For some reason I get this episode muddled up with "The One Where Riker Seems to Sleep With an Alien Nurse In Order To Escape", which it turns out is actually Season 4's "First Contact". I'm not sure why I get these two confused.
One of my favorites & definitely Jonathan Frake's best TNG performance. Rewatched it a few months ago. It just gets more powerful. Now with these HD sets - the significant video & audio improvements - delivers such an intense punch in the gut. It's 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' - but where's Nurse Ratched?
Ha ha! That made me chuckle - there was in fact just over one month between this episode airing and the debut of Louise Fletcher on DS9! But you say this is Frakes best TNG performance like you've seen him give a better performance elsewhere...? Where would that be...?
I just meant Frakes doing his very best as Riker in TNG. As your piece says, Riker wasn't necessarily ignored, but generally not given such meaty dramatic potential. Here, Frakes rose to the challenge of the material.
Absolutely! I confess, I underestimated him before this episode, in which his performance really did impress me, and still does today. What a brilliant show!
Yes, I love how you're making me go over, rewatch and also even reassess many TNG episodes. It's wonderful how things age, and perspectives may change, but with a show such as TNG, the really good stuff usually ages pretty wonderfully. I've recommended WAMTNG to all my Trekker buddies.
Thanks for saying this - I also think this is wonderful, and I don't share everyone's grumblings about going back and watching old movies (say). As a lover of old special effects, the 'aging' is part of the charm for me. I lose interest when it's all CGI, the practical effects are what I love most. A few years back I re-watched the 1933 King Kong. It's *still* glorious!
As for reassessing: what I've loved most about WAMTNG - other than meeting great folks such as yourself! - has been revisiting episodes that I now feel differently about. Things I used to hate that I now find reasons to like, and things I used to love that now feel didactic and clunky.
Among the things that are wonderful in how they age, we ought to include ourselves. ❤️🙂
Wonderfully conveyed. I'm also a lover of old school & practical effects.
A fantastic highlight of meeting anyone famous was when I met the great Ray Harryhausen - protege of Willis O'Brien, the father of stop motion animation. What a thrill to spend time with one of the great wizards of Hollywood! I can watch his movies over and over, a completely fulfilling, satisfying experience over digital paintboxes we're overloaded with today. When Tim Burton demanded much of Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice be done with practical FX in camera, it was heartwarming.
For some reason I get this episode muddled up with "The One Where Riker Seems to Sleep With an Alien Nurse In Order To Escape", which it turns out is actually Season 4's "First Contact". I'm not sure why I get these two confused.
This one is better!
-- inw
They share in common the theme of Riker on an away mission getting screwed. 😂
One of my favorites & definitely Jonathan Frake's best TNG performance. Rewatched it a few months ago. It just gets more powerful. Now with these HD sets - the significant video & audio improvements - delivers such an intense punch in the gut. It's 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' - but where's Nurse Ratched?
O yes, she's simply hounding Kira on DS9! 😂
Ha ha! That made me chuckle - there was in fact just over one month between this episode airing and the debut of Louise Fletcher on DS9! But you say this is Frakes best TNG performance like you've seen him give a better performance elsewhere...? Where would that be...?
I just meant Frakes doing his very best as Riker in TNG. As your piece says, Riker wasn't necessarily ignored, but generally not given such meaty dramatic potential. Here, Frakes rose to the challenge of the material.
Absolutely! I confess, I underestimated him before this episode, in which his performance really did impress me, and still does today. What a brilliant show!
Yes, I love how you're making me go over, rewatch and also even reassess many TNG episodes. It's wonderful how things age, and perspectives may change, but with a show such as TNG, the really good stuff usually ages pretty wonderfully. I've recommended WAMTNG to all my Trekker buddies.
I hope they listen to me for a change! 😂
"It's wonderful how things age..."
Thanks for saying this - I also think this is wonderful, and I don't share everyone's grumblings about going back and watching old movies (say). As a lover of old special effects, the 'aging' is part of the charm for me. I lose interest when it's all CGI, the practical effects are what I love most. A few years back I re-watched the 1933 King Kong. It's *still* glorious!
As for reassessing: what I've loved most about WAMTNG - other than meeting great folks such as yourself! - has been revisiting episodes that I now feel differently about. Things I used to hate that I now find reasons to like, and things I used to love that now feel didactic and clunky.
Among the things that are wonderful in how they age, we ought to include ourselves. ❤️🙂
Stay wonderful,
Chris.
Wonderfully conveyed. I'm also a lover of old school & practical effects.
A fantastic highlight of meeting anyone famous was when I met the great Ray Harryhausen - protege of Willis O'Brien, the father of stop motion animation. What a thrill to spend time with one of the great wizards of Hollywood! I can watch his movies over and over, a completely fulfilling, satisfying experience over digital paintboxes we're overloaded with today. When Tim Burton demanded much of Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice be done with practical FX in camera, it was heartwarming.