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Ai-LLM reviews of STNG -We'll always Have Paris

Google Gemini

"Star Trek: The Next Generation - We'll Always 
Have Paris" is an episode that blends a scientific 
anomaly with a deeply personal story for Captain 
Picard, exploring themes of lost love, regret, 
and the passage of time.

Plot Overview:

The USS Enterprise-D is en route to Sarona VIII 
for some well-deserved shore leave when the ship 
is unexpectedly hit by a peculiar time distortion, 
causing everyone to experience rapid, disorienting 
shifts in time. They then receive an emergency 
transmission from Dr. Paul Manheim, a brilliant 
scientist whose experiments involving non-linear 
time fifteen years prior seem to be the cause. 
The mention of Manheim's name deeply affects 
Captain Picard, who recognises him. The Enterprise 
immediately changes course to assist.
They find Manheim and his wife, Jenice, on a remote 
planetoid within a volatile binary star system. 
Manheim is dying, and his escalating experiments 
with time and gravity are indeed the source 
of the dangerous distortions affecting the region. 
As Picard works to understand the scientific crisis,
 a personal connection emerges: Picard and Jenice 
 share a complicated past, having been romantically 
 involved years ago and having missed a crucial 
 rendezvous in Paris. This unfulfilled past adds a 
 poignant emotional layer to the unfolding events. 
 Data is dispatched to Manheim's lab, where 
 he methodically works to correct the temporal 
 distortions. The episode culminates in Data 
 successfully stabilising the temporal anomalies. 
 Picard, seeking closure for himself and Jenice, 
 creates a holodeck simulation of the Parisian 
 cafe where they were meant to meet, allowing 
 them a heartfelt, if bittersweet, goodbye. 
 The Enterprise then resumes its course, leaving 
 behind a moment of personal reflection amidst the stars.
 
Strengths:

Picard's Personal Life: The episode offers 
a rare and significant glimpse into Captain 
Picard's past romantic life, adding depth 
and vulnerability to his character. Patrick Stewart 
delivers a nuanced performance conveying his regret 
and lingering feelings.

Emotional Resonance: The themes of lost love, 
missed opportunities, and the passage of time 
are handled with sensitivity, making the episode 
relatable on a human level.

Sci-Fi Concept: The core scientific concept 
of non-linear time and gravitational experiments 
causing temporal distortions is classic Star Trek 
fare and provides an intriguing mystery.

Holodeck Use: The holodeck is used effectively 
to provide a poignant and symbolic setting 
for Picard and Jenice's farewell, showcasing 
its emotional rather than just recreational potential.

Weaknesses:

Pacing: The initial setup and the scientific 
explanations can feel a bit slow before the 
emotional core of Picard's past fully takes over.

Visuals of Time Distortion: The visual effects 
for the temporal distortions, while conceptually 
interesting, are rudimentary and show their age, 
sometimes undermining the intended effect.

Manheim's Role: Dr. Manheim, while central 
to the scientific plot, serves largely as a plot 
device to bring Picard and Jenice together. 
His character isn't deeply explored beyond his 
scientific genius and deteriorating health.J

enice's Portrayal: While crucial to Picard's 
backstory, Jenice's character, outside of her 
relationship with Picard, isn't fully fleshed out.

Contrived Situation: The coincidence of 
the Enterprise encountering Manheim's 
specific experiment and Picard's personal
 connection feels somewhat contrived 
 to drive the plot.
 
Overall Impression:"We'll Always Have Paris" 
 is a significant early 
 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode 
 for its willingness to explore Captain 
 Picard's personal life and add layers 
 of emotional depth to his character. 
 
 While some of its scientific explanations 
 are a bit convoluted and its visuals show 
 their age, its poignant themes of love, 
 regret, and time, combined with Patrick 
 Stewart's performance, make it a memorable
 and affecting entry in the first season.
 
Rating: 7/10

ChatGPT

Here’s a refined review of **“We’ll Always 
Have Paris”** (TNG S1E24), informed 
by the chakoteya transcript and critical reception:

---

## 🧠 Premise & Character Beats

The Enterprise responds to bizarre temporal 
“hiccups” and tracks them to Dr. Manheim’s 
lab—amidst it, Picard reunites with Jenice, 
a past love he abandoned for Starfleet ambitions. 
It’s a dual narrative: a time anomaly *plus* 
a deeply personal flashback to what could’ve
 been. ([en.wikipedia.org][1])

---

## 👍 What Works

* **Emotional Depth for Picard**: Stewart 
showcases Picard’s internal struggle—duty 
versus love—with sincerity, particularly 
in the holodeck café scenes. Ex Astris 
praised “insight into Picard’s
 character… gives his character more depth.” ([ex-astris-scientia.org][2])
 
* **Time Anomaly Sequences**: The multi-Data sequence 
and turbolift duplication deliver genuine sci-fi suspense. 
One Redditor called the turbolift
 moment “one of my favorite time issue moments in TNG.” ([trekbbs.com][3])
 
* **Technical Ambition**: Budget-conscious yet 
polished compositing and Ron Jones’s restrained, 
romantic score add nuanced atmosphere. ([filmscoremonthly.com][4])

---

## ⚠️ What Misses

* **Inconsistent Tone & Execution**: Critics—including 
Den of Geek—found the romance over-scripted and the time-plot 
logic flimsy. Den of Geek called it “tedious” 
and “no logic to it.” ([denofgeek.com][5])

* **Soap Opera Romance**: Michelle Phillips’s 
performance drew mixed reviews—some viewed her 
as likable, others as “over-emotes.” Trakt’s 
review slammed the “unconvincing melodrama.” ([trakt.tv][6])

* **Unfulfilled Premise**: The time rift is fixed conveniently 
and tossed aside. Tor.com’s DeCandido found 
it “forgettable” (4/10), suggesting it doesn’t 
leave a lasting impression. ([imdb.com][7])

---

## 📊 Critical & Fan Ratings

| Source              | Score / Grade | Notes                                           |
| ------------------- | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| IMDb                | 6.5 / 10      | Middle-of-pack scoring ([imdb.com][8])          |
| A.V. Club (Handlen) | B– / B        | Enjoyed the time blips, but criticized romance  |
| Tor.com (DeCandido) | 4 / 10        | Technically competent but lacks memorability    |
| Den of Geek         | Skip          | Criticized pacing issues and thin plotting      |
| Ex Astris Scientia  | 8 / 10        | Praised character insight and technical craft   |

Reddit fans often highlight the time effects and Picard moments:

> “Season 1’s first really good… perspective switch 
in the turbolift” ([reddit.com][9], [reddit.com][10])

> “Possibly my favorite S1 episode… Picard consider 
the road not taken” ([reddit.com][11])

---

## ✍️ My Verdict & Rating

**Strengths**:

* Strong emotional core and character 
insight for Picard.

* Visually dynamic and imaginative sci‑fi 
beats with the replicating Datas 
and temporal glitches.

**Weaknesses**:

* Uneven script and tonal balance—romance 
overwhelms science, time plot feels undercooked.

* Guest roles and narrative payoff don’t 
fully meet the premise’s potential.

**Final Rating**: **6.5 / 10**

A heartfelt look at Picard’s past, elevated 
by some standout time-travel imagery. It’s not 
essential Trek, but its emotional resonance 
and inventive effects make it a worthwhile dip 
into Season 1 reality—even if it doesn’t 
leave a lasting legacy.

---

Want a scene analysis—like the turbolift glitch or holodeck showdown? Happy to dive in!

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We%27ll_Always_Have_Paris_%28Star_Trek%3A_The_Next_Generation%29?utm_source=chatgpt.com "We'll Always Have Paris (Star Trek: The Next Generation)"
[2]: https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/episodes/tng1g.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Ex Astris Scientia - The Next Generation (TNG) Season 1 Guest Reviews"
[3]: https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/episode-of-the-week-well-always-have-paris.199765/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Episode of the Week: We'll Always Have Paris | The Trek BBS"
[4]: https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/notes/box05_disc04.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com "FSM: \"Skin of Evil,\" \"We'll Always Have Paris,\" \"The Neutral Zone\" (Ron Jones)"
[5]: https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/revisiting-star-trek-tng-well-always-have-paris/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Revisiting Star Trek TNG: We'll Always Have Paris | Den of Geek"
[6]: https://trakt.tv/comments/353148?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Star Trek: The Next Generation 1x23 \"We'll Always Have Paris\" review by Andrew Bloom - Trakt"
[7]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708840/reviews/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "\"Star Trek: The Next Generation\" We'll Always Have Paris (TV Episode 1988) - User reviews - IMDb"
[8]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708840/ratings/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "\"Star Trek: The Next Generation\" We'll Always Have Paris (TV Episode 1988) - Ratings - IMDb"
[9]: https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/comments/owqpnk?utm_source=chatgpt.com "TNG We'll Always Have Paris - Data in and fixing a time loop - what a great scene"
[10]: https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/comments/o35w92?utm_source=chatgpt.com "I wish TNG had done \"We'll Always Have Paris\" in a later season, it could have been amazing [Spoilers]"
[11]: https://www.reddit.com/r/Star_Trek/comments/w5lyae?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Star_Trek: Rewatch - July 22nd 2022 - TNG S1 E23: We'll Always Have Paris"

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