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Episode
166
Sarek
An old friend returns to the Star Trek universe. The 1701-D will play host to a series of negotiations to be directed by Ambassador Sarek. However, when an illness plaguing the ambassador puts the talks in jeopardy, Captain Picard plays host in a more meaningful and potentially dangerous way. More than old home week, it is an examination of aging and mortality when we put Sarek into the Mission Log.
1. I like how Picard says he will leave Sarek alone, then goes to his quarters and invites him anyway…lol
2. poor sad, lonely Geordi
3. the bar fight, lol, like a colors, Crips vs Bloods gang fight…blue vs gold
4. apparently the “word of honor” of Ki Mendrossen does not mean much! liar liar…
5. speaking of the aids to Sarek, they sure disappeared FAST! when the most important/dangerous part of the mission, the mind meld, they were no help at all. You’d think a fellow Vulcan w some brain power could have helped.
6. Picard’s emotional rollercoaster…pretty intense!
7. The Legarans..another potential cool race we never get to see…like the Harada, Berellians, Tonkyians, there were a few…
Mark Lenard “Sarek” RIP 1996
Joanna Miles “Perrin”
Been really waiting for this one…
any particular reasons? just curious…LLAP 🙂
Mark Lenard… is Mark Lenard. ~_^
Also, I remember this ep well, not only from how powerful a performance Patrick Stewart delivered, but from my time dealing with family members who have also aged…
ahh, that would explain it. Yes some of these episodes, and of course Star Trek in general resonate so much more w us, when there are things going on in life that are relatable…- at the time in 1990, this episode did not have much to do w my father..now he is 77, so more so, thank goodness not too bad. Very humbling episode.
Where do Vulcans get their jewelry, The Home Mining Network? Great podcast as always. I was a little uncomfortable with the Reagan analogy, although he was by no means the first president who may not have been the one presiding while in office — FDR, Wilson. Anyhoo… IDIC. Oh, and… MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Well again, it’s not a political statement. The point was that his decline was revealed publicly and then commented upon by many who knew him.
Always wondered about that Vulcan jewelry myself. And it’s so huge!
I’m not looking for a fight about Reagan, and if I were I could always call my dad. I just find him very polarizing. Meantime, I found your points about aging and unintentional enabling/best intentions very well presented. I love this ep and enjoy your podcasts each week. I only wish you’d do them daily so we can get to The Love Boat’s pivotal Season 4 before I am 202 years old.
hahaha, maybe tacky Ferengi peddlers?
the ravages of aging…who would have thought, when I enjoyed this episode is 1990 as a 17 year old, I would re-watch in 2015 and think of my now 77 year old Dad and his failing memory and dialysis. He is trucking along, but slowly getting smaller, slower, more dependent on me. A very humbling episode that stands the test of time because it touches on an eternally relevant topic. Dignity, rights of the elderly, when to take over…so challenging. Like when Picard gets taken over in “Lonely Among Us” and “Allegiance” – we think you have a problem Sarek…NO, maybe YOU have a problem! lol- good stuff. I cant help but watch the elderly on Star Trek and think of how we may be watching these episodes in nursing homes someday as an alternative to hover-Bingo…
Excellent episode, excellent podcast discussion: Thank you, gentlemen! I have to admit that the bit at the very, very end mentioning Sybok cracked me up!
Sybok..Lore…hahaha, the forgotten ones….
I thought , Ken, you can’t use “—–” who is my wife” for everything was funny. Oh – and btw- I hate you – cause I saw little old-Trouble w/ them Tribbles episode- and that bar fight scene looked like fun – and you know, when you add a little bit of Vulcan anger -out come the claws – and the secrets !
Poor Sybok. The forgotten son.
In 1994, the late author AC Crispin would write a Novel titled “Sarek” , in which told the story of the death of Spock’s Mother, and Mark Lenard himself narrated the “book-on-tape” version !
The Original Press photo from Paramount for this Episode: Notice the Name on the card. “Error” !
I’ve got to say that this episode wasn’t as good as I remember it. It still was a good episode but I remembered it being an awesome and rewatching it I couldn’t help but notice how slow the first half goes.
John! I had a serious geek moment when listening to the podcast tonight! During trivia I waited for you to share that Mark Okrand was the creator of the Klingon language…..given everything else that you talked about, I thought it was a big oversight.
Love the podcast, love you guys, keep up the great work!
Mike
Michael – you are right about Marc Okrand (he came in around the time of ST:II), but I’m not sure why we would have mentioned him with this episode. He didn’t have anything to do with it. Mark Lenard (the actor) was the first on screen to speak a few Klingon phrase (in ST:TMP). I thought we mentioned that in our coverage of TMP.
John, my humble apologies. You are, of course correct! I should trust the trivia master!!
No worries! Just wanted to make sure we didn’t overlook something major. Thanks for paying us that close attention! Keeps us on our toes 🙂
well, based on what Doohan had started..
James Doohan started Klingon?
I can look up the exact details, but yeah. he came up with a few phrases for TMP. Okrand fleshed it out and gave it structure, but JD started it
how interesting! good stuff…great Trek trivia…
If Picard wants to have a classical music recital for this most distingished guest, why have someone as the featured violinist who can only mimic the playstyle of a famous violinist, but not the emotion and passion as it relates to the violinist’s interpretation of the music? That always puzzled me.
1- While watching/listening to the podcast I was thinking this is a perfect analog to Gene’s decline in the show. By season 3, Gene was the figure head of Star Trek to the outside world, but it seems clear that many others were running the show at this point.
2- Seems like the fight between Geordi and Wesley was a lot of fun to shoot. I wonder how many know about Geordi’s holodeck girlfriend?
3- I just loved the tear at the concert. What a great way to handle it. Done poorly a director could have had him bawling.
Original Fan Club Article – Issue 73 April 1990
So nobody noticed Picard say he met Sarek at his son’s wedding? Wonder who the lucky lady was.
Such a sad, sad episode, without being contrived to generate maudlin melancholia. Especially when you reach an age when your own pretrial and mental decline must be acknowledged – or ignored.
And I would have liked to have seen Picard call Ki Mendrossen’s bluff about threatening the Captain’s career if he pursued his suspicions.
It *was* a bluff, wasn’t it? I mean, 24th Century, advanced civilisation, above petty concerns such as career protection, political influence, etc?