This episode was clearly intended to establish "The next Generation" by creating a link to its predecessor "The Original Series". To fans of the latter the scenario is quite well known and it might be fun to watch the new crew deal with the problem in their own way and exploring the new characters giving in to their hidden desires while infected.
To me, this show will always be remembered as the one that started the enervating and ridiculous career of "super brain" Wesley Crusher-Roddenberry (for it was Gene Roddenberry's intention to create Wesley after some of his own childhood experiences and actually as someone for the show's younger audience to identify with). To me that character was one of Star Trek's darkest hours and every episode giving him a bigger part I just can't stand because he's able to ruin even some good scripts.
Interestingly it's Patrick Stewart who obviously has some difficulty getting into his character here. I don't know if it is intended but all his scenes as the infected Captain are horrible because of his overacting of an overly stiff and inhibited Captain trying to be funny. But when you're really drunk, you don't have to act like you are you just behave differently and Stewart isn't able to deliver that. Riker greatly improved his performance to the pilot and the others do quite well also. The role of Troi, who was just awful in the beginning, was greatly reduced to some lines but even that reduced part seemed too much for Marina Sirtis, who isn't able to bring her character to life. Her lines just sound like read from the script without emotion (just like in a bad school play).
All in all this second episode of The next Generation couldn't help to start off the season.
Finally some remarks I wanted to add:
All in all a typically Roddenberry TNG-script with a clearly stated anti-alcohol attitude, much too moralistic and clumsy (don't get me wrong, I usually like Star Trek's moral edge but Roddenberry's pointed finger I just can't stand).
These are the continuing starting troubles of the new starship Enterprise...
To me, this show will always be remembered as the one that started the enervating and ridiculous career of "super brain" Wesley Crusher-Roddenberry (for it was Gene Roddenberry's intention to create Wesley after some of his own childhood experiences and actually as someone for the show's younger audience to identify with). To me that character was one of Star Trek's darkest hours and every episode giving him a bigger part I just can't stand because he's able to ruin even some good scripts.
Interestingly it's Patrick Stewart who obviously has some difficulty getting into his character here. I don't know if it is intended but all his scenes as the infected Captain are horrible because of his overacting of an overly stiff and inhibited Captain trying to be funny. But when you're really drunk, you don't have to act like you are you just behave differently and Stewart isn't able to deliver that. Riker greatly improved his performance to the pilot and the others do quite well also. The role of Troi, who was just awful in the beginning, was greatly reduced to some lines but even that reduced part seemed too much for Marina Sirtis, who isn't able to bring her character to life. Her lines just sound like read from the script without emotion (just like in a bad school play).
All in all this second episode of The next Generation couldn't help to start off the season.
Finally some remarks I wanted to add:
- Why is Riker sitting on a console while talking to Data on the bridge, ordering him to do research? Are those 24th century Computers multi role furniture as well? If you are sitting on your computer keyboard it certainly would't do it much good
- When Geordi is confined to sickbay, why doesn't his leaving set off an alarm or is recognized by a nurse or other medical personnel(where are the nurses anyway? Well, I surely know that it's a budget problem).
- When LaForge visits Wesley in his quarters, why doesn't he recognize that his communicator is missing?
- When Data informs the captain of his research results, the computer graphic shows a model of the Constitution class-refit version of the first Enterprise. But the incident happened during their first five year mission (first season of TOS) before the refit.
- Where does this hissing sound come from when the "disease" is spread?
- When Wesley simulates Picard's voice and orders the chief engineer to the bridge, why doesn't she acknowledge the order. Had she done it there wouldn't have been any problem with leaving engineering unoccupied. Everyone who is ordered to report to somewhere acknowledges the order. That's Starfleet standard procedure and clearly visible in multiple episodes
- The greatest flaw of all: Why is Data affected by a biochemical compound based on water and carbon. He is an android that means robotic and hasn't any organic parts (like the Borg for example)
- Last but not least, how does Weley regain reason when he has the idea to turn the tractor beam into a repulsor beam. That's surely a rather complex thing to do and he does it before he is "cured" by the hypo spray.
All in all a typically Roddenberry TNG-script with a clearly stated anti-alcohol attitude, much too moralistic and clumsy (don't get me wrong, I usually like Star Trek's moral edge but Roddenberry's pointed finger I just can't stand).
These are the continuing starting troubles of the new starship Enterprise...