Season 1 of TNG is kind of like a toddler. Sometimes it has genuinely good moments. Sometimes it produces a crude crayon drawing that you have to pretend you like and hang on the fridge for a week. Sometimes it throws a temper tantrum and breaks half the stuff in the house. Sometimes it walks into the middle of the living room and takes a dump on the carpet.
Producer: "Say, that Marc Alaimo was a pretty cool guy, wasn't he?" Director: "Yes, very professional. Didn't even mind all that makeup he had to wear." Producer: "We should consider bringing him back for another role. He could become a new name in the franchise." Director: "Yes, on that subject, he asked NOT to be credited." Producer: "Oh, why's that?" Director: "Because he said this episode was terrible and he never wants to be associated with it." Producer: "....OK, now we DEFINITELY have to get him back. He has all the makings of a star."
the only thing I'll give this episode is the makeup effects on the 2 new alien races from the beginning have makeup effect that's more elaborate than a forehead thingy or funny nose
However, all that makeup made it look fake, even in the 80s. Oddly enough the fact that Trek avoided a lot of overly alien looking characters, helped to keep it timelines. Compare it to Doctor Who at that time, the mostly fully human looking characters, allowed for the money to go into effects they could do well in a TV budget, and the actors didn't need to over act to get past a heavy mask.
I wish Denise Crosby had stayed with the show. She’s one of only cast members that emotes and feels like a real person. She laughs and speaks to her peers as a real person would which given her backstory is a nuance they could have mined the build a layered character.
It's an amazing what-if dilemma. There was so much to the character but they put Tasha in really crummy situations and didn't give Denise scrips to keep her happy. On the other hand, Worf is a great character too and we get to explore the Klingons through him. I can't remember what it came up with but just out of silliness I asked Bing Co-pilot to explain what the character dynamics would have been like if she'd joined DS9 after TNG finished. I watch Critical Drinker, he and Mauler did commentaries for the original Star Trek Movies. An interesting what-if scenario would have been that the Romulans had the cloaked ship and tried to instigate a war between the Federation and the Klingons. Kirk and McCoy were still sent to Rura Penthe but were broken out by Chang as he figured out that the Federation was innocent. As awesome as Star Trek VI was, I think that could have been better. It would have many of the same story beats.
@@jamesabernethy7896 The problem with that version is the whole Kirk putting the Federation over _his_ issues with the Klingons to support the Khitomer accords. Besides, it would also mangle Chang, since it was _his_ plan, at least on the Klingon side, because he wanted war with the Federation, too.
@@Blueskybuffalo Yeah, it's hard to predict all of the societal facets that will be present in a wild future so different from our present. And to fully do so would feel deeply alien to current audiences.
"I never understood that kind of hostility, even when I studied Earth History" I'm sure there are plenty of people forced to share a room with you and your ego who could demonstrate.
I've said this before but these remastered episodes are actually nice. It's a great chance to see episodes that I haven't seen in a while or missed the first time around.
The feeling of TOS on this script is palpable. Like you can FEEL it. And that ending was always dumb to me. "PICARD DUN GOT HIJACKED BY SPACE ELECTRICITY. It's fine though we got him back. No big deal."
Well partly it was a different era. There was less competition with the fewer channels and not having immediate access to full runs of great shows past. It's a lot more cut throat now... yet things like Big Mouth get renewed, so I don't have all the answers.
Because Paramount was committed to sixty-five episodes to get the show syndicated. Twenty-two episodes a season meant a three season commitment before anything aired.
@@bthsr7113 I think it also has something to do with the fact that even the first two seasons had good moments like especially Q Who. So there was potential and hope they could get better ratings - if they could get rid of the people dragging down the show like sadly Gene himself as the biggest problem.
2017: "Wow, it would be really nice to not have to worry about the stupidity on display in the upper levels of political parties in a few years... 2020 is gonna be great to get that done." 2024: "Well I spent the last few years dealing with the sheer egotism that lead to a generation defining pandemic and wondering when Russia will learn it's lesson about invading Ukraine. And yet I'm still dealing with the lot. Meanwhile reality is still trying to find ways to out do satire."
Look on the bright side. By the end of the year we either take a much needed step back towards normalcy, or such a giant leap into hell that we can give up on the world without shame!
One of the delegates may have just been murdered while on a Federation starship. Can it wait? Well, I guess he's not going to be more murdered. Commander "Height of Hubris" Riker does it again.
At least there's an explanation why he is gone ... the other chief engineers of the first season though? Must have all quit because of Wesley - and Picard acting like a jerk.
I like the image at 11:24 because none of them have clothes that fit. I can't understand why nobody's clothes ever fit in this show. You pointed out that Wesley's sweater is 4 sizes too large, but what about those uniforms? Is Dorn wearing that to show off his muscles? Is Burton being strangled by his shirt? And it's not just TNG, but you could see the same problems in TOS and even in VOY and DS9. It's just bizarre. In the future, nobody will have clothes that fit. Except mutants who wear tatters for some reason.
If anything Chuck is downplaying silliness at the end with Tasha reporting about the delegates. Not only is one of them missing, IIRC one of them was *eaten* by the other. And Picard and River just react with a shrug? Can you imagine an episode where the Klingon ambassador eats the Romulan ambassador on Picard’s watch, and it’s a B Plot left unresolved at the end of the episode? A major diplomatic incident happened while you guys were chasing a lightning monster around the ship. This is not the time to shrug and say “oh well, ain’t life in space crazy?”
It's funny to think what would happen in any other ST-show if the commanding officers had such a reaction. Or in TNG after season 2, when the characters finally had functioning brains installed. Odo, Tuvok and the others would personally escort their Captains and XO's to the doctor for a medical examination - that alien being is clearly still here and influencing them!
I remember the "Next Time, on Staaaaaar Trek, TheNextGeneration" (Ernie Anderson was GAWD on those promos) promo for this episode and it had unfinished footage without effects. Troi standing there screaming, "He's blinding me!" for no apparent reason. Almost made me not want to watch the episode. You're right, how did they get seven seasons, four movies, and three spin offs from this garbage?
I've known we've been living in the Mirror Universe since 9/11. Don't mean to get serious but if Riker's idea of eating meat is replicating spam, then we ARE living in the mirror universe!
You know, he hates Wesley, but something about this episode in particular seems to have caused him to really amp that up. Noticed it back when this came out originally, and this rerelease shows it off even more. As he says, Wesley was so hated he used to be 'The Wesley' used for a Trope Name(It's now called Creator's Pet). That said, it's an episode where the two lead plots are so disconnected they might as well not be together, and worse, the B-Plot is just awful. The A-Plot would have been better with the mystery of what's going on being held a little longer, as it's obviously possession when it leaps into Crusher. Still, for Season 1, it's not as bad as others.
My first awareness of the general fanbase's reaction to the character was discovering the UseNET group alt.wesley.crusher.die.die.die, which really doesn't require any further explanation.
-When it's time to give Neelix his flea medication, they simply distract him by having him tell one of his Talaxian folktales. He gets soo into the stories he isn't aware of anything happening around him. So, the crew isn't bored to tears hearing it, they simply put cardboard replicas of themselves in front of him. He never notices that, either. -I can understand why you pick Fused Picard for most annoying character, but I think it was Asshole Riker, who thought greeting Picard was more important than the aliens' civil war happening right on their ship. Especially, since Yar did greet Picard. It was a surprised greeting, but it was a greeting nonetheless! And, though surprised, she made sure she was polite about it the entire time. Kudos to Yar for that! -I didn't like Gul Dukat at first. I really hated him. That is how great of an actor Mark Alaimo is. It took me years learn to appreciate his megalomania, narcissism, and his innate need to have his evil genius be acknowledged by others (Just like the 45th POTUS). Gul Dukat can be credited to the writing, but it could've still fell flat with the wrong actor. In fact, he probably wasn't as evil until Alaimo got comfortable in the role. So, now I can appreciate both the actor and the character as fully as I am able. So, I have to agree that Alaimo was smart enough to leave his name out of it when it came to Lonely Among Us!
Season 1 of TNG is kind of like a toddler. Sometimes it has genuinely good moments. Sometimes it produces a crude crayon drawing that you have to pretend you like and hang on the fridge for a week. Sometimes it throws a temper tantrum and breaks half the stuff in the house. Sometimes it walks into the middle of the living room and takes a dump on the carpet.
And then sometimes you get something so racist you wonder how the fuck it got to air.
And sometimes you just have to tell yourself 'They'll grow out of it. It's just a phase." And eventually they'll grow into something wonderful.
Producer: "Say, that Marc Alaimo was a pretty cool guy, wasn't he?"
Director: "Yes, very professional. Didn't even mind all that makeup he had to wear."
Producer: "We should consider bringing him back for another role. He could become a new name in the franchise."
Director: "Yes, on that subject, he asked NOT to be credited."
Producer: "Oh, why's that?"
Director: "Because he said this episode was terrible and he never wants to be associated with it."
Producer: "....OK, now we DEFINITELY have to get him back. He has all the makings of a star."
"Ok, lets have a test run with him. Get him the pointy ears."
the only thing I'll give this episode is the makeup effects on the 2 new alien races from the beginning have makeup effect that's more elaborate than a forehead thingy or funny nose
However, all that makeup made it look fake, even in the 80s. Oddly enough the fact that Trek avoided a lot of overly alien looking characters, helped to keep it timelines. Compare it to Doctor Who at that time, the mostly fully human looking characters, allowed for the money to go into effects they could do well in a TV budget, and the actors didn't need to over act to get past a heavy mask.
I wish Denise Crosby had stayed with the show. She’s one of only cast members that emotes and feels like a real person. She laughs and speaks to her peers as a real person would which given her backstory is a nuance they could have mined the build a layered character.
It's an amazing what-if dilemma. There was so much to the character but they put Tasha in really crummy situations and didn't give Denise scrips to keep her happy. On the other hand, Worf is a great character too and we get to explore the Klingons through him. I can't remember what it came up with but just out of silliness I asked Bing Co-pilot to explain what the character dynamics would have been like if she'd joined DS9 after TNG finished.
I watch Critical Drinker, he and Mauler did commentaries for the original Star Trek Movies. An interesting what-if scenario would have been that the Romulans had the cloaked ship and tried to instigate a war between the Federation and the Klingons. Kirk and McCoy were still sent to Rura Penthe but were broken out by Chang as he figured out that the Federation was innocent. As awesome as Star Trek VI was, I think that could have been better. It would have many of the same story beats.
@@jamesabernethy7896 The problem with that version is the whole Kirk putting the Federation over _his_ issues with the Klingons to support the Khitomer accords. Besides, it would also mangle Chang, since it was _his_ plan, at least on the Klingon side, because he wanted war with the Federation, too.
So people 400 years from now will act just like us. Yet we don't act like people from 1524 or 524 or -100524 apart from when we say "ug".
@@ShamrockParticle its a tv show so the people are, for the most part, going to behave and talk in ways we relate to today.
@@Blueskybuffalo Yeah, it's hard to predict all of the societal facets that will be present in a wild future so different from our present. And to fully do so would feel deeply alien to current audiences.
"I never understood that kind of hostility, even when I studied Earth History"
I'm sure there are plenty of people forced to share a room with you and your ego who could demonstrate.
Earth? Isn't that the planet informally known as Douchebag Three?
I've said this before but these remastered episodes are actually nice. It's a great chance to see episodes that I haven't seen in a while or missed the first time around.
The feeling of TOS on this script is palpable. Like you can FEEL it. And that ending was always dumb to me. "PICARD DUN GOT HIJACKED BY SPACE ELECTRICITY. It's fine though we got him back. No big deal."
Even the very opening of the episode has the feel of a TOS episode, right down to the music, direction and special effects.
This episode does at least give us that fantastic Worf electrocution scene.
Worf: Can't fight electricity, so must attack my crew instead!!!
that mirror universe bit with the john oliver clip sent me xD
When Wesley grows into that sweater I'm sure it will keep him warm on other planes of existence 😉
Funny you say that given what recently happened with the newest Star Trek season...
funny indeed 🙂
6:20
You know things are bad when even cows dont approve of long clips. Bots and oompa loompas were bad enough, but cows too?
Season 1 and 2 TNG are they greatest mystery in all of television. How did they get a season three after those turkeys?
Well partly it was a different era. There was less competition with the fewer channels and not having immediate access to full runs of great shows past. It's a lot more cut throat now... yet things like Big Mouth get renewed, so I don't have all the answers.
Because Paramount was committed to sixty-five episodes to get the show syndicated. Twenty-two episodes a season meant a three season commitment before anything aired.
@@bthsr7113 I think it also has something to do with the fact that even the first two seasons had good moments like especially Q Who. So there was potential and hope they could get better ratings - if they could get rid of the people dragging down the show like sadly Gene himself as the biggest problem.
Season 2 had better episodes overall. However, it was hampered by the 1988 WGA Strike.
In which we meet Dukat undercover when freelancing for the Obsidian Order .
2017: "Wow, it would be really nice to not have to worry about the stupidity on display in the upper levels of political parties in a few years... 2020 is gonna be great to get that done."
2024: "Well I spent the last few years dealing with the sheer egotism that lead to a generation defining pandemic and wondering when Russia will learn it's lesson about invading Ukraine. And yet I'm still dealing with the lot. Meanwhile reality is still trying to find ways to out do satire."
Look on the bright side. By the end of the year we either take a much needed step back towards normalcy, or such a giant leap into hell that we can give up on the world without shame!
From what I've heard, the Fake Meat companies are struggling. Riker's condescending attitude makes me wonder why *sarcastic eye roll*.
They can literally make a rare steak from energy in the replicator that was never part of living animal.
@@farshnuke fake meat you mean. Just like the alcohol the replicators make aren't real meat (in universe), they call it sythnol
One of the delegates may have just been murdered while on a Federation starship. Can it wait? Well, I guess he's not going to be more murdered. Commander "Height of Hubris" Riker does it again.
I always watch your TNG stuff, but you get the like for the Jamie Oliver quote
Sorry to "acktually", but I think the two b plot alien races are supposed to be cobra and mongoose, which is not quite as hamfistted as cats and dogs.
Honestly I really enjoy this episode. I loved tos so these early tng episodes just feel like a nice transition to me.
Funfact:
Season 1 of TNG had 3594305113066960438430 Episodes
Torture? All I see is enhanced interrogation techniques.
Such a fresh, topical reference from 20 years ago.
MR. SINGH? Let me guess: a relative of K H A A A A A A A A A A A A N ?
I recall liking Mr. Singh and being sad that he wouldn't be coming back.
At least there's an explanation why he is gone ... the other chief engineers of the first season though? Must have all quit because of Wesley - and Picard acting like a jerk.
I like the image at 11:24 because none of them have clothes that fit. I can't understand why nobody's clothes ever fit in this show. You pointed out that Wesley's sweater is 4 sizes too large, but what about those uniforms? Is Dorn wearing that to show off his muscles? Is Burton being strangled by his shirt? And it's not just TNG, but you could see the same problems in TOS and even in VOY and DS9. It's just bizarre.
In the future, nobody will have clothes that fit. Except mutants who wear tatters for some reason.
And women having contour clingers.
6:30 Oh god, Star Trek predicted boomers going on about vegan food
I'm pretty sure the aliens are supposed to be cobras and mongooses, which is just as deep as I expect from season 1.
(14:42) "Dawkins... Now, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time." 🤪
Amo- Damnit, somebody already made the joke!
I'm believing your mirror universe theory more by the day tbh.
If anything Chuck is downplaying silliness at the end with Tasha reporting about the delegates. Not only is one of them missing, IIRC one of them was *eaten* by the other. And Picard and River just react with a shrug?
Can you imagine an episode where the Klingon ambassador eats the Romulan ambassador on Picard’s watch, and it’s a B Plot left unresolved at the end of the episode? A major diplomatic incident happened while you guys were chasing a lightning monster around the ship. This is not the time to shrug and say “oh well, ain’t life in space crazy?”
It's funny to think what would happen in any other ST-show if the commanding officers had such a reaction. Or in TNG after season 2, when the characters finally had functioning brains installed.
Odo, Tuvok and the others would personally escort their Captains and XO's to the doctor for a medical examination - that alien being is clearly still here and influencing them!
Yep, it's annoying that everyone acts so insufferable about the alien delegates' behavior.
Did you even review of the episode Justice? I would love to see your... input, on that episode 😀😃🙂.
You can find it on his website, it’s one of the ones he hasn’t moved to UA-cam yet.
@@starwarsnerd100 beautiful, I found it. thank you. I didn't even know he had a website.
@@starwarsnerd100 oh it was as good as I was hopping 😎.
11:54 Star Trek invented dad jokes.
It is defintly the Mirror Universe.
Whoof, what a stinker this episode was!
Among us
Sus
It is so odd to see early SF Debris. The years have clearly made him wiser or at least less likely to poke with humour.
Still a better episode than Code of Honor.
That may be the lowest bar ever hung
Sort of like how being punched by a boxer is probably better than getting kicked in the balls by a soccer player.
If you're above ground, you've cleared that bar.
@@bthsr7113 Less a bar and more a line on the ground
That bar was football spiked into the mantle layer of the Earth.
"Lonely Among Us", aka trying to play a multiplayer-only game when you have no friends
Eventually we'll get past all the season 1 TNG. Somehow. Some way. We will get over this hill.
I remember the "Next Time, on Staaaaaar Trek, TheNextGeneration" (Ernie Anderson was GAWD on those promos) promo for this episode and it had unfinished footage without effects. Troi standing there screaming, "He's blinding me!" for no apparent reason. Almost made me not want to watch the episode. You're right, how did they get seven seasons, four movies, and three spin offs from this garbage?
I've known we've been living in the Mirror Universe since 9/11. Don't mean to get serious but if Riker's idea of eating meat is replicating spam, then we ARE living in the mirror universe!
Jean Roddenberry could really be insufferable at times.
(6:20) Nice cow! WTF?!?! 🤪🤣 Seriously though, did the bots figure out the original "bots do not approve" image? 😕
EDIT: OH! I think I get it now. 😁
Are you the same guy as Lore Reloaded? Regardless, I love ya both❤❤❤❤
You know, he hates Wesley, but something about this episode in particular seems to have caused him to really amp that up. Noticed it back when this came out originally, and this rerelease shows it off even more. As he says, Wesley was so hated he used to be 'The Wesley' used for a Trope Name(It's now called Creator's Pet).
That said, it's an episode where the two lead plots are so disconnected they might as well not be together, and worse, the B-Plot is just awful. The A-Plot would have been better with the mystery of what's going on being held a little longer, as it's obviously possession when it leaps into Crusher.
Still, for Season 1, it's not as bad as others.
My first awareness of the general fanbase's reaction to the character was discovering the UseNET group alt.wesley.crusher.die.die.die, which really doesn't require any further explanation.
-When it's time to give Neelix his flea medication, they simply distract him by having him tell one of his Talaxian folktales. He gets soo into the stories he isn't aware of anything happening around him. So, the crew isn't bored to tears hearing it, they simply put cardboard replicas of themselves in front of him. He never notices that, either.
-I can understand why you pick Fused Picard for most annoying character, but I think it was Asshole Riker, who thought greeting Picard was more important than the aliens' civil war happening right on their ship. Especially, since Yar did greet Picard. It was a surprised greeting, but it was a greeting nonetheless! And, though surprised, she made sure she was polite about it the entire time. Kudos to Yar for that!
-I didn't like Gul Dukat at first. I really hated him. That is how great of an actor Mark Alaimo is. It took me years learn to appreciate his megalomania, narcissism, and his innate need to have his evil genius be acknowledged by others (Just like the 45th POTUS). Gul Dukat can be credited to the writing, but it could've still fell flat with the wrong actor. In fact, he probably wasn't as evil until Alaimo got comfortable in the role. So, now I can appreciate both the actor and the character as fully as I am able. So, I have to agree that Alaimo was smart enough to leave his name out of it when it came to Lonely Among Us!
Amogus
Wenn the Imposter Is SUS
amogus
Ya i blame y2k for all our problems
I'll get lunch at Chick-fil-A today. For the cows.
Amogus
Ya i blame y2k for all our problems