Deanna Troi

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Star Trek TNG S04E16-18 Galaxy’s Child, Night Terrors, Identity Crisis – “Attack of the Space Calzones” | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 063)

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First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episodes 16-18

This week, we continue our first-time, release-order journey through Star Trek with three episodes from the fourth season of The Next Generation.

We begin with the arrival of the real Dr. Leah Brahms, forcing Geordi to confront the difference between a person and the idealized version he created on the holodeck. We then find the Enterprise trapped in space as its increasingly sleep-deprived crew begins to lose control. Finally, Geordi investigates the disappearance of former crewmates from an away mission that took place five years earlier.

This week, we get:

  • World building for the fans

  • A potentially interesting, but possibly underdeveloped idea

  • Incomplete victories

We covered:

  • Galaxy’s Child

  • Night Terrors

  • Identity Crisis

Galaxy’s Child

Dr. Leah Brahms visits the Enterprise to examine the modifications Geordi has made to the ship’s engines. Geordi expects an immediate connection with the woman whose holodeck recreation once helped him escape a deadly situation, but the real Dr. Brahms is considerably less interested in fulfilling his expectations.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise encounters a massive space-dwelling life-form and accidentally kills it while trying to defend the ship. After discovering that the creature was pregnant, the crew must find a way to save its newborn offspring—and prevent the baby from draining the Enterprise of its energy.

Things we discussed:

  • Empanadas or calzones?

  • Creepy Geordi

  • Differences between Geordi and Barclay?

  • Easter eggs for fans without detracting from new viewers

  • Speed and distance in Star Trek

  • Radiation measurements

  • Picard’s speech on destroying a life-form

  • Guinan messing with Geordi

  • Character developments as the series progresses

Night Terrors

The Enterprise discovers the USS Brattain adrift in space with nearly its entire crew dead. The only survivor is a Betazoid who is so traumatized that he cannot explain what happened aboard the ship.

The Enterprise soon becomes trapped in the same region of space, and its crew gradually loses the ability to enter the stage of sleep necessary for dreaming. As paranoia, exhaustion and hallucinations spread throughout the ship, Troi’s recurring dream may provide the only way to communicate with another vessel caught in the same phenomenon.

Things we discussed:

  • Reminiscent of other episodes

  • An interesting, underdeveloped idea—maybe?

  • Nate breaks down ship classes and crew numbers

  • Real-life lessons from Star Trek episodes

  • Old Star Trek DVDs from China

Identity Crisis

Five years after participating in an away mission on Tarchannen III, members of Geordi’s former team begin abandoning their lives and mysteriously returning to the planet. Geordi reunites with Susanna Leijten to investigate what happened during their original mission.

When Leijten and Geordi begin undergoing the same transformation as their missing crewmates, the Enterprise uses its records and the holodeck to reconstruct an encounter no one realized had occurred. The crew finds a way to reverse the transformation, but the conclusion leaves us wondering how complete their victory actually was.

Things we discussed:

  • How I Met Your Mother discussion

  • Geordi could have done everything from Sickbay

  • More Enterprise security issues

  • Shuttlepod/shuttlecraft discussion

  • A semi-successful resolution

  • Earth: Final Conflict

Final Thoughts

These episodes provide three very different examples of victories that do not completely resolve the problems that created them. The Enterprise saves the newborn creature in “Galaxy’s Child,” but only after killing its parent. The crew escapes the phenomenon in “Night Terrors,” although the episode leaves parts of its central idea unexplored. Geordi is cured in “Identity Crisis,” but the fate of the transformed beings on Tarchannen III remains unresolved.

“Galaxy’s Child” also demonstrates how The Next Generation can reward longtime viewers through returning characters and continuing relationships without making that history inaccessible to new viewers. Together, the three episodes give us fan-focused world building, intriguing ideas of varying levels of development and several victories that come with important qualifications.

Where we are on our Trek:

Last week we covered:

Next week we will continue with:

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

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.

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Star Trek TNG S03E22-24 The Most Toys, Sarek, Ménage à Troi – “We don't talk about Spock” | First Time Reaction – To Baldly Go Podcast (Ep. 056)

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This week on The To Baldly Go Podcast, Aaron and Nate continue their release-order watchthrough with three more episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation: "The Most Toys," "Sarek," and "Ménage à Troi."

This week, we get:

  • Evil, terrifying characters

  • Allegory

  • Shakespeare

We covered:

  • The Most Toys

  • Sarek

  • Ménage à Troi

The Most Toys

"The Most Toys" gives us a Data-centered episode that feels like part of the well-oiled machine Season 3 has become. Data is left for dead, which creates an interesting tension problem because, as viewers, we know he is probably going to be safe. Even so, the episode finds its strength in the exploration of loss, adjustment, and the way real-life experience can shape how a story impacts us.

We also spend time discussing Kivas Fajo as a truly evil character, whether Data might be one of the most terrifying people on the Enterprise, and the uncomfortable question of what Data was prepared to do at the end of the episode. Also, Data lied.

Sarek

"Sarek" is a great episode and another reminder that The Next Generation is now clearly its own show while still remaining connected to The Original Series. Patrick Stewart delivers a remarkable performance as Sarek’s mind, and the episode gives us a lot to talk about when it comes to aging, dignity, emotional control, and how we respond when people we admire begin to decline.

We also discuss whether "Sarek" works as an allegory for Alzheimer’s or dementia, and the strange writing rule that apparently prevented the episode from directly referencing Spock.

Ménage à Troi

"Ménage à Troi" is one of those episodes where the title does not exactly inspire confidence. Still, Lwaxana Troi continues to grow on Aaron as a character, Shakespeare becomes a major part of the episode, and the Ferengi return to cause trouble in the way only the Ferengi can.

After the heavier conversations in "The Most Toys" and "Sarek," this episode gives us a very different kind of Star Trek discussion.

Final Thoughts

This set of episodes gives us evil collectors, aging Vulcans, emotional allegory, Shakespeare, Ferengi nonsense, and one very important question:

Do we talk about Spock?

Listen now to To Baldly Go Podcast Episode 056 as we continue our first-time journey through Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Where we are on our Trek:

Last week we covered:

Next week we will continue with:

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

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.

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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)

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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!