TNG Had the Worst Pilot of All Time (Encounter at Farpoint)

[@michaelchallis4129]

Whenever Groppler Zorn’s not on screen, all the other characters should be asking “Where’s Groppler Zorn?”

[@klisterklister2367]

where is my groppler zorn merchandise

[@Tareltonlives]

"I must go. My planet needs me"

[@richardgadberry8398]

Note: Groppler Zorn died on the way back to his home planet.

[@Janx14]

Clearly the Michael Burnam of his time.

[@repletereplete8002]

Groppler Zorn needs to be louder, angrier, and have access to a time machine.

[@thunderphoenix440]

When Wesley says "he brought my father's body home" it makes me envision Picard just kicking open their front door, hoofing it in with Jack's carcass over his shoulder, tossing it in the middle of the living room, and leaving without saying anything.

[@Enzo012]

He probably lobbed it over the garden fence.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@Enzo012 That Picard eh!

[@kerrychristensen7204]

*Rukia~*

[@TheWilkReport]

Or, possibly, bringing it home like a normal person would in a coffin at the funeral home on Earth or whatever planet Beverly was stationed on with her son.

[@kerrychristensen7204]

@@TheWilkReport 🤔 That might work

[@link05g]

You've expressed your opinion in an engaging and humorous way, you remind me of a young Groppler Zorn...

[@sparkymist]

Groppler Zorn would be proud.

[@colinp2238]

Stop groppling it doesn't suit you.

[@Shadowkey392]

colin Paterson but GROPPLER ZORN!

[@sinicalypse]

@@colinp2238 its too close to gropeler Zorn for comfort, ergo I would much prefer it if you cease and desist usage of the g-word because there are women here and we don't want to scare them off because they are mortified of being groped by the gropeler! Women come first around these parts (and if you turn that into a sexual pun then there is no hope for you. Grow up and embrace the pregler way!

[@sinicalypse]

@sinicalypse also in fairness to me and my point, GROPP-LER ZORN looks like someone who wouldn't be above a grope

[@Rahhelthethird]

Oh I remember when Kirk asked in the fifth movie: "What does Groppler Zorn need with a starship?"

[@Tareltonlives]

"We were discussing...is Groppler Zorn really out there?"

[@DannyBeans]

And remember how beautifully they foreshadowed it in "Wrath of Khan?" "I have been, and always shall be, Groppler Zorn." None of us had any idea at the time just what that meant, but damn were we excited to find out. Talk about playing the long game.

[@thebasementfilmgroup]

"Can I Groppler, or Can't I" 😊

[@Rayman1971]

Or when they were trapped inside the small planet, in the second film, Kirk yelled "Groppler Zornnnnnnnnn!!!!" into his communicator!!!!

[@taiyo888]

"Why is Data so horrifying?" Honestly his whole exchange with Riker in the holodeck just makes me think of Lore and that I would be sprinting for the door if Data looked at me like that.

[@fleacythesheepgirl]

Fun Fact: This entire video was created as a challenge to see how many times the words "Groppler Zorn" could be used in an episode.

[@motomike71]

In the first two seasons Troi's power was that she could hear the underscore when it got spooky.

[@xRaiofSunshine]

Pffft!

[@jasoncaldwell5627]

She has mental powers that work... through the viewscreen. The actual person communicating might be millions of miles away, but as long as their image is on-screen, she's a talking lie-detector. (Facepalm)

[@motomike71]

@@jasoncaldwell5627 Troi's other power was to have the show fail the Bechdel Test. And also be bad a steering the ship when called upon to do so.

[@JosephKeenanisme]

You mean Counselor Obvious. "Captain I sense hostility from those aliens firing weapons at us!"

[@Blisterdude123]

@@jasoncaldwell5627 Except 9 times in 10 'I'm not getting anything from them, Captain' followed by a constipated expression.

[@mazeltovcocktail2.0]

I recently got my friend into Trek and warned her: "Listen this is gonna suck but it establishes the characters and introduces Q so we have to watch it. Enjoy the Space Tylenol Wall"

[@DrewLSsix]

It doesnt really establish any of the characters, they are effectively rebooted as time goes on but cant be said to have developed into their new static forms. And they do essentially remain static for the rest of the series, oddly leaving development for the films.

[@collegeman1988]

And The Naked Now is where Lieutenant Yar has an intimate relationship with Data where he tells her he is fully functional.

[@sophiavechnyak6763]

The first time I watched this I actually didn't notice it was bad because I was so busy watching star trek for the first time ever.

[@dfghj241]

@@sophiavechnyak6763 yes, I'm finishing the second season of tng and I'm fucking loving it away too much. And everyone is saying these seasons suck??? I'll be hooked to the rest even more I suppose.

[@robertwelch2843]

Tylenol wall is an expert summary. That shit ALWAYS puts me to sleep when starting up the series again

[@lancebaylis3169]

It took me forever to realize that the reason Troi is so over-acted in the episode is because Sirtis is being directed to reflect the mood of any given scene, ie Troi is feeling a emoting all the fear etc that the characters around her are feeling but burying. There are a few awkward scenes where her acting flips on a dime because of it. From episode 2 onwards they simplified her character's powers and it made things much better.

[@Seemsayin]

Imagine not having a mood of your own. Everyone else's day... is YOUR day.

[@Delightfully_Witchy]

With certain Autism and ADHD types, that's a reality. 😕

[@MoonShadowWolfe]

Yeah, it reminds me of how Raven can be mishandled in the Teen Titans. If you start to lean too hard on how affected she is by everyone, she comes off as too sensitive to live very quickly.

[@evangelinewood3325]

@@Seemsayin that's fucking terrifying holy shit

[@jonathanwashington6083]

@@evangelinewood3325 Eh, not necessary. (there was a pretty funny Futurama episode that did this.)

[@bertimusprime7900]

I feel bad for the kids named Groppler, it’s like being named President, or Khaleesi. I just narrowly avoided that trend.

[@Christobanistan]

My mom almost named my my twin sister and I "Jack" and "Jill." I do not think she realized the moral of that story. Thank god dad knew why they went up that hill and talked her down!

[@Mecharnie_Dobbs]

They went up the hill to fetch a pail of water, what's wrong with that? Wait a minute...Who digs a well at the top of a hill? Where were they fetching water from? A church? Why did they need a pail of holy water? What the hell was going on?

[@Christobanistan]

@@Mecharnie_Dobbs Hahaha! As I've heard it, Jill was a scandalous young girl made pregnant by Jack's. The implication was they were going up the hill to fool around, and the bump on his head was caused by one of the townspeople. Then she died shortly after.

[@greenaum]

@@Christobanistan "Who digs a well at the top of a hill?" THAT is the unspoken question.

[@ecmelton8633]

I like the part where the big jelly fish hold hands. It's pretty cute.

[@alanpennie8013]

It was sweet.

[@FrenkMelk]

Iconic and WEIRD image from my early teens!

[@kelvyquayo]

it made me finally know what love is

[@razzle8140]

Wow, how did this show become a hit? It was the 80's, I suppose jellyfish hand holding seemed very deep.

[@AzaleaJane]

I like how they were pink and blue. Gotta be clear that these are STRAIGHT space jellyfish!

[@FaeQueenCory]

"Groppler Zorn, take the wheel!" I have nothing to add, as I can't improve upon perfection.

[@Modern_Robot]

They said they created the Abrams Trek bridge to look like an Apple store. Meanwhile TNG went with "87 Winnebago interior".

[@zazaranger5]

Ha! '87 Winnebago interior. Just like Lone Star's Eagle 5 From Spaceballs

[@MyMagnificentOctopus]

I thought it was more "upscale dentist waiting room."

[@UltimatePerfection]

And TOS bridge is "average 60s mall"

[@trazyntheinfinite9895]

Because only an Assclown would want to spend a 100%of his time on bridge in a fucking applestore. Jar Jar is a barely functional moron.

[@zazaranger5]

@@trazyntheinfinite9895 Ha! Jar Jar...Nice one!...

[@innocentsmith6091]

Nothing can phase O'Brien after the horrors he saw fighting the damn Cardies.

[@kirkkerman]

At least he wasn't lighting that damn cahndle

[@nigelmurphy6761]

He wasn't called O'Brien back down. He was just an unnamed bridge officer back then.

[@BurritoVampire]

Damn spoonheads... (It feels dirty saying a fictional slur for a fictional race)

[@syncmonism]

@@nigelmurphy6761 Huh? So you don't want people to refer to that character by the name that character was given later on?! Why?! ... That's insane!

[@lecafard4327]

The Groppler Zorn speech was priceless. I am so glad we are out of the Angry Review age so we can see clever comedy like that speech shine.

[@hyperion327]

I don't understand why this review devoted so much time to non-Groppler-Zorn-related material.

[@jeffnicholas6342]

A few years later...and we still have no answer

[@andyhannon255]

@@jeffnicholas6342 Some things are only for Groppler-Zorn to know

[@jeffnicholas6342]

@@andyhannon255 the groppler is goddess

[@thomasstone3480]

gotta build up the anticipation

[@Firestar-TV]

Fun Fact: in the last Episode of the original Series, Groppler Zorn is hinted at in the Background

[@SparkHazard]

Groppler Zorn would go on to stardom in the WWF as his wrestling alter ego, Grappler Zorn.

[@k.d.henley9242]

But Allison, how can it be the worst pilot of all time when Groppler Zorn is in it?

[@rgoodwyn]

Check and mate!

[@zakkizer2490]

This episode has only two redeeming qualities: 1) John De Lancie as Q 2) the fact that they could revisit all this in All Good Things and actually make it entertaining

[@sockpuppy8811]

You forgot Groppler Zorn

[@kevindobson3701]

Lol

[@caroltawil]

What about DeForest Kelley’s appearance?

[@Bu33ab3]

And Groppler Zorn is one of the best things in the pilot. I want a Groppler Zorn spin off series

[@joe9739]

I separate Ages as such: B.G. (Before GROPPLER) and A.G. (After GROPPLER)

[@pennmike82]

It’s a relief to finally see someone recognize the key role Groppler Zorn played in bringing new viewers to the Star Trek franchise!

[@Orandommeteredclock]

I was gonna say “damn, that Riker’s a dish!” but then we’re introduced to Groppler Zorn and all bets were off! #MarriageMaterial

[@JesseColton]

I'm still angry that Groppler Zorn wasn't mentioned ONCE in Voyager. After all those years of dedicated fandom!

[@traviss6564]

Neelix was too busy burning the food and Kes was too busy being useless for them to mention our own dear Groppler Zorn.

[@matthewhennessey5967]

Voyager rejected Zorn's teachings, and were banished to the Delta Quadrant.

[@citizencalmar]

Suddenly I'm seized with the desire to attend some kind of con in Groppler Zorn cosplay. "You're dressed as a character from 'Encounter at Farpoint'? Did you actually *like* that episode?" "No, it's from this KZbin video. All the cool kids understand the reference."

[@boobah5643]

To be fair, Allison isn't the only person who did comedic reviews of _Star Trek_ to fixate on Groppler Zorn. And who can blame any of them?

[@brianarbenz7206]

I used my language app to translate "Gropler Zorn" into Swedish, then into Japanese, then into Bulgarian, then into Swahili, then into Latvian, then into Korean, then into Slovakian, then back into English. It came out "Allison Prelger." Hmmm.

[@daphnewilson7966]

Step away from the language app.....

[@lajohnson1ly]

Brilliant.

[@balakbelek]

Picard's "mmmmh" is always making me ugly laughing

[@wangson]

That, "Mmmmmh" is AMAZING!!

[@rohansilas396]

i realize it's quite off topic but do anyone know a good website to stream newly released movies online?

[@neiljaxtyn4504]

@Rohan Silas Lately I have been using Flixzone. Just search on google for it =)

[@maximiliantommy1839]

@Rohan Silas i would suggest FlixZone. You can find it by googling :)

[@sobertillnoon]

"unfortunately clothed son" I get what you mean, but… phrasing.

[@mastermarkus5307]

Yeah, it took me a moment. My first thought was "whoa, most people don't even LIKE Wesley"!

[@traviss6564]

Lmfao

[@kellyweingart3692]

lol

[@xRaiofSunshine]

0_0

[@TheMsLourdes]

Just goes to show that its not so easy sometimes to get across what you meant to say vs what you said ;) Alison pulled a Picard.... wait.. you know what I mean...

[@nateshandy2070]

Allison saying "Groppler Zorn" as many times as humanly possible is my favorite thing on the Internet today.

[@Titanic_Trash]

Q had to leave the trial bc he was judging the charmed ones in the courtroom next door.

[@Rebochan]

I'm sick of you and your stupid ideas! *zap*

[@matthewhennessey5967]

Pretty sure the Charmed ones started the third world war they mentioned in this episode.

[@DalekTheSupreme]

I am so glad I'm not the only one who made a Charmed joke.

[@accursedsidor8987]

So Q dropped the ball on both cases, huh?

[@thegeek4145]

@@matthewhennessey5967 Well let's be fair, it was most likely the elders, say it with me now, "The Elders are Dicks"

[@cartoonkelly7924]

I like that you referenced how even Patrick Stewart didn’t believe in TNG in the beginning and didn’t bothered unpacking for a while. I’m discovering new things to love about this video to love.

[@Tareltonlives]

I remember hearing that the scripts were so bad that the rest of the cast( especially Dorn, Frakes and Spiner) began to goof off and riff on the show. Between the awful material and the constant jokes, Stewart was driven crazy until around halfway through the season then he just joined in the riffing.

[@christopherjustice6411]

Troi: Pain, loneliness, terrible loneliness Me: Stop describing my love life Deanna.

[@montyr2083]

All I have to say is thank Groppler Zorn for Colm Meaney. Just sitting there, thinking about the great fun to be had building ships in bottles, he was the rock that guided us to season three.

[@kiruppert]

I was disappointed to find out that Gene Roddenberry's middle name was Zorn. It kinda just lays bare the fact that Grobbler Zorn was only as awesome as he was because he was Gene's self-insert character.

[@marshallhuffer4713]

I thought it was Wesley.

[@thecrimsonghostakathefiend7508]

My favorite part is when you said Gropler Zorn.

[@thecrimsonghostakathefiend7508]

Holy shit I got a heart from Alison . ❤❤❤🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@Libluini]

You really need to make more of this, I was laughing so hard at both "Grappler Zorn" and Data going "Yes we're guilty, please kill all Humans".

[@nicholashurst780]

I can explain TNG's unexpected success in four words: the Reading Rainbow guy

[@MyMagnificentOctopus]

John "Damn I Want to be Named Groppler Zorn" Cort

[@4Legacy]

TROI: But if we collide with it, we could- PICARD: Shut off that damn noise.... And turn off that alarm too

[@ThatJohnKillion1970]

Troi: Officer Obvious.

[@andrewgilbertson5672]

They brilliantly bookended the entire Next Generation era; in the first episode, Troi warns Picard not to crash the Enterprise; in the final movie, Picard orders Troi "go ahead and crash that Enterprise after all."

[@Junkotherstuff]

Good review, except that you didn't mention anything about Groppler Zorn.

[@jonathonnoble4805]

This episode contained less Groppler Zorn than I had hoped, and was a good deal shy of the amount of Zorn time to be enjoyed in the most celebrated Star Trek motion picture, Star Trek: The Wrath of Zorn

[@SMATF5]

ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRNNN!!!!!!!!!!

[@angelusmaker]

Wrath in German is Zorn, so in German the film would be entitled "Der Zorn des Zorn"

[@FancyGeeks]

True story, Groppler Zorn refused to allow the show to be cancelled for the first three seasons. He knew it would get better.

[@MyMagnificentOctopus]

Wait a minute, doesn't Groppler Zorn look a lot like the imaginary guy O'Brien killed on DS9 in one of those "O'Brien must suffer" episodes?

[@nekolalia3389]

I think we just figured out how his PTSD was patched up in time for the next week's episode.

[@r0bw00d]

Nah, he looks more like Dr. Soong.

[@MyMagnificentOctopus]

@@r0bw00d Kind of strange how many old guys with long wild hair inhabit the Star Trek universe.

[@rjonboy7608]

Yeah. I don't remember the title (and I'm too lazy to look it up 😋) but o'Brien gets mindf¥>#ed by aliens who implant memories of decades of cruel hard labor camp as punishment. O'Brien goes home physically one day older but remembering 30 years pressed to the brink of survival. The Groppler-looking guy implanted in his false memories is real. Much mayhem ensues. Lives are enriched. Cultures grow. Eventually "Smiley" is de-Zorned.

[@damenwhelan3236]

The first two comments on this are woefully under appreciated.

[@Tareltonlives]

"Sir, scanners point to a new Allison Pregler video" "On screen" "It's a Star Trek video. " "ENGAGE"

[@AWriterWandering]

Don’t you mean, “make it so”?

[@Mobysimo]

Saying Gene Roddenberry had strange ideas is like saying Sith are mean Technically true but a massive understatement at the same time

[@p1ssedoffchristof48]

Cocaine is one hell of a drug

[@ChristopherMB87]

Everyone so busy talking about Groppler Zorn, they don’t even notice the mention of Captain DeSoto: the Best Boss I Ever Had

[@garygoldstein6862]

I raise you the pilot of TOS, that was literally deleted until they could work it into the plot

[@Davethe3rd]

And why is Groppler Zorn so awesome? Because he's played by Michael Bell! Yes, a prominent voice actor from the 80s through to today! Most of you know him as Duke from GI Joe!!

[@zoppie]

He was unforgettable as Craig Robinson in the Lost in Space cartoon pilot. "The stars look the same...but they're different. We must be...LOST IN SPACE!!

[@DalekTheSupreme]

I remember him as Sideswipe, Prowl, and at least one of the Constructicons in Transformers.

[@eamonndeane587]

I know him best as Raziel in the Legacy of Kain series.

[@marshallhuffer4713]

I know him as Chas Finster in Rugrats.

[@zazaranger5]

Don't forget, Lance on Voltron, and Zan the Wonder Twin in the old Superfriends cartoons back in the '70's and 80's

[@TheSomewareMan]

Giant jumbo jellyfish?!

[@KnightofDuroch]

You gotta tip your hat to the writers of "All Good Things..." for having the balls to craft a series finale that everyone loves by jumping back to the pilot that everyone hates.

[@earlleeruhf3130]

That is my thought exactly. "All Good Things was a boring bookend to the boring Farpoint."

[@shaunsteele8244]

I just pretend that the Generations movie was the real finale

[@Mr_Joe_B_619]

And they still didn't get Yar's hair right.

[@xdproductions3087]

It needed more groppler zorn

[@ryanleadbitter7749]

@@shaunsteele8244 What? Generations was terrible! At least pretend First Contact is the finale if you’re gonna ignore how good All Good Things is.

[@ZoraXire]

"I have personally made William Shatner cry" needs to be a T-shirt so bad

[@ShinGallon]

My favorite thing about Groppler Zorn was that he was played by Michael Bell, who voiced several characters on the G1 Transformers cartoon so when he talked I could imagine Sideswipe saying his lines. I haven't watched Farpoint in forever, but man it seems to be not as good as I remember it. I'm glad TNG got better later, those first 2 seasons are rough.

[@Tareltonlives]

Groppler Zorn would be a great Transformers name

[@ChristopherSisk]

How dare you Zorn such a beloved episode! Have you no Groppler? May Groppler Zorn himself smite you! All hail Groppler Zorn!

[@1000huzzahs]

Considering how terrible the pilot was, possibly one of the worst for any series, it's amazing how the series finale is widely regarded as one of the best ever produced. And they tie back into the pilot too.

[@Rocketboy1313]

That is a reasonable thing to wonder. And I have pondered that in the past. I think it works on the same level as the recent "Crisis on Infinite Earths" event for the DC live action shows. They had cameos from lots of DC franchises, and in so doing they seem to be saying, "This is all DC, we are part of a long legacy of fun and adventure, it may not all be great, but there is an appeal that keeps people coming back." Acknowledging where you came from wistfully is not the same as saying it is great or beyond criticism, but it is still appreciating that it is part of the canon and worth celebrating in that way. And let's be clear, the only way "Encounter at Farpoint" or shit like the live action "Birds of Prey" TV show was ever going to get any praise was by saying, "Um... It is certainly part of bigger better thing..."

[@sandytentaclez1051]

Yea, but that makes it more evident how pathetic most people are these days that whine about a shows quality after the first 4 episodes.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@sandytentaclez1051 Back in the good old 1980s nearly all TV was terrible. Nowadays we have higher expectations.

[@johnallen3033]

I've noticed over the years that Trek writers tend to try to own past mistakes rather than forgetting about them, they use them sometimes to try to seed better stories. Like for example when alternate Tasha Yar was in Yesterday's Enterrise and the pointlessness of original Yar's death is gives a lot of emotional weight to that story. Also the importance of the events of the maligned Nemesis in Picard, personally I like Nemesis despite its flaws but its not just forgotten about because mistakes were made. There's something about taking bad story decisions and trying to turn them around into something good which seems unique to Star Trek. Or maybe that's just me.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@johnallen3033 Good point!

[@Farlas816]

Having guys in skirt uniforms is still kinda cool though

[@tedsmart5539]

skorts!

[@timbdotus]

Skants!

[@klisterklister2367]

gimme more of them

[@zanite8650]

Dem legs

[@drewgehringer7813]

When you want Gender Equality, but also still want the Miniskirts

[@DustinBKerensky97]

9:10 No name in history screams out "Roddenberry's idea" more than Groppler Zorn.

[@orionthomas967]

With Star Trek TNG being my first ever exposure to Star Trek anything I found this video very funny because I had a lot of the same thoughts. I'm about 10 episodes in and I'm telling myself "everyone says it gets better, just hold on...that's what Groppler Zorn would want."

[@spikeghost666]

honestly i kinda love that Picard had such a short fuse in the first two seasons of the show. It's part of why i loved his interactions with Dr Pulaski in season 2. She had a similar personality and it made them clash

[@obnoxiouspriest]

Glory to Groppler Alison for this lovingly merciless retrospective! I experienced many warm feelings between bouts of laughter.

[@Djinsin]

Groppler Zorn was the only character that made Trek worth watching. Groppler Zorn is the ending argument to why Star Trek is better than Star Wars. Groppler Zorn is less a character and more an experience. Groppler Zorn is pronounced "forty-two" in the language of that computer from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The reason that Q judges humanity is because one of its member dared to think he was worthy to have an audience with Groppler Zorn

[@SavageGreywolf]

it's actually a testament to the series writers that they made Q into such a great character after how dumb his intro episode was. I guess using him sparingly helped with that.

[@swagromancer]

I have been watching Star Trek all my life, one of my first conscious memories is watching TOS with my dad, I have spent an embarrassing amount of money on every technical manual and official blueprint released, not to mention the armada of plastic spaceships I've constructed over the years. So don't take it lightly when I say that this channel has the best Star Trek reviews on all of KZbin.

[@AllisonPregler]

oh thank you!

[@minski76]

10:20 Zorn actually is German and translates to wrath. The Zorn of Groppler? ... Yeah, I got nothing....

[@ArdisMeade]

"I made William Shatner cry" Why is this in the part where you confess your supposed crimes and not the highlight of your defense?

[@Dovah21]

It took me half the video to realize I was viewing content from the artist formerly known as Obscurus Lupa. Glad you're still around! You were one of the good ones.

[@kinorai]

I live by the Groppler Zorn way of living. I offer apples to everyone, even if there are no apples. Groppler Zorn is love. Groppler Zorn is life.

[@traviss6564]

I can't wait for the premiere of Star Trek: Groppler Zorn on CBS All Access ®

[@toastlover]

Can't believe the missed the opportunity to call it Star Trek Nights. I mean, Riker did play the trombone and the holodeck was a jazz bar now and then

[@Tareltonlives]

Pretty spooky, huh folks?

[@lloroshastar6347]

One of the things I've always resented about TNG is how they treated Troi's character. I wouldn't say she was underwritten necessarily but she wasn't given much to go on and her role on the bridge kinda became redundant. The big thing they really missed out on though is the tremendous resource they had in Marina Sirtis, who as you can see in interviews is fucking hilarious. You can make a good well rounded character that is also funny and not reduce them to the 'comic relief', I've seen it done many times. Just a lot of wasted potential with Troi.

[@drdreel5559]

The problem with that character is that if she did what she was designed to do every episode would be over in three minutes because she'd know what everyone was thinking. So they turned her, as Sirtis herself has put it, into decoration, like a potted plant.

[@jacksmith3148]

You can see her chops in episodes like Fistful of Datas where she plays second fiddle to Worf and absolutely kills it. She's hilarious, fun, and refreshingly she feels a lot more valuable than usual. It's a genuine tragedy that most Troi plots involve her getting into bed with a strange man who turns out to, gasp, not be who he seems he is! Luckily the rest are Lxwana episodes which are absolute treats and Deanna bounces off her mother fantastically. It's easy to see Troi's best features when she's standing next to Lxwana.

[@marshallhuffer4713]

Here's a Fun Fact: Marina Sirtis originally auditioned to play Tasha Yar, while Denise Crosby read for Deanna Troi. However, Gene Roddenberry decided to have the two ladies cast as each other's character.

[@Ashen.Elixer]

Not gonna lie, I really wish they'd stuck to the original casting. Funny Tasha would have been kick-ass, and I feel like Crosby-Troi would have been far more serious, and would have bounced off of Lxwana marvelously!

[@peterlane1391]

Um...so when Geordi had his first command, and the captain and crew were in grave danger, Troi advised him, teaching him how to calm, motivate, and inspire his crew. She explained the history of negotiations with a xenophobic race to Picard and showed him how to argue successfully. She advised the captain on various occasions concerning the people he was talking to, detecting their lies, attempts to cover things up, etc. She sensed lifeforms from as far away as a high orbit, even when the ship's sensors couldn't. She helps keep order on the ship when the Borg kidnap Picard. She's placed in command. She detects intruders. She does significant work with Alexander. Troi is written as a deceptively brilliant character. Because an empath with her background in negotiation and psychology would be intimidating, she softens her voice, stays out of uniform, appears jovial. Under that surface, though, she's highly insightful. In Code of Honor, when Tasha accepts a battle with Lutan's wife, Troi tricks her into admitting she enjoys being admired in order to force her to consider whether that or the mission at hand is driving her decision. After Picard's kidnapping by the Borg, she tries to get him to consider whether his sudden desire to run home is fueled by a desire to escape rather than confront the trauma. Troi does so much in the series, but most people just dismiss it.

[@SpiderDijon2]

I'm watching this with my headphones in. When Groppler Zorn was on screen my girlfriend leaned over and observed "He looks like Dio".

[@gotisc]

That scene in Trials and Tribble-ations where Groppler Zorn meets his past TOS self was very heartworming.

[@avahenson4565]

I love that “humanity”is on trial and Q chooses like two humans, a half-betazoid and an android.

[@alionfish5]

You could make the argument that Data was created by humanity and can count as part of it , but even then it's really a strench

[@kingdave31]

I love how TNG gives us a clip show of itself halfway into the pilot. Most crappy 80s shows would wait for a couple seasons before doing that.

[@boobah5643]

Most shows actually budget for two hours of show when they make a two hour pilot, too.

[@chavesa5]

1. Didn't recognize Cary Tagawa and I am deeply ashamed. 2. Flapdoodle is probably the most accurate dscriptor of EoF I've seen. Every so often I'll see someone say "Watched EoF today man what a great episode" and you're just like, not allowed to point out the Flapdoodle. And it hurts.

[@TheChristianaut]

Takes me back to my favorite moment of the Voyager pilot: "Very well. Since no one seems to care for Zorn, we'll have to proceed ahead of schedule!"

[@VolkXue]

the bridge looked like a early 90s apartment.. Too much beige

[@WookieFragger]

It was an interesting editing choice to say " a questionable animated series" while showing the most awesome possible clip from the animated series

[@OptimumBuster]

Thanks to you, I will never forget the name Groppler Zorn. Fun fact he was played by Michael Bell who is a prolific voice actor and was the voice of Duke on G.I. Joe and Drew Pickles on Rugrats.

[@eamonndeane587]

I know Michael Bell best as Raziel in The Legacy of Kain series.

[@TheMsLourdes]

That's Why his voice has been messing with my brain for years! Subtle enough difference in tonality not to give it away as Groppler Zorn but enough to make you go .. hangon.... Flippin Duke!

[@bri55118]

Also zan of the wonder twins, and several transformers.

[@SwiftNimblefoot]

I'd so love if it was revealed the Elders were really the Q continuum and Q was always so angry at humans because most of his experiences of humans were with the Charmed Ones. :)

[@accursedsidor8987]

Given the time difference in which the shows are set, there is no reason for that to not be true. Until specifically addressed, Charmed and Star Trek are now in the same universe, to me anyway. :)

[@JamesMC04]

Swift Nimblefoot The Squire of Gothos is Q/an Elder. Obviously.

[@michaeldriggers7681]

I can't handle that crossover! That is like knowing that Wayne's world and Terminator are kind of in the same universe.

[@JamesMC04]

Michael Driggers A Predator/Charmed/TNG/Harry Potter crossover is badly needed, w/ Hermione Granger & Deanna Troi against a Predator and the Source.

[@DAv2003]

I'm ten minutes in and the words 'Groppler Zorn' have lost all meaning. Really funny look into the episode and its many flaws. Good work with the video.

[@JoeNovax]

I remember waiting one Christmas for a Groppler Zorn action figure I begged my parents for. Sure I got a super nintendo and a new bike but I was sad cause I didn't see any more presents, but then my dad came home from Toys R Us and had the figure, he went to 4 stores cause they were all sold out. Later I went to my rich friend's house that had the Bandi Administration office playset and even though it was a re-purpose of the Ewok Endor forrest playset we had a blast. Man those were good days.

[@filipbonnyns9730]

"Allison Zorn" sounds nice. Good luck with that!

[@Inignot12]

Imzadi take me away! Only Groppler Zorn can comfort me.

[@JanetDax]

"A feeling of great joy", said no one after watching this. - priceless

[@theshelley2007]

OH BOY 4:22 AM TIME FOR MANIC EPISODES. AND ON THE TNG PILOT. i am Psyched

[@aadams1006]

In retrospect this is incredibly silly. But watching it for the first time as a kid, it was great. The introduction of an android character? An empath? A klingon? Great stuff. We loved the set design. It was so eighties. Who wouldn't want to live in a technological pastel paradise where anything you want can be replicated? Who didn't want a holodeck of their own? You'd never leave! Even the furnishings looked so gosh darn comfortable. It wasn't the storyline or the acting or the dialogue. it was the ideas.

[@bs-calrissian2023]

I just discovered this channel and I'm laughing my ass off since half an hour straight

[@PadawanoftheSea]

You’re right, and you should say it.

[@dobb7101]

I love your Trek videos. All of them are just wonderful. I'm also glad that the Trek writers figured out the proper Corn to Space Jellyfish ratio by the time Voyager came around.

[@davidsterling7570]

Groppler Zorn was played by Michael Bell. He did a fantastic performance as the main character in a long series of story-focused games, and I love him to death. Odo plays a recurring character in those games (RIP) too. Worth checking out the intro to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Also the editing in this was some of the funniest I've seen in a while, fantastic job! A bunch of moments got me legit laughing; I love how janky the pilot was and few people seem to talk about it.

[@FrenkMelk]

That whole diatribe about Groppler Zorn was a salve unto my nostalgia. I was 12 years old when that episode debuted and I always thought that was the most preposterously wonderful name. Throughout my life in the 80s 90s and then 2000s I would often think back on that old man and wonder if anybody else held that name in similar reverence. Cheers to you!

[@jimkirk4357]

OMG, I adore the loving send up of Star Trek by a fan who knows it SO well. Pointing out the Gropplerness of the Zorn was absolute genius and made me laugh like 35 years worth of pent up silliness! Thank you for this young lady!

[@GamesFromSpace]

Fun fact: For the first two seasons, Troi was just filling in for the backup sensor array.

[@GoatHeadWalletProdt]

To be fair, while the pilot is a huge mess one of my favorite scenes is when we see “Bones” and Data talk. It was a nice cameo and a way for TOS to basically “give their blessings” to the next generation and that interaction between Bones and Data was honestly very heart warming. But that’s just my opinion of course

[@alanpennie8013]

I think the scene established Data as a fan favourite from the very beginning of the show.

[@piotrd.4850]

Note, that each TNG series provided send off to next. TNG did it to DS9, DS9 to VOY.

[@piotrd.4850]

Old Bones and New Spock. There was also great dialogue between Data and Spock later on.

[@LaNoLaCola]

The pilot for TNG? And Tasha Yar is here? I don’t be-LIEVE this! Thank you Phelan for that line from his Born review and TNG bootleg zones

[@JoducusKwak]

unironically concidering to Cosplay as Groppler Zorn now

[@HollywoodNeu]

I was laughing so damn hard at the Grappler Zorn speech that I had to pause between giggles and yell at my screen "ALLISON!" This is some great stuff

[@Matrim42]

No joke, in my life I’ve seen a non-zero number of Groppler Zorn cosplays. They existed.

[@SwiftNimblefoot]

That is a staggering revelation

[@Blox117]

what did you just say about my mother??

[@DarthArachnious]

I love the first two seasons of TNG. Just for being batshit insane and the Star Fleet onesie. Roddenberry was like Lucas. A big ideas guy but terrible at execution. Encounter at Fairpoint was an excellent introduction to what we were going to get for the next few years. Because episode two was about a virus that made everyone f#ck.

[@MegaMagicdog]

Not to mention that was stolen from the TOS!!

[@alanpennie8013]

@@MegaMagicdog If Gene had had has way that would have been the plot of every other episode.

[@DarthArachnious]

Star Trek is ridiculous. There's a classic episode where Kirk and crew go into a haunted house. And another one with giant Space Lincoln. Should I mention the DS9 episode with rumplestiltskin? As for the prequels. They have breaks in logic because kids don't understand politics. And Jar Jar was a poorly executed Buster Keaton character. But I like the prequels. They work as a trilogy. The Robin Hood episode! How could I forget the Robin Hood episode of TNG? I love the deep introspective sci-fi of Trek. But you have to love the lunacy of it too.

[@shawncat]

"Picard in later seasons - diplomatic genius. Picard in Encounter at Farpoint? Too dumb to live!" That line made me spit up my coffee - your delivery sold it :)

[@MrBjanders]

Don't act all cool and pretend you didn't have the Groppler Zorn action figure and Groppler playset when you were a kid.

[@buzzinbea]

"Groppler Zorn was the most popular baby name from 1987 to 1994" and the rest of the Groppler Zorn rant wasthe funniest shit I've everheard