As Picard attends a top-secret meeting at a starbase, the Enterprise discovers an ancient Earth satellite. Data and Worf beam over to investigate this historical oddity, and are startled to find a series of cryogenic containers. Most of the occupants are dead, but there are three survivors.
Riker has them beamed over as Picard returns to the ship. The captain is all business, briskly ordering a course plotted to take the Enterprise into the Neutral Zone bordering Romulan space. He reveals to his command crew that several Federation outposts have been destroyed. The Enterprise has been dispatched to determine if the Romulans are responsible - a potentially perilous mission, which is further complicated when the three cryogenic survivors begin intruding on the captain's valuable time.
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: His best material comes when dealing with the Romulans. He listens to his department heads, and particularly relies on Troi's observation that the Romulans will wait to react to Picard's own method of approach. Then he navigates the encounter with tactical shrewdness, avoiding hostilities and gaining information. Though the encounter doesn't exactly end on a friendly note, Picard's approach insures that it goes as well as was possible.
Riker: This episode demonstrates why Riker isn't actually ready for his own command yet. He is rather ineffectual at dealing with the three '80's Stereotypes, not even able to enforce Picard's single order to "keep them out of (his) way." When Worf urges an aggressive stance with the Romulans, Riker supports the recommendation - a course which would have ended in disaster.
Data: His drive for knowledge leads him to push to use the time waiting for Picard in order to beam over and investigate the derelict. He forms a sort of vague bond with Alcoholic Musician, which seems to have its roots in Data's ability to replicate a martini for the man. He is intrigued by Alcoholic Musician's offer to join him as a musical act back home, but not seriously tempted.
Troi: Is able to sense great sadness from Generic Housewife... When Generic Housewife is in tears and "can't stop crying." Those Betazoid powers of perception are eerie, aren't they? At least she gets to show intelligent compassion by helping the woman to track down her own descendants, so that she'll have "a place to start" when she gets back to Earth. She also provides Picard with a very useful insight into the Romulans, one which helps Picard to navigate a tricky situation.
THOUGHTS
The first season ends with an episode that represents much of what's been wrong with this season. An episode in which the Enterprise is off on a sensitive mission, making contact with the Romulans... and this ends up being the subplot, with the bulk of the running time given over to the crew's interactions with the three guest stars formerly known as popsicles.
Thisdoesn't have to be bad. Truthfully, the plot idea of thawing out three people from the late 20th/early 21st century 300+ years later has plenty of potential to carry an episode. But that assumes three guest stars who are well performed and are scripted to be fully faceted individuals. Instead, we get: the obnoxious rich guy; the whiny housewife; and the reject from The Andy Griffith Show. Three cliches, whose characterization never extends beyond their "type."
Peter Mark Richman, at least, does a reasonable job with "Obnoxious Rich Guy," though the character is too one-note to particularly spark off any of the regulars. The really dire thing about this episode is how the interactions with these three irritating guest stars make the regulars look stupid, as well. Picard recognizes early on that O. R. G. has no compunctions about interrupting the command staff to demand attention. And yet the three unwanted guests are given free run of the ship, with no real supervision to prevent O. R. G. from barging right onto the bridge in the middle of the encounter with the Romulans. Also, for whatever reason, Picard only makes a token gesture to have him thrown off the bridge at that point, when surely Worf should have been tossing him bodily into the turbolift.
Seeing this episode only reinforces my opinion that Conspiracy should have been the season finale. Not least because the Romulan plot here would actually have made a good lead-in. The substance of the story tells us that there have been attacks by an unknown force. With only very mild tweaking, that force could have then been revealed as the aliens preparing for invasion in Conspiracy. Instead, we get another episode setting up an arc that may or may not ever actually take place. Even if there is some payoff down the road, it's far less satisfying dramatically than what might have been.
Rating: 5/10.
Previous Episode: Conspiracy
Next Episode: The Child
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