The Greatest Generation - The Arms of the Martyr (TNG S1E14)

Episode Date: July 27, 2026

When the Entrepreneur finds a shipwreck with its escape pods deployed, an away team visits the nearest matriarchal planet while the crew begins to get sick on the ship. But after some sexual diplomacy and an offer to extract the survivors, their unwillingness to leave almost costs them their lives. When is looking at your phone an awful surprise? Where are all of Ben’s childhood friends? What makes this show so great? It’s the episode that wonders what Trent is for?Support the production of our shows Members get benefits including bonus episodes and an ad-free experienceSign up for our mailing list!Get a thing at podshop.biz!The Greatest Generation is hosted by Adam Pranica and Benjamin Ahr Harrison The show is produced by Wynde PriddySocial media is managed by Rob Adler and Bill TilleyMusic by Adam Ragusea & Dark MateriaDiscuss the show using the hashtag #GreatestGen and find us on social media:YouTube | Instagram | BlueskyAnd check out these online communities run by FODs: Reddit | USS Hood Discord | Facebook group | Wikia | FriendsOfDeSoto.socialSupport the production of The Greatest Generation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to hear an ad-free version of this show? Go to greatest.supercast.com. Here's to the finest crew in Starfleet. Engage. Welcome to the greatest generation, the next generation. It's a Star Trek podcast by a couple of guys just a little bit embarrassed about having a Star Trek podcast. I'm Adam Pranika. I'm Ben Harrison.

Ben, you pocket dialed me over the weekend. And you're one of the people in my life that I try to always. pick up the phone for whenever they call because you never know. Probably an emergency if Ben is calling, right? Yeah, you could be in a hospital or any other situation. What's wrong with Ben this time? I mostly have a text relationship with all of my friends. So if they're calling without the text to see if they can call you in a second,

that can sometimes mean emergency. So I picked right up when you called, and I was very surprised at what you told me. Oh, that I had accidentally called. Well, I looked down at my phone and saw that I had a phone call going with you. What an awful surprise. I'd had my phone in my hand, and I was taking my kids to the park, and so I got the boy out, and then I was getting the girl out of her car seat, and I had their water bottles, my water bottle, her balance bike, his scooter, his helmet, and my phone. and her. I was like carrying all of this stuff. Have you ever been wagon dad?

Like I see dads with wagons with all the shit in it. Is that ever going to be you? I am wagon dad very often. You're kind of a wagon yourself, aren't you? It is much to the chagrin of my wife who sees how much stuff I'm schlepping and gets like a contact tie off it. Like that just seems like a giant hassle. And I'm like, you calm down.

I'm doing the hassle. You enjoy your no hassle. I love that energy of noticing the struggle but not helping the struggle. That's good. It's so pure. Just feeling all the bad feelings of the struggle without mitigating. Yeah. There's a thing that she can occasionally find herself doing.

But I don't even know how I did it because I think it was that like mystery button that's on the side of the iPhone now that like I think you can like set it up to do different stuff. Oh, you got to remap that if that's just. auto dial Adam. Yeah, I think it's red phoning to you right now. That was all I could come up with. But yeah, I saw, I saw that we had a phone call going and I was like, oh, hey, what's up, man? And you were like, you're calling me. I think I was a little nicer than that. I was like, what's going on, dude? But it was, it was said like you called me. Yeah, yeah. That sort of expectation. Yeah, waiting to hear what this is about. And it was about me living in a good deal of self-inflicted

chaos. Are you a back pocket phone person ever? Yeah, here's the thing. I only like it if my phone is in the back pocket on the right. And somehow in my life, I've recently come into a couple of pairs of shorts that do not have a back pocket on the right side. They only have one on the left side. And I don't want my phone back there on the left. That's not where I want that. There has to be some sort of cultural or fashion rule about this. Why pocket on one side and why specifically left? I don't know. Yeah. I mean, I feel like maybe it's like maybe it's picking up from shirt pocket. Like if you only have one shirt pocket, it's going to be left. I've definitely gotten shorts before where right pocket is open and left is sewn shut and you got to open it up for some stupid reason. That's fucking weird, man. Yeah. Don't love that.

Well, I deeply apologize for interrupting your Saturday. That was not an invitation to apologize, Ben. It never is. Why does everything feel like that, though? I was just delighted at the throwback vibe of it. The pocket call is just not a thing I ever get really anymore. And after we stopped the call, I was like, God, what a thing that was. What a thing that used to be?

I still get them from my mom. And I don't really know what she's doing to do it. Olds are great at this. Yes. Yeah. They're like circumventing all of the design elements that have been put in place to prevent these kinds of things somehow. There is a commercial that plays during Dodgers games 50 times per game for a phone

that has closed captioning in it. And the two ladies who are doing the dialogue, my wife and I can do the dialogue. my wife and I can do the dialogue, like back and... I can't hear what people are saying on the phone anymore. I'm about to tell you something that will change your life. And then this old lady shows her old lady friend, this closed captioning phone. This is not branded content, I want to say. I don't believe we're going to do ads for closed caption phones.

But holy moly, like this is another tech device to solve a problem for old people that has nothing to do with pocket. dialing whatsoever. It has never been so well captured as the old glory robot insurance commercial, like the tone of a thing that is only for old people. Yes, that's it exactly. That's what I love about this thing, and that's why this commercial never gets old to me. Are old's not insulted by that tone?

It seems really condescending. I mean, if anyone's going to get insulted on behalf of anyone else, it's going to be you. I don't know, man. If I'm an old, who gives a shit about anything? I mean, look at, I mean, we've noticed this, right? No one seems to care. Too old. Yeah, that's true. That's true.

Well, some very salty toads being presented to the entrepreneur crew on today's episode of TNG. Surprising condescension and disrespect, much in the way that you might feel. you're old and seeing a commercial for a reverse mortgage or a phone that close captains the call here on. It's true, Ben. Incredible pivot into Star Trek the next generation, season one episode 14, Angel One. So we just came from a dead ship. There's no like last time on, but the captain's log tells us that they finally found the Odin, long long. escape pods missing. There is one inhabited planet in the vicinity that these escape pods could have gone to.

But we're talking about seven years the ship was missing. Who even knows if there's going to be survivors on this thing? And they pull up to this planet. And it is described as a mid-20th century, Earth-like planet, sparsely populated. Could you say that this is mid-20th century? 20th century modern? Not in that way, I guess, but in the galactic sense, I think that probably works. Yeah.

I think in Star Trek, you would have to specify which century it is mid of. Right. And I mean, it does make sense that that is what feels most like home to Jordy specifically. Sure. Kind of like being ruined at home. But, yeah, they're like, okay, well, long shot, because the escape pods would have been in space for five months. getting here. It seems like a long time. The smell when they popped the lid on those cans must have just been absolutely horrific, like the clothes rotting off their bodies. It's been 62 years

since anyone from the Federation has had contact with this planet. A planet that we come to understand is a female-led society, and as we were talking about before, the tech loosely resembles what we would recognize in a 20th century earth context. Yeah, I mean, like, I don't know everything we've developed technology for here on Earth. I assume somebody has a way of making a large garden pot disappear somewhere on the planet Earth as we record this, but I haven't seen that in person. One bit of social technology, this place, has not invented yet, is equality of the genders. they sure have not uh we learned that this is a matriarchal society in every way that men fear

that would mean just like beta zib and so they have troy the distinct honor of placing the phone call and i love a i love a head of state who's just available you know she be out of the elected picks the phone right up and seems pretty standoffish like uh like you called me What's this about? Would you say that she began the conversation with a kind of beatitude? Let's just say, unless some of the reforms suggested to her take place pretty quickly after the Enterprise leaves, I don't think she's in line for beatification. Indeed. Sorry, that was a just staggeringly long walk to nothing.

Troy kind of pivots the awkward conversation into the area of their search for the escape pod survivors. And this elected one on the phone says that they would permit a short visit if that's what it's for. And only if that's what it's for. We don't want you guys here is the energy. If you really don't want them there, wouldn't you say we'll search for you? That's what I would say. Yeah, I mean, I think in retrospect it does make sense. sense. She's like, I don't know where those guys are. I want as few of them as possible down here.

And if there is a silver lining to this visit, it is that maybe these people will take those guys away. But we don't understand what any of her motives are here before the theme. And after the theme, Wesley and a bud are heading into the holodeck to take a skiing class. And Riker and the away team are on their way to the transporter. And Picard is like, All right, Riker. Go down there. See what's up. Maintained diplomatic relations, whatever that means to you. But keep in mind, like, we're real close to the Romulan neutral zone. There's a little bit of rumbling from the other side of the line over there. This planet's in a strategically important spot and might get shortlisted for Federation membership. So don't do anything that would fuck any of that up for us. We'll do our best to make a good impression, Captain. At what point would you begin to feel a little bit insulted by this sort of pregame coaching by the captain? Because on the one hand, I really love that, like, the captain will give you one last slap on the ass on your way to the transporter room to, like, get you in the mind to do a good job.

But on the other hand, if I'm Riker, I'm like, what do you expect me to do? Like, do you think I'm going to go down there and fuck things up? This is sort of my main job on enterprises leading these Dustbuster clubs. You trust me, don't you? I mean, it's a very strange environment he's going into. And this is described a little bit in the log that basically all of the gender essentialist traits that we ascribe to males and females are just flipped on their head on this planet. The women are hunters and aggressive and kick tons of ass. You are the most beautiful trio of gigantic ladies I've heard.

ever laid eyes on. And the men are littler and meek. Nothing about like whether that extends to reproduction or like what that means for reproduction, which I feel like is like the most gender essentialist thing people talk about. Sure. I was doing a lot of thinking about what exactly Trent was for this episode. Right. You know?

What would you say you do here? Trent is a serve in heaven rather than rule in hell. kind of guy, right? Like, he's surrounded by tall Amazons who presumably use him for some pleasures in addition to his various toils that he functions under. From what I read, Gene Roddenberry really wanted to snoo, snoo the shit out of this story and this planet and had to get his ideas walked back a little bit so that it wasn't so tiny man, giant woman fantasy of the Amazon sort of story here. Bata, we meet finally, and she is pretty evasive in our first interaction with her.

Like, won't even say whether or not survivors is something they're aware of. She says it in a way that words like, okay, like for sure there are survivors and she just doesn't want to say, but we'll not admit. And there's a couple of other kind of high-ranking government officials who are like even more suspicious of the enterprise crew. Like what, like, why would they come here? This is clearly them looking for survivors of this spaceship is a lie. We can't trust them.

Beata from jump seems like the sort of person that just wants to get into semantic arguments over some bullshit for sport. Like especially with Riker, like, Troy is leading the conversation. But if at any point Riker contributes to that conversation, he gets kicked in the nuts almost immediately by her. Is this man implying that we put a lesser value on life than you do? Not at all. It is decided that while Biaada and her counselors decide whether or not to do anything further to help the away team,

they can go check into a hotel or something. And so they're sent there and emotional bloodhound Deanna Troy is like, yeah, it's weird because they're like definitely. on edge about our being here and what it's going to mean about those survivors of the crash. And I'm pretty sure that like the reactions I was picking up on in there mean that there are survivors, but like they're not all afraid of the same thing. And so I can't really crystallize what it is that they're so on edge about. I kept on wanting something a little more, not the way Biazza wants, something a little more,

but something a little more from a little houseboy Trent. Like, I wanted him to turn by the end of this or help in some way in a way that was instrumental to the mission being successful, but he's just this character is just kind of nothing

the whole time. You know, in that way, I have to applaud the TNG writers room because they write Trent the way they write women. Just not having much to do or any real perspective of his own. He's a potted plan.

Yeah. Yeah. I like data's question of like, so if they do wind up lying to us about the survivors being here, should we like plan for what we do in that case? And Riker's like, nah, no, no, no. I'm not going to worry about that. The dataness of it all is such a great point because like we are told that this is mid-20th century earth-style technology. What do you think would happen, Ben,

if, let's just say in 1960, data from Star Trek the next generation appeared on our planet. You think people would have some feelings about that? No one pays him any mind on Angel 1, is my point. Yeah. One of the rare interactions he has with aliens where he doesn't have to describe what he is to them.

Yeah. I mean, this is one of those planets where I expected a long, hard object to be sticking out from his body almost the entire time. I know exactly what you mean. I am an android mistress, though anatomically I am a male. Maybe you could teach our males a thing or two. Up on the ship, Picard and Warf were wandering around together, and Picard is like, all right, well, Well, Yarra is down on the planet, so she can't do this. But somebody up here needs to be getting the ship rigged up and ready for potentially confronting some Romulan battleships, because that is what our next mission is looking like it might entail.

Like there are a number of reports indicating military buildup along the border, and we need to get ready for anything, like any projectile that could come from any angle. And almost to underline this point, Picard gets beamed with a snowball. I feel like when you're walking around some cities at night, you will walk by the row of bars and restaurants, and there's like action spilling out of them. or whatever. And you're aware in these places, in these moments, that your head needs to be on a swivel.

Sure. I wonder if when you walk by the holodeck, you need to also be mindful of those doors could open at any time. Right. Something could fly out at any time. And that something might not be something you want touching you. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Something that could stain. Yeah. Yeah. So, like, this heavy conversation is happening between Picard and Wharf. As they're walking by the holodex, no one's paying attention in that way you want to pay attention when you're walking downtown by restaurant row or whatever. And he gets nailed with this snowball. The question I have about this scene is that who do you think through it? Because Wesley takes the blame. Yeah. But I'm looking at his buddy. His buddy's not saying shit. Kind of rightly. And I wonder if Wesley is not saying,

and taking the fall for the bud. I think Wesley is for sure taking the fall for the bud. I also just wondered how this scene played in the late 80s when it aired, because they're standing there, like, going, like, what's that smell? And Worf describes some, like, plant on Kronosch? Mm-hmm. Yes. Slightly reminiscent of night-blooming frog and I, Captain.

Wesley has, like, adrenaline face, but the buddy is, like, so aloof. And I was like, is this a scene implying that they think that Wes was in the holodeck with his friend smoking jazz cigarettes? And they like knocked off skiing and did what ski bums do, which is burn one before they headed back down the mountain. I mean, I don't know if your group of friends is like this. But when I lived in Seattle, that was like the thing, the main thing in addition to the snow sport was the doing a super heroic gummy. and going and playing on the mountain. Right. Quite stimulating, wouldn't you say?

No. Why did they make it seem so much like Wes was smoking pot with his bud? Yeah. Yeah. You can definitely see it through that lens here. Speaking of smells, data discovers a perfume puffer. We get a little opportunity to explain the rich sensory experience it is to have sex as a human. and Trent comes in and tells them Biaeta is ready for them.

And then they leave and he uses this perfume puffer on himself, which made me wonder, is this not a hotel room? Is this Trent's place? Oh, interesting. I thought maybe it was just CK1. A fragrance for a man or a woman from Calvin Klein. Back in the council chambers, Bata tells the group that they held a vote. And the results were not unanimous.

We are going to let you remove the survivors. And you should know that there are four of them and their leader is named Ramsey. And these guys have been a real problem ever since they arrived. At first they were cool, but it didn't take long before they started to get all difficult and dangerous. So watch out. We pretty much hate these dudes now. And Troy is like, well, I'm really sorry that that happened to you. We're going to get these guys out of here.

No problem. They're in hiding because they're fugitives, and specifically because they did not like the sociopolitical hegemony that women have on the planet. And because they were more willing than the average dude on this planet to speak up about it, it kind of soured the relationship between them and their hosts. And the hosts lost track of them. Yeah. Later on Enterprise in the Sixth Bay, Wesley's friend and him are in bio beds. They've got what looked to be like chest colds. Dr. Crusher blows in a call to Captain Picard to tell him that she's working on figuring out what's going on.

It's a little weird, though, at this point. I think she asks Picard if he's got any instructions for her, and he's like, yeah, go ahead and do that. Try to find a cure for them, if you can. Fancy the idea of my crew being infected. You know, everybody that went on the Quasulu 8 field trip, probably safe to say like they should be quarantined. But who even knows what is the cause of this illness? I'm sure we'll find out by the end of the episode. Yeah.

Back on Angel 1, data suggests calibrating the ship's scanners to find the Odin survivors. This makes sense, right? They narrow down a substance that would be present with the survivors that would, would not otherwise be present on the planet. That's platinum. So Wharf and Jordy get to work on that. And Riker gets to work on getting dolled up for another meeting with Bayada. And Yarr fucking hates this outfit.

Does not care for Riker dressing this way at all. I got to say, Riker outranks everyone in the room and yet still takes a lot of lip about what he's wearing and he remains a pretty chill boss about what he's hearing pushing back lightly using some specific examples

from missions that they've been on and then he turns it into like suspecting that they're upset because he's meeting with a hot lady and they don't deny that do they've been no no pushback on that from them. We've said this about Yard the entire season.

Like, the way she goes off in many of these scenes, kind of unrestrained. Very surprising to me. She's a passionate woman. It's funny how in later seasons, Worf inhabited this role. Yeah. As the barely restrained emotional component to a Dustbuster club that was, like, popping off on everything. Loose cannon that occasionally oversteps

what would strictly be acceptable in like a rank structure. But I will be on the lookout for if he does this to his crew people, you know, the way Yard tends to do fairly often. We're in season one of this show and we start the next scene with Crusher tricordering Picard

pretty close on her tricorder so you can see that it's like kind of scuffed up and pretty used looking. I really like that. I like that it has cosmetic flaws. Like some of that is just like the cheapness of 80s TV, you know? Sure. But I like that these sets and props are starting to feel a little bit lived in. And Picard has ordered to bed.

He's got whatever this bug is. And so he walks out of the ready room and puts Jordy in charge. It's a real what's wrong with Captain Bacard this time kind of season, isn't it? Hell he is, yeah. It doesn't seem like you should have to go to the hospital for this. Riker goes to his sort of meeting sort of date with Bada. It definitely seems like it was conceived of as a meeting. But the second she gets a load of him in his outfit, a lot of the format.

a lot of the formality gets dropped. She's pretty excited about this situation. Hi, and Simula. Thank you. There's a real large amount of chest hair going on with this costume that Riker's wearing. And I think that there's something specifically contrasted between that and like the other dudes on this planet. They're little. All of them are.

but they're also fairly hairless too, right? Yeah, and I wondered if they were like shaved hairless or if they cast for hairless. I wish they did this way more often in Star Trek as like cast for like a size of person, you know? Like I've always said this about clingons, like cast super, super tall imposing people as clingons. That's really fun to me. The casting in this is fun too. And like I really like the other matriarch Ariel who is, who's kind of the main detractor from the away mission whenever we're talking to Beata.

Like, I feel like between her and Beata, I believe that they are like hunters with a killer instinct, you know? Her energy is so strange. And you understand why a little later on. But the whole idea that Riker can be like, hey, great news, we found the survivors. And for Ariel to be like, I don't believe you. You're lying. Why would anyone be suspicious about that? And why would anyone lie about it?

Was definitely a feeling I had in this scene. Like, what would the upside for him be? And what do you think people should think the upside for him would be? Like, that's like the second element of this is like, she's trying to undermine the trust that Bayada is placing in them. But without, like, giving any kind of plausible undergirding to that. It's very much in keeping with the, whole Riker can't do or say anything right around these people. And it's maybe best demonstrated

in this scene by what Ariel is saying and doing. Like, I don't know how, what am I supposed to do? How do you express that we found the escape pod survivors in a like really sincere way, Ariel? Can you, can you tell me? Can you like direct me? Give me a line reading on how how someone would say that if they weren't lying. She doesn't do that. She just storms out. And that. And that's, leaves Biazza and Riker alone for her to make a pass at him. And it's more of a cash in a promise suggested before in an earlier scene. Can't Yarr and Troy handle the recovery of the survivors? He seems to think so. Women leading a mission? I mean, okay, we'll see if it works. They named an entire episode disaster a few seasons from now when they did that, Ben,

remember? I do remember that, yeah. So Riker's going to stay and lay a little pipe here at the government headquarters. And I love that he radios into the rest of the OA team with his com badge, like in his hand. He didn't put that up on his shirt because the part of the shirt where that would be, there's no shirt there. I definitely noticed the weird physicality and blocking in this scene because Biazza is in the background of Riker's foreground, and when he kind of turns into profile and does the communicator thing, her arm has grabbed Riker's arm and then lets it go for him to take this phone call. It's a very strange blocking of the scene here that really stuck out to me. Like, I didn't know why she was touching him.

She is putting the moves on really thick and maybe just doesn't want any distractions. Yeah. Like maybe throw that thing in a fountain. I don't want that going off while we're getting busy. It's a great policy to just leave your phone by the door. So we do a site-to-site transport and we find the campsite where Ramsey and his people have been hanging out. and just a nice hang at the Star Trek Caves. And they're like, hey, well, we found you.

So great news. We've got a real nice starship up in orbit, and we can take you out of here. Surprisingly, Ramsey and his people have really settled in. They have all taken wives. Some have had kids. And this is their home now, even if they are an oppressed minority of four. This is where they want to live. Ramsey's whole vibe is not what we were expecting.

We were told they were rebellious and destructive. And when we arrive at the outside of this caveside campsite, he's like toasting them. He couldn't be more chill. He's like the folks at the neighboring campsite that are like just there to party and everyone's welcome. But they like keep their music at a respectful level, you know. It's just nice vibes. I really thought this actor who played Ramsey was great. was given nothing to do this episode. But like he had those those like really sad eyes. He

appeared to be a guy who'd really been through it. And I believed that he had been through it. Been through it and like resolved to stay here nonetheless. Yeah. Yeah. Speaking of going through it, the virus is just ripping through the ship. And it's not great. Nobody is seemingly going to get spared. Worf gets sent to Six Bay. Picard is trying to work through his illness, but almost goes without saying, he was one of the first ones to get sick,

probably from getting hit with that snowball, I guess. Sure. And so no wonder he is doing really bad. Jordy almost just like checks out of being in charge of the ship to go to engineering to fix something. And Worf has to remind him like, hey, you're in charge now. You've got to delegate.

I think often on this season, we've gone back and forth with, like, this is a bad blank episode and, like, put a character's name in that blank. I think this is a bad Starship Administration episode because there is nothing about the Angel One mission that seems more important to me than the staffing of the Starship properly. And they are just letting things go to shit up there where it. any point you could beam data up. They talk about it. Like, this is unlikely to be affecting data, so...

He's not doing shit down there anyway. You know what? I'm going to say it. Even though data is coded as male as an android and Yarr and Troy are female, I think they could just do the rest of the away mission, just the two of them even, and be just as effective. I don't know if any away mission is better without data, but yeah, I think he's better. or served up on the ship for sure. So yeah, a lot of debate with Ramsey,

who is not excited to be rescued. I think so much is conveyed by him not even standing up. Like, there's a lot of sitting down and explaining the situation by Ramsey being done in his scenes. And I think that says he is not packed. Yeah. He is not ready to go. And he's not ready to try to convince anyone else to do the same.

As if to accentuate that, the people from the away team that go to visit him, like never get down off of the, that high area that they're standing on to, like, go speak to him eye to eye or sit at the table or anything. Back at the government complex, Riker and Biazza are starting to get hot and heavy. The passions are starting to swirl. I think it's a good choice to cut from that scene at the cave to this one because we are

talking to Ramsey, cut to talking about Ramsey, who Biaada calls an anarchist. And we know that's not true because we were just in that scene at the cave. And so it adds a little bit of spice to what's happening between Riker and her. Like, I don't know that we can trust this lady if that's what she thinks of Ramsey, right? It's funny because we can't trust her, but she's also admitting that she's like totally taken with Riker. Yeah. You attract me like no man ever has. And like Trent walks in to just draw a bright line under that statement right as they're smooching.

This is why I wanted to know more. about what Trent's deal was. Like, does he not like this moment because it's clearly awkward for everyone involved? Or does he not like it because he's used to being her toy and now she's playing with a different toy and he's got feelings about that? It really seemed like the latter to me. But it's never said. Like, that is all in Trent's facial performance.

Why don't we just say it? Why don't we get it in this scene? I honestly like that we don't know. Like, I've never wondered this much about anything. that happened on Star Trek Discovery. You know, what's interesting about that feeling's absence is that were we to have it, it would be a Riker is captain of the football team showing up a local in a way that feels bad. And I don't feel bad in this scene given what it is.

I don't project that onto Riker as being a jerk. Right. Where if we got Trent feeling really bad about that, Riker would be. seen as that. Raiger would suddenly seem like the rich land developers asshole son and Trent would have to do some cockamamie scheme to save the community center from being knocked down and and we'd be siding with Trent not Riker. Trent's there to bring him a meditation stone that the Dustbuster Club beamed down with earlier. It's used for meditation and also other things is maybe the suggestion here when it starts lighting up in the bed.

Beada reacts to a rock lighting up in a way that indicates that there's something unseen delighting her about this. We dissolve specifically from this scene to the cave where Ramsey regales them with a short campfire story of their arrival to the planet. And he says things were cool at first. But it sucks when you're in a place without any social or political power. And that's when Tasha Yarr says, he won't have to worry about that anymore. And it's time to go. And Ramsey's like, yeah, I understand things are better where you come from. But as bad as things are right here, he and his three buddies have grown to like it.

And data upon hearing this is like, you know, we actually don't have. any jurisdiction over these folks. They are bound by Starfleet rules on the Odin, and they can stay if that's what their choice is. There will be no forcible removal from Angel One. So like the Odin was not bound by the prime directive even, just like, yeah, go sick, go around the galaxy doing whatever you want. If the Odin were a Federation starship, do you think anyone would have let seven years go by

before its loss was investigated? I bet that's a big part of it, too. too, right? I mean, how long was the stargazer missing? Like 20-something? You're right. I don't think it matters. Nobody gives a shit. Yeah. Starships, we got plenty of those, unless the plot specifically needs us to have very few of them, in which case, that. Space is very big. A search and rescue is a pain in the ass. You get what you get when you sign up for this. Jordi and Crusher are on the ship, and they're talking about how bad the situation with the virus. is getting, like fully a third of the ship is down with it. And that is not going to make for a very ready or capable ship when it comes to a Romulan

confrontation. So, Jordy's like, yeah, maybe we do need to like see about getting the away team back up here so that at least some ship business can happen before Riker and them also get sick. There's a moment in this episode where when Picard gives Commander the ship to Jordi, it feels significant for ways that may not be in universe. Like we're throwing the keys to the black actor to be the captain of the ship. And I know this isn't the first time shit gets bad really fast when he's the captain. You know? Not his fault.

No, not at all. This is a bad deal for him. Total. Bullshit, man. It's just bullshit. He's like the politician who's elected to clean up the mess of the previous politician. Yeah. So one last little interaction with Ramsey before the away team goes back to pick up Riker.

And that is GAR going like, so how, like you said you were expecting us, Ramsey. Like how did you know to expect us here at your little camp compound? And he's like, um, don't want to say, okay, well, later. And the second they go. Ariel, the other high power government official, steps out from just on the other side of his Star Trek cave. And it's clear that she is the wife that he has taken. There's something about Ariel that just reminds me of so many actors from the late 80s and early 90s.

Like, she's so beautiful in that way in every scene. I thought for a second that she might be that French lady from Lost. Yeah. And I like, I like looked at it. I was like, no, that different lady. Yeah. But same vibe. For sure.

Yeah. Back in the bedroom, Biaata and Riker continue to canoodle. Is that the right word? When you're just like kind of in each other's nooks? I think so. I mean, I think that if they're going to take it much further, they might want to make sure Trent has been sent out for, you know, pack of cigarettes or something.

Just like, get Trent off the compound entirely. Yeah, I agree with that. strategy. It's funny, like, I assume Riker's done a good job with the lovemaking or whatever. I just feel like that's his reputation, even without knowing for sure. But there sure is a great big layer of attitude coming from Biazza that goes like, you're not like normal idiot man, are you? That has got to be so exhausting if you're Riker. Like, can you just stop comparing me to every other man? Yeah.

I mean, like in high school when I would watch, you know, TV with my female friends and they would just like point out the like insane amount of misogyny that was present in every single moment of every single TV show and movies. Like, oh yeah, I guess I guess that is kind of how it is. like be out of just like working her bias against men into every conversation would be really fucking annoying. Did those high school friends also say you're not like the other idiot man, Ben? That's a nice thing to hear.

I always knew I was like the idiot man. That's something I've always been very confident in. So Trent comes back and he's like, yeah, the way team is here. They found the guys, but it doesn't sound like they're going to leave. And so Bada is rip shit. Biaada goes to get a sandwich and once she starts eating it, it becomes like this great big mess

during the conversation. They never give you any napkins in this place. What am I supposed to use? I mean, once it comes time to sentence them to death, it's clear that this isn't her choice. Right. Like, her hands are tied. They had an opportunity.

Yeah. And you blew it! Yeah. You blew it. Crusher gives some gross, like, couldn't it have just been chicken soup? She brings something in a thermos to Picard. It is like, this is going to really disgust you.

He chokes it down. And then she picks up on the smell. She's like, you've been burning a roach in here? Picard, like, you're supposed to be on bed rest. I don't think that includes, like, burning reefers. What are you doing? I definitely feel like when I, I'm really sick.

Like when I'm down really bad, I'm so desperate to feel better that I will try the grossest remedies. Yeah. Like, I'll drink apple cider vinegar every morning when I have a head cold. And that, I think that shit is gross, but I'm desperate. My parents used to make me do echinacea and golden seal as a drink. It's like some herbal remedy. And it, it was one of those, like, the cure is worse than the disease things where, like,

every burp I did for the next three days would just be like the most vile upsetting thing in the world. It's funny. Like there's so many tinctures like that down the like natural food and remedy aisle of a grocery store that like I wish someone would just put it in a Fernette bottle and just say like Fernette, but good for you. Like I don't particularly think Fernette is delicious, but I'll totally have it after a big meal and enjoy it.

Yeah. But basically the tincture I'm drinking when I'm sick in the morning taste exactly the same. Yeah. And I hate that. I don't ever want to do that again. Yeah. Hey, Ben.

You don't have to do that anymore. I'm like literally thinking about it and feeling like genuine disgust, thinking about a thing that I haven't thought about in 25 years. This show is so great. I mean, I was probably sick in bed watching. this episode the first time I had to have it, you know? Yeah. We didn't realize then what Crusher realizes in this moment, which is that the smell is the

virus. And somehow that, like, unlocks a research path that she can go down to find an inoculent. Not really clear on why or how, but, yeah, there is some progress being made on combating this illness. and data reports to Riker. He's been in touch with the ship now, and Riker has been shooed away from Bayada's bed chambers, and data's like, hey, listen,

bad situation on the ship, what with everybody being sick, also worst situation in the neutral zone. This is starting to get real touchy, and the fact that we're just running around with our pants off, hide the sausage with these angel ones, and everybody up there is on the verge of death because of this mystery illness is going to be a problem.

The scorekeeping of this is conspicuous, right? The star base out there is being outgunned by seven Romulan battle cruisers, and boy, wouldn't it be great if we had one flagship of the Federation out there to help even the score? Be nice. Yeah. I am the cutest of all. Blockbages on that best.

I am the beauties of all. There are all lights. So Riker makes the decision to return to the ship, but before they can, Bayada and Trent walk in. She has some parting news. Hey, we got Ramsey finally, and here he is. And Ramsey thinks that the Dustbuster Club gave them up. They are really horrified by this, because everybody gets marched in, including Mistress Ariel. That's because she led them to them.

Yeah, yeah. It was in fact, Ariel that was followed, and it's a bad look. Beata had a private detective from cheaters. Trail her to the cave. This program is both dedicated to the faithful and presented to the false-hearted. Brigger just so much less attracted to Beata now and doesn't care who knows about it. Yeah. He's like, can you just like give us a chance to like try to convince these Odin guys to come with us?

And then they won't bother you. Like we'll just get them on our ship. You won't have to worry about them anymore. And Ramsey's like, no, I got to stay in fight. This is my home. There is an injustice here. I cannot rest. I cannot leave these people to exist in this injustice.

I mean, look at Trent. He's basically a house cat. That's no way for a man to be. I feel terrible for Trent. He sprays perfume directly in his face. Who does that? I wish I could feel anything at all. about Trent. He's just a nothing character in this story. He doesn't even seem to take joy in an

execution, which should be, if you think about what his life is like, the most exciting part of anything he gets to do is to like operate the execution machine. And he doesn't even look like he enjoys that. Yeah. Maybe it just doesn't really have an axe to grind with large urns. Right. Yeah. Riker at this point is like, I think we may need to violate some civil rights here and, like, forcibly remove these dudes from the planet because Mr. Beata is fucking bloodthirsty. I'd rather face a court marshal and live with the guilt of leaving these people to their death. And I think he has a point, right? Like, if the goal is to make sure that the Federation has a diplomatic toehold with this planet, maybe letting them, like, host and then actually. execute for Federation citizens, and that'd be like the most salient piece of association anyone on the planet has with the Federation is not a great idea.

Look, it's unsavory no matter how you cut it. Yeah. But even this plan cannot be allowed to happen because Crusher is not letting the away team come back to the ship now. Like the ship is so sick and the virus is running so rampant, only data can be. allowed back and he'll just like single-handedly take the ship to the neutral zone and like hoist the the federation flag to scare off the ROMs. How interesting was it to you that this room that they're taken to like the waiting area is filled up with so many people. What they don't do

is say that Ramsey has a ton of followers for his worldview. What they do is they show it. And this is I think the first moment where they do. Yeah. Like when Ramsey is told that if the entire group goes that they can live and then he turns down that deal, it's not that he doesn't want to die.

It's that like this place has become his Dante's peaks. It's more that vibe, I feel like. Yeah. Because he's never full-throated about the political stuff that Biazza has been projecting onto him.

It's just his mere existence that she finds such a conflict with, right? Yeah, and I think that maybe that could be like further illustrated by like seeing precisely what goes on in the society and what Ramsey was flouting that they considered to be so core to the like fabric of civilization. And like I do kind of believe that some of the time it is just like you're not doing, you're just. your gender performance correctly and that feels threatening. I feel like that's a thing that an entire political party seems to be extremely preoccupied with right now.

But like Ramsey does not seem to be like a popular political renegade. It doesn't seem like he's trying to rally anyone to his cause particularly. Like he's willing to die for his cause but he's also not like trying to lead a revolution as far as he's depicted.

You know, there are characters like that where the revolution is thrust upon them. Right. Like John Connor in the Terminator movie seemed like a very reluctant hero as a youth especially. And there is definitely that vibe with Ramsey, I feel like. Like Ramsey has more of the vibe of John Connor's redhead friend, you know, with a haircut and everything. Yeah, easy money. Yeah. I couldn't fucking believe that that kid didn't.

tell the police where John Connor was. What? The police asked you a question. You just have to tell them the answer. You don't still have many of your childhood friends, do you, Ben? They're all in jail. That's why you don't want to dig into getting the mugshot, Ben, because it would get you too close to the truth of, like, being the only one released from that prison. Got to find that mugshot. Harrison! You're being released. Well, fellas. All heads in the cell are like, what? Looks like someone on the outside really cares about me.

They like put in a long night of the soul and the next morning find out that data has not, in fact, left with the ship. And Riker's like, what are you doing? I told you to go to the neutral zone. And data's like, you actually said go to the neutral zone in time to stop whatever the thing is. and I calculated like how long the star base and the one other ship that are over there could last against the Romulan assault that we must assume is coming.

And we'll get there right at the end of that. I feel like if the guy on the Sutherland who hated Data so much as a commander of that ship knew about this, because data had to have done the math of like damage and survivability, and minutes. Like, you can see the formula in your head.

Like, I'm sure there's, like, division of, of those things, equalling 48 minutes. And that is some pretty terrible math if you're a human being, right? It's pretty rough. Trent comes in and is like, hey, guys. So execution time, if you're curious, you are more than welcome to join. And at the execution, Bata is maybe a little bit unsteady on her, feet all of a sudden. Not so sure that this is the right thing. Just not performing that this is

something that she feels like a zillion percent confident is the right path. And we get the demonstration. Trent gets to evaporate the urn. And then Riker speaks up. And he says, like, listen, what these guys represent is a society that has evolved past the genders being stuck very firmly in two super separate roles that cannot ever be bridged. And that may be hard for you to swallow, but in our experience, it's way better. And I think you should like at least tolerate the discomfort of a different idea than the one that seems so obvious to you. And that is like, no, I'm going to kill him.

She sends Ramsey into this apparatus, and I think we saw a full body shot of him down at his little campsite before, but I did not notice these handsome, strappy sandals that he is wearing. Can you imagine wearing sandals to your execution? Can you imagine putting your arms up on the thing that's made to execute you? Are the arms going to not get vaporized and just like flump to the floor? That was my thought exactly. Like two legs of lamb, just slapping on the ground after you're gone. Yeah. Save these hands for Ariel so that she may enjoy them when I'm gone.

The arms of the martyr. She can wrap herself in them. And the martyrdom thing is the thing that causes Bada to finally reconsider. And the jury is not in deliberations for very long. Like the mistresses and the elected go. And, you know, we were told right at the beginning of this scene that there were 48 minutes to spare. And with 17 minutes to spare, she comes in and is like, okay, we'll just like, we'll banish them. They'll go to an island or something.

Is that good? And everybody's like, yeah, that sounds pretty good. We got to, we got to get ready to get back to our ship. We'll see if Dr. Crusher can cure a virus with the remaining more or less one quarter of an hour. And they do. What a coincidence. Like almost immediately upon returning to the ship, they walk through those turbo lift doors

and Dr. Crusher administers the cure to the virus and they find Picard in the captain's chair already. Sounding a little hoarse. Yeah. He can't even say engage. Riker's got to do it for him. I mean, we knew Picard kept his own saddle, so it doesn't surprise me that he has a little horse.

Oh, boy. And with that, They head into the neutral zone, Ben. This is becoming a speech. You're the captains, though. They're entitled. Hmm. I'm entitled to ramble on about something everyone knows.

But before we head into Priority One messages, I just have one big question. We've seen a trend of episodes where Captain Picard is diminished in a bunch of different ways. And not really rising to the challenge. He instead is like saved by other people. And he feels different from what most people remember him, be, at least for me. Like, going back to this first season of Picard has been very eye-opening because I do not remember him this way.

And I've watched TNG over and over again for a number of years. It's been fairly surprising. So has your opinion of Captain Picard changed so far after watching 14 episodes of the first season of TNG? When I get sick, I really get sick. And I don't usually have the gas to, like, like, work through it. Everyone at Uxbridge Shimoda just popped into the video and like are nodding.

I mean like it is occasionally true that sometimes I'm like very mildly sick and can work through it. But you know, like my wife can have a cold and be like, well, I guess I'll just work from home and just like work. And I feel like it's very rare that I'm sick that little. Yeah, when you get it, you really get it. So like I feel for Picard in this moment and I feel like he's really fighting to be in charge and getting ordered around by Crusher is not a comfortable thing for him. But I am watching this first season in a slightly different mindset.

And that is the mindset of somebody who has seen all of the new trek that has come at us since we watched this season the first time. And I do feel like these are the kinds of things that I can imagine the night. not my Star Trek people were talking about. Like, why is the captain ever not the hero of the story? Why did they, like, divide the intellect of the captain away from the sexuality of the captain and put that into the first officer? Like, who is this weird old man that's in charge of the ship? I've been watching Homicide Life on the Street, which recently got.

got brought to streaming and watching Yafat Koto in that series is really interesting in the context of also watching early TNG because he was one of the actors that was up for the role of Picard. And he is a boss that is really smart and can really be counted on in homicide life on the street, but is also like occasionally not a guy that you want to be on the wrong side of. as an employee. It's such a fun thought experiment to think about these scripts in his hands and the way he would play them. And, you know, not to take anything away

from Pistu, who is an all-time goat. Who was up for the role of Giardello in Homicide? And it's just amazing to think about what could have happened if they swapped. Very surprising that I would have a Italian last name. Fun stuff, Ben.

Let's see what we got on the Priority One message inbox. Let's do it. Priority One message from Starfleet coming in on Secured Channel. Need a supplemental income. Supplement. Supplement. Yeah, it's extra. By the interest alone could be enough to buy this ship.

Ben, here's a promotional priority one message. Okay. It's from Ted. Here's how that message goes. Friends of DeSoto, we don't live. a money-free federation yet, where all medical treatments are available to everyone equally, don't support Quark's War Orphan Fund, where you don't know where the latinum is going, give to support St. Jude, and know it is saving lives. Support St. Jude. They never bill families

for travel, lodging, or treatment. Because of donors, childhood cancer survival has risen from 20% to 80% since St. Jude opened. They also provide research results. free to the world. I'm running for St. Jude on December 5th in 2026, my fourth time on team Aaron Bell, a teen who lost his fight with cancer just before his 18th birthday. I'll train and do the hard work of running, and you can support by donating to St. Jude. Give every child a chance to celebrate Captain McCard Day. So you, and everyone else can go to ted runsforkids.com, and that is where you can help support Ted and the St. Jude Hospital, which is outside of Memphis, it is also a place that's near and dear to my heart. My cousin Pete Pranica, the play-by-play announcer for the Memphis Grizzlies,

has made the St. Jude Hospital his main focus for donations and fundraising. It's a great, great place. They do great work. Wow. Thanks Ted for doing that, and I sure hope a big, big crowd of FODs, head to Ted Runs for Kids.com and make some donations. Big donations. Yeah. Got another P-1 here.

This one's from Josh Keynes to Adam and Ben. It goes like this. Uxbridge Shimoda, forever and forever a hundred years, Uxbridge Shimoda. Some things. Adam and Ben running around and Uxbridge Shimoda time. All day long, forever.

I'll a 100 days. Adam and Ben it's my second P1 so instead of being pedantic I thought why not be derivative? Rolleran drop Rolorin drop it says Piscard quote about making no mistakes

It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose Mayquise That's the message How about that? Thanks Josh Kay If that's a reference I didn't pick up on it.

I was reading it along with you in that way that sometimes, like, a bad actor will mouth the words that their co-star is saying, like, to stay on script in their minds. I couldn't pick it up during. Maybe the longer we think about it, the clearer it will become. Perhaps. Perhaps. Anything's possible, Adam. Thanks to Josh Kay. Ben, we've got a final priority in message here from Jim.

And it's to you and me. here's how that goes. Ben and Adam, I am a long-time listener and now a founder, I think. I don't know how to actually tell. I've also been to one of your live shows, the St. Louis show, was a lot of fun. I was with my wife, and we were the couple who didn't want a picture and didn't see Star Trek 5 before the show. I still haven't watched Star Trek 5. Thanks for the pod. Please play the drunk Shimoda song. It has been too long. Ooh, is not the smartest one, smartest one. Let the boy take over. Control Shimoda!

Ooh, you make the warp drive hum, walk drive hum. You gave up the ship to a child, Shimoda. Drunk Shimoda! Take important stuff, stack it up. Doesn't give a fuck, everybody's drunk, and Tasha Yard's kidding robot hump. Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, low!

Did the drug Shumoda Dittu Trag Shumoda P.S. years ago on the pod, you asked why the arch wasn't lit up when you guys went to see it. The National Park Department shuts the lights off during certain seasons for migratory birds is the answer to that question. Interesting. How about that?

Is that a pro-migratory bird intervention in that it doesn't confuse them or an anti-migratory bird intervention in that they bump into it? Oh, I don't know. I mean, here's what I'll say. I went there at night. I think we were there together checking it out. It was the only time we had to see it. I did not see a pile of dead birds beneath it.

So I think there's our answer. Yeah, yeah. It was dead bird free in my memory. You imagine going out there at night, and it's just a constant assault of dead birds dropped from great height. I wouldn't love that. But I had a great time at the arch. I had a great time in St. Louis.

Jim, you gotta see Star Trek 5. They kill God. Yeah. Fucking wild. Yeah. Wild shit. I like it. It's good.

And I like all these priority when messages, Ben. I do too. Folks can go to Podshop.biz to get one, either of the promotional or the personal flavors. You heard great examples of both. And getting one goes a long way and supporting the production of the shows that we make. So thanks. Thank you. Ben, it's time for a game.

let's make it fast. We've been friends for a long time, so let's test how well we know each other with a game of, who do you think you are? I am. That's right. Coming back for the second time.

Okay. First, I will select a character from this episode that most reminds me of you, and you'll select a character from this episode that you most identify with. Okay. If our answers match, we win. If they don't, we lose.

It's a game that resembles but is legally distinct from the newlywed game. And the best part is, there's no way we'll offend each other with our choices. Okay.

Ben, I'm making the stakes free. I just want to start keeping track of how often we win or lose this game because I think over the long term, it could be very funny if... If we're just never... If we're either really good at this

or if we never get this right. Boy. All right, so grab a piece of paper and write down the character that most reminds you of you and I will write down the name of the character that most reminds me of you. Okay.

I am ready. All right. So once you've written it down, hold it up to the camera and show me the name and I'll read what you wrote. Ariel is the name that you wrote. Why don't you tell me why? I wrote down Ariel because she's outraged.

She's pissed. She definitely would like to be playing an angle here, but isn't really sure how to play an angle, how one might go about playing an angle. Okay. But she's also driven by passion and isn't quite sure how to like undo some of the justice in her society, though she finds herself to be complicit in much of it.

Hmm. Just like me. Well, great reasoning there, Ben. But unfortunately, I wrote Riker. Oh. Is this the second time you said I was Riker? Here is why. When he's so enthusiastic to wear the clothing,

I was like, God, that's like, Ben wears the clothes. Like, he's always dressed for the occasion and excited to do it. I was like, that's Ben right there. Ben, and here's another thing that I hope you don't feel like is an insult. Not feeling any shame about it either. He's like, what the fuck is your problem? I'm putting on the clothes. This is the style of the people.

I've had occasion to dress up for a couple of weddings where I had to wear something like way outside of my cultural context. And one time I had to wear like a kufi and a macawis. And I was like, I was like very. You had that already, right? Like I had to borrow everything. Didn't know how to put it on. But then like I was like walking back from the wedding to my hotel. And like people were like going like, as al-a-l-lakem to me.

And I was like, what is good? going on here. And then I realized like, oh, right, I'm dressed like I have a very serious religious conviction. Amazing. Yeah, yeah. Forgot what I was wearing. Hey, while you go back and look for the mugshot photo, search for those, too. That one I have on my phone. I can send you that. Ben, we got just a minute left. Let's go the other way with this. Okay. I will write down the character that I feel like most resembles me. And if you could do the same, yeah, yeah. We can compare what those answers are. All right. I am ready. Ben, I have written down Picard for the sole reason of his willingness to work sick. Yeah. Like, I'm super blood and guts in a way that is bad for getting well

or taking care of myself. I've always been this way. He is eventually ordered to bed. And that is why I feel like I most resemble Picard in this episode. Who did you pick for me? I picked the character of Ramsey. Okay. I think that Ramsey has a, you know, he's a little bit irascible in this episode, a little bit resistant to anyone coming in from the outside and telling him how it's going to be. And I think that you have a great quality of like moral self-assuredness. And I don't think that you are going to like burn anything down because of it.

which is like a good thing, you know? Like I think you are, you like know what your values are and know what you want your life to look like and you're not going to put up with any shit from anyone that would detract from that. But I think I would move off of Dante's Peak, though. I think if you, if it was your special person hanging out in your Star Trek cave with you

and you were out there, you know, enjoying your pot of coffee, not bothering anyone, Yeah, maybe. That would feel like, hey, everybody can go fuck themselves. I'm just doing my thing over here. Who do you think you are? I am. Great way to wrap that segment up, Ben.

Another fun addition to that one. Another loss for you and me. We're playing the long game with this one. Yeah. See how it goes as time goes on. Well, this has been a ton of fun, Adam, and appreciate it. And I also appreciate our producer, Wendy Pretty, who's about to tell you the credits, all the great folks who worked really hard to get this episode to you, how you can

support, and all the great things you have to look forward to coming from us. Take it away, Wendy. Thanks, Wendy. Bye, bye. The Greatest Generation is an Uxbridge Shimoda podcast. It's hosted by Ben Harrison and Adam Pranika, and it's produced and edited by Wendy Pretty. Next week, we will be back with another episode of Star Trek The Next Generation, so tell me you love jazz. because it's season one, episode 15, 11001, 100101. Until then, we want to say thank you to all of the members who are supporting this show. You can join them.

You'll get an ad-free fee, plus a lot of great bonus episodes. Sign up at greatest trek.com. You can also just click the support link in the show notes right there in your podcatcher, and of course, we really appreciate it. Music for the Greatest Generation is by Dark Materia. Social media is managed by Bill Tilly and Rob Adler, who also puts together the greatest newsletter every month. Visit Podshop.biz to get signed up for that.

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That's all for now. We'll see you next week on The Greatest Generation. I'll make it so. Shemota.