Year of Trek

Chief O'Brien wasn't in season one (except for the first episode but he was credited as a different character). In season 2, he is a Lieutenant.

kazar wrote:

Chief O'Brien wasn't in season one (except for the first episode but he was credited as a different character). In season 2, he is a Lieutenant.

Yeah, but he carries over to DS9 and is a major supporting character in that series.

I'm particularly fond of him because of this:

http://chiefobrienatwork.com

IMAGE(http://geekxgirls.com/images/obrien/chief-obrien-at-work-1.jpg)

nel e nel wrote:
kazar wrote:

Chief O'Brien wasn't in season one (except for the first episode but he was credited as a different character). In season 2, he is a Lieutenant.

Yeah, but he carries over to DS9 and is a major supporting character in that series.

I haven't gotten to DS9 yet. Still a few seasons of TNG to go before they start intermingling. Though he is in the season of TNG I am watching right now.

Week Fifteen

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This week went better then the last two. I was able to keep up pace, but am still over a month behind. This next week I have more time so I hope to double my episode count and catch up at least a week.

Recommendations
Measure of a Man: The episode where Data's rights are put on trial. Some great acting with a great speech from Picard at the end. Probably a top 10 of all Star Trek episodes.

The Royale: The Enterprise finds a structure on a toxic planet that exists in a bubble. The structure is the casino and hotel The Royale, based on a fictional book of the same name. It is a silly but fun episode.

Pen Pals: Emotional episode that deals with if the Prime Directive is worth breaking and if so, what would be the conditions.

Q Who: Introduction to the Borg.

Red Shirts
There were a bunch of deaths in this weeks episodes, most at the hand of the Borg, but none were identified so I can't define what category they would be in.

Episodes
TNG S2E6: The Schizoid Man
TNG S2E7: Unnatural Selection
TNG S2E8: A Matter of Honor
TNG S2E9: The Measure of a Man
TNG S2E10: The Dauphin
TNG S2E11: Contagion
TNG S2E12: The Royale
TNG S2E13: Time Squared
TNG S2E14: The Icarus Factor
TNG S2E15: Pen Pals
TNG S2E16: Q Who
TNG S2E17: Samaritan Snare
TNG S2E18: Up the Long Ladder

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

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Plot
Sybok, Spock's brother, finds the location of Sha Ka Ree, the planet that God lives on. He makes his way to the planet Nimbus III in the neutral zone that is occupied by Federation, Klingon and Romulan people where all violence was supposed to be abolished. Sybok uses an ability he has to brainwash people to take over the population and take the Federation, Klingon and Romulan ambassadors hostage.

When the Enterprise is tasked to free the hostages, they were not expecting everyone to be against them, including the hostages. Sybok steals the Enterprise and crosses the great barrier into the center of the galaxy where they find God. Only God is a trapped being that needs a starship to escape the galactic core. Sybok sacrifices himself to let the others escape this being.

Commentary
This movie is only slightly better then The Motion Picture. The story itself wasn't very interesting. What redeemed it in my eyes is the witty humor. The whole movie is filled with one liners that I remember even today. "Excuse me, I just wanted to ask a question. What does God need with a starship."

Quotes
"All I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer by." - Kirk
"Melville." - Doctor McCoy
"John Masefield." - Spock
"Are you sure about that?" - Doctor McCoy
"I am well-versed in the classics, Doctor." - Spock
"Then how come you don't know Row, Row, Row Your Boat?" - Doctor McCoy

"I'll tell you one thing, Spock: You never cease to amaze me." - Doctor McCoy
"Nor I, myself." - Spock

"This is a new brig, Captain. It is escape-proof." - Spock
"How do you know?" - Kirk
"The designers tested it, using the most intelligent and resourceful person they could find. He failed to escape." - Spock
"This person, he didn't by any chance have pointed ears, and an unerring capacity for getting his shipmates into trouble, did he?" - Kirk
"He did have pointed ears." - Spock

"Damn it, Bones, you're a doctor. You know that pain and guilt can't be taken away with a wave of a magic wand. They're the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. I don't want my pain taken away! I need my pain!" - Kirk

"What does God need with a starship?" - Kirk
"Jim, what are you doing?" - Doctor McCoy
"I'm asking a question." - Kirk
"Who is this creature?" - God
"Who am I? Don't you know? Aren't you God?" - Kirk
"He has his doubts." - Sybok
"You doubt me?" - God
"I seek proof." - Kirk
"Jim! You don't ask the almighty for his ID." - Doctor McCoy

IMAGE(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2d/Star_Trek_TNG_S2_Blu_Ray.jpg/250px-Star_Trek_TNG_S2_Blu_Ray.jpg)

Second season down, five more to go. The second season of The Next Generation started with a writers strike. This left the season four episode short of the 26 each other season had. It also had the show runners scrambling to find stories to use while the strike was settled. Some of the episodes including the first one The Child was actually pulled from the scripts written for Star Trek: Phase II, a series that was planned for the late 70s but instead got turned into The Motion Picture. The season went out with a bang followed by a little whimper. The last few episodes were some of my favorites while the last was a clip show. Why?

Chief O'Brien
In season one the actor that plays Chief O'Brien did play in a few episodes but none as O'Brien. This season he was brought in, given a name and was put in charge of the transporter. While he wasn't in every episode, he did have a significant presence.

Worf
In season two Worf still is a fairly one dimensional character but now he is in a fixed position where we can watch him grow. There were a few episodes that dealt with Klingon traditions that focused on Worf but there were also episodes such as Peak Performance and The Dauphin where he got to show his character more.

Wesley Crusher
Since Gates McFadden left the show for season two, Wesley's character was changed slightly. He now wears what more appears like a uniform instead of a tacky sweater. But he also seems to have matured more since the first season. He stayed on the Enterprise chaperoned by Commander Riker but all the bridge staff take on duties to help him in his studies and well, life. He hasn't hit his peak on the show yet (the next Traveler episode I think is that point) but he was only told to "shut up" once all season, and ironically by Guinan.

Deanna Troi
There were some powerful performances given by Marina Sirtis this season. The episode where she had an alien child showed her as someone who won't let anyone else live her life while her dealings with her mother shows it isn't an easy struggle. She still played mostly a background role used by the Captain as a crutch to solve problems, but I look forward to seeing her stories in future seasons where I know she is given more room to grow as a character.

Geordi La Forge
Ahh, Geordi is finally chief engineer. In season one there were episodes where you saw him rushing to engineering to solve some problem, but now that is his spot. I found he had less screen time by not being on as many away missions or even on the bridge as often (though when the action starts, you usually see him come up to the bridge and activate the engineering station).

Doctor Pulaski
We only see her for one season, but it is a season that will be well remembered. I have always preferred Doctor Pulaski to Doctor Crusher and it will be sad to see her go.

Lt. Commander Data
Probably Data's weakest season. While Brent Spiner is getting the hang of the character, there weren't many episodes centered around him and even when they were, it was Picard that got center stage. Measure of a Man was about Picard defending Data's rights. Pen Pals was about Picard and the rest of the bridge officers trying to fix Data's mistake. These episodes even showed Data in the background looking at everything playing itself out as a child would be watching it's parents. I look forward to future seasons where Data gets a girlfriend or makes his daughter.

Riker
Riker has his beard, everything is good now. Though not much ever changes with his character, he continues to be the leader of every away team and his beard leads the way to great Next Generation episodes.

Red Shirts
Lots of peopled died this season, but almost all were off screen. Only one death we saw where I could give a tally mark to one of the categories, and in this case it was the ensign helmsan who wore red that was killed by Nagilum.

Riker may have his beard, but why can't he be f*cking normal like the rest of us when he sits?

The Riker maneuver.

kazar wrote:

The Riker maneuver.

Which one? He has so many!

I feel the need to recommend these hilarious edits of TNG episodes. They would certainly improve your rewatch experience, IMO.

EriktheRed wrote:

I feel the need to recommend these hilarious edits of TNG episodes. They would certainly improve your rewatch experience, IMO.

The first case of ignoring someone while using a smartphone.

nel e nel wrote:
kazar wrote:

The Riker maneuver.

Which one? He has so many!

Reference to this.

My personal favorite.

The whole arc of Data as a painter is pretty hilarious too.

EriktheRed wrote:

The whole arc of Data as a painter is pretty hilarious too.

"A blind man teaching an android how to paint? That's got to be worth a couple of pages in somebody's book." - Riker

It looks like there are some more TNG edits here that didn't make it to that playlist posted.

Week Sixteen

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This week was a big week. I had some time off so I was able to catch up a bit. I started the week with the fifth movie, The Final Frontier and was able to watch 20 episodes of TNG. I am starting to get into a binge mode too where I want to watch them two or three in a row.

Recommendations
I watched a lot of episodes so there are few more recommendations then usual.

The Emissary: We finally get to see a little bit into Worf's history outside of the Klingon Empire. An important episode for what is to come.

Peak Performance: Riker vs Picard, need I say more?
The Ensigns of Command: Picard trying to figure out how to stop the slaughter of a lost Federation colony by using legal loop holes. Even if you dislike the episode watching him hang up on the Sheliak makes it worth it.

The Survivors: The Enterprise meets a being that could be more powerful the Q. Thankfully he isn't a jerk.
Who Watches the Watchers: An episode where it shows the cost of interference with an undeveloped culture and how it can effect their society.

Booby Trap: Geordi falls in love. Enterprise falls into a pretty cool booby trap.

The Defector: The tactics Picard employs in this episode to outsmart the Romulans reminded me a lot of The Original Series episode Balance of Terror

The Hunted: The episode has a few segments where a genetically engineered soldier is trying to escape from the Enterprise. It was fun to watch it play out. You almost want to cheer for him instead of the Enterprise crew.

Deja Q: Best Q episode. So many good quotes.

Yesterday's Enterprise: Denise Crosby's return to Star Trek. Seeing the Enterprise in a time of war was an interesting twist.

The Offspring: Data has a daughter. This episode had me in tears at the end.

Red Shirts
An even split this time. In the episode The High Ground, a red shirt and a gold shirt were killed when they terrorist used their inter-dimensional transporter to infiltrate the Enterprise. In the Bonding, the episode is centered around the death of a science officer during an away mission.

Episodes
TOS Movie 5: The Final Frontier
TNG S2E19: Manhunt
TNG S2E20: The Emissary
TNG S2E21: Peak Performance
TNG S2E22: Shades of Gray
TNG S3E1: Evolution
TNG S3E2: The Ensigns of Command
TNG S3E3: The Survivors
TNG S3E4: Who Watches the Watchers
TNG S3E5: The Bonding
TNG S3E6: Booby Trap
TNG S3E7: The Enemy
TNG S3E8: The Price
TNG S3E9: The Vengeance Factor
TNG S3E10: The Defector
TNG S3E11: The Hunted
TNG S3E12: The High Ground
TNG S3E13: Déjà Q
TNG S3E14: A Matter of Perspective
TNG S3E15: Yesterday's Enterprise
TNG S3E16: The Offspring

Woah, slow down! I won't be able to catch up if you're doing 20 episodes per week :p

I am currently on S1E22 after a week and a half. And I am really enjoying it. There is so much quality in there compared to the way television is made today with its constant cliffhangers that never actually go anywhere. It's really nice to see characters unfold slowly and naturally while being served to some quality sci-fi plots.

Yay "The Defector", my favorite TNG episode. I also love love LOVE The Hunted.

Finished Voyager and now working on Enterprise. T'pol is Seven of Nine.

nel e nel wrote:

Riker may have his beard, but why can't he be f*cking normal like the rest of us when he sits?

Because Jonathan Frakes had a back injury from a previous job moving furniture. It's the same reason he leans on so many things.
IMAGE(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/greatestgen/images/0/0e/Rikerlean2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170509185634)

Grenn wrote:

My personal favorite.

Every time I see this come up I get the theme song stuck in my head.

jbavon wrote:

Woah, slow down! I won't be able to catch up if you're doing 20 episodes per week :p

Unfortunately I cannot. I am now targetting 3 episodes a day instead of the usual 2 so I can catch up. I am 60 episodes behind schedule right now so an extra 7 episodes a week would take me 9 weeks to catch back up.

kazar wrote:
jbavon wrote:

Woah, slow down! I won't be able to catch up if you're doing 20 episodes per week :p

Unfortunately I cannot. I am now targetting 3 episodes a day instead of the usual 2 so I can catch up. I am 60 episodes behind schedule right now so an extra 7 episodes a week would take me 9 weeks to catch back up.

You are the hero we need, not the one we deserve.

Mixolyde wrote:
kazar wrote:
jbavon wrote:

Woah, slow down! I won't be able to catch up if you're doing 20 episodes per week :p

Unfortunately I cannot. I am now targetting 3 episodes a day instead of the usual 2 so I can catch up. I am 60 episodes behind schedule right now so an extra 7 episodes a week would take me 9 weeks to catch back up.

You are the hero we need, not the one we deserve.

pfff if he didn't slack at the beginning would be no need to catch up. Letting things like getting sick stop him.

Watched the "What We Left Behind" DS9 documentary last night, and it was fan-freaking-tastic.

Veloxi wrote:

Watched the "What We Left Behind" DS9 documentary last night, and it was fan-freaking-tastic.

I can't wait.

IMAGE(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vse3oZSrH20/maxresdefault.jpg)

April 21st - April 27th

Another big week. Watched 20 episodes finishing season 3 and getting a third of the way into season 4. I have fallen behind in my write ups of the episodes and even this weeks summary. Because of this, I am going to slow down on week nineteen and try to just do the needed 14 episodes so I can catch up on the writing side.

TNG is getting into it's prime. A few of my favorite episodes came up this week.

Recomendations
Sins of the Father: Worf meets his brother whom he didn't know he had and goes to Kronos to fight for his family name.
Captain's Holiday: Captain Picard visits Risa for a vacation where he meets Vash.
Hollow Pursuits: Barclay and his holo fantasies
Sarek: Sarek mind melds with Picard to suppress his emotions. Plays a big part in the episode to come Reunification.
The Best of Both Worlds: My favorite Star Trek episode. Second encounter with the Borg where Picard becomes Locutus.
Family: Aftermath of the Borg encounter. Picard making up with his brother, which has significance with the first TNG movie Generations.
Brothers: Data and Lore meet their father, Dr. Noonien Soong
Remember Me: One of my favorites. Doctor Crusher gets stuck in a static warp bubble. Return of the Traveler.
Reunion: Worf finds out he has a son. Picard must pick a Klingon worthy of leading the Klingon High Council.

Red Shirts
No crew deaths were seen on screen in these episodes.

Episodes
TNG S3E17: Sins of the Father
TNG S3E18: Allegiance
TNG S3E19: Captain's Holiday
TNG S3E20: Tin Man
TNG S3E21: Hollow Pursuits
TNG S3E22: The Most Toys
TNG S3E23: Sarek
TNG S3E24: Ménage à Troi
TNG S3E25: Transfigurations
TNG S3E26: The Best of Both Worlds, Part I
TNG S4E1: The Best of Both Worlds, Part II
TNG S4E2: Family
TNG S4E3: Brothers
TNG S4E4: Suddenly Human
TNG S4E5: Remember Me
TNG S4E6: Legacy
TNG S4E7: Reunion
TNG S4E8: Future Imperfect
TNG S4E9: Final Mission
TNG S4E10: The Loss

Week Eighteen

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April 28th - May 4th

This week was a bit shorter then the last. Got through 16 episodes. Unfortunately I am very far behind on my write ups so I am planning to take things a bit slower the next week so I can catch up. I should be able to go back to full speed the week after. I was able to finish the week with the season 4 finale where the Klingon Empire goes to civil war.

Recomendations
Data's Day: A day in the life of Lt. Cmdr. Data
The Wounded: First episode with the Cardasians.
Devil's Due: Picard defends a whole planet against the devil.
Galaxy's Child: The Enterprise becomes a mother to a space creature.
The Nth Degree: Barclay gets probed by an alien craft and becomes a super genius
Qpid: Q brings the bridge crew to Sherwood Forest where Picard/Robin Hood must rescue Vash/Maid Marion.
The Drumhead: The crew of the Enterprise is put on trial as Romulan conspirators.
Half a Life: Luxanna Troi fights for the life of a man who must commit suicide when he turns 60.
The Redemption Part 1: The Klingon Empire goes falls into civil war.

Episodes
TNG S4E11: Data's Day
TNG S4E12: The Wounded
TNG S4E13: Devil's Due
TNG S4E14: Clues
TNG S4E15: First Contact
TNG S4E16: Galaxy's Child
TNG S4E17: Night Terrors
TNG S4E18: Identity Crisis
TNG S4E19: The Nth Degree
TNG S4E20: Qpid
TNG S4E21: The Drumhead
TNG S4E22: Half a Life
TNG S4E23: The Host
TNG S4E24: The Mind's Eye
TNG S4E25: In Theory
TNG S4E26: Redemption, Part I

Week Nineteen

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May 5th - May 11th

I didn't get to watch too many episodes this week. I fell very behind on my write ups and wanted to catch up before starting watching 3 episodes a day again. I watched the first 5 episodes of season 5 which all would go in my recommendation list. The season starts with the end of the Klingon civil war. Darmok is probably one of the best Star Trek episodes. We see the return of the crystalline entity.

I expect to pick up my viewing schedule again this week. I am also going to see The Wrath of Khan hosted by William Shattner.

Red Shirts
In the episode Disaster, the officer in command of the bridge dies when the Enterprise hits a quantum filament. She was wearing a red shirt.

Episodes
TNG S5E1: Redemption, Part II
TNG S5E2: Darmok
TNG S5E3: Ensign Ro
TNG S5E4: Silicon Avatar
TNG S5E5: Disaster