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3.0 out of 5 stars
By-the-numbers second season episode..., January 21, 2003
This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 30: The Outrageous Okona [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" stands as the perfect example why second season just wasn't all that good. It's does everything it can to be the best episode it can possibly be, but in the end serves as a forgettable episode with a predictable story and not much in the way of action or suspense. Bill Campbell is great as Captain Okona, but is given too little screen time for him to develop his character. Too much screen time is given to Brent Spiner as Data, who is working with a holographic image of Joe Piscopo to learn how to be funny. There is a great scene with Guinan, but one gets the feeling the writers didn't have enough interesting things to do with the Okona plot that they spent half the episode with Data. Overall, it's not a particularly bad episode. It's actually pretty good. The problem lies in the lack of plot development.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
"I come from a town so small we had a fraction for a zip code.", September 23, 2006
This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 30: The Outrageous Okona [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Joe Piscopo guest stars in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Is there anything else about "The Outrageous Okona" that needs to be said?
The Enterprise-D takes aboard Captain Thadiun Okona (William O. Campbell) after coming to the aid of his disabled vessel. In no time, Okona has won over the crew with his roguish charm. Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner), however, finds it difficult to completely grasp all of the new passenger's witticisms so he spends time in the holodeck in order to better study the concept of humor. In the meantime, two vessels confront the Enterprise-D and demand Okona's surrender. It turns out the good Captain Okona may have been even more of a scoundrel than previously believed.
The entire plotline involving Okona is just an excuse for Star Trek: The Next Generation to do slapstick comedy. Unfortunately the writing and comedic timing just is not up to snuff and the episode's repeated attempts at humor fall flat. The subplot with Data is more interesting as the continued efforts of the writers to humanize the android leads down an interesting path this time around. Yet, the presence of Joe Piscopo is jarring. You keep waiting for him to yell out "Live from New York - it's Saturday Night" whenever he is in conversation with Data. Needless to say, this seriously undermines the substance of their scenes together. If you want to see Star Trek do comedy right then spend time with the better comedic efforts from the original series.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Data as Henny Youngman, "Take my Worf, please", March 7, 2004
This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 30: The Outrageous Okona [VHS] (VHS Tape)
The lovable rogue is as much a fixture of human literature as the dauntless hero. Roaming the universe, charming and breaking hearts, falling into trouble and always managing to escape, they are also a type of hero. In this episode, the Enterprise encounters a disabled ship whose only occupant is Captain Okona, definitely a rogue. Upon beaming aboard the Enterprise with the damaged part, Okona immediately begins charming the crew. Loaded with sex appeal, many female crewmembers succumb to his charms.
All this is interrupted when a ship armed with only lasers arrives and demands that Okona be turned over as a criminal. Willing to fight the Enterprise to uphold their honor, the captain of the ship accuses Okona of impregnating his daughter. Soon after this, another ship with similar weaponry arrives and the captain of that ship also demands that Okona be turned over to him. His accusation is that Okona has stolen a national treasure.
According to Starfleet regulations, the only course of action open to Captain Picard is to release Okona and then ignore the consequences. However, Okona chooses to stand his ground and force the issue. It turns out that Okona is not guilty of any of the crimes he is accused of. He was simply a convenient target for people trying to hide their actions.
A concurrent thread in this episode is Data's attempt to understand human humor. Joe Piscopo guest stars as a holographic stand-up comic who tries to teach Data how to tell jokes. The scene where Piscopo tries to teach Data the classic Jerry Lewis funny teeth and lisp routine is hilarious. It is one of the funniest scenes in the entire TNG series. One of the other funniest moments in the TNG series is also in this episode. When accosted with the laser bearing ship, Picard deadpans to Riker, "In case we have to surrender to them." The smile on Riker's face is very well-acted. The episode closes with Data trying to be funny by telling jokes like, "Take my Worf, please."
This is one of the better episodes because the scenario is one that is believable and it is funny. Like those who first explored the surface of the Earth, most of the beings who will be the first traders and explorers in space will be rogues. This is independent of species and culture of origin.
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