132. In A Hole (TNG 1.21)

Anika and Liz get chased by some drones, fall down a hall, and take the opportunity to discuss the first season TNG episode "The Arsenal of Freedom"...

• For a first season TNG episode, this is … not bad at all
• Is season 1 of TNG really season 4 of TOS?
• TNG went all-in on the anticapitalism in season 1 (it's just a shame they brought the antisemitism along for the ride)
• Riker's whole job is to keep Picard out of danger. He's gone for LESS THAN AN HOUR and Picard is beaming himself down to the death planet.
• hurt/comfort dynamics
• Beverly, that's not how xenobotany works
• Tasha was killed off just as they were figuring out how to write her
• Deanna Troi singlehandedly invented the "let's stop in the middle of a crisis to talk about your feelings" scene
• Is Logan the worst chief engineer of every single Enterprise ever? Yes!
• "The Beverly that came back isn't the same as the Beverly that left."
• (Yes, it's because no one was left in the writers room from season 1, but LET'S SPECULATE WILDLY REGARDLESS)