Greetings, Manic Fans. Les here to continue our top 50 favorite Star Trek Episodes with RichB.
LES: Hmmmm….where did that boy get to?….
*A wormhole explodes open and a Federation Runabout exits it, zips down and lands. Door opens and RichB steps out.
LES: MAN! you get all the best entrances…..Ready to continue our lists, my friend?
RichB:Wait till you see my next entrance….And yes, I’m ready.
WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AND ADVENTURES BOLDLY GOING WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE AND TO BAJOR AND THE GAMMA QUADRANT AHEAD…..
RichB: Anyway, I can’t wait so my #10 for today is:
#10. “Timescape”
I wanted at least one entry for each
season. With season 6 it’s a hard call since the season started shaky
and then got good. Many would choose ”Chain of Command” but I hated that
episode, too dark. Yeah I get that was the idea and it was a powerful
episode, just not for me. And while there was other good stuff that year
(including the one I talked about last time) I chose an episode that is
just fun. Timescape is just a silly time travel story. Well ok not
”travel” exactly. But any episode where we can have the crew frozen in
place is a winner for me.
LES: I was always impressed with the
”Freeze Frames in time” that they could do in TNG…whether it was time
frozen, or a program paused in the holodeck…characters could be panned
around and moved around….and to this day, I haven’t the faintest idea
how they pulled that special effect off as it was done years before
”bullet-time” was invented for ”The Matrix.” Anyways, the episode was
good…not great…but good. For my #10, I’m countering your last 10 list
that included ”Unification” as the episode that got TOS fans onboard for
TNG…that brought back Spock….my #10 brought back Mr. Scott.
#10. ”Relics”
SO, Vulcans are long-lived and Mr.
Spock survived into the 24th Century(So did Dr. McCoy, who had a great
cameo in ”Encounter at Farpoint,” but I digress….). The way they brought
Mr. Scott into the 24th Century was brilliant. He preserved himself in a
transporter on a continuous pattern cycle. When the Enterprise finds
his crashed ship, The Jenolan, on the surface of a Dyson sphere Mr.
LaForge finds and re-materializes him. The rest of the episode is about
Mr. Scott coming to grips with being ”Old School” in technical expertise
and feeling useless in his old age. Captain Picard recognizes the
problem and encourages LaForge to help him. Several wonderful scenes are
in this episode, including the return of Captain Kirk’s command
chair(the actual prop) in a holodeck scene, Mr. Data tending bar and
producing a bottle of booze thats…um…*takes a sniff…”it’s green!” and a
nail-biting scene of suspenseful rescue as Mr. Scott takes the
engineering station of his ship one more time.
RichB:It was if the creators knew
Unification was a disappointment so they gave us this gem. Scotty is
great in every scene is he in and I love every single nod to the
original series. It’s a little non traditional for TNG episode but it
still rocks. And since this is clearly the last appearance of Scotty in
that form it was a nice sendoff for a great character. Ok, my #9 is:
#9. “The Pegasus”
This is a Season 7 entry, and do I
really have to go over my feelings on that season? While not the best
episode of that year it is one that stand out’s as above average. I was
torn between this, ”Phantasms” and ”Parallels” and decided to go with
the more relevant episode. Parallels was spoiled by that Worf/Troi
nonsense the creators forced. Remember when we discussed The Enterprise
Incident? In that episode Kirk steals a cloaking device. Ever wonder why
the Federation never used it? It’s because of a treaty they signed in
good faith. And that’s what his episode revolves around and Riker is
torn between his loyalty to Picard and his loyalty to his former
commander, who was conducting secret experiments on a Federation
cloaking device until things went very wrong. This is a really good
episode with suspense and drama (and we will not discuss what ”These are
the Voyages” did to it!). Riker shines as he is torn between loyalties.
LES: Yeah, and they even used that
episode for the last episode of ”Enterprise” as a vehicle for Riker to
see their last mission in the holodeck while figuring out what he’s
going to do in ”The Pegasus.” Well…I saved the best of TNG for my last
pick of those episodes:
#9. ”All good things…”
This episode has it all: Q, An
exceptional Picard storyline and time travel and alternate realities…Old
Picard 25 years in the future suddenly starts traveling backwards and
forwards in time…back to the Farpoint Station mission and the present
where the Enterprise is ordered to the Romulan Neutral Zone to
investigate a spatial anomaly. Each time period is fully realized in
technology, uniforms and various hairstyles/mannerisms of each
character. They didn’t miss a detail, either. Chief O’Brien is at Conn
station again…as is Lt. Yar as security chief. Since the timeshifts
occur randomly, Picard has to overcome a lot of disorientation to solve
the puzzle put to humanity to solve by the Q continuum to prove their
worthiness as a species. The final scenes are suspenseful and amazing.
RichB: I could go on and on about this
one. If I ranked the most watched episodes ever for me, this would be in
the top three! One of the best final episodes of anything ever!!!!
Before I turn this into a speech about how much I adored every second of
this episode, I think it’s time to switch gears. When TNG was doing
amazing in the rating it was inevitable that a spin-off come along. The
spin-off was as good, some would say is better, than TNG and has carved
its own legacy in the Star Trek universe. Of course I am talking about
Deep Space Nine and my next choice is an appropriate one. Number 8:
#8. “Emissary”
Yeah I know, we always seem to start
with the pilot of each show. Though not to spoil anything, I can promise
Caretaker does not appear on either Voyager list. Yech! Anyway, I love
this episode. While it’s clear DS9 was intended to be a TNG spin-off
with characters and a premise taken right from TNG (heck Picard and the
Enterprise even appear in an a fantastic cameo) it’s clear they were
trying to make DS9 look and feel different. True watching this is
amusing when you consider where the series would end up, and the first
season was not the best by any stretch. I also love the Borg stuff in
this episode, nice to see how The Best of Both World’s affected others
outside TNG, and of course it’s Sisko’s story and is very well done.
Some of the characters aren’t 100% yet (what is up with Odo’s early
makeup?), but the seeds are still all here and I enjoyed this pilot and
have often re-watched it.
LES: Oh, without question. DS9 set up a
lot of obstacles and character growth to overcome in the pilot(that
didn’t at all disappoint throughout the series). It was also pretty neat
to watch Jake Sisko literally grow up in the show. Well…we’re synched
in our shows now. My #8 is:
#8. ”Q-less”
I’ve got to give props to the only Q
episode in DS9. Having Vash, Picard’s ex-girlfriend who tagged along
with him after TNG episode ”Q-Pid” was a nice touch to see where that
story went. Basically, Vash shows up from the Gamma Quadrant with a
collection of archeological swag she intends to auction off at Quark’s
for profit. When Q shows up, Chief O’Brien recognizes him and Sisko
tries to solve the mystery of where a mysterious energy is pulling the
station towards the wormhole is coming from(hint-it’s not Q doing it…but
everyone thinks he is).
RichB: Well, you disagreed with me on
”The Apple” so I will have to do so here. It was fun to see Q again but
it was not a great DS9 episode in my opinion. But that’s just me. My #7
choice is another from Season One,….
#7. “Duet”
Much like TNG, DS9 had a rough first
year. Man is this the exception! This episode came in the same season as
”Move Along Home”? It’s another bottle show (I have a thing for those I
guess) but this one has some intense dramatic moments. What’s the plot?
Kira must come face to face with a Cardassian war criminal who tortured
her people in a slave camp. Uh, yeah no tension there! Fantastic
writing and acting, with a tragic ending no less, this episode was a
glimpse of what DS9 would become.
LES: DS9 really was a great vehicle for
characters to go through tortuous trials to grow stronger from, and
this episode was a great one for Kira. OK, for my #7, I’m picking:
#7. ”Shadowplay”
This one is a great solve the mystery
of the disappearing people story and a great showcase for Odo. When it
turns out that only one citizen of the town is a real person, who’s
recreated his entire village through an elaborate series of holograms
after the Dominion wiped out his whole town, Kira and Odo need to
convince him that his creations are real people, since he’s cared for
them. In an inspired homage, in a later episode of ”Enterprise” Archer
discovers an almost identical town of holograms….and actor Rene
Auberjonois was one of the holograms!
RichB: Yeah it was nice of Enterprise
to steal this idea. And it was a good episode, very well done and even
makes sense! My #6 is:
#6. “Whispers”
I don’t say this very often, but the
ending to this episode totally surprised me! It’s hard to discuss
without spoiling it. I usually don’t worry about that but this twist
ending is just to good. Basically, O’Brien is trying to figure out just
why everyone else on the station is acting so odd. The answer is a big
surprise and a great ending to what could have been a run in the mill
episode.
LES: Yeah…I’m not spoiling this one,
either…and you’re right. The twist is exceptional…and everything that
made DS9 a cut above as a Star Trek series. Alright…for my #6, I’m going
with:
#6. ”The Forsaken.”
There aren’t many Lwaxanna Troi
episodes that don’t become ludicrous or overly sappy….but this one
strikes an unusually deep chord for a single moment that she shares with
Constable Odo when they’re trapped in the turbo lift. Being
Lwaxanna…she’d been flirting and pursuing Odo from minute one..and
voila! they got stuck on the turbo lift together when the power fails
it(Standard Sitcom plot). What makes this one different, however, is
Odo’s limitation where he has to morph into a liquid form to regenerate.
He’s mortified to have to do it in front of her. ”No one’s ever seen me
like this!” He laments. Then Lwaxanna removes her wig and gets serious.
”No one’s ever seen me like this.” She informs him. ”But you look
fine.” He remarks. ”I’ve never liked looking ordinary,” She tells him.
The moment is tender and serious. Odo finds comfort in her confession
and melts into her lap where she holds him safe inside the folds of her
dress.
RichB: I don’t remember this one but
Laxwana gets a bad rap on both shows. Yeah she could be annoying but she
did have some nice tender moments on TNG and on DS9 I think Majel
Barrett was a very underrated actress. So here is my #5.
#5. “Crossover”
I loved this one as soon as I read the
TV Guide description. A return to the mirror universe? Yes!!! This
episode is exactly what I said, as we return to the mirror universe and
man is it a lot of fun. The best part may be Nana Visitor, just having a
ball in the role as the Mirror-Kira (or The Attendant). You get the
feeling everyone had fun making this and it is definitely one of my
favorite episodes. Not much else to say (though seeing Avery Brooks have
fun and go so far out of characters is a real joy). What about the
follow up’s? They pretty much go sillier and sillier, none being as good
as this one.
LES: Yep, and once DS9 did it…it opened
a floodgate to doing more Mirror Mirror episodes on both DS9 and
Enterprise. This was a good episode. My only complaint is Mirror Odo got
killed in it….so much potential for return appearances….gone…oh well…
My #5 is:
#5. ”Distant Voices”
You covered this one, so you already
know. This is a great Dr. Bashir episode that takes place mostly inside
the Doctor’s own mind where his own fears, regrets and disappointments
are given form in characters from the show who act out of character to
torment the poor man who’s come under mental attack from an Alien. The
ending is fantastic.
RichB:I did cover it because a lot of
people seem down on it. But I think it’s a very interesting episode and
works for me. Glad you like it too. For my #4 I give you….You wont
believe this, are you ready? A bottle show!! I know, right??!?
#4. “Visionary”
Ok all kidding aside this is a great,
if small, episode. One of the things that I a love about it is that
every character gets something to do here, especially O’Brien of course
who is briefly jumping a few hours into the future after an accident.
It’s also the only time you will DS9 desyroyed in an episode, how cool
is that? True the time travel stuff makes very little sense in this
episode, it’s been said this is the point Trek stopped caring about
things like that, but the episode still works. It’s also one of the few
good Romulan episodes you’ll get on DS9. I should do a whole review on
this one but for now, I will just say that it’s one I’ve watched over
and over.
LES: Yeah, I like little time jump
episodes too, and this one is a lot of fun. And in keeping with wibbley
wobbly timey wimey weirdness….for my #4, I’m going with:
#4. ”The Visitor”
The premise is simple…the emotional and
dramatic execution is deeply profound. Sisko and his son, Jake are
involved in a Warp core accident on the Defiant that causes Sisko to
phase out of time. Believing him dead, the crew mourn his loss…until he
reappears briefly a year later. He continues to do this spread further
out…but staying longer each visit while Jake attempts to save him for
the rest of his life. Finally, at the end of his life, Jake determines
how to bring his Father back. Trust me, this one is amazing.
RichB:Sometimes an episodes will come
around that is so well written that it really takes my by surprise. This
is one of them. It’s not an original idea, at all, but man the writing
and the acting sell every second of it. Love this one. But the episode
that came before it was pretty awesome to, and that episode happens to
be my #3…
#3. “The Way of the Warrior”
The sad truth is that bringing Worf
into DS9 did not work the same way bringing Seven of Nine into Voyager
helped that show. However that doesn’t change the fact that first
episode to introduce him into the fold was really, really good. First,
we get a new Sisko with the bald hair and now a captain (FYI I liked him
much better from this point on). Worf seem to fit in very smoothly,
although the reason was kind of lame. The Klingons enemies again? The
idea was so stupid it barely lasted a season. So why do I love this
episode so much? The action scenes are freaking awesome! There is a huge
space battle between The Klingons and DS9 and it’s just so cool! Yeah
this would be topped again later but for the time, this was a real
exciting episode! Also the situation with Worf top notch, feeling lost
after the Enterprise was destroyed, and thinking of resigning. It leads
to one of my favorite Sisko speeches when he explains to Worf you can’t
just throw the pain away and resign. Beautiful.
LES: Absolutely! You’re right on all
counts. I’m glad you included this episode. I do think bringing Worf to
the cast was a good decision…and even if the Klingon/Federation war
didn’t last more than one season, I did love the new dynamic it brought
to the show…it was the warm up to the battle with the Dominion…and it
gave us great characters like General Martok. Moving on…my #3 harkens
back to a selection I made from TOS:
#3. ”Trials and Tibble-ations”
This episode was the ultimate Trekker
geek out of all time. Using ”Forrest Gump” technology, they put DS9
characters into ”The Trouble with Tribbles” in a very clever time-travel
episode where that Klingon double agent that Kirk thwarted in that
episode goes back in time using an orb of the Prophets in order to
change history by assassinating Captain Kirk. If you thought the barroom
brawl between Scotty, Checkov and Enterprise crew and the Klingons was
great in the original episode…just watch it with Worf, Odo, O’Brien and
Bashir edited into it!
RichB: Yeah this of all episodes was a
real ”love letter” to the fans. What I love is the detail given so that
this episode almost flawlessly fits into the classic one. For instance,
the way they used the original actor who plays Mr. Baris from the
classic episode? Awesome!!! I love little things like that, and I could
go about this amazing episode all day! But my #2 is a departure from
this one….
#2. “Sacrifice of Angels”
I needed to have something from the war
episodes, and this is a very good episode. The way the battle for DS9
is won is a bit unusual. It has to do with the prophets saving the day.
How the sudden defeat effects Dukat is what made this memorable for me.
This was the last of an arc of episodes which were quite above average
actually. I really don’t have much to say on this one, very good stuff
here which would be topped later.
LES: Yeah, Gul Dukat really
rollercoastered a bit being villainous one episode, and being
sympathetic another one. You picked a pretty good episode there. Moving
on…my #2 is going to be:
#2. ”His Way”
Maybe it’s the ex-Las Vegas performer
in me, but I really love the Vic Fontaine character. A holosuite
hologram based on several Rat Pack characters, Vic is a special hologram
who’s self-aware and ”smarter than the average bear.” Played by James
Daren(Who was so popular in this character, he got a resurgence of
popularity in music and put out two more albums), Vic serves as the
”Guinnan” role in DS-9, offering advice and listening to the customers.
In this story, he helps Odo and Kira discover their crushes on each
other and arrange for a chance for them to connect in love. Many great
moments in this one, and the songs/music are stellar.
RichB: Not gonna lie, I hated Fontaine.
He just didn’t do anything for me. That isn’t the actors fault he
actually did a good job. This was a decent episode and it was nice to
get some resolution finally on the Kira/Odo thing. And yes I liked that
other episode with him and Nog in the center but that’s an exception.
Now for my #1 I have an episode universally considered on of Trek’s
best…
#1. “In the Pale Moonlight”
This episode is just awesome! There’s
no other word for it. It’s basically how the Romulans ended up joining
in the war against the Dominion. What’s that? Doesn’t sound very
interesting? Well it is because of some beautiful writing. Not to
mention acting, Avery Brooks is sitting alone in the room and yet these
scenes are not boring at all. The reason it’s big deal is because in
order to get this done Sisko had to do things no Starfleet officer would
ever do. But is it ok if the end justifies the means? That’s what this
episode is all about, and Brooks own every scene he is in.
LES: I agree. Sisko is in a class of
his own for moral dilemmas and soul searching and this episode was one
of his better ones. OK! For my #1 of this part of our lists, I’m going
with….
#1. “Once More Unto the Breach”
It is the Klingon Warrior’s deepest
wish to die honorably in battle. But for Klingon veteran Kor(John
Colicos reprising his role from the TOS episode ”Errand of Mercy”*also
has the distinction of having been the first Klingon ever seen in Star
Trek, but I digress…) his life has become inactive toasting his glory
days and waiting to die. Worf arranges for him to serve on General
Martok’s Bird of Prey and fulfill his desire for glory and honor again.
What I love about this one is the way Worf honors the elder Dahar master
and how Kor returns the favor at the end of the episode. All in all,
one of the best Klingon episodes of the show.
RichB: I have never seen that whole
episode, but having a classic Klingon in it automatically makes it
awesome!! Whew, two more lists to go. See you on the next one.
LES: Will do, we should be getting to Voyager episodes in the next one.
And thanks to you, Manic Fans for giving us some of your time too.
See you tomorrow for the 4th list of the top 50 countdown. Peace.
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