Star Trek The Next Generation Ruminations S1E25: Conspiracy

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[@LostMercenary99]

I consider Picard's reaction to the Queen inside Remmick to be completely in character for Picard as a whole. I'd say his reaction hear is almost a prelude to how he'd react in the future to his assimilation by the Borg. Pure unadulterated disgust at the sheer violation to something he hold pure.

[@EnvisionerWill]

More than anything else, I think what horrifies Picard in that scene is the line "We seek *peaceful coexistance* (period, formatting issue here)." Because that phrase could have come out of a Federation officer's mouth SO easily, and yet its meaning here is SO horrific. These alien worms want to possess people's bodies and use them as puppets, destroying humanity's free will, and yet they improve their host's physical health, they put all their vessels into a single mind which operates with perfect coordination across interstellar distances...I think these guys are a prototype of the Borg, conceptually speaking, but *even more insidious*. Instead of mugging you of your free will through brute force, they *seduce* your free will out of you, and turn you into a visually indistinguishable betrayal of what you previously were (sorry Lore, but I don't agree the bluegill is super-obvious; all you need is to wear your hair long and nobody will see that thing...admittedly most of the admirals and such at this stage were short-haired men, but if more of them were women with Beverly's hairdo, nobody would go around checking their necks).

[@Species1571]

The only thing anyone will remember from this episode is Remmick's exploding head and smouldering, dripping corpse. That was really well done. I wonder if Picard would have phasered the creature so violently if the babies looked like fluffy kittens instead of scorpions.

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

yes, yes, those round furry things that emit a cuteness field...

[@peaceandwar771]

Best season 1 episode. They needed to expand on this.

[@resurrectedstarships]

I'm curious why precisely you like this episode though.

[@Mirandorl]

Rikers "its someone else's leg" taekwondo kick and Quinn's response summed this episode up for me: Police Squad in space. Imagine Leslie Nielsen doing that scene playing Quinn: no difference. Its TNG's star wars christmas special, where the writers had heard of the source material, but never actually watched it. I award this episode one Wesley Crusher rainbow sweater.

[@jef_3006]

Oh come on, comparing the DS9 military coup with this episode’s proposed one isn’t fair. DS9 earned that coup with the Dominion and changelings and season of build up of tension. There wasn’t enough build up in season 1 of TNG to justify such an event, so it really would’ve seemed out of place. This episode, while I think I net like it, has always felt a little odd to me. I think all your popcorn pieces are probably to blame. I wonder how our knowledge of Adrenaline compares to what is was in the 80s. I wonder if perhaps that saves the episodes explanation.

[@korrdxl]

WE SEEK PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE.

[@mapleicecream4819]

*Picard is unconvinced*

[@carldagroundskeeper]

"Blowing up your ships, taking over your stuff and chestbursting your guys is our way of saying, 'I wanna be your friend!' " xp

[@ShadowStoryteller]

@@carldagroundskeeper If that's "I wanna be your friend", I hate to think what it means to be your enemy...

[@ShadowStoryteller]

Uh-huh, uh-huh...K, BYE!!!

[@EnvisionerWill]

@ShadowStoryteller: Maybe, if the Picard show goes really, really well, we might just find out someday....

[@AdamCollings]

The aliens from this episode also made a come-back in the Deep Space Nine re-launch novels, which continued the story after season 7, culminating in the book Unity. In this story, they had some connection to the Trill symbiants.

[@ThePerradox]

A 'quiet night' at Starfleet Command, while outside it's broad daylight outside :)

[@john9550]

its by far the most bizarre of any star trek ep. and I loved it

[@rexremedy1733]

John this should be source material for tarantino trek movie...

[@petewatson-wailes10]

I remember seeing an interview with one of the people on this where they ran the exploding Remmick scene for their son (who I think was about 7 or 8), to see if he thought it was too gross. The kid was like "wow, that's gross and cool!". I kinda get the idea that the whole episode was designed to appeal to an 8 year old boy, and so doesn't need to be particularly clever.

[@resurrectedstarships]

I think you are right about that. I didnt see this when I was 10, but later when I was in my 20's and recognized that this was before TNG had found itself.

[@grumpyotter]

I saw the same--the kid apparently suggested an exploding-head action figure!

[@zakuguriin4521]

I am really shocked with how this episode ended that nobody ever picked this idea back up for a future threat in Star Trek. I mean the signal sent out was calling out to these creatures for an invasion of Earth. You would think that this would become a plot thread for a Star Trek series if not a series of episodes or historical fact.

[@DrownedInExile]

"It *is* a superior form of life. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility." Oh wait, wrong aliens :)

[@MrRandomcommentguy]

Not one of the best Star Trek episodes of all time but certainly one of the most memorable. I think the paranoid atmosphere and the all out horror they conveyed was amazing - really wish they'd picked up the plot thread later on.

[@Springsong5]

To me Troi seemed like the logical choice because she is a mental health professional and bound by patient/therapist confidentiality.

[@harpercole5321]

They cut out the bit where Remmick's head explodes when the episode first aired in the UK, but left it in during the flashbacks in Shades of Gray, rather strangely. Actually, the whole episode feels like it's had bits cut out of it, and that it might make more sense otherwise. I have to agree that the conspiracy should never have got anywhere, given how dreadful the aliens are at acting normally, and the blue gills sticking out of their necks, and the fact that they don't retain the memories of the host (Walker says that old friends have been bluffing their way through conversations. I do rather like that Geordi and Worf forget their phasers, but Crusher has one with her. I guess you never know when you're going to have to euthanize a patient ... Fun episode, despite the glaring flaws.

[@peaceandwar771]

I thought we never heard of the aliens again because Star Fleet executives covered it up. Why would they want people to know they've been infiltrated? I'm sure there was an official cover story.

[@nehor90210]

A conspiracy to hide the conspiracy.

[@rexremedy1733]

Yes. It’s TARANTINO movie premise...

[@williamozier918]

1) According to Section 31 this so called Blue Gill Conspiracy never happened. 2) According to Section 31 Section 31 does not exist, and you did not read this comment.

[@ssmsmdffff]

I really liked this episode, the premise was great even if the execution has pretty pedestrian. I will always remember this episode for being the one where Picard shot someone's face off with his phaser. I didn't mind Picard going to Troi for help. For better or worse, Troi's abilities put her in charge of bizarro-security aboard the Enterprise. She is the perfect person to clandestinely keep an eye on the crew and, as counselor, would know the crew and their memories better than anyone else.

[@mapleicecream4819]

> in charge of bizarro-security This had me in fits of giggles! Bravo! XD

[@EnvisionerWill]

While Troi being the Good Cop to Worf's Bad Cop would make absolute sense, and is probably a better use for a Ship's Counselor than any of the ones we've ever gotten (which IIRC is just this show and Star Trek Continues, though there may be other fan works that have done it, which arguably should count just as much as STC does, but IMO they don't), it's not something we've ever actually seen. Another thing to perhaps hope for with the Picard show.

[@jasoncrowell8863]

Picard does have some rage issues with things that he feel corrupts/violates things he cares for (and/or himself), so yeah, I can definitely see that as completely in-character for him.

[@AlucardNoir]

"[...] and you guys don't want me to nitpick the entire episode, do you?" We don't?

[@oakleysierney1918]

Exactly, I was so disappointed when he SWORE he wouldn't nickpick once more, and relieved when he immediately disregarded his promise.

[@EnvisionerWill]

What does he expect us to do, pick our own nits? XD

[@Melchiorblade7]

After watching season 1 for the first time, this was my favorite episode. It was so bizarre and interesting, flaws notwithstanding. In hindsight it reminded of a Goosebumps episode

[@hughsmith7504]

Funny enough they bring this story up in STO as the aliens were from the delta quadrent, and this group was somehow moved to our side of the galixy. The other story that i like better, is that the blue gills were an off shoot of the trills ( the worms, not the human looking ones) and that they acctually helped hide evidance of the bluegills to avoid embaresments.

[@stevenhoward1842]

I couldn't stop laughing when Riker got his ass kicked from Admiral Quin and those stupid kicks lol

[@williamozier918]

BOOM! That is the sound of my head cannon firing off! When this episode first aired, I loved it. Later I grew to hate it because it never mattered again. Then one day my head cannon fired off and I realized this is one of the most important episodes in all of Star Trek. 1) In universe this perfectly explains in cannon almost EVERY question of why Starfleet seems so incompotent. We know that the higher ups were all taken over by aliens. We also know that the conspiracy got rid of the people good enough to notice the conspiracy. So the entire mid management level of Starfleet is actually incompotent by design. Their diplomatic and military procedures were actually designed to weaken the Federation. Starfleet policies are actually designed to get people killed in the field so the conspiracy can eliminate their internal enemies while keeping their hands clean. And of course the conspiracy uses every technique they have to ensure the people believe Earth is a perfectly safe utopia and everything is fine. 2) Why do we never hear of this again? Section 31 is re-activated to initiate a Federation wide cover-up. Everyone is ordered never to speak of it again, and all records and evidence are wiped out. The top levels of Starfleet are now populated with all the former incompotent by design mid-managers who have to quietly clean up this whole mess but they really have no idea what to do.

[@ajsouza3720]

@William Ozier Holy shit I love the idea of Section 31 being re-activated due to these blue gill aliens.

[@jeffreymiller9438]

I think this is spot-on. Like the Red Army after the great purges. This is probably correct. The elite of Star Fleet was, for the most part, purged as a result of this episode. That's why the Admirals usually come across as idiots, like Admiral Nechayev. Star Fleet seems to lack collective self-confidence after this event. It also explains the high standing Picard has.

[@mapleicecream4819]

It is very convenient for Starfleet that the blue gills Phantom-menaced when the Queen was killed.

[@twirkwiggler]

Arch, would you ever consider ruminating on Full Metal Jacket?

[@DrLynch2009]

How funny that only 3 years later, the plot for "The Undiscovered Country" will involve a military conspiracy.

[@ivanthemadvandal8435]

Lynch85 And Gene hated it so.....

[@appwraith]

Despite its flaws, I liked this episode. Back in the day, I've headcanoned, that the bluegills were distant relatives of the goa'uld from Stargate, which for me explained the increased strenght of the host, and the fact that even if the host was damaged due to flinging people around, the symbiotes healing powers would take care of that.

[@peterkottke2570]

Starfleet Memorandum: "If you recently had a parasite inserted into your mouth which has been controlling your body, please contact Starfleet headquarters for further instructions. Do not be confused that the parasite has disappeared without a trace. Please do not alert any of your fellow officers as we do not want to cause a panic. Outside of a few minor inquiries Starfleet command would like to pretend this didn't happen. After all we've got a Federation to manage, and Federation citizens have been known to get panicked over such minor issues as alien invasions by body stealing parasites. We would also like remind everyone that our experts have confirmed that there was only one mother creature and all of the parasites died with it. You are under strict orders not to look for another mother creature or more parasites. That would provoke undesired paranoia and do nothing but spread discord. They're all dead. Trust us. If you still feel the need to investigate then contact us and we will send a specialist to consult with you in a private meeting. We guarantee this specialist will put your mind at ease and you'll never need worry about parasites again. Also we recently have some new admiral openings. Feel free to apply. We give all applications full consideration regardless of age, record, or experience." --------------------------------------------------------- i'm guessing the bluegills have some sort of cloaking ability to protect them from scans. When the mother creature died they completely disappeared. It wouldn't be too far a stretch to think they could cloak their breathing tip except when unconscious. It wouldn't have taken that much to cover over a lot of these plot holes but I guess the script readers were on strike. What makes this episode so popular is that it was a tonal shift from the rather low key episodes of the rest of the season. Finally a real threat. ( Too bad it will never be mentioned again ) What makes this episode so hard to rewatch is that science fiction tv has evolved since then. We'd never introduce such a major threat introduced and taken out within a single episode. Imagine if Star Trek condensed all the Borg episodes into a single episode and then never mentioned the Borg again. Side note: i think there was a season 3 episode with a woman carrying a killer virus where Riker goes through all the phaser settings. And yes, there was a stun, kill, and disintigrate setting. I always assumed that if you see the phaser glow goes through the body then you know it's kill. If the glow only occurs on the side of impact then its stun.

[@zeromancer-x]

Your missing comics may turn out to be part of a very intricate conspiracy.

[@bp6614]

I'll never forget my mother actually wrote the network about the episode, as she was appalled at the gore, bugs, worms etc... I was like 10 and thought it was great! Remmick was definitely compromised after for two reasons. One it is very obvious when a person was infested. Remmick acted right in line with a righteous starfleet internal officer. Also when Picard rescues the child from the shuttle he shows genuine human emotion and excitement at the outcome. In "First Contact" they establish that maximum setting vaporizes. Unclear if there is a kill setting below that, like 7-10 would kill someone, with 10 as the vaporize setting.

[@godalmighty1188]

I call it the "Worf Maneuver," and it's just Worf flying across a room and slamming into a wall.

[@ShadowStoryteller]

Conspiracy, in my opinion, was good in the sense of breaking the 'Roddenberry Box' as you coined it but I agree it needed a bit of QC. It's noble to think that we'd be incorruptible by the 24th century, but human nature is often different. Really wish they closed the bluegill idea BEFORE the online game got it.

[@xoberonx]

troy would most likely be the best person to detect any aliens on the enterprise with her abilities. makes some sense to check with her

[@mapleicecream4819]

Good point!

[@oakleysierney1918]

They should have had Picard telling her to do that , then it would have worked better.

[@john9550]

I have been waiting for his one, what a weird ass episode

[@fredrikcarlstedt393]

The original premise of this particular episode would later be revisited in The Undiscovered Country and the DS9 arc about Admiral James Laytons illfated military coup .

[@penguinphysics]

As to the great strength issue, I would explain it in the same way that people who abuse PCP become super “strong”. In that case, they actually don’t have more strength than normal, but their sense of pain has been completely short circuited (technically, it is a complete suppression of the user’s nociceptors) and they literally feel nothing. Under those conditions, people have been known to kick car doors off of police cars with their bare feet and break through hospital leather restraints because they feel no pain (an unaffected person would stop after one attempt due to the agony). In the same way, I would consider that victims of the Bluegills to be under a similar influence.

[@jamesmoore3879]

As a big fan of 80's horror and Cronenberg flicks, I watched that death scene near the end thing "Holy fuck, I love this episode now! This is great! But oh man, Arch is SOOO going to hate it!"

[@muadeeb]

Arche: you don't want me to nitpick this entire episode Me: yes, we do! Arche: cause that's not what I do Me: oh, yeah. :FeelsBadMan:

[@tubeviewerX20]

This episode always seemed more like something from the Twilight Zone to me.

[@TheMarcHicks]

You are *not* alone on this matter. I too enjoyed this episode back when it first aired. Now I look at it & think "great ideas, poorly executed, & with no lasting consequences". Sad really. Though I can't help but wonder if the ideas laid out here, in this episode, were the seeds for the Changeling threat in S3-S5 of Deep Space Nine!

[@peaceandwar771]

He trusts Troi. The writers were trying to make that point. That she has his trust.

[@zeromancer-x]

I happen to agree with Lore here, the Troi scene was fluff. He should have gone straight to Data.

[@grumpyotter]

So who knows how Starfleet orders work? I know Captains often order their ships to do things other than what they are ordered--what are the consequences of this? In this episode they are ordered to Pacifica, but Picard heads off to Dytallax B, and then to Earth to investigate the conspiracy. In this case we know Starfleet is infected, but it happens on other occasions--and that's just fine? How much autonomy do captains have? Other things about this episode specifically--I LOVED meeting the other captains--Rixx and Scott and Keel. It is always fun to see captains other than our own. Makes me wonder what it would be like to serve under them. I WISH the show had left the Enterprise more often; i would have loved an episode aboard any of these other captains' ships. Especially Tryla Scott--she seemed very intriguing and interesting. I was devastated when she was infected. I thought the little ongoing joke about how Data tends to over-explain things was very funny--he even got the computer to shut him up! Brent's look at his console when she thanks him for the information is very funny, as is Majel's just slightly-exasperated tone. I was very annoyed when Deanna warned Captain Picard that he was risking his career. That seemed so out of character for her. She would have been able to feel that Picard believed what he was saying and that he trusted his old friend. I have just never heard her suggest such a thing before. She's always more concerned with how people feel. And boy yes, was the music for this one annoying and obvious!

[@AvoozlPlays]

I think Data was supposed to be in a learning stage or something.

[@permeus2nd]

34:09 so for some reason when I get really stressed out about money (and only money, I had a cancer scare that didn’t trigger it) I get a large red mark that forms in the Center of my forehead that looks like a really angry spot with no head, it’s also quite sore too, I’ve tryed covering it up and it dosnt work and it’s a lot smaller than the thing the blue gills have.

[@ieatvirgins]

B-movie goodness at its finest. It isn't smart, it isn't Star Trek, and it has nothing to do with anything, but the entertainment value was stellar - it felt like I was watching an 80's horror movie, which wasn't at all what I was expecting from the episode. I wouldn't even call it a good episode, but I would still rewatch it before many other S1 episodes thus far.

[@cml898]

You mention comics and STO. I don’t know how they differ, but I really like what was done with the parasites in the DS9 post finale novels. I distinctly remember the moment when I realized they were using that plot and thinking “oh no, not THAT dumb plot from TNG.” But they did things to link it to the grand picture and made it a better story than it originally was. I love when the novels take a lesser story and make something worthwhile. The Good That Men Do fixes the Enterprise finale in amazing ways (that’s just what the history books say, here’s what REALLY happened) and Kristen Beyer’s Voyager re-relaunch both improves upon the series and improves upon earlier missteps in the novel verse.

[@Spartanj42]

This is definitely an entertaining episode, but it's really bizarre and I've been waiting for you to analyze this episode.

[@corssecurity]

Classic Doctor Who was on a shoe string budget. Rubber monsters and the like. They had what three sets. The Tardis control room, Unit HQ lab/ Brigader's office and a gravel quarry. Yet the writing was well done and high concepts, solid acting and characters we cared about. It worked!

[@brentc2411]

I just watched this episode last night, and I gotta say, I liked it more than remembered ever liking it.

[@dirtywashedupsparkle]

I had no idea there was such drama behind the scenes as to the direction of TNG. I felt the initial premise of this episode was quite exciting - a continuation of the shadow suggested by a previous episode - but in the end the resolution was too pat, too alien of the week considering the threat was so big, from within. I felt the resolution should have been one more along the lines of victory for now, suggesting a potential future threat that could come up in another episode later. I thought it weird Picard would tell Troi when he was so secretive before that he would tell no-one about the Code 47 and the mysterious change of plans. Agree that the way they surmised it was the Horatio being destroyed - by size - was not plausible. Let it be markings, dead bodies, reconstruction of fragmented letters on the debris, etc. but not size. Makes no sense. Getting to Earth, the way the aliens go about dealing with Picard and the Enterprise was pretty clumsy by choosing to fight with Riker and Worf rather than subdue them surreptitiously. They're supposed to be really patient but they fail to be covert about it with the key Enterprise crew. They're arrogant. It makes sense the Remmick was taken over by the alien prior to his first appearance. Quinn had to have been taken over between after that episode and this one. The aliens killed at the end looked seriously fake on the floor there. They eventually killed the queen before that, that disintegration with a phaser on kill makes sense. The previous shots though didn't do that - why? Personally it was a great grand idea with a bunch of niggles. A decent episode for the main idea. The ending though was unsatisfying because it's over far too easily and quickly.

[@oakleysierney1918]

Why does identification of the Horatio by mass not make any sense?. Identifying markings might be destroyed in the explosion but the total mass of the debris cannot change. Makes perfect scientific sense.

[@Mirandorl]

I know this comment is a year old, but the drama behind Star Trek is a great story of warring and villains in its own right. If you've not seen it yet, look up a documentary called "Chaos on the Bridge", its a fascinating look at the almost cartoonishly machiavellian characters at the top of the studio (if possibly embellished!)

[@jeffreymiller9438]

I thought the set-up was good. I thought the red background and spooky atmosphere on Dytallix B was a good lead-in to the story.

[@FRACTUREDVISIONmusic]

Easily at the bottom of all TNG episodes. Feels like it was written for an entirely different series. Of course, TNG hadn't become TNG yet, so a lot of these early episodes feel out of sorts with most of the series. The most ham-handed elements that broke the entire premise of the episode, The Take Over of Star Fleet by an alien race - Adm Quinn's approach to introducing the alien brood into enemies one must suppose is the norm since we can't know otherwise - so kicking the person's ass, while giving them a chance to call for help, to then be found out - speaks to what idiots the aliens are on so many levels it's impossible to believe they managed to take over Star Fleet. Then there's the dinner they set up for Picard. What the hell was that? It tips off Picard something is f'd up, even if he didn't already know something was. Again, it's idiotic for the aliens to bother with that dinner - what was the point? Then, Ryker comes down, they can't tell he's not one of them? They see a little breather hole with a tail and assume it's all good? Like, no check in from Quinn or anything required? Then, all it took to entirely defeat the aliens was to vaporize the one dude with the top momma inside, who had no one or no thing protecting him from being taken out by two people with hand phasers? He just sat there, idiotically, in his chair, sucked up a stray little one, neck throbbing as he grinned, idiotically, with the enemy standing across the room with weapons ready? How ultimately... **IDIOTIC** !!! These aliens in reality couldn't successfully take over a Boy Scout club, let alone all of Star Fleet. Dumb dumb dumb. Terrible, awful, numb skull Television, let alone Star Trek. Seems to be, this episode was written from the 12 year olds inside the writing team. As to it explaining why Star Fleet proves to be inept until around when the Borg shows up - well yeh, sure, fine. So what? We deserved a crapola episode so we can have a reason to give us a Star Fleet of incompetents for a few seasons? Just whatever... gotta just skip over all the early weirdness, as we hold our noses to moments of later weirdness we get from the TNG experience. Thankfully, the good TNG is so awesome, we can revel it in regardless this and other bizarre moments of the show.

[@godalmighty1188]

Yes! I caught that. "Aye, sir. Full impulse!" I immediately did my best Riker: "Are you deaf too, Geordy?!? I said WARP 8!" "Aye, sir! Full reverse!" Then I imagined Riker putting his hand over his face à la the Picard Face meme.

[@timriggins70]

Unless the mother creature had a host previous to Remmick.

[@supernoob17]

this is such a fuckin bizarre episode. it feels like it's from a parallel universe where star trek is a completely different show. the way it's directed is especially bizarre and out of step with anything else on the show. i *like* this episode a lot, even though i know it's not *good*. all the weird action scenes and the thing coming out of the dudes neck at the end, that scene where they're eating the worms... it's like an episode of andromeda or something

[@ChocolatierRob]

I only minimally remembered this episode so seeing this fairly fresh the other week I was pretty thoroughly unimpressed. I forgave the bad special effects because of the time it was from but all the bad writing you pointed out was what sank this episode for me. I'd say Remmick was taken over _after_ the other ep because if he was hosting the queen _then_ there would be _no way_ it wasn't planting sleeper agents on the ship, especially as Remmick's investigation involved so many private interviews. You saw how many were in Remmick when he died, but none of the crew turned out to be compromised in this episode. The most obvious thing would be that someone else was the Queen's host at that time, he doesn't have to be the first. It could be that the nature of the queen burns through hosts a lot quicker due to all the extra body horror, then when the investigation got too close she found Remmick convenient.

[@MetroidHatchling]

This episode has always been really weird for me. It wants to be something big, something very eventful, like I would even compare the intent to be similar to best of both worlds. It's a huge event that I imagine would have caused all sorts of changes to Starfleet, maybe even changing how their organizational structure works. A lot of their top admirals and captains seem to have been killed? But of course it affects nothing, and that's probably my biggest issue with the episode. They had 6 more seasons to follow up on this, including DS9 and even Voyager. I'm not sure if the beacon was in the Delta quadrant but that would've been a great thing to bring up for Voyager at the least. But it's like if Q Who happened but we never got Best of Both Worlds, or ever saw the Borg again. How would people feel about that episode in that case? It would've been a neat episode with a potentially interesting villain race... that means nothing and never matters so it ends up just kind of forgotten. Without Best of Both Worlds, the Borg would've ended up as just some random badguy race of the week, and that's what this feels like. They had an opportunity to do something really interesting with this race, but they just left it. I also feel like the episode was not put together well and felt super rushed. They go from barely knowing anything about this situation all the way to finding out that Starfleet headquarters (which is empty and not really explained why) has been taken over by hostile aliens, and then defeat them and set everything back to normal within 45 minutes. Setting it up in Coming of Age was good, I think they should've had another episode which involved them finding out what the threat is and how far it's gotten, then another episode where they attempt to deal with the threat. I guess what I'm saying is this probably should've been a two-parter at the least. Really I feel it would've been better to have it slowly escalate in the background of continuing episodes until it becomes a major issue and things have gotten really bad, but with how they wanted to handle things, at least a two parter. This is the kind of episode that's big enough to deserve a two-parter in my opinion. It feels like it was very ambitious in the way that Best of Both Worlds was, but without ANY of the competency in its execution.

[@godalmighty1188]

Remik (sp?) _had_ to have been infected before Coming of Age, or else the Admiral would not have had any reason to suspect shenanigans. The whole thing falls apart if he was infected after, which would make the Admiral either psychic, or paranoid and delusional, and the invasion extremely coincidental.

[@jshariff786]

There's arguably a bit of "Worf Effect" in TNG Datalore, 12 episodes earlier. But it's maybe not fair to characterize it that way, because he was going up against a Soong-type android.

[@DefSquadFan]

Troy is a counselor. Captain seeks counsel. Nothing wrong with it.

[@oakleysierney1918]

One of the aspects of the poor writing that stood out to me thte most was how the Enterprise just waltzes up to earth like it's no big deal, and as you said only when they are a pea's throw from it does anybody bother to contact them. I don't think you can fly even a small aircraft these days without submitting a flight plan. At least not for the large ones. For them to not keep track of one of the Federations biggest military assets at all times, and to let that kind of ship approach earth unchecked is nauseatingly unrealistic. I have a feeling that some of the camp of this episode was deliberate, a nod to cheesy horror flicks and it was definitely influenced by the Alien franchise that came out a couple years earlier. Surprised you didn't mention that. Having said all that like many others here I still overall enjoyed it. It was just a fun episode not to be taken too seriously.

[@KnightRaymund]

Given he has the mother creature, being possessed before makes the most sense. And yet, how he acted in that episode.... You talked of his reaction when Picard saved the kid in the shuttle. That doesn't sound like a man possessed.

[@argentlupin]

These points you bring up are great. I was young when this aired so a lot of the faults went over my head this was the first season just enjoying with my dad. Now as an adult the screw ups are bad. The two biggest for me you pointed out were the Worf sensor scene and Crusher's adrenaline cop out.I need to read the comics and play Star Trek Online. A couple of things it is a little weird that it was Worf and Geordi that came o Riker's security summons. i think that is explainable slightly as Worf is security? He succeeded Tasha. At this point in the story Geordi is kinda Lower Deck but not. Here is another nagging thing hat took a little while to work out was the uniform colors assignments kinda. The Blue was fine as it always was Medical and Science, but occasionally and this still work an engineer or similar science officer wearing gold that makes sense in that they are science but also engineering etc. The red shirt command instead of gold was okay, Geordi and his main job was in the command structure at first he was probably with Worf for two reasons. working his time as a junior officer doing a security rotation or just that Worf picked him of the bridge as a high ranking with captain's chair exp. the writers just need scene time for everyone and another human rag doll for the scene. With Worf he is both and always working up to command like many in all branches and dept. in service but not till late did the uniform change as it should have after Tasha's death too gold. They did keep it the same as in TOS with engineering and security in the same uniforms never understood why they had the same. The only change was from red shirt to gold eliminating the red shirt trope from TNG kinda. Another interesting TNG thing was that instead of dedicated comms officer the head of security is in charge which is interesting. Security would want to have some comms involvement sense it should be in there sphere of influence like many things. Later they would clearly go back to the dedicated comms officer. They did kinda of have that with both Worf and Tasha up there and later Worf and some extra or someone else on occasion. Of course head of security is on bridge and is also the tactical officer as well using weapons. It usually is tactical but some time navigation or conn at he front and both should be using and reading sensor for multiple and different reasons but one or the other is reporting the interesting new development. The phaser was another kinda of gaff they kept changing how and what it did with little explanation they work an made it better later. I get it it now my understanding is the levels go up incrementally very precisely with stun to paralyze knockout someone, then the jump to kill which leaves a burn and kills that level can increase in power and intensity for tougher foes or physical bears other various uses. At that point the phaser melts disintegrates incinerates and explodes objects and itself. You did not mention here that the gore from that scene was such a big issue and one of the staff's kids 6 year old screening it loved it so Berman left it n ran the episode. The possible lead in for the Borg makes sense that that was what the Bluegill were suppose to be be the big bad on going nemesis but that did not happen the Borg came in as humanoid cybernetic threat not a badly script alien rip off so that change was great. Sorry for the wordy comment loved your breakdown video.

[@AngelEpinoia]

I love ruminations

[@maflipse]

Been looking forward to your conspiracy rumination since we started TNG!

[@yatzi8370]

This whole episode is just like up up up and up in tension and expectation and then it just dropped at the end and I felt really fucking blue balled. It's like "Hey I gotta give you this super secrect message in the most secure possible method ever possible. Hey the entirety of Starfleet is in jeopardy. Hey this plan has been months and months in the making! Hey there's been many weird orders from command! And compromised officials!" And then it's just over in one episode.... way too much anticipation here for what the pay out was. This was the type of plot that would have made more sense playing out over the course of the season as the main background narrative. That could have potentially added a very nice layer of depth and mystery to the season as a whole.

[@TheRoyalFamilyII]

Yah, whenever I hear someone say something along the lines of "Season 1 TNG is pretty bad, but at least "Conspiracy" is a good episode," I know not to trust their opinion, either because they have bad taste, or bad memory (usually the latter). The episode had a good premise, but the execution was bad. Very overrated. I feel much the same way about "Measure of a Man," actually. At least the acting/directing of the main cast is better in that episode, though.

[@guidadiehl9176]

You sound incredibly pompous.

[@werideatdusk]

oof please dont compare the two lol! measure of a man has its flaws but was a huge leap forward for the show. conspiracy feels like a total misfire.

[@kudat5480]

Did you see the numbers on the satellite floating past the front of the Enterprise? It's the M.A.S.H. unit number.. 4077.

[@rexremedy1733]

good video! never noticed the episode was that bad...

[@rat_hammer]

One of the very best episodes.

[@rustyhausmann7768]

I don't know if anyone has stated this or agrees with me but I believe what someone refers to as the Queen inside Remmick is in cahoots with the BORG!

[@Edax_Royeaux]

31:37 " Maybe I'm a weirdo but last I checked, phasers set to kill meant phasers set to disintegrate. I don't think we've established in the TNG area what the phaser settings are." Does the TNG era even need to establish a non-disintegrate kill setting? TOS era already established that Kodos the Executioner was killed by a phaser on the kill setting without his body being vaporized.

[@DrRyan82994]

the phasers do whatever the writer wants. i don’t think it’s ever been consistent as far as i can tell. if we nitpick that, then we have to nitpick the speed of phasers, characters dodging them on reaction, then sometimes they aren’t beams at all they’re projectiles

[@TheVileOne]

Nice work

[@davidbpearson2]

Invaders from Mars had that same spoke in the back of the neck.

[@Threesixtyci]

If I remember desenigration guns were banned by starfleet, due to their cruelty..and intense pain.

[@SchneeflockeMonsoon]

These things should have shown up in Voyager. Even if only as a way to beef up the Kazon.

[@BPond7]

I still remember the "Viewer Discretion is Advised" warning just before the show. Pretty crazy for a Star Trek episode. Story flaws aside, it was a pretty shocking and gruesome climax, that's still creepy today. 🖖😀

[@resurrectedstarships]

I thought that seen was 80's B-movie horror only for shock value, fodder for the simple minded audience. :P

[@lanryaiyewa4945]

So y did mr. la forge say full impulse when number one said increase to warp 6 ?

[@permeus2nd]

It amazes me how people like Roddenberry can be such morons and still come up with great ideas that I love, Lucas is another that falls into this. 15:16 and he can order Data to not talk about it with anyone other than him, I nearly said not talk about it to anyone, but then Data wouldn’t talk about it with placard, it’s all about the wording or you end up making a bad guy as smart as Data and we wouldn’t want that? Now would we? 23:00 the person or person that wrote the script don’t understand scale, “”ok we need to head to earth”” 3 weeks later ok I’m exaggerating but depending on where the Enterprise is I may not be, odds are it won’t be a two minute trip, but distances isn’t the only problem with scale starfleet feels like a local business, you have bob he’s the guy in charge and he employees two full time guys and there’s Gail she only works weekend, this is starfleet Friging HQ there should be people everywhere it’s like how there is only ever one spaceship near by it bugs the hell out of me.

[@ryanlynn]

This is my favorite Season one episode

[@peaceandwar771]

Everything you hate about this episode is why I like it.

[@yessum15]

Stinky worf?

[@Yura-Sensei]

I like the super scary TNG episodes. Nice change in pace

[@werideatdusk]

id say "night terrors" is actually scarier than this one and has hardly any gore

[@mr51406]

Only positive from me Lore!🖖🏼 TNG meets Alien. An original exciting threat superficially, but unsatisfactory in execution (literally!). An overreach because of lack of means? Of imagination? Or of interest in going into very serious drama that’s not easily resolved in 44 minutes? The disappointment is mostly because of the abandonment of continuity, the dangling threads (like the homing beacon to where?). The empty halls of Headquarters are a symptom of the lack of means. That quick all too tidy resolution (just the “mother?”) showed the lack of commitment. And then there’s the eeuuwwwh too… It’s an idea they should kept for a 2 if not 3 parter. At least revisited later. Like used in a TNG movie. Instead we got “Insurrection…” If they’d done any of that , the episode wouldn’t stick out like one of those bluegill tentacles.

[@sora6748]

Well in STO we find out the blue gills work for the iconians infecting the vaudwaar which makes sense same with those aliens that abduct enterprise crew memebers in a later episode the iconians were involved byt TNG or the rest of the trek series never really took on that to expand that part. WE saw iconian or whats left of it in that episode but thats it, now STO shows they were conquers inlike picard thinking at the time, and at the end of this episode the message where its being sent from is the delta quadrant but we the watchers never find out which is weird until the comics.

[@nicholassterling8483]

17:47 Lore is wrong on this one. Worf clearly means out of the ships that were AT THE MEETING, not ships in general. Lore badly missed the point. Nick :-)

[@andre_4046]

To determin thag Quinn is actually Quinn she just scaned his eye, just saying, maybe she didn't notice it cuz she was focused on his eye.

[@EnvisionerWill]

This episode really traumatized me when I was a kid; there's no question that it's powerful, but the last time I watched it, I was very annoyed by how much of it was gross-out porn. It's not enough to show the bowl of worms...we have to hear them *crunch*? Blecch. I still think the episode is objectively good, but I don't really enjoy it. It's a good idea, it would have made an absolutely fantastic NOVEL, but I kind of just want it to get off my screen.

[@maxh_music]

I just thought this episode had great directing and it's oddly horror nature to it is a staple of 80s filmmaking. Love the practical effects, the Ryker twist, etc. You can just tell they really got into their performances.

[@kereed1000]

all this back room fighting and just general BS that went into the making of this show all i have to say is.....Thank God For STO !!!!! where would Star Trek be with out it.

[@rexremedy1733]

What did Roddenbery say to this one?

[@resurrectedstarships]

I figured you would dislike this one. I also thought it didn't quite fit in with TNG at all.

[@resurrectedstarships]

ALSO FIRST!!!

[@kereed1000]

sufficient fire power?? it took an dam singularity core to kill the dam thing in STO!!! lol

[@SexycuteStudios]

Ahhhhhh yes, the first controversial episode of TNG

[@Robplayswithdragons]

Does anyone remember the trill novel dax with the one trill taken over by a blue gill. That was creepy.

[@gallendugall8913]

Oh cool. I didn't know it was supposed to have a Borg connection. Makes perfect sense considering they were originally supposed to be hive minded bug monsters. I don't think any episode ever came as close to being this gross. Maybe STD has managed it. Not grubs - Meal Worms, and they're actually edible. So the Blue Gills were the ones who redesigned the uniforms to have those collars? Worf Effect. Wait when was he beat up by a door? I thought that was the Q episode. I think it became the Worf Effect around the second time he was beaten up by Troi. They should be concerned with bringing new races (species) into the Federation. They let the Pakleds in for crying out loud. One of the things that always bothered me about TNG was that there isn't a science officer on the bridge to take and analyse sensor readings. Instead that job is given to Worf. I don't think the writing ever got better in TNG it's just that they got better at hiding it. TNG exists at the dawn of the Great Era of Dark & Gritty "storytelling" and you can watch the progress of the movement within the show's writing. Of course the thing about D&G writing is that its easy and appeals to juvenile audiences. Everything is in conflict with everything else = constant drama. This is great for crap writers who can't manage subtlety or nuance and it's perfect for audiences who can't or won't pay attention to such things.

[@sora6748]

Was it suppose to ahve that borg connection becasue it has the iconian connection in STO which makes sense how the iconians acted.

[@kereed1000]

no phasers can kill without vaping the person remember The Siege of AR-558. the bodies just piled up of the field. Then again that was in DS9 so maybe they set the rule for the kill setting before then.

[@paulscott2037]

Preacher_The_Conqueror to me the phaser thing always made sense in DS9. Vaporizing someone maybe a sure fire way to kill someone but it nust drain a hell of a lot of energy in the phaser. So when you're in a combat situation like AR-558 or similar you want to put your phasers on a setting that will put the enemy down but keep as much power in the weapon as possible.

[@jshariff786]

This episode is really great in terms of ideas, passable in terms of mood, and terrible in terms of execution of the plot (as Lore explains). Lore identified a disconnect in tone between the first and second halves of the episode. In the beginning the problem is characterized as a months-long conspiracy and infiltration at the highest levels of Starfleet. Something that must be pretty insidious and hard to expose, if it has persisted this long. But then at the end, it's revealed relatively easily by Picard and Riker because of the overtness and cartoonish nature of the villains. To me this could have been solved if they had been willing to extend this into a true multi-episode arc (maybe even spanning half a season). That way they could have built up evidence slowly, and hit some actual stumbling blocks, instead of just solving the whole issue in 5 minutes with a couple of hand phasers. Of course, arc storytelling on TV for this type of series wasn't really a thing in 1987...

[@JCSuperstar777]

This is a cool guy.

[@Tuvok_Shakur]

The jumpscare was pretty awful. Other than that, there's tons of goofy stuff in this episode to serve the plot. Despite this, I really enjoyed it. The horror theme is fun, and I think the writers might have just wanted to have an episode with horror themes :)

[@allenjones3130]

I didn't care for "Conspiracy". It got graphically violent at times, just like "Alien".