These Are the Porridges of the Starship Enterprise

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) [85]

Commentary by episode; that's how the stories are divvied up, as opposed to Deep Space Nine which contained much more large-scale plots and subplots with characters who have ulterior motives and ulterior ulterior motives.

Code of Honor (1.03) I had a good laugh when I looked up this episode on some sort of The Next Generation wiki and noticed that people viewed it with general disdain and had summarily dismissed it as "racist" without offering a cogent reason as to why. Naturally no mention was made as to the actual meaning of the episode, despite how the word "honor" is very carefully chosen in its use during the episode. So even if you haven't yet figured out precisely what the episode is saying about honor, you at least know where to begin your search.

In Code of Honor, the Enterprise visits an unfamiliar alien world. They are the only known source of a chemical that is a vaccine to a disease devastating some Federation colonies, and this chemical cannot be synthesized or created in any other manner. Picard opens diplomatic relations with the leader and things go smoothly. The leader of the alien race visits the Enterprise and is very impressed. His people are not as technologically advanced as the Federation. We also learn that their society has many rules and customs, and that citizens are deemed honorable when they adhere to them. The alien leader is impressed with Tasha - his society is patriarchal while on the Enterprise a person of either gender can hold a position provided he or she has the merit. As the alien leader teleports back to his home, he grabs Tasha and is gone. They do not respond to the Enterprise's warning shots or threats. After research Data learns that this display was not meant as a hostile action. Rather, the goal was to show bravery in the face of a superior foe, and to gain honor when such a foe acknowledges the bravery. Picard says something to this effect, and friendly negotiations resume. The cultures decide to have a dinner banquet that evening to retrieve Tasha. (It is noteworthy that the Enterprise must act according to the strict customs of the aliens otherwise they will not be given the vaccine.)

Things begin to turn sour when spontaneously at the banquet, the alien leader finds that he is attracted to Tasha and does not want to give her up. He offers her a position as his first wife. This would demote his current first wife, who according to their customs challenges Tasha to a duel. Picard intervenes, but has no choice but to allow the duel or they will not acquire the vaccine. Tasha has Starfleet training so she is confident in her ability to fight. Picard talks to the alien leader and we discover something crucial about their law. On the alien world, women own property while men control and manage it. When a first wife dies, the man's second wife gains the property. (Or his new wife later.) Thus we realize that the alien leader's selfish desire to add another wife to his roster at the expense of another has a favorable outcome for him, regardless of who wins the duel. But the alien does not see his act as overt selfishness. It is simply the law of the land, and he gains honor either way as long as the rules are followed.

At this point the Enterprise plays a trick on the aliens. Tasha indeed wins her duel. The two women fight with posion-tipped gloves, and after the hit, Tasha and the alien's wife beam back to the Enterprise where Dr. Crusher administers the antidote to the wife. Baffled, the alien leader comes aboard demanding to know what happened. The Enterprise states that via their technology they brought the wife back from the dead. The alien leader is skeptical but does not wish to test the process himself. And this spells bad news for him. Because his wife died, their mating agreement died with her. But because she returns alive, she maintains control of her land. This robs the alien leader of all his authority. His wife takes a new husband and accepts him only as an alternate husband. Tasha makes a remark recognizing how much the alien leader lost in this transaction. He straightens up and projects affected satisfaction, saying "I still have my honor." This is the point we realize that honor is itself a manufactured social construct designed to provide justification for members of society to play by the rules of a game that is clearly rigged. Only through higher powers do the unjust receive what they deserve.

Q returns in Hide and Q (1.09) to unleash more mind games upon the Enterprise. He interrupts their rescue mission to subject them to a series of trials to see whether they can adapt and survive. He begins with simple war games but things grow more complex. When Tasha refuses to play the game at all, Q sends her into a "penalty box" back on the Enterprise. He explains that if anyone else commits any infractions they will also be sent to the box. However, the box can only hold one person, so that person would occupy the space, removing Tasha from existence. Picard solves this problem when he demonstrates to Q the willingness to assist and comfort those of lower status. Q does not comprehend the compassion but accepts that it must be part of the human mystique he does not understand.

In fact, Q doesn't understand the entire way of thinking that drives humanity to excel, grow, and change. His species is already perfect, with the ability to do anything, from manipulating time to preserving or destroying life. But he is worried if humans continue to improve at their exponential rate, his continuum may one day have competition. Thus he offers a compromise to Riker; receive the powers of the Q, but join the continuum so that they may observe how his behavior affects them. Q makes a wager with Picard that Riker will be unable to refuse the powers of the Q. Q then puts Riker into several situations where he must use the power to save lives.

When the Enterprise crew completes their rescue mission and returns to the bridge, they meet to determine how things should change with Riker and his new abilities. Some of the crew despise his powers because they despise the entity that bestowed them. Picard is worried about how the incredible abilities will affect Riker's behavior, but Riker remains unconcerned. He dismisses the old adage that power corrupts because he can use his powers responsibly, to preserve life and create happiness. Q returns at this moment when Riker offers to use the powers to give the bridge crew things they have always wanted. Picard agrees to this display because he understands even with powers Riker cannot overcome the fundamental human equation: humans thrive during times of challenge, when needs outweigh abilities, and collapse from complacency, when their abilities exceed their needs. Riker attempts to grant several members of the crew what they desire most, but they unilaterally refuse because they do not derive satisfaction from simply receiving their objectives, but from earning them. The wisdom is that humanity's identity is inseparable from its imperfection.

When the Bough Breaks (1.16) is not intimately layered but nevertheless a clever parable. The Enterprise is led to a planet with wondrous technology including a planet-wide shield and cloak as well as a computer guardian that handles all day-to-day living necessities. These devices were created millennia ago and the planet's current generations do not understand how they work, but only that they do. For reasons they suspect are genetic, the residents have also become sterile. The literal problem is also a figurative one; their society is at risk of ruination because they have grown complacent - what they have is adequate so there is no need to understand or question it. The unwinding that occurs at the end is that the people must abandon the technology because it is the source of the sterility. Society's lifeline is its desire for self improvement.

I'm going to pull an Armond White and say Home Soil (1.17) better than the popular Measure of a Man (2.09). The idea of the two episodes are similar - they define individual life as being able to think for one's self, rather than simply organic / inorganic - except Home Soil opts for slow-boil mystery while Measure of a Man adopts the Dramatic Courtroom trope. Furthermore Home Soil has broader implications; a tale about a group of terraformers resurfacing a planet that houses inorganic life forms who fight back against them, the episode understands that mankind's inability to adapt ideologies it takes for granted is the quickest way to find yourself at the wrong end of a laser cannon.

A Matter of Honor (2.08) is a low-key episode where Riker accepts an assignment on board a Klingon ship as part of Starfleet's officer exchange program. At the same time, an alien officer from a different species temporarily takes an ensign position on the Enterprise. The goal of the episode is to contrast motivation and values across both races.

The introduction to the episode foreshadows the ideas that are to follow. Riker and the Enterprise arrive at a star base to pick up new crew members, and the routine exchange is handled promptly and matter-of-factly, as Riker issues orders down the chain of command. The new alien officer who comes aboard the Enterprise is a Benzite and not accustom to multi-layered management; he irks Riker from the start by addressing Riker directly, outside the chain of command. (Later Picard makes it known that he must use the chain of command regardless of the situation, unless directly told otherwise by a superior officer.) The chain of command is a process that filters all communication so that only the most urgent issues reach the top; likewise, the top can issue general orders that middle-ranked officers then tailor to their specific areas. However, Picard understands that humans are not motivated by the chain of command. This is demonstrated in the following scene when Picard first mentions the exchange program to Riker in the phaser range. He does not thrust the assignment upon him as an order; instead he coyly explains it, suspecting that Riker will request the job himself. The two volley back and forth with their words before Riker must come out and volunteer for the mission. Humans are often more accepting of tasks they voluntarily choose than those that are assigned to them.

Before Riker transfers to the Klingon ship, Worf hands him a portable rescue beacon. Riker asks if the gesture was intended as sentiment. Worf responds that it is merely efficiency. This foreshadows the Klingon's indirect emotion; they prefer to act, and have the result of the action speak for itself as to the emotion of the bearer. (This is counterpoint to the Benzite, who babbles to Riker about his good intentions the moment they meet.)

Riker is concerned about a process that occurs on Klingon ships called the weakening. It is a practice that promotes survival of the fittest; a subordinate may fight and kill his direct superior officer and replace him, provided that his behavior is inadequate. Riker assumes the same role on the Klingon ship as the Enterprise - second in command - meaning he has a captain he must observe for weakness, as well as himself, since the second officer will be observing him for the same symptoms.

Almost immediately Riker escalates things to physical altercation between himself and the second officer aboard the Klingon ship. He puts the man in line, and the second officer is satisfied; the chain of command is very motivating to the Klingons as long as they observe the prowess of their commanders.

During dinner the second officer explains to Riker a bit about his family and history. He mentions that his father was captured in a battle with the Romulans (rather than dying with honor in that battle) and has since escaped with his life, returning to the Klingon homeworld where he simply rests - battered, dispirited and awaiting death. Riker is surprised that the Klingon states that he detests his father now, and will not comfort or reassure him. "Klingons do not express feelings the same as you." This solidifies the Klingon nature of emotion; the second officer himself acts as an example for his wayward father. His desire for his father to return to glory is shown through his behavior.

It turns out that a space organism that corrodes metal has gone unnoticed and attached itself to the Klingon ship. The organism also spread to the Enterprise when the two ships met to transfer Riker. The alien exchange ensign on the Enterprise was in the position to notice the organism, but did not bring it to anyone's attention because in his culture it would be improper to introduce a problem without also offering an explanation and solution. The Klingon captain discovers the corrosion and suspects the Enterprise is responsible because their records show the Enterprise scanned that area of their ship, yet Picard did not alert them to its presence. They prepare for combat with the Enterprise, who doubles back in an attempt to alert them of the problem when they diagnosed it on their own ship.

Riker understands the miscommunication but cannot convince the Klingon captain of the Enterprise's virtuous intentions. His only option is the weakening. Riker uses the beacon he obtained from Worf, but instead gives it to the Klingon captain, who is transported over to the Enterprise. Riker takes command of the Klingon ship and averts the crisis. Riker "forces the surrender" of the Enterprise in an effort to appease the battle-ready Klingons. He displays his own Klingon brand of emotion here; his actions save the ship from destruction at the hands of the superior Enterprise, and in turn display his loyalty to the Klingons. Riker furthermore understands that he has publicly emasculated his Klingon captain in the process - removing him of command without killing him. He turns command of the Klingon ship back over to the captain when he returns and acts insubordinate, allowing the captain to strike him and regain his identity in a display of authority. Quote the second officer: "You understand the Klingons better than I thought." A Matter of Honor is an example of how behavior can accomodate the values of two cultures.

Among the strongest episodes, The Defector (3.10) tells of a Romulan defector who requests asylum from the Enterprise with information about a secret base on a planet in the neutral zone. (The neutral zone is a part of space not inhabited by either entity, so that border colonies may be secure. A base in the neutral zone means the owner would be in striking distance of any number of enemy civilizations.) Chased by his former allies, the defector escapes destruction when his ship barely reaches Federation space and the Enterprise extends its shields to envelop his severely damaged vessel. His problems persist as his information does not seem overtly reliable and the bridge crew realize dealing with the Romulan base which may or may not exist means they will be making the first move. If the base exists, they are justified to destroy it. If not, they are the aggressors and outside the confines of the treaty.

The Enterprise later discovers that the defector is not the low-ranking logistics officer he claims to be, but rather an admiral. The defector withholds other information as well because he does not want to entirely weaken the Romulan army. Rather, his goal is only for the base to be dealt with and war averted; he believes continued war efforts will lead to the demoralization and decline of his people. When he meets with Picard, he is still hesitant but as he re-explains that his defection was meant to benefit Romulus, Picard forces his hand and refuses to act on the possible Romulan base unless given specific information about Romulan technology, and the whereabouts / strengths of Romulan fleets.

The defector does so and Picard appears to act on faith that a Romulan base exists, maneuvering the Enterprise to the planet. (They sent a probe earlier that returned with suspicious information, albeit the probe has limited capabilities.) They do not find a base under construction, which surprises the defector. At this point Picard suspects his superiors must have noticed his behavior and fed him misinformation as a loyalty test. The defector does not initially believe the hypothesis because he has great faith in the intent of his civilization's decisions, even if he disagrees with their methodology. However, two Romulan vessels decloak and verify Picard's supposition. They intend to force the Enterprise to surrender or destroy it as a trophy. At this point Picard reveals that he has brought insurance for the gambit - several Klingon warships decloak, turning the situation into a Mexican standoff. The Romulan general chooses a peaceful outcome and withdraws.

This is a crucial plot reveal because it shifts the episode's focus and sympathy. For the majority of the episode it is understood that we pity Picard in this situation. As captain of the starship, he is compared to a king of Shakespeare. He is the one who must choose between decisions that do not have verifiable answers. He must suffer the guilt for any wrong decisions, knowing that any fatal outcome for the Enterprise was solely his fault. And he cannot even ascertain the morale of his crewmates because they respect him as captain and do not display emotions besides unwavering loyalty, even if they feel otherwise.

Now it is evident that the defector has shouldered the burden. His selfless deed results in nothing, a would-be showdown turned pissing contest between military majors so high-ranked they are too important to die. The defector is branded a traitor by his society, rejected by his people, and stranded from his wife and children back home. He commits suicide but leaves a note to be delivered to his family. Due to hostility between the nations this is impossible, but the letter reveals his faith in future accord between the two. The comparison is that his faith is absolute, versus Picard's which is unavoidably plagued by doubt because of the severe impact being wrong has on his crew. This relationship shows us how the high-ranking maintain the power to make decisions, but the greater will is required by the foot soldier who blindly carries them out and suffers all the consequences. Here, Picard realizes the effective bureaucracy of his position; it is through the individual courage and sacrifice of the insignificant that civilizations are forged.

Hollow Pursuits (3.21), like Lower Decks (7.13), switches focus to a petty officer on the Enterprise. Lieutenant Barclay, dubbed Broccoli, is a nervous wreck who shows up late every day because he's too busy living out fantasies in the holodeck. LaForge and Riker are thinking transfer, but Picard opts for attitude correction - could be Barclay has trouble making a positive contribution because nobody thinks he even can. After all, his performance reviews seem okay elsewhere.

Barclay's holodeck fantasies are pretty much the opposite of what actually happens to him. His programs involve the bridge crew of the Enterprise, fawning over his talents and accepting his tutelage. LaForge gives Barclay some important tasks, thinking his completion of them will provide him a morale boost, but Barclay doesn't appear able. LaForge and Data step in and come to the conclusion the ship-wide problems are probably related. They keep Barclay involved, but he always ends up in the holodeck when there's work to be done. Riker gets fed up and strides into the holodeck in the middle of one of Barclay's programs; at this point he notices Barclay's caricature replicas of the bridge crew. The discovery is comedic when the joke is on someone else, but not so much to be the target. After this incident the derisive nickname Broccoli subsides.

Counseling doesn't work for Barclay either but it enables a breakthrough at a later date. Just as Barclay's social problems are not a deficiency of his environment, but rather himself, Barclay extrapolates that the random malfunctions growing serious on the Enterprise are not systemic, but linked to one or more crew members. Sure enough, the engineering team retraces their steps and figures out someone picked up an ancient contaminant while handling the Enterprise's cargo and spread it around. His success solves both problems simultaneously.

The episode ends with Barclay leaving the Enterprise, only to reveal his farewell was merely another holodeck fantasy. He then deletes his saved programs, except for one; the only thing more human than change is change while keeping one foot firmly planted where you were originally.

A tragedy of patriotism, The Wounded (4.11) takes place on the Federation Cardassian border shortly after the two signed a Peace Treaty. Picard goes to investigate an incident where a Federation ship allegedly destroyed an unarmed Cardassian science station. He learns that the USS Phoenix under the command of Captain Maxwell is in the area. To show his goodwill he accomodates several Cardassians onto the Enterprise so they can see the situation from his point of view. Before he can reach the Phoenix, Maxwell destroys a Cardassian warship and supply ship resulting in almost 700 deaths.

When Maxwell is brought on board, he notices Captain O'Brien, who served with him on the Phoenix during the conflict. This is important because later it is O'Brien who must talk Maxwell out of his aggression. Maxwell explains to Picard that the Cardassians are buying time with the treaty and secretly continuing to prepare for further fighting. His actions were meant to delay war by disabling Cardassians forces, though fighting during peacetime in reality will accelerate war.

To maintain peace, Picard refuses to search Cardassian supply ships for proof. Maxwell threatens to destroy the ship and O'Brien sneaks aboard to talk him out of it. They reconnect through an old war ditty about a bard who is willing to protect his country when few others will. Maxwell surrenders when he realizes the Enterprise is against him and his cause is lost.

After Maxwell is detained, both O'Brien and Picard defend him against the contempt of the Cardassians. His desire to serve his country speaks to positive human characteristics even as his fanaticism accomplishes the opposite. Picard pities that Maxwell is unable to demonstrate his patriotism through actions besides war; Maxwell's behavior was motivated by the death of his family in a Cardassian attack. With them, Maxwell lost a fundamental human trait, for it was a wound from which he could not recover.

Thanks to a number of unwelcome, overheard conversations of casual potheads about HOW WE REALLY CAN'T KNOW ANYTHING FOR SURE and other such mind expanding treacle I've grown to despise the term existential. Nevertheless it perfectly describes episode Conundrum (5.12). The story in Conundrum is that the Enterprise encounters an unknown but weak alien starship who does not seem hostile, simply scanning the Enterprise rather than firing, but soon thereafter employs a weapon that disrupts their computer systems and effectively knocks out the long-term memory of the crew. (They can regain this memory but do not understand how at the moment.) This leaves them able to understand the ship and perform the tasks they specialize in but they have no idea who they are or why they're here. They restore ship functions as well as some of the databanks, which tell them they are on a seek-and-destroy mission towards the capitol of a third party alien race, who according to their logs is their mortal enemy. To make matters worse, the hostile aliens have smuggled aboard a crewman to mislead the Enterprise in light of the ship-wide identity crisis.

Before the crew's memories are wiped, we get a scene with Troi and Data playing an updated variant of chess in Ten-Forward. Data is well-versed in pre-programmed counters to particular openings and moves but loses anyways. Troi cites intuition as the cause of her victory. This foreshadows the conflict that occurs in the main story; having the capability to respond tactically to something is not in itself justification for doing so - we require valid reason to act.

The crew eventually sorts out who's who in the pecking order and make the ship operational again. Prior to this there was a small struggle for the leadership position; Picard had more dots on his insignia but Worf also bore a decorative sash that could indicate rank. Worf takes control on his own accord but later learns he does not have this authority. Picard does not take offense to his actions because they were done with noble purpose.

When the Enterprise encounters an alien vessel of their supposed enemy, they deliberate, but ultimately destroy it, in accordance with the directive shown in their computer banks. Troi is already hesitant about acting with such hostility against other people based on mere say-so, and her intuition is reinforced when they discover the enemy ship was significantly weaker than the Enterprise and years behind in technology.

By the time the Enterprise arrives at its destination, the crew members are skeptical of their "orders" when weighed against the facts and do not fire. This forces the insurgent alien to expose himself and they neutralize him, which confirms that their situation was unnatural. The victory here is one of self-restraint - the ability to discern when action is motivated by false purpose.

The episode also addresses a separate conundrum in a clever subplot. Riker and Ensign Ro have similar personalities but grind each other's gears in everyday ship operation. After their memories are erased, they can't recall any such conflict and grow attracted to each other. However Riker stumbles across evidence in his quarters that he had forged relations in the past with Troi. In the end he cannot choose between current infatuation and the more developed relationship with someone he once found sexually attractive. This is the type of conundrum where every person must choose for themselves.