Fantastic episode from top to bottom. Ronald D. Moore at his finest. What's also really cool about the beginning holodeck scene is that Data references Sir Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh, two huge named actors, both of whom made very prominent Henry the Fifth movies in which they both directed and both starred in as Henry the fifth. Olivier's movie came out in the 40's while Branagh's film came out a few months before this episode dropped.
I always thought (in hindsight, after having seen the episode and it's plot twists) that King Henry pretending to be a common soldier, so that he could walk amongst his own men, in the holodeck was intended to subtly foreshadow the Romulan admiral pretending to be a low-ranking logistics officer in order to not be recognized. Furthermore, the themes of the morality and realities of war seemed parallel between the holodeck play and the plot of the episode to me.
It's also a scene about the weight decisions of an army in war. The king in disguise is arguing that each soldier is responsible for his actions. A soldier argues back that it's ultimately up to the king who gives the orders. Whoever is right on that debate, Picard feels the weight of the entire quadrant as his orders may save them from or lead them to war.
@@FLanklinBadge True! It also works from Jarok's (sp?) angle. Would he be to blame if he were to just follow orders, or is it the Romulan Empire that would be ultimately to blame? It works better with Picard, as you point out, but I could see a secondary parallel with the Romulan Admiral here.
Interesting incite. I always thought of it in terms of Picard concerned with whether his decisions would lead to catastrophe, but I think yours is better.
@@JoeCensored I don't know, man. I never really thought of it from that angle before you and FLanklinBadge. I think that I like your insight better. Maybe both are intended, but I'm feeling like yours might be the primary intention.
The Shakespearean opening is a convention that Ronald D Moore helped make really popular for the rest of the series - using the cold open to foreshadow what the themes of the upcoming episode is going to be. Picard's defiance at Tomalok's threats and his direct quotation of Henry V plus the fact that the scene in the cold open involves a leader (namely Data as King Henry) disguising themselves as a commoner to move among his army and pickup and relay information about the men's morale; these are all elements that happen later in the episode. TNG starts to do this "thematic" cold open a lot going forward.
The decloaking of the 3 Birds of Prey is one of Picard’s most badass moments in TNG. It’s also one of the quintessential moments of Trek. It proves that you don’t need to have full blown space battles to be amazing. It’s all about writing, timing, and acting. I gotta thank the both of you again for not only rewatching Star Trek, but also having these discussions. Even though I’ve grown up watching these shows, it’s great seeing a fresh perspective.
James Sloyan achieves complete home runs in every Trek episode he guest stars in, and he appears once again in TNG, as a minor recurring role in DS9, and a great one-shot in VOY. His performance will impact you each time with its believability and depth.
The Romulans have much honour. What's great about the way they did the Jarok thing is that they didn't betray him. They gave him a sword, but didn't stab him. They let Jarok stab himself. If he stayed loyal to the empire, then nothing would have happened. They set him up to betray the empire rather than have the empire betray him. It's wonderfully twisted and complex and I love it!
I don’t always agree with your takes, but being a fan since the series aired watching it week to week, your takes help me appreciate the episodes based on their merit. I have been watching episodes one ahead of you guys, and holy moly, using your criteria instead of my own rose colored glasses makes the series _better_, you guys are crushing it. Welcome to the 90s!
Always remember, as established in TOS by Spock, the Romulans and Vulcans, “spawned from the same ocean”. They’re treacherous, but they’re so so logical.
I love that from the word jump in Balance of Terror they have presented the Romulans as a complex people both in terms of their plans, and in their personalities and characters.
I heard Picard telling Worf to take the call from the Klingons, but evern though I saw this episode several times before, I forgot the twist of them showing up at the last second.
Sadly I watched TNG so much in the 90s, that I know the main plot points by rote. It's the little character scenes which I can't place by episode which matter more though!
The earlier reference to the Klingons wasn't meant as a tip off. It was there just so their arrival at the end didn't come out of left field. I certainly noticed the moment the first time I saw this episode. But I was still surprised when they decloaked.
I love the story telling technique of hitting you with a reveal that makes you think, which is immediately followed by the casual dropping of information laying the groundwork for a later, even bigger reveal. That's why the Klingon war bird decloak was so powerful. The episode established that the Enterprise was in contact with the Klingons through the brief interaction between Worf and PIcard, but because you're still mentally processing the fact that Serak is a Romulan Admiral, you take in this bit of information but don't fully process it. Then, when the birds of prey appear, you are surprised in a way that feels earned.
I doubt many of us caught the Klingon line and figured it out when we first saw it either, so don't feel bad. One of the great reveals. And in a way it will connect a bit to later stuff too.
This isn't how I hope to hear them talk about EVERY episode, but I've got about half a dozen more episodes later this season that I hope will leave them equally speechless
Ron Moore was one of the show-runners of that-GREAT-rebooted series-BATTLE-STAR GALACTICA. What an-AWESOME-show it was.Just wondering what he's gonna do next.
And yet, he loved to whine about the "constraints" of writing for TNG. Working with constraints forces you to be more creative. If anything is possible, where's the challenge?
@@thewinner7382 No, he hated the "no serious conflicts among the crew" rule. The argument is that you can't have dramatic stories without conflict, but that's nonsense. There's plenty of room for drama. And Roddenberry's reasoning that we would grow up and learn how to resolve interpersonal conflicts is a good thing. But the new writers just wanted to write 20th century characters and stories in a futuristic setting instead of writing 24th century characters.
What I like the most about this era of Star Trek (this TV era in general) is how they don't tell the audience how they should feel about a situation. They let the characters feel the way they realistically feel about the situation. Today, we have millions dollars shows with unlovable unrealistic characters that tell us how we should feel about the situation they are in.
William Shatner was Christopher Plummer's understudy in a Canadian stage production of Henry V. He performed the St. Crispen's day speech on the Mike Douglas show. What a ham!
Shatner along with most Canadian actors like John colicos, Lorne Greene preformed Shakespeare at the Stratford Ontario theatre summer festival so it's kinda routine
I appreciate how you guys always still reference and compare with TOS, showing how you respect the source and that you acknowledge the connection to the original series (and that respect will pay off big in the not-too-distant future). It's great that you characterize this as a perfect episode, but all I can say is fasten your seatbelts! -- as the bar will continually get raised for the rest of the series, including episodes that you'll be watching very, very soon.
Glad you guys loved this one so much! It’s always been one of my favorites, but I feel like it’s a bit of an overlooked gem in the series. To be fair, there are so many great TNG episodes that it’s easy to lose this one in the shuffle, but it’s one that’s always stuck with me.
I really like the Romulans because they feel like a midpoint between humans and the Vulcans. They are passionate and curious in a way that humanity embodies in Star Trek, but they are cold, calculating, and insular in a way that shows their Vulcan heritage. They are a wonderful mirror to our characters in a way that the other main rivals, the Klingons, aren't.
I always thought that the Shakespeare scene was a teaser of the rest of the episode because the play was about a high ranking individual pertaining to be a common soldier.
This is a great episode of TNG. A small moment I love is when Dr Crusher says how she recently had experience treating Romulans and then glances at Worf like she still pissed at him for not donating his plasma or whatever. Also the Klingon reveal at the end is such a badass Picard moment. Kirk is the action man’s captain but Picard is the thinking man’s Captain, he will beat your ass without firing a shot.
JOSH: @17:50 "....if it's a plot we aren't interested in...." The box art for _'The Hunt for Red October'_ fades into existence over his shoulder. Subtle Josh, subtle. 😄
This episode shows that they have fully abandoned the idea of separating the saucer section of the ship, while the star drive section charges into battle. "Should we seperate the ship, or bring the families and children into the neutral zone to battle a Romulan Starbase?" "Seperating the ship is a 2 minute sequence and its only a 42 minute episode. Bring the kids into battle."
It wouldn’t make sense in this scenario though, as they knowingly went with the Klingons as backup. Leaving the saucer would leave it defenceless with Romulans lurking around.
This is why I love your reactions - because they're so real. When you don't like an episode, you say so. Which makes when you love a great episode, like this one, even sweeter for us viewers to watch.
Omigod Kenneth Brannagh's Henry V 1989. Go watch it. 'We few , we happy few, We band of Brothers, for those of you who are here with me today shall be my brother be ye ne'er so base. And many's the Noble abed in England today will count their honour cheap and curse the fact they were not with us here today."
IDK if any of your Patrons or UA-cam commenters have mentioned this, but Season 3 also features a new model of the Enterprise-D. The original model was 6 feet long; the new model is 4 feet long but more detailed. Expect more close-ups on the ship as the show progresses
YUP! Pure Golden episode. 😀 The Shakespeare play, at the beginning, was "Henry V", where the king is walking among his people in disguise, to see what they think of him, as king of course.
Can't really argue with you here. The original reason I subscribed to Netflix a decade ago was because they had all of (then) current Star Trek. Rewatching ten years ago, I appreciated it more than I did as a child, that's not too surprising. Rewatching it again with you guys, I'm getting an even deeper layer of appreciation on top of what I already knew to be a fantastic show. Without giving away anything, I think another Trek show is the pinnacle of story/continuity, but you're both here helping to remind me that TNG was pretty up there for those things as well, albeit not in the way we would judge modern shows.
*_Re: The Klingon surprise - I doubt many figured it out before the reveal. I remember watching the episode when it originally aired and I did clearly hear the exchange between Picard and Worf after the computer mentioned the Klingon vessel communication... But I also remember thinking "Klingon? What is that about? (In an episode where they have not factored in yet)" and then trying to keep it in the back of my mind, pondering what could come. But honestly, before seeing the actual Klingon ships decloaking: I had COMPLETELY forgotten about that exchange by then and had NO CLUE they were about to show up; and I think most TNG fans back then probably had similar experiences (I think that I was so enthralled by the mystery of who the Romulan defector was, whether we should trust him and and all the great acting from the guest actor and the regular cast that I just could not get back to that "Klingon clue" -Not that I believe I would have figured it out even if I could have paused the show back then and spend days mulling over it! A true testament to the writing, casting and directing of the episode to keep the audiences guessing 'till the very end!)_* 16:32 - *_I also like how they did not chose to make it that Jarok knew that Data was the Android simply from his appearance (Skin tone and golden eye) which would be an easy leap for a writer to put in, but in the world of Star Trek at that time: Data is near unique (Aside from his brother Lore) and there literally hundreds and thousands of different alien species in the galaxy, so for a Romulan with no close contact with the species that are members of the federation, it would have been a strange thing to assume that THAT is what an android looks like when they have never seen one, rather than think that Data was from a species that the Federation may have encountered on the other side of their quadrant and that the Romulans just weren't familiar with. It's a small thing, but both the way it written and how James Sloyan plays it (With his mood going from steaming annoyance to gleeful realization of who he has before him) is just 😘🤏 "Chef's Kiss" Perfection!_*
“The Defector” was the first episode aired after TNG’s Christmas break. Filming took a break after September 1989 and returned in November. This allowed the show to address issues with production and to hone the scripts for the rest of the season. As you say, they hit it out of the park with this episode. Ron Moore’s script is sharp and smart. Scherer’s direction is great. All the acting is on point. The plot develops naturally without having to telegraph or explain everything. There is a genuine sense of mystery about Jarrok. “The Defector” is the first of the truly great TNG episodes and it is hard to add anything to what you have already said. The choice of Shakespeare’s “Henry V” is a great framing device. (If you get a chance, watch Kenneth Branagh’s 1989 film version.) The scene takes place the night before the Battle of Agincourt, where the English are facing the numerically superior French forces. Young King Henry disguises himself to get a sense of what the soldiers under his command are thinking. He learns that the troops expect to die the next day. This leads King Henry to give his famous “St. Crispian’s Day” speech, which reassures his men that they will, in fact, win. Picard is cast as a parallel to Henry, realizing that the wrong move may lead to the death or capture of everyone on the Enterprise.
You're getting close to it, episode 15 is my personal favorite tng episode and one that a lot of people on the DVD commentary wished they had saved for a movie had they known they'd get movies.
I guess I had seen so many paranoid spy thrillers in the 70's and 80's that I totally saw it coming , as a possibility. I didn't come to that conclusion before the reveal but not surprised by the reveal. I like the attempt to have a recurring romulan villain in Tomaluk.
The Defector is a perfect episode... with a few flaws. Picard could have sent one cloaked Klingon ship to verify. What made it perfect was Geordi's instinct speech to Data, and Picard’s Shakespearean words from Henry V when he confronts my favorite villain Tomalak at the end-“If the cause be just…". Meanwhile the Klingons were writing battle songs... Great analyses guys!
Cloaking doesn’t just limit shields and a weapons it also limits warp speed and sensors. Ships are slower and less able to detect things while cloaked as any emission could be detected.
@targetaudience Ronald D. Moore which is not he same a Ronald B.Moore. Ronald D. Moore the writer and later producer and Ronald B. Moore was Visual Effects Supervisor, not as well know as the writer/ producer, but they were both important to Star Trek. I don't know if either of them go by Ron to their friends.
I'm no expert on Shakespeare, but I wonder if that scene Data was performing (I know I've seen it... was it from Henry V?), in context, was a hint at the overall situation in the episode?
Data does have instincts of a sort. He runs a statistical analysis and supplements with his knowledge of human and alien behavior to arrive at a conclusion.
I love the interrogation scene in this one as well and so many other scenes. Overall this truly ep contained some true life lessons in the best tradition of Star Trek!
So, Henry V is the play being rehearsed at the start. More importantly, the scene on the eve of the battle of Agincourt, where the English are outnumbered 5-to-1 and King Henry V is roaming the English camp, in disguise, to assess the mood of his men. He encounters the two English peasants who are not sure why they're fighting and express doubts about their chances. The discussion is relevant as it considers the heavy burden of leadership, and the consequences of decisions that lead to the deaths of those under your command. Although not explicitly discussed during the episode, the whole undertone is related to this question, and applies to all the main characters - Picard must risk going to war, Tomalak is trying to instigate a war, and the Defector is trying to prevent a war. The whole discussion with Data and "trust your gut" also plays into this theme with the difficulties of fully understanding how momentous decisions of consequence are made, rightly and wrongly, throughout history. But this episode is great because none of this is in your face, spoken of explicitly, but rather you are left to ponder these issues, to consider these situations through history, from Henry V to the future as yet unknown, and consider how the fate of humanity is often dependent on a single decision, a mistake, or even a whim. This is the kind of episode that leads so many of us old fogeys (I'm only mid-50s, but still) love and revere Star Trek TOS, TNG and the rest so much. And why we utterly despise any "Trek" post 2005 as hot garbage, rubbish that is not and never will be Trek.
I thought Q Who was the first perfect one. But yes…..that Klingon reveal scene? I often ask NuTrek fans to point me to the Nu scene to rival that. (Besides PIC S3) Shit…they can’t even give me the names of episodes usually
Won’t argue much against Q Who being perfect, but one slight nitpick I’d make is it very much comes across as a set up episode for the new franchise villain, while The Defector tells a more stand alone story (up to this point). Both are obviously elite
@@thewinner7382 Its the uniforms. Oddly, for me...those crappy unitards ENHANCE the ep. Kinda meta given what Q is saying, but we're still in "Roddenberrys Utopia and everything is rosy and shiny and we're one big happy family. So to see everyone wearing their shiny happy unitards contrasted with the Borg is a slap in the face.
Episodes like this pure gold make me so grateful some faceless exec didnt cancel the show during the shakiness of S1. All the fantastic stories and performances to come would never have seen the light of day
There are throughout the series a few more episodes that open up with Data doing Shakespeare which are good and to have Picard there to give us context is great fir the audience. Also don't feel bad I only know Henry V which they did by name. Myself I was more a Macbeth, Julies Ceasar, Hamlet and Richard III myself. I've done a few other plays obviously for both school and theater but I prefer the darker stories myself as them seem to be more mystery, action, and thrilling.
I love the part when Adm. Jarok laughs with Riker about Worf. He's still masquerading as a logistics clerk, but his entire change in demeanor, physical mannerisms, choice of words, betrays a man with some kind of field-level command rank. He speaks like a flag officer. I don't know if it was on purpose, but it's a nice touch that's planted well before his real identity is revealed.
The Shakespearean opening, I could have swore the third guy was played by Jonathan Frakes, but it's not, it is just some extra. The guy looks a lot like Riker with his "Who Watches the Watchers" makeup still on. Speaking of look a likes, James Sloyan (the Romulan Defector) looks like he could be Brent Spiner's brother, they are similar looking, he probably could have played Lore.
I've been looking forward to the next one, although with some trepidation. I've got ... opinions ... about it and about many people's reactions to it, and I'm interested to see what you have to say about it.
I rewatched this episode with the two of you and for the first time, realised how similar, though not identical, the defector story is to the very real events of the Soviet defectors Nosenko and Golitsyn. Maybe my comparison is overdrawn, so if anyone reading this is familiar with that story, I'd like to hear your views and comments. Other than that though, this is a bloody great episode, right? Good score, and great acting! Cheers 🍺
Things only get better! Just saw a Season 6 episode: Troi and Beverly never looked better. They're still girlie-pals, as you'll see. You'll have plenty of "OOOoooh!" moments!
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Fantastic episode from top to bottom. Ronald D. Moore at his finest.
What's also really cool about the beginning holodeck scene is that Data references Sir Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh, two huge named actors, both of whom made very prominent Henry the Fifth movies in which they both directed and both starred in as Henry the fifth. Olivier's movie came out in the 40's while Branagh's film came out a few months before this episode dropped.
'Shall we die together' is one of my favourite Picard mic drop moments. Not the first, and not the last, but one of the best.
Picard has brass ones. Not just one pair, but two!!! 😆
I always thought (in hindsight, after having seen the episode and it's plot twists) that King Henry pretending to be a common soldier, so that he could walk amongst his own men, in the holodeck was intended to subtly foreshadow the Romulan admiral pretending to be a low-ranking logistics officer in order to not be recognized. Furthermore, the themes of the morality and realities of war seemed parallel between the holodeck play and the plot of the episode to me.
It's also a scene about the weight decisions of an army in war. The king in disguise is arguing that each soldier is responsible for his actions. A soldier argues back that it's ultimately up to the king who gives the orders.
Whoever is right on that debate, Picard feels the weight of the entire quadrant as his orders may save them from or lead them to war.
@@FLanklinBadge True! It also works from Jarok's (sp?) angle. Would he be to blame if he were to just follow orders, or is it the Romulan Empire that would be ultimately to blame?
It works better with Picard, as you point out, but I could see a secondary parallel with the Romulan Admiral here.
Interesting incite.
I always thought of it in terms of Picard concerned with whether his decisions would lead to catastrophe, but I think yours is better.
@@JoeCensored I don't know, man. I never really thought of it from that angle before you and FLanklinBadge. I think that I like your insight better. Maybe both are intended, but I'm feeling like yours might be the primary intention.
RIP Andreas Katsulas.
The Shakespearean opening is a convention that Ronald D Moore helped make really popular for the rest of the series - using the cold open to foreshadow what the themes of the upcoming episode is going to be.
Picard's defiance at Tomalok's threats and his direct quotation of Henry V plus the fact that the scene in the cold open involves a leader (namely Data as King Henry) disguising themselves as a commoner to move among his army and pickup and relay information about the men's morale; these are all elements that happen later in the episode.
TNG starts to do this "thematic" cold open a lot going forward.
Also Henry V is a play about justifications of war vs the harsh realities of it. That's literally the theme of this episode.
The decloaking of the 3 Birds of Prey is one of Picard’s most badass moments in TNG. It’s also one of the quintessential moments of Trek. It proves that you don’t need to have full blown space battles to be amazing. It’s all about writing, timing, and acting.
I gotta thank the both of you again for not only rewatching Star Trek, but also having these discussions. Even though I’ve grown up watching these shows, it’s great seeing a fresh perspective.
And that you don't have to hammer the paste tool to create drama.
@@pigs18 sometimes less is more.
Since Patrick Stewart started out as a serious Shakespearean stage actor, it's fun to see him in character during the cold open.
The Dr. Stubbs hate only gets funnier, please never stop
James Sloyan achieves complete home runs in every Trek episode he guest stars in, and he appears once again in TNG, as a minor recurring role in DS9, and a great one-shot in VOY. His performance will impact you each time with its believability and depth.
The Romulans have much honour. What's great about the way they did the Jarok thing is that they didn't betray him. They gave him a sword, but didn't stab him. They let Jarok stab himself. If he stayed loyal to the empire, then nothing would have happened. They set him up to betray the empire rather than have the empire betray him. It's wonderfully twisted and complex and I love it!
It's so romulan of them to do that :)
Reliving the joy of this show is something special. Thank you
I don’t always agree with your takes, but being a fan since the series aired watching it week to week, your takes help me appreciate the episodes based on their merit. I have been watching episodes one ahead of you guys, and holy moly, using your criteria instead of my own rose colored glasses makes the series _better_, you guys are crushing it. Welcome to the 90s!
Always remember, as established in TOS by Spock, the Romulans and Vulcans, “spawned from the same ocean”. They’re treacherous, but they’re so so logical.
I love that from the word jump in Balance of Terror they have presented the Romulans as a complex people both in terms of their plans, and in their personalities and characters.
And all the way through to the 32nd century and DISCOVERY.
Data did make some other progression as well. His "gut" feeling talk is very lowkey in the episode but shouldn't be forgotten about.
@@kevinbrooks9074 come up with something original
I heard Picard telling Worf to take the call from the Klingons, but evern though I saw this episode several times before, I forgot the twist of them showing up at the last second.
Sadly I watched TNG so much in the 90s, that I know the main plot points by rote. It's the little character scenes which I can't place by episode which matter more though!
@Mr.NiceUK I never even noticed that the character on the holodeck was Patrick Stewart
The earlier reference to the Klingons wasn't meant as a tip off. It was there just so their arrival at the end didn't come out of left field. I certainly noticed the moment the first time I saw this episode. But I was still surprised when they decloaked.
Patrick Stewart being a part of the Royal Shakespeare Company before Star Trek likely influenced things.
There’s a whole string of bangers coming up soon.
I love the story telling technique of hitting you with a reveal that makes you think, which is immediately followed by the casual dropping of information laying the groundwork for a later, even bigger reveal. That's why the Klingon war bird decloak was so powerful. The episode established that the Enterprise was in contact with the Klingons through the brief interaction between Worf and PIcard, but because you're still mentally processing the fact that Serak is a Romulan Admiral, you take in this bit of information but don't fully process it. Then, when the birds of prey appear, you are surprised in a way that feels earned.
I doubt many of us caught the Klingon line and figured it out when we first saw it either, so don't feel bad. One of the great reveals. And in a way it will connect a bit to later stuff too.
I love seeing you guys somewhat speechless by the quality of this excellent episode.
One of my old favorites
This isn't how I hope to hear them talk about EVERY episode, but I've got about half a dozen more episodes later this season that I hope will leave them equally speechless
Another win for Ron Moore
He’s pretty consistent with winning. Anytime his name is there your in for a great episode.
Ron Moore was one of the show-runners of that-GREAT-rebooted series-BATTLE-STAR GALACTICA. What an-AWESOME-show it was.Just wondering what he's gonna do next.
And yet, he loved to whine about the "constraints" of writing for TNG. Working with constraints forces you to be more creative. If anything is possible, where's the challenge?
@@miller-joelThe constraints he spoke of were probably him wanting more story arcs which is a fair complaint. TNG never even had a three parter.
@@thewinner7382 No, he hated the "no serious conflicts among the crew" rule. The argument is that you can't have dramatic stories without conflict, but that's nonsense. There's plenty of room for drama. And Roddenberry's reasoning that we would grow up and learn how to resolve interpersonal conflicts is a good thing. But the new writers just wanted to write 20th century characters and stories in a futuristic setting instead of writing 24th century characters.
What I like the most about this era of Star Trek (this TV era in general) is how they don't tell the audience how they should feel about a situation. They let the characters feel the way they realistically feel about the situation.
Today, we have millions dollars shows with unlovable unrealistic characters that tell us how we should feel about the situation they are in.
Discovery said hold its beer….
William Shatner was Christopher Plummer's understudy in a Canadian stage production of Henry V. He performed the St. Crispen's day speech on the Mike Douglas show. What a ham!
Shatner doing the Crispen's day speech? Tell me that's on youtube or whatever 😅
@Mr.NiceUK I'm sure someone will upload it... IF... HE... EVER... FINISHES... THE SPEECH.
@@Mr.NiceUK Actually, my memory was foggy. He did the "once more unto the breach" scene. I'm looking around for old Mike Douglas clips...
Shatner along with most Canadian actors like John colicos, Lorne Greene preformed Shakespeare at the Stratford Ontario theatre summer festival so it's kinda routine
It was a great choice to have Starfleet actually be right. That instantly makes you think the defector should be believed. Nicely textured writing.
Only a Veruul wouldn't like this episode!
So glad you liked it. Rewatched it again last week. Still amazing.
I appreciate how you guys always still reference and compare with TOS, showing how you respect the source and that you acknowledge the connection to the original series (and that respect will pay off big in the not-too-distant future). It's great that you characterize this as a perfect episode, but all I can say is fasten your seatbelts! -- as the bar will continually get raised for the rest of the series, including episodes that you'll be watching very, very soon.
Glad you guys loved this one so much! It’s always been one of my favorites, but I feel like it’s a bit of an overlooked gem in the series. To be fair, there are so many great TNG episodes that it’s easy to lose this one in the shuffle, but it’s one that’s always stuck with me.
I really like the Romulans because they feel like a midpoint between humans and the Vulcans. They are passionate and curious in a way that humanity embodies in Star Trek, but they are cold, calculating, and insular in a way that shows their Vulcan heritage. They are a wonderful mirror to our characters in a way that the other main rivals, the Klingons, aren't.
James Sloyan is my favorite guest star in Star Trek. Not counting recurring characters like Q or M+×÷=k. No spoilers😊
If you guys are interested at all or have the time, Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V is considered one of the best in film.
His _Much Ado..._ is also very good.
@@Reepicheep-1 Yeah, with Emma Thompson, Denzel, Keanu, Michael Keaton and others. Stacked cast.
You should watch Henry V from 1989. Staring Kenneth Branagh. MCU director of Thor. It's a great movie with great music.
Worth noting Kenneth Branagh loves Shakespeare, enough to do Hamlet in a VERY long film format.
@@kereminde And Much Ado About Nothing! The cast in that one is loaded with stars. ❤
I forgot how good an episode this was. Deserves the recognition you gave it.
The Detector is so great! Definitely one of my favorite TNG episodes.
I always thought that the Shakespeare scene was a teaser of the rest of the episode because the play was about a high ranking individual pertaining to be a common soldier.
Pretending.
A couple of okay episodes in the mix but ya’ll are going to lose your minds at some of the awesomeness that is coming up this season.
Can hardly wait till you see the Klingon take on Shakespeare.
This is a great episode of TNG. A small moment I love is when Dr Crusher says how she recently had experience treating Romulans and then glances at Worf like she still pissed at him for not donating his plasma or whatever. Also the Klingon reveal at the end is such a badass Picard moment. Kirk is the action man’s captain but Picard is the thinking man’s Captain, he will beat your ass without firing a shot.
JOSH: @17:50 "....if it's a plot we aren't interested in...."
The box art for _'The Hunt for Red October'_ fades into existence over his shoulder.
Subtle Josh, subtle. 😄
This episode shows that they have fully abandoned the idea of separating the saucer section of the ship, while the star drive section charges into battle.
"Should we seperate the ship, or bring the families and children into the neutral zone to battle a Romulan Starbase?"
"Seperating the ship is a 2 minute sequence and its only a 42 minute episode. Bring the kids into battle."
It wouldn’t make sense in this scenario though, as they knowingly went with the Klingons as backup. Leaving the saucer would leave it defenceless with Romulans lurking around.
This is why I love your reactions - because they're so real. When you don't like an episode, you say so. Which makes when you love a great episode, like this one, even sweeter for us viewers to watch.
"The Defector" from the score is in my "space battle" playlist for when I am blowing up ships in Elite Dangerous. The booby trap is another good one.
@@kevinbrooks9074 I doubt it will ever happen. But i sympathize. You guys got boned.
It looks like you guys are seeing why fans love this season.
My first time viewing reaction was much the same as yours.
“More security! More security!” is coming soon!! 😊
Lol, always makes me laugh when he says that.
Great episode! And the rest of this season for the most part is soo good.
Omigod Kenneth Brannagh's Henry V 1989. Go watch it.
'We few , we happy few, We band of Brothers, for those of you who are here with me today shall be my brother be ye ne'er so base. And many's the Noble abed in England today will count their honour cheap and curse the fact they were not with us here today."
IDK if any of your Patrons or UA-cam commenters have mentioned this, but Season 3 also features a new model of the Enterprise-D. The original model was 6 feet long; the new model is 4 feet long but more detailed. Expect more close-ups on the ship as the show progresses
YUP! Pure Golden episode. 😀 The Shakespeare play, at the beginning, was "Henry V", where the king is walking among his people in disguise, to see what they think of him, as king of course.
Can't really argue with you here.
The original reason I subscribed to Netflix a decade ago was because they had all of (then) current Star Trek.
Rewatching ten years ago, I appreciated it more than I did as a child, that's not too surprising. Rewatching it again with you guys, I'm getting an even deeper layer of appreciation on top of what I already knew to be a fantastic show.
Without giving away anything, I think another Trek show is the pinnacle of story/continuity, but you're both here helping to remind me that TNG was pretty up there for those things as well, albeit not in the way we would judge modern shows.
Your title says it all
First of many perfect episodes. You guys are in for a treat.
*_Re: The Klingon surprise - I doubt many figured it out before the reveal. I remember watching the episode when it originally aired and I did clearly hear the exchange between Picard and Worf after the computer mentioned the Klingon vessel communication... But I also remember thinking "Klingon? What is that about? (In an episode where they have not factored in yet)" and then trying to keep it in the back of my mind, pondering what could come. But honestly, before seeing the actual Klingon ships decloaking: I had COMPLETELY forgotten about that exchange by then and had NO CLUE they were about to show up; and I think most TNG fans back then probably had similar experiences (I think that I was so enthralled by the mystery of who the Romulan defector was, whether we should trust him and and all the great acting from the guest actor and the regular cast that I just could not get back to that "Klingon clue" -Not that I believe I would have figured it out even if I could have paused the show back then and spend days mulling over it! A true testament to the writing, casting and directing of the episode to keep the audiences guessing 'till the very end!)_*
16:32 - *_I also like how they did not chose to make it that Jarok knew that Data was the Android simply from his appearance (Skin tone and golden eye) which would be an easy leap for a writer to put in, but in the world of Star Trek at that time: Data is near unique (Aside from his brother Lore) and there literally hundreds and thousands of different alien species in the galaxy, so for a Romulan with no close contact with the species that are members of the federation, it would have been a strange thing to assume that THAT is what an android looks like when they have never seen one, rather than think that Data was from a species that the Federation may have encountered on the other side of their quadrant and that the Romulans just weren't familiar with. It's a small thing, but both the way it written and how James Sloyan plays it (With his mood going from steaming annoyance to gleeful realization of who he has before him) is just 😘🤏 "Chef's Kiss" Perfection!_*
“The Defector” was the first episode aired after TNG’s Christmas break. Filming took a break after September 1989 and returned in November. This allowed the show to address issues with production and to hone the scripts for the rest of the season. As you say, they hit it out of the park with this episode. Ron Moore’s script is sharp and smart. Scherer’s direction is great. All the acting is on point. The plot develops naturally without having to telegraph or explain everything. There is a genuine sense of mystery about Jarrok. “The Defector” is the first of the truly great TNG episodes and it is hard to add anything to what you have already said.
The choice of Shakespeare’s “Henry V” is a great framing device. (If you get a chance, watch Kenneth Branagh’s 1989 film version.) The scene takes place the night before the Battle of Agincourt, where the English are facing the numerically superior French forces. Young King Henry disguises himself to get a sense of what the soldiers under his command are thinking. He learns that the troops expect to die the next day. This leads King Henry to give his famous “St. Crispian’s Day” speech, which reassures his men that they will, in fact, win. Picard is cast as a parallel to Henry, realizing that the wrong move may lead to the death or capture of everyone on the Enterprise.
Well put together episode. Chills.
Oh man! I thought I was first! Yeah, I love this episode. More bangers to come.
BEST. BACKGROUND. EVER!
But also kinda reminds me of Nemesis... Ew
They kept saying ‘two birds with one stone’ and behind them is one bird with two stones. Or is it gripping two _planets_ ? Spoilers! Lol
Josh seems to be a big score guy. Any time there’s one that’s great or he likes, he jumps on it 👍
You're getting close to it, episode 15 is my personal favorite tng episode and one that a lot of people on the DVD commentary wished they had saved for a movie had they known they'd get movies.
It's probably best not to hype up upcoming episodes so they can go in fresh.
I guess I had seen so many paranoid spy thrillers in the 70's and 80's that I totally saw it coming , as a possibility. I didn't come to that conclusion before the reveal but not surprised by the reveal.
I like the attempt to have a recurring romulan villain in Tomaluk.
I knew y'all would like this one! It's one of my favorites!
Shakespeare throughout this episode is also a nod to Sir Patrick Stewart, who's career before TNG was as a Shakespearian actor.
A couple more awesome bad guy races still to come!
The Defector is a perfect episode... with a few flaws. Picard could have sent one cloaked Klingon ship to verify. What made it perfect was Geordi's instinct speech to Data, and Picard’s Shakespearean words from Henry V when he confronts my favorite villain Tomalak at the end-“If the cause be just…". Meanwhile the Klingons were writing battle songs... Great analyses guys!
Cloaking doesn’t just limit shields and a weapons it also limits warp speed and sensors.
Ships are slower and less able to detect things while cloaked as any emission could be detected.
@targetaudience Ronald D. Moore which is not he same a Ronald B.Moore. Ronald D. Moore the writer and later producer and Ronald B. Moore was Visual Effects Supervisor, not as well know as the writer/ producer, but they were both important to Star Trek. I don't know if either of them go by Ron to their friends.
Wanna photocopy Worf as Admiral Ackbar saying “its a trap
!” Everytime you use the word “ruse”
I am pretty sure that James Sloyan was in the huge movie "The Sting", so they guy is a seriously good character actor.
I'm no expert on Shakespeare, but I wonder if that scene Data was performing (I know I've seen it... was it from Henry V?), in context, was a hint at the overall situation in the episode?
Very interesting and fun discussion. Of course you guys should read the complete works of Shakespeare in order to truly enjoy TNG. ;)
Josh and Alex in this episode: Wesley? F him.
😂
Imaginary deleted scene: he'd beamed onto the scout ship to download the logs and triggered the explosion
Data does have instincts of a sort. He runs a statistical analysis and supplements with his knowledge of human and alien behavior to arrive at a conclusion.
"Perfect episode"? In a few episodes TNG will say, "Hold my ale."
"First" perfect episode........, But wait, there's...............................................
@@ChannelReuploads9451 ..... And Then!
Episode 15?
@@ChannelReuploads9451 Yep, but the episodes we are all thinking about turn this one from a perfect episode into just a really good one.
@@hagbardceline7118 I was thinking Episode 13, but 15 also knocks it out of the park as does 16 and, of course, 26.
best reaction channel on youtube
I love the interrogation scene in this one as well and so many other scenes. Overall this truly ep contained some true life lessons in the best tradition of Star Trek!
So, Henry V is the play being rehearsed at the start. More importantly, the scene on the eve of the battle of Agincourt, where the English are outnumbered 5-to-1 and King Henry V is roaming the English camp, in disguise, to assess the mood of his men. He encounters the two English peasants who are not sure why they're fighting and express doubts about their chances.
The discussion is relevant as it considers the heavy burden of leadership, and the consequences of decisions that lead to the deaths of those under your command. Although not explicitly discussed during the episode, the whole undertone is related to this question, and applies to all the main characters - Picard must risk going to war, Tomalak is trying to instigate a war, and the Defector is trying to prevent a war. The whole discussion with Data and "trust your gut" also plays into this theme with the difficulties of fully understanding how momentous decisions of consequence are made, rightly and wrongly, throughout history.
But this episode is great because none of this is in your face, spoken of explicitly, but rather you are left to ponder these issues, to consider these situations through history, from Henry V to the future as yet unknown, and consider how the fate of humanity is often dependent on a single decision, a mistake, or even a whim.
This is the kind of episode that leads so many of us old fogeys (I'm only mid-50s, but still) love and revere Star Trek TOS, TNG and the rest so much. And why we utterly despise any "Trek" post 2005 as hot garbage, rubbish that is not and never will be Trek.
I thought Q Who was the first perfect one.
But yes…..that Klingon reveal scene? I often ask NuTrek fans to point me to the Nu scene to rival that. (Besides PIC S3)
Shit…they can’t even give me the names of episodes usually
Won’t argue much against Q Who being perfect, but one slight nitpick I’d make is it very much comes across as a set up episode for the new franchise villain, while The Defector tells a more stand alone story (up to this point). Both are obviously elite
Q Who still has that sheen of season 2 shittiness it can't quite escape.
I share your disdain of nu trek though 🙄
@@thewinner7382 Its the uniforms. Oddly, for me...those crappy unitards ENHANCE the ep.
Kinda meta given what Q is saying, but we're still in "Roddenberrys Utopia and everything is rosy and shiny and we're one big happy family. So to see everyone wearing their shiny happy unitards contrasted with the Borg is a slap in the face.
Just wait for what’s coming, this is one of the best but it gets better!
Episodes like this pure gold make me so grateful some faceless exec didnt cancel the show during the shakiness of S1. All the fantastic stories and performances to come would never have seen the light of day
The best is yet to come IMHO
There are throughout the series a few more episodes that open up with Data doing Shakespeare which are good and to have Picard there to give us context is great fir the audience. Also don't feel bad I only know Henry V which they did by name. Myself I was more a Macbeth, Julies Ceasar, Hamlet and Richard III myself. I've done a few other plays obviously for both school and theater but I prefer the darker stories myself as them seem to be more mystery, action, and thrilling.
lol! Yes, this is a great one but it gets so much better!
This season is amazing, this is my top 3 of the season easily.
What was the deal with the image of The Hunt For Red October?
The next episode "the Hunted" is pretty good too. There are some great shows in season 3 and 4...
Wait, did you/they not like The Hunt for Red October?
I'm excited to see what y'all think of next week's episodes
The Defector is great, but 3.15 is my favorite TNG ep and I can't wait to see your reaction to it!
good breakdown. can't wait for b5
I love the part when Adm. Jarok laughs with Riker about Worf. He's still masquerading as a logistics clerk, but his entire change in demeanor, physical mannerisms, choice of words, betrays a man with some kind of field-level command rank. He speaks like a flag officer. I don't know if it was on purpose, but it's a nice touch that's planted well before his real identity is revealed.
This episode kind of reminded me of some TOS episodes.
The Shakespearean opening, I could have swore the third guy was played by Jonathan Frakes, but it's not, it is just some extra. The guy looks a lot like Riker with his "Who Watches the Watchers" makeup still on.
Speaking of look a likes, James Sloyan (the Romulan Defector) looks like he could be Brent Spiner's brother, they are similar looking, he probably could have played Lore.
I'm glad you liked this episode. It is excellent, but Season 3 gets even better!
12:34
Interesting Fact about that Klingon ship's name Bortus
Bortus is also the name of one of the main characters on "The Orville"
I counted 4 upcoming bangers but i dunno i guess we'll see.
I've been looking forward to the next one, although with some trepidation. I've got ... opinions ... about it and about many people's reactions to it, and I'm interested to see what you have to say about it.
Of the two next week, not my favorite, but decent.
I rewatched this episode with the two of you and for the first time, realised how similar, though not identical, the defector story is to the very real events of the Soviet defectors Nosenko and Golitsyn. Maybe my comparison is overdrawn, so if anyone reading this is familiar with that story, I'd like to hear your views and comments.
Other than that though, this is a bloody great episode, right? Good score, and great acting!
Cheers 🍺
Things only get better! Just saw a Season 6 episode: Troi and Beverly never looked better. They're still girlie-pals, as you'll see. You'll have plenty of "OOOoooh!" moments!
You didn't mention it, by the other character on the homosexual was Jonathan Frakes.
Scottish space ghosts aside, TNG consistently has some really good episodes throughout Seasons 3 through 7.
How about Kenneth Branagh directing the cast in King Lear?
Klingons are not known for subterfuge, which is why they are so successful when they use it. Never underestimate the cunning of a Klingon.