[celticarchie]

...That you like. But whenever you mention it to friends/fellow fans, they roll there eyes.

So nothing on the Top Ten/100 fan favourite/worst lists.

But the episode that you, you know - "get", whereas others don't quite see the appeal of it.

Then I'm gonna watch them.

[horatio]

I think one thread would have sufficed.

My secret tip is "Shades of Gray", a seriously underrated masterpiece.

[kevin]

One probably would have, I would agree.

However - Sub Rosa

[shpock]

I, Borg

[celticarchie]

I didn't want to mix up the series

I get easily confused and bamboozled

Okay, notebook...I should write these down.

***

Notes On Episodes watched so far:-

Shades of Gray, yeah it does suffer from the Writer's Strike at the time. All the new writing had to be done before that, of course the rest of the episode is a clip show. The drama is then stuff we've seen before with Troi & Pulaski talking over Riker's unconscious body. Considering that it ends the second season, which is also shorter again because of the Strike, you can see why people might feel shortchanged and worried that TNG might not return for a third year. I do think however that if they could have added some new material depicting Riker & Troi's original affair, and have Riker realise that although other women have been in his life. Troi is the only one that is standing by is side when he's at Death's door.

I, Borg, is an episode I get totally get. "Here's the enemy. But can you look him in the eyes and kill him." One of those rare episodes where the conflict, coming from an external source, but Hugh isn't really involved in the conflict, it's the regular crew that are going back and forth about what to do with him. Moral questions, rights of individual over the state, predjudice. It's classic Trek in every sense. What I particularly like is that Picard, the man who is defined by his moral compass, is going completely against his nature, and it's his crew (& bartender) that brings him back.

[kevin]

Shades of Gray was more a clip show because the series' budget had been all but exhausted by that point after a string of over-budget episodes.

The writer's strike that year affected the start of the season more (The Child, for example was a very old script from Phase II IIRC that was retooled for TNG), but by 1989 when season 2 ended, it was a budget issue that led to Shades of Gray.

And I also thought of Booby Trap as a contender as well.

[celticarchie]

Still I wonder what Shades of Gray if they hadn't had the problems. I think it kinda does make a neat mid-point for Riker's character between Farpoint & Best of Both Worlds. Which could be a little neater.

Sub Rosa, I'm still trying to figure out what the title has to do with the episode? Beneath the rose, hmm. I must admit I kinda like the ghostly tale, it's kinda reminiscent of Wolf in the Fold, the idea that there are other lifeforms out there other than the biological done pretty cool, it's like you don't know whether he's unique or part of a race. Leaves something to the imagination. Beverly & Deanna talking about romantic/sexual fantasies in proper uniform, what's not to like! There is an odd shift in the narative though, can't quite put my finger on it.

Booby Trap, is on my favourite all time episode list. So I shall leave that for now.

[horatio]

Did I really make you watch "Shades of Gray"? Sorry for that, it is an aweful episode and was meant to be a joke.
Seriously now, I think that a lot of second season episodes are underrated. "The Royale" is slightly surrealistic and plain fun, "Time Squared" is a good episode about Picard and shows the dramatic merit of time travel gimmicks.

[Captain Tom Coughlin]

I don't know how people feel about this one but I always liked Genesis.

[kevin]

Originally Posted by celticarchie

Still I wonder what Shades of Gray if they hadn't had the problems. I think it kinda does make a neat mid-point for Riker's character between Farpoint & Best of Both Worlds. Which could be a little neater.

Sub Rosa, I'm still trying to figure out what the title has to do with the episode? Beneath the rose, hmm. I must admit I kinda like the ghostly tale, it's kinda reminiscent of Wolf in the Fold, the idea that there are other lifeforms out there other than the biological done pretty cool, it's like you don't know whether he's unique or part of a race. Leaves something to the imagination. Beverly & Deanna talking about romantic/sexual fantasies in proper uniform, what's not to like! There is an odd shift in the narative though, can't quite put my finger on it.

Booby Trap, is on my favourite all time episode list. So I shall leave that for now.

Yeah, never quite got the Sub Rosa thing entirely but I think it can also refer to a secret, thus it would make some sense in terms of the story, as it's about Beverly uncovering a family secret.

It's very interesting to read about it on the MA page about it. I remembered reading long ago that it's basically a wannbe Gothic romance with an element of supernatural possession thrown in for good measure - not at all a typical TNG (or even Star Trek episode).

It also has a couple of nods to Henry James 'The Turn of the Screw' as well.

It's actually a pretty strongly sexual episode all in - how many stories revolve around a character getting seduced by perfect sex and having that carnal fulfilment influence them!!!

Not least Picard catching Beverly in the 'moment'!!

I have to say though, that one of my big reasons for liking it is simply that Gates McFadden simply never looked more beautiful in the entire series run before or after than she did throughout that episode!

(although as trivia, I take it everyone is aware that in the Graveyard scene, the headstones are all carved with the names of movie characters of note? McFly, Vader etc)