UNCUT - Legacy (TNG S4E6) | Star Trek Journey 187

Example number 1 million of Data really kinda sorta does have emotions

I don't think it's a bad episode. It's just surrounded by so many better episodes.

Not sure if this was intentional, but it occurs to me that some of Ishara's acting and dialogue coming off as forced or on the nose may have been because the character was literally putting on an act. Her lines didn't come off as genuine or natural because they weren't. Again, probably not intentional, but I thought it might be an interesting interpretation.

I don't really have too many major issues with this episode, but aside from a few great Data moments, it's fairly forgettable. Kinda feels like a throwback to late S2 or early S3. I'm glad they didn't go down the predictable route of bringing Denise Crosby back to play Tasha's "twin sister". Beth Toussaint did a decent job with the material, and yes just about everyone compared her to Linda Hamilton after T2. I suppose the crew defending Tasha's "legacy" against a bitter sibling is nice for the "gone but never forgotten" aspect of it. Data though is really the one carrying this episode. I still don't see Data as having emotions in any way we would understand. He wants to be human, he can learn to emulate and understand human behavior(as evidenced in the poker game), but he doesn't feel things the way we do. I think situations involving particularly betrayal or other negative experiences tied to emotion can make him question whether being human is really so desirable. Given how central that goal is to his existence, I think what we see from Data is uncertainty more than anything. Making Data question his desire to be human is probably the closest someone can come to hurting him emotionally as we understand it. I do like how the action sequences were filmed in this one. Might not be very tactically sound to walk into a hallway without peeking to make sure both directions are clear, but I love when Riker swings around to fire his phaser at the one dude. The look on his face if you pause at the right moment is hilarious. Also solid stunt work here. Plus having Data dodge a phaser beam was a nice display of those android reflexes, and the little phaser flip and holster after he stunned Ishara was very smooth. This planet always confused me though. We tend to see federation worlds as safe, resource abundant, peaceful places to live. What the planet became after the federation left was a hellhole. I mean I get that you might have a colony that desires greater independence , but you'd figure a plan would go along with that for when they had it. Like in Mass Effect 2, the colony Horizon basically did the same thing, but the colonists there still remained united, they just gave up the protection of a central govt in exchange for more freedom managing their own affairs. It's hard to imagine people giving up replicators, holodecks and peaceful living only to resort to rape gangs, constant civil war, and destroyed cities. You'd figure being an isolated independent colony would bring people together but I guess not. Can't blame Tasha for writing those people off.

3 and 4 are my favorite seasons. Maybe 4

Joe Menosky's first Star Trek writing credit.

Data even looks more robotic with the way he is lit. Always the light comes from below or the side, it accentuated his yellow eyes. Obviously, a directing choice, but odd that they brought it out at this point in the show.

No scoreboard changes today but ALMOST/Coulda been a Data notch. I am not going to comment on the sightlines of the guest actress and her tops she wore.

Enjoyed the reaction. One thing about Ishara's "like my sister" line that she says to Picard.. you guys felt it was overly explanatory because the audience gets who she's referring to.. I feel the line is fine because she didn't say it for the audience. She said it for Picard. Picard wasn't necessarily on the same page as the audience until she said that. That's always a good thing to consider when deciding whether a line was overly expositional or not, who's it being said to? Not really a favorite episode of mine, but it's good. I do like the costume design.

The laser tag vibes are real- growing up in the 90s it made laser tag feel like TV and its amusing to look back on!

Yeah, this episode is about some really great stuff, but it's execution makes a lot of it pretty boring, and it's not that fun to rewatch, so most fans skip it. I think fans also skip this one because they know that in comparison to the other stuff that's yet to come, this episode is overall forgettable despite it's good/great moments. I can appreciate what this episode is about now though much more than when I was younger, so I agree with you and also rank it as a B. Also if you remember back to the Season 1 finale The Neutral Zone, they mentioned in there that TV was just a fad, and it eventually died out. I'm assuming movies were part of that. The idea is that people of the future prefer interactive entertainment like the holodeck. Which in a way, we are kind of headed that way ourselves with people preferring more immersive experiences. Look at Universal's World of Harry Potter for example, or Disney's Hollywood Studios with Toy Story Land, Galaxy's Edge, and especially Rise of the Resistance. Even stuff like Marvel is a Cinematic Universe. I think we are going to keep moving toward finding ways to enhance movie and game immersion and interaction.

Thanks guys. I have seen these episodes many times but seeing this type of episode which I have considered fairly 'throwaway' through new eyes has been great. Really enjoying the journey here!

Alex, you don't understand. Ishara's actress had literally just graduated acting school 5 minutes before they shot this episode. She was still in her cap and gown when she had to do her first line reading. Oh, and also at least 6 other actors were cast before her, but they all died in unrelated accidents before shooting.

I’ll just straight out say it. Ishara Yar actress is HOT. And then they just HAD to do the cat suit. What a bod! Not fair.

I ask this not as a joke but, really, I wonder if her new outfit was an extra little superficial way of making sure she was popular with the men on board?

When I first saw this I thought they were going to add Ishara to the cast as a recurring character. Not a straight replacement for Tasha but a connection to her. Glad they didn’t…

And the "family" theme of season 4 continues...

Brent had some serious effort to keep focused seated next to Ishara while she was standing... Just sayin'

Fun trivia about this episode: In the opening Captain's Log, Picard mentions Camus II. This was the planet in the final TOS episode "Turnabout Intruder". "Legacy" is the 80th episode of TNG and it surpassed TOS' run of 79 episodes with this episode. The Camus II reference is a nod to this milestone.

Did you catch the continuity/ production mistake they made during the Poker Game though? ;)

I like this episode for pretty much the same reasons as you. I also thought the guest was alright

I kept waiting for a cat to show up. 🐈 😻

Yeah she definitely reminds me of Linda Hamilton. But wasn't this released prior to T2?

For me this isn't a bad episode necessarily, but the main focus should have been strictly on Ishara and Data; I had no investment in rescuing people we don't know anything about from a hostile group we also don't really know that much about. I was much more interested in Ishara's internal conflict and her relationship with Data, which is kind of rushed through and a bit over-explained due to the time constraints. I almost wish Data had just beamed down to the planet by himself (because he thought the colonists could not hurt him) and just works with Ishara there. Then she betrays him and he has that conversation with Riker and you realize he is hurt, just emotionally and not physically. Maybe that wouldn't have been the best either, but the ending was so good, I just wanted the rest of the episode to lead there more directly.

I gotta agree that the start and ending were the best things about this episode. It's not a slam on Beth Toussaint as a guest star - she can only work with wheat she's given, and the last scenes with her were pretty darn good - but rather that the writing was not stellar for the bulk of the episode. It was like "A Taste of Armageddon" without any real charm or quirkiness. Solid, serviceable story and dialogue with expected beats, but no real emotional punch despite this being Tasha's long-lost sister. Until the end, which was FANTASTIC! It's a C+ for me, simply because the majority of the episode was just average entertainment. But the parts that stood out remain exceptional.

1:22:26 Turkana Four is not a Federation world. They kicked the Federation out! 15 years ago, according to the dialogue in the episode.

I know exactly the David Blaine videos you were talking about in the intro, "What the efff???"

Ah the pleasant charms of Turkana IV...

not a big criticism but its sometimes interesting you guys decide to chat during a climactic scene especially in this one near the end missing some key information. i hate to be critical here

I agree the actress did bear a strong resemblance to Linda Hamilton. Hamilton had appeared in Terminator 1 and a series called Beauty and the Beast by the time this episode would have filmed, but Terminator 2 did not come out until almost a year after this episode aired.

I may have said this before but rewatching this now, I feel like today you could describe data as "neurodivergent", or "on the spectrum" or whatever. He does have emotions he just doesn't process and express them the same way the average person does. He's a new lifeform with a new kind of brain. He's just different than a typical human. And because he handles emotions superficially different than his friends, he himself doesn't realize it.

When Data opens his mouth, you think he’s going to respond, but just says “energize”. WOW. As far as a TNG moment, thats an “S”.

The first 4-5 minutes and last 4-5 minutes are A. The rest is C/C+, so I went B. Good beginnings and endings are easy; good middles are hard.

45:25 Better to get the tissues first!

33:30 Alex sees it coming!!

27:30 Data gets addicted to people.

26:18 Josh likes what he sees! LOL!

You know nothing about skintight outfits. Yet.

19:52 Awwww, pusssy ❤️🐈

Haven't even watched the reaction yet but it gets a like just for the cat! <3

Kitty Kitty Kitty! =^-^= <3

I’ve always loved how all the urban guerrillas look like they just came from a hair salon.

Kitty cat!

I never really cared for this one, I do like some of the Data scenes but always felt this was very underwhelming and overshadowed by greats either side.

An interesting story that provides a back history to a character who at that point has been off the show for two and a half years. Can't help but wonder if Denise Crosby was a little miffed that the series decided to do something she was apparently asking the producers for during her time on the show (more character development/screentime). Makes you think if this episode would have had more on an emotional punch if the sisters were reunited. Not a great episode by any means, but I still enjoyed it.