This episode is simultaneously touching and horrifying. Kirk and McCoy are savagely tortured, all to test the empath, Gem, to see if she is worthy to save her people. The aliens, Vians, are needlessly brutal in their quest—it defies comprehension. But I love the wordless moments of Gem’s interactions with our heroes, and the actress is marvelous. Her care, suffering, and other emotions are palpable in a way that I adore.
Paul Winfield is always a winner, and this episode was so clever to focus on metaphor as a language. The relationship that develops between the alien and Picard is wonderfully written, and the conclusion is bittersweet and poignant. A guy in my Tai Chi class had a tee shirt that said “Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra” and I loved it! He said I was the first person to know what it meant.
I’d never seen Harry Groener before this episode, but his performance as Tam was very compelling. And I always like a chance to see the Betazoid empathic abilities explored. I like that Data is the one Tam is more comfortable with because there’s no emotion to get in the way of their relationship. It really makes you think that it’s a good thing we can’t read each other’s thoughts or emotions! When Tam connects with Gomtu, I can feel his relief—the completion of purpose and calming of the mind.
Kira is one of my favorite characters on DS9, and this episode is one of her best. The irony in this is that someone would make her into a Cardassian, whom she hates more than anything. The marvelous Lawrence Pressman is a caring father, and it is his connection to his daughter that is his undoing. I feel Kira’s pain and his pain and appreciate his sacrifice: even if he thinks she is his daughter, he will not bring her anymore pain and so arranges for her release, revealing his connections to the underground and leading to his disgrace. It is a very touching episode.
I really liked what DS9 did with building the Klingon story, especially with Dax. They believably built up her character, so we knew that she was knowledgeable about and connected to the Klingon culture and world. Thus, the relationship and then marriage between her and Worf was something I enjoyed and looked forward to. This wedding episode was deliciously filled with angst and love.
Like I just said, I like DS9 Klingon stories and Dax and Worf stories. This was the one that acknowledged their relationship out loud. Worf is so sincere about wanting to have a relationship, and Dax is so helpful while wishing it were her. It’s totally Cyrano de Bergerac, but gender-switched with Klingon flavor. I love it.
I love old sci-fi movies and serials, and this episode was the best of the Captain Proton episodes. Nothing beats Captain Janeway in that outrageous Lady Arachnia outfit! I don’t usually like funny episodes, but this is the kind of fun episode that I like.
This episode is another one that is based on a classic story, i.e., The Seven Samurai (The Magnificent Seven) plot. I love that T’Pol is the one who teaches them self-defense moves, and I love seeing Captain Archer be the good-hearted hero. This is a real feel-good episode.
This episode is tough to watch, but intensely engaging. Chip Esten was in another one of my favorite shows, Whose Line Is It Anyway? He’s really good in this episode, as is Roxanne Dawson as B’Elanna. I totally believe they are in love, and there’s plenty of tragic betrayal to go around. Plus, Bruce Davison (who played Willard in the movie of the same name) is genuinely despicable as the father. And then the aliens do not want to accept the truth of their dreadful past. This episode is highly recommended, but brace yourself.
Another episode inspired by a classic; this time it’s Beowulf. I read it a long time ago, but of course the story has been retold many times. This episode used that story to build the holographic doctor’s character. I really like the actress who plays Freya, Marjorie Monaghan. She’s in a really good Quantum Leap episode, too. She’s totally a female warrior, and her relationship with the doctor is what draws me into this episode.
Tuvok was a very good Vulcan character who we got to know in Voyager. In this episode, we see how good a father he was to his children by the way he interacted with the children he met and had to take care of. I loved seeing his relationship with these children and finding out he was helping them in the last days of their reverse lifespan. It’s a beautiful and touching story.
I love France Nuyen, and this episode featuring her as a bratty character straight out of Taming of the Shrew is wonderfully played. Her outfits are amazing (the guard uniforms made out of place mats notwithstanding), and the plot is compelling. The relationship between her and Kirk is a joy to watch and in the best Shakespearean tradition.
