Being George Clooney (2016)

After watching Downfall, I needed something lighter.  I wanted something that wasn’t as intense.  One of the movies I came across was Being George Clooney.  The description said that it was about the voice actors that lend their voices to George Clooney’s roles in other countries.  I wondered how they could get 90 minutes out of something that seems so simple.  It turns out that dubbing is more complicated than I thought.

In America, we’re used to subtitles.  Anime fans even debate the merits of subtitles versus dubbing.  In other countries, the audiences prefer dubbing.  In fact, Italy mandated dubbing so that Italian audiences wouldn’t hear the language of the enemy.  There is a cultural preference for hearing your own language, even if the movie is from another country.

A lot of effort goes into the translation.  It’s not enough to get the words right.  Matching words to lip movements requires a dubbing director.  It seems relatively easy going from English to a language like German.  Both are close to each other linguistically.  When going to Hindi, idioms become more difficult to translate.  One dubber was called in to translate medical terminology and was asked to dub for Clooney on ER  because his voice was so similar.

Each of the various voice actors come across as being friendly.  They enjoy what they do and even get varying degrees of fame for it in their respective countries.  Some have a following.  Italy even has a category for it in their version of the Academy Awards.

The studios don’t always recognize the actors’ efforts.  Even though the international market can be twice as big as domestic, most get paid very little.  Often, their names are left out of the credits.  If they do appear, it’s at the very end.  This, despite dubbing being as much a part of the movie experience as anything else.  Movies probably would not do as well internationally without the efforts of the voice talent.

I was wondering why they chose George Clooney for the title, but the documentary doesn’t stick with just him.  Most of the voice actors interviewed voice Clooney’s roles.  However, we get to see other motion pictures, like Transformers and Seinfeld, translated.  All of the voice actors love what they do and seem to like the man they’ve become associated with.

Overall, it was an enjoyable hour and a half.  It does give you a new perspective on something you might not otherwise think about.  One of the advantages of Netflix is that I get to watch movies like this.  I’d recommend watching it.

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The Search for Life: The Drake Equation (2010)

I don’t remember exactly when I learned of the Drake Equation.  It was first created by Frank Drake back in 1960 to give us an idea of how many communicating civilizations are out there in our galaxy.  We have a good idea of how many stars are out there, but back when it was first written down, much of it was guessing.  We’ve learned some things since then, but it’s still a lot of guessing.

The equation has seven different factors.  First, you take the rate at which stars form.  Then, multiply by the fraction of stars that have planets, and multiply again by the fraction of those planets that can support life.  You then multiply by the fraction of capable planets that do support life and by the fraction of life-bearing planets that develop intelligent life.  Finally, you multiply by the fraction of civilizations that develop the ability to communicate and by the length of time that the do communicate.  Drake’s original numbers gave us an estimate of 50,000 communicating civilizations.

This documentary is a very basic overview of the Drake Equation.  It starts with what the equation is and how it was used to start what eventually became SETI.  Drake wanted to use radio telescopes to find aliens, as that was the most promising avenue of exploration at the time.  (One thing I’ve always wondered is why we assume radio will be the means of communication if a civilization chooses to communicate at all.  I know it‘s really all we have, but I would think it’s not likely that they would necessarily develop or use radio to communicate.)

The Fermi Paradox is also brought up.  Enrico Fermi once asked where all the aliens were if there were supposed to be so many.  Well, life might not form that easily.  Sure, life formed quickly on our planet, but we don’t know if we just got lucky.  Even if life does form, there’s no promise of it becoming multicellular.  It does seem, however, that it is likely that multicellular life will develop intelligence.  Also, 50,000 civilizations isn’t that many when you consider that there are billions of stars in our galaxy, and there may not even be that many.  There may be something that keeps civilizations from getting that far.

It’s a pretty safe documentary.  It was produced by the BBC, which lends a fair amount of credibility.  At an hour, it’s the kind of thing that a teacher could play for a class if their normal plans got cancelled.  If the children are old enough to handle the basic concept of aliens, this should be appropriate for them.  There’s nothing about abduction or invasion or anything else that might be scary.  It seems to be meant as an introduction to the Drake Equation.  It probably won’t be of much interest to those that know more about the subject.

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Chaos on the Bridge (2014)

Before Epinions had stopped accepting new submissions, I was maybe a dozen reviews away from having covered all the episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.  I had noted that a good number of the episodes from the first two seasons weren’t that good, and I don’t think I was alone in that assessment.  It took a while for the series to find it’s footing.  It turns out that there was a reason for that.  William Shatner directed and hosted this documentary on the show’s early years.

The Original Series ran from 1966-1969, having gone off the air after three seasons.  When Star Wars and other space-related movies came out, a planned revival of the series was turned into a movie franchise.  It wasn’t until almost 30 years later that Gene Roddenberry would get his chance to bring the Star Trek universe back to TV.  Roddenberry could be difficult to work with.

He had a vision of the future that he wanted to stick to, but there were other people that were vying for control.  Paramount, for instance, objected to casting Patrick Stewart; they didn’t want a bald captain.  Paramount was also the one that insisted on a two-hour pilot, despite Roddenberry insisting on a one-hour pilot.  This led to the writers having to come up with a lot more material in a short amount of time.

The documentary interviews several people involved in the original show and the early years of The Next Generation, such as  D.C. Fontana and Denise Crosby.  Each person shared their take on what happened.  For instance, Patrick Stewart threatened to walk out several times during the early part of the show.  He was so convinced that the show wouldn’t work that he didn’t unpack right away.

The documentary doesn’t give any major revelations, at least not for the hardcore fans.  I generally knew most of the stuff coming in.  For me, it was a matter of seeing the extent of everything.  I didn’t know how dissatisfied Stewart was with the show.   I also didn’t know many of the troubles involved in getting the show back on the air.  I was 11 when The Next Generation premiered.  I didn’t really think much of it at the time. I had seen The Original Series and had some idea of what was going on with the continuity, but I didn’t care that much for the stuff behind the scenes.

One thing I took notice of was that it only deals with the first two seasons.  It would be interesting to see how things progressed over the seasons.  Around the third season, things seemed to get better for the show.  I don’t know if the someone backed off entirely or if it was simply everyone learning to work together.

For someone who watches Star Trek casually, the documentary will probably hold some interest.  It’s an entertaining way to spend an hour.  The interviews are held together by animation with narration explaining certain aspects of the show’s history.  The animation was a little off, but not so much that I was distracted by it.  I think most people will be able to enjoy the documentary.

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Der Untergang/Downfall (2004)

You may have come across a meme showing Adolf Hitler screaming at several of his advisors in a crowded room.  (I think the name usually starts with something like “Hitler reacts to…”.)  There are a variety of topics, from Hitler finding out his Xbox account was banned to having to see Don’t Mess With the Zohan.  The clip comes from a movie called Downfall.

According you Know Your Meme, the director was amused by the usage.  The studio, not so much, although they seem to have eventually relented.  (There’s even one of Hitler trying to have the various parodies taken down.)  I have to admit that I’m somewhere in between.  Some of the videos are funny, but we’re talking about Hitler during the final days of WWII.  It’s a pretty heavy and loaded subject.

While looking through Netflix for movies to stream, I came across Downfall.  I immediately recognized this as the movie that spawned the meme.  I decided to watch the movie to put the clip in context.  (I noticed that the movie ran for over 2½ hours, so I decided to save it for later.)  I’m not sure that this should be your only reason for watching it.

The movie is primarily about the last days of Adolf Hitler.  He, Eva Braun, his closest advisors and a few others spent them in a bunker underneath Berlin.   Germany was losing at that point.  It was a matter of time before they’d have to surrender.  Almost everyone in the bunker was advising Hitler to leave Berlin, but he would have none of it.  Anyone who didn’t obey his orders was less than scum.

Outside the bunker, Berlin was in ruins.  (This suited Hitler just fine.  It would be that much easier to implement his  plan for an even better Berlin.)  People are hurt.  Troops and civilians alike are injured or dead.  Children are fighting for Germany.  Hitler even gives out medals to some of them.  He refuses to leave.  He refuses to surrender.

This is one of those movies where a spoiler alert isn’t really appropriate.  Anyone familiar with World War II should know the basic plot of the movie.  For those that don’t, you may want to stop reading.  This isn’t necessarily for fear of ruining the movie, but because the movie does go into some detail.  We see a doctor assist Joseph and Magda Goebbels in killing their children.  This isn’t even the scene that I find most disturbing.  We also see Hitler test a cyanide pill on his dog.  (The movie doesn’t show the dog actually dying, but it’s still clear what‘s happening.)  There are also several suicides towards the end of the movie.

As you might expect from the meme, there are a lot of scenes with Hitler yelling at people.  Those that follow his orders are golden.  Those that don’t deserve to die.  There are also scenes with him being kind to people.  The movie uses clips from an interview with Hitler’s secretary, Traudl Junge, as bookends.  (In the movie, she’s played by Alexandra Maria Lara.)  Hitler is somewhat pleasant with her.  There are several scenes where he is charismatic.

This isn’t to say that he was a nice person.  Hitler was someone that knew how to manipulate people.  What might appear to be kindness would have simply been a means to an end.  Bruno Ganz was effective as Hitler in letting that manipulative nature come through.  Hitler may be spouting pleasantries, but there’s still an underlying sense of malevolence.  (And then we’re right back to him screaming at people.)

I would set the movie aside for when you have a few hours to watch the whole thing.  It’s a long movie and is pretty densely packed.  It didn’t seem to drag so much as I would occasionally feel like I had watched an entire movie in over the course of 15 minutes.  It’s also a German film in German with subtitles.  (Netflix didn’t offer English audio, not that I would have used it.)  You may be able to watch the entire movie, but I had to get up a few times to walk around.

If you’re looking for movies dealing with Hitler, a few other movies come to mind.  One is Look Who’s Back, which deals with Hitler mysteriously appearing in modern Berlin.  There’s also Hitler’s Children, which looks at relatives of some of Hitler’s inner circle.  Downfall may be too intense for some.  I know my mother wouldn’t like it.  My father, who has an interest in World War II, probably wouldn’t be able to watch the entire movie.  As I said, don’t rent this just to see the one scene from the parody videos.  It does come early in the movie, but there’s a lot more to it than just that.  In that regard, it’s difficult to recommend the movie.  It was done well and I do think it’s something people should watch, especially if they have an interest in the movie.  Not everyone will be able to handle it, though.

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Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (2016)

I can remember a time before the World Wide Web became big.  When I was a child, we had connected computers.  Those that knew enough about computers could directly dial another computer for information, but it wasn’t until I was in high school that we started getting those AOL and CompuServe discs.  Suddenly, everyone and their pet Chihuahua had a Web site.  Nearly every national brand has a Web site.  (I remember bemoaning the fact that anyone could have a blog.  Now, here I am with one.)

Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World goes into the early stages of the Internet, before we even had the World Wide Web.  The idea was to be able to share information easily between scientists.  The movie doesn’t go into detail.  We start with Leonard Kleinrock explaining the first attempt at communication between computers.  We even get to see one of the first computers.  From there, the movie deals with other topics like privacy issues and security.

The movie is about one and half hours and is split into 10 chapters.  Each one doesn’t take too long and doesn’t go in to that much depth.  There’s nothing on the commercial aspect.  There’s nothing on eBay or search engines.  There isn’t even that much on the history other than the very beginning.  I’m sure that documentaries have been made already on some of the various subjects.  If I wanted to find something on the history of the Internet or security, I’m sure I could find stuff.  This documentary is probably meant more as an overview.  It’s just a way of showing a few aspects of the Internet.

I’ve always wondered if those involved in creating the Internet and the World Wide Web knew what they were creating.  Did they know that we’d have pictures of cats plastered all over the place?  Could they have foreseen Amazon and eBay?  (I still find it somewhat amusing that you can get a Pound-O-Dice.)   Email was an early aspect of the Internet, but we now have Google Maps.   Here I am posting a review on the Internet about a movie pertaining to the Internet that I watched via the Internet.

The Internet is almost like Frankenstein’s monster.  It is a force to be reckoned with and could go either way.  It seems ot scare a lot of people, but isn’t really that bad.  The Internet has changed a lot of aspects of our lives.  I remember having a conversation with a manager.  He was saying how maps were becoming irrelevant because of GPS.  Mapmakers won’t be out of a job. Their product will just look different.  The same goes for newspapers.  We’ll still want news.  The question is if they can adapt to a digital format.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 48 (Shades of Gray)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account. 

“Shades of Grey” was the last episode of the second season, and what a bad episode it was. Not only was it a bad episode, it served (and still serves) as a reminder of how bad the first two seasons were. I think that may be why everyone hates this episode.

The story, such as it is, has to do with Riker getting an infection on an alien planet. Normally, the transporter would be able to filter out anything that doesn’t belong there. However, whatever has infected Riker isn’t like anything that’s in the medical database. Conventional treatments won’t work. Since it’s invading Riker’s nervous system, Dr. Pulaski hooks something up to his brain. (I have to warn you that this may not be for the very squeamish.)

Pulaski is able to stimulate certain centers of the brain, thus stimulating memories. With the help of Counselor Troi, who’s an empath, Pulaski is able to tell how Riker feels. They determine that happy memories cause the infection to grow more rapidly and that survival-related memories cause the infection to stop growing and even die. Pulaski is able to stimulate the most primal feelings and kill off the infection.

The use of memories and feelings in this episode is a bad excuse to use clips from previous episodes. In this case, the use of previous clips was done to save money. I guess it’s true that you get what you pay for. Not only was underlying story bad, but the first two seasons of the show didn’t have that many great moments. It’s kind of like trying to sell a ‘best of elevator music’ album. It’s just not going to work.

Quite frankly, I’m surprised that The Next Generation didn’t get canceled after this episode. Had I been in charge at the time, I probably would have contacted the writers at The Next Generation and ask what they were smoking. Yeah, it’s that bad.

I think that the actors sensed that they were working with something sub-par. Riker was lucky that most of his scenes were filmed with him lying down. When I first saw the episode, I thought that Diana Muldaur and Marina Sirtis had given better performances as Pulaski and Troi, respectively. My opinion hasn’t improved much with time.

Not only do I not recommend this episode, this is my least-favorite episode. I wish that I could rate this episode zero stars, but that’s not an option. In fact, I’d be surprised if many places even carry it. I don’t imagine that there’s much demand for it, especially now that the DVD season sets are available. You’d have to be the most hard-core fan to even consider it.


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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 47 (Peak Performance)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.


Sometimes, it’s not whether you win or lose. It’s how you play the game. Captain Picard doesn’t particularly like war games or war simulations, feeling that Starfleet’s primary function should be exploration. However, the recent encounter of the Borg changed his mind. The Borg are a frightening enemy and determining how one plays the game is important.

Commander Riker is to take command of the Hathaway, which by all measurements is inferior to the Enterprise. Real weapons will be taken offline and replaced with fake weapons that won’t do any real damage, but will allow the computers to track what’s happening. Onboard the Enterprise is Kolrami, a Zakdorn observer sent by the Federation. Riker will have 48 hours to prepare the Hathaway for battle.

Riker has a few tricks up his sleeve, such as Worf’s suggestion that they trick the Enterprise’s computers into thinking that an enemy vessel is approaching. However, shortly after the Enterprise figures out what happened, a real Ferengi ship approaches. Thinking that it’s another trick, Picard ignores it until the Ferengi fire on the Enterprise.

It seems that the Ferengi saw the fake battle and somehow thought that the Hathaway had something of value. It takes a little trickery, but Picard and Riker are able to convince the Ferengi to leave.

The b-plot involves Data. Kolrami is said to be very good at a game called Strategema. I’m not sure how it’s played. However, Kolrami beats Riker easily. Dr. Pulaski puts Data up to challenging Kolrami, thinking that a humanoid is no match for the Android. Data is beaten easily, thus ending up with a bruised ego. Data spends the entire episode doubting himself until he and Kolrami have a rematch. Instead of playing to win, Data plays to not lose. The game goes on for so long that Kolrami quits in protest.

So far as I know, this is the only time that Data doubts himself. He’s faced far greater defeats and never taken it so badly. We also get to see Wesley lie to get something that he needs. So far as I know, Wesley doesn’t get in trouble for this. In fact, I don’t think that much ever comes of this episode. I don’t think that the war games were ever mentioned again. You’d think that they would have tried again. We never even see another Zakdorn again.

It was a good episode, but once again proves how laughable the Ferengi still were in the early seasons of The Next Generation. They were becoming more of a serious race, but were still very one-dimensional. They only wanted profit. When that motive was removed, they just left with their tail between their legs.

I’d give the episode three stars. I really couldn’t recommend buying this episode on VHS. The acting is good, but the story is mediocre. It’s interesting to watch the first time, but it has little replay value.


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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 46 (The Emissary)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

The Enterprise gets a message to go to a set of coordinates. Nothing is given in the way of explanation or further instructions. Just go to a point in space and wait for someone, who will explain everything. When the ship arrives, they find a probe, or at least the shell of a probe, gutted and fitted with life support. It’s not much to look at, but it’s enough to transport one person. It’s opened to reveal a woman, Klingon in appearance, who identifies herself as K’Ehleyr. She’s actually half Klingon, half Human.

She and Worf (who is 100% Klingon) had an affair several years ago. They broke it off and now Worf doesn’t seem to want much to do with her at first. When he tries to rekindle their relationship, she goes along with it at first. However, she’s not as marriage-minded as Worf is.

K’Ehleyr was sent as an envoy to help the Enterprise with a very important mission. There was an old Klingon ship used as a sleeper vessel. The crew is about to come out of a 75-year stasis. 75 years ago, the Federation and the Klingon Empire were at war and the ship is in Federation space, so there’s a good chance that the Klingons will pick one of several nearby targets and attack. A Klingon ship is on its way, but the Enterprise is the closest ship.

If the Enterprise can get there in time, it’s just a matter of resetting the stasis controls so that the Klingons stay asleep until another Klingons ship can arrive and bring them up to speed. If not, then it may be necessary to destroy the sleeper ship. Fortunately, Worf is able to come up with a solution. Worf decides to stay on the Enterprise while K’Ehleyr beams over to the sleeper ship to wait with them.

I have a few questions, mostly about the sleeper ship. First, what would a warp-capable species need with a sleeper ship? If you can travel from one side of your territory to another in a matter of months, a 75-year stasis is a long time. Romulans, I could understand because Romulans of the era might not have had warp drive. However, Klingons always had warp drive.

Secondly, why did the Klingon government wait so long to do anything about it? In 75 years, no one was able to go to the ship and wake them up a little early? No one stumbled upon the vessel? Either the Klingon Empire lost the ship and was lucky enough to find it in time or they were just lazy about it. I find it hard to believe that it took them 75 years to get around to it.

K’Ehleyr also breaks a glass table. Just as the original series seemed to have a rule about security personnel not coming back from an away mission, The Next Generation had a rule about glass objects not surviving Klingon guest characters. I think in every episode where there was a visiting Klingon, something transparent was shattered.

Worf and K’Ehleyr played well off each other. She tends more toward human values whereas Worf is more of a traditional Klingon. It’s a shame that she was in only one other episode. If you can look past the makeup, you may remember Suzie Plakson as Dr. Selar in “The Schizoid Man”.

I can recommend this episode, but I’m only giving it three stars. Those that aren’t fans of the show may not understand Worf and what his heritage means to him. (Even those that have been watching the series up until now may not fully understand everything.) I don’t think that you’d need to be a fan to understand it, but it might help. It was a good episode, but I don’t usually go out of my way to watch it in reruns.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 45 (Manhunt)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account. 

It seemed like ever time Lwaxana Troi came onboard the Enterprise, Captain Picard was running from her. For some reason, Lwaxana (mother of ship’s counselor Deanna Troi) felt that Picard was attracted to her, despite the fact that it was obvious to the audience that he had no romantic feelings towards her.

“Manhunt” gets its name from the fact that Lwaxana is going through a mid-life crisis of sorts where her sex drive is quadrupled. When Picard learns of this, he makes himself unavailable in the holodeck, letting Commander Riker claim that the captain is on official ship’s business. Lwaxana ends up going through many of the other male bridge officers looking for a mate, including Riker. She eventually settles on Riker, announcing to everyone that they intend to marry. (Actually, only she intends to marry; it’s as much a surprise to Riker as anyone else.)

The b-plot involves to Antidean dignitaries that are going to the same conference as Lwaxana is. They’re fish-like in appearance and spend most of the trip in stasis, waking only as they approach their destination. As everyone is getting ready to beam down, Lwaxana tells Picard that the two Antidean ‘delegates’ are actually assassins, who are going to blow up the conference. She leaves without a mate, but at least the conference is safe.

There’s very little surprise what’s going to happen with the Lwaxana plot. It’s more the usual plot with Lwaxana being overbearing and most of the crew putting up with it. Since she carries the title of ambassador, she’s afforded a great deal of respect; Deanna is the only one in a position to really say anything about it. While in his ready room (and well out of earshot of Lwaxana) Picard comments that for a telepath, she’s way off mark. This is true of Lwaxana throughout the series, but it’s even more pronounced in this episode. Her assistant, Mr. Homm, has taken to drinking any alcoholic beverage he can get his hands on. (When Picard brings a bottle of something to dinner with Lwaxana, Mr. Homm opens it and drinks the entire thing in one shot.)

As for the Antidean plot, it’s underused. The two delegates are in stasis throughout most of the episode, leaving the other characters to simply comment on them. Dr. Pulaski monitors them, which is the most interaction that any character has with them until the end. You’d never guess it, but Mick Fleetwood (of Fleetwood Mac fame) plays one of the delegates. It’s impossible to tell with all of the makeup and everything.

I can’t really recommend buying this episode on VHS. For those that have never seen the series, there would be very little explaining to do. However, even as a fan, I wasn’t particularly impressed with it. The trouble is that Lwaxana Troi can be somewhat annoying. It’s not the acting so much as it is the role. Ambassador Troi is the kind of person that wants everyone to be impressed with her and thinks that everyone is actually in awe of her. It wasn’t until the end of the series and the beginning of Deep Space Nine that the character finally broke out of this.

I’d give the episode two stars. You could very easily skip this episode and not notice it in later episodes.


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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 44 (Up the Long Ladder)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

The Enterprise is sent to find the source of a distress call. When they arrive, they find a planet endangered by solar flares. There are only about 200 people there, all the descendants of a ship that left Earth hundreds of years ago, but lost in the bureaucracy. Captain Picard is in for a surprise when the colonists insist on bringing their livestock with them. These people seem like stereotypical Irish people. The men seem to like to drink and the women are portrayed as being strong. The real surprise comes when one of the colonists asks what happened to the other group.

The Enterprise finds a nearby planet that’s suitable for life. Since it’s the only one within a short distance, the head there to find the rest of the colonists. When Commander Riker beams down with an away team, he finds a different sort of problem. They’re all clones. Apparently, just before arriving on the planet, the ship suffered a hull breach; only five people survived. Three men and two women weren’t enough for a stable gene pool, so they resorted to cloning. It turns out that after so many years of cloning, the genetic material they have to sample isn’t so good. Within a few generations, they won’t be able to clone any more.

The two groups seem to have different problems. However, Picard decides that they really need each other. The first group needs to be resettled and the second needs fresh genetic material. The two groups agree to help each other out. Each person will have a child by three different people (presumably with a clone pairing off with a non-clone) for three generations. This should provide for a diverse-enough gene pool.

When I first watched this episode, my father asked what would happen if the clones got too old. Wouldn’t the resulting clone be the same age? The truth is that the clones all look the same presumably so that the producers don’t have to hire lots of actors to play clones along varying stages of development; one person can play however many clones are needed.

The clones are the result of five templates. This means that they’re genetic code will have a lot of influence on the population. Also, the clones are admittedly a few steps away from being genetically unfeasible. I would think that this would create a few problems later on. It would be interesting to go back in five hundred years to see how things turned out.

I’d give the episode two stars. This is one of the few two-star episodes that I’d recommend. Part of it was that I felt that the two groups were a bit much. The non-clones were too ridiculous and the clones were too serious. I’m surprised that no one complained about it. My cousin and I would often make fun of the non-clones for a few years after first seeing this episode. I also didn’t get the title. What does “up the long ladder” mean? Being memorable and being great require a different set of skills. “Up the Long Ladder” may not be a great episode, but it was one of the more memorable ones. This one is memorable. 

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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 43 (Samaritan Snare)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

“Samaritan Snare” was probably one of my favorite episodes, not because it was good but because it was so unforgettable. There are two stories. In one, Captain Picard and Wesley Crusher have to go to a starbase. Wesley has to take some tests for Starfleet Academy. Picard has to have an artificial heart replaced. In the other story, which is the main plot, the Enterprise responds to a distress call, which is actually a setup for a trap.

The Enterprise encounters a race called the Pakleds. The Packleds are what make the episode so memorable in a funny sort of way. They don’t seem too bright and thus give the impression of being harmless. Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge beams over to help them. While he’s over there, Counselor Deanna Troi rushes to the bridge and warns Commander Riker that he’s in grave danger. Riker dismisses it, thinking that the Pakleds aren’t capable of inflicting harm. The truth is that they steal technology and end up holding La Forge hostage in hopes of getting Federation technology. La Forge gets out of it by playing along with a ruse, which the dimwitted Pakleds fall for.

As for Picard and Wesley, the two of them have some time to bond. Picard has never been comfortable around children and Wesley is no exception. Picard shares how he got an artificial heart in the first place. He took on several Nausicans, which are very big, very strong aliens. (Imagine picking a fight with Mike Tyson.) One of the Nausicans stabbed Picard in the chest, injuring his heart. Had he not been on a starbase, he would have died. (This set up the later episode, “Tapestry”.)

The acting is above average, especially from Patrick Stewart and Wil Wheaton, who play Picard and Wesley, respectively. The story is average. What I liked about it was the Pakleds, who were funny at best. They are remembered by fans for often saying, “We look for things…Things that make us go.” The Pakleds were never featured in another episode, but they were mentioned at least once and if you look closely, you can see a few in later episodes of The Next Generation and during Deep Space Nine’s run.

This is a three-star episode. It’s good on many levels, but not extraordinary. While it’s not worth purchasing on VHS, it’s definitely worth watching if you get the DVD set. (This is why I’m giving it “not recommended”, since I am technically reviewing the VHS release of this episode.) I think you’ll find this episode to be as ‘memorable’ as I did.


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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 42 (Q Who)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Sometimes, it’s hard to tell what kind of influence a particular episode will have. If the Ferengi hadn’t flopped as an adversary, the writers for Star Trek: The Next Generation might not have felt compelled to come up with a better enemy. However, the Ferengi didn’t do so well and here we are, at the 42nd episode of The Next Generation. The omnipotent Q finds himself in exile from the Continuum for not leaving humanity alone. Since he can’t think of any place else to go, he decides to pay the Enterprise a visit. Q wants to be a guide for the Enterprise, showing them the galaxy and helping out as needed.

Picard flat out refuses his offer. That’s not a wise thing to do with an omnipotent being. Insulted, Q flings them many thousands of light years away, right into Borg territory. Guinan knows both the Q and the Borg. She warns that the Enterprise had better start heading back as soon as possible. However, Captain Picard decides to stay, not aware of the threat that’s about to find them.

The Enterprise finds a planet that has craters on the surface similar to those found in the first-season finale, “Neutral Zone”. It turns out that the Borg were the ones that made those craters. They don’t just destroy, though. They assimilate. They assimilate entire cultures, as they did with Guinan’s race. What few of her people are left are scattered throughout the galaxy. She’s in no mood to wait around for them.

However, a Borg cube does show up on long-range sensors. When it meets up with the Enterprise, it locks on with its tractor beam and starts pulling it in. The Enterprise is able to destroy 20% of the Borg ship before taking out the tractor beam, but doesn’t run. Instead, Commander Riker takes an away team over to look at the ship. He finds babies and assumes that the Borg reproduce. (It’s an assumption that’s later proven incorrect, but I won’t get into that here.)

When it’s discovered that the Borg ship is regenerating, the Enterprise turns and runs, but the Borg ship is faster. Captain Picard finally swallows his pride and admits that there are things out there that he isn’t ready for. Satisfied, Q takes the Enterprise back to friendly territory. In the final scene, Guinan and Picard are talking; she tells Picard that since the Borg know of the Federation, they’ll be coming.

While this episode formally introduces us to the Borg, I have to take exception with the final scene. In the episode, it’s acknowledged that the Borg destroyed the outposts along the Neutral Zone. I’d assume that a certain amount of information was collected, either by assimilating people or by going through the computers. That means that Q wasn’t the one to introduce us to the Borg. All he did was to make us aware of the threat that they pose.

Guinan says that they’ve been developing for thousands of centuries, assimilating race after race. This truly is the ultimate threat. Not only is the Federation going against a single mind, but it’s also going against the technology of however many countless races they’ve encountered. I could never figure out why the Borg usually sent such a small contingent to destroy the Federation in later episodes. Perhaps it was arrogance. I don’t want to get into that here, though.

This is one of the few four-star episodes in the second season. Whoopi Goldberg does a great job as Guinan. It’s a shame that she usually has small roles in the episodes she’s in. This is one of the few cases where we get to see her for any decent length of time. I’d recommend buying it on VHS if you’re looking to buy a few episodes. 

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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 41 (Pen Pals)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

The Enterprise is exploring a solar system that was originally charted by unmanned probes. There seems to be a lot of geological instability on one of the planets, which is a drastic change from the information that they have. Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher is given his first command, which is to do a survey of the planet. Trouble arises when Data picks up a signal from the planet, which turns out to be a girl calling out for help.

It’s not as simple as simply helping the girl. For starters, fixing geological instability isn’t that easy. Secondly, there’s the Prime Directive, which prohibits interfering with an alien culture. The first problem is solved when Wesley orders a test that uncovers what the problem is. As for the second problem, it’s a slippery slope.

Yes, the Enterprise could fix the problem without anyone on the planet being the wiser. Yes, it’s just a natural phenomenon. Yes, millions would be saved. However, what if they were trying to stop a war? What if they were trying to stop an oppressive dictator? The senior staff debates the problem, but they end up going in circles. When Captain Picard hears the girl’s voice, he realizes that he can’t just leave her.

The Prime Directive isn’t just some rule that Starfleet officers can use to hide behind when it’s convenient. What if this race turns out to be the next Romulan Empire? On the other hand, is it fair to simply leave her to die? Data ends up beaming down to the planet to lead the girl to safety, but ends up beaming back to the Enterprise with her. Picard agrees to save the planet. Before they leave, they have to wipe the girl’s memory.

When I first saw the episode, it was interesting. Now that I’ve seen it again recently, I’m a little confused. The main issue is whether it’s right to go in and save a planet. We can all think that we’d do it, but there are real issues here. The only thing that confused me was having Data beam down. I didn’t think it was really necessary other than to put a face on the problem. The relationship between Data and the girl could have been kept to voice communication. (Also, since the planet is never revisited, we’ll never know if the girl’s memory was actually wiped.)

One good point was that Wesley was given an actual dilemma. Instead of getting to be the boy genius again, he has to ask for advice from Commander Riker and Counselor Troi on the nature of command. He has to give orders to people that are older and more experienced than him. What gives him the right? He can ask for advice, but he has to really figure it out for himself.

I’d give the episode three stars. I wouldn’t really recommend buying the VHS tape. If it comes on TV or if you get the season set, then watch it. Otherwise, don’t worry about it.


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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 40 (The Icarus Factor)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Several times throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, Commander Riker was offered his own command. This episode was the first time that such an offer was made. The offer is sprung on him by Captain Picard, who informs him that a civilian advisor is coming on board to brief him. Riker will then be able to decide. If he does accept the command, Riker will be sent out into deep space to chart new territory and presumably meet new races. It’s exciting, but Riker has to choose between serving on Starfleet’s flagship and leading in obscurity. It’s not an easy decision to have to make.

What Picard doesn’t tell Riker is that the civilian advisor is Kyle Riker, his father. The two haven’t spoken to each other in 15 years. It stems back to the death of his mother, although details aren’t given. All we know is that William Riker holds a great deal of contempt for his father. The two manage to work much of it out before the end of the episode. However, Commander Riker decides not to take the command, deciding instead to remain on the Enterprise. (This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, since he remains first officer throughout the series and into the movies.)

The b-plot is about Worf. For some reason, he’s being more irritable than usual. When Wesley first notices it, Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge and Lieutenant Commander Data don’t think much of it. When Data approaches Worf, they realize that something’s up. After doing some research, Wesley realizes that the tenth anniversary of Worf’s Right of Ascension is approaching and, being removed from his fellow Klingons, he has no one to celebrate it with. They organize a surprise ‘party’ for Worf so that he can go through the proper ritual. Having done so, Worf returns to normal.

Neither story is really that great. Worf’s story seemed to be nothing more than a way of showing that Worf has friends on the Enterprise. It also gives Wesley a chance to save the day, not by solving some complex problem, but simply by doing some research. How he knows that it’s been ten years since Worf went through the Right of Ascension, I don’t know. It’s possible that it’s done at a specific age. It’s also possible that it’s not, but might be on record somewhere.

With Riker, the resolution was a bit too much and done too quickly. Prior to this episode, the only mention of Kyle Riker is in the previous episode, when Commander Riker says that he got stuck with most of the cooking because his father didn’t want to do it. We’ve got all of this tension and hatred just dropped on us and within an hour, most of it is gone.

Both stories allow for a little history on one of the main characters, but not much. Riker speaks vaguely of his mother dying, but we don’t know why or how she died. Riker just says to his father, “It should have been you.” What that means, I have no idea.

I’d give this episode two stars, which seems to be on par with most of the season. If you can, I’d recommend skipping this episode.


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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 39 (Time Squared)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

The Enterprise is going through a region of space that it believes is devoid of any other ships. That’s why it’s strange when sensors pick up a shuttlecraft with one occupant. Even stranger is that there are no other ships within sensor range. Stranger yet is that it’s one of the Enterprise’s shuttlecrafts. When the shuttlecraft is brought onboard and opened, everyone’s in for a bigger surprise: Captain Picard is the sole occupant that sensors picked up. The Picard in the shuttlecraft is unconscious. Commander Riker contacts the bridge to find that Captain Picard is safe on the bridge. What the heck is going on here? Who is this imposter and why is there now a duplicate shuttlecraft?

Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge is able to work with Lieutenant Commander Data to access the logs. They retrieve two video images and an audio recording. One image shows Riker standing in a shuttle bay watching the shuttlecraft departing. The other image shows the Enterprise being it by something and subsequently exploding. The audio recording is Picard saying that he had to watch the destruction of his ship and the deaths of all hands. The shuttlecraft’s clock is six hours ahead of normal time, so whatever’s going to happen is going to happen soon.

There’s some debate, but there’s no way of knowing where it is that they’ll be when the future unfolds itself. Before any conclusion can be reached, the ship gets caught in a vortex – the same one that was seen in the video image. It’s taking everything that the ship has to not get dragged in. The alternate Picard is of no help. He was revived, but he’s out of it. He seems to know who and where he is, but he can’t identify the other Picard. Eventually, he comes around and tells the normal Picard that he has to take the shuttlecraft through the Vortex again. Fortunately, the normal Picard is able to figure out what to do in time.

When I first saw this episode, I wasn’t particularly impressed. Even now, I can’t say that it’s anywhere above average. It was original in terms of time-travel stories, but I don’t get what the point is. Events from previous episodes are mentioned, but this episode doesn’t seem to have any impact on the rest of the series.

I really think that more could have been done with this episode. It was almost too simple in nature. No one thought to put any sort of information, such as mission reports or more log entries, on the shuttle? Why not leave a note saying where not to go? Why exactly six hours? From what I read on TV Tome, more was supposed to have been done. The vortex was supposed to have been the work of the Q, but the idea was dropped. At least that might have given some purpose to the episode.

I’d give it two stars. It’s interesting to watch and see how the Enterprise gets out of this. That’s the only reason I didn’t give away the ending. However, I still can’t recommend it unless it comes on TV. This and a few other season-two episodes seem to be nothing more than an attempt to add to the season’s episode count.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 38 (The Royale)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.


I like Star Trek: The Next Generation as a series. I really do. I consider myself a fan. However, the series had a few really bad episodes, particularly during the first and second seasons. A lot of it had to do with writing. Either it was the plot as a whole or particular points in the script. It’s kind of hard to pin it down in “The Royale”.

The Enterprise comes across a planet that has a ring of debris around it. Curious about it, Captain Picard has a piece beamed aboard. Amazingly, that one piece happens to have an American flag and the NASA logo on it. Even more intrigued, Picard sends down an away team. Most of the planet is inhospitable to humanoid life. Commander Riker, Lieutenant Worf and Lieutenant Commander Data beam down to a pocket of breathable atmosphere that, oddly enough, has a revolving door. There’s no building around the door. The only clue to what the door may be is a stylized “R”. The away team decides to go through.

They find themselves in a casino/hotel. They go to the front desk, where the concierge seems to recognize them. He hands them room keys and a few complimentary chips. They don’t get many answers, but they learn that the name of the place is The Royale, hence the name of the episode. The landing party looks around. A few floors up, they find a human corpse and a NASA uniform in the closet. They figure that this must have been one of the crewmen on the wrecked ship.

In the desk, Worf finds a book called “The Royale” and a journal. Data quickly reads the book while Riker looks at the journal’s only entry. It turns out that the man was taken here by unknown aliens, who inadvertently destroyed the ship. The man was the only survivor. He wrote that the aliens used the book to create the hotel and casino so that he might live out the rest of his days.

The landing party finds that they can’t leave the casino. Riker realizes that they have to play out the book’s story by playing the parts of the foreign investors. They have to win enough money to buy the casino. Once they do that, they are free to leave.

The episode is at least somewhat entertaining. However, much of the episode deals with the landing party trying to figure out what’s going on. There are only three characters that they can deal with: The concierge, a gambler from Texas and a rather naive woman. There’s also a bellboy and the mobster, who don’t interact directly with the away team, but do make an appearance. Everyone else is just for show. It’s basically one step above a holodeck malfunction, which The Next Generation already used.

I got the impression that the NASA crewman was just left there by the aliens without any explanation. If it was possible for the away team to leave, then it must have been possible for the NASA crewman to leave the same way. However, the away team had the Enterprise waiting for them. What did the crewman have? Would the aliens have taken him back to Earth? Also, why did the aliens leave The Royale around for other people to find? Don’t you think that the aliens would have at least checked in on the guy once in a while? I’d think that once he was dead, they’d remove the Royale.

Also, in the beginning of the episode, Picard states that Fermat’s Last Theorem is still unsolved in the 24th century. This was supposed to be used as an allusion to The Royale that perhaps some things will never be known. According to TV Tome, Fermat’s Last Theorem was solved a few years after the episode aired. I asked my brother about this and he sent me a link about it. .

I have to give this episode just one star. It’s easily one of the ten worst episodes of the series.


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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 37 (Contagion)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Warning: I am going to give out major details about this episode, including the ending. If you were planning on watching the episode and don’t want the ending given away, you might want to hold off on reading this review.



Between the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Empire is the Neutral Zone. This is an area of space that neither government is allowed to enter. To do so might be considered an act of war by the other side. When the U.S.S. Yamato is found to be there, the Enterprise is sent it to help them. They seem to be facing severe system problems that are affecting the entire ship.

Captain Picard wants to know what the Yamato’s captain is doing in the Neutral Zone. Captain Varley says that he may have found the Iconian home world. The Iconians are mythical, perhaps somewhat like Atlantis. If Iconian technology were to fall into the hands of the Romulans, it would give them a big advantage. Unfortunately, the Enterprise is too late to help the Yamato; shortly after they arrive, the Yamato explodes.

Judging by Varley’s log entries, which the Enterprise was able to download, Varley was able to find an Iconian planet. Varley stated that he was going to ask Picard to continue with the mission, but he never got the chance. Picard decides to go further into the Neutral Zone, but soon starts experiencing problems similar to the ones that the Yamato was facing. They eventually find the planet, but after Picard, Worf and Data beam down, a Romulan ship appears. It would seem that they are also affected by the same problem.

The same program that infected all three ships also infects Data. It’s because of this that Geordi La Forge, the chief engineer, is able to figure out how to purge the program from the system. Amazingly, it’s something that any 20th-century computer geek would have thought of. Picard has to destroy what’s left of the Iconian settlement. (It’s a shame that scientists can’t study what was left if the Iconian civilization. I suppose that it’s for the best, though.) The Enterprise shares with the Romulan ship the method of purging the program. Fortunately, everyone leaves alive.

There was something about the episode that was lacking. Actually, there were a few things that were lacking. I just can’t figure out what many of them were. Part of it was the writing. It was an interesting story that probably should have been stretched out a little more. To put the whole thing in one episode left a lot to be desired. It was too much to learn about Iconians, find one of their planets and have to blow up what little there was on the planet in one episode. It probably would have been more meaningful to learn a lot about them in the first season, have clues about the location early in the second season, then finally find the planet and have to deal with it in this episode.

Even though the episode wasn’t great, there was one great scene with Wesley. He asks Picard how Starfleet officers deal with death, especially on the scale of a ship being destroyed. Picard responds that anyone who’s got feelings doesn’t learn to deal with it. Even though Starfleet officers accept the risk, it’s not supposed to be easy.

I’d have to give it two stars. I really think that this story could have been done a lot better.


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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 36 (The Dauphin)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

It’s a shame to see an episode like this right after the previous episode. “The Measure of a Man” was such a great episode on all counts. This one, however, was probably one of the worst among a season that I felt was probably the worst out of the seven that The Next Generation ran. “The Dauphin” starts with the Enterprise picking up Salia and Anya on Daled IV. Salia is to be the ruler of a planet in turmoil; two sides are warring and Salia is supposed to bring peace. (Even Salia doesn’t know how this is to happen.) Anya is her caretaker, having raised Salia to the age of 16. Both have lived in isolation, fearing that someone might try to harm Salia.

Shortly after coming aboard the Enterprise, Salia meets Wesley Crusher. Every Next Generation fan knows and loathes this name. He’s another 16-year-old who always manages to save the day if some technical problem is involved. Early on in the series, Wesley Crusher was established as a boy genius. (His mother is Dr. Beverly Crusher, who was the ship’s chief medical officer during the first season. Fortunately, she’d return after the end of the second season and remain throughout the remainder of the series.)

Salia and Wesley are attracted to each other. Salia, not having met anyone outside of Anya, wants to get to know more about him. Wesley, rarely having noticed anything outside of engineering all his life, literally doesn’t know what to do with himself. The entire episode, Salia tries to sneak out from under Anya’s protective eye and Wesley asks for advice from various people on the ship. (The scene with Worf, a Klingon, is rather revealing of Klingon culture.)

Ultimately, both feel trapped, although Salia is trapped more in the literal sense. She is bound by duty to lead her people and Anya isn’t going to let anything happen to her. Salia is trapped both by duty and by physical restraint at one point. (A shield is put up in her room so that she can’t leave.) Wesley knows that this is a woman that he can never have. At one point, he is asked by Captain Picard not to see her.

Eventually, Salia is brought to where she has to be and is beamed down without Wesley. I don’t recall ever hearing of her again in the series, so I don’t know if she ever figured out what she had to do to save her planet. It would have been nice to know how it turned out.

At least we get to see that Wesley isn’t perfect. For once, he has to ask for help. The acting by the central actors was good; you really got the impression that you were dealing with 16-year-olds that were attracted to each other. The only weak point was Diana Muldaur as Dr. Pulaski. She was seen briefly and between her acting and the character, she just doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the show.

Also, the special effects were lacking in this episode. Both Salia and Anya are revealed to be shape shifters; the effect used when they morph is sub par for The Next Generation. Fortunately, the powers that be seemed to use shots that didn’t require the effects every time.

If you’re buying the episodes on tape, I have to agree with the other reviewers on Epinions: Don’t waste your hard-earned money on this one. This episode typifies what I didn’t like about the second season. 

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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 35 (The Measure of a Man)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Data always was a little different. Certain things, such as emotion, always eluded him. The episode begins with Riker, Data and a few others playing poker. It ultimately comes down to Riker and Data. It appears that Riker has a good hand, but there’s still one card that Data can’t see. Thinking that Riker has a flush, Data folds, only to find out that Riker’s hand is worthless. Data can’t understand why Riker would play a hand that he couldn’t possibly win. So begins “The Measure of a Man”.

The Enterprise docks at Starbase 173, where Picard meets Captain Phillipa Louvois, whou prosecuted Picard at his Stargazer court marshal. (When Captain Picard lost the Stargazer, a court marshal was held. It’s standard procedure, but apparently, Picard never really got over it.) Later, on the Enterprise, Data is visited by Commander Bruce Maddox, who wants Data to come with him so that Maddox can do research on Data. It involves moving Data’s memories to a computer and disassembling him so that Maddox can see how Data was made.

Data and Picard initially protest, but Maddox has legitimate transfer orders. Data resigns his commission, but Maddox has Data ruled to be the property of Starfleet and thus incapable of resigning. (It also turns out that Maddox was on the review board to admit Data into Starfleet in the first place; he was the sole dissenting voice.)

Data officially files complaint, not wanting to submit to Maddox’s tests. Captain Louvois, being the Judge Advocate General officer, holds a hearing, placing Captain Picard (the highest ranking officer available) as his defense council. Commander Riker (the next highest ranking officer) is put in charge of making the case against Data and in favor of Commander Maddox. Riker doesn’t want to have to argue in favor of the death of his friend, but Louvois tells him that if he doesn’t, Data will automatically lose.

So, the trial goes on with Riker making a very convincing argument that Data is little more than a machine. Picard feels overwhelmed, realizing that Data might very well have to submit to the tests. Upon talking to Guinan, Picard realizes that there’s more at stake than just Data. (Yes, that really is Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan.) Picard comes back with a vengeance and helps Data win his case. He’s officially deemed to not be property.

I wasn’t too fond of the second season. “The Measure of a Man” was one of the few redeeming episodes of the season. (Actually, it’s the only one that comes to mind at the moment.) Some of it has to do with the acting. Brent Spiner has to play the emotionless Data, who walks among those that feel emotion and understand things like bluffing. Then, there’s Jonathan Frakes as Commander Riker, who knows Data and feels for him, but has to put those feelings aside to help Data. (Ironically, he has to help data by trying his best to hurt him.)

I think that the strongest point is the storyline. It’s a very simple premise: Is Data sentient? Data has to wrestle with the nature of his existence throughout the series. This episode, however, attempts to deal with it only in a legal context. Does Data have the right to determine his own future? Of all the second season episodes, I’d have to say that this is the most memorable. It’s definitely five-star material.


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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 34 (A Matter of Honor)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Apparently, exchange programs are still alive in the 24th century. The Enterprise is stopping by a starbase to pick up some new crewmembers. One is Mendon, a Benzite who is participating in an exchange program. That prompts Captain Picard to talk to Commander Riker about a Starfleet exchange program with the Klingon Empire. Riker decides to volunteer for it, simply because it has never been done before.

Things don’t go that well for Mendon, who is very eager to please. Most of his problems have to do with procedure, like observing the chain of command. While Commander Riker is being beamed over, Mendon notices a microorganism growing on the hull of the Klingon ship, but doesn’t report it. (Benzite protocol is to not say anything until the officer has studied the problem all the way through.) The microorganism also appears on the Enterprise and is eating away at the hull, meaning that both ships are at risk unless they can find a solution.

Commander Riker has problems of his own. The Klingon captain wants to know that Riker will be loyal to the ship. The second officer doesn’t trust Riker. Also, the food takes a lot of getting used to. When the Klingon ship noticed the microorganism, they feel that Riker had something to do with it. The Klingon ship’s sensors noticed that the Enterprise was scanning the area. To them, it looks like the Enterprise deliberately put it there.

Since both Riker and the Enterprise go on to see another episode, we know that everything works out. This is one of the few two-plot episodes where both plots work well together. This is due mostly to the microorganism, which serves as a common element. Both ships have their own procedure. In each case, there’s something that disrupts that to differing degrees.

We also get to see a little bit of Klingon culture. I think that this episode had the most extensive variety of Klingon food. The only thing that confused me was when the Klingon second officer said to Riker that a Klingon’s family is nothing. This would contradict other episodes, where Worf has said that to a Klingon, family is everything.

Speaking of the first officer, I don’t know what happened to the Klingon first officer. It’s possible that it just so happened that there was a Klingon ship in need of a first officer and Riker got that one. The Enterprise didn’t get a first officer in return; instead, Lieutenant Commander Data acted in that capacity.

This is a three-star episode. I liked it, but I can’t find anything exceptional about it. I don’t really consider it to be part of the essential Next Generation. If you happen to catch it on TV, watch it, but I wouldn’t recommend buying it.


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