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| Data gets zapped. |
THE PLOT
The Enterprise is struck by a quantum filament, which leaves the ship crippled, its power reserves unstable. Reading a hull breach, automated protocols go into effect. Bulkheads seal off the bridge from the rest of the ship, leaving those on the bridge trapped. With the ranking bridge officer dead, Troi finds herself in command, with O'Brien as her sole support and Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) all too clearly seeing her as unsuited to command.
As Troi, O'Brien, and Ensign Ro begin re-establishing power to the bridge, we look in our other regulars. Picard is caught in a turbo-lift with three children - a nightmare scenario for him. Dr. Crusher and Geordi are stuck in a cargo bay, where a plasma fire threatens to set off chemicals being stored there. Riker and Data attempt to get through to Engineering using a service shaft. But their route is blocked by an electrical charge, leading them to drastic action. And in Ten-Forward, which Worf has converted into a makeshift sickbay, the pregnant Keiko (Rosalind Chao) begins going into labor...
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: Has somehow been roped into giving a tour of the ship to the winners of the school science fair (I sense a certain meddling counsellor's hand in this). He is clearly uncomfortable, and neither he nor the children seem likely to be having a very good time. Once the disaster hits, he switches into command mode. By simply being himself, he is able to not only save himself and the children, but also bond with them. Very standard stuff, which Patrick Stewart nevertheless manages to bring to life by really hitting on the pain Picard is in as a result of a broken ankle.
Riker: Once again shows confidence and pragmatism in a command role. When Data reports that the bridge has been sealed off, he decides that they must assume that the bridge crew are dead, then makes gaining control of Engineering into their top priority. With no access to sickbay, he puts Worf in charge of converting Ten-Forward into a temporary sickbay, then takes Data to help get him to Engineering.
Troi: When O'Brien points out that she is the senior officer on the bridge, she gets an utter deer-in-the-headlights look, then instantly starts fishing for suggestions from O'Brien and Ro. O'Brien is supportive of Troi's command, while Ro clearly feels that the counsellor is not qualified. Troi gradually gains confidence in listening to suggestions from both O'Brien and Ro while making the final decision about which path to take. Still, she admits at the end that she doesn't feel "cut out for command."
Data: His body is able to absorb a considerable charge without being irreparably damaged. His head is also detachable, so that he is able to assist Riker even after sustaining damage.
O'Brien: Cut off from Keiko and with no way to check on her safety, O'Brien focuses on his job. He retains a level head throughout, dealing with each new task as it comes. Still, he refuses to believe that the people in the drive section (which would include Keiko) could be dead, and in an episode of a less optimistic show, O'Brien's insistence on inaction might have had a very different outcome.
Ensign Ro: The episode presents her as the inverse of O'Brien, reacting more emotionally and more driven to do something (anything) to act on the situation. In one respect, though, she's actually more like Riker. Faced with a situation in which the entire ship might be destroyed, she makes the same pragmatic call: That they simply can't assume that people in the other part of the ship are still alive. She would rather save the saucer section and the hundreds of lives that go along with it, rather than risk having the entire ship destroyed. The episode largely presents her in a negative light. Still, as Troi notes, Ro "easily could have been right," and the character does stay on the right side of the line of insubordination. She may dislike Troi being in command, but she sticks to voicing her opinions, obeying Troi's orders when they are given.
ZAP THE REDSHIRT!
When we open the episode with two never-before-seen crew members on the bridge, I knew it was only a matter of time before at least one of them would be dog food. The script's need to put Troi in charge means that the honor goes to Lt. Monroe (Jana Marie Hupp), who has the con when the disaster strikes. We see just enough of Monroe to register that she's very competent. After the first impact, she manages to warn the ship to brace for a second impact. Then her station literally blows up in her face, killing her and sending us into the credits.
THOUGHTS
Star Trek tackles the Irwin Allen disaster movie formula - with surprisingly enjoyable results!
Disaster is a very well-made episode. The cast are divided into different parts of the ship, and each area has its own distinctive look and lighting scheme. By giving each character set and each situation its own feel, it makes cutting between all these strands flow much better than might have been the case. Director Gabrielle Beaumont deserves credit for handling the visual aspect of the show so well.
The Irwin Allen formula is pretty well adhered to. A disaster affects different but connected characters, grouped in different but connected settings. As they attempt to deal with their situations, crises continue to pile up. There's even a bit with a character giving birth near the climax! If you were to mix in a few celebrity cameos and up the on-screen body count, this would fit right in with Allen's 1970's output.
One benefit of this formula is that it not only is easily adapted to a large ensemble - It's literally made for this purpose. As a result, this is a rare TNG episode in which every regular gets something to do. It's nice to see every member of the cast get some good scenes within the same episode, and the performances are strong across the board.
That's not to say I'd want episodes like this one to become a regular fixture of any of the Star Trek series. One time is fun; more than that would quickly become lazy and tedious. But as a one-off, I found Disaster to be a very enjoyable change of pace for the show.
Overall Rating: 7/10.
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