Episode Six of Season One
First Notes:
A good scientist knows that, when a hypothesis is going really, really well, something must be off. This episode played perfectly into my scheme of nine major plot points. This leads me to believe a few things:
1. My scheme is well designed for these first episodes, however we must still be in the exposition of the series
2. Perhaps the points are too broad and thus, need to be whittled down to a smaller spectrum with stricter requirements
3.All of these episodes may be by the same author, and though that should not account for everything, it could account for the use of a similar formula in the construction of these episodes.
I truely know that this formula will need amendments or will fail. However it works for now. I don't like the idea of quoting future episodes from memory to destroy my analysis because, well, the memory is a tricky thing. So for now i will leave it alone. However i am taking the success of the 9 points of these episodes with a grain of salt.
Other Notes: We are surely in expository episodes. More allusions in this episode to Riker's American Cowboy history, Picard's french background, and Data's encyclopedia traits. We don't know these characters yet, but we are learning. Geordi officially takes the role of chief of engineering in this episode (though he still wears red).
The Meat:
1. Exploration and Necessity: They meet the Ferengie for two reasons. One is a power converter they removed from Gamma Tari Four, the second is that they know little about the Ferengi and want the encounter.
2. Alien Meet Up: This is an easy fit. It is strange because they don't actually meet the Ferengi face to face until they are on the planet. However they view their ship and are interaction with them regardless.
3. Crew Endangerment: They are having a power drain because of them trying to break free from the forcefield that the ship supposedly puts on them. They need to get away or they will lose power? This is weird because it makes it seem like the ship runs on an alternator, like a car, and without movement they lose power. Also the files of the Enterprise seem to be rifled through.
4. Rules and Regulations: Picard contemplates attacking the Ferengi to break free however Troi says that they should use diplomacy instead. This is a small part but it fits the scheme. Usually in the Rules and Regulations stage they will choose the non violent option to lead to Crisis Navigation.
5. Crisis Navigation: They try speaking with the Ferengi and realize their ship is immobilized as well. They find that the planet poses a mystery and try to cooperate with the Ferengi to investigate the mystery. The Ferengi resist which leads to...
6.Reasoning: Through Picard's skill of negotiations they have the Ferengi agree to beam three science team members down to the planet. Riker beams down with all the important officers.
7. Necessary Problem: This is a compound function of the story , perhaps the most sustained. The Ferengi are hostile, but then The Guardian of the outpost is also hostile. The Guardian of the Tkon wants to destroy them both.
8. Trickery: "Deception is the way of the Human" -Ferengi officer. I know, right. What a quote. Riker having some sort of strange preternatural instinct does not lie to the Tkon Guardian, but instead stays honest, perhaps this is more about his character. Meanwhile he lets the Ferengi say whatever they want without stopping them. As the Ferengi dig themselves deeper we realize the Gaurdian is telepathic. Thus he finds Riker agreeable and the Ferengi barbaric.
9. Peaceful Beneficial Resolution: The Guardian says "Normally i would have destroyed all of you and your ships" but he likes Riker and asks him "Should i destroy them (The Ferengi)". Riker like a good boyscout says "No, then they would learn nothing". Very belittling of the Ferengi but in the end the most peaceful of resolutions. The only "bad" thing they do is send the Chinese fingercuffs over to the Ferengi ship; the galactic equivalent of ordering a pizza with anchovies to someones house.
Frighteningly this episode fits the rubric. The Functions work like clock work. I was very suspicious of them as well but they fell in line. Perhaps there are more functions i could add but at the rate of these functions it seems that a major plot event occurs about once every five minutes. That seems about right. So far the episodes are rather formulaic. I suppose that is to be expected from many shows. But as the story becomes more complex, and the characters have more of their own episodes, the set of functions will have to change.
Funny Items:
Poor Worf is turned down in ideas about two to three times this episode including him saying "For battle come to me!" Riker, of course, shoots him down.
The Ferengi's M.O. is to use whips, have their women naked, attack first and make up a profitable story later, and do everything for profit. A whole race of Gordon Geckos. Donald Trump made alien (except the Ferenegi have no hair)
The ship magically has a power drain. This never happens. What a weak plot device.
Picard suggest that Wesley Crusher die like a man, without a sedative, further proving that the only thing keeping him from shacking with Bev is the damnable Will Wheaton.
Data, capable of insane amounts of knowledge about human history, slang, and behaviors (not to mention crazy science) gets tuck in a Chinese finger trap. Why didn't they try these on the Borg huh?
Alright, that is it. Thank you for reading. Will keep updating. See you in the episode "Where No One Has Gone Before"
A good scientist knows that, when a hypothesis is going really, really well, something must be off. This episode played perfectly into my scheme of nine major plot points. This leads me to believe a few things:
1. My scheme is well designed for these first episodes, however we must still be in the exposition of the series
2. Perhaps the points are too broad and thus, need to be whittled down to a smaller spectrum with stricter requirements
3.All of these episodes may be by the same author, and though that should not account for everything, it could account for the use of a similar formula in the construction of these episodes.
I truely know that this formula will need amendments or will fail. However it works for now. I don't like the idea of quoting future episodes from memory to destroy my analysis because, well, the memory is a tricky thing. So for now i will leave it alone. However i am taking the success of the 9 points of these episodes with a grain of salt.
Other Notes: We are surely in expository episodes. More allusions in this episode to Riker's American Cowboy history, Picard's french background, and Data's encyclopedia traits. We don't know these characters yet, but we are learning. Geordi officially takes the role of chief of engineering in this episode (though he still wears red).
The Meat:
1. Exploration and Necessity: They meet the Ferengie for two reasons. One is a power converter they removed from Gamma Tari Four, the second is that they know little about the Ferengi and want the encounter.
2. Alien Meet Up: This is an easy fit. It is strange because they don't actually meet the Ferengi face to face until they are on the planet. However they view their ship and are interaction with them regardless.
3. Crew Endangerment: They are having a power drain because of them trying to break free from the forcefield that the ship supposedly puts on them. They need to get away or they will lose power? This is weird because it makes it seem like the ship runs on an alternator, like a car, and without movement they lose power. Also the files of the Enterprise seem to be rifled through.
4. Rules and Regulations: Picard contemplates attacking the Ferengi to break free however Troi says that they should use diplomacy instead. This is a small part but it fits the scheme. Usually in the Rules and Regulations stage they will choose the non violent option to lead to Crisis Navigation.
5. Crisis Navigation: They try speaking with the Ferengi and realize their ship is immobilized as well. They find that the planet poses a mystery and try to cooperate with the Ferengi to investigate the mystery. The Ferengi resist which leads to...
6.Reasoning: Through Picard's skill of negotiations they have the Ferengi agree to beam three science team members down to the planet. Riker beams down with all the important officers.
7. Necessary Problem: This is a compound function of the story , perhaps the most sustained. The Ferengi are hostile, but then The Guardian of the outpost is also hostile. The Guardian of the Tkon wants to destroy them both.
8. Trickery: "Deception is the way of the Human" -Ferengi officer. I know, right. What a quote. Riker having some sort of strange preternatural instinct does not lie to the Tkon Guardian, but instead stays honest, perhaps this is more about his character. Meanwhile he lets the Ferengi say whatever they want without stopping them. As the Ferengi dig themselves deeper we realize the Gaurdian is telepathic. Thus he finds Riker agreeable and the Ferengi barbaric.
9. Peaceful Beneficial Resolution: The Guardian says "Normally i would have destroyed all of you and your ships" but he likes Riker and asks him "Should i destroy them (The Ferengi)". Riker like a good boyscout says "No, then they would learn nothing". Very belittling of the Ferengi but in the end the most peaceful of resolutions. The only "bad" thing they do is send the Chinese fingercuffs over to the Ferengi ship; the galactic equivalent of ordering a pizza with anchovies to someones house.
Frighteningly this episode fits the rubric. The Functions work like clock work. I was very suspicious of them as well but they fell in line. Perhaps there are more functions i could add but at the rate of these functions it seems that a major plot event occurs about once every five minutes. That seems about right. So far the episodes are rather formulaic. I suppose that is to be expected from many shows. But as the story becomes more complex, and the characters have more of their own episodes, the set of functions will have to change.
Funny Items:Poor Worf is turned down in ideas about two to three times this episode including him saying "For battle come to me!" Riker, of course, shoots him down.
The Ferengi's M.O. is to use whips, have their women naked, attack first and make up a profitable story later, and do everything for profit. A whole race of Gordon Geckos. Donald Trump made alien (except the Ferenegi have no hair)
The ship magically has a power drain. This never happens. What a weak plot device.
Picard suggest that Wesley Crusher die like a man, without a sedative, further proving that the only thing keeping him from shacking with Bev is the damnable Will Wheaton.
Data, capable of insane amounts of knowledge about human history, slang, and behaviors (not to mention crazy science) gets tuck in a Chinese finger trap. Why didn't they try these on the Borg huh?
Alright, that is it. Thank you for reading. Will keep updating. See you in the episode "Where No One Has Gone Before"
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