Trek Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
11 PM Eastern - 8 PM Pacific
“In a world where children blow up children, everyone’s a threat.”
more deep thoughts from Trek
(I liked The Hunted, and if I’m remembering right, I enjoyed The High Ground, too)
The episode was conceived in response to the producers’ request for more action-adventure scripts. Dimensional shifting technology was created to meet Gene Roddenberry’s concern that the terrorists would need a logical method to defeat the Enterprise’s technology.
Originally, the plot was intended to have parallels to the American Revolution, but writer Melinda Snodgrass was told to change the analogy to Northern Ireland, a change she was very unhappy about. “I wanted it with Picard as Cornwallis and the Romulans would have been the French, who were in our revolution, trying to break this planet away. Suddenly Picard realized he’s one of the oppressors. Instead, we do ‘Breakfast in Belfast,’ where our people decide they’re going to go off to Northern Ireland.”
[i]Many other writers of the show were extremely unhappy with this episode. Ronald D. Moore described it as “an abomination. It’s our one terrorist show. We didn’t have anything interesting to say about terrorism except that it’s bad and Beverly gets kidnapped - ho hum. They take her down to the caves and we get to have nice, big preachy speeches about terrorism and freedom, fighting and security forces versus society. It’s a very unsatisfying episode and the staff wasn’t really happy with it.”
Likewise, Michael Piller commented, “Another show that I wasn’t particularly happy with. We set out to do a show about terrorists. What was the statement we made about terrorism in the show? Was it the point where the boy puts down the gun and says, ‘Maybe the end of terrorism is when the first child puts down his gun?’ It was effective in the context of that show, but is certainly not a statement that provides any great revelation. You must be prepared to say something new about social issues.”
Brannon Braga observed that the problem was in the process the story was created. “Very rarely do we start thinking about an episode in terms of an issue. Let’s do a show about AIDS, let’s do a show about terrorism. We rarely think in those terms. We usually think in terms of neat science-fiction twists and that’s what sends us in the direction of what’s this story about and who’s in it?”[/i]
Shut up, Brannon! Oh. Um, I’m sorry.
Riker bases his decisions on whether or not Crusher will be made at him.
“Why her?”
“Why would they take a hostage?”
Um, she’s a doctor.
Still, one wonders why they’re having a casual cuppa in a place that’s been repeatedly hit by terrorists.
“Bargaining chip?”
Really, Wesley? You’re a friggin genius and don’t know a simple…ugh!
Pissing off a woman with both the skills and opportunity to remove your testicles and reattach them repeatedly is probably a bad move. :eek:
That’s true. Strength is no match for terrorism.
Maybe the Federation should start driving SUVs. That seems to help.
He’ll make it up to her later when he shows his artistic talent. No, I’m serious. You’ll see.
“People were hurt.”
“I know. I hurt them.” 
What the frak is that hand on her desk?
I’ve heard that elsewhere. Was that used in a film or something?
ETA: Sounds like the Joker or something.
You just now made me squirm in my chair a little bit.:o
Why doesn’t Riker seduce this woman? That’s what Kirk would do. Where’s all that womanizing we’ve come to expect.
So this isn’t exactly as I remembered it.
but yeah, angering the doctor? never a good idea
You know, if these people all have skunk stripes, I wonder how they smell. :eek: