The Next Generation, Season 5: Time's Arrow, Part 1

The Next Generation, Season 5

"Time's Arrow, Part 1"

Airdate: June 15, 1992

125 of 176 produced

125 of 176 aired

Introduction

The Enterprise is called back to Earth to investigate a startling mystery - sealed in a cave, untouched for 500 years, is a perfect duplicate of Commander Data's severed head. When the path of clues leads them to a cadre of aliens assaulting Earth's past, the crew finds it necessary to travel back in time to the 1890s. Can they preserve the past while also rescuing Data from his apparent demise?

Sometimes, two heads are better than one!

The Next Generation, Season 5: The Inner Light

The Next Generation, Season 5

"The Inner Light"

Airdate: June 1, 1992

124 of 176 produced

124 of 176 aired

Introduction

The Enterprise encounters a mysterious probe. It begins to transmit a beam, and Captain Picard falls unconscious. He awakens on another world, apparently named Kamin, with a life he knows nothing about. His wife insists he has been feverish and his life aboard the Enterprise a dream. Where is Captain Picard? Who is he really?

Santa Barbara? The Riviera? Pier One Imports?

The Next Generation, Season 5: The Next Phase

The Next Generation, Season 5
"The Next Phase"
Airdate: May 18, 1992
123 of 176 produced
123 of 176 aired

Introduction

The Enterprise races to respond to a Romulan distress call, sent by a small vessel whose warp core is threatening to breach. But when Geordi and Ro attempt to beam back home, there is an accident, and they are assumed dead by their comrades. Far from being dead, they have rematerialized on the Enterprise, having been rendered immaterial and invisible by some strange phenomenon. Now, not only must they discover how to rejoin the world of the solid and living, they must also prevent the Enterprise from being destroyed!

Hello.... is it me you're looking for?

Top 5 Trek: Wesley Crusher Episodes

Young Wesley Crusher gets a lot of grief from Trek fandom. But besides Wil Wheaton seeming like a cool guy and a good podcaster, I think Wesley Crusher the character gets a bad rap.

For one thing, I can see what Roddenberry was up to in creating him. He serves two functions. Firstly, he is the "Mary Sue" character that allows young people to imagine themselves on the ship with all the super-heroic Starfleet officers. Second, he is the wunderkind that allows young nerds to imagine that "it gets better." Now, it could be that for some, these two ideas work at cross purposes - one of the most commonly leveled accusations against the character is that he "saves the day" too much or is annoyingly smart. How can we identify with a character who is so exceptional? And to some degree this is fair. But then, some of us were exceptional children, nerds, geeks, spelling bee champs, and so on. So it is at least possible that we might still find Wesley comforting and charming to watch.

OK, all that said, Let's kick things off with Honorable Mentions.


Justice 

Do I... have to take off my sweater to play this... game?

I have to start with Justice. It's kind of a terrible episode, but in that "so bad it's good" way. Why does it rate an honorable mention? Because of how Wil Wheaton described trying to conceal his boner throughout the shoot. Just imagining a teen-aged boy surrounded by all these tanned, oily, half-naked actresses who talk about sex really boosts one's appreciation for the art of acting.

The Next Generation, Season 5: I, Borg

The Next Generation, Season 5
"I, Borg"
Airdate: May 11, 1992
122 of 176 produced
122 of 176 aired

Introduction

The Enterprise finds a crashed Borg scout ship, and a young injured Borg. Responding to Dr. Crusher's humanitarian instincts, Picard agrees to allow the Borg on board for treatment. He soon realizes this may be an opportunity to destroy the Borg once and for all, but as the lost drone begins to assert his independence, the morality of his plan becomes less certain. In the face of such an enemy, is any response to extreme?

We are the Borg. You will be a-blub-blub-blubb-gub.

The Next Generation, Season 5: Imaginary Friend

The Next Generation, Season 5
"Imaginary Friend"
Airdate: May 4, 1992
121 of 176 produced
121 of 176 aired

Introduction

When the Enterprise picks up an unusual energy creature from a nebula it is investigating, one of its youngest residents, Clara Sutter, gets the surprise of her life - her imaginary friend Isabella has come to life. Now, she and the crew must discover whether this creature's motives are friendly or foul.

Kill it! Kill it with FIRE!

The Next Generation, Season 5: The Perfect Mate

The Next Generation, Season 5
"The Perfect Mate"
Airdate: April 27, 1992
120 of 176 produced
120 of 176 aired

Introduction

The Enterprise is ferrying a Krisoian ambassador to Valt Minor, to finalize the treaty that will end a decades long war between the two worlds. Unexpectedly, it turns out that the ambassador is bringing a strange cargo with him: a stunning woman named Kamala. She is an empathic metamorph who can sense what a man wants and change herself to match it. She is intended to marry the leader of Valt Minor. Captain Picard is faced with a problem now - the Prime Directive bars him from interferring, but can this woman truly be freely choosing to be treated as property? Complicating matters is the fact that as he spends more time with her, Picard begins to become attracted to her.

Why yes, I do find bald men irresistibly attractive!

The Next Generation, Season 5: Cost of Living

The Next Generation, Season 5
"Cost of Living"
Airdate: April 20, 1992
119 of 176 produced
119 of 176 aired


Introduction

Lwaxana hijacks the Enterprise yet again in order to host her surprise wedding to some guy she met online. Worf is having trouble getting Alexander to put away his laundry. The Enterprise is beset by a puff of glitter, that threatens to reduce its systems to a pile of goo. What do these sentences have to do with each other, you ask? Damned if we know.

Hello, little boy! Come closer, so that I might EAT YOUR SOUL.

The Next Generation, Season 5: The First Duty

The Next Generation, Season 5
"The First Duty"
Airdate: March 30, 1992
118 of 176 produced
118 of 176 aired


Introduction

On the eve of the Starfleet graduation ceremony, where Captain Picard is due to give the keynote speech, Cadet Crusher is involved in an accident with Nova Squadron, the elite piloting team of which he is a member. While Wesley survives, one of his classmates is killed. An investigation is convened, but shockingly, Nova Squadron's explanation of the accident and the physical evidence don't seem to match up. Captain Picard must now confront the possibility Wesley may be hiding something.

I'm sure Josh would have wanted you to have this fugly sweater back, Wes.

Top 5 Trek: Beverly Crusher Episodes

I have waxed rhapsodic many a time about what a MILF Dr. Crusher is. So I thought, why not catalog her greatest hits in a top 5 list?

Now, it should be said, that I have two criteria for naming something a "Top Crusher Episode." First, of course, is an episode that kicks butt on its own terms, and showcases her character to great effect. But also, there is the episode that is average or even below average, but falls into the category of "fan service" - an episode with moments to satisfy the perviest of Bev pervs.

OK, so without further ado...

Honorable Mentions


Cause and Effect

Good old Aunt Adele... How many babes has she bagged me?

This is a superb episode. Beverly isn't the main character per se, but she is a main focal point in terms of discovering the repeating time loop. Gates McFadden gives some really nice solo performances that show us silently her thought processes.

Red Alert! Certain TOS podcasts are being taken down temporarily...

Hi everyone,

The server we have been using to host our podcasts has been getting hit very hard lately, to the tune of hundreds of gigabytes of traffic per month. We can't afford to keep this sort of thing up. So we are going to take down and relocate some of the most downloaded podcasts. So you may see some broken links for a few days while we shuffle things around.

The traffic, frankly, is not believable. Are 500 people really downloading "Amok Time" in the space of 2 days? We don't see that sort of traffic on the site, and it's difficult to believe that that many people are finding us on iTunes The thinking here is that there is maybe some sort of spamming behavior occurring.

So, if any of you 500 downloaders are out there, what's up? Who are you? Are you real people, or Russian spam-bots? Do you care where the podcasts are hosted? Why in the name of the Great Bird of the Galaxy don't you comment on the blog?

The Next Generation, Season 5: Cause and Effect

The Next Generation, Season 5
"Cause and Effect"
Airdate: March 23, 1992
117 of 176 produced
117 of 176 aired


Introduction

The Enterprise has entered an area of space known as the Typhon Expanse. They are the first Starfleet vessel to chart this unexplored region.... Or ARE they?

I'm sorry... I'm afraid I don't know your name.

The Next Generation, Season 5: The Outcast

The Next Generation, Season 5
"The Outcast"
Airdate: March 16, 1992
116 of 176 produced
116 of 176 aired


Introduction

The Enterprise is assisting the androgynous race known as the J'naii in finding a shuttle that has vanished mysteriously. Having had two distinct sexes in the past, they eventually evolved into a genderless race. Some members of the J'naii still exhibit gender traits, and they are both shunned by their society and subject to government persecution. Matters are complicated when one of these gendered J'naii, Soren, falls for Commander Riker. With both his heart and the Prime Directive at stake, what will Riker do?

Is that a fibrous husk in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

The Next Generation, Season 5: Ethics

The Next Generation, Season 5
"Ethics"
Airdate: March 2, 1992
115 of 176 produced
115 of 176 aired


Introduction

Lt. Worf is gravely injured by a falling barrel in one of the cargo bays, rendering him paraplegic. When presented with the prospect of a marginal recovery, Worf opts instead for Klingon ritual suicide, asking Commander Riker to help him. This is where Dr. Toby Russell steps in, offering Worf an untried and exceedingly dangerous experimental procedure to fix his spine. But her approach to medicine leaves Dr. Crusher with grave misgivings. Whose approach will win out, as Worf's life hangs in the balance?

The ethical quandary sends shivers down Dr. Crusher's spine...

The Next Generation, Season 5: Power Play

The Next Generation, Season 5
"Power Play"
Airdate: February 24, 1992
114 of 176 produced
114 of 176 aired


Introduction

The Enterprise detects an centuries old distress call from a moon in orbit of an uncharted world. Counselor Troi  senses there is somehow still life somewhere on the moon and she with Riker and Data attempt to shuttle to the surface. The shuttle is forced down the moon's storms, and Chief O'Brien must beam down to help them. When they return, Troi, Data, and O'Brien attempt to seize control of the Enterprise and eventually take a room full of hostages in Ten Forward. What has caused the three to act this way? And will the Enterprise be able to save the people trapped with them in Ten Forward?

I... want... a window!

The Next Generation, Season 5: Conundrum

The Next Generation, Season 5
"Conundrum"
Airdate: February 10, 1992
112 of 176 produced
112 of 176 aired

Introduction


Investigating a previously unexplored sector of space, the Enterprise encounters a mysterious alien vessel, that fires upon them. When they come to, the crew is shocked to discover that they have no memories of their personal identities or their mission. One of their apparent fellow officers, Commander MacDuff, pressures them to complete the one fragment of mission they can recover from the computer - destroy the Lysian alliance, a resident of these parts. Can they continue without the moral context to justify their actions?

Insert joke re: "Tromboner."

The Next Generation, Season 5: The Masterpiece Society

The Next Generation, Season 5
"The Masterpiece Society"
Airdate: February 10, 1992
112 of 176 produced
112 of 176 aired

Introduction

The Enterprise is tracking a stellar core fragment and finds that its course threatens a previously unknown colony. The colony is made up genetically engineered humans who have forsaken outside contact for fear it will contaminate the delicately balanced world they have built. The gravitational forces of the passing fragment will destroy the colony unless a way can be found to alter its course, a seemingly impossible task. Will the Enterprise be able to save these people? Even if they do, will their world ever be the same?

It must have been the genetically engineered ultra-wide shoulders that put Aron Conor over the top...

The Next Generation, Season 5: Violations

The Next Generation, Season 5
"Violations" 
Airdate: February 3, 1992
111 of 176 produced
111 of 176 aired

Introduction


The Enterprise plays host  to the Ullians, a group of traveling historians who use their telepathic abilities to probe the memories of their subjects. But when several crew members fall prey to otherwise inexplicable comas, the terrifying prospect of telepathic rape becomes apparent. Who is to blame, and can they be stopped?

Sooooo..... is it too soon to get our freak on?

The Next Generation, Season 5: Hero Worship

The Next Generation, Season 5 
"Hero Worship"
Airdate: January 27, 1992
110 of 176 produced
110 of 176 aired

Introduction

The Enterprise is sent after the USS Vico, a missing science vessel. They find the wreckage in the interior of a large black cluster. There is only one survivor, a small boy. While trying to comfort him, they must determine what happened to the Vico and stop the same fate from befalling the Enterprise.

The ghosts of X-mas past and future creepily observe schoolchildren. 

The Next Generation, Season 5: New Ground

The Next Generation, Season 5
"New Ground"
Airdate: January 6, 1992
109 of 176 produced
109 of 176 aired

Introduction

The Enterprise is sent to supervise an experiment in a radical new propulsion technology - warp without warp drive. In an utterly and completely unrelated circumstance, Helena Rozhenko visits with young Alexander in tow. And she's got a doozy to lay on Lt. Worf -- he's staying.

Hello, father. My name is "You'reNeverGoingtoGetaGoodTNGStoryAgain."

A little Halloween fun...

Due to life being busy and whatnot, we haven't had a ton of non-review posts lately, so here's one that you're going to love. For Halloween this year, I went as a Trill. I got some dark-colored creme foundation, and painted the spots on with a makeup brush, and put a little neutral powder over them so they wouldn't rub off too easily. The results were pretty solid:

I liked this more than the Vulcan ears I normally do. It was less work, particularly to clean up, and once I got the hang of it, it didn't take long at all. I have another picture of me somewhere in the TOS red shirt that I'll post when I grab it off my camera. Also, notice the new beard. I am now officially Season 2 Kevin.

Separately, and at the risk of sounding really pompous, but isn't that an awesome picture of me? I normally hate photos of myself, but even I think that looks pretty good. I'm gonna have to use it as a profile pic on a dating website. It's a really flattering photo, and anyone who gets what I'm supposed to be goes right to the front of the queue. :)

The Next Generation, Season 5: A Matter of Time

The Next Generation, Season 5
"A Matter of Time"
Airdate: November 18, 1991
108 of 176 produced
108 of 176 aired

Introduction

The Enterprise is tasked with helping Penthara IV, a colony that has been struck by an asteroid and faces catastrophic environmental consequences. En route, the Enterprise encounters a mysterious shuttle, whose occupant claims to be a time-travelling scientist from the 26th century. Now Picard must manage the crisis on the planet below while resisting the urge to press the man who may know the outcome of his efforts for help.

Sooo.... a great-great-great-great granny Menage A Troi is out of the question?

The Next Generation, Season 5: Unification II

The Next Generation, Season 5
"Unification II"
Airdate: November 11, 1991
106 of 176 produced
107 of 176 aired


Introduction


Having contacted Ambassador Spock on Romulus, Picard and Data must help him determine whether his hopes for re-unification talks between Romulus and Vulcan have any hopes of proceeding. Meanwhile, their investigation into stolen Vulcan ship parts leads Riker and the Enterprise crew into the seamy underbelly of the quadrant. Will these two plots coincide? Can we possibly get a resolution to this story that pays off on the first part's promise?

Kirkslist post: SWM Seeking BBW who gives great... blues performances.

The Next Generation, Season 5: Unification I

The Next Generation, Season 5
"Unification I"
Airdate: November 4, 1991
107 of 176 produced
106 of 176 aired


Introduction

A startling discovery by Starfleet Intelligence threatens the security of the entire Federation. Spock, a Starfleet legend, an officer, adviser, and diplomat for two generations, appears to have defected to the Romulan Empire. Captain Picard is tasked with going to Romulus to find out the truth about what has happened. The mere idea that Spock is a traitor seems absurd, but what possible reason could Spock have for an unauthorized trip to Romulus?

Don't you two look sweet!

The Next Generation, Season 5: The Game

The Next Generation, Season 5
"The Game"
Airdate: October 28, 1991
105 of 176 produced
105 of 176 aired

Introduction


Commander Riker returns from his Risa vacation with an odd little device in tow - a game that proves to be compelling and addictive to anyone who plays it. When the game takes hold of the crew with a fervor rarely seen from other shipboard fads, a visiting Wesley Crusher becomes concerned. Can he and his "good friend" Robin Lefler discover the nature of this game before they are forced by their shipmates to try it themselves? Will they unravel the dastardly agenda behind it?

"Just make the disk go into the cone..."

The Next Generation, Season 5: Disaster

The Next Generation, Season 5
"Disaster"
Airdate: October 21, 1991
104 of 176 produced
104 of 176 aired

Introduction

The Enterprise is struck by a quantum filament, a dangerous phenomenon that severely damages the ship. Powerless, and adrift, most of the crew is trapped where they are, with no way to communicate with anyone else. Captain Picard is trapped in an unstable turbolift with a group of school children. On the bridge, Counselor Troi is suddenly the ranking officer, and is now faced with a new crisis. The anitmatter containment field is failing, and she must make a choice. Separate the saucer and leave many of the crew to die, or try to repair the damage, and risk all thousand people on board.

Commander Data reminisces over days when his neck wasn't so fat. 

The Next Generation, Season 5: Silicon Avatar

The Next Generation, Season 5
"Silicon Avatar"
Airdate: October 14, 1991
103 of 176 produced
103 of 176 aired

Introduction

The Enterprise is called to a nascent colony world when it is attacked by Data's old nemesis, the Crystalline Entity. Though they are unable to save the colony, they are presented with another opportunity to interact with the entity, and are faced with a choice - do they attempt to communicate, or do they destroy it out of self-defense?

Poor Carmen. We never got to see her pineapple upside-down cake.