Reviews (1)

Data warns Picard: You can't handle the truth...sir
The Enterprise encounters a spacial distortion that knocks everybody unconscious except, of course, Data. When he revives the crew he explains that the ship passed through an unstable wormhole which knocked everybody out for 30 seconds. However, as the Enterprise continues on its way, it becomes clear that there are some holes in Data's story starting with the fact that Dr. Crusher's experiments reflect the passage of twenty-four hours. When La Forge discovers the ship's chronometer has been tampered with, Picard confronts Data with the evidence, but the android refuses to answer. Picard continues to cross-examine Data, using the parameters of both Starfleet regulations and Data's positronic brain to get at the truth. Finally it becomes clear that Data has been "ordered" not to reveal the truth, at which point Picard is stunned to learn that Data claims the one who gave him that order was the Captain. In order to solve the mystery, Picard orders the ship back to the planet where they encountered the spacial distortion.

The little sub-plot where Guinan as Gloria from Cleveland is supposed to join the Captain as Dixon Hill on the holodeck is a not so subtle clue that this is one of those Next Generation episodes where Picard is confronted with a real life mystery. There is a great sense of anticipation to the first half of the episode, especially because we all know that even if Data is doing something wrong he is doing it for the right reasons, and there is the definite feel that Picard may well regret finding out the truth. The exchange between Picard and Data is an excellent scene, one of the best examples of logical argument seen on the show. "Clues" is one of those episodes where the payoff does not match the set up, but I have been saying that about such things every since "Apocalypse Now." Actually, the truth is pretty interesting; it is the solution that leaves something to be desired. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Should have been so much better
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. When a story is as reliant on plot holes and the stupidity of the characters as this one is, you know you're in trouble.
This story should have been epic. Instead, it was perfunctory and rushed. There was no real sense of the crisis the reappearance of the Borg caused; everything was focused narrowly on the Enterprise, with no recognition that anything else counted. The direction was very flat, and the writing so bad as to be laughable in places. The special effects, make-up, and art design needed to be a lot better, too.
Worst of all, there was no emotional depth to this episode. Moments that should have been shocking, or moving, or chilling, just weren't. Nor was there any sense of how very much all this should have mattered to Data.
"Descent Part I" needed a comprehensive re-write, a better director, and about twenty more minutes to really highlight what mattered. It was throughly flat, when it needed to be the exact opposite.

This One Kicked Buns!!!
This episode had alot of excitment and the Enterprise travels over warp 180!Yes,180!I love this episode because it has advanced borg men.This is the most coolest episode I have seen with the borg.As you know,people that are not importent without hearing their last names die.I liked the storyline to it.I enjoyed part 2 aswell.

I don't know about the other reviewers, but this rocks!
I watched this video, and thought: there couldn't be a better episode. But that's just me. I mean, I've only watched 1/8 of Star Trek The Next Generation. So don't blame me if I'm wrong, but I just plainly like this show, and you'll probably like this cool pool of entertainment.

Lore Returns with the Borg!
In this one Lore aquires a following that includes Hugh the Borg. Remember him? Hugh was the Borg Picard attempted to revive to it's human origins. The Borg have the capapbility to think on their own. That's what made them so dangerous.

It begins with Data, Riker and Worf with an away team beam to a station that was finished by the Borg. The big problem here was Data enjoyed destroying the Borg that eventually attacked the team.

What Data doesn't know is he was being controlled by Lore the whole time. That is why he was "feeling" hatred toward them.

This one is a keeper. It stands up to what I call the repeated viewing test. You can watch this one along with part two a few times and still find it entertaining.

We get to see Data question his way of life aboard the Enterprise.

The only fault I find is the music. If Paramount ever releases these with a new DVD set; the music should be more dramatic. The producer Rick Berman doesn't believe in overpowering music. I disagree. The music in this one would have set the sinister tone and threat the Borg presented. And it just wasn't there because the music was so dull.

Data gets emotional over killing a Borg
The Enterprise responds to a distress call from an outpost and arrives to find only dead bodies and a group of Borg. During the fight, Data strangles one of the Borg to death in a fit of anger. When the Enterprise chases after the Borg ship, it disappears. La Forge tries to figure out how the Borg managed to escape while Data spends time on the holodeck trying to recreate his emotional experience. When the Borg attack a second colony the Enterprise pursues the Borg ship and follows it into an energy vortex at which point A couple of Borg beam onto the Enterprise bridge. Worf kills one and they capture the other while the Borg ship escapes. When Data visits the Borg in the bridge they have an interesting discussion about the android's emotional experience. The Borg fiddles with a device on this arm and suddenly Data is willing to do anything to feel emotions again. The Borg promises Data that their leader can give Data what he needs, whereupon the android helps the Borg escape in a shuttlecraft. The Enterprise follows them to a planet where Picard, La Forge and Troi discover a large building. Inside they Data, a whole bunch of Borg, and...Lore! It turns out Lore is the leader of these Borg and that Data has joined his brother. Together, the sons of Soong promise to destroy the Federation. (To be continued)

Once again we get the Borg for a season finale as Data's desire to be more human takes a bizarre turn. Data suddenly declares he would be willing to kill La Forge, his best friend, just to experience the anger and pleasure he felt when he killed the Borg. The appearance of Lore at the end is certainly a nice twist, since it means there is a logical explanation for Data's radical personality change. What is not clear is why the Borg, or to be more specific this particular group of Borg, following Lore? For answers, see Part 2 of "Descent." ... Read more

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Riva (Howie Seago) is one of the best mediators in the universe, and the Enterprise is assigned to transport him to Solais V, a planet that's been undergoing a bitter civil war for years. It turns out that Riva is aNew Age deaf mute whose thoughts and ideas are communicated through athree-person chorus that follows him around wherever he goes, but he's good at his job anyway. On the way to the planet, however, Riva seems more interested in hitting on the empathic Deanna Troi than studying the history of the conflict. His cockiness not only jeopardizes the mission but his own chorus aswell. With the help of Data and Troi, Riva is forced to find new ways to do his old job. Though the episode points to resolution, credit must be given to the writers for not tying up all of the loose ends by the finale. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Finally, A-Not-So-Boring-Second-Season-Episode
"Loud as a Whisper" is one of the greatest second season episodes. The Enterprise has to go to the Romatis star system to pick up 'The Greatest Mediator the Federation Has.' When they get there, they meet him and his chorus (Leo Damian as Andonis, Marnie Mosiman as the Woman, and Thomas Oglesby as the Scholar). We learn two things;1.His name is Riva(Played by Howie Seago;Beyond Silence), and 2.He's a deaf-mute that communicates through his chorus, each speaking in a certain area of experteece(or however you spell it, hey! I'm a kid.). Right off the bat, Riva likes Troi(Marina Sirtis). He meets the crew, and becomes a friend to Geordi(LeVar Burton). He asks if Troi would show him to his quarters, and leaves the Woman and Scholar behind, taking Andonis with them. Then we find out that when not needed, the rest of the Chorus is actually alot nicer than you think. Meanwhile, Troi and Riva make dinner plans for after the briefing that Riva brags his little heart out. The the dinner rolls around and it's interrupted by one of the factions that have been fighting on Solaris 4. They have broken the 'cease-fire' and Riva stops them. Riva, the Chorus, Riker(Jonathan Frakes), and Worf(Michael Dorn), transport down to the surface, only to find a horrible fate. One of the guys on one of the factions goes crazy and shoots the Chorus, leaving Riva alone and confused. Captain Picard(Patrick Stewart) tries to talk to him, but can't. He asks Data(Brent Spiner)to learn sign language* so they could get on with the negotiations and get the heck out of there. Troi asks him what his secret is and he said 'The real secret is turning a disadvantage, into an advantage'. She also wants to know why he couldn't do that. He dismisses Data and they transport down to the surface. There Troi explains that he is going to teach both factions sign language to stop the fighting.

*Watch for this mistake; Data is going to show Picard some of what he learned. He meant to say in dialogue and sign:
Data:This is blue. This is the blue ocean. This is the blue ocean at sunset. This is...
What he really said was:
Data:This is 5. This is the 5 oceans. This is the 5 oceans at...

Loud as a Whisper ends too abruptly
Howie Seago portrays a deaf negotiator in this episode. It has the feeling that somehow the script was cut off at the end. The whole episode was built upon the fact the first negotiators were killed by the opposing side of aliens. Seago's character had to establish a dialogue with them again. What was frustrating was that you see him beam down to the planet and not see the result of his efforts. This would have been better as a two part episode.

Thoughtful episode about a deaf mute Federation Diplomat
One of the constants in the Star Trek universe is that the Federation's diplomatic corps is comprised almost entirely of incompetent buffoons. This episode is the exception that proves the rules. "Loud as a Whisper" is fairly creative both in terms of its main character and its resolution of the crisis situation. Another aspect of the future in Star Trek is that physical disabilities are easily managed. Blind Geordi Le Forge has a visor that allows him to see while Jean-Luc Picard has an artificial heart.

In this episode we meet Riva, played by Howie Seago, a mediator so accomplished they added the word "peacemaker" to the Klingon language because of his efforts. A deaf mute, who communicates through a chorus of three individuals who translate his thoughts and emotions into words, Riva is attracted to Counselor Troi. However, as soon as Riva and his chorus beam down to Solari V, one of the soldiers opens fire and disintegrates the chorus. The away team escapes with a distraught Riva back to the Enterprise. Picard has Data learn Riva's gestural language, but the negotiator refuses to return to the planet. Data might understand the words Riva wants to communicate, but not his emotions.

"Loud as a Whisper" is one of the best episodes of the second season, intelligently constructed and thoughtfully written. I especially like it when Riva explains to Troi that one of the secrets of successful negotiations is to turn disadvantages into advantages as a nice philosophical point with practical consequences. My only real complaint is that the dictates of the story necessitating getting rid of the chorus, which is a shame because it is fascinating to watch the four beings act as a single unit. The solution to the problem is rather primitive by 24th-century standards, but certainly rings true with those of us stuck in the barbaric past of the planet Earth. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An episode that almost rises to the level of insipidness
"Identity Crisis" is arguably the worst of the STNG episodes focusing on Geordi La Forge. It seems that five years earlier La Forge was part of an away team from the USS Victory that investigated the disappearance of a colony on Tarchannen Three. One of the other members of that team, Susanna Leitjen has joined the Enterprise, and the two old shipmates learn that two of the other members of that original away team have . . . disappeared! So here is the Enterprise, investigating the site of the missing colony on Tarchannen Three and here is poor Susanna spouting blue veins on the back of her neck while the middle fingers on her hands weld together. What is she changing in to? Could La Forge be next? Of course, La Forge is next, because this is a predictable plot with a mumbo jumbo explanation for why bad things are happening to good people. For some reason this episode reminds me of e-mails you get warning you not to open dangerous e-mails that will destroy your computer (no downloading a file, just opening e-mail mind you). This is hokey science fiction foisted upon characters who are forced to act stupidly to advance the plot. If you like this episode you should know that they took the word "gullible" out of the dictionary.

Okay, okay, its not that bad. But its not a good episode.

Not one of the best.
I thought this episode was one of the weirdest. I usually like weird but this went its own way. I not quite sure how to explain what happened to Geordi and many of the people on his pevious ship but they are mighty ugly. If you are getting just a few of the videos in the series skip this one, go for one of the many other fabulous episodes like cause and effect. If however you are going for the complete collection it's a must. ... Read more

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On their way to the Morgana Quadrant, which has yet to be visited by a manned Federation ship, the Enterprise runs across an amoeba-like hole of blackness in space. Sensors do not indicate any energy or form, probes shot into it disappear without a trace, and even Counselor Troi can get no sense from it. Worf calls for a yellow alert, relating an old Klingon legend of a giant black space that devours entire ships. When the void engulfs the Enterprise, they find themselves lost within it, unableto find their way out. Then things start to get weird. Other vessels show up. ARomulon battle ship and a Federation star cruiser appear, but they are strangely empty. Turns out the void is one of those giant, uncharted sentient beings that is trying to learn about humans and the concept of death, and is doing so by killing members of the Enterpriseone at a time. Once again, the contradictions of humans are on trial, and it'sup to Captain Jean-Luc Picard to talk the ship and all of humankind out of trouble. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

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An intriguing situation gets a so-so lackluster treatment
As scientists traveling the galaxy in search of new civilizations to observe and hopefully interact with, it's been all too rare when those tables are turned on the crew of the Enterprise. Early on in this series the recurring character of Q was introduced who would return from time to time to attempt to confound Picard and crew. Here the Enterprise encounters another being not unlike Q who traps the starship in an experimental laboratory.

While visiting the Morgana Quadrant on an exploratory mission the Enterprise sensors pickup a void in space. Upon investigation the null space initially perplexes the crew as they survive an attack by a Romulan starship and witness an inexplicable appearance of their sister ship, the Yamato. When the Yamato doesn't answer the hails from Enterprise and scans show no life forms present Riker and Worf beam aboard it. They discover the ship completely empty and that it isn't composed of the metals normally used in a starship construction - and it also has the annoying habit of randomly altering the design. The away team returns and the Enterprise attempts to leave the void but finds they are mysteriously trapped. After Dr. Pulaski suggests that they are in a laboratory of sorts an entity appears onscreen, having only eyes and a mouth. He introduces himself as Nagillum, a scientist who wishes to continue his research on the crew so he can gain an understanding of their emotions and limited life spans. To prevent the unacceptable loss of a third or more of his crew Picard initiates the auto-destruct sequence and that presents an interesting riddle for Nagillum.

The main problem with this episode is that there simply isn't enough time to define the plot elements; the ending seems particularly rushed also. The reasons for Nagillum's establishing a vast laboratory in space and the apparent super-powers at his command aren't satisfactorily handled. Data makes many statements such as "Sensors detect nothing," or "I still cannot detect anything", etc., but this isn't adequate enough as a potential explanation. When they first begin experiencing the conundrums no one brings up the possibility of Q's presence; when Nagillum finally makes his presence known explaining his purpose, shouldn't Q naturally come to mind? Maybe not, but I thought so. Some other events happen that don't seem to make sense either: When they first encounter the Yamato why don't they attempt to download the ship's logs to read them before boarding? Nagillum can create replicates of Troi and Data - why doesn't he do the same with Picard and have him abort the auto-destruct sequence with an unsuspecting Riker? When Picard and Riker initially set the auto-destruct sequence they go to the Engineering section - why? If they wanted privacy they could've gone into the captain's Ready Room or his quarters. It seems an odd choice to go to Engineering. And Haskell's presence at the helm is all too convenient, serving only to remove Wesley from harm's way; also Haskell's dialogue is a bit strained as well, he comes off as being too unstable to be considered for a bridge officer's position.

On the upside there is a great opening sequence with Riker and Worf defending themselves against some rather formidable looking alien ogres. The scene develops nicely convincing you they are on an away mission that has gone horribly awry before revealing they are on the holodeck - an obvious parallel to the encounter with Nagillum. In addition Worf receives some further interesting character definition here. Dr. Pulaski is eased along here also, having some interaction with Data and contributing the needed insight and sensibility of a skilled scientist. Riker's frustration with his experience aboard the Yamato and his anxiety about terminating the auto-destruct sequence adds some levity as well.

Negilum Strikes
The Nefarious Negilum

The alien name of Negilum is a play on words. Originally Richard Mulligan of Empty Nest and Soap was sought to play this role. Unavailable the producers had to utilize another actor for this one. It's an average entry. However there are some good scenes in the beginning with Worf on the holodeck in his training program. There's another good scene were Worf and Riker beam aboard another galaxy class ship to investigate this ridiculous Negllum nemesis. It turns out the alien wants to investigate the crews reaction to senseless death at the cost of the lives of the Enterprise crew. With the few dramatic sequences I'd have to say that it was worth the price.

The scene where Data asks Picard "What happens when one dies" was very poignant and showed there's an intelligent life form writing the script. For all it's faults it was an enjoyable episode that stands up to repeated viewing.

Better to die free than to die as lab rats
The Enterprise investigates a black area of space only to be sucked into a void where their sensors reveal nothing and communication with the outside is impossible. When a Romulan warbird suddenly decloaks and is destroyed as soon as they fire at it, Picard knows it was too easy. Then the Yamato, a Federation Galaxy Class starship arrives. Riker and Worf beam over to check it out and find everything different, most notably the appearance of a bridge area behind every door. When they return to the Enterprise and the Yamato disappears, Picard suspects they are being tested like rats in a laboratory and refuses to participate in the experiment. This prompts Nagilum, the entity that is the void, to make an appearance. Nagilum is interested in continuing his scientific investigations and is specifically curious about the "limited existence" of the beings on the Enterprise. After killing an ensign to check out its initial hypothesis, Nagilum declares it will have to kill a third of the ship's crew to really understand the phenomenon of death.

I have to mark this episode down one star, although it has one of the better titles, because its resolution employs one of my pet peeves: I hate it when the good guys win because the bad guys are stupid. The premise for the episode is certainly nothing new; after all, the Next Generation series begins with Q doing field research on humanity so Nagilum is doing the same thing, just in a laboratory seeting. Overall, "Where Silence Has Leave" has a compelling mystery with a payoff that is not as satisfying as the set up.

Great episode
In this episode the Enterprise encounters a void.. and becomes trapped in it. Soon a mysterious alien entity speaks to the crew and tells them the he is curious about death and wants to perform experiments on the crew!

This episode has a guest star Earl Boen as the voice of the alien probable best known for Dr. Silberman in the "Terminator" movies ... Read more

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In this outing, the Enterprise-D answers a distress call from Dr. Ira Graves, brilliant cyberneticist (W. Morgan Sheppard). Grizzled, old Graves lives all alone on some sort of research planet with (of course) his gorgeous blond assistant, Kareen Brianon (Barbara Alyn Woods). An away team is dispatched and it soon becomes obvious that Graves is dying. For reasons that elude rational thought, Data develops an instant rapport with the scientist, who was his "father" Noonien Soong's mentor. Behind closed doors the android and the scientist bond, but Graves dies anyway. Kareen is beamed aboard the Enterprise-D to continue with her stimulating career as gorgeous blond research assistant.

Data, however, begins acting like a sybaritic idiot, which is, strangely, exactly how Graves behaved. It doesn't take long for the intrepid Captain Picard to ascertain that Dr. Graves downloaded himself into Data's neural net before he died. Graves's obnoxious core being has pushed Data's sweet, easygoing self far down into memory-dump land. We're talking big-time multiple-personality conflict here. Throw in an old-guy-in-young-android-body lust story and there's something for everyone. And it's well-written and well-acted, too. "Schizoid Man" lays the groundwork for the brilliant "Measure of a Man." It's a whole lot of fun, and at the same time quietly asks the viewer important questions about Data's right to exist. This is an all-around standout episode. --Kayla Riggney ... Read more

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Data's Past
Data's Grandfather

Dr. Noonien Soong had a mentor; the great Dr. Ira Graves. He must have taught Soong the technical dilemma of creating a sentient machine. For those of you who don't know Soong created our favorite android. In this episode, the doctor who is dying wants to transplant his soul into Data to live forever. The Data/Graves personality attempted impress Kareen; his assistant. He had romantic feelings that he could not act upon because of his age difference. If he used Data's body he felt he had a chance. Overall this episode stands out as one of those human dramas that don't have any phaser battles. However, it was interesting to see Data develop his social skills as a sentient machine.

Android in the spotlight: Data's turn to be possessed
If it not already clear by this point, there is an emphasis on the character of Data in the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The android is the main focus of more episodes (e.g., "The Measure of a Man," Episode 35) than any other character, and is almost always involved in the major sub-plot as well (e.g., "The Outrageous Okona," Episode 30). With all this attention it is not surprising that every once in a while things get a little out of hand. In "The Schizoid Man" the Enterprise rushes to the aid of Ira Graves (played by W. Morgan Sheppard), the greatest mind in the universe now that his disciple Noonian Soong, Data's creator, has disappeared and is presumed dead. Very much interested in learning more about the man who is his "father," Data has long conversations with the terminally ill Graves, even going so far as to reveal the location of his "off" button. Somewhere along the way Graves had discovered how to transfer his life's knowledge into a computer and the dying man decides the android would make a much better host than some descendant of Big Blue. Data announces to the rest of the away team that Graves has died, but it soon becomes clear that the second officer is acting quite differently, especially when he starts beating people unconscious. Now that he has Data's body, Graves intends to create an android body for his lover, unless, of course, Captain Picard finds a way of stopping this mad scheme.

Picard's solution in "The Schizoid Man" is rather pedestrian, if not outright predictable, but the episode does provide Brent Spiner with an opportunity to flex his acting muscles a lot more than usual. The idea of putting a human being's consciousness inside a computer is rather intriguing (what if you preserved the greatest minds of the galaxy in such a fashion?), but nothing ever comes of it in future episodes. When you think how much computers have changed in the last ten years, or even since you bought your last one, and you extrapolate that sort of rapid progression several centuries into the future, you would have to think they could come up with better scenarios for all that computer power than running the holodeck. ... Read more

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Barclay Triumphant, or, Flowers for Reginald
It is certainly understandable why the character of Reginald Barclay, the shy and bumbling engineering officer who likes to imagine Troi as the Goddess of Empathy in his dysfunctional holographic programs, is the most popular and enduring supporting character created during STNG's long run. Part of it is the charm with which Dwight Schutlz plays him, but I think his popularity is due in fact that in the super competent world of the Enterprise bridge crew, Reg is just trying to get through the day and do his job without causing any significant harm. The idea that Picard is trying to build up self-confidence in the man (okay, ordering La Forge to do it), is somewhat endearing. But if it is true that every dog has his day, "The Nth Degree" is most certainly Barclay's turn.

Because it is written that way the Enterprise investigates an alien probe not by using its massive sensor arrays but by sending La Forge and Barclay out in a shuttle so that when the probe emits a burst of energy that overloads the computers on the system, Reg can be knocked unconcious. In sick bay good old Doctor Crusher can find nothing from with Barclay. He appears to be normal (a term being relative when it comes to Reg). Meanwhile, the probe begins following the Enterprise, which can neither out race it nor destroy it with phasers. Again the script contrives things so that the probe is too close to use photon torpedoes. Just as things look bleak, Barclay suddenly reroutes warp power to the shields so that Picard can use the photon torpedoes to destroy the probe. After Barclay pulls a few more rabbits out of hats with just a wave of his hand, Crusher gives him another examination and finds there is a massive increase in Barclay's mental capabilities. For his part, Barclay becomes bored with his slow-minded crewmates and the inadequate interface with the control computer. So he goes to the holodeck and comes up with a contraption that allows him to interface with the computer directly, at which point he sends the Enterprise on a quick trip thirty thousand light years to the center of the galaxy while the crew stands by helplessly.

Plot contrivances away, this episode does a nice job of flipping Barclay and his relationships on their head and it is fun watching Picard and the others strip gears trying to deal with the new, improved Reg. Of course, there is a power far greater than us at work here, and what the far greater power giveth the far greater power can giveth away. In terms of finding out the answer to the mysterious change in Barclay, "The Nth Degree" provides a very satisfying conclusion, which is nice, because usually the payoff is not as good as the set up. Fortunately the writers never got around to milking Barclay's character as much as they did Q as we shall see in the next episode.

My "first contact"of STARTREK
A few years ago I watched this program by accident,sine I had become an enthusiastic trekker! A memorable work for me.

Barclay becomes superhuman!
Poor Barclay. He has a rough time fitting in with the Enterprise crew. But when he and Geordi are sent to investigate a mysterious probe, it attacks Barclay and transforms him into a superhuman, where he takes over the computer systems aboard the Enterprise. ... Read more

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Trek Meets "The Manchurian Candidate"
Like the 1960's classic film, "Mind's Eye" has one of the main characters programmed to assassinate a visiting Klingon governor. This is one of the rare occasions where the story line rests squarely on the shoulders of Geordi la Forge (Levar Burton). While it doesn't allow him much of a stretch, Burton does get such much-needed screen time in a show with seven principals. Veteran actor Larry Dobkin provides an air of respectability as a Klingon ambassador that may not be as he appears.

This installment of the series has the distinction of being one where the ominous, shadow-laden Romulan commander appears. Her identity when revealed will prove to be one the show's most memorable and surprising revelations.

Geordi La Forge, brainwashed Romulan assassin?
The Enterprise is taking a Klingon ambassador to investigate charges that the Federation is supporting a rebellion on one of the Klingon colony worlds. Meanwhile, in another part of space, La Forge is tooling around in a shuttle on when a Romulan ship uncloaks and takes him prisoner. The Romulans use La Forge's neural interface to brainwash him, feeding him the images they want and then sending him back to the Enterprise as a secret assassin. At the Klingon colony La Forge and Data discover that the "Federation" phaser rifles used by the rebels have been manufactured by the Romulans, a very impressive display of 23rd century investigative skills. The tension continues to escalate and as a host of Klingon warships surround the Enterprise, the true traitor orders La Forge to kill the commander of the Klingon colony.

"The Mind's Eye" is an average STNG episode, although certainly the idea of the bad guys using La Forge's visor is intriguing, as we see when the Duras sisters take advantage of it after capturing him in the Star Trek "Generations" movie. The character of Geordi La Forge was supposed to show how physical handicaps would not prevent someone from trekking around the Universe (Gene Roddenberry used the name of a real Star Trek fan who was, I believe, confined to a wheelchair) so usually his unique abilities are glossed over. This is one episode that actually takes some pains to deal with the implications of his visor. If they had done this more often they probably could have come up with a better episode along these lines.

Another Romulan story!
En route to the planet Risa, Geordi is kidnapped by Romulans who want to make the Klingons and the Federation bitter enemies. Rigging his visor to send his brain instructions to murder a prominent klingon, LaForge returns to the Enterprise unaware of the incident. Data senses E-band emissions aboard the ship, but will he stop Geordi in time? ... Read more

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Qte Show
Any episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation which features the wonderful John DeLancie as the mischievous Q and Jennifer Hetrick as Picard's "friend" Vash is bound to be excellent, and this definitely lived up to my expectations. Picard as Robin Hood! Data as Friar Tuck! Yes, an hour well spent!

Worf ........."I am not a Merry Man!"
As Worf said ..."I am not a Merry Man!" Q returns with Picard's former love, Vash. She spent some time with him in another episode about a artifact buried on Risa. This one has Q in the era of Robin Hood with ....You guessed it Picard as the swashbuckler Robin Hood. There are quite a few good scenes in this one that make it worth the price of the video. I love the scenes with Data as Little John. It's one of those that can stand repeated viewings and still be enjoyable. This one must have broke the budget for the year. The costumes and stunts were very much like a Robin Hood movie.

Q turns Picard into Robin Hood for some merry mayhem
This is far and away the least of the Q episodes in the long run of STNG. Picard is hosting an archeological conference aboard the Enterprise when who to his wandering eye should appear but Vash, whom we first met in "Captain's Holiday" (Episode 67). When Vash finds out the Captain never said anything about her to his crew she is a bit peeved, but Picard has bigger problems. Q arrives upon the scene and wants to give Picard a gift as payment for the Captain's help in "Deja Q" (Episode 61). Of course, Picard refuses, but Q is not deterred. Meanwhile, the friction increases between Vash and Picard because she feels he is embarrassed to be seen with her and he learns she showed up because she wants to do some illegal digging on the planet below. Q finds this all very amusing and warns Picard that being emotional over a woman only leads to tragedy. To prove his point Q waits until Picard begins his keynote address at the conference to turn his officers into characters from Robin Hood and then send them all off to Sherwood Forest. Of course, Picard is Robin, Vash is Maid Marion, held captive in Nottingham Castle where she will be executed the next morning unless she is rescued. Picard goes off to rescue her and the wackiness continues.

The title of this episode is a lot cuter than the episode. "Qpid" is one of those shows were you just have to put it off to the cast having fun (just think of Worf as a "Merry Man" wearing that little green hat). I guess not every adventure with Q can focus on the end of the galaxy as we know it. Certainly the conclusion of the episode reminds us there are no happy endings when Q is involved, although the old saying that two wrongs make a right somehow comes to mind. It would have been much more interesting to have Vash return without Q in terms of having fun with his awkwardness over her presence. This is not as much fun as when they make fun of Picard's romantic side when Lwaxana Troi is around, but I know my reflections are colored by the fact that two excellent but tragic episodes regarding the Captain's love life are coming down the road.

Merry Men
When the TNG writers add the beloved Q character into the mix, the very idea of taking anything too seriously is thrown out the window, including the oh-so-pensive Captain Picard. In this episode, the crew of the Enterprise trades in their ever-needing-to-be-strightened unforms for the feathered caps and earth-tone tights of Robin hood and his Merry Men. Much fun. Plus, Picard's unpredictable romatic-interest, Vash, is re-introduced. The Vash-Q combo manages to keep the entire Star-Trek menagerie on their toes making this one of the best episodes of The Next Generation. ... Read more

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New-school Trek meets old-school comedy in this lighthearted episode. The Enterprise comes to the aid of dashing, lovable rogue Captain Okona. Okona's easy wit charms the ladies of the crew and inspires Data to learn about the peculiar human trait of humor. Okona is soon in hot water as two different factions demand his surrender, while Data is up to his ears in shtick with the help of Guinan and a holodeck comic played by Joe Piscopo. Piscopo is given alarmingly free reign in defining what is funny, but it is Brent Spiner's playful illustrations of Data's poor comic touch that come off best. Also keep an eye out for a young Teri Hatcher in the transporter room, appropriately cast as an attractive crew member. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Data as Henny Youngman, "Take my Worf, please"
The lovable rogue is as much a fixture of human literature as the dauntless hero. Roaming the universe, charming and breaking hearts, falling into trouble and always managing to escape, they are also a type of hero. In this episode, the Enterprise encounters a disabled ship whose only occupant is Captain Okona, definitely a rogue. Upon beaming aboard the Enterprise with the damaged part, Okona immediately begins charming the crew. Loaded with sex appeal, many female crewmembers succumb to his charms.
All this is interrupted when a ship armed with only lasers arrives and demands that Okona be turned over as a criminal. Willing to fight the Enterprise to uphold their honor, the captain of the ship accuses Okona of impregnating his daughter. Soon after this, another ship with similar weaponry arrives and the captain of that ship also demands that Okona be turned over to him. His accusation is that Okona has stolen a national treasure.
According to Starfleet regulations, the only course of action open to Captain Picard is to release Okona and then ignore the consequences. However, Okona chooses to stand his ground and force the issue. It turns out that Okona is not guilty of any of the crimes he is accused of. He was simply a convenient target for people trying to hide their actions.
A concurrent thread in this episode is Data's attempt to understand human humor. Joe Piscopo guest stars as a holographic stand-up comic who tries to teach Data how to tell jokes. The scene where Piscopo tries to teach Data the classic Jerry Lewis funny teeth and lisp routine is hilarious. It is one of the funniest scenes in the entire TNG series. One of the other funniest moments in the TNG series is also in this episode. When accosted with the laser bearing ship, Picard deadpans to Riker, "In case we have to surrender to them." The smile on Riker's face is very well-acted. The episode closes with Data trying to be funny by telling jokes like, "Take my Worf, please."
This is one of the better episodes because the scenario is one that is believable and it is funny. Like those who first explored the surface of the Earth, most of the beings who will be the first traders and explorers in space will be rogues. This is independent of species and culture of origin.

By-the-numbers second season episode...
This episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" stands as the perfect example why second season just wasn't all that good. It's does everything it can to be the best episode it can possibly be, but in the end serves as a forgettable episode with a predictable story and not much in the way of action or suspense. Bill Campbell is great as Captain Okona, but is given too little screen time for him to develop his character. Too much screen time is given to Brent Spiner as Data, who is working with a holographic image of Joe Piscopo to learn how to be funny. There is a great scene with Guinan, but one gets the feeling the writers didn't have enough interesting things to do with the Okona plot that they spent half the episode with Data. Overall, it's not a particularly bad episode. It's actually pretty good. The problem lies in the lack of plot development.

So So!
Not the worst TNG episode, but not all that great either! I have liked some rogue type characters in TV shows, movies and books but this Okona is just too annoying, and the episode was kind of dull, definitely not one of the better more adventurous and thrilling episodes!

Piscopo saves the episode
William O. Campbell, who stars as the Outrageous Okona was almost cast as Riker in the Next Generation pilot. He went on to star in the Rocketeer by Disney. This episode he plays an interstellar scoundrel. A Han Solo in the Next Generation mold. He's involved with an on board conflict between two warring familles from different worlds. The real highlight in this episode is when Data meets Joe Piscopo on the Holodeck. Wanting to see if he can tell a joke; Piscopo shows him how to see humor in everyday life. It made an otherwise run of the mill episode much better. The B story on the holodeck saved the show.

An android walks into a bar without a sense of humor . . .
The Enterprise makes the mistake of resucing Captain Okona from his disabled cargo ship. The charming rogue makes a great impression on the crew until a pair of ships show up, with the captain of each demanding that Okona be turned over to them immediately. One claims that Okona fathered his daughter's child while the other charges him with theft of a priceless jewel. Ultimately this is just a story about two crazy kids in love. The more interesting part of the episode is the sub-plot with Data, who is unable to understand Okona's jokes. Data ends up turning to guidance from Guinan, who introduces him to a holodeck comic played by Joe Piscopo. This is an amusing but minor diversion, however it does represent one of the recurring story arcs that emerges in the second season of the Next Generation, namely Data's quest to become more human. In that regard it is an interesting link in the chain.

Speaking of interesting things, the character of Okona is played by William O. Campbell (a.k.a. Billy Campbell), who played Quincy in "Bram Stoker's Dracula," and who should not be confused with William Campbell who appeared in the original Star Trek as Trelane in "The Squire of Gothos" as well as Koloth in "The Trouble With Tribbles" (a role he reprised on Deep Space 9 in "Blood Oath), was married to Judith Exner the professed mistress of John F. Kennedy, and was reputed to be the imposter who replaced Paul McCartney in the Beatles during the infamous "Paul is Dead" joke played out by John Lennon. Fascinating , huh? You just cannot make this stuff up. ... Read more

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You know those aliens who give anal probes to rural farmers andperform cattle mutilations? Well, Earth is not the only focus of theirsurgical investigations, as the Enterprise is loath to discover. Asthe episode opens, Commander Riker has been having trouble sleeping. Rather,he's been falling asleep fine but waking up unrested. Soon others begin tofeel "off" in a similar way. Then Geordi somehow winds up with a foreignbacterial infection that interferes with his visor. The trouble is traced toa subspace rupture in cargo bay four. Expanding on the late-'80s phenomenonof recovered memories, a group therapy session on the holodeck reconstructsthe alien operating room that they all believe they've been taken to, givingthem comfort in knowing the alien violations are really happening. Meanwhile,the subspace rupture is expanding to the point where it may destroy theEnterprise, and they need to figure out a way to stop it. The ultimatemessage of this episode is that there are forces in the universe that we maynever understand, and it's more than likely that these forces are malevolent.Oh, and Data learns that poetry cannot be good or interesting if it's justtechnical formalism without emotional substance. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Schisms
I was searching for this episode for over a year. "Askme.com" gave me the title/episode number, and "Amazon.com" to purchase it. This was one of my favorite "Trek/NG". It was a haunting episode which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I've been around since Kirk. It's worthy of any collection.

Someone is doing weird science experiments on the crew
The Enterprise is busy mapping the Amagosa Diaspora when several of the crewmembers report unsettling visions to Counselor Troi. When she gathers Riker, La Forge and Worf on the holodeck, they are able to reconstruct an examination table that looks like something from a torture chamber. Meanwhile, in Cargo Bay 4 an area of subspace instability has suddenly appeared, and, as we all know, there are no coincidences in space...

The mystery part of "Schisms" is certainly an intriguing set-up, but the payoff is less than stellar. The scene when Dr. Crusher informs Riker than his arm is a teeny bit shorter because it had been amputated and reattached is where I start to lose it with this episode. What I do like about this episode, besides Troi getting to do her job with the bridge crew rather than some unknown person brought in just for a particular story, is that the ending is not a clean resolution. "Schisms" is certainly one of the darker STNG stories.

One of my favorites!
I love this episode because it combines your classic UFO abduction stories with Star Trek, to create a unique and exciting episode. Another thing I like about this episode is that it's probably the erriest one, especially (in my opinion, anyway) in the scene where the abductees recreate the alien craft on the holodeck. Star Trek fans will definitly get their money's worth!

one of the dumbest, most pointless STTNG episodes
This episode is a rather pointless exploration of alien abduction theories. All the suspense is contrived, and the episode never really goes anywhere, nor does it do anyhting experimental. It just sets up a situation, never resolves it, and never goes back to it later in the series. For UFO conspiracy buffs only, unless you're a completist. ... Read more

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This episode is devoted to giving background information and context forthe acerbic new chief medical officer, Dr. Katherine Pulaski (Diana Muldaur).When the Enterprise answers a distress call from the Lantree, a supply ship, they discover the crew has died ofa mysterious virus that caused them to age rapidly. They trace the ship back to the Darwin Research Station, where the disease is ravaging most of the population. The only ones it's not affecting are the children, who have been bred to resist all disease. Dr. Pulaski makes a leap of faith, believing the children are free of the disease, but Picard doesn't want to put his ship at risk, so Pulaski ends up examining the child on a shuttle. Well, she contracts the disease, and it has the effect of making her look more and more like former first lady Barbara Bush. It's up to the crew of the Enterprise to find a cure for this dreaded Barbara Bushdisease. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Genetic experimentation on children, I think not!
The Enterprise receives a distress signal from another Federation ship and when the Enterprise arrives, all the crew members are dead from old age. Given that many of the crew members were in their thirties, it is clear that an unusual disease broke out on the ship. The other Federation ship is placed in quarantine and the Enterprise proceeds to its last port of call, which is the Darwin Genetic Research Station.
Upon arrival, the Enterprise crew learns that the adults at the station are also infected, but the children are uninfected. The children were the experimental subjects of the station, being created with hyperactive immune systems that render them invulnerable to the disease. However, they could be carriers, so one is beamed up encased in plastic so that Dr. Pulaski can examine him. Unfortunately, she cannot solve the problem without removing the plastic, which she is finally allowed to do aboard a shuttle. She catches the aging disease, but does find out that it is the immune system of the genetically altered children that causes the disease. Dr. Pulaski is ultimately saved by being taken through the transporter and regenerated by using her old transporter pattern records.
This is a very weak episode, starting with the fact that genetic experimentation is being done on children. It seems impossible to believe that such experiments would be done on anyone, much less children. The "solution", restoring aged people back to their youth by taking them through the transporter is ridiculous and would render medicine obsolete. It also raises a logical impossibility. Since Dr. Pulaski is regenerated using an old pattern then her memories of the recent events would have been erased, as they could not have been in her personal transporter pattern. Of course they were not.

playing God has some bad consequences
The Enterprise receives a distress call from the U.S.S. Lantree, a limited armament cargo ship with a compliment of 26 men and women aboard. Suddenly communication stops, but the comlink is still open. The Enterprise cannot get the Lantree to re-transmit, so they race to the coordinates at Warp 7 only to find no life signs on the Lantree. Not knowing what is over there, they use the computer to gain access to the Lantree's main viewer to look at the bridge - as they zoom in to the faces of the dead crew, they see that they all appear to be in their late 80s and 90s, perhaps even older.

Dr. Polaski scans the bodies remotely to see that they have died of natural causes - old age. According to Starfleet records, the crew had just left a star base 3 weeks earlier, all in perfect health. One crew member was treated for a mild case of Thelusian flu, but otherwise, all were healthy.

According to the ship's log, their last stop was Darwin Station, a space station where the scientists play God by manipulating the DNA of their "children" so that 12 year olds look like normal adults in their 20s, fully developed, and they have telepathic and telekenetic powers as well. As the Enterprise approaches, the doctor at Darwin Station asks for help, as everyone (except the "children") has been infected with some disease that ages them rapidly. They believe they were infected by the people on the cargo ship, but Polaski & Picard tend to think the opposite is true.

Picard and Polaski get into a verbal war on regulations and policies as Polaski seeks to study one of the children and Picard maintains a deathgrip as the guardian of security for his ship. In a famous retort to Polaski, Picard states, "...and doctor, I never discourage input, but it would be nice if once in a while, you'd let me finish my sentences."

Picard caves in and let's Polaski beam one of the "children" onto a space shuttle with Data as pilot. Things go well for about 20 minutes, then suddenly Polaski experiences accute arthritic pain - the initial symptom of the debilitating disease. The Enterprise is in a pickle - it looks like even though the children are not infected, they are carriers - but their caretakers (or "parents") will be dead of old age in a matter of 2 or 3 days, and his chief medical officer is now infected as well.

With Data's help, Polaski finds the source of the illness, but is a cure in sight? Picard, Geordi and Data put their heads together with Chief O'Brien to come up with a scheme that just might save the day. O'Brien is now a more prominent character and Polaski gets less opinionated about Data's personhood. There are holes-a-plenty in the plot, but it is still enjoyable.

Deadly Years Part 2
In this one a virus spreads among a colony that ages everyone. Pulaski was the only one who caught this virus that's a variation of the original series episode "The Deadly Years." While not the same plot; the result is the same. Everyone gets to age fifty years overnight.

Picard's magic transporter brings back the old Dr. Pulaski
The Enterprise responds to a distress call from the Lantree and finds everyone in the crew dead, apparently from old age. Retracing the ship's route, the Enterprise discovers that the mysterious disease has already infected the staff at the Darwin Genetic Research Station. The head of the station wants Captain Picard to evacuate the children, who are the products of the station's genetic research but who do not appear to have been infected. Picard allows Dr. Pulaski to examine one of the children on a shuttlecraft, but within moments of contact the doctor has contracted the disease. Pulaski, an expert on viral propagation, goes aboard Darwin Station, although she has little hope of finding a cure before the disease claims her life. Meanwhile, Picard and his crew seek a way of saving her and all the others. In retrospect, this is the one episode from the second season-and therefore the entire series-that specifically focuses on Diana Muldaur's Kate Pulaski. I want to make some cute comments, but I can not top Andy's "Barbara Bush disease" idea (see above), but the title of this review is certainly tongue-in-cheek.

This particular episode has always fascinated me because of the tremendous implications of the solution for the Star Trek universe. Picard uses the transporter to filter out the genetic changes in Pulaski because of her coming into contact with the disease. Of course, there is a slight problem in that Dr. Pulaski usually shuns transporters and they are forced to track down her pattern. Finding an example of her "clean" genetic material is more easily solved. What immediately struck me is where do you logically stop once you have opened up this particular Pandora's box? What diseases can you not eliminate by this method? Can you restore amputated limbs or reverse the aging process? The transporter is now the most important medical tool in the entire galaxy. My one failed attempt at a Next Generation novel tried to follow up on all these interesting questions, with the sick and dying of the entire quadrant seeking a cure from Picard. It would seem to be that this approach has significant implications that would need to be studied, and which would ultimately providing a rationale for why Pulaski left the Enterprise. What can I say? I hate loose ends (and even WESLEY got a TWO official sendoffs). ... Read more

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Continuing the story line begun in episode 65, "Sins of the Father," "Reunion" treats us to more of the machinations of Klingon politics. Klingon ambassador K'Ehleyr (Suzie Plakson) boards the Enterprise to meet with Captain Picard and inform him that he is to meet with the Klingon high council leader K'Mpec. K'Mpec is dying, having been poisoned by one of the two rivals for his place, Duras and Gowron, and appoints Picard to oversee the succession once K'Mpec has died. Picard's main task is to discover K'Mpec's murderer and make sure that the murderer doesn't assume power. Meanwhile, K'Ehleyr turns out to be Worf's mate and has brought along their young son, which invokes Worf's dishonor from the earlier episode in which he is basically shunned by the High Council for his father's supposed collaboration with the Romulans. As we know (if we've been following along), it is Duras whose father was the traitor. And Duras is one of the contenders for leadership. Hmmm, which one is the murderer of K'Mpec, Duras or Gowron?

If this is any real mystery to anyone, there are numerous clues thrown in your way to implicate the real culprit, and no expectation goes thwarted. While this is a major flaw for admirers of suspense, there is plenty of the Klingons' native ferocity in evidence to supply excitement, especially in the splendidly fierce visage of Gowron (Robert O'Reilly) and the sultry voice of Suzie Plakson as K'Ehleyr. We also move one step closer to Worf's vindication, continued in the future two-part episode "Redemption." --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (3)

guess who's coming to dinner?
Half-human, half-Klingon ambassador, K'Ehleyr (Suzie Plakson) is back as her ship rendevous unexpectedly with the Enterprise. Leader of the Klingon High Council, K'Mpec is dying - a slow death by murder - someone has poisoned him. The two men up for succession as Leader are Gowron and Duras, and K'Mpec suspects that one of them is behind this cowardly act. K'Mpec pleads with Picard to find out who his murderer is so that a coward does not become the ruler of the Klingon Empire.

When K'Ehleyr beams on board, Worf is sent (reluctantly) to receive her in the transporter room. He is shocked to see a young (about 3 years old) boy beam aboard with her. Who is the father? Is it Worf? It has been almost 3 years since Worf & K'Ehleyr had their intimate moments on the Holodeck and later parted awkwardly.

It becomes clear that this young boy, Alexander, is indeed Worf's son. He is torn. Not only does he not feel like he is father material, he cannot claim the boy as his own, since Alexander will inherit his dishonor due to Worf's discommendation.

A suicide bomber of sorts, interrupts a meeting between Picard, Gowron & Duras. As it turns out, one of Duras's men had a Romulan-made detonator implanted in his body. As Picard's team continues the murder investigation, K'Ehleyr advises Picard on how to draw out the rite of succession as slowly as possible to avoid having a Romulan collaborator in leadership of the Klingon homeworld.

Duras, who is clearly behind a number of cowardly acts that are shameful to the Empire, is feeling the heat and seeks revenge by killing K'Ehleyr and Worf seeks revenge as is his rite within Klingon law.

Will he kill Duras? Will he raise Alexander? Who will lead the high council? The plot thickens and no one is really sure until the very end.

Worf has a hand in the question of the Klingon succession
"Reunion" brings together virtually every Klingon related plot-line on Star Trek: The Next Generation. A Klingon battle cruiser suddenly shows up with K'Mpec, the leader of the Klingon High Council and Worf's paramour, Ambassador K'Ehleyr. K'Mpec has been poisoned and wants Picard to be arbiter of the Klingon succession between the two aspiring leaders, Duras and Gowron, and find out which one of them killed the Chancellor. Meanwhile, not to be outdone, K'Ehlyer presents Worf with their son, Alexander, a by-product of their passionate encounter during "The Emissary" (Episode 46). K'Ehlyer presses for marriage, but Worf refuses because of his Discommendation ("Sins of the Father," Episode 65), although, of course, he will not tell her why he did what he did. K'Ehleyr undertakes her own investigation and learns the truth: that it was the father of Duras and not Worf's who was the traitor and Duras who poisoned K'Mpec. When an outraged K'Ehleyr confronts Duras, he kills her.

The producers might not have intended to have all these threads come together in this one episode, but "Reunion" certainly does a masterful job of bringing everything to a head. Few episodes in the history of the show have as many shocks as this one, combinging to bring Worf to the most pivotal moment in his life. With this episode the characterization of Worf becomes complete, giving actor Michael Dorn his greatest moments. From this point on you can never consider the Klingons to be the somewhat cartoonish enemies they were on the original series and the ramifications of what happenes in "Reunion" will last until the end of the series. A very impressive and important episode.

The Return of K'Ehlyr and Klingon Politics
In season two's "The Emissary", we are introduced to Ambassador K'Ehlyr, a half-Klingon, half-human Federation diplomat and former friend and lover of Lt. Worf. In season three's "Sins of the Father", we are introduced to Klingon politics and subterfuge and Worf is dishonored because of a crime his father supposedly committed. With season four, both plotlines come together in the intense and wonderfully constucted episode "Reunion".

The leader of the Klingon Empire, Chancellor K'mpec, is dying and decides that Captain Picard, in accordance with Klingon law, will choose the next leader of the Empire. Two Klingons council members are competing for the throne, Gowron and Duras (Duras previously had dishonored Worf by laying the blame of his father on to Worf's father). One problem: K'mpec has been slowly poisoned by either Duras or Gowron and wants Picard to find out which one has, ultimately, murdered him. Picard has Worf investigate. This puts Worf in an awkward position because, not only is he an outcast in Klingon society and Duras is the one who dishonored him, but his lover, K'Ehlyr (who is assisting Picard and the Federation in this diplomatic mess) just dropped a bombshell on Worf: She has a son by Worf and Worf won't acknowledge their son because he doesn't want his dishonor passed on. Whew! Did you get all that?

This makes for a fascinating episode filled with political intrigue and family dysfunction. The ending is a shocker and is quite bold on the part of Trek's creators and I give them kudos for their guts in writing and airing the episode's finale. I won't tell you what happens (you probably already know) but it is both heart-wrenching and, oddly, satisfying.

Great episode with great characters, both villainous and noble. What a story! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Trekking into "Lost in Space" Territory
It must be a sci-fi staple that aliens just love to possess us weak-minded earthlings. No less than five episodes of the 60's "Lost in Space" had a similar theme. Even the original Trek toyed with the idea itself - one of the most memorable episodes being the last, "Turnabout Intruder".

Obviously, it was time for ST: NG to have its shot at it and this one is a doozy. Three crew members (Troi, Data, and O'Brien) have their psyche shared by aliens intending on freeing thousands of their kinsmen (with the assistance of the Enterprise, of course).

While the credibility of the plot is stretched somewhat, the installment does allow Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, and Colm Meaney some time to chew the scenery. Many episode were devoted to "Data"; thus, "Deana" and "Miles" were highlighted, although not as their usual good-as-gold Federation officers.

Another case of possession by minds without bodies
The fifth season of STNG provided the cast with ample opportunities to show off their acting ability. In "Power Play" the Enterprise picks up a weak distress signal coming from a supposedly uninhabited moon. The signal is apparently from the USS Essex, a ship that disappeared over 200 years earlier. When Troi insists she senses life on the moon's surface, Picard has to investigate. However, there are intense magnetic storms on the moon, which force him to send down the away team of Riker, Troi and Data in a shuttlecraft. When the shuttle loses power on the way down, O'Brien risks a transporter trip to the moon's surface to set up pattern enhancers to get the away team back. However, right before the group transporters, little points of light enter the bodies of Data, Troi and O'Brien (Riker has a broken arm). Back aboard the Enterprise, the three try to take over the ship. When they fail to take over the bridge (the best scene in the episode), the trio end up taking hostages in Ten-Forward. Picard trades himself for the hostages who have been injured and in formed by Troi that "she" is Bryce Shumar, the captain of the Essex and demands the Enterprise search the southern pole of the moon for their remains so that their consciousnesses can rest.

"Power Play" is an odd choice of an episode to follow "Conundrum" in the STNG series, since the previous episode had a beam from an alien probe stripping the entire crew of their identities. Apparently Data, Troi and O'Brien have to go through the whole thing again the following week (it is the two times in a row that Data's positronic brain gets hijacked that bothers me the most). I also find it ironic that Marina Sirtis gets better scenes as Troi being possessed than she does when Deanna is in complete control of her mental faculties. With all that her brain gets put through on this series, you have to hope she is getting some counseling of her own. Ultimately, "Power Play" is an average episode for this series; we can trace the "beings without bodies have possessed key members and are not telling the whole truth about who they are and what they want" back to the original Star Trek series. We are also getting close to the point where Captain Picard needs to stop being so understanding and so compassionate. Where is Q when we need him?

Action-Packed Fun
In a season dominated by dull political episodes("Redemption Part II" and the major Spock let down), kiddie stories("Hero Worship", "New Ground" and the god awful "Imaginary Friend"), and sappy episodes like "I,Borg"(which ruined one of the greatest alien villains ever created), it's good to see TNG get back to it's action-packed,cheesy Sci-Fi roots. This episode is merely an action episode with a neat sci-fi twist; Criminal aliens have taken over the bodies of Data, Couseler Troi, and Transporter Chief O'brien, and they hold the ship hostage. They claim to be the "spirits" from the missing U.S.S. Essex but their ruthless antics betray them. The fun is watching the bridge crew try to outmenuever the aliens, and there is some juicy conflict between the criminal who possessed Data and Worf. "Power Play" features a tense and moody score by Jay Chataway(evocative of Ron Jones's fabulous TNG scores),and Director David Livingston imbues the episode with style and excitement. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

One of my favorites...
This episode is a wonderful mixture of scientific "technobabble", battling with moral and ethic issues, and character development. The initial premise of the crew having lost their memories was probably greeted with the reaction "sigh, another alien influence episode?" by many viewers. However, it exceeds these expectations and is well rounded.

When the entire crew has their memories erased, they are forced to cope with interacting with each other and reforming a command structure. The sudden appearance of a Commander Kieran MacDuff as Executive officer is coupled with the Enterprise's mission to destroy the Lysian command center, the base of the Federation's "mortal enemy". Picard and his crew must decide if their actions are justified and neccessary for peace.

Along with the amazingly cohesive and gripping A-plot, there is some charming character interaction as the crew struggles to form new friendships. Data and Geordi have a well-played scene in engineering as they wonder why he is the only android on board (the best line of the show is here, "You must have been one hell of a bartender" after seeing Data's speed). Riker is the little player in this episode, leading both Troi and Ro on, and having to face this embarrassment in the end. I thought it was very cute how Troi was able to remember Will out of everyone, but that's just me. :)

Overall, a very good episode, worthy of purchase.

Clever Plot, Good Acting
This is a well-written, thought-provoking episode, which was not something unusual in the fifth season