Customer Reviews

Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 130: Relics [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

James Doohan reprises his "Scotty" role in this truly satisfying entry in the later Trek series. He provides a "bridge" between the old and the new as an "Old World" man transported to a time where he surely does not belong. The scene on the holodeck-simulated Enterprise is touching and beautifully acted by Doohan.

Special effects are found throughout, but they do not overshadow the on-screen actors. Of the cast, Levar Burton shines as Geordi who is in awe of "the engineer above all engineers."

A history meeting and an enjoyable hour.

Touching story of a Starfleet Officer who is rescued from his ship's transporter beam after being trapped there for 75 years. I like this episode because it features Scotty, from the original Star Trek, and when he notices all the advancements that have been made in 75 years aboard the Enterprise-D, he starts to feel antiquated and useless. But when the Enterprise-D faces danger, Scotty and Chief Engineer LaForge are called upon to use Scotty's old ship to save the Enterprise, making Scott feel useful again.

The Enterprise follows as very old distress call and discovers the USS Jenolan, crashed on the surface of a Dyson's sphere, a two-hundred million kilometers in diameter surrounding a sun (and one of the great theoretical scientific pipe dreams around). The away team discovers a jury-rigged transporter still working and even after 75 years there is a pattern still caught in the machine. La Forge pushes the magic button and Captain Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) of the original Star Trek. This surprising development results in two major problems: the first is that Scotty is now half-a-century behind the engineering of the day instead of a quarter-of-a-century ahead. You know he wants to mess around in the Engine room, which certainly drives La Forge crazy. The second problem is that the Dyson's sphere threatens to trap the Enterprise the same way it did the Jenolan. What Picard needs to save the day is some sort of engineering miracle worker...

I certainly enjoyed "Relics" a lot more than I thought I would have, mainly because the episode treats the character of Scotty with such respect. There is a marvelous scene where Scott grabs a bottle and calls up the bridge of the old Enterprise-A, bemoaning the sad fate that has brought him far into the future (where they insist on having synthetic alcohol and other horrors). Having Scotty around causes problems for Picard and his crew for most of the episode, which also rings true to me. Certainly Doohan is given a lot more to do in this episode than any two you can name from the original series. A very rewarding episode for fans of both series.

The Enterprise responds to a distress signal from the Jenolan, a ship that had been lost 75 years ago. When they arrive at the location, they discover a Dyson sphere and that the Jenolan has crashed on the surface. An away team beams down and Geordi discovers that the transporter has been jury-rigged and still contains an intact pattern buffer. When the transporter is activated, Scotty from the original series materializes.
Unfortunately, despite his enormous talents, Scotty is still 75 years behind the times and cannot adjust to his lack of knowledge. After a few attempts to help, Scotty realizes (is forced to understand) that he is a relic and a hindrance. It is sad to see how he is treated, after all he is one of the legends of Star Fleet. Furthermore, Counselor Troi makes no attempt to talk to him, which is sad. Finally, Captain Picard asks Scotty to assist in recovering data from the Jenolan and Geordi accompanies him back to the ship.
While Scotty and Geordi are on the Jenolan the Enterprise is drawn into the Dyson sphere by tractor beams. Their power systems are affected and they are trapped inside the sphere. Geordi and Scotty jury-rig the Jenolan and use it to allow the Enterprise to escape.
This is one of my favorite episodes in the series, I put it in third place after the two-part episode "The Best of Both Worlds." Scotty reminisces about episodes in the original series and it is a joy to hear him tell the tales. While sad at times to see such a man being treated so shabbily, it ends on a very high point with Scotty once again saving the day.
Doohan is given the opportunity to revive all of the traits of his character in the original series and it works very well. There are two very touching moments. The first comes when Scotty and Geordi prepare to fly the Jenolan off the surface of the sphere. Scotty asks Geordi to take the command chair and Geordi says, "You are the senior officer present." Scotty's response is, "All I ever wanted to do was be an engineer." The second is when Geordi and Scotty are talking shortly before Scotty departs from the Enterprise. He tells Geordi to enjoy being the chief engineer aboard a star ship, "because once it is gone, it is gone." All of us must face that day in our lives, so this is as much a lesson in the transitions in our lives as anything else.

Scotty appears!! So starts the 130th TNG episode and a good start to. The Enterprise responds to a distress call from the Sydney-class USS Jenolan and finds Scotty from the original series, who had been suspended in the transporter buffer for 75 years. An excellent episode (especially for those who watched TOS in the 60's or the films), this type of episode warms my heart. Well, back to the story, Scotty has to adapt from being ahead of his time to being way, way behind his time in engineering and that is hard on him. I really appreciate the discussion that Capt. Picard has with Geordi about how people have the need to feel needed (possibly one of the best discussions that Star Trek makes when there's discussion about any topic.) I really think that it is a good episode that truly does show honor to senior citizens. Another good scene is when Scotty uses the holodeck (and for once it doesn't go haywire) to re-make the original (60's design) USS Enterprise. Of course, we can't have an episode without some action. The Jenolan crashed on the Dyson Sphere (where did that come from anyway?) 75 years ago, and now the Enterprise has been pulled into the Dyson and is on a collision course with a star. Fortunately Geordi and Scotty are aboard the Jenolan (trying to fix it) and are ready to rescue. The only real blooper is that Geordi and Scotty were beamed back to the Enterprise when the shields of the Jenolan were up (it is stated that this is not possible). My theory (I can't prove this) is that the shields were being shifted only to the sides that were being pushed on by the doors, so there were gaps in the shielding. But, regardless of this glitch, an overall excellent episode and a great homage to TOS.

Much better ending for Mr.Scott then his big scene last bow in the awful "Generations"

How come ST:NG gave Spock,McCoy and Scotty such great final scenes and "Generations" threw Kirk away like a "red shirt"?

Anway,HIGHLY recommended,great scenes with James Doohan,an under-rated actor if there ever was one..great story and wonderful bits from Levar Burton & Patrick Stewart.

Love to see a box set of the crossovers(Hey,Paramount!)
And while your at it fix that Kirk thing..

How can you not like a guest apperance of James Doohan as Scotty and a scene on the Orginal Enterprise Bridge? That scene where Scotty goes to the holodeck to see his old ship "NCC-1701, no bloody A,B,C...or D!" Then, when walks on the emptey Enterprise bridge, I got goosebumps. It was truely a remarkable moment in the show and in Star Trek in generall. I thought it was the one thing that made the show so special. The Doohan and Stewart scene was priceless, with Scotty talking about how, he had been on many ships but the old Enterprise is the one he will love the most. The scenes with La Forge and Scotty were also wonderful as two Trek legends work together to save the Enterprise from being destroyed in the Dyson sphere. Which of course led to the biggest TNG nitpick of all time: the Enterprise beaming up Scotty and Geordi from the Jenolen with the Jenolen's shield's up. Which was a huge mistake from the writers. But I didn't care, I just cared about Scotty!

Every time this appears on "all-time best" Star Trek lists, I cringe. Trekkers (myself among them) tend to suffer from over-sentimentality about their beloved heroes, and I believe this sentimentality excuses the obvious tone of this episode. If the old Enterprise bridge was not a setpiece in this particular trek, I don't think fans would have thought much of it. The Dyson Sphere plotline is as lame as the cotnrived manner in which Scotty survives the crash of the Jenolin is convenient. Not to mention Scotty's musing that Jim Kirk must've dragged the Enterprise out of mothballs to rescue him, despite the fact that Scotty watched him "die" at the beginning of Generations. [Don't remind me; I know the movie came after this episode. But it remains a continuity problem.]

However, for its strong character development, this episode merits three stars. But it surely isn't "Unification."