My One Summer Mission

I watched this one while working out, and so I took no notes, but I will try and remember everything I noticed!

Episode Notes: ( Wingin' it. )

Overall Reaction: What a checkered history you now have with the Romulans, Geordi. Are you somehow irresistible to them, or just lucky?

I can't say I found this episode overwhelmingly compelling -- I'm always glad when there is movement in the intergalactic political scene on this show, but I'm also just never that interested in the Klingons? -- but it wasn't a hardship to watch either. I enjoyed seeing Geordi essentially having a showdown with himself all episode, as he constantly uncovered or foiled his own brainwashed agenda. I can't blame him for not being the one to ultimately put all the pieces together, because "I was the criminal and never knew it!" is a pretty unexpected end to a detective story. (I want than Sherlock Holmes fic now, though. Or the Holodeck adventure when Data is Holmes and Moriarty.)

The final scene, in which Deanna helps Geordi begin the painful process of rejecting his false memories and facing the real trauma that he has undergone, was very well done though. I feel like we don't often get to see Deanna and Geordi play off one another. They had a really lovely dynamic in this episode, and I appreciated getting to see Deanna really do the work of a counselor as she kindly, but firmly, led Geordi through the hard first steps of recovery.

Star Rating: ***

Quote of the Episode:
"And that's all?"
"Yeah. Well, there was this..."
"Yes?"
"Her name is Jonek."
"Ah!"
"But, er... you wouldn't wanna hear about that. Better get ready for duty. Nice talking to you, Counselor." (Deanna, fishing, and Geordi, being a tease)

Episode Notes: ( I'll overcome that in order to erase the humiliation that I've brought upon myself and my father. / You're just in your own little Euripides play over there, aren't you? )

Overall Reactions: So I guess that brings me to the actual plot of the episode, and not just the red herring cross-cultural-hijinks plot that I held out so much hope for. Which, fine, I can do the Klingon Honor plot, even if I got over my hard-on for HONOR at, like, age fifteen.

So, I missed some of the nuances with how the Klingon justice system works and why exactly Worf had to descend from on high to go through a trial with the death penalty to try and avenge his father's honor. I'm sure it's all perfectly self-explanatory to Klingons. The set-up wasn't really what was interesting about the plot, anyway. What was interesting was seeing the character with possibly the most black and white view of right and wrong and of honor in the show (something I've commented on a bit before) come face to face with corruption and hypocrisy at the heart of the system that he believes so strongly in, even more strongly because of his separation from it. The episode didn't hold my interest all the way through, but the last scene, where Worf had to shame himself and be outcast (again) from his people, when there was no last minute reprieve to clear his name, was powerful.

Star Rating: ***

Quote of the Episode:
"The family of a Klingon warrior is responsible for his actions, and he is responsible for theirs. If I fail in my challenge, I will be executed." (Worf, in a quote chosen not because it is interesting, but because it actually vaguely explained the justice system stuff I zoned out on while watching)

Episode Notes: ( In which Kim receives a booty call. )

Overall Reaction: This was definitely one of those episodes where I payed more mind to the minutiae than to the overarching plot, though I will say that, dude, Voyager, it sucks that you flew through a living being. However, I am pretty sure that I recognized your solution to the problem from MAGIC SCHOOL BUS.

As The Magic School Bus is MADE OF WIN, this is alright.

Star Rating: ** 1/2

Quote of the Episode:
"B'elanna's the only one I know to try and kill her animal guide." (Chakotay, reinforcing my love of Torres)

Episode Notes: ( I'm starting to think Betazoid weddings might be the most straightforward amongst Star Trek alien races. )

Overall Reaction: It's interesting that Worf would have had such a serious relationship with such an atypical Klingon (half-Klingon), because he, having been raised by humans, seems like Spock to cling all the more fiercely to his non-human side. Or perhaps it's simply that he finds a different way of reconciling the warring cultures in which he was raised than K'Ehleyr does, as despite his pride in Klingon culture and values, he is much more serious than most Klingons we meet and (of necessity) has a much more controlled temper -- I think he uses his seriousness as a shield just as much as K'Ehleyr uses her humor, though it's also possible that he is just a hugeass Klingon NERD. Oh, he completely is, he doesn't have many friends and he's way too earnest and he loves love poetry -- I mean, it's more a Lancelot kind of nerdiness than an Urkel kind, but even so. Still, whatever balance Worf has found seems to be a healthier one than K'Ehleyr's, as her rejection of her Klingon side nearly ends disastrously; it is Worf who is able to bring about a successful diplomatic resolution.

I thought K'Ehleyr was an interesting character, serving as a stand-in for the audience to learn about Klingon nature through, much as Riker did in "A Matter of Honor" (though she's way more prejudiced than he was). Ultimately, though, I wasn't that interested in her romance with Worf, so the episode felt duller than it could have.

Star Rating: ***

Quote of the Episode:
"We are mated!"
"I know! I was there!" (Worf and K'Ehleyr, having a totally awesome wedding or whatever)

Episode Notes: ( Wesley Crusher is a racist. )

Overall Reaction: You can tell that this was a good episode because Data was barely in it and Q was nowhere to be seen, and yet I was still riveted. The episode, aside from being about Klingons (yay!) and being pretty damn exciting, actually highlighted the things I like best about Riker -- because, for all my gentle mockery, I do usually like Riker. He is, as I have said before, probably the best diplomat aside from Deanna aboard the Enterprise, and certainly the most active explorer. Picard's face lights up when he finds a new form of life (see: the sentient diamond earrings in "Home Soil"), but he is somewhat ill at ease when it comes to actually interacting with, well, people of any species; Riker leaps right in with a refreshing gusto. He slips into a scanty, shimmery outfit with a cheeky grin in "Angel One", he dives into an attempt at dating a genderless person in "The Outcast" (okay, maybe I'm just proving he's a big slut), and, here, he doesn't taste Klingon food like a 10-year-old being told to try the beets -- he scoops up handfuls of raw worms like they're bar snacks. O'Brien says he would be nervous to serve aboard a Klingon vessel; Riker leaps at the opportunity. His enthusiasm and unflappability (unless someone is flirting with Deanna, of course) are admirable.

This episode also made me appreciative of how closely in check Worf must keep himself living amongst and serving under humans -- no wonder he has no sense of humor.

Finally, I am amazed that Riker resisted Klingon female sex, but he did find a boyfriend, so it's all good.

(Oh, and you know that Captain's going to be relieved of duty in twenty seconds now that Riker's done him the discourtesy of sparing his life.)

Star Rating: *** 1/2

Quote of the Episode:
"If Klingon food is too strong for you, perhaps we could get one of the females to ... breastfeed you." (Riker's Klingon boyfriend, prompting the question -- why doesn't this WHOLE SHOW take place on a Klingon vessel?)