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UNCUT REACTION - Star Trek TNG S3E3 - The Survivors

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UNCUT REACTION - Star Trek TNG S3E3 - The Survivors

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Hey there guys, i used to think this one was a bit creepy because of the music playing in Troi's head used to freak me out haha i was like 10 when i first saw this 😅 as an adult i love this episode now especially the alien saying that he killed an entire race with one thought 😳 great twist ending.

The Darkside Gamer

What was great about this episode? - An immortal near-omnipotent being that has lived too long as a human and therefore, in a moment of weakness, elminated an entire species from our galaxy. - Okay, that unfortunately requires a little philosophical treatise. Wiping out 50 billion intelligent beings of all ages in one fell swoop is surely an evil act. However, he probably did our galaxy a favor - after all, these beings were basically of negative intelligence. Of course, this cannot apply to every single individual, nor to children who have not yet had a chance at anything. We chalk the point up to a "great philosophical point." - Picard was the first to see through the whole thing. Just wow! - The way, the creature tried to trick the Enterprise. - The conflict between the pacifist and the mass murderer. Yes, there's so much meat to it; I could make a third point out of it. - How the whole crew trusts their captain. I think that's cool too - without explanation - simply because the captain believes it. Everyone goes along with it. - I'd really like to see a "Dought" (or whatever they're called) in the cage with a "Q". - I really liked seeing that when push comes to shove, the Enterprise will stand up for two people to the end. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) no pressure

Adam from Germany

Encounter at Farpoint

JHVJ

A being(or race of beings) that can, in a fit of grief or rage, annihilate an entire race of 50 Billion, without the ability to bring even one life back. Terrifying to think about. I'm sure this is part of what Q was thinking about in "Q Who" when he warned Picard about "terrors to freeze your soul". He wasn't exaggerating.

Chris Mickelson

ah thanks now i see

Narnman

Dumb question but... how do I download it?

Dan Halstead

Note that "Tao" is pronounced "Dao," making your confusion understandable.

Anthony Bernacchi

Did my comment about the season finale get deleted because too many spoilers? I do think you guys need to not watch it the "wrong way" and be aware of the rumors being spread prior to the episode which puts you in the mindstate fans had going into it and be aware its considered the high water mark of all trek.

David Kunard

The wife isnt necessarily him exactly. Presumably if he's powerful enough, he could make an illusion that operates on its own thoughts and attitudes. Starfleet can do with this holodeck, it doesn't seem like there would be much point in creating a companion whose every movement you control, surely this guy can create an illusion with their own apparent personality and agency even if he understands its not really his wife.

David Kunard

I was hoping for episode 4 today, but that didn't happen. Are they going to be Sunday releases now? 🙌🏾

Jovet

Dude, she's already worn a starfleet uniform

Timothy Nikiforovs

I was thinking "Friday" by Rebecca Black.

Burrito Vampire

“What’s wrong, Ani?” “I—I killed them. I killed them all. They’re dead. Every single one of them. And not just the men, but the women and the children too. They’re like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals! I hate them!” Working title: “The Veiled Planet.” The final title is reminiscent of that of the TAS episode “The Survivor.” Both titles are ironic: that of the TAS episode refers to Carter Winston, who initially survived a spacecraft accident but has died by the time of the episode, in which a shape-shifting Vendorian impersonates him, while in the TNG episode there is only one survivor, not two. The first two episodes of TNG Season 3, although good, reflect the show’s struggle to settle in with a fresh writing staff at the beginning of the season. With “The Survivors,” we finally reach the fabled era which people have been telling you about since the beginning of TOS, in which TNG achieves a consistency of quality comparable to that of TOS Seasons 1 and 2. This is not to say that every remaining TNG episode is a masterpiece, or even that you will like all of them (although I like “The Survivors” very much). Not everyone agrees that TNG’s middle seasons are its best. For example, the media critic L. I. Underhill, whose essays about Star Trek are available on the Eruditorum Press website, considers TNG Seasons 2, 3 and 4 to be inferior to Seasons 1, 6 and 7. In other words, whereas other fans think that TNG’s quality followed a positive bell curve over its seven seasons, Underhill thinks the bell curve was negative. (They agree with fandom at large, however, that TNG Season 5 is good, although Underhill considers it not as good as Season 1.) The fan consensus, however, is that we have reached the “broad, sunlit uplands” of excellence in the Star Trek franchise, across which we will be traveling for the next few years. (Yes, TNG Season 7 is uneven, but it is concurrent with DS9 Season 2, which is quite good, I understand.) As I have mentioned before, my late mother could not stand Deanna Troi because she regarded her empathic powers as an intolerable violation of the privacy of everyone around her. It is both embarrassing and heartwarming to remember how Mom loved this episode’s scenes of the sound of the music box tormenting Troi, and the gleeful schadenfreude she felt at Kevin Uxbridge turning Troi’s powers against her. Of course, Mom would have had more sympathy for Troi if she had been a real person rather than a fictional character. According to Ex Astris Scientia, a Star Trek fan website, the Uxbridges’ music box is commercially available but does not play the same melody as in the episode. (I presume Dennis McCarthy composed the melody, although the Revised Final Draft script states, “Any convenient waltz music will do for the music.”) John Anderson (Kevin Uxbridge) appeared in four episodes of the original "Twilight Zone," the same number as Jack Klugman or Burgess Meredith (although in smaller roles): “A Passage for Trumpet” (starring Klugman), “The Odyssey of Flight 33,” “Of Late I Think of Cliffordville” and “The Old Man in the Cave.” Anne Haney (Rishon Uxbridge) appeared in the 1986 "Twilight Zone" episode “The Toys of Caliban” as well as in "Liar Liar." Three observations about this episode that occurred to me only on this rewatch: Rishon’s telling Data that her family heirloom is a music box may imply that they are no longer common in the 24th century; the real-world reason Troi insists on staying in her quarters was probably to save money by not lighting the Sickbay set that week; and an early hint to the final reveal about Kevin’s nature is Rishon’s description of him when they first met: “a starving student in a threadbare suit and mismatched shoes.” There is no reason such a person should exist in the Federation’s post-scarcity economy, least of all on Earth.

Anthony Bernacchi

My two worst experiences with music stuck in my head were with Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" and Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2.

Anthony Bernacchi

Ah, but what about "acres of clams"?

Anthony Bernacchi

The Enterprise's scanners would have recorded a great deal of information about the planet while they were in orbit, and presumably Kevin didn't falsify anything outside his and Rishon's property.

Anthony Bernacchi

SPOILER! Don't tell what Deanna wears at some point in the future.

Sam Langanke

I don't care about any of that because the emotional core resonates with me so much. There are (no spoilers) a couple of episodes in season 5 that are on almost every top 10 list that make no sense at their core, but nobody cares because the story hits. We all have our plot logic bugaboos. For me it's I can't get really into any episode (like The Enterprise Incident) where someone is "undercover" in alien makeup but can't speak the language.

John M.

Turns out just a glitch

JGoss

"Acres" could also be a figure of speech in the 24th century.

Jovet

The plot revolving around "Kevin" et all assuming that the only way to stop the Husnock attack was to kill them is very shortsighted. It really holds this story back, for me. On top of that, he keeps repeating "I will not kill" when he's done it 50 billion times, give or take. He didn't even kill to save a life. He's made a distastefully odd and unwise series of choices. I can understand that his living as a human for so long may have tainted his alienness, but he also never forgot what he is. And to add insult to injury, it seems very odd to me that there is (was) a colony-destroying race of angry aliens out there which had never ever been mentioned before. Such a threat would carry a level of infamy. I can still enjoy it, despite these flaws. Just not as much.

Jovet

I hope they continue to post them both on Patreon on the same day.

Jovet

@Ee'char “I needed more than a quick double-tap!” That's what K'Ehleyr said. 😏

Jovet

How much worse would it have been for Deanna if she had "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley playing on a loop in her head. The horror! Anyway, great episode, and I think you guys will dig it.

Paul O'Neal

This one does go under the radar for a lot of people, but it is quite a good episode. As others have said this is a much more mature and unique take on the "god like being" trope. Kevin is by all accounts on the surface a much more ethical and benevolent being compared to Q, yet as far as we know Q has never wiped out a species. He's a trouble maker, and he'll put individuals at risk, but he's not genocidal. Kevin isn't either, but choosing to live as a human he seems to have inherited some of our weaknesses that don't mesh with the kind of power he has. Had he not been so connected to Rishon and the other colonists, and merely been a stranger observing the events, I'd bet he would have been able to control himself. But seeing the husnock wipe out everyone he knew, a momentary lapse in judgement, a wave of anger, and their whole species was gone. Picard was right. Kevin would likely submit himself to punishment, whatever the federation might decide was sufficient, but if he decided he was done cooperating, there's nothing they could do. In the end, leaving him alone is for the best. If he remains grieving on planet, he's not hurting anyone. Given what they know he can do, provoking such a being is the last thing anyone should do. Also I'm right with Josh, seems like leaving Troi in a shuttle would have made sense, but seeing Kevin remove the music at the end makes me think distance wasn't the problem. Sirtis did a good job selling Troi losing her mind though. And yeah, that turquoise dress is probably my favourite of Troi's costumes, with the exception of her actually wearing a uniform. It's easier to take her seriously as a starfleet officer when she actually wears a starfleet uniform. And Worf was great as well. "Good tea, nice house" is such a meme😂

Timothy Nikiforovs

very well put

Timothy Nikiforovs

Great episode and a spike in the quality of writing great performance by Character actor Jon Anderson that has given so many good performances in his 50 year career

Scarpad’s Domain

34:20 Josh got it!!

Jovet

I love this episode. I don't think it stacks up to the usual suspects, but is definitely a personal favorite.

And the rest!

4:12 The shirt collar just looks so much better, too.

Jovet

Second Degree Genocide

Mosquito_Wenzi

While I love Trek for what it is…Damn! Seeing the Galaxy Class firepower in full mode is awesome! I forgot thats one of the reasons I love this episode, and the increased budget shows.Granted, they got their ass kicked, but the Enterprise freaking unloaded on the Husnok ship..

Chris S.

I think most people see it as a solid episode but nothing special. It's up at the top of my lists though.

Evan Guthrie

Kevin's act was killing in a crime of passion. Depending on the jurisdiction, that would qualify as second degree murder

JGoss

By definition genocide requires intent; but Kevin’s destruction of the Husnock came in “an instant of grief” - an almost knee-jerk reaction. It was not intentional by any human legal standard and couldn’t be described as genocide. Perhaps you could argue some sort of negligent homicide, but I even doubt you could apply a human understanding of negligence to Kevin’s act. In general legal theory, a crime requires a mens rea (gulity mind) and and actus reas (guilty act) for conviction. But when you’re a nearly omnipotent being whose thoughts become reality, no human understanding of a criminal act could apply.

Brian K

I think Data said "Tao classical music". I have no idea if such a thing exists; it's probably a 24th century thing!

Captain Proton

was there a sorta hint earlier did he say his wife studied Dowd music and he later turned out to be a Dowd?

Narnman

I don't particularly like this episode, and yet it's good. It's like much of S3.... All the episodes are good, regardless of how you feel about them. I'm really looking forward to E4, because that's one of my favorites of the season. (Aside from the obvious ones that everybody loves, but we'll leave those alone for the time being.)

John

on netflix it syncs well

Narnman

Uh, then why are you here? :) This has a 7.4, 7.5 usually on IMDB. It’s a 10 for me — probably my third fav this season.

John M.

I love this episode, but isn't that planet a giant crime scene that the Federation would want to have thoroughly investigated and memorialized? Or are colony wipes not a big deal once we're a star-faring species?

Charles D.

I figured everybody liked this episode. I try to stay out of the whole, "Opinion Tube" type shit. That's why I still like Star Trek discovery

harrypothead42024

I needed more than a quick double-tap!

Ee'char

The most underated episode of Trek IMHO, so I can't lose here. Either you like it and I say, "YES! So underated!" or you don't and I say, "SEE! So underated!"

John M.

https://images.app.goo.gl/LcKfraNoh14KJzrz6

Josh (Target Audience)

Yep, only beings like the Q or other "omnipotent" beings shown in other Star Trek series could really imprison or hold him accountable for his actions.

Dabo Master

I don't know if you realized it, Josh, but you mixed up an expression from TOS and TNG. In TOS a crew beaming on a planet is called "landing party", in TNG "away team". You said "away party".

Sam Langanke

@James Goss THANK YOU, you got exactly what I meant.

MrTickleTrunk

Yes, but it's a fine line between going around in circles and spiralling the plot forwards. I still think the intrigue of the lone surviving dwelling can only sustain the story for so long.

Numinous2019

Perhaps the line would've been better written as "we have no punishment to fit your crime". Kevin's unfathomable remorse at his own actions and self-imposed isolation are the only punishments possible.

Patrick47

Normally I'd agree that those appearances are filler, except that in this case they're also a key part of the plot and exposing Kevin's motivations.

Patrick47

Agreed, though I appreciate the attempt here to put a slightly different spin on it, with Kevin's omnipotence being more of a burden than a superpower.

Patrick47

One nice detail I forgot until watching just now was Riker clearly noticing Troi was hurting and watching her while still going on with the briefing. Nice little continued reminders of their relationship.

Joe Concepts

Avoiding spoilers becomes more important from now on in TNG. Many of these won't exactly ruin your viewing experience, Josh & Alex, (if you accidently found out), but there are a few that are very significant.

Numinous2019

The repeated appearances of exactly the threat level needed to chase away the Enterprise-D, together with Picard not revealing to his crew what he suspects. These feel like ways to keep the story going, not to develop the story.

Numinous2019

Quintessential Star Trek episode. Great acting by the cast and especially the Guest Star.

Stephen Wright

As you guys noticed this one has a few plot holes, but overall a solid episode of moral and philosophical implications.

Monty Crawford

Genocide describes killing a group of people based on a certain characteristic, sure. But on Earth that means a ethnicity, a religious group etc. We absolutely have no law for someone wiping out an entire species of people. Do you think genocide would be the appropriate punishment if someone managed to wipe out 99.9% of humanity? We have no law for that because nobody has ever done it before on that scale.

Andreas Schmitt

I like it a lot! I agree with Alex, I wish Troi was a part of this episode, perhaps she could have helped Picard solve the mystery.

Captain Proton

This line often gets criticized "what, genocide isn't a crime?" but I get what he's saying. Mere humans have no way to legislate the acts of a god. "You can't put Superman in prison" as they said.

JGoss

It went off a few times for me. It may not be the video itself, it might be the computer choking a bit and slowing down the playback without me noticing. A double tap on the pause button fixes it every time.

JGoss

"We have no law to fit your crime" was such a heavy line. Even with our violent history, and Star Trek level technology, we don't have a punishment for something so crazy as ending an entire sentient species.

MrTickleTrunk

Same. I did spot the timer reset to 0.00.00 every now again again, I think when the episode was displayed maybe. But not a deal breaker, a quick pause/play resolved it ☺️

SinocTheHodgeheg

Hm, no discussion video posted along with it. A change in format?

JGoss

Really good episode, one that ages well. A season three highlight.

Roland_D

I like this one. Underrated. However, I agree, by itself it is not perfect by any means, rewatching it here I noticed a few problems, but yes, John Anderson, the best part of the episode, elevates it into one of my dark-horse favorites of the season.

JHVJ

Good Tea.... Nice house.

MrTickleTrunk

John Anderson's performance during his confession absolutely elevates this episode with a well-crafted but middle tier story.

Matthew Riley

Oh yeah, you can see genuine loss in his eyes. Poor guy.

Mara

I like this episode. I dont think no one could work out how it would end which what makes it a great mystery. Its quite a sad story really. Makes you think at least what would you do in his situation. Yes, solid episode. Nice out on location if only for a little bit.

Andrew Bassey

2 years before TNG started, guest star John Anderson played Jonathan Frakes' father on the Civil War miniseries 'North and South'. On the Blu-ray bonus features Frakes tells an anecdote of some advice Anderson gave him while on the set of 'North and South'. Some advice from his TV father that Frakes has passed down to his own real-life kids.

David Brown

I tend to agree with your assessment: decent episode. Not great, but not bad. I was just tired of the magical "it's a god being who can do anything" schtick by this point in Star Trek. Too easily wraps up everything.

Collin Freeman

I completely agree

Collin Freeman

Yeah, that's how I knew it was skipping ahead 😂

Ee'char

21:25 Do NOT remind me of that Nicki Minaj monstrosity.....

JGoss

been there......

AzoriusMage

You can have a cookie.

Steven Johnson

Things are getting good!

Matthew Beek

I may be misremembering but the guest actor's real life wife had died recently before filming. His performance carries it IMO and is missing nothing even if the twist is obvious the performances are th most important part.

Strife

Wabbit gave me the Cwaaaabs! (sorry, old joke in my family).

Monty Crawford

Thanks. There’s visual syncs after every commercial break to reset if you need to.

Josh (Target Audience)

Loading two episodes at a time to my phone so I can follow along on the go, good to go now. Love this episode

JGoss

Your video kept getting ahead of my playback, and I'm slso watching from the Blu-ray discs. This hasn't happened with any prior episode. Just FYI.

Ee'char

I've been looking forward to this one!

Bret Kay

Better “a clap” than The Clap. 🤣

Brian Moore

Solid episode, great guest performances, but it’s always felt like it’s missing something. Nice twist, but I remember not being completely surprised by it.

Glenn Johnson Barnes

Have a clap from me ☺️👏

SinocTheHodgeheg

Do I get prize for being first so often?

AzoriusMage


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