3.10 — “The Defector”
Plot: Picard and Data’s revels on the Holodeck are interrupted when a Romulan scout ship races out of the Neutral Zone, demanding asylum, pursued by Romulan warships. The lone Romulan pilot claims to be a defector, with news that the Romulans have plans to establish a base in the Neutral Zone to use as a platform to strike inside Federation space. Picard has little time to decide whether to trust the purported defector and what action to take. The outcomes uncertain, his choice could leave the Federation defenseless against attack… or instigate a war.
Thoughts: Romulans again? I am a bit confused by the geography of the Neutral Zone. I think of it as a huge sector of space. It seems that the Enterprise, however, can scan right across it into Romulan space, and ships can dart in and out of it like the parking lot of a 7-Eleven.
This is the second TNG script from Ronald D. Moore in a short span of episodes (his first was 3.5, “The Bonding”) and the one that resulted in him being hired as a staff writer. It’s a fun one. As a true fan of TOS, Moore remembers that Romulans are at their best playing double agent spy games, as in TOS 3.2,“The Enterprise Incident.” Like the crew, I would not have trusted this defector without great sureties. It’s nice, for once, to see them behave somewhat sensibly, and not just take stupid risks for the sake of the story.
I really like the actor (James Sloyan) who plays Admiral Jarok, especially during his monologue about leaving his daughter. I appreciate that the crew’s desire to maintain peace and abhorrence of war is coupled in this case with a realistic sense of danger and awareness of duty. Unlike the last episode, which had little sense of stakes, I believed that something important was going on, which made me excited to be watching this series. Thank goodness.
The Shakespearean scene at the beginning is from Henry V, Act IV, scene one, depicting (in the words of the play’s chorus) “A little touch of Harry in the night.” The reference to Branagh was a real nod of respect. Kenneth Branagh’s transcendent film version of Henry V, which he directed with himself in the lead role, debuted on November 8, 1989, less than two months before this episode’s original air date of January 1, 1990. Yes, it is still remembered.
How does Data change his clothes so quickly between the clothes he is wearing in the Holodeck and the uniform he is wearing when he sits down on the bridge?
One criticism of this series of Romulan episodes is that I don’t get a sense of the relative strength of the Enterprise’s military capabilities compared to its adversaries. It’s hard to know how nervous to feel for them.
4 of 5 holographic campfires.
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