PATRON TAKES - Star Trek TNG S1E25 - Conspiracy
Added 2023-12-20 13:22:10 +0000 UTCComment on this post your ‘takes’ on this episode and we will read a few in our discussion!
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- A fun fact about the episode
We are watching this episode tonight (Wednesday) so we won’t be reading the comments on this until then. If you have questions shoot us a message!
Comments
I LOVE this episode its just nuts.
harrypothead42024
2023-12-28 20:48:41 +0000 UTCThe graphic violence in the end will probably be a surprise to you as it was to me when I first saw it. In syndication, you could push envelopes that you couldn't on network TV at the time. When TNG became a success, Paramount also did a syndicated War Of The Worlds TV show. I did not watch it a lot but was surprised at what I watched. It was a scene of a Martian baby attacking a nurse and tearing off her leg.
Mike Rogers
2023-12-27 08:14:05 +0000 UTCThis one is a blast! It's might never be a masterpiece, but it's the one episode I always remembered all these years before rewatching TNG. Guess the brain bugs scared the hell out of me or something. Would have been cool to see a version of this episode where brain bugs are not involved and Starfleet is just corrupted from the inside.
Northern Loon
2023-12-26 05:41:16 +0000 UTCVery odd episode, feels out of place in TNG S1 with its horror elements. But also an early example of tighter continuity in Star Trek. QUESTION: Since TNG has more continuity than TOS, which elements (characters, races, places, storylines, etc.) from TNG S1, TOS/TAS or the movies do you hope they revisit in the future?
Tim b
2023-12-23 03:34:14 +0000 UTCAbsolutely. I didn’t see this episode until the mid 90s and it was shocking even then.
Matthew McKinnon-Gray
2023-12-22 14:02:09 +0000 UTCTrue, but movies were one thing, tv in the 80s is another. That was a shocker for me back then.
startrekiborg
2023-12-22 05:28:22 +0000 UTCMe three
startrekiborg
2023-12-22 05:26:08 +0000 UTCI remember watching this episode when it first aired. That graphic death scene was something you never saw on regular tv, especially on Star Trek. Just imagine how pronounced that “holy shit” factor was for us back in the 80s. As a teenager, I loved it, the more gore the better….my parents, not so much.
startrekiborg
2023-12-22 05:20:05 +0000 UTCDon't tell them what they will or won't see in the future. thanks
James Bottas
2023-12-22 04:48:12 +0000 UTCI've only seen almost the first two seasons of DS9 and none of Lower Decks. Don't know if I ever will.
KatWithAttitude
2023-12-22 04:16:32 +0000 UTCYeah, about that...without giving too much away, they address Holodeck clean up in "Star Trek: Lower Decks". ...they may have in Deep Space Nine too but it has been a while since I did a good rematch of that, and I currently plan to wait for Josh and Alex to get to that.
CM Waters
2023-12-22 04:00:13 +0000 UTCThe parasites were the series’ second attempt at a Big Bad after they realized that the Ferengi were too goofy for that role. Back to the drawing board. In spite of Picard’s ominous warning at the end, you will never see or hear about them again.
Richard Finch
2023-12-21 23:59:47 +0000 UTCIt actually is somewhat of a good episode and uncharacteristically graphic TNG though the fees are special effects weren’t as good as they normally are since Picard Dodges if these are going very slow. It is funny how Picard would lament at the fact he had to kill the queen, even though in the moment he had a look of other discussed and revulsion, add it. Also, this episode originally was supposed to be a commentary on the Iran contra affair with the conspiracy just being among Starfleet officers, but Roddenberry put a stop to that because he had a stupid every single person is perfect and all agree on every thing idea in the future.
Leighton Cressman
2023-12-21 17:33:57 +0000 UTCTransperters. Molecular specific scanning and removal? Definitely all cleaning in the future is done by transporter. Thus, no one needs to clean up the holodecks either.
Nolan
2023-12-21 09:08:56 +0000 UTCSomebody was like "Why not John Carpenter?"
Emil Garro
2023-12-21 06:15:55 +0000 UTCAlex: "The gore, the GORE" More continuity from this season. And a suitably creepy episode. But seriously, talk about a chest burster.
Nolan
2023-12-21 05:03:42 +0000 UTCUltimately, I liked this episode, but I remember feeling like this didn't seem drawn out enough. They used pretty much an entire episode (at least the B Plot) to set this up and then they apparently ended the whole thing here just a few episodes later. Not even the season finale.
Nerd's Gold
2023-12-21 04:13:32 +0000 UTCFinally. This is it. This is the one. I had always been huge fan of TOS. And I liked TNG well enough during the first season. Conspiracy is the one that let me know they intended to have some teeth and truly embrace their roots. I knew enough about Roddenberry to know that the episodes I had felt were weak bore his imprimatur. Ironically, this episodes kicker was added by Roddenberry. It was originally written as a normal coup attempt but Roddenberry felt Starfleet was an exalted organization that would never have such attempts made. So he added parasites. So many things in this episode hit right. We saw a much more fleshed out Federation. A peek are the inner workings and the extensive personal/professional relationships in Starfleet that were only hinted at in TOS. We got a Golden Age sci-fi Puppet Masters trope (Heinlein even famously praised this episode). A set-up for a potential future threat. Will it pay off? Only time will tell.
StealthMomo
2023-12-21 02:57:40 +0000 UTCThe actor playing Captain Rixx previously appeared as one of the communication officers at Starfleet in ST4: The Voyage Home.
tyranusfan
2023-12-20 23:47:30 +0000 UTCThis is the episode that started me fully embracing TNG. I was blown away by that ending on 80s TV. They went all out. Some fact about the episode: 1. There were no alien parasites in the original script. Admirals at Star Fleet were staging a coup. Gene vetoed the script. 2. The episode was the first to be banned on some TV channels and in some countries. Other episodes faces bans later.
Aaron Holden
2023-12-20 23:27:20 +0000 UTCI will forever have that look on Patrick's face when he pops the head burned into my memory chips. GHAAAAAAAA..SPLOOOOSH I loved how this episode stands on it's own and enjoyed the darker tone..
Badger
2023-12-20 22:59:29 +0000 UTCCan't believe I never thought of this before, but who do you think drew the short straw and had to clean up what was left of Remmick?
KatWithAttitude
2023-12-20 22:25:47 +0000 UTCI think the first half is fantastic. I found the idea of Starfleet somehow being compromised on such a grand scale by an unknown force very compelling. Unfortunately, the second half is a bit of a letdown. The aliens literally just reveal themselves. It was too obvious that Riker wasn't actually possessed. And it was too easy to kill their Queen, which conveniently solves everything. Cool open ending though, setting up a potential sequel. And I did really love the first half of the episode.
Martin S
2023-12-20 22:11:25 +0000 UTCFun fact: To test whether this episode was suitable for children, visual effects supervisor Dan Curry screened it for his 6-year-old son. The child liked it so much that he suggested the creation of a Remmick action figure whose head would explode at the press of a button. As a result, the episode was broadcast unedited in the United States (but was first banned and then edited in the UK and was preceded by a content warning in Canada).
Anthony Bernacchi
2023-12-20 21:43:52 +0000 UTCI absolutely love the grim tone of this episode. It's moody, mysterious. Almost has some X-Files vibes to it. Question, based on that final shot of the episode, what do you think will happen next?
Steven Johnson
2023-12-20 18:33:52 +0000 UTCYes, definite Invasion of the Body Snatchers homage.
Collin Freeman
2023-12-20 18:08:35 +0000 UTCMe too!
Collin Freeman
2023-12-20 18:07:34 +0000 UTCMy favorite episode off Season 1. I love continuity.
Collin Freeman
2023-12-20 18:06:37 +0000 UTCThis episode had me weirded out. I definitely wasn’t especting to see worms being eaten and heads being blown off! And Riker had me fooled. I almost thought that this was going to turn into a 2 parter. It will be interesting to see where all this will lead with these creatures
TalynStarburst
2023-12-20 17:59:02 +0000 UTCSince I am not a fan of gory things this episode actually put me off of watching any of the reruns for a time. Now I just don't look. I wonder if you'll feel sorry for Remmick now after he was such a jerk in Coming of Age. And remember, none of what happened to him and the others who were taken over by the creatures was their fault. They had no control over what happened to them, or at least that's how I always took it.
KatWithAttitude
2023-12-20 16:37:11 +0000 UTCI feel like they had to bend Roddenberry's arm to even get this story filmed, he was very much against the idea of systemic corruption (or anything dramatically realistic) in his precious utopian humans. Still, this was very much a signal that Trek was eventually going to move away from the idea that humans are always perfect, even if it had to be done under worm control. Also RIP Walker Keel, a real one.
JD Nevesytrof
2023-12-20 16:16:04 +0000 UTCAyy, we love a Part 2. Especially one that I believe wasn't shown in some countries (UK?) due to the gross imagery.
Elway Simpson
2023-12-20 15:54:13 +0000 UTCSome people don't like the darker tone of this episode and don't like the way it makes Starfleet look. I have always enjoyed this episode and the darker more twilight zone/x-files-esque tone.
Lucas Herr
2023-12-20 15:37:22 +0000 UTCThis was the first "Holy Shit!' episode for me, with a dark and paranoid mystery and a shocking ending.
KMScudder
2023-12-20 15:18:57 +0000 UTCProbably the most memorable reaction yet.
Chtphr Rrr
2023-12-20 15:01:00 +0000 UTCSet phasers to Gross!
StonyD
2023-12-20 14:56:38 +0000 UTCWell, here we go! The “creepy” and “gory” episode finally! I believe Tracy Thorme wrote the episode, and had some pushback from Roddenberry, but, believe it or not, Rick Berman approved the episode, stating they should do this kind of episode every so often and take some risks.
Chris S.
2023-12-20 14:55:25 +0000 UTCApparently Gene Roddenberry studied more recent sci-fi films like Alien when he was developing TNG. I think you can see a bit of that influence in Remmick’s death.
Matthew McKinnon-Gray
2023-12-20 14:54:07 +0000 UTCWhen this ep aired. I loved the call back to coming of age, the connected story arc was exactly what I was craving out of a modern Star Trek. Did you guys expect TNG to start growing into a coherent story structure as opposed to isolated episodes of the week, so soon, and do you think they will expand on multi epp story arcs Do you think they stuck the landing here Do you think they will return to this story line?
Thicketdweller
2023-12-20 14:50:32 +0000 UTCJosh, you said you'd be happy even if they never resolved the "Conspiracy" hinted at by the admiral in "Coming of Age". How happy are you now that you get your first episode that follows up on a previously set up storyline in Star Trek? :) Also... that head exploding will blow YOUR minds too I bet :D
Andreas Schmitt
2023-12-20 14:40:18 +0000 UTCPayoff from Coming of Age, a return to Earth, and a bit of dark Starfleet. Feels a little bit like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and ends with a hell of a bang.
Gregory
2023-12-20 14:08:54 +0000 UTCYeah, I've heard that at the time people didn't like this episode at the time with how different it was from the rest of Season 1, but later they liked it because of that same reason.
CM Waters
2023-12-20 13:55:12 +0000 UTCMost of the gore was cut out of UK broadcasts as the show was on at about 7pm.
Paul Rymer
2023-12-20 13:53:14 +0000 UTCS E A T B E L T S, gentlemen. It's time to strap in and tighten them up, for the ride from here on is wild..... and worth every minute.
Rhett Coates
2023-12-20 13:51:46 +0000 UTCThe scariest part of this episode wasn’t the ending it was the creepy John Wayne walk then high kick by the admiral to Riker’s head.
Paul Rymer
2023-12-20 13:51:38 +0000 UTCIn this episode, we find out why everyone from Starfleet are Such Assholes
Justin DiBari
2023-12-20 13:51:17 +0000 UTCI’ve been looking forward to this review. You guys are going to dig the TOS style fight with the Admiral and the whole body horror ending its going to blow your hair back. The whole theme of infiltration into the Federation by undetectable beings is a theme that is unsettling and a welcomed shift from the early season 1 tone where everything is seemingly perfect.
Strife
2023-12-20 13:49:04 +0000 UTCI predict an audible "Holy Shit" when the head explodes and then at least one "WTF“ when they realize the scene isn't over and the giant parasite shows up. I'm not a fan of gore but this episode is definitely memorable, I don't think many people predict this when they start watching the show.
Phillip Grischa
2023-12-20 13:45:01 +0000 UTCThese things that infiltrate Starfleet are supposedly “superior lifeforms”, but they’re stupid enough to throw around their smugness, get caught, and undo their entire plan which has been festering since “Coming of Age”. I’m not sure how Alex and Josh will rate this one, it’s a good story, but not a kind of story that the show has tackled before. Fun Fact: The dinner served up to the Admirals in the shots where they eat were actually…noodles. Jonathan Franks however was REALLY handling the things! I’m surprised he got that close to his mouth!
The Game Show Reviewer
2023-12-20 13:43:08 +0000 UTCI predict this will be your most shocked reaction of season one, even more than Skin of Evil. (It certainly was for me on its first run!)
David Wayne Fox
2023-12-20 13:36:58 +0000 UTCI considered that, but I figure it's vague enough. It doesn't give away anything other than the fact they shouldn't expect anymore graphically exploding people.
Joe Concepts
2023-12-20 13:31:49 +0000 UTCSpoiler
Michael Parnell
2023-12-20 13:27:06 +0000 UTCThe explosive ending of this episode, as far as I remember, is the goriest and just plain grossest thing you will see in all seven seasons. I'm still surprised that they even did that on the show!
Joe Concepts
2023-12-20 13:26:26 +0000 UTCI predict Remmick's popping head will be your biggest pop since McCoy showed up in The Motion Picture. I'm enjoying how much you enjoy season 1 -- it bodes well for a channel that plans to watch everything -- but for me the only two episodes in Season 1 that you could interject in later seasons and they'd fit in fine are 11001001 and this one.
John M.
2023-12-20 13:25:50 +0000 UTCStar Trek meets Scanners! Should have been directly tied to "future" episodes but in a way was followed through almost 35 years later.
Stephen Wright
2023-12-20 13:25:14 +0000 UTCGentlemen: one of the grossest deaths in Trek history! When you first saw these characters, did you ever think things would end up this way even slightly? Also, poor Worf. Second episode on the job after Tasha's death and getting thrown around by an old man.
CM Waters
2023-12-20 13:25:01 +0000 UTCThis episode has a twist that is bound to make someone’s head explode
Dion James Pitman
2023-12-20 13:24:10 +0000 UTCMill worms
Troy Massey
2023-12-20 13:22:55 +0000 UTC
