TNG Episode 13

Only one worthwhile note: Brent Spiner is awesome. Like totally.

Actually, this is not it. In passing, more than anything else, it is noted that there are Federation colonies in this episode (as well as in the episode Justice) so it leads me to wonder for what purpose does the Federation colonize? I know the reasoning for it in the real world, but why does the Federation do it?

(also... is it uninhabited planets only?)

Star Trek TNG Episode 12 The Big Goodbye

The obligatory Holodeck episode. Yet again, leaves important issues such as the negotiations with the Jaradan almost completely out of the picture. Just what were they trying to negotiate? And why was it so important that the Federation was willing to wait 50 years before it could negotiate with them a second time (the first time being fumbled by an accidental word mispronunciation that offended them). Indeed, the matter was desperate enough that Commander Riker was willing to put their lives at risk just so he could get the Captain back to continue the negotiations.

Why do you tease me so?

TNG always has hints of foreign diplomacy, but it never actually uses these matters as plot points unlike DS9. Could it be because the nature of the space it uses?

TNG Episode 10 and 11

Still waiting on my Lefebvre books...

10 - Hide and Q

So badly written, I don't even want to talk about it. Useless for the purposes of this paper.

11 - Haven

Interesting questions about Betazoid/Federation relations. A member of the Federation, it strangely does not have an Federation military presence, made clear by the representative's gladness that the Enterprise just happened to be there when their borders had been 'hostilely' crossed. There membership seems to lie solely in that of a defense treaty. If that is so, what does the Federation gain? What profit is there in having Betazed a part of the Federation, if it is only obligated to protect it?

TNG Episode 9 - The Battle

Despite the presence of Ferengi, nothing interesting to report aside from the typically trite lesson at the end "revenge isn't profitable." The Ferengi obviously say this with a different meaning than Picard does, but they at least agree on something.

After further thought, I've decided that revenge likely is not profitable in most cases. If our system is indeed capatilist, and driven by profit as many people suggest, then why do such acts happen at all? Clearly, explaining away centuries of culture and society by an economic system is bad idea.

Also, I'd like to know how how the USS Stargazer, if it was damaged so badly that they had to abandon ship, how is it the not only the life support system, but the engines seem to be working just fine (fine enough to perform the Picard Maneuver which involves warp speed). How I wish I could have been a staff writer this series and point these errors out.

Star Trek TNG Notes

Episode 7 : Lonely Among Us

Picard: But do you understand the basis of all this nonsense between them?

Riker: No, sir. I've never understood that sort of hostility even when I studied Earth history.

Picard: Really? Well, yes, this life forms feel such passionate hatred over matters of custom, god concepts, and even strangely enough, economic systems.

(Picard and Riker, about the Selay and Anticans)

This episode, rather than focus on the more interesting discord between the Selay and the Antican, is focuses on an alien entity that takes over people's bodies in an attempt to get back to the anomaly the Enterprise had accidentally drawn it from. Not much help.

Episode 8 - Justice

Can anyone say Panopticon?

Although this episode seemed to be more focused on Picard's decision of if he will break the Prime Directive in order to protect Crusher, his final choice a despair to most Star Trek fans. Another season with Wesley?! Crap!

In any case, it was somehow hard to see if there was any critique in the episode. After, all the Panopticon of the "god" on the planet creates this lavish paradise of half naked people who like to do it at the drop of a hat, or, as Lt. Yar says, "any hat."

http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/05/star-trek-the-next-generation-justice/