#STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION SUB ROSA HOW TO#

The visuals of the alternate universe are great, with a more militaristic and literally darker Enterprise where every crew member is armed, and bringing back Tasha Yar was a pretty brilliant touch to underline the differences between the universes. To be fair, that's on purpose, but still. 'Data wants to be human' episodes are pretty rough territory at the best of times, but the introduction of Joe Piscopo as a holographic avatar of comedy is among the most grating sights ever committed to film.

#STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION SUB ROSA HOW TO#

The second problem comes from the B-plot, where Data attempts to learn how to be funny and fails on every conceivable letter.

He might actually be the least outrageous character on the show, but I suppose 'the relentlessly bland Okona' didn't have that alliteration they wanted for the title. The thing is, while Mudd was a charmingly ridiculous, completely amoral swindler who stands in contrast to the heroes, Okona is just an aw-shucks good guy who happens to have a ponytail. Okona, an allegedly charming Han Solo-esque rogue played by Bill Campbell - who you might remember from his starring role in The Rocketeer - is clearly Next Gen's attempt at recreating Harry Mudd. It's got two huge problems, and the first comes from the fact that they're trying to bring back an idea that worked on the original Star Trek. So if that's what you mean by 'pretty into it,' then yes. I mean that bad boy that Playmates put out that was like an inch and a half thick with red LEDs under a silver sticker, which weighed about a pound and stretched my t-shirts out until they looked like one of Deanna Troi's asymmetrical scoop-neck dresses. I definitely wore a toy communicator pin to school every day in fourth grade, and when I say 'a toy,' I don't mean a show-accurate replica pin that you could just wear like an accessory. Q: Hey Chris, you're pretty into Star Trek: The Next Generation, right? If I want a crash course in it, what are the best episodes to watch, and which ones should I avoid? - via email Each week, comic book writer Chris Sims answers the burning questions you have about the world of comics and pop culture: what's up with that? If you'd like to ask Chris a question, please send it to on Twitter with the hashtag #WhatsUpChris, or email it to with the subject line 'That's What's Up.'

Star trek the next generation sub rosa