30th Anniversary TNG Episode Discussion Marathon

[Nate the Great]

(the lovely Stephanie Beacham greets Reg)

While I know Moriarty actor Daniel Davis best from The Nanny, I know Beacham best from Seaquest DSV. I really should get around to rewatching that show one of these years. Not necessarily for Retrospective purposes, just to enjoy it.

MORIARTY: If you loved a woman like this, Lieutenant, would you be content to let her remain a simulation?
BARCLAY: You, you gave her consciousness?
MORIARTY: Yes, just as it was given to me.

And how was that, exactly? No doubt Data and Geordi closed the loophole from "Elementary, Dear Data" by now. You can't just tell the computer to make one particular holodeck character sentient.

Come to think of it, why haven't they asked the Bynars for their help in this situation? While I have no doubt that the code used on Minuet is still is no longer in the Enterprise computers, the Bynars would keep a copy of it on their homeworld, wouldn't they?

DATA: Through deduction, sir. Lieutenant Barclay and I tried to transport a simulated object off the holodeck, something that has never been attempted. Since the transporter itself is a simulation, the computer had no real data from which to create the transport logs.

Exactly. Moriarty may be in command of this virtual Enterprise, but that control is limited by his comprehension. It's one thing to slave ship's control to some levers in the holodeck's virtual world, but he can't understand everything in the computer without it either being reprogrammed to interface with his program or him learning about it manually.

DATA: Then I saw you working the PADD with your left hand. Commander La Forge is right handed, sir. A similar malfunction occurred in the Sherlock Holmes programme I was running before Moriarty first appeared.

Ugh. Talk about a mishandled Chekov's gun. At least writing with your off hand is exponentially more complicated than catching an object with it.

(Data throws his commbadge towards the warp core. The grid appears for a moment)

Yeah, that's not how that works. The illusion on the holodeck wall would come forward to let the commbadge pass through it, then create an image of the commbadge continuing in interrupted flight.

PICARD: Credit where credit is due, madam. I can see you are a woman not only of breeding, but of wit and sagacity.

Sagacity means having foresight and discernment. If this was coming from anyone but Picard I'd call them pompous.

COUNTESS: And you, sir, are a man of charm and guile. You remind me of Viscount Oglethorpe. He was a man could bewitch any woman who breathed.

Well that's icky. I would apply the comparison to Kirk way before Picard.

PICARD: Yes, I can. We have learned that if we uncouple the transporter's Heisenberg Compensators and allow them to re-scramble randomly, we can beam a holodeck object or a person off the grid with all of the cohesion of conventional matter.

This is Picard planting information, but even with that knowledge this is meaningless technobabble. The Heisenberg Compensator is used for the dematerialization process, not the rematerialization process. I jolly well expect a transporter to be able to put every particle exactly where it wants and at the right speed.

(shuttle Sakharov flies off)

Sakharov was a Soviet scientist who helped design their thermonuclear weapons, but was also an advocate for civil liberties and nuclear disarmament.

PICARD: But who knows? Our reality may be very much like theirs. All this might be just be an elaborate simulation running inside a little device sitting on someone's table. Well, we have a newborn star to study. Mister Barclay, you will keep that safe?
BARCLAY: Aye, sir.
(everyone else leaves)
BARCLAY: Computer, end programme.

Holodeck characters can't end their own program (except for EMH's and Vic, of course).

The Fiver

Barclay: Hey guys! You're never going to guess what happened!
La Forge: Something weird with the Holodeck?
Barclay: How'd you know?
La Forge: Well, look at who I'm talking to.

Yeah, Barclay walked right into that one.

Moriarty: Sure. Meet you in Ten Forward. (leaves)
Data: Hey, he can't do that! He's not a drawing of the Enterprise!

As has already been covered before, the holodeck can probably replicate simple objects if it looks like a user is trying to leave the holodeck with it.

Barclay: Hey, maybe we could beam her off the Holodeck.
Data: Sure, if we can lock on to her with the pattern enhancers
La Forge: An episode with Holodeck characters, transporter technology, and Barclay -- what are the odds?

I'm not sure that the double-dipping works in this case.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Phil and his readers also noted the handedness problem.
* It's weird that Data was so willing to defend the rights of the exocomps, but doesn't seem to care that much about Moriarty.
* Why would it matter of Moriarty vanishes if he leaves the holodeck? That's just the projection, not his actual program.
* When Barclay said "end program", why didn't the computer respond with the message that it's an invalid command?
* He brings up the multiple instances of holodeck objects leaving the holodeck. Once again, simple objects can be replicated as needed, but full puppets can't.

[NAHTMMM]

I haven't seen Parent Trap II, but I used to watch Short Circuit growing up. I have also read Ship of the Line and recommend that nobody else reads it.

[Nate the Great]

February 1st, 1993, "Aquiel"

Fiver by Marc

The Episode

Captain's log, stardate 46461.3. We have arrived at a communication relay station near the Klingon border, where we are scheduled to deliver supplies. However, the station has not responded to repeated hails.

Let me say this up front: Confining two people to a small station for months on end is blatantly ridiculous. Anyone would snap under those circumstances. The worst part is that there have to be any number of science projects that could be done anywhere. Have it staffed with a dozen researchers who do the boring relay stuff half a shift a week each. Duh.

LAFORGE: They must've left an audio monitoring system on. We're hearing a few thousand subspace messages.

With only two people on board you'd think the computer could be programmed to shut down all active programs and send a distress signal if there isn't any input in X hours.

RIKER: Here's your loose panel.
(the sound is of a wagging tail hitting the metal. woof!)
LAFORGE: Hey, pooch. hey, pooch, come on out of there.

Does this place seem big enough for a dog to be comfortable? I don't think so. I'd feel bad keeping a cat in here!

(Worf is cutting the deck plate out with his phaser)

There aren't any plasma torches available that could do this job better?

AQUIEL [OC]: Sent in my third request for a message delay buffer. Until it arrives, Lieutenant Rocha and I have rigged a memory module to compensate.

You shouldn't need to ask three times for equipment. And frankly under these circumstances there should be at least two spares of everything that could fail. And of course the idea of turning a memory module into a message delay buffer is ludicrous.

AQUIEL [OC]: Hello, Shiana. Sorry I haven't talked to you in a while but I've been dealing with the new Lieutenant, Rocha. So far he's been rude, arrogant and condescending, and he's only been here two days. This might be a long year.

A YEAR! Two people alone on a station for a YEAR! Are we sure that this posting isn't some sort of punishment?

CRUSHER: Well this is just a guess, but from the molecular deposition on the plating I'd say it was a high-level phaser blast.
RIKER: Could it have been a Klingon disruptor?
CRUSHER: Possibly.

I'm pretty sure that phasers and disruptors operate on sufficently different principles that you can't really mix up one with the other.

PICARD: Get Rocha's personnel file from Starfleet Command.

You didn't do that already once you realized that the station wasn't responding? For that matter, isn't the Enterprise computer big enough to hold all personnel files for a considerable chunk of Starfleet personnel?

For that matter, you should be able to get the files from a closer Starbase than Earth.

AQUIEL [on monitor]: It's because of what's been happening with that Klingon. He's getting more aggressive all the time. Not just the usual threat. Morag actually locked his disruptors to the station this time.

That seems like a pretty blatant violation of the treaty to me. She didn't tell Starfleet Command about this?

LAFORGE: There are three references to a Commander Morag, a Klingon officer who patrols this section of the border. Apparently he would pass the station every few days and harass them.

Why was this allowed to continue?

WORF: Have the courage to admit your mistakes. Or are you a lo'Be Vos?

lo'Be Vos means "thing without courage."

AQUIEL: You have to be raised on it. It's very nutritious. The taste grows on you.
LAFORGE: Batar al nalia.

That means "but not on me."

The Fiver

Riker: Lieutenant, did you lie about your age to get into Starfleet?

Where did this come from?

Dog: Woof! Woof!
Aquiel: Maura! I'm so happy to see you again, girl!
La Forge: Looks like she means a lot to you.
Aquiel: Yes, we've been inseparable ever since I found her wandering around an isolated Arctic research station whose personnel had all mysteriously died.

What is this a reference to?

[NAHTMMM]

Originally Posted by Nate the Great

The Fiver

Dog: Woof! Woof!
Aquiel: Maura! I'm so happy to see you again, girl!
La Forge: Looks like she means a lot to you.
Aquiel: Yes, we've been inseparable ever since I found her wandering around an isolated Arctic research station whose personnel had all mysteriously died.

What is this a reference to?

Probably The Thing.

[Nate the Great]

February 8th, 1993, "Face of the Enemy"

Fiver by Nic

The Episode

TROI: Computer, lights. Computer, turn on the lights.
(nothing happens)

I wonder why not. Do the Romulans think that vocal commands for routine things are weak? Does it only respond to commands in Romulan? Is everyone wearing Universal Translators to understand Troi's English?

TROI: Warbird? I was at the neuropsychology seminar at Bokara Six. The last thing I remember was returning to my quarters. I was attacked. I felt a hypospray.
N'VEK: It was necessary. I could not be certain you would come voluntarily.

I despise the whole "I couldn't give you the choice because you might not choose my way" trope.

N'VEK: Listen to me carefully. You are no longer Deanna Troi. You are Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar, the Imperial Intelligence.

The Tal Shiar has their own fleet and thus a need for military ranks.

N'VEK: Your only chance to get off this ship alive is to do as I say. You are an empath. You would know if I am lying. Am I?
TROI: No.

It stands to reason that the Romulans would be motivated to create telepathy-blocking technology. The fact that they haven't indicates that it really is impossible. Although I've already talked about how a slight temporal displacement would create a defacto shield, but I suppose it would be too complicted for routine use aboard a warbird.

TORETH: Commence loading the cargo. Notify me when the transfer is complete.
(everyone say hi! to Carolyn Seymour)

Seymour has a lengthy resume of supporting roles in TV. She was only in one episode of B5. I was surprised to learn that she played Mrs. Templeton in Janeway's stupid Regency holodeck program.

N'VEK: Commander, may I present Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar? This is Commander Toreth.
TORETH: Attend to your station.

Since when do visiting Tal Shiar officers have "stations"? This seems like a situation where they'd just sit next to the captain (or Commander, I should say. I'm all for alternate rank systems, but not one that causes this much confusion).

TORETH: Why are you here without your guards? Well?

If Tal Shiar agents have to work in packs aboard military ships, that raises many disturbing questions.

TORETH: I have been ordered to take on cargo but its contents are unknown to me. Does that seem wise? I am responsible for the safety of this ship and its crew. How do I know this cargo is safe to transport?

A good point, but this seems like something that would be covered by her orders. Provide transport only, everything else is out of your control. Don't complain or you might "disappear."

WORF: The man acted dishonourably. He is a traitor.
CRUSHER: He risked his life to get here. He spent two weeks alone in a scout ship.
WORF: That does not excuse his original actions.

There are times when Worf's dialogue gets too cliche and thus painful. Furthermore, when so much exposition about DeSeve's situation hasn't been revealed yet, Worf's remarks seem really clunky. This could've been solved so easily with a Captain's Log a few scenes ago.

DESEVE: The Romulans are very moral, Captain. They have an absolute certainty about what is right and what is wrong, who is a friend and who is an enemy, a strict moral compass which provides them with a clarity of purpose. At one time I found their sense of purpose, their passion and commitment, to be very compelling.
PICARD: But not any more?
DESEVE: As I've grown older, I realise that clarity of purpose is a more ambiguous matter than I had thought in my youth.

This plot point required more exposition. They seem to be implying that DeSeve just abandoned his post and defected to the Romulans. Certainly a court-martial offense, but I wouldn't call it "treason" unless he revealed Starfleet secrets to the Romulans, which doesn't seem to be the case.

DESEVE: The freighter is an old Antares class vessel with limited speed and range. It couldn't have taken on its cargo more than a day ago which means it must be within fifteen light years of here.
PICARD: Why didn't you mention this earlier?
DESEVE: It didn't seem necessary. And on Romulus you learn not to volunteer information. It's a hard habit to break.

There's quite a screed to be had here about comparing Romulan and Cardassian society.

N'VEK: Yes. It's your job to order Toreth to proceed into Federation territory.
TROI: We'll never get through the gravitic sensor nets.
N'VEK: We will, if you provide the correct access codes.

Why would Troi know the codes?

TORETH: In order to reach Draken, we will have to travel through Federation space for nearly twenty hours.

Who said we had to go in a straight line? Go around!

DATA: It appears to be the remains of a ship. My analysis indicates that it was an Antares class freighter.

The model was used in an episode of Enterprise, implying that this type of ship has been in use for hundreds of years. Ouch.

And of course Kassidy Yate's ship the Xhosa is of this class.

WORF: Captain, we are being hailed.
PICARD: On screen.
TROI [on viewscreen]: I am Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar.

I love SF Debris' reaction to this scene: Picard saying that if this is the child of another officer an alternate version of himself sent back in time then he is just DONE.

The Fiver

N'Vek: Wrong! From now on you will refer to yourself as Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar. And you will help me, for I have a cunning plan.

This seems to be a Blackadder reference.

N'Vek: We need your help to deliver this cargo to the Federation. It contains a Romulan Viceconsul and two of his aides. If we fail, the Viceconsul will be killed.
Troi: Sucks to be the Viceconsul.

Vice Consul is two words.

Crusher: So how does it feel, now that you no longer wear the face of the enemy?
Troi: Okay. Although I kind of liked the ears of the enemy. Can I, by any chance, keep them?
Picard: NO! Absolutely not! No pointy-eared green-blooded hobgoblins on my Bridge!

I wonder if this is supposed to be a reference to Sirtis' role of Demona over on Gargoyles.

Memory Alpha

* First appearance of the Tal Shiar. Really?
* First appearance of Worf's ponytail.
* First episode where it's established that you can't have the cloak and shields on at the same time.
* When DeSeve first beams aboard he refers to Picard as Captain, yet later he uses the Romulan term "Commander". Oops.
* First mention of the Romulans using artificial quantum singularities as a power source.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Phil also wonders about the translation issue.
* Carolyn Seymour appeared as a different Romulan back in "Contagion." Why didn't they reuse the character (Taris) here?
* DeSeve defected to the Romulans twenty years ago. Weren't the Romulans still in their isolationist period back then? How did he get to Romulus?
* Phil also wondered why Troi would have the codes.
* Troi grows a lot more hair after Crusher reverts her Romulan look. I don't have a problem with this one; it stands to reason that medical science has advanced enough to encourage hair growth. Picard might choose not to use the tech, requiring him and Data to use wigs in "Reunification."

[Nate the Great]

February 15th, 1993, "Tapestry"

Fiver by Michael DeSanto (never heard of him, either)

The Episode

CRUSHER: Tell Doctor Selar she can use ward three for the ambulatory cases, and I'll stay here.

Come to think of it, hasn't it been long enough since K'ehleyr's death that Suzie Plakson can play Selar again? She'll be namedropped a few more times before the series ends, so why not?

CRUSHER: He's in cardiac arrest. Connect the pulmonary support units. He's got internal haemorrhaging. The bioregulator of his artificial heart's been fused.

You'd think the implant would have a backup regulator.

PICARD: No. I am not dead. Because I refuse to believe that the afterlife is run by you. The universe is not so badly designed.

This line always stuck with me. Truly one of Picard's best burns.

MAURICE: I told you that Starfleet would bring you to a bad end, but you wouldn't listen. Now look at you. Dead before your time.

Come to think of it, why was Maurice so anti-Starfleet anyway? Was it just the general "new is bad" thinking that Robert displayed? I find such thinking overly simplistic and close-minded.

Q: Death has made you a little dim, Jean-Luc. These are the voices of all the people who have died through your actions or your inactions.

There's a lot to unpack here, but the simple version is that Picard isn't 100% responsible for the unforeseen consequences of his actions or inactions and as long as his motives weren't selfish you can't lay much blame on him. Remember when I discussed how many TOS deaths were directly Kirk's fault?

Q: Your artificial heart. You might have lived if you had a real one instead of this unreliable piece of technology.

No matter whether his heart was real or artificial, no doubt there were missions that would've gone either way.

For that matter, wouldn't the Borg have upgraded this thing enough for Crusher to see that it was worthwhile to leave it as is?

(Picard, in old style uniform, gets slapped across the face by a woman who then storms out of the room)
MARTA: Bravo! Bravo!
COREY: Nicely done.

The expanded universe had a lot of fun fleshing out Marta and Corey's backstories. In particular Corey joining Section 31 and Marta hunting them down.

Q: Oh, you mortals are so obtuse. Why do you persist in believing that life and death are such static and rigid concepts. Why, I can take your life and give it back to you again with the snap of a finger.

Well, that's disturbing.

PICARD: Change them? You mean change the past? Q, even if you have been able to bring me back in time somehow, surely you must realise that any alteration in this timeline will have a profound impact on the future.
Q: Please. Spare me your egotistical musings on your pivotal role in history. Nothing you do here will cause the Federation to collapse or galaxies to explode. To be blunt, you're not that important.

Oh, the argument to the contrary that we could come up with.

MARTA: Very, very nice. I think you should forget about Starfleet and play dom-jot for a living.

First appearance of dom-jot. Memory Alpha reveals an interesting story that was cut from "The Maquis." Curzon Dax, Cal Hudson, and Sisko once played dom-jot against the Zakdorn.

Q: Flowers! Is there a John Luck Pickard here?

Another classic. There's also a package here for Tony Stank...

PICARD: I'm not sure. Mister Worf, what is my rank and position?
WORF: You are a Lieutenant junior grade, Assistant Astrophysics officer.

One thing that confuses me is why Picard would stay in a dead-end Starfleet career instead of returning to Professor Galen. And why Astrophysics? You'd think there would be any number of science officers specializing in archeology on board.

PICARD: Who's the captain of this ship?
DATA: Captain Thomas Halloway.

The writers were considering bringing back Jellico as the captain, but I would've preferred DeSoto, it would've been a nice Easter Egg.

PICARD: Main Engineering. Are you having a good laugh now, Q? Does it amuse you to think of me living out the rest of my life as a dreary man in a tedious job?

And he can't resign and go back to Earth...why?

Q: Au contraire, he's the person you wanted to be. One who was less arrogant, and undisciplined as a youth. One who was less like me. The Jean-Luc Picard you wanted to be, the one who did not fight the Nausicaan, had quite a different career from the one you remember. That Picard never had a brush with death, never came face to face with his own mortality, never realised how fragile life is or how important each moment must be. So his life never came into focus. He drifted for much of his career, with no plan or agenda, going from one assignment to the next, never seizing the opportunities that presented themselves. He never lead the away team on Milika Three to save the ambassador, or take charge of the Stargazer's Bridge when its Captain was killed. And no one ever offered him a command. He learned to play it safe. And he never, ever got noticed by anyone.

Let me just toss up a video link.

Milika III will only make a cameo in Stellar Cartography in Generations. I wish someone would write a novel about that.

As for the captain that was killed, that was Daithan Ruhalter. He practiced fencing with Picard. It was the prior captain, Anton Manning, that took Picard to Vulcan to attend the Spock/Saavik marriage.

PICARD: And, you know, there's still a part of me that cannot accept that Q would give me a second chance, or that he would demonstrate so much compassion. And if it was Q, I owe him a debt of gratitude.

Q will call in this debt during the events of the novel "Q-Squared."

Memory Alpha

* First time the Nausicaans appeared onscreen.
* A Selay and an Antican appear on the station, but they're supposed to be moral enemies. Oops.
* Picard had hair as a young man here, but was shown as bald in the photo in Nemesis. Simplest explanation-remove Nemesis from canon. Duh.

The Fiver

Riker: We were attacked! The Captain's been fatally injured!
Worf: That's what he gets for leading the away team.

Ouch.

Picard: Why does heaven look like the place where the Prophets live?
Q: It's the same complex. They live next door.

"We got a great deal on the timeshare!"

Q: So, do you have any regrets?
Picard: Yeah, I didn't get to fool around with Beverly.
Q: Besides that.

"How about that time the Borg killed millions of people using my knowledge?"
"We don't have the budget for something that big!"

Picard: Marta! Corey! My old college buddies! It's great to see you again!
Marta: Old?
Corey: Have you been smoking felicium again, Jonny?

Felicium is injected, not smoked.

Worf: Is something wrong, Lieutenant Picard?
Picard: What's going on? Why am I a lieutenant? Who's the captain of this ship?
Data: Kathryn Janeway.

Janeway was commanding the Bonestell at this point.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Picard says that the incident with the Naussicans was thirty years ago when it was really over forty years. Oops.
* Many inconsistencies between the story as told in "Samaritan Snare" and this episode.