Tuesday, March 31, 2009

THE LAST OUTPOST (Season 1-Episode 4) Star Trek TNG

Feel free to check out the awesome trailer that was aired before the episode aired! Oh man these trailers are terrible!! ha ha - but fun!



This is the first time we meet the Ferengi in TNG! They seem like bumbling idiots - however the crew still treats them with some level of kindness and dignity despite their lack of tact as a people! This may be the first time that Ferengi appear in the entire franchise of Star Trek.

I do enjoy the fact that Picard mumbles to himself much more in the first season! And Geordie sure is touchy-feely with his engineering crew when he's excited about making evasive maneuvers! ha ha! Though this is also the begining of Picard's displays of pensiveness.Link

I do enjoy that Deanna is so level headed at the begining of the series! I wonder how Picard would have survived his years in command of the enterprise without her! I do wish at times that they hadn't played on her femininity so much during the series and just stuck to her being such a strong and reasonable/logical woman! At the very least however, it is sometimes nice to see a female character that has balance of being collected/pragmatic and emotional.

But every episode has to have a DATA moment!! And here it is!!!


I am interested in the fact that the few races in the Star Trek universe that are openly viewed negatively are the races that can't deal with equality between men & women and/or cannot stand equality or at least diplomacy between different races (i.e. ferengi, etc).

I love that this whole episode is built on the philosophy Sun Tzu (Chinese war philosopher). Early on in the episode when Sun Tzu is first quoted, Picard is glad that Riker is familiar - because it is implied that he learned these teachings at Starfleet Academy. It makes a lot of sense to me that the federation would be interested in these kinds of philosophies - as Starfleet is built on diplomatic relations first - war battle only if there is no other option!

But the best part of the whole episode is when Riker suggests that they send a box of Chinese finger traps to the Ferengi as a gift! Oh Riker!! LOL!!

LINKS
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog
My TrekSpace Page
Baha'i Trekkies Group (new)
My Band
My Business

CODE OF HONOR (Season 1-Episode 3) Star Trek TNG

This episode's hilarious from the begining!!! Still channeling the original series (TOS) I feel, but next gen will get it's own voice soon enough! I love the fact that from the begining the blonde with blue eyes is kickin' burley men around!!! Just skip to 2minutes in this video! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!



It is funny that Data is actually aware of his unnecessary over-explanation of things early on in the show! He's far to apologetic about his educating the crew! - [But worse than that...Wesley's sweatshirt in this episode...AWEFUL!!!! ]

Back to Data...this is the begining of his attempts to understand human humor! Poor Geordie...always there for Data...always suffering!


Link

On another note has anyone else noticed that the turbo lifts, and the captains ready room all shift from door to door! Maybe I'm just silly. But let it be known that in this episode (if facing the captains chair. The door to the upper left goes to the observation lounge...the one to the upper right is the turbo lift, and the one that's closest to ops on the right is the captains ready room. only three doorways on this bridge - during this episode!
Link
For those of you reading my blog on facebook, trekspace, or eslewhere, see the original blog posts here.

Links
Wikipedia summary of the episode!
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog
My TrekSpace Page
My Band
My Business

Monday, March 9, 2009

Sunday, March 8, 2009

THE NAKED NOW (Season 1-Episode 2) Star Trek TNG


This is one of my favorite episodes. Probably because I had started to watch the original series in order (only made it through one season - got distracted) before my friends and I watched Next Gen in order. For some reason the episode "The Naked Time" just really made me laugh! "The Trouble With Tribbles" is my other favorite TOS episode!

"THE NAKED NOW" is clearly a rehash of that original series 'sode and I feel it is equally as endearing.

Until now I never noticed just how much of the show is dedicated to the character development of Data. It's feels like every episode is an opportunity to learn something new about him, or to explore something unexpected! Though I do love the fact that this episode is how we learn that Data is "fully functional". Additionally, in this episode we learn that data has pores...incase that's important for you to know!

This is also the first episode that the romantic tension between Picard & Beverly begins!!! (Oh come on, I am a woman...of course I'm going to pick up on all the mushy stuff!).

This episode played out a lot like the original series. People just start acting foolish and sweating like maniacs - eventually they figure out what's going on.

Despite the fact that I personally don't advocate for drinking or knowingly becoming intoxicated; I do enjoy that the first episode we see Wesley exhibit his genius is when he's intoxicated. I love the little device he created to sample the Captain's voice - it seems very innocent, a way to "play" Starfleet officer - certainly a clever feat for a kid! Now if only we could have gotten the poor boy out of those ugly sweaters!! They were ugly in the 80s they'll be ugly in the future too...I PROMISE!



The serious curiosity is where they found that greasy looking guy to work in engineering! You know the one who was playing with the isolinear chips as if they were dominoes! He wasn't even in uniform COME ON! ;-)


"If you prick me do I not leak?" - Lt. Commander Data (Season 1, Episode 2, "The Naked Now")


LINKS
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog!!!
My Trek Space Page
My Band
My Company

ENCOUNTER AT FARPOINT (Season 1, Episode 1) Star Trek TNG

I am so excited about starting the series over again that I couldn't wait to actually start watching the episode! So I'm here...still in my pajamas on daylight savings Sunday - totally pumped up! I spent part of this morning building the blog page! Now here we go!!!!........

It is funny watching the first and second seasons. Though my dear friend Crombs (blogging companion & best friend) almost completely hates the first two seasons, I still find that I enjoy them! The production value is very limited and several episodes of the first season are rehashed ideas from the original series but there's still something magical about them.
The entire cast is thin & fit - all in their prime!

These early episodes immediately remind you that Roddenberry's dream was to create a show that challenges the human tendencies towards different cultures and races. Furthermore, though I am not a huge Tasha Yar fan I do enjoy the fact that the Chief of Security is a slender blond woman with lots of spunk!!!

"ENCOUNTER AT FARPOINT" opens with Picard's very first Captain's log, Star Date: 41153.7

I love the fact that there are both men and women in those short uniform skants! I'm a sucker for a man in a kilt...this is the closest that STNG comes to giving me all that!

This episode's saucer separation is by far my favorite! It's slow, dramatic, and beautifully shot! There are few shows that have taken filming on film so seriously in the 80's. I also enjoy the manual reconnection!

I am noticing loop holes already! Troy has incorrect ranking pips. In this episode she's ranked Lieutenant Commander - but she doesn't take the test to be a commander until much much later in the series!!

It's interesting - the first episode feels much like the original series in many ways. I mean obviously, new ship, new crew, new technology, etc - but all of the camera work feels exactly the same! Riker most of all seems to be channeling the demeanor of Kirk! I will be curious to see how much of the original series lives in the writing/camera work/etc of this series when I revisit TOS.

FAVORITE MOMENT IN THE ENTIRE EPISODE!!!!
When Data is escorting 137 year old Admiral McCoy to meet with Picard, McCoy expresses joy about being on the enterprise, and explains, "A new ship but she's got the right name...you treat her like a lady and she'll always bring you home!!!" LOVE IT!

It is this episode where we meet Q for the first time! Prejudicely challenging the 'savage nature' of humans! This is an interesting commentary on the idea of ethnic cleansing because Q's approach and argument is clearly misguided and clearly absurd!
"If we're going to be damned then we should be damned for who we are!" - Captain Jean Luc Picard (Season 1, Episode 1, "Encounter At Farpoint")


LINKS
Lt. Commander Combs Blog!!!
Episode Summary on Wiki
Trek Space
Lethal Poetry Productions
The Mojdeh Project

TREK-BLOG MANIFESTO

Between Star Trek & the Baha'i Faith I have learned how to be kind, to cognitively appreciate all races, to pay attention to the subtle details of different cultures, to seek knowledge endlessly, and how to be a diplomat. The Baha'i writings dictated a necessity for the equality of all races, equality of men and encouraged the 'independent investigation of the truth'. Star Trek the Next Generation offered a prime example of these things for me while I was young enough to need an active example!

So it is with this series of Star Trek that we shall boldly blog like no one has ever blogged before! I won't lie, this WILL be my THIRD time watching all seven seasons of STNG in order!!!!

My best friend and I will simultaneously be blogging about the episodes IN ORDER, without reading each other's posts until they are done!

In my blog - I seek to bring light to the themes and conditions of the episodes that offer valuable social, humanitarian, ecological, and political commentary. Likewise - I wouldn't be an honest person if I didn't poke fun where it is deserved.

Truth be told; I am a trekkie, an eco geek, fruit addict, artist, a small business diplomat, a public servant, and a post-modern sifi re-appropriator before all else!

Let the blogging begin!!

If you're reading this from facebook or another page then go to http://mospacecamp.blogspot.com/ to see the original post and www.lethalpoetry.com or http://www.myspace.com/themojdehproject to see what I do with the rest of my life!

For those with limited experience or who want a basic overview of the series click here.