Star Trek The Next Generation Ruminations S5E06: The Game

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[@Norvo82]

How to convince Worf to try it? "Go on Worf, try it. No, don't think of it as a game. Consider it an exercise in mental focus." Boom. Done.

[@oddish4352]

In "Let him who is Without Sin", the Essentialists stated that they wanted to shut Risa down... maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. A nice touch was that Wesley, aware that he was no longer the prime mover against the Game Conspiracy, was careful not to hurt anyone, or to make it necessary for anyone to hurt him. He ditched his phaser, he didn't smash Worf's fingers, and he used only evasion. He knew that he was pure distraction, and his only jobs were to buy time, keep everyone busy, and minimize collateral damage while Data did the heavy lifting. Regarding Picard, just because forcing most people to play wasn't part of the plan yet, doesn't mean they wouldn't force the game on him. All it would take is Riker meeting him in his ready room with a controlled Vulcan crew member. One pinch later, Picard is docile, and then the game does its thing.

[@PerryWhyte]

Brannon Braga must have liked the image of a Klingon eating cake, he uses this again in Phantasms and Parallels.

[@SmallWorldAcademy]

I think Lefler being out of it was a result of her being forced to play the game while she tried to resist it just like later when Wesley is forced and appears out of it when Data walks onto the bridge. I think Wesley was purposely leaving a trail to follow so that the crew would focus on one specific part of the ship rather than searching the whole ship and coming across a re-activated Data.

[@Species1571]

The stupidest part is where they are forcing Wesley's eyelids open and he blinks.

[@kerred]

After hearing what McDowell went through in A Clockwork Orange I feel sorry for any actor whose eyes have to be forced open.

[@oddish4352]

Yeah, I remember that. That was bad editing, though.

[@Crazael]

I can see them using force while in private or in secluded spaces on the ship. Like Riker, Crusher and Geordi showing up at Picard's quarters to force him to use the game.

[@historymaker118]

Risa is basically space Vegas, except whatever happens there never stays.

[@timf7413]

TBH it seems more like a space Sandles.

[@EnvisionerWill]

I am definitely stealing that "stranged out" routine. And I also really like your concept of how to differentiate between "Wesley saves the ship" and "Wesley leads a team which saves the ship". Doing everything single-handedly and then having everyone congratulate you, that's being a Mary Sue (or Gary Stu in this case). Doing something successfully *with help* and because of effective *planning*, that's just good writing.

[@therealhardrock]

On Reverse Angle, the two guys speculated that the writers of this episode only knew video games as a thing their kids were into because video games were a kid's thing back then.

[@mr51406]

The Nitpicker’s Guides are great. They’re in my library since they came out. But Lorerunner is one step beyond. ⭐️

[@johnpotts8308]

They are - and not just because I'm in them! (Really - I'm named in the entry in TNG Vol 2 for "The Price")

[@shootingreal5945]

I really liked this epi. We finally see Wesley save the day by coming into his own. This isn't like his younger days when the script demanded he help to force us to like him which only turned ppl off to Wesley but here we have trained Wesley saving the day and while I won't take away from Data in this, you still have to give Wesley the lionshare of the credit bc none of Data actions happen without Wesley fixing him. So i can watch this and enjoy it despite the story issues. Sidenote..I know you are all thinking it..how did Geordi look with that game on? Noticed they never showed it on him.

[@hamhockbeans]

This eposide had a invasion of the body snatchers feel to it.

[@matthewmccoll185]

don't forget the time trip and malcom had an eventful trip on risa too.

[@cjc363636]

Reminds me of 80s slasher flicks when the sexually active kids got slashed first. For TNG I guess its anti- downtime. Risa, holodecks... Characters enjoying themselves are just begging to be central to that week's villain or threat. ...Somebody could write an essay on that!

[@EnvisionerWill]

The modern understanding of addiction theory suggests that it's basically a substitute for social bonding, so the idea that Wes and Robin would be so much into each other that the game is meaningless to them is kind of a perfect microcosm. I don't know if this episode was actually made in a deliberate attempt to force an anti-drug, anti-peer-pressure PSA-style message out to teenagers, but it certainly comes across a lot better than most of the shows that are intentionally made that way (see for instance the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Beer Bad", which hamfistedly only exists to be an Afterschool Special about why teenagers shouldn't drink).

[@deveshvyas4416]

Love watching your breakdowns. Great series and good to hear your understanding of the show and background.

[@andrewkyriacou6405]

So this one is kind of a silly episode. I didn't have a problem with Wesley in general and I quite enjoyed how he was handled in this episode. I do like your suggestion that Wesley is just drawing attention so that Data can solve the problem so I'm with that. I'm also not surprised he can outrun the crew for a short time because any single person who knows their stuff could have done it. Worf, Riker, anyone could have lasted for a little while before eventually getting caught. As you pointed out the spread of this game makes little sense considering some of the people that it managed to effect. I do like your idea that Geordi shouldn't have been effected. Even if they didn't want to use continuity they could simply make up something to do with his visor interface, even from early watchings I wondered why Geordi could fall to this. I'd expect something like the game gets filtered by his visor or the interface wouldn't work because of his implants, just something like that. I do have a thought about the game being stupidly simple though while putting aside the whole cookie clicker argument (which actually does also make sense to me though). It might be a novelty at first. I could be wrong but I haven't seen much evidence for entertainment that you effectively control with your mind. So it might be using this 'new concept' method to get people to say 'ok this isn't much fun but I'll give a couple of levels a go just to see how it works' and by then it's got you hooked.

[@scotttrammell4299]

I’m a little surprised this one isn’t a Lamentation. The fact that Geordi gets sucked in by this thing (that requires visual input) puts this episode completely in the realm of the utterly ridiculous.

[@1300l]

Me too, i can't stand this episode

[@yessum15]

Wow solid point. I didn't even consider this. I'd say this is the first legitimate plot hole brought up. All the others can be explained away fairly easily.

[@timf7413]

FWIW real world video games generally require visual imput, but there are video games that have been optimized to be played by the visually impaired. That said, Geordi can see so long as he has the use of his visor (I haven't seen the episode recently enough to remember if it was used while he was playing).

[@Tuning3434]

We could have lost Lore Runner months ago, but we have to wait out the pre-uploaded playlist to find out. We might be dangerously close though!

[@athrunzala6919]

Maybe we'll see Lefler again in STO, singing along with The Judds

[@ifandbut]

Re the "fad" bit and it being one of the few times it is talked about in character. What about in Star Trek Beyond where Kirk explicitly says "things are starting to feel...episodic"

[@gallendugall8913]

LOL TNG predicted mobile games. But yeah this is how non-gamers look at games. Great example of boldly writing from ignorance.

[@davidbpearson2]

Invasion of the Body Snatchers...

[@MissMarquise]

This game is based on the Atlantean choice point whether to ascend or enter regenesis. The same situation is on earth now but the choice point is the jab; it was a test.

[@FtwSk8r]

The main thing i kept wondering about was: How does it work on LaForge? (Visor :D)

[@EnvisionerWill]

Another term for the "Tier 4" concept - imagine Bobby Fisher doing ANYTHING other than playing chess.

[@1981roykeane]

Hey Lore. Great review as always. I think this episode has dated pretty poorly. In all fairness though, I think it was a product of the "VR craze", of the early 90's. I really enjoyed enjoyed it back in the day, maybe it has more to do with my early-teen crush on Ashley Judd lol.

[@yessum15]

Let's be honest, we know the original script had Riker bringing back an STD.

[@dirtywashedupsparkle]

I found it strange that everyone gets seduced by what is effectively a game as sophisticated as those Game & Watch games of the early 80s. Flagman anyone? Such a pity they didn't have Lefler on more after this episode, because I thought Ashley Judd shone on the two episodes she was in. An enjoyable enough episode despite the irksome bits.

[@stephenaddario2924]

Worf tried to “do something” about Risa, and suddenly that makes him “the bad guy” lol

[@deveshvyas4416]

I felt the chocolate scene was a filler. Secondly, I don’t think that everyone tried the game willingly up to when Picard states to replicate more, can be implied. All it implies is that not everyone tried it yet. Willingly or with pushing to try it. The lady in 10-Forward was pushy to Robin Lefler.

[@resurrectedstarships]

OMG call-center IT work, sounds like you may have even worked at some of the places that I did. It destroyed by freedom-loving creative soul. I was good at it, but not built for it. Always 'tier2' or higher though.

[@ohgoditshimrun1346]

You can just push a button, and feel good... ...Victory is life?

[@quasimodojdls]

Wesley Wesley Crusher, Where are you? We've got some work to do now. Wesley Wesley Crusher, Where are you? We need some help from you now. Come on, Wesley Crusher, I see you pretending you've got a game. But you're not fooling me, cause I can see The way you fake that shiver. You know we've got a mystery to solve so Wesley Crusher be ready for your act. Don't hold back! And Wesley Crusher if you come through you're gonna have yourself a Wesley Snack. That's a fact! Wesley Wesley Crusher, Here are you. You're ready and you're willing. If we can count on you, Wesley Crusher, I know we'll catch that villain! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Seriously, this is a "Scooby Doo" episode masquerading as a "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode. It might as well of ended with an exchange like - "Why, it's Etana! The woman Riker was awkwardly frolicking with on Risa." "That's right! And I would have conquered the Federation if it wasn't for you meddling kids!" Yeah, another Wesley saves the ship plot. It's not a team effort, sorry. Who saves Data? Wesley. In the end, if it wasn't for Wesley, all would have been lost. It's so bad this time that they literally had the entire rest of the crew (including Wesley's love interest) brainwashed and villainous in order to make Wesley look good. STOP IT! There are some intriguing moments, but that's all they are - moments. Good atmospheric, attention-grabbing moments like when when we see Picard put on the game and when Data first emerges from the turbolift (that is, before the starts with his strobe light nonsense). And the final chase through the ship does have some legitimate tension to it, but then most "Scooby Doo" episodes have that as well. They should have left well-enough alone and kept Wesley off the show. 4/10

[@dylanlewis5113]

The novel series "New Frontier" by Peter David has a lot of the one off TNG characters as main characters. Commander Shelby, Robin Lefler, Doctor Selar, all play major roles in the books. I highly recommend the series.

[@garyedwards3269]

Anyone notice the similarities between the game and smart phones?

[@EnvisionerWill]

The most seminal implementation of the "push a button to feel good" concept is the Tasp described in the Known Space novels of Larry Niven. I wonder if that was one of the influences on this episode. But, just like Niven, the writers of this episode didn't even begin to conceptualize how incredibly damaging this sort of thing is. If I were rewriting this episode, I'd get rid of the idea of this game being brainwashy at all; I'd make it the invention of a Risian native, who legitimately "drank the Kool-Aid" of the Federation higher-ups who first invented the Risa concept, way back in the TOS era when Starfleet was at Maximum Roddenberry, and this is the ultimate evolution thereof (other than possibly putting it onto the holodeck, but these little game rigs are effectively a good VR interface which could eventually *replace* holodeck technology, just because they don't require so much space on the ship). So this game inventor just had no concept of how people work, and s/he created this ultimate pleasure technology, which 90% of all people go straight off the deep end with it and their lives are totally destroyed, and the inventor had no idea that was going to happen, because s/he was one of the 10% of people who would do anything with their lives other than keep pushing that button.

[@justrobYT]

Oh I love this episode. Genuinely creepy.

[@MidnightSt]

nonono, you misunderstand. the game IS interactive, just not in any normal way. it's interactive in a similar way as Jadzia's meditation orb is in DS9. It requires you to get into a specific, in a way meditative, state of mind, and that's what makes it progress. It is not active in the sense we are used to, but in the same way, it's not passive in the sense we are used to. The episode clearly shows it requires effort and experimentation to progress, to get into, and stay in, the proper state of mind. It's still brainwashing, yes, but... it's not a passive thing at all.

[@EnvisionerWill]

This may be one of the show's worse episodes, but it's one of your better ones. Funny how often that happens. It is in fact so good (and so short) that I'm going to watch it twice in a row, which I don't think I've ever done before.

[@michaelfsmith3208]

The Game was classic fan service. Every human on board-humans with social-intelligence, a libido, a sense of humor-fell victim to the game’s seduction. Wesley and his imaginary fantasy girl could not be seduced: nerds have no urges or emotional complexity. The writers were repaying their fans, fans who have no humanlike qualities but retain hope that they’ll one day be appreciated. Wesley had to be the hero, as TNG fans keep believing they one day will be. That said, the episode was effective. The crawl-chase of Worf and Ryker after Wesley (an obvious grade school playground callback for fans) was a lowlight. But Data’s dramatic hand-jive flash was cool. Fine overall.

[@DrownedInExile]

Wait what's wrong with Threshold? I loved that series, wish it hadn't been cancelled. "The Federation nearly got taken over by a screen-saver" Damn. Imagine that written in the history books describing the fall of the Federation!

[@danielyeshe]

He’s referring to the Voyager episode not the show.

[@zuzoscorner]

stimulate the plearue centers of the brain. and SOMEHOW every species brain is the exact same make up to work as intended.

[@The_Kiosk]

My estranged wife played a mobile game years ago that presented as an RPG but it was a click to advance game with almost no choice, just click and click and click and click to progress windows, battles, upgrades. It played itself, effectively. And it was addictive.

[@danflury5688]

Wordle....today..

[@williamozier918]

Nobody asked me or cares but here is how I would've tweaked Wesley to make him work. In the beginning I would show more of him and his friends screwing around and getting caught. Like the snowball off the holodeck, or the kid who stole the shuttle. Show them hacking the replicators and such. Then when you have a kid saves the day episode you emphasis this: Wesley Crusher learned how to break the rules and sneak around and get up to hjinks and not get caught on the MOST elite ship in all the Federation. Wesley and his pals have to outsmart androids, AIs, sper geniuses, and empaths just to like sneak into a closet and make out. Then play that up as to why kid genius can save the day. I could see his character working if KPOW they get taken over by invaders, and its Wesley who is like "Oh hey, I know how to evade the security sensor on Deck 2', everyone looks at him, 'How do YOU know that?', 'Ummm..'. or Wesley save the day because he knows how to steal shuttles from the Enterprise shuttle bay. Something like that.

[@williamozier918]

This is the episode that really sank home to me how much Riker sucks. We saw with Barclay that sometimes incompotent people can be promoted up and out of the way. Riker goes to Risa, and thinking with his little head gets suckered into being instrumental in a plan to take over the Federation and WESLEY CRUSHER has to save the day.

[@harpercole5321]

It's a silly episode, but silly in a fun way, like some of the Season 1 efforts. The next Wesley episode worked rather better ...

[@timf7413]

I like The First Duty, but the ending always struck me as a bit off. (it feels like there should be more consequence to what happened but is averted due to Wesley having plot armor and needing to be available for future use) This episode is just fun, if as you say, goofy. Also, Wheaton and Judd really did have great on screen chemistry together. In an alternate universe, they probably could have done something interesting with that.

[@RavenheartIndustries]

I have a theory as to why Leffler in character acted super sus. Up to this point she and Wes were fighting against the game. She got caught, she was converted, and with her last gasp of willpower she did the one thing that would alert Wes to the danger. Be hyper sus. So it was a take on "Love conquers all"... Out of character I can give a reason for why both Dr. Crusher and Leffler were so out of character as well. This episode had gone out of it's way to ONLY follow Wesley's actions once he showed up. So it is trying to show us the viewers what is going on from Wesley's PoV. In universe Dr. Crusher and Leffler weren't as sus as we saw, but when we watch it through the "Wesley Goggles" his instincts showed them as sus... sense make?

[@timriggins70]

Use to own the guides.

[@ShadowDogProduction]

I don't think its fair to go at them that hard over the graphics/mechanics of the game given their budgetary and time constraints. They're a TV show, not a feature film. I go after JK Rowling over the Quidditch rules because she had months or even years to work that out in a more logical way and to consult with people. A TV show has a couple weeks and they don't have the budget to bring in outside consultants to design a legit game or sink the money into realistic game graphics. For me, anyway, I wave it off because of the circumstances. PS. I was OBSESSED with those Nitpickers guides! It makes me sad that copyright issues made the author quit doing them because he had a way about him. And because he only got 4 seasons into the X Files. I really hate that he had to quit that gig.

[@EnvisionerWill]

Somebody with good video editing skills should just capture some Final Fantasy: All The Bravest footage and cut it in as a transparency layer which replaces The Game in The Game, and then have Lore do a promo video about it.

[@gracelove7788]

I LOVED "the game" episode and it's very relevant today. Cell phones are the vehicle for "the game" to get people hooked and brainwashed!

[@cyanmanta]

After Jack Thompson and Joe Lieberman, this episode just pisses me off.

[@KnightRaymund]

Well The First Duty's great. Wesley's last appearance... yeah, not so much.

[@SchneeflockeMonsoon]

Given how they force Wesley to play it, I don’t doubt that Riker, Worf, and Crusher forced Picard to try it. True, that doesn’t make sense, but what I honestly don’t get is how *O’Brien* tried it. He’s a new father who’s got his job and is the ultimate handyman. He absolutely would know not to mess with stuff like that, even if it was innocent. He’s got stuff to do! Oh, as for everyone not acting out of character: I noticed one little thing. Worf seems really rushed after he’s infected, which makes a lot of sense if he’s addicted to something and wants to get back to it, but especially for Worf. My real question is: how did they addict Geordi? Like, how does his visor not cut out the influence? If it goes directly in or they alter the visor to do it for them, how does Data’s flashlight fix him?

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

The Game is not a game in the sense of the interactive playable actionable kind... what it is (as it is portrayed) is a digitally-stimulating form of drug, something that would be "very Raisa"

[@wangbot47]

Play FATE/GO. It will destroy your life

[@corssecurity]

More Robin Lehfer less Wes!

[@1300l]

This episode is dumb! The way they dominate THE ENTIRE SHIP! Except for Wesley is ridiculous. Picard would never play the game and he would note something off. Same for Crusher, Worf, Guinan. Plus many other characters. In fact, it's Wesley who would try the game out of those. About the ritual of Troy, i don't mind as i feel that it's something that she just "created", i always had this feeling that she was finding an excuse to justify her love and "flirt" with Riker

[@redseagaming7832]

I avoid mobile games not because most not all are crap it's because I don't want to get attached to any mobile game and end up paying for microtransactions which I don't want to do I'll stick to consoles or PC thank you where I have so many choices of games that don't have microtransactions whatsoever