Wednesday, February 29, 2012

If you want to

Video Online of Star Trek XII Fight Scene with Mr Spock and the Villain
There is video of the scene. I have not seen it. I do not want to see it.

Finally, something new!

MTV News: 'Star Trek 2' Cast 'Welcoming' To Benedict Cumberbatch
He's not saying anything about the pictures! And also, he's joined the Chris & Zach Admiration Sciety, so I like him.

It sounds like he has a little crush on Zach, though.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Ouch

Zachary Quinto Weighs In on 'Star Trek 2' Leaked Photo at Oscars 2012 - AceShowbiz
So now JC Chandor's saying he thinks it was his kid.
That's gotta hurt.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Just in case you weren't clear on this

Awesome

Teacher resurrects Solano 'Star Trek' club - Vallejo Times-Herald
This is so cool! Star Trek clubs are making a comeback. For a long time we've been standing here going, "it's about time" and this is just one more time. It doesn't mean I live close enough to actually go to this thing. That's not the point. The point is...

We're baaaaaaack!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Pictures... view at your own risk.

Spock And The Mystery Villain Continue Their Battle In More Star Trek Sequel ... - Cinema Blend
I'm not sure what Uhura's doing, but judging by JJ's love of physical effects, and the presence of green screens, I think these shots are on a ship.




And this needed saying why?

So, George Takei is not involved in the new Star Trek movie.


Aaaaaaaand?


Why is this a question? We know he's not in the movie, if he was in the movie they would be making a big deal about him being in the movie. There's also a push to keep the movie, you know, believable, and putting Old Sulu in after Old Spock would not be believable.


He also comments on Jeremy Lin, Donald Trump, Lisa Lampanelli, his new project (Alleigance), and his charity work. But the part the Trekkies were freaking out today was this:
I assure people that this aging Sulu will not make an appearance. He's going to remain young. And look like John Cho.
Was this a question? Did anyone seriously think, for a second, for half a second, that George Takei was going to be part of J.J's Trek? Are there people that crazy out there? And how's the weather in LaLaLand?

He Walked Among Us

Okay, so here's my thinking - why is everyone so excited about Norman Spinard's "He Walked Among Us?"


I mean, in his own blog, Spinard is actually quoted saying:
"This is so lousy, Gene, that you should kill it!"
What a ringing endorsement! And Star Trek Phase II is going to shoot it? What is this lunacy?

The Search for Meaning in a Strange New World

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
 
"Don't grieve, admiral, it is logical. The needs of the many outweigh..."

"The needs of the few"

"Or the one. I have been, and always shall be, your friend. Live long, and prosper."

These words don't just bind together a movie. They bind the universe.

Kirk once said that the words "let me help" were more powerful than "I love you". He is right, and he is wrong. "Let me help" is what you say to those you can't say "I love you" to. That or "I have been and always shall be your friend."

This is the story of lost chances, lost dreams, and picking up the pieces. This is the story of love.

Kirk gives Spock his eulogy. We knew this, but it is important to see it again. BTW, this movie and 4 are probably the best Shatner's ever acted. I think that needs to be looked into - look who the director is.

And, as before, Spock says the "Space, the final frontier" but we don't go to space. We go to Genesis, where the burial tube that by rights should have burned up in the atmosphere of Genesis is intact, which means his body is intact.

Credits. I love that the movie has a teaser.

Kirk is not doing well. I know something of loss and I can sympathize. His log reflects this. Everyone is hurting. These people are a family, and he just told Chekov to sit in Spock's chair and Starfeet won't answer their calls, and the ship will be fixed in two weeks and Kirk heads for his quarters when... "sir, are they planning a ceremony when we get in?" Asks a trainee.

"This time we've paid for the party with our dearest blood."

You said it kirk.

Valkris finds Kruge in his cloaked Klingon ship from what looks like a cargo ship. Now, Kruge is a scary dude. He is big and mean and he has a pet targ on the bridge and he kills Valkris and the entire crew of the ship she's on because she has seen the Genesis data even though she loves him but that's okay because "you will be remembered with honor".

Great.

And even the other Klingons fear that targ, kind of like when my cat bit the cop that time.

The enterprise gets home. They have to be towed in and there is this other ship,"the great experiment, the Excelsior". She has transwarp drive, which Scotty disapproves of. I can understand. Its like putting a quad core processor in a cell phone... which they can also do now.

But someone is in Spock's quarters and Kirk runs down there to have a peek inside. He goes in to see what looks like Spock at first in he shadows.. but its not. Its McCoy, speaking in Spock's voice. "You left me on Genesis, why did you do that? Help me." He tells Kirk to "climb the steps of Mount Seleya". Kirk points out that Mount Seleya is on Vulcan and they're at Earth. "Remember" says Spock's voice before McCoy passes out.

Admiral Morrow comes to inspect the ship. He tells Kirk they will be scrapping the Enterprise, no one can go to Genesis, and its a forbidden subject.

Kruge has a copy of Kirk's report on Genesis, the forbidden. He basically is paraphrasing Carol's proposal, which may be plagiarism. The Klingon see this thing as a weapon. Kruge feels that they need to get the secret of the weapon. This is a problem.

Enter the Grissom, in orbit of Genesis. They are there to study it. Saavik and David are on board. Saavik has been recast and I miss Kirstie Alley. This one has curly hair. They could have at last straightened it. They discover that the planet has a great variety of climates, and also Spock's tube is on the surface, and an animal lifeform. Everyone is confused because this shouldn't be there. Saavik and David want to beam down and have a lookyloo- it is right on top of the tube.

Kirk toasts to "absent friends". McCoy is tranquilized and Spock is dead.

Then Sarek arrives and he is pissed. He kicks everyone out and demands to know why Spock was not returned to Vulcan. "Spock trusted you, and you denied him his future!"

Huh?

"With everything that is not of the body he asked you to bring him to us, and to bring that which he gave you, his katra, his living spirit."

Slightly less cryptic.

Kirk consents to a meld in which he relives Spock's death, and Sarek realizes Spock did not meld with Kirk... but Kirk realizes there is hope, that Spock would have found a way.

I'd like to interject that having lost friends and family before, I know how desperate, when the death is sudden, people can feel to believe it didn't happen, that it could be reversed.

Imagine that came true, that just once that wish was granted. Here, Kirk has that chance.

More than a century later,or 20 years in the past depending on your perspective, Spock will too.  J.J. drew heavily on 3 as a touchpoint, not 2 as would be obvious. This is my main argument against the use of Khan in the new movie - he is trying to move forward.

They go to view the remarkably well edited flight recorder of the engine room the day Spock died. They see Spock go into the compartment... and meld with McCoy before he does. "Remember".

Well, that puts a new spin on things.

Sarek tells Kirk to bring them both to Mount Seleya on Vulcan, "only there can both find peace." They have to go get Spock's body.

Saavik and David find evolved microbes on Genesis - the animal life. And one burial robe. And one empty casket. The ground shakes, and someone screams...

Morrow won't allow Kirk to return to Genesis. Typical short sighted literal bureaucrat. Kirk asks for the enterprise. Denied. So Kirk tells Chekov and Sulu he is going anyway.

Sulu says they can count on his help.

McCoy is also trying to go to Genesis. There is a meeting with a guy who he is trying to get a trip to Genesis from, and McCoy is sounding intermittently Vulcan throughout. Plus he tries to nerve pinch Federation Security when they overhear the conversation.

"You're going to get a nice long rest, Doctor," says the arresting officer.

Not good.

So meanwhile on Genesis, Saavik and David find footprints in the snow.

Kirk goes to visit McCoy and gives the ta'al. "How many fingers do I have up?" Lol. He shoots McCoy up with a drug called Lexorin, most likely provided by Sarek. And they make their escape wit the help of Sulu beating up a guy twice his size who called him tiny.

Scotty leaves work on the Excelsior. He looks pleased with himself.

Uhura is on duty at some transporter station. Her co-worker wishes for adventure. Kirk, McCoy, and Sulu arrive and the co-worker is flustered. Uhura pulls a phaser and forces him in the closet. She tells them she'll see them at the rendezvous.

Of course they get to the Enterprise. Kirk asks them to let him and McCoy go alone, and Sulu, Chekov, and Scotty refuse to do so.

They pull out of Starbase, chased by the Excelsior and its transwarp drive. This is a long, tense scene in which they hack the space doors and it is revealed that Scotty sabotaged the Excelsior.

So they get away.

Saavik and David find a child crying in the snow. Just a little boy. With pointed ears. He doesn't speak and they wrap him in Spock's shroud, since that's all they have.

"The Genesis wave," say David. "His cells could have been regenerated"

Saavik calls the Grissom and asks them to beam them up, but the Captain of the Grissom, J.T. Esteban, wants to check with Starfleet. They can't get a message out because of jamming... Kruge decloaks and fires on them.

The shot destroys the Grissom, which displeases Kruge so much he kills his gunner. He wanted prisoners. Luckily, there are people on the surface.

McCoy is now able to do Spock's job in Spock's voice. Creepy.

The Klingons are at the torpedo tube.

Saavik and David make it out of the snow. David confesses he used protomatter, an unethically unstable substance in the Genesis matrix. That's why when Kruge finds the slugs, they are almost big enough to kill him. Sadly,not quite big enough.

The sun sets.

The child Spock will soon go through pon farr and Saavik is understandably worried about this, being the only girl around. She tells David very little. Spock and the planet are aging together in surges, which means he will age until his former age at least. David goes to try to stop the Klingons.

The Grissom is not responding to Starfleet or to Kirk. McCoy is doing okay, but he's not happy.

Spock is a teen now. And pon farr is hitting early.

Saavik... erm... relieves the tension.

Okaaaaaay, now that that's over. The Enterprise arrives, and basically just misses the Klingons cloaking. Kirk tries to call the Grissom but of course that's gone. Saavik hears it before the Klingons grab her. They already got David. Kruge is pissed. Saavik tries to convince Kruge that Genesis failed but he doesn't buy that and to be fair, he is standing on the evidence, so threatens them with torture. Then he beams up to deal with Kirk... and Saavik and David look at each other.

So there's this big tension thing again, but basically the enterprise is crippled but has also damaged the Klingon ship. Communications are opened, threats exchanged, and Kruge decides to prove his intent by killing a hostage.

They're posed to kill Saavik but David attacks the guy with the knife and they kill him instead. "You Klingon bastard!" Yells kirk. "You killed my son!" Kirk may have stayed away at the request of David's mother. But he loved him, and after what happened in 2, I know he probably wanted to reconcile. And for once, William Shatner is not overacting - he is acting just enough.

But it wasn't meant to be. Kirk was trying to reclaim something in the wake of Spock's death. He just learned Spock's body is alive... but he hasn't even had 60 seconds to think it through by the time David is dead. He has just lost his best friend... and all hope of getting to know his son.

It's no wonder he falls to the floor, crying, "You Klingon bastard! You've killed my son!" Kruge demands surrender, and Kirk says, "All right." and just for a second you believe it, until... "Give me a minute to inform my crew."

Kruge gives two minutes. Idiot.

So Kirk sets up autodestruct, and I think that he's really at the point where if you've lost everything, you may as well actually lose everything. So they set the ship to explode and then they beam out, and the transporter brings the Klingons over. They make it to the bridge and then there's maybe 10 seconds to spare and it's all over. Odds evened.

There is a piece of the saucer that looks like the number 6, then 9, then 6, then 9 as it spins through space. That's what I always remember. 969696969696.

The engineering section falls through space into the atmosphere, burning up the way Spock was supposed to.

They can't stop from losing something to this planet, I've decided. David would have died if they came there or not. They could either have Spock, or the ship.

Spock is screaming in pain. Kirk only has to follow the screams. Spock kills one Klingon who prepares to hurt him, presumably to get him to shut up. Kirk shoots the other on arrival. McCoy tends to Spock while Kirk goes to David's body and covers it with his jacket. Saavik tells Kirk David gave his life to save them. McCoy determines "that I've got all his marbles," as far a Spock's concerned. And the planet seems like it's gonna explode, did I mention that? So Kirk taunts Kruge into coming back down to the planet for a battle to the death. Kruge beams everyone but Kirk and Spock up as prisoners. He and Kirk then proceed to hash it out and Kruge ends up dropped in a pit of molten lava.

As Kirk climbs back to Spock, the sun rises.

Spock, meanwhile, has aged back to being himself again, if they could just put his mind back. So Kirk fakes some Klingon to get the Klingons to beam him up as well, and when he arrives on the Klingon ship he captures the last Klingon, Maltz. Then he sets course for Vulcan as the planet explodes behind them.

Now I want to go out for malts.

Anyway.

McCoy takes Spock to Sickbay and begs him to talk. Spock, of course, is silent. "It seems I've missed you," says McCoy. "I don't know if I could stand to loose you again."

They land on Vulcan. Uhura is there, with Sarek. I guess this is the rendezvous. Spock is brought out on a stretcher, and they take him to the temple on Mt. Seleya... everyone follows. There, Sarek is told that Spock's body lives, but his Katra is gone, in McCoy. Sarek requests "Fal tor Pan, the Refusion."

"What you seek," he is told, "Has not been done since ages past, and then only in legend. Your request is not logical."

"Forgive me, T'Lar. My logic is uncertain, where my son is concerned."

This is another way to say "I love you."

They then ask McCoy what he would choose, because the danger is as great to him as it is to Spock. "I choose the danger," says McCoy.

This is also how one says "I love you."

There is a montage and music as the mindmeld is completed. Someone strikes a gong.

When it is over, Spock is ambulatory, McCoy is okay, and no one knows how much Spock will recover. Sarek thanks Kirk - for where there is life, there is hope. He seems to feel regret for the sacrifices, the ship, David, and Kirk says "If I hadn't tried, the cost would have been my soul."

A procession leads Spock out, right past Kirk, and you know maybe he's not okay. And then he stops. And turns to the crew of the Enterprise. He stops before each face and looks them in the eyes. It's not the feeling that he knows them. It's the feeling that he knows he should know them. Saavik, Scotty, Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, McCoy. And Kirk. "My father says that you have been my friend, you came back for me."

"You would have done the same for me." And a century later, or twenty years earlier, depending on your perspective, Spock will. Not in the same way, or the same universe. But he will set right a wrong, the same wrong that Kirk had once set right for him. He will do this not by coming back for Kirk, but by sending Kirk back to himself.

"Why would you do this?"

"Because the needs of the one outweighed the needs of the many."

"I have been, and ever shall be, your friend."

"Yes, Spock, yes!"

"Ship? Out of danger?"

"You saved the ship, you saved us all! Don't you remember?"

There is a pause.

"Jim. Your name is Jim." And he looks to McCoy, and McCoy taps his head, and Spock raises his eyebrow, and you know that everything will be okay.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

You Are The Matrix

Voyager: Unimatrix Zero Pt. 1
How long did it take Hugh to learn to say "I"? Days.
How long did it take Seven to learn to say "I"? Days.
How long did it take the Borg at the beginning of this ep to learn to say "I"? 1.76 seconds. Or something.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Second Chance at Everything

TNG: Second Chances


It occurs to me, sitting here watching Will 1.0 and Will 2.0 at a poker table, that we are in a similar situation with all of Trek today.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Here at the End of All Things: A Love Story of Hate

Voyager: Endgame


Sometimes I think that's all that needs to be said. The thing was, the episodes before had been so good. It was like they finally got it. No more Borg, no more stupidity, even a little humor again, there right at the end, something that Voyager, let's face it, was never good at, and then this.

This.

The worst part is that it's a paradox and no one even realized that.

The other worst part is this:

The final episode of TNG, they filmed a specific scene as the last one:
In DS9, they filmed a certain scene as the final one (shot, not aired, obviously, there's still about 20 minutes left at this point):

On Voyager, they called Kate Mulgrew in to finish up a shot on the Bridge, alone. And when she was done, she turned around and they had started to take down the Bridge.

That, more than anything, tells me what I need to know.


Monday, February 13, 2012

Forsake Sanity all Ye Who Enter Here

DS9: The Forsaken

Voyager spent it's last four years trying to be TNG.

DS9 spent it's first two seasons trying to be TNG half the time and trying to find it's own identity the other half.

This is the first type of episode.


Enough said.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Must Come To An End

TNG: All Good Things
Episode 7-25, #277
SD 47988.1
05/23/94
Written by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore.
So.

Picard is moving through time. He tells Worf and Deanna so right at a moment when the small but vocal Worf/Deanna ship meets it's moment of trumph, even though Worf worries about hurting Will. Cute. Worf and Deanna even went on a date, and they almost kissed. But all good things must come to an end.

Credits.

Well, they didn't waste any time. Picard is okay but he is confused. He and Deanna talk about his feelings instead of breaking out the tricorders. I miss TNG. He was in the past, then the future.

And sudenly it's 25 years after they were on the Enterprise and Picard is tending grapes. I guess you can go home again. Geordi shows up which is when I figure out its 25 years after they were on the Enterprise. Picard has retired from being an Ambassador to somewhere. Geordi and Picard start tying up vines. BTW Geordi has eyes and is married with children to Leah, presumably Leah Brahms. I thought she was married, but I guess all good things must come to an end. And he's heard Picard has what my friend Tim would probably call SpaceAlzheimer's. And Geordi is writing novels. And Picard is seeing some raggedy looking people...

And he's with Tasha on the shuttle to take command of the Enterprise. Very cool. Poor Denise has 80s hair. And Picard can't stop staring at her. I think he remembers now what's been happening in other time periods, which he didn't seem to be aware of in the future. And there's the ship...

And he's back to Deanna, and tells her he jut saw Tasha.

Commercial.

Picard is okay. Again. Beverly and Will and Alyssa are running around checking things. Picard hasn't gotten off the ship in weeks, poor guy. And he might get that SpaceAlzheimer's later on, he has some defect in his brain. Picard and Beverly have a moment with some flute music. And then Starfleet calls. I guess all good things must come to an end.

Now there's this anomaly in the Devron system. Where is the Devron system? The Neutral Zone. And thirty Warbirds are headed for it. Wow, Brannon and Ron. You just jumped right in. So they have to go check out
this anomaly. Really. That's the final episode. Check out an anomaly.

Then he's back in the vineyard... moving through time maybe? He's very confused and Geordi thinks it's the SpaceAlzheimer's. Picard knows he was in sickbay, or maybe a hospital. He insists it was real. He and Geordi decide to go to see Data to check on that. And there are more jeering raggedy people.

Data is at Cambridge, and he's tried to make his hair gray by applying a paintbrush. And he can laugh now. I guess he decided to install that emotion chip after all. I remember he was afraid to because he almost killed Geordi, but I guess all good things must come to an end. And there's a lot of cats. A loooooot of cats. They make an appointment to scan Picard at some lab...

And in the past, Picard takes command of the Enterprise. And Troi looks like an intergalactic cheerleader again. As a side note, his orders to take command are signed by Admiral Norah Satie. That would be continuity. Given a choice between Brannon and Ron, I am going to assume Ron is responsible. Picard is seeing jeering spectators that look very familiar and calls red alert...

Commercial.

There is a meeting. Picard isn't saying anything about what's up so he won't contaminate the timeline, which in my opinion is not his brightest moment in the history of Picard's bright moments. I guess all good things must come to an end. He is actively asking about Q and also refers to Worf as security chief instead of Tasha. Oopsie. Way to gain confidence in your new command. They also have an alert about an anomaly in the Neutral Zone. Worf thinks its a trick and Starfleet wants to cancel the mission to Farpoint but Picard says no.

He and Miles head for Engineering to fix the plasma inducers that don't work. Picard fixes them no problem (so much for protecting the timeline) and we meet Data, who is being veeeeery literal. Good times. I miss that.  I guess all good things must come to an end. Picard greets him happily. They go fix things. And then he hears Beverly....

And he's in the present in Sickbay. He recounts his adventures. And Beverly says he has too many new memories... Proof!

Commercial.

Deanna doesn't remember any new events from seven years ago. Therefore, there is a discontinuity between events, and it might have to do with the anomaly. It also means protecting the timeline isn't an issue, but of course nothing will come of that. Will tries to invite Deanna out to dinner after the meeting but she has plans with Worf. Awkward. Picard gives some orders. Will is distracted now but says he's fine. Picard heads for his ready room and Beverly follows and makes some warm milk. She is sad about his defective brain. They have a moment. It is sweet. They kiss. All the Picard/Beverly shippers cheer. She leaves. I guess all good things must come to an end.

And he wakes up in the future, but remembers the present. They have the lab time but Picard wants to go to the Neutral Zone. But there is no Neutral Zone. Not anymore. The Klingons took over everything and they apparently hate the Federation now. Fun. I guess all good things must come to an end. So they need a ship, and they will have to call Will.

Will is no help.  I guess all good things must come to an end. Ouch. That's harsh. Picard is furious. Will, BTW, is "Admiral Riker". Data suggests a medical ship, which are an option because they are helping treat an outbreak of Madeupdiseaseitis on Romulus. So they call the USS Pasteur. Picard used to have pull with the captain.

AKA Beverly. I guess Picard used to be married to her, and divorced. I guess all good things must come to an end. The Crusher/Picard ship cries in pain. They decide to call Worf, who may be able to help them cross the border. Picard goes to rest and Geordi and Beverly worry about his condition. None of them believe the time travel thing. Stupid SpaceAlzheimer's.

And Picard knows this of course but when he leaves the turbolift, he walks into the past, about the time they ran into Q the first time. Q isn't where he should be though. It doesn't help his standing with the crew when he starts yelling at Q who isn't there and muttering "This isn't how its supposed to happen," on the Bridge. Not. His. Brightest. Day. I guess some days you just got it, and some days you just don't. So much for protecting the timeline - in the original timeline, Picard didn't act like a crazy person. But I guess all good things must come to an end.

He goes to the ready room and winds up in Qcourt in his present time uniform.

Commercial.

Picard and Q have an argument about the trial from before. Q, contending that it never ended, which I guess if  you don't have linear time, it didn't and thank you for DS9 to teach us about that. Q decides to let Picard guess what's going on in 10 yes or no questions.
1. Are you putting mankind on trial again? No.
2. Is there any connection between the trial 7 years ago and what's happening now? Yes.
3. The spatial anomaly in The Neutral Zone - is it related to whats going on? Yes.
4. Is it part of a Romulan plot? 5.A ploy to start a war? No and no. Mind your punctuation, Picard. This is Q.
6. Did you create the anomaly? No.
7. Are you responsible for my shifting through time? Yes.
8. Why? Forfeit all questions.

Sigh. Picard is dumb today. I guess all good things must come to an end.

Apparently the trial never ended and Picard has lost. We are about to be denied existence. "Its time to put an end to your trek through the stars." Cute. And he says Picard will cause the annihilation of mankind. He's done it before, is doing it now and will do it again. I guess all good things must come to an end.

Any sane Trekkie can connect those dots, but Picard obviously had time for a giant bowl of stupidflakes because he's not getting it.  He returns to the present and calls for a briefing and red alert. In that order. Because red alert will help in this situation.

Commercial.

They debate if Q is lying or not. Data latches on to Picard's info from Q and points out he can be doing whatever causes them to not exist in three time periods. Picard thinks Q is allowing Picard to fix it - Data likens their relationship to a master and his pet. Flattering.

They reach the Neutral Zone. Picard calls the Romulans...

And Worf has gotten old. He allows Picard to cross the border provided he comes along to help them. He also seems to hate Will Riker. Interesting. And where is Deanna? Bet it has to do with her. I guess all good things must come to an end. Beverly says she will run if there's trouble because they aren't well armed. She offers to let Picard give the order to get underway...

And "Engage to where, sir?" Back to the past, and he just told them to engage out of nowhere, which means they think he's crazy again. Q must be enjoying this. He heads to the Devron system, which he just said he wasn't going to, then runs to his ready room to hide from the close to mutiny crew. Deanna follows and tells him she is worried about the crew. Picard calls Riker and they use footage from "The Arsenal of Freedom" for beardless Riker. After, Deanna tells Picard she and Will used to date. She leaves. Picard can't order tea...

And then Tomalak is on the screen in the present. Picard suggests they each send one ship to investigate the anomaly, a plan not approved by Starfleet. They do.

The thing is pretty scary looking and...

There it is in the past. Bigger. They start scanning...

And in the future it isn't there.

Commercial.

They can't find the anomaly and the Klingons are coming so they try another method of scanning with an inverse tachyon pulse, but they only have 6 hours. Picard protests this decision but Beverly, being the captain and all, drags him into the ready room and reams him out but good for questioning her orders. Fun. She also tells him to allow for the possibility that he might be crazy, but agrees to stay six more hours. Then she says "If it was anyone else, we wouldn't even be here." Sweet? Maybe? Who knows.

She leaves, and Q appears and taunts Picard, then takes him away to...

...Back to the the present. Picard tells Data to use and inverse tachyon pulse to scan the anomaly. That works okay. Until Geordi collapses in pain and Data has to take him to Sickbay. So Geordi is sick. In Sickbay. And by Sick, we mean Growing New Eyes is an illness. But... VISOR! I guess all good things must come to an end. Data has figured out that the anomaly is an eruption of "anti-time" which I bet Ron or Brannon thought of while either smoking weed or working on DS9. Things near the eruption reverse themselves... like, say, eyes that never grew in the first place? Oh well, the point is made. But, you know how when matter and antimatter collide you get a big matter explosion? Well, when time and anti-time collide... you get the idea. Picard starts to ask a question and...

...Picard tells Data of the past what to scan for, impressing the heck out of poor past Data with his genius. Then he goes to his ready room, and ....

The Klingons are attacking the Pasteur. I guess all good things must come to an end.

Commercial.

Boom. Biiiig boom. Baa-da boom. And so on. Warp gone, big trouble, Geordi can't fix anything but he's out of practice so we won't kill him for it. Beverly tries to get the Klingons to stop attacking by telling them they're on a medical mission, then she tries to surrender, which worked for Picard in the first 10 minutes of "Encounter at Farpoint," to be fair, but I guess all good things must come to an end. The Klingons keep firing.

Then the Enterprise decloaks with a third nacelle and kicks some Klingon butt. Obviously the Treaty of Algeron was kaput at some point.

I'd like to stop for a moment and talk about this, because I grew up in the 80s to 90s with Deanna Troi and we do that. I have heard a lot of hate for the third nacelle over the last few years. In fact, it's been almost 20 years now, and I feel like there's some things I need to say, namely why is it that everyone seems to think this is stupid? Really, it's the future! It might not even be real, did you consider that? Last time we saw Q, he took Picard into his own past and none of that had any effect! Who cares if they slapped another nacelle on the Enterprise model, they're about to blow it up for good! Okay, rant over.

Anyway, so the Enterprise beams aboard the Pasteur’s crew and the Pasteur blows up while Will and Worf start yelling about whose fault this is. Picard tries to stop Will from just leaving the system but of course he won't listen, and Beverly hyposprays Picard...

And Picard stumbles in the hallway as he returns to the present. But he goes to Sickbay and Alyssa has lost her baby. The fetal tissue started to de-age because of the anomaly. Poor Alyssa. Picard orders a check on how far this effect is spreading - pretty darn far as it turns out. So there's only the one choice. He needs to collapse the anomaly unless it will make things worse. Who knows? This is pretty serious stuff. Picard is pondering the seriousness of this with all the intelligence of Sam Carter in season 1 of Stargate, which is to say none, because this stupid idiot that Picard has turned into in this episode can't even figure out what Kirk always knew - if you have a situation that sucks, undo it, it'll probably work out better.

And that's when Q shows up. He takes Picard away for some perspective. Three and a half million years of it, in the past in France. Which is dirty. "I really must speak to the maid," mutters Q. He takes Picard out into the volcanoes and the rocks and shows him a pool of gunk, and the anomaly in the sky. This far back, it fills the whole quadrant. Life is about to form for the first time - amino acids are to combine to create the first protein. And then, nothing. I guess all good things must come to an end.

No protein. No reaction. No combination. No life on Earth.

This presents an interesting question, and actually crosses a line Trek rarely crosses about the existence of God. I'd like to stop and explore that a bit.

First of all, I feel obligated to point out that this is Q. Q lies. He lies a lot. Picard believes in science, in fact there is some evidence that his background is in the hard sciences, so having him believe in science makes sense, maybe this is something targeted for Picard, to make him believe what Q is selling. The flip side of that is that the episode never happened if that is the case, meaning that the entire final episode never happened. I don't like that.

Okay, so let's say God doesn't exist, and science is all there is. Star Trek doesn't support that either, not really. Even at this point, despite Kirk's denial of our need for gods, there is some evidence to suggest that divine intervention exists in Trek, or at least vastly different life that has an interest in our well-being. The Traveller? Q, for that matter? Picard's triumph over the Borg collective? Evidence of higher powers, other types of existence we cannot begin to imagine. I would say that Star Trek does not disallow for the existence of God.

And yet, here we are, watching His hand be stilled, the existence of the human race stopped. It's like we got past light and sky and water and then there was nothing else, the anomaly stopped God? Wait a minute. God is God. This episode, on the surface, gives great problems to the Trekkies of faith. You're out there, people!

But there is another way to look at it. Most major religions show that God is benevolent. He does what is best in the long term. So, let's talk about the anomaly. It will stop normal space from forming, it will disrupt life in thousands of unknown ways for everyone for millions of years. It will degrade the quality of life of the human race, and probably many others. I think we can agree that is a bad thing. God, rather than not acting to create the human race, may be choosing not to create the human race in a less-than-optimal environment because... why? Why would He do that? Because He knows there are other realities, where this anomaly does not exist, on which he can focus His energy. It's a classic multiverse paradox, and Picard falls for it, hook, line, and sinker. I guess all good things must come to an end.

"Congratulations," says Q as Picard figures it out. And...

Picard wakes up an old man in the future, after being hyposprayed by Beverly. He leaves his quarters and tries to find his crew.

The crew are in Ten-Forward, discussing old times and why it is that Will and Worf are not speaking, which turns out to be because Deanna died and nothing ever happened between her and Worf, probably because of Will. The small but vocal Worf/Deanna ship is very sad.

Picard gets in a turbolift and can't figure out how to use it. Oh dear.

He eventually, after a wrong deck incident, does make it to Ten Forward and starts babbling about how "the future is in the past" which no one believes is anything even when he says it was the tachyon beams converging that did it. "It's the chicken and the egg, Will, the chicken and the egg!" And then Data gets it. A paradox! Data assumes that everything Picard has been saying is true, and then Geordi clues in too. They are finally all on the same page and back in sync. And they will return to the Devron system.

On the way out, Will recruits Worf to help.

Commercial.

When they arrive in the Devron system, they find a teeny tiny eensy bitty anomaly barely worth mentioning. I guess it gets bigger on both sides? Or something. Data says they should shut down the tachyon pulses, which makes sense, since they want to seal this thing. Picard stands up, and...

Picard orders the tachyon pulse turned off in the present, and...

Picard order the tachyon pulse turned off in the past, but there is no change, he frowns and...

Data has a new plan, which involves flying into the anomaly using a static warp shell, which would have to be done in all three time periods. This is the last bit of technobabble of TNG. I guess all good things must come to an end. Picard reacts...

And Picard in the past announces his plan to fly into the anomaly and create a static warp shell to collapse it. The crew objects to the point of mutiny, and why would they not? This guy seems nuts.

I know all of you have doubts about me... about each other...about the ship. All I can say is that even though we've only been together for a short time... I know that you are the finest crew in the fleet... and I would trust each of you with my life.

And that does it, he wins them over and it's really that simple. They initiate the static warp shell and...

Data in the present has the idea to initiate a static warp shell and Picard is already there with him.  Data is surprised. "Mr. Data, you're a clever man. In any time period." Lol. Picard sits down, and...

Picard tells the future crew that the other two ships are coming. Will orders them to go in, and...

In the past, they have some trouble getting in, and...

In the present, They have some power problems and ...

In the future, they enter, the anomaly, and...

In the past, they initiate the static warp shell, and...

In the present, they initiate the static warp shell, and...

In the future, they can see that it is working, and...

In the past, they can see the other two Enterprises, and...

In the present, they can see the other two Enterprises, and...

In the future, they see the other two Enterprises, and...

In the past, the ship is struggling to stay intact but the plan is working. Suddenly...

The past Enterprise explodes. It is working. They're gonna be destroyed, but it is working. And...

The present Enterprise explodes. Q appears on the bridge in the future. The anomaly is almost gone. Q tells Picard,
Goodbye, Jean-Luc. I'll miss you. You did have so much potential. But I guess... all good things must come to an end.
And at that moment, for me, it was really ending.

Warp core containment is critical. The ship explodes, and as it does, the anomaly collapses.

The screen is white for a moment.

Picard is back in the courtroom in his present uniform, holding his head in his hands. Q tells him it worked, and that the Continuum changed their minds about humanity because Picard discovered the paradox, he opened his mind for an instant. Never mind he was crazy when he did that.

Picard thanks Q for helping. I guess all good things must come to an end.

"Remember," says Q, "The trial never ends..." His chair recedes from the platform and...

Picard is running around the ship in his pajamas again, interrupting the kiss we now know is doomed on Stardate 47988. Again. And Picard goes back to bed.

Captain's Log, supplemental. Starfleet Command reports no unusual activity along the Neutral Zone and there is no sign of a temporal anomaly. It would appear that I am the only member of the crew to retain any knowledge of the events I experienced.
The last log. I guess all good things must come to an end.

The final scene. I guess all good things must come to an end.

At the poker game, they have the usual banter. Will is winning like always. Beverly tells them she doesn't want to drift apart. Will thinks Picard told them about the future he saw because he didn't want certain things to happen. He looks at Worf as he says that. Worf agrees.

Deanna arrives. And then Picard, for the first time ever. They let him deal.

"I should have done this a long time ago," he says, as he looks around the table.

The camera shows the scene from overhead.

"Five card stud, nothing wild, and the sky's the limit."


I guess all good things must come to an end.

And that's the end.