THE PLOT
The Enterprise detects a crashed escape pod on an uninhabited planet. Data, Geordi, and Dr. Crusher beam down to investigate and discover the pilot, so badly injured that he cannot be safely transported. Crusher links the man with Geordi to stabilize him - causing an energy beam to shoot from the man's body into Geordi's head. This does not appear to do Geordi any harm. Quite the opposite - throughout the following weeks, Geordi develops a sudden new confidence.
Meanwhile, the mystery patient (Mark La Mura) heals rapidly, though Dr. Crusher is concerned at his mutating cell structure. "I hope that's part of his natural healing process," she tells Picard, "because I can't stop it." It isn't long before he regains consciousness. He is grateful to Dr. Crusher for saving his life, but cannot remember anything about himself prior to waking up in Sickbay. As the weeks pass, "John Doe" gradually recovers full mobility, but only vague flashes of memory. And all the while, the transformations within his cell structure continue...
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: Protective of his crew. When John's transformation endangers Worf, Picard says that it's only because of John's immediate healing of Worf that he's not in the brig. When the Zalkonians demand John be turned over to them, Picard seriously considers doing so. That pesky Prime Directive says that he shouldn't interfere in the laws of others, after all, even when those laws would condemn a man to death for simply existing.
Dr. Crusher: A Crusher-heavy episode. She bonds with "John Doe" during the month he's in sickbay, finding his mix of serenity, vulnerability, and humor very appealing. A little over halfway through the episode, she all but directly offers herself while they're in Ten-Forward, and keeps her face carefully stoic when he explains that he's "on a journey," and that finishing that has to override all other concerns. Oddly, no one ever indicates that it might be... oh, unprofessional for a doctor to seriously consider dating a current patient? Gates McFadden is particularly appealing in this episode, whether by the fortune of more flattering lighting and makeup than usual or just as a fluke, but Dr. Crusher needs some character beats beyond "earnest" and "sexually frustrated." Pulaski may have been intermittently unlikable, but she was certainly less flat a character!
Geordi: The teaser returns us to Geordi's characterization from Booby Trap, so tongue-tied around women that he can't even manage a pretense at a conversation. This is better-portrayed here. In Booby Trap, I could neither relate to nor believe in a fairly sociable thirtiesh professional being unable to interact with women. But here, what we see is less "Geordi acts like a shy sixteen year old" and more "Geordi chokes." He recognizes the opportunity is there, making it all the more frustrating when he can't push himself to act. Who hasn't had that happen at some point? The real reason for this, of course, is to contrast this Geordi with "post-brain zap" Geordi, who suddenly has all the confidence he has previously lacked - and with that, a sudden burst of success with the very young woman (Julie Warner) who had previously rejected him. Warner's return is a nice continuity touch, by the way, and she is genuinely appealing.
THOUGHTS
Transfigurations. Or "the episode before Best of Both Worlds," which is probably the only way in which the existence of this episode is even remembered at all.
I love that Data observes that "radiation levels are within acceptable limits" after they beam down to the planet's surface. Surely that's the sort of thing that should be determined before an Away Team beams down? For other amusing moments, watch the scene in sickbay just after the titles. A cute young ensign passes an exhausted Dr. Crusher a glass of water after surgery. In itself, a nice bit of business - until Cute Young Ensign pauses to touch Crusher's shoulder, the two exchange a smile, and CYE walks away smiling. I know what's intended, but the way it's staged, it doesn't take that dirty a mind to choose to read into this interaction.
You'll notice I've barely commented on the actual episode. That's because there's honestly not a lot to say. There's some ambition in setting an episode across a full month... though given how little really seems to occur between the episode's opening and the cut to one month later, the time that passes barely registers. We come back to the characters a month after the fact, and Geordi and Data are still at the same point in studying the data, and John Doe has advanced in his recovery but not in his metamorphosis or in his memory. For all that the intervening month matters to the plot, it might as well be the next day!
I'm happier that Geordi's transformation doesn't become some alien threat. He is simply given more confidence, and no plot contrivance requires him to surrender that at the episode's end. However, since I doubt Geordi will be written substantially differently in later episodes than he has been to date, it's another case of a change that makes no real difference to the show.
Adequate but uninspired, with its few innovations being rendered irrelevant by the show's flat execution. Best regarded as an acceptable filler episode, and really nothing more than that.
Overall Rating: 5/10.
The Enterprise detects a crashed escape pod on an uninhabited planet. Data, Geordi, and Dr. Crusher beam down to investigate and discover the pilot, so badly injured that he cannot be safely transported. Crusher links the man with Geordi to stabilize him - causing an energy beam to shoot from the man's body into Geordi's head. This does not appear to do Geordi any harm. Quite the opposite - throughout the following weeks, Geordi develops a sudden new confidence.
Meanwhile, the mystery patient (Mark La Mura) heals rapidly, though Dr. Crusher is concerned at his mutating cell structure. "I hope that's part of his natural healing process," she tells Picard, "because I can't stop it." It isn't long before he regains consciousness. He is grateful to Dr. Crusher for saving his life, but cannot remember anything about himself prior to waking up in Sickbay. As the weeks pass, "John Doe" gradually recovers full mobility, but only vague flashes of memory. And all the while, the transformations within his cell structure continue...
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: Protective of his crew. When John's transformation endangers Worf, Picard says that it's only because of John's immediate healing of Worf that he's not in the brig. When the Zalkonians demand John be turned over to them, Picard seriously considers doing so. That pesky Prime Directive says that he shouldn't interfere in the laws of others, after all, even when those laws would condemn a man to death for simply existing.
Dr. Crusher: A Crusher-heavy episode. She bonds with "John Doe" during the month he's in sickbay, finding his mix of serenity, vulnerability, and humor very appealing. A little over halfway through the episode, she all but directly offers herself while they're in Ten-Forward, and keeps her face carefully stoic when he explains that he's "on a journey," and that finishing that has to override all other concerns. Oddly, no one ever indicates that it might be... oh, unprofessional for a doctor to seriously consider dating a current patient? Gates McFadden is particularly appealing in this episode, whether by the fortune of more flattering lighting and makeup than usual or just as a fluke, but Dr. Crusher needs some character beats beyond "earnest" and "sexually frustrated." Pulaski may have been intermittently unlikable, but she was certainly less flat a character!
Geordi: The teaser returns us to Geordi's characterization from Booby Trap, so tongue-tied around women that he can't even manage a pretense at a conversation. This is better-portrayed here. In Booby Trap, I could neither relate to nor believe in a fairly sociable thirtiesh professional being unable to interact with women. But here, what we see is less "Geordi acts like a shy sixteen year old" and more "Geordi chokes." He recognizes the opportunity is there, making it all the more frustrating when he can't push himself to act. Who hasn't had that happen at some point? The real reason for this, of course, is to contrast this Geordi with "post-brain zap" Geordi, who suddenly has all the confidence he has previously lacked - and with that, a sudden burst of success with the very young woman (Julie Warner) who had previously rejected him. Warner's return is a nice continuity touch, by the way, and she is genuinely appealing.
THOUGHTS
Transfigurations. Or "the episode before Best of Both Worlds," which is probably the only way in which the existence of this episode is even remembered at all.
I love that Data observes that "radiation levels are within acceptable limits" after they beam down to the planet's surface. Surely that's the sort of thing that should be determined before an Away Team beams down? For other amusing moments, watch the scene in sickbay just after the titles. A cute young ensign passes an exhausted Dr. Crusher a glass of water after surgery. In itself, a nice bit of business - until Cute Young Ensign pauses to touch Crusher's shoulder, the two exchange a smile, and CYE walks away smiling. I know what's intended, but the way it's staged, it doesn't take that dirty a mind to choose to read into this interaction.
You'll notice I've barely commented on the actual episode. That's because there's honestly not a lot to say. There's some ambition in setting an episode across a full month... though given how little really seems to occur between the episode's opening and the cut to one month later, the time that passes barely registers. We come back to the characters a month after the fact, and Geordi and Data are still at the same point in studying the data, and John Doe has advanced in his recovery but not in his metamorphosis or in his memory. For all that the intervening month matters to the plot, it might as well be the next day!
I'm happier that Geordi's transformation doesn't become some alien threat. He is simply given more confidence, and no plot contrivance requires him to surrender that at the episode's end. However, since I doubt Geordi will be written substantially differently in later episodes than he has been to date, it's another case of a change that makes no real difference to the show.
Adequate but uninspired, with its few innovations being rendered irrelevant by the show's flat execution. Best regarded as an acceptable filler episode, and really nothing more than that.
Overall Rating: 5/10.
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Most of the time we tend to agree with your ratings (as we've basically started reading your reviews after watching each episode). However, on this one, we can't agree with your 5 rating. Transfigurations was drivel. Characterizations were flat and inconsistent with the rest of the series. It was right down there with Darmok at Tanagra, but we'll touch on that later.
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