Tapestry

TNG Season 6 Episode 15
Air Date: February 15th, 1993

Captain Picard was injured and dies during an attack during a diplomatic mission, the attack damaged his artificial heart. Once in the afterlife, Q appears as God and tells Picard they are to spend eternity together. When Picard mentions that this was all due to a poor decision he made when he was young, fighting a Nausicaan and getting stabbed through the heart. Q gives him a second chance, to go back and prevent that from happening.

Only in doing so, he alienates one of his best friends and becomes a Starfleet officer that doesn't take risks. This alters his career paths and while he is stationed on the Enterprise, he is only a lieutenant and not on the command track. He does the one thing he never wanted to do. He tells Q that he was right and that sometimes the poor choice is the right one. Q lets him go back and fight the Nausicaan again. He then wakes up on the operating table with Doctor Crusher telling him that he will be all right.

In the episode Samaritan Snare, Picard describes the fight with the Nausicaan right down to him laughing while looking at the blade coming out of his chest. The scene was re-enacted twice in this episode, once by a young Picard and once by present day Picard. The fight with the Nausicaan was choreographed the same way which showed attention to detail. This was the third time we see Q in the 1992-1993 season, two in TNG and one in DS9. Other than the TNG series finale we won't see him again until Star Trek: Voyager.

Quotes

"Q, what is going on?" - Captain Picard
"I told you. You're dead. This is the afterlife. And I'm God." - Q
"You are not God!" - Captain Picard

"Now that you've shuffled off the mortal coil, we're free to spend a little time together." - Q
"A little time together? How much?" - Captain Picard
"Eternity." - Q

"Q, even if you have been able to bring me back in time somehow, surely you must realize that any alteration in this timeline will have a profound impact on the future." - Captain Picard
"Please, spare me your egotistical musings on your pivotal role in history. Nothing you do here will cause the Federation to collapse or galaxies to explode. To be blunt, you're not that important." - Q

"Flowers! Is there a John Luck Pickurd here?" - Q

"You having a good laugh now, Q? Does it amuse you to think of me living out the rest of my life as a dreary man in a tedious job?" - Lt. Picard
"I gave you something most mortals never experience: a second chance at life. And now all you can do is complain?" - Q
"I can't live out my days as that person. That man is bereft of passion, and imagination! That is not who I am!" - Lt. Picard
"Au contraire. He's the person you wanted to be, one who was less arrogant and undisciplined in his youth, one who was less like me. The Jean-Luc Picard you wanted to be, the one who did not fight the Nausicaan, had quite a different career from the one you remember. That Picard never had a brush with death, never came face to face with his own mortality, never realized how fragile life is or how important each moment must be. So his life never came into focus. He drifted through much of his career, with no plan or agenda, going from one assignment to the next, never seizing the opportunities that presented themselves. He never led the away team on Milika III to save the Ambassador, or take charge of the Stargazer's bridge when its captain was killed. And no one ever offered him a command. He learned to play it safe, and he never, ever, got noticed by anyone." - Q

Dax

DS9 Season 1 Episode 7
Air Date: February 14th, 1993

A Klaestron bounty hunter shows up on DS9 and tries to kidnap her, but is stopped. He makes the claim that Dax is a criminal and the Federation must release her to his authority. Sisko uses the fact that DS9 is a Bajoran station to force a hearing. Only Dax doesn't want to resist even though the punishment for her crimes of treason and murder of Ardelon Tandro is death on Klaestron IV.

While the hearing is happening, Odo travels to Klaestron IV to investigate and discovers that Curzon Dax and the Ardelon's wife was having an affair when Ardelon was killed. He also learns that that Ardelon was the traitor which is what got him killed. But Jadzia Dax wanted to protect Ardelon's memory since his treason was unknown and he became a hero to his people.

Quotes

"This will be an informal hearing, so I'm going to start with some informal advice: I am one hundred years old. I do not have time to squander listening to superfluous language. In short, I intend to be in here until supper, not senility." - Renora

"My husband was not the hero in life that he was in death, Mr. Odo. In death, he became a legend, and I became a legend's wife. There're people who didn't even know my husband, who still contact me. Decades after his death, they still mourn him.

"But you don't?" - Const. Odo
"No. Because I knew the man before he became a legend. But I also know my place in history. My place is to carry on bravely, never to remarry, to represent my husband at the banquets given in his name, but never, never to talk about who he really was. Because nobody wants to hear that." - Enina Tandro
"They may have to hear it now." - Const. Odo

"When one of my kind stumbles, Benjamin, it is a mistake that's there forever. I can't tell you which part of Curzon Dax couldn't stop himself from acting shamefully with another man's wife. I can tell you that he did love her, for whatever that's worth." - Lt. Dax
"Enough to kill her husband?" - Cmdr. Sisko
"So you are questioning?" - Lt. Dax

"Lieutenant Dax, you are either 200 years older than I am or you're about the same age as my great granddaughter. At first I wondered which of those you were; now I am bothered by the likelihood that you may be both." - Renora

Face of the Enemy

TNG Season 6 Episode 14
Air Date: February 8th, 1993

Counselor Troi wakes up on a Romulan warbird. She is surgically altered to look like a Romulan and she finds out she has been given the persona of a Tal Shiar agent, the Romulan equivalent of the CIA. The first officer of the warbird tells Troi that Spock had her abducted and altered to play a role in getting a Romulan senator out of Romulan space.

Since Troi is an empath, she is able to use her abilities to realize that the plan Spock had won't work and this leads to her taking over the warbird revealing the commander of her duties. She encounters the Enterprise which leads to her and the Romulan senators rescue.

This episode is the first episode that introduces the Romulan intelligence agency the Tal Shiar.

Quotes

"I don't need your devotion, Commander. Just your obedience." - Counselor Troi
"And that's all you have." - Cmdr. Toreth

"We're not playing it your way anymore, N'Vek. I've been kidnapped, surgically altered, put in danger. I've gone along with all your plans, now you are going to listen to me! You find a way to let the Enterprise track us, or I will go to Toreth and tell her I've discovered you're a traitor! I'll have you ejected into space, is that clear, Subcommander?" - Counselor Troi

"If any one of you defies the Tal Shiar, you will not bear the punishment alone. Your families, all of them, will be there beside you." - Counselor Troi

"In order to defeat your enemy, you must first understand them. The Federation wishes to avoid war at all costs. So, I will offer them a diplomatic solution, get them to lower their shields, and then destroy them!" - Counselor Troi

Q-Less

DS9 Season 1 Episode 6
Air Date: February 7th, 2019

The first and only DS9 episode with Q. Lt. Dax and returns from the gamma quadrant where she found a human, a woman named Vash. Last we saw Vash she was gallivanting the universe with Q but eventually everyone gets angry at Q. As an Indiana Jones type archaeologist, Vash brings back artifacts from the gamma quadrant and teams up with Quark to sell them at auction.

Q does show up though as he wants to get Vash to join him again, but the crew of DS9 think he is responsible for the power drain they are experiencing. Q always finds it amusing when humans blame him for things he is not responsible for. In this case, one the artifacts Vash brought back was causing the power drain.

Quotes

"You hit me! Picard never hit me." - Q
"I'm not Picard." - Cmdr. Sisko
"Indeed not. You're much easier to provoke. How fortunate for me." - Q

Why don't you do something constructive for a change, like torment Cardassians?

"Do I know you?" - Q
"O'Brien, from the Enterprise." - Chief O'Brien
"Enterprise? Oh, yes! Weren't you one of the little people?" - Q

"It's over, Q, I want you out of my life. You're arrogant, you're overbearing and you think you know everything." - Vash
"But, I do know everything." - Q
"That makes it even worse." - Vash

"An abysmal place." - Q
"Tartaras V?" - Vash
"Earth. Oh, don't get me wrong. Thousand years ago it had character - Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Watergate. Now it's just mind-numbingly dull." - Q

"I have nothing to hide. I'm selling quality merchandise to select clientele." - Quark
"And what makes them so, select?" - Const. Odo
"They're all ridiculously wealthy, and not too bright." - Quark

Aquiel

TNG Season 6 Episode 13
Air Date: February 1st, 1993

The Enterprise arrives at a small subspace relay that is normally manned by two officers for a resupply mission but find the station deserted. They discover a dog and the cellular remains of what appears to be Lt. Aquiel Uhnari. Lt. Cmdr. La Forge is tasked to recover the crew's personal logs to see if there is a clue to what happened.

As Geordi goes through Aquiel's logs he starts to get to know her personally and even falls for her a bit. When the Klingons end up finding her in the missing shuttle in Klingon Space the mystery of what happen grows as she can't remember and why would her cellular residue be found on the floor the station in what looks like a phaser or disruptor disintegration.

Doctor Crusher learns that the cells found were mixed with another kind of cell from a coalescent life form. A coalescent life form normally absorbs other life forms then mimics them. In the case of individual cells it just appears like the cells it came into contact with. But with a multi-celled organism it could become anybody.

They suspect the coalescent life form is either a Klingon who was on the station in the past or Aquiel. What they didn't suspect is it was the dog, which almost absorbed Geordi.

Red Shirts

The other crew member in the station that was unaccounted for and assumed absorbed by the coalescent life form was also identified as wearing a blue tunic.

Quotes

"Are you saying we attacked your outpost?" - Governor Torak
"I'm merely saying that I'm following up on evidence that my officers discovered on board." - Captain Picard
"Evidence. So you are making an accusation! The Klingon Empire will not stand for these kinds of lies!" - Governor Torak
"Governor Torak, I apologize. I can see that you honestly didn't know what happened aboard the station. I will just have to take this matter up with Gowron. I'm really sorry that we bothered you." - Captain Picard
"Gowron won't bother with such a minor incident!" - Governor Torak
"Well, ordinarily, he wouldn't, but of course, I was his Arbiter of Succession. I'm sure that he will be happy to come here and investigate this matter. You needn't worry about it any longer." - Captain Picard
"Gowron will come here?" - Governor Torak
"Oh, yes. So once again, thank you for your help. Oh, I will be sure to mention your name to Gowron when I speak to him." - Captain Picard
"I will investigate this further, Picard. You need not bother Gowron with this matter." - Governor Torak
"That's very kind. Qapla'!" - Captain Picard
"Qapla'!" - Governor Torak

Captive Pursuit

DS9 Season 1 Episode 5
Air Date: January 31st, 1993

The first alien to come through the wormhole, named Tosk. He befriends Chief O'Brien while his ship is being repaired but gets thrown in the brig while trying to steal weapons. But soon after, another ship comes through the wormhole, specifically to hunt Tosk. But when they find Tosk in custody they decide he isn't worth hunting.

Tosk is a hero to the hunters and while we might see it as cruel, to Tosk that is his purpose of living. Chief O'Brien can't stand to see Tosk taken away on a leash so he helps Tosk escape, starting the hunt again.

The episode shows that the technology of aliens in the gamma quadrant is superior to the Federation. Not by much but they able to take direct phaser blasts on stun with minimal effect.

Quotes

"As the Vulcans say, we're here to serve." - Chief O'Brien

"You know the old saying, a man who's always looking over his shoulder is waiting for trouble to find him." - Chief O'Brien

"Hey, barkeep!" - Chief O'Brien
"Don't call me barkeep! I'm not a barkeep! I'm your host, the proprietor, a sympathetic ear to the wretched souls who pass through these portals." - Quark
"And a man who will exploit any vice you may have. Two synthales, barkeep." - Chief O'Brien

"Security reports a fight in the Promenade. Here. Apparently O'Brien set him loose." - Major Kira
"I'm showing someone in an access conduit above Quark's. Two lifeforms. One's human. They're heading out toward the docking ring." - Lt. Dax
"I'll seal off the adjoining corridors. They won't get far." - Const. Odo
"Constable. There's no hurry." - Cmdr. Sisko

"You ignored your duty to Starfleet, you took off your com-badge so you can ignore me; you even ignored the Prime Directive by interfering with their damned hunt. Another stunt like this, and your wife won't have to complain about the conditions here anymore, do I make myself clear?" - Cmdr. Sisko
"I understand. I was surprised by one thing, sir." - Chief O'Brien
"What's that?" - Cmdr. Sisko
"I knew I couldn't override all the security seals on the station, and I figured once you and the Constable located us, well, it'd be over. We'd find ourselves locked behind some forcefield somewhere." - Chief O'Brien
"I guess that one got by us." - Cmdr. Sisko
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." - Chief O'Brien

Ship in a Bottle

TNG Season 6 Episode 12
Air Date: January 25th, 1993

Working on a holodeck, Lt. Barclay discovers a hidden program in protected memory and activates it. The program is Professor Moriarty. He asks to talk to Captain Picard which surprises Barclay since holodeck programs are not supposed to know they are holograms.

Moriarty is angry that no progress had been made to get him off the holodeck but he things that his consciousness alone is all he needs and he walks off the holodeck. Only it is a trick. Moriarty creates an Enterprise inside the holodeck and keeps Captain Picard, Lt. Cmdr. Data and Lt. Barclay trapped unknowingly on the holodeck. They investigate a way to get his holographic love off the holodeck using transporters.

Eventually Data discovers that they are still on the holodeck and rig a trap for Moriarty. They create yet another holodeck inside the holodeck that simulates the Enterprise again and uses the simulated transporter to transport Moriarty's love. They give him a shuttlecraft and let them go explore the galaxy.

Quotes

"Professor, I feel it necessary to point out that criminal behavior is as unacceptable in the 24th century as it was in the nineteenth - and very much harder to get away with." - Professor Moriarty
"Don't worry, Captain. My past is nothing but a fiction, the scribblings of an Englishman dead now for four centuries. I hope to leave his books on the shelf, as it were." - Captain Picard

"What does a woman like you see in a man like Moriarty?" - Captain Picard
"He's an exciting man, Captain. He's brilliant. Incisive. He's ruthless. He has, an almost irresistible appeal." - Countess Barthalomew
"He's also an arch-criminal." - Captain Picard

"In a sense, you did give Moriarty what he wanted." - Counselor Troi
"In a sense. But who knows? Our reality may be very much like theirs, and all this might just be an elaborate simulation, running inside a little device sitting on someone's table." - Captain Picard

Babel

DS9 Season 1 Episode 4
Air Date: January 24th, 1993

The plot of this episode has been done twice before. The first was The Naked Time from TOS and the second was it's effective sequel The Naked Now from TNG. Both of these episodes have the crew dealing with a molecule close to water but causes intoxication. The episodes are races in time to find the cure before everyone does something to get everyone killed. This episode is the same plot but instead of a molecule, it is a microorganism that causes aphasia.

Typically aphasia is caused by brain damage from a blow to the head or a stroke which means it isn't contagious. But this aphasia spreads due to the organism and eventually will cause a fever and death. It is an interesting variation on the plot though as people are fine, until they suddenly stop making sense. The solution in this episode wasn't Doctor Bashir curing the station but instead Major Kira kidnapping the assistant of the scientist that made the organism.

Quotes

"Fix the replicators, chief. My console's offline, chief. Should've transferred to a cargo drone. No people, no complaints." - Chief O'Brien

"Unauthorized access to crew quarters is a crime, Quark. You could have just asked to use the replicators." - Const. Odo
"There's an old Ferengi saying, never ask when you can take. How'd you figure it out?" - Quark
"You claimed Rom fixed your replicators?" - Const. Odo
"So?" - Quark
"Rom's an idiot. He couldn't fix a straw if it was bent." - Const. Odo
"You're right, Rom is an idiot. Remind me to get rid of him tomorrow." - Quark

"You, gold! Owe, me!" - Quark

A Man Alone

DS9 Season 1 Episode 3
Air Date: January 17th, 1993

Odo is framed for murder. The Bajoran Ibodan was arrested by Odo during the Cardassian occupation is freed by the Bajoran provisional government and he comes to DS9. His death is suspicious as there is no evidence of anyone being in the room with him, which means only Odo was capable of entering. But Doctor Bashir discovers that the corpse is actually a clone of Ibodan and that he had killed his own clone.

The episode shows the distrust between the Bajoran people and Odo since he was in charge of security even when the Cardassians ran the station. But it also shows that Odo is honourable and that the law and justice are the most important things to him. He even put himself as the prime suspect. It also shows a different side of the relationship between Quark and Odo. Our first introduction shows that they loathe each other, but at the same time that is also something that they share which creates a kind of weird mutual respect.

This episode also sees the opening of the DS9 school led by Keiko O'Brien

Quotes

"Mr. Odo, you're not going to take the law into your own hands." - Cmdr. Sisko
"The law? Commander, laws change, depending on who's making them - Cardassians one day, Federation the next. But justice is justice." - Const. Odo

"He's an ill-tempered, overbearing, cross-patch. But he was no Cardassian collaborator, and he's no killer." - Quark
"I can't believe you're defending him, Quark. You're his worst enemy." - Zayra
"Guess that's the closest thing he has in this world to a friend." - Quark

"I'll never understand the humanoid need to couple." - Const. Odo
"You've never, coupled?" - Quark
"Choose not to. Too many compromises. You want to watch the karonet tournament; she wants to listen to music, so you compromise, you listen to music. You like Earth Jazz, she prefers Klingon Opera so you compromise, you listen to Klingon Opera. So here you were ready to have a nice night watching the karonet match and you wind up spending an agonizing evening listening to Klingon Opera." - Const. Odo

"Killing your own clone is still murder." - Const. Odo

Past Prologue

DS9 Season 2 Episode 2
Air Date: January 10th, 1992

A Bajoran Terrorist is running from a Cardassian warship and seeks asylum on DS9. He is able to convince Major Kira that he is no longer a terrorist and that he has a plan to free Bajor from the Cardassians and the Federation once and for all. He plans to destroy the wormhole, the main reason why Bajor is a recent hot spot. But this is when Major Kira stops supporting. She doesn't like having the Federation on DS9 but she feels that the wormhole is what will save Bajor. She betrays him just as he is going to succeed in destroying the wormhole and takes him into custody.

As the second episode of the series, it is supposed to create both conflict between Bajor and the Federation but also it starts to creates a bond between Kira and Sisko. It also introduces the Cardassian spy/tailor Garak.

Quotes

"You won't never believe who just sat down next to me at the Replimat" - Doctor Bashir
"Major, upper pylon three'll be shut down for maintenance for forty-eight hours." - Chief O'Brien
"The spy! Garak, the Cardassian." - Doctor Bashir
"We don't know for a fact Garak's a spy, Doctor." - Cmdr. Sisko
"He is. You should have heard him. He introduced himself and he struck up conversation just like that. he was making contact with me, with me of all people." - Doctor Bashir
"What do you think he might want from you, Julian?" - Lt. Dax
"I don't know. Federation medical secrets? Rest assured they're safe with me, Commander." - Doctor Bashir
"I'm sure they are, Doctor Bashir." - Cmdr. Sisko

"Klingons do not surrender their weapons." - Lursa
"Who are you?" - Const. Odo
"We are Lursa and B'Etor, of the House of Duras." - Lursa
"And we have specific regulations. You can leave the weapons or leave the station, your choice. Please make it now." - Const. Odo
"Who are you?" - B'Etor
"I'm the one giving you the choice." - Const. Odo

"Maybe there are still wars to be fought, and I'm just making a fool of myself doing what 'm doing here." - Major Kira
"It sounds like you're trying to talk yourself into something or out of something?" - Const. Odo
"Either way I have to betray someone." - Major Kira
"The only important thing is not to betray yourself." - Const. Odo

"I think, doctor, you could definitely use a new suit." - Cmdr. Sisko

"This wouldn't have been possible without your support. I want you to know it's appreciated." - Major Kira
"Be sure to mention it the next time you chat with Admiral Rollman." - Cmdr. Sisko
"Sir?" - Major Kira
"Go over my head again, and I'll have yours on a platter." - Cmdr. Sisko

Emissary

DS9 Season 1 Episode 1 and 2
Air Date: January 3rd, 1993

Bajor, a planet that was oppressed by the Cardassian for 60 years finally overthrows their oppressors. But the Bajoran's military and fleet is much weaker then the Cardassian and they request assistance from the Federation. The Federation takes command of the Cardassian mining station Terok Nor renaming it to Deep Space Nine.

Captain Sisko and his son arrive on station with Chief O'Brien and his wife and daughter. They start repairing the station which was stripped down by the Cardassians before they left when Sisko is asked to meet with the Bajoran spiritual leader Kai Opaka. She shows him an orb of the Prophets, the Bajoran gods which shows him the past. He is tasked to find the celestial temple, the home of the Prophets. When Lt. Dax and Doctor Bashir arrive on station, Lt. Dax is tasked to research the orb. She discovers a pattern of where the orbs were found and when they go out looking they discover a wormhole to the gamma quadrant.

This wormhole is the celestial temple and Sisko negotiates with the Prophets to be able to use the wormhole. He becomes the emissary of the Prophets to the Bajoran people.

Red Shirts

In the beginning of the episode, Lt. Cmdr Sisko is at Wolf 359 fighting the Borg. On the bridge we see 5 officers die. I was able to run it in slow motion and identify 3 red shirts and 2 gold.

Quotes

"It's been a long time, Captain." - Cmdr. Sisko
"Have we met before?" - Captain Picard
"Yes sir, we met in battle. I was on the Saratoga at Wolf 359." - Cmdr. Sisko

"Oh, this will be perfect, real frontier medicine!" - Doctor Bashir
"Frontier medicine?" - Major Kira
"Major, I had my choice of any job in the Fleet." - Doctor Bashier
"Did you?" - Major Kira
"I didn't want some cushy job or a research grant. I wanted this, the farthest reaches of the galaxy, one of the most remote outposts available. This is where the adventure is. This is where heroes are made. Right here, in the wilderness."
"This wilderness is my home." - Major Kira

"Excuse my presumption, but this was my office only two weeks ago. I'm not used to being on this side of the desk. I'll be honest with you, Commander. I miss this office. I was not happy to leave it." - Gul Dukat
"Drop by any time you're feeling homesick." - Cmdr. Sisko
"Allow me to assure you that we only want to be helpful in this difficult transition. You're far from the Federation fleet, alone in this remote outpost, with poor defense systems. Your Cardassian neighbors will be quick to respond to any problems you might have." - Gul Dukat
"We'll try to keep the dog off your lawn." - Cmdr. Sisko

"You don't think Starfleet took command of this space station without the ability to defend it, do you?" - Major Kira
"Defend it? Your space station could not defend itself against one Cardassian warship." - Gul Jasad
"You're probably right, Jasad. And if you were dealing with a Starfleet officer, they'd probably admit, we have a hopeless cause here. But I am just a Bajoran, who's been fighting a hopeless cause against the Cardassians all her life. So if you want a war, I'll give you one!" - Major Kira
"Major, remind me never to get into a game of Roladan Wild Draw with you." - Chief O'Brien

Chain of Command

TNG Season 6 Episode 10 and 11

Air Date: December 14th and 21st, 1992

A two part episode that leads into the pilot of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Admiral Alynna Nechayev relieves Captain Picard of his command of the Enterprise and replaced him with Captain Edward Jellico. Captain Picard, Doctor Crusher and Lt. Worf are assigned to a top secret mission on a Cardassian space. Captain Jellico has experience fighting the Cardassians in the past, but his command style causes friction with the crew, especially Cmdr. Riker who eventually gets relieved of duty.

When Picard, Crusher and Worf make it to the Cardassian world they were assigned to get to, Picard reveals that they are tasked with finding a biological weapon facility but when they get there they find a trap, no lab but rather just a transmitter faking sensor readings. Worf and Crusher get away but Picard is captured.

On the Enterprise, Jellico is negotiating when the Cardassians use the information of Picards capture as a bargaining chip. Lt. Cmdr. Data and Lt. Cmdr La Forge discover that the Cardassians are hiding a fleet in a nebula nearby and Jellico has a shuttlecraft sneak into the nebula and attach mines to all the Cardassian ships. He uses this as leverage to have Picard released.

The overall plot of the episode isn't what makes this episode so good, but rather the back and forth conversation between Picard and his torturer Gul Madred. Throughout the second part, you think Madred is in control the entire time, but he gives up a critical piece of information, that he was bullied as a child and Picard uses that even while in horrible pain to belittle his position.

The Cardassians have always been portrayed as a pseudo bad guy, even in the DS9 series, but this episode that was aired just before the DS9 pilot really showed what the Cardassians are made of.

Quotes

"Lemec is a Cardassian, and Cardassians are like timber wolves, predators. Bold in large numbers, cautious by themselves, and with an instinctive need to establish a dominant position in any social gathering." - Captain Jellico

"So you're trying to establish a dominant position by making him wait for you? The trouble with wolves is that sometimes in the fight for dominance, one of them ends up dead." - Counselor Troi

"In that case, the trick is... to be the wolf that's still standing at the end." - Captain Jellico

"In this room, you do not ask questions. I ask them, you answer. If I am not satisfied with your answers, you will die." - Gul Madred

"Do Humans have mothers and fathers?" - Jil Orra

"Yes. But Human mothers and fathers don't love their children as we do. They're not the same as we are." - Gul Madred

"When children learn to devalue others, they can devalue anyone, including their parents." - Captain Picard

"What a blind, narrow view you have. What an arrogant man you are." - Gul Madred

"We acquire territory during the wars. We develop new resources. We initiated a rebuilding program. We have mandated agricultural programs. *That* is what the military had done for Cardassia. And because of that, my daughter will never worry about going hungry." - Gul Madred

"Her belly may be full. But her spirit will be empty." - Captain Picard

"How many lights do you see there?" - Gul Muldred

"I see four lights." - Captain Picard

"No. There are five." - Gul Madred

"I  remember the first time I ate a live taspar. I was six years old and living on the streets of Lakat. There was a band of children, four, five, six years old. Some even smaller, desperately trying to survive. We were thin, scrawny little animals, constantly hungry, always cold. We slept together in doorways, like packs of wild gettles, for warmth. Once I found a nest. Taspars had mated and built a nest in the eave of a burned out building. And I found three eggs in it. It was like finding treasure. I cracked one open on the spot and ate it, very much as you just did. I planned to save the other two. They would keep me alive for another week. But of course, an older boy saw them and wanted them. And he got them. But he had to break my arm to do it." - Gul Madred

"Must be rewarding to you to repay others for all those years of misery." - Captain Picard

"What do you mean?" - Gul Madred

"Torture has never been a reliable means of extracting information. It is ultimately self-defeating as a means of control. One wonders why it is still practiced." - Gul Madred

" I fail to see where this analysis is leading." - Gul Madred

"Whenever I look at you now, I won't see a powerful Cardassian warrior. I will see a six year old boy who is powerless to protect himself." - Captain Picard

"Be quiet." - Gul Madred

"In spite of all you've done to me, I find you a pitiable man." - Captain Picard

"Picard, stop it, or I will turn this on and leave you here in agony all night." - Gul Madred 

"Ah! You called me Picard." - Captain Picard

"What are the Federation's defence plans for Minos Korva?" - Gul Madred

"There are four lights." - Captain Picard

"There are five lights. How many do you see now?" - Gul Madred

"You are six years old. Weak and helpless. You cannot hurt me." - Captain Picard 

"How many?" - Gul Madred 

"Sur le pont d'Avignon, on y danse" - Captain Picard

"Let's drop the ranks for a moment. I don't like you. I think you're insubordinate, arrogant, willful, and I don't think you're a particularly good first officer. But you are also the best pilot on the ship." - Captain Jellico

"Well, Now that the ranks are dropped, Captain, I don't like you either. You are arrogant, and closed-minded. You need to control everything and everyone. You don't provide an atmosphere of trust, and you don't inspire these people to go out of their way for you. You've got everybody wound up so tight, there's no joy in anything. I don't think you're a particularly good captain." - Cmdr. Riker

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard

"At the end, he gave me a choice between a life of comfort or more torture. All I had to do was to say that I could see five lights, when in fact there were only four." - Captain Picard

"You didn't say it." - Counselor Troi

"No. No. But I was going to. I would've told him anything. Anything at all. But more than that I believed that I could see, five lights." - Captain Picard

Week Twenty One

May 19th - 25th

Back into catch up mode. I was able to watch 19 episodes this week finishing TNG season 5 and a third of season 6. TNG is in it's prime now. 14 of the 19 episodes I watched are on my recommended list.

Next week I am going to start watching DS9 along side the rest of TNG.

The Math

I added a new column to my spreadsheet to help me keep track of how behind I am. I was able to do a general visual check based on the row number but now I know how many days behind I am. Before the change I had one column that would determine what day the episode should have been watched on and the next column was the day I actually watched the episode on. With a simple subtraction of the two, I am left with the number of days behind (or ahead) I am. As an example, on May 19th I watched The Outcast, which I was supposed to watch on April 16th, which means I am -33 days. At the end of this week I am at -30 days so I caught up 3 days.

Recommendations

The Outcast: Riker falls for a scientist from a gender neutral society.
Cause and Effect: The Enterprise gets into a causality loop ending with it's destruction.
The First Duty: Wesley Crusher is in a piloting accident which leads to a hearing to determine what really happened. Wesley's second last episode.
I, Borg: La Forge befriends a Borg.
The Next Phase: La Forge and Ro end up cloaked and out of phase with everyone else.
The Inner Light: Picard lives half a life time in 30 minutes. One of the best all time Star Trek episodes.
Time's Arrow: The crew go back in time and meet Mark Twain. Not everyone likes this one but I enjoy it.
Realm of Fear: Barclay overcomes his fear of transporters. Recommended to anyone with serious phobias.
Relics: The return of Montgomery Scott. And it has a Dyson sphere.
Schisms: The crew of the Enterprise get abducted by aliens.
Rascals: Picard as a teenager, aka poetic justice.
A Fistful of Datas: So many Datas. And it is in the old west.
The Quality of Life: A continuation of the "Are robots/androids alive" debate.

Red Shirts

One gold shirt died in the episode Schisms.

Episodes

TNG S5E17: The Outcast
TNG S5E18: Cause and Effect
TNG S5E19: The First Duty
TNG S5E20: Cost of Living
TNG S5E21: The Perfect Mate
TNG S5E22: Imaginary Friend
TNG S5E23: I, Borg
TNG S5E24: The Next Phase
TNG S5E25: The Inner Light
TNG S5E26: Time's Arrow, Part I
TNG S6E1: Time's Arrow, Part II
TNG S6E2: Realm of Fear
TNG S6E3: Man of the People
TNG S6E4: Relics
TNG S6E5: Schisms
TNG S6E6: True Q
TNG S6E7: Rascals
TNG S6E8: A Fistful of Datas
TNG S6E9: The Quality of Life

The Quality of Life

TNG Season 6 Episode 9
Air Date: November 16th, 1992

This episode is a parallel to Lt. Cmdr. Data's ongoing fight to have the same freedoms and rights as every other living being in the Federation. In this episode the Enterprise is inspecting a new mining laser that can drill from space and suck the rocks up without having to land or have people in mines. But it is having problems. The projects leader Dr. Farallon invented a kind of robot that can fit into tight spaces, replicated the tool need for the job and learn from each repair it does. She calls them exocomps. But when one exocomp doesn't perform the task which leads to a conduit exploding, Data realizes that it isn't a malfunction but rather self preservation.

Dr Farallon argues that the exocomps are just tools so she can wipe their memory and keep using them as tools, whereas Data believes they are alive and deserve protection by the Federation. In the end, Data is able to prove that they are indeed self aware which leaves Cmdr. Riker with a tough situation. Lt. Cmdr. La Forge and Captain Picard are stuck on the drilling platform which is about to explode and it is either Geordi and Picard that dies or the exocomps. Data forces Rikers hand but Riker suggests letting the exocomps decide if they want to go.

The exocomps, knowing the drilling platform better then anyone come up with an alternative that saves the platform at the cost of just one exocomp.

Quotes

"Doctor, what is the definition of life?" - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"That is a big question. Why do you ask?" - Doctor Crusher
"I am searching for a definition that will allow me to test an hypothesis." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Well, the broadest scientific definition might be that life is what enables plants and animals to consume food, derive energy from it, grow, adapt themselves to their surroundings and reproduce." - Doctor Crusher
"And you suggest that anything which exhibits these characteristics is considered alive?" - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"In general, yes." - Doctor Crusher
"What about fire?" - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Fire?" - Doctor Crusher
"Yes. It consumes fuel to produce energy, it grows, it creates offspring. By your definition, is it alive?" - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Fire is a chemical reaction. You could use the same argument for growing crystals, but obviously we don't consider them alive." - Doctor Crusher
"And what about me? I do not grow. I do not reproduce. I am considered to be alive." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"That's true, but you are unique." - Doctor Crusher
"I wonder if that is so. " - Lt. Cmdr. Data

"Something more, Mr. Data?" - Captain Picard
"Yes, sir. I thought you might want to know why I was willing to risk your life for several small machines." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"I think I understand the predicament you were in. It could not have been an easy choice." - Captain Picard
"No, sir, it was not. When my own status as a living being was in question, you fought to protect my rights. And for that I will always be grateful. The exocomps had no such advocate. If I had not acted on their behalf, they would have been destroyed. I could not allow that to happen, sir." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Of course you couldn't. It was the most human decision you've ever made." - Captain Picard

A Fistful of Datas

TNG Season 6 Episode 8
Air Date: November 9th, 1992

While waiting for a rendezvous with a supply ship, the crew of the Enterprise are given some much needed time off. Alexander convinces his father and Counselor Troi to join him in a holodeck story based around the ancient west. I guess when the old west is 500 years ago, it gets renamed to ancient.

Meanwhile, Lt. Cmdr. La Forge takes the time to experiment with using Lt. Cmdr. Data as a backup computer for use in emergencies. During the experiment there was a power surge in Data's positronic brain which causes secondary systems around the Enterprise to start malfunctioning. Many of the food replicators start only making cat food for Spot. Captain Picards music changes to a selection Data was listening to recently. The play Doctor Crusher was working on got changed to Ode to Spot. But the biggest malfunction was to the holodeck. Two of the characters appearance changed to Data.

These changes were not just in appearance but they also get Data's physical abilities of strength and speed. Sheriff Worf had captured the son of a Frank Hollander and in turn Frank kidnaps Alexander. They offer to do a trade which when Worf realizes the safeties are off, agrees to. But he knows it will be a double cross which leads to a shootout in the streets. Using his communicator to fashion a simple force field Worf and Counselor Troi defeat the Hollanders and rescue Alexander.

The title of the episode is an homage to spaghetti westerns and specifically the Clint Eastwood movie A Fist Full of Dollars.

Quotes

"I must admit, Data, I never get used to seeing you like this." - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge
"I do not understand. You are constantly working on similar electronic systems, yet their appearances do not disturb you." - Lt. Cmdr Data
"Yeah, but you're not just another electronic system." = Lt. Cmdr. La Forge
"Thank you, Geordi. Nor are you just another biological organism." - Lt. Cmdr. Data

"Spot, you are disrupting my ability to work. Vamoose, ye little varmint!" - Lt. Cmdr. Data

"When can you correct the problem?" - Captain Picard
"We are currently attempting to isolate the corrupted circuit pathways. I reckon the process should take less than two hours." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"What did you say?" - Captain Picard
"I said the process should take less than two hours." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"No, you just said I reckon." - Cmdr. Riker
"According to my memory logs, I did not use those words. Y'all must be mistaken." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"There Data, you did it again." - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge

"Father? After what happened, I guess you'll never want to go back to the Ancient West." - Alexander
"The town of Deadwood may face danger once again. If they do they will need a sheriff, and a deputy." - Lt. Worf

Rascals

TNG Season 6 Episode 7
Air Date: November 2nd, 1993

Rendezvousing to the Enterprise via shuttle, Captain Picard, Ensign Ro, Keiko and Guinan get caught in some energy field. The Enterprise is able to get to them before the shuttle explodes but when they rematerialize in the transporter room, they appear as young teenagers.

While Doctor Crusher and Lt. Cmdr. La Forge try to figure out what is causing this, two Klingon birds of prey decloak and bring the Enterprise to it's knees. Only when the Enterprise is boarded, it is the Ferengi. They had lured the Enterprise to a system where there was mining profits to be made.

They transport all adults down to the surface to start mining but leave the children in the school. Of course this includes the four from the shuttle accident. They use the fact that they know the ship and that the Ferengi think they are children to take back the ship.

The actor David Birkin that played the young Picard was the same actor that played his Nephew in the episode Family.

Quotes

"There must've been some part of childhood that you didn't loathe." - Guinan
"Look, it was a long, depressing period of my life and I was grateful when it was finally over. I'd rather not relive it." - Laren
"I bet you were a jumper. A jumper. You know, someone who jumped up and down on furniture all the time." - Guinan
"What?" - Laren
"You were a jumper all right. The quiet ones, they always look so innocent. You think you can turn your back on them. Next thing you know, bam! They're bouncing on the bed." - Guinan
"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Most of the time I didn't even have a bed." - Laren
"Ah but you did have one sometimes and I bet you jumped on it." - Guinan
"I most certainly did not." - Laren
"Yeah I can see it in your eyes. You can barely resist the urge to leap up and start jumping around like a Tarkassian razorbeast." - Guinan

"I need to see my father." - Jean-Luc
"Go back inside." - Berik
"I need to see him right now." - Jean-Luc
"Do not argue with me. Go back inside." - Berik
"I need to see him now! Now now now now now now now! Stop it! You've hurt me! I want my father! I want my father!" - Jean-Luc

"Can't you just turn on the kid's computer in schoolroom eight? We just want to play a few games." - Jean-Luc
"I don't know if they'll let me do that, Jean-Luc, but I will ask." - Cmdr. Riker
"Thanks, Number One. He's my number one Dad." - Jean-Luc

True Q

TNG Season 6 Episode 6
Air Date: October 26th, 1992

Amanda Rogers, a Starfleet intern, temporarily joins the crew of the Enterprise to work under Doctor Crusher. Then Q shows up and tells Captain Picard that she is a Q. We learn that Q can procreate and even live lives as other races. When Amanda's parents did this and lived on Earth, the Q killed them not realizing they had a child. Q gives Amanda two choice, join the Q continuum or die like her parents.

After some philosophical discussion with Picard, Q changes the second option to live life as a human and never give into temptation to use the power of the Q. It takes only a minute before a natural disaster happens to the planet they are orbiting and Amanda uses her abilities. She then decides to join the continuum.

Quotes

"I will introduce you. But we cannot argue like this in front of her. We must at least appear to be" - Captain Picard
"Pals?" - Q
"Civil." - Captain Picard

"You've made yourself judge, jury, and if necessary executioner. By what right have you appointed yourself to this position?" - Captain Picard
"Superior morality." - Q
"Yes. I recall how you used your superior morality when we first encountered you. You put us on trial for the crimes of humanity." - Captain Picard
"The jury is still out on that, Picard, make no mistake. " - Q
"Your arrogant pretense at being the moral guardians of the universe strikes me as being hollow, Q. I see no evidence that you're guided by a superior moral code or any code whatsoever. You may be nearly omnipotent, and I don't deny that your parlor tricks are very impressive. But morality, I don't see it. I don't acknowledge it, Q! I would put human morality against the Q's any day. And perhaps that's the reason that we fascinate you so, because our puny behavior shows you a glimmer of the one thing that evades your omnipotence, a moral center. And if so, I can think of no crueler irony than that you should destroy this young woman, whose only crime is that she's too human." - Captain Picard
"Jean-Luc, Sometimes I think the only reason I come here is to listen to these wonderful speeches of yours." - Q

"If suddenly you could make anything happen, what would it be?" - Amanda
"Well, I would probably want to heal people, people who are hopelessly ill." - Doctor Crusher
"Would you bring your husband back?" - Amanda
"Amanda, I don't know. And I don't think that I could make a decision like that until I was actually faced with it." - Doctor Crusher
"I am faced with it." - Amanda

Schisms

TNG Season 6 Episode 5
Air Date: October 19th, 1992

While the Enterprise is charting a cluster, Cmdr. Riker has been suffering from exhaustion even after having a good night sleep. He soon discovers that he barely closes his eyes when the next day starts, and others are having similar issues. With Counselor Troi's help and they use the holodeck to discover they all have similar dreams, or rather memories of being abducted. Even Lt. Cmdr. Data was effected.

Turns out one of the modifications that Lt. Cmdr. La Forge made to the sensors turned the Enterprise into a beacon and an alien race from another spacial dimension were trying to learn about the crew of the Enterprise for unknown reasons. They send Riker back into the other dimension to leave a homing device and are able to destroy the link that the two dimensions have.

It was odd to watch an episode about alien abductions in a show where aliens are a significant part of the crew.

Red Shirts

One of the crew dies from the experiments the aliens were performing. He wore a gold uniform.

Ode To Spot by Data

Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature,
An endothermic quadruped, carnivorous by nature;
Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses
Contribute to your hunting skills and natural defenses.

I find myself intrigued by your subvocal oscillations,
A singular development of cat communications
That obviates your basic hedonistic predilection
For a rhythmic stroking of your fur to demonstrate affection.

A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents;
You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance.
And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion,
It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.

O Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display
Connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array.
And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,
I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.

Quotes

"I've been in this room before." - Lt. Cmdr La Forge
"We've all been here before." - Cmdr. Riker

Relics

TNG Season 6 Episode 4
Air Date: October 12th, 1992

The Enterprise receive a distress call where they find an old Federation ship crashed on a Dyson sphere. A Dyson sphere is a thought experiment about how a futuristic society could survive in the future and one idea was that they would create a mega structure around a star. The radius of this structure would be similar to the distance of the Earth to our Sun. Lt. Cmdr. Data defines the interior land mass to be greater then 250 million class M planets.

When they transport down to the ship, they find a person had used the transporter as a lifeboat, feeding his pattern into a feedback loop until someone can rescue him. It turns out to be Captain Montgomery "Scotty" Scott.

The episode mainly is about Scotty trying to be useful and realizing that he is a relic due to the time that passed. Though at the end of the day he does save the Enterprise from being trapped inside the Dyson sphere. There was a scene where Scotty goes back to the original Enterprise bridge using the holodeck. They did a pretty good job in the recreation. I read that some angles they skipped over as they weren't needed.

In the novel Ship in the Line (which is not considered canon), Captain Scott is on of the engineers that designs the engines.

Quotes

"Look, Mr. Scott, I'd love to explain everything to you, but the Captain wants this spectrographic analysis done by 1300 hours." - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge
"Do you mind a little advice? Starfleet captains are like children. They want everything right now and they want it their way. But the secret is to give them only what they need, not what they want." - Captain Scott
"Yeah, well, I told the Captain I'd have this analysis done in an hour." - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge
"How long will it really take?" - Captain Scott
"An hour!" - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge
"Oh, you didn't tell him how long it would really take, did ya?" - Captain Scott
"Well, of course I did." - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge
"Oh, laddie. You've got a lot to learn if you want people to think of you as a miracle worker." - Captain Scott

"Laddie, I was drinking Scotch a hundred years before you were born. And I can tell you that whatever this is, it is definitely not Scotch." - Captain Scott
"I believe I may be of some assistance. Captain Scott is unaware of the existence of synthehol." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Synthehol?" - Captain Scott
"Yes, sir. It is an alcohol substitute now being served aboard starships. It simulates the appearance, taste and smell of alcohol, but the intoxicating affects can be easily dismissed." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"You're not quite human, are you?" - Captain Scott
"No, sir. I am an android. Lieutenant Commander Data." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Synthetic Scotch, synthetic commanders." - Captain Scott

"Please enter program." - Computer
"The android at the bar said you could show me my old ship. Let me see it." - Captain Scott
"Insufficient data. Please specify parameters." - Computer
"The Enterprise. Show me the bridge of the Enterprise, you chatterin' piece of" - Captain Scott
"There have been five Federation ships with that name. Please specify by registry number." - Computer
"NCC1701. No bloody A, B, C or D!" - Captain Scott

Man of the People

TNG Season 6 Episode 3
Air Date: October 5th, 1992

The Enterprise responds to a distress call from a passenger freighter. The passenger freighter was under attack but the attackers fled when they saw the Enterprise coming. The freighter was carrying the Lumerian ambassador Ramid Ves Alkar. He was on route to a peace talk which only he can perform since he has a reputation with the two sides and has an uncanny ability to remain calm.

The Enterprise takes over transporting him as they feel any other transport could also get attacked and the Enterprise is the best ship to transport him. The Lumerians are empaths like Counselor Troi, only that can only feel the emotions of others. Ramid had found a way to transfer his negative emotions onto another empath so he can only experience the positive. It is what makes him a good negotiator. Only the recipients of the negative emotions starts rapidly growing old, over the course of 2 years a person goes from 30 to 93.

This is the case during the episode and his "emotion receptacles" dies. He takes Troi in her place but because she is not Lumerian she ends up aging to near death in days. Picard tries to get him to release her but he won't comply so they kill Troi and revive her after the link is broken. Ramid was unable to find a new receptacles and ends up aging instantly and dies.

During the episode Troi starts down a dark road as the negative emotions start to show themselves. As these emotions emerge she starts wearing more revealing clothing and a few of them I was surprised made it on prime time TV.

Quotes

"I think maybe my biggest asset is patience. I let everyone talk until they're exhausted. And when I start, they're too tired to argue." - Ambassador Ves Alkar

"Surely you can see there's a broader canvas here. If I came to these peace talks hindered by unwanted emotions, than the Rekags and Seronians would be condemned to go on fighting." - Ambassador Ves Alkar
"You cannot explain away a wantonly immoral act because you think that it's connected to some higher purpose." - Captain Picard
"Captain, do you know how many people have died on this planet in the last 48 hours? Thousands. Deanna Troi is just one individual." - Ambassador Ves Alkar
"That does not justify brutalizing her nor any of the others you have used." - Captain Picard
"Ask the Rekag-Seronian children who go to bed each night in fear of their lives. Captain, I get no payment. I have no power base, no agenda. I am willing to risk my life simply to help others." - Ambassador Ves Alkar
"Do you think that makes you appear courageous? Because you're mistaken. You're a coward, Alkar. You exploit the innocent because you're unwilling to shoulder the burdens of unpleasant emotions. Well, this time you will be held accountable." - Captain Picard

Realm of Fear

TNG Season 6 Episode 2
Air Date: September 28th

Another Lt. Barclay episode. This time the Enterprise is performing a rescue operation on the USS Yosemite which got stuck in a plasma discharge between two stars. Lt. Barclay suggests that they link the transporters from each ship to facilitate transport, only when he is asked to join the away team, his transporter phobia causes him to have a minor meltdown. The USS Yosemeti appears abandoned with only one dead officer.

With Counselor Troi's help he is able to make the trip but on his way back he encounters a creature in the transporter beam which even bites him. He keeps it hidden at first but eventually it starts effecting him physically. Lt. Cmdr. La Forge and Doctor Crusher's only treatment for his injury is to enter the transporter one more time and be held in the beam for 30-40 seconds so the pattern buffer can remove some organisms that seemed to be caught in the transporter beam from the two stars.

Only when in the transporter beam, Lt. Barclay realize that what he was seeing wasn't these organisms but other people trapped in the transporter buffer on the USS Yosemite. He grabs on and brings him back. Worf and his security officers then do the same to get the rest.

I was able to relate to this episode more then most. I have a fear of heights that can be debilitating. When I visited the Eiffel Tower, I was unable to stand near the edge on the bottom third section let alone go to the top, even though they had fences to prevent me from falling. Lt. Barclay has a similar affliction in this episode regarding transporters. While the episode does have him face his fear, the reaction that he has in the episode is very similar to how I feel when I am up high.

The episode also gave us a perspective of transpiration we haven't seen yet. We get to see what it is like to be transported from the first person perspective.

Chief O'Brien

During the series Chief O'Brien has worn many different rank insignias. In the first episode he wasn't even playing O'Brien. Since then we generally see him with the rank of lieutenant, but in this episode I noticed he was wearing the rank of ensign. This was needed as Lt. Barclay needed to give him an order and he only has the rank of lieutenant junior grade. Right from the beginning he is referred to as Chief O'Brien though, and in DS9 his insignia shows him as a non-commissioned officer with the rank Chief Petty Officer.

Red Shirts

The engineer of the USS Yosemite was the only death in the episode. But I noticed that the crew of this ship were not Starfleet officers which was odd as it was a Starfleet ship. He was wearing a bluish grey jumpsuit.

Quotes

"The idea of being, deconstructed molecule by molecule, it's more than I can stand. Even when I was a child, I always had a dreadful fear that, if ever I was dematerialized, that I would never come back again whole. I know, sounds crazy, but" - Lt. Barlcay
"It's not crazy at all. You are being taken apart molecule by molecule." - Counselor Troi

"Commander La Forge wants some tricorder readings on those fluctuations." - Lt. Barclay
"We can do that from right here." - Chief O'Brien
"No, I, the transporter sensors may not be sensitive enough. Now, I'm giving you an order Mr. O'Brien." - Lt. Barclay
"Aye, sir. You don't mind my making an observation, sir? You forgot to bring a tricorder." - Chief O'Brien

Time's Arrow, Part II

TNG Season 6 Episode 1
Air Date: September 21st, 1992

The season 6 premier and conclusion of Time's Arrow. With the senior staff in the 19th century they start looking for Lt. Cmdr. Data. Meanwhile they discover there are aliens travelling back in time to absorb human neural energy. They eventually find Data, and have a final encounter with the aliens in the mining cave. Only Samuel Clemens shows up with a colt and causes the aliens to escape back into their own time. The rest of the crew follows him including Clemens, but Captain Picard stays behind to help the Guinan from the past who got hurt. Data also lost his head in the blast sending his body into the future but his head remaining in the past.

Once back on the Enterprise they work out a way to destroy the cave to prevent the aliens from continuing their incursions into Earth's past. They also work to attach Data's old head and get it working. They eventually are able to get Picard back to the present and Clemens back to the past.

Generally time travel episodes have loop holes and flaws that make me dislike them and this episode is full of them. But the episode has character and charm and is filled with many interesting quotes. Many people criticize the episode for bringing back a cheesy take on Mark Twain but I personally really like the character and he had a lot of interesting things to say. He was effectively Guinan's opposite. In the episode Clemens asks if they are able to see Haley's comet from the ship, but what is interesting is Haley's comet was visible from Earth when Clemens was born and when he died.

One thing that Clemens said that I realized but never really noticed is that while the Enterprise does have a few non Human's in it, it is actually run by mostly Humans. It is something that was brought up by the Klingons in Star Trek VI as well. I always assume that since it is a Federation of planets that a Federation ship would be pretty diverse. Thinking about it, maybe each race creates their own ships. Vulcans do have their own ships, but do they identify them as Federation ships or Vulcan ships?

There was a scene where Captain Picard and the senior staff were pretending to be travelling actors and when they were asked what play they were doing, for some reason I remembered it was A Midsummer's Night's Dream. A play I have never seen or read but it stuck in my head for some reason.

At the end of the episode, Cmdr. Riker orders Chief O'Brien to beam up Captain Picard before they destroy the cave system. I am pretty sure we don't see Chief O'Brien in the episode at all.

Quotes

"Young man, I have a maxim that I have always lived by: no one is more qualified to write your story than you are." - Clemens

"This is the 24th century, we're on Devidia II, and you're not supposed to be here." - Cmdr. Riker
"Well, it seems to me I have as much right to be in your time as you had to be in mine. I wanted to see how you've conducted my future affairs." - Clemens

"I know what you say, that this is a vessel of exploration, and that your mission is to discover new worlds. That's what the, the Spanish said, and the Dutch, and the Portuguese. It's what all conquerors say. I'm sure that's what you told that blue skinned fellow I just saw, before you brought him here to serve you." - Clemens
"He's one of the thousands of species that we've encountered. We live in a peaceful Federation with most of them. The people you see are here by choice." - Counselor Troi
"So there're a privileged few who serve on these ships, living in luxury and wanting for nothing. But what about everyone else? What about the poor? You ignore them." - Clemens
"Poverty was eliminated on Earth, a long time ago. And a lot of other things disappeared with it - hopelessness, despair, cruelty." - Counselor Troi
"Young lady, I come from a time when men achieve power and wealth by standing on the backs of the poor, where prejudice and intolerance are commonplace and power is an end unto itself. And you're telling me that isn't how it is anymore?" - Clemens
"That's right." - Counselor Troi
"Well, maybe it's worth giving up cigars for, after all." - Clemens

"I'll see you in 500 years, Picard." - Guinan
"And I'll see you, in a few minutes." - Captain Picard

The Next Generation: Season Five

Finished Season 4. This season had a few major events happen that were outside of the show itself. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country came out in theatres. And we lost the creator of Star Trek himself, Gene Roddenberry.

When I watched the first season of Star Trek TNG, I knew it was the worst of the series but once I got through it I felt that it was underrated, and I do stand by that assessment. But it wasn't that the first season was horrible (there were a few episodes that fit that description but not most) but rather that the show just keeps getting better.

Season 5 is the best yet and if memory serves may be the best overall. There are serious episodes like Darmok, Inner Light and Ethics. Plot development episodes like Unification and Redemption Part II. Fun episodes like the Game,Cause and Effect and Disaster. 19 of the 26 episodes of the season I have marked as recommended episodes that I feel everyone should watch in my weekly summaries.

Red Shirts

Only one Starfleet Officer died on screen in uniform this season and she was wearing red.

Time's Arrow, Part I

TNG Season 5 Episode 26
Air Date: June 15th, 1992

In the season 5 finale, the Enterprise is called back to Earth to help with an investigation in some old mining caves uncovered in San Francisco. They found a few items expected for the time they believe the cave had people in it, but they also found Data's damaged head.

Captain Picard gets concerned over this and starts limiting Lt. Cmdr. Data's exposure to danger but as expected he does end up going back in time to 1893 San Francisco. Once there he uses his poker skills to earn money and starts building some kind of rudimentary tricorder so he can track down aliens that have been coming back in time to eat the life energy of people just before their natural deaths.

He eventually discovers that Guinan is on Earth at this time and seeks her out. He finds her at an event with famous people of the time including Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain).

Meanwhile back on the Enterprise (time seems to work in parallel) the crew is trying to reproduce what Data did to go back in time. Guinan approaches Captain Picard and urges him to join the away mission if he wants to be sure they meet in the past. The episode ends with the rest of the senior bridge crew going back in time.

Quotes

"Decomposition strongly indicates that life was terminated approximately five hundred years ago. That would be consistent with the other artifacts we recovered." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
Your head is not an artifact!" - Cmdr. Riker

" I have often wondered about my own mortality, as I have seen others around me age. Until now, it has been theoretically possible that I would live an unlimited period of time. And although some might find this attractive, to me it only reinforces the fact that I am... artificial.

"I never knew how tough this must be for you." - Lt. Cmdr La Forge
"Tough? As in difficult?" - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Knowing that you would outlive all your friends." - Lt. Cmdr La Forge
"I expected to make new friends." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"True." - Lt. Cmdr La Forge
"And then to outlive them as well." - Lt. Cmdr. Data

"Have you ever heard Data define friendship?" - Counselor Troi
"No." - Cmdr. Riker
"How did he put it? As I experience certain sensory input patterns, my mental pathways become accustomed to them. The inputs eventually are anticipated and even missed when absent." - Counselor Troi


"Would either of you mind if I made a personal inquiry?" - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Personal inquiry? No, go right ahead." - Counselor Troi
"I am perceiving an apparent change in the way others behave toward me. For example, people abruptly end conversations when I appear, just as you did when the turbolift doors opened. Is that an accurate observation?" - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Not at all." - Cmdr. Riker
"Yes." - Cmdr. Riker/Counselor Troi
"You're right, Data. And it's not a very nice thing to do." - Counselor Troi
"It's just that our mental pathways have become accustomed to your sensory input patterns." - Cmdr. Riker
"I understand. I am also fond of you, Commander. And you as well, Counselor." - Lt. Cmdr. Data

"According to our best geologic estimate, the Earth is approximately 100 million years of age. Perhaps it is less, perhaps more." - Clemens
"Perhaps a great deal more." - Guinan
"Indeed. But regardless, it is ancient, in the extreme. Now, geology also tells us that man himself has existed but for a microscopic fraction of those years. Curious, isn't it? That the world got by for such a great, long while, with no humans around to fill up space. I suppose Mr. Wallace and his supporters would say that the Earth needed all that time to prepare itself for our illustrious arrival. Why the oyster alone probably required 15 million years to get it to come out just right." - Clemens
"But if the Earth is not alone and there are millions of inhabited planets in the heavens" - Guinan
"Quite my point. Man becomes a trivial creation, does he not? Lost in the vastness of the cosmic prairie, adrift on the deep ocean of time. A single one amongst countless others." - Clemens
"Some may argue that a diamond is still a diamond, even if it is one amongst millions. It still shines as brightly." - Guinan
"Someone might say that, dear lady, if someone thought that the human race was akin to a precious jewel. But this increasingly hypothetical someone, would not be me." - Clemens

"Eavesdropping is by no means a proper activity for a gentleman. Nevertheless, the deed is done!" - Clemens

The Inner Light

TNG Season 5 Episode 25
Air Date: June 1st, 1992

Imagine one moment you are living your life, and in another moment you are a different person in a different part of the world. What would you do. How would you act. Now imagine years go by and you are still this different person. Would you abandon who you were and accept your new reality? Ok, what about after 15 years, or 30? This is what happened to Captain Picard in The Inner Light.

The Enterprise discovers a probe that uses some kind of data beam to knock out Captain Picard. Over the course of around 25 minutes, Picard lives half a life on another planet as a man named Kamin, married to a woman he has never met. After 5 years he finally starts to admit to his reality and even has a family. Picard with children, not something anyone would expect to see.

He is around 45-50 years old when this episode starts and probably lives another 45-50 years. He has grand children and becomes a scientist, specifically trying to determine why the planet is in a drought only to discover that their star is going nova. At the end, his people build a probe that contains information on how they lived their lives so that someone else can remember them, specifically Picard.

The episode starts as an average Star Trek episode but as time goes on, Patrick Stewart's acting ability really shines. As he grows older he has to live with the loss of his friends and eventually his wife. I knew it was coming but I still shed a tear. In the very end, his friends and wife appear before him to explain the situation to him. When he wakes up, he realizes that he is back on the Enterprise but his old life is foggy.

Now imagine after living 30+ years as someone else you suddenly come back to your reality surrounded by your friends. You might remember them, but it would be a distant memory. Think back to a point in your childhood or even in your 20s (depending on how old you are now).

The final scene shows Picard playing the flute that they found in the probe which he learned to play in his other life.

In an episode of Rick and Morty they have a similar story in a arcade game called "Roy: A Life Well Lived".

Quotes

"This sapling is planted as an affirmation of life, in defiance of the drought, and with expectations of long life. Whatever comes, we will keep it alive, as a symbol of our survival." - Batai

"Was your life there so much better than this? So much more gratifying, so much more fulfilling, that you cling to it with such stubbornness?" - Eline
"Eline" - Captain Picard
"It must have been extraordinary. But never in all the stories you've told me... have you mentioned anyone who loved you as I do."- Eline

"I'd like to ask your permission to build something." - Kamin
"Kamin, you've built your telescope, your laboratory, you don't need my permission for something new." - Eline
"In this case, I think I do." - Kamin
"What is it?" - Eline
"A nursery." - Kamin

"I always believed that I didn't need children to complete my life. Now I couldn't imagine life without them." - Kamin

"A good scientist doesn't function by conjecture." - Kamin
"A good scientist functions by hypothesizing and then proving or disproving that hypothesis. That's what I did." - Meribor
"Hey, why don't you spend more time with that young man Dannick?" - Kamin
"You are changing the subject." - Meribor
"No, I'm not. I'm just hypothesizing, that he's in love with you." - Kamin

"Seize the time, Meribor. Live now. Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again." - Kamin

"The rest of us have been gone a thousand years. If you remember what we were, and how we lived, then we'll have found life again. Now we live in you. Tell them of us, my darling." - Eline

"Don't forget these. I won't put them away for you again." - Eline
"Yes, ma'am." - Kamin
***Years Pass***
"Remember, put your shoes away." - Eline
"I promise." - Kamin
***Eline passes away***

The Next Phase

TNG Season 5 Episode 24
Air Date: May 18th, 1992

The Enterprise responds to a distress call from a Romulan science vessel. The ship is suffering from a warp core containment issue and during transport back, Lt. Cmdr. La Forge and Ensign Ro get into a transporter accident. To the crew, they never made it but they actually reappeared in different parts of the ship out of phase and cloaked.

They perform their own investigation and discover that the Romulan's were experimenting with a theory that they were working on a new type of cloak that also moves the ship into another phase which would make them impervious to all weapons. They even fight a Romulan they find in this other phase.

Lt. Cmdr. La Forge discovers that they can create chronoton radiation that Lt. Cmdr. Data was investigating which helps him realize what is happening and how to get Geordi and Laren back.

The episode is a prequel to an episode where Riker's old captain is working on a similar cloacking/phasing device.

Quotes

"In almost all societies, it is traditional to say a ritual farewell to those you call friends. I never knew what a friend was until I met Geordi. He spoke to me as though I were human. He treated me no differently from anyone else. He accepted me for what I am. And that, I have learned, is friendship. But I do not know how to say goodbye." - Lt. Cmdr. Data

"Captain. I don't believe this. I'm dead. You can't even hear me, and I'm still intimidated by you." - Ensign Ro

"Are you saying I'm some blind ghost with clothes?" - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge

"Ensign Ro was a Bajoran. Her beliefs should be reflected as well. However, their death rituals are quite complicated." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Oh, please, not the death chant." - Ensign Ro
"The Bajoran death chant is over two hours long." - Lt. Worf

"I don't believe this, they think we're dead and they're having a party?" - Ensign Ro Laren

I, Borg

TNG Season 5 Episode 23
Air Date: May 11th, 1992

The Enterprise responds to a distress signal from an uncharted system where they find the remains of a Borg scout ship with one surviving adolescent Borg. Doctor Crusher insists on trying to save it and Captain Picard reluctantly agrees. Once he has recovered to the point of consciousness the Borg starts acting very typical, saying things like "You will be assimilated" and "Resistance is futile". But separated from the collective the it starts taking on a personality of it's own and can actually be reasoned with. He befriends Geordi and even takes on the name Hugh.

This creates a conflict for the crew as they were planning to try to use Hugh as a virus in the Borg collective hoping to destroy every single Borg with one stone throw. Effectively genocide, but the Borg are considered so evil that there doesn't seem to be a choice. But Hugh's indiviualality makes it hard for even Guinan and Picard to use him like this. In the end they can only hope that Hugh's individuality rubs off on the Borg changing them for the better. Hugh wants to stay on the Enterprise but does volunteer to return to the Borg knowing that the Borg would do everything they could to retrieve him.

The episode is named after an Isaac Asimov series of short stories called "I, Robot" which deals with the ethics behind building robots and how to prevent them from being evil.

Quotes

"You will be assimilated." - Third of Five
"Yes, but before that happens, could we ask you a few questions?" - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge

"Do I have a name?" - Third of Five
"Do you want one?" - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge
"A name." - Third of Five
"I'm Beverly, he's Geordi, and you" - Doctor Crusher
"You." - Third of Five
"You." - Doctor Crusher
"No, no, wait a minute - that's it: Hugh! What do you think?" - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge
"You?" - Third of Five
"No, not you. Hugh." - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge
"Hugh." - Third of Five

"We are Borg." - Hugh
"Aren't you gonna tell me you have to assimilate me?" - Hugh
"You wish to be assimilated?" - Hugh
"No, but that's what you things do, isn't it? Resistance is futile?" - Guinan
"Resistance is futile." - Hugh
"It isn't. My people resisted when the Borg came, to assimilate us. Some of us survived." - Guinan
"Resistance, is not futile?" - Hugh
"No. But thanks to you, there are very few of us left. We're scattered throughout the galaxy. We don't even have a home anymore." - Guinan
"What you are saying, is that you are lonely." - Hugh
"What?" - Guinan
"You have no others. You have no home. We, are also lonely." - Hugh

"If you're gonna use this person" - Guinan
"It's not a person, dammit, it's a Borg!" - Captain Picard
"If you are going to use this person to destroy his race, you should at least look him in the eye once, before you do it. Because I am not sure he is still a Borg" - Guinan

"The sense of individuality which he has gained with us might be transmitted through the entire Borg Collective, every one of the Borg being given the opportunity to experience the feeling of singularity. And perhaps that's the most pernicious program of all. The knowledge of self being spread throughout the Collective, in that brief moment, might alter them forever." - Captain Picard

Imaginary Friend

TNG Season 5 Episode 22
Air Date: May 4th, 1992

Ensign Daniel Sutter is transferred to the Enterprise and enlists Counselor Troi's help in dealing with his daughter Clara's imaginary friend. Troi tells him it is healthy, especially since he has had so many transfers lately and she is just using the imaginary friend as an anchor, a friend that never goes away.

When the Enterprise enters a nebula to chart it which is inhabited by an energy based life form. This life form explores the ship and eventually takes on the role of Clara's imaginary friend Isabella. She then learns what human's are like from the eyes of a child. And what she learns is that human's are mean to Clara since they don't let her do what she wants.

Isabella's friends show up and start attacking the ship, but once they discover that Isabella is not imaginary, Captain Picard confronts her and explain that kids are the most important thing and that they have rules not to be mean but to keep them safe. Isabella understands and they stop attacking the Enterprise.

When the Enterprise is under attack, we can see what the nebula really looks like and it almost seemed like the Enterprise was trapped in a spider's web. I don't know if it looked like as cool originally or if it is just the updated effects.

Quotes

"If the other grown-ups don't understand, how come you do?" - Clara
"Well, maybe because when I was your age, I had one." - Guinan
"You did?" - Clara
"Mmm." - Guinan
"What was she like?" - Clara
"It wasn't a she." - Guinan
"What was he like?" - Clara
"It wasn't a he." - Guinan
"It?" - Clara
"It was a Tarcassian razor beast. It had dark brown fur and gold eyes and huge spiny wings, and it would fly past so fast nobody could see it but me." - Guinan
"Sounds scary." - Clara
"Oh, it was. Especially when he smiled." - Guinan

"I was going to protect you, Clara. I liked you. But now I don't care. Now, when the others come, you can die along with everyone else." - Isabella

"You are seeing this ship, all of us, from a unique perspective, from a child's point of view. It must seem terribly unfair and restrictive to you. As adults, we don't always stop to consider how everything we say and do shapes the impressions of young people, but if you're judging us, as a people, by the way we treat our children, and I think there can be no better criterion. Then you must understand how deeply we care for them. When our children are young, they don't understand what might be dangerous. Our rules are to keep them from harm, real or imagined, and that's part of the continuity of our Human species. When Clara grows up, she will make rules for her children, to protect them as we protect her." - Captain Picard

The Perfect Mate

TNG Season 5 Episode 21
Air Date: April 27th, 1992

The Enterprise is hosting peace talks between the Kriosian and the Valtian, two planets that share a common ancestry. The fighting between the worlds started because of the two leaders fighting over the same woman. It turns out the peace talks will be the Kriosian providing the leader of the Valtian the perfect mate.

Captain Picard only learns about this when a Ferengi who was rescued during the episode tries to steal some Kriosian cargo, which turns out to be a woman. This woman, Kamala is to be given as a bride to the Valtian leader. She has a rare ability which they call an empathic metamorph. She has the ability to mimic the perfect mate for whomever she meets. She emits pheromones which makes her near irresistible. Eventually she has to imprint herself onto someone which forms her final personality.

During the episode Picard spends a lot of time with her and falls for her as she does for him. At the end of the episode she tells him that she imprinted on him, and while she can fake being the perfect mate for the Valtian leader.

The episode starts with the ethical quandary of someone being given to someone else as tribute. Effectively a form of slavery. Kamala is played by Famke Janssen who also played Jean Gray in X-Men with Patrick Stewart. This was her acting debut.

One of the Ferengi is played by Max Grodénchik who played in the episode "Captain's Holiday" as a Ferengi and he eventually plays Quark's brother Rom. In all his Ferengi roles he wears the same prosthetic.

Rules of Acquisition

Rule 35: "Peace is good for business."

Quotes

"Mr. Worf, escort our Ferengi guests to quarters. Not too close to mine." - Cmdr. Riker

"My body is producing an unusually elevated level of what you would call pheromones. The effect can be quite provocative. Perhaps you sense it." - Kamala
"Aah. Unfortunately I'm not an empath." - Cmdr. Riker
"Oh, I think you're more empathic than you admit. At least when it comes to women." - Kamala

"Do you find me unattractive?" - Kamala
"I find you unavailable." - Captain Picard

"Penny." - Doctor Crusher
"What?" - Captain Picard
"For your thoughts. Penny for your thoughts." - Doctor Crusher
"Do you have one?" - Captain Picard
"I'm sure the replicator will have one on file." - Doctor Crusher

"I must admit, I'm curious." - Ambassador Briam
"Curious?" - Captain Picard
"I was chosen for this mission for a very simple reason. I'm 200 years old. The temptations of a beautiful metamorph do not easily reach me, and yet I would be lying if I were to claim that, even at my age, they do not reach me at all. But you, you worked with her, side by side, for days. How could you resist her?" - Ambassador Briam
"Ambassador, have a safe trip home." - Captain Picard