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Friday, October 28, 2016

Star Trek TNG Conspiracy



This episode was weird and didn't fit in with the Star Trek franchise very well at all.  Not surprisingly it was pushed forward by Roddenberry in spite of protests from the producers and notes from the head office.  They complained it was too dark, and I'm actually in agreement with them on this one, even though darker subject matter would be covered later on.  I find I don't have much to say about this episode.  It was poorly done and definitely not a good representation of the series.  I was just thankful when it was over.  There's actually a lot to be thankful for in this episode.


This episode finishes up the thread started in "Coming of Age."  Like I said, I'm proud that the writers began thinking ahead in this fashion, but the results this time were terrible. Prompted by the mysterious deaths of a captain who was trying to warn Picard of a conspiracy to replace the upper echelon of the Federation with spies, the Enterprise goes to Federation headquarters on Earth to check it out.  Admiral Aaron is back as well as Remmick. 
  



During the episode they try numerous times to get Picard to join their new world order.  Meanwhile Aaron is on board and when Riker discovers something is amiss, he turns violent.  It was an interesting scene, and one of the few that I liked, that demonstrated that the people in on this conspiracy were being controlled by alien influences.  This was supposed to be the introduction of the Borg as a parasitical species that would take control of the Federation.  Thank God for the writer's strike and low budget issues.  This was going to lead up through the next episode and the opening of the second season as an arc.  I think we can all be thankful that it didn't happen that way.  It makes this issue stand awkwardly alone in the history of Star Trek, but it was better left as it was with another oversimplified solution and quietly swept under the rug.



I mean, "yay!" for the influence of Star Trek II again, but also this is an example of them not being able to come up with an original idea.  The Ceti Alpha 5 eels looked better too.  


Unfortunately I can't find any pictures from the episode that show any kind of substance; only the action shots and "gross" stuff.  I guess it's only fitting since it didn't have more depth than that, but it is the first time we get to see Earth and the moon.  After that, there's not much to see.  Headquarters on the outside is dark and poorly designed like all of the other sets to date.



At any rate, they make a predictable fake out with Riker.   You think he's been taken over and is on their side, but he's only pretending in order to help Picard kill them all at the end.  They made it look like they were all eating grub worms in that scene. This whole episode was put on for shock value to try and gross people out.  I'm not the type that whines about violence or is grossed out by much, but I can recognize that this sort of thing is beneath Star Trek.  I'm thankful that they never took this route again when writing the shows.


I will say, however, that I was moved a little with the Remmick angle.  He was obviously in on it, but you didn't know he was leading it until the end and I felt sorry about it because of his attitude at the end of "Coming of Age."  You couldn't help but like and respect him in the last segment of that episode and I admit, I had briefly become attached enough to him to feel sad when he was turned into a monster and killed in this one.  Whatever else there was in these two episodes, that's a small piece of very skillful writing and very good acting on the part of Robert Schenkkan to produce that effect.  It still touches me.
But this is another episode that I wish I could just make go away.  I can only give it a two stars for the effort in writing episode arcs and a couple of interesting scenes.


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