Inspired by tonight's SPIKE selection.

"Sarek" was one of Patrick Stewart's finest hours. It's a shame that Dr. Beverly is such deadwood in that scene, because otherwise it's great, great stuff.

The Evil Dr. Mathra forces me to watch the entire scene with him and gets irritated if I wander out of the room during it. I do love it, but since we have quoted it back and forth to each other on so many occasions, I can't help but crack up at times.

Especially when Picard huff-pants like Hunca Munca.

I should have added Spock's understated reaction to mind-melding with Picard at the end of "Unification" to the poll. It's one of my favorites.

I had to go with Odo in "The Die is Cast". The entire scene just makes my skin crawl. I actually yelled at the television, "Just lie Odo! Make. something. up!" Plus, the makeup department went all out with his dried up husk of a face.

Yes, he cracked in more ways than one.

Patrick Stewart in Sarek, all the way.

"....Spock..."

Totally. I saw just a couple of minutes at the end of the episode last night, and I was practically in tears just from that little bit.

I went with Odo, only because I've seen it more recently and so the emotional impact is vivid in my mind. That was just a great scene between those two actors.

Arghh...I would vote for the lute smashing, just because it brings the funny. However, though I haven't seen Sarek in a long time, I must give the respect due to Patrick Stewart, because I remember it even now. And wow.

I went with the lute smashing because it always makes me laugh. That and worf's tone of voice when he says "I must protest sir. I am not a merry man." Good times.

Count me in the "haven't-seen-"Sarek"-in-a-while" club. Obviously I should make an appointment.

Anywho, I had to go with Odo. But why didn't the Benny Russel breakdown make the list?

Not to denigrate the choices provided, which are all good-but if an Enterprise choice was going to be in it, what about Trip at the end of The Forgotten? (Or most of the ep, really.)

(I will take my sporking humbly, but I had to advocate for my Boy.)

Benny Russel's breakdown has to be the best. And one of my other favorites is the Doctor's in Voyager's "Latent Image". Poor guy.

Among the choices, though, gotta go with Kira in "Second Skin". Her breakdown is so extended, and knowing the character's history just makes it that much more powerful.

I voted T'Pol, because that's the only one I really know about.

I had to go for Picard, because Patrick Stewart is so good, but...

ITA!

Apparentally (don't laugh, I didn't realize this!), SPIKE plays what they played at 8 the next day at 2, because Sarek was on this afternoon. My vote, for Odo, stands, but... damn, he was good. I just saw Picard's, didn't see Sarek's, so I can't compare the two. I voted, by the way, yesterday night for Odo.

Since Benny Russell wasn't a choice...I went with Kira. Nana Visitor amazes me. Picard and Odo cancelled each other out in my mind.

For me, it was a tossup between Kirk and Odo. IMHO, nobody tops Kirk for Trek histrionics & scenery chewing (no, not even Khan's death scene in "TWOK"), but Odo's scene had such pathos, such desperation...it was a thing of beauty. Odo gets the nod this time, but overall...I still think that Kirk is The Man. 'Nuff said.

Garak and Odo get my vote. Or should I say Odo and Garak? T'Pol the crack whore is just too revolting to me and I actully missed the 'Sarek' ep. (not my fault! I had to work.) But then I've been infatuated(sp?) with Odo and Garak ever since I found DS9.

I hated to vote against Shatner and Stewart, because those guys do agony SO well, but the interrogation scene with Garak and Odo is one of my top 5 Trek moments ever. By the end of it, I almost felt as bad for Garak as I did for Odo.

I think it's hilarious that no one has voted for Troi.

I have a hard time considering it a breakdown if you can imagine them doing it twice before breakfast.

Full credit to Picard, Sarek, and Odo, but I had to go with the lute-smashing Worf. An Animal House shout-out in Trek. Whoulda thunk?

And my recent purchase of the "Double Secret Probation" DVD version of that movie did not influence my vote in the slightest. Nope. Uh-uh.

Never mind. Was repeating others. (Avery Brooks still rules, though.)

IMHO, nobody beats William Shatner; nobody.

Four words: THERE. ARE. FOUR. LIGHTS.

I sense.... hostile reactions... towards... my poll entry...

I have to go with Odo, Rene ROCKED that scene.

I really think if they were going to go for a Troi breakdown, that one where the alien put that constantly repeating song in her head to drive her crazy would have been the better choice. Not that many people can relate to being turned into a horny, murderous octagenarian by someone else's transplanted negative thoughts, but we've all heard "It's a Small World" at one time or another.

Yes, and some of us have been stuck inside the Small World ride at Disneyland for 45 minutes with a diabetic aunt whose blood sugar was on the edge, screaming "SHUT UP!!!!" at the singing dolls.

And yes, that someone was me.

And as far as my vote goes, I voted for Patrick Stewart in Sarek because I had more emotional involvement in that (I loved Spock, and by extension Sarek, and Picard, and I grew up watching TNG practically exclusively).

I had to go with Kirk for much the same reason, as it was the only one I knew other than T'Pol, which wasn't happening.

For a TOS breakdown, though, I'd go with Spock in The Naked Time, or even Kirk from the same ep.

Cleo256
Since I started crying myself the first few times I saw the "Benny Russel breakdown", I'm gonna have to make that my fave TREK breakdown. I'd second Spock in "The Naked Time".

Sorry, but I've gotta ask: who's this Benny Russel when he's at home?

He's from DS9's "Far Beyond the Stars". Benny is Sisko's dream (or dreamer), and he's played by Avery Brooks.

Cool; thanks for enlightening me.

I *hate* it when I don't get a reference.