From: tlynch@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch)
Subject: Re: 3 more reviews (JUSTICE ... HIDE & Q)
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 00:19:24 GMT

kanamori@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Atsushi Kanamori) writes:
>In article <1992Apr15.154206.8369@cco.caltech.edu> tlynch@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>>kanamori@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Atsushi Kanamori) writes:

>>>JUSTICE
>>>-------

>>Oh, no.  I've got several that fall below this, "Qpid" and "The Royale" being
>>the top (bottom? :-) ) of the list.  This is easily in the bottom 10, though,
>>and probably the bottom five.  

>I'd say QPID and ROYALE are at worst, side-by-side to, rather than below 
>JUSTICE and NG. The latter two had good intentions but executed it abysmally, 
>while the former two were bad ideas to start with and thus, we couldn't 
>enjoy either of their accomplishments. It's pretty hard to say which is worse.

I tend to give points for good intentions; hence my 3 for "The Outcast".  If
the show says "I know what they tried to do, but they completely blew it", that
puts it higher than "this show had absolutely no reason to be made and never
should have been", at least to me.

>>>THE BATTLE:

>>>This is another episode that's tough to rate. The *premise* was 
>>>fascinating, probably more so than any of the 1st season eps to this date. 
>>
>>With the *possible* exception, I think, of "Where No One...", but it's a 
>>tough call.  

>Aye -- WN1HGB was an exploration of outer space, while THE BATTLE explored
>inner space. It's a taste call here, methinks. 

No doubt.

>>>Rob Bowman. Why am I not surprised? 
>>
>>Heh.  He's really the only *superb* director the show had this season as far
>>as I can remember. Where *is* he now?  I don't remember anything by him since
>>"Brothers".

>Me neither. Grrr. I can't believe they passed him over in the recent
>"director's issue" of the ST:TNG mag.

Did they?  I rarely read the magazine, so I hadn't noticed.

>>>Doesn't anyone wonder why the Ferengi continue to hang around like vultures
>>>while all this is happening?
>>
>>'Cos Bok hasn't mentioned his "mutual problem" yet.  :-)  Seriously, if I'm
>>remembering right, they were trying to start negotiating for peace; surely
>>there's more to that process than the one meeting they saw.  Perhaps the 
>>E's diplomatic staff (er...it does have some, right?  :-) ) was busy working 
>>on the sidelines.

>It wasn't explicitly said as I recall (it looked like the exchange of
>the Stargazer was the primary function of the meeting.) But it's a reasonable
>extrapolation.

I *am* capable of such things from time to time.  :-)

>>They may have gotten the same impression after the events of "The Last
>>Outpost" that we did; "oh, come on, these guys couldn't blow their nose and
>>make it dangerous!".  First impressions can be tough to refute.

>Good point. The feeling I got from the crew on that front was "cockiness", 
>as if the Ferengi really weren't worth serious attention.

Nor have they been from here on in.  Bok is the only Ferengi I've ever found
a believable threat; even others played by the same actor haven't worked.
(The actor also played Lwaxana's beau in "Menage a Troi" if I remember 
rightly...errrgh, what a difference.)

>>>HIDE AND Q

>>>This one had some interesting ideas but wasted much of it. 
>>
>>To some extent.  It's probably the weakest of the Q-centered stories beyond
>>"Qpid", but I don't understand the loathing many people have for it, 
>>honestly.  I thought it was rather mundane in bits, but not bad.

>It wasn't quite a "loather", no... but it was a let-down from THE BATTLE
>which may explain some of those feelings. 

That I can understand.

>>>Much of this stems from the lackluster performance
>>>of the regulars. Frakes looks convincingly smug and arrogant as SuperRiker
>>>but everyone else sleepwalked through their roles. 
>>
>>I'd differ with that on Stewart and, to some extent, Spiner, but other than
>>that it was rather straightforward.  

>Stewart had some good bits here and there, but he seemed to be taking the
>whole business too calmly (especially when the Q curtain blocked the Enter-
>prise the first time around.) 

What's the point in panic?  Hey, you just hit him for being fearful in 
"Justice", after all.  

>I didn't really notice Spiner -- he was peripheral
>except for the "gift of humanity" bit.

Agreed, but that's the bit that counts, and he did quite well there.

>>>The idea of exploring the Q-continuum is, in itself,
>>>a fascinating one but like Nick Locarno in TFD, Q lacks the basic
>>>character and three-dimensionality to make this a defensible option.
>>
>>That I disagree with.  I think a story finally showing the Qontinuum in 
>>some fashion and *dealing* with exactly how Q sits in relation to his 
>>fellows might well be a good one, if executed properly.

>Different topic, though. I meant "fascinating to Riker", but I don't
>think any properly trained Starfleet officer could justify abandoning his
>ship and captain to go along with Q.

Not as laid out, probably.  Given the right inducements, I think a hook-up
with the Qontinuum could be made to sound as attractive as Picard's deal with
the devil in "Lonely Among Us".  

Tim Lynch