Series: Star Trek: TNG
Episode: 3.25 Transfigurations (6/17/1990)
Rating: 5/5
Redshirt Status: 0/.5/22
Notable Guest Stars:
Mark LaMura (John Doe)- He has a wide array of credits, including television and stage. He had a long term stay on All of my Children.
Julie Warner (Christy Henshaw)- She appeared in Tommy Boy, Puppet Masters, and Indian Summer which I might need to watch because the cast sounds amazing. She also appeared as this character earlier in the season.
Charlies Dennis (Sunad)- Dennis is a writer and actor, having started his career as an 8 year old. He even tried his hand as a film critic before moving onto TV, film and video games himself.
Review:
So this story has a main story and a sort of b story. The b story is entwined with the A plot so its not quite fully a secondary plot. But lets start with the main plot. Enterprise comes across a SOS beacon and responds to find a crashed escape pod with a man critically injured. Swift thinking by the medical team allows them to transfer the survivor to the Enterprise and save his life. This episode likes to show off the way medicine has improved over the centuries. “John Doe” is able to survive his crash, and for the most part not be left with too many lingering problems.
However they are faced with a mystery. He doesn’t know who he is, what happened nor why his cells are mutating quite quickly. Everyone on board is confused on the matter, especially when things get a bit more tense with the arrival of man named Sunad who clames John is a criminal on the run.
Plot B is that Geordi, having helped with the stabilization of John Doe has a sudden boost in confidence which shows in his work and his romantic life, much to the surprise of Worf who has all but given up on Geordi acting on his crush.
This episode marks one of the many times Worf gets criticially injured and either near death or dead when something brings him back. It seems to be habit with him. But luckily both Beverly and John are nearby to help him heal.
Overall this episode is good. I had to roll my eyes at the slight romance tone they tried to give it. I’m not sure why the writing team like to make the Doctors fall in love with their patients. Its not much of an issue here, as it isn’t obvertly romantic in tone, but they do have issues with it and Julian Bashir in Deep Space Nine. Also with The Doctor on Voyager, although only once and it was focused differently. Still, it’s a pattern I don’t really enjoy seeing.
I give this a 5/5. Its not particularly important to the overall arc of the show, but it’s a sound story and was well acted.
Interesting Notes:
- Written by Rene Echevarria (previously the author of “Offspring”
- Directed by Tom Benko
- Star Trek often tries to imagine what it would be to evolve into a higher form of humanity, often seeing it as becoming pure energy rather then being bond in a physical body. This is not the first episode nor the last that will cover the topic. It’s a popular trope in Scifi
- This episode sort of connects to the earlier episode “Booby Trap” in referencing the relationship between Geordi and Christy Henshaw. Apparently she’s changed her mind about being interested in him.
Pros:
- Interesting storyline
- The main character who gets to be focused on is not Data. I love Data, but it seems this last season has had a lot of Data episodes.
Cons:
- Why does it seem that Wesley, now an actual ensign, is seen less than when he was an acting ensign? Are they trying to wean us off having Wesley there since he leaves after this season? Or is this why Wil Wheaton decided it was time to go. I’ve gotten the impression that he was not having a particularly good time at this point.
- Dear Trek Writers: Find love interests for your medical personal outside the patient-doctor relationship please.
Screencap via CygnusX1.net
Sokorra Lewis 