Date: March 16, 2020

Season 2, Episode 9

Setting the Stage: This was the last of my four episode marathon on Saturday, which I watched via Netflix. Before I started this challenge, my husband and work mom wanted to come up with a list of “important” episodes for me to watch to get me up to speed. I told them I couldn’t do that and came up with this ridiculous quest instead. I mention that because this episode would have made that list. One day I’ll have the husband guest post that list, but today is not that day. I’m listening to Menos el Oso by Minus the Bear tonight while Professor Zoom snores at my feet.

Favorite Quote:

Data: You had nothing!

La Forge: He bluffed you, Data.

Data: It makes very little sense to bet when you cannot win.

Riker: But I did win. I was betting that you wouldn’t call.

Oh how I miss Texas Hold ‘Em nights…

This episode begins with a game of poker between La Forge, Pulaski, Riker, O’Brien, and Data. No sooner does Data mention how easy poker sounds he loses to Riker. On the Star Base we pan to Picard running into an old flame who happens to be a lawyer, sound familiar? Louvoix was the prosecutor when the Stargazer was lost as it’s routine to do a court martial when a ship has been lost. Admiral Nakamura and Commander Maddox interrupt their reunion as they have come to inspect the ship and, apparently, Data.

Maddox keeps referring to Data as “it” and wants to dissemble him in order to learn better and make more “Datas”. Maddox even has transfer orders from Starfleet command, so Data has no choice but to resign from Starfleet or be picked apart by a man he does not believe to be ready for the task. The crew throws an away party for Data but La Forge is sad because his friend is leaving and it’s super touching. However there’s a ruling that Data cannot resign because he is the property of Starfleet, so a hearing is held. Due to the understaffed new JAG office, Picard has to be the defense lawyer, Riker will serves as the prosecutor, and Louvoix will be the judge. Riker understands his duty but is clearly upset at having to go up against his friend and comrade.

Riker comes out with guns blazing and not only has Data remove his hand but also turns him off. It’s such a compelling argument that Picard heads to the bar for advice from Guinan during the recess. They discuss the idea of disposable people and slavery and it pumps up Picard for his turn at the hearing. Picard first calls Data back to the stand, I’m not sure why he didn’t do this as a cross but whatever, and tries to help Louvoix understand Data is more human than his programming would suggest. Next he calls Maddox to the stand as a hostile witness and is glorious in his examination.

Louvoix is so impressed and understands she is setting precedent so she rules that Data is not the property of Starfleet. Data tells Maddox that he would be happy to work with him once he’s ready and Maddox begins to understand he might not know everything he thought he did.

So we all know I drink the “Data Kool Aid” but I don’t think my bias is showing when I say how excellent this episode was. It’s a real problem we still face today and have explored in various multimedia formats. The entire hearing reminds me of Bicentennial Man, another movie I loved. Artificial Intelligence is such a fascinating subject and also one that has moral and ethical implications. If we develop one entity, or thousands, we have a responsibility to not treat it as lesser simply because it is providing a function for us. There are so many good points in this episode, like Data pointing out that although La Forge’s visor has superior vision, not every officer is equipped with it. Another is this beautiful bit by Picard:

Picard: Commander Riker has dramatically demonstrated to this court that Lieutenant Commander Data is a machine. Do we deny that? No. Because it is not relevant. We too are machines, just machines of a different type.

Commander Riker has also reminded us that Lieutenant Commander Data was created by a human. Do we deny that? No. Again it is not relevant. Children are created from the building blocks of their parents’ DNA. Are they property?

Picard asking the damn good questions.

In fact, Sir Patrick Stewart hits the ball out of the park in this acting challenge. He makes me feel every emotion he’s feeling and I’m compelled to his side of the argument, even after Riker’s stirring performance. If you watch closely, you can see Frakes staring at Stewart in adoration while he is delivering his soliloquy, and it’s adorable. I also now want to watch an entire TV show with Stewart as a defense attorney in a courtroom drama… make it so! Anyway, this is a 10/10 would recommend.

TA Out!

Date: March 14, 2020

Season 2, Episode 6

Setting the Stage: I watched this episode via Netflix, along with 3 others today. I only have the time to write about this one before we head out to celebrate my cousin’s 30th birthday. Well she’s really my husband’s cousin’s wife – but I like her so I claim her as family. It was just me and the fur children today as husband and his brother were at an all-day concealed carry class, though two friends stopped by and we had a great chat about The Next Generation and how it was an integral part of their growing up. Ah Star Trek bringing people together. I am back to listening to the Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace soundtrack by the London Symphony Orchestra while I write today.

I wrote about 3/4ths of this post before heading out and then have been exhausted all day. Sorry for the late post.

Favorite Quotes:

Data: You mentioned your impending death, Grandpa. May I say you face it with remarkable courage and stoicism.

Graves: That is because I am an incredible man, possessing an iron will and nerves of steel. Two traits that helped me become the genius I am today as well as the lady killer I was in days gone by.

Data: You condone homicide, sir?

Graves: It’s an expression, Data. It means I was once as beautiful as I am smart.

Data being confused by the ways we use the English language. Same Data, same.

Graves (as Data): Data is dead.

Picard: No. He must not be lost. He’s not simply an android. He’s a life form, entirely unique.

Graves (as Data): Data is not human! He is…

Picard: He is different, yes. But that does not make him expendable, or any less significant. No being is so important that he can usurp the rights of another. Now set him free!

Picard’s unflappable backing of Data warms my heart.

The Enterprise is en route to answer a distress call from Dr. Ira Graves, the smartest man in the world – or something like that. Data is having a – mid-life crisis? – and adds a beard that both Troi and La Forge are in stitches over. On the way to Graves, the Constantinople also emits a distress call so Data, Troi, Worf, and Dr. Selar do a near warp beam over so that Dr. Pulaski can supervise the larger catastrophe. Graves and his assistant, Kareen, meet them but Graves is irritable and awful and just the worst. Unfortunately he’s also dying of Darnay’s disease which is terminal and in its final stage. Graves also has a strange sense of humor and demands Data calls him “Grandpa” as Graves taught Dr. Soong all he knew. He does all this while whistling the Wizard of Oz’s tune “If I Only Had A Brain” (or is it heart), which is funny because Data has trouble whistling as per “Farpoint”. Data lets slip he has an off switch and I have a bad feeling about this.

Just a few minutes later Data comes out and says Graves is dead and gone. It’s clear that Graves transferred his consciousness into Data and more so when he begins to whistle going into one of the turbo lifts. Graves as Data gets super jealous over Picard showing Kareen around the bridge. La Forge runs a diagnostic and cannot find anything “wrong” with Data, but Troi thinks its his mental health – and she is not wrong. Graves as Data confesses to Kareen around the same time as Picard figures out what has happened. As Picard tries to convince Graves to let Data go, he is bitch slapped and passes out. When Picard comes to, he finds Data on the floor and it looks like Graves put himself in the computer as he originally intended and Data is back to his usual self.

This was quite the emotional roller coaster of an episode. There’s a dude in trouble, but he’s old and misogynistic. There’s a vessel in trouble, oh no! Old dude wants Data to call him Grandpa, awwww, but then he takes advantage of Data and tries to coerce his young assistant into living forever with him – no so awwwww. Brent Spiner does an amazing job showing off his acting range and even helping me feel the smallest bit sorry for Graves in regard only to Kareen. Too often people choose not to love because of some arbitrary social reason, like an age gap or some such, and it’s easy to see they both wanted to explore a different type of relationship and regret not having done so. I also think it’s powerful that Graves is the one that realizes what he’s done and makes the ultimate sacrifice, after he’s uploaded himself to the computer that is, in order to not hurt anyone else. He realized it was his time after all and no one can be immortal. Sure Picard makes a great speech, Kareen is horrified, and Troi figures out the problem is in the brain and not the body… but none of that matters as Graves is the man who needs to make the decision. I give this episode 9 cases of hand sanitizer, as we’re all going to need it in the next coming days.

TA Out!

Date: March 13, 2020

Season 2, Episodes 4 and 5

Setting the Stage: I watched both episodes, via DVD, while in the Bronx with my good friends. I got to spend the morning on Arthur Avenue and had the most wonderful day doing all of the things I miss from my life up North. I’m a total city girl living in not-quite-the-city and Journey would never make a song about me. I made my friends a five-cheese mac & cheese, garlic pull-apart bread, and coffee sugar cookies to thank them for being such awesome friends and for giving me a place to stay. There were also their two cats in attendance, both of whom played musical laps with us. Although I didn’t get any kitty snuggles at night, it was a wonderful Wednesday. Thursday I spent driving back to NC so I’ve had a few days to think about these episodes. I’m also working from home for at least the next two weeks, stay safe and healthy my friends. Tonight’s writing music is Gymnopédies by Erik Satie.

Fun fact about “The Outrageous Okona” is that it’s the only episode in Star Trek history that I could find that has a premiere date on my birthday (December 12th). A dear friend of mine had to spoil the fun and explain about broadcast syndication, but according to Wikipedia and chakoteya.net the original air date is December 12, so I’m claiming it and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.

Favorite Quote from “The Outrageous Okona”:

Okona: What about drunk? Ever do that?

Data: From alcohol? That is not possible for me, sir.

Okona: Pity. What about love?

Data: The act or the emotion?

Okona: They’re both the same.

Data: I believe that statement to be inaccurate, sir.

Data is going to have to explain how what else you can get drunk on, but he’s certainly got a better handle on love.

“The Outrageous Okona” begins with a vessel in trouble! The Enterprise offers to help out and encounters a Han Solo-type captain who fancies himself quite the ladies’ man named Okona. La Forge goes to develop a replacement part while Okona is fascinated by Data. Data doesn’t understand humor and desperately wants to, so he tries out Joe Piscopo in the holodeck. Data tries his routine out on Guinan to no avail, but winds up being funny by just being himself.

All of a sudden there are two, quite inferior, ships that approach the Enterprise – and they both want Okona. One wants him because the father is convinced Okona knocked up his daughter and now they must be married. The other wants him because they are convinced he stole a precious jewel. Worf goes to find Okona, who is making a swath through some of the female crew members, and brings him to the bridge to explain himself. Okona swears innocence so they beam aboard the other captains and their respective children to figure this all out.

Turns out the children are in a Romeo and Juliet situation and Okona just smuggled them back and forth. The kids decide to marry and the father’s start to argue about where they will live. La Forge fixes the ship part so Okona departs as the rogue with a heart of gold. Data takes Guinan to the holodeck to try out his comedy on a “live” audience but soon realizes they’re programmed to laugh at anything and sad Data is sad.

This episode features a baby Terri Hatcher who had been in all sort of fantastic shows and was a “Bond girl”. I’m quite upset that she starts off rebuking Okona but later give into his charms, come on Hatcher – snap out of it! When Piscopo is doing his Jerry Lewis impression in the holodeck he mentions Teaneck which is a town in New Jersey and also happens to be where I was born, whoa! There are two main parts to this episode: Okona and Data. Okona is set up to be the “bad guy” pretty hard only to have the viewer find out that it was all a front and he’s really the “good guy” in all of this. Data, on the other hand, is obsessed with finding “the thing” that will make him more human or understand humans better. I wish he could understand that just being himself makes him more human sometimes, especially when he makes the joke about words that end in “K”, I about lost it and I’m pretty sure Piscopo did too. Overall this was a solid, good episode but nothing really science-fictiony, so it’s a 7 ate nein rating.

Favorite Quote from “Loud As A Whisper”:

Pulaski: There’s something else you must know. This is a one shot. If you decide to change your mind, there’s no going back. And there are risks. I can offer choices, not guarantees.

La Forge: Well, this is a lot to think about. I’ll get back to you, Doctor. Thank you.

Pulaski is offering La Forge a chance at a pair of replicated eyes here and I feel that “I can offer choices, not guarantees” is such a damn powerful line.

“Loud As A Whisper” has the Enterprise traveling to pick up and transport the famed mediator, Riva. Worf, Troi, and Picard beam down and eventually meet Riva who is apparently deaf and travels with a chorus of three, each who help communicate for him. Riva instantly has the hots for Troi and he also bonds with La Forge over their disabilities. After a brief briefing, I mean it was seriously short, we find out the two factions have been at war for over 1500 years but peace is finally on the table. Riva has no time for the briefing and instead wants his dinner date with Troi and communicates with her in sign language instead of using his chorus. Guess he wanted some alone time with her, giggity.

On the planet Riva takes charge of the negotiations and is off to a good start until one of the parties fires upon and kills his chorus. They all beam back to the ship and Riva is having trouble communicating so Data is ordered to learn sign language. Troi decides that she will need to give negotiations a try and ultimately convinces Riva to turn his situation into a peace tool. He decides to teach the factions sign language so that as they are learning to communicate with him, they will have something in common and hopefully achieve peace. Picard tells Troi she “done good” and away we go.

Picard does a great job explaining how to communicate with Riva to his crew very easily and very quickly to avoid any further miscommunications. I hate that universal translators cannot understand sign language and it was not something that was pre-programmed into Data. The 24th century is supposed to be super advanced and yet they still do not know how to deal with a person who has a disability or who is unlike the majority of the population. I do like how Picard tells Riva “we are all in this together”, but it’s marred by the fact that he’s shouting and a deaf person cannot hear no matter how loud you go.

This episode tried really hard but failed in some spectacular ways. The ending was greatand I thought it was a clever way to achieve peace and to allow Riva to also learn to communicate with others – even if he has to teach everyone sign language. I audibly gasped when Riva’s chorus was killed and truly felt for him being severed from such a big part of his life. Their method of communication was so unique I wanted to know more. Overall I think there could have been better things about this episode, but it also could have been a lot worse. That earns this episode 6 dark chocolate covered pretzels, when you’re feeling sweet and salty.

TA Out!