From: "bernie wong" <bernie.wong@canrem.com>
Subject: "rascals" spoiler review
Reply-To: "bernie wong" <bernie.wong@canrem.com>
Organization: Canada Remote Systems
Distribution: rec
Date: 7 Nov 92 23:42:26 EST

-=Please read my review and tell me if this works=-
Subject: "Rascals" spoiler filled review.  Written by Jason Wong.

Not only is this post a review, but it is also a request.  Please tell
me if my message got through with a subject line of "'Rascals' spoiler
filled review.  Written by Jason Wong." or "'Rascals' spoiler review".

I am eager to learn if my mail system has finally ipmlimented the long
subject lines.

Ok, on to the review!

Spoilers ahead!

I'm a warning ya!

Last chance...


First impressions -- I didn't like it.

THINGS A DIDN'T LIKE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The concept!  The first time I read the Spoiler FAQ list some person
posted (can't remember his name right now) I couldn't BELIEVE that this
story was introduced.  I still can't believe now that it is ACTUALLY an
episode.  Trek-bashers around the world will see this episode and
instictively say how stupid TNG/Star Trek is.  This episode does not
deserve to be considered Star Trek.  This is a VERY clear indication
that the writers have nothing better to think of!

They should have saved the money on this episode and considered a major
re-write.  How THIS one got past ANY sane writer/editor is beyond me.

- Riker's disabling of the main computer was too slow.  Even later when
the Ferengi were saying "You said they wouldn't have TIME to de-avtivate
the computer!" I couldn't believe how long that Ferengi took.  The one
Ferengi beams aboard the Enterprise with a disrupter and allows this
obviously shouting person to de-activate the computer.  Come on!

- Sigh...  Four crew members stripped of hormones and changed the
pre-pubecent kids!  I STILL can't believe this went through!  :-)  One
annoying thing is their clothes didn't turn too big when they were
changed to kids and then they weren't too small when they changed to
adults.  Cosmetic difference I'm sure the writers purposely dismissed
because it would be too hard to do.

- Tarcacian razor beast?  Isn't that Guinan's imaginary friend?  I
didn't know creatures like them jumped...  :-)

- I think this is about the 4th episode in a row where "interference"
blocks out either sensors or transporters

- From STIII we learn a BOP has a crew compliment of about 12.  Two
BOP's makes that around 24.  The first thing that went through my mind
is that 24 Ferengis armed with disrupters couldn't hi-jack a well armed
Galaxy class star ship with a crew compliment of 1014!!!  And THEN we
learn there's about 6 or 8...

- While we're on the topic, the Enterprise barely fought back.  Sure,
they wouldn't raise shields when the BOP's de-cloak but when they start
FIRING?

- The Ferengi were OH so easily fooled.  Even a kid could get them!  No,
wait, let's go farther, even ALEXANDER fooled them!  I couldn't believe
it.  The writers have just gone TOO FAR and brought Star Trek where Gene
dared not allow them.  Having pouting Captains is about the last straw.

- The actor for Picard was great, but he didn't look at all like Picard.
It was quite obvious that they wanted Picard to be a cute and handsome
kid in his childhood, but somehow I couldn't see it.  (Even though he
WAS voted Most Bodacious Man!)

THINGS I DID LIKE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- I though the kid actors were great!  In terms of acting, each were
equally fantastic, but Kid Picard clearly comes out on top.  I couldn't
BELIEVE how exact Kid Ro was.  She had an almost smashing image and she
played the part well.  Kid Picard played the PART well, but he didn't
look a thing like him.  Kid Guinan and Kid Keiko were fine, but Kid
Keiko was a little too "Americanized" of a Japaenese kid.  The REAL
Keiko, even though she is excempt of an Oriental accent, still has an
oriental look to her.  Kid Keiko did not.

BTW, did anybody else think Kid Picard looked a lot like Picard's nephew
from "Family"?

- Some pretty good humour moments.  Like Riker's technobabble to fool
the Ferengi (Man, I'd hate to have to memorize all that!), Kid Picard's
"What, and room with Wesley Crusher?" line, and when Kid Picard rushed
in saying "DADDY!"...

- For once I thought the Beverly/Superior Officer (in this case Riker)
sequence talking about one's medical condition to be acceptable.  Mostly
Gates's acting tears it apart.  I didn't think the explanation was good
(what was it -- stripped of verocsic sequences?) however, but finally
their 20th century metaphors came out fine.  (I HATE it when they
technobabble so much that they start using 20th century metaphors)

- The B-story was OK at first but then when the kids fooled the Ferengi
so easily it was really displeasing.  Ferengis aren't THAT stupid!

GRADE SYSTEM
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Concept: 3.  Having the crew stripped of hormones idea really bites.
This one SOUNDS like a Q episode, not some transporter malfunction
AGAIN!  The B-story gets a 5 and the molecular mix-up gets a 1.

Plot handling: 6.5.  The episode was pleasing to see up until the
Ferengi came aboard.  Seeing a young Picard deal with himself was
enjoyable to watch, and the kid actor pulled it off well.  However, the
Ferengi and how the Enterprise faught them off ruined it, along with the
quick to-the-last-minute ending.  I still HATE the idea, but I really
think they pulled it off well.  Having the Ferengi transported off like
that was cute, especially Alexander's "I found this in the playroom.  Is
it yours?"  "<GRUNT> Give me that!  <bleep>".

Acting: 8.  I commend the kid actors once again.  The rest of the crew
performed normally and have just about acted their characters so much
that it's their second nature.

Oomph and Aaah: 6.5.  Action was not a major element of the episode
until the Ferengi got involved, but the rest was an "Aaah" episode.  I
liked Young Picard and Troi's chat in his quarters, especially Picard's
line about rooming with Wesley!  :-)

Ending: 6.  Having the Ferengi fooled by kids was OK, but I didn't
like the long-discussed-but-never-considered-as-an-option ending of
transporting the crew back to how they once were.  It seems to me that
you can just about put ANYTHING into the transporter buffer and alter
one's DNA.  It has been done, and it's just TNG's way of saying "OK,
even if we can alter DNA in the 20th century, we just haven't advanced
THAT much in the 24th."  Seems to me that with the genetic decoding
knowledge that we have NOW, putting in those stupid verocsic sequences
would be quite simple.

Hey, no flames, I'm only taking a Grade 9 Science credit so what do I
know about verocsic sequences, right?  :-)

Total: 6.  Why this is rated over "Schisms" (my last review) is
probably because I rated "Schisms" too low.  But truly I think 6 is
just.  As I say again, the idea is stupid but they pulled it off well.
6 means somewhat watchable.  :-)


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Jason Wong
Calling from Markham, Ontario CANADA.  It's not cold though!  :-)
INTERNET: bernie.wong@canrem.com


... I can see you Kirk, can you see me?  Chang
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