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Star Trek: The Next Generation 3x2 "The Ensign of Commands" - Full Watch-along (Patreon)

Published:
2026-06-26 18:00:06
Imported:
2026-10

Content

Follow along with me using your own copy of the episode!

Files

Star Trek: The Next Generation 3x2 "The Ensign of Commands" - Full Watch-along

Comments

Summer

A fave

Trish

Data is evolving but I. This episode no not much

Greg

I've always really liked this episode, for the same reasons that Bunny mentioned. Not only was it a great Data heavy episode, but the A and B plots worked VERY well together here and interacted in a smooth way. Everyone got screen time also, even if it was very little. Ardrian was played by Eileen Marie Seeley who never did very MUCH but she did star in some other TV shows and movies. Surprising fun facts about other guest roles -- The same actor who played Armus in Skin of Evil (the black blob creature that killed Tasha) was also the guy playing the Sheliak director. Also, he was voiced by the same guy who played Klingon Captain Kragan in A Matter of Honor. 15,000 is a LOT of people -- that's a good size town. Even if the Enterprise's transports were working, there's no way the ship could handle that many people. Actually, I question if a single ship PERIOD the Federation has could handle that many people -- but we were told a single ship was coming, so, I guess? It's funny to note how Gone With The Wind was fined for having the last line uttered in the movie being "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" in the 1930's and here Picard is saying the word in this episode. The times have changed!

Joshua Langweil

Always found it odd that they were testing the transporter after they had left the planet. Wouldn't the radiation be gone? Plus, they beamed Picard over to the Sheliak ship...

Squeesher

Me too! I admit it's an odd one, but I still love it

TJ

This was a solid growth episode for Data, especially since he was dealing with an irrational, overly stubborn colony leader. My one nitpick is that I did find Gosheven's attitude rather implausible. He's being assured that a superior race will be along in a few days to wipe them out, and yet he actually thinks they can defend themselves? I don't think so. But I get it, without his pigheadedness, there is no story... Great moment in the transporter room. Wesley: "He wants the impossible!" Geordie: "That's the short definition of captain." And I loved the way Picard so cleverly bashed the Sheliak over the head with their own obstinance regarding treaty details.

PJ B

The Sheliak are one of the few non-humanoid aliens we get to see. Funny story: Marina Sirtis (actress for Deanna Troi), when asked at a convention when we would see more non-humanoid aliens, answered "when they hire more non-humanoid actors" (paraphrasing the question and the answer). But yeah, since "non-humanoid" means puppets (CGI was not advanced enough until the later half of the 90s, and even then it's really not that great, and expensive), it's easier to put some more or less elaborate makeup on actors.

Jim Jones

I really like this episode. And there's only 1 really good fun fact worth mentioning... The actor who physically played Gosheven, Grainger Hines, had all of his dialogue replaced in post-production by an uncredited voice actor. The replacement actor has never been publicly identified. The producers felt his voice lacked the authority they wanted for the colony leader. Some production sources even say they thought he sounded too much like John Wayne. After learning his performance had been redubbed, Hines asked for his name to be removed from the credits, which is why Gosheven's actor is uncredited in the episode.

Squeesher

I KNEW he sounded overdubbed! All this time...good fact man :)

Andrew Westcott

When they beamed Picard and Troi over to the Sheliak ship, they were not in the radiation belt of the planet.

Joshua Langweil

Understand that, but why were miles and Geordi still trying to get the transporter to work when they were away from the planet? Did they simulate the radiation?

Edward A Kerr

I loved this one and your reactions and singing are priceless.

Preaching to the Horse's Mouth

Picard's long pause when he's on the line with the Sheliac for the final time is 👌 everything 👌! Stopping to dust the Enterprise's name plaque 😆

Mark Gosine

I like this episode too. As far as Data is concerned, he has shown signs of minor emotions. As you pointed out, he smirked or smiled here. He has exhibited awe, amusement and other expressions that I would consider emotions that don't seem to be for anyone's benefit but his own. I might think sometimes he does this for those around him, so they'll feel comfortable. So, as a fictional character, I do think he has some. From a real-world perspective, he's a toaster, and never can be anything more than that. No matter how people will try and anthropomorphize him. That's just my engineering and programming opinion.

William Terry

I think the last line is from Scarlet "After all, tomorrow is another day!"

Paul Hess

Thoroughly enjoyable. Welcome to Season 3! What a time to be a Bunny Patreon member. Embarking on 5 great seasons of TNG at the same time we are embarking on 5 great seasons of Babylon 5! It was worth the effort to get to this point. Two very different shows and both very excellent. And both will get even better. Great character development for Data. Great subplot for Picard and Troi. Great moments for O'Brien, Georgi and Worf. Great classical music. Great world building for the planet they visited. And not even my favorite of the season there are many more to come.

William Terry

Funny the shot is Data at the shuttle controls bidding farewell to Mackenzie and next to him is an empty co pilot's seat. Kind of a tribute to all the excuses they would give aliens not named alexander about how they were leaving them behind. I liked when bunny disputed Data no emotion theme, when it's not shut down as in Spock's case, who didn't (usually) say he had no emotions, just that the Vulcans controlled their emotions. Thanks🤔

Desmond

Picard is such a Chad, all he needs to do is reinterpret a convoluted 500,000 word treaty to prove he's an absolute bad-ass.

Carlos Stevens

Season 3 Episode 2... It's on Like Donkey Kong (and yes... it's Motzart... Nacht Music)

Carlos Stevens

Ok, yeah but... Mr. Spock was 1/2 human. Mr Data is 100% android.

Matthew Graves (Graviton)

Very good episode. It's not an action episode, but I feel like this is a prime example of TNG moving into it's "groove". That is: not necessarily momentous episodes, but fairly consistent high quality, with just generally very well done execution all around. Picard keeping the Shelliak "hangin' on the telephone" is often considered by longtime fans a sort of quietly subdued signature moment of badassery. In my circle, "You enjoyed that." "You're damn right!" is a frequently used quote in moments of satisfaction or success. Data's story is a lot of fun. It's also where my friends and I started to refer to "something touching about Data" episodes. Thats not a complaint, but it is a formula that they return to alot. When it's well done, it's very effective. And this is a very good example. So... regarding Data and the matter of his emotions, I certainly won't spoil anything for the future, but I will point out something I think you instinctively picked up on, Bunny, that is actually a clever and important bit of thematic writing here. One can have exactly the debate you are deferring to, but in a subtle way, stimulating the debate is exactly the point of the episode and the character. The way the character of Data is presented is (I believe) MEANT to make us question exactly what emotions are, how they drive people and, more fundamentally, make us think about how people generally convey their own inner experience to other thinking beings. What are the boundaries and commonality in personal experiences. Notice how this dovetails into the conversation Picard and Troi have about the tea. How much does anyone really understand anyone else? The thematic thread running through all of the elements of this story: Picard and the Shelliak, Data and Goshevan, Data and Ard'rian, is basically all about the challenges of having a "meeting of the minds". So, howevery you feel about the question of what precisely is going on in Data's head, Bunny, on a meta level you can't be entirely wrong because stimulating that kind of pondering is precisely the point.

Greg

You may be right, been a LONG time since I've seen the movie.

Summer

People Bunny said not to tell her specifics on Data’s emotions, let her explore

Stainless Steel Cat

The Shuttlecraft Onizuka was named after one of the astronauts who died in the Challenger disaster. It was a nice tribute.

Preaching to the Horse's Mouth

This just proves to be what I've known about myself all along, I am shit when it comes to noticing things like overdubbing/ADR in these shows 😆 Every time a reactor or someone points out "Oh, that line was ADR'd in" I never would have otherwise picked up on it by myself. And I like to think I have a decent ear, music etc, but the ADR stuff just flies right over my head. Or past my earholes as the case may be.

William Terry

Ensign means a flag. The rank called "ensign" was assigned to the person whose job was to carry the flag into battle.

Summer

People confuse discussion and just watching with people. But for most they are just saying what they think in this case, I have been working to train myself to just enjoy watching and not say everything I think of the episodes I

bunnytails

I really like how you put that, thanks! Star Trek is always trying to make us think, and question things we think we know

Philip

Nice reaction, Bunny. I had forgotten about this one; the title didn't initially ring a bell. But as soon as Data took the shuttle down to the planet, it all came back. It was an enjoyable episode and Picard has some fun there at the end. I did wonder why didn't Data have Picard warn the colonists directly with visual communications about what the Sheliak could do to them from orbit. We also got an idea of Enterprise's rescue capabilities, in that 15,000 people could be rescued on one mission.

bunnytails

The way I understood it was that Gosheven believed the threat was real, but was unwilling to leave behind everything they built and that their ancestors sacrificed for. He would rather die, and I guess he thought everyone else should as well.

TJ

Agreed... No doubt his obstinance was a plot device to teach Data that humans can't always be swayed by rational, logical arguments, especially when deep-seeded emotions are at play. Sometimes actions speak louder than words.

Paul Hess

Picard walking out of the concert after Data explains to him and Beverly how uninspiring his playing will be. It's fun to wonder what went through Data's mind when he saw that.

Andrew Westcott

Because they may have needed the transporter to beam up the colonists if they didn't get the extension from the Sheliak.

Joshua Langweil

You’re not understanding my question. Why were the transporters being tested against radiation that didn’t exist away from the planet.

Jack

A great Data-centric episode! Lots of growth for him here. I love that town set. Especially with the color gels illuminating the backgrounds, it feels very TOS. I could easily see Kirk, Spock and McCoy wondering around there. The metallic looking cylinders that Geordi, O'Brien and Wesley are using to test the transporter are the plastic casings for "sonobouys," a floating sonar reception device dropped into the water from military aircraft to detect submarines.