"Institutions Offiicial Review Thread, post reviews/comments/questions here Options

[Rob_C]

With "Institutions going into limited release, the review thread is now open for comment/questions, etc. Wide release should be later this weekend.

Enjoy!

Rob

[sledge]

Like always great episode, the political suspense is great. The president is becoming easier to hate lol. keep up the great work

[TheUSSRowling]

Very different. But I loved it all the same! Vindenpawl's address was great and the plot was intriguing. Can't wait to see what happens next?

[rick20625]

I am frightened. I am being sucked into begrudging respect for Vindenpawl's leadership... even though I know the bad stuff. She's working her evil ways on my mind.

I like that Heather and Wayne get a chance to showcase some of their acting, too.

This is a great episode to set us up for the audio episodes to come, as characters head off on a mission...

Good work.

[Capt._D]

It was a bit slow, but I can see why, its moving the story along so that we can see what’s next. Other than that it was great. Acting, CGI, and the ship models were WOW! Not a stand out episode but it was good all around.

[Theo Gary]

I gave it a "B" although it's closer to a "B-" in my opinion. It was an interesting episode, but it was a bit too slow for my liking and it didn't have the wow factor that I generally feel a season finale needs. I felt that there were some unnecessary twists. The thing with Onshul's fiance felt...I dunno...just kinda pointless. It's something we haven't heard about before and was shown in one scene and then not mentioned again. And I also am beginning to feel like McCabe is fairly disconnected from the rest of the crew. His interaction with them was minimal. There was the whole thing with Shelby asking him to be her XO which kinda fizzled. And then he was suddenly reassigned and I was sitting there going "huh?" And...the Horniest Starfleet Officer Ever just made me face-palm. And then there was a strange moment at the end when Onshul and McCabe were arguing. He was angsting about not wanting her to get hurt, and she was telling him that she could take care of herself. Then, without warning, he was just like "Okay. Cool. We're going to Hell's Gate."
I will say that the acting was fantastic and the special effects were top-notch.
Like I said, not a bad episode, but I just thought it was fairly lackluster in comparison to Operation Beta Shield and Unity.

[DHillMSP]

I thought it was a good episode, all in all - I gave it an "A". But I kept in mind that this was originally intended to be the S2 opener that became the S1 finale. As such, the pacing and the setup are certainly understandable - the structure of the story seemed pointed at setting up:

Spoiler (highlight to view):

• McCabe and Onshul - in many ways, including his "disgrace", going "rogue" and heading to DS12 and eventually Hell's Gate and what would appear a developing relationship of some sort.
• Onshul and her "situation" with her fiancee, which would create some tension for her - and I'd wager a future plot point of some sort - he's Vrijheidian, so anything's possible from my point of view.
• The political drama of what would appear to be a challenger to the Presidency and an upcoming Special Election (which interests me - I never read Articles of the Federation, but the premise always struck me as brilliant, which is why I'm a fan of both this show and Diplomatic Relations).
• Developing the mystery of "Unity Station" including why it would be setup to belch gravitons (I loved that phrase ). There's also the whole subspace weapon bit that was brought up and the mystery of the "heavy machinery" the Romulans were bringing in.
• Where's Vito...er...Solek?

That being said, I think the episode could have had a bit more exposition to explain how some situations got from Point A to Point Zed. There was implication that Onshul and McCabe had chatted prior to their final scene and I admit while I got the point at the end of that scene, I had to reach a bit during the reveal until it gelled for me. There were a few other minor moments like that, but by the end, I felt like I had a grasp on the whole thing.

The "horniest Starfleet Officer ever"... I did cringe a bit. Not so much for the acting or characterization - I think she pulled it off well. But...oh dear.

Spoiler (highlight to view):

I was a bit surprised at the XO development early in the episode, which seemed to be replaced at the end with his assignment for "re-education" (I prefer that term - given Vindenpawl's method of operation). His wish to get off the ship appears to have been granted. Tho I'm not sure he's particularly thrilled about the method through which that was accomplished.

All in all, I'm looking forward to seeing how the story plays out in audio. Not sure how it'd have played out if there were only going to be three or so video episodes - I'm glad we're going to get more time with these characters and this setting, even if we're not going to see them in the process.

[Lindley]

A pretty good episode. Nothing earthshattering.

I've got to say I'm a bit ambivalent about the whole audio thing. Maybe it'll surprise me.

[Captain Hunter]

I quite enjoyed it. I thought the "horniest Starfleet Officer ever" was hilarious. I also loved "my icecream cake is melting." I am starting to wonder if Hunter is becoming to the Rodney Dangerfield of the Trekverse, though.

I don't really understand where the confusion is coming from. Regarding the reassignment and how it happened, I thought that was pretty obvious; Shelby pulled some strings. As for Onshul's fiancee, I think that's been mentioned before.

It is a pity we didn't get to see more of a slow buildup to this episode, but it still turned out pretty well, and everyone turned in some fantastic performances. I really bought the budding relationship/friendship between McCabe and Onshul, and Jacques was wonderfully sinister/slimy as Kaart. The final scene between McCabe/Kaart/Vindenpawl was beautifully done, with nice, nuanced performances from Becky, Jacques and Wayne.

[Lindley]

If there's one thing I thought was odd, it's the quick resolution to the "document leaking" issue. We never saw how McCabe figured that one out.

[worshiptheprophets]

I have to admit I've been largely dissapointed with the more recent HF offerings such as the season finales of Helena and Odyssey- but I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. The political intrigue, McCabe's dealings with both Onshul and (especially) Vindenpawl, Shelby showing a more humourous side to her character (something which we've never seen before), the little dig at Captain Hunter- everything about the episode was pretty much perfect.

Becky is always deliciously sinister as Vindenpawl, even more so in this episode- and her accent is to die for! And I loved Ensign Miller, she was absolutely hilarious! And of course Heather always brings a smile to my face everytime she pops up on screen. The only gripe I had with the episode was the conversation between Onshul and her fiancee- it seemed forced, but it was only one minor scene.

Good job guys. Can't wait for Episode Three now!

[Captain Serek]

I liked the episode overall. Good acting, interesting plot choices, great sfx as always. I gave it an A as I was entertained. The horny Starfleet officer was an amusing comedy relief with all the political intrigue. I will see how things pan out in season 2.

[OrR]

Change we can believe in!
Great episode! I hope I'll be able to follow all the plot twists in audio...

[buddhaqueen41]

It was an interesting episode. I'm looking forward to the next one. I'm wanting to see that if McCabe figures our that Vindenpawl and Kaart are behind the assasination of Sefron which I think I already have done each time I watch the episodes for season 1. I gave it an A.

[Zweller]

The acting and production values were top notch. I've come to expect this level of quality from HF productions and you make it look easy, but I know it takes a lot of hard work.

Unfortunately, the story seemed to be lacking something. Maybe the pacing was off or maybe there wasn't a proper build up of tension and suspense, but it just felt a bit flat. I followed the plot, but it felt like A happens, then B happens, then C happens... without much flow or engagement. The progression through the episode just didn't have a sense of drama that pulled me into the character and plot developments. Federation One is a change of pace from the other shows, so maybe the team is still finding their legs with this slightly different genre. I didn't feel the same way about "Unity", but the main plotline of this episode almost left me feeling like it would have worked better as a subplot of a larger show.

After the other two season finales, this one didn't seem to measure up.

I apologize for the criticism, but I am a fan and I only offer my honest impressions in the hope that they might be of some value to the creative process. I look forward to the next episode and the further development of the storyline and the series.

[dmagiclight]

i loved it mcabe is great

[be back 1]

Lookin to un wine ,,,, what a loaded statement ....

an baraba sounds a little like my aunt ida , she is the one that cooked a lot of hogshead .

poltics is like poker everyone is showing a little much , it should a tiny bit showing the surface . it should be a eye movement not a eye roll .

a B+

[awayteam]

I posted this on the Intrepid forum as well, but thought the actors might like reading this here.



OK, got a chance to watch the season finale of ST:F1

A good ending episode for the season, filled with many questions left to be answered. The writers and producers have given the finale a touch of Phantom Menace. We'll see if that 'feel' holds true next season.

Wasn't sure if I was going to like F1 as much as some of the other HF spin offs. Much like Voyager, the chemistry has taken a while to gel, but in this ep we see some real connections between the actors and their various roles.

First and foremost, a big tip of the hat to Wayne Webb, and Rebecca Wood. A lot was asked of them to "Carry" this series, and both have exceeded my wildest expectations. Wayne's McCabe character has grown considerably in a short amount of time, and his acting is on par with the anyone in any Trek Fan series. I would expect that someone with "real" money will notice him and snatch him from HF before too long. Good for him, but HF needs to be looking for his replacement...

Rebecca Wood's Vindenpawl provides an excellent foil for McCabe to face. Her character is brilliantly played, and her soliloquies are top notch. Again good for the show, but someone will notice her abilities before too long as well.

Heather Ashleigh and Mr. Webb have some real chemistry and it will interesting to see how far the writers take the relationship. It would be nice to see this relationship take some time to grow before launching into the throws of unbridled passion. Horniest Officer not withstanding...

This ep gets Five Stars. Nothing to nit pick about.

Mike

[CaptainE]

Just got done watching Institutions....
Fantastic all around....

This is why I still come to the point that this should not go to audio.
I know that Rob and the team are doing a lot of projects and what not.
This is only my opinion, however, I really think that this show should go on like HF did.
The writing, outstanding CGI effects, awesome cast plus the fact that this show keeps you in suspense
wanting more. To me, I would keep going with the show and produce more great shows for everyone to watch.

Other that what I stated above, thank you for taking the time to read my opinion.
I still support whatever Mr. Caves and the rest of the team is going to do.


Great job on the show.

[TimPendragon]

I wish I could jump on the "Good Ol' Boys Admiration Wagon," but then I would be lying through my teeth. For me, this was the first episode of any HF production in which I cannot find a single thing to like. My first instinct is to write an extensive review detailing my full thoughts on the episode, but from what I've seen on this forum, honest criticism seems to fall on deaf ears.

So allow me to be succinct: the acting is average, the plot is pointless, the pace is plodding, the dialogue is dull, and in general, the script is snoozeworthy. It was completely disjointed, in both the writing and the editing. An absolute disappointment on every level.

Even though I'm not a big fan of the Helena finale, it smokes this episode of Federation One. Odyssey's blows them both away.

This post has been edited by TimPendragon: Jan 20 2009, 10:16 PM