‘THE OUTRAGEOUS OKONA’ (TNG)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
I remembered this episode vaguely before I re-watched it again for this review. I recall Data wanting to learn more about humour and also tell a joke, as he receives help from a comic inside a holodeck.
I also vaguely recall the Enterprise helping a small cargo ship, piloted by Captain Okona, hence the title ‘The Outrageous Okona’. But the rest of the episode, I couldn’t remember when I re-watched it.
William O. Campbell guest stars as Thadiun Okona, who is a one-man crew aboard his cargo ship. He’s described by Deanna Troi as a rogue, especially as he hits it on with the ladies aboard the Enterprise.
But Okona seems very charming and friendly, as he likes to crack a joke with people. Members of the Enterprise crew seem to like him, including Riker, Geordi and Wesley as they’re interacting with him.
Data however seems to be a mystery to Okona. Every time Okona tries to crack a joke with him, Data doesn’t get it. He understands the dictionary meaning of a joke, but doesn’t appreciate the humour.
That shouldn’t be a surprise, since Data is an android and struggles to understand emotions. He has a scene with Guinan in Ten Forward to explain his problem, since he wants to know what humour is.
I like that scene between Data and Guinan in Ten Forward, as she tells him the joke that ‘he’s a droid and she’s a noid’. Data doesn’t get the joke and I like how Guinan tells him about why he doesn’t get it.
Eventually, Data meets Joe Piscopo as the Comic in the holodeck. Joe Piscopo is a real-life American comedian, actor and music entertainer. He performs his comic acts in the style of Jerry Lewis in this.
I enjoyed the scenes where Data watches Joe Piscopo as the Comic and tries to understand from him what humour is. Data tries to emulate the Comic’s style for Guinan, but he essentially ‘kills the joke’.
A big chunk of the episode is dedicated to Data’s wanting to learn humour with Guinan’s help. I appreciate this aspect of character development with Data, but it isn’t the main plot of the episode.
The main plot of the episode involves Okona getting pursued by two spaceships who want him under arrest, branding him as a criminal. The Enterprise is involved when Okona’s life is threatened.
The two spaceships are from two different planets. Both are angry and lock their weapons upon the Enterprise. Captain Picard asks Okona to come to the bridge to understand what’s going on with this.
The antagonists are as follows. There’s Douglas Rowe as Debin from the planet Atlec. Debin accuses Okona for impregnating his daughter, Rosalind Ingledew as Yanar, which seems to be a big disgrace.
The other antagonist is Albert Stratton as Kushell from the planet Straleb. He accuses Okona for stealing a state treasure, the Jewel of Thesia. Kushell’s son, Kieran Mulroney as Benzan, is with him.
I enjoyed the drama created in this episode, especially when the two parties claim their accusation for Okona is top priority over the other. But as it turns out, there’s more to this dilemma than it seems.
Okona didn’t impregnate Yanar and didn’t steal the Jewel of Thesia, despite having it in his possession when on the Enterprise. It turns out that Benzan and Yanar are lovers in this ‘TNG’ episode.
I liked that scene where Picard gets the two groups together to meet with him, Deanna and Okona in order to resolve their differences. Benzan and Yanar get together and the charges are also dropped.
By the end of the episode, Data attempts to do stand-up comedy in front of a live audience in the holodeck. It doesn’t work out, as the audience laugh at Data every time he says and does something.
Hey! Here’s a bit of trivia. Teri Hatcher’s in this episode. No, I’m serious. Teri Hatcher guest stars as a transporter chief in ‘Star Trek: TNG’. Where did Chief O’Brien go? How come Teri Hatcher is in this?!
For those of you who don’t know, Teri Hatcher is well-known for starring in ‘Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman’. I’ve also seen Teri in the first ‘Spy Kids’ film where she played a villainess!
‘The Outrageous Okona’ is an enjoyable episode from ‘Star Trek: TNG’. It isn’t a standout episode for me, but having re-watched it, I enjoyed the Data story as well as the soap drama created with Okona.
‘The Outrageous Okona’ (TNG) rating – 7/10
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