Star Trek: The Next Generation
"Time's Arrow, Part I"
Air date: 6/15/1992
Teleplay by Joe Menosky and Michael Piller
Story by Joe Menosky
Directed by Les Landau
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
And so the serviceable but uneven fifth season ends — with a serviceable but underwhelming "cliffhanger" that continues in the obligatory tradition of season-enders but definitely doesn't live up to the label in terms of its impact or suspense. After a number of memorably good and great episodes the second half of this season, "Time's Arrow" is a letdown, showing indications the writers took an average concept and tried to twist it into a two-part "event."
An archeological discovery finds Data's detached head, — yes, his head — buried in a cave beneath San Francisco. It has apparently been there for 500 years. Data concludes that in the future he will travel back in time where he will be destroyed in the 19th century. There's a certain intrigue and poignancy in watching Data matter-of-factly ponder the inevitable future of his own death, which up to this point was never guaranteed. Also found in the cave: traces of This Week's Technobabble, "triolic rays," which the Enterprise traces back to the planet Devidia II. There the investigation into the triolic rays reveals possible human life, but the readings are all phase-shifted because of a mysterious alien presence; Data uses a device to shift himself out of phase to further investigate, but then he gets pulled through a temporal vortex where he winds up in the late 19th century.
The scenes in the 19th century are where this story really kind of stalls out. Data has an extended conversation with a sick old 49er, then with a hotel bellhop (Michael Aron), and then plays a poker game (one of the players is Marc Alaimo, aka Dukat) in order to win some money to secure a hotel room and buy equipment for running his technobabble investigation via 19th century science. About this time he sees Guinan (!) in a newspaper story for a literary reception. (Back on the Enterprise, Guinan insists to Picard, with vague overtones of cosmic urgency, that he must go on the away mission to the planet surface.)
Mark Twain (Jerry Hardin) is among the noted guests at the literary reception, where he gives an extended speech about the significance of humanity in the universe (with Hardin chewing the scenery at length) that I'm afraid the story thinks is far more amusing and significant than it really is. (I'm not a literary historian and have no idea if Twain was this much of a showboat and an eccentric, but here his personality is out of scale compared to everything else.) The 19th century scenes are all sluggishly paced, and San Francisco just feels too much like a Hollywood backlot.
"Time's Arrow, Part I" is all setup and absolutely no payoff (as opposed to "Mr. Worf, fire," which is its own payoff). The final scene of the season has the crew following the mysterious aliens (who are apparently soul-eating time travelers!) through their temporal vortex and into the 19th century, but the execution is so lacking in juice and urgency that the music has to futilely sell us on how "significant" this ending is. I suppose this is okay as a whimsical hour of conventional time-travel sci-fi, but it's severely lacking as a season-ending hook.
Previous episode: The Inner Light
Next episode: Time's Arrow, Part II
Like this site? Support it by buying Jammer a coffee.
71 comments on this post
Wed, May 11, 2011, 7:55pm (UTC -5)
But here I was curious about what was going. The reveal of Data's head was shocking when I first watched the show. The chronicling by Data of the alien's realm was spooky and effectively done matched by the away team finally phasing into it. I thought the snake cane and two aliens in their 19th century garb were terrifying. I was genuinely concerned by Data's trip into the past--some of the scenes stalled yes but overall I thought the episode got the job done in what it set out to do--I liked the Data/Geordi scene in Ten Forward discussing Data's mortality, Guinan's cryptic comments under her breath and the cliffhanger of the crew stepping into the past had me wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Was it as powerful as BoBW's? No but that was in a league of its own. I still looked forward to the season 6 premiere.
Wed, May 11, 2011, 9:00pm (UTC -5)
I also see this episode as the answer to the question: "Why does Guinan see her relationship with Picard as 'beyond friendship, beyond family'?" which many fans consider un-answered.
I see it this way: When Guinan first met Picard, it was not the first time he had met her. Conversely, when Picard first met Guinan, it was not the first time she had met him. So their relationship really is *beyond* friendship and family- it's a recursive friendship that goes beyond linear time.
Thu, May 12, 2011, 12:02am (UTC -5)
Smart idea. Stupid episode. Though the guy playing Twain is the spitting image.
Fri, May 13, 2011, 8:49pm (UTC -5)
Sidenote : while we all appreciate Trek's openminded fairness (I hope), how is it that Guinan as a black woman in the 19th century is able to move about in such circles. I applaud it from the stance of personal ethics, but it completely sidesteps the reality of the time and place.
Fri, May 13, 2011, 10:10pm (UTC -5)
Years later, that nostalgia and love for the episode is still there, but, I can now see the flaws, and how the episode just stops, almost as an act break. It's kinda dissapointing. Still like it a lot though, depsite it's flaws.
Mon, May 23, 2011, 12:47pm (UTC -5)
As for Mark Twain, it seems that he makes or breaks the episode. For those that liked the performance, the episode works, for those that find it overdone, they don't like it. But Mark Twain WAS an overdone person, the actor that portrayed him did a fantastic job, and he liked JUST like him.
The aliens scenes were creepy, and although there was the usual technobabble, it was not worse than usual.
I would say that behind BOBW and all god things, this is easily the next best 2 parter in TNG.
Sun, May 29, 2011, 5:16pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Jun 2, 2011, 3:45am (UTC -5)
It sure ain't no "Mr Worf, fire!" But it is fun none the less. I quite like Twain/Clemmens, and from what little I know about him I believe that he would be something like that.
I found Jack London to be miscast... far too over eager.
I think the episode is worth it for Data's poor acting when he accidentally lifts the anvil with one hand in front of Jack. "Ow!"
Hmmm, now I know who Leonardo DiCaprio based "Jack" on in Titanic, it was Jack London from this episode. That would explain the bad acting and annoying character.
Sun, Sep 4, 2011, 3:39pm (UTC -5)
Following "Best of Both Worlds, Part I" and "Redemption, Part I" this episode definitely doesn't hit the mark. But as a small piece in the great tapestry of Trek, viewing it while ignoring its place at the end of the year, it's a solid three-star excursion. Fun all-around.
Fri, Sep 9, 2011, 7:23am (UTC -5)
Subsequently, Data argues with Picard that it is irrational for Picard to keep Data on the ship on this mission, as we have no idea when he will be sent back in time. And Picard agrees! "then I'll be irrational!"
Has everyone forgotten that the sole reason they are on this planet is because something from this planet will be on Data or in the cave or whatever when Data goes back in time? There is DIRECT connection between this planet and Data's going back in time. It is not irrational to keep him on the ship.
However, if the Enterprise had had simply gone on any other old mission and Data happened to get sent back in time, we'd complain that it's awfully coincidental that his time travel was mere days after his head is discovered. The only reason I don't shout at the TV over the fact that it's mere days between head-discovery and Data's being sent back in time IS because his time travel occurs on Devidia II during the investigation into the head and the clues from the cave. The head discovery leads Data to the time jump.
I still hate that they don't acknowledge that this away mission might be a bit more risky for Data to join than had they gone to Bajor or Vulcan.
Fri, Sep 9, 2011, 7:27am (UTC -5)
Fri, Sep 9, 2011, 11:22am (UTC -5)
I have traced it to Picard smiling. I HATE Picard smiling. Everyone else seems to think it is character growth, and i am Ok with the last scene in "all good things", but for the next 2 seasons it is simply a "softer" Picard that I find unwelcome. I have said before here, that I find "yelling" Picard from season 1 far more enjoyable to watch than "Picard day smiling idiot" from season 7...
Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 5:17am (UTC -5)
I absolutely agree. Season 7 in particular has this utter blandness in it, as if someone sucked all the joy out of storytelling and replaced it with by-the-numbers plotting and character work. In fact, it reminds me of Voyager to be honest.
Maybe it has something to do with some of the writing staff moving off to DS9? Just guessing...
Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 10:15am (UTC -5)
That's odd, because I found the declining quality of TNG to be it's attempt at embracing a DS9-style world-view, with the introduction of Ro and the Maquis (and of course the Cardassians and "Bajora") as well as dropping the so-called "no-conflict rule," etc. TNG had to make room in its Universe for DS9 and in so doing nearly lost its soul--the evidence is in the writing. As for the staffing, I'd have to look it up, but this blah episode here was written by two of Trek's most honoured and well-remembered writers, Menosky (Darmok, Muse, Nth Degree, Blink of an Eye) and Piller (need I say more than BOBW?).
Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 12:43pm (UTC -5)
I wonder if part of it was the actors. I noticed this in later season of Seinfield. I sometimes wonder if when an actor portrays a character long enough, he sort of stops acting. I feel like in season 7 it is very noticeable that I am watching Stewart, Frakes, Sirtis, etc.. Vs Picard, Riker, and Troi. It is really noticeable with Troi, watch her in the 2nd season versus season 7 and it is almost gross. I feel like she rolled out of bed in the morning, said a few lines, and ran with her check out of the building. The only episode I enjoyed watching Troi in any any of the last 3 seasons was season 6 "face of the Enemy".
Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 7:25pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 1:53am (UTC -5)
Fri, Oct 28, 2011, 2:34pm (UTC -5)
As the show went on, the characters and plots grew further unbelievable and out-of-character (Kramer finds the Merv Griffin Show set and his life becomes a talk show; J.Peterman pays Kramer for his life; Kramer lives/cooks/etc. in his shower; Kramer somehow becomes hosts to Japanese businessmen and lets them sleep in a chest of drawers? [I note a Kramer pattern here] Jerry, Kramer and Elaine’s boyfriend all go get vasectomies on a whim Jerry becomes a video bootlegger, Sometimes it was the premise that was unbelievable and other times it was how the premise was handled, eg: Elaine eats Peterman’s cake and gets effectively no punishment; Elaine promotes Eddie the Army guy and suffers no real consequences, George flys to Akron to give a comeback zinger to a colleague; The Postal Service stalks and harasses Kramer because he doesn’t want to receive mail anymore.).
The acting gets a bit exaggerated along with the writing and it all spirals into too much. This all culminated in the finale which was completely unbelievable and over the top. However, I don’t think I could instantly identify “that’s a season 9 episode” just from the visual appearance like I could on TNG. “The Cartoon” in which Kramer vows silence, Elaine draws a cartoon for the New Yorker and Kathy Griffin has a one-woman show about how evil Jerry is. Other than the fact that Kathy/Sally has ridiculous success so quickly, the episode is fairly down-to-earth and could easily fit into season 6 or 7.
On TNG, besides some extreme plots, (Fistful of datas, Rascals, Schisms, Phantasms) I think there was just something about, as you say, the scoring, the lighting, the video tape... something that just SEEMED different, and yes, perhaps more Voyagery.
EG: Go to memory alpha and look up A Matter of Perspective vs. Second Chances (I'd link, but they are disabled in comments). Or else go to the Troi article. Look at the early shots of her compared to the one of her rapidly aged from Man of the People. The latter shot is far brighter, less contrast and less saturation - more blues less yellows.
Something was just "brighter" and more artificial about the lighting and the sets and even the shots of the ship. I can't put my finger on what it is, but it was noticeable enough that I recognized a change, and can easily tell you from most screenshot whether an episode is pre- or post- season 6.
But I still think it's the writing. You have shows like Relics in that time that are still wonderful. They do LOOK different, but they end up as good episodes. Whereas timescale, a plot I could see having been done in season 4, just seems off in season 6. Having Picard draw a happy face? In season 4, he might have given an unusual Order or said something confusing that didn’t make sense, but he wouldn’t have acted like he was 10 years old. They would have been more subtle. And Picard’s impression of the lecturer who kept "talking and talking" - he would never have been that casual pre-season 6. He was portrayed as taking everything in life seriously and rarely joking about a distinguished lecturer. It was too out of character. The look was half of the problem while the script was the other half, I think.
Tue, Jan 17, 2012, 9:10am (UTC -5)
I'm really curious to see if a full episode of the BluRay changes my perception of the early episodes. I'm also hoping they do what they did with TOS and provide the unremastered and remastered versions via the 'alternate angle' option.
Sat, Nov 17, 2012, 4:10am (UTC -5)
I love this show. ;)
Fri, Dec 28, 2012, 8:14pm (UTC -5)
I had to laugh when Data said his head was proof that he would die. "It has happened. It will happen." Come on, they've all taken Temporal Mechanics; they know there are all sorts of loopholes when it comes to time travel. The way Trek treats time, the past is endlessly malleable, so Data's head proved nothing at all, except that it was really dumb to go straight to the only planet where he could pick up the bacteria they found with the head.
Sat, Jun 15, 2013, 6:37pm (UTC -5)
In this particular episode I enjoyed learning more about Guinan, although the time-travel story as a whole was a bit hokey.
The aliens were fairly original though.
I did think that Data was more data-like in this episode (in terms of excessively technical vocabulary, even when dealing with people who would clearly respond to something more colloquial, which Data is capable of). In the sequel I was amused by the travelling theatre company disguise.
Mon, Aug 12, 2013, 9:57am (UTC -5)
On TNG, I find it hard to explain exactly what the development over the years was. There is a movement from the brazen, bright, silly first season to the crisp, strong middle years to the slow, dull, final season. I think that season six is pretty good overall, though it's more like season seven in tone than it is like season three.
Mon, Aug 12, 2013, 10:51am (UTC -5)
Darmok: 4 (+1)
The Game: 2 (-0.5)
Unification II: 2 (-0.5)
A Matter of Time: 1.5 (-1)
Hero Worship: 3 (+1.5)
Violations: 2 (-0.5)
Ethics: 3.5 (+0.5)
The Outcast: 1.5 (-0.5)
The Perfect Mate: 4 (+1)
Season five has, I am almost certain, the biggest first half/second half split of any TNG season. The first three episodes are dealing with old business ("Redemption II"), introducing new business ("Ensign Ro") and one instant classic ("Darmok") and is good. But then the next 10 episodes in the season's first half are, if almost never outright bad, a consistent disappointment and generally mediocre. I like "Unification I" and "Hero Worship," and a few others are decent enough, but it is a generally rough time. I think only "A Matter of Time" strikes me as poor, but even that is mostly just an absence of workable material; what this run mostly is is a long slog of competent but unimpressive outings.
Then comes "Conundrum" and "Power Play," both around 2.5-3 stars but exciting shows, and suddenly a run from "Ethics" to "I, Borg" in which every episode is, for me, either excellent (3.5-4) or terrible (1-1.5) -- which is not that different on average from the season's first half, but I'd take a run with "Ethics," "Cause and Effect," "The First Duty," "The Perfect Mate," and "I, Borg" over a mediocre run even if it does have "The Outcast," "Cost of Living" and "Imaginary Friend." "The Next Phase" is good-but-not-great, and "Time's Arrow" is okayish, but "The Inner Light" is..."The Inner Light." So the second half of the season overall is inconsistent but with maybe the highest concentration of brilliant, top-drawer episodes in any half-season, at least for me. Overall, I think the first half of season five is weak like nothing since season one, but the second half is around the best the show does (maybe not THE best, but close to it), making for a weird, up-and-down experience of a season.
Other things I noticed: there's a real drop-off in Data stories this year; season four had "Brothers," "Data's Day," "Clues" and "In Theory," all of which were good and one of which ("Brothers") was exceptional. I think Data himself was always well done, except maybe in "A Matter of Time," and he was prominent of course in "Redemption II," "Silicon Avatar," "Unification," "Hero Worship" and "Time's Arrow," as well as very significant in "Cause and Effect" and "The Next Phase." All of these had some good Data material, but not much really pushes his character forward; the most interesting for me were probably Data's considerations of death in "The Next Phase" and "Time's Arrow," as well as his brief tenure in command in "Redemption II."
There is a corresponding increase in Picard stories, though. "Darmok," "The Inner Light" and "The Perfect Mate" are pretty definitive as Picard stories, and "The First Duty" and "I, Borg" are close behind. Picard also avoids too much participation in the season's worst episodes, and even his material in "Disaster" was some of the most fun in that ep.
Otherwise: Alexander has not really done wonders for Worf's character, though I appreciate the idea of Worf taking responsibility for his child. "Ethics" was good for Worf, as was "Redemption II" though I wish it had gone further. Riker didn't have a great year -- "The Outcast" is about his only starring show and it didn't work for me, though "Ethics" is a significant boon. "I, Borg" is probably my favourite use of Geordi as tech-friendly everyman in the series, so that's good. Deanna, well, she pretty much never has good seasons, so. Crusher does get good material in "Ethics" and "I, Borg."
Sat, Jan 4, 2014, 3:20pm (UTC -5)
Same as Data's remark on how he didn't realize Guinan's lifespan was so long because he sees her in the 19th century. She could have just as easily been sent back here from the 22th century or even 23d before they knew each other.
I hate those time travel episodes because they ALWAYS are completely illogical.
Sun, Jan 12, 2014, 5:48pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Mar 7, 2014, 10:23pm (UTC -5)
"Time's Arrow" has been snubbed. And if you watch this 2-parter, you'll find out why.
Sat, Apr 5, 2014, 3:30am (UTC -5)
Amusing/entertaining on a surface level. I tend to give episodes the benefit of the doubt when they're entertaining enough for me that I can mostly ignore plot holes/contrivances/stupid science/outlandish plots/etc.
Sun, Jul 20, 2014, 3:38pm (UTC -5)
People tend to see Season 5 as a transition between the peak of TNG and its decline. I think part of the reason for that is that there was a bit of a transition from character and universe defining stories to plot defining stories. If you were to give a one line description of the plot of an episode, how important would that one line be to understanding the episode? It seems to me that it becomes more important in the later seasons than in the earlier ones, which can have its advantages but also major disadvantages as well.
Take The Defector, for instance. The Hero must decide whether or not to trust an enemy defector, and the ramifications of this decision could either start or prevent a war. That's an interesting topic to explore, of course, but it's hardly original or unique. You could take the entire episode and translate it to a Cold War setting and it would fit just fine (other than the cloaked ship ending, of course...). But it was a character defining piece for Picard, and it was a universe defining piece for Romulans. TNG's version of this rather vague plotline was the reason the episode is excellent, not just the idea of the plot itself. Even though the plot doesn't require TNG characters, the execution of the episode does.
Measure of a Man is perhaps a better example. The question of rights for robots is already massively abundant in science fiction. But because we care for Data, and because we feel for Picard as his advocate, the episode turned out to be very good, and is considered a harbinger for the heights of Seasons 3 and 4.
Or look at Sins of the Father and Reunion. These stories came about because Worf existed and were built around him. The plot pieces surrounding the episodes may be unoriginal, but the stories work because of who Worf is. Building such tales around a guest star of the week would have ruined them.
Now, with that said, compare these classics to one of the classics of Season 5: Cause and Effect. The one line synopsis: A starship is caught in a time loop where it is constantly destroyed and then sent back in time to repeat the events again. An intriguing, unique idea. And the execution of the idea was very well done. But what, exactly, makes the TNG version of this plot shine? What about TNG made this a better episode than if the idea had appeared in the Twilight Zone or Voyager or a short story?
I can't really tink of any. Picard's presence isn't important for this tale. Worf's presence isn't important. Data has a plot point, but that's about it. None of the other characters matter. This episode could be lifted wholesale and put into Voyager without missing a beat. I don't think that would work with Defector or Yesterday's Enterprise or Measure of a Man or Sins of the Father or BoBW or whatever. But here, the TNG atmosphere is window dressing.
That's not necessarily bad. We like these characters, and its ok to just see them reacting to weird events sometimes. But I think it's harder to have a really impactful story within a serialized universe when the universe itself is just the carrier for the plot. You watch Cause and Effect, and think "That was pretty cool!" You watch Yesterday's Enterprise, and you say "Whoa..." Both are positive results, but the latter resonates with you longer.
Now let's look at two other classics of Season 5: Darmok and the Inner Light. I'd consider these somewhat of hybrids of the "universe-driven" vs "plot driven" dichotomy I mentioned above. In both of these cases, the one-line synopsis plays a very big role in the quality of the final episode. They are both very unique, original ideas and rely on being a unique, original idea. But in Darmok's case, the fact that this is a TNG episode is very important. The theme fits TNG's ethos of exploring new life perfectly, and it fits Picard perfectly. Having Janeway or Sisko or even Kirk be opposite Dathon would have lessened the episode. It's because Picard is who he is that makes this episode shine. Inner Light also benefits from TNG's ethos, although to a lesser extent. Frankly, I think it benefits more from being a Patrick Stewart story than being a Jean-Luc Picard story. There are some residual themes that work with Picard, but the episode would have worked with any character played by as brilliant an actor as Stewart is.
It seems moving forward that these sorts of episodes that benefit significantly from being in TNG become more and more scarce. Maybe it's just the rise of Brannon Braga; I don't know. But I'm thinking of the episodes I really like from seasons 6 and 7 and thinking which one's are universe-defined like in Season 3, and I'm coming up with very few. Frame of Mind? Parallels? They're fun to watch, and it's fun to watch TNG characters within the episodes, but that's about it. It's more like the characters themselves are just actors playing out roles; the episodes don't seem to mean anything. I don't think that's necessarily TNG's fault (I tend to think most TV shows have hit their peak by season 5), but it does make these episodes less memorable and less impactful. I've been personally rating episodes on a 0-5 scale, with 5 stars being reserved only for the best of the best. Other than All Good Things, I'm not sure I'm going to be giving out any more.
Mon, Jul 13, 2015, 12:11pm (UTC -5)
The full circle of Guinan-Picard was a great payoff and the highlight of the episode.
The period costumes worked great for all the crew and Guinan looked great.
The aliens themselves were hard to get into. I suspect Roddenberry wouldn't have liked the aliens either since he was a big advocate of showing alien's eyes. They are the weak point in the episodes. (Some might like that they were very different and I give them credit for trying but it was hard to get intrigued by them and to relate to them.)
A note about the blu ray disks, they are already made BUT it seems to me considering how much room is on a blu ray to put the second of the two parters on the last disk (and possibly the first part on the subsequent season) It is a bit annoying to have to change disks.
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 12:48pm (UTC -5)
Let me just say that I don't mind time travel stories in Trek. I don't even mind holodeck malfunction stories. So, I'm not going to hold that against the episode. In fact, most times when people start complaining about the overuse of time travel and/or the holodeck, it seems (to me anyway) to be nothing more than whining. Time travel isn't the problem here. Jammer said it better than I could with this - "'Time's Arrow, Part I' is all setup and absolutely no payoff."
Really, what else is there to say about it? It isn't bad, but it isn't good either. It's just another episode like "Hero Worship" and "Imaginary Friend" - mind-numbingly average, average, average. It really does seem like this was a one-part episode that was stretched almost beyond the breaking point to become a two-parter. Nothing really amounts to anything. I suppose I could point out how ridiculous the crew's reaction to Data's severed head was. Why are they so off-put by Data's matter-of-factness about the whole situation? He's an android people; you know he doesn't have emotions! Thankfully those scenes don't last long. I suppose I could point out how enjoyable Picard's statement of "Then I'll be irrational!" was. But when that truly brief moment is the highlight of the episode - well, you see the problem. Even the alien antagonists come across as fairly uninteresting, though the episode seemed hell-bent on making me think they were terrifying. The problem here (once again, just like with "Hero Worship" and "Imaginary Friend") is that I'm nitpicking. And that should probably be a major hint as to the score I'm going to give the episode.
As for the Twain character - well, a lot of people appear to either love him or hate him. For me, he was just like everything else in "Time's Arrow, Part I." I didn't think he was particularly bad (Twain was a rather larger-than-life guy in real life after all). But, I didn't think he was particularly good either. Nothing about the performance or the character himself made me hope to see more of him in Part II. In the end, he was probably an unnecessary addition to the story that really added nothing either way and could have been cut without, therefore, losing anything either way. Just another average piece in an average puzzle.
I feel kind of bad not having anything else to say about a season finale, but there it is.
5/10
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time for some more post-season number crunching....
"THE NEXT GENERATION" SEASON FIVE
7 - Redemption, Part II
8 - Darmok
7 - Ensign Ro
6 - Silicon Avatar
5 - Disaster
4 - The Game
6 - Unification, Part I
7 - Unification, Part II
3 - A Matter of Time
7 - New Ground
5 - Hero Worship
3 - Violations
1 - The Masterpiece Society
3 - Conundrum
4 - Power Play
8 - Ethics
5 - The Outcast
6 - Cause and Effect
8 - The First Duty
7 - Cost of Living
6 - The Perfect Mate
5 - Imaginary Friend
9 - I, Borg
8 - The Next Phase
6 - The Inner Light
5 - Time's Arrow, Part I
Average Season Score: 5.731
Average Series Score: 4.936
Final TOS Average Score: 5.150
Best Episode: I, Borg
Worst Episode: The Masterpiece Society
This season was something of a mixed bag. It's the first season since the abysmal depths of Season One to not give us any 10 out of 10 episodes. In fact, it only managed to deliver one classic episode (which I consider to be episodes with scores of 9 or 10) - "I, Borg." But, it's also the very first season of TNG (and the first since TOS Season Two) to not give us any 0 out of 10 episodes either. While it's a slight step down in overall quality from the previous season, that's not by much - Season Four had a score of 5.885 and Season Five gets a score of 5.731 - and it still managed to exactly tie (with 149 total points out of 260) the single best season of TOS (Season Two).
TNG is slowly but surely crawling its way out of the basement it dug for itself in its first two years and is slowly closing in on TOS's final average score.
I've seen a lot of people saying that TNG was really past its prime after Season Four. Well, that might be the case. I doubt Seasons Six and Seven will be able to match Season Four's high score. But, if this is TNG past its prime, I'll gladly take it. Because it is still damn fine entertainment overall.
Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 1:15pm (UTC -5)
What's such a shame is that the concept is marvelous - as a shock intro the revelation of Data's head is right up there. But really we then get into something that feels like a holodeck episode. That's not to say that there aren't some really nice touches - Data's acceptance of his mortality and how he communicates it is very well written. And how quickly he adapts to 19th century life is also a joy. But one wonders how the Guinan element is going to play out - yes, it's intriguing for the moment, but we have to wait to see how it's resolved and that's not really enough to bump up the score for this episode. 2.5 stars.
=====
Fascinating. Looking back over the scores I gave this series we come out at an average of 2.69 - exactly the same as series 3 and a hair better than series 4. I was so surprised that I had to have another look to make sure I'd calculated properly. But on a more careful examination the answer is clear.
The first 16 shows average 2.43, and there's a lot of middle range episodes, with very few really good or indeed real stinkers. The last ten episodes average 3.1, with 7 of 10 episodes scoring 3 or above (including two 4-star shows) compared to only three in the first 16. So what we have here is a game of two halves, whereby the excellent end to the series lifts the average first half, which at least was consistently OK.
Wed, Nov 18, 2015, 4:35am (UTC -5)
I love this idea and I'll tell you my thoughts. I have heard people irritated at the conceit that Guinan was there when they all went back in time because it was too much of a coincidence, but I don't think so. This is when Guinan first meets them and Data tells her that he knows her from serving together on the Enterprise. She also learns that Picard is Captain of the Enterprise.
Therefore, when Guinan loses her home, she seeks out the Enterprise and Picard and gets a job there. I think that was intentional on her part--she knew that their lives were to cross. And after handsome Jean-Luc telling her they'd be romantic partners, she felt that was worth 500 years of waiting.
More directly to your question, Guinan tells us that she is on Earth to "listen," as her El-Aurian people do. Memory Alpha gets this wrong, in my opinion--they say she was on Earth to hide from her father. Based on her conversation with Data when she thinks her father has sent him, her father knew where she was and she simply wanted to tell him that she wasn't done listening. There was no hiding--she was simply irritated that she thought her Dad was worried about her and wanted to be left alone to continue her listening.
So that's my take on it. I think they handled this aspect really well. Time travel is notoriously tricky to do, but in Guinan's case I think they covered all the bases. The only thing I dislike is future Picard telling past Guinan that their relationship "goes far beyond friendship." The only way to interpret that is romantic and we know that's wrong. It would have been better for Picard to say something like "you will be the best friend I ever have."
Overall I really like this episode. I think Data and Jack London's relationship is a delight, and the Guinan bits are wonderful. I like Twain's take on society and his bravery. The rest of them interacting with 19th century society is ridiculous--why the hell is Beverly wearing those idiotic glasses? She has perfect vision and lots of people in the 19th century didn't wear glasses. But somebody on the costume staff thought it made her look old-fashioned, so granny glasses it is! The women's hair is also ridiculous--you don't need permanents to blend in with that time.
But the rest is great--Data's take on his mortality is wonderful.
Thu, Mar 16, 2017, 2:59am (UTC -5)
He was. Every bit of those words that you can think of, he was.
Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 10:22pm (UTC -5)
The 19th century scenes did drag a bit, especially when Twain was talking (was it really necessary for him to have so much dialogue?) but I appreciated a lot of the gags, and the way Spiner really played up being disturbed at finding the head (a much better likeness than the model from 1st season) piqued my interest enough that I actually jumped at the reveal. (I'm usually childishly entertained by the weird faces he's always making, but at the same time have to wonder why he's so much better at portraying subtle emotions than most of the other crew. It's always a bit jarring when he actually plays a scene straight and makes Data act as emotionlessly as he's supposed to be as a result.) The description of the aliens was much creepier in my mind than the lame way they actually appeared, but TNG aliens are almost exclusively humanoid so I shouldnt have expected anything different.
It was kind of a cop-out for Data's head to be "dead" this episode but able to be reactivated and immediately put back on duty in the next (it's been shown to be able to function fine while removed before so you'd think they'd have tried reactivating it and asking it what happened to it... No wait, that would draw too much attention to the paradox of it existing in two places at once, I guess). Picard being willing to fry the aliens for poaching Earth was a nice change from his usual hand-wringing about self-defense.
I wish there was more explanation of Picard and Guinan, is this really supposed to be the only basis for their "closer than lovers, closer than family" relationship? I was expecting some great adventure together, not a happen chance meeting with barely any interaction. And why do they automatically assume that Guinan is even older than she previously told them, when she could have time traveled there as well from a different point in the future? Anyway, like always lots of holes, but fun enough that I was mostly entertained.
Fri, Mar 24, 2017, 10:40am (UTC -5)
Anyone else notice this??
Fri, Mar 24, 2017, 1:49pm (UTC -5)
Data makes for a poor Bicentennial Man. Given what I remember of the story, in that one the robot chose to die so that he would be granted human status. In this episode Data is happy to learn he will die because it makes him feel closer to his human companions. In Asimov's story it makes sense, because the robot has done everything possible to make himself as human as possible, and dying from old age is just the final step. It makes less sense for Data to want to die, especially since his death is not a natural one (despite what he claims unless he's replacing/upgrading his parts as he goes along he will wear out and naturally "die" some time in the distant future) but shown to be a seemingly violent end. For all he knows he may be no more long lived than a humanoid like Guinan, not knowing the length of his life-span hardly means he's immortal and is a really illogical conclusion for him to come to. Even if he was "immortal" he's still obviously able to be destroyed, just like anything else. If existing indefinitely truly disturbed him enough that finding his own remains comforted him, he could have just as easily decided that one day he will have himself destroyed (I don't recall any of his programming making him unable to do so). There are species in Star Trek that do appear to live forever, like the Q, so fixating on having a death at all reflects his desire for humanity, rather than a desire for becoming "alive". It is an interesting look at the character, but really cements how odd some of his conclusions are.
@Ross I don't remember the exact lines, but it's possible Whitley was a secretary or the like, and thus while frequently talked to wasn't important enough to be introduced by name or was introduced by first name only. I'm not saying they didn't fudge it with Data (they do slip up and I think someone mentioned Spiner would ocassionally throw in some contractions just to see if they'd catch it (they didn't)) just that we could probably imagine a plausible explanation in this case.
Tue, Apr 11, 2017, 3:08pm (UTC -5)
"Redemption Part 2"-3
"Darmok"-4
"Ensign Ro"-3.5
"Silicon Avatar"-3.5
"Disaster"-3.5
"The Game"-2.5
"Unification I"-3
"Unification II"-2.5
"A Matter of Time"-2.5
"New Ground"-2.5
"Hero Worship"-2
"Violations"-2
"The Masterpiece Society"-2
"Conundrum"-3.5
"Power Play"-2.5
"Ethics"-3
"The Outcast"-2.5
"Cause and Effect"-4
"The First Duty"-4
"The Cost of Living"-1
"The Perfect Mate"-2.5
"Imaginary Friend"-1.5
"I, Borg"-4
"The Next Phase"-3.5
"The Inner Light"-4
"Time's Arrow Part 1"-2.5
Average 2.88
Thu, Apr 13, 2017, 3:59pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 2:12am (UTC -5)
What??????
Tue, Oct 3, 2017, 7:00pm (UTC -5)
As in most 2-parters, part I poses plenty of questions but few offers answers -- like what are the 2 aliens that zapped the 49er? And did Data get forced into the time vortex? I had the feeling of being unsatisfied after the first part but not super excited about the 2nd part.
The set of San Francisco in the 1890s didn't work at all -- it actually felt too much like the buildings were more advanced. And this is on Devidia II, not Earth. Or does the time vortex on Devidia II transport them back in time to Earth? Maybe it does like in "The City on the Edge of Forever".
Picard didn't want Data as part of the landing party but is then forced to let him go down (for the phase-shifting BS) -- but then Geordi finds a way to accomplish the same effect so this strikes me as the crew making a mistake and then getting screwed for doing so.
2 stars for "Time's Arrow (Part I)" -- definitely very intriguing start with finding Data's head and him coming to terms with his morality. But then the episode wastes too much time on nonsense and heavy technobabble. There's something definitely sinister going on here but we don't get enough of an idea of what exactly it is. Part II could hit the ball out of the ballpark...or not.
Fri, Mar 23, 2018, 10:44pm (UTC -5)
That said, this has always been my absolute favourite TNG episode (or at least one of them). But one thing always stuck out-if these aliens are going back to the 19th century, what are the chances that they came from the 24th? Why not the 25th? Or 23rd, or some other time. I mean Picard & co go to their planet, and there they are (well, out of phase, but still in their time!) That is an unbelievable coincidence!
Thu, Mar 29, 2018, 1:17am (UTC -5)
The parts with Data and Jack Frost riffing was pure comedy.
Jack rounds up all of the supplies data asks for and sees him working on something crazy looking.
Jack: So what's it gonna be when its finished?
Data (not sure how to answer): What do you think it's going to be?
Jack: maybe a new kind of motor for one of those horseless carriage?
Data: That is a good guess.
Jack: Hot damn! You really think there money in those things? Ha! Isn't that what makes America great?
Data: To what are you referring?
Jack: A man rides into town in his pajamas, wins a grub stake in a poker game, and turns it into a million bucks? That's America!
This part had me LMAO.
Thu, Apr 5, 2018, 9:21pm (UTC -5)
Sorry, I have to say this-it's Jack London! Not Jack Frost! LOL!
Thu, Apr 5, 2018, 10:49pm (UTC -5)
I noticed but wouldn't possibly have been able to type the correction without giggling and falling off my chair.
Sun, May 27, 2018, 10:46pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Jun 5, 2018, 7:31am (UTC -5)
The devastation of the crew at the thought of losing Data mirrored my own, and frankly, it was handled better here than in the movies (do not get me started on Insurrection).
It's fun, its thoughtful, and it hits me in the feels every time.
Yes the sets in the past suck badly, yes the guy that plays Twain is overbearing (but he really does look the part and is a fantastic actor, just wish he was quieter, literally not shouting every line), yes I too wondered how realistic it was for even a very wealthy woman who looks like Guinan to be accepted in that society (be nice / horrible to think that would have made a difference), and I agree the bits set in the TNG present were poorly handled once the focus shifted to Data in the past, but I only cared what was happening with him, so I didn't pay that much attention to that. But if I had to only ever watch 2 episodes of TNG ever again (you all got shivers of revulsion at that thought?, I know I do) it would be Times Arrow every time.
Tue, Jun 5, 2018, 7:53am (UTC -5)
I’m a bit ashamed to say I thought Patrick Stewart played Twain. I just looked it up since you said something about “the actor who played Twain”. I really thought it was Patrick Stewart lol
Tue, Jun 5, 2018, 10:58am (UTC -5)
I like that guy!
Madam GUINAN! You belong in MY TIME just as much as I belong in YOURS! This.. SPACE SHIP that travels the STARS (etc etc)
His INFLECTION is INFECTIOUS!
Tue, Jun 19, 2018, 10:43pm (UTC -5)
There are some great lines here, especially early on as the crew tiptoes in comical fashion around Data's death, and Brent Spiner had great comic timing in those scenes, especially "I am also fond of you, Commander." Then there's Troi in the cave -- "There's life here. A child. An old woman. Dozens more. Hundreds. Terrified." And Data in the cave narrating the Devidians' draining of life with scientific precision, which only increases the horror. Picard to Guinan: "I haven't seen such a complex operation since the Academy lab final in exochemistry. " And finally Troi again in the cave, "There is no life here. What I have sensed is more like an imprint. An echo of the last moment of life. Human life. They all died in terror ." These are all great lines and really build the suspense.
Jammer may be right that the episode is "all setup and absolutely no payoff," but when the setup is fun to watch, and the actors seem to be enjoying themselves immensely, who cares? Star Trek -- like most shows -- rises and falls with the characters. In this episode, they're all at their likable best. And for that, plus the suspense and elaborate build-up, I'd give 3.5 stars.
Tue, Aug 14, 2018, 6:44pm (UTC -5)
When researching it years later, the portrayal of Mark Twain struck me as shallow and cartoonish.
Mon, Sep 3, 2018, 12:46pm (UTC -5)
S5 presents us with a handful of great episodes (Darmok, Cause and Effect, The Inner Light, Time's Arrow) and good ones (Ensign Ro, A Matter of Time, The Next Phase) that actually serve a purpose, at times fascinate, and belong in TNG.
But the rest are uninteresting, ridiculous, cheesily soap-operatic, and/or just simply TNG-pointless----with plenty of bad scripts, bad acting (much of it by Sir Patrick, even), intelligence-insulting, contrivances, After-School Special sermonizing, and Shut-up Geordi!! cop-out technobabble.
Sat, Nov 3, 2018, 10:42am (UTC -5)
Sat, Nov 3, 2018, 4:45pm (UTC -5)
I personally have trouble making a distinction in quality between anything in S4-6. Actually I probably like S7 more than most also, but some of the scripts are weaker it's true. For S6 I'm probably in the minority in that I consider Redemption pt 2 and Unification to both be 4 star outings. Although they're clearly not Chain of Command or BoBW level amazingness they both share the legendary Trek mythology-storytelling that I find unbeatable. And I'm also probably in the minority in considering Conundrum, Power Play, Disaster, and Ensign Ro to always be "must watch" episodes when looking for something to turn on when I don't know what else to watch. They're not perfect but for some reason they're so compelling that I'll rewatch them pretty much any old time. And of course there's Inner Light and Cause and Effect, which are big winners for me.
Sun, Nov 4, 2018, 6:17am (UTC -5)
Mon, Dec 10, 2018, 1:15pm (UTC -5)
It doesn't make one lick of sense that an alien woman whose homeworld was destroyed by the Borg would find herself living it up in Earth's past - living it up large. And her character in the present isn't even consistent with the past.
They shoehorned her there. No brains. No logic. Also, why the heck would Data have ended up there from where he was?
Mon, Dec 10, 2018, 5:51pm (UTC -5)
Remember, Guinan did not time travel. In the 19th century, her race was presumably carefree and prosperous. Watching and mingling with earth's cultures was probably just a casual pastime for her. (Her race was only attacked by the Borg in the late 23rd century)
I can see her doing this-apparently the El-Aurians didn't have a "prime directive" prohibiting this. At worse, Guinan thought she might be in a bit of trouble with her father, not her race's ruling government
Tue, Dec 11, 2018, 10:29am (UTC -5)
Wed, Dec 12, 2018, 7:43pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Jan 6, 2019, 1:31pm (UTC -5)
Sorry for the two month delay. I don't really get the love for "Cause and Effect". It's a well told sci-fi tale, but it gets repetitive the first time through for me, let alone on re-watch. I'll take "Parallels" or "The Next Phase" over it any day (controversial opinion, I know).
Wed, Jan 16, 2019, 4:41pm (UTC -5)
so: Season 5-again a few very fair and good episodes ( Darmok, Inner Light eg) eclipsed by the mediocre.
I can't bear to think about episodes like The First Duty or I,Bore and that one with the Ferengi and Lwaxana Troi.
Fri, Apr 19, 2019, 10:52am (UTC -5)
From the opinions expressed over the years I have determined that the classic period for TNG lasted for seven seconds during the closing credits in an episode near the end of season three, but I can't work out which episode.
Fri, Apr 19, 2019, 10:53am (UTC -5)
...I meant of course, 'the Twain charcter'
Sat, Mar 7, 2020, 2:45pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 12:30am (UTC -5)
It's an understandable sentiment, possibly brought out by overly tight framing to hide modernisms, but, believe it or not, it was filmed on-location at Olvera Street in historic Old Los Angeles.
As an aside, some rough critics in here! I don't think I could get this far into a show whose average quality to me was 4 or 5 out of 10.
Sat, Aug 8, 2020, 8:26am (UTC -5)
Wed, Sep 23, 2020, 12:15pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Nov 20, 2020, 8:55am (UTC -5)
Mon, Jan 11, 2021, 12:13am (UTC -5)
Yes this one is world building but the cliffhanger was good. Lotta good parts in this.
Mon, Jan 11, 2021, 12:13am (UTC -5)
Mon, Jan 11, 2021, 2:42am (UTC -5)
As for the stuff about Picard being more mellowed in the rest of the series, which was seen as a decline, I'd see that as an intentional and fitting shift in tone by Patrick Stewart to reflect his "time" in The Inner Light.
Submit a comment
◄ Season Index