#with the exception of data and geordi and of course riker and deanna

[thegeminisage]

obviously i would never say anything mean about spock but if i was working on the enterprise and said something nasty and the captain asked me to repeat it in that tone of voice with that expression on his face while not even looking at me i'd kill myself immediately. kirk gave that dude the fucking business. that whole moment was bananas and the fact that picard is NOT stepping the fuck up means i can't respect him

[lostyesterday]

Tournament Details:

Teams compete in multiple games against other teams and the team with the most overall wins is the tournament winner.

The game is played in a large outdoor area with plenty of cover (trees, hills, etc.) divided in half into “territories” belonging to the two different teams.

The objective of the game is to find and retrieve the other team’s flag (which they have hidden somewhere) and return it to your own team’s base before the other team finds your flag.

Teams can hide their flags anywhere on their territory provided that the flag is visible from at least one angle standing on the ground at average height.

While on the opposing team’s territory, a player can be tagged by an opposing team member, at which point they are then “taken prisoner” to the opposing team’s base and must remain there until a member of their own team comes to free them by tagging them.

Physical combat other than tagging isn’t allowed. Injuring another player is grounds for disqualification.

No phasers, tricorders, communicators, transporters, or any other technology are allowed (with an exception for technology integrated into particular characters such as Seven’s implants or technological disability accommodations like Geordi’s visor).

Cheating teams are disqualified from that game, which is equivalent to a loss (assuming they’re caught cheating, of course).

For the purposes of this tournament, it can be assumed that all characters have all of the knowledge and experience they gained over the course of their respective shows, are reasonably aware of all opposing team member’s abilities, and are all equally motivated to win the tournament.

[w1th3red-t00th]

TNG Bridge Crew and how I imagine hugging them would be like

Picard: gives out one hug a year, it is a brief embrace with a clap on the back and then you are never allowed to speak of it again.

— Riker is usually the recipient of Picard’s annual hug, but only because he will push past people or make sure that nobody else remembers that it’s hug day to get it. Except for the one year after the Nova incident at Starfleet Academy, when he lets Wesley have the hug. The Boy needed it.

Riker: This. Man. Is. A. Hugger. It doesn’t matter if you’ve known him for ten minutes or ten years, the man is like Oprah with his hugs. “EVERYBODY GETS A HUUUUUUUG!” But honestly, with how much he cares about his crew, he is more than willing to give a hug to anyone who needs it (Deanna helps him determine which crew members both need a hug and would be receptive to them). And he gives the kind of hugs that squish your soul back into your body, and depending on the severity of the need for a hug he may add in anywhere from a gentle rocking from side to side or a kiss to the top of the head—with consent of course.

Data: fascinated by the concept of hugs and the physical and mental health benefits that they can provide. Has to be careful though. He once experimented by hugging Geordie and ended up bruising a couple of his ribs.

Deanna: is open to all forms of consensual physical affection. Thanks to her empathic abilities, she always knows who’s in need of a hug and how much they need it. And when she comes up to you and gives you that hug you so desperately need that you end up sobbing on her shoulder, she gently coaxes you to her office, and that’s how she gets you into therapy. Mental health matters y’all! Go to therapy.

Geordie: a hugger, but only with the people he knows really well. Definitely suffers from “nice guy” syndrome, but it’s not because he’s creepy, just autistic. What do you mean my offer of friendship was came across as a come on? How is watching ancient cartoons on the holodeck romantic? The people who do get to be on the receiving end of Geordie’s hugs say that they’re very nice, similar soul-squishing experience as Riker’s, just shorter and less frequent.

Beverly: similar to Geordie, she only hugs people she knows very well, because she strives to maintain an air or professionalism, since literally any crew member could wind up being a patient. Gives the typical mom hugs that usually accompany warm chocolate chip cookies straight out of the replicator.

Wesley: Wants Hugs. Needs Hugs. Deserves Hugs. Only gets hugs from his mom and maybe Riker. And Geordie one time. And of course, his singular Picard hug. But seriously, someone give Wesley hugs!

Worf: absolutely not a hugger. Worf values his personal space and will remind you of it if he even thinks you’re getting too close. But if he were a hugger, he would give the kind of hugs that lift you off your feet and crack your back.

Tasha: Given her upbringing, she is not a hugger and relatively touch-averse. But if she wants to show you affection, she will give your shoulders a gentle squeeze, accompanied with a nod of her head. Similar to a cat’s slow blink, you wouldn’t know it’s affection unless you know her, but if she does show it to you, consider yourselves lucky to be in her favor.

[captainpikeswoman]

Could we get some more Geordi love, please!❤ Maybe something after the events of The Mind's Eye? hc's or whatever else you like! Thank you so much!

Of course! Hope you like it!

Helping Geordi after the events of The Mind’s Eye would include:

•this poor, sweet man has been through a lot. In every single sense it has taken its toll on him, so as soon as Data and Dr Crusher have finished undoing the brainwashing done by the Romulans you step in straight away.

•there’s always been a deep tenderness and friendship between you both, just as he and Data have a special relationship, so do you and he. Geordi La Forge does not do simple friendships, they’re all deeper than that, and you two are no exception. So the minute you hear what has happened you find your way into the Medbay and refuse to leave. You know he needs you, and you need him too.

•you know that if left to his own devices Geordi will absolutely start to blame himself for the sequence of events that had transpired. You also know that as much as Data would be happy to stay with Geordi, this was perhaps something that the android might not be best equipped to deal with.

•so you take Geordi back to his quarters and help him settle down before you have the replicator make his absolute favourite meal!

•everything goes well until the middle of the night. You’re curled up around Geordi in his bed, (even if he’s bigger than you are) so he is the little spoon and can feel the steady beat of your heart on his back. You notice that he’s started to thrash about and mutter desperately, you do your best to soothe him into a sweeter sleep away from the nightmare, but the terror has taken a hold. So you have no choice but to wake him up.

•he comes back to consciousness with a shout, and when he puts his visor back on and sees you beside him he just bursts into tears. He sobs about the nightmare, but refuses to tell you anything about it, simply saying that it’s all his fault for not being strong enough. You won’t hear that! You hold him tight in a hug as you whisper to him that he’s more than strong enough, because he’s survived, because he’s here, because he’s on the path of healing.

•in the morning you both wake up quite late (fortunately you’ve been signed off to look after Geordi), and his head is resting on your chest as he listens to your heart.

•at first he’s very reluctant to go to see Deanna for counselling, and when your powers of persuasion (see: bribery, flattery, blackmail) fail you’re left with no alternative but to call Data. Between you and the enthusiastic, kindhearted android you manage to get Geordi to see Deanna, and when he asks you to stay for the session you do just that.

•even after a few days and lots of sessions with Deanna he still seems quiet and withdrawn. So you plan a lovely Holodeck adventure for him and Data, which does bring a small smile to his face.

•and after his first shift back at work once he’s been cleared for duty by Dr Crusher you greet him in Engineering to take him for some drinks in 10 Forward with a ginormous hug that he happily returns and brings a big smile to his face.

•even months after the events he still has his moments where he has bad dreams or flashbacks, but you’re there with him everytime it happens and you remind him of how far he has come! You couldn’t be more proud of him.

•this new level of intimacy, this bond, closeness between the two of you is plain for all to see- so expect some teasing from Commander Riker, and Deanna, Dr Crusher and even Data (if you can believe it) all immediately try to become Cupids and set you up, little do they all know they’re too late. There’s an understanding and love that runs so deep within you both, it transcends the simple label ‘love’.

[airandangels]

You know how sometimes you have a long-running comfort show that you definitely love but after watching it like ten times or more you have some things you think were done differently in the Good Timeline?

So, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Tasha does not die

Geordi is allowed to be gay

Frankly anyone is allowed to be gay, queer or whatever, it’s a non-issue

Beverly doesn’t disappear for a season (Pulaski can still exist, as a supporting character)

Deanna wears a normal uniform

Riker gets to start with the beard

People only tell Wesley to shut up when he’s being obnoxious, not in “Datalore” where he had an important point and was actually scared and they were mean

The women characters generally get more focus episodes that are about the challenges of their jobs and relationships without some bland man of the week being shoved in as a love interest (“Remember Me” is a good example).

“The Naked Now” didn’t happen (this bullet point endorsed by Tasha Yar)

But the line where Worf sympathetically tells Data “I don’t understand their humour either” can show up somewhere - the one part of that weird creepy horny episode I want to salvage

Guess who else doesn’t die, K’Ehleyr

Worf is still kind of a useless dad but he’s a useless dad trying to co-parent with his long-distance ex

Musical episode courtesy of Q (everyone is angry about it except Beverly who has frankly always wished this would happen, Worf who goes Full Opera, Data who doesn’t do anger and finds the whole thing fascinating, and Riker who outwits the requirement to sing by communicating entirely in trombone noises)

Data adopts Timothy (this is a personal hobbyhorse), is a good albeit often puzzled parent

It is somehow possible to have more Lore episodes without exhausting Brent Spiner; it is established in the course of these that Data doesn’t actually need the emotion chip Lore stole and is able to develop his own form of emotions gradually; this has been happening all along but he didn’t recognise it because it didn’t look how he expected based on his human friends

Lore doesn’t do that gross thing with his fingernail that I can’t watch

The episode “Code of Honor” is replaced by another episode which is not weirdly racist and is instead fun, but still called “Code of Honor” because that’s so obviously a Klingon Episode Title, and it focuses on the friendship between Worf and Tasha. Worf wants to go on a special Klingon camping trip/ordeal/quest that he should have been able to do with his mum and dad as a child but missed on account of being orphaned, on which one does various challenges designed to teach a Klingon kid the Code of Honor. He doesn’t have any family around to do the quest with him but Tasha offers to go and they have an adventure and Worf realises he can’t exactly recover the experiences he’s missed out on but still feels validated in his Klingon identity. At the end Worf comes over all heartfelt and tells Tasha that she would have made an excellent Klingon and he would like to make her part of his family and Tasha is like “oh shit is he asking me to marry him this is very awkward” but he just wants to be blood sibs and all is well. Later on Alexander will enjoy seeing Aunt Tasha.

Data gives Worf parenting advice.

Q declares his love to Captain Picard in the most insultingly condescending and reluctant proposal since Fitzwilliam Darcy. Picard throws a book at his head and he leaves in a huff. They may or may not sort it out later, I haven’t decided.

Durango Troi holodeck episodes (at least two). Tasha can play her sidekick.

The movies simply do not happen, or there are different movies in which Picard’s adorable nephew does not die offscreen (or on, he doesn’t die is my point, René Picard lives and thrives) and Worf’s life on DS9 is acknowledged by his friends and Captain Kirk doesn’t have such a sucky death and Spock and Bones are actually part of that story as they should be.

[gwydionmisha]

TNG: Season 7 Rewatch: 7.19 Genesis.

This one starts in sickbay.  Riker has a sex injury.  Barkley's got a mild flu, but has googled symptoms and is sure he is dying of assorted rare diseases.  Spot is pregnant.  Another crew member is expecting.  Data puts Barkley in charge of spot while he's on an away mission.

Meanwhile, Worf is testing a proton torpedo upgrade and it goes dreadfully wrong.  He is trying to sort it all out and going extra Klingon in was not great for his new relationship.  Worf missed their lunch date and is wolfing food down.  He's obnoxious to her and furious at himself, she's eating caviar for lunch and off as well, though not as obviously, craving salt and fussing about the environmental system.  He takes a nap and wakes up feral, ripping blanket and bed to make a mest on the floor.  

Later, Barkley is a mile a minute and futzing with the power system.    Riker is having trouble following their repot which Barkley delivers like he's on coke. It turns out to be under attack from an organic solvent while Geordi is exhausted.  Deanna and Worf have a fight on the bridge about the temperature and humidity controls.  Riker is having trouble remembering what's going on with the weapons system.  Worf is creepy at Deanna in private, and strikes Deanna, who is now freezing.  Other crew are either too hot or cold.  Worf is non-verbal and growing an acid sac on his neck and sprays Crusher when she looks in his mouth.  It turns out Worf has been spraying all over the ship.  Human crew are growing tired and forgetful.  They are struggling to get the sensor to pick up Worf.  Riker can't remember his password to call for help.

Picard and data return from dealing with the stray torpedo and find the ship adrift and silent with odd power and life signs readings.  Main power's shut down.  There are creepy sounds up ahead as they explore.  They find a large humanoid shaped shed reptile skin.  Deanna's underwater in the bath, devolved and breathing through gills. ad is now an amphibian.  Worf has bitten her.  They find a dead crewman with a broken spine on the bridge.  Lifeforms are all over, but a bunch are in arboretum and aquatics for obvious reasons.  Proto-human Riker attacks them and has to be stunned.

It's the synthetic t-cell from the opening scene causing them to devolve.  The virus can cross species.  Picard also has it now.  Barkley's infected them all, except data of course.  Data has a separate computer in his quarters that's undamaged.  Spot's kittens are hungry, but she's devolved and can't care for them.  The kittens seem immune.  Data's going to look into using the pregnant ensign's amniotic fluid as a cure for the human's, but first they need to fix a problem with the engines.  Picard runs into a partially arachnid Barkley.  Picard is afraid and in early stages of the symptomatic phase.

Worf was trying to mate with Deanna and is now trying to break in where they are working on trying to find a cure.  The award for most awkward way for your coworkers to find out you are fucking goes to Worf Son of Mogh and Deanna Troi!  Picard leads him off with her concentrated pheromones.  Picard has to shock him in a Jeffrey's tube to stop him.  data releases the cure into the ship's air system.

They name the disease after Barkley.  So. Much. Therapy.

[ezrisdax-archive]

Thoughts on a fun way to make a Star Trek/Mass Effect crossover? Or characters interactions cross-series?

like a full crossover? hmmm, certainly it’d be a parallel worlds type situation where I feel in Trek world the Leviathans didn’t evolve and create the Reapers and thus life wasn’t constantly wiped out and that’s why there’s more of an alien populace in the galaxy to explain the stark differences. And then time travel would get involved too since ME takes place before Trek.

So depending on which Trek you’re gonna go with (which for me I can pick any) there’s some wormhole shenanigans going on only what they call wormholes are the dark energy spots that Reapers use in ME time. The crew is investigating them when they go through it and end up in ME time (or if you want the ship accidentally goes through a la Voyager crossing over quadrants).

At first the crew is clearly trying to not get involved but can’t resist the chance to explore and learn the differences and when they realize this isn’t their actual past and can interact with the place more, which brings them into contact with the Normandy which has been sent to investigate the strange readings so we get to crew interactions of (which I’ll put under a cut cause it got long):

Spock and/or Tuvok, and Liara discussing the Vulcan Mind Meld versus the Asari meld and coming to the conclusion that they might have a genetic link back

Tali and B’Elanna having a field day comparing notes (and complaining) on what it’s like keeping a ship together when you don’t have all the parts you really need since Tali used to do that with the Quarian ships and B’Elanna does that now

Kirk and Shepard discussing choices made that shape worlds for better or worse despite the best of intentions and geeking out over model ships. You can’t tell me that doesn’t happen.

Bashir and Mordin are the only people able to understand each other in their speed talking and excitedly sharing notes about different aliens.

Worf and Wrex and Grunt immediately start a fight (bonus points for Wrex insulting Worf for sounding like Uvenk whom Dorn voices)

Seven and Legion (in a world where he lives, what do you mean he dies) discussing what it’s like going from a hive mind to being individuals and coming to find yourself and who you are as a person, like Legion clearly was more involved in finding this aspect for his people as opposed to Seven who had it forced on her but they share the desire now to learn and become an individual and protect those they care about

Janeway and Shepard blow something up by accident while trying to investigate something because of course they do

Samara and Deanna sitting down and just discussing life because I feel like these two would be friends and smirking at their friends antics and secretly betting on who’s gonna get into what danger

I actually have a lot of thoughts about paragon!Shepard and Michael being similar characters in the sense of having this burden of the galaxy placed on them and speaking out against things that people refuse to see except for the crew they’re apart of and trying to warn people of a war and do their best to prevent it and bring people together

Tilly and Tali and Gabby together would be a delight I feel, just talking excitedly about everything under the sun. including the sun.

Sulu and Joker arguing who's a better pilot and Sulu being fascinated how Mass Effect fields work when it comes to piloting and Joker proudly explaining it

Sisko tries to adopt Grunt from Shepard (no I’m mostly kidding, I think that Sisko and Shep have a great deal of respect for each other in caring for the crew and having in placed in an almost god like reverence in certain situations and the struggles with that. and then also Sisko brings back baseball to the Mass Effect world. Shepard absolutely hates that)

I figure the EMH would actually be most interested in biotics and the science of that and writing down to make a paper to publish as the first hologram to do so.

Likewise EDI is fascinated with hologram technology that Trek’s have and if the ships have ever developed sentience in any way and if she can incorporate some of that technology into the Normandy to further her own development

I think Kira gets along with Wrex and is angry at Salarians on his behalf once she hears what was done to the Krogan because the genocide of a species hits hard with her

Tilly and Samantha are even worse than Bashir and Mordin at talking so fast no one gets it but them and they very much do enjoy talking to each other

Tom and Steve have shuttle races until they’re ordered back by their bosses because really guys

Geordi has a lot of talks with EDI, some about his friendship with Data and the human side of interacting with a being that’s trying to learn about humanity themselves but most about the ship and the benefits of integration with it that allow you to be aware of everything that’s happening on it

also Data and EDI tell the worst jokes and everyone regrets this

Picard and Thane drink tea together and discuss philosophies and Thane talks about his species old artifacts and how they were lost to his culture and Picard just listens with interest and some ideas on how you could maybe get those back

Jadzia and Jack get along surprisingly well, they have a holodeck fight at one point and Jadzia takes tricorder readings of biotics and then they go out drinking together

on the flip side Ezri and Miranda get along in terms of being forced to live up to unreasonable family expectations (all though far less harsh in Ezri’s case) and having to carve out your own identity and also like...weirdly everyone hating you for no other reason than your character exists

Bev gets into playing poker with Kaidan and Steve and now they’re all trying to beat each other constantly at it

Saru and Liara get along the easiest at first and discuss the wild things their crews get up to and how they eventually just started to go along with the madness

Kasumi keeps trying to steal from Tuvok but can’t manage it and thinks it’s the best challenge she’s had in years. Tuvok just wants to talk to Thane and get back to the Delta Quadrant already captain.

Harry and Jacob get to talking about having to prove themselves and always being looked over and the troubles of trying to get your own command

Bones hates all of this, Kirk what the hell have you done now. That said he and Zaeed get to drinking and talking about the bullshit that comes from space travel. All though Zaeed’s is more about how annoying it is to try to kill someone in it. Bones thinks he’s just over exaggerating and not a mercenary at first.

James keeps showing off for literally everyone and turning things into a competition with whoever he can when it comes to physical activities, he’s still sulking that Data beat him until he finds out that Data is an android and then calls foul on it.

Odo and Zaeed grumble about everything together

B’Elanna and Ashley have a book club that they don’t tell anyone about and share romance novels and poetry while complaining about how everyone doesn’t expect it from them and that’s part of why they don’t tell people those parts of themselves

Uhura gets the translators turned off on the Normandy to listen to everyone’s dialect and language and is quick to pick up on it, she’s especially good with Drell and enjoys conversing with Thane in it

Liara is absolutely freaked out that Deanna sounds like her mother and Deanna is absolutely using this to troll her whenever she can because it amuses her

Grunt and Chekov get into arguments about history of all things despite that people keep pointing out that they’re from alternate worlds and therefore it’s different anyway

Chakwas and Chakotay sit down to talk about what it’s like sorta taking care of the crew and just ridiculous stories of things they’ve put with

Riker at one point talks to Miranda about clones and dealing with someone who is the same genetically as you but isn’t you and do you have a relationship with them or leave them be (they don’t come up with an answer really)

Mordin gets banned from taking samples of other aliens

Nog and Gabby talk one point about being sorta new to the experiences of war and frontline suddenly and the horrors that come with it and share their experiences of being trapped by the Reapers vs being in a Jem’Hadar fight and coming back from that

Guinan doesn’t care much for Javik but they do have one good discussion about what it’s like being one of the last of your species and seeing so many of them die due to a machine race (and worse, converted to serve that race) that you just can’t fight back against no matter how much you try (or that’s what they thought at the time)

Samantha and Spock and Kirk and/or Airiam have strategy game nights and really get into it and Spock will typically leave while Sam and Kirk are still geeking out over it until the morning

Quark is banned from the Normandy point blank

Worf tries to get everyone to appreciate Klingon opera, the only one he manages to get into it are Grunt and Legion

Scotty is especially fascinated with the drive core of the Normandy and talks to Adams about it constantly

Chakotay and James having a boxing match at one point

Jake interviews like everyone and is thinking about turning this experience into a novel and enjoys listening to everyone’s stories

O’Brien and Garrus get caught up in calibrations, can you come back later

okay this literally is getting too long already but I could keep going. I think then there’s a group discussion about the Borgs vs the Reapers and the troubles everyone faces in those fights and a lot of back and forth about things that have worked for one crew that may help someone else out (like the Changeling cure to maybe help the Genophage cure or vice versa)

[poetictrekkie]

TNG Crew Highschool!AU

Anonymous said: Hey! I was wondering for the 500 followers list prompt, you could do Headcannons for a TNG high school au? I was thinking of it as if they were students. Thanks so much if you decide do this!

Jean-Luc Picard

He’s one of those rare types who defies stereotype. 

No one can place him in any particular group, no set table in the cafeteria.

Of course, he prefers to spend lunch in the library. For some reason, the librarian never reprimands him if he eats there.

He’s fairly popular, and certainly no outcast. Whenever he enters a room, he exudes this undeniably authoritative aura.

Always taking the lead in group projects. Always.

Enjoys athletics, especially long-distance running. He’s trained for marathons in the past, and participates in cross-country events.

Subtly nerdy. He raises his hand all the time in English class.

Whenever students are assigned memorization work of a poem or a monologue, they can’t wait to hear Jean-Luc recite it.

His recitation of Hamlet’s To Be or Not to Be soliloquy went down in the history of the school as receiving a standing ovation and actual tears streaming down the teacher’s face.

He’s been the lead in the school play since his sophomore year. He was the first sophomore to get the lead.

Very private, especially in regards to his personal life. No one ever knows what’s going on in his head – or who he’s dating.

Will Riker

That guy. Every coming-of-age movie has one of them.

The more than slightly annoying, jock, “cool” guy that everyone wants to be around.

Secretly not a complete dunce. If he put in some effort, he could be doing great things.

Comes from money. The Rikers have been pumping money into the school for generations. Probably the only way that Will hasn’t gotten expelled.

There are probably several plaques in the school with ‘Donated by the Riker Family’ on them.

Has his own car the moment he turns sixteen, making him even more of an object of envy for the next few months.

Like his infamous escapades, his string of girlfriends is legendary. There’s a new girl on Will Riker’s arm every month.

But lately, since he started dating Deanna Troi, he’s toned down his reckless behaviour.

He’s also begun to realize that underneath his act, there’s a surprising amount of vulnerability that he’s refused to acknowledge.

Data Soong

Very likely the smartest person in the school.

He can memorize dates for history and formulas for math without a single error.

He is the captain of the school robotics team, and they’ve had a winning streak in the district and state tournaments since he joined.

He is also responsible for the construction of “Broomby,” a highly modified Roomba that can go 20 km/hr and is very good at wreaking absolute havoc when a distraction is necessary.

He is also on the autism spectrum (he has Asperger’s), and he finds it difficult to interact with people and feels uncomfortable in social situations.

This sometimes makes him a target for bullying, but Data has learned to ignore the people who tease him.

Even the teachers sometimes grow annoyed when Data tries to answer every question in class.

His adoptive father, Dr. Noonien Soong, is very protective of his son. But although he often wants to intercede on his behalf when he hears about the bullying, Data always stops him.

He hasn’t told him, but Data just wants to make his father proud, and prove that he can stand up for himself.

Geordi LaForge

The kind of person everyone wants to be friends with.

Rarely has a bad word to say about anyone. Very kind, funny, and helpful.

Geordi excels in the classes which require some hands-on work.

A star in woodshop. He has a knack for carving.

But he’s also very good at automotive work and technology-related tasks.

Always helps people with their homework. Might not know the answer every time, but he’ll sit and work it through.

He’s working at all the open houses for the school, talking to prospective students and touring them around the facilities.

When Data comes to the school, they immediately become fast friends.

Geordi understands how difficult it is to be different from other people. He’s visually impaired, but he doesn’t let that stop him from doing the things he loves.

The two of them spend late nights working on robotics projects, and Data even designed a pair of visual aids for his friend.

They didn’t work as well as the ones he already had, but Geordi kept them anyways.

He’s absolutely hopeless when he works up the courage to ask his crush out.

Hopeless.

But Data doesn’t really get that sort of thing either, so it all works out.

Beverly Crusher (Howard)

The model student and president of the Student Council.

Like Will, she also comes from a family of significant repute, but she doesn’t try to use her status for bonus points.

For her entire first year of high school, she denied any relation to the Howard family, just to prove she could make it on merit alone.

Everyone knows that Beverly is definitely going to get into a very good medical program in an Ivy League university.

She has top marks in Biology and Chemistry in her grade (Data is a year younger than her), and is an Honours student.

Beverly is friendly and effusive, but still introverted. She prefers to stick to her small group of friends.

She also has very high standards about the people she dates. Not many people can say they’ve gone out with Beverly Howard.

That’s why everyone was so shocked when she started dating Jack Crusher. A nice guy by all means, but no one particularly remarkable.

The two of them loved each other with a passion that could have went far beyond “high school sweethearts.”

But just before graduation, “could have” became all it ever could have been.

He was in the car.

Distracted. Listening to music. Talking.

Not seeing the truck that ran that red light.

Then Beverly didn’t know who to think to blame, not even Jean-Luc. Who was in the car too. Who survived.

Deanna Troi

The most popular girl in the school.

On first appearances, she comes off sometimes as a bit of an airhead.

Some people say she’s concerned more with her clothes than school itself.

But they couldn’t be more wrong.

Deanna is constantly motivated, trying hard in all her courses.

She knows she’s no Beverly Crusher, and certainly not Data, but she’s determined to succeed.

She’s an empath in every sense. She’s a great conversationalist, and has high emotional intelligence.

Whoever talks to Deanna always feels better and happier by the end of the conversation.

She gets top marks in the psychology class, and she’s considering becoming a psychiatrist or a counsellor.

She likes to make people feel good, and talk them through their problems.

Some people honestly prefer talk to Deanna than the actual school counsellor.

When Will Riker asks her out, she almost says no. In fact, she only says yes on the condition that she won’t become one of his cast-offs.

And surprisingly enough, Will Riker stays true to his word.

Because to him, Deanna is worth all the things in the world.

Worf

The slightly frightening exchange student.

He came from Belarus with his adoptive brother, Nikolai.

Compared to his rather rebellious and genial sibling, Worf is very stoic and prefers to keep to himself.

Some people joke that the brothers might as well have come from different planets.

Not many people have seen past his stony exterior. There are a few exceptions, though.

Deanna Troi, who he dated briefly in his junior year. But it ended up not working out, and they parted as good friends.

Jean-Luc Picard, who he respects as an intelligent person and capable leader. 

He is brilliant at sports, if rather aggressive.

He’s the captain of the school wrestling team, probably one of the best they’d had.

The bulk of sports-related injuries at the school had some relation to were caused by Worf.

He spends quite a bit of time in the gym, where he discovered he had an aptitude for basketball.

Tasha Yar introduced the game to him, and she remains his usual partner for shooting hoops.

He always stands up for the underdog, because he knows what it’s like to be one.

So, if he sees any of the younger kids being bullied, there’ll be hell to pay.

Tasha Yar

Ever since her first day of freshman year, Tasha Yar had acquired a sort of rebel mystique.

In the first lesson, she corrected the History teacher on a particular fact about the Cold War.

Not very politely, mind you.

By the end of the first month of school, she had been sent to the principal’s office twice.

Tasha’s very much a lone wolf. Wasn’t there to make friends, no matter how many people thought her defiance was “cool.”

“Tragic backstory unlocked at level 4.” No one’s got there. 

Protest is her art form.

She’s consistently skipped Fridays to strike for climate change.

She came early to school (for once) in order to put up signs protesting the heartbeat laws in Alabama and Georgia.

Tasha is a killer debater, and Debate is the only club she participates in.

If you try and argue anything with her, you’ve just dug your own grave.

Loves heavy metal, but also classical music. She doesn’t talk about the latter one as much, though.

When she’s not protesting the dress code, her favourite t-shirt reads: “Dismantling the patriarchy, brick by brick.”

And no one dares make fun of her, because they know they’ll pay for it one day.

[mylatinlinernote]

A small La Forge thought

So I haven’t watched Picard yet (the shaaaaaammmmeeee), but given all the reviews, commentaries, and hot takes out there, I’m certain my general opinion is going to be “This wouldn’t happen if Geordi was here”.

Then I thought a bit about TNG and the relationships Geordi had with the rest of the crew. Besides Data, I think Geordi pals around most with Worf a fair bit as well as Barclay and presumably O’Brien. Otherwise, if you aren’t wearing mustard, ya ain’t worth his time.

But I digress. 

The senior bridge crew of the 1701-D is mainly staffed with orphans or officers who only had one parent during their formative years.

One Parent: Troi, Riker, Wesley

Orphaned: Yar, Worf *, Crusher, Data (Yes, there is Juliana, but she might as well be dead for the ongoing input we are believed she had on Data’s life after their last meeting)

More specifically, the Dead Dad club: Troi, Wesley, Yar, Worf *, Crusher, Data

* Of course, Worf straddles this. He was orphaned and while he had caring and supportive adoptive parents, Worf’s Klingon complex is massive.

Now, I’ve noticed that with the exception of Geordi and Crusher, most of the other characters do have some sort of fatherly or mentor-like relationship with Picard. Not saying its the USS Daddy Issues, but the registry number is 1701-Daddy.

I’d argue that out of the senior officers, Geordi has the most professional relationship with Picard over the course of the TNG series. Not to say that there isn’t respect between the two, as Picard demonstrates with his story of a younger Geordi being a keener in “Interphase” or Picard’s firm hand in advising Geordi how to handle Lt. Barclay, but their relationship is otherwise quite bland and even lacks fondness at times.

This can be chalked up to the rather lame story lines Geordi was given in the series but Geordi is seen as having fairly decent social relationships with everyone but Picard, and Picard vice versa.

Geordi is one of the only senior officers to not only grow up with both parents living, but both parents were still married when Geordi was well into adulthood. Another distinctive thing about Geordi is that only he and Deanna were essentially Army brats and Geordi more so than Troi as Lwaxanna was a Federation ambassador and Deanna joined the Dead Dad’s Club at a young age. It’s all the more impressive

So, Geordi doesn’t need a father-figure per se as Edward is really just a subspace message away and having lived lived on and off starships for most of his life, Geordi likely has some pretty good boundaries and expectations around having a relationship with the boss. 

That might have been part of Geordi’s initial appeal to Picard. Everyone else brings a ton of baggage while Geordi had fairly competent parents and a stable-ish homelife to build on.

So blow me over with a feather when I read this in the Picard prequel comic (spoiler below):

Geordi’s voice a balm for the soul? No better engineer?

That’s an outright love letter.

Like, can you imagine the relationship they had after Data’s death? 

Troi was away on the Titan. Was Geordi the one to fill that void for Picard as he grappled with the guilt of Data’s sacrifice, a colleague who was more of a peer and had experienced loss as an adult rather than someone whom Picard felt he needed to be strong for?

[douxreviews]

Star Trek: The Next Generation - ‘Parallels’ Review

"Captain, we're receiving 285,000 hails."

When you think of a Worf centric episode, what comes to mind is melodrama and deep cultural conflict, or at least some form of primal scream. This episode is something completely different. It's a delightful trip through unrealized realities with Worf as our almost hapless hero.

The conceit of this episode requires a very cursory explanation of quantum mechanics, which Data helpfully summarizes halfway through. Worf passed through an unstable region of space (yet again) and has inadvertently started to slide across quantum realities whenever he comes across Geordi and his cursed visor.

At first, the differences are small, yellow cake instead of chocolate, and Picard was able to come to his birthday party instead of being needed on the bridge. Worf notices little differences, like his placement in the bat'leth tournament has changed, and even the placement of a painting Data created for his birthday. This character out of place is very reminiscent of "Cause and Effect," and is nearly as playful as that episode.

Things start to go off the rails when Geordi is killed due to one of these shifts in reality when Worf, needing to respond to an attack from the Cardassians, cannot find the right button to raise shields because the tactical terminal he is at is totally different from the one he is used to. That’s a pretty harsh consequence, and kind of puts into focus that this is not all fun and games.

In this reality he trudges back to his quarters, defeated and hurting from the loss of a friend and colleague, when Troi barges in and makes herself at home in his quarters. The lighthearted tone of the episode reasserts itself and Worf has several very awkward scenes where Troi treats him very differently. Until it comes out that they are married. This confirms that Worf is not where he belongs, and from there, things go pretty nuts.

While Worf is mostly a passive participant in this episode, he has some absolutely lovely reactions to the changes, and his befuddlement makes him an surprisingly correct choice for this adventure. Any other character would probably figure things out too quickly; even Riker would have reacted very differently to these circumstances. The producers also admit that they had been trying to put Worf and Troi together for a long time and never found the right opportunity. In fact, the background for the reality where Worf and Troi are married starts with season five's "Ethics," the episode where Worf broke his back.

Personally, I loved the small changes, but it was the big stuff that really made me smile. Especially seeing Riker as captain of the Enterprise after losing Picard during the Borg invasion. His small tired goodbye to Picard was lovely, and I cannot imagine how unnerving it would be for Picard to have Riker say that to him. Being confronted with the truth that this is one of only a trillion different outcomes, and this one was just an echo of millions of other realities with only very slight alterations.

My only gripe is with the end of the story, with the magical Star Trek reset button wiping away everything that happened except in Worf’s memory. Ah well.

Bits:

There are more than a few neat details in this episode, including Doctor Ogawa, a Cardassian pilot and of course Data with blue eyes.

While the final quantum reality has most obvious differences, one small detail always stood out to me. The rank insignia on the communicators is a lovely little design, but for some reason they still had rank on their lapels as well.

There are a ton of small details that I won't go into here, but one detail I thought was fun was the inclusion of Wesley Crusher was made because they felt using Tasha Yar would hew too closely to "Yesterday's Enterprise."

Quotes:

Worf: "That was not a Klingon song!" Deanna: "It wasn't easy to translate. There doesn't seem to be a Klingon word for jolly."

Data: "At this rate, the sector will be completely filled with Enterprises within three days."

Deanna: "I know Klingons like to be alone on their birthdays. You probably want to meditate, or hit yourself with a painstick, or something."

While not quite at the level of "Best of the Both Worlds," "Measure of a Man," "Cause and Effect" and "The Inner Light," "Parallels" is still a lovely and memorable episode.

4 out of 4 Parallel Universes with Chocolate Cake

---

J.D. Balthazar is a confirmed nerd who loves most things sci-fi or fantasy-related.

[noitsbecky127]

rebecca watches tng: encounter at farpoint

alright guys we’re finally in the 80s where women wear normal clothing and actors have learned what subtlety is! let’s fucking gooooo

alright we begin with the monologue now! no teaser?

where no ONE has gone before

enterprise looks much better now

patrick stewart!!! he has a little hair!!!!! my dad went “oh my god he’s so young!”

and here’s data! the robot man! love him already

is the lady a telepath?

wtf is that

dad went “it’s the tholian web!”

the blonde lady is gay I’ve already decided

who the fuck

is that q

oh yep that’s q, he’s the dude who just shows up sometimes to fuck with people

did he just freeze that dude

I don’t like Q

did he just leave

guess he did, for now

engineering looks good!

is the web thing chasing them now

I’d say this wouldn’t end well except it’s the pilot so of course it will

oh yeah klingons actually look like aliens now

ah men can wear miniskirts in the 24th century

why are there children on board the enterprise

they just detatched part of the ship. what the hell. they can do that now?

surrendering? this is definitely not kirk, wow

where the hell are they now

courtroom? ah yeah the episode description mentioned a trial

q returns. dressed really stupidly this time

are machine guns generally a part of court? bc I’m pretty sure they’re not

UNTIL they’re found guilty?

really confused about the timeline here. 2079 is after 2036

where’s she from?

bad and naughty starfleet officers get put in the Cold to atone for their crimes

she returns from the Cold

how’s picard out of order? he just objected to the charges, this is a terrible fucking court

would firing that gun even kill data? is that where his central programming is? the head? could he be fixed?

so data’s a semi-living recording device?

alright, time for a test! wonder how they’ll pass it

wonder what the sentence for guilt would’ve been

probably just death

alriiight here’s riker!

he looks fully head empty

mom saw riker and she was like “is that the spock? there’s a robot, right? an android?”

riker do not eat the miraculously appearing apple

he ate the apple

what is this dude. i do not trust him

why is he talking to himself

ok here’s our doctor! she seems nice

wes seems nice too

and here’s laforge, all I know is he’s the blind guy with the eye thing

ah, bringing riker up to date on all this

and time to put the ship back together

surely there is a non-manual way to reattach the ship, doing it manually seems risky

the enterprise is whole again!

I like Riker

picard what do you have against children

ok nothing, he’s just uncomfy with them

what did children ever do to him

there’s no eyesight option that doesn’t cause pain? in the 24th century?

who is this old man

he’s 137??? that’s fuckin old

dad said “is that bones?” and it actually does sound like him kinda

he definitely talks like bones

yep that’s definitely bones! good to see he’s still around

picard has a fish tank???

you know what good for him

her name is deanna. lovely. now what the fuck is her deal

I’m sorry, she’s supposed to be an alien? or half-alien, as the case may be? anyway point is that is a human. like they didn’t even try to make her look like an alien. she has nothing alien about her

you good deanna?

whose emotions are these

I trust Zorn as far as I can throw him

what is a ferengi and why do they eat people

so you can just use the computer to stalk someone? incredible

loving the holodeck

I wonder, if you fall into holodeck water, do you actually get wet? if you do, does it remain after you leave the holodeck

so data’s like the inverse of spock! where spock was part human and tried to ignore and suppress it, data isn’t human but wants to be

ok so you do get wet

and it does remain

yeah I like Wesley, he’s pretty standard what would happen if a teenager was on the enterprise, I’d definitely be like that

get my boy a look at the bridge, it’s what he deserves

that device geordi has is better than an android’s eyesight? incredible

ok but what is this thing that’s so miserable

the badges as communicators is definitely better than the flip phones, much harder to lose

ok wesley’s smart

and someone is here, guess q is back

in a weird vessel

oh shit farpoint

ok yar’s name is tasha

kidnapping for the greater good

“ugly little primate faces” sir you have a nose too

wtf just happened to zorn

~mon capitan~

ah crusher REQUESTED this post, very inter

no more individual transporter pads

ah they show up when the transporter activates

what is this accent deanna has?

well sounds like someone needs help

oh my god

I guess now we know where Zorn went

it’s q again, hello, please go away

zorn what the fuck did you do to this weird lifeform

is that a giant space jellyfish

ah yes, q moves the goalposts, they succeeded so it must have been too simple

the entirety of farpoint station was a living being. that’s wild

aww, space jellyfish reunion!

q has departed, to be seen again whenever the writers feel like it

wonderful first episode! I think I like this better than TOS, can’t wait to see how things go from here

[sttngfashion]

Interface - 7.03

You guys. Basically we are in a place where we have a few juicy episodes left--mostly two-parters--that I feel like Anna and I are saving for... Anna, what are we saving them for? Maybe a sleepover. Anyway, we have those and then a few of these, mostly-uni eps with like, one or two crazy things.

Also this is a case of I watched this episode a while ago and now am finally getting around to writing it up, so forgive me if I blow past some of the plot points.

Also also, it’s a GEORDI episode, and all the poor thing that that entails. 

But you don’t have to take my word for it. (BA DUM DUM)

Another Saturday night, another smoky Jeffries’ Tube.

But wait a second, something’s not right here... Geordz is missing his headband VISOR! What the WHAT

Oh, that’s much less cumbersome than the VISOR

Obviously this is supposed to be a high tech outfit but to me it looks like the board game The Omega Virus just vomited all over a patchwork Kevlar top. I mean, the black background with primary color highlights is very on brand for the early nineties, along with a large, chunky chestpiece. Maybe this thing will look a little less awkward when we step back. 

Hm. Hard “no” there.

He’s literally trapped inside a dancer’s cage. Riker seems pretty into it. This looks like it’s the same weird cage thing they kept Hugh in while he was learning to be a human. WE’RE ALL TRYING TO LEARN TO BE HUMAN, EVEN GEORDI.

Okay what actually is happening is that this is some VR rig that allows Geordi to control this probe that is on another ship that is trapped in a planet’s poison atmosphere and the crew isn’t responding and this is a way for them to search the ship without dying. The reason Geordi has to do it is because of the VISOR implants in his brain. See, Geordi, you are special!

But also he has some PERSONAL DRAMA that is making this mission ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT.

Crystal ball and metal party hat -- must have decorations for any bachelor pad.

Who’s he talkin to?

MAMA, OOOOOOOH...

Yeah, so weirdly we get a data dump about the LaForge family in this episode. This is probably me not being imaginative enough but her hair reminds me of the saucer section of a kid’s version of the Enterprise. Just let me have it guys. She seems sweet!

She’s the captain of the Hera and it apparently the ship has gone missing. Everyone except Geordi seems pretty ready to concede that she’s definitely dead, but G is, like, not so sure? Which like, seems reasonable? Because it’s his mother?

He ends up pouring all of his mom anxiety into trying to find survivors on the ship the Enterprise is trying to help with its probe. But he’s putting a good face on it.

This is fine.

Because this is narrative television of course this system by which Geordi controls this probe is DANGEROUS, but of course he wants to keep doing it. He’s hooked on the junk. This time, because it’s the end of Act I, while he’s in the thing something catches ON FIRE and he tries to touch it or something and THIS happens:

I mean really it just looks like he tried to make a PB&J on his hands. With chunky, not creamy.

Either way, kinna gross.

So, like, clearly Geordi is not dealing great with his mom’s probably death. His dad tries to talk some sense into him.

Strong Larry Wilmore No-Nonsense Vibes from this guy

Dad is already planning the funeral and Geordi is not ready to handle it. Also, fun fact, Geordi’s dad is an “exozoologist” which means he studies animals from other planets, but that seems like a pretty Terra-centric term to use and I would like to posit that 24th Century twitter would be all over this shit. On the other hand, Geordi’s mom outranks his dad so, take that, patriarchy.

Geordi heads back into the machine even though Picard wants to give him bereavement leave and GUESS WHAT HAPPENS.

Oh hey, I’m not missing, I’m a bajillion light years from where I was supposed to be on this ship. Makes sense, right?

In Geordi’s defense, this would screw with my head too, and not in a pleasant way. Once he tells people his mother is on this ship that is otherwise filled with dead people, it’s time to bring out the big guns.

Okay, well, “big guns” was probably the wrong term to use.

I pulled this image for the tiny model of an Area 51 spaceship on the sponge spackled plinth, but, Deanna’s look is on point, so, hey girl. Not much to say about the uggo art other than I find it weirdly aggressive. The plinth has too much texture.

Shockingly, this also does not persuade Geordi to not go into the eird machine that is now definitely killing him anymore, and in a strange moment, Geordi does some ethical philosophy level shit to convince Data to help him get back into the machine even though everyone else is like DUDE, DON’T.

So he goes back into the other ship and there’s a huge fire.

Whoa.

What’s the source of the fire???

She looks like her son just offered her a dead rat as a present.

Around this point we figure out that something is really not right, and then this happens.

(wait for it) THIS. MOM. IS. ON FIIIIIIRE...

So you could probably fill these blanks in yourself but in actual fact this moms is just a manifestation of an alien life force from the planet that was stuck on the damaged ship and the only way it could manifest itself to Geordi was by using his memories of his mother or whatever, blah blah blah. How is Geordi feeling about it?

UUUUGGGGHHHH MOOOOOOOM

Actually he’s, like, stroking out or something because of the DANGEROUS MACHINE he’s wearing. Fortunately, we have a cure for that.

Bev’s tresses don’t hurt either.

That’s all I got, folks! Happy first night of Hanukkah!!!

[throwing-summers-at-the-walls]

Star Trek asks hard mode: all of them good luck

Oh so that's how it is uh ? Here goes

❤️Jean-Luc Picard: When collaborating with others, would you rather lead or be led? Well I'd rather lead but also I'm terrible at taking decisions and I'm afraid of fucking up and disappointing or annoying others so in a way I prefer to be led bc it's safer

❤️William T. Riker: Can you cook? No

💙Beverly Crusher: Have you ever taken a class in first aid? No

❤️Wesley Crusher: What is something that you were exceptionally good at as a child? Exceptionally good, idk, but I was and still am pretty good with grammar and orthography, it just comes to me naturally (and man I hate when I see people mixing up ses/ces or sa/ça of infinitives/past participles)

💙Deanna Troi: Is helping others through their troubles rewarding or stressful for you? I'd say rewarding ? Like it's nice to be kind and help out someone. But I don't think I'm good at it so

💜Lwaxana Troi: Are you good at maintaining lots of close friendships, or just a couple? I'm bad at maintaining friendships in general ig, but definitely better at maintaining a few ones. Like I didn't keep in touch with the friends groups I had in middle school and high school except for 2 of my high school friends

🧡Tasha Yar: Are you a protective person? I guess

🧡Worf: How highly do you value your sense of right and wrong? Uh idk ? Right and wrong are important of course but like. That's it. I don't give much thought abt my sense of it ig

🧡Geordi La Forge: How skilled are you with technology? Well I'm good with phones, not that much with computers (I mean I have basic skills ofc) bc my mother decided I didn't have the right to use the family's computer back in 2015 :)

🧡Data: What activity do you use to express yourself? Writing aha body horror and projecting my suicidal ideation am I right

Does throwing my thoughts on vent count

💛Lore: Do you rely more on your emotions, or on your logic? My emotions. I often get overwhelmed :))))) literally cried twice when I was taking driving lessons kms

💜Lal: Do you prefer to try new things by yourself, or with the help of others? By myself, bc I'm afraid of fucking up and looking dumb LOL

🧡Spot: Are you able to open up to new people quickly, or does it take some time? It takes some time, I'm shy

💜Guinan: Are you good at giving advice? I don't know but probably not

💜Q: What’s your favorite word that starts with the letter “Q”? No thoughts head empty can't think of any cool word starting with q

🧡Reginald Barclay: How do you relieve stress? Listening to music, thinking about poi or star trek

🧡Miles O’Brien: Are you good at directions? No my sense of orientation is nonexistent

[pixiedane]

book anon again - neat, yeah, I totally get it getting too complicated. I still haven't made it past the Destiny trilogy for the same reason. I'd say Resistance is worth reading too; it's between Death in Winter and Q&A. But oh my god Beverly/Picard was my first OTP and I will never not have Emotions about them - I've thought a bit about what we could have had if they actually got together at some point during the show, any ideas/headcanons for that? ^^

Hello book anon :) YES, I can certainly share that. 

PART ONE, Canon Compatible

Season 1:Their interactions in “Encounter At Farpoint” and “The Naked Now” make them feel awkward so they avoid falling into any intimacy until “Justice”. But after he puts everything on the line for her son, she shows up at his doorstep to express her deep gratitude. They get very close to sex but he feels like it’s a reward and that’s all wrong and puts on the breaks. But their very next adventure, “The Battle”, has Picard reliving his experiences on the Stargazer and it’s incredibly traumatic. He ends up on her doorstep, but this time she aborts anything too physical because he’s in the wrong headspace. They go back to awkward which becomes doubly awkward at “Haven” because a marriage is a reminder of Jack Crusher and that episode makes ’soulmates’ a thing and that idea makes them both morose. But! Here comes “The Big Goodbye” where it is pretty overtly suggested that these two were going to sneak off to get it on in the privacy of Dixon Hill’s office if only Data and the historian hadn’t gotten in the way. 

This is where I’d choose to have their full on affair begin. It carries on until “Coming of Age”. While it turns out the investigation was just to prove Picard is trustworthy, he’s concerned his judgment IS impaired by the relationship and asks for space to think. This lasts until “Arsenal of Freedom”, where he’s faced with the possibility of Beverly dying. But she doesn’t like the see saw they are on, which brings us to. 

Season 2:Obviously she left the ship to give him all the space he could ever need. But she misses her son, she misses being on the front lines, and as much as she may not want to, she misses Jean-Luc.

Season 3:She comes back on one condition, no tap-dancing around a relationship — we’re friends. They push through the awkward and get to a really good place. “The High Ground” tests them, but they avoid talking about it. “Allegiance” tests them, but they avoid talking about it. “Sarek” tests them, but they avoid talking about it.

Season 4-6:They are the best of friends — the kind that flirt and tease and support and challenge and are always, always there for each other.

Season 7:“Attached” brings everything — literally everything, all the way back to the beginning — to the forefront. Jean-Luc is relieved, he’s been carrying this around for decades. Beverly is scared. She loves him, she’s loved him all along, but she relies on their relationship and these revelations make her start to second guess her own understanding of it. It takes time to get past that. I don’t think it should take all the way to Nemesis, but I also think Beverly should have about 80% more screen time and presence in the TNG films and really would prefer to just imagine them getting together post “All Good Things”.

PART TWO, Canon Divergent

I think I would do it one of two ways. A) Seasons 1-3 as above, but they get together after “Remember Me”.  B) Seasons 1-6 as above, but they get together after “Attached”.

Honestly not much would change! The various one off love interest episodes would need to be reworked, and we’d get more overt physical intimacy. But their working relationship and their friendship can already be read as lovers.

Qpid: is exactly the same except Picard is even more embarrassed, and there’s a scene where he tries to tell Beverly that just because he’s playing along doesn’t mean he wants to be with Vash. Beverly shakes her head because of course they are going to rescue Vash! Also she gets to fence instead of break pots. In fact Beverly is the one who actually rescues Vash. Vash tells Jean-Luc she’s a keeper.

The Host: Deanna gets Beverly’s part, Picard gets Riker’s and Beverly has to tell Deanna it’s okay to hook up with her boyfriend. Or Riker retains his part and things are somehow both less awkward and way more awkward.

Lessons: is about Beverly, but they don’t break up

Sub Rosa: is now a Geordi episode

Episodes that are improved by their relationship being explicitly romantic:

“Violations”“Cause and Effect” (repetition of a bedroom scene!)“The First Duty”“Chain of Command”“Suspicions”“Journey’s End”

Send me a ship and I’ll give you my (brutally) honest opinion on it and/or write a scenario 

[starship-imzadi]

S1 E3 Code of Honor

Oh boy, here we go (this episode has been criticized for being racist by other people before me)

Elevator etiquette seems to have prevailed into the 24th century; there's a strict don't face each other policy.

"their history has remarkable similarities to ours." "A highly structured society, and they are exceedingly proud" and then ask the actors playing the rules of these people are black.

Lutan questions Tasha as chief of security, clearly meant to give a contrast to how "advanced" Starfleet is and yet the entire welcoming party is white compared to this "primitive" species (I say "white" specifically because this is an American TV show. Of course ethnically Marnia is Greek and Patrick is English). Also Tasha as chief of security is a woman but is presented as more masculine than Deanna; Tasha's hair is worn shorter and unlike Troi she always wears a uniform. (It's worth noting that Dr. Crusher also wears a uniform like Tasha.)

Sooooo, how are these people advanced enough to have warp capabilities? Because without that Starfleet would be violating the Prime Directive and yet they're depicted as stereotypes of African tribes, this isn't Wakanda.

What exactly is Picard suggesting Troi and Riker demonstrate on the holodeck?

Anytime someone in Star Trek does any sort of "martial art" (or sports now that I think about it) it always feels so contrived and physically awkward. As the audience I feel embarrassed for the actors.

Where's Worf? Somehow Riker looks taller on the upper side of the horshoe. And, whatever that was, wasn't 1,000 metres.

*sigh" so much to unpack from the "counting coup" exchange.... First, Data saying French is an obscure language. Picard's name is French but so far that hasn't been referenced in any way (i.e. we don't know what it means to be French in the 24th century and Patrick is very English.) Picard says the French language for centuries represented civilization and Riker suggests Data drop the argument.

So: Is Picard offended at Data saying French is obscure, or was he offended that Data would use a French term to describe a behaviour Data says was practiced by native Americans? The offense being that the French were "civilised" and the indigenous peoples of America were not (which is an outrageous statement).

Riker's warning to Picard that he'll put Picard on report if he gets hurt is sort of the first glimpse of Riker's sense of humour. He looks like he's trying not to smile too much.

The first season has a much higher number of cyc sky's than later seasons. It's very reminiscent of the original series with a lot of flat planets with the occasional rock or cutout. This grapefruit colour is uh...quite striking.

Oops, looks like someone ran into the camera with that little shake.

How many wives can this guy have? He already had a "first one" which suggests he already has a second too.

"it was a thrill. Lutan is such a basic male image and having him say he wants you..." WTF?!? Troi says it to "trick" Tasha but, but, but Tasha doesn't even f*ckin' blink! So in the 24th century a woman might still swoon at a male's attention because of his male-ness!!! Enough so that Tasha walks right into that trap...it's not like that took any cunning.

Troi mentions the Prime Directive...but what about it? This society has transporter capabilities but still only fight hand to hand combat?

How does this society manufacturer a vaccine Starfleet can't?....

Geordi shaving blind....and then he backs up as Data walks towards him...but he can't see him...anyway, he really should have been a bigger part of the episode. and Worf, he's not here at all. It's almost 30 minutes in and this is only the second time we've seen Geordi.

Geordi and Data describing the weapons and Data says they are "light, as if they were made for women to use." ....and, yeah.

Riker is so much nicer to Wesley than anyone except maybe Wesley's mom.

Okay, so everyone can have multiple "mates"....what a convoluted legal system that would make for inheritance. It seems to be an attempt to suddenly make their society slightly more egalitarian.

That's two episodes in a row Riker gets to say "engage" Riker: 2 Picard: 1

God that was painful.

[calliecat93]

Star Trek: TNG Episodes 9-12

Hide and Q: Okay, this one was mostly pretty good. It has a very interesting concept, what happens when a normal human gets granted God-like power? First we get Q again, who was by far the most entertaining part of this episode. Then we have Riker. So far he’s been the ideal First Officer... admittedly he may be a bit too much like Kirk except not a captain, but still. Kind of reminds me of the TOS episode To Where No Man Has Gone Before except Riker isn’t an ass like Gary and doesn’t have the weird eye effect thing. Things go pretty well with Riker having used his powers to save the crew and promising Picard that he won’t play God... until this promise prevents him from saving a dead child. That would make anyone upset. But it allows Q to pro him into using it for what seems like good things like granting what he thinks the crew wants, with all of them declining. Data and Geordi’s refusals were especially excellent... though Worf and Wesley’s ugh... desires were stupid. The ending was also very abrupt which puts a damper on what was otherwise an interesting, philosophical episode. They don’t even say if Riker lost the power or not and he gets zero resolution. Also Picard came of as ana ss with how he talked to an understandably conflicted Riker regarding the dead child. So far one of the better episodes with Q, the theme of humanity with power that doesn’t go into some kind of power mad direction, and some nice character bits from Data and Geordi. It needed a MUCH better resolution though. 3.5/5

Haven: So... Nurse Chapel was actually an alien and by the 24th Century got over her crush on Spock, married a human, had Deanna, and now is putting her daughter in an arranged marriage. Damn it Chapel, did seeing what happened with Spock in Amok Time teach you nothing?! Sure Pon Farr is off the table, but still! Okay, okay it’s not Chapel, just the same actress playing Troi’s mother cause I guess Roddenberry needed to get his wife in another ST show somehow. Anyways, Lwaxana is... kind of obnoxious. Majel Barrett does it well though. Anyways, the episode... it was okay. It got some laughs out of me like Data asking for the petty bickering to continue after Troi stormed out. That got a BIG laugh out of me, haha! But otherwise it was meh. Most of the petty bickering annoyed me and felt more in place in a sitcom, whatever romantic hinting I’m supposed to get from Troi and Riker falls flat since there’s been nothing since The Naked Now AND the episode began with him checking out other women so... sorry, no real sympathy for Riker. Troi was okay and her storming off when she gets sick of her mom and future mother-in-law was exactly how I felt. The ending felt kind of convenient to get Troi out of the wedding. I guess it’s kind fo sweet how Wyatt is willing to risk the plague to be with his destined lover and help her people... but IDK if it was a Disney movie I’d find it cute for for Star Trek... eeeehhhh. Just a full, unfunny episode. I was hoping to learn more about betazoid culture like how we found out more about Vulcans in Amok Time... but the time was wasted one the annoying sitcom antics or a forced romance. It had it’s funny bits, but otherwise Troi deserved a better focus episode than this. 2/5.

The Big Goodbye: Holodeck episode! Finally! I’ve been waiting for this! I really like how Picard got to be more light-hearted and... well, kind of a dork. Aside from a few bits, he’s overall been a hardass. So seeing a more fun side to him really helps make him more likable and fun. Data may be the only one who was a bigger dork, haha! The noir setting was nice and the concept of the holodeck allows a LOT of fun concepts that I’m excited to see in other episodes. And of course things go horribly wrong cause it’s Star Trek with the holodeck malfunctioning while the others are dealing with aliens. The moment the new guy gets shot and bleeds for real with everyone realizing that it’s not in good fun anymore got me wide-eyed. It’s the most fun episode so far. Not quite as much as TOS’ A Piece of the Action, but still fun. More fun than the last one at least. 3.5/5.

Datalore: So... Data has an evil brother. Welp. So far I’ve really enjoyed Data. I guess he’s supposed to be The Spock of the group, but instead of trying to shove away emotions and his human half, Data is an android who doesn’t have emotions and so far he comes as fascinated about it and what humans do. Similar deal but different enough to let Data be his own character and not just an attempt at copying Spock. Which, from what I can tell, is a big part of why a later S2 character failed but that’s for then, this is now. Learning more about where Data came from and his history/creation were great to learn about. Lore is a great contrast, appearing to be more human-like but also much more intimidating, manipulative, and villainous. His offer to help Data be more human and using that to knock him out and try to take his place to lure the ship to some Crystalline Entity. Major props to Brett Spiner for not only managing to play both Data and Lore and make them distinctive, but when Lore poses as Data he does a great job at acting as Lore acting as Data. That takes some major acting talent. It’s not a perfect episode, Picard comes off like an idiot for trusting Lore so easily and acts like an ass to Wesley when he expresses concern about it which not only makes Picard look incompetent and disregard one of his men’s understandable concerns, but again makes Wesley look better than the trained adults. Also the clue that Lore was Data was using contractions which Data doesn’ do... except I’m very sure that he HAD used contractions in past episodes so that comes across as a MAJOR ass pull that the writers didn’t bother to check continuity for, INCLUDING AT THE END OF THIS VERY EPISODE. Unless it turns out later in the show that Data was Lore all along, that is a HUGE continuity flub going against this very episode’s logic. That stops me from giving it a 5/5, but the episode is by far the best so far with great focus on Data (he didn’t deserve ANY of this), Lore is a really good villain and my mom already informed me that this isn’t the end of him, and it was an enjoyable episode that really held my interest. By far more than any episode so far, though we still have a loooong ways to go. 4/5.

Okay, it’s starting to get better. I can say that the last two episodes helped finally grab some interest from me and even Hide and Q had some interesting ideas. Haven was... blah, but not the worst thing ever. Datalore, despite the glaring flaws, continuity issues, and it again making me care less and less for Wesley, was a really good episode that really gripped me for at least Data, kind of like how The Naked Time did with getting me invested into Spock and to Kirk to a lesser degree. Fourteen more episodes of S1 to go. More to come tomorrow. Think for now I’m gonna do four a day, maybe more if we’re near the end of a season or something. But I’ms tarting to finally get invested, so yay~!