What was it like watching "Skin of Evil" for the first time?
- Thread starter Skipper
- Start date
Dear diary,
I remembered it as being mostly another episode... but:
It was a dark and stormy night (that's how cheesy it could be at times). It was another installment of Star Trek The Next Generation. The planet set with backlit gel lighting a la TOS was there. Characters did character things. But something about this animated puddle of goo seemed unusual. So it's already got a cool start. Not to mention the music, which really added atmosphere.
I had no clue that Yar was going to become as toasted as the burnt pop tart I had for breakfast that day.
I'm not sure I even saw the teaser, come to think of it.
Only that I saw the episode and remembered on thing more than anything else:
Dad had walked into the living room and said "You don't use volts like that!" as the scene was explaining current (amps) as it's the current that dictates the force, not the voltage itself. Now he didn't go into more detail, but I'd later read up as electricity/electronics was on the way out at the time so the college degree I'd chosen a few years later ended up being different.
That said, I still kept it as a loose hobby. But to explain why Dad was uppity, the best that I can conjure up off the cuff right now, is this: At the top of a hill, you have a rock that you want to roll down the hill. For reference, let's say it's "Andy the Ant" because a twig is boring and has no acute emotional awareness, much less emotions. The rock is the proverbial current. The speed in which the rock rolls own the hill to impact whatever awaits is the voltage. Inertia and everything else that impedes the rock from rolling is collectively the resistance (ohm). So if the rock is 1cm in diameter, even an ant would look up and giggle. But if the rock is 1 meter in diameter, the ant ends up squished. But if the rock just sits there, nothing happens, as nothing is acting upon it. Just like that 9V battery sitting on the shelf. Just saying "90 microvolts" means nothing in of itself and the current being applied isn't mentioned. It's why static electricity is 10,000 volts/cm but doesn't do anything but make you say "Eep!" when you touch a furry thing on a dry day (humidity being relative resistance), as opposed to said voltage doing anything to actually impact you such as resuscitating and/or stopping your heart - there's no real current to do the work. Like blowing in the wind. The current's the thing that Crusher should be citing, on Staaar Trek The Next Generation.
That said, it's supposed to be a tense and dramatic moment. It doesn't not work, however, and they get the scene over with in order to have a field day with the rest of the regulars.
Did I think she would come back? Well, yeah, part of me was expecting something. For a while. Then she did. As a prerecorded image, in a field that looked sorta fake, but was much ahead of its time as, by 2001, everyone joked about how it looked like Windows XP's default wallpaper.
(Can't blame 'em... Also, I'll probably photoshop in some Teletubbies and other goofy adornments later... imagine some custard and a beer factory or something since they make you Tipsy, La-La, want to Tinkle-Winkle and all, etc...)
The episode definitely had the horror elements in its favor. Especially for Riker. After Yar being killed in a snap, this was pretty big as, yeah, a lot of viewers wondering how the hell he'd survive - or if. What sort of goo was Armus made of. It was definitely a tense situation.
I wish there was more going on with the pilot (Prieto). Troi makes it sound like he's dead or something when saying "he's... busy". Okay, he was working on the shuttle's engines or something to try to compensate for Armus' influence, but on initial viewing I took it the wrong way. Like my ex, but that's not important right now.
TBH, my initial reaction to Yar's passing - voltage vs amperage aside - was that of "That was quick, will she come back? These stories sometimes do tend to do a turnaround later." Of course, no turnaround came. But not hating it in the way some would because some prefer the ol' "big blaze of glory routine". But Not long after did I really begin to appreciate the fact that it's a cliché to have characters die in a big blaze. This was truly out of the blue. That's pretty daring, on Staaaaaar Trek The Next Generation, and not since Blake's 7 did a character die in the middle of a season. Heck, Yar's death still had more impact than Gan's (no pun intended as he was killed by wall scaffolding crushing him, complete with annoying corny muzak to ensure the scene was lesser than the sum of its parts, despite being the first mid-season death ever shown on television. And B7's cast rotating, like with potato chip eating, doesn't stop with just one...)
Yar's recorded post-death segment was a bit cheesy and hokey, with corny music, though by the fourth rewatch* as I'd skipped this bit during the second and third because it was hokum, did I start to think of things like "Man, how often does she re-record this every time a crewmember leaves? Do all security chiefs do this? Did they learn this from Kirk? How come nobody's made stupid jokes about gold shirt deaths yet like how TOS did the red ones incessantly? Can Armus replace the motor oil in an engine?** " And so on.
In rewatches, more and more of it really started to add up, especially the complexity of Armus (no relation to Burton, don't read those opening credits and think into them too much.) From both the cruelty at Geordi to finding out he really isn't a skin (despite his self-proclaimed claim) but a very complex being, the episode just continues to grow and fascinate. For the most part.
Now imagine of Armus was saved and turned around to the good side, but that's sorta like what Star Wars did in its 1983 installment.
(Stunt double alert!!)
The teaser/trailer was actually well-constructed, especially in not giving away who really dies. On Staaaaaaaaar Tre-- you get the idea
. Seriously, teasers back in the day would show clips including giving away the good stuff - which didn't matter as much as you'd think. But this one was a true headscratcher, though one could still guess Yar because she was head of security.
Also, we deserved a rematch:
(Nope, I didn't forget about the footnotes!)
I remembered it as being mostly another episode... but:
It was a dark and stormy night (that's how cheesy it could be at times). It was another installment of Star Trek The Next Generation. The planet set with backlit gel lighting a la TOS was there. Characters did character things. But something about this animated puddle of goo seemed unusual. So it's already got a cool start. Not to mention the music, which really added atmosphere.
I had no clue that Yar was going to become as toasted as the burnt pop tart I had for breakfast that day.
I'm not sure I even saw the teaser, come to think of it.
Only that I saw the episode and remembered on thing more than anything else:
Dad had walked into the living room and said "You don't use volts like that!" as the scene was explaining current (amps) as it's the current that dictates the force, not the voltage itself. Now he didn't go into more detail, but I'd later read up as electricity/electronics was on the way out at the time so the college degree I'd chosen a few years later ended up being different.
That said, I still kept it as a loose hobby. But to explain why Dad was uppity, the best that I can conjure up off the cuff right now, is this: At the top of a hill, you have a rock that you want to roll down the hill. For reference, let's say it's "Andy the Ant" because a twig is boring and has no acute emotional awareness, much less emotions. The rock is the proverbial current. The speed in which the rock rolls own the hill to impact whatever awaits is the voltage. Inertia and everything else that impedes the rock from rolling is collectively the resistance (ohm). So if the rock is 1cm in diameter, even an ant would look up and giggle. But if the rock is 1 meter in diameter, the ant ends up squished. But if the rock just sits there, nothing happens, as nothing is acting upon it. Just like that 9V battery sitting on the shelf. Just saying "90 microvolts" means nothing in of itself and the current being applied isn't mentioned. It's why static electricity is 10,000 volts/cm but doesn't do anything but make you say "Eep!" when you touch a furry thing on a dry day (humidity being relative resistance), as opposed to said voltage doing anything to actually impact you such as resuscitating and/or stopping your heart - there's no real current to do the work. Like blowing in the wind. The current's the thing that Crusher should be citing, on Staaar Trek The Next Generation.
That said, it's supposed to be a tense and dramatic moment. It doesn't not work, however, and they get the scene over with in order to have a field day with the rest of the regulars.
Did I think she would come back? Well, yeah, part of me was expecting something. For a while. Then she did. As a prerecorded image, in a field that looked sorta fake, but was much ahead of its time as, by 2001, everyone joked about how it looked like Windows XP's default wallpaper.
(Can't blame 'em... Also, I'll probably photoshop in some Teletubbies and other goofy adornments later... imagine some custard and a beer factory or something since they make you Tipsy, La-La, want to Tinkle-Winkle and all, etc...)
The episode definitely had the horror elements in its favor. Especially for Riker. After Yar being killed in a snap, this was pretty big as, yeah, a lot of viewers wondering how the hell he'd survive - or if. What sort of goo was Armus made of. It was definitely a tense situation.
I wish there was more going on with the pilot (Prieto). Troi makes it sound like he's dead or something when saying "he's... busy". Okay, he was working on the shuttle's engines or something to try to compensate for Armus' influence, but on initial viewing I took it the wrong way. Like my ex, but that's not important right now.
TBH, my initial reaction to Yar's passing - voltage vs amperage aside - was that of "That was quick, will she come back? These stories sometimes do tend to do a turnaround later." Of course, no turnaround came. But not hating it in the way some would because some prefer the ol' "big blaze of glory routine". But Not long after did I really begin to appreciate the fact that it's a cliché to have characters die in a big blaze. This was truly out of the blue. That's pretty daring, on Staaaaaar Trek The Next Generation, and not since Blake's 7 did a character die in the middle of a season. Heck, Yar's death still had more impact than Gan's (no pun intended as he was killed by wall scaffolding crushing him, complete with annoying corny muzak to ensure the scene was lesser than the sum of its parts, despite being the first mid-season death ever shown on television. And B7's cast rotating, like with potato chip eating, doesn't stop with just one...)
Yar's recorded post-death segment was a bit cheesy and hokey, with corny music, though by the fourth rewatch* as I'd skipped this bit during the second and third because it was hokum, did I start to think of things like "Man, how often does she re-record this every time a crewmember leaves? Do all security chiefs do this? Did they learn this from Kirk? How come nobody's made stupid jokes about gold shirt deaths yet like how TOS did the red ones incessantly? Can Armus replace the motor oil in an engine?** " And so on.
In rewatches, more and more of it really started to add up, especially the complexity of Armus (no relation to Burton, don't read those opening credits and think into them too much.) From both the cruelty at Geordi to finding out he really isn't a skin (despite his self-proclaimed claim) but a very complex being, the episode just continues to grow and fascinate. For the most part.
Now imagine of Armus was saved and turned around to the good side, but that's sorta like what Star Wars did in its 1983 installment.
(Stunt double alert!!)
The teaser/trailer was actually well-constructed, especially in not giving away who really dies. On Staaaaaaaaar Tre-- you get the idea
. Seriously, teasers back in the day would show clips including giving away the good stuff - which didn't matter as much as you'd think. But this one was a true headscratcher, though one could still guess Yar because she was head of security.Also, we deserved a rematch:
(Nope, I didn't forget about the footnotes!)
* Yo, I was a kid back then being hit on by a couple of chicks***
** a making-of reveals it's dyed Metamucil, which is rather ingenious, and that's when I started to wonder if it still tasted like zingy orange grove.
*** Anyone have a time machine? I'll choose the other one this time as well as ditching the dated slang circa sixty seven...
I recall thinking it's a pretty unexceptional episode, with a garden variety, nondescript omnipotent evil creature. As with most Trek, I think we all expected a routine reanimation of Yar to happen by the end of the episode, just because that's how they rolled. Heck, they even sort of played that gambit with her in Hide & Q. So, it was initially a surprise to realize they weren't saving her. Ultimately, I didn't think she was much of a loss though & figured they must've really wanted to dump her & move on.
It's almost like they purposely wanted her demise to be insubstantial & ignominious. Even her own holodeck eulogy was, generic, cloying & droned on too long. Hell, by Yesterday's Enterprise, even the show itself was referring to the whole thing as an "empty death". I laughed my ass off when Guinan told her that.
but I hadn't considered the logistical side of it, that she'd have to subtract sections relevant to anyone who'd since transfered, or record new sections for any new comrades she'd bonded with, or to reflect the changing relationships she has with the ones in it.
When you think of it like that, it's both really grim & somewhat narcissistic. It also sounds exhausting lol. Like... "You know, Ensign Daniels & I have been getting kind of chummy lately. Guess it's time to update my holodeck death program again"
It's almost like they purposely wanted her demise to be insubstantial & ignominious. Even her own holodeck eulogy was, generic, cloying & droned on too long. Hell, by Yesterday's Enterprise, even the show itself was referring to the whole thing as an "empty death". I laughed my ass off when Guinan told her that.
That's a good point. I've often thought about how offputtingly intimate her farewell to each cast member played, like they'd all been so close, that their relationships were life redefining, even though they'd only served together for some months.
but I hadn't considered the logistical side of it, that she'd have to subtract sections relevant to anyone who'd since transfered, or record new sections for any new comrades she'd bonded with, or to reflect the changing relationships she has with the ones in it.
When you think of it like that, it's both really grim & somewhat narcissistic. It also sounds exhausting lol. Like... "You know, Ensign Daniels & I have been getting kind of chummy lately. Guess it's time to update my holodeck death program again"
First time I watched it, I assumed they’d find a way to bring Yar back to life by the end of the episode. It seemed really random as it wasn’t the sole focus of the story. When it got to the closing scenes and it was evident they weren’t bringing her back to life, I was quite upset. I was maybe twelve and for some reason I liked Tasha. This was way before the internet was a thing so there was no way to be spoiled…and it came as quite a shock.
I never had TV guide. But on a technical level, Crosby's acting in the farewell send-off WAS nicely acted! But given how inconsistent Yar's writing was, it's no wonder she'd left.
When given good material, she was great. So much was ham-fisted, with "Justice" being one of the worst. The episode didn't do Riker much justice either, but that's season 1 - which had potential but dropped the ball... and yet I like most of it more than I do most of seasons 5-7!
I recall going into it knowing that it was Denise Crosby's last episode. They didn't keep such a tight lid on spoilers back in the day that they do now.
Uh, really?!?
I would have been about 11 or 12 and really, really hated Tasha for some reason, so I was kind of just like "oh thank god" lol
I was 15. Our family used to watch the show together and my memory of first impressions of most of the first 5 seasons includes context of my life...what we did that day, etc.
Anyhow, I really liked the creature of Armus and found it fascinating, especially his absorption and later regurgitation of Riker. I thought the planet looked fake, on par with TOS planets. I appreciated the chess-game aspect of conversations with Armus. I liked the music.
When Tasha got blasted, we were a bit surprised, but I personally thought there's be a deus ex machina end that revived her, though I didn't know that expression at the time. When they left her dead at the end, I didn't care very much and was excited/curious to see where the show would go next. Nobody in our household really liked the character, especially my mom.
A few weeks later, a rumour-busting episode of Starlog came out with Denise Crosby on the cover. In it she was interviewed and stated that she had no plans to leave the series. So, that was a bit ironic.
I'd taped it on Beta and it was a frequently rewatched episode. I guess I liked the body horror of Armus and the disgustingness of it all at the time.
Anyhow, I really liked the creature of Armus and found it fascinating, especially his absorption and later regurgitation of Riker. I thought the planet looked fake, on par with TOS planets. I appreciated the chess-game aspect of conversations with Armus. I liked the music.
When Tasha got blasted, we were a bit surprised, but I personally thought there's be a deus ex machina end that revived her, though I didn't know that expression at the time. When they left her dead at the end, I didn't care very much and was excited/curious to see where the show would go next. Nobody in our household really liked the character, especially my mom.
A few weeks later, a rumour-busting episode of Starlog came out with Denise Crosby on the cover. In it she was interviewed and stated that she had no plans to leave the series. So, that was a bit ironic.
I'd taped it on Beta and it was a frequently rewatched episode. I guess I liked the body horror of Armus and the disgustingness of it all at the time.
I liked Tasha and was sad to se her being killed off.
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IIRC I knew beforehand- I don't remember it being a big shock or anything. I was in my first year of college, didn't have a TV, and didn't watch the show religiously. Plus, the first season was pretty bad. So minimal impact, I am pleased to report. It also gave Worf (a much better character) something to do after that.
You're not the first to say something like that.
I can see they didn't exactly keep it a secret.
Not untrue. I recall summer camp where kids were talking about Star Trek IV needing a Delorean or TARDIS or what not. But, at least for me, I'd not seen a TV guide or show or anything discussing her departure.
My dad used to tell me I couldn't tell my grandparents if I was going to watch a famous movie or show or whatnot because they'd have spoiled it the second I told them. XD
By the time Skin of Evil first aired, I knew Tasha was going to die. I had read about it a month or so earlier in either TV guide or Starlog magazine. I forget which.
I wish I could tell you what I felt at the time, but I don't remember that.
I wish I could tell you what I felt at the time, but I don't remember that.
"Skin Of Evil" Promo on YouTube
They also advertised "one of the crew will bid a tragic farewell" in the "next week on Star Trek" promo, over various shots of Yar, Troi, and Riker being imperiled.
They also advertised "one of the crew will bid a tragic farewell" in the "next week on Star Trek" promo, over various shots of Yar, Troi, and Riker being imperiled.
They really didn't care about spoilers at the time, right?
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No, spoilers weren't a big deal back then, we fans wanted to know what was going on in the shows as soon as possible. At least the fans I knew did. I can't speak for everybody did. And that's fine. I find the concept of spoilers silly anyway.
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