3.14 — “A Matter of Perspective”
Plot: Commander Riker is accused of murder after beaming back from a space station moments before it explodes, killing a research scientist. A representative of the planet below demands Riker’s extradition for trial, causing Picard to order an inquiry into the evidence inside the Holodeck.
Thoughts: This one is pretty terrible. The idea of a murder plot involving a bridge officer is lifted from TOS 2.14 “Wolf in the Fold,” while the trial complete with manipulated video recreations is reminiscent of TOS 1.20 “Court Martial” and TOS 1.11-12 “The Menagerie.” In this case, unfortunately, the script is poor, and Jonathan Frakes’ acting sadly makes it worse. The mystery just doesn’t hang together.
If Riker had fired a phaser at the doctor at the last moment during beam out, how exactly would that have caused the space station to explode? Detonating a space station as you beam away from it is not real smart. As we saw, Riker’s signal almost doesn’t make it through.
Why is this laboratory on a space station anyway, instead of on the planet? Talk about enormous unnecessary overhead.
So we learn that (SPOILER) Dr. Apgar killed himself when his exquisitely-timed death ray bounced off Riker’s transporter field. Who knew transporter fields reflected death rays? Apparently not Dr. Apgar. We are to believe that Apgar successfully hid the true progress of his research away from even his own lab assistant.
I can’t believe, by the way, that a viable new energy technology is more valuable as a weapon than as an energy technology, but let that go. Answer me this question:
Why does Apgar’s wife testify that Riker tried to rape her? According to Troi, she actually believes this to be true. Vouching for Manua is the only constructive thing that Troi does in the whole episode. Troi never says that she senses that Riker is telling the truth, although surely she would have mentioned it if he was lying. So, is Manua insane? Talk about major plot hole.
I was sure that the resolution of the mystery would have to involve some kind of hypnosis/mind control device. Or perhaps it would be revealed that Manua is the murderer, and has mental powers strong enough to fool Troi (can’t be too difficult). Instead, this loose end is left to frustrate anyone who is trying to solve the case in a way that accounts for the evidence (never mind the handwavium about the Kreiger waves).
Keep in mind that if Manua does believe she was sexually assaulted, the hullabaloo about “proving” her memory to be false, and exposing her husband as a murderous criminal, would be very traumatizing, on top of the remembered trauma of the sexual assault. I don’t believe the camera ever bothers to look at her again, however, once Picard finishes his summation. Oh, we are so civilized in the 24th century.
Torie and Eugene do a great job of taking this episode apart even further at TheViewscreen: http://www.theviewscreen.com/a-matter-of-perspective/
This is the second episode in a row to start with a gratuitous semi-nude scene that fails to connect with any other part of the story. Whatever, that scene is probably the best scene in the episode, but it’s silly to pretend that Data’s assessments of paintings are authoritative and objective. Art criticism is in the eye of the beholder.
You can do better, TNG. 1 out of 5 petulant first officers.
http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/A_Matter_of_Perspective_(episode)
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