6.14 — “Face of the Enemy”
Plot: Deanna Troi wakes to discover that she is on board a Romulan Warbird, and has been surgically altered to appear to be Romulan. It is explained that her help is urgently needed by the Romulan underground resistance (led by Mr. Spock) to aid a smuggling operation to the Federation. Can Troi think on her feet and survive undercover on a Romulan ship?
Thoughts: I have some nitpicks, but overall this is a good yarn which is understandably cited by Marina Sirtis, according to IMDB, as her favorite episode of the series. We have the Romulan culture featured, a good potboiler, espionage, and space battles.
I’m struck how much this episode depends on Star Trek history and, in particular, the creativity of D.C. (Dorothy) Fontana. Romulans were introduced in Star Trek’s first season in 1966 as the principal antagonists of the Federation, in “Balance of Terror” (TOS 1.14). However, due to limited materials and proficiency in prosthetic make ups, Romulans were deemed too expensive to use on a recurring basis, despite the fact that the original makeup was identical to Vulcans and consisted mainly of prosthetic ears. Notice that every Romulan besides the two principal characters in “Balance of Terror” wore Centurion helmets that covered their ears. So Romulans were brushed aside, and the less visually demanding Klingons were invented to take their place. The original “Balance of Terror” Romulans were warlike and the episode was based on a film depicting World War II submarine battles.
Despite a reference and reuse of stock footage in TOS 2.12, “The Deadly Years,” the Romulans did not make a full reappearance until D.C. Fontana’s third season episode, TOS 3.2 “The Enterprise Incident.” Fontana decided to marry the Romulans to the conventions of espionage thriller stories with a story that had Kirk going undercover on a Romulan vessel with “surgical alterations,” tangling with a strong female as Commander. Nearly everything that had previously made the Romulans distinctive was discarded. Even the original filming model for the Romulan Warbird was lost, so with some handwaving, the Romulans adopted Klingon ship technology. Lines continued to blur between cultures as the Klingons acquired a “neutral zone” and Bird of Prey design seemingly inspired by the lost Warbird.
I thought it was a smart move when TNG remade “The Enterprise Incident” as “Unification 1 & 2,” complete with the stong female commander, Selah. “Face of the Enemy” is less homage and more wholesale theft. I guess they could have done worse. When Troi hails the Enterprise from the bridge of the Romulan ship, all I could think of is there is Picard again, confronted for the second time with a Romulan adversary who looks just like a missing female crewmate. What can be going through his head?
My nitpicks have to do with the melodramatic setup. Giving someone a roofie and surprise surgery while unconscious is no way to prepare for a sensitive mission. Whenever anyone says “For your own sake, the less you know about the specifics of this plan the better,” the only appropriate response is “I quit.” But it’s all in the name of fun, right? And it comes off to a satisfying conclusion. So I’m happy. This episode would have looked really good had it appeared in seasons 1, 2, or 3. I’m glad Troi gets the chance to be large and in charge for a change. But it’s strange that Romulans would be so obsessed with espionage and intrigue, and yet be so inept as to allow all this to happen.
3.5 of 5 mysterious cargo containers.
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