because this is difficult to write, its easy to make spectacles, its easy to make big boom bam zap fzzzzt. smart writing is annoyingly hard. you need to be intelligent, but not arrogent you need to get your point across, but not be preachy direct, but not bludgeoning
Probably because this kind of attempt at quality today would be in such poor company. Corporations happy with your attention want to keep your discernment down.
The writing is brilliant but yes.. it's the combination of the writer and delivery by the actor that made this scene so good.. there is of course 'lighting' 'sfx' 'directing' 'sound' 'music' 'foley' 'props' .....etc
Not to state the obvious, but it's probably because they're clearly related to Vulcans, but they already managed to develop logic as a foundational principle at a pre-industrial stage without having to go through war and a big social split. Now with this knowledge, they'll likely accelerate efforts towards science and math. If they also got the extended lifespan genes, then the knowledge of the visit with aliens will be preserved and motivate dramatic leaps forward. Nuria could well see the development of her society into an industrial age. They might only be 200 - 300 years away from developing warp technology.
One of the reasons this is one of my favorite episodes is the depictions of the Mintakans themselves: They are never shown as stupid or blindly irrational; most of them try to think critically about what they learn. Nuria was actually resistant to believing in gods again until the evidence seemed to point in that direction.
Actually, part of the reason why Picard was able to salvage the situation at all was because the Mintakans are a proto-Vulcanoid species, meaning they have the power of reasoning and logic that the Vulcans do, and perhaps also their psionic potential as well. They also obviously possess that very potent emotion that must be held in check by said powerful mental powers of reasoning and logic. You can tell by how quickly they adapted at the end, being able understand quickly on why the Prime Directive needed to exist, and just accepting the rationale of having to take the time they need to grow as a people, and not just start demanding they be uplifted. We've seen other species grow suspicious or paranoid, and demanding power be given to them immediately, but not to better themselves, instead just wanting to continue their path of violence using that new found power of technology. It can be assumed that now enlightened, the Mintakans will push all their efforts into education, research, and development of their society, and will basically speedrun their way into the Federation.
I don't know about this. Even after this scene, Nuria still wasn't convinced that Picard was not a god. It was only when she witnessed someone dying that she realized he wasn't. You'd think the Picard's explanation for how technology evolves in this scene would have been enough to convince her of that without needing to see someone die.
I love that Picard doesn't talk down to her, but instead makes a simple analogy she would understand to explain that he isn't magical or powerful... He just has better tools, and that her people will one day figure out how to make those tools, too.
That's the presence of a true god; The complete opposite of the Christian god Yahweh who demands to be worshiped and feared (though undeserving), and who deliberately tries to keep humanity from ever evolving into something greater and achieving enlightenment.
@@Grubnar If you do not have a moment, you are clearly a heretic. And if you do have a moment, you are obviously being derelict in your duties. Either way, a local commissar has now been assigned to your area.
An absolutely beautiful scene where Picard uses his way with words and his talent for reasoning to bring an intelligent but comparatively primitive woman to the truth about the universe and their relative place in it. This kind of scene is the reason casting Patrick Stewart as the successor to William Shatner worked so well, and why TNG was such a brilliant series.
I always found Picard to be a human who is more Vulcan than most. Here he uses logic to connect with Nuria, to help her understand why he is just a mortal man. That is what makes this first contact with the Mintakans so special.
There were several great episodes in TNG. This being one. But, I think the DS9 episode Duet, was the best and most well written and well acted Trek episode ever. There was just so much harsh and brutal truth in it. The actress playing Major Kira and the one playing The cardassian Gum Dar Heel/Maritsa, should have won awards for their performance in this episode.
True. But, if you watch the entire episode, he didn't completely convince her of his limitations. Sadly it took her seeing someone die and picard's total inability to do anything about it, to truly convince her that he and his people are just as mortal as her and her people despite how advanced they were.
@@SpaghettiToaster It definitely does need to be in orbit, and the series does occasionally adhere to basic orbital mechanics. If the enterprise were to simply neutralize their velocity, the planet would fuck off away from them at the speed of its own orbit.
@@JohnnyShagbot Only needs to be in orbit from the stand point of being somewhat geosynchronous so you can see the planet below. It could very well travel around the planet backwards, or randomly change it's position in X Y Z plane direction at will.
Picard : "You must not kneel" Nuria : "You do not wish it" The next line is perfect. An exemplar of Picard, Classic Star Trek and enlightened thinking. He doesn't say "No" or "I do not wish it" or anything that implies it is about his desires or control over her. He says "I do not deserve it". It instantly shows Picard understands psychology and anthropology (as he's shown having an interest in), is humble and would rather lose face in front of someone than deceive them. Picard, as a character, might not deserve worship but he deserves utmost respect.
Fun fact: Leading a person to a conclusion by asking questions until they come to it themselves, as Picard is doing here, is called the Socratic Method and has been employed successfully for thousands of years.
Yes. And its also one of the best ways to educate a human person. Its also very often considered "condescending", which is why this method doesnt often work on, who I like I call, snowflakes.
@@Aone339 I mean Socrates was eventually killed for it. In fact when asked what his punishment should be since he was convicted of 280 out of 500 peers of corrupting youth, he told them he should be paid with food for life because he helped them learn and should be rewarded. This pissed them off so much that they voted overwhelmingly to execute him... More people voted to kill him then found him guilty in the first place lmao.
@@Aone339 The interpretation of condescension mostly depends on the tone of the questions. Also, you have to be willing to follow where the answers take you, it's a form of dialogue rather than a one-way discussion.
TNG had some very low-key early uses of CGI like this (the planet). This could have been a very campy and unnaturally-written episode but it was saved by amazing acting.
i don't think it is CGI, rather a projector showing the image. no way they CGI-ed the planet's reflection on the table and Picard interrupting it with his shadow while walking in front if it.
@@KilliK69 It isn't CGI but they did have a kind of electronic compositing, in fact that's the reason TNG post-production was transferred to video to be able to use that technology, to save money compared to doing it at film quality (decades later this cost millions of dollars more because it all had to be redone for Blu-ray). Although the windows usually have a simple black curtain with reflective "stars" that require no VFX, for a planet it is a bluescreen effect, and since the blue reflects in the table in camera, in post production they can replace the blue reflection in the table with a flipped image of the scene that replaces the bluescreen in the window.
I love Picard's delivery of "it's magic." Doing all he can to impart on her the idea that he is not a superior being, merely an ordinary being with superior tools...
That's why, comedy aside, I feel like "The Orville" is honestly the most "Star Trek" show we've seen in years. I miss that perfect mix of diplomacy, topicality, action, humanity that is classic Star Trek. Every Sci-Fi series now has to be dark/depressing/overly dramatic with constant action.
The SCORE, my god the score. So much of TNG was elevated by the music, and it granted this scene a warmth and childlike wonder that you don't see in science fiction nearly enough these days. Beautiful.
Score by Ron Jones, who as Gene Roddenberry was getting sicker and losing control of the show, Rick Berman fired at the end of season 4 because the music was too noticeable and Jones wouldn't make the changes demanded.
@@sweiland75 , It will never be with uncivilized primitives that riot, attack people who are peacefully going about their business because in their delusions an "Orange man" hurt their precious feelings by defeating their rightful owner out of what she thinks is her just due!
This Scene is what makes the Archer-Enterprise Theme resonate in me. "We lived in Caves, then learned to build Huts and finally Ships like theese...." Enterprise-Theme starts playing "It's been a long Road....."
I cannot understand people who aren't mesmerised by this episode. It's one of the best episodes to introduce people to Star Trek & everything it's about in my opinion.
Lol, you triggered the discovery fans who apparently hate Star Trek. "You mean back when Star Trek was a soap opera. " WTF is wrong with them, you're not a Star Trek fan if you didn't like any of the older series.
The actress who plays the leader is so convincing, so good at being her character that I agree with Picard. Someday her descendants will travel among the stars, and they will be a very good addition to the Federation.
I was impressed with her ability to be reasonable and logical. Something you wouldn't expect from Bronze-age type of people because you assume that their thinking is a bit more rudimentary. There is no good reason to think that of course, just a preconceived notion. Then again, there's plenty of dumb-dumbs in the world now who would embarrass themselves talking to Picard
From what I've heard and read in reviews, a bag of stale potato chips is considered by most people to be better than all of Star Trek Discovery so far.
@@BioGoji-zm5ph there is a very small handful of discovery episodes that were nice. season 2, episode 2 for example. i didn't get around to watching discovery till recently, and i'll agree, season 1 was pretty dog shit. but season 2 was a nice turn around so far. unfortunately i guess some people would criticize it for recycling episode plots... but thats difficult to get away from after so many years of star trek
I love how, despite being so exceptional, Picard despises arrogance and vanity so much and always checks it in himself. Yeah he's pretty self - assured but you have to be to be a commander in any military.
He has a touch of arrogance. Same Episode he says. "By sanctioning their false beliefs" Orville got it right when they showed that advanced culture fix the problems they create in ideology without arrogance condescension and fanaticism.
a beautiful scene. I was in my early teens when TNG was running. It shaped me. While my idealism sometimes gets in the way of dealing with real world, I nevertheless would never want to lose that. TNG and the other series introduced me to complex issues of morality and ethics at an early age.
Yes! I am like you. I grew up watching this show and to this day I still hold onto the idealism and aspirations that TNG (and ST in general) had shown me. I always tell people "look at the massive cities we've built, the technology we created--we are capable of so much more". If it weren't for TNG / ST then I feel I would have turned out differently. I wish more of our youth watched this show.
the great thing about this episode is that it exists. I can always go back and watch it and experience real Star Trek, no matter what attrocities JJ abrams or alex Kurtzman may concoct
Michael Burnham probably floated in on a cloud of her own self importance a few years later and declared herself a god to another group of Mintakans, thus ruining Picard's efforts
I actually don't hate JJ Abrams Star Trek. While it's style of storytelling is very different, you still feel like you're within the same universe, and the stories are well written. That being said, the themes in TNG (and even DS9 and VOY), and how these shows presented them, are timeless, which can't be said for the newer movies.
Picard delivered that last line like a proud parent watching their child discover something truly profound for the first time, seeing the wonder in their eyes and hearing the breathless awe in their voice. I'm sure hearing Nuria talk of one day exploring the stars almost made Picard (the character) tear up.
Jean-Luc Picard is truly the man you ought to send when you're making first contact with a new race of people and want to make the best possible first impression.
Absolutely one of the best scenes in Star Trek! I've watched it dozens of times over the years, and I still get teary eyed when Nuria says "I do not fear you any longer" and when Picard says "of that I have absolutely no doubt". Two fabulous actors conveying humanities hope and creativity towards a better future.
it deserved a lot more credit than it received. The big problems were that it was NOT on network tv, and it was science fiction. Both were detriments back then to successful acknowledgement
Most of the current stuff is just hyper realism, shock value, and explosions, apparently that's the replacement to clever thought-provoking drama these days.
At 0:37, the boom mic can be seen at the top left. This accident actually is so contextually poetic. It shows that Picard's reality, our reality, may just be superseded by some superior intelligence of our own.
Perhaps - just perhaps - it is amazing _because_ of its limited budget. The only thing a big budget does is create more Spectacle (thus the much overworked word of the day, 'epic'). Paying good and thoughtful actors and writers and directors may produce better art in the long run.
@@majkus This phenomenon (in my opinion) also occurs in games / game development, comparing games in the 80s/90s/early 2000s to today. When technology was much more limited in the 80s/90s, and developers were forced to write their own unique implementations of code to achieve both visual and gameplay effects, the result was that games operated, looked, and "felt" much more vastly different from one another than they do today. Today, you can tell, for example, "This is a Unity game," or "This is an Unreal Engine 4 game." (which isn't good)
This was the epitome of Picard the Captain, the Explorer, the man who wanted knowledge and was generous in helping others get the same perspective on the universe. And now we have bitter old Picard who went to the stars not because of thirst of understanding and passionfor exploration, but to flee from an abusive home. Shame on you Star Trek Picard!!
Not so hasty ;) While not aged well Captain Kirk in TOS has had his strong moments too: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yKmUd0zHW4w.html
@@needmorebrain I really liked how Kirk found a resolution for that conflict. I paused and thought about "how they are going to fix/ make it better" for quite some time but I never thought for a second that, he would blow up the kill pad
"BUT THE NEW PICARD IS JUST LIKE THE OLD PICARD THERE IS LITERALLY NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MASTERFUL, THOUGHTFUL, POIGNANT WRITING OF TNG AND THE 2020 SHIT FROM KURTZMAN"
There is an abyss between TNG and Kurtzman-Goldsman's bullshits. "Star Trek (what a heresy) Picard" looks like 80s "V-Visitors" tv show. With better special effects.
I've never really watched TNG or any true Star Trek series for that matter (I'm 26 but my dad was a trekky and star wars fan growing up) so I've been subjected to random bits here and there throughout life, but now being on my own and randomly watching some of these 3-5 minute existential clips from this show make me tear up and cry in amazement and wonder at the writing and music and acting behind them. Pretty sure I should watch this show lmfao.
Be aware, the first 2 or so seasons are insufferable. Don't skip it but, know that it gets better in the 3rd season, starting with The Measure of A Man.
They're actually are several good episodes in the first season. The problem is that Picard has not yet reached his maximum performance during that season. He gets better with the second season but comes into his own on the third season, which is I think the most fabulous season of the entire series.
This is one of Picard’s best moments. You can really see that these are the moments he lives for, to see humanity’s youth in other species, and in individuals like Nuria. To watch others follow the same path that brought humans to the stars. And here, he gets to _inspire_ those aspirations rather than watching him. Ironic, he convinces her not to be afraid of him, but imagine how scared he must be. He holds in his hands the sole responsibility for the future of this race. How he handles this conversation will determine how Nuria leads her community, and thus how her people will grow. And he navigates it like a fucking _champ._
Could you imagine if Q had showed up in this scene? Picard would have just thrown his hands up. Mintaken: "Is He a God?'. Picard "Well we're really not sure about that one".
This is Star Trek. Not flashy lights, or epic space battles, or convoluted plots. This, right here, bringing exploration, philosophy, and humanity together in a simple, yet deep conversation.
As much as i love watching the Dominion wars and the battles against the Cardassians, I really think the earlier seasons of TNG were the best out of the whole series. It was Gene Rodenberry's vision of a better humanity come to life, free from conflict.
And the saddest thing is they consistently get downrated. I’m one of those that tends to think S1-S4 are > than S5-S7. They took more risks in the first 4 seasons IMO.
@ABCDyeahyeah Agreed, they were far more creative, even if they were a little unpolished. However, the unpolished feeling adds to the aesthetics in a positive way.
Of that I have absolutely no doubt. Picard said this because: What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. She had done more than conceive. She saw!
I imagine that the hot air balloon might jump the technological queue for these people. Nuria knows flight is possible, and that's one way she might achieve it.
The beauty of this scene is simple: It is Picard describing humanity with humility. It is this very humility that is the best lesson we can take from Star Trek.
This is my favorite episode. It really changed my life for the better this show. I was a teen growing up to this show and I’m so glad captain Picard was my role model and not jay z.
Picard is more intimidated by letting someone know so much, with all its implications. He knows how much humanity has accomplished and sees what's ahead for these people, and everything that entails.
This is echoed quite clearly in First Contact. "Perhaps one day my people will travel above the skies." Picard: "Of that I have absolutely no doubt." ....."And they're going to want to meet the man who flew that warp ship."
If I recall correctly that episode, Nuria's people belonged to one of the first (and already forgotten by their home planet) settlers from very early pre Surak and Separation War Vulcan's colonization attemmpts, but I might be wrong as well since I watched it LOOOONG time ago.
@@asheer9114 I thought they were just very similar to the vulcans because they're evolution as a species was similar to the vulcan's. Convergent evolution essentially
This is one of my favorite scenes in all Star Trek. I used to be all about the action and adventure of Trek, but as I got older I learned to appreciate the deeper philosophical aspects of the show.
What makes Star Trek so unique is that it takes a decidedly optimistic view of technology and it's relationship to humanity. This scene exemplifies that philosophy beautifully.
I am back two years later seeing this again and am again, reminded why, this is one of the greatest moments I've ever seen in Star Trek or even television as a whole. Tremendous, tremendous scene!!
Angela Kindness what is this reply? The original poster is quoting how interdependent we are on others to reach our current level of comfort. Not sure where you are going with this reply? I honestly would love it if you could explain, no sarcasm or trolling intended.
It's really too bad we didn't get more of his work in later seasons or in subsequent series. I like McCarthy's work, but Jones definitely brought a different ambience to the show.
That look on Nuria's face when you can see Picard's point click in her mind and the fear vanish from her eyes. She likely thought Picard was testing her in some way, then she realizes he was just trying to make her truly understand.
What may seem trivial and normal to some can be magical and otherworldly to others, especially if it's technology that is so far removed from anything the person has seen or experienced in their lifetime. Though, to be fair, Picard's right in another way: with how fast Nuria caught on to the concept he explained to her, it does show that members of her race are quick learners, which lends itself very well to advanced intelligence.
I can see why he fits so well in the role of Charles Xavier later on. Patrick would make one hell of a teacher. The delivery of his lines and that patients that he exudes as he's trying to help Nuria deconstruct both her fear and her perception of him feels very genuine and learned.
THIS is Star Trek!!! One of the best clips! All the new series/ Films just have explosions and a big budget but they don't have what Star Trek is made of. Makes me really sad.
We need this kind of future optimism and idealism again. Science Fiction now is just bleak and violent. If that's how we envision the future, then that's the future we get. We need Star Trek now more than ever, proper Star Trek. To light the way.
my favorite line from that episode was when she knelt down in front of him and he told her to get up. When she asked "you do not wish to be worshiped?" he said "because, I do not deserve it"
I have always loved this scene as she gazes out the window and marvels at her world and Picard walks up to her as that beautiful new age music plays in the background. its magical.
@@katherinkeegan8601 it is a scene in Ricky Gervais' show Extras. Stewart is going on about this idea he has for a movie, where every scene is about some woman whose clothes fall off.
i don't think tv will ever be like this again. this show explored deep concepts in a really simple manner. a lot of these episodes seemed to hinge on metaphysics, philosophy, existentialism etc... crazy how they weaved such great stories around that stuff.
This episode helped give me such hope for my species. Even despite all the decadence that has sprouted these last few years, i believe it will all cleanse itself out. And from it, a space faring humanity will arise.
![[TNG: Who watches the Watchers] S3EP.4, Picard and Nuria](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
