THE PLOT
Riker, Worf, and Geordi beam down to the desolate planet Galorndon Core to investigate a distress signal. They find themselves in the midst of a fierce electrical storm, with only a brief window in which to search for the source of the signal. They discover a Romulan ship, self-destructed after it crashed, along with a single, badly injured survivor (Steve Rankin). Worf and Riker beam back up with the Romulan. But as Geordi is making his way to the transporter beacon, the ground slips under his feet, and he falls into an underground cave.
As the storm intensifies, there is no way for the Enterprise to locate Geordi. Picard refuses Riker's request to beam back to the surface, telling his first officer that they need to wait for another window to use the transporter safely. But on the planet below, as Geordi makes his way to the surface, he will soon discover that he is not alone...
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: Forced by circumstances to walk a fine line in dealing with the Romulans. He is vehement that Commander Tomalak (Andreas Katsulas) not cross the Neutral Zone, and is willing to do battle if Tomalak persists. But he is also mindful of the potential consequences. He does not want to be the captain responsible for setting off another war.
Riker: Feels responsible for Geordi when he is forced to beam back without him. He intially lashes out angrily at the other members of the crew, pushing them to find a way to locate the missing crewman. As he calms, the more reasonable Riker that we've seen over the past season and a quarter returns, and he has a very well-written, thoughtful discussion with Worf over Worf's reluctance to act as a donor to the wounded Romulan.
Geordi: Another Geordi-centric episode. Normally, I'd have issues with scheduling two episodes in a row centered around the same character, but this works so well that it would be churlish to complain. This episode puts Geordi into a terrible situation, which pushes Levar Burton's performance to its best level yet. All the facets we've seen of Geordi are there. He shows compassion to the Romulan Centurion,saving him from a rockfall. When the Romulan turns his phaser on Geordi, holding him captive, he responds with the sarcastic humor we've seen multiple times before. Burton brings a rising intensity to his performance, with Geordi's fear and courage on equal display as the situation becomes more and more grim.
Worf: A strong supporting role for Worf, as he is brought face-to-face with a member of the race that wiped out his family. When Dr. Crusher tells him that he is the only member of the crew who would be a compatible donor to save the Romulan survivor's life, Worf gives a stony response. "It is always the time and place" for his feelings about the Romulans, he insists, and if he is the only person on the ship who can save this patient, "then he will die."
Romulans: We see three Romulans in this episode: Bochra (John Snyder), the Centurion who holds Geordi at gunpoint; Patahk (Steve Rankin), the wounded Romulan whose injuries Dr. Crusher attempts to treat; and Tomalak (Andreas Katsulas), the Romulan commander who fences with Picard over the value of respecting the Neutral Zone versus that of saving lives. All three characters show different facets of this enemy, and all three are well-scripted and well-acted. Patahk is the most rigid and hateful of the three, sneering at Worf even as he lays dying. Tomalak is the political face, all pleasant smiles but ready to strike like a snake at a moment's notice. Bochra is the most human of the three, a simple soldier whose bond with Geordi points to some cause for hope at genuine peace between the Federation and the Romulans.
THOUGHTS
The Enemy starts with one of the best teasers the show has seen to date. Though it's obvious enough that the planet is a studio set, the dim lighting and direction makes it come alive in a way that's all too rare for this series. In just over four minutes, we get the basic setup: Geordi, trapped on the planet with no way to contact the ship; a destroyed Romulan spaceship; and at least one Romulan survivor whose intentions are far from friendly. We go into the credits with Geordi genuinely in danger, trapped in an extremely hostile environment. An outstanding opener on every level, and I doubt many viewers failed to be hooked.
The script, by David Kemper and Michael Piller, is a particularly strong one. The momentum of the teaser is maintained throughout, with the stakes continuously raised. Geordi is cut off. He climbs to the surface and sees the neutrino beam the Enterprise has sent to the surface... but then is captured by Bochra. He manages to persuade Bochra to let him get to the beam... but then the electrical storm causes interference with his visor that leaves him blind. At every turn, the situation is made just a little worse, and the situation keeps shifting on a regular enough basis to keep the pace alive.
This is also the case with the "B" plot, on the ship. Picard's dealings with Tomalak are almost a mirror image of Geordi's dealings with Bochra. Bochra is gruff and militaristic, but he does listen to Geordi and the two form a genuine bond. Tomalak is all smiles, speaking very reasonably - but there is acid behind that smile, as Troi warns Picard. Tomalak and Picard are left dancing around each other, each trying to achieve his goal without actually setting off a war.
The entire story is a Cold War allegory, but it's a good one, a worthy successor to the excellent Romulan episodes of the 1960's series (which were themselves Cold War allegories). With a strong script, confident direction by David Carson, and outstanding performances across the board, this is the best episode since Q Who, and the first episode since that one to really deliver on all fronts.
Overall Rating: 9/10.
Riker, Worf, and Geordi beam down to the desolate planet Galorndon Core to investigate a distress signal. They find themselves in the midst of a fierce electrical storm, with only a brief window in which to search for the source of the signal. They discover a Romulan ship, self-destructed after it crashed, along with a single, badly injured survivor (Steve Rankin). Worf and Riker beam back up with the Romulan. But as Geordi is making his way to the transporter beacon, the ground slips under his feet, and he falls into an underground cave.
As the storm intensifies, there is no way for the Enterprise to locate Geordi. Picard refuses Riker's request to beam back to the surface, telling his first officer that they need to wait for another window to use the transporter safely. But on the planet below, as Geordi makes his way to the surface, he will soon discover that he is not alone...
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: Forced by circumstances to walk a fine line in dealing with the Romulans. He is vehement that Commander Tomalak (Andreas Katsulas) not cross the Neutral Zone, and is willing to do battle if Tomalak persists. But he is also mindful of the potential consequences. He does not want to be the captain responsible for setting off another war.
Riker: Feels responsible for Geordi when he is forced to beam back without him. He intially lashes out angrily at the other members of the crew, pushing them to find a way to locate the missing crewman. As he calms, the more reasonable Riker that we've seen over the past season and a quarter returns, and he has a very well-written, thoughtful discussion with Worf over Worf's reluctance to act as a donor to the wounded Romulan.
Geordi: Another Geordi-centric episode. Normally, I'd have issues with scheduling two episodes in a row centered around the same character, but this works so well that it would be churlish to complain. This episode puts Geordi into a terrible situation, which pushes Levar Burton's performance to its best level yet. All the facets we've seen of Geordi are there. He shows compassion to the Romulan Centurion,saving him from a rockfall. When the Romulan turns his phaser on Geordi, holding him captive, he responds with the sarcastic humor we've seen multiple times before. Burton brings a rising intensity to his performance, with Geordi's fear and courage on equal display as the situation becomes more and more grim.
Worf: A strong supporting role for Worf, as he is brought face-to-face with a member of the race that wiped out his family. When Dr. Crusher tells him that he is the only member of the crew who would be a compatible donor to save the Romulan survivor's life, Worf gives a stony response. "It is always the time and place" for his feelings about the Romulans, he insists, and if he is the only person on the ship who can save this patient, "then he will die."
Romulans: We see three Romulans in this episode: Bochra (John Snyder), the Centurion who holds Geordi at gunpoint; Patahk (Steve Rankin), the wounded Romulan whose injuries Dr. Crusher attempts to treat; and Tomalak (Andreas Katsulas), the Romulan commander who fences with Picard over the value of respecting the Neutral Zone versus that of saving lives. All three characters show different facets of this enemy, and all three are well-scripted and well-acted. Patahk is the most rigid and hateful of the three, sneering at Worf even as he lays dying. Tomalak is the political face, all pleasant smiles but ready to strike like a snake at a moment's notice. Bochra is the most human of the three, a simple soldier whose bond with Geordi points to some cause for hope at genuine peace between the Federation and the Romulans.
THOUGHTS
The Enemy starts with one of the best teasers the show has seen to date. Though it's obvious enough that the planet is a studio set, the dim lighting and direction makes it come alive in a way that's all too rare for this series. In just over four minutes, we get the basic setup: Geordi, trapped on the planet with no way to contact the ship; a destroyed Romulan spaceship; and at least one Romulan survivor whose intentions are far from friendly. We go into the credits with Geordi genuinely in danger, trapped in an extremely hostile environment. An outstanding opener on every level, and I doubt many viewers failed to be hooked.
The script, by David Kemper and Michael Piller, is a particularly strong one. The momentum of the teaser is maintained throughout, with the stakes continuously raised. Geordi is cut off. He climbs to the surface and sees the neutrino beam the Enterprise has sent to the surface... but then is captured by Bochra. He manages to persuade Bochra to let him get to the beam... but then the electrical storm causes interference with his visor that leaves him blind. At every turn, the situation is made just a little worse, and the situation keeps shifting on a regular enough basis to keep the pace alive.
This is also the case with the "B" plot, on the ship. Picard's dealings with Tomalak are almost a mirror image of Geordi's dealings with Bochra. Bochra is gruff and militaristic, but he does listen to Geordi and the two form a genuine bond. Tomalak is all smiles, speaking very reasonably - but there is acid behind that smile, as Troi warns Picard. Tomalak and Picard are left dancing around each other, each trying to achieve his goal without actually setting off a war.
The entire story is a Cold War allegory, but it's a good one, a worthy successor to the excellent Romulan episodes of the 1960's series (which were themselves Cold War allegories). With a strong script, confident direction by David Carson, and outstanding performances across the board, this is the best episode since Q Who, and the first episode since that one to really deliver on all fronts.
Overall Rating: 9/10.
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