Wanderlust

4.8 — “Future Imperfect”

4.8 — “Future Imperfect”

Plot: An away team lead by William Riker is overcome by methane gas. Riker awakes to discover that it is 16 years later, he is in Sickbay, and has lost his memory of the years since this accident because of the resurgence of a dormant virus. He is now a Captain, Picard is an Admiral, and there’s a surprise waiting in his quarters.

Thoughts: Things change in the future, but at least for the sake of our sanity they didn’t shave Riker’s beard. Instead, Picard grows one. And Deanna is in uniform! It’s about time! (It won’t last.)

Geordi having eyes is freaky. I don’t much care for Data in red. I do like the new design of Picard’s admiral uniform.

TNG is back in form. I find this episode to be entirely engrossing, even though it’s evident from the beginning that Riker is the victim of a Romulan trick (but wait…!). The position Riker is placed in makes him vulnerable but not weak, which is a good posture for the character. I don’t even mind the return of the trombone.

The interior of the Romulan base is groovy, and I believe deliberately recalls the purple and green designs of TOS 3.2 — “The Enterprise Incident.” The name Decius comes from one of the Romulan Legionnaire characters in “Balance of Terror,” right? (Yes.)

As prophecy, “Future Imperfect” is strangely comforting. The whole Enterprise family will be intact in 16 years, at least while Picard and Troi are visiting. Riker will name his boy Jean Luc, and he will wear a mock turtleneck. I’m reminded that Star Trek plays to its strengths when it brings characters together. It’s a shocking guilty pleasure when Riker yells at fake Picard to shut up. It’s such a breach of the decorum we have been trained to expect, which is such a strong groove of the show.

The ending with the alien is sweet. Everyone gets a boy child in TNG! Crusher, Worf (twice), now Riker… even Troi that one time. And Picard, temporarily, in “Suddenly Human.” Only Data breaks the mold by having a girl. Do the men on the writing staff all have daddy issues? Is it too hard to write for girl characters?

4.5 out of 5 holographic reenactments of false dead mothers.

http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Future_Imperfect_(episode)

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9 responses to “4.8 — “Future Imperfect””

  1. Randi Cohen Avatar
    Randi Cohen

    Hahaha, good call on the boy-child thing!  

    Yes, clearly it is too hard to write for girl characters.   Why?  Because they are women but not sexual.  What to do with them?  (Sorry the sarcasm but the sexism in this show annoys me).

    Other than that (which is really not the fault of this particular episode), I really really like this one.  It’s a decent mystery requiring Riker to be somewhat intelligent to figure it out and not relying on too much technobabble.  I feel there is an inverse relationship between technobabble and how much I like the episode.  

    I totally agree with “vulnerable but not weak”… great synopsis of how to write for Riker such that he is not super-annoying.  

    This episode reminds me slightly of “The Cage”… this alien had a similar idea although he(?) was much more relational about it.  I really like how the power relationship is suddenly flipped on its head at the end.

    I would love to see more like this one, although not really sure who in the future thought it was such a great idea to dress all kids in jumpsuits.  They are not fun to navigate in a bathroom once a child becomes too heavy to easily lift… which is why currently only babies wear them.  Another piece of evidence (as if I needed one after “The Child”) that the writers have not much clue about motherhood/child-rearing.

    Reply
  2. Kevin Black Avatar
    Kevin Black

    I love the callback to “The Cage!” It’s a shame that they went to the trouble of bringing the actor who played Minuet back, without doing more with her. It’s nice to be reminded that while the alien is rifling through Riker’s memories like an open cupboard (that would be embarrassing, right?), he’s got at least one skeleton in his closet.

    Reply
  3. Randi Cohen Avatar
    Randi Cohen

    Yes, the continuity is nice, for sure!

    (I also think that it’s not necessarily smart strategy on Riker’s part to give away why he knows the environment is not real.  But it is convenient for story-telling purposes that

    he does so).

    Reply
  4. R. Alex Reutter Avatar
    R. Alex Reutter

    Now a routine security survey. This one is broken up by a celebration of Will’s birthday, which is broken up by some weird subspace readings. I like Riker-with-mouth-full-of-cake simply gesturing at Geordi and Worf to accompany him to the bridge.

    Hey, is the woman in the transporter room the same as in the last episode? Why, yes, it’s Transporter Chief Hubbell!

    While looking that up, Riker wakes up 16 years later, having lost his memory of the previous 16 years, and has an important treaty to sign with the Romulans. Frankly, this sounds like a trick where the Romulans are trying to get important information out of him.

    We’re then led to believe it’s the Romulans trying to trick him, but really it’s a lonely alien boy. Oi. I dunno, this part of the episode falls flat for me. If the alien can leave the planet, why not simply signal the Enterprise for a rescue in the first place? If he’s worried the crew of the Enterprise may not be friendly, why would he think Riker would make a good playmate?

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  5. Randi Cohen Avatar
    Randi Cohen

    Because everyone loves Riker!  I would have picked Data or Worf myself, but per TNG writers, Riker is the man you want to sleep with, joust with, drink with, adopt as your surrogate alien father, etc. 

    Reply
  6. R. Alex Reutter Avatar
    R. Alex Reutter

    I suppose we should be glad the writers didn’t use this as another chance to put Picard in the uncomfortable position of acting like a father figure.

    Reply
  7. Randi Cohen Avatar
    Randi Cohen

    Hahaha!  It’s coming back!  Keep watching!  (Although I confess I do find it entertaining).

    Reply
  8. R. Alex Reutter Avatar
    R. Alex Reutter

    Picard shouldn’t get to have all the fun.  Deanna got to be a short-term unwilling parent, now Riker and Worf.  Who’s next?

    Reply
  9. Randi Cohen Avatar
    Randi Cohen

    Picard in “disaster”…

    Reply

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