…so overestimate; how else are you going to keep your reputations as miracle workers?

I was always confused about how first run syndication worked that well, ratings-wise. In my area, new eps aired at 6pm on a Saturday.

Good points, all, but the more sophistication and speed we attribute to his 'emotion-faking' routines, the more egregious some of the writing choices become. Zack's pet peeve is the whole 'Data doesn't understand humor' trope, which to me is slightly less awful than the "Data doesn't know a slang term" from seasons…

right, but speculating on the character choices that the artists make given the characterization of Data in the series is less fanboy nerdy and more analytic; less "trekkie" and more "trekker," so to speak.

I think the interesting character conflict with Data's emotions or lack thereof is apparent in the more subtle reactions. My favorite one is the 'confused Data' that shows up when they run an inconclusive sensor sweep or something. Spiner obviously couldn't play it totally blank, else why not just have a talking…

yeah it was star wars, DNation! That's right! I liked Plinketts critique even more because it was pointing out the superiority of the middle-of-the-road trek ep over the vaunted might and majesty of Lucas.

Yeah, I didn't think it was all that exciting either, but at least I appreciated what they were doing more.

you know what makes me angry? When people use pop culture references I don't get on a pop culture board full of pop culture nerds.

A'ight? Haven't seen that written in years. Hello 1997!

meh. that's not as bad as the statue Mel Gibson had put up near the William Wallace monument in Scotland

yeah. the finger thing means the taxes.

ditto, RG. This is the sort of pop culture analysis I love. Sean earned his paycheck with this one. Great writing.

I agree with Prole. Another side of that is Burton gets to do some acting outside the "hey I'm a techno-genius" or "hey i'm a painfully awkward loser" modes. He's genuinely pissed off, and the context makes it really believable and powerful.

…so, PBS and Michael Moore films then?

Plus I really like Zack's line of reasoning that it just feels out of place. TNG doesn't do gritty like that. Hell, when they did the utter destruction of a species in "Survivors" it was presented as a quiet, dramatic conversation. (and an amazing one at that)

I agree with Bad Horse that the Inner Light and the series as a whole would have been better had the creative personnel had more freedom.

Very poetic, Todd. I'm squarely in your camp on "The Inner Light"

sorry here it is:

Nah, Walt. Delaware. I'm not sure what the May 21 people are all about, but they've done super-duper biblical chronology and figured out that the world is ending on May 21. There's a bunch of people who are buying billboards all over the country to let us know to make right with God before that.

sigh. why would anyone want to get close to history channel? Didn't they just give Larry the Cable Guy a show? Now that's eddikayshun!