It is the second live action series of the star trek franchise, and comprises a total of 178 episodes over seven seasons. All the while, the ligonians maintain a cultural code of honor that supposedly dictates their actions. Jonathan frakes referred to the episode as a racist piece of. What makes the star trek tng episode code of honor so. Trying to make an important decision, commander riker replays a key moment of federation history from the holodeck. Cast and characters edit jonathan frakes referred to the episode as a racist piece of shit. 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. 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. For me, its the two episodes that offensively take swipes at evolution and play on most of treks audiences ignorance. Star trek iii the search for spock my favorite part duration. The next generation finale has me pumped for new picard series. 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. 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.
Rather than say much about this episode, which not only tries to repeat the finale of amok time, but is rife with uncomfortable racial. 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. The next generation companion, tracy torme was embarrassed by what he called a 1940s tribal africa view of africans in this episode. Enterprised on their own mission to go where no one has gone before. With william shatner, leonard nimoy, deforest kelley, james doohan. 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 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 now, of course all of trek swipes at. The next generation shades of gray tv episode 1989. 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.
This was the only star trek episode directed by russ mayberry. 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 series picks up about 95 years after the original series is said to have. Lutan was so obviously a bad guy and the star fleet crew just came across as weak the whole time. 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. They do not wish to leave their new home, which they had spent many years searching for. 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. The series picks up about 95 years after the original series is said to have taken place. The complete episode score appears on disc three of the star trek. Brent spiner regarded this episode as the worst episode we ever did and an inadvertently racist episode. 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. The next generation, which ran from 1987 to 1994 in firstrun syndication.
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. In 2019, they ranked it the 7th worst episode of the franchise based on imdb rankings. The next generation collection, volume one collection. While star trek is indisputably the most influential scifi tv series ever, its successor, star trek. Set almost 100 years after captain kirks fiveyear mission, a new generation of starfleet officers set off in the u. 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.
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. As a result of a longdisputed treaty with the cardassians, the federation has agreed to return several planets to cardassian control. The next generation based on imdb ratings, which was 5. 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. 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. Every incarnation of star trek has its fans and no one series rises above the rest as the definitive best, but star trek. 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. This seems kind of offensive, stereotypical, and racist. If the original star trek proved that space was the final frontier, it also suggested that maybe it was a frontier too far for. Wesley crusher has returned from starfleet academy for a vacation.
At a 2007 science fiction convention in toronto, canada, he told the audience, the worst and. 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. With patrick stewart, brent spiner, jonathan frakes, levar burton. 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. The next generation episode guide lets watch star trek. 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. Datalore is still great, and gave us one of the best star trek villains. Hunter to hide her gender not unlike original star trek writer. Mayberry was fired during production by the shows creator gene roddenberry, and first assistant director les landau completed the episode.
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. Star trek tng s1e3 discussion s1e3 code of honor overall, i thought this was a pretty weak episode. 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. Seven of nine gets long overdue closure in star trek. 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. The landmark episode all good things, which turns 25 thursday, is an enduring story of loyalty, perseverance. Elksoft says the episode is a story about primitive black people and their violent tribal mating rituals. Star trek took some big risks by including racial minorities in the cast in such prominent roles.
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. 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. I find it confusing, as a person of irish descent, that this episode is considered racist, while up the long ladder is never mentioned. 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. In 2017, screen rant ranked code of honor the second worst episode of the star trek franchise. Let that be your last battlefield from the episode. In 2019, they ranked it the 4th worst episode of star trek. Tng was responsible for the ferengi who are probably the most blatantly racist creation in all of star trek. The wrath of khan this is one of the most despicable and racist of the star trek films. Irrespective of how accurate the depiction is to their later depiction, what episodes in tng contain any sort of. The next generation episodes set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the starfleet crew of the federation starship enterprised. There arent just a lot of candidates for the worst episode of star trek. Tng s code of honor which might just be the most racist episode of trek ever.
The next generation is an american science fiction television series which aired in. 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. Jonathan frakes referred to the episode as a racist piece of shit. Somehow, the actual cast of the show end up being supporting characters. Tngs code of honor which might just be the most racist episode of trek ever. 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. It was like amos n andy in the way african americans were depicted. 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. The episode is sexist and racist at once, with a terrible plot beneath. The next generation, was almost certainly a better show and weve got the top five nextgen. The series also tiptoed around offending the nbc sponsors and censors.
One such planet, dorvan v, is inhabited by the descendants of native americans. And make no mistake, racist is exactly what code of honor is. This is, of course, a sequel series to the beloved star trek sequel series star trek. The next generation is a science fiction show created by gene roddenberry as part of the star trek franchise. Its fair to say that i correctly remembered the early episodes of star trek. In that episode, the people are clearly irish influenced and are portrayed as lower class farmers and drunks. 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. But i dont think that, or any other smattering of examples you may find, are enough to qualify the show as being generally racist. Picard season 1 airs new episodes on cbs allaccess on thursdays.
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. Kirk and the derelict uss defiant apparently lost, the enterprise grapples with an insanity causing plague and an attack by the tholians. And a bonus point goes to elite force, arguable the greatest star trek game ever made. I can only imagine the disconnect between watching the excellent shatner movies and than seeing this. Jan 25, 2020 this is, of course, a sequel series to the beloved star trek sequel series 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.
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