First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5, Episodes 13-15
The team continues Aaron's first-time watch of Star Trek with Next Generation episodes - The Masterpiece Society, Conundrum, and Power Play.
This batch gives us three very different stories: an attempt to explore the costs of a genetically engineered “perfect” society, a mystery that strips our characters of everything they know about themselves, and a good old-fashioned hostage situation.
This week, we get:
A genetically engineered “perfect” society
An Enterprise crew with no memories
Some very off-brand versions of characters we know and love
Another hostage situation
We covered:
The Masterpiece Society
Conundrum
Power Play
The Masterpiece Society
A “masterpiece” this was not.
There is an interesting thought experiment buried somewhere inside The Masterpiece Society. A colony has attempted to optimize its population through genetic engineering, carefully designing a society where everyone has a purpose and everything works exactly as intended.
The problem is that the episode never quite takes the idea as far as we wanted it to.
There is still plenty to discuss, though. What happens when a society optimized for stability encounters something it could never anticipate? Is adversity necessary for adaptation? Maybe necessity really is the mother of invention.
And then there is the Prime Directive.
Again.
Things we discussed:
The thought experiment the episode didn’t quite have
How the episode could have been great but just missed
Antifragility and the fragility of genetic “perfection”
Whether necessity is the mother of invention
Productivity, optimization, and tradeoffs
An interesting exploration with poor execution
What the actual answer is supposed to be
The Prime Directive — or not — or yes?
Conundrum
Conundrum is just a fun episode.
The Enterprise crew suddenly finds themselves without their memories. They know how to operate the ship and retain their skills, but they no longer know who they are, who anyone else is, or what they are supposed to be doing.
From there, the episode unfolds as a well-executed slow burn.
We eventually had a pretty good idea where things were heading, but that didn’t hurt the experience. Sometimes the journey is enough — especially when it means watching familiar characters interact without all of the relationships and expectations that normally define them.
Things we discussed:
Why this episode was so much fun
Mistakes that were made
The well-executed slow burn
Why everything just worked
Off-brand versions of familiar characters
Seeing where the episode was going but enjoying the ride anyway
Why familiar characters can carry a simple story
How far a phaser shot actually goes
Power Play
Power Play gives us another opportunity to watch familiar characters behave completely unlike themselves.
Troi, Data, and O’Brien become possessed by mysterious entities and take control of Ten Forward, turning the episode into a hostage story as Picard tries to figure out exactly what they want and how to stop them.
This may not be the greatest episode for Counselor Troi as a character, but it is a strong episode for Marina Sirtis, who gets the chance to play something significantly different from the Troi we normally see.
Also, Keiko must really like the wings.
Things we discussed:
More against-type, off-brand characters
Keiko and the wings
Troi versus Marina Sirtis
The episode as a hostage story
Final Thoughts
This batch ranges from an episode with a strong concept that never quite reaches its potential, to one of those deceptively simple Star Trek stories that works because we already care about the people involved.
The Masterpiece Society gives us plenty to think about even if the execution misses. Conundrum gives us characters we love and a story that matters. Power Play rounds things out with another opportunity to see some familiar faces play against type.
Where we are on our Trek:
Last week we covered:
Next week we will continue with:
If you want to see my journey from the very beginning, start here:
Also, be sure to check out Nate’s and my other podcast – The In Lap with Aaron and Nate – to listen to us discuss all things Formula 1 on race weekends, wherever you listen to your podcasts.