Star Trek Questions

Photography

April 2023

What are your 10 favorite Star Trek: Next Generation/ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes?

I will start with my top ten all time of all Trek to the end of Enterprise. There has been a lot of good but I haven’t watched it all, but this is enough.
Tapestry
In the Pale Moonlight
Journey to Babel
The Wounded
Carbon Creek
Unity
Balance of Terror
The Doomsday Machine
Star Trek 8 First Contact
The Best of Both Worlds, PartI


I guess that is a good representation of the best of Trek to that point. Do I have to label them? Perhaps I will go on and do all the series and the movies.
TOS:
Journey to Babel
Balance of Terror
The Doomsday Machine
The Devil in the Dark
The Tholian Web
The Enterprise Incident
The City on the Edge of Forever
Day of the Dove
Amoc Time
Where No Man has gone before
TNG:
Tapestry
The Wounded
The Best of Both Worlds,Part I
Contagion
The Pegasus
Preemptive Strike
Ensign Ro
Loud as a Whisper
The Inner Light
Face of the Enemy

The movies:
First Contact
The Undiscovered Country
The Voyage Home
The Wrath of Kahn
The Search For Spock
Generations
Insurection
The Final Frontier
Star Trek
Nemisis

DS9
In the Pale Moonlight
Past Tense, Part I
Past Tense, Part II
The Siege of AR-558
Far Beyond the Stars
Homefront (1 of 2)
Paradise Lost (2 of 2)
Starship Down
The Wire
Captive Pursuit
Duet

VOY:
Unity
In the Flesh
Barge of the Dead
Timeless
One Small Step
Living Witness
Scientific Method
Year of Hell, Part I
Year of Hell, Part II
Extreme Risk
Future's End, Part I
Future's End, Part II
Scorpion, Part I
Scorpion, Part II

ENT:
Carbon Creek
Dear Doctor
The Forge
Awakening
Kir'Shara
In a Mirror, Darkly
In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II
The Andorian Incident
Impulse
North Star
Zero Hour
Broken Bow
Shockwave, Part I
Shockwave, Part II
Shadows of P'Jem
Cease Fire

ANI (animated):
Beyond the Farthest Star
How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth
Yesteryear
The Ambergris Element
The Time Trap
The Survivor
The Jihad
The Counter-Clock Incident
Albatross
More Tribbles, More Troubles
One of Our Planets Is Missing

Here you go and I welcome arguments. The only question now is if I can get the streaming services to watch the new stuff, or if I should get a life.

This is part of my processing my life on planet earth of which I have traveled around more than once.

Which audience? And, at what time are we talking about? Star Trek has been around since September of 1966, and I defy anyone who has claimed to be a Star Trek from the beginning to recite the date of love at first sight. (If so, I would take it with a grain of salt, for they should realize that their life might be at risk). My point is that Star Trek has been around for over 50 years and a lot can happen in that time. It can also be said that these original fans have at times been more fickle than NBC about the show’s future. Who but Shatner would know that the best thing that ever happened to the show was it being cancelled in 1969, or that was Shatners view AT THE TIME… OH HELL NO! Let’s just say that Shatner had to get a life to figure that out at least before he criticized Picard when the Next Generation came out. We all have learned a lot from Star Trek and the journey is far from over, because there is no end in sight for Star Trek.
Let’s start the story of Star Trek Audiences by getting Bjo Tremble drunk and asking her if she is satisfied with her life by starting a letter writing campaign to keep The Original Series (henceforth referred to as TOS). I wonder if she has ever been asked the question, but she is as good a representative of what should be known as First Generation Fan. I would like to get her feelings about how the show was declining in the quality of scripts and performances that many have criticized TOS for over the years, or at least before The Next Generation first aired in 1987. I wonder if she even agreed with the criticism. I am not even sure if I agree with it, but there were changes and the quality of the show did suffer, but not without some great shows in the third season. In the end, I can’t blame First Generation Star Trek Fans for having their opinions, and no poll could ever properly gauge how welcoming this group would accept the rest of us much less Jen Luc Picard. There was just nothing to compare it to, with the exception of what was called ‘a kids show’ as D C Fontana who created the Star Trek the Animated Series as well as wrote Journey to Babel which is the best TOS episode (in my opinion, and has shown it in Chinese Classrooms)…..OPPS back to my original tangent, there was very little out there like Star Trek after the show was taken off the air in 1969, not for want of one. By that time, that audience would be joined.
I now have to state that I am a Second Generation of Star Trek Fan. I was six or seven years old when I first say Star Trek, perhaps it was the first year it became a fixture at 6pm on Chanell two throughout the 70’s, as it was in most of the country. We were as transfixed even before we truly understood whatever it is when Mom didn’t have Watergate on. We did join our older fans in anticipation of whatever project that was in the works, and we even got in line to watch Star Wars….more than once. Just a minute, back up, what about the Animated Series? I liked it, but was too young to understand why it was no longer part of Saturday morning. I can also dare say that it was not the same as the real characters, but I also saw how there were too many stupid plots rather than the special effects I didn’t see enough. Perhaps that is why I saw Star Wars so many times, and I was not alone. We too wanted something beyond Disco. Perhaps we got it when the motionless picture came out, or at least that is what both generations thought at the time, as we saved Star Trek by making Paramount enough money to keep trying. That was all we had, and Luke Skywalker was not enough. Who really knew what we wanted (if we all could agree on what it is)? We just wanted more, and someone went through all 77 TOS episodes and fixated on KAHN!!!! Some of us might say that is the best Star Trek, but you would have to get me pretty drunk to admit it. I could soberly argue that it was the best in some ways other than Shatners overacting. Star Trek has always meant so much more, and Paramount has provided that as we have moved through history, and it is not over.
Does that answer your question?

We are talking about WAR and I do not intend to fuck around if I can. I would consider myself fortunate to have either crew to take to war, but that is because of my faith in writers. Ok, the fourth wall is coming down quick this time. I will also go further in preferring a crew, I would take Voyager because of their experience a ting without backup. To strictly answer the Question, I would take the TNG crew because a ship is more valuable than DS9, but it is close and that says nothing about Sisco and that crew. They are the crew that has actually performed in a real war and quite well. Now to really ask the questions, I will list the positions and who is best in those positions. For Engineering, I would take Tig from Discovery, she is the best band aid and bailing wire person, but I would have to give Torrez consideration. I would give Scotty an honorable mention. La Forge is good, but he is unproven in war, at least not to the extent the others are. Head of Security, Worf of course. I am not sure where to put Data, he has proven himself, and android is extremely valuable even with his emotion chip. Put him in communications, sorry Uhura. Science officer, Spock, perhaps Data could work in a pinch. For the helm I would put Sulu or perhaps the pilot helmsperson from Discovery. Both could fly circles around anyone else. Let’s put Data in Navigation or Kim (Voyager). Tom Paris could work in a pinch. Put Scotty in logistics or Quark if he can be trusted. When it comes to the first officer take your pick after selecting a Captain. This is war, let’s not fuck around. For Captain, I must again clarify that this is War, so I would take Kirk. I could make an argument for Janeway or Jellico (yes, that Jellico) he gets things done and did handle the job when he took over the Enterprise D. I need to say one important thing in clarification, things would be different if this was not war. In the classic Kirk vs Picard debate I would usually take Picard because, while I am not worried about either Captain in a fight, Picard is more likely to keep us out of one, which is preferable.

‘Borg like logic’? That is not how I see that scene. It can be more accurately a naively handled moment by someone who had been assimilated throughout most of her life. It is also insanely funny but let’s stick to 7 of 9. She is certainly lacking social graces. I almost feel sorry for Janeway and the crew.
What is more important is Harry’s actions. I believe they were honorable because he understood that 7 of 9 didn’t understand the full implications of her action and he has taken all kinds of grief over it. How many ‘male humans’ would do the same and why. This could be interpreted as a matter of culture. Not many men would resist this temptation. We also have to ask if Harry was scared or overwhelmed by the event. This has happened to me. I am surprised that I have never heard of rumors of him being gay or religious. Would either of these people do the same if they were drunk. In a related question, what kind of quality would such a moment be? Was a hymen involved? How important is any of this?

This one is simple and important even without considering the fourth wall: Picard is Human and that is what the Borg is after.
Now I will take down the forth wall and note that Picard is the one that would have the most dramatic value. The writers probably thought of just that.

I have twice deliberately ranked all episodes of Star Trek up to the end of Enterprise and both times found that by far the most ‘dogs’ were in TOS (The Original Series). From there the number becomes negligible. For example, there is only one episode that I would call a true dog (Shades of Grey) but I also say that Genisis (season 7) and the one with Masks (Data’s being some kind of sun god) are questionable. Come to think about it, let’s add Sub Rosa (Beverly Crusher’s ghost lover) is in play when talking about potential dog episodes. I chalk this up to being the last season where ideas can run dry. You add this to some stilted episodes in season 1 and two of TNG, you actually get some unevenness in TNG that was not in Deep Space Nine. While I am at it, the first two seasons of Voyager were not that good, but they made up for it in season three alone, and followed up with some episodes that toped the standards set by TNG and was maintained by DS9.
Enterprise was interesting. Let’s start with what I call the Trekie Microscope: it begins with TOS and how each episode has been so thoroughly analyzed even before the show was taken off the air in 1969. It only got worse over the years until TNG, that is where the pressure almost ended TNG before it got its identity. Perhaps with Enterprise the pressure returned because it was a departure in the timeline. It didn’t help in a show finding its identity. I argue that Enterprise truly didn’t find that identity till the second season, much like TNG in season 3. Then Enterprise got real interesting in the ‘Xindi ark’ of season 3. I want to give them credit for trying and it was good storytelling. I don’t want to make the show a slave to my concept of Star Trek, perhaps it was because of how the show “shot the works” in season 4. I believe that the pressure of being dropped caused so many multi-part episodes that explained TOS lore quite well. I believe they should have been stretched out, but the fear of being dropped led to season 4 and its’s ultimate demise. I have to say for the record the two-part episodes Demons and Terra Prime should be the true final episodes of Enterprise whatever season it should end (probably season 7).
For the record, These are the Voyages along with Shades of Grey should be send directly to RottenTomatos.com to be ridiculed by anyone. We here as Trekies may not have many funny episodes but we can take a joke. With the possible exception of those wayward trekies who are still mad about Shatners Saturday Night Live ‘Get a life Skit.’

Let’s take it by percentages, and the one with the biggest percentage of watching just ANY of the franchises is the biggest nerd/looser. My point is none of these great franchises/TV/Films are great but not all of reality. Let the truth be known is that all three have come to reflect on reality, so we might be better off paying attention to reality sometimes, or at least one of the other franchises or whatever they are.


So as a Star Trek fan I say May the Force be With You, with apologies to Dr Who of which I know little about.

I have posted this in the past but questions like this implying the superiority of TOS and even TNG remain. I will repeat in saying that all series, even the first two seasons of Voyager and Discovery, Enterprise as well have value. My point is that all of Star Trek is a reflection of the time it was made, be it when Kirk said about our racial strife of the 60’s (Let that be your last Battlefield TOS season 3) in response to Uhura if that is all we ever had, and Kirk says “no but it is all they have left” The same can be said when Michael Burnaham said “YES” in the third season of Discovery. This is more important that any postings about old Star Trek. We need to give every time and everybody a chance to shine.

Anyone who thinks this, I would like to ask, where is your mind? 1965, before Star Trek went on the air, or are you stuck somewhere in 1968 or 69 where Star Trek was perfect. You and your attitude dragged us through the 70's like Satin or was it Nixon laughing with delight the day the music died in October of 1973. DEAL WITH IT, MICHAEL BURNHAM IS A BADASS THAT SENDS PUTS KIRK ON HIS KNEES BEGGING TO MUNCH HER CARPET!! Discovery has its problems, but it has the balls to try and change. For that I would give Discovery an extra two years because of how much it has changed. Good luck in the future because your death is somewhere in the early 70's, and you are just a zombie waiting for your body to be buried.

The first two seasons was ambitious, even if all that they were doing was working in a timeline so close to The Original Series, then you take into consider what I call the JJ Abrams effect where special effects and Hollywood heroics are more important than stories. In fairness, I have not seen Strange New Worlds which I hope to be a second attempt at such a venture. I hope they have taken note of what sent Discovery on to its ultimate glory beyond the golden age of the Federation/post COVID 2020 reality. It is not easy to create probably the most Bad-Assed character in Michael Burnham in Hollywood. That is almost as crazy as any female bad-ass, let alone be called Michael. I actually like how it is glossed over in the exploits of her are ‘Clasified’. We all know that it will be trumped by someone stealing the files in whatever form they can. I guess how the loyalty and greatness of the Federation comes into play. As much as I love it, I can also understand if it is over the top and are turned off by it.
In the end, Discovery needed to go to another time, and the writers did put together a good story/justification. It might have been the best thing the producers did……UP TO THAT POINT!

I have to start with my original belief with Deep Space 9 and ‘Gene’s Vison’ I never bought that TOS belief that too many TNG fans have gone along. I always saw the potential of DS9 even if it didn’t go anywhere. This is still the frontier where a lot of very interesting things happen, things that made most Airports Boring, but not DS9. I now say that DS9 was a continuation of the production value ramp up that started in TNG season 3 and plateaued in season 5 (or 6) and continued through all of DS9.

Ok, I am going to jump around and ignore parts that don’t interest me and keep my pants on. I am now tempted to start with Ro and am glad that she never made it to DS9, that character would not have worked as the show moved on. Another thing, Ro is or can be a good officer and probably could handle herself in a fight, but nothing compared to the BADASS that Kira is/was, at least up to Duet. Perhaps it is then that I am a straight man who would be scared if Seven of Nine propositioned me like Kim in (OPPS) Voyager. Ok, since I blew that I will also start with Kira was my role model from the start when the “Prophet” deems Sisco to be the a God that she had to obey according to her religion. As for her being a badass, my favorite moment for her is when Gul Ducat thought she would be a good companion to go to war with the Klingons. I share her revulsion in that one. It has to be said that the writers really important to them. Her arc is essential to the show.

I now have to say this is not what I expected, but what can you do to add to Rejoined. I will give you credit for not delving into the sex stuff like. Perhaps that is a good thing.

Yes, that is the simple answer. This one gets more complicated over time, and I would rather deal with season five rather than that final episode of season 4. Paramount needs to be flogged for that, but what can we do now? Season four was outstanding because it tells so many stories in Star Trek Lore and that should have been spread out to even seven seasons, but whatever got in the way. I would like to declare the final episode null and void and then move on, but that is problematical. I don’t know what we can do now, so lets burn the final episode and pretend that the previous multi-part episode was the end of Enterprise, and move on.

Let’s not let the Enterprise get away from telling a good story about the future of humanity. It is a big Galaxy out there, and we shouldn’t let Shatner or Picard get in the way. This may be more about another question comparing the crews of TOS and TNG, but I have to say that both ‘crews’ have exhausted the stories that could be told about them. There may be stories about the Enterprise albeit the one that ‘you don’t need any letters’ or whatever Scotty said. My point is there are stories that can be told about Captain Pikes Enterprise and the C version or even the one with Xindi crewman. I also argue that narrowing it to ships would be harmful to the ability to tell a good story. How could you really get to know the Ferengi unless you are in Quark’s bar and Hollowsuite Enterprise? Why narrow yourself to the Delta Quadrant? It would be a shame that they might not be considered if the great Captain Kirk or Jen-Luc Picard didn’t beam there somehow.

I can’t help but think of when a friend talked about the Drumhead (TNG season 2?), he didn’t like it but talked about how others saw something in it. Well my friend lost that argument, even after my not getting the connection to the Salem Witch Trials/McCarthyism. I also had trouble with Let the Be your Last Battlefield (TOS season 3), but now see it for what it is: a reflection on the race problems of the late 1960’s. Perhaps there are others. There are also real thoughts of those who blindly watch all episodes when perhaps I shouldn’t like Shades of Grey and the final ‘episode’ of TNG oh yes Enterprise. Let’s take into consideration that the producers can screw up, but there are far more episodes like the Drumhead than Shades of grey.
Let’s take Patterns of Force which is banned in Germany as a case. I have long argued that it is a dog episode, but recently found a few moments that are quite interesting. It is pretty much boiled down to the thought of “What if Hitler is a Nazi” especially from someone who grew up in Nazi Germany. For a long time, I was willing to agree with the German Government because it was a dog episode. I must now state that I have thought of teaching Star Trek in Germany and really wanted to talk about this episode. I understand their point and might even agree with the show being banned, but such a debate has a place in college classrooms at least.
It needs to be noted that although Star Trek Episodes do not change. The world around it does quite radically, and it will change how we look at some perhaps most episodes.

It is for good reason that there is not a Ferengi Empire. They are not the best when it comes to starships or war for that matter, or at least waging it. What are the Ferengi good at? Business and that is where the portrayal of the Ferengi in Deep Space Nine is the proper place for them.
Now to drop the fourth wall and tell you that the producers didn’t know any better because they just made the whole thing up in TNG season 1 (like a lot of things). I give them credit for bringing them back in Deep Space Nine, where they work for the storytelling that I can see in the Wild Wild Cardassian/Dominion frontier that makes anything in Tombstone Arizona seem tame.

I would go with Little Green Men because the thought of the Aliens that landed at Roswell were Ferengi is as funny as anything I have seen in Science Fiction. I would welcome to challenge the producers of the present incantation of Star Trek or sci-fi to try. It is a better challenge than creating the musical Star Trek. I guess I don’t want to leave it up to Orville, but I may have to break down and watch it.
The real problem is that Science Fiction doesn’t lend itself to humor. There are exceptions like Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy, X-files, Star Wars has some funny moments and Orville. Let’s take X-files as an example of good use of humor through seasons 4 through 7. It is not easy and the chance to go overboard is real. Star Wars is fantasy really, and Hitchhiker’s is really a commentary on the present day which we live. Now going back to Star Trek where the producers have rarely attempted humor, yet it is noteworthy that there are episodes like A Oiece of the Action and, I Mudd that are classified as accidentally funny. This is beyond a random joke from an actor. What about The Way to Eden (the Space Hippie episode)? What does pass for humor? It is not easy.
Note, this commentary was made before watching Lower Decks

Dear Grace,
I read your book and I may be as haunted by your sexual assault as you are, because I may have been in the position of your assailant, in the manor of not being satisfied with what is going on. I am not apologizing for anything this so-called man did, but I could have been there in a grope and not feeling anything. I may have traumatized someone, although I pray that I didn’t, and would have at least apologized if confronted, rather than destroyed your career/life. If you get anything from this take that you deserved your chance to be a larger part of Star Trek and to be loved, as do I.
I believe you found peace, but what a waste however long it took you to recover from that. I have to ask if it is worth it, but that is up to a higher power, I guess. It is hard to believe those who claim this is all part of some grand plan from a mythical God, but we both believe in some form of that same entity, and part of that goes beyond anything that Star Trek ever did.

Let’s start by asking when Guinan became a Star-Fleet Officer? When did that happen. This might not be fair because the episode in question happened before Jelico made Troi wear the proper uniform, but it is relevant because Troi’s true dedication showed itself in later episodes, but there is no way in hell I would want Guinan piloting or running the ship. I am also not sure of Troi’s ability to brew beer to go with Riker’s pizza.
I can’t go any further because, I never really liked the episode in question, mostly because of the concept that frames this question. Although this is true, I don’t like to say this because not every episode is perfect and we are better off trying and failing or in this case a mediocre episode that I wonder how many times Roddenberry would demand a re-write. I could say that the concept that frames this question is when I said to myself, this is too much, although Whoopie pulled it off. I would also go after how the connection between Troi’s dreams and the ship in danger was in play. It really didn’t hold together. Perhaps I am being harsh.

I would have to say the Maqui. I understand both sides of the argument, and the Federation had to make the agreement. For me, that is general. If I get down to the nitty-gritty it is about Ro. She as much as I empathize with her, what she did is wrong. I understand why and that is the whole heartbreaking part of the story.

I can only speak for myself; what makes that important is that I do have a lot of creativity. I can also say that I have seen every episode and movie of the Star Trek Franchise up to the end of Enterprise/Star Trek 10 more than once. Four times in over %90 of the episodes. I can also say that I have been inspired by them, but I am more likely to be influenced by music and traumatic real-life experiences. Does that break the fourth wall? How is such a thing defined? From that perspective, I have to say no. How can COVID be mentioned in Season 3 of Discovery? It has. This makes the fourth wall inevitable. No art, music or drama exists in some ethereal vacuum. The key is how this manifests itself, and that makes this question moot.

I would like to start with the Travler, but not end with him. As interesting and intriguing as Q is, there are far more interesting and intriguing characters than Q or perhaps not the Q we usually think of (played by John DeLance). I can think of the one who didn’t know it and the one who wanted to kill himself. Perhaps you can also take the mother of the Q child. The last two are in Voyager and provided some quality to the first two seasons which desperately needed it. It would be better than Threshold which should have been lost in the mail that the rest of the first two seasons came in, perhaps with the 38’s or maybe that mind-circus episode….NAWWW. Now back to intriguing characters, I would have to put Flint in there, or is it Brahm,s DaVinchi or so ‘many other people who you don’t know” I must say that it the thought of another ‘intrigued’ me into creating a very important character in my Star Trek Novels. But, that is TOS and the third season…OK OK you want TNG: Now I am blocked Weyune??? He is DS9, did Jeffery Combs do any episodes of TNG? Weyune is certainly intriguing, and who can tell with Hollywood? The alternate Picard from Yesterday’s Enterprise is good, as is Yar’s half-Romulin love child. “He is human and humans have a way of turning up when you least expect it” I am tempted to put Jelico and that Admaral who tried to co-opt Riker in The Pegisus, they are intriguing but that is the job of the producers and writers….OPPS did the fourth wall fall? Let’s put it back up. It is more fun this way. Let’s go evil in a Star Trek way and continue with Commander Maddox from ‘the trial of Data’ episode which I can’t remember the name at the moment (so sue me or look it up yourself). Let’s also take the Admaral in The Drumhead and Lore as well. Part of the intrigue is in what is evil and how one becomes evil. This including Maddox’s hooking up with that Newsroom Girl (Sorry Allison, you are better off single, but that first boyfriend on Newsroom is intriguing too…opps wrong universe). Let me clear my blockage and come up with Guinan which is a huge DUH.
Now I need to drop the fourth wall by saying that an intriguing character is what makes a story worth watching and Star Trek has had all kinds of them thought its history, so I can’t limit myself to just TNG. This is also a woefully incomplete list. There is also some fun in taking real people like Iggy Pop and making him a part of the Dominion. You can also take ‘My Favorite Martian’ and make him an 8472 duplicating StarFleet Academy. Let’s also take the Voyager Episode Unity and make the former Borg who have forgotten the traditional animosity of the Kilingons and Romulins and banded together to defend themselves from even more crazy and hostile species, and then tricked Chackotay into re-activating a Borg Cube. Now we have two of my favorite episodes of Voyager. Then we can talk Sisco in The Pale Moonlight and compare him to his Mirror Counterpart. Shall I go on?

I am going to start by saying that I AM going to breck the fourth wall. Let’s start by citing my 10 years in the Navy, where it is understood that leadership needs to take into consideration of their crew before their own needs. Janeway’s dedication to her crew is legendary, and the same can be said of Chakotay. I have not mentioned my Naval experience before because the military structure has not been much of an issue, but when facing what Voyager did, such a structure was absolutely necessary.
Taking down the fourth wall, it is amazing that a mostly civilian led group like those who have run the Star Trek Franchise since Gene Roddenberry (who did have military experience) died have properly treated the Federation’s military structure as well as it has. Perhaps it is because of Roddenberry’s influence which set the precident, but it is good that the producers and writers have not gone Hollywood in pairing up Janeway and Chakotay.

I have to laugh a little, and now state that the Klingons I like the most would be quick to give them some respect, and even like them. They would still have to fight like hell, but the Klingons of the 24th century have the capacity to respect an enemy who deserves it. There is a part of the Klingon race that likes fighting. It might be different in other times, but I don’t want to believe it.

Do you want the answer with or without the fourth will intact (the one between the audience and the cast)? Let’s start with the fourth wall intact. The least complicated way to say it is how Worf said it in Trials and Tribulations “it is a matter we do not talk with outsiders.” Or something to that effect with; the disdain in his tone is more important than what is said. There is a real chance Worf didn’t know the truth which came out in season 4 of Enterprise where it was part of an eugenics experiment Noon Sing (Data’s creator) that was co-opted by Klingon’s to create their own super-Klingons. They are good stories if one is so inclined.
If you don’t want to know the truth then stop reading. It began when stage-make up had not progressed much further than Shakespeare (and definitely pre-Star Wars). By TOS standards it was considered a good job, but things changed a lot between TOS and the Motionless Picture, where someone thought it would be cool to as I said the first time I didn’t recognize Sarek or the Romulin Commander on Balance of Terror (TOS season 1). I just thought it was an improvement on the Klingons. Perhaps it was also someone at Paramount wanted to compete with the Sar Wars Bar Scene. Perhaps Worf is right.

Let’s make this an incomplete answer and bring up several memories and let someone with cajónes ask me for more or have a question themselves.
Let’s start with me as a seven year old kid living in the shadow of UC Berkeley in 1970. Although I understood the aura of the place, it didn’t register when watching a grave being created by some Godlike person antagonizing who I perceived to be the hero. I don’t even understand how or why it turned into a fight with the hero having to jump out of his own grave and somehow prevailing. That was all I could understand at seven years old.
At some point (like June 17th 1972) I had moved from Berkeley to the San Jose suburbs, where somehow I was able to watch the TV in my room. Something clicked, I am not sure if it was Captain Kirk who graduated from the Coast Guard Academy was now taking the place of my dead father (Vietnam) continuing the Federation mission of peace. Somehow we had found peace among ourselves and were taking that mission to Blue skinned Andorran’s with antennae piglike Telerate’s and a couple of gold ones in a diplomatic setting. That scene forever hooked me on Star Trek and what it was all about. Never-mind that it was Star Fleet Academy for Kirk, I was hooked.

By the time Comet Kohoutek (1973-74?) came, I knew where I wanted to be at six pm weeknights, in front of the TV tuned to channel 2 (San Francisco Bay Aria). I had actually seen this episode before, but something hit me about the so called Gorn that didn’t register before, that changed my viewpoint on Star Trek Forever. There was a chance that the Gorn was right and we should negotiate. Of course that turned me into something annoying but I will get to that.
Perhaps I will get back to other moments in which I insisted on calling myself a Trekker rather than a Trekkie, but that was important in 1986, and I was able to function in college by this time. I was even able to get into other TV shows, so it was a treat that Captain Kirk would host Saturday night live. Then it happened, Shatner played himself at a Star Trek Convention, and I couldn’t stop laughing at how Captain Kirk lit into all of the cast playing overly eager Star Trek Fans. I was laughing at myself as I came to believe that the true test of being too much of a Star Trek Fan is if you can laugh at that skit.
I am not sure if I got a life, but the next moment came somewhere in season (3?) of The Next Generation. There was a scene where Worf said he got some information about the Feringi at Starfleet Academy. This triggered two thoughts: the Ferengi were not known to the Federation when Worf was at the Academy because it was before Season 1 of TNG where it is established that the Feringi were not known to the Federation. The second was more important, I had just out-geeked the writers. How do you think about that. Do I celibate or get a life.
The last happened in 2021, when I got the DVD collection of Season 3 of Discovery. It could have been 2020 but after I spent three days not being able to sit up, and trying to stay awake because that was the only way I was sure to keep breathing. Three hours later I woke up to the sound of Al Sharpton on someone on MSNBC; that was the moment I knew I was going to survive this. I didn’t even know it was COVID at the time, that came when I finally went to the VA and eventually got tested. Perhaps the call when I learned that I indeed had COVID and was told to stay at home for three days, that I thought: I survived, now what? That is when the first episode of season 3 came into play. I always wanted to accept Discovery despite what I called the JJ Abrams effect and so much story dedicated to the Terrin (or Mirror) universe which I never liked, but then it clicked. Michael Burnham going beyond the known timeline to a whole new reality to preserve the Star Trek we all loved, never to return. Like so much of Michel Burnham, she succeeded beyond all odds, I wanted to join her when she said “YESS!!!!!” Perhaps I can only talk about that moment right now. That moment alone is cause to make Discovery Season 3 among the best stories Star Trek ever made. …….To be continued………

I would also go with what I feel is the best The Pale Moonlight. Perhaps that is the point. If you go TNG I will say The Drumhead but there are others. Sometimes Trek needs to be disturbing. The Pegasus and Force of Nature are good examples. We are human and Trek is not utopian. I go back to The Pale Moonlight because it deals with disturbing parallels where the outcome is not dictated good. It is easy for the writers to make it so the good guys win and we keep our standards but that is not reality. There are other episodes that are more disturbing, but this one deals with it better than most (perhaps all, arguments can be made and I want to hear them).

You mean, Star Trek the motionless picture? I am not sure how long before I realized this. Perhaps it was after The Wrath of Kahn came out. Who knows? At the time that was all we had, and there are some interesting things in the movie. I instantly accepted how the Klingon’s were improved upon, and there is also the iconic “Klingon Theme” that originated with this movie. I also have to say that the concept of who brought a Voyager Space Probe back to earth with Godlike powers caused me to ask the question and then write about how Sulu takes Excelsior to that part of the galaxy to find out, but I have been inspired by less than stellar Star Trek. Critics have mentioned that it was a godlike entity that behaves like a child or computer or was it a combination of ‘Nomad’ (from the Changeling), the Doomsday Machine and another entity that I forgot.
You almost have to go back and understand that when it came to Star Trek this is all we had, and Star Wars didn’t cut it. At the time, there was a series of excitement and disappointment that matched the possibility of the Beatles reuniting. The truth is that Star Trek would have died if the movie flopped at the box office, and it also had to make up for the failed series attempt to boot. A lot of this didn’t come out for decades, but still we turned out and Star Trek, the motionless picture turned a profit. It is testament to what is Star Trek’s greatest asset, its fans! Then an outsider looked through all 77 episodes and caught on to KAHN which allowed Shatner to overact all he wanted. The rest is history. Perhaps it is the proper close to what is a remarkable story that began with a letter writing campaign that led to season 3. Now Star Trek is stronger than ever.

I don’t think it would matter. First Contact is the same for us. The fly in the ointment is that the technology of some race from another Galixy is far more advanced than us that we can’t comprehend where they might be coming from. For the record, The Original Series did deal with a race from another Galaxy (By any Other Name, season 2). They were known as the Kelvan’s who quickly overwhealmed Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise. Is it realistic that getting them drunk was realistic? I have to go there, TOS is uneven in production values, and I don’t always rate this episode well, but this question gave me insight about what a race might be like, and it would be difficult. I only bring this up because such a subject doesn’t come up with often. For example, I thought Asmov might have dealt with it, but he didn’t. Asmov, the greatest sci-fi writer of all time came close and remains light years ahead of modern sci-fi, but only Star Trek dealt with this and for only one episode that might be considered forgettable. Now I notice the word friendly in the question, the Enterprise’s encounter with the Kelvin was certainly not friendly, and that was before the use of alcohol. In this case it helped I guess. That is never a good idea. I certainly wouldn’t want to do that in encountering a species from another galaxy. I don’t think Janeway would agree, and she has been as far out as any Star Trek Ship.

Thank you for the question. It brings out my favorite ‘Tribble’ moment. Dr Phlox takes a tribble out of a tank and into another as food, and then explains to Hoshi what a tribble is. Then he describes the tribble home world being populated by reptiles.

(2) 10 Star Trek Episodes That PISSED People Off - YouTube

The first thing that jumped out at me was mentioning episodes that shouldn't have even got on the air and polluted canon, like Shades of Gray and Threshold; while I am at it add These are the Voyages. Perhaps the why is in order: the video properly mentioned that the show was a bad clip show at the end of a clustered second season. I would give credit to show that clip shows can be done well, but don't to that again Star Trek. Too much has been said about threshold, it is a mulligan that I would like to give Brandon Braga. Perhaps too many star Trek fans are still mad that he had a relationship with Jeri Ryan. What were they thinking making These are the Voyages?
If anything teed me off about this video is that these episodes that pollute Star Trek to this day are listed alongside some of the best episodes ever made. Let’s start with Rejoined, and point out that there are actors like Dax who laughed at the concept that she was kissing a girl when the episode was about another issue. The video and too many others didn’t get the memo but that was the point. Perhaps the job was done, but I can’t help but laugh. It is also one of the greatest social commentary episodes that Star Trek has ever done, and tops the Deep Space Nine List, which is a serious accomplishment in and of itself. Then we get to the Dear Doctor episode, which might be the best social commentary episode of all time. The video does well at this, far better than its critics who fall back wongly about the Prime Directive. The video properly noted that this was before the Prime Directive was created, but it didn’t go as far as I have always believed, this episode or incident is what taught us the need to have a Prime Directive. This is how we learn. We think and learned, not hatched and expected to be perfect.
Now onto my favorite episode of Picard, which is far different from the rest of Picard; Stardust City Rag. Perhaps I am jealous of Brandon Braga, but I have always known about the human frailties of Seven of Nine as they were presented in the final seasons of Voyager. This is why I like Stardust City Rag, but the video is right in pointing out that this episode is so much different. I am deeply sad, but I understand why Seven of Nine drinks and has become a ranger who her disdainful view of Starfleet and the Federation at that point. It is easier to forgive her for her actions easier than for me to see Alison Pill, but that is because of the roll she played on Newsroom. I have to own that, especially since Allison is a great actress both here and in Newsroom (my real issue is with Sorkin or whoever created the soap opera relations among the staff as they did such everything else so well, but that is Newsroom not Star Trek) this is personal and I should state my view and bud out. Perhaps I should watch the rest of Picard and see what they have done with Seven before I profess my undying love for her.

This exchange starts with an old picture or Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway) and I posted this
Mike Brostrom

what about Post-Voyager??


Ada Jane Gray
Mike Brostrom "What you in for?"
"Murder. You?"
"Violated the Prime Directive."
"Harsh."
Mike Brostrom

Ada Jane Gray That's what happens when the Federation Bureaucrats at Temporal affairs go overboard. It might be worse, this might be deliberately done by that deranged officer. You have to admit that sending her to the early 21st century is beyond harsh. Do I need to get serious? No, I think I covered it. Ada, that post made my day.

First do you mean 8472? I will assume that is what you meant. I also make the argument that Voyager did meet up with the Borg, although they were disconnected from the hive in Unity (Season 3). I will also never forget the sight of a skull with Borg implants at the end of an episode. It hung in the air for me and made it clear that Voyager would have to go through Borg Space. Both of these incidents happened before Scorpion which was the Season 3 cliffhanger/Season 4 opening (hello Seven of Nine) and the introduction of Species 8472. This is what the producers actually did, and I do not wish to second guess that which defined Voyager.

Ok, I am going to shotgun here. Let's start with the original opening to the original Series, because that is where it really begins. It would be an interesting homage to when James Cromwell's version of Zephram Cochrines "is this some kinda star trek line" I am not sure if it would work in this sititaion, but it would be better than the TOS version of Zephram. If you survived WWIII and thought of you wouldn't b sane either. building Warp drive from the remains of a nucular missile silo is another level of crazy, but we are human. I almost feel sorry for the Vulcans, but in my Star Trek Novels they knew what they were getting into. Apparently, the Vulcan scholars took Carbon Creek into consideration. I wonder if that last Vulcan had anything to do with it. The intelligence I get is he wanted to go home after they cancelled I love Lucy, but ended up working for her. Did Roddenberry know? At what point was he sure he wanted to go home? He saw us at our worst....and best. On that note I also submit Star Trekken, I could look up the real singers but all I have to say to get people to understand is to mention Dr Demento.

This goes against so much of what I believe, but I don’t have to be ‘logical’ about this given the true nature of Vulcan mating rituals. I also think that Discovery went overboard in their public display of affection between Stamits and the doctor (forgive me for not recalling the name). Despite all this I will name the ‘couple’ introduced in Discovery season 3. Advitersers and the media highlighted this some kinda sexual or is it asseuxal new character. I don’t care about how they achieve orgasm or whatever Hollywood, the religious right or the media calls sexuality. But, one of the things that I really liked about season 3 of Discovery is the new character that is some kind of sexual. I am more interested and dare to say “love” this new character. Perhaps it is more parental love. I want to see what is best for him? Her? Forgive me for not remembering the name. In this ‘love’ I would like to say that I elevate myself above Hollywood, the religious right and lamestream media what is obsessed with ‘love’ in whatever form that suits them, and accept this asexual character and his/her need for intimate relationships. That is why I call them my most romantic couple, and get on with my life which includes writing my own Star Trek Stories that morbidly involves two relationships, one with a Vulcan girl.

Let's see, I would rather Star Trek Lighten up a little and try to be funny more, but that might not happen. So let's take an episode of all Star Trek Franchises and nominate one to be a musical. TOS-Arena, TNG-Encounter at Farpoint, DS9-The Pale Moonlight, Voyager-Scientific Theory, The Year of Hell or Muse, Enterprise-These are the Voyages. Perhaps this could salvage that episode. I refuse to go further after what J J Abrams did.
TOS- Arena
TNG-Encounter at Farpoint
DS9-The Pale Moonlight
Voy- Scientific Theory or The Year of Hell
Enterprise- These are the Voyages (yes, perhaps making it a musical can salvage it)
I won’t go on after what J J Abrams did.

Forgive me for breaching the fourth wall, but the most important moment in Star Wars history was when the movie opened. There was a reason that all of us seemed to be waiting in line at Century Theaters (or the modern round screen complex with the big speakers) to watch it for the third time). Some of the plot was a return to a simple and earlier time in Hollywood, but we needed it as a nation after the 60’s/Vietnam/Watergate. Movies had become stale at that point. A lot has to be said about the special effects, which were truly groundbreaking and took the movie experience to a whole new level. And I am a Trekie.

TNG is the most important, but it is true of all Trek that represents its magic in carrying Gene Rodenberry’s vision for humanity particularly the United States of America. From the beginning TNG faced problems and overcame them. Let’s be honest, the first few seasons were not the best. The production value was stilted and at times limited to veiled reptation of TOS episodes like The Naked Now/The Naked Time, but then came The Battle and perhaps Contagion that showed a willingness to move on. Then came the writers’ strike which had a roll in the creation of the worst episode of Trek Shades of Grey. There was also the ‘death’ of Tasha Yar for with I have no idea what really happened even after lowering the fourth wall. Somewhere in there some bad actors behind the camera got jettisoned. This is when Star Trek took Quantum leaps where the writing (which has always been stellar) combined with lessons learned to create great stories and lore, and even the acting reached a new standard beyond loyalty to Trek (which remained). From there Trek made a quantum leap in the standard of entertainment from which all of Hollywood has taken noticed. By the fifth or sixth season (I say the fifth, but the creators say the sixth, you decide) Trek reached an apex from which became a plateau that carried into all seven seasons of Deep Space 9, and some great episodes of Voyager.
As much as I believe this, I refuse to take shots at Enterprise and Discovery. There are some episodes that match ANY TNG or even DS9 episodes. I reserve judgement on most of the new stuff until I am able to access it, but from my extensive watching of the first three seasons of Discovery; I feel that season three of Discovery is as good as anything Hollywood has ever done. Part of this came when Michael Burnham had successfully gone into the future and saved everything. That “YES” shouted beyond the TV screen onto the world and beyond COVID. This is our greatest strength as Trekies, we have moved on from TOS and even TNG to stay relevant and scream into the future KAPLAH!!

THEY FRIGGIN DID!!! I would say that getting rid of the toxicity that caused Denise Crosby to leave the show and settled the writers strike was going forward, and Denise Crosby’s periodic return was only part of it. Let’s face it, season one tried to re-tell too many TOS stories and get too artsy in a bad way. The key is that Roddenberry was into progress and made sure the show got its 90’s perspective as all aspects of The Next Generation ramped into some of the best stories on Television. It then set the standard that Deep Space Nine improved on with a continuity that I doubt will ever be matched. I would say that is going forward.

One good answer: In the Doomsday Machine, Commodore Decker pulls rank and takes over the Enterprise on another suicide run against a monster machine that has already wiped out half a solar system and smashed Decker’s starship with incredible ease. Kirk is off ship on Decker’s burnt out ship when Scotty rigs up a viewscreen and Kirk in his horror sees the Enterprise about to suffer the same fate. Communications has also been restored. (Scotty was a genius in this one. He even managed to restore some phaser power to the badly damaged ship). Kirk hails the Enterprise and demands to know what is going. Spock tries to explain and Decker tells Kirk that he outranks him and Kirk and he is taking over the ship according to Starfleet Regulations. Kirk gets livid….”Blast Regulations!….Not with ‘my’ ship!…Mister Spock, I order you to assume command on my personal authority as captain of the Enterprise!” Faced with Spock and a very reluctant crew, Decker is forced to back and relinquish command. I thought this was one of Kirk’s badass moments. He wasn’t about to have some fool destroyed his ship. When it came down to it, he didn’t give two shits about regulations at that moment.

My response: As great as a bad-assed line that was, I have to go with the final line of “Let that be your last battlefield” (the one with ‘the Riddler’ (Frank Gorshin) with the half-white face making such a big deal of what side is white or black. It is important to go through all that and the racial implications that were indeed threatening to destroy the country to appreciate the episode and the reality it reflects. We then have to go further qualify the line Uhura asked “is that all they ever had?” and Kirk responded “Perhaps, but that is all they have left.”

Shared from my FB memories, from last year just after Nichelle passed…
In "Balance of Terror" there is a scene that we may pass over lightly as modern viewers but is important to consider in the context of the times. This episode first aired in December of 1966, 56 years ago.
With the Enterprise damaged by the Romulans' nuclear device detonation at close proximity, navigator Lt. Stiles is relieved by Captain Kirk to rush to Phaser Control and keep the weapons operational at a critical moment. The Captain orders Lt. Uhura to take over Mr. Stiles' station at navigation, which she immediately does.
At first blush, this may seem like just another action scene with the crew responding to the crisis. But why does the camera follow Uhura so closely and linger on her as she assumes the navigation station with Sulu looking on?
Consider the scene in the context of 1966. A black woman is portrayed as a professional, an officer in Starfleet, skilled at her job with the complete confidence of her Captain and her peers. She responds quickly and competently to orders without fanfare.
This is where Star Trek shines and where so many others fail. The scene is ahead of its time but is played perfectly straight, with just a lingering camera shot for emphasis. No obnoxious moralizing, no heavy-handed finger-wagging, or clumsy brute force to spoil the effort.
Star Trek showed us a better version of ourselves, one that we could aspire to, and it showed it to us in the best way; realistic people behaving realistically in a futuristic setting, without regard to superficial differences. And it was effective and groundbreaking precisely because of that.

We are talking about WAR and I do not intend to fuck around if I can. I would consider myself fortunate to have either crew to take to war, but that is because of my faith in writers. Ok, the fourth wall is coming down quick this time. I will also go further in preferring a crew, I would take Voyager because of their experience a ting without backup. To strictly answer the Question, I would take the TNG crew because a ship is more valuable than DS9, but it is close and that says nothing about Sisco and that crew. They are the crew that has actually performed in a real war and quite well. Now to really ask the questions, I will list the positions and who is best in those positions. For Engineering, I would take Tig from Discovery, she is the best band aid and bailing wire person, but I would have to give Torrez consideration. I would give Scotty an honorable mention. La Forge is good, but he is unproven in war, at least not to the extent the others are. Head of Security, Worf of course. I am not sure where to put Data, he has proven himself, and android is extremely valuable even with his emotion chip. Put him in communications, sorry Uhura. Science officer, Spock, perhaps Data could work in a pinch. For the helm I would put Sulu or perhaps the pilot helmsperson from Discovery. Both could fly circles around anyone else. Let’s put Data in Navigation or Kim (Voyager). Tom Paris could work in a pinch. Put Scotty in logistics or Quark if he can be trusted. When it comes to the first officer take your pick after selecting a Captain. This is war, let’s not fuck around. For Captain, I must again clarify that this is War, so I would take Kirk. I could make an argument for Janeway or Jellico (yes, that Jellico) he gets things done and did handle the job when he took over the Enterprise D. I need to say one important thing in clarification, things would be different if this was not war. In the classic Kirk vs Picard debate I would usually take Picard because, while I am not worried about either Captain in a fight, Picard is more likely to keep us out of one, which is preferable.