen" had a greatest hits album, it would be on there. It's no "Inner Light" or "Best of Both Worlds" or "Yesterday's Enterprise," but it's a bona fide hit.

This is the first episode where they really pulled it together. I remember being thrilled back in the day, because after this episode, I knew they had it in them to deliver really good episodes. Even little scenes were done well like Tasha and Worf going off to the sports competition.

I liked the evacuation scenes and pulling into and out of the Starbase. I think the weak part was Minuette, but it was good enough.

I wish the Bynars had showed up another time or two. They were an interesting species.

Excellent by first season standards, but I think four stars is a bit generous. I think this ep's company makes it seem better than it perhaps is. I probably enjoyed Datalore nearly as much, despite Beverley's latest oubreak of ickyness over Wesley.

Minor irritations: Riker falling in love with a hologram in about 1.3 seconds, and what is this 'blondes and jazz don't work, but redheads and jazz do' nonsense? If I were more poitically correct I might leap to the accusation that this is a sublimated racial stereotype (dark hair and jazz, he clearly approves of)

Yeah, I'm biref and nitpicking, and don't buy that myself.

Many of the episodes for this series that generally have low ratings on here I tend to enjoy a bit more than most. However, this episode seems to be the opposite.

It's not a terrible episode by any means but I just don't see the fascination. These aliens spend their time enhancing other species technology while their world is supposedly dying out. It gives us the impression that these beings are used as commodoties to serve others at the expense of their own well being, and this was their last ditch effort to save their own planet? Maybe it's time for extinction. Their voices were super cheesy as well.

We see Riker playing out his fantasies on the holodeck at a slow motion pace, and I'm a big fan of jazz music and attractive women.

I did enjoy the visuals of the massive space station, and it was nice that Wesley didn't have to save the day for once, but I see this as a 2 star episode.

The holodeck scene was too long. It looks like Jonathan Frakes' ego was allowed too much control over the script.
How was the supposed antimatter failure self-resolved? How can Picard wrap things up so easily? Oh of course, it's Star Trek, the formula is always: drag things on for the first 40%, spend 50% on crisis, and 10% on a magical sudden solution and everyone is happily ever after.

Nice sci fi story.

Kind of odd that the halodeck only offers cacusian women to Riker.

this episode and the episode two positions before this really felt like the TNG that I remembered. I wouldn`t go so far as 4 stars. How could it get a higher score than some of those excellent DS9 ones? Since I haven't seen many in this rewatch marathon of TNG I have to give it only 2.75 in hopes that there will be even better ones that warrant a 3, 3.5 or 4.

Nobody was annoying in this one except for Riker a bit slobbering over what is really a sex doll. And that final conversation between Riker and Picard. Yes, boys, we can`t have a relationship with a sex doll.

It really struck my in DS9 and now in TNG how cavalier they are with their technology. Letting people try things without apparently testing, documenting. All on someone`s say so. Clearly no advisors from real engineering or software were consultants. I wonder if they only spoke with pure science people. But perhaps didn't know to ask about change management?

This rosier is....okay, but four stars is really excessive in my view. I’d give it two.

The many issues in the plot have been pointed out already. Standing out most of all is the convulutedness of designing an AI to distract ONE person in the event their plan falls short and they need said person to then break out of the distraction just in time to hack their files and save the day.

Minor nitpick, I could see another species independently developing binary computers but the organization into 8-bit bytes is entirely arbitrary.

By far the best episode of season 1. Absolutely superb overall!

"Plus, at the end of 11001001, they say they took Riker along because they would need "someone" to reactivate the planet in case they died, but it took both Riker and Picard, so there really are lucky that Picard "happenstanced" by."

I don't think this is actually a plot hole. When we get first introduced to the Bynars, it's said that they are always around with their partner. So out of their point of view, they might (falsely) assume human race to have similar relations.

Second is the scene Data stating, the captain in general being the last person leaving the ship. Which means as long as Riker is still on board, Picard should be as well. Even in a case of evacuation, it is his responsibility to monitor it and to make sure everything is going as intended, until the end.

Last but not least, we don't really know if two people were really necessary. Without Picard, no self destruction activated. Without self destruction activated, no reason to deactivate it later. And there isn't really that much hint that decrypting these files requires input from more than one user at the same time. Picard implies something like that, but to me it seems more like speeding the process up. (Another miscalculation by the Bynars?)

Didn't much like the episode, but I really appreciated the higher level of production. Very nice direction and music.

Nicely done.

Here's what I notice:

--The Bynars are so uniquely integrated with their computer, they can't function without it.

--Computer on legs Data, takes over the flying computer, the Enterprise.

--Riker considers having a uniquely integrated relationship with the computer as well (through Minuet, who is plainly an extension of it as she talks about accessing the computer banks).

Lots of stuff about relationships and working in tandem with other people and with technology - not just for the Bynars. Technically-enhanced blind Geordi and Android Data are painting, Dr Crusher is meeting up with her cybernetics expert idol, because she thinks figured out how to combine cybernetics and biological regeneration techniques, Yar and others are heading off to play Paresi squares together in special outfits.

Anyhow, it seems to be about relationships and the role of technology in both enhancing and diminishing them. To its credit, the ep just presents this, without lecturing us or passing judgment.

Kept my interest, and had some good character development as well, though a little heavy on Riker for my tastes.

Best so far.

Good episode. Probably the best of Series 1 in my opinion. This was the episode that had the adolescent me drooling at the amazing visual fx that still look good today.
Loved Riker getting caught having a holowank by the captain, but it was awkward when they ended up playing pass the sex toy. Perhaps that's just my 20th/21st century ideals talking.
After Picard gets ejaculation guilt, it gets a bit over dramatic with the old self destruct countdown caper, but I enjoyed it none the less.
I liked the binars. They were a quirky bunch. I also liked the choreographed swivel & stand which was somewhat binar-esque.
Definitely an interesting watch, but 4 stars seems a bit high. A low 3 for me I think. TNG gets much better than this.

Minuet was so sultry, I didn't even know what sultry meant when I watched this one... but I knew that whatever it was, she was it.

However, given that the computer wasn't actually capable of that level of personality realism, one does wonder where her personality came from. Was Riker being romanced by one of the Bynars, by proxy? And given that this is Riker, would he care?

The ship's autodestruct is pretty ridiculous in this episode. I mean, what if you need ten minutes before the ship goes pfoom? Or you need it to go pfoom sooner? The later refinements (time interval and silent countdown) make more sense. And don't get me started on that scoreboard clock.

@Mark Minuet was still operational even when every Bynar in existence was comatose, so she couldn't have been an avatar.

The Bynars seem to have been pretty lacadasical about restricting Riker and Picard's access to the computer, but I suppose they could have been taking pains to minimise the amount of illegality they were engaging in.

Doesn't Riker's "beam into the lift" plan kind of just assume that there would actually BE a lift standing by at that level at the time?

So exactly why didn't the Bynars just flash a message on the bridge viewscreen or something?

As for not knowing the filename... "Computer, what is the name of the largest file in your data bank?" There, one and done.

@Mark
"However, given that the computer wasn't actually capable of that level of personality realism, one does wonder where her personality came from."

This is the computer that created a self-aware being (Dr. Moriarty) just because La Forge used an unfortunate phrasing in "Elementary, Dear Data".

So it certainly does seem capable of creating this level of personality realism. It's just that Riker and Picard weren't aware of that capability, at this point.

I liked the episode except for one HUGE flaw.

Both Riker and Picard were so fascinated the Minuet was so real, and that the Holodeck is a millions times more improved than before, except it was exactly the same. They go on and on how she reacts to them, her knowledge of things, etc, except the Holodeck already does that. It was the same a few episodes before, and all the episodes afterwards. Then you see Riker is so disappointed at the end when he goes back to hookup with Minuet without 3rd wheel Picard around, then she seems more like a two dimensional cardboard cutout who doesn't even seem to be able to speak. Again, Holodeck characters a few episodes before, and all the ones in future episodes are all fully fleshed out 3D characters that the crew interacts with just like with real life humans.

My believeabilty factor went way down rather than get immersed in the show.

Also, I have no idea why Wesley was even in this episode. He just babysat the Binars and kept asking pointless questions while they were trying to plot to steal the ship.

"Both Riker and Picard were so fascinated the Minuet was so real, and that the Holodeck is a millions times more improved than before, except it was exactly the same."

Was it though? The only prior episode with any actual people in the holodeck was The Big Goodbye, where the holodeck had been recently upgraded. Prior to that we did see a sparring partner for Tasha in Code of Honor, but that wasn't really a person. The characters in The Big Goodbye were certainly fleshed out, but until their discovery of the real world, caused by a malfunction I might add, they were mostly just acting out a script. They were characters in a novel, only really able to understand the situation as those characters. The hologram of Cyrus Redblock still thought he was Cyrus Redblock after walking out into the hall, so he wasn't particularly self-aware. Lieutenant McNary is the more intriguing character, wondering if his family will be waiting for him after the program shuts down. Maybe that's some legitimate emergent awareness, or it could be a side effect of the malfunction.

Minuet on the other hand was fully self-aware as a computer program. She wasn't playing a part so much as she was adapting on the fly. I suppose that may seem subtle to the observer, but Riker's and Picard's awe seems legit to me. The malfunction from The Big Goodbye may have been noted as a simple anomaly and forgotten about, in much the way Moriarty would be later. It's possible that since the holodeck was so new nobody had yet conceived of trying to create a self-aware adaptable character. So even if it was possible and somewhat self-emergent in The Big Goodbye, it wasn't until 11001001 that this was even tried out. I do wonder why Minuet had to be "lost" at the end. Was she somehow dependent on the Binars' huge data store to function? I don't think that was given a satisfactory explanation.

2.75/4

Agree that this is one of the first episodes where TNG found its stride. Characters are settled into to their roles (we don't see Geordi yelling "whoopee" like in Episode 1). Dialogue is very well-done, especially interactions on the holodeck. Data showed leadership. Wesley did not grate on my nerves. Deanna didn't say stupidly obvious things like a weatherman telling us it's raining outside. The set on the starbase looked real, and not like the horribly fake planets with the florescent-looking skyline and no depth.

The story was interesting, but not 4 star material. I was somewhat bored. And Starfleet let a multitrillion dollar ship be taken over with no safeguards whatsoever. Riker happened to find the file at the last minute as if they left it on the desktop, and Picard just happened to be there and realized they needed 2 terminals. I can turn off my brain for scifi stretches of the imagination, but not to this extent.

This doesn't compare to any of the great episodes in later seasons.

Positives:

The opening shot of the space station is gorgeous.

The Bynars have potential. Their species gets fleshed out in the Starfleet Core of Engineers series of books.

Negatives:

Riker isn't very likeable in season one, and Frakes' acting isn't always that great either. Nothing worse than a smug trombonist.

The holodeck sequences are kind of lame. For every good holodeck scene in Trek we get 10 cheesy ones.

Wesley was a worthless lump. Just stand there staring at the Bynars like they're animals in a zoo for 45 minutes, kid.

The ending robs the first 40 minutes of the episode of a lot of their impact. It reminds me of Move Along Home in a sense because you find out the protagonists never faced any real danger.

"Riker isn't very likeable in season one, and Frakes' acting isn't always that great either. Nothing worse than a smug trombonist."

He is a bit more combative and dismissive, but not to the extent of season 1 Picard. He was much more grumpy, on top of the smug sanctimoniousness that permeated all characters in season 1, and season 2 as well.

Wesley's jumper - yes, it's the 3 stripe special again.
Riker smarmy sleaze fest. Yukk!

I don't know if this one rates a ☆☆☆☆, but by Season 1 standards, it was very good. The Bynars were interesting, and their motivation was understandable. We see vignettes on how the cast handles shore leave. And Minuet... I didn't even know what "sultry" meant when I saw this episode, but she sure was SOMETHING!

It's 4 star for season 1. For the series as a whole, I'd say probably 3.

The dialog is painful at times and it seems likely the actors were forced to stick to the letter of the script. For instance:

RIKER: The Bynars seem perfect for this. Even though this is the first time I've ever come in contact with them.

Real people don't actually talk like that.

I love that Wesley was in one of the first groups to transport off the ship. And there is NO WAY they would be able to get everybody off in time at the place they are going. They should have made it several more minutes. The warp drive about to explode in 20 minutes is still evacuation worthy.

Quinteros really seemed to be in cahoots with the Bynars. He's continually obstructive.

BTW, the rather spectacular space station shot was reused from Search For Spock. They just superimposed the Enterprise D over the old ship.

This always bothered me because that completely screws up the scale. The space door opening wasn't that much wider than the original Enterprise so there's no way there much larger D would fit.

However, somewhere someone suggested that maybe this is just another door on the other side. It's still a bit of a cheat because the station portals shouldn't look exactly the same, but I can at least sleep a little better.

@Silly

Can't remember off-hand but was this Earth they were at? Regardless, who's to say it's the same spacedock? 70 some years have passed, so, they probably just built a bigger Spacedock in that time.

So... starbase 74 doesn't have a tractor beam? let me guess it'll be installed on Tuesday...

OMG. Was that Captain Janeway as Minuet in the holodeck? I went back to look at the opening credits but Kate Mulgrew wasn’t listed. Either it was her under a pseudonym or else she has a doppelgänger!

Anyway, apart from a huge gaping plot flaw, this was a great episode. 3.5 stars, richly deserved.

However... Picard’s presence in the holodeck was purely fortuitous and had he not decided on a whim to join Riker there, he would have evacuated with the rest of the crew. Riker would then have been alone on the Enterprise. BUT.. it needed two people to unlock the hidden computer file , how would Riker have managed that on his own? Also, what was the point of locking the turbolift?

If not for the flaws I could have given this 4 stars.

Footnote: Data being creative, “waiting for inspiration”? He’s a bloody machine!!

Tidd, I thought the same thing -- Mulgrew?!?

Alas, the Trek setting biased our visuals. Carolyn McCormick -- whom I know as the recurring psychiatrist from Law & Order.

After watching DS9 3x including the original airing, I am disappointed in my first TNG viewing. Please tell me it gets better after season 1.

Only a 3 star outing but a 4 for season 1, a few laugh out loud moments (number 1? What? Good work and well done - every 5 seconds) Worf’s we will crush them approach to friendly games etc. The ship has a feel of the Love Boat with only the laughter track missing.

The talking about Minuet in front of her face about how realistic she was - what to say about this... the Doc would have had an embolism. Seemed sexist, hologram-ist(?) and inappropriate.

The plot - weak. And no mention by anyone of the voice of the computer being male for the countdown, not Majel. This was Michael Dorn btw. It didn’t sound right, glad they binned this.

Upgrades to the Holodeck continuity- apparently the episodes were shot in a different order so the big goodbye was made after the upgrades hence some confusion. Why I don’t know.

Amazingly we do see Minuet again... briefly.

The Bynars used extremely high warp to get from Starbase 74 to Bynus, and Picard returns at Warp...2?

I have to assume that the last five minutes of the episode takes place weeks after the rest of it.

I boycott any episode where much of the story is shot in a 20th-century American or European--heck, ANY place on Earth--milieu. Supremely lazy and unimaginative. Hard pass from me.

@Michael this is one of the best season 1 episodes (maybe the best), and it really doesn't take place in the holodeck much, it's mostly aboard ship. Give this one a chance.

PICARD: But you know, Number One, some relationships just can't work.
RIKER: Yes, probably true. She'll be difficult to forget.

I don't see this as a great episode, maybe a bit above average. What brought it down for me is Riker and Picard, fawning over the Minuet non-entity, and Riker actually considering a relationship with the thing.

Maybe the whole point of Minuet was to show viewers that the holodeck isn't such a great thing.

The introduction of the holodeck was disappointing, but the holodeck was well-used, for a change, and the rest of the story kept my interest. I was going to give this 2.5, so this gets 3 stars. Data gets treated with kid gloves, as usual, but apart from that minor annoyance, and the initial decision to have the holodeck in the first place, 3 stars seems fair.

Having never seen the first two seasons, I've been slowly watching them from the beginning, and when I saw the credits roll for this one, I said to myself -- "Wow, that was good. Like legit good."

I just took a look at the Season 1 page and am once again disheartened to see this was the only 4-star episode. But I must keep going.

I can't get over how angry Picard is in this first season. It seems like he's just mad for no reason! If you'd told me at this point that this show would eventually put out Best of Both Worlds, Yesterday's Enterprise, Cause & Effect, Frame of Mind, Parallels, I would've called you crazy.

I've always thought that this episode portrayed a Starfleet with "boundary issues."

The Bynars are, as others have mentioned an unknown quantity, yet are permitted to play around with the workings of the flagship in ways that no member of Starfleet is capable of fully understanding.

Various personnel seem to be in sort of a limbic state between "on duty" and "on leave but subject to immediate recall if needed." Data's angst over being busy painting instead of directly supervising the refit is a symptom of the lck of a crisp, clear boundary between "on duty" and "off duty."

Oddly enough, only Wesley is acting as if he is clearly on duty, and he's the one who lives in a constant limbic state, with regard to his status in Starfleet.

Even for him, orders are not unambiguous. Riker expressly told him to let him know of a problem, but La Forge firmly tells him not to both either the captain or first officer until he and Data have tried to find out what's going on.

I agree that this is probably the best episode yet. I loved all of the majestic space shots and the realistic feel to the crisis: Data following protocol and evacuating the ship, and then showing the ship really being evacuated. It felt real in a way that so much on this show hasn’t, to date.

The overall plot works well too. But for me it has a glaring hole in the middle: the Minuet character isn’t interesting and there really isn’t any real chemistry with Riker or Picard. I just don’t see how we’re supposed to take seriously the notion that Riker is choosing to spend his spare time chatting up a simulated woman who he knows is just a bunch of pixels designed to please him. Where is he planning on taking this “date”? How are we supposed to empathise with this? Picard’s more cerebral reaction - that this is an amazing piece of programming - is more believable, because clearly it would be. But for me this whole part of the story just opens up all kinds of deeply uncomfortable questions about how the Holodeck, and particularly the characters it generates, might be used if it were actually real.

Commander Riker playing the 'Bone in his sultry jazz bar - now THAT is truly exceptional