7-23. Emergence.

Data suspects the Enterprise is developing its own intelligence!

THE PLOT

The Enterprise is on a routine mission, surveying potential sites for new colonies, when the ship suddenly goes to warp, seemingly of its own accord. Geordi has no idea why this happened, but reveals that it's lucky it did: The area of space the ship was in was subject to a "theta flux distortion." Had the Enterprise remained there for another 1.7 seconds, the ship would have been destroyed.

As Geordi and Data continue investigating, they discover new circuit nodes, protected by force fields and connecting ship systems that had previously been separate. The nodes are connected through the holodeck, which is running on its own, combining multiple holodeck programs into a single simulation. The result is a combination of Wild West gunfighters, armored knights, and Chicago gangsters, all riding on the Orient Express to "Keystone City," the place "where everything begins." When Data attempts to tamper with a node on the train, the characters turn hostile and the Enterprise crew are forced to leave.

As the nodes continue to appear, Data develops a theory: The nodes are forming a neural net. The ship is developing its own intelligence!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: When Dr. Crusher reveals that the Orient Express came from her holodeck program, Picard begins talking about the history of the line. He is actually surprised when Crusher explains that the history is not her interest, but the atmosphere and the varied people who traveled in the train. When it becomes clear that the ship has come to life and has a purpose, Picard is less interested in stopping it than in understanding it. He insists that if there is an intelligence at work, the crew needs to respect it as they would any other life form. He adds that he is inclined to trust any intelligence formed from the Enterprise: "It came from us. From our mission records, personal logs, holodeck programs, our fantasies. Now, if our experiences with the Enterprise have been honorable, can't we trust that the sum of those experiences will be the same?"

Data: As an artificial intelligence himself, he recognizes the nodes' resemblance to a positronic brain, and thus he is the one to recognize what is happening. He takes the most active role in investigating the holodeck situation, and his android strength allows him to deal with the intelligence's attempts to stop him. Unfortunately, despite Data's prominent role, no attempt is made to create some meaning, either in theme or plot, out of an artificial intelligence investigating an awakening artificial intelligence.

Troi: The script makes a big deal out of Troi going into the holodeck to try to understand what the various characters' roles in the situation mean. The episode then proceeds to do absolutely nothing with the concept. For all the story difference that Troi's presence makes, Riker might as well have led all of the holodeck expeditions.

Worf: The one halfway interesting thing Troi's presence does is to show the building relationship between her and Worf. On two occasions, after some incident occurs on the holodeck, Worf asks if Troi is all right. In both instances, the question is very specifically addressed to Troi, not to others, and in both instances the emotion in Worf's voice is audible.

THOUGHTS

Joe Menosky's last TNG script is, unfortunately, closer in quality (and content) to Masks than to Darmok. The plot ends up acting as a sort of hybrid between a "bizarre things happening on the ship" episode and a holodeck episode. As with Masks, it's clear that this episode really wants to be intriguing and thought-provoking. But, as with the earlier episode, it just doesn't quite come off.

I actually liked Masks better. That episode was so completely off-the-wall, I was hooked in spite of myself, wanting if nothing else to see what weird thing would happen next. Here, the proceedings are just kind of... dull. There is very little atmosphere, even to the "Orient Express" scenes. Worst of all, as my unenthusiastic take on the episode's use of the characters shows, this story does nothing at all with the regulars.

The characters are so passive as to be completely ineffectual. The episode's structure, such as it is, consists of: a team of crew members goes into the holodeck, observes strange behavior from the characters, then are menaced and forced to leave; stir and reheat as necessary. Sure, there are token gestures made by the crew to try to deactivate the nodes, but this just feels like a holding pattern.

Even when the crew is allowed to truly act at the end, it's in a manufactured third act crisis that is resolved by Geordi making a blind choice that fails to generate either interest or tension. Geordi can choose to hunt for Technobabble Particles in either a nebula or a pulsar. We are not told what the advantage of one choice over the other might be, or what the risks are. Picard just asks Geordi, "Nebula or pulsar?" Geordi picks, he's right, and the day is saved. Had we been presented with some risk in Geordi's decision, or had the final attempt seemed at risk of failing, then there might have been a bit of... well, drama in the drama. As it stands, it's just stuff happening with minimal context.

Which, unfortunately, describes the entire episode all too well. A few nice Picard bits aside, TNG's final holodeck episode has extremely little to recommend it.

Overall Rating: 3/10.

Previous Episode: Bloodlines
Next Episode: Preemptive Strike


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7-13. Homeward.

Worf's human brother, Nikolai (Paul Sorvino),
violates the Prime Directive.

THE PLOT

The planet Boraal II is dying.  Its atmosphere is tearing itself apart through the phenomenon of "atmospheric dissipation," manifesting as fierce storms that will leave the planet uninhabitable within hours. The Enterprise has not come to save this world or its people. The planet is beyond saving, and as a pre-warp civilization, any interference would be a violation of the Prime Directive. They are just here to rescue Worf's foster brother, Nikolai Rozhenko (Paul Sorvino), a Federation scientist assigned to observe the planet.

Worf beams down to some caves near Nikolai's outpost and does find him - along with several Boraalans Nikolai has rescued. Worf is appalled, as is Picard, both decrying this violation of the Prime Directive. Picard allows Nikolai to upload his data to the Enterprise computers, but states that he will not compound this violation of the rules with one of his own. The survivors are doomed.

Nikolai will not accept this, and uses the cover of the storms to camouflage beaming the Boraalans into a holodeck simulation that looks exactly like their caves. By the time Picard finds out, it's too late to return them to their planet. Picard is left with no choice but to go along with Nikolai's plan: Use the holodeck to convince the survivors that they are being led to another part of the same planet, while the Enterprise races to an uninhabited world that will act as their new home.

But the storms have left the holodeck systems damaged, leaving Nikolai and Worf to cover for various glitches as best they can... and hope that the ship reaches the new world before the holodeck fails entirely!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: As the planet Boraal dies, Picard steps forward to make a small speech about honoring the ramifications of the Prime Directive. When confronted with the news that Nikolai actually beamed survivors aboard the holodeck, he is furious - but he doesn't entertain any notion of returning them to their dead world to perish with it. As with Pen Pals, when confronted with living people, he becomes a touch more flexible. He endorses Nikolai's plan as their only option, and does all he can to make it successful. Patrick Stewart does his usual sterling job, but "Prime Directive" Picard is probably my least favorite version of the character.

Worf: Has clashed with Nikolai ever since they were children. Worf has always been the responsible one, prizing self-discipline and duty, while Nikolai would take rash and impulsive actions with no thought for the consequences. "Wherever you go, you create chaos," he growls to his brother. "How many times did our parents lie awake at night, wondering what kind of trouble you were in?" When Dobara (Penny Johnson), Nikolai's Boraalan wife, questions Worf about their clashes, he simply says that "it is an old argument." His anger at Nikolai does not extend to the Boraalans, however, and Worf shows respect for them at every turn.

Data: Though this is not a big Data episode, he gets one very good scene. When he and Dr. Crusher review their options for a new Boraalan planet, Crusher agonizes over the consequences of making the wrong choice. She observes that they can't know what factors may cause things to go wrong - unwittingly echoing the regular Prime Directive defense that if an individual life is saved against the rules, then there is no telling what consequences may ensue. Data's response is all the more perfectly-judged for being totally logical and emotionless, and is an unwitting defense of Nikolai's actions: "I do not believe we can offer any guarantees. We can simply make the best choice we have at the moment."

Guest Star of the Week: "I wasn't going to let those people die just because your captain started quoting Federation dogma to me... I refuse to be bound by an abstraction. The lives of the people of Boraal are far more important to me." When he snaps this at Worf, my response is to applaud - Can we beam him over to Voyager to give the same little speech to Janeway, please? Paul Sorvino's a terrific actor with enormous presence, and he's always been able to balance that presence with an ability to share the screen with others. He and Michael Dorn do a lot to make the fairly hackneyed sibling rivalry between Worf and Nikolai feel somewhat real, which helps keep this episode watchable.


THOUGHTS

Anytime the words, "Prime Directive" are uttered in a TNG episode, you know that Picard is about to get unbearably self-righteous. The first 15 minutes or so of Homeward are so bad that I would have switched off if not for the sake of these reviews. In the TOS days, Kirk and company violated the Prime Directive for all sorts of reasons, ranging from a society being static to, yes, a society being doomed to imminent extinction... Which makes it all the more ridiculous when latter-day Trek captains proclaim that doing nothing while planets die is somehow a moral choice.

What saves the episode from being as bad as Force of Nature is that the Prime Directive arguments are dropped by about 20 minutes in. By midway through the episode, the only residue of this poor start is a weak "B" plot involving Vorin (Brian Markinson), the Boraalan chronicler, who inadverdantly finds his way onto the main ship and suffers a massive case of culture shock. 

The ending tries to show that Vorin's plight wouldn't have happened had Nikolai not violated the Prime Directive... but honestly, Vorin's plight seems a small price to pay for many of his people surviving, so Picard's attempt at moralizing falls rather flat. The way the episode plays out, Nikolai is right and Picard and Worf are wrong - and while this isn't harped on (1990's Trek never questions the sanctity of the Prime Directive), Worf is shown acknowledging as much in the final scenes.

What keeps the entire episode from falling flat is that the "A" plot shifts narrative gears to a combination of three types of story: quest narrative, as Worf and Nikolai lead the survivors on a holodeck journey; race against time, as the ship flies at maximum warp to the Boraalans' new world before the holodeck fails because of Technobabble; and an examination of the life-long sibling rivalry between Worf and Nikolai. 

I admit to finding some cleverness in the use of the holodeck to persuade the Boraalans that they never left home even when transplanted to a new planet, but I'll also acknowledge that none of these three strands is original. All of them are competently played, however, making the second half of the episode fairly entertaining. 

The end result is that an episode that starts out looking like another Season 7 disaster ends up being a fairly average TNG episode. Not a must-see, by any means... but not an unpleasant time-filler, once you get past its dreadful first Act.


Overall Rating: 5/10.

Previous Episode: The Pegasus
Next Episode: Sub Rosa


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6-12. Ship in a Bottle.

Professor Moriarty (Daniel Davis) and Picard,
 in a battle of wits and wills.

THE PLOT

When Data's Sherlock Holmes simulation experiences a glitch, Barclay performs a holodeck diagnostic - only to unlock Professor Moriarty (Daniel Davis), the holodeck villain accidentally granted sentience four years earlier. Moriarty has spent that time locked in "protected memory," and has been aware of the passage of time during his imprisonment.

Picard meets with the professor, explaining that while Starfleet is investigating his situation, they are no closer finding a way to free him from the holodeck.  Moriarty refuses to accept further delay, however, insisting that he can will himself into surviving in the real world.  He walks right out of the holodeck into the ship's corridors...

And, in defiance of everything the crew understands about how the holodeck works, he continues to exist.

Moriarty makes a further request: That Picard free the Countess Bartholomew (Stephanie Beacham), his holographic lover, much as he was himself freed.  It's a request the captain cannot grant. Even if he could be sure of success, there are too many ethical and practical questions for him to sanction it. So the brilliant and ruthless Moriarty takes matters into his own hands, rerouting ship's systems to seize control of the Enterprise!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Though Moriarty was created as an adversary for Data, it fell to Picard in Elementary, Dear Data to truly deal with the sentient being he had become. Here, Picard and Moriarty are seen as mirror images of each other from the beginning. Both are intellectual men, both possessing a degree of charm and refinement. The countess describes Picard as a man accustomed to getting what he wants, but this description could apply just as easily to either man. And while Picard outmaneuvers Moriarty in the end, he does so by adapting Moriarty's own tactics to his advantage - surely the highest form of flattery.

Data: The one who first realizes the nature of Moriarty's plan. Appropriately enough, he does so after he is faced with a seemingly impossible piece of data following an experiment. He uses Holmes' own axiom in response to this; he eliminates the impossible to arrive at the improbable truth. He then confirms it for both himself and Picard in a way that recalls the holodeck glitch in the teaser, creating a nice sense of symmetry between the beginning of the episode and its ending.

Barclay: Acts as a stand-in for viewers who either didn't remember or hadn't seen Elementary, Dear Data. Since Barclay was not yet part of the show in Season Two, it feels completely natural that he would have to have the key events sketched out for him.  This allows the exposition to come through more naturally than would have been possible without him. And even though he's very much a supporting player in this episode, Dwight Schultz remains an engaging and likable presence.

Moriarty: In the second of his two appearances as Moriarty, Daniel Davis is given a broader role to play and makes the most of it. Davis retains the charisma that made him memorable in his first appearance, but now he is pitted against the ship's crew. His attempts to manipulate Picard form the core of the episode, his brilliant mind the only weapon he needs to put the entire ship in jeopardy. That he has a concrete goal, one which is not entirely unsympathetic, adds a welcome extra layer to an already effective character. 


THOUGHTS

Season Two's Elementary, Dear Data was an episode that demanded a sequel. Thanks to the tangle of copyright laws involved in the use of Sherlock Holmes, it ended up taking more than full four seasons for that sequel to materialize. That's a very long time in the life of a television series, and writer Rene Echevarria wisely focuses his script in such a way that familiarity with the earlier episode is not needed to enjoy this show. The two facts necessary for the episode to be understood are that Moriarty is a holodeck character who was granted sentience, and that Picard made a deal with him to see what could be done to grant him freedom from the holodeck. Both of these items are dealt with clearly and quickly at the very start of the show, allowing the story to move in its own direction.

This is no retread of the earlier episode. The bulk of it occurs not in a recreation of Victorian England, but in the familiar settings of the Enterprise. Moriarty isn't just holding one crew member hostage - He's holding the entire ship hostage, and is unfazed at the thought of perishing with the vessel. "If I am just a fictional character," he says reasonably, "then very little will be lost." 

The "ship-in-danger" subplot is thin and contrived, but mercifully little screen time is given to it. The script is focused exactly where it should be: On the battle of wits and wills between Moriarty and Picard. It's a clever and well-paced script, too. The entire first Act is devoted to establishing the situation with Moriarty. Enough time is given to "sell" the idea of a sentient holodeck character stepping onto the ship proper, and then the first Act ends with Moriarty's takeover of the Enterprise. The stakes are raised again at the halfway point, when the script takes an unexpected turn that upends the entire episode. There is then one final turn after that, all wrapped up with an effective and thoughful tag scene.

Well-paced, well-acted, and extremely clever, Ship in a Bottle was likely the perfect choice of episode to follow-up the powerhouse that was Chain of Command. Effortlessly enjoyable viewing.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Chain of Command
Next Episode: Aquiel


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6-8. A Fistful of Datas.

Worf and Troi vs. Data in the Old West.

THE PLOT:

The Enterprise has 48 hours of downtime, a welcome opportunity for the members of the crew to indulge in their own pursuits. Welcome for most, that is. But Worf's son, Alexander (Brian Bonsall), prods his father into taking him to the holodeck for an Old West-themed program. Worf is the sheriff and Alexander his deputy. Troi joins them as a mysterious stranger Worf deputizes to assist.

The first part of the program goes according to routine. Worf arrests the murderous Eli Hollander (John Pyper-Ferguson), and then must hold him until the U. S. marshal arrives to take him to trial. But Eli's father, the ruthless Frank Hollander, will soon be coming to get his boy out of jail, doubtless leaving a pile of bodies in his wake.

Back on the ship, Data and Geordi are experimenting with an interface that will patch ship's systems through Data in case of emergency. A power fluctuation causes elements of Data's memory to emerge throughout the ship, however. This influence extends into the holodeck. Soon, Worf, Alexander, and Troi are no longer facing down generic western thugs. Instead, they are battling Data - multiple Datas, in the role of every villain in the program!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: One of the burdens of command is apparently an inability to get any real time to oneself. The teaser shows Picard attempting to relax with a music program, only to face one interruption after another. The comedy in this scene is labored at best, but Patrick Stewart does an excellent job of showing Picard's steadily mounting frustration.

Worf: Though initially reluctant to participate in Alexander's holodeck program, as soon as he gets embroiled in a good old-fashioned fistfight, he confesses to seeing the appeal. He largely goes along with the game, until he meets Frank Hollander/Data, and recognizes that something has gone wrong with the program. There's a nice character beat at the end, when he has Frank at his mercy. Worf clearly wants to shoot, and probably would shoot if he and Frank were the only two people there. But he casts a glance at the watching Alexander and stays his hand, not wanting his son to watch him execute an unarmed man, even in a holodeck program.

Troi: Her father raised her on western stories, so Alexander's program sparks her enthusiasm. She throws herself into the role of the mysterious stranger, complete with western drawl and idiom. She (mostly) drops that tendency once it becomes clear that things have turned serious, and is a genuine aid to Worf in planning out a way to resolve the program and get them all out safely. Marina Sirtis seems to be having a particularly good time in this episode. The western look suits her, and her performance is relaxed and even funny. I usually cringe when Troi has a large presence in an episode, but Sirtis turns out to be one of the best things about this hour.

Data: Acts more as plot device than character in this episode, with the script allowing Brent Spiner to indulge his hammier tendencies by playing multiple western villains. He is quite good as Frank Hollander, the main baddie, and the episode's best scenes are the ones in which Frank and Worf face off. The notion of western villains with the speed, accuracy, and abilities of Data is an enjoyable one, and it's an amusing departure for Spiner, which goes a long way toward keeping this episode entertaining.


THOUGHTS

Though I question the wisdom of scheduling two light-hearted episodes back-to-back, I have to admit that I enjoyed A Fistful of Datas. That's largely a matter of personal taste, I suspect. I always enjoyed the classic westerns of the 1950's and 1960's, and this does an entertaining job of playing with those conventions. It's a standard western plot, with an outlaw family threatening an honest town marshall - and that sort of thin, linear story allows plenty of time for the script to have some fun thrusting Worf and Troi into the setting.

Unfortunately, this episode suffers from a need to give everybody something to do. The scenes on the main ship should only take up the minimum time needed to justify Data infecting the holodeck program. Instead, a solid quarter of this episode is given over to scenes with Geordi and Data studying Technobabble, with a full subplot about the western program affecting Data in his regular duties. None of this is anywhere near as fun to watch as the "A" plot, and the episode would have been far better-served had most of it been jettisoned.

What makes the episode work, for me at least, is the western story. Worf is an engagingly grumpy hero, Brent Spiner an enjoyably ruthless villain, and the actors all seem to be having a good time. The ending showdown, with a virtual army of Datas preparing to ambush Worf, is particularly amusing, and the way Worf turns the tables neatly recalls the very spaghetti western given a nod by this episode's title.

I strongly suspect one's tolerance for the episode depends heavily on one's enjoyment of old westerns. For me, it was a fun departure.  For others, I suspect it would be an exercise in tedium.


Overall Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Rascals
Next Episode: The Quality of Life


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6-5. Schisms.

Crew members recreate a shared nightmare on the holodeck.

THE PLOT:

Riker is having sleep trouble. Not insomnia - He's getting to sleep just fine, and he's sleeping the whole night through. But he has difficulty waking, and he goes through the day in a haze of tension and exhaustion.

His problems began with the Enterprise's entry into an uncharted globular cluster. Issues aren't confined to Riker for long. Soon, Geordi's visor begins cutting out at random intervals, while Worf responds with paranoia to a barber's scissors. Something is affecting all of them. And if they can't find the source soon, then it may threaten the entire ship!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: He only fully becomes involved in the final stretch of this story, but we do get a good look at his ability to listen to his people and make decisions based on their input. He is able to guide Geordi to find a way to trace the source of the issues.  He also accepts Riker's offer to be used as, essentially, bait to spring a trap. He is a pragmatist, and he makes it clear that if Riker is trapped, then the plan must go ahead - even if that results in the first officer's death. The ship is more important than any one crew member, something Picard knows and Riker accepts.

Riker: A strong episode for Riker, which is something that's become much rarer than it used to be. He is the first crew member to be affected, and his nonstop exhaustion makes him the most visibly affected. His leadership skills show when he meets with other affected crew members. He is the one who leads them to the holodeck and initiates the reconstruction of their shared memory, which provides the first steps toward achieving a resolution. He also plays the hero role at the end, risking himself to save the ship.

Geordi: His sensor modifications put the ship in danger (apparently, though I'm not sure the timing works out - more on that later). But even if his eagerness to tinker plays a role in creating the situation, his ability to tinker successfully is what makes it possible for the ship to extricate itself. 


THOUGHTS

Schisms starts out slowly. The teaser is downright boring, with Riker's all-day bedhead seeming to be the only thing out of the ordinary and with us being lulled to the credits with the genuinely hideous spectacle of Data performing a poetry recital.

After credits, though, it doesn't take long for the episode to start hooking the viewer's interest. Riker guards against oversleep by asking Geordi to stop by his quarters. We see him settle in for the night, only to be wakened a few seconds later by Geordi. The engineer is keeping his appointment. Even though Riker just settled down to sleep and even though we've been watching him, what seems like a few uninterrupted seconds was actually hours.

This is a Brannon Braga script, so the mind immediately jumps to there being some kind of time anomaly. When Data suddenly loses 90 minutes, that starts to seem like the most likely explanation. Then Riker reacts badly to a console, Worf responds with fear to a pair of scissors, and it becomes clear that something more is happening.

One of the reasons Schisms works so well is that the characters behave intelligently. Riker has sleep trouble for multiple days in a row? He goes to Dr. Crusher to find out if something's wrong with him. Geordi's visor gives him trouble? He does the same. Riker and Worf react emotionally to common objects? They go to Counsellor Troi - Where they learn that others are having the same problems, enabling them to put the pieces together.

There's an outstanding scene about halfway through the episode. Once those affected get together and start reconstructing what happened to them, Riker takes them to the holodeck to literally reconstruct a shared vision. Bit by bit, they create something. It starts as a simple wooden table. Then the table is curved. Then it is metal. Then there is a restraint. Then there is a swinging arm. An attachment. A blade. Like the episode itself, what begins seeming benign and even a bit dull (a sleepy man, a wooden table) becomes something frightening.

"I've been in this room before," Geordi says, looking physically ill at the realization. Riker is grim, purposeful even, as he responds: "We all have."

From that point, it's a rapid build to the resolution. The last Act of the show moves quickly to an effective enough close. The solution relies heavily on Technobabble, but the basic principle of tracking something to its source is easy to grasp and seems sensible, which makes the meaning of the jargon comprehensible and maintains the suspense right up to the end.

That said, there is one structural issue. We are told that the problems occur because Geordi's sensor modifications attracted unwanted attention. But he doesn't use the modified sensors until after the show opens - and Riker is already affected by that point. Which means that the timing just doesn't work out. A minor point, and one that can be handwaved away (Geordi had already tested it before mentioning it to Riker, and the test was what drew attention), but worth mentioning.

Still a good, creepy episode with an ending that avoids evaporating the atmosphere. Schisms is a bit reminiscent of Night Terrors in overall feel - but solid storytelling and a good use of a slow build make this episode succeed where that one failed.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Relics
Next Episode: True Q


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4-19. The Nth Degree

The Enterprise at the Argos Array.

THE PLOT

The Enterprise heads to the edge of Federation space to repair the Hubble Space Telescope... er, to find out why the Argos Array has stopped transmitting data. The ship discovers a probe of unknown origin. Geordi and Lt. Barclay head out in a shuttle to investigate. When the probe releases a sudden flash of light, Geordi's visor protects him, but Barclay's optic nerves are overwhelmed. He is knocked unconscious.

When Barclay awakens, he finds himself possessed of a confidence he never had before. But that isn't the only change. Dr. Crusher finds that Barclay's brain is working in overdrive, making him "the most advanced" human in existence. He is an acting prodigy. He argues physics with Einstein on the holodeck (and wins). And he comes up with an idea to direct repairs on the Array in a way that will not monopolize the Enterprise crew for weeks on end.

When the Array is minutes away from self-destructing, Barclay stops the explosion and saves both Array and ship. But at a cost - He is able to do this only by fusing his mind with the Enterprise computer. Effectively, Barclay is now the computer!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Though concerned about Barclay's progression, he refuses to treat him with suspicion simply because of his newly advanced intellect. When Barclay joins his mind with the computer, Picard clearly wants to resolve the situation in a way that will leave both Barclay and the ship intact. But when Barclay stops obeying orders and prepares to take the ship into a spatial anomaly he himself has created, Picard authorizes Worf to do whatever is necessary to stop him.

Geordi: Has been trying to increase Barclay's confidence by granting him steadily increasing responsibilities. In the teaser, he refers to Barclay as one of the ship's "top engineers," and Barclay seems to be responding well to the trust Geordi is showing him. Geordi is the first to really notice how much Barclay changes after the probe, and insists on consulting Dr. Crusher out of concern for Barclay as much as for the ship. Even when Barclay's progression runs off the rails near the end, Geordi continues to talk to him with openness, showing himself to actually be the friend that Picard once ordered him to be.

Troi: Gets the most amusing moment of the episode, when she reports that Barclay not only made a pass but "a good one," something she reports with evident surprise and appreciation. She is quite happy to tease Riker with this bit of information, carefully not telling him whether Barclay's pass was "successful." When Barclay fuses himself with the computer, Troi attempts to reason with him one-on-one. When she fails to get through to him, she is blunt in telling him that Picard will do "whatever it takes" to stop him.

Barclay: Dwight Schultz's second appearance in this role. Whereas Barclay's first episode focused on his extreme shyness, this episode highlights his lack of confidence. Not by aggressively hammering home his self-doubts, but instead by curing them entirely, allowing him to act as someone completely confident in his own abilities. To an extent, this creates a bit too much similarity with Season Three's Transfigurations, but fortunately the third act turn of joining Barclay with the computer takes the story in a radically different direction. Schultz's ability to present a character who is just a bit "off" without actually doing anything threatening pays dividends here, as the transformed Barclay is genuinely creepy, even though he's trying at all times to be helpful.


SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT...

To help Barclay gain confidence, he is encouraged to participate in dramatic productions. That makes sense, as far as it goes... but why would someone who really hasn't acted before and who is known to be horribly shy be cast as the lead - let alone the lead in a genuinely challenging production! Surely it would make more sense to give him small roles, then increase the size of the roles as his confidence increased? The method on display in the teaser would seem more likely to drive him back into his shell through sheer embarrassment than to lure him out of it.


THOUGHTS

The episode may open with Barclay playing Cyrano de Bergerac, but what he undergoes is more akin to Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon. Though I suppose Cyrano has some relevance, too. In that story, a young man romances a woman using the brilliant words of the title character, passing them off as his own. In this story, Barclay is made into a super-genius... but he's actually fulfilling someone else's program, his thoughts being led to a predetermined end point. Deanna can't get through to him, neither can Geordi - because by that point, the program is more in control than Barclay. He may be transformed into a genius. But it's someone else's genius at work, not his own.

This is a particularly well-made episode. Director Rob Legato uses some well-judged framing and lighting to raise the tension in the last part of the episode. When Geordi talks to the Barclay Computer in the Jeffries tube all the while attempting to work against Barclay's control, there are definite shades of 2001: A Space Odyssey permeating the scene. The model work for the Array is some of the more eye-catching of the series, as well. And, of course, who can forget the visual of Barclay, interfaced with the computer, sitting mutely in what looks like a cross between a throne and a torture device while his disembodied voice speaks around him?

For all that is good about The Nth Degree, it never quite breaks through to me to the first rank of episodes. I think the shift from Barclay's acclerated genius to Barclay fusing himself with the computer may blur the episode's focus. Or perhaps I was less engaged in Barclay's dilemma than I would have been had this same story occurred with Geordi or one of the other regulars as the focus. Whatever the case, I did find myself at a distance from the action here.

It's an above-average episode of the series, certainly. But what wants to be compelling is merely interesting, leaving The Nth Degree well short of the quality its clearly aiming for.


Overall Rating: 6/10

Previous Episode: Identity Crisis

Next Episode: Qpid

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4-18. Identity Crisis

Geordi and an old friend (Maryann Plunkett) face a horrifying fate.

THE PLOT

When Starfleet officers who were all members of the same Away Team to Tarchannen III begin disappearing, Commander Susan Leitjen (Maryann Plunkett) comes to the Enterprise to warn Geordi. She and Geordi are the only two members of that Away Team still remaining, and her briefing is enough to get Picard to divert the ship to Tarchannen. Once there, Susan begins a terrifying transformation, turning from human to alien, seemingly from the inside out.

As Dr. Crusher works to stop the transformation in sick bay, Geordi reviews the old records of the Away mission. He does find a discrepancy in the visual record... but by the time he is able to really study it, his own transformation has already begun!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Though this is not a Picard-heavy episode, there is a wonderful scene early on. The Enterprise reaches Tarchannen III just in time to see a shuttlecraft stolen by Hickman, one of the members of the old Away Team. The shuttle is going into the planet's orbit too fast and will surely burn up. The Enterprise is too far away to do anything. Picard desperately tries communicating with the shuttle, telling the pilot exactly what to do to avoid disaster. It recalls a similar scene in which Picard successfully talked a teen boy out of disaster in Coming of Age. Only here he is unsuccessful, left to watch helplessly as the shuttle is destroyed.

Geordi: Apparently developed a little brother/big sister relationship with Leitjen on their old ship. The first half sees those old roles reversed, Geordi becoming protective of her as he insists they will find a way to solve this mystery. After Susan begins changing, faced with the near-certainty that this change will eventually befall him, he takes refuge in the puzzle. He runs the old log again and again, until finally he sees something.

Data: An odd episode for Data. In the first half of the episode, as he studies the records, he reminds us of his own close friendship to Geordi. He observes that he is "strongly motivated" to solve this mystery. A little later, he offers his help to Geordi. Since the plot requires Geordi be alone when the transformation begin, Geordi rebuffs that offer... leaving Data essentially a spare part for the rest of the episode.

Dr. Crusher: More plot device than character, though she does get a larger slice of the action than usual. As Geordi runs a holodeck investigation, she investigates the medical mystery of the transforming Susan. She approaches it methodically, eventually finding the answer. Which isn't a surprise, given that we know Geordi's not going anywhere, but it does at least give her a decent role in this episode.


THOUGHTS

Identity Crisis is a decent episode. Brannon Braga apparently adapted a storyline from another writer, which had the transformation occurring to two guest characters. Braga's decision to focus it on Geordi instead of some Random Redshirt is a good one, and Geordi's refusal to passively wait for the transformation to occur keeps him a dynamic protagonist. It's well-paced, and for more than half its length creates an intriguing puzzle.

But it just doesn't quite come together. I think the use of Susan Leitjen at the end of the show is a misstep. Her transformation in the first half is effective, and serves as incentive for Geordi to solve the mystery before this happens to him. But when she comes back at the end to save Geordi, she is all but transformed into a Mary Sue. I think the story would have been much more effective if Dr. Crusher was unable to save Susan, but learned what she needed to save Geordi... and then let Data - Geordi's good friend since almost the series' very beginning - be the one to "talk him down" at the end. This would pay off Susan's horrible transformation in the episode's first half, while also paying off the scenes that nod to Data's friendship with Geordi. In my opinion, it would be much more effective than having a Too-Good-to-Be-True Guest Character Save the Day.

There's also the sense that Geordi's holodeck investigations don't actually accomplish a heck of a lot. Sure, it's entertaining to watch Geordi puzzle out the stray shadow from the recording. But what is actually gained from this? A better script would have had Geordi's holodeck projections provide some necessary information. As it stands, things would actually have been greatly simplified for our heroes had Geordi simply stayed in sick bay and waited for Dr. Crusher. That's not even mentioning how odd it is that the transformation only occurs now, after the infection has lain dormant in the old Away Team's systems for years. Why now? The episode never even addresses this, probably hoping the audience won't think to ask.

All of this is sounding like an indictment of the episode. I don't mean it to be. I enjoyed watching Identity Crisis. The episode is well-paced, with the first half particularly strong in building tension and atmosphere. The puzzle is intriguing, and Levar Burton is very good - as usual, when given good material to play. It just feels vaguely unfinished, as if it was maybe one or two more drafts away from being a genuinely good piece of television.


Overall Rating: 6/10

Previous Episode: Night Terrors

Next Episode: The Nth Degree

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3-21. Hollow Pursuits

THE PLOT

Geordi has a problem. That problem is Lieutenant Barclay (Dwight Schultz). Recently transferred to Enteprise with a strong recommendation from his previous commander, Barclay is not fitting in. He is always nervous and always late to his duties. "He never does his best work," Geordi complains. "He just kind of slides by."

Geordi would like nothing better than to transfer the man to another ship. But Picard believes Barclay has potential, and orders the chief engineer to make the man his "project." This may not be the best time for such a project, however, as the Enterprise is developing a fault of its own - one that starts by affecting minor systems, but becomes steadily more serious...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Tries to be a fair-minded captain. He looks over Barclay's records, comes to the conclusion that he simply must be a competent engineer, and refuses Geordi's request to take the easy way out by simply transferring him. Instead, he presses Geordi to make Barclay a "personal project," and orders him to put a stop to use of Barclay's unfortunate nickname... which he then unwittingly uses himself at probably the worst possible moment.

Riker: Though he is painted unsympathetically in his impatience toward Barclay, I think it can be useful to look at the situation from Riker's perspective. Barclay's name continuously appears on report. It's not as if he's doing good work but simply failing to fit in socially - Barclay's work appears to be genuinely substandard. Barclay does neglect his duties, something we see multiple times during the episode. As First Officer, he sees that this crew member is a problem, and that point of view is supported by everything we see as well. Still, it is rather amusing to see Riker bristle as his outsized ego is pricked by the dwarf-like Riker Barclay has programmed into the holodeck.

Geordi: Tells Picard that he always believed he could work with anyone, but he cannot work with Barclay. OK, so let me get this straight: An extremely nervous and shy man who is nevertheless competent within his field, and who never shows any individual deliberate disrespect or insubordination (saving all that up for the holodeck)... This is the person Geordi is unable to work with? I'd assume that Geordi has never had to deal with particularly difficult officers before... but The Arsenal of Freedom says otherwise.

In any case, after a push from Guinan and a glimpse at one of Barclay's holodeck programs, Geordi does give Barclay a legitimate chance. Once he gets a glimmer of the personality Barclay hides within his shyness, he becomes a genuine friend, insisting on including him even after Riker has basically written him off.

Troi: As the object of Barclay's fantasies, we see Troi decked out in a variety of outfits, babbling gibberish about being "the goddess of empathy" while alternately swooning or acting as a pretty bit of set dressing. So... not far off "business as usual," then. Real Troi prescribes a fairly basic breathing exercise for Barclay to use to relax, which is enough in itself to send the man fleeing and I'm not sure I blame him. In the holodeck, Troi finds "mini-Riker" rather amusing; more amusing to the viewer, though, is her reaction to "The Goddess of Empathy," in a bit that's very well-played by Marina Sirtis.

Barclay: Dwight Schultz, a reliable character actor who has been both blessed and cursed by being made familiar to most viewers as "Howling Mad" Murdock from The A-Team, is Barclay - a shy engineer who is anything but Howling Mad, though being so for a little while would probably do him no end of good. Schultz is outstanding, keeping Barclay sympathetic even when he genuinely is guilty of shirking his duties. His flashes of confidence, which quickly fade back into shy stammering, show that he does have much to offer if he is allowed to do so. Most of all, the character is recognizable and believable - which, combined with Schultz's moderate name value and strong performance, is likely why Barclay was retained while, for instance, Sonya Gomez was not.


SHUT UP, WESLEY!

Wesley helps the new, socially awkward diagnostic engineer relax and gradually find a way to fit in... by making fun of his name ("Broccoli") which quickly catches on among the crew. As an encore, he directly crushes what little ego the man has at an engineering briefing. What distinguishes this behavior from that of Wesley in Seasons One and Two is that here we're meant to see how aggravating he is, whereas in the early seasons we were generally meant to see him as wonderful.


THOUGHTS

Hollow Pursuits is a rarity among Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes. Not because of any unusual quality (it's a relatively average episode), but because of its point of view. No matter how much better-characterized the Enterprise D crew are now than at the series' beginning, there's no getting around this: These characters are smug. They are smug on a massive level, as they travel in their giant flying Smugmobile, carrying a surplus of Smug to all the Smug-Deprived corners of the universe.

What's refreshing about Hollow Pursuits is that writer Sally Caves, in her first script for the series, actually recognizes this. Instead of trying to downplay this character liability, she actually turns it into one of the episode's central building blocks. In showing the crew's impatience for Barclay's failure to "fit in," Caves shines a spotlight on some of the more unlikable characteristics of our heroes - though this being a Star Trek episode, the script can only go so far in that direction.

The subplot, in which the ship is put into jeopardy only for Barclay to inevitably be the one to save the day at the end, feels a bit tacked on, though I doubt this would have been a saleable episode without some element of external threat. The Barclay material is far more authentic, interesting, and heartfelt. His holodeck escapes are genuinely amusing. I can't quite decide whether I prefer the teaser, in which he tells Geordi and Riker exactly what he (and sometimes, we) think about them, or the "shrunken Riker" bit later in the episode, complete with the real Riker's reaction to his diminutive counterpart.

The episode has a terrific closing, as Barclay orders the computer to erase all of his holodeck programs. Then he pauses and adds, with a wonderful facial expression: "Except Program 9." So nice to see that, long before Quark and his holosuites were introduced, someone in the Star Trek universe actually used the holodeck properly.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Tin Man
Next Episode: The Most Toys


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