50: 11001001 (1.15)

Synopsis:  The Bynars provide upgrades to the holodeck of death (which will somehow only last one episode—the upgrades, not the death), and Riker falls in love with a dame in this computer-generated gin joint.

Memory Alpha Summary: Unfortunately, the Bynars also last only one episode.

Review: Picard begins this episode by saying he has been delighted that the Enterprise  has performed beyond expectations.  I suppose he didn’t remember cursing at the ship several times and nearly getting killed by the holodeck twice.  Thankfully, the rest of the episode is all uphill.  Wesley is given the bridge despite how incompetent everyone thinks he is, while Riker and Picard get seduced by the Bynars holo-creation, Minuet (no, not that kind of seduction).  Carolyn McCormick nails the role, and seeing the captain and his commander engaging like this is a fun treat.  Also, Riker lays the smackdown on both Geordi and Data, making fun of a blind man teaching an android how to paint.

Getting to see the self-destruct sequence is a treat, and watching Data pout “I should not have been painting” is another dynamite quote delivered by Spiner.  A damn good episode, a nice break from the crapitude of season one.

2 thoughts on “50: 11001001 (1.15)”

  1. Been so long since I’ve seen this, I forgot the bynars were not bad guys, which was good. I’m still not sure I quite follow the logic of this episode.

    1) Impending supernova will destroy their computer.
    2) Bynars must backup the data to the only mobile computer large enough…the enterprise.
    3) Supernova is going to happen sooner than anticipated and the enterprise was late getting there, but…
    4) Bynars are taken aback that they will only have 48 hours to work “We thought we would have more time”, yet they knew they needed to get it done way before then in the first place.
    5) How the hell are they doing this massive computer dump? If they need the Enterprise because it is mobile, then they are not transmitting the data long range from their main computer to the enterprise. If they are able to store it some other way and keep it on their person for dumping when they start working on the enterprise, then they didn’t need the enterprise in the first place.

    I also forgot the circumstances surrounding Minuet, other than she was a hologram love interest of Riker’s. Ah, what 25 years will do for making things fresh again.

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