"Battle Lines:" The Essential Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Dud!

The Good: Make-Up, Character
The Bad: Plot is low on believability, predictable, Acting
The Basics: The weakest link in the essential Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "Battle Lines" is slow and strange for non-fans.


"Battle Lines," right off the bat, is only for people watching the essential Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes and odds are, even many of them won't like the episode. This is a necessary episode for those keeping up with the plot and characters, but watching it becomes like taking bitter medicine. Odds are even if you're a big fan or developing into a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine aficionado, you won't watch this episode more than twice.

"Battle Lines" is the ultimate setup episode in the Bajor part of the Bajoran/Cardassian plotline. This episode sets off the whole rest of the events that happen in the Bajor plot, so why am I not recommending it except to those who are truly devoting themselves to this series? Well, it's kind of bad.

"Battle Lines" features the return of Bajoran spiritual leader Kai Opaka (seen in "Emissary") and the episode takes her on her first trip to the Gamma Quadrant. After begging Sisko to take her away from the dreary monastery life (she's been busy since the pilot uniting the Bajoran people), Sisko obliges, taking her to the Gamma Quadrant to a planet where he promptly crashes the Runabout (the first of many of the small ships to be destroyed) and gets her killed. D'oh.

With Kai Opaka dead at the end of the first act, we're left thinking, well, what now? The obvious question of how to get off the planet they've crashed on is set aside while Kira mourns and the planet's inhabitants reveal themselves.

It turns out the three survivors (Kira, Bashir and Sisko) have found themselves in the middle of a very strange war that has been going on for hundreds of years and when the Kai resurrects things get even stranger.

The idea of an antiwar museum like we see in "Battle Lines" isn't a terribly bad idea. The specific mechanics of it, while excellently explained, are hard to swallow and the episode feels wholly unbelievable. Outside of that and the largely predictable nature of the plot, the episode fails on acting. Nana Visitor, who is otherwise an excellent actress, has her sole off-day on film in this episode and despite her character's fundamentalism, she comes across as largely unbelievable.

"Battle Lines" serves a necessary function, but beyond that, does nothing more. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the episode is its follow-up. With the loss of the Kai, things on Bajor naturally get worse before they get better. That we never see Bashir laboring on the medical aspects of this episode again is disappointing, especially considering how low some of the moments on Bajor get!

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the first season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

4/10

For other Star Trek franchise reviews, please check out my index page!

© 2011, 2007, 2001 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Piggybacking On A "Done" Idea: "The Passenger"

The Good: Good acting, Fairly interesting plot, Good character
The Bad: Predictable if you pay attention or know the genre
The Basics: "The Passenger" is a pretty standard science fiction plot executed with good acting and a fair amount of character.


In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's first episode that focuses an A-plot on Julian Bashir, we find the young doctor bragging about a patient he saved and a genuinely amazed Kira doing her best to put up with him. Then, in the all important plot emergency, a damaged ship is detected and the pair goes over to try to save the crew. The episode is "The Passenger" and while Dr. Bashir has been portrayed up until this point as arrogant, childlike and unprofessional, here we are allowed to see him as a professional who has some genuine abilities.

On the alien ship, Kira and Bashir find a wounded security officer and her charge, a murderer names Vantika. Vantika dies, but Bashir is able to save Ty Kajada (the security guard). When Kajada awakens, she is paranoid and adamant that Vantika is not dead. It turns out that Vantika has a habit of cheating death and she is convinced he's managed to do it again. She's right, of course, and it's not much of a mystery, but it's fun to watch the way the episode unravels.

In a rather minor B-plot, Odo is given a StarFleet equal, an officer named Primmen. If you don't like him, don't worry, he shows up in at least one more episode, but not more than that. Odo and Primmen clash over the role of the Security Chief and where his jurisdiction (on Deep Space Nine) ends and where StarFleet's begins.

So, why watch this episode (I do recommend it, after all)? Certainly it's something new if you're not familiar with basic science fiction plots. And if you are, DS9 takes a rather standard science fiction plot and executes it fairly well. The idea, essentially, is that the dead are able to live on somehow and the question of the episode is how is this killer surviving death and where is he? The answer to the latter question is troublingly easy for those of us who are fans of science fiction. The seasoned television viewer will know where Vantika is even before we know what Vantika can do. It's that kind of failure of surprise that makes the episode troublesome.

But what redeems the episode is the answer to the first question. How Vantika is doing what he is doing is fairly clever and it's fun to watch Bashir investigating to discover the truth and the machinations behind the problem.

The highlight - outside a wonderful banter between Odo and Quark - is the acting of Siddig El Fadil, as Bashir. His acting in this episode, where he comes across as listless, bland and speaks in a monotone is truly excellent acting. Why? Because, the actor is nothing like that! Contrasting his earlier enthusiastic performances, Siddig El Fadil is forced to play Bashir as dark, bland and dead-eyed and that is a stark contrast to his other moments in the series.

The only severe problem in the episode is in the reasoning. At some point, accusations of who Vantika has taken over are thrown around, pointing pretty heavily toward Kajada. That's fine, because she is the obvious suspect. The problem is, no one ever asks aloud, "What about Kira?" Being that she was on the ship, too, it's bothersome no one thinks it could be her!

Very much a "bottle episode," not unpleasant for non-Trek or non-DS9 fans. Not recommended as the only, or first, DS9 episode you watch! Most of them are much more clever than this limited "possession" story.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the first season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

6/10

For other Star Trek episode reviews, please be sure to visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Less Q Results In A Dud With "Q-Less"

The Good: Ties up loose ends, Good use of ensemble
The Bad: Relying on allusions to Star Trek The Next Generation, Overdone plot
The Basics: A dud of an episode relying heavily on knowledge of Star Trek The Next Generation. Not for anyone but die-hard Trek fans.


Q is one of the Star Trek The Next Generation concept villains that was cool when the show began but somewhere along the way he got lost. It's pretty common in Star Trek The Next Generation where the writers (many of whom later went on to ruin Star Trek Voyager) will create something cool and in the terms of villains, menacing and often downright scary, and then they go and they ruin it. Q is a victim of overuse and resulting degradation. He loses his edge and goes from being supervillain to lame duck of the galaxy, loosely posing as an annoying trickster god.

The problem is, for an episode, Star Trek Deep Space Nine bought Q in. That episode is "Q-Less" and it has very little redeeming value.

The supposedly omnipotent Q appears on the station shortly after Vash, archaeologist and friend of Captain Picard (whose name is dropped throughout the episode) from the Star Trek The Next Generation episodes "Captain's Holiday" and "Q-Pid." A lot of what Jennifer Hetrick (Vash) had going for her on the earlier show was costuming. Here she becomes one of the few mistakes Deep Space Nine made. It's an adult show. So, they dressed Vash up as an adult instead of like some teenager's fantasy. It didn't help.

Vash comes aboard and flirts with Bashir and Quark and Commander Sisko is only mildly interested in the artifacts she has collected from the Gamma Quadrant until his station begins to fall apart for no reason and then Q is spotted. All of a sudden he cares because he figures Q is behind everything and he wastes no time confronting and blaming Q.

Anyone with half a brain can figure out that it is, of course, not Q's fault and that there's something more going on. And if you can't guess whose to blame, that's just sad.

The redeeming facet of this episode is the use of the whole cast. This is the first episode following the pilot that everyone plays a part and it's representative of the future of Deep Space Nine where it becomes the story of the crew as opposed to just its leader.

"Q-Less" is a lame franchise-inspired episode attempting to sell the new series to fans of Star Trek The Next Generation. Odds are, they're the only ones who will enjoy it. One of the bottom ten Star Trek Deep Space Nine episodes of all time!

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the first season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

2.5/10

For other Star Trek episodes I have reviewed, please check out the index page!

© 2001, 2007, 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Star Trek Deep Space Nine's First Dud Is "Babel"

The Good: Acting!
The Bad: Plot, the premise is very hard to take seriously.
The Basics: Watch "Babel" only if you're a Deep Space Nine or Star Trek fan; this is NOT their best work!


No series can perform at 100% every single episode and Star Trek Deep Space Nine is no exception. The closest to an exception I've yet seen was Sports Night (reviewed here!) during its brief tenure on the air. Even the highest caliber television shows have their off days. "Babel" is the first - of, fortunately, very few - outright dud of the Star Trek Deep Space Nine series.

"Babel" opens with Chief O'Brien dealing with his customary repairs to the station that has been breaking down on him since day one. While repairing the replicators, O'Brien inadvertently activates a mysterious device. It doesn't take long at all to become apparent that The Device is bad as O'Brien gets stricken with aphasia. Aphasia is a condition where the brain cannot recognize and interpret information and words. So O'Brien begins speaking gibberish and soon thereafter, others contract the same unlikely condition and it becomes apparent that there's a viral outbreak on the station.

"Babel" has one redeeming characteristic and that is the acting. Colm Meany, especially, delivers his lines perfectly once stricken with aphasia. And this is no easy matter considering he has to earnestly declare things like "Salt the dark way!" The rest of the cast gives similar great performances managing to get their way around the oddest lines ever because they are random collections of words put together. It's awkward to watch, but the actors certainly deliver on this one.

The problem is largely in how dependent the episode is on the somewhat absurd plot. An aphasia virus is not terribly useful, especially when it is revealed who created it. Add to that that the episode falls into a pattern of being part of the franchise. That is, early in the Star Trek series', it seems there must be at least one contagion episode. Star Trek had it with "The Naked Time" (reviewed here!), Star Trek The Next Generation had it with "Angel One" (reviewed here!) and now Star Trek Deep Space Nine has it with "Babel."

Fortunately, Deep Space Nine will not often be dependent on what the other series' have done. Instead it tends to break the mold. Unfortunately, "Babel" is very much a molded story and pretty much all we expect to happen does with the virus wreaking havoc until the hour is almost up.

This episode is a bit of a disappointment to Star Trek Deep Space Nine fans, who tend not to be prone to easy gimmicks and the dialog created by the aphasia virus certainly qualifies as a gimmick. It's impossible to recommend to anyone not a fan because it comes across as silly and has limited appeal as far as a television show goes. The only people who would benefit from this are people studying actors, because the straight faces and strong deliveries are testaments to the professionalism of this cast.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the first season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

3/10

See how this episode stacks up against other episodes and movies in the Star Trek franchise by visiting this index page where the reviews are organized best to worst!

© 2011, 2007, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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Settling In On Deep Space Nine With "A Man Alone"

The Good: A good mystery, Good characters
The Bad: Nothing superlative
The Basics: A more-than-competent second chapter to the series, "A Man Alone" is a must-see for DS9 fans, good for anyone tired of listless, thoughtless t.v.!


Any series takes a little while to get settled in. On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine there were a few ideas for the pilot episode that they couldn't include. "A Man Alone" seeks to get in the idea of a school for Deep Space Nine (with the fateful meeting of Jake Sisko and Nog). "A Man Alone" originally aired as the third episode (the pilot appeared as a single episode) and focuses on the order-minded security chief Odo.

A man appears on the station and it is quickly revealed that Odo, sometime in the past, put Ibudan in jail for murdering a Cardassian. Odo here becomes the subject of persecution when Ibudan turns up dead and all leads point to Odo. Ibudan is killed in a closed environment where the only access could be from someone that could change shape.

It's a better character study than a mystery. That is, the persecution of the outsider becomes more important than simply "who killed Ibudan?" The episode plays as an excellent sociological exploration. That is to say that, more than a whodunit, "A Man Alone" is an exploration of the sociological phenomenon of persecution and it succeeds at that.

In addition to the main plot, Chief O'Brien's wife, Keiko, establishes a school on the station when she tires of watching Nog and Jake get into trouble. Jake and Nog meet and come to the understanding that they are the only youth their ages on the station and they decide that friendship makes sense.

This episode has a lot going on in it, but it is essentially a continuation of the first episode and as such, much of this piece is an establishing of the series. That is, while the episode tries to sell the viewer on the idea that it's a murder investigation, the truth is that it largely is a presentation of more character details that will be useful later in the series. And they do become useful, especially the things we learn about Jake and Nog.

"A Man Alone" illustrates well the future of Deep Space Nine as a socially relevant ensemble piece that works best when using the whole cast in compelling situations, often at odds with each other.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the first season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

6.5/10

For other Star Trek episode, DVD set and movie reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Your Average Episode About The Importance Of Not Telling A Lie: "The First Duty"

The Good: Decent acting, Interesting - if unrealistic - character development
The Bad: Certain aspects of the plot
The Basics: When Wesley Crusher is injured and another cadet is killed, the facts of the investigation do not match with the cadets' story and Wesley must choose where his loyalties lie in "The First Duty."


Every now and then, Star Trek The Next Generation did an episode so obvious it was almost insulting to the viewers intelligence. Sometimes, the message was so obvious it was insulting, but the execution of it is classy enough. "The First Duty" is the latter type; it is rather straightforward in its message about not lying, but it gets there in an interesting enough way to keep us interested.

The Enterprise is recalled to Earth when Wesley Crusher is wounded in a flight accident. As Picard and the Enterprise staff lend a hand to the investigation, it becomes clear that the cadet flight squadron, led by the charismatic Nick Locarno, is not being entirely forthcoming with the reason one of the cadets lost his life in the accident. Picard quickly learns Wesley is part of a cover-up and works to impress upon the youth the importance of not lying.

What is nice is that Wesley Crusher appears, for the first time, as a less than perfect individual. He suddenly seems very realistic and his moral dilemma about sticking with his friends or telling the truth is a worthwhile one. It's presented well and Crusher, who always had so much potential, seems to be knocked down a few notches here in a way that makes his character instantly more empathetic. Add to that that Crusher and his moralistic sense makes a great deal of sense to be the one to come forward.

The way that it fails to be believable is in the time element. Wesley Crusher spent three and a half years on the Enterprise where he was given the most responsibility and trust he had ever had in his life. Since then, he has been back once where he restrengthened the bonds to those people by saving all of their lives. Now, less than a year and a half since he first left, he has fallen in with a group that asks him to lie to the people he has loved and trusted for a significantly longer time. That makes less sense than one would like to admit.

Beyond that, it's easy to see how strong Picard comes on and Locarno seems savvy enough to be at least possible as a leader. So, in the end it becomes a battle of wills between Picard, who reasons the truth, and Locarno, who wants to conceal it, via Wesley Crusher. And in the end, it makes sense that Picard ought to be victorious.

But in the process, there's another awkward aspect and that is how long it takes for all of the facts in the case to come to light. Given the amount of time it takes for the Enterprise to arrive at Earth, it seems inconceivable that the video images of the flight squadron was not already available. In short, it makes little sense that the cadets would even have the chance to lie by the time the Enterprise arrives.

Given that is not the case, the plausibility of the episode falls squarely on the acting and it is what eventually throws the episode over. Robert Duncan McNeil plays Locarno and in the process creates one of the more memorable guest characters. McNeil has a rogue quality to him and a natural charm that easily comes through. Perhaps this was the reason he was later tapped to play Lieutenant Tom Paris on Star Trek Voyager. He makes a great foil to the stern demeanor of Patrick Stewart in the role of Captain Picard. Stewart manages to tone down his performance, hone his range to simply fill the gaps between his character and McNeil's. In the end, Stewart refines Picard to simply be all of the things that Locarno is not and as a result, he makes the message that much more poignant and clear.

In the end, the episode hinges on Wil Wheaton's performance and he lives up to the responsibility. Here he makes Wesley Crusher visibly conflicted in a way that has not been well presented before. He's a conflicted character now and it works with where he is and where he is going. Wheaton makes him feel like a character in transition and his place in the episode is secure.

In the end, "The First Duty" is a piece that can be appreciated by anyone as it is a bottle episode more about the morality of telling the truth than anything even remotely science fiction oriented. As a testament to the strength of the episode, on the DVD bonuses for Season 5, one of the behind the scenes facts mentioned about this episode is that it has been shown in military classes to promote the importance of telling the truth. Well, if that's not enough to give you hope, what is?

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fifth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

6/10

For other Star Trek episode, movie or DVD set reviews, please be sure to visit my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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Max Hedroom Robs The Future: "A Matter Of Time" Is Only Fun.

The Good: Amusing, Decent character work
The Bad: No superlative acting, Often comes across as silly
The Basics: In an ultimately pointless episode, "A Matter of Time" puts a futuristic scholar aboard the Enterprise during a crisis.


In the fifth season of Star Trek The Next Generation, taking his lead from Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams requested a role on the series. When the time came for Williams to appear, however, he was involved with The Fisher King and as a result, the episode had to be retooled. Matthew Frewer, who played Max Hedroom in the 80s, appeared in his stead.

While the Enterprise works to save a planet in distress, a stranger named Berlinghoff Rasmussen appears. He's a student of history and has come from the future to observe the Enterprise. Captain Picard, struggling to save the planet nearby, finds himself in quite the moral dilemma; he has a resource he has never had and a dangerous situation that Rasmussen might be able to help him solve. But Rasmussen has his own plans, from interviewing the crew to hitting on Dr. Crusher to collecting artifacts, Rasmussen has his hands full. Add to that, he does not seem inclined to aid Picard and he has a secret of his own . . .

Matthew Frewer does a fine job as Berlinghoff Rasmussen and the character he plays is interesting. The problem is, it does not seem to be any stretch of his acting abilities. In fact, no one in this episode gives any sort of extraordinary performance. Frewer plays Rasmussen well enough to keep us interested, but the episode focuses on him far too much to make us suspect he is anything other than a thief.

While the episode focuses as well on Dr. Crusher, this is largely an ensemble piece. Dr. Crusher and Picard have the largest parts and they have interesting places here. Dr. Crusher does a good job exploring her romantic side and Rasmussen does have a charm to him that allows us to buy into that. Picard plays out his conflict, the dilemma of how to deal with the planetary problem well. It is an interesting problem and his ultimate solution is very realistic and makes sense for the type of man that he is.

More than anything, it seems "A Matter of Time" attempts to be funny. It is amusing at points. Berlinghoff Rasmussen has great facial expressions and body language and his interactions with the usually straightlaced crew come across as enjoyable at worst. The intertwining between the dangerous situation on the planet and the awkward presence of Rasmussen on the ship creates an uncertain mood and it leaves the viewer wondering just how they are supposed to react in several points. As a result, large portions of the episode come across as either silly or overly serious.

People who are not fond of Star Trek The Next Generation are unlikely to be sold on the series based on this episode. Instead, it is likely to leave them confused, though everything is ultimately explained. In the end, it's just not a terribly intelligent episode and those who watch it are more likely to wonder how Rasmussen got away with what he did for as long as he does. There's not much to this episode of sophistication. Then again, they do use the opportunity to poke fun at New Jersey . . .

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fifth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

4.5/10

For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please click here to visit my index page!

© 2011, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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A Bad Idea Made Better: "Unnatural Selection."

The Good: Acting, Quasi-sensible plot, Characters
The Bad: Recycled plot, Unconvincing make-up
The Basics: When Dr. Pulaski begins to age rapidly, the rushes to find a reason, the viewer tries to stay awake.


In one of the closer calls as to recommend or not a second season Star Trek The Next Generation episode, "Unnatural Selection" actually came down to a split decision and I ended up opting not to recommend it. Is it an all right episode? Sure. Is it something to write home about, no. It's probably a hair's width below average.

"Unnatural Selection" takes a cue from Star Trek's "The Deadly Years" (reviewed here!) and decides to explore the nature of aging. In this instance, Dr. Katherine Pulaski begins to age significantly while investigating an outbreak of rapid aging from a dead starship and then a genetic research center. After taking every possible precaution to attempt to discover the cause, Pulaski exposes herself to a genetically engineered youth and soon after begins to age rapidly.

So, it's fairly obvious to us, the viewer, who is the cause of this affliction and the rest of the episode is spent attempting to determine how or why the genetically enhanced youth are causing this malaise. Is it enough to keep us in our seats? Probably, but certainly not on the edge of them.

This episode suffers from being occasionally obvious - from the solution to the problem to the naming of the genetic research center Darwin Station. Similarly, the make-up is unconvincing and too often, the viewer finds themself thinking, "Well, Diana Muldaur must have hated having all that put on" or "I can still tell it's Diana Muldaur" instead of actually believing the changes in Dr. Pulaski.

However, "Unnatural Selection" has both a more sensible cause and a more reasonable resolution to the aging problem than "The Deadly Years" ever did. In fact, the science of this episode is often fun to watch and intriguing to listen to, if not wholly plausible. This is one of the episodes that very effectively balances the human aspect with the scientific.

Part of the way that balance is maintained is through the use of Pulaski and her foil Data. I know I've said in previous reviews that the Pulaski/Data relationship is detrimental to the series in that it attempts to recreate a Spock/McCoy relationship that is out of place in the new environment. In this episode, the bitter quips are gone, the two are operating in a stalemate derived from sensibility. This is less of an adversarial foil relationship and more a "these are opposite sides of the same coin" experience.

And the actors, especially Diana Muldaur and Brent Spiner, come out in this episode with strength. Diana Muldaur, especially, makes the whole experience plausible and her character strength is enhanced only by the actress performing with great delivery and charisma.

In the end, however, all of the character development that is exposed or developed in this episode turns on a simple trick and that leaves us ultimately unfulfilled. This episode is quite accessible to those who are not fans of Star Trek The Next Generation but is unlikely to be enjoyable to anyone who doesn't like science fiction. At best, a nice way to spend a Saturday night.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Second Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the sophomore season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

4.5/10

For other Star Trek movie and episode reviews, please visit my index page!

© 2010, 2008, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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"10010011" Bionic Aliens Of The Week Menace The Universe!

The Good: Good plot, Good acting, Interesting character development
The Bad: Suspension of disbelief, One trick
The Basics: A fair episode of Star Trek The Next Generation, "11001001" tells the story of a computer dependent society and its attempts to survive.


"11001001" is both a binary code and the name of this episode of Star Trek The Next Generation. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the episode is the title. 11001001 is a binary code that, as all titles ought, make the viewer consider what it means in the episode. A title ought to be indicative of the work. “11001001” refers to a code that pops up near the very end of the episode and the importance of it is something that ought not to be revealed in this review, lest it ruin the surprise near the end of the piece.

The Enterprise is having computer upgrades done by an alien species called the Bynars. They are a race that works in pairs and seems to have a knack with computers to the point that they speak in the computer language binary. They speak incredibly quickly and as they begin the computer upgrades, the Enterprise crew goes aboard a starbase that the ship is docked at. It's the first chance the crew has a chance to leave en masse. However, while most of the crew is off gallivanting, Riker uses some of his down time to visit the holodeck, which is also being upgraded by the Bynars. Picard visits him on the holodeck where they meet Minuet, a woman in a New Orleans bar. Minuet chats up the captain and Riker and while they are on the holodeck isolated from the rest of the ship, the warp core malfunctions. The ship is evacuated and the moment it is clear of the starbase, it suddenly fixes itself and begins to head off for the Bynars planet at great speed.

So, it becomes obvious that the Bynars - being the only random element in the episode - are to blame, not only because they are the only ones apparently left on the Enterprise outside of Riker and Picard (who are still in the holodeck), but because it becomes clear the Enterprise is headed for the home planet of the Bynars.

The episode is a simple episode, but it has a pretty good idea. What happens when the one thing a planet needs is no longer working? What lengths will the people of that planet go to? That's the philosophical dilemma of the week in this episode.

Eventually, the first season of Star Trek The Next Generation (much of the series, in fact) seeks to present questions about humanity while cloaking them in alien garb. The question truly being asked is "what lengths will humanity go to when that which we critically depend on becomes damaged?" It uses the Enterprise crew as narrators and the Bynars, in this instance, represent humanity.

The episode succeeds in asking a good question and phrasing the response fairly well. However, with the amount of detail and characterization given to the Bynars, it's a bit disappointing that we never see them again. That is, the episode lays out so much information about their species and culture that it seems awkward that they only show up the one time.

The acting is good, especially as the main characters react to the situations they find themselves in. Jonathan Frakes plays Riker convincingly in a situation that seems to be a bit silly for his character. But Riker plays him well. Patrick Stewart does fine as Picard, as usual. On the plus side for Stewart, the character of Picard unwinds in a very realistic way. He's still smart and perceptive and when he realizes Minuet's place in the scheme of things, he acts quite natural.

What doesn't work terribly well is the simplicity of the plot and the believability of the circumstances. That no one figures out what the Bynars are up to is disturbing, especially when Data is in charge of the Enterprise. One would think like would represent like. The episode comes across as an attempt to stretch one simple idea into a full hour program.

It's an episode that is very accessible to anyone and it has a good little philosophical question with a good answer.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the debut season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

6/10

For other Star Trek episodes, film and DVD set reviews, please check out my index page!

© 2010, 2008, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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John Black, I Hope You Sued (Or Got Paid Anyway): "The Naked Now" Rehashes "The Naked Time."

The Good: Fun, More interesting than the pilot
The Bad: Repetitive, Unoriginal, Obvious
The Basics: "The Naked Now" is a retelling of the second episode of Star Trek and does nothing extraordinary in its Next Generation version.


Star Trek The Next Generation was built on a pretty solid philosophy: "If you build it, they will watch." No example proves that better than "The Naked Now." Going on the philosophy that fans of Star Trek were starved for anything Trek, the second episode of the new series rewrote the second aired episode of Star Trek and put it out.

The plot of "The Naked Now" has only subtle differences from Star Trek's "The Naked Time" (click here for my review!). In "The Naked Now," the Enterprise is investigating the disintegration of a star following the loss of a science vessel which had been doing the investigating itself. An Away Team - the more upbeat way of saying "boarding party" in the future - visits the ship to find everyone there dead, apparently in a state of inebriation. Shortly after returning, the crew begins to show symptoms of the same disease and the race is on to find a cure before the ship is destroyed by a piece of the degrading star.

So the bulk of this episode is the crew we've only known for a week walking around the ship acting drunk. Weak premise.

Outside the simple pleasure of watching Denise Crosby (who plays Tasha Yar) saunter through engineering flirtatiously and seducing Data, there's not much to recommend the episode. The acting is fine: Patrick Stewart and Gates McFadden prove they may act by playing Picard and Crusher off from their normally emotionally distant selves. But even the acting isn't consistent: Brent Spiner's portrayal of Data without inhibitions is over the top and ridiculous.

In all, it's a silly episode with a silly premise. Explaining the episode to someone who is not a fan of Star Trek The Next Generation is impossible to make interesting. This episode is the Animal House for the Star Trek type geek. It has appeal to those of us who are fans of Star Trek The Next Generation, but no broad appeal.

Moreover, the menace of the episode is somewhat ridiculous. Expecting the audience to believe the Enterprise is in mortal danger on only its second adventure is somewhat disappointing.

Even more insulting is what this episode is to the fans of the show. It bears such a close resemblance to "The Naked Time" that it's amazing the producers even bothered to make this one. It's silly and it's obvious and it's a one trick pony on a show usually above such things. John Black, by the way, is the man who wrote the 1960s Star Trek episode from which they lifted this one.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the debut season by clicking here!
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4.5/10

For other Star Trek reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2010, 2008, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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