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One of the most popular of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, The Blue Carbuncle is given exciting treatment in this Granada Television adaptation, featuring Jeremy Brett and David Burke in definitive performances as the famous detective and his ally and chronicler, Dr. Watson. The story concerns the disappearance of a gem called the Blue Carbuncle, which has been hidden inside the crop of a Christmas goose and which is linked to a terrible history of murders, suicides, attacks, and robberies. Stolen from the Countess of Morcar (Rosalind Knight), the jewel's trail leads Holmes all over wintry London and to a decision that stuns Watson in its legal and ethical implications. Tightly woven and cleverly adapted from the page, The Blue Carbuncle is a worthy adaptation of a classic tale. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Best Victorian Christmas Mystery!
"The Blue Carbuncle" is one of my favorites in this excellent series. Holmes and Watson must spend the holidays engaged in a baffling jewel theft, while encountering lost hats and geese, down-on-their-luck intellectuals, and a hostile livestock merchant along the way. This episode is both hilarous and touching, as Holmes shows a side of himself very rarely seen. Though Holmes and Watson are brilliantly played, the superb acting of the supporting characters makes this one stand out: the character of Mr. Henry Baker as a down-on-his-luck, aging intellectual is given with inspiring dignity, and the poultry merchant at Covent Garden steals his hilarious scene with his inexplicable hostility toward inquiries about his precious geese. This episode is the perfect blend of Christmas story, detective fiction, and morality tale, and no modern-day Holmes collection should be without it!

Forget the Grinch -- Run This One at Christmastime!
An impeccable entry in the Granada series. Remarkably faithful to the short story, this puzzler comes equipped with all the high-water elements you've come to expect from these productions: brilliant cast, story, sets, costuming, and a faithful adherance to period. Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes is flawless. Any actor thinking of donning the deerstalker and inverness might just as well forget it: Brett has put Holmes in his pocket and carried it away into history. The final two scenes of this holiday mystery capture the "goodwill toward men" that not only will have tears streaming down your cheeks, but gives us a glimpse of humanity in the icy-cold Mr. Holmes.

the OTHER great Victorian Christmas story
If you've run A CHRISTMAS CAROL to death, try THE BLUE CARBUNCLE as your next holiday movie. Not that you have to wait until Christmas to enjoy this one. It gets my vote as the single best episode of the superb Granada Holmes series (and there is a lot of competition for the distinction.) Victorian London has never looked colder and bleaker. An innocent man is accused of a robbery, and the stolen object turns up in a most unlikely place. Sherlock Holmes solves the mystery and must also deal with his own conscience. The superb cast does excellent ensemble work and the film's production values are outstanding.

Well-done.
But regarding the other review, see my retort in my review of 'The Empty House'.

The perfect companion to the original Doyle story!
I write this review, not only for "The Blue Carbuncle," but for nearly all of the videos in the series. Jeremy Brett is the perfect Sherlock Holmes because he adds his own persona to his role, which is something that Hollywood actors can't do because they are too busy counting their millions in the middle of rehearsing. Brett played Holmes for 41 episodes and dominated all of them. Both David Burke and Edward Hardwicke play wonderful Watsons and 221b never looked cozier. The Basil Rathbone b+w's don't do Holmes enough justice in my opinion. Jeremy Brett not only makes Holmes a calculating machine of deduction, but gives him life and energy with wonderful mannerisms and expressions. If you are a Holmes lover or just checking this out for the first time, chances are you'll be sucked in and enjoy each episode over and over again. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Major Kira is Enceinte, or, Any Womb in a Storm...
So, what do you do when two of the stars of your television show decide to get married and have a baby but their characters do not really like each other? Well, the first thing you do is set up a distraction by dragging up the old chesnut about the guy who is told by his doctor he only has a short while to live, the guy sells off his possessions, and then learns the doctor made a mistook. Well in "Body Parts" Quark gets to play this part. Told he has Dorek syndrome and a week to live, Quark sells his body parts on the Ferengi futures market. But then, when he is told he is not going to die (good news), he discovers that Brunt (remember him form "Family Business" and "Bar Association"?) now owns his body (bad news). So while this nonsense is going on, nobody will really notice when Keiko is injured and her baby has to be transplanted into Major Kira. After all, with the imminent (yawn) threat of a Dominion invasion, who would not want DS9's second-in-command carrying Chief O'Brien's baby? Enough sarcasm. There is one redeeming sequence in "Body Parts," when Quark dreams of going to the Divine Treasure of the Ferengi afterlife when he has a spirited discussion regarding the Rules of Acquisition with Gint, the first Grand Nagus. This is really a sub-standard episode and the idea of putting these two plotlines together is rather unsettling, but you have to admit this is an original method of dealing with Nana Visitor's pregnancy.

Funny!
The wonderful thing about DS9 was that it didn't always take itself too seriously. Some of the best episodes were centered around Quark (played by Armin Shimmerman). Armin isn't just an excellent actor but he has an excellent sense of comedic acting. His comedy delivery is exceptional. Even though this episode likely won't make any DS9 fan's Top-10 list it is, nevertheless, funny.

Quark is up for sale!
Quark is diagnosed with a fatal illness, in Ferengi tradition he begins selling off his body parts in advance, to his surprise his entire body is bought... by Brunt.

When Quark realises he doesn't have the disease he is forced into an interesting situation, break the contract with Brunt or die. But if he breaks the contract he will forfeit Ferengi rule and one of the Rules of Acquisition that the Ferengi Empire was founded upon!

A mediocre episode that serves to fill some air-time while the budget is saved on some big budget season finale... or so I thought. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Odo has to rejoin the Great Link and be tried for his crime
In a story that we knew was coming, Odo collapses and begins to lose his ability to remain solid. The only thing to do is for Odo to be returned to the Great Link. Sisko flies the Constable into Dominion territory, transmitting a call for aid. A Jem'Haddar ship arrives with a Changeling who will take Odo back to his people. Merging with the Great Link will save Odo's life, but the Changelings will also judge him for having killed another Changeling (See "The Adversary"). "Broken Link" is a pivotal episode in the massive DS9 story arc of the coming war with the Dominion, not to mention its impact on Constable Odo. I was pretty sure that when this moment came there would be some sort of significant twist that would have a major impact on both storylines, and that was certainly the case here, especially in terms of Odo's punishment. Odo was always the most interesting character on DS9 and the whole bit with the Dominion puts him at the heart of the storm.

To be continued...
In the season 4 finale we see Odo lured into the Gamma Quadrant in an attempt to find a cure for the disease that has infected him, he cannot hold a solid shape. Once he enters Dominion space and transmits an urgent message to the Founders in the hope that they will know of a cure - the Defiant is quickly surrounded by Jem'hadar.

Odo beams down to the surface of the new homeworld of the Founders, with Sisko and Bashir, the Female Changeling leads Odo into the Great Link (which seems to have expanded hugely since the last time we saw it in The Search). Time passes, possibly days, and Odo finally emerges. He is weak, but solid, apparently cured. It is at this point that we learn that Odo IS solid, a punishment for killing another Changeling (season three finale). Once Odo returns to the station he sees an image of Gowron, the leader of the Klingon Empire, he realises he is a Changeling!

A fairly good stand-alone episode that sets up season five with a lot of possibilities, unfortunately the next season doesn't quite flow as smoothly as the last two. All in all a good solid, no pun intended, script but not a very exciting season finale! ... Read more

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This jaunty B-movie funhouse of an episode could have sprung from The Twilight Zone. That's essentially where Commander Riker, Data, and Worf find themselves while investigating an oxygen pocket on a lifeless planet. A revolving door in the middle of nowhere whooshes the away team into a bustling Las Vegas hotel casino, where the activity seems to contradict sensor readings. There's no life here, merely an elaborate holodeck fantasy sprung from the pages of a trashy paperback crime melodrama. ThinkHarold Robbins by way ofJean-Paul Sartre: there's no way out of this hackneyed soap opera and the Enterprise transporters can't beam them out, so it's up to Riker and company to create their own dramatic exit. The rather elaborate explanation for it all concerns an ancient NASA astronaut and the misguided benevolence of a naive alien race, but it hardly matters. The fun lies in Data's studies of gamblers, gold diggers, and the intricacies of room service, and Riker's energetic fling as a flamboyant high roller. As Counselor Troi listens in on the hoary dialogue emanating from the gambling hall, she queries: "Did humans really talk like that?" Only in the B movies and TV soaps this episode parodies with such eye-rolling fun. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Silly but Fun!
I love Star Trek: The Next Generation, it is one of my all-time favorite TV shows and of the few silly episodes of the series I liked episode 38, The Royale, yes it's like a campy B movie but it's fun to watch and everyone is great especially Brent Spiner who really has some wonderful comedic flair in the casino scenes with Vanessa and the gambler from Texas. I didn't like Some of the silly episodes of STTNG but The Royale is an exception and is a delight to watch!

"All Right! Time To Get Down To Bidnesz!!"
"The Royale" was generally well received when it originally aired during the second season. Within a short while though fans and critics alike accused this show of being too deriative of ST:TOS's "A Piece Of The Action", but I prefer to see it as a tribute to that episode, a fan favorite.

As in the original series' show, here the trapped Enterprise crew members throw themselves into the roles being forced on them and the result is memorably funny. There are ample enjoyable elements that make this episode one of my favorites: The casino set piece is one of TNG's most memorable; the compliant but condescending desk clerk; the cheesy dialogue spoken by the casino characters - particularly the bellhop and Mickey Dee; Noble Willingham is a hoot as 'Tex'; seeing Data at the crap table in the final sequence really puts the show over the top. Also, the mathematical puzzle Picard is trying to solve in the intro and his explanation of it to Number 1 is a perfect bridging device for this episode.

Not to be taken seriously, "The Royale" is both an homage to Trek's earlier incarnation and a bouquet to fans of each of the series.

Surrealistic Fun
"The Royale" is good weird fun. I would remind those stuffy fans who hate the episode that science-fiction is supposed to be strange and awe-inspiring, and not always logical. The episode is a bit vague and it doesn't make total sense. Nevertheless, the show is so surreal and funny that a suspension of belief is welcome. Ron Jones' score is delightful and the production values are excellent. The mystery is well played, the casino scenes are funny, and the fate of Colonel Ritchie is strangely sad. The away team's interaction with the stereotypical Texan and with "Vanessa" is priceless stuff. Brent Spiner has some real fun with Data in this episode. Watching a nauseated Picard and Troi listen to the awful dialgue of "Hotel Royale" is amusing. One of the better second season episodes.

One of the best
I love this episode. It reminds me of old time Vegas with a little twist to it.

A human, a Klingon and an android walk into a casino...
The nicest thing about the holodeck is that Picard can have his Dixon Hill novels, Data can play Sherlock Holmes, so on and so forth, without the Enterprise stumbling upon planets based on Nazi Germany or Gangland Chicago as happened from time to time on the original Star Trek. For that reason, this particular episode really rubs me the wrong way. Orbiting Theta VIII, the Enterprise finds a NASA spaceship from 21st-century Earth. When Riker, Data and Worf beam down to a small area of breathable area on the barren planet, they discover a casino-hotel named "The Royale." It seems that when the American ship arrived nearly three centuries ago, it encountered an alien presence, which accidentally killed all of the astronauts save one. To make amends, the aliens provided for that sole survivor by using a pulp novel "Hotel Royale" to create what it presumed was an ideal existence for the human. Now the away team is stuck in the hotel and in the novel until they figure out the rules of the game.

While it is admittedly fun to see Data playing at a craps table for really big money, I just resent the whole contrivance of the situation, especially since during its second season Next Generation was getting away from the tendency to mimic original Trek episodes at every opportunity. If you look at the other episodes produced at this time (e.g., "Contagion" and "Times Squared"), you can see that "The Royale" is clearly a cut below the rest. Then again, from the standpoint of the actors, it must be nice to have a fun episode to break up the monotony of saving the universe each week. Fortunately the series learned to put as much effort into the fun episodes as the serious ones (e.g., "Menage a Troi"). ... Read more

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Everybody's favorite Star Trek trickster god, Q (John de Lancie), returns to the Enterprise despite promises never to trouble the shipagain. Q has been kicked out of the Q continuum, he's bored, and he's decided he wants to join the crew of the Enterprise and go exploring with them. When Captain Picard says no, Q gets angry and knocks the ship into a particularly dangerous part of the unexplored universe, just to see how well they can fend for themselves without his help. Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg),the bartender of Ten-Forward, has been to this part of space before, and she recommends leaving as quickly as possible. Needless to say, they don't leave fast enough, and they meet up with the cyborg race called theBorg. After one battle, the Borg prove to be stronger, and Guinan says theirbrief taste of human technology will no doubt spur them on to seek it out again.An auspicious introduction to a brilliant villain: the Borg. --AndySpletzer ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Enter the Borg
In this episode Q has been kicked out of the 'Q Continuum' and attempts to convince Captain Picard to allow him to join the crew. Upon being rejected, Q 'throws' the Enterprise thousands of lightyears away where they encounter the Borg.

This episode is a high-point of TNG's 2nd season. Not only do we see a vendictive Q, but are introduced to one of the most powerful races the Federation will have to fight.

A well-deserved kick in their complacency
This episode has it all: great action sequences, nail-biting tension, and intriguing characters.
The omnipotent and omniscient Q pays a visit to the Enterprise, ostensibly to ask Picard if he can join the crew. When Picard smugly refuses the request, claiming that he and his crew can manage whatever is out there without Q's help, Q flings the Enterprise into a distant, uncharted region of the galaxy. Once there, Picard and his crew encouter a terrifying new enemy: the Borg. Are they really as ready for anything as they claim to be?
The Borg were a brilliant notion, and in this episode, as in The Best of Both Worlds, they are terrifying, both in concept and execution. There is a nicely spooky feel to the appearance of the first Borg, and in the scenes on the Borg ship. The episode is paced very well, the action sequences broken up by reflective moments.
Yet despite all the drama and the importance this episode has in the TNG universe, this is also a story about people. There are fresh insights into three of the characters. Picard has to face up to what his pride and ignorance have cost. We learn something of the past of the enigmatic Guinan, who has met the Borg before. And we learn that Q is far more than just a capricious meddler - if it hadn't been clear enough already. He seems genuinely to despise the Borg, and despite the harsh lesson he teaches Picard and his crew, I at least got the feeling that, ultimately, he was trying to do them a favour.
One of the great episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Q and the Borg
While on a routine mission in deep space, captain Picard and crew encounter the powerful super-entity Q.This time around Q wants to join the Enterprise crew.After having his request denied,Q decides to teach the crew a lesson: he sends the Enterprise hundreds of light-years across the galaxy to the uncharted sector J-25. It is not long before the crew encounters a powerful race of machines known as the Borg. The Enterprise is nearly destroyed but Q intervenes in the nick of time. However the lesson is plainly obvious:there are some things in outer space humanity is not prepared for,but Picard knows the Borg will return. This is one of the better episodes of the second season and serves as a prequel to season three's THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.This episode has everything:Action, humor,drama and serious discussion on the human condition.I heartily recommend that everyone interested in good science fiction buy this video.

Q as a teacher of the Enterprise crew
After viewing and re-viewing episodes of STTNG involving the entity known as Q, I have formulated a theory as to his popularity. So well played by John de Lancie, he also has some of the best dialog to deliver in all of the Star Trek episodes. There is also a deeper undercurrent in the relationship between Picard and Q, something along the lines of a great and eccentric teacher and a student. Q is so powerful that he could be considered the equivalent of a god, and some of his actions with Picard are those of a god with far greater knowledge than his pupil.
This episode, which also introduces the Borg, is an example of a powerful lesson to Picard and all beings of the Federation. Picard and Riker are both brimming with confidence that they can handle anything the universe can throw at them. Q then sends them packing across the galaxy, to a location where they encounter the Borg, an enemy that they are nearly powerless against. Picard is finally forced to ask for Q's assistance in order to avoid being assimilated into the Borg collective.
After the encounter, Picard and Riker complain to Q about the loss of life aboard the Enterprise. He is quite correct in his response in telling them that if that is their position, they should run back to their cribs. It is quite likely that the lesson would not have been so deeply learned if their "nose had not been bloodied."
This is one of the best episodes in the STTNG series in two ways. It is a hard lesson for the Enterprise crew and it introduces one of the best collection of characters to ever appear in Star Trek, the enigmatic, deadly, efficient and unemotional Borg.

Good, but a little boring at times...
This is one of the few good episodes of TNG season 2. Q returns and takes the Enterprise-D on a journey to a faraway place and introduces them to the Borg. This was obviously a platform for the writers to introduce a new threat to the Federation and for the most part, it works. But it lacks in some places, such as the scenes with Riker and his away team aboard the Borg ship. Overall, it's the perfect supplement for Trekkies, but those "outside" of the realm might be a little put off by the now-hokey set designs and subpar costumes. The best Borg episode is "The Best of Both Worlds." ... Read more

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Majel Barrett, who played nurse Christine Chapel in the original Star Trek series, returned to the screen in "Haven" as Lwaxana Troi, mother of Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and (as someone once put it) the "Auntie Mame of the galaxy." The story concerns Deanna's reluctant agreement to participate in a marriage arranged by her late father. She dutifully meets her betrothed, a doctor named Wyatt (Rob Knepper), who turns out to be a good person baffled as to why Deanna doesn't look like the blonde he has seen in visions since childhood. An obligatory action subplot finds the Enterprise imperiled by the last survivors of a biological war. But the real entertainment here comes from the brassy Lwaxana's huge personality, her endless flirtations with a flustered Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), and her in-fighting with Wyatt's family. Barrett (Mrs. Roddenberry in real life) subsequently made annual visits to TNG as Lwaxana, but this episode almost didn't happen until writer Tracy Tormé (son of Mel) rescued and fixed an all-but-abandoned story treatment. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The introduction to Lwaxana Troi
When the Enterprise arrives at the idyllic planet of Haven, where the legend is that your mere presence on the surface can cure illness, a package is beamed up. (This idea would be revisited in the movie "Insurrection.") It contains a message for Deanna Troi and betrothal gifts. Many years earlier, Deanna's late father had arranged for Deanna to be betrothed to Wyatt, who is now a physician. Even though she is happy on the Enterprise, Deanna agrees to honor the Betazoid custom and marry Wyatt. This will require her to leave the Enterprise, which hits Will Riker hard.
Shortly after the gifts arrive, so do the parents. We are introduced to Lwaxana Troi, mother of Deanna and one of the most obnoxious characters ever to appear in television. Extremely opinionated, vain and honest to the point of social ineptness, she manages to embarrass and offend everyone she comes in contact with. The primary explosion occurs at a reception, where Deanna finally explodes in frustration at the bickering between the parents.
Even though they have had no contact for many years, Wyatt and Deanna get along rather well, although Wyatt is surprised at her appearance. For many years, he has had a vision of a beautiful woman, and he has made several drawings based on that vision. He had expected Deanna to be that woman, but there is no resemblance between them.
Circumstances become very serious when a Tarellian ship arrives at Haven. The Tarellian civilization is one that self-destructed due to the release of an extremely virulent virus for which no vaccine could be created. Since the virus was so deadly, all Tarellian ships had been systematically hunted down and destroyed. At first, there is no evidence that the ship is inhabited, but eventually it responds to the Enterprise hails and one of the members of the crew turns out to be the woman in Wyatt's visions.
Wyatt then takes a small amount of medical equipment and beams over to the Tarellian ship to spend the rest of his life trying to cure the Tarellians.
This is an episode that deals solely with feelings. Those of Deanna for her mother, her feelings of duty as a Betazoid, her feelings for Will Riker and those for Wyatt. There are also the secondary feelings of Will for Deanna, Lwaxana's for Deanna and Wyatt's for Deanna. However, it all comes down to Wyatt's love for the woman of his vision, so much so that he abandons his previous life to be with her, knowing that he could shortly die for it. I generally find such romantic stories too sappy for my tastes, but this one was enjoyable.

"Could you please continue the petty bickering?"
Star Trek: The Next Generation's effort to give their primary characters more detailed back stories began with "Haven" as Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry) boards the Enterprise-D and promptly makes life difficult for her daughter Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis).

Deanna Troi receives a gift from the planet Haven after the Enterprise arrives there. The gift is a talking jewel chest that announces Troi's upcoming marriage to Wyatt Miller (Rob Knepper). However, all plans for the wedding are put on hold when a Tarellian vessel enters the area and Wyatt must confront his true destiny.

Lwaxana Troi's first appearance in the series was rather grating as she came across as that one member in every family whose special talent was to annoy people. The character would evolve as the years went by into a more complex and caring woman but her debut gets her off on the wrong foot. Lwaxana was inserted into this episode only to serve as the catalyst for some comical in-law sparring and did not really contribute anything meaningful to the events at-hand. The entire subplot involving Wyatt's dream woman also comes across as mostly silly. Yet, credit must be given to the series' writers as they started to flesh out their characters by introducing the first of a long line of family members who would greatly enhance the dynamics of the series in following seasons.

First Appearance Of Lwaxana Troi!
It's okay but not one of my favorite episodes, though it did introduce one of my favorite recurring characters Lwaxanna Troi, Deanna's eccentric mother, but Haven is just not my favorite Lwaxanna Troi episode but I do think it's worth watching just to see the first appearence of Lwaxana and see how the Lwaxana Troi episodes improved over the years!

Good but not Great!
I like Star Trek The Next Generation and I like Troi's mother Lwaxana but despite some funny Lwaxana scenes it is probably one of the weakest of the episodes with Lwaxana but it definitely is worth more than 1 or 2 stars and 3 stars is a good rating for this episode which for me 3 stars means I liked the episode but didn't love it.

Three and a half stars really...
When Deanna Troi receives a message from her home planet of Betazoid, she announces to her shocked crewmates that she is to be married by arrangement to a man she was betrothed to as a child. Haven provides the first appearance of the formidable Lwaxana Troi and her silent manservant Mr Homn as they arrive on the Enterprise with Troi's fiance and prospective in-laws. Wyatt Miller, although content at the idea of the marriage, expresses his surprise on meeting his bride: he has been dreaming of a woman he assumed to be Deanna for years. Preparations for the wedding ceremony (which will be performed with all guests totally nude) are under way, when an unknown ship approaches the Enterprise. By a strange twist of fate and very lucky coincidence, the vessel is carrying Ariana, the woman from Wyatt's visions, who has been experiencing similar dreams herself. But Ariana is Tarellian: one of the last survivors of a race thought to have wiped themselves out through biological warfare. These same survivors are now dying yet the planet of Haven refuses them sanctuary, fearing that the plague may spread. Wyatt is know torn between his reluctant fiance and the women of his dreams.

I would rank 'Haven' as a three and a half star episode - a little above average, with some humorous moments courtesy of Lwaxana and the bickering between the in-laws. To be honest, I think this episode would have been better received had it aired a lot later on in TNG's run. At this point in the series, we still didn't know or care much about any of the characters and the whole Riker-Troi Imzadi thing hadn't really been explained. Of course, the relationship did take all of seven seasons and three movies to actually to become official, but it built up a huge following of Imzadi-obsessed relationshippers and became probably the most popular of all the Trek romances. 'Haven' is the first episode that focuses mainly on Troi and if you can ignore the unbelievable-to-the-point-of-stupidity coincidence (destiny maybe?), it's pretty good. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Sisko discovers a wormhole and that his life is not linear
The two-hour pilot of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" starts with a flashback to the Federation's battle with the Borg as Wolf 359, when Jean-Luc Picard was Locutus. The Borg destroy the USS Saratoga, killing the wife of Commander Benjamin Sisko, who escapes with his son, Jake. It is now three years later and Sisko is placed in command of Deep Space Nine, a space station built by the Cardassians around the planet Bajor. The occupation over, Sisko is charged with helping Bajor prepare for membership in the Federation. But the planet is on the brink of civil war and Kai Opaka, the spiritual leader of Bajor, declares Sisko to be "the emissary." The Cardassians have stolen eight of the nine crystal orbs that can lead to the Celestial Temple, where dwell the Prophets, the deities of Bajor. Sisko and his science officer, the Trill Jadzia Dax, discover a wormhole and Sisko encounters the Prophets, who turn out to be non-corporeal aliens who live there. Then things get really interesting.

Now that DS9 is long gone, I think we are in a much better position to evaluate the pilot episode, especially in terms of how the series was able to develop and expand upon the various premises established here at the start. Sisko as the Emissary and his love of baseball, the wormhole and Bajor's religion, the Cardassian occupation and their continuing involvement in the quadrant, Dax and the Trills, Odo and the Founders, Quark and the Ferengi, are all still important at the end of the series, which would seem to speak to how successful DS9's creators were in establishing the series. So if you have asked me way back when what I thought about these first two episodes I would have rated them a 4; but in retrospect I have to bump it up one more star. Of course, there are so many characters and so much exposition being established that there are lots of gaps to be filled in later--and Sisko does lay it a bit heavy on poor Picard--but that is why DS9 is best considered as a series and not some sort of episodic sitcom.

Where it all began...
The first episode(s) of Deep Space Nine provided us all with an insight into a new, darker, more violent Star Trek, Deep Space Nine. The characters are all fully fleshed out by the end of this brilliant episode which concentrates on the newly acquired freedom the Bajoran's now enjoy, the Enterprise is in orbit of Bajor and protecting the planet, but when Picard and crew are called away on an urgent mission it is left to a skeleton crew headed by Commander Benjamin Sisko who must defend the former-Cardassian space station, Terok Nor, from the old landloards who are on their way back to retake what they believe to be there's...

Sisko discovers a wormhole and the strange beings that live in it, with his untested crew on DS9 they are the only ones who can stop the Cardassian invasion ship! Explosive!

If at first you don't succeed, kick the console
EMISSARY suffers from a lot of the flaws that have plagued Star Trek spin-off pilots, although I think it has so far been the most successful. This, however, isn't saying much; I've found most of those pilots to be dull, boring, and/or incoherent. The Deep Space Nine pilot wasn't as bad as all that, though I hated it when I watched the initial airing. Re-watching it again recently with the benefit of hindsight, I found I appreciated it much more. It's still not exactly terrific, but it does do everything that one expects from a first episode while still managing to tell a story.

The problems that face Star Trek pilots are usually the same ones that crop up every five years or so (whenever Paramount decides to launch another moneymaker). "We need to introduce the characters," I imagine the suits saying, "We need to introduce the setting; we need to introduce the political undertones; we'd like to give the major characters a backstory; we'd like to drop some hints about storylines that we'll be following up on in the future; we'll need to populate the immediate area with some convincing bad guys; we'll want to explore the religious aspects of the indigenous people; we'll want to introduce some amazingly advanced alien creatures that humans are encountering for the first time; and we'll want an extended cameo from a star of the previous series. Oh, and yeah, we'll want some kind of a story in there too, okay?"

For everything that it's trying to do, I think EMISSARY mostly succeeds. The story itself is relatively simple, and revolves around introducing Ben Sisko (and the audience) to his new setting, his new command, and the various plot strands that will be cropping up in the future. The introduction of the characters is mostly handled well, although there are a few clumsy moments, and a lot of the people and their makeup don't appear to be quite in their regular form yet. I like the fact that the episode neatly subverts itself. The set up begins with this station being the backwater of the universe (influencing the decisions of more than one character), but by the end this has been completely reversed.

The pilot also contains a few examples of the sort of thing that I really dislike about Star Trek Series That Do Not Star William Shatner. I am talking about, of course, the reliance on technobabble and the ability of the crew to come up with miraculous solutions to problems in no time at all. Fortunately, there aren't too many examples of this on display here. Unfortunately, the two that spring to mind are particularly poor. The first is that Dax is able to totally redesign the way the laws of physics work, and throws out this observation as if she's giving advice about which wine goes with a particular kind of fish. In order to make the station's thrusters move the ship faster, she figures a way of lowering the mass of the object, therefore requiring less energy to push it. The question that immediately comes to mind is: if lowering the mass of something is so easy, why on Earth isn't this standard operating procedure for all forms of transportation? Do Starfleet care as little for fuel efficiency standards as the U.S. government does?

The other piece of "instant brilliance" is the fact that O'Brien manages to boost the power of the station's phasers with almost no effort on his part at all. Truly amazing. I can just imagine thousands of Federation scientists working around the clock, trying to think of a way to increase the efficiency of their government's phasers, only to be beaten to the punch by Miles O'Brien after two whole seconds of thought.

There are some nice touches that rescue this episode from being a plodding introduction that one must get through in order to understand the series. Sisko's discussion and explanations concerning "linear time" are quite interesting, although the first time I saw this, I thought that the story violated its own internal logic, and nothing that I saw on my second viewing convinced me that I was wrong (how could he teach the concept of linear time to beings that exist outside of it, when surely they would be stateless creatures and could only either already know of linear time, or could never know of linear time?). I liked the aliens living in the wormhole, even if they fall prey to many Star Trek stereotypes (alien beings that are so highly advanced that they act and talk like complete idiots). The characters only have one episode to establish themselves, but in that time I already find them much more interesting than the entirety of the Next Generation crew. The setting is again more intriguing than that of the previous series, and really makes the show feel that there is a lot of potential for conflict here. A rough start, but not a bad one.

The best pilot episode of all the Trek series
The powers that be pulled out all the stops for this excellent and very good-looking first show of the Deep Space Nine series. The infamous and often referred to battle at Wolf 359 is finally seen to some extended length in the beginning of 'Emissary'; the rundown space station is a well-conceived set design; the matte painting of the Bajoran temple on the planet surface is mesmerizing albeit too briefly seen; and all those aliens! The production design put forth here was the most superior effort by the creative staff in any Trek program to date - heck some of the movies don't look this great!

Also the story is a terrific, hard edged and dyed-in-the-wool science fiction tale that is handled well. The revelation of the existence of the wormhole; the incorporeal wormhole beings using a variety of people from Sisko's memories to interact with him; the explanation of the mysterious Orbs and their purpose; Sisko using the game of baseball to demonstrate the concept of linear time; his rush of emotions over his admittance of his inability to 'exist beyond the moment his wife died' and that he has been living in non-linear time; many more brilliant touches are present within this well-structured script.

The characters are surprisingly well defined for a first episode. Normally the main characters undergo a severe change in the shows immediately following; an actor will begin to add their personality to the composite of the person they are playing and these differences are usually noticeable. That doesn't happen on ST: DS9 though, the character flow from pilot to series inception is practically seamless. The best character interchange we get to see in 'Emissary' is the scene in Sisko's new office where he has called together Odo and Quark for a meeting. The tension between Odo and Quark comes into play right away; Quark breaks out in uproarious laughter at Sisko's request for him to remain at DS9 and become a community leader; Odo sarcastically makes the observation that Quark has all the natural qualities of a politician. The addition of the character of Dax allows the show to continue the familiar Trek theme of the differences between our Earth-centric view of everything in terms of humanity and the point of view from an outsider that adds interesting and conflicting complexities. Being over three hundred years old and having existed as a variety of alien beings added a great and very unique dimension to this Trek series. As far as the actors go for this particular show an honorable mention should be made for the young Cirroc Lofton; he stood in for the wormhole aliens in a variety of sequences and did an admirable job. Also his scenes with Avery Brooks as father and son are believable and convincing.

Best line: Sisko and Gul Dukat's first meeting is quite memorable. When Gul Dukat makes a point of how uncomfortably close the Federation members are to the formidable Cardassians Sisko remarks sarcastically "We'll be sure and keep the dog off the lawn."

The best Trek yet!
People will debate this for years to come, but in my opinion, the best Star Trek series ever started here... Deep Space Nine.

Benjamin Sisqo (Avery Brooks) plays the head of a Starfleet delegation sent to bridge relations with the Bajorians. Bajor has been under the enforced rule of the Cardassians for the past 50 years, and after winning their freedom, reluctantly accept the help of the Federation in rebuilding their society. However, the discovery of a wormhole to another sector of the galaxy changes everything.

Over the course of seven seasons, DS9 went from being the afterthought of the Star Trek universe to being the standard bearer. Well thought plotlines, and stories that had consequences made this worth the visit every week. There are weak episodes, and there are great episodes. Make sure you don't miss any. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Follow-up Info
The "light stealing" episode of Northern Exposure is "Northern Lights" which is also available on VHS. "Northern Lights" and "Aurora Borealis" are 2 different episodes of the show....

Chris meets Bernard, but Joel runs into Adam...
"Aurora Borealis" (Season 1-Episode 8, August 30, 1990), is sub-titled "A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups." Strange things are happening in Cicely, especially for Chris and Joel. Chris (John Corbett) is working on a sculpture but is drawn to a stranger in town, Bernard (Richard Cummings, Jr.). After talking about Jung and the collective unconscious Chris and Bernard start acting alike and end up talking alike. When Chris encounters Bernard, and Jung, in his dream they discover the truth: the two are brothers. Meanwhile, Joel (Rob Morrow) is returning from a house call on a forest ranger when his truck breaks down. Suddenly, a strange hulking figure appears from the woods, scavenges some things from Joel's truck and beckons for the doctor to follow. Thus Joel encounters Adam (Adam Arkin), the mysterious figure everybody in Cicely has been talking about. Turns out Adam is a superb chef. But the next morning Adam is gone and when Joel returns to town, no one will believe his strange tale. A landmark episode of "Northern Exposure" that introduces two of the most fascinating recurring guest stars in the show's run. Perhaps even more imporant, Dr. Fleischman finally meets somebody who complains more than he does. "Aurora Borealis" was written by Charles Rosen and directed by Peter O'Fallon. Did you know?: In Sweden "Northern Exposure" was known as "Det ljuva livet i Alaska," which translates as "The sweet life in Alaska."

Lost Episodes?
I'm trying to find 3 episodes of NE. The first 2 involve Maggie. One is where she's rescued by a hunky guy who takes her to his cave. When she goes back later, she finds out he's really a bear who changed to human form just to meet her. The 2nd episode involves a stray dog that Maggie thinks is the reincarnation of her dead boyfriend Rick. The 3rd episode is about Fleischman's mom who's visiting. She falls off a mountain and doesn't even get a scratch. Marilyn explains that she became an eagle and "flew" down.

Does anyone know the names/numbers of these episodes? There're my favorites and I'd like to track them down.

NE was a great series, but I did lose interest when Joel left and the new doc came to town. However, the first couple of seasons were classics.

Maggie & the Bear, Maggie & the Dog, Fleischmans Mom Flies
I'm looking for 3 episodes of Northern Exposure. The first 2 involve Maggie. One is the episode where she meets the hunky guy who rescues her & takes her to his cave, and when she goes back to visit she finds out he's a bear who took human form just to meet her. The 2nd episode is the one where she finds the dog that she thinks is the reincarnation of Rick, after he's killed by the falling satellite.

The 3rd episode involves Fleischman's mom who's visiting, and she falls off a mountain and doesn't get hurt, and Marilyn explains that she flew like an eagle, which is why she didn't get hurt. Does anyone know the names/numbers of these episodes?

NE is still great to watch on reruns. However, I lost interest when Joel left and the new doc came to town.

Blokey! It's "Dinner at 7:30!"
The episode you're looking for (with the dream where everyone switches personalities), opened the 6th season on 9/19/94. The title is "Dinner at 7:30" Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider Directed by: Michael Fresco

Aurora Borealis is my absolute favorite episode of this most wonderful series, by the way. It truly is a fairy tale for adults. Why this magnificent series isn't out as a full DVD set is beyond me. No one is running Northern Exposure anymore and I miss it terribly. Nothing like it on TV before or since. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Northern lights, a dream world captured on tape
Northern exposure is brilliant at it's worst and in this magical episode, it combines every character nuance, every dynamic to it's upmost. Chris, ever my personal hero toils over a piece of performance art that, shockingly to both himself and the viewer fails to come together: "there's no there there" he laments. Mistaken for a hobo by Cicely's first homeless person, they share a pure moment in which class and situation are immaterial - brilliant! Maurice flaunts his famous bigotry brought up smart by a surprising twist in the hobo's story while Bernard ponders so incisively the psychological and metaphysical reasoning behind class attitudes. Joel meanwhile battles with his personal dejection and "abandonment issues" as Cicely first denies him his holiday and then begins a lawsuit against him when he protests. The episode ends as brilliantly as ever with truly the most captivating and enchanting set imaginable, set to an appropriately whimsical score. Brilliant an absoloute 5 star cracker. ... Read more

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A young solicitor, McFarlane (Matthew Solon), comes to Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) begging for help just before being arrested by the sturdy if obtuse Inspector Lestrade (Colin Jeavins) of Scotland Yard. McFarlane is accused of killing a man who not only asked the attorney to draw up his will, but then left all of his possessions to McFarlane in the document. Add to this obvious motive for murder plenty of physical evidence linking the unhappy suspect to the awful crime--including a bloody thumbprint at the scene--and Holmes and his ally, Dr. Watson (David Burke), have their work cut out for them. The ingenious solution to the puzzle is only one of the exciting highlights in this episode of the long-running Granada Television series, featuring the usual sterling work by stars Brett and Burke and a sound character interpretation of the limited Lestrade by Jeavins. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Norwood Builder
The "Norwood Builder" is a top-rate adventure of Sherlock Holmes. It is one of my favourite adventures. It has a light feel to it (unlike the ones with darker story-lines, such as the "Red Circle"). The episode is best watched over lunch. The story-line is actually quite simple. Sherlock Holmes must prove that John Hector MacFarlane did not commit the murder of the "Norwood Builder." This is a must for anyone who even remotely enjoys Sherlock Holmes.

Very Clever Entry
Holmes takes on the case of a young solicitor accused of arson and murder. He enters the case with his work cut out for him, as the circumstantial evidence against the young lawyer is very strong, and the motive an excellent one. Holmes must prove his client innocent in the face of mounting evidence as he matches wits with the stubborn and un-creative Inspector Lestrade. In this installment of Holmes mysteries, the late, lamented Jeremy Brett shows the melancholy side of Holmes as the case turns against him. Colin Jeavons is excellent as Lestrade, but the character of MacFarland seems much too unconcerned about his fate to be effective; a little more emotion and indignation would have helped a considerable amount. The unravelling of the mystery is both ingenious and funny, as Holmes outwits Scotland Yard, saves his client, and comes face to face with "a very deep, vindictive, and malicious" culprit. A worthy effort.

Jeremy Brett's Holmes: 8th Wonder of the World!
To be able to sustain the high level of quality and value that this Holmes series does, is a breath-taking accomplishment by itself. And this episode is another drop in the bucket of examples, book-ended by Brett's truly masterful portrayal of the legendary Holmes. Colin Jeavons joins in with his recurring characterization of Inspector Lestrade, self-important, mousey and patronizingly dismissive of his intellectual superior, Holmes. As with Conan Doyle's short story, this is a maze of mystery and deceit. But even Watson takes on an added allure as he suggests to Holmes a review of bank papers, which Holmes hadn't even considered and the result drops another conclusion into Sherlock's deductive reasoning. Good old Watson! (and a splendid job by Burke). Brett shows us another glimpse into Holmes benign contempt of the official police force with his rallying them into a chorus of "Fire!" ("gentlemen, we can do better than that") and again the master dons a disguise that is unexpected and fascinating (both for Sherlock and Jeremy Brett). It is especially fun to watch Brett's Holmes subtly shift his demeanor as he sees the light at the end of the tunnel and knows he can throw it in the face of Lestrade. Kudos all the way around for this excellent episode . . . and a series so well made that you will want to rush out and read the original stories!

A wonderful character arc
THE NORWOOD BUILDER is a tour de force for Jeremy Brett. At the beginning of the story Holmes is depressed and petulant because he has no work. He is overjoyed when the unhappy John Hector McFarlane seeks his help in clearing him of a murder which he swears he did not commit.To Holmes it is simply another 'interesting problem.' The look on David Burke's face speaks volumes as Holmes sheds crocodile tears for the 'poor client'. Inspector LeStrade feels that he can hang this man. The evidence appears to be definitive, and it looks almost as if he has gotten the jump on Holmes in solving the case. Holmes becomes more and more agitated and compassionate as he realizes that the boy is indeed innocent and that Lestrade may indeed succeed in hanging him. There are lovely visuals, with Holmes perching like a vulture on the ruins of a burned house; Watson seen through a window hurriedly gathering papers inside a library while Holmes queries a constable in the foreground; and many other cinematic touches that make this show and many others in the series better cinema than many theatrical features made at the same time. The cast is outstanding, particularly Colin Jeavons as Inspector Lestrade and Jeremy Brett as a very complex Holmes who is by no means an emotionless 'calculating machine'. It is genuinely startling to see Brett incognito in this episode; the contrast between the 'disguise' and the detective has never been greater. An excellent show. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) fetches Dr. John Watson (David Burke)from the latter's Paddington medical practice on an urgent mission: Colonel James Barclay (Denys Hawthorne), commanding officer of the Royal Munsters, has been found dead in his home, his comatose wife (Lisa Daniely) beside him. If that's not mystery enough, Holmes also concludes that there was a stranger on the premises, and something else: something ate the Barclays' pet canary. While Holmes and Watson work quickly to clear the widow's name of any suspicion in her husband's death, a weird, badly stooped man (Norman Jones) is playing conjurer's tricks in pubs and holding onto the secret of the Barclays' misfortune. This episode in the long-running Granada Television series is a fascinating puzzle all around, highlighted by a long flashback into a grim tale of treachery and revenge. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A sleeper Holmes mystery
At first, one thinks Conan Doyle was off on a twisted tangent. But as the story progresses, it becomes evident this is a story about long-lasting love and survival. This is a good story which brings Holmes to a very troubling conclusion, but proves to be told as it should be told. As the story unfolds, we already want to know more about the mysterious "crooked man." Try this Holmes mystery, you might enjoy the new approach.

Not one of my favorites
I love Jeremy Brett and the Granada series, but I found this episode to be a little boring. But then "The Crooked Man" isn't one of my favorite Holmes stories to begin with so that may have something to do with it. Still, the episode is well done and I would recommend watching it if you like the other episodes in this series.

Very well adapted
THE CROOKED MAN is not a faithful adaptation of the original story, but it is a good one. Visual media differ from print, and one must make allowances for this. It's a fine mystery in its own right with a very convincing Indian flashback. Jeremy Brett is a little more brusque than usual in this episode but is still the definitive Holmes. I love the shot where he measures out clues in an extreme longshot that reduces him to little more than a black stick figure on screen. The other actors are all first rate and this is a very atmospheric and eerie episode. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Riker's deep, dark secret revealed!
I love it when we find flaws and dark pasts in our favorite Trek characters. This time, Commander Riker is the subject and the secret he has been living with for twelve years is one that could alter Federation relations with the Romulan Empire forever!

Admiral Pressman, Riker's old commanding officer aboard the starship Pegasus, wants to retrieve the lost Pegasus because it has secret technology that the Pegasus crew had been working on when their experiments went awry (and the ship was lost). The key is that the Pegasus's crew was working on cloaking technology which, as the episode explains, is illegal for the Federation to use. Never mind the absurdity of such a treaty (c'mon, this is like the USA banning stealth fighter technology so we don't upset China and then allowing China to use stealth technology--it would be an incredibly stupid thing to do), the important thing here is the conflict generated among Picard, Pressman and Riker. Riker is torn between loyalty to his former commander and his duty to the Enterprise and the Federation. There are plenty of terrific, dramatic, and tense moments in this episode. As Riker, actor Jonathan Frakes shines here. Great episode all the way!

This episode, along with "Second Chances" and "A Matter of Honor", makes up what I call the essential Riker collection.

The deep dark secret of Riker and the USS Pegasus
Admiral Pressman has joined the Enterprise on a secret mission to recover the USS Pegasus. Twelve years ago, when the Pegasus was captained by Pressman and William Riker was a helmsman, the ship disappeared under unusual circumstances. When Picard questions Riker about what happened his First Officer refuses to answer: he is under orders to remain silent. Just to make things more interesting, the Romulans are also looking for the Pegasus. When the Enterprise finds the ship, buried deep within an asteroid, the truth is revealed: the Pegasus had an experimental cloaking device which was also capable of phasing matter. Unfortunately, this device violated the Federation's treaty with the Romulans. When Pressman tried to run field tests on the device, his crew mutinied. Now Riker has to choose between the order to keep his mouth shut about what his former Captain is trying to do and his obligation as a Starfleet officer.

"The Pegasus" is one of the first of several Star Trek episodes to hint at dirty dealings by a secret segment of Starfleet; this idea was explored more fully on Deep Space Nine. Apparently everybody on this show has a past and in this one we learn more about Will Riker's. The teaser for this episode is one of the cutist in the series, as Picard and Riker inspect the entries made by the ship's children for Captain Picard Day (and Picard has to explain it all to an admiral who interrupts with the orders for their mission). "The Pegasus" is a slightly above average episode of the series, hurt by the idea that Riker really could be ordered to keep Pressman's secret. If he spoke up when Picard asked him for the truth, he could have saved everyone a ton of grief.

Doing Your Duty v. Doing the Right Thing
The conflicting demands of duty & conscience have formed one of the most basic themes of all 3 Star Trek series. "The Pegasus" represents one of the show's best treatments of that theme, a story of intrigue which poses some hard choices for Commander Riker. Riker's first commanding officer, Capt. (now Admiral) Eric Pressman enlists the Enterprise to salvage the remains of the Pegasus, an experimental starship which they served on together, until it was lost, years before. The Pegasus' wreckage still contains top-secret technology, now in danger of being stolen by Federation enemies. But Riker's current captain, Jean-Luc Picard, begins to suspect that the Pegasus has darker secrets which both Pressman & Riker are hiding from him. Picard challenges Riker, forcing him to re-evaluate choices he made as a young man & consider whether the secrets that he & Pressman are protecting are worth the cost.

Pressman is portrayed by Terry O'Quinn, whose performace surprisingly anticipates his role on the TV series "Millennium" as Peter Watts.

Another guest star, Michael Mack, turns in a wonderfully smooth & predatory performance as the enemy commander, Sirol. In two pivotal scenes, Picard & Sirol engage in darkly comic exchanges of diplomatic niceties, full of thinly-veiled threats. Mack reminds us of why even people who know history are willing to forget the absurd roots of this enemy race, the "Romulans," as a sort of alien version of the Roman Empire; instead, he focuses on the features which make them unique: their elaborate manners & catlike cruelty. Mack's casting also introduces the idea that Romulans come in more than one shade of olive!

The script also works in a few moments of lighter humor. The stiking thing is that these moments are actually done well--Star Trek has been using puckish humor unsuccessfully for decades! Don't miss Jonathan Frakes' Patrick Sterwart immitation, or Picard's embarrassment over being a children's "role model"!

Action and intrigue, the stuff that makes Trek great . . .
The Pegasus is one of TNG's best episodes, with great character development, mystery and intrigue, and new layers added to the substance of what makes up Starfleet and the Trek Universe. For those who haven't seen it, a nice twist in the plot regarding Pegasus and Riker's past; some excellent dynamics with Riker & Picard . . all in all a great show. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Damon Bok returns and threatens to kill Picard's son (???)
A probe delivers a message to Captain Picard from his old nemeis, the ex-Damon Bok (from "The Battle," Episode 10) informing that he will finally avenge the death of his son by returning the favor and killing Picard's son. Picard is rather stunned since he did not know he had a son. But since Bok obviously believes that Jason Vigo is Picard's son, the Enterprise heads off to save the young man. What Picard discovers, when they beam Jason up from his rock climbing, is a rather disappointing young man who genetic tests prove is indeed his son. However, Bok continues to pursue Jason, and while the Enterprise crew does everything it can to block his evil plans, Jason comes down with a rare genetic disorder.

A lot of rabbits get pulled out of the hat in the final season of STNG: Riker has a duplicate, Troi had a sister, and now there is a chance Picard has a son. "Bloodlines" does have the distinct of waiting 164 episodes to pick up on Bok's attempt to take his revenge upon Picard, although certainly the idea of the bloodthirsty Ferengi had been replaced by Quark and the Rules of Acquisition in everyone's minds. It is also interesting to see that science in the Star Trek universe is not infallible. However, when it comes to Picard being a "real" father, I much prefer "The Inner Light" (Episode 125) where Picard lives out an entire lifetime on Kataan in 25 minutes of unconsciousness (and where Patrick Stewart's actual son played his son in the episode). "Bloodlines" ends up being a below average STNG episode, which aspires to be memorable but does not really come close. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Spock's father takes a nose dive
Famous Vulcan ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard), also known as the father of Spock, is very old, on his second wife, and going through an emotional crisis. Emotional? A Vulcan?

Sarek boards the Enterprise with his second wife, also a human, Perrin, along with some Vulcan aides so that he may be present during a meeting between the Federation and the mysterious Legarans.

Counselor Troi feels emotions from Sarek and during a musical performance in his honor, Picard and many others in the Senior Staff see Sarek crying and subsequently whisked away by his Vulcan companions.

Dr. Crusher surmises he is suffering from Bendii Syndrome, an incurable disease that removes the emotional control that Vulcan's prize among all other attributes in their culture. Sarek is desperate to complete this one final mission, but Picard is worried that Sarek might flip out at the wrong moment and ruin the negotiations with the Legarans.

With pleadings from Perrin, Picard tries to see another logical alternative to their predicament. He agrees to a risky ritual - to mind-meld with Sarek so that Sarek can briefly maintain control over his emotions while in his meetings with the Legarans. Picard becomes a mental basket case, overwhelmed with nearly 200 years of pent-up emotions that have been so carefully surpressed through decades of Vulcan teachings and meditations. Everything comes out at once, the love for Perrin that his Vulcan façade won't let him reveal, his anguish over the loss of fellowship with his son Spock, the loss of his first wife and so many other emotions of anger, rage, lonliness, passion and love all come bubbling to the surface like a volcano.

Can Picard hold it together while the lionshare of his locus of control is on loan to Sarek? Is Picard's self control enough to protect Sarek through the negotiations? Before their mind-meld, Sarek warns Picard that they will share each other's thoughts and refers to the act as "a terrible intimacy." Enough to make most grown men pee in their pants, but not Picard, who is willing to risk his career and his very mind to help a dignified man retain his dignity through the annals of history.

Great acting!
any epsidoe including sarek is always good, It was yes I will us e the term "fascinating " to see picard and sarek mindmeld. poor picard had to endure the onslaught of vulcan emotions, so sarek could get on with business. the part with sarek's wife and picard where he talks about how much sarek loves her and she replys I know I;ve always known a sweet scene.

Actor Patrick Stewart's finest moment as Captain Picard
Sarek (Mark Lenard), the long-time Vulcan ambassador and father of Spock, arrives on the Enterprise for a final diplomatic mission, which will negotiate the admission of the Legarans into the Federation. Sarek is accompanied by his third wife (an Earth woman like Amanda) and two staff members. But on their journey there are suddenly random incidents of violence on the ship and during a musical performance Picard is stunned to see Sarek is crying. Dr. Crusher determines that Sarek is suffering from Bendii syndrome, a disease that affects Vulcans over the age of 200 and results in the loss of emotional control. Sarek refuses to accept the diagnosis until one of his assistants admits he has been trying to stabilize the ambassador's emotions. At that point Sarek's wife makes a bold suggestion: Sarek should do a mind meld with Picard, to provide the emotional stability that will allow him to successfully complete his final diplomatic mission.

Patrick Stewart does not have a finer moment as an actor in the entire series than he does when he plays the overwhelming deluge of Sarek's emotions. For his part, Mark Lenard's performance as Sarek is as elegant and as strong as it has always been. There is a sense in which his performance is probably more to the mark than Spock's when it comes to denoting the true Vulcan. "Sarek" also establishes a bond between Picard and Sarek that will have additional meaning down the road in the two-parter "Unification." But the most important thing is that this is the absolute height point of the series in terms of acting.

Outstanding Professionalism
Scriptwriter and novelist Peter Beagle creates a splendid vehicle for the classical acting skills of Patrick Stewart and the late, much-loved Marc Lenard, who shows us the heart of a Vulcan whose logic made life so difficult for Spock.

One caveat. The music that makes Sarek weep isn't Mozart but Brahms.

A Touching and Engaging view of Ambassador Sarek.
Mark Lenard shows his strength as an actor when he faces off Patrick Stewart. Sarek is raving mad from a rare Vulcan illness and Picard tries to help him regain his dignity. Mark Lenard has worked with Sir John Geilgud and Lawrance Olivier and his classical acting style compliments STNG and the scene with Picard was wonderful. I am sorry Mark Lenard passed away. ... Read more

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Arguably one of the best episodes of Deep Space Nine and a jewelin the entire Trek canon (it was shown during the Museum of Television and Radio Broadcasting's Tribute to Excellence in 1994), "Duet" is apowerful and moving tale about the apparent capture of a notorious war criminal.When a middle-aged Cardassian (Harris Yulin) arrives on the station to receivemedical treatment, Major Kira (Nana Visitor) accuses him of being a monsternamed Gul Darhe'el, the "Butcher of Gallitepp," who killed thousands of Bajoransat a notorious labor camp. What ensues is an incendiary exchange between Kiraand the imprisoned Darhe'el, in which he boasts provocatively of his crimes andstrikes a nerve in the major by accusing her of ignoring the pain and deaths shecaused as a Resistance terrorist. Seeing red, Kira keeps returning to Darhe'elfor more verbal combat, but Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Odo (Rene Auberjonois)suspect something is amiss.

Pitched by a couple of interns on the show as a Judgement atNuremberg-like courtroom drama, "Duet" was instead given a Man in the Glass Boothspin by writers and coproducers Ira Behr and Peter Fields. Ironically, theepisode was made during a state of end-of-the-season exhaustion and under afrustrating mandate to shoot cheaply. Yet the result is stellar, a morally andpolitically complex drama. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A fantastic work of psychodrama
Wow...this is "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" at its best. The plot is simple (Kira suspects that a sick man brought aboard the station is actually a notorious Cardassian war criminal), but terrific direction, great music, and fantastic acting from everyone involved make this episode totally riveting. Harris Yulin is arguably Star Trek's most impressive guest star ever, and his Dr. Hannibal Lecter-ish role is wonderful. The psychology of prejudice is examined in the simplicity of the interrogation scenes and comes to a head in an incredible ending. A nearly flawless and definitely recommended episode.

"We're guilty, all of us."
This one was definitely a highlight of Deep Space Nine's first season. Playing with the old wounds of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, the writers created an intricately constructed story that parallels some real-world events, but adds enough of its own material to retain a unique f