TNG Season 1,Episode 20- 26

Heart of Glory (1x20) March 21,1988

A Klingon Episode, Worf gets his most air time thus far. Worf's origins are explained. This may be the best episode of the season so far.

The Arsenal of Freedom (1x21) April 11,1988

I suppose it was inevitable that 80's character Vincent Schiavelli would appear in the Star Trek franchise. This was another good episode as the show has picked up it's pace as far as the writing goes.I have seen a repetitive plot line in a while.As I think back of the last several episode, this is the first one that has taken place on the planet surface in a lot time. From an action stand point it seems like a TOS episode.

Symbiosis (1x22) April 18,1988

Casting:Merritt Butrick who played Kirk's son in Wrath of Khan and Search for Spock appears in this episode.

Sci Fi at it's best puts a mirror to our society and maybe tells us something about our self. The over riding theme of this so/so episode is drug addiction.It comes off as much as an intergalactic after school special, which is fine I guess.Wesley doesn't understand the appeal of Drugs as Tasha Yar explains how society can be destroyed by drugs. Wesley says "I guess I just don't understand the appeal" Tasha "I hope you never do."


Skin of Evil (1x23) April 25,1988 

I am trying to recall if I knew Tasha Yar was going to die or not when it first aired, certainly I did ? This is a surprising episode, her death takes place in the first 12 minutes of the show, they spent the rest of the episode dealing with the villain and rescuing Deanna Troi and the others who had a crash landing in a shuttle.

Worf is the acting head of security and it is in the last 10 minutes that we deal with the death of Lt. Yar. In a holodeck crew members listen to a monologue to each of them telling them how much she learned from each of them.

A couple of Moments of Data here that are quite well done. The first is Tasha's words to Data "You see things with the wonder of a child,take makes you as human as any of us". Afterwards Data asks Picard if he understood what had happened saying "My thoughts are not for Tasha but for myself, I think how empty I will be without her presence,Did I miss the point ?" Picard replies "No, You didn't Data, You Got it." That was a truly wonderful sentiment. A very well done episode. I am not talking about the black oil slick which killed her, it was one of the dumb villains of the series, any of the series really.


We'll Always Have Paris (1x24) May 2,1988

Michelle Phillips is the guest star as a former flame of Picard. I guess anytime you talk about Time Distortion you think Dr. Who. I Can't quite put my finger on it,but at times the series/season seems more like Doctor Who than something out of the Star Trek Universe. This is really a so/so episode.

Conspiracy (1x25) May 9,1988

I really liked this episode, although again it seemed like Doctor Who.  Picard takes the ship off course to a top secret meeting where he is told something strange is going on, a lot of strange things are going on. After one of the ships Captained by someone at meeting explodes, Picard takes The Enterprise to Earth. Aliens have taken over several members of the Federation.

The ending has some of the SFX of the series to date.As the episode ends we find out the Aliens are sending a distress signal. It is a fun horror episode, ominous ending. Could something  be on it's way to Earth ?

The Neutral Zone (1x26) May 16,1988

I was hoping the show had gotten away from the double plot lines, unfortunately not. Data and Worf bring 3 people who have been cryogenic frozen. It is played mostly for laughs but it does have it's moments. Initially I  liked Picard's monologue how humans had put away it's childish past, but a couple of hours later it is preachy and annoying.

The other plot is Picard returns from a meeting with orders to go to the Neutral Zone. We find out no one in the federation has seen or heard from The Romulans in 50 years or so. Outposts on both sides have been wiped out. The two sides agree to work together and so the season ends. Something or someone is out there.

I liked the way they are setting this up, the distress signal, the trouble on the outposts, Romulans realize they might need the Federation help. Fun things to come in season 2.

Overview:

This was a really uneven season, in fact it is a wonder the show stayed on the air. They were slow in giving origins to characters. Most were underwritten. I really disliked the 2 plot episodes. I love Riker and Picard but the others have their moments. Killing Tasha just seems odd more than it seems daring. The show does get better ! On to  Season 2 and a bunch of changes.

TNG Season 1, Episode 11- 19

Haven (1x11) November 30,1987

I had forgotten one of the most annoying characters in the Star Trek Universe was Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett). Again this is a horribly uneven episode. Haven is a planet of legendary healing abilities. A ship appears with Tarellians carrying a plague, the Electrine of Haven asked Federdation defense from the plague ship. The Enterprise holds it in a tractor beam.

Set that aside for a while as Deana Troi is about to go through with an arranged marriage with the creepy guy from Prison Break (Robert Knepper), the wedding dinner erupts into a series of arguments between the In Laws as Moment of Data looks on with complete fasination,including asking the parties to continue the pity bickering. Also things are uneasy between the Bride and Groom to be as Deana does not really want to leave starfleet or follow the ancient Betazoid traditions. For the Grooms part he has been drawing pictures of a blonde women all his life thinking it was Deana.

Once contact is made with the Tarellians of the members of the crew ends up being  the person the Prison Break guy has been seeing all his life and drawing all his life. In the end Troi stays on board and The Prison Guy gets the girl of his dreams.

The Big Goodbye (1x12) January 11,1988

I really liked this episode, I could even put up with Data. Picard tries out the  new holodeck choosing to be the lead character in pulp fiction dectective novels from his youth. He is joined by Data,The Ship Historian and Dr. Crusher. The episode in nicely written down to Data "It was a Rainy Night in the City  by the Bay"




Datalore (1x13) January 18,1988

I really don't look and compare my opinions with others, but I did here. I wanted to know if I was missing something. I think sometimes writers go off on tangents and things may not be as interesting to the general public as it is to the creators. This episode is as bad as I thought it was. The Crew goes to Data's home planet and find the lab where he was created.

In searching the lab,the away time finds an incomplete copy of Data, I still recall an episode where Data meets his maker, I thought this was it,but it was not that episode. So the complete Data is built and declares himself to be Lore and sibling rivalry is on to very predictable results. It is the Moment of Data in overload.

I really ought to talk a bit about why I don't like Data. I have not watched the show in years and years, I remember 2 things that I took into bias as I began watching series again in late March 1) I didn't like Troi, mostly the way she was written and 2) I really did not like Data. I am changing my opinion rapidly of Deanna Troi, an interesting character, I kinda wish she was full Betazoid and not half. The Character shows more depth than I recall and I love the interplay, often subtle between her and Riker.

I have not received a change of heart with Data, I get what they were trying to do but it fails most of the time,a andriod casting a mirror on humans ? Maybe , but then we have his interest in sneezing and attempting to tell jokes. I wonder sometimes if anyone ever the age of 15 is suppose to like him. The writers did a. good job showing the computer/information aspect of Data. He is the internet circa 1987. I have not yet been won over by him, I groan when he does something cute, I was not likely to get into an episode about his origins.That is where I am at with Data. I am interested to see if my feelings change over the next few seasons.


Angel One (1x14) January 25,1988

Something you would not say about Star Trek until Jeri Ryan's 7 of 9 in Voyager. This is a sexy episode. The wreck of a ship is discovered on a planet The Federation has not visited in 60 some years. The Planet is ruled by women, and the man dress interestingly. Riker leads a landing party featuring Troi and Yar.

Riker dressed in native clothing, at least for the males on the planet. The search party searches, the castways don't want to leave. Rikers diplomatic dinner is ruined and it is a really fun episode. The only real draw back is on board The Enterprise, everyone is sick and in of your moment of  Data, he is the only one left to command the ship. Romulans are mentioned for the first time. The Enterprise sure seems to catch a lot of bugs.


11001001 (1x15) February 1,1988

Repeating plot lines 15 episodes in , crew members trapped in the holodeck,in this case Picard and Riker are in a 1950's New Orleans Jazz Club. And another repeat, a mandatory upgrade causes trouble.It was however an enjoyable episode.

Moment of Data: Geordi wants to know, or maybe Data wants to know, is Data creative, so he is painting Riker comments " A Blind Man teaching an Android to paint"

Too Short a Season (1x16) February 8,1988

Aging Admiral Mark Jameson is the only person who negotiate  a hostage crisis, The Enterprise picks him up and as the get closer to the planet,he seems to be getting younger and younger. Interesting middle of the road episode.

When the Bough Breaks (1x17) February 15,1988

This is a really great and clever episode. The Enterprise follows energy readings and come upon the hidden planet of Aldea,which has cloaked itself for centuries. They probe the ship and steal children and then offer fair trade in return.

Home Soil (1x18) February 22,1988

The Federation has a lot to learn as the Enterprise visits a TerraForming operation on Velara III. The Episode begins with a murder mystery involving killer lasers and ends with contact with an Alien Life Form. I love the line when the away team beams down and meets one of the workers "I am Luisa Kim,Gardener of Eden."

Coming of Age (1x19) March 14,1988

This is a really good episode,both plots work very well, the Admiral snooping around the crew and Wesley taking a Starfleet exam. As I look at different sources to get detail and see cast members I get little bits and pieces about script troubles, I am going to need to get a book about the making of the series, It sounds interesting.

Star Trek:TNG Season 1 Episode 3-10

The Naked Now (1x3) October 5,1987

Remember the TOS Episode where Lt. Riley took over the ship because some virus caused crew members to lose their inhibitions, Sulu shirtless in the hallways with a sword, yeah that one. That is what this episode is. As I watched it I thought, well that is cheap, but later in the day I realized, it was really a good time to show to this because of character development.

The episode is most known for the fact Tasha Yar and Data got it on,Wesley Crusher ends up being the one who attempts to take over the ship, the past relations are explored and like I said Data gets laid

I am remembering,quickly each episode has a cute Data learning about humanity moment. Frankly most are annoying, this was tender and very well done. That is this episodes Moment of Data.













Code of Honor (1x4) October 12,1987
The Moment of Data: Geordi is shaving, Data is fascinated, and he has been trying to tell funny jokes

Otherwise, this is a diplomatic episode, Ligon II has the cure to a plague that has broken out, it is a society that the Federation has not dealt with before so the crew is walking on egg shells. The leader kidnaps Tasha and she ends up in a fight to the death with leaders wife.


The Last Outpost (1x5) October 19,1987
The Moment of Data: Data has become a obsessed with Chinese Handcuffs.

This episode I really got into, the best of the ones so far, we are introduced to Ferengis. A Race that is primarily concerned with the Art of the deal. To this point no one in the Federation has seen a Ferengi. A power is draining the Ferengi ship and the Enterprise, initially both believe the other ship to be doing it, the realize it is coming from the planet. On the planet as everyone on the Enterprise is facing sure death, we meet the Portal.


The Portal: Should I destroy them ?(Ferengi)
Riker: Then they would learn nothing.


Where No One Has Gone Before (1x6) October 26,1987

In short this is the episode where I realized that Wesley is the most important person on the ship. The plot involves The Enterprise being subject to Warp Drive experiments. Here we meet The Traveler who is the assistant to the starfleet propulsion expert. The Alien is actually running the experiment to no ones knowledge and the ship ends up billions of years off course.Wesley notices The Traveler phasing out, no one listens to the teenagers at first. By the end of the episode Captain Picard makes him an acting Ensign and begins his application to starfleet. I really liked the episode.


Lonely Among Us (1x7) November 2,1987

The season has been really uneven up to now and this episode is a microcosm of that uneven-ness. It starts out interesting as The Enterprise takes on a race of Reptiles and Canines who are at war with one another, they are headed to the planet Parliament to apply for membership to The Federation, the plot line is largely forgotten.Meanwhile, the ship passes through a cloud, and the ship begins to loose power,Worf,Dr. Crusher and finally Captain Picard seem to affected , in one scene Picard mentions it is a mystery, one worthy of Sherlock Holmes, he does this in front of Data who accesses everything about Sherlock Holmes and tries to solve mysteries,complete with a Meerschaum Pipe hence Your Moment of Data. I am starting to groan when I see a cloud. Promising plot lines gone haywire.


Justice (1x8) November 9,1987

Perhaps the case study of an uneven season. The Enterprise has just dropped off a group of Colonist and has discovered a class M planet in the system next to it.A Party is sent down to see if it suitable for shore leave. Ok, good so far. The inhabitants of the planet are all young,scantly clad (b y 1987 standards) and very healthy, in fact the run everywhere, or jog anyway. You can only imagine the smoothie and granola bars on a Saturday Night.

Slowly it revealed all laws are enforced by death. Meanwhile on the ship, a much more promising plot begins with something, a shadow off the starboard side. An Orb ( never a good sign in space) appears and is demanding his people not be harmed. The Orb communicates through Data and we discover the Orb and Space Station like thing outside is a God to Edo (healthy ones). The Orb is also disturbed by the colonization. Data is used properly in this episode, the conversations between Picard and Data are awesome.

Meanwhile on the planet, just as some of the away party is learning that any law is punishable by death,Wesley by accident break the law and is sentence.The episode gets intense as the Prime Directive dictates Wesley should really die, Picard beams an Edo on board The Enterprise to see the Space Station,confirming the Edo think of it as God.

Uneven in my mind because the Edo are so goofy in a Logan's Run sort of way, one of the best episodes to date because the Prime Directive and God angle, Star Trek V will cover the Deity story so poorly in 1989. I love Dr. Crusher's reaction as her son is up for a death sentence, the heavy philosophical discussions and the Prime Directive conundrum, beautifully written, but uneven.


The Battle (1x9) November 16,1987

Simply a much better episode on all levels. The Ferengi are offer a gift to Picard, his old ship which the found out in the middle of nowhere. The ship were did something so amazing it is taught at Starfleet as the Picard Maneuver. The Ferengi are giving him headaches and  maybe are behind the phony log entry on the ship that could lead to Picard's court martial. Fun episode. Ferengis are always fun.


Hide and Q (1x10) November 23,1987

Q episodes are always fun, here Riker is offered a chance to join the Q Continuum. The author of the episode used a pseudonym to protest the writing and constant rewrites by Gene Roddenberry. We will see if the series starts to even out. As I am watching this , I am just fairly pleased with 2 enjoyable, well done episodes in a row.

Star Trek : The Next Generation "Encounter at Farpoint"

This adventure began in mid November of 2012. It is now late March 2013. I have watched
1-Pilot episode, 79- TOS Episodes, 22- TAS episodes or 102 Episodes and 4 Moves.
Chronologically The Voyage Home came out on the 20th Anniversary of the Series primere in 1986,In 1987 word came out the a new TV Show was on the way.

I have
178- The Next Generation Episodes,176-Deep Space Nine episodes,172- Voyager and 98-Enterprise episodes to go. 624 Episodes if you are keeping track.

2-TOS Cast movies, 4-TNG movies and 2-Reboot movies to go.

(1x1)(1x2)Encounter at Far Point  Air Date: September 28,1987

Where to begin ? First of all Professor Xavier seems to be the Captain of NCC-1701 D USS Enterprise, with in five minutes of the 2 hour pilot we find out the saucer can separate from the rest of the ship and there is a battle bridge.

It is 75 years later, and I am not totally sure how we know this. The New Captain is Jean Luc-Picard. This is really bold casting, we go from macho younger William Shatner to an actor in his mid fifties bald and with an English Accent, and the characters name appears to be French.By the time the 7 seasons were over a lot of people preferred him over Kirk.

New Characters:
First Officer - William Riker . Kirk didn't have a #1, Spock was the science officer remember. Now the pilot had a #1, but this is basically a new position

Security Officer -Tasha Yar

Dr. Beverly Crusher- she and Picard seem to have a history, her teenage son is also on board (more about that later)

Data- Android who wants to be human,curious about all things human. The Anti-Spock

Worf- Wait there is a Klingon on the crew ???

Deanna Troi- Half Betazoid,empath. She seems to have a history with Riker

Geordi LaForge- Chief Engineer,wears the eye piece, enhanced vision senses.

Picard- Now this is interesting, he doesn't like children, he is uncomfortable havinig families on board, he is very prickly, as the Red Alert blares early in the episode "Shut off that damn noise".
When Worf refuses to do something because he is a Klingon, Picard interrupts him "You are a starfleet officers." Personally I liked the attitude, this guy shows who is in charge. The Prickly attitude will bear watching.

I know I will forget to mention this but there is a cute but pointless scene with an aging Admiral Leonard McCoy.

The Plot:

This episode is really uneven, on the one hand it tries to introduce a lot of characters and it really does a good job. You come out of the episode knowing something about each character introduced, it is done naturally. The holodeck scene with Data, the Mother/Son scenes with Dr. Crusher, the way the past between Riker/Troi and Picard/Crusher.

The Q Plot line: I remember loving this guy when I first the episode, nothing has changed, he appears on the bridge in an old Pirate costume  speaking the Kings English demanding to try the crew of the Enterprise for humans being a "Grievously Savage Race" Picard out maneuvers Q at every turn, and we never figure out what Q is exactly, other than a very powerful entity.

The second plotline has to deal with energy reading on Far Point and a mysterious ship that appears, and how does Q think they did ? I think about the cast of Heroes which seemed endless and it took several episodes to fully introduce them, Star Trek was never hoping for the complexities of the Heroes story line but I think they did a good job of introducing the characters.