Kirk and the derelict uss defiant apparently lost, the enterprise grapples with an insanity causing plague and an attack by the tholians. Star trek tng s1e3 discussion s1e3 code of honor overall, i thought this was a pretty weak episode. Certainly the writers of the episode didnt set out to intentionally produce an overwhelmingly racist or sexist story, but the episode did mark the only instance of writer katharyn powers. In this 1987 episode of star trek the next generation, the enterprise crew goes to an african planet where they must defeat the natives and bring home a rare vaccine. Code of honor is literally an episode of star trek where the inhabitants of a nearhuman warrior species from ligon ii, all portrayed by africanamerican actors all dressed in clothing and behaving in ways evoking the traditions of subsaharan a. The next generation based on imdb ratings, which was 5. The next generation companion, tracy torme was embarrassed by what he called a 1940s tribal africa view of africans in this episode. As a result of a longdisputed treaty with the cardassians, the federation has agreed to return several planets to cardassian control. One such planet, dorvan v, is inhabited by the descendants of native americans.
For me, its the two episodes that offensively take swipes at evolution and play on most of trek s audiences ignorance. But if youd like to do a quicker watchthrough, hitting only the essential episodes of the series, weve provided a 20 episode list to brush up on. They do not wish to leave their new home, which they had spent many years searching for. Cast and characters edit jonathan frakes referred to the episode as a racist piece of shit. While star trek is indisputably the most influential scifi tv series ever, its successor, star trek.
The next generation, was almost certainly a better show and weve got the top five nextgen. Wesley crusher has returned from starfleet academy for a vacation. Set almost 100 years after captain kirks fiveyear mission, a new generation of starfleet officers set off in the u. Every incarnation of star trek has its fans and no one series rises above the rest as the definitive best, but star trek. Enterprised on their own mission to go where no one has gone before. In addition to what uswatson7856 said about the theme of the black luton kidnapping the white tasha, theres also the fact that in the first two seasons, of all the prewarp civilizations they visit on flimsy justifications, the africaninfluenced ligonians are the most violent and least technologically. With patrick stewart, brent spiner, jonathan frakes, levar burton. Nov 17, 2015 every incarnation of star trek has its fans and no one series rises above the rest as the definitive best, but star trek. Datalore is still great, and gave us one of the best star trek villains. The next generation now, of course all of trek swipes at. An african starfleet captain played by the late paul winfield is captured by an evil white man and controlled like house slave with an alien slug placed in his brain. Tngs code of honor which might just be the most racist episode of trek ever. Star trek took some big risks by including racial minorities in the cast in such prominent roles. The next generation episodes in this episode, riker returns from a vacation on risa with a game that he is eager to share with the crew.
The next generation shades of gray tv episode 1989. In 2019, they ranked it the 7th worst episode of the franchise based on imdb rankings. The next generation is an american science fiction television series which aired in syndication from september 1987 through may 1994. The next generation episodes, get episode information, recaps and more. Lutan was so obviously a bad guy and the star fleet crew just came across as weak the whole time. Jonathan frakes referred to the episode as a racist piece of shit. This episode is no allegory, telling the story of benny russell, an africanamerican writer who has to deal head on with racism in 1950s new york. The episode also gave a nod to womens rights in the form of the female writher kay eaton, who had to write under the pseydym k. The next generation, which ran from 1987 to 1994 in firstrun syndication. The funny thing about star trek is that as soon as you get off the bridge of the enterprise, race is everything.
This star trek the next generation episode is absurdly racist. And make no mistake, racist is exactly what code of honor is. Feb, 2020 in this episode of picard, our titular hero doesnt hold the sword for that long, but it is a nice reminder to tng fans of the good old days, like the episode qpid, where jeanluc was exactly like a hero from very old stories. Not only is the episode s content absurdly offensive, but the episode itself is awful, which means that there are exactly zero redeeming qualities, no matter how meager, with this total failure. What makes the star trek tng episode code of honor so. I find it confusing, as a person of irish descent, that this episode is considered racist, while up the long. In this 1987 episode of star trek the next generation, the enterprise crew goes to an african planet where they must defeat the natives and. Star trek iii the search for spock my favorite part duration. The next generation episode guide lets watch star trek. In this episode of picard, our titular hero doesnt hold the sword for that long, but it is a nice reminder to tng fans of the good old days, like the episode qpid, where jeanluc was exactly like a hero from very old stories. If the original star trek proved that space was the final frontier, it also suggested that maybe it was a frontier too far for.
Mayberry was fired during production by the shows creator gene roddenberry, and first assistant director les landau completed the episode. The series picks up about 95 years after the original series is said to have taken place. Trying to make an important decision, commander riker replays a key moment of federation history from the holodeck. The landmark episode all good things, which turns 25 thursday, is an enduring story of loyalty, perseverance. Jonathan frakes referred to the episode as a racist piece of. There arent just a lot of candidates for the worst episode of star trek. Brent spiner regarded this episode as the worst episode we ever did and an inadvertently racist episode.
For me, its the two episodes that offensively take swipes at evolution and play on most of treks audiences ignorance. Keith decandido on felt that the episode did not really work, saying that the smug moralizing with regard to the three 20thcentury refugees is laid on a bit too thick, and that the appearance of the romulans tried too hard to be reminiscent of. Star trek novel author keith decandido later recalled that this was because of the casting itself, while cast member wil wheaton wesley crusher thought that it was because mayberry was racist towards the guest stars after they were cast. Let that be your last battlefield from the episode. The next generation collection, volume one collection. May 07, 2016 the last episode of any star trek series to be made for television to date, this episode managed to be the second biggest tram smash in the entire franchise.
Irrespective of how accurate the depiction is to their later depiction, what episodes in tng contain any sort of. And a bonus point goes to elite force, arguable the greatest star trek game ever made. At a 2007 science fiction convention in toronto, canada, he told the audience, the worst and. Picard, entitled stardust city rag, marks the halfway point of the shows first season on cbs all access and the second episode to be produced under the supervision of. The next generation is a science fiction show created by gene roddenberry as part of the star trek franchise. Im rewatching star trek tng episodes to get a better understanding of how the ferengi have evolved over the years, into what they are now known as in ds9. I can only imagine the disconnect between watching the excellent shatner movies and than seeing this. Somehow, the actual cast of the show end up being supporting characters. Mar 29, 2017 in this 1987 episode of star trek the next generation, the enterprise crew goes to an african planet where they must defeat the natives and bring home a rare vaccine. This seems kind of offensive, stereotypical, and racist. The episode is sexist and racist at once, with a terrible plot beneath. The show ran from 1987 to 1994 in firstrun syndication, and proved to be one of the most successful shows ever to be offered through that distribution method. Tng was responsible for the ferengi who are probably the most blatantly racist creation in all of star trek. This was the only star trek episode directed by russ mayberry.
Picard season 1 airs new episodes on cbs allaccess on thursdays. All the while, the ligonians maintain a cultural code of honor that supposedly dictates their actions. It is the second live action series of the star trek franchise, and comprises a total of 178 episodes over seven seasons. The next generation finale has me pumped for new picard series. The series picks up about 95 years after the original series is said to have. Its fair to say that i correctly remembered the early episodes of star trek. This is, of course, a sequel series to the beloved star trek sequel series star trek. When asked what his least favorite episode of the next generation was at a 2007 science fiction convention in toronto, canada, jonathan frakes told the audience in attendance the worst and most embarrassing and one that even gene would have been embarrassed by was that horrible racist episode from the first season code of honor, oh my god. With william shatner, leonard nimoy, deforest kelley, james doohan. Hunter to hide her gender not unlike original star trek writer. In that episode, the people are clearly irish influenced and are portrayed as lower class farmers and drunks. Elksoft says the episode is a story about primitive black people and their violent tribal mating rituals. But i dont think that, or any other smattering of examples you may find, are enough to qualify the show as being generally racist.
The wrath of khan this is one of the most despicable and racist of the star trek films. Io9 ranked it as the fifth best episode of all star trek episodes up to 2011 and once again in 2014 they rated darmok as the fifth best episode of all star trek. Rather than say much about this episode, which not only tries to repeat the finale of amok time, but is rife with uncomfortable racial. The complete episode score appears on disc three of the star trek. Tng s code of honor which might just be the most racist episode of trek ever. It was like amos n andy in the way african americans were depicted. I have yet to see the racist episode but im sure itll only add to the feeling that this is not star trek and a poor successor to kirks crew. Seven of nine gets long overdue closure in star trek. Irrespective of how accurate the depiction is to their later depiction, what episodes in tng contain any sort of reference to or interaction with the ferengi. The next generation episode guide below is a rated list of every episode of the next generation, letting you know which episodes we think are worth checking out if you are new to star trek. Sadly, its not as amusingly bad as the more racist episodes from the first two seasons, or the deeply cringy ones like angel one, with its male cameltoe borat. With the potential of a backlash from viewers in the southern united states the hotbed of racism in the 1960s star trek presented a future of racial equality.
Not only is the episode widely considered the worst of the next generation, it has been called possibly the worst piece of star trek ever made. I find it confusing, as a person of irish descent, that this episode is considered racist, while up the long ladder is never mentioned. The explicit and powerful racism of star trek back in the sixties it seemed progressive to have the bridge of the enterprise filled with a conglomerate of sexes, races, and nationalities. The series also tiptoed around offending the nbc sponsors and censors. In 2019, they ranked it the 4th worst episode of star trek. In 2017, screen rant ranked code of honor the second worst episode of the star trek franchise. In this episode, sarek mark lenard, the father of spock and a highly regarded but elderly ambassador, is ferried by the enterprise on his final mission for the federation. The game is psychotropically addictive, and it quickly turns the enterprise crew into a mindcontrolled pawn of the ktarians, who are using the devices to gain control of starfleet. Jan 25, 2020 this is, of course, a sequel series to the beloved star trek sequel series star trek.
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