TNG: “Skin of Evil”

Date: March 6, 2020

Season 1, Episode 22

Setting the Stage: I watched this episode via Netflix, just me and Professor Zoom while we waited for the husband person to come home. I’m sorry this post is delayed, but I got home later than I expected from work and had to start laundry and a few other things. By the time I watched this episode and started on my notes, it was time to celebrate some friends who are getting married on Saturday. Today’s Trek writing music is The Green Dragon Inn, a Lord of the Rings compilation.

Bad Ass Moms (http://kck.st/2SimbnD) has reached their Kickstarter goal! I’d love to see them reach at least the next two stretch goals, so continue to spread the word. I mean, who doesn’t want another Bad Ass Mom story? Only 4 more days!

Favorite Quote:

Worf: The martial arts competition is in three days. Are you prepared?

Yar: I will be if you’ll meet me on the holodeck later. I need your help on the Mishiama wrist-lock and break. If it works on you, I can use it on anyone.

Worf: A valid assumption.

Worf has some of the best parts of Spock and Data, but with more badassery

The Enterprise is waiting to receive Counselor Troi as she is returning from a conference. I’m happy to see the Trek universe continues things like professional development and continuing education. Engineering is, of course, doing maintenance because engineering and IT always do maintenance at the most inopportune times. Oh sure sure, 5 am – 6 am on a Saturday is JUST FINE, absolutely no one will need the server then. Please note the heavy sarcasm in that last sentence. Anyway, Worf and Yar have an awkward flirting moment and I’m pretty sure Worf blushed and it was adorable. Just then, there’s an issue with the shuttle craft that Troi’s on and engineering is ordered to get the warp drive back in order NOW.

The shuttle craft crash lands on a planet so an away team is assembled of Data, Yar, and Riker to check for survivors. On the planet there’s a slick black mass that follows them and will not let them pass. My first thought is – why don’t you split up the team? Surely it can’t follow in two directions. Then the mass starts talking in a weirdly comical and not at all menacing voice and begins to take shape. I’m torn between thinking this is reminiscent of the pink slime from Ghostbusters (with a Vigo-like deep voice) or the birth of the Uruk-hai from Lord of the Rings. What do you think?

The entity will not let them pass and, in true Yar style, Yar is impatient and tries to bust her way through. She is attacked by the entity and reads as being dead. We pan to the shuttle craft where we find Troi and the other crew member alive, but hurt. Troi flexes her psychology muscles on the entity and is eventually allowed to talk to Dr. Crusher. Since no one is amusing the entity it swallows Riker and this leads to Picard beaming down, so now we know things are extra bad. Dr. Crusher tries to revive Yar, to no avail, and Worf and Picard hatch a plan to allow for everyone to be beamed back up. The shuttle craft is destroyed, the planet is quarantined, and there is a memorial held for Yar in the holodeck. She pre-planned her funeral hologram and leaves a personal message for each bridge member and it’s a touching goodbye.

Maybe it’s because it’s hard to find a character that dies and stays dead or maybe it’s because who kills a mostly main character in the first season WHEN THERE ARE STILL 3 MORE EPISODES TO GO, but either way Yar’s death I did not see coming. I kept thinking she’d be revived or that she just read dead because of the interference with the scanners. I was also just starting to like Tasha Yar and she had that touching moment with Worf just minutes before she’s off to battle and just dies. I mean it’s an absolutely good life lesson that death can happen just that suddenly, especially when you are on the front lines. Like any good soldier she planned ahead and I was truly touched by her messages and totally fine until she said “hailing frequencies closed, sir” and then I lost it a bit.

One other heartbreaking part of the episode was when Riker was being hurt in the goo and Troi calls out for her “beloved”, her Imzadi. It’s clear how much she not only feels for him, but for the rest of the crew as well. Data’s reaction to the funeral is also a nice touch, because he does approach things with such child-like wonder and it’s a way to help others understand there is no “correct” way to grieve. It was a nice vehicle to show off both Troi and Picard in different ways, but I can’t get over how they treat Yar in this episode, which is why I can’t rate this one.

TA Out!