Lynch's Spoiler Review: "Unification I"
Timothy W. Lynch
spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
after the control-L.)
Not bad for a 45-minute prologue.
Unfortunately, 45-minute prologues are hellish to rate in any rational
fashion. Of course, that's never stopped me before. :-) Anyway, here's a
synopsis to warm you up for the review.
Their terraforming mission cancelled, the Enterprise is at a starbase where
Picard meets with Fleet Admiral Brackett, who insisted on speaking to him in
person. She informs him that one of the Federation's top ambassadors vanished
several days ago, and was located by intelligence reports on *Romulus* two
days ago. If he's actually defected, she says, the threat to Federation
security would be almost incalculable. She calls up a record of the
intelligence report, and enhances the image of the ambassador. Picard is
stunned to see the face of none other than Ambassador Spock...
Shortly thereafter, the Enterprise is en route to Vulcan; Picard wishes to
meet with Sarek to discuss this, but is very pensive about doing so, given
Sarek's ill health and the bond the two share (a past mind-meld). He tells
Riker that most of what he knows of Spock came from Sarek's meld, but that
this is surprisingly little, as Spock and Sarek have been estranged for
decades. As Sarek's wife Perrin makes preparations to come aboard, Riker and
Geordi start examining reports of mysterious metal fragments of Vulcan origin
found with the wreckage of (of all things) a Ferengi ship.
Perrin comes aboard and meets with Picard. She is, to say the least, bitter,
and begins by railing about the fact that Spock didn't even bother to say
goodbye when he left. She assures Picard, however, that Spock was definitely
not abducted--he put his affairs in order well in advance of his departure.
She further elaborates that she became embittered toward Spock when he
publicly challenged Sarek's arguments during the debate over the Cardassian
war, and tells Picard that she doubts Sarek knows why Spock left. She does,
however, consent to let Picard see him, solely because of the bond they share.
(Meanwhile, Riker and Geordi find that the metal was definitely of Vulcan
origin, and designed for use in space, but that Vulcan has no record of any
stolen parts.)
Picard beams down to Vulcan and finds Sarek, wracked by emotional pain and
wasting away in his bed. Sarek raves, but comes back to himself a bit when
Picard mentions Spock's name. Sarek doesn't know why Spock left, but when
pressed, says that he might have gone to see Pardek, a Romulan senator Spock
has known since the Khitomer conference who is an extremely moderate element
within the Romulan Empire. Sarek's mind deteriorates, however, and when the
subject of Pardek comes up again a few moments later, his reaction is "Pardek?
The Romulan senator? How do you know Pardek?" Sarek rambles on a bit about
Spock's difficult childhood, and tries to bid Picard a traditional farewell,
but is denied even that honor by his failing health (Picard must both force
Sarek's hand into the traditional Vulcan symbol and finish the "live long
and..." left unfinished by Sarek).
Picard now needs a cloaked ship to be able to infiltrate the Romulan Empire,
so the Enterprise heads to the Klingon homeworld to obtain one from Gowron.
(Data also obtains a visual record of Pardek in the meantime and discovers
that Pardek is standing next to Spock in the intelligence photo. Pardek, he
tells Picard, has always been a radical by Romulan standards, because he's
been an advocate of peace for his entire nine-decade career.) Unfortunately,
Gowron is in the process of rewriting Klingon history such that the Federation
had nothing to do with the resolution of the recent Klingon civil war, and
neither he nor anyone on the High Council will speak to Picard. Picard ends
up giving a message to Diplomatic Junior Adjutant B'Ijik, and tells him that
the benefit to the Klingon Empire of granting this favor would be the
Federation's gratitude--and that if he doesn't help, someone else in the
Klingon Empire no doubt will, and that then _they_ would have that gratitude.
A somewhat perturbed B'Ijik relays the message, while Beverly starts going
over Picard and Data to prepare the prosthetics to disguise them as Romulans.
Geordi reports to Riker that the metal they found came from a navigational
deflector array--and what's more, he can even tell what ship it came from:
the Vulcan ship T'Pau, which was decommissioned four years earlier and is
currently sitting in a supply depot (i.e. it's on the scrap-heap). Picard and
Data board the Klingon ship currently sitting off the bow (courtesy of
Gowron) and are very closemouthed to Captain K'Vada about his mission, despite
his insinuations about "the defector" they must be going to get. The Klingon
ship heads for Romulus, and Riker takes the Enterprise to the shipyard where
the T'Pau is located.
After Picard and K'Vada have a minor clash of wills regarding quarters, food,
and so forth, the ship reaches the border and cloaks. Meanwhile, the
Enterprise reaches Qualor Two and hails Dokachin, the Zakdorn quartermaster.
Dokachin, reluctant to surrender what little authority he has, is more than a
little huffy--but ends up relenting when Troi uses a softer approach. They
head to where the T'Pau is supposed to be, and find that it's *gone*.
Dokachin is appalled--in the entire history of the Zakdorn administration of
the yard, nothing has ever been lost. He finds that the navigational
deflector array was routed to the Tripoli, a supply ship at the edge of the
yard. They head for its coordinates, and find that it's gone as well. Riker
orders the Enterprise to masquerade as part of the wreckage, figuring that
whoever *did* pick up the deflector array will probably come back for another
shipment (due in later that day), and the ship powers down to only life
support and sensors.
Meanwhile, Picard tries to sleep on the metal shelf pretending to be a bed,
but is very edgy and preoccupied, and ends up getting nowhere. He and Data
continue conferring on Romulan society, but are called to the bridge, where
Picard receives a subspace message that Sarek is dead.
Back in the junkyard, Geordi detects a ship coming in: unknown origin, no
call letters, and well beyond armed to the teeth. The Enterprise powers up
and asks what it's doing, but ends up getting static in response. The
Enterprise ends up taking a couple of hits, but returns fire and knocks out
one weapons system. Unfortunately, the density of weapons on the other ship
is so high that that one shot sets off a chain reaction of explosions that
destroys the entire ship, leaving Riker with no answers.
Picard and Data, now altered to resemble Romulans, discuss Sarek's death.
Picard is somewhat taken aback by it--now, he not only has to confront Spock
about his disappearance, but also must inform him that his father has died
(and thus that the chance for the two of them to resolve their differences is
gone forever). After they're brusquely told by K'Vada that his orders "do not
include *rescue missions*" in case there's trouble, they beam down to Romulus.
Pardek meets with Jaron, who shows him an image of Picard, whom Pardek denies
any knowledge of. Jaron informs him that Picard is en route (or possibly
already on Romulus), and tells Pardek to circulate Picard's image to Security,
reminding them that Picard is no doubt altered to resemble one of them.
Picard and Data quickly find the location of the intelligence photo, and wait
for Pardek to appear (a study of his movements shows that he frequents the
area quite often). While eating in a local cafe, they find him, but before
they reach him, they're seized by Security officers and taken away.
They're taken to some deep caverns, where Pardek greets Picard by name. He
regrets the deception, but says that he had to get Picard and Data off the
streets as soon as he could, since the *real* Romulan Security knows of their
presence. Picard, relieved to be among friends, tells them of his mission.
"I'm looking for Ambassador Spock."
"Indeed!" A shadowy figure strides into the light, revealed as Spock himself.
"You have found him, Captain Picard."
TO BE CONTINUED...
Oh, boy. Now I guess I have to write some opinions, huh? Well, here goes
nothing...
As I said at the outset, this is in many ways going to be an absolute bitch to
classify. The whole show, unlike BOBW1 and "Redemption I", is in many ways
simply a prelude to the main story of part 2. That's damn good strategy to
keep people watching, but it's hell for a reviewer. I think I'll have to work
it by being generous about plot points and changing it if they turn out to be
mistakes rather than seeds. Given that, onwards...
TNG has gotten really manipulative with this; not simply in a financial sense,
which is expected, but in an emotional one. I mean, the return of Spock is in
and of itself a big event, but including that scene with Sarek in act 1
*really* tugged at the heartstrings. I'm not complaining, mind you--it was
expertly done, and I don't regret its existence. But if you're reading this
and *haven't* seen the show yet, get ready to be tugged at at times.
The plots themselves: well, they're certainly interesting. I have a few
minor (mostly) objections, but they're quibbles only. Let's get them out of
the way:
--Riker should probably have put the shields up a little earlier, no?
--If they were down to just life support and sensors, *why were the bloody
full bridge lights on?* :-)
--Data was screwing up a little bit too much in their first walk on Romulus.
He shouldn't be quite *that* careless, IMHO.
But for the most part, those are all nitpicks, and don't take away from the
plots themselves.
I have to say that at the moment, I'm intrigued more by the
T'Pau/Tripoli/Mystery Ship from Hell plotline than the one on Romulus. This
is not to belittle the one on Romulus--I'm extremely interested to find out
what Spock's intentions were and are, and to see what comes of all this (I
have my suspicions, but I'd rather not speculate on them). But the ship
plotline really has me saying "whoa...just what the hell is going on here?" to
an extent I haven't had since at least "Clues", and possibly since "Remember
Me." (It's also got me saying "what the hell does this have to do with the
main plot," but that's where the generosity I mentioned earlier comes
in--I'm assuming that this will be revealed in part 2. If not, I'll have to
retroactively take back points.)
More than the plots, what really hit me here was both the directing and the
characterization. Les Landau did one of his better jobs here (and having done
"Night Terrors", "Clues", "Family", and "Sarek", he's had some real winners
before), particularly in leaping back and forth between the two plots.
Everything felt well in order here--if Cliff Bole gets to do something like
"Redemption II" again, he should take some lessons from Landau on how NOT to
make a story look disjointed.
Some of Landau's shots were good as well, of course--the one that stands out
the most for me was the first shot of Sarek, although that entire scene was
superbly done. Sarek really *looked* wasted and dying there, which is not
necessarily easy to do. (As long as I'm on convincing appearances, by the
way, both Picard's and Data's disguises were stunning; I seriously had to look
a couple of times before I could really convince myself it was them.) Another
one, of course, is the whole execution of the teaser: the image enhancement
bit was purely for dramatic purposes (especially for those three viewers who
*hadn't* heard in advance that Spock was appearing here :-) ), but man oh man,
did it work. Once the face is revealed, no words were spoken, and none were
necessary. Just a swell of music and a "oh, shiiiiiiiit" look from Picard,
and that's it, folks.
Characterization was at a plus as well. Most of the regulars didn't really
have that much to do (Geordi, Worf, Bev and Troi come to mind), but those that
did shined in a big way. Data has regained nearly all the ground that's been
taken away from him over the course of things like "In Theory", and is back to
a somewhat more human attitude [shown best in his conversation with Picard
about Sarek's death, which called up more than a few memories of Tasha's
memorial service]. Riker is back to being a sound tactician and a good
delegator/motivator (i.e. he had the sense to realize that his tactics with
Dokachin weren't going to work), rather than the bullheaded individual he was
for "Darmok" and "Ensign Ro". And Picard--my word, but he's fun to watch.
His diplomatic toe-to-toe with B'Ijik was absolutely fantastic (about as much
fun as his dealings with the Sheliak in "The Ensigns of Command", really,
which was great), and his contest of wills with K'Vada was equally strong.
His best scene was that with Sarek, but I'm saving that for last. His
edginess just before hearing of Sarek's death, though, was well played (not
brilliantly, but certainly nothing to gripe at), and did a good enough job of
foreshadowing Sarek's death that I guessed it before the news came in. I hope
that Picard's edginess was supposed to somehow be an indication of Sarek's
death, but if it wasn't it sure worked out well. :-)
There were one or two weak bits in characterization, alas, but not many. The
weak link this time was probably Joanna Miles (Perrin). She seems to have
somehow lost something since "Sarek", because while she did beautifully then,
she didn't seem quite convincing here. I think she tried just a little bit
too hard. Ah, well. (Pardek was very nice--and I can't be the only one to
notice that he was played by Malachi Throne, none other than Commodore Mendez
in "The Menagerie", can I? Naah. :-) )
Spock's appearance, while hardly a guest-shot this week (more like a cameo),
was well presented (much better than that of Sela at the end of "Redemption",
I think). I can't *wait* to see how Nimoy manages to interact with whatever
fraction of the TNG cast he works with. At least it's only a week.
Finally, there's the Picard/Sarek scene. Ever since "Sarek" first aired, I've
been waiting for another Stewart/Lenard scene to come up, and was worried
there never would be. Fortunately, I was wrong. Each of them is an extremely
solid actor alone (Stewart more so than Lenard, IMHO, but that's just 'cos
Stewart's a deity--and it has *nothing* to do with dueling car commercials
;-) ), but together they somehow amplify each other's talent, I think. I'm
quite honestly not sure why or how they manage it, but they do--and extremely
well. Lenard has played Sarek in a great many walks of life now, from TOS-era
straight through to the character's death, and all of it came to a head here.
For the first time, he spoke as a parent first and foremost (for some of the
conversation, particularly the last bit of it), and I actually found myself
wishing Spock could somehow hear it. (And yes, I *know* these are fictional
characters. That's not an issue.)
In part, though, there may be something of a personal hook to this scene for
me. My two living grandparents are both in their mid-to-late 80s, and while
both are in reasonably good health (physically and mentally), neither is the
same person they were ten or even five years ago. To a point, I could easily
see my grandfather in Sarek's state in a not-very-long period of time--and
making that connection was more than a bit wrenching. I hope that it doesn't
come to that, but I had a taste of what it might end up being like tonight.
Ooch.
(Sorry...digressed for a bit there. I'll try to get back on track.)
In less serious matters, "Unification I" continued the trend that both
"Disaster" and "The Game" have set (despite some other flaws they had): the
dialogue between the main characters is definitely taking an upturn, both in
forming emotional ties and sometimes in just some damn good lines. :-) Some
examples:
[discussing Spock and Sarek's estrangement]
Picard: "Well...sometimes...fathers and sons..."
Riker: (quietly) "Understood."
Those are definitely THE two characters to be speaking those lines--we know
that Picard and his father had a somewhat mild falling out ("Family"), and
Riker's problems with his father are definitely a matter of record (and this
was about the only time I considered "The Icarus Factor" good for something).
Nice.
Dokachin, to Troi: "He probably figures that we don't get to see a lot of
handsome women out this way, and someone like you might get a little more
cooperation from me. [...] He's probably right."
(Okay, so it's not a regular character--but it was so doggone deadpan that it
was hilarious. :-) )
"Don't you two look SWEET?" --K'Vada, at the altered Picard and Data. That's
about the right reaction for him, wouldn't you say?
And so it goes.
I think that's about all I have to say for now. I may have to go back and
change some of these opinions once part 2 airs (though most of it will stay
firm), but in general this was *definitely* worth seeing. Best thing they've
done since "Darmok".
The numbers, then:
Plot: 9. A point off for all the minor nitpicks, but no real problems.
Plot Handling: 10. No complaints at all.
Characterization: 9. Again, a little bit off for Perrin--but the power of
the Picard/Sarek scene almost made up for it.
TOTAL: 9.5, rounding up a bit for some nice FX [loved that shot of the two
ships heading off!]. Very nice indeed.
NEXT WEEK:
Part 2. Spock's intentions, someone's sacrifice, and the return of Sela.
Hmm.
Tim Lynch (Cornell's first Astronomy B.A.; one of many Caltech grad students)
BITNET: tlynch@citjuliet
INTERNET: tly...@juliet.caltech.edu
UUCP: ...!ucbvax!tlynch%juliet.ca...@hamlet.caltech.edu
"Live long and...and...Live long and...Spock, my son!"
"And prosper..."
--
Copyright 1991, Timothy W. Lynch. All rights reserved, but feel free to ask...
James K. Huggins
In article <1991Nov7.0...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
|EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
|spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
|everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
|post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
|after the control-L.)
|Not bad for a 45-minute prologue.
That was my reaction -- in fact, I'm surprised more of the reviewers
haven't said as much so far. This is truly an episode whose eventual
ratings will depend strongly on what happens in part 2 (unlike, say
BOBW or Redemption, which most people rate independently).
Some random nitpicks ...
|--If they were down to just life support and sensors, *why were the bloody
|full bridge lights on?* :-)
'Cuz it's hard to look at the sensors with the lights off. :-)
|But for the most part, those are all nitpicks, and don't take away from the
|plots themselves.
Yep.
Jim Huggins
random rationalizer...
Jose Gonzalez
>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>after the control-L.)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>As I said at the outset, this is in many ways going to be an absolute bitch to
>classify. The whole show, unlike BOBW1 and "Redemption I", is in many ways
>simply a prelude to the main story of part 2. That's damn good strategy to
>keep people watching, but it's hell for a reviewer. I think I'll have to work
>it by being generous about plot points and changing it if they turn out to be
>mistakes rather than seeds. Given that, onwards...
One good thing that "Unification II " has over BOBW2 and R2 is that it was
written at the same time as part I, not months later.
>
>
>--Riker should probably have put the shields up a little earlier, no?
Naah. We've always obseved Picard not raising shields. It gives the other
party the evidence that you are hostile. They can usually tell when the
other ship is about to fire anyway.
>I have to say that at the moment, I'm intrigued more by the
>T'Pau/Tripoli/Mystery Ship from Hell plotline than the one on Romulus. This
>is not to belittle the one on Romulus--I'm extremely interested to find out
>what Spock's intentions were and are, and to see what comes of all this (I
>have my suspicions, but I'd rather not speculate on them). But the ship
>plotline really has me saying "whoa...just what the hell is going on here?" to
>an extent I haven't had since at least "Clues", and possibly since "Remember
>Me." (It's also got me saying "what the hell does this have to do with the
>main plot," but that's where the generosity I mentioned earlier comes
>in--I'm assuming that this will be revealed in part 2. If not, I'll have to
>retroactively take back points.)
You're right. It was really difficult to decide which storyline was better.
It was really interesting to see Riker in command again. There really is
a completely different feel on the bridge when he's commanding. Much less
serious.
>
>
>There were one or two weak bits in characterization, alas, but not many. The
>weak link this time was probably Joanna Miles (Perrin). She seems to have
>somehow lost something since "Sarek", because while she did beautifully then,
>she didn't seem quite convincing here. I think she tried just a little bit
>too hard. Ah, well.
I think she did fine. She really portrayed a woman who, although she was
greatly saddened by Sarek's illness, would just like it to end, for her
sake and Sarek's.
One more thing I noticed in the teaser, and I might as well mention it here.
Picard and Data have the prostetics(sp?) off, and they are BACK in uniform.
Don't tell me they were wearing them underneath their cloaks. That would be
the height of stupidity.
--
Jose Gonzalez
"It's not safe out here. It's wonderous, with treasures
to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's
not for the timid." - Q in "Q Who"
Timothy W. Lynch
>In article <1991Nov7.0...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>>EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
>>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>>after the control-L.)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>As I said at the outset, this is in many ways going to be an absolute bitch
>>to classify. The whole show, unlike BOBW1 and "Redemption I", is in many ways
>>simply a prelude to the main story of part 2.
>One good thing that "Unification II " has over BOBW2 and R2 is that it was
>written at the same time as part I, not months later.
Definitely agreed. I'm hoping that's enough.
>>--Riker should probably have put the shields up a little earlier, no?
>Naah. We've always obseved Picard not raising shields. It gives the other
>party the evidence that you are hostile. They can usually tell when the
>other ship is about to fire anyway.
Waiting until phaser lock seemed a bit much, given past history (like ST2),
but this is a minor point.
>>There were one or two weak bits in characterization, alas, but not many. The
>>weak link this time was probably Joanna Miles (Perrin). She seems to have
>>somehow lost something since "Sarek", because while she did beautifully then,
>>she didn't seem quite convincing here. I think she tried just a little bit
>>too hard. Ah, well.
>I think she did fine. She really portrayed a woman who, although she was
>greatly saddened by Sarek's illness, would just like it to end, for her
>sake and Sarek's.
I don't think so. That's what she was *trying* to do, but I don't think she
quite pulled it off somehow.
Tim Lynch
Smiley
:)EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
:)spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
:)everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
:)post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
:)after the control-L.)
:)Not bad for a 45-minute prologue.
No, not bad, but to me was just sort of there.
:)Unfortunately, 45-minute prologues are hellish to rate in any rational
:)fashion. Of course, that's never stopped me before. :-) Anyway, here's a
:)synopsis to warm you up for the review.
[Synopsis removed from here]
:)As I said at the outset, this is in many ways going to be an absolute bitch to
:)classify. The whole show, unlike BOBW1 and "Redemption I", is in many ways
:)simply a prelude to the main story of part 2. That's damn good strategy to
:)keep people watching, but it's hell for a reviewer. I think I'll have to work
:)it by being generous about plot points and changing it if they turn out to be
:)mistakes rather than seeds. Given that, onwards...
I think this might almost be easier to review as an entire episode, not as
two seperate ones
:)The plots themselves: well, they're certainly interesting. I have a few
:)minor (mostly) objections, but they're quibbles only. Let's get them out of
:)the way:
:)--Riker should probably have put the shields up a little earlier, no?
Especially considering Riker's usual battle nature. He seems almost
always ready for a fight.
:)--If they were down to just life support and sensors, *why were the bloody
:)full bridge lights on?* :-)
Glow in the dark panels? :)
:)I have to say that at the moment, I'm intrigued more by the
:)T'Pau/Tripoli/Mystery Ship from Hell plotline than the one on Romulus. This
:)have my suspicions, but I'd rather not speculate on them). But the ship
:)plotline really has me saying "whoa...just what the hell is going on here?" to
:)an extent I haven't had since at least "Clues", and possibly since "Remember
I pretty much feel the same way, especially since there seem to be several
major aliens involved in this. They set up the mystery *very* well here.
:)in--I'm assuming that this will be revealed in part 2. If not, I'll have to
:)retroactively take back points.)
If not, I'm gonna throw a shoe through the tv! :)
:)Some of Landau's shots were good as well, of course--the one that stands out
:)the most for me was the first shot of Sarek, although that entire scene was
:)superbly done. Sarek really *looked* wasted and dying there, which is not
I think this is as much a tribute to Mark Lenard as it is Landau. But I do
agree this was very well done. As I said before, Lenard could have easily
made Sarek look like an itiot in the scene with poor acting, but instead made
it very apparant just what he was going through.
:)necessarily easy to do. (As long as I'm on convincing appearances, by the
:)way, both Picard's and Data's disguises were stunning; I seriously had to look
:)a couple of times before I could really convince myself it was them.) Another
I still could barely tell Data was Data. Only the voice gave it away to me. :)
:)one, of course, is the whole execution of the teaser: the image enhancement
:)bit was purely for dramatic purposes (especially for those three viewers who
:)*hadn't* heard in advance that Spock was appearing here :-) ), but man oh man,
:)did it work. Once the face is revealed, no words were spoken, and none were
:)necessary. Just a swell of music and a "oh, shiiiiiiiit" look from Picard,
:)and that's it, folks.
My only problem with the teaser (and this is actually somebody elses
problem :) is that there may have been a few viewers who didn't watch the
old show, nor seen any of the movies, and might not know what Spock looks
like. Granted, the majority of the people do, but there were I'm sure a
slight few that just sort of said "Who's that?"
:)for "Darmok" and "Ensign Ro". And Picard--my word, but he's fun to watch.
:)His diplomatic toe-to-toe with B'Ijik was absolutely fantastic (about as much
:)fun as his dealings with the Sheliak in "The Ensigns of Command", really,
Agreed. Both scenes had me laughing on the floor.
:)Spock's appearance, while hardly a guest-shot this week (more like a cameo),
:)was well presented (much better than that of Sela at the end of "Redemption",
:)I think). I can't *wait* to see how Nimoy manages to interact with whatever
:)fraction of the TNG cast he works with. At least it's only a week.
I think having Nimoy, probably the best actor from TOS/movies, and Picard,
the best actor from TNG, working together in the same scenes is going to
be enough to put people in ecstacy (however it's spelled). Add to that
Data will be in those scenes, and I think we have the potential to have the
best scenes in Star Trek history.
:)Finally, there's the Picard/Sarek scene. Ever since "Sarek" first aired, I've
I don't think enough good things can be said about this scene.
:)In less serious matters, "Unification I" continued the trend that both
:)"Disaster" and "The Game" have set (despite some other flaws they had): the
:)dialogue between the main characters is definitely taking an upturn, both in
:)forming emotional ties and sometimes in just some damn good lines. :-) Some
:)examples:
:)Dokachin, to Troi: "He probably figures that we don't get to see a lot of
:)handsome women out this way, and someone like you might get a little more
:)cooperation from me. [...] He's probably right."
:)(Okay, so it's not a regular character--but it was so doggone deadpan that it
:)was hilarious. :-) )
I think what made this line so funny was the way it was done. If it tried
to sound humorous, it would have failed miserably.
:)I think that's about all I have to say for now. I may have to go back and
:)change some of these opinions once part 2 airs (though most of it will stay
:)firm), but in general this was *definitely* worth seeing. Best thing they've
:)done since "Darmok".
:)The numbers, then:
:)Plot: 9. A point off for all the minor nitpicks, but no real problems.
:)Plot Handling: 10. No complaints at all.
:)Characterization: 9. Again, a little bit off for Perrin--but the power of
:) the Picard/Sarek scene almost made up for it.
:)TOTAL: 9.5, rounding up a bit for some nice FX [loved that shot of the two
:)ships heading off!]. Very nice indeed.
Hmm... maybe I liked this more than I thought. I didn't really disagree
with anything you've said, yet for some reason I felt it empty. Maybe
I'll go watch it again.
-Josh Laff :)
:)NEXT WEEK:
:)Part 2. Spock's intentions, someone's sacrifice, and the return of Sela.
:)Hmm.
It should be very interesting. I think we've got every major bit of
Star Trek represented here, including the Ferengi in the previews. Part
one has left open a lot of potential for part two to be the best episode
yet... let's see if they can pull it off...
--
_______________________________________________________________________________
| Josh Laff: e-mail to: |
Help! The sky is falling! | smi...@uiuc.edu | # #
|smi...@gnu.ai.mit.edu____| _ _
Oh... wait... no... I'm tipping over |_____________________| | |#\_____/#|
backwards. | (217) 356-0149 | \#######/
Timothy W. Lynch
>:)EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
>:)spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>:)everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>:)post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>:)after the control-L.)
>I think this might almost be easier to review as an entire episode, not as
>two seperate ones
You may be right. We'll have to see.
>:)--Riker should probably have put the shields up a little earlier, no?
>Especially considering Riker's usual battle nature. He seems almost
>always ready for a fight.
Well, that's something I'm glad we didn't see--Riker's been too trigger-happy
of late.
>:)Some of Landau's shots were good as well, of course--the one that stands out
>:)the most for me was the first shot of Sarek, although that entire scene was
>:)superbly done. Sarek really *looked* wasted and dying there, which is not
>I think this is as much a tribute to Mark Lenard as it is Landau.
Much of each, yes.
>My only problem with the teaser (and this is actually somebody elses
>problem :) is that there may have been a few viewers who didn't watch the
>old show, nor seen any of the movies, and might not know what Spock looks
>like. Granted, the majority of the people do, but there were I'm sure a
>slight few that just sort of said "Who's that?"
You *must* be kidding. I doubt that even those who hadn't seen any of TOS
or the films would fail to recognize the face--it's so widespread at this
point that one doesn't even NEED to have seen past Trek to know who that guy
with the ears was...
>:)Dokachin, to Troi: "He probably figures that we don't get to see a lot of
>:)handsome women out this way, and someone like you might get a little more
>:)cooperation from me. [...] He's probably right."
>:)(Okay, so it's not a regular character--but it was so doggone deadpan that
>:)it was hilarious. :-) )
>I think what made this line so funny was the way it was done. If it tried
>to sound humorous, it would have failed miserably.
Agreed--as I said, it was the deadpan nature that worked.
Tim Lynch
Felan shena Thoron'edras
>EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>after the control-L.)
Do you realize, Tim, that you had approximately 350 (I think) lines in
that post? :-)
>Not bad for a 45-minute prologue.
Yeah, but to me at least, that's all it was...wasn't all that good,
just because it was a prologue. Nothing _happened_ in it.
>security would be almost incalculable. She calls up a record of the
>intelligence report, and enhances the image of the ambassador. Picard is
>stunned to see the face of none other than Ambassador Spock...
As I said in my response to Mikey's review, Stewart's acting there really
impressed me. I could _see_ and even feel the same shock he felt, even
though I knew who it would be..
>decades. As Sarek's wife Perrin makes preparations to come aboard, Riker and
>Geordi start examining reports of mysterious metal fragments of Vulcan origin
>found with the wreckage of (of all things) a Ferengi ship.
Thank you, thank you! I had _absolutely_ no idea where they found those
things, I guess I musta missed it.
I also didn't know Perrin had gone onto the Enterprise; I'd thought Picard
went to see her.. Guess I'll have to watch it again. :-)
>Oh, boy. Now I guess I have to write some opinions, huh? Well, here goes
>nothing...
Yeah, over a 100 lines of nothing, eh? :-)
>TNG has gotten really manipulative with this; not simply in a financial sense,
>which is expected, but in an emotional one. I mean, the return of Spock is in
>and of itself a big event, but including that scene with Sarek in act 1
>*really* tugged at the heartstrings. I'm not complaining, mind you--it was
>expertly done, and I don't regret its existence. But if you're reading this
>and *haven't* seen the show yet, get ready to be tugged at at times.
Yeah. Lots. I mean, I was.. That scene with Sarek was incredible.
>--Riker should probably have put the shields up a little earlier, no?
Jose is right about this; putting them up is, in a way, a sign of hostility.
Given that what Riker wanted was answers, not a battle, he needed to avoid
as much appearance of hostility as he could, for as long as he could.
>--If they were down to just life support and sensors, *why were the bloody
>full bridge lights on?* :-)
As someone pointed out, to see the sensors. I know, there are lights and
things, and _possibly_ they can control those things without seeing all the
panels properly. But _you_ try working at your computer in complete
darkness and see how long you last without getting a headache...
>I have to say that at the moment, I'm intrigued more by the
>T'Pau/Tripoli/Mystery Ship from Hell plotline than the one on Romulus. This
>is not to belittle the one on Romulus--I'm extremely interested to find out
>what Spock's intentions were and are, and to see what comes of all this (I
>have my suspicions, but I'd rather not speculate on them). But the ship
Yeah, me too. :-)
[Mystery Ship From Hell has him wondering.]
Me too. :-)
>one, of course, is the whole execution of the teaser: the image enhancement
>bit was purely for dramatic purposes (especially for those three viewers who
>*hadn't* heard in advance that Spock was appearing here :-) ), but man oh man,
>did it work. Once the face is revealed, no words were spoken, and none were
>necessary. Just a swell of music and a "oh, shiiiiiiiit" look from Picard,
>and that's it, folks.
Like I said, I was _really_ impressed by Stewart's acting here. (Have I
said it enough yet to convince people I was really impressed? :-) )
>did shined in a big way. Data has regained nearly all the ground that's been
>taken away from him over the course of things like "In Theory", and is back to
>a somewhat more human attitude [shown best in his conversation with Picard
>about Sarek's death, which called up more than a few memories of Tasha's
Well, I remember that show only vaguely, but I remember Data talking about
how he felt, and somehow.. Somehow his conversation with Picard made me
feel like he hadn't had that conversation after Tasha's death, or didn't
put the two together, or something.. It just didn't sit quite right with me.
>memorial service]. Riker is back to being a sound tactician and a good
>delegator/motivator (i.e. he had the sense to realize that his tactics with
>Dokachin weren't going to work), rather than the bullheaded individual he was
Ha! Troi pointed it out to him _twice_ that what he was doing wasn't
working, and that he'd have to try something else.
>for "Darmok" and "Ensign Ro". And Picard--my word, but he's fun to watch.
>His diplomatic toe-to-toe with B'Ijik was absolutely fantastic (about as much
Yeah. I was laughing all through that bit from him. :-) Talk about
throwing his weight around.. I'd never known how good a diplomat he was, but
he convinced me in that one by telling them that he knew all about how
Gowron was rewriting history, by not telling them...
>which was great), and his contest of wills with K'Vada was equally strong.
Well, it didn't strike me as all that wonderful, really. A little amusing,
but nothing more. Still, it was rather neat that Picard reacted as well as
he did to everything..
>His best scene was that with Sarek, but I'm saving that for last. His
>edginess just before hearing of Sarek's death, though, was well played (not
>brilliantly, but certainly nothing to gripe at), and did a good enough job of
>foreshadowing Sarek's death that I guessed it before the news came in. I hope
>that Picard's edginess was supposed to somehow be an indication of Sarek's
>death, but if it wasn't it sure worked out well. :-)
I didn't think of that, but that would explain it... _If_ you can convince
me that a human would still retain some of that link. Maybe he could have,
but I really doubt it.
>There were one or two weak bits in characterization, alas, but not many. The
>weak link this time was probably Joanna Miles (Perrin). She seems to have
>somehow lost something since "Sarek", because while she did beautifully then,
>she didn't seem quite convincing here. I think she tried just a little bit
>too hard.
No arguments here; I was fairly annoyed at her the whole time; felt a little
wooden to me. Also, I hadn't expected that kind of a reaction from her
anyway, so it was, well, distracting. I understand it, though...
>Spock's appearance, while hardly a guest-shot this week (more like a cameo),
>was well presented (much better than that of Sela at the end of "Redemption",
>I think). I can't *wait* to see how Nimoy manages to interact with whatever
>fraction of the TNG cast he works with. At least it's only a week.
Eh... I wasn't all that impressed by his appearance, really. Of course, I
knew it was coming, but that had no effect on my reaction... It was sorta
anticlimatic almost.
>Finally, there's the Picard/Sarek scene. Ever since "Sarek" first aired, I've
>been waiting for another Stewart/Lenard scene to come up, and was worried
>there never would be. Fortunately, I was wrong. Each of them is an extremely
But now, you're right...
>solid actor alone (Stewart more so than Lenard, IMHO, but that's just 'cos
>Stewart's a deity--and it has *nothing* to do with dueling car commercials
>;-) ), but together they somehow amplify each other's talent, I think. I'm
>quite honestly not sure why or how they manage it, but they do--and extremely
>well. Lenard has played Sarek in a great many walks of life now, from TOS-era
>straight through to the character's death, and all of it came to a head here.
>For the first time, he spoke as a parent first and foremost (for some of the
>conversation, particularly the last bit of it), and I actually found myself
>wishing Spock could somehow hear it. (And yes, I *know* these are fictional
>characters. That's not an issue.)
Well, he was sorta almost-parentlike in ST IV, I thought, at the end... I
think. I don't remember.
And he was worried in ST III, too, of course.
Still, you're right...this was the first time he was really a _father_,
reacting the way a father would (Spock disobeying him must have been a
big disappointment to him, when Spock was just a child...). It was a
pretty powerful scene for me...
>In part, though, there may be something of a personal hook to this scene for
>me. My two living grandparents are both in their mid-to-late 80s, and while
>both are in reasonably good health (physically and mentally), neither is the
>same person they were ten or even five years ago. To a point, I could easily
>see my grandfather in Sarek's state in a not-very-long period of time--and
>making that connection was more than a bit wrenching. I hope that it doesn't
>come to that, but I had a taste of what it might end up being like tonight.
*wince* *twinge* *tries to duck away*
*sigh*
Can't get away from memories once they're brought up... (I'll be thinking
about this all night, now. *sigh*)
It does hit fairly hard, yeah. My grandpa was...well, he was like that.
Kinda, anyway. Seeing him so weak after I'd been used to years of him being
relatively strong... Yeah, they portrayed that _very_ well with Sarek. Very
well indeed.
(*sigh*)
>In less serious matters, "Unification I" continued the trend that both
>"Disaster" and "The Game" have set (despite some other flaws they had): the
>dialogue between the main characters is definitely taking an upturn, both in
>forming emotional ties and sometimes in just some damn good lines. :-) Some
>examples:
I rather liked Troi/Riker/Dokachin interacting, when they were first trying
to convince him to help, and Riker was being a little...heavyhanded, maybe.
Troi did have to point out why Dokachin was acting the way he was.. (Of
course, I did think Riker should have known that already. On the other
hand, Riker's position might have gotten him a lot more cooperation a lot
more times than just your average Joe off the street would have, so he
might have gotten unused to people not wanting to help...)
>[discussing Spock and Sarek's estrangement]
>Picard: "Well...sometimes...fathers and sons..."
>Riker: (quietly) "Understood."
>Those are definitely THE two characters to be speaking those lines--we know
>that Picard and his father had a somewhat mild falling out ("Family"), and
>Riker's problems with his father are definitely a matter of record (and this
>was about the only time I considered "The Icarus Factor" good for something).
>Nice.
I didn't know that.... I'll just assume you know what you're talking about;
you usually do. :-)
>Dokachin, to Troi: "He probably figures that we don't get to see a lot of
>handsome women out this way, and someone like you might get a little more
>cooperation from me. [...] He's probably right."
Actually, I didn't really like that, even though I did think it was amusing..
>I think that's about all I have to say for now. I may have to go back and
>change some of these opinions once part 2 airs (though most of it will stay
>firm), but in general this was *definitely* worth seeing. Best thing they've
>done since "Darmok".
Tim, that was only a few weeks ago. :-)
>TOTAL: 9.5, rounding up a bit for some nice FX [loved that shot of the two
>ships heading off!]. Very nice indeed.
Eh... An 8 from me, and I didn't _like_ that shot. It looked really fake
to me. I guess I have to differ from everyone else _somewhere_.. :-)
>NEXT WEEK:
>Part 2. Spock's intentions, someone's sacrifice, and the return of Sela.
>Hmm.
I have my theories about who gets sacri...er, who sacrifices hirself...
>"Live long and...and...Live long and...Spock, my son!"
>"And prosper..."
Goldurnit, I _do_ have to watch it again; I missed _this_ too. I mean,
I caught the scene, but I didn't catch that Picard had to finish the
phrase for him. *sigh*
Felan shena Thoron'edras
"Go not unto the Elves for counsel, for they will say both yea and nay."
"Now is _not_ a good time, Keiko!" - Worf, "Disaster"
"Variety is the spice of life, and I don't want to die." - Scott Borst
Timothy W. Lynch
>In article <1991Nov7.0...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>>EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
>>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>>after the control-L.)
>>Not bad for a 45-minute prologue.
>Yeah, but to me at least, that's all it was...wasn't all that good,
>just because it was a prologue. Nothing _happened_ in it.
Nothing happened? A major mystery developing on one side, our first glance
of Romulus on the other, Sarek's death, and you say nothing happened?
Sheesh. :-)
>>--If they were down to just life support and sensors, *why were the bloody
>>full bridge lights on?* :-)
>As someone pointed out, to see the sensors. I know, there are lights and
>things, and _possibly_ they can control those things without seeing all the
>panels properly. But _you_ try working at your computer in complete
>darkness and see how long you last without getting a headache...
Not complete darkness, but at least dim the suckers into "stealth bridge" mode.
I mean, really...
>>Data has regained nearly all the ground that's been
>>taken away from him over the course of things like "In Theory", and is back
>>to a somewhat more human attitude [shown best in his conversation with Picard
>>about Sarek's death, which called up more than a few memories of Tasha's
>>memorial service].
>Well, I remember that show only vaguely, but I remember Data talking about
>how he felt, and somehow.. Somehow his conversation with Picard made me
>feel like he hadn't had that conversation after Tasha's death, or didn't
>put the two together, or something.. It just didn't sit quite right with me.
Hmm. I thought they fitted together rather well--he certainly sounded equally
puzzled both times. Ah, well.
>>I hope
>>that Picard's edginess was supposed to somehow be an indication of Sarek's
>>death, but if it wasn't it sure worked out well. :-)
>I didn't think of that, but that would explain it... _If_ you can convince
>me that a human would still retain some of that link. Maybe he could have,
>but I really doubt it.
Nothing conscious, but I imagine there'd be traces of it left in his mind.
Remember what Perrin said: "You are part of him, and he of you."
>>There were one or two weak bits in characterization, alas, but not many. The
>>weak link this time was probably Joanna Miles (Perrin). She seems to have
>>somehow lost something since "Sarek", because while she did beautifully then,
>>she didn't seem quite convincing here. I think she tried just a little bit
>>too hard.
>No arguments here; I was fairly annoyed at her the whole time; felt a little
>wooden to me. Also, I hadn't expected that kind of a reaction from her
>anyway, so it was, well, distracting. I understand it, though...
The reaction was more than acceptable--that kind of protectiveness is very
understandable. I think she was written fine, but Miles just didn't quite
manage to get her teeth into the role this time.
>>Spock's appearance, while hardly a guest-shot this week (more like a cameo),
>>was well presented (much better than that of Sela at the end of "Redemption",
>>I think). I can't *wait* to see how Nimoy manages to interact with whatever
>>fraction of the TNG cast he works with. At least it's only a week.
>Eh... I wasn't all that impressed by his appearance, really.
Oh, I was. We all knew that was going to happen, but it was done with a
rather nice flourish.
[on Sarek]
>>For the first time, he spoke as a parent first and foremost (for some of the
>>conversation, particularly the last bit of it), and I actually found myself
>>wishing Spock could somehow hear it. (And yes, I *know* these are fictional
>>characters. That's not an issue.)
>Well, he was sorta almost-parentlike in ST IV, I thought, at the end... I
>think. I don't remember.
> And he was worried in ST III, too, of course.
Both true to a certain extent, but this is the first time he was free of all
his other constraints and got to really speak from the heart.
>>Dokachin, to Troi: "He probably figures that we don't get to see a lot of
>>handsome women out this way, and someone like you might get a little more
>>cooperation from me. [...] He's probably right."
>Actually, I didn't really like that, even though I did think it was amusing..
If done a little differently, it would've been awful. But Dokachin was so
matter-of-fact about it that I was laughing.
Tim Lynch
Michael Scott Shappe
>EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>after the control-L.)
What he said.
>Not bad for a 45-minute prologue.
Indeed not.
>Unfortunately, 45-minute prologues are hellish to rate in any rational
>fashion. Of course, that's never stopped me before. :-) Anyway, here's a
>synopsis to warm you up for the review.
I almost decided to wait and review both parts as a single story, but
decided against it (particularly since the teleplay was written by
two different people. Part One's teleplay was by Jery Taylor. Part Two is,
I believe, by Piller and Berman [yes, I know they wrote the STORY for both...])
> TO BE CONTINUED...
AAAAAAAAAAGH!
(Uncle Mikey's Patented Reaction-to-cliffhangers)
>Oh, boy. Now I guess I have to write some opinions, huh?
Well, you don't HAVE to...:_0
>TNG has gotten really manipulative with this; not simply in a financial sense,
You noticed...
>--Riker should probably have put the shields up a little earlier, no?
Yeah, well...I don't think he was expecting a ship that might actually
be a THREAT :-)
>--If they were down to just life support and sensors, *why were the bloody
>full bridge lights on?* :-)
Luck.
>--Data was screwing up a little bit too much in their first walk on Romulus.
>He shouldn't be quite *that* careless, IMHO.
Agreed.
>I have to say that at the moment, I'm intrigued more by the
>T'Pau/Tripoli/Mystery Ship from Hell plotline than the one on Romulus.
My thoughts exactly. The Sarek/Spock/ch'Rihan...er...Romulus plot is the
more emotionally engaging, but the other is more of a brain teaser...
>superbly done. Sarek really *looked* wasted and dying there, which is not
>necessarily easy to do.
I'm tempted to ask Mark Lenard at WishCon this weekend what was going through
his mind just then...
>There were one or two weak bits in characterization, alas, but not many. The
>weak link this time was probably Joanna Miles (Perrin). She seems to have
>somehow lost something since "Sarek", because while she did beautifully then,
>she didn't seem quite convincing here. I think she tried just a little bit
>too hard. Ah, well. (Pardek was very nice--and I can't be the only one to
>notice that he was played by Malachi Throne, none other than Commodore Mendez
>in "The Menagerie", can I? Naah. :-) )
I'm starting to think that Mz. Miles may have been grabbed comparatively
late and may simply have not prepared well...
And no, I hadn't noticed who Pardek was...gods, that's a hoot!
Timothy W. Lynch
>In <1991Nov7.0...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>>EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
>>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>>after the control-L.)
>I almost decided to wait and review both parts as a single story, but
>decided against it (particularly since the teleplay was written by
>two different people. Part One's teleplay was by Jery Taylor. Part Two is,
>I believe, by Piller and Berman [yes, I know they wrote the STORY for
>both...])
I think that's right on all counts. I'd never have waited---no willpower.
:-)
>>superbly done. Sarek really *looked* wasted and dying there, which is not
>>necessarily easy to do.
>I'm tempted to ask Mark Lenard at WishCon this weekend what was going through
>his mind just then...
Please do. I think this is going to be an extremely interesting weekend in
which to see Lenard--although for the Saturday appearance, I guess most of
the attendees won't have seen it yet. Ouch.
>>There were one or two weak bits in characterization, alas, but not many. The
>>weak link this time was probably Joanna Miles (Perrin). She seems to have
>>somehow lost something since "Sarek", because while she did beautifully then,
>>she didn't seem quite convincing here. I think she tried just a little bit
>>too hard. Ah, well. (Pardek was very nice--and I can't be the only one to
>>notice that he was played by Malachi Throne, none other than Commodore Mendez
>>in "The Menagerie", can I? Naah. :-) )
>I'm starting to think that Mz. Miles may have been grabbed comparatively
>late and may simply have not prepared well...
You mean that they didn't expect to use Perrin this time, or that she was
grabbed late to play Perrin originally? If the former, could be, but I can't
really see the latter.
>And no, I hadn't noticed who Pardek was...gods, that's a hoot!
Heh.
Tim Lynch
Felan shena Thoron'edras
>phil...@syrinx.umd.edu (Felan shena Thoron'edras) writes:
>>In article <1991Nov7.0...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>>>EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
>>>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>>>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>>>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>>>after the control-L.)
You got that right, buster. :-)
>>>Not bad for a 45-minute prologue.
>>Yeah, but to me at least, that's all it was...wasn't all that good,
>>just because it was a prologue. Nothing _happened_ in it.
>Nothing happened? A major mystery developing on one side, our first glance
>of Romulus on the other, Sarek's death, and you say nothing happened?
>Sheesh. :-)
Sorry, Tim. :-) But yeah, nothing happened, excepting Sarek's death...
And his _death_ has, so far, had little affect on the plot itself. Granted,
that was a powerful scene, but, well, that was the best part about it,
and nothing else really seemed to matter _all_ that much, really. It's
just sorta there.
>>As someone pointed out, to see the sensors. I know, there are lights and
>>things, and _possibly_ they can control those things without seeing all the
>>panels properly. But _you_ try working at your computer in complete
>>darkness and see how long you last without getting a headache...
>Not complete darkness, but at least dim the suckers into "stealth bridge" mode.
Maybe... I have to admit that _full_ lighting was a bad idea. But
even dimmed most of the way is bad... I've had it be dark in my room
except for one light that's next to my computer, but which is not putting
much light on the screen ('cause I hate the glare, you see), and lemme
tell you, it's not recommdended for a long time.
>>Well, I remember that show only vaguely, but I remember Data talking about
>>how he felt, and somehow.. Somehow his conversation with Picard made me
>>feel like he hadn't had that conversation after Tasha's death, or didn't
>>put the two together, or something.. It just didn't sit quite right with me.
>Hmm. I thought they fitted together rather well--he certainly sounded equally
>puzzled both times. Ah, well.
Precisely my problem! I had _thought_ he'd gained a little understanding
of it, during the Tasha scene; maybe not, though, I suppose. It had
seemed like it to me.
Of course, _I_ still don't understand the way death makes people feel,
and I have an advantage over Data...
>>I didn't think of that, but that would explain it... _If_ you can convince
>>me that a human would still retain some of that link. Maybe he could have,
>>but I really doubt it.
>Nothing conscious, but I imagine there'd be traces of it left in his mind.
>Remember what Perrin said: "You are part of him, and he of you."
I'm a skeptic, Tim. Unless Picard has some kind of telepathic potential
of his own (_not_ the ability itself, just the potentials in there
somewhere), I don't think he'd retain that kind of a link over that big
a distance. Sure, a certain closeness, a friendship more than before.
And, had he _been_ with Sarek, I'd not want to have been him - that
would have _hurt_. But I don't think he could have kept that kind
of linkage across that kind of distance (c'mon, interstellar distances,
Tim? That's pretty darn far...). Just doesn't seem too likely...
>>No arguments here; I was fairly annoyed at her the whole time; felt a little
>>wooden to me. Also, I hadn't expected that kind of a reaction from her
>>anyway, so it was, well, distracting. I understand it, though...
>The reaction was more than acceptable--that kind of protectiveness is very
>understandable. I think she was written fine, but Miles just didn't quite
>manage to get her teeth into the role this time.
Welll, yeah... The reaction to Spock, I meant, not Picard. Her reaction
to Picard was more than reasonable, but the Spock one surprised me.
[Spock's appearance was well done, Tim says. -Felan]
>>Eh... I wasn't all that impressed by his appearance, really.
>Oh, I was. We all knew that was going to happen, but it was done with a
>rather nice flourish.
Well, I guess so. Too obvious. I _knew_ that was how they were going to
do it. I was a little disappointed... I'd maybe have preferred them
being walked somewhere during the conversation, and just as Picard said
he was looking for Spock, to have them be going into/Pardek opening
the door of the room (a conference room, dining room, what-have-you) and
have Spock give his line... Somewhat less of a 'high, cliched dramatic
presentation of person-quested-after in a cave after questors were abducted
off the streets'. It just didn't impress me. What more can I say? :-)
>[on Sarek]
>>Well, he was sorta almost-parentlike in ST IV, I thought, at the end... I
>>think. I don't remember.
>> And he was worried in ST III, too, of course.
>Both true to a certain extent, but this is the first time he was free of all
>his other constraints and got to really speak from the heart.
Aye... Very good scene. Very well written, very well acted.
[On Troi/Dokachin/Dokachin's comment to Troi]
>>Actually, I didn't really like that, even though I did think it was amusing..
>If done a little differently, it would've been awful. But Dokachin was so
>matter-of-fact about it that I was laughing.
Well, that was what amused me about it too. You're right, they did that
line as best it could be done, I think. Still, it didn't particularly
appeal to me...
Matthew Lathrum
>EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>after the control-L.)
>Those are definitely THE two characters to be speaking those lines--we know
>that Picard and his father had a somewhat mild falling out ("Family"), and
>Riker's problems with his father are definitely a matter of record (and this
>was about the only time I considered "The Icarus Factor" good for something).
>Nice.
Wasn't that Picard and his BROTHER with the mild falling-out in Family?
--
ragn...@buhub.bradley.edu OR aam...@heartland.bradley.edu OR
ragn...@bucs1.bradley.edu OR xxt...@heartland.bradley.edu OR
ragn...@bucc1.bradley.edu OR af...@cleveland.freenet.edu OR
ad...@yfn.ysu.edu "GEE, WHAT A CHOICE!"
"Input all your sins," the Pope read,
"for the Lord is like a faulty hard drive,
and He will permanently erase them from His Memory."
Timothy W. Lynch
>In article <1991Nov8.1...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
We have spoilers, I repeat, we HAVE spoilers, for "Unification I":
>>>Well, I remember that show only vaguely, but I remember Data talking about
>>>how he felt, and somehow.. Somehow his conversation with Picard made me
>>>feel like he hadn't had that conversation after Tasha's death, or didn't
>>>put the two together, or something.. It just didn't sit quite right with me.
>>Hmm. I thought they fitted together rather well--he certainly sounded equally
>>puzzled both times. Ah, well.
>Precisely my problem! I had _thought_ he'd gained a little understanding
>of it, during the Tasha scene; maybe not, though, I suppose. It had
>seemed like it to me.
Understanding how it personally affected *him*, yes; but this is something
which deals with normally-ultra-practical Vulcans, and was also a long time
in coming. I think his puzzlement is understandable, never having had father-
son arguments.
[in response to my claim that Picard's edginess on the Klingon ship might have
been a reaction to Sarek's death even before he heard the news]
>>>I didn't think of that, but that would explain it... _If_ you can convince
>>>me that a human would still retain some of that link. Maybe he could have,
>>>but I really doubt it.
>>Nothing conscious, but I imagine there'd be traces of it left in his mind.
>>Remember what Perrin said: "You are part of him, and he of you."
>I'm a skeptic, Tim. Unless Picard has some kind of telepathic potential
>of his own (_not_ the ability itself, just the potentials in there
>somewhere), I don't think he'd retain that kind of a link over that big
>a distance.
I think he would have. This wasn't just a simple mind-meld--in effect, Picard
*became* Sarek for those hours of negotiation. I think a few traces of that
would be unavoidable unless he was absolutely psi-null.
[on Perrin]
>>>No arguments here; I was fairly annoyed at her the whole time; felt a little
>>>wooden to me. Also, I hadn't expected that kind of a reaction from her
>>>anyway, so it was, well, distracting. I understand it, though...
>>The reaction was more than acceptable--that kind of protectiveness is very
>>understandable. I think she was written fine, but Miles just didn't quite
>>manage to get her teeth into the role this time.
>Welll, yeah... The reaction to Spock, I meant, not Picard. Her reaction
>to Picard was more than reasonable, but the Spock one surprised me.
I was referring to her reaction to Spock as well. She mentioned her
protectiveness in relation to it. Again, it makes lots of sense--having seen
my mother defend her second husband vigorously against criticism from both of
her sons, it makes more than lots of sense.
Tim Lynch
Timothy W. Lynch
>In <1991Nov7.0...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
Spoilers (but now very minor ones) for "Unification I":
>>Those are definitely THE two characters to be speaking those lines--we know
>>that Picard and his father had a somewhat mild falling out ("Family"), and
>>Riker's problems with his father are definitely a matter of record (and this
>>was about the only time I considered "The Icarus Factor" good for something).
>>Nice.
>Wasn't that Picard and his BROTHER with the mild falling-out in Family?
The one we actually saw on screen? Yes. But Picard several times makes
reference to how alike his father and his brother were, and hints at more than
a few big arguments between the two of them as well.
Tim Lynch
Gym Z. Quirk
>EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>after the control-L.)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Not bad for a 45-minute prologue.
My thoughts exactly. {*glug!*}
>Unfortunately, 45-minute prologues are hellish to rate in any rational
>fashion. Of course, that's never stopped me before. :-) Anyway, here's a
>synopsis to warm you up for the review.
>[Synop deleted. Unfortunately, the local station--KOB, Ch4--had
transmission cut-outs throughout the first half hour or so. My tape
is, thus incomplete...:-( ]
>Oh, boy. Now I guess I have to write some opinions, huh? Well, here goes
>nothing...
>
>As I said at the outset, this is in many ways going to be an absolute bitch to
>classify. The whole show, unlike BOBW1 and "Redemption I", is in many ways
>simply a prelude to the main story of part 2. That's damn good strategy to
>keep people watching, but it's hell for a reviewer. I think I'll have to work
>it by being generous about plot points and changing it if they turn out to be
>mistakes rather than seeds. Given that, onwards...
>
>TNG has gotten really manipulative with this; not simply in a financial sense,
>which is expected, but in an emotional one. I mean, the return of Spock is in
>and of itself a big event, but including that scene with Sarek in act 1
>*really* tugged at the heartstrings. I'm not complaining, mind you--it was
>expertly done, and I don't regret its existence. But if you're reading this
>and *haven't* seen the show yet, get ready to be tugged at at times.
And I thought "Sarek" was depressing. ;-/
>The plots themselves: well, they're certainly interesting. I have a few
>minor (mostly) objections, but they're quibbles only. Let's get them out of
>the way:
>
>--Riker should probably have put the shields up a little earlier, no?
At least initiated Yellow Alert when he powered up...
>--If they were down to just life support and sensors, *why were the bloody
>full bridge lights on?* :-)
Bridge lights constitute part of life support. Besides, I don't think
there are any windows there. (The Captain's ready room, on the other
hand...;-)
>--Data was screwing up a little bit too much in their first walk on Romulus.
>He shouldn't be quite *that* careless, IMHO.
Especailly after having "assimilated all availible data on Rihansu
culture"...
>But for the most part, those are all nitpicks, and don't take away from the
>plots themselves.
Well, one more nit-pick if I may...
That "mysterious" (I think Ferengi) ship was *damn* fragile. Must
have had photon torpedoes packed in Nitro-glycerine to have exploded
*that* quickly...
>I have to say that at the moment, I'm intrigued more by the
>T'Pau/Tripoli/Mystery Ship from Hell plotline than the one on Romulus. This
>is not to belittle the one on Romulus--I'm extremely interested to find out
>what Spock's intentions were and are, and to see what comes of all this (I
>have my suspicions, but I'd rather not speculate on them). But the ship
>plotline really has me saying "whoa...just what the hell is going on here?" to
>an extent I haven't had since at least "Clues", and possibly since "Remember
>Me." (It's also got me saying "what the hell does this have to do with the
>main plot," but that's where the generosity I mentioned earlier comes
>in--I'm assuming that this will be revealed in part 2. If not, I'll have to
>retroactively take back points.)
Similarly, I'm treating thie episode as an extended teaser. I'll
weigh in plot-wise after I see part II...
>[snip]
>Some of Landau's shots were good as well, of course--the one that stands out
>the most for me was the first shot of Sarek, although that entire scene was
>superbly done. Sarek really *looked* wasted and dying there, which is not
>necessarily easy to do.
Yes. I was very impressed by the images and the performance. Also,
Mark Lenard takes the lead for "Dead Trek characters"...;-)
> (As long as I'm on convincing appearances, by the
>way, both Picard's and Data's disguises were stunning; I seriously had to look
>a couple of times before I could really convince myself it was them.)
Especially Stewart's haripiece. It looked much more realistic than
what he has in "I, Claudius"...
> Another
>one, of course, is the whole execution of the teaser: the image enhancement
>bit was purely for dramatic purposes (especially for those three viewers who
>*hadn't* heard in advance that Spock was appearing here :-) ), but man oh man,
>did it work. Once the face is revealed, no words were spoken, and none were
>necessary. Just a swell of music and a "oh, shiiiiiiiit" look from Picard,
>and that's it, folks.
Yep. {*glug*} {*hic*}
>Characterization was at a plus as well. Most of the regulars didn't really
>have that much to do (Geordi, Worf, Bev and Troi come to mind), but those that
>did shined in a big way. Data has regained nearly all the ground that's been
>taken away from him over the course of things like "In Theory", and is back to
>a somewhat more human attitude [shown best in his conversation with Picard
>about Sarek's death, which called up more than a few memories of Tasha's
>memorial service].
I must admit that I do not recall "Skin of Evil" very well, but I
agree that Data was, for the most part, returned to where his
character ought to be. (The blunders on the streets being the major
problem here.)
> Riker is back to being a sound tactician and a good
>delegator/motivator (i.e. he had the sense to realize that his tactics with
>Dokachin weren't going to work), rather than the bullheaded individual he was
>for "Darmok" and "Ensign Ro".
Er...Diddn't you just indicate that Will was a little sloppy
tactics-wise wrt the shields a while back? ;-)
> And Picard--my word, but he's fun to watch.
>His diplomatic toe-to-toe with B'Ijik was absolutely fantastic (about as much
>fun as his dealings with the Sheliak in "The Ensigns of Command", really,
>which was great), and his contest of wills with K'Vada was equally strong.
>His best scene was that with Sarek, but I'm saving that for last. His
>edginess just before hearing of Sarek's death, though, was well played (not
>brilliantly, but certainly nothing to gripe at), and did a good enough job of
>foreshadowing Sarek's death that I guessed it before the news came in. I hope
>that Picard's edginess was supposed to somehow be an indication of Sarek's
>death, but if it wasn't it sure worked out well. :-)
Well, I still think Stewart's best performance to date was in "The
Drumhead", but he certainly was no slouch here. ;-)
>[snip]
>Spock's appearance, while hardly a guest-shot this week (more like a cameo),
>was well presented (much better than that of Sela at the end of "Redemption",
>I think). I can't *wait* to see how Nimoy manages to interact with whatever
>fraction of the TNG cast he works with. At least it's only a week.
Hmmm...It should be intersting to see Spock and Data compare notes on logic.
It would be nice if there was a refrence to Data's encounter with "The
Admiral" in "Encounter at Farfetched...er...Farpoint".
>Finally, there's the Picard/Sarek scene. Ever since "Sarek" first aired, I've
>been waiting for another Stewart/Lenard scene to come up, and was worried
>there never would be. Fortunately, I was wrong. Each of them is an extremely
>solid actor alone (Stewart more so than Lenard, IMHO, but that's just 'cos
>Stewart's a deity--and it has *nothing* to do with dueling car commercials
>;-) ), but together they somehow amplify each other's talent, I think. I'm
>quite honestly not sure why or how they manage it, but they do--and extremely
>well. Lenard has played Sarek in a great many walks of life now, from TOS-era
>straight through to the character's death, and all of it came to a head here.
>For the first time, he spoke as a parent first and foremost (for some of the
>conversation, particularly the last bit of it), and I actually found myself
>wishing Spock could somehow hear it. (And yes, I *know* these are fictional
>characters. That's not an issue.)
However, I thought "Journey to Babel" (and the non-canonical novels)
had healed the rift between them. I find it a mild strain on
credibility to think that they would be *so* at odds after just
another "disagreement"...
>In less serious matters, "Unification I" continued the trend that both
>"Disaster" and "The Game" have set (despite some other flaws they had): the
>dialogue between the main characters is definitely taking an upturn, both in
>forming emotional ties and sometimes in just some damn good lines. :-) Some
>examples:
>
>[discussing Spock and Sarek's estrangement]
>Picard: "Well...sometimes...fathers and sons..."
>Riker: (quietly) "Understood."
Unfortunately, this reminded me of "The Icarus Factor". Not a
pleasant memory...;-/
>And so it goes.
>
>The numbers, then:
>
>TOTAL: 9.5, rounding up a bit for some nice FX [loved that shot of the two
>ships heading off!]. Very nice indeed.
Again. I'm going to wait until I see part II and grade the whole.
however, I had little to complain about this week. Next week? Only
TPTB know...;-)
>NEXT WEEK:
>Part 2. Spock's intentions, someone's sacrifice, and the return of Sela.
>Hmm.
I have a hunch that Spock's gonna buy the farm (again). Whether we'll
have Picard as the Keeper of his Katra this time remains to be
seen...;-)
>Tim Lynch (Cornell's first Astronomy B.A.; one of many Caltech grad students)
>--
>Copyright 1991, Timothy W. Lynch. All rights reserved, but feel free to ask...
--
Capt. Gym Z. Quirk (Known to some as Taki Kogoma) tko...@triton.unm.edu
Nervous observer of the "Grand Startrek reorg" of Oct '91
R.I.P Gene Roddenberry. I may not have agreed with everything you
said, but you will be missed...
Charles Lin
Sorry to stick it under this subject heading, but I dind't want to
post a new subject heading, and it does have something to do with
Unification.
Guesses.....
Well, if they can write Sarek out of the script, it may be possible that
Spock will indeed be killed off in the second part. The Unification may
refer to some sort of Vulcan Unification of Spock and Sarek in death.
Of course, whether they can pull all this out in fifty minutes remains
to be seen.
This would at least prevent Spock from making mucho guest appearances.
--
______ __ __ ___ ____
/ ____ \ | | |__| | \ | | Charles Lin
| / \_| | | __ | \| | e-mail: cl...@eng.umd.edu
| | | | | | | |\ |
| | _ | | |__| |__| \___| University of Maryland
| \____/ | | |____ "I hate big sigs." -- Moo
\______/ \_______|
Timothy W. Lynch
>In article <1991Nov7.0...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>>EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
>>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>>after the control-L.)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--If they were down to just life support and sensors, *why were the bloody
>>full bridge lights on?* :-)
>Bridge lights constitute part of life support.
Huh? This is the first time I've heard *that* particular tidbit...where did
this come from?
>Besides, I don't think there are any windows there.
Valid point.
>Well, one more nit-pick if I may...
>That "mysterious" (I think Ferengi) ship was *damn* fragile. Must
>have had photon torpedoes packed in Nitro-glycerine to have exploded
>*that* quickly...
Depends on where they were stored. I'm prepared to forgive this for the time
being. (And I don't think it's Ferengi. It seems too good for them. ;-) )
>> Riker is back to being a sound tactician and a good
>>delegator/motivator (i.e. he had the sense to realize that his tactics with
>>Dokachin weren't going to work), rather than the bullheaded individual he was
>>for "Darmok" and "Ensign Ro".
>Er...Diddn't you just indicate that Will was a little sloppy
>tactics-wise wrt the shields a while back? ;-)
Yes, but the general tactic of pretending to be part of the junk (also known,
IMHO, as the "Falcon Feint" :-) ) was an excellent one.
>>I think). I can't *wait* to see how Nimoy manages to interact with whatever
>>fraction of the TNG cast he works with. At least it's only a week.
>Hmmm...It should be intersting to see Spock and Data compare notes on logic.
Indeed.
>It would be nice if there was a refrence to Data's encounter with "The
>Admiral" in "Encounter at Farfetched...er...Farpoint".
I was just thinking that as well. There'll never be a better time to confirm
that this was in fact McCoy, and this certainly makes sense.
[on Spock/Sarek]
>However, I thought "Journey to Babel" (and the non-canonical novels)
>had healed the rift between them. I find it a mild strain on
>credibility to think that they would be *so* at odds after just
>another "disagreement"...
This didn't sound like "just another disagreement" to me. It sounded like
Spock was somehow challenging something very basic to Sarek's way of life. I
can easily see that as opening another rift.
>>NEXT WEEK:
>>Part 2. Spock's intentions, someone's sacrifice, and the return of Sela.
>>Hmm.
>I have a hunch that Spock's gonna buy the farm (again).
I have the opposite hunch. I don't think they're going to kill him AGAIN. I
guess I'll either gloat or eat my words come Wednesday. :-)
Tim Lynch
Felan shena Thoron'edras
>phil...@syrinx.umd.edu (Felan shena Thoron'edras) writes:
>>In article <1991Nov8.1...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>We have spoilers, I repeat, we HAVE spoilers, for "Unification I":
I'd be surprised if we didn't! :-)
[Data and his "understanding death" scenes, Sarek's and Tasha's]
>>Precisely my problem! I had _thought_ he'd gained a little understanding
>>of it, during the Tasha scene; maybe not, though, I suppose. It had
>>seemed like it to me.
>Understanding how it personally affected *him*, yes; but this is something
>which deals with normally-ultra-practical Vulcans, and was also a long time
>in coming. I think his puzzlement is understandable, never having had father-
>son arguments.
If Data couldn't make the logical ( :-) ) leap that any effect _he_, who
claims _no emotions_, can notice in himself would be as likely to appear
in Vulcans (who _are_ known to have emotions, albeit mostly during pon
farr (?) and whatever disease it was Sarek had (*gulp* had)), then I
really have to wonder about his logical ability. That's an easy leap.
Now, the father-son disagreements thing is more reasonable, but in
general, I would hope that Data would realize the effect a death would
have on even a Vulcan.
>[in response to my claim that Picard's edginess on the Klingon ship might have
>been a reaction to Sarek's death even before he heard the news]
>>>Nothing conscious, but I imagine there'd be traces of it left in his mind.
>>>Remember what Perrin said: "You are part of him, and he of you."
>>I'm a skeptic, Tim. Unless Picard has some kind of telepathic potential
>>of his own (_not_ the ability itself, just the potentials in there
>>somewhere), I don't think he'd retain that kind of a link over that big
>>a distance.
>I think he would have. This wasn't just a simple mind-meld--in effect, Picard
>*became* Sarek for those hours of negotiation. I think a few traces of that
>would be unavoidable unless he was absolutely psi-null.
Something tells me we're just going to have to agree to disagree. I
do agree he'd retain _some_ of it - but, Tim, all the way from Vulcan to
wherever they were at the moment? I'll concede perhaps if Picard had been
anywhere on Vulcan, perhaps even if he'd been in orbit around it. But
I just can't concede on the Vulcan-wherever distance. I'm of the firm
opinion that those kinds of things _would_ vary over distance, and I
don't think Picard woulda had the strength to feel it over that much.
(If he were a full telepath, maybe. I don't know if it's ever been
suggested that Troi, for instance, can feel things from people light
years away like that.)
I _was_ going to say that Sarek also wouldn't have had the strength
to get the feeling out there that far. On the other hand, if he was
even slightly concious when he started to go, and if he _knew_ what
was happening, he coulda been given a boost by that knowledge to try
to find comfort _somewhere_ - Spock, Perrin, and Picard being the
three most obvious choices.
Which of course makes one wonder if Spock knows already... If
Picard did, Spock almost certainly would have, as his father's son
and as someone who _does_ have mind-meld abilities.
Comments? Tim?
Timothy W. Lynch
>In article <1991Nov10....@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>>We have spoilers, I repeat, we HAVE spoilers, for "Unification I":
>[Data and his "understanding death" scenes, Sarek's and Tasha's]
>>>Precisely my problem! I had _thought_ he'd gained a little understanding
>>>of it, during the Tasha scene; maybe not, though, I suppose. It had
>>>seemed like it to me.
>>Understanding how it personally affected *him*, yes; but this is something
>>which deals with normally-ultra-practical Vulcans, and was also a long time
>>in coming. I think his puzzlement is understandable, never having had
>>father-son arguments.
>If Data couldn't make the logical ( :-) ) leap that any effect _he_, who
>claims _no emotions_, can notice in himself would be as likely to appear
>in Vulcans (who _are_ known to have emotions, albeit mostly during pon
>farr (?) and whatever disease it was Sarek had (*gulp* had)), then I
>really have to wonder about his logical ability. That's an easy leap.
*In hindsight.* Not going in--and besides, Data had rather a lot on his
mind just then, wouldn't you say?
[in response to my claim that Picard's edginess on the Klingon ship might
have been a reaction to Sarek's death even before he heard the news; would
traces of a link still exist?]
>>I think he would have. This wasn't just a simple mind-meld--in effect, Picard
>>*became* Sarek for those hours of negotiation. I think a few traces of that
>>would be unavoidable unless he was absolutely psi-null.
>Something tells me we're just going to have to agree to disagree. I
>do agree he'd retain _some_ of it - but, Tim, all the way from Vulcan to
>wherever they were at the moment?
Yes. Not much--certainly nothing conscious, and probably not even something
strong enough to affect him in *normal* circumstances. But with him slightly
edge *anyway* due to the mission, I think just enough would have filtered
through to put him over that edge into moderate paranoia. :-)
>Which of course makes one wonder if Spock knows already... If
>Picard did, Spock almost certainly would have, as his father's son
>and as someone who _does_ have mind-meld abilities.
That's an interesting point. I doubt he would *know*, even with those
abilities--but he might have felt a minor twinge at that point as well. It'll
be interesting to see if that's mentioned in part II. (I doubt it--I rather
doubt this whole theory of mine was intended. But it sure sounds good. :-) )
Tim Lynch
Michael Scott Shappe
Spoilers Spoiler Spoilers Spoilers
Life is but a dream
In <1991Nov8.2...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>msh...@mail.cornell.edu (Michael Scott Shappe) writes:
>>In <1991Nov7.0...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>>>superbly done. Sarek really *looked* wasted and dying there, which is not
>>>necessarily easy to do.
>>I'm tempted to ask Mark Lenard at WishCon this weekend what was going through
>>his mind just then...
>Please do. I think this is going to be an extremely interesting weekend in
>which to see Lenard--although for the Saturday appearance, I guess most of
>the attendees won't have seen it yet. Ouch.
Alas, I did not ask him. And you are right--most people had not seen U1 yet.
It was shown right before the Charity Auction. And right after the charity
auction, to reward those of us who sat through the 3 hour, highly successful
auction, thanks to the wonders of satellite technology, they showed U2. Review
follows later (wheee!)
>>I'm starting to think that Mz. Miles may have been grabbed comparatively
>>late and may simply have not prepared well...
>You mean that they didn't expect to use Perrin this time, or that she was
>grabbed late to play Perrin originally? If the former, could be, but I can't
>really see the latter.
I saw the former--that either she was busy originally or (heavens forfend)
forgotten until relatively late...just a thought...
MSS
Still recovering from WishCon
Paul Gallagher
>|--If they were down to just life support and sensors, *why were the bloody
>|full bridge lights on?* :-)
I don't see the problem here. The point is to have the Enterprise go
undetected. A few light bulbs, or their probably non-heat-generating 24th
century equivalents, would hardly be noticeable to the other ship's
sensors, if sensors and life support and 1000 people were not.
About the other ship, I don't think it self-destructed. Why would it? It
would wait at least until its near defeat, and its defeat was hardly assured.
I particularly liked that scene. So many times before, for example in
"Darmok," the Enterprise has easily damaged weapon systems only, with no
"collateral damage." I liked seeing the Enterprise's tactics fail for a
change.
The image of Spock in the first scene was from "a long-range scan." I
assume that means Romulan communications were intercepted. A Federation
spy network on Romulus seems very unlikely.
The music in the scene with Sarek was excellent. It sounds vaguely familiar.
Did it borrow from some well-known classical work, maybe by Mahler or
Bruckner?
It seemed to me clear that the Romulan higher-up was suspicious of the
Senator. He asks him if he's seen Picard. Obviously humans are not
common on Romulus. The implication that the Senator might have seen a
human and not reported it was a not too subtle message that the Senator
was not trusted.
Paul
p...@panix.com
Timothy W. Lynch
>>In article <1991Nov7.0...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
Spoilers for "Unification II"
>>|--If they were down to just life support and sensors, *why were the bloody
>>|full bridge lights on?* :-)
>I don't see the problem here. The point is to have the Enterprise go
>undetected. A few light bulbs, or their probably non-heat-generating 24th
>century equivalents, would hardly be noticeable to the other ship's
>sensors, if sensors and life support and 1000 people were not.
Perhaps, but it just felt somewhat sloppy to me. I mean, if you're trying
to lie in wait without anybody noticing you're functional, displaying a
fully-functioning bridge seems a little off-kilter.
>The music in the scene with Sarek was excellent. It sounds vaguely familiar.
>Did it borrow from some well-known classical work, maybe by Mahler or
>Bruckner?
Not to my knowledge, but I'm no music expert.
Tim Lynch
Matthew Wayne Gertz
>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>after the control-L.)
>minor (mostly) objections, but they're quibbles only. Let's get them out of
>the way:
>
>--Riker should probably have put the shields up a little earlier, no?
Yup.
>
>--If they were down to just life support and sensors, *why were the bloody
>full bridge lights on?* :-)
I'm rather more curious as to how they got that picture of Spock and Pardek.
Spies? I mean, long-range sensors are good, but...
>
>--Data was screwing up a little bit too much in their first walk on Romulus.
>He shouldn't be quite *that* careless, IMHO.
Yes, he should (but I'll get into this a little later in this reply).
>
>But for the most part, those are all nitpicks, and don't take away from the
>plots themselves.
>
>I have to say that at the moment, I'm intrigued more by the
>T'Pau/Tripoli/Mystery Ship from Hell plotline than the one on Romulus. This
[...]
>Me." (It's also got me saying "what the hell does this have to do with the
>main plot," but that's where the generosity I mentioned earlier comes
>in--I'm assuming that this will be revealed in part 2. If not, I'll have to
>retroactively take back points.)
Agreed on all counts. We've already involved the Feds., the Klingons, the
Romulans, the Vulcans, and the Zakdorn, and now I want to know what the
Ferengi and the mystery ship have to do with this (my first thought when
I saw the mystery ship was "Orion pirates" but I'm probably mistaken).
They've introduced a lot of plot to be resolved in just 44 minutes; I hope
they don't screw it up (unless next episode is meant to introduce mysteries
for us to ponder until the season cliffhanger...)
>
>More than the plots, what really hit me here was both the directing and the
>characterization.
Ah, nostalgia. "The captain and his unemotional science officer beamed down in
disguise to look for a Federation diplomat (whom the Captain has met before)
who disappeared some time ago. During the story, the two officers discuss
humanity, and some humor is generated at the expense of the science officer."
Sound familiar? "Patterns of Force," perhaps? Nope, "Unification I!"
"Unification I" is good old-fashioned "Trek" the way it was meant to be.
Given a good script, Landau has managed to capture the "feel" of the old series
in a great salute to Nimoy. Which why Data was a bit "obvious" on the planet
-- re: the way Spock always stuck out like a sore thumb on missions ("We've
got to cover those ears.")
>necessarily easy to do. (As long as I'm on convincing appearances, by the
>way, both Picard's and Data's disguises were stunning; I seriously had to look
>a couple of times before I could really convince myself it was them.)
Poor Brent Spiner. He finally gets to ditch the contact lenses and the skin
paint, only to spend 3 hours in make-up getting pointed ears and head ridges.
I must say that Stewart makes a convincing Romulan.
>did shined in a big way. Data has regained nearly all the ground that's been
>taken away from him over the course of things like "In Theory", and is back to
>a somewhat more human attitude [shown best in his conversation with Picard
>about Sarek's death, which called up more than a few memories of Tasha's
>memorial service].
Yes, although he was also good in "The Game." (Laughing in the observation
lounge -- or at least trying to -- and his talk with Wesley.)
> Riker is back to being a sound tactician and a good
>delegator/motivator (i.e. he had the sense to realize that his tactics with
>Dokachin weren't going to work), rather than the bullheaded individual he was
>for "Darmok" and "Ensign Ro".
Yeah, well Riker knows a bit more about dealing with the Zakdorn after his
encounter his the Strategema master, no?
> And Picard--my word, but he's fun to watch.
>His diplomatic toe-to-toe with B'Ijik was absolutely fantastic (about as much
>fun as his dealings with the Sheliak in "The Ensigns of Command", really,
>which was great), and his contest of wills with K'Vada was equally strong.
Yep, a good episode for Stewart, although I thought his coversation with Data
about "what are you looking at" was a bit forced.
>His best scene was that with Sarek, but I'm saving that for last. His
>edginess just before hearing of Sarek's death, though, was well played (not
>brilliantly, but certainly nothing to gripe at), and did a good enough job of
>foreshadowing Sarek's death that I guessed it before the news came in.
I missed that entirely. If that explains why --oh, ok, I get it. Picard
on his Klingon shelf/bed == Sarek on his hard Vulcan bed, and acting
peevish ("I wish to see no one!!") Okay, now that scene makes a lot more
sense to me.
> I hope
>that Picard's edginess was supposed to somehow be an indication of Sarek's
>death, but if it wasn't it sure worked out well. :-)
Like I said, I didn't see it that way, but it sounds good to me.
>too hard. Ah, well. (Pardek was very nice--and I can't be the only one to
>notice that he was played by Malachi Throne, none other than Commodore Mendez
>in "The Menagerie", can I? Naah. :-) )
Missed that, too. Ah, well.
>In less serious matters, "Unification I" continued the trend that both
>"Disaster" and "The Game" have set (despite some other flaws they had): the
>dialogue between the main characters is definitely taking an upturn, both in
>forming emotional ties and sometimes in just some damn good lines. :-)
Yes! Better characterization, better lines (and one-liners), plus some
darn good special effects (*loved* the junkyard)!
>firm), but in general this was *definitely* worth seeing. Best thing they've
>done since "Darmok".
Best of the season, I'd say.
>
>The numbers, then:
>TOTAL: 9.5, rounding up a bit for some nice FX [loved that shot of the two
>ships heading off!]. Very nice indeed.
I'll reserve judgement until part II (I've been fooled before -- fool me
once, shame on you, etc...)
>NEXT WEEK:
>Part 2. Spock's intentions, someone's sacrifice, and the return of Sela.
Sela being one thing which could really give my rating of "Unification" a
nose-dive...
--
--Matt Gertz--*
ge...@bilge.ece.cmu.edu (but temporarily working at NASA/Langley in Virginia)
Timothy W. Lynch
>In article <1991Nov7.0...@cco.caltech.edu> tly...@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>>EXTREME CAUTION: This article contains heavy-duty, industrial-strength
>>spoiler material about "Unification I". Unless you want to know
>>everything that happens (or already do), I strongly recommend avoiding this
>>post at the present time. (And here's an extra 25 lines for good measure
>>after the control-L.)
>>I have to say that at the moment, I'm intrigued more by the
>>T'Pau/Tripoli/Mystery Ship from Hell plotline than the one on Romulus. This
>[...]
>>Me." (It's also got me saying "what the hell does this have to do with the
>>main plot," but that's where the generosity I mentioned earlier comes
>>in--I'm assuming that this will be revealed in part 2. If not, I'll have to
>>retroactively take back points.)
>Agreed on all counts. We've already involved the Feds., the Klingons, the
>Romulans, the Vulcans, and the Zakdorn, and now I want to know what the
>Ferengi and the mystery ship have to do with this (my first thought when
>I saw the mystery ship was "Orion pirates" but I'm probably mistaken).
Nice thought, but probably not. Andorians? :-)
>They've introduced a lot of plot to be resolved in just 44 minutes; I hope
>they don't screw it up (unless next episode is meant to introduce mysteries
>for us to ponder until the season cliffhanger...)
I think they'll resolve most of it, but it would be nice if they left a
few threads to be resolved later.
>>More than the plots, what really hit me here was both the directing and the
>>characterization.
>Ah, nostalgia. "The captain and his unemotional science officer beamed down in
>disguise to look for a Federation diplomat (whom the Captain has met before)
>who disappeared some time ago. During the story, the two officers discuss
>humanity, and some humor is generated at the expense of the science officer."
>Sound familiar? "Patterns of Force," perhaps? Nope, "Unification I!"
>"Unification I" is good old-fashioned "Trek" the way it was meant to be.
Except done right. :-) [I don't care much for "Patterns of Force".]
>Given a good script, Landau has managed to capture the "feel" of the old
>series in a great salute to Nimoy. Which why Data was a bit "obvious" on the
>planet-- re: the way Spock always stuck out like a sore thumb on missions
>("We've got to cover those ears.")
That's a point. If it was intentional, I'm prepared to cut them a little more
slack, then.
>Poor Brent Spiner. He finally gets to ditch the contact lenses and the skin
>paint, only to spend 3 hours in make-up getting pointed ears and head ridges.
With what he makes, I'm sure he manages. :-)
>I must say that Stewart makes a convincing Romulan.
Aye.
>> Riker is back to being a sound tactician and a good
>>delegator/motivator (i.e. he had the sense to realize that his tactics with
>>Dokachin weren't going to work), rather than the bullheaded individual he was
>>for "Darmok" and "Ensign Ro".
>Yeah, well Riker knows a bit more about dealing with the Zakdorn after his
>encounter his the Strategema master, no?
True.
>I'll reserve judgement until part II (I've been fooled before -- fool me
>once, shame on you, etc...)
This was a tentative rating; unlike BOBW and Redemption, here part 2 will have
a *very* strong impact on part 1, since they were written together.
Tim Lynch
Mike Whalen
As far as Unification goes. Our local gathering has not seen Part 2.
However, I think that Part 1 was very good. It's been awhile since we have
seen a good TNG episode. I found Redemption to be disappointing in the
shadow of BOBW 1 & 2. Unification could have been the season spolier... but
do you really want to wait 2 months to find out the ending..
Yeeeesh!
-- Via DLG Pro v0.985b
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for reading this post! ACK! I Mike Whalen
I hope you REALLY enjoyed it! I Agwbbs!Mike_...@cs.tulane.edu
Oh sure! Bore US with DETAIL! I rex!agwbs!Mike_Whalen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Janet Christian
Could someone tell me who played Dokachin? And, where have I seen him
in ST before? This has bugged me all week...
Thanks,
Janet
--
____*_ Janet Christian jchri...@indetech.com
\ / / Independence Technologies {sun,sharkey,pacbell}!indetech!jchristian
\/ / 42705 Lawrence Place FAX: 415 438-2034
\/ Fremont, CA 94538 Voice: 415 438-2054
Barry Margolin
>Could someone tell me who played Dokachin? And, where have I seen him
>in ST before? This has bugged me all week...
Graham Jarvis played Dokachin.
I don't think he's been in ST before. He's been a popular character actor
on TV for a long time, though. I first noticed him in the 70's when he was
a regular on "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman". I think he played the husband
of Mary's best friend (the one who wanted to be a country singer).
--
Barry Margolin, Thinking Machines Corp.
bar...@think.com
{uunet,harvard}!think!barmar
George Lambert
>
>Could someone tell me who played Dokachin? And, where have I seen him
>in ST before? This has bugged me all week...
>
George Lambert