Star Trek TNG: 113-115

Star Trek can’t do sexy… yet George. They’ll get better.

Jobbe Smit

The TOS-like set you refer to is your first look at what the cast lovingly called "Planet Hell". It was reused many times in the show.

RJ aka LEMental

I get what you're saying, I do. And that's the tricky part here. I can sit here in my culture and look at behaviors that I deem as unethical or immoral in another culture and declare "wow, that's fucked!" without being some sneering imperialist. I don't have any obligation to sit here and say "oh no don't criticize them, it's just their way." It's infantilizing. Because either I don't actually hold a conviction against Misogyny, or Racism, etc. or I think so little of another culture group that they can't help it. NOW I agree with George (and I think you) that we shouldn't force others to adhere to our moral and ethical values. But that doesn't mean that in a globalized society with rapid communication and interaction between different culture groups that we can't make judgement calls on some behaviors, in both directions. I think a part of the issue with Star Trek in this angle is it is based on this idea of unity of humanity as being the "good outcome" so a lot of their metaphors and allegories are to critique attitudes deemed by the creators as impeding that outcome. Like Misogyny, like racism, like Capitalism, etc.

Rav Low

Please try to call out this show more for its colonazing messages of the West being this civilzed and rational society and seeing these lesser societies they see as primal and see it as worse. And fuck anyone who will get mad if you call it out on that.

Fedora The Explorar

Datalore - Picard seems to be what I consider out of character in quite a few scenes. Almost like he's drunk. Imo not the best episode, even by season 1 standards.

Guts

on 115, Picard and Riker move in sink starting with that walk down the hallway as George observed.

LazyBoy Stays Up Late Watchin Video Tapes

I haven't seen most of season one so I was also pretty shocked that the iconic "Shut up Wesley" is from an exchange where Wesley is trying to make a completely correct point as respectfully as he can and the rest of the crew is being unbelievably and uncharacteristically idiotic.

dys

On an unrelated note: After you finish season one of TNG, will you be watching "The Cage" (Star Trek's original pilot)? The official air date was October 4th, 1988 (it was broadcast as part of a TV special; advertising the soon to be released second season of TNG.)

John Smith

With regard to the Bynars only keeping Riker, when they needed two people to save their world: I think a reasonable explanation is that - it simply didn't occur to them, at first, that Riker isn't 'a pair'. The episode makes a big deal out of how the Bynars are always in pairs and think "in binary"; if you or I had some aspect of our lives which was that ingrained, it could be difficult to notice problems that would arise for someone who was different.

John Smith

You guys are fun to watch but I feel like you sometimes try to find something wrong and then get super narrow minded with not seeing obvious explanations that could at least fit for why it's not wrong. With the episode of the men's rights this really happens. I get the logic of they are choosing to stay and face execution because they are failing to abide by local laws, it's their choice etc etc. That doesn't mean they can't be sympathetic. In your exact example, if you went to North Korea to fight for the rights of the locals, got caught and chose to stay and face execution you would probably in fact be considered heroic by many. Yes it is one group thinking they are right and the other is wrong, but it all depends on the perspective of the specific onlooker. If the onlooker sees that person as indeed fighting for basic human rights they usually see that as a good and heroic thing, even moreso if it's fighting against local laws. I don't think there's any error in the episode, I think this was how it's presented. Layers of conflicting interests, legalities, and ethical perspectives. I'm actually surprised you just didn't step back and say "Hey, yeah I can see how someone might feel bad for those people and consider them heroic for standing up for what they think is right, especially when facing death vs running away and abandoning it... but I disagree ... etc". Sometime you get far to absolute IMHO, may I say much like you criticize starfleet for being ;)

Matthew Langley

The LCARs graphic design and touch screen interfaces are so cool even to this day. So well done M. Okuda 🖖. Sorry that the digital countdown clock was forced to be used for the countdown. Teleportation is massively energy intensive so going to ships or platform transporter rooms makes sense to me. Could image trying to renegotiate all of that pattern data where they are landing or rematerlizing at. Interesting that in ToS it was three to set auto-destruct, two on TNG. It’s funny how in almost every iteration when the script calls for it there are no other federation ships available. Again as much as I love ToS another reason why TNG and DS9 raise the bar no need for Judo chops or phasers every episode. Yeah what Simone is stating about AI that is always pleasing like even current AI models is a bit frustrating to experience after a short amount of time. I think what George mentioned about pleasant experiences reminds me of Kling and the loved ones images coming to life - that will happen virtual ancestors are coming.

SpankTheMonk

I know some writer wanted the Captain to call Riker number 2 on some earlier script. 😈Ensign Crusher has the bridge? Geez give the keys to boy wonder 🤷. Someone mentioned this before about episodes not being filmed linearly and released in a different order than intended. If it is a bottled one I wonder which ones were if so. I disagree with George Star Trek does context well it’s just TV and hit and miss with so many episodes. The people created as holograms are mostly projections with force vs whole objects. And on top of safety controls I don’t think there is a problem in the future except maybe with an Inception and modern day chat Ai addition 😉. Also the holodeck is super power and data intensive so the use is typically limited and at times shut off or rationed.

SpankTheMonk

George - I knew Eliza well. I'm 60 now, typed her into my Tandy 1000 in Basic out of an article in some computer magazine in the 90s. One of my favorite lines that she used to say was, "Come, come - elucidate your thoughts." She made an impact on me back then that I still feel from time to time today. Especially amid all of the AI around us now. I miss her ... we'll never again see the like. Cheers.

Deano 42

Lol...that story at the beginning helped me understand people a little better, and a little worse... I always wonder when I go to the grocery store what people are zoning out about, and why they're just standing around staring off into the distance. Now I know at least one reason, even if I don't relate XD P.S. I think I relate to Simone's friend. Maybe I just sit in existential crises all the time. I enjoy knowing what can be known, but accept life is full of things I can't know (or that I'm wrong about). Enjoy the journey : )

L77045

Asimov invented the idea in 1942. Although, "invented" might be too strong of a word for what was supposed to be technobabble.

John Smith

Just a few years ago I saw a T-shirt with Data and Lore saying "Trust Data, not Lore", and suddenly the wordplay with their name just clicked. 30 years after I saw the series first.

Henrik Eriksson

George: Ok, so the next one is called 'Angel One'. Me: Ohhhhhh no. 🤣

Brandon

For anyone who has not seen it already, and I am not sure if this is the specific video George was referring to, here is something like it: https://youtu.be/EtNagNezo8w?si=MyrcozJL_Sn66lv6

REDR58

I had never heard of Provigo and out of curiosity I looked at the website. It’s all in French! And they don’t have an English version apparently! Pffft. I’ll never shop there!

REDR58

Just wait until season three! Simone will have gotten it all down pat and then have to start over again!

REDR58

Back in the day, TNG episode titles got rreported long before we saw the episodes in the UK. Speculation over there possible meanings was all part of the fun. Personally, I'm enjoying vicariously reliving that part of Trek fandom.

Lincynity

Isn't it amazing that we even have the ability to perceive our own infinitesimal-ness? What use is THAT, evolution?? As I have gotten older (over 50 now) my inherent insignificance doesn't bother me as much and wondering why the hell I'm even here. I don't have kids, and I will never made a significance influence of the world, and I don't care about "my legacy'" (whatever THAT means) . . . so what am I supposed to do with all this life that's left? For my self, I've decided the only thing that matters is other people and my connection to them. It's really the only thing that brings me a sense of fulfillment. 🙂

Renee MeowMeow Beans

I'm an atheist as well, and I recently went on a whole philosophical delve into "What is Meaning?" anyway? We create it all the time. We create "important" all the time. Nothing, in my mind, inherently matters - we just decide that it does. Life is terrifying and freeing and awful and absurd. And why did our brains decide to do all this anyway??? 😆 What a weird bunch of chimps we are.

Renee MeowMeow Beans

I think about this a lot as well - and it's one of the philosophical themes that's fundamental to Terry Pratchett's work. Like, how miraculous are airports? And traffic lights? And synchronized clocks? And municipal water? . . . and and and . . . And how did we ever think up music, for heavens sake??? Amazing.

Renee MeowMeow Beans

George, I feel your weird existential crisis. It seems like at least a few times a week, I find myself amazed and baffled about what our (Western world) modern life looks like. Like (to be super meta), I am a hairless ape who, to stimulate my endorphins and to escape my own existential crisis, is watching OTHER hairless apes watch OTHER hairless apes who are pretending to tell stories about being in space written by OTHER hairless apes with sets built by OTHER hairless apes being filmed by OTHER hairless apes . . . and so on and so on. It's hairless apes all the way down. 😆 Life is bizarre and non-sensical. And yet, there are hairless apes who seem to want to burn everything down because it's not "right," and hate other hairless apes that don't look like they do. It's all absurd. This, again, seems to be the time to bring up the fact that I think you two would REALLY like The Good Place. 👍👍

Renee MeowMeow Beans

Or all the exiles could perish. In their new location without the protection of a developed society, their small band might not have the wherewithal to survive environmental or biological dangers, internecine fighting, or the challenges of reproducing enough replacements for their band to go beyond one or two generations. They could end up like Khan and his tiny band of super persons—unable to survive on ideals alone.

Simon Pegged Me

Just imagining the places the conversation about Minuet could go now, in 2025... And people used to say Star Trek would always be Scifi... lol

Joel

Also the fact that George has so much to say on TnG I think it is a good thing as it provides fertile ground for discussion. Later as the scripts, characters, stories and cannon gets refined I am excited to hear his and Simone’s thoughts and new conversations. 🫶🖖 Totally respect George’s perspective and side of the discussion

SpankTheMonk

The alternative title for the last episode was “Riker gets bored and bangs the Grok waifu”

Paul Peavler

"Space" is said when Saturn is exactly, just on the Left of the Center Top of the frame.

LazyBoy Stays Up Late Watchin Video Tapes

I don’t think they show it often but I believe Data sometimes actually hacks his own programming vrs just learning by new experiences like the Terminator. It’s more script denying Westly vrs rank, sadly. Data said “I’m fine” at the end- Inception spinning top? I like that Tasha scans the room- that is a good new writing approach. I’m with Simone I like Angel 1, a bit rough around the edges but nicely handled in the end and not a phaser fired or visible punch thrown. The Enterprise crew still had to do their mission and for the most part the crew was going to let it happen. They didn’t say your culture is wrong, George you are elevating what is spoken and not spoken. They are making sure to protect their citizens life. Once they knew their demands they still tried to argue that they should leave as not only to protect them but not have them interfere with their society. Their citizens are not a complete factor in this case of the Prime Directive, first mission is to find them and remove them/protect them even if they are idiots. The last speech was actually incredibly nuanced argument in a diplomatic situation as a last appeal. He knew the sovereign was intelligent and able to understand the possible situation because they can interbreed. The stage acting and direction and non subtle language wasn’t perfect outside some of the major scenes. I don’t believe Riker was saying they should treat them better i believe you are inferring that. He is just stating his perspective in their society and how it works. They were not going to interfere, they just state their perspective. It is an imperfect situation that is 7 years into it happening.

SpankTheMonk

Super Snoo Snoo

SpankTheMonk

Provigo?! With those prices I would be having an existential crisis too. Himbo Riker is always a favourite. The holodeck is alot less appealing as an escape from reality when that reality is being able to do what interests you. Remember that the Federation at least is a post scarcity society, you don't need to work and complete medical care is the norm. If you want to study Feudal Japanese Poetry for 75 years, go for it.

Eversharpe

🏆

SpankTheMonk

I really like the concept of the Bynars aliens. And how it and the final episode address alternative ideas of gender and sexuality even if the stories are weak

SpankTheMonk

Haha, imagine getting personally attached to a para-social relationship. Anyway, can't wait to watch more with you, friends!

Lex Kuzma

Yes, the USB Enterprise!

Glenner7

Riker was referring to cultural/societal evolution, not biological. There were only 4 humans. It would take centuries (if not millennial for their genes to spread substantially, and by then their genes would be diluted.

Nick

It's also the names of the four Bynars in the episode that they use as a filename.

Lincynity

Okay the first existential crisis I can vaguely remember was when I found out I wasn't white, I was a dirty Mexican lol. It's funny to me now but when I was around 6 or 7 this kid moved into our neighborhood from Arizona, and the first time I met him we almost got into a fight because he and another kid from up the street were poking my neighbor's dog, Blue, a beautiful border Collie in the nose through the fence and and told them to stop and my neighbor came out just in time, because he was older and bigger than me and had a minion, but I was fuckin pissed. Anyway we ended hanging out together that summer because back then ALL the kids on my street (except that one really creepy family) would play together, but he'd always make me whatever minority was in the scene from a Western he was wanting to reenact, and the Mexican/Indian/Whatever, ALWAYS loses 🤣 every single time.

MacGuffinStuff

Two AIs talking to each other is a major theme of the 1970 film, Colossus: The Forbin Project.

Bandaloop

So, George had his first head-trip at the grocery store. I myself used to smoke glue so, pretty much everything is weird for me. Gotta be good-humored about all these things.

LazyBoy Stays Up Late Watchin Video Tapes

Angel One… That painting of the city on Angel I will be seen a lot portraying different TNG cities! I really wish that natives of Angel I were intended to be human and just the descendants of a long ago established colony of people from Earth. You could still have the same (or better) basic story. I really get sick of “aliens” that look exactly like humans and there really is no need for it. There are some goofy bits of dialogue but I really like the performance of Karen Montgomery (Beata). Sadly, she died aged only 66 from cancer in 2015. The episode was very poorly received at the time and in later years and is generally considered among the worst of TNG.

REDR58

Speaking of 80s TV shows with awesome theme songs like Knight Rider and Airwolf and Miami Vice (gtfoh, that theme was the definition of neon and pastel 80s awesome), there was also Magnum PI, with Tom Selleck (Monica's silver fox bf to Simone). Which reminds me, you guys, probably, haven't watched "QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER". Tom Selleck didn't have much of a movie career but that movie is awesome, basically a Western, it IS, despite the location down under. It's got everything, action, drama, humor, romance, depth, and Alan Rickman being Alan Rickman, with a hat. Watch it, you'll love it, I promise.

MacGuffinStuff

Thomas

DarthFatass

To extend the grocery store existential crisis, consider just how much logistics have to go into the fresh produce section alone for a store in a northern climate like Canada. All those bananas, kiwis, coconuts, etc. have to come from somewhere tropical. And they have to arrive with enough time before they spoil to be able to sit in a cooler for at least a few days. That often means shipment via air. We take it for granted, but a typical well-stocked grocery store in the developed world is a logistical marvel.

Michael Kemmet

Holy sheep shit, that's Bonnie! I clocked her in 3 seconds even though I haven't watched Knight Rider in like 3O or who knows how many years, that show was on in the mid 80s, don't recall how long the reruns were on. Bonnie was kind of tomboyish I guess but she worked on Kitt, the talking ai car that David Hasselhof called on his watch and jumped over everything with in a sweet black outfit, he was the man to 5 to 9 year old me. She was Mistress Ariel in Angel One. Sorry I just had a big crush on her when I was like 8 or whatever.

MacGuffinStuff

Not exactly existential crises, but I've taken shrooms several times alone, which I was advised not to do but did anyway. The first time was in Amsterdam at the Kabul Hostel, I had travelled there alone, but I had a blast, because it was new I suppose. The second time was alone in my room and I had to stay in there because I was in a place where if I'd been caught high on anything but alcohol I would've been in serious trouble, so I was trapped in there and pretty much had a meltdown where at one point I was lying on the floor in the fetal position sobbing because, just some stuff I hadn't really processed from when I was a kid came up and I just had to face it. Ended up being a positive experience in the end because I sort of finally faced it and I felt stronger for it. Third time I was able to go outside and my backyard is pretty cool and I did think about a lot of heavy things, death and such, but again I felt better afterwards. But I don't think I'll do that again, not alone, I've always had fun with friends on shrooms and would do that again but yeah no, not alone.

MacGuffinStuff

Did you know electronic computers use the electron part of the atom, and in the sci-fi future we're going to use the positron part instead to make much more clever machines? That's complete nonsense, but there was a "massive" wave of sci-fi writers in the 1960s who came up with positronic android brains. It's downright cute they put that into Star Trek.

Amelie W

"TNG is a horny show." The first season especially is, but again that's because Roddenberry had the most direct involvement with that season. And the man was known as a massively horny perv.

Jomero

If it makes it any better for you, food doesn't have to be dead.

Angzarr

Ensign George, make it so!

Angzarr

Oh man, this reminds me of that ABK sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9W7pvOLxmQ "We represent the vegetarian space socialists who are always right." "You guys are the worst." "We know."

Angzarr

I soooooo look forwad to this every week. " is a new star trek next generation reaction out?! No its only tueday :-( "

fwfwfwfwf wfwfw

I had not seen the two AIs talking to each other in "GibberLink". Here it is, if anyone else is similarly uninformed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO_hXEeg10s

Gary Fixler

Woooow, George, wow. I face this kind of discrimination all the time, but I didn't expect it here. My grandfather was a male angler fish, but now, according to you (and my grandmother, TBH), he's a parasite? Wow.

Gary Fixler

yes Simone, Lower Decks does address that issue. Not sure if I should type the 2 lines of dialog as it may be considered a spoiler even though it would be about 4 years until you get that far....

Polecat21

Pam... Pam... Can you call my mom? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPhQ_pQXU1M

Gary Fixler

The Bynars' plan makes no sense. As you point out, they only get two people onboard by chance. And, really, what is the chance that the Federation would have said no to a plea for help? Zero. The chance is zero. They're the Federation! It kind of spoils the episode for me.

Joe Stacey

"Fuck. Simone's final frontier. This is the mantra that she has memorized. Her mission: To say all the right words...to sync up with Stewart's elocution and superior verbalizations.......to continually miss the 'middle part of Saturn' every time!!" {Theme tune begins}

StonyD

Regarding George's question about star fields, the one behind the intro to Wrath of Khan was an actual planetarium fly-thru of the Milky Way galaxy at great speed. All others are artistic interpretations. Also, many of them are used as stock footage in numerous episodes, and very few locations in Star Trek have any correlation to actual known galactic positions.

Ken Quick

The Most Important Device in the Universe. Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phPp5oYnps0 Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxiPuVt77W8

Ken Quick

Man, I underestimated the first season a bit. I forgot there were some truly good episodes here.

Zerocyde

My favorite thing about these is, by far, Simone saying "Spa.. fuck!" at the beginning of each episode.

Alexrandom

Wesley 's ensign sweaters were kind of their time(of time the episode premiered). Kind of-especially the colors.

Matt O'Keefe

I actually still remembered what the T. in Riker's name stands for and if she reads it, Simone might remember, too: Thomas.

fforw

Without spoiling anything specific, I will say that future episodes do explore the impact of the holodeck in a variety of ways, including addiction.

R. Chang

regarding existential crises, I have a theory ( I get them when I'm stoned, because of how everyday things like brushing your teeth will suddenly seem so weird). I'm an atheist, and have had moments of really, really feeling our smallness in this vast universe, and also believe that it's mainly hubris that makes most people feel like/ believe that we're 'gods special creation'. I know we're just storytelling, hairless great apes. that being said, I'm thinking all our learned behavior seems weird (as opposed to eating, sex, eliminating, etc) BECAUSE they are all learned behaviors. we developed these big brains & flexibility to BE trained/ communicate, but that doesn't make it any less weird when you're not in your usual mindset.

Crystal

To be fair, the writers often forget that almost the entirety of their civilizational norms are the products of their current state. For example, they frequently criticize cultures for the use of currency and economics, despite the fact that the sole reason that The Federation can exist without money is that technology has eliminated scarcity. Which was basically the idea behind the creation of the Ferengi as a species. "Ew they like money! That's gross! See how capitalism makes you an evil goblin? It's so wonderful how superior we are!"

Chase Lonnergan

I don't think the holodeck would necessarily wreck the crew because in their future society they aren't raised in a desire focused capitalist system. They seek only knowledge and experiences, and a perfect reality on the holodeck that is fake would be unfulfilling. With replicators they can have any material thing they want at any time. Their priorities would be different to someone in our society. I love that worldbuilding aspect of TNG. Yet the Angel planet episode is so cringey and goofy. It feels like they are trying to show how progressive they are and say "unlike TOS we are down with the whole women's lib thing."

megamoo chilli

The male anglerfish are not parasites because they are the same species that just went another way with sexual reproduction. The male don't even have the possibility of hunting. Anglerfish have the most extreme sexual dimorphism. The Northern Giant SeaDevil female is 60 times larger and 500,000 times more heavy than the male.

fforw

I hope everybody noticed the blinking red neon tubes prop in the foreground at the start of “Datalore” when they enter the lab. Keep that prop in mind. You’re going to see it again and again in Star Trek and a lot of other science fiction movies and television. *correction* it showed up in The Wrath of Khan in the space station lab near the Genesis Planet.

REDR58

Despite my very limited interaction with “AI” or chatbots and the like, I’ve never felt like wanting a relationship, of any kind, with such things. There’s no consciousness there, no matter how well it’s simulated, so I’m constantly thinking in the back of my mind that it’s all just so much empty window dressing to me and fancy programming. I’m not saying it’s necessarily wrong or bad for people to get a little caught up in the illusion or fantasy (assuming one doesn’t take things too far, whatever that may be), but none of it appeals to me in the slightest. The Starbase footage is taken from “The Search for Spock.”

REDR58

The federation encounter true evil: Jazz.

Odd Thomas

All these holodeck episodes kept reminding me of the movie eXistenZ. The danger of losing sight of what's real, like George discussed, is encapsulated in that really well and I hope you guys watch it one day.

Odd Thomas

Remember, you can trust Data, but you can never trust Lore

A Red Mage Named Blue

Well, not just the people, but all of the infrastructure and fuel and transportation involved in shipping stuff from all over the world.

REDR58

Keep “Thomas” in mind for a much much much much later plot point…

REDR58

“11001001” is the combined names of each of the Binars in the episode (each of whom were played by women): Kelli Ann McNally - 11 Iva Lane - 00 Alexandra Johnson - 10 Katy Boyer - 01 *edited for correct order*

REDR58

I was waiting patiently for the "Shut up Wesley!" during Datalore XD

akaTheBARON

Binary 11001001 is decimal 201. It doesn't correspond to any character in 7-bit ASCII, but it's "É" in 8-bit in the ISO/IEC 8859-1 character set, which was first published in the year before the episode aired, 1988. "E acute" seems sort of appropriate, but I'm guessing it's a coincidence. For example, in EBCDIC, 201 encodes "I" (capital I).

GAB

I’d still prefer release order. They need to experience it like we did, and seeing what JJ did to Trek after seeing the golden age of Trek is critical to understanding why some of us feel certain ways about it.

Jef Etters

I mean, a lot of the Data/Lore backstory comes out in later episodes, so it's kind of hard to talk about without spoiling. I think, at this point, George's interpretation is not contradictory to anything we've been told.

R. Chang

Regarding George‘s thoughts on Angel One: Star Trek and the Federation respect customs and laws of others, but that does not make them moral relativists, nor does it have to. The Federation believes in the value of life, and our protagonists will argue for that, within the bounds of respecting local laws and customs (and judgements about conflicting moral goods when it involves their people). I’m not sure seeing a lack of moral relativism and a willingness to stand up for one’s values (within the stated boundaries) as a form of arrogance or hegemonialism is entirely fair. At any rate - Star Trek is basically a show where the main point is its value-system, so relativism is not something you should expect. In the North Korea example, Canadian officials would probably still try to convince the North Korean government not to execute you - and international organisations for human rights would still attempt to persuade North Korea not to execute people at all.

Michael Bauer

as for existential feelings, I too was drunk at a small camping / festival kind of thing, but it is dark enough that you can get a solid clear view of the milkyway, especially when you step away from the camp fires and few lights there. Astronomy is a hobby of mine, but I live in the city so seeing the sheer number of stars up there when you visit the rural countryside is always overwhelming and a rare treat for me too see. But this time because of the number of stars visible, knowing that's just a tiny part of our galaxy among the billions of other galaxies, that somewhere up there in the unfathomable numbers of worlds was another being on another world at some other equivalent of an alien party staring right back. It was like a mirror, knowing that if I went out there far enough and turned around, that myself and the entire earth, even the entire galaxy, would be only another unseen mote of a speck among the vastness.

Flerb

As it will come up later, it sounds like you misunderstood Lore’s backstory. The colonists did not like him do to his attitude but they did not disassemble him for that. He was deactivated and Data activated once they found out Lore had sold them out to the Crystaline entity. That’s why Data’s remembers them rushing his activation as the whole planet was being scoured of life. Lore was always as he is now. He did not ‘turn’ bad. He just always thought humanity was beneath him.

Skyruff

William Thomas Riker

Cory Garron

The T in William T Riker stands for Thomas.

Matt O'Keefe

I hope beyond hope that right now JakeyShakeyBakeyBoy is making a "Ssssfuck" video right now. Also - with George's last thoughts on the holodeck - can't want for him to meet Lt. Broccoli!

Mastervodo

"Shut up, Wesley." It never fails to make me smile. I follow a home automation youtuber who uses that clip all the time

Mike W

The grocery store thing only gets worse if you think about all the people in all kinds of countries who had to do their job for all that stuff to be there.

fforw

I think the Prime Directive is a nice idea, to a point, but in practice seems hugely problematic. If the Federation wishes to avoid cultural contamination or interference and the like, then they have no business contacting less-advanced civilizations at all.

REDR58

I have a thought experiment, George, to piggyback on your existential crisis. Imagine if, in this world we live in, in a very instant, that all humans were removed--just vanished. Never to be seen again. (Sorry for the existential crisis you're having now.) Now consider that there is no human labor to assemble and distribute the groceries you can find at any supermarket. What is food, then? Without this social norm we humans created, wouldn't food just be the various living things we share the earth with? And from that context, is there not something grotesque about a supermarket? Is it accurate to say that the meaning of "food" can literally be defined as, "some dead thing?"

Stuart Sutcliffe

I was lightly obsessed with 11001001's name, too, back in the day. I also tried to figure out what it meant, and I've always remembered those digits.

Gary Fixler

To George's complain about Star Trek having a moral superiority thing for the Federation. I think in some ways you are right but the morality of Star trek doesn't seem to be relativistic. The Federation has a constant battle between the Prime Directive and the idea of objective morality. In the end I see them as advocates for their morality and the show is flawed in that it presumes most (not all) species share it.

Jasper Collins

Funny that I just watched the Arrival reaction yesterday and Simone told the same story about the big satellites in the field at night

Doug

Episode titles are not puzzles that need to be solved. In Star Trek, most of them were applied for production purposes with no intention to communicate anything. There's a DS9 episode, commonly considered one of the best episodes of any Star Trek series. It got the title "In the Pale Moonlight" simply because one of the producers heard the phrase in the first Batman movie and thought it sounded badass.

Bobbobbobo

Regarding existential crises and to take him slightly out of context, I’ll just quote Homer Simpson here: “It's just a bunch of stuff that happened.”

REDR58

Yessss Datalore!! Wonder if Simone gets all trekkie while watching TNG 🤓

Carlos Perez

Data: "If you had an off switch, Doctor, would you not keep it secret?" Superman: "So here's the deal, one of my mjaor weaknesses is that I can't see shit if it's surrounded by lead"

Patrick

Glad we got to Datalore before George's spoiler questions made Simone regret this whole enterprise. George still not starting the episode with patreons 3,2,1 engage is just wrong!

Tall Paul

George looks *so* uncomfortable looking at bare chested Riker and I’m loving every squirm… “it ends in a codpiece!” Yes. Yes it does.

Mandi

how does your completely different train of thought in anyway invalids his? i dont understand what point youre trying to get at. a crises is a personal, subjective experience. i dont think its up to you to decide if what someone else felt is or isn't a crises...

robodong

I have a question. I know you said everything, including the movies, will be watched in release order. However, since Star Trek (2009) and its two sequels are technically based on The Original Series, can we at least have a vote to see if you could react to them after the last TOS movie instead of waiting for all the TV based series to be finished?

MikeBdrx

Haven't watched this yet, but IIRC in the UK they released the episode titles long before we got the show, and then you had to race nerds in Blockbuster to get a copy on VHS on release day a couple of episodes at time weeks apart long before it hit BBC. Anyway, the titles Datalore, and especially 11001001 were analysed to death for some profound hidden meaning like it was something cryptographic, translating it into decimal, hexadecimal, ASCII and heaven knows what and in both cases it was just character names shoved together. Edit: And Angel One was just the name of the planet.

Lincynity

In Datalore, right when it cuts from the opening to the inside of the bridge, the first instant we see people, we see a guy holding a padd, walking in from the left, and he goes across to the turbolift. Behind him, right as he enters from the left, is the door to the observation lounge. There is literally nothing else in that direction, except behind the wall to the left in the foreground, according to ship plans, is the head (bathroom). I'm claiming he's coming out of the john. It's the only thing there. That dude was readin' a padd while doin' a poop. See? On the left. Head. https://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/blueprints/Starfleet-Bridge-Variations/Page_28.jpg

Gary Fixler

Yay!

david 0490

P S

i dont use fandango but how varied can it be? are the episodes datalore, angel one and 11001001 completely different episode numbers on there?

robodong

One of my favorite parts of the week is getting to watch Star Trek you guys

Stefan Daniw

Again, PLEEEEEEASE!!! Episode titles would be so helpful to see here, since numbering in Fandango At Home varies from your numbering. PLEASE HELP!!!

Alan Jones

Simone is just Sssfucking with us now.

Mastervodo

"Sssssssssfuck!"

Kane Is Able

Wooo Star Trek Day... and soon a new episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds!

Cory Garron