Date: March 26, 2020

Season 2, Episodes 21 and 22

Setting the Stage: I watched both episodes, via Netflix, yesterday. I needed a little time to process them and had SO MANY MEETINGS on Zoom and Hangouts today. Thor and Professor Zoom both made appearances and the undergraduates loved them. Husband and I took pupper out for a walk as it was beautiful out this afternoon and we both needed to get out and stretch our legs. Despite my assertions this morning that we would eat leftovers for lunch and dinner, my mood demanded Mexican food (complete with guava flan) for dinner. Tonight I am listening to a random mix on YouTube in Italian.

Favorite Quote from “Peak Performance”:

Picard: Commander, it is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.

Data: I believe I understand, sir.

Picard: And Data, will you leave your hesitation and self-doubt here in your quarters.

Picard letting Data into life’s biggest truth.

“Peak Performance” starts with the Enterprise about to participate in some war games where it’s Picard versus Riker (at the helm of the Hathaway, an 80 year old ship) bring observed by Sirna Kolrami. The away team of Riker, La Forge, Worf, Wesley, and others beam over to their “bucket of bolts” and have two days to get it up and running. Wesley is sneaky, Worf is cunning, and Riker has a gall to pull it all together. The games begin because the music tells us so, and the captains go maneuver for maneuver. All of a sudden a Ferengi vessel shows up and start shooting at the Enterprise because they think there is something valuable on the Hathaway. The plan is for the Enterprise to shoot at the Hathaway, for it to “warp” away, and for everyone to flee… and it works, the games now over.

There’s a side plot where Kolrami is the grand-master at some finger wiggling game where he beats the snot out of Riker, wins against Data and causes him to lose a bit of confidence for a while, and then pulls a Kasparov and withdraws instead of losing to Data. In fact the whole scene reminds me of Deep Blue, but that was in the late 1990’s. I was quite mad at Pulaski after Data’s first game because she goaded him and Kolrami into it and made Data think he was damaged, poor Data.

I have relatively few problems with this episode. I’m upset with Pulaski and the others egging on Data, but do love that they all cheered him in the end… they all seemed genuinely proud of him, their shared hatred of Kolrami. Kolrami was fantastically annoying and disparate of Riker’s humor, but he was supposed to be “the bad guy”. The tenacity of Wesley and La Forge paired with the creativity of Worf led to a one-two punch that helped score some early points for Riker and his crew. The random Ferengi vessel showing up was a nice twist and fit in nicely with the theme of “what to do in the unknown” as well as Worf’s genius last move. This episode also pulls in the threat of the Borg, helps develop Riker and other crew for moving up in command, and helps Data to better understand human behavior. I rate this episode a rook, which is the 8th piece of chess on the 8th column on the 8th row.

Favorite Quotes from “Shades of Gray”:

Riker: Captain, one of the things I’ve learned if anything on these voyages, on this ship, and from you, is that most life forms act out of an instinct for survival, not out of malice.

Picard: It’s an important lesson, and I admire your lack of resentment, Number One.

Riker: If you drop a hammer on your foot, it’s hardly useful to get mad at the hammer.

Riker getting wise in his dying hours.

Data: Captain, I do not believe you have the authority to promote me to the rank of Admiral.

Another joke going over Data’s head, but well timed by Spiner.

“Shades of Gray” starts off with an injured Riker on the planet below and we know it’s serious because Pulaski uses the transporter to take a closer look. Once it’s determined he needs to come to sick bay they beam back but his leg is now numb. La Forge and Data find a predatory vine that have a little bug on them causing paralysis and soon death for Riker, oh my. If I didn’t know that he was on the third season, I’d be super worried. Of course as Troi shows up, the music gets more serious, and now he only has an hour to live. Pulaski proceeds with something akin to electroshock therapy and oh look, a dream sequence with a freshly shaved Riker and a throwback to “The Last Outpost“.

Apparently they’re doing a fucking clip show (can you hear my eyes rolling?) of Season 1 and 2 episodes as Riker now has a flashback to (in the best order I wrote down):

• “Encounter at Farpoint“, meeting Data for the first time
• “The Dauphin“, helping Wesley and flirting with Guinan
• “The Icarus Factor“, where he and Troi thought he would leave for his own command

Some pleasant memories that, unfortunately, speed up the microbe taking over Riker’s body:

• “Justice“, with the planet of scantily clad people
• “11001001“, with the pretty lady in the holodeck
• “Angel One“, where women ruled the planet and Riker had a tryst
• “Up the Long Ladder“, where he fell in lust with a beautiful Irish maiden

Pulaski surmises that not-so pleasant memories and ones that have primal feelings behind them might have the opposite effect, and she’s right, as Riker remembers:

• “Skin of Evil“, where Yar dies
• “The Child“, where Troi’s “child” dies
• “A Matter of Honor“, where he gets to beat up a Klingon and defend his honor
• “Conspiracy“, where he gets beaten up by an old ass Admiral. To be fair the admiral was overtaken by another being and there were two very obvious stunt doubles involved.
• “Symbiosis“, where a druggie was trying to kill Riker with his electric skin

In fact there are several repeats of episodes we’ve already revisited and A LOT of scenes with explosions in them. In fact the explosions must have done the trick as Pulaski realizes the episode is about to end and she couldn’t let Riker outlive her (as this is, thankfully, her last episode).

This was an absolute pointless episode, and I can’t really call it that at all as there were about 5 minutes of dialogue and plot in the whole thing. It was a clip show, let’s call a spade a frog (and that’s not a typo, I’m just being silly). If I were watching this live for the first time and didn’t know Riker was going to be just fine, I would have been genuinely worried. I mean they were going back to his finest, and not so finest, moments over the last two seasons… the “goodbye” Yar never got. So Pulaski got to go out on a high note by not being annoying and saving her patient, but nothing else actually happened. That alone earns this episode literally anything off of the $1 menu at Taco Bell, but only one item.

TA Out!

Date: March 25, 2020

Season 2, Episodes 19 and 20

Setting the Stage: I watched both episodes, via Netflix, over the last two days. Technically I just finished Season 2 tonight, but I do not have it in me to write about four episodes. Yesterday I had sloppy joes for dinner and had a wonderful girls night via Hangouts with my two best sorority sisters. Tonight I made salmon cakes with mac & cheese and there are only two people on the planet who know the hilarity that ensured while trying to make the cakes. We also finally finished the rice pudding, so it might be time to order more Chinese food soon. The county I live in NC is also moving toward “shelter in place”, so I’m starting to get a little more nervous and a little more stir crazy, how are you all doing? Tonight I’m back to listening to my random instrumental mix on iTunes.

Favorite Quote from “Manhunt”:

Riker: So what did you think of the Antedeans, Wesley?

Wesley: They are rather strange-looking, Commander.

Data: Judging a being by its physical appearance is the last major human prejudice, Wesley.

Picard: Your point is well taken, Mr. Data. I’m sure that to the Antedeans, we are equally unattractive.

Data casually throwing out a tidbit and Picard softening the blow a little.

“Manhunt” has two Antedeans, who look like fishy frost giants, beam aboard the Enterprise in a weird frozen stasis coma because it is their preferred method of travel. They are heading to a conference and are the ambassadors of their people. A smaller vessel begins to hail the Enterprise and to everyone’s surprise Lwaxana Troi is beamed aboard as the ambassador for Betazed, along with her trusty Mr. Hom. She is the worst and I love her, but poor Deanna – it’s hard when your mom is that embarrassing. Lwaxana throws a dinner party but Picard realizes too late that it’s dinner for two. Thanks to some quick thinking on his part, he is able to use his cunning and intellect to find a way to invite Data as a welcomed third wheel.

Apparently Lwaxana is in the Betazoid version of menopause which puts her sexual energy into overdrive, oh my! Mrs. Troi has chosen to focus all of her energy on Picard who she would want then to be her husband. Picard decides to become Dixon Hill again and hides in the holodeck, but he runs into too many issues and has to continually reset the program until he decides to take his secretary out for a drink. Mrs. Troi meanders around the ship looking for her next target and she identifies Riker as her future husband. Data and Riker join Picard in the holodeck because whatever is happening there must be safter than Mrs. Troi on the prowl – I mean thank god she had the good sense to leave Wesley alone. She finds her way onto the holodeck and falls in love with the NPC bartender and is so embarassed she forgets that she wanted to get it on with anything that moves. Just as she’s about to beam down she exposes the Antedeans as assassins and chides Picard a bit before departing for the conference.

I absolutely love how outlandish Lwaxana Troi is, so much better than lovesick Nurse Chapel who had to fall in line with McCoy. The absolute best parts of the episode are when Hom is drinking all the liquor in the background, he doesn’t even have to say anything to be funny. That’s the problem though, while the comedy is there the story line is not. We have the super mysterious ambassadors who are mostly lifeless all episode and then, at the very tail end, are all of a sudden the bad guys? We have a surprise visit from Troi’s mother but aside from her being embarrassing, nothing comes of her visit. She doesn’t seduce anyone or find herself a husband and she generally just pushes Picard’s buttons because she can.

The Dixon Hill parts of the episode were annoying because they were such a let down. First I think he’s going to get a case, but he just wants to relax? Go to the damn jazz bar Riker created if you want to relax. The plot starts to get interesting again when he heads over to Rex’s bar, but when Riker (who isn’t dressed up) and Data (who is) join absolutely nothing exciting happens and Mrs. Troi and Hom arrive shortly after so she can flirt with the bartender for a bit. They all head back and then everything is wrapped up? I feel cheated! I wanted, well I don’t know what I wanted to happen but something other than what transpired. Finish one damn story line instead of having four different things going on at once! As I love Lwaxana and Hom, though, I’ll rate this 4 running hares in honor of my own (late) sometimes embarrassing mother.

Favorite Quotes from “The Emissary”:

Worf: Sir, I suggest Commander Riker or Data would better serve Special Emissary K’Ehleyr.

Picard: Are there any personal reasons you don’t want the assignment?

Worf: Yes.

Picard: Any professional reasons?

Worf: No……… I withdraw my request, Captain.

Picard: Good.

Picard having to lead Worf to water… sigh.

K’Ehleyr: Worf, you’re the perfect Klingon. The ultimate minimalist. Talk to me.

Worf: I’ve noted that some people use humor as a shield. They talk much, yet say little.

K’Ehleyr: Whereas others take a simpler approach. Say nothing.

Worf: When one does not have the words…

Guess this is what Klingons talk about post-coitus. I would have thought an assessment of their battle strategy and a debriefing , heh.

“The Emissary” starts with another game of poker and Pulaski losing to Worf’s full house. As an avid poker player, two things bother me about this scene. One, which also happened the first time, is that they string bet… which is just rude. The second thing is that Pulaski makes a remark about losing her last bit of money to Worf, but when Data deals she all of a sudden has a small stack of chips and is dealt in. Doesn’t “all in” mean anything in the 24th century? The game is cut short by an emergency transmission, so off they go.

Apparently the Enterprise is about to have a mystery emissary arrive, by probe no less, and Starfleet is being super tight lipped about the mission. The music gets faster and they intercept the probe via the transporter and, when it’s opened, is found to be a half-Klingon half-Human female, K’Ehleyr, who is wearing a gray jumpsuit. Worf gives her a less than warm welcome and she explains the mission about an old Klingon ship that may think they and the Federation are still at war, fascinating. Troi and K’Ehleyr bond over having split parentage and then K’Ehleyr changes into a nifty red jumpsuit *makes note for cosplay later*.

Worf and K’Ehleyr snark at each other until she storms off and then changes into another jumpsuit (#3 if you’re counting, I know I am) that’s equally as nifty in order to make use of the holodeck’s gym. Worf watches while she takes down the enemies, ups the ante to “level two” and they fight the bad guys together, get all up in each other’s scent, and then have sex – I guess. They seem to be getting along together in the “talking while cuddling” thing that happens sometimes until Worf decides to invoke Klingon marriage because apparently after you bone you’re mated and you’ve got to get married. – it’s tradition!

K’Ehleyr is hellbent on destroying the ship because diplomacy will mean nothing to these 75 year old Klingons and they should die in battle, but Worf comes up with another idea. Worf plays Captain and K’ehleyr plays his first officer to try to convince the now-awake Klingons that the war is over, and it works! K’Ehleyr is tasked with beaming over to take command of the Klingon vessel to wait until the other Klingon ship arrives and assimilate the crew into the new century, but she and Worf have a very Klingon goodbye and it’s kind of touching.

I absolutely love K’Ehleyr and I hope she returns. She’s tough as nails, has hella swagger, and makes Worf feel all of the warm fuzzies. This is the second episode in a row with a strong female guest star who is awesome, and I’m all here for it. Some of the previous guests were just so bland and blah, but Lwaxana Troi and K’Ehleyr are just bad ass women and I love it so. We all know I love me some Worf and it was so great to see him be inspired and take command, however briefly. Michael Dorn delivers the lines perfectly, no matter how few they are he always makes them count. I’m taking a point off for the poker mishap I mention above and rating this episode a Straight Flush, which is the 9th highest way to win in poker.

TA Out!

Date: March 24, 2020

Season 2, Episode 18

Setting the Stage: Time means nothing because I don’t remember when I watched this episode. My Netflix account viewing activity says I watched this yesterday, but it seems so much longer than that. Professor Zoom was super needy today and had to join in on some of my conference calls. There rest of the week will be busier than today, sigh. I was trying to write this post much earlier in the evening, but I had to get together some items to donate to our school’s food pantry as they are opening for those in need. I got distracted by capers, it’s a long story, and now it’s already 11:00 pm, double sigh. Tonight I am writing to the sounds of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

I’d like to plug an upcoming virtual improv show by at least two of my high school classmates who are HYSTERICAL. Their troop is called “Death by Improve” and the link to their Social Distance Showcase is here.

Favorite Quotes:

Worf: I am fine.

Pulaski: You’re not fine. You fainted.

Worf: I did not faint. Klingons do not faint.

Pulaski: Excuse me, I’ll rephrase. This Klingon suffered a dramatic drop in blood pressure, his blood glucose level dropped, there was deficient blood flow resulting from circulatory failure. In other words, he curled up his toes and laid unconscious on the floor.

Worf: Doctor, there is no need to insult me.

Pulaski: Worf, I am worried. Now, something is wrong. Klingons don’t faint. Forgive me. I just can’t think of another word that applies. You’re sick.

Pulaski and Worf arguing over the usage of the word “faint”.

Worf: You must not drink the tea. It is deadly to humans.

Pulaski: And none too good for Klingons.

Worf: It is a test of bravery, of one’s ability to look at the face of mortality. It is also a reminder that death is an experience best shared, like the tea.

Pulaski: Worf, you’re a romantic.

Worf: It is among the Klingons that love poetry achieves its fullest flower.

Worf is SUCH a sweet talker.

This episode starts with two strange things: one is an outdated Terran distress signal and the other is Worf fainting on the bridge. Turns out Worf has some Klingon version of the measles but Pulaski fibs to Picard to keep Worf’s honor, so they share some deadly tea and Pulaski lives life on the wild side by giving herself the antidote first. After this brief exchange where I start to think that Pulaski is not the McCoy-incarnate, Worf being sick is never again mentioned and not at all a later plot point.

Back to our mystery distress call. Riker beams back up from the planet with survivors of a colony that have a heavy Irish accent, a very 20th century way of life, and live animals – oh my! The leader of the crew tries to marry his daughter off to Picard, but it’s Riker that falls in love with her – there’s even soft music and everything. She comes on pretty hard and they kiss and likely do a lot of other naughty things off screen.

The Enterprise arrives at the other planet where the other colony landed. Riker, Worf, and Pulaski beam down and meet with Prime Minister and it’s a very different type of society, where everyone seems to look like everyone else – oh, they’re clones! They have an issue with replicative fading or some such and need to expand the gene pool. I think the answer is obvious, take the farm folks and plop them on the planet and you’ve got a done deal. Unfortunately Riker and Pulaski get kidnapped, but La Forge is on the case and they soon realize they were roofied for parts, gross. Pulaski makes a side remark about needing breeding stock and WHY DID THEY TAKE SO LONG TO GET TO THIS DECISION?!?! Each woman has to have at least 3 children by 3 different men in order to expand the gene pool, which the father is all excited about. At first the daughter is up in arms but then she kind of salivates at the thought of shacking up with the Prime Minister and having two other husbands… giggidy.

Okay so I have a few problems with this episode. What was the point of Worf being sick? Just so he and Pulaski could have a touching moment? Ugh. I do like that Pulaski shows off her “balls of steel” but it seemed like filler to me and didn’t quite have a place. Why don’t any of the men realize that they only have a choice of TWO women. Remember there were three men and two women that survived and became clones. I mean sure you’ll get one woman twice but she’ll be different, but not really, and now my head hurts. Cloning is almost as bad as time travel, but with a more complicated set of ethics.

I really liked the daughter, Brenna, as she knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion. What I don’t like is that her father is treated to every damn Irish stereotype in the book and it makes him look like a terrible leader. They had a thriving colony without much technology, so there’s that, though I’m sure Brenna did a lot of the heavy mind work. I also really enjoyed the well timed and abundance of humor in this episode. I had a hearty laugh which was so needed at the time. For that, this episode gets a 4 hour walk in the sunshine.

TA Out!

Date: March 23, 2020

Season 2, Episode 17

Setting the Stage: I watched this episode yesterday via Netflix and, to be honest, have no idea who was with me when I watched it or even what I was doing. I forgot to write that down and this last week has become one big blur for me. The one good thing about working from home is that I can steam Gargoyles on Disney+ and have it in the background while I answer emails because there are no students knocking on my door. I mention that because Frakes, who plays Riker, and Sirtis, who plays Troi, both lent their voices as Xanatos and Demona respectively. There are also several other amazing actors who had critical roles, but in the Wikipedia entry there’s even a whole Star Trek section. It’s like the game I play with my husband when I’m watching a random show and he strolls on in, points at an actor, and goes “Oh, they were on Star Trek“, and wanders off.

I hope you’re all safe and hunkered down as the more people who are able to stay at home the better and we can hopefully come out and play soon. For those that are unable to work from home, I owe you several adult beverages and baked goods when this is all over. Today I did four loads of laundry and answered a lot of emails. Tonight I’m listening to This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic by Minus the Bear.

Favorite Quote:

Wesley: I guess you would have preferred Commander Riker as a traveling companion.

Picard: What?

Wesley: It’s okay. You’re not too comfortable with me. I understand.

Picard: Ensign. Wesley, that’s not true. You’re a fine young man.

Wesley: You don’t have to say that, sir. It’s pretty obvious how you feel.

Picard: Is it? How so?

Wesley: Everyone knows. You don’t like kids. That’s too bad. You’d have made a good father.

Picard: Thank you.

Wesley: Didn’t you ever wish you had kids of your own?

Picard: Wishing for a thing does not make it so.

“Wishing for a thing does not make it so.” Don’t I know that.

This episode starts with Wesley heading to have another crack at his Starfleet exams and Pulaski ordering Picard to get a medical procedure since he doesn’t want her to do it. That means Wesley and Picard will be shuttle craft buddies for at least 6 hours and Riker will be in charge until they get back. No sooner do they depart, the Enterprise receives a distress signal. The aliens they encounter seem harmless and, despite Worf’s objections and Troi’s warning, Riker sends of La Forge to complete the repairs.

Back on the shuttle craft, Picard and Wes have some candid conversations and Picard shares that he needs to have his artificial heart replaced and how he came to need one in the first place (spoiler: it involves a bar brawl). They arrive at the Star Base where Wesley goes off to take his exams and Picard is greeted by the Imperial Royal Guard, I mean his doctors. One of the doctor’s makes the mistake of saying “this is routine and we’ll all be home for dinner” so now I know there are going to be complications, sigh.

On the alien ship La Forge keeps fixing things and then running into more problems. Once he tries to beam back to the Enterprise, he is attacked and forced to stay on board. Riker doesn’t quite know how to negotiate but comes up with a plan so when they next talk with La Forge, it’s he, Worf, and Data that provide a coded message – that La Forge picks up on an enacts. It’s a big bluff by Riker but he reads his opponents well and, in the nick of time, as Pulaski is needed on the Star Base in order to finish Picard’s procedure. See Picard, you shouldn’t argue with your doctor!

I loved the scenes in the shuttle craft, it was great to finally see Picard showing some vulnerability. I also think he needs to chill with the crotchety old man routine. I get it, you just got out of surgery, but why on Earth would Pulaski have been there if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. I also liked that Riker got what he deserved for not listening to Worf and Troi, but hated it was at the expense of La Forge. The whole situation was ridiculous and then they just give up at the end because of a red cloud of smoke… what gives? It had promise, maybe, but not enough in the delivery. This episode earns 3 bottles of red wine, but the cheap kind – the “two buck chuck” kind.

TA Out!