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| Picard is reunited with his mentor (Norman Lloyd). |
Picard receives a visit from Professor Richard Galen (Norman Lloyd), his old archaeology mentor from his Starfleet Academy days. At that time, Picard had disappointed Galen by turning down the chance to become an archaeologist in favor of a career in Starfleet. Now, Galen is offering Picard a second chance at archaeology, asking him to take an indefinite leave to join him on an expedition to complete the most ambitious project of the old man's career.
Picard knows he can't leave the Enterprise, and so disappoints Galen a second time by refusing his offer. It isn't long before he crosses paths with the professor again, however. He encounters Galen's shuttle, under attack by Yridians. The Enterprise destroys the attackers, but not before Galen is killed.
Now Picard is on the trail of Galen's research - But he has competitors in this chase: Klingons, Cardassians, and even Romulans, all seeking this ultimate prize: Be it a power source, a weapon... or something else entirely!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: Another good performance from Patrick Stewart, though I confess I'm starting to feel a bit Picard-weary at this point. I know he's the lead, but it feels like we've had almost nothing but Picard-centric episodes for quite a stretch now, with only Birthright having broken the pattern. Oh, well: At least Picard is a sufficiently multi-faceted character to carry it. Here, we focus on Picard's archaeology background. First, he is tempted by the ghost of the past, The Road Not Taken, by Professor Galen's offer. Then his feelings of guilt at Galen's death push him to pursue his old mentor's research to a point questioned by both Riker and Troi - though when his pursuit begins yielding results, all questions end.
Riker: He's actually doing his job as First Officer by pointing out to the captain that he is neglecting one of his commitments to chase after leads that are hardly promising, and it's good to see Riker questioning Picard - something we haven't seen in far too long. Even before the search begins yielding results, however, Riker stands by his captain, executing his own orders in his usual, professional fashion.
Dr. Crusher: Her friendship with Picard is very visible in this episode. While Riker and Troi are initially skeptical, Crusher is supportive throughout. She is his sounding board when he mulls over Galen's offer, and she listens to his thoughts on that offer without pushing him in either one direction or the other. Once the pieces of the DNA puzzle begin falling into place, she becomes Picard's primary support, assisting him in quietly assembling the solution while the representatives of the other races exchange loud threats mere feet away from them.
Romulans, Klingons, and Cardassians: Oh, my! The episode basically delivers exactly what you'd expect of each of the three races. The Klingon is violent but straightforward; the Cardassian is crafty and deceitful; the Romulan watches the proceedings from stealth, waiting to make himself known at the most advantageous time. I could have wished for a more interesting portrayal, with something unexpected from at least one of the three, but it would likely have been difficult to have managed this within the strict 45-minute time limit. As it stands, each race is effectively represented, though I do rather wish the representatives had been recurring characters. The ending scene, in particular, would have been far more meaningful if the Romulan had been Tomalak - or even Sela.
THOUGHTS
While Birthright offered up a two-parter that should have been a single episode, The Chase may be an example of the opposite. This episode gives us an intriguing and complex story, one with many good ideas... But one which feels underdeveloped and muted by the need to cram all those ideas into a single, 45 minute package.
Which is not to say that The Chase is a bad episode. Though it feels constricted and underdeveloped, it is still a highly entertaining piece. The base concept may be nonsense drawn from Chariots of the Gods, but it does fit well within the Star Trek universe. The ending, when we discover the ultimate secret, is a perfect reflection of the idealism of classic Trek, as instead of a superweapon, something far simpler and - to Picard, at least - far more meaningful is uncovered.
The episode gets a boost from the casting of Norman Lloyd as Galen. A veteran actor instantly recognizable to most viewers of the early '90's, Lloyd has a presence that makes Galen memorable despite very limited screentime. His scenes with Picard are among the episode's highlights, and enough of a relationship is drawn in those few scenes to make Picard's determination through the rest of the episode convincing.
In the end, I liked The Chase well enough. But the obviously limited budget hampers it. The action only leaves the Enterprise at the end, for a particularly cheap-looking planet set, and is otherwise restricted to standing sets. The limited running time keeps many of the story's ideas from being developed to their full potential. As a two-parter, with a few extra stops and some added complications, this might have been something memorable. As it stands, it's enjoyable but - as I said - muted. Easy to watch, but not one that lives in the memory.
Overall Rating: 6/10.
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