The Neutral Zone

Fun episode, BUT... I just don't like the rich businessman Offenhouse.

I was never a fan of this actor in many of the things I have seen him in, he is just too much of a jerk.

I wouldn't consider this a spoiler: funniest, most incisive, best sci-fi futuristic line I've ever heard in the entire series or most others, for that matter. These three characters from the 20th century who have been cryogenically frozen for 400 years are thawed out and there is one exchange that is priceless:

L.Q. 'Sonny' Clemmons (pointing toward computer screen on wall): Let's see if the Braves are on. How do you turn on this TV?

Riker: TV?

L.Q. 'Sonny' Clemmons: Yeah, the boob tube. I'd like to see how the Braves are doing after all this time. Still prob'ly findin' ways to lose.

Data: I believe he means television, Sir.That particular form of entertainment did not last much beyond the year 2040.

And yet, tonight when I watched this on BBC-America, whatever imbecile edited it for time chose to remove this, the best line I ever heard, by Data!

This was one of my favorite episodes from the series. Every time it was on, I ended up watching it again.

It was bugging me when I was watching an episode of Deadwood and I couldn't place the character Tom Nuttall from the show as L. Q. 'Sonny' Clemonds from TNG until I looked it up.

The line of the show was when he said to Data, "Why don't you come back later on and you and me will find us a couple low mileage "pit woofies" (sic?) and help em build a memory".

I was on the floor. He made the show.

Catch it if you haven't seen it.

Three people are woken up 370 years after they died. I don't think any of them acts like a normal human would. "Aliens are real?! We're in space?! That machine can make anything i want?!" Nope, none of that. Instead, one guy just wants his money, another wants booze and the lady is just weeping constantly.

The Romulans are extremely goofy looking with their monk-hair, but their ship looks amazing and they're at least more interesting than Klingons. The big mystery ends up not getting resolved, which is probably the main problem with this episode. It's somewhat entertaining but ultimately falls flat.

According to IMDb, because of the writers strike, the end of the episode and some subsequent episodes were re-written. Originally, this final episode of season one was supposed to introduce the Borg. Now, they are just alluded to as some force that is wiping out Federation AND Romulan bases along the Neutral Zone. And, because much of the original episode was excised, they substituted a 'funny plot' involving three late 20th century people who were in suspended animation and were awakened by the Enterprise.

So is the new melange any good? Well, yes. Having Q introduce the Borg later worked well. As for the funny subplot about suspended animation, it's only partially successful. This is because towards the very end, the audience is assaulted with a HUGE dose of Roddenberry and his Star Trek philosophy. The Captain goes off on a harangue about how in the the 25th century, there is no want, no greed, no worries about property and everyone is 100% equal. As a lifelong pessimist, this sort of preaching actually made me laugh a bit--and DID come off as very heavy-handed. It didn't ruin the episode but it sure did take you out of the moment.