As you all know, this was a retelling of the movie "Die Hard" with Picard in the Bruce Willis role. What would have been next-blowing up a shuttle leaking fuel with a phaser, or walking around Kronos or Romulus with a racist sign on his back? Seriously, a better than average show, and one that shows that Picard is no slacker in the agility department. I don't think he got that physical again until "First Contact." Its amazing he was able, considering the beating he got in "Chain of Command."

Isnt it spelled Qo'nos?

No, it is spelled, "IT"

If Riker can walk up to one of the bad guys, belt him, then run up to within a foot of the other guy before getting beat up (not shot), then shouldn't Data have been able to take the two guys out with his superior strength and speed, much earlier in the game?

Why couldn't they have sprung for some more people? That "reception" consisted of one guy! Or three, if you count the bad guys, but they seemed more like servants.

The murder of Hutch really was a downer. He was a nice guy. It was unnecessary, and really retracted from my enjoyment of the episode.

The bad guys on the ship have some sort of weapon that's not a phaser, with which you can threaten someone from a distance. How come it works and a phaser doesn't? (Not that Picard *checked* to see if it would work or not.) And how come Devor didn't have one of those, just a laser welder? Or did Picard not search him properly?

If Kelsey doesn't mind murdering her own teammate, why doesn't she just kill Picard when she finds him? Or when he's captured the second time?

One of the bad guys says Picard shot another bad guy with "some kind of arrow." And I guess he used "some kind of bow" to do it, no doubt. And of course he cut the rungs of the access tube with "some kind of tool," and created "some kind of trap" at the end in 10 Forward. Why is everything "some kind of" something? It was an arrow!

Is there some reason Picard can't call the base and discontinue the sweep before the scene in 10 Forward? Did he just want to be macho? (True, earlier there were bad guys in control, but how does Picard know this?)

Is there any reason he has to run to the transporter room (although at one point he did sorta stroll) before the computer shuts down? Why not "Computer, halt command code shutdown" or something? Also, didn't the barrion (sp?) sweep hit the nacelles *before* main power shut down?

The whole system seems badly run. Why is the countdown so crucial? Why is it automated? How about taking a headcount of every crewmember so you know no one's left aboard? And shouldn't the computer tell someone that a person was beamed about but not beamed back before the sweep starts? Given these facts, you'd expect that the bad guys on the base would have taken over *sooner*, rather than later, but I guess they knew it was an automated process with no failsafes...

They were aware of the lack of OSHA regulation and the IFOS that Starfleet installed on all top of the line ships. Maybe somekinda has become a brand name and they were doing a product placement. I can just see the tagline now "Somekinda bows fire somekinda arrows somekinda distance!"

Picard tries to leave via the Transporter, but the power goes down right after he steps on the pad. So how did he get out of the Transporter Room, and where did he get that device that he used to open the doors? As Turin posted above, shouldn't he have stopped the power shutdown? (I think the Transporter Room has a second exit, on the starboard side of the room.) Or is TNN making cuts?

Also, in seeing Tim Russ in this ep, I could have sworn he had pointed ears here.

Picard knocks out future Vulcan Tim Russ with a Vulcan neck pinch. Who taught it to him, Dr. Selar?
Data is hilarious here, both in his mimicking of Hutch and in his effort to make small talk with him. This was not lost on Riker, who noted how two people can talk at length about nothing.
A funny line from Picard, when Geordi wants to blow off Hutch's reception: "Mr. Worf beat you to it." It is also indicative of a character change in Picard since the pilot- I see him as much more relaxed, humorous and at ease with his crewmates.

How do we know that Hutchinson is dead? Geordi wasn't killed when he was shot. It wasn't mentioned that Hutchinson died. Did we see a body? Maybe he was just unconscious the whole time (and the whole time didn't seem like too long to be unreasonably unconscious)

In one scene you can see his body. It's right after he gets shot and the first scene in which Geordi etc. are hostages. You can see a body covered with a blanket so you don't know for sure that it's him but that was the idea I got.

In the Guides, Phil refers to them as terrorists, but it would probably be more accurate to say they are profiteers and thieves. I believe the leader points out to Picard that she has no political agenda, she just wants the money from selling the trilithium.

I guess Kelsey doesn't believe in Earth's non-economic based system.

Hmmm, you don't think Kelsey knew an El-Aurian scientist named Dr. Tolian Soren, do you?

Picard escapes from the terrorists, climbs in a Jeffries tube, opens a hatchway and sees the baryon sweep coming toward him and a terrorist is behind him, then I believe they cut to a commercial. Afterwards we see the terrorist enter the tube, find Picard's coat and communicator then gets killed by the baryon sweep, and they cut to a scene of Picard descending a ladder. How did he leave that tube? I don't remember seeing any other exits, so what did he do? Climb out by the camera and run to another set? (For that matter, how did the camera crew survive the baryon sweep? )

Dr. Crusher sets Geordi's visor to emit a hypersonic pulse, then she raises her hands to her ears to block the sound, but she is still holding the visor which is the source of the sound.

Since Data can hear better than the average dog would the pulse be especially annoying to Data?

How did Picard know which piece to remove so that the trilithium would explode?

While it's cute that Riker, Crusher & Troi use Picard's words about saddles on Worf, Troi & Geordi were the two that heard them.

My favorite nit about this ep comes from the book The Physics Of Star Trek, where it is pointed out that everything is made of baryons.

Since Data can hear better than the average dog would the pulse be especially annoying to Data?

Data can probably turn off his "microphones".

People can also tune out certain background sounds that they become accustomed to. Cats also do this. They're able to sleep with noise around them, but when they hear something new or important (the sound of an electric can opener--indicating they're about to be fed)--they'll perk up right away.

Besides, pre-Generations Data isn't capable of being annoyed, since that's an emotion.

According to The Physics of Star Trek, the only stable Baryons are Protons & Neutrons.

Not much left of the ship once the sweep was done though.

Although it's nice to know that fellow nitpicker Electron would survive a Baryon sweep.

Mwuahahahaha!!!

Kmorgan,

when the terrorists picks up picards jacket, there is somekind of open hatch underneath (inside a jeffries tube there is another tube system - strange way of building starships , but before the terrorist can react, the sweep reaches him. Next we see picard, when he is running along the other tube and hears the scream.

So, this group is not terrorist, but profit-oriented? Why do they get killed without clearing out? I mean, from somebody who is after profit I would expect a bribe to the next engineer, not this hostage situation and so on. Seems like a cheap out. But maybe kelsy was lying, because she didn't want to reveal the real terrorist group she belonged to?

Why did Picard call to turn the beam off, if the ship is almost clean, instead of beaming him off, like kelsy?

It seems that the 10 sec. between the computer warning and the power turning off on the transporter pad were less than 10 secs. Did anybody count?

Even if Starfleet has no OSHA regulations, they should do a quick sensor check before starting that deadly beam - they value life, don't they?

I mean, from somebody who is after profit I would expect a bribe to the next engineer, not this hostage situation and so on. constanze

The plan would have worked perfectly if not Orton and his goon had those guns hidden under the desk and "Tuvok" had closed the access panel in the hallway. Nobody would have suspected that something shady was going on and there would have been no hostage situation.

And I think Kelsey planned from the beginning to eliminate her "friends".

"inside a jeffries tube there is another tube system - strange way of building starships"

I thought that Picard climbed down into the next deck's tube?

Picard should've been a little more protective about his ship.
Why didn't Picard ask to see the credentials of the people he just saw on the Bridge & other parts of the ship? I mean, JUST BECAUSE the ship is supposed to be purged by people who are scheduled to do so, that doesn't mean that the people you see wandering about ARE the people who are SUPPOSED to be doing the job. And given the many times the Enterprise has been commandeered, you'd think he'd take that extra step!

Did you just buy the season 6 DVD or something? ;)

Yes...I've been watching it all week so far. I'm up to disc 6.

Sarek REALLY REALLY musta rubbed off on Picard...he executes a picture-perfect Vulcan Nerve Pinch on one of the terrorists. (The one that looks like Tuvok, ironically enough)

GREAT SCENE: Data mimicking Hutchinson from behind the pillar. It's priceless.

The terrorists on the planet aren't very bright. They allow Riker, Troi, Crusher & Data to whisper to each other. (Suggesting they were up to something)

Yes, John, I've always thought that about them being allowed to whisper to each other...and alot of the time the whispering isn't very quiet either!

Why didn't the people at the Remmler Array scan for life on the Enterprise before starting the baryon sweep? I mean...to MAKE SURE everyone was off the ship. If Worf was on the array, he should have asked them to do so.

I'm sorry, Constanze already asked that question.

In the teaser, Picard runs into Troi, Crusher, Riker and Data in the same corridor (or the adjoining turbo lift) within a frame of two minutes. How often should that happen, on a ship as big as the Enterprise is supposed to be?

If they all live on the same deck, it's possible.

How often should that happen, on a ship as big as the Enterprise is supposed to be? - Adam Bomb

Not often at all, which is why we only saw it happen this one time.

Also you'd think that senior officer's quarters would be on the same deck.

I believe they do live on the same deck, or the same two decks.

According to the TNG blueprints, the senior staff quarters are all on the same deck except Picard's, which are the leading edge of the saucer section above Ten-Forward. (I often wonder what he thought of the racket downstairs...)

Is that why Picard spends so much time in his ready room? His own quarters are too loud?

Imagine Guinan in Ten-Forward: "Everybody leave, the captain wants to sleep, and you're too loud!"

Turin,

you got most of the good points...

If Kelsey doesn't mind murdering her own teammate, why doesn't she just kill Picard when she finds him? Or when he's captured the second time?

Phil mentioned it in the Guide II, suggesting that she likes him. I think that's the only explanation that makes sense, she finds him attractive. (Alhtough it would've been nice if TPTB had included a line to confirm this, like her saying "come with me, and enjoy the galaxy with my wealth".

Come. We shall rule the Galaxy together, as...terrorist and bald French guy.

>>Picard escapes from the terrorists, climbs in a Jeffries tube, opens a hatchway and sees the baryon sweep coming toward him and a terrorist is behind him, then I believe they cut to a commercial. Afterwards we see the terrorist enter the tube, find Picard's coat and communicator then gets killed by the baryon sweep, and they cut to a scene of Picard descending a ladder. How did he leave that tube? I don't remember seeing any other exits, so what did he do? Climb out by the camera and run to another set? (For that matter, how did the camera crew survive the baryon sweep? )

Didn't he cut out the Jeffries Tube deck and drop to a space below it? (After which, of course, he would have backtracked to avoid the sweep.) The guy chasing him found the hole in the deck just before being hit by the sweep.

I don't recall him cutting a hole or the terrorist finding a hole.

Nope, there wasn't any hole AFAICT. The 'terrorist' just finds the jacket in an empty tube, there's no visible way of escape. In the next scene Picard is walking in a normal corridor and hears the scream.

I thought he must have left his jacket to lure the other man in and then go back to a previous junction and out of the Jeffries Tubes. I just wonder how much time he had, since the 'terrorist' was supposed to be right behind him...

He climbed through the plothole in the script

just noticed this one. when Picard is crawling through the Jeffries tube, it sounds like he crawling on plastic. thought the grates in the tube were made of metal. guess the sound editors forgot to add metal sounds

Adam Bomb: Picard knocks out future Vulcan Tim Russ with a Vulcan neck pinch. Who taught it to him, Dr. Selar?

d31: The NextGen companion says that this move by Picard was intended by TPTB to be a carotid-artery block, not a Vulcan Neck Pinch, though I wonder why they either did not just say it was a Neck Pinch or use a completely different move.

While it's cute that Riker, Crusher & Troi use Picard's words about saddles on Worf, Troi & Geordi were the two that heard them.

Geordi repeated it to Riker when Riker wondered where the Captain was. I guess someone mentioned it to Crusher off-screen.

Was there any mention of Spot or any of the other cats/fish/other animals being taken off the ship since its harmful to life?

Good question. Did Picard take his lionfish out of the ready room?

According to the Enterprise D blueprints (the ones that are canon), there are some good sized aquariums on the Enterprise D. It even shows some large creatures in them. Large enough that I doubt they could have been removed as easily as say Spot could.

Im 101 percent sure no animals were left on the ship to be killed by the sweep. It wasn't mentioned because it wasn't important to the story.

Perhaps the aquariums were shielded(with the same devices used in Engineering)?

The Arkaria Base (well, the planet) may have an ocean or other facility where the beings in the aquariums could be placed.

I agree that Spot being removed would be a given; I doubt Data would leave him behind.

Come to think of it, why couldn't Data stay on the ship? Is there enough organic parts of him to make him leave?

Along the same line of thinking, what about Cavier or some other kind of fresh food?

the aquariums are listed as having members of the dolphin family that they can communicate with and help with the navigation of the ship. NOTE: something similer was used by the producers of Seaquest DSV. They could be beamed off the ship like the whales in ST IV. Perhaps into the ocean for some R&R.

Picard did not use the Vulcan nerve pinch to knock out "Tuvok", he clearly had a hypo spray in his hand, and you can hear the normal hissing of they hypo, if you actually listen.

Also, when the guy chasing Picard in the Jeffries Tube moves Picards coat out of the way, there is very clearly a hole under the coat, presumily cut by Picard to escape down to the next deck.

If you guys would WATCH these episodes more closely you would see this stuff. *rolls eyes*

Sorry...Picard DID use the "Neck Pinch" on "Tuvok" in the corridor after Picard saw the exposed / damaged circuits. (Watch the episode again)

He used the Hypo after dragging "Tuvok" into another room & threatening him with the weapon.

I know I'm right on this.

Yea after viewing the episode yesterday I saw that I had forgotten about the scene out in the corridor with "Tuvok". My Bad.

If you would WATCH this episode more closely, you would see this stuff. *rolls eyes*

Two posts dumped.
Watch your langauge and let's not start an arguement.
Mr. Crusher, when you address others in an unpleasant way, you can expect to addressed that way as well. If I allow it from you, I must allow it from others as well. You might try not making posts in a condescending style.

ok Butch, sorry

Sorry, Butch.

Thank you both.

These thieves sure can move fast through a ship with no turbolifts working. As soon as they have the trilithium we see a shot of the E-D and the baryon sweep is already at the saucer section's impulse engines.

I just watched this ep and I still have no idea how Picard got out of that Jeffries tube. Under the deckplates there are just pipes and whatnot that Picard could not have fit through, or escaped unnoticed since there are holes in them.

The thieves must've stolen SF transporter technology as well. When Kelsey beams off it's a TNG-style transporter effect.

inblackestnight: The thieves must've stolen SF transporter technology as well. When Kelsey beams off it's a TNG-style transporter effect.

Maybe that's the standard for the entire UFP at the time, rather than exclusive to Starfleet.

I had also wondered about animals on board the enterprise and also plants. Consider the arboritum and other plants in personnel quarters (Beverly at least has plants - cause and effect-)

It must have been a huge evacuation! Dr. Crusher does mention removing an experiment or test with living tissues so we can guess they were thorough. Next time I will watch this episode to see if I can spot anything that might have been forgotten in the evacuation.

according to the Enterprise D blueprints, there's large aquatic creatures on board as part of some aquarium or something. I wonder where they were put.. along with the Captain's fish in the ready room...

The Perfect Mate actually mentions having Dolphins aboard ship.

Maybe they borrowed a Xindi aquatic ship?

Adam Bomb: Picard knocks out future Vulcan Tim Russ with a Vulcan neck pinch. Who taught it to him, Dr. Selar?

d31: The NextGen companion says that this move by Picard was intended by TPTB to be a carotid-artery block, not a Vulcan Neck Pinch, though I wonder why they either did not just say it was a Neck Pinch or use a completely different move.

Picard has mind melded with Sarak of Vulcan.

"In the teaser, Picard runs into Troi, Crusher, Riker and Data in the same corridor (or the adjoining turbo lift) within a frame of two minutes. How often should that happen, on a ship as big as the Enterprise is supposed to be?"

After talking to Troi, he goes into a room on the left, then the next we see, he's talking to Beverly, in exactly the same place he talked to Troi (the same set, at least). I assume this is meant to imply he went into a turbolift, to another deck, wheere he sees the latter three.

Being a Betazoid, Troi should have been able to read the deceptive intent from the bad guys at the reception, shouldn't she? Why then is she taken completely by surprise along with the others when they draw their weapons?

Picard drags one of the terrorists to sick bay and threatens him with a Phaser he takes off a medical cart.
So, are we to assume that a phaser is part of the Enterprises basic medical kit?

Considering that we saw in an episode of season two that the medical staff on the Enterprise don't know what a splint is I can only conclude that its there just in case everything breaks;

"Doctor, the patient has a broken leg and the bone-knitter isn't working"

"Thank you Nurse, I'll go get the Phaser..."

*Beverly disintegrates injured officer*

"...Next patient!"

"Come to think of it, why couldn't Data stay on the ship? Is there enough organic parts of him to make him leave?" - dotter31

Because the sweep was also harmful to sensitive electronics, apparently, hence the field diverters. Which makes me wonder... what havoc happened aboard the Enterprise due to the diverters being offline and wreaking havoc on the systems? (Or was it just the one in Engineering? It was unclear- I would assume it was, except no one things to head for the bridge or computer core for safety...) Shouldn't there be a safeguard to shut down the sweep if the diverters go offline?

Since picard does not know the base has been compromised and since communicators work fine, why didn't picard call for help when he failed to beam off the ship? why slink around like a one man army when you could have called for help from most of the thousand or so people from his ship?

Picard drags one of the terrorists to sick bay and threatens him with a Phaser he takes off a medical cart.
So, are we to assume that a phaser is part of the Enterprises basic medical kit?


I'd actually expect phasers in sick bay. They are constantly beaming random people directly to sickbay. People could be hostile or even in the heat of battle when they get beamed off their own ship.

Been a while since I've seen this, but is it possible Picard could've tried contacting the base in between scenes? I mean sure, I would've preferred to show that, but perhaps the editors were pressed for running time?

Brian: I'd actually expect phasers in sick bay. They are constantly beaming random people directly to sickbay.
Luigi Novi: Yeah. Like right-wingers upset with Obama's health care plan, worried that Crusher will kill them.

GREAT MOMENT: When Data meets hutch and they have the same laugh at the same time... priceless

There is a wrinkle in time: in the beginning we see Picard ordering the auto shutdown and sets it for exactly 30 minutes. moments later he goes into his ready room and Orton tells him the Barion sweep will start in "approximately one hour". Later when Picard is on the ship and making a run/leisurely stroll for the transporter room we see an exterior shot of the enterprise and the Barion sweep actually starts, then we see the computer shut down as Picard is on the transporter pad.

So when Orton said "approximately one hour" what he really meant was 29 1/2 minutes.

That's VERY approximate. :-)

I noticed that this episode was an attempt on the part of the creators to "toughen up" Picard and have him be more like Kirk, just like they did with Janeway in "Macrocosm". You know, where they strip to their undershirts, carry large guns around, and get all sweaty. Come to think of it, Janeway in that "bug hunt" episode of VGR was almost exactly like Ripley in "Aliens". What an obvious homage that was, huh?

So, essentially, Picard was a lot like John McClane in this ep, staying one step ahead of and eventually defeating the terrorists who were trying to steal trilithium resin from the ship's engines so they could sell it as a weapon.

I wonder why Picard didnt just yell out "Yippee-Ki-Yay, motherf***er" after the last terrorist's ship exploded (as he had removed the stablizer from the containment unit holding the trilithium)? Well, because the baryon sweep was almost upon him, and he just barely managed to escape it's living tissue-destroying effects! What a relief!

And as for seeing Tim Russ in a pre-Tuvok role, that was kinda weird. He would also be a Enterprise-B crewman in Generations before portraying everyones second-favorite Vulcan.

Too bad about Cmdr. Hutchinson, though. I suppose that the episode's minor character had to be killed by the terrorists to show that they were serious. Same with all the terrorists themselves. Now that was cool!

Yes, Andre, this ep has been called "Die Hard on a Starship".

And Macrocosm has been referred to as "Janeway as Ripley".

Doesn't keep either ep from being fun.

I guess all the terrorists died in the baryon sweep (except Kelsey, who was killed when the ship blew up, and the two guys on the planet).


too bad about Cmdr. Hutchinson, though. I suppose that the episode's minor character had to be killed by the terrorists to show that they were serious. Same with all the terrorists themselves. Now that was cool!

In his book, Phil asks why Geordi lives and Hutchinson dies. The answer, Geordi is coming back next week!

Actually, they weren't terrorists, they were thieves, much as in Die Hard.

Yeah, but their theft of the resin from the ship's warp core was at least contributing to terrorism, they said they were going to sell it as an explosive weapon. So, in that respect, they themselves might not have been terrorists in the strictest sense. But whoever would buy the resin from them presumably would be.

They are not terrorists. They are fredom fighters.

OK, big diff, right? Sheesh. :/