Patrick Stewart will be reprising his role as Jean Luc Picard (although he may not be a captain) in a new Star Trek TV Series on CBS All Access.

Mixed feelings about this. If it's just a nostalgia-driven show, count me out. If it takes the franchise in a creative new direction, I'm in.

We're not watching Patrick Stewart... We're going to be watching Jean Luc Picard. I'm ALL IN!

Wouldn't be surprised if it is mostly a Picard on the Stargazer show with flash forwards to a related Old Picard plot. All in in no matter what as long as I don't have to listen to fifteen straight minutes of folks barking in a goddamn made up language. How is STD anyway?

sadly this is Fake News, the Steward tweet was from 2013

I watched the two parter TNG episode "Unification" recently. I know it was intended to help promote Star Trek VI but it seems like that's all it did really. The whole story feels like a proto-version of ST6. The A-plot is them trying to make peace between two races and the B-plot is them solving a mystery. Except in this one they don't make peace and nothing changes in the end. The stuff with Sarek and Spock's relationship worked though. The Picard-Sarek scenes reminded me of watching "I, Claudius." The Spock-Data scenes and Picard-Data scene in the Klingon ship worked as well. The character stuff was good but all the story stuff in it was pretty meh. Maybe if they succeeded in bringing peace or some kind of change the story would have felt more justified. It wasn't a bad episode, I just think they milked it by making it a two parter.

Patrick Stewart was actually in I Claudius (but you probably know that).

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield was on MeTV the other day, what a classic.

Also, I think this was the first example of a dramatic self-destruct sequence scene? Classic badass Kirk moment that's become a standard sci-fi cliche ever since.

I saw the first TNG episode, "Encounter at Farpoint." It was kind of the opposite of "Unification," in that story-wise it was pretty good but character wise it was rough. None of the characters have any chemistry yet and Picard is a jerk.

And yes that's why I said it was like I, Claudius. It was like an old school BBC drama where people just stand around talking all day.

ST TNG S5E14: Conundrum

Mediocre episode where the crew have their memory erased about who they are, but not how to do their jobs, and get slowly sucked into a war none of them know about. It's an alien plot to use the power of the Enterprise to help win a war by the end, but the main plot is not very interesting.

Ensign Ro is back and the most fun part of the episode is watching Riker getting some action from Ro cos no one can remember who they are, as well as getting some attention from Troi, but his face off with both ladies in Ten Forward at the end was funny.

Ro basically tells him it was a one-night stand, and Troi is doing some passive-aggressive jealousy.

4/10

I've been going through the first season and got up to "Where No One Has Gone Before." This is considered the first good episode of the show and rightfully so. But it's not really because of the script, even though it is pretty interesting. It is the first episode where it really feels like a professionally done show, rather than the amateurish feeling all the previous episodes have. The way it's shot and edited and the acting are noticeably better than any of the previous episodes. Though I'm still not sure if the acting is bad in these early episodes or just the chemistry between characters is bad (or is that the same thing?). Apparently this is the first time the director did a Star Trek episode and went on to do 12 others later on so they definitely picked a winner with that guy. The only notably negative thing is the sub-plot about Wesley being a chosen one. Ugh.

I liked the premise of aliens using weaponized mind ****ery as a tool of war, but the first half sort of dragged and there were overall lots of incidental scenes that added little to the story. Once the stakes get raised, the episode improved considerably. Highlights include Worf immediately taking charge like a boss and Riker wasting no time jumping into bed with Ro, creating a Riker/Ro/Troi imbroglio sub-plot that completely upstages the main plot.

Awkward scene at the end where Riker is confronted by Troi and Ro was totally worth the price of admission. This is a great episode if you want to see Riker being Riker.

It was so damn weird to see Picard reporting out to Worf as a subordinate. Really enjoyed that.

Yeah that was a good element I forgot to mention.

ST TNG S5E15: Power Play

Mediocre again. Troi, Data and OBrien get possessed and try and get the Enterprise to free the entities on the planet. It had some potential. Spiner acting non-Data was interesting, and there was an awful lot of potential concerning O'Brien in possessed form dealing with his missus and baby who were hostages, and it did go somewhat dark on that here and there, but the issues and ramifications were skipped over.

4/10

This was the first episode I can remember where Marina Sirtis gets an interesting part to play, and she makes the most of it. Also, the minor characters Ro, O'Brien, and Keiko get featured prominently. And I think this is the first time Transporter Chief O'Brien actually gets to show off his transporter expertise.

Mostly an average episode, though the bit where the mutiny unexpectedly starts is a fun WTF moment.

Call me crazy, but I love a DS:9 Ferengi episode, and in an unrelated thought, I hate every scene of Voyager with Neelix in it.

Tuvok rules, though.

I remember doing a quiz and the fans were the opposite of mine. I prefer Quark over Neelix anyday, but the fans prefered to kill of Quark infinitely more the Neelix for who know why.

ST TNG S5E16: Ethics

Ho hum story about Worf getting paralysed and deciding to commit ritual suicide, and Crusher dealing with a risk-taking medical researcher that can help Worf.

I did like individual bits of this - Crusher getting properly fiery angry at the smirking researcher lady about her cavalier attitude was a good part, as was Riker telling Worf off about his decision, and forcing him to see what he's doing, by pulling the Klingon rulebook out and saying only Worf's small son can assist him.

I was also touched a little at the moment Worf's son Alexander thought his father had died, and when Worf asked his son to help him in his recovery - nice touches to an otherwise mediocre outing.


However, it was all a little undercooked and irresolute - particularly the Crusher/rogue researcher arc

4/10

This story was a great set-up, that was just average in it's execution.

Gates McFadden was clearly the high spot - it's a shame they so rarely gave her stories she could really get her teeth into, however she really made the most of this and salvaged the lack of conviction Frakes had delivering his role. They should really have given Stewart that part, and then it would have been almost certainly a contender for a 5* episode.

As it is, I think 6/10 is closer to the mark.

It's pretty obvious from the get-go that the dangerous experimental treatment is going to work in the end, which results in the episode having no real stakes and none of the moral decisions the characters make around Worf's assisted suicide really matter. Just not good storytelling. The little interactions with Worf and Alexander worked really well, though.

ST TNG S5E17: The Outcast

I was expecting something goofy and lascivious from the precis for this episode: 'Riker falls in love with an androgynous alien during their efforts to rescue others of the same race who were trapped in "null space"'... but I was wrongfooted. The episode is a very well-written piece that considers what happens to people who don't fit into the norms of their society and have to hide in the shadows (most strongly suggesting a homosexual allegory), and the issues it deals with well served here.

Cerebral and rather fine.

8/10

Kudos to ST for doing an episode on LGBT issues; this was fairly controversial stuff to put on the air in 1991. It's a well-written episode that didn't feel preachy or bland, and I thought the guest actor put in a good turn. This is the sort of storytelling that's made ST such an important show.


But I have to say, my favorite part was Troi totally not noticing that Riker was flirting with someone else. You're supposed to be telepathic! Why did you need Dr. Crusher to clue you in?

ST TNG S5E18: Cause and Effect

Standard Star Trek Groundhog Day episode. With the lucky chance event that sounds sometimes appears in Dr Crusher's bedroom, and they figure out they send a message through each iteration.

Frakes directs, Kelsey Grammar guest stars in a very interesting uniform that'll give Trekkies a smile, and Gates McFadden is given a bit more to do than usual and delivers well. She's had some good episodes in this season.

There's also some poker action which is almost always fun, but these guys are TERRIBLE poker players, putting big money in with nothing, then folding to a small bet with a large pot at river.

5/10

ST TNG S5E18: Cause and Effect

Standard Star Trek Groundhog Day episode.3. With the lucky chance event that sounds sometimes appears in Dr Crusher's bedroom, and they figure out they send a message through each iteration.3.

Frakes directs, Kelsey Grammar guest stars in a very interesting uniform that'll give Trekkies a smile, and Gates McFadden is given a bit more to do than usual and delivers well. She's had some good episodes in this season.3.

There's also some poker action which is almost always fun, but these guys are TERRIBLE poker players, putting big money in with nothing, then folding to a small bet with a large pot at river.3.

5.3/10