MovieChat Forums > Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) Discussion > Something I've always wondered about TNG...

Something I've always wondered about TNG is

posted 6 years ago by ps48 (65)
6 replies | jump to latest

What goes on in the "passenger" parts of the ship when the Enterprise is under attack, or otherwise experiencing heavy turbulence from some kind of anomaly? Like the kids in school, kids making clay sculptures in pottery class like in the "Masks" episode, a couple on a date in the arboretum, someone rearranging their furniture in their quarters, or just someone taking a nap, or sitting on the crapper (wherever those are). We typically only see the bridge and the engineering section when the ship is under attack. Ten-forward, especially, would regularly be a gigantic mess (broken glass/bottles), as would every storage bay with shelves of barrels and containers (like the place where the barrel fell on Worf and broke his back)

I would've liked one TNG episode from the perspective of some everyday crew member on the Enterprise, who has little to no influence on whatever predicament the Enterprise is currently in, but nonetheless has to deal with the annoyance of the ship constantly being tossed around while they do their best to continue going about their menial life.

[–] Otter (24464) 6 years ago

I assume that any passengers are briefed like the passengers on a cruise ship, they're told to stay in their quarters and not bother anybody in case of emergency, and they are shown their designated escape pod and told to go there if they hear evacuation orders.

No, what I'd really have liked to see is what went on in that shipboard elementary school when the ship came under attack! Little kids screaming and trying to run to their quarters, older kids trying to run to good viewpoints because they think battles are cool, non-Starfleet spouses panicking and drying and swearing they'll divorce the person who put them and their precious baby in this kind of danger, and the teacher silently cursing the fool who thought it was a good idea to put small children on a ship that routinely goes into danger.

Because it's a massively stupid idea.

[–] ps48 (65) 6 years ago

Yep lol, I know they probably opted on having families on board as a show because they figured it would make for some good drama, but yeah it's a completely silly idea, especially considering that the Enterprise doesn't JUST explore and chart space -- they deliberately attempt to engage in relations with other beings they come across. (Rather than always assume the worst at every encounter, and blast away at warp 9 as to ensure the safety of the civilians on board.)

In the Borg encounter, a cylindrical chunk of the enterprise gets ripped away and they allegedly lose 19 people or something like that, instantly. That could've very well been a chunk of a schoolroom, or something. So, Ms. Kyle could've very well been the replacement for some poor, unnamed teacher who got ripped out into space in the middle of art class. :)

[–] Otter (24464) 6 years ago

Oh, it's not like just exploring and mapping space is totally safe either! Exploring space means making contact with new hostiles and new diseases and random giant space creatures that glom onto the ship and drain its energy! Any child put on the Enterprise was going to face constant danger! Such a stupid idea, only done because they wanted to draw in "family" viewers.

They really should have waited for DS9 or "Voyager" to bring children on board, because both of those shows had reasonable excuses for having children around.

[–] Reeveman (182) 6 years ago

I really like your idea, ps48. I guess the closest they came was the episode 'Lower Decks' (S7E15) which has us following around some up-and-coming officers doing their thing away (mostly) from the main cast.

An entire episode that begins with a crew member we've never seen before starting his/her day doing the usual menial nonsense then as the day progresses there is an attack on the ship and we hear the main characters over the intercom but never see them in action. So many ways that story could be told; with a comedic flavor having the crewman being simply irritated with the attack interfering with his daily routine and is constantly second guessing the decisions made by the main characters (and he's proved right); the usual dramatic tone with the crewman struggling with his duties while the ship is nearly destroyed around him; or a darker turn where he is KIA not as a hero but rather just another casualty we know happens but never see.

I've always enjoyed the episodes that took us away from the typical formula, Picard's vacation, for example. I believe Barclay was initially a throw-away character but the writers found him to be a fresh face to go along with the main cast. Our crewman, should he survive the episode, could make occasional appearances.

[–] Otter (24464) 6 years ago

That sounds like the perfect fan-film idea.

[–] TexasJack (12516) 6 years ago

I like it!