Funny story about Cause & Effect. When it first premiered, tons of networks got calls from irate customers complaining about them "accidentally airing the same segment" over and over again. Because the show would always go to commercial after the Enterprise blowing up, then after the break the show would seemingly reset. They thought it was a broadcasting error. LOL
I remember seeing this episode when it first aired, and I thought the same thing after the first commercial break. But I am a big enough nerd with enough time travel viewing under my belt, that I quickly figured it out.
@chacaf22 keep in mind... TV was different back then. The audiences weren't as used to this kind of plot. And obviously these people jumped the gun and called in to complain before the show was finished lol
Never heard of that one, but I have to laugh. Even when I was a kid, and even before I watched Groundhog Day I understood the basic concept of what a time loop was as it was a common troupe in movies/TV even at the time. Hell, even Power Rangers had a couple of time loop episodes. For me, both as a kid, and as an adult Cause & Effect has always been one of my favorite TNG episodes.
The Inner Light is an absolute masterpiece, and one of my top five TNG episodes of all time. It's just wonderful from start to finish. Fun fact: Kamin's son, Batai, was played by Patrick Stewart's real life son, Daniel Stewart.
"The Inner Light" is an all-timer for sure. There's something about when he says, "Oh, it's me!" That always gets to me. Also, that was Patrick Stewart's son IRL playing his son, which you can really see in his face.
Absolutely, Because I Watched This Episode, The Inner Light, When It First Aired, And I Also Cried When Riker Handed Him The Box, With The Recorder Flute . . . That Episode Was Magnificently Written, Directed And Acted Out . . . :-)
Yes, this episode is profound, and has been recognized as such, by both fans and critics. "The Inner Light" is one of only two Star Trek episodes to win a Hugo award, one of the most prized honors in the Science Fiction community.
Inner Light is a legendary episode. Heartbreaking, too. He has to grieve the death of that life he lived, his family, culture, and planet - all lost. He ALONE remembers, as if he were the last of his kind. Such sadness. Picard has endured and will endure such extremes of psychological trauma.
I'm glad you made the space to include "I, Borg" and "The Inner Light," especially. These episodes, among others throughout the run of TNG, showed what the writers, actors, and everyone involved in the production were capable of.
Thanks for watching Cassie. "The Inner Light" brings me to tears every time. That episode is not only the best Season 5 episode, in most online lists it is also in the top 3 best TNG episodes of all time.
All his married life, his prime, Kamin's wife told him he was delusional--until she made threats and ultimatums. At the end of Kamin's life, he finds out he was right and his 'wife' was a deluding figment.
Or is it Dr Frasier Crane? . '' Good morning Seattle. Our first caller is a naval ship captain who feels like he is living the same day over and over again''.
Picard tenderly clutching the Ressikan flute to his heart, a token of all that he has lost in that other life when he was called Kamin, now and forever only memories. His best friend Batai, his beloved Eline, who gave him his two children Meribor and Little Batai, Meribor's son Kamie, and doubtless many other friends from his small community of Ressik. Some forty _YEARS_ of living, loving, working, researching, day in and day out. Gone, every one of them, all of it. But for this simple flute, and the bittersweet song he played on it at his little boy's naming ceremony.
"Inner Light" is far-and-away my favorite STNG episode. "Lessons" is a close second. I love the way subsequent episode authors occassionally take a moment to include music in general and his flute playing in particular as a central facet of Picard's character.
I love "Lessons"! The Jefferies Tube scene is top-shelf Picard material. That roll-up piano with the golden keys is my dream technology. My family bought me a real roll-up piano a few years after I fell in love with the episode, but it is atrocious and basically unusable for real music-making. The TNG fan in me was so let down! 😢
Yes, “Lessons” is a really special one. I hope Cassie makes an exception to add that very special episode to her patron recommended episodes. Maybe make it her, "Cassie Pick of the Month" or something.
Not really a part two elements of inner light are referenced but that’s about it. But agreed it’s a good episode and a great character arc moment for Picard
The "Inner Light" is among the greatest 45 minutes of science fiction ever written for a TV show... many feel it's the best episode of any within the whole franchise.
The woman standing behind Bateson's shoulder was originally written to be Saavik, but Kirstie Alley wanted way too much money for a non-speaking cameo (seems to have been kind of a theme with her...)
It made me so happy to wake up and see this video! The Inner Light is my favorite episode of any Star Trek ever, and it's accessible even to folks that don't know a lot about Trek.
The sound stages for Cheers were across the alley from the STNG sound stages. During the earlier seasons of STNG their budget was so tight, the cast would go over to the Cheers sets to raid their crafts area. Both series have actors making appearances on each other's shows.
And Lilith was in the episode First Contact where she molested Riker. (My friend's dad wrote that one.) Plus Rick Berman who replaced Gene R. was the producer of Cheers.
@@drivers99 Bebe Nueworth was on STNG. Kate Mulgrew was on Cheers. Patrick Stewart was on Frasier. The character Morn on DS9 is a nod to Norm on Cheers.
The terror of the Borg, or zombies, or the fungus in The Last of Us, etc. isn't that they are lethal enemies, but that they turn us into more enemies. If they just killed us, they wouldn't be nearly as bad.
“The Inner Light” is my absolute favorite SNG episode and among my top five of all Star Trek episodes. Its quiet beauty and Picard playing the recorder at the end is heartbreaking. I always tear up.
So about the Inner Light. The probe was essentially writing new neural pathways in Picard's brain. A 30 year memory composite of one man's life on a dying planet. Same basic idea as Total Recall with Arnold. It's a big implanted memory that feels real to Picard.
inner light was one of two episodes of television that after watching I had to stop and wait a week before the next episode to process my thoughts on it. The other was an episode of buffy
As soon as those kids appeared, I figured Cassie would go nuts. Inner Light always finds a way to pull anyone in. A friend once asked me to show him a really good Star Trek episode because he didn't have time to catch them all and wanted to see why I liked it so much. I showed him this one, and then he decided to check them all out.
Picard has always been the career oriented person... there are times that you see glimpses of regret from him about not pursuing other ventures... archeology, family, etc. This episode gave him the opportunity to have a family... even if it was just in his mind.
30:00 Inner Light is my favorite episode of TNG. 41:25 "Why do I feel like crying?" I don't know why you feel like crying. I've watched the Inner Light at least 50 times. Right now I'm only watching your reaction and there are tears in my eyes. I'm crying because this the most touching Star Trek I've ever seen
Greetings from Scotland. Three great episodes with Inner Light being particularly special. One of the greatest Star Trek episodes and you got it exactly right.
Oooooohhhh ... The Inner Light .... The single greatest episode in any tv series ever. As decades go, it hits harder each time I watch it. And the flute, the melody which resembles Tchaikowsky I, but in a slightly alien way .... Absolute masterpiece.
Picard-Kamen's adult son on Katan is played by Patrick Stewart's real son. The probe was transmitting a super lucid and vivid "recreation" of a portion of Kamen's real life and that culture and community on Katan 1000 years ago, as a sort of "record" of whom they where. For Picard it was as real as his real life. Ever have a dream so lucid and vivid that it seemed indistinguishable from life while you are awake? It's kind of like that.
The technology behind the probe isn't what matters. He lived an entire lifetime during that probes incorporating him into a very real simulation that to him took all those years to experience. It was actually like he was living a different life. He experienced being married and having children and being part of a community. And then it was suddenly gone...heartbreaking and yet a gift all in one.
That is my absolute favorite episode (The Inner Light) of the entire series. I love Star Trek with all of it positive spins on what our future could possibly be, but I always thought Jean-Luc Picard needed to experience love and family and fatherhood to make it complete. It was this episode where he got that chance to experience all that he missed, yet without taking away anything from his life as Captin Jean-Luc Picard. Priceless!
I'm happy that you watched Cause and Effect and loved it. I had a feeling that you would. It and The Inner Light (which I had no doubt you'd watch) are probably my two favorite episodes and you reacted to both in the same video. What a great day this turned out to be. Thanks.
I always loved these weird episodes(like the first one) the most! Where you don't know what's going on till late in the episode, so interesting and thrilling! And the last one is also one of my favourites!
"The Inner Light" is my number one all time favorite of the TNG series. At the 37:30 mark, is one of my favorite quotes.“Seize the time…. Live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.” ... This episode always gets me crying at the end when he's being told by his family the reason they brought him. Then again later when he's in his quarters playing the flute, and somehow was able to play it just as good even though he never had one before. ... You were asking a lot of questions about it at the end, but don't overthink it. I'd say it's very similar to us having a great 5 minute dream. When we wake up, and think how real that dream was where we feel like we lived a life time in that moment. The human brain and the memories it can store and reproduce through dreams is a very amazing thing and we know so little about it.
"I, Borg" is the episode that revealed that Borg drones are victims of the overriding will of the Collective, and when disconnected from it, they begin to reclaim some of what they've had taken from them. Collectively (sic) they're an inhuman, monstrous, relentless terror; individually... they're sympathetic and relatable. THAT is stellar writing.
Oh my god did Picard get Freaky Friday -ed , You make me laugh you bring me joy you make me smile on days I need it more than ever. Thank you so much Cassie for your amazing content.
May 11, 1992 was the original air date for "I, Borg" and back then I was much younger than I am now obviously. I was 8 years old. I didn't have the understanding of the subject matter like I do now. In some ways, because of your understanding, Cassie, you have been able to enjoy the show more than I did. I believe this is an advantage for you. You were able to comprehend much more than I did because of your added knowledge and experience. Thank you for sharing your experience. :)
Data: "I've isolated 3 segments of this recording..." I heard for Cause and Effect they used the same takes but different cameras for some of the scenes.
The Inner Light is simply the most powerful and emotional episode of the lot, Stewart is wonderful in it and even after watching it 100 times I blub everytime! Great reation as always Cassie, I just love your enthusiasm for all things TNG!
Be sure to check out Episode 19 in Season 6 entitled "Lessons", as it's a follow-up to this episode. That recorder and tune that Picard plays makes a reappearance.
I love SF Debris take on this show. " A recording of our future selves and our imminent demise.... I see no reason to change course." LOL 9:00 Also RIP the USS Bosman. That's not a spoiler. Blink and you miss it.
I had a similar reaction when I saw "The Inner Light". I knew it was profound and well-written, but I just cant fathom how someone could come to terms with what they just went through, 30 years of memories of an alternate life is bananas. And my overthinking makes me enjoy it less despite knowing its a top ten TNG episode 😅
The Inner Light means a lot more to someone who had lucid dreams with similar plots growing up. Impossible to explain to anyone who never experienced them. Enormously positive, I should note, but staggering.
I am a real Trekke from the begining. This is one of my favorite eposides. Some trivia that people might enjoy. 1. This eposide came from a collection of different stories that were submitted to a colleage class that were tasked with coming up with this supposition. If you knew that your civilization was going to die, what was the best way to leave a record of that civilization that would stand the test of time and be recorded in history. This story was adapted from one of those stories. 2. There was an auction at Sotheby's around 20 years ago. All of the props from all the shows were up for auction. Uniforms, model's of the various Enterprises, stage props and other memorabilia were auctioned off. The flute from "the Inner Light" fetched $35,000 dollers. Oh, yeah, you got the box also. By the way, the flute does not play.
I love that the TNG is "give" us the frakesly good Jonathan Frakes as director of several series episodes and movies. About 40 TV-series has episodes with his work, alongside 8 Star Trek TNG episodes, 3 Star Trek DS9 episodes, 3 Star Trek Voyager episodes, 6 Star Trek Picard episodes, 8 Star Trek: Discovery episodes and 1 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episodes. And the Star Trek 8 and Star Trek 9.
It was 39 starships lost and 11,000 officers, and crews, (Along there were Civilian living abord those ship,) who died at the Battle of Wolf359 in Star Trek TNG's "Best Of Both Worlds Pt. 2" when the Borg Assimilated Picard.
Episodes like I, Borg are why I love Star Trek, we the viewers get confronted with a moral dilemma and the show presents viewpoints for and against a proposition but doesn't straight up tell us what the right choice is, instead we get consider it ourselves. They don't always walk that knife's edge perfectly and it can get a bit heavy handed at times but I feel like the aspiration is always there.
"I, Borg" is a reference to the story "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov (which the movie of the same name is based on). What I liked about this episode is that Guinan and Picard--normally wise and always knowing the right thing to do--both are overcome by their emotions due to their shared trauma and have to have sense talked into them by the crew for a change.
The inner light to me was saying live your life cause it’s too precious. I teared up some cause it made me think of my life so far and those who have passed on. It’s a very special episode. Great character episode for Picard. BTW we se the flute again in another episode which is right up your alley. Season 6 episode 19 “Lessons” not an all time great but pretty good.
