7-24. Preemptive Strike.

Ro Laren is assigned to infiltrate the Maquis.

THE PLOT

The demilitarized zone along the Cardassian border has been destabilized by the Maquis, the resistance group formed by Federation colonists whose worlds were repatriated to Cardassia. With many in the Federation sympathizing with the Maquis, the group has grown in numbers and in access to Starfleet weaponry.  This has in turn renewed tensions with the Cardassians.

Picard turns to Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) to infiltrate the Maquis. Her background, both as a Bajoran and as a Starfleet outsider, will make her apparent defection convincing. Ro has little difficulty ingratiating herself with the Maquis cell run by the kindly Macias (John Franklyn-Robbins). She volunteers to use her knowledge of the Enterprise's security systems to steal medical supplies, and the success of that mission gains the confidence of the entire group.

Which is when Picard proposes the next step. A convoy will be planted as a target, with intelligence spread to indicate that the ships are transporting components of biogenic weapons. The potential threat will be too great for the Maquis to send anything less than its full force to combat - allowing the Enterprise to cripple the resistance group in a single devastating blow!

It's a good plan, and with Ro's help its success is all but assured. But Ro is uncertain about betraying a group whose motives strike so close to home...

CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: When he sees Ro overwhelmed by the effusive welcome of the full command staff, he sends an official call for her to report to the bridge to allow her an escape. He understands that while she wants to catch up with everyone, she prefers to do so "one at a time." He is very proud of her achievements, and acts as something a father figure for her in the episode - an authority figure who has nurtured her, and whom she desperately doesn't want to disappoint. He remains fiercely dedicated to duty, however.  When he sees Ro beginning to question her assignment, he does not hesitate to outline the damage to her career if she sabotages the mission.

Lt. Ro: This is very much Ro's episode, as she agrees to infiltrate the Maquis. It's easy enough to predict the story trajectory, as she bonds with the members of the Maquis cell and starts to question her assignment. It is a combination of Michelle Forbes' very good performance with writer Rene Echevarria's understanding of the character that makes the drama work as well as it does. Her final choice is extremely easy to anticipate, but her progression to that point is so convincingly played that the journey remains absorbing.

Cardassians/Maquis: As was the case in DS9's two-parter, The Maquis, we see that the Cardassians are deliberately and repeatedly violating their agreement to respect the rights of the Federation colonists. Gul Evek (Richard Poe) insists to Picard that the Cardassian government is doing all it can to stop these abuses, but his assurances ring hollow - though, to the episode's credit, so do Picard's return assurances about Starfleet's efforts to curtail the Maquis. The episode does stack the deck, in that the Maquis we meet are all clearly decent people - It would be more interesting, and ring truer, if there were a few criminals or fanatics in the mix. Still, the script makes clear that both Cardassia and Starfleet have elements who are sympathetic to the supposedly unauthorized actions of individuals, which lends some enjoyable moral complexity to the situation.

THOUGHTS

Season Seven's otherwise mediocre Journey's End concluded with Picard negotiating a settlement that allowed Federation colonists to remain in territory that a peace treaty had ceded to the Cardassians - a far from ideal solution, but the best of the bad options available. The direct fallout was saved for Deep Space 9. That series' very good 2-parter, The Maquis, showed the escalation of tensions on those colony worlds, leading to the formation of the Maquis.

Preemptive Strike bounces the Maquis thread back to TNG, as Picard attempts to deal with a Maquis that is on the rise, gaining strength and growing ever more aggressive in its fight against the Cardassians. As if conscious of picking up where Deep Space 9 left off, writer Rene Echevarria creates an episode that feels closer in tone to DS9 than to TNG - and in so doing, he manages to deliver something that I haven't seen since Lower Decks and didn't expect to see again until All Good Things: A genuinely good episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

As a writer, Echevarria has always been particularly good at character material, and he plays to that strength here. He opens the episode by focusing on Ro's return to the Enterprise, signaling that this story will center on her. He allows a couple of scenes to lay out the "big picture" issues of the Maquis conflict: The Cardassian abuses of Federation citizens, the tensions flaring up between Cardassia and Starfleet over the rise of the Maquis, and the fear that it might spark a new war between the two powers. This shows us why Picard is so focused on stopping characters we will soon see as sympathetic, while at the same time acknowledging the Cardassians' bad behavior and the legitimacy of many of the colonists' grievances.

Then the episode returns to Ro and stays almost exclusively with her until the (very effective) tag with Picard and Riker. Ro is a character particularly well-suited to the Maquis arc. Her background as a one-time prisoner of the Cardassians, someone who watched as they murdered her father, makes it a given that she sympathizes with the Maquis. Her rising Starfleet career and her respect and gratitude for Picard leave her torn. But Ro has always been led mainly by her emotions. She sees people who have genuinely been oppressed, much as her own people once were, and quickly finds herself balking at the thought of stopping them from fighting back. Through this filter, the focus becomes the decision she must make - a decision that's all but a foregone conclusion, but that still feels earned by the end.

It's not quite as sharp as the very best Trek stories: There isn't much negative shown about the Maquis; the viewer doesn't directly see that their actions might harm innocents.  Sure, Admiral Nechayev (Natalija Nogulich) talks in vague terms about their increased aggression and worries about a new war - but nothing is demonstrated to show a dark side to what is, in effect, a terrorist group. This keeps the story from being as morally complex as it should be, though it is still far above-average for the series in this respect.

Mostly, I'm just relieved to be able to give a good review to TNG's final single-part episode. After the creative death march that has been the last third of the season, it's good to remember the kind of storytelling the series is capable of.

Overall Rating: 8/10.

7-20. Journey's End.

Wesley undergoes a Vision Quest.

THE PLOT

A new treaty with the Cardassians has left several Federation colonies in Cardassian space - including a Native American tribe that lives on Dorvan V. Picard's orders are to relocate the tribe using "any means necessary."

Negotiations with Anthwara (Ned Romero), the tribe's leader, do not go well. Anthwara states that this world is their home, and that he has no interest in finding another. Efforts are further complicated when a Cardassian survey team led by Gul Evek (Richard Poe) arrives. Evek wonders why Picard needs to negotiate at all when the treaty has already settled all this, and his soldiers' heavy-handed presence sparks new tension among the colonists, threatening to reignite the very conflict the treaty was meant to officially end.

Meanwhile, Wesley Crusher visits the ship while on leave from the Academy. His mother and Geordi are eager to spend time with him. But Wesley is sullen and snappish, responding with exaggerated irritation to all attempts at conversation. When Wesley visits the planet, Lakanta (Tom Jackson), a tribal mystic, leads him on a "vision quest" that makes him discover that his disillusionment is because he is on the wrong path - leading him to a decision to resign from Starfleet Academy!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: His inclinations toward peace making are shown at the very start, when Admiral Nechayev (Natalia Nogulich) comes aboard. Picard resolves to diffuse the tension that has marked their previous interactions by laying out a snack tray that includes her favorite canapes. She responds to this gesture, and is clearly pained at having to give what she knows are terrible orders. Picard, to his credit, does not blame her for the assignment and makes sure that she knows this. This side of Picard, the patient diplomat, is on display throughout the episode. His solution is an imperfect one and he knows it, but his victory is that he manages to uphold his duty and avoid starting a new war, even if the colony will end up suffering more in the long-term than if they had simply allowed themselves to be relocated.

Dr. Crusher: Is bewildered by Wesley's sullen behavior, and tries to enlist Picard to snap him out of it. When Picard replies that Wesley will need to work through his issues on his own, she bows to his judgment, but her worry is clear. In a conversation with Wesley, she reveals fear that she pushed him too hard to be what was expected. She accepts his decision at the episode's end, but does not do so happily.

Cardassians: Gul Evek, who would later be seen in Deep Space 9's The Maquis, leads the Cardassian team that intrudes on Picard's negotiations. Evek initially comes across as the Cardassian stormtrooper seen in his DS9 and Voyager appearances. He is not immune to Picard's reasoned pleas for peace, however. He has too much first-hand knowledge of how much the war cost both sides to want hostilities to resume. In his willingness to listen to Picard, he shows that the Cardassian military is not simply made up of mindless automatons... Though his initial tactics show why Picard's solution at the end of this episode never had any chance of long-term success.


SHUT UP, WESLEY!

After the enormous strides made with the character in previous appearances, most notably The First Duty, this isn't so much a step backward as a giant leap. Adding to the disappointment is that this script is from First Duty co-writer Ronald D. Moore, who had previously done such a good job of making Wesley into a relatable human being. Here, he comes onto the ship acting like a bratty teenager. Then he allows himelf to be led by the nose by Lakanta to discover that he doesn't really belong in Starfleet after all. Never mind the years of episodes showing that Wesley genuinely loved being a part of Starfleet - It turns out that was just him doing what was expected of him. So he rebels by... doing what the Traveler (Eric Menyuk) said he should way back in Where No One Has Gone Before, right down to agreeing to have the Traveler guide him in his new studies.


THOUGHTS

Journey's End can lay claim to being an important episode for the franchise. It is the last real appearance of Wesley Crusher (discounting a throwaway cameo in Star Trek: Nemesis). It establishes the Federation/Cardassian treaty that would be so effectively followed up by The Maquis. And with a story that draws deliberate parallels to the forced resettlement of Native American tribes in the 19th century, it draws on the kind of historical/social fabric that has fueled many good and even great Star Trek episodes.

Journey's End is not a good episode.

The episode has many potentially interesting ingredients: The tying of up Wesley's "Traveler" storyline, and making that work with his Starfleet Academy arc by showing his disillusionment with that life (likely in part a reaction to the events of The First Duty); Picard's negotiations with Anthwara, and the revelation of heinous acts against Native American tribes by one of his own ancestors; the dispute with the Cardassians over how to resolve the impasse, and Picard's own ultimate solution. There's plenty here to make for a worthwhile episode.

Which is part of the problem: There's too much. The Wesley material never feels like an organic part of this episode. Tying up his storyline should have been a show in itself - It's not like Season Seven hasn't offered up some expendable storylines that could have made way for it! This episode reduces his story to a hastily-executed "B" plot, making it more of a distraction than anything else.

I will say that the scenes between Picard and Anthwara work well, in large part thanks to the performances and sheer screen presence of Patrick Stewart and Ned Romero. I also enjoyed Picard's interactions with Gul Evek, which provided new background on the Federation/Cardassian War by showing in Evek's final decision that it was a conflict that scarred both sides. The heavy-handed manner of the Cardassians, and the violent way in which the colonists react to them, sews the seeds of the entire Maquis storyline - something that was clearly deliberately done, given that The Maquis aired less than a month after this episode.

Unfortunately, as has been true of almost every Trek treatment of Native American culture, the colony is portrayed in broad and mystical terms. The tribe is mystical and the land speaks to them and they have deep wisdom to share with any white man who wants to be Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves. Voyager co-creator Jeri Taylor evidently intended that Chakotay came from this colony, and it's easy to see echoes of Chakotay's most tedious traits in the condescending way in which this tribe of "magic Indians" are treated. They aren't really individuals - They are stereotypes, with only Ned Romero managing to lend a bit of stature to the weak material.

I will say that Journey's End is far from the worst of TNG's disappointing final season. It is at least trying, and there are some good scenes and elements. But this is an "off day" for writer Ronald D. Moore, who is capable of so much better, and yet another weak episode in the increasingly long string of weak episodes that is bringing this show to its end.


Overall Rating: 4/10.

Previous Episode: Genesis
Next Episode: Firstborn


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7-15. Lower Decks.

Worf champions Ensign Sito (Shannon Fill).

THE PLOT

The Enterprise's senior officers are doing reviews of the junior staff... Making this a very nervous time for the ship's young ensigns. Gossip leaks to Ensigns Sam Lavelle (Dan Gauthier) and Sito Jaxa (Shannon Fill) that they are both contenders for the same promotion. Each feels the other is more likely to actually get the nod: Lavelle believes Riker dislikes him, and his attempts to ingratiate himself only make that situation worse; Sito knows that Picard hasn't forgotten her role in the cover-up of an Academy cadet's death, and fears that her spotless record since that incident isn't enough to make up for it.

Even as they fret over their future career paths, they are intrigued and puzzled by the ship's new heading. The Enterprise has taken up a position on the border of Cardassian space, and the senior officers are conferring privately. Geordi snaps at a Taurik (Alexander Enberg), a young Vulcan ensign, for running a routine scan to identify a lifeform on a ship they're rescuing: "No one told you to do that!" When that lifeform is beamed to sickbay, all staff are cleared out save for senior officers and a security officer is stationed outside.

Something clandestine is occurring - and that something is about to come very close to home for one of the junior officers, who will soon have much more immediate concerns than a mere promotion!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Calls Sito into his ready room in order to give her a dressing-down, laying into her lack of character during the Academy incident and telling her that he doesn't know how she ended up on his ship. Patrick Stewart is terrific in this scene, which is written just enough within Picard's normal character that I believed his anger was genuine - making the revelation that it was actually an act all the more effective for tricking me as much as it did Sito. His disclosure that she ended up on the Enterprise on his specific request, to make sure that she got a fair chance to prove herself, says a lot about his own character (and reminds us that he also was involved in something scandalous at the Academy).

Riker: It's no wonder Lavell feels like Riker doesn't like him. The commander shows irritation or outright disapproval in their every interaction. This is consistent with what we've seen in previous episodes, notably in Hollow Pursuits and Ensign Ro. He may be easygoing with those high in the command structure, but he's quite firm with subordinates, particularly ones he finds fault with. In this episode, he's finally called on this, when Troi tells him that Lavell is very like he was when he was younger, and that he's not giving the young man a fair chance.

Worf: Acts as a mentor to Sito. He thinks highly of her work as a security officer, and he believes she is capable of being more. After Picard chews her out, Worf refuses to allow her to meekly accept that situation. He stages an impromptu challenge, putting her into a position where she can only lose and barking his disapproval when she does - all to push her to protest that his challenge is unfair. When she does so, Worf agrees and tells her:"Perhaps next time you are judged unfairly, it will not take so many bruises for you to protest." Odd that his paternal attitude toward her seems so much more authentic than his relationship with Alexander - but then, this episode is well-written, while most Alexander episodes... were not.

Hot Alien Space Babe of the Week: Shannon Fill returns as Sito. In The First Duty, her role was relatively minor. She was onscreen a lot, but was really just a background part of Locarno's entourage. Here, she gets the most prominent role. Sito comes across as sympathetic, while remaining individual enough to avoid the "Mary Sue" trap that can ensnare guest characters who take center-stage. Her final scenes are quite strong, with her Bajoran background used to good effect. 


THOUGHTS

Lower Decks is a clever idea: Take the characters who are usually little more than extras and show events from their point of view. Rene Echevarria, a writer whose strength lies in character interactions, is a good choice for this piece. He is up to the challenge of taking one-shot characters and making them feel authentic and relatable.

Too relatable, sometimes. There is something decidedly uncomfortable in watching Lavell's attempts to ingratiate himself to Riker. When his friend Ben (Bruce Beatty) urges him to go up to Riker in Ten-Forward and strike up a conversation, my every instinct screamed: "Don't!" Riker may not go to the bar to be treated like the First Officer, but he also isn't there to enjoy the spectacle of junior officers jumping about like eager puppy dogs. The subsequent "conversation" is painful, in part because most viewers will at one time or another be able to relate to Lavell's awkwardness (some will be able to relate to how awkward that conversation would be for both men).

Scenes such as this, or Sito's dressing-down by Picard and Worf's unique way of getting her to stand up for herself, would have made for a perfectly fine minor episode. But the ambition here goes a bit further, with the point-of-view switch given to a story that would still have been interesting without that. This gives a dramatic structure to the character material in the first half. We can see that something is occurring that isn't routine, but the information is denied to us just as it is to them. 

This acts as an effective hook for the first half, and it allows the story to transition from being purely a character piece to being a strong narrative in a way that feels absolutely seamless. As the episode goes along, we get more and more clues to the mission unfolding, unseen, around us. At the midpoint, we get a key revelation when Alyssa Ogawa (Patti Yasutake) is let in on the identity of their guest in sickbay - which fuels even more good character material, as she must then keep that secret from friends Lavell and Sito even as they continue speculating.

Ultimately, it's a good episode. Almost all of the individual pieces work, and the script's careful structure and strong handling of both character and plot material keeps it feeling unified throughout. One of Season Seven's better stories, and exactly the recovery the series needed after the idiocy of Sub Rosa.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Sub Rosa
Next Episode: Thine Own Self


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7-11. Parallels.

First Officer Worf and Troi: Man and Wife.

THE PLOT

It is Worf's birthday when he returns from a bat'leth tournament, in which he won Champion standing. He returns to a greeting from Commander Riker, who quickly briefs him on their next mission. The Argus Array, a subspace telescope, has stopped transmitting for the third time that year. At this point, Riker tells him, Starfleet no longer believes this is a simple mechanical breakdown.

But first Worf must endure an unwelcome surprise birthday party. Capt. Picard is unable to attend, and it's clear from Worf's expression that he wished he was unable to as well. The chocolate cake is cut... Only to become a yellow cake, as Capt. Picard asks from his seat how old Worf now is. Worf is confused, but assumes he simply mistook the cake's flavor and that Picard must have come in unnoticed.

He resumes normal duties, analyzing the image files from the array and determining that it's been reprogrammed, probably by the Cardassians, to spy on the Federation. Then Worf has a dizzy spell, and when he comes to he learns that he only placed ninth in the bat'leth tournament, and that there is no image file from the array that indicates Cardassian involvement.

As these changes continue, it becomes obvious that Worf is jumping from one parallel reality to another - and with each jump, the parallels get more and more different from the life he knows!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Enjoys needling Worf at his surprise party. He also shows the other extreme, responding with clear disappointment when Worf fails to raise the shields in time to protect the ship from a Cardassian attack (the shield settings in this reality being configured too differently for Worf to figure out in time). He clearly sees that something is wrong with Worf, however; instead of upbraiding him, he simply accepts Worf's request to be relieved of duty.

Capt. Riker: We spend more than a third of the episode in a parallel reality in which Picard died during the Borg invasion, meaning that Riker is now ship's captain. That he's a good captain is no surprise, not after seeing him assume the role so often from Best of Both Worlds on. He is more directly approachable than Picard, with less separation evident between himself and the rest of the crew, but he clearly learned his lessons from Picard. He listens to his officers' input, then makes his decisions based on all the available information. He also responds to the sight of an alternate Picard on his viewscreen with evident pleasure, taking a moment to tell him how good it is to see him again.

Worf: When little things start to change, he reacts as most of us would: He assumes he made a mistake or failed to observe something and moves on with his job and his life. This method of coping works until the shifts create major discrepancies, but when his trophy changes from ninth place to first, or when Data checks on the status of a task he has no memory of having been assigned, this becomes an impossible situation. He asks to be relieved from duty after an incident shows that he is no longer familiar enough with the ship to do his job. Then he tries to work through the problem, wisely accepting help when it is offered. Michael Dorn is terrific throughout, keeping Worf grounded and believable in a way that makes it very easy to follow him down this particular rabbit hole.

Troi: Her rapport with Worf's son, Alexander, is such that Worf asks her to act as a family member, to promise to take in Alexander in the event that anything happens to him. She agrees readily, though she does have some fun at Worf's expense by pointing out that this makes her mother part of Worf's "family" as well. As the shifts continue, Worf finds himself in a reality in which he and Troi are married. They are surprisingly compatible, and Troi actually listens to Worf's story and prompts him to enlist help from others to find out what is prompting the shifts.

Wesley: Returns, but only in the parallel reality that saw Picard die. In this variant, Wesley apparently continued on as a full Enterpise officer under Riker. This is a nice touch, allowing for the possibility that without Picard giving him a final push, Wesley would likely not have left the ship for the Academy. It's also interesting to see this alternate Wesley behave with a maturity and professionalism that the prime universe Wesley has often lacked - perhaps indicating that Picard's death brought an end to the remnants of his childhood.


THOUGHTS

Brannon Braga returns to the writer's desk for another reality-bending episode. A good one, too - Parallels is Braga's best script since Cause and Effect. Directed with visual polish by Robert Wiemer, this is easily the best episode Season Seven has seen thus far. In a year that's been characterized by dull, mediocre bits of glob, this is a gem that shines all the brighter.

Parallels is a showcase for Braga's writing strengths. It's very fast-paced, never allowing the audience a chance to grow restless. Every scene provides some new wrinkle. It's also clever, with a sci-fi high concept that's easy to grasp quickly but interesting enough to be fun. The structure is well thought-out, with the shifts moving from minor points of divergence to increasingly major ones. We never shift into a universe that's completely unrecognizable, however (though we do get a glimpse of one through the viewscreen). Even the final, most changed variant Worf inhabits is largely different for Picard's death, with all the characters and the universe itself remaining largely recognizable.

It's not just a "concept" episode, either. Worf and Troi get some excellent character material. Lest their relationship in other shifts come out of nowhere, we start with a scene in a very close parallel showing the strength of their friendship. This is echoed when Worf returns to his universe, with Troi being the only one waiting for him (showing that even the initial return to the Enterprise - which we and Worf assumed to be the "prime" one - was itself a parallel). The early Worf/Troi scene also shows his commitment to Alexander, setting groundwork for a later shift in which he learns that Alexander now never existed. Michael Dorn plays Worf's reaction to this realization wonderfully.  Marina Sirtis is equally good in her reactions, showing pain and worry at the thought that "her" Worf may very well not return even if "our" Worf is successful.

This being a top-drawer Brannon Braga episode, we have to get at least one moment in which the whole thing goes completely nuts. That happens near the end, when all the parallels begin coming together. In a small sector of space, one parallel Enterpise after another pops into being. We see the Enterpises appearing on the viewscreen behind Data as he turns to Worf and Riker to explain what's happening. Then we cut back from commercial to see still more ships popping into being in the establishing shot. It's a moment of pure, sublime insanity, and exactly what an episode like this needs to hit its full potential.


Overall Rating: 9/10. Terrific.

Previous Episode: Inheritance
Next Episode: The Pegasus 


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6-20. The Chase.

Picard is reunited with his mentor (Norman Lloyd).

THE PLOT

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.

Previous Episode: Lessons
Next Episode: Frame of Mind


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6-10, 6-11. Chain of Command.

Gul Madred (David Warner):
"Tell me how many lights you see."

THE PLOT

The Enterprise is called to the border of Cardassian space for a meeting with Vice Admiral Nechayev (Natalija Nogulich). Picard is the only one at the meeting, where he is given surprising news: He is being relieved of command!

Picard's replacement is Edward Jellico (Ronny Cox), a career officer who was one of the key players in the peace agreement with the Cardassians. Starfleet believes that, with the Cardassians engaging in sabre-rattling near the border, Jellico's presence on the Enterprise might persuade them to avoid taking action that could lead to war. Jellico's first priority is to turn Picard's Enterprise upside-down, making it battle ready as quickly as possible with no regard whatsoever to the opinions of the crew - or of Picard, for that matter.

Meanwhile, Picard is teamed with Worf and Dr. Crusher for a secret mission. Starfleet believes the Cardassians may be developing a metagenic weapon on the planet Celtris III. If true, this devastating biological weapon would be capable of decimating all life on any planet on which it is deployed, making even the strongest world an easy target for conquest. Picard and his two crewmates secure transport to Celtris III and begin their infiltration.

But they are walking right into a Cardassian trap - one which will test the limits of Picard's strength and even his sanity!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: After sitting in the background of the previous couple of episodes, he is thrust back into the foreground. Part Two particularly tests Picard's limits in a way that's never been done before. The Borg assimilated Picard, overwhelming his mind in a way he couldn't resist. What's done to him as a prisoner of the Cardassians might be even more frightening. He is broken down, piece by piece, worn to exhaustion not only by torture, but by Gul Madred's calculated denial of regular sleep and even by his rare moments of kindness. Patrick Stewart's performance in this 2-parter ranks among his very best, and the script scores by allowing him moments of strength even when he's at his most helpless.

Riker: Observing Riker's work, Jellico remarks that it's "no wonder he's still a first officer." He finds Riker to be arrogant and willful, and Riker has much the same opinion of Jellico. Riker resists Jellico's changes every step of the way, though he never crosses the line into direct insubordination. While viewers are encouraged to side with Riker, it is to the script's credit that both men have reasonable points of view, and that each man is pretty much dead on when he reveals his assessment of the other's flaws.

Cardassians: "Cardassians are like timber wolves... bold in large numbers, cautious by themselves." This is Jellico's assessment and, while simplistic, it's not without merit. The new captain's opening gambit in his talks is a transparent ploy to gain dominance, yet it's clear that it initially unsettles the Cardassians. Only when Picard's failed raid provides a clear advantage do the Cardassians begin to gain confidence in their dealings with Jellico.

Gul Madred: The most dominant Cardassian presence by far is that of Gul Madred (David Warner), Picard's interrogator. A lot of Cardassian backstory is revealed in the scenes between Picard and Madred. The Cardassians were once a peaceful and spiritual people, but their world was impoverished and the people starved in the thousands. When the military took over, they instituted agricultural programs and developed new resources, eliminating starvation - though the military expansion also resulted in enormous casualties.

Pompous Space Bureaucrat of the Week: Admiral Jellico (Ronny Cox) is a very different style of commander than Picard. He isn't particularly interested in hearing various viewpoints and weighing them before making a decision. He makes a decision and expects his department heads to "get it done." And done now.  Most scripts would turn him into a martinet and make it obvious that he is utterly in the wrong. One of the many excellent features of this teleplay is that Jellico doesn't come across in this kind of 2-dimensional way. When he is giving instructions to Geordi about his expectations for Engineering, for example, Geordi is appalled at the level of overhaul the new captain wants. But Data confirms that every one of Jellico's demands is "an attainable goal." His expectations are high and his manner brusque, but he is neither unreasonable nor incompetent. He simply has a style of command that's 180 degrees removed from the one both the crew and viewers are used to.


THOUGHTS

Chain of Command is the series' first really "big" 2-parter since Redemption, and its best 2-parter since The Best of Both Worlds. It may well be the equal of the Borg two-parter, and it does this not by trying to match it as an action piece but instead by tightening the focus onto character.

The story is framed around two tests of wills among two pairs of strong characters. The first is between Riker and Jellico, basically a battle over how the Enterprise should be run. Both characters have legitimate points of view, with Riker ultimately on the losing side of this contest simply because "captain" (let alone admiral) outranks "commander." It would have been a dramaticaly easy choice to portray Jellico as out of his depth, with Riker needing to save the ship at the climax. Instead, Jellico's plan is sound, and the nod to Riker's dignity is given by having his participation be key to its success.

The other test of wills, the one that's the centerpiece of the two-parter, is the one between PIcard and Gul Madred. We only barely meet Madred in Part One, his introduction providing the cliffhanger. Even that brief scene is enough for him to make an impression as he rattles off Picard's official credentials while circling the captain like a vulture over its prey. He is an immediately imposing figure, and David Warner is superb in the role. He is intelligent and cultured, but also absolutely ruthless in his insistence of total control. The contest between him and Picard is ultimately not about information. He stops asking for defense information very quickly, and instead breaks Picard down with one seemingly innocuous directive:

"Tell me how many lights you see."

In a way that's similar to Babylon 5's excellent Intersections in Real Time, these scenes portray interrogation and torture without showing anything explicit, anything that would push the bounds of broadcast television standards. But it's as disturbing as those bounds would allow, with Patrick Stewart superb in conveying the pain of the Cardassian torture device, and the tactics of Madred's torture based on genuine torture tactics - right down to the denial of sleep and the temptations of food and water. It's stunning stuff, particularly for a series that rarely delves into anything genuinely disturbing.

The episode ends with a scene that's low-key on the surface. Picard and Troi have a conversation, both using normal tones of voice. Picard makes a matter-of-fact statement in a matter-of-fact tone. It's the context that makes this one of the series' best tags. In context, Picard's admission to Troi is one of the most chilling end lines in the entire, enormous Star Trek franchise.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: The Quality of Life
Next Episode: Ship in a Bottle


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5-03. Ensign Ro

Guinan befriends the prickly Ensign Ro.

THE PLOT

When a Federation colony is attacked by a Bajoran separatist group, Picard is assigned to find the leader of the group and stop him from conducting further attacks, using any means at his disposal. For the purpose of this mission, he is assigned a Bajoran officer: Ensign Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes), who was disgraced after an incident that left several other officers dead years prior.

Though neither Picard nor Riker particularly want Ro on their ship, Starfleet's orders are firm. And it isn't long before Ro proves useful, steering them toward a helpful Bajoran contact and assisting Picard in negotiating with him for information. Shortly after, however, it becomes clear that Ro has her own separate agenda - one that may put the Enterprise crew in jeopardy!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Though he is resistant to the order to accept Ro on his ship, he does treat her fairly. He is up-front with her about the crew's reaction to her assignment, but (unlike Riker) he is not unnecessarily harsh. He listens to her suggestions about who to contact within the Bajoran camps, even when Ro is less than fully professional in giving her opinions. It is only when she actually appears to live down to her reputation, going against Picard's orders, that he shuts her out. Even then, his faith in Guinan quickly overcomes his stubbornness, giving him the small push he needs to listen.

Riker: Shadows of Hollow Pursuits, as Riker treats Ro harshly from the instant she arrives. He makes no secret of not wanting her on the ship. Picard supports him in demanding the highest level of performance, but Riker's attitude differs from Picard's in that he refuses to give Ro a chance. Her reputation is such that he is against her before he has even laid eyes on her - which I actually find worse than his behavior with Barclay, who at least was genuinely guilty of sustained substandard work.

Guinan: Sees Ro sitting alone at a table in Ten-Forward, rebuffing any attempts by the others to talk. This intrigues Guinan. She approaches Ro, brushes aside her attempts to push her away, and effectively forces her friendship onto the defensive Bajoran. When she pierces Ro's defenses just enough to see that there's a basically decent person underneath, Guinan declares Ro to be her friend - itself enough of an endorsement for Picard to listen to Ro against his own inclination.

Ensign Ro: The first of several appearances by Michelle Forbes as the brittle Bajoran ensign. Forbes is a solid television actress with a strong presence, and she and Michael Piller's script manage the difficult balancing act of establishing the character and giving her a central role without seeming to "hog the limelight" from the regulars. Ro has an interesting backstory, and her bitterness makes a refreshing change from the tight-knit and highly social regulars. Forbes keeps the character sympathetic even while being antagonistic. Her physical performance is particularly well-judged, with Ro's bearing (crossed arms, maintaining a physical distance from others) conveying a person who is constantly on the defensive, ready to react against threats real or perceived.


THOUGHTS

The Cardassians made a strong first impression in The Wounded, their debut episode. This builds on that, establishing the backstory of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. Watching this episode, I could actually see the backstory for Deep Space 9 falling into place - which makes sense, given that Deep Space 9 would debut only a little more than a year after this.

It's fun, with the benefit of hindsight, to watch the pieces of the first (best) TNG-era spinoff fall into place. But Ensign Ro is also a good episode on its own. Michael Piller and Rick Berman craft an episode that works both as an introduction a new recurring character and as a self-contained story. There are enough character moments to showcase Ro's backstory, and Michelle Forbes makes the most of the opportunities in the script. At the same time, the story moves along quite briskly, building considerable momentum by the episode's midpoint.

Introducing a new character to an established series is always difficult. Many series fall into the trap of overselling the new addition at the expense of the regulars. That trap is largely avoided. Even though most of the ensemble is relegated to the background for this episode, strong roles are written for Picard and Riker. It is also key that while Ro is crucial to the successful outcome of the mission, she doesn't "save the ship while the stupid adults flail about helplessly." Instead, she goes to Picard with additional information to which he has not been privy, and he is able to handle the situation from there with his accustomed competence. Ro is shown to be resourceful and intelligent, but this is done without diminishing Picard.

In short, another good episode. Three shows in, Season Five is off to a very promising start!


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Darmok

Next Episode: Silicon Avatar

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4-12. The Wounded

Memories of war.

THE PLOT

The Phoenix, a Federation ship under the command of the highly-decorated Captain Maxwell (Bob Gunton), fires on a Cardassian science station, an act that appears entirely unprovoked. To avoid renewed hostilities between the Federation and the Cardassians, Picard is ordered to pursue Maxwell - and to bring aboard a Cardassian delegation, under the supervision of the icy Gul Macet (Marc Alaimo), to participate.

By the time Picard catches up with the Phoenix, the renegade starship has destroyed two Cardassian vessels, killing more than 600 Cardassians. With Maxwell refusing to simply stand down, Picard finds himself in the position of firing on a Federation starship. Unless Chief O'Brien - who was previously Maxwell's tactical officer - can convince Maxwell to end his one-man war!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Ever the good diplomat, he insists on allowing the Cardassians access to every phase of his decision making during the pursuit of the Phoenix. Openness, he reasons, will prevent this incident from reigniting the war. But he remains a pragmatist. He refuses worf's advice to assign a security team to the Cardassians, but he approves Worf's second request, to post security teams at sensitive areas to limit the Cardassians' access. Though he strongly condemns Maxwell's actions, he refuses to allow Gul Macet to dismiss Maxwell himself or O'Brien's loyalty to Maxwell, the value of which he extolls in a terrific little speech near the end.

O'Brien: O'Brien's hostility toward the Cardassians arrives fully-formed in this first-ever Cardassian episode. He fought the Cardassians with Captain Maxwell. Though he insists to Keiko and Picard that he holds no animosity toward them, his manner belies his words. He talks to Picard about how "he knows (the Cardassians)," and that "they must be up to something," refusing to side against Captain Maxwell even after Maxwell destroys more than 600 Cardassians. He refuses to share a drink with the Cardassian engineer, snapping that he will choose his own company off hours. He apologizes later.  His candid revelation about the massacre on Setlik III is particularly well-played, recalling the first Cardassian he killed after never having killed anyone before, and ending by telling the man that "It's not you I hate, Cardassian. I hate what I became because of you."

Cardassians: This is the episode that introduced the Cardassians to the Trek universe. Some refinements were made for later appearances. They lost the stupid-looking helmets - a good move - and tweaked the makeup to allow a greater range of expression. Still, even in this first appearance, they work. There is something genuinely intimidating about the icy coldness with which they deliver their lines. Cardassians don't shout and cry like Klingons - They are calm, icy, like a cobra eternally poised to strike.


THOUGHTS

"When one has been angry for a very long time, one gets used to it... It becomes so familiar that one can't remember feeling any other way."

A Picard Sledge-Hammer moment, perhaps, as Picard sums up the moral of the story for Chief O'Brien. But it's a thoughtful bit during a suitably quiet moment. Tucked into the middle of the episode rather than crowbarred into a tag at the end, and wonderfully played by Patrick Stewart and Colm Meaney, it ends up adding to the texture rather than distracting. Picard's words echo through the rest of the show, from O'Brien's denial, then acknowledgement, of his anger, to Maxwell's Oliver North moment in Picard's ready room. As such, a scene that might have been heavy-handed becomes part and parcel of a very good episode.

After letting O'Brien develop from a prop to a distinct background character over the first three seasons, the series finally gives him the spotlight in this episode. Colm Meaney is well up to the task, with two of the three best scenes in the episode belonging to him: the scene in Ten-Forward, in which he recalls Setlik III, and his final scene with Maxwell are both splendid scenes. Both O'Brien's decency and loyalty and his resentment toward the Cardassians come through strongly, and both character beats would be expanded on in Deep Space 9.

The episode's other great scene is its final one, the scene between Picard and Gul Macet. Two intelligent adversaries/allies, talking calmly about what has happened and about its implications. Patrick Stewart is particularly good, moving from thoughtful and pleasant to quite cold in a heartbeat. There's a touch of Locutus there when he tells Macet that Starfleet "will be watching."

Significantly less great is the scene between Picard and Maxwell. Bob Gunton is a solid veteran of television and film, and he's terrific in his closing scene with O'Brien. But the scene with Picard is too rushed. Maxwell goes from appearing reasonable and confident to giving the full Oliver North within a two-minute span. Likely a result of there being just a touch too much story for the episode's 45 minutes, but this scene does knock an otherwise excellent episode's score down - not substantially, but by one point.

A good show in any case, and it's easy to see why the Cardassians would become fixtures of the franchise from this point on.


Overall Rating: 8/10

Previous Episode: Data's Day
Next Episode: Devil's Due


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