Star Trek: The Next Generation: Clues (S4E14)
Comments: So the other day I watched the first 30 minutes of a three-hour long review on Star Trek Discovery and could not believe—even though I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes—that a television show could possibly be as bad as Discovery. For a moment I thought that maybe the problem wasn’t that Discovery should be legally classified as a war crime but rather that my basis of comparison was too high. Maybe, I thought, "classic Trek" wasn’t as good as I remembered. Maybe, I thought, if I were to watch a random episode of TNG I would realize it wasn't as good as I remember.
Well, it turns out I was wrong: TNG is actually a f—ing fantastic television show.
Okay, so the plot here is that the Enterprise encounters a space anomaly. There’s a burst of energy and everyone but Data is knocked unconscious (screenshot). The first act opens with Data explaining to the just-awakened crew that the space anomaly rendered them unconscious for 30 seconds but they good now. As the episode progresses, the crew discovers clues that lead them to believe they had been unconscious for much longer than 30 seconds (and almost an entire day) and therefore Data is lying. Upon being questioned, Data refuses to give a straight answer, only stressing that he’s not allowed to talk about it.
A core value of this show (and what makes Star Trek Star Trek to me) is its ability to elevate itself above simple entertainment and impart some valuable lessons or morals through the telling of a good story.
Practically, I gained a new perspective on the value of rehearsals, learned a lesson that I've already applied to my professional life, and found a valuable negotiation tool that I expect to make good use of.
There’s also a central theme of mysteries and the human inability to resist them. The execution of that idea (the episode’s plot) is both an illustrative portrayal of its theme as well as the theme in action itself: the crew is driven by their desire to resolve a mystery while the audience is driven from scene to scene as things start to add up, as more clues are discovered, as the mystery builds. That very immersion is direct evidence that the episode’s central theme is valid and true.
It’s just... ah, such good shit...
My enjoyment: 5/5