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The Children of Tama are a mysterious, rarely encountered race whose language is indecipherable even by the Universal Translator. This is because Tamarians speak in metaphor, which is strange and poetic, but, without a frame of reference, also gibberish. After yet another failed attempt at communication, the Tamarians take drastic measures: they kidnap Picard and beam him to the surface of a hostile planet along with their own captain. What follows is an interesting, well-acted story of the struggle to understand.

Don't be put off by the premise. "Darmok" is one of the best episodes of TNG. It's action-packed and holds its own next to "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I," "Time's Arrow," and "Descent." Thanks to Joe Menosky's brilliant teleplay and Paul Winfield's solid acting, this uphill battle in futility shows what probably would happen when two truly alien races attempt to communicate. There is genuine desperation in Dathon's (Winfield) eyes when he attempts to explain "Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra" for what seems like the millionth time. Watching Picard struggle to understand is downright painful, as is the inevitable confrontation that follows. The viewer comes to care what happens to the Tamarians. We want to know this alien race; but at the same time, we also know we'll probably never comprehend them.

In series television, it's almost unheard of for a show to depart from canon. TNG takes a huge chance with "Darmok" and the end result is worth watching again and again. --Kayla Riggney ... Read more

Reviews (15)

One of the best TNG episodes
Next to "Best of Both Worlds" or "Yesterday's Enterprise," "Darmok" is one of the most intelligent and vibrant episodes of the entire Next Generation catalog. Picard's attempts, and eventual success, to communicate with the Tamarian captain, wonderfully portrayed by Paul Winfield, is splendid. Obviously, most Star Trek stories, whether they be the original series or TNG, offer socio-political commentary on our own society, this episode is no different. It basically teaches that communication with peoples or entities that are different than us can be accomplished if one is willing to try. "Darmok" is Patrick Stewart's finest hour in TNG.

In order to read, you must have read.
Have you ever read The Canterbury Tales? Allusions to classical literature abound. These references were a sort of shorthand or jargon of the time, a way of saying much by saying little. To refer to Zephirus, for instance, is to mention the warm, sweet breezes of Spring and to conjure up that time of year, with all of its freshness and new life.

Episode 102 presents a culture in which this sort of idiom is carried to the extreme. The words are getting through, but the meaning is not. The struggle of the two captains, the alien and Picard, to bridge the gap is brilliant and fascinating.

This is my favorite Star Trek episode of all time, of all generations.

Magnificent.

The best episode from the 7 years of ST:TNG
"Darmok" remains the best of the best of the seven years ST:TNG was on the air. In a short 55 minutes, one has learned a new language. Think of it: at the time Picard speaks with the Tamarian First Officer, the language exchange (if you paid attention to the whole episode) is completely understandable. There is no need for a translation scroll at the bottom of the screen...and was wisely done that way.

Highly recommended.

A testament to the excellence of season 5...
"Darmok" captures what is the heart and soul of Star Trek: discovering new races and learning to coexist with them. In this episode, that is no easy feat for Picard, who is trapped on a planet with an alien captain who talks different from everyone else. The two cannot understand each other, but as a monster hunts them down, it becomes apparent that the two must learn how to communicate. This is a phenominal episode, downplaying the action and instead building on the characters of the alien captain and Picard. It's not just good Star Trek, it's great science-fiction. While the monster effects are very subpar (they always are for Star Trek), the being itself is of little importance to the story. What is important is how Picard and the other captain learn how to communicate. Truly a wonderful episode.

An example of how Star Trek can be a good base for new ideas
One of the things I like about Star Trek was the ability for it to be a platform of new ideas. This episode certainly shows that strength- it's not loaded with special effects and technobabble but it shows good acting and an outstanding idea in having a race which talks solely by example. Though I've not watched much TREK recently this is one of the episodes I remember. ... Read more

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This two-hour finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation is a very satisfying piece that leads the seven-year-old television series back to its beginnings in the original TNG pilot. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), whipping through time uncontrollably, simultaneously finds himself back at the start of his tenure on board the Enterprise while also on the ship's deck in the present--at the same time he tried somewhat feebly to forestall a disaster in the distant future. As fans might expect, a certain imp named Q seems to be behind the mystery...but not necessarily for bad reasons. A wonderful wrap-up to seven years of TV legend, All Good Things deserves to be a TV classic. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (31)

'All Good Things' Run Forever In Syndication
Most television series exit the boob tube on only one leg, but STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION sailed off into the small screen sunset with this incredible thought-provoking opus, "All Good Things."

With a stellar performance by Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, the adventure travels the gamut of three separate periods in time ... the future, the present, and the past ... juggle a series of events that might, in fact, forecast the end of all mankind (not just the series, that's how much was at stake here).

While I never REALLY liked Q (played by John de Lancie), his role came full circle in this science fiction twist with shades of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. In this two-hour episode, Q rose above being a mere plot device and showed that, as a character, he had worth that the viewers couldn't have possibly imagined.

So ... where's the Q movie?

Spectacular end to a great series...
This TV movie is the last episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and it isn't to be missed. Captain Picard is moving back and forth through time, where an anomaly is destroying life in the universe. It doesn't take long for him to find out that the mischievious Q is behind it all. Very exciting conclusion to the long-running series. It's especially good if watched right after the episode "Encounter at Farpoint," the first show. John DeLancie is always excellent as Q and Patrick Stewart is the only man who could ever play Picard correctly. The biggest reason to see this is if you're a fan of Star Trek. If not, don't bother.

Better than any of the movies.
While the original crew had it better with the movies, The Next Generation was the only Star Trek TV series that I watched consistently. The show had a cast that at least equalled that of the original, boasted better production values, and plots that were intriguing and touched on varieties of concepts that Kirk, Spock, and Bones never got the chance to explore. Deep Space Nine was too mired into the whole "war of the quadrants" to explore any ideas with real satisfaction, and while Voyager had the best effects and the best premise, the cast was middling at best. As for Enterprise, hell, I tried to watch one episode and got too damn bored.

All Good Things..., the swan song episode for TNG, is possibly the best of Star Trek, period, focusing on mind-boggling concepts while retaining the character development and human interest that made the show so appealing. It's the seventh year that the crew of the Starhip Enterprise have been together, but Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is experiencing odd timeshifts. He's constantly switching between three different time periods; to the past, right before the Farpoint mission, the present, and the future, where the crew has long since split up, Picard is retired and is diagnosed with a debilitating mental illness. Naturally, the rest of the crew is skeptical (be it in any time period), but when Picard discovers the true nature of his constant shifting, he realizes it is both the means and cause with which the existence of mankind could be erased.

I hesitate to give too much away, though I doubt anyone with a passing interest in Star Trek hasn't already seen this episode. But it plays as an interesting comparison and contrast to the series' first episode, Encounter at Farpoint, which it directly ties in to with Picard's timeshifting to the past. There's been a notable improvement in the quality of the sets and the visual effects, and also the acting, the pacing, and the plot development.

All Good Things... has all the solid acting one expects from the cast, and a human touch that was missing from the latest film, Nemesis. It's interesting to note that this episode (meaning the whole series, as well) ends with the door open for all sorts of possibilites; at this time, this clearly implied the much-hyped transition to the big screen.

Unfortunately, some of the more open-ended questions this episode focused on were never even touched on. Sure, the Worf/Troi/Riker triangle was resolved, but one of my favorite ongoing side stories, the burgeoning romance between Picard and Dr. Crusher, was completely ignored in the movies. And the final scenes lead one to believe that the movies would take us to "places" never explored, even though the most recent film was merely a plotless action movie that didn't even have enough action to warrant the movie's existence.

Stewart is the true highlight of this episode, displaying the great acting chops he's been known for. The fact that we care for him and the rest of the crew as well, adds a sense of urgency and involvement in the proceedings that the otherwise quite frantic pace alone might not have been able to develop. The plot twists are pure Trek, each mysterious element giving away to some big revelation that only leads to more questions. The story is engrossing, the dialogue is strong, and the performances and characterizations are spot-on.

There are a few problems with All Good Things. The timeshifting obviously means we're going to see past and future versions of the cast, but everyone's aged to the extent where they can't quite pass for their more youthful selves, and the old-age makeup is never entirely convincing (Old Riker's first appearance gave me a good laugh). That said, I would like to make mention of what full-blown hotties Marina Sirtis and especially Gates McFadden became (McFadden is easily the most attractive post 50-year old actress I've ever seen).

The continuing movie series actually began quite well; Generations and First Contact were enjoyable adventures, but everything seemed to fall apart with Insurrection. Funny, All Good Things... is a title that turned out more prophetic than anyone would have guessed.
**** 1/2 out of *****

Brilliant - what else can you possibly say?
If you were tempted in the beginning season of TNG as many were, to compare the personalities of Kirk and Picard, I think that by the time you got to this production, actually the final one of all, you would have long given up. As a character in a fiction, Picard in no way is even an analogue of Kirk. This virtual tour de force is confirmation of this, if it were needed at all.

My sons and I actually saw Patrick Stuart in the flesh in Leeds on my sisters birthday (I should really have gone there instead, but there you go), watching his signposted one man performance about Shylock - Shakespeares alien. It was quite famous over here, and very well attended. I wish I could relate this to you, but I would go WAY over the 1000 word limit and not even begin to scratch the surface. Sufficient to say, that Stuart's vocabulary as an actor is enormous, and he brought so much intelligence to bear on this very rich and complex play (the merchant of Venice) and interwove it most perspicaciously with recent events - terrorism, racism, and his own fascinating recollections of performances, character interpretations, and so many other things. It was like being on board a ship in a gale, exhilarating and wonderful, and no-one wanted it to end.

It's a fact that when we had the opportunity to ask questions, and also at other times during the show, Patrick mentioned his relationship with Paramount in several ways. I don't want to quote these comments, but sufficient to say that all the cast members felt that things were not always on an even keel. In fact, there was evidence of a really complicated and not always simple state of play at many times. Fortunately, during the last season, there was relatively little in the way of compromise, largely due to the continuous diplomacy of Spiner and Stewart. The result of this diplomacy in the case of this episode pair is just about as good as it gets, and is a truly magnificent way to conclude the series.

Picard, in this episode, has to deal with the final and inevitable onset of the final enemy - age, and mortality. In this he plays beautifuly an far older man than the younger commander seen at Farpoint, though the story is ingeniously composed in such a way that this ending episode is wrapped in an inescable embrace with this very first episode. I doubt whether this could ever have been pulled off by anyone else so well. But what is so well done is to (within the confines of the show format) to produce a strange sense of the timeless and the memorable. This is an astonishing effect. The whole thing seems... haunted by a strange atmosphere which would have been impossible to script in if you were aiming for it intentionally.

I think there is a remote chance that this may just happened anyway, by accident. Perhaps, this is may have been due to the time paradoxes and folding in of the plot. But this atmosphere is surely due in greater part to the unconscious realisation by all participants that this was, in fact, the last time that all the cast would be gathered together in precisely that time and place and circumstance, a sort of breaking of the fellowship.

After the gymnastics of a complicated plot, which gradually reaches a rather dramatic climax, the final stroke of genius is that the ending is positioned somewhere and sometime, but where exactly... Who knows? I suspect in a future which is that strange ambiguity that we know as happily ever after - no irony intended - in fact, you can truly imagine that the ending never actually happens at all,at least not one witnessed, but trails off into memory forever, into the furthest of distance. And it is there that we bid good bye.

Of course, it's not really over, but here the story TELLING naturally ends, and most satisfyingly so. My gosh, what a way to go...

The End
This final episode of TNG stands alone as an all-time classic science fiction episode. "All Good Things", (co-directed by David Carson, from Star Trek: Generations) moves back and forth across time in an eye-appealing way. It's very fulfilling to see Picard deal with both his past, present, future, and Q to top it all off! A great way to end the series. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

"All hands abandon ship..." BOOM!!!
The above line, and subsequent collision, still chills after repeated viewings as it did when the episode aired over fifteen years ago. Although the destruction of the Enterprise is fiction, the line resonates almost as much as did the real-life "Go with throttle up" spoken to the crew of the ill-fated Challenger.

"Cause and Effect" is one of those time loop episodes that find a welcome home in most science fiction. And it's a remarkably well-paced one, with each "revisitation" as enigmatic as the first one.

This is is first-rate in all aspects!

A truly entertaining episode...
Directing "Cause and Effect" couldn't have been an easy task, but Jonathan Frakes does incredibly well. The Enterprise seems to be trapped in a time loop that starts with the crew playing poker, and ends in the ship colliding with another ship and exploding. How does this happen? How can they prevent it? Watching the episode, you'd think some of the repeated scenes would get old. They don't. In fact, it gets more interesting as the crew begins to realize something's wrong. The ending is terrifically smart and this episode is a TNG classic.

Writer's block episode...
Cause and Effect or the Writer's Block Episode

Kelsey Grammer makes an appearance as a captain of the Starship Bozeman from Kirk's era. He accidently stumbles onto Picards timeline and averts a disaster with the Enterprise. In this one we get to see the Enterprise destroyed at the end of each act before the commercial break. It took them a few tries before they left the endless time loop. It's plot has been repeated before in Voyager and many other Trek episodes. I like to call them the writers block episodes. They have taken the place of what I call the mysterious cloud thing where some ghost like cloud covers the Enterprise and makes the crew act unusual. When the producers get the crunch time of not being able to do location shooting... this is the rusult.. a shipboard story where some special effect wrecks havock with the crew. It doesn't require new sets or any other budget breakers.

The Enterprise blows up (again, and again, and again...)
You will not find a more dramatic teaser to an episode of STNG than this one: The Enterprise is badly damaged with the crew unable to regain control of the ship. Captain Picard issues a frantic order to abandon ship but it is too late and the Enterprise is destroyed by a massive explosion. The next thing we know we are in the middle of just another normal day aboard the Enterprise, except people are experiencing strange feelings of deja vu (as opposed to the unstrange type of that feeling). When the Enterprise encounters a time-space distortion field the main power systems on the ship fail. Suddenly another spaceship emerges from the distortion; Picard tries to use the tractor beams to avoid the other ship but they collide, damaging the Enterprise's starboard warp drive engine. The Enterprise is badly damaged with the crew unable to regain control of the ship. Captain Picard issues a frantic order to abandon ship but it is too late and the Enterprise is destroyed by a massive explosion. We are back to where we started.

This pattern is repeated several times in this episode, with each progression offering slight but significant chances in solving the mystery and avoiding the ship's apparent fate. These changes are most notable in the poker game being played by several members of the bridge crew. "Cause and Effect" is a first rate episode that does a marvelous job of exploring the repetitive and yet still progressive pattern of each time through the time loop. Of course we know that eventually the disaster will be adverted; the fun here is watching them discover the how. This is far and away the best of the STNG time distortion episodes. Final Note: This is the episode where Kelsey Grammer has a nice cameo appearance.

Great episode
The eterprise is in a temporal causality loop. That is the same period of time is repeated again and again with the crew having no memory of the previous loop. If they don't get out of the loop they will be stuck that way possibly forever...

This episode has a cameo appearence by Kelsey Grammer ... Read more

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The two-hour pilot of The Next Generation holds up well after all these years and many, many subsequent episodes and four feature films. Gene Roddenberry's second go-round with Star Trek on television boldly goes where no other soul had gone, overcoming Trekker skepticism at the time about new characters and a new cast. After introducing Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the rest of the crew, the script by Roddenberry and former Star Trek story editor Dorothy Fontana plunges them into a familiar Trek confrontation with a superior power, Q (John De Lancie), in a weirdly archaic setting drawn from Earth history (in this case, the bloody kangaroo courts of Robespierre's day). Declaring mankind barbarous and unworthy of existence, Q gives Picard 24 hours to prove humans are not just a "grievously savage race." The story is punctuated with various delights, particularly first meetings between the characters (watch for Riker's houndish introduction to Dr. Crusher) and a surprise cameo from a Trek icon. There are bumps: originally shot as a 90-minute special, "Encounter" had to be padded a bit (ergo the ship separation scene) to make it two hours. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (20)

"This is a new ship, but she's got the right name."
Star Trek made its return to the television airwaves with the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987. It was apparent from the beginning of "Encounter at Farpoint" that this new series would be more cerebral and less dependent on green-skinned slave girls and bare-chested captains. This was going to be a series that emphasized that humankind could co-exist in harmony with the technology of its creation and would only resort to violence to solve problems as a last resort.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) sets a course for Farpoint Station on his newly commissioned Enterprise-D to pick up new crew members Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), and Wesley Crusher (Wil Weaton). However, with Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn), and Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) already on board, the Enterprise is intercepted by the mysterious Q (John de Lancie) who chastises Picard for humanity's inability to leave behind its more savage impulses. Picard objects to the accusation and argues that humankind, while still far from perfect, has abandoned its more destructive habits. Q decides to test this claim by subjecting the Enterprise-D to a test at Farpoint Station which will determine just how far humanity as a whole has evolved.

Being the first episode in a new series, "Encounter at Farpoint" has the usual problems typical of television pilots. The dialogue and performances are a little stiff and the nuances between characters had not yet had time to develop. Yet, "Encounter at Farpoint" is notable for expanding the Star Trek mythos considerably in just a single episode. We are introduced to a new class of ship, a new uniform design, new alien beings, the infamous holodeck, and given a history lesson on important developments that preceded the advent of Starfleet. A cameo by Admiral Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) also provides a nostalgic link to the fondly-remembered original series. It would take some time before Star Trek: The Next Generation found its stride but "Encounter at Farpoint" did its job by establishing a solid foundation on which to build upon.

The ST:TNG pilot episode...
The U.S.S Enterprise, captained by Jean-Luc Picard, is on a routine investigative mission to Farpoint Station when they encounter an enigmatic, god-like individual known simply as Q. The omnipotent being appears to have no other intention other than to cause trouble and immediately places Picard and his senior officers on trial for the crimes of humanity...

Encounter of Farpoint is not among the best of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes - it merely serves as a necessary starting point for a TV programme that took until its third series to display the type of quality we associate it with. Characters are introduced; past relationships are established (although it does take 178 episodes, seven series, three movies and eleven years for anything to come of it in the case of Riker and Troi). This is a must-have for any fan of the series - watching "Encounter at Farpoint" and comparing it to later episodes will allow you to see just how far the characters - Picard, Riker, Troi, Dr Crusher, Data, Worf, La Forge and Yar - have evolved and how the show as a whole changed over time.

~*Jenna*~

It introduced us to so many characters and yet told a story
Had I written a review of this episode shortly after it came out, it would not have been nearly as positive as this one. In viewing it again, I am struck at how well the two "unusual" characters of Q and Data are introduced. While to outward appearances he is human, Data is an android and we are immediately made aware of that as well as some of his "failings." Simple things such as whistling and humor are beyond his capacity at this time.
The outstanding feature is the introduction of one of the best characters to ever appear in a television series, Q, the impish God. Without question, he is a god, possessing mighty powers and yet he is using them to determine the worthiness of humanity to explore the stars. After the dark, foreboding and sometimes bloody descriptions of God in much of our religious literature, it is a pleasure to see one who puns and tests us with puzzles rather than in how well we slaughter our enemies. Of secondary interest is the mention of the Ferengi, although they are described as a people who eat those who displease them.
Dr. McCoy of the original series makes an appearance as an admiral, inspecting the medical facilities of the Enterprise. He is as irascible as ever, yet he also praises the Vulcans as an honorable race, worthy of respect. Data escorts him while he is on the Enterprise, and their conversation is one of the classics in the entire Star Trek genre.
The Enterprise crew gets together and their mission is to investigate Farpoint Station, a structure constructed with unusual rapidity by a people who wish to have the Federation use it as a star base. On the way to Farpoint, they encounter Q and we are introduced to the plot device where the saucer and weapons sections can be separated. This was not extensively used in subsequent episodes, which was unfortunate. Given that families are now on starships, it is my belief that such separations would be standard practice when there is the reasonable expectation of hostilities.
Q creates a courtroom whose spectators are survivors of an atomic holocaust. Humanity is put on trial through the crew of the Enterprise and then they are let free to continue their mission. When the Enterprise arrives at Farpoint, things are not what they appear to be. When the leader of the people who built Farpoint is questioned, he professes ignorance, yet it is clear he knows what is happening. Another "ship" arrives and begins bombarding the city near Farpoint. Rather than immediately firing on the new arrival, Picard seeks information and learns that the "ship" is in fact an intelligent entity that is trying to free its' mate, which has been transformed into Farpoint. By firing energy of the proper form into Farpoint, the Enterprise heals the creature and it frees itself. Q is impressed by this and announces that humanity has passed the test.
Given that there was very little to build on, this episode effectively introduces much of what is arguably the greatest television series ever. Therefore, it can also be considered the best episode of the series.

Just what you'd expect from the first episode of a series
While 'Encounter At Farpoint' is only average at best it's important to take into consideration that it is the series opener. In many such shows most of the production staff and especially the actors tend to be concerned whether or not the show will succeed; additionally the actor's character portrayals naturally become sharper and better defined. Considering the daunting task of attempting to revive the series with an all-new cast it is completely understandable that there should be some hesitation or reservations present. The debut of this Trek serialization was penned equally by the seasoned and distinguished series veterans D.C. Fontana and the show's creator Gene Roddenberry. Reportedly the story went through several changes but basically retained the same original plot of the new Enterprise crew at the edge of known Federation explored space, find the peculiar conundrum and expose the culprits. The Farpoint scenario isn't really fleshed out well; what really works best in this episode is the inspired invention of Q, brought to vivid life by the underrated and underused John De Lancie. He became more of a scamp and a thorn in the side of Picard in later episodes, but here he is genuinely nefarious and quite ominous. His performance in his relatively few scenes is more than memorable and adds punch to the proceedings when it is lagging. There is also a natural lead-in to the future episode 'Hide And Q' that comes near the end when Q first meets Riker face-to-face.

Though the show falls flat where it is concerned with the Farpoint station, the concept of Q is well developed; an omnipotent, all-powerful being appears and tells the humans they can come this far and no farther. Incapable of battling against such a potent foe the humans strike the only bargain they can: test us. See if we've advanced beyond our primitive and savage desires; watch us and make certain we don't corrupt and defile everything and everyone we come into contact with. The challenge comes at an opportune and delicate time too as the Enterprise is beginning their new mission. Sure it's a convenient plot element but it gives the writers something to work with right out of the gate and besides future Q appearances give the viewer something to look forward to in later episodes.

Initially the main characters themselves don't really come off too successfully; with the exceptions of Jonathan Frakes as Riker and Brent Spiner as Data everyone would appear to be only a distant reflection of what they were here in the episodes immediately following. At times Patrick Stewart as Jean Luc Picard comes off as more of a classroom instructor grading the crewmembers in some sort of a starship mockup exercise; Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar seems mousy here in comparison to the rest of the series; Michael Dorn as Worf speaks lines only so that Picard can chastise him; Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi wavers uncomfortably between strong and meek characterizations, unable to discern which quality she should be projecting; other cast members get too little screen time for us to get any real impression of them. By the show's end though we get a good feel of what to expect of them in future episodes; the addition of past histories and relationships between some of the key bridge officers is a great twist. Later the writers would make the most of these opportunities drawing us into the problems of being both a superior officer and a friend, defining the lines that can and can't be crossed.

Good Beginning To A Remarkable Sci Fi Show!
Star Trek: TNG was and is one of my favorite TV shows, I actually started watching it during it's second season and didn't get to watch the first season episodes til I got some first season videos from Columbia House and when I watched Encounter At Farpoint Parts One and Two I wasn't disapponted because it answered some questions for me such as how they were introduced to Q and who this Tasha Yar was who was mentioned in some of the second season episodes. Yes it may be said that Encounter at Farpoint isn't an excellent movie but it's not awful, not one of the few stinkers of the series long run by any means and I actually found this series pilot quite entertaining especially the scenes with Q played by John De Lancie who I think was fantastic and so was Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-luc Picard and I think all of the the actors were good, yes their acting wasn't as good as in other episodes but since as this was the pilot I think they just hadn't hit their stride yet and when the characters were more fully developed their acting improved a lot and really impressed me and though Encounter At Farpoint is not a 5 star episode I think it's worth 4 stars just for the scenes with John De Lancie and Patrick Stewart and in other first season episodes and later seasons you will get to see great acting from LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, etc. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

One of the best episodes!
This is one of the best Star Trek Next Generation episodes because in the context of Star Trek and encounters with alien species, it explores the complicated and difficult feelings which can arouse in regard to love, physical appearance and the unpredictability of one's partner. If only we had more Star Trek episodes as thought-provoking and emotionally moving as this one!

Who was that Trill I saw you with last night
Who was that Trill I saw you with last night?

In this one Bev Crusher falls for a Trill host. They make their first appearance in this episode. The host's body rejects the worm and Riker offers to serve as host to the worm entity. Other than that it's not the most action filled episode. But it does stretch the bounds of love for poor Bev. She has this thing for Riker, however it's the personality in the Trill that she loves. It's sets the tone for all the future Trills we see like Dax in Deep Space Nine.

Beauty Within
I am not a Crusher fan, nor am I a big Riker fan, and if someone had told me the concept of the episode, I would have rolled my eyes, but this is one of the most profound, beautiful things I have ever seen on TV. Odan, the symbiotic being Crusher is attracted to, is incredible--he gives the notion of "having a beautiful soul" substance. His impulse to love, and the enforced restraint in Riker's body is riveting--Jonathan Frakes displays some of his best acting ever.
One wishes the episode didn't have to end as it does--Crusher's all-too human failing can't rise to the challenge of unconditional love--but it is fitting, and inevitable, given the episodic format.
I recommend this highly to anyone.

Dr. Crusher falls in love with a Trill.
This is one of those Star Trek episodes where one of the crew falls in love with an "alien" and things do not work out. In "The Host," Dr. Crusher falls for Odan, a Federation ambassador who happens to be a Trill, although this apparently means nothing to her. Obviously this episode has great implications for the Star Trek universe down the road with Jadzia Dax being a main character on Deep Space Nine. When Odan is injured during an attack on a shuttle, Crusher discovers the symbiotic relationship between the Trill and its host and is stunned to learn that "Odan" is the parasite in the relationship. Crusher removes the Trill and puts it in stasis. When the host dies they learn it will be forty hours until a new host can arrive for Odan, which will be thirty-eight hours too late for Odan. To save the Trill's life and to allow the delicate negotiations to continue, Commander Riker volunteers to host Odan. This means that Crusher has to get used to the idea of Odan living in Riker's body.

Star Trek often tries to find interesting new ways of dressing up old ideas, and "The Host" deals with the idea that beauty is only skin deep. Enlightened people want to believe that they love the mind, the soul, the personality of someone, not their appearance, and here is a chance for Crusher to put this to the test. Once we gloss over the idea that the Chief Medical Officer of the Federation's flagship did not know what a Trill was before Odan showed up on board, this is a fascinating episode. Certainly it treats both its subject and the focal character seriously. Given Jack Crusher's tragic death, there is a certain pathos that carries over to any of Beverly's attempts to find love in the universe. This is an adult episode that provides some of Gates McFadden's best moments on the series and introduces a species that will be put to much better dramatic use in the future.

Beverly falls in love?
Dr. Crusher falls in love with an alien diplomat, who is involved in peace talks with an alien planet. But the good Doctor is crushed when she learns that her lover is actually a parasitic life form that lives off host bodies and has lived for years. The episode becomes even worse when the symbiont is planted into Riker's body to resume the peace talks, and when a suitable host comes aboard the Enterprise, the symbiont is finally placed in the body of a woman. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Every Borg episode gets better and better!
"The Best Of Both Worlds" is the true inspiration of the Borg. Never-ending and teriffic action, the special effects (which you'll mostly see on part 2) and the plot gets you off your seat! You truly can't miss this one!

Crown Jewel of Next Generation. Film or tv
Unfortunately I only became a Next Generation fan around the time the series was about to go off of the air. So I can't even imagine the suspense that the truly faithful had when this episode aired with a whole summer remaining before the answer would be revealed. I was edgy just to see the next episode even though I only had to wait a day.

What I can say is that this episode is one of the best written and produced television events i've ever seen. The sets, as always, were awesome. The Borg ship is ominous and eerie. The action and surprise is palpable. And the plot is just outstanding. I don't wanna give ANY of it away but just suffice it to say that an almost perfect quandry is presented to the crew of the Enterprise.

The Borg has to be the most ominous concept perhaps ever created for television. Picture this... a big metal cube that flies through space without any apparent leader. And wherever it goes it's sole purpose is to anihilate the planets and vessels it encounters. Or it seeks to assimilate the inhabitants into its' 'collective'. Once assimilated the beings lose all sense of self and become motivated only by the desire to serve the collective. It's kinda like Night of the Living Dead in space. You can't outrun em and if you kill em more just keep comin'. Frightening.

I used to have many discussions about what the Borg was meant to represent. I always believed that the Borg was meant to represent Communism but I was intrigued by the many different interpretations that I was exposed to.

In short, you don't have to be a Next Generation fan to appreciate this single episode. It stands on its' own merit. When you watch Next Generation in general it's hard to imagine how anyone ever even liked the original series with James T. Kirk. This episode is just beyond fantastic.

Next Generation has to be one of my five favorite television series ever and this is the crown jewel of Next Generation.

One of the Great Cliffhangers of All Time
In "Q Who?" (Episode 42), Q sent the Enterprise 7,000 light-years away, where they first encounter the Picard. Ever since the conclusion of that episode, which heralded the coming of age of Star Trek: The Next Generation, we have known that the Borg were coming to destroy the Federation. After a year and a half (as reckoned by television time), the Borg finally arrive in the season finale to year three. Starfleet has been preparing, and Commander Shelby, head of the Borg Tactical Analysis Team, is on the Enterprise to tell everybody how to do things right (No one likes her). The Borg arrive and demand Picard beam over to their ship. Picard refuses and although the Enterprise escapes from the initial battle, hiding in a nebula until they can devise a new high-energy beam weapon, the Borg appear on the bridge during the next encounter and disappear with the Captain. Riker sends an away team to rescue Picard, but to their horror they discover he has been transformed into a Borg named Locutus. This cannot be good.

This episode is just a fantastic payoff to the long wait for the return of the Borg. The two-parts of "The Best of Both Worlds" is clearly the highpoint of the series, the equivalent of the Fantastic Four fighting Galactus or Buffy slaying Angel. The final scene of Part I, indeed the final WORD of this episode is the most memorable moment on the show, seared into your memory because of the long hard summer it created wondering what would happen when we got to Part 2. Truly an epic episode on the top of every Trekkers list. Note: Commander Shelby is "currently" the Executive Officer on the Excalibur in Peter David's Star Trek: New Frontier series, which by definition makes her one of the more successful minor characters in the Star Trek universe.

The 2nd Best TNG episode (because part 2 is the best!)
Now how to explain the greatness of this episode without ruining the suspense for those who haven't seen it. Let's say this much - the borg are in it, which makes it good there. Now if you've seen episodes of Voyager or First Contact, these borg don't seem as rough looking or dangerous, but it's the same guys. This episode is filled with suspense and you'll love the ending. You'll want to see part 2 for sure and I'm not saying that just because it's only natural to watch a part 2. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Worst of Both Episodes
While Best of Both Worlds part 1 was unquestionably one of the best episodes of TNG, I can't say the same for the 2nd part. The amount of suspense that was built nicely through the first part made the summer seem interminably long, waiting for the conclusion. What a disappointment! I believe the writer's essentially painted themselves in a corner and then couldn't come up with a follow up that would both resolve all the issues and maintain the same level of drama.
On another note regarding the same episode, this was just one of a large number of episodes that proved Riker had no business being in command of a ship. Seems like every time Will got to sit in the "big chair" he would screw it up! (Near the end of the episode, after making the very WRONG decision of not making Data his 1st officer, when all else fails, what does he want to do to the Borg? "Gee, let's ram the big square ship with the Enterprise. It probably won't make much of a dent in the cube and they will go on to Borg-ify all the humans, but it will probably make a pretty cool fireball!")

As I said, it truly gets better and better...
Part 2 of this extrordinary episode is 2x more better than Part 1. A rescue mission to free Picard (Locutus) from the hive mind turns out to be a googleplex's amount of money worth of a battle. I especially like how the action and plot are, as that's what I always like, and the way they come out of this scary adventure. Enjoy watching this one!

Resistance is futile? Come over here and say that!
In Part I of "The Best of Both Worlds," the Borg finally arrived at the Federation, kidnapped Jean-Luc Picard and turned him into a Borg named Locutus. At the end, when Locutus made known the demands of the Borg to the crew of the Enterprise, Riker had ended the episode ordering Worf to fire the weapon that would destroy the Borg cube and everyone on it. However, as the fourth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation end the long summer of torment after one of the great cliffhangers of all time, the weapon does not work. Picard has been assimilated, and his knowledge has joined the collective. This cannot be good and indeed it is not. With the help of Locutus, the Borg annihilate the armada sent by Starfleet (one of the casualties being Benjamin Sisko's wife, as we shall find out in the pilot for Deep Space Nine). Riker comes up with a new plan: kidnap Picard and turn the tables by using his knowledge of the Borg to discover THEIR weaknesses.

Part 2 provides an excellent payoff to the fantastic ending of Part 1. We often say that stature of a hero depends on the qualities of the villain, in which case the Borg are one of the great adversaries of all time. From the perspective of humanity, the Borg are clearly everything we are not. The simple twist of fate by which Picard because one of the Borg, leaving Riker and the others to defeat their great enemy without their fearless leader, only serves to up the ante even more. This is another A+ episode and you cannot have one without the other.

The Best!
The follow up from part one does a very nice job. Riker is fantastic in dealing with the ways to rescue Picard from the Borg ship. Too bad you couldn't see the actual "battle" at Wolf 359. But you actually can if you watch the beginning of Star Trek Deep Space Nine's 1st episode. As with the 1st episode, this one's loaded with suspense. You won't want to miss a minute. ... Read more

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

Reviews (6)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (13)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (8)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (1)

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

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

Reviews (5)