Topic: Tom's Random Star Trek Reviews

[Tom]

TNG 6.15 Tapestry
Writer: Ronald D. Moore (Writer)
Director: Les Landau
Cast: Patrick Stewart (Capt. Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. William Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lieutenant Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Ned Vaughn (Corey), J. C. Brandy (Marta), Clint Carmichael (Nausicaan #1), Rae Norman (Penny), John de Lancie (Q), Clive Church (Maurice Picard), Marcus Nash (Young Picard), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice (voice))

One of the best Q episodes. Q gives Picard the chance to correct a mistake from his youth which he always regretted. But then Picard finds out, that without that mistake, he would have never become the person he is today.
In this episode, we see Picard as a young man with full hair. A fact the last TNG motion picture simply ignored. Also the actor displaying that young Picard in this episode had a much closer resemblence to Patrick Stewart than the actor portaying his young clone in Star Trek: Nemesis.

Rating:

[Tom]

I must say that I am glad that I decided to do this random Star Trek viewing with only viewing single episodes or episodes which are part of a small theme. I almost forgot how much I enjoyed these episodes. And this way I can really watch episodes I have always enjoyed rather than committing to a full series marathon where I have to endure boring episodes just to get to the good stuff.

At the end of this week I should be finished with the Q theme. Any suggestions for another theme? Or is there a single episode you would like me to review?

[DJ Doena]

TNG - Borg ([Q Who], Best of Both Worlds, I - Hugh, Descent)
TNG/DS9 - Lwaxana Troi

[Tom]

TNG - Borg ([Q Who], Best of Both Worlds, I - Hugh, Descent)

I had thought of a Borg theme, but then I would have had to watch a lot of Voyager. But a short TNG Borg theme I can see myself doing soon.

TNG/DS9 - Lwaxana Troi

I am not sure. I am not very fond of Lwaxana Troi.

[Tom]

TNG 7.25 All Good Things...
Writer: Ronald D. Moore (Writer), Brannon Braga (Writer)
Director: Winrich Kolbe
Cast: Patrick Stewart (Capt. Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. William T. Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lieutenant Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), John de Lancie (Q), Andreas Katsulas (Tomalak), Clyde Kusatsu (Admiral Nakamura), Patti Yasutake (Nurse Ogawa), Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar), Colm Meaney (O'Brien), Pamela Kosh (Jessel), Tim Kelleher (Lt. Gaines), Alison Brooks (Ensign Chilton), Stephen Matthew Garvin (Ensign), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice (voice))

A great conclusion to the series and to the TNG Q story arc. With showing us three different time periods, we get the chance to see old characters (Tasha, O'Brien) and we get to see a possible future for our characters. And with continuing the trial from the pilot episode, Q wraps up the series nicely.

Rating:

[Tom]

DS9 1.07 Q-Less
Writer: Gene Roddenberry (Original Characters By), Rick Berman (Original Characters By), Michael Piller (Original Characters By), Robert Hewitt Wolfe (Screenwriter), Hannah Louise Shearer (Original Material By)
Director: Paul Lynch
Cast: Avery Brooks (Commander Sisko), Rene Auberjonois (Odo), Siddig El Fadil (Doctor Bashir), Terry Farrell (Lieutenant Dax), Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko), Colm Meaney (Chief O'Brien), Armin Shimerman (Quark), Nana Visitor (Major Kira), Jennifer Hetrick (Vash), John de Lancie (Q), Van Epperson (Bajoran Clerk), Tom McCleister (Kolos), Laura Cameron (Bajoran Woman)

This episode was obviously made to bring in viewers from TNG. Too bad that Q hardly interacts with the DS9 crew. It would have been great to have more scenes between Sisko and Q.
It was a good way to introduce Q to DS9 and at the same time bring the Q/Vash story to a conclusion. Sadly there weren't any other Q episodes in DS9 after this one.

Rating:

[Tom]

VOY 2.18. Death Wish
Writer: Michael Piller (Screenwriter), Shawn Piller (Original Material By)
Director: James L. Conway
Cast: Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway), Robert Beltran (Commander Chakotay), Roxann Biggs-Dawson (Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres), Jennifer Lien (Kes), Robert Duncan McNeill (Lieutenant Tom Paris), Ethan Phillips (Neelix), Robert Picardo (The Doctor), Tim Russ (Lieutenant Tuvok), Garrett Wang (Ensign Harry Kim), Gerrit Graham (Quinn / Q), Peter Dennis (Isaac Newton), Maury Ginsberg), John de Lancie (Q), Jonathan Frakes (Commander William Riker)

The first Voyager Q episode and the best one of the three. It guest stars Gerrit Graham (who will always be the principal of the rival school in Parker Lewis to me) as a Q who want to end his immortal life. And our Q is there to prevent this. Q is great as always and also the story is interesting. We also have a cameo by Commander Riker in this one.

Rating:

[Tom]

VOY 3.11 The Q and the Grey
Writer: Kenneth Biller (Screenwriter), Shawn Piller (Original Material By)
Director: Cliff Bole
Cast: Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway), Robert Beltran (Commander Chakotay), Roxann Dawson (Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres), Jennifer Lien (Kes), Robert Duncan McNeill (Lieutenant Tom Paris), Ethan Phillips (Neelix), Robert Picardo (The Doctor), Tim Russ (Lieutenant Tuvok), Garrett Wang (Ensign Harry Kim), Suzie Plakson (Female Q), Harve Presnell (Colonel Q), John de Lancie (Q)

A stupid episode. Q wants to mate with Janeway. When she refuses, they end up in the Q continuum portrayed as the American civil war. And then even Voyager manages to enter the continuum. I don't know what the writers were smoking while they have written this episode.

Rating:

[Tom]

I just noticed that I forgot to view the last Q episode ever: "Q2"
Probably the reason that I forgot to watch it is, that I have recently watched sfdebris' review of it, and I got the feeling that I watched the whole episode now.

[Tom]

VOY 7.18 Q2
Writer: Robert Doherty (Screenwriter), Kenneth Biller (Original Material By)
Director: LeVar Burton
Cast: Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway), Robert Beltran (Chakotay), Roxann Dawson (B'Elanna Torres), Robert Duncan McNeill (Tom Paris), Ethan Phillips (Neelix), Robert Picardo (The Doctor), Tim Russ (Tuvok), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Garrett Wang (Harry Kim), Keegan DeLancie (Q2), Manu Intiraymi (Icheb), Michael Kagan (Alien Commander), Lorna Raver (Q-Judge), John DeLancie (Q), Anthony Holiday (Nausicaan), Scott Davidson (Bolian), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice (voice))

I finally came around finishing off my Q marathon. What a boring last ever Q episode. Instead of having a big Q story, we have a stupid "Q's son has to learn a lesson" episode, which brings nothing we haven't seen a hundred times before to the table. Best part was when Q junior removed Neelix's mouth and voice

Rating:

[Tom]

Wow! It has been forever since I watched a Star Trek episode 
Currently I am hardly in the mood to watch movies but watch TV shows instead. So it came to me today, that I could finally do a Star Trek time-travel marathon. I probably will start tomorrow with this new theme. Parallel universe stories count as time-travel for me. But I will leave out the mirror universe, because I already reviewed all of them here. Also others which I have already reviewed in this thread I will leave out.

Here is a list of episodes I remember fitting this theme (and not yet reviewed). Please tell me, if I am missing some:

TOS	Tomorrow is Yesterday
TOS	The Alternative Factor
TOS	City on the Edge of Forever
TOS	Assignment: Earth
TOS	Wink of an Eye
TOS	All Our Yesterdays
TNG	The Neutral Zone
TNG	Time Squared
TNG	Future Imperfect
TNG	A Matter of Time
TNG	Cause and Effect
TNG	The Inner Light
TNG	Time's Arrow: Part One
TNG	Time's Arrow: Part Two
TNG	Relics
TNG	Timescape
TNG	Parallels
DS9	Past Tense, Part I
DS9	Past Tense, Part II
DS9	Visionary
DS9	The Visitor
DS9	Little Green Men
DS9	Trials and Tribble-ations
DS9	Things Past
DS9	Children of Time
DS9	Far Beyond the Stars
DS9	Time's Orphan
VOY	Time and Again
VOY	Eye of the Needle
VOY	The 37's
VOY	Non Sequitur
VOY	Flashback
VOY	Year of Hell, Part I
VOY	Year of Hell, Part II
VOY	Timeless
VOY	Relativity
VOY	Shattered

Addendum:

TAS	Yesteryear
TAS	The Counter-Clock Incident
DS9	Accession
DS9	Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night
DS9	The Sound of Her Voice
ENT	Cold Front
ENT	Shockwave
ENT	Shockwave: Part II
ENT	Future Tense
ENT	Carpenter Street
ENT	Azati Prime
ENT	E²
ENT	Zero Hour
ENT	Storm Front
ENT	Storm Front, Part II

[Tom]

Star Trek
1.19 Tomorrow Is Yesterday
Writer: D. C. Fontana (Writer), Gene Roddenberry (Original Characters By)
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
Cast: William Shatner (Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), Roger Perry (Major Christopher), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), Hal Lynch (Air Police Sergeant), Richard Merrifield (Technician), John Winston (Transporter Chief), Ed Peck (Col. Fellini), James Doohan (Scott), George Takei (Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), Mark Dempsey (Air Force Captain), Jim Spencer (Air Policeman), Sherri Townsend (Crew Woman)

The Enterprise accidentally ends up in the 1960s and transports an US Air Force pilot on board. Now they have to deal with him without changing the history.
Interesting episode. One of the better ones, which still holds up today.

Rating:

[Tom]

Star Trek
1.27 The Alternative Factor
Writer: Don L. Ingalls (Writer), Gene Roddenberry (Original Characters By)
Director: Gerd Oswald
Cast: William Shatner (Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), Robert Brown (Lazarus), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), Janet MacLachlan (Charlene Masters), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), Richard Derr (Barstow), Arch Whiting (Assistant Engineer), Christian Patrick (Transporter Chief), Eddie Paskey (Lesley)

I never really liked this episode. I find it boring. Some guy is in conflict with his anti-matter universe self.

Rating:

[Tom]

Star Trek
1.28 City on the Edge of Forever
Writer: Harlen Ellison (Writer), Gene Roddenberry (Original Characters By)
Director: Joseph Pevney
Cast: William Shatner (Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), Joan Collins (Sister Edith Keeler), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), James Doohan (Scott), George Takei (Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), John Harmon (Rodent), Hal Baylor (Policeman), David L. Ross (Galloway), John Winston (Transporter Chief), Bartell La Rue (Guardian Voice (voice))

Probably the best episode of the original Star Trek series. McCoy gets transported back in time to the 1930s, which changes the present dramatically. Kirk and Spock also travel back to prevent whatever McCoy did.

(click to show/hide)

Which turns out to be McCoy saving the life of Edith Keeler (Joan Collins), with whom Kirk has fallen in love with. Kirk has to stop McCoy because she is destined to die.

Rating:

[Tom]

Star Trek
2.26 Assignment: Earth
Writer: Art Wallace (Screenwriter), Gene Roddenberry (Original Material By), Art Wallace (Original Material By), Gene Roddenberry (Original Characters By)
Director: Marc Daniels
Cast: William Shatner (Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), Robert Lansing (Mister Seven), Terri Garr (Roberta Lincoln), James Doohan (Scott), George Takei (Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Don Keefer (Cromwell), Lincoln Demyan (Sergeant), Morgan Jones (Col. Nesvig), Bruce Mars (First Policeman), Ted Gehring (Second Policeman), Paul Baxley (Security Chief)

This is an interesting case. It's a back-door pilot for a series which was never picked up. It's strange that Star Trek serves for introducing/spinning of a series, which is set in the present day (1968). Even though the Enterprise and crew play a minor role in this episode, I enjoyed it. I am a little curious how this series would have turned out. But I am not really surprised that it was not picked up.
This is also the first (and I think the only time), that the Enterprise travels through time just for fun (or as they say, for historical research).

Rating: