🖖STAR TREK TNG 1x21-22 | The Arsenal of Freedom | Symbiosis

[@jenmurrayxo]

Over on Patreon we're up to Season 2 Ep 17-18 this week! 🖖 NEXT GENERATION Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLQHhQlj8i5dqskzLNqeSNyMGa1rBWe3h1 ORIGINAL SERIES Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLQHhQlj8i5drsrCtQd-FDuZZ99vKlPTyZ

[@anulire]

Jen, did you watch Star Trek Generations movie before you started TNG? The movie is lead in into The next Generation

[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

Episode 24 is a sad and shocking one.

[@tomhoffman4330]

@@anulire "Are You Out of Your Vulcan Mind?!?"🤨The "Generations" Movie takes place AFTER this Series...

[@galemartin9155]

I too love the prime directive. It reminds me that kindness without thought can be a cruelty.

[@anulire]

@@tomhoffman4330 And yet it's lead in into TNG :p That's why I said, watch it

[@daletonner9035]

"the lollipop .....she's a good ship"

[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

😂

[@jarrodnewman0514]

Always enjoys those sweet trips to the candy shop

[@Sandy-dd4le]

One of the best gags in the entire series. Classic!

[@jcastromex]

"Shirley" you can't be serious?! 😄

[@synthetic240]

I think Riker had a really weird upbringing in Alaska. Like his mom was obsessed with mid-20th century pop culture or something.

[@BH6242KCh]

"You're going to take command..." Aww Yeah! "....of the saucer section." D'OH!!

[@Wannabe_Baby]

I love Jen's "suspicious face" at 25:18. :D

[@MGower4465]

1:10 "Maybe there are stupid life forms" 😂😂

[@lassesipila6418]

Can't stop laughing at that, damnit 😂

[@MrDatandroid]

Came here to comment the same thing. LMAO!!!

[@vermithax]

"Is there any stupid life?" I can't believe I've never made that joke. Well played.

[@MD-1982]

I love the line about the ship; Rice: "Tell me about your ship, Riker; it's the Enterprise, isn't it?" Riker: "No, the name of my ship is the Lollipop" Rice: "I have no knowlege of that ship" Riker: "It's just been commissioned, it's a good ship"

[@toddjh]

That whole sequence is uncharacteristically good for first-season TNG. Frakes' hilarious lines aside, it's got a great creepy vibe where everybody knows what's going on but the best move for everyone is still to try to keep the conversation going as long as they can, on the off chance either side learns something important.

[@80smoviesfan]

Symbioses Merritt Butrick (T'Jon) and Judson Scott (Sobi) both appeared in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) as, respectively, Kirk's son David and Khan's right hand man, Joachim.

[@dwilborn1257]

I was wondering where I had seen Sobi before! Just missing his headband.

[@JoshuaDMaley]

As a Trek fan since the 80's, I'm floored that I never knew/caught this. Glad you shared that.

[@harveylee51]

@80smoviesfan i did notice that and they were on opposing sides in Wrath of Khan and here as well although they never interacted in Wo K . Good to come here and catch this i missed the intial live chat but i'm here caught up Always enjoy these Sunday Trek Journeys with Jen CHEERS .

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Yea, I thought that was David... Though I remember him best as Charlie Brewster's carefree pal from "Fright Night 2"

[@dugferd2266]

​@@jean-paulaudette9246he'll always be Johnny Slash to me.

[@CarolinaCharles777]

There's nothing quite like Riker's go to "leg-up" move! 😆

[@briankramme7295]

I was in serious heroin withdrawals when this ep came on at 2 am on some random channel. Sign? I checked into rehab that morinng. Havent touched it in 20 yrs. Ty tng.

[@wolfslair31]

These people have been my family. To read a story such as yours, is touching. And WELL DONE YOU! x Tasha and Captain Picard would be proud. Also, you have my respect.

[@Jerkwad152]

Good on ya, man! 👌

[@sideshowbro]

20 yrs?!?! Damn, son.

[@RockmanX3]

in episode 21 where picard said "noted" to deanna it was a polite way of saying "i dont give a f***" xD

[@Shuttlebay4]

I love Vincent Schiavelli and he was the highlight of this episode for me. It has some good moral challenges concerning the sale of weapons, but it felt as though it was a draft away from a finished script - almost all the elements were there, but not quite. Geordi was basically gifted command of the Enterprise on a whim!

[@stephenkronfeld9228]

In re Riker - not all starships are the same . The Enterprise is the flagship of Starfleet, gets the most important, challenging missions.

[@sebastianwittmeier1274]

And who would not want to serve under Jean-Luc?

[@arno_nuehm_1]

fully understandable.

[@briguy399]

I was going to Say the exact same thing - the flagship Plus the lineage and the history of ships named Enyerprise. namely Captain Kirk commanded one too.

[@cypher515]

It's going to be a while before Jen gets close enough to even consider looking at Lower Decks, which is a good, if rather wacky, look at a lesser ship in the fleet -- to the point where I submit that the finale will be Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid in live action telling the story to cadets at the Academy and admitting, "Yeah, it's all TRUE but we probably emphasized the fun stuff when we could." -- but Jen's already seen a lower-deck ship, hasn't she? Even the Excelsior is not the Enterprise and the Reliant was not Excelsior, that kind of thing.

[@sebastianwittmeier1274]

Also Archer!

[@RetroClassic66]

20:52 Two actors who were both in STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982)! Merrick Butrick (David Marcus, Kirk’s son) and Judson Scott (Joachim, Khan's chief henchman).

[@tIhIngan]

lolled at "Maybe there's stupid life-forms"

[@martinbraun1211]

Sadly, Merritt Butrick died of complications from AIDS on March 17, 1989, aged just 29. Rest in Peace.

[@mcgilj1]

Wow.. Never realized he died so young... I knew he had passed away... Crazy. Seemed like there was so much more time between Trek III and TNG.

[@3DJapan]

That's sad. I was looking at him and thinking he looked like Sting.

[@znk0r]

So there are at least two Wrath of Khan actors in this TNG episode, I find this fascinating.

[@albertmartinez2539]

He was sick at the time of filming. Putting him in the episode got him some money to help pay for meds, as he had no health insurance.

[@richlisola1]

Such a great actor. Sad that he died in real life, as David died in movies.

[@gwenthor]

Always a joy to watch Star Trek TNG with Captain Jen (I noticed your insignia ;) ) Also, "commercial break"!! Love it!

[@InJeffable]

27:53 In case you had any doubt that this is an '80s show, here's a drug PSA. All that's missing is a D.A.R.E. shirt on Wesley. Also, I should note that you have two Star Trek movie alums in this episode. Sobi (the dude from the planet of drug dealers) was played by Judson Scott, who also played Khan's right-hand man in Star Trek II (the one who tried to be a voice of reason and ended up dying in Khan's arms). T'Jon (the blond dude from the planet of drug addicts) was played by Merritt Butrick, who also played Admiral Kirk's son David in Star Trek II and III.

[@firedoc5]

Both original and TNG addressed social issues of their day, and narcotic addiction was/is a big one. BTW: Looking good, Captain Jen.

[@drb6771]

Jen nailed it! Everyone to drug rehab!! 👏👏👏👏

[@noneya3635]

“Throw a rock at it!” 🤣 Love that Jen figured out the answer almost right away. Little Wrath of Kahn reunion in this episode always nice to see some of the classic actors back in the series.

[@richardlicht7927]

Love all of your Star Trek reactions. "Symbiosis" is one of my favorite episodes....at least for the first season. I thought Yar's "preaching" to Wesley on drugs was on the money. The actor who played D-Jon played Kirk's son in the movies.

[@martinbraun1211]

I'm already extremely excited about next week and the reaction to the episode "Skin of Evil".

[@chetstevensq]

this episode was actually filmed after skin of evil, thus the character break from Denise in the cargo bay at the end.

[@qbasicmichael]

Shh... we'll tell her next week. (Edit: she's ahead on patreon, right? So i guess she's probably already seen it, but still...)

[@cypher515]

Wil Wheaton kind of hated that Just Say No speech because of how cheesy it was, but it does hit a lot differently if you decide that maybe Tasha was speaking from experience, and that Tasha had to leave her planet before cleaning up. So she's glad that Wes will never go through that. (Kind of hits harder when you realize Wil Wheaton realized he was at least a problem drinker if not an alcoholic -- I don't think he ever specified, but since my dad's last AA chip before he died is in the change jar of my car for good luck I tend to overthink the difference -- and stopped drinking altogether, when he realized he was drowning the memories of his childhood.)

[@hellomark1]

It probably wasn't intended at the time, but the "Just Say No" speech really does sound like something a utopian society might think is a valid option when they've never suffered true hardships. It's just one of the ways that the Federation is by no means perfect.

[@Temeraire101]

The thumbnail, Riker “What are you doing with your other hand??!!”

[@Nimbus1701]

I am really enjoying these weekly Star Trek episodes with Jen. Love getting to see her wheels turn and come up with ideas and problem solve her way out of various situations based on clues presented in the episode(s). That was something we did when TNG was on.and we had people over to watch. We put a can out in the middle of the table and after we watched the intro we wrote.our ideas down and taped it to a $5 bill. Whoever got it right got the money. For times nobody got it right, we used the money for pizza or cheeseburgers and beer. It was always a fun watch party. I'm glad Jen is getting into it like many of us did. Has me looking forward to Sundays to watch the episodes along with her.

[@RandomAmerican3000]

My teenage self wanted to see more of the girl they had at ops. Was very disappointed she did not return (that I recall). They had a LOT of one off crew people in this first season. Later seasons they more consistent secondary crew members even if they never got any kind of characterization.

[@nataliefaust7959]

She's in season 1 of Babylon 5 if you wanted to see the actor more. But yeah, DS9 handled supporting characters so much better. I always wished TNG had done as well. ♥

[@jvgreendarmok]

I've always had a certain fondness for "The Arsenal of Freedom", as TNG doing a TOS-style episode. 🙂

[@lsdzheeusi]

Jen, in context: E21 was right during the peak of the 1980s cold war military buildup E22 was right during the peak of the "war on drugs"

[@ThistleAndSea]

Fun one, Jen. Enjoying this journey! 🙂

[@FredtheDorfDorfman1985]

Symbiosis was actually Denise Crosby’s last episode, at the end of which she comes out of character and waves goodbye as Picard and Crusher leave the cargo bay, as the door closes. It was filmed after Skin of Evil, but came before it in episode number. I believe that’s why they brought Judson Scott and Merritt Butrick in as special guests for her last full time episode. Also, recognize the salesman hologram in Arsenal of Freedom? He’s Vincent Schiavelli that played John O’Connor in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.

[@JimmieRayGiboney]

31:28 Mark! Her "Hypocratic Oath" and "Starfleet Oath" often provide conflict for her, as it does for other CMOs. 🤷‍♂️

[@shanepye7078]

The actress who played the ensign at ops had a tragic real life story. She got horribly addicted to fentanyl Lollipops. Was on “Hollywood addiction” I believe was the name.

[@3Rayfire]

Are you sure that's Julia Nickson you're thinking of?

[@RetroClassic66]

2:12 You are just the cutest nerd girl ever when you sing along with the theme music, Jen! It’s so much fun to watch you get into your Next Generation costume and watch your show every Sunday!

[@jvgreendarmok]

@@daerdevvyl4314 go to horny brig

[@RetroClassic66]

@@daerdevvyl4314 No, noooo! You misunderstood. I don’t watch her actually putting the uniform on! 😂 Silly mistake how I phrased that!

[@stackels97]

​@@daerdevvyl4314ew. What a gross comment

[@andersonberry6261]

whoa. forgot about this one. the salesman is in Ghost live long and prosper.

[@fizzywhizzbanger5610]

Yes! That's where I recognize him from! He's the guy who teaches Patrick Swayze how to interact with the living world, then falls to pieces over cigarettes.

[@harveylee51]

@andersonberry6261 he also played that creepy science teacher in Fast Times at Ridgemont high . i believe he's played that same character a few times . 🤨

[@BattleBunny1979]

and the harkonnen mentat in a dune video game. he did a great job there too :)

[@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785]

Vincent Schiavelli...he was in a LOT of different flicks from the 70s, 80s, 90s up to his death in 2005...an actor, comedian, and philosopher, the guy was one of my all time favorites...an underrated legend.

[@Dillpicks95]

I’ve never been a morning person but if i’m willing to get up early every Sunday to watch Star Trek, that just shows how great Jen is and how great these reactions are.

[@jenmurrayxo]

I appreciate it! 🖖

[@TheeYellowDart]

Aside from it being a scifi series that needs a consistent cast for unit cohesion, any officer billet on the Federation Flagship would be quite prestigious. I feel that would play a lot into Riker's decision not to take his own command.

[@walkir2662]

Especially as it shows he's willing to sacrifice immediate command for learning more.

[@TheYakusoku]

My father used to state it as, "would you rather be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond?" That included when I decided on which college to go to and ended up going to a prestigious university, but I was definitely one face among a crowd of tens of thousands on campus.

[@TheeYellowDart]

@@walkir2662 Yes, and lots of command experience with competent peers under the mentorship of basically a Starfleet Legend. I Wouldn't pass that up!

[@nealsterling8151]

Love watching TNG with you. Btw, do you remember when Kirk and McCoy where put on trial by the Klingons in Star Trek 6? Their assigned attorney was Colonel Worf, Enterprises -D Worfs grandfather.

[@BouillaBased]

I like the episodes that show how other members of the crew handle command. Some of the most interesting character development in the series.

[@MGower4465]

Lesson from Star Trek - if something glows, push the button next to it. What could go wrong?

[@smadaf]

24:40 "This one barrel contains over four billion doses" he says while holding the barrel in his hand. They've just said the dose is 0.01 milliliter, which is 0.00001 liter. Multiply 0.00001 liter by 4,000,000,000 and you get 40,000 liters. It doesn't look as if he were holding 20,000 two-liter soft-drink bottles in his hand. A cube with a volume of 40,000 liters would measure about 3.41995 meters (about 11.22 feet) on a side.

[@josephn.schneiderman8512]

@Jen Murray, "Symbiosis" was the episode featured on Reading Rainbow's "Bionic Bunny Show" ep. At least, the behind the scenes of "Symbiosis" occurred during that ep. Not sure if anyone has flagged that for you yet. Bits of that episode of Reading Rainbow are floating around KZbin.

[@JimmieRayGiboney]

1.6K Thumbs Up + Mine! 👍 You're welcome, and thanks! ☺️ Notes: Another fun one, Jen! But since you used it, I'll ask you! Why do some people say "on the nose" the way that you did? 😒 Subtlety doesn't work for a lot of the people that I know, including family! 🙄 To get a lesson point across to them, takes them learning it the hard way by trial and error, and sometimes a "ton of bricks" to get them to know the differences between right and wrong. 🤷‍♂️

[@adamromero]

Thats a great thumbnail! 😮

[@cleverlydevisedmyth]

Jen, it's amazing that you figured out immediately that the weapons needed to be bought to stop the commercial simulation, and that you instantly guessed that the hill-billy aliens were on drugs! LOL

[@Zerbyte]

Star Trek with Jen just tops off my weekends now. She is the best.

[@Sandy-dd4le]

It's coming folks, next week, Jen is going to cry.

[@white-dragon4424]

It's amazing, you guessed again the reason for the "medication" before the characters did. I've gotta say you're one intelligent lady.

[@PhoenixFlamezz]

She also nailed the first episode too, when she was like, "Just buy it!"

[@billbabcock1833]

For the longest time my two favorite Reactors, who strangely are both Canadians, have remained tied in the much coveted #1 spot in my heart. Or is it my head. 🤪 But today in the first episode when they said that there was no intelligent life on the planet, your "maybe they're stupid life forms" comment tilted the scales. I bow to the new queen. 👑 🎉 Date and location of the coronation TBD 🎉

[@ammaleslie509]

Next Generation channel is much better than popcorn in bed

[@jagger2001]

If you get the chance after finishing season 2, you should watch the documentary "Chaos on the Bridge". You mentioned there's not a lot of conflict among the crew, and that's because Gene thought there shouldn't be any internal conflict among the main characters. But the documentary goes into the conflict between him, the writers, crew, his lawyer and the rest of the staff. Its a fascinating watch

[@mattstrathis4328]

Jen I can't believe you didn't die laughing when he said "if you don't give it to us you will be a party to murder and the genocide of an entire civilization!"😂

[@Lone-wolf-1982]

"More power to the engines" - Captain Jen.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Jen, Dr. Crusher is the head of the medical contingent on the Enterprise. She leads a staff of several other medical officers. And, as to 'chemistry', my guess is that Jean-Luc has felt strong attraction to her, even when she was married to one of his best friends, but out of respect for his lost comrade, has never acted on his feelings.

[@brandonparisien2381]

Guess my butt lol

[@curtisberard7831]

Shs was at least at first supposed to be a love interest for Picard but the idea was scrapped.

[@brandonparisien2381]

Its in the writer's bible...but was discussed in the episode "Artached" .. i have tge scriot, tge original ending sucked! @@curtisberard7831

[@Tantalus010]

"She doesn't look good. Do they have another doctor up there?" The Enterprise-D supposedly has a crew complement of somewhere between 1000-6000 Starfleet officers (Galaxy class cruisers were literally flying cities), so presumably yes. According to some BTS stuff, the Enterprise's medical staff is about 36 people. Also, there's supposed to be more than one sickbay on board (which would make sense given the crew complement), but you'll only ever see the one and the crew always refer to it as if it's the only one.

[@3Rayfire]

Her compliment is 1014 under normal circumstances. When Probert designed her he set the crew at 6000, but it was reduced before the show began. Also a nod to how automated the ship is. Her maximum evacuation capacity however is 15,000.

[@qbasicmichael]

Not all officers. Lots of enlisted, like chief o'brien. Also, civilian family members. Not sure if they're included.

[@garypeterson5960]

RIKER WANTS TO JOIN THE ENTERPRISE CAPTAINS LEGACY FAMOUS SHIP FAMOUS NAMES OF COURSE THE MIRROR UNIVERSE JUST KILL PICARD

[@3Rayfire]

@@qbasicmichael Yes the crew compliment includes the civilians.

[@nataliefaust7959]

@@3Rayfire ... are you sure about that? They're not actually part of the crew so why would they be included in the crew complement?

[@JimmieRayGiboney]

21:02 Mark! Kirk's son and Khan's son, take two! 🎬 Khan's son! He had a Superhero series titled "The Phoenix" and I liked it! The actor is the one whom I met during a "Trek Expo" in the "Tulsa Expo" building in, Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was standing in front of him as he autographed pictures for me. One of the topics was how "Tulsa" backwards is "A Slut"! With his right hand trigger finger, he "wrote" in the air to see what I meant and he laughed and called me "naughty"! Meanwhile his air writing caught the attention of the celebrities to each side of him, who asked him what was going on! He said, "Jimmie, here, told me what Tulsa was spelled backwards!" Then he whispered into each one's ear and they laughed, and the actress blushed! The others in the lines were puzzled as to why I was getting extra attention! Some can sign and chat and save time. Others can't, by the way. 😁

[@JimmieRayGiboney]

23:43 Mark! They can interfere and intervene, but they aren't allowed to, well, "interfere" is the word with negative connotations and "intervene" has the positive ones, as in "divine intervention". Politics and Religion, are typically what is meant not to be interfered with because of European Colonialism being their prime example. 😉 Spanish Conquistadors forcing natives to convert to Spanish Catholicism or die, for example. That's seen as bad interference! Natural disaster relief, is seen as good intervention! 👍

[@Enthymene]

9:40 "these are all things you don't want to hear" LaForge isn't a command officer, his default is to give you facts, not motivation. And sometimes you just gotta try shit and see if it works.

[@josefgordon7712]

I love how some episodes end as if there is literally nothing else going on in the galaxy and they just go "somewhere" lol

[@bizznackywhirle5437]

Took me a minute to place her, but Data's bridge substitute in Arsenal was also Sinclair's girlfriend on Babylon 5.

[@seerofallthatisobvious1316]

To bad there wasn't more of her on this series, she has great screen presents.

[@3Rayfire]

Julia Nickson, I had the biggest crush on her. She also played Mako's niece alongside Jonathan Brandis (RIP) and Chuck Norris in Sidekicks.

[@marvinsarracino116]

Another successful Star Trek Sunday!🖖 I am enjoying the ST-TNG so much! Thanks Captain Jen!💫 Gotta respect the uniform!🖖 Live Long and Prosper 🖖❤️💛

[@Ian-xx1xb]

Next Jen Sunday's are the best as is our captain Jen 🖖 that look on rikers face in the thunbnail 😂 brilliant 😅.looking forward to it as always 🔥 engage !

[@william_santiago]

If you like disagreements, you will LOVE Worf. There are actually video compellations of how many times Worf's suggestions are smacked down. There is the "Red Shirt Ensign" trope and the "Worf Suggestion" trope. 😂

[@davidfrederick1971]

Riker repeatedly has turned down the Captains chair "because they are not the Enterprise"

[@dunringill1747]

Jen: "Maybe I'm a science officer?" - Now that would make for fun but advanced fan reaction cosplay. You get yourself a blue & gold uniform to match your red one. Then you react to each episode accordingly with speculation bias as either Administrator, Engineer, or Science officer based on the color of uniform you happen to be wearing that episode. 😅

[@kevinlewallen4778]

Clever idea. BTW, do you take your name from the Scottish fort or the Jethro Tull song?

[@jenmurrayxo]

Lol no way do I have the knowledge to pull that off. I do have a blue uniform now though, you will see in future vids

[@dunringill1747]

@@jenmurrayxo Haha Yeah, I was just joking 😁. Not meant to be taken seriously. Also, Cool! Looking forward to seeing your blue uniform 👍

[@dunringill1747]

@@kevinlewallen4778 I took it from the Jethro Tull song ... where I then learned about the Scottish fortress. Thanks for asking.

[@kevinlewallen4778]

@@dunringill1747 Cool, I knew the song first, too.

[@lazyperfectionist1]

9:02 "Do they have _another_ doctor on board the _Enterprise_ if they can get her _up_ there?" Ideally, at the _very_ minimum, they should have at least _three;_ one for each _shift._ Three duty physicians, three duty nurses. It has been pointed out to me, though, that since the drive section and the saucer section are designed to operate independently, each should have its own sickbay which would mean that each should have a duty physician and a duty nurse with each shift.

[@tomhoffman4330]

Thank You, Jen💝these were Fun today and I always Enjoy a Good Premiere Chat!👍 I'm so Excited for next week's Movie Reactions!!!👌

[@deathbysnoosnoo8640]

Love ya Jen! You're adorable and so fun to watch. I'm overjoyed that you enjoy Star Trek. It's a massive resource. You've got the entire Next generation series, then the movies , starting with star trek generations, and on. Then the whole Voyager series! I had so much bonding time with my kids with star trek Voyager. I'm so grateful

[@DrummingWriterTrekfan84]

Sunday Funday with trek and jen!!!!

[@theonetruesasquatch]

The Enterprise-D had the ability to saucer separate, but it was only used in a few episodes.

[@calanor4130]

Serving as the First Officer of the Enterprise is a very prestigious position. Also, as Lord Commander Mormont (Game of Thrones) pointed out to Jon Snow: _"You want to lead one day? Then learn how to follow."_

[@jonbolton3376]

Great reaction! Arsenal of Freedom is one of my favourites from Season 1. In Symbiosis, I loved how quickly you asked if they were drug addicts lol. You're good!

[@michaelfarrell4824]

1:46 Picard said 'Skip Ad'

[@suproliver]

Yes, that episode was a pitch about drug addiction. It was fairly obvious. If this was an original series episode, Kirk would likely have danced on the edge of the prime directive and create a scenario where the two parties compromise without taking advantage of the other and then have given one of his famous philosophical speeches as only Kirk could do. Oh, there would also be a scene created where Kirk has to do a drop kick on someone. Maybe one of them trying to electrocute somebody. -OG

[@empirejeff]

Say no to drugs.

[@hashtagPoundsign]

Looking back I wonder if the lollipop was a reference to Apollo 9 capsule nickname gumdrop. Symbiosis is definitely a “say no to drugs” episode and I always found it fun, it’s in my top three for season 1. Thank you so much for these reactions.

[@davidbourhenne8540]

At the end of the episode when Picard and Crusher leave the cargo bay, in the back you can see Tasha break character and wave at the camera. Just a fun trivia item.

[@MRxMADHATTER]

Riker is famous for passing up commands.

[@vlonewolfv]

Yeah, this being an 80’s ep it was very after school special, D.A.R.E. Themed topic which is remedial at best, but I think the core concept and use of the prime directive is pretty interesting. Whether you agree or not, with Picards actions, I think it sparks good discussion. And yeah, Roddenberry’s grip on Star Trek at this time really prevented any conflict among the crew to the detriment of the show. It’s absolutely his baby, and should be praised for that, but his direction really prevented the stories from moving being surface level examinations of the crew and themes. I know you are almost through season 2 over on Patreon so all hail the Michael Pillar era of TNG that you are about to reach!!!!!!

[@andrewcurry602]

Star Trek’s creator Gene Roddenberry insisted that there could be no conflict between the crew, which caused huge problems for the writers as without conflict there is no drama. That and other issues meant a big turnover in writers during season one. The rules were abolished as Roddenberry was forced to relinquish control as his health failed, and others took over.

[@SuperDrocket]

I never really understood his reasoning for that rule because always felt that the episodes with the crew disagreeing with one another was usually the best part of the show, because it was always done so respectfully: "We don't agree with each other on this issue, but we can debate it in a civil manner without becoming angry or allowing it to affect our personal relationship." I grew up watching TNG and was eager to grow up because I thought that was how adults handled things rather than the way kids my own age squabbled and fought over stupid stuff. Boy was I disappointed when I got older...

[@deepnthought.]

Lookin fabulous Captain Jen, you're official now with the rank buttons & communicator/emblem😊❤. Excellent job on your reviews of TNG

[@richlisola1]

I love how in Season 1 they still used sets instead of real locations on random episodes

[@jasonrobinson5670]

I love how your uniform gets more intricate every new video.

[@XRos28]

Greetings Captain Murray. Nice call about the drugs... You think like A Captain, well done! 😀😀😀Great reaction, as usual. 👍👍👍

[@ArtisticMysticSoul]

You are sharp! Got the solution to both episodes quickly, I'm impressed.

[@mikedavis979]

Ha ha ha...red lentils! Aka masoor dal, aka Lens culinaris! Ha ha!!!!! I laughed out loud when I saw "the cargo"!

[@joemasters2270]

Nice to see two veteran Wrath of Khan actors in the episode Symbiosis 😊

[@scottwoodward7103]

Riker and his seeming hesitation to accept a command will come back to play a big part in what is considered by some to be the best episode of Startrek ever made- the two part episode Best of Both Worlds.

[@The_Kiosk]

Will Riker was written to be a James T Kirk type but in the 24th century.

[@MGower4465]

He really isn't, though. Superficially they both enjoy female company, and want to always be the one seeing the new things rather than staying back as a Captain is supposed to. Riker is reluctant to take the step to where he no longer has a Captain to defer to - he is ready for Captaincy, but he's cautious, where Kirk jumped at the chance for the center seat. No character really has an exact parallel between the two series. Data is not Spock, though he does embrace logic and lack of emotion to a degree a Vulcan would find "worthy of emulation". Crusher isn't McCoy. None of the chief engineers have been remotely like Scotty. Worf and Tasha are not Uhura. Geordi is neither Sulu nor Chekov, indeed there isn't even Chekov's post as Navigator. Its folded into the helmsman job. IMO many if the flaws in Season 1 not related to the questionable scripts stem from trying to force a triad like Kirk/Spock/McCoy on Picard/Riker/Troi and it just doesn't work. Trying to for e romance right off between Picard and Crusher is also a poor choice. There us no chemistry between the characters at this point.

[@The_Kiosk]

@@MGower4465 I see your point, however for me it's when Picard describes him in a future episode as The Best that I began to really see it. It's also been mentioned by some of the showrunners that Riker was intended initially to parallel Kirk, but I don't have a citation to provide.

[@josefgordon7712]

Space drugs are a helluva drug! 😂

[@christopherconard2831]

We always called this the Space Crack episode.

[@charlesmaurer6214]

Btw the root bit is real but the one to look for on Earth is Yarrow. Yarrow and Aloe were considered vital to both Romans and Greek armies. They would fight a battle for supplies. Yarrow slows and stops bleeding and Aloe treats burns. The third plant linked to war is the Rose in England that supplied the needed Vit. C in WWI and II. Uboats cut off citrus and rose hips was used instead (the fruit from the rose) Also the reason Brits are called limeys are the sailors using and transporting limes for the same needed C.

[@ArtisticMysticSoul]

Interesting what you said about conflict between the crew. Gene Roddenberry never wanted to show conflict, but that changes after his passing, and I think made the show stronger.

[@chadtiemeyer2175]

I gotta admit this episode is the scariest one to me. Drones, AI and automated production are very real threats...

[@JimmieRayGiboney]

28:05 Mark! Wil & Denise both, have made fun of this episode at their expo appearances, because of the "corny" anti-drug message! At the time, I didn't believe that Marijuana would become such a cultural phenomenon in the legalization of it from state to state. I for one, never thought of it as "corny"! I've never voted for it! 🧐

[@coldwhite4240]

TNG is my favourite series, and as you've only just started you've got a long way to go, but you're gonna love the next series, Voyager, with a female captain (Kathryn Janeway). You're already set for the part with your own uniform and all! For me, these were the best two series (Next Generation and Voyager).

[@mattstrathis4328]

This episode showcases our relationship today with Big Pharma.

[@positivelynegative9149]

I missed the premiere. 😭 Space mimosas. 🤣

[@jenmurrayxo]

Next time!

[@MatthewBluefox]

Arsenal of Freedom is underrated in my opinion. I think it was a meowsome episode and it was a great episode for Geordi to shine! :) Also, at 13:20 you already knew how the episode was gunna end, basically. ^^ Had he said that, the episode would only have been half as long.

[@christiansabotta6368]

Arsenal of Freedom is one of my favorites! Symbiosis is also good.

[@tgif1345]

You have to remember that "Symbiosis" came out in 1988, as the war on drugs was really starting in the U.S., so it was a major issue that the writers felt like tackling. And, as other people have said, Roddenberry decreed that there was to be no interpersonal conflict between the crew of the Enterprise in this show. And that really hampered the writers for most of the show, despite Roddenberry no longer being in charge by the end of the first season.

[@kerry-j4m]

Arsenal of Freedom was an excellent episode,where do I start ??? Both the A and B story were entertaining and interesting,Jordie being in command was-awesome and he kicked &&&. LOL. Plus,we get a saucer separation to boot.