Yesterday's Enterprise (Star Trek: TNG review)

Yesterday’s Enterprise

Back in the third season of Star Trek: TNG, something good began to happen, the show started to find its space legs. Overall, the writing improved with a more stable writing staff and the age of Gen Roddenberry’s interference was beginning to erode. Piller moved the show away from the non-sense that Gen had envisioned, and the focus on high concepts and character develop took center stage. One of the best episodes of an already good season was the episode by the name Yesterday’s Enterprise.

The teaser has Worf and Guinan talking over a glass of prune juice. The scene has nothing to do with the main plot, but the entire scene is very cute. It’s funny seeing Guinan introduce prune juice to Worf, (a warrior’s drink), and trying to fix him up with a human date. (The episode opens and ends with Guinan at a table talking to a crewmember, very nice bookend.)

The episode really begins when a riff in space brings another Enterprise from the past into the future and changes the timeline. In this timeline, the Klingons are at war with the Federation. I enjoyed seeing the more military driven Enterprise on screen. The lighting, uniforms and characters are different yet similar to their counterparts, except for Guinan. She is unchanged by the timeline switch. Ronald D. Moore, Ira Steven Behr, and Eric A. Stillwell are some of the writers responsible for this great episode. Piller has an un-credited rewrite as well.

The writing all around is spot on, and acting from every cast member is a treat to watch. You can tell that they enjoyed playing darker versions of themselves. The two people who really stand out in this episode are Whoopi Goldberg and Denise Crosby. Goldberg gives one of her strongest performances in this episode. I just loved the way she stood up to Picard and demanded that the ship return to its own time. Yet, Crosby stole the show, because the story centered on her, and it gave the character a chance to die in a gallant manner. (No killer Oil Slicks for you, Yar).

The battle at the end is amazing and fun to watch, as well as Picard making a last stand against two Birds of Prey as flames fill up the screen. Yet, the best scene is saved for last, when Guinan sits with Geordi and says, “So, tell me about Tasha Yar…”

A true classic

Grade A-

Trek fans: notice anything wrong with his uniform?

Despite this mess up, this is a great way to end an episode. I loved Dennis McCarthy adding the Star Trek theme in the end.

______________________________________________Yar: “I keep having these dreams of a big, giant oil slick killing me, and then it switches to me jumping on the back of Eddie Murphy completely naked.” (That was a 48hrs. reference.)
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(Guinan: You always drink alone. It wouldn't hurt you to seek out a little...companionship.
Worf: I would require a Klingon woman for companionship. Earth females are too fragile. Guinan: "Not all of them. There are a few on this ship that would find you ... tame."
Worf: [laughs] "Impossible."
Guinan: "You never know until you try."
Worf: "Then I will never know."
Guinan: "Coward."
Worf: "I was merely concerned for the ... safety of my crewmates."
Guinan: "Drink your prune juice.")