Star Trek: TNG 5x14 Full Reaction!
Added 2026-01-27 19:34:14 +0000 UTC
Comments
So sorry that Rocco isn't doing well - I hope you are both able to enjoy some precious time together. Sorry for being one of the Who fans enquiring about animated episodes when you've already got so much on. Take good care of yourself Jess and thank you for all you do.
The Bill Podcast
2026-02-06 16:38:00 +0000 UTCI have missed this about Rocco, i'm guessing its bad, can anyone tell me what has happened.
Jane
2026-01-30 20:15:19 +0000 UTCSorry to hear the news about Rocco, Jess. I hope the time that you have left with him is filled with love and joy. I remember watching this episode for the first time and thinking to myself, "Who the fuck is Commander MacDuff? Did I miss an episode?"
Geordie Joe
2026-01-29 18:37:26 +0000 UTCI recall you’ve spoken of past similar experiences when it comes to pets. Can understand the worry of saying shit that just sounds empty. I always have that worry when I say that people are in my prayers/I’m praying for people, like how Moffat calls that out in Boom on Doctor Who. We’re in the same boat of just understanding the emotions that Jess has expressed, and second the encouragement of any time off that Jess would need. Yeah, we concurred about loving the sort of Columbo type of thing of the fun of watching and waiting to see our heroes catch up to what’s going on. That is in effect here where we know that this war is not one that the Federation’s involved in, and you experience the suspense of seeing our heroes figure out what’s up. Tis indeed a ballsy move with them destroying the one ship. Now you mention it, yeah, we never do get follow up, (and your comment infers that there’s no Lower Decks episode,) and there would have been plenty of room to explore. Like how the Federation’s largely left off the hook. I would have assumed that they offered MacDuff as a sacrificial lamb as it were, but it sounds like he got killed before that could happen. It was impressive how it took sustained fire to take him down. Great how you, Jess, and I, we’re all offering the praise of how they have the neat twist of playing with the trope of a random crew member who just happened to be on the bridge getting caught up in the drama is in fact behind all this. MacDuff nudging the crew does become more apparent on rewatch. His having the Treadstone mindset derails the plan as he underestimates the latent compassion and morals of the crew. Les Landau feels like one of the more unsung directors of the series. He did Déjà Q which is my favorite, and his work is always good. The camera work was impressive. Had to google the Spike quote as the first thought was Monty Python’s the Meaning of Life, but I knew that the dialogue was different. And I have heard the comparisons made with The Orville as it pertains to Data in this one. Not entirely sure, now I think about it, if I did catch this one when I first saw this show in my early twenties. The uncomfortable shit, I can see that it is the sort of things that just didn’t cross most people’s (or at least generally men’s) minds. You have the silver lining of you clocked the screwed up gender dynamics in Forbidden Planet, so as you say, it’s not like you were completely ignorant of the problematic shit. It is life, how as we get older, we contend with how we weren’t at our best in our younger years, and we try to learn from that. Can see Michelle having that one thought. Somewhat related to that, how you say they never speak of what happened again. As I recall, there is an allusion to it in one episode. But the allusion to it is just vague enough that the audience can choose to interpret it differently. And the last thing you said, I forgot to mention that I too like that initial scene between Ro and Riker, where her idea, Riker concedes she may be onto something. The issue he has is that she implemented it without running it by Riker first. Sounds like how when fans of the Third Sister said how the other Inquisitors unfairly shat on her for the kidnapping Leia plot to draw Obi-Wan out. And my problem was that, the Third Sister’s real goal aside, she forms her plan on an extreme leap of logic, and as the Grand Inquisitor points out, she just went and executed her scheme without consulting anyone. Yeah, the Grand Inquisitor knows her real goal, but his point is valid, evidenced by the Fourth Sister looking pissed off with the Third Sister for likely the same reasons. Similar thing here where Riker’s on the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” thought, yet he does acknowledge room for change, and he minds how Ro went about it.
Thomas Corp
2026-01-28 00:45:22 +0000 UTCI used to say Worf had the best pose in the captain's chair ever, which has since been likely permanently usurped by Nahla Ake, the most autistic sitter in all of Trek which Holly Hunter reportedly just came up with on the spot, and the directors just kept letting her do it.
Ryan
2026-01-28 00:03:33 +0000 UTCRegarding Rocco, it's one of those times where I find myself with no idea of what to say, since I've been through this situation several times now and I can't stop being afraid it'll come off as empty as a lot of things people said felt to me at the time. So all I can really get out is that I do fully understand the emotions you're going through, and any time off you need is perfectly fine. I've recently said here a couple times that a story based around the audience having information the characters don't and waiting for them to catch up to us can work under the right circumstances, and this is exactly what I meant. From the start, we're well aware that the whole war is fake, and the entire tension is begging anyone to figure it out. And it has the guts to actually have our heroes slaughter a bunch of people before that happens, which was a huge shock on my first viewing. It's kind of too bad we never hear of either of these species again, as the Federation's desperation to make amends while the Lysians are very understandably hesitant at further relations could have been a great story to check in on from time to time. And MacDuff's species having similar pitiful technology but also being so physically tough that it takes a much longer sustained phasering than usual to put him down could lead to some neat action scenes. Speaking of, his whole involvement is a very cool meta twist on how the show so often has these one shot crew members, even casting a typical day player actor rather than a bigger name that could raise suspicion. This guy's so pathetic he couldn't even be killed by the real Jason Voorhees. And on rewatch you can indeed see how from the very start he's nudging everyone to where he wants them. His one mistake is assuming everyone is Jason Bourne, willing to shoot a random stranger just because their boss tells them to, never imagining they could have a basic level of decency even with their memories gone. I'll just assume there was an offscreen scene where Picard says "You Englishmen are always so...bloody hell. Sodding, blimey, shagging, knickers, bollocks. Oh god, I'm English." I also get a real kick these days out of Data thinking he might be a Kaylon. And I have to shout out director Les Landau, who's been with the show from the start and never really stood out that much, but really steps up here with numerous unusual camera angles on these sets that constantly make you feel everyone's disorientation. Then there's the other big part of the story, and much like K'heylar's fridging, it's something I have to uncomfortably look at and wonder how I could have missed how screwed up it is watching the show as a teenager. I guess that just shows how this simply wasn't something that crossed most people's minds (most men, at least) until more recent years. And around this same time I also had my first viewing of Forbidden Planet and did catch how screwed up those gender dynamics were, so I wasn't coming at it from total ignorance. And I have to imagine by this point Michelle was thinking "Is this all this role is going to be now? When do we get back to all that cool stuff from my first time?" If memory serves, it's never once referenced again, so we can all feel free to just remove it from headcanon. And I do still really appreciate their scene at the start, where it seems Riker is back on his same crap from before, but then it turns out his problem is just that she didn't check in with him, and he very well might have approved of her idea.
Ryan
2026-01-27 23:55:02 +0000 UTCNow to the more serious topic. Writing a separate comment to address the last part of the video. So, the news about Rocco is bad. My deepest sympathies to you about Rocco. I was worried that you were going to get such a prognosis. The heart shatters hearing you inform us of Rocco’s present health condition. Brings back memories twenty-two years ago of my cat Muffin. Well, there was never a vet’s visit, but she got sick around this time of year, and you could tell that it was nearing the end. She died around late February/early March. Since her death, I never have had the strength to get another cat. The way you describe how you’ve been in a sort of limbo following the news, I get it, had that with Muffin. I don’t blame you for taking as much time as you want to spend with Rocco. And the limbo you describe, I get it with how the uncertainty just fucks with you some. It also makes me think of Dad, as the situation sounds similar. That’s five years ago come the spring when Dad had the accident that led to the last two month stretch of him in the hospital, then the nursing home, then back to the hospital, then ultimately to hospice, which the last one wasn’t even half a week. Like what you said, the prognosis was made of there just wasn’t going to be any getting better, and any further real treatment was only going to hurt more than it helped. Hence Dad’s decision to enter hospice, or whatever fucking alternate term people use these days as a failure to cushion the blow. And as mentioned, there is that limbo. In my case, as I say, it wasn’t even a week, even though the doctors said possibly a month if we were lucky. For your sake and Rocco’s sake, I pray that you both have as much time as possible. No worries if anything is delayed; you do NOT need to apologize for any of that, Jess. I don’t think I was pushing too much for you to react to things, though I know I did say quite a few movies on the suggestion, which can be spaced out if needed. Duly noted on easing up on suggesting too much. And I’m making notes of what movies not to recommend for a good long while. The way you talk about sleeping on the couch so Rocco can have the bedroom sounds familiar. Similar types of things over years past when taking care of Dad. Recently, Mom’s had some bad back pain, and there’s been some tough times there, one such bad spell was six years ago. Last two real road trips/vacations with her, my brother, and sister in-law, my brother and I were pretty insistent that Mom has the front seat to be easier on her back. Or like a decade ago, we had to get new pipes for the house, leaving me sort of blocked off from my bed, so I took the couch in the living room for a week plus. Mom offered to take the couch, but with her back, it wouldn’t be good, so I took it. Hear the back pain/discomfort that you weather through to help those that you love. Obviously, yes, I don’t know exactly what you’re going through. All the same, I feel your pain; it is resonant. I just offer my prayers to you and Rocco both, which probably may not do much, but it’s what I can give to you. Many hugs. Come what may: I am thinking about you and Rocco. And for what it’s worth, I am sorry about the very unfortunate news, Jess. Guess that’s all I have to say.
Thomas Corp
2026-01-27 21:13:48 +0000 UTCWe have been having a couple of doozies lately, yes. “What a batch of episodes we’re in right now.”, like you said. We have a memory loss episode for this one, and memory loss episodes are usually great. Monk had a particularly good one. Nice opening. The drink that Data whipped up looked deadly. Ends up being a mixed bag of an episode for you. Fair enough. Great concept, great potential with stuff that we both love. How well it comes across is down to personal taste. Again, fair that you have the response that you had. It is an intriguing concept, as you describe it, how they tap into who they are deep down, and how they act in situations where they are without a full understanding of their dilemma. It is shown, just not as much as it could have been. Adore the pride you had in Worf’s confidence in assuming he was the captain now. Lovely how when the files show Picard is captain, Worf offers apologies and Picard has the “No harm, no foul” mentality as given the absence of memories, and the available evidence, Worf’s supposition was not an unreasonable one. And as you note, Worf in the captain’s chair calling the shots was a teeny bit iconic. Love all the words you say about what we could have explored, for instance how you say how Beverly could have gotten some good character exploration. A fun little Easter egg is the birthdays of Picard, Deanna, and Data match those of the cast. Strangely enough Beverly has a different birthday than Gates does, and Ro’s is likewise different from Michelle’s by about a week. What’s the significance of that, I wonder? I do observe Beverly’s birthday is the same as a very dear friend of mine, so that’s a lovely, lovely thing. Sweeter than sweet is the scene of Geordi and Data having the quality bestie time, memory loss be damned. Adore your reactions to their ponderances of Data’s being an android on the Enterprise. They were slick with MacDuff (Or is it “Other Guy”? Love that.) and his chicanery. You initially don’t think much of MacDuff’s presence; random crewmembers are introduced like he is all the time. You point that out yourself of there’s many episodes that have random crewmembers on the bridge that are given focus. It’s how we met Barclay. Or you think of M*A*S*H, and note how Nurse Kellye, Igor, and Zale aren’t even in the first season, and it takes a long time until we first see Rizzo. You just think that MacDuff getting focused on is something similar here. The only real tip off before the bigger red flags is that before the memory loss, he already has the first officer insignia on his collar, and it’s easy to miss if you don’t know to look for it. The HD remasters make that easier to spot. Unsurprisingly, the red flags of MacDuff being listed as first officer is when the first pieces start to slide into place. Love how you had “What the fuck is with this asshole, who is he!?” types of responses to that. We about matched when MacDuff starts jumping the gun with such vehemence, which is where the picture starts becoming even less opaque. One incongruity that strangely never really gets brought up is that it’s remarkably odd for a war ship to have children onboard. One could think that maybe the crew adds that to the mounting pile of evidence that the story they’re fed just doesn’t wash. MacDuff underestimated Picard being such a rational man, Deanna’s brilliance, and of course you have such a great response to how although Geordi doesn’t have his memories, he’s still fierce with the engineering excellence. And good how they clock shit. Like we brought up two episodes ago, an improbable coincidence is not completely out of the question, but when it’s far too neat and convenient, then it really sets off alarm bells, as it does for our heroes here. If nothing else, it’s very clear to the crew that some form of sabotage is in play. I got triggered, and had strong rage when he deceived Beverly, yelling, “All right, now you’re crossing some fucking LINES, sir!!” and when he said “sorry”, I snapped, “Oh, fuck your “sorry”, ya little bitch!!” Love your own reaction, and it’s fun how we mirror with reactions MacDuff talking about “moral discomfort” by essentially saying, “Here’s the thing: I don’t give a fuck about your “moral discomfort”, you meat headed shit sack. That’s more or less the thing.” His other fatal mistake is underestimating Worf. How, like me, the Klingons favor the challenge of battle, and that what MacDuff wants them to do, it’s far too one sided, that there is no honor in it; it’s not a fair fight. They took out MacDuff fast in the end. Then there are the very sweet scenes of the Deanna/Riker of it all. That thing of what you said of the lingering connection that shines through even with the memory loss. You said it better than I just did, and it is up there on the list, romantic-wise. Makes a man yell at the writers, “What’s all this crud about no such Picard/Beverly scenes of that!?” But then again, given the other aspects that I’ll talk about next, we might have dodged a bullet with horrific writing there. Now to talk about it. I KNEW you’d hate the Ro/Riker scenes, and the way your face fell at seeing Ro in Riker’s quarters exceeds all expectations. You get flashbacks of the infamous Tasha/Data scene back in the second episode. To be fair, the idea of Ro/Riker, I mean, I’ve seen worse ships. Don’t like what happens here, same as you. Similarly, we concur that if deep down the two are into each other, that’s their business. You don’t have these hookups when you have no memories. Fine by me that you harp on it. And I wouldn’t blame you if you jumped out your window, as it feels a valid response to this goddamn nonsense. Riker gets told off. In complete fairness, Ro was the one who made the first move, so I wouldn’t lay all that shit at Riker’s feet. He is at fault, I mean, that one’s a given. The worst part is the comedic tone of that last scene, as you talked about in the post episode thoughts, which is about my assessment as well. And yes, Deanna is a trooper. Good point on it sends a bad look for what it says about Riker’s character. So, rule established for the Star Trek universe: No fucking anybody when the crew has memory loss/inhibitions are tampered with/consent is highly questionable. This a rule. Make it so. You always speak so eloquently on these topics, Jess, and it’s always much appreciated. Just as this reaction is much appreciated.
Thomas Corp
2026-01-27 21:13:44 +0000 UTC
