30th Anniversary TNG Episode Discussion Marathon

[Nate the Great]

PICARD: Well I'm really very sorry you didn't enjoy your time at the Academy, Ensign. As far as I'm concerned, you should have been expelled for what you did. Quite frankly, I don't know how you made it on board this ship. You're dismissed.

I know that Picard is testing Sito, but that last part is just ridiculous. Yes, there have been times when an officer has been forced onto the Enterprise, Ro comes to mind immediately, but Sito would not be one of those cases, and she should realize that.

TAURIK: The pattern of fire you have asked for is similar to what might result if the shuttle had fled an attacker while engaging in evasive manoeuvres.
LAFORGE: It's an amazing coincidence.
TAURIK: Yes, sir. It is indeed.

I understand the need to damage the shuttle in this way, it's the phaser rifle part that baffles me. The output from a phaser rifle would be MUCH less than that of a shipboard phaser. And anyone scanning this shuttle would be able to tell the difference. Couldn't they have mocked up a phaser turret with a larger beam?

LAVELLE: I wonder who was in it?
BEN: You know what I heard? It was Ambassador Spock.

What would Spock be doing in Cardassian space?

TROI: I don't know. It seems to me that you and Lavelle are a lot alike.
RIKER: What? We're not at all alike.

They really aren't. Riker was never afflicted by the self-doubt that Lavelle has. As far as I can tell their only similarity is confidence while playing poker.

OGAWA: You know, Sam, maybe you shouldn't try so hard with Riker. It doesn't matter whether he likes you as long as he respects you.

Exactly. You'd think there'd be an Academy course for that.

TROI: Didn't you tell me that you took up poker so you could be the officer's game at the Potemkin?
RIKER: I happen to like poker.
TROI: But your senior officers might have thought you were trying to ingratiate yourself. I guess it's lucky that they realised you were young and inexperienced, and decided not to hold it against you.

I'm not seeing the connection between "learning how to play poker" and "you automatically get the right to join the senior officer's game".

TAURIK: What I find curious is that when Commander La Forge saw that the technique I was using was actually more efficient, he seemed annoyed.
BEN: Of course he was.
LAVELLE: He didn't like the fact that you knew something he didn't.

No, I think Geordi was hoping that Taurik wouldn't ask any questions about this operation that he shouldn't know anything about. Frankly Taurik shouldn't have been anywhere near that shuttle, Data could've done the same job faster.

SITO: How am I supposed to defend myself when I can't see a thing?

Actually I'd think the Klingons would train blindfolded from time to time just to enhance their other senses. After all, will their enemy stop attacking just because you're blind?

SITO: If you didn't want me on your ship you should have said so when I was assigned to it. It's not your place to punish me for what I did at the Academy.

Exactly. Furthermore the idea that someone is irredeemable because of one mistake doesn't seem to fit the idealized Federation.

OGAWA: He asked me to marry him.
CRUSHER: Alyssa, that's wonderful! I'm so relieved. I mean happy.

This still seems a bit fast, especially since she'll get pregnant immediately. They should've implied a longer offscreen courtship.

JORET: I'm sick of war. My people need peace.

Too bad you won't get it thanks to Dukat and the Dominion.

RIKER: Try narrowing the scan field. See if you can pick up any biosigns.
LAVELLE: Sir, it would help if I knew what kind of life signs to look for.
RIKER: You're scanning for Bajoran lifesigns.

Is there some peculiarity of Bajoran lifesigns that would be easier to scan for?

WORF: I appreciate what you are trying to do, but it is not appropriate. You were her friends. I was only her commanding officer.
BEN: Sir, I happen to know that she considered you a friend.

Like I said earlier, it would've been nice to tie Worf into the lower decks characters' plot earlier. Perhaps he could've given Lavelle some advice about dealing with Riker, or something.

The Fiver

Troi: Outwit. Outspeak. Outlive.

Are there some missing first lines here. And is this supposed to be a Survivor reference?

Taurik: If I could have a word with you, I have a new plan that would increase our efficiency in engineering.
LaForge: Let's have a look.
Taurik: (hands Geordi a PADD). As you can see, if we can find ourselves a Klingon-human hybrid, and then give her pon far--
LaForge: Wait, wait. How will that increase efficiency in engineering?
Taurik: By increasing the efficiency of its best engineer, of course.

Hardy har har. It is a little icky, though.

Riker: Well I am from Alaska, I do know a little about Canada.
Lavelle: Alaska? Wow, I had a friend who went to Auburn University.

Auburn University is in Arkansas. I don't think Lavelle would make for a good contestant on Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego...

Picard: Ensign Sito, quite frankly I think you're irresponsible, an officer of disputed character, and I absolutely hate your hair!
Sito: With all due respect sir, so were you, so were you, and you're just jealous.

Except for the Borg stuff, when was Picard suspected of disputed character?

Lavelle: I'm worried, tell me everything you know that's classified.

I think a big misstep in the episode is Lavelle not having a secret like the other three.

Memory Alpha

* Barclay was considered for a role as one of the lower decks characters, but I don't think it would've worked. His age and social awkwardness would make him a bad fit with the youngsters.
* The creators wanted to bring Sito back in DS9, but I don't think it would've worked. What role would she have played on the station after being rescued? It would've made for great character developmente for Worf, but also would've required a lot of exposition to catch the DS9 viewers up.

Nitpicker's Guide

* An Air Force officer wrote in to Phil saying that an officer's immediate superior would be responsible for his evaluation, you wouldn't have the first officer covering the entire ship.
* "Lower Decks" is stated to be three years ago, but it was really less than two. Three years was required because Sito had to redo her junior year and then do her senior year.
* Phil questions how Crusher can create Cardassian blood when she couldn't do Romulan blood back in "The Enemy". I'll willingly chalk this up to iron based blood being easier than copper-based.
* Why isn't Sito wearing a Bajoran earring? I'd argue that she wasn't devout, but neither was Ro. Maybe Sito just didn't want to make waves insisting on her right to wear the earring, she thought that she was on thin ice as it was.

[Nate the Great]

February 14th, 1994, "Thine Own Self"

As a prelude, I agree with SF Debris that Troi's promotion should've been a subplot for multiple episodes, possibly triggered by the events of "Chain of Command" (which should've been three episodes, now that I think about it).

The Episode

TROI: I didn't expect to find anyone up except Data.

I won't repeat the entire "there should be an experienced staff on the bridge 24/7 because the Romulans won't be polite enough to attack during the day shift" screed again, but it still applies.

CRUSHER: Data's away on assignment. A Federation deep space probe went off course and crashed on Barkon Four. Some of the material in the casing was radioactive, so Data was sent to recover it before it could contaminate the biosphere.

I don't like the idea of one person away teams in general, but especially in cases where the mission is away from the ship. At the very least there should've been an ensign stationed in the shuttle waiting for Data to come back. Furthermore there have to be species (Horta? Gorn?) that would be immune to simple radiation to accompany him.

TROI: Fine. It was good to see some old friends. I'd lost touch with most of them.

I'm still confused about how anyone in the Federation could lose touch with anyone else. The computers seem to keep track of where everyone is unless you are explicitly a crackpot scientist who chooses to become lost. And it's not like there's such a thing as "long distance charges" in the future.

CRUSHER: I like to put in a little Bridge time now and then, stay on top of operations, tactical procedures. The truth is, I like it. It's not every doctor who gets to command a starship, even if it is the night shift.

This should've been established much earlier.

TROI: May I ask you a personal question? Why did you decide to become a Commander? I mean, you didn't need the rank in order to be Chief Medical Officer, so why put yourself through all the extra work?

This is used to explain Pulaski's lower rank. It does raise further questions about how there can be senior officers with ranks lower than Lieutenant Commander, but that's another screed.

CRUSHER: Oh, I don't know. I never even thought about my rank for a long time. It seemed pretty trivial compared to being a doctor. But then, about eight years ago, I started to feel like I wanted to stretch myself a little.

2362. We actually know nothing at all about Beverly's life between Jack's death and arriving on the E-D. If you go by the novels, however, in 2360 she helped Admiral Uhura on a Starfleet Intelligence mission. Perhaps she was made aware of greater capabilities within herself during this mission.

TROI: Is something wrong?
CRUSHER: No. I wanted to let Data know there'd be a delay in picking him up for a few of days. We have orders to rendezvous with the Lexington and take some medical supplies to the Taranko Colony.
TROI: But he's not responding.
CRUSHER: Geordi said that the radiation from the probe might interfere with communications. I just thought I'd try anyway.

And this is why you'd want an ensign in a shuttle in orbit. For that matter, you'd think they could zip over to Barkon IV, drop off the saucer section to look for him, then have the stardrive handle Taranko Colony.

(Riker is practising his trombone when Troi strolls in. He finishes the piece and then blows two notes)
TROI: Is that supposed to be a question?
(parp parp)
TROI: Because if you're asking me if I liked what you were playing, then the answer is yes.
(paarp parp)
TROI: You know, this is a much better way of communicating for you. It's far less confusing than the way you normally speak.
(parp!)

Always a great scene.

TROI: Do you remember when the Enterprise hit that quantum filament and I was in command on the Bridge?
RIKER: I do.
TROI: Well, when that happened, I was overwhelmed. But when it was over I realised that a part of me missed it. Not the actual disaster, but the experience of being in command.

And here we are, the biggest plot hole in the episode. I'm not going to claim that passing the test should be required for commanding the ship, but it wouldn't be a bad idea. Then again, you'd think every Starfleet Academy student has to take a few command courses, since all of them will command a work team, away team, or even the ship itself at some point.

Upon thinking about it, is there a difference between "having the bridge" (i.e. you have to call a senior officer to take over at the first hint of trouble) and "acting captain" (you're trusted to handle everything short of an actual war or First Contact situation)? That's another screed waiting to happen.,

RIKER: Deanna, if you take the Bridge Officer's test, you'll have my complete support. But as First Officer, I'll be the one judging your performance, and you should know I am a pretty tough judge.

I get the purpose of this for storytelling purposes, but in the real world I would have to assume that this would require specialized training akin to what Wesley had to go through back in "Coming of Age".

TALUR: No headaches, palpitations, sluggishness, indigestion?
DATA: No. But I cannot have indigestion since I have not eaten.
TALUR: Ah. Malnutrition.

That seems like a leap of logic.

TALUR: Yes. You probably come from a race of people who lived in the snow and ice of the Vellorian mountains. Your skin and eye colouration are a result of prolonged exposure to harsh winter conditions.

I do like the attempt to use science and logic here. A repeat of "Who Watches the Watchers" would be unwelcome.

(Skoran hits it with a hammer on the anvil)
SKORAN: It's obviously been tempered and milled.

Tempered means heating and slow cooling to increase toughness (ability to deform without fracturing). Milled means the surface has been cut away revealing a uniform surface. I had to look this stuff up, I've always been more comfortable with woodworking than metalworking.

SKORAN: The metal's malleable enough to make some jewellry.

We're never told what this stuff is beyond "radioactive". Uranium can be worked and I assume other radioactive metals can as well.

GIA: Father, are you all right?
GARVIN: I've been tired since this afternoon. I'm sure it's nothing.

Fatigue is a symptom of radiation poisoning, but it's surprising that nausea is never even mentioned.

DATA: Where is your mother?
GIA: She died about a year ago. Father says she went to a beautiful place where everything is peaceful and everyone loves each other, and no one ever gets sick. Do you think there's really a place like that?
(Data gazes out at the moon and stars)
DATA: Yes. I do.

Another great scene.

[Nate the Great]

LAFORGE: We just lost contact with everything above deck twenty one, including the Bridge.

You know, there really should be several dedicated communications channels between the bridge and main engineering. And of various technologies as well. I'm offended by the idea that there's only one cable between the two that can be easily severed. Furthermore, shouldn't the commbadges operate on a frequency that is completely different from the ones a shipboard disaster could interfere with?

COMPUTER: Unable to comply. All power to ejection systems has been terminated and cannot be restored.

Ugh. Even IF we suppose that the ship can be damaged to the point where the computer can't create a connection to the animatter pods, there should be crewman near the pods at all times and a big red level ready to manually eject said pods. Duh.

TROI: So what did I do wrong?
RIKER: I'm afraid I can't tell you that.
TROI: Why not? What kind of a test is this?
RIKER: It's the kind of a test that you'll have to take again if you want to be a Bridge Officer.

Yes, there should always be a few things on a final exam that you have to have studied enough to have hardwired into your brain. Simply taking the test over and over again and hoping that your dice rolls are favorable is no way to make a bridge officer.

TALUR: Rock, fire, sky, and water are the basic elements of the universe. They can be found in every object, every person, every animal, everything.

Americans tend to be egotistical and think that any "primitive system of elements" always consists of air, earth, water, and fire. The weird thing is, they also tend to ignore aether, which covers any number of phenomenon that can't be understood. Upon doing research I was surprised to find out how many cultures use the five elements with little modifications. I could've sworn that there was a culture that added "metal".

TROI: The secondary plasma vent has a triple redundant bypass. Which means that the primary access junction is routed through
(doorbell)
TROI: Come in. Would be routed through the port transducer matrix.

You have to feel for Sirtis here. Unline Burton or Spiner she hasn't had to memorize Treknobabble to the extent needed in this episode.

TROI: Why? Because I'm not the most technically-minded person on the ship? I may have trouble telling the difference between a plasma conduit and a phase inducer, but there's more to being a bridge officer than memorising technical manuals.

Really? I jolly well expect any Starfleet officer to know the difference between those two. Now, if you were talking about preganglionic fibers and postganglionic nerves, that's another story...

TROI: Geordi, could you repair the ODN conduit if you went into the crawlspace?
WORF: Sir, that crawlway is in a warp-plasma shaft. He would never survive the radiation.

Crawlspace? Did the screenwriter get tired of writing Treknobabble and simply refuse to say "Jeffries tube?"

DATA: I have coated this piece of cloth with the liquid which is used in lamps. As you can see, the cloth becomes luminescent when it is exposed to an energy source. This pendant also appears to be an energy source.

I haven't found any evidence that lamp oil glows in the presence of radiation. Perhaps this mystery metal isn't emitting a type of radiation that is presently known.

TALUR: But where is this pattern of light coming from?
DATA: I believe a stream of particles is emanating from the metallic pendant and hitting the cloth.

How do you explain subatomic particles to a culture that hasn't even invented the steam engine?

GIA: What kind of medicine is it?
DATA: A compound I made which will neutralise the particles that are making you ill.

The most primitive radiation treatments include potassium iodine and certain dyes, and special proteins that can promote the production of white blood cells.

DATA: I had located the crashed Federation probe and collected the radioactive fragments. I was attempting to download the sensor logs from the probe's onboard computer. There was a power surge. I believe the surge overloaded my positronic matrix. After that, I have no memory until this moment.

Ugh. You'd think Data would install surge protectors into himself, especially after the events of "Disaster."

The Fiver

Data: It says "radioactive."
Garvin: What's that supposed to mean?
Data: What do you think I am, a walking dictionary?

Missing first lines alert!

Talur: Your skin is very pale, so you must not spend much time in the sun.
Data: That would be an accurate assumption.
Talur: My grandmother would have thought you were a demon of some sort, but I know better: You are a vampire.

The fiver was written in 2004. The first Twilight book wouldn't be released until 2005. I'm surprised that there isn't a basement-dwelling nerd punchline in this one. They don't spend much time in the sun, either.

Data: (lifts anvil) I believe the anvil fell because of shoddy workmanship.You should avoid ordering from this "Acme Corporation" in the future.

Actually I'm pretty sure ACME never sent Wile E. Coyote any faulty products. He just used them in an unexpected and dangerous way.

Talur: Garvin, you don't look so good.
Garvin: Pbbt, I feel fine.
Talur: You don't smell so good, either. I think you're sick.
Garvin: Nonsense!
Talur: Then why are there two puncture marks on your neck?

If that was supposed to be a Princess Bride joke, it needed a bit more development.

Talur: So the five basic elements are earth, fire, wind, water, and heart. And when these elements combine, we have Captain Planet!

Well, that's a time capsule of a joke.

Skoran: You're the cause of all this, Vampire!
Data: If you are referring to the illness, you are partially correct, but you may want to examine my data in detail.
Skoran: Forget details. We want to hit you in deface.

Ouch, that one hurt.

Data: Gia, wake up! I have good news!
Gia: You found a cure for the disease?
Data: Not yet, but I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance.

You have to throw in the explicit Geiko reference to complete the joke.

Picard: I'm glad we were able to beam you back safely,
Data. What's the last thing you remember?
Data: "His nose should pant, and his lip should" --

Nice Insurrection reference. Have I mentioned lately how much I prefer Insurrection to First Contact?

Memory Alpha

* Last appearance of Riker playing trombone. And it must be a new one, since he gave his old one to Tom.
* Jeri Taylor admitted that some fans were angry that Troi got a promotion instead of Data or Geordi. I would argue that Geordi hasn't been a Lt. Cmdr. long enough to be promoted again so fast. As for Data, that's another kettle of fish I don't care to open right now.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Given what we know of Data's mass, he would topple over if he tried to lift that anvil in that position. It's not a matter of strength, it's a matter of leverage.
* Phil is confused about Beverly expanding her horizons in only one direction with the bridge officer's test. I think that's a little shortsighted. It could be argued that the test covers more than just command, it also includes understanding enough of the other areas of the ship to effectively command them.
* Pulaski was also a full commander, yet she didn't take the test and wasn't a bridge officer. I could've sworn she was only a Lt. Cmdr.
* How come the radioactive materials box had a simple latch and not a computer lock?
* Riker says "end simulation" after the test, but only the people disappear, not the set as well. Oops.
* Did Crusher somehow fix Data without having to remove the native clothing that he was wearing?

[Nate the Great]

February 21st, 1994, "Masks"

Fiver by saxamaphone

The Episode

TROI: How's it going, Data?
DATA: I have finished.
(it's a perfect PADD)
DATA: The dimensions are accurate to within one point three percent.
TROI: I'm sure they are.

The strange thing is that with Data I'd expect better than 1.3%. He has perfect sight and perfect control over his hands and the tools in them.

TROI: Maybe you should try something a little more abstract. Here. I want you to start a new piece. I'd like you to sculpt music.
DATA: Counsellor, music is a collection of acoustic vibrations. How can I reproduce a sound with clay?
TROI: Well, think of the effects that sounds have on people, the images that music brings to your mind, and then give it a form.
(he quickly forms a treble clef)

This is one that baffles me. He's a student of all art, and plenty of artists have attempted to recreate music in a visual medium. There's plenty of material for Data to regurgitate and remix into a new form.

(a golden sun-face fills the screen)
LAFORGE: What's that one?
DATA: Death.

The idea of a sun god representing death seems like a stretch.

DATA: I do not know, sir. The object is nearly solid. It is composed primarily of fortanium and several unknown materials. It is over eighty seven million years old.

Only appearance of fortanium. It occurs to me that this would've been a great place to namedrop the "ceramic alloys" from "The Inner Light."

PICARD: The concept of the four cardinal compass directions is quite common in many different cultures.

In many nomadic societies the four cardinal directions are important representations of sunrise/sunset and the sources of the major winds. The Greeks and Romans even had names for twelve different wind directions. The ancient Arabs had a 32-point compass rose based on key constellations to be used for celestial navigation.

DATA: Geordi, what does it feel like when a person is losing his mind?

Always a chilling line.

(Data has the compass symbol on his forehead and a wicked grin)

The idea that the archive is mucking around with the matter in Data's body is quite disturbing.

LAFORGE: Captain, this is incredible. These artefacts weren't beamed over here from the archive. The matter here in Ten Forward has been transformed.
PICARD: Into living plants? How is that possible?

A valid question, but not the most important one right now. Then again, the replicator can create salads. How much more work would it be to set up a complete plant?

WORF: Sir, our weapon control systems are inoperative. However, we could reconfigure a photon torpedo for manual launch.

What about launching a shuttle and using the torpedoes from that? Are the shuttles being affected as well?

(the torpedo is full of snakes...

Now that's impressive. I sort of wish that they just said that the archive was doing all of these transformations, it would be easy to handwave the life creation if they did that.

RIKER: Maybe we'd better talk in here. The Observation Lounge has turned into a swamp.

It's amazing how the archive isn't transforming any of the hullplates or windows. Or the antimatter containment pods, for that matter.

RIKER: What about communications, sensors, life support?
LAFORGE: We have communications, and limited sensor control. Life support seems to be unaffected.

Why haven't they sent out a distress call yet? There's no guarantee that the archive won't transform the actual people at some point, this is a really dangerous situation!

WORF: Captain. The entire deck has been cleared of personnel. We may proceed.

Because we all know that Masaka's temple can be confined on a single deck. Ugh.

PICARD: Mister Data, are you all right?
DATA: I believe so, sir. I am not entirely certain what has happened. Have I been dreaming again?

They could've done so much more with the dreaming program. Come to think of it, they could've used it in the movies. The fear from not saving Geordi, the Borg Queen inserting herself into the dream, etc.

The Fiver

Picard: No, we won't even be breaking the ice.

Missing first lines alert!

Riker: What could they possibly mean?
Data: "Buried...Years...For all time --"

Is this a reference to something?

La Forge: Data, you can read this?
Data: Yes, I am hooked on hieroglyphics.

"Hooked on Phonics" is already a fading cultural memory. I pity the readers of the future who won't have a clue on why this is a joke.

Riker: Aye sir, but I think I should warn you that the ship's anti-virus software won't be installed until Tuesday.

Is the Tuesday gag the most prevalent movie-specific one on the site?

Picard: I don't know, but check out these pictures! This one's a giant snake head, I think.
Worf: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth!"
Picard: Worf, we're not playing the "List the Episodes or Movies that the Current Events Duplicate" game.

That game would get old really fast.

Nitpicker's Guide

* How did they know where Masaka's temple would be created?
* Phil points out how easily Data broke out and wonders why ship's security hasn't figured out a way to contain him yet.
* He wonders why they lugged a torpedo up to Main Engineering to modify it when they'd just have to lug it down to the torpedo bay again anyway. I question why you'd want a torpedo near the warp core in any case.
* When the temple turns back into the corridor Data and Picard weren't at floor level, why didn't they fall?

[Nate the Great]

February 28th, 1994, "Eye of the Beholder"

Boy, was I not looking forward to this one. More Troi/Worf nonsense, more suspected crazy people, more absurd Treknobabble.

Fiver by Kira

The Episode

DATA: We are losing containment in the starboard nacelle tube.
PICARD: Try to get more power to the field coils.
DATA: Aye, sir.

Data's not even using the Engineering station on the Bridge, how is he supposed to help? Not only is this a Main Engineering Problem, but there should be dedicated controls outside each nacelle to provide for emergency shutoff and nacelle ejection.

PICARD: Release the exterior hull plate. We may have to jettison the core.

Why is releasing the hull plate a separate command? It should be an automatic part of the process? Is it somehow safer to release manually?

RIKER: What happened?
NARA: (alien woman) He locked out the controls. Before we knew what was happening, he stepped up onto the walkway.
RIKER: (to Worf) See if you can help shut down the plasma flow.

I know that the main characters have to be a part of the story, but this is one case where it just doesn't make sense. This really isn't a "Worf" job, nor is he the go-to guy for shutting down the plasma flow (which should really be a one-button command from Main Engineering anyway).

TROI: I met with him about six weeks ago, during the crew evaluations. He was very positive. He was looking forward to being posted to the nacelle tube.

First of all, there are TWO nacelle tubes. Second of all, is this really a permanent posting? Proverbial oil changes seems like something you could rotate one shift a month among the Engineering staff.

TROI: If he made any personal logs, it might be helpful to look through them.
PICARD: You're authorised to do so.

You'd think the ship's counselor would be authorized to read any personal log at any time, she wouldn't need authorization for it.

PICARD: The medical situation on Barson Two has worsened. Starfleet has given us permission to exceed warp speed limitations so as to get back on schedule.

It would've been so easy for the creators to just ignore "Force of Nature", it's not like the viewers of the time would've cared. It just makes the blatant apathy of the Voyager writing staff more obvious.

DATA: The first months following my activation were a difficult period for me. There were many problems associated with my becoming sentient.
LAFORGE: Because your neural net was still forming.
DATA: As I acquired new skills, neural pathways would form replacing other less complex pathways. It was very disorienting.
LAFORGE: I bet.

I get what they're going for, but the writers should not have tried such an apples and oranges comparison just to make Data the focus. It's an insult to the real people who have contemplated suicide. This scene should've been replaced with one where Worf reevaluates his experiences during the events of "Ethics". It also would've made for a nice Worf/Troi scene if that's what they were going for.

TROI: It all looks so normal. For some reason I half expected the place to be a mess.

A stupid statement from a psychologist. Not all mentally unwell people lash out as a coping mechanism OR are capable of restraining their symptoms in public. Yet another example of oversimplifying mental illness for the sake of a plot point.

TROI: I thought you might like to know that in his personal logs, Dan talked about you a great deal. He loved you very much.
CALLOWAY: If that's true, then how could he leave me like this?

Ugh. Depression and suicidal thoughts tend to not be rational thoughts. Who's to say if you were on his mind at all while he planned his suicide? (If this was a standard suicidal episode, which it's not)

CALLOWAY: Yes. Dan sensed that she, well, that she felt threatened by him. That she thought he was after her position.

First of all, Starfleet training should be enough to handle this. Second of all, what was going on with the crew of the other nacelle tube? Surely they could've both been in charge of one without stepping on any feet.

NARA: Excellent. He knew this ship better than most people, probably because he helped build it back at Utopia Planitia.

And he's a lowly engineer in one of the nacelle tubes after seven years? This doesn't add up.

NARA: He was ambitious. He came in here with all sorts of new ideas about how to do things. Some of them very good ideas.

New ideas about how to do what? The people in the tubes are only there to make sure that the warp plasma safely gets to the warp coils. There isn't much room for modification of the system there. And even if there were, they would've told Geordi about their ideas and then returned to changing oil or whatever.

TROI: Well, when I was a young girl, my grandfather used to tell me stories by the fire. I would close my eyes and listen to his mind for hours on end.
WORF: He would tell you these stories telepathically?
TROI: My grandfather rarely spoke. He said that was for off-worlders and people who didn't know any better.

It's stuff like this that raises questions. It's made clear that Betazoids have to grow into their powers at puberty. Tam Elbrun had to grow up with all that noise and it made him unhinged. Perhaps Betazoid adults act as recievers and transmitters for their children for basic communication, but that just raises further questions!

WORF: Lieutenant Corell seems to be enjoying your company.
RIKER: I'd like to think so.
WORF: Are you involved with her?
RIKER: I'm not sure yet. Why, are you interested?
WORF: No. But if I were, I would of course discuss the situation with you before proceeding further.
RIKER: I appreciate it, but that really wouldn't be necessary.
WORF: I mean I would never want to come between you and someone you are involved with, or had ever been involved with.
RIKER: Is there someone in particular that you're talking about?
WORF: No. Is there someone in particular you would rather I not be involved with?

This conversation should've happened in a prior episode, and frankly Worf should've been more direct. I can appreciate that Klingons follow the bro code, but this case is special. Will and Deanna have made it clear that despite their attraction they aren't prepared to be in a relationship right now. Furthermore, Worf knows about Riker's dalliances and trips to Risa by now. This scene feels like Worf is implying that Riker is allowed to "call dibs" on any number of women simultaneously for as long as he wants, which is disgusting.

TROI: If only I could go back to the control room without being overwhelmed by the experience. It might help me remember some detail that might be relevant.

You mean like recreating the thing in the holodeck? This is one plot hole that really bugs me. It's not like they'd have to make a new set...

(Troi is ploughing through personnel files on the science station - Guy Vardeman is masquerading as Darien Wallace)

Guy VardAman was a frequent TNG bit player as well as a stand-in for Spiner. He also helped out with the production staff and created some beta canon stuff for the card game and magazines. Chakoteya must be a fan.

WORF: Have you found anything?
TROI: No. There were literally thousands of people involved in building the Enterprise.

But how many were involved in designing or building the nacelle tube? You know, I really do expect better from her after the Bridge Officer's test.

TROI: The fact that I couldn't read him suggests that he has at least some telepathic ability.

I'll skip the screed speculating about the different telepathic "frequencies" and methods used by different telepathic races, but there is a lot to unpack here.

(finally, Worf takes her hand and nuzzles her neck, then they kiss passionately)
(next morning, Troi is still in bed and Worf is already dressed. He kisses her awake. I thought non-Klingon females were too fragile??)

So did I. And even if we're going to posit that Worf was exaggerating, this is not the time for them to be having sex for the first time. She admits that she could be under psychic influence, they're in the middle of an investigation, and Worf technically doesn't have Will's permission yet because he didn't ask properly.

For that matter, where's Alexander? Did Worf leave him a message saying that he wouldn't be back tonight because he's out catching some tail?

TROI: Lieutenant Nara, may I ask you something? The work Lieutenant Kwan was doing, was it unusual in any way?
NARA: He was refitting a field coil, but it was probably the first time that particular panel's been opened since the ship was built.
TROI: Thank you.

I find that hard to believe. I would expect every panel to be open during the post-Borg refit. Furthermore, I refuse to believe that any part of the warp drive system is that reliable.

[Nate the Great]

LAFORGE: Organic? You're right. Let me reconfigure the emitter beam. We might be able to see what it is. There.
(skull, ribcage, spine)

Yeah, no. That much impurity would show up in a prior scan, plus the ship would keep careful track of the stress patterns in every piece of bulkhead. This thing would show up instantly as a weak point.

TROI: Worf, can I ask you something? Do you regret what happened last night?
WORF: No, of course not.
TROI: Are you sure? Because I don't want anything to jeopardise our friendship.

I find it odd that they didn't bring up the sex=marriage thing. Had they not brought it up in "Looking for Par-Mach" I would've been able to brush it aside as Worf being uber-old-fashioned-Klingon again.

There's another screed about Worf seeing sex as having a spiritual component. Was what happened last night really spiritual?

TROI: I'm not feeling myself. Maybe it's the inhibitor. I'm so used to sensing what people are feeling, and now I can't.

In a post-"The Loss" episode this doesn't make sense at all.

WORF: I opened the maintenance door at Counsellor Troi's request, then turned to see her standing too close to the force field.
TROI: It all seemed so real to me. I can't believe that everything I experienced happened in just those few seconds.

And there's the copout. None of it really happened, so we're not supposed to question it. Yeah, I will never follow that line of reasoning. In order for illusions to be THAT convincing and last THAT long, it has to follow the same logic as the real world.

Which introduces further questions. Does Troi really think of Worf as the kind of guy who engages in casual sex? Does she think that either one of them would make such a life-changing event without at least a conversation? Does she still think of Will as having "dibs" on her?

The Fiver

Lieutenant Kwan: Don't come any closer or I'll jump through this forcefield!
Riker: Don't be ridiculous. Nobody can jump through a forcefield.

This is overly simplistic. We've seen forcefields of many intensities. But yeah, this particular one should repel solid objects.

Empathic Echo: Simba, you must avenge my death.
Troi: What?
Empathic Echo: Er... Luke, trust your feelings.
Troi: Huh?
Empathic Echo: Dammit, I got it right on that other guy....

"In life, I was your partner Jacob Marley..."

Troi: ...and as I was standing there, I could feel a presence. But there was nobody there!
Riker: You mean....
Troi: Yes. I sense dead people.

Yikes is that a reference that didn't age well.

Troi: The empathic echo was forged deep in the nacelle tube, in fires of the plasma vents. Only there can it be destroyed.

This Lord of the Rings reference feels like either a shoehorn or one that was only half-baked, I'm not sure.

Troi: Since when do you stop by my quarters late at night?
Worf: All the time, Imzadi.
Troi: I thought I told you to stop calling me that. You're not Will Riker.
Worf: Have you ever kissed me with a beard before?

I refer you to the novel Imzadi II where Worf really learns what that term means and applies it to Jadzia, not Deanna. The Insurrection joke kinda falls flat here.

Worf: Commander, I have a hypothetical situation for you. If a Klingon security chief wished to mate with a Betazoid counsellor --
Riker: Stay away from my girl, Worf.
Worf: If she were your girl, you wouldn't have to tell me that.

Is this an X-Men reference?

Besides, you know what they say about all good things.
Riker: You're just asking for an insurrection, buster.

Another half-baked joke. If you're not going to mention all of the TNG movies, why bother?

Troi: There's something behind that bulkhead.
La Forge: Let's see what the scanner can -- whoa. I see a dead people.
Body: I'm not dead.
Troi: Yes, you are. You're in a bulkhead.
Body: I feel better. I think I'll go for a walk.
La Forge: Data, you're not fooling anyone. Stop throwing your voice.
Data: Aw.

This Monty Python joke feels like it needed another line.

Troi: Worf... are you sorry you slept with me?
Worf: (making a notch on his belt) Sorry, what?

This might be a good gag for Riker, but not Worf. As far as we know, his only sexual partners at this point are K'Ehleyr (it still annoys me that I have to look up how to spell that every time) and Deanna.

Troi: You cheating scumbag!
(ZAP!)
Worf: GAK!
Calloway: Oh my God! You've killed Worf!
Troi: That bastard.

This feels like a South Park reference, but I don't watch that show.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Ensign Calloway seems rather calm given that her boyfriend just died. After Jeremy Aster I'm willing to accept any emotion at all.
* Phil also noticed the different kinds of force fields thing.
* Phil makes a mistake by asking why Riker didn't ask O'Brien to beam Kwan out. Because O'Brien is on Deep Space Nine, dum dum! As for normal transporters, I'm willing to speculate that the nacelle tubes generate a lot of interference.
* Data clearly says that they are in the starboard nacelle, yet the graphic shows them venting the port nacelle. Oops.

[Nate the Great]

March 21st, 1994, "Genesis"

Oh, the science in this one is going to hurt...

Fiver by Marc

BARCLAY: Blurred vision, dizziness, palpitations, a stinging sensation in the lower spine. It's Terrelian Death Syndrome, isn't it.
CRUSHER: I thought we agreed you'd come to me before checking Starfleet Medical Database.

It's far too late into Barclay's character arc to do a story like this. It occurs to me that there should be a difference between the publicly available medical database of common stuff and the sickbay-only one for the more obscure stuff.

"When you hear hoofbeats, you just go ahead and think horses, not zebras!"

BARCLAY: Electrophoretic activity? Is it serious?
CRUSHER: Well, based on this, I'd say you've got seventy, maybe eighty years.
BARCLAY: Eighty? Eighty years?

Even if we accept that McCoy's longevity is unusual, 120 seems young by 24th century standards.

CRUSHER: Yes, Reg. What you've got a mild case of Urodelan Flu. It's nothing serious. Most humans have a natural immunity to it, but the T-cell in your DNA that would normally fight off the infection is dormant.
BARCLAY: So you mean I have bad genes?
CRUSHER: You have one dormant gene out of a hundred thousand, and I can activate that gene with a synthetic T-cell let the body attack the infection naturally. You should feel better in a couple of days.

This seems silly. Reprogramming the immune system that easily is absurd. Why not just attack this thing directly instead of tricking the body into doing it?

OGAWA: I know what you mean. I don't want to know either.
CRUSHER: Alyssa?
OGAWA: Spot's not the only one who's going to be a mother.
CRUSHER: Oh, Alyssa, that's wonderful! How did Andrew take the news?
OGAWA: He was a little shocked, but he's getting over it.

Like I've said before, the timeline just doesn't work here. It's way too early for Alyssa to suspect, she just got engaged a month ago and it was clearly not a shotgun wedding. Did they decide to start trying immediately and she's been scanning herself daily?

The annoying part of all this is that they had her get married to service a terrible episode. Spot turned into a girl to service a terrible episode.

WORF: The next test will involve the new photon torpedoes. The explosive yield has been increased by eleven percent and I have enhanced the targeting system for increased accuracy.

How do you increase the amount of antimatter by 11% without making the torpedoes too large for the launchers? As for the targeting system, why is Worf doing this instead of Geordi or the eggheads back at Starfleet Command?

PICARD: Maintain a sensor lock on the torpedo, Mister Worf. We'll have to go after it.
DATA: That would be inadvisable, sir. The asteroid field is unusually dense. The Enterprise is too large to safely navigate through it.

The average distance between asteroids in the asteroid belt is a million km. The Enterprise is one kilometer long. Don't even think of telling me that the deflector shield around the ship is a million km wide. This is a stupid way to get Picard and Data off the ship. I would've preferred it if they were just away at a conference like in Timescape and returned to a ship in chaos. Sure it'd be lazy, but it wouldn't be stupid lazy.

PICARD: Then I'll take a shuttlecraft and retrieve it. Mister Data, you're with me.
RIKER: Captain, the shuttle pilot who's on duty is Lieutenant Hayes.
PICARD: I happen to be a reasonably qualified pilot, Number One.

Wouldn't Data fly the shuttle even better than Hayes?

RIKER: Wait a minute. Slow down. I lost you back there. Which sensor clusters?

I don't like this idea that only Riker is getting dumber. Especially since everyone is devolving into more primitive lifeforms.

TROI: Worf, it's freezing in here.
WORF: You have already raised the temperature three times. It is too hot.
TROI: Live with it.

I'm pretty sure you'd need a doctor's note to justify altering the environmental controls. This episode is just full of idiocy.

TROI: What are you doing here?
WORF: I had to be near you.
TROI: Computer, increase temperature by five degrees.
WORF: Get out of that water now.
TROI: Leave me alone!
(Worf grabs her arm and bites her on the cheek)

A key problem with the Worf/Troi romance is that it was never used as a simple romance. It was always a source of drama and a lazy plot device. Plus it never made sense. Maybe on some twisted level Worf would conclude that Troi getting along with Alexander makes her good stepmother material, but he has his needs as well. And Troi definitely falls into the "too fragile" category.

LAFORGE: Commander, I've got seven security teams out hunting for Worf, but for some reason sensors are having a difficult time locking onto him.

Ugh. Yet another case of "no commbadge=impossible to track". Even if Worf is devolving there are only two Klingons on board, what is so hard for the sensors to track?

And I just hinted at another big problem with the premise of this episode: the children. They'd be panicking, their parents would be panicking, there'd be riots all over the ship. It's not reasonable to put children on the ship unless they're going to be considered in each and every episode. They weren't even evacuated before the Borg invasion!

PICARD: Adjust the axial stabilisers to match the attitude and rotation rate of the Enterprise, I'm going to dock the shuttle manually.

The use of "dock" in this sense doesn't really fit. They somehow opened the shuttlebay doors to get inside. Does prefix code authorization extend far enough to control the in-bay tractor beam?

PICARD: Any sign of the crew?
DATA: I cannot access internal sensors from here.

So? He's got a tricorder, doesn't he? And the shuttle has its own sensors, right? This is a stupid episode.

DATA: I am picking up one thousand and eleven individual life forms within the ship. All exhibit a similar genetic flux to the one we observed in Counsellor Troi.

So 1,012 minus Data and Picard plus Ogawa's baby? But what about the multiple pets on board?

PICARD: I've regained attitude control for the ship...

Attitude control just means that the ship isn't drifting anymore. Frankly that's not the priority right now. Picard should've activated the emergency quarantine beacon by now.

PICARD: It looks as though the entire power transfer grid has been destroyed.

How? Are there fuses that Geordi's team has to change every day? The Jenolan was fine for seventy-five years!

DATA: I have analysed Commander Riker's DNA structure. A synthetic T-cell has invaded his genetic codes. This T-cell has begun to activate his latent introns.
PICARD: Introns?
DATA: They are genetic codes which are normally dormant. They are evolutionary holdovers, sequences of DNA that provided key behavioural and physical characteristics millions of years ago, but are no longer necessary. For instance, Counsellor Troi's gill slits and other amphibious characteristics were derived from introns which still contain amphibious codes.

Of course this is complete nonsense. In real life introns are just the junk parts of a gene that aren't used.

CRUSHER: He transformed into a spider and now he has a disease named after him.
TROI: I think I'd better clear my calendar for the next few weeks.

He he.

[Nate the Great]

The Fiver

Crusher: All right -- this special T-cell booster shot should do the trick.
Barclay: Uh...does it come as a chewable tablet? I'm scared of hyposprays.

At least make it a full-blown Flintstones chewable joke, Marc! It would even tie into the plot!

Crusher: Good. Data, would you like to know the sex of the kittens in advance?
Data: Not for the moment. I must first determine why I spent years mistakenly thinking that Spot was a male.

I'd prefer to think that Data has had a series of cats, each called Spot.

Ogawa: Doctor, look at what I've found on Mr. Worf's neck!
Crusher: My God, it looks like a venom sac! I wonder if he can use it to....
Worf: SSSSSSSSSPIT!
Crusher: ARRRGH! I'm melting, I'm melting!

This Wizard of Oz joke doesn't really work.

Picard: So that would explain why Commander Riker is now so thick-skulled and stubborn that it took a sustained phaser blast to bring him down.
Data: Yes, sir. You could even say he has become completely intronsigent.

Typo alert! IntrAnsigent means refusing to change one's views.

Picard: Do we have any pregnant females on the ship at the moment?
Data: Yes, Nurse Ogawa.
Picard: Anyone else?
Data: Assuming Mr. Worf hasn't yet tracked down Counselor Troi, no.

Yuck. I have to imagine that Klingons and Betazoids would need medical assistance to conceive anyway.

Barclay: But I'm dealing with it fine! Just last night, for instance, I dreamed that Data was affected by a de-evolution computer virus that affected him and nobody else.
Troi: Really? What did he mutate into?
Barclay: Would you believe a toaster?

Ugh.

Memory Alpha

* Only episode directed by Gates McFadden.
* Final TNG episode featuring Barclay.
* Troi is shown in command, but the staff forgot to update her rank on the nameplate to her quarters. Oops.
* The tradition of naming a disease after the first patient evidently started after our day, as usually we name it after the discoverer. So Crusher should get the credit.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Troi is taking a bath, and Worf just walks in. Did he use a security override? I would ask if their relationship has progressed to the point of giving each other access to their quarters.
* We know that Beverly didn't heal Deanna's bite mark because it was needed later, but that doesn't stop it from being stupid.
* After Crusher is sprayed with acid Ogawa takes her place at the staff meeting. We know that there are at least two other doctors on board (including Selar), so why didn't one of them attend?
* Why didn't Picard wear a spacesuit when boarding the Enterprise to keep him safe? The problem being a disease would've occurred to them, right?
* A few people wrote in to talk about the medical nonsense, but I'll skip it.
* Phil does wonder where Alexander is.
* Troi outranks Worf. If Troi modifies the environmental settings and Worf tries to override, shouldn't the computer ask Troi if it should carry out Worf's command?
* Phil did the math about the speed of the shuttle and the distance of the Enterprise. It would take over TWO MONTHS to reach the Enterprise!

[Nate the Great]

March 28th, 1994, "Journey's End"

No fiver

The Episode

CRUSHER: Here you are, your very own quarters. They're as far away from mine as possible, so you don't even have to see me if you don't want to.
WESLEY: Mom, you know that's not why I asked for my own quarters this time.
CRUSHER: You don't have to explain. There comes a time in a young man's life when he doesn't want to stay with his poor senile mother. I understand.
WESLEY: I'll come visit you in the old Doctor's Home every Sunday.

This seems more like sitcom dialogue than Star Trek.

RIKER: Earl Grey tea, watercress sandwiches and Bularian canapés. Are you up for a promotion?
PICARD: I am trying to establish a new relationship with the Admiral. There has been a certain amount of tension between us in the past.

It's far too late for this, especially when the show is about to end.

NECHEYEV: You'll notice a demilitarised zone has also been created along the border. Neither side will be permitted to place military outposts, conduct fleet exercises, or station warships anywhere in the demilitarised area.

And yet in DS9 the DMZ was never demilitarized...ever.

PICARD: This border places several Federation colonies in Cardassian territory and some Cardassian colonies in ours.
NECHEYEV: This agreement is far from perfect. Neither side got everything they wanted, but every side got something. And as someone once said, diplomacy is the art of the possible. Those colonies finding themselves on the wrong side of the border will have to be moved.

I've railed against the DMZ enough in the past. For the purposes of this episode it's enough to say that the border isn't remotely a straight line, so why can't it swoop around the colonies to prevent the Cardassians from bullying the Federation citizens? For that matter, why have we never EVER seen the Federation as landlords to a Cardassian colony?

PICARD: Dorvan Five? Isn't that where the group of North American Indians settled?

"Native American" was invented in the 1960s, it should be used in the 24th century.

PICARD: There are some very disturbing historical parallels here. Once more, they're being asked to leave their homes because of a political decision that has been taken by a distant government.
NECHEYEV: An Indian representative was included in the deliberations of the Federation Council. His objections were noted, discussed, but ultimately rejected. Captain, the Indians on Dorvan are a nomadic group that have settled there only twenty years ago, and at that time they were warned that the planet was hotly disputed by the Cardassians. The bottom line is they never should have gone there in the first place.

And this is where the entire premise of the episode falls apart. The Dorvan natives were warned twenty years ago that the area was in dispute and the planet might be given to the Cardassians. Picard's mission should consist of presenting them with the following options: evacuate now or you're on your own with the Cardassians with no protection. Period.

PICARD: What if these Indians refuse to be evacuated?
NECHEYEV: Then your orders will be to remove them by whatever means are necessary.

And now we're going past American imperialism into fascism. The government knows what's best for the people so the people aren't entitled to freedom. The difference between existing and living and so forth. I thought the creators wanted to soften Necheyev's character? Wouldn't this be a good place to bring back Maxwell?

WESLEY: Read the latest paper from Doctor Vassbinder. He has brilliant new theories on warp propulsion inter-relays.

I never knew that Doctor Vassbinder made a second appearance in canon. He actually made three; Chakotay mentioned him in "Year of Hell."

"He just kept talking in one long unbroken sentence, moving from topic to topic, it was really quite hypnotic."

[Nate the Great]

ANTHWARA: Then you can respect the fact that this planet holds a deep spiritual significance for us. It has taken us two centuries to find this place. We do not want to spend another two hundred years searching for what we already have.

I know something about feeling a spiritual connection to a place. Even so, I have to agree with SF Debris; the people's lives are still more important.

It occurs to me that they dropped the ball by not introducing a natural resource that the Cardassians would want. Hence you could point at the Bajoran Occupation and say, "Do you want that to happen to your people?" Because without a natural resource, why would the Cardassians bother with this planet? They might put up a sensor array or repair facilities in orbit, but by no means would they occupy the entire planet.

CRUSHER: I shouldn't have to. You're a fourth year Starfleet cadet. You should have a certain level of maturity.
WESLEY: Maybe I am sick of following rules and regulations. Maybe I am sick of living up to everyone else's expectations. Did you ever think of that?

And here's where Wesley really dropped the ball. If he felt this way he should've dropped out of the Academy and not worn a uniform while visiting the ship. And this whole thing really feels like a shoehorn to get Wesley to where he needs to be for this episode to happen. Couldn't they have had an intermediate episode where he feels discontented and drops out to rejoin the Enterprise as a civilian, THEN do this episode where he finds another path? It's not like there aren't a ton of other Season Seven episodes that could've been dropped to make room for it. And now that I think of it, it would've made for an interesting reverse parallel with Troi's path to the Bridge Officer's test; she wants to stretch herself and he's tired of doing it all the time.

PICARD: Beverly, he's got to want that help. If he doesn't, then any efforts on our part can only push him further away. He's got to work this out for himself.

Exactly.

LAKANTA: The Habak is holy to us. We hold our rituals and our ceremonies there. It's sacred to us. What's sacred to you, Wesley?
WESLEY: I don't know. I mean, I think a lot of things are important, I have a lot of respect for things. But I don't really consider anything sacred.

It's an interesting question. It wouldn't be odd to discover that Felisa Howard had religious beliefs, and Beverly doesn't quite seem like an atheist. Has Wesley been so busy that he didn't take time to explore his own spirituality?

LAKANTA: Everything is sacred to us. The buildings, the food, the sky, the dirt beneath your feet. And you. Whether you believe in your spirit or not, we believe in it. You are a sacred person here, Wesley.
WESLEY: I think that's the first time anyone's used that particular word to describe me.
LAKANTA: So, if you are sacred, then you must treat yourself with respect. To do otherwise is to desecrate something that is holy.
WESLEY: Is that what you think I've been doing?
LAKANTA: Only you can decide that.
WESLEY: I guess I haven't had a lot of respect for myself lately.

Without going into detail on my beliefs, I understand this.

ANTHWARA: When you first came to us, we did not know why you were sent by the Federation but we knew there must be a good reason. To us, nothing that happens is truly random. So we searched for the true reason you were sent. We did not find it until last night. Are you familiar with the Pueblo Revolt of sixteen eighty?
TROI: I am. Several Indian tribes rose up to overthrow their Spanish overlords and drove them out of what is now called New Mexico.
ANTHWARA: Ten years later, the Spanish returned to reconquer the area. They were brutal. I would use the word savage. They killed hundreds of our people. Thousands more were maimed. The name of one of the soldiers was Javier Maribona-Picard. Your ancestor.
PICARD: I'm not aware of this incident or of the man you named, and this happened seven hundred years ago. I do not see what bearing it can have
ANTHWARA: That is why you have come to us, to erase a stain of blood worn by your family for twenty three generations.

This is complete nonsense. Whatever Picard's opinions on spirituality, he doesn't believe in blood curses. Furthermore, this is not the way to convince him to help. Picard already wants to help and he's made clear that he doesn't want to do this. Even if he choses to defy Starfleet orders, what is he going to do, keep the Enterprise in orbit forever to fight any Cardassians who try to claim the planet?

LAKANTA: The spirits of the Klingon, the Vulcan, the Ferengi come to us just as the bear and the coyote and the parrot. There's no difference.

This is a loaded issue. How will religious people react to the existence of alien life, sentient or not? Will they treat alien races as being of a lesser stage of glory than humanity?

PICARD: Anthwara, I want to make absolutely sure that you understand the implications of this agreement. By giving up your status as Federation citizens, any future request you or your people make to Starfleet will go unanswered. You will be on your own and under Cardassian jurisdiction.
ANTHWARA: I understand, Captain. And we are prepared to take that risk. Will the Cardassian government honour your agreement here?
GUL EVEK: I believe I can convince them that this is an equitable solution. I cannot speak for every Cardassian you may encounter, but if you leave us alone I suspect that we will do the same. Will this be acceptable to the Starfleet Command?

And this is my basis for why I hate how the writers handled the Maquis. They were formally introduced over on DS9 a month after this, but there must've been discussions about them long before this. This episode clearly says "they're not Federation citizens anymore, we won't defend them" but DS9 says "they are Federation citizens, we have to defend them". Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

Memory Alpha

* Beverly recalls details of Picard's conversation with the Traveler back in "Where No One Has Gone Before", but the Traveler specifically told him not to tell her. Oops.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Why would these Indians have records going back to the 1600s, and why would Troi know anything about early European/Indian relations?

[NAHTMMM]

Originally Posted by Nate the Great

The Fiver



Picard: So that would explain why Commander Riker is now so thick-skulled and stubborn that it took a sustained phaser blast to bring him down.
Data: Yes, sir. You could even say he has become completely intronsigent.

Typo alert! IntrAnsigent means refusing to change one's views.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intron

An intron is a DNA thing.

[Nate the Great]

I didn't notice the pun, but the problem is that neither intron nor intransigent is a common word, so you can't muck around with them very much for the sake of a joke.