Quis cusotdiet ipsos custodes - this phrase gets spoken to me at w**k all the time. :rolleyes:

:blink:

If my w**k did that to me I'd look at them blankly, say something completely out of context and stroll off rapidly :lol:

This has always been one of my favourites :thumbsup: I remember when I first got the video that I'd just bought a surround sound video recorder and the thunder storm towards the end was most impressive :lol:

The consequences of cultural contamination are brilliantly examined here, from start to finish. Picard's dressing down of the lead scientist when he is asked to give the Mintakans "guidance" is a brilliant example of Patrick Stewart at his very best. I love the whole sequence where Picard brings Nuria aboard the Enterprise and tries to explain the situation to her. Ron Jones' score adds to his dilemma and her wonder immeasurably, imo.

I also like the chase sequence, Troi being taken hostage, Picard's acceptance that he may have to die in order to prove that he's not a god, the understated conflict between him and Bev over her actions. It's all first rate :thumbsup:

Anyway, I still love the episode, it's a fine example of the progression the series has made in terms of acting, writing, feel. It's the best episode of the season so far. And the final scene is wonderful. Simply brilliant :thumbsup:

What Steve said :lol:

Bev doesn't come across too well in this one imo - had to laugh at the "I'll keep him sedated" bit. Oops, oh look despite the fact I should have been paying close attention to the guy I completely failed to notice he'd regained consciousness :rolleyes: :blink:

If she had kept him sedated there wouldn't have been much of a story would there? :lmao:

:lol:

Not much. Would have saved them a bit of money on the location shoots though :lol:

I think that's another thing with this ep that sets it apart. The previous episode used a location, inasmuch as they showed a garden, but this is the first one I can remember that really puts extensive location w**k to good use. It really adds to the feel and quality of the show :thumbsup:

Of course, it doesn't help that it's the same old location that they used in so many Star Trek episodes, like where Kirk fought the Gorn in Arena etc :lol:

Ooh, look - I recognise that rock :o :lol:

Looks like we're all pretty much in agreement on this one. Love it :thumbsup:

If the first three episodes had hinted at something special this season, then this is the episode where it really starts to hammer the belief home. Ray Wise is always great to watch, but beyond that, Patrick Stewart gets his first chance of the season to really upstage everyone else with a fantastic performance. Like Steve, I just adore the whole sequence where Picard brings Nuria on board. Ray Wise gets better and better the longer the episode goes on, and his frantic desperation towards the end of the episode really gives Pat Stewart a run for his money.

Oddly, the first time I ever saw this one I thought it was quite unremarkable. Every subsequent viewing ilicits the same response. It's one of the best episodes of a truly fantastic season.

I looked at the thread and thought I know the Latin for that and realised that I was already in it.

I think this episode is quality and an exercise in how you can really get Sci Fi appealing to the masses. In fact the viewing figures that they got have never been replicated iirc.

Anyone care to venture why?

^^ TNG absolutely thrived in syndication. Post TNG, syndication became a lot more fragmented market. DS9 suffered, whilst Voyager and Enterprise suffered even more by being homed on a fledgling network (UPN).

That being said though, it really wouldn't have made much of a difference. TNG was always more viewer friendly than any other incarnation of Star Trek, arguably, even the original series. TNG achieved the near-impossible by taking Star Trek mainstream for a while. The doors that its success opened up for the genre were immeasurable. I think, at the time, the only real sci-fi/cult shows that were thriving were TNG and Quantum Leap. TNG, with the aid of Quantum Leap, to a smaller degree, were pretty much the catalyst to the golden age of sci-fi in the early 90s, where you went from two/three shows to an absolute schedule full.

I must admit TNG and Star Trek S1 always struck me as the most viewer friendly of the incarnations. DS9 always seemed incredibly involved so I tended to avoid it though I have just ordered DS9 S1 and S2 from Amazon. Trying to wait for a decent price is like share dealing ie a matter of pot luck.

I am probably alone in this but when the price drops for Voyager I will buy S3-S7. Voyager counts as a little more accessible than DS9 it seemed to me. sk

Play are knocking out the DS9 sets @ £17.99 each at the moment.

Voyager gets a slimline re-release this coming Monday. £27 per season, but it'll only be a few months before they come down to £17 as well.

As soon as I've finished off my TNG set (just need S2), I'll start getting the DS9 ones.