Laura Hughes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lauraredcloud) wrote2008-07-10 10:30 pm
lauraredcloud) wrote2008-07-10 10:30 pm
Entry tags:
ST: TNG 4x6 Legacy (C+)
Data, Riker, Worf, and Troi play poker. Riker calls Data's "the best poker face I've ever seen." Strangely, it's not that good. Data and Riker have won all the fake money. "I suspect conspiracy," Worf grumbles. Riker says it's getting harder to bluff Data. THIS WILL ALL BE SIGNIFICANT LATER.
Riker proposes a game for the pot: "I bet you that I can find any card you pick from this deck, and furthermore I will make you help me." It's one of those games where Riker has his eye on the card the whole time, but he makes it seem like he's arbitrarily narrowing down the deck by having Data cut the cards. Obviously, Data is not going to be impressed by this trick, so I don't know why he bothers. As soon as he succeeds, Data explains how it was done and collects all the money for himself. Although, technically, "unless you can figure out how I did it" was not part of the deal. As the ranking officer, Riker really could have just said "I order you to help me find your card" and he would have won.
Plot kicks in. A small Federation ship is in trouble in orbit around the home planet of the late Tasha Yar. Warp breach in five minutes! Picard orders warp factor 9.3, and when Data reports that will get them within transporter range in 7:15, he upgrades to warp 9.6. What's to stop them from constantly going at their maximum speed? Does Geordi get a free kick for every minute they spend above warp 8? Just as they arrive, the ship explodes--they're too late! An escape pod managed to get off, though, and it's heading for the surface. The evil, evil people of Yar's home planet refuse to answer hails and once warned a Federation envoy that anyone attempting to beam down would be killed.
So they decide to beam down! Worf tries to talk Crusher out of going: "Lt. Yar spoke of rape gangs, and--" "Lt. Worf," Crusher cuts him off. Just in time, too, because there was no possible end for that sentence. Lt. Yar spoke of nothing but rape gangs. O'Brien waits for Riker to strike a particularly jaunty energize pose, and then beams them away.
Down in the city, the team gets into a standoff with some ruffians, who spirit them off to a hideout. The leader exposits that the city is run by two major "cadres": the Coalition (them) and the Alliance (who have the Federation men). The leader loses any and all badass points when he gets excited about having scored a shipment of synthale. It's nonalcoholic, dude. It's like, "Whoa! Awesome! Zima!"
The leader tries to bluff his way into Federation-issue arms, saying he needs them to maintain balance and keep the peace, but the away team is wary. Riker and Data explain that they know all about the violence and chaos of this planet, since they have a dead crewmember from around there and all. Having given the Coalition all the information they need to be social engineered, they trundle off home.
On board the Enterprise, the senior staff is trying to decide how to proceed when they get a call from the leader. He has someone very special he'd like them to meet: Tasha Yar's sister. The leader says he wants to help the Federation, and he's willing to lend them Ishara Yar as a guide to help them strategize an escape for their men. Huddle, guys! Troi senses nonspecific deception. So, nothing new there. Picard decides to take the deal for now, because there would be no storyline otherwise.
Data meets Ishara at the transporter bay. While he escorts her, they chat. "Tasha and I spent much time together. We had a number of conversations," Data hints significantly, clearly hoping to be further probed on the exact nature of the relationship. He isn't. Ishara says Tasha was a coward for leaving when things got dangerous. Data is offended. Oh, sorry, he's not capable of offense. He's, um, he disagrees? Then he says, "For a moment, the expression on your face reminded me of her," all tenderly. Data likes him some Yar girls.
Strategizing time! "Access tunnels are here, and here," says Ishara, pointing at a map so zoomed out it's totally useless. Also, can we make a list of all the scenes in fiction opening with that line? Ishara knocks down some plans, and then suggests one of her own, involving using herself as a diversion. (All of the members of both cadres have a chip in their neck which alerts the other cadre when they are close, a device which does not bear thinking about.) When Riker objects, she shouts, "If you had time you could come up with another plan but you don't!" Way to ostentatiously pressure everyone. She may as well yell, "But, my ulterior motives!" Riker's not as dumb as he looks, and he goes to check with the captain about this. We don't see the conversation because we go to sick bay instead to watch Crusher draw blood from Ishara and Data to say more gentle supernonandroidy words about how Tasha lives on in our hearts but when Riker comes back he reports grudgingly that the captain has approved yet another Coalition-proposed plan. I think he is in on this caper. They must be bribing him with synthale.
I'll summarize the operation in brief. They're ultimately unsuccessful in that they don't get the guys back, but Ishara does her part bravely, distracting the enemies while Geordi does some engineering thing. There's some hiccup and Riker has to order Geordi and Worf to beam back early, while he himself goes to find Ishara. He gets to her just as she's being beaten down, and he beams her broken body back to sick bay.
But she's going to be okay! Modern medicine. Picard tells Riker the results are in: "Ishara is Tasha's sister." "After what she did for us down there," Riker smiles, "that doesn't surprise me one bit." Picard reprimands Riker for taking "unnecessary personal risks." Riker explains that he didn't want another Yar to die under his command.
PICARD: It's an emotional response, Will. We can't afford it.
RIKER: Yes, sir. [turns to go]
PICARD: Commander?
[Riker turns back.]
PICARD: Well done.
Oh man. So cookie cutter, and yet nonetheless so delightful. What I especially like about this exchange is Picard's choice to use "Will" in the rebuke and "Commander" in the praise. The other way around would not be nearly as interesting.
Data and Ishara pore over the incredible zoomed out map some more. Ishara asks where Tasha's post is, and Data says it's where Worf is standing now, which I only mention because Worf's awkward look up, all "hey there", is pretty great at this moment. Ishara asks about Tasha's friends on the ship, and Data says she was especially close to Worf, Riker, and himself.
ISHARA: Are you able to have friends?
DATA (apparently affronted): Yes!
ISHARA: But you don't have feelings, do you?
DATA (apparently momentarily stumped, then): Not as such. However, even among humans, friendship is sometimes less an emotional response and more a sense of... familiarity.
ISHARA: You can become used to someone.
DATA: Exactly. As I experience certain sensory input patterns, my mental pathways become accustomed to them. The input is eventually anticipated and even missed when absent.
ISHARA: Like my sister.
DATA: Yes. Like your sister.
Nice try, Data. No, seriously: nice try. I like this explanation of friendship. Lucky for Data, even among humans, dramatic reptition is sometimes less an emotional response and more a sense of the script not being quite long enough.
They plan another rescue attempt. Ishara's getting a little more clever about having her agenda furthered; when the logical solution to a problem is to remove her sensor-setting-off implant so that she can move freely with the team in the compound, she lets someone else suggest it, and then expresses ambivalence. She eventually decides to do it, though, and she gives the removed chip--a smooth yellow Lego-looking thing--to Data as a souvenir. That's... nice.
Over drinks in Ten Forward, Ishara talks more about friendship and how Tasha may have made the right choice. She wants to join Starfleet, too, now. Later, Data puts in a good word with Picard. Troi warns Picard that Ishara's "loyalties are divided," but Picard doesn't want to "deny her an escape" from her hostile environment. Data comes out and nods to Ishara, who thanks him, and says where she comes from, nobody does anything for anybody else without an ulterior motive. Data says his ulterior motive is Ishara staying on the ship. Whoa, slow down, Tiger. She hasn't been around long enough for you to get used to her. Ishara says she has to tell her compatriots back home her decision, so Data sets her up with private communication. "It's working," she tells her boss. OH NO SHE IS A SPY????!!
Caper time! Back down in the catacombes of the city, there are some tense moments where we are meant to think Ishara is leading them into a trap, but she doesn't, and they do find their men. But there's an attack as they're heading out and Ishara sneaks off during the proceedings. Data finds her setting up explosives on some power thingy. Data has some trouble processing the realization that Ishara's friendship with him was all part of an elaborate plan to get into enemy territory. Ishara does genuinely seem to like him up until the end, though; while she refuses to back down and betray her Coalition, she desperately begs Data to get out of the blast zone before the explosion. Data won't let her commit a crime, saying, "My duty requires me to intercede," which is totally my new catchphrase. He steps forward, and Riker arrives just in time to stun Ishara and save him from a phaser "kill" blast. (Would such a thing kill Data? Unclear.)
I guess they bring Ishara back to the Enterprise because next scene we're all back there. But Picard, semi-compassionately and semi-disgustedly, elects to send her back home. Data brings her to the transport bay, where she tells him, "That time we spent talking. That was the closest to friendship I've ever had." Man. Sad. Also, why do I get the feeling "talking" put in at last moment in place of "testing your full range of functionality"? (Those Yar girls love a coin-operated boy.) Data just says, "Energize."
That seems like the end, but we get one more scene! I love when it seems like the end but we get one more scene. Data shows up at Riker's to talk to him about betrayal. Riker says the possibility of betrayal is inherent in all trust, and does his usual lusty grinning but-we-gotta-do-it-anyway. What a human! "Perhaps I am fortunate, sir. To be spared the emotional consequences," says Data. "Perhaps," says Riker. Data gets up abruptly and walks out, then stops in the corridor to look at Ishara's chip and run his finger gently along the edge. Sometimes I hate this show.
Riker proposes a game for the pot: "I bet you that I can find any card you pick from this deck, and furthermore I will make you help me." It's one of those games where Riker has his eye on the card the whole time, but he makes it seem like he's arbitrarily narrowing down the deck by having Data cut the cards. Obviously, Data is not going to be impressed by this trick, so I don't know why he bothers. As soon as he succeeds, Data explains how it was done and collects all the money for himself. Although, technically, "unless you can figure out how I did it" was not part of the deal. As the ranking officer, Riker really could have just said "I order you to help me find your card" and he would have won.
Plot kicks in. A small Federation ship is in trouble in orbit around the home planet of the late Tasha Yar. Warp breach in five minutes! Picard orders warp factor 9.3, and when Data reports that will get them within transporter range in 7:15, he upgrades to warp 9.6. What's to stop them from constantly going at their maximum speed? Does Geordi get a free kick for every minute they spend above warp 8? Just as they arrive, the ship explodes--they're too late! An escape pod managed to get off, though, and it's heading for the surface. The evil, evil people of Yar's home planet refuse to answer hails and once warned a Federation envoy that anyone attempting to beam down would be killed.
So they decide to beam down! Worf tries to talk Crusher out of going: "Lt. Yar spoke of rape gangs, and--" "Lt. Worf," Crusher cuts him off. Just in time, too, because there was no possible end for that sentence. Lt. Yar spoke of nothing but rape gangs. O'Brien waits for Riker to strike a particularly jaunty energize pose, and then beams them away.
Down in the city, the team gets into a standoff with some ruffians, who spirit them off to a hideout. The leader exposits that the city is run by two major "cadres": the Coalition (them) and the Alliance (who have the Federation men). The leader loses any and all badass points when he gets excited about having scored a shipment of synthale. It's nonalcoholic, dude. It's like, "Whoa! Awesome! Zima!"
The leader tries to bluff his way into Federation-issue arms, saying he needs them to maintain balance and keep the peace, but the away team is wary. Riker and Data explain that they know all about the violence and chaos of this planet, since they have a dead crewmember from around there and all. Having given the Coalition all the information they need to be social engineered, they trundle off home.
On board the Enterprise, the senior staff is trying to decide how to proceed when they get a call from the leader. He has someone very special he'd like them to meet: Tasha Yar's sister. The leader says he wants to help the Federation, and he's willing to lend them Ishara Yar as a guide to help them strategize an escape for their men. Huddle, guys! Troi senses nonspecific deception. So, nothing new there. Picard decides to take the deal for now, because there would be no storyline otherwise.
Data meets Ishara at the transporter bay. While he escorts her, they chat. "Tasha and I spent much time together. We had a number of conversations," Data hints significantly, clearly hoping to be further probed on the exact nature of the relationship. He isn't. Ishara says Tasha was a coward for leaving when things got dangerous. Data is offended. Oh, sorry, he's not capable of offense. He's, um, he disagrees? Then he says, "For a moment, the expression on your face reminded me of her," all tenderly. Data likes him some Yar girls.
Strategizing time! "Access tunnels are here, and here," says Ishara, pointing at a map so zoomed out it's totally useless. Also, can we make a list of all the scenes in fiction opening with that line? Ishara knocks down some plans, and then suggests one of her own, involving using herself as a diversion. (All of the members of both cadres have a chip in their neck which alerts the other cadre when they are close, a device which does not bear thinking about.) When Riker objects, she shouts, "If you had time you could come up with another plan but you don't!" Way to ostentatiously pressure everyone. She may as well yell, "But, my ulterior motives!" Riker's not as dumb as he looks, and he goes to check with the captain about this. We don't see the conversation because we go to sick bay instead to watch Crusher draw blood from Ishara and Data to say more gentle supernonandroidy words about how Tasha lives on in our hearts but when Riker comes back he reports grudgingly that the captain has approved yet another Coalition-proposed plan. I think he is in on this caper. They must be bribing him with synthale.
I'll summarize the operation in brief. They're ultimately unsuccessful in that they don't get the guys back, but Ishara does her part bravely, distracting the enemies while Geordi does some engineering thing. There's some hiccup and Riker has to order Geordi and Worf to beam back early, while he himself goes to find Ishara. He gets to her just as she's being beaten down, and he beams her broken body back to sick bay.
But she's going to be okay! Modern medicine. Picard tells Riker the results are in: "Ishara is Tasha's sister." "After what she did for us down there," Riker smiles, "that doesn't surprise me one bit." Picard reprimands Riker for taking "unnecessary personal risks." Riker explains that he didn't want another Yar to die under his command.
PICARD: It's an emotional response, Will. We can't afford it.
RIKER: Yes, sir. [turns to go]
PICARD: Commander?
[Riker turns back.]
PICARD: Well done.
Oh man. So cookie cutter, and yet nonetheless so delightful. What I especially like about this exchange is Picard's choice to use "Will" in the rebuke and "Commander" in the praise. The other way around would not be nearly as interesting.
Data and Ishara pore over the incredible zoomed out map some more. Ishara asks where Tasha's post is, and Data says it's where Worf is standing now, which I only mention because Worf's awkward look up, all "hey there", is pretty great at this moment. Ishara asks about Tasha's friends on the ship, and Data says she was especially close to Worf, Riker, and himself.
ISHARA: Are you able to have friends?
DATA (apparently affronted): Yes!
ISHARA: But you don't have feelings, do you?
DATA (apparently momentarily stumped, then): Not as such. However, even among humans, friendship is sometimes less an emotional response and more a sense of... familiarity.
ISHARA: You can become used to someone.
DATA: Exactly. As I experience certain sensory input patterns, my mental pathways become accustomed to them. The input is eventually anticipated and even missed when absent.
ISHARA: Like my sister.
DATA: Yes. Like your sister.
Nice try, Data. No, seriously: nice try. I like this explanation of friendship. Lucky for Data, even among humans, dramatic reptition is sometimes less an emotional response and more a sense of the script not being quite long enough.
They plan another rescue attempt. Ishara's getting a little more clever about having her agenda furthered; when the logical solution to a problem is to remove her sensor-setting-off implant so that she can move freely with the team in the compound, she lets someone else suggest it, and then expresses ambivalence. She eventually decides to do it, though, and she gives the removed chip--a smooth yellow Lego-looking thing--to Data as a souvenir. That's... nice.
Over drinks in Ten Forward, Ishara talks more about friendship and how Tasha may have made the right choice. She wants to join Starfleet, too, now. Later, Data puts in a good word with Picard. Troi warns Picard that Ishara's "loyalties are divided," but Picard doesn't want to "deny her an escape" from her hostile environment. Data comes out and nods to Ishara, who thanks him, and says where she comes from, nobody does anything for anybody else without an ulterior motive. Data says his ulterior motive is Ishara staying on the ship. Whoa, slow down, Tiger. She hasn't been around long enough for you to get used to her. Ishara says she has to tell her compatriots back home her decision, so Data sets her up with private communication. "It's working," she tells her boss. OH NO SHE IS A SPY????!!
Caper time! Back down in the catacombes of the city, there are some tense moments where we are meant to think Ishara is leading them into a trap, but she doesn't, and they do find their men. But there's an attack as they're heading out and Ishara sneaks off during the proceedings. Data finds her setting up explosives on some power thingy. Data has some trouble processing the realization that Ishara's friendship with him was all part of an elaborate plan to get into enemy territory. Ishara does genuinely seem to like him up until the end, though; while she refuses to back down and betray her Coalition, she desperately begs Data to get out of the blast zone before the explosion. Data won't let her commit a crime, saying, "My duty requires me to intercede," which is totally my new catchphrase. He steps forward, and Riker arrives just in time to stun Ishara and save him from a phaser "kill" blast. (Would such a thing kill Data? Unclear.)
I guess they bring Ishara back to the Enterprise because next scene we're all back there. But Picard, semi-compassionately and semi-disgustedly, elects to send her back home. Data brings her to the transport bay, where she tells him, "That time we spent talking. That was the closest to friendship I've ever had." Man. Sad. Also, why do I get the feeling "talking" put in at last moment in place of "testing your full range of functionality"? (Those Yar girls love a coin-operated boy.) Data just says, "Energize."
That seems like the end, but we get one more scene! I love when it seems like the end but we get one more scene. Data shows up at Riker's to talk to him about betrayal. Riker says the possibility of betrayal is inherent in all trust, and does his usual lusty grinning but-we-gotta-do-it-anyway. What a human! "Perhaps I am fortunate, sir. To be spared the emotional consequences," says Data. "Perhaps," says Riker. Data gets up abruptly and walks out, then stops in the corridor to look at Ishara's chip and run his finger gently along the edge. Sometimes I hate this show.