Wanderlust

3.6 — “Booby Trap”

3.6 — “Booby Trap”

Plot: While investigating the scene of an old space battle, the Enterprise is caught in a booby trap left behind 1,000 years before. All the ship’s energy is being drained, and Geordi must devise a means of using the engines to free the ship. To do this, he summons the holographic image of the engineer who designed the warp engines–the comely young Dr. Leah Brahms. Romantically-frustrated Geordi soon falls in love with her simulated persona. She/it can’t seem to keep her mind on the ship, either.

Thoughts: Our drama of the week is about Geordi, in what I believe is a famous and defining episode for the character. We have seen Riker and Laxawana Troi fall in love with Holodeck simulations in previous episodes (“11001001” and “Manhunt”).

Things I wondered about: if you eat or drink in the Holodeck, does it sustain you? Can you get intoxicated (like by placebo effect)? Data and Wesley seem to have moved on from Tri-D Chess to a game with at least six board levels. How come this 1,000-year-old derelict ship still has temperature and atmospheric control, but no overhead lights?

Geordi’s scene with Guinan made me briefly wish for some G/G fan fiction. Based on Rule 34, I’m sure it exists. The closeups of Geordi’s visor in high definition reveal it to be a somewhat dingy prop. It’s a raw deal for LeVar Burton to have to wear it for seven years. 

The discussion with Picard about the value of intuition versus computer control (“Now the machines are flying us”) already seems quaint. Is it likely that a 24th century vessel would even have a helmsperson? I, for one, am ready for robots to replace us as drivers and pilots.

I’m not sure what to think about the central love story. I don’t think it reflects well on Commander La Forge. There are moments in TOS in which we question Scotty’s emotional makeup (“Wolf in the Fold,” “Who Mourns for Adonais?” “The Lights of Zetar”), but at least he isn’t chasing holograms. There are times in this episode where I definitely wasn’t thinking “Isn’t this sweet?” More like “Aren’t you being awfully cavalier about the impending shipwide emergency?

2 out of 5 simulated gypsy violinists.

http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Booby_Trap

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11 responses to “3.6 — “Booby Trap””

  1. Randi Cohen Avatar
    Randi Cohen

    Hahaha!  Great review!  I too absolutely cannot wait for computers to be driving planes, cars, etc.  And rule 34 is hilarious.  Guinan is without a doubt the sexiest woman on the ship to me despite the vaguely nun-like garb. She is by far the best at flirting and you can just tell she has a wickedly playful mind.  (That brings to mind the question of who is the sexiest man on the ship… and I am not sure that I can answer it!  What do others think?  I know Riker is set up to be the sexy one but he is so smug that it doesn’t really work for me.).

    I think you saw more in this episode than I did:

    Gah.  Boring boring boring boring boring.  Cute that Geordi gets a love interest (sort of) and not as horribly creepy as the one with all the 0’s and 1’s in terms of how it’s executed.  Still, not much to hang a whole hour on.  Picard likes model ships.  I think he’s already spent way too much time talking about that hobby in a prior episode.  It’s the type of thing that it’s fun to do but not particularly fun to watch nor inspiring/revelatory to discuss.  Let’s get back to his more entertaining hobbies like fencing, horseback riding, and Shakespearean soliloquy-delivering.  

    I think the rest of the episode is basically technobabble.  Hopefully the next one will be an improvement.

    Reply
  2. Allen Knutson Avatar
    Allen Knutson

    There’s a later (I think) episode in which Riker is driving some pod, on grounds that he’s the best pilot on the ship. As if he could possibly be better than Data.

    Reply
  3. Kevin Black Avatar
    Kevin Black

    There’s a weird moment in this one where Picard takes over the helm to steer them away from the technobabble trap, because I guess he’s the best helmsman? That seemed unlikely, even discounting Data.

    Reply
  4. Kevin Black Avatar
    Kevin Black

    I’m not sure I saw much more in the episode than you did, Randi. I gave it 2 out of 5. I thought the technobabble was unusually well done, but that’s like saying this is the best cheese whiz I’ve tasted in a while.

    Reply
  5. Randi Cohen Avatar
    Randi Cohen

    Hahaha! Cheez whiz. I have some fond memories of cheez whiz and Ritz crackers from camp…

    Reply
  6. Randi Cohen Avatar
    Randi Cohen

    Ps OK Kev, it might be more that you were nicer about how you expressed your opinion. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Allen Knutson Avatar
    Allen Knutson

    Picard doesn’t take over because he’s the best helmsman, but because it’s his responsibility. Though it’s really unconvincing; a leader should be delegating properly, not (potentially) showboating.

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  8. Randi Cohen Avatar
    Randi Cohen

    Too true.

    Reply
  9. Jonathan Judd Avatar
    Jonathan Judd

    I like the premise of it being the absence of force that gets them free. A nice trade off from the times where brute force was the only answer. I think Klingon captains would end up dead rather fast.

    It is interesting to see through adult eyes a character I idolized as a child having issues with interaction with women and then turning to technology with success. I always thought of him as cool, not the nerd that couldn’t get a girl.

    Also, any mention of star trek and rule 34 should have Jadzia Dax in it.

    Reply
  10. Randi Cohen Avatar
    Randi Cohen

    My favorite character on star trek ever. Except Spock of course. 🙂

    Reply
  11. R. Alex Reutter Avatar
    R. Alex Reutter

    I love seeing Geordi being put in the friend zone on a disastrous first date!  Followed immediately by Wesley getting schooled by Data in 3D chess, and Data getting schooled in human relationships by Wesley.

    I understand Picard’s interest in the derilict ship, but why is Riker making weird faces in the background?  I mean, Frakes is supposed to be acting even if he’s not the focus of the scene — that’s good, but his expressions seems out of sync with what Stewart is saying.

    Every scene with Whoopi is PURE GOLD.  Maybe it’s because there’s just enough of her that we keep wanting more.  The writers have yet to strain themselves to build an episode around her.

    Once again, Geordi says something casually to the computer that it takes literally to some extreme (like in “Elementary, Dear Data”, for plot reasons.  Let’s rename this one “Geordi’s Holographic Girlfriend”.  “Booby Trap” is too generic.

    It’s nice to see someone actually working with the holodeck; it seems like it should be used for these sorts of purposes more often.

    Reply

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