Sorry Data, but Geordi’s right. The Tractor Beam literally never works. We need to start giving new ships grapplers like the NX-01
I know it’s for the plot but yeah, when xyz doesn’t work because of “atmospheric interference” or whatnot they could fall back onto more primitive technologies. Tractor beam not working? Use a grappler. Phasers not working? Bring down a gunpowder firearm.
Phasers don’t work?
“PORT SIDE CANNONS, FIRE!!”
(Can you imagine what a broadside attack from a Galaxy-class starship would look like?)
Forget gunpowder though. With tech like tractor beams, inertial dampeners, and gravity plating, you’d think The Federation would have more armaments in the way of mass drivers, rail guns, and other physics based attacks. Heck, even an chaotic orbiting swarm of meteorites would do a lot to disperse phaser fire.
I was so happy to see this thinking in action during the last season of Picard.
If nuclear weapons are considered at most a nuisance, what good would rail guns do?
I recall those working once on Enterprise, but I can’t remember the context… maybe I’m misremembering and it never worked?
They had grappling hooks on Enterprise. The Vulcans had a tractor beam though.
Yeah, my comment was about the grappling hooks. They weren’t very reliable either.
I’m sure the tractor bean on TNG worked way more often. And I don’t remember what they had on TOS.
As I continue my Trekking adventure, I love understanding more and more of the memes. I just watched this episode for the first time a few days ago.
That said, as I continue watching Trek, I keep seeing how everything else in the world has ripped off Trek at one time or another. One of my favorite episodes of The X-Files lifted this entire plot; like, it’s just maddening how similar the stories are. 😡
Think of it more as a love letter to Trek that they’re ripping them off. Sure, it’s annoying, but imitation is the highest form of flattery. How better to compliment Trek than try and be them?
Also welcome to the wonderful world of Star Trek! I hope you enjoy your stay and all the many many memes to come <3
I don’t know that I’d say The X-Files ripped off TNG. The time loop is a common plot device and Braga wasn’t the first to write it. It’s very common for authors to individually come to the same ideas when they have to create this volume of “what if” every single year, year after year. Braga says he wanted time without the screwed up timeline plot; that’s not a unique reaction by any stretch of the imagination.
If you’re talking about The X-Files episode “Monday” that was actually inspired by The Twilight Zone.
Eyyy I love seeing this after referencing it 3 days ago!
Eyyy I love seeing this after referencing it 3 days ago!
Eyyy I love seeing this after referencing it 3 days ago!
Eyyy I love seeing this after referencing it 3 days ago!
Eyyy I love seeing this after referencing it 3 days ago!
Eyyy I love seeing this after referencing it 3 days ago!
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Explain this meme for somebody who’s not getting it?
Basically, time loop of the enterprise being destroyed. Tractor beam fails to stop the danger, eventually riker decompresses the shuttle bay which shunts the enterprise out of the way and breaks the loop
Close, but not quite: Data suggest tractor beam, Riker shuttle bay decompression. Picard orders tractor beam, it fails, Enterprise destroyed, timeloop begins anew.
New try, this time Data sends “3” back in the timeline to indicate that they should listen to the commander.
New try, Data understands his message just in time to also decompress the shuttle bay along with the tractor beam shenanigans. All are saved and live happily ever after.
To add to the great answer, this is from TNG Season Five, Episode 18: Cause and Effect
I consider it among the all-time best episodes of any science fiction show.
Couldn’t they have just done both? Also, what the hell was the first ship doing to get stuck in a time loop for so long before the Enterprise showed up?
Janeway’s advice on making sense of temporal paradoxes is simple: don’t even try.
This is why she’s violated the temporal prime directive more than anyone else and they’ve named a rule after her.
Maybe not a rule, the Janeway Factor
There was also the Janeway Manoeuvre
