{"id":5953,"date":"2015-06-04T05:27:47","date_gmt":"2015-06-04T05:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/34-Who-Watches-the-Watchers"},"modified":"2015-06-04T05:27:47","modified_gmt":"2015-06-04T05:27:47","slug":"34-who-watches-the-watchers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relivethemajesty.com\/index.php\/2015\/06\/04\/34-who-watches-the-watchers\/","title":{"rendered":"3.4 — \u201cWho Watches the Watchers”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n

3.4 — \u201cWho Watches the Watchers”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plot:<\/strong> A group of Starfleet anthropologists watches a society of \u201cBronze Age proto-Vulcans,\u201d a.k.a. the Mintakans, through a holographic blind. Generator failure brings the Enterprise<\/em> rushing to the rescue, but not before one of the anthropologists is captured wandering into a Mintakan encampment and the research station is espied by two roving MIntakans, one of whom, Liko, is taken aboard the Enterprise<\/em> by Dr. Crusher after suffering injuries in a fall. Dr. Pulaski\u2019s memory wipe technology from last season is called upon, but the technique has unfortunately been lost with Dr. Pulaski, so when Liko returns to the village, he remembers everything. Wouldn\u2019t you know, the Mintakans are soon worshipping \u201cthe Picard\u201d as their God. Well and good, but there is still a Federation scientist to rescue, so Riker and Troi disguise themselves as villagers. What do you do when you\u2019re in a hole with the Prime Directive? Keep digging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thoughts:<\/strong> Season Three continues and I still feel like I\u2019m watching a totally different show. It\u2019s amazing how much goodwill TNG earns for doing simple things right, like ending the teaser on a strong dramatic beat, after failing this television 101 task consistently for 48 episodes. sunny jim’s comment was \u201cthey\u2019re finally at the level of Magnum P.I.<\/em>!\u201d It’s funny because it’s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am especially fond of Prime Directive episodes. I give this episode credit for initially taking the premise seriously. Picard questions why Crusher does not leave Liko to die of his injuries. Could that be the best course? I think it would be hard to be trained as a doctor and ignore a patient in need of medical attention. There has to be a limit, however. Crusher could presumably extend the lifespans of all the villagers considerably by establishing a permanent clinic, but it\u2019s not immoral for her to floosh off in the ship instead. Right? Yet instinct rebels against abandoning Liko in this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s plausible, nevertheless, that Crusher’s intervention does more harm than good. Where I have trouble with “Who Watches the Watchers” is its optimism that her meddling can be fixed. Let Picard just reason with these hut dwellers, and he will show them that he is not magic and all-powerful. News flash, Dude: you are magic and all-powerful. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. \u201cIf only I show her my starship, she will comprehend my limitations.\u201d Nuh-uh. Does not wash.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then comes the thematically incongruous religious overtones. I will show you my body, to prove that I am flesh, not God. You know who else was made flesh? Jesus. Look how much trouble He caused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus was also unable to raise the dead, but had miraculous healing powers over the living, like those employed to save Liko.\u00a0Picard even wins the Mintakans over by dying for their sins, before his \u201cresurrection\u201d during the commercial break by Dr. Crusher. Guys, I don’t mind some good Christ imagery when it’s employed well, but this is ain’t it. Picard’s whole point is that religion is a bundle of dangerous superstition, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these hijinks necessarily place the Mintakans on a different course. Is it a better one? You might think so, based on all the scenes of the villagers sitting around saying \u201cGosh, thanks for teaching us everything we need to know, Mr. Chips!\u201d In the end, two wrongs make a right. I have to call bullshit. To think Picard can talk the Mintakans out of having their minds blown is silly. Knowledge is power, and the Mintakans will surely be using their new knowledge to oppress each other (or other planetary tribes) lickety split.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Who Watches the Watchers” is a fun episode, however, with variety and twists and turns. It clears the low bar set by previous seasons in that I don\u2019t get the sense that it was produced by people who hate women. The producers even allow Troi to cover herself up, and not dress in a loincloth or something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We learn that Riker is expert with knots. And that in 1989 it was still okay to be openly derisive of religion on American television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I grade the episode down a point for being too Mickey Mouse about its conclusions, then back up again for featuring the Prime Directive in a way that doesn’t make me feel like the producers don\u2019t understand (or care) what it means. 3 of 5 faulty hologram generators.<\/p>\n\n\n

http:\/\/en.memory-alpha.wikia.com\/wiki\/Who_Watches_The_Watchers_(episode)<\/a>