Amazon.com

In Little Green Men, the second season opener of The X-Files, Mulder and Scully have been separated, the X-Files closed down, and the truth buried more deeply than ever. A tip from a U.S. Senator hints at proof of extraterrestrial communication, and Mulder risks his career and his life to uncover the mysteries of a S.E.T.I. facility in Puerto Rico.

One of the best monster episodes of the series, The Host finds Mulder and Scully knee deep in the sewers of New Jersey where something is devouring sanitation workers. Complete with fluke worms, portapotties, and a few tons of raw sewage, this episode is not for the faint-hearted. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Go Go Fluke Man!
Little Green Men/The Host is probably the second best episode collection ever. In Little Green Men, Mulder travels to Puerto Rico to investigate supposed alien contact on a government base. But while he's there, he comes into contact with the same aliens who abducted his sister Samantha. Compared to The Host however, this episode is nothing. In The Host, a mutilated body in the Newark sewers attracts Mulder and Scully's attention. Scully claims the victim was killed by a parasitic creature called a fluke worm. But then another worker is killed by something much larger... This episode is pretty icky and pretty awesome.

Fluke Man rules!!!
"The Host" is one of the best X-Files episodes ever. Where does Chris Carter dream this stuff up?? Granted, this is not for the sqeamish, but there is no disputing this is an X-Files classic. "Little Green Men" is nowhere as good as "The Host" but still quite good. All I can say is if you're driving through Newark, NJ late one night...watch out...Fluke Man is gonna get you!! ... 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 (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

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

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

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 (5)

star trek fan
this is my favorite episode, It keeps me on the edge of my seat, I had to order it to complete my season. Highly recommended!

Captain Picard and Mark Twain change places in Time
In "Time's Arrow, Part I," the fifth season's finale, Picard led an Away Team that followed a pair of alien predators into the past: 19th-Century San Francisco to be precise. There they join Data and Guinan (the Guinan of the past not the present Guinan who is still in the future). Together they discover the cave that would contain all of the artifacts, including Data's head, which were found in the 24th-Century at the start of this story. Unfortunately, at the key moment Samuel Clemens (Jerry Hardin) intervenes and the time portal opens. The resulting blast sends Data's body, but not his head, back to the future. Picard stays behind to take care of a wounded Guinan, while the rest of the team follows Data's body, quickly followed by Clemens.

"Time's Arrow" was the least exciting cliffhanger in STNG's long run, so it is not surprising that the conclusion is above average but nothing special. We do see the "first" meeting between Guinan and Picard, but, of course, that is only from HER perspective, so it is not like we have uncovered a key moment in their history. Jerry Hardin does a marvelous job as Mark Twain, certainly capable of giving Hal Holbrook a run for his money and the significance of Data's head being buried for 500 years does have an interesting explanation. This is an enjoyable two-parter, but hardly a STNG classic.

Back on Earth
This two-parter was a great set! The plot line was ok, but the episode was totally made by the appearance of Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain, and the explination of Picard's and Guinan's relationship. I love any story when they are back on Earth.

Breathtaking
If you haven't seen Star Trek The Next Generation you're missing all the excitement.

I loved it!
I guess I loved it mainly because it features my three favorite characters: Brent Spiner(Data), Whoopie Goldberg(Ginen), and Patrick Stewart(Jean-Luc Picard). It is a suspensful story that keeps you on your seat. I have it on video already! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The holodeck needs a bit of maintenance, so the Enterprise checksin to Starbase 74 to allow some Bynars (beings who can speak in binary code and who sound like fax machines) to update the programming. While Riker doesn't trust the Bynars, he forgets all of his complaints when he tries out the holodeck. Setting himself up as a trombone player in a 1958 Bourbon Street bar, he meets up with a sultry brunette. "What's a knockout like you doing in a computer-generated gin joint like this?" is his none-too-subtle pickup line. Her reactions turn out to be more complex and more "human" than the program ever exhibited before, and when Picard walks in on the couple he is equally charmed. While they're lost in the holodeck program, theEnterprise starts to self-destruct. This forces an evacuation ofeverybody (except Riker and Picard) and an eventual hijacking of the ship. Thereasons behind the events are very smart, making this a nicely thought-outepisode, despite little things like Data learning to paint and Riker'smasturbatory fantasy. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (5)

"Believe it or not, Worf is developing a sense of humor."
A year before the Borg made their grand debut, the theme of interdependency between organic beings and technology was explored in "11001001." Even though the pale-skinned assimilators made more of a long-lasting impression, you gotta wonder why they never adopted the Bynars' strategy of duping Starfleet officers with attractive holograms - if this episode was any indication, it seemed like a pretty effective strategy to distract Starfleet officers.

The Enterprise-D arrives at Starbase 74 to have their computer system upgraded by the Bynars. The crew evacuates the ship when it appears that its magnetic containment field is on the verge of collapse. However, the emergency is actually a ruse staged by the Bynars so that they can steal the Enterprise. Yet, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) are still aboard. The two officers eventually regain control of the ship after pulling themselves away from an alluring hologram named Minuet (Carolyn McCormick).

There are some genuinely cool aspects to "11001001." It's great to see the exterior and interiors of Starbase 74 which rekindles memories of Spacedock from "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (1984) and "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" (1991) and it's great to see a replay of the auto-destruct moment from "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" (1969). Yet, the whole subplot revolving around Minuet is not totally convincing. You would think the captain and first officer of the Federation's flagship would notice that their ship is traveling at warp speed when it should not be doing so. Guess that Minuet must really have been far more radiant and captivating than it seemed on the small screen. Yet, in the final count, "11001001" is goofy fun and one of the more amusing outings among the first season efforts.

One of the gems of the inaugural season
Among the best shows of the first season was this very succinct and compact story of Riker meeting and falling for the woman of his dreams...with a twist. Although the storyline of Trek characters falling in love only to lose their loved one is an oft used plot device, the unusual background and setting for this episode rises above the mundane and entertains us supremely.

Arriving at a starbase, the crew is introduced to the Binars a computer-independent and androgynous alien race who will initiate some necessary repairs to the Enterprise. Most of the crew is granted shore leave during the interval with Riker somewhat inadvertently ending up on the holodeck immediately following some updates and enhancements implemented by the Binars. He designs a program to reflect a mid-20th century New Orleans jazz club where he meets an incredibly beautiful and sultry "woman" named Minuet. She instantly causes the first officer to fall head over heels in love with her and he all but completely forgets that she is a creation of the holodeck. During this time the crewmembers still present experience a ship wide emergency causing them to evacuate and the starship is then placed on autopilot to clear it's space dock. Only after the starship is gone a great distance does the crew at the starbase realize that someone is attempting to hijack the Enterprise - and that the captain, the first officer and the Binars are most likely still aboard.

'11001001' is a well-conceived episode that balances both ongoing plots expertly. The Binars were one of the most interesting alien races the Enterprise and crew encountered and it's a real shame they weren't brought back for additional appearances. Carolyn McCormick as Minuet is a knockout and it's easy to see why Riker would fall so hard for her; the writers constructed the ending of the show excellently, helping make the point that you fall in love with the illusion and the image not the person. Riker's conversation with Picard in the finale bears this out. Riker also has the best line in the show. When he checks in with Data he finds the second officer getting painting lessons from Geordi. Quickly thinking on his feet he tells them to keep notes on the session. Befuddled, Geordi asks him why. "A blind man teaching an android to paint? That's gotta' be worth a couple of lines in some historian's book," is Riker's smart reply!

I found an oddity in the story when I watched it recently. When Picard and Riker sense a problem they question Minuet about it and she explains she isn't programmed to give that information. Several minutes later they approach her again with the same question - and without hesitation she spills her guts this time! An oversight by the writers? Perhaps.

Some final notes: Gene Dynarski, who played one of the miners in the Star Trek original series episode 'Mudd's Women', becomes the first guest star to make separate appearances in the two different Trek series. The auto destruct sequence changes drastically between this show and the second season show titled 'Where Silence Has Lease'. Here it's observed that it is automatically set for five minutes and cannot be altered; in the latter episode Picard and Riker are allowed to choose a time limit.

Program Enhancement
Minuet and the Gin Joint Program Enhancements

The surprising aspect of this episode is that it wasn't only humans that programed the Enterprise. The Bynars make their first and last appearance in this segment. The Enterprise returns to star base for the Bynars to work on updating the programming. Supposedly each one of them works as part of the greater whole. Shades of the Borg mentality here. Wonder why they didn't help out the Federation? Well, they hijacked the big E to their planet were a supernova was set to destroy their master computer.

The crew is evacuated by a false warning. Riker and Picard are still on board. This is were it gets interesting.......Riker steps into a holodeck Jazz bar in New Orleans in the 20th century. Since the program is influenced by the Bynar everything has more "enhancement."...not the run of the mill shallow programs. When Riker asks for the perfect date it creates Minuet. Will Riker jumps into a relationship that can't last.

The Jazz Bar scenes and the abduction of the Enterprise by Bynar hive mind make this an unusual mix of drama and romance. Scenes of the Enterprise entering the star base were lifted from the effects shots from the movie the "Search for Spock."

Meanwhile, back on the holodeck . . . Gee, its Minuet!
If you think about how far computer technology has come in the last decade let alone the last half-century, can we even begin to imagine what the ship's computer on the Enterprise must be like. Most Star Trek episodes take the computer for granted, which makes "11001001" an exception to the rule. The Enterprise is at Starbase 74 for routine maintenance checks and computer upgrades, the latter being performed by the Bynars, a race that has attained an amazing high level of interconnectedness with the main computer on their home world. After enhancing the holodeck, the Bynars suggest Riker give it a try. Conjuring up a New Orleans jazz bar, Riker is confronted with a beautiful woman named Minute. Picard joins his First Officer and the two of them are both amazed and enchanted by the sophistication of her enhanced programming. It turns out this is all a diversionary tactic by the Bynars who have the ship's computer warn of an imminent warp engine explosion. After Data evacuates the ship, the problem suddenly disappears and the Enterprise warps away towards the Bynar's home world. Meanwhile, back in the holodeck, Picard and Riker suddenly realize they have been tricked.

"11001001" is the second Next Generation episode after "The Big Good-Bye" (Episode 13) to explore the nature of reality on the holodeck. The initial idea that it is a giant entertainment center that, in Picard's words, "has given us woodland and ski slopes, figures that fight, and fictional characters with whom we can interact," is gradually giving way to more philosophical concerns. In future episodes the notion of what constitutes a sentient being will be dealt with in terms of holodeck creations (e.g., Professor Moriarity), as well as with Data and various alternative life forms. This is the episode that really starts the series off in that particular direction as the show starts to create its own identity instead of trying to offer constant reminders of the original show.

I liked this Episode beacause it was very exciteing.
I liked the part where data gets a call on his comm//saying the magnettic grid was detiriorateing.Then they had to Evac.Ship with the captain and will in the holodeck. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"...But I took them away from all that, and now they work for me. My name is Charlie."

Kelly, Jill, and Sabrina--three young women right out of the Academy, working for the illustrious and mysterious private investigator Charles Townsend. Charlie's Angels is a true time capsule of the 1970s, expressed through crime fighting, daunting intrigue, and subtle sexuality.

"Angels in Chains" is a tale of deception in a corrupt women's prison. A distressed woman is desperate to solve the mysterious disappearance of her sister in a Southern prison. The law can't help her, the system can't help her. As a last resort she turns to Charlie's Angels. The Angels accept the assignment and discover that the prison serves as the warden's private ring of prostitution. Among the Angels' "prison mates" is a young Kim Basinger.In "Angels Under Covers," the Angels are hired to investigate a string of strange occurrences in the red light district's massage parlors. Guess what? It appears that more than just "massages" are going on under those red lights. And behind the shenanigans is none other than the police department's crooked Lieutenant played by Ed Lauter. Yes it's campy, but in a wonderfully dated sort of way. --Rob Bracco ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Kate, Farrah and Jaclyn at their best
This one episode alone displays the essence of "Charlie's Angels." It's what the pop-culture obsession, that continues to this day, is all about. This episode comes from the first season, in the fall of 1976. I believe it's show number four. Sabrina, Jill, and Kelly are given the undercover assignment to investigate crimes, ranging from rape to murder, in an all-women's prison. It's non-stop action from the moment the trio is picked up on false drug possession charges. Watch for the action and excitement as the three try to escape their own deadly fate with the bad guys... It's probably the most popular and well-known of all the episodes in the show's history. By the way, in or out of prison, these girls always look GREAT...

the episode ever!!!
This episode only tells me how old I am now. Not that I am old but HELLO!, This was over fifteen years ago and I actully remember watching this with my mother. Now here I am watching it again and this campy show is the best episode of all of the series. Thank God, I found it at Sam's. Don't you just love Farrah's Do.
And best of all the three Angels, Jill,Kelly, Sabrina are just beautiful and hey at least the show gave them some brains. Which is something of a miracle for women shows that came out of the seventies which were not many. Being a kid that was born in the mid-seventies I was bombared with t.v. reruns and I was lucky inough to be able to come home and watch this show. The three original Angel's are the best. Cherly Ladd, was great too. But...it just wasn't the same after Farrah left the show. Eventhough though later she did make guest appearances. So buy this video and relive the spirit of the seventies with "Charlie's Angels". Oh, and an added bonus, check out a young fresh Kim Basinger.

CULT FAVE EPISODE of the classic 1970's series
This episode has become a cult classic!The angels go undercover as prison inmates to uncover a prostitution ring. Among the guests stars of this episode are Lauren Tewes(Julie on Love Boat) and a young Kim Bassinger. But the real treat is seeing cult movie icon MARY WARONOV of "Eating Raoul,","Rock and roll high school" and Andy Warhol fame. Seeing Mary Woronov as a sadistic prison warden is a hoot and any Woronov fan needs to own this episode! (during admission to the prison while the angels are being sprayed down with a cleaner by Maxine: KELLEY(Jaclyn Smith) says to MAXINE(Mary Waronov) "How long has it been sinse you've been sprayed?" MAxine: "Get cute in here deary and you can get hurt!"HILLARIOUS campy dialouge!Besides the guest stars, the episode is top-notch camp at it's peak! This episode is the highest rated of the series(including the re-runs in syndication) and is a MUST for Mary Woronov fans and Charlie's Angels fans!

Charlie's Angels - Angels in Chains
"Angels in Chains"...the quintessential Charlie's Angels episode!

Before Buffy, there were the angels.
Before the show was sullied by the addition of Cheryl Ladd, Shelly Hack and Tanya Roberts, it was an unlikely example of both feminisim (women working together to save each other from abuse) and anti-feminism (the bad woman is still butch and grotesque).

Featuring a very young Kim Bassinger, this episode is a classic for Charlie's Angels fans. Set approximately in the first half of the first season of the ABC series, it features flouncy hair, guns and empowered women. This time, the angels are going undercover in a corupt women's prison to save women from being the warden's call girls.

Yes, the idea of a prison prostitution ring is designed to titilate the audience, but the fact that the Angels are resucing those women breaks from the traditional damsel in distress routine. Although critics blasted it and suggested that it was a cheesecake factory, it (unlike the modern counterpart, baywatch) is much less exploitative for women.

This series is so much more, that is should be considered the path breaker for Buffy the Vampire Slayer which shows brains and beauty can coexist. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In his effort to experience what it's like to be human, Data hasinstalled a program to simulate dreams, but the program seems to have gone onthe fritz. He keeps having nightmares and oversleeping. In his dreams,there's a hole in one of the ship's walls that early 20th-century miners aremaliciously opening with their pickaxes, followed by a high-pitched whine.They notice Data and begin to disassemble him. In later dreams he sees Worfeating a piece of cellular peptide cake (with mint frosting), Dr. Crusherdrinking from a straw coming out of Commander Riker's head, and himself beingforced to cut a piece of cake made out of Counselor Troi, who screams whenthe knife enters her frosted shoulder. To solve this dilemma, he goes to theholodeck to talk to Sigmund Freud. Over in "reality," Geordi is havingtrouble bringing the new warp core online, while Captain Picard is secretlythankful that their troubles might make him miss a boring admiral's banquet.In this episode directed by Patrick Stewart, the holodeck Freud is more of acaricature than anything else, and begs the question of whether or not dreamtheory has advanced at all since the 20th century. The story pays off,however, when Data decodes the dream and discovers a deadly menace onboardthat he was only subliminally aware of. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

UGH! Did he say cellular peptide cake - with mint frosting?
Besides featuring some of the most effective and creepy images from the TNG series, 'Phantasms' is also one of the very best episodes to focus on Data. The sixth season of ST: TNG had a number of episodes with dark themes and disturbing images and this show seems to have been created in its aftermath. In the sixth season's two-parter 'Birthright' Data experienced a surreal vision that turned out to be part of a dream program he had been unaware was installed. That storyline resurfaces here and is dealt with in much more depth and provides us with a good mystery also.

Since Data's dream program initiated several months ago he has had 111 dreams before experiencing his first nightmare, and a rather unsettling one at that. Both Geordi and then later Troi tell him it is only natural to occasionally experience fantastic and upsetting images during dreams; that evening however he has a similar disturbing dream and then suddenly finds himself being awakened by Troi, Geordi and Worf because he has overslept - a programming impossibility that further perplexes him. Data then begins having waking dreams and in a catatonic state attacks Troi, stabbing her right shoulder several times before Riker and Worf fortunately intervene. Remembering nothing about the incident Data is confined to quarters while a solution is developed; during Troi's recovery in Sick Bay Beverly detects the presence of interphasic creatures feeding on the cellular peptide of humans. Picard and Geordi deduce that there is a connection between the dreams Data is having and the presence of the alien species. Using the holodeck to implement Data's dream as a projected image Picard, Geordi and Data find the solution to the problem - with somewhat of an assist from a holographic Sigmund Freud!

The opening sequence to 'Phantasms' is an immediate attention grabber. The use of the wide-angle lens is a telling tool that informs you instantly of the surreal nature of the episode; the dream sequence that unfolds is quite shocking with Data being literally ripped apart before he bolts wide awake in his quarters. Each of the following dream sequences gets more horrifying and outrageous causing a sense of trauma within Data. Though he is unable to experience fear he is acutely aware of his instability and that is conveyed superbly in the scenes where he attempts to either understand or explain his nightmares. Troi as a cake, Beverly sucking fluid out of Riker's head through a straw, Worf eating cellular peptide cake (with mint frosting), Data having a mid 20th century telephone inside his chest and Sigmund Freud insisting to Picard he should "Kill zem! Kill zem all!" are all truly memorable providing shocks and laughs. The use of Freud in this episode is inspired even though it does seem he would be out-of-sync with 24th century scientific thought. The sideline stories dealing with Picard desiring to avoid attending the dreadfully boring Admiral's Ball and Geordi having to gratuitously accept the admiration of a young female ensign come off very well also. 'Phantasms' was one of four shows to deal primarily with Data during the seventh and final season, the others being 'Inheritance', 'Thine Own Self' and 'Masks'. In an unusually weak season of TNG these episodes provided a much-needed shot of adrenaline for the series' many discriminating and demanding fans.

"A good cat. And a pretty cat."
Data finds himself very worried as he starts experiencing nightmares, but no-one takes his concerns seriously. When a strange discovery threatens the lives of the Enterprise's crew, it seems that Data's dreams may hold the key to saving everyone. But can they figure out what is going on in time?
The director did a good job in bringing a dream-like quality to many of the scenes in this episode, and all the dream imagery played out nicely in the real world. But the scene in the turbolift that was meant to be shocking wasn't half so scary as it should have been, and there were too many unanswered questions. There were some good comic touches in this episode, though, particularly those involving Worf, Data, and Spot.
One final note: Counsellor Troi got it wrong yet again! And I think they all owed Data an apology for not taking him seriously.

Can Sigmund Freud helps Data save the Enterprise crew?
The Enterprise has a new warp core installed and Data has activated a new program that allows him to dream. The only problem is his dreams are basically nightmares: Counselor Troi is some sort of sheet cake and Worf is eating a piece from her left shoulder. When he is awake, Data sees a mouth on Troi's shoulder and stabs her in an attempt to remove it. Dr. Crusher tends to the wound and notices an odd rash surrounding the area. Further tests reveal strange creatures are feeding on Troi's cellular peptides. Crusher discovers the Enterprise is infested with the creatures, which are feeding on the crew. However, because they exist interphasically, they canot be seen except with an interphasic scanner. Meanwhile, Data has been on the holodeck explaining his dreams to Sigmund Freud...

"Phantasms" is one of the most bizarre STNG episodes, mainly because of Data's strange dreams and the weird little creatures munching on the crew. Aside from that, this is an average strange mystery for the crew to solve by putting together all the clues type epi