Welcome
back to Underrated Trek,where I take a special look at Star Trek
episodes that I love…which may not be the most popular or even liked by
most. For me, all I had to do was read the TV Guide description to know I
would love a certain episode. Today let’s discuss one such episode,
simply known as:
This is a gimmick episode, the gimmick being amnesia, but just because it’s a gimmick doesn’t mean it can’t be good. So, is it?
Plot Synopsis:
The Enterprise is investigating a new area of space when an unidentified vessel appears. The vessel causes a strange light which robs the crew of their memories. And they are unaware a new officer has mysteriously appeared.
The crew work to figure who they are and what they are doing out here. As they begin to discover tings like the their names, they also discover some odd things. Like that the Federation is at war with aliens called The Lysians. Commander MacDuff, the stranger, seems especially angry especially when he pushes Picard to kill a helpless ship.
As the Enterprise moves into alien territory Picard has more and more doubts, with Troi insisting things are not right. Finally they reach the central command, and when MacDuff tries to fire phasers despite Picard’s protests he is stunned by Riker and Worf. Turns out MacDuff was a member of an alien race actually at war with the Lysians.
Guest Stars:
Erich Anderson is MacDuff and he does a decent job, we can tell MacDuff has an agenda but its believable that the other can’t seem to catch on.
Episode Pro’s:
The best thing about the episode is that it lets our characters get shaken up a bit. That first act where they are figuring out what is going one is fantastic. The way they work together and trust each other. We see Worf assume command at first, before realizing what a fool he was and humbly apologizing to Picard. The way the two stare at each other through that sequence is clever acting, like deep down they know this is wrong. Data discussing what his origins may be is a clever nod to origins the creators didn’t use. Troi kinda remembering Riker makes sense. Picard wrestling with the moral dilemma of attacking people he’s never met is great, shows even without his memory he is still a moral person. And of course Riker and Ro. I’ll get back to them in the next section. This is the kind of episode that can only work if you know these characters really well. It’s also good to see Troi’s abilities useful for once.
It’s hard to buy that the Lysians could block personal knowledge without affecting skills, but that’s the least of the episode’s plot problems so I’ll let it go. The central command is a reused prop from a season one episode, but I love the shot of the Enterprise approaching it. Just beautiful music accompanying that scene. And the way that MacDuff is brought down is pretty badass, with Riker and Worf stunning him until he falls. There isn’t a lot action in this episode but I think the action we get is pretty decent. Not sure why MacDuff thought Worf would join his crusade, but what a fool he was.
Troi and Riker’s scenes were well done, we get the history between the two.
Episode Con’s:
The plot holes. Good lord the plot holes. We have to believe MacDuff came upon the Enterprise, scanned the ship and rewrote the computers, beamed over in the confusion (ok that one isn’t so bad), disguised himself in a uniform to blend in, and of course managed to wipe everyone’s memories in a flash of light. Oh and did a mention the ship he apparently self destructed? That is a LOT to take in. And even the episode acknowledges how ridiculous it is that the MacDuff could have all that power and still need the Enterprise. How Data was affected is never really made clear, or why he thought he was a bar tender. Why were we introduced to that woman in the bathing suit in the opener, she vanishes from the episode. And the biggest plot hole-why didn’t MacDuff make himself captain?? You could argue had no idea Picard would be such a pacifist but still! You think he could have made the crew do whatever the heck he wanted them to do.
And I’m sorry I hated the Riker/Ro stuff here. I hated it when I first saw the episode and I still hate it. I have nothing with giving these characters some interacting beyond yelling at each other, but his was a little to far. The idea that these two would jump into bed just because they had no memories of each other just irks me. And then at the end, even though Ro clearly seduced Riker, it’s Riker who is blamed and made to look the fool. Of course it is.
The ending felt a tad rushed, the problem is just suddenly resolved and we get that cute scene in Ten Forward. I don’t know, I would have liked a little more showing the crew getting there memories back or something.
Fast Forward Moment:
I often fast forward the Riker/Ro crap when I watch this episode. We know it’s gonna be undone so, who cares? To be fair without that stuff it's a very quick episode.
Final Thoughts:
This episode started out as something really cool, but kinda loses its steam toward the end. It doesn’t help we know who the villain is, we’re just waiting for the crew to figure it out. But that being said, the character stuff works and makes this an episode I love to re watch and re watch. As I said amnesia is a gimmick that’s been done to death even on Trek. I hate to say it but Voyager’s “Workforce” is a much better amnesia episo0e than this. For one thing it’s two parts, giving the episode more time to play out. Though this is better than the TOS amnesia show, “The Paradise Syndrome” which is so damn dull! Did DS9 have an amnesia show?
Plot Synopsis:
The Enterprise is investigating a new area of space when an unidentified vessel appears. The vessel causes a strange light which robs the crew of their memories. And they are unaware a new officer has mysteriously appeared.
The crew work to figure who they are and what they are doing out here. As they begin to discover tings like the their names, they also discover some odd things. Like that the Federation is at war with aliens called The Lysians. Commander MacDuff, the stranger, seems especially angry especially when he pushes Picard to kill a helpless ship.
As the Enterprise moves into alien territory Picard has more and more doubts, with Troi insisting things are not right. Finally they reach the central command, and when MacDuff tries to fire phasers despite Picard’s protests he is stunned by Riker and Worf. Turns out MacDuff was a member of an alien race actually at war with the Lysians.
Guest Stars:
Erich Anderson is MacDuff and he does a decent job, we can tell MacDuff has an agenda but its believable that the other can’t seem to catch on.
Episode Pro’s:
The best thing about the episode is that it lets our characters get shaken up a bit. That first act where they are figuring out what is going one is fantastic. The way they work together and trust each other. We see Worf assume command at first, before realizing what a fool he was and humbly apologizing to Picard. The way the two stare at each other through that sequence is clever acting, like deep down they know this is wrong. Data discussing what his origins may be is a clever nod to origins the creators didn’t use. Troi kinda remembering Riker makes sense. Picard wrestling with the moral dilemma of attacking people he’s never met is great, shows even without his memory he is still a moral person. And of course Riker and Ro. I’ll get back to them in the next section. This is the kind of episode that can only work if you know these characters really well. It’s also good to see Troi’s abilities useful for once.
It’s hard to buy that the Lysians could block personal knowledge without affecting skills, but that’s the least of the episode’s plot problems so I’ll let it go. The central command is a reused prop from a season one episode, but I love the shot of the Enterprise approaching it. Just beautiful music accompanying that scene. And the way that MacDuff is brought down is pretty badass, with Riker and Worf stunning him until he falls. There isn’t a lot action in this episode but I think the action we get is pretty decent. Not sure why MacDuff thought Worf would join his crusade, but what a fool he was.
Troi and Riker’s scenes were well done, we get the history between the two.
Episode Con’s:
The plot holes. Good lord the plot holes. We have to believe MacDuff came upon the Enterprise, scanned the ship and rewrote the computers, beamed over in the confusion (ok that one isn’t so bad), disguised himself in a uniform to blend in, and of course managed to wipe everyone’s memories in a flash of light. Oh and did a mention the ship he apparently self destructed? That is a LOT to take in. And even the episode acknowledges how ridiculous it is that the MacDuff could have all that power and still need the Enterprise. How Data was affected is never really made clear, or why he thought he was a bar tender. Why were we introduced to that woman in the bathing suit in the opener, she vanishes from the episode. And the biggest plot hole-why didn’t MacDuff make himself captain?? You could argue had no idea Picard would be such a pacifist but still! You think he could have made the crew do whatever the heck he wanted them to do.
And I’m sorry I hated the Riker/Ro stuff here. I hated it when I first saw the episode and I still hate it. I have nothing with giving these characters some interacting beyond yelling at each other, but his was a little to far. The idea that these two would jump into bed just because they had no memories of each other just irks me. And then at the end, even though Ro clearly seduced Riker, it’s Riker who is blamed and made to look the fool. Of course it is.
The ending felt a tad rushed, the problem is just suddenly resolved and we get that cute scene in Ten Forward. I don’t know, I would have liked a little more showing the crew getting there memories back or something.
Fast Forward Moment:
I often fast forward the Riker/Ro crap when I watch this episode. We know it’s gonna be undone so, who cares? To be fair without that stuff it's a very quick episode.
Final Thoughts:
This episode started out as something really cool, but kinda loses its steam toward the end. It doesn’t help we know who the villain is, we’re just waiting for the crew to figure it out. But that being said, the character stuff works and makes this an episode I love to re watch and re watch. As I said amnesia is a gimmick that’s been done to death even on Trek. I hate to say it but Voyager’s “Workforce” is a much better amnesia episo0e than this. For one thing it’s two parts, giving the episode more time to play out. Though this is better than the TOS amnesia show, “The Paradise Syndrome” which is so damn dull! Did DS9 have an amnesia show?
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