Date: March 11, 2020

Season 2, Episode 3

Setting the Stage: I watched this episode via DVD, because there was a weird thing happening with Netflix. I was surrounded by a dear friend, who had not watched this episode in several years, and two cats who were very affectionate. I wanted to note that it was also pointed out I spelled “Pulaski” incorrectly in the last post – I will endeavor to do better in the future. I actually watched three episodes today, but I’m super exhausted and only have it in me to write about this one.

On the coronavirus front, NC State has extended Spring Break by a week and plans to move toward online classes after that. Thankfully I have contingency plans for my contingency plans and my students will continue to get their education whether they want it or not. Sorry Fred!

Favorite Quote:

Moriarty: Then perhaps we’ll meet again some day, Madam.

Pulaski: It could be a long time. Time won’t pass for you, but I may be an old woman.

Moriarty: But I’ll still fill you with crumpets, Madam. I detest long goodbyes. You have the arch.

Moriarity being the perfect gentleman, or was he?

The Enterprise arrives early for a rendezvous so they are basically in a holding pattern for the next three days. La Forge takes Data to the holodeck because he wants to play Holmes and Watson where Data plays the former and La Forge plays the latter. On the first run through of the program Data speeds through to the end and takes all the fun out of it. As La Forge laments at the bar Pulaski buds in and claims Data couldn’t deduce a unique problem if it bit him in his android ass, so Data takes on the challenge. Pulaski, La Forge, and Data enter the holodeck for try two, but Pulaski is not impressed so La Forge ups the ante. However he ups it too far and creates a Professor Moriarty that becomes sentient and abducts Pulaski.

Inspector Lestrange finds the pair to bring them to a murder victim where La Forge takes a stab at deduction (no pun intended, even though the victim was strangled) but Data proves he has the “Holmes stuff”. After that brief interlude that actually proves Data can actually deduct like Holmes, they decide to go back to trying to find Dr. Pulaski. They find Moriarty and he is able to interact with the computer – this is not good.

Data freaks out and tries to shut down the program but the override has been entered and Moriarty knows what the Enterprise looks like, he just is unsure of what it is. Pulaski does a good job of playing “dumb” and not answering any of Moriarty’s questions or pretending that she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The bridge crew meets to figure out what to do and Picard decides he’s got to join Data and wears, wait for it, a top hat! Worf also gets spiffed up in case he is needed. Moriarty knows that Holmes is really Data and that Picard is the captain, but all he wants is to exist outside of the program. Once he finds this is unattainable, he gives control of the ship back.

The actor who plays Moriarty (Daniel Davis) is “Niles” from The Nanny (and many, many other amazing things) and I am so excited because he’s a gem. He’s excellent in this episode but not quite what I expected of Moriarty. I have a soft spot for Sherlock Holmes and have loved the movies with Robert Downey Jr., The Great Mouse Detective, and the TV shows Sherlock (2009) and Elementary. Okay, enough about my love for Sherlock Holmes – I know you want to hear about what I thought about the episode. Well, it was awesome. It was a Trek-inspired Holmes homage and a follow-up to a first season episode. I am beginning to see that the holodeck as a plot device is going to become a thing, but it worked in this episode. I also enjoyed seeing Data panic and realize what was wrong well before La Forge did. I’m also happy that Data was able to show Pulaski “what for”, except she didn’t really get to witness it because she was all kidnapped and stuff. Overall I really enjoyed this episode and give it 8 slices of perfectly slices prosciutto topped with 5 slices of fresh mozzarella on freshly baked Italian bread with a little bit of balsamic vinegar. In non-Italian terms, that’s an 8.51 on the Richter scale my friends.

TA Out!

Date: March 10, 2020

Season 2, Episodes 1 and 2

Setting the Stage: I watched both episodes, via Netflix, with my Dad and Bidgi – both of whom fell asleep pretty quickly. The State of North Carolina just declared a State of Emergency amid the corona virus and I have no idea what that will mean for work. I hope you’re all washing your hands and using the Vulcan greeting instead of shaking hands and we’ll all be just fine. As this is the start of a new season, I watch the intro and see that not much has changed but there’s a new Chief Medical Officer and now Whoopi Goldberg is a special guest, interesting. Tonight’s writing music is listening to my Dad and Stepmom retelling each other the same stories from the last two days.

Favorite Quote from “The Child”:

Picard: His remaining will create difficulties for us all.

Riker: Yes, indeed. With his mother gone, who will see to his studies?

Picard: Exactly. Of course, that duty will fall to Commander Data.

Riker: And who will tuck him in at night?

Wesley: Come on, Commander.

Worf: I will accept that responsibility.

Troi: Well, we know he’ll get his sleep.

Worf is *so damn adorable* I can’t stand it.

The Second Season begins with “The Child” and some changes to the roster. Worf is in yellow, Riker has a beard, Wesley is still on board with a not-quite-Science-blue uniform, and La Forge is also in yellow and the new Chief Engineer. We find out that Dr. Crusher became the head of Starfleet medical, which is why we’re getting a new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Polaski.

There’s a strange beam of light floating around the ship and goes right up Troi’s skirt, ummmm not cool bro. Picard goes to “Ten-forward”, which is apparently the bar, in order to yell at Dr. Polaski, but he finds her with Troi. Troi was raped by the beam of light and the men in the room are having a discussion about it, I just can’t. I almost turned the episode off at this point, but I didn’t. Riker is being a total prick, Worf talks about abortion because it’s a security issue, and Data wants to study it. Thankfully Troi says in no uncertain terms she will have the baby and Picard ends the discussion, not sure why they even had that in the first place. The pregnancy, as Polaski explains, is super accelerated and Troi will give birth in the next day or two.

The Enterprise is ready to pick up some specimens to bring to a science station that will hopefully help the fever that’s spreading elsewhere in the galaxy. La Forge has built some sturdy containers in order to transport these dangerous items. Polaski explains how deadly even the most innocuous of specimens are before they start the loading process. Troi is about to give birth and Data stands in to be the father. In the fastest and least painful birth in history, there are still a lot of men just standing around. She gives birth to a boy and names him after her father. For some reason the graphics look so much better this season, or maybe it’s just my Dad’s nifty television. Picard goes to visit and the child, who is now almost 4 years old, and we’ve got a real Jack problem on our hands.

OMG THERE ARE PUPPIES ON THE SHIP! Ian is not ready to share why he is on the ship, but now he’s closer to an 8 year old. Wesley and Guinan have a good chat while all hell breaks loose because there’s something wrong with the containment module due to a specific kind of radiation. We find out that it’s Ian who then dies almost as quickly as he lived, transforming into the same ball of light we saw at the top of the episode. The containment field sorts itself out now that Ian is gone and Troi explains who he was and why he was there. Wesley wants to stay on the Enterprise and Worf adorably agrees to tuck him in at night. The rest of the bridge also agrees to be the village to help raise Wesley, and away we go.

This episode did not start out great but wound up in a good place at the end. It was nice to have a good ending, even if Troi was in tears because her brief stint at motherhood was at an end. Who counsels Troi when she is the one in need of counseling? I’m glad La Forge is in Engineering, but I will miss his interactions with Data on the bridge. I hope we get to see more of Guinan, I’ve always loved Goldberg as an actress. I absolutely do not like Polaski, she reminds me too much of McCoy and not for good reasons. There was too much up and down for me to rate this episode anything but a 5, on an unweighted scale.

Favorite Quote from “Where Silence Has Lease”:

Riker: Exit Holodeck. You do this every day?

Worf: No, Commander. Usually my calisthenics are more intense, but those sessions are too personal to be shared.

Riker: I’ll bet they are.

Worf always knows just what to say, and what not to say.

“Where Silence Has Lease” begins with a very worried Picard. He is worried about Worf and Riker, so naturally we pan to them dirty and wandering around a jungle. Worf picks up a gauntlet but then they are attacked by some strange looking creatures that look like they came straight out of Masters of the Universe. Worf almost forgets where he is as Riker ends the simulation and we see they were in the holodeck practicing.

On the way to a new area of space the Enterprise encounters a void without matter or energy. They launch a probe at it that disappears and Worf recommends going to yellow alert, Wesley moves them closer, and all of a sudden they are enveloped. Polaski keeps putting her foot in her mouth when talking to Data and I’m getting flashbacks to McCoy, and not fond ones. Get her off my bridge! Picard decides a science team can look at this later and they try to back out but are not seeing stars. They leave a beacon as a breadcrumb but find out they are instead going in circles. There is a cloaked device ahead, totally a Romulan ship, and it fires upon the Enterprise and then instantly disappears after the Enterprise shoots back. The crew kind of celebrates over the destruction of the Romulan ship and it leaves me kind of confused. What is going on?

The Yamato appears, the Enterprise’s sister ship, but does not reply so Riker and Worf beam over to find out what’s up but they are separated on the beam over. There are strange things afoot on this not-quite-the-Yamato. There’s a hole in the void but Worf and Riker are still on the other ship and weird things are happening. They beam back over Worf and Riker and try to find another opening, but they think it’s an experiment and they are the rats. As they decide to not give “it” the satisfaction, a face appears in the void. The entity is intrigued and then kills a red shirt, a legitimate red shirt. Picard decides to destroy the ship and set the interval to 20 minutes. The entity impersonates both Troi and Data and, with only one minute left, Picard leaves it to the last 10 seconds to make sure they are away and actually at warp 6 before aborting the self destruct.

 I’m already over Polaski, when is she leaving? I can’t stand ignorance especially from medical personnel, but I’m also a little mad at the rest of the bridge for not correcting her when she calls Data “it”. I’m also concerned as to why the bridge celebrated in the way they did when the Romulan vessel was destroyed, usually violence is done because everything else was exhausted. I get why Worf celebrated, he’s a Klingon warrior, but everyone else acted incorrectly – in my opinion. In comparison to the previous, I wasn’t as excited about this episode, so it gets a 4 star meal at a 3 star hotel in a 2 star town.

TA Out!

Date: March 9, 2020

The end of Season 1, Episodes 24 and 25

Setting the Stage: I watched both episodes, via Netflix, at my Dad’s house with just me and the dog. Bidgi, the dog, is so damn strange but she’s adorable and of course I love her. I’m also using my laptop instead of my usual dual screen environment and it’s ridiculous how inconvenienced I feel. I still had a productive day by submitting grades and getting some other items checked off my “to do” list. Tonight’s writing music is whatever is on the YouTube loop since my music is back in NC.

Favorite Quote from “Conspiracy”:

Data: You are aware, Counselor, that the holodeck can be programmed to recreate an oceanic environment?

Troi: Data, it’s just not the same. Have you ever been for a real moonlight swim?

Data: One can swim in moonlight?

Troi: How about you, Mr. Worf?

Worf: Swimming is too much like bathing.

Michael Dorn with the delivery of the episode, I’m still laughing. Also, Data (and Brent Spiner) is fantastic as always.

“Conspiracy” begins with Data ruining La Forge’s joke and I hope Data never tries to laugh again because it’s just awkward and awful. Picard received a “code 47” and Walker requests a meeting immediately. As they arrive, Picard beams down alone. Walker uses the Harry Potter method of questioning if Picard is really Picard and we meet two other captains. Apparently there are strange goings on in the Federation but Picard is not convinced there’s anything wrong.

On the way to Pacifica, let’s hear it for try number two, there’s a nearby disturbance so they have to investigate. They find the debris of a totally destroyed Horatio, Walker’s ship. Data, who was ordered to scan the records, finds abnormal patterns and they decide to head back to Earth and Starfleet headquarters where they are greeted by a trio of admirals. The admirals are interrupted by Remmick and then invite Picard and Riker for dinner, while Quinn beams aboard separately with something strange in his case. Picard does not believe Quinn is Quinn and leaves Riker to babysit. Riker is beat up by the Admiral, then La Forge, and the Worf with Quinn’s stunt double. Dr. Crusher comes though with the stun gun and there’s a parasite that used the admiral as a vessel.

Picard is fed a bowl of worms and I’m so disgusted I can’t look, but I need to know what’s happening. Riker shows up, infected, as does one of the captains from the meeting at the head of the episode. It was all a ruse on Riker’s part and he and Picard kill everyone, including Remmick who acted as the mother ship for the parasites and everyone who isn’t dead is free from the parasite’s control. Data believes Remmick was sending a homing beacon and cue the music to end the episode with intrigue.

So I’m all for a mystery and conspiracy theories, but this was ridiculous. First we get a mysterious meeting on the heels of “Coming of Age” where the first threads of conspiracy were planted and it feels like it has some teeth when Walker’s ship is blown up. Picard, however, goes from not believing a word of it to being so in deep he’s got to go to Starfleet and ask his questions in person – completely unprepared for anything. I’ve got to hand it to Dr. Crusher, though, who clearly saves the day twice by using a weapon instead of engaging in hand-to-hand combat and by posing Riker as being infected in order to do Picard a solid. I’m curious what happened to all those who had been taken over and if anything happened to the beacon, but I just can’t get that bowl of worms out of my head and I can’t get past how neatly everything was wrapped up in one episode. That earns this episode a 3 point field goal.  

Favorite Quote from “The Neutral Zone”:

Data: These are the most unusual humans I have ever encountered.

Riker: Well, from what I’ve seen of our guests, there’s not much to redeem them. It makes one wonder how our species survived the twenty-first century.

A dig at the 21st century before it even happened IRL, but Riker’s probably not wrong.

“The Neutral Zone” sees Riker in temporary command while Picard is off at a conference, so Worf and Data investigate a floating space object. They come across some cryogenic containers and I’m screaming at the TV – “DID YOU LEARN NOTHING FROM KHAN?!” Most are skeletons because the seal was broken and the environment was corrupted, one is empty, and three turn out to be perfectly fine. They beam back the three vessels, Picard returns, and they head to the neutral zone. The Romulans are mentioned for the third time this season, but everyone acts as if it’s been FOREVER. Apparently the three people were frozen at the moment of death in order to be revived later and it works, but they are having a hard time adjusting to different life. Troi gives a report on the Romulans and Picard is thankful to have someone with a psychology background.

As the Enterprise gets closer to the Neutral Zone more and more places are just gone. Picard is cautious when the Romulans appear and WHY IS SECURITY SO BAD AT THEIR JOBS? They let one of the cryo-dudes on the deck, how does that happen? The Romulans decloak, Picard orders Worf to open hailing frequencies, and two Romulans appear on screen. It appears all outposts on both sides have been destroyed in the same manner so the two sides agree to cooperate in order to investigate the threat.

On one hand I really enjoyed how the three survivors dealt with being revived. There was the mom whose husband had made the decision for her and was just worried about her boys. There was the super rich dude who couldn’t understand the more advanced 24th century and had no idea how to chill out. Lastly we have the guy who gets high on life and has every vice he can, but is the quickest to adjust to his new life. Since those three can’t be a story on their own, we also have to add in a mystery about missing outposts and a potential Romulan threat. While our first story gets a little closure with the three heading to a different life, there’s absolutely nothing settled about the Romulans or what actually caused all of the outposts to up and disappear/be destroyed. There’s all this set up and no pay off and I’m left with a sad face because that was a terrible way to end Season 1. Seriously, with all of the not so great episodes I am curious how Season 2 even got made. Another trio of sad emojis for this episode, but hopeful for a better start (and eventual end) for Season 2.

TA Out!