current star trek writers need to take notice. at no point does troi or the rest of the away team turn their noses at the goings on of mark twains time. at no point do they lecture him on how terrible the things occuring in his time are. they simply accept that it was a different time and troi merely explains to Mr. Twain that humanity has grown from the time he knows. that is how you tackle sensitive topics in a TV show, you dont have to slap it in the audiences face, you simply need to make them take a moment to think, just like mark twain did in the turbolift.
I think you mean well but they would not need to lecture Twain about the evils of this time. If you notice, he is well aware of the evils of his time. What he didint realize was that Humanity had overcome poverty, imperialism, prejudice, oppression, ignorance, etc until Troi informed him of that. I do agree though that STNG did a much better job of exploring political and ethical questions than newer Sci Fi.
@@TangomanX2008 you missed my point, the writing twains character recognizes the evils of his time and just accepts them as the way things are. The tng crews era understands this same concept as troi explains that humanity had grown beyond it. If written today there would be this in your face make you feel bad as oppose to a subtly crafted make you think moment. Shows of that time period were written better when it came to that. It wasn't until the end when you the viewer began thinking yourself, another show that got one season but wonderfully captured the same essence but in more modern terms was alien nation. It was there but you saw how the characters navigated it and reflected on how you yourself would act.
@@wakcedout I guess I see Mark differently. He did assume and thought that certain evils that were present in humanity in the 19tn century were present in the 24th, but he was attempting to call them out. In fact, for a moment there he did not respect the technological progress of 24th century humanity because he thought he was perceiving the same evils of 19th century humanity, and that was more important to him.
If you think New Trek is so "in your face" with its political messages, then you haven't seen much Star Trek. The writers have been using Star Trek to address political and social injustices since the original series in the '60s.
@@ered203 Classics gain their status for the ability to touch the hearts and minds of people no matter their race, culture, or generation. Classics appeal to that timeless want that humans desire, no matter the age they live in.
@@ered203 Beatles aren’t even that good. Don’t you dare compare them to Mozart. Beatles were new and ground breaking at the time. They did a lot for music. But that doesn’t mean they are good or classics
This is one of the best scenes from Star Trek. A man from the past who describes and seems to defend the way of life of his time while criticizing what he sees in what is for him the future, but who in fact plays devil's advocate to trick Troi into convincing him and who emotionally asserts that the thing he misses the most is nothing compared to the eradication of poverty. This is the soul of Star Trek.
@@michaelricketson1365 In the Star Trek universe, humanity lived through the Eugenics Wars and then World War III. Then there was the first contact with the Vulcans. Presumably, humanity learned from their mistakes and the Vulcans helped humans change their society. This discussion between Twain and Troi suggests that it was the end of capitalism that was a major cause of the eradication of poverty. On other occasions in TNG and DS9 there are also other critiques of capitalism. To my knowledge, there is no clearer information in Star Trek about the eradication of poverty, but there are a lot of undertones. From a more real point of view, and as a former administrator of an organization for the defense of unemployed people, I can say that the elimination of poverty is not something difficult. It would suffice to apply the principle of minimum viable income and the principle of guaranteed minimum income. These are principles that are or have been successfully applied in some countries. Unfortunately, capitalism and poverty serve some people well, especially politicians, and there is no political will to eradicate poverty. But in theory it's an easy thing to do.
@@sg39g Thanks for the reply. I don’t believe that poverty can be eradicated, that strikes me as a fairy tale. Economics have a downside like everything else and are a part of the human condition, as much as hate, jealousy, laziness, etc. Troi made her position unbelievable when she said that hopelessness and despair disappeared along with poverty, as if we need poverty to experience such negativity. Economics are not the only pillar of society.
the federation WAS decent for a time, but like anything complacency , fear, and corruption got involved..Star trek Picard is DS9 to its logical end point. the Federation has darkness, and so does the universe, TNG was about the best of us, and the best of the federation. The reality is, for every enterprise, theres a few dozen certios. The brightest light still casts a shadow somewhere.
rj frame I’m guessing you’re hinting at de Tocqueville’s critique of American democracy. I thoroughly agree with you. Just sucks to ‘see through’ those rose colored glasses and have your childhood love of country smashed. Kinda hurts actually.
Mark Twain represents modern day writers on what they THINK the future will be like. Troi represents the true fans that believe the Star Trek future is more hopeful and brighter than one thinks
Let me put it this way. Every Eden has a snake. Star Trek represents a bright future for humanity. A future where humanities darker aspects are no longer at the forefront and aren’t deciding factors in politics and every day life. But they’re still their at the individual and personal level. And just because earth has managed to leave prejudice behind doesn’t mean the rest of the universe has. TOS and TNG show the Eden the Federation has made but very rarely do they show the snake. They occasionally cross the snakes path but they don’t fully show the snake. DS9 and VOY occasionally showed the snake but tended to focus on showing/promoting the Eden. The new series focus on the snake. They show the darker sides of the federation, such as section 31. Let us not forget that while Kirk was preaching peace, tolerance and freedom during his 5 year mission the Federation was actively at war with the Klingons. And when Picard first started continuing the mission to seek out new life and civilizations the Federation was at war with the Cardassian. The snake has always been there. They just never focused on it. The new series is showing us that the fight against prejudice and hatred is a never ending battle and how easy it is for an Utopia of kindness and understanding can fall if they become complacent.
@@Lyoko012345 That's a good thought but I don't think the current show runners are thinking like you do. The new shows are about edge and drama. They have none of the charm of the old series and is all about flashy special effects, gore, f bomb and almost mindless action
I love this incarnation of Twain so much, he borders on being overly comedic but reigns it in just enough to leave a very realistic and thoughtful impression. This scene is also a thesis statement on why newer Star Trek isn’t really Star Trek.
@@teneleven2818 this is what the hack writers all over Hollyweird can't grasp. They're all about look how bad things are. Everything is worthless. It's a very nihilistic view of things. For them there is no hope, no Joy, just endless screes of wha! Look at ME!!!!! Put this scene up against anything in STD and Peehard and the contrast is striking and not in a good way. Meanwhile these idiots think they're morally superior for pointing this out. All they're really doing is pointing to their wretched debasement and cynical view of Life.
I like how, as cynical and skeptical as he is, the promise of a future without the inequalities and oppressiveness of the modern day were enough of a temptation for his shell to crack almost immediately to let the hope in.
@@Poolboy001 Because at one point, before Woketards took over, Star Trek was not about socialism. Full automation of the means of production is not the same thing as government owning the means of production.
Such a great scene. Watching it, I just realized that Star Trek is one of very few shows (or movies, or books, or anything) that portrays a *positive* future.
@@hanssvineklev648 Well, it was a sci-fi TV show. It was a broad appeal entertainment series that was better than most garbage at the time or now. Is anything on TV perfect? I thought this was a funny episode and one of their better efforts.
Mark Twain, my most favorite author, lecturer, humorist. He, at one time in his life was studying to become a man of the cloth. One should read, "Letters to the Earth."
This is a scene that I think you appreciate more as an adult. I was still a kid when I first watched this and Twain came off as a dick when I first saw him (which is not WHOLLY invalid, coming from a kid's perspective). It isn't until you get older that you learn Twain was a cynic...and when you consider the age he lived in, the man had A LOT to be cynical about. So when he at least gets to see a glimmer of hope for mankind's future, it is a satisfying moment.
I love how you get a hint with his confort around Guinan, but he barely bats an eye at another species, has his misconceptions proven wrong then is willing to give up an addiction if it means all this sociatal progress
And since when... does she not look cute and simply lovely to gaze upon and make men and some women's head turn when she passes by to gander at such beauty???
To be fair, there's a galaxy of various aliens of all shapes and sizes with all sorts of fashion senses. Mark Twain isn't exactly going to stand out that much.
We live in the 22nd century and most people I've met didn't care or even didn't know anything about Mark Twain. I expected no less from people in the 24th.
Mark Twain, "A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes" Captain Picard, "Helm...plot a course around the world to this very spot...warp 9...engage!"
This scene is why I hate newer Trek shows. TNG, DS9, VOY... They were about hope. Optimism. They were about the possibility of humanity improving itself. Not about the future being centuries and centuries of the same old shit we're seeing today.
SciFi is a reflection of the Time. Want to know how people feel about the present? Ask them to imagine a future. The original trek shows were written at a time where people were optimistic. Where they had hope for the future. Robots were just around the corner. Advances in science couldn't be kept up with. Compare that to the late 2010s onward. Climate change threatens the world, seemingly without causing any alarm from the political elite. Inequality between the poorest and richest classes in the US right now is greater than during the French Revolution. Polarised politics has caused people to reject *basic medicine* in favour of conspiracies. There are higher tensions between the global powers than at any point since the cold war. Demagoguery and nationalism is on the rise in Europe. Out trusted institutions such as our militaries, governments and religious institutions have been found to be guilty of horrific injustices and cover ups. Our militaries committing terrible war crimes in the name of freedom. Our governments escaping what would have been career ending scandals by yelling 'fake news' until it goes away. We live in a very different world. And it's impacted a lot of put media. It's not just Star Trek. It's all Sci-fi. When people imagine the future, they look at the federation and imagine separatist movements. Because years ago it felt like we were pulling together. Now it feels like we are pulling apart. When Star Trek was first written it was on the back of astonishing upward trajectory. Now we are literally faced with the daily reminder that we are ticking down towards oblivion. It's not a new phenomena either. DS9 and Voyager both played with the idea of Star Fleet fragmenting, with Section 31 and others betraying the principles the federation was founded on. Now some people will say they want to disassociate with the real world. They just want a good story. I'm not saying I don't want that. I'm just saying that whether we like it or not, the modern era subconsciously informs what we write about and how we imagine the future. It's not a conscious decision to make Star Trek 'Political'. I think it's simply a result of the Zeitgeist. Just as how following 9/11, war films suddenly took a massive swing to the patriotic and glorious. Following the recent decades attempts to envision yhe future have taken a downward almost despairing turn. It's too widespread to be a conscious decision. It's not like all SciFi writers suddenly became bad overnight. I think it's a way the world has shifted. Star Trek always engages with the current themes. Whether it's cold war. Burgeoning optimism. Genetic engineering. Religious extremism. Political factionalism or rampant AI. When this episode people viewed tech as something to be embraced and the only people who feared it were grouchy old people with ties to the past who couldn't adapt. Now though, technology is something to feared that threatens to overwhelm us. Writers didn't change. People did. I'm not saying you're wrong by the way. I much prefer the optimistic take on the future. I'm just musing on why I think it's changed.
I think the key difference is in how the stories are told now. Star Trek always had political messages, in a post-scarcity world the best qualities of humanity shine through in the Federation and Starfleet. The difference now, is that instead of encountering a backwards civilization, learning how they are bad, and should do better, (see TOS: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, TOS: A Taste Of Armageddon, TNG: Up The Long Ladder, TNG: The Child, TNG: The Outcast to name a few) in DS9, VOY, ENT the seeds were planted that humanity was still up to it's old bad ways with ideas like Section 31. And then in modern Trek, like Picard this is doubled down on into internal morality conflicts. The former type of story telling was hopeful, the latter is quite doomsaying.
It touches on why people smoke, smoking takes life from me, I think and yet for one reason or another I still do it as it releases chemicals in and from nerve cells.
I believe in DS9 you see people smoking in Sisko's Dad's resturaunt. They probably just replicated them to not produce any nicotine or other harmful chemicals.
@@sbh_tx ppl in 24th century keep consuming synthehol without the intoxicating effects of normal alchol, I suppose just for the flavour, it isn't unlikely that they do the same with cigars
But its beginning in Part 1 touched on some interesting issues... Data finds his head, and has to explore the notion that he is, in fact, mortal. And Picard has to deal with sending him into harm's way despite this.
I wonder whether Counselor Troi would feel about real chocolate instead of “imitation” chocolate. The blue-skin man Clements and Troi passed was Uncle Fester.
Her complaint, IIRC, was about how the chocolate the replicator provided was HEALTHY chocolate, that lacked the sheer gluttinous indulgence factor of the true sugar rich confection.
And furthermore, anyone living in those places and being unhappy with it could easily move to Earth, since it's basically free to live there and immigration is probably cheap as dirt and very simple.
What viewers of this episode miss was if it were any other person from the 19th century, he would have freaked out after being transported to the 24th century. People with a forward-thinking and enlighten keen mind like Twain's would adapt quickly. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a science fiction story.
What frustrates me is after the death of Gene Roddenberry, those who came after were no longer interested in Roddenberry's vision of a future without conflict and strife. They found it stifling as writers. So over time it's been revealed that this extinction of poverty is only a facade of the Federation: that elsewhere in the universe it still persists. By the time we get to Discovery and Picard and Lower Decks, we learn that in reality little has changed at all in the centuries between now and Roddenberry's ideal future. The writers completely missed the point.
My understanding even with the newer shows is that within the federation, poverty and want are eliminated. There will always be bigotries, we'll never escape those. But the basic elements of classism and want are eliminated. The cost of that though is a requirement of pursuing it. Most of the instances we see of want or disparity comes down to groups refusing to give up certain bigotries (Picard), or a purported meritocracy (Lower Decks). Still worth giving up cigars...
Kirk and Spock visited worlds where they still had crime, poverty and war. They went to that gangster world where it was always 1920-30's inspired Chicago. I think the gangsters even name dropped Al Copone as their Thesis for their way of life. They met those planets where they have a simulation of war and mass execute the losers of the sim based on how many people the computer said were killed. I do fully concede they dropped the ball by the time we reached the TNG movies onward, but I still love DS9.
@@Dhips. Those weren't federation worlds, most of them were pre-warp. The gangster one hadn't been visited in 100 years. The nazi planet was post world war 3 economic collapse turned to fascism. The one with the computer was non federation also last seen 100 years ago. We know humans live in Orion syndicate territory and its a mafia-government with slavery and vice. Those are all non-federation, highlighting alternate paths we could take. Edo is an interesting one, as they had the death penalty for all crime. But it was still a paraside of all needs being met and the federation never knew about that part of their culutre, apparently. Though they weren't federation either, that was still being negotiated.
You can still have your cigar if you really want one. I mean, they have cures for cancer by then anyway. PS, one of my favorite scenes in all of Star Trek.
Anyone who knows Mark Twain's social viewpoints knows that in this scene, he's largely playing devil's advocate. He was a progressive mind, anti-racism, anti-slavery and a supporter of Women's suffrage. Mark Twain really was ahead of his time, and it was a genius move of Star Trek to transport him to the future to play on how he would hypothetically see how Mark Twain, a man who lived in the peak of the gilded age on how a progressive egalitarian society like the Federation would be like. And as he says, its worth giving up cigars for after all, meaning he certainly approves of this vision of the future, and reading on Mark Twain's own writings I think the Trek writers certainly understood him well.
'I'm wondering what it would be like to sail on a Fabulous Riverboat and search for the headquarters of a million mile river. Wondering if someone might even make me a character in their story?"
At this point, although not sure, judging by her outfit, the Borg weren’t a blip yet. The Dominion definitely not known yet at this point. Sure the Ferenghi are money driven annoyances, but that’s all they are. Klingons, save a select a few are allies to the Federation as well.
@@whitewolf3051 pretty sure they had already en ountered the Borg by this episode. And tnere were other races that had long since been discovered. Tholians, Romulans, Cardassians, etc. And what about Tasha Yar’s home world? From what I understand it is a Federation world, but it is also a hellhole.
@@whitewolf3051 This was like series 5 or 6. The Borg were pretty well known threat by this point. Note sure about the Dominion though by the time tng ended ds9 was on it's third or fourth season I think.
if greed was made punishable be death then the world may become a better place. to be rich is selfish and cruel to others who may not have your gifts and to use your gift in a cruel manner is unacceptable.
“You won‘t even let a man open a door for a lady.“ Yes, Mr. Twain, but that didn’t happen because of automatic doors, but because of automatic humans. Also known as NPCs. Or, within the Star Trek: Universe: blame it on the Borg. 😂
Sad truth is that power and conquest can come in so many different forms it’s like the devil himself. It always finds itself back into the lives of the living, no matter how many times you think you’ve done away with it. It’s like the old saying “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
current star trek writers need to take notice. at no point does troi or the rest of the away team turn their noses at the goings on of mark twains time. at no point do they lecture him on how terrible the things occuring in his time are. they simply accept that it was a different time and troi merely explains to Mr. Twain that humanity has grown from the time he knows.
that is how you tackle sensitive topics in a TV show, you dont have to slap it in the audiences face, you simply need to make them take a moment to think, just like mark twain did in the turbolift.
I think you mean well but they would not need to lecture Twain about the evils of this time. If you notice, he is well aware of the evils of his time. What he didint realize was that Humanity had overcome poverty, imperialism, prejudice, oppression, ignorance, etc until Troi informed him of that.
I do agree though that STNG did a much better job of exploring political and ethical questions than newer Sci Fi.
@@TangomanX2008 you missed my point, the writing twains character recognizes the evils of his time and just accepts them as the way things are. The tng crews era understands this same concept as troi explains that humanity had grown beyond it.
If written today there would be this in your face make you feel bad as oppose to a subtly crafted make you think moment. Shows of that time period were written better when it came to that. It wasn't until the end when you the viewer began thinking yourself, another show that got one season but wonderfully captured the same essence but in more modern terms was alien nation. It was there but you saw how the characters navigated it and reflected on how you yourself would act.
@@wakcedout I guess I see Mark differently. He did assume and thought that certain evils that were present in humanity in the 19tn century were present in the 24th, but he was attempting to call them out. In fact, for a moment there he did not respect the technological progress of 24th century humanity because he thought he was perceiving the same evils of 19th century humanity, and that was more important to him.
If you think New Trek is so "in your face" with its political messages, then you haven't seen much Star Trek.
The writers have been using Star Trek to address political and social injustices since the original series in the '60s.
ALL of you are missing the point. A future with no cigars?!?! 😜
That little giggle when he sees the blue fellow is perhaps the finest giggle I have ever heard from an actor. Hysterical!
Close, after the first doctor and yoda
Marina had her moments
Interesting that Mark Twain seems right at home in the 24th century. Still his cantankerous, skeptical and lovable old self. 😏
he truly is in "King Picard's Court" now.
Classics are classics for a reason. The Beatles would probably still be popular in the 24th century as well. We still listen to Mozart today.
@@ered203 Classics gain their status for the ability to touch the hearts and minds of people no matter their race, culture, or generation. Classics appeal to that timeless want that humans desire, no matter the age they live in.
@@ered203 Beatles aren’t even that good. Don’t you dare compare them to Mozart. Beatles were new and ground breaking at the time. They did a lot for music. But that doesn’t mean they are good or classics
I'm sorry. Did you say you knew Mark Twain personally?
This is one of the best scenes from Star Trek. A man from the past who describes and seems to defend the way of life of his time while criticizing what he sees in what is for him the future, but who in fact plays devil's advocate to trick Troi into convincing him and who emotionally asserts that the thing he misses the most is nothing compared to the eradication of poverty.
This is the soul of Star Trek.
How was poverty eradicated?
@@michaelricketson1365 In the Star Trek universe, humanity lived through the Eugenics Wars and then World War III. Then there was the first contact with the Vulcans. Presumably, humanity learned from their mistakes and the Vulcans helped humans change their society. This discussion between Twain and Troi suggests that it was the end of capitalism that was a major cause of the eradication of poverty. On other occasions in TNG and DS9 there are also other critiques of capitalism. To my knowledge, there is no clearer information in Star Trek about the eradication of poverty, but there are a lot of undertones.
From a more real point of view, and as a former administrator of an organization for the defense of unemployed people, I can say that the elimination of poverty is not something difficult. It would suffice to apply the principle of minimum viable income and the principle of guaranteed minimum income. These are principles that are or have been successfully applied in some countries. Unfortunately, capitalism and poverty serve some people well, especially politicians, and there is no political will to eradicate poverty. But in theory it's an easy thing to do.
@@sg39g Thanks for the reply. I don’t believe that poverty can be eradicated, that strikes me as a fairy tale. Economics have a downside like everything else and are a part of the human condition, as much as hate, jealousy, laziness, etc. Troi made her position unbelievable when she said that hopelessness and despair disappeared along with poverty, as if we need poverty to experience such negativity. Economics are not the only pillar of society.
@@michaelricketson1365 Are you american?
@@sg39g I’m just myself, not a label.
"Young lady I come from a time ...Where prejudice and intolerance are common place"
I didn't know mark twain was also in Star Trek Picard
the federation WAS decent for a time, but like anything complacency , fear, and corruption got involved..Star trek Picard is DS9 to its logical end point. the Federation has darkness, and so does the universe, TNG was about the best of us, and the best of the federation. The reality is, for every enterprise, theres a few dozen certios. The brightest light still casts a shadow somewhere.
*zing!*
XD
@@rjframe4410 Besides the poetic candor you seem to not understand the Federation or it's ideals.
@@Sibbot no i think i do, there's alot of rose colored glasses in the Stark Trek fandom though
rj frame I’m guessing you’re hinting at de Tocqueville’s critique of American democracy. I thoroughly agree with you. Just sucks to ‘see through’ those rose colored glasses and have your childhood love of country smashed. Kinda hurts actually.
Mark Twain represents modern day writers on what they THINK the future will be like. Troi represents the true fans that believe the Star Trek future is more hopeful and brighter than one thinks
Based.
Let me put it this way. Every Eden has a snake.
Star Trek represents a bright future for humanity. A future where humanities darker aspects are no longer at the forefront and aren’t deciding factors in politics and every day life. But they’re still their at the individual and personal level. And just because earth has managed to leave prejudice behind doesn’t mean the rest of the universe has.
TOS and TNG show the Eden the Federation has made but very rarely do they show the snake. They occasionally cross the snakes path but they don’t fully show the snake.
DS9 and VOY occasionally showed the snake but tended to focus on showing/promoting the Eden.
The new series focus on the snake. They show the darker sides of the federation, such as section 31.
Let us not forget that while Kirk was preaching peace, tolerance and freedom during his 5 year mission the Federation was actively at war with the Klingons.
And when Picard first started continuing the mission to seek out new life and civilizations the Federation was at war with the Cardassian.
The snake has always been there. They just never focused on it.
The new series is showing us that the fight against prejudice and hatred is a never ending battle and how easy it is for an Utopia of kindness and understanding can fall if they become complacent.
@@Lyoko012345 That's a good thought but I don't think the current show runners are thinking like you do. The new shows are about edge and drama. They have none of the charm of the old series and is all about flashy special effects, gore, f bomb and almost mindless action
@@Excalibur01 It's mostly bells and whistles.
@@Lyoko012345 Yeah it's bs and you know it.
I love this incarnation of Twain so much, he borders on being overly comedic but reigns it in just enough to leave a very realistic and thoughtful impression.
This scene is also a thesis statement on why newer Star Trek isn’t really Star Trek.
What he said near the end is a nightmare for the writers of the new fake trek they put out now
No biggie, but "reins" not "reigns", like reining in a horse...
@@teneleven2818 this is what the hack writers all over Hollyweird can't grasp. They're all about look how bad things are. Everything is worthless. It's a very nihilistic view of things. For them there is no hope, no Joy, just endless screes of wha! Look at ME!!!!!
Put this scene up against anything in STD and Peehard and the contrast is striking and not in a good way. Meanwhile these idiots think they're morally superior for pointing this out. All they're really doing is pointing to their wretched debasement and cynical view of Life.
@@christopherdean1326 Autocorrect has ruined my spelling ability
@@bencarlson4300 It is a curse upon the English language! I wonder if other people find it equally ruinous in other languages....
I like how, as cynical and skeptical as he is, the promise of a future without the inequalities and oppressiveness of the modern day were enough of a temptation for his shell to crack almost immediately to let the hope in.
It's a pretty neat trick, they still use it today hoping you won't notice.
Twain is correct, we won't change, it's in our nature to hate the "other"
I really like Mark Twain trying to understand Gene’s Vision.
One of Counselor Troi's best scenes is also one of the best scenes in the whole show. Nice.
I disagree. Mark Twain was out of character. This is just hack work done by socialists.
@@emperorninja1965 if you don't like socialists why are you watching Star Trek?
@@Poolboy001 Because at one point, before Woketards took over, Star Trek was not about socialism.
Full automation of the means of production is not the same thing as government owning the means of production.
@@duckduckgoismuchbetter your use of “woketards” said literally everything i need to know about you and your lack of reality. lmaoooooooo
@@warealpha Woketard! Don't hide from your identity. Say it with PRIDE. Celebrate it! Make it your gender of the month.
Until you grow up a little.
Such a great scene. Watching it, I just realized that Star Trek is one of very few shows (or movies, or books, or anything) that portrays a *positive* future.
No but the captain it's a man!
Twain was big into technology and development and would have loved the ship.
Jerry Hardin, did a fantastic job here as Mark Twain. This is one of my fav TNG episodes of the whole series.
“Poverty was eliminated on earth a long time ago.” Wish that were true today already.
Let’s just wait for the Third World War and the Second Coming of Jesus.
@@alexhawkins1795 , are they bringing their starships with them?
Notice how she only mentioned Earth? Nothing about their colonies, remember Natasha Yar and where she came from.
@@indiajohnson good point! Thanks for mentioning that!
@@indiajohnson, Tasha's colony was outside Federation control.
Mark Twain reminds me of my grumpy grandfather but mark Twain is capable of listening and taking in new ideas.
in that fashion, he reminds me of both mine. One was grumpy and the other wasn't and was capable of listening
1:03 I love that little laugh when he sees a Bolian
Imagine if this version of Twain met old Bones from the first episode, cantankerous squared.
I love how jovial he is. I think I need to reread some Twain since graduating highschool. I remember him being pretty down to earth like this.
He was an amazing man. I really hope they really did his persona right on this show. Makes me want him to make a comeback.
Was there any carpet left on the Enterprise set after that actor got done chewing it?
What?
@@arceusthecreator9746 yeah, what?
chewing the carpet ???
Scenery… I think you meant to say chewing the scenery. Chewing or munching on carpet has some whole other connotations.🤔😏
@@coffeeveins Lmao
Marina Sirtis played this scene perfectly.
@NoahSpurrier. I think you’re right. Too bad the writing is so mindless.
@@hanssvineklev648 Well, it was a sci-fi TV show. It was a broad appeal entertainment series that was better than most garbage at the time or now. Is anything on TV perfect? I thought this was a funny episode and one of their better efforts.
Mark Twain, my most favorite author, lecturer, humorist. He, at one time in his life was studying to become a man of the cloth. One should read, "Letters to the Earth."
- Twain? TLDR. Can you put it in a meme? - Today's audience.
Dude the late 80s and early 90s was for some reason obsessed with Twain. So many movies and tv shows. But TNG pulls it off perfect.
This is a scene that I think you appreciate more as an adult. I was still a kid when I first watched this and Twain came off as a dick when I first saw him (which is not WHOLLY invalid, coming from a kid's perspective). It isn't until you get older that you learn Twain was a cynic...and when you consider the age he lived in, the man had A LOT to be cynical about. So when he at least gets to see a glimmer of hope for mankind's future, it is a satisfying moment.
Never understood the importance of this scene. Its a lesson for many of us.
I love how you get a hint with his confort around Guinan, but he barely bats an eye at another species, has his misconceptions proven wrong then is willing to give up an addiction if it means all this sociatal progress
Troi seems genuinely charmed here and looks cute
i see an imperialist sneering at a barbarian
@@free_live_free-511Then you're delusional
And since when... does she not look cute and simply lovely to gaze upon and make men and some women's head turn when she passes by to gander at such beauty???
Great writing. This is the Star Trek that I miss.
Sirtis looks absolutely divine in this episode.
I love this episode it’s fantastic
Thank God for Star Trek😊
That was a good episode.
he did a incredible mark twain
May I ask how you know? You met him?
These people on the corridor just walk by the real Mark Twain like they saw him every day.
That's because they thought it was Col. Sanders.
To be fair, there's a galaxy of various aliens of all shapes and sizes with all sorts of fashion senses. Mark Twain isn't exactly going to stand out that much.
We live in the 22nd century and most people I've met didn't care or even didn't know anything about Mark Twain. I expected no less from people in the 24th.
@@thatbloomer5642 You mean the 21st?
@@thatbloomer5642 There was the original series episode where Kirk’s enterprise encountered Abraham Lincoln and recognized him immediately.
Mark Twain, "A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes"
Captain Picard, "Helm...plot a course around the world to this very spot...warp 9...engage!"
Mark Twain, "Captain...did you consider this stunt to be an example of proving me wrong. Or proving me right?
Captain Picard [face palm]
She is everything
This scene is why I hate newer Trek shows.
TNG, DS9, VOY... They were about hope.
Optimism.
They were about the possibility of humanity improving itself.
Not about the future being centuries and centuries of the same old shit we're seeing today.
Bullshit "realism" as a front for social agendas
SciFi is a reflection of the Time.
Want to know how people feel about the present? Ask them to imagine a future.
The original trek shows were written at a time where people were optimistic. Where they had hope for the future. Robots were just around the corner. Advances in science couldn't be kept up with.
Compare that to the late 2010s onward.
Climate change threatens the world, seemingly without causing any alarm from the political elite. Inequality between the poorest and richest classes in the US right now is greater than during the French Revolution.
Polarised politics has caused people to reject *basic medicine* in favour of conspiracies. There are higher tensions between the global powers than at any point since the cold war. Demagoguery and nationalism is on the rise in Europe.
Out trusted institutions such as our militaries, governments and religious institutions have been found to be guilty of horrific injustices and cover ups. Our militaries committing terrible war crimes in the name of freedom. Our governments escaping what would have been career ending scandals by yelling 'fake news' until it goes away.
We live in a very different world. And it's impacted a lot of put media.
It's not just Star Trek. It's all Sci-fi. When people imagine the future, they look at the federation and imagine separatist movements. Because years ago it felt like we were pulling together. Now it feels like we are pulling apart.
When Star Trek was first written it was on the back of astonishing upward trajectory. Now we are literally faced with the daily reminder that we are ticking down towards oblivion.
It's not a new phenomena either. DS9 and Voyager both played with the idea of Star Fleet fragmenting, with Section 31 and others betraying the principles the federation was founded on.
Now some people will say they want to disassociate with the real world. They just want a good story. I'm not saying I don't want that.
I'm just saying that whether we like it or not, the modern era subconsciously informs what we write about and how we imagine the future. It's not a conscious decision to make Star Trek 'Political'. I think it's simply a result of the Zeitgeist.
Just as how following 9/11, war films suddenly took a massive swing to the patriotic and glorious.
Following the recent decades attempts to envision yhe future have taken a downward almost despairing turn. It's too widespread to be a conscious decision. It's not like all SciFi writers suddenly became bad overnight. I think it's a way the world has shifted.
Star Trek always engages with the current themes. Whether it's cold war. Burgeoning optimism. Genetic engineering. Religious extremism. Political factionalism or rampant AI.
When this episode people viewed tech as something to be embraced and the only people who feared it were grouchy old people with ties to the past who couldn't adapt.
Now though, technology is something to feared that threatens to overwhelm us.
Writers didn't change. People did.
I'm not saying you're wrong by the way. I much prefer the optimistic take on the future. I'm just musing on why I think it's changed.
I think the key difference is in how the stories are told now. Star Trek always had political messages, in a post-scarcity world the best qualities of humanity shine through in the Federation and Starfleet. The difference now, is that instead of encountering a backwards civilization, learning how they are bad, and should do better, (see TOS: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, TOS: A Taste Of Armageddon, TNG: Up The Long Ladder, TNG: The Child, TNG: The Outcast to name a few) in DS9, VOY, ENT the seeds were planted that humanity was still up to it's old bad ways with ideas like Section 31. And then in modern Trek, like Picard this is doubled down on into internal morality conflicts. The former type of story telling was hopeful, the latter is quite doomsaying.
@@Xpndable
Because in the past, it was assumed that humans would prevail.
Now there is a real danger we will lose.
@@Xpndable DS9 did dark stories and told it better.
Mark Twain was so awesome in this
It touches on why people smoke, smoking takes life from me, I think and yet for one reason or another I still do it as it releases chemicals in and from nerve cells.
Star Trek Picard: "Nevermind literally everything Troi said."
Th@t was one of my favorite episodes
Everyone loves Star trek 😅
If only life was that way 😅😊
Ya know, she never says that cigars were eliminated. That's just what everyone assumes.
I believe in DS9 you see people smoking in Sisko's Dad's resturaunt. They probably just replicated them to not produce any nicotine or other harmful chemicals.
@@therabbits69 ugh, whats the point then!?
@@therabbits69 you do understand that nicotine is the primary reason cigars rose in the first place?
They smoke them for the, uh... synthotine.
@@sbh_tx ppl in 24th century keep consuming synthehol without the intoxicating effects of normal alchol, I suppose just for the flavour, it isn't unlikely that they do the same with cigars
This was the funnest episode.
But its beginning in Part 1 touched on some interesting issues... Data finds his head, and has to explore the notion that he is, in fact, mortal. And Picard has to deal with sending him into harm's way despite this.
I wonder whether Counselor Troi would feel about real chocolate instead of “imitation” chocolate.
The blue-skin man Clements and Troi passed was Uncle Fester.
Really? That's so cool!
Her complaint, IIRC, was about how the chocolate the replicator provided was HEALTHY chocolate, that lacked the sheer gluttinous indulgence factor of the true sugar rich confection.
Star Trek "We own nothing, our goal is to better ourself."
WEF "Add some bugs and its mein wet dream!"
At first glance of the thumbnail, I thought, “What the hell is Troi doing with Colonel Sanders? Shaking him down for his chicken recipe?”
Nice JT! 😊🌎💖
I guess there are some things the replicator can't make. Gold pressed latinum, antimatter and the Colonel's secret recipe.
It's finger lickin' gooood!
Troi had the best way to serve breast sorted all by herself & had no need of the Colonel
what a memorable character
I know what I would be doing with TROI
Conversation much more interesting than when he was talking to Fox Mulder................
Clearly he hasn't seen DS9 yet.
it's easy to be a saint in paradise
It's also easy to commit and get away with warcrimes if your viewer base thinks you are a "badass".
Earth being a peaceful paradise doesn't mean war doesn't exist in other parts of the galaxy.
That's Bajor though. Earth really isn't like that at all.
And furthermore, anyone living in those places and being unhappy with it could easily move to Earth, since it's basically free to live there and immigration is probably cheap as dirt and very simple.
What viewers of this episode miss was if it were any other person from the 19th century, he would have freaked out after being transported to the 24th century. People with a forward-thinking and enlighten keen mind like Twain's would adapt quickly. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a science fiction story.
She wouldn't know... when the actress was actually a smoker and the character smokes a cigar in A Fist Full of Datas episode
What frustrates me is after the death of Gene Roddenberry, those who came after were no longer interested in Roddenberry's vision of a future without conflict and strife. They found it stifling as writers. So over time it's been revealed that this extinction of poverty is only a facade of the Federation: that elsewhere in the universe it still persists. By the time we get to Discovery and Picard and Lower Decks, we learn that in reality little has changed at all in the centuries between now and Roddenberry's ideal future. The writers completely missed the point.
Star Trek passed Enterprise isn't Star Trek as far as I am concerned.
this episode was written after Roddenberry died
My understanding even with the newer shows is that within the federation, poverty and want are eliminated. There will always be bigotries, we'll never escape those. But the basic elements of classism and want are eliminated. The cost of that though is a requirement of pursuing it. Most of the instances we see of want or disparity comes down to groups refusing to give up certain bigotries (Picard), or a purported meritocracy (Lower Decks).
Still worth giving up cigars...
Kirk and Spock visited worlds where they still had crime, poverty and war. They went to that gangster world where it was always 1920-30's inspired Chicago. I think the gangsters even name dropped Al Copone as their Thesis for their way of life. They met those planets where they have a simulation of war and mass execute the losers of the sim based on how many people the computer said were killed. I do fully concede they dropped the ball by the time we reached the TNG movies onward, but I still love DS9.
@@Dhips. Those weren't federation worlds, most of them were pre-warp. The gangster one hadn't been visited in 100 years. The nazi planet was post world war 3 economic collapse turned to fascism. The one with the computer was non federation also last seen 100 years ago. We know humans live in Orion syndicate territory and its a mafia-government with slavery and vice. Those are all non-federation, highlighting alternate paths we could take.
Edo is an interesting one, as they had the death penalty for all crime. But it was still a paraside of all needs being met and the federation never knew about that part of their culutre, apparently. Though they weren't federation either, that was still being negotiated.
Jerry Hardin, what an actor!
Next generation has its moments, but they are very few and far between.
Best look for her
“… about humanity's future.”
'Trust no One, Captain Picard...err Mr. Mulder...' Deep Throat :D
You can still have your cigar if you really want one.
I mean, they have cures for cancer by then anyway.
PS, one of my favorite scenes in all of Star Trek.
Humanity's.
I see that Mark Twain is a DS9 fan
Typo in title: should be Humanity's not Humanities. It's a possessive noun.
Humanity’s future
I was waiting for him to say, "sounds boring."
humanity's future
They should remake this episode on the new star trek
From the thumbnail, I thought that was Colonel Sanders! 😂
mark twain would be comfy at any time.
Mark Twain appreciates Troi 🙃
I shall add Hand Rolled Cigars to my list of all those things lost in the pursuit of Utopia.
I have no doubt that this is exactly how Sam Clemens would have reacted to being in the future.
Nice stuff
Thank You
Anyone who knows Mark Twain's social viewpoints knows that in this scene, he's largely playing devil's advocate.
He was a progressive mind, anti-racism, anti-slavery and a supporter of Women's suffrage. Mark Twain really was ahead of his time, and it was a genius move of Star Trek to transport him to the future to play on how he would hypothetically see how Mark Twain, a man who lived in the peak of the gilded age on how a progressive egalitarian society like the Federation would be like.
And as he says, its worth giving up cigars for after all, meaning he certainly approves of this vision of the future, and reading on Mark Twain's own writings I think the Trek writers certainly understood him well.
This character seemed like something out of a slapstick comedy.
She speaks with a forked tongue
'I'm wondering what it would be like to sail on a Fabulous Riverboat and search for the headquarters of a million mile river. Wondering if someone might even make me a character in their story?"
Troi fails to mention the Klingons, Borg, Ferenghi, Cardassians and the Dominion.
At this point, although not sure, judging by her outfit, the Borg weren’t a blip yet. The Dominion definitely not known yet at this point. Sure the Ferenghi are money driven annoyances, but that’s all they are. Klingons, save a select a few are allies to the Federation as well.
@@whitewolf3051 pretty sure they had already en ountered the Borg by this episode. And tnere were other races that had long since been discovered. Tholians, Romulans, Cardassians, etc. And what about Tasha Yar’s home world? From what I understand it is a Federation world, but it is also a hellhole.
Yes, but I think they are talking about the progress of humanity.
@@whitewolf3051 This episode was after Wolf 359
@@whitewolf3051 This was like series 5 or 6. The Borg were pretty well known threat by this point. Note sure about the Dominion though by the time tng ended ds9 was on it's third or fourth season I think.
For the longest time as a kid I thought they used René Auberjonois for this Twain character.
She's not even human :)
Her father was human, her mother was a Betazoid.
Doesn't matter, and that's the point of the Federation!
Well from his point of view she's close enough
I'd like to think some ensign was walking by and was like "WTF, was that Mark Twain???"
if greed was made punishable be death then the world may become a better place. to be rich is selfish and cruel to others who may not have your gifts and to use your gift in a cruel manner is unacceptable.
I prefer Nicaraguan cigars myself
Science fiction. "Fiction is good people having good ends, and bad people having bad ends."
Correction: humanity's future.
Thank God this was on basic cable 🤣🤣🤣
Thank god it was the Enterprise and Troi he met, if it was DS9 and Kira he'd have gone home with a very different opinion lol
I know that TV/movie writers take liberties. But Mark Twain was a young man when he was in San Francisco.
I wish she'd told him that she was half-alien herself.
“You won‘t even let a man open a door for a lady.“ Yes, Mr. Twain, but that didn’t happen because of automatic doors, but because of automatic humans. Also known as NPCs. Or, within the Star Trek: Universe: blame it on the Borg. 😂
Mark Twain you forgot the English and the French on your list of “conquerors”..
Or really EVERY single empire from the Romans to the Persians. The Japanese, the Zulu, the ancient hindus, the muslims, etc
Well, he remembered the Dutch though.
"A Tale of Two Cities"
Charles Dickens
I’d have to say don’t knock it until you try it
that they did this, knowing they could be changing history if they changed his mind, always bugged me.
"humanity's". We are too inaccurate to go far.
The second of a 2 part episode. Look she got herself a tan during the time between episodes
"Humanity's" One humanity -- possessive (humankind as a whole). Unless Troi is talking to Mr. Samuel Clemons about a Humanities 101 course.
He still _wants_ that cigar though.
Sad truth is that power and conquest can come in so many different forms it’s like the devil himself. It always finds itself back into the lives of the living, no matter how many times you think you’ve done away with it. It’s like the old saying “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Are we sure Mark Twain didn't write "Star Trek" (originally)? Ha ha.