Star Trek TNG: 121-122
Added 2025-08-13 13:00:01 +0000 UTCEpisodes: The Arsenal of Freedom, Symbiosis
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Comments
Picard didn't interfere. The situation before he became involved was that the Ornaran freighters were breaking down and would soon fail and make the felicium trade impossible. The situation after the end of the episode is exactly the same thing.
Steven Linden
2025-10-21 23:30:20 +0000 UTCI always loved the "Just say no to drugs" episode lol. To clear things up a little bit, everyone knows Star Trek can get heavy handed with the preaching at the audience, but in this case it was a bit different. When this aired the US was just on the back end of the big "Just say no to drugs" PA campaign and it was so big it actually did seep into pop culture. At the time this was viewed by many as Star Trek trying to be hip and trendy more than it was seen as being preachy.
Kyle Liquori
2025-10-03 22:47:46 +0000 UTCI will be spoiler free and not say the Behind The Scene Reason, just to be safe for others.
Jimazoid
2025-09-16 05:55:47 +0000 UTCWell as a new member, ive seen many comments about the Prime Directive on Symbiosis and the actors who play other characters in the Trek Movies, but ive not seen anyone comment about at the very end of Symbiosis when Picard and Crusher leave the Cargo Bay you can see Tasha Wave at the Camera!
Jimazoid
2025-09-16 05:54:58 +0000 UTCThanks for writing some of what I was thinking while watching their discussion. Wish we could see them react to Patreon comments like yours.
Guts
2025-09-03 23:47:44 +0000 UTCjust a live chat after the episode would do probably or maybe some form of reading through selected Patreon comments. Would definitely love to see some outside perspectives and trivia influence their discussions.
Guts
2025-09-03 23:44:51 +0000 UTCWhy would you hate something that sparks so much discussion and provokes so much thought?
Guts
2025-09-03 23:41:34 +0000 UTCAn entire civilization destroyed because they were too frugal :(
Guts
2025-09-03 21:04:06 +0000 UTCOk, a couple of things: First, I'm a little surprised that neither of you noticed, or perhaps just chose not to say anything about the fact that the one addicted guy T'Jon, was played by the same actor who played Captain Kirk's son, David. Secondly, I *think* the issue regarding the Prime Directive and the exploitative/dependent worlds, relates to them perhaps not having achieved warp capabilities. Just because they could travel between planets in their own solar system does not mean they can warp. (Trying really hard to potentially not spoil anything). Third, I did a quick search, and this is what I could find regarding the "Alerts" on starships, and I'd guess star bases: Starfleet vessels use other alert colors besides blue and yellow, notably Red Alert, which signifies a critical situation, as well as Green Alert for normal operations and sometimes Black Alert for experimental systems. Red Alert is the most common high-level alarm, while Green Alert serves as the status for "all clear" or normal functioning. Here's a breakdown of the primary alert colors: Red Alert (Condition Red): The highest level of alert, used in combat, critical emergencies, or for imminent dangers. Yellow Alert (Condition Yellow): A general elevated alert status, typically for an impending threat or general readiness for action. Blue Alert (Condition Blue): Used for environmental or docking/separation procedures, as well as for landing sequences or some low-power modes. (To my recollection maybe seen once, *possibly* twice, throughout several Trek series.) Green Alert (Condition Green): The normal status of a vessel when not under any other alert, signifying that all is well and operations are routine. Black Alert: An experimental status, or a condition used for deploying experimental systems. (To my recollection, never seem)
Basilisk
2025-08-28 00:28:19 +0000 UTCWas that blonde guy addict the same actor who played Kirk's son on Wrath of Khan? Kind of looked like him. Prime Directive prohibits them from getting involved in internal issues of a society. The Choice Picard makes, allows the drug dealers time to develop other industries on their planet before the addicts ships stop working and they can no longer trade. If Picard allowed the Doctor to make medicine and told the addicts there was no longer a plague, then the drug dealers economy would instantly collapse as trade would end right there. Picard way gives time to both sides. Now if the addicts knew they were addicts and ask the Federation for help, then that would be different.
McShades
2025-08-26 04:50:59 +0000 UTC122: This is just lack of Medical education. I would suggest that Picard let Dr. Crusher provide "Confidential" Medical assistance, advising the inhabitants that the plague has been eradicated and advising that they are suffering withdrawal due to drug dependence. I do not think that medical care and health education is any violation of the Prime Directive.
LazyBoy Stays Up Late Watchin Video Tapes
2025-08-23 06:37:18 +0000 UTCâSymbiosisâ Before we can run with Sunshine by Danny Boyle we walk with Trek. Send a probe! Interesting that Tasha is operating the transporter- someone below may have spoiled future crew additions. But interesting who isnât yet featured on the show. I forgot the subtle humanoid prosthetics to show alien races early on. Saving on budget but still doing a bit more than ToS. Red lentils are pretty potent đš! It was mentioned during the Wrath/Search ToS movies that Merritt (RIP) was given a sleight tribute and recognition to his real life and death in the film Trainspotting with the character Tommy. I always really like Dr. Crusherâs over jacket. Simoneâs scowl when that woman smirks is perfect. I like Picardâs decision - no right one if they interfere more. Better to allow a degree of self independence. He tried to back out a bit from their contact and letting their societies decide. I actually believe it was a Picard decision however the script and the end of the episode made the subtleties a bit unrefined.
SpankTheMonk
2025-08-22 00:24:27 +0000 UTCJust a slight tangent comment. I like how George and Simone also comment about how the actors might feel or how they are used, in addition to general production comments. Just something I think a bit unique to this channel that is cool to hear. đ. Good call George on the Arsenal episode A,B,C plots of sorts. And great call on Simone on the tricorder, as that root on an alien world could have been all kinds of toxic. Funny how these perfect devices every time shoot like stormtroopers. Geordi best of Starfleet and the Academy!
SpankTheMonk
2025-08-21 02:08:14 +0000 UTCWell said đ
SpankTheMonk
2025-08-21 01:45:16 +0000 UTCWhich episode and what is the TNG collection?
SpankTheMonk
2025-08-21 01:42:58 +0000 UTCThis episode is not in the TNG collection
Josh Wilson
2025-08-20 22:13:20 +0000 UTCTNG is a great show but I don't think anything is going to beat Simone's Sssss Fuck! :)
Gwydify
2025-08-17 06:18:01 +0000 UTCSpuck.
Subscribe Or Simone Will Stop Being Cute
2025-08-16 10:46:58 +0000 UTCWith respect, George, I know you're big on consistency in storytelling, but if you watch the episode again I think you'll see that Picard isn't acting out of character. He's treading a very fine line, and if he changes how he does so that's not necessarily an inconsistency. The Prime Directive can't be an absolute, for the very reason that it's so important: things are never that simple. It's just intended to make people think really hard before interfering in an entire civilization, because arrogance makes that much easier to do. There's an episode coming up (where you'll be VERY surprised at who the guest star is) where they again struggle with the Prime Directive; but the problem is that they'll be interfering with an entire planet's future no matter what they do. And yes, there are other alerts besides yellow and red, but it does mean changing the bulb.
Subscribe Or Simone Will Stop Being Cute
2025-08-16 10:42:59 +0000 UTC"The worst possible outcome" Picard chose was the natural progression - it was not sustainable.
PJ P
2025-08-16 01:14:05 +0000 UTCAhh the DARE episode. If Picard hadn't responded to the SOS at the beginning then the freighter would have exploded and they said they couldn't repair their other ships so the same ending would have happened anyway. Dr. Crusher violated the prime directive by saying there were other options. Whether you agree with the internal logic of the Prime Directive or not, this episode definitely gets people talking, which I think is the purpose of high concept sci fi. It's so memorable that on Lower Decks they revisit the planets and see what happened after this.
megamoo chilli
2025-08-15 14:35:16 +0000 UTCRough week for George. Consensus is he hasn't quite got the Prime Directive yet. Also he forgot to start the show with "Patreons 3,2,1, engage". Twice.
Tall Paul
2025-08-15 14:28:59 +0000 UTCYeah, I hate the Prime Directive. It's the one thing in ST-TNG (and later shows) that I can't abide. It's moral cowardice at its worst. Just because mistakes have been made in the past, it doesn't give you the moral justification to refuse to render aid when you have the means and opportunity to do so... and be smug about it.
HansD
2025-08-14 20:36:29 +0000 UTCExactly. Picard had no choice and was limited by the Prime Directive. George, tell me where Picard did not stick strickly to the Prime Directive. It's Beverly that wanted to violate the Prime Directive, and impose her moralty on the two cultures, which is something that George usually frowns upon.
mky
2025-08-14 20:09:35 +0000 UTCSomeone get me a Vimto!
Angzarr
2025-08-14 17:26:13 +0000 UTCI'll never understand why when they made this series they chose to not have a chief engineer character and instead have a weird rotating bunch of engineers. Especially given the fact that Scotty had been one of the most memorable TOS characters.
Joe Concepts
2025-08-14 15:52:49 +0000 UTCI've not seen it in the first few dozen comments... The Prime Directive is applied to Pre-Warp civilisations. These two species seem to not have that. They only travel (in ageing ships, within their own solar system... presumably no warp drive knowledge. So, yes, the Prime Directive limits Federation actions here.
G Lam
2025-08-14 14:48:56 +0000 UTCExactly. I totally get the dissatisfaction with the uneven application of the Prime Directive over the course of TOS and TNG, but George seems to totally miss the point of having a noninterference doctrine at all. George is very smart and figures most things out very quickly. But here, one just needs to play the tape forward on whatever interference one prefers to see that there is no easy answer â the consequences of interference are extremely unpredictable and could easily lead to even more catastrophic consequences.
Anthony Michaels
2025-08-14 06:20:15 +0000 UTCOn "Symbiosis" - the two planets were neighbors within the same solar system, and so it was perfectly natural for these two peoples to interact and interfere with each other, which isn't the same as the Federation travelling lightyears to another star system and interfering with an under-developed culture. Plus, the Prime Directive is a rule of planets within the Federation - just because other planets cultures have interfered with each other doesn't give Picard or the federation any invitation to get involved.
Mitchell Bowker
2025-08-14 06:18:11 +0000 UTCOK I have a lot of thoughts about this episode as well so apologies for the rant, but first I have to respectfully disagree about George's claim that Picard made the worst choices in "Symbiosis". I firmly believe he showed incredible intelligence and leadership by making the hard but correct choices following principles vs emotions, which I believe is one of the main lessons that gets overshadowed by the "bonk bonk on the head" anti-drug message. I have always loved "Symbiosis" because it tackles so many issues in one episode and shows the power of Trek as a storytelling medium to promote great philosophical and ethical ideas. Unfortunately as Simone and George kinda demonstrated, so many people look at this episode as the anti-drug afterschool special episode and overlook all the other amazing themes such as anti-imperialism, anti-capitalism, anti-slavery, the trolley problem, nature vs nurture and the human ability to adapt, learn and grow. Yes, his decisions may lead to suffering and people dying but that does not mean it was the worst choice. As Picard try to argue in the turbolift, the Prime Directive is a direct response to the lessons learned from centuries of imperialism. Any time another culture interferes with another, regardless of who is more developed or whatever, the influence can have damning unforeseeable repercussions down the line that would cause even more suffering. The Brekkian/Onaran relationship is an allegory for countless examples in earth history where intertwined culture are so dependant that to interfere in one state would have implications to the other, look at the current situation of Israel and Gaza. That is why the Prime Directive is so important and this episode was an attempt to demonstrate that to the public. The prime directive isn't about just not affecting developing cultures, but also respecting the sovereignty and borders of the neighbors of the federation. If Picard had chosen to help either side, it would mean the federation would also be forever involved in the politics and government of those cultures. On top of that, another lesson that Picard is trying to impart is the importance of being self-reliant and having the ability to grow, change and adapt. Yes the planets may suffer and society may collapse, but it is during those kinds of hardships that societies show what they are capable of. Darwinism also applies here, either they learn to overcome or they die. Not a pleasant or happy sentiment but a harsh reality of the universe and a lesson that societies and individuals alike need to learn. If Picard helped them as Crusher suggested, they would still be dependent, not on the Brekkians but on the federation, not only for the withdrawal medication and therapy but their knowledge and technology as well. You see how things can snowball. Anyways apologies for the essay long rant, but I'll end by saying this is why I love watching these episodes with you guys since it gives me a new perspective on episodes I have watched a thousad times, love the content keep it up! PS Surprised you guys didn't clock the actors from Wrath of Khan movie, T'jonn = David (Kirk's son) and Sobi = Khan's second in command
The Real Andrew Kim
2025-08-14 06:14:07 +0000 UTCThere is also the extremely rare Periwinkle Alert, which just means everything is Fabulous! jk
Patrick - Excelsior
2025-08-14 06:00:32 +0000 UTCThey would just have to get to work learning to support themselves. At least the way Picard did this, this know it's coming and can start learning now. If they don't, they deserve what comes.
Patrick - Excelsior
2025-08-14 05:56:13 +0000 UTCTasha 100% used to get high on her messed up planet. The Prime Directive is flawed, and not followed with any consistency, but Picard choosing not to help fix their ship doesn't go against and it doesn't meddle in their culture. He coldy and politely walks away to let those two cultures sort it out. Ep123 is 100% a product of the 'Just Say No'/War of Drugs era in the US. Nancy Regan is definitely in hell for propagating that crap. I love the ideal of the Federation but looking at it objectively they do just roll like neo-colonialists.
James W.
2025-08-14 05:47:58 +0000 UTCThe Brekkians whole economy was based on making the drugs. They received everything they needed from the Ornarans. So if Picard told the Ornarans the truth, you could argue that millions or billions of Brekkians could die because they make nothing for themselves.
Joseph Schiller
2025-08-14 05:20:24 +0000 UTCP.s., What George is alluding to with regard to the "Worst Possible Outcome" regarding the Brekkians and the Ornarans is a famous conflict in modern wester philosophy between Deontology ("Duty Based Morality") and Utilitarianism ("Consequence Based Morality"). The most famous example of this is the annoying "Trolley Problem." Annoying because every time someone tells their philosophy professor a solution that can save the most lives they change the thought experiment so that you can't apply that solution, unintentionally outing themselves as a Kantian Deontologist. After years of watching Cinebinge, I suspect that George is in fact a Utilitarian almost to the point of being a Materialist. And while I hate Kant, I cannot help but feel like Utilitarianism deserves caution. Ironically, though I have no appetite for the Marquis de Sade, I happen to think Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue (his only novel worth reading) is a fascinating meditation on both systems of morality, if not their deconstruction.
Stuart Sutcliffe
2025-08-14 03:34:57 +0000 UTCAlso, Symbiosis is an absolutely abysmal episode. From a creative standpoint I cringe at the 80s War on Drugs propaganda vibe. From a philosophy standpoint I absolutely hate this episode. Second most hated Prime Directive episode in the entire franchise for me. And one of the only times Iâve been completely disappointed in Picard. This was the genesis of me becoming a certified Prime Directive hater.
Paul Peavler
2025-08-14 02:58:37 +0000 UTCSymbiosis used to be my favorite SSN1 episode (I know!) but I've wised up about it. The Prime Directive was not fully fleshed out by this episode, and arguably it never is. But there was an in-script explanation of the Prime Directive's application. That the relationship between the Brekkians and the Ornarans had lasted for centuries, to the point that it is an independent existing cultural exchange that has a protective interest. The intent of the Prime Directive, then, would be to let a precarious cultural norm like this one destabilize naturally without interfering. But this doesn't seem consistent with the Federation and Starfleet actively playing politics with nonaligned civilizations. Instead, it seems like a convenient way to justify an end to the episode which doesn't give in fully to this type of exploitation. I have some other problems with the Prime Directive, in that although it sounds like a healthy philosophy it's really just a legal doctrine that is based on semantic language and arbitrary values. And I think it applies to this episode in that it is really just several lines in the sand to justify what leaders choose to do, even when it doesn't make sense, even when it does more harm than good. One only needs to look at the US War on Drugs to see how enforcing a legal philosophy to its most extreme causes more harm than the "social evils" it intends to police.
Stuart Sutcliffe
2025-08-14 02:44:34 +0000 UTCI knew I knew her from somewhere, that ensign in Arsenal, she was in Rambo 2. And then according to her filmography in an episode of DS9, and a whole bunch of other shows in the 80s and 90s, Julia Nickson. Also I had to say, I know it's not his fault but Geordi kept really badly mispronouncing Lt. SolĂźs, it sounds more like if you didn't want to buy a car and they tell you, So-LEASE! not Mister Soulless lol. But I also love Geordi, he taught me to read, not literally but you know. That's ironic, how many times have you mispronounced something because you never heard the word but saw it in a book, we've all done it đ€Ł Denouement is still my favorite (Cinebinge talked about this once I just recalled). Also my manager just this morning in our bullshit meeting pronounced scarcity, as Scar City. Swear to all the Gods, and she was not being ironic.
MacGuffinStuff
2025-08-14 02:41:14 +0000 UTCSimone's "space is dangerous!" reminded me of: Space is big, Space is dark, It's hard to find A place to park. BURMA SHAVE Also, am I the only one whose brain autocompleted: PICARD: History has proved again and again-- BRAIN: --HOW NATURE POINTS OUT THE FOLLY OF MEN
Angzarr
2025-08-14 02:34:01 +0000 UTCItâs funny, Star Trek has a lot of ships (and I donât mean starships). Itâs kind of known for shipping fandom. Many would argue that Spirk was the original fandom ship - for anything, ever. And yet, I have to say Simone, the Riker-Picard ship is not one you hear about very often.
Paul Peavler
2025-08-14 01:27:45 +0000 UTCAnd Sobi the male drug dealer was played ny Judson Scott who was also is Wrath of Khan as Khan's first lieutenant.
Basil Hazzard
2025-08-14 01:05:31 +0000 UTCI think a lot of the issues of Symbiosis lies in the â90s view of addiction (at least in the US). Still a lot of âblame the victimâ awash in understanding and treatment. Like TOS, TNG is a product of its time.
dasgrove
2025-08-14 01:02:06 +0000 UTCPicard's resolution conforms to the Essence of the Prime Directive, Non Interference. By not fixing the ships, both planets are in the same condition they would have been if the Enterprise had never shown up. We also don't know how strong the addiction is. With the planet believing the drug was necessary to live, it would keep them taking it. So its possible in a week they would be fine. And if Crusher felt that strongly about it, she could have slipped them a note. In the area of medicine and caring for the sick, the Chief Medical Officer can override the Captain. The addicted Captain, T'Jon, was played by Merritt Butrick who also played Dr. David Marcus, son of James Kirk in Wrath of Kahn. He died at the young age of 29 from toxoplasmosis, complicated by an AIDS infection.
Patrick - Excelsior
2025-08-14 00:35:31 +0000 UTCI honestly think Arsenal of Freedom is one of the best episodes of Season 1. The point really isn't the stuff with the weaponry they were facing. That premise was just an excuse to get the storylines of Geordi being in command and the Beverly/Picard stuff.
WastedPo
2025-08-13 23:43:36 +0000 UTCIt's important to keep in mind for both the Onarans and Brekkians, we only know two of each civilization, to pass any kind of judgement on all Onarans base on the behaviour of their sales reps is unfair at the least. The average joe is probably working a job that's in some way connected to the production of the drug but he could just be a mechanic that fixes the tractors in the fields, he's got no career options. And neither society is collapsing tomorrow and both have every incentive to cooperate more. The Prime Directive is more about not dragging the Federation into quagmires in this phase of the writing, similar to US policies of isolationism. Save refugees, yes, but no invasions and regime changes on their behalf until they have to relearn that lesson decades later, like Afghanistan.
Jen
2025-08-13 23:29:43 +0000 UTCThere is a VERY rarely used Blue Alert, which pertains to life support system emergencies, it came up 3? times in the entire franchise IIRC
Joel
2025-08-13 23:19:50 +0000 UTCWow, the after episode chat for Symbiosis!! I know the filming schedule probably won't permit it but, I would pay for a Patreon tier that had conference call like meetings with you guys and Patrons to discuss episodes. There is so much not spoiler detail that I would love to share around the "Prime Directive" conversation. I would also love to hear others takes on how they might do it different than Picard is this scenario.
Dan G Bryant
2025-08-13 23:19:21 +0000 UTCI don't think the problem in Symbiosis was the decision Picard makes, but that it does a poor job at explaining that it's the only really viable course of action for Picard. Firstly, to clarify, the non-interference protocol, and joining the federation, is based on the capability of the civilisation to develop warp travel for themselves. Warp capability is the factor which defines whether you can join the Federation. Neither of these planets had warp capability and so would fall under the remit of the Prime Directive until they do. They had short range travel between each other only and because they're in the same system and have been in long term contact with one another they would be considered as one entity for the purposes of the Prime Directive. The planets had already been contacted previously 200 years ago, which would place this event prior to the establishment of the Prime Directive. In fact, although it seems buried in the episode, there is an implication that it was this initial careless contact that may have lead to whole situation in the first place as that and the 'plague' emerged at a similar time. whatever happened when they were first contacted may have been construed as interference by current standards, but in any case it is no longer a 'First Contact' situation. First Contact is a separate protocol to the Prime Directive, with its own set of rules. Making a decision to rescue a crew of an already contacted species wouldn't normally be considered something which would effect the development of a whole civilisation. The Prime Directive can never really be interpreted in the real world as absolute zero interference when it's dealing with civilisations that have already had First Contact. In practice it's a policy of minimum interference in the development of a civilisation. Picard's decision was probably the correct one - largely from the Federation's perspective. If the Ornarians had been weaned off the drug by the Federation, then the Federation would have been likely responsible for the economic and societal collapse of the Brekkians - unless they also helped them industrially, at which point the Federation is far beyond minimum interference as they are now knee deep in long-term assisting one or both civilisations. Given the nature of the Brekkians deceit, it isn't inconceivable that it could also initiate a war of retribution from the Ornarians which would have now been enabled by the Federation, not just for sharing the knowledge but because the coils for their space ships were also supplied by the Federation. There is no other real choice for Picard, as a Starfleet captain, other than to return things to as close as possible to how they were before he found them, leave and let things take their course. It's not about the best way to break an addiction, it's about damage limitation from the Federation's perspective once they become aware of the situation. I think the point of the episode was to show that the Prime Directive doesn't always lead to happy outcomes, but it feels like political pressure prevalent in TV at the time meant that given the subject matter the Wesley chat had to be inserted in there awkwardly. Otherwise I think the concept is pretty solid and I think Picard's interpretation of the Prime Directive is easily defensible.
Ian Tellam
2025-08-13 23:14:36 +0000 UTCRe: Symbiosis and the Prime Directive. Picard chose the best possible choice according to the prime directive. Basically, what would have happened if the Federation never showed up? The addicts' ships would have all fallen apart halting trade, forcing them into withdrawl from which point both sides would have to rebuild their societies. What Picards decisions basically led to this exact outcome so he really did reset the situation to what it would have been if the Federation never showed up. The Prime Directive applies to any society that does not possess INTERSTELLAR travel. From this we can extrapolate that the Federation kind of looks at a star system as a unit, so societies that develop on different planets in the same system would kind of be viewed as a single ecosystem I guess?
Simone's Coconut Squire
2025-08-13 23:11:56 +0000 UTCTo clarify. Had the Enterprise not heard the distress signal - the freighter would have been lost, the drug would have been lost, and everyone on-board would be dead. Both planets would have been in the same situations as they are now, aside from 4 more people being alive, and the withdrawal happening a little later (when this one shipment would have run out). The enterprise was obligated to answer the distress call (of a space-faring civilization), so they did. They could mediate the dispute, if that's what both parties wanted. Picard could not make a unilateral decision that would alter the course of the two species beyond their current/natural course. Again, in this case, doing nothing is ultimately the same as never having been involved in the first place.
AVATAR-X
2025-08-13 23:02:21 +0000 UTCSymbiosis: So basically the complaint is Picard was a big meanie? :P I don't see how the rules changed. Within this episode Picard seemed consistent to me.
droodly
2025-08-13 22:54:31 +0000 UTCGeorge, the thing you're missing about Picard's choices regarding the prime directive is the unknown. You think you know what will happen if you interfere, or of you don't, but that's only a guess. The other thing to keep in mind is that the prime directive typically only applies to altering the course of a civilization, so rescuing the people on the doomed freighter isn't an issue, but providing ship parts they wouldn't have been able to make or install themselves definitely counts as interfering. Picard is definitely engaging in a bit of malicious compliance and the result very likely is that both civilizations collapse into chaos and need to rebuild from nothing. But maybe not. Maybe, as Simone said, they will figure out a way to work together - all the more likely because the two negotiators from Brekkia are stuck on the wrong planet and in a position to learn some harsh lessons. George is approaching this from a utilitarian perspective, but the problem with utilitarian philosophy is that it doesn't draw boundaries of responsibility. Maximizing everyone's happiness can lead you to be responsible for everyone. Drawing a line around where your own responsibility ends and where others' begins is one way of dealing with that. If the Enterprise had made the non-addictive replacement for the drug, maybe the only result is that the Brekkians get genocided in revenge, and now the Enterprise is responsible for that. By interfering, you take on the responsibility for what follows. By choosing not to interfere, you stay out of the affairs of other civilizations and leave them to solve their own problems. Given that you don't know what the outcomes of any choice will be, backing away and restricting yourself to non-interference is a way of guarding against dangerous overreach.
Lex Kuzma
2025-08-13 22:52:51 +0000 UTCOver the years I've thought a lot about the Prime Directive and my theory is Starfleet expects officers to strive for it, but realise it's often unattainable. I wouldn't call it more of a guideline than a rule, but I think it's a rule you need to have significant justification in your back pocket to break. At this point it's a bit of an unclear mess, and it stays that way for a while because they use it to contrive moral dilemmas but they never really make the actual rule clear. Basically, they have an obligation to answer distress calls and render "humanitarian aid" up to a point, but they aren't supposed to interfere with the development of pre-warp cultures, or how other cultures conduct their laws etc.
Lincynity
2025-08-13 22:40:04 +0000 UTCThe Prime Directive is to do with Pre-Warp Civilization's and also ones that don't have faster than light radio, so if you're space travelling but are not going Faster Than Light, then it would still apply. So at the moment the Federation would leave Earth alone because although we can go the Mars and have sent probes, we can't use Warp Travel. You do have to look at the possible ramifications of what could happen if Picard told them. If Picard told them for example, maybe the Ormarans would be so angry at being lied though that they go to Brekka and genocide them in a war.
GDF
2025-08-13 22:36:36 +0000 UTCAlso, David Soul played, "Makora", in "The Apple" (TOS S2E5) who was one of the villagers. His big scene was the one where he (along with a female villager) witness Chekov and Yeoman Landon kiss. "I do not understand. What is to be gained? It is not a dance. It gathers no food. It does not serve Vaal. But it did seem as though it was... pleasant to them."
Ron
2025-08-13 22:29:04 +0000 UTCProbably not the most popular opinion but I've always had a soft spot for the Arsenal of Freedom. It may not be the most scintillating plot or have a great twist but they cram so much into one episode. People flying arse over end, shootouts with drones, space battles, Data jumping down the hole, Geordi in command, Troi being useful for once, separating the ship, an arsehole from engineering, Bev's gran, a Shirley Temple reference. To me it's like a sampler of things I love about Star Trek, and you don't need any other context to enjoy it.
Lincynity
2025-08-13 22:28:33 +0000 UTCI know I've said this before, but the Prime Directive in early TNG is completely screwed up. Once it applies to only PRE-WARP societies who can't figure out things on their own, it makes much more sense.
JD Nevesytrof
2025-08-13 22:10:08 +0000 UTCI can't believe I JUST caught the "Lollipop, it's a good ship" joke. #ShirleyTemple
Simone's Coconut Squire
2025-08-13 21:41:24 +0000 UTCMerritt Butrick who played TâJon here and of course as mentioned below, David Marcus in TWOK and TSFS, died aged only 29 from complications from AIDS. Sadly he was already suffering from the effects of his illness during the filming of this episode.
REDR58
2025-08-13 21:36:43 +0000 UTCIf not for the little scene with Wesley, I think the episode wouldâve been much stronger.
REDR58
2025-08-13 21:26:44 +0000 UTCArsenal of Freedom: Thus begins the hassling of Riker to get off the Enterprise. Marco Rodriguez who portrays Captain Rice, was also in âThe Crowâ and in âMillion Dollar Baby.â Ensign Tâsu is portrayed by Julia Nickson who was married to David Soul from the series Starsky & Hutch. As Iâve said before, the aiming on those hand phasers is wonky as hell and we can clearly see how they have to wave them around to eventually hit the target. Why doesnât Picard apply pressure and make bandages instead of hoping the roots work out? They should all be carrying first aid packs. Engineer Logan canât get out of there fast enough and then when that is about to happen he immediately chides Geordi for leaving everyone behind! Kind of a manic 180 on his part. So much back talk!
REDR58
2025-08-13 21:08:18 +0000 UTCGeorge, you're right to have questions about the Prime Directive. It's inconsistently presented on this show, and oftentimes the characters will break it without the writers even seemingly aware that they've broken it. And other times the characters will uphold it, for supposedly noble purposes, but it makes no sense in terms of ethics. Even if the characters consistently adhered to it (which they don't), the directive itself is deeply flawed in that it's supposedly this "one size fits all" edict, without any room for nuance.
WastedPo
2025-08-13 20:50:57 +0000 UTCThe way I see it, is that in the first case Picard was responding to an emergency situation, when he rescued the people from the freighter. After that, he noted that once the Brekkians decided to give the felicium to the Ornarans, he had other option. He couldn't interfere in the relations between the two planets, couldn't allow Beveryly to give them a substitute (unless they asked for that help), but he could decide not to give the coils to the Ornarans, since that was not an emergency situation.
Franklin Silberzahn
2025-08-13 20:22:15 +0000 UTCoooo, that is some strong language there...but lol
DasBigUn
2025-08-13 19:58:56 +0000 UTCLMFAO, yup
DasBigUn
2025-08-13 19:47:13 +0000 UTCThis is how I see it: Option A: no interference. freighter destroyed, all crew die, we leave, admirals are happy. Option B: Picard's choice: save freighter, cargo & crew beamed back down to planet, we leave, their other ships break down as they would have anyway. Option C: tell them the truth: big interference, we leave, chaos likely ensues, Option D: give them Crusher's medicine: big interference, we leave, chaos likely ensues. Option E: the Kirk choice: destroy fellicium, arrest the dealers, give inspirational speech to the addicts, we leave, chaos ensues, 15 years later they come back to get revenge on Kirk.
Paul McBryde
2025-08-13 19:42:29 +0000 UTC"Space: Fuck My Life" is Picard's autobiography title. "Riker just wants to fuck Picard so bad" is one of the quotes on the back cover.
Eversharpe
2025-08-13 19:26:48 +0000 UTCATTENTION STAR TREK FANS! If anyone is interested, here is a link to download AI UPSCALED VERSIONS OF DS9 & VOYAGER Via torrent https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1gZDPoSwVI9FPPaf90WC5v2vp6HwfvUlX They are better than the SD 480p versions, I wish Paramount would pull their finger out and just remaster DS9 & Voyager like they did with TNG, such a shame they haven't, anyway, the AI Upscaled versions are pretty good, I downloaded both and everything is a lot sharper and you can see more detail etc, it just makes for a better viewing experience than the crappy, tiny 480p resolution. Voyager is 1080p & DS9 is 4K, you will need a lot of space though, maybe download 1 season of each and see for yourselves if you want to get the rest, availability and seeding is pretty fast (I downloaded everything a couple days ago) but don't know how long that will last!
Khan1001
2025-08-13 19:01:39 +0000 UTCYeah just wait until they seeâŠ
REDR58
2025-08-13 18:59:28 +0000 UTCWhen Beverly started talking about her grandmother, all I could think of is, "Yeah, she also had some interesting secrets of her own." And that's all I'll say.
Jomero
2025-08-13 18:45:13 +0000 UTCThe prime directive isn't always about "natural development", its about not interfering in another culture. Rescuing a ship in distress is not typically interfering in a culture. But once Picard understood the true nature of the situation, it became clear that doing anything to disrupt this relationship between two worlds is not acceptable. Had the Onarans understood the nature of their situation and made a request to help to the Federation, that would be different, but would probably still require someone above Picard to weigh in and decide if the Federation could provide aid. Much like the request for help fixing their ships. It's a direct call for help that Starfleet can answer, but once Picard understood what fixing their ships means, he was within his right to refuse help... for the greater good.
Kev Longley
2025-08-13 18:45:01 +0000 UTC"Symbiosis" is one of my favorite episodes of the series: It leads to SOOO much discussion. .... I agree 1,000,000,000% with Picard and disagree 99.9% that it has inconsistency. (maybe 99.1%) .... Picard gets a space-faring distress call and answers to help. No issue with the Prime Directive; it's a space-faring distress call. -The survivors dispute ownership of cargo; Picard says he can not decide (* IF they ask he can mediate but they don't ('really' 'technically') ask for outside mediation.) .... When Picard learns of the symbiosis -- or exploitation, or "whatever" he realizes he can do NOTHING! Perfectly in line with a GREAT philosophical 'prime directive': One 'can not know' what happened in the past. One 'can not know' what the outcomes will be if Picard, say, helps "Side A" or helps "Side B." He can't fix their freighters; he can't withhold the drug. How many people on "Side A" will die of starvation if "Side B" doesn't provide food? How many people on "Side B" will succomb to withdrawal without the drug? Picard can NOT "play god"! (Maybe it is why we don't disturb North Sentinel Island.) .... But there is SOOO much to talk about!
W_E_Ray (Dungeons-Dragons Grognard since '81)
2025-08-13 18:32:11 +0000 UTCReally wanna see a reaction ALIEN EARTH when this is over. Only 4 episodes, only 2 weeks left⊠would be a great in between show.
djKENTO
2025-08-13 18:21:47 +0000 UTCGeorge you are making one big mistake when thinking about the Prime Directive: It is not ment to lead to the best ending. Its just "don't play god". There are many situations where following the PD allows great damage to happen to a planet. That is ok for the federation. Don't play god. Keep out. And the thing about "but they allready did interfere". Yeah, and? They didn't know. It was stated they didn't interact for 200 years. So they offered immediate help, realized that they can't do more without violating the PD and flew away. So whats the problem you see? That they didnt decide whos good or bad or decide the fate of two societies? No they didn't. They picked them up, flew them home, beamed them down and left. BTW: No out of character here. Just a switch of perspective that you didnt pick up on. New info lead to a change of mind twice
Dioskur
2025-08-13 18:16:54 +0000 UTCI think Picard made the best possible choice in Symbiosis. The only way either civilization survives now is to work together. Any other choice leaves both civilizations dependent on the federation. What Picard chooses is to let things play out as close to how they would have if the enterprise had never arrived. The shuttles are failing. The Brekkians donât have space travel. The Onnarans are too doped up to fix their shuttles. Only way for brekkians to save their civilization is to come clean to the onnarans. Onnarans will likely be able to rebuild even after whatever losses they suffer but if the Brekkians come clean the majority of the suffering can be avoided while they find a way to ween the Onnarans off the drug
@Foodmancing
2025-08-13 17:51:31 +0000 UTCThat is the late Merritt Butrick who died about a year after this episode was released.
REDR58
2025-08-13 17:36:17 +0000 UTCJaneway would've interfered. And she would have done it without violating the Prime Directive in an obvious way. Because she was the best captain.
Chase Lonnergan
2025-08-13 17:30:02 +0000 UTCNo, the rules weren't changed mid-episode in Symbiosis. You can argue the morality of the Prime Directive, but Picard applied it correctly and consistantly at the end. The consequences to the two societies are due to their own actions and because the Federation didn't interfere.
Joe Stacey
2025-08-13 17:05:11 +0000 UTCDamn the set in the first episode of the "heavily forested planet" looks like complete ass lol
Ph4ZeD
2025-08-13 16:51:23 +0000 UTCScience fiction has always been used to comment on political and social issues of the day. Drug addiction was a big social and political issue at the time the Symbiosis episode aired ("Just say no to drugs"), but, yeahâ you are right about the Tasha-Wesley scene not being subtle about it. TOS certainly had its probles with that as well. Star Trek IV (the whale movie) was completely an environmental "Save the Whales" PSA (though a very enjoyable one). TNG has a lot of episode that touch on big issues. Sometimes they get a bit on-the-nose preachy about it, other times the message is more subtle.
D. T. Nelson
2025-08-13 16:49:56 +0000 UTCThe Reason TNG have a counsellor onboard is because they are the vegetarian space socialists who are always right https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9W7pvOLxmQ
Karen Leah Quinn
2025-08-13 16:36:45 +0000 UTCI think that if Picard had told the Ornarans that the 'medicine' was in fact a narcotic, then it would have caused an interplanetary war. There's misery ahead either way, the Prime Directive is basically a Starfleet order to walk away from the Trolley Problem.
A Red Mage Named Blue
2025-08-13 16:30:21 +0000 UTCAnd T'Jon is Kirk's son from the same film.
Dan
2025-08-13 16:07:10 +0000 UTCOh, just noticed that T'Jon is also Kirk's son from The Wrath of Khan.
Dan
2025-08-13 16:05:53 +0000 UTCSo happy we are back to Ssssssspace... fuck! Wednesdays!
Mastervodo
2025-08-13 15:53:18 +0000 UTCThe Prime Directive comes in two flavours. 1. No contact with pre warp civilisations. 2.No interference with internal matters of a non Federation species. The Prime Directive is both an answer to the trolley problem, i.e. do nothing and you are morally clean; and it is also a refutation of interventionism - any alteration of another culture is evil. The interventionism bit is probably a reaction to US Imperialism around the world and more general colonialism. I don't really agree with an absolute view of the prime directive but for Picard this is essentially what he is sworn to do as an officer in Starfleet, he could have involved himself but he is then on the hook for an entire planets worth of people who have no industry. With that said he and other Starfleet captains will break the prime directive on occasion.
Alan Pownall
2025-08-13 15:52:30 +0000 UTCSo you guys got a little hung up on not really understanding the Prime Directive, and that it is two different policies aimed towards the same end: To not interfere with the development of independent civilizations. The first policy is to not contact or influence civilizations that have not yet developed warp technology. This is the simple one, you let the planet grow at their own pace and power, so as not to influence their standing in the galactic structure once they join it. Early on in the episode Geordi says that they were close to warp capable when they were last observed, a long time ago, so we can say that this prong of the Prime Directive can be set aside. The second, and more complicated policy is to not interfere with the internal workings/politics of an independent civilization. So in short, do not impose Federation values upon those not in the federation, and this is the one that Picard was forced to follow. And he WAS forced, he did not make a choice. The choice he almost made was to repair the ships, which at the time he made that choice he was not aware of political implications of doing so, prolonging the exploitation of one planet by the other. And despite there being two planets, they have long been allies, possible being of the same origin, so they do make up one civilization. It was when the one group made it clear that they were aware it was just a narcotic (the other shoe dropped) that Picard's hands were tied. If both sides thought it was just a plague cure then he could have corrected their mistake, but when it because clear that everything was working as the society intended, the Prime Directive kicked in. Not the best ending, but probably the "right" ending.
Mickael Duncan
2025-08-13 15:52:03 +0000 UTCDid you recognize in zhe secind episode one of the Brekkans? He played in Star Trek 2 Khans right hand man...just FYI. đ
TomGas2025
2025-08-13 15:49:45 +0000 UTC"I can't see anything through here. There's too many potted plants on the stage "
Robert Cooper
2025-08-13 15:43:44 +0000 UTCBy the way, as someone who hates coffee, coffee is the same exact thing. You're all a bunch of drug addicts to me. Whole regions of the planet spend enormous effort and money on creating and shipping all over the world this thing you could just skip, like I always have. I don't get up and think "I have to have my coffee, or I can't even function!" That's a made-up thing that [Googles...] 73% of Americans get themselves addicted to, and drink daily (and it's a staggering 93%, if you go up to at least once a week!). Think of all the Dunkin Donuts, all the diners, all the Tim Horton's, all the Starbucks, all the artisanal coffee shop whatevers, all the college kids putting themselves through college as baristas... I remember thinking about this a bit more than 20 years ago, after the secretary at my then company made a big deal about how great her cup of coffee was one morning. I suddenly had a question, and asked: "Did you like coffee when you first tried it?" She didn't, at all. She thought it was awful, but wanted to hang out with people who drank it. So then I went person to person in our 30-40-person company, and literally everyone who drank coffee had the same story, save maybe one weirdo. They had to learn to like it, because it was awful for a while when they started. I was gobsmacked. It was all peer pressure, and a wish to feel included. And I'm not much better, because my coffee is Diet Coke. I have one in front of me right now, at 8:30 a.m. It's my second of the morning so far đ I didn't like it when I first tried it as a kid. I thought it was awful. The only thing I have going for me is that no one talked me into it, and it wasn't for anything resembling peer pressure. Everyone tried to talk me out of it, in fact, and they still do, decades later. I'm weird, though; peer pressure has always worked in reverse on me. Whatever everyone's doing, I want no part of, and if no one's doing it, I might get curious and dive in. Maybe I need to feel special... I was a bit addicted to sugary sodas after college, so I forced myself to switch to diet, and over time became happily addicted. Anyway... Imagine you've taken a drug a certain way every day of your life, and everyone you know has, too, like coffee, and it makes you feel good again. Take that away, and it's like taking away a ritual that the entire culture has revolved around. Hey China, it turns out tea is from an evil source, so no more tea, and definitely no more traditional Chinese tea ceremonies. It would be insanity of the highest order. People would be double mad: one, at the providers for swindling them, and two, at you, for taking away this thing they've always associated with goodness, health, healing, and happiness.
Gary Fixler
2025-08-13 15:42:08 +0000 UTCThanks for the great content guys but I feel like i'm being spoiled. Every time I open another watch along from patreon it takes my brain a few moments to realize why its only the commentary playing. The new site is so convinient that I feel like I cant ever go back to manual sync and hunting down copies of things. Love you guys, keep it up.
David N
2025-08-13 15:39:23 +0000 UTCThe Prime Directive can get a bit messy in TNG, but if you recall just an episode or two back, Picard was being 'investigated' by that Admiral, and some of the line of questioning from that aide guy was about some of Picard's possible interfering in other societies.. It's one of the main differences between the Star Trek and Stargate franchises..Is that Star Trek tries not to interfere and force Earth values on other planets, and in Stargate they go to other planets and just 'AMERICA knows best' everywhere..
Superpotroast
2025-08-13 15:36:06 +0000 UTCSimone strengths: hearing a minute difference in com badge activation sound. weaknesses: saying space at the right time
Thomas Larsen
2025-08-13 15:32:33 +0000 UTCRegarding "Symbiosis", perhaps there is some similarity in the scenario to the Opium Wars (1839-42 and 1856-60). Methadone has been used as a treatment for heroin and other opioid addition since the 1960s. Picard seemed to abandon the two Brekkans on Omara so it would be in their interest to admit the truth and help the Omarans overcome their addiction like their planet Brekka did long ago. Picard did the best he could given the Prime Directive as the writer (Robert Lewin) interpreted it. The "just say no" campaign was being propagandised by the US First Lady Nany Reagan around 1987. The episode itself is not well regarded because of the all too heavy-handed messaging.
GAB
2025-08-13 15:25:50 +0000 UTCI actually agree with Picard's choice, because we're talking about full, planetary collapse. The Federation can't just step in and destroy a planet that's worked a particular way for 200+ years, even if they are evil. It would be like saying earth is evil, so no one is allowed to have or drive automobiles anymore. It would crater earth's production, commerce, movement, and probably kill millions, maybe billions, and it would be the worst for the poorest people, with the least means of coping with sudden, massive change. Just got to the end, and George basically said what I said above. Also, TNG (and to an extent, TOS) suffers from the need to visit planets, so everything is always planetary in scale. On earth, things are nation-based, typically, either between two nations, or factions within a nation. In Star Trek, it's always one half of a planet vs the other, or two planets with some issue, and it can distort understanding, like we think "just tell them the drug is a lie!" and you don't think about the fact that it's like a planet full of people who would be thrown into pure turmoil, not just some small tribe somewhere.
Gary Fixler
2025-08-13 15:21:38 +0000 UTCRe the "ship's therapist". When the show was on I always thought it was silly that a "ship's councilor" was a bridge officer. However, if you think of Troi as an empath intelligence gatherer for conflict, negotiations, etc there but justified as "ship's councilor" to better fit with the Federation's peaceful, above-board image then it makes a lot more sense. So that's my personal head-canon.
Dan
2025-08-13 15:17:08 +0000 UTCâGood Ship Lollipopâ is something I heard from my childhood (born in 1970s) and Iâve never seen that movie. Just something that was floating around in the public consciousness I suppose. Less so now, Iâm sure.
REDR58
2025-08-13 14:54:42 +0000 UTCI can't wait for O'Brien to settle into his role
A Red Mage Named Blue
2025-08-13 14:44:59 +0000 UTCIt's cliche to say that an episode got more relevant over time since the episodes usually reflect something going on in society at the time or in our history, but it is kinda amazing that 122 was from the 80s about drugs in that time, but ends up exactly showing the dangers of doctors and the pharmaceutical industry pushing painkillers in the late 90s and the resulting Oxycontin/Opioid epidemic that we're still experiencing the effects of. Also, generally the Prime Directive is for pre-warp civilizations. So earth for example now has space travel, but not warp travel, so the Federation wouldn't interfere with our development. Once a civilization has warp travel, then they can leave their solar system and interactions with other civilizations is inevitable. So that's why the Prime Directive applies to these two civilizations within one system.
Robert Gendron
2025-08-13 14:42:53 +0000 UTCI say, and have heard formidable both ways. For-MID-uh-bul, and FORM-ih-dih-bul, depending on mood and situation. I think if I'm stressing it, I lean on the former, and if it's part of a noun phrase, I lean more toward the latter, but I'm not sure. It could be that I'm older, and maybe the latter is more common in the past? When I'm curious about pronunciation, I turn to Youglish: https://youglish.com/pronounce/formidable/english You can hit the dark blue âŻïž button to skip to the next track. I listened to about 20, just now, and both versions were represented, and it felt like every old person was stressing the FORM part.
Gary Fixler
2025-08-13 14:29:22 +0000 UTCHaha while on the topic of âbutt plug dronesâ I do recall from diving into TNG production diaries back in the day that those drones were crafted by the VFX supervisor using a combo of egg toys, a pantyhose container and a shampoo/conditioner bottle then painted over. I mean whatever works, right? Hosiery gets it done - weird sentence reading that back lol
JakeyShakeyBakeyBoy
2025-08-13 13:56:55 +0000 UTCGood call Simone, that chief engineer was the vampire in the Angel series premiere. I wouldn't have been able to place his familiar face.
Cory Garron
2025-08-13 13:48:15 +0000 UTCHe was also Uncle Enos in Buffy's "Suprise/Innocence" episodes. "WAS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?" Was written in his blood.
Cory Garron
2025-08-13 13:46:32 +0000 UTCHa, they didn't react to the Lollipop. Riker says "it's a good ship." I wonder if George and Simone know that old Shirley Temple classic, from the movie Bright Eyes (1934). I don't think George will be able to handle the cringiness/second hand embarrassment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLLSqpYyPD8
Gary Fixler
2025-08-13 13:31:37 +0000 UTCThe automated message featured Vincent Schiavelli, who was also the subway ghost in Ghost, who taught Swayze how to pick up a penny. He was in a whole bunch of other random things, too.
Gary Fixler
2025-08-13 13:23:21 +0000 UTCYay! Star Trek daâonly two episodes? đ Man, I feel like I just failed the Star Fleet Academy entrance exam, but also yay, Star Trek Day!
Gary Fixler
2025-08-13 13:14:10 +0000 UTCJust waiting for my Star Trek Communicator to arrive today!
Cory Garron
2025-08-13 13:03:37 +0000 UTC
