Star Trek: The Next Generation
"Genesis"
Air date: 3/21/1994
Written by Brannon Braga
Directed by Gates McFadden
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
There's a saying in screenwriting that goes something like, "There are no bad plots, only bad executions." I beg to differ. "Genesis" is a bad plot. It's also a bad execution, but I hold that nothing could have saved a story so fundamentally flawed.
Of course, that all depends on what you can abide in your definition of Star Trek as science fiction. I can abide plenty of impossible Trekkian staples, like warp speed, time travel, or the transporter. What I cannot abide is Fun With DNA™ when it goes as far as "Genesis" does (or the even more unwatchable "Threshold" on Voyager, to which "Genesis" seems to have served as Brannon Braga's warm-up act). "Genesis" tells the story of how the entire crew is inflicted with a condition that starts rewriting their DNA and "de-evolving" them into more primitive forms of life. Riker becomes a Neanderthal. Barclay becomes some sortuva spider/humanoid thingy. Troi grows gills and turns into a half-woman, half-amphibian. Worf turns into a violent monster that terrorizes the ship. And so on.
The thing about Fun With DNA is that it can do anything the plot wants, so nothing that happens means anything, because it can all be undone with the wave of a hand: You don't need to see his identification. The concept of "de-evolving" (was the word "devolving" deemed too far over the audience's head?) is so silly that I rejected it outright. But then the way everything is fixed with a magical potion just makes you want to wash your hands of the entire episode, since clearly the writers were happy to do the same. In any plausible notion of this story, the changes to your DNA should simply kill you. In "Genesis" it allows the writers to explore their inner monster movie. A bad monster movie.
The first act, when the crew starts to go nuts, is actually kind of entertaining in its zaniness. Everyone starts acting strangely and bouncing off the walls. Riker turns suddenly stupid. Troi takes a bath with her clothes on. Barclay is weird — okay, weirder than usual. Worf is non-communicative and aggressive, and then sprays Crusher in the face with venom, which is actually kind of amusingly horrifying as she goes thrashing about excessively.
Picard and Data, who were away when this happened, return to find the ship is now a funhouse of mutations. This is where things turn tedious, as we find out who has changed into what and then must figure out a way to magically reverse the effects. (Naturally, there's no shortage of technobabble.) Picard, now being exposed, finds he too is "de-evolving," which for him has the initial side effect of making him a coward, which is admittedly sort of fun to see Patrick Stewart play. Meanwhile, Spot has transformed into a lizard. Why a lizard? Probably because it was easy to get a lizard and film it, and then claim it was Spot.
So, yes, this is obviously terrible. Much of the action centers on the fact that Worf is now a monster who believes Troi is his mate (hey, it's another example of Worf/Troi Will They or Won't They as filtered through unreal sci-fi machinations!) and then goes chasing Picard through the corridors after being lured away from doing unspeakable things to the helpless Troi-fish. Ah, the ignominy of being Klingon Guy Worf: When you get your DNA mutation episode, you're the first choice for the monster who eats the town.
When looking at the stretch of episodes from "Homeward" through "Genesis" ("Lower Decks" aside, of course), it's not hard to make a case for this cumulatively being the nadir of TNG. Granted, I'd rather watch this than season one, because the characters and production are more honed. But season seven should know better.
Previous episode: Eye of the Beholder
Next episode: Journey's End
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161 comments on this post
Tue, Dec 4, 2012, 10:20pm (UTC -6)
Tue, Dec 4, 2012, 11:21pm (UTC -6)
While "Shades of Grey" can be partially excused because of the Writer's Strike during the time of season 2, what's the excuse here? The plot is something a 12 year old would cook up. ("And the crew of the Enterprise, like, turned into monsters and it was totally cool!")
In "Identity Crisis", the transformation into another species (and back) is treated with some dramatic gravity. While as you point out is scientifically preposterous, there's verisimilitude at work here, because in the end, we see a tired still partially mutated, Geordi recovering in sickbay after a close call of completely losing his human identity.
In contrast, we have Troi and Dr. Crusher (who's face is perfectly fine from the venom!) yukking it up about Mr. Barclay. Never mind, the horrors that have been going on on the ship with people being killed (like the dead crewman found on the bridge). EVERYTHING'S BACK TO NORMAL. Dr. Crusher doesn't even stop to reflect that it was her screw-up that caused the whole situation. But, when you're the director of the episode, you can gloss over a few things!
Wed, Dec 5, 2012, 12:03am (UTC -6)
Wed, Dec 5, 2012, 12:57am (UTC -6)
Wed, Dec 5, 2012, 3:43am (UTC -6)
Wed, Dec 5, 2012, 5:33am (UTC -6)
One Million Years BC (alas, without Raquel Welch) meets Aliens, with a touch of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Little Mermaid thrown in for added immersion! :)
Wed, Dec 5, 2012, 8:40am (UTC -6)
Otherwise, I agree. This was just a terrible, off-the-rails episode. When Trek goes with a goofy sci-fi idea, it usually is at least consistent within itself in that episode. But the random ways in which the crew "de-evolves" is just so dumb. Why is Riker a Neanderthal and Barclay a spider?
As for season 7 versus season 1 ...
Sure, the production qualities were much better in 1994 than they were in 1987. Sure, Wesley is largely absent from season 7. Sure, TNG doesn't feel like bad TOS in season 7. Actually, it feels like bad Voyager!
Season 1 at least had some freshness to it. Season 7 is so slow and pondering (outside of Parallels, the Pegasus, Preemptive Strike, Lower Decks and the finale). And it's equally ridiculous at its low points. Is 'Genesis' worse than 'Code of Honor'? Is 'The Last Outpost' less inspired than 'Thine Own Self'?
I think I'd take season 1 over season 7. In addition to the freshness of the new characters I feel like by 1993, Berman/Braga et. al should have known better than to put out drek like "Genesis."
Wed, Dec 5, 2012, 1:27pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Dec 5, 2012, 3:45pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Dec 5, 2012, 4:21pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Dec 5, 2012, 5:29pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Dec 5, 2012, 6:07pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Dec 7, 2012, 3:43pm (UTC -6)
The reset button doesn't bother me nearly as much as the umpteenth iteration of some variation of "fortunately someone(s) was offship (or immune, or exempted) so they could save us", i. e. "Timescape", "Macrocosm", "Workforce", "The Game", "Civil Defense", "Children Of Time", "One", "Bliss", "Killing Game", "Clues", "Doctors Orders", etc.
Fri, Dec 7, 2012, 4:11pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Dec 7, 2012, 8:12pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Dec 8, 2012, 9:14pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Dec 12, 2012, 9:44am (UTC -6)
So I'd give this 1-star instead of zero.
Thu, Dec 13, 2012, 4:50am (UTC -6)
Sun, Dec 16, 2012, 2:23am (UTC -6)
If all that can happen, well we are all doomed.
Mon, Dec 31, 2012, 9:30am (UTC -6)
Can Jammer do it?
C'mon!
Tue, Jan 1, 2013, 1:44pm (UTC -6)
Best line of the review. That is all.
Thu, Jan 17, 2013, 12:35am (UTC -6)
Sat, Jan 26, 2013, 10:35pm (UTC -6)
For that matter, (and a much more often abused plot gimmick), what if no one was conveniently offship to come back and save the rest of the crew?
Thu, Mar 7, 2013, 7:38am (UTC -6)
Fri, Mar 8, 2013, 1:50pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Mar 8, 2013, 3:11pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Mar 10, 2013, 5:25am (UTC -6)
Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 10:31pm (UTC -6)
Fri, May 17, 2013, 3:59am (UTC -6)
7 seasons does not constitute "sudden" or "turning" :)
Sorry, cheap shot.
TNG season 7 had some really cringe-worthy weird stuff, you wondered sometimes if the writers just completely lost the plot, were on drugs, or just deciding "it's the last season, let's just be silly". The correctly-rated Sub Rosa and Masks come to mind for sure. And Phantasms, which I guess is a matter of taste, but I just found the whole thing creepy and weird.
At least the finale was good :)
Sat, Aug 3, 2013, 2:37pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Aug 22, 2013, 11:45am (UTC -6)
So how is that any different from his normal self? :p
Wed, Oct 16, 2013, 8:02am (UTC -6)
I know, of all the plot holes to point out, I picked that one :)
Tue, Oct 29, 2013, 1:23am (UTC -6)
Put aside the "scientific" explanation here. What is happening? The crew is "de-evolving" (ick). But the way they are devolving is only ostensibly along species lines. The characters devolve in ways that fit the individual characters. And maybe this episode is best understood as characters devolving into their archetypes in purest form. Picard, Riker, Deanna, Worf and Barclay are fairly complex individuals. But in this episode we see them move into a state that reflects a single element of their character in purest form. Only Picard, because he's the hero of the story and because he comes in late, is able to fend it off. In TV-Tropes terms, this episode is an exercise in "Flanderization," in which a single trait of the character becomes totally overwhelming to all other traits; but I think it can also be read a) as a commentary on the prototypical versions of these character types in their most primitive form (from a fictional writing standpoint), and b) as, I guess, a way of showing the danger when a core trait of some of the characters takes over and becomes dominant.
- Riker is one of the least scientifically/intellectually-minded characters in the cast (a bit above Troi and Worf, but below Picard, Data, Beverly and Geordi). He's ruled sometimes by his passions rather than his intellect. He is the guy who, when making time with a pretty girl, rolls over onto a cactus. This is *before* a virus makes him artificially stupid. So Riker is a combination of many traits, but there is a little frat boy in him, which devolves back to the standard dumb-jock trope, which continues devolving to basically Fred Flintstone, which devolves back to total caveman.
- Deanna is very emotion-driven already, sensual and highly pain-conscious, hyperaware of her surroundings. And pretty fussy. I feel like there is something of a fussy blue-blooded aesthete in who Troi turns into -- caviar for lunch, belief that she should change her surroundings entirely for her comfort and no one else's -- but I think the character type is something a little different, but which I can't quite identify. I think I know: it's something like The Princess and the Pea, a royal whose sensitivity comes across in their total inability to be comfortable in their less-than-ideal surroundings. In story, she turns into a cold-blooded creature whose body temperature cannot be kept high without changing their entire environment.
- Barclay is a very nervous guy who is also a hard worker, once he gets his mind set on something. So he becomes a hyperactive panicky spider. Why a spider? Uh. Well, I do see how there is something buglike about the rapidity of his movements.
- Worf, the character, is at least a little alien, representing the integration of a dangerous, even animal, maybe even monstrous presence into a human(oid) person. He is wild, and some of the genealogy of Worf's conception actually includes monsters that have a tiny bit of humanity. Since he becomes a Klingon animal of some sort, there isn't even any need to or attempt to identify him with a human animal; he is entirely a monster of the imagination. The way the plot works out -- Worf is a ferocious monster who is eventually lured and defeated by his love of a woman -- has the rough contours of King Kong/Beauty and the Beast type stories, and I think he's that specific kind of monster here.
- Last but not least, Picard. Picard, we know, is an intellectual, and seeks peaceful resolutions to conflicts. He is mind-over-matter. The full, three-dimensional Picard combines this intellectual side with an indomitable will and physical strength & resourcefulness. But Picard turning into a coward makes me think back to the Picard who kept surrendering in season one, and how that might be viewed. His devolution turns him into a nervous, meek nerd, who is sure someone is going to come steal his lunch money any minute. Hence a lemur -- an early primate who, as Data says, was preyed upon constantly. And so this early primate, using Data's interpretation, was smart but weak. Picard is the hero of the episode because he overcomes the limitations of his character type by bringing forth aspects of his actual character -- he is turned into a coward, but he somehow finds a way to build up the courage to face down the monster.
Notably, Geordi is kind of an everyman and so it's not really as easy to take core out-of-the-ordinary traits of his and blow them up, because he is not all that out of the ordinary. (They didn't even try to have Geordi act unusual in the first few acts of the episode, when he had several scenes playing opposite Barclay and Riker.) Presumably one could find a way, if one were so inclined. Beverly's being taken out of the picture is because of Gates McFadden's direction.
So, what is the point of all this? Well, um.... Generously, one could say that with the show coming to a close there is some interest in breaking the characters down into some of the influences on them, perhaps to give us a better idea to recognize both what they bring to the show (Riker's simple pleasures, Worf's ferocity, Troi's sensitivity, Picard's intellectualism) and how they, as real three-dimensional characters, are nowhere near the devolved versions. Ungenerously, one could say there is no point, and that while it may be fun to see Riker become Homer Simpson for a little while, it turns out not to be enough fun to justify putting forth a story that makes no sense and is not sufficiently entertaining to justify its excesses. I lean more toward the latter, but hey, I had fun writing this, so that at least is worth something. Probably if I had to give it a rating as a TNG episode in continuity with the series, I'd go with Jammer's -- 1 star, yeah, mostly for the mild entertainment of the first act or two where people start acting strangely before the story (yep) devolves into total nonsense. If I were to evaluate it as a different kind of show, about character archetypes, more commentary on the series than an episode in its own right, I might look on it a little more kindly, though probably only a little.
Tue, Oct 29, 2013, 10:17pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Nov 24, 2013, 6:29am (UTC -6)
Mon, Dec 2, 2013, 7:10pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 6:09pm (UTC -6)
Someone found an old stash of lsd and the writers had a blast.
Wed, Feb 5, 2014, 10:40am (UTC -6)
Wed, Feb 5, 2014, 12:17pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Feb 9, 2014, 4:33pm (UTC -6)
I'd hate to think what someone new to Trek would think of it if their introduction to it was any of those three episodes. At least Spock's brain has the excuse of being made in the 1960s. But this is 1990s TV?? Doesn't look like it. Terrible.
Fri, Feb 28, 2014, 8:14am (UTC -6)
As for the reset button complaint...I don't think this is valid. Trek is about abstraction and if you lose the ability to reset, you have to take the abstractions literally and they cease to be abstractions. You then significantly narrow the canvas by which you can tell stories and things would become much more boring, simple and slow if TNG were a literal show. You would morph it from a science fiction show to a space soap opera about petty character squabbles.
Fri, Mar 21, 2014, 9:54pm (UTC -6)
THAT's how bad this episode is...
Wed, Apr 2, 2014, 1:04pm (UTC -6)
And who thought that would be a good idea? Who allowed it?
Sun, Apr 13, 2014, 2:48am (UTC -6)
All in all, it was fun to watch. It felt like a throwback to "Cure-The-Disease" style TOS episodes. I enjoyed the heck out of watching the transformations progress, especially Riker's - I found that one the funniest. I could tell the actors must have had a lot of fun playing their "transformed" roles. Would have liked to see Crusher's transformation - maybe an Irish Setter?
Thu, Apr 17, 2014, 9:48am (UTC -6)
Tue, Jun 3, 2014, 9:33am (UTC -6)
Sun, Jul 6, 2014, 11:57pm (UTC -6)
I think the de-evolving/devolving criticism is silly. Devolve is nowadays primarily used to mean something else - so if they used devolve they'd have to put in a sentence explaining what they were talking about.
Mon, Jul 14, 2014, 7:25am (UTC -6)
Tue, Jul 15, 2014, 8:10pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Sep 4, 2014, 8:24pm (UTC -6)
But Dwight Schultz as the manic, frantic Spider-Barclay took the cellular peptide cake. The way he was leaning over everyone, contorting himself into odd poses, and rushing to and fro was just completely awesome. He stole every scene he was in.
Another nice scene I liked was Data and Barclay in Data's quarters. I think this is the first time we saw the two of them alone (wasn't Picard always there in Ship in a Bottle?). And, in a pleasant surprise, Barclay was not his usual stuttering, anxious self. Which makes some sense. This is yet another testament to one of Data's key personality traits: his perpetual, unfailing politeness and patience. We've seen it melt the iciness of other characters, including Pulaski and the crazy Dr from Silicon Avatar. And so it makes sense that Barclay would be at ease with Data. His anxiety is caused by the fear of what other people think about him, and fear of embarrassment regarding something he would say. But Data is never impatient or insulting or insensitive to another's feelings. So naturally Barclay would be ok with him. It's somewhat surprising that Barclay hadn't sought him out earlier. Although, then again, not seeking people out is a trademark of his type of anxiety.
Of course, Barclay's ease with Data only works when the two of them are alone. Data may be unfailingly polite, but he also has a tendency to say the wrong thing. And with everyone else around, that could cause serious embarrassment for Barclay. So even though the two were in the same scenes before, its ok that we never see this side of Barclay before.
But besides the obvious problems with the episode, I did want to point out a few other silly parts.
- Why was Alyssa Ogawa delivering the medical report to the senior staff? She's just a nurse. What happened to the perpetually off-screen Dr. Selar? I would imagine if Crusher is incapacitated, then Selar would be in charge. Oh well...
- Why did Picard and Data bother to bring Troi to sickbay?
- How many crewmembers died during this event? We know at least one did. And no one seemed to care afterwards...
Mon, Feb 23, 2015, 9:19pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Feb 25, 2015, 1:38pm (UTC -6)
Some of us want more than that, even if you don't.
Thu, Feb 26, 2015, 9:14am (UTC -6)
Thu, Feb 26, 2015, 9:42am (UTC -6)
Oh, and Gates McFadden did a GREAT job directing this episode. Lots of interesting camera angles and the atmospheric mood of dread is well-developed.
My only complaint is the Barclay spider surprise in Engineering has gotten me single every time. :)
*** 3 stars
Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 12:43pm (UTC -6)
Star Trek is fundamentally a show about SCIENCE. Science fiction is by definition fiction that builds upon science or at least speculations about future science. In that, it is fundamentally different from fantasy. This episode was almost pure fantasy, unfortunately.
I can't help wondering if this episode was the one that gave birth to the internet meme of Picard's face palm. I'm sure that Stewart (and most of the rest of the cast) must have face palmed when he read this script. How this script ever got approved is beyond me, unless the show was suddenly re-targeted for kindergarten-aged audiences. Watching it felt like I watching a bad episode of Scooby-Doo, except at least that show had the sense to show how seemingly supernatural occurrences were pulled off with costumes and hidden projectors. Here, we find out it's all pulled off by DNA. (And the DNA virus would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for that meddling Data.)
So Riker devolves into an early hominid...OK. So what is the DNA-based explanation for a cat being descended from an iguana? And why is Lt. Barclay, who has previously been established as a human from Earth, descended from a spider-like creature? Also, it is beyond ridiculous when Data tells Picard he can expect to devolve into something like a lemur or a pygmy marmoset. First, those two are not all that alike. Second, both are a lot smaller than a human, which would necessitate the the law of conversation of mass to be violated if Picard were to shrink down to the size of a creature only a fraction of his current size. What is Data's reasoning for Picard, who was exposed to the virus much later than Riker, to evolve to an earlier stage of evolution that Riker? Finally, given how utterly bizarre the other transformations, how does Data know Picard's devolution won't have him end up resembling a parakeet or a pterodactyl?
It is always sad when a beloved show "jumps the shark" and is run into the ground by its writers and producers.
Wed, Aug 26, 2015, 5:23pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Sep 19, 2015, 5:07pm (UTC -6)
Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 8:33pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Oct 17, 2015, 11:05am (UTC -6)
The main criticism appears to be the implausibility of this episode. However, Science fiction should still be treated and regarded as fiction. How many episodes are resolved with the deus ex machina known as technobabble? The Star Trek setting allows for alien species to interbreed with each other, which is equally as absurd as the premise of this episode. To criticize this episode for its absurd premise misses the point.
All that said, this was pretty boring to watch. It felt like 40 minutes of set up for a 3 minute chase sequence.
Sat, Oct 24, 2015, 8:52pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Oct 29, 2015, 11:33pm (UTC -6)
Well, the writing is bad. The science is abysmal (you know it has to be awful when I, the non-science guy - the one who is more forgiving than most of bad science, am pointing that out). The use of Worf as the monster-of-the-week is pathetically cliched. The ease and speed with which Data solves the problem is ludicrous. The fact that the entire incident is basically hand-waved away at the end sets the stage for numerous VOY episodes. But, despite all that (and it's a lot!) I'll be damned if "Genesis" doesn't have a certain charm.
So, count this as another guilty pleasure of mine. However, unlike "Masks", which I straight up legitimately enjoy, this one more closely fits the bill as a "guilty pleasure". I can admit that it makes next to no sense either story- or character-wise. The science is laughable even for me (especially since we get yet another Trek episode that fundamentally fails to understand the concept of evolution - it doesn't happen within individuals, people!). But, this episode is firmly (with a few exceptions) in the "so-bad-it's-good" category for me. I guess that makes it my "Spock's Brain" of TNG.
I guess it all boils to down to what Jammer says - it "all depends on what you can abide in your definition of Star Trek as science fiction." Well, I can abide a lot because (I've said this before and I'll say it again) I don't watch Trek for a science lesson. I watch Trek to be entertained. And "Genesis" manages to do that despite all of its dreck, though in undoubtedly unintentional ways.
Let's compare this with VOY: "Threshold", since Jammer himself made the comparison. "Genesis" is nowhere near as bad as "Threshold". While I'm not a stickler for scientific accuracy, there are some episodes that cross the line into unforgivable territory for me. "Threshold" is one such episode. ("Elogium", with its totally nonsensical Ocampan mating cycle nonsense, is another.) However, even when the science is that bad (and make no mistake - I am saying that "Genesis" falls into that category), I'm still willing to forgive if the episode has other enjoyable elements. While the only, I repeat - the only, thing that "Threshold" had even remotely going for it was Robert Duncan McNeill acting his heart out, "Genesis" does have some redeeming aspects. The "so-bad-it's-good" campiness being one and the others being the rather enjoyable atmosphere and Patrick Stewart's performance.
Most people here seem to be of the opinion that the lead-up to Picard and Data's return, where the crew slowly goes crazy, is the enjoyable part while the B-movie set-up afterwards is tedious. Count me a the reverse of that. The lead-up was rather tedious, but once Picard and Data return to the ship I found the B-movie elements (with the two walking around dark corridors, stumbling across the mutants, the general feeling of unease, etc.) pleasant enough for what they were. And Patrick Stewart, unlike McNeill in "Threshold" does manage to elevate the nonsense somewhat. McNeill failed but God bless the man, he gave it his all! Stewart playing a coward is, as Jammer points out, an enjoyable thing to watch even if it makes no sense in the grander scheme of things.
Ugh, I'm all of the map with this one. Suffice it to say, "Genesis" has it's absolutely dreadful elements but it also has some surprising enjoyable ones. So, while I'm probably going to leave a lot of people scratching their heads again, just like I did with "Masks", I can't justify giving this a score lower than....
5/10
Fri, Oct 30, 2015, 10:12am (UTC -6)
Sat, Nov 7, 2015, 5:22am (UTC -6)
On the down side the plot overall is, as I have seen it described elsewhere, "dumber than a box of hammers". But as a high concept piece at least it's fun - unlike, say, "Masks". And, whatever else you might think about this episode, you have to say that the make-up department excel themselves. 2.5 stars.
Sat, Nov 21, 2015, 7:21pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Mar 2, 2016, 9:19pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Apr 6, 2016, 1:52am (UTC -6)
Thu, Apr 7, 2016, 12:41am (UTC -6)
"Star Trek is fundamentally a show about science,"
I have to disagree. Star Trek is an outer-space adventure show that creates new and frequently preposterous science to propel its stories and develop its characters and plot lines, very rarely does it introduce any original scientific material or ideas. Not to say it's never original and/or successful in its execution of the stories themselves, if it weren't I wouldn't be such a fan. To say it's a show about science is like saying The Walking Dead is a show about viruses.
Mon, Apr 25, 2016, 9:53pm (UTC -6)
But the TNG characters are so much better than in VOY! So with a silly episode like this, it feels earned. I suppose that makes it a mere guilty pleasure, but I'm still laughing at the fun moments watching it today, like lizard-Spot's pink collar! Adorable. And how Picard flips out when Arachinald Barclay jumps at him, the same exact way I freaked that time a cockroach flew at me. Hilarious!
Three cheers for totally impractical palm-held flashlights! Hey Starfleet, the 20th century called; they said, "Use handles, dummies!"
It occurs to me that the "1,011 life forms" aboard have nothing to eat and probably no replicator skills anymore. What happens when you let a thousand zoo animals mingle? — How many crewmen did Worf eat alone?
And speaking of eating: sorry, kittens, no milk from Spotted Liz means rapid dying.
But, those are the only two problems I have with this episode, haha.
Fri, May 6, 2016, 11:51am (UTC -6)
Thu, Jun 23, 2016, 1:28am (UTC -6)
Thu, Jun 23, 2016, 1:45pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Jul 1, 2016, 1:06am (UTC -6)
But I have to say, this episode always entertained me because it didn't try to take itself too seriously. Clearly it was a polarizing episode among us fanboys because of the lack of even feasible science, but it was damn fun. Masks was when the show jumped the shark, but I think it came back down to just plain fun in this one. And yes, it's fundamentally better than "Threshold's" finale.
6.5/10
Fri, Jul 1, 2016, 1:13am (UTC -6)
Fri, Jul 1, 2016, 2:50pm (UTC -6)
I don't disagree that the episode is OK as just goofy fun, though a few parts aside from the bogus science seemed especially sloppy:
1) Data commenting that Troi is "no longer human" - but she's only half-human in the first place, and Data of all crew members should not make a mistake like that out of absent-mindedness.
2) I think at one point they discovered corrosion in a Jefferies tube that was supposedly from Worf spewing acidic venom, but this was before Worf lost it and attacked Troi. Did he just go wandering through a Jefferies tube for fun or something?
3) The whole thing might have been brought under control much more quickly if Ogawa, who wasn't suffering major symptoms, had thought to stay with Riker, who was, while he sends the message to Starfleet. (At least, the implication seemed to be that he never sent it because of his deteriorating intelligence.) For that matter, I'm surprised that Starfleet doesn't program its ships' computers to send some sort of automated distress signal if a ship is damaged or adrift and no input is received from the crew.
Thu, Jul 21, 2016, 12:52pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 2:03am (UTC -6)
You know what's so rare about TNG? They knew exactly when to end it. Seasons 1 and 2 mostly blew. Seasons 3-6 were mostly great. Season 7 was uneven. Had enough good episodes to be better than 1 and 2 but it was still undeniably weak overall. They were out of ideas and needed to move on to something else. But despite the low points, ending in season 6 would have been too soon because they still had a few bullets left in the gun. How many good shows can say they ended at just the right time? Most get cancelled too soon or else refuse to call it quits when their time has gone.
Sat, Jun 17, 2017, 1:58am (UTC -6)
Star Trek is science fiction in that any "science" they portray is almost always fiction.
Sat, Jun 17, 2017, 8:31am (UTC -6)
Fri, Jul 21, 2017, 12:48am (UTC -6)
Many of the comments point to this episode as an example of 'bad writing', but I think bad writing is when a piece fails to convey what it meant to convey to the audience. For the episode for the most part did what it set out to do using a familiar structure: a 'disease' sweeps through the ship, altering the behavior of the crew (not unlike 'The Naked Now' or even episodes with mind-altering incidents not biologically based, like 'Night Terrors') and the last of the unaffected or not-as-affected members (usually including Data) have to problem-solve to save the ship and undo the 'infection'. I enjoyed the spooky prehistoric jungle-like shift in environment when Picard and Data return and the definite monster-movie vibes (the jump-scare with Spider-Barclay and the chase between Picard and the Worfasaurus).
Again, this isn't 'makes-you-think' Trek; this is 'bizaare-otherworldly-adventure' Trek. Still, I can understand how this can repulse people. The problem with the horror/suspense genre this episode emulates is that a successful piece is based so strongly on invoking those emotions in the audience and is often at odds with other aspects of storytelling that we find compelling, like plausibility or character development. Either the monsters fascinate and frighten you, or they're weird and silly; there really isn't much room in between.
Also, I wouldn't consider Picard 'cowardly' as some previous comments have; if he were a coward, he wouldn't have volunteered to distract Worfasaurus while Data comes up with the antedote. He is certainly more frightened by what is going on, but he still comes through when it's needed.
Wed, Jul 26, 2017, 1:18am (UTC -6)
Liked the idea of re activating latent entrons causing the transformations
Liked the idea that Ogawa amniotic fluid could create antidote
Brannon would usually do something unsettling in his episodes. In Schosms having Riker's arm surgically amputated then reattached and here having Beverly being disfigured by Worf's acidic spray
I also quite enjoyed Picard and Datas investigation and research. As well as the fact that Barclay was the only person Spot liked. That made sense
I liked the mention that the Enterprise were testing recent tactical upgrades and conducting test in an asteroid field.
The Enterprise spinning around dead in space was neat as was the shuttle matching movement in order to board the ship. Brannon on TNG continued to impress
Mon, Jul 31, 2017, 4:00pm (UTC -6)
Also: can people stop writing ridiculously long comments? Thank you. (I know this year's too late to ask, but still. I will turn off the lights now.)
Mon, Jul 31, 2017, 8:58pm (UTC -6)
No.
Fri, Sep 1, 2017, 9:29pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Sep 21, 2017, 5:56pm (UTC -6)
Scientifically absurd? Oh yeah, definitely. But so are rubber forehead aliens that can feel Westernized notions of romantic love and morality, then crossbreed. The premise of the show is scientifically absurd. We accept it because it is dramatically useful as metaphor. In this episode in particular, I would wish for a better technobabble explanation, which should not have been that difficult, but either you can get into the sequence of events or you can't, and I could.
The two worst scenes are the first and last. The first, in sick bay, is obnoxious, cutesy, Starship Pleasantville slice-of-life that established very little that would become plot and left no tension to be resolved, which that opening scene before the title really should do. For some reason, this annoyed me more than anything else. And the last scene, with that acknowledged too-pat wrap up... I can't help but to think that if the first part of the show had been accelerated, we could have had time for something, anything, to give the episode a hint of harrowing shock that such chaos would have created. I love that TNG is so cerebral, but it shouldn't ignore trauma, just acknowledge and overcome it.
I'd give it 1.5, maybe 2, could have been 2.5 with a few minor changes.
Sun, Sep 24, 2017, 5:19pm (UTC -6)
Mon, Sep 25, 2017, 6:03pm (UTC -6)
I figure the Worfmonster must have eaten close to 2 dozen people in 3 days. I can't imagine how hungry a metamorphosis like that would make a person.
I think a better episode would have had Data manage the zoo while he flies the ship to a starbase.
Thu, Nov 2, 2017, 5:58pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Nov 8, 2017, 5:09am (UTC -6)
A few side
Overall I felt genisis was well directed by McFadden the spoder scene even made me jump.
I'm suprised from my brief scroll through (sorry if anyone has) that no one has mentioned the follow up from lower decks with Alyssa it was a small moment but I enjoyed it and its unusual seeing how episodic TNG normally is.
Tue, Nov 14, 2017, 1:30am (UTC -6)
Dark Page and Sub Rosa are still worse because they are just too soap opera.
Sun, Jan 14, 2018, 5:22pm (UTC -6)
Also sucks to be that redshirt at the Conn who had his spine broken in multiple places though, no viral enzyme intron resequencing to correct that I guess.
Fri, Mar 30, 2018, 2:44pm (UTC -6)
Riker losing his train of thought, Worf becoming super aggressive and agitated during lunch, Barclay turning into a spider (makes sense given his neurologic and jittery nature), and Picard experiencing an ultra sense of awareness and fear had me laughing the whole time.
Not everything has to be Earth shattering and totally plausible to be entertaining. Jmo. 3 stars.
Mon, Apr 9, 2018, 5:13pm (UTC -6)
But the premise seems...beneath Star Trek.
This isn't sci-fi, it's fantasy. Things need to at least be plausible.
Tue, Apr 10, 2018, 6:44pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Apr 14, 2018, 2:46pm (UTC -6)
Regardless, I rewatched it yesterday and found it to be an interesting take on the final season's obsession with family. Here we don't have an individual character meeting a family member, but an entire crew morphing into its ancestors.
Sure, everyone complains about the junk science here, but I look at it as a kind of metaphorical reverse phylogenesis; some kind of magical virus tapping into ancient junk DNA and then hand weaving it into new mutations. I thought it was a hilariously cool, high-concept and audacious idea. Wasn't surprised when I saw it was written by Braga, the king of mind-bending plots. One imagines the showrunners giving him a season brief ("Something about family, Braga") and then him writing this with a goofy grin ("Oh, Ima give you family. Ima give you a whole damn family tree!).
Obviously the episode has problems - its first act is slack and its last act "monster chases" likewise - but the middle act has a nice Cronenbergian vibe, and offers a decent take on schlocky bodyhorror. Some of the creature effects are also cool: Ogawa turns into a kind of monkey, Troi's a floppy fish and Barclay's spider-face is creepy. The final line's a hoot as well ("He transformed into a spider and now he has a disease named after him. I'll clear my calendar.")
This episode oft gets lumped amongst the worst of Trek, but I think it's fairly solid.
Sun, Jun 17, 2018, 7:51pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Jul 26, 2018, 11:39pm (UTC -6)
I do agree with William B that the transformation choices for each character were not random but meant to represent some basic "underneath it all" characteristic of each person - or cat, as the case may be.
Ogawa's look reminded me of Dr Zira on Planet of the Apes.
Fri, Sep 28, 2018, 1:16pm (UTC -6)
And if people though the green rubber Gorn costume was bad (I don't personally) then WorfMonster's costume has to be worse -- he's still wearing the same Star Fleet uniform boots as he chases Picard. And he's supposed to be 200 kilos, according to Data's scan -- didn't look at all like it. This chase scene was not suspenseful and it was like going for a cheap thrill -- look a scary monster is chasing Picard!
What also makes no sense is how different humans could devolve into different things -- like Barclay turns into some kind of arachnid, Riker a caveman, Picard was on his way to becoming a lemur? And Spot turns into a lizard?? It's really hard to take anything at face value here let alone be entertained by it.
Braga has a few good episodes but far more bad ones and this is likely the worst for me. Overall I'm not a fan of his contribution to Trek.
It was initially interesting seeing the crew start their devolution, however little sense it made. I also liked the shot as the shuttle approaches the Enterprise where the ship is tilted at an angle signalling all's not well -- kind of like the shots of Empok Nor.
0.5 stars for "Genesis" -- terrible concept and execution with the magic wand solution at the end (which also makes no sense), just too much nonsense here. Can't believe "Threshold" would borrow ideas from this turd. TNG definitely limping toward its series end in Season 7.
Sun, Oct 7, 2018, 1:42am (UTC -6)
The nice thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.
Sun, Oct 7, 2018, 7:43am (UTC -6)
No, science isn't always true, but the good thing about Science is that if its principles are consistenly applied, it's self correcting.
Anyhow, I'm a lover of Science, and don't mean to give you a hard time, but that saying just hits a nerve with me. Truth, facts are always true, whether you believe them or not . . . whether they originate with Science or Philosophy or the Bible or the Koran, etc. And falsehoods aren't true, even if they are (seemingly) well-founded Scientific claims, or assertions from our most brilliant Philosophers, or statements in the most highly revered and sacred religious texts.
Science doesn't get to claim its always true, whether you believe it or not. If it does that, it's no different than religions making similar claims about the Bible, and other religious texts, IMO.
Sun, Oct 7, 2018, 8:07am (UTC -6)
Most competent scientists understand this and do not consider it to devalue their work.
Sun, Oct 7, 2018, 8:12am (UTC -6)
Sat, Oct 13, 2018, 3:47pm (UTC -6)
https://yournewswire.com/500-scientists-reject-theory-evolution/
Anyhow, regardless of your stance on evolution "Genesis" sucked and for me not believing in evolution hardly makes it any more palatable.
Sat, Oct 13, 2018, 4:25pm (UTC -6)
I always find it funny when people link articles like that saying “life is too complex to be left to the chance of evolution” but inevitably offer no alternative scientific theory of how life progressed over the aeons.
Let me just throw an example out here: dogs. Domesticated dogs originally came from various wolf breeds that humans befriended and raised as companions. Over thousands of years humans have selected dogs that have desirable qualities (good at hunting, pulling sleds, watchdogs, beauty for showdogs) and selectively bred those dogs so their offspring would have those desirable qualities. Thus, there’s documented evidence of unnatural or man-made selection that we know works.
Now natural selection is different. Instead of an intelligent human choosing which animal survives, various other natural factors (harsh weather, food only available for animals that can jump or swim or fly, possessing adequate intelligence to avoid predators) decide who reproduces. But the outcome is similar to bred dogs; only offspring with qualities found adequate are able to survive and create offspring.
Now of course evolution is just a theory, but unless you can irrefutably debunk natural selection and offer a better alternative, the theory is going to remain predominant in the scientific community.
As to how this relates to this episode - well if any the writers made an attempt to show how deevolution works without resorting to magic technobabble then it would’ve been better received by those who believe in evolution. For those who don’t believe in evolution, at least they don’t necessarily need to dismiss their understanding of science to enjoy the episode.
Sat, Oct 13, 2018, 6:25pm (UTC -6)
For me, I just think the arguments against evolution are too powerful to ignore. And one can take that stance without having to provide a foolproof alternative scientific theory.
Who knows -- science may not be able to explain everything rigorously. And maybe there is something to the belief that God created man etc. It used to be that what science could not "explain" was sometimes attributed to the divine.
But yes, there are reasons why evolution has stuck around. No better scientific theory and examples from natural selection.
As for "Genesis" - there are so many problems with the episode and I think it's an insult to Trek. Data positing the rapid de-evolution theory is an attempt to bring some "science" to what's happening but it's hopeless.
Wed, Oct 17, 2018, 8:34am (UTC -6)
You realize that's a fake news website right?
Wed, Oct 17, 2018, 8:36am (UTC -6)
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/dont-get-fooled-by-these-fake-news-sites/5/
Wed, Oct 17, 2018, 9:15am (UTC -6)
What CBS News calls a fake news site is irrelevant. It's up to the news consumer to judge. Personally, this article is the first time I've even heard of the news site in question -- I came across the article through social media where somebody I trust shared it.
I think what CBS News is doing is identifying sites which have maybe once or twice got something wrong - and calling it "fake news". I couldn't give a rat's ass what CBS's motivations are. In this case, what is more important is if the news on the site YourNewWire.com is decent journalism or not. In this case, regarding nixing the theory of evolution, I think it is -- that is if you even bothered to check out the story and the links/sources.
Wed, Oct 17, 2018, 9:46am (UTC -6)
This website's only "source" is a document in which 500 people who claim scientific credentials sign off that they think the theory of evolution is wrong. These credentials can't be checked, and the group's methodology is not explained. That is not journalism, good or bad; that is just propaganda. If you're going to be a skeptic about something about which there is broad consensus, you had better bother to actually understand the underlying science. Otherwise, you're just manufacturing consent for your own ignorance.
Wed, Oct 17, 2018, 9:56am (UTC -6)
What I find funny about the article isn't the lack of methodological footnotes, especially because most popularizing journalism never has that anyhow. This kind of stuff isn't meant for science journals. What I do find funny is the mention of the origin of human life potentially being from aliens, which isn't altogether far-fetched even though it probably doesn't belong in a "scientific" article about objections to evolution. That's really out there, even though it's nice to see many bases covered and for weird ideas to be included. The main objection, though, which is that it's totally unknown how (or whether) complex systems can come about from simple ones is a significant objection.
Wed, Oct 17, 2018, 10:07am (UTC -6)
It's fine for a story to have just one source -- not sure why you say the credentials of the scientists can't be checked. I checked this guy's credentials and they seem to be fine: Professor Colin Reeves, from the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Coventry University.
It is certainly not propaganda (maybe you should take a history lesson and see what the USSR did during the Cold War and what the Chinese Communist regime does today for what propaganda is). I suspect you have some ulterior motives or some bizarre agenda to push.
All I'm saying is I don't buy the theory of evolution. I don't have to provide an alternative scientific theory to say I don't buy it. If you want to believe in evolution go ahead.
Wed, Oct 17, 2018, 1:32pm (UTC -6)
Except it kind of is. CBS news has a high factual reporting. What a reputable news source said about a fake one is absolutely relevant. And perhaps you shouldn't trust them if they use psuedoscience and conspiracy theory-spreading websites such as Yournewswire.
"I think what CBS News is doing is identifying sites which have maybe once or twice got something wrong - and calling it "fake news". I couldn't give a rat's ass what CBS's motivations are. In this case, what is more important is if the news on the site YourNewsWire.com is decent journalism or not. In this case, regarding nixing the theory of evolution, I think it is -- that is if you even bothered to check out the story and the links/sources."
A "news source" that blatantly lies is not trustworthy. If they could lie once, they could lie again. And, in fact, they have.
I read it. I don't see five hundred trustworthy scientists. I see a few. Like Elliott said, that's not real journalism. Yournewswire.com is known for spreading pseudoscience and conspiracy theories.
Wed, Oct 17, 2018, 8:31pm (UTC -6)
So now you're the expert on journalism and can discern science from pseudoscience...interesting.
I'm actually a professional journalist and I'd much rather trust what somebody like Professor Colin Reeves, from the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Coventry University has to say about science than you or Elliott.
If you want to put a lot of stock in what CBS says, go ahead. Just don't necessarily expect me to. This particular article on YourNewWire.com is fine and who says that news site "blatantly lies"? CBS? Like I said, I could not care less what CBS says. I just consider the article.
Thu, Oct 18, 2018, 8:30am (UTC -6)
Two logical fallacies in one sentence! First of all, straw man. I never claimed to be an expert in either of those things. People who *are* experts in those things agree. Second of all, ad hominem. Attack the argument, not the character, especially not in the condescending and obnoxious way you've done in the past.
"I'm actually a professional journalist and I'd much rather trust what somebody like Professor Colin Reeves, from the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Coventry University has to say about science than you or Elliott."
That's cherry-picking unverified sources.
" This particular article on YourNewsWire.com is fine and who says that news site "blatantly lies"?"
People whose job it is to point out toxic media.
It's clear I'm not going to change your mind. I really shouldn't have entered this to begin with. I'm leaving this here. I apologize to Jammer for clogging up his site with a pointless argument.
Mon, Oct 22, 2018, 11:58am (UTC -6)
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/YourNewsWire
...is famous for being a kind of troll site. It proliferates on social media, where algorithms, and targeted ads running on mined/harvested data propagate click-baity links to it, and other (often far-Right) websites.
Mon, Oct 22, 2018, 1:38pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Nov 1, 2018, 9:12pm (UTC -6)
I also found Crusher's reaction to getting sprayed in the face with Worf's venom to be quite terrifying.
Fri, Nov 2, 2018, 12:05am (UTC -6)
*sings* Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can, spins a web, any size, catches thrives just like flies
Sun, Nov 25, 2018, 6:42pm (UTC -6)
...
...
...
I mocked the Enterprise!!! :-P Gnah gnah gnah ghan ghan ghan!
Mon, Nov 26, 2018, 12:02am (UTC -6)
Sun, Dec 2, 2018, 1:02am (UTC -6)
Tue, Feb 26, 2019, 10:52am (UTC -6)
1. Why wasn't she neutered?
2. Where did Data find another cat for mating?
3. I thought Spot was male.
Fri, May 17, 2019, 9:10pm (UTC -6)
Enjoyable but degraded by technobabble in sickbay as they worked one solution after another. I like the creepy jungle atmosphere. Outer Limits?
Tue, Nov 5, 2019, 7:10am (UTC -6)
Sadly, it's more magic-fiction than science fiction, as people devolve into strange animal hybrids, and magically return back to normal with little or no emotional or physical impact. Though Troi's scene as a semi-conscious mer-thing is entertaining purely for the fact of how ridiculous it is.
And once more, the civilian crew are completely ignored, as are the deaths (both those explicitly seen and the fact that there would almost certainly have been significantly more off-screen)
Another one which isn't particularly worth rewatching, except perhaps for the comedy value.
Sun, Nov 24, 2019, 9:12pm (UTC -6)
Incidentally, Altered States was well done (if silly), but this ST:TNG episode was just dreck.
Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 8:38pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Dec 15, 2019, 12:37pm (UTC -6)
Picard: ‘Before I start swinging across the ship’
Guilty pleasure episode.
7/10
Thu, Apr 30, 2020, 12:13pm (UTC -6)
Sun, May 17, 2020, 4:52pm (UTC -6)
You're entitled to believe what you want. But you're sure as hell going to come off as a monumental jerk if you insist flimsy evidence isn't actually flimsy, and get angry about someone calling you on bad logic.
Fri, Jun 19, 2020, 5:32pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Jun 28, 2020, 2:12pm (UTC -6)
Tue, Oct 20, 2020, 12:20pm (UTC -6)
I don’t mind the wacky DNA science. I mostly mind the tedious expository device of Data and Picard walking slowly from room to room, pointing, describing, and painstakingly explaining the plot to each other and the unfortunate audience.
Fri, Oct 23, 2020, 11:48pm (UTC -6)
Mon, Dec 28, 2020, 4:10pm (UTC -6)
I quite enjoyed watching things unravel initially, but it turns into an absolute farce. And the solution is even more laughable than the problem, with everyone returned to their original form completely intact and no worse for wear. I sort of like the idea of the crew being saved by a retro-virus made from Nurse Ogawa's personal body fluids, though. But it all happens so suddenly.. one minute Data is asked to unleash the retro-virus, next scene - everything restored to normal.
I thought Picard seemed unusually calm when confronted by the spectacle of what had happened to his ship and its crew. Even Riker with a bigger skull and smaller brain doesn't bother him unduly.
Anyway - just nonsense. Very slow, as well. Awful.
Thu, Dec 31, 2020, 7:06am (UTC -6)
Sat, Jan 2, 2021, 5:31pm (UTC -6)
Interesting to see how quickly the coments de-evolved (?????) into a evolution denia !
Crazy episode leads to craziness!
(At least the Ferengi were not involved).
Fri, Jan 22, 2021, 7:39pm (UTC -6)
And then all the way downhill from there on. Semi frog Troi in a bog bathtub: can it get any lower than that?
OMG: what were they thinking?
Sat, Feb 20, 2021, 6:01pm (UTC -6)
No directed by women? 2.
Although the ST message of equality for all is within all episodes, it didn’t seem to reach the production staff who were male dominated and wrote women in a weak way. An early episode shows an alien who’s surprised that a woman is chief of security... yet he might have asked, ‘a woman, as a director?’
Plus it says something that only 2 female directors were ever invited... one of whom was this episode’s director: Gates McFadden, a MEMBER OF THE CAST. Who was also fired in S1 for speaking up about her character too often. Gates was already an experienced director & choreographer, with academic qualifications and a theatre background. Yet she was only given ONE opportunity to direct in 178.
Unfortunately she wasn’t given a lot to work with, but from this point of view I think she did a good job. She also wasn’t mentored - just left on her own. The episode is ok. Far from great, but ok, and there are some noticeable differences in feel and touch. The busy sick bay and use of the red & blue jars... great make up, and a couple of comedy moments - Data interrupted when laying out what he’s going to do when he finds out who the father is...and how.
Great side view on the bridge of Picard and notice he appears behind Worf. He’s also pretty scathing of Worf.
Enjoyable for me.
Sat, Feb 20, 2021, 6:15pm (UTC -6)
Judging everything in the past by today's standards is a fool's errand.
Wed, Feb 24, 2021, 10:06pm (UTC -6)
Good luck writing that note to the grieving parents Jean Luc...
Fri, Feb 26, 2021, 8:29am (UTC -6)
Fri, Feb 26, 2021, 3:48pm (UTC -6)
So, in other words, like all 24th century civilian clothes. LOL!
Mon, Apr 5, 2021, 1:10am (UTC -6)
Never saw it again until tonight and actually had fun with it. Knowing it's utterly absurd helps a lot.
Riker trying to eat Picard's Ready Room fish is pretty comical. And later above is right, Riker totally gives Data and Picard the bird!
I just take this one as a pulp holonovel by Tom Paris.
Mon, Apr 5, 2021, 1:19am (UTC -6)
PICARD: So Spot was giving birth to the kittens at the same time that she was changing into a reptilian lifeform.
Sun, Jul 25, 2021, 8:27am (UTC -6)
Is this term peak Braga?
Tue, Aug 3, 2021, 7:52pm (UTC -6)
While testing the new proton torpedos at the start of the episode (prior to any outbreak), one veers of course. Riker orders Worf to destroy it with phasers, to which Worf replies he cannot as the torpedo is out of range. Riker, second in command to the Federation’s flagship vessel, responds with unwarranted sarcasm to Worf, “even for your ‘newly improved’ phasers?”
Now look here you little shit: Worf is not your enemy, nor did he design the prototype weapons the Federation sent to you to test. You are second in command - act like it you fucking ass.
Riker is the absolute worst.
Wed, Aug 4, 2021, 2:35pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Aug 4, 2021, 7:23pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Aug 4, 2021, 7:39pm (UTC -6)
"I thought the whole point about photon torpedoes v phasers is that the former are faster than light. They effectively travel at warp speed."
I hate to be that guy, but in principle I believe torpedoes are *potentially* faster because, at warp speed, the torpoedoes are likewise fired at warp (i.e. retain the speed of the ship plus their own speed), being projectiles. Phasers move at the speed of light regardless of the speed of the ship, and so cannot be used at warp. But while under impulse power, it stands to reason that phasers would hit their target much quicker. That is, unless they are doing mini-warp bursts just before firing to severely ramp up the acceleration. Or maybe they have a mini-warp bubble generator in the torpedo bay. Or maybe...actually, maybe getting into this was a mistake...
Mon, Nov 1, 2021, 2:10pm (UTC -6)
Yes!
I realize your comment was from years ago but I agree completely. I was cracking up watching him. How did he do it? Seriously, I hope he was paid enough. For that matter, how did any of them? They must have been cracking up every few minutes.
This episode is memorable. I'll give it that much. And reading through the comments makes me notice that Star Trek has some very generous, forgiving fans.
Tue, Nov 9, 2021, 5:28pm (UTC -6)
Mon, Jun 27, 2022, 10:39pm (UTC -6)
Mon, Jul 4, 2022, 11:21am (UTC -6)
Then, at around the 8-minute mark, it all falls apart.
Godawful.
Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 11:22pm (UTC -6)
Tue, Oct 18, 2022, 7:19pm (UTC -6)
Of course if Data had been there the whole time he could have cured them all long before they turned into bats and squirrels, but he was conveniently away for three days chasing a photon torpedo through a dense asteroid field, and don't ask me how the torpedo managed to avoid crashing into any of them or why it was so important to retrieve it in the first place.
I don't think they ever explained how Barkley's T-cells were spreading all over ship either. Finally why didn't Data just use the transporter to fix everyone the way they fixed Pulaski when pretty much the same thing happened to her in Season 2 (except she got old instead of turning into an iguana).
Thu, Oct 20, 2022, 11:40pm (UTC -6)
You seriously think CBS isn't part of the fake news cabal?
Tue, Dec 6, 2022, 6:33am (UTC -6)
I will say that I also don't hate the likes of Rascals, Sub Rosa, Threshold, Masks, Ex Post Facto, etc. Like others have pointed out, I wouldn't want this all the time, but I don't mind the occasional break in serious science fiction for the sake of a good time.
I'll take Genesis over much of what we've been getting lately in recent Trek.
Tue, Dec 6, 2022, 4:19pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Mar 29, 2023, 8:48pm (UTC -6)
But boy oh boy, it does not hold up well.
Sun, Nov 12, 2023, 7:30pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Dec 6, 2023, 6:09pm (UTC -6)
The review and the comments made it even more amusing. You can't seriously complain about this episode being scientifically inaccurate. Just pick any episode; it's all nonsense most of the time in that regard. If you want to be scientifically accurate, you won't even get past the intro.
There's virtually nothing scientifically accurate on ST. I mean, there's not even an attempt. There is an enthusiasm for the scientific method. There's a respect and reverence for science as an idea, and there's definitely an unbound optimism regarding scientific progress, but not actual science. There's playful use of some scientific theories and wording, but the goal of ST, in my opinion, is not to be scientifically accurate but to create a fantasy that's internally consistent. TNG doesn't quite manage to do that either, but it's so fun!
My favorite line from this episode comes from Dr. Crusher, right at the end. They're talking about how the disease first developed.
Barclay: So it's my fault?
Crusher: No. In a way, it's mine.
In way? In a way!? This is totally on you, doc!
With only a few more episodes, I will have watched every single TNG episode out there. I'm already getting a little sad about it. TNG is my first ever ST show, and I've grown incredibly fond of it. I'm already planning a re-watch.
Wed, Dec 6, 2023, 9:13pm (UTC -6)
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