TNG: “11001001” and “Too Short a Season”

Date: March 1, 2020

Season 1, Episodes 14 and 15

Setting the Stage: I watched both episodes, via Netflix. The first episode was watched with a dear friend while winding down from a crazy Saturday at “the con” (I’m still at Pensacon in Pensacola, FL) and the second episode was watched during a break I had in the day. Sunday was not as crazy as Saturday and it ended with a fantastic panel. I fly back tomorrow morning, bright and early, and then head straight to work, so it’s going to be a long day. Tonight’s writing music is The Shire, A peaceful night in Bag End.

Just 10 more days of plugging Bad Ass Moms: http://kck.st/2SimbnD.

Favorite Quote from “11001001”:

Riker: But win, all right? The pride of the Enterprise goes with you.

Worf: Rest assured, Commander, we will be victorious. At whatever the cost.

Riker: Worf, it’s just a game. A little friendly competition, You work up a sweat, you have a few laughs, and you make new friends.

Worf: If winning is not important, then, Commander, why keep score?

Worf asking the important questions and me not knowing what the outcome of the game was

“11001001” has the Enterprise docking about a week lake for some maintenance checks and upgrades to the software system. They encounter a pair of technicians that are from Bynar, a species as close to binary and very integrated to computers, and, of course, Wesley is intrigued. Riker explores the ship and checks in on everyone as they head out. Data paints to see if he can be creative and Riker tries the enhancement of the holodeck; he chooses a jazz bar complete with Minuet, the woman in red. Picard heads down to check in on Riker and speaks French with Minuet, who turns out to be a fascinating piece of programming.

Outside the holodeck, however, there’s a problem with the antimatter containment. Data orders the “abandon ship” and sets to the Enterprise to be far away in the event it explodes. As the ship exits the base, somehow the containment field is regenerating and Picard and Riker are still onboard, oh my!

In the bar, she doesn’t want them to know what’s happening, but of course Riker and Picard investigate. After not knowing who took over the Enterprise, it is found out that the Bynars are to blame. A star went supernova in their system but before it was supposed to and then the Enterprise was late. Picard and Riker reboot the system, save the day, but alas sweet Minuet is gone.

Right off the bat, this episode starts with he Bynars bring gender neutral and that’s super progressive and I’m here for it. I also understand their reason for not asking for help, but honestly it was a thin excuse for not trying and relied on so many other things to happen in just the right order. The odds were likely better for them asking then for those items to happen so specifically. It was sort of great how easily Picard and Riker’s attention was held, that the Bynars knew exactly what to program, and it was a little sad that Riker lost someone/something special in the end. However, the only rating I can give this episode is 201, and I couldn’t have it any other way.

Favorite Quote from “Too Short a Season”:

Jameson: I obtained enough of the dosage for both of us.

Anne: But you never asked if I wanted it. It’s just like you, Mark, to assume that what you felt was right was the only answer.

A hard conversation between husband and wife, but proof that communication is key

 “Too Short a Season” starts with hostages and the hostage negotiator is going to be a very old-looking Admiral in the world’s worst make up job, I mean he looks worse than McCoy did and this guy is supposed to be at least 30 years younger! When he and his wife beam on board, Admiral Jameson makes it very clear that while Picard will maintain control of the ship, the Admiral is in charge of the away team. Pushy bastard trying to live out his glory days, sigh,

Back in his quarters the Admiral has a heart palpitation but he refuses to go to sickbay. The Admiral suffers from a disease that confines him to his wheelchair, but Dr. Crusher is wary about the therapy Jameson claims to be using to help him walk. The Admiral starts to look younger and comes clean to Picard about the “therapy”.

The Admiral makes a call to the governor who, of course, turns out to be the bad guy. Dr. Crusher explains to the Admiral’s wife that he is not stable and this might be his last mission. Turns out the Admiral and governor Karnas have a past and there were falsified records sent to Starfleet.

Picard and the Admiral go on the away team and leave Riker in charge. Admiral Jameson believes certain items to be correct but Data and the tricorder read otherwise. The away team is bombarded and Jameson is shot and not doing well in sickbay, but Karnas is threatening the hostages. Dr. Crusher, Admiral Jameson, and Picard beam down in front of Karnas – who does not believe Jameson is the same man as he now looks like a 20-year-old. Picard steps in to negotiate and Jameson shows Karnas the scar, which why don’t you just ask for that in the first place? Jameson dies in Anne’s arms and Karnas releases the hostages.

This episode was dumb. I have no other words for it. The make up was terrible, the acting was awful, and this is why you don’t have an 85 year old man with an unstable medical condition running the show. This episode earns itself a 1, mostly because of Anne, otherwise it would have been a 0.

TA Out!