Truth OR Myth – Error, Error, Mistakes TNG Season 2 – Pt 1

Hello and welcome to Truth or Myth? In today’s episode, we’re taking a fun and fast look at the mistakes made in the episodes 6-11 of Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. 

Just a reminder, if you want to explain away any of the mistakes then it has to be with in-universe canon explanations only. So Novels, Video games, tech Manuals and your high school bully’s pet iguana are NOT valid sources to explain away the mistakes. And so, with all that out of the way, let’s begin!

(CBS) Data & Dr Ira Graves – “The Schizoid Man”

The Schizoid Man

During Pulaski’s voice over at the beginning of this episode, we see her walk into the turbolift and moments later she walks out on to the bridge. But watch her mouth, never once does she open it to speak a destination to the turbolift, so how exactly does the lift know where to take her?

Okay, so Graves is this great big scientist in the Federation, one of their greatest minds. Why then when Picard believes that Graves is dead does he harp over the fact that all Graves secrets will be lost. Doesn’t the good scientist take notes?  What were all those computers on Gravesworld for then exactly? I mean let’s face it, Graves was an egotistical man, does it really seem logical he wouldn’t keep detailed notes in order to ensure he gets credit for his accomplishments and so that his name would live on?

So when Graves reveals to Brianon that he now inhabits Data’s Android body, she is in shock. After a bit of dialogue Graves ends up tightening hold on the love of his life.  Later, Dr Pulaski tells us that Graves-Data actually fractured Brianon hand in 2 places during that exchange. What? For fracturing her hand in 2 places, she sure looks pretty calm, doesn’t she?

When Picard confronts Graves-Data in Engineering, he gets smacked by the superior power Android. The problem here though is Graves-Data’s right-hand starts at the bottom left to the upper right striking Picard on his right check, yet Picard turns right.  Shouldn’t he turn the same way as the force of the impact would dictate in this case left?

After Graves transfers himself out of Data into the ship’s computer, we see Data lying on the floor several feet away from the work station. How exactly did he get there? I mean it’s not like Data has WiFi since we know from so many other episodes such as “The Best of Both Worlds” and “A FistFul of Datas” that wired hook ups are required.  So shouldn’t he at least have had some of those wires still attached? Is Data just being Dramatic for the crew?

(CBS) An Aged Dr Polaski – “Unnatural Selection”

Unnatural Selection

I have a huge problem with this episode, and that is in regards to the transporter.  This is an amazing piece of technology. After all, we can beam people from ship to surface to ship in a very short time. But my problem this time is how the crew was able to save Pulaski.  You see, now suddenly, the transporter has become a fountain of youth.  Want to stay young forever? Just take a sample of your 20-year-old DNA and when you hit retirement age, step into the transporter and BAM, your back to your 20-year-old self.  This same type of problem occurs in the TNG episode Rascals. When I consider that the transporter has this ability it seems to make movies like “Star Trek: Insurrection” seem a little less important. Why need Metagenic radiation? Just use the transporter!

And to add insult to injury, not only can the transporter make you young again but can also even redo your hairstyle based on that DNA…

When the Enterprise gets a distress call from the U.S.S. Lantree the communication is garbled and full of static. Yet when the Enterprise arrives at the Lantree we’re told that all the ships systems seem fine, so then what caused the bad transmission in the first place?  In fact, why didn’t the U.S.S. Lantree send out communication as soon as their trouble began?  I mean we know from watching Pulaski that it at the very least takes several hours to really become an issue.

The research lab in this episode deserves a bit of scrutiny.  The lab control panels on the wall are the flat sort that we see all through out the Enterprise D, yet the centre consoles from some reason are still using cathode ray tubes, the same tubes that my old 1980s TV used.  knowing that we already have very flat panel screens and that the tube has virtually died out, does it make sense that these stations would have that sort of technology?  And yes I know some of you will say but this was made in 1989 they didn’t really know about flat panels, and to those I say, refer again to the Consoles aboard the Enterprise…

(CBS) Riker & Klag – “A Matter of Honor”

A Matter of Honor

So during the meal scene aboard the Klingon Bird of Prey, Riker begins to bond with his fellow officers.  He finds out that his 2nd in command has a horrible relationship with his own dad and as a result will not speak or go to see him. Riker continually proclaims but that’s your father, that’s your father. Isn’t this a bit hypocritical of Riker given his own relationship with HIS father? See TNG “The Icarus Factor“.

Watch Worf at the end of this episode.  When the Klingon captain is beamed to the Bridge of the Enterprise, Worf straightens himself up from a hunched position.  But then in the next shot, suddenly, he’s hunched over again.

(CBS) Data on trial – “Measure of a Man”

The Measure of a Man

This is a great episode, no doubt about that.  It makes us all think and review our beliefs in what makes a person alive? What is the true nature of a soul?  This is the type of episode that at its heart is exactly what Star Trek is all about.

I do have a problem with Starfleet however in this episode.  Starfleet, or at least Maddox, is trying to claim ownership of Data.  Remember Starfleet didn’t build Data, they found him.  At one point Maddox even goes so far as to ask the JAG officer if she would allow the Main Computer aboard the Enterprise to refuse a refit, and she actually considers this.  My problem here is that the analogy doesn’t line up. The Enterprise’s computer, after all, WAS designed and built by Starfleet.  Starfleet in this episode just doesn’t seem as enlightened as they claim to be!

When Picard challenges the JAG officers first ruling on data, she recommends a hearing and tells Riker he will have to be Maddox representation. Riker says no, so to drive the point home, the JAG officer says that Data is a toaster. A Toaster? I find it hard to believe that in the 24th Century a toaster would hold the same cogitation in day to day language, especially considering they have replicators. Wouldn’t Data is a replicator or a hyperspanner been more appropriate?

OH oh, here’s another one of those amazing arm movement moments.  During the scene where Picard, Maddox and Louvois are debating Data’s sentience, watch Louvois arms, in one shot, she crosses them, in the next shot they’re uncrossed and she proceeds to cross them again…

A Few moments later Picard makes a similar mistake, he clasped his hands in front on himself looking down, in the next shot however, his arms are apart…

(CBS) Salia meets Wesley – “The Dauphin”

The Dauphin

Ok, we go from one really great episode to one really bad one.

At the beginning of this episode, the Enterprise has difficulty in communicating with the planet. Apparently the planet’s atmosphere was wreaking havoc with the comms.  After a bit of button pushing, Worf manages to clear up the transmission and Picard and Anya have a tate-a-tate. At the end of the episode, however, when the Enterprise arrives at Daled IV, Data comments how the planet’s atmosphere is nearly identical to that of Salia’s home planet and they once again encounter the same comm trouble.  This time, however, they are not able to clear up communications to speak with the surface?  Why exactly?  Why suddenly do they need such a strong signal to penetrate the atmosphere if it is almost identical to that of Salia’s home planet?

And for that matter, how in the heck is the transporter working in that atmosphere but comms are not?  I find that really hard to accept.

In this episode, LaForge asks Wesley to go get him a super conducting magnet from ships stores. A few moments later, Wesley steps off the turbolift carrying the piece of equipment and runs into Picard leading Anya and Salia to their quarters.  When Wesley steps out of the lift the numbers to the side of it show he is on Deck 22. Deck 22?  What is he doing on Deck 22? He already has the device so shouldn’t he be heading back to Engineering?  And isn’t engineering on Deck 36?

In the TNG episode “Where No One Has Gone Before“, Kosinski says that humanity has only charted 11 per cent of the Galaxy.  Yet in this episode, a year later, Wesley tell his girlfriend that the Federation has charted 19 per cent.  Someone here made a mistake.

When Wesley takes his date to the holodeck he shows her a bunch of places he’s been in the Galaxy.  In one part, the surface area for them stands decreases and forces Salia to get closer to Wesley.  Watch Salia here, as she steps closer she puts her hand around Wesley’s waist.  yet in the very next shot, suddenly their arms are linked!

Also, watch Salia again in the scene where her and Anya are transforming. Before that happens you can clearly see Salias reflection in the mirror in the background. Yet when she’s transforming, there is suddenly no reflection.

Anya is a bit of an oddity in this episode.  For 16 years she has been taking care and protecting Salia.  At one point she even threatens to kill someone over it.  yet at the end of the episode suddenly, she doesn’t care anymore.  She allows Enterprise security to escort Salia to the transporter.  Does this make sense?  Doesn’t she seem like the type of person to see her assignment through to the very end?  She does to me!

Thank you for watching today’s episode of Truth OR Myth. 

Have an explanation for any of the mistakes I’ve listed here?  Or do you see one I’ve missed?  Leave a comment in the section below.  Don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to channel hitting that little bell icon so you don’t miss a single video we release.

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Thanks again for watching…  Live Long and Prosper…

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