Star Trek TNG S02E13-15 Time Squared, The Icarus Factor, Pen Pals – “Podunk Bunnyville | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 045)

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 02, Episodes 13-15

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast, in which I – a newbie to the Star Trek universe – am watching through Star Trek from the beginning, in release order, and discussing with some of my long-time Trekkie friends.

This week, we get:

• Thoughts of Interstellar

• Family reunions

• Violation of the Prime Directive

We covered:

• Time Squared

• The Icarus Factor

• Pen Pals

“Time Squared” – Would you like to meet your future self?

The Enterprise encounters a mysterious shuttle adrift in space containing Captain Picard – from six hours in the future.  As the crew investigates, they uncover a growing temporal paradox tied to strange spatial distortion pulling them in.

Second Picard’s broken memories present a disastrous future for the crew, confronting the unsettling possibility that his own decisions are (or will be) responsible.

Things we discussed:

• Couldn’t tell if I fell asleep or not while watching

• Patrick Stewart playing two Picards

• Did Picard surrender again?

• Great Picard and Riker scene

• Finding solutions when we struggle to define the problem

• Were we stuck in a time loop?

• A captain outliving his crew

Can you be a fundamentally different person six hours from now?

“The Icarus Factor” – Character over career

Riker is offered command of his own ship and must confront long-standing tension with his father.  He must decide where he wants to be for himself and his career.

Things we discussed:

• Abbie doesn’t like family drama and sitcoms

• Riker’s dad

• Worf’s background and Klingon culture

• A different sort of episode

• Understanding versus justifying

• The Icarus story

• Correct names for things that don’t actually exist

• Incorrect pronunciations as children

A heavy, character-driven episode.

“Pen Pals” – One does not simply walk into Mordor!

Data secretly communicates with a young girl on a distant planet on the brink of catastrophe.  When he realizes the planet is doomed, the Enterprise crew is forced to confront the reality of the Prime Directive.

Things we discussed:

• Remembering bits and pieces, but not the entire episode

• Violating the Prime Directive

• Wesley’s growth and leadership

• How do you define “interference”?

• Is Data an existential threat?

• When and why we break the rules

• Philosophy is about people

• Great Picard episode.  A very un-Data episode

• An android’s perspective of what an emotional person would do – emulating

• Handling conflict as a people-leader

• Lord of the Rings trivia

• Who is TNG really about?

Does Data pose an existential threat to the Enterprise and crew with his exhibited ability to ignore orders?

Additional Discussion Points

• Remembering 9/11

• Feeding bottle baby kittens

• Studying the moon

Final Thoughts

This week, we learned:

• It is difficult to identify solutions when we struggle to define the problem

• Icarus was not only warned about flying too close to the sun, but also about dropping too close to the water

• Apparently a pre-warp civilization has technology that the Federation is lacking

As always, remember – Never give up!  Never surrender!

Listen to this episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Where we are on our Trek:

Last week we covered:

• TBG Episode 044 - Star Trek TNG S02E10-12 The Dauphin, Contagion, The Royale - “Junkfood Episodes” | First Time Reaction

Next week we will continue with:

• TBG Episode 046

If you want to see my journey from the very beginning, start here:

• TBG Episode 000 – Star Trek – “What am I doing and what do I already know?” | First Time Watch-Through

• TBG Episode 001 – Star Trek TOS S01E00-01 The Cage, The Man Trap – “The Failed Pilot” | First Time Reaction

• TBG Archive

Also, be sure to check out Nate’s and my other podcast – The In Lap with Aaron and Nate – to listen to us discuss all things Formula 1 on race weekends, wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Star Trek TNG S02E04-06 The Outrageous Okona, Loud as a Whisper, The Schizoid Man – “If I Only Had a Heart” | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 042)

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation  Season 02, Episodes 04-06

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast, in which I – a newbie to the Star Trek universe – am watching through Star Trek from the beginning, in release order, and discussing with some of my long-time Trekkie friends.

This week, we get:

• Picard jokes about surrendering…but is it a joke?

• Advantage from disability?

• Where does our humanity lie?

We covered:

• The Outrageous Okona

• Loud as a Whisper

• The Schizoid Man

“The Outrageous Okona” – Perhaps the joke was not funny

The Enterprise encounters a charming but mysterious rogue named Okona, whose small cargo ship seems to bring trouble wherever he goes. Two alien factions accuse him of theft and kidnapping, each demanding justice.

As Captain Picard investigates, it becomes clear that Okona’s charisma hides a complicated personal mess involving romance, family expectations, and political embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Data explores human humor by trying to learn stand-up comedy from a visiting comedian on the holodeck. The episode mixes a swashbuckling guest character with an early look at Data’s ongoing quest to understand humanity.

Things we discussed:

• The continuing exploration of Data’s humanity

• Not as bad as The Child or Code of Honor

• Forgettable

• What a non-comic might think stand-up comedy is

• Timely political references

• A poorly-written romance novel

• SeaQuest D.S.V.

• Worf’s effectiveness

Sometimes an episode just doesn’t work.  Sometimes they swing and miss.  This felt like one of those episodes.

“Loud as a Whisper” – Turning disadvantage into advantage

The Enterprise transports Riva, a renowned mediator known for negotiating peace between warring planets. Riva is deaf and communicates through a trio of telepathic interpreters who express different aspects of his personality.

When tragedy strikes during the mission, Riva must confront the possibility that his ability to mediate has been destroyed. Counselor Troi helps him rediscover another way to communicate, leading to a powerful moment where Riva adapts and continues his mission.

The episode explores communication beyond language and the idea that understanding others often requires more than just hearing words.

Things we discussed:

• How does an acting ensign get to pilot the fleet’s flagship?

• Nepotism in the 24th century

• Geordi’s choice

• Freud’s separation of the mind

• Troi’s abilities

• Geordi and ChatGPT prompts

• Transporter capabilities

Sometimes we can find strength in our perceived weaknesses.

“The Schizoid Man” – What does it mean to be human?

The Enterprise transports the brilliant but difficult cyberneticist Dr. Ira Graves, whose mind has begun to deteriorate due to a terminal illness. Fascinated with Data’s positronic brain, Graves secretly transfers his consciousness into the android’s body to escape death.

Initially reveling in his newfound immortality, Graves soon begins to exhibit increasingly erratic and domineering behavior while inhabiting Data. As the crew realizes what has happened, Graves must confront the ethical consequences of his actions and the question of whether preserving his mind is worth sacrificing Data’s identity.

The episode explores ego, mortality, and the meaning of personhood.

Things we discussed:

• Another great Brent Spiner performance

• What does it mean to be human?

• The story of the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz

• What is consciousness?

Lots of discussion points and questions, fewer answers.

Final Thoughts

This week, we learned:

• Worf is already more effective than Tasha ever was

• Prompting people is a lot like prompting AI

• Seriously – the story of the Tin Woodsman from the original Wizard of Oz novel is one of the most messed up stories ever

We are cruising along through Star Trek: The Next Generation.  These episodes all had a very “Original Series” feel to them, but not like The Naked Now.  TNG still feels like it’s figuring out what it is, but it is getting closer.

As always, remember – Never give up!  Never surrender!

Listen to this episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Where we are on our Trek:

Last week we covered:

• TBG Episode 041 – Star Trek TNG S02E01-03 The Child, Where Silence Has Lease, Elementary Dear Data – “Not Very Effective” | First Time Watch-Through

Next week we will continue with:

• TBG Episode 043 - Star Trek TNG S02E07-09 Unnatural Selection, A Matter of Honor, The Measure of a Man – “If You Don’t Give this Episode at Least a Six…” | First Time Reaction

If you want to see my journey from the very beginning, start here:

• TBG Episode 000 – Star Trek – “What am I doing and what do I already know?” | First Time Watch-Through

• TBG Episode 001 – Star Trek TOS S01E00-01 The Cage, The Man Trap – “The Failed Pilot” | First Time Reaction

• TBG Archive

Also, be sure to check out Nate’s and my other podcast – The In Lap with Aaron and Nate – to listen to us discuss all things Formula 1 on race weekends, wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Star Trek TNG S02E01-03 The Child, Where Silence Has Lease, Elementary Dear Data – “Not Very Effective” | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 041)

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: TNG Season 02, Episodes 01-03

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast, in which I – a newbie to the Star Trek universe – am watching through Star Trek from the beginning, in release order, and discussing with some of my long-time Trekkie friends.

This week, we get:

• New characters and Star Trek grows a beard

• Word of the day: Effective

• The unchanging concerns over AI

We covered:

• The Child

• Where Silence Has Lease

• Elementary, Dear Data

“The Child” – Is it worse than Code of Honor?  Not quite…

Deanna Troi is impregnated by space dust that is curious about the human experience.

Things we discussed:

• The start of Abbie loving these characters

• Simple changes could have made it seem much less space-rapey

• Character changes

• Twilight

• Debating character growth

• Riker’s beard

There are better ways to explore the human experience.

“Where Silence Has Lease” – Did we ever make it out of the Matrix?

The Enterprise is trapped in a void with an entity that is exploring the limits of humanity.

Things we discussed:

• How primitive Picard and crew are

• A better exploration of humanity

• The Expanse comparisons (Abaddon’s Gate)

• A worse version of Q?

• An uninspiring villain?

• Learning all that you need to know

Another Talosian Illusion incident?  Did the Enterprise and crew get out?  Or is everything from this point forward occurring in the Void?

“Elementary, Dear Data” – AI versus humanity

Sherlock Data’s mysteries are too simple, so a new holodeck program is set up which becomes self-aware.

Things we discussed:

• AI conversations today versus the late-1980s

• Recitation does not mean understanding

• Near consensus

• Exploring Data’s humanity

• Working with your hands, transcending time

• Is Data capable of original thought?

• Sherlock Holmes and copyright issues

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  The conversations surrounding AI have seemingly not changed.  The same conversations were had during The Original Series, Next Generation, and today.

A few other points

• Gregg has some explaining to do (when he comes back)

• Star Trek/Star Wars bar trivia

Final Thoughts

This week, we learned:

• Abbie and I know more about Star Wars than Nate

• Different effectiveness in stories exploring humanity

• AI conversations have not meaningfully changed in the past 40 years (60 when we consider the same conversations from TOS)

A generally strong start to the second season (The Child notwithstanding).  Looking forward to more.

As always, remember – Never give up!  Never surrender!

---

Listen to this episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Where we are on our Trek:

Last week we covered:

• TBG Episode 40 – Star Trek TNG S01E24-26 We'll Always Have Paris, Conspiracy, The Neutral Zone - "The Biggest Trekkie" | First Time Reaction

Next week we will continue with:

• TBG Episode 42 - Star Trek TNG S02E04-06 The Outrageous Okona, Loud as a Whisper, The Schizoid Man – “If I Only Had a Heart” | First Time Reaction

If you want to see my journey from the very beginning, start here:

• TBG Episode 000 – Star Trek – “What am I doing and what do I already know?” | First Time Watch-Through

• TBG Episode 001 – Star Trek TOS S01E00-01 The Cage, The Man Trap – “The Failed Pilot” | First Time Reaction

• TBG Archive

Star Trek TNG S01E24-26 We’ll Always Have Paris, Conspiracy, The Neutral Zone – “The Biggest Trekkie” | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 040)

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: TNG Season 1, Episodes 24-26

Welcome to another episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast, in which I – a newbie to the Star Trek universe – am watching through Star Trek from the beginning, in release order, and discussing with some of my long-time Trekkie friends.

This week, we get:

• Exceptional mediocrity

• Practical effects worthy of a Michael Scott production

• A fight with the Romulans that could have been great

We covered:

• We’ll Always Have Paris

• Conspiracy

• The Neutral Zone

“We’ll Always Have Paris” – At least there’s that much

Sometimes an episode is so great that we don’t take many notes because we can’t get pulled away from it.

Sometimes an episode is so bad that we get pages of notes to discuss how bad it really was.

And then there are episodes like “We’ll Always Have Paris” – which was so exceptionally mediocre, we were all in agreement with almost nothing to say.

Things we discussed:

• Picard backstory and similarities with Kirk

• Time implications

• Nobody cared

• Writers’ strike impacts

A mediocre, forgettable episode.

“Conspiracy” – Cleanup on Aisle Five!  Threat Level Midnight

Picard brings the Enterprise back to Earth to find answers after the USS Horatio is destroyed, uncovering an alien conspiracy.

Things we discussed:

• Mystery and intrigue at the Federation

• Callbacks to prior episodes

• Worf doesn’t like swimming – or bathing

• Threat Level Midnight

• Practical effects reminiscent of the earworms from Wrath of Khan

• More impacts from the writers’ strike

• A remaining existential threat?

• The opposite of zero-trust

We are seeing more callbacks and connections to prior episodes which we didn’t see so much in The Original Series.

“The Neutral Zone” – Romulans?  Nah…

The Enterprise investigates attacks on outposts near the Neutral Zone and a potential new Romulan threat.  While investigating, they find some cryogenically frozen, 20th-century humans from Earth.

Things we discussed:

• Side stories that detract from the main story

• Could have been a great opportunity to expand on the Romulans

• Downside of the writers’ strike again

• More space for Worf

• “There’s still much to do.  Still so much to learn.”

What could have been an awesome episode exploring the Romulan threat just fell flat by cramming in story elements that didn’t add up.

Holy crap!  Aaron’s a bigger Trekkie than us!

As the To Baldly Go Podcast’s resident Star Trek fan, I can proudly announce that we have reached the end of Season 1 of Next Generation.

• Season 1 quiz and Trivia

• Dealing with internet lag

• Robin Williams discussion

• TNG Season 1 wrap up

Final Thoughts

This week, we learned:

• The writers’ strike hurt the product

• There’s much more to come

• You shouldn’t watch Robin Williams on Whose Line is it Anyway? when you are in the hospital after having your appendix removed

• Through the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, I, Aaron, am the biggest Star Trek fan of our little away team.

I have now watched all of The Original Series, The Animated Series, four movies, and the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.  I never would have guessed any of that just a handful of years ago.

Where the end of season 1 of The Original Series felt like it had peaked, Next Generation feels like it’s just getting started.  I can’t where it will take us from here.

As always, remember – Never give up!  Never surrender!

---

Listen to this episode of the To Baldly Go Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Where we are on our Trek:

Last week we covered:

• TBG Episode 039 – Star Trek TNG S01E21-23 Arsenal of Freedom, Symbiosis, Skin of Evil – “Tarth Vader” | First Time Reaction

Next week we will continue with:

• TBG Episode 041 – Star Trek TNG S02E01-03 The Child, Where Silence Has Lease, Elementary Dear Data | First Time Reaction

If you want to see my journey from the very beginning, start here:

• TBG Episode 000 – Star Trek – “What am I doing and what do I already know?” | First Time Watch-Through

• TBG Episode 001 – Star Trek TOS S01E00-01 The Cage, The Man Trap – “The Failed Pilot” | First Time Reaction

• TBG Archive

Star Trek TNG S01E21-23 Arsenal of Freedom, Symbiosis, Skin of Evil – “Tarth Vader” | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 039)

This week on the To Baldly Go Podcast:

• Smart devices try to kill us.

• Star Trek does an after-school special about drugs.

• And a main character dies… suddenly.

We’re discussing:

• TNG S1E21 – Arsenal of Freedom

• TNG S1E22 – Symbiosis

• TNG S1E23 – Skin of Evil

Topics include:

• Thanking Alexa

• Nate hating Geordi

• The Prime Directive vs. addiction

• Evil space pharmaceutical reps

• Stoicism and sudden loss

• Armus vs. Jigsaw

• The 24-treatment for shocking deaths

These and more as first-time reactions meet veteran Trek opinions

038 - The Lost Episode

This week:

• Home Soil, Coming of Age, Heart of Glory

• Devil in the Dark, redux?

• Ugly bags of mostly water

• What is life?

• Is Data alive?  Is Data human?

• Is Data just ChatGPT in a synthetic skin suit?

• I step away while Abbie and Nate continue the conversation, looking ahead to things I haven’t seen

• The love of being wrong

• Observations of ADR and television production

• Picard’s maturity

• Distinct storylines that don’t come together

• Series continuity

• Worf the Stoic

• A Gentleman in Moscow

• I relate to the bad guy – sort of

• Sometimes life isn’t fair

• Only competing against yourself

• Starfleet entrance exams.  What is the test?

• Worf isn’t yet who Abbie remembers

• The challenge of Tasha Yar

• Geordi-vision

• Nate is the biggest nerd on the podcast

• Death in the Federation

• Is TNG better than TOS at this point?

• Picard, the hot head

037 - 11001001

This week:

• 11001001, Too Short a Season, When the Bough Breaks

• Nate concedes a point

• Season 1 has been underwhelming, but we have the best episode yet

• More commentary on the medium of network or syndicated TV

• The holodeck

• Abbie’s anesthesia dream

• Deliberate scientific inaccuracies in Star Trek

• An unrelated story in the Star Trek universe

• 21st century ozone hole

• An appropriate use for Wesley

• What is a society?

• Stories that would work for other series

• Nate really hates Code of Honor

• Looking ahead

036 - The Battle, Hide and Q, Haven

This week:

• Ferengi less cartoonish

• Still difficult to take them seriously as adversaries

• Lore and worldbuilding

• Nate sees Picard giving up early

• A/B storylines and storytelling in Star Trek

• Improvements in the medium over the 1960s

• Suspension of disbelief and faster than light travel

• Solar system versus other star systems

• Nostalgia

• Music in Next Gen

• Returning characters

• Q is kind of weird

• Using Q to explore human nature

• Assuming Q isn’t gone

• More solar system discussion

• We’re nerds

• Personal anecdotes about mutual friends

• Reusing footage from other episodes and movies

• Season 1 released immediately in syndication

• “Bill” Riker?

• Security lapses

• Character actors

• Thoughts on Lwaxana

• More worldbuilding and lore

• Filming order

• Things we miss from The Original Series

• Conflict in Star Trek

035 - Dammit, Wesley!

This week:

• A tribute to Scott Adams

• Where No One Has Gone Before, Lonely Among Us, Justice

• Abbie realizes how annoying Wesley is

• Similar to The Original Series, but different enough

• Thoughts and prayers to get home

• What is the time range of this iteration of the Enterprise?

• Curiosity

• Stoic philosophy

• Self-proclaimed experts and hubris

• Confidence without arrogance

• A body-swap episode?  No way!

• Sherlock Data

• Sometimes efforts and attempts just don’t work

• Security fails again

• Detectives’ Credo and Bayesian analysis

• Unbelievable!!!!! The Movie rabbit hole (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIaySADwGp4)

• A better job telling an ok story

• Prime Directive

• Captain’s Calculus

• Did Picard consider just surrendering the ship?

• Life is an exercise in exceptions

• Wesley is smart but naïve

• The death penalty

• Broken Window Theory

034 - Never Give Up...Sometimes Surrender

In this episode:

• The Naked Now, Code of Honor, The Last Outpost

• I feel like we’ve seen this before

• An homage?

• Gregg’s 9s and 10s and his one problem with the series

• Gregg doesn’t like Wesley

• Stories are more refined

• Too early to have a “different characters” episode?

• Visionary vs executor

• Aaron’s Data moment

• Feeling like Original Series episodes

• Issues with Tasha Yar

• Even bad Star Trek is still great Star Trek

• Prime Directive discussion

• Minimal character development and bad storytelling

• Terrible ship security

• The Ferengi

• TNG villains

• Picard surrendered the Enterprise

• TNG vs TOS beginnings

• Expectations moving forward

• Swearing in Star Trek

• Excited for more

033 - Encounter at Farpoint

In this episode:

• The premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation – Encounter at Farpoint

• Joined by my old friend, Gregg

• Gregg’s background with Star Trek

• Felt like a pilot episode, but overall good

• Original Series comparisons

• Star Trek feel with a much bigger scope

• A hopeful future with a bleak near-term view

• Gregg rates a 9 and says it can only go up from here

• Nate’s old technical manuals

• Next Generation trailer

• Target demographics

• Who is the main character?

• Differences between the two series

• Androids and AI

• My questions or things I hope to see

• What we are all looking forward to

• Interesting characters

• Wesley discussion

• Nate was the captain of the quiz bowl team in high school