4.19 — “The Nth Degree”
Plot: Reginald Barclay is hit with a blast of radiation from an alien probe that exponentially increases his brain capacity. His crewmates are taken aback; even more so, when he takes over the ship by integrating his mind with the ship’s computer.
Thoughts: I was watching this episode and thinking, it’s starting to occur to me that I’ve watched an awful lot of TNG recently. And it’s true! 93 episodes since October 2014. It’s possible that I’m starting to feel fatigued, and this Barclay episode is better than it seems.
What I see is a weak logic chain stringing together scenes that mostly consist of a pastiche of other stories: Cyrano de Bergerac (obviously), 2001: A Space Odyssey (at least two very direct references), and “Flowers for Algernon.”
Speaking of Cyrano, this quote from The Star Trek The Next Generation Companion by Larry Nemecek sheds light on the scene: “This segment demonstrates how Gates McFadden’s pleas to round out Beverly’s character with ‘comedy and hobbies’ were finally being met. We see her interest in the theater here on top of past glimpses of dance, in “Data’s Day” (185), and biology in “Clues” (188). Michael Piller credited Rick Berman with suggesting the Cyrano de Bergerac scene between Barclay and his teacher, the ‘drama doctor.’”
I do enjoy Dwight (“‘Howlin’ Mad’ Murdoch”) Schultz and his unconventional choices that punch up every scene in which he appears. I also appreciate them doing something different with Barclay this time, instead of just reprising the Walter Mitty story from “Hollow Pursuits.” And the visuals of the episode are striking, from the enormous space telescope to Barclay’s psychedelic computer interface on the Holodeck.
It just didn’t hold my interest though. It’s no TOS 1.3, “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” the last Star Trek episode in which a crewmember developed astonishing mental powers.
2 out of 5 amateur theater productions.
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