#the best trek episodes are the ones where Brent Spiner is allowed to Brent Spiner all over the place

[jthidges]

Digital charcoal piece of Commander Data!

The funky android man

Take a look at the full piece on my DeviantArt!

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Data

By Ames

It’s the man you’ve all been waiting for! He’s one of the most popular Star Trek characters of all time. He teaches us humanity and friendship and science. He’s the outsider character of his series and uses his unique perspective to open our eyes to the world and the people around us. And he loves cats! No wait, we already spotlighted Commander Spock. Just kidding. I’m, of course, talking about Lieutenant Commander Data!

It’s hard for us at A Star to Steer Her By to narrow down the best moments from our android friend because he gets to do so damn much between The Next Generation series and movies, and he’s also my personal favorite character on the show, but we’ve somehow managed it! So use your positronic brains to read on below and listen to our discussion on this week’s podcast episode (tricorder scan to 1:03:10) to see where we drew the line. Saddle up!

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

You are fully functional, aren't you? As we mentioned in our Picard spotlight, “The Naked Now” has the strangest mix of great and terrible character moments, and I couldn’t not include the incredibly hot Data/Yar romance that it created. It’s just nice to know that Data is programmed in multiple techniques, a broad variety of pleasuring. And later, the physical acting we get from Brent Spiner in that lean and fall was great!

My thoughts are not for Tasha, but for myself While the rest of “Skin of Evil” and the anticlimactic death of Tasha Yar aren’t really our cups of tea, we do have to admit that the tribute scene at the end is moving and well done. And that final moment when Data and Picard talk (even so briefly!) about the point of the ceremony and how empty it will feel without Yar… I’m tearing up just thinking about it.

Tied game, we’re going into overtime I also have to give Data credit for all the times he uses his big android brain to solve a problem, an advantage he has over pretty much any other character. For example, when he busts Sirna Kolrami up in a game of strategema by forcing a constant stalemate in “Peak Performance,” it feels like a win because he thinks outside the fluorescent holographic box!

One android with a single weapon Every so often, we also see Data in command, questioning his leadership skills or having difficulty connecting with his peers (more on that one in a second). But when he’s the only one who can survive the radiation on Tau Cygna, he takes charge to get its colonists to leave by blowing up their aqueduct in “The Ensigns of Command.” Try withstanding Sheliak attacks now, losers!

Thank you for my life While some of us on SSHB didn’t care much for Lal, you’ve got to admit that all of Data’s actions in “The Offspring” are on point. From questioning why he shouldn’t be allowed to create life, to letting his offspring self-identify, to keeping her out of the hands of Starfleet, it’s all good parenting. But what takes the cake is the heart-wrenching farewell scene after he tries to save her.

He who dies with the most toys… is kind of an asshole While we don’t get the cathartic release of Data phasering the hell out of Kivas Fajo in “The Most Toys,” we do get to take some pride that he is capable of overcoming his ethical subprogram to do away with someone who really has no right existing. When Geordi says that he detects a phaser firing in the transporter beam, you know he just needed a fraction of a second more and Fajo would be toast.

Your request for reassignment has been noted and denied Like in the afore-mentioned “The Ensigns of Command,” Data has some trouble adjusting to command when he takes control of the Sutherland in “Redemption, Part II.” It sure doesn’t help that his racist XO Hobson undermines his every decision, but that doesn’t stop Data from single-handedly foiling the Romulans’ plan and telling Hobson exactly where to shove it.

I've never been to a better funeral When it’s apparent that Geordi has been killed in a transporter accident in “The Next Phase,” Data grapples with the loss of his best friend in a very touching way, similar to how he mourned Yar as we mentioned above. And before he solves the puzzle of the episode and saves them, Data throws the best funeral I’ve ever seen for La Forge and Ro! People are just dying for a funeral like that!

The most human decision you’ve ever made We gave Picard a lot of accolades when we discussed his standing up for Data’s right to live in “The Measure of a Man.” Data gets a similar moment in “The Quality of Life” when he refuses to trade the lives of the Exocomps for those of other beings. It’s a nice episode of paying it forward, and we also get to see the scientific method on high display when he and Crusher deduce the little guys are alive.

Radioactive. What does that mean? Speaking of the scientific method! Even with his memories wiped in “Thine Own Self,” Data is able to piece together why the radioactive materials are hurting everyone in the village on Barkon IV. And with that clear slate of mind, we see that in all forms, Data is curious, caring, and willing to help people who are in need, even if it gets him speared in the back a little bit.

Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature… We’d be remiss if we didn’t bring up Data’s beautiful relationship with his cat, Spot. As everyone on SSHB is a devoted cat person, we found it a treat whenever we saw Data interacting with Spot, testing which food she’d like, and writing cat poetry. The best might be when Data reunites with her after the Enterprise crashes in Generations AND he has the emotions to appreciate it!

Resistance is fully functional We noticed in our TOS spotlights that it’s in the movies that most characters get to shine, and First Contact is that chance for Data. His scenes getting tempted by the Borg Queen are dead sexy and you can’t tell me otherwise. And his betrayal of the Collective by purposely sparing the Phoenix and then fumigating engineering to kill Borg Queen are the climax we all needed. I’ll be in my bunk.

—

Worst moments

I am stuck Especially in the early seasons, Data got used to make bad fish-out-of-water jokes. It was a silly habit the show had of depicting him as naïve about human culture even though he’s lived in it for years (and has the memories of the Omicron Thetans when the show remembers). Seeing him get stuck in a fingertrap in “The Last Outpost” is just such an example of dumb sight gags to make him look goofy.

I can’t use contractions, sir This is just a pet peeve of mine that could have been fixed so damned easily. Listen, writers, if you’re going to make it a plot point that Data can’t use contractions in episodes like “Datalore” and “Future Imperfect,” then be consistent. Run an apostrophe search in Microsoft Word and replace them, because in episodes like “We’ll Always Have Paris” when he states “It’s me,” it pisses me off.

Take my Worf, please! Don’t worry, we’re not done pointing out all the bad jokes told at Data’s expense that we see throughout the series (oh god, and just wait for the movies). And it’s a shame because Brent Spiner himself has such great comic timing and delivery, but when you make his jokes so obviously idiotic like in Ames’s least favorite TNG episode “The Outrageous Okona,” we cringe so hard.

Is anybody out there? We mentioned this one in our prime directive chat before, since Data just tramples all over it, but “Pen Pals” has some good discussion on the pros and cons of the situation. But that doesn’t excuse Data for making the decision on his own to get involved with the Dramen people, much less to bring Sarjenka onto the bridge (for crying out loud), necessitating a Pulaski mind wipe!

One seven three four six seven three two one four… There are a handful of times in TNG that we find it a terrible idea that Data (or any single being) has as much power as they have, considering how often they get possessed by things or duplicated by other things. So when Data single-handedly takes over the Enterprise in “Brothers,” disrupting the mission to save Willie Potts’s life, because Soong hacked into his brain, we raise eyebrows.

Jilting by association While I could joke that Data ever introducing Miles and Keiko was a mistake (and I have!), there’re still a lot of bad moves he makes regarding their relationship in “Data’s Day.” When he gets stuck in the middle of their nuptial stress, he’s so clueless how to handle the situation and keeps making things worse when, frankly, Miles and Keiko should have kept things to themselves.

Who programmed the book of love? Moving on to even more lousy relationships: Data’s brief, unnecessary romance with Jenna Desora in “In Theory” proves to be just another example of too many “Data doesn’t understand humanity” jokes that we hoped the show was over by this point. But alas, he’s written himself a love program to basically treat the situation like a sitcom and we were done with it.

Point that thing somewhere else From the moment Data stands directly in front of Bashir’s mystery device in “Birthright, Part I,” it’s obvious he’s going to get zapped by it. Really, Data? You couldn’t have stood literally anywhere else than in front of what is clearly an energy beam? And the rest of the episode, we’re stuck going on a dream adventure, and you already know how I feel about those!

Stop it, stop it, stop it Like in “Brothers,” it just seems weird to have Data getting controlled by his kooky family members when it happens again in “Descent.” This time, Lore has given Data the emotions he thought he wanted all along, but it turns out the very first emotion Data embraces is sheer rage. When he takes pleasure in killing Borg, you know maybe emotions just aren’t for him, and yet…

Open sesame! …when we get to Generations, Data has a fully fledged emotion chip that really needed more testing first. We’re subjected to just way too many of those dopey Data jokes, from Open Sesame to Mr. Tricorder to cackling at a 7-year-old joke. And to add kidnapping and torture to insult, it’s when Data is having a particularly bad reaction that Geordi nearly gets killed by Klingons!

I have been designed to serve as a floatation device We’re not done yet with the Data humor (and just way too much humor in general that doesn’t land) in Insurrection. While this film really gives Jean-Luc his time to shine, the rest of the cast are treated like afterthoughts, including Data who seems to be around for punchlines, like remarking about how the women’s boobs feel firmer, and serving as a life preserver.

Going out in a blaze of failure Finally, I need to criticize Nemesis yet again, as I am wont to do. It’s just… Data’s sacrifice for Picard is so unearned. I’d debate that it’s worse than the Kirk sacrifice in Generations that we put in that Worst Moments list too. Most of it is probably the abysmal script. I’ll sum it up by saying this: if you can’t make me care that my favorite character died, you’ve done something wrong.

—

Now that we’ve found Data’s off switch, we can wrap things up this week. Don’t worry, we’ve got tons more character spotlights for the coming weeks, so keep your sensors here, journey over to SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts to follow along with our Enterprise watchthough, break the Prime Directive with us on Facebook and Twitter, and delete that comedian holoprogram from the computer!

[redcoded2]

my favorite tng episodes in no particular order because i said i might do this and i have given up on all my core values and beliefs

(in no particular order)

all good things

my 100% favorite

science !

this is what got me into star trek so yknow

q is highly good in this ep

data + contractions

Future Everyone is very important to me

tapestry

y'all know what's up

it needed to be on here

chaotic neutral q is chaotic

angel one

i actually hate this episode

riker titty

the measure of a man

theres a lot of eps on this list i have nothing to say that hasnt already been said. theres a really solid list of the objectively best episodes and ill only have things to say about ones that Aren't on that list

data good

what is more important than data

deja q

q is petty

10/10

yesterday's enterprise

tasha yar :((

the offspring

i am SOFt on MaiN about this ACTUALLY

:,((((

they deserved better and i am so so so sad lore didnt get to appear and revive his NIECE

im sad about this

sarek

sarek

brothers

i like lore

noonien suck

i like data as well

data's day

keiko and data both make me soft on main

so what's not to like

also who is going to listen to these logs? how does this help anyone

other than me, who has seen this episode. more than once

qpid

this episode wasnt my fav q episode but

its called "qpid" and the netflix description was "an old flame of picard's appears again" and when i first read that i kind of just Stared For A While because that really sounds like its q, right? like im not crazy here? thats what it sounds like?

anyway this gets to be on here because the netflix description is bad

the host

beverly has gorlfreind

in theory

this episode is bad actually

its in here on principle because i dont feel like im legally allowed to leave out a data episode

but i actually really hate this one ngl

ensign ro

ro laren

unification

spock

hero worship

god im soft

everyone shut up i just wanna sit here and look at data

the masterpiece society

geordi gets rights

10/10

cause and effect

cinematic POETRY

i LOVE THIS

THANK U FRAKES FOR THIS EPISODE

i, borg

yeah im soft for hugh, what of it

the inner light

its the inner light

am i supposed to not put it on here??

times arrow

period clothing period clothing pe

a fistful of datas

holy shit

is it considered horny on main if i say hollander made me a sub

i dont care, actually

ive said it and theres no going back

chain of command

its really good

light

frame of mind

more cinematic POETRY

riker deserved better but also he didnt really

riker does theater

like canonically!

descent

i like lore

lore deserved better

i like part ii better than part i

phantasms

[checks notes] bird

sub rosa

ahhaha just kidding

fuck sub rosa

lower decks

TAURIK AND LAVELLE

i love this ep actually

it gave this real uhh different perspective of the show!

insight into characters

taurik and lavelle have the exact same dynamic as k/s. except lavelle is more of a bitch so its a bit less gay. but taurik (the actor said) is framed directly off of spock. so

turns out every single vulcan/human relationship is in fact centered around Weird Gay Banter. can you believe it? i cant.

thine own self

data almost kills an entire village

he saves them tho

did you know that if data doesnt believe he doesnt have emotions, he has emotions?

he spends this episode believing himself to have emotions and hes! ourtwardly emotional for a lot of it!

really beautiful ep. he stares at the stars and swears theres somewhere out there where there is no need or pain. really nice moment

he learns himself to be "different" and hides himself so as to not scare a little girl :(

i lvoe him

masks

must an episode be good

is it not enough for brent spiner to do funny voices

elementary, my dear data

home of sexual

[cinema-tv-etc]

33 Secrets You Probably Never Knew About The Making Of Galaxy Quest Gordon Jackson Mar 21, 2016,

Galaxy Quest could have been a forgettable Star Trek spoof ��� but instead, it's become a beloved science fiction comedy, which has been voted one of the best Star Trek movies of all time. How did this miracle happen? Here's everything you ever wanted to know about the making of Galaxy Quest.

For this article, we drew on a number of sources, including DVD featurettes and old magazines from the time of the movie's release — but one source in particular was absolutely indispensible. MTV's Jordan Hoffman put together the Oral History of Galaxy Quest a couple years ago, and it's essential reading.

1. Harold Ramis was originally asked to direct the film under the title "Captain Sunshine".

Ramis wanted Kevin Kline, Steve Martin or Adam Baldwin to star, but when Disney insisted on Tim Allen, he dropped out of the project.

2. Sigourney Weaver wasn't by any means the first choice to play Tawny/Gwen — because she had already done too much science fiction.

As she told Starburst Magazine in 2000:

"I'd heard about this and I had asked my agent about it," she recalls. "He'd told me that they didn't want anyone from Science Fiction in the movie — only Science Fiction virgins as it were. "I said, 'That's silly because if anyone can spoof Science Fiction, surely it's me!' Then to my surprise I was offered the part. I had always wanted to work with Tim Allen, I was a big fan, and Alan Rickman was somebody I really admired and I fell in love with the script.

   "It was really about something more than just the people in it. It was that great sort of Wizard of Oz story of these people feeling so incomplete in the beginning, and then during the course of this adventure they come out almost like the heroes they pretended to be in the first place. "

3. Tim Allen believed Galaxy Quest would launch his second career as a science fiction actor.

He told Starlog Magazine in 2000:

   "I love it. It's my favourite thing. Galaxy Quest was a baby step for me. I like other scripts that are a bit more serious, but I'm doing this first. It's really funny right up front, then gets more serious. There's enough SF that they allowed me to do it. While it's not quite you expect from me. Technically, it isn't what I would want, which would be a Larry Niven sort of thing. It isn't right on, but it's a Saturday afternoon, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine kind of dramatic science fiction"

4. The alien Laliari was cast late in the process

According to casting director Debra Zane in an interview with Backstage:

"The filmmakers had a difficult time finding a woman who could 'be Thermian in the same way as actors Enrico Colantoni, Rainn Wilson, and Jed Rees. Missi Pyle remembers that Zane showed her the first minute of Rees' audition, to give her a sense of the tone the filmmakers were looking for. "Missi saw it and got it immediately," says Zane. "And then we came into the audition room, and we taped her, and she was so great that when I sent the audition tape to Dean Parisot, the director, on her picture and résumé, I put a little Post-it…. I actually made a Xeroxed copy of my Casting Society of America membership card, and I said, 'If this is not Laliari, I will resign from the CSA.'"

Stephen Spielberg liked Laliari so much he asked that her role be expanded to include a romantic subplot with Tony Shaloub.

33 Secrets You Probably Never Knew About the Making of Galaxy Quest 5. Tony Shaloub auditioned for Guy Fleegman, but was offered Fred Kwan.

According to MTV, he told them:

"I'm not going to play an Asian guy, but I'll play a guy that plays an Asian. How about that?"

Director Dean Parisot expounds on this:

"Tony brought up David Carradine in "Kung Fu" [another example of a non-Asian actor playing an Asian character] and the story goes — I don't know if it's true — that David Carradine was completely stoned all of the time on that show. Dialogue would just come out of his head and people would just stare at each other and think, "Where did that come from?" We knew we couldn't do a stoner because we needed to hit a PG-13, but we basically suggested that."

6. Sam Rockwell nearly dropped out of the project but was convinced by Kevin Spacey to stay onboard.

In a twist of fate, Tim Allen opted to make Galaxy Quest over Bicentennial Man.

7. The "Pig Lizard" was a full body puppet.

See above! Eyeholes for the actor inside were located inside the creature's mouth, on its soft palette. 8. Sigourney's "F" bomb during the "chompers" scene in the hallway had to be dubbed over in order to secure a PG-13 rating.

She still clearly mouths, "Fuck that!", if you look closely. 9. Alan Rickman provided input into the prosthetic that Dr. Lazarus wears.

It was designed by artists at the Stan Winston studio. As he told Starburst Magazine in 2000: "I thought it was important for it to be good enough to convince the aliens who believe we're the real thing, but also cheesy enough to imagine that it was something he applied himself." 10. Rickman also felt it would ring hollow if his character had been knighted, and asked for a few script revisions.

In the credits, Dr. Lazarus is still credited as "Sir Alex Dane." 33 Secrets You Probably Never Knew About the Making of Galaxy Quest 11. On set, Alan Rickman found Tim Allen incredibly off-putting:

"Tim Allen used to kick the door open to the make-up trailer. We would be all lined up and he would say. 'Number one is here!'"

12. Tim Allen hectored Sigourney Weaver the entire production to sign his highly coveted piece of the Nostromo from Alien.

She finally did, writing: "Stolen by Tim Allen; Love, Sigourney Weaver". According to Weaver:

"He was so upset. "Why would you write that?! I was going to put it in my screening room!" Which was such a Hollywood thing to say."

While filming, the entire cast attended a 20th Anniversary screening of Alien. 13. Dean Perisot was driven to create a passable episode of Star Trek:

"At the risk of sounding pretentious, there are a whole lot of themes playing in there. The movie needed to begin as a mockery and end as a celebration. That's a hard thing to do. Part of the mission for me was to make a great "Star Trek" episode."

14. According to Tim Allen, his performance was based on Yul Brynner:

"When I was in that Captain's chair I was not mimicking William Shatner, with whom I'm now friends [with] because of this movie. I liked the way Yul Brynner sat in his throne in "The Ten Commandments." I worked off of that. I studied that. Well, I rented the tape."

15. Screenwriter Robert Gordon didn't intend to write a family film:

"There's talk about the so-called R-rated version of the film. When I originally wrote it, I wasn't thinking about a family film, just what I wanted to see. So when the ship lands in the convention hall in the original draft it decapitates a bunch of people. There was also stuff we shot where Sigourney tries to seduce some of the aliens. It was cut — and that's why her shirt is ripped at the end."

Also, Alan Rickman's famous catch-phrase "By Grabthar's Hammer" was a temp line. But it was ultimately kept in when Robert Gordon couldn't think of anything better, Gordon told MTV. 16. Production designer Linda DeScenna was delighted to work on a film so different from the sci-fi aesthetics of the late 1990s.

· As she told Starlog:

One of the reasons I wanted to do Galaxy Quest was because it didn't have to be real, hi-tech and vacuformed: it could be, you know, kind of tacky. We were going to use blue and violet, but we ended up with the same colour of grey, just three different values. When I start a movie, aside from the things you would normally focus on, like how to lay out a set to accommodate the action, etc., etc., is colour. If you look at Mouse Hunt, which I designed, every single prop, every single piece of wardrobe, everything is keyed to three colours. In this movie, we have Sarris' world, where everything is green. So when Sarris' men are aboard the ship, they stand out, because everybody else is in grey and they're green. So when we go into the real world on this movie, everything stays with the steel blues and the greens. My thing is colour: That's what I get most excited about.

17. The film's aspect ratio switches from 1.85:1 to 2.35:1 when the ship lands on Thermia.

18. The "chompers" scene was not inspired by an old science-fiction series

Instead, it came from the whirring blades of 1997's Event Horizon.

19. The alien warlord Sarris was reportedly named after film critic Andrew Sarris.

Mr. Sarris had vocally disliked producer Mark Johnson's previous film, The Natural. Hearing of this, Sarris responded that the movie "probably won't make enough money for me to sue for $US10 ($13) million."

20. Sarris's eye patch is a nod to General Chang from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

21. Guy Fleegman was named after Guy Vardaman.

Vardaman had played several no-name characters in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also served as the occasional stand-in for Brent Spiner and Wil Wheaton. After seeing the finished film, Guy Vardaman "just about fell out of the chair". 22. Roger Dean's album cover for Yessongs influenced the design of the Thermian station:

23. The Robot on stage with Guy at the beginning of the movie was recycled from 1992's Toys: 24. The sound for the Protector's automatic doors was taken from the video game Ultimate Doom.

This is according to IMDB, anyway.

25. It's a myth that the Rock Monster is thought to be an homage to the "twenty rock men" that William Shatner wanted for the finale of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , but were cut due to budgetary reasons.

Screenwriter Robert Gordon denies this commonly cited myth: "The rock monster is not really a reference to [the cut scenes of the rock monsters in the William Shatner-directed "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier."] I've read about it since. But, yeah, I would say the Gorn [the famous lizard creature Shatner fights on a desert planet while the crew watches from the ship] was very much on my mind. Plus the transporter malfunction and taking the ship out of dock, winking at "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." In fact, the early drafts were called "Galaxy Quest: The Motion Picture." There are some other direct sci fi things in there. "Westworld," with Yul Brenner, is one of my favourites. When Quellek [Patrick Breen] says, "I'm shot," that's a direct reference to James Brolin in "Westworld." The little blue babies are a nod "Barbarella," cute and then mean. When Jason triggers the Omega 13, I was inspired by the end of "Beneath the Planet of the Apes." And the few clips you see of the original show, what Dean did was so great, he really made the camera moves and the recycled sets look like old, cheap "Star Trek." I wish you could see more of it in the film."

26. Creature designer Jordu Schell shared his concept art for the "cute-but-deadly" aliens on his now-defunct website.

They are very different from the final form of the creatures, and can be seen here. 27. Liliari is mentioned by name in John Updike's novel, Rabbit Remembered.

Because Updike was apparently a fan of the movie. 28. To promote the film, E! aired a mockumentary on the cultural impact of the Galaxy Quest TV series

The whole thing is here:

29. An intentionally crappy-looking fansite was used to promote the film.

And to maintain the pretense that there had been a Galaxy Quest TV series. The site contained reviews of the Five Best Episodes of Galaxy Quest, as decided by its Webmaster, the fictitious "Travis Latke":

30. In a 2000 issue of Starlog, Sigourney Weaver compared Sarris and the Thermians to the Kosovo War:

'This guy Sarris is so bad," Weaver exclaims."He really is a sadist; [he's committing] genocide against these creatures. What he's doing to these people is just what we read in the news, with the invasion of Kosovo. Get rid of them, wipe them out, for no other reason than they're there and he feels like it."

31. Costume Designer Albert Wolsky posted artwork for another alien character apparently cut from the film

"This alien has claw-like hands and a face with some human features." Concept art can be seen at the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences website.

32. The Rock Monster scenes were filmed at Utah's Goblin Valley State Park.

The area's eroded sandstone dunes, called "stone babies" provided the inspiration for the planet's cute-but-killer native aliens. It's a popular camping area and visitors are known to play laser tag amongst the rocks on full moons.

33. Star Trek may have returned the favour by borrowing from Galaxy Quest.

At least, some fans feel Star Trek: Enterprise plagiarized the look of film's Fatu-Krey when they introduced a new alien race, the Xindi-Reptilians. The Xindi-Reptilians are green, and retain the spider-like appendages radiating from theirheads.

Sources: Starlog, MTV, Starburst Magazine, DVD featurettes, and other sources as linked

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/03/33-secrets-you-probably-never-knew-about-the-making-of-galaxy-quest/

"Pig Lizard" Suit Movement Test #2 - Stan Winston Studio Behind the Scenes

[chronotrek]

755. [VOY] Season 7 Review

SCORE:

(3.75/5 stars)

Voyager's season 7 was obviously written knowing it was going to be the last season not only of the series, but of the 24th century era. A significant portion of the season was devoted to bringing things back One Last TimeTM. For god's sake, they had an episode where the Ferengi were the villains, a genuine Klingon starship, one last bow for the Q continuum as well as bringing back the Talaxians. (I must confess, I enjoy the lanky Talaxian look that you just don't get from the stout Ethan Phillips, so it was nice to see them cast a wiry guy for Oxilon.) You had a whole episode celebrating the history of Voyager by literally splitting up the ship into its best hits (and worst, looking at you Kazon and flying macroviruses). Seska is like the Master on Doctor Who. No matter how many times you think they're Finally Dead For Real, something comes up to bring them back. And of course they brought back the OG Borg Queen, because who doesn't love First Contact?

Holograms seemed to get the lion's share of attention this season. From the Doctor taking over Seven of Nine's body (in the best goddamned performance Jeri Ryan has ever put on) to the exploration of sapient rights in regards to holograms, to just all the nifty things the Doctor can do when the special effects budget allows it, it definitely felt like the writers realized after six seasons "Hey, we have something pretty cool here." I am a little curious that their rights are considered separate from android rights since they are both artificial intelligences. I would have loved to see Data cited as case law in "Author, Author." It could have even been a fun Brent Spiner cameo if Starfleet brought him in as an expert witness to testify.

With that we almost close the book on the 24th century. Star Trek Nemesis is the only other piece of entertainment set in that era. The Voyager episode "Living Witness" takes place centuries in the future, and while Spock Prime is from this era when he enters the Kelvin timeline, none of that film actually takes place outside the alternate reality. So that's pretty much it.

I did it! Almost! Just some movies and a single episode to review! I'm pretty sure I can get it all in the can before Discovery comes out, what with putting out eight reviews in 5 days. By the way, Trek nerds: DIS or DSC? CBS is using DSC, but Voyager was called VGR internally and the fandom decided VOY was the correct abbreviation. Memory Alpha has picked DIS using this rationale. I find myself torn, especially because both DIS and DSC can be confused for other things (Disney and the Discovery Channel come to mind). I'm not particularly fond of either but I gotta pick. And before you jokers recommend STD, I'll remind you: A. grow up, and B. lol.

[yeskraim]

How to watch Star Trek: Picard online – stream the new show from anywhere

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(Image credit: Trae Patton/CBS)

Trekkies rejoice! Patrick Stewart will be beamed to our screens once again as Jean-Luc Picard, former Captain of the USS-Enterprise. Given the actor said he was done playing the character after the film Star Trek: Nemesis, there’s a guaranteed thrill for fans who watch Star Trek: Picard online as Stewart reprises the iconic role and reunites with The Next Generation cast members Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, and Marina Sirtis after 18 years.

Watch Star Trek: Picard online: when and where?

Picard’s return will stream exclusively on CBS All Access starting from Thursday, January 23 and available at one minute past midnight in the early hours of the morning (or late on Wednesday night).

A new episode of ten total will be available every Thursday morning from 12.01am PT / 3am ET.

The new series won’t be all phasers blazing and warp speeds, however. Executive producer Alex Kurtzman has promised a more “contemplative show” with a “real-world” look, and the final Star Trek: Picard trailer certainly establishes a wistful mood in addition to impressive visual spectacle. 

Beginning in the late 24th century, we find a retired Picard living a quiet life on Earth. Romulus has been destroyed and the former captain is still haunted by the unfortunate events at the conclusion of Star Trek: Nemesis. So, when a young woman named Dahj comes to him for help, he finds himself entering the intergalactic fray once more.

Read on to ‘make it so’ and watch Star Trek: Picard online wherever you are.

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If you find yourself far from home when the latest episode drops – abroad on business or taking an extended vacation – don’t let geo-blocks ruin your fun. “There’s a way out of every box, a solution to every puzzle” Captain Picard once said, and rightly so.

Say you’re in a country where this content isn’t available. Utilizing a VPN will allow you to watch Star Trek: Picard online no matter where you’re situated. This simple piece of software changes your IP address, so you can access each episode live or catch-up with the series, just as if you were at home.

There are hundreds of VPNs to choose from. Our personal favorite is ExpressVPN. It’s quick, secure and uncomplicated to use. It’s compatible with numerous devices, including Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, the Xbox, PlayStation, and both iOS and Android software.

What makes ExpressVPN even more enticing is its flexible 30-day money back guarantee. But then again, if you sign up for an annual plan you’ll get a 49% discount and 3 months extra FREE – a brilliant deal on an essential bit of software.

Once downloaded, search for the location of your home country or select it from the pre-defined list, and then connect. You should then be able to watch Star Trek: Picard online without any difficulty.

How to watch Star Trek: Picard online in the US

This much-anticipated series is exclusive to CBS All Access in the US, so you’ll have to register to its streaming site to keep-up with the intrigues of Starfleet in the late 24th century.

It’s $5.99 for their Limited Commercials plan, or $9.99 to stream without interruption. Both options come with one week FREE and you can cancel any time, so you could watch episodes free of charge.

Expecting to stick around? You’ll save 15% if you purchase an annual subscription.

Binge on the best TV with our guide to TV streaming services for cord cutters

How to watch Star Trek: Picard online in the UK (and for FREE)

UK viewers will need to wait 24-hours after the US broadcast to see the new Star Trek. Available from Friday, January 24 and exclusive to Amazon Prime Video, a new episode will be uploaded to the service every Friday over a period of ten weeks.

With Amazon Prime Video you get lots of benefits in addition to access to thousands of films and TV series, all for £7.99 a month. There’s also a 30-day free trial. This means you could watch four episodes of the series as they go live, or wait ten weeks and binge them all in one go, without spending a penny.

  How to watch Star Trek: Picard online in Canada

Canadian Trekkies have two options available. Firstly, cable channels CTV Sci-Fi and the French-language speciality channel Z will air Star Trek: Picard at 9pm ET / 6pm PT every single Thursday, starting from January 23. 

If you don’t have access to cable (or don’t want it), streaming service Crave has your back. It’s $9.99 per month, and includes hit TV series and premium channel Showtime. There are also a number of upgrade options available for an additional fee.

  How to watch Star Trek: Picard online in Australia

Thanks to Amazon Prime Video you can also watch Star Trek: Picard online in Australia from January 24, with the OTT service distributing the show internationally to over 200 countries.

Antipodeans can subscribe to Prime for $6.99 per month. If you’re new to Amazon Prime, however, you’re eligible for a 30-day free trial and could to watch about four episodes of this weekly drama as they become available, for nothing!

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