Star Trek:TNG "The Icarus Factor" (S2E14)

This is an episode that I don't know quite what to say about. It was one of those that was just OK for me... not great, not horrible. Neither the A plot nor the B plot did anything for me.

I didn't really buy that Kyle Riker would be that well known by random rank and file starfleet officers, and it just seemed like too much of a coincidence that Pulaski would have been in a relationship with him. I did, however, like the casting decision, and Mitchell Ryan portrayed the strained relationship with Will Riker pretty well.

As for the B plot, to me it would seem that Worf should have found it more offensive and isolating that he would have to get his rocks off in a holodeck simulation, instead of an actual Klingon ceremony with real live Klingons. But besides that, it just seemed to be a mostly extraneous bit of Klingon lore, not one that really added much.

The rare C plot (the odd readouts in Engineering) was probably more amusing to me, just because of the way it featured Data coming to the defense of Geordi's pride. I also liked the comedic timing at the end as they learned that the conclusion was exactly Data's suggestion, and having Data mimic Picard's body language.

Someone got some Tron in my American Gladiators!

I will agree that it wasn't horrible. Bad, yes, but not horrible. Just to address the plots independently:

1. Riker and Riker: So much was brought up here, but not resolved. I especially wish they would have done something about the recurring lack of confidence that Kyle Riker showed in his son--catching the fish for him, showing up when Will was offered his first command almost in a "You can't do this without me" sort of fashion. Maybe it was mentioned during the fight at the end...I pretty much zoned out at that point.

I almost feel like someone told the showrunners "No, you can't have an episode without some sort of action--change that ending to have Riker beat up his dad!"

2. Worf's anniversary thing. That really felt like an episode of an 80's sitcom. I almost expected a laugh track at some points. And it really didn't make sense for this to mean anything to Worf. If anything, I'd agree with LoadStar--Worf should have been offended that they took some important ceremony for him and reduced it to a spectator event on the Holodeck.

3. The ship issues--I wonder if this was originally a larger plotline? Seemed like it served little purpose.