Did the Ghost of Howard Hawks encourage encourage Brannon Braga and Robert Hewlitt Wolfe to write this and Patrick Stewart to direct it?
Sure he did. It is the Ghost of the Old West, which is what Space Exploration will be once we start doing it as a species. The reason why The Western is still one of the most popular forms of Fiction is the same reason why Science Fiction is equally as popular, and especially Star Trek, which was and still is basically Wagon Train in Space.
This is one of Braga's best scripts, despite incurring the wrath of Trek fans with unpopular explosions of the Enterprise D and taking one shows finale episode and making it a Next Generation episode. I don't care, he is still a fine writer and some of the best and most loved episodes of Trek are his ideas.
Like this episode.
Counselor Troi is "Durango" - and looks great poured into Leather Chaps like Michele Carey wore as "Joey" in El Dorado. I loved that Troi had transformed herself into a character that was far from Troi - If she had been around in 1966, she could have been Joey. - No Problem.
This Holodeck Program - One of Broccoli's, his fault as usual, is a Vulcan Mind Meld of El Dorado and Rio Bravo. Can Worf ever replace The Duke? In this episode, YES. He should have been given an Eye Patch.
Of course, you could look at it as "Just Another Holodeck gone Haywire" 'Sode, but despite the superfluity of those kinds of shows on Trek, this one is probably the best, as the storyline within the Holodeck Program closely follows events happening on The Ship. This had never been done for any of the previous faulty-Holo Eps.
Perhaps it was not the best time for Data to try to plug himself into the Ship's Systems and try to run them. I giggled when Crusher's Play had been overwritten with Data's "Ode to Spot" poetry, and I howled with laughter with increasing decibels each time Data started taking on Characteristics of the Holo-Novel.
John Piper-Ferguson is "Eli Hollander", the first crook Worf must toss into the Hoosegow, with his Sidekick Bandito Jorge Cervera Jr. Joy Garrett is "Miss Annie", a representation of Angie Dickinson's "Feathers" from Rio Bravo. Of course, each Howard Hawks film has some kind of "Kid" which was James Caan in El Dorado. In this case, it is Worf's Son Alexander Rozhenko.
And of course, the Main Bad guy is... Well, you'll have to watch it, but the title of the Episode gives enough clues about what is really about.
What amazes me is that the Location shooting was done all in one day, making Picard a great director as well as a great Captain.
This episode successfully merges the concept of Space Exploration and The Old West, two subjects that are as two peas in similarity. From the early 1800's to the 1870's the United States was one vast unexplored region, like the Alpha Quadrant from The Original Trek and Next Generation. The Native Tribes were our aliens, and Canada and Mexico were at times our Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans or Cardassians.
And the Comedy aspects are quite similar to many Howard Hawks movies, especially his uncredited work on Howard Hugh's "The Outlaw", "Only Angels have Wings", and even "Ball of Fire" and "His Girl Friday".
Because the people who worked on Star Trek had helped make some of the great films of the 30's through the 60's and Brannon has given them all a curt nod of appreciation here, as Star Trek was made on the same lot that some of these great films were also made.
At the time this episode was made, Trek was a huge franchise and probably at it's peak of popularity. Of course there are silly things here, but the overall effect is enough to suspend disbelief, back when it was originally shown and today when I can watch the DVDs.
Brent Spiner of course is in true form, and is a long way from his humble beginnings as the Hick Father in Night Court.
Sure he did. It is the Ghost of the Old West, which is what Space Exploration will be once we start doing it as a species. The reason why The Western is still one of the most popular forms of Fiction is the same reason why Science Fiction is equally as popular, and especially Star Trek, which was and still is basically Wagon Train in Space.
This is one of Braga's best scripts, despite incurring the wrath of Trek fans with unpopular explosions of the Enterprise D and taking one shows finale episode and making it a Next Generation episode. I don't care, he is still a fine writer and some of the best and most loved episodes of Trek are his ideas.
Like this episode.
Counselor Troi is "Durango" - and looks great poured into Leather Chaps like Michele Carey wore as "Joey" in El Dorado. I loved that Troi had transformed herself into a character that was far from Troi - If she had been around in 1966, she could have been Joey. - No Problem.
This Holodeck Program - One of Broccoli's, his fault as usual, is a Vulcan Mind Meld of El Dorado and Rio Bravo. Can Worf ever replace The Duke? In this episode, YES. He should have been given an Eye Patch.
Of course, you could look at it as "Just Another Holodeck gone Haywire" 'Sode, but despite the superfluity of those kinds of shows on Trek, this one is probably the best, as the storyline within the Holodeck Program closely follows events happening on The Ship. This had never been done for any of the previous faulty-Holo Eps.
Perhaps it was not the best time for Data to try to plug himself into the Ship's Systems and try to run them. I giggled when Crusher's Play had been overwritten with Data's "Ode to Spot" poetry, and I howled with laughter with increasing decibels each time Data started taking on Characteristics of the Holo-Novel.
John Piper-Ferguson is "Eli Hollander", the first crook Worf must toss into the Hoosegow, with his Sidekick Bandito Jorge Cervera Jr. Joy Garrett is "Miss Annie", a representation of Angie Dickinson's "Feathers" from Rio Bravo. Of course, each Howard Hawks film has some kind of "Kid" which was James Caan in El Dorado. In this case, it is Worf's Son Alexander Rozhenko.
And of course, the Main Bad guy is... Well, you'll have to watch it, but the title of the Episode gives enough clues about what is really about.
What amazes me is that the Location shooting was done all in one day, making Picard a great director as well as a great Captain.
This episode successfully merges the concept of Space Exploration and The Old West, two subjects that are as two peas in similarity. From the early 1800's to the 1870's the United States was one vast unexplored region, like the Alpha Quadrant from The Original Trek and Next Generation. The Native Tribes were our aliens, and Canada and Mexico were at times our Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans or Cardassians.
And the Comedy aspects are quite similar to many Howard Hawks movies, especially his uncredited work on Howard Hugh's "The Outlaw", "Only Angels have Wings", and even "Ball of Fire" and "His Girl Friday".
Because the people who worked on Star Trek had helped make some of the great films of the 30's through the 60's and Brannon has given them all a curt nod of appreciation here, as Star Trek was made on the same lot that some of these great films were also made.
At the time this episode was made, Trek was a huge franchise and probably at it's peak of popularity. Of course there are silly things here, but the overall effect is enough to suspend disbelief, back when it was originally shown and today when I can watch the DVDs.
Brent Spiner of course is in true form, and is a long way from his humble beginnings as the Hick Father in Night Court.
