The Enterprise is in dock to have its computers updated by a group of Bynars, a species that has evolved from computers. They work on things in pairs at a rapid fire pace. Both Wesley and Riker are a bit suspicious of what is going on. While Riker and Picard sit in the a jazz club in the holodeck with a beautiful young woman, bad things are happening. Somehow, the Enterprise is being compromised. Data orders the crew evacuated because the ship is potentially explosive. Once everyone is off (except, of course, Riker and Picard) the ship leaves and goes into warp. It is now up to the two ranking officers to figure out what is happening and to remedy it. I won't spoil anything, but for the first time there is a story of real complexity, aliens that are very interesting, and a problem that could happen in this realm. The solution is quite satisfying. The other thing that works here is that the characters of the Captain and his Number One relax and show their human sides. Jean Luc in particular is probably a pretty lonely man, married to his ship. Like a brother in a monastery, everyone else comes first. Riker is a romantic and shows himself quite the smooth talker and we find that he has a great love of jazz and a penchant for the trombone.
21 Reviews
One of the Better Season One Episodes
Samuel-Shovel18 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
In "11001001" the Enterprise heads to a nearby starbase for repairs and computer improvements. Most of the crew heads off for some R&R: Yar and Worf head to the base to play some new age sports activity, Data tries his hand at painting with the assistance of Geordi, and Dr. Crusher heads to the starbase to meet a doctor whose allegedly one of the Federation's best in a certain field.
Picard and Riker stay aboard the Enterprise while the repairs are happening. The computers are updated by a pair of Binars, an alien race who are almost practically computers themselves. They constantly work in pairs and can communicate and store and transfer data at record speeds.
Riker heads into a holodeck where he meets the woman of his dreams at an old New Orleans jazz bar. Even by holodeck standards, she seems too real to be true. Riker thinks it has something to do with the Binar's improvements.
At some point it becomes apparent that something is wrong. The Binars trick everyone into fleeing the Enterprise when they think it's destined to overload and explode. Everyone leaves but Riker and Picard who are unaware inside the holodeck. The two try to overtake the ship and, once entering the bridge, discover 4 Binars on death's doorstep.
Riker asks his holodeck dream girl what's going on and him and Picard learn that the Binars have loaded the sum of their races knowledge and data into the spare space of the Enterprise. An EMP caused by a star near their home planet going nova would have caused the computers to crash there, effectively killing the Binar race. The captain and Riker work together like Binars to re-download the information into the dormant Binars and back to the race's home planet, saving the race of computer-like aliens. The Binars apologize for all of this but didn't ask the Federation for help for fear of them saying no. Picard and Riker take back control of the ship and take it back to the star base to finish repairs.
This episode is extremely hard for me to try to describe succinctly but I thought it was really well done in practice. I enjoy the presence of the little Binars and their black and white way of thinking. For them, only two options exist in life which is why they chose the actions they went with.
This is a very Picard-Riker focused episode. Most of the other crew is basically written out of the plot with just a few scenes that don't really lead anywhere. That allows us to focus solely on the main storyline. Typically I like when TNG employs a B plot but here I think having just the one works out better. You could argue that the holodeck scenes are the B plot here but it all tied together rather smoothly so I'm counting it as one plot.
This is my favorite TNG episode of the series thus far. It's got a neat little script, introduces a cool new alien series, and has some great character development for Number One.
Picard and Riker stay aboard the Enterprise while the repairs are happening. The computers are updated by a pair of Binars, an alien race who are almost practically computers themselves. They constantly work in pairs and can communicate and store and transfer data at record speeds.
Riker heads into a holodeck where he meets the woman of his dreams at an old New Orleans jazz bar. Even by holodeck standards, she seems too real to be true. Riker thinks it has something to do with the Binar's improvements.
At some point it becomes apparent that something is wrong. The Binars trick everyone into fleeing the Enterprise when they think it's destined to overload and explode. Everyone leaves but Riker and Picard who are unaware inside the holodeck. The two try to overtake the ship and, once entering the bridge, discover 4 Binars on death's doorstep.
Riker asks his holodeck dream girl what's going on and him and Picard learn that the Binars have loaded the sum of their races knowledge and data into the spare space of the Enterprise. An EMP caused by a star near their home planet going nova would have caused the computers to crash there, effectively killing the Binar race. The captain and Riker work together like Binars to re-download the information into the dormant Binars and back to the race's home planet, saving the race of computer-like aliens. The Binars apologize for all of this but didn't ask the Federation for help for fear of them saying no. Picard and Riker take back control of the ship and take it back to the star base to finish repairs.
This episode is extremely hard for me to try to describe succinctly but I thought it was really well done in practice. I enjoy the presence of the little Binars and their black and white way of thinking. For them, only two options exist in life which is why they chose the actions they went with.
This is a very Picard-Riker focused episode. Most of the other crew is basically written out of the plot with just a few scenes that don't really lead anywhere. That allows us to focus solely on the main storyline. Typically I like when TNG employs a B plot but here I think having just the one works out better. You could argue that the holodeck scenes are the B plot here but it all tied together rather smoothly so I'm counting it as one plot.
This is my favorite TNG episode of the series thus far. It's got a neat little script, introduces a cool new alien series, and has some great character development for Number One.
Blind man teaching an Android how to paint
snoozejonc19 May 2021
Enterprise docks at a Starbase for a computer upgrade from the Bynars.
This is a solid episode that is a little slow to get going, but once it kicks into life, it's very entertaining and has some good character moments.
The plot is simple but effective and I won't mention any specifics not to spoil. It is safe to say that once we find out what's going on it puts a more interesting spin on what's been happening in the first part of the episode. It has an interesting concept when we consider how much society relies on computers.
I like how a number of different characters provide good contributions to what happens. Picard, Riker, Data and Wesley (ish) all get their share of cool moments. Worf briefly provides a moment of humour with his fiercely competitive Klingon nature on display.
Visuals and sound effects are excellent. I love the design of the Bynars which is similar to the Talosians. Their manner of communication and backstory is also interesting. This includes great visuals of Starbase 74 as the Enterprise docs and undocks.
All performances are solid, especially Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner and Michael Dorn.
For me this is a 7.5/10 but I like to round upwards.
This is a solid episode that is a little slow to get going, but once it kicks into life, it's very entertaining and has some good character moments.
The plot is simple but effective and I won't mention any specifics not to spoil. It is safe to say that once we find out what's going on it puts a more interesting spin on what's been happening in the first part of the episode. It has an interesting concept when we consider how much society relies on computers.
I like how a number of different characters provide good contributions to what happens. Picard, Riker, Data and Wesley (ish) all get their share of cool moments. Worf briefly provides a moment of humour with his fiercely competitive Klingon nature on display.
Visuals and sound effects are excellent. I love the design of the Bynars which is similar to the Talosians. Their manner of communication and backstory is also interesting. This includes great visuals of Starbase 74 as the Enterprise docs and undocks.
All performances are solid, especially Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner and Michael Dorn.
For me this is a 7.5/10 but I like to round upwards.
Binary success
russem3110 April 2006
ST:TNG:16 - "11001001" (Stardate: 41365.9) - this is the 16th episode produced but the 15th one aired on TV. "11001001" is one of my more favorite episodes of season 1 (and of the whole series) - it really gets to the heart of Star Trek and introduces a species that is quite different from humans - that of the Bynars who always travel in pairs since they need two to decipher their binary code (when interacting with each other and other beings). I really liked the beginning when the Enterprise docked at a Starbase, entering it (and exiting later on in the episode) just like the original Enterprise entering Spacedock in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock - though it's obvious they took the matte paintings from that movie, it is a welcome homage to The Next Generation's past. See this episode, you won't be disappointed.
Trivia: Carolyn McCormick who plays Minuet will be back in the fourth season episode "Future Imperfect".
Trivia: Carolyn McCormick who plays Minuet will be back in the fourth season episode "Future Imperfect".
A 'must see' excellent example of episodic drama
homie_g10 May 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I really have to agree with most of the existing reviews here. I watched this episode the other night and it had everything; mystery, action, suspense, romance and character development. For an episode shot in the 1980s, it still holds up remarkably well in 2011.
If you really sit down and analyze this episode, everything just came together and clicked which includes the directing, editing, acting, music score, camera-work, rhythm, pacing, special effects and story. It has great scale and a cinematic flare to it due in part to the very nice special effects, even if they are re-worked from Star Trek III.
There are some subtle symbolic things I picked up on which may be coincidences. For example, at the end when Picard and Riker get up from the bridge computer station. They get up in exactly the same way and same time, much like how the bynars are paired up. I think this symbolized their interdependency much like the bynars depend on each other in pairs.
The clever use of the holodeck, ship-wide evacuation and auto-destruct were well done. And I am glad they didn't do the clichéd thing about having the auto-destruct tick down until the final seconds. I think that shows maturity in the writing. I loved the final cute moments where Picard takes the conn.
A must see!
If you really sit down and analyze this episode, everything just came together and clicked which includes the directing, editing, acting, music score, camera-work, rhythm, pacing, special effects and story. It has great scale and a cinematic flare to it due in part to the very nice special effects, even if they are re-worked from Star Trek III.
There are some subtle symbolic things I picked up on which may be coincidences. For example, at the end when Picard and Riker get up from the bridge computer station. They get up in exactly the same way and same time, much like how the bynars are paired up. I think this symbolized their interdependency much like the bynars depend on each other in pairs.
The clever use of the holodeck, ship-wide evacuation and auto-destruct were well done. And I am glad they didn't do the clichéd thing about having the auto-destruct tick down until the final seconds. I think that shows maturity in the writing. I loved the final cute moments where Picard takes the conn.
A must see!
Bynars!
gritfrombray-110 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
In this we get to see a brand new species in the Star Trek lore. Nice to see a species that does not speak the way we do and are a far cry from the too human like creatures and species we regularly see. The holodeck gets a visit too and Minuet was a brilliantly conceived character and one that looked likely to return but never did. The Bynars steal the Enterprise and use it's vast computer to restore their world. The crew wait anxiously back at the Starbase for their return. Interesting to see Data blaming himself for not being on duty and vigilant, claiming he does not need rest or relaxation. Nice to see Star Trek alumni, Gene Dynarski back in the fold as well
The binaries
bkoganbing22 August 2017
The Enterprise puts in for repair and a race of aliens called Binaries are enlisted to help in the repair. They are a highly unusual species who always travel in 2s like Mormon Elders and co-dependent totally on the other. Their written and spoken language is in binary code like a computer.
These binaries have an agenda all their own. They steal the Enterprise to take to their home planet for reasons you have to see the show to know. The whole crew is on shore leave and later additional personnel abandon ship when it looks like a warp core breach.
All that's left on the Enterprise are Picard and Riker. For Riker the binaries have rigged the holodeck with a most fetching and sultry personality. Carolyn McCormick later the proper and professional psychiatric consultant on Law And Order Dr. Elizabeth Olivet is the alluring Minuet in Riker's program. She really distracts Jonathan Frakes until it's too late almost.
A highly entertaining story that's grounded in a certain reality. The Binaries are a lot like the Logopolitans from the Tom Baker original Dr. Who.
These binaries have an agenda all their own. They steal the Enterprise to take to their home planet for reasons you have to see the show to know. The whole crew is on shore leave and later additional personnel abandon ship when it looks like a warp core breach.
All that's left on the Enterprise are Picard and Riker. For Riker the binaries have rigged the holodeck with a most fetching and sultry personality. Carolyn McCormick later the proper and professional psychiatric consultant on Law And Order Dr. Elizabeth Olivet is the alluring Minuet in Riker's program. She really distracts Jonathan Frakes until it's too late almost.
A highly entertaining story that's grounded in a certain reality. The Binaries are a lot like the Logopolitans from the Tom Baker original Dr. Who.
Wow...a GOOD holodeck episode!
planktonrules10 November 2014
The Enterprise has arrived at a starbase for some R&R as well as to have upgrades made to the systems. However, instead of human techs, the freaky little Binar race scurries about the ship--chirping their strange language and acting a bit cagey as the work. Still, no one seems to really notice and most everyone has left the ship. As for Riker, he decides to stay on the new and enhanced holodeck where he meets a super-hot babe (Carolyn McCormick--who later played the psychologist on "Law & Order"). When Jean-Luc arrives at the simulation, this perfect woman seems to do her darnedest to keep the men there and entertains them wonderfully. Why? Because the freaky Binars are going to steal the ship---and they don't want to have anyone around who can stop them. Will the two command officers stop lusting after this holowoman long enough to realize what's happened to their beloved Enterprise?
Despite this being a holodreck episode (yes, I know how to spell holodeck), this is a very good one. Well written and intelligent-- something you can RARELY say about any holo episode!! But it unfortunately would lead to MORE holodeck episodes---too many.
Despite this being a holodreck episode (yes, I know how to spell holodeck), this is a very good one. Well written and intelligent-- something you can RARELY say about any holo episode!! But it unfortunately would lead to MORE holodeck episodes---too many.
Riker plays with his bone on the holodeck while what I assume are Facebook employees of the future steal the ship
snarky-trek-reviews5 March 2021
This. Star. Base. Is. Awesome.
Que the sci- fi sound effects at -45:03 and again at -44:32 Netflix standard time and we are off to meet the Binares. Observe the subtle smiles of the one on the left (no, stage left) as they make their way to engineering.
The Bynars are an interesting race and I wish we would have seen more of them throughout TNG's run though they are, to my knowledge, a one off. Turns out its another Riker episode with Picard as second fiddle. We saw the beginning of diplomat Picard in Code of Honor but we haven't seen much else of interest since then. He's largely relegated to explaining things for the audience and badly timed and largely unnecessary words of encouragement to his crew. The most memorable character from the show isn't all that interesting yet.
We do see the crew start to function as a team here but its frustrating how underdeveloped the main cast still is. The Data/Geordi bromance is well underway though Levar Burton is still over acting: "REALLY!" The set up for something fun with Worf and Tasha is there but the writers fail to pay it off. And while Wesley is less irksome than he used to be he still has too much screen time. Troi is absent but you will hardly notice. We also get some foreshadowing of Crusher's exit from the show. Her excitement about "cybernetics and regeneration" is noteworthy given the upcoming introduction of the Borg.
As a side note, the Bynar and the Borg seem to have a lot in common which makes their absence from future episodes feel like a real missed opportunity. Computer/human hybrids were clearly on the writer's minds as they imagined the TNG universe.
The episode falls apart at the end but only if you think about it which is completely optional. How did the Bynars get the data from their planetary computer to the Star Base to begin with? Where did they store it while waiting for the Enterprise? Or did their star go super nova after they took control of the Enterprise but before Picard and Riker left the holodeck? And how does a star the in the Bynar system go nova without wiping out everything else within the solar system.
The writers don't know as much about science as we've been led to believe, but at least there are always chairs on the bridge when you need them despite the fact that they were clearly missing in the previous scene and no one else is onboard the ship.
Que the sci-fi sound effects at -3:03 and were out.
All things considered this episode is pretty easy to watch and even somewhat memorable, but the show still feels lopsided. Tasha and Worf remain underdeveloped while Data and Wesley get too much screen time. Riker is the only character that seems to have come into his own.
Verdict: Pretty good for season 1
Fun Facts:
1) In 41 seconds, two people came make their way from the bridge to a transporter room, beam out, hold a conversation, and still have time to watch their ship leave space dock and go to warp before exploding.
2) It only takes two presses of a button on the transporter pad to beam two people to separate location on the bridge on a ten second delay.
3) There are twenty transporter rooms onboard the enterprise, not counting the cargo bays.
Que the sci- fi sound effects at -45:03 and again at -44:32 Netflix standard time and we are off to meet the Binares. Observe the subtle smiles of the one on the left (no, stage left) as they make their way to engineering.
The Bynars are an interesting race and I wish we would have seen more of them throughout TNG's run though they are, to my knowledge, a one off. Turns out its another Riker episode with Picard as second fiddle. We saw the beginning of diplomat Picard in Code of Honor but we haven't seen much else of interest since then. He's largely relegated to explaining things for the audience and badly timed and largely unnecessary words of encouragement to his crew. The most memorable character from the show isn't all that interesting yet.
We do see the crew start to function as a team here but its frustrating how underdeveloped the main cast still is. The Data/Geordi bromance is well underway though Levar Burton is still over acting: "REALLY!" The set up for something fun with Worf and Tasha is there but the writers fail to pay it off. And while Wesley is less irksome than he used to be he still has too much screen time. Troi is absent but you will hardly notice. We also get some foreshadowing of Crusher's exit from the show. Her excitement about "cybernetics and regeneration" is noteworthy given the upcoming introduction of the Borg.
As a side note, the Bynar and the Borg seem to have a lot in common which makes their absence from future episodes feel like a real missed opportunity. Computer/human hybrids were clearly on the writer's minds as they imagined the TNG universe.
The episode falls apart at the end but only if you think about it which is completely optional. How did the Bynars get the data from their planetary computer to the Star Base to begin with? Where did they store it while waiting for the Enterprise? Or did their star go super nova after they took control of the Enterprise but before Picard and Riker left the holodeck? And how does a star the in the Bynar system go nova without wiping out everything else within the solar system.
The writers don't know as much about science as we've been led to believe, but at least there are always chairs on the bridge when you need them despite the fact that they were clearly missing in the previous scene and no one else is onboard the ship.
Que the sci-fi sound effects at -3:03 and were out.
All things considered this episode is pretty easy to watch and even somewhat memorable, but the show still feels lopsided. Tasha and Worf remain underdeveloped while Data and Wesley get too much screen time. Riker is the only character that seems to have come into his own.
Verdict: Pretty good for season 1
Fun Facts:
1) In 41 seconds, two people came make their way from the bridge to a transporter room, beam out, hold a conversation, and still have time to watch their ship leave space dock and go to warp before exploding.
2) It only takes two presses of a button on the transporter pad to beam two people to separate location on the bridge on a ten second delay.
3) There are twenty transporter rooms onboard the enterprise, not counting the cargo bays.
SO INTEIGUING & FASCINATING!
jasoedwards21 April 2022
This marvelous episode had me hooked from the appearance of Starbase 74, the docking of the Enterprise and the appearance of the Bynars. The character of Minuet is played to perfection by the exquisitely beautiful & sultry Caroline McCormack. All in all this episode left me wanting to know more about the Bynars and their homework of Binus.
"What's a knockout like you doing in a computer-generated gin joint like this?"
classicsoncall7 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this was a fairly good episode, and then I read the review posted here by 'skinnybert'. It makes some salient points about the abandonment of science and logic in the execution of the story that I would have to agree with. Nevertheless, this is still an interesting story and deserves credit as one of the better ones so far in the first season of Next Generation.
My main quibble to the episode would be how easy it was for Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) to initiate the Enterprise's destruct sequence after it was commandeered by the Bynars and sent hurtling off to the planet Bynaus in the Beta Magellan System. I thought it should have been more complicated than simply having Picard and Riker agree to it with the ship's main computer. Something along the lines of Captain Kirk's clever destruct sequence in 'The Corbomite Maneuver', even if he was just making it all up at the time.
It seems like ST:TNG made a lot of use out of those holodeck simulations, and this was no exception. The sexy Carolyn McCormick as jazz enthusiast (except for Dixieland) Minuet almost had Picard and Riker distracted long enough for the Bynars to complete the mission on their own, although it turned out they might have died trying without success. Fortunately for them, the Enterprise commanders saw that their scheme was all intended for the better good of their planet, and not an incursion on the Enterprise.
My main quibble to the episode would be how easy it was for Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) to initiate the Enterprise's destruct sequence after it was commandeered by the Bynars and sent hurtling off to the planet Bynaus in the Beta Magellan System. I thought it should have been more complicated than simply having Picard and Riker agree to it with the ship's main computer. Something along the lines of Captain Kirk's clever destruct sequence in 'The Corbomite Maneuver', even if he was just making it all up at the time.
It seems like ST:TNG made a lot of use out of those holodeck simulations, and this was no exception. The sexy Carolyn McCormick as jazz enthusiast (except for Dixieland) Minuet almost had Picard and Riker distracted long enough for the Bynars to complete the mission on their own, although it turned out they might have died trying without success. Fortunately for them, the Enterprise commanders saw that their scheme was all intended for the better good of their planet, and not an incursion on the Enterprise.
11001001
Scarecrow-8812 May 2012
Warning: Spoilers
You know, "11001001" is an episode I'm quite surprised I didn't remember anything about. I started to wonder how I could forget about such a terrific, exciting, and unique episode, featuring quite a fascinating group of computer-dependent aliens (who speak in binary language!) knows as the Bynars. For some reason the Bynars, who are assigned to boost the technological capacity of the Enterprise's sophisticated computer banks, "gain access" to the ship (more like commandeering the Enterprise), while Captain Picard and Commander Riker are on the Holodeck, with Lt. Commander Data and Lt. Geordi LaForge having evacuated the remaining crew (they could not contact Picard or Riker) due to the possible release of the Anti-matter in Engineering, certain to cause catastrophic results. How were the Bynars able to get Picard and Riker's attention during all of this..a very realistic, intuitive, and charming holographic brunette doll played by Carolyn McCormick (Law & Order), as Minuet, within a recreated New Orleans jazz club. With an emptied Enterprise, soon Picard and Riker decide to set Auto-Destruct and get to the Bridge, hoping to keep the Bynars from taking the Enterprise, discovering the four of them near death. It turns out that a supernova plays an important part, as well as, information stored on the Bynars world needing a place of temporary existence in the grand scheme of things, with Picard and Riker having to figure out how to save the aliens from complete extinction. Another scintillating parable about the dependency on technology and how that can lead to total annihilation, not to mention, seeing Riker and Picard working cohesively side-by-side to examine and avert a difficult situation. Riker is given a good brunt of the episode, and pretty early we see that this series was a bit more interested in developing their characters, showing him really responding intimately with Minuet who casts a spell on the commander. With the crew stuck on Starbase 74, it is neat spending time with just two people on board the Enterprise (the frustration of not being able to rescue Picard and Riker, and allowing the ship to be taken, is established well in Data's acceptance of responsibility (which is absurd, but understandable that he would "feel" this way) and Yar's multiple attempts to get a ship to catch up to them). I have a hard time not imagining this isn't a lot of fun for Next Gen fans. There's plenty of special effects eye candy such as the Enterprise docking at the visual dynamo of the Starbase and showing characters moving about inside the ship as it is docked. I think this will considered by some to be a sleeper episode, maybe found on many top 20 Next Gen fan lists.
Ahhh, the old Riker trap.
amusinghandle27 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The fact that this is a season 1 episodes and it manages to competently establish suspense and ultimately pay it off with a climax that makes actual sense elevates this to a top tier S1 episode.
The Bynars are an interesting truly alien race and there ultimate motivation for stealing the enterprise makes sense. Even our favorite son, Wesley Crusher could not stop the Bynar plan from happenings.
Riker was also suspicious of the Bynars but everyone knows how you control William T Riker --- it's practically in the Enterprise D orientation manual.
This one had a brisk plot with the majority of the plot elements making sense and each scene had an actual purpose that built towards the finale ---- This is mighty high praise for an episode of S1 of TNG.
The Bynars are an interesting truly alien race and there ultimate motivation for stealing the enterprise makes sense. Even our favorite son, Wesley Crusher could not stop the Bynar plan from happenings.
Riker was also suspicious of the Bynars but everyone knows how you control William T Riker --- it's practically in the Enterprise D orientation manual.
This one had a brisk plot with the majority of the plot elements making sense and each scene had an actual purpose that built towards the finale ---- This is mighty high praise for an episode of S1 of TNG.
Mushy Star Trek
skinnybert31 August 2022
All Star Trek (up through ENT) has great episodes and terrible ones. 11001001 is good example of an interesting concept (which is why we love Star Trek) which is poorly written (which is why some people dislike Star Trek). Overly simplified, ignorant of science, shallow in character, it's so caught up in the gosh-wow of its own concepts that it disregards much of the show's own premise. If this were the only/first Star Trek you ever saw, you would conclude that:
1. The Enterprise pretty much drives itself
2. Supernovas are akin to earthquakes, and happen only for short periods of time -- days, or even minutes -- and then life goes on as before
3. Combadges are powerful enough to talk from one star system to another instantly
4. A pretty face is all it takes to sidetrack a (male) officer from duty.
You might also reasonably wonder how crew members are tracked by their combadges in other episodes when they don't here, and what kind of vetting Star Fleet does for aliens working on their top-of-the-line starships.
Abounding also are the usual TNG weaknesses: the first guess anyone comes up with in a crisis proves to be exactly the right answer; the overweening social psychobabble (even when they're correct, it's superficially so); the characters explaining to each other what they should already know.
The good news is Carolyn McCormick's portrayal of Minuet is nuanced, if necessarily flawed by the script she was given. The Bynar actors are occasionally pretty good -- again, within the script they were given.
There was a lot of idea/concept shoveled in here, mostly haphazardly and incompletely -- and honestly, that is something to be excited about. The actual episode, though, suffers from ham-fisted assertions and flat-out ignorant science. Which is sometimes necessary for the structure of TV drama, but even that is mushy here.
So: is it good? No. Should you still watch it? Why yes, of course. Just know you're going to have a lot of "What the --?" moments.
You might also reasonably wonder how crew members are tracked by their combadges in other episodes when they don't here, and what kind of vetting Star Fleet does for aliens working on their top-of-the-line starships.
Abounding also are the usual TNG weaknesses: the first guess anyone comes up with in a crisis proves to be exactly the right answer; the overweening social psychobabble (even when they're correct, it's superficially so); the characters explaining to each other what they should already know.
The good news is Carolyn McCormick's portrayal of Minuet is nuanced, if necessarily flawed by the script she was given. The Bynar actors are occasionally pretty good -- again, within the script they were given.
There was a lot of idea/concept shoveled in here, mostly haphazardly and incompletely -- and honestly, that is something to be excited about. The actual episode, though, suffers from ham-fisted assertions and flat-out ignorant science. Which is sometimes necessary for the structure of TV drama, but even that is mushy here.
So: is it good? No. Should you still watch it? Why yes, of course. Just know you're going to have a lot of "What the --?" moments.
Can the Ones and Zeros of Binary Give Rise to Human-Like Complexity?
Rizar15 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
The Enterprise arrives and docks at Starbase 74 for maintenance. The technicians on the maintenance team include two pairs of Bynars, an alien race from the planet Bynaus, who communicate with the ship computer much quicker than any human or (my guess) perhaps even Data.
Though the Bynars have a secret mission to steal the Enterprise and save their home world.
I thought "11001001" (Episode 14, Season 1, Air Date 01/01/88, Star-date 41365.9) was a perfect example of an episode's maximum use of the Star Trek world -- it contains an interesting new race, it motivates the new race with exciting SF possibilities that sound reasonable, and it fully embeds its holodeck scenes into the Star Trek world. It doesn't use the holodeck just to escape from the world of Star Trek ('The Big Goodbye'); it uses it to expand on interesting tech-no concepts.
The Bynars work in teams of two (for customary reasons), but they have developed mental capacities as close to the binary language as is possible for biochemical organisms. The binary language is a language of ones and zeros, which are like on and off switches on a circuit board or similar to yes and no responses from a human.
Computers translate all high level graphics and words we see on a computer monitor into the binary language of ones and zeros, so we might expect the Bynars to best communicate with computers since they naturally speak the same language (or very close to it).
The advantages are clear: the Bynars speed up their communications with computers, and they can use buffers to store temporary information to allow them to handle massive amounts of information. The episode tries to get us to believe that the Bynars would have tremendous disadvantages too.
Though the episode almost flies off its hinges of sanity when it has the Bynars mysteriously collapse and stop working. Apparently the Bynars stop functioning whenever their master computer (on Bynaus) stops functioning.
This is a logical error of the largest sort since it ignores the individual nature of minds, even near-binary minds. Computers don't fail to function just because they lose Internet connections, for example. They just lose access to the wealth of information on the larger network. It would be similar to humans collapsing into a seizure after their central government decided to end its universal mandates and allow people to make their own choices!
Perhaps the master computer on Bynaus powers the Bynars through some sort of power source left unexplained in the episode. But it would seem to me that they would get their power through eating food!
In any case, the episode poses some of the most interesting sets of questions of season 1 so far.
We learn that the Bynars made many enhancements to the holodeck. They mention this to Riker in the hopes of getting him to try out their enhancements (for reasons important to their plan, on which I'll keep quiet to avoid spoiling it).
Riker decides to relax in the holodeck with a Jazz club program. He asks for an audience and eventually gets a beautiful women by the name of Minuet. As he and Picard study her, they find her all-too-human. (Picard walked in on Riker and her kissing.) She has dense human responses and characteristics that you don't normally find in holograms. She adapts to her environment and seems intuitive. Picard smartly points out that humans send out many subtle signs giving away their emotions and thoughts. Minuet seems to pick up on these, allowing her to have empathy with Riker and Picard.
But sometimes she stares oddly off into space, so perhaps she's not quite there yet.
The Bynars enhanced the holodeck and created Minuet. Her presence raises the question of whether computer programmers could realistically simulate human complexity. Can computer programming in ones and zeros give rise to complex behaviors? Could such computations combine to produce holograms that seem to have emotions, intuition, and intelligence?
Minuet is even more advanced than Data in her humanity, so perhaps the Bynars are so highly advanced in their use of the binary language, they can program intelligent holograms and human complexity. (Most computers of today fail the 'Turing test' miserably, but Minuet seems apt to easily pass it in this episode.)
Though Picard wonders whether Riker is falling in love with the illusion of Minuet more so than he would a real woman -- the illusion is sometimes more compelling than the person! This idea is just like the decision of Cypher in 'The Matrix' (1999) to choose simulated reality over the 'real world'. Though perhaps we also fall in love with our illusions of a person more so than the actual person all the time -- perhaps our minds are like a virtual reality environment, like a holodeck, in which we fall in love with 'virtual' illusions of things all the time.
Analogously the episode poses similar questions to Data (and even Geordi with his tech-no visor). Could we tell the difference between the creativity of Data and the creativity of humans? Could a machine have creativity at all?
We watch Data trying to learn to paint as an experiment in the possibility of android creativity (with Geordi encouraging him). But I'm not sure Data's neural net is quite as advanced as the Bynar near-binary minds. Probably not, for otherwise Data could just do the maintenance and prevent the Enterprise from stopping at Starbase 74.
The Star Trek world comes to a high point in this episode. The holodeck is used to its SF fullest and all the tech-no elements in the series come together nicely -- the holodeck, Data, Geordi's visor, and the Bynars all contribute to thought provoking questions. Now I know why I became interested in Star Trek!
Though the Bynars have a secret mission to steal the Enterprise and save their home world.
I thought "11001001" (Episode 14, Season 1, Air Date 01/01/88, Star-date 41365.9) was a perfect example of an episode's maximum use of the Star Trek world -- it contains an interesting new race, it motivates the new race with exciting SF possibilities that sound reasonable, and it fully embeds its holodeck scenes into the Star Trek world. It doesn't use the holodeck just to escape from the world of Star Trek ('The Big Goodbye'); it uses it to expand on interesting tech-no concepts.
The Bynars work in teams of two (for customary reasons), but they have developed mental capacities as close to the binary language as is possible for biochemical organisms. The binary language is a language of ones and zeros, which are like on and off switches on a circuit board or similar to yes and no responses from a human.
Computers translate all high level graphics and words we see on a computer monitor into the binary language of ones and zeros, so we might expect the Bynars to best communicate with computers since they naturally speak the same language (or very close to it).
The advantages are clear: the Bynars speed up their communications with computers, and they can use buffers to store temporary information to allow them to handle massive amounts of information. The episode tries to get us to believe that the Bynars would have tremendous disadvantages too.
Though the episode almost flies off its hinges of sanity when it has the Bynars mysteriously collapse and stop working. Apparently the Bynars stop functioning whenever their master computer (on Bynaus) stops functioning.
This is a logical error of the largest sort since it ignores the individual nature of minds, even near-binary minds. Computers don't fail to function just because they lose Internet connections, for example. They just lose access to the wealth of information on the larger network. It would be similar to humans collapsing into a seizure after their central government decided to end its universal mandates and allow people to make their own choices!
Perhaps the master computer on Bynaus powers the Bynars through some sort of power source left unexplained in the episode. But it would seem to me that they would get their power through eating food!
In any case, the episode poses some of the most interesting sets of questions of season 1 so far.
We learn that the Bynars made many enhancements to the holodeck. They mention this to Riker in the hopes of getting him to try out their enhancements (for reasons important to their plan, on which I'll keep quiet to avoid spoiling it).
Riker decides to relax in the holodeck with a Jazz club program. He asks for an audience and eventually gets a beautiful women by the name of Minuet. As he and Picard study her, they find her all-too-human. (Picard walked in on Riker and her kissing.) She has dense human responses and characteristics that you don't normally find in holograms. She adapts to her environment and seems intuitive. Picard smartly points out that humans send out many subtle signs giving away their emotions and thoughts. Minuet seems to pick up on these, allowing her to have empathy with Riker and Picard.
But sometimes she stares oddly off into space, so perhaps she's not quite there yet.
The Bynars enhanced the holodeck and created Minuet. Her presence raises the question of whether computer programmers could realistically simulate human complexity. Can computer programming in ones and zeros give rise to complex behaviors? Could such computations combine to produce holograms that seem to have emotions, intuition, and intelligence?
Minuet is even more advanced than Data in her humanity, so perhaps the Bynars are so highly advanced in their use of the binary language, they can program intelligent holograms and human complexity. (Most computers of today fail the 'Turing test' miserably, but Minuet seems apt to easily pass it in this episode.)
Though Picard wonders whether Riker is falling in love with the illusion of Minuet more so than he would a real woman -- the illusion is sometimes more compelling than the person! This idea is just like the decision of Cypher in 'The Matrix' (1999) to choose simulated reality over the 'real world'. Though perhaps we also fall in love with our illusions of a person more so than the actual person all the time -- perhaps our minds are like a virtual reality environment, like a holodeck, in which we fall in love with 'virtual' illusions of things all the time.
Analogously the episode poses similar questions to Data (and even Geordi with his tech-no visor). Could we tell the difference between the creativity of Data and the creativity of humans? Could a machine have creativity at all?
We watch Data trying to learn to paint as an experiment in the possibility of android creativity (with Geordi encouraging him). But I'm not sure Data's neural net is quite as advanced as the Bynar near-binary minds. Probably not, for otherwise Data could just do the maintenance and prevent the Enterprise from stopping at Starbase 74.
The Star Trek world comes to a high point in this episode. The holodeck is used to its SF fullest and all the tech-no elements in the series come together nicely -- the holodeck, Data, Geordi's visor, and the Bynars all contribute to thought provoking questions. Now I know why I became interested in Star Trek!
A g0od 1pi1ode 0f s1a0tr1k.
thevacinstaller3 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This is the first genuinely good episode of TNG. While I have handed out a few 7 out 10's to previous episodes, it was often attributed to great moments or campy acting that gave me a belly laugh or beverly crushers hair being glorious.
I would call this a Riker episode and we get some nice character development on big Bill. He's career orientated but still has the hunger for passion and the Bynars are somehow able to see that in him and exploit it with an absolutely delicious holodeck character named Minuet. It was Riker who raised the red flag about the Bynar's being up to something and it was a clever piece of writing to tie-in to Riker's personal conflict of career vs settling down.
The writers also lay down a few tracks on the star trek railroad in establishing Geordi and Data as being buddies. When watching this episode, I could see Spiner getting a handle on who this character is.
We also get our first great Worf moment with his line, "Rest assured we will win whatever the cost!" during the American Gladiators competition they are having.
I noticed some interesting camera work ---- Focusing on the shimmer of Minuets necklace. Was it meant to foreshadow that she was a distraction? Probably just looked cool.
I can picture humanity being in the same place as the Bynars if we had a sun burst that knocked out our electrical grid. Is it a good thing to be so reliant upon technology that you die without it?
A solid episode!
Assorted thoughts:
I would call this a Riker episode and we get some nice character development on big Bill. He's career orientated but still has the hunger for passion and the Bynars are somehow able to see that in him and exploit it with an absolutely delicious holodeck character named Minuet. It was Riker who raised the red flag about the Bynar's being up to something and it was a clever piece of writing to tie-in to Riker's personal conflict of career vs settling down.
The writers also lay down a few tracks on the star trek railroad in establishing Geordi and Data as being buddies. When watching this episode, I could see Spiner getting a handle on who this character is.
We also get our first great Worf moment with his line, "Rest assured we will win whatever the cost!" during the American Gladiators competition they are having.
I noticed some interesting camera work ---- Focusing on the shimmer of Minuets necklace. Was it meant to foreshadow that she was a distraction? Probably just looked cool.
I can picture humanity being in the same place as the Bynars if we had a sun burst that knocked out our electrical grid. Is it a good thing to be so reliant upon technology that you die without it?
A solid episode!
Assorted thoughts:
- Picard's stand in stuntman apparently gets a guest actor appearance in this one.
- Picard is being a bit of a dad in this one. He's patting people on the back and telling them they are doing a good job.
- They tied in the holodeck probe issue from a few episodes back into this one. A light dusting of serialization/carry over. Nice.
worth it to see Carolyn McCormick
MiketheWhistle3 August 2020
Not great reviews on this one, but it's not too bad an ep. The plot is good but it suffers from STToS in that many early ep's of NG have the ToS characteristic over acting. This was during primarily the first season and toned back once season 2 happened.
Ms Carolyn McCormick is simply beautiful. Seeing the holideck various presentations was pretty funny. Her acting wasn't great except that she was a computer figure and most of lines are delivered in a computer manner.
Data's self guilt was also kind of interesting.
Ms Carolyn McCormick is simply beautiful. Seeing the holideck various presentations was pretty funny. Her acting wasn't great except that she was a computer figure and most of lines are delivered in a computer manner.
Data's self guilt was also kind of interesting.
Blew it at the End
french-5531824 March 2021
The blew the entire script at the end, when they ask the Binaries why they locked Riker up. They said they needed him to download their data to wake them up. But in the previous scene it took both Riker and Picard to download, because the Binaries work in Twos. Riker could not have done the job alone. AHHHHHHH. Almost a perfect script. Should have had a Threesome in the holodeck and it would have been the answer to the problem. hehehe
A bit of Trivia
phone-513 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I have to admit that, in general, Star Trek: TNG had left me a little cold, with sterile looking sets, a communist's idea of economic utopia, insults of national heritage (Ferengis described as Yankee Traders), and some occasionally peculiar morals concerning life and death.
Sidestepping most of these problems is the episode 11001001: one of my few favorites. I'm not sure I liked the Bynars, themselves, who were little, androgynous, spooky-looking beings that walked around in pairs.
I was mostly amused by the title: 11001001 is the binary value of the RET (Unconditional Return from Subroutine) Opcode for the 8080 and Z80 CPU. The Bynars wished their data "returned" after their shutdown.
Sidestepping most of these problems is the episode 11001001: one of my few favorites. I'm not sure I liked the Bynars, themselves, who were little, androgynous, spooky-looking beings that walked around in pairs.
I was mostly amused by the title: 11001001 is the binary value of the RET (Unconditional Return from Subroutine) Opcode for the 8080 and Z80 CPU. The Bynars wished their data "returned" after their shutdown.
A Senior Trekker writes..................
celineduchain26 December 2021
Writing in 2021, it is great to see that I am not the only person taking a retrospective look at Star Trek, the Next Generation. When this series was first released in 1987, a little less than twenty years after the end of the Original Series, many people thought that, without Captain Kirk and his crew, it couldn't really be Star Trek. However, original creator Gene Roddenberry, was fully invested in the casting, writing and overall look of the new series, so let's see how it shaped up:
Ah, the Bynars! 11001001 is a well written and well executed episode with a central moral theme. When is it justified to go ahead and take what you need without asking for help first? The immortal lines: "you could have said....no" echoing around geo-political circles throughout history and up to this day.
The holodeck scenes are well realised and the way in which Picard and Riker begin by discussing the environment as a clever simulation before gradually being taken in by the ambiance and the seductive Minuet is convincing. Well, convincing by the "suspension of disbelief" standards of the day, anyway.
Carolyn McCormick, who played Minuet, went on to have an extremely fulsome career, including nearly twenty years as a guest star on the totally repellent "Guide to Creative Femicide" that is the TV series Special Victims Unit. Now there's something that truly deserves the lowest score but I digress..........
.............. Senior Trekker scores every episode of Star Trek with a 5.
Ah, the Bynars! 11001001 is a well written and well executed episode with a central moral theme. When is it justified to go ahead and take what you need without asking for help first? The immortal lines: "you could have said....no" echoing around geo-political circles throughout history and up to this day.
The holodeck scenes are well realised and the way in which Picard and Riker begin by discussing the environment as a clever simulation before gradually being taken in by the ambiance and the seductive Minuet is convincing. Well, convincing by the "suspension of disbelief" standards of the day, anyway.
Carolyn McCormick, who played Minuet, went on to have an extremely fulsome career, including nearly twenty years as a guest star on the totally repellent "Guide to Creative Femicide" that is the TV series Special Victims Unit. Now there's something that truly deserves the lowest score but I digress..........
.............. Senior Trekker scores every episode of Star Trek with a 5.
Another Awful Holodeck Episode
anarchistica18 March 2020
One of the neat things about TNG is how timeless it feels. The only real problem are these holodeck episodes, which make the series feel very dated. I also couldn't care less about characters marvelling at fictional technology, especially when it is rather creepy. Minuet is a program specifically designed to ensnare Riker. Someone pretending to be something else to manipulate is always disturbing, especially when a computer does it.
The Binars are neat though, their explanation of why they went through with their plan is one of the few highlights of this episode.
The Binars are neat though, their explanation of why they went through with their plan is one of the few highlights of this episode.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
