Star Trek: The Next Generation
"Lessons"
Air date: 4/5/1993
Written by Ronald Wilkerson & Jean Louise Matthias
Directed by Robert Wiemer
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
Picard meets the ship's new head of stellar science, Lt. Commander Nella Daren (Wendy Hughes), a smart, strong-willed woman and talented piano player, and he slowly learns that he enjoys spending time with her. They have deep conversations. They enjoy playing music together. Picard realizes he might want to have a real relationship with this woman — a member of the crew — which is not something he takes lightly. He tiptoes around it for a while before realizing that it might be something he wants to seriously pursue.
"Lessons" succeeds where so many TNG would-be romances have failed because it considers the romance as a serious and realistic piece of business and not as a hopelessly arbitrary and unconvincing afterthought of the plot ("Aquiel," "Birthright, Part II"). Here is the Starfleet equivalent of an office romance; Picard and Daren must proceed cautiously, because he's the captain, she is a member of his crew, appearances matter, and there are plenty of people who could potentially be made uncomfortable with the situation, even if no one does anything wrong. (Riker has such a moment where he questions whether his objectivity is being affected with regard to Daren in light of her relationship with Picard.)
Also important is how the story spends the necessary time setting up the relationship to give it legitimacy. Daren and Picard share an interest in music, which leads to a number of nice scenes featuring classical music, including one in the ship's most acoustically perfect location. The music lessons take on even more meaning when Picard explains to Daren the story behind the flute he plays, which serves as a welcome callback to "The Inner Light" and lends a lot of credence to the story's emotional center.
Ultimately, this story's lesson covers familiar territory similarly mined in "The Perfect Mate" — Picard cannot avoid a life of solitude because he will always have to choose duty over companionship. This theme reveals itself in the closing acts, where a crisis arises and Daren must be sent on a dangerous mission where she nearly perishes, forcing them both to confront the reality they both probably knew was already there. Naturally, Picard is not about to stop being the captain of the Enterprise, and TNG is not about to take on a permanent girlfriend for him. But "Lessons" presents a one-off romance with solid execution, believable situations, good performances from Wendy Hughes and (naturally) Patrick Stewart, and a genuine emotional core.
Previous episode: Starship Mine
Next episode: The Chase
Like this site? Support it by buying Jammer a coffee.
105 comments on this post
Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 10:31am (UTC -5)
Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 12:53pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 2:37pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Jul 14, 2012, 1:56pm (UTC -5)
Come to think of it, who was the chief science officer on 1701-D? Not Data; he was the operations manager. If the producers hadn't been worried about direct comparison with Spock, Data would've worn a blue uniform from the beginning, representing the scientific mission of the ship (and the show).
Ironically, Deep Space Nine had a blue-shirted science officer even though the original mission (quietly orbiting Bajor before the wormhole was discovered) would not have required one.
Mon, Jul 16, 2012, 4:13pm (UTC -5)
I loved her standoff with Riker, too.
I also thought it was great because I really thought they were going to kill her off--so was on the edge of my seat during the action parts. The look on Picard's face when she returns is priceless.
Wish they had revisited her in the finale--she'd have been such a better wife for Picard than that doctor.
Mon, Jul 16, 2012, 4:42pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Jul 20, 2012, 1:24pm (UTC -5)
Actually, I really enjoy Wendy Hughes' performance as Nella. I can't help liking this episode simply because most of the time we're in the presence of Hughes and Stewart. It's almost enough to look past the episode's flaws, but not quite enough.
Picard's relationship with Daren is what it is; we won't see her again, we know how they feel, it's fine. More crucial to Picard is his relationship with Crusher--her feelings about him are on display and there's a reasonable parallel between them and Troi/Riker as an unrequited pair. Crusher is all but tossed aside though and this theme is never revisited.
The music is a mixed blessing: while its general presence is refreshing (if for no other reason than to hear *good* music in Season 6) and carries the episode through thematically (although not as well as VOY's "Counterpoint"). The ridiculousness of what they do and say (changing a harmony in a Chopin piano trio huh? Picard's flute is so obviously a penny whistle...it worked okay in "Inner Light" because Picard's experience of the alien culture was filtered through his human perspective [hence why the aliens appeared human]) undermines the genuineness of the scenes.
There are a number of good pieces here, but I think Jammer's comment from "Birthright: Part I" applies: it "contains interesting issues worth exploring but is a failure at turning those issues into compelling drama."
2.5 stars from me.
Interesting sidenote: Nella's roll-out piano became the inspiration to a real-life practice tool that keyboardists use when they travel and don't have access to a piano. It's like cell-phones all over again!
Mon, Jul 23, 2012, 10:30am (UTC -5)
TNG didn't portray the starship as a workplace very often, but on those few ocassions, the detail made the setting more realistic, which heightened the drama. I wish they had done it more.
Tue, Jul 24, 2012, 12:32pm (UTC -5)
One was Wendy Hughes, actress, and the other would be Star Trek producer Wendy Neuss, whom he'd eventually marry, and then divorce.
Mon, Sep 10, 2012, 3:53pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Jun 18, 2013, 9:12am (UTC -5)
Tue, Jun 18, 2013, 9:25am (UTC -5)
Mon, Sep 2, 2013, 8:51pm (UTC -5)
Wed, Sep 18, 2013, 11:59am (UTC -5)
Picard saying, at the episode's end, that he realized that he could never enjoy his music again if Nella died, means a lot, I think, and explains why Nella's departure from the ship is necessary. In some ways, if Picard and Nella had started a relationship before The Inner Light -- well, Picard probably would not have gone for a real relationship before TIL, but bear with me -- I think he'd be able to bear the idea of losing her, on some level. But Picard has *already* lost that entire life -- he's already lost Eline, and his children, and an entire planet, and all he has left is his music and his memories. He can't go through that loss again, and, more to the point, he can't bear to lose *his music* because that is the only connection he has to a whole part of himself. The use of the music as a symbol for his experience there is poignant; there is something of a widower realizing that he can't remarry because if his new wife died, he would not be able to bear the memory of his previous wife, in all this. (It also reminds me of one of the most touching elements of the M*A*S*H finale.) I do wish that Nella had stayed on the ship, actually, because I love the Stewart and Hughes chemistry, I love seeing Stewart play smitten, and I love having a smart, headstrong science officer on the ship. But I think it makes sense that she had to leave, and the episode's relatively quiet tone makes the tragedy seem bearable rather than mawkish. The episode veers a little close to sentimentality at times, but I think it largely avoids it. Probably a high 3/low 3.5 from me.
Wed, Sep 18, 2013, 12:13pm (UTC -5)
In the list of season six episodes about Picard questioning his life choices, I obviously meant to add "Tapestry," and I think his attempt to start a relationship with Marta was his way of nipping his emotional disaffection in the bud. It seems to me as if young Picard's womanizing ways was (as it is with Kirk and Riker) a way of keeping people at an emotional distance while having the thrill and pleasure of sex, and once he decided to become a more serious person after his injury this got largely left behind, too (and it takes someone like Vash to reawaken that side of him). If he started dating Marta way back when, maybe he'd be able to be a guy who could have a real chance at love, now that he knows (from "TIL") that it's possible to do so and for him to like it. But of course, 'twas not to be.
Fri, Sep 27, 2013, 6:19am (UTC -5)
Sat, Sep 28, 2013, 8:18am (UTC -5)
Sat, Nov 23, 2013, 6:39pm (UTC -5)
Daren: "You're not used to playing with anyone, are you?"
Picard: "Just the computer."
Daren: "Hm, well, I may not be as precise as a computer, but I think you'll enjoy it more..."
Picard: *stares*
Haha!
Mon, Feb 17, 2014, 12:19pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Mar 9, 2014, 10:54pm (UTC -5)
I also have to give praise for the writing of Nella's character. Usually one-time guest characters with a major role in their one-time appearance are so lazily written, that you don't care about them because you know you'll never see them again. But at the end of the episode I realized I would miss Nella, and that's such a testament to Wendy Hughes, and her work portraying such a likable character. A fitting way to remember her after her passing yesterday. May she rest in peace.
Wed, May 14, 2014, 12:52am (UTC -5)
Thu, Aug 21, 2014, 11:34pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Feb 1, 2015, 6:01pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Mar 19, 2015, 6:57pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 12:22am (UTC -5)
I think he's playing annoyance and surprise at Picard's new girlfriend. Seemed fine to me...
Tue, Apr 21, 2015, 10:10pm (UTC -5)
Watching this show a decade and a half later shows how much *I've* probably grown. As a kid, I probably preferred "Starship Mine" to this outing, but now I barely tolerated "Starship Mine" and greatly enjoyed this one. Season 6 and on is where I'm more iffy with episodes since I caught more early-series re-runs than latter, so I was surprised and pleased to see a semi-sequel to "The Inner Light".
Great work all around. One of the very, very few 40-minute romances that has ever worked on Trek (the other, for me, is another Picard show: "The Perfect Mate" - makes me think this Stewart fellow can sell pretty much anything). There's also some genuine tension about the fate of Lt. Commander Daren on the away mission. Even though I'd seen this (but mostly forgot it), I still wasn't sure if she'd make it back. I was legitimately pleased when she beamed back up, and I think sparing her life was probably the better writing decision.
A high 3 stars for me. Season 6 is quickly becoming one of my favourite TNG seasons. A pleasant surprise, that's for sure. After the first 7 or 8 episodes, I'd thought the magic that Season 5's final third brought had vanished completely. Season 6 doesn't have as many Trek masterpieces as other seasons, but it keeps up a high batting average with a significant stock of very solid episodes.
Thu, Jun 11, 2015, 1:04am (UTC -5)
Much like your posting.
Fri, Jul 24, 2015, 3:23am (UTC -5)
Wed, Jul 29, 2015, 11:00am (UTC -5)
It does work off of Inner Light's coattails, but those are great coattails to follow.
I agree with grumpyotter, it would have been nice to have her appear in another episode, the finale, movie or something. Especially since they didn't break up, though it is likely she moved on.
Sat, Aug 22, 2015, 12:44am (UTC -5)
She seems to not understand that other people besides her department are on this ship and need it's resources and she isn't the most important person there.
Anything else about this episode is basically lost on me because I can't get over the fact that this woman should not be a department head and doesn't have any understanding of how this ship works and her dating the captain is such a huge issue because of it because she DOES make unreasonable requests and ask for special treatment constantly.
Mon, Aug 24, 2015, 8:03am (UTC -5)
Mon, Aug 24, 2015, 7:54pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 1:15am (UTC -5)
Thank you very much for your comment, which gave me a point of view I hadn’t considered at all. A comment on what you wrote:
You have to remember that Star Trek only has about 42 minutes to tell a story. As a result of that, personality traits are often exaggerated, so that the audience can get the picture early and the story can progress.
As such, Darren is portrayed as the ambitious, driven, and above all, passionate department head.
And as such, she is the perfect department head.
I work at a major European university, and we see the exact same thing going on. Faculties competing for ressources. And within each faculty―Humanities, in my case―various departments competing ferociously over the allocation of ressources.
This is what Darren basically represents. In the case of universities, and except for the very, very top universities, which will have very good departments across the board, most universities tend to specialize and have one elite department, so to speak. A typical case in the US―I presume you’re American―is Texas A&M University, a somewhat undistinguished university, which however has one of the best nautical archaeology departments in the world (I’m a historian of the Ancien Regime, and particularly of navies and empires in the age of sail).
Again: all this is what that facet of the Darren character you are discussing is about. Darren is that department head who, in my world, will tell the faculty dean that her department has a good shot at entering the “Top5 in the World” with the allocation of a few more ressources that will allow say, snatching two great scholars she’s been having talks with from other universities, and that strengthening her department further surely is worth more for the university than investing in some obscure other department.
And I have to tell you: this is what any good department head will do. Deep down, any good department head must feel that his department is more deserving of ressources than any other, and fight for them, and for the bettering of the department. If he doesn’t, he is merely a bureaucrat, an administrator.
Of course, the Enterprise is a slightly different case: it’s a large vessel (the flagship of the Federation!), out where no man has gone before, and it has to run like a smooth engine: there is little room for the sort of fights over ressources―time, money, technology, people―I’m talking about out in some distant sector of space. But if you focus on that, and the usual exaggeration of character traits we see on Star Trek, you’re missing the main point that the story is trying to tell us about Darren: that she is, above all, very passionate about what she does. Which of course is why Picard likes her.
Of course, no department head in her actual situation, on a vessel in deep space (and the flagship of the Federation at that!), would ever run such a critical, seven-hour experiment without notifying other departments. It's an absurd idea; but it's the way the writers try to tell us something important about the Darren character. As usual on Star Trek, we have to look a little bit further that what we see on screen, and avoid a literal reading.
I find her an extremely competent and likable person, and would hire her on the spot to run a department, anywhere.
But again, thank you for your comment. It’s funny how we can be so used to our own way of thinking that we miss alternate ways of viewing things completely.
Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 2:10am (UTC -5)
I have no actual experience with working in a multi-faculty setting or one with an excessive budget and the idea that this was relatively normal (if exaggerated) behaviour was one that hadn't even occurred to me. Thanks for the insight on how that might work.
I still PERSONALLY can't get into this episode because I actively dislike Darren and even understanding her motivations doesn't change the fact that she comes across as a type of person I automatically dislike and root against even when justified so *I* can't emotionally invest in the character and by extension, the episode, but I can better understand how other people can see her as more of a motivated go getter type fighting for her department and connect with her.
Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 6:49am (UTC -5)
Sat, Sep 12, 2015, 1:11am (UTC -5)
In regards to a few points made by others above, Data wore gold because, as the show was being developed, of the various makeup tests they did they liked the gold makeup on Spiner the best, but it looked horrible with a blue uniform. Similarly Stewart and Frakes looked best in red, and together this resulted in the red/gold switch between TOS and TNG. They then ginned up the job of Operations Manager to explain his gold uniform.
Since Data filled the story role of Spock despite not being the science officer, TNG never established a generalist science officer among the senior staff. High-ranking officers like Daren presumably headed up the different science departments on TNG. Given the ship's status as a giant traveling science station, I think this makes sense.
I've heard more than once that Data is explicitly referred to as science officer once or twice on TNG. I can't find an instance where this happens, but there is one case where he is recording a log and refers to himself as "second" officer but the audio isn't great and I think people are mistakenly hearing it as "science" officer.
Mon, Sep 28, 2015, 10:05am (UTC -5)
Almost all of the credit for this episode falls squarely on Patrick Stewart's shoulders. Look, I'm sorry, but I really don't enjoy watching stuff like Picard playing music or having long, in-depth conversations with people about stuff like stellar cartography and the like. I find it boring! But, Stewart, being the artist that he is, still manages to infuse the story with some warmth and character. I particularly loved how he played the scene of Picard alone in his quarters after he thinks Daren is dead. A lesser actor would probably have chewed the scenery to death in that scene (shades of Avery Brooks in "Far Beyond the Stars" come to my mind). But Stewart plays it remarkably restrained. He knows that we, as an audience, are fully capable of emotionally connecting with the character without any wild gestures or over-the-top emoting. Even in the rather dull and plodding music scenes between him and Wendy Hughes he manages to infuse it with some kind of charisma. He's not capable of making the scenes riveting or anything, but at least they're watchable. Again, in the hands of a lesser actor, those scenes would have been dramatic death. Even the shots of him playing that damn flute and of him recounting the events of "The Inner Light" are passable because he's so good at his craft. But, given that Stewart's acting was about the only thing I liked about "The Inner Light," it really doesn't surprise me that his recounting of it is also good.
However, when you get right down to the bare-bones of it, "Lessons" is nothing more than another romance-of-the-week story. And I simply can't stand these stories because 1.) they're so damn over-done and 2.) they're so predictable. Everybody, and I mean everyone - let's not kid ourselves here, knew right from the get-go that this relationship wouldn't last and that it would somehow end by the time the end credits rolled. As a result, like all other Trek romances-of-the-week, it carries virtually no emotional punch for me. Why should it? Why should I bother to emotionally invest in something I 100% know isn't going to last? I'm more emotional invested in the Picard/Crusher relationship because they've at least been teasing that for a good long while now. But what really bothers me is that stories of this sort just smack of lazy writing. It's like the writers really want to have the characters have some romance but aren't willing to actually put in the work necessary for that romance to be believable. I'm also really tired of seeing a constant stream of characters put their careers before their relationships. It's why Picard and Daren can't be together. It's why Riker and Troi can't be together. It's why Picard and Crusher never get together. It's why Kirk never settled down. It's why the O'Briens have so many martial problems on DS9. Can't we just once get a relationship where someone says "no, my love for you comes first, before even my career"?
Still, I will give "Lessons" credit for doing something that is rather rare for romances-of-the-week - it's not a love at first sight story. It does take at least some time to develop the relationship instead of simply having Picard and Daren instantly fall head over heels in love after knowing each other for five minutes. This and DS9's "A Simple Investigation" are probably the only ones that even attempt do to so. Now, I believe that love at first sight exists, but it's a rarity (not the norm) and should be treated as such. "Lessons" really rubs against that grain, so I can't bring myself to dislike it.
5/10
Wed, Oct 7, 2015, 3:50pm (UTC -5)
As others have noted, this is unusual in relationship episode terms because it gives the romance room to breathe. Yes, it still seems quick, but at least not ridiculously so. The only trouble is, taking the time to develop the story does make for a rather slow and plodding hour.
It is saved to a degree by the call back to The Inner Light, which adds a depth and resonance that helps ground the story line in something that feels real. And at last it doesn't kill Daren off at the end... 2.5 stars.
Sun, Oct 11, 2015, 12:58pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Jan 25, 2016, 11:51am (UTC -5)
Wed, Feb 24, 2016, 9:03pm (UTC -5)
The highlight of the episode was Picard's excitement at seeing Daren's chunky roll-up keyboard. If someone replaced his ready room console with an iPad Pro his head would explode.
Thu, Feb 25, 2016, 10:57pm (UTC -5)
LOL.
As for Jack's point, I don't find it unreasonable that a starship's systems might interfere with a stellar cartography (or, as normal people call it, astronomy) observation. But Jack is right that the scene was basically an index card with "They Meet" and no thought given to how a starship might actually operate. Now, that's probably a safe trade-off; more viewers care about the character drama than the tech. But I wish the writers could've relied on Sternbach & Okuda for more than plausible-sounding words to pad the dialogue.
Now I realize my comment is similar in spirit to one I made about this episode, above. Almost 4 years ago.
Tue, Aug 9, 2016, 10:22am (UTC -5)
Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:38pm (UTC -5)
Picard and Some Woman play music together. And stare at each other for what seems like half the episode. For some unknown reason they fall in love, then at the end of this dreadful tripe they part company, thank god.
I have no idea what anyone sees in "Lessons". Zero stars. Or maybe a half-star for the bit right at the beginning where the episode looked to be going somewhere. Before he met that woman.
Thu, Oct 13, 2016, 9:57am (UTC -5)
If I had to guess, I think the fact that there's any continuity with "The Inner Light" is probably the main factor this is rated as high as it usually is with people. Myself, I wouldn't call it a classic by any stretch however it's far more enjoyable than something like "Aquiel", "Genesis", or "Cost of Living".
Thu, Oct 13, 2016, 1:46pm (UTC -5)
Like Picard, she has a passion for artistic expression, and after "The Inner Light", for music in Picard's case. Prior to that ep Picard was still prone to play Shakespeare with Data on the holodeck and the read poetry. She has a passion for her work which supersedes mere dedication to Starfleet as a duty. She is competent and even-handed, and very intelligent. She has particular ways of doing things, and knows details of parts of the ship no one else does, like Picard. So why does this make her so special? She is the Picard that might have been as shown in "Tapestry", with all the passion and care but without his reckless ambition. She literally has the job and position he had in that alternate reality, and even the temperament in a sense. I see the two of them as being very much alike, especially at this later part of Picard's life.
I personally think this is a beautiful episode about why exactly Picard has to be alone in his life. Everyone knows he keeps to himself, but this is why. All the questions of why he and Crusher can't just admit their feelings for each other - explained in large part right here. He couldn't live with the guilt and worry again like he did after Jack's death. All of this, combined with a calm tone until the brief crisis, makes it something of a unique episode, and as a brief departure from TNG's standard pace, quite welcome.
Thu, Oct 13, 2016, 6:05pm (UTC -5)
So the difference between Picard and Neela is not as stark as it is between the two Picards, but it is probably still there: Picard gives the orders for her to hold, and Neela has to hold. Neela does her job, even bravely, but I think the exchange at the end says quite a bit:
NEELA: At first, when you told us to hold our positions, I didn't question it. Of course we would. That was our job. But when I saw that storm coming toward us.
PICARD: Part of you must have blamed me.
NEELA: A small part, maybe. But in the end, I was more afraid that you would blame yourself if I died. Would you have?
PICARD: I've lost people under my command. People who were very dear to me. But never someone I've been in love with. And when I believed that you were dead, I just began to shut down. I didn't want to think or feel. I was here in my quarters, and the only thing I could focus on was my music, and how it would never again give me any joy. Then I saw you standing on the transporter pad and I knew that I could never again put your life in jeopardy.
I think Neela wants to be a scientist and an artist, and is willing to be a leader in the scientific sphere the better to do her research, but she mostly would prefer to let other people make the kinds of life-and-death decisions we see at the end of the episode. And Picard does not want to offload them. His guilt over Jack is because he refuses to abdicate personal responsibility. To some extent, Neela is willing to defer to Picard, and interpret her own life-and-death struggle in terms of what he would think of it. The trade-off we see is that Neela is mostly able to live with this arrangement, and seems to be a mostly happier person, whereas Picard cannot divest himself from responsibility and guilt for each of his choices, even if they were the right ones. This is perhaps part of what makes the recklessness of young Picard so important -- that awareness that every moment in life is a choice comes partly from that Nausicaan attack but also generally his early rebellious recognition that one cannot just trust in convention to guide ones actions. This also ties in with "The Inner Light," where part of Picard's ability to accept life as Kamin depended on his eventually coming to a place where he accepted first that he was not going to find a way back to the Enterprise, and then that he was not going to be able to save the planet from extinction, and chose to focus on his personal life instead.
Fri, Jan 6, 2017, 6:39pm (UTC -5)
What really bugs me the most about things like this is just ask a damn musician to not only review your line of dialogue but to help you write it. There are many things that Darren could have done with the piece that Picard could have commented on in a believable way. "Your phrasing after the coda was great", "the dynamic range in your playing was very elegant", etc. Finally the worst part of something like this is Riker IS a musician! He's played trombone since school, when we see him play trombone he really is playing trombone (save for the time he's playing with a quartet and his birthday party but that's simply for technical reasons - he does a fine job faking it as he really plays). Why the writers would have run that past Frakes and/or he (Frakes) wouldn't chime in during the episode to say "Uh, that's stupid dialogue, try this instead".
I'm sure I'm in the minority that gets bugged by this, it's just so avoidable a mistake that I've never understood it since it's so damn easy to prevent it.
Fri, Jan 6, 2017, 8:06pm (UTC -5)
That's really fascinating, and definatly something I wouldn't have thought about.
There is one point I think I can argue, though. It might be just as ridiculous as the episode's problems are for you though. Namely, I think at this point it's been established that Picard suffered from some future!disease that gave him a very sensitive ear. In Innsurrection for example, he hears a misalignment in the engines from the bridge, amazing Geordie. Couse that was partly due to what was happening in rhe movie, but the way Picard reacts, it's not an uncommon occurance.
Fri, Jan 6, 2017, 11:31pm (UTC -5)
Ugh, why have you made me do this. But here we go:
"Again for the non-musicians there is but a single note difference between the two cords, in fact it's not even a full note/tone - it's a half tone as an F minor chord would have an A as it's third where a D diminished would have an Ab (A flat) as it's 5th - so in simple terms the difference in sound of those two chords 1 time in a piece would be absolutely indistinguishable to any human ear."
You are incorrect about the structure of these chords.
Here is F minor: F - Ab - C. With an A-natural, as you suggested, it would be F major.
Here is D diminished: D - F - Ab.
So according to the dialogue what Darren did was substitute the D natural for a C natural. And yes, a trained musician would definitely hear the difference if they knew the piece. There is a zero percent chance I would miss a minor chord substituting for a diminished one in a piece I knew very well. It would very likely make me raise my eyebrows and sit up straight in a big hurry. And my ear training is only so-so compared with some people. Some conductors can hear one instrument make an error of one semitone in a 100 piece ensemble. I work with choirs a lot and can certainly pick out a wrong semitone by one person in a choir of 20-30 people. Darren's note change is a full tone, though, and frankly if Picard *didn't* notice it that would likely mean he didn't know the piece all that well in the first place.
As to whether a classical pianist would improvise in a performance, of course they would, even today. Adding ornamentation to Baroque or classical repertoire is quite standard, and while rewriting the piece on the fly would be odd, changing one note in one chord (especially as an ornamental gesture) is not really a big deal depending on the venue. I hear organists mess around with harmonization all the time. That being said the episode takes place more than 300 years in the future, so criticizing someone's performance practice in that era using today's standards would be very strange indeed!
This is all theoretical, so I just went and listened to the musical piece in question. To be honest I'm not 100% sure what Picard means when he says the "second arpeggio", since in the first arpeggio section there are two of them in a row, the second of which is a diminished chord. Shortly after that there is another arpeggio section which does end with an odd-sounding minor chord. Assuming for the moment Picard's comment is accurate I suppose he therefore meant the final arpeggiated chord of the second section. While I incidentally think the minor chord there sounds kind of bad, nevertheless it would mean the comments made are logical and fit what was played. No doubt Dennis McCarthy, the composer, is the one who told the writers what to have Picard say, so in that sense it would probably be unreasonable in and of itself to assume that the composer himself doesn't know what he's talking about with regard to his own piece.
Conclusion: the dialogue makes perfect sense, even though I disagree with Picard's appraisal of the chord choice.
Mon, Jan 9, 2017, 8:09am (UTC -5)
I'm a musician as well (bassist for 24 years, drummer on the side if you consider that a musician lol).. Anyhow I always pay close attention to actors on TV when they're supposed to be playing an instrument and seeing if they really know how or not. Good example of faking it: Terrance Howard on acoustic guitar on an episode of "Empire". Horrible example of faking it: Any of the Zack Attack band members minus Slater on "Saved By the Bell" lol.
Thanks for the insight on this episode though. I'm not classically trained and have learned everything I know by ear / myself so this is cool insight.
Wed, Jan 25, 2017, 5:50pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Mar 30, 2017, 2:05pm (UTC -5)
There is no one behind Patrick Stewart "playing" the flute; he did the finger motions himself. But I saw him explain in an interview once that the flute made no noise when he "played" it--the sound was added later.
Sun, Apr 16, 2017, 12:40pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Apr 21, 2017, 9:44pm (UTC -5)
Sun, May 28, 2017, 4:51pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Aug 28, 2017, 7:03am (UTC -5)
I still enjoy playing the song today.
Fri, Sep 8, 2017, 10:46am (UTC -5)
And needless to say, I thought it a very well done and thought out episode. I loved that Capt. Picard could have even for short time, a ship board romance. I also agree with the writers decision to have Darren simply leave the ship and not be killed off.
Tue, Nov 7, 2017, 5:19pm (UTC -5)
Picard's acting is great here -- his expressions just before he sees Daren beam down to the planet and then thinks Daren has been killed were perfect. The Daren character was well acted and a good fit for Picard.
I thought Daren would be killed but that would probably have been too obvious. Of course, Picard can't have a girlfriend as a crew member over the long-term so Daren puts in for a transfer conveniently. But it's all handled well. There have been enough clunky romances in TNG, but here it's done credibly. That's nice for a change.
2.5 stars for "Lessons" -- good treatment of the captain having a romance both for the effects on the rest of the crew and for the captain himself. Not the most exciting of episodes but a good character piece for Picard -- with a decent ending.
Fri, Nov 17, 2017, 4:44am (UTC -5)
This one was kinda boring. Lots of space in this episode and slow. I do applaud the casting of an age appropriate love interest in Darren but this kinda spin it’s wheels
Mon, Jan 1, 2018, 3:24pm (UTC -5)
Wow, an episode that actually has direct references to another episode (the Inner Light). For the most part, this is an entertaining one to watch. The high-point is Picard sitting in his quarters by himself not knowing if his girlfriend is going to survive. That moment is ruined a little later when he is talking to her again and reveals to her what he was thinking during that moment in his quarters. It sounds a lot less emotional when described in words.
Then we have the fast breakup at the end, as we've seen many, many times on TNG. Heaven forbid we have a long term relationship on the show. Well, I guess we have Riker and Troi, but still.
Wed, Jan 17, 2018, 11:34am (UTC -5)
P.S: And props to casting for Lt. Daren- A woman who ALMOST looks like ol' Bev but 20x better!
Sat, Jan 27, 2018, 12:02am (UTC -5)
Thu, Mar 29, 2018, 8:49pm (UTC -5)
This episode also inspired the "musical duet" episodes in Voyager and DS9, one of the few times TNG invented a Trek sub-genre which would be parroted by subsequent Trek series (TNG mostly elaborated upon TOS formulas).
One thing no one else has mentioned: One of Picard's final lines here is "I've lost people under my command. People who were very dear to me. But never someone I've been in love with." He chooses his words very carefully. He doesn't say "someone I love", but "I've been in love with", a kind of implied, brutally pragmatic, past tense.
Tue, May 8, 2018, 1:22am (UTC -5)
I agree with all of your points. But an Fminor does not contain an A, it has an Aflat. The difference between an Fminor and a diminished D is, in fact, a whole tone ~ from Cnatural to Dnatural; from the 5th of the Fminor to the root of the Ddiminished.
Mon, May 21, 2018, 1:13pm (UTC -5)
I liked the story. My memory was the she died in the storm but this was defensively a better and logical ending. Star Trek is unrealistic, what I do not like is when the characters are behaving unrealistic. Here the love storey, although being quite fast, comes over realistically. Good script and good acting from Stewart and Huges.
It is a high quality non action episode. I like these.
Wed, May 23, 2018, 7:53am (UTC -5)
I always liked that one, i like Patrick Stewart in the role and as Troi
said it, it was very pleasing to see him truly happy.
I also really liked Riker here. I thought he handled the whole Situation
very professional. Also a good Performance by Frakes.
The Scene with Picard finger-fencing with him was great! The look on his face.
What to say about Nella and the Romance......hmmm....great chemistry,
good acting, one of the best scenes in all of TNG (Jeffereys Tube scene)
No complaints there...would have been a clear 4Star Episode for me but
that is my personal view and in now way meant as critique to the review.
Have to add that this website really enhances my experience on rewatches,
great work even if there are some reviews where i have to object but thats
the point of a review. It`s always personal. Yes if someone does this
often then there should be continuity.
But ask yourself guys. This reviews are often years old.
If you had rated those years ago?
Would the rating be the same as you gave today?
Greets
Wed, May 23, 2018, 8:42am (UTC -5)
I first watched all of this as a Teenager, not every Episode in order, but over the
years on reruns i think i got all Episodes at least once.
Then some years ago i bought the whole 7 Season Set.
Then a friend gifted me the Set with the 2-Part Episodes....
I'm thankfull of it anyway but it was a bit superflous. :)
To topic:
*The scene where Picard puts his Flute away after thinking Cmd. Darren (Nella)
is dead. Again it is Patrick Stewarts ability to convey emotions wich sells the scene.*
Wow.....this really touched me.
This Episode always makes me a little sad.....it is lifting your spirit all the time
and then you are faced with a hard but necessary reality.
(i too doubt the necessitiy of this...i think for the last 1,5 seasons
they could/should have taken the brave step of including her to the cast.)
I can't stop to praise Stewart in this Episode, there are some Episodes i
watch only for him.
This is a lost opportunity for a really fullfilling relationship for both of them,
but they are both taking something with them, wich will be there for all
their life. And this is the great thing about that Episode.
It shows you that even a relationship you really were invested in(love?),
but wich didn't come to pass, can give you something good wich you take
with you for life.
I like that one!
Wed, May 23, 2018, 9:47am (UTC -5)
"(i too doubt the necessitiy of this...i think for the last 1,5 seasons
they could/should have taken the brave step of including her to the cast.) "
I don't think there was ever a chance this was happening. I mean physically-speaking Darren is a better-looking Bev. By this point in the show I think they were trying to milk the crap out of any sexual tension Picard and Crusher had anyhow.
Wed, May 23, 2018, 10:09am (UTC -5)
Yes, you are right, there was never a real chance for that given TNG's format but
i really would have liked to see it happen. The outlook of having Picard
deal with this for a few Episodes would have been great, but as i knew the series
beforehand i knew it would not happen. Just would have liked it.
I have to disagree a bit on the Crusher thing, most of the time i liked the
subdued tension there. It was there in "Attached" and that was one of the
2 things that Episode got right. Also i find both good looking. McFadden is a bit
cold, but maybe thats her script....im giving her that much.
Anyway it is true there was never a chance for this to go forth.
Wed, May 23, 2018, 10:33am (UTC -5)
"McFadden is a bit cold, but maybe thats her script....im giving her that much. "
No, I think it's just her. She was fired after S1 for basically bringing very little to the table in terms of charisma or acting chops. She was only brought back due to fan appeals, and due to the fact that the guy responsible for the sacking...was sacked.
Wed, May 23, 2018, 1:25pm (UTC -5)
Not arguing, but i think bringing her back due to "fan appeals" is somewhat telling.
I am really no Crusher supporter, i just found the mention of the actress of Nella Daren, being a better looking Crusher, not fair.
First of all it is subjective, second it is not the broad opinion, yes Crusher is no
fan favorit, but i think that is not the Actress fault. Again...no defending but i am
generally not comfortable with calling out other peoples looks.
Beverly Crusher on the TNG Run was annoying, bad written, but in no way unattractive. As i said i too found her cold and a little to much "to-business" but that is the Character not the Person playing it.
(But....if you ask me personally....i am also smitten by the Nella Daren Actress.
Maybe cause i love Dark hair but she is such a great Person to Partner Picard.)
On this board, i really often have a hard time telling apart peoples opinion
of an Actor to that of an Character. Sometimes it is specified but most often
it goes without mention who is being meant. (Character or Actor)
But, that is Star Trek and this is why we love it. Sink right in and forget.
I often take the stance of some Character as well and i think this is what
makes a great series.
Greets
Wed, May 23, 2018, 1:48pm (UTC -5)
Actually I think McFadden was rather attractive, more so than Sirtis. Although I do have to agree that a permanent Neela Darren would have been awesome. But that being said the writers for these shows usually get their cues from the actors involved. If what they see is exciting they'll want to write about it; it's pretty much as simple as that. It's a given that the star of the show will get a lot of episodes, but for the rest of the cast in a way the casting process is ongoing and they have to sell themselves each show so that the writers have something to work with. Sure, the character bibles and story writing would have been all there to work with prior to filming the first few episodes, but once it started airing regularly script submissions would be based on what they saw in the performance.
You can check out Voyager for a really good example of cast members that set themselves apart and those that didn't, because those that didn't basically wrote themselves out of the show. The exception is probably Tuvok, who got written out solely because of Seven's introduction, so he really got screwed there. But overall it should come as no surprise that Harry and Chakotay got benched, while Doc ended up the de facto star of the show along with Seven.
McFadden had plenty of chance to shine even despite crappy scripting but as you mention plays every scene as just business and inserted nothing of her own. Sure, some great writer could just make up stuff for her to say that obliges her to show some character, but most writers will work with what's already there. If you don't give them much they won't come up with much for you. You can look at Garak from DS9 as well to see an actor that inspired the writers to bring him back. The original intention was for it to be a one-time appearance, and - on an unrelated series - the same is true of the Bester character on Babylon 5.
Re: fans asking for her back, I don't dislike her my any means, and am quite fond of Remember Me, but that being said I think back then the fans were going to latch on the original cast as being "it" regardless of their merits or demerits. Let's face it: Denise Crosby wasn't much good on the show, but that didn't stop fans from deifying her departure. This was in an age before "Eh, I wish they'd kill her off already" was a thing. So I wouldn't take a fan's attachment to the cast as an untouchable sacred thing to necessarily be a reflection on what each cast member was really bringing to the table.
Wed, May 23, 2018, 2:56pm (UTC -5)
(this is getting long....)
Most of this i can sign without a second thought.
Some things i would like to point out:
The Voyager cast for example, those where hit or miss.
Some of them made the most memorable Star Trek
portrayals. Tuvok as you said is one of my favourites too.
Tbh i think him the best Vulcan ever but i have to admit i never
watched TOS....i just cant stand it....it is too cheesy....too bad
production values even if i tell myself it is old.
(And from the bits i have seen from TOS i am not a Spock fan either.....)
I mean he (Spock) defined what a Vulcan has to be (from what he got from the writers)....so this is unfair from the start.
Everyone else had the chance to build of what he did.....but anyway...im born to late to love Spock sry....just can't get into TOS. I feel deeply ashamed. :)
I really would like to elaborate on Tuvok but i think it is suffice to say that i
would have made him main baddy in "Starship Mine".
May have prevented him from playing Tuvok later, so maybe the writers made the right choice. :) Tim Russ really is a great addition to the ST Universe.
Doc really confirms your Theory, he definetly made main (and i mean main....sry restofcast) because of his Performance. Just the same as Picard, just having an Episode with him as the main character makes for a great watch. And i also
heard he is a great guy at Conventions. :) Can not say much of that from Germany but i always liked those people who do not despise their
career-making Characters.....just think of yourself....despise the company
that helped you get succesful...thats not good manners...that is unprofessional.
Stop on that, new topic. :)
It is true, that most people (me included), have a totally distorted view at how those series are produced. On rewatches i always try to take it in as an objective
observer but that often fails. It is very intriguing to hear those things about the cast battling for Screentime and importance. I can very well imagine that.
Your Garak comparison is really a great example. That Character really made me like him over a couple seasons. But i think this would have been possible with
some of TNG's characters as well...sometimes they just don't get something
to work with.
Tasha, never liked her...never missed her, never was thrilled by her
reappearance. Hard to blame that on anyone...there is just nothing to
talk about.....maybe just the writers never gave her something to shine.
Nice discussion by the way, not used to such polite disagreements on the
internet. :-)
Wed, May 23, 2018, 3:29pm (UTC -5)
Wed, May 23, 2018, 4:03pm (UTC -5)
TOS in due time, first time i watched it must be like >2000.
And sorry...i dont mind old things...one if my favourite movies is
"12 angry men" but i just cant stand old TOS+TOS movies.
And it was not the thing in Germany that it was in the US.
So i simply find it cheap. Not much more to say...i tried to
watch TOS but i cant bring myself to like it.
I did not say anything about Nimoys depiction that is not true!
I think most of the Star Trek Actors did a great and underrated job.
Science fiction has a hard time attracting good actors....so.
Thu, Jun 7, 2018, 2:41am (UTC -5)
Of course Neela wasn't going to last more than one episode but it was handled as well as could be expected. At least she wasn't killed off. I'd give this a solid 3.5 stars.
Sun, Jun 10, 2018, 5:57am (UTC -5)
Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 7:03pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Oct 12, 2018, 8:56am (UTC -5)
Spiner, as Data mimicing a small talk master in the previous episode shows that he is another terrific actor in this series.
Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 6:29am (UTC -5)
I guess the part that sticks with me is when Picard explains the significance of his Flute, something which is obviously difficult for him to talk about. I love the scene very much. I love "The Inner Light" and although I wouldn't technically call this a sequel, it's still nice to get it referenced in a major way which is relevant to the plot.
I can't help but think that if TNG were made these days it would be a very different show with complex story arcs that require lots of focus and attention. Essentially with most episodes (or two parters) are pretty much self contained and apart from some storylines (eg Worf's discommendation, Picard being assimilated etc) there aren't that many story arcs. I wonder if they ever remade TNG (and it's probably inevitable, recasting the characters) how different it might be.
Sat, Apr 13, 2019, 5:12am (UTC -5)
An aside - I really wish people would put frickin spoiler warnings here if they are going to reference episodes after the one in question. I've had parts of the season finale ruined twice now. Just because its an old series, doesn't mean everyone has seen it.
Sat, Apr 27, 2019, 7:05pm (UTC -5)
I just have to chime in and say this is such a fantastic episode, and I normally enjoy the mindless episodes like Starship Mine and Genesis. Darren is such a great character, she has more depth in one episode than Yar/Troi/Crusher ever get. I would've like to see more of her, although understand why that didn't happen.
Riker was also good here, and I agree with the other comments about how it's nice to see more of the normal day-to-day startship operations.
4/4 stars for me.
Sun, May 5, 2019, 11:19am (UTC -5)
I think a lot of the leadup was unnecessary and I have some nitpicks:
I enjoyed the romance at the start. So good to see the Captain dating someone else accomplished and passionate about life like Vash. However, I noticed in their interactions at the beginning they were all encyclopedic in nature: no personal experiences or feelings were shared at all, only factual things. This doomed them as a couple as it meant no real intimacy was being created as is created by the sharing of difficult or sensitive thoughts or experiences. Yes its true they played instruments together.
It's funny there are no regulations on affairs between officers. Its funny how the captain's concern is that his objectivity be compromised. There is no harassment concern at all. This always make me think that the writers are too isolated and limited in their life experiences and have never worked in an enterprise(no pun intended) where these things have been thought through and the perils and remedies identified. And no this isn't just because this is 1993 or whenever. And Troi gives her permission as "cutting off emotions can have serious consequences". Troi pack up your things. You are officially useless.
Its funny that Nella asks Picard why he is sharing his experience with the planet probe. IT was a HUGE experience. Imagine not sharing that. So Picard reaches out with some real intimacy. And Nella's response? hmmmm
Then the episode continues as if workplace relationships have never been experienced anywhere in the galaxy and they are truly being exploratory once again....
then wow Picard jokes about firing her if she doesn't remain effective. yes it was done lightheartedly but seriously..
overall I did enjoy the romance for Picard which was the point afterall… at least it wasn't a minuet type character.
I just feel that the solution was a little rushed and showed a real weakness in Picard. The people on his ship put themselves in danger all the time and would have it no other way. He allows his own fear to interfere in Nella's life. Now they have no relationship AND she is off the flagship.
7/10
Wed, Jun 19, 2019, 3:52pm (UTC -5)
If I wanted a romantic story I'd read Jane Austen.
Wed, Jun 19, 2019, 5:56pm (UTC -5)
One could say the same about your reviews. ;-)
Sun, Sep 1, 2019, 10:16pm (UTC -5)
When I saw violin, cello, piano on stage, I was thinking violin and cello concerto with piano accompaniment. But then they launch into almost a piano concerto with violin and cello accompaniment. It's Chopin, so it highlights the pianist, lets her be romantic and show off her technical chops. It says a lot about her character. Nice choice Darren :).
I love how the actors approach their instruments, and the camera-angle tricks which are so understated you almost wonder why they even bothered to do them. But they did, and knowing that they really cared about this scene makes it that much more fun to watch.
My theory on Picard's remark after the recital: maybe she just flubbed a note. A flub's not a big deal, and in most circumstances no one would have ever noticed. But Picard notices? It says something about his character; he's probably been listening to recordings of this piece alone on the computer in his room to "prepare" for the recital. And he's probably missing the social context of live performance, so he doesn't recognize a flub for what it is. He assumes it's an artistic choice. It then says something about Darren's character that a half second later they've forgotten all about it and are making plans to play together. So smooth, Darren :).
Fri, Dec 6, 2019, 12:20pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Apr 12, 2020, 2:19am (UTC -5)
When Picard and Crusher left their meal in a hurry to attend the concert, I wondered if there is mold in the future. It seems plausible their environmental systems would filter it out. When Troi sat behind Picard at the concert, I half expected her to say, "Captain, I sense you are quite randy."
I was amused when Picard was impressed by the technology of a novelty rollup piano that might have existed by this episode's filming. Its invention wouldn't have been far off otherwise; those things have been around for a long time.
It's fun to pretend that Picard is actually crazy when he's telling the story of his probe life. In reality, his date would be scoping the closest exit. Maybe Geordi can help Picard recreate his girlfriend on the holodeck and then have her find out about it the following season.
Sun, Apr 12, 2020, 11:03am (UTC -5)
It's a 31-key keyboard that somehow manages to produce the full range of pitches of an actual 88-key piano.
I would be impressed too. ;-)
Sat, Jun 27, 2020, 12:09pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 6:40pm (UTC -5)
It ended exactly as he should. Would had been a real downer if Nella died on the planet. Picard didn't need a wifey. He already had one in Crusher. But for me, I couldn't have that deep of a platonic relationship with a woman. Close female friends were friends with benefits. Of course everytime we had an understanding, the woman would mess it up by falling in love, saying they can't help it. I get enough seeing Miles going home to his wife in a few episodes. It wouldn't be Trek if Picard went on an away mission, and turned down some strange that was thrown his way because Nella was waiting with dinner as soon as he got back, and he better not be late. "It's Good to be the King".
I know this was an episode from 1993, but 15 years later, that roll up keyboard is common place. And if you want to call that flute playing music, well ok. It sounded just like the plastic flutes we played when I was in the 5th grade. I was so happy when in the 6th grade you could take band class and get a real instrument to play. I chose the Trumpet.
As for Riker getting all miffed when Nella made an offer to a crew member. It looked like that was the only job he had on the ship, and she took away the hard decision to allow a crew member to move to a new section on the ship from him. "It was my job!!"
Not sure why the crew would care who the captain hooked up with. As long as they aren't making out in public, who cares? Picard never had a problem with people seeing him hanging out with Crusher all the time. And she visited his cabin on the regular for talk and tea. There would be speculation in what they did behind closed doors. He definitely never pretended he didn't know her in the turbolift. They were close buddies. Nella was a Commander, so why couldn't they also be friends without him being all up tight about it? How many times has Troi been in his Ready Room? Never saw him leave the door propped open for appearances sake while she did some "counseling" . The writers write these episodes thinking people hadn't seen all the other episodes.
At least Riker didn't have a problem marrying some chick he met in a holosuite in the episode where the little boy made him believe he was married with a kid while the boy catfished him. Just like the advice the Lt. Rasczak gave Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers, "Never pass up a good thing".
Mon, Oct 5, 2020, 2:30pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Oct 24, 2020, 9:31am (UTC -5)
And the ending is beautifully acted, and poignant. That it's the end of their relationship doesn't need to be spoken.
I enjoyed the reference to The Inner Light. I thought we were going to make do with just the flute and a brief mention of where it came from, so I was pleased that Picard explained it in detail.
Picard states that there are no regulations about relationships with other officers, but surely there would be a rule against having a relationship with someone in your line of command. Even in an investment firm, where no-one is likely to send anyone else into lethal danger, it's impossible to have a partner in the same reporting chain. It's impossible for anyone whose boss is further up the food chain to get a salary increase or promotion without it causing resentment among their colleagues.
I don't really get how someone as talented and committed a pianist as Daren obviously is would have time for Starfleet and stellar cartography.
The foldout piano is quite cute, but I don't think a proper pianist would put up with a touch keyboard for long. It's about a bit more than just hitting the right notes. I do believe you can actually buy those, now.
Good one.
Fri, Jan 15, 2021, 1:40am (UTC -5)
Patrick Stewart's funny looks and mediocre acting subvert the notion of him as a romantic character.
Fortunately, the legendary Aussie actress Wendy Hughes, who died in 2014 at only 61 years, has looks, screen charisma and acting chops to save the entire enterprise (pedestrian pun fully intended!). A performance among any top list one would care to compile.
Despite the ludicrous hairdo, she achieves stature and dignity in her role that's a master class in every respect.
Vale, Wendy. You've rocked it all the way!
Fri, Jan 15, 2021, 12:24pm (UTC -5)
I also think this episode deserves another half-star, simple in the light of it being possibly the most heart-felt and believable romance story I have ever seen in a single episode of a television series.
Shows can cheat with time; there is the time frame that the episode gives you, and the time frame the episode can *appear* to entail. I think that the time frame over which these events happen (in this episode) is kept deliberately vague. That's an extremely smart writing choice, for a single-episode romance story; hey, what if they were dating for some several months, and this episode just 'forgot' to say so? The story still functions as well as it would have, if it were only over the course of 3 days. This kind of writing in Star Trek is *chef kiss* bravissimo.
Add into that that Wendy Hughes *sells* the performance. Famke Jannsen has gone on to movie stardom in retrospect, but I find Ms. Hughes to be far more believable as an officer and as a person, and as a musician (I am also one and she is delightful, I'd love to play a jam session with Lt.Cmdr. Darren).
To go further on that point, the scene in Picard's quarters where she teaches him that he can improvise is, by far, the single most realistic depiction of music performance that I have seen committed to celluloid, bar none, for the rest of eternity. Shows tend to fake this and this one is no exception, but the dialogue about music that intersperses their actual playing is top-shelf. Whoever wrote this has a background in improvisational playing, and that is super cool to me.
I do think the reset-button-antics of the episode tend to hurt the overall story, but they were also unavoidable as anyone familiar with television production knows. But this balancing act is difficult even for a show that doesn't have to whip up firestorms to get the episode out of the way. ST:TNG managed to make me sad that Picard and Darren's relationship had to be sidelined, and I mean honestly sad. She seems like a good fit for Picard. I hope she's still around and would consider doing some episodes of Picard Season 2, to be honest. I want Nella Darren back. This was a moment where Star Trek seemed like it was really doing stories, just for the sake of doing the story, and it's something that I feel like the franchise has let lay fallow for too long.
Sat, Jan 23, 2021, 8:06am (UTC -5)
Sun, Apr 25, 2021, 2:13pm (UTC -5)
They where the perfect couple. So far we have not heard so very much from atrophysics. Enterprice is a ship for exploration. Picard is the captain of the ship and its operations. Astrophysics is the Sciences part. Under normal cirumstances the intrests of Astraphysics would not interfere with operations of Enterprise.
But I am glad that they parted. Having to go throug Picard's marriage problems every now and then , no thanks.
By the way. I really liked the Episode and the acting.
Thu, Jul 15, 2021, 6:52am (UTC -5)
I absolutely loved this episode. I approached it with trepidation, because I had loved "Inner Light" so much and was worried this wouldn't be able to stand in its shadow--or worse, might even tarnish the earlier episode in retrospect. So I was actually shocked by how great this is. I don't know if I can say it's actually as good as "Inner Light", but it's one of the very few episodes of Trek that comes close.
4 stars.
@grumpy otter: "I really thought they were going to kill her off--so was on the edge of my seat during the action parts."
Me too! Incredibly tense. And a really nice way to put a scientist in believable peril that involved risking a smaller number of crewmembers to save a larger number of colonists, without there being any kind of evil alien monsters or anything like that.
@Joseph S.: I was shocked to hear that Wendy Hughes had died in 2014. Much too young!
@CPUFP: "What is up with Jonathan Frakes in this episode? His facial expression and posture is slightly off in all his scenes. Had me thinking he might have been drunk on set."
I obviously wondered about that too. It was strange for sure. But I didn't think it was in all of his scenes. In the ones where he kind of butted heads with Daren over ship's resources, and when he went to talk to the captain, he was fine. But he definitely had a few scenes where he had a really goofy look about him.
@Trent: "What I like best, though, is how the episode sketches the Enterprise as a mundane but bustling workplace; we see stellar cartography, finally get to see some blue shirts doing work, hang out at Ten Forward, watch Riker juggle department heads, watch different departments bureaucratically fight for ship's resources, and get to explore the ship's catacombs and Jefferies tubes."
Yes! This was a really cool aspect of the episode for sure. Good call.
@Maq: "It is a high quality non action episode. I like these."
There was no combat, and I like that as well, but I found the struggle to survive against the firestorm to qualify as action--and very tense action at that!
@Bobbington McBob: "I really wish people would put frickin spoiler warnings here if they are going to reference episodes after the one in question. I've had parts of the season finale ruined twice now. Just because its an old series, doesn't mean everyone has seen it."
Cosigned. Actually, the older a series is, the more likely people *haven't* seen it and maybe weren't even alive when it aired! If they are going through it now, they should be able to go along with comment sections without seeing un-warned spoilers for later episodes.
@Justin: "it seems a bit preposterous to crow about spoilers for an episode that is TWENTY-FIVE freaking years old, no?"
Again, not at all! I am showing my kids these series and none of them were alive when it aired. It's weird that people think the older a show or movie is, the less spoiler alerts are needed. I heard a podcast host mock the idea of giving a spoiler alert for "a 70-year-old movie". Like some 25 or 30 year old listening is automatically going to have seen it? Or even someone of any age? (It wasn't a famous movie--in fact I'd never heard of it.)
I would say that although you should always give spoiler warnings, the time when it is least needed is within a year or so after something that's really a huge, blockbuster-famous type movie or show has come out. Everyone has had a chance to see it, they should definitely know about it, and it hasn't been so long that they were too young to catch it when it came out.
You and I do agree on the rating for this wonderful episode though. :-)
@The_Man: "You're entitled to your opinion even when it is wrong. Dr. Crusher is definitely better looking."
To me, it's you who is wrong and Nella is clearly more attractive. De gustibus.
@MidshipmanNorris: "possibly the most heart-felt and believable romance story I have ever seen in a single episode of a television series"
In a single episode? You might be right!
Mon, Nov 1, 2021, 3:47am (UTC -5)
Unfortunately, for a 45-minute episode of a sci-fi series, it was dull as ditchwater. The only surprise was that Nella didn’t die, which seemed to be flagged earlier. Series like Star Trek shouldn’t really do soap opera.
2 stars for earnest attempt to “do” romance, but it didn’t really succeed. P.S. I liked the musical bits…
Mon, May 30, 2022, 10:07am (UTC -5)
What made NO sense was for this to be a self-contained 45-minute episode, after which life goes back to the way it was at its opening scene as if nothing ever happened. Love, of all feelings, does not work that way. You do not go through the butterlies-in-the-stomach, will-she-won't-she courtship, learning about each other, discovering commonalities, creating memories, fearing losing the other, and what-next? phases only to say "well, that was something, never mind, see ya around" in 75 seconds. Just ridiculous.
Also ridiculous is the captain hooking (shacking?) up with a crewman under his command. Workplace romances are generally "frowned upon" and usually subject to strict protocols but in what is effectively a military institution such as Starfleet they'd be almost certainly banned. For Picard not have realized that AND for Troi to have given the relationship her imprimatur beggars belief.
Still, a neat enough episode...
Tue, Jul 12, 2022, 10:37pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Dec 13, 2022, 9:28pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Dec 13, 2022, 9:54pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Jan 9, 2023, 12:45am (UTC -5)
Second, I find this the height of hypocrisy. Who wouldn't be uncomfortable unloading to the ship's counselor when it's known she's diddled around with Number 1 off and on for years and anything said could go right to the big guy? If Riker and Troi thought no one was on to their little interludes, they are hugely kidding themselves.
Third, I don't fault Nella for doing things her way. I have worked for directors, who for years, encouraged employees to "think outside the box", only to completely change their tune when their subordinates actually "thought outside the box". As we never saw Riker ever hold a staff meeting with any of his department heads, I suspect Nella may not have known that she was violating some honored tradition by trying to nab a talented crewman for her department without going to Riker.
I generally like Riker, but in this case, I found him extremely annoying.
I just watched this episode, and it was as though I was seeing it for the first time. I enjoyed it. In my opinion, it was one of the few Star Trek episodes that handled a starship romance very well, and yet.......
Previously mentioned, this seemed to be just the relationship for Picard, yet, as also previously mentioned, we all knew it was going to come to an end. I keep wondering why it is that a Captain cannot have a romantic relationship with a crewman, but also be allowed to take it to a permanent level, like marriage.
Submit a comment
◄ Season Index