Series: Star Trek The Next Generation
Episode: 1.15 11001001 (02-1-88)
Rating: 4/5
Redshirt Status: 0/1
Notable Guest Stars:
Carolyn McCormick – Minuet. She is known for her role on Law & Order as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet
Gene Dynarski – Orfil Quinteros. He was involved with Close Encounters of the Third Kind playing the role of Joseph Stalin. He also appeared in the Star Trek first season episode Mudd’s Women. He also appeared in The Mark of Gideon.
Jack Sheldon – Piano Player
Review:
This episode is one of the better ones of Season One. The Enterprise has returned to a Starbase for updates and repairs after half a year of service. A pair of Bynars, a species of computer-inhanced people, have come onboard to update the computers. However they have an agenda.
The Bynar system is failing because of their computer. They steal the Enterprise to use the computer to upload their computer till they can reset the computer on their planet. To do this they stage a failure in the warp core, causing Data to order an evacuation. Everyone evacuates other then Picard and Riker, who are kept distracted and apart via a specially programmed holodeck program.
Riker continues his interest in highly intelligent brunettes and starts to fall for Minuet, the woman programed by the Bynars to distract him and Picard. Picard himself finds her charming. However it doesn’t take them long to figure out she’s not just any hologram.
I have to wonder where Deanna Troi was during all of this. Perhaps to make the plot line run smoother. She is telepathically connected to Will Riker, so I imagine she’d be able to feel him on the ship. She probably would have also felt something shifty with the Bynars.
I’m also still of the opinion that Riker’s sudden dating involvement is a reaction to Haven. Which is the episode where Deanna basically tells him they aren’t going to happen and he has to deal with it. But I’m also a shipper, and someone who knows how this all ends so…maybe this bit of insight into this episode is not as correct as others. I know the actors played the ship up, but not necessarily the writers.
I also find it interesting that not a single person was in charge of engineering. Surely there would be Starbase personal if nothing else.
Interesting Notes:
- Written by Haurice Hurley and Robert Lewin
- Directed by Paul Lynch
- This episode establishes that there are 42 decks, and at least 20 transporters.
- Picard speaks French!
- Originally this was meant to air before “The Long Goodbye” with the modications being what caused the problems with the Holodeck. Instead, it takes place afterwards so they are fixing it instead.
- This episode establishes Data being the third officer, and having the ability to call for an evacuation without the Captain or first officer commanding it.
- This episode reuses film from Star Trek:The Search for Spock
Pros:
- Character development for Data, Picard and Riker.
- Alien make-up is pretty good
Cons:
- I’m not entirely sure that Riker’s joke isn’t a bit ablest.
- Where is Troi?!?
- Either Wesley needs to stop shopping alone or Beverly needs to stop shopping for her son alone. He has year round ugly sweaters.
Sokorra Lewis 