I posted a ramble recently about my childhood memories of Star Trek and Spock. The Star Trek universe got a reboot in the 1980's, giving us Star Trek: The Next Generation. Now it's hard to believe the Trek universe ever existed without Jean-Luc Picard and Data, not to mention Q.
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From the start, I had a massive crush on security chief Tasha Yar, played by Denise Crosby. Unfortunately, Crosby quickly wanted out, frustrated by playing a Strong Woman Character who didn't get to do anything after the first couple of episodes. Had she waited, I think the role would have hit its stride; ST:TNG was much more of ensemble show than the original, and women found things to do besides saying, "Hailing frequencies open, Captain." But, despite lacking the traditional red shirt, Tasha went the way of security officers on the Enterprise. I've fanficced her back to life more times than I should probably admit (and if "fanfic" wasn't a verb, it is now).
Reboots are tricky: they wanted to re-create the Trek magic without being just a derivative rehash. So Kirk's qualities were split into two characters: Riker the shoot-first swashbuckler, and Picard the diplomat and explorer. Patrick Stewart's love of Shakespeare colored Picard's character in interesting ways.
As for Spock, Data took over his function as the logic-spouting know-it-all. But while Spock looked down on emotion, Data sought it out, striving to become more human-like. In The Most Toys, Data's captor taunts him about being unable to get angry enough to use the disruptor against him. As they're unexpectedly beamed back to the Enterprise, it's noted that the disruptor was discharging. Asked about it later, Data says something must have happened in the transporter process. (...or did it?)
In Season 2, the showrunners tried to re-create the Spock-McCoy sparring by replacing the likable Dr. Beverly Crusher with the crusty Dr. Kate Pulaski, who took an instant dislike to Data. But while Spock would give as well as he got, Pulaski's putdowns just seemed mean with the childlike Data. Apparently I'm not the only one who thought so, because Dr. Crusher returned in Season 3, and Pulaski was barely mentioned ever again.
Then we had Worf, a Klingon living among humans. I liked the idea, though I never did see why the guy who went on about "glorious battles" wound up in romances with Deanna Troi (glad they dropped that idea) and DS9's Jadzia Dax. Especially when Geordie LaForge, who seemed like a really good guy, was forever unlucky at love. As for Troi, her character never did seem to have a purpose: she was always "feeling blocked" whenever her empathic powers might have been useful. Phil Farrand (author of the Nitpicker's Guides to various Trek series) noted that he thought of her as just the "babe counselor) until she started wearing uniforms like the rest of the crew - then she seemed like a person instead of a decoration.
I never could stand Wesley Crusher, a Marty Stu character if there ever was one. Why have a ship full of highly trained Starfleet officers when one teenage boy always had the answer?
Like its predecessor, ST:TNG sometimes tackled social issues. And, like its predecessors, sometimes it tried a little too hard. In The Outcast, Riker falls for Soren, who is from a species that has no gender....except that some of them do, including Soren, and are stigmatized for it. I think it might have been more effective to have have subtler indicators that all orientations are deemed unremarkable on the Enterprise, ie,, Riker makes a pass at a woman, and she says, "I don't think my wife would appreciate that."
Similarly, in Angel One, they did a ham-fisted plot about men on a matriarchal planet. Except, when the leader (or "Mistress") treated Riker in a way that could reasonably be called sexual harassment, he sure didn't seem to mind.
Then there were the Ferengi, creatures of pure greed. As a villainous species go, they were often hard to take seriously. Looking at what's happened in the United States in the last quarter-century, I'd say the Ferengi won.
There were a number of outstanding recurring characters, like the overbearing Lwaxana Troi (Deanna's mother) and the fun-loving sorta-villain Q. (One of the tie-in novels, Q-pid, featured a romance between them.) In fact, my idea of the perfect episode would be one where Q revealed that he'd faked Tasha Yar's death, brought her back, and had Lwaxana give him what-for.
On to Top Comments!
From elenacarlena:
Don't know if this is too late (I just saw the responses, but they were posted earlier) or if it's appropriate because it starts with my comment, but I'll send it and let you decide, at least give you a laugh.
In Jen Hayden's diary, Medical marijuana activist in Kansas arrested, son taken away after he spoke up to D.A.R.E. officer, I asked if these two were the same people. The answers (from EarlGrayHot and bryduck and gffish) were priceless Top Comments!
From
high unitas:
This comment made me literally laugh out load this morning. (Comment is from leftykook in Radiowalla's diary Hillary's father's gravestone toppled on day she announced her run.)
From
your humble (if antisocial) diarist:
In his diary Hard-right Heritage Foundation will be scoring GOP Presidential candidates, the inimitable Hunter observes that, "they won't be held back by petty concerns like whether any of the candidates are secretly five possums tied together and stuffed into a suit." This led to a wicked response by Dezza, and a fitting illustration by dawgflyer13.
Top mojo, courtesy of mik:
1) Don't be a pharmacist by bobsc +240
2) My family reunions are like yours by navajo +196
3) And now tell me again by kenwards +153
3) Fiorina is only second to the greatest by inclusiveheart +153
5) I was looking for the by gchaucer2 +132
6) When Danger reared its ugly head... by thanatokephaloides +123
7) A group of white people ... by niemann +112
8) Please proceed, Republicans. by IndieGuy +101
9) federal indictment by matador +97
9) What is interesting about her, is the fact that by NedSparks +97
11) I wish I had this article on Friday. by Raggedy Ann +92
12) it's worse: expired pipeline permit & water permit by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse +87
13) Someone who walked away with a big pile of money! by leftover +86
14) you get to, Bill by Karl Rover +85
15) The documentary by Lily O Lady +84
16) Strangely, I sort of view Fiorina as a by inclusiveheart +82
17) So the pharmacist gets to refuse by Miniaussiefan +81
18) WOW! That is a bombshell! by CwV +78
19) Here is the store's contact info. I posted this by Leslie Salzillo +77
19) How much more... by RichM +77
21) I can't take my eyes by gchaucer2 +75
22) It was great! Scarborough vacated the set! :) by NedSparks +74
23) I hope they keep saying that so that by inclusiveheart +73
24) Well.... by Lilyvt +72
24) Employers fear the right wing noise machine by ladymissdiva +72
26) Call it a vast by w84me +69
26) When you know somebody a bit... by Meteor Blades +69
28) You think that deputy was ever tased himself? by LordRobin +68
29) Basically by Andrea Spande +66
29) You have to really have a sense that you're by GeorgeBurnsWasRight +66
Picture quilt, courtesy of jotter: