5.14 — “Conundrum”
Plot: A chance encounter and flash of light causes everyone on the Enterprise to lose their memories. Crewmembers must feel out their roles and relationship to each other afresh. Anew? But, have false memories been planted in the computer banks? What if the crew is being manipulated?
Thoughts: A lightweight episode that leans heavily on the chemistry of the cast, such as it is, to fill 44 minutes of running time. This immediately makes me mindful of Randi’s comment about Star Trek VI: “I am reminded of how much I gosh darn like the original actors and characters!!!! TNG versions seem so flat by comparison.”
Yes. It’s nice to at least have Ro Laren. But…
How much do I even need to go into the Riker subplot here? Apparently amnesia and confusion creates an advantageous sexual situation for him. Because, for certain kinds of males, fog of war and bewilderment are a legitimate ways to try to gain the upper hand. Are the writers eager to brush away niceties like agency, choice, and enthusiastic consent? Or should I just take this as service for a conspicuously male-centered daydream?
Or maybe just lighten up. After all, we can’t possibly be meant to take any of this seriously.
We do learn lessons about Riker’s character. He’s happy to play Ro and Troi against each other, not curious enough to stop and take stock or take any personal responsibility. There would be a certain integrity to this if he just acknowledged an intent to be hedonistic. But instead we see him try to insinuate himself into Troi’s vulnerable feelings, moments before making an excuse to dismiss her and deny to Ro that anything significant has occurred.
I don’t know what we’re supposed to make of the ending scene, and frankly, by taking this too seriously, the joke’s on me, isn’t it?
There are a few cute ideas, Worf assuming he’s the Captain for instance, but not enough to fill the episode. What was the deal with the bathing suit girl, who just disappears? Was that to make us think about how you cliff dive in a Holodeck?
The dialogue throughout this episode is terrible. I feel like no one reacts the way they should react, or like people.
Never mind wondering how MacDuff manages to pull all of this off, and wipe Data’s “memory banks” without doing him harm, just as easily as he massively reprograms the computer, alters the ship’s security, and everything else.
1 out of 5 I-forget-whats.
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