Martha: Hi. We’ve been incredibly inconsistent with this prime directive stuff so here is an episode where we beat you about the head with it in order to further your understanding
Cindee: hahahahaha. I feel like their answer in this one actually made some sense though? It’s been a while admittedly…
Martha: Yeah, and there was some initial intrigue! I felt the plot was fairly obvious once it got going but it was interesting
Cindee: ok, but, we also have to talk about the Just Say No talk
Martha: AHAHAH Wesley couldn’t possibly understand why ANYONE would ever take drugs!!!
Cindee: and then all the adults gathered around and told him to just say no
Martha: Hahaha including Data?!
Cindee: Did you have ‘just say no’ over there?
Martha: I think so. Or it made its way over… I have a vivid recollection of a song…
Cindee: It was big in the 80s here. Every first lady has a “thing” and it was Nancy Reagan’s.
Cindee: “create an outspoken intolerance for drug use”
“be unyielding and inflexible in your oposition to drugs”
Martha: This is the song I remember haha. Its from Grange Hill which is like a school drama.
Cindee: and 30 years later, we’ve put basically everyone in prison… but I digress.
Martha: It was a very ‘drugs are bad kids’ episode. But Picard is quite happy for everyone to have the drugs
Cindee: Also, side note, do you know what Melania’s “thing” is
Mrtha: Oh yeah isn’t it like telling kids to not be like Trump…
Cindee: It’s anti-cyberbullying, so, yes
Martha: Oh that was it, I knew it was the most hypocritical thing on Earth.
Cindee: Yup… anyways, other than the just say no chat, I actually don’t remember a lot of nitpicks of this episode
Martha: Well crusher hates the prime directive
Cindee: that’ll come up again
Martha: And Picard apparently now likes it, though at least we have a proper explanation about it
Cindee: They frequently clash on it
Martha: There was a good Picard speech I think, about not imposing Earth’s sensibilities on people. He’s frequently gone against it (The prime directive) however it was at least consistently applied this episode
Cindee: True
Martha: At the last minute though… after giving them lots of information which was a bit cruel, albeit to a potential good ‘end’
Cindee: This may actually be the point where Picard finally gets consistent with the prime directive, for better or for worse
Martha: Okay! So, the transporter
Cindee: Yes
Martha: The fact that it medically checks people was indeed brought up properly this episode (I don’t think they have before…)
Cindee: Yes, it is magical
Martha: BUT I feel it also implied it had some curing properties?!
Cindee: Magic
Martha: So how are there any diseases. Just beam them about a bit
Cindee: lol, well lemme think this through. So I think that it filters out things it knows about, so, it could filter out like strep throat maybe, but not some unknown disease
Martha: Okay. I’ll allow it. But again, the enterprise security sucks. They beam aboard ‘cargo’ And they’re like ‘cool, put it in the hold.’ IT COULD BE ANYTHING
Cindee: Well the transporters would know if it was a weapon or bomb or whatever. MAGIC
Martha: Okay. They let the ELECTRIC HANDS GUYS just have free reign of the ship AS ALWAYS
Cindee: Ok, so what exactly is it that you want them to do with guests? Throw them in the brig?
Martha: Well restrict their movements? Until they’re certain they’re not evil
Cindee: Who are you, Trump?
Martha: Cos so far most people have been evil!
Cindee: They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists . . . some I assume are good people…
Martha: LMAO. But Cindee. In Star Trek they literally are! Name someone good whose been brought aboard so far.
Cindee: Picard
Martha: He is crew he doesn’t count!!
Cindee: Lmao. Ok lemme think here. What about Troi’s almostinlaws?
Martha: They brought that creepy talking head box, so no.
Cindee: Creepy head thing didnt harm anything! aAlso, the Bynars weren’t really BAD…
Martha: The bynars ended up being fine but it could have gone way worse!
Cindee: Right, well, the bynars probably wouldn’t have tried sneaking across the border if the asylum process weren’t so fucked up!
Martha: They seemed to be indentured servants to be honest. I bet they only paid them one wage between them!
Cindee: Anywho, the people they gave free reign to were just druggies, so whatevs.
Martha: Hahaha electric druggies!
Cindee: Oooh right I forgot about the electric thing
Martha: Everyone did. Even the writers
Cindee: lol. so, just say no, prime directive, Martha’s mad about secirity
Martha: Just say no to the prime directive
Cindee: Martha = ICE
Martha: Hahaha Jesus Christ
Cindee: Well you want the ship to be a police state it seems! Shall they hire a corporation to run the brig while they’re at it?
Martha: I just want Wesley to be safe!!
Cindee: Hahahaha wait, I’m reading a script. Troi randomly senses from afar that the cargo container specifically is causing them anxiety? WUT
Martha: Lmfao. She says ‘Tension on the ship is rising’ and that’s about it. For the whole episode, also, the cargo anxiety. She’s so useless. How she’s like a lieutenant commander I don’t know…