Yeah it’s basically a text book disaster movie in space. So then what makes it work? A few things actually.
Plot Synopsis:
It’s a quiet time on the Enterprise when suddenly a quantum filament strikes the ship, and causes a disaster.
Picard is trapped in a turbo-lift with three small children. Riker and Data need to find a way to Engineering to get the ship under control. Worf is in Ten-Forward when Keiko goes into labor. Crusher and LaForge are trapped in a Cargo Bay with a plasma fire. And on the Bridge Troi is in command while arguing with Ro about when to separate the ship and abandon several people.
Despite a broken ankle, Picard helps the three children up the damaged lift and out to safety. When Data sacrifices his body to stop an electric current, Riker takes his head to Engineering. Crusher and LaForge manage to get the plasma fire out, and Worf drivers the baby. On the Bridge they wait till the last second for someone to see the problem with the warp core and fix it, which Riker and Data finally do.
Guest Stars:
One of the children is Erika Flores, before Dr.Qunn Medicine Woman
Episode Pro’s:
I had missed the episode “Ensign Ro” so when I first saw this I had no idea who this woman crawling out of the turbo-lift was. But I caught and on and liked Ro, it was nice to have a character who could be a bit of an aggravation. I think she got everyone’s case at some point. It’s obvious O’Brien doesn’t tryst Ro and maneuvers Troi into command since in reality Ro should be. Just because Troi has the rank doesn’t mean she has any experience, as she demonstrates in the episode. But I like how Troi steps up here, and considering how cold blooded Ro acted maybe O’Brien made the right call. And c’mon that scene of Troi sitting Picard’s chair was soooo badass.
The big hook with this episode is that everyone is in a situation that they are not well suited to handle. The only one pushing it a bit is Picard’s story, but the Enterprise does have kids on it. If not the story would have been really far fetched. The story kind of putters out but we got some nice interactions between him and the kids. Worf having to deliver Keiko’s baby is delightfully done, and I’m glad they didn’t make Worf a total idiot like a lot of shows will do with this setup. Laforge and Crusher’s is the most forced, but it still works I guess. Riker and Data’s story is kind of lame, you almost forget they’re in the episode, but they end up saving the day so it works out.
The funny thing is that while this episode has a bunch of story lines, at the same not very much happens in it. Each character has a problem, and they resolve it. End of episode. What makes it work are the characters themselves, interacting off each other. The best of course is Troi and Ro butting heads. But we get some nice scenes between the others, like Riker having to take Data’s head with him and while the story was kind of weak it was nice to see Crusher and LaForge interacting since they very rarely seem to on this show.
Episode Con’s:
The cause of the disaster is not really explained. They give a techno babble reason concerning a Quantum Filament which I never understood. I guess it’s a burst of energy which has no mass, so the ship didn’t detect it? All we know is that it’s really dangerous, and not a Cosmic String (which Troi struggled to compare it to). I don’t know if someone out there and fill me in that would be great.
I get they needed conflict in the story but how many chances to explode did the Enterprise encounter in this one? And what would have happened if Crusher and LaForge hadn’t happened to be in the cargo bay (which is one element that makes no sense to be honest. Ok she’s trying to get him to be in her play but why bother him there?). And why was communications down for the whole show? I also wish the stories had tied together a little better, the closest we get is how Data and Riker’s story ties into the argument between Troi and Ro on the Bridge.
As far the kids go, only Erika Flores’s character was good. It’s no surprise she’d have a good career afterwards. The two boys were awful and dull. And it’s no surprise that neither pursued acting afterwards. The real victim in this was Lt Monroe. In order for Troi to get command Monroe, the officer who was supposed to be in command, was killed by one of those faulty exploding panels. That seemed harsh, wouldn’t incapacitated be enough?
And I would have liked a more complete ending. Yeah we see the kids thank Picard and that Data is whole, but a scene showing O’Brien seeing his baby for the first time would have been nice.
Fast Forward Moment:
At one point while trapped in the Cargo Bay Crusher and LaForge decide to move the canisters away from the plasma fire so they wouldn’t overheat and explode as fast. In truth this just kept their story going a little longer, since there solution makes their moving the things kind of pointless. And yes surviving the depressurized cargo bar is far fetched.
Final Thoughts:I think if it had more weight it may be more memorable, but for what it is it’s an enjoyable hour. It may have been a better DS9 episode. Hey, wasn’t there an episode of DS9 similar to this? Hmmm…….
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