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Star Trek Tuesday: A Weekly Episode Review.


KenJennings
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So, earlier today, I heard someone criticizing one of my favorite all-time episodes of Star Trek. In mounting a defense, I decided to watch the episode, as I hadn't seen it in some time. I ended up writing a good bit more than I expected on the topic, and thought it might be fun to watch one of my favorite Star Trek episodes every week at random, and to write up a little review on it.

 

Maybe some people can find some nice episode recommendations here, maybe you disagree and want to tell me I'm an idiot. Either way, I hope we can discuss a few of these classics.

 

Review One: 8/2/16

Star Trek Voyager, Season 2, Episode 18: Deathwish

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VEIM6chKyYs/U1X2smZY-AI/AAAAAAAACxI/psdP6Qh8FGI/s1600/Quinns_column.jpg

 

Surely among my top five favorite Star Trek episodes ever, and easily my single favorite entry from Voyager is one of the most fascinating Q-related episodes: Deathwish. Deathwish is quintessentially ‘Star Trek’. It very directly confronts a deeply divisive and morally ambiguous social issue by wrapping it in a larger than life alien allegory. At the same time it goes a long way to define the nature of one of Star Trek’s most alien species. It’s wrought with unfathomable exploration; from the big bang itself, to the endless path of all creation. It’s a deep, dramatic, funny, sad and honest episode. One of the best in all Trekdom.

 

The premise of Deathwish is simple enough. A (newly introduced) member of the Q continuum is woefully tired of living. Having existed for all eternity, having experienced all there is to experience, having seen and done everything he wants to do; his only remaining wish is to die. Unfortunately, the social order of the Q continuum (represented by our familiar Q from TNG) prevents that desire from coming to fruition. The near-omnipotent entity is prevented by his peers from self-terminating, and the deadlock of otherwordly powers leaves Voyager to play mediator in their struggle. Both sides agree to participate in a hearing, conducted by Captain Janeway. The result determining the ultimate fate of this new Q visitor.

 

Early on in the episode, there's a teriffic little game of cat and mouse between the Q. B'elanna has one of my favorite 'matter of fact' moments with the hilarious line "This ship will not survive the formation of the cosmos!" They then cleverly crush the fourth wall by transforming the Voyager into one of that season's popular Hallmark christmas ornament avatars. Probably the most inventive and artful product placement I've ever seen. The whole sequence is painfully fun, and the zany nature of Q never causes it to lose itself. The drama endures the ridiculousness perfectly.

 

As the hearing began, it was a phenominal choice to bring in the trio of famed physicist Issac Newton, random hippy Maury Ginsburg, and the redoubtable Commander William Riker. They did a fantastic job highlighting three instances of the power of one individual. They did so much to frame up an incredible life in a one hour episode that it's hard to fathom. And as Q says; without Riker, the Borg would’ve assimilated the Federation, reminding everyone of the seriousness of that Q's presence. Plus, it’s nice of Q to bring in someone we know… someone that Janeways knows, at least by reputation. That familiarity is a powerful tool for advocacy (and for story).

 

Seeing the inside of the continuum was a beautiful trip, so wrought with metaphor and kitschy goodness; it felt like something stripped right out of the Original Series. So familiar yet so alien, the unflinching stoic faces of omnipotent entities glaring listlessly down the emptiness of eternity, simply waiting. It haunts and intrigues at the same time. Fantastic how they made such a sunswept and expansive place seem so dark and shut in.

 

Then there's the new character of Q(Using the name Quinn to differentiate himself), one of the most well portrayed, most sympathetic one-off characters I’ve ever seen… someone so detatched, so psychologically incapable of confronting what it means to exist anymore: but at the same time, so warm and lovable that he genuinely develops a quick rapport with Voyager's crew without difficulty. You legitimately feel torn over his fate, as releasing him means sending a genuinely good person, a person with so much more that he could give, into death. It's a reminder that sometimes the clearest decisions are the hardest.

 

And finally, the end brings us back to the Q we all know. Instead of the sycophantic defender of order that he tried to be, and that we can’t imagine him living up to; he returns to the role of the rapscallion, fulfilling his true destiny. He brings back "Q the irrepressible" in a way that, all at once affirms our view of him, brings us to respect him, and leaves us disappointed in his choice.

 

It’s a loving, bittersweet, parable: Star Trek through and through. A near perfect episode in every way.

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Voyager wasn't the best but Deathwish is definitely their best 'Q' episode.

 

KJ: How about "The Visitor" next??

 

EDIT: Better still how about that one where Tom Riker steals the Defiant on a mission against orders into Cardassian space. It was an early look into the armada that the Tal Shiaar and Obsidian Order put together to take out the Changelings' homeworld.

Edited by Del_Duio
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After the discussion in the other thread, I was thinking next week, I might do The Wounded.

 

As long as you stick with TNG, DS9 or TOS I'm good.

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So I'm not going in depth like Ken did, not this week anyway. Voyager's Deathwith is definitely a watchable episode, perhaps one of Voyager's best I can't remember. Interesting to see more of the Q collective, bonus Riker scenes, some humor and an issue to ponder. Everything missing from Star Trek Beyond were my thoughts.

 

Yes I realize an episode of Voyager and a big screen Trek movie is a bit of an apples to oranges comparison.

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After the discussion in the other thread, I was thinking next week, I might do The Wounded.

 

Good episode, one of my faves. One of the few eps that gives O'Brien more to do than just sliding his hand up the transporter control panel.

 

http://epicmoviemaking.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/scene-3.jpghttp://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/980/980062/top-25-star-trek-characters-20090507044427523.jpg

 

 

 

Lickety split, O'Brien! Or am I just being OBTUSE??!!

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After the discussion in the other thread, I was thinking next week, I might do The Wounded.

 

Good episode, one of my faves. One of the few eps that gives O'Brien more to do than just sliding his hand up the transporter control panel.

Colm Meaney's a good actor. Seems a shame that that was all he did much of the time....in his earlier appearances anyway. In fact, I like him as an actor more than most of TNG's cast.

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After the discussion in the other thread, I was thinking next week, I might do The Wounded.

 

Good episode, one of my faves. One of the few eps that gives O'Brien more to do than just sliding his hand up the transporter control panel.

Colm Meaney's a good actor. Seems a shame that that was all he did much of the time....in his earlier appearances anyway. In fact, I like him as an actor more than most of TNG's cast.

He's great in the TV series Hell on Wheels.

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After the discussion in the other thread, I was thinking next week, I might do The Wounded.

 

Good episode, one of my faves. One of the few eps that gives O'Brien more to do than just sliding his hand up the transporter control panel.

Colm Meaney's a good actor. Seems a shame that that was all he did much of the time....in his earlier appearances anyway. In fact, I like him as an actor more than most of TNG's cast.

 

Check out 'Hard Time', 'Whispers', or 'The Assignment' from DS9. Great O'Brien episodes.

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Is Voyager on Netflix? If it is, I'll check out that episode above.

 

Yeah all of the Trek episodes are, at least in the U.S.

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Voyager was fantastic in the beginning. Then it got lazy.

 

I'd argue that it had the best setup of any of the series.

'Caretaker' was actually pretty good. There are a handful of VOY episodes that are worthwhile, but a handful out of 170 something kind of sucks.

 

If they had more conflict between the Starfleet and Marquis crews (more than just one half of an episode or whatever) it could have been a truly great show. A huge reason it sucked overall was that Chakotay was a non-factor for most of it. Your first officer has to be a great character or the show's gonna' suffer big time. I think Robert Beltran even mailed it in the last 2 or 3 seasons! WTF?!

 

I'm a crap actor who can't remember lines to save my life however if I was going to be a part of Trek in any way- you know, AN ICONIC THING THAT PEOPLE WILL BE WATCHING 100 YEARS FROM NOW, I'd at least friggin' try a bit!

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Sometimes I feel like the only person who's not down on Chakotay. I actually think he did a great job being a foil to Janeway, and I don't blame Robert Beltran for feeling disappointed about the way his character was used. The writing staff didn't surround him with enough conflict, and it's too bad because there was really a strong underlying character there.
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Voyager was fantastic in the beginning. Then it got lazy.

 

I'd argue that it had the best setup of any of the series.

'Caretaker' was actually pretty good. There are a handful of VOY episodes that are worthwhile, but a handful out of 170 something kind of sucks.

 

If they had more conflict between the Starfleet and Marquis crews (more than just one half of an episode or whatever) it could have been a truly great show. A huge reason it sucked overall was that Chakotay was a non-factor for most of it. Your first officer has to be a great character or the show's gonna' suffer big time. I think Robert Beltran even mailed it in the last 2 or 3 seasons! WTF?!

 

Voyager went downhill the moment the producers chose to make 7 of 9 (featuring Jeri Ryan and her beautiful, massive breasts) the focal point of the show. The series became mostly about her and who was gonna doink her. She also served as Janeway's version of Data. Janeway was all about teaching her about being human.

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Voyager was fantastic in the beginning. Then it got lazy.

 

I'd argue that it had the best setup of any of the series.

'Caretaker' was actually pretty good. There are a handful of VOY episodes that are worthwhile, but a handful out of 170 something kind of sucks.

 

If they had more conflict between the Starfleet and Marquis crews (more than just one half of an episode or whatever) it could have been a truly great show. A huge reason it sucked overall was that Chakotay was a non-factor for most of it. Your first officer has to be a great character or the show's gonna' suffer big time. I think Robert Beltran even mailed it in the last 2 or 3 seasons! WTF?!

 

Voyager went downhill the moment the producers chose to make 7 of 9 (featuring Jeri Ryan and her beautiful, massive breasts) the focal point of the show. The series became mostly about her and who was gonna doink her. She also served as Janeway's version of Data. Janeway was all about teaching her about being human.

 

You know what, even though she was an initial ratings grab (like Worf on DS9 was) her character actually turned out to be really good. Plus Jeri Ryan's a good actress. So against better judgement, Paramount's idea turned out to better the show IMO.

 

Now did they way make too many Seven of Nine-centric episodes than they probably should have? Yeah, I think so. I think it took away from Janeway's stories a bit, and it took away from Tuvok's stories too.

Edited by Del_Duio
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So, earlier today, I heard someone criticizing one of my favorite all-time episodes of Star Trek. In mounting a defense, I decided to watch the episode, as I hadn't seen it in some time. I ended up writing a good bit more than I expected on the topic, and thought it might be fun to watch one of my favorite Star Trek episodes every week at random, and to write up a little review on it.

 

Maybe some people can find some nice episode recommendations here, maybe you disagree and want to tell me I'm an idiot. Either way, I hope we can discuss a few of these classics.

 

Review One: 8/2/16

Star Trek Voyager, Season 2, Episode 18: Deathwish

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VEIM6chKyYs/U1X2smZY-AI/AAAAAAAACxI/psdP6Qh8FGI/s1600/Quinns_column.jpg

 

Surely among my top five favorite Star Trek episodes ever, and easily my single favorite entry from Voyager is one of the most fascinating Q-related episodes: Deathwish. Deathwish is quintessentially ‘Star Trek’. It very directly confronts a deeply divisive and morally ambiguous social issue by wrapping it in a larger than life alien allegory. At the same time it goes a long way to define the nature of one of Star Trek’s most alien species. It’s wrought with unfathomable exploration; from the big bang itself, to the endless path of all creation. It’s a deep, dramatic, funny, sad and honest episode. One of the best in all Trekdom.

 

The premise of Deathwish is simple enough. A (newly introduced) member of the Q continuum is woefully tired of living. Having existed for all eternity, having experienced all there is to experience, having seen and done everything he wants to do; his only remaining wish is to die. Unfortunately, the social order of the Q continuum (represented by our familiar Q from TNG) prevents that desire from coming to fruition. The near-omnipotent entity is prevented by his peers from self-terminating, and the deadlock of otherwordly powers leaves Voyager to play mediator in their struggle. Both sides agree to participate in a hearing, conducted by Captain Janeway. The result determining the ultimate fate of this new Q visitor.

 

Early on in the episode, there's a teriffic little game of cat and mouse between the Q. B'elanna has one of my favorite 'matter of fact' moments with the hilarious line "This ship will not survive the formation of the cosmos!" They then cleverly crush the fourth wall by transforming the Voyager into one of that season's popular Hallmark christmas ornament avatars. Probably the most inventive and artful product placement I've ever seen. The whole sequence is painfully fun, and the zany nature of Q never causes it to lose itself. The drama endures the ridiculousness perfectly.

 

As the hearing began, it was a phenominal choice to bring in the trio of famed physicist Issac Newton, random hippy Maury Ginsburg, and the redoubtable Commander William Riker. They did a fantastic job highlighting three instances of the power of one individual. They did so much to frame up an incredible life in a one hour episode that it's hard to fathom. And as Q says; without Riker, the Borg would’ve assimilated the Federation, reminding everyone of the seriousness of that Q's presence. Plus, it’s nice of Q to bring in someone we know… someone that Janeways knows, at least by reputation. That familiarity is a powerful tool for advocacy (and for story).

 

Seeing the inside of the continuum was a beautiful trip, so wrought with metaphor and kitschy goodness; it felt like something stripped right out of the Original Series. So familiar yet so alien, the unflinching stoic faces of omnipotent entities glaring listlessly down the emptiness of eternity, simply waiting. It haunts and intrigues at the same time. Fantastic how they made such a sunswept and expansive place seem so dark and shut in.

 

Then there's the new character of Q(Using the name Quinn to differentiate himself), one of the most well portrayed, most sympathetic one-off characters I’ve ever seen… someone so detatched, so psychologically incapable of confronting what it means to exist anymore: but at the same time, so warm and lovable that he genuinely develops a quick rapport with Voyager's crew without difficulty. You legitimately feel torn over his fate, as releasing him means sending a genuinely good person, a person with so much more that he could give, into death. It's a reminder that sometimes the clearest decisions are the hardest.

 

And finally, the end brings us back to the Q we all know. Instead of the sycophantic defender of order that he tried to be, and that we can’t imagine him living up to; he returns to the role of the rapscallion, fulfilling his true destiny. He brings back "Q the irrepressible" in a way that, all at once affirms our view of him, brings us to respect him, and leaves us disappointed in his choice.

 

It’s a loving, bittersweet, parable: Star Trek through and through. A near perfect episode in every way.

 

Okay, I watched this episode tonight. I can see why you liked it. If the rest of Voyager had been this thought provoking and clever I would have really liked it. I loved how they portrayed the Q Continuum as something so simple (for the humans to understand) and yet something so deep and basic at its core. Quinn was a really interesting character, and downplayed very well by the actor, so you really felt his sadness and tiredness of life, and yet no bitterness at all except a little towards Q for giving up his fire and rebellion attitude. Great episode.

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Voyager went downhill the moment the producers chose to make 7 of 9 (featuring Jeri Ryan and her beautiful, massive breasts) the focal point of the show. The series became mostly about her and who was gonna doink her. She also served as Janeway's version of Data. Janeway was all about teaching her about being human.

 

I don't think Seven was an inherently bad character (although the costume choices for her were an obvious cheap attempt to boost ratings), but I think the writing got very lazy with their handling of her. I also think Jeri Ryan did a good job with the hand she was dealt (same can be said of Kate Mulgrew). But with Seven also came the arrival of Voyager in Borg space... and unfortunate turn for the series: one that had so much potential.

 

They went too far in watering down the most intimidating adversary in the show, it was ridiculous to see this one little ship foiling the entire collective again and again, never suffering much in the way of consequences (for either side)... The show's premise should've required an arc from week to the next, they were lost in space, no starbases or drydocks where they could resolve problems between episodes, no friendly ships to transfer crew and supplies with. The consequences of one week's story should've carried over for a while, and unfortunately, that's something they rarely did.

 

I don't mean to wholeheartedly endorse the arc story format, or to diminish the more episodic format that was a Trek staple of the past, but Voyager's premise did not work with the episodic format. It should've been portrayed much more like DS9 was. There should've been a stronger sense of permanence, consequence and change as the series went on. The magic reset button was Voyager's greatest undoing.

Edited by KenJennings
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Yeah, they had way way too many Borg episodes in Voyager and nothing the likes of "I, Borg", "Q Who?", or "Best of Both Worlds".

I've said it before (and maybe even on this same board!) but the Borg should have never left TNG.

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Yeah, they had way way too many Borg episodes in Voyager and nothing the likes of "I, Borg", "Q Who?", or "Best of Both Worlds".

I've said it before (and maybe even on this same board!) but the Borg should have never left TNG.

Voyager also made the Borg too vulnerable. They lost their edge as a villain and never again came across menacing or threatening.

Edited by ReRushed
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