30th Anniversary TNG Episode Discussion Marathon

[Nate the Great]

I need TNG to be done before Voyager starts, DS9 can wait.
I'm also thinking that I'll run through the first ten movies when TNG is over.

October 18th, "Gambit Part Two"

Fiver by Derek

The Episode

WORF: Direct hit to the port nacelle. Only minimal damage. Hit to the starboard nacelle. Still, no appreciable damage.
TROI: Will must've done something to their weapons.
DATA: I believe you are right, Counsellor. It is now up to us to play along. Release inertial dampers and cut power to decks thirty one through thirty seven.

You do realize that Main Engineering is on Deck 36, right? Surely there are other places that you could subject to a blackout. I also think Data should've called for the maneuvering thrusters to be cut (making the ship seem to be adrift) rather than the inertial thrusters (which will make everyone dead when they bash into the walls).

And it occurs to me that there should already be a preset program to make the ship appear damaged.

WORF: Sir, we cannot be able to track them with our sensors if they go to warp. I can still disable them.

It occurs to me that some of the probes on board could be refit to remove most signal sources and turned into a tracking device that could be launched onto an enemy ship. Of course such a thing would be useless against a Romulan warbird or other large ships, but something as obsolete and small as the pirate ship wouldn't be able to detect it.

BARAN: How long will it take to repair our battle damage?
NARIK: It will take at least five hours to replace the antimatter containment unit.
BARAN: You have three hours, Narik. One minute beyond that and you'll answer for it with your life.

Under these circumstances I don't think demanding a shorter repair time with a death threat is a good idea. Narik has no reason to inflate his repair time, and he won't be able to fix anything if Baran kills him.

WORF: Their maximum speed is warp eight point seven. It will take them at least fourteen hours to reach that position.
LAFORGE: We could be there in five.
DATA: Make it so.

Eight point seven? On a ship with less than ten people on it? A ship that's a hodgepodge of various techs being held together with spit and hope? A ship that doesn't even have one proper engineer on it? You've got to be kidding me.

DATA: You continually question my orders in front of the crew. I do not believe this is appropriate behaviour.
WORF: With all due respect, sir, I have always felt free to voice my opinions even when they differ from those of Captain Picard or Commander Riker.
DATA: That is true. But in those situations, you were acting as Head of Security, not as First Officer. The primary role of the second in command is to carry out the decisions of the Captain in this case, me.

And it's times like this that the series format really falls apart. I get that they can't waste time having Starfleet send over an interim Captain, I really do. But there needs to be SOME sort of logic being used.

Frankly I'm not a fan of the chain of command consisting only of senior officers, there should be some Command division Lt. Cmdrs. in the lower decks who can step up. In any case this is not the time for this debate, Crusher should be in command with Data as First Officer.

DATA: Once I have made a decision, it is your job to carry it out regardless of how you may personally feel. Any further objections should be given to me in private, not in front of the crew. I do not recall Commander Riker ever publicly showing irritation with his Captain as you did a moment ago.
WORF: No, sir.

Fair enough, but this doesn't seem like the appropriate time. Now that I think of it Worf should've had his shot at command by now ("The Emissary" doesn't count) just like Data did in "Redemption".

Or they could've made Crusher the acting Captain with Data as First Officer. It would've been simpler and provided more time for character development on the pirate ship.

DATA: Dismissed. Mister Worf, I am sorry if I have ended our friendship.
WORF: Sir, it is I who has jeopardised our friendship, not you. If you will overlook this incident, I would like to continue to consider you my friend.

A good moment. Data has made progress, even if he still has a long way to to.

RIKER: As a matter of fact, it was Baran who sent me here. He told me to pretend to be friendly with you and help you organise a mutiny, so he can determine who your supporters in the crew and then eliminate them.
PICARD: What a tangled web we weave. I have difficulty remembering whose side I'm on.

It is a bit funny, I just wish this stuff was in a better episode.

PICARD: I have been looking over the glyphs and pictograms from the Calder Two artefact. And although I don't have enough data to translate all the inscriptions, the alphabet and symbology is much more consistent with early Vulcan than Romulan.

It's an interesting question that I could write quite a screed on. How much ancient Vulcan culture would be kept by the proto-Romulans? After all, at least at first there would be no reason to hide the connection.

RIKER: Do these artefacts have some religious or cultural significance, something that would make them valuable enough to kill for?

Valuable to who? While I have no doubt that the Romulans wouldn't have a problem with buying pre-Schism artifacts, they wouldn't be valuable enough to kill for.

PICARD: So, what will Baran do once he's obtained the second artefact?
RIKER: You're supposed to verify its authenticity, and then I'm supposed to kill you, and I take your place.
PICARD: Will, you always seem to be after my job.

I get the joke, but this never made sense. Picard is on board as an archeology expert for this specific "job". Once it's over Baran would have no need for a villainous archeologist. Riker is useful in a completely different sense, his duties on a pirate ship would be completely different.

I do wonder how much baseline archeology knowledge any given Academy graduate would have.

TALLERA: I will not play games with you. I found the message you sent to the Enterprise. When Riker was using his command codes to drop their shields, you sent them a transmission on the same carrier wave. You're a Starfleet officer. Do not deny it. It is the only logical conclusion. My name is actually T'Paal, and I am a member of the V'Shar.
PICARD: Vulcan Security?
TALLERA: That is correct.

Oddly enough the V'Shar never appeared again in canon. I would've thought they could've integrated it into Enterprise, but then again it's doubtful any of the creators over there cared about details this obscure.

TALLERA: First things first, Galen. Who are you?
PICARD: I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise.
TALLERA: Very well.

That acceptance seems a bit too easy. There are any number of questions that should follow it.

TALLERA: To answer your question, for several years now, there has been a small but growing movement of extreme isolationists on Vulcan. A group that believes contact with alien races has polluted our culture and is destroying Vulcan purity. This group advocates the total isolation of Vulcan from the rest of the galaxy and the eradication of all alien influences from our planet.

This seems rather illogical considering the IDIC. Furthermore you'd think Vulcan would be one of the first planets to allow discontented citizens to leave and form their own society on another planet.

TALLERA: I am sure you are familiar with the ancient history of my people, before we found logic, before we found peace.
PICARD: You were much as my people once were. Savage, warlike.
TALLERA: There was even a time when we used our telepathic abilities as a weapon. A time when we learned to kill with a thought.

I've recommended the novel The Lost Years before, and I have to do it again. The true potential of telepathy as a weapon is really explored there.

TALLERA: The Stone of Gol is real, but there is nothing supernatural or magical about it. It is a psionic resonator, a device which focuses and amplifies telepathic energy. It is one of the most devastating weapons ever conceived.

I was going to write a screed about the range of Vulcan telepathy (most of it is touch telepathy, or perhaps a few feet, after all), but then I wondered if conveying thoughts requires a "tighter signal", and a Vulcan could broadcast "static" farther.

PICARD: But according to the legend, the Stone was destroyed by the gods when the Vulcan people found the way to peace.

I didn't notice that bit before, Vulcans having "gods". I suppose I could write a screed tying this into Mintakan culture, but I won't.

[Nate the Great]

Acting Captain's log, stardate 47160.1. The Enterprise is entering the Hyralan Sector, which I believe to be the next destination of the mercenary ship.

Calling these guys "mercenaries" seems a bit odd to me, but that's another screed.

DATA: According to the terms of the Klingon-Federation Treaty, Koral has every right to free transit through Federation space. We cannot board or search his vessel without cause.
WORF: Yes, sir. However, the Treaty does give us the right to conduct health and safety inspections of any ship in our space.
TROI: Health and safety inspections?
DATA: I am not sure that using this clause as an excuse to conduct a search would be consistent with the spirit of the Treaty.

This one seems like a stretch. Furthermore the Enterprise's sensors should be able to handle one shuttle with sufficient sensor coverage.

(Koral is the tallest Klingon in the galaxy, standing head and shoulders above the shuttlecraft hatch, let alone Worf)

Koral is played by basketball player James Worthy, it was Robert O'Reilley (Gowron) that got him into acting on the show.

BARAN: I have an additional task for you, one that will prove your loyalty. This raid is an opportunity to get rid of Galen. Once you've found that artefact, kill him.

I thought Picard was supposed to verify the artifact before Riker kills him!

DATA: Lieutenant Worf has programmed our replicators to make a very good approximation of Klingon bloodwine. I believe you will find it to your liking.
(Koral pours it onto the carpet)

"Drink not with thine enemy."

PICARD: According to Baran's logs, we are to deliver the two pieces to the T'Karath Sanctuary on Vulcan.
TALLERA: I know that place. It was an underground stronghold for one of the factions during the last civil war. It's been abandoned for centuries.

What civil war? I thought the Vulcans had peace after the proto-Romulans left. I suppose in retrospect we could call this a veiled Enterprise reference, but I'd prefer not to.

PICARD: For example, this symbol represents the Vulcan god of war and this is the god of death, but if you look really carefully, you can see a third symbol missing.

I'm still having trouble with the idea that the Vulcans of Surak's time still had gods. Surely they would've passed that Mintakan-like threshold before Surak.

PICARD: You'll never get away with this. Starfleet will never stand and watch you tear apart one of the founding worlds of the Federation.
TALLERA: How little you understand what you're facing, Captain. You're used to fighting enemies like yourself. People on ships with defence shields, energy weapons, warp drives. But this is unlike anything you've ever faced. This is the power of the mind.

And again I must ask why they haven't come up with shields that block telepathy yet. You'd think the Vulcans could manage it in the two thousand years since Surak.

DATA: What will become of the resonator, sir?
PICARD: Satok has assured me that all three pieces will be destroyed.
DATA: It is unfortunate it cannot be studied. The resonator is a key artefact from a remarkable period of history.

Yeah, about that. I assume when they say "resonator" they mean that the composition and shape of this thing redirects telepathic energy. Why does it have to be destroyed to become unusable? Surely you could beam out the "marrow" of the thing and replace it with inert material? Like welding a plug into an antique firearm to make it unusable.

PICARD: Number One, will you set course for Starbase two twenty seven. I'll join you on the Bridge shortly.
RIKER: Wait a minute. You've been declared dead. You can't give orders around here.
DATA: If we are to adhere to the exact letter of Starfleet regulations, then technically, sir, you have been declared a renegade. In fact, I believe you are facing twelve counts of court martial offences. You cannot give orders either, sir.
PICARD: That's quite right. And as I'm supposed to be dead, I'll go and get some sleep. And, Mister Data, I suggest that you escort Commander Riker to the brig.
DATA: Aye, sir.
(Picard enters his quarters)
DATA: (taking Riker's arm) This way, sir.
RIKER: Data, he was joking. You know that, right? Data?

Always a funny scene.

The Fiver

Worf: Let's bring the shuttle aboard with a tractor beam and search it.
Data: I don't know. We might give the pilot a heart attack or something.
Worf: Yes, but by the terms of the Klingon-Federation Treaty, we are allowed to search and give seizure.

That pun hurt.

Riker: Let me add a few more charges.... from my phaser! Mwahahah --
Greedo: ZAP!
Riker: Gak!
Galen: Didn't see that one coming.

Hey! Han shot first!

Tallera: Grr. In that case I have an announcement for the crew, Galen is Picard!
Crew: Yeah, so?
Tallera: Not quite the response I was looking for.
Crew: Sorry.

Guy hiding in the back: Hey! I thought he was really Professor X!

Picard: Drop your weapons! The Stone of Gol only responds to aggression; think happy thoughts!
Riker: Like puppies!
(WHIFF!)
Worf: And chili!
(WHIFF!)
Chili Joke: GAK!

Is that chili joke from an Enterprise fiver?

Memory Alpha

* The TNG Companion notes the Vulcan/Romulan schism happening before Surak. I still don't buy it, unless you're going to tell me that the Romulans forgot some of their supporters.
* One of the pirates reuses the Varon-T disruptor prop. You'd think the thing could've been modified beyond recognition by now.
* The chain of command thing is brought up, calling Worf a mere line officer while Crusher and Troi are staff officers and thus higher up. However, I think this is backwards, as the Expanded Universe Wiki (not to be confused with Memory Beta) says that line officers have to have specialized training to command where staff officers have the command training included in their basic training. Wikipedia agrees with the latter interpretation. To summarize, all redshirts are trained in Command whether or not they intend to specialize in Command or be a helmsman or whatever. Yellowshirts and blueshirts have to have extra training to be allowed to command. Geordi is also brought up as outranking Worf in this case since he has been a helmsman (like Ro).

Nitpicker's Guide

* Since Baran is so paranoid, how did Picard get a weapon?
* The mercenary ship is only invisible to sensors while at warp, so how did they get close enough to the ship to beam over a boarding party?
* Why does Baran have an implant to shock himself with?