Amazon.com

To aid in a battle simulation program, the Enterprise enlists the skills of a master strategist from the Zakdorn race, Sirna Kolrami (Roy Brocksmith). Riker and Picard face off, with Riker helming a broken-down old derelict of a ship called the Hathaway. Riker bucks the odds, and the arrogant Zakdorn's low assessment of his abilities, using a holographic trick to distract the Enterprise, thus winning the contest. Only the contest attracts a very real Ferengi vessel that attacks the Enterprise, thus taking the game to another level, an opportunity to display their game skills in an actually dangerous situation. "Peak Performance" revolves around the air of superiority of the smug Kolrami, whose arrogance and master-level abilities in the strategy game Strategema drive the crew to distraction. The episode bursts with ideas about finding creative solutions to complex problems, that pit left-brain, or logico-mathematical, skills against right-brain, or creative, abilities--and very good ideas at that. --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A missed oportunity to examine the Ferengi culture
Without question, Star Fleet would have the most rigorous standards for entry, advancement and evaluation. With billions of potential candidates from many different species, only the very best would even reach the level needed to apply. Therefore, command officers would constantly be put through new training exercises, sometimes with little chance of success. Such a scenario is the premise for this episode, where Commander Riker is to take command of an 80 year-old ship and lead it in a simulated battle against the Enterprise. The odds are overwhelmingly against Riker and his band, as their vessel, the Hathaway, is essentially a derelict, without antimatter for warp drive.
Relying on his knowledge of the security features of the Enterprise, Worf is able to simulate the appearance of a Romulan warship on the Enterprise view screen. This distracts the crew long enough for the Hathaway to inflict a great deal of simulated damage to the Enterprise. After applauding Riker and his crew, Picard believes that an approaching Ferengi warship is also a false image. However, this one is very real and attacks the unshielded Enterprise. Sustaining heavy damage and unable to immediately respond due to the weapons being taken off-line, Picard receives an ultimatum from the Ferengi. He must surrender the Hathaway or be destroyed. Once again, the guile of the Enterprise officers serves them well as they convince the Ferengi that another star ship is in the area.
There is also a major subplot, where a member of a species known for their strategic thinking is the Federation observer assigned to monitor the exercise. Arrogant to the point of being extremely obnoxious, Dr. Pulaski maneuvers Data into engaging him in a strategy game. While it is easy to root for Data, the subplot is much too dominant. I would have preferred more effort having been spent in explaining the exercise and fleshing out additional tactics. After all, the crew of the Hathaway had to have a secondary plan after the first. Also, there is very little explanation as to why the Ferengi would attack the Enterprise in such a blatant manner. Risking an interstellar war over a derelict vessel makes no sense without some additional justification. The Enterprise crew should have held a conference where the psychology and motives of the Ferengi were examined in detail.
This starts out as a very good episode, I found myself laughing at some of the "improvisations" performed by the crew of the Hathaway. However, the strength of the subplot and the inexplicable attack by the Ferengi weakened it to an average episode.

Notable for its guest star casting
Later to make himself known as "Quark" on DS9, Armin Shimerman dons the lobes of Ferengi commander "Bractor" in this episode from the series' second season. This was not the first time that the actor portrayed one of big-earred aliens, having assayed similar and distinctive characterizations in two earlier installments.

The story is rather routine and not among the show's best but it's worth a look for the development of Ferengi as pivotal characters in the Trek mythology.

Starfleet War Games: Can Pupil Riker surpass Master Picard?
Starfleet has sent the legendary Zakdorn strategist, Sirna Kolrami, the Third-level Strategema Grand Master to overseer a simulated war game. On one side we have the Enterprise, commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his trusted Android Second Officer Commander Data. On the other side we have Commander William Riker, supported by La Forge, Worf and Wesley, in the Hathaway, an eighty-year old starship that does not have warp drive. Sounds really fair, huh? This would be a really good test for Picard and the Enterprise, especially with the Borg on their way from the far ends of the Star Trek universe. Okay, the set-up is somewhat lame, but Riker and his wily crew sure have fun coming up with all sorts of tricks to help even the odds. Then, just to make things interesting, the Ferengi show up and cause trouble. This episode is a bit above average, and even though nothing significant happens it does show the crew being innovative and having fun. Clearly a couple of key elements in the show's second season was not only showing the crew as highly functional but also establishing them as becoming more of a family. In these regards "Peak Performance" helps solidify both elements.

COOL!
I really liked this particular ST:TNG episode because there is no particular pressing do-or-die mission to accomplish, just a routine simulation to run to test Commander Riker's commanding skills. Like always, things are not quite as they seem. Picard learns this when he mistakes a real attacker for a computer simulation. Another plus in my opinion is that we learn about the technological capabilities of even the most outdated hunk of junk in the galaxy, and the Enterprise crew plays a game other than poker! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

my personal fairy tale theatre movie
If your looking for a fairy tale for kids that can make even you laugh this is the one. Robin Williams will lighten the mood every time.

Bad for Children
This film contains language and sexual content. Robin Williams uses profanity and parental discretion is advised. It is a funny telling of the story for adults but not younger viewers... Parents should watch the movie first to decide if it is appropiate for their children, and trust me, it isn't!!!!

Undoubtably one of the best Faerie Tale Theatre videos.
This episode of The Tale of the Frog Prince, starring the hilarious Robin Williams and wonderful Teri Garr, is not only a very well told classic children's tale, but a comedy. It has plenty of bits an adult would find entertaining, none being underhand or crude, while still amusing to a younger audience. I grew up watching this series; I loved it then, and I still love it now ... A very good movie to see, and a deal if you can buy it anywhere!

Hilarious, but for adults
This is a hilariously funny version of a children`s fairy tale. Both Robin Williams and Teri Garr do a superb job in their portrayals of the frog-prince and the princess, but you will, most likely, be surprised at how well Rene Aberjonois (Clayton, fron the t.v. series Benson) does comedy. The only caveat is that because of the language and some the situations I would not recommend this video for pre-teens, but anyone else will definitely be amused! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Faerie Tale Theatre: The Three Little Pigs
Hilarious episode from the Faerie Tale Theatre series with an all-star cast. Billy Crystal as well as his on-screen brother actors are excellent as the three pigs, and Jeff Goldblum is show-stealing as the Big Bad Wolf. Valerie Perrine is a knock-out and makes a surprisingly sexy pig in this faerie tale. A great comedic hit for the entire family to enjoy!

I love this series!
My brother, sisters and I grew up watching the Faerie Tale Theatre collection, and loving them all. By the way, they're not just for kids! My mother loved them so much she went out of her way to find them for my little niece to enjoy. I highly recommend them to anyone with (or even without) children to view them!

cute and appealing
Billy Crystal, Valerie Perrine, Doris Roberts and Jeff Goldblum star in the new telling of the tale from FAERIE TALE THEATRE.

One of the more light-hearted entries in the series, its a delightfully comic piece, played out by master comedians Crystal and Roberts, with the beautiful Perrine cutting a mean figure as a porker indeed.

The series was a huge success, boasting a huge multi award-winning cast (Tonys, Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes, etc), and creator/producer Shelly Duvall has earned laurels for one of the finest family series in years.

Best of the Fairie Tale Theatres
I must have rented this video 40-50 times for my then pre-school age son and daughter. We all had the lines memorized. Billy Crystal is terrific as one of the pigs (Peter, Paul and Larry) and Jeff Goldblum is a howl as the wolf. The whole cast is great. This is truly a film that everyone in the family will love. The best.

As Unforgettable as Nat
This was a household staple rented over and over from our local video store, played over and over for all ages whenever our guests seemed willing. There was never ever anything but laughter and appreciation; I'm still trying to find the Samuel Barber music played just so. Please let me know if you know where I can get a copy... there are future grandchildren and grandnieces/nephews in my life whose lives will be incomplete without it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Enough of Washington Irving's Magic Resonates
RIP VAN WINKLE is the kind of pseudo-fairy tale that can mean nearly anything that the reader wants. In the hands of director Francis Ford Coppola, RVW is a surprisingly entertaining version of the Washington Irving novel that was resurrected by the Fairie Tale Theater. A previous reviewer castigated Coppola for what he termed the cheapness of the sets. Yet, as I watched the film for myself (no children involved), I was carried along by what I saw as a deliberately surreal style that successfully mimicked the much more somber tone of the text. Rip (Harry Dean Stanton)is presented as a henpecked husband of wife Vilma (Talia Shire), a woman whose cacophanous shrewishness more clearly suggests Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West than the shrill yelping of say Hillary Clinton. In such a non-threatening world, Vilma's harsh voice and equally harsh hairdo do little more than serve as plot devices to propel Rip into the haunted mountains of the Catskills, where the tale's true power resides. Rip leaves the outer level surreal world of his village to enter the inner level surreality of the Magic Mountain of Commander Heinrich. There he sees the magical ghosts whose own deaths 150 years ago prefigure his own looming sleep death of twenty years. Rip's return is a balancing of his own confusion of his long sleep with an equally confusing long sleep of the burgeoning united colonies. The silliness of the mayor (Tim Conway) suggests the subtext that the changes in Rip's village--astounding as they must seem to the bewildered Rip--are only the precursor to further changes that involve granting rights to women and people of color. When Rip finally accepts the reality of his new life, so does the viewer accept the notion that even the seeming reality of momentous changes must be viewed against future and even more momentous ones. RIP VAN WINKLE succeeds in resonating this message as well as far more "serious" films.

Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
Atmospheric and delightful version of the Washington Irving classic from Faerie Tale Theatre. Francis Ford Coppola creates a spellbinding film with Harry Dean Stanton turning in a great performance as the man who liked to sleep alot! Talia Shire is wickedly funny as Rip's wife, Wilma. Alot of people probably think the same thing as I do, that the sets are a little too fake such as the sheet used for water when the goblins talk about their misfortunate shipwreck. Overall however, it's another excellent episode.

Francis Ford Coppola seems to be directing in his sleep....
First of all, let me state that Faerie Tale Theatre is one of the best children's series ever made. It walks the fine line of being entertaining for both children and adults without pandering to either. However, this is by far the weakest entry in the series and should be avoided by all but completists. The dark aspects of Washington Irving's book have been toned down in service of a bland script and oddly tacked-on environmental message. There are glimpses of the sort of magic and wonder the story invokes, but mostly this is a lifeless and static adaptation. Francis Ford Coppola is the most acclaimed director to work on the show, but he's directing on autopilot here. The script by Mark Curtiss and Rod Ash (who have notably written the most as well as the lamest scripts in the series) wanders aimlessly in the first half before crashing to a halt in the second. Harry Dean Stanton as Rip is one of the few good things here, but Talia Shire is woefully miscast (although I think that was the point) as Rip's overbearing wife. The series always runs on a shoestring, but here it really shows. During Hudson's flashback of the storm at sea, even young children will be rolling their eyes at the toy boat tossing around on a blanket. Some of the set pieces do deliver (most memorably the encounter with the ghosts) and Carmine Coppola's music is pretty enough, but I can find little else to recommend here. Maybe if you need help falling asleep.... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The "Ghosts" of La Forge and Ro try to save the Enterprise
"The Next Phase" always strikes me as a cross between "Tom Sawyer," "The Odd Couple," and "Ghost." La Forge and Ro Laren disappear when beaming back from a Romulan ship they were helping to repair. Everyone thinks they are dead, but the Romulans had been working on a cloaking device that puts people out of phase instead of rendering them invisible. Consequently, like Tom Sawyer the two Starfleet officers get to witness their own funeral. Like Patrick Swayze they are unable to communicate with their friends. But since La Forge was the one who most vocally objected to the Bajoran joining the crew of the Enterprise ("Ensign Ro," Episode 103) there is a Felix and Oscar in the great beyond aspect to the episode as well. Some of the best moments in the episode are as the two of them argue over whether or not they are dead and what they are supposed to do if that is indeed the case. However, there are more important concerns as the Romulans become convinced the Enterprise is going to figure out about the cloaking device and they send over their own phased crew members to blow up the ship. La Forge and Ro become aware of the plot but are unable to communicate with Picard or the others.

This is an above average episode, with the interplay between Michelle Forbes and LaVar Burton (it is so nice to see somebody really get under Geordi's skin and who gives better than she gets) overcoming the gaping holes in the whole being out of phase idea (they walk through walls but not through floors). But if you are not willing to engage in the willing suspension of disbelief by now when watching Star Trek, I just ain't never going to happen. The scientific nonsense is there to set up the character confrontations and developments. In that regard "The Next Phase" does signal a larger acceptance of Ensign Ro by the Enterprise crew, since the natural inclination is to focus on the good points of someone when you think they are dead.

One of thier best
One of the great strengths of TNG was it's cast, and two of the best (Michelle Forbes, Levar Burton) dominate in a well-paced story. Ensign Ro and Geordi LaForge find themselves slightly out of phase with the rest of the universe, and they employ heroic efforts to get back in time to keep the Enterprise from disaster. Sounds like your basic potboiler, but the complications and humorous twists make for solid entertainment, with a genuine cliffhanger ending. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Enterprise is visited by a historian from the future
The Star Trek universe has seen its fair share of time traveling and in "A Matter of Time" the Enterprise encounters a visitor from the future. Rasmussen claims to be a historian from three hundred years in the future who has come back in time to study the Enterprise at a crucial moment. Picard has doubts about Rasmussen's story, but permits him to come aboard. When the Enterprise helps a young planet along by removing the giant dust cloud that is blocking its sunlight, Rasmussen applauds their historic efforts (to the bewilderment of the crew) and plans to quickly take his leave now that the big moment has passed and everybody did just want the history books said they did. However, Picard suspects Rasmussen of having stolen a number of items from the ship. Is Rasmussen a historian just procuring artifacts for his museum in the future or is there something else going on?

Rasmussen is not a particularly engaging rogue and there are enough holes in his story that it is only by the miracle of contrivance that he is allowed such free reign aboard the Enterprise. Then again, whatever doubts they have about Rasmussen the crew is pretty sure that is a real time machine in that cargo bay. "A Matter of Time" is a slightly below average episode that would have benefited from Rasmussen being a more compelling or more mysterious character. Final Note: once the secret is revealed you have to conclude that this guy is a real idiot; if Spock had trouble trying to find a way to read his tricorder when stuck in the past on Earth in the Great Depression (see the classic "The City on the Edge of Forever" episode written by Harlan Ellison), then what chance does this clown have of doing anything even half as complicated? An interesting story dragged down by a buffoonish character. This one could have easily been a lot better. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Political intrigue among the stars!
Guest star James Sloyan is riveting as the "defector" in the episode's title. Almost like a companion piece to "Deep Space Nine's 'Duet'", the show is an exercise in the politics and machinations of war.

Like the best "Treks," this one mixes science fiction with biting social commentary. This third season offering was one of the best.

Nothing is as simple as it seems in "The Defector"
When we saw the face of the first Romulan, memorably played by Mark Lenard, there was a strong element of quiet nobility associated with the character. Often on the original Star Trek the Romulans were reduced to a standard stereotype, the "Chinese" to the "Soviet" Klingons at odds with the Federation. But there are times when that initial nobility comes back, and there is no better example of this than "The Defector." This is one of the best Next Generation episodes because it is about "people" and not specific effects.

Responding to a distress call from a Romulan scout ship, the Enterprise beams aboard an apparent Romulan defector named Setal. He claims that he is a simply low-ranking officer who has learned the Romulans have created a hidden base on Nelvana Three as a prelude to taking over the Neutral Zone. Of course, Worf is suspicious, with good reason. "Setal" is really Admiral Jarok, who made his reputation in engagements against the Federation. Should Picard belief Jarok's story and investigate Nelvna Three, thereby violating the treaty between the Romulans and the Federation? Is he a true defector or are there plans within plans within plans? Enjoy playing along with Picard in this episode as he tries to determine the truth. Another classic Star Trek character study well worth the viewing.

The best episode
The Defector is the best Episode of Star Trek in my book. I like how the writers of Star Trek are telling us that every culture has its flaws. The Federation has the little worm things (conspiracy), the klingons have civil wars (Redemption), the Ferengi have Moogie, the Cardassians have the dominion, and the Romulans have defectors.

Besides seeing the mighty Romulan Empire become more realistic, I like the events that show the inner workings of Starfleet. Suddenly, the Enterprise is far enough away that recordings have to be sent, and conversations happen over days, not minutes. The Enterprise can now make deals with alien races on its own, and the Starfleet Intelligence Network begins to show promise (section 31? Maybe). But if you want one that will keep you thinking, look at this one.

Complex character portrait in an action show
Classic STAR TREK's two (hard to believe, but that's all there were) episodes depicting Romulans were very much one-man shows: Mark Lenard as the very noble Romulan in BALANCE OF TERROR and Joanne Linville as the passionate Romulan commander in THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT.

THE DEFECTOR is Admiral Alidar Jarok, strategist, war hero, butcher, and traitor -- depending on your point of view. But what of Jarok's point of view?

Skillfully introduced by Picard's and Data's evocation of "a little touch of Harry in the night" from HENRY V, Jarok shows that the "king's cause" -- or that of the Romulan Star Empire is one thing, but the cause of his own conscience is more powerful yet.

Skillfully played, the character takes us from one reversal to the other, one step behind the ENTERPRISE's crew, which is often angry, often contemptuous at the first defector in Romulan history. Curiously, the one who is most compassionate to him is Data.

Jarok knows what he can expect, what he has sacrified, and what his people will do to him. But he has done it for love of his baby daughter, and the scene in which he explains this to Picard puts, for once, the intrepid Captain firmly in the wrong.

Picard closes the show with what one hopes is a promise that can be kept.

An excellent episode
This episode is one of the best that TNG has ever made. It has lots of action, above average special effects and great acting. It has a real surprise twist at the end, too! Fans of TNG or star trek in general shouldn't hesitate to buy this truly stellar episode! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Worf finally comes to terms with Alexander's future
Worf takes Alexander to a Klingon outpost so the boy can observe their cultural heritage up close and personal. However, that night three assassins attack them. They survive in part because of the actions of K'Mtar, an adviser to the House of Mogh. When K'Mtar shows Worf that the knife of the assassin bears the symbol of the House of Duras. While the Enterprise begins looking for the Duras sisters, K'Mtar tries to inspire Alexander to become a warrior. But, as always, the boy resists the idea. However, when confronted with the evidence the Duras sisters not only deny they were involved in the assassination plot, they point out that the knife bears not only the symbol of the House of Duras, but the mark of Lursa's son. The twist is that Lursa only recently became pregnant. That would mean the knife produced by K'Mtar, comes from the future...

After several less than stellar stories involving Worf's Klingon heritage and his problems raising Alexander, "Firstborn" gets down to the basics. At long last, Worf, the only Klingon in Starfleet, recognizes the uniqueness of his son and finally grants him the right to follow his own destiny, no matter what the cost (apparently Alexander wants to a diplomatic peace-maker). Given all the time it has taken for this obvious idea to get through Worf's thick skull (it has all those bony ridges), this was a nice payoff to resolving that particular sub-plot. It was also nice to see an episode that makes subtle but appropriate use of time travel. An excellent final STNG "Klingon" episode. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When Captain Picard seeks some much needed recreation in theEnterprise's newly revamped holodeck, he decides to take a fantasyvacation as his favorite fictional private eye, Dixon Hill, a hard-boiled,trench-coated defender of WWII-era San Francisco. Picard's thrilling account ofthe computer-generated verisimilitude persuades a few shipmates to join him: Commander Data, Dr. Crusher, and some guy you've never heard of. Guess who gets shot when the holodeck malfunctions and its artificial creations turn very real and very deadly? The cast plays up to the genial humor of the witty story, and guest star Lawrence Tierney is a hoot as a Sidney Greenstreet-type villain philosophically intrigued by the notion that he doesn't truly exist. All that's missing is the playfulness that could have sent this over the top. Like many Next Generation episodes made before the show found its own voice and tone with the introduction of the Borg, "The Big Goodbye" suffers in comparison with the original Trek. One looks back fondly to Kirk and Spock's similar brush with '30s-style gangsters ("A Piece of the Action"), which had a goofy, go-for-broke sense of the situation's absurdity which this show lacks. And for allPicard's going on about the stunning reality of the simulated San Francisco,this is a disappointingly set-bound episode, cramped and confined when it mostneeds to break out of its story and breathe freely. --Bruce Reid ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Holodeck malfunction, overused but works here
The Enterprise is on route to make contact with the Jarada, an insect-like species who demand a ritual greeting from the captain of the ship. It is a very difficult greeting for humans to pronounce and the Jarada are very exacting in their expectations. A single mispronounced syllable could have interplanetary consequences. Captain Picard has been practicing the greeting, but it is starting to wear on him. Since it will be several hours until contact is made, he decides to engage in a diversion in the holodeck. He will assume the role of the fictional private detective Dixon Hill and Dr. Crusher, Data and crewman Whalen accompany him.
However, a scan of the Enterprise causes the holodeck to malfunction, they are unable to disengage the program, they cannot exit and all safety protocols are turned off. Some gangsters arrive to settle a score with Hill and Whalen is seriously injured. Furthermore, the time of the rendezvous is approaching and Captain Picard cannot deliver the greeting from the holodeck. Wesley finally manages to open the exit and Picard and his group are able to leave the holodeck in the nick of time.
What makes this episode work are the characters they interact with in the holodeck. In many ways they are self-aware and the title of the episode is derived from the conversation that Picard has with a fabricated police officer. The officer asks what will happen to him when the program terminates and Picard is forced to answer that he doesn't know. Hence, from the perspective of the officer, their parting is the big goodbye. The gangsters are also excellent characters, especially the leader. Even though he is on the verge of having Picard's party killed, he demonstrates that he is more than a thug. He insists on good manners and his dialog with Picard is excellent.
In general, I do not like the episodes based on a holodeck malfunction. In my opinion, that plot device was far too overused in the series. Any technology used on the Enterprise that prone to malfunction would not be used on the Enterprise. What I found most difficult to believe is that there was no priority override to the holodeck. There would be a switch or button that would immediately disengage the holodeck, no matter what it was doing. However, the story was so well done that I override my usual objections and give the episode four stars.

"I spell knife with an 'n' but then I never could spell."
The holodeck premise has led to the creation of many horrendous Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager episodes. It has brought about so much misery and confusion to loyal Trek viewers that it is easy to forget that there actually have been quality holodeck episodes. "The Big Goodbye" is one of them.

The Enterprise-D is traveling to quadrant Korona IV which is home to the Jarada. In order to get on their good side, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) has been asked by the alien race to deliver a precise greeting that cannot deviate in any way from its specifications. To ease his stress, the captain visits the holodeck along with Data (Brent Spiner), Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), and ship historian Whalen (David Selsburg). The group participates in an adventure set in twentieth-century San Francisco but a malfunction occurs which traps them in the holodeck with the safety features deactivated. A race against time ensues to save the lives of the trapped crewmembers and to free Captain Picard in time for his meeting with the Jarada.

Yes, Wesley once again helps to save the day but let's concentrate on the more positive aspects of this episode, shall we? The Star Trek franchise has always been at its best when it explored profound ideas. In keeping with this approach, the holodeck has been a wonderful device to comment upon the nature of reality and our perceptions of it. When it is utilized correctly as a storytelling tool, it has posed some intriguing questions about who we really are and what exactly is this world that we occupy. This was the first Star Trek: The Next Generation episode that hinted at the better things yet to come in later seasons. It is not as smooth or polished as later entries but it still holds up rather well when measured against the other noteworthy episodes in the series. And who knew that the job of Enterprise-D historian could be so hazardous?

Another fave of mine...
Another one of my favorite episodes. It's sooo funny to see the modern-day Jean-Luc, Beverly, and Data dressed in 1940's gear. I laughed out loud (and still do today) when Beverly has trouble walking in the narrow "women's" shoes (Beverly has rather wide, short feet) and nearly trips coming into the holodeck and keeps touching the curly wig she has on over her straight red hair. I think she was really embarrassed. It was hysterical when someone passed her gum and she winds up swallowing it whole with a noisy GULP; that was a timeless scene! There's also a touching scene where Picard meets Beverly in the police lobby and Beverly softly asks if he's having a good time. Jean-Luc says how glad he is that she came and Beverly blushes a bright red; that scene shows Beverly's shyness in an endearing way. Things get scary when the holodeck malfunctions and the safety feature fails, then one of the gang members threatens Beverly taunting her archiac sexist words. The scenery was real and gave a feel of that era of impending war, tough times and the backwards living of people back then. I could see that the crew was taken slightly aback by the ignorance and primitiveness of characters in Dixon Hill's time. Especially sensitive Beverly was shocked by the rampant violence and callous disregard for humanity of that time.

Too underrated...
This highly underrated first season episode of TNG is actually the best of the holodeck episodes. Looking for a break in the goings-on of the Federation, Captain Picard seeks refuge in the guise of Detective Dixon Hill. In the meantime, the crew is preparing for peace talks with the hostile Jerada. When the ship is scanned by the Jeradan flagship, Picard, Data, Dr. Crusher, and Expendable Crewman #13h are trapped in the holodeck and the safety has been turned off, making fake bullets real! The suspense mounts up to the creative ending. All of the guest stars do very well and provide a neat contrast with 1930s literature and 24th century universe. It's a great, fun episode with Trek lore perfectly in tact.

'The Next Generation' Strikes Gold! - More To Follow!
I was originally quite skeptical about Paramount producing a new Trek television series along with many others. My dubious instinct proved to be prophetic as ST:TNG began it's network run. I found the first several episodes were hardly worth sitting through and I was ready to write the series off. But show's like "The Battle" and "Hide And Q" kept me coming back the next week and hoping for more excellence. "The Big Goodbye" is the episode that singlehandedly won my allegiance as a fan.

Though the holodeck would be returned to for several more 'star-turns' in other shows, this one remains my favorite. This parody of the film noir classic "The Maltese Falcon" is expertly written and faultlessly performed. The Enterprise crew members reactions to the holodeck characters are played mostly for laughs and therefore to great effect. "The Big Goodbye" also features one of Next Generation's finest ensemble supporting casts. Harvey Jason, as Felix Leach, is an absolute riot as a poor man's Peter Lorre; Lawrence Tierney, doubling for Sydney Greenstreet, is commanding as the proper but nefarious Cyrus Redblock - his best role in years prior to being in "Reservoir Dogs"; cult film star Dick Miller appears as a newstand vendor; William Boyett, who appeared in several episodes of television's "Dragnet, shows up as a brow-beating police detective.

Tracy Torme, who scripted this Peabody Award winning episode, created a totally unique and ingenious plot by having Enterprise crew members get trapped in the past without even leaving the ship. The Star Trek production team also does a marvelous job of creating the effect of the holodeck as well the attention to period detail. Arguably the best episode from the inaugural TNG season but most certainly the best looking one. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Definite kid-pleaser
My three-year-old daughter fell in love with this the first time we borrowed it from the library. I enjoyed it myself; my only gripe is Conchata Ferrell's performance. This usually very talented actress seems bored to tears and injects absolutely no feeling into her role as Thumbelina's mother. It's as if she was directed to perform as stoically as possible. I don't get it at all. I am also not impressed with Carrie Fisher's singing here. I know she is capable of singing quite beautifully, I just don't think the folkish songs in this tale are well suited to her instrument. It's hard to pull off such dirges unless the singer has that ethereal, almost mediaeval quality to her voice (think Loreena McKennitt, Mediaveal Baebes). But those minor complaints are of no consequence whatsoever to the intended audience. Children will certainly be enchanted! It's witty script and a fun production.

The Little Thumb with a Big Heart
"Thumbelina" is a fantastic retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, "Little Thumb".

Produced in 1983 (and released the following year), as part of Shelley Duvall's charming live-action "Faerie Tale Theatre", the narrative is told with good humour, imagination, and a great sense of fun. The magnificent cast adds much colour and warmth to the proceedings. In particular, Carrie Fisher, in the title role, delivers a captivating performance. She makes an extremely attractive heroine, not to mention one who's "more than just another pretty face". She's an absolute delight, adding her unique qualities to the role. Not only is she pint-sized in real life (although not quite as tiny as a thumb!), she has a lovely, deep voice that is quite at odds with her diminutive stature. When she sings, it is a beautiful and rewarding experience. Indeed, she sings with "an angel's voice". (This is also a highlight for any Carrie Fisher fan, as she began her career as a singer, and yet she only sings briefly in "Hannah and Her Sisters", 1986, and in the Walt Disney live-action comedy, "Sunday Drive", also released in 1986.)

Carrie Fisher is supported by equally delightful character actors. The late Burgess Meredith is in top form as Mr Mole, the second would-be husband of Thumbelina. Likewise, William Katt makes a very positive impression as the Prince of the Flower Angels.

This wonderful fairy tale is further enhanced by excellent production values, including great music, atmospheric sets, and good costumes and creatures like Mother Toad, her hapless son, Herman, the Fieldmouse, and the Swallow.

The script faithfully follows the original story, although the gender of the Fieldmouse has been changed, making for a more convincing friendship with Mr Mole to exist, as well as creating a heartfelt guardianship of Thumbelina along strictly platonic lines.

This well-written and perceptive tale ("I'm always the bride, but never the bridesmaid") makes for enchanting family entertainment. "Thumbelina" delivers a great message, too, but above all, it's storytelling at it's most memorable.

I applaud executive producer Shelley Duvall, and all involved, for giving such a wonderful gift. It's up there with Jim Henson's equally engaging "Storyteller" anthology series, produced in the late 1980s, and the "The Doll", an Emmy Award winning episode of "Amazing Stories" (of the same era).

For me, it's an extra special treat because Carrie Fisher became much more than just Princess Leia with this performance. Besides, she continues to melt me every time she smiles as the Ultimate Flower Angel! Let's hope that this "Faerie Tale Theatre" production, along with my other favourites like "Beauty and the Beast", are re-released soon. Preservation on DVD for future generations is highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

So, you say you want an evolution? Not on this planet.
The Enterprise rescues a seriously injured humanoid from a severely damaged escape pod. Dr. Crusher fears for the worst, but then the patient makes a miraculous recovery, although he remembers neither his name nor his past. Crusher calls him "John Doe" and discovers his cells are mutating, eventually leading to strange energy surges. La Forge and Data figure out that their visitor is from the planet Zalkon, and when the Enterprise arrives there several weeks later they are stunned when a ship meets them and its captain demands they turn over the dangerous criminal they are holding for punishment.

"Transfigurations" starts off as a pretty standard mystery: who is this stranger person and why are his cells mutating? The twist comes when we get our answer, at which point the episode becomes one of the more provocative ones dealing with the good ol' Prime Directive. At issue is how to respect the rights of an individual versus the rights of a society. Episodes like this make you wonder why each ship in Starfleet does not have someone from the Judge Advocate General's Office on the bridge all the time. ... Read more

Amazon.com

According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, "Yesterday's Enterprise" was written by committee and hastily finalized to meet shooting demands. The end result is arguably the best episode of the series. (It often outranks "Best of Both Worlds" in fan top 10 polls.) What easily could have been a typical TNG time-anomaly story turns out to be a powerful and disconcerting teleplay about the cost of war versus the price of peace.

The teaser opens with Guinan (Whoopie Goldberg) introducing Mr. Worf to a new beverage. After no small amount of wheedling, the recalcitrant Klingon dubs prune juice "a warrior's drink." This is a pivotal scene. Why? Because later, when Guinan looks out the window of Ten-Forward, she sees a strange cloud--and when she looks back, nothing is the same. The Enterprise-D is now a battleship, the Federation is entrenched in a 22-year war against the Klingons, and tactical officer Tasha Yar is very much alive. To the astonishment of the bridge crew, the long-lost Enterprise-C hovers badly damaged within a temporal rift. And something deep within Guinan tells her none of this is right...

"Yesterday's Enterprise" has it all: great writing, great acting, and, above all, honor. This episode belongs in every TNG video collection. Note: it contains tons of embedded trivia. Combat date is used instead of stardate and military log for captain's log, and early film uniforms are worn aboard the Enterprise-C. Watch for Geordi's famous "cuff" blooper in the last scene. --Kayla Riggney ... Read more

Reviews (20)

The resurrection and redemption of Tasha Yar
"Yesterday's Enterprise" is one of the greatest Next Generation stories, in which the character of Tasha Yar is given more depth and resonance in this single episode than she had during her entire time on the show's first season. The Enterprise encounters a temporal rift through which flies the Enterprise-C, the predecessor to Jean-Luc Picard's own Enterprise-D. In that instant, everything changes. We are now aboard a ship of war, which has been fighting a losing war with the Klingon Empire. Of course Worf is gone and in his place is Tasha Yar. Only Guinan knows that something is wrong and has to convince Picard that this time line is wrong and that the right one must be restored. "This is a ship of war," Picard tells her. "No, its not," she insists, "It a ship of peace." What happened? The Enterprise-C was responding to a distress call from a Klingon ship being attacked by the Romulans. Eventually Picard surmises that the Enterprise-C must have been destroyed in the encounter, a honorable act that the Klingons would have respected. The choice then is between using the Enterprise-C to help fight the war with the Klingons in this time-line or send the ship back to certain death on the chance that will make everythign all right. Meanwhile, Tasha is told by Guinan that in the "true" reality she is dead and that her death was without meaning.

This is a stunning episode, which not only provides dignity to a character who was pretty much dismissed by everyone in the first season, but which also sets up several marvelous plot twists down the road. Denise Crosby does the most with this wonderful second chance to play this character. The moments that Madame Whoops has with both Picard and Tasha are marvelous. I always like the little hints of the true nature of Picard's relationship with Guinan. It is also nice to see Christopher McDonald in something other than the male jerk roles he has been typecasted with ever since "Thelma and Louise." This is an A+ episode and before this third season ends there will be several more just as good ("The Offspring," "Sarek," "Menage a Troi," "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I"). This series really starts cooking at this point.

Ooooh Yes!
Here's an episode that brings out the best of Star Trek. The alternate universe created by the Enterprise C's time slip is utterly eerie. The war-torn Federation is getting trounced by the Klingon Empire (hardly surprising, if it did indeed come down to all out war). Everyone's on edge, Picard is at Riker's throat, and Tasha Yar strolls the gritty bridge, back in the land of the living.

And of course, Star Trek provides us with a moral dilema as Picard must convince the C crew to return to certain death. One is reminded of Wrath of Khan, when does the good of the many outweight the good of the few? It's also inspiring to give Yar a better send-off after the disaster that was Skin of Evil. This episode is a must for any fan of Star Trek.

One of the top 5
I was an original Star Trek fan back in the 60's but didn't catch hardly any of the Next Gen. series until after it was over went into reruns. Then I caught all of them in a year and a half, since they were playing them 5 nights a week. . .

Having now seen probably all of them, I have to say this is one of the greatest episodes. Denise Crosby gets to reprise her Tasha Yar role in a dramatic episode where she returns with an earlier doomed Enterprise (about 70 years earlier) to its past to try to save the ship, which is losing a battle with the Klingons. She is told by Guinan that her death was "...without meaning," and now she has a second chance. She goes back with the doomed crew to see if she can make a difference.

There are some other nice touches to this episode, such as Guinan's relationship with Captain Picard, who must convince Picard that there is something wrong with their timeline and something has altered their present, and so it must be changed back by returning the earlier Enterprise to its past. But Crosby finally gets to be the star of this one episode. Don't miss it.

Easily the best of the TNG episodes...
Every bit of it just works. Captain Rachel Garrett turns in a GREAT performance as the captain of the Enterprise-C . Patrick Stewart's finest performance as Picard; a harder man who has seen many more battles than his alternate-timeline counterpart; carrying the weight of the knowledge that the war with the Klingons does not go well for the Federation. He doesn't smile once.

The final line in Picard's battle speech to his crew, as he explains that the Enterprise-D MUST protect the Enterprise-C at any cost: 'Let us make sure that history never forgets the name Enterprise.' Best line ever spoken in Star Trek.

The U.S.S. Enterprise-C intercepts the U.S.S. Enterprise-D.
Synopsis:

The course of history is altered by the mysterious appearance of a U.S.S. Enterprise from the past.

While on a routine mission, the U.S.S. Enterprise discovers a bizarre rift in space, which reveals an unidentified vessel. Both ships are now on an alternate universe where the Federation is in the midst of a twenty-year bloody war with the Klingons.

The crew identifies the mysterious vessel as their ships' immediate predecessor, the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C, believed to have been destroyed in battle twenty-two years ago. Their own crew now includes Tasha Yar, the ex-security chief who was killed in the line of duty. Meeting with the captain of that vessel, Captain Rachel Garrett, Picard learns that it was responding to a distress signal on a Klingon outpost when it was attacked by four Romulan Warbirds. But in the middle of the assault, the ship broke through the space rift, thus saving it from the destruction recorded in the history books, and now history has no memory of the U.S.S. Enterprise-C's battle with the Romulans. Although Picard and his crew are baffled by the strange appearance of the U.S.S. Enterprise-C, Guinan's alien instincts lead her to believe that the Federation's current bloody war with the Klingons is the result of the U.S.S. Enterprise-C's presence in their future. Certain that the ship is now existing in the wrong time line, she pleads with Picard to send the U.S.S. Enterprise-C back through the rift in order to change the course of events, which has resulted in the loss of 40 billion lives during the Klingon war.

Picard confers with Data, who asserts that if the U.S.S. Enterprise-C was destroyed while aiding the Klingon outpost, it would have been viewed as an honorable act, which means the current war with the Klingons may have been avoided. Faced with this knowledge, Picard decides to send the U.S.S. Enterprise-C back through the time rift, to face its tragic destiny.

Meanwhile, Tasha learns from Guinan that, in the correct time line, she died a meaningless death. In response, Tasha requests that she be allowed to serve on the doomed U.S.S. Enterprise-C crew so that she may die in the heroic battle with the Romulans, and Picard reluctantly agrees.

As the U.S.S. Enterprise-C makes its way back through the time rift, three Klingon warships try to launch an attack on it. To assure that the U.S.S. Enterprise-C returns to its rightful place in time, Picard positions the U.S.S. Enterprise-D between that vessel and the Klingons, sustaining heavy casualities in the process. Just as the U.S.S. Enterprise-D's engine core seems on the verge of exploding, Data announces that the rift has closed, and, unaware of the preceding events, the U.S.S. Enterprise returns to its original time line, heading for a cultural exchange program with a Klingon delegation. ... Read more

Amazon.com

TNG really hits its stride with this well-written episode. What starts out as Data's letter to the nefarious Bruce Maddox at the Daystrom Institute evolves into a complex and genuinely funny character study of the seemingly "emotionless" android. Oh, and it's the "1,550th day since the Enterprise was commissioned."

Over the course of the series, Data desperately strives to become more "human." This episode illustrates the point that even though he is technically a machine, Data possesses fundamental traits that define humanity. He has a great capacity for forgiveness (Bruce Maddox wanted to deactivate and dissect him in "Measure of a Man"), compassion (we're introduced to Data's cat, Spot), and friendship. And finally, Data is baffled and bemused by interpersonal relationships, which is the very definition of human being. As always, Brent Spiner plays Data baffled with the sophistication of Cary Grant. The B-story about Chief O'Brien's wedding is particularly baffling and amusing. Rosalind Chao makes her first appearance as Keiko, and the ship's arboretum makes its first appearance as itself.

"Data's Day" ranks high on TNG top 10 lists, and is a favorite with trivia buffs for absolute high weirdness. Things to watch for and ponder endlessly: Worf and the crystal swan; the Bolian Barber's unique hair coloring method; Dr. Crusher's secret past as the Dancing Doctor; the Ersatz Vulcan; Spot; the whole Miles and Keiko thing going on; and last but not least, the immortal sneer: "Human bonding rituals often involve a lot of... talking... and dancing... and crying." --Kayla Riggney ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A hilarious episode
This episode is a first for Star Trek, in that it presents the episode in 'a day in the life' format of one of it's characters. The character chosen in the crew's android, Lieutenant Commander Data. Data is an excellent choice, as he provides many witty comments about human behaviour throughout the story.

Anyway, in the episode, Data must sort out a disagreement between an couple who are due to be married, learn how to dance, solve the mysterious death of one of the Federation's top Ambassadors and be father of the bride in a wedding on board the ship. Pretty hard work for a day's work I'd say!!

The episode is a comic gem, with some great interplay between Data and the rest of the crew. I would recommend it to both the casual Star Trek viewer and the die-hard fan, who will find it a trivia fest!

A day in the life of Data the tap dancing super sleuth
The framing device for this episode is that Data is putting together a report on all of his activities for a single day to be forwarded to Bruce Maddox, the clown who wanted to claim Data as Starfleet property back in "The Measure of a Man" (Episode 35). For the sake of argument we will assume that Data does not do a mondo data dump on him. Two main activities occupy Data's time and effort on this particular date. First, he has been asked to stand in as the bride's father at the wedding of Chief O'Brien and Keiko, since he introduced the happy couple. There is a hysterical sequence when Data asks Dr. Crusher to teach him to dance; she teaches him tap dancing before she learns he wants to be able to dance with the bride at the wedding. Second, the Enterprise is taking Vulcan Ambassador T'Pei to the Netural Zone for a meeting with the Romulans who supposedly want to enter into diplomatic conversations with the Federation. However, a transporter malfuction apparently kills the ambassador when they try to beam her over to the Romulans. There is too much mystery here for Captain Picard and Data has to use his positronic brain to find out what really happened.

"Data's Day" would be an interesting episode even without the framing device of Data's report. I almost get the feeling that they had this interesting plot line involving a mysterious Vulcan ambassador and a fun one with Data being father of the bride at Keiko's wedding and figured why not toss the two together? Except for Data there is really nothing that puts these two halves together. The surprising thing is that the whole is more than the sum of the parts. This is not one of the best Data episodes, but it certainly does provide more insights in everyone's favorite android than most.

A Day in the Life
I love this episode! "Data's Day" is TNG writing at its best. Behind the simple premise lies a very complex character study of the seemingly "emotionless" android, Data. Make no mistake, even though "Data's Day" is charming and very, very funny, it's also quite revealing.

Over the course of the series, Data as a character desparately strives to become more "human." This episode illustrates the point that even though he is an android, Data posesses fundemental traits that define "humanity." He has a great capacity for forgiveness ("Data's Day" is a letter to Bruce Maddox, the man who wanted to deactivate and disect him), compassion (we're introduced to Data's cat, Spot) and friendship. We should all be so human.

"Data's Day" shows up on a lot of TNG Top 10 Best Episode lists. Definitely makes my personal Top 10. All-around great episode. Excellent writing. Spiner's acting is solid as always. Tons of fodder for trivia buffs.

Things to watch for: Spot; The Dancing Doctor; Worf & the crystal swan; Keiko and Miles; and last but not least, The Ersatz Vulcan ... Read more

Amazon.com

As Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) heads to Starfleet Academy to take theirgrueling entrance exam, a brash Starfleet commander (Robert Schenkkan) boards the Enterprise in order to conduct a top-secret investigation. Just as Wesley doesn't always know what is and isn't part of the test (he's one of four finalists for a single Academy slot), the crew of the Enterprise doesn't know who or what is being investigated. All they are told is that "something is wrong with the ship." Soon they figure out that Captain Picard is under investigation, as captain's logs are nitpicked for inconsistencies and past actions are questioned. This puts everybody on edge, as they can't understand what could be wrong with a captain as competent as Picard, but the commander is under strict orders not to blab about it until the investigation is over. Both story lines are eventually resolved, of course, but it's fun to see the members of the Enterprise get all uppity in defense of Picard. --AndySpletzer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

"Did you hear what she said, Mordock? She said I was cute."
You would not think an episode primarily concerned with people taking an exam would be engaging, but "Coming of Age" is exactly that. Remember that if you ever come across an exam question asking about the proper ratio of matter to antimatter, the answer is 1 to 1. Don't know the answer to the Dynamic Relationships question though.

The Enterprise-D arrives at Relva VII. As Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) beams down to take his Starfleet Academy entrance exam, Admiral Gregory Quinn (Ward Costello) and Lt. Commander Dexter Remmick (Robert Schenkkan) beam aboard the ship to conduct an investigation. As Wesley starts to stress over the psychological evaluation portion of the exam, the Enterprise's senior officers start to become impatient with the increasingly hostile nature of Remmick's line of questioning. As if Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) doesn't have enough to worry about, he is also forced to deal with a suicidal Jake Kurland (Stephen Gregory) who has become despondent over not qualifying for the Starfleet Academy entrance exam

Talk about a full plate. "Coming of Age" has a little bit of everything. We get to see what Starfleet Academy's entrance exam is like, we get a glimpse of a Benzite for the first time, we get to witness the tightening up of Star Trek: The Next Generation's continuity in the course of Remmick's investigation, we get to see Picard be offered the head job at Starfleet academy, and we get a wonderful guest starring turn by Robert Ito. Oh, and I almost forget to mention that we also learn that courtesy is a no-no when speaking to a Zoldan. With so much material to fill up this single episode, it is no wonder that it moves along at a crisp pace and manages to keep the proceedings interesting from beginning to end. You know an episode is good when Wesley Crusher is holding your attention. Wow.

We learn much about the culture of Star Fleet
Most of the best episodes of the original series and TNG deal with learning about new cultures. In this episode, we learn much about the culture of Star Fleet and it is done in two ways. The first is when Wesley leaves the Enterprise to take the Starfleet Academy entrance exam. While many elements of the exam are familiar, there are many that are unexpected. The candidates are of course grilled by computer, all in the same room, and there seems to be few, if any, restrictions on their communicating during the exam. Clearly, these exams are very difficult, as even the boy genius Wesley struggles and does not "pass."
The second element of the culture is when Lt. Commander Remmick boards the Enterprise to conduct a very demanding investigation of Captain Picard. His probe is nasty, with very testy questions, leading to a great deal of hard feelings among the crew. Nevertheless, we see how strong the discipline of Star Fleet is, as only someone with enormous self control would be able to tolerate it. Remmick is very impressed, even asking if he could serve on the Enterprise when his current tour is over.
This is an episode that should have appeared earlier in the series. Since so much of what the characters are was molded by their Star Fleet training, it is good for us to be able to see some of what it involves. While it is not a great episode, it certainly ranks in the top twenty percent.

Starfleet Exam
Coming of Age or......The Horrendous Psyche Test at the Academy

Another Wesley Crusher episode. In this one we get to see him as a finalist at Starfleet Academy. He meets other students his age and discovers he's not the only one who couldn't fit in. He meets a Benzite called Mordock; who proves to help him with insider info on the test. Wes and his other classmates take the infamous psyche test. It means facing your greatest fear in the holodeck simulation. He follows his instincts and meets the test with unexpected bravery. I wish that the Crusher character was given more episodes like this. It would have been better if the writers took him through the academy instead of turning him into another time traveler entity.

The writing staff never followed up on this concept. What happened to Wes other than him becoming one of those hocus-pocus magical Q-like entities? The more I think of this episode; the more I say the right direction for his character would be for him to become a commander like his mentor Picard or a research doctor or scientist like his Mom.

The B story in this one is when Remmick starts poking his nose aboard the ship; he discovers Picard is a much better captain than expected. He convinces another friend of Wes's not to run away from his problems. We also discover that Picard was not successful after the first attempt on his Starfleet entrance exams.

The B story with Remmick jump-started what could have been an otherwise slow moving episode. It's too bad they killed him off in the "Conspiracy" episode. He played a good devils advocate and would have been a good foil for Picard when starship inspections came up.

Wesley takes the entrance exam for Starfleet Academy
The Enterprise orbits Relva VII while Wesley Crusher takes the Starfleet Academy entrance exam. In the grand traditions of Social Darwinism, there are four candidates contending for a single admissions slot: Wesley, a human female, a Vulcan female, and a Benzite male. Apparently this is either the only Vulcan to apply or for some reason she logically thought that she would have a better chance taking the test out in the boondocks. However, it turns out that even if these happen to be the four best candidates in the universe, it will not matter because one and only one of them will get to help make the galaxy safe. Meanwhile, back on the Enterprise, Admiral Quinn has beamed aboard with Lt. Commander Remmick from the Inspector General's office to conduct an investigation. Remmick ticks everybody off big time (especially Worf) with his pointed questions about Captain Picard's recent decisions in what proves to be a rather provocative critique of earlier episodes. Quinn confides to Picard that there is some sort of internal threat to the Federation. We will find out exactly what is rotten in the Federation down the road in "Conspiracy" (Episode 25), but we will not be impressed.

The problem with the character of Wesley Crusher was always two fold. First, even though we were proven wrong in the last episode in which he appeared, we always knew that even though he was a scientific prodigy, Wesley was going to grow up to be a great Starfleet Captain. Consequently, there was this whole inevitable destiny thing that was rather constraining to the character. Second, and more importantly, if you accept at face value the idea that Wesley is such a wunderkind, then how do you justify him remaining on board the Enterprise and not going directly to Starfleet Academy, do not pass go, do not collect 2 bars of gold pressed latinum? I always thought the best Wesley Crusher episodes were after he finally did head off to the Academy, and not just because it meant his appearances were less frequent. Ultimately, "Coming of Age" is the first season contrivance to keep Wesley in his place aboard the Enterprise. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Price of War
Built for War

Jeff McCarthy portrays a prisoner of a war long gone on planet Angosia. While Prime Minister Nayrok portrayed by James Cromwell; applies for Federation Membership, this guy is wreaking havoc aboard the Enterprise. The best scences were in the transporter room. When the prisoner disarms all the security with deadly precision.

It's a matter that Picard can't handle. He eventually escapes and causes a revolution on his home world.

How many wrongs does it take to make a right?
Exactly when does the Prime Directive kick in? The Enterprise is visiting Angosia, a planet that wants to join the Federation. While Picard meets with the Prime Minister, played by James Cromwell, there is a report a violent prisoner has escaped from the planet's penal colony. Although Angosia is only in the application process, Picard uses the Enterprise to capture the escapee and beam him aboard the ship. Counselor Troi is attracted to the prisoner, Roga Danar, who tells her how her was programmed by his government to be a super soldier, his body modified by drugs and his mind altered by psychological training. When the war was over Danar and his brethren could not be allowed back into polite society, they were carted off to a penal colony. When Picard demands an explanation from the Prime Minister, he is told quite pointedly that this is an internal matter and demands the return of the prisoner. Maybe Angosia is not ready to join the Federation.

Of course, if the Federation did a better job of investigating planets applying for membership they would probably discover all these deep dark secrets, but then we would not have all these fun Prime Directive episodes such as "The Hunted" where Picard flips a coin to see if he follows it or not. But once you get past the slightly flawed premise, this is an above average Next Generation episode. As I write this review we are recounting the recounted votes in Florida and I have to admit the idea of ethics in politics being a question of efficacy that we see there is very much present in this episode. The highpoint of "The Hunted" is when Danar attempts to escape from the Enterprise, proving exactly how good of a job the Angosians did in creating their race of super soldiers. Will the Captain of the Enterprise continue to play fast and loose with the Prime Directive or will the Prime Minister of Angosia be hoisted on our own Picard? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Puss in Boots
This is a great movie. It's real light hearted and comical. The characters are all very love-able, except for the ogre of course! I also thought it was neat that all the main characters are African American. I highly recommend this film if you're looking for a good, clean, fun movie to enjoy. ... Read more