benzado

digsyfinallyhasa:

I want to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation because all my friends did/are (nerd pressure) BUT I recognize that, man, it’s a lot to watch and, man, there are some stinkers in there. Also from what I understand, the series as a whole is more episodic in nature. Right? So, because of this, I decided to watch the 25ish best episodes of the series, based on what the INTERNET says. So I Googled “best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation” and then recorded how the episodes ranked across a number of sources (IMdB and Entertainment Weekly being two, and a couple of fanboyish sites being the other three). I then averaged those scores together and ranked them. I took the top 25, but half of these are two-parters so it might end up being more like 35 or so. Now, presented in viewing/airdate/watching order, are the episodes I plan on watching:

SEASON 2
 The Measure of a Man
Q Who?

SEASON 3
Deja Q
Yesterday’s Enterprise
Sins of the Father
Best of Both Worlds

SEASON 4
Reunion
Redemption

SEASON 5
Darmok
Unification
Conundrum
Cause and Effect
I Borg
The Inner Light
Time’s Arrow

SEASON 6
Relics
Chain of Command
Ship in a Bottle
Tapestry
Timescape
Descent

SEASON 7
Parallels
Lower Decks
All Good Things

None from season one, which is about right from what people have told me. Am I missing anything? Are there any season one episodes I have to watch? Note: you will have to reblog this or email me with suggestions, cause you can’t enable replies on tumblrs that aren’t your default.

A nice thing about Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation is that they are very much episodic television shows. You can skip around without hurting the experience too much.

That said, if you don’t watch “Skin of Evil” (S1 E23) then “Yesterday’s Enterprise” won’t be nearly as satisfying. And if you don’t watch anything else from season 1, “Skin of Evil” won’t mean much. This is important, because “Yesterday’s Enterprise” is a great episode and it’s totally insane that Katey hasn’t seen it (or at least didn’t remember seeing it).

Looking at Wikipedia and picking notable season 1 episodes:

• “The Last Outpost” (S1 E5) It was decided that in the eighty years since Kirk was captain, the Klingons had made peace with the Federation, and the Ferengi were to be the new villain. They are introduced in this episode. I don’t even remember what happens in this episode, but it may be interesting to see how they compare to later appearances, where they essentially become the alpha quadrant’s comic relief.
• “Justice” (S1 E8) A classic “let’s visit another world and see how ridiculous their civilization is” Star Trek episode.
• “Haven” (S1 E11) The introduction of Lwaxana Troi, drama teacher of the future. She and Picard have a Miss Piggy/Kermit dynamic that comes up again and again. (Fun fact: Lwaxana is played by Majel Barrett Roddenberry, who also performs the voice of the Enterprise computer.)
• “Datalore” (S1 E13) Establishes a lot of Data’s back story.
• “11001010” (S1 E15) A ridiculous idea for an alien race.
• “Home Soil” (S1 E18) “Ugly bags of mostly water.”

Oh, and this one from season 2 may have special appeal to you, Brett:

• “The Outrageous Okona” (S2 E4) See what a Han Solo type character looks like in the Star Trek universe. Also, Joe Piscopo is selected to represent all of 20th century comedy.

I’m actually surprised by how much “stuff” is in the first two seasons. I recommend watching at least “Skin of Evil” if not more of the above. A lot of the “greatness” of later episodes comes from knowing the characters. (Which I realize contradicts my earlier assertion that skipping around doesn’t hurt.) Also, a lot of the ridiculous episodes won’t make the greatest hits lists but they are where all the best jokes come from.

EDITED TO ADD that I have watched the pilot and the second episode where a virus causes everyone to act drunk and Wesley orders there to be dessert served before and after meals. That second episode inspired this project.

More trivia: that second episode, “The Naked Now”, is heavily based on the original series’s episode “The Naked Time”, and being the third episode of a follow-up to a legendary series, reactions were not all positive.

Oh, and don’t skip the episodes about Reginald Barclay!

Stephen Fry (via healywu via theultimateginger-):

Life, that can shower you with so much splendour, is unremittingly cruel to those who have given up. Thank the gods there is such a thing as redemption, the redemption that comes in the form of other people the moment you are prepared to believe that they exist. I remember an episode of Star Trek that ends with Jim turning to McCoy and saying, ‘Out there, Bones, someone is saying the three most beautiful words in the galaxy.’ I fully expected the nauseous obviousness of ‘I love you’. But Kirk turned to the screen, gazed at the stars and whispered: ‘Please, help me.’

Actually, Kirk didn’t say this to McCoy, he said this to Edith Keeler, a woman of the early 20th century who was killed in a car accident, until her life was saved by a drug-addled, time-traveling McCoy, setting in motion a series of events leading to the triumph of Germany in the Second World War and the non-existence of the United Federation of Planets. (By the way, buy my T-shirt!)

Kirk didn’t gesture “out there” to conjecture that someone might be saying it, he’s giving credit to who really said the phrase:

(They are strolling along, hand in hand, as ‘Goodnight, Sweetheart’ carries in the air from a radio repair shop.) 

EDITH: Why does Spock call you Captain? Were you in the war together? 

KIRK: We served together. 

EDITH: And you don’t want to talk about it? Why? Did you do something wrong? Are you afraid of something? Whatever it is, let me help. 

KIRK: Let me help. A hundred years or so from now, I believe, a famous novelist will write a classic using that theme. He’ll recommend those three words even over I love you. 

EDITH: Centuries from now? Who is he? Where does he come? Where will he come from? 

KIRK: Silly question. Want to hear a silly answer? 

EDITH: Yes. 

KIRK: A planet circling that far left star in Orion’s belt. See?

It’s kind of fascinating how much his memory was off. He was right about:

• the speaker (Kirk)

He was wrong about:

• who Kirk was speaking to (Keeler, not McCoy)
• who said the words (a novelist, not “someone”)
• what the words are (“let me help”, not “please, help me”)
• which part of the episode the dialogue occurs in (about two-thirds, not the end)

Also the way he recalls expecting “the nauseous obviousness of ‘I love you’” is impossible the way the scene is written; Keeler’s use of the phrase “let me help” is what inspires Kirk to make the connection.

By the way, if you’re wondering who that famous future novelist is, it’s Harlan Ellison.

(via khealywu)