Star Trek (TNG): Tin Man

[Morgaine]

It's funny to be how abrasive and uncharismatic Tam is here when I consider the Mayor in Buffy to be extremely likable and charismatic despite being completely evil. That being why I caught that reference immediately, if it is one. Whenever I see Harry Groener that's who I think of, and he still makes me smile to this day.

On the episode itself I feel it would've worked better if Tam had been introduced in a previous episode, perhaps a season earlier and have that be where he screws up, maybe causing Riker to directly lose someone or something like that. They could also take care of his dickishness in the earlier episode and concentrate more on developing him here, so it wouldn't seem like as much of a throwaway character.

[PlasmaHam]

This is one of the first episodes of TNG that I ever saw, and for some reason it has stayed in the back of my mind in the years since then. On first watch, while I was just starting to get into the sci-fi/fantasty genre, this episode was quite entertaining and I liked the resolution. However, on my recent second viewing, I recognized that the standard tropes and cliches used in the plot made the resolution quite obvious, and that there wasn't much uniqueness about this story.

It didn't help that the characterization was bad for Tam. Perhaps make him more likable, instead of a jerk that you can't help but be glad he's gone. Or perhaps have split this story into two entirely separate episodes, one dealing with Tam's attitude problem, and one then dealing with the suicidal space whale. Seems more natural anyway, as both of the plots have enough material to do their own episode around.

[ChiggyvonRichthofen]

This is an episode that always seems to be referenced in fan communities. Just for the life of me I never understand why. I can see where parts of it would have made for an excellent written short story. But as a stage play on Star Trek, it was kind of dull most of the time, mixed with equal parts annoying. On the printed page it is easy to strike that balance between an insufferable jackass of a character and the protagonist. You can blend them easily since you can get into his head and empathize with him. On screen in a visual medium the viewer is like "I hate that guy! I really really hate that guy!"

Maybe it's because one of the writers has been pretty active in some of the bigger online Trek communities. For myself and, I think, for the average viewer, this is a fairly forgettable episode. I wouldn't count it among the worst, but I think Chuck's criticisms are certainly valid.

I also agree with the critiques here- this episode never really made the leap from an effective short story to an effective episode of Star Trek. I think its possible to introduce a character and make you care about them in the space of a single episode (some shows revolved around that sort of thing, after all), but this production wasn't strong enough to make that happen. And if the audience isn't invested in Tam's journey, then the episode loses a lot of its power. The concept itself is interesting, but it isn't mindblowing for Trek or anything.

[CareerKnight]

I don't know why but I never found Tam annoying. Still agree with Chuck's score though.

[G-Man]

I just enjoyed the courtroom bit. I thought we were going to get into Nicotine Nemo territory for a moment there!

"Ah, the halls of justice. I was there with Nick Neimeier - the one we used to call "Nic-o-tine Ne-mo. And we all said "Nic-O-Tene NeMO, you can't smoke here! But that didn't stop Nicotine Nemo..."

[Beastro]

Fairly well every Betazoid we see on the show is crazy or insufferable, anyway. At least this time they have a guy who's not obsessed with titles of nobility.

youtu.be/JI29Rsq6BEc

I could see the same joke working within the Federation over Betazoids and Tellarites.

[Morgaine]

I have to wonder if the whole Dominion capturing Betazed in DS9 was some cruel joke on the part of the writers on an obnoxious race, along the lines of Seven in VOY staing that the Kazon aren't worthy of being assimilated.

[cdrood]

It's weird how pretty much the same thing can cause different reactions when you've actually been given a reason to care. Tam's attitude, while understandable, doesn't really help things and the fact that neither the audience or main characters have much personally invested in him either makes the whole thing fall flat.

Compare this to one of the greatest "OF COURSE!!" moments in comic book history. For those only familiar with the Avengers and X-Men movies, Quicksilver in the comics is a bit different than he is there. In comics, he's pretty much always been a bit of an asshole. He's short tempered, argumentative, and borderline villainous at times. However, he's also clearly been heroic many times and is The Scarlet Witch's brother and has had to deal with being Magneto's son, so it's someone you can still get behind. An issue of X-Factor explained his dickishness perfectly. The team, government sponsored at the time, was going through a psychological evaluation. Quicksilver explains that with his speed, his entire life is like being in line at the ATM behind that person who has no clue how to operate the thing. To him, the rest of humanity moves so slow, his patience is stretched to the limit in just dealing with people every day. The character had been around for about 30 years before any writer made this connection and I still see it referenced in posts about being a turning point in how a lot of people see the character.

If he'd been a new character being a dick to our favorites, no one would have cared and that's what Tam's problem is.

[CassidayGloves]

First off, Hi everyone, long time viewer, first time poster.
I will admit that I absolutely love this episode of TNG. Nostalgia might be a large contributing factor into my biased take on this episode. I loved it when I was a little womb-gnome and I love it now as a jaded adult. It's on my long list of comfort episodes of Star Trek to watch on a sick-day. To me, it's at the core of the exploration of the unknown aspect of Star Trek storytelling that I've always enjoyed.
And I've always had a lot of sympathy for Tam, more than most are willing to give him. But that's as a neutral spectator to a story, if I met the man and had to deal with him in reality, I'd probably want to whoop his ass until he stopped finishing my sentences for me.
That's aside from the point, he does live with an agonizing condition, it's hard to really imagine the scope of not only living your own life, but getting a real time feed of every experience and thought of everyone around you- constantly. You're not living your own life, in that moment, you're living every other life you're exposed too. I know personally, that'd drive me into a psychward and a steady diet of pain-killers and anti-psychotics.
Anyways, always loved the concept of living ships like Gomtu. Part of me wishes it had a follow up episode so we know where it blooped off to, would have been really handy in the Borg invasion that came later in that season. Probably Tam and Gomtu were off exploring beyond the galaxy's rim, and getting all the gnarly mind-powers that come with breaching the barrier.
Anyways, there are TNG episodes much more deserving of our ire. (Though I know I will be digitally stoned for this by other people in the forums, I actually like season 1 and 2 of TNG, NOT BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE GOOD. I Actually just like them because they're soooo awful.)

[PerrySimm]

Probably Tam and Gomtu were off exploring beyond the galaxy's rim, and getting all the gnarly mind-powers that come with breaching the barrier.
Anyways, there are TNG episodes much more deserving of our ire. (Though I know I will be digitally stoned for this by other people in the forums, I actually like season 1 and 2 of TNG ... )

Misunderstood and crazy warp-field dynamics? They're great candidates for a visit from The Traveller.