Misdirected Mark Forums

My reason for this episode was to introduce the changes from Season 1 to Season 2.

We get Riker's beard.
Worf's fully established as head of security.
Jordi is promoted and moved to Chief Engineer which I think is one of the best decisions by the writers, next to Worf as head of security.
Wesley gets a cadet uniform.
Dr. Crusher takes a transfer and we get Dr. Pulsaki (not as great of a decision).
We are introduced to Guinan and Ten Forward.

As for the story. I have to say that upon re-watching the beginning has some serious consent issues, that made me a bit uncomfortable. The rest of the story is ok. It's a solid OK episode.

I'm not sure what the point of the Child was though.

Other than that, it was fun to see new Rikerbeard, Guinan, Wesley opening up, etc.

I legit almost skipped this one because I remembered it as so problematic. (I legit did skip "Skin of Evil" just because I remember it being so bad and didn't want to sit through it, but...based on some of y'all's discussion, maybe I'll go back to that one.) I did end up watching "The Child," though, just mostly out of morbid curiosity, but YEP, still problematic. TNG continues to not be great toward women in general and Troi in particular.

I have a complicated relationship with Dr. Pulaski. I may get into that as we get further into Season 2 (I don't know if it'll be relevant), but for sure here we are starting off on the wrong foot with her bio-bigotry! Lay off my man Data, noob, damn!

OH! Forgot about Guinan! I gotta say, again trying to look with fresh eyes, I was not impressed with her introduction in this episode, which I felt leaned on some uncomfortable tropes. This is turning out to be a common theme with these earlier episode rewatches, but I once again feel like I would be fed up with this show if I didn't know better things were coming!

Everyone seems a lot more comfortable in their skins in this episode, and there seem to be fewer "take it up a notch, this is REALLY IMPORTANT" moments in the episode.

Worf feels the same, but with some actual depth, including the look on his face when Deanna gave birth. Data gets to keep showing his range as well, after feeling kind of constrained for much of the first season.

I missed this in "Where No One Has Gone Before," but I wanted to say, it's kind of interesting to see that Excelsior Class ships are still in use. In the original series, we could be told how long ships were in service, but having a new series that moves into the future, we can actually get a better feel for what is new and old tech in Starfleet.

I do like that they at least gave Crusher the backstory of not just leaving the ship, but being the head of Starfleet medical. That's a pretty serious promotion.

I've never been a fan of Pulaski. From what I understand, they were trying to give her more of McCoy's personality, and the adversarial framing doesn't work as well when she wasn't introduced as part of the crew from the start. Plus, she's just a jerk to Data so much. I would really hope that Starfleet officers were better at respecting people's names.

The whole Deanna plotline is . . . rough. The fact that everyone gets to debate her pregnancy in a senior staff meeting is pretty ugly. It is interesting that Worf suggested terminating the pregnancy, and that the main objections were scientific. I don't remember that having much of an impact on me at the time, but I kind of wonder what kind of stir this might have made when people were viewing it when if first aired.

About the best thing you can say about this pregnancy storyline is that it plays out better than Ms. Marvel's supernatural pregnancy in the late 70s.

Jared Rascher wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 4:28 pm About the best thing you can say about this pregnancy storyline is that it plays out better than Ms. Marvel's supernatural pregnancy in the late 70s.

Dude, if you're setting the bar THAT low...