# Tell me about Star Trek **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 6, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254 "2013-06-06T00:49:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/101 "2013-06-08T00:32:19Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I sense negative emotions… BING-go! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/102 "2013-06-08T13:44:26Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > Why do people dislike [Troi] so? Does she get more annoying later? Yes, but she’s still almost never the most annoying character in the episode. However, the writers had a problem coming up with uses for her empath abilities, so they wound up making her state the obvious a lot. The joke is that she is “the autistic kid’s guide to Trek” since she’s always telling you emotions that are clearly present in the body language of the character. So while I’m like you, and don’t mind her, I understand why some people are so annoyed by her. And it has apparently made people retroactively hate her. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/103 "2013-06-08T13:55:11Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > I guess it’s a spoiler (for a 20 year old episode) but … When you know it’s a spoiler, use a spoiler box. (I added one for you.) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/104 "2013-06-08T14:11:34Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Yes, but she’s still almost never the most annoying character in the episode. That title goes to Wesley Crusher. Deanna is about as useful as all of the children on board, who had absolutely no business being on a starship anyway. If you want a professional pshrink in the crew, make her a member of the medical contingent and use her only when you have a real psychological crisis, i.e., once every other year or so. Otherwise you create the impression of a ship manned by whiny, insecure dweebs whom normal screening would have weeded out well before it ever set sail. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/105 "2013-06-08T18:14:33Z")
They did use her from time to time to provide actual psych counseling (Worf, Alexander, Barclay and that grieving kid who’d lost his mom on a mission, off the top of my head), but more often than not she was just offering glaringly obvious insights to Picard. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/106 "2013-06-08T18:20:31Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > They did use her from time to time to provide actual psych counseling (Worf, Alexander, Barclay and that grieving kid who’d lost his mom on a mission, off the top of my head), but more often than not she was just offering glaringly obvious insights to Picard. The only way Barclay would be allowed onto an actual starship would be as a space tourist, provided he signed a written pledge not to touch anything beforehand. Children on a starship are the ultimate in nonproductive personnel. Putting them on board was by far the dumbest idea anyone in the Trek front offices ever had, and _that’s_ saying one helluva lot. Every time I watch the Borg carve that huge section out of the primary hull, I wonder if that’s where the nurseries were located. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/107 "2013-06-08T18:23:46Z")
There are a lot of annoying characters on Star Trek! Wesley Worf with a phaser Beardless Riker Data wanting to “be a real boy!” Troi’s tele-empathy uselessness Geordi whining about datelessness Joe Piscabo Gem Lazarus Harry Kim Jake Salt Vampire Travis “Grew Up On A Spaceship” Mayweather Dr Pulaski etc… Funny thing is, we still sort of like them. I guess we like them now for being annoying. Ripped Shirt TOS Kirk vs The reboot Master vs original trilogy Darth Vader – Who wins? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/108 "2013-06-08T18:33:56Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Ripped Shirt TOS Kirk vs The reboot Master vs original trilogy Darth Vader – Who wins? Talk about oranges and apples! :rolleyes: I’m torn between Scenery-Chewing-Ripped-Shirt-Horny-Sailor Kirk and Unrepentant-Personification-of-Pure-Evil Darth Vader. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/109 "2013-06-08T20:02:56Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The only way Barclay would be allowed onto an actual starship would be as a space tourist, provided he signed a written pledge not to touch anything beforehand. > > Children on a starship are the ultimate in nonproductive personnel. Putting them on board was by far the dumbest idea anyone in the Trek front offices ever had, and _that’s_ saying one helluva lot. Every time I watch the Borg carve that huge section out of the primary hull, I wonder if that’s where the nurseries were located. Well it’s not like there were children for the sake of children. They were the offspring (and and spouses) of the hundreds of scientists, engineers, and technicians on board. Not everyone can be the perpetual eligible bachelors that Picard, Riker, and Barclay are. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/110 "2013-06-08T20:42:31Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Well it’s not like there were children for the sake of children. They were the offspring (and and spouses) of the hundreds of scientists, engineers, and technicians on board. Not everyone can be the perpetual eligible bachelors that Picard, Riker, and Barclay are. Husband-and-wife teams of scientists, etc., I can understand. There’d be no shortage of those in the Federation willing to sign on (or of single men and women, I dare say). However, keeping children on board a ship whose primary function is planetary exploration and contacting unknown life forms is, to put it mildly, tantamount to felony endangerment. There are no effective methods of contraception in the 24th century? No rotation of personnel and their dependents to less hazardous duties? No way to return parents and their newborn children to Starbases or deep-space stations? Though the subject was never discussed on-air in TOS, the practice then was that birth control was voluntary for married couples, mandatory for unmarried females. You get pregnant, you have the choice of either accepting a shore assignment or resigning from the service. This actually followed the real military practices of the time; what they’re like nowadays, I don’t know, but I’m sure you won’t find toddlers living aboard submarines, aircraft carriers, or any other warship. (And puh-LEEZE, don’t give me that “The _Enterprise_ is not a ship of war, it’s a ship of peace” bullshit. There are a lot of alien species out there who don’t give a rat’s ass one way or the other.) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/111 "2013-06-08T20:59:50Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Not everyone can be the perpetual eligible bachelors that Picard, Riker, and Barclay are. Career officers can and often are. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/112 "2013-06-08T21:03:44Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Well it’s not like there were children for the sake of children. Actually, yes there were. They way everyone kind of forgot about them after the first couple of years shows just how nonessential they were, and how the production staff belatedly realized what a rotten idea it was in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/113 "2013-06-08T21:49:18Z")
Plus, wasn’t it part of Gene’s idea to make his precious Starfleet look less military? I hate to keep harping on that point, but it really made early TNG shows a little hamstrung. Photon Torpedoes! Daddy, look what i draw! That’s nice, honey. Now go see Mommy, I have to obliterate the bad guys ship. oh, okay … FIRE! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/114 "2013-06-08T21:53:37Z")
And that’s also why (iirc) they had a scene with saucer separation in the pilot. To show how they can be a minivan in space and also a gunboat. They rarely used saucer separation in later eps, except to fight Borg. One book I read, maybe a Larry Nemecek book, said the scene was costly and time consuming, so saucer sep wasn’t slated to be used very often. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/115 "2013-06-08T21:54:10Z")
> [@Askthepizzaguy](#): > > **SEASON TWO** - more watchable than the previous season, and more relevant, but still pretty meh. > > BEST EPISODES: > > 1. Q Who > 2. The Emissary > 3. Peak Performance > 4. A Matter of Honor > > [spoiler] **The Child** - Troi episode. Not worth watching either. Introduces Pulaski, who is not-as-good-as-Crusher and not as interesting. Not that Crusher was ever interesting. 😉 SKIP > \*\* > Where Silence Has Lease\*\*- A neat little episode. The Enterprise encounters a dangerous mystery and Picard resorts to drastic steps to protect his people from further harm. Irrelevant but watchable because Patrick Stewart. > > **Elementary, Dear Data** - A good Data-as-Holmes Episode. Watchable because Brent Spiner (And Daniel Davis). Relevant as the character Moriarty returns, and Data develops more. > > **The Outrageous Okana** - The terrible Joe Piscopo episode. Data has issues with humor. Also, a plot involving guest stars which is utterly boring. SKIP > > **Loud as a Whisper** - I must confess, I was captivated by the concept and performance of the deaf mediator and his aides. Enough to endure Troi, even. Otherwise irrelevant. > > **The Schizoid Man** - Dying scientist tries to become immortal by transferring himself into Data. Memorable only because Suzie Plakson has a brief appearance as a random Vulcan and is still more interesting than the rest of the people in the story. 😃 SKIP > > **Unnatural Selection** - A Pulaski episode, which makes Troi episodes almost seem watchable. SKIP SKIP SKIP. I mean, she gets _OLDER_. Make her younger or… \*interesting \*or something! > > **A Matter of Honor** - A _watchable Riker and Klingons episode! Riker actually develops as a character, and the Klingons here are quite entertaining and memorable. > \*\* > The Measure of a Man_- A watchable Data and Picard Episode. Even Riker is watchable in this one. Seriously, don’t skip. This is an essential episode which epitomizes these three characters. > > **The Dauphin** - An episode so bad it defies description. PLEASE SKIP. Welsey is the least bad thing about this episode, and that’s saying a lot. > > **Contagion** - A fairly watchable Enterprise V Romulans episode, this is the one with the probe from the planet that scrambles computer systems and makes them go haywire. But you could give the episode a miss if you wanted. > > **The Royale** - You know, the episode is absurd, and could have been very boring. But Michael Dorn and Brent Spiner make this episode watchable. I’d even go as far as to recommend it. And the guest stars are just as watchable. Just ignore the ridiculous premise to achieve enjoyment. > > **Time Squared** - The Future Picard/Picard’s double episode. I dunno, I just hated this one. The performance of future Picard made me want to punch him. The episode and the motivation of the characters doesn’t make sense. Skip please. > > **The Icarus Factor** - Riker’s dad epiosde. Ugh. No wonder he wasn’t a recurring character. And this is also the episode involving the Klingon Pain Sticks. Really bad performances all around. It’s bad when Dorn can’t even make me watch. > > **Pen pals** - I hated this episode because it’s all about the absurd Prime Directive which they break every other minute, and enforce in between. Even Spiner can’t make me watch this one again. > \*\* > Q Who\*\*- Absolutely unmissable episode. You must watch this, it is one of the pivotal moments in all of The Next Generation. Q, the appearance of the Borg, Guinan, everything. **You must watch.** > > **Samaritan Snare-** Forgive me, but I liked this episode, and even though the script makes Picard act stupid, once Geordi is caught in the snare, I like how he reacts and how they extract him. This one is actually a decent La Forge episode. Given how few of those we’ve had, please watch it. > > **Up the Long Ladder** - Brenna O’Dell can climb \*my \*ladder any day of the week, as many times as she likes. An interesting episode, and probably one of the only ones where Pulaski is watchable. Yeah, I said it. Rosalyn Landor is probably my dream woman. She’s 20 years older than me and I’d \*still \*tap that. > > **Manhunt** - If you like Lwaxana Troi episodes (And, I do) then watch this. She’s probably the only interesting thing about the episode, however. Watchable because Majel Barrett and of course, Mr. Homm. > > **The Emissary** - Watchable because Suzie Plakson. Also Dorn. This episode is relevant to Worf’s character and is a great Klingon-focused episode. DO NOT SKIP > \*\* > Peak Performance\*\*- Watchable because Brent Spiner. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed the actor playing Kolrami. That guy can act. I seriously am bummed he never returned and more episodes like this weren’t made. Even the premise of the episode, routine tactical training, was worth seeing in action. DONT SKIP > > **Shades of Grey-** Let me tell you how awful this episode is. It shows clips of Riker from previous episodes, two seasons into the series. It features Pulaski and Riker heavily. And it is a dark and unenjoyable episode. And the solution is to make Riker experience pain and anguish and torment. And all it accomplishes is to leave the viewer feeling like their eyes just got raped. Please, for the love of god, skip this episode, I’m begging you. Worst Season Ending Episode Ever![/spoiler] Regarding the episode “Samaritan Snare”. There’s a really cool callback later in the series to a certain detail Picard reveals in the episode. Really blew my mind. One of my favourite moments in all of Star Trek. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/116 "2013-06-08T21:59:53Z")
They also separated for the Good Ship Lollipop ep (Arsenal of Freedom) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/117 "2013-06-08T22:11:08Z")
[Here is another good thing about Star Trek](http://www.scenicreflections.com/files/Star%20Trek%20Women%20For%20Charity%20Wallpaper__yvt2.jpg) No nudity, but maybe NSFW if your boss or staff are uptightish. It also looks very, very photoshopped. I like the blue girl just thought I would share ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/118 "2013-06-08T22:17:53Z")
Here’s some real Trek cosplay: [http://completenerdom.com/sexy-star-trek-cosplay/](http://completenerdom.com/sexy-star-trek-cosplay/) The link pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? ^:dubious:^ ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/119 "2013-06-08T22:23:31Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > And that’s also why (iirc) they had a scene with saucer separation in the pilot. To show how they can be a minivan in space and also a gunboat. You know what I’d do if I were commander of an enemy vessel? I’d take out the gunboat (a few direct hits is all it ever takes to knock down all of their deflectors and disable the warp drive) and then head out at full warp and deal with the impulse-driven saucer section. Or maybe I’d just ignore the gunboat and blow the saucer to smithereens first. I prefer the first scenario, because Terran women and children are welcome additions to slave markets all over the Galaxy. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254/120 "2013-06-08T22:27:46Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > The link pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? I’ll take this one, please! 🙂 [http://completenerdom.com/sexy-star-trek-cosplay/sexy-star-trek-cosplay-11/](http://completenerdom.com/sexy-star-trek-cosplay/sexy-star-trek-cosplay-11/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-star-trek/660254.md?page=7)