PATRON TAKES - TNG S6E26

"Brothers 2: Brother Harder". B for Borg and Brother banger. Just short of a A, because why would you send (nearly) the entire senior staff down to the damned surface 🤣

I sure hope you guys enjoy this one more than the average commentator!! A-Tier for me. Lots of storylines coming together. Variety of settings, dark data, all characters play a part, suspense, good score, Spiner being amazing. Very little to be upset with. The comments shock me.

Bev in charge is the best

So on a first watch, this episode is not bad. From the credits popping up before the theme, you know something was up. (Not sure, if it aired that way?) And the Borg being back seems great. There’s continuity with the crew talking about Hugh, and what might seem like consequences for Picard. But then no one acts in ways that make sense. Clearly, they should make a connection between the Borg’s new behavior and Data. And the convoluted reason for evacuating everyone, and leaving Beverly in charge. Couldn’t they find a way that made sense. Where are the kids? I think they should have had a Data and Worf scene.

Troi instantly knows it's Lore and not Data which suggests that Betazoids can read android's minds but not Ferengi. I don't know why this, of all the stupid stuff in this episode, bothers me the most. But it does.

"Data, I'm your friend. I'm not just going to stand here and watch you do this!" *sits down*

I WANT to like this episode way more than I actually do. Ever since BoBW, they have been trying to chase that "hit" of the crazy season-ending episode and just.. not quite coming close enough. I like the poker scene. I like Picard being hoisted up for not ending the Borg threat. Data exploring emotions... but it just wasn't enough.

Not really a fan of this episode to be honest, it’s fine on paper but the execution feels a little flat.

This episode could have been avoided if someone in season 1 was comfortable enough with their masculinity to insert a finger in Lore’s chocolate starfish to turn him off for good.

Does this have enough call-backs for you?

I was in third grade when this first aired and had no concept of a season finale cliffhanger. I was confused when part 2 wasn't the following week's episode. I ended up missing the season 7 premiere and didn't actually see it until over a decade later when we had netflix. Anyway atleast it's a better cliffhanger than Time's Arrow.

I like it. Mostly

I really hate these episodes. "The Journey to Ruin the Borg" I would give them "E"s but I don't dislike this episode as a few of those yet to come!

“Aye yi yi!” did you recognize Lore’s hideout exterior as Zordon’s Command Center from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers? The location is a university building out in Simi Valley, CA & was used extensively during the first 5 seasons of MMPR, thru Power Rangers Turbo.

The Next Generation “Brothers of Destruction”.

The Dark Side of Emotion is a pathway to many feelings some consider to be unethical. "Good, good, let the hate flow through you". Rise, Darth Data.

The original Einstein cameo!

This was a lot of fun, and I'd say the best episode since Troi, Chief and Data turned evil. I liked how the admiral pointed out what an idiot Picard was. He just had to preserve a life, but she just told him tens of thousands had died. Who saved the life of that ensign they killed on the bridge because Picard let Hugh go? Picard facilitated that death by enabling the borg to perpetually kill. Even his logic of one single life must be preserved for moral reasons even if it cost millions of others TOS addressed with Edith Keeler. Great use of Lore too, and villains teaming up is always a winner.

I love seeing Dr Crusher reminding us she is also a Star Fleet commander, not just a doctor!

As much money as they spent on Borg costumes here, they really needed to make the lighting a little more moody. It’s too bright. The Borg, despite their new bloodthirsty attitude, look bad in bright lighting. Light them from above. Below. Anything except this full-on school photo look.

So either Data's turned evil or been kidnapped by the Borg, you can't scan the planet, and there's no way of knowing what dangers await you. Hey, I've got an idea, let's send the entire crew down to the surface!

Did this episode make you ask, "If data had emotions, would he be a good person?" "Would he be just like Lore!?" Irony is the opposite of Wrinkly.

You guys always said you like to see Brent Spiner act creepy! This one oughta satisfy like Snickers! It was also joyous to see a cameo by self-professed TNG superfan Stephen Hawking! We’re at the beginning of the end, gents, and that means wrapping up all those loose ends that The Best Generation set in motion! Lore AND the Borg…let the mayhem commence!

One of my favorite part one cliffhangers. Data going off the deep end and exploring darker emotions leads to some chilling moments. We see the potential consequences of returning Hugh to the Collective. And the man, the myth, the LORE finally returning from his double emotions, cocaine-fueled orgy across the galaxy.

Borg + Lore = ??

I will give more of my thoughts after part 2 is out but from memory I enjoyed Times Arrow and Samuel Clemens way more than this Borg story.

I don't know. Sometimes you add two A tier ideas (Lore/Borg) and instead of an S you get a B at best.

Some good hooks at first, but honestly, this is my least favorite cliffhanger season break of TNG.

Well, it's quite the setup

Like most two-parters, it starts slow. Will the conclusion nail it? Tune in and see! I like it, but it's all set up and having to wait months for the payoff sucked.

Not very good honestly. Can't really say anything else without part two.

I love the Hawking Cameo! He was a huge Star Trek fan. This was a good part 1 of a 2 parter.

Exactly how many times is DATA going to put the Enterprise (or crew) in danger due to a programing problem or secret software. Maybe Maddox is not entirely wrong. If a human made the choices that Data has, they would be in prison but Data does not pay for it because of programming.

I played a TNG based pinball game that had a Borg ship as seen in this episode as a centerpiece decoration. The designers of the game probably thought a cube was too boring.

Best ending to a two parter in TNG.

Loved to see the Borg and Lore again. But the episode itself is slow and Season Finale Unworthy. (Except the Stephen Hawking cameo).

The poker game in the intro is the best part of the episode. Picard getting dressed down by the admiral was good too.

Geordi " I'm your friend and I'm not going to just stand around and let you do this." Data "You may sit down if you wish Geordi"

Question: Do you ever want Data to attain permanent emotions? Should he remain a tragic figure who always yearns for what he can’t have?

LORE is back! And this time, he’s stumbled into being King of the Borg! (or just some of them?) What do you think is responsible for the Borg’s change in behavior? Lore’s cunning, or something else?

When I was watching these during their original run, this episode of all the two parters was the one that had me doing the most speculating and predicting over the summer about the conclusion and the explanation for Data's behavior. At the time I nailed it. What do you think the explanation will turn out to be?

Lore looks like a dumb Rob Liefeld x-force villain of the month and I love it.

Glad they got the actor of Lore back to reprise his role

A real “Descent” in quality for season ending two-parters. An episode of set up that heralds an upcoming weak season. Best of Both Worlds is looking really good now, isn’t it?

I like this hook! CAPTAIN BEVERLY! Rouge Data again and a Borg plot out of nowhere! Yeah it moves slow but I can’t say that it’s not a good hook.

So begins the last season of TNG... with a BANGER! Looking forward to what ideas you have for the last 26 episodes.

This one is less than the sum of it's parts. I appreciate it as a somewhat logical follow up to I Borg, but the just like the previous episode the execution is lacking to say the least. There's no juice in any of these action scenes (remember when the ship split into two and shot fireworks at the borg cube?-- that was the coolest thing ever) and it seems like half the cast doesn't even want to be there. On top of that, Lore's mustache twirling season closing line is probably the worst line in all of TNG. I'm lowering my rating from B to D for it alone.

This is another one of those episodes that makes me question who is certifying Troi’s therapy license. I have thoughts on this one overall but I think it’s best discussed as a whole.

Nice to get a Lore filled cliffhanger. And a rare location shoot for our crew. Definitely another "and the episode just stops for three months" cliffhanger rather than the ends of Seasons 3 and 4.

And the penultimate season of TNG comes to a close. One of the better part 1 of the 2-parters. I think you may like it but not necessarily love it. I am more interested in your reaction to part 2.

Yet another Data gets reprogrammed to be an antagonist episode. Which is to say another episode about how they arrived at the wrong verdict in Measure of a Man. Also another step in making the Borg less interesting, scary, and dangerous. But other than that, a pretty good season finale.

This is one of those episodes where I want to like it a lot more than I actually do. Also, it's an example of many good ingredients that just aren't coming together to make a good stew.

Style over substance! A switch your brain off and go with it kinda episode. In that frame of mind It’s a lot of fun and I can’t help but be entertained. Plus there is a great scene where Picard is chewed out by Necheyev. But when you start to think about too much it does start to fall apart.

I hate this finale. While the opening scene with the real Professor Stephen Hawking is a treat, nothing else about the episode works for me. I never feel the stakes are big enough. And no one will ever convince me that any situation would lead to Picard scattering nearly his entire crew on an alien planet looking for Data, while leaving the Doctor in charge (while there’s a Borg ship about). Just stupid writing. D for “dumb, dumb, dumb”

LORE! AND BORG! It's ok, but really think the plot gets more in the way of what could have been Data exploring his negative emotions.

I predict this might be your favorite cliffhanger

Really like this one and the cliffhanger is amazing