PATRON TAKES - Star Trek TNG S4E6

This is a good episode but not A or S tier. Data is great in this episode, managing to portraying the ‘emotions ‘ one would feel if someone special to you if their sister betrayed you. Great stuff for Spiner to sink his acting chops into. Data conveyed the deviation of betrayal by Tasha’s sister without showing actual emotion. “Bangs the arm of the chair 3 time and shots ‘LETS GO!’” 😂

While the episode itself is just passable, the parts focusing on Data dealing with new emotional challenges is phenomenal for character development. I do have to question the sheer odds of running into Tasha's sister, lucky she was nearby and involved in the plot of the day. Strong A tier for that, C tier for the rest, so B overall.

Meh.

Seeing Tasha’s homeworld was neat, but I never really understood why the Federation let one of their colonies fall into chaos and didn’t do anything about it. I know they said they broke off relations, but that’s kinda weak. Young Jim Kirk was on a colony where the governor declared martial law, and Starfleet still swooped in and saved the day.

Providing a backstory for someone who had been off the series for two and a half years at the time this episode was originally broadcast was interesting to say the least....... This was the type of character exploration Denise Crosby had repeatedly asked for but was denied. Interesting to see how this story would have evolved if she had remained on the show......

When I actually sit and watch this one it’s always better than I expected/remember, but it definitely doesn’t stick with me after viewing. Beth Toussaint is believable as Tasha’s sister.

I, personally, would avoid having an exploding jolly rancher implanted on my chest. Probably cinnamon flavored.

This is, for me, the definition of C tier.

The warring factions trope that Federation members think they are superior to. If the Borg had assimilated Earth, this sort of colony is what would keep humans alive. The one positive for me is that this is a bookend with the previous Crusher episode on trust.

So far, all but one episode this season has relied on elements from past episodes. Great idea to play on the loss of Tasha, and the scene between Riker and Data about trust is just wonderful - a discussion I think everyone probably should have to be able to reflect on from time to time, given how much people can just suck.

This goes onto that list of "I forgot this episode existed." Then I remember that I always think Linda Hamilton is in it and she's not. I agree with an earlier comment that warring factions episodes have really started to blend together.

All the episodes about warring factions tend to blur together for me, and there’s nothing particularly memorable about this episode besides Tasha’s sister.

This was an interesting way to revisit Tasha (through her sister) but I find it hard to believe that Tasha would either leave her sister behind or serve as senior officer on the flagship without rescuing her sister from a planet of rape gangs. The idea of a “failed colony” is interesting premise that fails to deliver in this episode. Would like to have seen more about why a colony of the utopian Federation failed.

Meh. It’s got kind of a season 2 vibe.

Fun fact: this is TNG episode 80, making it one better than TOS. Picard's first log entry says they are bypassing their Archeological mission at Camus II, which is the planet Janice Lester swapped bodies with Kirk on in "Turnabout Intruder" which was TOS episode 79.

Dollar store Linda Hamilton stars as 30 something angsty teen sister of Tasha alongside I'm just Ken the terrorist. Spiner makes it work as best he can but it really doesn't do much for character development even. Moving on.