This episode has a storyline which feels like a mix of two Star Trek episodes. The two that most came to my mind were: who watches the watchers from TNG and Blink of an Eye from Star Trek Voyager. Interestingly Brannon Braga the director of this episode was involved with both of the other shows as writers, although I don't think he wrote any of the 3 episodes. Although I could be wrong.
Anyway, this story has the future society seemingly like gods narrative of the TNG episode, and the two worlds with different timelines aspect of Voyager.
It allows for a lot of religion criticiam. Which I don't mind. But overall the story and entertainment should come first.
I would have preferred if they didn't make the developing world's religions look so much like the religions of earth. The middle age period religion looked just like Catholicism from the architecture to the wardrobe. I think it could have been a lot less subtle and we still would have gotten the points.
I'd say this episode is about as good as the TNG one, but not as good as the Voyager epiode. Although the Voyager episode is one of the best of the entire series, so I'd be difficult to match.
One of the aspects about the voyager episode that makes it better IMO is that the planet gets to see their spaceship the entire time it's speedily developing. In this episodes the ship only sees the planet for an hour or so every 11 days, and 700 years pass on the planet. For the Voyager episode the planet is on faster time. And the ship is stuck in the planet's gravity and provides a positive rather than negative role for the developing culture. However their presence also causes earthquakes and the people below aren't aware of the the time-gap. They come to view the ship as a threat.
If you like this kind of storyline definelty check out Blink of an eye. It's not and exactly the first type of story to have two cultures of different timelines interacting over time, but it's the best one I've seen.
This episode also has a side storyline of the Mercer and Kelly deciding if they want to get back together. And they also sort of neglect resolving an introduced implication of their continued interference with the planet going against their starfleet equivalent's orders. I guess they got away with it?
I though it was one of the better episodes of the season, but not one of my top 2 favorites. My favorites were the clown episode one and the if the stars should appear episode.
Anyway, this story has the future society seemingly like gods narrative of the TNG episode, and the two worlds with different timelines aspect of Voyager.
It allows for a lot of religion criticiam. Which I don't mind. But overall the story and entertainment should come first.
I would have preferred if they didn't make the developing world's religions look so much like the religions of earth. The middle age period religion looked just like Catholicism from the architecture to the wardrobe. I think it could have been a lot less subtle and we still would have gotten the points.
I'd say this episode is about as good as the TNG one, but not as good as the Voyager epiode. Although the Voyager episode is one of the best of the entire series, so I'd be difficult to match.
One of the aspects about the voyager episode that makes it better IMO is that the planet gets to see their spaceship the entire time it's speedily developing. In this episodes the ship only sees the planet for an hour or so every 11 days, and 700 years pass on the planet. For the Voyager episode the planet is on faster time. And the ship is stuck in the planet's gravity and provides a positive rather than negative role for the developing culture. However their presence also causes earthquakes and the people below aren't aware of the the time-gap. They come to view the ship as a threat.
If you like this kind of storyline definelty check out Blink of an eye. It's not and exactly the first type of story to have two cultures of different timelines interacting over time, but it's the best one I've seen.
This episode also has a side storyline of the Mercer and Kelly deciding if they want to get back together. And they also sort of neglect resolving an introduced implication of their continued interference with the planet going against their starfleet equivalent's orders. I guess they got away with it?
I though it was one of the better episodes of the season, but not one of my top 2 favorites. My favorites were the clown episode one and the if the stars should appear episode.