May 27th, 1991, "The Mind's Eye"
Fiver by Kira
The Episode
LAFORGE: How about a game, computer?
COMPUTER: Please restate request.
LAFORGE: Something to pass the time, you know, a diversion.
I'm irked at this exchange. I'll forgive the lack of traditional computer games in the NextGen era, remember that in 1991 we were still in the 16-bit era. But Geordi should've prepared a game or movie for this trip. We've seen short shuttle trips before, even Picard brought a book to read.
Captain's log, stardate 44891.6. The Enterprise has been ordered to accompany a special emissary from the Klingon High Council to the Kriosian System, where one of their colonies is fighting for independence.
Geordi was abducted on 44885.5. That was two days ago. Geordi was expected on Risa three hours after his entry. Wouldn't it be standard operating procedure for Geordi to inform Risa that he was coming, and for Risa to inform the Enterprise when he doesn't arrive on time?
I'm irked whenever the writers act like there wouldn't be thousands of transmissions coming into and going out of the Enterprise on a daily basis. This is another thing that DS9 got right!
KELL: There was a time when the Empire would crush a rebellion. Now it is tolerated. We have enough problems on the home planet. We don't wish to divert resources to such a trivial war.
PICARD: You're prepared to grant them independence?
KELL: Perhaps. We'll conquer them again later, if we wish.
It's sad when we learn more about the Klingons in episodes that don't have the spare time to devote the needed attention to it. So interesting topics are brought up only to be shoved aside immediately. And the stupid thing is that we don't learn more about the Romulans either, both sides are dumbed down to make room for less interesting stuff elsewhere.
KELL: It was my decision to invite you to accompany me, Captain. Many on the Council have great respect for you.
Many, but not all. Even if the Duras faction no longer has access to the High Council, only a fool would think that everyone else is pro-Gowron or pro-Federation.
PICARD: Indeed. Ambassador, I will ask our Chief Security officer, Lieutenant Worf, to make a report
KELL: Captain, Worf's discommendation makes that very awkward. If I could work with one of the other security officers
PICARD: Lieutenant Worf is my Chief of Security and my tactical officer. This matter clearly falls within his jurisdiction.
KELL: As you wish.
Sometimes the level of continuity nods in TNG makes you feel sad for the potential that Voyager had and never used because the creators were cowards. There, I said it.
WOMAN: Will there be any physical evidence of what you are doing to him?
(hmm that voice sounds familiar)
Ugh, just call her Sela! Only Trek fans would be reading this transcript anyway.
KELL: There have been two rebel attacks on neutral freighters. One a Ferengi, the other Cardassian.
What are Cardassian freighters doing in Federation space?
KELL: The actinides in the asteroids provide positive protection against our sensors.
The actinides are the elements from 89 to 103, all radioactive. I get irked whenever conventional radiation blocks anything in the 24th century, that's absolutely ridiculous.
WORF: Captain Picard does not lie. If he says there is no Federation assistance to the rebels, there is none.
KELL: Good. Because I risked my own reputation and honour coming to Picard.
Section 31 aside, we've seen other operations unknown to the flagship captain. All Picard can guarantee that he personally knows nothing about Federation assistance.
KELL: There are some members of the High Council who would thank you, Worf.
WORF: Thank me?
KELL: For killing Duras. No doubt that had he lived, one day he would ascended to head the Council. Many were not looking forward to that.
An interesting question. If Worf hadn't have killed Duras, would Picard have seriously given him control over the Empire? Didn't they have evidence of Duras's collusion with the Romulans even back then?
WORF: My motives were personal, not political.
KELL: Motives? Who cares for motives? Humans perhaps.
Ha! Klingons don't act based on motives, what a concept. Is there a single race in Trek who doesn't act based on motives?
TROI: You had a good time.
LAFORGE: Does it show?
TROI: You're more relaxed than I've ever seen you.
I'm disturbed that Troi can't tell between different forms of relaxation. There are times when you really wish that she was a full telepath.
VAGH: This is the only Klingon colony on the border of Federation space. You cannot deny that Starfleet would be happy to see Krios gain its independence. It would reduce your vulnerability to an attack.
This whole thing is ridiculous. The portion of the Federation-Klingon border occupied by a single colony is so small that it's ridiculous. Furthermore, the military in this system is no match for the Federation.
Plus, and let's be real here, any attempt by the Federation to occupy Klingon space would only leave it vulnerable to Romulan attack. And we're not even talking about a Klingon/Federation war, just occupying Klingon space bit by bit is an expenditure that the Federation can't afford after the Borg invasion. Add in the tenuous state of the treaty with the Cardassians and you have a Federation willing to do anything to avoid war, including encouraging Klingon civil war. The more the Romulans upset the balance in the Klingon empire, the more possible it is for the Romulans to sneak attack from within Klingon territory.
And people wonder why Voyager and Enterprise did so much worse than TNG...
PICARD: Governor, you speak as if we are enemies, not allies.
VAGH: And you speak the lies of a taar'chek.
PICARD: Qu'vath guy'cha b'aka.
KELL: Gentlemen.
VAGH: You swear well, Picard. You must have Klingon blood in your veins.
We don't really know what they said, I'm surprised Marc Okrand never attached a meaning to this exchange.
I'm reminded of when General Chang claimed that Kirk was part Klingon and thus an exception to the traditional wisdom that all humans were cowards.
LAFORGE: The Romulans. They fashioned a perfect Federation rifle but they had to charge it from their energy sources. So the discharge crystal and the emission beam pattern correspond to those you'd find in a Romulan disrupter.
I'm dubious at this. First, that the Romulans don't have any captured Federation tech around to charge a phaser. Second, that they couldn't buy Federation phaser crystals from the Ferengi or Orions. Third, that you could even make a phaser duplicate act like a disrupter. Why make a counterfeit rifle this good, only to make the beam so obviously wrong?
PICARD: Do you know which transporter was used?
LAFORGE: I'm not sure, Captain. Whoever did it apparently used the planetary array to bypass the transport sensors.
Yeah, that's nonsense. I'm not in the mood to even create appropriate Treknobabble in this case.
DATA: The primary plasma system does not indicate a power drain from any of the transporters.
LAFORGE: Then whoever used the transporter must have bypassed the primary feeds.
DATA: Tracking power from secondary systems. No surges to any of the transporters indicated.
Ugh, making the transporter work from a battery would be child's play compared with making a disrupter look like a phaser.
CRUSHER: What about your visor? Has it been giving you any problems lately?
LAFORGE: Nothing out of the ordinary.
CRUSHER: All the same, it might be a good idea to have it examined when we get to Starbase thirty six next month.
LAFORGE: Okay.
Considering that LaForge is one of the only people with one of this model of VISOR, shouldn't the Enterprise already have whatever tech is necessary for a full diagnostic? What makes Starbase 36 so special?
DATA: Computer, scan the shuttle's structural integrity.
COMPUTER: Sub-microscopic deformations are present in the nose section and aft thrusters.
DATA: Probable cause of these variations?
COMPUTER: The shuttle has been subjected to stress consistent with a tractor beam.
And the computer didn't say that up-front...because?
The Fiver
La Forge: There...are...four...lights!
Taibak: I haven't started the interrogation yet, you wuss. I'm just looking for the play button...ah, here it is.
La Forge: What the...Aaaaaaaaa! Make it stop!
Taibak: And after "Angel One," we're going to make you watch "Shades of Gray."
You monster!
Taibak: You must kill Chief O'Brien.
La Forge: But I like Chief O'Brien. He's a recurring character, which makes for really good continuity.
Taibak: Pretend he's Wesley Crusher.
La Forge: DIE! DIE! DIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!
I'm unsure about this one, Geordi seemed to like Wesley. I'd have used Barclay or Sonia Gomez instead.
Memory Alpha
* First appearance of Sela, but Denise Crosby only did the voice. I get the foreshadowing, but the problem is that it's never paid off. Geordi never recognizes her later from this episode.
* The appearance of the planet Krios changed between "The Perfect Mate" and here. You'd think they could use stock footage.
* First appearance of the 24th century phaser rifle.
Nitpicker's Guide
* Why is Geordi doing a three-hour trip at sublight speeds?
* If the Klingons occupy Krios, how can Krios be at war with Valt?
* Why didn't the investigators find Geordi's fingerprints on the weapons that he beamed down?