Every good series has a few throwaway episodes. Sadly this is one of them. I promise I won’t keep you here long. Thi will probably be one of the shortest reviews in the series. (One of…trust me there are more bad ones to come). Here is, Originally airing on Feb 8,1988, Too Short a Season.
The Episode:
Stardate 41309.5
The Enterprise is called to confer with famed Federation Negotiator Admiral Mark Jameson to help with a Hostage Negotiation on a planet that had a similar issue some 45 years previously. When they arrive they discover that an elderly Admiral Jameson has some interesting secrets of his own.
The Breakdown:
I’ll keep this one short….but not too short…heh.
Upon arrival on the ship with his Wife, Admiral Jameson immediately takes command of the mission despite Picard’s reluctance. Contacting the leader of the planet, they learn that the terrorists demand to hold the negotiation on Mordan (the planet) and will only speak to the Federation Negotiator.
Soon He is given a physical and Doctor Crusher discovers that the documents he supplied are older than he claimed. It turns out that the Admiral has been taking some supplements to regain his youth in order to be well enough to complete this negotiation. We soon discover that the hostage negotiation he negotiated 45 years earlier did not go as he had reported. His actions are what plunged the planet into war for 40 years and he has lived with this guilt for his entire life. Unfortunately the regression to his youth ultimately kills him but not before he completes his mission.
Is this a ‘Good’ Episode:
This is a strange one. It’s basically Benjamin Button in Space so it’s really a predictable story and very little character development to speak of. Is it ‘good’ eh, that’s debatable. It’s an interesting story but it by far isn’t one of the best. The actor who plays Jameson, Clayton Rohner, did a good job in the role overall although the makeup leave a little to be desired.
It’s certainly not a favorite of mine and, to be honest, is mostly forgettable. Throwaway episode at best.
Gleanings and Cool Bits:
Very little here, sorry. Like I said, throw away episode.
There is a cool bit for the eagle eyed viewer. Behind Karnas’ desk is an old style Phaser Pistol circa 2285 and is meant to be part of the weapons Jameson had given Karnas 45 years prior. So Admiral Jameson could have actually met and worked with the Original Series crew in his youth!
Riker Beard Countdown B minus 11 Episodes until Beard Emergence.
Thanks for reading the Retro TV Review. I look forward to discussing the rest of the series with you, one episode at a time every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Next Review: When the Bough Breaks
Late To The Game 02/02/2018
If you would like to read more reviews I have a weekly series called Key Movies Of My Life that comes out every Wednesday and also a complete review of Star Trek Discovery.
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