Mike and Rich's Top 5 Star Trek TNG Episodes! - re:View (part 2) 

I imagine Mike spent a lot of time explaining TNG plots to his mother while she ignored him and drank vodka tonics.

"Hanging out in bar. Doing jazz." Rich is a national treasure.

>get heckled by bill shatner for being a star trek podcast >immediately become a star trek podcast

These two episodes, reminiscing about Star Trek, is the best Star Trek that's come out in a decade.

Fleetwood Mackerel is the joke you were looking for.

I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t just talk about every single episode. I’d pay extra just for that.

Get yourself a man who will look at you the way Rich Evans looks at Mike when Mike is ranting about Star Trek

When Mike said that he ran to tell her mom about the Enterprise exploding, I couldn't help but smile warmly because I did the same thing, and my mom just said "Seriously!!? :O" all wide eyed and then I came back running to see what else gonna happen in the episode. It felt so cute to remember that and to realize what Star Trek made feel to two children on different times and from the opposite sides of the world. It's magic

It's so weird to see Rich Evans looking relaxed, happy, and unironically appreciative of something.

I imagine Mike as a full grown 40 year old hack fraud running to tell his mom that the enterprise just exploded.

"Everyone is just hanging out at bar, and doing jazz." I finally get the appeal of this show.

"data's creepy, when he gets the emotion chip he immediately tries to kill his friends" mike: gets a phaser prop + immediately tries to stun rich

I demand more of Rich talking about things he likes.

Me, starting this video: "Man I'm going to miss this when this video is done."

New RLM series: Trek Chat. Mike and Rich spend a half hour talking about every Star Trek episode individually from TOS to Enterprise.

Its never occurred to me that Riker was just a backup Kirk. That's perfect.

Captain Jellico being a competent good guy who does the right thing but has a very different style from Picard absolutely makes the episode. Almost any other show would indeed have made him the bad guy, or a problem to overcome - and indeed they play it like it's going to be that way via Riker - but the deconstruction of standard literary tropes is what makes TNG the great show it is. If the Federation is going to give someone the flagship, they are going to be a damn good captain; if they pick this guy because he knows the Cardassians inside out, he is going to be more effective in dealing with Cardassians than the usual crew. The Picard torture elements of the episode are truly brilliant and would make great generic TV but the way Jellico is handled makes it great Trek.

I'm presuming that Captain Jellico was named "Jellico", since the real Admiral Jellicoe was a stuck-up but very competent man who had to deal with a vain, insubordinate showboat in Admiral Beatty. The writer probably was a naval buff of some kind, and remembered the Battle of Jutland.

"Hanging out in bar." "Doing Jazz." No one has quite the mastery of the King's English like Rich Evans.

One of my favorite lines "We have angered The Picard." That one stuck with me.

Remember in DS9, when Worf discovered that the O'Briens were having another child, he altered his holiday plans to coincide with the birth, just so there would be no chance that he would have to deliver the baby (as he did with Molly). That was a great call back to Disaster.

According to Ronny Cox he was brought in as Jellico because Patrick Stewart's contract was coming up for negotiation and the producers wanted to make clear to him that he wasn't irreplaceable...

After it was revealed that Rich Evans was 22 years old when he almost burned his Grandmother's house down trying to cook french fries. Mike running to tell his Mom the Enterprise blew up has the same energy.

Fun Fact: David Warner, the actor who plays the interrogator Gul Madred also appropriately did the narration for the audio-book version of George Orwell's 1984, which was part of the inspiration behind the four lights scene.

Rich Evans doesn't get enough respect for his high quality portrayal of the character Rich Evans. Truly a masterclass in method acting. Amazing as always!

Worf:"It is over." I laughed so hard. Then, I realized the deeper meaning, no more good Trek.😢

Little Mike running to tell his mom that the Enterprise blew up is absolutely precious.

For reference: Mike's top five: 5. The Best of Both Worlds (Parts 1 and 2) 4. The Drumhead 3. Tapestry 2. Disaster 1. The Nth Degree Rich's top five: 5. The Measure of a Man 4. Deja Q 3. Chain of Command (Parts 1 and 2) 2. Cause and Effect 1. Who Watches the Watchers?

Turns out I really like when Mike and Rich talk about Star Trek. Seeing them talk about something they love is great, and it's even better when it's something I love too.

One of my favorite things about these kinds of discussions is that everyone typically has a different top five and it just turns into talking about great TNG episodes.

I imagine Jay operating the cameras and staring blankly into space the whole time

"Cause and Effect" was rather avant-garde, if you think about it, and is what makes it one of my favorites. The story arc actually incorporates the commercial breaks. Each time the Enterprise blows up they cut to commercials and you zone out to the "Where's the Beef" Lady for five minutes. Then the story picks up at the beginning again, and you have to watch it all over. There's even a "psych" moment when they come back from commercial with the same opening shot and you think "Oh no, not again," but then to your relief they pick up from where they just left off.

The thing I like most about "Disaster" is the nonstandard pairings for all the little subplots... Like how many scenes have Beverly and Geordi ever had together before this? Same with Riker and Data, Troi and O'Brien, etc.

If there was a RU-vid channel where Mike and Rich discuss Star Trek 24/7, I would subscribe to it - and the podcast too

I love the part when Ro is HORRIFIED to find out Troi is in charge.

I was watching "Cause and Effect" yesterday and I realized one great point of the episode's design that I had forgotten about is that each loop is in the span of one act. Everytime the Enterprise blows up, the show cuts to commercial and when you return Picard giving a Captain's Log.

What I like about Jellico is that he has a good bond with Data throughout the episode without referring or making a big point about Data being an android.

This video already has more views than the Picard series.

Crusher always wanted to dance because Gates McFadden is also a choreographer, and she handled the choreography in the David Bowie movie Labyrinth.

Best part of Disaster is that it gives us the opportunity to see characters who don't normally have scenes together have scenes together. Usually it's Data and Geordie, Picard and Riker/Crusher. The mix up here is great.

I love Geordie's reaction when he says "It's not just raw intelligence" he's so salty about Barclay being smarter than him.

"Its one of the worst episodes" --- Ty Rich that sounds like you now need to do a "Top 5 Worst TNG episodes" :D Looking forward to those..... and don't limit yourselves to two episodes, its time for a Star Trek revival, let the old wipe away the new... lead the charge Mike!!!! Worst of the Best!!!

"And now the conclusion" so many DS9 flashbacks with that one....

I think Rich may be the Riker of these episodes. He keeps explaining the plots of the episodes in laymen’s terms purely for the benefit of the audience, since Mike already has them all tattooed on the inside of his brain and doesn’t need to be reminded of them.

Let's not forget that TNG is about family. And that's what's so powerful about it.

Troi: "So it's like a quantum stream?" O'brien: "No, this isn't Voyager."

I love that Mike remembers exactly where he was when the Enterprise exploded.

Ronny Cox is such a good actor. Love him in Robocop, Total Recall, and of course in TNG. A consummate villain who could really sell his control over the situation, even when you dislike him. I loved seeing him as a hero.

"Two old men with paper talking about Star Trek" is much better Star Trek related show than actual Star Trek shows made nowadays.

My theory is that they're just using these videos to educate Jay on what things like Prime Directive are.

I’d love “Top 5 Worst TNG episodes” or “Top 5 Best DS9/TOS episodes”

I know this a couple of years old but this two parter is one I keep coming back to. Thanks fellas. Just one thought the camera work in. Cause and effect is so pivotal to the success of the episode. Check it out.

I still wonder if Jellico is named for Admiral Jellicoe who led the British fleet at the Battle of Jutland in 1916, a high stakes engagement with the German Navy, in which Churchill alluded to the pressure upon him as 'he was the only man who could have lost the war in an afternoon.' Happily Jellicoe though prickly, prone to alienating his officers, cautious and by-the-book made no significant mistakes, lwading to a tactical draw and a strategic victory..

Marina Sirtis told the story that she wore a uniform in the first episode and then the show producers thought she didn't look good in one. So she wore all those other outfits but by Season whatever it was she was in better shape (?) so she switched back to a uniform, and Marina even said the writers started giving her smarter dialogue when she put the uniform back on.

One of my favorite episodes that wasn't on their list was a Dr. Crusher episode called 'Remember Me' (Season4:Ep5). It was the one where Dr. Crusher gets trapped in a collapsing warp field that contained a mirror universe of her own. As it collapsed people and places would disappear. She knew something was wrong but everyone around her would behave as if the smaller and smaller universe was normal. It was a sort of Twilight Zone-esque episode and I think that is why I really enjoy it.

These reviews really make me want to rewatch the series. They should keep doing more seasons, just Rich and Mike like this.

Mike talking about how his mom didn't give a shit about the Enterprise blowing up brought back some great memories. So many shows & games that I would lose my mind over but my folks had no idea what to say about them. Good times.

Worf was uncomfortable with Keiko’s baby because it reminded him that he’d abandoned his kid.

Fun fact: "cause and effect" came out a couple of years before Groundhog day.

Alright. This has inspired me to go watch TNG for the first time.

Me when I discover Darmok was not included in the list: "Shaka, when the walls fell."

Rofl, the juxtaposition of Beverly doing yoga next to Jordi "drinks booze" just floored me, haha.

For Chain of Command, when you really think about what Jellico is asking when he changes the number of duty shifts from three to four, Riker comes off as more of a dick. The reason being that what Jellico is asking for is the crew being separated into four groups working 6 hour shifts instead of three groups working 8 hour shifts. He's giving the crew more leisure/resting time just in case things get hot and he needs his crew rested and ready for anything. Riker's concern is for the scheduling managers (i.e. him) who would have to figure out how to do it and make the transition.

Rich's list 5. "The Measure of a Man" (S2 E9) (25:06)(previous video) 4. "Deja Q" (S3 E13) (40:36) (previous video) 3. "The Chain of Command" (S6 E10, E11) (0:18) 2. "Cause and Effect" (S5 E18) (21:42) 1. "Who Watches the Watchers?" (S3 E4) (38:03) Rich and Mike discuss the various types of episodes at 20:59 of the previous video Mike's list 5. "The Best of Both Worlds" (S3 E26, S4 E1) (2:49 of previous video) 4. "The Drumhead" (S4 E21)(30:01 of previous video) 3. "Tapestry" (S6 E15)(47:41 of previous video) 2. "Disaster" (S5 E5) (10:01) 1. "Sub Rosa" (S7 E14) (26:24). lol. Mike's real answer is at 26:54. "The Nth Degree" (S4 E19)

There's few joys in life better than hearing mike and rich talk about star trek.

Poor little baby Mikey, getting no comfort from his mom after witnessing all of his TV show friends getting blowed up 😢

Captain Jellico was the man. He put everyone in their place, did his job, then peaced out like a boss, never to be seen again.

I remember Dave from Computing Forever talking about Barkley when comparing TNG to a Short Trek. Barkley is a classic example of how people in the world of Starfleet try to find ways to help one another be their best, whereas the characters in Short Trek would just yell at Barkley and tell him to go play with the subroutine relays in Engineering, then mock him while he was leaving. Bleh.

You should just do commentary tracks for every TNG episode. And have guests!

When there is no good Star Trek to watch, we just have to watch people talk about when Star Trek was still good.

I had just moved in with some friends who were huge Star Trek fans (I wasn't at the time), and we watched Cause and Effect "live". I was prepared to be bored for an hour or so . . . but it hooked me hard. I went to great lengths to find past episodes just so I could catch up (thankfully someone at work had recorded nearly every episode on VHS and let me borrow them).

I like O'Brien, i think he grew to be my favourite character, so reliable, always there to clean up the bodie when his captain decide to phaser to death his doppelganger, no questions asked.

It's "Flowers for Algernon." Algeron is the treaty that stops the Federation from building cloaking devices.

Picard made that useless kid Executive Officer in charge of Radishes, and that’s why Picard is the best

Is Riker's determination to constantly ask questions the reason that he got to host "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction"?

Miles O'Brien mansplains her rank to her is my favourite moment of RLM history.

Rich has an obligation to the public to reveal if he witnessed any abuse on the Ellen show

Why does the Borg queen love Picard? - because he's 'the cutest'

David Warner, the Cardassian torturer also played Jon Irenicus in Baldur’s Gate 2. Amazing actor.

I love the 2001: A Space Odyssey reference in "The Nth Degree" where Picard tells Barclay to disassociate himself from the ships computer and Barclay responds with "I'm afraid I can't do that, Captain".

jesus christ, all these years and i never noticed barklay was the a-team guy... mind blown.

They did forget to mention the: "Lt. Broccoli" Picard comment

I had always wondered what Mike and Rich thought of Barkley. I liked him, too. He always made me think “cool. A nerdy, awkward guy like me could still get a job on the Enterprise.”

Another thing I love about "Disaster" is that we get to see characters interacting who normally don't have much reason to work together (Riker and Data, Crusher and LaForge)

I really want to see "Flowers for Alderaan" now.

OMG when they mentioned The Most Toys at the end I literally cheered. One of my favorite episodes. Saul Rubinek is classic.

I love that they remember David Warner from Trek VI and not Trek V, where he wasn't in Klingon makeup.

I can't seem to find the enthusiasm to sit through a 90 minute movie these days, yet will happilly sit watching these two dudes talk about a near 30 year old tv show for 2 hours.

"Maaarm Maaarm! De enterprise! it blowed up!" "That's nice honey..."

I really wish there was footage of Mike running to tell his mom the Enterprise blew up.

“Yesterday’s Enterprise!”

Troi becomes a Commander, then crashes the Enterprise. Good job.

I could listen to these two speak about star trek TNG forever

Bashir: Did you hear Worf, Keiko is having a baby Worf: NOW?!

The episode where broccoli became super intelligent was really a blast to watch

"Nth Degree" is also my favorite Star Trek episode, by far. It has it all: humor, tension, exploration of the unknown, alien tech, great special effects. And this episode touches on the ultimate theme of Star Trek: humanity growing and maturing to the next level, exceeding its limitations. Plus I'd say a large percentage of the young male viewers in 1991 could identify with Lt. Barclay: awkward and nerdy, lacking confidence, so we were all rooting for him when he transformed into a higher being. And got the pretty girl in the end. :-)

The fact that so many of these are just 'standard' episodes that happen to be really good is wonderful. It shows that TNG didn't need to be BIG to be good, and episodes didn't need to be Capital-I Important to be important to people. You don't need to change the world to write a good story. you just have to write well.

One of the aspects about TNG, and even DS9, is that they get these actors who come in for small reoccurring roles who are just exceptional. Dwight Schultz in particular is just fantastic as Barkley, I also really love how his first episode begins with Riker and LeForge recommending he be transferred off the Enterprise, and as the audience you’re right there with them, then Picard puts them and you in your place by explaining that the problem isn’t Barkley, it’s you.

I'm surprised that they haven't been saying more about these episodes. In the first part, they went through almost the whole episode scene by scene, but in this 2nd part, it seems they are rushing through them a bit more. So here are some really cool things about those episodes that they missed: They didn't even talk about the famous line in "Disaster" from Worf to Keiko "You are not fully dilated to 10 centimeters. You may now give birth." Or how Picard who hates kids and is forced to take them on a tour of the sciencey parts of the ship but all the kids want to do is see the Battle Bridge and the Torpedo bay, but Picard says no. When the turbolift falls Picard breaks his leg but the kids don't because they don't weigh nearly as much as an adult does, so the crash didn't harm them as much. But Picard orders them to leave him behind so that they can survive but the kids mutiny in order to save his life. They're climbing up what seems an endless amount of ladder and one of the kids freezes up from fear and Picard has them sing to keep their minds off of dying a horrible death. They're able to make it up to an open door and Picard is able to bond with kids for maybe the first time in his life. At the end of the episode, Picard then starts their tour of the Enterprise with the Battle Bridge, that was a really nice thing to do for the kids. And they didn't talk much at all about all the cool things in "Cause And Effect" like in the Poker game after they've been through the loop a few times and they are all able to predict and say every single card that gets delt before it's delt and Data goes "This is highly improbable..." And all the other things that the crew was noticing like Picard not noticing as much as others because he was reading a book at the time, but he just assumed that he had already read the book long ago and forgotten he read it. This was a Dr. Crusher Episode, so it focuses mainly the things she notices, and when she's alone in her quarters, she eventually gets so paranoid that no matter what she does she either realizes she's done it before or is paranoid that she may have even if she hadn't. And what's really awesome is her glass of maybe wine, she breaks it the first couple times through the loop but then when she starts realizing what's happening, she does everything she can to not break that glass, but no matter what she does, no matter where she puts the glass, she ends up breaking it in loop after loop after loop. I love that one of the times through we get to hear the glass break on the intercom from Geordi's perspective. The glass breaking is clearly a metaphor for the Enterprise blowing up from the Spacial Anomaly, and Crusher seems to even almost realize that, like she's paranoid that if she cannot even manage to save that glass from breaking... how the hell is she supposed to save the Enterprise from complete destruction? The glass breaking is a nice nod to how you can't escape fate. It's so good! I love this episode. They didn't even say how they were able to save the ship by sending messages to data back through time, he can only send one word basically. When the Soyuz class ship comes through (not Miranda class) there are 2 options, use the tractor beam to push the ship out of the way which was Data's idea, or decompress the main shuttle bay to blast the Enterprise out of the way which was Riker's. Data's choice gets chosen every time but ends up with everyone getting incinerated. Before the ship blows up, Data sends the number 3 back in time to indicated Riker's rank so that his idea gets picked instead. In the following loop, the Poker game starts out again with everyone realizing they're saying the same things they used to and then want to predict the cards again. But instead, they're all dealt a 3 each. Then they all get dealt three of a kind. What's funny is at the very beginning of the episode, Riker makes a passing remark that "I wonder if isn't stacking the deck" referring to Data's shuffling the cards, Data replies that "the cards are sufficiently randomized." But when Data gets the message from past/future data, (whichever way you want to look at it) he actually does stack the deck subconsciously. He encounters the number three over a hundred times that day. In the end, he disobeys Picard's orders and decompressed the main shuttle bay instead, saving the enterprise in doing so. Great pick, Rich!

Re-watching a 3 year old youtube video of Rich and Mike talking about TNG is more entertaining and relatable than hollywood.