S5E26 & S6E1 -- Time's Arrow

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dnaphil
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S5E26 & S6E1 -- Time's Arrow

Post by dnaphil »

This is the Season 5 cliffhanger, and I included it because it provides you an introduction to Guinan but is just a good solid TNG episode.

I like Time Travel. I like Time Travel in TNG.
This is a well-done time travel episode.

It starts strong with the revolution of Data's head under San Frisco.
The plot about aliens stealing souls (energy) during a plague is brilliant.
I love that Data, with no resources, find a Poker game, and cleans house.
Data's building of his sensor, using contemporary technologies is reminiscent of the TOS episode, City on the Edge of Forever.
Plus Mark Twain is great.
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Jared Rascher
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Re: S5E26 & S6E1 -- Time's Arrow

Post by Jared Rascher »

There is an interesting meta-commentary that comes from Samuel Clemens being super-cynical about the direction of humanity's future, and how discussing the Federation with Troi he gets back a little bit of his hope for the future. Which, honestly, is the same feeling I get a whole bunch while living in our current timeline, then getting energized by engaging with Trek again.
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GMGERRYMANDER
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Re: S5E26 & S6E1 -- Time's Arrow

Post by GMGERRYMANDER »

I kind of thought they id a little Character Assassination with Twain while making Jack London a bit more upbeat.

From what I read of Twain back in college, (where we analyzed some of his stories and his life) he was sarcastic, but it seemed out of place for him to steal and set people up. He was much more astute than that. ( Plus, having seen a few Mark Twain impersonators, the one they had on the show needed some work.)

But.

It was still a fun set of episodes and the villains were suitably nasty.

And I think the writers just liked the cast to Cosplay a lot.....
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RobAbrazado
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Re: S5E26 & S6E1 -- Time's Arrow

Post by RobAbrazado »

I absolutely love this episode. I guess a counter-example to my "meh" feeling on "Rascals," because this one is also strong on the hijinks front. ;) I suppose this also falls into my love of time travel episodes (and particularly the causality explorations), so no big surprise. I get the feeling that this is a divisive episode in the fandom...kind of in the same way that holodeck episodes can be, I guess, just for being primarily in an alternate setting. But, yeah...I just love this one. It's another one I go back to quite often. In fact...I'll be real, I didn't catch this one (yet) for Watch Club, just because I feel like I know it so well, but I do look forward to finding the time to enjoying this two-parter again.

I dunno if I'll come back to revisit the thread again...probably not, unless I have some stunning new realization or something. So in case I don't, let me just say that one of the things I really like about this episode is "young" Guinan. The character is just...a little bit different than the Guinan we know. Kinda more...excited? About things? Like her "first" meeting Data is the most animated we see Guinan, I think. So there's that. But aside from that aspect, I also absolutely love the Guinan-Picard chemistry. In all time frames. Both actors do an amazing job playing with the "imbalance" of how much each character knows about the other in various scenarios. It's a little bit stunning, really, to realize that this "imbalance" has kind of been a part of their relationship for the entire run of the show so far, and it isn't until the end of the episode that they both kind of...catch up with each other? Time-wise? And that smile at the end, with no words spoken. Magnificent.
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