"Code of Honor" is not a funny episode. It is a serious one and well done as such; had the characters been better developed, it would have been excellent. I was entertained all through. The music was much less seventies than the last episode and more evened out. The music actually helped in this episode to keep up the tension.

I really liked the photography - it was straight and there were no zoom-ins when someone finally figured something out which I hate. The battle scene between Tasha and Yareena was very well done. The weapons were ridiculous and wouldn't have worked even if all the laws of physics were broken. However, they did look good in far shots (not in closeups) and the ridiculousness of them was well hidden by these shots. The camera was moved in a manner so you didn't see the whole battle platform. That was a nice trick so you couldn't see the awkwardness of the actresses when they swung around the poles.

On to characters. There were no real character altering events - not surpriseing, since this is only the third episode. Worf didn't show up, but that's just as good since he's not very amusing in the early episodes anyway. I liked Picard in this episode - it was established he's not a know-it-all type since the crew was often counselling him. I always like that, I don't want the leader to be a superhero and the lower ranking people to be his mindless army. Picard shows he is clever by the stunt he pulled to save Yareena.

Lutan was a good character and I loved the Ligonians as a people. Their culture was very well worked out and the only thing I would have liked changed about them would have been to give them some make-up as all they had was an African look. The men also seemed to have a scar on their chin, maybe from some Coming-of-Age ritual? Who knows? This at least shows that there was some thought put in before the writing of the script. There were no clashes or continuity errors. The only thing that stuck me in the eye was that they didn't at all look very developed... They looked like they were from the Middle Ages, not a warp-capable society.

The acting was too theatrical. Data is still to dry and there were microscopic continuity errors in his behaviour. I would have preferred if he hadn't been friends with Geordi from the beginning, but their relationship had developed. There were many scenes that were worse and somehow more awkward than they could have been had the episode been the last in production of this season. The actors are so stiff and those that aren't really stiff are acting like in a Shakespearean play. Beverly loses her role completely.

Lutan is supposed to have an interest in Tasha and vice versa. This never shows in actuality, except perhaps with Lutan, but even he, whose feelings are supposed to be stronger shows it pretty bad. However Tasha never ever shows that she's attracted to him so I can see, and the line at the end "No... No... There would be... complications" when he asks if she'd be his wife, is rather silly. The way she said it was obviously meant to mean she liked him and if she didn't have this career, she'd go with him, but you never get that feeling before in the episode. They should have cut this line all together or make her simply say "NO!" It would have been more appropriate. In the end, all those laws and regulations on who was supposed to rule and own Yareena's land were too complex for any human to understand, a bad way to conclude something, when a better way could have been found with this otherwise well created culture.

This show had a good plot, not very complex most of the time certain explanations too complex in some cases. It was well done technically, had some good points and a very well developed alien culture that we sadly never get to see again.

RATING:

out of 5
 

REVIEW by RICK HALLMAN

Planet Ligon II. Starfleet wants something these guys have, a vaccine desperately needed for another world. It is nice to see how Starfleet is not all powerful in the future and can synthesize a vaccine in 30 minutes on a starship, once in a while. But when they are beaming the welcoming party from this planet aboard... why are they beaming into the Cargo bay? Why not to a transporter room? Go figure.

One thing that is also nice to see with an alien race is their differences, in this case, male-oriented societies who were surprised that one of their men was beat by Tasha, and that Tasha was their chief of security. But this episode is already able to be figured out from a comment between the Ligonians.

After the commercial break, we are situated in the conference room, where Picard is presenting a token of parallel culture development between Lygon II and Earth, but something confuses me... the Lygonians seem to be incredibly pre-warp, so why is Starfleet interacting with them? No Prime Directive?

Another wonder of the Holodeck is shown, this time, a martial arts program for defensive training. Tasha quickly defeats the opponent, while Lutan’s aide is defeated. While taking back to the transport site, Tasha is abducted by the Ligonian Delegation. Picard then opens up with all guns, showing off with a Torpedo volley. Not something I find wise by a Starfleet captain.

After a touching (apparently) moment with the captain and doctor about morality issues, we discuss Wesley... who is ordered to man the Operations station... temporarily. Quite odd again in my opinion that a bratty sixteen year old is given command over the Operations console, but with a communiqué of Lutan from the planet, negotiations try and begin.

One has to commend Captain Picard for his work in trying to maintain diplomatic ties, procure the vaccine and retrieve Tasha from the hands of Lutan. Some would ruin the diplomatic ties in order to forcibly get back their officer. But in some ways... with Lutan declaring his love to Tasha, Lutan’s first wife challenging Tasha to death, something else would be better.

Picard then tries to wrestle minds with Lutan, somehow getting all parties what they want. Picard does have that ability of diplomacy. Someone should stop Data as well. His jokes are rather... dry. Data’s efforts are good, but his method is lacking.

In a setting reminiscent of boxing matches, the duel has begun. Battling in a jungle gym, Tasha and the First One are fighting it out. When one loses their poison spiked glove, it pierces a bystander’s gut, and he dies... in seconds. But as the battle continues, Tasha wins over the First One, when Tasha and her are beamed to the Enterprise and Yareena is healed. After a ‘divorce’ Yareena then becomes the ‘first one’ of Lutan’s aide, and Lutan becomes her ‘second’. All is well, virus received, but really not that great an episode.