From: johnnyp@athena.mit.edu (John Piscitello)
Subject: Re: TAII
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 15:49:39 GMT

In article <1992Sep28.193530.2216@orionsci> goodwin@orionsci.uucp (Ben Goodwin) writes:
>I always enjoy TNG even when it stinks.  Don't analyze the previuos, just
>accept it. :)
>
>On that note I give it a C.  The usual glaring inconsistencies were present
>but then that's average for TNG.
>
>Spoilers follow
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>10 line is all you get!
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>More moronic aliens in the TNG universe and a paradox that defies description.
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>1) If earthers hadn't found Data's head, then no one would have investigated
>that planet of the soul eaters. 
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>2) If the earthers hadn't investigated, no one would have found Data's head.
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>Is it just me or are we lacking a cause in this cause affect equation?

	Do you remember when Guinan says in Part I "Hmm..full circle."
That's the point of the time-travel story - it's a paradox. The
causality loop forms a full circle. This is a classic time-travel
story and it's been done before (most widely-seen in the Terminator
movies). This is a carefully constructed plot that is not inconsistent.
If anything, it's pedestrian.



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>Secondly, why can't these aliens defend themselves?  They are smart enough
>to time travel but sit on this planet totally defensive against the people
>who's history they are robbing.
>
	Who says they can't? They seemd pretty good at killing
people with their medical bag laser beam. And one of those guys gave 
Riker a good swing.
	This is a license taken by the writers when they said
"gee, we only have an hour to finish this story. Let's assume the
viewers have some form of intelligence, so we won't have to explain
away every detail, such as why don't the aliens have photon
torpedoes at their outpost."
	You're really nitpicking here.

>Thirdly, when Picard was watching the female Timetraveller die and he told
>her the E would destroy her people, she was unconcerned and actually seemed
>to think it was funny.  "Sure, you kill us, but you kill yourself too. Ha Ha!"
>
	Let me get this straight. You think it's unusual for the villian
to not care if the good guy bites it. 

	Have you ever seen a movie or a TV show in your life? Villians
are bad guys. If they're not bad, there's no incentive to defeat them,
and no story. If anything, the treatment of the villian was pedestrian.
They could have used more development of the aliens in this episode,
instead of going a little heavy on Mark Twain philosphising and meddling.


>I often ask myself why I watch this drivel?  I wish I knew the answer.
>I'm not a writer, but the ones for TNG must be incompetent boobs.  The
>inconsistencies are big enough to drive a truck through!
>
	You haven't brought up a single inconsistency so far; just some
nitpicks which either were answered in the episode already or where
just left to the intelligent viewer to assume. 

	You also center too much on plot. TNG is more than plot.
What about the 19th-centure costumes, which looked great?
What about the development of the friendship (or is it morer?() between
Guinan and Picard? What about the seamlessness of the special effects?
The art direction? The creative storylines? The little touches
of dialogue among the actors (like Geordi holding the play
upside down, Picard worrying about paying the bill at the hotel,
Riker punching out the cop?)

	There is so much great stuff in this show. And you're
sitting there whining "Well, why don't the aliens have photon
torpedoes to shoot back?" Why don't you just ask where the
captain goes to the bathroom?


>Where's Babylon Five?  Maybe some well thought out Sci-Fi if we're lucky.
>
	Maybe so. But TNG is an excellent show on every level.
From plots to character to costumes to makeup. I think it's your
criticisms that need to be more thought-out.


>-- 
>=================================================
>Ben Goodwin - Orion Scientific - DC - USA
>
>If E-mail fails try orionsci!goodwin@uunet.uu.net
>=================================================


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