History YMMV / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E4TheOutrageousOkona

** These days, having Creator/JoePiscopo play the greatest comedian in history seems like it's supposed to be a joke in itself, given that Piscopo's career famously tanked shortly after his appearance. It's doubly ironic given he does a Creator/JerryLewis impression given that Lewis is much more likely to fill that role. It's doubly ironic given that Creator/WhoopiGoldberg, an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_EGOT_winners EGOT winner]], also appears in the episode.

* MemeticMutation: Worf and Picard's stark dismissal of the laser weapons mounted by a pair of spaceships little larger than NASA's Space Shuttle is sometimes taken as an assertion that ''no'' laser weapons regardless of power can hurt a Federation ship with its shields up among some part of the fan base. The fact that the very next episode included as an important plot point the fact that entering a region where hostile ships were actively doing battle with laser weapons was seen as dangerous is conveniently ignored (as is the Borg's use of lasers in the same season's "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E16QWho Q Who?]]", 8 episodes previous).

* TheScrappy: Okona is one of the most hated one-time ''Franchise/StarTrek'' characters of all time. The script's claims that he is a dashing ladies' man and LovableRogue who lives his life as he wishes (in other words, a CaptainErsatz version of [[Franchise/StarWars Han Solo]]), doesn't translate very well to screen, where he often comes across as an obnoxious {{Slimeball}}.
** That said, he went on to cameo (as a DJ!) in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'' and then a more substantial appearance in two episodes of ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekProdigy''.

* HarsherOnHindsight: During Data's comedy routine, there is a scene where Guinan asks the comic "And you made a living doing this?" Modern viewers cannot help but feel a little bit of pity for Creator/JoePiscopo, considering the imminent collapse of his career.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: During Data's comedy routine, there is a scene where Guinan asks the comic "And you made a living doing this?" Modern viewers cannot help but feel a little bit of pity for Creator/JoePiscopo, considering the imminent collapse of his career.

* TheScrappy: Okona is one of the most hated one-time ''Franchise/StarTrek'' characters of all time. The script's claims that he is a dashing ladies' man and LovableRogue who lives his life as he wishes (in other words, a CaptainErsatz version of [[Franchise/StarWars Han Solo]]), doesn't translate very well to screen, where he often comes across as an obnoxious {{Slimeball}} and glorified delivery guy in a puffy vest.
** It doesn't help that, aside from effortlessly boning a lot of the crew and causing a lot of trouble, Okana doesn't actually ''say'' or ''do'' anything cool in the episode, making the crew's affection for him all the more obnoxious.

** A Han Solo style pilot comes on board the notoriously dull season 2 Enterprise, has sex with 1980s Creator/TeriHatcher, teaches Data about humanity, nearly starts an interplanetary war and at the end has to come to terms with his responsibilities...completely ruined by some of the flattest and cheesiest jokes of the entire franchise.
** Data learning humor seems like a perfect storyline for his character. Shame all we got was an episode where the jokes weren't just unfunny (not helped by Piscopo writing them himself), they were straight-up ''incomprehensible''. It gets to the point where you start to wonder if there's something seriously wrong with the rest of the crew the way they explain how jokes work.
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: "Tip O'Neil in a dress". Plus the fact that Creator/JoePiscopo is considered the epitome of funny dates the episode to the late '80s.

** These days, having Creator/JoePiscopo play the greatest comedian in history seems like it's supposed to be a joke in itself. It's doubly ironic given he does a Creator/JerryLewis impression given he is much more likely to fill that role (and was considered for it) as well as having Creator/WhoopiGoldberg ''in the episode''. While perhaps not noted among "the greatest", Whoopie is certainly more famous and better remembered than Joe. Even she seems aware of it.
--->'''Guinan:''' You made a living doing this?

* HoYay: More than one viewer has commented that Wesley's reaction to Okona is less hero-worship, and more attraction.

** These days, having Creator/JoePiscopo play the greatest comedian in history seems like it's supposed to be a joke in itself. It's doubly ironic given he does a Creator/JerryLewis impression given he is much more likely to fill that role (and was considered for it) as well as having Whoopi Goldberg ''in the episode''. While perhaps not noted among the greatest, Whoopie is certainly more famous and better remembered than Joe. Even she seems aware of it.

-->Guinan: You made a living doing this?

** Data learning humor seems like a perfect storyline for his character. Shame all we got was an episode where the jokes weren't just unfunny, they were straight-up ''incomprehensible''. It gets to the point where you start to wonder if there's something seriously wrong with the rest of the crew the way they explain how jokes work.

* HumorDissonance: The jokes that Data doesn't think are funny, which everyone else insists are, range from just stupid ("You're a droid and I'm annoyed") to so obtuse it's impossible to figure them out ("Flying birds have no mass"). Meanwhile, Data's attempts at jokes where other characters claim he butchered the delivery are actually pretty funny by this episode's standards. The best punchlines in the episode are Data's DeadpanSnarker reactions to people insisting their lame jokes are funny.

** These days, having Creator/JoePiscopo play the greatest comedian in history seems like it's supposed to be a joke in itself. It's doubly ironic given he does a Creator/JerryLewis impression given he is much more likely to fill that role (and was considered for it) as well as having Whoopi Goldberg ''in the episode''. While perhaps not noted among the greatest, certainly more famous and better remembered than Joe. Even she seems aware of it.

** These days, having Creator/JoePiscopo play the greatest comedian in history seems like it's supposed to be a joke in itself.

** These days, touting Creator/JoePiscopo as the greatest comedian in history seems like it's supposed to be a joke in itself. Even in-episode, he wasn't the best; he was what the computer spat out when Data asked for someone "more generic" after rejecting the suggestions for who was best.

* RetroactiveRecognition: The transporter chief who Okana starts flirting with after being beamed up? That's Creator/TeriHatcher.

--->'''Website/SFDebris''': He's some asshole in a puffy shirt, but everyone acts like he's equal parts Han Solo, Film/JamesBond and Myth/RobinHood, when he's really equal parts Creator/KeanuReeves, Creator/PaulyShore and Chris Kataan in ''Film/ANightAtTheRoxbury''.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: A Han Solo style pilot comes on board the notoriously dull season 2 Enterprise, has sex with 1980's Creator/TeriHatcher, teaches Data about humanity, nearly starts an interplanetary war and at the end has to come to terms with his responsibilities...completely ruined by some of the flattest and cheesiest jokes of the entire franchise.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Okona has a highly HoYay moment with Worf and later Captain Kushell accuses him of “using his son” to steal a treasure from him. The exact nature of how his son was being used is left ambiguous and not at all dispelled by his later behaviour at the negotiations.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Okona has a highly HoYay moment with Worf and later Captain Kushell accuses him of “using his son” to steal a treasure from him. The exact nature of how his son was being used is left ambiguous.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: During Data's comedy routine, there is a scene where Guinan asks the comic "And you made a living doing this?" Modern viewers cannot help but feel a little bit of pity for Creator/JoePiscopo, considering the imminent collapse of his career.

-->'''Website/SFDebris''': He's some asshole in a puffy shirt, but everyone acts like he's equal parts Han Solo, Film/JamesBond and Myth/RobinHood, when he's really equal parts Creator/KeanuReeves, Creator/PaulyShore and Chris Kataan in ''Film/ANightAtTheRoxbury''.