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| An experiment sends a shuttle flying into a sun! |
Dr. Crusher is impressed by the research of Dr. Reyga (Peter Slutsker), a Ferengi scientist who insists that he has developed a metaphasic shield that will allow a shuttlecraft to fly safely into a star. The Federation's scientific community is skeptical, both because attempts to develop such shielding have always ended in failure and because Reyga is a Ferengi. But Crusher believes the data, and arranges for a team of scientists from different races to come to the Enterprise to see Reyga's work firsthand.
A shuttlecraft is equipped with Reyga's shield technology, and a manned test flight is arranged. Jo'Bril (James Horan), a Takaran scientist, volunteers to pilot the shuttle into a star. The test appears to be going perfectly, everything happening according to Reyga's calculations. Then there is a sudden rise in baryon particles. Jo'Bril begins to collapse, and by the time the Enterprise is able to retrieve him, it is too late for Crusher to save his life.
The autopsy cannot reveal a firm cause of death, and no malfunction can be found in either the shuttlecraft controls or Reyga's technology. Then Reyga turns up dead, apparently from suicide. Crusher cannot accept that he might have killed himself... but her insistence on investigating may put her entire career in jeopardy!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: As someone who has sent crew members on missions that have ended in death, he understands Crusher's feelings when Jo'Bril dies in a test she made possible. He doesn't attempt to comfort her, as such, knowing that consolation at this point is not possible. He is very protective of her throughout, even when she takes action that violates Starfleet ethics, and he does make a keen observation about her situation: "You're the loneliest person in the world right now. No one can say anything, no one can do anything that will help, and you think that it will never go away. And you're right, it won't. But you can get used to it. I know it doesn't feel like that now, but you can."
Dr. Crusher: The best Crusher spotlight episode since Season Four's Remember Me. Crusher is taken out of her comfort zone. First she acts as a "scientific ambassador," taking it on herself to arrange for the scientists to see Reyga's research in hopes of promoting an exchange of ideas. She really doesn't do badly at this, managing to direct the other scientists' skepticism in such a way that it leads to a demonstration of the technology instead of an outright dismissal. But when things go awry, she is put into another unfamiliar role - that of detective. The one investigative tool she is comfortable with, the autopsy, is specifically denied her, and she is forced to search for the truth without that data. Gates McFadden gives a solid performance, and is particularly good in the scenes that see Crusher feeling alone, out of her depth, and defeated.
Guinan: Seen for the first time since Rascals. Even though her role is small, restricted to the bookends surrounding the story, it's still a welcome return. I'm actually impressed at Whoopi Goldberg's ongoing commitment to a role on a syndicated television series during a period when her film career was at its height. Guinan's interactions with Crusher are a lot of fun. She's just the right sympathetic ear to allow the doctor to vent her frustrations, and knows exactly when to listen and exactly when to push Crusher to action.
THOUGHTS
The second murder mystery of the season, Suspicions is an enormous step up from the leaden Aquiel. The script, by stalwarts Joe Menosky and Naren Shankar, gets right key things the earlier episode got so wrong.
First, the mystery. Whereas Aquiel suffered from a thin mystery that tried to evoke '40's film noir but came closer to '80's Scooby Doo, this mystery is passably intriguing. New revelations and complications come at a steady pace. There's a twist ending, one that admittedly isn't hard to see coming. But unlike Aquiel, the ending works - in part because that character has a convincing motive, and in part because the script lays groundwork early in the episode to make the revelation halfway believable when it comes. In short, this time the dog didn't do it.
Even more critically, this script grounds itself in the character of one of the regulars. The earlier episode may have been from Geordi's viewpoint, but he wasn't specifically used or examined as a character. Other than his (entirely unconvincing) feelings for Aquiel, nothing was at stake for him. He was simply the designated "character of the week," in a script that could have been rewritten to fit any of the other male regulars with virtually no changes.
Suspicions feels specifically tailored to Dr. Crusher. The mystery is suited to her character, as is the central challenge: She is certain that an autopsy will solve the crime, and the tool of an autopsy on the Ferengi scientist is what she's specifically denied. There are personal stakes. We open the episode learning that events have put her career in jeopardy. As she continues to push for answers, even when Riker urges her to stop, she makes the situation worse and worse for herself. Picard tells her early in the episode that she is alone, and that ends up being exactly right at the close, her investigation isolating her more and more until she finally is truly alone. Effective structure, and very strong use of character.
Viewed in the context of Aquiel, this episode is a reminder that the murder mystery is a valid genre for Star Trek. As an episode in its own right, it's well-paced and a lot of fun to watch. Not one of the great episodes, but certainly one I'd consider a good one.
Overall Rating: 7/10.
Previous Episode: Frame of Mind
Next Episode: Rightful Heir
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