ONGEG Video: The Neutral Zone

[Sonnenburg]

This is the one where Picard really lays out the Starfleet Communist Manifesto. I am shocked at the number of people who claimed to actually like this piece of shit, but this is a really, really bad episode, even for first season TNG. Enjoy

Video

Oh, if you want real fun, follow the link through to the Youtube page where they are discussing the episode. There's a Trekkie apologist upset about the treatment of Gene's vision and decides to show it by randomly attacking religion. Yes, that's right: a man who is upset at people not embracing the code of behavior of the dead man he worships rants against religion... I normally get irony from Youtube, but even this surprised me. I'm guessing my use of a cover version of Dylan's My Back Pages for this review was lost on him.

[Darth Fanboy]

Great, and here I had completely forgotten of this episode until you go and do a review for it. It's a wonder how the Trek writers were able to make BoBW so good when they had so consistently in the past (this episode included) failed to create a decent villain.

[Singular Intellect]

Does this mean we'll be seeing a video review of "Q, Who?" and "Best of Both Worlds" soon?

[Uraniun235]

Sonnenburg, if you ever do 11001001, you can't neglect to mention the fact that apparently, the Enterprise has a Check Engine light.

"I'm getting an indication of possible trouble in Main Engineering, sir."
"Can you be more specific?"
"I'm afraid not."

[Gandalf]

That was my first opinionated video (bandwidth issues), and I quite enjoyed it.

I'd forgotten about how retarded this episode was, mostly choosing to remember the interesting Romulan things.

I liked that the away team to the unidentified satellite was just a few unarmed senior staffers. No science guys, no doctor, just the ops guy and the tactical guy.

[DaveJB]

In fairness to the episode, it was apparently written in one day because of the writer's strike... of course, that's no excuse for its blatant preachiness and propagandism. Makes you wonder why the guy that wrote it took his name off "Hide and Q" after Roddenberry supposedly butchered it with a rewrite, yet felt proud enough of this to keep his name on it.

[FaxModem1]

So, because of a writer's strike, we got this?

However, because of the recent writer's strike, we got more reality shows. Which is worse?

[Crazedwraith]

I love that DS9 scene; isn't Jake quoting Picard pretty much verbatim at one point?

[Ghost Rider]

Really, I forgot the whole asshole bits in this episode. I mean I remember the whole money=bad, but really I forgot the whole "How did we survive!!!".

That and it was sad because the main plot was interesting in the whole thought of the return of Romulans and a mysterious adversary.

Another fine review of a season one episode mess. I liked TNG, but really it's because of a few outstanding episodes really.

[Bilbo]

I loved in the episode how the stock broker in less than 5 seconds proved himself competely and utterly superior to Riker. Yep stock broker knows in a second that the Romulans are arrogant pricks who don't have a clue. Riker who is the pride of starfleet has no idea what so ever.

[Bilbo]

When are you going to review the episode with Riker's dad? You know the one where we learn that the ultimate expression of the martial arts is two blind-folded buffoons with oversized flashlights trying to kick each others asses.

[Valk]

I am shocked at the number of people who claimed to actually like this piece of shit, but this is a really, really bad episode, even for first season TNG.

Well I liked it, in a two ways.

Most important is the exposition about the federations financial system. It may be stupid or communist, but it is still very important exposition about the federation. Judging from how much it is taken up on this site and in later trek it may in fact be one of the more important pieces about the federation.
I also like this to rant on and judge offcourse, but that just means I like it from a neutral viewpoint and an opposed viewpoint.

Secondly, the stock guy was well, enjoyable. He voices some of the criticism that you as a viewer would have and he does things. Going to the bridge might have been a bit stupid, but it is nevertheless just good to see someone doing something. He's also someone you can in a way empathise with, not because he's acted out so well, but just again because of his position and Picards position.

[Semah]

The Youtube comments, as promised, are mind-numbingly horrid.

[The Romulan Republic]

Well I liked it, in a two ways.

Most important is the exposition about the federations financial system. It may be stupid or communist, but it is still very important exposition about the federation. Judging from how much it is taken up on this site and in later trek it may in fact be one of the more important pieces about the federation.
I also like this to rant on and judge offcourse, but that just means I like it from a neutral viewpoint and an opposed viewpoint.

Secondly, the stock guy was well, enjoyable. He voices some of the criticism that you as a viewer would have and he does things. Going to the bridge might have been a bit stupid, but it is nevertheless just good to see someone doing something. He's also someone you can in a way empathise with, not because he's acted out so well, but just again because of his position and Picards position.

I'm another who liked this episode. Granted, I don't think I've seen it since the days when I like Trek in general, so maybe I'd feel differently now.

I agree about the exposition, even if one doesn't like how it portrays the Federation. Mainly, though, I like it for the Romulan story line. This episode reintroduced one of Trek's most mysterious and menacing alien threats, and it goes a long way towards mitigating any other flaws of the episode.

I guess this one's kind of hit-and-miss, though.

[spaceviking]

Proably the worst thing about this episode is if you were to break up the stories, their actually two decent story ideas, especially if the Romulans did not have to be pricks for the sake of being pricks....

[apocolypse]

Proably the worst thing about this episode is if you were to break up the stories, their actually two decent story ideas, especially if the Romulans did not have to be pricks for the sake of being pricks....

Well yes, but then they wouldn't be Romulans, would they?

Klingons = Vikings in Space
Ferengi = Capitalists in Space
Romulans = Backstabbing Pricks in Space

[Stark]

Kids need to learn that big chunks of exposition ARE A BAD THING. I know standards are low these days, but having a character basically talk to the camera like a documentary IS BAD DRAMA. It's BAD DIRECTION. It's BAD WRITING. The same information could even have been commuicated WITHOUT THAT ENTIRE SUBPLOT simply by using the 'tenuous cooperation with the Romulans' plot properly.

'I liked the exposition' basically means 'I'm a dribbling idiot who doesn't know anything about writing but I sure like the men in the TV telling me about a scifi universe in a dry and bland fashion'.

[Sonnenburg]

In fairness to the episode, it was apparently written in one day because of the writer's strike... of course, that's no excuse for its blatant preachiness and propagandism. Makes you wonder why the guy that wrote it took his name off "Hide and Q" after Roddenberry supposedly butchered it with a rewrite, yet felt proud enough of this to keep his name on it.

You're thinking of some other episode. This script was revised many times. Originally, it was supposed to be a full Romulan story and there was going to be another episode with Harry Mudd being in one of those pods (probably in place of the stock broker). For some reason, those episodes got mixed together into this piece of shit, an action for which there is no excuse.

The Child and Shades Of Grey might be what you're thinking of, as both are by Maurice and both plagued by the strike. The first was an adapted Phase II script, and the latter was just a clip show they put together in practically no time at all.

The number of people who like this episode astounds me. It's preachy, it has no direction, it makes no sense, and it's often boring. I don't get it.

[Stark]

But Chuck, it tells you about the world of nerd-obsess- I mean Star Trek. Thus it's good, regardless of it's quality! It's like... watching a technical manual!

[Darth Servo]

The number of people who like this episode astounds me. It's preachy, it has no direction, it makes no sense, and it's often boring. I don't get it.

Its actually quite simple. Being a fan of a pompous, preachy show gives the fanboy an inflated sense of self-importance. The show obviously thinks its important, so being attached to such an "important" show makes the lonely fanboy feel important.

[Valk]

Kids need to learn that big chunks of exposition ARE A BAD THING. I know standards are low these days, but having a character basically talk to the camera like a documentary IS BAD DRAMA. It's BAD DIRECTION. It's BAD WRITING. The same information could even have been commuicated WITHOUT THAT ENTIRE SUBPLOT simply by using the 'tenuous cooperation with the Romulans' plot properly.

'I liked the exposition' basically means 'I'm a dribbling idiot who doesn't know anything about writing but I sure like the men in the TV telling me about a scifi universe in a dry and bland fashion'.

I don't really care that you would consider me an idiot actually. I enjoyed those parts, that is how you measure fun, not by finding how many things you find wrong about it.
This was also quite clear, I don't think I would have liked it more if that one speech was spread out over an entire episode. This is something that had to have been told in one speech, now, the DS9 example was a much better way of giving that speech but it was still just one speech at the core.

The number of people who like this episode astounds me. It's preachy, it has no direction, it makes no sense, and it's often boring. I don't get it.

When I'm watching something I'm just trying to enjoy it, but I think it is somewhat difficult to both try to enjoy it and try to review it at the same time.

Note that it doesn't mean bad is not possible for me, a lot of voyager was boring or offensive to my morals or logical thought, insurrection preached for stupid things and ruined a perfectly good opportunity for a space battle with a gas cloud, nemesis was stupid in other ways but at least they had a space battle.

This episode was mediocre in most respect, it had some key exposition about the federation, and it failed to offend thanks to our stocks trader. It is too often the case that someone with an opposed viewpoint agrees to the Right (TM) viewpoint somewhere in the last 5 minutes, our dear stocks trader seems to be very sceptical about what Picard says and generally disappointed in the future. This communist message was not offensive because he didn't submit, this episode didn't smash capitalism, it said 'we think this is better'.

[Sonnenburg]

Before I review every episode I watch it just to watch it, so there is no excuse. This episode is a messed up pile of crap for all the reasons I stated: it lacks direction, it's preachy, there's so much that doesn't make sense, and -most importantly- it's boring. That's not something that comes from reviewing it, it comes from just watching it. And regardless, reviewing is just paying more attention and thinking instead of just being a human vegetable. For a show that's supposed to be all about a message, the last thing it should be judged on is how it comes across if you stop thinking. "We want you to think... except about the massive gaping holes in our plots and the lack of common sense on the part of Starfleet's best, don't think about that. Think about what we tell you to think about."

And Oops! What happens when we do think? If we can somehow evolve beyond our desires to consume things, then can't we just as likely evolve beyond our sexual appetities? After all, lust and jealousy are responsible for many, many problems, right, and exacerbates sexual differences. How come Trek didn't champion abstinence - in fact, it championed doing the opposite? What really makes giving up material things noble but sexual things should be embraced whenever possible? Gene's vision for a better tomorrow is simple what Gene thinks would make a better tomorrow, it's just his opinion. Trek could state that evolved people prefer creamy peanut butter and it'd be no less arbitrary.

[Valk]

If the human vegetable enjoys it and you do not then you are doing something a bit wrong. This episode was not good, but it was more than a 2.

But I do understand you now, the message is much more offensive to you than to me (though I still oppose it), so where the exposition can outweigh the message for me (especially because they fail to convince the stocks trader), it cannot for you.


Probably depends on culture, the most right wing party in the Netherlends is less right wing than the American left wing I'm told.

[Swindle1984]

The novel Debtor's Planet is a follow-up to this episode. It's stupid in some places, and pretty clever in others.

The stock broker is now a Federation ambassador and is picked up by the Enterprise to negotiate with the Ferengi, because he knows how they think better than anyone.

And the Ferengi are an actual threat. They go about their goals intelligently and exploit a planet much in the way it was complained that the two big-eared trolls stuck in the Delta Quadrant didn't. Granted, the goal itself is a little stupid, but they go about achieving it relatively well. They were actual sinister villains and not "lol, these are the bad guys, just go with it, ok" like they were in The Last Outpost.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Too true about the preaching. It's as though they have no idea how they got from the 20th century to the 24th.