I am actually very glad Picard wasn't young, it just is far more realistic for someone to have some years under the belt once they reach the level of captain.
I agree that Captain Picard being older and Riker being young, they could explore more storylines with both characters, not to mention how much they both changed. Remember in the beginning Captain Picard being uncomfortable with kids on the ship, to mellowing out later on, and Riker being impetuous and a little brash to being a little more refined as a Starfleet officer
I always assumed english is the basic language everyone learns and ther own natural language as a secondary. So Picard spoke both french and english all his live wich of course would eradicate his accent.
I seem to recall an episode where Data refers to “an obscure language known as French” and Picard glares at him for a moment before moving on to other things.
I wonder if that led to the french government banning by law the use of certain English words in order to protect the "purity" of the french language. Strange lot them frogs.
I met Doohan around 1980 and he shook my hand with his left hand, which I thought was awkward and strange. I didn't know he was missing a finger until many years later. He didn't want his injury to frighten a ten year old boy. He was a very thoughtful man.
i met him in 1990 and he felt me up with his right hand, so i guess he still used it for some things. It was a trek con in Tx. The trip home was the most stressful 24hrs in my life. Getting felt up was pretty much what kept me going. i knew i had a great story after that. Never really told it, but i had it to tell if i wanted to!
My dad, a man bald on top since his 20s,was quietly delighted when he watched the pilot of TNG and this fantastic new captain was bald. As time went on and Picard was proven every bit as "manly" as Kirk, but polished and sophisticated, he grew even happier with the new show vs the old. Picard did a lot for mainstreaming bald men as virile leads, VS as paunchy cowards, it was long overdue.
@@zerrodefex I remember Telly Savalas (Kojak) and Yul Brynner (The King and I, Westworld) were touted as sexy bald men for my parents generation, but there were fewer examples back then, but they really paved the way for Stewart, Willis etc to mainstream bald on appealing action heroes and I feel like these days bald down by have any kind of societal taint (as long as it's all well groomed). It's a nice changed because it's s u c h a common thing for most men to have to deal with.
I had no idea that Frakes had a back injury. Once again we have a case of an actor who chose to "own" his limitation and use it. It looked so natural for him to swing his leg over chairs and lean on objects that way. Very dominating.
Same here. I love how he incorporated his back problem into his character. Same with Andrew J. Robinson, drawing on his real life claustrophobia in certain episodes of DS9.
A non trek example is the Bartlett maneuver in West Wing, Martin Scheen has a shoulder injury from birth and because of it has a unique way of putting a suit jacket on, to the point that it became a trope in the show.
Its not a fact, just an urban legend. I have seen both arguments both without a confirmation of Frakes himself, just third parties affirming of denying the fact. But i actually think that the maneuver is a personal trait, He is tall and commands respect with the beard and the eyes, and he was a predator of any human and alien females alike. He was just displaying his physical power. Injury or not lol.
Kate Mulgrew has explained that putting her hands on her hips was actually to help her appear less emotive with her hands on screen. The producers did a lot to try to lessen the fact that the first female captain in a series was in fact female. Including getting her to gesture less with her hands. So Kate simply put her hands on her hips so she wouldn't use them.
That makes sense, since female body language and speech has a tendency to be soft, and agreeable, which is not exactly believable or plausible for what is basically a Navy ship commander. I would not be surprised if RL female commanders use similar tricks. Other than that, I never found that Janeway was stripped of her femininity. In private, she is often seen as very caring and motherly. Imho, they nailed the whole female captain thing. It was never on the nose, or obnoxious, she was just a captain that happened to be a woman.
@@RossTheNinja I dunno, I find leaders to sound more authoritative when they speak softly in situations that allow it. It is an imposition of superiority over another to force them to make an effort to listen to your words with extra care.
Here's a fun fact about a character quirk: The reason Picard is always pulling his top to straighten it is that the uniforms were a size too small so they wouldn't ever crease, but this meant sitting down would cause it to shift, and he was always adjusting his outfit as a result. I think it was after season 1 they got properly fitted uniforms because Patrick Stewart's doctor said if he kept wearing that outfit it was gonna damage his spine, which meant he no longer needed to pull his top to adjust it every time he stood up. However, by that point, it had become such an iconic quirk of his, he continued doing it for the rest of the show.
How ive heard it is that the first few seasons (or season? i cant remember when they changed uniform designs) they wore a jumpsuit which was the one you're talking about: a size too small to not crease. Then they got pants and a shirt (i think even because of the issues the actors had with wearing the small clothes for so long). Im guessing the shifting of the shirt just comes from sitting down and standing up, since the fabric seems pretty stiff. (Heard this in an interview with patrick stewart and johnathan frakes)
I noticed just Yesterday the episode where he got turned into a teenager, the kid was Such a good actor! He had all his mannerisms perfect, including the shirt pull! 😁😁😎🖖
I also remember the episode where Data is in command while they search for Riker and Picard, when he takes Worf into the Captain's Lounge to lecture him he does the move himself before turning around to face Worf like he's trying his best to mimic Picard.
It seems weird to add one of the Vulcan traditions Nimoy added and not the other: he's the one who came up with the Vulcan neck pinch. He was supposed to punch someone (Shatner, I think) to knock them out. But he thought it seemed to unnecessarily violent for Spock's character, so he suggested Vulcans knew enough about anatomy to hit a pressure point and knock people out. He was asked to demonstrate it, and did so on Shatner, who was an expert at fainting on cue so it would look good on camera.
@@pierrebroussseau9359 Doohan mentioned a nerve pinch he learned in the army. That's why it's in the place of a real nerve center. Do NOT try it, if the person has a lo threshold they might faint. If they don't they'll be really pissed, so not good. :(
@@wilomica I still get a chuckle from McCoy trying to use a Vulcan neck pinch on the Starfleet Security guy in Search for Spock, and the guy just looks at him like "Really, Dr. McCoy? Can we go now?"
g : "what the hell are you doing?!" LS : "the vulcan neck pinch?" G : "no, no , stupid, it's up here, higher. . " ls : "like this?" g : "yeah, you got it!" *faints*
@@60sSam I think that's why it's harder to spot, half a finger missing is obvious but an entire one missing well if you don't see the entire hand at a brief glance you think "hmm his fingers are spaced further apart than normal" and don't think anything more of it.
The pauses in Kirk's cadence came largely from William Shatner trying to remember his lines. He had a lot of dialogue to learn for every episode and was given very little time to rehearse. (notice that in the films, the long pauses are nearly absent) By his own admission, Shatner is not very good at adlibbing, unlike DeForrest Kelly who was excellent at filling in lines he would forget.
It was also a style of the time - watch some big production films from the 60's and you can find other actors speaking similarly. It was thought to be 'dramatic' at the time.
@@HeatherSpoonheim the style became popular; because it was a way to extend an actors screentime. Adam (Batman) West was infamous for it, and his costars complained about it because he was known to abuse the use of dramatic pauses to a fantastic degree.
Also, watch an episode of Miami Vice in the 80s and they used dramatic pauses slightly differently. “Did you know her?” (Very long pause) “I knew her.”
I seem to remember from reading Shatner’s autobiography that he began using his now iconic cadence when doing some stage work early in his career. Possibly off (off) Broadway? Anyway, small stage, small house, and it was easy for the actors to become aware that the audience wasn’t paying attention to the stage. So he started using dramatic pauses to bring attention to the ‘good bits’... and himself I presume. Of course, a few TOS cast mates were less than impressed with that book, so take it as you will.
Rene Aubrjonois (Odo) and Armin Shimerman (Quark) talked a lot to each other because there makeup chairs used to be so close together that they became friends. They decided to add that to ds9 with having their characters Odo and Quark slowly become friends with each other too.
In fact, Takei terrorised the entire set and cast with his rapier. It even led to the cast and crew banding together and insisting that he never be let anywhere near a sword again...
Bit like Matt Smith and a fez (Dr Who). His co-stars in the show are the ones who proposed taking it off his head and blasting it with a gun because they knew how he gets about costume oddities.
Lt. Doohan was shot six times on Juno beach in a bullet spray from a Bren: 4 times in the leg, once in the chest (stopped by a cigarette case), with the sixth severing his finger. He was shipped back to England to recover, after which he signed up to become a pilot, and was attached to an artillery unit. You really buried the lead there.
Frakes/Riker also has a habit that somehow disappeared later on: he also SAT on consoles a LOT during the first season (and probably 2nd season as well). That gaff was hilariously highlighted when some enterprising (pun full intended) fan edit showed Riker sitting on a console and *BLOWING* up the Enterprise D via butt-dial.
LMAO hilarious edit, but the LCARS panels were a lot smarter then that and could tell the difference between a finger and a butt. In fact they theoretically could also identify WHO's fingers they were and deny access to functions based on that person's intended access level... at least according to the TNG technical manual.
Don't forget Walter Koenigs hairstyle as Chekov in TOS was based on The Beatles haircuts, the look of the Borg was based on necessity. They weren't supposed to be humanoid but the production budget in the first series was quite stretched so they gained their look as a cost saving measure. Also Ricardo Montalbans excessively macho appearance in Wrath of Khan was because he wanted to show off his physique and Marina Sirtis had to adopt a neutral accent as Troi because the producers thought two actors with English accents in TNG would have been a bit weird.
The TOS episode The Naked Time is crazy, conceded, but not absurd. It was the time in which every character revealed his true nature, like Bones being essentially a doctor pursuing a cure, Kirk feeling the crushing responsibility of his rank, and most of all, Spock revealing the inner conflict of being biracial. That episode was crucial for the development of that character, of all the characters, and gave the franchise its true beginning.
I was looking for this comment. The virus attacks the brain and neurological symptoms can cause the sufferer to appear drunk. Really unnecessary putdown of a great episode.
Picard works so well as the captain of a ship that is meant to go and do first encounters. I could not imagine anyone better for humanity to send to represent us.
Agreed. And I was blown away a few years ago when I realized the same actor Andy Robinson portrayed the crazy serial killer antagonist in "Dirty Harry" over 20 years earlier!
He was the ONLY real character in DS9. I found all the others to be very shallow and you could actually see they were just acting. Garak was so believeable as a character and his acting was so good, he just seemed to be the real deal.
In TNG one noticeable oddity is that most French people speak with a French accent, but Picard _and his entire village_ (La Barre) speak with a posh South English one, the only exceptions being people who originated in another area of France (and even some of those, after living in La Barre for decades, have adopted the posh English accent). My fanon theory is that during World War 3, there was a mass exodus of South English refugees to La Barre (it's fairly close to England) and their massive influx changed the local accent. It was mostly wealthy, upper middle and upper class families that managed to escape, hence the accent being Queen's English rather than Cockney or Essex.
Patrick's native Yorkshire is audible in certain episodes, e.g. "twenty two years ago, one ship could have stopped this war before it *started*". Shame Geordie wasn't actually a Geordie, e.g. "Haway, Leah, man, pet, man!"
Two comments: I saw an interview with Patrick Stewart on the Tonight Show and toward the end the host ( I can't remember which) said the next guest was to be Reba McIntyre. Steward leapt up with an expression of unalloyed joy and started to shake like a teenager awaiting the arrival of The Beatles. I cannot imagine a more human reaction to meeting a personal idol. If, for no other reason, I have always loved him for that. The second is a memory of getting my 80y/o mother to watch ST:TOS rerums. Like many of "that older generation" she had refused to watch it mostly because of Spock. This episode was the one with Frank Gorshon (sp?) as the man at war with his mirror image. She instantly recognized the deeper meaning and over her remaining years we would watch and discuss various episodes.
@@piratejenny23 The "generation" didn't. There were some people that felt he looked too much like "the Devil", though - And it was a time before science-fiction was generally accepted "mainstream" fodder (Until _Star Wars_ made a ton of money it was considered "kid-stuff")
@@jeric_synergy8581 There were some people (not a majority by any means) in the 60s that felt it was a concern. As stated, up until then science-fiction on TV was _Flash Gordon, Rocky Jones: Space Ranger_ and _Tom Corbett: Space Cadet. Star Trek_ was the first network series aimed at adults. (Twilight Zone and other "anthology" series didn't count). Apparently they were worried how it might affect children...
Some of those weren't actual "quirks." Frakes, yes, that was a quirk of Riker. Another example should have been the "Picard Maneuver" where he would tug on his uniform tunic whenever he sat down. This was because the spandex in the uniform caused it to ride up or bunch up, and he incorporated the necessary adjustments into the character.
In the episode where Data is acting captain and Worf is filling in for first officer there is a scene where Data chews out Worf and he even emulates the "Picard Maneuver" just before verbally dressing down Worf.
@@ledeasoakenbough hmm no it's definitely not Attached, they talk about the past in that episode, but there are no flashbacks. I'm pretty sure this is just a screen test.
When talking about Doohan's missing finger, I can't believe you didn't show the clip from Star Trek !V: The Voyage Home in which Scotty attempts to use a computer mouse to talk to the computer. His missing finger is never more visible than in that shot. "Hello, Computer."
I always assumed that the reason for Picard speaking with an English accent was during World War III, the English finally achieved their millennia long goal of conquering France.
@SciFiDude 79 Gary Burghoff is another. Radar's hand was always hidden - except you can catch it a couple of times if you're paying attention. Especially in one scene in the OR when he's made to scrub up and put gloves on. He comes in with his hands up, and you can see the filling in the glove for his fingers.
I grew up with and still have a friend who has been missing most of her fingers from birth and people who knew her for years didn't notice and even got angry when I mentioned it thinking I was lying. She is very good at misdirection when it comes to her hand.
I’ve often wondered if John Le Carre was a Star Trek fan and the writers of Ds9 were LeCarre fans. The name Elim Garak is quite close to being anagrams of the names of the protagonist and antagonist of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smileys People Elim-Smiley and Garak-Karla. And three years after DS9 premiered LeCarre came out with the novel The Tailor of Panama about a tailor with a secret past who joins the spy business.
I was ignorant of Doohan's and Frakes' injuries - that alone made this video worth watching! Aside from that, I'd like to state that Martok is next to Worf my favorite Klingon mainly because of the way Hertzler played him - the level of contained badassery between the two is off the charts!
Marc Alaimo is actually the funniest and well rounded convention cast from the DS9 cast. He was surprisingly warm and cordial in the 90s. He really did method acting for the villain part.
I met him at the flea market in Topanga in 2021, and he was such a nice and down to earth man! I was so excited and thankful :) He even took a selfie with me so I could show my Dad
When I met Andy Robison at GalaxyCon Raleigh in 22, I thanked him for being willing to do the wall scene. I told him I had see the episode for the first time in 2020/2021 during a very very difficult period in my life and seeing him perform that scene, under conditions that were very difficult for him to function under, made me realize that YES I did have what it took to get through my own tribulation.
I have to reluctantly agree, A Italian man in italy we had as our groups tour guide spoke in an american sounding accent when using englis, he studied english in America i think and lived American films, so it is possibe
I always assumed Johnathon Frakes mounted the chairs like that because he's so tall and the chair backs were so short. It just made so much sense that I'd have never thought there'd be any other reason.
The way he enters a room with that neck twisted to the side; as someone who had bad bout of lumbago a long time ago it was clear to me that he had a back problem.
Me too. I’m as tall as Frakes and I pretty much always do that when I sit in a low backed chair (and long before TNG came out). It’s easier than pulling it way out from a table or desk to walk around and sit. And ironically I’ve had a back injury the last couple of months and it is actually easier on your back since you basically sit down with your legs spread father apart and it puts less stress on your back muscles.
The Takei story is actually incorrect. Takei has said in interviews that he wanted the job so badly he made up skills when going to the casting call, including knowing how to fence. That's why the fencing was written in. They called his bluff
Picard's British accent was later partially explained by the fact that in WWIII, the French population was basically wiped out and the country repopulated by the British. This doesn't really address some of his family members having French accents (though not all of them do), but I think it's kind of a cool explanation... and a very dark one, for a very dark time in Star Trek history. It's rarely spoken of on screen but any time it is, the details of that war just get more and more horrifying.
As a longtime Star Trek fan, I'm surprised I never noticed Scotty's missing finger! Also the whole bit about Riker and the chairs was pretty funny lol. Stay well out there everybody, and God bless you friends! :)
The Hornblower books are indeed a marvel. The character depht and honesty is a joy. A must for people who enjoy buccaneer napoleonic wartime sailor adventures and a good bit of historic accuracy
I met Andrew Robinson around 1999 or 2000 in Marietta, GA and he's really one of the good guys. Very kind, generous with his time. Genuine. He and Alexander Siddig too. both just super. All good wishes, fellas!
Star Trek has been my favorite show, movie, or whatever, ever since the very first episode! When my friends and I get into discussions about it, my wife says we sound like we are talking about REAL people, and events!
Thank goodness for this video. I had no idea Frakes had a back injury. I'm now much more forgiving of his stilted acting style. The Doohan revelation was news to me too. Bravo. Once again, Star Trek ... treks the trek with sincerity.
In the DS9 episode Take Me Out to the Holosuite, they had to try and make the inexperience of the characters beyond Sisko and Jake (so Worf, Quark, Rom, Dax, Bashir, O’Brien etc) look as convincing as possible. Problem was, Michael Grodenchik who played Rom was a very good baseball player and would have looked too good, so they had him throw left handed to make him look bad. Or it was Armin Zimmerman who played Quark... either way.
Gotta give props Franks and being a good actor, by throwing his all into the role, but still respecting his body by not pushing the role to ignore injuries.
I find it funny that the Cardassians were designed around Alaimo and was so well liked they made him the main antagonist but in the DS9 documentary he says he never felt the love from show runners.
And they said, "But we keep calling you, that's not enought?"; he replie was "But noone never told me I'm good, I always believe that's be the last time" Well -Kind of-, the precise dialog it's on the documentary and was so kind see his face when Ira told him; than they keep calling him, because He was the best and they loved it!
A Frenchman who learned his English in Britain could easily have picked up a taste for it. That episode with his brother implies that Picard was the "lucky" kid who passed the French educational system's big exam and got to go to university, while his brother failed it and went to trade school.
Ahh yes...Earl Grey. I tried it as a result of STNG. I found Earl Grey tea is far better with a squeeze of lemon juice and half a teaspoon of sugar. Try it. It's way better..
I met James Doohan, and Walter Koenig years ago, when they were doing appearances for the release of one of the movies on video. It had been a long day for them, and both were clearly tired from signing autographs. When I approached them, I told them I just wanted the chance to meet them, and thank them for their work on the series, both were genuinely nice, and frankly I never noticed the missing finger when I shook hands with James Doohan.
Another Picard think, Patrick Stewart either emoted heavily with his hands or held them at his side rigidly doing absolutely nothing at all with very little middle ground. This is because years of playing Shakespeare had conditioned him to leave his hands idle when not actually performing with them. The reason being in his own word "There are no pockets on medieval hose, just like there are no pockets on Star Trek uniforms, so I was the only person who knew exactly what to do with my hands: nothing".
Foils and rapiers are not the same thing (Sulu was using a foil in the episode). A foil is basically a thick wire with a pointy end used in fencing, and a rapier is a narrow blade, the kind used by the 3 Musketeers.
I remember watching trouble with tribbles and being like oh what's up with Scotty's finger and now I know, Scotty is my favorite character from tos and I'm just an observant person so I right away noticed it
I always assumed Frakes stepping over chairs was due to his height. I'm 6'4 and my brother and father are both taller and it's just something we all do.
Back in the eighties, when I heard that Patrick Stewart was signed on for the new series, I was impressed. I had seen him playing Serjanus in "I, Claudius", and couldn't believe the production had the taste to cast such an impressive actor. I am appalled Roddenberry was not on board.
Never knew about Riker's back injury. I did know he's 6'4" tall which makes it easy for him to lift and mount chairs that way... I just thought it was a goofy thing he did...
ok but what about the "Picard maneuver" of tugging on the uniform as to get ready before serious moments? (Which you also see Ryker do while hes acting captain while Picard is with the borg, and in season after that you occasionally see other characters copy it as well when they are in positions of power (even if it's just in their head)).
I always noticed that directional head nod too. Also he had, that slightly angled, lift of his chin. It seemed to say 'Hey friend, I'm not looking for a fight. I've got nothing to prove, but I'm up for whatever challenge, is if its called for'. Non-threatening but unafraid. I'd say Its why Worf liked him, and why Will did well as a Klingon 1st, officer while it lasted. Between the two head tilts, the chair thing, and his Captain Morgan poses. It all came off as self-possession. He somehow, made it work. Not many could have pulled it off, without appearing very silly. [Note: Conversely Frakes' portrayal of Thomas Ryker, was cocky, but never had the same kind, of swagger, or self-assurance]
Here's the thing about Riker though... it's not just the Riker Maneuver into chairs, or even the leg support on consoles and rocks... the man has his legs spread in just about every position he's in; standing or seated. I've never seen a man spread his legs so much in my life.
awesome! thx for the back stories! i've seen every single series a dozen times in replay but i have never seen that scotty is missing a finger! always new stuff to learn.
I never knew about Frakes' back being the reason for those things, but as someone born with 2 serious back problems it makes perfect sense. Standing up straight for long periods is brutal. I do the same leans and weight shifts he does.
I have several issues affecting my spine and yeah, hearing that Frakes has back issues makes a lot of his mannerisms make sense. I can't stay in one position - standing or sitting - for long without serious pain setting in. The long days on set must've been brutal for Frakes at times.
If Picard is ment to be based on Hornblower that would put him at the time and character development of "Ship of the line," "Flying colors," and "Commodore Hornblower." Which are all some of my favorite books of the series. By this time he's middle-aged and true master of ships and seamanship. With a quiet confidence and unwavering bravery that becomes apparent in subtle ways... or some not so subtle like his victorious defeat on the Sutherland.
Oh, yea. Search for Time Warp from RHPS matched to a montage from Star Trek. Every time the Criminologist says "you put your hands on your hips," it cuts to Janeway.
Rikers back issue I never heard, and also subconsciously it must have gone into my brain, but I watched it religiously in the late 80's early 90's and it never occured to me until you pointed it out.. holy crud!
I mean, "The Naked Now" TNG episode is literally a gigantic reference to "The Naked Time" TOS episode, so much so that they even referenced the events of that episode in furtherance of the plot... so, don't know what you expected from that. >.>
THANK YOU! The “kinda copied wholesale” comment about an episode that was _an intentional callback to the original_ annoyed me and makes me doubt the veracity of the rest of the video.
I used to do the Riker Maneuver in high school in the late 90s, and I was surprised to see it on TNG when I rewatched it years later. But maybe I remembered it from my childhood. Riker is the coolest!
8:00 Something similar with Gary Burghoff from MASH. He's always shown holding something in his left hand, to disguise a genetic defect affecting several of the fingers.
I have a friend who's family was raised in India, but his little sister was born here in S.C. They have a thick Hindi accent, but she has a Southern one. Picard could be French, but raised in London. Explaining his love of Earl Grey.
That movement of Frakes’ leg lift point, not to a back injury, but to an SI joint injury. Damn thing did the same to me and I wondered why nothing helped my back pain… until I found out about an SI belt (not talking about a mid back belt…. Tried those and never did anything for me). The SI belt stabilises the hips, not the back… and it’s freaky how putting on the belt stops the pain after 5-10 minutes. Just look up Sacroiliac Joint Pain if you don’t believe me.
European citizens that have had to learn English often speak with a UK accent as their teachers and tutors are often from the UK. There is nothing strange about a Frenchman speaking English with a UK accent.
I read somewhere that one of Khan's fellow Augments, nicknamed "The Viking," conquered most of Europe and was an obsessive Anglophile. So pretty much everyone in his territory followed suit.
A unique piece of trivia about the intro of the TNG episode featuring Scotty ("Relics"), is that when the Enterprise away team inspects the transporter that Scotty's signal is being buffer-cycled in, Riker comments that the pattern "is completely intact, with less than .003% signal degradation". This may have been the writer's creative way to explain any appearances of Doohan's missing finger in the episode
I knew about the missing middle finger but I never noticed it when it was revealed, and the back issue answered a question I had about Riker and chairs. Good video.
I always knew of James Doohan's hand and he wasn't the only one in TV lore. Gary Burghoff of MASH fame also had a deformity on his left hand which is why you saw him either holding a clip board or his hand in his pocket during long shots.
Should have mentioned another bald captain. Avery Brooks favored the bald/goatee look from the beginning, but was contractually obligated to grow hair, probably because they didn't want him looking too much like his previous iconic TV character, Hawk. After three seasons, they presumably figured that Sisko was sufficiently established in his own right and rewrote Avery's contract, allowing him to resume his preferred look.
I am actually very glad Picard wasn't young, it just is far more realistic for someone to have some years under the belt once they reach the level of captain.
Agreed. Several young women auditioned for Captain Janeway but were deemed not old enough to be a Captain. 👍
Yep.
I would hope so.
I agree that Captain Picard being older and Riker being young, they could explore more storylines with both characters, not to mention how much they both changed. Remember in the beginning Captain Picard being uncomfortable with kids on the ship, to mellowing out later on, and Riker being impetuous and a little brash to being a little more refined as a Starfleet officer
Me too, especially the flagship
I like to think that Picard was speaking French the whole time and the universal translator was giving him an English accent.
Nice one!
LoL I like that suggestion.
I always assumed english is the basic language everyone learns and ther own natural language as a secondary. So Picard spoke both french and english all his live wich of course would eradicate his accent.
Best explanation yet!!
An interesting theory. The only question then is why the translator never worked on Q's French
I seem to recall an episode where Data refers to “an obscure language known as French” and Picard glares at him for a moment before moving on to other things.
One if the first Q episodes, I think?
He did more than glare at him, he went on a mini rant about it.
1st season, "Code of Honor"
I wonder if that led to the french government banning by law the use of certain English words in order to protect the "purity" of the french language. Strange lot them frogs.
@@fus149hammer5 the French government has recently loosened the regional language restrictions.
I met Doohan around 1980 and he shook my hand with his left hand, which I thought was awkward and strange. I didn't know he was missing a finger until many years later. He didn't want his injury to frighten a ten year old boy. He was a very thoughtful man.
i met him in 1990 and he felt me up with his right hand, so i guess he still used it for some things. It was a trek con in Tx. The trip home was the most stressful 24hrs in my life. Getting felt up was pretty much what kept me going. i knew i had a great story after that. Never really told it, but i had it to tell if i wanted to!
@@slaveteri Did you wonder where the middle finger went then when you couldnt feel it? hahhaa
My dad, a man bald on top since his 20s,was quietly delighted when he watched the pilot of TNG and this fantastic new captain was bald. As time went on and Picard was proven every bit as "manly" as Kirk, but polished and sophisticated, he grew even happier with the new show vs the old. Picard did a lot for mainstreaming bald men as virile leads, VS as paunchy cowards, it was long overdue.
It's funny how baldness in men went from being a sign of unmanliness to the complete opposite nowadays.
@@Ezullofyou make me think about the way women mentality has been changed too. Idk if I want to say the words of what's happening to them lately
Picard plus guys like Michael Jordan in the 90s then later on Bruce Willis did a lot to make baldness look badass and more socially acceptable.
@@zerrodefex I remember Telly Savalas (Kojak) and Yul Brynner (The King and I, Westworld) were touted as sexy bald men for my parents generation, but there were fewer examples back then, but they really paved the way for Stewart, Willis etc to mainstream bald on appealing action heroes and I feel like these days bald down by have any kind of societal taint (as long as it's all well groomed). It's a nice changed because it's s u c h a common thing for most men to have to deal with.
I had no idea that Frakes had a back injury. Once again we have a case of an actor who chose to "own" his limitation and use it. It looked so natural for him to swing his leg over chairs and lean on objects that way. Very dominating.
Same here. I love how he incorporated his back problem into his character. Same with Andrew J. Robinson, drawing on his real life claustrophobia in certain episodes of DS9.
A non trek example is the Bartlett maneuver in West Wing, Martin Scheen has a shoulder injury from birth and because of it has a unique way of putting a suit jacket on, to the point that it became a trope in the show.
I never knew about The Barlett Maneuver. It looks pretty cool.
Its not a fact, just an urban legend. I have seen both arguments both without a confirmation of Frakes himself, just third parties affirming of denying the fact.
But i actually think that the maneuver is a personal trait, He is tall and commands respect with the beard and the eyes, and he was a predator of any human and alien females alike. He was just displaying his physical power. Injury or not lol.
The alternative was muscle failure.
Kate Mulgrew has explained that putting her hands on her hips was actually to help her appear less emotive with her hands on screen. The producers did a lot to try to lessen the fact that the first female captain in a series was in fact female. Including getting her to gesture less with her hands. So Kate simply put her hands on her hips so she wouldn't use them.
That makes sense, since female body language and speech has a tendency to be soft, and agreeable, which is not exactly believable or plausible for what is basically a Navy ship commander. I would not be surprised if RL female commanders use similar tricks.
Other than that, I never found that Janeway was stripped of her femininity. In private, she is often seen as very caring and motherly. Imho, they nailed the whole female captain thing. It was never on the nose, or obnoxious, she was just a captain that happened to be a woman.
I wish they'd told her to not whisper all the fucking time instead
@@RossTheNinja I dunno, I find leaders to sound more authoritative when they speak softly in situations that allow it. It is an imposition of superiority over another to force them to make an effort to listen to your words with extra care.
Here's a fun fact about a character quirk: The reason Picard is always pulling his top to straighten it is that the uniforms were a size too small so they wouldn't ever crease, but this meant sitting down would cause it to shift, and he was always adjusting his outfit as a result.
I think it was after season 1 they got properly fitted uniforms because Patrick Stewart's doctor said if he kept wearing that outfit it was gonna damage his spine, which meant he no longer needed to pull his top to adjust it every time he stood up. However, by that point, it had become such an iconic quirk of his, he continued doing it for the rest of the show.
How ive heard it is that the first few seasons (or season? i cant remember when they changed uniform designs) they wore a jumpsuit which was the one you're talking about: a size too small to not crease. Then they got pants and a shirt (i think even because of the issues the actors had with wearing the small clothes for so long). Im guessing the shifting of the shirt just comes from sitting down and standing up, since the fabric seems pretty stiff. (Heard this in an interview with patrick stewart and johnathan frakes)
I noticed just Yesterday the episode where he got turned into a teenager, the kid was Such a good actor! He had all his mannerisms perfect, including the shirt pull! 😁😁😎🖖
I also remember the episode where Data is in command while they search for Riker and Picard, when he takes Worf into the Captain's Lounge to lecture him he does the move himself before turning around to face Worf like he's trying his best to mimic Picard.
Ah yes, the Picard Shrug
It seems weird to add one of the Vulcan traditions Nimoy added and not the other: he's the one who came up with the Vulcan neck pinch. He was supposed to punch someone (Shatner, I think) to knock them out. But he thought it seemed to unnecessarily violent for Spock's character, so he suggested Vulcans knew enough about anatomy to hit a pressure point and knock people out. He was asked to demonstrate it, and did so on Shatner, who was an expert at fainting on cue so it would look good on camera.
It was the "bad" Kirk in "The Enemy Within" Nimoy said he suggested this to the director, who didn't "get it". Shatner understood exactly.
@@pierrebroussseau9359 Doohan mentioned a nerve pinch he learned in the army. That's why it's in the place of a real nerve center. Do NOT try it, if the person has a lo threshold they might faint. If they don't they'll be really pissed, so not good. :(
Oo cool bonus fact. 🤏
@@wilomica I still get a chuckle from McCoy trying to use a Vulcan neck pinch on the Starfleet Security guy in Search for Spock, and the guy just looks at him like "Really, Dr. McCoy? Can we go now?"
g : "what the hell are you doing?!"
LS : "the vulcan neck pinch?"
G : "no, no , stupid, it's up here, higher. . "
ls : "like this?"
g : "yeah, you got it!" *faints*
I'm 33 years old and have been watching Star Trek since I was 5.... I never caught that James Doohan was missing a finger.
same... except I'm 34. lol
It really is hard to see even though it is the whole finger. I knew it, but could never really spot it without slowing things down.
Only appears once in one of the films. IV I think...at the"transparent aluminium" scene. Wait for it...
@@joshuajudas2414 And in V, as mentioned in the video.
@@60sSam I think that's why it's harder to spot, half a finger missing is obvious but an entire one missing well if you don't see the entire hand at a brief glance you think "hmm his fingers are spaced further apart than normal" and don't think anything more of it.
The pauses in Kirk's cadence came largely from William Shatner trying to remember his lines. He had a lot of dialogue to learn for every episode and was given very little time to rehearse. (notice that in the films, the long pauses are nearly absent) By his own admission, Shatner is not very good at adlibbing, unlike DeForrest Kelly who was excellent at filling in lines he would forget.
It was also a style of the time - watch some big production films from the 60's and you can find other actors speaking similarly. It was thought to be 'dramatic' at the time.
@@HeatherSpoonheim the style became popular; because it was a way to extend an actors screentime. Adam (Batman) West was infamous for it, and his costars complained about it because he was known to abuse the use of dramatic pauses to a fantastic degree.
Also, watch an episode of Miami Vice in the 80s and they used dramatic pauses slightly differently.
“Did you know her?”
(Very long pause)
“I knew her.”
"I'm a doctor not a ..." is always working.
I seem to remember from reading Shatner’s autobiography that he began using his now iconic cadence when doing some stage work early in his career. Possibly off (off) Broadway?
Anyway, small stage, small house, and it was easy for the actors to become aware that the audience wasn’t paying attention to the stage. So he started using dramatic pauses to bring attention to the ‘good bits’... and himself I presume.
Of course, a few TOS cast mates were less than impressed with that book, so take it as you will.
Rene Aubrjonois (Odo) and Armin Shimerman (Quark) talked a lot to each other because there makeup chairs used to be so close together that they became friends. They decided to add that to ds9 with having their characters Odo and Quark slowly become friends with each other too.
Distant friends?
The actors may have been friends, but the characters were frenemies. I always found their interactions hilarious.
In fact, Takei terrorised the entire set and cast with his rapier. It even led to the cast and crew banding together and insisting that he never be let anywhere near a sword again...
Bit like Matt Smith and a fez (Dr Who). His co-stars in the show are the ones who proposed taking it off his head and blasting it with a gun because they knew how he gets about costume oddities.
Lt. Doohan was shot six times on Juno beach in a bullet spray from a Bren: 4 times in the leg, once in the chest (stopped by a cigarette case), with the sixth severing his finger. He was shipped back to England to recover, after which he signed up to become a pilot, and was attached to an artillery unit. You really buried the lead there.
Woah! One tough guy!
From a Bren, yes. Friendly fire, poor chap. Shot by other Canadian soldiers. Literally adding insult to injury, I would think.
@@kinsmansteve My father knew a man who was at D-Day and he was so traumatized by it that he refused to talk about it, even to a fellow WWII veteran.
Lead. Buried. Ha!
@@kinsmansteve they apologized, so it's okay.
"Jonathan Frakes asserts his dominance over ever chair he encounters" is a fantastic line kudos to whoever wrote that.
*every
Never be able to forgive him for THAT Thunderbirds debacle though.....
@@daveroche6522
Am I the only person who liked that movie?
@@RhinoBarbarian My mom loved it. I’ve never seen it.
I could not agree more!
I just love that Frakes turned an injury into making his character look SOOOOOO cool!
till he screws it up
Yep he borrowed from the Ken Curtis* school of leg up acting. *Festus from Gunsmoke was also a director of B sci-fi films.
UGH. Poor Brent Spiner having to have Johnathan Frakes' manhood in his face all the time. DISGUSTING
I always got a kick out of his Capt. Morgan stances.
@@CieJe.Alexander Riker was the whole reason Captain Morgan was invented at all
Frakes/Riker also has a habit that somehow disappeared later on: he also SAT on consoles a LOT during the first season (and probably 2nd season as well). That gaff was hilariously highlighted when some enterprising (pun full intended) fan edit showed Riker sitting on a console and *BLOWING* up the Enterprise D via butt-dial.
😂😂
LMAO hilarious edit, but the LCARS panels were a lot smarter then that and could tell the difference between a finger and a butt. In fact they theoretically could also identify WHO's fingers they were and deny access to functions based on that person's intended access level... at least according to the TNG technical manual.
@@ShalmendoGlineux How about identifying who's butt it was? :P lol
I saw something similar with Picard saying an expletive then the ship going to warp.
You're talking about Alison Pregler's (AKA obscurus lupa) manic episodes. That bit always cracked me up.
Don't forget Walter Koenigs hairstyle as Chekov in TOS was based on The Beatles haircuts, the look of the Borg was based on necessity. They weren't supposed to be humanoid but the production budget in the first series was quite stretched so they gained their look as a cost saving measure. Also Ricardo Montalbans excessively macho appearance in Wrath of Khan was because he wanted to show off his physique and Marina Sirtis had to adopt a neutral accent as Troi because the producers thought two actors with English accents in TNG would have been a bit weird.
Monkees! Not Beatles. But yes.
The TOS episode The Naked Time is crazy, conceded, but not absurd. It was the time in which every character revealed his true nature, like Bones being essentially a doctor pursuing a cure, Kirk feeling the crushing responsibility of his rank, and most of all, Spock revealing the inner conflict of being biracial. That episode was crucial for the development of that character, of all the characters, and gave the franchise its true beginning.
Agreed.
The "Naked" episodes are my favorites, in both series.
I was looking for this comment. The virus attacks the brain and neurological symptoms can cause the sufferer to appear drunk. Really unnecessary putdown of a great episode.
Damit Jim I'm a Doctor not a Doctors Doctor
Yes! The naked time is a well written and not out of place for the time (ironic) at all. People are so harsh on TOS for the mindsets of the 60's. Smh.
Picard works so well as the captain of a ship that is meant to go and do first encounters.
I could not imagine anyone better for humanity to send to represent us.
Garak was seriously underused in my opinion, really loved that character.
Agreed. And I was blown away a few years ago when I realized the same actor Andy Robinson portrayed the crazy serial killer antagonist in "Dirty Harry" over 20 years earlier!
The actor playing Garak wrote a star trek book describing his early life as a Cardassian Spy. Adds a nice history to the character.
Garak and Quark are the two best characters on DS9. And all the characters are good
@@gymnastoman1 I loved Jadzia Dax, but I also thought Ezri Dax would have been great, given the time to develop.
He was the ONLY real character in DS9. I found all the others to be very shallow and you could actually see they were just acting. Garak was so believeable as a character and his acting was so good, he just seemed to be the real deal.
In TNG one noticeable oddity is that most French people speak with a French accent, but Picard _and his entire village_ (La Barre) speak with a posh South English one, the only exceptions being people who originated in another area of France (and even some of those, after living in La Barre for decades, have adopted the posh English accent).
My fanon theory is that during World War 3, there was a mass exodus of South English refugees to La Barre (it's fairly close to England) and their massive influx changed the local accent. It was mostly wealthy, upper middle and upper class families that managed to escape, hence the accent being Queen's English rather than Cockney or Essex.
it wasn't after ww3 it was after brexit
Patrick's native Yorkshire is audible in certain episodes, e.g. "twenty two years ago, one ship could have stopped this war before it *started*".
Shame Geordie wasn't actually a Geordie, e.g. "Haway, Leah, man, pet, man!"
@@neiloxley7229 “I’ll be doon in engineerin’ if yee need owt!”
@@popstalerfilm7782 I mean the Vulcans did Brexit, so it can’t _all_ be bad, right? …Right? 🫠
my last name is gauthier...neither i nor my husband or the family speak in a french accent....so why should picard:)
Two comments: I saw an interview with Patrick Stewart on the Tonight Show and toward the end the host ( I can't remember which) said the next guest was to be Reba McIntyre. Steward leapt up with an expression of unalloyed joy and started to shake like a teenager awaiting the arrival of The Beatles. I cannot imagine a more human reaction to meeting a personal idol. If, for no other reason, I have always loved him for that. The second is a memory of getting my 80y/o mother to watch ST:TOS rerums. Like many of "that older generation" she had refused to watch it mostly because of Spock. This episode was the one with Frank Gorshon (sp?) as the man at war with his mirror image. She instantly recognized the deeper meaning and over her remaining years we would watch and discuss various episodes.
What objection did her generation have to Spock?!
@@piratejenny23 IRC with the pointy ears he looks like the devil. 😈😈
@@piratejenny23 The "generation" didn't. There were some people that felt he looked too much like "the Devil", though - And it was a time before science-fiction was generally accepted "mainstream" fodder (Until _Star Wars_ made a ton of money it was considered "kid-stuff")
@@_XR40_ , "the Devil". Wow. I'm sorry, but that is simply nuts.
@@jeric_synergy8581 There were some people (not a majority by any means) in the 60s that felt it was a concern. As stated, up until then science-fiction on TV was _Flash Gordon, Rocky Jones: Space Ranger_ and _Tom Corbett: Space Cadet. Star Trek_ was the first network series aimed at adults. (Twilight Zone and other "anthology" series didn't count). Apparently they were worried how it might affect children...
Some of those weren't actual "quirks." Frakes, yes, that was a quirk of Riker. Another example should have been the "Picard Maneuver" where he would tug on his uniform tunic whenever he sat down. This was because the spandex in the uniform caused it to ride up or bunch up, and he incorporated the necessary adjustments into the character.
And Spock's eyebrow lift was overlooked.
In the episode where Data is acting captain and Worf is filling in for first officer there is a scene where Data chews out Worf and he even emulates the "Picard Maneuver" just before verbally dressing down Worf.
I love the episode where Picard goes home and the actor that played his brother actually looked like his brother
I actually wonder where the scene at 11:29 can be seen. It looks so weird.
@@bernds6587 it is an episode in the memory of Beverly and Jean-Luc. It involves the death of her husband. S7E8 Attached
@@ledeasoakenbough hmm no it's definitely not Attached, they talk about the past in that episode, but there are no flashbacks.
I'm pretty sure this is just a screen test.
@@bernds6587 screen test I think?
@@sendtothisone I don't know what episode but I've seen it, it's a flashback.
When talking about Doohan's missing finger, I can't believe you didn't show the clip from Star Trek !V: The Voyage Home in which Scotty attempts to use a computer mouse to talk to the computer. His missing finger is never more visible than in that shot. "Hello, Computer."
In case you didn't know, Patrick Stewart referred to his hairpiece at the time as "George". Just thought it was a detail you'd like to know.
It's not a tribble?
I'm shocked!!!
😅😅😅😅😅
I always assumed that the reason for Picard speaking with an English accent was during World War III, the English finally achieved their millennia long goal of conquering France.
The English have learned to ignored French. It is easier to to keep a eye on them, when they live in France.
I believe that James Doohan hid his missing finger because people would have been too busy looking at it, and wouldn't pay attention to his character.
@SciFiDude 79 Gary Burghoff is another. Radar's hand was always hidden - except you can catch it a couple of times if you're paying attention. Especially in one scene in the OR when he's made to scrub up and put gloves on. He comes in with his hands up, and you can see the filling in the glove for his fingers.
@@tonsilsthecat3430 That was at least partly because a missing finger would mean he was ineligible to serve in the army.
To be honest, when his right hand was shown, even openly in "Relics", I never noticed the missing finger!
to this day he is the most quoted character of TOS
I grew up with and still have a friend who has been missing most of her fingers from birth and people who knew her for years didn't notice and even got angry when I mentioned it thinking I was lying. She is very good at misdirection when it comes to her hand.
I’ve often wondered if John Le Carre was a Star Trek fan and the writers of Ds9 were LeCarre fans. The name Elim Garak is quite close to being anagrams of the names of the protagonist and antagonist of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smileys People Elim-Smiley and Garak-Karla. And three years after DS9 premiered LeCarre came out with the novel The Tailor of Panama about a tailor with a secret past who joins the spy business.
I was ignorant of Doohan's and Frakes' injuries - that alone made this video worth watching!
Aside from that, I'd like to state that Martok is next to Worf my favorite Klingon mainly because of the way Hertzler played him - the level of contained badassery between the two is off the charts!
I had always thought that when Scotty was carrying the Tribbles, his finger was just tucked under, so interesting! Great list here!
omg.. me too!!!😂
Garak was by some margin the best DS9 character.
It's between him and Martok, but I think Garak edges it.
I''d always assumed it was Nichelle doing the singing as well as the dancing in Star Trek V. Man, that's a new low.
I don't blame her for being pissed when she learned of the unnecessary voice switch.
Nichelle has an amazing voice
That is cruel. Especially since she can sing.
Marc Alaimo is actually the funniest and well rounded convention cast from the DS9 cast. He was surprisingly warm and cordial in the 90s. He really did method acting for the villain part.
Apparently he was pretty weird, but hey, to pull off the excellence that was Dukat, you might just have to be a bit weird.
I've heard from a fair number of directors that the nicest people make the best acted bastards...
I met him at the flea market in Topanga in 2021, and he was such a nice and down to earth man! I was so excited and thankful :) He even took a selfie with me so I could show my Dad
I’m so glad they decided against the wig for Picard.
Almost as glad as I am for the continued existence of the audition footage of Stewart wearing it.
I wasn't as bad as the one on Reg Barclay.
When I met Andy Robison at GalaxyCon Raleigh in 22, I thanked him for being willing to do the wall scene. I told him I had see the episode for the first time in 2020/2021 during a very very difficult period in my life and seeing him perform that scene, under conditions that were very difficult for him to function under, made me realize that YES I did have what it took to get through my own tribulation.
Having met many, many Europeans in my life, it makes perfect sense for a Frenchman to have an English accent when speaking English.
I have to reluctantly agree, A Italian man in italy we had as our groups tour guide spoke in an american sounding accent when using englis, he studied english in America i think and lived American films, so it is possibe
I always assumed Johnathon Frakes mounted the chairs like that because he's so tall and the chair backs were so short. It just made so much sense that I'd have never thought there'd be any other reason.
I always thought it was simply part of his macho image.
The way he enters a room with that neck twisted to the side; as someone who had bad bout of lumbago a long time ago it was clear to me that he had a back problem.
Me too. I’m as tall as Frakes and I pretty much always do that when I sit in a low backed chair (and long before TNG came out). It’s easier than pulling it way out from a table or desk to walk around and sit. And ironically I’ve had a back injury the last couple of months and it is actually easier on your back since you basically sit down with your legs spread father apart and it puts less stress on your back muscles.
"Bones, this man's leg is broken."
"Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor not a..... Oh right."
Lol!
The Takei story is actually incorrect. Takei has said in interviews that he wanted the job so badly he made up skills when going to the casting call, including knowing how to fence. That's why the fencing was written in. They called his bluff
Picard's British accent was later partially explained by the fact that in WWIII, the French population was basically wiped out and the country repopulated by the British. This doesn't really address some of his family members having French accents (though not all of them do), but I think it's kind of a cool explanation... and a very dark one, for a very dark time in Star Trek history. It's rarely spoken of on screen but any time it is, the details of that war just get more and more horrifying.
1901: “speak softly and carry a big stick.”
2021: “speak slowly and have a long neck.”
And drink beer from a long neck.
🤣🤣😂
@@boydmerriman but avoid the Corona
As a longtime Star Trek fan, I'm surprised I never noticed Scotty's missing finger! Also the whole bit about Riker and the chairs was pretty funny lol.
Stay well out there everybody, and God bless you friends! :)
The Hornblower books are indeed a marvel. The character depht and honesty is a joy.
A must for people who enjoy buccaneer napoleonic wartime sailor adventures and a good bit of historic accuracy
I met Andrew Robinson around 1999 or 2000 in Marietta, GA and he's really one of the good guys. Very kind, generous with his time. Genuine. He and Alexander Siddig too. both just super. All good wishes, fellas!
Dude's been around forever, he was the bad guy in Dirty Harry which was like 1970.
Star Trek has been my favorite show, movie, or whatever, ever since the very first episode! When my friends and I get into discussions about it, my wife says we sound like we are talking about REAL people, and events!
You are!! We have all been so impacted by the characters that we treat them like family!
You can see a great side of Martok when Sirella arrives on DS9. He sounds gentlemanly. And when he says "Shall i escort you?" he sound almost posh.
I can sympathize with Frakes' manspreading chair mount it does relieve my back pain.
Thank goodness for this video. I had no idea Frakes had a back injury. I'm now much more forgiving of his stilted acting style. The Doohan revelation was news to me too. Bravo. Once again, Star Trek ... treks the trek with sincerity.
I knew he had a back injury but how bad or how he got it wasn’t sure.
This list demands to be a series in and of itself more please
Second this!!!
In the DS9 episode Take Me Out to the Holosuite, they had to try and make the inexperience of the characters beyond Sisko and Jake (so Worf, Quark, Rom, Dax, Bashir, O’Brien etc) look as convincing as possible. Problem was, Michael Grodenchik who played Rom was a very good baseball player and would have looked too good, so they had him throw left handed to make him look bad.
Or it was Armin Zimmerman who played Quark... either way.
Gotta give props Franks and being a good actor, by throwing his all into the role, but still respecting his body by not pushing the role to ignore injuries.
I find it funny that the Cardassians were designed around Alaimo and was so well liked they made him the main antagonist but in the DS9 documentary he says he never felt the love from show runners.
And they said, "But we keep calling you, that's not enought?"; he replie was "But noone never told me I'm good, I always believe that's be the last time"
Well -Kind of-, the precise dialog it's on the documentary and was so kind see his face when Ira told him; than they keep calling him, because He was the best and they loved it!
I got the impression that while not a bad guy Alaimo is just one of those people that can be difficult.
He was truly great as Dukat though.
Ah, yes: Picard and his very French love of Earl Grey.
Don't forget his intricate knowledge of Shakespeare and the fact that a real rider owns his own saddle.
@@HappyBeezerStudios It's the 23rd century, I guess by then (especially including transporters) planet earth has become quite multicultural :D
A Frenchman who learned his English in Britain could easily have picked up a taste for it. That episode with his brother implies that Picard was the "lucky" kid who passed the French educational system's big exam and got to go to university, while his brother failed it and went to trade school.
Ahh yes...Earl Grey. I tried it as a result of STNG. I found Earl Grey tea is far better with a squeeze of lemon juice and half a teaspoon of sugar. Try it. It's way better..
@@chuckymcnubbin1518 Make it so
The Riker maneuver is now even more awesome than it already was.
I met James Doohan, and Walter Koenig years ago, when they were doing appearances for the release of one of the movies on video. It had been a long day for them, and both were clearly tired from signing autographs. When I approached them, I told them I just wanted the chance to meet them, and thank them for their work on the series, both were genuinely nice, and frankly I never noticed the missing finger when I shook hands with James Doohan.
Another Picard think, Patrick Stewart either emoted heavily with his hands or held them at his side rigidly doing absolutely nothing at all with very little middle ground. This is because years of playing Shakespeare had conditioned him to leave his hands idle when not actually performing with them. The reason being in his own word "There are no pockets on medieval hose, just like there are no pockets on Star Trek uniforms, so I was the only person who knew exactly what to do with my hands: nothing".
Foils and rapiers are not the same thing (Sulu was using a foil in the episode). A foil is basically a thick wire with a pointy end used in fencing, and a rapier is a narrow blade, the kind used by the 3 Musketeers.
I remember watching trouble with tribbles and being like oh what's up with Scotty's finger and now I know, Scotty is my favorite character from tos and I'm just an observant person so I right away noticed it
I always assumed Frakes stepping over chairs was due to his height. I'm 6'4 and my brother and father are both taller and it's just something we all do.
Back in the eighties, when I heard that Patrick Stewart was signed on for the new series, I was impressed. I had seen him playing Serjanus in "I, Claudius", and couldn't believe the production had the taste to cast such an impressive actor. I am appalled Roddenberry was not on board.
Picard is literally my fav Star Trek character, and I wouldnt change a thing about him.
Never knew about Riker's back injury. I did know he's 6'4" tall which makes it easy for him to lift and mount chairs that way... I just thought it was a goofy thing he did...
I also notice that Riker turns the chair around in a couple of scenes and sits backwards on the chair, leaning his arms on the backrest.
That back injury just gave Riker so much more swagger 😂
What fun! I've been a Trekker for years and have never noticed these mannerisms before! I shall go back and watch the episodes with fresh eyes.
ok but what about the "Picard maneuver" of tugging on the uniform as to get ready before serious moments?
(Which you also see Ryker do while hes acting captain while Picard is with the borg, and in season after that you occasionally see other characters copy it as well when they are in positions of power (even if it's just in their head)).
When Riker walks out a door he HEAVILY leans his head in the direction he's going to turn. He does it every single time.
I always noticed that directional head nod too. Also he had, that slightly angled, lift of his chin. It seemed to say 'Hey friend, I'm not looking for a fight. I've got nothing to prove, but I'm up for whatever challenge, is if its called for'. Non-threatening but unafraid. I'd say Its why Worf liked him, and why Will did well as a Klingon 1st, officer while it lasted.
Between the two head tilts, the chair thing, and his Captain Morgan poses. It all came off as self-possession. He somehow, made it work. Not many could have pulled it off, without appearing very silly.
[Note: Conversely Frakes' portrayal of Thomas Ryker, was cocky, but never had the same kind, of swagger, or self-assurance]
I always thought that was just a quirk of the character, and I loved it, alongside the captain Morganing and Riker Maneuvere.
I thought they were going to show that one.
Here's the thing about Riker though... it's not just the Riker Maneuver into chairs, or even the leg support on consoles and rocks... the man has his legs spread in just about every position he's in; standing or seated. I've never seen a man spread his legs so much in my life.
awesome! thx for the back stories! i've seen every single series a dozen times in replay but i have never seen that scotty is missing a finger! always new stuff to learn.
I mean frakes was also like I think 6'2"? And towered over everyone and everything! 😅
Yes, him a Michael Dorn were by far the 2 tallest main cast members. Feels appropriate though.
6'4"
@@williamwinder5011 6'3.52"
@@TdotSoul close enough
and auto manufacturers still today make their autos for people under 6 foot.. always a "tight fit" in the front seat for us "tall" humans.
I never knew about Frakes' back being the reason for those things, but as someone born with 2 serious back problems it makes perfect sense. Standing up straight for long periods is brutal. I do the same leans and weight shifts he does.
I have several issues affecting my spine and yeah, hearing that Frakes has back issues makes a lot of his mannerisms make sense. I can't stay in one position - standing or sitting - for long without serious pain setting in. The long days on set must've been brutal for Frakes at times.
If Picard is ment to be based on Hornblower that would put him at the time and character development of "Ship of the line," "Flying colors," and "Commodore Hornblower." Which are all some of my favorite books of the series. By this time he's middle-aged and true master of ships and seamanship. With a quiet confidence and unwavering bravery that becomes apparent in subtle ways... or some not so subtle like his victorious defeat on the Sutherland.
Oh, yea. Search for Time Warp from RHPS matched to a montage from Star Trek. Every time the Criminologist says "you put your hands on your hips," it cuts to Janeway.
But have you seen the Doctor Who version of RHPS Time Warp? Absolutely stellar. 💯
Patrick has the ability to project himself as a powerful man, and that is what made Picard's character what it is
Rikers back issue I never heard, and also subconsciously it must have gone into my brain, but I watched it religiously in the late 80's early 90's and it never occured to me until you pointed it out.. holy crud!
I am glad to FINALLY know what's up with Riker's leg thing. Thank you for making this.
Tasha Yar had a Data entry port.
That's great lol
I mean, "The Naked Now" TNG episode is literally a gigantic reference to "The Naked Time" TOS episode, so much so that they even referenced the events of that episode in furtherance of the plot... so, don't know what you expected from that. >.>
THANK YOU! The “kinda copied wholesale” comment about an episode that was _an intentional callback to the original_ annoyed me and makes me doubt the veracity of the rest of the video.
I used to do the Riker Maneuver in high school in the late 90s, and I was surprised to see it on TNG when I rewatched it years later. But maybe I remembered it from my childhood. Riker is the coolest!
You missed the "Picard Maneuver" where he'd yank his shirt down as reflexively as Janeway put hands on hips.
8:00 Something similar with Gary Burghoff from MASH. He's always shown holding something in his left hand, to disguise a genetic defect affecting several of the fingers.
My uncle has that genetic defect as well and for the life of me I can't remember what it's called.
@@danlabok7117 Syndactyly, I believe.
God did I hate whenever Riker would plop his leg up positioning his junk right in Data's face so much that I envisioned the android biting it off.
Given Brent Spiner's sense of humor it seems like as much an attempt by Frakes to prank Spiner as it was to relieve his back issues.
Or a duranium alloy head-butt, at least
Data saw his three collar stars instead. In that time loop episode with Kelsey Gramer.
"You think YOU'RE fully functional, robot boy? Check this out!"
Always envisioned the leg move would allow someone would take a shot at his junk.
There is an interview with Stewart with him reciting the intro "Space, the final frontier..." line with a French accent. Look it up!
L'espace, la finale frontiere ...
:o
I have a friend who's family was raised in India, but his little sister was born here in S.C. They have a thick Hindi accent, but she has a Southern one. Picard could be French, but raised in London. Explaining his love of Earl Grey.
I don't know why, but the Marc Alaimo story made my week. Thanks.
I got the startrek ad on this video too, couldnt be more perfect!
That movement of Frakes’ leg lift point, not to a back injury, but to an SI joint injury. Damn thing did the same to me and I wondered why nothing helped my back pain… until I found out about an SI belt (not talking about a mid back belt…. Tried those and never did anything for me). The SI belt stabilises the hips, not the back… and it’s freaky how putting on the belt stops the pain after 5-10 minutes. Just look up Sacroiliac Joint Pain if you don’t believe me.
European citizens that have had to learn English often speak with a UK accent as their teachers and tutors are often from the UK. There is nothing strange about a Frenchman speaking English with a UK accent.
It's funny, it never registered for me back when TNG was on the air originally that Riker stepping over chairs was out of the ordinary.
That's something!! I've watched allot of Star Trek and never noticed Scotties missing finger.
I have a head Canon that the English finally fully conquered France and that's why picard is so British.
I read somewhere that one of Khan's fellow Augments, nicknamed "The Viking," conquered most of Europe and was an obsessive Anglophile.
So pretty much everyone in his territory followed suit.
A unique piece of trivia about the intro of the TNG episode featuring Scotty ("Relics"), is that when the Enterprise away team inspects the transporter that Scotty's signal is being buffer-cycled in, Riker comments that the pattern "is completely intact, with less than .003% signal degradation". This may have been the writer's creative way to explain any appearances of Doohan's missing finger in the episode
Holy shit!! I've seen TOS and the movies so many times but had never seen Scottys missing finger!!
I knew about the missing middle finger but I never noticed it when it was revealed, and the back issue answered a question I had about Riker and chairs. Good video.
4:50 that is an example who explain why Neelix is truly underrated.
I always knew of James Doohan's hand and he wasn't the only one in TV lore. Gary Burghoff of MASH fame also had a deformity on his left hand which is why you saw him either holding a clip board or his hand in his pocket during long shots.
Picard is so perfect in every way I'm so glad that Gene changed his mind.
I agree. Even now, as I approach 70 years of age, every time I hear him say "Make it so," I go weak at the knees.
Should have mentioned another bald captain. Avery Brooks favored the bald/goatee look from the beginning, but was contractually obligated to grow hair, probably because they didn't want him looking too much like his previous iconic TV character, Hawk. After three seasons, they presumably figured that Sisko was sufficiently established in his own right and rewrote Avery's contract, allowing him to resume his preferred look.