From: ruzon@aludra.usc.edu (The Ruz-master)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: REALM OF FEAR -- OPINIONATED COMMENTS
Date: 1 Oct 1992 13:42:48 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu
Summary: The defense

In article <1992Oct1.110508.12676@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU> kanamori@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Atsushi Kanamori) writes:

>Realm of Spoilers ahead



>First, this is the most chilling look we get to date about what can
 go wrong with the transporter (sorry, I deleted too many lines)

Transporters too often wind up as more of a writer's way to bring certain
events about.  Even "The Enemy Within" didn't do much more than that.  But
here we get our first real taste of transporter theory, and I'm all for
formalization of concepts that have caused too many arguments in this
hierarchy, although I suppose the r.a.s.tech people will ask more questions
than they answer.

>The 
>"transportee's-eye" view of the beaming process was also nicely done:
>it's what you'd logically expect, yet jarring enough to make you sit
>up and notice. As usual, TNG is often strongest on the horror-mystery
>aspects, and this episode is no exception. 

I cannot tell you how often I have almost prayed since I started watching
Star Trek to see what it looked like to be transported.  My concept was
exactly right except I didn't have a matter stream where the world fades to
white noise for a while.  I thought it was interesting too.

>Unfortunately, things like plot and characterization *aren't* TNG's 
>strong points and most of the "human issue" transportaphobia thread failed
>for me. Several factors contributed to this.

>First and foremost, Dwight Schultz was absolutely AWFUL as Barclay. I don't
>understand what happened. When we first saw him in "Hollow Pursuits", he
>was one of the all-too-rare TNG guest characters who could be identified
>with because he was just "a regular guy" -- the unpretentious, vulnerable,
>neighbor-across-the-street kind of character. True, he was eccentric, but 
>the beauty of it was that he was "nutty in a normal way." That's hard to 
>bend your brain around but that's *exactly* what made him so good :-) 
>I still believe that.

>In contrast, for most of "Realm", Barclay was Mr. Murdock; overdone and
>overacted. Scenes like Barclay curling up on Troi's couch and [etc. deleted]

Characters have to develop.  Recurring characters even more so because we don't
get to see their day-to-day lives like we do the rest of the crew.  In "The
Nth Degree" we see Barclay suddenly dropping his fear and nervousness about
*anything* and taking the big-E for a joyride.  I have wondered what the next
Barclay episode would be like, given the previous two, and I got what I
expected.  An officer who was much better at interacting with the real world
and facing his fears, but nervous just the same.  Unfortunately, one great
experience cannot give you enough adrenalin to keep it up forever.

>On the characterization note, the script strains a tad too obviously to
>marry the Barclay character (whose trademark neurosis was fear of people)
>with transporterphobia. Part this stems from the overacting mentioned above:
>come *on*, guys! Any crewmember who whines and acts *this* childish for
>two seasons straight should have been booted out of Starfleet a long time
>ago. If Geordi had any sense, he would taken Ensign Furniture as systems
>engineer instead of dragging Barclay along. But of course, this episode
>has to center on Barclay so he has to be part of the action somehow.
>The handling of this was awkward.

I disagree, because I've never heard about anything that says a Starfleet 
officer cannot have fear of transporting, or being nervous, but that's why 
we're both here, I guess.

>Scriptwise, the characterization of Barclay does a nice recovery
>about halfway through when he proactively puts himself through the
>transporter effect again to recreate the worms, and makes useful
>suggestions during the investigation. *This*, at least, represents
>a logical step up from "Hollow Pursuits" and it's done subtlely enough
>so that it didn't feel defensive. That, I approved of wholly.

And I approved of the scene with O'Brien where he finally remembered he had
rank and pulled it.  Of course, there seems to be either a costuming problem
or something changed (is "retconning" the word?) with Chief O'Brien, but that's
beside the point.

>Characterization "throwaway scenes" ranged all over the scale (I did
>say "schizophrenic.") The O'Brien "spider story" pushed my paranoia button
>because it looked like yet another "let me tell you a story" schtick and
>an long-winded one at that. But it did a nice recovery at the end when
>O'Brien introduced Barclay to his pet spider. Fun wrapup there. 

So where's the "throwaway scenes" that you didn't like?  Or are they in the
next paragraph (the one I deleted)?

>Unfortunately, the bad scenes stand out more than the good: 

This, I believe, is the major beef I have with the Opinionated Comments.  Not
that they're different than my views, but that here the bad scenes will
*always* stand out more than the good.  Oh well.

>Plotwise, the mystery-ship subplot wasn't bad as far as tacked on
>science menace subplots go. It had some atmosphere, as I mentioned above,
>but suffered from a rushed ending as often. Barclay's deductive flash
>seems just too easy to me, and Worf and Beverly were awfully quick to jump
>on his orders ("grab 'em and hold on.") The ending was also predictable
>as hell -- anyone who couldn't figure out that the worms were really
>the missing crew after the first act just wasn't trying.

Actually, the four missing crewmembers slipped my mind for most of the 
episode, which is why I wound up liking it so much.  And I *was* trying:  I
was trying to enjoy myself while watching one of the greatest uses of TV I
have found so far.  So if that deserves a flame because I wasn't bright 
enough to figure this one out, go ahead, but I disagree there too.  And I 
thought it was rather studly of Worf to just dive
into the transporter along with two lackeys (not Beverly, I believe), in order
to save somebody else.  Worf's finally having a great season!

>  Overall:    C  (very, *very* uneven. Sigh.)

Once again I disagree.  I think this episode was a very worthy successor to
"Family" and "Darmok," as 2nd episodes who, in their own quiet way, turned
out rather excellently.

Some other points I wish to mention:

* Troi finally wins the Starfleet Office Bitch of the Week Award.  Who does
  she think she is relieving Lt. Barclay of duty?  She's never done that
  before.  Ever since "Disaster" when she finally got her hands on the bridge,
  she has just been getting more and more hard-nosed every so often.  And
  shouldn't there be some kind of appeal process?

* O'Brien said, "I've been doing this for 22 years, and I haven't lost anybody
  yet."  First, I guess I was surprised that O'Brien was that old (~40).  But
  then another thought occurred to me.  If he's been transporting people for
  22 years, how do we now explain his tour of duty as tactical officer aboard
  the U.S.S. Rutledge, Capt. Benjamin Maxwell commanding. 

* A friend of mine believed that the shots of the Enterprise near the plasma
  trail were taken from the fourth(?) season premiere where the visiting 
  scientist tries to destroy Wesley's Nannites before they destroy his
  experiment.  I can't believe I can't remember the name.

* Data can handle the basics of human observation, but he just can't get all
  the subtleties down.  He figured out that good 'ol Reg was worried about 
  being sick, but when direct confrontation failed, he put Geordi on the
  trail.  Good show.

>Next Week:



>What looks like a pretty bad episode and another downstep from Troi
>being a useful character back to being stage dressing. 

This really is the Year of the Vampire, isn't it?  First Buffy, then 
Innocent Blood, with Dracula to follow.  I'm looking forward to it, myself.

[PS I just remembered that I don't know if it's correct protocol to delete the
reviewer's .sig on the first reply.  Sorry if I offended, Atsushi.]


-- 
********************************************************************************
* Mark A. "The Ruz-master" Ruzon     *   "Bigger than life and twice as cocky" *
* ruzon@aludra.usc.edu (Fight On)    *       -a man known only as Mr. Baxter   *