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| Data and Guinan, in the 19th century. |
On Earth, work in an underground cavern turns up several 19th century artifacts, including one that's rather disturbing: Data's head! There is no chance that this is Lore or some other prototype. Examination makes it clear that this is Data, who will at some point be transported back to the 19th century where he will apparently die. This unsettles the crew and leaves Picard determined to investigate what happened/will happen.
Geordi finds the fossil of a microscopic lifeform in the artifacts, one which points to the planet Davidia II. Picard orders the ship there. They discover that aliens are on the planet, existing out of phase with them so that no direct interaction is possible. Data is able to phase himself to match them - only to find himself transported back to San Francisco, 1893.
The android does the only thing he can: Continue the mission, investigating the situation with the materials available to him in the 19th century. Meanwhile, Picard and his crew discover that the aliens are using neural energy from victims plucked from the 19th century as food. He joins Riker and an Away Team to follow the alien time corridor back, to learn what he can of what they're doing and to stop them - and hopefully, save Data's life in the process!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: His trust in Guinan continues to show; when she tells him that his presence on this mission is absolutely necessary, he barely hesitates before joining Riker on the surface. Past references by Guinan to their friendship finally come full circle when Picard sacrifices a chance to return home to stay with her in the cavern - becoming the bald man who was kind to her and who helped her when she was in trouble, even if the way this plays out is a bit more pedestrian that what might have been imagined when those references were originally made in Booby Trap and Ensign Ro.
Riker: Feels just slightly out of character a couple times in this episode. After Data disappears into the past, he explodes that nothing could be more important than Data's life - which just doesn't jibe with his past ability to move past deaths and apparent deaths to focus on the mission. Later, in Part Two, he shouldn't need Worf to point out to him that the captain would prioritize stopping the aliens over recovering him - The man who gave the order, "Mr. Worf, fire," already knows this.
Data: Instead of being unsettled by the prospect of his own death, he tells Geordi that he is actually relieved:"Until now it has been theoretically possible that I would live an unlimited period of time... (Death) provides a sense of completion to my future. In a way, I am not that different from anyone else... I am mortal." Data's poker playing skills have improved substantially since Season Two; he is able to raise a substantial amount of money in the 19th century by beating a group of card sharks at their own game.
Guinan: 19th century Guinan is a bit too much like our Guinan in less ridiculous outfits for my tastes. She's barely phased by the appearance of Data and later Picard, and goes along with them with hardly a word. It's made clear by dialogue in Part One that this is before the Borg destroyed her people. A missed opportunity - I would have preferred this be an embittered Guinan, a refugee after her planet's destruction. Still, Whoopi Goldberg is as good as ever in this role, and it's fun to have her around for more than a one or two scene cameo.
THOUGHTS
The Best of Both Worlds changed the nature of season finales for TNG. For this series, every season that followed would end on a cliffhanger, to be wrapped up at the start of the following season. This worked well in Season Four, with Redemption's first episode being almost as good in its own way as The Best of Both Worlds had been. Even if things became a bit rushed and overly-easy in the second half, the sense of significance remained. Time's Arrow, however, sees the law of diminishing returns coming into play. Though enjoyable enough, it just doesn't feel "big" enough for a season finale, not after the previous two.
Still, that isn't enough to condemn it as a story in its own right. This is an enjoyable adventure. The cast is in good form, with Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, and Whoopi Goldberg all doing sterling work. The scenes in the past are great fun to watch, particularly the scenes in Part One that see Data adjusting to his new surroundings and using his poker winnings to construct a device to detect time disturbances.
I do have some issues with the requisite period "celebrity cameo," in this case Jerry Hardin's take on Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). Though I normally enjoy Hardin as an actor, he goes over-the-top here. His Clemens is so full of exaggerated tics, he becomes distracting and even annoying. This is particularly true in Part Two, when he is allowed to take center stage for far too much time. The scenes in which he follows the crew back to the 24th century only to be won over to Starfleet thinking after one speech by Counsellor Troi are downright painful, and represent the low point of the entire 90 minutes.
The time wasted on the Samuel Clemens Comedy Show would have been better spent on Picard and Guinan, in my opinion. Their interactions in Part Two are meant to be the foundation of their entire relationship. But while the function is fulfilled, with Picard potentially sacrificing his future to look after her, there's no resonance. This entire thread of the story, which is potentially its most interesting thread, is relegated to two perfunctory scenes before Picard returns home. Would Guinan be grateful to him? Sure. Would she vividly remember this brief interaction through the centuries that followed? I doubt it.
Despite its shortcomings, however, Time's Arrow is a well-made two-parter. The location shots are eye-catching, and the effects work is strong. The aliens in human form are genuinely creepy as they stalk the streets of San Francisco. By allowing us only glimpses of their true form, instead showing them to us through their mask, the production sidesteps any laughable creature effects. And in keeping with Guinan's portentous words about coming "full circle," the episode's final shot does exactly that, ending the proceedings with a memorable visual flourish.
Time's Arrow is far from the kind of "event episode" that has marked the last two season changeovers, but it's sprightly and fun to watch. The 90 minutes of its run goes by quickly, even if some areas are underdeveloped while others linger far too long. It's hardly an ideal finale, but judged simply as a regular episode, I'd rank it as a pretty good one.
Overall Rating: 7/10.
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Next Episode: Realm of Fear
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