The Greatest Generation - Canadian Cute (S4E25)

Episode Date: January 2, 2017

When a workplace romance ignites between Data and a co-worker, the nebula they're studying isn't the only place where the fireworks are going off. But when dark matter starts getting flung at the ship, Captain Picard must arrange for a tow to get the Entrepreneur out of danger. Can you get satisfaction from a dark button? What happens when you go "full Nic Cage"? How do you clean a carpet stain that's REALLY in there? It's the episode that sounds like the hosts are fighting.

Priority 1 message from Starfleet coming in on Secured Channel. Hey friends of Disodo. Before today's episode, we just wanted to take a moment to talk about the historic labor actions being taken by writers and actors in the American Film and Television industry. If you're a fan of the work done by the people who make Star Trek, we hope you'll join us in standing in solidarity with the folks who actually bring these adventures to life. Over the past several years, the AMPTP, the organization that represents the American Film and Television Production Studios, have reduced the profit from movies and TV going to workers. And in so doing,

they've attempted to weaken the labor unions that represent those workers. They wouldn't even engage the unions on many issues in their negotiations. And so a strike was the only course of action to take. Adam, Wendy and I have been having a lot of internal discussions about how best to stand with the unions and we are continuing those conversations in a dynamic situation. We're doing our best to understand where the picket lines are in these digital spaces,

and we would never intentionally cross one. With the information we have, we feel like we can do more good talking about and supporting the strike and continuing our show as planned. We'll keep you informed about what all this means for greatest trek specifically. Today we're making a contribution to the Entertainment Community Fund. This fund exists to help all the people whose livelihoods have been put on hold because the AMPTP refuses to negotiate

in good faith with the unions. It provides financial support for writers, actors, and all the thousands of laborers who make the shows that we talk about here and without whom we wouldn't have Star Trek to cast pot about. Those folks are all out of work because billionaires, company shareholders, and the executives of these companies don't want to compromise on the length of their yachts. We hope you'll join us in supporting entertainment workers in a challenging time, especially after they've already endured several years of challenges brought on by the pandemic

and season two of Star Trek Picard. We've set up a page where you can also contribute. It's at friendsofdecotoforlabor.com. That's friendsofdececoto for Labor.com. That's FriendsOfDecoto for Labor.com. Link in the episode description. Okay, now let's get on with the show. Here's to the finest crew in Starfleet. Engage! You're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you, you're gonna be caught up in you're gonna be caught up in It's one of the earliest mornings we recorded. That's why I opened that way. That's true Adam. It's not even eight o'clock your time, is it? When your podcast fluid is coffee. Hahaha.

Really sets the tone. Yeah. I think that it is possible to find coffee in can form, but we didn't do that today, did we? That would have been nice. No, we didn't. Oh God, have you ever had that coffee can, like the nitro coffee?

I've seen that shit for sale a lot of places, and it's like I am a total sucker for a gimmicky coffee thing, but that might be one gimmick too far. Well, if you ever want to spend $5 on a can of cold brew coffee, that's how you do it. And it is like, it is like railing coffee grounds. It is. I've never been so gacked out as I have been after an entire can of cold brew coffee. Yeah. Good Lord. Yeah. It's like a, like the Squatty Potty needs to come out.

Right? Yeah, I wear the Squatty Potty on a chain around my neck like a flame of flame, whenever I'm drinking one of those cans. Yeah! Ben, I actually have something I want to talk to you about. What's that? What's that, Adam?

And I'm really hoping that you saw the movie I want to bring up. I saw Rouge One. I haven't seen it yet. Oh, shit. Well, maybe we should kick the can into a different episode on this. But maybe I'll just tease my thoughts for a more substantial conversation we can have later. And that is it's not a competition between Star Wars and Star Trek. Even though our viewers and fans of both franchises very much believe it to be that way.

But God damn it, Ben. They are kicking our asses in terms of cinema right now. terms of cinema right now. And I've got a real problem with it. It's not because I don't like Star Wars. It's because you see how they're doing the Star Wars universe. And you see how, quote unquote, we are doing the Star Trek universe. And what they're doing isn't a miracle. Like what they're doing is supporting a theory that I have held for a long time in and that is Star Trek is a place and not a philosophy. I mean, it's also a philosophy to a certain degree, but you can tell all sorts of stories in the Star Trek world. And for the last six films, we've told one type of story in a Star Trek film, and it is really frustrating. It's getting old. Let's get in that writer's room, Adam.

I know. Maybe that should be our New Year's resolution. Becoming consultants on the new TV Star Trek Discovery. Yeah, that's all. I just want to be consulting producers. That doesn't even a real title. You got to aim high. Consulting producer? That doesn't mean anything.

Yeah. Well, when you see Rouge One, let's have a more developed conversation about it, because I'd really like to get into it. Okay, I'll see if I can get in a viewing before our next recording session. One thing we did watch recently, Ben, was season 4, episode 25, in theory. This is becoming a speech. You're the captain, sir. Very entitled. Hmm.. A little type that rammed along about something everyone knows. So the entrepreneur is going to explore a dark matter nebula.

And in preparation for this, data is hanging out with his pal Jenna down in the torpedo bay. And they're modifying torpedoes to be dark matter probes. Which I can only imagine is a huge disappointment to wharf, which would rather just send a full spread of armed torpedoes in said to Maxwell Mule. When you use a torpedo for dark matter, I feel like you're double bagging those before shooting them, right? Yeah, I mean, people say that animals can throw your pH off, but I would say that they are required before you're going to put a torpedo in there. Oh, God. In this scene, what you get is what you get so rarely other than the sample size of

Jordy and data. You get data's professional relationship with someone else. And in this sense, you get a lot of fraternizing between Jenna and data. And we know her name is Jenna, because that's what data calls her. Like, you totally drop rank and title. And they're just sort of like gossiping with each other. Yeah. She's had, she's like, just coming off of a breakup and had like an awkward interaction with the guy that she's trying to not be dating anymore. Yes, me out to dinner.

What was your response? I told him I'd think about it. He gives her a little like data like pep talk, which is the most rote possible explanation of why she shouldn't be dating that dude. As you requested, I will now remind you of the reasons you decided to end your relationship with Jeff. Yeah, I mean he doesn't grant any sort of wisdom. It's wisdom in the sense like, well if he's hitting you, you should leave. Like, it's that simplistic. Yeah. But this girl's a real cutie and then you should...

She's Canadian cute isn't she? That's the vibe I got from her. Yeah, log cabin cute. Yeah, like to poor Jenna all over my waffles. Yeah, they shoot one of these torpedoes at the Nebula, lights up real pretty, and it sets a nice mood. You can tell that she's enjoying her time looking at this display with data more than just the way that friends would at them.

Yeah, she sidles up beside him, looks out at the nebula fireworks, but is more consumed with the fireworks and data's eyes. Yeah, the twinkle in his eyes that will never be a child. Is data unprofessional in this scene? I think that this is a great episode about data in that it explores the idea that data has kind of figured out how to act now that we're four seasons into this show. Generally speaking, data knows how to act around everybody, but data is only in very specific kinds of situations. And this is an episode that explores what if you toss out data's comfort zone and put him in a situation where he has no idea how to act? It's sort of the sequel to data's day, isn't it?

Yeah, I think that's a fair assessment. We come back from our opening title sequence and data and Jenna are in a wind section, playing some tunes, kakos in there, and they finish their little recital and Jenna's like not feeling great about her performance and data's very, he says the right thing, you know, he's like, I'm quite certain the audience was oblivious to such nuances. They seem to enjoy the performance thoroughly. And this kind of, it kind of evolves into a double date between data and Jenna and miles in Keko, which is, I don't know if you've done a lot of double dating at him, but I feel like I have been on this date in most of the four different roles.

Like, I've been the dude who's meeting his wife's girlfriend's new boyfriend, and then I fucking can't hang with this guy. I've been the couple that's kind of sniping at each other the way Miles and Kiko are. Really like I've got some like grievances but we have to like be in public with these people. So well not we're not going to let this boil over into a fight but but we are talking about the fact that I leave my socks on the floor or whatever. But we are talking about the fact that I leave my socks on the floor or whatever. Have you had this experience Adam? I feel like this was us when we were at Korean barbecue in LA, like a month ago.

I think we went through the stages of dating, like all four of us in that one three hour meal. Yeah. Well, I hope I wasn't the data in that date. No, not at all. And the way you describe it sums it up perfectly. Like this is such a contemporary moment. Yeah.

Like, like there's, there's a natural kind of competition that is hard to avoid when, when you're doubled up like this. Yeah. Like there's the established relationship, which is not a great model for quality at all when it's Kiko and Miles O'Brien. There shouldn't even be a competition at all. But Jenna just sort of sees it,

she sees their foundation as something to rise to. She sees their foundation as something to rise to. And so when Kiko starts talking cute about miles and all the cute shit that he does, she feels emboldened to talk about data in the same way. There's a competitive aspect to it. Yeah. I mean, a competition and it also kind of stokes the flames for Jenna. Like, she gets like touchy with data real quick, you know, like they're, they are fully on a date,

you know, which was not the like declared premise of them being in 10, 4 with this evening. You know what we don't get is the after you go on the double date? Yeah. You get back home and you just to your wife like, oh my god, what was that about? Like, could you believe that they did that? And that's, God, I would have loved Keko and O'Brien so much more if they gave us

like the 30 seconds post date where they were like, was that a date with Jenna and data? Yeah. What the hell was that about? Like, oh, to be a fly on the wall would mean me love that couple so much more. Yeah. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when, uh, when you and your wife debriefed each other about our, uh, our LA, uh, Korean barbecue date, Adam.

It was all positive. I swear. The most insincere thing I've ever heard. So this leads into, they're going to keep doing research on this nebula and so because they're continuing the research, they're like going to go hunt for class M planets in the Nebula data and Janna are going to be spending a lot of time in the torpedo tube together. And so the next scene they have is just them like dicking around with torpedoes and It's just him like dicking around with torpedoes and it ends with her like having to go do something and she She leaves him with a big fat smooch. You can see his eyes sort of spin around like a slot machine

Yeah, and This sort of sends him on a mission. Yeah, it sure does and and he definitely like makes some errors in judgment about Stops that he makes on this mission, but his first his first stop is the right first stop It is ten forward where he kicks it to Gainin about what just happened and I think he says I just just shared a very passionate kiss in the torpedo bay. Adam, a very passionate kiss in the torpedo bay was actually the first porno that I ever watched.

He's a kiss in the torpedo bay, a euphemism for a blowjob. Is a kiss in the torpedo bay a euphemism for a blowjob? That's what I was sort of getting at. Okay, because I think one of our shows, late mortifs, is explaining the joke, making it funnier. Uh-huh, yeah. The more we explain it, the funnier it gets. Do you think Datastung feels like a cow's tongue? Or like a cat's tongue?

It's got those little prickly things on it. If you're nudy and soon, and you're creating a sex robot, how do you do it? What do you start with? Do you make it have sex like you or do you start with? Like, do you make it, do you make it have sex like you, or do you do research, and you program it to be like the greatest sex robot ever? We actually talked about this on an episode of our award-winning Westworld podcast, Adam, and I just want to drop in a clip of that so that people can hear the kind of discussions we get into on that show. Ben, if you don't want to talk about something, you can just say you don't want to talk about it.

You don't have to humiliate me like that. Yeah. So somehow avoiding getting the bed. We did get out of that bit Ben. You fucking asshole. I need an air horn or something to get out of your bits. What did you want to say? What did you want to say Adam? I feel bad. I'm gone. No, I'm done. You're done? Oh. So I'm just going to have to walk around with the guilt

of having sidelineed our podcast and do an extended fart sound effect. No, you're going to have to walk around with something worse, which is the comment section of our in Reddit on this episode going, what's going on with Ben and Adam? Really feels like they're fighting lately. Uh, somehow Data's next stop on his tour, tour, tour, dating advice is Jordi. And this is actually pretty funny scene because Jordi is like,

ask somebody else for advice, at least someone who's got more experience that giving advice. Perhaps to Jordy for being honest here. Yeah. I mean, backing up to Gynon's advice. Oh, we're gonna go back to that now. Well, I mean, and my out of the penalty box out of.

Yeah, yeah, you are. Oh, good. You were spot on when you said that Geinen's advice was the only advice one should need. Yeah. And in terms of order, was the first place that anyone should go. Yes. Her advice is also the best. Yeah, she's like, she's like, Jenna seems cool in everything, but she's just getting out of something. And also, you're a robot. It had major callbacks to the one where Wesley wants to date the guerrilla girl. The where bear? Yeah, and the advice and the

advice stands, you know, like the advice of like this is going to be your first time and it's not going to be easy and no advice will help you understand how to get through it. Yeah. And Data does not take that piece of advice very seriously because I think he asks like half a dozen other people to weigh in on this situation. He really focus groups the crew. Yeah.

I mean, he gets it from Jordity, he gets it from Troy. I think he should be careful. He gets it from Worf. Plannons do not pursue relationships. They conquer that which they desire. He gets it from Riker. When it really works between two people, it's not like anything you've ever experienced.

The rewards are far greater than simple friendship. And he tries to get it from Picard and Picard is like, I would be delighted to offer any advice I can on understanding women. When I have some, I'll let you know. The scene that we get with Riker is the scene that you always want with Riker on this topic. He is like leaned back in the conference room chair, Yeah. Feet up on the desk.

Yeah. He is like leaned back in the conference room chair, feed up on the desk. He just relishes giving this kind of advice in a way that it seems impossible he can enjoy anything else as much as this. Yeah, I mean, it's him telling Wesley how to talk to girls. It's a side of his character that is insane, but it's also a real fun to watch, you know? Yeah, it is insane, facially. Like, he positively glows when he gives this advice.

He glows in a way that he rarely does on the show. It's just super charming. And his advice is also pretty good. Like, it's not creepy sexual advice. It's practical and useful. And like most people who go around getting advice on a major life decision, data ignores most of it.

And does what he sets out to do initially. Yeah, most of the good advice goes totally unheeded and and then like we are into the part of the episode where we get to see data doing shit that is totally outside of what data does and it's like he shows up at Jenna's apartment with bouquet and like he doesn't know like the order of anything. So he like goes and sits on the couch and like puts his arm out for her to be wrapped in like like three beats before she is like warmed up to the idea of cuddling with him. But like she kind of like finds endearing, you know? And she likes the flowers.

Like, he makes fun of her for having a messy apartment. They really write data, ham and cheesy on this. Yeah. Like, data is demonstrating behaviors that he's never seen. It's so beautiful. You Silver Tongue Devil. In entire lifetime, spent around humans he's never seen. It's so beautiful. You silver tongue devil. In an entire lifetime spent around humans and human-like people, no one has ever sat on a couch and put their arm out as furniture for their companion to sit in.

And it made me wonder, I understand how funny it is to see this, but I don't think it serves the character the way that it could in a more interesting way. What if Data's courtship is successful at this moment? What if he's really good at this? Is it more interesting of a story? Because there is something to be said for dating when you don't have like the nerves of an early relationship. Right.

And he would be happy. Like he's not going to like be worried about fucking this up. I think the things he could fuck up are like going too fast or too slow, which you know. In every definition of that But he's not going to you know put his foot in his mouth or Ruin it for some reason that can be chalked up to like being too excited about the relationship and like demonstrating some like poor judgment as a result It's weird because he knows how to be around people and he just forgets that. Like sort of at the core of being in a relationship

is the ability to be around someone. Yeah, but I think that like that's kind of the thing that the episode is saying is like he doesn't know how to do, like this is a set of human interactions that are totally new to him. And he like has to start way more from scratch than we do. And because it's an unusual scenario, like it leads to like bad misunderstandings

of how to do it. Well, my argument is he doesn't have to start from scratch he is choosing to start from scratch. Yeah yeah I mean I think I think I think there's good arguments to be made on both sides of that. That's all I'll say about that. Okay. Are you wrong, find it within yourself? Stand up, tell me truth. You don't deserve the wealth that the Univore has. So things seem to be going well with them in spite of his various awkward mistakes. Like she finds his mistakes charming, which is the best part of a relationship, that beginning

part when you can sort of do no wrong, right? Yeah. So... The infatuation period. Yeah. That part is great. We've seen this a couple of times so far in the episode, but like the halfway point in this episode is where Picard walks into his ready room and finds like his computer and all his little desk trinkets on the floor under his desk

and he calls Warfin and is like, um, can you explain why all my shits on the floor under his desk and he calls Warfan and is like, can you explain why all my shits on the floor Warfan? We've literally had the entire lead up of this episode be shit going on and no problems happening. Like there's no rising dramatic tension of any kind. It's just data trying to figure out how to do this. Which is a pretty like, it's a pretty like confident writing move, I think.

But eventually we get to this problem and it's like there are like panels of the ship that are like disappearing briefly and reappearing and they start to like worry that it might have something to do with this nebula that they're in This issue takes many forms, right? Yeah at the end of some scenes you'll see pieces of Panel sort of disappear and shimmer yeah, and then and then reform I thought these effects were pretty cool Yeah, there's a scene in engineering where a guy's typing at a station and he just gets sort of blown up and onto the floor.

Yeah. Did you check out that guy's quaff, by the way? Yeah, that's a great quaff. He had a solid quaff on him. The sticks get raised here when one crew member gets killed in a corridor. So where we wander by them, how does this scene get set up? I think it's Jordy and a couple of his engineering people

and they're gonna go check out some section that's gotten damaged and they send the lady off to check one thing and he and the other guy are gonna go check the other thing. I'll cover the abs section, you go down. Ah! And they hear her scream around the corner and they run back around and she's like,

she's like waist deep in the floor. It's sort of terrifying. It is. Because of the way she's propped up, she's got a forearm sticking out and then she's waist deep in the floor and she's not even a little slump she's not even like a little slumped over. She's a little rigid. Yeah. And oh, like how do you even begin to clean that then?

That's a haunting image. Yeah, and like, yeah, I was wondering like when it, so she's occupying the same space as the floor to some extent is the like, do they have to like take out the entire section of floor because it's infused with human body? You ever have to clean gum off of a warehouse floor using that little razor blade tool? If you have to do that. I wonder if they ghost bike that hallway too. Like they set up a little memorial for a lieutenant vanmator. Yeah, they hit a communicator badge with some white spray paint and leave it leaned up against the wall.

That's fucking great. That is a way more developed part of the bit than I ever got. Good job. Speaking of paint, data is like painting in his quarters and Jenna comes by with a bent up piece of Pyrex. I wanted you to have this. It's a non-vaginal jihuli. Who knew such a thing? Even existed? Chihuly's rapidly becoming one of the most beloved characters on our show. And it's like, it's a fun scene, right? Like she's like, you gotta, you gotta like, stop what you're doing when your girlfriend comes by and gives you a present.

And he does a little like Patrick Bateman assessment of the piece. He does a little like Patrick Bateman assessment of the piece. Yeah. And I always enjoy those. And they have a cute little interaction here, like a cute boyfriend, girlfriend, interaction. And that's like the first moment. You're like, wow, this could actually kind of, this could be a thing. Like data could just have a girlfriend. Yeah, as long as Jen is willing to be the training wheels here, like this is a

functional relationship. Yeah, but like the next time the interact is in her apartment and he does like the honey I'm home move and then he's like in full SMARM dog mode where he's like doing lines on her and like getting her a drink and it's just like, it's like, why did he take this left turn? Like, what the fuck? Inspired this. Yeah, I would have liked the scene before this one that explained it because he had no reason to raise the stakes. Like, if things were working before, because he had no reason to raise the stakes. Like if things were working before,

you know what, and in saying that out loud, this is the mistake that everyone makes in a relationship. Sure. Things are working, and then you suddenly feel the need to change them. Yeah. So he dials it up to 11 with his seduction. Like it's, and it's creepy as hell.

Yeah. And go figure, Jenna does not respond in a way that, that is approving of this at all. Yeah. She sort of creeped out as everyone else is and watching it. And she calls him on it. Tata, there's just something strange

about the way you're acting. And he like pounces on her calling him on something as like a great opportunity to have a fight. Perhaps there is something wrong with you, which he has calculated as an important part of any relationship. Yeah, he was steaming for a fight and he got one. Yeah, and his and his turn His emotional turn here that we know isn't emotional is is shocking. Yeah. And and scary.

Yeah. This is the data that you know is possible. This is the data that you imagine rips people limb from limb when he's angry. When Brent Spiner does this, I feel like there are there are rules set up for how he acts, right? There's the data rule, and there's the law rule, and then there's whatever this rule is for his interaction with Jenna. Yeah. I feel like he goes full nit cage with Jenna in this scene.

He is hysterical. Yeah. He's like nit cage and face off unhinged. Yeah, which I mean, I think it all comes back to him, like the way his character strategizes the idea of a new type of social interaction, you know. Why doesn't he feel the need to put on these different masks in other points in his life like during a

During a life-threatening scene why don't you see him put on the the Lovers coral mask and and get into it His character has changed more than maybe any other from the first episode to now Yeah His character has changed more than maybe any other from the first episode to now. Yeah. He's not like reading extremely long digit numbers of the probability of whatever's gonna happen. He doesn't like not know basic grammar or words. Like he's not going like, like what is a joke, Jordy? I feel like he's not going like like what is a joke Jordy? Like he's I

feel like he's got the basics now and and so like the kinds of situations that he is accustomed to like he he doesn't fuck up as much. Yeah yeah yeah he's got more reps. Yeah, which makes it a little scary, right? Like the idea of like how many parts of relationships is he gonna try, you know? Yeah. Like it shows how tone deaf he is and I don't know, it's interesting. And it's like, it's also weird because like they're starting to realize like, what bad shape the ship is in as this is going on.

So like, it's crazy that they're like taking the time out of their day to like, play act a lover's choral while there's like an existential threat to the space pod that they live in. They realize that the nebula is behind the whole, holes appearing in the ship situation, and they're in fairly large amount of danger of the ship, like explosively decompressing when one of these passes through the hull. The episode turns into a little bit of a submarine movie at this point, doesn't it?

Yeah. Right? Like, the comparison to me is like, the nebula is full of depth charges, and they've got to get out of this part of the ocean without getting hit by one of them. Yeah, it's that, like, it's that underground canyon that they have to go through super quickly and hunt for it October. Yeah. The only way to do this is to have a shuttle pod way out ahead of the enterprise using

its sensors to give the Enterprise enough advanced warning about one of these subspace bubbles is going to be coming up. And so Picard, like, totally kneecaps riker trying to be the hero. I'll do my pre-flight once I'm on board. And it's like not this time, Will, I want you on the bridge. It's a lot like the scene where he had to pilot them out of the booby trap where It's like Picard's skill as a as a pilot is is going to be the difference between them surviving and not surviving Do you think it's a decision made out of

Vanity or or because Picard truly feels like he's the best pilot for the job? Well, isn't that vanity? Like, it doesn't have... Well, I mean, it's one thing if it's factually true, and it's another thing if it's just someone's belief. Yeah, I don't know. I do know that it's fast, like true. It's Riker. It seems to work every time.

Riker thought he was the best pilot. Do you think that there's a moment where he steps in and goes, like, you're gonna get us all killed, old man. It's like, I'm the one that needs to be out there in the shuttle. The, I think Riker would, would be a little bit more assertive if, if this plan involved separating the saucer section, but piloting, he's willing to leave to, to Jean-Luc. That's fair. It says a lot about their confidence in the mission to you when they

sent Picard out in the flat pack bunk bed instead of a Previa. They've lost enough Previa's this year. Yeah, the Previa's are starting to feel a little bit more precious. I don't know, I think thematically, it has an interesting resonance with the data's relationship. It is the equivalent of realizing that you have walked halfway across a minefield before you realized what it was. Walking back along your path is not necessarily a safe way of getting yourself out. Like that is sort of the feeling of getting into a relationship that you don't know how to make work. Also. So they manage...

That was poetic, man. Hey, it's why I get the big bucks. You see, if you see a mission log can make a simile like that. I'd have to listen to no. Well, they managed to, you know, Picard, Picard, true to his word, is very heroic and gets them most of the way out of the, out of harm's way before his shuttle pod blows up and he's killed and lost forever.

And you know, because O'Brien's not able to beam him out of the explosion. And that's our episode. Sad. The the borricks couldn't kill him, but the depth charge did. Yeah, they get it, they get him out of the explosion as they always do. And we have a last scene between data and gena where they kind of have a break up. And it's a pretty affecting scene, I thought. Data really is unwittingly ice cold to her. Like, if I had to break up with somebody and express myself in the way that he expresses himself to her, it would be like

the cruelest shit that you could possibly imagine. But she has to just kind of like take it as, this is data. Like, this is the guy that I was dating, like this is how he is. He's as cold as he was when he murdered that guy who kidnapped him and put him in his collection. And we were left unsure about if data intended to murder him or not. Yeah. He's ice cold. He's ice fucking cold. I literally wrote ice cold break up in my notes. Do you think this is a relief to Jenna also because when you go and break up with someone,

you're expecting the blowback and the ugly and like the pain that comes with hurting someone that you were close with for a long time. Yeah. She doesn't get that realized in a way that reads on her as a little bit satisfying. Like she seems at the same time her and relief that that doesn't happen. Yeah. Like, oh, is that all I was just a subroutine you could delete?

Like that sort of shitty and cold, but also she doesn't get the bad feelings of actually hurting someone who's capable of being hurt. Yeah, yeah. She's going to have to like deal with this solo, which is a very unique circumstance. Ben, would you trade that? Would you trade the sadness of having hurt someone for the idea that they were able to just like delete you from their memory? It's sort of like the...

Adam, I get the sense that everybody I have ever broken up with did delete me from their Fair point. Been dating a lot of Android. Now that's not true. That's not true. It's just that they were able to delete me. Yeah. Which was the right move on their part. Did you like this episode, Ben?

I did. I think that there's like a lot of these. It's not without its obvious problems, but I think it is one of the most interesting episodes about data in the whole series. And I think that, you know, Jenna's a really interesting character, and I like wish that we got her back for another one, you know? Like I think she's interesting enough to be like a row

where she comes up every like three or four episodes. Yeah. I also would have liked to see it going in. You never see this. You're talking of course about Dana's penis. The torpedo going into the bay. Is it the same color as the rest of him? Do you think data has foreskin? How much you added to do like that? Well, I did, but my...

Criticism. That was literally a dick into a fart joke. Yeah. That's world-class. Much in the same way that you were boning the lack of detail in certain ways, in certain scenes that you were hoping to get here. Yeah. I feel like this episode walks right up to the line of being really interesting and profound and then takes two big steps back to just simplify the story for the sake of, you know, a 47-minute

network television episode. Yeah. And the one thing after it was over that I thought about besides how much I wanted to see that dick was, would it have been more interesting if Jenna were unattractive? Hmm, yeah, cause she she's kind of a babe. Then you start getting the shallow how idea with data.

And I wonder if that doesn't make the story a little more interesting in how data expresses attraction. Yeah. It seems like just a little superficial for me in a data story. It's kind of superficial, it's an interesting point. I mean, and on the idea of attraction, that's really never addressed with data. Yeah.

Like, we talk about what she's attracted to, but it's like kind of just peanut buttered over the idea of data, like whether he is attracted to anyone or anything. Yeah, and if we had a little bit of that, I think it would have shaded in this story a lot better in a way that would be more satisfying. Yeah. Because I feel a little bit the way a genophiles at the end of the episode, like the episodes

over, the subroutines deleted, like, do we ever really learn something greater about data's character? I'm not sure that we do. For all of the experience we had in the episode, I don't think we do. And so we leave data alone in his apartment petting his cat in the dark. And I'm sad seeing that scene. Yeah, the sad scene at him. And I think this is a couple episodes in a row that button up on a down note.

In a way that like I'm satisfied with the dark button. Like I like these buttons, but this seems to be a running theme now. And that, you know, this perfect future is still unsatisfying for a lot of people. You know what isn't unsatisfying Adam is getting priority one messages. You want to check in with our inbox and see if there's anything in there. Let's do it! Priority one message from Starfleet coming in on Secured Channel. Need a supplement on him. supplement on him?

supplement on him. supplement. Yeah, it's extra. How do you interest alone? Could be enough to buy this ship. Ben, we have a commercial message for this episode. A relative rarity for us. Yeah.

And it goes like this. Here's our first commercial message bin. It's from Life on the swing set.com And the message goes like this. Did you watch up the long ladder and think wow? Space polyamory. That's the lifestyle for me If so crack open some podcast juice bone up on your space Irish accent and put a horgon on your glass table. To check out Life on the Swingset, a podcast about swinging polyamory

and alternative lifestyles. Wow. From Riker's enthusiastic consent to entering space buttholes on purpose, Swingset panels chat from experience and without filters about relationships and sex from inside and outside the closet. Hey, that sounds like a good listen. Yeah, I'm a big friend of podcasts that let me be a fly on the wall for other people's sex lives.

Yeah, I agree. This seems like the sort of show that you don't have to be into the lifestyle to enjoy a show about the lifestyle. Yeah, I wonder if they could answer that thing I said about maybe it was started by fighter jocs from World War II. Yeah. They know. Maybe there's an episode about swinging history where we could learn about those things.

Yeah, gonna have to check it out. So visit lifeontheswingset.com or search for life on the swing set in the iTunes store and subscribe or download their Android app at swingset.fm. Wow, they are running this game right. They got an app. Yeah, these broadcasters have been fans and friends of ours since we started. They're among our regular Twitter troop that we discuss the show with. They're good people. Yeah, good folks. Support the show.

Adam, we have another message. This one is of a personal nature and it's from Chadiche and Amanda and it's to Jeremy Rico bear. It says Merry Xmas Rico or whatever or whatever this makes it on to the pod. We hope 2017 is full of rock and neck, colorful metaphors, and that your real doll finally arrives. Oxbridge's work is top-notch. Looking forward to our next available Shimoda and Teehunt and Teehunt get together. Thanks for introducing to this entertaining show. Please insert whale noises from Star Trek, and then it like, there's like another letter

and then it just ends. I'm thinking maybe they got to the end of their allotment. Oh yeah. Anyways, I'm super jealous of Rico, RICO, for having a chat each, and an Amanda. I don't have either of those things. Yeah, I think everyone could use a little chat each in their lives. Yeah, gotta get a chat each. Thanks to chat each and Amanda. Thanks for life on the Swingset. They have demonstrated both ways that you can support the show through the purchase of a jumbo tron message.

Personal messages like the ones from chat Each and Amanda are $100 and the one like the life on the swing set ad is for 200 and they help us produce our show. So thanks very much guys. Yeah just go to Maximumfund.org slash Jembo Tron if you want to get involved with the party. You could call the Jembo Tron messages a lifestyle, couldn't you, Ben? Mmm. It's a lifestyle choice that many people are making enthusiastically these days. Hey, Ben. What's that, Adam? Did you find yourself a drunk Shimoda?

Drunk Shimoda! I did. My Shimoda for this episode is Miles and Keko, because the concert ends, right? And Miles comes up and he like, like data is sitting in the center of frame and Miles and Keko like kiss in front of him. And it's like, oh my God,

like this is the first time we've seen Miles and Keko not fighting and then smash cut to the double date where she's like throwing him under the bus about the fact that he yeah treats their their apartment like a pigstie it's like oh no back to old tricks they I like was writing down the note of oh this is the first non-fight scene between miles and Kiko and then I like I'd just scratch it, and I was like, never mind, they are fighting in this scene. We've had an entire season of Miles and Keko so far, and we don't have a single example of why they're together.

We have a long list of grievances that have been aired, but no, not a single note of what they're attraction to each other is all about. I feel like a great moment in that scene would have been data being unable to read the room and just telling miles and kiko that they should break up. Just in a really mathy kind of way. Sacrifices have to be made. It is regrettable, but the greater good must be served. I have come up with a piece of advice designed to maximize your happiness. Yeah, exactly.

My Shimoda is going to go to Riker for doing a thing I recently experienced in an airport. He is a loud phone talker because at the the very end, he's not on FaceTime, he's just on standard audio, hailing frequencies with Picard in the shuttle. He is talking at top volume on the bridge to Picard. Acknowledged Captain, we're right behind you. And it is just really loud. My mother-in-law is a small business owner

and takes a lot of business phone calls in the car. Well, she's driving around L.A. And occasionally, we'll be all going out to a big family dinner or something and she'll just be rolling calls the entire time. And she's the same, like, she's like, comes from a time when you had to speak up to get the sound of your voice into the phone.

And it's not necessary anymore, but it's like a permanent instinct. And I feel like that's where Riker is at. It's like he comes from an earlier time when communicators didn't have his good of microphones in them. Yeah, no kidding. I was in the beautiful Spokane International Airport last week, waiting for my flight, and one of the great things about the Spokane Airport is that it's empty most of the time. And this fucking guy was on speaker with his

girlfriend at top volume, like clicked all the way up, top volume, and the conversation they're having is the worst. The way I look at it, we became like two loaves of bread baking in different ovens, so. It's almost like he's doing it for an audience. He's like, tell me what you like about me. Like they're very clearly early on in their relationship and they're doing like phone smoochies. Yeah, so they're like the 20 minute mark of this episode.

It was awful. I was sitting a couple rows away from the guy and I actually did the audible Jesus Christ as I got up and moved like two gates down. But he was so oblivious, like I'm sure he didn't hear it. Oh yeah, that guy's in his own world at him. There's no getting that guy to shut the fuck up without just directly asking him to. That is also like an example of total Seattle pacific

aggression. Like we're just under my breath. I'll say that and move versus do do what a strong New Yorker would do, which is like tell the guy to shut the fuck up and turn off his speaker phone. Yeah. Take a hike fuck face. That's say. Hey, I'm trying to rest here. Hey, I'm sharing photos of pizza rad on my social media. What do you want? You know, for being a New Yorker, you New Yorker accent fucking sucks, man. I grew up in California, Adam. I only adapted the darkness. What's a matter with Ben and Adam? You're fighting a lot. A greatest-gen live show is

something you don't want to miss. Why? Well, it's a great opportunity to see me and Ben in person, but that's not all. FODs from all over gather at these shows to cosplay, to do pre- and post-show hangs, to make friends, and share their embarrassment. Hey, let's make a pretty great name for a tour. Let's do it! The Sherry Reembarishment Tour is coming in August 2023, and we've got a bunch of dates in a lot of great places. Go to GreatestGenTour.com to get more info. That's GreatestGenTour.com for dates and ticketing information for the Sherry Reembarishment Tour.

I'm Jordan Morris and I'm Jesse Thorne. On Jordan Jesse Go, we make pure, delightful nonsense. We were open awesome guests and bring them down to our level. We get stupid with Judy Greer. My friend Molly and I call it having the spaceweirds. Pat Noswald. Could I get a ball-rock burger and some air-gorn fries? Thank you. And Camille Nangeani.

I've come back with cat toothbrushes, which is impossible to use. Come get stupider with us at MaximumFun.org. Look, your podcast apps are open, just pull it out. Give Jordan Jesse Goatry. Being smart is hard. Be dumb instead. Oh, rats, hey, hey, hey, oh, I'm about to count you in line. These clouds are really frigging me out.

I hate having to stand in line. And boy, what do I? These giraffes do not smell good. No, they do not and they've such short neck. But I'm hearing we need to get on this off. We've got to get on the art. It is about terrain, about a spout to destroy humanity. Hey, oh, sorry, sorry, sorry. Are you Noah?

Yeah, I know we look like humans, but we're actually, we're podcasters. We are podcasters, so it's different. Have you heard of Ono Ross and Kerry? We investigate spirituality, claims of the paranormal, stuff like that. And you have a boat and say the world's gonna end so seem like something for us to check out. We would love to be on the boats. We came two by two. What do you think? Ono Ross and Carrie, available on MaximumFun or dot org. What do we have coming up on the next episode, Ben? Next episode is season 4, episode 26.

Redemption. Part 1. As civil war threatens the Klingon Empire, warfs oiltees are torn between the Federation and his people. Do you remember this episode, Adam? Uh, this is our season finale, is it not? Federation and his people. Do you remember this episode Adam? This is our season finale, is it not? It is our season finale. It's the big cliffhanger episode to get us into season five. I think I've made this comment before but this Klingon homeworld storyline all blurs together for me like it is one big long episode

Yeah, and so I don't know what parts are in what episode storyline, all blurs together for me. Like it is one big long episode. Yeah. And so I don't know what parts are in what episode. I do remember the story, but I don't remember what is specific to this part one of two. Yeah. I was trying to remember if this is the one where, like, data gets put in command of a ship

of people that don't know him, and they're all super suspicious of his ability to command a ship because he's a robot. Oh yeah, and that one dickhead guy. Yeah. Just want to follow his orders. Yeah. I like those scenes. I don't know.

I hope this is that or is this part two? Yeah, I don't know. I don't remember. I don't know either. How, how fucking fragile is the Klingon Empire with there being a civil war threat, basically twice a season? Well, then I'll never throw stones at another society for their perceived political instability ever again.

To this year. So I'll just hope for the best. Yeah. Let's see if we can get through four years of house door us. You know what is a soothing feeling for people who are hoping to just get through the next year. So it's the constant support from our viewers, Ben. Yeah, that's great.

It warms my heart. They lift us up our viewers, Ben. Yeah, that's great. It warms my heart. They lift us up, over down. Yeah, they sure do. The way you can support our show on a recurring basis is by going to MaximumFun.org slash donate. And the other ways are by buying t-shirts from the store or by leaving a nice review in iTunes. Our contest is probably over by now. I want to say, is this a January episode that we're recording right now? It is. So, assuming that our contest is successful in getting us over the thousand review mark on iTunes, I guess we'll try and announce winners coming up real soon.

Yeah, you know us. We'll get to it when we get to it. Yeah. Thanks to Adam Magusia for lots of the original music that you hear on the show and dark material for the theme song. Follow Adam on Twitter at Cut for Time and me at Benjamin R. Use the hashtag GreatestGen to connect with all of our viewers and you can also connect with them on our subreddit,

greatestgen.reddit.com and our Facebook group, which is a real lively community. Lots of fun stuff being discussed over there. Make sure you're using that hashtag GreatestGen and not GreatestGeneration because, oh boy, someone made that mistake last week and that did not go to us. Well, with that we will be back at you next time with another great episode of Star Trek, the next generation and hopefully a redemptive episode of the greatest generation. Make it sound. You'll be caught, caught, caught, caught, caught.

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