Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Worst of Star Trek TNG--Lonely Among Us



While I’ve got time on my hands, I’m putting together a best and worst of the Star Trek TNG series. FYI, Netflix has all the series on instant play for those that don’t own the series on DVD (or VHS in my case).


One of the worst of the first season was an episode called “Lonely Among Us.” It contains the expendable crew member scenario where one of the ship’s main engineers is electrocuted by an entity that found its way into the ship’s circuitry.


Right after this, the bridge crew, including Counselor Troi, are amused by Data’s new found love of Sherlock Holmes. He sports a pipe and tries in a British accent to unravel the mystery of this thing in the system. What? No tears for the crew member that was killed? He wasn't even rushed to sickbay in an attempt to revive him. Worf reports “he’s dead” and that’s that.


The episode’s saving grace is the side story involving the Selay and the Anticans, two alien races that can’t get along but hope to join the Federation. It’s apparent at the end of the show that they won’t become friends anytime soon when the Anticans, who eat live meat, dine on one of the Selay delegates for supper.


Another cool moment is when Picard gets shocked by the entity as it blinds the bridge crew and sets sail with Picard’s body as it’s capsule, in tow.



2 comments:

  1. Well, actually I like this episode, and overall, I love the title "Lonely Among Us". It's not one of the worst, imho. You stated some really cool moments of this eps yourself :-) Remember, it's the first season, and they were still finding out how the characters would develop...

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  2. I found it ridiculous they way the crew acted shortly after the engineer was killed. And contrast the way they handled his death to the way the doctor handled Yar's. Even after she was pronounced dead, the doctor did everything she could to save her. The engineer wasnt' even worth trying to resuscitate? And how did the aliens expect to travel around the galaxy in Picard's body without the help of the ship? And how was Picard able to communicate with the ship through the helm after being possessed by the alien in space. So much of it made no sense.

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