Reviews (3)

Excellent concepts
Geordi is the test user of a new interface system that allows him to operate a probe remotely and immerse himself in its virtual environment. The Enterprise is sent to investigate the disappearance of a scientific research vessel, the Ramaan, and finds it deep in the atmosphere of a gas giant. Geordi takes the probe into the Ramaan to learn what happened. Everything is proceeding according to plan, until Geordi sees the image of his mother. Her ship recently vanished without a trace and everyone else has given her up for dead. So why has she now appeared on the Ramaan asking for Geordi's help? Is his mother really there? Are Geordi's grief and guilt making him hallucinate? Or is there something else going on?
Levar Burton does a really good job in this episode. He conveys Geordi's growing obsession with his mother's disappearance and his determination to rescue her no matter the consequences very well. It's a pity the character of Geordi was so regularly underused; we learn more about him and his family in this episode than in perhaps any other. The idea of the interface and all its possibilities, plus the eventual denoument of the situation with the Ramaan, are really interesting ideas. This episode has both strong science fiction and good drama to it. Watch out for the scene where Riker talks of his own grief over his mother's death.

Is La Forge seeing his mother's ghost?
The Enterprise is investigating what happened to the science vessel Raman, which was trying to collect gasses from the lower atmosphere of a strange planet. La Forge is using an experimental probe that interfaces directly with his netural inputs to explore the vessel. The Raman was unable to get back into high orbit and La Forge discovers the crew are all dead. He also suddenly sees his mother. This is not totally strange because Captain Sylvia La Forge and her ship, the USS Hera, have recently been reported missing. She gives her son a cryptic message about how they are dying and need to go down. When La Forge reports his experience to the others, they think he was hallucinating. Picard decides they will find some other way of finding out the truth besides using the probe. Of course, La Forge cannot accept that decision; he must help his mother and her crew. With some help from Data he again interfaces with the probe and visits the Hera.

One of the reasons the Enterprise crew is such a family is that they tend to have major problems with their own families. In "Interface" we find out about Geordi La Forge's familial problems: he was a Starfleet brat whose parents were both career oriented (One of the pleasures of this episode is that La Forge's parents are played by the late Madge Sinclair and Ben Vereen). This episode also relates to what happened in "Descent, Part II" (Episode 153), since Data is willing to help La Forge since he owes his friend for having spent so much time torturing him during that episode. "Interface" is pretty much an average STNG episode in which you should have a pretty good idea of what is "really" happening early on. However, it is one of the better La Forge episodes, which only goes to show how little they did with LaVar Burton's character over the years on the show.

Geordi defies Picard's orders!
After learning that his mother may be alive on another starship, Geordi uses a risky interface procedure to try and contact his mother. But when his life is in danger, he finds no sign of her and Picard orders him not to interface with that ship's computer. However, Geordi defies and and Data helps Geordi interface again, where he fially finds his mother. But is his mother actually there? ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Just reward for foolishness
This is the story of two people whose romantic relationship falls apart because they got involved with each other for all the wrong reasons.
When Jenna D'Sora wonders aloud why she doesn't fall for someone like Data and then kisses him, the emotionless android ponders, on this minimal encouragement, whether to pursue a relationship with her. After asking advice of all and sundry, he does. And then both he and Jenna discover that Data's unique nature does not make romance an easy prospect.

"In Theory" tackled the subject of Data and romance very well, I thought. It's a sad tale, as we see Jenna's growing disillusionment with Data, and her painful realisation that she did not know him, or herself for that matter, as well as she thought she did. The lack of impact the whole business has on Data is a pointed lesson in itself.
In the other story thread, the Enterprise finds itself in difficulties on account of the mysterious "dark matter" surrounding it. It's a competent plot, but nothing special. And why does Picard always insist on doing the flying himself? Where are all the young hot-shot pilots with superior skills to those of their ageing captain?
It's nice to see that Data has friends and interests beyond the command crew, and you really do feel for him and Jenna as what seems to have been a very comfortable friendship is destroyed. But they are both very silly people. Jenna seems to have been convinced that Data had hidden depths to be discovered, and is quite definitely on the rebound. And Data's motivations seem all selfish; he seems to have no better reason to romance Jenna than "because I can". Perhaps that was another lesson about the character - thoughtlessness and an abysmal lack of understanding can still be possible for Data after so long amongst Humans.
I do find "In Theory" a difficult episode to watch. Data's behaviour makes me cringe, it is so awful. But it is a good episode; thoughtful, well-written, and moving.

In Theory Data's emotions aren't real
"In Theory" emotionally unavailable men aren't good at relationships

Take a guy like Data and the poor Ensign Jenna Anaya. She has a thing for men who are emotionally unavailable. I have to say why did you think Data could provide any real emotion? Before his emotion chip was available this romance was doomed from the start.

The Dark Matter part of the story is much better. While Data is attempting to get in touch with his feelings; parts of the ship start vanishing. There is a good part in this one where Picard has to travel through the nebula to stop the Dark Matter.

The Best stories are those about people's personal lives
Data has always been my favorite character of any star trek series. I've always liked those episodes that delt more with the personal lives of the crew rather than some planetary problem. Here, There are moments that are both interesting and histarical! For instance, people who know the Data character know that he never yells for no reason, but when he is told that all couples fight, he starts a fight with his girlfriend for no reason just because he thinks he is susposed to. It doesn't get much more funny than that.

P.S. MR. BERNADO! I am interested to know that name of that novel where Wesley finds out about Datas' program. If you could tell me I would happy. Thank you.=)

Data in Love (or as close as his romance subroutine can get)
"In Theory" is the episode where Data gets a girlfriend, which is all most people would need to know to want to check this one out. After all, the android is clearly the most popular character on the show even thought the best episodes always seem to revolve around Captain Picard. In one of the STNG novels there is a scene where Wesley figures out that Data has a subroutine that makes seem a babe in the woods. Data explains that he found out people were more comfortable with him when he needed to have things explained to him which certainly makes sense when you remember that Data is basically a walking computer who must certainly have every definition of every slang word, euphemism, or figure of speech ever uttered on file somewhere in that positronic brain. On top of that you also have to remember that Data was discovered twenty-six years before the series began and that he functioned as an "adult" pretty much from the day he was activated which means his life experiences would be comparable to a thirty-something person. So when Data decides to purse a relationship with Lieutenant Jenna D'Sora, who has been helping him reprogram a warp torpedo for a science experiment, he really should not be so clueless. However, that is the charm of Data's character. Meanwhile the science experiment, which was to help explore a "dark matter" nebula is apparently linked to a most bizarre set of occurrences, ranging from everything on Picard's desk ending up on the floor to an ensign who dies when her body is caught in the floor.

However, it is Data's attempt at a love life that dominates our attention here with the most memorable moment coming when Jenna makes the mistake of asking Data what he was thinking about while they were kissing. A big mistake on Jenna's part with a great answer by Data (reconfiguring the warp field parameters, calculating the maximum pressure he should apply to her lips, analyzing the complete works of Charles Dickens, consideration a new food supplement for Spot the cat, etc.). More than any other episode, "In Theory" shows us the price Data pays for not being able to express emotions. Unfortunately, now that the characters have entered the movie universe we will probably never get to see a post-emotion chip Data in love. But it could happen. ... Read more

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Season 2 opens with the introduction of a bearded William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes), the promotion of Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) to chief engineer, and the replacement of Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher with Dr. Pulaski (Diana Muldaur). With a scene that's much sexier than it has any right to be, a Tinkerbell-like spark enters the ship, finds a sleeping Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), moves under her covers, and impregnates her. The alien baby starts to grow much faster than a normal gestation period,shrinking the time frame down to a couple of days. Worf wants to terminate the pregnancy, Data wants to study the life form, and Troi decides to keep the baby no matter what anyone thinks. Once born, the boy continues its rapid growth, but is discovered to have an adverse effect on the specimens of a dangerous plasma plague they are carrying to a scientific research facility. None too subtly, the whole episode explores ideas about family. Also included is a guest spot by independent-film veteran Seymour Cassel. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Season 2 starts with a tear-jerker
The Enterprise is enroute to a Federation medical station to retrieve thousands of biological specimens to be studied on another planet, in the hope of developing cures for dangerous illnesses. Newly promoted Chief Engineer Geordi LaForge designs a containment field and containers to hold the deadly specimens and to keep them from growing during transport. Veteran of many independent films, Seymour Cassel guest stars as the Federation scientist escorting the specimens.

Riker has gained a few pounds and a new beard, and Wesley's mother has been promoted to Chief of Starfleet Medical (the actress, Gates McFadden, was on maternity leave in real life) and veteran of the original Star Trek series, Diana Muldaur, is her replacement, Dr. Pulaski. Pulaski is a fiesty, older, in-your-face, no-nonsense doctor - not just a replica of Dr. Crusher. Wesley (the "child" officer on the ship) is pensive about leaving Enterprise and going to the Academy and struggles with his wants and desires, versus his need to fit in, follow orders and do what is expected of him. Whoopi Goldberg makes her debut as Guinan, the host of Ten Forward, and as is revealed in later episodes, a member of a race dispersed around the galaxy due to the Borg - and Guinan herself is at least 400 years old.

A small pixie-like spark wanders through space and penetrates the hull of the ship, wandering from room to room - it enters Counsellor Deanna Troi's quarters while she is sleeping and in a not-so-subtle maneuver, gets under the covers and climbs up to her nether regions. Troi bolts up in bed, startled. The next thing we find out is that she is pregnant, in her first tri-mester - the problem is that that the child was conceived only 11 hours prior to the the first trimester. Pulaski briefs the senior staff and estimates that at its rapid rate of growth, the baby will make his appearance in 36 hours, considerably shorter than a normal 10-month Betazoid pregnancy.

As the senior staff have an abortion vs. pro-life debate, Troi looks at the fetus on the viewer - the fetus inside her. The male child is genetically like her - half Betazoid, half human. She sees the heart beating through his transparent skin and sees his tiny limbs move and announces that she intends to keep the baby.

In a few days the baby arrives, looking very much like he is her child. She names him after her father, Ian Andrew. Picard hears the news and only a few hours after the birth, he goes with the doctor to Troi's quarters to pay respects to her and the baby. Much to his shock, the "baby" is now in appearance as a 4 year old child. He is bright and can talk. The expressions on Pulaski's and Picard's faces are priceless...a very well acted scene that can give you goose bumps.

In just another day he appears to be a child of 8 and his cognitive abilities are in step with this age. Suddenly, alarms start going off in Cargo Bay 3 - one of the specimens is growing and at the rate of growth, will push out of its containment area in less than a day, putting the Enterprise and even nearby planets in grave peril. Due to the nature of the "plasma plague" that is growing, jettisoning the cargo will do no good, since it can develop into a spore in open space and attach itself to a ship's hull or end up on a nearby planet as the solar winds drive it along its merry way. The most innoccous of the specimens would kill all life on the Enterprise in a matter of hours.

An unusual type of Eichman radiation is stimulating the growth of this specimen, and the source of radiation appears to be coming from young Ian Troi. The end result will put a lump in anyone's throat. This is a bittersweet episode with some light-hearted moments. There is an episode that later reflects on Troi's pregnancy and son Ian, so it's a pivotal episode. Trivia buffs will notice that the Computer's voice is still some unidentified male, not Majel Barrett-Roddenberry.

A Good Beginning For Season 2
Episode 27: The Child. One of the best episodes of season 2, this episode revolved around the pregnancy of counsellor Deanna Troi. After having been impregnated by a mysterious alien lifeform, Deanna soon discovers her child's amazing talent: aging several years in a matter of hours. Several changes were made to the cast and settings of Star Trek: The Next Generation for the beginning of season 2, most importantly the replacement of Doctor Crusher who was portrayed by Gates McFadden with Diana Maulder's Doctor Pulaski. Geordi LaForge was finally given an important role:chief engineer. Commander Riker sported a beard and moustache.Whoopi Goldberg was added to the cast as Guinan, the mysterious bartender in ten-forward.Lieutenant Worf got a gold uniform to support his position as security chief. All in all ,episode 27 "The Child" was a solid season primere

Bibilical Meaning of this Epsiode
It seems to me that this Episode has some Bibilical meaning in similarity within it. Think about it, Counsellor Troi acts like a Virgin Mary, and her son, Ian, is the Child Jesus, who sacrifices himself to save the rest of the crew of the Enterprise. Make sense, No? I'd say this is one of the best episode I've ever seen. It's very touchy.

immaculate conception and Bearded Riker first appearance
The Child" is one of those second season premiere episodes prior to a writers strike in Hollywood. This script was actually for the proposed Star Trek Phase Two series in the seventies. Troi gets pregnant (via immaculate conception) with Eon. Remember the Deltan alien in Star Trek The Motion Picture? She was the mother of the unwelcome alien visitor in the seventies version. Now in the eighties one it's Troi.

It's one of those episodes that moves kind of slow but has a point. Put up those shields in unknown territory! It's amazing that with all the equipment on the Enterprise that this one couldn't be detected. Highlights in this episode are a bearded Jonathan Frakes as commander Riker. That's how exciting this one was.

Counselor Troi and the joys of a 36-hour gestation period
"The Child" begins with the Enterprise transporting deadly plasma plague samples that will be used to inoculate people at risk in the Ricellas System. En route, a small energy ball visits the ship, finds Troi asleep and impregnates her. To everyone's stunned amazement, 36 hour later Troi gives birth to a son, whom she names Ian. Within days Ian looks like any normal eight year old boy and Worf, as head of security, suggests they kill Ian before something bad happens. As if on cue, one of the plasma cultures is growing like crazy, threatening to break out of containment and kill everybody on board the Enterprise. Could it possibly be that Troi's child has something to do with all this wackiness?

Things move so quickly in this episode that it is surprising that Troi, let alone anyone else in the crew or the viewing audience, has enough time to form any sort of attachment to Ian. Troi must have extremely strong maternal instincts, or else her body chemistry is completely out of whack, because even given this strange turn of events her acceptance of Ian is pretty complete. This story line could have had a lot more impact if it had been a subplot for several episodes in between its beginning and ending. But at this point Next Generation is very episodic, although it will loosen up a bit in the future, just never to the extent we saw on Deep Space 9. "The Child" might have worked better if it had aired later in the season, after viewers had adjusted to all of the changes and their implications for the characters and their relationships. However, it does put Marina Sirtis as the new and improve Deanna Troi front and center, which was probably the main point. ... Read more

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Investigating the disappearance of the USS Drake, the Enterprise receives a message from a seemingly uninhabited world. Itturns out to be nothing more than an ancient, prerecorded sales pitch (delivered with sleepy enthusiasm by long-faced character actor Vincent Schiavelli) welcoming visitors to Minos, the arms market of the universe. Beaming down to the planet, Riker, Tasha, and Data wander about a lush forest before encountering a series of flying sentinels (vaguely resembling outboard motors minus their propellers), the first easily destroyed by phaser fire, but subsequent incarnations adapting themselves to the crewmembers' attacks. Meanwhile, Picard and Dr. Crusher also go exploring, finding themselves trapped in an underground cave where the captain must tend to the doctor's broken leg. With both Picard and Riker on the planet, La Forge finds himself in command for the first time; he's not the only one questioning whether he's ready for the job. Though the situation is old hat and unfolds with a certain tattered predictability, this is one of the better outings of The Next Generation's first season. The characters are fleshed out without resorting to too much overdrawn dialogue (even the usually aggravating almost-romance between Picard and Crusher is subtly drawn); in particular it's Geordi's day to shine, and LeVar Burton brings a nice self-confidence to the heretofore submissive engineer. Overlooking the studio-bound landscapes typical of early Star Trek, the episode also features some impressive effects in the brief scenes of the Enterprise's saucer separation, a clever device that fortunately wasnever overused on the show. Nothing groundbreaking, though no major missteps either. --Bruce Reid ... Read more

Reviews (5)

"Remember, the early bird that hesitates gets worms."
"The Arsenal of Freedom" is clearly one of the low points of Star Trek: The Next Generation's first season. The only positive this episode contains is Commander William Riker's (Jonathan Frakes) joke about his new ship - the "good ship Lollipop." The rest of the episode is nowhere as amusing.

The Enterprise-D arrives at the planet Minos in search of the U.S.S. Drake. Upon beaming down to the planet, the away team is attacked by floating energy weapons and Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) is seriously injured upon falling into a sinkhole. Meanwhile, the Enterprise itself is under siege from an undetectable enemy in space. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) eventually learns that the disappearance of the Drake and the attacks on his away team and his ship are all tied to the missing Minos people themselves.

Watching the crew be put in peril and learning that all the dangers they faced were part of a sales pitch gives an awkward feel to this episode. It's like watching a used-car salesman terrorize a prospective buyer by taking him as a passenger on a reckless jaunt down the freeway in order to demonstrate the merits of a particular car. Well, at least we got a peek at the battle bridge in action again which is always a cool sight. Too bad it was only used to destroy a floor model of a sales product. You would think the writers would have thought of a better situation in which to showcase the battle bridge, but then again you would think that episodes like this one would not have moved beyond the drawing board stage.

when salesmen go in for the kill
The Enterprise tries to find the Drake, a ship Riker was once offered a command on, but passed up to be on the Enterprise. They believe the ship may have crashed on Minos, a now uninhabited planet other that the remnants of war-torn buildings, tropical plants and some wildlife.

An automated sales pitch message comes on the main viewer - a salesman tells about "The Arsenal of Freedom" on Minos, where the best deterrent to war is a strong armament. The away team beams down to locate any sign of the Drake. They find melted tritanium (a material used in the hulls of Federation ships) and know the ship's fate was not a good one.

Suddenly, Riker sees his old Academy friend, Paul, on the surface... Paul was the captain of the ill-fated Drake. It sure looks like Paul, but he doesn't know answers to simple questions and he gives off no bio readings. It turns out to be a clever surveillance device meant to gather information to defeat the enemy. The attack orbs continue to improve after each attack and soon become unstoppable as the automated salesman continues to show off his weaponry for sale.

The other plot is Geordi's growth as an officer. He is left in charge, even though he is not the highest ranking officer and he and the chief engineer get into a machismo contest of words that is way over the top in the cheese meter... and yet another lame excuse to do a saucer separation.

More character growth for Crusher and Picard and a decent episode.

Arsenal of Freedom or....Separation Anxiety!
Geordi commands the Enterprise!

While on a mission to find the missing U. S. S. Drake; the big E encounters a world that sells weapons of war. The away team: Data, Tasha and Riker, find a holographic captain from the Drake. After discovering the fake; a flying robot weapon attempts to eliminate them.

Meanwhile, Picard and Doctor Crusher also beam on the surface. The good doctor falls into a cavern taking the captain with her. Geordi separates the saucer section and goes looking for Picard and crew. This one is the most fx heavy of the season. It shows Geordi taking his first steps as a captain. Fighting off the chief engineer who wants to bump him from the center seat!

Picard, does Minos have the weapons system for you!
Remember when the original Star Trek crew beamed down to a planet for rest and recreation only to be confronted with White Rabbits, knights on horseback and people from their past because the planet was really a galactic version of an amusement park? In "The Arsenal of Freedom" the Enterprise finds that the point of the supposedly uninhabited planet Minos is to sell cutting edge weapons technology. Investigating the disappearance of another Starfleet ship, the crew ignores the holographic sales pitch they received when they dropped into orbit and beam down to the surface where a series of increasingly sophisticated pods attack the away team. Eventually Picard catches on that it is all part of the planet's attempt to impress customers and quickly agrees to buy a weapons system so his crew can survive the demonstration.

Actually, I rather like this episode. Every time one of the pods gets destroyed the crew has to deal with an even more dangerous one, which certainly gives them pause while solving problems on the run. "The Arsenal of Freedom" is also one of the few episodes where the saucer section detaches with Geordi La Forge in charge, giving him a chance to make some command decisions. I always thought this episode set the stage for La Forge to be Chief Engineer, i..e, more than the guy with the visor driving the ship. In turn, would allow Wesley to attain the exalted rank of "Acting Ensign" and sit alongside Data on the bridge.

Fun Episode! First Season Highlight!
The first sesaon of Star Trek: The Next Generation was hard to watch at times. TNG had yet to "find" itself and the writing was...uneven, at best. But toward the end of the first season, the writers and producers finally gave TNG life with such excellent episodes as "Coming of Age", "Heart of Glory" and "The Arsenal of Freedom".

"The Arsenal of Freedom" tells the story of a super-weapon that takes on a life of it's own. The Enterprise encounters this device on a planet that is one giant weapons factory. But something went terribly wrong. These weaponeers created a weapon so smart that it became something more powerful and dangerous than what they intended: It wiped out every intelligent life-form on the entire planet. And when Picard and crew investigate, this weapon attempts to wipe out the Enterprise as well. What sets this episode apart is that we get to see Lt. Geordi La Forge shine as commander of the Enterprise. Picard and most of his command staff are stranded on the planet and La Forge has to not only rescue them from one of the super-weapons but he has to protect the Enterprise from one of these weapons as well. It's fun to see La Forge, a junior lieutenant, face all the problems of command. He contends with threats inside and outside the ship as a ranking officer tries to take over the ship and La Forge stands he ground saying only Captain Picard or First Officer Riker can relieve him of duty. La Forge, along with Worf (acting as both first officer and tactical officer) and two young ensigns save the entire senior staff and the Enterprise from destruction.

Solid episode and one of a very few TNG stories that spotlights La Forge. This is THE La Forge episode to own. And one of only a few first season highlights. ... Read more

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Ah, the Vulcan mind-meld, a longtime favorite that goes all the wayback to Mr. Spock in the classic Star Trek. It's at the center of thisepisode, in which Tuvok (Tim Russ) arrests an engineer named Suder (theever-creepy Brad Dourif) who has killed a fellow crew member "because Ididn't like the way he was looking at me." This doesn't sit right with theever-logical Vulcan Tuvok, who can't get anything else out of Suder andcannot comprehend the notion of random violence. So he performs the notoriousmind-meld on Suder--and discovers that, in fact, humans are capable ofunprovoked violence, a wholly foreign concept to the Vulcan mind. But even asthe process imparts some of Tuvok's Vulcan aloofness and logic to Suder, itunleashes a distinctly human reaction in Tuvok, triggering long-suppressedemotions that allow him to experience the kind of violent rage that Suderundergoes. Terrific performance by Tim Russ, allowing him to escape LeonardNimoy mode and actually act human; he's matched by Dourif, who has beenplaying psychos since One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. --MarshallFine ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Tuvok picks up some violent tendencies from a mind meld
In Episode 33, "Meld" (Story by Michael Sussman, Teleplay by Michael Piller, Aired February 5, 1996), "Star Trek: Voyager" finally gets around to really dealing with Tuvok (Tim Russ) as a Vulcan. A crewmember is found dead in Engineering and the Doctor (Robert Picardo) discovers he was murdered. As Security Officer Tuvok investigates and his suspicions fall upon Suder (Brad Dourif), one of the Maquis. When physical evidence points to his guilt, Suder confesses, explaining that he killed the other man because "I didn't like the way he looked at me." This motivation does not compute to Tuvok, who continues to interrogate Suder about the murder. But when Suder cannot explain his violent outburst he agrees to let Tuvok do the good old mind meld. The Vulcan not only wants to understand this act of violence but hopes that some of his sense of self-discipline will help Suder to control himself in the future. Of course as we all know from Picard's legendary mind meld with Sarek, such exchanges go in both directions.

"Meld," as you would expect, comes down to the performances of both Tim Russ and Brad Dourif. Obviously Russ gets to really brake out of the straight laced mold into which Tuvok is poured, but Dourif, one of the great psychotics of recent vintage, is almmost as important to the story. Yes, I would agree that Tuvok should have expected some of the risks to himself in attempting this particular mind meld, but as "Star Trek: Enterprise" has repeatedly reminded us, your average Vulcans are extremely arrogant people (and underscoring that Spock was only half-Vulcan). Consequently, Tuvok's sense of self could well contain this tragic flaw, although with all his interactions with humans on "Voyager" he really should have known better. In the final analysis, "Meld" is an above average episode on the strength of the memorable performances more than the storyline, but the stor

Good Tuvok Episode
B'Elanna and Ensign Hogan investigate a problem with the warp drive and when B'Elanna goes to check it out, she discovers the dead body of a crewman. What at first appears to be an accident turns out to be murder. Evidence points to Ensign Suder and he is interrogated by Tuvok, who has taken charge of the investigation. Suder seemingly proves his innocence until the doctor discovers DNA on the dead body of the crewman and the DNA turns out to be Suder's. When he realizes he is caught, Suder confesses to the murder. Tuvok asks him why he committed the murder and Suder replies that he had no reason. Tuvok is not satisfied with this answer because to his Vulcan mind, every crime has a logical purpose, an established motive. The Vulcan decides to mind meld with Suder so he can understand why Suder killed the crewman. Suder agrees to the meld in hopes that the meld will somehow help him to control his violent tendencies. The meld has an adverse effect on Tuvok however, which makes him gradually violent like Suder. Suder, in the meantime, has finally found some peace as a result of the meld. Tuvok tries to control his violent thoughts but is unsuccessful. He returns to Suder and while talking with him, Suder realizes that the violent impulses have found their way into Tuvok. Tuvok also realizes that he is about to lose control, locks himself in his quarters and notifies the captain that he is unfit for duty. When the captain talks to Tuvok, she realizes how dangerous he has become. Tuvok is transported to sick bay where the doctor tries desparately to cure him before he sinks too far into his dementia.

This is a very good Tuvok episode as it shows the dark side of the Vulcans, as they used to be. Tim Russ always did a wonderful job of portraying Tuvok and he really outdoes himself in this episode. We get to see Tuvok not only with emotions, but violent emotions. Brad Dourif does a fantastic job of portraying Ensign Suder! If you're a Tuvok and/or Vulcan fan, this is a must see episode. Note: The character of Ensign Suder will re-surface in 'Basics.'

Explores the mind of a psychopath
This is great episode of Voyager, and I'd highly recommend it - especially to fans of the character of Tuvok. Tim Russ does some of his best acting to-date in this episode, and is matched perfectly with the violent psychopath who cannot control his urges.

This episode also gives one pause to think about some very important issues facing us today. What to do with violent individuals who cannot control themselves? How do some violent offenders live with themselves? Do they struggle at all with their violent urges? Interesting questions to consider, and some consideration is given to those questions here.

All in all, a strong episode for Tuvok and an opportunity to think.

BUY IT
Buy it. It's and excellant episode. I love how Janeway and Tuvoc go back to the Kirk times. Excellant episode. I advise it. On the day it comes out buy it. ... Read more

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Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will recall an episode entitled"Second Chances," which introduced Enterprise first officer Will Riker'sbiological duplicate, Tom Riker. (Jonathan Frakes played both men.) Createdby a transporter accident, Tom has all of the original Riker's memories andemotions, but none of the benefits: rank, esteem, the love of people whom heloves. Intent on bringing Tom back into the Trek fold, the creators ofDeep Space Nine came up with "The Defiant," in which Tom attempts tocarve out a life and reputation of his own as a leader of the Maquis--thatloose-knit army of rebels intent on sabotaging peace between the Federationand Cardassia. While pretending to be Will, Tom kidnaps Major Kira (NanaVisitor) and steals DS9's state-of-the-art warship, the Defiant, forcingCommander Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) to track him down.It's a lot of fun to see Frakes play Tom Riker again, since the character issomething of a looser version of the often-starchy Will, albeit immersed in ahighly unusual existential crisis. But this episode is also interesting forits several moments of true connection between Sisko and Dukat, who at one point evenspeak to one another of their respective sons. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Tom Riker, would-be 'Hero At Large' now 'Prisoner Incognito'
Picking up the character of Tom Riker once again was an intriguing prospect for Star Trek fans. Certainly nearly all of us were wondering what had become of him and if he would make another appearance at all. So the twist in the second act of this episode that reveals Tom Riker was more than welcome ' in fact it seemed overdue. The writers piqued our interest further by having him act as the leader of a band of The Maquis who return for the first time since second season's 'Tribunal'. Everything seemed set in place for a great storyline featuring Tom Riker, but we learn that isn't to be the case.

While Kira is attempting to relax in the Promenade area she chances to meet Will Riker who is enroute to Risa. Though she pretends to be unaffected by Riker's charm she is soon giving him a tour of DS9 and at his suggestion the two board the Defiant for a look. He casually cons her into activating the bridge controls, suddenly stuns her with a hidden phaser, beams two waiting people on board, fakes a warp core breech so that DS9 will release the docking clamps and hijacks the Defiant. Before Sisko and the station officers can react the Defiant leaps into warp speed and heads for The Badlands with the intent of launching an assault on the shipyard located there believing that the Cardassian government is harboring a volatile political or military secret within it.

This fine episode of DS9 would have profound repercussions later in the series in such shows as 'The Die Is Cast' and 'Improbable Cause'. But what happened to Tom Riker? To this day he lingers in a Cardassian Labor camp awaiting a long overdue rescue. It makes sense that Sisko would work out the arrangement of this sentence; given the draconian nature of Cardassian justice (first seen in 'Tribunal') he barters with Gul Dukat on Tom's behalf. But I firmly believed that the DS9 members would attempt a rescue, especially since Kira promises Tom that she won't let him waste away in a labor camp. But as we all know the series ended without another mention of his name.

One of the high points of this episode is the Cardassian Central Command's War Room that Sisko and Gul Dukat are shown in. The Star Trek creative team did an excellent job creating the special effects for the displays that the two of them continually consult as they form a strategy to defeat the Defiant. And when Korinas of the Obsidian Order joins them in the War Room it adds even more intrigue to the affair. The clash of wills and political views between Central Command and the Obsidian Order would be one of the best continuing storylines of the third season. Also, Gul Dukat demonstrates that he has somewhat of a humane side to his naturally nefarious personality when he reveals to Sisko that he regrets having to miss his son's birthday. The two of them share stories about their sons adding a new dimension to their relationship that would be explored over the next two seasons. Kira's scathing indictment of Tom's sense of a higher calling and her final pleas to Tom to surrender the Defiant to Sisko and Gul Dukat are also highlights here.

Some final notes: In the ST: TNG episode 'The Wounded' Picard finds himself in a situation where he finds it necessary to assist the Cardassians in defeating a Federation ship that has become a renegade. Marc Alaimo played the Cardassian representative, Gul Macet, then as well. Tricia O'Neil, who plays Korinas, first appeared on the ST: TNG episodes 'Yesterday's Enterprise' as Captain Rachel Garrett and 'Suspicions' as Kurak, doing a sensational job in all three roles.

Decent
Pretty good plot. I was hoping to see more footage of the Defiant shooting stuff up. Oh well.....

Shows ambition, but has many problems
Episode title: Defiant

Written by: Ronald D. Moore

Directed by: Cliff Bole

After the second season episode "Tribunal", "Defiant" was the first to address the Maquis issue, that startet earlier on at season two, in the episode "The Maquis".

"Defiant" is finally an episode, that is clearly ment to contribute to the series as a whole, as it addresses the big political picture of the show.

The episode isn't very rich in the plot department, being more baced on conflicts between characters and the political aspects of the series, being more of a cat-and-mouse kind of episode.

These episodes are risky, because they often end up being boring and uninspired. "Defiant" isn't boring, as it carries the wiever throughout the episode, but it is in no means a succes either.

The story begins as Commander William Riker (yes, the one from the Enterprise-D) arives at DS9 to spend a vacation. Kira then takes Riker on a tour of the Defiant, and as soon as they get in, Riker hijags the ship.

Soon it becomes aparent that Commander Riker isn't actually Commander Riker, but his "evil double", Thomas Riker, who was introduced in the sixth season TNG episode "Second Chances", and who has since turned into a Mquis terrorist.

So begins a hunt, as Commander Sisko must co-operate with the Cardassian to stop Tom Riker as he takes the Defiant deeper into Cardassian territory.

The episode is uneven, with many promising sequences mixed up with some totally irrelevant fill-up scenes that contain clumsy and cliché filled dialogue, and don't contribute to anything.

It's also quite interesting to watch two of the worst modern-trek acting talents interact as Jonathan Frakes' Riker and Nana Visitor's Kira have intence, if overly lenghtend discussions on the Defiant. Especially Jonathan Frakes' performance as the rogue terrorist borders parody.

The end of the episode is predictable, but unlike so many other episodes, it leaves the feeling that something has changed.

I only hope the promising premise could have been exploited more fully, instead of concentrating on the quest character from another series.

The deletion of Tom Riker from the Star Trek universe
Okay, this is obviously going to be the minority opinion on this particular DS9 episode. I think "Defiant" is a solid episode and of some importance because it establishes that the Obsidian Order and the Cardassian Central Command have split, creating a serious power rift that will cause some problems as well as provide a few opportunities for Sisko and crew down the line. The strange and convoluted relationship between Dukat and Sisko continues to develop as well, which is always nice to see. My only complaint has to do with using the character of Tom Riker. Yes, I think it makes perfect sense that Kira and O'Brian would accept Tom as Commander Riker and I have little doubt that Tom would be unhappy with his lot in the universe he has found once rescued in the STNG episode "Second Chances." My complaint actually has to do with the later, because I would think it would be obvious even to Deanna Troi in the face of Tom Riker's love for her, that these two guys needed some serious counseling. But apparently nobody in Starfleet paid enough attention and now Tom Riker has joined the Maquis. Okay, so far I am with them. But then at the end Tom ends up being thrown in a Cardassian prison for the rest of his life. I realize that the point here is to simply remove the character from the Star Trek universe. Having taken the pains to create the character along with some interesting problems for the Will-Deanna-Tom triangle, the Star Trek creators have now effectively pushed the delete button. Besides, given Tom's psychological problems in adjusting to everything, I would find his sacrifice at the end of this episode to be another sign of his need for counseling and treatment, not incarceration in a Cardassian hell hole. So, because of the treatment of Tom Riker by both the writers and the characters, I have to knock this one down a star. Somebody has to speak up for the guy.

Riker Returns
Attention Star Trek Fans. Spoiler Alert: If you want to be surprised don't read this!

This is one of the best action episodes to date. If only Lore; Data's android counterpart joined Thomas in this one! Thomas Riker; the twin Riker transporter double returns to help the Maquis. It's fortunate he has the values of his original brother Riker. He sees he cannot be the ruthless freedom fighter he hoped. It's not in his character.

I wish one of the Trek novelists would create a story about his time on the Starship Gandi. Thomas was trapped for eight years and does not share the views William Riker has. It would be a rare and interesting book of about an officer who sees the fleet as an unfair and imperfect entity. ... Read more

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On the lifeless desert planet of Velara III, a small group of scientists are hard at work terraforming the planet. When a routine check-in by the Enterprise leads to a testy dismissal from the head engineer, as well as bad vibes for Counselor Troi, the away team goes to investigate.Apologies are quickly made by the newly conciliatory terraformers, who explainthat their manners tend to fade over the decades of isolation required to bringlife to a dead world. (So what exactly happened to Star Trek II's Genesis Project?) But during the brief tour, one scientist is killed by an apparently malfunctioning laser, and suspicions are raised again. Data and Geordi investigate, and discover beyond question that an intelligent force in fact controlled the deadly beam. The three remaining scientists are brought up to the ship for questioning; also beamed aboard is a small crystal whose arrhythmic, "musical" light pulsations have intrigued Data. Despite some insistence from the ship's computer that, lacking organic structure, the crystal simply can't be life (why exactly aren't Starfleet medical programs informed of the silicon-based Horta encountered by the old Enterprise crew?), alive is exactly the right word. Alive, growing, and angry at the attempted extermination of its species by the terraformers. Not to mention able to control the Enterprise's computers, thus puttingthe entire crew at risk. Though the rapidly multiplying creature, eventually dubbed the microbrain, is one of the show's all-time cheapest aliens--basically some glowing penlights placed under a bell jar--the story is a fairly interesting rehash of some classic Trek themes. Plus, any episode that introduces the catchy phrase "ugly bags of mostly water," the microbrain's description of humans, is an instant classic. --Bruce Reid ... Read more

Reviews (3)

"Bag who drill in sand of home had to die."
Star Trek has always produced its fair share of cautionary tales. "Home Soil" is its attempt to point out the unintended dire consequences terraforming can cause. It also is the episode that forces you to wonder if the crystals in your personal collection regard you as "an ugly bag of mostly water" when you're not around.

The Enterprise-D arrives at Velara III to check up on a terraforming group charged with the mission of turning the inhospitable planet into one that will eventually support life. However, after an engineer is killed and Data (Brent Spiner) is attacked, the crew realizes that something is seriously amiss on the surface. A startling discovery is soon made - there are microscopic life forms that are falling victim to the drilling on the planet. The previous attacks were initiated by them as a means to defend themselves.

This variation on the original series' superior "Devil in the Dark" (1967) is filled with problems that it cannot overcome. Guest star Elizabeth Lindsey is strangely stiff in her supporting role, Walter Gotell is over-the-top in his supporting role, the production values for the microscopic life forms must have set a new record for production money saved on creating an alien race, and the line "ugly bag of mostly water" is so unintentionally goofy that it undermines the seriousness of the episode's message because you can't get it out of your head and can't stop giggling once it's spoken on-screen. Well, at least "Home Soil" did teach us that the only way to defeat evil crystals is to shut the lights off. That valuable piece of information is what prevents the episode from being a total lost cause.

Home Soil ....Or Ugly Bags of Water Go Home!
"Ugly Bags of Water"

A terraforming station on Velara III discovers a microscopic life form within the sand of the planet. It kills one of the colonists to save it from destruction. The Enterprise utilizes it's universal translator to communicate. It refers to humans as "ugly bags of water." In this average entry from the first season; actor Walter Gotell, portrays the station supervisor. He's known for his role as General Gogol in the 60's James Bond series.

This episode has a few good highlights. Data disarming the laser cannon in the terraforming chamber. The microscopic entity taking control of the Enterprise. If you've got to purchase all the episodes for your collection; this one's got a few dramatic moments. It's worth a look.

It didn't take Troi's powers to tell us the supervisor was hiding something about the planet.

Picard hears a tiny crystal that flashes beautiful light
Perhaps the most significant liberal principle on Next Generation was the inherent right of sentient beings, whether they are androids, unexpectedly different species, or even holodeck creations. "Home Soil" adds to this progressive argument when the Enterprise arrives at the terraforming project on Velara III. In keeping with the Prime Directive the planet has been officially declared devoid of life, but when the terraformers start pumping subsurface water the laser drill malfunctions and then attacks Data. The source of the malfunction turns out to be tiny crystal that emits light. When the crystal divides, Picard concludes it is alive. This is confirmed when the crystal keeps dividing and uses the Universal Translator to declare war on the Enterprise. After all, the crystal lives in the subsurface water and its civilization was being destroyed by the terraformers.

Whether you find the episode reminiscent of Dr. Seuss' "Horton Hears a Who," Gulliver's travels among the Lilliputians or simply a flip on the standard science fiction analogy that superior races are to humans as we are to the ants beneath our feet, "Home Soil" underscores the constant Star Trek demand for at least tolerance of those who are different, although outright acceptance would be nice. This belief is certainly personified in Captain Picard, not only in this episode but throughout the series (although he has some slight difficulties in being tolerant when it comes to Q). ... Read more

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It seems pretty cute now to think about those first dozen or so episodes of The Next Generation. Laboring to establish its own identity and figure out who its characters were, the young series occasionally stumbled into various retro-cliches from hokey, sci-fi B movies. The hardbody paradise of the planet Rubicun III in "Justice" is one example: the peaceful sensualists (known as the Edo) living there are interested only in, uh, pleasure. But when Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) violates an arcane law and is sentenced to death, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) is faced with a conflict over following the Prime Directive or saving the boy.

The evolution of this story is almost bizarre. Beginning with a script by John D.F. Black set on a colony called Llarof, the drama concerned Enterprise personnel caught up in the colonists' antiquated and unjust infliction of instant punishment. The Prime Directive became Picard's barrier to helping the planet's progressives change things. In any case, Gene Roddenberry and writer Worley Thorne did a radical rewrite, perhaps pulling a convenient element or two out of the classic Trek playbook by inventing the sex-obsessed Edo. Still, Stewart and his co-stars leave their imprint on the episode, and the ethical struggle to balance Federation duties with higher obligations--a struggle that helped define TNG--has its roots here. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Justice For All?
No Justice. This entry in the Next Generation Saga"Justice" shows a society with one rigid law. The penaltyfor any crime is death. Wesley learns this very early when he wasplaying catch me with the colonists. He accidentally falls into agarden area behind some posts. Security guards come out of no whereand want to give him a lethal injection. Fortunately for him; Riker,Worf and Tasha show up to stop them. It can be argued that Wesleysaved the ship every time in the first season. He was an obnoxiouscharacter. I believe he acted the way he did to attempt to fit inwith the "adults." This one shows that laws can get out ofcontrol if there is no common sense applied. I love the scenes aboardthe observation lounge where their "God" appears out oforbit as computerized starship. This is a planet were all thebeautiful people run around and make love all day. However, they'reruled by a machine!

No Justice
No Justice

This entry in the Next Generation Saga "Justice" shows a society with one rigid law. The penalty for any crime is death. Wesley learns this very early when he was playing catch me with the colonists. He accidentally falls into a garden area behind some posts. Security guards come out of no where and want to give him a lethal injection. Fortunately for him Riker, Worf and Tasha show up to stop them.

It can be argued that Wesley saved the ship all the time in the first season. He was an obnoxious character. I believe he acted the way he did to attempt to fit in with the "adults." This one shows that laws can get out of control if there is no common sense applied. I love the scenes aboard the observation lounge where their "God" appears out of orbit as computerized starship. This is a planet were all the beautiful people run around and make love all day. However, they're ruled by a machine!

The Planet of the Bimbos!
Star Trek the Next Generation was and still is one of my favorite TV shows and I'm a fan who actually likes Wesley Crusher though I do admit that they sometimes went a little overboard with the whole boy genius thing but anyway This is not my favorite Wesley Crusher episode, and I agree that this episode is like watching a really bad B movie and I can just see Mystery Science Theater making fun of this episode and the goofy characters from the planet of the bimbos! Out of every episode made of Star Trek: The Next Generation I only disliked a few episodes and this is one of my least favorite ones.

"When has justice been as simple as a rulebook?"
Star Trek: The Next Generation crosses over into camp and B-movie territory with its depiction of the Edo civilization in "Justice." Yet if somehow you are able to look past the scantily-clad surfer boys and beach bunnies, this episode still manages to come across as ridiculous as Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) interprets the Federation's sacred Prime Directive in so liberal a manner as to invite guffaws. How this episode made it past the initial brainstorming stage has to be one of the more puzzling mysteries of modern times.

The Enterprise-D travels to Rubicun Three which is home to the carefree Edo. While playing with the inhabitants, Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) accidentally crashes into a greenhouse and harms its plants. Wesley is immediately sentenced to death for his crime. Picard must decide whether to disregard local law and bring Wesley back to the ship. To make matters even more complicated, a strange vessel that seemingly has some connection with the Edo is also in the vicinity.

For everything one can find wrong with "Justice," the episode does serve some constructive purpose despite all its flaws. When comparing this episode to the more finely-polished ones of the later seasons, it is easy to see just how much progress Star Trek: The Next Generation made over the years. Indeed, "Justice" makes an excellent "control" episode to which future episodes can be measured against.

I fell in love with Beverly Crusher in this episode...
I think this was the episode that I realized how loveable Beverly Crusher is. Beverly's heart is being tugged when the ignorant people of Edos are planning to put her dear son Wesley to death for the "crime" of falling into a garden. The Edos people APPEAR happy and peaceful, but appearances are deceiving since underneath, they are suspicious, ignorant, and superstitious and show no remorse for the pain and suffering they cause Wesley and his mother. I saw the wonderful mother-son bond that Beverly and Wesley share vividly here and it's touching how Beverly weeps softly when she is reunited with her son. I also love how fiesty outspoken Tasha blasted the Edos people for the corrupt sense of justice and stood up for Beverly and Wesley. Beverly is my favorite character of all science fiction. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Murder Witness is in Danger of Becoming a Murder Victim
A young woman of the tunnels named Laura (who happens to be deaf) witnesses a murder when she ventures above ground. Vincent enlists Catherine's aid in helping Laura report to the authorities Above. But the murderer has other ideas for Laura. This is fairly routine television for the most part, but there are some nice moments between Vincent and Laura.

In 1998 I conducted a poll among Beauty and the Beast fans asking them to rate the 44 episodes of the first two seasons on a 1-to-10 scale. 31 fans participated. "An Impossible Silence" finished 28th out of the 44 episodes.

I placed "An Impossible Silence" 32nd in my own personal 1-through-44 rank-ordering of the episodes. ... Read more

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"Tin Man" is that rare TNG episode about failure. Tam Elbrun (Harry Groener) isn't equipped to perform within what Starfleet considers normal parameters, but because of his rare talent, his presence is tolerated--just. Elbrun is a Betazoid of extraordinary telepathic abilities and is a renowned first contact specialist. However, his gift is also his vulnerability, and the stress of hearing so many minds takes its toll.

Elbrun's mission is to make first contact with an alien dubbed "Tin Man," a living spaceship orbiting a dying star. Gomtuu, as the being calls itself, communicates telepathically. It's ancient, the last of its kind, and extremely alone. It's also suicidal. Elbrun wants contact at any cost--even if that cost is the Enterprise. "Tin Man" is an episode of extraordinary subtleties. It's about the way society uses yet resents the gifted. It's about the struggle to belong. And mostly: "Perhaps you're just different. It isn't a sin, you know."

Trivia alert: Gomtuu is an homage to the thermal pods in the cult film Buckaroo Banzai and one of many nods that appear throughout both TNG and DS9. --Kayla Riggney ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good study of man and "beast"
The episode is a good one that deals with the mysterious and awe-inspiring encounter with alien life. The battle of wits between Picard and the Romulan commander takes second fiddle to the space-faring creature that just wants to die. This is one that is both touching and dramatic.

(...)

Tam Elbrun is going to give something to the "Tin Man"....
The Enterprise is heading into a section claimed by the Romulans to investigate a living spaceship that is orbiting a dying star. This alien has been named "Tin Man" by Starfleet, which obviously suggests that the legacy of the rock group America will survive several millennia of political correctness. Aboard the Enterprise is Tam Elbrun, a Betazoid telepath with stunning powers beyond anybody from his planet. The idea is that he will be able to contact the creature, which is in danger not only from the dying star but also from the Romulans, who claim this sector of space. But what Picard and Troi do not know is that Tam Elbrun has his own agenda.

The idea of mind reading has always been compelling, and while Deanna Troi and her mother provide examples of what telepaths can do, Tam Elbrun is this "gift" taken to an extreme. This is a fascinating character, who must be constantly shielding his mind against the constant intrusion of every thought by every person with whom he comes in contact. In "Tin Man," he finds a kindred spirit, or at least a being with whom he can find some sense of peace. It is not often that the main characters on Next Generation take a back seat to the guest star, but "Tin Man" is one of those episodes, providing an intriguing looks at the dark side of a person's "gift."

Bonding with the beast
A fellow empath from Troi's home planet takes passage on the Enterprise. Their mission: to meet up with an enormous alien life form and talk it into alliance with the Federation. It is a race against the Romulans for first contact. Troi is torn between her responsibility to the ship and her concern for her Betazoid buddy, who happens to have a problem with authority. Contact is made, with surprising results.

An excellent video, exploring the ups and downs of empathic ability. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

B'Elanna is given the memories of an Enaran woman
"Star Trek: Voyager," Episode 48, "Remember" (Story by Brannon Braga & Joe Menosky, Teleplay by Lisa Klink, Aired October 9, 1996) finds "Voyager" transporting a group of Enarans to their homeworld. The Enarans are telepathic, which would explain why B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) is suddenly having these strange dreams. Torres is Korenna, an Enaran woman who is in love with Dathan (Charles Esten), which does not make her father, Jareth (Bruce Davidson) happy. He is a military type who is not disposed to happiness and has larger concerns regarding Regressives like Dathan, who have rejected modern technology and need to be "resettled." The dreams keep progressing, but then Torres has a vision while awake and collapses. The Doctor (Robert Picardo) reports that these are not dreams: Torres is experiencing memories that have been planted in her mind. Why is this happening?

The title sort of gives the answer to that question away, so I really wish they had come up with something different because it takes away some of the poignancy of this episode. "Remember" will remind you of a classic episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," but if I told you which one that would give the game away as well. Not that this is a classic "Voyager" episode, but it has its moments. The choice of Torres as the recipient of these memories is interesting; think about the implications for the episode if Kes had received them instead. But "Remember" is clearly an episode to flesh out the human side of B'Elanna's character.

A Story That Could Have Been God
Okay, so this wasn't the best. I think it deserves between 3 and 4 stars. 1. While this could have been an oppurtunity to show the devolopment of B'Elanna's character, it didn't work very well. 2. Also, the episode was a bit late.
1. The "memories" B'Elanna recieved from the unknown alien anger her, but she doesn't do anything until the VERY END! And at the end, nothing really happens except she passes on the memories!
2. It ends and what could have been the beginning.
Well I stink at reviews!

telepaths trying to tell you something?
While transporting a group of telepaths to their homeworld, B'elanna begins to have very realistic dreams. As the dreams progress a story begins to unfold about the life of one of the telepaths on the ship. Eventually B'elanna learns the truth about the history of the aliens they are transporting and it's not pleasant. She tries to convince someone to investigate the matter when they return but she can't get anyone to believe her. Will the truth die with the person who gave her the message? ... Read more

Reviews (3)

You know, this would be a very bad day for Worf to die
The Dominion formed an alliance with the Cardassians in order to attack the Klingon Empire, and in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," Episode 119, "Soldiers of the Empire" (Written by Ronald D. Moore, Aired April 28, 1997), we find out that things are not going to well for the Klingons. General Martok is ordered by the Klingon High Council to search for the B'Moth, a mission Klingon war ship that is missing near the Cardassian border. Martok takes command of the "Rotarran," with Worf as his First Office and Dax as the Science Officer. However, they are surprised to learn that this Klingon crew has been beaten up by a long string of losses to the Jem'Hadar. Martok declares that what this crew needs is a victory to improve morale, but when the opportunity comes for the cloaked Klingon ship to attack a Jem'Hadar vessel, he lets it slip away. Worf decides that there is only one course of action dictated by honor, and that is to challenge Martok for command of the ship.

My biggest complaint about season five of "DS9" is that the war with the Dominion gets ignored in a lot of these episodes. "Soldiers of the Empire" is the exception that proves the rule, because it hints at the hard struggle the Klingons have been facing against the Jem'Haddar and Cardassians while we have been watching comic relief episodes focusing on Quark. But somewhere out there in the "Star Trek" universe a war is going on and this episode provides some evidence of what is happening. Of course, most episodes focusing on Worf and the Klingons are above average, and this one is no exception. Plus you have Dax, who is proving to be as much of a Klingon purist as her beau.

If you love the Klingons, this is for you!
For fans of the Warrior Race, "Soldiers of the Empire" is arguably the best Klingon episodes of any Trek series. The entire story is set on a Klingon Bird of Prey. Worf boards as Exec, to bolster the shaky leadership of the warship's commander, General Martok. Jadzia Dax signs on as a subordinate bridge-officer, to monitor the growing unrest of the Klingon crew. Having suffered some humiliating defeats by Dominion forces, the warriors are now further demoralized by Martok's cowardly avoidance of combat. Resentment is rampant and to Dax's dismay, Martok and even Worf seem oblivious to the impending mutiny. How disaster is averted, and the very Klingon manner in which Worf restores Martok's confidence and command make for a good story. Even better are the characterizations of the Klingon crew, who are not just stereotypical berzerkers. Borrowing heavily from the definitive novel "The Final Reflection", they are scripted as interesting but alien people with individual strengths and weaknesses. Particularly compelling is the female engineer who fearlessly asserts her position as third in command. And David Graf, best known for his comic portrayal of firearms-fanatic Officer Tackleberry ("Police Academy") gives a delightful performance as the frustrated helmsman. Perhaps the sweetest treat for Trekdom's klinfans is the cast's rousing battle-ballad with singable lyrics in the authentic klingo-lingo. "Soldiers of the Empire" provides little of plot-importance to DS9's ongoing space-opera, but it is certainly one of the most enjoyable episodes of the series.

One of the Great Klingon Episodes!
Why is paramount withholding these great episodes? This like almost all of Deep Space 9 was such a great episode. Is it revenge for our love of this series or just a plot to bleed even more money out of us. Can anyone at Paramount answere this question? ... Read more

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The planet Mordan IV has finally settled into peace after 40 years ofcivil war. Everything's going fine until terrorists take several Federation officials hostage. The leader of Mordan IV, Karnas (Michael Pataki), requests the presence of skilled negotiator Admiral Mark Jameson (Clayton Rohner), so it's up to the crew of the Enterprise to bring these two together. Admiral Jameson is in his mid-80s, but was requested because he handled negotiations on the planet before the civil war broke out. You can tell by the annoying old-age makeup on what is obviously a young actor that Jameson will eventually take a drug that will make him young again. The badmakeup is the biggest flaw in an otherwise good episode. Themes include thequest for youth, the uneasy balance between work and family, and owning up forpast political mistakes. The episode is directed by Rob Bowman, a NextGeneration veteran who's worked on tons of other TV shows and directed theX-Files feature film. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Too much story so that nothing is done well
Terrorists take Federation officials hostage on Mordan IV and the Enterprise is ordered to transport the aged and infirm Admiral Mark Jameson to Mordan IV. The Admiral is a legendary negotiator, and among his many accomplishments was the mediation of a conflict on Mordan IV forty-five years earlier. However, as the Enterprise makes its' way to the planet, Jameson begins changing, becoming younger and more vigorous. This is due to his having taken some form of drug that reverses the aging process, although there are dangerous side effects. Furthermore, it is clear that there are complicating circumstances that the Enterprise crew are unaware of. Jameson and Karnas, the leader of Mordan IV, appear to be talking with a great deal of circumspection, saying things that only they understand.
By the time the Enterprise arrives at Mordan IV, Jameson is a man in his twenties, certainly vigorous, but no longer possessing the aura of wisdom that his age granted him. On Jameson's order, an armed Enterprise party beams down in an attempt to free the hostages. They fail in this mission and eventually they go before Karnas. At this point, it is revealed that Karnas himself has taken the hostages in an attempt to have Jameson come back to Mordan IV. It is revealed that Jameson's solution to the previous conflict on the planet was to give both sides weapons, which ignited a decades-long civil war. The purpose of having Jameson come back to the planet was so that he could be executed for what he did. Seeing a young man suffering from severe convulsions, Karnas frees the hostages and allows Jameson to leave.
While the basic idea of the dangers of arming both sides in a regional conflict is a good one for a story, in this case, it is not delivered very well. This story suffers from the same affliction that many of the early episodes of TNG did, an attempt to pack too much story into the episode. The secondary plot of the wonder drug that is a fountain of youth tends to supercede the main plot that deals with non-interference. Given that the igniting of a civil war is so significant, it would not have been difficult to create a complete episode using only it as a plot device. If that had been done, this would have been a much better story.

"Age and wisdom have their graces too."
There are two lessons to be learned by watching "Too Short A Season." Number one - the quest for the fountain of youth is ongoing well into the 24th century. Number two - the practice of aging actors through bad-make-up applications in television productions was still ongoing well into the late 20th century.

The Enterprise-D is ordered to transport Admiral Mark Jameson (Clayton Rohner) to Mordan IV so that he may negotiate for the release of hostages. Karnas (Michael Pataki), the governor of the planet, has a score to settle with the Admiral as their prior dealings decades ago led to catastrophe. As the Enterprise-D gets closer to the planet, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) cannot help but notice that the aged Admiral appears to be physically turning younger. When confronted with this observation, Jameson tells the captain that he has used an alien drug to help him regain his youth so that he would be in a better position to deal with Karnas. However, the Admiral soon discovers that his regained youth is not the blessing he had hoped for.

"Too Short A Season" is a misfire. Despite the sweet interplay between Clayton Rohner and Marsha Hunt as the Jamesons, this episode never makes any serious attempt to explore the perceived connection between youth and job performance. Is Jameson correct in asserting that he needs the vigor of youth to do his job adequately? We never find out since the de-aging process and Jameson's accompanying deterioration is just used as a story gimmick. Even more fatal to the episode is the aforementioned make-up application on Rohner. It is so bad that it will constantly keep you distracted. You will not absorb vast amounts of story information because brain cells in your head that should be following the unfolding tale will instead be rendered numb and useless every time the horrific image of the elder Jameson appears on the television screen. If you can actually recall specific aspects of this episode besides the bad make-up job when it is over then you are indeed a master of concentration.

This one is a sin in itself
Again, I've been duped by other reviewers (thanks johnstory). How about NOT giving away the ending?The cast is just going through the motions and even the typical special effects are second rate.
Again, check your brain at the door to enjoy this one! Or better yet, go see a doctor.

The Living Legend?
Too Short A Season

For those of you who remember Oliver North; this episode has a 24th century twist. The legendary Admiral Jameson comes aboard the Enterprise. He rides a mechanical wheelchair that looks like Professor X's from the X-Men. Picard has to t