THE PLOT
The Enterprise docks at Starbase Montgomery, ostensibly for some minor engine readout repairs. In reality, the captain of the Aries is retiring, and Starfleet would like Riker to be his replacement. As Riker mulls this offer, a tactical advisor from Starfleet arrives to brief him on the Aries' mission. That advisor? Kyle Riker (Mitchell Ryan), Commander Riker's estranged father. "Like sands through the hourglass..."
Meanwhile, Wesley notices that Worf's been a bit down lately. He decides to cheer him up, with a little help from the band (well, from Data and Geordi). Like any good sitcom episode, the solution involves some growling, a little pain, and a big party.
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: In one of the few really good scenes in the episode, Picard talks with Riker about the advantages of staying on Enterprise vs. those of commanding his own ship. He will not tell Riker what to do, but he lays out the options. He does stress to Riker the value of commanding a ship, even if it is a less noteworthy ship than the one on which he currently serves. Beyond that, he is supportive of Riker's choice, whatever it may be.
Riker: The conflict with his father is pretty hackneyed stuff, but Jonathan Frakes does what he can with it. I think Frakes might be the show's most improved actor from Season One. In the first season, many of the episodes spotlighting him also spotlighted a stiff and artificial performance. In Season Two, he has been much more at ease, his performances both more authoritative and more naturalistic. Frakes and guest star Mitchell Ryan manage to wring a little bit of emotion out of their contest at the end, though not so much as to compensate for the episode's overall weaknesses. One of those weaknesses being: What motivates Riker's decision at the end? Obviously, Riker's our second lead and he's staying with the show. But within story context, there's no good reason for him to decline promotion. If that had been tied into the conflict with his father, or if something had been discovered making the mission a less interesting assignment, that would have made the tag scene feel less like an obligatory tie-up and more like a part of the story.
Worf: Has been moody and out-of-sorts since learning of Riker's new assignment. In an amusing scene, he reacts to Data's attempts to offer solace by yelling for Data to "BE GONE... sir." Michael Dorn's delivery helps to make Worf's subplot more successful than the "A" plot, and I did enjoy his Ascension Ceremony. A good bit in a bad episode.
Guest Star of the Week: Riker meets his dad... and it's Burke Devlin! Mitchell Ryan is Kyle Riker, Will's father. He is a high-ranking Starfleet tactical advisor assigned to brief his son on the assignment he is being offered. Conveniently, his basic characterization is directly told to us by Dr. Pulaski: He's "crusty and hard-as-nails, with a reputation for getting the job done, but underneath" is basically a big softie. What original characterization. Save for some good acting at the end, most of Ryan's performance here is dreadfully stiff. This seems to have been a "paycheck" performance, though he does at least lend some screen presence.
SHUT UP, WESLEY!
Wesley blathers ship's gossip to Worf until the Klingon growls at him to leave it alone. Since Worf's personal issues are the "B" plot, this isn't just a case of Worf having finally gotten as irritated with Wesley as the viewers. Wesley pesters Data and Geordi for a while, until he finally digs through the Klingon database and figures out what's been bothering Worf. In his solution, Wesley actually is a pretty good friend. It's just a shame all his whining to Data and Geordi early in the episode is so annoying, and comes so soon after a similar Wesley plot that involved him whining to various members of the command staff in The Dauphin.
THOUGHTS
This episode is one I actually have a hazy memory of. Not because it impressed me at the time, but because I recall thinking even then that the interplay between the Rikers was so hackneyed that it might have been lifted out of either a syndicated sitcom or a soap opera. Time has not improved that impression.
The word "cliche" sums up everthing about this episode. There is nothing unique or original in Riker's issues with his father, and most of the scenes between them are marked by canned dialogue that's been re-used and re-heated far too many times over far too many decades to have any effectiveness left in it. The scenes between Riker and Troi are equally bad. Their weepy "goodbye" scene, in which they spout vapid dialogue about Troi's feelings getting in the way of her reading Riker's feelings, actually set me to laughing on this viewing.
There's nothing wrong with a low-key, character-based episode. The best episodes of Enterprise's first season were light on plot and strong on character. But The Icarus Factor doesn't pull off the trick. There was more genuine characterization in Riker's preparing a meal at the beginning of Time Squared than in the whole of his hackneyed interactions with his father and Troi in this episode. The result is tedious in the extreme, though the last 10 - 15 minutes leaves a more positive impression than the complete show actually deserves, thanks to a few good bits near the end.
Rating: 3/10.
The Enterprise docks at Starbase Montgomery, ostensibly for some minor engine readout repairs. In reality, the captain of the Aries is retiring, and Starfleet would like Riker to be his replacement. As Riker mulls this offer, a tactical advisor from Starfleet arrives to brief him on the Aries' mission. That advisor? Kyle Riker (Mitchell Ryan), Commander Riker's estranged father. "Like sands through the hourglass..."
Meanwhile, Wesley notices that Worf's been a bit down lately. He decides to cheer him up, with a little help from the band (well, from Data and Geordi). Like any good sitcom episode, the solution involves some growling, a little pain, and a big party.
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: In one of the few really good scenes in the episode, Picard talks with Riker about the advantages of staying on Enterprise vs. those of commanding his own ship. He will not tell Riker what to do, but he lays out the options. He does stress to Riker the value of commanding a ship, even if it is a less noteworthy ship than the one on which he currently serves. Beyond that, he is supportive of Riker's choice, whatever it may be.
Riker: The conflict with his father is pretty hackneyed stuff, but Jonathan Frakes does what he can with it. I think Frakes might be the show's most improved actor from Season One. In the first season, many of the episodes spotlighting him also spotlighted a stiff and artificial performance. In Season Two, he has been much more at ease, his performances both more authoritative and more naturalistic. Frakes and guest star Mitchell Ryan manage to wring a little bit of emotion out of their contest at the end, though not so much as to compensate for the episode's overall weaknesses. One of those weaknesses being: What motivates Riker's decision at the end? Obviously, Riker's our second lead and he's staying with the show. But within story context, there's no good reason for him to decline promotion. If that had been tied into the conflict with his father, or if something had been discovered making the mission a less interesting assignment, that would have made the tag scene feel less like an obligatory tie-up and more like a part of the story.
Worf: Has been moody and out-of-sorts since learning of Riker's new assignment. In an amusing scene, he reacts to Data's attempts to offer solace by yelling for Data to "BE GONE... sir." Michael Dorn's delivery helps to make Worf's subplot more successful than the "A" plot, and I did enjoy his Ascension Ceremony. A good bit in a bad episode.
Guest Star of the Week: Riker meets his dad... and it's Burke Devlin! Mitchell Ryan is Kyle Riker, Will's father. He is a high-ranking Starfleet tactical advisor assigned to brief his son on the assignment he is being offered. Conveniently, his basic characterization is directly told to us by Dr. Pulaski: He's "crusty and hard-as-nails, with a reputation for getting the job done, but underneath" is basically a big softie. What original characterization. Save for some good acting at the end, most of Ryan's performance here is dreadfully stiff. This seems to have been a "paycheck" performance, though he does at least lend some screen presence.
SHUT UP, WESLEY!
Wesley blathers ship's gossip to Worf until the Klingon growls at him to leave it alone. Since Worf's personal issues are the "B" plot, this isn't just a case of Worf having finally gotten as irritated with Wesley as the viewers. Wesley pesters Data and Geordi for a while, until he finally digs through the Klingon database and figures out what's been bothering Worf. In his solution, Wesley actually is a pretty good friend. It's just a shame all his whining to Data and Geordi early in the episode is so annoying, and comes so soon after a similar Wesley plot that involved him whining to various members of the command staff in The Dauphin.
THOUGHTS
This episode is one I actually have a hazy memory of. Not because it impressed me at the time, but because I recall thinking even then that the interplay between the Rikers was so hackneyed that it might have been lifted out of either a syndicated sitcom or a soap opera. Time has not improved that impression.
The word "cliche" sums up everthing about this episode. There is nothing unique or original in Riker's issues with his father, and most of the scenes between them are marked by canned dialogue that's been re-used and re-heated far too many times over far too many decades to have any effectiveness left in it. The scenes between Riker and Troi are equally bad. Their weepy "goodbye" scene, in which they spout vapid dialogue about Troi's feelings getting in the way of her reading Riker's feelings, actually set me to laughing on this viewing.
There's nothing wrong with a low-key, character-based episode. The best episodes of Enterprise's first season were light on plot and strong on character. But The Icarus Factor doesn't pull off the trick. There was more genuine characterization in Riker's preparing a meal at the beginning of Time Squared than in the whole of his hackneyed interactions with his father and Troi in this episode. The result is tedious in the extreme, though the last 10 - 15 minutes leaves a more positive impression than the complete show actually deserves, thanks to a few good bits near the end.
Rating: 3/10.
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