In the Pale Moonlight is a fantastic Deep Space Nine episode, one in which the sci-fi setting is almost totally irrelevant. It only provides a few handy details for how things occur, but not why or who does them. The only issue is that the characters and relationships involved are rather complex, but there’s more than enough explanation present that you can just go along with it. The structure of the narrative itself provides the insight into the important characters and situations.
I just saw this all the way through for the first time, and I think it is the best. It is stronger for know Picard’s background but it still works just as a story of loss - and hardly an episode of any show is going to be as good if it doesn’t play off the personality of the characters. (Even the “Death of Chuckles” episode from MTM works better knowing what a stick in the mud she is.)
Thanks for the suggestions - It is my girlfriend - and while we like some of the same movies/TV - I wanted to sort of find a way to connect with her on the sci-fi action front. I don’t see there being any hope with the action - the only action movie I mentioned that she somewhat thought was OK was Raiders - and she only liked the non action parts.
She is very bright and curious, and I think she might actually like some Sci-Fi - I think I was thinking TNG as there are tons of episodes - and I actually like most of them. I thought that age of the original Star Trek might turn her off.
I also knew that some of the episodes of TNG don’t seem really sci-fi - like some very holodeck centric episodes and “The Inner Light”. I loved the first episode of BSG - it really drew me in - while TNG probably took about a season, but I’m pretty sure the Cylons will have her rolling her eyes early on - and I doubt number 6 will intrigue her as much as she did me. I think she might be able to handle Data, but not Worf, and things like that - but don’t know…
Even Enterprise had some good ones…
Look for Cogenitor and A Night In Sickbay
They aren’t very action-y and touch on some interesting ideas.
How about “The Outcast?”
No action per se, and a thought-provoking (if heavy handed) storyline.
Oh, I liked the one with transporter-accident Thomas Riker up until the supremely unsatisfying resolution and the ensuing “never mention this again”-ness of subsequent episodes.
This is the one that came to mind for me.
She sounds a lot like my girlfriend from a few years back. The important thing to consider is what are her turnoffs in Sci Fi? My ex didn’t like Star Trek because of the alien prosthetics and costumes. She just couldn’t turn off the idea that they looked ridiculous to her. She also hated technobabble because she knew that it was pure gobbledygook. If this is your girlfriend then the Inner Light is a very good candidate because the makeup is pretty minimal and they don’t realign the positrons in the deflector dish to reset the spacetime polarity field around the ship :-).
My ex did love BSG even though she thought she’d hate it when she watched the first episode. She was able to relate easily with the human characters, the technobabble was kept to a minimum, and she really liked the fact that the women are such strong characters. She loved Starbuck most. I feel like I’m threadshitting a bit by mentioning that show but for what you want to accomplish I think it’s your best bet.
If we are expanding the scope outside of TNG, the Deep Space Nine episode “The Visitor” is amazing. It has some science fiction-y hand waving to set up the story but it is really about the bond between fathers and sons and made me tear up the first time I saw it again after my Dad passed away.
While I agree with you, when the task is to find an episode of a science fiction show that has nothing to do with science fiction, you’re pretty much by default left with episodes that can only work as a standalone if you already get the characters.
How about the STTNG where Data was “kidnapped” by that collector guy. That was pretty good moralizing and a detective story as well.
Of course the DS9 that ends with “Computer, delete log entry.” Easy to see what that is about.
I’m kind of surprised nobody has mentioned Tin Man.
Although it has some action in it and is clearly Sci-Fi, it is really much more of a story about misfits who find happiness together.
One of my favorite episodes.
I must say, I’m rather partial to the Data-centric Fine Art and its companion episode, It’s Not Lupus. Despite being centered upon a non-human character, they do an excellent job of capturing the bittersweet poignancy of the conflict upon which the fundament of humanity is based.
Note: I have put the links to the episodes in spoiler boxes due to the fact that they both contain brief, pixellated depictions of a nude cartoon horse.
I’ve always liked Disaster, which usually appears on nobody’s favorite episodes lists
To be stored in Warehouse 13, apparently.
I don’t think the first one is called “Fine Art”. I went to look for it on Netflix and couldn’t find it so I did a wiki search of episodes and it doesn’t list a single episode as being titled that. Can some one help? I don’t remember that episode and would like to watch it.
I knew Artie on Wharehouse 13 looked familiar. Also right now, and the last episode just before, on SYFY they are showing episodes where Brent Spiner is playing a guest character, “Brother Adrian.” It’s awesome.
Ok, I found it. The episodes are “Birthright” parts 1 and 2’. Now after reading the synopsis I remember them.
Whoooooooooooooshshshshshshshshshshs!
**Tapestry **I think, is a good episode (one of my favorites) that doesn’t have too much action. It is pretty sci-fi heavy (what would happen if you went back and changed one key moment in your life?) but I think anyone could appreciate the story and possibly learn from it.
Both Measure of a Man and The Drumhead. The evolution of human consciousness does not always proceed in a straight line.