You may have already heard a little bit of this review on Radio Free Burrito Episode 11, but now you can experience the entire thing for yourself as Wil Wheaton reviews Code of Honor at TV Squad:
When they get to the planet, Lutan introduces his lovely wife Yareena, who is seriously rockin’ the Rick James hairdo and wants to party all the time.
Picard acknowledges that she is quite the Superfreak, but he really wants to see Tasha. Lutan relents, and we learn a little bit more about Ligonian culture, and the importance they place on honor and ritual. If you’ll allow me to stop snarking again for a moment, this is also a decent scene – grading, as always, on a steep curve – where we see Picard’s diplomacy and strength on full display. Oh! Snark back on: It’s too bad he can’t seem to access this particular skill when dealing with Doctor Crusher and Wesley. Maybe he constantly fails his save vs. hot redheads with boobies. Thank you. Snark off. The writing in this scene isn’t horrible, and the acting is quite good, so what could be painful exposition is instead a chance for the characters to develop while we all learn something together. Also, this is great misdirection. As we’ll see in a few minutes, Lutan isn’t interested in counting coup at all, and actually just wants all of Yareena’s money and power (hey, it’s just like John Kerry! Wait. McCain? Tell you what: apply your own politics, and have a good laugh at the other side.)
Tasha shows up, and though she is clearly unhappy with the whole “hey, I was just kidnapped by the 7*UP guy” thing, she’s obviously okay. Which may explain why, even though she has her damn communicator on, she never once tried to contact the Enterprise so she could be safely beamed away.
After a few tense moments of delicate diplomacy, Picard and Lutan agree to chill out for a little bit, until they can have a little party, where he swears to Zombie Jesus he’ll give up Tasha and the vaccine.
The party is a high class function. Food is served, and Picard’s stone cold munchin’. Tasha walks in at the end of the show, and sits next to Lutan , who’s sportin’ a really sweet ’fro. She’s dressed in yellow, she says “Hello, beam me the hell out of here you fine fellow.” Picard does his best to incite the groove, but Lutan won’t let him bust a move.
Er, what I mean is, they have their banquet. When it’s over, with great dignity and grace, Picard follows Ligonian custom, and asks – politely and with great humility – for Lutan to let him take Tasha back to the Enterprise.
The thing is, Lutan isn’t all that interested in letting Tasha go, because he’s got Jungle Fever.
Yareena thinks Mandingo is a little out of line, so she says, “Hey! I have a great idea! Since TNG is only three episodes old, and we’ve only rehashed one original series episode so far, let’s do it again! A show of hands: who here has seen ‘Amok Time’?”
This isn’t my strongest review to date, and I’m not sure of that’s because the humor well is running dry (I certainly hope not) or because it was really hard (like it was with Angel One) to come up with lots of different jokes and different ways of saying "Oh my god this is crap." I think the funny bits are pretty funny, though, and make up for the not-so-funny bits that tie them together.
The most interesting thing to me, though, is that after watching this episode for the first time in 25 years, it’s not nearly as overtly racist as I thought it was when I was younger (certainly not as racist as Angel One is sexist.) However, let’s put the episode into context:
This is only our third episode, and as
I mockingly pointed out in the synopsis, it borrows way too heavily
from "Amok Time," immediately after an episode that was essentially a
rewrite of another TOS classic. We were still proving that we deserved
the right to carry the Star Trek mantle, and when I look back at "Code
of Honor" and see that it came between "The Naked Now" and "The Last Outpost,"
I’m astonished that we weren’t canceled by mid-season. In fact, if we
hadn’t been first-run syndication, and if the core audience of Trekkies
hadn’t been as patient as the Ligonians – not to mention incredibly
forgiving – we almost certainly would have been.
As I said in my podcast, I’d completely forgotten I was even in this episode, which is why I skipped it back when I started writing these reviews for TV Squad. After watching it, I can see why it was such a forgettable experience for me, since I probably worked half a day on the whole thing. But if I can be completely and embarrassingly honest for a moment: even though it’s fucking retarded to put Wesley on the bridge the way they did, when I watched Code of Honor last week, I remembered how cool I thought it was that I got to sit on the bridge, at Ops, no less. As I write about it now, I can feel the butterflies in my stomach that I got every time I got to work there, or the transporter room, or sickbay, or engineering, or . . well, any of the sets that were iconic Star Trek sets. I thought it was so cool back then to be part of it, I didn’t care how horrible the scripts were, as long as I got to be on the spaceship.
Watching the show now as a fan, I can see why everyone hated that shit so much. Hell, I agree with them. But as an adult looking back on his 14 year-old self, I feel a great deal of affection for that kid, who is so obviously excited to hang out with the grown ups on the space ship, he doesn’t care how lame his dialog is.
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“…as an adult looking back on his 14 year-old self, I feel a great deal of affection for that kid, who is so obviously excited to hang out with the grown ups on the space ship, he doesn’t care how lame his dialog is.”
Sweet.
It was these initial episodes that created the Wesley haters…
After elder Crusher left for Starfleet medical, I think the writers starting taking your character more seriously, and it showed in the storylines they gave you.
Looking back, we are similar age ranges, I remember thinking that first season was the most awesome thing on TV… Of course then Season 2 came on.. 🙂
I think “Wesley-haters” might not be the right phrase – more like “jealous-of-Wesley”. Look where you got to go, who you met, what you experienced! Who wouldn’t have been jealous.
Hell – I still am.
Things I loved about that review:
– The first paragraph made me think “But I didn’t eat the mousse!”
– Beavis and Butthead
– Sony DRM infection
– Hiding the boner (I LOLed. Hard.)
– Awesome Bust A Move integration
– The glavin, hey hey
– Portal reference
– The Frantics reference! Boot to the head!
Thanks for another great review.
High class function
Picard stone cold munchin
Tasha walks in end of show
Sits next to Luton sportin sweet fro
She’s dressed in yellow, she says hello
Beam me out you fine fellow
Picard does his best incite the groove
Luton won’t let him bust a move
Dude, shades of Young MC foshnizzle.
Ryhmin Willet, OG homeskillet, give him a beat and yo he fill it.
Giving the shoutout,
Mark.
I just have to say, funny review… but to be clear, there were lots of us in our mid 20s when the show was on, who adored it, and you! I was not a rabid Star Trek fan ( am a rabid Jericho fan lol) but I did run home from work each night it was on, and can proudly say I never missed. I still watch in reruns, it never gets old. To me, it was just a great show to watch.
Ok, now that I’ve actually read the TV Squad review, I might be able to give you some feedback that’s actually, kinda-sorta useful.
First of all, I really love the generation-specific humor. I’m sure there are some people out there who won’t get all of it. (I’m proud to say I got 99% of it). But it doesn’t matter, because it makes the writing fresh and original, whether you “get” it or not.
It’s interesting that the actors thought Code was more racist than Angel One was sexist… but then if I’d had a director suddenly decide to cast the antagonists as black, I probably would have reacted similarly. So Mayberry was the culprit on that score, huh?
You know, it’s funny, I sometimes had the sense that Spinner and Burton were chummy in real life, or at least were fairly good people. Neat to see how reality bleeds through a little bit.
She’s dressed in yellow, she says “Hello, beam me the hell out of here you fine fellow.” Picard does his best to incite the groove, but Lutan won’t let him bust a move.
That is comedy gold. I *knew* you wouldn’t twitter that song without thinking about using it. Many LULZ were lost this day after reading that review.
Yeah, okay, so I can tell you’re trying to be funny without just saying “This blows.” every two sentences. I don’t think your funny well has run dry yet and I don’t think it will for quite some time. It’s just a hard episode to watch and review. I think you’re right — had the casting been different it would still be a crappy episode but wouldn’t make everyone as queasy, uncomfortable and irritated as it does now. The physicality of performers (race, sex, and any other physical attributes of an actor) always affects how the characters come across. It was unfortunate that they were all of the same race and especially in a way that made the characters racially charged. Yet I wonder that if they had all been Caucasian actors if we’d feel it was still racist or just normal tv casting.
As for Wesley being annoying — yes, as an adult I can see how he’s annoying as sh*t. But even if I hadn’t been president of my own private Wesley Crusher Fan club when I was a kid I can still remember what it was like to be a nerdy teenager and honestly all of those adults (and teens and kids) who “hated” Wesley should have been able to get past the lame dialog and recognize the earnestness that I always felt came through in your portrayal of Wesley. Wesley might have been lame a lot of the time (because of what was forced to come out of his mouth and other people’s mouths) but he was honest and eager and generally just a good, geeky kid. There was a lot to like about him. The haters are just lucky Lego Wesley wasn’t around back then, though, because Lego Wesley totally would have handed them their a**es.
Still, it is a great review. Thanks for the hard work, Wil (and I assume the red pen of doom, Andrew).
not sure of that’s because the humor well is running dry
Maybe something is sneaking in at night and filling up its skins from your well so that it can feed the rest of its kind.
The entire episode is up on YouTube (taking it down would require acknowledging ownership).
Looking at a few minutes, I admire the commitment of all the actors. It reminds me of Harrison Ford in the Star Wars Holiday Special: he knew it sucked but it wasn’t going to suck because of him, and he gave a totally committed performance as John Dunbar/Dances With Wookiees. Likewise, I’d say everybody in Code of Honor tries like hell (mostly successfully) to make sure the stink doesn’t stick to them.
I wonder how many people will catch the ‘down to her toenails’ reference despite the hints.
I was never a Wesley hater, but I was certainly one of the folk that would have just as soon seen the character gone. I wasn’t jealous. I just never cared for kid/teenage characters. It’s why I can’t watch most animes (only Ghost in the Shell and similiar stuff). Too many teenagers. I prefered adults (probably because I was in such a big hurry to be one). I still don’t care for Wesley, but I do like Wil and the work he does as an actor and as a writer. I’m glad he found his way back to liking and enjoying Star Trek. His humor is fantastic.
Q
I wouldn’t worry about the funny river running dry… there aren’t many things I read online that make me giggle like a little kid, but that bust a move bit totally did it. Thanks Wil 🙂
Twitter as a substitute for your own memories? Story… forming…
I was younger than Wesley when those shows first aired, and I remember thinking he was pretty awesome.
Seeing Wesley now just makes me cringe. Reminds me a little too much of the overeager dork in my parents’ home movies.
Okay, as you know I read this blog a lot. Like every day. I almost never take issue with the things you say, but in this case I must raise some counterpoints.
First: “even though it’s fucking retarded to put Wesley on the bridge the way they did”
Your opinion. Fine. Cool. I disagree. That was part of what I loved about the show. There was so much possibility, even for a kid. It’s our 21st century jadedness that thinks having a kid serving on a bridge is ridiculous. Star Trek is supposed to be above that, remember? To be fair, I was a teenager when I first saw these episodes, but watching them again now, I still feel the same way. My disbelief has been suspended and I’ve happily hopped on the Wesley train.
“I didn’t care how horrible the scripts were”
Okay, some of the season one episodes weren’t as stellar as the episodes of later seasons, but we’re grading on a pretty big curve here. Any TNG episode, any single one, is way better than 95% of what’s on television. I can’t think of a single script I would call horrible. A little formulaic, cliched or cheesy? Okay. Horrible? Never.
“Watching the show now as a fan, I can see why everyone hated that shit so much. Hell, I agree with them.”
Please don’t. We didn’t all “hate that shit.” Most of us loved it, even if it wasn’t perfect all the time. I really think a very vocal minority has spouted their hatred for various things, Wesley’s character included, that makes it seem like they are in the majority. I promise you they’re not. Frankly, I think most TNG viewers didn’t bother wasting time and energy on whether or not they should hate Wesley. To me the Wesley haters are like the Christian right: vocal, extremist and wrong.
Even if they were right here’s the thing for me, personally. I grew up on TNG. I loved every episode and every character. It shaped how I think about the world. It was the first time my teenage brain had ever really examined ideas of morality, philosophy and imagined the possibility of such a wondrous future. And when it’s bashed on, even just a little, I take it personally. Weird considering you worked on the show and I’m just a viewer, but nonetheless there it is. Don’t step on my dreams, dude. lol.
Wow, you totally made me write an essay from work.
Damn you, Wheaton!
As I’ve said before, I’m pretty sure Gene Roddenberry intended for Wesley Crusher to be just like you ended up portraying him to be.
We’d all like to think we’d be cool and smooth if we were 14-year-old ensigns. Wrong! You let the awe and wonder show through, and that was absolutely right. So what if the writers didn’t know what to do with Wesley — you got the character right.
Awesome review!
For some reason I always remember Troi calling Tasha out for being attracted to Lutan in front of Picard.
Not cool, Troi! Uh-uh, you did NOT just do that to my girl Tasha!
Sorry…I got distracted by all the “bust a move” references above 😉
What’s the female equivalent of “bros before hos” anyway?
Ensign Ed Gruberman says, “Yeah, yeah, patience; how long will that take?”
Priceless. Just priceless.