From: wombat@eng.umd.edu (Jose Gonzalez)
Subject: *Spoiler* Comments on "Relics"
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 92 00:31:29 GMT
Organization: Project GLUE, University of Maryland, College Park
Originator: wombat@coke.eng.umd.edu

*Spoilers*



Bullseye.



I simply can't say enough good things about this fantastic episode.  I'll
certainly try to, though. (-:

Some Random Comments:

- Let's begin with what was the *best* scene in the entire show, that
being the holodeck scene.  I'm not an avid TOS fan, but even I got 
chills when Scotty walked on the bridge of NCC-1701.  The history
that was conveyed just in the short time that Scotty was walking alone
on the bridge was amazing.

- Now, if I got chills when Scotty walked onto the bridge, you can
imagine what happened to me when Captain Jean-Luc Picard walked on
to the bridge of the *original* Enterprise.  I couldn't suppress a huge
grin at the sight.  The only thing that could have made that moment
*more* perfect was if Picard had actually sat in the captain's chair.
I thought he might, but alas, no.  The dialog between Picard and Scotty
was superb, with them reminising about their first loves.  There was
a very nice parallel drawn between the "coming apart at the seams"  
Stargazer and the "coming apart at the seams" original Enterprise.
This was just an absolutely brilliant scene.

- Kudos have to go to James Doohan, who proves that he *can* act, not
just yell alot like he did in Star Trek VI.  Part of the reason he did
so well is that he had great material to work with, thanks to Ron
Moore.  No offense intended to TOS at all here, but part of the reason
that the show worked as well as it did was that the characters *were*
very likeable, and very static.  This episode wasn't going to work if
Ron Moore had kept Scotty one-dimensional.  Fortunately, he took Scotty
far beyond his stereotype.  Scotty is a fully realized character in
"Relics."  He feels out of touch and useless, experiencing a form of
cultural shock, "technological shock."  Doohan really makes us
feel the depression and frustration he fells.  And when he gets out
of his funk, with the help of Geordi, in time to save the Enterprise, we
cheer for him.

- "Relics" managed to make numerous mentions of the original series 
w/out being too obvious or wallowing in nostalgia.  Not being as well-
versed in TOS plots and details as I am TNG ones, I'm wondering if 
someone could provide a breakdown of where (and which episodes) the events
occured that Scotty mentions.  It would be much appreciated.  

- There were several lines that I'm sure will become classics.  Some of
my favorites:

Data:  It is... *sniff*...It is....It is *green*.

Geordi: I told the captain I'd have this diagnostic done in an hour.
Scotty: How long will it *really* take?
Geordi: An *hour*.
Scotty: You didn't tell him how long it would *really* take, did you?
Geordi: Of course I did.
Scotty: Oh, laddy, you've got a lot to learn if you want people to think
of you as a miracle-worker.

Scotty: I told him I can't change the laws of physics!

There were more, but my memory's not so good.

- I have no problem with the fact that they didn't specifically state
that they had gotten the impulse engines back on line, but since they 
*were* back on line, why was the Enterprise still sitting in the
photosphere, eh?  And those sheilds looked to be fluctuating plenty
there to beam someone off the ship.  The one little problem does in
no way, however, affect the enjoyment of the episode, for myself anyway.

- Who woulda thought it: a sensible, easily understandable solution
to the crisis.  Stick your bloody foot in the door!  That was one of
the most exciting and sastifying endings to the "ship-in-danger" plot
I've ever seen on TNG.  Great job. 

- I know that I've really seen something special, when even after I've
seen it twice, I *still* want to go back and look at certain scenes.  I
found myself doing this with the holodeck scene, the ten-forward scene,
the climax, and the ending with Geordi and Scotty. 

All in all, I can't imagine how this episode could have been better.
Fantastic job, folks.  If "Man of the People" is as bad as Season Six
is going to get, it could be a great season indeed.  (Anybody else
think that "Chain of Command" with Ronny Cox sounds like a fantastic
idea?  Ronny Cox plays wonderful villians.  And a *two-part* episode,
no less.)

Grade: 10 

Next Week:



Wow.  Looks like another "wierd" episode that has enourmous potential.
I'm really looking forward to this one.  We'll see......
 
-- 
Jose Gonzalez