4.12 — “The Wounded”
Plot: In the course of a mapping expedition near the borders of Cardassian space, the Enterprise is fired upon by a Cardassian vessel in reprisal for a Federation attack on a Cardassian research station. It appears that the U.S.S. Phoenix, under Captain Benjamin Maxwell, has gone rogue, and is attacking the holdings of the Federation’s former enemies. Transporter Chief O’Brien served with Captain Maxwell and is able to offer some insight into his mindset. Picard agrees to take Cardassian monitors aboard the Enterprise while the circumstances are investigated. But can the Cardassians be trusted?
Thoughts: This is a much greater treat than I was expecting. A marvelously efficient piece of storytelling, full of moral ambiguity and difficult choices. TNG has achieved a new high point, and in a stroke introduces a fascinating new race in the Cardassians, who will be especially important to the run of Deep Space Nine. Mark Alaimo, who plays Gul Macet, will return in DS9 in the recurring role of Gul Dukat.
Maxwell is wrong, but he’s also right. Picard is right, but he could be wrong, too. O’Brien is a hero and self-aware, but also prejudiced (and so is Worf). The Cardassians really are up to something. Not committing overt acts of war, but perhaps secretly enriching uranium, or something. I like it.
The Cardassians are not depicted as rage clowns (like the Klingons) or as having hyperactivity disorder (the Ferengi). They are a serious race, but still ominous, and fully capable of matching Picard in reasoning and civility. It’s pretty clear that Gul Macet is playing Picard when he says “The lasting peace begins here, with the two of us.” I doubt his subordinate was disobeying orders when Worf caught him fiddling with the computer.
Colm Meaney proves that if you show up and do your job and be nice to people, good things may happen. His Chief O’Brien has been a background player since “Encounter at Farpoint.” Suddenly he’s the focus of a story in the fourth season, and it’s one of the best stories of the series. Unprecedented! The scene at the bar in 10 Forward is brilliant. I think we can expect to see more of him. I look forward to his promotion to main cast member on DS9.
O’Brien’s career path is confusing, however. Chief tactical officer for Maxwell years earlier, and now he’s just the transporter chief?
The Keiko and O’Brien breakfast scene is weird. It bugs me that everyone in the future seems to come from a culturally homogeneous background that has somehow reverted to 18th century mores. Isn’t there cultural assimilation in the 23rd century? And is this the first time the newlyweds have had breakfast together?
They do a great job dressing Maxwell’s ready room aboard the Phoenix, making it not only look good, but also unlike the other recycled shipboard spaces we’ve seen 1,000 times already.
Overall, bravo for creating a tense episode in which, halfway in, I had no idea how it would end. The teleplay is by Jeri Taylor, who joined the writing staff early in Season Four, and will go on to become an executive producer on TNG and a co-creator/showrunner on Voyager. I look forward to more from her.
Randi said about TNG 4.3, “Brothers,” that TNG has become a show she would watch if it were not Star Trek. I wasn’t quite there then, but I have reached that point now.
5 of 5 glasses of kanar.
Leave a Reply