On of TNG contains some remarkably strong episodes while continuing to push the boundaries of what could be achieved within an episodic television format. It is notable for the tragic loss of its creator, Gene Roddenberry, who died on 24th October 1991 at the age of 70. His influence upon the positive depiction of humanity and diversity in Science Fiction endures to this day. Senior Trekker continues to score all episodes with a 5.
Time's Arrow is one of my favourite two part stories of the whole series. At its heart it has a well-constructed time travel story which unfolds gradually in order to set up some splendid historical scenes and give us the pleasure of seeing Whoopi Goldberg take centre stage. That said, of course it is not for everyone; Senior Trekker just can't help loving this type of beautifully constructed visual treat and appreciates all the detailed work that has gone into the sets and costumes. Even though we all know that 19th Century San Francisco was never really that clean.
The regular cast are clearly having a wonderful time and anyone who has difficulty accepting them out of their usual uptight uniforms or who dares to ask: "who's minding the ship?" shouldn't bother watching this one - it's not for you. All the guest actors rise to the occasion but Jerry Hardin as Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) steals every scene he appears in and went on to make this special characterisation his own in a number of one man shows.
Character actor Jack Murdock was also unforgettable as the ill-fated "forty-niner" (the name refers to a veteran of the 1849 Gold Rush and by 1893 could well have been synonymous with a hard-luck story). Nor should we overlook one of the last opportunities to see Mark Alaimo without his more familiar evil Cardassian make-up, as the New Orleans card sharp who proves no match for Data's poker skills.
While we are wrapped up in the more enjoyable aspects of this story it is easy to overlook the horror of the soul-sucking aliens or, indeed, the cholera epidemic that provided a cover for their activities. We might also wonder whether San Francisco high society would really have been sufficiently enlightened to have treated Madam Guinan as an honoured guest, however wonderful it was to see her out of her flying saucer headgear and so splendidly attired.
Time's Arrow is one of my favourite two part stories of the whole series. At its heart it has a well-constructed time travel story which unfolds gradually in order to set up some splendid historical scenes and give us the pleasure of seeing Whoopi Goldberg take centre stage. That said, of course it is not for everyone; Senior Trekker just can't help loving this type of beautifully constructed visual treat and appreciates all the detailed work that has gone into the sets and costumes. Even though we all know that 19th Century San Francisco was never really that clean.
The regular cast are clearly having a wonderful time and anyone who has difficulty accepting them out of their usual uptight uniforms or who dares to ask: "who's minding the ship?" shouldn't bother watching this one - it's not for you. All the guest actors rise to the occasion but Jerry Hardin as Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) steals every scene he appears in and went on to make this special characterisation his own in a number of one man shows.
Character actor Jack Murdock was also unforgettable as the ill-fated "forty-niner" (the name refers to a veteran of the 1849 Gold Rush and by 1893 could well have been synonymous with a hard-luck story). Nor should we overlook one of the last opportunities to see Mark Alaimo without his more familiar evil Cardassian make-up, as the New Orleans card sharp who proves no match for Data's poker skills.
While we are wrapped up in the more enjoyable aspects of this story it is easy to overlook the horror of the soul-sucking aliens or, indeed, the cholera epidemic that provided a cover for their activities. We might also wonder whether San Francisco high society would really have been sufficiently enlightened to have treated Madam Guinan as an honoured guest, however wonderful it was to see her out of her flying saucer headgear and so splendidly attired.