Star Trek: The Emissary

Episode: "The Emissary"
Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 2, Episode 20
Original Air Date: June 26, 1989

via Memory Alpha

Starfleet sends the Enterprise to intercept a Klingon warship.  The crew is emerging from a 75-year cryogenic hibernation and it is feared that they will assume the Klingons are still at war with the Federation.  But that's all just window dressing for the real story.  Joining them for the mission is K'Ehleyr, a half-human, half-Klingon diplomat who also has a romantic past with our own Worf.

As stated before, I love the Worf stories and this is one of the most important.  We get to observe the Klingon mating rituals first hand which is, of course, awesome - not to mention deliciously uncomfortable.  K'Ehleyr herself, however, is the real treat, the perfect romantic foil for Worf.  Her biracial identity is, if anything, a more concrete manifestation of Worf's own self-concept struggles.  She teases him and challenges him.  She loves him but she is her own woman.  When Tracy Tormé wrote the character Doctor Selar (also played by Suzie Plakson) for "The Schizoid Man," he saw her as a potential mate for Worf.  He was disappointed when it didn't happen, feeling a Klingon-Vulcan relationship would have been more interesting.  I disagree.  K'Ehleyr is ideal.

"The Emissary" is also a good Picard leadership style episode.  When Worf raises objections to working with K'Ehleyr, Picard insists he do so anyway.  Lean into the discomfort, Lieutenant...

Board Game Notes

The episode begins with a poker game and appropriate to the rest of the story, the focus is on Worf's style of play.  "Klingons never bluff."

via Memory Alpha

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Suzie Plakson (K'Ehleyr) was born June 3, 1958 in Buffalo, New York, though she was raised in Kingston, Pennsylvania.  She went to Northwestern for college.  This was her second of five Trek appearances as four different characters.

via Memory Alpha

In television, Plakson had a principal role in Love & War and recurring roles in Mad About You and How I Met Your Mother, plus a recurring voice role on Dinosaurs.  In film, she appeared in such movies as My Stepmother Is an Alien, Disclosure and Wag the Dog.  She has dabbled in country music as well, releasing an album called DidnWannaDoIt!

Bitters of the Month: Grapefruit

Fee Brothers, based in Rochester, New York, produces a wide range of bitters.  I picked up grapefruit for this month.  It smells wonderful and it really does taste like grapefruit, including a touch of peel.  My wife perceived an aftertaste - not a bad thing but it was there.  To me, a gin and grapefruit bitters basically tastes like an alcoholic Fresca without the bubbles.

Marvel Immersion Project: Howard the Duck #25-31

I'll be moving on from Howard soon.  The end for the series was messy - unfortunate yet oddly appropriate.  It's on to the X-men next for me.


My Recent Reads

Howard the Duck #25
Originally Published June 1, 1978
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Gene Colan

• Paul and Winda are finally back in town.  Paul has a wad of cash from rich ship passengers who paid him for portraits.  
• Paul's not shy about spreading cash around, buying Howard a new jacket and new cigars.  The big spending makes Howard nervous.
• The trio attends a party thrown by Paul's new patron, Iris Raritan.  The entertainment is supplied by some old friends of ours, The Circus of Crime!

Howard the Duck #26
July 1, 1978
Gerber/Colan

• The Circus of Crime kidnaps Howard to be a part of their act.  They drag him to Pennsylvania for their next act where, of course, they rob the audience.  
• In true Marvel hero fashion, Iris, Winda and Paul follow the troupe via tracking device.  
• The story converge at a gas station.  One of the circus victims has a gun.  The gun goes off.  No one's dead but damage is done.
• Meanwhile, Winda is attacked by a drunk when she spurns his advances.
• Two notable music references:
• "76 Trombones"

• "The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down."  The Band concert documentary The Last Waltz was released in April 1978.

Howard the Duck #27
September 1, 1978
Gerber/Colan

• Lee comes to Pennsylvania to help Howard and company.
• Howard and Iris head to Cleveland where they finally have their showdown with the Circus of Crime.
• Bev is surprised to find herself happy in her forced marriage to Dr. Bong.  However, she is horrified to learn that Bong still intends to kill Howard.

Howard the Duck #28
November 1, 1978
Marv Wolfman/Carmine Infantino

• Here it is, the first Howard story without Steve Gerber as head writer.
• In a break from the ongoing narrative, Howard gets caught up in a domestic espionage scandal while out at dinner with Bev.  The government is putting laughing gas in the city water supply.
• Meanwhile, a psychiatrist is distraught as several patients report sightings of a talking duck. 

Howard the Duck #29
January 1, 1979
Gerber/Will Meugniot

• Howard is recruited by struggling comedian Joey Goniff to be the face of a telethon in Las Vegas.  
• The plan works out only too well, at least in terms of raising the money, and Howard is disgusted by the crass commercialism.

Howard the Duck #30
March 1, 1979
Bill Mantlo/Colan

• A friend of Lee's builds an "Iron Duck" costume for Howard in order to prepare the latter for a final battle with Dr. Bong

Howard the Duck #31
May 1, 1979
Mantlo/Colan & Al Milgrom

• The final battle itself.
• Bev comes to Howard's rescue, revealing her true loyalties in the end.
• On the final page, the gang's all back together.
• This was the last issue before a seven-year hiatus for the series.

Star Trek: Manhunt

Episode: "Manhunt"

Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Season 2, Episode 19

Original Air Date: June 9, 1989

via Memory Alpha

The Enterprise is transporting delegates to a conference, including two Antedeans and Lwaxanna Troi (Majel Barrett).  Lwaxanna wants a man.  Naturally, Picard is her primary target.  When he spurns her, she turns her attention to Riker, much to Deanna's dismay.  She sizes up Worf and - yikes - Wesley, too.  Meanwhile, Picard manages to escape into a Dixon Hill fantasy on the holodeck.  The noir tale is based on Farewell, My Lovely and The Little Sister, both by Raymond Chandler.

"Manhunt" was another Tracy Tormé script gone awry.  Tormé intended the Dixon Hill story as the primary narrative but all changed when Lwaxanna, played by Gene Roddenberry's wife, came into the picture.  As with "The Royale," he was so upset with the changes that he insisted on the use of a pseudonym: Terry Devereaux.  I can't say I blame him.  I like the Dixon Hill part better, too.  I'm also not a Lwaxanna fan.

That said, there is genuine, laugh-out-loud humor in the episode.  Once Picard realizes Lwaxanna's intentions at an unexpectedly intimate dinner, he recruits Data to join them.  Lwaxanna is not impressed:

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Mick Fleetwood (one of the Antedean dignitaries) is the second member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to be featured in this space.  He was born Michael John Kells Fleetwood, June 24, 1947 in Redruth, England.  Interestingly, like fellow rocker Michelle Phillips, Fleetwood spent large portions of his childhood living abroad - Egypt and Norway - as his father was in the Royal Air Force.  As a result, Fleetwood is fluent in Norwegian.

Mick Fleetwood is most famous as the leader and drummer of Fleetwood Mac, one of the best-selling rock bands in history.  He is, in fact, the only member to stay with the band through its entire existence.  Without a doubt, they were one of the dominant musical forces of the 1970s.  Overall, the band had three albums reach the top of the Billboard charts.  Their 1977 album Rumours is a rock and roll masterpiece.  Fleetwood's writing credits are few, but do include his contributions to this classic, the band's usual concert opener on tour:



His acting career has been modest, also appearing in The Running Man.  He has also dabbled in wine production and owns a couple of restaurants.

via Memory Alpha

Fleetwood is a huge Star Trek fan.   He objected neither to the two-and-a-half hours for makeup nor to the fact that he would be unrecognizable on screen.

via Memory Alpha

On the Coffee Table: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Author: J.K. Rowling

via Amazon

Harry and his friends are back for another year at Hogwarts.  However, House Elf Dobby - Harry didn't even know there was such a thing before - has warned him not to return for his own safety.  There's a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, a too-famous author who tries to get chummy with Harry.  There is trouble, of course.  Students are being attacked and initially, Harry is blamed.

The original book was a tough act to follow and overall, I would say the second book isn't quite as good.  That said, it's still amazing.  I admire Rowling's efforts to break away from her own formula quickly.  For instance, Harry isn't trapped with the Dursleys all summer, actually getting to spend the last month at the Weasley's charming home.  Getting physically to Diagon Alley or even Hogwarts wasn't quite as simple as it was the year before.  We see more tension in the adult wizard community, particularly between the Weasley and Malfoy families.

Strong world-building elements:

• There are both cookbooks and comic books targeted to the magical community in the Weasley home.
• We learn of Ron's favorite club quidditch team: the Chudley Cannons.
• A quidditch question: are substitutions allowed?  There are only seven players on the Gryffindor house team and only seven allowed on the pitch at a time.  That seems short-sighted.

Chamber of Secrets is a good book for the Hufflepuffs - or not so good depending how you look at it.   Justin Finch-Fletchler befriends Harry and is clearly impressed by his fame.  Unfortunately, he was also one of the victims of the attacks, apparently targeted as Muggle-born.  Ernie Macmillan is a friend of Justin's and one of the most vocal of Harry's accusers, though he comes around in the end.

Chamber of Secrets is also the first important Ginny Weasley story.  Spoiler: Ginny's my favorite character in the series, followed by Neville Longbottom and, of course, Snape...  More on that in future books.

Squid Mixes: Capricious

A capricious combines gin, dry vermouth, elderflower liqueur and Peychaud's Bitters.  I got my recipe from Mr. Boston.  The cocktail was invented by Eric Alperin for the St. Germaine company, which produces elderflower liqueur.

There's a lot going on flavor-wise.  The drink reminded me of a fresh lychee: sweet with floral hints and a bitterness close to the pit.  It's quite pretty in the glass, the bitters supplying a delicate pink.


Vermouth Battles: Noilly Prat vs. Gambarelli & Davitto

Noilly Prat is a French brand based in Marseillan.  The original product was a dry vermouth, more typical of France, but the line now includes both red and amber varieties.  The brand has been owned by Martini & Rossi, an Italian company, since 1971.


The Manhattan Test Decision: Noilly Prat

We both preferred Noilly Prat.  My wife described it as cleaner.  Next we'll put it up against Tribuno.  For now, they are...

Co-Champions: Noilly Prat and Tribuno

Jolabokaflod: The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book

Title: The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book
Writer and Artist: Bill Waterson

via Amazon

I have written previously about my love for Calvin and Hobbes here and about Jolabokaflod here.  This particular book was a gift from my niece a couple years back when we all gathered in Montreal for Christmas.  She was, I believe, eleven years old at the time.

Lazy Sunday Book collects the Sunday strips from May 24, 1987 to July 30, 1989 in full color.  The Sunday strips lack the punch of the dailies.  However, the longer format provided a broader canvas for Watterson to exhibit Calvin's dreamscapes: outer space, dinosaurs, giant insects and, never to be underappreciated, his own backyard.  Plus, there's nothing wrong with a joke taking a little longer to develop.  I particularly enjoy Calvin and Hobbes's interpretations of baseball, including at least 23 bases and one "secret" base.  Calvinball, an expression of genius all its own, wasn't introduced until 1990.  It's fun to observe the thought process leading up to it.

As an added bonus, Watterson opened the book with a new 10-page, 25-panel story.  Four of the panels are full-page, in fact, though two include inlays.  In the afterword, the author waxes nostalgic over the greater amount of space afforded to a single Sunday strip in a bygone era.  It's fun to see what he would have done with more space himself.

What more can I say?  As I have written before, C&H, Bloom County and The Far Side are the best strips in the history of the medium and I feel extremely fortunate to have grown up with all three.  Forced to choose, I'd probably pick Calvin as the best of them all.  I'm delighted to see it enjoyed by a new generation and I am charmed to know that it made my sweet niece think of me.

It does make me wonder about what my sister has told her about what I was like as a child...