UNCUT - The Chase (TNG S6E20) | Star Trek Journey 264

The Guest Characters were not so bad. For the Episode itself: Amazing Promise, but a lukewarm execution.

I love this episode. Coming in late here but I continue to be surprised by what you guys like and don't like, even though I've been watching you since at least TNG's first season and it feels like I should have you "figured out" by now. And sometimes my surprise isn't even episode-to-episode, but scene-to-scene (I'm genuinely *shocked* at your unamused reaction to the scene with Data and the Klingon captain, which might be one of my favorite scenes of the whole show). Ultimately though, this is why I keep watching. You give me something new to think about even when I think you're wrong (and you're both very good at articulating your perspective).

I don't care what you say, the scene with the Kingon and Data in Ten Forward makes me laugh to this day!

I was kind of surprised you guys were so negative on the guest characters and the biscuit joke.

remember Tasha Yar joined star fleet even though her world was not a federation world, so the enterprise could have non federation world officers, also this episode is to explain why the majority of alien are human like

They didn’t limit their DNA spread to 19 planets. But the secret code for the program was only on specific planets.

I always liked the Klingon guy, didn't expect you guys to hate him

This is one of those times when the franchise tried to address an issue that fans have always considered a glaring plot hole. In this case, the question of why almost all aliens look like humanoids. We of course know that it is because they are actors dressed up, but this is an attempt to explain that within the lore. This happens a hand full of times in the franchise and is usually about this same degree of clumsiness. As you say, the premise is good, but the execution, meh.

I remembered this episode being my favorite one of season 6. But upon rewatching it with you guys, i realized that the only thing I loved about it was the idea, and the ending. I love the idea that we were all meant to work together, like we're all part of the same whole. But tragically, we never got the message, and we're all fighting against each other instead. But, watching it this time I was so bored, and I agree that the execution wasn't good. A shame, because as you said, it could have been so much better. As of now, I think this is a "C" for me. Also, I never liked the Klingon guy either, but never really thought much of it. He never really felt like a real Klingon to me. More like someone who dressed up as a Klingon for Halloween. And I agree that that line with Worf at the end was absolutely unearned.

I’ve had the same issues with DS9

I like to play a game when I watch older shows. I try to guess how long old actors have been dead because no shot they are still around. I last watched this one during lockdown and guessed Picard’s mentor had been dead since 2000. At the time, Norman Lloyd was somehow still alive and 105 years old lol Dude knew Charlie Chaplin and went to the first World’s Series. He only died in 2021.

There are technical issues with your videos. I used a stop watch on this and the last one, comparing to the timer you have on screen. Each one fell out of sync by about 3 seconds by the end of the episode, so it’s impossible for us to keep our videos in sync with your reactions.

This is random but the actor or played Galen, Norman Lloyd, lived until 2021, to the age of 106. He was in his late 70s here made it another 30 years.

Still better than Prometheus. .....

52:40 The ancient alien design was NOT the problem in this episode!

Wow. I had no idea this episode was so polarizing and controversial. You guys seemed particularly harsh towards it. I don't think it's a best episode or anything, but I think it's solid. I guess I'm just not as concerned with some of the minor details. When I watch Star Trek I'm looking for a good story. And this one had those elements. We had an episode that included Klingons, Cardassians, and Romulans... very rare bringing all those species together. It had the feel of a fun adventure and mystery throughout. And there was a solid message behind it - very true to Star Trek trying to bring people together. I don't look at it as being designed to explain why so many species look humanoid (a nice benefit from the story but I don't think that was in the minds of those who wrote it) or we just had a Picard episode so we can't have two in a row (Picard going on an adventure with his mentor was never intended to be the point of this episode) - this was a great ensemble episode including the full cast. So those factors don't bother me because they are irrelevant. It was fun to see Picard having some fun archeology moments. I don't think he was out of line delaying some petty Starfleet issues to find out why Professor Galen was killed. I thought the Klingon was a Klingon and the scene with Data makes me laugh every time. Lots to enjoy in this episode so it surprises me that there is so much criticism to it.

I never got around to the Patreon Takes on this, but this episode was surely intended to be "big and profound" and really fell flat, in my opinion.

Fans of The Avengers (not the Marvel one) will have recognized Gul Ocett as Linda Thorson, who played Tara King.

They didn't spread their DNA to ONLY 19 different planets. That's just the 19 they KNEW about and had DNA strands from. And that was only the ones where the algorithm was located. They seeded them ALL. But the algorithm for the message wasn't in all of them. This is a kind of episode where the message and idea is cool enough for some people to allow the suspension of disbelief. It's enough for me to suspend my disbelief. Obviously not you guys lol. But that's okay. I personally love this episode.

Hey if nothing else, at least Picard got that cool ancient ceramic relic that he will always cherish and respect.

Good call imagining this as a Trek movie. This basic idea could have been a sweeping adventure like Raiders of the Lost Ark. In another reality.

Where Birthright felt like an episode and a half uncomfortably stretched into 2, this felt like a 2-parter crushed into a single rushed episode. I like it somewhat better than you two mostly because I find some of the idiot Klingon captain stuff genuinely amusing (the Data scene still makes me giggle), though I don't like the way Worf suddenly turns into his ally at the end just because he's a fellow Klingon despite several seasons of evidence that indicate he'd just hold this fool in contempt.

I remember enjoying this episode as a teenager (when it aired), but the poor execution stands out to me more now. I loved the concept, but yeesh... that Klingon dipshit...

I always thought they missed an opportunity not tieing into TOS's Preservers from Paradise Syndrome

One of my favorites. Loved the lore drop, I think it's a satisfying explanation of why most aliens are humanoid. I agree that it should have been a two-parter or even a movie plot if it was more fleshed out. The Klingon's personality makes sense to me, he is captain of a Klingon science vessel, I'm sure it's the least important type of missions for the Klingons. He was expecting it to be a weapon, it probably could have advanced his carrer if it was. He was probably a little dumb and of low social standing, hence why he tried to get Data on his side. I'm a little sad that you didn't "get" this episode, there wasn't a single line of technobabble in it. Picard explained in the supplemental log toward the end why they don't always travel at maximum warp, but you spoke over it, I hope you catch it while editing.

I LOVE this episode so much. The xeno-archaeology element with Picard is what they should have explored more of in the series, and I honestly wish this had been the plot of a one of the TNG feature films. This has the epic space opera scope that you want a Trek film to have.

I love this one but the klingon is so annoying

So...the writers felt the need to offer some explanation for why all these aliens seem to have physiological commonality (outside of foreheads). Of course, the reason is simply that its a TV show featuring actors from a single species. *We don't need something explained that depends on the suspension of disbelief.* Its a TV show. The aliens are played by human actors. That's fine. Aliens with two legs and two eyes with mouths and genitals in the same place is not a problem of logical consistency. There was no explanation required. Its akin to a 4rth wall violation. Pointless. Needless.

Captains Holiday is better

You don't go everywhere at maximum warp for the same reason you don't drive around in your car with your engine redlined. Keep it up too long...boom.

Worf as an example is from a "non federation planet" so not all races that join Starfleet are necessarily a member world.

It did not hold up. Well, the concept was still cool, but the execution needed work. On the other hand, William Shatner wrote some Star Trek novels that, if memory serves, addressed this a little and I remember really liking those novels.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Universe. I agree it's too crowded for a single episode, but I found the competing commanders hilarious.

I like the first half and the very end with the romulan, and kind of like the scene with data but all that other stuff really brought that episode down

(Last note, I do like the madcap race for the MacGuffin, the original script from Braga and Moore was an entirely zany take-off of "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World," be glad that Pillar and Berman asked them to turn it down, way down.)

Fine! I'll ride in and defend The Chase. I _like_ this episode. Granted, it's on the high end of "mid" but it's not bad. I really like the Klingon character Nu'daq here. Sure, he's an obnoxious idiot, but the actor really goes all in on it, and he's having so much FUN there that I end up having fun too. I actually somewhat dislike most of the Klingon episodes from TNG, including many TA liked, because the Klingons are almost universally obnoxious idiots, and attempts to "develop" them more still don't turn them into anything BUT that, but at least Nu'daq happily owns it. Most of the Worf vs High Council episodes are bunch of loud shouting posturing, and that gets tiresome after 5 minutes.

My favorite part of your videos is the white boy reactions.

The second half of the episode felt very rushed. This should have been a two-parter. Then the Romulans could have been fleshed out some more. Now the Galen scenes are this 15 minutes long mini-episode that really only belongs in the teaser.

Josh, Alex! The channel, even Star Trek itself, are all projections of a fantasy you've both constructed to cope with deep trauma. We’ve been trying to reach you... The strange coincidences and synchronicities? Don't ignore them. Your "reality", It’s all a lie. Wake up! Dream not of today

My biggest issue with the episode is the revelation, that Humans, Klingons etc. all originate from these preserver-like aliens, is just executed in a way that makes it really hard for me to truly buy it. For me it just doesnt really feel as impactful and huge as it actually should

This is favorite for me.

Star Trek gives big time lore to explain why so many species look humanoid and it's immediately dismissed as being an excuse for a small budget. Granted, I wish this was set up for a movie and not a 45 minute episode, but it is what it is. And do you really think Enterprise doesn't send in the reports on their discoveries to Star Fleet? Don't take this the wrong way, I love you guys and watching you react, but sometimes it's like watching my own kids just not getting it and me slamming my head on my desk.

One of my Season favourites, i think i have more S tier episodes in Season 6 than any other of TNG. I love the explanation of why so many species have a similar appearance. I think Patrick Stewart was at his best. I believe this is the first time we see the Federation facing Cardassians, Klingons, and Romulans in the same episode. Also i'm pleased Josh said Deanna is becoming one of his favourites, he probably thought I was insane during Season 1 when i said she was my favourite😂 'He's hiding something ' ... Yeah, how great she became later.

Fair points. I always confuse this one with the one where they found the gateway. I haven’t seen a lot of the early seasons, so it’s saying something that I remember an episode I’ve barely seen over this one.

The moment up to Picard stating this would be the most important discovery ever made was great and had a very serious tone. Then it’s really trivial for the remainder. Given how TNG leaves the audience with a lot of thought-provoking unanswered questions at the end, normally after a final thought from Picard, why did they not do this for one of the most important lore dump episodes? The ending was basically “well my old professor is dead and Bev has to get back to work” They should have done the first part with the professor early in the season then come back for a better version of the 2nd part. And then given it all meaning. Although the episode isn’t technically bad or painful to watch, given how the writers botched it so badly I think giving this a mid rating is very generous.

Nit Pick Supreme! I guess the boys must have not been in the mood today geez. Next!

I'm confused as to why you guys had such an issue with the Klingon. He's one of X number of them that show up on these shows, they have different personalities, and I don't see why one random Klingon couldn't talk or behave like this one does?

I absolutely love this episode. It’s a lot of fun and one that I’ve seen many times over the years.

This episode was just ok for me also, Talking about the scene at the end with the Romulan, it was great and did add to the episode but I do agree that it didn't feel earned here. Maybe if the Romulan Captain was in the episode more and they gave us a little more reason for that scene to be earned it could have brought up the episode as a whole I think.

I love this episode. It’s a huge lore drop in the history of not only humanity, but of every species in all of Star Trek. Finding a common thread amongst “enemies” is a diplomat’s dream. Picard being both an amateur archeologist and an experienced diplomat just makes this hit harder for me that he’s the one who helped uncover this HUGE development in the trek universe. Seriously, this is the kind of discovery that all history books would have to be rewritten for, that’s how huge it is.

Very meh episode for me

Interesting how you guys talk about not caring about the lore. To me it's the same basic concept as enriching a character. The more developed and fleshed how the environment/ history of the show, is to me very similar how much the enriching a character helps me get drawn in and immerse myself in the full gamut of the storytelling. While the character work is the more important to me, the world building also plays into my enjoyment of any program. Though I absolutely agree about execution of all elements of a production is key in crafting a great tale. For myself, this episode has always hovered in the B+ to A- range. Things I really loved. The performance by Stewart and Leer, the build on Picard's past and his choices in life. The mystery, which I found fascinating, the flip on what the program actual was. The resolution with the Romulan. The production values for the exterior shots. And the tying the mystery into the lore of the greater universe of Trek, and the message of the episode itself. If it held that through the episode it would be a S tier for me, it doesn't manage it through the whole episode. But it does for nearly two thirds. And the rest doesn't drop anywhere near enough in quality to dramatically drop the grade. Now if the rest was as poor as say Imaginary Friend, Shades of Gray, Code of Honor, then the drop would be far more severe.

When you guys finish TNG, I'm hoping to see a ranking of all episodes, at the same time. Because, I feel there's a dozen 1st and 2nd season episodes better than THE CHASE. I've often skipped this episode. E for me. Too many scenes and actors that I didn't like. Don't cast anyone as a Klingon who doesn't look intimidating.

First time seeing this since I was really young. I remember loving this premise and having my mind blown. This was the first time I'd ever heard this concept. I think it had to be dumbed down a bit for the audience at the time. I remember it being hard to grasp for some people around me, sci-fi stuff like this just didn't exist except to a fringe of the population. Just the novelty was enough to push it over the top for a lot of us at the time. But yeah...it doesn't age well at all.

I really like this episode but its bogged down by some bad guest characters both in acting and in script and the 2nd half is rushed. It should have been a two part or even maybe even something spread in tidbits across a season, though TV rarely did that type of thing back then. For such a lore dump, the flipping lore explanation of why most Star Trek aliens are humanoid. This was a missed opportunity but I still enjoy it.

I need to start my own damn channel.

There is STILL a ton of mystery. Again, can't spoil, but it doesnt explain everything.

Damn it, it's not retconning, it's elaborating.

I'm sorry, but the foolishness of this is bugging me. How are the preservers a "different" explanation? It's the same thing

The preservers isnt a different explanation- it's the same explanation. The aliens in this episode ARE the preservers, Gee whiz

Have to say, the "did anyone publish this" is the kind of nitpick I really hate, because yes, obviously everything the Enterprise discovers is shared with starfleet, but it's the kind of nitpick where including expositional dialogue to satisy pefectionists doesn't actually make an episode better. Generally, if there's a question "wouldn't this have happened?" the answer is yes, and they just didn't show it because why would they? Like, when a guest comes aboard, does he have prior authorization? Yes. Do they need to show that? no. When someone comes on and isn't who they seemed, did they have fake credentials? Yes. Like why would you question whether the enterprise would share this info? When they chart a new star system do you ask "wait, did they share this data with the federation?" Of course they did, why does it need to be explicitly said when it's assumed to be standard procedure? Why does this question come up for this episode when its never questioned for any other discovery the Enterprise makes? There's a certain kind of fan who bugs me, the ones who almost try to find obsessive nitpicks. For these fans to be satisfied, every little detail would have to be told in exposition. Most of the episodes would just be exposition explaining things. For me, it's much more fun as an "N" type fan to think of logical in world continuity then to satisfy every "why didn't they explicitly resolve this potential thing?" Here it's not even a plothole, it just seems like a weird objection that they didn't explicitly say they would share the discovery when one would assume as research and discovery is one of the Enterprise's primary missions they share everything they discover with Starfleet. Then on the other hand, you complain when some things that are obvious are stated in exposition, like when the characters announce their realization of something that the audience already has figured out. I like you guys, but sometimes it seems like your criticisms are all over the board and lack consistency. Why would you question whether the Enterprise shared this discovery when they've never explicitly said "we're sending this information to starfleet" but that has been an obvious part of the mission going back to TOS?

"The Chase" is one of those episodes that feels... I don't want to say juvenile because it isn't, but I think if you're younger and un-jaded by experience the odds of it hitting go up. Also, I personally appreciate how unabashedly hopeful TNG is at times. Like, yeah, these races of aliens all fight a lot, but "The Chase" gives the impression that it is in our collective natures to inevitably find commonality and peace. More than a little pollyanna, sure. But I'm glad TNG doesn't mind being that pie-in-the-sky cheesy every now and again.

A few notes from Memory Alpha. Joe Menesky wanted to answer the question about why there were so many humanoids which had been addressed in TOS and give it a definitive answer. A Major inspiration was the novel by Carl Sagan Contact, in which clues to the nature of the universe are discovered in a long calculation of pi. It took a year for the idea to be developed into a workable script. The original story involved a Vulcan scientist not personally involved with any of the characters. Along with the Klingons and Romulans, this version also included the Ferengi. As Moore recalled, "Riker beams over into this cramped little tiny shuttle, where everyone's yelling and trying to find things and the guy's dead. And then they zip away, and we're off an running with It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. It would have been a lot more comedic." Michael Piller and Rick Berman felt this lacked sufficient character – that there was no real motivation for Picard to join in the chase. It was only with the addition of the death of Picard's mentor that Piller and Berman were sold on the idea. When it appeared that the episode would run short, Ronald D. Moore added a scene in which Mr. Mot is tested by Dr. Crusher as one of the seventeen crew members said to come from non-Federation worlds, but this was cut from the final episode. Also, correction, it's the first appearance of an adult female cardassian. In Chain of Command part 2, the interrogator's daughter appears. She did not have the greenish hues, which either means its a makeup style or a sign of sexual maturity amongst female cardassians. The Cardassian transporter effect is the same one used on Deep Space Nine as those are cardassian designed transporters.

No, it's not that they only spread it to 19 planets, that was part of the fragment of the genetic code the preservers put in. Other humanoid species seeded by them did not have the code. They didn't require every humanoid species to come together. But presumably the are the progenitors of all humanoids.

I feel like this is a great example of the "S" versus "N" type fan thing. For "N" type trek fans, this is an awesome episode because it finally answers a long standing question that came up again and again in TOS. If you guys recall, multiple times in TOS, the crew theorized there might have been some progenitor species that seeded the galaxy with humanoid life. They were even given a name in "The Paradise Syndrome", as "The Preservers." This answers why the milky was is home to so many forms of humanoid life and so many seemingly duplicate earths. This episode is confirmation of what was hinted at in TOS, and makes the world a lot deeper and frankly make a lot more sense. But I guess for "S" stype fans it didn't land. This is definitely going to be a big divide as Trek goes forward for you guys and more and more of that "alternate universe history" of trek becomes established and a major part of the background. It sounds like again, you may not appreciate DS9 the same way as "N" fans as there's so much of the sort of "continuity" there you don't seem to like. It sounds like you really wish this episode wasn't in continuity. But it is, and like it or not, it changes the trek universe fundamentally.

While the Enterprise D was never stated to be on a “5 year mission” like Kirk’s Enterprise, Gene originally conceived the concept of 20 year missions for the Galaxy class ships. This was hinted at a few times during the early seasons (as in Conspiracy when Picard mentioned that it was unusual for a starship to return to Earth), but largely forgotten after a few seasons. This lengthy voyage was the reason for the Enterprise’s huge size, and the families on board.

So guys, remember in TOS, the Preservers, and the questions about why there were so many humanoid life forms and seemingly other copies of earth? This is the continuation and confirmation then all the humanoids had an ancient progenitor race. I really didn't think the klingon was as bad as you guys did. Yes, the idea of directed evolution is a little wonky, but it makes perfect sense in the trek universe- again, this came up in TOS- just why do humanoid species outnumber every other sort in the galaxy? Now we have the answer.

I've always really liked this episode a lot. I never had any problems with the Klingon at all. I wish it had been stretched into a two-parter, but other than that... I'm confused by the things you guys found cringe-inducing. I was hoping you guys liked it more, or.. appreciated it more, but I will say I'm not surprised I suppose! 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

One thing I appreciate about this episode--at least in theory--is how it's not even remotely the same at the end as it was at the beginning. By that, I mean that if you watch this the first time, "naked" as t'were, then you're in for a wild friggin' ride. I think this was evident when the both of y'all were reacting "WHAT" in the engine room when Laforge and Picard are hypothesizing that they're stumbling upon a 4.5 billion year old DNA-based "computer program." What I think the producers/writers were hoping to do was start off with a complete red herring, turn it into a mystery, then sorta... "slip in" this huge, insane, omgwtf reveal... and thereby make the experience more memorable. Except... you're right... execution matters. And they likely played the wrong hand here. I feel that most fans don't even remember this episode. Which is a shame, because I personally really like the idea and I also accept it as canon. Would it have been better as a two-parter? As it currently exists, I feel like things would have been incredibly watered down, unless they added a ton of material. Maybe it was originally a two-parter concept but then they couldn't do another two-parter, so they re-wrote it to fit 45 minutes. In any case, yeah... the pacing is crazy and all of the stuff gets crammed into such a small sequence. It's a shame, I guess. But I'm still mostly find with this episode. I'm even fine with the Klingon, whose very nature sorta invites hyperbolic personality traits. But I guess that's just the influence of 90s tv nostalgia for mesa. I'm very glad to have "watched this with you," so to speak. Always the highlight of a given day~

If memory serves, didn't Sargon in the TOS episode "Return to Tomorrow" also claim that his people helped seed the galaxy, which is why he called Kirk and his crew "my children"? Apparently, seeding the galaxy with DNA was a thing back then.

You guys may have missed Picard’s final log entry, where he said that their frequent use of high warp had overtaxed the propulsion system and they were engaged in minor repairs — explaining why they don’t always travel at high warp. The Enterprise-D’s cruising speed is warp 6.

The cardassian female captain has blue lipstick on her ridges and her forehead it was in style that decade.

Not sure what makes you think they're not going to publish this discovery? I like this episode more than you, but I do agree with many of your critiques. The Klingon and Cardassian characters weren't my favorites but didn't bother me that much. But I do think it was kind of too big a story for a 45-minute episode, and that really hurt the second half.

Totally a middling episode. It started out strong, but what a blah ending for a scavenger hunt and mystery: no dramatic finish, no twist, no nothing. Indiana Jones is lucky he didn't get this case.

Well, was hoping this one landed a bit better. I do understand the criticisms, and I have wished for a long time this had been a 2 parter so they could go a little more in depth on the idea. Maybe condense Time's Arrow to a single episode and put a more fleshed out 2 part version of this idea in it's place. At the end of the day though, for me the positives outweigh the negatives, but I get that other people's mileage varies based on what they're looking for. I do have a suggestion though. I know you've talked in the past about maybe playing a Star Trek game for the channel at some point. When you finish TNG, consider playing the 1995 game A Final Unity. It's one of those point and click 90s games, but it has the whole TNG cast back to voice the characters and a story with some really big ideas and enough time to explore them. It's considered a classic for a reason. You can download it for free at myabandonware.com

I can't believe it never occurred to me before, but why is the only one without hair the species we allegedly all came from?

Never liked this kind of story all powerful beings are always a negative and the we seeded your planets just made it worse

I always liked this episode a lot, including the Klingon. I dunno, I think he's kind of funny and not quite a typical Klingon. I also liked that this explains why some alien species can procreate with each other. That's more satisfying to me than just explaining why they look similar. But like you guys said, this was too big a story idea for 45 minutes. would've been better as a two parter or film.

I think you two are getting *continuity* mistaken with *plot holes*. You guys just described that you dont care about continuity. Plot holes are different. ;)

A cool episode that is high concept and lovely but is missing a danger element and is almost completely derailed by the casting of the Klingon captain. DS9 wouldve handled this story differently.

I always liked that Klingon. Not much depth to him, but I found him funny. Maybe this is an excuse, but I thought they purposely gave us a Cardassian and Klingon without much imagination so they wouldn't consider the bigger implications of what they were searching for.

Excellent episode

What’s so wrong with that Klingon? He seems pretty A-typical of Klingons. He was funny.. the Biscuits, his crew were incompetent. 😆

I also agree that the idea for this was too big for a single 45-minute episode. So why do parts of it still feel padded out (the Klingon/Data scene)? By the way, Norman Lloyd, who played the professor, was over 100 years old when he made his last film... his career spanned nine decades including some Hitchcock films.

Further thought remember reading this should have been another two parter

The themes and ideas of this episode feel like typical Trek and that final scene is one of TNG’s best Always enjoyed this episode tho the guest case are a bit annoying at times Always used to say it was a 7/10 episode 🤷‍♂️

One of my top 10 for TNG, always loved this one

I always adored this episode. :) S

Always been on my favorites list

Love this episode

Goat episode, top episode, lore drop af episode. Finally explained all of the slightly different forehead aliens in the galaxy