Shut Up Wesley Week: The Icarus Factor

And a fine greetings to you all for Day 4 of Shut Up Wesley Week. Well we have seen our wee fledgling interfere with plans, takeovers and possibly even have time to moon over girls but... does Wesley know what to do with with Lt. Worf? Such an imposing man must be difficult to read at all times so why not read up on his culture? Commander Riker attending his very estranged father's command is coming to terms with things left unsaid and whether or not his is ready to command his own ship. This is The Icarus Factor.

Did you have it lanced, Wesley?

Commander Riker has been offered a difficult assignment as the new captain of the Aries exploring a frontier in unexplored space. His father former Starfleet tactical Kyle Riker (Mitchell Ryan of North and South, Northstar, Lethal Weapon, Santa Barbara, Renegade, Speechless, Dharma & Greg and Justice League) comes with Will's transfer orders and beaming with pride that he will be tackling his first major assignment without having to answer to anyone but Starfleet. Will Riker feels differently about the Enterprise and finds value in his work, his crew and his career at current. Kyle tries to mend fences as neither of these men have really spoken to each other for a very long time but Will feels too little too late.

So then he says, Klingon bastards killed my son.  I did not understand.

Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn of ChiPs, Gargoyles, Aaahh!! Real Monsters, Cow and Chicken, Star Trek: Deep Space, Superman: The Animated Series, Forgotten Realms: Baldur's Gate II- Shadows Amn and The Super Hero Squad Show) feeling irritable and stringent to be lost in his duties, only Wesley seems to really notice something is bothering him. With the advice of both Data and LaForge, Wesley looks into Klingon culture studying up on it half the night to discover that a time honored tradition will pass Worf by and disrupt his spiritual path to being a true warrior.

With the information at hand, Wesley, Data and LaForge wish to attend a holodeck version of the 10th year of ascension where a warrior moves to a higher spiritual plateau but they are keeping a secret from Worf.

Will and Kyle meet up several times in this episode and each attempt always ends in snark, disgruntlement and both men having the need to be right. Pride goeth before a fall, fellas. With that in mind, Dr. Pulaski and Counselor Troi tries to reach both men with little to no success and feel that only the boys can sort out their own issues and hopefully their collective counseling has reached them if only on a minute level.

Will Riker and his father come to some terms? Can Wesley and his conspirators pull off the surprise party for Worf? Will Picard ever get a girl?

A few points of interest now. All the Klingon costumes were already made for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier but most of the boots hailed from The Planet of the Apes TV Show shot many moons ago also through Paramount. John Tesh co-host for Entertainment Tonight volunteered to act as a holographic Klingon in the ritual filming.   

Damn that Romulan Ale goes right through you.

Shut Up Wesley Week: The Child

Greetings folks of the trek and welcome back for Day 3 of Shut Up Wesley Week. We are jumping ahead to Season 2 as Dr. Beverly Crusher has been made Head of Starfleet Medical and transferred off the Enterprise. Now Wesley is a full Ensign must decide if he stays or transfers from the Enterprise as well. Coupled with the fact there's a baby on the way for Counselor Troi. This is The Child.

Whoopi, what is love?

With Dr. Crusher reporting to Starfleet to head the Medical division, The Enterprise must rendenvous with Starbase Tango Sierra then head off to Audcet IX to collect samples of a plague that is rampant in the Rahcelis System. It seems to ravage the plasma in a humanoid's body sot that could be bad. Lt. La Forge has just been made chief engineer and is busily constructing the containment module in the cargo bay as his team has just squeaked by the deadline. A energy particle moving spratically through the ship lands in Counselor Troi's (Marina Sirtis of Death Wish 3, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Gargoyles, Star Trek: First Contact, Net Games, Mass Effect, Young Justice and A Dark Reflection) quarters.

The crew receives their new chief medical officer Dr. Pulaski (Diana Muldaur of Star Trek, The Survivors, Born Free, L.A. Law and Batman: The Animated Series) who has already torqued Picard off by not checking in with him and discovers her in Ten Forward where she decided to relax prior to such obligations.

I swear I am not the father, Doctor.

On the way to Ten Forward Picard bumps into Wesley who will be joining his mother shortly and the Captain apologizes for the delay to visit with her. Picard points out that in Starfleet, assignment changes does frequent often and it is going to be up to him on choosing what assignment fits his potential future better and that there are plenty of good ships out there. Wesley simply points out those other ships will not be the Enterprise. Even Picard has to agree with that beaming with pride in the young man and his performance. Troi is pregnant from the entity that entered and is a rapid growth and the birth is a matter of hours. The concerns of the crew is obvious but Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes of Paper Dolls, North and South, North and South, Book II, Gargoyles, Star Trek: Insurrection, The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines and The Glades) who had a previous relationship with the Counselor is showing signs of jealous and loss of what could have been.

Does the child pose a threat to the ship and its crew? Will Wesley come to terms with a new assignment or fight to stay on the Enterprise? Can Pulaski endear herself to the crew?

A few points of interest on this episode. Frakes returned to rehearsals at the start of second season with a beard with he fully intended to shave off but the producers like it and asked him t keep it which he did through the rest of the show's running. This is the first time seeing Wesley in uniform after graduating from cadet.

Marina Sirtis refers to this episode as her least favorite having to wear a fake belly filled with birdseed and had to be careful how she moved so the seeds would not shift and make noise. This is also the first appearances of both Dr. Pulaski and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg).

Ahhh!! Creeper face going there, Riker!

Shut Up Wesley Week: Datalore

Welcome back readers of mine for Day 2 of Shut Up Wesley Week. A brief break into the week as my co-host and I were recording another Rotten Ramblin' On podcast and if you haven't already heard it, give it the once over but please excuse the chirping birds that I COULD NOT drown out no matter how much I tried with Soundforge. That being said we travel on with the crew of Enterprise D to the thirteenth episode of Season 1 to Omicron Theta (CRONNNNNN!!!!!!) to the site of Data's birthplace as it were. The same place 26 years ago the crew of the USS Tripoli science vessel surveyed and came back with an android. This is Datalore.

Data, did you just beef?

For some nagging reason or plot device, Lt. Cdr. Data (Brent Spiner) has been given the memories of 411 colonists and does not know why but wishes to investigate. As this is in route to the Starbase the Enterprise is set to get computer dianostics, Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart of Dune, Excalibur, Safehouse, X-Men, X-2, Star Trek: Generations and Blunt Talk) sees no reason to skip shedding light on this mystery. With the away team on the surface. They soon discover what once was a thriving farmland seems almost barren and desolate. Think Death Valley. As they progress, La Forge (LeVar Burton) notices a rock formation that looks man made and nothing shall escape the awesome might of his banana clip, ah I mean visor. Finding a fully-functional laboratory and papers clearly showing this once housed Dr. Noonan Soong who developed his positronic brain that processes all of Data's functions and memory. Furthermore they encounter a disassembled android of Data's exact likeness. The crew head back to the ship with boxes of Data clone.

Here is where we will be rid of that accursed ring!!

Later in machine shop, a team of engineers go to work rebuilding this android under the supervision of Lt. Cdr. Argyle (Biff Yeager of F/X 2, The Golden Girls, Batman Returns, Scrubs, Gilmore Girls and Hart of Dixie) and they believe that he has the same parts as Data but they need comparative information to do a thorough examination. In order to check his vital circuitry Data tells Dr. Crusher of a guarded secret of having an off switch and asks her to keep it confidential. Seems rational or he would just get interrupted every time he had a dispute or query.

This new android calling himself Lore claims that Data was built first as Lore has an easier grasp of contractions, emotions and almost human interaction, the very concepts that elude Data. Claiming Data's lack of perfection annoyed Dr. Soong and he created Lore. Lore acts dodgy, states he is programmed to serve but there is a hint of disdain in his voice and he has some sort of twitch around his eye seems to occur often...(probably when he attempts to decieve.) Similar to each other, Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher(Wil Wheaton) can see many distinctions of difference and unknowingly irks Lore.

A conflict in Lore's quarters allows Lore to incapacitate Data and swap uniforms so none are the wiser but "Data" claims Lore has behaving most erratic and tells Wesley that he had to shut "Lore" off by the same means he wanted private as though this is just one of those things. Wesley convinced this is a load of Targ (Klingon pet lizard dog species) droppings presents his case to his mom and the Captain. The captain seems vexed with Wesley and dismisses his concerns stating to not question superior officers without having facts rather than a hunch or gut instinct.

Lore is later discovered speaking with a crystalline entity that wiped out the colonists according to Lore it attacked them unprovoked... methinks otherwise as Wesley is convinced that Lore is playing them for suckers. Can Wesley be vindicated? Will Lore slay the humans? Can Data stop Lore?

A few comments on the episode. Michael Dorn stated in many conventions including the one I attended as a wee lad, that Season 1 was all about how can we smack around Worf including the slap down of Lore vs. Worf. Many a trip to "Planet Hell" as the cast called it.

The line, "Shut Up Wesley!" is spoken by both Captain Picard and Doctor Crusher in this episode has become the catchphrase of the fans that found young Crusher irksome in the source of photo memes, video clips and even horrible remix music. Honestly with such history Wil should just title a book Shut Up Wesley as a memoir but that is just one fellow's opinion. 

Scram kid, yer botherin' me.

  

Shut Up Wesley Week: The Naked Now

Welcome readers to Day 1 of Shut Up Wesley Week. As promised there will be disgruntlement aimed at the adolescent trekker of the stars. I felt it proper to hit up the third episode of first season fresh from the adventures at Farpoint station and the enigmatic Q we continue on our journeys. This is The Naked Now.

Wes, that is an unlicensed nuclear accelerator.  Be careful.

Off to rendezvous with a science vessel recording a super giant about to collapse in a matter of hours. However the seemingly drunken and nearly pornographic messages sent from the S.S. Tsiolkovsky has the Enterprise a bit baffled. Only after hearing what sounded like an emergency bulkhead removed and blowing folks into space the crew thinks something is amiss. With the ship in tractor beam the away team heads to the science vessel to investigate. Then Lt. La Forge (LeVar Burton of Roots, The Midnight Hour, The Supernaturals, Reading Rainbow, Captain Planet and the Planeteers and Transformers: Rescue Bots) encounters a frozen body that carried some virulent disease that seems to inhibit the capacity for rational thought and dulls morals... i.e. too much liquor. Unknowingly carrying this virus, he meets with Wesley (Wil Wheaton of The Last Starfighter, Stand by Me, Toy Soldiers, Deep Core, Python, Neverland, Eureka and The Legion of Superheroes) showing off a homemade tractor beam and an audio recorder with the Captain's voice that La Forge infects the precocious lad as well.

I see a bald spot, Data. Report to mechanical for a touch up.

Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden of The Hunt for Red October, Star Trek: Generations, Marker, Mad About You and Franklin& Bash)cannot explain why the decontamination system didn't isolate and eradicate this virus, nor can she account for what it is but only its symptoms are similar to an incident of a viral outbreak on the Enterprise under Kirk's command (Would have shot the little Irishman that wouldn't stop singing. Hell, I wanted to blast him out an airlock.) and hopes that could produce a cure.

With Lt. Yar (Denise Crosby of Arizona Heat, Skin Deep, The Flash, Key West, Red Shoe Diaries, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and The Walking Dead) also infected by the virus she finds comfort... in the android Lt. Data's (Brent Spiner of Night Court, Corrina Corrina, Gargoyles, Independence Day, Star Trek: Enterprise, Fresh Hell and Warehouse 13) arms and his... fully functional techniques. With the ship having technical errors left and right it is only a matter of time before the Supergiant goes off and with the lack of a capable crew leaves the Enterprise vulnerable to be turned into the contents of tinned potato salad. Wesley heads to Engineering to stir up trouble and cause some hijinks.

Can the crew and ship be saved? Will the virus ravage them all? Will little Timmy be transported from the well that Lassie left him to die in?

And now some trivia! Oh get over it, this always happens.

Gene Roddenberry had hope recycling the scripts from the original Star Trek with a bigger effect budget would boost some ratings but the fans were not overtly thrilled with the remake of The Naked Time that he scrapped that plan to make episodes too closely similar to the originals.

This is the first time Captain Kirk is referenced by name in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Wesley's re-imagined repulser (or Repulsor) beam seems almost borrowed from Sulu re-modulation of the ship's tractor beam during Who Mourns for Adonais but again this was a 14 year-old that created it so don't get it twisted, trekkers. Sheesh, some people.   

KNEEL BEFORE YOUR NEW MASTER!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Shut Up Wesley Week!

Welcome back my fine cadre of readers to the week. What week will it be? Glad you all collectively asked as this week will be Star Trek themed. Yes, space... Okay, I am not writing that lengthy babble for the final frontier out but you get the general idea.

Jeepers, this sweater is itchy.

Now before you all start rolling your eyes , I decided that we would look at a character. While I have already had a week for the actor in question showing his ranging in acting, voice acting and writing we are not looking at Wil Wheaton but in fact, his Star Trek character that was beloved by many and loathed by others. A genius IQ at a young age attempting to bond with his peers all the while working with adults. The isolation alone should be enough for a young lad to feel out of place. Constantly annoying adults with thought provoking questions and coming up with solutions prior to them did utter the wrath of, "Shut up, Wesley!"

This week we show when Wesley Crusher has been vital to the mission in spite of senior officers not taking it in to account. Also I felt bad for Wil having a character that apparently was not allowed to screw up. As you progress through the seasons, you see Wesley had more hurdles than most of his peers EVER had to contend with, and frankly the pressures of being mature before your years can be stifling to you as a gifted youngster that also received this with only academics thankfully. Another blessing to my folks for not enrolling me into some ridiculous higher learning program that would have driven me to a bell tower with a high-powered rifle.Guess that is life in the 28th century.  No art, comedy, written works for you Earthers.  Just get out there and plunder, er I mean explore strange new worlds and new civilizations.    Wil Wheaton may finally come to terms with what is genuinely, a cool gig for a Trekkie to be on. With this in mind, we look at Mr. Crusher and his many life's conflicts and difficulties.

Hmm, wonder what I would look like with a beard?  Can I grow a beard?

Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015

Hey folks. By now, you are aware that Leonard Nimoy has passed away. The future just got a bit dim without this man's talented eye for photography, his writing for film and TV. Oh yeah you might have seen him as Spock for the last 35 years. He and Shatner have been thick as thieves these last few years. Between the conventions, voice work on film documentary and video games, he has been plenty busy. No one I know can kick back and play Civilization IV without recognizing that narrator's voice. Hell this was Galavatron before the age of Michael Bay and Transformers were still anime.

Nimoy has starred in the typical amount of Westerns ranging from Wagon Train no less than 5 times as 5 separate characters. 4 separate characters in Gunsmoke. Usually the tall thin guys are easy to spot. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Episode Project Strigas guest starring Shatner and Nimoy is one of my favorites.

I love the fact he owned an exotic pet shop when the Star Trek series was cancelled and became the Other Dr. Spock getting degrees in Biology and Photography. Shatner tells the tale best but the landing party of Kirk, Spock and McCoy all share something together. Tinnitus thanks to an explosion on set via Star Trek: Arena. So with that ringing in his ear, Shatner still had to wrestle a guy in a rubber mask and suit? The main reason that Nimoy had the role of Spock was producers of The Lieutenant remembered this tall thin guy that easily dominated the set. The Lieutenant also being a Gene Roddenberry creation.

The funniest story Nimoy had was he was whisked up to Caltech in Silicon Valley for a seminar. The jist of which they were talking about microprocessors, the advancement of software, circuit boards and even the potential to Artificial Intelligence and they wanted Nimoy's take on it. Given Nimoy does not have a multi-cross discipline of sciences under his belt he bluffed his way through it, pausing and looking thoughtful, offering comments to the like of: "Hmm, good point." " I think you are on the right track." According to Nimoy, the scientists seem genuinely pleased. ACTING!!

With two children and one stepson he has five grandchildren that he leaves behind, he has inspired generations in photography and had received countless letters from budding scientists that they went into their perspective fields due to his portrayal of Mr. Spock. For three seasons, eight movies and three different series he has played Spock in the original series, Star Trek: The Animated Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Last year in February he announced he was suffering from chronic obstruction pulmonary disease which makes it difficult to breathe, causes wheezing, fatigue and a horrific cough. He attributed it to smoking for many years until he quit and had advocated smokers to quit before it is too late.

Rotten Reelz Reviews salute you Leonard Nimoy for encouraging this writer's love of science fiction, literature recommended to fans and an skilled eye in black and white (my favorite in photography). His love and hate relationship with Spock is proof he could go back to him at any time. He was found of saying on talk shows and interviews as, "My folks came to the US as immigrants, aliens and became citizens. I was born in Boston, a citizen that went to Hollywood and became an alien." Thank you Leonard Nimoy for all you have done for us. Live long and prosper.