TNG episode Parallels

[the_wildcard]

Watching this episode on Sci-fi marathon. Classic line by Data occurs when Worf asks him to refresh his memory on how he got married to Troi in an alternate universe....

"I do not know the exact date, time and location of your first coupling, but I may investigate if you wish"

Lol, oh Data.

And I also noticed that Wesley Crusher makes a surprise appearance. Does anybody know what does Wil Wheton mention about this episode?

 

[Bacl]

And I also noticed that Wesley Crusher makes a surprise appearance. Does anybody know what does Wil Wheton mention about this episode?

To my knowledge, he never has. It was just a brief cameo, after all.


But this is a great episode. Not just a pure sci-fi episode (no Star Trek politics, or social theory, etc) but also one of the only Worf episodes to have NOTHING to do with him being a Klingon.

A rare gem.

 

[Gepard]

but also one of the only Worf episodes to have NOTHING to do with him being a Klingon.

Well, except for Bat'leth tournament trophy being a major plot point....

 

[Augustus]

One of my favorite parts of this episode is at the end, when Worf has his first place trophy and that is a sign to us all that order has been restored and the TNG universe is normal again.

Like if the Enterprise was all different and half the crew was dead, but Worf won the tournament... so the episode can end now.

 

[Super Grover]

I wish this could have been a two parter episode, there are so many things they could have done.

 

[Dream]

The Enterprise and Riker from the universe where the Borg had taken over was very chilling.

 

[Super Grover]

I think Riker should have looked a little uneasy when that Enterprise blew up. He basically watched himself die, but he only musters an oh well.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

But this is a great episode. Not just a pure sci-fi episode (no Star Trek politics, or social theory, etc) but also one of the only Worf episodes to have NOTHING to do with him being a Klingon.

A rare gem.

YES, exactly...I thought it was really neat to see Worf in a scenario that was more than his just being a warrior. One thing I felt we didn't get to see enough of in the series was Worf having to really work out a puzzle, to display his intellect. I always had a feeling the guy was smarter than he let on sometimes, and here, even though he didn't have to solve the mystery in a vacuum, I felt like we got to see more of that from him. He got to be more than just muscle.

The other part I found interesting was the different permutations of events from universe to universe. There were some in particular that I really found myself wanting to know more about--universes that were NOT the traditional "Mirror Universe". The two that stood out to me were the "Borgified" universe, and the "Mean Bajorans" universe...I would have LOVED to know how they each got that way! (Don't tell me the Cardassian helmsman wasn't cool!!!)

But even besides the Borgified universe, I thought one interesting touch was that Picard seemed to be dead in at least HALF the universes: very fitting considering what a turning point "Best of Both Worlds" was.

Overall, this had to be THE best Worf episode ever, and one of the better sci-fi episodes.

 

[RandyS]

And I also noticed that Wesley Crusher makes a surprise appearance. Does anybody know what does Wil Wheton mention about this episode?

To my knowledge, he never has. It was just a brief cameo, after all.


But this is a great episode. Not just a pure sci-fi episode (no Star Trek politics, or social theory, etc) but also one of the only Worf episodes to have NOTHING to do with him being a Klingon.

A rare gem.

Plus, and far more importantly, we discovered that they are more parallel universes than just the MU. 285,000 more story possibilities.

One of my favorites of any of the series.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

"Sir, we're receiving 285,000 hails."

and

"At this rate, the sector will be completely filled with Enterprises within three days."



I would have loved to see Worf waking up on a Mirror Enterprise. And the Bajorans...interesting. For some reason I got it into my head that in that universe, the Occupation happened in reverse.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I would have loved to see Worf waking up on a Mirror Enterprise. And the Bajorans...interesting. For some reason I got it into my head that in that universe, the Occupation happened in reverse.

There was definitely a comment in the "Mean Bajorans" universe that the Bajorans had "overpowered" the Cardassians, and it was pretty obvious they were quite aggressive towards the Federation. Plus you had a Cardassian in Starfleet...which kind of suggested the Cardassians (or at least some of them) were looking for protection against a hostile power.

 

[Space Cowboy]

I would have loved to see Worf waking up on a Mirror Enterprise. And the Bajorans...interesting. For some reason I got it into my head that in that universe, the Occupation happened in reverse.

There was definitely a comment in the "Mean Bajorans" universe that the Bajorans had "overpowered" the Cardassians, and it was pretty obvious they were quite aggressive towards the Federation. Plus you had a Cardassian in Starfleet...which kind of suggested the Cardassians (or at least some of them) were looking for protection against a hostile power.

I think it would have made for an interesting crossover cameo if Dukat was present in one of these alt universe scenarios as a member of the Enterprise command staff...

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I would have loved to see Worf waking up on a Mirror Enterprise. And the Bajorans...interesting. For some reason I got it into my head that in that universe, the Occupation happened in reverse.

There was definitely a comment in the "Mean Bajorans" universe that the Bajorans had "overpowered" the Cardassians, and it was pretty obvious they were quite aggressive towards the Federation. Plus you had a Cardassian in Starfleet...which kind of suggested the Cardassians (or at least some of them) were looking for protection against a hostile power.

I think it would have made for an interesting crossover cameo if Dukat was present in one of these alt universe scenarios as a member of the Enterprise command staff...

And have Kira hail them from the Mean Bajoran ship.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

What would be even funnier (or creepier) would be if Dukat was the sane one and Kira was the crazy megalomaniac one. Not in the almost comedic way the Intendant was, but a truly conniving, dangerous, hard-edged way.

 

[Super Grover]

I always liked the Alternate combadges they wore in this episode. I think they were introduced in Futere Imperfect though.

 

[PhoenixIreland]

The Enterprise and Riker from the universe where the Borg had taken over was very chilling.

I agree, the beard was a bit silly tho, what just because the federation was gone he stopped shaving and grew and Osama bin laden beard?

The alternate comm badges, the worf as XO in red uniform, the borg enterprise, the new bridge, the weirdness of Westley at security (if they wanted to use the character properly thats the type of route they should have gone, maybe at ops under Data, let him use that genuis in a non annoying way), all very good stuff.

The Quantum thoery of universes really fired my imagination does this theory really exist?

 

[Red Ranger]

People,

Yes, Parallels is one of the best alternate/quantum universe stories. I enjoyed how each universe Worf wound up in, there were, at first, only subtle changes. Then, the more he kept hopping around, the more divergent the universes became. He stays security chief for awhile, then in I think two universes, he's first officer. And in a good many of the universes, he and Troi are mates.

I also liked how in one of the 'verses, Alyssa Ogawa was the CMO. What I would have liked to see is them take one other actor aside from Michael Dorn, and have that person change drastically from 'verse to 'verse. Too bad they didn't have Colm Meaney/O'Brien in "multiple" roles -- I can see him as being the CMO in one place, the helmsman in the other, and tactical officer/security chief. Finally, it might have been fun to see at least one other alternate universe where O'Brien was captain.

Red Ranger

 

[Gojirob]

I've tried to consider why Wesley was there, and as a full officer, to boot.

1 - At that critical moment, he turned in his Nova Squadron compatriots, earning him praise from his former crewmates and captain, but making his life at the Academy a living hell. After a series of attacks that Academy officials seem to regard as steam being let off, Picard pulls strings to get him out.

2 - Somebody said "Hey! Annoying or No, this kid has tons more experience than a lot of graduated officers. What the hell are we sending him to the Academy for? So he can prove that he can win a simulated victory, as well as a real one?"

3 - The universe he was in did not undergo the prolonged peace that the TNG one knew. Even the Cardassian War can't compare to the Borg and Dominion, and in that AU, a true all-out conflict had flared long enough to have cadets mustered fwd. While that crisis was now past, the tradition of younger officers had kept on.

The only thing I can figure about the bad Bajorans is that, when the Cardassians occupied Bajor, they brought a sizable part of its population back to the Cardassian worlds as slaves, who waited to strike back for decades.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Either that...or now, in light of what we know AFTER Parallels--what if the Pah-Wraiths were the ones controlling Mean Bajor instead of the Prophets, and they steered them towards conquest? Considering Cardassia would be one of the first worlds in their path (thanks to those warp-currents or whatever those are called), the fact that they would target the Cardassians isn't surprising. Maybe the Pah-Wraiths inflamed their subjects by warning of a potential occupation (regardless of what the Cardassians may or may not have really been like in that world), and pushed them into a "do unto others before they can do unto you" course?

 

[Unicron]

I always liked the Alternate combadges they wore in this episode. I think they were introduced in Futere Imperfect though.

They were. "Parallels" differed in having the uniforms denote rank with both the combadges and the normal pips. "Future Imperfect" omitted the pips.