Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Star Trek: The Next Generation 2x5 "Loud as a Whisper" - Full Watch-along (Patreon)

Published:
2026-02-20 19:00:04
Imported:
2026-10

Content

Follow along using your own copy of the episode!

Files

Star Trek: The Next Generation 2x5 "Loud as a Whisper" - Full Watch-along

Comments

Preaching to the Horse's Mouth

Another one that if you asked me in a vacuum what I thought about it I'd probs say it was "just ok" or something similar but then I rewatch it and really, really enjoy it. Our guest star crushes it with his ability to emote without words. I often find myself judging some eps on what I think of our guest actor and I think buddy kills it in this one👍 Can't watch this right away but I'm sure it's a wonderful reaction as always, B, gonna check it out as soon as I can. See you in the next one🖖

Super Sunny Sunblade

weirdest Cold Open evaa...Shoulda instead hired Bunny as Editaa 😽🎶

Greg

I'm not surprised Bunny enjoyed this one so much -- this really seems like her 'kind' of episode, with the themes and messages that it presents. I like it also, although not as much. I feel like the themes and messages given here are a little over the top and forced down the watchers throat. Also I do question that Troi was able to get Riva out of his funk as easily as she did. However, the episode is earnest in it's presentation, it's well paced, Troi had a good active role here which was fun to see, and we even got some side stuff happening as a bonus with Pulaski and La Forge over his sight. Episode came about in a simple way -- Howie Seago -- who played the part of Riva --is deaf. He approached the show's producers with the idea of a deaf mediator. The initial idea came from his wife, who is a fan of Star Trek. The writers originally wanted Seago's character to learn to speak after his chorus is killed, but Seago was opposed to the idea, as it could perpetuate the practice of forcing deaf children to speak. The producers were understanding of his concerns and wrote a new draft. Howie Seago has a number of other TV shows and movies to his credit and has been active for many years now in a theater company. Yes, the people can communicate, so I'm sure that Riva will be able to to indicate when he is ready to leave. It is a bit strange leaving him there, but the Federation was only asked to transport him -- not to do anything else, as they didn't want to get too involved. So let him do his thing and hope he succeeds. Regarding Troi speaking up about how Worf was feeling at the episode start -- yes, I agree she's prying and there are limits to when that should be done. However, as ship's counselor, it's her job to report when someone may have something going on that could affect either the ship or the crew in a negative way. Worf had strong feelings about Riva due to the treaties he had helped to negotiate between the Federation and Klingons. It was her job at that point to speak up and let Picard and Riker know about that to make sure nothing happened. One thing the show didn't really make clear is the side effects of La Forge's visor. It allowed him to see in unique ways, yes, but he's always in constant pain due to the interface and how it works with his brain. So him deciding to see Pulaski if something could be done isn't a shock. It's not a easy choice to make to decide on what to do. It's one of those Star Trek episodes that may not be anything wow inspiring, but it stands out in it's quiet unique way.

Summer

The episode is fine, I might have dealt with the script a bit but if I just let it go the episode is great and I love what they intended. I am itching to get further into the season . Most people have issues with Pulaski over Data but its this scene with her and Geordi that makes me give her the side eye. It is great how much you saw in it

Summer

In the early seasons the writing over Worf is inconsistent for sake of different plots, one day he was barely six when taken in by a starfleet officer, the next story he might as well have been fifteen and feel every treaty of the last hundred years. Kind of like in Hide and Q when Q said simething about Klingons, and once in TOS when Bones said Vulcan was conquered, sometimes things are thrown out there for spice and aren’t to be considered important. I think in this case they wanted a member of the crew to have knowledge of Riva, thus Worf was a logical choice even if it doesn’t actually work. As a writer one begins to see when something is a thread and when something was thrown in as temporary plot point that is useless. Just let there be one Worf people. The best is ahead

Greg

I believe it was actually Spock himself who said in the "The Immunity Syndrome" that 'Vulcan, as far back as we can remember, has never been conquered'. Which, yes, does seem like a throw away line but he was saying it in context to explaining how he could feel the Intrepid be destroyed (a ship totally crewed by Vulcan's.)

Summer

Oh, maybe so, TOS I don’t know as well as TNG, I thought Kirk or Bones said something similar to Q to spock ‘no wonder your people were conquered.’ But I can believe they had Spock say something odd for momentary plot convenience.

Preaching to the Horse's Mouth

It was a very different style of writing then. TV nowadays fans expect all of the continuities to line up. In fact the continuity is often very much a plot point. Back then we just kinda threw different things against the wall to see and then figured out the continuity after the fact.

Summer

Its true, it is part of media that endures but maube doesn’t age well, like the Final Problem and the Empty house, the first readers were shocked but when you can read one right after the other it basically changes the story

Preaching to the Horse's Mouth

Not to mention how many writers/show runners with different ideas that are involved over the decades of writing Trek. It just means that it's up to us as fans to headcanon/retconn things so that they make sense. It's just the way our ST universe works. And that's why B has us here, to help keep it all straight👍

Desmond

You are not the only reactor to comment on Wesley being in a supposed important position, but in actuality, it's modeled on actual naval procedure, where "driving the ship" is typically a duty assigned to a junior officer, not a high ranking one. Essentially, it's because it's a fairly straightforward job, and doesn't rely on any deeper reasoning or judgement. The captain gives the order, and conn carries it out. That's pretty much it.

reply

so he's like the Six Paths of Pain in Naruto?

Desmond

And I hope you have more weeks where you do two episodes! No spoilers, but I think it's safe to say you have some good ones coming up.

Desmond

Of course, if you think about it, reading lips doesn't make much sense in this universe where everyone depends on Universal Translators! Unless the UT not only translates audible speech but even lip movements as well.

Brian Straight

All indications suggests the UT "somehow" alters lip movements as well. (To be fair don't really know how they work, they're just an excuse for how it is all of our characters and species can talk to each other without having to learn a new language every week. So...if the UT can alter the pattern of lips then for lip-readers would be given the benefit of seeing lip movements they can understand. Also note that in all of Trek (at least this era of it) it's suggested the UT aids everyone, even people who likely wouldn't have them. Now we ask the question, why wasn't anyone's UT in this episode helping the Enterprise crew and Riva talk to each other without the three companions? (Other than it needed to happen this way for the story.) It could just be where the UT meets its limit.

Brian Straight

I always liked this one, it feels like the "right kind of" Star Trek for the time. Trying to tell a bigger story through a smaller one and using a sci-fi theme to do it. Could you tell this kind of story in conventional fiction? You start putting in things like empathic powers and telepathy you fall out of line. Great episode, one of Season 2's better ones. (Though I don't think S2 is that bad.)

Matthew Graves (Graviton)

I love this episode. It's a bit of a slow burn, with very little action and suspense. However, I loved the performance by the Howie Seago as Reva. Full, disclosure: I have a visual impairment that has made me legally blind for most of my life, though I do have some functional vision. (Happily I can still see your beautiful photoshoots Bunny, LOL) I will say, I thought they did a great job of incorporating and addressing some of the feel of what it is like to be a person with a sensory disability. At first, as you picked up on, it's hard to know what to make of Reva. At first, there is a sense of unease and even a bit of an "off putting" dynamic. This is so common, in my experience. There's always some awkwardness as people adjust to someone who has a differnt way of navigating the world. But Picard and crew do a great job of adapting to him with respect and understanding And Reva's own resilience and determination to adapt after such a horrific loss was inspiring. Troi does an incredible job here. I suppose his recovery at the end is a little rushed, I tend to feel that in reality a loss such as Reva's would take months of counseling to get over, but in principle for an hour long show it's well handled IMO. I dunno, this episode always just really spoke to me, and still does. op They do leave the Geordi thing open ended so I'll just say that I really liked the sentiment expressed between Reva and Geordi.

Carlos Stevens

OMG.... So I was a gamer when the game "Adventure" was a thing (yes... that old DEC 10 game that inspired the Infocom games). But... I never played one single Metaman game. Should I bother looking into that rabbit hole?

뱀파이안젤

"Oh cluck cluck cluck number one!" Another legendary Picard quote comes in hot~ XD

Carlos Stevens

FYI, Reva was using actual American Sign Language. (from what little I know.)

Carlos Stevens

Funny that conversation between Dr. Pulaski and Gordi... because Diana Muldar played a character in TOS that was blind... and Gordi's visor was based on the technology from the dress that Dr. Ann Mulhall wore in "There Is No Truth In Beauty."

Carlos Stevens

I love these Star Trek episodes that make you think.

Jack

For the most part, TNG did very well in constructing its 5-act structure, but there is the odd episode where the editing seems a little wonky. In some cases it has to do with the streaming presentation versus regular TV, but in others, the original editing was just... off sometimes. Fun fact: Howie Seago, the guest actor who played Reva in this episode, is actually deaf, and has been so since birth. The coordination of those four actors to create one cohesive performance must have taken some doing. Pretty ambitious for a prime time TV show that was still finding its footing!

Preaching to the Horse's Mouth

The scene where Deanna tells Riva she's going to attempt the negotiation 🥹 I'm biased but my girl just elevates every scene she's in🥰

Max

Oh shit, did NOT see that shocking twist coming with the gruesome visual effects... Mediating war into peace must be the craziest career ever irl!

William Terry

Great reacts! The episode repeats the same thing about whether to let the captain risk it on a planet. Apparently going back to the planet after the shooting can't happen but why does Riker order phasers on stun anyway? I thought the conclusion was almost like having Helen Keller Secretary General of the UN. I always like special effects showing skeletons, the heat ray of War of the Worlds, Terminator 2, The Day After, and the classic Teenagers from Outer Space. It makes the episode here rewatchable.

Matthew Graves (Graviton)

In case of any canon inconsistencies, I always just assume one of the several thousand species of god like aliens out there altered history off screen. ;)

Stainless Steel Cat

A little side-note: Marnie Mosiman who played Harmony is (and was at the time) married to John deLancie (Q).

Greg

In the DS9 game Harbringer (which is a good game if you can get it to run!) you play a diplomat whose parents were killed trying to end a century long war, something a few of the DS9 cast members comment on during the game.

Greg

I understand that for TNG they wanted to change it so the Captain is not in danger EVERY episode, but there ARE times when Picard HAS to beam somewhere and expose himself to risk. And as we've already seen, he's not afraid to do so and fight if need be.

Greg

Do you mean Mega Man? If so, I'd say yes -- most of the games are in collections which you can easily get, and the original and X games are still very good. Be warned they are hard though!

Greg

In the episode? No, he did not. The scene ended with him saying he had a lot to think about (which makes a lot of sense). What he finally decided on? That's a spoiler. :)

Greg

Of course, you can bet SOMEONE is going to be watching that junior officer like a hawk to make sure nothing happens to the ship....cause when that hasn't happened, some really bad accidents have happened (ships being cut in two, etc. Not pretty).

Greg

It was recognized when TNG was getting started that a guide was BADLY needed for writers and so the 'Star Trek Bible' was started and added on to as the years went past, and something all shows have (at least tried) to stick with. You want to do something with X and Y? It had better either be in the Bible, or find a damn good reason to invent it.

Greg

It's like how someone explained once at a con how transporters work, which is ALSO impossible in the real world -- "Very well, thank you!" (the actual comment was about the Heisenberg Compensators, but that's getting very technical.)

William Terry

I don't understand why they seem to say that the first officer can override the captain and order him not to lead a landing party instead of saying "I'll go first and assess the situation before you go down". Here it seems to say Picard has to record his reasons for going on a mission in the logbook, so Riker can dispute the captain in his logbook and Starfleet adjudicates. Perhaps having the old guy skip out on the away team was not a good look so they made it a rule where he had to stay on the bridge and do nothing while the experts worked and the away team reported occasionally. Forgot to mention the skeleton swordfighting scene by Ray Harryhausen.

WastedPo

Don't forget the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man where Doc Ock throws that ball thingie and it turns his rivals into skeletons. (It's a good thing he never used that again, or else Spider-Man would've probably been toast.)

bunnytails

Interesting story about how Seago is actually deaf and approached them to make the episode!

bunnytails

Thank you for sharing your experience! I did feel some unease about Reva at first but by the end I was a huge fan!

bunnytails

Like Greg said, the games are very challenging! I'd give them a try though, and see if they are your cup of tea.

bunnytails

Ah, yes! I didn't make that connection

TJ

Solid episode with great messaging on the challenge of communicating, especially when two parties are filled with hate for one another. Data and Troi are both put to really good use here... Just joined here on Patreon! Thanks for answering my questions so quickly on YT earlier today.

TJ

This episode was a great use of both Troi and Data.