shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 7, 2017 9:24:34 GMT -5
I was rewatching one of my absolute favorite under-appreciated episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation this morning when I happened to notice the writing credits. A little checking confirms that, yes, it's the same STEVE GERBER.
The second season of Next Gen was one of tremendous creative uncertainty, with no one at the writing helm steering the ship (so to speak), so Gerber somehow snuck in there with co-writer Beth Woods to turn in this big little episode that has more going on in its 44 minute run time than any hyped multi-part episode the series ever produced, balancing three different plot lines simultaneously, each of which delivers on its own, but all of which logically build together in unison. The episode delivers some of the most original alien sci-fi concepts of the series, TNG's first compelling antagonist, and one of my all-time favorite Picard moments to boot:
"Not, I think, today, Commander."
The episode has significant flaws, but most of these come from being a mid-second season episode, when TNG was still raw and awkward in so many respects. Had this been done as a two parter in a later season, it would be a far better remembered installment today. Of course, in a later season, Steve Gerber never would have had the opportunity to turn in a script in the first place.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 10:07:32 GMT -5
I was surprised to see him writing Star Trek at all. I did not know that and I don't pay much attention to the credits on any show that I watch. I'm a Star Trek The Next Generation Fan myself and I do occasionally watch it on television.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 7, 2017 10:16:26 GMT -5
I was surprised to see him writing Star Trek at all. I did not know that and I don't pay much attention to the credits on any show that I watch. I'm a Star Trek The Next Generation Fan myself and I do occasionally watch it on television. It was during a time in which Gerber had moved out of comics and was doing work for several cartoons, but I believe this was his only attempt at writing for a non-cartoon television series. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 10:18:05 GMT -5
I was surprised to see him writing Star Trek at all. I did not know that and I don't pay much attention to the credits on any show that I watch. I'm a Star Trek The Next Generation Fan myself and I do occasionally watch it on television. It was during a time in which Gerber had moved out of comics and was doing work for several cartoons, but I believe this was his only attempt at writing for a non-cartoon television series. Thanks Shax. |
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Post by Randle-El on Dec 7, 2017 10:32:29 GMT -5
I wasn't the biggest fan of this episode, and it definitely hasn't aged well. IIRC, the solution to the computer virus that had infected everything was to simply execute a massive reboot. About the only thing that could have topped that would have been if they showed the Enterprise computer displaying a Blue Screen of Death.
Having said this, the last time I re-watched TNG, I came to realize that a lot of the episodes that I liked were not necessarily the "best" ones. From season 2, "Measure of a Man" (the one where they have a trial to determine whether Data is a real little boy or just a puppet) is considered one of the best, and one of my favorites as well. But I also really liked "Where Silence Has Lease" (the one with the alien who appears onscreen as giant face) and "The Royale" (the one where the away team encounters a 20th century Earth casino on a lifeless planet).
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 7, 2017 10:39:01 GMT -5
I wasn't the biggest fan of this episode, and it definitely hasn't aged well. IIRC, the solution to the computer virus that had infected everything was to simply execute a massive reboot. About the only thing that could have topped that would have been if they showed the Enterprise computer displaying a Blue Screen of Death. Having said this, the last time I re-watched TNG, I came to realize that a lot of the episodes that I liked were not necessarily the "best" ones. From season 2, "Measure of a Man" (the one where they have a trial to determine whether Data is a real little boy or just a puppet) is considered one of the best, and one of my favorites as well. But I also really liked "Where Silence Has Lease" (the one with the alien who appears onscreen as giant face) and "The Royale" (the one where the away team encounters a 20th century Earth casino on a lifeless planet). The best episodes of season two were all rich in the idea department but clumsy in the execution, and Contagion is no exception. There are bigger logic lapses in the episode, like Picard deciding to remain in the Neutral Zone just because the Enterprise might breakdown. He has no reason to believe moving the ship exacerbates the damage that he has no reason to believe is in any way imminent at this point, so he'd rather risk triggering a massive war with The Romulans than get close to a starbase that can help. Still, I love the villain, and I LOVE everything this episode does with the lost Iconian civilization and their ancient but almost-beyond-comprehension advanced technology. And, for what it's worth, I generally enjoy Where Silence Has Lease, despite its many many flaws, and The Royale has always been a favorite of mine. Unnatural Selection is another favorite of mine from Season Two. |
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Post by Randle-El on Dec 7, 2017 10:54:17 GMT -5
And, for what it's worth, I generally enjoy Where Silence Has Lease, despite its many many flaws, and The Royale has always been a favorite of mine. Unnatural Selection is another favorite of mine from Season Two. How can you not like an episode that has quite possibly the best death scene ever committed to film or video??? |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 7, 2017 10:59:37 GMT -5
And, for what it's worth, I generally enjoy Where Silence Has Lease, despite its many many flaws, and The Royale has always been a favorite of mine. Unnatural Selection is another favorite of mine from Season Two. How can you not like an episode that has quite possibly the best death scene ever committed to film or video??? Maybe not the most convincing argument in favor of that episode  |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Dec 7, 2017 16:44:57 GMT -5
Huh. As I may have mentioned a time or 37 before, Gerber is my all-time fave mainstream comic writer. I really should try to track down some of his (and Mary Skrenes!) TV work. I know he did Thundarr the Barbarian and worked on GI Joe.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 7, 2017 20:10:46 GMT -5
Huh. As I may have mentioned a time or 37 before, Gerber is my all-time fave mainstream comic writer. I really should try to track down some of his (and Mary Skrenes!) TV work. I know he did Thundarr the Barbarian and worked on GI Joe. Transformers and Dungeons & Dragons too, I believe. |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Dec 7, 2017 21:53:25 GMT -5
Yes! I knew that!
I did not know that earlier today when you posted this thread, but guess who spent all day except for boring work reading interviews with Gerber about his TV work. (He h-a-t-e-d working with Gene Rodenberry!)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 23:20:22 GMT -5
Huh. As I may have mentioned a time or 37 before, Gerber is my all-time fave mainstream comic writer. I really should try to track down some of his (and Mary Skrenes!) TV work. I know he did Thundarr the Barbarian and worked on GI Joe. Transformers and Dungeons & Dragons too, I believe. When, Reptisaurus! mentioned Thundarr the Barbarian and you've mentioned Transformers and I was shocked to see that and having both of you mentioned it already ... I didn't know that he did a lot of TV Work and this is taken by surprise to me. I loved those two shows ... |
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Post by codystarbuck on Dec 8, 2017 0:04:30 GMT -5
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Post by String on Dec 8, 2017 12:53:45 GMT -5
And, for what it's worth, I generally enjoy Where Silence Has Lease, despite its many many flaws, and The Royale has always been a favorite of mine. Unnatural Selection is another favorite of mine from Season Two. How can you not like an episode that has quite possibly the best death scene ever committed to film or video??? Yes, and it's also very convenient that Wesley's shift at conn was over by that point too. (Poor red-shirt dude) And thank you for reminding me how much I hated (and still hate) Pulaski. Although one of my favorite all-time Riker lines is in this episode; when he and Worf return from the fake Enterprise and he tells Picard that they need to use all this technology and figure a way to get the hell outta here! His response to cancelling the self-destruct was also amusing. Ah, Riker, you were so much better in the early seasons, what happened? I liked Contagion though had forgotten that Gerber has written it. I liked the small history we learn of the Ikonian civilization but I want to say that at some point during DS9, they also discovered another relic/station of the Ikonians. |
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