Hi Trekkers, Spacerguy here. Its always nice to kick back with a cocktail and enjoy a drink with your android Starfleet buddy when duties permit. Scotty in TNG Relics just had a sip of synthehol and nearly choked! Even 75 years locked in a continuous transporter cycle didn't develop the taste buds for fake booze. So here Data finds the solution and its by no means artificial. Guinan, a woman of many secrets with her bar counter in Ten Forward is just the ticket.
Hi Trekkers Spacerguy reporting. We visited Star Trek TNG "Booby Trap" P1 in 2018 so heres the scientific aspect with respect to the aceton assimilators and the slingshot for P2, You can thank Armchair Squid who stopped by last week reminding us this really is Geordi La Forges episode.
On stardate 43205.6 the flagship USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D investigates a rather harmless asteroid belt near Iralius IX with relics emerging from a wartorn age.
So when a Promellian battleship Cleponji appears on the Enterprise-D viewscreen, Captain Picard is excited. Well, well, well. Such a fantastic find... The alien relic itself represented "1000 years" of history which takes the starship Enterprise-D crew quite by surprise. A true floating alien museum with high tech, high spec technology for its time is one thing. So from Picards perspective so much was right about it.... until the USS Enterprise-D couldn't move... Then panic sets in...
The Menthars Aceton Assimilators. Thousands of these deadly devices mined the asteroid field. One managed to snare the Enterprise-D and drain significant energy from the ships systems. The idea was to steal enough energy generating fatal radiation to kill the crew. Thats when Geordi La Forge and Leah Brahms got to work on the holodeck.
"Odds are its even money."
Geordi best guess from the holodeck gives Picard two options.. Kickstarting the Enterprise-D and shut everything off except two thrusters or turn the entire ship over to the computer. Let artificial intelligence fly the Enterprise clear of the deadly booby trap. (Only trouble was the ship might not coast far enough out of the "booby trap" so like with an A.I. in charge then eveyone's goose would be really cooked in 26 minutes which is more or less what Commander Data warbled on about while Picard flew the ship.
"Thank you Mr Data"
Which left this life and death decision down to Picard. The burdens of command. So he decided to fly the Enterprise-D with only one propeller so to speak. It was a gamble but no less risky than the "slingshot effect" in Star Trek IV. If it works great if not game over. However it did work and with Picard in control at the conn he used asteroid's gravitational pull as a slingshot to free the Enterprise-D from the Menthars Booby trap.
1. What do you think of Captain Picard's slingshot manoeuvre?
2. Whos Starship would you prefer to be on when crises hits. Captain Kirk or Captain Picard or Captain Archer or Captain Sisco or Captain Janeway's or Worfs?
3. Lets say the Enterprise-D is travelling at warp lightspeed towards a G-type star or sun instead of an Iralius asteroid.What would happen?
Star Trek TNG
Stardate 42695.3 Penpals
Writers: Melinda M. Snodgrass
Its Starfleets first and foremost rule - a principle of noninterference with Federation races and cultures, a rule born from painful historical experience. Apparently Starfleet is very serious about the Prime Directive and doesn't like it being violated.
So while the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D checks out catastrophic volcanic geothermal activity in the Selcundi Drema System, guess who's fooling around with the hailing frequencies and its not Uhura aka Nichelle Nichols!!
Nope fraid not. Its our friendly android, Lieutenant Commander Data aka Brent Spiner! so what could possibly be going down while he's extending the ship's sensor range? a female voice from space speaks.... Is anybody out there? Her name is Sarjenka. All DATA had to do was keep quiet.... instead he says YES! Now, Captain Picard has problems.
Lets face it, Picard isn't over the moon when he realises - Data has ignored the Prime Directive. It's broken man! Now what are we gonna do? Its game over man - haha ok not quite. The female voice, Sarjenka talks to her penpal Data over the Enterprise-D comm panel and Picard listens fuming
Help can be given if asked for which shoulda coulda maybe, really, didn't happen. Its interesting because here's an android not supposed to be swayed by emotion... yet Data kept the "Penpal" communication going for 6 weeks! why? Then you've got Picard who says "Data I want you to sever all contact with Drema 4."
"Data. Data, where are you? Why won't you answer? Are you angry me? Please, please, I'm so afraid. Data, Data, where are you?"
PICARD: "Wait. Oh, Data. Your whisper from the dark has now become a plea. We cannot turn our backs."
Could you have flicked the hailing frequency off? Was Data right or wrong to break the Prime Directive? Picard acted on overt emotionalism, exactly the type of thing the Prime Directive is designed to prevent. Is Picard emotionally out of control in Pen Pals? Live Long and prosper, Trekkers
Here's an hour and a half of Star Trek awesomeness!!! William Shatner is hosting with Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, Jonathan Frakes, Denise Crosby, Marina Sirtis and Robert O’Reilly on stage at Silicon Valley Comic Con - last week.
The event?
Why Star Trek's 30th The Next Generation reunion of course,
V is for Vash but who is she? Vash is a fortune hunter in
Star Trek TNG 67th episode 'Captain's Holiday' with Jennifer
Hetrick co-starring with Patrick stewart. While chilling out
on the idyllic pleasure planet Risa, Captain Picard gets
involved with a hot babe totally passionate about
archaeology. At first she doesn't quite level with Picard
until the unethical Ferengi, Sovak and two time travelling
Vorgon criminals arrive on the scene looking for Captain Picard. The 'baddies' have come
a long way for a 27th century superweapon of ultimate power, called the
Tox Uthat. However Vash has other ideas and seeks only one thing, locate and
seize the small crystal cube and flog it to the highest
bidder.
Who
will find the Tox Uthat first? Which do you think is the
most destructive force ever created in the universe, the Tox
Uthat or the Federation's (Regula One) Genesis Torpedo or
Soran's rocket star killer?
N is for Naked. In Star Trek TNG's "Naked Now" the USS Enterprise-D
crew get infected with a virus from another ship, the Tsiolkovsky.
The fun begins when everyone loses their inhibitions, acting real
weird when they return from an away mission.
Security Officer, Natash
Yar is a real stunner all dolled up and a sight for sore eyes. She
sets her sights on Data, seducing the android, adding him to her list
of conquests. With a mischievous expression on her face, she corners
Data and their eyes light up. The android is baffled but can't help
resisting Tasha's advances towards him. Security Officer Tasha is in
complete control of the situation.
" Data, You are fully functional aren't you ?"
" I am functional" replies Data
" HOW fully functional ?" demands Yar, smiling eagerly like a hungry
little cougar.
" In every way!, I am programmed in multiple techniques." responds Data
"
You little Jewel" responds an ecstatic Tasha leading the smiling
android away to an adjoining bedroom.
Lucky day for Data? A bird wearing a Starfleet shirt with
insignia appears on a computer screen. Could this be the Great Bird of the Galaxy?
L is for Locutus of Borg but who is he? In Star Trek TNG's
Best of Both Worlds, Picard's Enterprise-D crew get their
butts kicked in a battle with the big scary Borg. Victorious,
trek's cybernetic baddies beam off the Federation's Galaxy
class fortress with their prized possession, Captain Picard.
How could this be happenning, I hear you ask. Well to be honest, TNG's Best of Both Worlds left many of us
gobsmacked on stardate 44001.4 It was spine chillingly
thrilling watching Picard become Locutus of Borg. However,
many of us still couldn't accept Starfleet's finest diplomat
was now the enemy, a walking and talking Borg.
'I am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life as it
has been is over. From now on, you will service us.'
How did you react when Commander Riker gave the order?
B is for "Brothers" which begins with the USS Enterprise-D being
covertly diverted to Commander Datas home planet!
In this 77th episode
episode of Star Trek TNG, Data takes over Captain Picard's ship when
a malfunction in the androids programming summons him to a mysterious
planet. Apparently all it took was a homing beacon to get Data, Lore
and Dr Soong reunited in a cosy family get together.
A surprised Data
meets his creator, his actual living father who hasn't been killed
by the Crystalline Entity after all. Soong has created the perfect
chip specially designed to allow Data experience human emotions for
the first time! The real mind twister here is how will Data's Emotion
Chip affect the android whom we have come to know and love.
In a
bizare twist, Data's evil brother Lore fools the old man. Lore gets
the chip and in turn goes quite mad, assaults Dr Soong and runs away. What made this really unique is Spiner plays all three characters but
when Soong touches Data's face, the hand belongs to a photo double.
Brent Spiner candidly admits,
'I didn't have a clue as to who the
character was, he was just a generic old man.' Four hours of ageing
make-up later, 'People started treating me like I was an old man with
so much more respect' 'The older I acted between scenes, the nicer
people treated me, it was incredible.'
The brothers are soon at odds
but when Soong interrupts to reveal he's dying, its like WOW. For a
moment I actually believed Data's evil twin, Lore had a heart!
'Brothers' was written by Rick Berman and directed by Rob Bowman. The element of jeopardy was suggested by TNG's Michael Piller who wanted Lore on the scene.
How many days of shooting do you think it took Brent Spiner to shoot this episode? What did you think of Data fooling the computer by impersonating Captain Picard's voice? Who's your favorite character, Data, Lore or Dr Noonien Soong?
Realm of Fear is an epic Star Trek TNG episode #128
starring Dwight Schultz as the (USS Enterprise-D) engineer Reginald
Barclay. Brannon Braga wrote TNG's script 'Realm of fear' in homage to 'Nightmare at 20000 Feet.'
When captain Picard's Federation Galaxy class flagship USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D locates the stricken USS Yosmite, the
Enterprises' Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge calls on Reg for help. He is after all a systems engineer. At first, all is not what it seems because
the Yosmite crew are missing. To make matters interesting, Lieutenant Barclay lives in mortal
terror of transporter 'beaming' but then who doesn't? Dr Leonard H
McCoy and Catherine Pulaski cringe at having their atoms scattered across
the galaxy too.
Barclay is a starship systems diagnostic engineer yet oddly hes extremely nervous about transporters. When he finally plucks up the courage
to step into the thing and de materialize, Reg makes a startling
discovery. An encounter with a creature from within the matter stream spooks the living bejeepers out of him. Is it a lifeform? Could it be alive?
The thing floats and then zaps his arm. Barclay steps out from
the transporter pad a completely shaken and changed man, convinced life will never be the same again. He suddenly develops a thirst for water and believes time is running out.
Yeah! its got to be
transporter psychosis, right? or was it the creature in the transporter stream?
O is for the Outrageous Okona but who is he? In Star Trek TNG of "the outrageous okona" the USS Enterprise
NCC 1701-D encounters an unidentified vessel on the viewscreen. Worf eyes glint as he zeroes in on the spaceships co-ordinates at sector 3, 9, 5, 6, mark 0, 9, 1. Datas sensors scan for lifesigns and locate one humanoid on an interplanetary cargo ship. All is not what it seems. Data's readout confirms a burnout in the inertial guidance system explaining the little spacecrafts erratic flightpath and unconfirmed final destination.
Worf establishes hailing frequencies and Captain Picard allows
the pilot, Thadiun Okona to beam aboard with the malfunctioning part. Data's estimates repairs will take seven hours and sixteen minutes. So far so good. After friendly banter between Okona and Picard, Okona and Worf, tough guy Okona hands over all his weapons including a long heavy knife. Its interesting to note nearly every TNG character, including Data (struggle with humor) gets serviced in this episode which isn't an easy feat for any writer.
Meanwhile below decks, Okona is finally foot loose and fancy free,
fraternizing with several Enterprise females. Remember Teri Hatcher
from Lois and Clark and Desperate Housewives? Well as Okona's luck
played out in 2365, he got real friendly with a B.G. Robinson in the
Enterprise Transporter Room, if you know what I mean. Believe me, its
the same dame. Isn't she sweet?
At the time Hatcher starred as the transporter chief in her only
(uncredited) Star Trek appearance, who freely submits to Okona's
chatup lines. I can't believe the words "You have the majestic carriage and loveliness that could surely be traced back to the noble families who once ruled romantic lands with benevolent and tender hands." actually worked! Robinson was eating out of Okona's hand. In the end she's dishing out her room number!
When two alien ships track Okona's
flightpath co-ordinates, things get interesting for the Enterprise
bridgecrew. Who stole the the Jewel of Thesia and impregnated Altec's
daughter, Yanar? Picard needs answers fast!
Three years before Bond girl Xenia Onatopp, Famke Janssen guest
starred in Star Trek The Next Generation, The Perfect Mate. You may recal she
played the beautiful Kriosian Empath, Kamala who makes a rather lasting impression as a cracking "empathic metamorph." Kamala senses her mates desires which is what makes her so alluring. Can Captain Picard like resist her charms? You decide.
"Nothing, Nothing lies beneath. I'm really quite dull. I fall asleep each night with an old book in my hands." "When a metamorph finds you interesting, do not take it lightly." "Oh, I'm not taking it lightly, I'm just trying... to be as dull as possible."
The story goes Kamala has been prepared since birth to bond with
Alrik, the ruthless ruler of Valt Minor. The hope is her "bonding"
will bring peace between two wartorn worlds. Its such a shame really
because Kamala has such a beautiful spirit and personality. Famke
Janssen is so convincing and expressive in her role as Kamala. As an
empath she could sense what any dude wanted and become exactly that.
So after the Ferengi incident in the cargo bay interupting her
cryosleep and knocking the ancient Kriosian Ambassador senseless,
Picard has to step in and spend a lot of time with Kamala. Lucky devil!
You might
well ask how Captain Picard resisted Kamala's advances! Curiously
Janssens spotty character makeup inspired the look of Jadzia Dax in
Star Trek Deep Space Nine. Famke was actually offered the role but
turned it down to concentrate on her movie career instead. She appeared in a variety of films including sexy villainess Xenia Onatopp and three turns in the X-men franchise once again opposite Patrick Stewart.
K is for K'Ehleyr's Klingons! Picard's USS Enterprise-D gets a cryptic message telling them to divert and intercept, top priority. Its a top secret interstellar matter for special envoy K'Ehleyr to fill our Enterprise buddies in on, Great, isn't this exciting? It gets better when she arrives in a class eight probe travelling at warp 9! K'Ehleyr, the special envoy from the Klingon Empire is blunt and straight to the point. A Klingon ship, the T’Ong, is about to awaken from a deep cryosleep after 75 years.
When the T'Ong's diehard crew wake up from hibernation, these Klingons will not surrender believing the Empire and the Federation are still at war... Forget about "sleeping on the job" for a whopping 75 years!
K'EHLEYR The point is that this is beside the point. These are Klingons... at war with us. Whatever their mission was -- once they see a Federation target, they'll attack.
PICARD Could the T'Ong be disabled rather than destroyed?
GEORDI We could probably knock out their warp engines without damaging the rest of their ship...
K'EHLEYR (shaking her head) That would gain you nothing. Disable the ship, and K'Temoc will destroy it himself.
WORF Klingons do not surrender.
K'EHLEYR Face it -- if we don't reach the T'Ong before its crew wakes up, you have no alternatives.
The question I've got is this: How is it possible for a Klingon ship from a much earlier era with defective cloaking coils etc to cross the borders of the United Federation of Planets for 75 YEARS and only be discovered now? At least this plot hole gives the Enterprise the perfect excuse to warp to the rescue, hehe. The performance given by Suzie Plakson playing K'Ehleyr in this Star Trek TNG episode of "The Emissary" is a thrill because she doesn't pull any punches. Definitely one to watch if you love Klingons!
Whats the name of the Captain of the T'Ong?
How does K'Ehleyr relieve her Klingon frustrations?
"Justice" is the eighth episode of Star Trek The Next Generation series. Picard's away team find a nice M Class planet called Rubicun III populated with friendly, free and easy humanoids called the Edo. Two scantily clad Edo leaders Rivan (female) and Liator welcome Riker, Deanna, Worf, Tasha Yar and Wesley to their home planet with the traditional Ego greeting.
"Health happiness, pleasant day to you."
Rivan says "And I welcome this huge one, " (She gives the Klingon a long, sensual hug. I had a good chuckle here, wait for it.) Rivan melts into Worfs arms. The dumb Klingon looks over to Commander Riker and says, "Nice Planet!"
Nice Planet!??!!! What Worf? You've got to be kidding me! The Klingons got a babe swooning all over him and all the daft beggar says, is: "nice planet?" Riker was unimpressed. Next it's Wesley's turn and the wiseguys brick'in it, big style. Being a nerd can be a major disadvantage sometimes.
WORF: Nice planet.
And
EDO GIRL
I want to do something too . . . with you. (Great line, lol)
WESLEY
Uh . . . what?
EDO GIRL
It's something you can teach me. Will you?
WESLEY
Uh . . . well, actually, there are some . . . games . . . I don't quite know yet.
Rubicun III is perfect for shore leave... until Wesley Crusher, son of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Crusher, "drops the ball" (hehe) totally by breaking the absolute law of the Edo world. So what was the Enterprise kid's crime? Unknown to the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D away team, Rubicun had "punishment zones" scattered throughout their little world which the Klingon, Worf was fast finding out from Tasha Yar. When someone breaks a rule in a randomly-assigned "punishment zone," they're put to death. Law enforcement "Mediators") ask Wesley if he freely admits to the heinous crime of falling on new plants. Wesley stands up straight, deepens his voice, and declares,
"I'm with Starfleet. We don't lie."
The plot thickens with Captain Picard in quite a bind. How will he try to outwit the Edo world's most powerful and mysterious protector? Data calls it the Edo "God" thing.
E is for Elementary Dear Data which begins with the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D hanging in space for the USS Victory. In this 28th episode of Star Trek TNG, Chief Engineer La Forge and Commander Data head off to the holodeck for some fun. La Forge suggests playing out a Sherlock Holmes mystery except theres a catch. Data cheats because he jumps to the end! The android accesses his vast memory banks and solves the mystery before it even plays out frustrating La Forge. So Dr Pulaski pipes in professing Data just isn't capable of deductive reasoning. He's a machine, a robot! Right? I mean look at how he talks, walks and computes. Datas got no instinct, so Geordi's determined to prove Pulaski wrong. The fun really begins when Geordi decides to create a new program with a unique mystery capable of defeating DATA!
(Lets think about that for a second. Data has an 800 quadrillion bits "positronic" brain capable of 60 trillion operations per second. Datas impressive positronic brain allows him to interface with other computer systems and process a large number of "thoughts" at once.)
So on the holodeck, Geordi instructs the Enterprise computer to create an adversary capable of defeating the fastest and brightest walking computer on two legs! This was enough to give Picard a meltdown. What this means is Geordi placed the entire Enterprise in peril by creating a super intelligent, sentient "lifeform" with total access to the main computer. Things get real interesting when "Moriarty" tries to leave the holodeck.
Is the definition of life "I think, therefore, I am" the only one that matters?
Will Moriarty cease to exist when the holodeck is turned off?
'Lursa and B'Etor are feared. And fear is power.' Chancellor Gowron
Who are Lursa and B'Etor? Lursa and B'Etor are two seductive power hungry, Klingon females and a force to be reckoned within the Klingon Empire except for one little chink in their Klingon armor. Their brother Duras got swift justice at the receiving end of a curved bat'leth in 2367 for killing Worf's mate K'Ehleyr. Why I hear you ask? True warriors live by the Klingon Code of Honor which boils down to loyalty, honor and courage etc. The House of Duras apparently failed to appreciate that such a code even existed. That left Gowron next in line to succeed K'mpec as High Chancellor which didn't sit well with the sisters, at all. Lets have some fun with Star Trek TNG history.
In Star Trek's TNG 'Redemption' episode Barbara March's Lursa appears with her smaller foxy sister B'Etor played by Gwynyth Walsh for the first time. Its fair to say these two lovelies are united in their quest for power, conspiring with Romulans, hatching secretive plots to achieve only one thing. Control of the Klingon Empire! How trustworthy can they really be?
'Klingons do not surrender their weapons.'
The sisters are eventually exposed for Romulan double dealing but manage to escape and hook up with Dr Tolian Soran in Star Trek Generations. You remember him? He's the guy that snuffed Captain Kirk under that corny bridge scene bringing a dismal end to one of Science Fictions most iconic characters.
In 1991, when Redemption first aired on TV I recall being fascinated by the Duras sisters cunning treachery which added a crisp, wonderful tension between the characters in TNG's Redemption. These gutsy gals were determined to have a go at the Leadership by presenting their nephew and rightful 'male heir' Toral to the Klingon High Council.
When I saw that cocky kid strut his stuff into the Great Hall of the Klingon Home world, I was stumped and a little impressed by his sheer cheek. Not bad....but Toral gotta have some nerve. Alot of nerve going in their confronting those blood thirsty klingons! Gowron was enraged and leapt up from his council throne with his warriors d'k tahg in his hand.... (Go on Gowron, GET HIM!) A boy leader challenging the High Council with no love for duty or combat! You've got to be having a laugh......
In a flash Gowron's crazed eyes were alight with hatred but then a grin appears on his face. "Don't make me laugh" as he nearly busts a gut laughing. Toral is defiant but strangely unnerved for a boy that wanted to be chancellor. Murmurs of dissension echo the chamber.
Gowron continues. "What harlets lair did you find him in Lursa?"
Humiliation is written all over Toral's face. Gowron rejects the defiant klingon and the council is split. Its not like the boy's true blood lines aren't suspect or a bitter pill to swallow. Still good ol' Captain Picard does his Arbiter of Succession bit by refusing Toral's leadership challenge plunging the Klingon Empire into civil war chaos, pitting Klingon against Klingon. Gowron eventually becomes chancellor of the Empire except its not over.
'Do you hear the cry of the warrior calling you to battle, calling you to glory?'
I find it interesting Gowron's restoration of Worf's family honor came at a price. Discommendation was a heavy cross for Worf to shoulder alone. Sure, Worf no longer had to be the Fall Guy for Duras's treachery, (the guy who poisoned K'mpec) so now Gowron wants Worf's allegiance and its time to pay the piper. Worf is torn between Starfleet duty and his loyalty to the Klingon Empire. You'd think Picard would've given Worf some much deserved leeway here but instead Jean Luc plays hardball. The conclusion to Star Trek's TNG Redemption P1 ends with a real tear jerker when warrior Worf tells Picard:
'Then I resign my Starfleet commission as a Starfleet Officer.'
IMAGES OWNER/CREATOR PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND OR CBS STUDIOS
Whats your favorite Star Trek Klingon episode? Were you delighted or stunned when Worf resigned from the the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D? Have you ever had a crush on any science fiction characters? Who's side are you rooting for... Klingons, Romulans or Starfleet? Have you got a favorite sci fi warrior?
T is for T'kon Empire. In Star Trek TNG episode of 'The Last Outpost,' Commander Data gives a little talk to his to his Enterprise-D buddies. Captain Picard explains hes never heard the word T'Kon before. Data turns on a holographic projection covered with extinct alien looking T'Kon language.
Apparently, the T'Kon Empire ruled the galaxy 600,000 years ago. According to legend, these planets were outposts of that empire, explains Data. So far so good, until the operations manager picks up one of the toys left behind by one of the kids. Gottcha!!! Its hilarious watching super- android Data struggling to free himself when his forefingers get STUCK TOGETHER!
PICARD
Data. What are you doing?
DATA
Apologies, Captain. I seem to have reached an odd functional impass. I am, ah... Stuck.
PICARD
Then get unstuck and continue your briefing.
DATA
Yes, sir. That is what I am trying to do... But the solution eludes me.
O is for Old Earth Satellite. The USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D encounters frozen bodies in Star Trek TNG episode of 'the neutral zone.' The strange thing is these humans died over 300 years ago on planet earth!
All is definitely not what it seems. Data the android is fascinated by the 20th century Old Earth Vessel and is itching to investigate. Blackbeard reluctantly gives his officers the green light. Together Worf and Data beam aboard only to discover three humans in a deep freeze cryogenic sleep!
The question facing Data now is what to do with them? A mystery also surrounds the destruction of Federation and Romulan outposts marking the arrival of the United Federation of Planet's secretive neighbours, the Romulans after 50 years of silence. Captain Picard's return to the USS Enterprise-D reveals the man is not a happy camper. Data's and Dr Beverly Crusher shenanigans only makes matters worse. The good doctor has little choice but to thaw out the Enterprise's new passengers, apparently. Picard is unimpressed.
I am never critical of any member of my staff being curious, but... the timing is just so... DATA I could not leave them there, Captain. The condition of the vehicle was deteriorating. PICARD But, Data -- they were already dead. I mean... what more could have happened to them? DATA I see your point, Captain, but at the time...
K is for Kristina Kochoff who starred as an uncredited andorian n Star Trek TNG. In this episode of "the Offspring", Commander Data transfers android daughter Lal's entire process of existence into his own positronic brain. You see Data was Lal's father, creating Lal in 2366 using his own brain as a template.
He nurtures and brings a unique sentient android (played by Hallie Todd) to life so he could have an offspring. All seemed jolly fine on the surface, once Lal chose her own appearance she was able to emulate humans and their odd behaviour, use verbal contractions and eventually exceed even the parameters of her own fathers sophisticated programming... Lal was able to FEEL......EMOTIONS! How could this happen?
Starfleet's Patriarch Admiral Haftel beams aboard the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D to take control of the Lal situation. Apparently he wants to acquire android Lal like you would a piece of technology, to study her. Haftel is a hard nosed, cold hearted brute who crushes Lal's emotional happiness. The cruel beast declares her the property of Starfleet without so much as considering Lal's personal needs. Captain Picard is horrified and objects but Admiral Haftel is adamant. 'I am Starfleet, Captain' growls Haftel at Picard through gritted teeth. Poor Lal. She never stood a chance and experiences extreme fear and confusion. The situation is grim. Lal returns to Datas lab just before the end of her life and then finally we understand why.
"It just wasn't meant to be."
A cascade failure in her neural net has caused irreparable, permanent positronic systems failure. Lal's neural net is slowly shutting down from emotional overload. Despite being capable of 60 trillion operations per second even her father Data cannot save her.
Star Trek's 'The Offspring' really is a heart breaking episode. I believe Lal died because she was heartbroken!
Data: "Lal? I am unable to correct the system failure."
Lal: "I know."
Data: "We must say goodbye now."
Lal: "I F-E-E-L"
Data: "What do you feel, Lal?
Lal: I love you, Father."
Data: I wish I could feel it with you."
Lal: "I will feel it for both of us. Thank you for my life. Flirting. Laughter. Painting. Family. Female.
G is for Graves but who is he? Dr Ira Graves is one of the greatest intellects ever to grace the 24th Century Universe. In Star Treks TNG we discover 'The Schizoid Man' doesn't enjoy the company of humans especially authority figures or sneaky doctors. Graves is a scientist consumed with molecular cybernetics attempting to bridge the gap between machine and man. His simple philosophy is women are not people!....
Sadly Ira deteoriates in early 2365. Sweetheart Kareen sends word to the Federation requesting medical treatment but time is running out. Meanwhile, Gravesworld provides the perfect isolation for reclusive Graves until Data turns up with USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D asking questions. The androids curiosity with the preeminent scientist lights up a dying mans eyes. Data immediately takes to the ol' coot calling him Grandpa but the sly dog has concocted a devious plan. All is not what it seems. The mans brilliance has unlocked the secret of transferring his vast intellect and knowledge into a computer!
Can you guess what happens next?
After Datas touching reunion with Grandpa, Graves is beamed aboard the USS Enterprise-D for a fine send off. The enigma deepens when Commander Data steps up to the transporter pad and gives an overblown eulogy at Graves funeral.
It doesn't take a genius to realise something is definitely amiss.
Just look at that face, The face of a thinker, a warrior! A Man for all seasons, Yes, Ira Graves was all that and more but he was not perfect. Perhaps his greatest flaw was that he was too selfless. He cared too much for his fellow man with nary a thought for himself! A man of limitless accomplishments and unbridled modesty. I can safely say that to know him was to love him, and to love him was to know him. Those who knew him loved him, while those who did not know him loved him from afar!
B is for Boothby but who is he? Boothby is Star Trek's grumpy Groundskeeper at Starfleet Academy played by Ray Walston. In 1963-66 Walston also starred in 107 episodes of My Favorite Martian as the sweet talking alien from Mars who lands on planet Earth.
Its neat seeing Uncle Martin in Star Trek TNG playing Boothby. Hes far more than just a groundskeeper offering simple advice. His special wisdom has mentored several Starfleet captains including Captain Jean Luc Picard, Captain Janeway and her sidekick Chakotay. Apparently, Picard seeks out Boothby's wise words of wisdom once again while investigating Starfleet's Nova Squadron cadets. Sadly all is not what it seems when Cadet Albert's flying tragedy is reported as an accident in TNG's 'First Duty.'
Only Boothby's intimate knowledge of Nova Squadron saves the day giving Picard the edge he needs. A real mystery surrounds Joshua Albert's training accident over Titan. Why are Starfleet's elite cadets acting so mysterious and elusive? False testimony about flight plans is definitely hiding something but what is it?
