Song: Still Alive
Artist: Ellen McLain
Game: Portal
While the end game song for Portal 2 is pretty good, I honestly remember nothing about it despite listening to it a few times already. The final song for the first game has stuck with me for a long time, and might honestly make my top 100 songs in all genres. It’s gorgeous. It’s creepy. It’s catchy.
Song: Aria di Mezzo Carattere
Artist: Nobuo Uematso and Yoshinori Kitase
Game: Final Fantasy VI
Celes’s opera song is simply epic. It is probably the high point of the game for me on multiple levels.
Song: Mission to the Asteroid
Artist: Michael Land
Game: The Dig
Another gem from LucasArts, The Dig had a lot of original music by Michael Land. I have used the soundtrack to fall asleep many a time. My favorite track is the one that opens the game. It’s ten minutes long, but then, so is the introduction to this epic adventure created by Steven Spielberg.
Song: Girl in the Tower
Artist: Bob Bergthold & Debbie Seibert
Game: King’s Quest VI
The song definitely has an 80’s soundtrack feel to it, but for the end song of a video game in 1994, I was pretty impressed. It was written by Jane Jensen, one of the best writers in video game history.
In preparation for the NES countdown, I decided to throw together a quick list. This week we’ll be showcasing my favorite five original songs from video games I have played. The only qualification is that the song had to be made solely for the game. I’m not married to this list, and I may have missed some I love, but these are the five that stand out.
Song: Increased Chances
Artist: Chitlins, Whiskey and Skirt
Game: Full Throttle
The band The Gone Jackals lent nearly all of their music to this great adventure game from LucasArts and it really enhanced the game’s atmosphere. But one little ditty about love blooming from nuclear holocaust–made just for the game as background music in a trailer park–always makes me smile. The band doesn’t really exist to my knowledge and this was probably meant as a joke, but I still love it.
From the outset I didn’t plan on writing anything real personal on this site. You know, don’t want it to be one of those blogs. But a list was requested, and I have to try to honor that. Or at least half of it.
1. She worked graveyard shift so she could be with me during the day.
2. She subscribed me to awesome magazines like Electric Company and Games.
3. She made Christmas exciting by telling us she wasn’t able to buy us certain video games because they were out of stock but they’d magically end up under the tree.
4. One time I cried because I couldn’t figure out how to cut up my fish and she did it for me.
5. She remembered I wanted the book Ready, Okay! and found it for me before it was simple to get everything on-line.
6. She made me crack up several times during my own wedding.
7. For two semesters in grad school I slept over Friday nights and she always had six pieces of pizza waiting for me.
8. I almost always got an Icee at K-Mart whenever we’d go there.
9. She volunteered at my elementary school, teaching kids how to use the Apple II.
10. She also made a piñata for a Valentine’s party at my school.
11. She told me I could pursue any career I wanted and meant it.
12. She found me an opportunity at her place of work to get my volunteer hours in for high school.
13. When I no longer wanted to go to church there was no argument.
14. I always got a hug whenever I wanted one (and still do!).
15. She gave me some of her beautiful artwork to hang in my home.
16. I got to go to the local swimming pool a lot.
17. My friends were almost always allowed to come over, and sleep over, for days at a time.
18. She was honest about the mistakes she made growing up, and never shied away from the topics of drugs and sex.
19. She came to my baseball games whenever she could.
20. She would help proofread my papers at the last minute.
21. I was allowed to play music she didn’t like, including my own singing voice.
22. She never worried if we wore out the grass in the yard.
23. Scrabble
24. Every time we went to Circus Circus
25. I was her playing partner for Police Quest II. When I got antsy because Dad and Ryan were making more progress, she allowed me to join them.
26. On road trips she’d play the alphabet game.
27. She spent hours messing with DOS and our computer speakers trying to get me voice while playing Police Quest III. As it turned out, the game had no voice acting. But still.
28. She didn’t allow me to play Leisure Suit Larry V until I was older. I always thought it was because of the adult content; as it turns out, the game is so bad I may have been permanently damaged.
29. I got help raking leaves after buying my first house and I was taught how to make awesome pumpkin carvings.
30. She allows herself to be pranked or made fun of.
31. She introduced me to people with mental health and DD issues as a child.
32. Peggy’s Practical Workout.
33. We were at a video store once and I accidentally shoplifted a ring pop. I told her in the parking lot, but she figured since we had to wait in line for twenty minutes, we didn’t have to go back.
34. She managed to never kill me while driving.
35. One time at a neighbor’s house, one of the kids had a marble slide set. I commented how cool I thought it was, and I got it for my birthday that year.
36. I was allowed to be messy.
37. Many head-to-head competitions in darts, ping-pong, and pinball and she didn’t let me win.
38. She watched Basic Instinct with me when I was 11 and didn’t tease me too much for running out of the room during all the good parts.
39. When she asks me to help her get past a certain part in a Zelda game.
40. Cleaning up after me every time I vomited and got nowhere near the toilet.
41. Indulging my philosophical discussions as a naive teenager.
42. Indulging my obsession with invisible pen puzzle books.
43. Scolding me when I broke other’s people things and couldn’t care less.
44. Not having me committed when I had a scary predilection towards scissors and knives.
45. She never made me feel guilty over trivial things, like my propensity to get undressed in public places (and no, this isn’t a recent thing).
46. Forgiving me for forgetting Mother’s Day a couple times.
47. Finding a wonderful partner to be with who is also a great grandpa.
48. Sticking with my dad through the rough times and helping him be a better person.
49. Instilling values in me to be tolerant, forgiving, and curious of others.
50. Helping me turn into a happy adult.
Love you, Mom.
I know some of you have talked about this some, but would like to see you drop your top ten lists in the comments. Also, if you’re up to it, your bottom five.
Would also like to get your thoughts on what you liked and didn’t like about this countdown. I plan on doing future lists, though it may be a long time, if ever, if I do an exhaustive list regarding a particular TV show. What worked for you? Did you like that the site takes a break on the weekend or do you wish there was content daily? Do you like just one entry per day, or would you prefer more?
My next long list is going to be the Top 100 games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. However, there will be at least one other list before that. Next week I’m thinking to run by top 5 original songs from video games. If there’s any other lists you’d like to see, let me know that too.
Again, thanks for stopping by.
Here is the average ranking of the episodes in each season.
Season One: 94.8
Season Two: 95.5
Season Three: 71.8
Season Four: 68.6
Season Five: 83.8
Season Six: 78.0
Season Seven: 99.8
Not surprisingly, season four is in the lead despite having only one episode in the top ten (and it was tenth). It’s worst episode was #139 which really helps. There is not one dreadful episode there, which is a comfort for the viewer. By contrast, season five had two episodes in the top ten and four in the top twenty, but was brought down significantly by having three episodes in the first week of the countdown.
Season one’s average is expected, but I was a bit surprised that season two finished behind. The additions of Pulaski, Guinan, and Geordi’s promotion to chief engineer were all highly welcomed. And the episodes ranked #9, #8, and #7 all came from season two. However, there’s a lot of middling episodes that could have been great had they been done in later seasons, and plenty of bad ones as well, including the season finale.
Sadly, the final season ranks dead last, and I’m comfortable with that. There’s really only four episodes I really liked from that season: Attached, Paralles, The Lower Decks, and All Good Things. The Gambit was decent. Everything else is either trash or has recycled plots from previous seasons.
While the TNG tab above has the list of episodes in order, here’s the list in order by air date.
Season One
72: Encounter at Farpoint (1.01)
109: The Naked Now (1.02)
156: Code of Honor (1.04)
159: The Last Outpost (1.05)
58: Where No One Has Gone Before (1.06)
151: Lonely Among Us (1.07)
102: Justice (1.08)
155: The Battle (1.09)
53: Hide and Q (1.10)
56: Haven (1.11)
31: The Big Goodbye (1.12)
101: Datalore (1.13)
153: Angel One (1.14)
50: 11001001 (1.15)
168: Too Short A Season (1.16)
117: When the Bough Breaks (1.17)
130: Home Soil (1.18)
80: Coming of Age (1.19)
54: Heart of Glory (1.20)
66: Arsenal of Freedom (1.21)
150: Symbiosis (1.22)
162: Skin of Evil (1.23)
43: We’ll Always Have Paris (1.24)
13: Conspiracy (1.25)
76: The Neutral Zone (1.26)
Season Two
108: The Child (2.01)
9: Where Silence Has Lease (2.02)
96: Elementary, Dear Data (2.03)
114: The Outrageous Okona (2.04)
129: Loud as a Whisper (2.05)
140: The Schizoid Man (2.06)
68: Unnatural Selection (2.07)
8: A Matter Of Honor (2.08)
7: The Measure of a Man (2.09)
145: The Dauphin (2.10)
69: Contagion (2.11)
71: The Royale (2.12)
64: Time Squared (2.13)
163: The Icarus Factor (2.14)
149: Pen Pals (2.15)
70: Q Who (2.16)
142: Samaritan Snare (2.17)
141: Up The Long Ladder (2.18)
138: Manhunt (2.19)
89: The Emissary (2.20)
24: Peak Performance (2.21)
157: Shades of Gray (2.22)
Season Three
90: Evolution (3.01)
12: The Ensigns of Commands (3.02)
62: The Survivors (3.03)
47: Who Watches the Watchers (3.04)
144: The Bonding (3.05)
37: Booby Trap (3.06)
63: The Enemy (3.07)
161: The Price (3.08)
127: The Vengeance Factor (3.09)
44: The Defector (3.10)
78: The Hunted (3.11)
152: The High Ground (3.12)
32: Deja Q (3.13)
42: A Matter of Perspective (3.14)
5: Yesterday’s Enterprise (3.15)
79: The Offspring (3.16)
93: Sins of the Father (3.17)
23: Allegiance (3.18)
49: Captain’s Holiday (3.19)
103: Tin Man (3.20)
45: Hollow Pursuits (3.21)
48: The Most Toys (3.22)
51: Sarek (3.23)
154: Menage a Troi (3.24)
123: Transfigurations (3.25)
2: Best of Both Worlds (3.26, 4.01)
Season Four
33: Family (4.02)
35: Brothers (4.03)
124: Suddenly Human (4.04)
17: Remember Me (4.05)
110: Legacy (4.06)
91: Reunion (4.07)
22: Future Imperfect (4.08)
139: Final Mission (4.09)
100: The Loss (4.10)
88: Data’s Day (4.11)
21: The Wounded (4.12)
73: Devil’s Due (4.13)
10: Clues (4.14)
41: First Contact (4.15)
57: Galaxy’s Child (4.16)
122: Night Terrors (4.17)
98: Identity Crisis (4.18)
81: The Nth Degree (4.19)
99: Qpid (4.20)
26: The Drumhead (4.21)
116: Half a Life (4.22)
106: The Host (4.23)
61: The Mind’s Eye (4.24)
28: In Theory (4.25)
18: Redemption (4.26, 5.01)
Season Five
16: Darmok (5.02)
84: Ensign Ro (5.03)
134: Silicon Avatar (5.04)
36: Disaster (5.05)
111: The Game (5.06)
52: Unification (5.07, 5.08)
119: A Matter of Time (5.09)
166: New Ground (5.10)
97: Hero Worship (5.11)
167: Violations (5.12)
112: Masterpiece Society (5.13)
82: Conundrum (5.14)
74: Power Play (5.15)
120: Ethics (5.16)
132: The Outcast (5.17)
6: Cause and Effect (5.18)
30: The First Duty (5.19)
165: Cost of Living (5.20)
39: The Perfect Mate (5.21)
133: Imaginary Friend (5.22)
15: I, Borg (5.23)
59: The Next Phase (5.24)
3: The Inner Light (5.25)
60: Time’s Arrow (5.26, 6.01)
Season Six
118: Realm of Fear (6.02)
137: Man of the People (6.03)
29: Relics (6.04)
126: Schisms (6.05)
146: True Q (6.06)
83: Rascals (6.07)
75: A Fistful of Datas (6.08)
40: The Quality of Life (6.09)
1: Chain of Command (6.10, 6.11)
14: Ship in a Bottle (6.12)
160: Aquiel (6.13)
67: Face of the Enemy (6.14)
34: Tapestry (6.15)
158: Birthright (6.16 + 6.17)
20: Starship Mine (6.18)
77: Lessons (6.19)
95: The Chase (6.20)
25: Frame of Mind (6.21)
135: Suspicions (6.22)
104: Rightful Heir (6.23)
38: Second Chances (6.24)
4: Timescape (6.25)
55: Descent (6.26, 7.01)
Season Seven
94: Liaisons (7.02)
143: Interface (7.03)
65: The Gambit (7.04, 7.05)
115: Phantasms (7.06)
113: Dark Page (7.07)
46: Attached (7.08)
147: Force of Nature (7.09)
105: Inheritance (7.10)
11: Parallels (7.11)
92: Pegasus (7.12)
121: Homeward (7.13)
164: Sub Rosa (7.14)
27: The Lower Decks (7.15)
85: Thine Own Self (7.16)
148: Masks (7.17)
107: Eye of the Beholder (7.18)
131: Genesis (7.19)
128: Journey’s End (7.20)
125: Firstborn (7.21)
87: Bloodlines (7.22)
136: Emergence (7.23)
86: Preemptive Strike (7.24)
19: All Good Things… (7.25)
Synopsis: The fish leaves the ready room while Picard proves he can count.
Memory Alpha Summary: Got it done
Review: As I mentioned in my review of Time’s Arrow, this episode would have made for a perfect end of the season cliffhanger. The Cardassians are easily my favorite humanoid villain, and there is so much intensity packed into this episode. In fact, this is one of the few episodes that could have been easily turned into a feature length film.
I’ve got to get this ship ready, and I don’t have time to give Will Riker or anyone else a chance.
Captain Jellico is a major dick, perhaps a bit over the top. But I’ll give the writers a break as the situation he was going into was quite scary. Plus, they humanized him with the scene of him admiring his son’s drawing, and later coming to ask for Riker’s help with his tail between his legs. And I don’t mind at all that he asked Troi to wear a standard dress uniform; she looks more professional and actually more attractive in it.
From this point on, you will enjoy no privileges of rank, no privileges of person. From this point on, I shall refer to you only as Human.
Then of course we have the second part which is mostly comprised of Picard being tortured over several days. It feels real. It’s moving. Gul Madred is an amazingly convincing interrogator, and it’s a shame his character never reappears. When I was kid, this episode did little for me, and I thought the whole lights thing was silly. Older now, it completely resonates with me.
In this room you do not ask questions. I ask them, you answer. If I am not satisfied with your answers, you will die.
Brilliant writing. I can’t help but think Ronny Cox and David Warner put in the two best guest appearances in the show’s entire run.
But I’ve told you that I believe you. I didn’t ask you about Minos Korva. I asked how many lights you see.
But it wasn’t just these two that make the episode. There are so many subtleties that get me. When Riker goes to Picard’s quarters and decides not to bother him with his troubles with Jellico, it showed both Riker’s respect for his captain and his humility as well.
When children learn to devalue others, they can devalue anybody, including their parents.
My only disappointment, and it’s very minor, is that the mine-planting scene inside the nebula is rather weak on the spectacle. Not surprisingly, this was due to budget reasons. But the end result still works.
Torture has never been a reliable means of extracting information. It is ultimately self-defeating as a means of control. One wonders it is still practiced.
Finally, Picard’s session with Troi at the end, where he admits by the end he could see five lights, says a lot by saying very little. It’s the perfect end to my favorite episode.
There! Are! FOUR! LIGHTS!
Indeed.
Death By Troggles 
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