ST:TNG Rewatch: "Haven" & "The Big Goodbye"

[retsuko]

There is so much that is good/bad/wonderful/funny/bonkers about these episodes!

Comments

[foreverinasmile]

I totally agree with you about the holodeck. I tend to not watch those episodes when they are on randomly because I found them quite boring. My favorite part of that one was the end when Picard nails the alien greeting. I think that Haven is when the Riker/Troi ship really solidified for me, though. It's not a great episode, but the backstory between Riker and Troi continued to intrigue me.

[retsuko]

Yeah, Picard doing that thing after all the anxiety was pretty sweet. It was nice to hear something so completely "alien" after all the 40s stuff!

I'm all for the Troi/Riker, but Haven just didn't cut it for me in terms of making the ship believable. There's a weird shot at the beginning where Riker is watching a hologram of some sexy ladies playing some sexy harp music, and this set up the idea that Riker is fine with relationships that are easy/sexy, without any real attachments. Plus, there's running dialogue about how being married would only hold Riker back from getting a captain position somewhere else. (Uhm, what? Anyway.)

[foreverinasmile]

I forgot how much of a "ladies man" they tried to make Riker. And the theme of him "giving up" things to further his career is a thread that runs through the entire series. Oh well, Riker/Troi was one of my first ships before shipping was a Thing we talked about!