I posted 2 episodes today! Ep 9: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-teHLG9Ag_jg.html Trek Playlist: ru-vid.com/group/PLQHhQlj8i5dqskzLNqeSNyMGa1rBWe3h1 Original Series: ru-vid.com/group/PLQHhQlj8i5drsrCtQd-FDuZZ99vKlPTyZ
The actor who played Admiral Jarok is a man named James Sloyan. He's 84 years old, now. In the entire run of _Star Trek,_ he plays four different characters.
ooo let's see. Admiral Jarok, he played a scientist in Voyager who was an enemy to the Talaxians, and um... I mean his voice is very recognizable... ARgh, I can't remember. Help me out.
He was in two episodes of DS9, playing Dr.Mora (2:12, The Alternate; 5:12, The Begotten); on Voyager he played Ma’bor Jetrel in S1:14, Jetrel; in TNG, in addition to this, he played (as noted above) an adult Alexander from the future in 7:21, Firstborn. He was also in, among many other things, NYPD Blue S3:13, A Tushful of Dollars.
One my favorite endings in the entire series. I just wish we could've seen the Klingons reactions when Picard asked, "Shall we die together?". I imagine they were very impressed with him.
Ronald Moore wrote this episode, and lines like that are what separate him from many of the other writers that did seasons 1 and 2. When you see his name in the opening credits for writing, you know you're in for a great episode.
James Sloyan knocks it out of the park in this episode. He does guest characters for every Star Trek series after TOS basically. He always does a fantastic job in whatever role he's playing. Reminds me of Jeffrey Combs, who Jen will be introduced to when she makes it to DS9. Can't wait for that!
The whole dynamic between the Romulans and the Federation was a commentary on the Cold War. The episode “The Defector” aired on January 1, 1990. Almost two years before the USSR dissolved on Dec. 25, 1991. Many of the Star Trek episodes involving the Romulans ended up reflecting that turbulent time in history.
iirc Romulans represented Communist China, while Klingons represented the Soviets. So they represented the communist bloc at the time. With Gorbachev normalizing relations and it makes some sense with the release of star trek 6 in 1991 with the peace talks with the Klingons as the main plot.
According to Roddenberry, in the original series, the Klingons represented the Soviets, The Federation is NATO, the Romulans are the Chinese, and the Vulcans are the Japanese. Now things had changed by 1990 and I imagine he still used political commentary in the 90's as he did in the 60's and 70's.
Of course you are correct. The Klingons more closely matched with the USSR. But in any case, it was an interesting time. Part of the reason the 60s, 70s and 80s were so wild is because nuclear war could break out at any time, as depicted in the ABC TV movie “The Day After” in 1983 which scared the heck out of people. Might be a good one for Jennifer to watch.
Kind of sad that the world doesn't seem to have learned much since the 1960s; we seem to be willingly plunging into a new cold war with China and Russia
A really good episode. You can feel the admiral's concern for the future of his daughter, and how heartbroken he is when he learns that everything was a lie. A nice look into the mind of "an enemy", revealing once more that the other side isn't just a monolithic manifestation of evil, but a complex society.
I just Finished reading Patrick Stewarts Autobiography and he wrote that they put this Shakespeare scene in, because he actually played in Henry V during his time at the Royal Shakespeare Company. And youre right Patrick also played the bearded, long haired guy, called Michael Williams. They also included Dixon Hill, because Patrick loved to read those kind of detective stories as Teenager.
I love how every conflict between the Federation and the Romulans is like a game of chess. Picard being prepared by having 3 cloaked Klingon ships on his side is a perfect example of this.
@DennisGlover-wr2mw kirk is as awful a character as the actors portraying him are at acting. he(both the character and the actor) prevented me from loving tos as much as it deserves.
@@sabin97 Captain Kirk is one of the best captains. He actually has a lot of similarities with Picard. He can be strict when he wants to. He dresses down his crew when they do something wrong. He is stern with his enemies. When people say Kirk is just the stereotypical swashbuckler, that's a sign they haven't seen the show.
@@artboymoy Ya Jen needs to do B5 as well.I think she would really like it. Andreas also did a cameo on Enterprise as the captain of an alien ship of people with 3 genders.
This is why Klingons and the Federation work so well together, the Klingons are ready for war, but the Federation thinks outside the box. If they could establish a three way alliance, intelligence with strength and guile, they'd be unstoppable.
Just FYI everybody. Since 2017, CVN 80, USS Enterprise is currently being built, and to be operational in 2028. It is the first carrier to not be named after a person since 1966 and the third aircraft carrier to bear the name Enterprise.
As you may have figured out by now the 3rd season was full of excellent shows over the first two seasons of TNG and they were just getting started. Note, Tomalak was played by Andreas Katsulas was in Babylon 5 as well as the movies The Fugitive wirh Harrison Ford and other movies. With actor James Sloyan who played The Defector. Slovan, who reminds me of George C. Scott, the actor was TNG's go to guest star of TNG, DS9 and Voyager. He played a bunch of characters on Star Trek. Look out for him.
James Sloyan has actually played 4 characters across 3 different shows he plays Romulan Admiral Alidar Jarok in "The Defector," and time-traveling Klingon K'mtar in "Firstborn."here in The Next Generation and also appeared as Haakonian scientist Doctor Ma'Bor Jetrel in Star Trek: Voyager's "Jetel,"and as Bajoran scientist Dr. Mora Pol in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "The Alternate" and "The Begotten." Awesome actor and characters all around.
One of the most underrated episodes. Picard on on open channel asking Tomalak if he want's to die together was totally him not only attempting to get him to back down, but also to show the Federation's Spine to the Klingons.
This was the second episode written by fan Ronald D. Moore after “The Bonding”. This episode got him permanently put on the writing staff. Eventually he went on to be a producer on The Next Generation, then on to produce the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series.
"shall we die together?" one of the best final acts of the season. jarok's deflated realization that 1) he'd heroically thrown away his life for nothing, 2) as a result of being punked by his own people -- with tomalak's easy victory thwarted by picard's klingon card up his sleeve. i daresay this was the point when the writers found their formula going forward.
The Klingon Federation peace treaty had been established early on to explain Worf being a Starfleet officer but as I recall this was the first instance we got to see of the Empire and the Federation working together.
Henry the 5th . Henry tours the camp incognito before the battle. ( Shakespeare) picards book in his office is the collected works of William Shakespeare, Patrick made his name in the Royal Shakespeare company.
I LOVE THIS EPISODE!!! I didn't remember how it went, so I was on the edge of my seat with Jen the whole time. May we all have the bravery of Admiral Jarok!!!
This is an elite level season three episode that contains great performances all around, but yes, the episode belongs to the guest star and their interactions with the cast, especially that moment between Picard and the Admiral alone. It's just great drama start to finish with real triumphant moments like the Klingon surprise by Picard and Worf and tragedy in how this all plays out for the titular defector.
It's been decades since I first watched these episodes as a much younger person ... I appreciate Jen's fresh and intelligent perspective on these episodes that makes me appreciate them much more as an older person than when I initially saw them.
One thing I love about this episode is that no one is stupid. While every character has a different take on Jarok and the situation, they all are being reasonable, including those who end up being wrong. So often in shows that have the cast take opposing views on a situation, one side will be clearly foolish/wrongheaded/stubborn/racist/whatever, and the other virtuous. In this one there is ample evidence for each interpretation, and it is only as the story unfold that you can see the truth of it rather than just wait for the people in the negative camp to see the light.
I knew he portrayed Tomalak in more than one episodes of TNG ... but have always struggled to figure out where *else* do I know him from. And now I feel like a moron ... Babylon 5 obviously. G'Kar - such a great story arch he had there. Would highly suggest checking the series out ;)
There are quite a few actors that appeared on both TNG and Babylon 5. Patricia Tallman (Lyta Alexander in B5) is in the TNG episode "Starship Mine" for example.
The actor who played the defector has appeared/will appear in many more TNG episodes in a variety of roles, so in the future, if you see a character who looks familiar, it might be this actor, playing a different role.
Remember, Jen, Romulan are more about playing chess than using using brute force. Tomalak respects Picard's chess play here. He's one of the most interesting villains of TNG, played by an outstanding actor, the late Andreas Kastulas. (seen also in the movie The Fugitive with Harrisson Ford) Jarrok didn't tell the truth, he told what he THOUGHT was the truth but was ultimately faked to trap him and the Federation.
"A little touch of Harry in the night". I think it was Patrick Stewart in prosthetics doing an actual Yorkshire accent with relish. This is from the famous scene in Henry V where Henry goes about his camp in disguise in order to hear what the men are saying, and also to raise their spirits.
I found it touching how in Star Trek Online, Admiral Jarok's daughter survived Hobus and went on to command the flagship of the new Romulan Republic. She makes commentary in the game about how she came to hate the Star Empire for how they were treated as the family of a traitor when she knew her father wasn't. I feel the STO team decided that she did get that letter and it helped forge her into the badass romulan commander she becomes.
One of the things I like about this series is that many of the episodes has a mystery, just like this one, that has the audience guessing just as the Enterprise crew. Excellent episode and reaction.
PEAK Star Trek here, one of my favorite episodes, with another iconic play from Jean-Luc Picard, preplanning having the Klingon backup. That climax has become mematically fantastic, as it was so smoothly executed. They also give you a brief warning interpolating the Klingon theme when Tomalak accuses him of making idle threats.
Great episode. This is an example of excellent guest stars who shined in TNG, as James Sloyhan did a fantastic acting job, and I also enjoyed Andreas Katsulas’ performance as Commander Tomalak. I enjoyed loved this episode demonstrating Picard’s strategic prowess among his other considerable leadership skills. When Tomalak says “I look forward to our next encounter”, he is expressing admiration for the move with the Klingons, and you know Picard’s reputation even among Romulans will only grow. Great reaction as always Jen!
One of my all time favorite episodes of Star Trek. This is one I go back to rewatch at all sorts of random times instead of just during my periodic whole series rewatches. Seeing Commander Tomalak again makes me wish you'd watch Babylon 5. The actor who plays Tomalak is a main cast member in B5, and it is the greatest role of his storied career. He plays one of the two best characters on that show, and their scenes together is the stuff of legends. I don't know if you plan to watch Deep Space Nine, but watching B5 alongside it would be a fun comparison as well.
One of the great things about Star Trek is that once they have a good actor they can just reuse him or her under different prosthetics. James Sloyan, who played Jarok, would go on to play major roles on Deep Space Nine and an episode of Voyager.
Those damn Romulans, always crossing the neutral zone causing trouble!!! Hurray for the Kilngons backing up Capt Picard and the Enterprise!! Great episode Jen and thanks for sharing ❤️💛🖖🏻
Always glad to see James Sloyan's work. He played the defector in this episode. He appeared in another ST:TNG episode as well as ST:DS9 and ST:V. He also had roles in "Xanadu" and "The Sting". Also always glad to see Andreas Katsulas, who played the Romulan antagonist. His work playing one of the principal roles in the "Babylon 5" series was delightful. He was also the one-armed villain of "The Fugitive" opposite Harrison Ford.
The Actor who plays Tomalak is Andreas Katsulas who played the villain in the Fugitive the one armed man. He was also fantastic in Babylon 5 another amazing scifi series for the 90's, that you should check out.
You have a good eye: Yes, that is Patrick Stewart as the other guy in the holodeck scene at the beginning of the episode! The guy that plays the defector (James Sloyan) has played many characters within Star Trek, on multiple franchises. All of them have been memorable. The Klingon Warships decloaking behind the Romulan ships is one of the more badass scenes in the Star Trek universe.
Love watching you watch the Next Gen. Jen. The Klingons and Federation are allies at this point in time is why they had cloaked Klingon ships with them, and Picard knew that. I feel bad for the defector and the Klingons on the Birds of Prey, because the Klingons as a group are way more aggressive then Worf!
I like the episodes that involve the Romulans, this one in particular. James Sloyan does a good job as Jarok, he's played other characters in the Star Trek shows
I remember watching this live for the first time. Absolutely on the edge of my seat when the Romulans decloaked. Thinking they were done for and cheering when Picard played his cards and took the pot. But within seconds seeing Jarok devastated, a true patriot exploited by a faceless bureaucrat for the gain of a lie. Pure tragedy. The weight of being used by those who you fought for, the horror of having left never to return and knowing the price your family would pay. Heartbreaking.
0:38 -- RE: "Is this Shakespeare?"; A: Yes, and not only that, it's Henry V. Data is playing the character of King Henry. This play (a later speech) is the source of the now-famous phrase "We few, we band of brothers" and the writers for this episode had enough sense to not directly use that particular scene. Shakespeare is making a Revival in this episode, as well; See also TOS "The Conscience of the King", and of course many of the actors and actresses on Star Trek (TOS and since) have had extensive experience with Shakespearean theatrical performances.
@@jenmurrayxo I also caught that! I sometimes wonder though to what degree are questions asked by Reaction to be considered rhetorical, or to worry over answering them. This one is important I think because of the meta connections. Henry V cannot make the famous speech without first consulting with the army, and incognito at that; Roddenberry's Optimism seems to have a lot of Shakespearean devices attached to it, as well.
Tomalak is an good performance, but the actor's performance as G'kar in Babylon 5 is absolutely amazing. Hopeful B5 ends up on the channel before long.
He was also the one-armed man in "The Fugitive." A great performer. The B5 cast was always a bit intimidated when Jurasik and Katsulas were on set. They were next level like Stewart.
6:51 "Hmm. Geordi believes him." Yeah. Which is surprising. Geordi's the one who found the first real piece of evidence that, if this guy really _is_ a defector, the Romulans wanted us to intercept him.
Data: So a person fills in the missing pieces of the puzzle with his own personality, resulting in a conclusion based as much on instinct and intuition as on fact. Geordi: Now you're gettin' it. Data: Hmm. Forgive me, but it is nothing short of miraculous that humans have survived this long. Geordi: **nods** We don't get it either.
This episode had one of if not the best subtle hints at Picard's long game for entering the Neutral Zone with back up. Such a good show, excellent re watch value to this one.
The Federation doesn't use cloaking tech because of a treaty they signed with the Romulans called the Treaty of Algeron. I always thought it was unrealistic for The Federation to give up such powerful and widely used tech. But it did increase tension.
The Planet Nelvana 3 is named for the animation company Nelvana, that did the Beetlegeuse the animated series as well as The Care Bears, Inspector Gadget and many more.
There are some parallels between the play Henry V, which is shown at the beginning, and the show's plot. In the play Henry invades France justified by a dubious claim, just as Picard enters the Neutral Zone. Henry is caught by the French army at Agincourt and apparently facing certain defeat gives his men a stirring speech, sort of like Picard does to Tomalok. Henry pulls off an unexpected victory and returns home, just as Picard does.
