4.18 — “Identity Crisis”

4.18 — “Identity Crisis”

Plot: Members of an away team that explored Tarchannen III five years ago are disappearing. One of the two remaining officers is Geordi La Forge. The other survivor contracts a bizarre disease and starts transforming into an alien. Of course, it’s just a matter of time until Geordi is next!

Thoughts: Why? Why is Geordi next? Because TV plot logic, certainly not for science or any other discernible reason.

I was hopeful about this episode because it is the first solo writing credit of Brannon Braga. But no, this episode is terrible. Suddenly, the Enterprise can’t manage to rescue a shuttle craft. We’ve got Scooby-Doo level shenanigans happening on the surface of the planet (“Okay gang, let’s split up!”), shifting time frames (why is Geordi’s transformation so much faster than Susanna Leijten’s?) and ridiculous exposition. My nomination for the silliest line is “Doctor Crusher’s research indicates that we have less than an hour before Commander La Forge’s transformation becomes irreversible.” Uh, yeah. What?

I like the fact that the crew rarely uses the Holodeck these days, but when they do, it’s for something creative and plausible, like Geordi’s investigation. Also, the alien suits look cool under the ultraviolet light.

According to Memory Alpha,  two future episodes of Voyager and one episode of Enterprise will also feature “species that propagate by infusing other species with their DNA and transforming them.” This sounds like a threat. Next, please!

1.5 of 5 stolen shuttlecraft.

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