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March 28, 2024, 10:02:45 AM

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Rewatch (oh god no)

Started by Lemming, May 11, 2021, 02:05:41 PM

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daf

Quote from: Malcy on May 12, 2021, 10:47:31 PM
Spoiler alert
The scene is set during this episode but it's not shown till All Good Things...
[close]

Cheers - thought I was going a bit mad there!

Lemming

Still can't sleep, so:

S01E02 - The Naked Now

Hell yeah, a shamelessly recycled TOS plot! What an absolutely killer way to kick off a new series.

Not much to say about the episode generally - it's a direct knockoff of The Naked Time, but mostly less exciting and fun, and without the absolutely ridiculous climactic Kirk and Spock scene that helped make the original episode so good ("Jim, when I feel friendship for you... I'm ASHAMED" "WE'VE! GOT! THREE! MINUTES!")

This episode does manage quite a few genuinely decent bits of humour, though, something Star Trek isn't often great at. It's odd - there's a sense that the entire thing is aware of how inherently ridiculous it all is, which is pretty much the opposite of the tone TNG settles on later. Even during the most tense moments of the episode, there's usually something that's meant to make you laugh.

Speaking of which, the episode does pull off some serviceable TOS-style "ooh fuck the ship's about to blow up" tension, which ratchets up over the course of the episode. It's definitely not boring to watch.

Assorted notes: Wesley has built a voice recorder thing that simulates Picard's voice, can be made to say anything, and he uses it to pretend Picard's giving him orders. Creepy.

The doomed ship they encounter at the start is really kind of harrowing. The frozen corpses are strikingly upsetting to look at. Great bit of visual design. Controversially, perhaps, I also like the relative lack of reaction on the crew's behalf. The "humans don't fear anything in the 24th century, nobody argues about anything ever" shit in early TNG was obviously ridiculous at times, but the idea that people in the future have different morals, different beliefs and different attitudes is cool, and the crew's unemotional reaction to seeing so much death is a nice reminder of that.

Riker's apparently seen TOS, because he remembers this exact thing happening to the original Enterprise. Despite this, Riker proves to be the biggest dumbfuck of the episode - he touches Troi, giving himself the virus, and then strides into Beverley's office and inexplicably puts his hand right on her neck, giving it to her too. Superspreader. Right after this, he shoves his entire face into a small enclosed area where the Chief Engineer is working, putting himself about a centimeter away and virtually guaranteeing yet another infection.

As much of an idiot of Riker is, nobody else comes off particularly well - Beverley's quarantine procedure is to just look sort of annoyed at the fact that Geordi has escaped and is spreading the virus everywhere, and Troi comes into close physical contact with Tasha, realises Tasha's been affected, and reports it. Nobody suggests quarantining Troi, and she goes on to spread it herself.

Chief Engineer introduced! It's someone called MacDougal, who I don't remember seeing in any other episodes.

Inevitably have to address the Tasha/Data scene, because it's very odd. Tasha, under the effects of the virus, transforms herself into Lisa Stansfield and tries to seduce Data. She does this by discussing how, as a 5 year old child, she had to evade "rape gangs" on her homeworld. Jesus. Data apparently gets infected instantaneously and informs Tasha that "I am programmed in multiple techniques. a broad variety of pleasuring..." I think this scene is meant to be comedy, especially since it results in the "it never happened" punchline at the end which I think is meant to be funny. But it just comes off as very weird. The line about Tasha's childhood jars really badly and Data's actions are inexplicable. The episode later points out that Data shouldn't be affected by the virus, and doesn't bother to explain why he is - and is affected more quickly and more intensely than almost anyone else, for that matter.

Wesley does, of course, save the fucking ship with his stupid tractor beam. Despite suffering from the virus, he's able to reprogram the Enterprise's tractor beam in mere seconds (the Chief Engineer, who presumably has years of experience, says that this is impossible, but Wesley does it anyway somehow).

Again, I'm really confused as to what the motivation was behind essentially remaking an old episode. Not the best way to set the new series and new cast apart from the original, and frankly it's not as good as the episode it's based on anyway.

2/5, but a much higher 2/5 than Encounter at Farpoint. If that makes any sense. Can't really justify 3/5 for such a run-of-the-mill episode, but the pacing is solid and it's entertaining enough to watch.

Lemming

Quote from: Johnny Textface on May 12, 2021, 08:32:15 PM
Re: the rating system. Please can we have a rare 6 if the episode raises its head above the best 5 bangers?

Ooh, this is interesting. Might give myself like five 6's to give out to the five best episodes over the course of the rewatch.

jenna appleseed

Quote from: Ambient Sheep on May 12, 2021, 05:25:42 PM
A favourite thing from childhood:



(From MAD's 1976 parody "Keep On Trekin': The mad Star Trek Musical" which can be seen in its glorious entirety here.)

just spotted some accidental space Partridge

Blumf

Quote from: Lemming on May 13, 2021, 03:06:24 AM
S01E02 - The Naked Now
...
2/5, but a much higher 2/5 than Encounter at Farpoint. If that makes any sense. Can't really justify 3/5 for such a run-of-the-mill episode, but the pacing is solid and it's entertaining enough to watch.

That's very harsh. It's a solid, fun episode.

Malcy

The Naked Now gets 5 stars from me for the noise Picard makes when he's in his Ready Room with Crusher. Gold.

druss

Ooo I think I will get in on this. Have a weird relationship with TNG, first time I watched it was when I was coming off some horrible drugs and was getting awful withdrawal symptoms and didn't sleep for about 4 days. Blitzed my way through the entire series in a weird state of constant pain, drifting in and out of sleep. If I ever catch the intro on TV I get odd feelings of sadness but also hope as it got me through it.

Hopefully this re-watch can re-condition my brain to not experience weird pangs of anguish whenever I hear Picard or any music from TNG.

greenman

Quote from: Lemming on May 13, 2021, 03:06:24 AMAgain, I'm really confused as to what the motivation was behind essentially remaking an old episode. Not the best way to set the new series and new cast apart from the original, and frankly it's not as good as the episode it's based on anyway.

I can see the logic personally, revisting something fans know already with a new crew but a big factor in the whole first season really is that Roddenberry was trying to keep maximum control and using a lot of writers/scripts from the TOS and Phase Two eras.

Seems he thought Kirk's sexual conquests were a big part of the shows appeal as well since season 1 is by far the most sex heavy.

Lemming

Quote from: Blumf on May 13, 2021, 09:59:48 AM
That's very harsh. It's a solid, fun episode.

It's not a bad episode by any means and there's a lot to like about it - the assistant engineer playing Jenga with the control chips, Beverley making Picard uncomfortable on the bridge, Riker's unbelievable incompetence (though I don't think that one was intentional)... Also love the "whoosh" sound effect that plays whenever the virus gets transmitted, such a strange thing to put in that it's impossible not to laugh at.

But it's one of the most standard-issue Star Trek plots possible, has a "Wesley saves the ship by being better than everyone" ending (massive credit to Wil Wheaton for doing great work with this material), and it loses points for me for being such a direct remake of an existing episode, with some scenes and ideas copied practically verbatim (Riley/Wesley taking over Engineering and proclaiming themselves the new Captain while taunting Kirk/Picard over the intercom). IMO the original episode is far stronger, so The Naked Now suffers by coming off as a weaker imitation that just lifts an existing idea and doesn't do anything new with it.

Quote from: greenman on May 13, 2021, 12:24:06 PM
I can see the logic personally, revisting something fans know already with a new crew but a big factor in the whole first season really is that Roddenberry was trying to keep maximum control and using a lot of writers/scripts from the TOS and Phase Two eras.

I suppose it sort of makes sense, but nothing new happens with the idea. I get re-using the Polywater Intoxication as a starting point and a way to reassure the audience that this new show takes place in the same setting as the original, but the episode plays out almost the exact same as The Naked Time, only slightly more subdued and with a less thrilling ending (Data and Wesley save everyone vs "WE'VE GOT TO RISK A FULL! POWER! START!").

Chairman Yang

Quote
Picard: 'Doctor, this thing both acts like and is spread like a disease. It killed dozens of people and now Geordi has it'

Crusher: 'Well it isn't a disease, so fuck your quarantine'

I wonder how much hatred for Wesley stems from this episode where he's clearly like... 450% more annoying than usual.

Hard to judge this episode over the sound of Gene pounding his nub. A terrible idea for episode 2, though.


JamesTC


Chairman Yang

There's a real danger of it being the best episode so far!

Ambient Sheep

Quote from: Lemming on May 13, 2021, 03:06:24 AM2/5, but a much higher 2/5 than Encounter at Farpoint. If that makes any sense. Can't really justify 3/5 for such a run-of-the-mill episode, but the pacing is solid and it's entertaining enough to watch.

Quote from: Lemming on May 13, 2021, 03:07:39 AM
Quote from: Johnny Textface on May 12, 2021, 08:32:15 PM
Re: the rating system. Please can we have a rare 6 if the episode raises its head above the best 5 bangers?

Ooh, this is interesting. Might give myself like five 6's to give out to the five best episodes over the course of the rewatch.

I know this might be controversial, but...

...you could always have marks out of 10 rather than 5.  1 to 9 for most eps, 10 for the 6/5 eps, and 0 for Shades of Grey.

Then you could score EaF as 3/10 and TNN as 4/10.

Malcy

Could give each episode Starfleet ranks. Ensign, Lieutenant etc. What about the absolute stinkers though? Non-Com? Or would that be an insult to Chief O'Brien? He's been through enough.

Fambo Number Mive

Quote from: Malcy on May 13, 2021, 02:52:37 PM
Could give each episode Starfleet ranks. Ensign, Lieutenant etc. What about the absolute stinkers though? Non-Com? Or would that be an insult to Chief O'Brien? He's been through enough.

Call them "Neelix"


Lemming

Taking the advice regarding ratings on board, think the following 10-point system could work:


1 RIKER - for episodes that, like Riker, are just completely pathetic.


2 WESLEYS - for episodes that, like Wesley, are mostly fucking awful.


3 BEVS - for episodes that, like Bev, are mostly boring and pointless.


4 TROIS - for episodes that, like Troi, are just sort of inoffensively there.


5 PICARDS - for episodes that, like Picard, are a mixed bag.


6 GEORDIS - for episodes that, like Geordi, are alright.


7 GUINANS - for episodes that, like Guinan, are mostly cool.


8 O'BRIENS - for episodes that, like O'Brien, are great.


9 RO LARENS - for episodes that, like Ro Laren, are very cool.


10 WORFS - for episodes that, like Worf, achieve the highest levels of honour and glory.

MojoJojo


Blumf

Quote from: Lemming on May 13, 2021, 04:13:05 PM
Taking the advice regarding ratings on board, think the following 10-point system could work:


1 RIKER - for episodes that, like Riker, are just completely pathetic.

FTFY

EDIT: Or what MojoJojo said

druss

Quote from: Lemming on May 13, 2021, 04:13:05 PM

5 PICARDS - for episodes that, like Picard, are a mixed bag.

I might have to duck out of this thread if this is the general consensus.


Lemming

Sorry, Picard really winds me up half the time! Hopefully I'll get to identify exactly why over the course of the rewatch, but the likes of Pen Pals and Homeward are the standout examples. Homeward in particular is such an absolute shocker in regards to Picard's conduct that it's one of the TNG episodes that sticks most in my memory, for all the wrong reasons.

"This is one of those times when we must face the ramifications of the Prime Directive and honour those lives which we cannot save," as an entire planet burns before his eyes and because of his decisions. Harrowing.

Endicott

That's hardly the point! I know it's just a fun idea for a rating system but if it's going to be divisive from the get go I'd suggest just using 0 to 10, as originally suggested. Just sayin'.

daf

Just occurred to me - is Troi meant to be Russian? . . .

"The Naked Now"



Corrr!! - Let's do a Sex!!!!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Highlights :
• Data's Penis Poem
• Blue Boobs & side-bums
• Troi's Jumbo hair-sausage
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Other Bits :
• Everyone gets (hem hem) "sucked off" into space?
• Data's Swiss-Army Robo-Cock!
SNOG! SNOG! SNOG! SNOG!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Score :

Malcy

I love this thread already and I think your rating scale is brilliant Lemming. Much needed laugh today.

Malcy

Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on May 13, 2021, 02:54:05 PM
Call them "Neelix"

I've always been a defender of Neelix. If I was stuck on Voyager I'd be making friends with him. The man is an experimental cook and a pain in the arse but at least he's jolly. However I've just suffered through several VOY episodes of his jealous attitude regarding Kes and I've rolled my eyes so much that they hurt. Think that's an end to it now though.

Can we have a minus-10 rating we can call Burnham. Neelix is Kirk compared to that arsehole.

Lemming

Quote from: Endicott on May 13, 2021, 05:53:00 PM
That's hardly the point! I know it's just a fun idea for a rating system but if it's going to be divisive from the get go I'd suggest just using 0 to 10, as originally suggested. Just sayin'.

If a Star Trek thread doesn't have everyone at each other's throats, then it's gone wrong somewhere.

With that in mind, the 10 rating should have been Wesley.

Quote from: daf on May 13, 2021, 05:57:43 PM
Just occurred to me - is Troi meant to be Russian? . . .

I think I remember hearing somewhere that Sirtis was asked by the producers to put on an "alien" accent, and that's what she came up with. Inexplicably, no other Betazoid characters who ever appeared in the show, including her own mother, bothered to put on any kind of accent at all so she just ended up sounding insane.

Quote from: Malcy on May 13, 2021, 06:01:44 PM
Can we have a minus-10 rating we can call Burnham. Neelix is Kirk compared to that arsehole.

-10: Burnham
0: Neelix
11: M'Ress

bgmnts

I like Picard but its weird in the first season that he says to the businessman something like "we as a society have grown beyond the need for the accumulation things" yet I'm fairly certain he is a collector of historical items, has an episode where he is trying to steal some sort of gem or some shit on holiday AND owns a huge vineyard.

Maybe that's more an inconsistency in the setting and lore rather than characterisation but it still is a bit off.

druss