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UNCUT - Cost of Living (TNG S5E20) | Star Trek Journey 227

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UNCUT - Cost of Living (TNG S5E20) | Star Trek Journey 227

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When HoloGPT is tasked to create creepy WIzard of Oz set in a hippie commune. Slightly redeemed by Worf looking like a chastised puppy who is forced to take a bath after a good romp in the mud. B-

temsik28

I promise if that old gross guy was naked I would say the same thing. Old saggy people going around naked in public are a target, male or female. In fact, I would have more fun of the guy with the missing willy because it has shrunk inside his old flabby body. Not sure where the older man - younger woman BS came from. But you have a good time being offended by a Sex Scoreboard counting mythical rompings by fictional people. I never made a comment against Lux being sexually active and hunting even for younger guys in earlier eps, , good for her. Older people can look regal, distinguished, even beautiful but not naked. And for the record, I am old and I would be gross to anyone looking at me in public which is why I keep my flabby ass covered.

Prof Moff

Wow! I see that misogyny is alive and well. So an older woman should not appear unclothed (not that we saw anything ) because she is disgusting? Is it age that makes her disgusting? I think Lwaxana is actually extremely attractive and there is no reason why the groom would be shocked by her appearance. Funny how men have no issue with older men pursuing attractive young women but get a fit of the vapours whenever an older woman admits to having needs of her own. Lwaxana admits to Alexander she is alone and choices become more limited as you age. Why should a free spirit like Lwaxana be judged by any man?

Jill Barker

Love Lwaxana and Alexander’s relationship. I wonder if the very male oriented views of most of your followers actually distorts from a balanced viewpoint of episodes like this. There seem to be very few women commenting or following these threads. This little boy is desperate for some mothering love in his life and neither Worf or Troi is supplying that. He has lost his mother in traumatic circumstances and been forced to see her dead body. He is being raised in a strict Klingon tradition but he had a half human mother. Lwaxana shows more empathy and compassion for Alexander than anyone else in his life, and that is why he loves her. I love the way they share smiles when she appears nude at her wedding. He is not in the least bothered whether she is clothed or not- I don’t think Klingons are prudes! Frankly, I am not bothered about any other plot line in the episode. Also huge respect to Majel Barrett for being so emotionally open and generous in this role so soon after losing Gene.

Jill Barker

You’d think, wouldn’t you? I, like they, am American, and unfortunately, telling that to most of my countrymen is…well, like trying to get Worf to laugh: *very nearly* impossible, given that Guinan once got that very full laugh from him…but only the once.

Ragnarok

Yes being upset of a scene in which an old woman is nude in front of children and some sex dancer is in front of a kid. I guess call me prude. I guess I would call that moral.

Carl Peterson

I’m surprised with all the comments foreshadowing future bad episodes / seasons of TNG & DS9. FWIW, I don’t agree with doing that. We are here to experience Josh’s & Alex’ first time seeing these episodes.

Ron Hubbard Jr

@Target Audience It's all good I just found it funny. I was initially one of the people who were upset by the rating of Darmok, but then I realized I was being a dumbass. It's an opinion, and yours is not more or less valid than mine and vice versa. Considering The Inner Light though.... just kidding, I don't know what rating you've given it yet, but whatever it is the same logic applies. And if we indeed call ourselves Star Trek fans we ought to embrace the Vulcan IDIC philosophy.

Marko

Angry? Why?

Derek Orr

Excellent point

Derek Orr

Single plots are boring

Derek Orr

More appearances maybe but I’m pretty sure actual screen time and dialogue lines are way more for Luxwana

Derek Orr

And which one is the side one

Derek Orr

Wtf? Body shaming much?

Derek Orr

They really are. It’s fascinating how thats come back in the past 15 years or so. Puritan prudish standards are cool again or something

Derek Orr

Seriously. It’s really shocking how current reactors are so prudish. I don’t just mean our boys here.

Aramis Calcutt

Exactly and its wild how things have regressed and gone backwards in the past 10-15 years

Derek Orr

Uncomfortable?

Derek Orr

I agree, but a “good” b-plot should still directly relate to the main plot. Like in TOS when Scotty would be fixing the ship while the big 3 was down on a planet to save them. Even then though…. The best episodes typically have 1 plot imo.

Josh (Target Audience)

Darmok should’ve been cuter I guess

Josh (Target Audience)

Comparing this episode to A Piece of the Action is diabolical

Josh (Target Audience)

Klingon mud farts are the worst..🔥

Badger

Especially with this episode with Alexander and Lwaxana.

Collin Freeman

On first watch let’s face it - you’re not going to have a clue what to grade this, it’s a mess of great directing and performances vs a terrible, AWFUL A & B ploys that have no relevance to each other. It’s like someone’s son or daughter in Paramount came up with the idea and the director gave their damned best effort to make it work

Worf and Riker Ride Again

It’s like ChatGPT and DeepSeek having a chat with the A and B plots

Worf and Riker Ride Again

After watching this episode again with you guys, I’m downgrading my E grade to an F. Great directing but the WTF is the story?! Like, who wrote this? And why? It makes me angry!

Worf and Riker Ride Again

It isn't, Masks from S7 , now that's terrible

Scarpad’s Domain

Yeah, but this episode is terrible

Worf and Riker Ride Again

It sure is. It was fine, but it had already been done similarly on the show, so it was about as interesting as an earthworm.

Jovet

Best thing was Lwaxana connecting with Alexander and it was fun to see Worf in mudbath. Side plot was so mediocre and bad. Lwaxana episodes are many times funny. But some how I do not like this episode very much.

Kimmo Siniluoto

Josh and Alex. Don't forget Majel was basically Riker in the pilot episode The Cage.

James Baloun

yeah violence up the yazoo but no breasties

Scarpad’s Domain

You always say you want an episode with lots of character development,m they do it and you don't like it WTF , it's supposed to be a lightheareted episode Lile Piece of the action they all can't be dead serious

Scarpad’s Domain

Don't be prudes

Scarpad’s Domain

TNG was before they figureed out they could have a single plot tht was non Sci fi. Now thats all Nutrek is, I think the boys will like touchy feely trek, I Don't

Scarpad’s Domain

For me, the main thing wrong with a B plot is that it exists only because the A plot is not substantial enough to fill up 40 minutes, in which case they should have come up with a different A plot. I can't imagine "Yesterday's Enterprise " or "First Duty" with a comedic little B plot about Worf or Data learning a musical instrument or people doing yoga.

Ken R

https://discord.gg/D3WerfGj

Timothy Nikiforovs

Juggler: Oh... I was just juggling, and I happened to catch one in my mouth. It tasted good, so I ate it. Before I knew it, I'd eaten up every one of my worlds. Capt. Picard: We're not qualified to be your judges. We have no law to fit your crime Producers: We are making an episode called "Cost of Living" that centers on Dorf and Lwaxana Troi. Capt. Picard: We're not qualified to be your judges. We have no law to fit your crime.

Paul O'Neal

The side plot is pure chatgpt

ShazD

I tell my friends that this is the episode where the Enterprise has termites. 😏😂

Christopher Dorn

Barrett is easily more memorable as Lwaxana just because Chapel, in my opinion, was never much of a character. She could've been more but TOS never spent enough time on her. She had many more appearances than Lwaxana, but most of those were just as "a nurse."

Joe Concepts

What about Lwaxana talking to the computer.. basically she's talking to herself.

Michael Metrick

This episode is like an AI-written fever dream. Enjoyable in places, painfully not thought out in others. There are aspects of both the A and B plots that would make good standalone eps but most of the B plot has been done, and done better. I like Majel Barret in this one, she comes off as more endearing than ever, but it's not enough to save it.

THE LORE!!!

Yeah def not an ass ep. compared to future ones. I actually love Lwaxana episodes. Her character is such a joy and always makes me smile. Her relationship with Alexander is so sweet. The characters in the holodeck are annoying, but otherwise a mid episode.

HS

She refers to it as something or other Colony so I think it’s a real place or a reproduction of a real place?

Philbot

I think I’d go for a “Shades of Grey” marathon than watching this episode…

Ron Hubbard Jr

Americans, scared of a little nudity ;)

AzoriusMage

Fine is a low bar

AzoriusMage

Sorry, I can't find the link (and I don't use Discord). I'm sure someone will be able to drop it here soon.

Jovet

Thank God the guys are not repeating the month lasting break between seasons

Sam Langanke

As Gene's 'torchbearer" he defenitely is also responsible for the half and full naked ladies.

Sam Langanke

The power of plot armor is still strong. Stupid writing happens all the time, it's part of the charm of the show. Keeps it humble.

Jovet

@paultardspambot The Parallax Colony on Shiralea VI are both likely to be real places. There is also no need to assume it's Betazoid. The free-spiritness of 60s hippies surely extends beyond just one planet.

Jovet

Well, there was a nudist school scene...😁

David Wayne Fox

The only thing really wrong with the "B" plot is that it was so similar to ones we had already seen.

Jovet

I don't recall Mame! having a hippie colony scene... 😉

Jovet

Nah, this one is okay. It's not great, it's not awful. "Actually ass" is still coming.

Jovet

I thought it was fine.

Jovet

The groom wasn't disgusted! The groom was captivated! The protocol master was horrified! haha

Jovet

On Discord.

Jovet

Is there a thread where we as a community can talk spoilers amongst ourselves in relation to this channel without Alex and Josh up in our business lol?

Sequiro

The Sex Scoreboard apologizes for the delay in this update. We found it hard to stop vomiting long enough when watching this...... episode. There are no additions in an episode centered around a wedding. Of course the reason is right before there might have some horizontal happenings Luxanna went naked and the groom ran away in disgust. You may say it was because of his culture but I think it was him looking at her.

Prof Moff

Yeah B plot so unnecessary and as a result rushed and also they would be dead so many times with Data

AzoriusMage

If you two prudes are disturbed by a holodeck character dancing in a bodysuit, how are you going to handle "This Ain't Star Trek XXX" when you get to it?!?

Regan

Worse than bad tbh. There's a lot of episodes I don't like but this is one of the few i'd say is actually ass.

Spencer Loften

for the people who are ick, thats your projection on to it. That is a product of worrying about legitimate concenrs, but in this case we are dealing with a character from a race that is not at all sexually restrained due to their telepathy and how that evolved with their culutre. A Betazoid kids fantasy non sense answer might also include a sensual dancing woman. In betazoid culture it is normal to be naked at weddings. Nudity in and of itself isnt something that has to be inherently sexual. Its all really arbitrary when you think about how all the subtle rules about what was appropriate to wear evlved over time... I didn't see that scene as sexual anymore then the other children at betazed see their culture as "wrong" because everyone goes naked and its just a whole different alien existence. I'm surprised at how many people missed this considering what we have already learned about Betazed

paultardspambot .

The Higher, the Fewer. This saying has an interesting life that can be traced back to steam engines. This peculiar saying "Why does a mouse when it spins? The Higher, The Fewer." relates to a certain type of governor on steam engines, whereby revolutions of the engine are reduced if a spinning weight (mouse) is lifted up a shaft by its centrifugal force, releasing steam pressure and ensuring fewer revs: the higher, the fewer. Such systems were common on static engines like those found originally in cotton mills in the heyday of the steam revolution. Over time, "Why does a mouse when it spins? wit the answer being "The higher the fewer" took on a memetic life as a meaningless riddle and niche literary joke re-used in many contexts. Likely people heard the original riddle and didnt understand the answer was you were talking about steam boat mechanics as not many people knew about them, so thought they were "nonsense riddles" which ironically spread them much more successfully as memes." The use of the phrase in the way it is used is esentially as a satire of a meaningful statement, which is consistent with the literary history of how it was understoof and used.

paultardspambot .

The life support thing wasn't confusing. You saw them actively moving people to conserve life support, the whole ship is aware of what is going and is co-orinated, we see a time jump to when thy are passed out and data executes the plan.

paultardspambot .

I didnt think it was a real colony, its clearly a betazoid program for childrn. Children's books can have some pretty odd stuff, so it shouldnt be surprising a Betazoid program would be bizzare and "nightmar fuel" to some. I think this is confirmed by the childish characters versus the "entertainment" which wouldn't be a contrast in Betazoid culture

paultardspambot .

Apparently it was Rick Berman who kept insisting on those b plots that guys like Moore hated.

paultardspambot .

well I think they were supposed to childish characters, so big and overacting would fit if this was a betazoid thing for kids. I don't think its a real place.

paultardspambot .

I think I hate this episode. This is so bad.

Kimmo Siniluoto

You're not the only one. ;) Lwaxana as Auntie Mame is always a cozy treat on TNG.

ScotchBeard78

Oh Cost of Living, after giving us such a strong Lwxanna episode they give us this just boring 🥱

Darren Seal

Well, that's one is done with. Thank fuck. Peter Allan Fields had previously written for Half A Life, and he does have a number of other trek credits, pretty much all of which range from decent to S+ tier fan favourites, so this is definitely his worst work.

Timothy Nikiforovs

That was a super-boring B-plot, even given how it started hot in media res via the cold open. Also, the corrosion -> enterprise breakdowns was dealt with way better in Barclay's debut, Hollow Pursuits. Very similar, yet that was the way to handle a B-plot, where it mixes perfectly with the A-plot

Ian Westcott

He did have some in one part of his construction...........he's no longer "fully functional"

Timothy Nikiforovs

I know I said I haven't seen this in a while and that I might change my opinion while I watch it with you guys. Well it's worse then I remember it, and I originally gave it a D. This is border line E for me. But let's say D-. But damn... Josh still graded this higher than Darmok. That is both hilarious and disturbing :D

Marko

Oh man. I totally forgot this was the one with Tony Jay in it. Which just speaks to how much they wasted the GOAT. Seriously, if you've never heard that man's vocal performances in anything, you are depriving yourself. Bridge Crew, get 'ReBoot' on your suggestion list! His work as villain Megabyte is just *chef's kiss.*

Nolan

Maybe this reference is too old, but I wonder if anybody else has noticed this is basically Auntie Mame on Star Trek.

David Wayne Fox

Yea I always thought it was very in line with a liberated future society.

Philbot

😞 I love Majel she’s kinda a comedic genius.

Philbot

The Juggler made the most of a minor character! I like when he’s juggling 2 and he mirrors the 3rd ball.

Philbot

Soongs superior construction methods.

Philbot

B story reminds me of Wes and the Nanites..

Philbot

I really love Grandma Majel her and Alexander’s relationship saves this episode. Idk about the “hippie” colony it’s the future I think they are less hung up on nudity. Hell Europe is more free wheeling than us!

Philbot

Peter Allan Fields probably shouldn't take the blame for the B-story. I don't know for a fact that Rick Berman shoehorned mortal peril into this one, but that was the sort of thing he was doing to other episodes around this time.

bab

Are any B plots needed? When thinking of the best episodes, did they tend to have B plots?

Ken R

Hey they can't all be good!

Michael Metrick

Not all of it.

Michael Metrick

Hahahah

Josh (Target Audience)

God I always hated this episode, and I remember vividly that so many times I would sit down to watch an episode of Star Trek The next generation reruns on TV and this episode would start and then I would realize what episode it was and I would just turn it off.

John Rose

Lwaxana stole the show on this one, shamefull A for me 😜

Dan Here

Also some seeds are laid in s1 that pay off great in later seasons. Yeah, I don’t have a lot of back to back eps that I like until S3 but they are better than tng early seasons. Plus I’ll enjoy seeing the show through their perspectives. I want to see what sticks with them, and the things they noticed.

Sainjl

I didn't remember this one at all on Patron Takes. After rewatching it? I now understand why it got flushed from my memory before. A few cute/nice character bits, cool action intro, and a whole lotta boooooring.

Lovok

I agree the B plot is unnecessary and uninteresting, but I love the Lwaxana / Alexander storyline.

Bret Kay

They transferred warp power to life support after they got out of warp. All fixed! ;-)

Bret Kay

Good thing Data didn't have any Nitrium in him huh?

Jason Lallathin

Other than some of the things you mentioned about Majel Barrett, I pretty much loathe this episode. The cringey part for me was not the nudity in front of Alexander... please, I'm a child of the 60s and 70s. It was the other guest stars overacting, from the silly floating head to the Priority Chaparone or whatever he was called. Big D for dumb.

David Wayne Fox

Only one way to get to the meat of DS9 and it's through season 1.

Michael Nemo

Stop what?

Michael Nemo

I absolutely ABHOR this episode and anything that has anything to do with Majel Barrett anytime she is not a disembodied voice speaking as the computer.

Evan Guthrie

I think I rated this an E when the poll went up because of the uncomfortable stuff with Alexander and the adults plus a forgettable B plot and then just the other odd holodeck stuff, but watching the whole thing again tonight reminded me there are also some nice Lwaxana moments, so if I voted again I'd upgrade to a D.

Forbidden Donut

Prepare to be disapointed. Have you personally tried to watch first season ds9 recently? its crap.

Alan Thompson

Josh, was that a tear I saw when Lwaxana is talking about growing older and having to compromise to not be alone....it certainly looked like your eyes were a bit glassy there :)

Matthew Ganz

Yeah that always bugged me

tyranusfan

It would have been much better if it had just been about Lwaxana. Dock the ship above Betazed and just play out the character stories.

tyranusfan

On this re-watch, I quite enjoyed it. Lwaxana and Alexander are quite endearing. And I appreciate the continued suggestion of a society that is not as hung up on nudity and shame.

Aramis Calcutt

I hated this episode a lot less on this rewatch. Particularly since Deanna has taken on a next of kin/godmother role with Dworf, Lwaxana did a great job as a kind of grandmother - it was kinda cute that this is his weird little family. ALSO - Goddamn you two for pointing out Patrick Stewart's wild inability to act out a mild jostle. I can't unsee it now!

Chris

Little better on rewatch than I remember. Still not great

Greg Quinn

Yeah I pretty much agree. I mean I guess once you don't have further damage they can "patch things up" reroute things, so on. 🤷‍♂️

Greg Quinn

The metal parasites was also kinda a call back to the episode where Riker is doing the officer exchange on the Klingon ship

Greg Quinn

The whole nitrium thing was stupid. Even if they get rid of the parasites, the damage they've done is still present. So all of the systems, including life support, would still be damaged, not come back to perfectly normal. You're both right: this B-plot was 100% unnecessary and stupid.

Collin Freeman

It appeared to me that when Brian Bonsell (Alexander) looks up at Majel Barrett after she gives her "I'm alone" dialog, his eyes looked like he was about to cry but holding back. I wonder how difficult that was for her and the crew to shoot.

Collin Freeman

we're like 2-3 months away from ds9 at least. please stop. it's already annoying.

penoyer79

I always considered this a filler episode for the season, the best is yet to come

The_Truth

Unwatchable to me. I can't stand Lwaxana. Bring on DS9 already. ;)

Michael Nemo

This is the first time I ever just jumped 45min ahead to just hear the discussion and move on, this is episode is just crap and nothing else needs to be said of it.

Alan Thompson

This is an odd one. I always kinda liked it, just for the oddity of it, and some nice character moments for Lwaxana, but it's not a top tier episode.

Kat

Despite the fact the cost of living is so high, It’s still pretty popular!

Thicketdweller


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