Every Sunday my Twitch subs and I watch Star Trek in my Discord. Here are my reviews and thoughts on each of the episodes as I see it. If you're curious about a nerd's views on Star Trek episodes, please read on, I go quite in depth with some of this episodes! I've watched some Star Trek before but not all of it!
We're doing this on Thursday cause we're busy on Sunday, and won't be able to watch Trek for a few weeks cause of GDQ. So we're doing an impromptu mid week Trek Night!
The Most Toys - TNG
10/10
In this episode, some aliens kidnap Data. A guy who I can only a Weirdo Billionare Tech Bro stages his death, and then kidnaps him to keep him as a museum piece. He's a collector, collects... toys. Like Data, who is not a person. He's an android! So he's also a toy to keep! He's kept alongside things like a nearly extinct animal, a baseball card, some ancient art piece. All unique.
Wow that's fucked up! And he agrees. "Oh yes, I am evil, immoral. I've learned to deal with it!"
Meanwhile everyone thinks Data is fucking dead. It's interesting, when the ship explodes with Data in it, Worf is the only one to cry out, a solem quiet, "Data...". Of all the characters? It's interesting. Worf and Data don't interact enough.
Good Geordi moments here too as he's wracked with a kind of grief. His best friend! Damn.
I can already tell this is gonna be a good episode. Lots of great character moments. I love how Geordi is practically bargaining to try and find a REASON for his best friend's death. How Data talks with the Rich Boy's caretaker like "Ah I see, he owns us both." Picard reading the book he gave to Data, solemnly.
This guest actor is great. What a fucking shithead. He plays the part so well, you wanna PUNCH this dude. He's a very childish brat, with BIG crypto-bro energy, especially when his friend shows up like jfc.
I like how Geordi sleeps in his uniform.
I love how Geordi realizes there was tampering. Basically, Data didn't follow protocol EXACTLY. And Geordi noticed it cause he's his bestie.
Okay, one thing I did NOT expect from this episode is how it handles Worf, and it does it so well. I would not have expected this. Very smart of them to go this route! Basically, so the way it works: Worf is given Data's job, cause SOMEONE needs to do it. This is the second time he's replaced a dead friend. And when Picard goes "Data, please- oh." You just... it tugs at the heart strings as Worf recoils a bit.
The most brutal death in possible all of Star Trek, as her molecules are ripped apart as she's still aware.
An amazing end too. Did Data mean to fire the gun? He said he would. But he can't... he's programmed not to, right? ...But the gun was discharging when he was transported away. It's an amazing ending. This episode was really good, pretty fucked up at times, but great great GREAT character moments. Once again, Data with another 10/10 episode.
Sarek - TNG
9/10
SAREK RETURNS! Last seen in TOS, he's now an old dude, married again with another human. He has a type! It's nice to see another bridge towards TOS (and good TOS at that). We've really just had this, a brief reference to Naked Time, and McCoy showing up for a single inconsequential scene.
Sarek has been working towards this goal for 93 years, and he's... a bit testy about it, for a Vulcan. He's shockingly emotional. His stewards made him seem a weak old man, and are very overprotective... which is kinda sussy.
At the same time, Wesley and Geordi are... weirdly grumpy too. Uh oh! Good setup!
Second time we see Data playing violin! I see they replaced O'Brien on cello though. I wondered out loud if Brent Spiner could actually play Violin, like Riker's actor can actually play trombone. But then I saw him actually play and went "lol nope". Dude was trying to saw that thing in half.
Amazingly funny moment here. Riker: "Have you noticed people have become more testy lately?" Worf: "I haven't noticed" the two of them walk into a bar fight "....I see what you mean" immediately uppercuts someone running at him
Anyway, Sarek has a disease that makes him have emotional outbursts in his old age. It, and his telepathy, is making it spread to others. It's weird seeing a Vulcan... have outbursts. But it's very interesting, very engaging! We've got basically NO Vulcans for all three seasons. And finally, we see em and they're done very well.
In the end, there are two options. Give up, lose 93 years of progress.... or mind meld. Hell yeah! Mind meld with the Vulcan slowly losing his mind, that is a GREAT IDEA :D And we get two of the best Trek actors of all time get to overact like CRAZY. I LOVE seeing Sir Patrick Stewart act out so much oh my god. He says some WILD stuff. And he even brings up Spock!! Apparently there was a taboo about mentioning TOS characters.
In the end, this episode is a great sendoff to a cool TOS character. Apparently a lot of it was also based on how Roddenberry was... declining at this point.
Ménage à Troi - TNG
8/10
THIS FUCKING EPISODE NAME, JESUS CHRIST. But yeah, TIME FOR THE RETURN OF SPACE'S MOST MESSY WOMAN!
This episode starts with Riker obliterating a Ferengi, and I was mostly excited to see Ferengi on the ENTERPRISE! Two seasons ago that'd be weird. But they're now here, just kinda... chillin'. They're still trashy themselves, and I love seeing them kinda be a bit more... like themselves. One of them is played by Neelix, actually. Lwuxanna is weirdly racist, but tbf the Ferengi ARE kinda misogynist and weird.
Troi is embarassed but Riker is into it.
The main conceit of this episode is that Lwuxanna is being the Aging Jewish Mom that she is and keeps telling Troi no you're NOT happy with your life! Which is gross and manipulative b ut it sure does fit the Trashiest Woman In Space. "YOU SHOULD BE STARTING A FAAAAMILY". Anyway, Troi goes down to Betazed for shore leave and Riker is forced to join her by Picard, because turnabout is fair play, number one.
They're not dating right now why are they making out? Are they just FWB right now?
Anyways they're kidnapped by the Ferengi, and this happens.
Did you know the Ferengi women are all naked? Yeah that's uh.... that's a thing!!!
Anyways the B plot is that Wesley was accepted to Starfleet! And that means he's going to leave! The A plot and B plot feel liek they aren't related in any way, cause they're not!
Lwuxanna tries to seduce the Ferengi while also trying to not vomit. She's a coward. And then Riker tricks a Ferengi to let him out by offering to play Chess of all things. This is mostly... comedic and funny tbh, like, they're kidnapped and it's kinda dangerous. But it's mostly hilarious and I kinda love it.
And then Lwuxanna does Oo-mox on the ferengi, AKA she gives him a handy.
Anyways its all for naught as Neelix-Ferengi is like "you're being controlled by that FEEEMALLLLE. Let me do Science on her instead to try and gain her psychic powers". Riker needs to be clever to help them escape, and he does it in a very smart way. It's good! And the Wesley thing fits in here, as he figures out Riker's message, and decides to give up on going to Starfleet to help out. Cute.
Over all, this episode isn't anything MAGICAL but very... fun. And Wesley is promoted, whoo.
And we get this classic image, too!
Transfigurations - TNG
5/10
This episode starts with Geordi striking out again, and I cannot watch this fucking man strike out again. It's the same woman he struck out with in That One Episode, too.
Anyways they find some guy nearly dead, and they need to connect Geordi's brain with this guy to stabilize him. After he's done, he checks out and gets to leave. Geordi is suddenly more confident and feels great, which is... worrying. And also he flirts with the girl and it goes well which lol?
Anyways this guy heals himself, he has some weird genetic thing where he heals from almost anything. AND he can heal others! He heals our boy O'Brien after he injurs himself in the holodeck in a fucking kayak.
This episode has a LOT of technobabble which makes me zone out a bit. It even has MEDICAL technobabble which mostly makes me laugh.
Anyways this patient is kinda nice and friendly, but also Doc Crusher is getting a crush on him and I'm just like "NO. DO NOT FUCK YOUR PATIENTS."
Over all this episode is kinda... nothing. It's not TERRIBLE but it's not very interesting. Even the Geordi part becomes unrelated, Geordi is like "YOU DID THIS TO ME" and Space Jesus is like "no you had it within you the whole time" and its just annoying. The most interesting part is where Worf gets Worf'd SO HARD he's thrown over the railing in the shuttle bay and breaks his neck, fucking dying.
This episode is literally just Space Jesus, and I don't give a fuck about Space Jesus.
Best of Both Worlds - TNG
9.5/10
This episode has been built up so much. Let's hope it's worth it.
The cold open is powerful, as they arrive at a colony's distress beacon to find the colony just kinda doesn't fucking exist anymore.
This is building up Riker in a fun way to start. There's this hotshot new Commander, Commander Shelby, who is gunning to take Riker's spot. Riker was offered yet another captaincy, and he hasn't said anything yet, but she's trying to take his job.
I love how everyone is like "Riker, this will HURT YOUR CAREER, you should move up the ladder!" when we know he's still gonna be here for like four more seasons lmfao
The Borg are here! And they are threatening Picard, demanding he come aboard or they'll aboard his ship. They try to defend and attack and are just... failing. They can do nothing.
OUR FIRST LEFORGE ROLL! :D
There's not much here to talk about, it's extremely exciting and tense. Very well acted and written!
Eventually, Picard is kidnapped and Riker is put into command. The Borg say their FAMOUS line, "Opposition is Useless", or something like that. And they're going to take him and use him as their voice, basically.
I like how they send Beverly to attack the Borg in the Away Team. Why? Cause Gates Macfadden wanted to fire a gun. She, quote, "thought it looked fun". Hell yeah. Should Doc Crusher be in this extremely dangerous spot? You can maybe argue she's an expert in cybernetics so it fits, cause she is. But who cares lol it's cool to see her in action spaces for once, and be allowed to do something that's not Simp For Space Jesus or some shit.
And she has a good line! "We need to think of this from the mosquito's point of view. We can't take them down, but if we sting at a good spot... they might just stop to itch."
YO WHEN DID LOCUTUS GET HERE HE LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE PICARD THAT'S CRAZY
Ha ha ha go fuck yourself
So yeah it's a very good episode. Riker being weirdly grumpy most of the episode wasn't the best tbh, I didn't love that. But it sets up this big cliffhanger in an amazing way. And this was very new. No season finale did this back then. Now they do this shit ALL the time. Fuck, SNW basically ends in a similar huge twist cliffhanger. But this SET THAT STANDARD. It's famous for a reason. It wasn't PERFECT but we'll see how it closes....
in several weeks. Look, they had to wait MONTHS back in 1990. I only gotta wait a few weeks, cause of GDQ. See y'all then!
