|
Star Trek: The Next Generation mini-reviews
This is something I was working on in 2005. Although I never finished due to some real life issues getting in the way, here's everything that I had posted.
SEASON 2 SEASON 3 Evolution (3 Stars) - A scientist is attempting a scientific experiment on a star while the ship is experiencing serious malfunctions. But this is the only chance he'll have in his lifetime and he'd rather die than cancel the experiment. Not a bad show at all. Did Wesley have to call it a school project, though? How about "An experiment for the academy..." The Ensigns Of Command (2 Stars) - An alien species is trying to reclaim a planet that's rightfully theirs. But there are humans on it who don't want to leave. Didn't find it that interesting myself. Maybe I would've liked less of Data and more attempted negotiations with the aliens. The Survivors (3 Stars) - An entire planet devastated except for one house and it's two occupants. Very interesting to watch the story unfold. Quite an interesting conclusion. Who Watches the Watchers? (3 Stars) - A Prime Directive episode. A primitive culture comes to believe Captain Picard is a God and he has to find a way to convince them otherwise. The Bonding (1 Star) - A boy's mother dies and he has to cope. But then an alien appears in his mother's form and he has to make a choice between reality and fantasy. Doesn't sound terrible in summary, but couldn't hold my attention that well. Very predictable after a point. Booby Trap (3 Stars) - The Enterprise finds a 1000 year old vessel and becomes trapped by the same force that doomed the ancient ship. A really entertaining episode. Seeing the interior of the ship and Picard's reaction to the experience was fun. The efforts to escape the trap were exciting as well. The Enemy (3 Stars) - Geordie is trapped on a dangerous planet with a Romulan, and both of them are injured. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is in a standoff with a Romulan ship and must avoid starting a war. This one was pretty exciting as the Romulans make pretty good Trek villains. The danger of long term exposure to the planet made the show a bit more exciting. The Price (1 Star) - The Enterprise hosts negotiations for rights to a stable wormhole to the Delta quadrant. Troi falls in love with one negotiator and discovers his secret. This one could have been much better, but the love story here fails to hold your interest and there isn't anything else that can redeem the episode. Interesting Star Trek note: on Star Trek DS9, there's a stable wormhole to the Gamma quadrant, while Star Trek Voyager takes place in the Delta quardrant. The Vengeance Factor (2 Stars) - The Enterprise tries to mend relations between an alien society and a group of them that were exiled long ago. Again, has some decent moments, but doesn't stand out as good or great episode. The conclusion ended up being a bit more serious than I had imagined. The Defector (3 Stars) - A very interesting show where a defecting Romulan warns the Enterprise crew of an impending attack. But the Enterprise would have to go into the neutral zone to destroy the hidden base, and Picard must decide whether this is really a defector or someone trying to start a war. The seriousness of the episode is appreciated and the ending probably isn't what you were expecting. The Hunted (2 Stars) - The Enterprise has to track down an escaped criminal. But all may not be as it seems. Just a mediocre show. Some parts of the chase were good, but it's tough to base almost an entire episode on these kinds of scenes. The High Ground (0 Stars) - Dr. Crusher is abducted by a faction on a planet in the middle of a civil war. This is the best they could do with that storyline? I disliked just about every guest character and sitting through this one really took a lot of patience. Deja Q (3 Stars) - Q loses his powers and becomes human, with the Enterprise crew reluctantly helping him learn what that means. Unlike the previous Q episode which introduced the Borg, this one is mostly comedy. But it's still a solid episode. A Matter of Perspective (2 Stars) - Riker is accused of murder and must prove his innocence. Not too bad. It was interesting seeing the variations from each witness, all believing that they were telling the truth. And all their testimony is through holodeck recreation, making it more interesting than it would have otherwise been. Yesterday's Enterprise (4 Stars) - The Enterprise C travels to the future through a time rift, and history is changed. This is a TNG classic, showing the way Trek history could have played out. The Federation is at war with the Klingons, and losing. The Enterprise is a ship of war and Tasha Yar is still alive. Sending the Enterprise C back in time is a death sentence, but the only way to set history right. Holds up after many repeat viewings. The Offspring (3 Stars) - Data creates a new android, Lal, which he considers to be his child. Starfleet wants her to be separated from him to learn from experts, but Data and Lal don't want this. A solid episode made more interesting by it's ending. Sins of the Father (2 Stars) - Worf tried to clear his father's name by going to the Klingon High Council. I tend to enjoy the Klingon episodes, but this one didn't do much for me. Good to know a little more about Worf's family and history, though. Allegiance (4 Stars) - Picard is switched with a duplicate who has all his memories and ends up trapped with other people who have had the same happen to them. I had trouble with the score here, but I found the episode too fun to give just 3 stars. Picard's attempts to escape and find out who among them might be working for the enemy were good, but the Enterprise crew noticing Picard's strange behavior and acting on it were even better. Captain's Holiday (2 Stars) - Picard goes on a vacation but ends up on a big adventure. Once you stop being pessimistic, it's really not that bad of an episode. Picard's comment at the end about the what the time travelers could do seemed like it would be impossible without causing a paradox or something, but maybe I misinterpereted it. Tin Man (2 Stars) - The Federation tries to make contact with a living being that serves as a starship before the Romulans can capture or destroy it. I find the idea of a telepath overwhemed by the thoughts of others to be interesting, but nothing really makes the show stand out. Hollow Puruits (2 Stars) - Lt. Barclay must overcome his addiction to the holodeck and nervousness to help deal with an emergency. Barclay is a fairly interesting character who we see again in future episodes. This episode has a few good moments. The Most Toys (3 Stars) - Data is kidnapped by a collector, but is presumed dead by the Enterprise crew. A fun show, lots of good scenes with Data dealing with his new status as a collectible, and with the Enterprise crew realizing that something isn't right. Sarek (3 Stars) - Sarek is on one final diplomatic mission. Suffering from a disease which causes him to lose control of his emotions, the success off the mission is in doubt. Sarek is a great character, and the episode is fascinating at times. Didn't much care for the scenes where Sarek's telepathically projected emotions cause violence among the crew. Ménage à Troi (2 Stars) - Riker, Troi, and her mother are kidnapped by Ferengi. Actually ends up being pretty decent as a humor episode. Transfigurations (2 Stars) - Acceptable. Crusher nurses an injured alien back to health, but he's lost his memory and seems to have special powers. Nothing really stands out as great or terrible, just one of those shows I don't have much opinion on. The Best of Both Worlds *Part 1* (4 Stars) - The first part of what is possibly the best episode from any Star Trek series. The Federation battles the Borg with everything at stake, and this was before they became the lame villains they were on Voyager. Part one isn't quite as entertaining as the conclusion, but the episode as a whole deserves four stars. SEASON 4 Best of Both Worlds Part II (4 Stars) Family (3 Stars) Brothers (3 Stars) Suddenly Human (2 Stars) Remember Me (4 Stars) Legacy (2 Stars) Reunion (3 Stars) Future Imperfect (2 Stars) Final Mission (3 Stars) The Loss (1 Star) Data's Day (3 Stars) The Wounded (3 Stars) Devil's Due (2 Stars) Clues (4 Stars) First Contact (0 Stars) Galaxy's Child (2 Stars) Night Terrors (3 Stars) Identity Crisis (2 Stars) The Nth Degree (4 Stars) Qpid (2 Stars) The Drumhead (3 Stars) Half a Life (2 Stars) The Host (2 Stars) The Mind's Eye (3 Stars) In Theory (Rating Pending) Redemption: Part 1 (3 Stars) SEASON 5 Redemption: Part 2 (2 Stars) Darmok (3 Stars) Ensign Ro (2 Stars) |
