#spock works better in ensemble shows or at least with mccoy around because then the dynamic is balanced

[lenievi]

KIRK: Mister Spock, we'll need more weapons. SPOCK: I understand. KIRK: We'll try to take it easy, but if we're forced to kill... (A Taste of Armageddon)

KIRK: But if the situation calls for it, we kill, is that clear? SPOCK: Clear, Captain. (Errand of Mercy)

it’s kinda funny how these two episodes I haven’t seen until today have Kirk be very very military and willing to use force, even kill, and he asks the same from Spock

both of these episodes show some quite dark sides of the Federation too imho

---

also I guess the reason why Kirk is so uncharacteristically emotional is because McCoy isn’t there to “rein him in”. Usually an episode is done in a way that McCoy is the one projecting Jim’s emotions (because you can’t really have two irrationally emotional characters lol) and only later, Kirk allows his emotions to be shown, but he’s irrational since the beginning in this one (in an episode where McCoy isn’t present) 

I mean I’m not really serious, but Kirk is unbalanced in this episode because of his hatred for the Klingons and his frustration with the Organians who didn’t want to listen, which makes him arrogant and self-righteous, and it makes me wonder if it would be different if McCoy was around (not that McCoy always works but... it does help)

Spock had to restrain him several times even

KIRK: You didn't really think I was going to beat his head in, did you? SPOCK: I thought you might. KIRK: You're right. 

I’m not saying I dislike it, I’m just saying that Kirk is more flawed in this episode than usual, which is good because people often say that Kirk only got flaws in tos films... which isn’t true. He was always pretty complex character with flaws.

---

I’ve seen people say that Kirk and his actions are never criticized in universe, but this episode? It literally criticizes Kirk, the Federation, and the United States (since Federation = the US)

KIRK: Even if you have some power that we don't understand, you have no right to dictate to our Federation KOR: Or our Empire! KIRK: How to handle their interstellar relations! We have the right AYELBORNE: To wage war, Captain? To kill millions of innocent people? To destroy life on a planetary scale? Is that what you're defending? KIRK: Well, no one wants war. But there are proper channels. People have a right to handle their own affairs. Eventually, we will have AYELBORNE: Oh, eventually you will have peace, but only after millions of people have died. It is true that in the future, you and the Klingons will become fast friends. You will work together.

watching A Taste of Armageddon and Errand of Mercy back to back really just makes it right in your face that what Kirk did in A Taste of Armageddon was the same what the Organians did here, so his speech and indignation are very hypocritical 

---

KIRK: Well, Commander, I guess that takes care of the war. Obviously, the Organians aren't going to let us fight. KOR: A shame, Captain. It would have been glorious.

in a way it was ‘nice’ they pretty much said that the Federation and the Klingon Empire are the same (since this was once again criticism of the Cold War) 

[calliecat93]

At last we emter Season 2 of Star Trek. Episodes 30-33. Here we go:

Amok Time: Heard about this and stuff like pon farr already, but even with that knowledge this was a great episode.it was nice to not only learn more about Vulcans and their culture, it to finally get to see Vulcan itself. Despite knowing going in, seeing Spock not only getting angry but VERY much struggling with it and the urges to potenitally kill Kirk or someone else was... shocking. But Kirk trying to help him throughout, even willing to disregard Starfleet to so so, really shows how much he cares for Spock under whatver lense you choose to look at it through. It made Kirk being forced into ignting him to the death with Spock more or less being gone to his biological urges horrifying to witness. Thank agod that McCoy figured out a solution, at least SOMEONE managed to hold onto their brain cells. And even though we all knew that Kirk would live, Spock’s reaction to both believing that he just killed his best friend is heartbreaking, and his emotional response when he sees Kirk alive was lovely... and then outright hilarious when he tried to deny it. Oh and Chekov being utterly done with all the back amd forth was also hilarious XD. Great episode! 5/5

Who Mourns for Adonais?: Yeah, I completely zoned out on this one. Didn’t care for it. IDK if I’d call it bad, but it gave me the same impression as The Squire of Gothos: boring and weird but not in a fun way. I guess that the ending was supposed to make me feel pity... but no. I get hating being alone, but Apollo wasn’t charming or likeable enough for me to car. Kirk’s speeck to Carolyn about humanity/duty was nice though and Spock, Sulu, and Uhura working to reach the others were the parts that I actually paid attention to. Otherwise, it was meh. 2/5.

The Changeling: Yes guys, let the mysterious robot roam around your ship freely when you have no idea what the thing is capable of. That worked GREAT with Khan, after all. Speaking of... guess this was what inspired the plot of The Motion Picture since it’s VERY similar, but without all the special effect shots. It’s done better than the movie since the plot was intended for 50 minutes, and they covered it in 50 minutes instead of trying to make it work within two hours. But it’s still just okay. NOMAD was creepy and... well, robotic. I did like seeing more with Kirk, Spock, amd McCoy and it’s pretty clear that the dynamic has truly clicked since at least near the end of S1. Spock’s mind meld going wrong also legit freaked me out. These factors helped make me get into this one more than the precious one and it does execute the plot of The Motion Picture better than The Motion Picture did. Also Uhura’s singing was lovely XD Not great, but not bad either. 3/5.

Mirror, Mirror: Alright, this is one I’ve been excited for! It was good! We have Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty put into a bery dangeorus situation surrounded by the ones they know, but completeley twisted. It was nice to see Scotty and Uhura get more screentime, they’re great XD The four also coordinating and adapting to the situation was freat and shows how effective that they all can be especially considering they’re situation. It was also funny whenever we cut back to the regular universe and Spock being...ell Spock against Sharner going ovelry hammy as Mirror Kirk. Ah,I love tou Spock IDK how I feel about Mirror Spock’s turn because I DO think that him finding out the truth would provoke a potential change... but him... you know... MIND MELDING MCCOY AGAINST HIS CONSENT KINDA GOES UTTELRY UNADRESSED. And after McCoy risked being stuck in that universe to save him cause he’s a doctor who cares too. But hey, McCoy clealry recovered and maybe Mirror Spock can cause a change for the better, who knows. Still feels pretty screwed up to ignore though, But that’s a nitpick/me caring about my favorite character too much. It was a really good episode with a great ensemble that lets Scotty and Unura get some limelight and as it sas that I had been anticipating for a long time, it very much met my expectations. 5/5.

So two meh episode, but two really great ones. Plenty more to go though~

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #450

Top Ten Characters with the Best Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

As I’m writing this, it’s officially Star Trek: Discovery day; the first episode of the new season is up on Netflix and ready to watch. Given how little time I manage to find for watching anything that I want to watch, I’m cautiously optimistic that I can get to see it this weekend, but we’ll see; my lovely wife might want to finally catch up with Star Trek: Picard first, which for some reason she never finished. Regardless, I’m excited, and I wanted to write about Star Trek again.

The new Star Trek series have been a bit of a roller coaster, because whilst they’ve both generally been very good, they’ve certainly had their odder and more controversial moments, and neither of them has consistently felt like classic Trek. If I had to be critical, I’d argue that there are plenty of darker adult-tinged sci-fi shows at the moment, including ones set in space, but not that many that follow the day-to-day travails of a starship crew, which as always been Trek’s raison d'être. However, both shows have succeeded in giving us some compelling stories and – especially in the case of Discovery – a fantastic cast of new characters to celebrate. Great characterisation has been the cornerstone of Trek since the beginning, and no doubt one of the reasons why it still resonates to this day, from the “Holy Trinity” of Kirk, McCoy, and Spock, through to the wonderful and insanely empathetic Saru in Discovery and Captain Sexpot Rios in Picard. The fact that we’re now in a new time period, with no established history to try to tie the narrative to, means Discovery 3 is in a great place to give us some great new stories.

Anyway, to celebrate all of this – the new season of Discovery and my overall love of Star Trek characters – I’ve decided to go back to the Next Generation well and talk about just that: characters. TNG famously hit its stride when it started focusing each story through the lens of the different characters on the show, so that we tended to get a “Worf episode” or a “Riker episode”; even the best eps, the biggest and most epic, really had a tendency to hone in on one or two characters specifically, such as the all-time classic “The Best of Both Worlds” really being about Picard and Riker, or “Yesterday’s Enterprise” being a much-belated Tasha Yar episode.

But which characters have the best episodes? That is, if you know an episode is focused on a particular character, how likely is it that it’s going to be a belter? Can you reasonably say one character was better served than another in terms of the quality of “their” episodes? Well, yes. Yes you can. That’s this list. That’s the whole thing.

So this list is basically which characters have the best episodes, or are more likely to. It’s not a list of my favourite characters, or even really a list of the best episodes overall; it’s just, well, who got to chew scenery the most on the bridge, basically. Now, I really feel like I should end this blurb with an appropriate Star Trek quote, but I must have used “Make it so” and “Engage” before, so I’m not sure what else to say.

May the Force be with you, I guess.

Picard: Yes, of course; he’s the star, he’s the stand-out actor of the bunch, he gets the best episodes. If it focuses on the captain, you can rest assured you’re in for a treat. Whether it’s an epic mythology-enhancing saga or – even better – a slower, sadder meditation on life, Picard’s episodes are engaging. Chortle. Also if there’s room for a classic Picard Monologue, all the better; I don’t know if you’ve noticed this about Patrick Stewart, but the guy can chew scenery. Key episodes: The Best of Both Worlds, The Drumhead, The Hidden Light

Worf: Worf’s complex backstory offers a lot of opportunities for great stories, with the caveat that pretty much all of them focus on Klingon history or the contrast between his heritage and his place in Starfleet. Issues of familial loyalty rub up against quasi-Shakespearean dynastic dramas, often with high adventure. You can assume a Worf ep is a good one, despite the fact that quite a few of them are also about Alexander. Key episodes: Sins of the Fathers, Redemption, Birthright

Data: everyone’s second-favourite emotionless nerd on Star Trek, Data’s eps are almost uniformly great, and often poke at what it means to be alive. There may be a bit of ground retrod as we examine the notion of humanity, or sentience, or emotion, but his episodes are always interesting, and often very funny, and Brent Spiner is a continuing delight. Key episodes: The Measure of a Man, The Offspring, Brothers

Q: is it cheating to include a recurring guest star? Maybe, but I don’t care. John de Lancy is just phenomenal as Q, one of the best Trek characters, and so good he became a My Little Pony. He’s arch, he’s hilarious, he can take the show into new directions; he raises questions of fate, or of the concept of divinity; and underneath it all there’s a malevolent streak, a genuine sense of danger exemplified in his first appearance. Pairs very well with Picard, naturally. I didn’t like the Robin Hood episode, though. Key episodes: Deja Q, Encounter at Farpoint, Q Who

Riker: he’s a Kirk-esque horn-dog ragamuffin with a heart of gold and a fist of steel, so there’s always a lot to love when William T. takes the helm (see what I did there?). Often issues of loyalty, or duty versus personal wishes, arise; he’s frequently putting his life on the Enterprise above his career. But he’s also a very moralistic character, so quite often he’ll be trying to do the right thing in tough circumstances. Key episodes: The Pegasus, Future Imperfect, Frame of Mind

Crusher: always a stand-out supporting character, Crusher has some great episodes focused on her too; usually quite a self-righteous sort who puts the immediate moral obligation above her own safety or duty to Starfleet, which raises lots of interesting, thorny questions. She’s a smart cookie, exemplified in the astounding Remember Me; her relationships with her son and with Picard are good to explore too. She also shagged a ghost, but let’s try to forget about that. Key episodes: Remember Me, Attached, Suspicions

Wesley: pigeonholed somewhat unfairly due to a few ropey first-season episodes, Wesley Crusher is actually an interesting character whose stand-out storylines offer a good deal of nuance and intrigue, as well as exciting hi-jinks, insights into the Federation, and – should you go that far – weird magic Jedi stuff. He gets a nice romance with Ashley Judd, we unpeel his relationship with Picard over multiple episodes, and the bloom comes off the rose in spectacular fashion when he gets to Starfleet Academy. Wil Wheaton was a good young actor and was sadly underserved by the show, but at least we get these eps. Key episodes: The Game, Final Mission, The First Duty

Pulaski: say whaaat? Yes, she’s only in the show for five minutes, but Doctor Pulaski gets a few crackers under her belt in that time. A bit like Crusher would later, she often excels when standing up to authority and presenting herself as a moral arbiter. Interestingly, she’s not always right, and it’s a fun dance to watch. She’s also been round the block a bit, adding facets to her relationships with other characters, particularly Riker. And, of course, she flirts with a bunch of polygons when Geordi and Data cock up the Holodeck. Key episodes: Elementary, Dear Data, Unnatural Selection, The Icarus Factor

Troi: sadly suffering in the face of a bunch of soppy romances and storylines involving her mother that are, shall we say, an acquired taste, Troi still gets some good stuff, mostly later in the series’ run. Taking her out of her comfort zone, making her a spy or an investigator, or giving her some proper dramatic meat, works wonders. Also once she was a cake. Key episodes: Face of the Enemy, Eye of the Beholder, Dark Page

LaForge: oh, Geordi. I love Georgi, but he kinda got done dirty a little bit. Always an interesting and dependable secondary character, unfortunately the bulk of his episodes as a primary character tend to revolve around him being a bit of a jerk or a bit of a creep. Obviously the most heinous sin is making a computer program based on a real person and then, well, trying to shag it, but he also has a tendency to be a dick to anyone new in Engineering. He’s even a bit of a dick to Scotty! I sometimes think the writers never quite had a handle on Geordi’s character; is he a young tech genius with poor social skills? Is he supposed to be arrogant? A wannabe lothario who’s just really unlucky? Anyway, like I say, I still love the guy to bits, and LeVar Burton is fantastic, but of all the main ensemble, his are the flakiest solo episodes. That said, the three listed here are all belters. Key episodes: The Next Phase, The Enemy, Relics

Anyway. There we are. I’ve still, as of going “to press”, not watched Discovery season 3, and my wife’s still not watched the end of season 1 of Picard. Any day now…!