PATRON TAKES - TNG S7E3
TAKES WILL BE READ 7/15
Comments (51)
It’s very mid
I hope you guys enjoyed Season 6. Season 7 can be a snooze fest like this quite often. Don't lose hope; there are still good episodes to come. This one is forgettable, and even LeVar Burton doesn't seem enthused most of the time.
Do we need to see the parents or family of a character to fully develop a character?
Will hooking Geordi to a probe work out better than hooking Data to the Enterprise?
I can already see them dying inside when they realize it was all some lame alien plot.
I don't think we got any closure about Geordi's mother in this episode, after all that. That's just dumb. Still, the episode, I don't hate it.
I think that’s actually very smart. In this sci-fi world, it would be quite common for people and ships to simply disappear and no one would ever know what happened to them. A wormhole, a time travel snafu, an alien race that turned them all into atoms, the list is endless.
I do believe this is the most FORGETTABLE episode of TNG. I've only watched this one a few times but I've never been reeled in enough to want to know what the hell is going on. That being said, I can't call this a bad episode. It doesn't try to insult my intelligence or preach. It is weird yet surely appeals to some, just not me.
I disliked this episode as a kid and even young adult. Now at 46 having lost lots of people (including my dad, my mom is here but her health is very poor) I appreciate it more. It's still not a favorite or anything but definitely hits more than it used to.
Okay what do we do with Geordi? I don't care, he's searching for his mom I guess
Nice to see Geordi’s parents, but…wasted here.
A couple good scenes with an interesting idea in them, but it all ended up being slow moving and unfortunately boring. There's no sense of urgency, and Burton doesn't seem as enthusiastic as he usually is. Even Geordi's mother and father's scenes don't have a lot of life in them, and those are veteran actors who usually are pretty good. It's a sleepy C for me.
Burton is probably the single least well served actor in terms of dedicated episodes during TNG's run. It's disheartening at times as a viewer, so it must have been more so for the actor himself.
Mixed bag. Great performance from LeVar Burton and I love Geordi's emotional journey. Other than that, While I enjoyed the concept of this episode, the execution of said concept was lacking, especially with the episodes overall pacing. C- for me.
There are a lot of standalone Star Trek novels with a similar approach... also it felt somehow like a daily soap, but since its TNG its somehow still enjoyable and "good"
It's great to get some Geordi lore, and I think this episode really drives his friendship with Data forward, with Data choosing to do the dangerous thing to help his friend rather than the logical thing. But I was a bit miffed that they introduced Mama La Forge for the first time only for her to go MIA. Seemed a bit cheap to me.
Well, we get to meet Geordi’s parents. That’s really the only thing I remember about this episode.
I only remember his mother!
I honestly can't remember anything about this episode, which does not bode well for it.
Character stuff….. but did they execute it though? 🤔
It was executed ... by firing squad!
30 years ago, I didn't care much. But then losing a parent, how much it hits differently. Jumps from C to a B.
My mother has been dead 17 years and my father almost 6. I find nothing in this episode emotionally compelling or captivating. It's boring "going though the motions" drivel. Bottom 5 of the series, methinks.
This is a bottom 10 episode. You'd think it would be a good one because it's primarily a character story about a character that doesn't get very many of these, but it's still terrible.
An episode that works on paper that for whatever reason just always feels like a slog to get through. Some cool ideas and visuals. C+
Wait what? Geordi's Mom was the original captain of Ben Sisko's ship way back in Star Trek IV?! ;)
The visual of a visor-less Geordi as a stand-in for a probe/drone was pretty cool, and the story is compelling, but the actor playing the "mother" did not do a good portrayal. She should have appeared more emotionally involved (like scared, desperate, panicky etc).
There are so many episodes from Season 7 that, even after all these years, I’m like, “Oh yeah, I forgot about that one.” This is sadly another one.
LeVar Burton and guest stars Ben Vereen and Madge Sinclair all appeared in the 1977 television miniseries Roots. Madge Sinclair was also notable as the first female captain of a Federation starship - but in ST4 where she was captain of the USS Saratoga disabled by the Whale Probe 👍🏼
I've always really enjoyed her as an actress! She's been in a lot of things.
I'm sure this was real ground breaking in 1993, but 30 years later when kids are flying drones around with headsets, it's just not very interesting. Sucks about Geordi's mom though.
I think the artistic liberty of showing Geordi as if he is really on the wrecked ship is very cool and really helps simplify the presentation and amplify the emotions. And damn, family members of the main crew can’t catch a break.
I’ve read the comment that the show has run out of ideas at this point, I do get that cause I’ve run out of things to say in defense of this episode, it’s just an episode. It’s single redeeming factor is letting Levar Burton run around without the visor short of that, I don’t think there’s much in any performance in this episode. It was just a week of showing up to get the paycheck
I think you both will like it because of the character stuff but for me this is one of the most boring episodes from all of TNG
I think Alex is going to burst a blood vessel when he reads this.
Poor Geordi must suffer once again, so soon after his last ordeal. A fine episode about not being able to face the truth. And Data proves he truly is the best friend anyone could wish for. Do you think Geordi will forgive him now for what he did to him in Descent Part 2?
I find it kind of interesting that Ben Vereen is playing Lavar Burton's father in this episode. Considering he technically played Burton's grandson in Roots. John Amos not withstanding. Madge Sinclar really has the worst luck playing starship captains. In The Voyage Home her ship loses all power. Here, she and her ship disappear without a trace.
I disagree with the general sentiment of season 7 being bad. I think it’s just unremarkable after the insane high points of 3-6. It’s never as weak of seasons 1 and 2. This episode falls in the same category of “standard TNG” that we saw in Timescape. I think Geordi is at the bottom of the pile getting good leading episodes at this point.
This is the episode where Ron Moore felt the show was completely out of ideas and had to end. What I do like about it is that Geordi no longer clings to the fantasy of his mother being alive at the end when the alien makes contact with him. Credit for not going that far into stupid territory and letting our characters still be smart.
The full Ron Moore quote, because it's so good: "I think it was a point where we were in the room and we were talking about bringing Geordi's mother in, and we all kind of looked at each other and we were like, 'This is sad. This is the best we can do? Is this the best we can do, is Geordi's mother?' It was such a "who cares" idea that we were just sort of, 'Oh man… This show has got to end'."
On the one hand, Picard has accepted way wilder theories from Data as fact than, "I saw my mom on a ship". But when it's from Geordi, Picard's like, "nah bro". Like not even a consideration for this man when it's HIS MOTHER??? But on the other hand, how did Geordi believe even for a second that was his mom at all? That alien couldn't have been any more obvious if she wore a t-shirt that read "lying ass bitch" on it.
On the good side, we get to learn about Geordie and even Riker! Geordie and Data was amazing and Beverly crusher, crushes! On the bad Column, this episode is super meh!
I bet DS9 Season 1 doesn’t look as bad after these past 2 episodes of TNG 🤣.
TNG Season 7 Subtitle: “We Are Out of Ideas”
I wouldn't say "forgettable" but really not one I ever think about.
Thinking it over I think the reason I really dislike this episode then and now is none of the characters really seem to feel like they’re acting like themselves
I like this episode, though it's never been a personal favorite. It's very reminiscent of "The Bonding" in some ways, though, so I'm curious to see your take on it. I think a lot of the heavy character scenes with Geordi are excellent, especially his scenes with Data, but I find the plot with the subspace entities and the wrecked ship kind of weak.
Notable for LeVar Burton getting a day off from wearing the visor, some nice backstory for Geordi but yeah s7 has a rather inauspicious start.
I recall this one being fine, though like "The Bonding" it's a character dealing with grief, but influenced by some alien taking the guise of his mother. Scary to think ships disappearing without a trace is a kinda common occurance for Starfleet. I guess risk really is their business.
Wish we had seen Geordi’s family more
Nice to use Geordi without his visor in parts of this episode.