tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post6568613590075127484..comments2024-03-19T02:43:58.373-04:00Comments on Doux Reviews: Star Trek The Next Generation: The ChildBillie Douxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17141769005175631213noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-13052036540177931402024-01-16T22:11:46.278-05:002024-01-16T22:11:46.278-05:00I just watched this episode in re-run. I guess I ...I just watched this episode in re-run. I guess I kind of disagree a lot. I mean, call me crazy, but I really enjoyed this episode. Ok, yes, the impregnation was creepy, And it was even ickier when a bunch of men were sitting around talking about what should be done about the pregnancy without ever even asking Troi until she chimed in. Worf has the nerve to suggest compelling an abortion. But let's give at least SOME credit to the writers who, in 1988, stopped all discussion once Troi made her decision to have the baby. And it wasn't a capricious decision. She was empathically linked to the fetus.<br /><br />I also actually LOVE Dr. Pulaski. First, I adore Diana Muldaur as an actress. And although she had her cranky moments, and treated Data badly, she also took his side at times -- "Peak Performance," "Pen Pal" (when she even suggested Data had emotion). I think she gets a bad rap. <br /><br />I thought there was a nice emotional arc, and a nice little mystery about Ian's purpose and intentions that had a satisfying (to me, at least) resolution. <br /><br />There are several episodes of TNG that I seem to enjoy that others disparage. This is one of them.Kuffpahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-50714517380379068542023-12-12T11:08:47.968-05:002023-12-12T11:08:47.968-05:00I always liked Doctor Crusher so having her replac...I always liked Doctor Crusher so having her replaced by Doctor Pulaski, who was Bones with only his irritability and none of the charm or humor was a very bad idea. Had they matched her more cantankerous nature with some of genuine empathy, she could have been great, but it never worked. Bones was a favorite of mine for his ability to pull that off so well; the combination of grumpy but genuinely sympathetic, where she came off downright nasty at times, I never felt that with Bones. <br /><br />It's not great here, and while I do love Troi's look here, I hate the violation aspect. While this show was on many years ago, it's appalling that they kept doing this stuff. It's like how Peri was always getting leered at during her time on Doctor Who.<br /><br />Guinan is a good character though. Whoopi did a great job, although I also agree that she was doing some of Troi's work there.<br /><br />Worf's new look and Geordi being chief engineer were excellent changes too.Morellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08852528242739450099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-40527385348826188442015-01-19T23:50:19.111-05:002015-01-19T23:50:19.111-05:00Count me as a fan of Dr. Pulaski, or at least as s...Count me as a fan of Dr. Pulaski, or at least as someone who thought she was a refreshing change of pace. At last there was someone on the show who resembled an actual human being and not just a vehicle for awkward expository dialogue about 24th century moral superiority! It was fairly plain, though, that they were trying to force an arc on her where an initial antagonism toward Data would give way to an eventual rapport, as seen in later episodes such as "Peak Performance".<br /><br />It failed, though, I think for two chief reasons. One is that the early TNG writing staff was incapable of writing the antagonism subtly, or indeed of writing anything subtly (compare the later episode "Redemption" in which we see a somewhat more understated example of an officer who doesn't trust taking orders from an android), so the antagonism is just written as plain scorn. More importantly, though, Data was such a dim bulb that he was never a good antagonist in the first place. When McCoy needled Spock you always knew that Spock could easily smack McCoy back even harder. Data, though, who throughout the show was written as though he'd just rolled off the back of a turnip truck even though he'd supposedly gone through Starfleet education and some years of service, wasn't a good foil.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01813316684223696987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-74215729923549917472015-01-16T22:44:23.479-05:002015-01-16T22:44:23.479-05:00Thanks for the review J.D. I didn't mind this...Thanks for the review J.D. I didn't mind this episode but maybe that's because I was used to terrible episodes after season 1. I agree with almost all the comments on here except that i don't mind Pulaski. She is rude, etc. but it is/was refreshing to have a woman character who was as cantankerous as many male characters.drnanamomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03667806039402426676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-36469552285390725312015-01-12T08:48:48.895-05:002015-01-12T08:48:48.895-05:00I always hated Pulaski. I get what they were tryin...I always hated Pulaski. I get what they were trying to go for--another McCoy. But, I never felt that Pulaski had the same compassion or heart that McCoy had. I just thought she was just rude and mean.<br /><br />I don't know if anyone goes to one of my favorite websites, which is TVTropes.org, but there is a trope which is named "Growing the Beard," which is named after Riker's beard. It refers to the point where a struggling series suddenly turns the corner and becomes really good. For TNG, it coincidentally happened in season 2, same year that Riker grew his beard.<br /><br />KatKathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00609424771874961444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-27508541922702529642015-01-12T07:00:50.568-05:002015-01-12T07:00:50.568-05:00This is an odd episode anyway, but the thing I fou...This is an odd episode anyway, but the thing I found oddest of all on re-watch was when I realised it was the first episode of season two. what a weird, weird season opener - a character piece focusing on a mystical pregnancy. And at least Beverley's leaving is addressed, albeit briefly, but Pulaski is just infuriating here, she's so rude (McCoy was rude to Spock, specifically, but I always felt like that was a long-running personal thing more than anything else, whereas Pulaski is just unpleasant to everyone, especially Data, who she's only just met).<br /><br />I like Beverley and I miss her in this season, though I have to confess, on re-watching, her acting skills are, um, not quite up there with Patrick Stewart, shall we say. But I like her anyway.Juliettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00203399623895589924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-37242198646047667202015-01-11T17:12:18.416-05:002015-01-11T17:12:18.416-05:00Don't scold me, Anonymous! :) I do like Beverl...Don't scold me, Anonymous! :) I do like Beverly, even though she's not my favorite character. And clearly, the Star Trek powers that be realized that replacing her was the wrong decision. Or whatever it was that happened.Billie Douxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17141769005175631213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-23514988312872193612015-01-11T16:21:00.174-05:002015-01-11T16:21:00.174-05:00Hey!. Beverly IS wonderful.
Except when the stupi...Hey!. Beverly IS wonderful.<br /><br />Except when the stupid writers made her do stupid things like in Sub Rosa. But the rest of the time, she's wonderful!.<br /><br />A bit of respect, please.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-74051974123879802842015-01-11T02:37:52.546-05:002015-01-11T02:37:52.546-05:00Actually, The Repulse is a British ship name, and ...Actually, The Repulse is a British ship name, and there have been several HMS Repulses over the centuries.<br /><br />This episode is another product of the writers guild strike. The script was reworked from a Star Trek Phase 2 script where Lt. Ilia (from Star Trek: The Motion Picture) was the one who became pregnant. Ilia was probably the basis for Deanna Troi, so there is some nice symmetry there. <br /><br />The web series Star Trek: New Voyages has also reworked this script and made an episode out of it.<br /><br />The thing that always bothered me the most about Dr. Pulaski was that she was TOO similar to McCoy, but in all the obnoxious ways. Cranky, hates transporters, fights constantly with Spock/Data, etc.Dustinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-9348444287535066132015-01-10T16:04:12.605-05:002015-01-10T16:04:12.605-05:00I completely agree with all of your points, J.D. H...I completely agree with all of your points, J.D. How Troi's pregnancy occurred was creepy, her acceptance of it was also creepy, and it bothered me that it was kinda sorta like parthenogenesis, but the child, of course, was male.<br /><br />I don't like Dr. Pulaski. I never liked Dr. Pulaski. It's not like Beverly is wonderful or anything, but ... I don't like Dr. Pulaski.<br /><br />However, I do love Guinan very, very much. So yay for Whoopi Goldberg.Billie Douxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17141769005175631213noreply@blogger.com