--- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote: <snip all> I don't know how this got this far OT, but here's my list of favorite NG episodes. The plot summaries are from some ST site I ran across a couple of years ago. The "Why I like it" line is my editorializing: Season 3, 1989-1990 ST NG Who Watches The Watchers? written by Richard Manning and Hans Beimler directed by Robert Wiemer music by Ron Jones Stardate 43173.5: A hidden outpost on a distant planet where Starfleet anthropologists are observing a primitive race of Vulcan-like beings is revealed after a mechanical malfunction, polluting the primitives' religious and ethical beliefs and causing one of them to identify Picard with God. Guest Cast: Kathryn Leigh Scott (Nuria), Ray Wise (Liko), James Greene (Dr. Barron), Pamela Segall (Oji), John McLiam (Fento), James McIntire (Hali), Lois Hall (Dr. Warren) Why I like it: Theme is whether humanity should follow faith or reason. How overreliance on faith over reason leads to the deterioration of the society through descent into hysterical non-scientific mysticism. Season 5, 1991-1992 Darmok teleplay by Joe Menosky story by Philip Lazebnik and Joe Menosky directed by Winrich Kolbe music by Jay Chattaway Stardate 45047.2: The Enterprise and a Tamarian ship rendezvous at El-Adrel IV and Tamarian Captain Dathon opens communications. The Tamarians speak incomprehensibly, using English words laced with names from their culture. After the contact fails, Dathon and his first officer argue over Dathon's statement, "Darmok and Jelad at Tenagra." Dathon vanishes, and Picard is kidnapped via transporter. Both are beamed to the planet, where Dathon attempts to communicate again. Picard deciphers the language, finding that it is based on Tamarian folklore and metaphors. "Darmok and Jelad at Tenagra" refers to two heroes who traveled separately to a distant island, defeated a mighty beast, and left together. El-Adrel is home to such a creature, and Dathon hopes that the Tamarians and the Federation can begin a friendship by likewise defeating a common enemy. When the beast attacks, Picard is immobilized by an attempt to rescue him through interference projected from the Tamarian ship, while Dathon is mortally wounded. Picard can now negotiate in the Tamarian language - if he survives the creature's next attack. Guest Cast: Paul Winfield (Captain Dathon), Richard Allen (Tamarian First Officer), Colm Meaney (O'Brien), Ashley Judd (Ensign Lefler), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice) Why I like it: How war can start from cultural miscommunication. Incorporates as a subplot and an dialogue element the _Epic of Gilgamesh_ - the pre-biblical Sumerian tale of the flood later rewritten into Chapter 1 of the Bible: Genesis. Season 5, 1991-1992 The Inner Light teleplay by Morgan Gendel and Peter Allan Fields story by Morgan Gendel directed by Peter Lauritson music by Jay Chattaway Stardate 45944.1: The Enterprise discovers an alien probe of unknown origin, which detects the Enterprise and sends a transmission. Picard is knocked unconscious. He "wakes up" as Kamin, an astronomer on the planet Kataan. As Kamin orients himself to life on this world with his wife Eline, he tries to make some attempts to locate the Enterprise, discovering in the process that Kataan faces imminent destruction from a sun about to go nova. Kamin ages yars, has children with Eline, watches old friends die and tries to convince people that their days on the planet are numbered. Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, where Picard has been unconscious for mere minutes, Riker is determined to break the probe's hold on Picard - but severing the link could kill Picard while he is still trapped in the mind of Kamin. Notes: Daniel Stewart, who plays the part of Kamin's son in this episode, is Patrick Stewart's real son. Many elements of this story are mentioned by Picard in the sixth season episode Lessons. Guest Cast: Margot Rose (Eline), Richard Riehle (Batai), Scott Jaeck (Administrator), Jennifer Nash (Meribor), Patti Yasutake (Nurse Ogawa), Daniel Stewart (Young Batai) Why I like it: Highlights that basic conflict in life: career or family. Season 4, 1990-1991 The Drumhead written by Jeri Taylor directed by Jonathan Frakes music by Ron Jones Stardate 44769.2: After an apparent sabotage of the Enterprise's warp drive committed by Klingon exchange officer J'Ddan, Starfleet sends Admiral Nora Satie out of retirement to investigate the possibility of a Klingon faction cooperating with Romulans. But Satie goes beyond that, accusing a shy junior crewman of Romulan collaboration and even accusing Captain Picard of aiding Romulans and the Borg. Notes: This episode begins a build-up to the season finale dealing with a possible Romulan-Klingon alliance. It was also the last episode of Next Generation to be scored by composer Ron Jones, who was fired by the producers for consistently disregarding instructions which Jones said were cramping his musical style. Guest Cast: Jean Simmons (Admiral Satie), Bruce French (Sabin Genestra), Spencer Garrett (Simon Tarses), Henry Woronicz (J'Ddan), Earl Billings (Admiral Thomas Henry), Ann Shea (Nellen) Why I like it: How hyper-patriotism and misrepresentation of facts is used by neocons to foster a climate of paranoia and fear that leads to war - 10 years before that war that we will leave unnamed. Season 6, 1992-1993 Chain Of Command - part II written by Frank Abatemarco directed by Les Landau music by Jay Chattaway Stardate 46360.8: Cardassian representative Gul Lemec reveals to Jellico that Picard has been captured on Celtris III. Under interrogation by Gul Madred, Picard is tortured in the Cardassians' attempt to find out more about the defenses of Minos Korva, a planet once sought by the Cardassians in their war with the Federation. On the Enterprise, Jellico prepares for all-out war in the event of a collapse of diplomatic relations, but meets with open disapproval from Riker. Jellico relieves Riker of his duties and continues to deny that Picard's mission was ordered by Starfleet, which disqualifies Picard from the terms of the Federation-Cardassian treaty concerning fair treatment of prisoners of war. Picard resists further torture but is pushed to the limits of his endurance while Gul Madred continues to question him about Minos Korva, of which Picard knows nothing. Meanwhile, Jellico confronts the Cardassians and calls their bluff after discovering a flotilla of their warships hiding near Minos Korva. He successfully demands a withdrawal and the release of Picard. Returned to the Enterprise, Picard resumes command, but all is not normal after his experience at the hands of the Cardassians. Guest Cast: David Warner (Gul Madred), Ronny Cox (Captain Jellico), John Durbin (Gul Lemec), Heather Lauren Olsen (Jil Orra), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice) Why I like it: Why governmental use of torture should always be outlawed - almost 10 years before Abu Gradi. Season 5, 1991-1992 The First Duty written by Ronald D. Moore and Naren Shankar directed by Paul Lynch music by Jay Chattaway Stardate 45703.9: The Enterprise is heading back to Earth so Picard may deliver Starfleet Academy's commencement address, and the crew is also looking forward to an aerial stunt display performed in orbit over Saturn by Nova Squadron, the Academy's elite flight group, including Wes Crusher. As the Enterprise arrives, news reaches Picard and Dr. Crusher that Nova Squadron's five planes have collided during a practice maneuver, injuring four of the pilots and killing one of them. An inquiry is launched into the accident, and squadron leader Locarno - backed up by Wes and the other cadets - testifies that blame lies on Cadet Joshua Albert, who died. Picard, while the investigation is underway, pays a visit to his old friend Boothby, the Academy gardener since Picard's days as a cadet. Wise old Boothby, and later Picard himself, begin to wonder if perhaps the surviving cadets of Nova Squadron aren't simply diverting the responsibility for their own mistake. Guest Cast: Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Jacqueline Brooks (Admiral Brand), Ray Walston (Boothby), Robert Duncan McNeill (Nicholas Locarno), Ed Lauter (Lt. Commander Albert), Richard Fancy (Captain Setalk), Walker Brandt (Hajar), Shannon Fill (Sito) Why I like it: Truth always is the first duty, but you gotta understand that truth also entails a personal cost. Personal cost comes with the territory. - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com