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Wacky Reviews: Star Trek

So if transferring another person into the same body lets Data have emotions, why does he need an emotion chip then?
 
It's almost as if they hadn't invented the emotion chip yet!

Unnatural Selection - The Enterprise responds to a distress signal from the USS Lantree and finds the whole crew dead of old age. Fortunately the Enterprise takes over the ship remotely and uses its viewscreen to find out what happened instead of just beaming people over like normal, meaning no one gets infected. Picard says "grand" again (he said it in the previous episode too and I must keep noting it.) It's all somehow connected to a genetic modification station (wait, isn't that illegal after what happened with Khan?) known as Darwin Station. The person in charge there is a big fan of Pulaski! Everyone is aging super fast there too, but the doctor claims they have genetically modified children who are free of the disease. Chief O'Brien is in the transporter room where he belongs and does some transporting of a telephatic child. Pulaski stands up to Picard demanding that she be allowed to treat the child. Pulaski wants to prove the children are no threat by taking one on a shuttlecraft to study him without risking the rest of the ship. She's suprrised when Picard agrees. Data flies the shuttle so we can get Pulaski/Data bants.

The boy talks to Pulaski telephatically. But Pulaski isn't telepathic so how would that work? Pulaski gets infected by the aging virus too. That was dumb of her! O'Brien gets to attend a staff meeting(!) because he's the transporter guy. He's even come up with a technobabble way to use the transporter to save de-age Pulaski, but she's never used a transporter herself (SHE'S JUST LIKE MCCOY) so they need to get a DNA sample from her old ship (but they don't have one either.) Data figures out that the super immune systems of the geneticaly modified children is what's causing the super-aging of the non-genetically modified. I don't care, really? Pulaski keeps aging super fast. The aging make-up isn't as terrible as 'Too Short a Season' but it's not great. O'Brien comes up with some completely incomprehensible way to do something with the transporters. Data and Riker find some of Pulaski's DNA on a hairbrush. Picard personally beams Pulaski over himself and he and O'Brien do some dramatic button pressing to de-age her. So...hasn't O'Brien just cured aging? And all known diseases, really? Wasn't that same solution used in a TOS episode? Possibily the one with the super fast aging? Picard blows up the Lantree and everyone stands up to show respect to the dead in a nice tough.

The redeeming quality of this episode is Diana Muldaur's acting and some solid Picard/Pulaski stuff. But the main plot is Trek technobabble at its worst. It tries to be dramatic but it's impossible to care about O'Brien coming up with some random, magical solution (which again I think could cure all known diseases.) Nothing is really done with the genetically modified kids outside of the one scene where one talks to Pulaski telepathically. So overall this is just dull stuff.

SCORE: 5/10
 
A Matter of Honor - The Enterprise is taking part in an officer exchange program. There's a Benzite named Mendon who Wesley mistakes for the Benzite he met before (you'd think super Wesley would know all about Benzites!) Riker volunteers to serve on a Klingon vessel, something no human has ever done before. Riker goes to Worf to learn about Klingons. He eats some Klingon food including GAGH. Mendon pisses everyone off with his arrogance. He detects something strange on the hull of the Klingon ship but doesn't tell anyone. O'Brien exchanges some bants with Riker because he's a proper character now! Riker's second officer on the Klingon ship challenges his loyalty so Riker beats him up. It's lucky who wasn't one of the tough Klingons! The same space bacteria from the Klingon ship shows up on the Enterprise, but Mendon says he didn't report it because he hadn't done a full analysis. It's the Benzite way! Riker eats in the Klingon mess hall and a Klingon lady makes eyes at him. Gagh is always best when serve live! The two Klingon women want to know how Riker would "endure." Riker asks "one or both?" Everyone laughs! Riker rules! Riker's Klingon friend tells him how ashamed he is of his father being still alive in old age and not dying in battle.

The Klingons find the space bacteria thing and suspect the Enterprise is responsible because they detected Mendon's scanning. Wesley and Mendon have a nice moment (they don't kiss though.) Riker's second officer speaks up for him but the Enterprise is following the Klingon ship now so the Captain is convinced the Enterprise is going to attack. The Klingon Captain being a bit dumb is probably the low point of the episode. Mendon finds a way to stop the bacteria. The Klingon Captain still thinks it's all a trick because he's dumb and prepares to attack. Riker in a BRILLIANT MOVE gives the emergency beacon thing Worf gave him earlier to the Klingon Captain, so that he's beamed to the Enterprise Bridge. Riker takes command of the Klingon ship. The Enterprise surrenders to Riker and he lets the Klingon Captain backhand him to regain his honour. Riker's Klingon bro is impressed.

Riker has arrived! That's the most important thing about this episode. It's the best episode for Riker yet as he feels like the Riker we'll know and love for the rest of the show. The way he handles the Klingons is great. All of the Klingon stuff is fun, even if the Klingon Captain is a bit annoying and dumb for thinking the Enterprise would be trying to destroy them. The Klingon who befriends Riker is a much better character and the mess hall scene is great. The stuff with Mendon is pretty solid Star Trek too! This is probably the best episode yet.

SCORE: 8.5/10
 
The Measure of a Man - The episode starts with a poker game WHICH O'BRIEN WAS A PART OF. O'Brien was there for the first poker game! Data can't read Riker's poker face. Picard meets an old lover Philipa Louvois who has set up a JAG office. But she has no staff yet! Commander Maddox comes onboard to "work on your android" which means he wants to take Data apart to study him. He calls Data "it" a lot despite previously meeting him. He wants to make more Datas because they're so strong and smart, but Data's memories will be downloaded and his consciousness lost. Data would rather resign so packs up his stuff, including a hologram of Tasha. Maddox tries to talk him out of it, then seeks a legal solution. Data's friends (including Pulaski, she's pro Data now!) give him going away presents, but Geordi is sad. Louvois rules that Data is the property of Starfleet but Picard challenges it. Since she has no staff she orders Picard to defend Data and Riker to prosecute. This all seems a bit unikely (couldn't they just call some lawyers in or go somewhere else?) but let's just go with it!

Riker discovers Data's off switch in his schematics and is excited for a moment but then realises what it could mean and looks sad. It's good Rikering! Data takes the stand and Riker has him bend a bar of steel. Picard rightly pointes out that man lifeforms could do so but Louvois makes him do it anyway. I'm not sure why. He also takes off Data's hand and flips his off switch. Riker's gone all in! Picard goes to Guinan who talks to him about an army of disposable Datas. She's talking about slavery! Data takes the stand again and Picard asks him about why he values his possessions. Data admits he was...intimate with Tasha. Picard calls Maddox to the stand and destroys him. It's some classic Patrick Stewart as he argues that if Data has even the smallest hint of consciousness he has rights. "Starfleet was founded to seek out new life, WELL THERE IT SITS...waiting." Louvois rules that Data isn't the property of Starfleet. Maddox is shame and calls Data "he" for the first time. Data goes to Riker and makes him feel better and it's nice.

Hey, it's our first classic TNG episode! Maybe the law stuff doesn't really make sense (surely if Data was previously ruled able to join Starfleet he'd already been established as sentient?) but who really cares? The law stuff is just there as an excuse to make some classic Star Trek arguments. Stewart, Frakes and of course Spiner are all great. The writing from Melinda Snodgrass is the best we've seen yet on TNG and Picard's courtroom speech has to be up there with the best of any Star Trek I've watched yet (and I'm sure will stay up there.) Look, the episode is great, you know it's great, I know it's great. Great.

SCORE: 10/10
 
The Dauphin - The Enterprise picks up Salia, the 16 year old future ruler of a planet, and her bodyguard Anya, an older woman. Salia geeks out over one of Wesley's magnets and Wesley is instantly in love. She's from a planet where one side is constantly light and the other constantly dark, which is kind of interesting! She also has a really hot friend (a young Mädchen Amick, who I wish had been cast as Salia now) who turns into a crappy looking Ewok thing. That's weird. Wesley asks Geordi for romantic advice, which isn't smart! He asks Worf instead and Worf screams at him as that's how a Klingon lures a mate. Who talks about Klingon women clawing and throwing heavy objects while men read poems. It's pretty great. Sadly we quickly go back to Salia and the annoying old lady (who is the Ewok thing.) But we then get a fun scene with Riker and Guinan roleplaying! Then back to the old woman being annoying. Man this episode needs to decide if it's going to be good or terrible. Wesley and Salia have a holodeck date and yeah the episode is definitely terrible now. Anya goes to Sickbay and wants to kill a patient in case Salia is harmed (she's really annoying.) She turns into a bad-looking monster and has a horrible fight with Worf. Everyone's scared Anya's going to kill them all with her teddy bear powers.

Wesley tells Salia she doesn't have to go off and be a ruler. She runs away. Guinan tells him to go after her. Why, Guinan, why? Picard warns Wesley not to try to shag Salia or else Anya will probably kill him. Salia being ready to throw her destiny away after one date with Wes is really stupid by the way. They kiss and Anya is about to rip him apart when PLOT TWIST it turns out Salia is a shapeshifting teddy bear thing too! Anya tells Salia she was just being a bitch to get her ready to life or something. Worf admits his respect Anya's skill in battle. Wesley is angry Salia wouldn't show her true form. He's a bit racist, asking if something like her can really feel love. But they leave on good terms and the shows him her true form as a generic shiny energy being and he's all turned on by that.

This is an episode tthat I remember being one of the worst ever, but it does have some redeeming parts. Worf talking about Klingon sex and the Riker/Guinan scene are both excellent. But otherwise it's an episode about WESLEY IN LOVE so of course it's bad. The actress playing Salia isn't great either. Anya is an annoying character due to how extreme she is and the bug-eyed alien costume she wears when she shapeshifts is terrible. So yeah this isn't quite as bad as it could have been but there's nothing to recommend beyond too fun scenes and brief Mädchen Amick.

SCORE: 4/10
 
Contagion - The Enterprise goes to meet its sister ship the Yamato (from 'Where Silence Has Lease') in the Neutral Zone. The Yamato is malfunctioning and its Captain thinks it's a design flaw. The Captain has been investigating rumours about the legendary Iconians but before he can reveal much more the Yamato goes and explodes and a Romulan Warbird decloaks! It's a strong teaser. The Romulan Commander is a woman, which is cool, and she says she didn't destroy the Yamato. Geordi confirms this so Picard asks him to find out if it was a design flaw. While remaining in the Neutral Zone? Because Picard thinks the flaw would hit the Enterprise at the exact same time as the Yamato? Bit weird. Picard watches all of the Yamato's Captain's logs on the Iconians and finds out about a probe that scanned the Yamato. The Enterprise takes over the Yamato's mission. Wesley asks Picard about the Iconians so Picard can deliver some exposition. But also Wesley feels bad about all the people dying on the Yamato and wonders how Picard handles it. Picard says "tea, Earl Grey, hot" for the first time! But a plant comes out the replicator instead, uh oh! The Enterprise finds Iconia and an Iconian probe is launched. Geordi races to the bridge (comms are down) to warn Picard about it. The Turbolift throws him around and Levar Burton does some fine physical acting. Geordi manages to get them to destroy the probe in time. It's slightly weird that no one figured out that the probe might have been what destroyed the Yamato before now, but a fun sequence. It's reprogramming the Enterprise computer. Pulaski teaches a nurse how to make a splint.

The Romulans seem to be about to attack but they malfunction too and Riker says "fate protects fools, small children and starships named Enterprise." Riker warns the Romulans to destroy another Iconian probe. Picard, Data and Worf go to Iconia and Data learns how to work the Iconian Gateways they used to control their empire. OR WERE THEY? Picard has a feeling that they weren't. Just because he likes their technology, it sounds like. The Enterprise and the Romulan ship both appear in the Gateway so I guess it automatically scans nearby ships. The Iconian program tries to rewrite Data and he starts glitching. Worf takes glitchy Data back to the Enterprise while Picard waits to blow up the Iconian Gateways so the Romulans can't use them as a weapon. Data "dies" but his system reboots and he's okay. Geordi realises he can do the same thing with the Enterprise computer. Again you'd think a reboot would be the first thing they'd try to solve a computer virus, but I guess rebooting computers wasn't a widely known thing in 1988. Picard takess a gateway to the Romulan ship and the Romulan commander says he can die with them. Picard says "not I think today" as he's beamed out (BY O'BRIEN) because Picard is the coolest. Riker let's the Romulans know how to save themselves because he's nice. THE END.

It's another good episode! It's nearly great but doesn't quite make it. I do really like the Iconian Gateways but we don't really learn anything about the Iconians themselves (besides Picard's speculation.) The Romulan Commander is well acted and it's good to see them again after "we're back" from the end of season one. There's good lines and good moments, and while "reboot the computer!" being treated like something amazing has aged badly, it's definitely a good episode I enjoyed watching.

SCORE: 8/10
 
Spending days typing hexodecimal from a magazine for it not to work, for them to print a bunch of corrections in the next months magazine.
 
The Royale - Picard is trying to solve Fermat's Last Theorem, even though it was solved in 1995. The Enterprise finds part of a NASA spacecraft (the increasingly important O'Brien gets to hold it with Riker!) and also a revolving hotel just randomly spinning in nothingness on a frozen planet. It reminds me of something out of Doctor Who? Riker, Worf and Data go inside and find themselves in a casino hotel. Bernard from Lost(!) welcomes them as a trio of foreign gentlemen. Data determines none of the people there are actually real. Data wears a cowboy hat and plays Blackjack with a cowboy. But Riker and Worf find they can't get out of the hotel. Troi keeps updating Picard on Riker's feelings. Worf thinks a normal lift is a turbolift (it isn't very funny.) They finally find the astronaut and a copy of a book titled 'Hotel Royale' and one diary entry from the astronaut explaining that aliens made a reality based on a novel they found on his shuttle. He's lived there for 38 years and died there. And he only made one diary entry in that time?

Someone calls asking if they want room service and Worf says "NO" and it's pretty funny. There's more card playing stuff with Data and the cliched characters (I know they're cliched on purpose because it was a bad novel but that doesn't make them any better.) Picard listens to an audio book version of the novel which uses the same voice actors as are on the planet, somehow. A bellhop gets shot. Riker realises they can get out by playing out the novel to its end where foreign investors buy the hotel. The aliens created the hotel to keep the astronaut alive but also made it so he could get out if the novel ended? Weird planning. Data cheats at dice throwing to win millions of dollars (Riker wants some "spreading around money" to in the one part of the episode where Riker gets to show some personality.) They buy the hotel and leave. Riker says none of this made sense (pretty true) and Picard says like Fermat's Theorem it's a puzzle they might never solve. That's the moral of the story!

This is an episode I think I've defended in the past, but I'm not sure why now. It's just really boring? I like the existential horror idea of the astronaut living in this horrible hotel for decades, but most of the episode is just Data throwing dice and Riker and Worf looking annoyed. As Riker points out at the end the whole thing didn't actually make sense (Why did the aliens never check in on the astronaut? They can clearly speak English if they managed to build all this.) So there really isn't much to this. It's not one of the worst ever but I can't really defend it now.

SCORE: 4/10
 
Time Squared - Riker makes eggs for everyone. They taste bad but Worf likes them! The Enterprise finds a Starfleet shuttlecraft drifting in space. It's an Enterprise shuttlecraft which is already sitting in the shuttle bay. And there's another Captain Picard inside it! Pulaski reports that his brainwaves are "out of phase" and Troi says it's a real Picard, but our Picard doesn't believe it. Pulaski can't wake the other Picard because everything about him is opposite. Even the shuttle itself won't run on the Enterprise's power (or something) so they have to use negative power (or somethinng.) Anyway, the shuttle is from six hours in the future. Geordi manages to play a recording from the future shuttle's log showing Picard leaving the Enterprise just before it is destroyed. Worf knows about the mobius, a twist in the fabric of space that cannot be avoided. Pulaski says the other Picard's body clock is out of whack and he'll turn back to normal when the six hours work. I'm not sure of the science on that! Picard continues to be disgusted by his seemingly cowardly future self.

Picard and Riker try to work out what's going on. They think there might be some conscious mind behind it. A space vortex appears underneath the Enterprise. Troi detects a consciousness in it. Picard orders them to leave because he thinks the mistake they made last time might have been investigating it. The entity attacks both Picards. Since it's just going for Picard, he realises that the other one left the Enterprise to save the ship. They two Picards think the entity has recognised Picard as the "brain" of the Enterprise. Future Picard tries to leave again. Our Picard SHOOTS HIM DEAD to stop him and says the cycle must end. Pulaski walks off and leaves O'Brien to clean up the dead Picard body. Picard has the Enterprise fly through the heart of the voretex and that somehow works (the other Picard and the shuttle just vanish.) So the entity just decided to stop attacking Picard when he turned the Enterprise around? Picard says there's a lot of questions and not many answers. You're telling me!

What this episode does well is atmosphere. It's genuinely creepy when the future Picard shows up, unable to communicate, and Patrick Stewart does some great angry acting as our Picard. The music is strong, the story's intriguing...but in the end it doesn't make any sense? I don't need the entity explained completely, I'm fine with it being a mystery...but they should have explained at least some of it! There was no hint as to why Picard was sent flying back in time, Picard's plan to just fly through the vortex comes out of nowhere, Picard murdering his future self seems unnecessary...what's the actual story meant to be here? Just a bunch of freaky stuff that makes no sense? I like the creepiness of it, but there has to be something me than just "well, that was weird" at the end. Writer Maurice Hurley orginally planned to have Q be behind the whole thing but wasn't allowed to do it, so maybe that's why this doesn't feel like a full story.

SCORE: 7/10
 
The Icarus Factor - The enterprise is experiencing minor malfunctions and has to stop at a starbase for repairs. Picard tells Riker he's been offered command of the USS Ares and just flat out says "congratulations, Captain!" assuming Riker will take it. Riker's father, who he hasn't seen for fifteen years, comes onboard to brief him. Worf shouts at Wesley. Everyone on the ship thinks Kyle Riker is cool and Pulaski has a romantic history with him. But Riker's thinks his dad's a big dick. Worf shouts at Data too. Something really is wrong! Riker tells Worf that his dad reeled a fish in for him and Worf wants to join him on the Ares. Kyle wants to end his feud with Will but Riker's having none of it. Troi tries to help Kyle. He's stubborn. Kyle tells Will he hung in for thirteen years when he was a kid after Will's mother died and if that wasn't enough that's just too bad. Umm, that really isn't enough. Wesley works out that it's the ten year anniversary of Worf's Day of Ascension and that's why he's cranky. Pulaski says she would have married Kyle and tells Will about some sad incident they were part of.

Riker asks Picard if it's a mistake if he turns down command. The episode drags on with Geordi. O'Brien and Data making small talk. O'Brien is invited to Worf's party at least becuase you can't have a party without O'Brien! Riker says goodbye to Troi because he's definitely taking that new command. Will goes to Kyle to ask him to leave but he challenges him to an ambu-jitsu fight instead (Kyle continues to be father of the year!) Data, Wesley, Geordi, Pulaski and O'Brien create Klingons with Klingon painsticks on the holodeck to torture Worf and make him feel better. They watch Worf getting painsticked as Worf confesses his true feelings. Pulaski and Troi talk about how human males are all big idiots who like hitting each other and always will be...and that's why they're so hot. The Rikers hit each other with sticks wearing ridiculous Tron costumes (and their eyes are covered.) Will says Kyle should have died instead of his mother. Kyle wins using an illegal move and Will realises he never won because his dad always cheated. Kyle talk about his feelings and they hug. That whole thing about the minor malfunctions turns out to be nothing. Riker decides to stay on the Enterprise and everyone is happy because he's Riker.

I don't think this episode really works. Kyle comes across so harsh at times that it's hard to think "he wasn't so bad really!" when you're supposed to at the end. Riker's reasons for not taking the new command aren't all that clear. The Worf stuff is fun but pretty light. It has O'Brien and painsticks so that's good. Ambu-jitsu is silly.

SCORE: 6/10
 
They cut out all but the first and last painsticks in the first BBC2 showing of this.

Their obvious sensoring of the program is what caused me to start buying the videos, which eventually I would just throw away last year as you cant even take VHS tapes to charity shops any more.
 
Pen Pals - Picard is going horse-riding in the Holodeck, but doesn't bring his own saddle. He talks to Troi about horses but Riker interrupts just before he can start riding. I'm disappointed. Wesley is going to lead a mission for the first time and Picard is using horse-riding analogies. Data has set scanners to pick up unusual transmissions. Wesley asks Riker and Troi for advice as he's worried about bossing about officers much older than him. Data picks up a little girl voice asking "is anybody out there?" and answers "yes." Wesley does his mineral surverying and the more experienced officers advise him not to run a certain complicated scan. We get to see Picard on a horse (YES) as Data goes to tell him he answers the transmission (eight weeks ago, this episode is on a long timescale.) Data wants to save the planet his friend is from even though it would be a violation of the Prime Directive. Wesley asks Riker for advice and decides he's going to have that scan run. He goes in and orders the Engisn to run it and he does so happily! It's a nice resolution to this mini story. I like that the officer wasn't being a jerk or anything, he just thought he was giving Wesley advice but was happy to follow orders when Wesley made his mind up.

The staff have a debate (in Picard's Ready Room!) on if they should help Data's friend. They talk about a "cosmic plan" which seems slightly weird since the Federation is secular. But it's a good debate with plenty of good arguments made. Pulaski argues for Data, which is nice. It's interesting that the Federation lets millions of aliens die every day for what seems like reasonable reasons. Picard orders Data to stop communicating but then hears the voice of the little girl. Human emotion kicks in as it sometimes does and Picard decides to help. Wesley's super scan finds out what's putting the planet at risk. Riker beams Data down to see if his friend is okay (with O'Brien pretending he doesn't see it.) Data finds his bright orange friend and beams up with her ("there's going to be Hell to pay!" says O'Brien.) She has really long fingers and wants Data hugs. The planet is saved. Pulaski, somewhat conveniently, is able to come up with a way to wipe the little girl's memories of Data. He drops the sleeping little girl off at home but gives her a "singing stone" Pulaski had in Sickbay. Picard tells Data not to apologise.

It's a good episode, actually, better than I remembered. The Prime Directive debate scene is very strong. Spiner is great as usual acting with the weird looking little girl. Even the Wesley subplot is good. So yeah, this is good.

SCORE: 8/10
 
Q-Who? - Ensign Sonya Gomez spills hot chocolate on Picard! She's cute and quirky and bound to be an important character! Q shows up and takes Picard away in a shuttle. Guinan senses Q's presence. Q takes Picard to Ten Forward where Guinan is hiding behind the bar. Q says Guinan is "an imp" and they look like they're about to have a force powers battle. Q has been kicked out of the continuum and wants to join the crew as a guide. He says the Enterprise is moving too fast and isn't prepared for what it's about to meet. Picard says they're ready for anything so Q decides to test them, sending the Enterprise seven thousand light years away. Guinan tells them to head home but Picard wants to explore. They find a planet with all its machinery scooped out, like the planets in the Neutral Zone (remember that)! A weird ship that seems to be a big industrial cube shows up. Uh oh. Guinan tells Picard they're called The Borg and they're fucking dangerous. A Borg beams over and Q gives some warnings. The Borg only care about technology, not people. Hmm. It's pretty creepy and Worf has to kill it. Another one beams over and this one can't be killed. Guinan gives more important Borg info. The Borg hail and talk as a collective and Q asks if Picard is sure he doesn't want him as a crewmember.

The Borg slice a section of the saucer out and eighteen crewmembers are missing. Sonya Gomez isn't one of them because she's definitely a recurring character. The Enterprise manages to disable the Cube. Q again talks about how the Borg just want to consume the Enterprise. Riker says Q cost them eighteen lives and Q says "oh, please." Picard wants Riker to lead an away team to the Cube and Guinan is shocked. The Cube is full of inactive Borg in alcoves. The Borg don't attack the away team because they don't see them a a threat. We're getting a lot of Borg facts that'll be important for years to come! There's even cute little baby Borgs! They're born as biological lifeforms then injected with implants after birth. The Borg are regenerating their ship so Picard decides it's time to get the Hell out of there. The Enterprise can't outrun the Cube or slow it down. The Borg are about to destroy them when Picard finally asks Q for help (in a great Patrick Stewart way.) Q sends them home. Picard says they could have learned the lesson without eighteen people dying. Q does a speech about how dangerous space is. Guinan warns Picard that now that the Borg know about them, they'll be coming. But...didn't the Borg scoop out those outposts in the Neutral Zone? Surely that means they already know about the Federation? Picard says maybe Q did help them to prepare for what's to come.

Wow, the Borg are great in this episode. It's easy to forgot just how scary they were here, with the classic moment of the drone adapting to Worf's phaser and the part with the away team taking a tour of the Cube before deciding to get the Hell out of there. The Borg just completely destroy the Ferengi and the Conspiracy aliens in terms of being truly alien and threatening adverseries. Everything about their introduction here is perfect: their design might be crude but it looks genuinely creepy, the look of the Cube, the music. It all works. It's also easily the best Q episode yet. He's still a villain, but despite being partly responsible for getting eighteen people killed (and you could argue that Picard is just as responsible for ordering the Enterprise to investigate this new area of space despite Guinan's warnings and for not asking for Q to save them quicker) you do get the sense here that he is trying to help Picard, in his own Q way. Guinan is used the best she has been too, even with that weird hand thing she does with Q. The only thing about the episode that seems out of place is that so much time is spent introducing Sonya Gomez and then she doesn't do anything. But the idea was to make her a recurring character so you can't really blame this episode for the fact she only came back once. Anyway, this is great.

SCORE: 10/10
 
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