Weekend Trek “The Chase”

Star Trek the Next Generation sometimes remembers that Captain Jean-Luc Picard has an interest in archaeology.  Then along comes an episode like this one where that is what more or less drives the plot.

Jimmy and Tom have some thoughts below.

“The Chase”

Picard and the Enterprise crew search for clues in ancient DNA, but they aren’t the only ones looking.

jimmy:  So, how good is Professor Galen?  He spends years of his life on this and figures he needs another three months to finish it. Picard comes along and takes the scrapes of some random numbers off a hard drive and has it figured out in about 35 minutes.

tomk:  Considering the message came from an alien played by the same actress who played the Female Changeling on DS9, I was thinking the whole thing was a hoax.

jimmy:  It’s quite possible. The Klingons and  Cardassians sure felt had.

tomk:  That Klingon captain may have seemed foolish, but a Changeling weapon could be a huge he problem.

jimmy:  Instead it was the common “we seeded the universe trope”.

tomk:  It does explain why most aliens look basically human.

jimmy:  That and the limited effects budget.

tomk:  What?  You don’t want an in-universe explanation for the limited effects budget?

jimmy:  Want?  No. Need?  No.

tomk:  What do you want or need?

jimmy:  Money?

tomk:  Aren’t you getting paid by the Spider-Man Rewatch update?

jimmy:  Hence the problem.

tomk:  Well, you did comment on a Spider-Man appearance on a different show recently.

jimmy:  Does that count?

tomk:  Ask payroll.

jimmy:  I will!  Hopefully they’re better at payrolling then Beverly is at doctoring.

tomk:  She was instrumental in finding that underwhelming message.

jimmy:  Perhaps. But look, McCoy was curing cancer and growing people new kidneys with a single pill…she couldn’t save one guy from a disruptor blast?

tomk:  If he was dead when she got to him…probably not.

jimmy:  I guess that’s what you get when you get all pissy when the Captain of the flag ship doesn’t just up and quit his job on a whim to join you.

tomk:  I remember an original series episode where McCoy was unable to save a guy who had a simple stab wound. Maybe  Beverly should be cut some slack.

jimmy:  

tomk:  Precisely. I think.

jimmy:  This was just like that, just not funny.

tomk:  Yeah, I don’t wanna be with someone who thinks an old man dead of a chest wound is funny.

jimmy:  That Klingon might.

tomk:  He can be distracted by arm wrestling Data.

jimmy:  That wouldn’t distract him for long…and he might not remember after.

tomk:  If he gets hit in the head that hard, he may get be out long enough that you won’t need a distraction.

jimmy:  Also true.

tomk:  That won’t help with the Cardassians or Romulans, but it’s a start.

jimmy:  Some alien species are just jerks.

tomk:  Like the Pakleds?

jimmy:  Especially the Pakleds. But especially the Cardassians and the Romulans.

tomk:  At least the Romulan captain listened.

jimmy:  Luckily the eons old alien spoke English.

tomk:  Or maybe it didn’t, and you were just meant to think she did.

jimmy:  Then how did they understand her, Tom?  How did they understand?

tomk:  Wishful thinking.

jimmy:  I did wonder how the ancient civilization could leave a trail of breadcrumbs that would essentially…reprogram a tricorder.

tomk:  Probably the same way other ancient civilizations left behind that code to reprogram your smartphone.

jimmy:  Oh. I thought that was Apple.

tomk:  Who do you think told Apple?

jimmy:  Mind. Blown.

tomk:  That’s right. It may have been ancient aliens. Or just a talking banana.

jimmy:  She did have a banana look.

tomk:  Maybe she knew a Bananaman.

jimmy:  Maybe. I don’t but she may.

tomk:  Too bad. He knows how to write his name over a planet.

jimmy:  Maybe that’s what destroyed their planet.

tomk:  Man, you raise a good point. We may need to beware fruit-based superpowered beings.

jimmy:

tomk:  Those guys don’t have superpowers.

jimmy:  Maybe not here. But on that message senders world, those were the Avengers.

tomk:  It was a day unlike any other.

jimmy:  Maybe the Klingons would have been more impressed by the underwear Avengers.

tomk:  Yeah, but they probably weren’t smart enough to leave a message. They probably founded that weird Lucky Charms colony from season two.

jimmy:  They’re responsible for all colonies everywhere apparently.

tomk:  This messenger race has far more implications than I thought.

jimmy:  I’m sure we’ll be discussing them further in upcoming episodes.

tomk:  Just like the  First Contact woman and Geordi’s last girlfriend.

jimmy:  There’s still time.

tomk:  Really?  How many episodes are left for season six (of seven)?

jimmy:  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

tomk:  Exactly!

jimmy:  Maybe we should check the next episode and see if they appear?

tomk:  Nah, I think the next one is about Riker’s sanity.

jimmy:  That sounds dark.

tomk:  So bring a flashlight.

jimmy:  Check.

tomk:  Ok, then I guess it’s time to move on.

You know, before he shows up.

Too late.

jimmy:  Ugh.

tomk:  Shall we move on?

jimmy:  Please.

tomk:  If you insist.

Next:  “Frame of Mind”