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Family
Topic Started: Apr 29 2005, 12:27 AM (325 Views)
gdog243
Rear Admiral
Last night, I watched The Best of Both Worlds and tonight, I saw Family to round out what I believe is trek's first official three parter. Family is such an underrated episode, it's almost wrong that it doesn't rank up there as one of TNG's best.

I think one of the reasons I love this episode so much, not just because it serves as an excellent epiloge to BOBW, is because it has what trek has lacked for the last 10 years, heart. All three storylines had so many emotional moments, such as the scene with Guinan and Worf's parents in Ten Foward, or Wes finally seeing what his father recorded for him, or all the moments between Robert and Jean Luc, and then the final scene with Reneé and Robert saying "Let him dream." I think this episode also shows that you don't need action to be a great story. This episode was completely devoid of any action whatsoever, and it was very character driven, ending one arc, and developing the other.

I don't know why this episode is so underrated, but I would probably say it's in my top ten list of any Trek episode, or at least any underrated trek episode. I've seen this episode so many times, and there are so many scenes that I get a bit choked up that I realize it is Star Trek's heart and emotion that appeals to me more than anything else.

So, what are your thoughts on this underrated classic.
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Swidden
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Adm. Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
My thoughts?

I'd say they are very much akin to yours. This is by far and away one of the best all time Trek episodes. I am particularly fond of the scene where Robert walks in to find Jean-Luc sitting alone with a bottle of wine. He just very nonchalantly reminds his younger brother about the differences between the real thing and synthehol.
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Fesarius
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Gdog,

It may not be as underrated as you think. I actually like it a lot, and like you, believe that it does entail some sort of a three-part arc, even if it wasn't referred to as such during its initial run. One of my favorite scenes is the one Swidden mentioned above. I also love the scene in the vineyard, and the very relevant and thought-provoking discussions between Robert and Jean-Luc. And in retrospect, when I think of Reneé, I can't help but get choked up when I think of what eventually became of him....

One of the most interesting things about Family (for me) is that it was actually produced after Brothers and Suddenly Human, but aired in a different order. So The Best of Both Worlds (pt. 2) is followed by Family, yet two other episodes were actually created between these two episodes. I recall writing about this several months ago and wanting to know if this occurs all that often in TNG.
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gdog243
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Fesarius
Apr 29 2005, 06:52 AM
Gdog,

It may not be as underrated as you think. I actually like it a lot, and like you, believe that it does entail some sort of a three-part arc, even if it wasn't referred to as such during its initial run. One of my favorite scenes is the one Swidden mentioned above. I also love the scene in the vineyard, and the very relevant and thought-provoking discussions between Robert and Jean-Luc. And in retrospect, when I think of Reneé, I can't help but get choked up when I think of what eventually became of him....

One of the most interesting things about Family (for me) is that it was actually produced after Brothers and Suddenly Human, but aired in a different order. So The Best of Both Worlds (pt. 2) is followed by Family, yet two other episodes were actually created between these two episodes. I recall writing about this several months ago and wanting to know if this occurs all that often in TNG.

Fes,

Ah, I do think this episode is very underrated. I bring up a thread like this here and at another board and it's not being talked about very much. I too get a bit choked up because of what happened to Reneé in Generations. I've heard people say that the fire incident should not have been in the movie, and picard should not have broken down, but I think they just forget about this episode because Picard had every right to break down. It made that scene much more memorable to me.

As for TNG mixing up it's episodes, I don't think they did that very much. I think they only did it a few times or even maybe just this once.
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Swidden
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Again, I agree.

When I first saw Generations in the theater, there was a scene where Picard, just after learning of the death of his brother and nephew, leaves the bridge saying something like "Just do it, Number One!". He goes into his Ready Room and breaks down. Critics ripped it and in the subsequent video release, that scene was gone (I have no idea if it has ever been restored or not in later releases). I was quite disappointed with the edit. It linked this episode to the film quite nicely.
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captain_proton_au
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A Robot in Disguise

The mud fight in Family, Picard with his flute at the end of Inner Light and Picard ready for death in Tapestry are TNG's best scenes, and they all have Stewart in them.

"They took everything from me!" - you don't get better than that
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Fesarius
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Quote:
 
Critics ripped it and in the subsequent video release, that scene was gone (I have no idea if it has ever been restored or not in later releases).

Swidden,

No kidding? This is remarkable. I hadn't heard that about the VHS release.

Quote:
 
As for TNG mixing up it's episodes, I don't think they did that very much. I think they only did it a few times or even maybe just this once.

Gdog,

You might just be right about this. I might be able to come up with one or two other instances, but not too many more than that.
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Swidden
Apr 30 2005, 12:01 AM
Again, I agree.

When I first saw Generations in the theater, there was a scene where Picard, just after learning of the death of his brother and nephew, leaves the bridge saying something like "Just do it, Number One!". He goes into his Ready Room and breaks down. Critics ripped it and in the subsequent video release, that scene was gone (I have no idea if it has ever been restored or not in later releases). I was quite disappointed with the edit. It linked this episode to the film quite nicely.

Really? I'm gonna try and get my hands on the SE, see if it's on there.
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Fesarius
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^^^
SE VHS or DVD?
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Deleted User
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DVD.
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Fesarius
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^^^
Yeah, I wasn't sure it (SE) existed on VHS.
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Deleted User
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most probably not.
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Fesarius
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Agreed.
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Swidden
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Fesarius
Apr 30 2005, 09:38 AM
Quote:
 
Critics ripped it and in the subsequent video release, that scene was gone (I have no idea if it has ever been restored or not in later releases).

Swidden,

No kidding? This is remarkable. I hadn't heard that about the VHS release.

I saw "Generations" its first day of release with a buddy of mine. I thought it was moments like this that saved the film. The cut certainly has not been talked about in the years since the film was released. It's only a few moments long, but given the film's release came so soon after after the series left the air, fans certainly related to the sequence. However, I can understand how it could be overlooked. I might have overlooked it myself if it were not for reading a couple of reviews of "Generations" that specifically commented on the scene not being worth it, or making no sense for a hero to break down in this way.
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Fesarius
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^^^
It reminds me somewhat of what occurred when I first saw the added footage in the first film. I'm speaking specifically where Scotty mentions the tidbits about his relation ("The word is given"). Scotty's heartfelt sadness meant far more to me after I had the larger context.
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