#but gates mcfadden does not know how to do that

[cicaklah]

star trek picard episodes 1-3 thots

THE THOTS ARE BACK

So this post directly follows on from the angry freakout I had earlier this week where I live incepted myself into watching picard season 3 ride or die, because sometimes you've just got to go down to the highway and watch the car crash in person.

also, I reminded myself that I dont care about other people's star trek opinions, only my own. therefore, I needed to have star trek opinions.

here are my thots, here be spoilers

first off: gates mcfadden's face lift is fucking spectacular, the woman looks amazing. Her eye sockets are so sculpted, her cheeks are so taut, her jawline is so sharp, and yet she still looks her age. this is what growing old in the socialist utopia promises: you too can look like a woman who has not actually had to work since the early 90s. also credit to everyone looking great in their 60s, 70s and 80s.

second: jack crusher (the second??!?! how does that work anyway), is so fucking hot.

third: I went into this knowing broadly what happened in episode 1 and 2, and that episode 3 the twist is changelings, because I saw a spoiler yesterday on una mccormack's tumblr. changelings is interesting, because to do a ds9 plot in tng is bold, especially when you can't bring odo back since ya man rene audeboujournois died a few years ago. worf doesnt even mention him by name: ffs worf raffi was alive during the dominion war, she'll know who fucking odo is. he's odo.

fourth: the moment I was like, I am here for the long run was Worf's whole introduction and his everything. I think its always hard to give credit to michael dorn for being so great because he has to act stoic through SO much makeup and he just is worf, but honestly, it felt like if they'd just put the black hair on him he would have looked exactly the same as he did thirty years ago. Like they had to make his hair white just to make time have passed. The man is so well preserved, maybe he also has a very good surgeon, but I am down to believe that he just Is Like That. Damn.

five: worf is the best thing that happened to raffi, I love them together, they are the best team.

six: all of this is going to fall apart when brent spiner comes to Lore it all up, as that is obviously what was stolen from the daystrom institute alongside the portal gun.

seven: so episode 3 won me over because I had kind of forgotten how good an actor patstew is when he really gives it?? because fuck me the scene between beverly and picard where they talk about how the whole baby thing happened was so good, so subtle, so emotive. It also crucially made sense: they had tried to be together. they had failed to be together. crusher was tired of his shit, he's always been a terrible partner and it just didn't work, but then she was pregnant and ready to leave anyway, ready to move on, so just went, fine, breakup over, beverly out. Also, reminded picard that the universe keeps trying to kill him, that he'd basically killed her husband and her son, and she had no other family....thanks for the sperm donation, I'm gonna go retire and have a redo. I was already 100% team bev but now I am 200% team bev, also fuck off picard with your 'oh yeah actually I wouldn't have been my horrible abusive father fuck you for taking me at my word, my whole /r/childfree carefree bachelor attitude, how could I have known anything about myself in my early 60s, I was but a boy, we could have had it all, rolling in the deep' etc. Father and husband fuck the fuck off you traditionalist old bastard you just told us you had broken up for the FIFTH TIME.

eight: should have reserved point seven for seven herself but: SEVEN!!!! I am fucking going to do it, I'm going to write the seven of nineifesto. She is so fucking deep waters, shes been so betrayed by authority figures none of who actually give a shit about whats best for her, just for what is best for the story, she is not meant to be in starfleet ffs, she got the worst possibly mentors in janeway and picard. also seven and raffi just need to hang out with worf and tell the rest of them to fuck off.

nine: captain shaw was right and he should say it. He was having a nice time, just running his ship, doing his duty, when he gets fucking hijacked by two guys who literally are mavericks and crash ships all the time, who are manipulating seven, who MUTINIES, and they literally destroy his ship and ruin his life in the space of about 12 hours and he saw through their bullshit within 30 seconds of the 'surprise inspection' gig. justice for captain liam shaw, only sane man on the titan.

ten: look, the show is never going to stick the landing, but like all star trek, it is a journey. there are changelings, there is worf, there is raffi, there is my forthcoming 200k seven of nine fix it fic, there is so much to enjoy, and also there was the absolutely awful deaging makeup, please stop doing it, it made me feel seasick.

anyway these are my thots on yaoi kthxbye

[joshuaalbert]

Beverly Crusher or Tuvok for the ask game

ironically this took me a while because i was participating in an insane about the crusher family moment so severe i am lightheaded. anyway. i feel like i dont have a ton of meaningful things to say about tuvok yet except "i generally like him i think he has a lot of interesting moments i just wish they didnt regress his characterization gains with such regularity" but i do enjoy him and maybe i will come back to this when i have more coherent thoughts

favorite thing about them

love her confidence tbh like she knows she can do it all and do a great job of it. she has such a wide variety of skills between her actual job and her hobbies and i think that's very fun to see. i also think she's spectacular in the Some Fuckshit Is Happening To The Enterprise mystery episodes like im glad they gave those to her a lot bc it works within her skillset of like. ok this is how i would go about examining a scientific hypothesis this is how i would break the problem down to something manageable so i think that's neat, and i also just think gates mcfadden is very good at carrying the tension of those episodes.

least favorite thing about them

fucking TERMINAL picard disease. remember me is like the prime example of it to me to the point where i literally rewrote part of the script one time but just. so many of her plotlines get taken over to instead be about her thing with picard in ways that don't actually progress anything. and so many of the things that should be about her and wesley end up being about picard and wesley. and like clearly these are importantly dynamics in all their lives but it feels like there's a lot that gets sacrificed in the name of putting picard at the center

also i do think they have a problem with like. not letting her be significantly wrong a lot? i noticed this in like s6 but the plot frequently kind of curves to make sure she's right about things like with both ethics and suspicions they introduce new elements of the plot to be like yeah actually she did not do anything wrong and i just think that holds a character back.

favorite line

"If there's nothing wrong with me, maybe there's something wrong with the universe." queen of believing in yourself. i know this seems counter to what i just said about not letting her be wrong but i liked this one ok. it's about moderation. i love her confidence and i definitely don't want that disrupted in any deeply significant way but i also wish they would let her be wrong every once in a while.

brOTP

she does have really fun dynamics with like most people but hers with troi is good and i like her dynamic w/alyssa ogawa. like yeah alyssa is a subordinate so they're not like Bros bros but beverly clearly cares a lot about her as a person and i think it's neat. also riker if we uhhh. if we don't count. listen if i try to think about the host too long im gonna start setting shit on fire so we're not counting that right now ok we're just counting them in normal episodes.

OTP/nOTP

listen im combining this into one question i think her whole thing with picard is fine and despite what it sounded like earlier i actually kind of enjoy it at points i just hate the way it consumes her whole plotline. if they had just been normal about it it would have been fine.

random headcanon

god ok i know that like all the plays she stages are like Classics and all but i really think they shouldve let her at anything that was fosse-related. i think she would be a great director for that kind of deal.

unpopular opinion

i never know what opinions anyone has on any of these characters unless ive recently seen something that made me mad lmao but. idk sam @sallytwo and i were just talking about this but any attempt to reduce the beverly and wesley dynamic to like "it's good and they're close" or "it's bad and they're distant" is such a doomed endeavor. it's so much more complicated than that like they're close in that they clearly love each other a lot and they don't have a lot of open conflict but they're both deeply repressed people when it comes to expressing meaningful emotions and it definitely takes a really significant toll. again no idea where it falls on the like popular/unpopular opinion scale but it seems like a lot of people don't quite know what to do with that relationship and that's fair because it is. odd especially when you try to figure out what the writers meant for it to be.

favorite picture of them

ngl this is less about her and more about how much utility I get out of it (due to the. i have brain damage.) but it has been very useful so thank you bev

[gatespage]

Gates McFadden Talk City Online Interview

Thursday 25th June 1998 at 9.00 pm E.S.T. 

Copied and edited from here. 

Mysterygirl:

Gates, welcome to Talk City! What are your thoughts on the ever-popular Star Trek series and its impact on society?

Gates McFadden:

Dear MysteryGirl, many books have been written answering that question. I think, obviously, the series speaks to a lot of people about the possibilities of our future.

Aspects of the series interest me in particular, such as Prime Directive, the concept of people being very different, but yet finding ways to work together successfully and collaborate in non-dogmatic ways is intriguing.

imzadi-1 says:

I loved you on Mad About You. Do you plan to do other sit-coms?

Gates McFadden:

I have no specific plans about doing another sitcom in the future but if a good script crossed my path, I would certainly consider it!

ezguest3 says:

Hi Gates! Does your son's mouse and your two pet cats get along?

Gates McFadden:

LOL! Our two cats believe that they get along very well with the mouse. The mouse however, thinks they are liars! The way we solve this is to keep the doors to my sons room closed at all times!We however, sometimes allow them to observe each other while we are present.

ocampa says:

It is said that you play a larger role in this new movie that's coming up than the last one, in what way?

Gates McFadden:

Where did you get your information ;-) Certainly not from the writers, alas the role is not a full meal.

boncers says:

I have several friends that were lucky enough to see you in Voices in New Jersey... I wish I were any of them!

grin:

They all are still on cloud nine that you stopped your car to speak with them. I feel their joy by proxy... so thanks!

Gates McFadden:

You're welcome! They were a terrific group of women!! I really was very touched that they came to see me in the play. It was nice to know that they were out there in the audience.

nanite says:

Hi there! I saw "Voices in the Dark" with a group of friends on closing night in April (thank you for stopping to talk to us! You have guts!) and we must know when is it going to Broadway and how long will it be there? (Yes, it's going, I just have to know when- you're not allowed to say it isn't going to be there. Thanks :)

Gates McFadden:

It looks like there will be another production sometime in October, (rehearsals with rewrites). But the details have not been worked out so it may change. I will certainly put it on the Star Trek website when I have the information.

trexphile says:

Besides "Voices in the Dark," do you have any other projects/convention appearances scheduled?

Gates McFadden:

:-) Very likely I will be in Australia the end of September or beginning of October. Then I will be in Germany in January and perhaps early May. All of this could change depending on the schedule of the play.

For the next two months I'm concentrating on being a mother :-) Having just come off a play in New York and three months of the movie in LA.

lolalee32 says:

Jessica Lange recently said that she would not start acting today, that back when she was starting "the business attracted integrity, it attracted artists, and I don't think it does anymore". Do you think she's right?

Gates McFadden:

I don't know whether she's right or wrong, that's her opinion. Certainly the entertainment business has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. However, I find that there are still pockets of extraordinary work being done by actors in theater, film and television.

heartofgold says:

Are dramatic arts taught differently in France? Is that why you left to study in France?

Gates McFadden:

I left to study with Jacques LeCoq in Paris because his school offered a unique approach to acting. LeCoq believed artists had a responsibility to work Together to change society for the better. I had classes with musicians, architects, and dancers as well as actors.

He had emphasis on both the spoken word and silence. We studied movement in order to better comprehend immobility. He was the greatest influence in my development as an actress and director.

Now there are many people all over the world, who have incorporated his ideas and techniques into their teaching of acting. Geoffrey Rush, the actor in the movie "Shine" was a student of his. Emma Thompson studied with someone in England who had worked with LeCoq for years, and so on and so forth.

kit_angel says:

I've heard that you've done a lot of stage work but never had the opportunity to see you on stage. What kind of plays have you done and do you prefer stage to television?

Gates McFadden:

I most definitely prefer stage work to television! My roles have ranged from Helena, in "A Midsummer Nights Dream," by William Shakespeare, to Ruth in "The Homecoming" by Harold Pinter.

I've done many comedies such as "Cloud Nine" by Caryl Churchill. I've also done serious plays such as 'To Gillian, on her 37th Birthday" which later was developed into a movie.

mrswizz12 says:

My 13 year old son would like to tell you that you're a great Actress and you're very beautiful

Gates McFadden:

Thank you! One can never hear that too many times!

sarah says:

As you've probably realized by now, there is a large BonC contingent here - all dying to know is the Picard and Crusher romance totally dead - or is there a possibility it may be revived?

Gates McFadden:

In this movie it is definitely not revived.However I encourage you to write letters to Rick Berman the producer suggesting that it be resurrected.

boncers says:

Thank you for being here. Would you be willing to reconsider you stance on an official fan club if it were run professionally?

Gates McFadden:

Yes!

zippity says:

Love Star Trek, and your character is superb - a strong woman, but feminine - wish men could relate to women like that in today

Gates McFadden:

I have found that often they do!

pygmalion2 says:

The drama coach in our school says that acting is not about feeling the required emotions while acting on stage, it's about PROJECTING those emotions as you act on stage. She says if you feel the emotions you'll be distracted from acting. But if you don't feel like the character is feeling, then won't your portrayal look phony?

Gates McFadden:

Keep trying don't give up! This is a tough question to answer quickly. She is not incorrect, however, I often find that during a show the feeling and the technique all come together in moments of pure poetry. It is like an adrenaline rush where you are the character, the play is bigger than yourself and you are almost inside the character and outside it at the same time.

I don't feel that there is only one method to acting. Work with as many good teachers as you can and find what works best for you.

ocampa says:

William Frakes seems like a very nice guy, how is he in private?

Gates McFadden:

Terrific!

boncers says:

Thanks for being here... is there a specific directing project that you'd like to tackle?

Gates McFadden:

Yes, but the script is not finished and has been in development for a year and a half. It's a silent film in black and white.

mick_mouse says:

Why do so many actors want to direct? It seems to me that since power is money, then the real power is in producing since it's the producers that bring the money in. Ultimately, the producer can put financial pressure on a director to make him do what she wants him to do. Am I right?

Gates McFadden:

Sometimes, not always. I went into acting because I loved it. I loved the way it made me feel, the power of my voice, the power of my imagination, the power of a situation, the words of a playwright.

If you are interested in who has the power as in the big boss who makes the most money, then it's a different situation.

Directing is an art, acting is an art, and many fine producing an art. Personally I find acting and directing more creative, but everyone has their own passion.

temporalrift says:

- looking at short description of "guest" - Have you written anything recently?

Gates McFadden:

I haven't finished a script I've been working on for years but with time and courage I hope to finish it soon.

nan1 says:

This question if from my daughter, Rebecca (sorry!). She would like to thank you for your letters and wants to know how Jack's birthday was and how is Coc and Mary Alice. Thanks for giving her someone to admire who is worth admiring!

Gates McFadden:

My sons seventh birthday was probably as good as a seventh birthday could possibly be. We had a bowling party! The cats are fine and hope you're all doing well.

mericcc says:

In your eyes what has been the most significant contribution Dr. Crushers has made to STTNG?

Gates McFadden:

A hypo-spray in the neck .... no ..... just kidding. Probably her determination to rank compassion over the Prime Directive.

captbevpicard says:

Ms. McFadden, I want to thank you for giving us six years of great acting.

Gates McFadden:

Thanks for watching!

jneff says:

What do you think of the Voyager show?

Gates McFadden:

How can I say this without being rude. The truth is I have only watched a part of one episode. Not because I don't like it, but because I watch very little television.

tori says:

What inspired your interest in mythology and masks which Jeff Greenwald brought up in his book, Future Perfect?

Gates McFadden:

I loved Myths ever since I took a class in High School. The man I worked with in Paris, introduced me to the techniques of mask acting. I then researched masks in the major cultures of the world and found they were a significant part of most cultures, so I put together a plaque on the history of masks in theater when I was teaching at the University of Pittsburgh.

Masks can be beautiful in and of themselves, but they become magical when a performer makes them come alive by the way she moves.

hondo1 says:

who was the best male actor that you enjoyed working with over your career

Gates McFadden:

I don't have one favorite. I'd rather say there have been very few that I haven't enjoyed working with.

molakai says:

Hello Ms. McFadden My real name is Michael! I would like to know do you and Marina Sirtis get along like friends as your characters did on the next generation? Thank you for your time to view my question! You're the first star trek actor or actress I have met!

Gates McFadden:

Marina and I are friends, but unlike the characters that we play we don't talk about men together very much, but we laugh a lot and cover a range of subjects.

dixonhill says:

Do you have any plans to do projects with LA Theaterworks?

Gates McFadden:

I performed the Neil Simon play "Chapter Two" this year but have no other projects scheduled with them at this point.

ocampa says:

Could you think of yourself as an doctor in real life?

Gates McFadden:

Oh I think it would be wonderful to be a doctor in real life, especially when I feel awful or my son has the flu.

bsisko says:

where can we write to get autographs

Gates McFadden:

I am taking a short hiatus from signing autographs through the mail because of my need to spend more time with my child. Next year I will probably have more time and at that point I will again be available to sign autographs through the mail.

It is always the best idea to send the mail to Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California. 5555 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California.

I worry that people won't understand my reasons for not signing autographs, but the truth is when my son wants me to play with him and I have a stack of pictures to sign, I know I'm making the right choice, even though my fans will be disappointed.

kit_angel says:

If tribbles were real, would you actually want one running around your house as a pet? LOL

Gates McFadden:

Absolutely! I would continue to try to train it!

CCCMyst:

Gates, our time is nearly up for tonight. You've been a wonderful guest!! Do you have any final thoughts you'd like to leave us with?

Gates McFadden:

I literally drove home today from Mammoth Lake where we shot some of our final scenes in the new Star Trek movie. I had never been to the mountains in that area and was overwhelmed by the sheer beauty and power of the Sierra Nevada's.

The cast had a fabulous time and I just want you all to know when you watch the movie that even though we were pretending to be very scared, we were having the time of our lives!

Thanks to all of you for the years of support! I love you all!

[booksandwords]

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

Read time: 🎧 1:02 hours 🎧 Rating: 5/5

The quote: My wife, my colleagues, my students, my books, my observatory, my. . . my world. . . where are they? Did they ever exist? Am I Richard Pierson? What day is it? Do days exist without calendars? Does time pass when there are no human hands left to wind the clocks? — Professor Pierson

I grew up listening to Jeff Wayne's musical version of the War of the Worlds, which I recommend btw. So I was well aware of the story. Even though I've never seen a film. But this is how I think War of the World should be enjoyed. I know Wells wrote the short story in 1987 but to me, it is Orson Welles' 1938 production is what made it infamous. This particular version is War of the Wards as read by the cast of Star Trek. It was performed and recorded for Halloween by the L.A. Theatre Works in 2009. how I wish I'd been there when they recorded it.

Some random comments and a couple of quotes.

Gates McFadden is fantastic as the reporter Carla Phillips she has the voice for it. Her tone is perfection.

Leonard Nimoy is the astronomer Professor Pierson. His initial sense of scepticism comes through brilliantly, it must for a pure scientist. The transition he goes through is so effective as times get dark, as the new reality sets in.

Armin Shimerman as an announcer is a joy, his voice is iconic. But he will always Quark to me.

Brent Spiner does crazy well as the Stranger.

While I point out these specific actors, they are great and well suited to their roles. Everyone presents the right amount of urgency or sadness or near desperation.

Later when their bodies were examined in the laboratories, it was found that they were killed by the putrefactive and disease bacteria against which their systems were unprepared. . . slain, after all man’s defenses had failed, by the humblest thing that God in His wisdom put upon this earth. — Professor Pierson

Dim and wonderful is the vision I have conjured up in my mind of life spreading slowly from this little seed bed of the solar system throughout the inanimate vastness of sidereal space. But that is a remote dream. — Professor Pierson

 It was all John de Lancie's idea. Because of course, it was.

The interview afterwards is well worth listening to. The one I heard came with Gates McFadden whom I didn't know prefers to stage act rather than film act. It's that feedback the interplay between performer and audience. There is a discussion of how she about changing how role from the male original to the female.

On the LATW listing for the title there is an interview with Leonard Nimoy. Here you can also get the audiobook for free on Spotify.

Wellesnet has a copy of the original 1938 script. Because it's essentially what they are recording rather than H.G. Wells original work. Freedom Forum has a version of the orginal 1988 broadcast on their YouTube channel.

The cast

John de Lancie as Show Host

Meagen Fay as Bag Lady/Others

Jerry Hardin as Wilmuth/Others

Gates McFadden as Phillips/Others

Leonard Nimoy as Pierson/Others

Dwight Schultz as Announcer/Others

Armin Shimerman as Announcer/Others

Brent Spiner as Stranger/Others

Tom Virtue as Captain/Others

Wil Wheaton as Commander/Others

[lindsayvanekart]

"If there's nothing wrong with me, maybe there's something wrong with the universe!"

It is hard to convey how much I adore Beverly Crusher. When I was a kid, I always stopped what I was doing to go and watch TNG when it would come on in the evening, and I was always excited when it was a Bev episode. There she was, a woman strong in her convictions, always facing something unknown and dangerous but never giving up - not on herself and not on those in her care. Whenever she was faced with adversity, she snapped open that tricorder and found a solution.

I don’t think Bev would be this amazing if it weren’t for the amazing job Gates McFadden does bringing her to life. Much like her character, Gates never gave up in the face of adversity. She fought hard for her character and all the other women characters and actors involved in TNG, standing strong what she knew was right and never backing down. I look up to both Bev and Gates for strength, especially when the universe wants me to back down.

I wanted to capture a moment of realization, a eureka moment in this piece: the dawning of an idea, the split moment before she says she’s got it. And as we all know, you can always count on Bev to solve the problem and save the day.

__

I was asked to make a portrait of one of my favourite women from Star Trek for the initiative Women Make Trek, which launched its website today, and immediately I knew I wanted to make a portrait of this amazing woman

[jesternene]

Where does this leave Beverly and Jean-Luc?

I will start by saying this is all pure speculation and assumption at this point. Nothing I say is fact or spoilers when it comes to S3 of Picard.

I entered this crazy ship called P/C aka Picard and Crusher just 3 months ago. My husband, a huge TNG fan since his 4th birthday, received the entire collection for Christmas. He began re-watching the series and unintentionally got me involved. He mentioned Crusher and Picard and I eagerly wanted to know more. My past of shipping doomed romances should have been a clue when I fell in love with P/C so I should have already known that this was not going to end well. The last season of TNG gave me false hope and sense of security when the writers teased of a future P/C romance. All that was dashed, however, when I saw the movies. What really dashed my hopes was listening to Gates McFadden (aka Beverly Crusher) express her disappointment in multiple podcast interviews. Did that make me jump ship? absolutely not. Patrick and Gates natural chemistry is what keeps me loving them, even more so knowing nothing ever happened between P/C.

Fast forward 3 months and finally binge watching ST: Picard for the first time. I found the first season intriguing and It did not bother me so much of no mention of Beverly as usually the first season is about character development and entering backstory. I also know they didn’t want it to be TNG part 2 and I can totally get behind that. You do not want to revive a beloved show and/or character and make it to much like the first one (*cough* The Force Awakens *cough*). Watching S2 of Picard did bring on disappointment. Not only because of the crazy back and forth writing (that in some cases did not make sense) but because, by now, I would expect to hear any reference of his Enterprise-D/E past. The fact there wasn’t one made Jean-Luc into a character I no longer recognized; Unlike S1 where we did get at least one reunion and it was magical. I can get behind Picard’s lack of expression and open to love due to his traumatic past (barely) but what I can’t get behind is forcing a love story that only had a few minutes of screen time. Yes, he has known Laris for 16 years and yes, she had properly mourned her husband after a year and a half; however, the fans did not get to witness this relationship and so we did not get to see the development. Unlike we did with Beverly in TNG.

I will break a few key moments that makes me wonder what exactly are the show-runners trying to make. Yes, the season ended with an open question. He asked her for a second chance but she did not answer, Laris only smiled. Is this just an opening for a possible relationship? Are they hinting that maybe a relationship did try and it did not work out due to her dying or something else? Again, only speculation but it does make your mind go crazy in wondering where this is headed; especially knowing Beverly Crusher will be in multiple episodes in S3. Maybe even a love triangle where Picard is finally open to a possible romance, only to be confused on who he really wants. Again, only speculation.

In TNG, the first season definitely speculated a history and a love. In classic Picard fashion, he closes himself off and retreats to a professional relationship with Beverly. She also keeps it professional, even though we saw in multiple instances how she truly felt and how it hurt her in some way. (IE: Arsenal of Freedom and We will always have Paris). Gates leaving in S2 didn’t help the relationship aspect, in fact, I think it held it back even after she returned and the new Show-runners and writers were not sure how to approach this. We did get great scenes in the following seasons but I felt it wasn’t until S6 where It started to make sense and Picard started to really let Beverly in. As much as Picard had his flings (Vash, Janice and whoever AF was), the only time he actually tried for a relationship was with Daren. It was almost like he was testing the waters to see if he could have a relationship with one of his officers. It clearly didn’t work and it made him close off yet again. As S7 approached and Attached came along, this was finally the moment for fans to see just where this relationship is headed. Again, Picard being himself, lies to Beverly, suggesting his feelings were no longer there. She clearly sensed he was holding back but didn’t push it. She did admit of hearing his dreams, which to this day, we do not know what those dreams were. Did it expose his true feelings? Did it expose why he never opened up? We just don’t know and right now, it isn’t that important. What is important is how the episode ended, with Beverly turning down Picard. If we look at this episode now with a fresh lens and know Picard’s past with his mom, this was his one moment he actual opened up and wanted to try with Beverly. With her telling him “We should be afraid” to explore those feelings they have, Picard closes himself off and this time for good. When All Good Things comes into play, Picard sees he had a future with Beverly, they share a sweet kiss in his Ready Room (which by his smile, he was happy) but then he saw in the future that they divorced. Even though Beverly has no memory of this and he did change the course of history, Picard does remember and I feel he uses that as an excuse that it just wouldn’t work out with Beverly, even though he loves her.

Fast forward the movies/Picard and we do not get a P/C happily ever after. I guess some fans (and I am saying that very heavyhearted) might be okay with P/C not being endgame, as LONG as the story makes sense. What exactly is Terry and the gang of ST: Picard plan on? His tweets of him knowing Beverly and we are not ready for her makes me think he has a kick ass story for our feisty redhead. With Gates tweeting how the first 6 episodes are AWESOME, helps the blow a little bit, but the question of how does Laris fits in all of this still painfully lingers for us P/C shippers. I really hope the show-runners do not waste the 6 years of chemistry and sexual tension these two had. Hey, they may even say he did try and she turned him down again and that is why he was alone all these years and that is why he is asking Laris for a second chance instead of Beverly. We just do not know what they have in store for Beverly and how her relationship with Picard plays into that.

I will also express how much I do NOT hate Laris. I think Orla Brady did fantastic and it is not her fault how her character(s) were written in the show. However, her fate on the show is still up in the air due to the fact she has been uncomfortably silent since the Finale. Is this a sign that Laris is not involved and the Finale was just a red herring for things to come in S3? Is this their way of keeping the P/C secrets hush hush and let the fans believe Picard and Laris are a couple? It honestly can go either way and our roller-coaster will only get bumpier as time goes on and when it gets closer to S3.

I guess the only two hints we can try and decipher are the two lines said in the teaser trailer of S3. Jean-Luc says “I am not a man who needs a legacy” and Beverly saying “Jean-Luc, when the galaxy comes calling, you love it”. What does his legacy have to do with his former shipmates? Why would Beverly say that to him? and what was he writing? Why is he on another adventure that he needed his old comrades help with? Also, who called for him on his communicator? These questions burn so bright that fans are losing their mind over it and honestly, for someone who only has been in this community for a short time, I can completely understand why the unknown is so scary. We have had wonderful stories (IE: Troi and Riker) and we have had not so wonderful stories (IE: Data; Picard/Crusher). Fans are nervous and as much as the anticipation of the reunion makes any fan excited, the anxiety of the unknown is what floods our minds. That being said, I *HOPE* that the show-runners will give a proper send off that the majority of fans would like to see. If his legacy is to be continued, and as the last season showed timelines can be changed, how hard would it be for them to fix what was lost and have Beverly and Picard together with a legacy of their own. Remember, her only legacy is across time and space and we do not know where that leaves her. Hopefully with Picard as they both have lost so much that finding their true path and happiness seems better if it were together.

PS. I will like to add that if Wil is in S3 of Picard, I would like to believe it was Wesley who turned on his communicator. I can see Wes bringing the gang back together again for one final mission that he knows only they can do. :D

(GIFs are NOT mine. They are the property of Google. I take no claim)

[thegreaterlink]

Reviewing Star Trek TNG - S2E3 “Elementary, Dear Data”

THE PREMISE

As the Enterprise waits to rendezvous with the USS Victory, Geordi and Data go to the holodeck to immerse themselves in a Sherlock Holmes mystery, with Data playing Holmes and Geordi as Watson. However, Data has every Holmes story memorised, recognises the mystery and solves it before it even begins, causing a frustrated Geordi to storm off.

In Ten Forward, Geordi tries to explain to Data that the fun of the program is in solving the mystery. Dr Pulaski overhears their conversation and claims that Data is incapable of saving a mystery if he doesn't know the answer. Data accepts her challenge and invites her to join them on the holodeck, where Geordi instructs the computer to create a new mystery with an adversary capable of defeating Data.

MY REVIEW

This is what I like to call a “fuck it” episode. By that I mean an episode where the writers just say "fuck it" and focus on sheer entertainment value rather than trying to create a meaningful or serious storyline. In this case, it was "fuck it, we're doing a Sherlock Holmes story."

This follows on from Data’s subplot of acting like Sherlock Holmes back in “Lonely Among Us.” And just like in that episode, Brent Spiner has great fun hamming it up with a British accent as Data continues to solve the mystery.

Plus this time, he gets to dress the part as well as solve a mystery in actual Victorian London, or rather a holographic simulation of it. Just like in "The Big Goodbye," the costumes and set design are top notch, to the point where this episode was even nominated for two Emmys for its costumes and art direction. Once again, it feels like the characters have stepped onto the set of a completely different series.

This episode does a much better job of the dynamic between Data and Pulaski. While the past two episodes have just had Pulaski insulting Data for no good reason, here it's treated as more of a good-natured rivalry, with Data being determined to prove her wrong. It's far from perfect, but it's a big step in the right direction. Now I actually sort of care when she's kidnapped here!

Side note: It's kind of rubbing me the wrong way how Dr Pulaski has gotten more focus over these past few episodes than Dr Crusher did in most of the last season. I guess Maurice Hurley just really hated Gates McFadden.

The mystery itself isn't really important. What is important is the episode's villain, Professor Moriarty, played excellently by Daniel Davis.

The impetus for this episode's true conflict is Moriarty spotting Geordi accessing the holodeck's computer arch, and making use of it himself. When I saw that he was able to summon the arch and use the computer, at first I thought it was an idiotic design flaw. But then it was revealed that such a thing is usually impossible.

So why is Moriarty able to do this? Well, Geordi realises that he specified for the computer to create an adversary capable of defeating Data. Not Sherlock Holmes: Data. So part of the process of putting Moriarty on equal footing with Data was giving him the same abilities as him, including access to the ship's computer. So at least there's an explanation.

Moriarty's realisation that his entire world is a lie makes him fascinated with the real world, leading to a chilling revelation where Moriarty presents Data with a drawing of the Enterprise, causing an understandably shaken Data to leave the holodeck and attempt to shut the program down... but he still has the paper outside the holodeck. I've seen "The Big Goodbye," I know that holograms can't exist outside the holosuite, so what gives? Just have Data show Geordi the drawing inside the program and avoid a glaring plot hole!

Wow, that's three reviews in a row that I've gone into "um, actually" mode. Think we can make four?

Edit: I have been informed that items like the drawing can exist outside the holodeck because it uses replicator technology. A similar example of this is when Picard was hit by a snowball from the holodeck back in "Angel One." But this is never explained (at least not at this point in the series) so my point still stands.

Anyway, Data is unable to shut down the program since Moriarty has overridden the computer, so Dr Pulaski is trapped somewhere in the holographic Victorian London. Data and Geordi go to Picard for help, and when Moriarty gains access to the ship's controls (I can maybe understand how he could access to the computer, but taking control of the ship from within the holodeck is just a bit too far-fetched) Picard accompanies Data back to the holodeck. It's hilarious that even though the ship is in danger and Dr Pulaski is being held captive, Picard still insists on changing into period-accurate clothing. I love it.

Picard and Data track down Moriarty... and find him and Dr Pulaski having a pleasant conversation. The professor has even given her tea and crumpets. The episode goes in an unexpected but interesting direction when Moriarty shows that he has evolved beyond his original programming and wishes to exist in the real world. Picard explains to him that this is impossible, but promises to bring him back if they ever find a way to convert holodeck matter into a permanent form (they already seemed to manage with that piece of paper) then they'll bring him back.

This would feel a lot more meaningful if we had any sort of guarantee that we'll ever even see him again.

My research shows that the original ending had Picard lie to Moriarty that he could exist outside of the holodeck, using the infamous sheet of paper as an example, and Moriarty would leave and cease to exist. Maurice Hurley thought it made Picard look clever, but Gene Roddenberry nixed it because he thought it made Picard look cruel. For once I'm on Roddenberry's side, since it makes for a more interesting ending than having Moriarty go out the same way as Lawrence Tierney in "The Big Goodbye."

7.5/10 - Very entertaining.

Previous Episode | TNG Masterpost | Next Episode

[captainbeverlycrusher]

An Open Letter to the Star Trek Community

To the Star Trek Community,

I write this from a place of deep respect, gratitude and compassion, and with hope that what I have to say will be received in good faith and be heard.

I am an immigrant woman of colour who found Star Trek at a time when I was at my lowest and stuck in what seemed like perpetual darkness, and it was this wonderful franchise and its powerful message which uplifted me and brought me back into the light so that today I can truly say that I am at my strongest. As such, Star Trek’s positive influence in my life has been no small thing. Star Trek has taught me to be the captain of my life, to reach for the stars, to stand up for what is right no matter the cost, and, above all, to be brave and bold.

And so, in the spirit of boldly going, I humbly call on ALL white members of the Star Trek Community — creators, platform curators, prominent fans and figures, including and especially Star Trek cast members, past and present — who believe in the underlying mission and vision of Star Trek to formally denounce all forms of racism and bigotry and those who uphold such abhorrent beliefs; I call on you to condemn the actions of those who have harmed Black and Indigenous people, and all People of Colour (BIPOC); and I call on you to strive to do more and do better for the sake of BIPOC in both the Star Trek community and in your own lives who have been subjected to racism. Finally, I encourage you to urge your supporters in this community to do the same, particularly those who are now finally waking up to the injustices perpetrated against BIPOC.

I am, of course, aware that the official Star Trek entity released a statement in this vein recently. I know many of you have expressed one way or another your support for the Black Lives Matter movement. I see you. It’s a good start. But it is not enough. I need each of you who hold so much influence within this community to do this, to say once and for all that you will not condone racism and anti-Blackness from your supporters, fans and followers any longer. It is important for this to happen.

I know you support the vision of the great Gene Roddenberry and the powerful philosophy of Star Trek and what it stands for. I know you believe in these words as much as I do:

“Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms.”

But many white supporters within the Trek community truly do not share these sentiments, and they have proven this time and again, especially as they have belittled and driven fans of colour like me away instead of putting the mission of Star Trek into practice and welcoming us with open arms. Both on-and-offline, there are those who have insulted and degraded BIPOC involved in the Trek community— and not just fans but creatives, actors, and notable figures of colour alike. We have been treated as inferior and dismissed.

I have seen and witnessed it with my own eyes. I have endured this myself and I cannot explain to you how hurtful it has been for many of us. I am a fan who has experienced so much harm from many white people I have come across in Trek spaces, at conventions and events, even among those I had considered friends, and for it to come from within a franchise that promotes love, hope and acceptance, it has been devastating. What I once looked to as a safe haven no longer is.

I can only speak for myself and from my own experiences. And based on my experience, my call to action here is completely necessary. Because something I never say aloud, something I constantly have to process and reprocess in therapy is that 6 years ago when I was 24, the night before I first met my Trek heroes, I cried bitter tears because I felt that they would not accept me because I wasn’t white, that I was unlovable by even the most amazing people because I was not white like them. 24 years old. A grown adult. And I felt that way. So many white Trek supporters contributed to making me feel that way every time they overtly and subtly implied that their whiteness made them superior. I have remained silent about this and numerous other incidents for many years, but living in silence has only served to intensify the painful experiences I’ve had, and so I share this to stress the urgency with which this community-wide issue needs to be addressed. We cannot allow damage like this to continue towards BIPOC in this community.

Racism destroys the soul. Racism is why I hurt myself for so long and why so many white supporters have harmed fans of colour like me, despite their claims that they believe in all that Star Trek stands for. Racism hurts us all. This is just a small part of my story. Imagine how many more there are like it or even worse. As white people, you will never experience racism and you may not see the abominable treatment BIPOC in the Trek community encounter, but it is happening.

With the Black Lives Matter protests gaining momentum worldwide, it couldn’t be more clear that now is not the time to find the middle ground on issues like this, because there is none when it comes to racism. Either you are against it or not. And I promise you, the Trek community does not need the support of people who go out of their way to justify any and all racist acts, because as we can clearly see, even the smallest racial microaggressions and biases can ultimately lead to murder. The desire to keep the peace in the fandom and franchise is not more important than Black lives. Especially because the truth is, as far as I have observed, there has never been actual peace.

We are presently witnessing a global reckoning in which many are finally starting to acknowledge the existing ways racism and white supremacy are upheld. As a community that claims to value all beings and embrace all differences, it only makes sense for Star Trek and all its community members to lead the way to a better future in the entertainment and creative industries and beyond, and to start doing so by looking within ourselves and our own backyard. We MUST clean up this community so that all People of Colour can truly feel safe and welcomed and be embraced and celebrated in every Trek space.

As I issue my call to action, I urge you to consider doing the following:

First, in particular for prominent white cast and creatives, please let the Trek community know where you stand. If you have not already done so, please let people know that you will not tolerate any further bigotry and racist behaviour from anyone. Please let your Black fans and all fans of colour know that you are with us. And please don’t mince words.

Amplify the voices of BIPOC within this community. So many of us are constantly silenced and drowned out and it is time for us to be heard. Our presence only enhances the Trek community. Uplift and embrace us. We matter.

If you manage any online Trek-related spaces and platforms, it is your responsibility to moderate and remove speech that is racist against BIPOC. It is imperative for you to enforce stricter commenting policies and do all that you can to protect BIPOC from further harm. And for those participating in these spaces, it is equally your duty to call out and report any such speech you encounter.

Educate your fellow white Trekkies who don’t yet understand why this is important. BIPOC have expended a lot of labor attempting to do so already but we have been dismissed, ignored, and cast aside. The onus is now on you to ease us of this burden and do the work given your positions of influence.

Hold yourselves and other white people in your Trek networks accountable to BIPOC community members. Make this part of your norm so that it becomes second nature to you, especially so these issues don’t ever fade into the background as they have often done in the past. This is an opportunity to improve and get it right.

Continue supporting the Black Lives Matter movement even after it stops trending. Visit https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ to find helpful resources, make donations, sign petitions, and to get more involved in this work beyond the Trek community. This work is ongoing. It is lifelong.

Committing to doing every one of these would be small yet meaningful steps in the ongoing struggle for racial justice and it would make a significant difference. So with great respect and love, I implore you to use your power and privilege to do this for BIPOC, for yourselves, for all of us.

Stand up with and speak up for all BIPOC fans, friends and colleagues, far and wide. Be loud about it.

Be as loud and unrelenting as LeVar Burton. He has always been at the helm of this struggle, has always been upfront about it, and I love and admire him for it. Follow his lead.

Naturally, fear courses through me as I write all this, but I think of Gates McFadden, a great hero of mine, who once rocked the boat and spoke up against the sexism and racism she witnessed while working on TNG and was actually fired for it. If she can do that, then I think I can do this regardless of the risk. Because I know what I’m asking for and ultimately fighting for is right. Because what we can no longer deny is that lives are at stake. Black lives. And they matter.

Now it is up to you to do your part. Boldly go, in hope and with love.

And may you Live Long and Prosper.

— Originally published on Women at Warp

[aion-rsa]

Star Trek Doctors, Ranked By Crankiness

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This Star Trek: Lower Decks article contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 3.

In the very first filmed episode of Star Trek: The Original Series — “The Cage” — Captain Pike drinks itty-bitty martinis with the Enterprise’s chief physician, Dr. Boyce (John Hoyt.) And although it remains to be seen if we’ll be seeing Boyce in Stranger New Worlds, the tradition of the cranky — but wise — Starfleet doctor was started right there. After Boyce and Piper, Star Trek set the standard for cranky, wise-cracking doctors in space with the introduction of Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy; as played by the wonderful DeForest Kelley. 

While Kelley passed away in 1999, the spirit of Bones lives on. Not just in the Karl Urban version of Bones in the reboot films, but also in the foul-mouthed, utterly hilarious Catian medical officer, Dr. T’ana (Gillian Vigman) on Star Trek: Lower Decks. In the most recent episode of Lower Decks, “Mugato, Gumato,” T’ana demonstrated some next-level crankiness, as she avoided her own physical examination, something Bones had to prod Kirk to do all the time, including his first-ever filmed episode, “The Corbomite Maneuver.” But is Bones actually still the crankiest Star Trek doctor? Has T’ana dethroned him? 

The only way to find out is to rank all the Trek doctors from least cranky to most cranky, and find out who is the hardest to please, and as a result, possibly the doctor we paradoxically love the most.

(Note: With some exceptions, we’ve excluded characters who were Starfleet doctors who weren’t regular recurring characters. This is why Dr. Selar from TNG isn’t on this list, even though as a Vulcan, she’s inherently cranky.)

10. Dr. Tracy Pollard (Discovery)

The least cranky doctor on this list is easily Dr. Pollard on Star Trek: Discovery. This woman even puts up with Georgiou, a dictator from an alternate universe who wants to die. As played by the fantastic Raven Daudu, it’s very possible Dr. Pollard is the best doctor on this list. She also may never be recognized as such, because she’s really even-tempered, kind and way too busy saving people’s lives to complain.  

9. Dr. Phlox (Enterprise)

Phlox isn’t just one of the nicest Star Trek doctors ever, he’s actively one of the most likable characters in the entire franchise. Played charmingly by John Billingsley in all four seasons of Enterprise, Phlox projected a childlike curiosity of the universe combined with a ton of knowledge and wisdom of having seen more of the quadrant than most of the other characters. Phlox is also, perhaps, the most tolerant Star Trek doctor, insofar as he never pushes his cultural views onto others, even though, in some episodes, like “Dear, Doctor,” he’s torn apart by his own set of ethics. Oh, and he saved the life of Porthos, Captain Archer’s dog in “A Night in Skybay,” AND while doing so, managed to make a joke that Porthos would develop lizard-chameleon powers in the process. That’s bedside manner!

8. Dr. Hugh Culber (Discovery) 

Who doesn’t love this guy? Since Season 1 of Discovery, Culber has put up with shit from everyone, and very rarely has he snapped. Yes, in Season 2, after coming back from the dead, he was pretty pissed off at everyone. But, as he said in Season 3, “My murderer and I are good now!” In episodes like “Su’kal” and “Die Trying,” Culber is one of the kindest and simultaneously most practical Star Trek doctors of all time. He doesn’t lie to anyone, but he does know how to make you feel better. Out of all the Discovery regulars, Culber feels cut from the same cloth as someone like Deanna Troi or Guinan. He’s smart, insightful and empathic. 

7. Dr. Beverly Crusher (The Next Generation)

Crusher certainly has the ability to sass her patients, but she’s basically a nice person. Whenever Crusher freaks out on anyone it’s always because she’s either in love with a ghost that lives in a candle (“Sub Rosa”), her feelings are being manipulated by a nearby Vulcan (“Sarek”) or Jean-Luc is messing around with her emotions. (All of The Next Generation.) Crusher suffers the fools she works with, but she does it with grace and dignity. That said, you kind of know she hates certain people in certain moments, which can probably just be attributed to Gates McFadden’s flawless talent.

6. Emil, Rios’ EMH (Star Trek: Picard)

Rios has a lot of cranky holograms in Season 1 of Picard, but his medical hologram is not even close to being the most difficult of all of them. In fact, he’s pretty cordigal, and reasonable, which is odd considering the situation he’s in. Clearly, among the holograms on the La Sirena, Emil is one of the most well-adjusted. You wouldn’t want him as your primary physician in real life, and because he’s basically connected to the personality of Rios the possibility that he might become super cranky is certainly there. But, so far, he’s right on the line.

5. Dr. Julian Bashir (Deep Space Nine)

Okay, we’re crossing over into slightly cranky territory here. Bashir began his journey on DS9 as a cocky jerk, which isn’t the same as the kind of crankiness we’re talking about here. The Bones-style of crankiness is the kind of crank we can get down with. Bashir’s off-putting personality was  — at first — not something anyone admired or liked. That said, as Alexander Siddig evolved the character, Bashir didn’t become more cranky, but he did develop righteous indignation. When Bashir got his indignant buzz on in episodes like “Past Tense,” or “Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges,” he was really at his best. To be clear, Bashir isn’t a nice doctor, and this is where we cross the threshold. 

4. Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (Star Trek: The Original Series)

Although he set the standard for crankiness, in the entire canon of Trek, Bones is somehow not the most cranky Star Trek doctor. The reasons for this are threefold: First, there are three characters on this list who are much crankiner than him. Second, Bones is actually a sweetheart deep down, and demonstrates his love for Spock over and over again, despite his terrible, terrible comments. Finally, Bones can’t be the crankiest doctor on this list because Dax heavily implied in “Trials and Tribble-ations,” that one of her previous hosts — Emony Dax — totally hooked-up with him. For some reason, this detail makes it seem like he’s a lot nicer than he comes across. And again, The Search for Spock exists.

3. Dr. Katherine Pulaski (The Next Generation)

In 1988, Pulaski would have easily been number one on this list. She mispronounces Data’s name, doesn’t feel bad about it, and proceeds to kind of make everyone else on the ship feel awful. Pulaski is a pretty good doctor, and not remotely a bad person, but she’s pretty damn cranky. The brilliant Diane Muldar plays Pulaski like someone who has been transferred to a job she doesn’t really want, which is sort of amazing considering at this point, Roddenberry didn’t want Starfleet characters to have interpersonal conflict.

In “The Icarus Factor ” (which the latest Lower Decks also referenced) Pulaski also thinks Riker’s deadbeat dad is hot and tells Riker this point blank when he’s reminding her that his dad is the worst. This alone gives her deeply strange tastes, and makes her super cranky and weird AF. Don’t mess with Pulaksi! If you talk about how your friend is mean, she might throw it in your face and say she likes them better than you anyway! 

2. Dr. T’ana (Lower Decks)

Okay. So Dr. T’ana is almost the most cranky Star Trek doctor ever. Combining the best qualities of Bones, with that weird go-shove-it-vibe from Pulaksi, Gillian Vigman turns it all up to 11. It helps that T’ana is a cat-person (I.E. the Catian species) but her crankiness is more than that. She’s kind of sadistic, and isn’t afraid to use boulders to knock “strange energies” out of people when the time comes. T’ana is sort of burnt-out, but also, is kind of unflappable too. Like, you get the sense that she’s sick of all this space sickness stuff, but she’s got too much proffensionality to say she can’t do something. The secret crankiness of Dr. T’ana is that seemingly she can fix anything that is wrong with anyone. But, she’s going to make fun of them for it, and get pissed off if you look at her the wrong way.

That said, like Bones, you get the sense that none of it is personal. Which is what makes her Starfleet all the way. 

1. The EMH (Voyager)

Robert Picardo’s Emergency Medical Hologram is the best cranky Star Trek doctor. There are many reasons for this. His arrogance. His constant complaining. The fact that he has good reason to complain, considering he’s a hologram that has to do other people’s bidding. But the reason that tops all other reasons is the way that Picardo can make his crankiness clear with the simple inflection of his voice. It’s not what he says. It’s how he says it. And if you need proof, all you have to do is go back to the very first Voyager episode ever, “Caretaker.” When the Doctor has to start triage on the wounded crew, he asks somebody to hand him a tricorder. He looks at it, and realizes it’s not the right kind of tricorder, and hands it back and says “medical tricorder.” The amount of venom in this comment cannot be communicated in print. The way Picardo says medical tricorder is so dismissive and frustrated, that he basically created a new level of crankiness with one single utterance. 

T’ana may be creeping up the EMH from behind, but this cranky crown will be hard to swipe. Especially from a hologram.

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Lower Decks airs new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+.

The post Star Trek Doctors, Ranked By Crankiness appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[swordsandrayguns]

Riker’s Beard And Family Time: Looking Back At Star Trek: TNG

I write science fiction and fantasy novels… so I am no stranger to things dubbed “nerdy.” The last few months, though, I have been doing something that pushes the boundaries of nerdy even for me. I’m watching all the Star Trek properties in the order of their release. Yup, an epic binge watch covering over five decades of television series, cartoons and motion pictures. Look, I can try to explain and rationalize this a couple ways. Truth is, I travel a great deal and have to fill the time I spent in airports and on planes (preferably with things I can download as oppose to stream). I am also, as an author, studying some of the great examples of “universe building” and epic story arcs. Still nerdy, though; I admit it.

Obviously, I started with the original series and jumped into the animated series. I timed this all so my viewing of Star Trek: The Motion Picture coincided with the the special 40th anniversary showings in theaters. I followed through the next couple of movies into The Next Generation, alternating in movies and even the original series pilot The Cage (which was originally made available to the public as a pay per view offering between the first and second seasons of The Next Generation) as they fell in the original release timeline. I am getting to the end of the fifth season of Next Generation now and very much looking forward to alternating between episodes of The Next Generation, Deep Space 9 and even the occasional film in the near future.

Just in case you are wondering, I am pretty dedicated to sticking to the timeline but I am not strictly adhering to it. As I find myself, for example, in a hotel with channels such as BBC America or the Heroes and Icons channel I will only turn on episodes that have already showed up in my series overview… so no DS9, Voyager or Enterprise (yet) but the adventures of Kirk and company are fair game, as are Next Generation episodes up to season five. On the other hand, I am still watching Discovery’s Short Treks as they come out and I am definitely watching Picard as soon as I get a chance (meaning on my big screen at home instead of streaming it on my laptop over shaky hotel wifi). 

Even though I have not finished the complete rewatch, I find that I already have some new thoughts and ideas about I have seen so far starting with Riker’s beard.

Star Trek The Next Generation has generated a basketful of memes from “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.” to “I am not a merry man” but undeniably the greatest is “Riker’s beard.” Just as the Internet has given us “jumping the shark,” the phrase to mark when a show is never quite as good again named for a really stupid moment when Fonzie was in Hawaii, it gave us “Riker’s beard” to mark the opposite. To this day, I know people that will immediately turn off an episode of The Next Generation if Jonathan Frakes turns up clean shaven (or if Wesley is in it, but that is a whole different story and, honestly, my harsh view of Wesley softened a bit with this re-watch). My first revelation from my Next Generation binge is that while season two, when the beard shows up, is better than season one, it is not when Next Generation really hits its stride.

First of all, let me defend season one of Star Trek The Next Generation. Twenty one years after the premiere of Star Trek, after three seasons of a pioneering science fiction drama, a year of the animated series and four feature films, Star Trek The Next Generation had to take up the incredibly difficult challenge of continuing one of the world’s beloved stories without a single character from the original series. Even more difficult, the real world had changed. Where the original Star Trek was making a statement by having a Russian, an Asian and an African woman on the bridge The Next Generation would not have made any statements with this type of casting. After all, when Picard met his crew and first face Q at Farpoint the biggest show on television focused on the an upper middle class African American family, something that was absolutely unthinkable when Kirk boldly set forth with his crew. 

The first season of Star Trek The Next Generation not only introduced Q, the Ferengi and Data’s not so lovable android brother Lore it killed a main character. Star Trek The Next Generation took a major step that not only the original series never tackled but most shows avoid. Sure, other shows tease it and even then it was usually on a season ending cliffhanger. Even the original series backed away from the only death of a major character they ever portrayed with an entire movie dedicated to reversing it. Star Trek The Next Generation killed Tasha Yar completely out of the blue with three episodes left in the first season. This incredibly bold move cast a shadow on the entire series, adding a real threat to future episodes. 

Is season one perfect? Oh, no. Not at all. Not even close, but like I already mentioned it had an amazingly difficult challenge facing it. The fans were expecting… well, everything. Next Generation was trying to stay true to the essence of Star Trek while making itself something new. They put families on the Enterprise to emphasize it was a vehicle of exploration, not a military ship. They made sure there was not a Vulcan to be found and put the odd man in a kilt wandering the hallways. They put a Klingon on the bridge! But then they had to deal with it all.

Season two was better. For one thing, the anticipation and the expectations were gone. The show made it through the first season and when it came back with its second season it was coming back as Star Trek The Next Generation not “the new Star Trek.” Ironically, due to a writers’ strike, season two actually started off with a script recycled from the ill-fated Star Trek: Phase II series. In addition to the first officer’s facial hair, the second season brought Whoopi Goldberg on board as the ship’s bartender and saw Diana Muldaur (in her third Star Trek universe role as Dr. Pulaski) taking over the sick bay from Dr. Crusher. Geordi La Forge also migrated from the bridge to take over engineering. It was always a bit odd, somehow, in season one to not have the chief engineer as a major character, if only because the chief engineer would seem to play as an important of a role in the operations of the ship as, say, the ship’s counselor or a teenager doing his after school work study program as an acting ensign.

While season two was an improvement, it had its issues. Dr. Pulaski, playing a role meant, no doubt, to help humanize Data, came across as abrasive and (in my opinion) mean spirited. Gates McFadden had been fired, apparently because the head writer did not like her, but Gene Roddenberry resisted killing her character so Dr. Beverly Crusher merely transferred off the ship. When the head writer left the popular character of Dr. Crusher returned in season three. Whoopi Goldberg, although an interesting character, was the ship’s civilian bartender which is just kind of weird. Did the ship have a food court, too? The season was also shortened, because of the aforementioned writers’ strike, and it actually ended with (of all things) a clip show. A clip show!

As a final defense of season two, it did introduce the Borg, one of greatest science fiction villain races of all times. But was it really that much better than season one? Well, season two saw five episodes get a total of six Emmy nominations and won two (both technical Emmy awards related to the sound department). Season one’s premiere was the first television episode to be nominated for a Hugo Award in 15 years. Another season one episode was the first syndicated television episode to win a Peabody Award and six episodes gathered a total of seven Emmy nominations, winning three (for makeup, costume design and sound editing). If you place your faith in the numbers, it seems season one might have actually been better (at least if you go by its awards).

So by now, if I may be so bold as to make a prediction, you are probably thinking “This guy has put way too much thought into Star Trek The Next Generation” and “Okay, so if season two is not when The Next Generation gets great, when is it?” First, I said as an author I am studying Star Trek so cut me some slack. Second, I am glad you asked.

Star Trek The Next Generation, in my opinion, really hit its stride is the fourth season. Season four swept onto screens with the second part of season finale cliffhanger The Best Of Both Worlds. The Federation was facing the awesome might of the Borg and the crew of the Enterprise was desperately trying to save Picard, who had been taken and turned into Borg mouthpiece Locutus, so the season started with big action and drama. This quickly led to a series of episodes focusing on character relationships, particularly family relationships. 

After he is rescued, Picard is left a broken man and returns to his family’s vineyard in France. Although there had been several stories about Picard’s history, this was the first to address his family and his entry into Star Fleet. Data’s Day not only explored how the android navigated through his duties and relationships, it introduced Chief O’Brien’s new wife Keiko. The O’Briens are the focus in the very next episode, showing not only the natural difficulties they were having adjusting to their new life as a married couple but also O’Brien’s past Star Fleet career and the psychological wounds left by his service in the war with Cardassia. To me, Riker’s beard does not signify when Star Trek The Next Generation really gets good, it is when Keiko O’Brien appears.

Family was a major theme of the fourth season, as Worf discovered he was a father and worked to regain his family’s honor in the eyes of fellow Klingons. Luxanna Troi re-appeared as did the ghost of Tasha Yar when the crew encountered her sister. Data’s brother also made another appearance, as did Data’s creator. Data also grew a great deal, even being shown to try out a romantic relationship with another crew member. The true strength of Star Trek The Next Generation, as of season four, was that it was well established enough as a series to feature stories based on human relationships instead of action or the “alien of the week.”

It should also be noted that season four also brought more episodes which were a part of longer storylines, such as Worf’s dishonor and the political intrigues of the Klingon Empire. There were also many returning minor characters and new characters being set up for multiple appearances. It is only after three seasons Star Trek The Next Generation finally had established enough of its own universe for this to happen. Also, though, by season four plans were in motion for a second live action Star Trek series, one to run concurrently with Next Generation. It could have been that the introduction of multi-episode storylines were a result of the producers consciously attempting to expand the Star Trek universe while starting to differentiate Next Generation from the upcoming Deep Space Nine.

Ironically, season four also marks Star Trek The Next Generation outlasting its predecessor in terms of seasons on the air. While this did not actually influence the formation of my opinion season four is when Next Generation really gets good, it does really make me wonder what Star Trek may have become if it had a season four.

[amilynh]

teddythecat1234 replied to your post: For the reader's ask: How did you find your first...

I’m not into Star Trek anymore either. I used to be into TNG when I was young and I stuck with it through DS9 (which I never enjoyed as much) and Voyager (which I liked much better), but Captain Picard will always be MY Captain and the Enterprise D is MY space ship. I never got into any of the later spinoffs.

I have seen all 78 eps of TOS, I saw all the movies up through First Contact (after the hand-off), and my friends and I even got all gussied up like we were going to the formal opera, and we called our opening-night First Contact even "Prom Trek" since none of us had gone to prom (NO regrets: we gave ZERO fucks), and so we made our own prom circa age 26-28 doing something we loved.

I watched TNG S1-S5, and then probably saw half of S6, and really not much afterwards, though I tuned in for the final ep (and was DEEPLY disappointed). My true love there was Beverly. (Ah, Gates McFadden, one of the three main people responsible for the realization of SO MANY of my generation's fans of, "Oh...I'm a *LESBIAN*!!" ...the others are Gillian Anderson and Linda Hamilton.).

I have heard SUCH good things about DS9, but I was at uni at the time, and it was one at, like, 3:30 on Saturday afternoons...and it would break up the day, and I'd forget...it was so inconvenient and non-intuitive that I never remembered to watch it, so I've only seen a smattering of eps (including OF COURSE the Mirror episodes...SO GOOD!). I wanted to like it, but timing worked against me.

I watched and LOOOOVED Voyager. I shipped Captn Katie and Chakotay SO hard..."Resolutions" OMG OMG. I was TRULY hopeful that they would address Captn Katie's escalating instability and risk-taking. And I was even MORE hopeful when they did the ep where she locked herself in her cabin for 3 months. I wanted to see them ADDRESS her severe depression and loss of sense of self when separated from the structure of Starfleet that she was so committed to and dependent on. I wanted to see the Doc relieve her of command in order to address and TREAT her depression...to acknowledge that she needed HELP rather than enabling her and ignoring it. But...they skirted that, as they skirted EVERYTHING they built up.

I hate Brannon Braga with the fiery passion of 10,000 suns. I mean, when he was asked, in S1, how they were going to handle when Tuvok inevitably went into Pon Farr, and THAT ASSHAT was like, "What? Pon what? ...OH! Oh, but that's from the OLD show and this is a different show, so that doesn't apply." WTF YOU ASSHOLE OMG YOU'RE PART OF A WIDER CONTINUITY....AAAARRRFGGHGGHH!!! And...then they DID do ...something with it...and it fell TOTALLY flat for me.

I watched S1-S5 (again), and I WANTED to like "The Year of Hell," but it just didn't LAND for me Because Reset. I LOVED the episode where it turned out that Barclay was able to communicate with them...that slender connection to their home...that was VERY cool. And I LIKED Seven...but I didn't like that stupid catsuit...nor did I like that it became the Seven Of Nine Show.

I loved B'Lanna and Tom. I loved how they DID handle HER response to the obliteration of the Maquis and addressed that she was deliberately engaging in dangerous behaviors. I just wish they'd ALSO done that with Captn Katie; she was ENDANGERING THE WHOLE SHIP. I did appreciate that they revisited the concept, but with another character.

A friend had the headcanon (which is really just logic) that the Delaney twins from Stellar Cartography could almost NEVER rest because, typically, on a small ship working in well-travelled areas, just how much does Stellar Cartography DO? ....And then suddenly they're in a TOTALLY UNMAPPED AREA...and they need to recruit DOZENS to help them do all the mapping of this entirely un-documented area...but there are only 120-140 PEOPLE on board...so they must have never slept.

I think they should NEVER EVER let Chakotay fly the shuttles; they couldn't REPLACE them...and he kept crashing or damaging them or (check out the Coffee Nebula) just, you know, ACCIDENTALLY LEAVING SHUTTLECRAFT BEHIND by flying down to the planet and then BEAMING BACK UP.

I missed it when they stopped emphasizing that there was a SHORTAGE of resources. When Janeway couldn't have her coffee? SO awesome. When Neelix was cooking weird variations of the same thing? SO GOOD. I missed that as they forgot that resources were limited and caution was SUPER necessary.

I watched the series finale and was like...Chakotay and SEVEN??? WTF??? And I wanted not to see it END with them returning...I wanted to see the conflict of "Now we're FINALLY back to Starfleet YAY!" ...and the realization that, after HAVING to function independently for so long, finding it VERY difficult to fit into the demands of a command structure again. I wanted to see the reaction to how things had changed in the Alpha Quadrant...the Maquis adjusting to the annihilation of the Maquis...SO many missed opportunities.

I tried to watch Enterprise. I tried. I mean...Scott Bakula. Hoshi. COOL stuff. And yet, they managed to make SCOTT BAKULA--a man who could make the cut of a dress look GOOD and who could sing, dance, play piano, play football...do ANYTHING (see: Quantum Leap) while seeming personable and likeable...they managed to make him BORING. WTF???? I thought Enterprise was a boringly hot mess...but their Mirror episodes were good. I mean...EMPRESS HOSHI? YES, PLEASE. And the ep where T'Pol told the story of her grandmother who got trapped on earth and "invented" velcro so that she could sell the patent and get money for the family who helped her (I call it the T'Nana episode because it was T'Pol's Nana, yo)...I liked that...but I liked the novel "Strangers from the Sky" better....and it's the same plot.

And since then, and especially with the reboot...I just have walked away; I've DONE my time with Trek. I am no longer enamoured, and yet I still appreciate it.

I REALLY love, even now, some of my favorite Pocket Books novels (from before Pocket made the rules so rigid that the novels were no longer just authorized fanfic). My FAVE ones are "The Entropy Effect," "Ishmael" (Barbara Hambly steathily got them to PUBLISH a Star Trek/Here Come the Brides crossover!!!! With Doctor Who jokes! And there's TIME TRAVEL!), and Jean Lorrah's PUBLISHED Sarek and Amanda novels (which ENTIRELY have the backstory that is from her zines that were my first serious fanfic knowing it was fanfic).

I'm forever grateful that Trek fandom was large enough and FINDABLE enough that it gave me the "in" that I needed, back when there was no internet, to FIND fandom, then to follow the bread crumb trails to the fans of OTHER shows I also loved.

[localites-community-blog]

If you can't learn a language, learn from the language.

“A different language is a different vision of life” – Federico Fellini

Alanguage holds in it the history, values and perspectives of a culture. In spite of its intangible nature, a language is so strong in it’s resources, it can bring the mindset of a country or a city to another through mere words. Today, we are going to talk about language – a little bit about how it shapes us and a little bit about the local languages around the world that will intrigue our minds.

The language we speak influences the way we think and feel. A culture heavily influences it’s language and similarly, once learnt and passed down, the language keeps affecting the way people think in spite of major changes in the culture of the society. For example south asian languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Nepali, or Bengali have different words for maternal or paternal aunts, the people in their immediate families or their in-laws, as they are the holders of the collectivist cultures and the role of all family members is unique. On the other hand, English or other western languages such as Spanish or French, have only 8 unique words for different types of relations, as a result of their individualistic cultures. Today, even when we see people living in nuclear families in Eastern countries, they still oblige to their roles and responsibilities towards their family members, as people from a collectivist culture would do.

Another famous example that cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky uses in her Ted-Talk “How Languages Shapes The Way We Think” is how ‘a bridge’ is a female noun in German but a male noun in Spanish. This influences the way German and Spanish speakers describe a bridge. While German speakers are more likely to use stereotypically ‘feminine’ adjectives such as ‘beautiful’ and ‘elegant’ for describing the bridge, Spanish speakers are more likely to use stereotypically ‘masculine’ adjectives such as ‘strong’ and ‘long’ to the same bridge.

Now that we have a sense of the little nuances of language that, let us also look at some fascinating languages and language habits around the world.

Let’s take ourselves to a little Turkish village, where the people have their own secret language – the whistle language or the bird language. This is a village full of people who don’t need words to communicate but have their own systematic and sophisticated form of whistling to talk to each other. The ‘geographical’ significance of this language is that it allows the villagers to communicate with each other through mountain terrains and easily get themselves heard from far away. These are 10,000 people who whistle all day. Take yourself back to a moment where you found yourself whistling and humming. It is one of those moments when we act like our natural child self and just enjoy ourselves, isn’t it? Well, if you ever get a chance to meet one of these 10,000 villagers, you will be greeted with the same warmth and playfulness as that of a child or even a bird. UNESCO recently declared it as an endangered language in need of protection, encouraging the villagers to hold an annual festival to celebrate the language and even encouraging them to keep teaching it in local schools.

Moving to a different part of the world, the basins of the Amazon river in Brazil used to host the Mura language. All of its dialects are extinct now, except the Piraha language. The interesting thing about the Pirah is that it does not allow recursions or nesting – a linguistic property that allows inserting phrases into phrases. Such as one can say, ‘The chairs are broken’ or add a phrase to it and say, ‘The chairs that were blue in colour are broken’. Pirah grammatically does not allow this adding information to information.

What makes it interesting is that all languages in the world tend to follow a universal grammar – a term coined by Naom Chomsky – that are certain traits or rules that appear in all languages irrespective of their area of origin. Any language, created out of the human mind, would allow recursions or nesting of information. When Danny Averett found out that Pirah doesn’t seem to allow for recursion, it brought a lot of linguistic theories to question. The bottom line though would be that every sentence in Pirah will have to be extremely small and simple. It might be tempting to assume that the users of these languages are simple minded but that’s not true. The culture emphasises on the ‘here and now’ of their reality. A lesson in mindfulness, that they did not have to learn through a million books or Yoga courses, but simply came to them as a result of their language. The language also does not have any number words or colour words. They simply use words similar to ‘dark or light’ and ‘many or few’, hence probably showing us how they simply don’t feel the need to concretely compare things at all times.

The Guggu Yimidhhir language spoken by the an aboriginal community in Australia do not speak of direction in terms of left and right, but always in terms of east, west, north and south. Most languages have an ego-centric way of giving directions. This means when you need to ask someone to walk or put something in given direction, you ask them to do it their left or right in relation to the person. However, in Guggu Yimidhhir , you wouldn’t ask someone to hold a cup in their left or right hand, but in the cardinal direction their hand is in at that moment. The speakers are hence always oriented and know where the north, east, west and south are. If the speakers of Guggu Yimidhhir are asked to arrange pictures or events in order of time, they wouldn’t arrange it in left to right as we do, but from east to west as the sun goes. Their sense of direction and time is not fixed in themselves or to their bodies, but fixed to the land they live on.

Languages have a life of their own. There are thousands of languages around the world, and some studies say that one language is dying each week. As travellers, keeping our ears open, and paying attention to how sentences feel different when locals translate it for us, could tell us as much about their culture and values as a heritage site would do. Locals who are old, might tell you about the languages they used to speak as children, and how they have changed or disappeared. You may not necessarily walk yourself into the most ‘ancient’, ‘fascinating’ or ‘erotic’ languages, but you will definitely find languages , irrespective of whether you understand them or not, trying to tell you their own stories through their tones, gestures and loose translations. People who speak different languages will pay attention to different things depending on what their language requires them to do. Paying attention to local languages will not only enrich you with their view point, but giving you a deeper insight into how your language, and hence the way you look at things or the way you think, is different.

“Just learning to think in another language, allows you to see your own culture in a better view point” – Gates Mcfadden

Join the global community of localites and learn from locals how they are connected to their langauges and how much it matters to them. Download the community app from Google Play or App Store and start your journey today!

Thanks for reading.

Have a good day! localites - travel the real world

[ltbroccoli-archive]

ST ask meme - ALL OF THEM

Star Trek ask meme

Under a read more, because long.

1. Top 3 favorite female characters? Kathryn Janeway, Seven of Nine, Uhura.

2. Top 3 favorite male characters? Reg Barclay, Rom, Data.

3. Top 3 least favorite characters? Katherine Pulaski, Wesley Crusher, Jadzia Dax. (I said Travis Mayweather on my other post but he’s honestly tied with Jadzia.)

4. Favorite alien species? I really enjoy the Borg. Voyager ruined them just the tiniest bit though, by overusing them.

5. Episode plot you wish they had handled differently? Several are coming to mind, but I think I’m actually gonna go with the Enterprise finale. Which I don’t remember terribly well but I remember that it sucked. Riker and Troi? Seriously? The least that show could have done was end on a reasonably high note. Granted it was never a great show in the first place…

6. Character you feel a show could have done without? Pulaski was so utterly unnecessary, and just horrible. I realize they wanted Gates McFadden gone, which was also a mistake. Just let her stay through the whole thing.

7. Who would make up your crew dream team? Captain Janeway, First Officer Spock, Chief Engineer Reg Barclay, Doctor EMH, Tactical Officer Worf, the rest can just fight for it idk.

8. Which captain would you most want to serve under? It’s a toss up between Picard and Janeway… I think Janeway wins by the tiniest bit. Picard would also be awesome.

9. Which episode plot do you prefer?

     a. Time traveling to the past or dealing with time travelers from the future? The past. I love time travel everything give me all the time travel please.

     b. Going undercover to spy on enemies or going undercover to explore pre-warp planets? Probably the enemies, but it really depends on the episode.

    c. Holodeck malfunction or space anomaly? Depends what the holodeck malfunction is and what the space anomaly is. Holodeck malfunctions are always stupid, but we need to know if it’s the good kind of stupid.

    d. Ship being taken over or being stranded on a planet? Taken over.

    e. Rapid aging or de-aging? De-aging. “Rascals” is a gift.

    f. Diplomatic negotiations or all out battle? Both? Both is good. (Negotiate to stop the battle.)

10. Which alien pet would you most want for your own? The unicorn dog.

11. Top 3 OTPs? Janeway/Chakotay, Doctor/Seven, Rom/Leeta

12. Top 3 NOTPs? Chakotay/Seven (seriously wtf), Dukat/Winn, Garak/Ziyal

13. A ship you wish had been canon and why? Garak and Bashir. They had great chemistry from their very first scene and it’s just such an interesting pair.

14. A ship you wish hadn’t been canon and why? Garak/Ziyal. She’s barely legal. They were only doing it so the Garak/Bashir shippers had no chance. It didn’t make sense. It was forced.

15. Top 3 favorite alien crewmembers? Spock, Worf, Seven of Nine.

16. If you could steal the basic plot of an episode for one show and apply to another which would you choose? Well Enterprise directly stole plots from other shows multiple times… honestly I can’t think of any.

17. What role would you have aboard a starship? Science officer…? Engineer? One of those.

18. If you had to fight a character who would you choose? Pulaski.

19. You can undo one plot point, which do you choose? Dukat joining the Pah-Wraiths. That’s the exact moment his arc went from absolutely incredible to just… a piece of shit.

20. Which piece of technology do you wish existed in reality? Transporter.

21. What kind of stories do you hope the new show does? Explore current issues. Make important points about our current world. Make people uncomfortable. Make people examine themselves and how they behave.

22. Would you rather serve on a starship or a space station? Space station, probably.

23. Favorite tropes? The non-human character trying to figure out what the hell humans are even doing.

24. Which character do you relate to the most? Reg Barclay.

25. Favorite villain(s)? Dukat, the Borg, the Dominion.

26. Which alien hybrid offspring are you most interested in seeing? Uh… this is really not something I thought about before. Maybe a Bolian and a Klingon. See how that one works out. (Yeah I just kinda picked two random races…)

27. What do you wish they had handled differently? A lot of Reg’s later TNG episodes treated him as comic relief. I would have liked to see more of him in a serious light and less comedic. And also directly acknowledging that he has anxiety of some kind, whatever that might be, would be great.

28. Character(s) you want to cosplay as? I really don’t do much cosplay, I’d be happy just to have a StarFleet uniform.

29. Favorite and least favorite episodes? I’ll just go one from each show, this is hard. These might not be the absolutes but they’re what popped into my head first.

Favorites - “The City on the Edge of Forever”, “Realm of Fear”, “Far Beyond the Stars”, “Bride of Chaotica!”, sorry I can’t consider any ENT episode to be a favorite.

Least favorites - “The Mark of Gideon”, “Sub Rosa”, “The Muse”, “Year of Hell”, “These Are the Voyages…”

30. Something you wish you could delete from canon? That ghost trying to bang Crusher? Yeah I completely skipped that episode on my rewatch, no thank you.

31. A crossover with another show/movie/book/ect, that you’d want to see? Doctor Who, Stargate, or Firefly.

32. F/M/K. I dunno. Someone give me three choices and I’ll answer this.

33. Whose twitter feed would you most want to follow? Data’s would be a blast, I think.

34. What do you think *insert character*’s tumblr would be full of? Someone has to send a character. Since I write Reg, I will say that Reg’s Tumblr would be cats, advice for dealing with anxiety, cool space pictures, cats, engineering facts, and cats.

35. A minor character you wish had become a main character? Reg Barclay. I always want more Reg Barclay.

36. A social issue you hope the new show tackles and how? Actual gay people would be nice.

37. Character A and Character B get into a fight, who wins? I need characters.

38. *Insert crew here* is thrown back in time to *insert time period here*, how do they handle it, which fashion trends do they pick up, who threatens the timeline the most, who is saddest when they have to leave, who is most knowledgeable, who stands out the most, ect? Again, I need things. Also this would take forever to answer, so…

39. You have to relocate to a planet other than Earth, which do you choose? …Vulcan? Andoria? Some Earth colony? Yeah probably an Earth colony, if there’s a nice big one.

40. If you got a trek inspired tattoo what would it be? I don’t think I’d get a tattoo… but I mean, if I were forced to get one at gunpoint for some reason, maybe the IDIC medallion on my ankle or something simple like that.

41. Which episode(s) creeped out/scared you the most? “Night Terrors”, the TNG episode where the crew can’t dream. When Crusher’s in the morgue and all the corpses are suddenly sitting up? I lost it the first time I saw that as a kid. Still creeps me the fuck out.

42. Which episode(s) made you cry? “Real Life”, the VOY episode with the Doctor’s holographic family that you never see again. I don’t know why that one got to me but it got to me.

43. Order of shows from most to least favorite? Deep Space 9, Next Generation, Voyager, Original Series, Enterprise, Animated. Honestly DS9, TNG, VOY, and TOS are all at about the same level for me, I love them all but in different ways. ENT is a noticeable step down in quality and TAS is uh… yeah.

44. If *insert crew* ended up in the modern day what would amaze them the most? Gotta give me a crew.

45. Which alien culture would you most want to live in/would feel most comfortable? Denobulans would be super friendly, I feel like.

46. If they rebooted *insert show here* who out of modern day actors would you pick to play the main characters? No more reboots.

47. An unpopular opinion you have? Jadzia Dax is the worst character on DS9. She’s an annoying know-it-all who can apparently do no wrong. She also has no character development to speak of and her episodes were always the most boring, despite the Trill being a fascinating race. Worf deserved better. Also, Terry Farrell never seemed the right choice for the part. I was glad to see her go and I genuinely don’t understand why this fandom worships the ground she walks on.

48. Sort the crew of *insert show here* into Hogwarts houses. Someone want to send a show?

49. A favorite ST fic? I don’t read much fanfic, actually. I did read one where Q was trying to help Reg get over his stage fright. That was pretty funny. I can’t remember where it was or I’d link to it.

50. A random headcanon? At some point after the episode “Hollow Pursuits”, Reg Barclay gave Deanna Troi a damn good (and completely genuine) apology for recreating her on the holodeck for make out sessions.

[adrastiana]

The Problem With “Gating”

I cannot take any “gates” seriously. Well, save for Watergate and Gates McFadden.

Watergate was the name of the office complex where wire tapping against the DNC was used to prove that then president Richard Nixon was involved in a political scandal. This lead to Nixon’s impeachment. This was a major and significant event in US political history.

But today the -gate suffix is tacked on to just about every controversy or mole hill you can think of. What does that mean? It means that it’s now a meme.

And while I didn't have an issue with it at first, it is now so needlessly excessive that I can't take anything that's been "gated" seriously because of the meme status.

There's no Gamergate office complex. Pizzagate isn't the name of anything. How are we supposed to take things seriously when they are memed to death by naming alone? 

Not that Pizzagate or Gamegate deserve serious study to begin with. But people didn't exactly do a great job of preventing those terms from being used for something they felt serious about. When the name of your scandal is a meme right out of the "gate" there's a problem. If people felt so strongly about those issues they should have nipped that in name in the bud from its inception. But hashtags rule the roost these days and trendy tagging seems to trump the intent of the actual message far too often.

However there is another one... Due to its explicit nature I'll put it below a read more.

I am well aware of child sexual abuse in Hollywood. A lot of people have been for a very long time. Both Corey Haim and Corey Feldman were sexually abused as child stars. Corey Haim in particular was put through a lot. Which lead to his downward spiral and was the root of so many of his problems.

This is a serious issue and not a joke. Long before Pedogate became a hashtag people already knew something was going on. Corey Feldman has stated that he named his abuser and nothing was done. Authorities were too intent on pinning everything on Michael Jackson, who I believe became a scapegoat.

Pedogate also involves political figures and Boys Town. The Franklin scandal is wrought with a bunch of issues of its own. I saw the banned documentary and I think there are many unreliable parts of the story. That doesn't mean that it isn't true. Personally I have serious doubts. But the documentary is heavily slanted and it makes it hard to get a clear picture other than "this is what we want you to believe". That means it is possible the reason why the documentary was banned was because it heavily misrepresented certain parties and became a legal nightmare for the network it was to air on.

Sometimes a duck is just a duck and you get so caught up in trying to prove it's something else that the something else is all you can see.

But when you add a meme suffix to everything (remember the non-issue of Shirtgate?) regardless of how serious or silly it is, that suffix loses the ability to be taken seriously. Because it's getting tacked on to everything now. So how do we know which issues are serious and which are just much ado about nothing when people are making it all look the same? This is the true cancer of hashtags. The inability to properly convey a message because lingo trends are dictating things a little too much. In other words, way too many things have been allowed to be thrown into the meme pile.

So chances are if you "gate" something I'm not listening to you. And I can't be the only one.

[daleisgreat]

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season Three

-Welcome to the continuing chronicles of my seasonal recaps of Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG). Today I am highlighting season three of the BluRay set (trailer), and from what I have gathered from countless interviews it is the breakthrough season with a strong majority of good-to-great episodes and where this Enterprise’s cast was embraced and accepted by Trekkies around the globe. To catch up on entries on my first two seasons, click here! I wish I can crank these out faster than every five months that I have been averaging, but I have settled into a weekly routine where after I finish the last shift of my 60-hour work week I kick back and relax with a cup of rich gas station hot cocoa and a few savory turkey sausage links while watching the next episode of TNG and it is, no lie, one of the favorite parts of my week! -I once again want to get things started with addressing some new cast changes/removals and other new constants that start to become apparent with this season. The most noticeable change is the return of Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) and the removal of Dr. Pulaski (Diana Muldaur). Crusher explains she is back from her assignment at teaching recruits at Starfleet and other than one or two quick references of Pulaski this season, she is not seen at all in season three. Q (John deLancie) returns for his annual hijinx in ‘DeJa Q’ in a fun episode that sees his powers stripped away and begging for acceptance by taking any spot on board the Enterprise. Whoopi Goldberg returns as the all-knowing, mystical bartender ‘Guinan’ in a handful of episodes. Whoopie shines in this role that is perfect for her and I absolutely adore the few times we are treated to her this season and she plays a pivotal role in some of the most iconic episodes of the series this season.

There are now established constants by the third season of TNG that may have appeared once or twice before, but are now more frequent or a new standard all together. The third season debuted the new uniforms for the cast and replaced the one-piece spandex-based costumes the cast detested in interviews over the years with more comfortable looking fleece/sweater-esque two-piece outfits for the rest of the series. They are an obvious improvement and still retain the spirit of the originals, but look more professional and less ‘gymnastic-y’ than the previous uniforms. The poker game makes its return for a handful of episodes this season, and I always enjoy the levity and relaxed beats whenever a friendly round of cards transpires. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) is now a regular tea drinker in season three after dabbling with coffee last season. I wrote in all caps in my notes ‘FIRST RED ALERT SOUND EFFECT’ early on in season three, and it remained a constant every few episodes as the Enterprise more semi-regularly started to engage in brief dogfight skirmishes and engagements throughout the season. It was not every episode, maybe seven or eight at most, but it was starting to transition into becoming the new normal I originally associated TNG with from the episodes I caught in my childhood. I paused the episode and took a picture with my phone and included it here that I believe saw our first cliché ‘red-shirt death’ this season. To my surprise, it was the only one I noticed in season three and I am fully expecting to see more gratuitous over-ambitious non-credited red-shirts meet their early demise next season! Finally, I was delighted to see Dr. Crusher return to her being awful at her profession. She once again did not succeed to keep patients alive at the table this season and failed at her attempt at the ‘Pulaski Method’ of trying to erase memories. I did however very much enjoy her bitch-slapping Wesley (Wil Wheaton).

-Speaking of Wesley, he got a step up in duties and rank this season which felt well-earned and I found myself accepting him as one of the regular mainstays in the cast which is coming a long way from how grating he was in the first season. Another first season character I had issues with was Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis). Other than two or three episodes this season where she is the focus of the primary narrative, her role is dialed back mysteriously more than it was in season two with her having only a line or two an episode. It does not help that Troi’s featured episodes are the rare clunker episodes this season that sees the yearly visit from her eccentric mother that winds up with them both being kidnapped and Troi falling for a guest negotiator that yields one of the most bizarre scenes of the series. The only other qualm I had with this season were weaker Holo-deck scenes compared to season two. One crew-member uses it for his own exaggerated fantasies by hitting it off with Crusher and Trois and successfully dueling the guys and the other is more ridiculously exaggerated takes on recreating scenes that lead to William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) being accused of murder. If there is any redemption for those scenes it is because they fall into the ‘so-bad-its good’ variety.

-Last season I referenced how contemporary TNG-homage The Orville is filled with countless parallels and tributes to TNG scenes and episodes. I spotted another one in season three that saw how Picard accidentally violated the Prime Directive and exposed himself to an uncivilized world that was the impetus for that society worshiping Picard as a god. The exact same thing happens earlier this year in a season two episode of The Orville. To repeat myself again from last season’s recap, The Orville took a noticeable leap in quality in its second season and is a terrific modern take on TNG. Do not miss it! -The weak Troi episodes and subpar Holo-deck scenes are my only nitpicks for season three. All around this is easily the best season of TNG thus far. New recurring Enterprise crew member Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz) is introduced in a powerful episode that saw Geordi (LeVar Burton) overcoming his original annoyances with Barclay and connecting with him upon learning of Barclay’s Social Anxiety Disorder in a moving scene. In a fun lighthearted episode Picard is forced to go on vacation, and while on a resort stumbles into his own swashbuckling, Indiana Jones-esque adventure.

A couple other favorite episodes of mine this season saw Data kidnapped and turned into a collector’s showpiece. Watching it unfold and how the resolution came to be when Data outsmarted his captor was surprisingly gripping material in what looked like was going to be a yawn of an episode going in. ‘Yesterdays Enterprise has received a ton of critical acclaim as one of the best episodes in the series. It sees the Enterprise get exposed to a time-shift and crosses paths with an alternate universe Enterprise that causes the return of Tasha (Denise Crosby) and an ambitious performance by a young Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald). It is a darker episode as everything is not how it is suppose to be, and seeing the pair of Enterprises restore the proper timelines was an engaging ride the entire journey with a nonstop barrage of touching exchanges and movie-quality dogfights. I agree with the critics on that one with high marks for ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’. I would be remiss if I were not to touch the other most talked episodes in TNG history with season three’s ‘Best of Both Worlds, part one.’ This season-finale sees the devastating return of the Borg and more is revealed of their nature and purpose when they kidnap and assimilate Picard to end this breakthrough season in one of TV’s most monumental cliffhangers. I can see why this episode got all the acclaim it did, especially when watching the bonus interviews afterwards when the writer wrote this episode without an ending in mind because he thought he was not coming back to the series. An obvious way to tell this two-part special of TNG is truly outstanding is because they were the only episodes in the entire run to receive their standalone physical release outside of all the other season sets.

-For newer readers to my TNG recaps, this is my obligatory paragraph giving props to the stunning work done by the HD transfer team for the BluRay to make TNG hold up far better in HD than anyone could have imagined. I also give regular season props here to the awesome hosts, Matt and Andrew of Star Trek: The Next Conversation podcast. Their detailed work at breaking down each episode scene-by-scene is informative and entertaining and helps me get the absolute most out of every episode! -Like last season there is a boatload of extra features (just over four hours worth!) and I will try to highlight a few of my favorites once again. Four episodic commentaries are available on three episodes, two of which for ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’ that were fascinating to take in how much the writers and other crew reflect back the importance of that imperative episode. Past DVD bonuses return, along with a few new BluRay extras. A few separate extras detail how important ’Yesterday’s Enterprise’ and ‘Best of Both Worlds, part one’ are to TNG history and how Jonathan Frakes started breaking in directing episodes this season. There is another well-produced gag reel with the highlight being a young Wil Wheaton having quite a sailor’s mouth.

There are two standout extras of the pack. Resistance Is Futile: Assimilating Star Trek TNG is a three part, 90 minute look at the writing process for TNG and how the writer’s scripts were constantly shuffled about and how some were miraculously stumbled upon for some landmark episodes. It is a fascinate look into what it takes for a script to get green-lit into production. Inside the Writer’s Room is a stellar 70 minute discussion moderated by Seth McFarlane as he interviews several TNG writers about how they got brought on board the show and their best and worst memories working on TNG in a highly entertaining watch. Some key takeaways from that panel include dealing with Gene’s TNG utopia, not realizing the success of season three at the time and using a ‘Techno-Babble Generator’ given to them as a joke for future techno-babble dialogue in later episodes. I would not be surprised to see Seth take notes for ideas from this to use a couple years later when he started up The Orville. -If you cannot tell by now, season three of Star Trek: The Next Generation is where the show becomes must-see nearly every episode. They were well on their way in that direction by the end of season two, but season three was when they started gelling nearly the entire season. I would still give the nudge to start watching the show off with season two, but for the time-deprived season three will do you no wrong with a ridiculous amount of classic moments and episodes to consume! For those interested in physical media and not just quick-binging on Netflix I highly recommend the BluRays for a tremendous HD-upgrade in picture quality, and over four hours of bonus content with most of it being must-see in its own way too. -Thank you all once again for joining me in of re-watching all of TNG! See you in a few months with my recap for season four! Past TV/Web Series Blogs 2013-14 TV Season Recap 2014-15 TV Season Recap 2015-16 TV Season Recap 2016-17 TV Season Recap 2017-18 TV Season Recap 2018-19 TV Season Recap Adventures of Briscoe County Jr: The Complete Series Baseball: A Ken Burns series Angry Videogame Nerd Home Video Collections Mortal Kombat: Legacy - Season 1 | Season 2 OJ: Made in America: 30 for 30 RedvsBlue - Seasons 1-13 Roseanne – Seasons 1-9 Seinfeld Final Season Star Trek: Next Generation – Seasons 1-7 Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle Superheroes: Pioneers of Television The Vietnam War: A Ken Burns series X-Men – The Animated Series: Volumes 4-5

[islamcketta]

Mother’s Day is nearly here and whether you’re of the group that posts adorable tributes to their mothers or the one that cringes (or openly shames those posters) because their reality doesn’t reflect yours (or you live somewhere in between), this might be a good year to read What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About. It was for me. While I especially loved that the experiences represented in the essays therein were diverse enough to reflect mine and also to challenge my thinking, I was also grateful to get new angles on my relationship with my mother and with myself as a mother.

“There is a gaping hole perhaps for all of us, where our mother does not match up with ‘mother’ as we believe it’s meant to mean and all it’s meant to give us.” – Lynn Steger Strong

Maybe “motherhood” is such a loaded concept because so much of who we are and who we believe ourselves to be is tied up in our relationship with the woman of whom we are borne. For too many of us that concept becomes something we have to work on for the rest of our lives as we grow from infants to children to adults and maybe even parents. It is for me. I think it has been for my mom, too. This complexity made me appreciate the ways in which the writers in this collection worked to understand both themselves and their mothers as separate beings in addition to examining the deeply close relationship between individuals.

“Our mothers are our first homes, and that’s why we’re always trying to return to them.” – Michele Filgate

Individuation is a Bitch (and So Was I)

It took a therapist to teach me the word “individuation” and it took my son to really teach me what the word means. At three and a half he’s stretching that individuality in all the ways he’s meant to. I can see how it hurts him to rip himself from me and how much he needs to know he’s welcome back. I can see how deeply he needs to have that space to become and how much he has no idea that his own actions can hurt, too. It reminds me of both the teen years to come and of my own teen years. I don’t think it’s fair to call myself a bitch (beyond even the patriarchal implications of that word) but not only was my own becoming hard on me, it was hard on my parents. I was hard on my mom. Our relationship now is not what I think either one of us wants it to be but I don’t think either one of us knows yet how to bridge the hurts.

“In their company I find myself turning mute, surly, rude. I become a different person than I know myself to be, a different person than my close ones know me to be. The burden of the unsaid turns my heart into a balled fist.” – Nayomi Munaweera

Nayomi Munaweera’s essay “Her Body / My Body” about her mother’s inability to separate her idea of herself from her daughter hit close to home for me. The conflict is neatly summed up as “she saw no difference between her body and my body,” except if you’ve been in this kind of relationship you know how much that “neat” sentence conceals. While my mom did not wipe my ass until I was 12 (thank God!), I’ve struggled at times to feel like my mom sees me as a separate being. The push-pull of individuation is so necessary and yet it can be so painful for everyone, it’s no wonder that so many relationships break down along these lines. I hope I can do better with my son. Most days I am not doing better with my son.

Mothers are Humans

News flash! The fact that our mothers are human should not be surprising and yet the idea sort of rubs. When we are infants mothers seem purpose-built to meet our needs. As we grow up we grow into meeting our own needs many of us (guilty!) never really turn around and fully look at our mothers as people too.

“I felt so much like her and I wanted to tell her how. But I have made that phone call and it has failed me too many times.” – Lynn Steger Strong

Although Leslie Jamison’s relationship with her mom is wonderfully close—so much so that she writes how her friends never want to hear about the joy of that relationship, even in closeness there are things to learn. Jamison’s essay is about connecting with her mother’s former husband so that she can be even closer to the idea of her mother. When Jamison writes “How many times has my mom picked up the phone to hear my voice cracked with tears, only letting it crack once I knew she was there?” she is realizing new depths to her mother and that even the advice her mother has to offer isn’t something she’s fully inhabited herself. Instead that “wisdom” can be “a kind of muscle memory—something she might have wanted to tell that version of herself.”

This is tricky, because if our mothers, the women who represent the pinnacle of humanity, aren’t perfect, than how can we ever hope to be?

Brandon Taylor’s essay, “All About My Mother” left me with excellent homework. The essay is filled with a gorgeous back and forth about the ways his mother loved him and the ways she hurt him. He’s clearly grappling with understanding how both could co-exist, but in the final page of the essay he writes a slew of declarative sentences to describe his mother. I’d say they’re simple but they aren’t—the ideas are complex and the sentences contradict each other, but they are free of judgment and bring us closer to seeing her as a full human. I know that I can get closer to my mother by trying to see her in the same way. Maybe I’ll discover something as remarkable as André Aciman’s observance that his deaf mother could understand his masked conversation simply by following the movement of his eyebrows.

I was once my mother’s confidante in ways that I did not want to be. In this I related to “Nothing Left Unsaid” by Julianna Baggott which gave me a new lens to view that experience through… Baggott’s own examination and growth took me from feeling victimized by TMI to seeing my mother as a woman who might not have had anyone else to talk to.

“It’s the fear that I’ve learned less from my childhood than I should have, that I am more like her than I want to be.” – Carmen Maria Machado

The Strength to Mother Ourselves

I first heard of this book during a panel at AWP entitled “Writing the Mother Wound” where a couple of these essays were read. I learned a lot from that panel, not just about writing about motherhood but also about living with my own mother wound. One of the lessons that hit home was from Vanessa Martir who said, “I may be unmothered, but I will always want my mother’s love.” I realized then that I needed to look into this experience and not run anymore from what isn’t working. Because I do love my mom and I want her to love me. I think she does, but there are still voids between the love she gives and the love I want to receive… voids I have to learn to fill myself.

“To grasp that which has hurt you, you must trust it not to hurt you when you let it inhabit you.” – Brandon Taylor

In some ways I dream of having Alexander Chee’s grown-up experience… the one where he talks to his mom about some really hard things and she helps him rewrite his narrative more fully. It’s a door that opened for me this winter when my maternal grandmother (a well of toxicity) died and I finally had a long overdue conversation with my mom. I heard some of the things I needed to hear that day, but I’m still having trouble trusting that our next conversation will build from there. And I fear that this next quote is optimistic.

“There is a difference between the fear of upsetting someone who loves you and the danger of losing them.” – Melissa Febos

Other Things I Loved in This Book

There were so many moments in these essays I related to in ways that were not about my mother. From Jamison’s description of writers as vampires to Machado’s love/fear of toddlers and how children destroy writing to Kiese Laymon’s observations that “the folks I’ve been most harmful to in this country are people I thought I loved.” The stark patterns in “Fifteen” by Bernice L. McFadden broke my heart hard and I felt deeply for the woman Dylan Landis’s mom could have been (even if only romantically so) in “16 Minetta Lane.” I recognized the woman Cathi Hanauer’s mother is in “My Mother’s (Gate) Keeper” and am still learning from the idea of living with the itch of a mosquito bite. The way Melissa Febos inhabits her mother’s lexicon in “Thesmophoria” is pure magic and Michele Filgate’s reminder that sometimes the deepest hurt is betrayal was illuminating in ways I won’t go into now. The book is rich and the experiences varied. I think readers of all kinds of backgrounds will find something in it to relate to.

What I Really Want for Mother’s Day

Since becoming a mother I haven’t been the best celebrant of Mother’s Day in regards to my own mom. I’ve wanted to soak up the time and love of my son and husband. I’ve wanted to enjoy the cupcakes and flowers and uninterrupted baths. This year I’ve asked them for a trip to the garden store and a planting-a-thon in our gorgeous back yard—my safe haven from the world. But this year I also want to talk to my mom. I don’t know what I want to say and I don’t know what I want her to say, but I do know that the cord between us is not completely cut, nor do I want it to be. So I’m going to sacrifice some of my guaranteed bliss for a shot at the bliss of mending fences. Wish me luck!

I don’t recommend you send your mom What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About for Mother’s Day, but I do recommend you send it. Start a conversation about something you’ve never said or about something you’ve never asked. Talk to her like a human you love, one who you may not have fully recognized as a separate human. I’ll bet money hearing from you is what she really wants on any given day.

Your homework is to pick up a copy or two of What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About from Powell’s Books. Your purchase keeps indie booksellers in business and I receive a commission.

The post What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About appeared first on A Geography of Reading.