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PATRON TIER LIST TNG S4E18

🕑 Added 2024-10-14 13:33:58 +0000 UTC

Comments

Jim J

I did not care for this one much when it first aired, but it has really grown on me over the years. Just a great mystery story with outstanding effects and good use of the holodeck. Definitely a solid A rating for me.

Jim

They should add a tag to the polls, it is difficult to find them.

Kate Courtney

This is one of the few episodes featuring Geordi where he isn't awkward and creepy around a woman. Black light effects were really big around this time so I enjoyed the makeup thoroughly. And I can still remember the feeling of intense goosebumps when the shadow in the holo-deck becomes tangible.

jon bolton

This is a good B from me. It's nice to see a bit more about Geordie before he came to the Enterprise.

Nick Sauer

Without spoilers, there is an upcoming series that reused this concept only much worse than this episode to the point that it caused me to quit that series. It was too bad as the pilot had looked so promising.

#MaxwellDidNothingWrong

What a cool special effect! Oh sorry, was there an episode?

Cirk Bejnar

It's nice to get a Geordi episode and one with some horror elements but there are too many plot holes, inconsistencies, and oddities for it to reach A level. Good use of the holodec.

JoeCensored

The only part I like is the holodeck investigation of the shadow. That was really well done. The rest just bugs me.

Jeffrey P

I liked this episode...until the end. I always have a problem with how easily the mutation gets solved with no side effects. It's perhaps my least favorite sci-fi trope.

rear adm. crackbiscuit

Definitely one of the least re-watched episodes for me.

Sixto

This episode represents one of my favorite kind of episodes in TNG, the feeling that we are part of this crew and we also would do anything to save our friends in this crazy sci-fi setting. Yes the episode has its problems, but who cares when Geordi is safe at the end?!

Timothy Nikiforovs

Personal note, in almost 60 years and close to 1000 episodes, this is the only episode of Trek that aired on my birthday. Might be generous, but A for me. The horror works better for me than Night Terrors, especially that holodeck scene. Imagine watching a video of a family gathering years before, and even though everyone who was there was either in front of or behind the camera, you notice a shadow moving in the corner that couldn't possibly come from any of them? Shivers just thinking about it.

Matt Duborg

This was actually the last episode of TNG that I watched. The time before Netflix was annoying because sometimes they just would not replay certain episodes for whatever reason. The episode was decent, probably one of the better Geordi episodes overall.

Ian Westcott

Better episode for Geordi! This one is elevated by that great holodeck scene. Finally, the holodeck is used to solve crime, and it's not a Rashoman rip-off.

Ron Hubbard Jr

Good mystery with a visit to the past and a good Geordi episode for a change.

Juan Tutrífor

That's fair. 🤣

Michael Figueroa

S. 100% my favorite Geordi episode.

Shortskirtsandexplosions

This is a legit good Geordi episode, and I remember being really made to feel uneasy the first time I watched it as a child. The deep friendship between Geordi and his former associate is really nice as well. The one thing that always stands out for me in this episode is that--at least from memory--I recall all of the scenes shot on the surface of the planet being cast at a weird, higher FPS than the rest of the show's standard cinematography... as if the unit responsible for filming the setpiece had to use equipment from a 90s soap opera. I dunno if that translates to current streaming media, but it always struck me as odd back in the day. Perhaps it's just a twisted, unreliable memory.

tyranusfan

I don’t revisit this one often. It’s okay. The mystery doesn’t bear rewatching.

Elway Simpson

My actual first episode watching beginning to end is a S7 episode. But yeah saw the last 15 min of this episode as my introduction

Narnman

my first was Clues just a few episodes before you

Narnman

and even that scene drags on too long

DG

This is another great atmospheric episode to watch around Halloween. It's also nice to have a Geordie-centred episode so soon after the last one. Levar Burton's ability in this role as basically a voice actor has always been underrated in my opinion.

Who North America

This episode is... creepy... memorable... I like it. It's just so... DIFFERENT.

Tim b

A VERY mixed bag, but I love the sensible use of the Holodeck.

LonghillAndy

Very nice Geordi centric episode for me a guilty pleasure amongst the s and a tier episodes if Alex and Josh enjoyed remember me I reckon they’ll like this one too but probably won’t rate as high in tier ranking

The Ninth Doctor

After Galaxy's Child, Geordi had to evolve from a cringe monster to an actual one. Feels very much like a ChatGPT script, not horrible but mostly forgettable.

Steven Cressler

Good B- (7.1//10). The makeup was top-tier in this one, and the idea of the alien's reproduction method was pretty ingesting. Would have been a C-Tier if not for that awesome holodeck scene, as this is another one where not much happens.

Lovok

Never liked this episode. One of the season's worst. Not abysmal, but I don't ever rewatch it. Forgettable and boring. Solid D for me.

Prof Moff

turd sandwich

THE LORE!!!

Ah, the one where Geordi goes from being invisible to women to just plain invisible.

Greg Quinn

Geordi becomes a Predator (no not that kind of Predator).

Nolan

Oh man, his FIRST SCRIPT was a "Fun with DNA" premise? What a way to cross the Trek Threshold.

Nolan

Really, I thought that be more B5's fault. 🙃

Paul Rymer

This episode has one s-tier scene which is Geordi in the holodeck exploring the mystery of the shadow, genuinely creepy.

Paul

I'll be honest, this episode is freaking me out. I feel like I'm suffering from sort of Mandela effect, because I've seen all of star trek TNG, DS9 and Voyager at least 5 times through. But I cannot remember this episode ever existing. Not a single thing about is familiar. What a creepy feeling.

Pokeysaurus

This would nominally be a B for me but I give it an A just for giving us a Geordi episode that wasnt trying to shoe-horn him into some romantic situation.

KatWithAttitude

Another Geordi episode! And this is a good one where he uses the holodeck in a scientific and logical way while transforming into another species. I think he has good chemistry with Susanna but they really are just friends. My rating for this is "Excellent".

Angelaina Marie

I tend to rate them highly if I like re-watching them, and I always like re-watching this one. It just flows together really well, you enjoy following Geordi and Suzanne's thought process and deduction, and the first time the ending is a total stunner. But it again stays pretty strong through a rewatch and I don't feel like the characters are being obtuse it's a genuine mystery.

Crankygrandma

I only vaguely recall this episode, and it didn’t even come back to me until I saw Georgie in mutated form. I liked it. It suffers from the slower pace that seemed common in this period of Trek, but it had great character moments and the guest star was great. I loved the non romantic friendship, an almost sibling like friendship, between the two. I thought I had it figured out and Geordi’s visor would be the key, but I was wrong. A solid B. It had some flaws but was character driven and a fairly interesting mystery.

Keith S

Gave it a C the episode was good but nothing really special.

Nolan

Geordie using the holodeck and NOT being a perv, hooray! The atmosphere on the planet and it's holodeck recreation was great, that's two creepy, horror-esque eps in a row. Loved the uniform continuity. But this one is a bit slow at points. Or maybe parts of this episode is just really good ASMR, cause I HAVE fallen asleep watching it.

The Sultan

This whole episode seems to be built around the big high-concept scene of Geordie playing detective in the holodeck (which is fantastic) as the rest of the episode feels like is just build-up to that moment rather than an actual well-balanced story. Having said that, the creepy tone, mystery plot and eerie alien design elevates it above a C-level TREK episode. One of my favourites to rewatch!

Jeffrey

Ensign Graham was played by Mona Grudt - the reigning Miss Universe at the time of filming

Phil Ken Sebben

This is one of a handful of episodes that I just strongly dislike. Implausible story and mutation that is magically fixed. No wonder it’s written by a total idiot. D

Juan Tutrífor

Thanks, Star Trek, now I'm afraid of shadows.

Forbidden Donut

Another spooky episode, and another B from me. Nothing especially wrong with it that I can recall, but it's not an episode I look back on with much fondness, either. I do remember the first time I watched this (probably 12 years old or so), some aspects of this did creep me out, starting with the shadowy figure on the holodeck when Geordi is recreating the scene.

Collin Freeman

Another episode that is a little all over the place for me in terms of how I feel about it after I walk away. Caught between a C and B on this 1, but I'm feeling generous, so B-tier for me.

Ryan Caulfield

Definitely a mixed bag here, and while I really appreciate giving Geordi a nice, non-romantic friendship, I wish Susanna had been seen or mentioned previously to give the ending a bit more weight. Recently, I have wondered if it would have been better for Data to have brought Geordi back and solidify their friendship instead. Would that have been better, do you think? Anyways, cool alien design though.

BN13

Absolutely don't care about this one at all. The premise is weird, and it's just boring. It's inoffensive, but very skipable and forgettable. One of the worst of the season for me. Absolute snoozefest.

Jon1701

A great Geordi episode in my opinion with a really interesting premise. Gets an A from me for the holodeck scene alone but it’s a good job they used a recording device on that away team. This episode is also notable for being one of the early Brannon Braga scripts. Watch this space. 😉

Elway Simpson

This episode has the grand honor of being the first episode i ever watched of Star Trek.......kind of. I only saw the last 15-20 min of it. I thought Geordi figuring out the shadow thing in the holodeck was super clever. Decent introduction, could've certainly been worse.

Ross Townsend

Maybe not the best story, and we might feel differently if Suzanna had appeared before (like K’Ehlyr) but I think the execution was spot on, and Geordi’s holodeck scenes hit. How do you guys feel about guest characters who are brand new holding the emotional anchor for the episode?

Lt Dan I scream

This one is a no from me dogg. They seem to be trying to give a little more back story to Geordi and at the same time try to give us some high stakes, oh noes are they going to kill off a main character. this episode failed to do either of those things. I gave it a C cause even bad trek in Season 4 is good trek.

wildhunt1973

Ugh. Just...ugh.

Evan Guthrie

I guess we’re just lucky that this virus didn’t start to manifest itself during the events of Best of Both Worlds or something…

Darren Seal

It’s fine, effective scene in the holodeck aside there’s not much to this one.

John

This is another one that terrified me as a child, and is one of the few episodes of its type (science fiction obligatory: normal person turning into a monster) that I can tolerate. It actually rates an A from me. YMMV. The holodeck investigation into the colony using the recordings from when Geordi was there is implausible, but pretty cool. It's always fun when they're able to use the holodeck in a helpful manner, without it malfunctioning in some dangerous and bizarre way. They must have a different way of recording video logs of missions now, becuase nobody from the Enterprise ever wears one of those things.