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| Picard and Crusher escape from an alien prison. |
Capt. Picard and Dr. Crusher beam down to Kesprytt III to meet with Ambassador Mauric (Robin Gammell) of the Kes government. The Kes have made a request for associate membership in the Federation - an unusual request, given that their world is divided between them and the xenophobic Prytt, who want nothing to do with any outsiders. Picard and Crusher beam out... but their transport is intercepted.
They awake to find themselves prisoners of the Prytt, who fear a military alliance between the Kes and the Federation. They give the two neural implants, telling them that the implants will soon provide all the information needed. But the Kes have spies within the Prytt government, and it isn't long before Picard and Crusher are provided with a map showing an escape route.
That escape is only the beginning, however. By the time they reach the outside, it is clear that the implants are transmitting Picard's and Crusher's thoughts to each other. More than that - if they separate by more than a few feet in any direction, they become physically ill!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: When Crusher calls him on making a decision based on guesswork, he admits that it's sometimes necessary to give the appearance of confident leadership even when he is uncertain. He does make swift yet sensible command decisions, discarding the pre-set escape plan in favor of a dash to the border once it becomes apparent that Prytt patrols are searching for them. In a quiet moment, he admits to Beverly that he had strong feelings for her even when she was married - something he kept hidden out of shame for lusting after his best friend's wife.
Riker: Left to deal with Ambassador Mauric in trying to retrieve Picard and Crusher. He is initially amused at Mauric's paranoia, smiling a bit condescendingly at the ambassador's earnest statements that what he's about to tell Riker "cannot leave this room" and practically laughing at the security counter-measures put in place. His amusement disappears once Picard misses the rendezvous, however, prompting some very blunt and impatient shotgun diplomacy on his part. To the episode's credit, Riker's tactics are very different than Picard's would likely be, but are highly effective.
Dr. Crusher: Though she almost always has an acerbic comment on the tip of her tongue, she has learned to (mostly) leave those unvoiced. Gates McFadden has a particularly strong scene in which Beverly recalls making a cute comment while on a date and genuinely hurting the self-esteem of the young man in question. Her claims that she "never knew (Picard) felt that way" about her seem ingenuous, given that they were practically throwing themselves at each other in certain Season One episodes, but it does allow an opening for them to discuss their somewhat bizarre non-relationship. For McFadden, whose performances have often been variable, this is a notably natural performance, some of her best work since Remember Me in Season Four.
THOUGHTS
Attached is the first episode in a long time to deal with the Picard/crusher relationship. Their mutual attraction was a major character component during Season One, but that strand was cut off when Gates McFadden did not return for Season Two. When she returned in Season Three, the Picard/Crusher dynamic was changed substantially. That they were old and close friends was retained, but the romantic undercurrents only occasionally referenced from that point on.
Writer Nicholas Sagan attempts to reconcile both dynamics, reintroducing their old feelings for each other via their shared thoughts. We learn on the one hand that they still have feelings for each other, and on the other that Picard has declared (to himself, and here to Dr. Crusher) that he "no longer has those feelings." Crusher visibly dislikes that statement, and the ending indicates that the statement is a lie - but it's a lie Picard seems to have convinced himself of, at least enough to pursue other romances throughout the series while interacting with Beverly largely just as a friend.
The Picard/Beverly character interplay is far more interesting than the Kes/Prytt plot, though the plot does its job in setting up a reason for the exploration of the two regulars and in providing a dramatic frame for these scenes to fit into. The story is well-structured and well-paced, with the external conflict sufficient to keep things moving without intruding into the character material that is the show's heart. Jonathan Frakes' direction is as solid as ever, and he particularly makes use of the device of Picard and Crusher "joined at the hip" to almost constantly frame the two in shot together.
The external plot is resolved a bit neatly and easily, in predictable fashion, but the tag indicates that the Picard/Beverly issues are only as settled as future writers choose to make them. Enough is left dangling to be picked up later if desired, but it's also tied up enough to allow that strand to fall dormant without feeling like a dropped thread.
It's not a brilliant episode, but Attached is well-crafted, well-paced, and thoroughly entertaining. In a thus far rather weak season, that just about makes it a standout by default.
Overall Rating: 7/10.
Previous Episode: Dark Page
Next Episode: Force of Nature
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I've been rewatching this series recently, as it was a favorite of mine while growing up. I was checking reviews and trivia on imdb, and only just now came across your synopses!
ReplyDeleteYour reviews are fantastic and break down various points of the episodes in a way I tend to agree with, but wouldn't necessarily come up with on my own.
I'll have to go back and refer to your previous reviews for the rest of the series! Thanks!