When the Enterprise is hailed by a Ferengi ship, Picard and his crew are instantly on their guard. However, the contact with the Ferengi appears to go as amicably as could possibly be expected. Then the Ferengi produce a gift for Picard: the Stargazer, his former ship, which engaged a Ferengi vessel in battle long ago.
Picard is quite eager to accept this gift. But he doesn't get much chance to enjoy it. He is suffering from increasing headaches, which have no cause that Dr. Crusher is able to ascertain. Meanwhile, Data checks through the logs of the Stargazer, and finds that the official logs offer a very different account of the battle than Picard's own version...
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: Gets to spend a lot of the episode clutching his head and groaning, and is remarkably free of any suspicion when the Ferengi, sneering openly about the battle in Picard's past, unveil their "gift." Delivers the moral of the story ("with revenge, there never is [any profit]"), with a straight face. Still, Patrick Stewart has grown nicely into the role of starship captain. Now, we just need a few more episodes that allow Picard to be something other than useless baggage.
Riker: Is yet again put into the "hero role," figuring out the Ferengi plot and resolving the crisis while Picard is as useful as a fourth wheel on a tricycle. Pushes Data to find a way to counteract the self-consciously named "Picard manuever" (Data's solution seems one that would have been thought of within days of Picard issuing his report, but nevermind), gets Geordi and Data to poke holes in the faked log on the Stargazer. He even lays a groundwork for genuine friendly negotiations with the Ferengi, in his interactions with the Ferengi first officer. I've noted this in other reviews; but at this point in the series run, Riker seems more like the series' lead than Picard does, with only Patrick Stewart's immense screen presence keeping Riker as a "supporting character."
Dr. Crusher: Her personal connection with Picard shows both in Picard's willingness to discuss his problems with her, and in her concern over his increasing headaches. Will not be fobbed off with Picard's assurances that, "It's just a headache," and insists on running test after test.
BRATS IN SPAAACE!
A Wesley-light episode, but he does get a choice annoying bit. Wesley the Wonderful, the Child Prodigy of Perfection, plays around in Engineering and figures out that the Ferengi have been transmitting technobabble that's interfering with Picard's BRAAIINNN! Cue much smugness from Wesley, who leans against a wall sneering, "Adults," after disclosing his Fabulous Findings to Troi and Dr. Crusher.
THOUGHTS
After the disaster of their introduction in The Last Outpost, I'm a bit surprised at how quickly a second Ferengi episode was produced. The Battle is better than The Last Outpost. Unfortunately, it still isn't particularly good.
This is early days, so the production team still is attempting to portray the Ferengi as a genuine, sinister threat - a role that just doesn't suit them. The Ferengi plan appears poorly thought-out at best. Why does Damon Bok even bother to plant a fake log entry if his plan of revenge involves pitting Picard against the Enterprise? All the fake log entry (which is easily dubunked by Riker) achieves is to tip his hand. Also, how does Bok arrange all this without his crew apparently being in any way aware of his plans? As with many early TNG episodes, you could fly the Enterprise through some of the holes in the plot.
Another severe issue with the episode is that, prior to Wesley's revelation, not one single person aboard the Enterprise so much as entertains the thought that maybe Picard's headaches and the Ferengi are linked. Picard's headache begins just before the Ferengi arrive, and then intensifies when the Stargazer arrives. Yet, even after the filler... er, subplot with the false log entry, not one person aboard draws the blindingly obvious conclusion!
Consistency's not strong here. When Picard beams himself over to the Stargazer, the reason no one can beam after him is that the shields have been put up. A few minutes later, the Enterprise crew get a transmission from a hallucinating Picard, which is cut off... when he, um, puts up the shields?
A few things do mitigate the bad writing. Patrick Stewart gives a solid performance and his screen presence anchors the episode. The Ferengi are no longer interchangeable "aliens" who act in lockstep; their captain, Daimon Bok (Frank Corsentino), is motivated by personal vengeance, while the Ferengi XO actually has some decent interplay with Riker, "first officer to first officer." The episode is moderately well-directed, which carries it over some of the plot holes. And as silly as the climax is, there is a touch of tension. Credit for this, I expect, belongs squarely with director Rob Bowman, thus far the only TNG director to show any signs of actually understanding that television is a visual medium.
It's still pretty weak fare, and still looks clumsy and anemic by comparison with any of the other Trek shows I've been reviewing. Script problems aren't helped by some of the production values (notably, the glowy spheres). But at least there are a few symptoms of the improvement that would eventually save this show.
Rating: 4/10.
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