UNCUT - Aquiel (TNG S6E13) | Star Trek Journey 251
Comments (95)
The dog it. Oof.
I don't think it's the worst TNG episode but it's on my bad list. The part I did find funny is how Geordi always seems to manage to completely research his romantic interests and get all the personal details. He approaches romance like an engineering task!
36:35 They slept together. I'm sure of it.
"mid-season finale" is an oxymoron.
This is perhaps the most boring Trek episode of all time. They keep introducing plot elements that don't pay off. The missing clips, the extended phaser blast, the phaser that never comes back into play, Mortag's presence on the station. NONE of it goes anywhere.
💯 ST meets The Thing, except it's boring.
Notes from Memory Alpha- the production team did not like this episode. They felt the actress and Burton had no chemistry. Originally this episode was going to feature more backstory from Geordi as he and Aquiel traded life stories. In the original script, she was the murderer, but they apparently felt it was too similar to "Basic Instinct." They toyed around with one of the two other suspects till they landed on the dog. Originally the dog had been a random addition to the story but at the end of the script process they made it the murderer. The staff thought this was the worst episode of the season, and essentially the only blemish to what otherwise was a great season. They were disappointed with the special effects results for the monster. Personally I liked the setup. But the resolution was lame and predictable.
This is not the mid-season finale. Just because 13 is half of 26 doesn't make the mid-season finale. Chain of Command, Part 2 was the mid-season finale. It aired around the calendar date when shows usually have their mid-season finales. Then we had that short break for a few weeks.
They know. It's a joke.
Another thing keeping me awake at night… how do you shoot someone at level 10 on a phaser for 20 seconds? We established in TOS, TWOK, and throughout TNG that even a type 1 phaser on a high setting can vaporise someone in about 1-2 seconds. Once they’ve been vaporised, what is there to fire at?
D because of the dog, otherwise it would have been an E.
Why wasn’t Troi in the scenes when they questioned Aquiel? Troi would’ve established if she was being deceptive or not.
Amazing that Troi was there for the Klingon questioning, but mia for Aquiel
Aquiel is definitely in the top 5 worst episodes of TNG.
From Memory Alpha: When asked what he would have done differently in his time on Star Trek, Ronald D. Moore stated that he would not have written "Aquiel".
I was watching this episode synced up with the reaction, and absolutely no joke, I did fall asleep in it. I was only slightly tired, usually not enough to fall asleep during Star Trek, but there we go. Poor Geordi shafted again.
Yet an other Giordi as a near stalker
I knew I was struggling to recall much about this episode for a reason. It's so.... boring.
Laura (1944): Classic film noir mystery romance. The Thing (1982): Amazing peak sci-fi horror. TNG Aquiel (1993): Garbage mix of both.
Absolutely nailed this review - acting, directing and story are all pretty good but the episode is so flat. The weird plot with Geordi falling in love with Aquiel is terrible., Cut that out, shorten all the clips with Georgi watching her logs and have a horror action sequence at the end with some stakes. And put some damned music in there! There's literally two scenes with any music. I honestly don't remember watching this before a couple of weeks ago, I must have forgotten it existed.
I like the lighting and direction of the episode.
I agree with you on this one. I didn't even watch with you guys I went right to the end for your comments!
Honestly, While I'd probably give Imaginary Friend a 'D' at this point, I still say it was just a boring, but inoffensive Monster of the Week episode that was way better than this piece of trash. If you are going to rip off "The Thing" don't be this weak about it. E
I agree this was not a great episode - poor writing, shooting, and editing. Heaps of missed opportunities. But it wasn't super bad. Just a bit dull and frustrating, because it really didn't have to be. I'd give it a D.
One thing we can be sure of. Aquiel is a terrible person and thank God (or Q?) that she didn't take Geordi up on his offer.
They really do Geordi dirty when it comes to women.
I can’t believe people were talking shit about DS9 season 1, while we still had this gem coming up. 🤣
Don’t worry this is the only bad episode the rest can’t wait for you guys to experience
This feels like every episode of Voyager
Wow, that's entirely unfair.
this ep makes some of the mid DS9 episodes look like bangers now !
This ep was very meh for me . A variation on the stalking Geordi Trope.
During the season Michael Piller explained new Supervising Producer Frank Abatemarco was not working out. His style was not working on TNG. Piller said it fell upon him to fire Abatemarco. Piller gave no details, but that meeting was difficult and painful for all involved. This might explain some of the less effective episodes like Aquiel up to this point.
Another bad thing about the episode I haven’t seen anyone commenting on is that our characters don’t even solve the murder mystery! Geordi still has no clue who the murderer is until it attacks him
I understand your reasons for not liking it, but i'm in the minority. It's B from me. I wasn't a huge fan on my first watch a few years ago, but it's grown on me over rewatches. I love the mystery, the parallel to The Thing (i'm surprised it was the 41st minute before you mentioned if it was the dog). also i like stuff to do with Geordie 's love life, admittedly i rated both Leah Brahms episodes A, this only B. Also you questioned why he'd get involved with a suspect for murder, hormones are strong feelings, if the situation was similar i doubt it would stop me falling in love (for the record my gf isn't a murderer lol). Your issue with Deanna not being used to her best i agree, but even though she's my favourite character i overlook it it otherwise it would end things too quickly... well probably not too quick for the haters😂
I had to watch this episode three times because I kept falling asleep...
I'm looking forward to rewatch think one, because I have not seen it for 30 years and can't remember much. My initial experience must have been really bad...
ok, just watched it today and I was surprised how good the first 10 minutes were, and how strange the last 10... Somewhere in the middle the writers lost it
This episode has annoyed me now. Why did Geordi kill the shape shifter? It didn’t attack him. It didn’t threaten him. Geordi didn’t try to warn it or communicate with it. New life form right there and just vaporised it.
The most forgettable episode of the series.
I wish
I did not like this episode when it came on in the 90s and normally when I rewatch the series I this is one of the few episodes that I skip. Lot's of good potential but they just dropped the ball somehow. I was hoping that maybe I might like it better watching it with you guys but no it's still pretty bad, loved yours and everyone's takes on it though. Luckily there aren't any more this bad in my opinion
I was tempted to skip it this time, I hate this episode so much
When you said in the live stream a while back that you watched one episode recently that was really terrible, I knew it was this one. Waste of space of an episode.
100% agree with breaking the no-ratings rule for this one just to give it an E. Its honestly annoyingly boring.
That's not actually their rule, they can give clear ratings if they want, they just don't have to.
This episode is like a trip to the dentist and they put the fluoride on your teeth with the polisher…
Glad we’ve got this one out of the way…
I'm going to be generous and give this one a D. It's boring AF, and it falls back on the stalker Geordi trope they just can't seem to leave behind, but at least there was a murder mystery and some political intrigue with the klingons. I still consider Imaginary Friend far more tedious to get through. The good here isn't anywhere near enough to grab my attention, but IF had NOTHING. Still, worst S6 episode easily. Man of the People at least had Troi acting unhinged to provide entertainment. There's nothing in the back half of the season I'd give less than a C, and even then only 2-3. Also I always thought the effect of the dog transforming felt like they borrowed Odo's shapeshifting effect and changed the color a bit. Anyway, that was painful to get through, but at least it's in the rear view mirror.
Before watching it, I am going to guess the boys will not be fond of it.
Forehead nostrils
I DO remember watching this episode first time round, and my thoughts were "unremarkable". For no reason whatsoever, I was even thinking of skipping it. But I'm in it for the long haul and thought maybe there was something I missed the first time. Guess my first memory was correct
Was half tempted to skip this reaction but I hate myself today so decided to rewatch it. Still awful
It is at least followed by - in my view - one of the best episodes of the entire 7 seasons.
It did not improve with age, I didn’t really like this episode then. I didn’t like it now, The elements behind the story were OK. There was something there. They just lost it.
This is an episode that exists. They definitely wrote it, and filmed it and released it. That's all the nice things I can really say
Will all that talk in the beginning about only 1.5 seasons left, it's reminding me how excited I am for Voyager. I am probably the only one lol
Not at all! I love Voyager.
Way she goes sometimes
I thought I’ve seen every episode of TNG at least five times. Either can’t remember this episode or I’ve wiped it from my memory. Either of them I can believe.
Same
And you once thought the Patrons would never rate an episode below C....
We’ll find out
TNG The sex scoreboard Geordi with a pop shot Riker 14 Troi 5 Dr. Bev 3 Picard 3 Data 2 Geordi 2 new Ro 1 Worf 1 Broccoli 2 i Chief/Keiko 1 Extra: Geordi gets a little but did the dog join in? Yes it is a score. There was a cut away from them, when the scene comes back there is a messy bed. That means we count it.
If we scored it by actual performances of action w/ partner: Chief/Keiko: 400 times by now. Just gotta change it up is all :)
I don’t ever recall watching this episode. Looks like I didn’t miss much. Such an obvious rip off to The Thing. I expected better from these writers. A bit of a waste of Cliff Bole, too. Ron Moore’s one regret of TNG: that they made this episode.
lol I wrote the same thing. Strange. Maybe it had low reruns on cable back in the day.
If memory serves, on first run of this show I turned this one off after about 10 minutes because teenage me was bored to shit. I don't think I've seen it since. So I was excited to see how different it was watching with you guys, as I've changed my tune on several episodes on rewatch since joining here. Turns out, teenage Darin was spot on. This episode is beyond trash and borders on offensive with how stupid it is.
A string of great s6 eps come tumbling down in this. Man of the people is at least campy fun this is just dull.
Yay! My comment got read! First time!!! Yeah, this episode is just BAD. So much potential just wasted by...what? Editing? A writing fail? Who knows. And I won't spoil if it gets better from here or not, but let's be honest - how the hell could they come up with something worse than this?
I don’t think my opinion on this episode is a spoiler. This is the worst episode of TNG
Thank's for the comments ... I will skip this one.
A compelling build-up and premise with a lackluster execution and payoff. It's pretty much universally disliked as an episode. You guys nailed it on the review too: there was no tension, and the Geordi treatment was awful and just made him look like a creep again, and the scenes with him sitting around watching logs were a total slog. On a side note, I like that they give most or all of the main cast at least 1 speaking line in pretty much every episode, I assume they get more or any residuals from that? If so, shout out to the writers for doing the actors a solid like that. Data had just two sentences, Troi only had a single word lol
If I’m not mistaken the main credited cast get paid for every episode no matter what. It’s the supporting actors who rely on having at least one line to get residuals(for TNG that would include characters like Guinan, Ro Laren, Barkley, and Keiko and Obrian before DS9).
I totally must be on a different wavelength. In this corner a minor murder mystery, in that corner 35 minutes of no plot and Obrien saying "He's hiding something but I like him". I gotta go with the murder mystery every time, but I love almost all murder mysteries. This is like a 6 out of 10. I wouldn't want to watch it again, but its better than wacky moms and wholesome/nauseating/precious TV children. Regarding execution, did you guess the killer? If not it at least was written well enough to do that.
It's execution. If you care more about the premise, I can see why you'd like this one more, especially if you can discount how Geordi is written, but I can't. I really hate how they write him sometimes.
Alex's look of horror and disappointment when they found the dog during the cold open almost made rewatching this episode worth it. I like how the episode threatens us with getting interesting when Aquiel shows up alive and then... it gets worse. Incredible.
This one ties with Man of the People for worst episode of season 6. It could have been a good murder mystery episode but it got side tracked by Geordi being a creepy weirdo (seriously Starfleet HR needs to sit him down and have a conversation, he keeps doing this). It's disappointing that we still get episodes like this in season 6, which is otherwise arguably the strongest season of TNG with only IMO these 2 awful episodes (and one very mediocre one in True Q)
Feel like it was just last episode you were like "I just really love every single character on this show," and then this episode comes along and it's like "Jesus, Geordi, why do you gotta be such a weirdo creep?"
I love him, despite his flaws
I totally forgot that they didn't even give an excuse for why Troi can't just read Aquiel. I remembered this as boring, worst of season 6, but yeah, it's even worse than I remembered.
Video came back a minute or so when I switched to the YouTube link, Geordie just has shitty luck with women, doesn't he.
You know what? You may have touched upon why this episode was so awful. I hate to say it, but....Geordie. Sometimes I feel that they never knew what to do with his character, so more often than not, they gave this one-note trope of "Geordie is weird with women" and they always land flat, or at least cringe. But for me anyway? I dunno, his episodes just BORE me. Yeah, he had The Enemy and The Minds Eye and maybe even Identity Crisis to call "good" episodes. But see the theme with those? They don't involve women. LoL. When they fall back on that, it fails.
The problem with having joined Patreon is that now that I'm watching uncut reactions, I have to watch this fucking episode again. I must really like you guys to make this worth it.
Video looks to be back. Still no idea what happened.
And earlier tech issues? This episode is so bad that it cursed your release day!
There's a fun Klingon/Federation politics episode here. There's a fun body-snatching horror story here. There's an offensive Geordi love story here. They put them all in a blender.
No idea where video went. Will reupload soon. YT link works
Says removed by creator, so I'm guessing Alex logged on and started pressing buttons LOL
Definitely one of the TNG episodes of all time.
Of all the episodes of Star Trek, this was definitely one of them.
Video isn't working?
YT link still works
Oh wow, Aquiel!! I can't tell you how excited I've been for you to get to this episode. Undoubtedly one of season 6's best.
Indeed