Talk:The Neutral Zone (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

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Does anyone know what, 'low mileage pit-woofies' are? It's the 'pit-woofies' that I don't get. Because of the 'and help them build a memory' comment, I wonder if it's a rude term for women. My other guess is a car of some sort. --Gero 07:10, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

Yes, its a rude term for women: "low mileage" means innocent or young (either way, not old and overused); "build a memory" means he intends to show them a good time, one they'll remember; "pit-woofies", according to Leon Rippy, the actor who played the character of L. Q. "Sonny" Clemmons, said during an interview (Centropoholics: Chat with Leon Rippy):

A "pit woofie", would be to stock car racing, what a "groupie" is to the rock and roll world...

Funny, I always remember the line as "low-mileage pound woofies" --EddieC Vito 12:32 CDT, 26 October 2009

Doctor Who

The main page for Doctor Who links here claiming that this episode references Doctor Who. If it does so and is being linked to for that reason then surely it should mention this in the article? Otherwise why link to it or mention it at all if there is to be no explaination? AlanD 11:49, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

I also added a comment similar to this one on the talk page of Q Who. 68.226.118.115 10:49, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

The Doctor Who reference in this episode (of questionable notability IMHO) is in the list of names that appears briefly on a computer screen. The list includes the names of the first six actors to play the Doctor. Marwood (talk) 16:00, 14 July 2008 (UTC)

Harry Mudd

Thought I'd better leave a note here for future editors should you happen to come across a reference for this. I've been working the article up for a Good Article nomination tonight and I've removed the section on Harry Mudd originally being scheduled to re-appear in this episode. The source given didn't mention it, and Roger C. Carmel actually died in 1986 which doesn't fit with the day and a half writing schedule mentioned in sources for this episode (the writers strike started on March 7, 1988, and so the episode would have been written at some point around then). Of course if a reliable source does arise, then by all means add it to the article. I do rather like the idea of Mudd being transferred over to TNG, and it would have been wonderful to see on screen, but I'm not sure it's actually accurate. As far as I can tell this information may have originated in the editorial of the first six issues of the DC comics Star Trek run. Miyagawa (talk) 02:05, 6 January 2013 (UTC)

GA Review

This review is transcluded from Talk:The Neutral Zone (Star Trek: The Next Generation)/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: Ed! (talk · contribs) 15:30, 7 January 2013 (UTC)

• The guest actors section of the infobox needs a citation as there isn't one in the prose for the guest actors.
• Also, I don't see a source for any of the production credits in the body of the text, either.

• I've added the citations to the guest actors and production staff in the infobox that aren't otherwise mentioned in the text of the of the article (and cited there). Miyagawa (talk) 19:49, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

• Writing section: How did the fan fiction find its way into the hands of the producers, and is the episode verbatim of it, or were changes made in the script?

• Unfortunately that isn't covered in the sources, but what I think happened was this - Hurley had the idea for his new major aliens which was an insect race which obeyed a hive mind, but with the writers strike coming up they decided to use some fan fiction to bulk out the first part - and the second part was subsequently abandoned due to the lack of time (the first episode of the second season was adapted from the Phase II episode of the same name, which I'm sure I'll get around to soonish). When I started work on the episode I had hoped that the original fan fiction had made it's way onto the internet, but unfortunately it hadn't. This article used to have some uncited stuff about Harry Mudd originally being in the story, and I wonder if that came from the fan fiction (a crossover piece of fan fiction certainly sounds likely, but the actor who played Mudd died before the series started filming so that would have had to be changed. I'm not quite sure where the fan fiction came from, as there wasn't an internet at the time for it to sit on. I know fans used to post in plot ideas and its entirely plausible that one got picked up. Miyagawa (talk) 19:43, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

• This is just my opinion, but I think some context about the reintroduction of the Romulans into Star Trek might need a little explaining. As I recall, TNG in the first season continually struggled with finding a threatening enemy after the reception of the Ferengi in "The Last Outpost." For someone unfamiliar with the series, it might be helpful also to explain that the major TOS enemy, the Klingons, wasn't feasible for TNG and that the Borg would later successfully present a more pressing antagonist.

• I've incorporated a source from Memory Alpha to include that, and also came across the writers/directors guide written before the series which explains about the Klingons - although by that point, Klingons had already been used in a warlike context and the banned Vulcans appeared in Conspiracy. Miyagawa (talk) 22:28, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

• Again from Memory Alpha, it would be useful to note that James Conway also considered the episode to be a weaker showing for the end of the season.

• Added it as a quote and a minor expansion to the writing section, the bit about it being literally a first draft is interesting. Considering how much Roddenberry ripped apart the scripts during the earlier part of that season it must have driven him mad to be using a first draft. Miyagawa (talk) 20:04, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

• Dab links tool is showing two disambiguation problems: Neutral Zone and Maurice Hurley.

• Fixed those links. Miyagawa (talk) 19:43, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

• Dup links tool returning no problems. Article is illustrted by images with appropriate lisencing and has no aparent stability or neutrality problems.

I am placing the article on hold pending improvements. Will check back. —Ed!^(talk) 15:49, 7 January 2013 (UTC)

Great work! I'm satisfied with the changes so I'm passing the article for GA. —Ed!^(talk) 12:44, 10 January 2013 (UTC)

Andrew Probert

The lead section says that Mr Probert's first Star Trek work was the design for the Romulan ship in this episode, but the "Make Up and Design" subsection says that this was his last work on Star Trek. Can someone identify which (if either) is correct, and edit accordingly? Alfrew (talk) 15:23, 10 January 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for spotting that, it should be his last. I'll rectify that shortly. Miyagawa (talk) 16:33, 10 January 2013 (UTC)

Calendar dating

A major piece of notable information missing from this article is that it was the first Star Trek story (film or TV) to give an exact calendar year for its events. Since its broadcast, all subsequent licensed reference works, novels, TV episodes and films have used the calendar year given here as the baseline. 68.146.233.86 (talk) 01:58, 31 March 2017 (UTC)

Story arch/ arch stump?

So, has the Romulan, or rather: colonies vanishing without any traces, arch ever been picked up (maybe completed/ solved) in any later episode? If (then perhaps also in which) or if not should be mentioned in the article, in my opinion. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:3037:602:7B31:2415:2BD9:182F:8E0B (talk) 03:15, 27 April 2024 (UTC)