#best picard character competition

[best-star-trek-character]

PIC Semi-Finals

[landfilloftrash]

Even the end result was neck and neck— those two were touslin’.

Geordi and Picard over there 100% inspired by this anon

[lostyesterday]

for the ST ask game – either the TNG or Voyager crew and who would be the best to worst at playing baseball in a Take Me Out To the Holosuite style episode

I love this question so I’ll do both!

TNG:

Data: He loves playing games with really specific rules and he has super strong physical abilities. Including him almost feels like cheating though, and he might think so too. I can see him being the umpire like Odo was in DS9. I think he would greatly enjoy that as well.

Guinan: This seems exactly like the kind of random thing she’d be unexpectedly really good at, and she did live on Earth for a long time so it’s entirely possible she’s already played the game and gotten really good at it.

Tasha: Really athletic and competitive and would clearly do well.

Beverly: She’s athletic and a good team player. Baseball doesn’t really seem like her kind of sport, but I still think she’d be very competent at it.

Worf: Technically he was in the DS9 episode, but he’s still a TNG main so I’m ranking him here. He’s pretty good at baseball.

Riker: Another fairly good baseball player, and I could see him getting competitive and taking it very seriously too.

Deanna: I think she’d be a pretty average player, not notably bad or good.

Geordi: He doesn’t seem like he’d be that into sports, plus I’m not sure how accessible baseball would be for him with his visor. As a visually disabled person who has technically attempted to play baseball myself, it’s very hard to play without normal vision. That ball is so tiny and moves so fast. (I made an extremely ill-advised attempt to bat in a school PE class. The ball did not hit me in the face but it was a close thing.) I can see an argument that Geordi’s visor might also be an advantage, though, if he can use it to track things like speed, in which case he’d be much higher on this list.

Wesley: He’d try his best, but he really doesn’t seem like he’d enjoy team sports.

Picard: I cannot picture Picard playing baseball. It’s not even that he’s not athletic, his existence as a character just feels in every way antithetical to the concept of baseball. If TNG had a baseball episode, he would somehow find a way to avoid participating, unless of course he was forced to by Q or something. He would hate it very much.

Voyager:

Janeway: Put in a similar situation as the original DS9 episode, I think Janeway would be just as competitive as Sisko, plus she has strong athletic skills. Baseball doesn’t seem like her kind of sport exactly, but she would make it work.

Chakotay: A sports person and generally athletic. I think he’d have a good time.

Tuvok: He could be good at baseball, the question is whether he would take it seriously. I think if it was framed as a tactical exercise and there was some genuine incentive to beat the other team he would do an extremely competent job.

The Doctor: I had a huge amount of difficult ranking him. In theory, he has the capability of being the best player, but he seems to have little interest in physical hobbies (which makes sense for his character and situation), so I don’t know if he would take it seriously. It might theoretically make sense for him to be the umpire. I do think he would like getting to be the final arbiter of all the rules and yelling at everyone so I think he’d go for it.

B’Elanna: She’d be a fairly competent player, but I don’t think she’d enjoy the game very much. She’s more of a solo sports person.

Harry: Baseball doesn’t seem at all like his kind of thing, but he’d try his best and be fairly decent at it.

Seven: She would claim to find the situation ridiculous but actually become super competitive. She has strong physical abilities, but her real downfall is that she would just be really bad at team sports. She would absolutely get kicked out of the game for breaking the rules.

Tom: I can see Tom liking baseball (it actually makes a lot of sense given his 20th century America obsession), I just don’t think he’d be good at it. I think it might actually be really funny if Tom claimed to be an expert at it and then was just absolutely terrible at actually playing.

Kes: I just don’t think she would be interested.

Neelix: He would try his best, but I think the rules would seem silly to him and he’d have trouble learning all of them and then get kicked out of the game for doing something wrong accidentally.

[theimaginatrix27]

I need to talk about Benjamin Sisko

I have been meaning to make this post for a while now, and I have ranted about how much I love this man in the tags of so many posts, but the time has come for me to make my own. Why no, this isn't me practicing what I would say to Avery Brooks about his character and how much I love him in the unlikely event I ever get to speak to the man in question. Why would you even think that?

If you had asked me, even a year ago, which of the three Trek Renaissance captains was my favourite, I'd have told you that I'm bad at picking favourites, that I like Picard, Janeway and Sisko for different reasons, and can't choose between them.

Now, though, I've come to a decision:

Benjamin Lafayette Sisko is in a league of his fucking own.

Don't misunderstand me, I have always liked Sisko, and I have loved him for nearly a decade and a half as of writing this post, but in recent months, as I have revisited Deep Space Nine, I've found my love for him deepening, broadening, flowing more freely, shining more brightly, and gaining momentum.

Because this man is the best Trek Captain. Ever. There is no competition.

I fell in love with Sisko when I first watched Emissary. As I said, I had liked him before then, thought he was pretty cool and all, but after watching that episode, I was in love.

Because you cannot watch the scene where he really has to face his grief, acknowledge that some part of him never left the moment he lost Jennifer, and come out the other side the same person. Especially when you have your own burden of griefs, moments from your past where pieces of you have existed since that trauma first tore them away. I cried with Sisko when I first watched that scene. I've cried with him almost every time I've watched it since. And that performance is so raw, and so beautiful, and this was the fucking pilot. Avery gave it his all!

But of course, there are so many reasons to love this man, and many other DS9 fans have said it better than me, but I will do my best to lay out the big ones:

He is so very strong. Not in the sense that he physically kicks arse (though he absolutely can and does), but that he possesses strength of character. He is able to withstand so much, and still keeps going in the face of ever-increasing odds, and fucking wins.

He is also so very warm and caring and loving. Have you seen this man with his son? Because I have, and I think he beats out every fictional dad I've ever seen anywhere else. And he shares that level of love and warmth with everyone who serves under him, who has ever been his friend, the rest of his family, the world of Bajor, every baby fortunate enough to enter his orbit, the list goes on. I would accept a one-way trip to DS9 and put up with all the shit just to be able to be within the radius of that love.

He adores kids. I have to make this its own point because the man just melts around kids of all ages and it's precious. He's precious. You seen him with babies? He is so soft with them you wish you could be that baby.

He is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, and is so very very passionate when he does: I have said it before in tags, but this man does not yell at you when you have fucked up or otherwise aroused his ire. He is loudly passionate, and very articulate with it. He will speak out against injustice, he will meticulously lay out the ways you fucked up, and he will annunciate every word. I have been that passionate about things I believe in. I know how powerful it is to hear it and to do it, and Sisko is a prime example of this kind of passion, for which I cannot help but love him. Sisko's disappointed parent voice would have me in tears if it were ever directed at me, because I would never want to disappoint Captain Sisko.

Man knows how to have fun! Seriously, I love Picard, but easygoing he is not. And I love Janeway, but her idea of fun is Gothic Horror Romance in the holodeck, and I'm sure some people vibe with that, but it's not what most would consider fun. Benjamin Sisko plays baseball. He was the most enthusiastic of the four who had to play the Allamaraine game in Move Along Home (I like that episode, it was fun, Quark broke down sobbing, it was great). He is a genuine delight to spend free time with. He is as far from boring as it is possible to be.

He can cook! And I wish I could just drop in to share every meal he makes! I love my food, and I would dearly love to try his, because it sounds divine. Yes I know that's sort of ironic to say about Sisko given where canon took him, but I'm not taking it back. I've never had Cajun cuisine, but I wanna, just because it's Sisko's specialty. I trust him to feed me well and make the experience an absolute pleasure.

He is so very, very progressive. This is a big part of what has deepened my appreciation for him as I have reintegrated myself into the Deep Space Nine fandom. I've always been progressive on some level, but I've grown a hell of a lot over the past decade, and coming back to a show I already loved with the perspective I have now has made me appreciate more of the nuance woven through it. And Sisko is a beacon of progressive ideals! He is always trying! Always open to understanding! Always on the side of the oppressed! And he admits when he fucks up (which isn't often but it happens). We should all strive to be more like Sisko.

I could gush on and on about him all fucking day and not run out of material, but I won't, because I would like this post to go public while some of my Trek friends are still awake.

I will say this before I close, however. I cannot in any way fathom the kind of person who looks at this character, truly one of the most multifaceted to come out of any 90s show, and reduce him to racist stereotypes. If you are one of those people and have somehow found this post, block me. I will never agree with your shortsighted views and it will be better for both of us if we never interact.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk, go watch DS9 however you can and give it and its captain the love they so richly deserve.

[subbyfoxelf]

[tv review] ds9 1x01-03 (1993)

1x01 & 1x02 “emissary”

the general consensus on season 1 of ds9 is that it’s bad & boring, and like, in a way fair enough? but there’s also just absolutely no comparing it to season 1 of tng, so i oftentimes find myself resisting this take even though it’s kinda totally fair.

still, this larger narrative actually has zero bearing on the show’s pilot episodes. this two-parter was pretty easily the best star trek pilot ever at the time given that its only competition was either tos’s “the cage” or “where no man has gone before” (or both, depending on how you wanna count it, idk) and tng’s “encounter at farpoint.” among its contemporaries i also think it definitively edges out voyager’s “caretaker,” though not by nearly so wide of a margin. i think it’s since been surpassed by the first episodes of virtually every installment of nutrek, minus the last ten minutes or so of both of discovery’s first two episodes. but regardless, this is just a fantastic two-parter and a great way to pass the torch from tng.

linking sisko’s backstory to picard and the most celebrated episode of tng was an especially shrewd move, and having the two of them initially butting heads was a great way to differentiate sisko immediately. not that he actually ended up needing the help considering how strong his characterization is and how amazingly avery brooks plays him throughout the series. on top of that, like… as a star trek fan, it’s just undeniably satisfying to actually finally get to see some of the carnage at wolf 359 instead of just the aftermath.

beyond that, this two-parter had so many characters to introduce and so much to set up about the setting, and i think it pulled all of that off admirably. a-rank

1x03 “past prologue”

i 100% agree with the decision to swap this episode in as the first episode after the pilot instead of that episode where odo is being oppressed for being a cop. like, even leaving my personal & political feelings out of the equation, kira is just blatantly the more important & interesting of the two characters, and getting her & sisko on something resembling the same page feels like the most important thread that needed picking up after the pilot.

moving this episode up also helped reiterate the importance of bajor and the wormhole both to the show’s narrative and to the politics of the universe, so kind of a double whammy of obviousness there.

… also also, although it’s inexplicably his only appearance in the first season, this gets us to my problematic husband garak sooner, and that’s obviously very important. his interactions with dr. bashir (and others) in this first appearance are just fucking priceless, and this show will always be better off the more garak it has in it. and this episode is fully like 50% garak insinuating that he’s a spy, bashir pouncing on it like an overeager puppy, and garak denying it and making bashir feel silly.

it’s gonna taper off soon, but ds9 season 1 actually gets off to quite a strong start all things considered. a-rank

[sshbpodcast]

We flatter you, sir, we flatter you!: The best Cardassians in Star Trek

By Ames

We’re wrapping up our series of alien species discussions with one of our favorite Star Trek races: the Cardassians! These are a people that are so varied that it’s a relief from more monocultural societies. Instead, we get to see all kinds of individual motivations that make our reptilian friends tick. Whether they’re fascinating villains, redeemed heroes, or (more likely) a little bit of both, these are the best of the best that A Star to Steer Her By has compiled for you!

Cardassians concoct some of the best-laid schemes of the show, even outdoing the best Romulans we discussed previously. Check out our favorite spoon-headed friends below, listen to our discussion on this week’s podcast episode (Cardi chatter at 1:00:08), and pour yourself some kanar as we toast the Cardassian Union!

[images © CBS/Paramount] 

Ames – You knew I was a snake…

Dukat

Mila

Madred

How could I not pick some of the most villainous, secretive, manipulative characters we’ve met in all of Star Trek? I’ll start things off with our favorite gul whose layered portrayal, self-serving motivation, and sexy swagger drive him head, neck, and shoulders (but especially neck) above the competition. Let’s also give some praise to Tain’s housekeeper who has hinted depths that Andy Robinson makes canon in A Stitch in Time, and to the nefarious Orwellian agent from TNG who had Picard seeing who knows how many lights?

—

Chris – Shades of obsidian

Garak

Damar

Marritza

We see in Chris’s favorite Cardassians how a character can go from toady in an evil government to rebel for a good cause on their way to redemption, or at least as close as they can get with the number of literal skeletons in their closets. There is a thick grey area for characters like the former Obsidian Order operative turned simple tailor, for the right-hand man to a tyrant turned revolutionary leader, and to the file clerk turned martyr for the people his kind nearly obliterated, and we salute them!

—

Jake – A few good lizard men

Marritza

Damar

Ghemor

Jake’s picks turn out to be good people at heart, contrary to the totalitarian nature that drives most Cardassians. Early in DS9, we were fans of the lowly file clerk who concocted a needlessly elaborate scheme to bring about some much warranted justice. Later, we got to watch the full realization of one character who sees the Dominion for what they truly are and sacrifices himself for the cause. And pour one out for the rebellious father who tries to save his daughter only for someone who looks like his daughter to save him.

—

Caitlin – Wanna spoon?

Ghemor

Rejal

Garak

Caitlin put together a list of Cardassians who follow their hearts and do what they do for the love of family, romance, and maybe just some lunch with a cute Starfleet doctor. We were fully sympathetic to the secret rebel who formed a fatherly kinship with Kira through their couple episodes together. DS9 gave us some great awkward tomfoolery when a young Cardassian scientist got the hots for O’Brien of all people. And what else can we say about Gar/shir that slashfic all over the internet hasn’t already planted in our wildest imaginations?

—

Those are all the alien races we’re covering for this blog series, so thank you for taking this trip through the galaxy’s family tree with us. There will be plenty more topics for us to explore as we get through more Trek, so continue following along here, keep up with our trip through the Delta Quadrant on SoundCloud, hail us on Facebook and Twitter, and count how many lights you see. We’ll wait…

[thegreaterlink]

Reviewing Star Trek TNG - S1E9 "Hide and Q"

THE PREMISE

While en route to Quadra Sigma, the Enterprise is stopped in its tracks by Q, who transports the bridge crew (with the exception of Picard) down to an unknown planet to partake in a game of his design.

While there, Q reveals that the Q Continuum is testing Commander Riker to see if he is worthy of joining them. He makes a wager with Picard, and grants Riker the powers of the Continuum. But despite his initial steadfast refusal, Riker quickly starts to be tempted by the possibilities...

MY REVIEW

Do you have any idea how refreshing it is to watch an episode that's solidly good for once? Not bad, not mediocre, not forgettable - good.

Of course, "good" doesn't mean "perfect." The episode isn't without its flaws.

First of all, the planet which the crew beams down to wouldn't feel out of place in the Original Series - bland rocky landscape with a solid green sky. The same goes for the creatures the crew are forced to fight - vaguely Klingon-esque aliens in Napoleon-era military garb.

These “games” are definitely the weaker part of the episode, with Tasha Yar even being sent back to the bridge as a penalty and actually sobbing out of frustration and helplessness. Were the writers afraid of letting her do something actually interesting? Watching these early episodes, this character definitely deserved better.

Fortunately, they are not the focus here. The actual focus is on Q, with John De Lancie reprising his role from "Encounter at Farpoint" and reminding me why he's one of my favourite characters in all of fiction by being excellent as always, verbally sparring with Captain Picard. And there’s more of him in future episodes of TNG and even some episodes of Voyager, so I’m told. Wonderful!

Speaking of Q, Riker’s gaining of Q’s powers is handled in an interesting way, even if we know how it will eventually end. Rather than going mad with power, Riker instead recognises the good that could be done with these abilities, beginning with saving his friends from danger, including bringing back Wesley Crusher after he’d been stabbed - alas, for a moment there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

Riker of course promises Picard not to use these powers, but after this promise leaves him unable to save an innocent life he understandably becomes resentful. He shows what good can be done with his powers by giving the crew what they’ve always wanted - Geordi gets to see without his visor, Worf gets a... Klingon girlfriend, and Wesley is turned into an adult.

Come on, they're basically twins!

But of course, these well-intentioned gifts are rejected, with Wesley even showing some surprising maturity by preferring to work for his goal instead of having it given to him.

But most interesting of all is Data. Since the pilot he has been endeavouring to become more human and understand humans as a species. But for the first time this isn’t played for comedy, like him misunderstanding a figure of speech or strutting about like Sherlock Holmes. He correctly anticipates that Riker will make him human and he rejects it immediately, since it would only be an illusion to him.

And so Riker rejects his newfound powers, Q is whisked away to face the Q Continuum’s judgement, and all is well.

7/10 - A bit predictable, but worth a watch nonetheless. The best episode so far, but then again it didn’t have much competition.

Previous Episode | TNG Masterpost | Next Episode

[unravelingthread]

Who out of the entire TNG cast do you think YOU personally think is the BEST character and who is the WORST character in your opinion >:) difficult question.

Also also skenen worst and best vary in definitions, I'm basically just asking for your favorite and least favorite character

One more question though.

If you could give yourself ONE. SINGLE. superpower. What superpower would you give yourself and would you use your power for good and be an actual hero??? Or would you just use the power for like basic human fun stuff. Does this make sense. I hope it doesn't ANYWAYS I LOVE YOU

oooo this is a difficult question! obviously data is the best character facing absolutely no competition but worst is Hard to decide! if we’re going for main cast i have to say picard because when i first watched the show i took his hatred of children REALLY personally and i still think he was too mean to wesley :(

i’ve also thought about the superpower one Way too Much in my life and have decided that i want to be able to make illusions!! i would use this for minor evil like making people see one less stair than there actually is because that would be really funny. also for illustrating things during conversations because there have been so many times i’ve wanted to be able to just supernaturally create like a picture of wtf i’m talking about. this would not be some world ending power but i’m attached to it now

(((LOVE YOU TOO)))

[aion-rsa]

Mark Wahlberg Movie Infinite Signals That Paramount Plus Will Evolve Beyond Star Trek

https://ift.tt/3en8OgH

Paramount+, once known as CBS All Access, has mainly defined itself with an overwhelming wave of Star Trek television content. However, surrounded by high-end competition from Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, the rebranded streamer is looking to live long and prosper beyond the space-faring franchise, having announced grandiose plans to expand its movie content. Most notably, sci-fi film Infinite, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Mark Wahlberg, will be the service’s first theater-skipping feature offering; a surefire sign of things to come.

Obviously, the boat of box-office-bypassing movies already left its proverbial dock some time ago; a notion recently exemplified by streaming’s dominance of the 2021 Academy Awards via Best Picture winner Nomadland (which debuted on Hulu in the U.S.), along with The Sound of Metal (Amazon Prime Video), Judas and the Black Messiah (HBO Max), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix), Mank (Netflix) and Soul (Disney+)—embarrassingly-shrunken television audience for the ceremony itself notwithstanding. Indeed, while Paramount’s plans were likely long-gestating, there had to be a feeling that its insurgent steaming service missed said boat after fellow streamers cleaned up at the Oscars. This is especially the case as the theater-free phenomenon’s pandemic-related circumstances rapidly evolve in the post-vaccine era. Yet, today’s earnings call with ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish shows a company embracing the old adage, “Better late than never.”

Paramount announced a rather auspicious acquisition in director Antoine Fuqua’s Infinite, which stars a reliable headliner in Mark Wahlberg, joined by an ensemble consisting of Dylan O’Brien, Toby Jones, Rupert Friend, Jason Mantzoukas, Kingsman: The Secret Service standout Sophie Cookson and, notably, 12 Years a Slave Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villain. The film, which originally had Marvel’s Captain America, Chris Evans, tapped as its star, was shot back in 2019, and, interestingly enough, was originally scheduled to hit theaters on May 28, 2021. Those plans, of course, have since dramatically changed, with Infinite now set for a U.S. streaming premiere on Paramount+ in late-June, with international plans to be revealed at a later time.

Read more

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The Paramount+ arrival of Infinite will unveil famed director Fuqua’s first feature since 2018’s The Equalizer 2. The ambitious sci-fi actioner—officially teased as “a classic story of good vs. evil with an epic twist”—was scripted by John Lee Hancock and Ian Shorr, who adapted D. Eric Maikranz’s 2009 novel, The Reincarnationist Papers. Bearing a plot that somewhat resembles the Assassin’s Creed video game series (and its 2016 movie adaptation), the film focuses on a secret society, called the Cognomina, whose members have the helpful ability to recall details from their past lives. However, things unravel as the haunting memories of Wahlberg’s formerly-Chris-Evans-cast character—a schizophrenic newcomer to the organization named Evan Michaels—uncover dangerous secrets. Thus, a film that could have been lucrative box office fodder for the popcorn crowd will instead become a bellwether offering for the streamer similar to HBO Max’s recent premium-free premieres of action-packed crowd-pleasers like Wonder Woman 1984, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat and the upcoming Dune.

Indeed, Bakish promises a release strategy that will see the consistent arrivals of even more pandemic-era pictures purloined from their planned theatrical releases, stating, “All of this is a preview to a substantial ramping up of original movies next year, when we expect to begin averaging an original movie a week in 2022.” The move complements news revealed to investors back in February that Paramount-hailing major releases such as A Quiet Place II and the untitled Mission: Impossible 7 will premiere on Paramount+ within a small 45-day window from their designated theatrical releases; news that’s more immediate, since the former is set to hit theaters by the end of the month, May 28, to be followed next year, on May 27, 2022, by the latter.

Interestingly, the effect of Paramount Plus’s acquisition of Infinite will be felt as immediately as early-June, during which 1,000 movies will be added to the platform’s existing film library, bringing its total to 2,500. It’s a dramatic transformation for the streamer, which, in its former life as CBS All Access, failed to make much of an industry impact outside of Star Trek—even with Jordan Peele’s heralded reboot of The Twilight Zone. Of course, that is not to say that the platform is moving away from Star Trek, since it’s still home to exorbitantly-produced returning live-action series Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard, which will be joined by a spinoff show of the former, the U.S.S. Enterprise-set Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and, prospectively, an untitled series focused on elusive intelligence agency Section 31 starring Michelle Yeoh’s Emperor Philippa Georgiou—not to mention current animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Nevertheless, the ViacomCBS CEO is effectively hyping the Paramount platform’s imminent influx of films as a “Mountain of Movies,” setting up a course correction to the platform’s hitherto tardiness on the original movie front. While no serious prognosticator expects Infinite to make any kind of dent at the 2022 Oscars akin to its aforementioned dramatic streaming peers, its move does carry implications. The continued adherence to a socially-distanced distribution scheme is a consequential shift to Paramount+ itself, and also reinforces the idea that the pandemic’s effects on the industry could become permanent.  

The post Mark Wahlberg Movie Infinite Signals That Paramount Plus Will Evolve Beyond Star Trek appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2SvRUUS

[atamascolily]

lily liveblogs Star Trek:TNG 1x11 - “Haven”

aka the “Troi has an arranged marriage” episode.

we get to see Riker smirking as he watches two attractive women in togas play the harp. Oh, Riker.

creepiest message ever for troi: a silvery mask attached to a literal talking cube. Quoth Troi: Oh fuck no.

I don't blame her for being upset; I'm disturbed myself. 

the creepy message box opens up, spilling jewels all over the transporter, and Troi has to inform the oblivious Riker about her upcoming arranged marriage that she very clearly hates

(Item: I cannot tell what is up with her relationship with Riker because the show has given us very little information to date, but I cannot imagine any scenario where this wouldn't be awkward and embarrassing.)

(Left to my own devices, I assume that Troi pegged Riker on the regular and she was the one who broke up with him, but I suspect the writers thought it was the other way around, lol. but it's pretty clear that Riker is dtf aliens and Troi is half-Betazed, so... *shrug*.)

Troi tries to explain her situation to Picard while Riker is mansplaining in the background. RIKER PLEASE CONTROL YOURSELF.  

All Picard wants to know is if Troi is gonna be sticking around or if he's going to have to find a new counselor, lol.

Troi tells him she won't be staying, and Picard is very clearly disappointed and trying to make the best of it, and you can just SEE the moment where Riker realizes he's still in love with Troi and goes all soft, and it's rather endearing.

(For the record, I mock Riker relentlessly, he's often an asshole, and I hate how the writers keep writing him so he's Always in the Right / expect us to identify with him, but I do enjoy him as a character most of the time.)

Riker leans casually against the wall not looking at Troi LOL. He doesn't have to because she can read his emotions.

Troi: "don't ruin your career for me,"

Riker: "babe, but I wanna"

troi: "how ‘bout no"

 Riker: "okay, then, guess I'll die"

troi: how 'bout you stop being a dramatic bitch and dance at my wedding?”

riker’s like "maybe?" and walks STRAIGHT INTO DATA WHO HAS NO IDEA ABOUT THE WRITHING MASS OF AWKWARDNESS HE’S STUMBLED UPON

Deanna's future in-laws arrive OH THE SPACE FASHION LOL

her fiance Wyatt is human (???) gives her a "chameleon rose" that changes color with her moods, I am SURE we will be seeing more of this magic mood ring flower later as a plot point, but 10/10 excellent gift.

(his sweater game is pretty good, Wesley Crusher should take notes)

Troi calls her mother "eccentric" which is a massive understatement

her mom's first act is to scold her for not using telepathy and to make Picard carry her luggage even though she knows he's the captain

(okay, so Troi is half-Betazed, and her MOM is the Betazed and her dad is human? for some reason I thought it was the other way around but w/e)

the other dude with the elder Troi is her valet, so that makes her snub to Picard even worse, and Troi puts her foot down in the corridor

(love how both geordi and data look at that and agree "not gonna touch that shit")

The fact that Troi's mother is such a raving narcissist makes me love Troi so much more. Like, I already loved her, but this just takes it to the next level.

pretty sure the dude playing the valet is the same guy who was the time traveler in "Where No Man Has Gone Before", lol

picard: please accept our humbly awful '70s space future accommodations

I don't know what color white is on a Mood Rose, but that rose has been pure white ever since Lwaxana Troi showed up

Lwaxana Troi believes in radical honesty, which actually puts her roughly on par with Data in terms of social skills, ironically enough.

Troi, who is a professional diplomat, is like, Mom, please, fuck no, humans are complicated, okay?

"Failure to communicate is inherently hostile" - wow, that's this show's philosophy in a nutshell, isn't it?

I love Electorine, the leader of Haven (the planet they’re orbiting) - she looks like how I imagine a grown-up Ozma of Oz

So Troi's fiance is human? I'm so confused about the politics here, especially when Lwaxana is such a snob about Betazed superiority. 

Troi tries to console Wyatt by saying "I'll only be half as annoying" as a Betazoid/my mother. He doesn't laugh, but I think she meant it to be funny? I LOVE YOU TROI.

He wants to know if she can read his thoughts, she says no, but maybe we'll get there, and then she almost spills the beans about Riker, but catches herself at the last possible moment

to his credit, dude picks up on that right away and asks "Do I have competition?"

Troi says NO, but we all know that's a lie.

Turns out Dude also has issues: he's been hearing voices/seeing the face of a woman his entire life, and he just assumed it was Troi because aliens are Like That, am I right?

he says it doesn't matter but he's CLUTCHING THE PORTRAITS HE'S DRAWN TO HIS CHEST AS IF THEY'RE HIS MOST PRECIOUS POSSESIONS so I have Grave Doubts

Picard to his personal journal: am I biased? I'm pretty sure I'm not and this is a legit disaster in the making.

oh hey, there's a strange vessel approaching the planet to investigate, so time for another conference!

(ngl: I realize the conference room scenes are unpopular but I personally love them even though they generally do not work on multiple levels from a writing/viewing perspective)  

turns out the ship is full of plague and heavy-handed metaphors about the nature of humanity

Lwaxana Troi causes a scene at the cocktail party quarreling with her future in-laws, and both Troi and Riker are in their own personal hells

data looks like he could use some popcorn

Love Troi in her non-work outfit here

Data tries to chat up the silent valet about his drinking habits, with hilariously awkward results

RANDOM GONG FOR NO APPARENT REASON

Lwaxana has a pet Tradescantia vine that starts crawling on one of the in-laws and Riker has Had Enough

Everyone is appalled to learn that nudism is mandatory at Betazed weddings.

Troi screams at everyone and storms out and Tasha is amused.

Data believes the proper study of mankind is man: "Could you continue the petty bickering? I find it so intriguing."

awww, riker is brooding in the holodeck, lol

SEARCH YOUR FEEEEEELINGS, RIKER

(why does Troi always have to be the adult in this relationship?)

So "Imzadi" is confirmed to mean "my beloved" and Troi asks if they're beyond that now, and Riker's all jealous and defensive, and... surely they have polyamory in the 24th century??

Rikers like "I'm an all or nothing guy," which, okay, fair. BUT WHY THE HELL DID YOU TWO BREAK UP THEN, I'M SO CONFUSED? Did Troi break up with you because she thought it was interfering with your career (not sure how that tracks but whatever)? Or did Riker instigate the break-up? (In which case, I have less sympathy because he shot himself in the foot there! GROW UP, YOU FOOL, GROW UP)

Wyatt the Betrothed shows up and is like, "oh, hey, your loss" to Riker, which just made me roll my eyes.

Riker responds by stalking off in a dignified huff, lol SO EMOTIONALLY MATURE, Y'ALL.

"So we'll go half naked?" AHAHAHAHA, TROI, I LOVE YOU AND YOUR DEADPAN SENSE OF HUMOR SO MUCH.

meanwhile, the plague ship approaches *jaws theme*

turns out the woman in wyatt's drawings is on the ship, although I admit I would not have made that connection if Troi hadn't pointed it out

Wyatt goes to ask Lwaxana for relationship advice, which goes about as well as you'd expect it would.

he decides to break quarantine and transport over to the plague ship because HIS SECRET DREAM WOMAN IS REAL (and also he's a doctor and this is his life dream to cure the plague)

the ship is decorated with portraits of Wyatt at various ages which is totally not creepy at all

so anyway, that's that!

Lwaxana concludes by flirting with Riker, much to his amusement and Troi's annoyance

it turns out the valet could talk this whole time, he just... didn't want to before now? Or maybe he's come to understand humans better enough to communicate on their level... or just really liked the wet bar at the reception

(oh, and I was totally wrong, that color-changing rose was just a space macguffin that didn't go anywhere, sigh)

at least we'll always have the vine-pet-creature-thing!

I still don’t understand why this episode is called “Haven,” the planet has almost literally nothing to do with anything and nobody even goes there.

so this episode has a lot going for it! lots of fun character moments, even if I’m still confused as hell about a lot of things the show should have explained.

am I entertained? oh, absolutely.

[ezrisdax-archive]

Thoughts on a fun way to make a Star Trek/Mass Effect crossover? Or characters interactions cross-series?

like a full crossover? hmmm, certainly it’d be a parallel worlds type situation where I feel in Trek world the Leviathans didn’t evolve and create the Reapers and thus life wasn’t constantly wiped out and that’s why there’s more of an alien populace in the galaxy to explain the stark differences. And then time travel would get involved too since ME takes place before Trek.

So depending on which Trek you’re gonna go with (which for me I can pick any) there’s some wormhole shenanigans going on only what they call wormholes are the dark energy spots that Reapers use in ME time. The crew is investigating them when they go through it and end up in ME time (or if you want the ship accidentally goes through a la Voyager crossing over quadrants).

At first the crew is clearly trying to not get involved but can’t resist the chance to explore and learn the differences and when they realize this isn’t their actual past and can interact with the place more, which brings them into contact with the Normandy which has been sent to investigate the strange readings so we get to crew interactions of (which I’ll put under a cut cause it got long):

Spock and/or Tuvok, and Liara discussing the Vulcan Mind Meld versus the Asari meld and coming to the conclusion that they might have a genetic link back

Tali and B’Elanna having a field day comparing notes (and complaining) on what it’s like keeping a ship together when you don’t have all the parts you really need since Tali used to do that with the Quarian ships and B’Elanna does that now

Kirk and Shepard discussing choices made that shape worlds for better or worse despite the best of intentions and geeking out over model ships. You can’t tell me that doesn’t happen.

Bashir and Mordin are the only people able to understand each other in their speed talking and excitedly sharing notes about different aliens.

Worf and Wrex and Grunt immediately start a fight (bonus points for Wrex insulting Worf for sounding like Uvenk whom Dorn voices)

Seven and Legion (in a world where he lives, what do you mean he dies) discussing what it’s like going from a hive mind to being individuals and coming to find yourself and who you are as a person, like Legion clearly was more involved in finding this aspect for his people as opposed to Seven who had it forced on her but they share the desire now to learn and become an individual and protect those they care about

Janeway and Shepard blow something up by accident while trying to investigate something because of course they do

Samara and Deanna sitting down and just discussing life because I feel like these two would be friends and smirking at their friends antics and secretly betting on who’s gonna get into what danger

I actually have a lot of thoughts about paragon!Shepard and Michael being similar characters in the sense of having this burden of the galaxy placed on them and speaking out against things that people refuse to see except for the crew they’re apart of and trying to warn people of a war and do their best to prevent it and bring people together

Tilly and Tali and Gabby together would be a delight I feel, just talking excitedly about everything under the sun. including the sun.

Sulu and Joker arguing who's a better pilot and Sulu being fascinated how Mass Effect fields work when it comes to piloting and Joker proudly explaining it

Sisko tries to adopt Grunt from Shepard (no I’m mostly kidding, I think that Sisko and Shep have a great deal of respect for each other in caring for the crew and having in placed in an almost god like reverence in certain situations and the struggles with that. and then also Sisko brings back baseball to the Mass Effect world. Shepard absolutely hates that)

I figure the EMH would actually be most interested in biotics and the science of that and writing down to make a paper to publish as the first hologram to do so.

Likewise EDI is fascinated with hologram technology that Trek’s have and if the ships have ever developed sentience in any way and if she can incorporate some of that technology into the Normandy to further her own development

I think Kira gets along with Wrex and is angry at Salarians on his behalf once she hears what was done to the Krogan because the genocide of a species hits hard with her

Tilly and Samantha are even worse than Bashir and Mordin at talking so fast no one gets it but them and they very much do enjoy talking to each other

Tom and Steve have shuttle races until they’re ordered back by their bosses because really guys

Geordi has a lot of talks with EDI, some about his friendship with Data and the human side of interacting with a being that’s trying to learn about humanity themselves but most about the ship and the benefits of integration with it that allow you to be aware of everything that’s happening on it

also Data and EDI tell the worst jokes and everyone regrets this

Picard and Thane drink tea together and discuss philosophies and Thane talks about his species old artifacts and how they were lost to his culture and Picard just listens with interest and some ideas on how you could maybe get those back

Jadzia and Jack get along surprisingly well, they have a holodeck fight at one point and Jadzia takes tricorder readings of biotics and then they go out drinking together

on the flip side Ezri and Miranda get along in terms of being forced to live up to unreasonable family expectations (all though far less harsh in Ezri’s case) and having to carve out your own identity and also like...weirdly everyone hating you for no other reason than your character exists

Bev gets into playing poker with Kaidan and Steve and now they’re all trying to beat each other constantly at it

Saru and Liara get along the easiest at first and discuss the wild things their crews get up to and how they eventually just started to go along with the madness

Kasumi keeps trying to steal from Tuvok but can’t manage it and thinks it’s the best challenge she’s had in years. Tuvok just wants to talk to Thane and get back to the Delta Quadrant already captain.

Harry and Jacob get to talking about having to prove themselves and always being looked over and the troubles of trying to get your own command

Bones hates all of this, Kirk what the hell have you done now. That said he and Zaeed get to drinking and talking about the bullshit that comes from space travel. All though Zaeed’s is more about how annoying it is to try to kill someone in it. Bones thinks he’s just over exaggerating and not a mercenary at first.

James keeps showing off for literally everyone and turning things into a competition with whoever he can when it comes to physical activities, he’s still sulking that Data beat him until he finds out that Data is an android and then calls foul on it.

Odo and Zaeed grumble about everything together

B’Elanna and Ashley have a book club that they don’t tell anyone about and share romance novels and poetry while complaining about how everyone doesn’t expect it from them and that’s part of why they don’t tell people those parts of themselves

Uhura gets the translators turned off on the Normandy to listen to everyone’s dialect and language and is quick to pick up on it, she’s especially good with Drell and enjoys conversing with Thane in it

Liara is absolutely freaked out that Deanna sounds like her mother and Deanna is absolutely using this to troll her whenever she can because it amuses her

Grunt and Chekov get into arguments about history of all things despite that people keep pointing out that they’re from alternate worlds and therefore it’s different anyway

Chakwas and Chakotay sit down to talk about what it’s like sorta taking care of the crew and just ridiculous stories of things they’ve put with

Riker at one point talks to Miranda about clones and dealing with someone who is the same genetically as you but isn’t you and do you have a relationship with them or leave them be (they don’t come up with an answer really)

Mordin gets banned from taking samples of other aliens

Nog and Gabby talk one point about being sorta new to the experiences of war and frontline suddenly and the horrors that come with it and share their experiences of being trapped by the Reapers vs being in a Jem’Hadar fight and coming back from that

Guinan doesn’t care much for Javik but they do have one good discussion about what it’s like being one of the last of your species and seeing so many of them die due to a machine race (and worse, converted to serve that race) that you just can’t fight back against no matter how much you try (or that’s what they thought at the time)

Samantha and Spock and Kirk and/or Airiam have strategy game nights and really get into it and Spock will typically leave while Sam and Kirk are still geeking out over it until the morning

Quark is banned from the Normandy point blank

Worf tries to get everyone to appreciate Klingon opera, the only one he manages to get into it are Grunt and Legion

Scotty is especially fascinated with the drive core of the Normandy and talks to Adams about it constantly

Chakotay and James having a boxing match at one point

Jake interviews like everyone and is thinking about turning this experience into a novel and enjoys listening to everyone’s stories

O’Brien and Garrus get caught up in calibrations, can you come back later

okay this literally is getting too long already but I could keep going. I think then there’s a group discussion about the Borgs vs the Reapers and the troubles everyone faces in those fights and a lot of back and forth about things that have worked for one crew that may help someone else out (like the Changeling cure to maybe help the Genophage cure or vice versa)

[best-star-trek-character]

Quarter-Finals

[cicaklah]

Star Trek Picard 1x07 Nepenthe

SO I got up even earlier this morning so I could watch the episode and have some THOUGHTS which I will now process for the first time here on tumblr, and still have time to get to work. Efficiency!

First off, this show is doing SO well at writing kids. Baby Elnor and Kestra have both been the best written children probably ever in Star Trek. Not that there’s a huge amount of competition, but still. I loved that we got the Troi-Rikers, their tragedy, their beautiful house and pizza oven and fresh tomatoes and adorable daughter. Please let us never see them again. 

So I saw people speculating that Rios and Raffi should know that Agnes is the reason this is all going wrong, and I think that if they took a step back and thought about it, about how she’s acting. It’s been what, 2/3 days, though? Max? Since Freecloud? Raffi’s been in bed most of it, and is otherwise high as a kite. Rios is stressed that they’re getting pursued by Narek, he’s lost Picard, he’s got a sickbay with a corpse in it. I think he misread Agnes and then just didn’t make the connection because of everything else? Now Agnes is dying, it’ll have all come out. 

I think the fact the hospitality hologram didn’t deploy when Agnes threw up is a clue that she’s disabled them. Why did it deploy when she was dying? It also didn’t deploy until she had basically killed Bruce. Probably that is hard coded. Detect death, deploy. 

Alternatively, she has given herself permissions as Ship’s Chief Doctor, and that Means Something in the hierachy of EMH’s?

Fairly sure that Bruce is a synth? I have a feeling maybe that is a common theory, but I think it makes sense. The man loved Soong, and Soong made all his androids in his own image. Bruce wouldn’t have go to Bjazl to surrender if he didn’t have to? Or maybe he did, and when we get to Soji’s planet there’ll be a Bruce there too.

I think there is some idiot ball holding on La Sirena. There always has to be some idiot ball holding. Idiots love balls, love holding them, sometimes they all hold them at the same time. I think its human, we all hold the idiot ball sometimes. 

Really not sure about what’s going on on the Borg Cube. Seven’s going to come and become queen? I thought that this was going to go somewhere, but now Hugh’s dead, why are we there? I still feel Elnor is one character too many for this show, but who knows, maybe it’ll all come together.

Still love this show so damn much. 

[v-e-l-v-e-t-g-o-l-d-m-i-n-e]

   I don't usually read Star Trek comics, but I've spent a good chunk of tonight reading The Q Conflict. It's a big crossover comic between TOS,  TNG, DS9 and . The official summary is this:

When a dispute between godlike beings threatens the galaxy, it will take all of Starfleet's best captains to stop them. James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, Kathryn Janeway, and Benjamin Sisko must go head-to-head in a competition rigged by the arrogant Q and his nigh-omnipotent cohorts.

   I, of course, read this hoping for some Qcard moments. There ain't many lmao but some comments below the cut (spoilers for the whole thing, as well as a few images)

   There's some very wacky space phenomena happening all around, and Picard finds evidence that Q is involved. He gets very mad and yells for Q to give an explanation, and Q shows up to talk with him.

   I like that Q shows some... consideration... sort of? In explaining things for Picard, but I love how big mad Picard gets, and that Q's reaction is immediately to escalate like, oh, do you want to try something different? FINE

   That's when the whole thing with the other godlike being happens, and they set up a sort of competition with humans representing them. Trelane gets Kirk to represent him and Q, of course (of course) gets Picard to represent the Q.

   Janeway wins the first round, and Q gets very pissed that Picard was outsmarted by Riker, of all people (lmao) and I love this interaction between them, feels very natural, and I love the others commenting on them. Even Spock is like, are they always like this or...?

   I love how well Riker knows Picard and also... outside people viewing them arguing together lmao I deeply enjoyed these scenes

   Then ehhh i'm not going to talk much about the rest of the comic but it's pretty entertaining, I have a weakness for messy Trek crossovers likes this and is enjoyable to see these different characters coming together

   In the end, with the help of Amanda the Q and Wes Crusher, the Captains manage to fight back against Q, and Q is forced to try to find a diplomatic solution for their conflict, so this is what happens.

   But what I really love is the last page - when Q comes to see Picard after all the mess is sorted out.

   I enjoy this ending a lot, because Q spends most of the comic acting like his TNG s1 big jerk self, putting off a show of being childish and petulant and annoying. Kirk is wary of him, Sisko is out of fucks to give, Janeway knows him a little but she's careful in trusting him, and Picard doesn't trust him either and spends the whole time wondering what the hell does Q really want, and in the end? Q was trying to find a less bloody way to solve things but knew very well he couldn't simple suggest a diplomatic solution for the Continuum, because the Continuum wanted a war. He had to give a show first and fail espetacularly, and that's what he did and ahhh I just love that this was his main motivation ~~

   I also really love that Picard isn't surprised by this development and speaks fairly calmly with Q when it's just the two of them like this.

[gdelgiproducer]

What’s been your favorite staged version of JCS? (Non-concert)

First, a list of the staged (non-concert) versions of JCS I’ve seen: two high school productions (about which you’ll hear nothing in this post; it’s unfair to judge them in competition with pros), the closing performance of the 2000 Broadway revival, two performances of the national tour that followed said revival (one of which featured Carl Anderson as Judas and Barry Dennen – Pilate on the original album, Broadway, and in the 1973 film – as Herod), and four performances of a national tour initially billed as Ted Neeley’s “farewell” engagement in the role of Jesus. In total, discounting the number of performances of each, five productions, only three of which we will consider here.

The 2000 Broadway revival had basically all the problems of the video of the same production: I’m sure Gale Edwards is a fine director of other shows, but she missed the boat with this particular iteration of JCS. (Not having seen her original production at the Lyceum Theatre in 1996, which unfortunately never left that venue and was reportedly far better than the one that went wide, I can only comment on this version.) Her direction and the production design that accompanied it were full of the kinds of blatant, offensively obvious attempts at symbolism and subtlety that appeal only to pseudo-intellectual theater kids. In real life, there’s no such thing as obvious good vs. obvious evil (things just ain’t black and white, people), and any attempt to portray this concept on stage or in a film usually results in a hokey “comic book” product, which is kind of what the 2000 production was. 

The first thing Edwards did was draw her line in the sand. “These are the good guys, and these are the bad guys.” The overall production design played into this ‘line in the sand’ feel as well, being so plain in its intentions as to almost beat you over the head with them. There may have been some good concepts mixed in, but for a show that runs on moral ambiguity, they were very poorly executed and did damage to the piece. Some examples:

Annas and Caiaphas were devoutly “evil,” seemingly designed to inspire fear.  It’s easy to see good as so very good, and bad as so very bad; to want to have the evil in a nice little box. But it’s not that simple. As Captain Jean-Luc Picard (and now you know where my Star Trek loyalties lie, curse you!) once said, “…villains who twirl their mustaches are easy to spot. Those that clothe themselves in good deeds are well camouflaged.”  Evil isn’t always a clear and recognizable stereotype. Evil could be lurking inside anyone, maybe even in you, and you would never know. People aren’t inherently evil. Like good, it’s a role they grow and live into. And since history is basically a story of the developments and actions of humans over the ages, maybe it’s a mistake to view the characters who’ve played their parts in it so one-dimensionally. It doesn’t dismiss the evil they did, but it does allow one to understand that this potential to be good or to be evil is in everyone, and that it’s not always as simple as just doing the right thing.

Judas was an almost thoroughly unlikable prick (though Tony Vincent played him a tiny bit more sympathetically than Jerome Pradon in the video); in beating Jesus over the head with his cynicism and curt remarks, any sense of a fully three dimensional person was lost, leaving us with a total, utter dickhead. If the audience is to truly feel for Judas, and appreciate his fall, it’s imperative for them to see his positive relationship with Jesus. More importantly, it has to be readily apparent. It shouldn’t be the audience’s responsibility to assume as much. I never once saw any love, or even a hint of friendship, between Jesus and Judas in the 2000 production. Judas’ interactions with Jesus were a constant barrage of either completely in-your-face aggression, or more restrained (but still fully palpable) aggression. No hint of a conflict in him, or at least none the audience could see, and what use is a conflict or emotion if the audience isn’t privy to it?

And when not telegraphing an ultra-specific view of the story’s events, everything else about the design would’ve left a first-time viewer befogged. Young me liked the industrial, post-apocalyptic, pseudo-Gotham City atmosphere of the set. Older me still likes it (though I am firm in my opinion it works best on stage), but realizes what a mess the rest of it was. We’ve got Jesus and the apostles straight out of Rent, Roman guards that looked (with the choice of riot gear) like an army of Darth Vader clones with nightsticks substituting for light sabers, priests that practically stepped off the screen from The Matrix, a Pilate in generic neo-Nazi regalia, a Herod with showgirls and chorus boys that seemed to have visited from a flash-and-trash third-rate Vegas spectacular, a Temple full of ethnic stereotypes and a mish-mosh of dime-store criminals, and a creepy mob with a striking resemblance to The Addams Family that only popped up in the show’s darker moments. Lots of interesting ideas which might work (operative word being “might”) decently in productions of their own, all tossed in to spice up a rather bland soup. The solution to having a bunch of conflicting ideas is not to throw all of them at the wall at once; you look for a pattern to present itself, and follow it. If no pattern emerges from the ideas you have, it’s a sign you should start over.

You can see what my basic issue was: where other productions at least explored motivation, examining possibilities and presenting conflicting viewpoints for consideration, the 2000 production (when not utterly confused in its storytelling thanks to conflicting design) blatantly stated what it thought the motivation was without any room for interpretation – this is who they are, what they did, why they did it, so switch off your brain and accept what we put in front of you. Which, to me, is the total opposite of what JCS is about; it didn’t get famous for espousing that view, but for going totally against the grain of that.

The national tour at least had Carl and Barry to recommend for it the first time around, but for all the mistakes it corrected about the 2000 revival (swapping out the shady market in the Temple for a scene where stockbrokers worshiped the almighty dollar, with an electronic ticker broadcasting then-topical references to Enron, ImClone, and Viagra, among others, was a fun twist, and, for me, Barry Dennen gave the definitive performance of Herod), it introduced some confusing new ones as well:

For one, Carl – and, later, his replacement, Lawrence Clayton – looked twice the age of the other actors onstage. Granted, Christ was only 33 when this happened, but next to both Carl and Clayton, Eric Kunze (I thankfully never caught his predecessor) looked almost like a teenager. When Ted and Carl did the show in the Nineties and both were in their fifties, they were past the correct ages for their characters, but it worked – in addition to their being terrific performers and friends in real life whose chemistry was reflected onstage – because they were around the same age, so it wasn’t so glaring. Without that dynamic, the way Jesus and Judas looked together just seemed weird, and it didn’t help anyone accept their relationship.

Speaking of looking weird together, the performer playing Caiaphas – who was bald, and so unfortunately resembled a member of the Blue Man Group thanks to the color of lighting frequently focused on the priests – was enormously big and tall, while the actor in the role of Annas was extremely short. Basically, Big Guy, Little Guy in action. Every time I saw them onstage, I had to stifle the urge to laugh out loud. I’ve written a great deal about how Caiaphas and Annas are not (supposed to be) the show’s villains, but that’s still not the reaction I should have to them.

The relentlessness of pace was ridiculous. It was so fast that the show, which started at 1:40 PM, was down by 3:30 PM – and that included a 20-minute intermission. What time does that leave for any moments to be taken at all? A scene barely even ended before the next began. At the end of the Temple scene, Jesus threw all the lepers out, rolled over, and there was Mary singing the “Everything’s Alright” reprise already. How about a second to breathe for Mary to get there? Nope. How about giving Judas and Jesus two seconds’ break in the betrayal scene at Gethsemane? The guards were already grabbing Christ the minute he was kissed. I was so absolutely exhausted towards the end of the show that I was tempted to holler at the stage to please slow down for a minute. The pace didn’t allow for any moment in the show to be completed, if it was ever begun; it was just too fast to really take advantage of subtle touches and moments the actors could’ve had, and as a result, I think they were unable to build even a general emotional connection, because one certainly didn’t come across.

The cast was uniformly talented singing-wise, with excellent ranges and very accomplished voices. (In fact, the second time around, the woman understudying Mary, Darlesia Cearcy, walked away with the whole show in my opinion, and I am incredibly glad to have seen her career take off since then.) But, in addition to some being more concerned with singing the notes on the page just because they were there than imbuing them with emotion and motivation, the cast was undercut by the choices that production made with the music. For one, there’s a huge difference between singing “words and notes” and singing “lyrics and phrases.” When you have a phrase like “Ah, gentlemen, you know why we are here / We’ve not much time, and quite a problem here…” you sing the sentence, and if sometimes a word needs to be spoken, you do that. You don’t make sure you hit every single note by treating each like a “money note” (which you hit and hold as long as you can to make sure everyone hears it), dragging out the tempo to hang on to each note as long as you can. Generally, the actors were so busy making sure every note was sung – and worse, sung like a money note – that they missed the point of singing a phrase, and how to use one to their advantage. Caiaphas and Pilate were particularly egregious offenders. (I’ve never understood some of these conductors who are so concerned that every note written has to be sung. The result suffers from it.) 

And then there’s Ted’s production. Of the three, it’s the one I liked the most, but that’s not saying much when it was better by default. 

The production design was stripped-down, the set basically limited to a bridge, some steps, a stage deck with some levels, and a couple of drops (and a noose) that were “flown in.” The costumes were simple, the sound was very well-balanced, and the lighting was the icing on the cake. Combined, the story they told was clear.

The music sounded very full, considering the pit consisted of a five-piece band relying in part on orchestral samples.

Ted, for being of advanced age, was in terrific form vocally, if his acting fell back a little much on huge, obvious, emotive gestures and choices. (I love him and all, but his attempts at acting were kind of like a “Mr. Jesus” pageant, striking all the appropriate Renaissance poses. The film, through editing and close-ups, allows him a subtlety he just ain’t got onstage.)

And there were some beautiful stage pictures; for example, there was a drop with an image of a coin with Caesar’s head on it in the Temple scene, and it fell on the crowd when Jesus cleared out the riff-raff. In the leper sequence that followed, the chorus’ heads popped out of holes in the cloth, under which they undulated, pulsing to the beat, and rather than being treated as a literal mob scene, the sequence had a very dream-like effect, a mass of lost souls reaching out to Christ. It was rather like a Blake painting, with a creepy vibe in a different manner from the typical “physically overwhelm him” approach. He didn’t interact with them, didn’t even turn to look at them, until finally he whipped around with a banishing thrust of his arm, hollering “Heal yourselves!” Sometimes it was over-acted with annoying character voices (remember, I saw this four times), but when it wasn’t, the effect was chilling.

My main beef with the show was, oddly enough, on a similar line to my beef with Gale Edwards’ production: it drew lines in the sand. But in this case, it drew them with respect to Jesus’ divinity. 

As written, JCS deals with Jesus as if he were only a man, and not the Son of God. The show never suggests that Jesus isn’t divine, but neither does it reinforce the view that he is. Portrayed in detail in JCS is the mostly-unexplored human side: ecstasy and depression, trial and error, success and regret. He agonizes over his fate, is often unsure of his divinity, and rails at God. Not so in this production. Aside from “The Temple” and “Gethsemane,” there was never any room for doubt that Jesus was the mystical, magic man portrayed in the Gospels.

At the top of the show, after a fight between his followers and the Romans during the overture (a popular staging choice I’m not a real fan of, but you’ve got to do something during that moment in a fully staged version, and I understand why it’s an easy choice to make for exposition purposes), Jesus made his majestic entrance, spotlit in robes that looked whiter than Clorox bleach could produce, and raised a man from the dead. Well, where’s the room for Judas to doubt? Clearly “this talk of God is true,” we just saw it! If this guy is actually capable of performing miracles, and more than that specializes in necromancy, good luck telling him that fame has gone to his head at the expense of the message and he’s losing sight of the consequences! Try explaining to anyone that that person is “just a man”!

If that weren’t enough, Jesus went on to have a constant connection with God throughout the show, speaking to a spotlight that focused only on him and often served to distract him from anything else happening onstage, and at the end, during “John 19:41,” his body separated from the cross, which fell back into the stage, and he ascended to heaven. 

Now, though the former was admittedly played to excess (some reviewers unkindly compared Neeley to a homeless man with Bluetooth), there are arguments to be made in favor of both of these choices: a Jesus who constantly seeks a connection with God that isn’t reciprocated, searching for guidance or at least a friggin’ clue, is great foreshadowing for his eruption – and acceptance – in “Gethsemane.” As for the ascension, depending on how it’s staged, there’s room for argument that it could be interpreted more metaphorically than literally, as the moment when Jesus’ spirit is born, as Carl Anderson once put it (meaning, to me, that his message is given life and strength when his body fails him). But this production didn’t have that level of shading and layers to it, and coupled with the resurrection at the start, it defeated the rest of the story.

None of ‘em’s perfect, and I don’t think I could create the perfect one. Thus, concert.

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter.

And since this month included Star Trek Day, we answer the question of… What ‘Star Trek’ character are you based on your zodiac sign? (With appreciation to Reda Wigle and the New York Post.)

Aries (Captain James T. Kirk)    

Bold, bordering at times on reckless, Kirk was born in Riverside, Iowa, on March 22, 2233, according to The Gazette, making him a full fledged Aries like the man who first played him, William Shatner. The youngest captain in Starfleet history, Kirk is a natural leader and like the ram that symbolizes his sun sign, he pushes ever onward at all costs and all points. Heroic to the hilt, Kirk wants to do right, be right and reserve his vulnerabilities for those in his closest counsel.

Taurus (Montgomery “Scotty” Scott) 

Taurus rules the second house of values and material goods which can at times lead bulls down the path of possessiveness. In the case of good natured, hard drinking, catch phrase inspiring Scotty, possessiveness takes the shape of a ship. Our tartan Taurus king views the Enterprise with religious devotion, protective of her engines and willing to go to great lengths or space depths, to see her and the crew through. Bulls are humble to the last and Scotty, despite his accumulated rank and description of “miracle worker,” saw himself first and only as a modest engineer.

Gemini (Nyota Uhura)  

Gemini rules the third house of communication and exchange and Nyota Uhura famously and fabulously served as the communications officer for the Enterprise. The Gemini mind is a multi faceted hive and Uhura proved the high shine of hers through her vast and highly adaptable skill set. Versed in linguistics, mathematics, navigation, social prowess, and science, the character of Uhura was groundbreaking. A truly dynamic force in the “Star Trek” universe, she was brought to vivid life by the late great Nichelle Nichols.

Cancer Moon-Child  (Christine Chapel)

Cancer is rightly associated with maternal instincts and caretaking and Nurse Christine Chapel demonstrates the finer points of the archetype. Oft quoted as saying she was  “a nurse first, and a member of the crew of the Enterprise second,” Chapel aided all people in all manner of ailments. Chapel showed us the darker tendencies of Cancer energy, mainly jealousy, petty resentment and passive aggressive punishments when she developed unrequited feelings for Spock. 

Leo  (William Riker)

Big on heart and bearded bravado, Will is all lion. Leos are good natured and competitive, seeking the approval and affection of those they admire and seek to emulate. Despite having a rough relationship with his own father, Will was devoted to his substitute daddy-o ladies and gentlemen Jean-Luc Picard who gave him the moniker all lions covet, “number one.” 

Virgo (Data)

Excessively analytical and effortlessly self-sacrificing, Data was a delight. This fan favorite was eulogized by Jean Luc Picard as, “his curiosity about every facet of human nature, allowed all of us to see the best parts of ourselves. He evolved, he embraced change because he always wanted to be better than he was.” Endlessly curious, bent on betterment, and always looking to be of service, Data is Virgo energy distilled.

Libra (Jean-Luc Picard) 

Diplomatic, well spoken, highly likable and downright handsome, Shakespeare loving Jean-Luc Picard displays the Venusian virtues of this cardinal sign. Libra is synonymous with balance and Picard was charged with stabilizing the dual influences of technology and humanity. As air signs, Libras can be a touch aloof and often succeed professionally while falling short in their familial relationships, a dynamic at work in the esteemed but childless Picard.

Scorpio (Pavel Chekov) 

Russian wunderkid Pavel Chekov shows some serious Scorpio tendencies. Ruler of the eighth house of death and transformation, Scorpio is a threshold sign associated with soul journeys and psychology. In kind, Chekov loses his mind quite a few times during his tenure on the Enterprise but owing to the Scorpio capacity for survival he always makes it through the suffering and back from the brink of destruction intact.

Sagittarius (Hikaru Sulu) 

Hikaru Sulu, described by Spock as “at heart, a swashbuckler out of your 18th century,” is the resident Sagittarius of the “Star Trek” franchise. Series creator Gene Roddenberry named the character for the Sulu Sea in central Philippines, as it was “the waters of that sea touch all shores,” an expansive sentiment in keeping with the abundant nature of this mutable fire sign. Dynamic and allergic to physical stasis or mental ennui, archers are an active and engaged bunch. True to form, Sulu’s interests include botany, fencing, Mudd women and gymnastics. 

Capricorn (Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy) 

A voice of reason with serious father issues and a predisposition towards judgement, Leonard “Bones” McCoy is a big time Capricorn. Well-respected for his prudence and beloved in spite of his pessimism, McCoy perfectly encapsulates the sea goat spirit. Furthermore, Capricorn rules the skeletal system from which the good doctor derives his nickname.  

Aquarius (Spock) 

Aquarius has two planetary rulers, and natives are often caught between the pull of opposing forces. We see this dichotomy expressed in Spock, a mixed heritage man divided by logic and emotion, “whose Vulcan blood put him outside of our species while his human blood kept him tethered to it,” according to The Wrap. “From his pointy ears came endless rumination on the nature of humanity and whether we will overcome our differences and reach the stars together.” A grappling outsider on a star quest? Apex Aquarius.

Pisces (Geordi La Forge) 

As a Pisces, Geordi La Forge is positioned directly opposite of his friend Data on the zodiac wheel, and provides a sensitive, ethereal counterpoint to his pal’s logical mind. In the series, LaForge was born blind but through VISOR technology is able to see a large swath of the electromagnetic spectrum, giving him a kind of extra sensory sight. In kind, Pisces rules the twelfth house of the unconscious mind and natives exhibit a heightened emotional awareness. Apt to “feel” their way through life, these folk, like La Forge, rely on intuition rather than obvious perception.  

And THOSE are your Hobble-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.