The universal translator was always at its worst when they were trying to technobabble how it worked. It doesn’t take much suspension of disbelief to just accept the UT as some magical thing that always works, except when they don’t want it to (it always seemed like the UT was hyperaware of the rules of drama and especially knew when a Klingon wanted to not translate some Klingon concept). It’s when the writers tried to make sense of the UT that it suffered, because that just drew attention to it.
Yep, I love that episode as well. The final scene between Data and Riker still makes me tear up a bit everytime I see it:
[QUOTE=Measure of a Man]
(Riker feels guilt about acting as Data’s prosecutor and almost sealing his fate)
Lt. Commander Data: Is it not true that, had you refused to prosecute, Captain Louvois would have ruled summarily against me?
Commander William T. Riker: Yes.
Lt. Commander Data: That action injured you, and saved me. I will not forget it.
Commander William T. Riker: (smiles) You’re a wise man, my friend.
Lt. Commander Data: Not yet, sir. But with your help, I am learning.
[/QUOTE]
“Chain of Command”
I don’t know how they did it, but someone wrote a believable command officer in Edward Jellico. Sadly, Riker behaved like a dick.
“A Matter of Honor”
Riker has to try on a new paradigm for officer performance and does right well. I wondered if he wasn’t a little sad at having to give up life as a Klingon.
I don’t remember if they had his Klingon counter part.
Having to drink tea, talk to Troi about his Inner Anger, and bathe.
Troi: “Tell me about your mother…”
Klingon: [stabs her in the head]
Not in that episode. But the Worf-discommendation arc began with the Enterprise taking a Klingon officer aboard under the same circumstances as Riker; it was Kurn (Kern?), Worf’s elder brother.
I’m just up to that episode in my watching them all in order effort, and a few things struck me, which I’ll put here instead of starting a new thread. First, the total absence of the news media. Second, the total lack of reaction of people on Earth to what just happened.
I can understand how all the saving the universe in deep space (my home) makes no impression on the home planet. But the Borg had just wiped out a good chunk of the fleet, and was very close to earth when Data put them to sleep. You’d think this would be somewhat traumatic. You’d think there would be more effort to honor the crew than a parade in a small French village. (Which seemed more in honor of Picard’s career than anything else.) His brother seemed only vaguely aware of what had just happened. Does Earth get threatened so often that no one notices anymore? Is the trust in Star Fleet so complete that no one moves a muscle when the latest menace warps into view? Or, given the lack of a press, did Star Fleet not bother to tell anyone that they were about to be absorbed into the Borg?
Still a good, episode, and I loved that Worf’s parents were Jewish. Oh I know it said Russian, but Theodore Bikel?
They did fudge a lot with Picard after the Borg invasion. He was the face and spokesman for the Borg. I can’t see how he could have resumed command of any Starship. There always would be a bit of doubt about him. Even though the Borg implants had been removed.
There would have also been a lot of anger still directed against Locutus of Borg/Picard. That was a big part of DS9’s opening episode. Sisko still had a lot of hatred because his wife had been killed in a Borg attack. I bet a lot of other Star Fleet personnel felt the same way. Just the sight of Picard’s face was enough to bring back all the pain of that lost battle. 39 Starships were destroyed at Wolf 359.
Family was a really good episode. It’s the only time we really see Picard dealing with what happened to him. I can’t see him ever fully getting over his experiences as the Borg leader.
Yup. I also, unlike everyone else, liked the episode “Cost of Living” - the one where Lwaxana is meant to get married (unhappily) but spends the episode Auntie Mame-ing it up with Alexander.
“The higher, the fewer!”
Wasn’t that also the first Lwaxana episode after Gene died? I always suspected that was why that episode was more subdued than most Lwaxana episodes.
My fanwank is that there’s some sort of energy running through all the floors–maybe even the gravity plating.
Though you’d think they’d be all about trying to figure out what it was in the floor that they apparently could interact with.
Anyways, I liked the one where Riker was in a virtual reality the whole time, Future Imperfect. I also like any episode with Moriarty in it.
Then again, I also like Encounter at Farpoint and Masks, both of which are pretty poorly regarded in Trek circles. So I won’t be surprised if no one likes those above, either.
I suppose there’s also the question of why the ship didn’t just move “out from under” them and leave them standing in open space. Inertia, I guess.
Actually, wasn’t there at least one scene where they pop through a floor or ceiling?
The Romulan officer who was phased was able to sit in a chair and to turn it around.
I think you just have to Mystery Science Theater 3000 that ep.
Well, there were only two.