PATRON TAKES - Star Trek TNG S2E11

Where is E11? It's Thursday evening (in Middle-Europe).

The solution is amusing and I remember laughing when I first watched it in the 80s. I predict you will be intrigued by the set up and at a loss as to how they will solve it. And that you also will laugh when they find the solution. Either that or you will think it’s dumb.

I enjoyed it this episode though TNG still carries on the tradition of introducing universe-changing discoveries then promptly forgetting it ever happened by the next episode. Funny enough it was the nurse who didn't know what a splint was that I found the most unbelievable. Especially seeing as how often crews get stranded on planets without their advanced resources.

I like this episode, we get to learn about a new ancient, and powerful, alien race. Though this episode proves why you shouldn’t put civilians and families on your military/exploratory ships.

This episode is a lot of fun but I kinda have to roll my eyes at the crew when they don't figure out on their to just delete the virus and reboot the system until Data literally shuts off and does a demonstration.

I still enjoy rewatching this episode from time to time. It may not be the best, but at least there are Romulans and a pretty cool ship explosion! Definitely a better hook than some previous episodes.

I like the FX they concocted to explode the other ship, using the Enterprise model). The skin slowly burning away on the saucer and everything.

I really like this episode, mostly due to the information about the Iconians. I have a thing for super ancient extinct alien races. I do feel like the stuff underground looked a little too "new" for being hundreds of thousands of years old though. Loved the Romulans and Geordi being flung like a ragdoll - Data's reaction always cracks me up.

I love this episode and it is also one of the very very few examples of alien spoken language besides klingon especially in early Star Trek and then even 2. I also love the pace of this episode and the jump to interesting different places like Iconia or the bridge of the Romulan Warbird. And nice to see the first episode where the romulans are really a big part of the episode.

This was actually the episode that got 8 year old me hooked on TNG as a kid while Season 2 was first airing. Lots of action and entertaining, though limited impact on the rest of TNG. I think you'll like it. As a kid I enjoyed TOS, and had seen some other "slower" TNG season 2 episodes that hadn't hooked me, and I really loved the Romulan ship upgrades vs. TOS.

From now on when I need to do a factory reset after visiting "certain websites" I'm just going to blame it on the Iconians.

I always liked this one. Even if the solution was "did you turn it off and back on again?" Poor Yamato. Brought up a couple times before, now just space dust. And ACTUAL Romulans. Lotta ancient, dead empires in Star Trek though. Guess we'll add Iconians to the list.

Wesley cancelled the McAfee subscription.

Years later, when the computer backups came into being, I thought "just like that Star Trek episode" . Another thing I remember is when Data completely shut down, he had a closeup and his closed eyes jiggled. That was because they superimposed a frozen frame of Brent Spiner's closed eyes over the rest of his face (I guess to hide eye movement in the shot).. The remastered one eliminates the shifting.

Every time I see the name of this episode, I have to remind myself "oh right, that's not the one where Pulaski grows super old... it's the one where Geordi finds out what's so turbo about the turbolifts"

I've always really liked this episode, even though people feel it's hit or miss. And as a tech guy, the only unbelievable thing is that they didn't think of restoring from backup earlier. Any reference to "Yamato" always makes me happy, even though I heard that the name inspiration was NOT a Space Battleship Yamato reference.

Indiana Picard and the Temple of Iconoa, or is it more Stargate with the magic portals to anywhere in the galaxy?

Worf: "Sir, the antivirus trial has expired, this is a security threat, should we buy the license?" Picard: "Nah, we can always turn the computer off and on again..."

“Contaigion” or “Have you tried turning it off and back on again?” or “BE FOREVER YAMATO” Written by Steve Gerber?! the creator of HOWARD THE DUCK?! OMG! I like the idea of the Iconians. Unlike all those ancient spacefaring peoples that Kirk came across in their travels that only exist in ruins, this was one that was known and studied. And I love that Picard is an archaeology nerd. It’s why I prefer Picard over Kirk. Picard, despite his aloof first impression and his defrosting awkwardness with children, is a very thoughtful man. He studies the past and appreciates the lessons of history. They inform his decisions, and I love that.

An episode written by Steve Gerber who is most famously known for being the creator of Howard the Duck. I predict Josh and Alex will love this episode for reasons I can sum up with one word, Romulans.

Fate... Protects fools, little children and ships named Enterprise

Geordie saving the enterprise by booking it to the bridge on foot is a great sequence. Good episode.

con·ta·gion /kənˈtāj(ə)n/ - noun - (1) the communication of disease from one person to another by close contact. (2) a disease spread by close contact. (3) an excellent episode of star trek the next generation.

Galactic archeology is so captivating! Specially when it's combined with a galactic cold war stand off with the Romulans.

Finally another Romulan appearance! I like that they showed another Galaxy class ship that was mentioned earlier this season in “Where Silence has Lease” even if they immediately destroyed it. Also the idea of the Iconians and there tech is a plot point that always fascinated me.

(On a phone conversation with my grandpa) *deep sigh "Have you tried turning it off and back on again?"

At the time this was my favorite episode of the season. I was a computer science major at the time. I felt kind of special recognizing a computer virus when the Yamato’s logs were transferred . The writers promised Geordi they would let him take off the visor. So here it is, after LaForge is ejected from the turbolift.

This a one of my favourite Season 2 episodes. Starts off with a literal bang, has romulans, and has a fun computer virus plot. Also as a Canadian who lives close to Toronto, I always have that "Leo pointing at the TV meme moment" when I see Toronto City Hall as the building in the portal.

Well, a Galaxy Class ship Blows up the first 3 minutes in....the most excitement in this episode even with Romulans in the mix. Another Female Romulan Commander! That's it! 😀🖖

One of my favorites from S2. TRIVIA: One of the writers was Steve Gerber, notable 70s writer for Marvel Comics and creator of Howard the Duck!

In 1988, the idea of rebooting and restoring your system from a separate backup partition was considered science fiction.

This one is a delightful romp. Carolyn Seymour is an outstanding heavyweight (guest star) and there's a Geordi scene that his very memorable for positive reasons. The resolution of the story, however, may seem obvious to us watching it today, but back in 1989, computers weren't yet in every American home and a lot of people didn't know basic things about them.

A fun episode. Look at the dings and dents on the turbo lift set when La Forge is tossed around. Wonder how many times they filmed it.

A highlight of season 2 for me, ties in somewhat with The Neutral Zone in that there are hints about attacks on outposts again. Carolyn Seymour is superb, we have some O’Brien and Picard throwing himself into an away mission.

Question: Since it was Dr. Beverly who suggested turning the weapons system off in "The Arsenal of Freedom," do you think she would have solved the problem in this episode early on if she had been on the Enterprise?

I predict you guys will love this one. I really liked Carolyn Seymour as the Romulan Commander. The mention of the Iconians, when added to the Preservers in TOS season 3, the T’Kon Empire from The Last Outpost and a few others, paints the picture of a very different galaxy hundreds of centuries before Star Trek…

Love the interactions between Data and Picard on the surface. Also love the "ancient powerful space civilization" trope.

Plot hole - should have separated the saucer instead of taking children into the dangerous Neutral Zone. No wonder Iconian’s didn’t make it - their self destruct is triggered by big coloured noisy buttons aimed at 4 year olds. What could possibly go wrong? 🫣

Takes "Banger of an opening" to a whole new meaning, eh? I love this episode. I love the mystery. This ties into something I said back in the TOS days. We get these nice bits of lore pointing to things in the distant past of the galaxy. It gives the Trek universe a richness and mystery. Which hack writers can later come along and fill in with unexciting explanations. (IM KIDDING! ... Or am I? Is this opinion fake? No, it's based.)

Alex should take a drink each time Worf says "Sir!"

Naming the sister ship of the Enterprise after the pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy in WWII is a nice way of driving home that mankind has moved beyond the nationalist rivalries of the past.

Question: What do you guys think of Sub-commander Taris?

"Fate. Protects fools, little children, and ships named Enterprise."

25:40 Why is Wesley tasked with raising the shields?? Shouldn't that be Tactical's job? LOL 🤦

Just one question.. have you tried turning it off and on again? It always works!

This episode has a lot of neat little sci-fi details that I think are important because they're realistic. The communication with the Yamato ceases the moment the ship explodes. Picard's searching of Captain Varley's personal log is sublimely efficient. Data being reprogrammed by the "probe" on the surface. The joyous simplicity of Iconian portals. The entire Iconian set is neatily simple reflecting its sophistication. I think these things perfectly play of things like Wesley's little chat with Picard.

Observation: Troi is useful in this episode. She advises Picard several times in dealing with the Romulans, and her advice is sensible. Her comment about it being funny is a great one. She's also obviously affected by all the stress on the ship.

Here's another episode I've been anxious for you two to watch. The writer(s) sure used a drastic means to imprint on the audience the stakes of this story. Probably the most drastic "hook" yet? I've always really liked this episode. I'm big into the science fiction aspect of the show—good characterization is nice, but it can't eclipse good science fiction. I do find it hard to believe that the crew of the Yamato were too inept to figure out the cause of the ship's problems—the probe. I would think they would have put 2 and 2 together, even if they may not have known what to do about it. The writers had a field day... a lot of the ship issues the Enterprise begins to experience are whims of aggravation that are just so convenient to the plot. Poor Geordi. Iconia must have been an amazing place in its heyday!!

Prediction: The full destruction of a fully staffed starship (let alone a Galaxy class one) is going to make your jaws DROP. Especially since it's pre-opening credits!! I believe you're going to enjoy this episode, though not for the same reasons I do.

I was beginning to wonder where these posts are! ⚠️

O'Brien, the Romulans, an ancient powerful race, what more could you want?

I think for me this was the first episode where I started to view the Enterprise D as a character the same as other members of the same cast I know we’ve had episodes before that have touched on this kind of concept but I think seeing the Yamato’s destruction made me feel like the ship was becoming more than just “somewhere where the stories happened” and something I cared about as much as named character

I like the mysterious nature they built around the Iconians. We get to know very little about them but it's intriguing how they could disappear despite the superior technology they evidently had.

Review: Decent, mostly unmemorable. Had to read the plot synopsis to remind me what it was. Prediction: You’ll like it. Question: What are your feelings about the Romulans so far? Trivia: The curved building visible in the gateway is Toronto city hall.

For some reason when I see the title of this episode I can't remember what it's about until I look up a synopsis. I do kind of like it and I have it ranked as “Enjoyable”. And hey, at least you get Romulans and a brief mention of Bruce Maddox already. And speaking of Maddox, in the few days since you guys watched “The Measure of a Man” it jumped from #6 on the IMDb ranking of TNG episodes up to #3. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot”.

Poor Geordi gets flung around like a rag doll in this one... Was one of the writers mad at him?