{"id":6154,"date":"2015-08-23T15:42:39","date_gmt":"2015-08-23T15:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/325-Transfigurations"},"modified":"2015-08-23T15:42:39","modified_gmt":"2015-08-23T15:42:39","slug":"325-transfigurations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relivethemajesty.com\/index.php\/2015\/08\/23\/325-transfigurations\/","title":{"rendered":"3.25 — \u201cTransfigurations\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n

3.25 — \u201cTransfigurations\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plot:<\/strong> While charting a distant star system, the Enterprise<\/em> discovers a grievously injured pilot trapped on a planet beneath a wrecked escape pod. His miraculous healing powers help Beverly to save him, and she starts to fall in love in the bargain. Unfortunately, the pilot has no memory. Geordi’s brief encounter with the stranger gives him new confidence like the Cowardly Lion, which he uses to start dating a crewmember. But what will happen when the authorities from the pilot\u2019s home planet catch up with him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thoughts:<\/strong> Some years ago, I read a wonderful essay about writing that was archived on Robin Hobb\u2019s website (apparently no longer?). It pointed out some tells of inexperienced writers. When you read a story which begins with the character with no memory waking up in a featureless white room, wondering how he got there, it\u2019s a sure tell that the writer is staring at a blank white page and thinking the exact same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This episode is rife with these tells. Our guest star does not know who he is, how he got there, or where he came from. He utters lines like \u201cTell me, who am I?\u201d \u201cI seem to be a mystery\u201d \u201cI am on some kind of journey\u201d and \u201cI hope that I am worthy.\u201d This one made me laugh out loud: \u201cThere’s something important I must complete. My survival is vital. If I could explain it, I would.\u201d Yes, I’m sure you would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While we fish around for explanations, the Enterprise<\/em> remains in orbit around the wrecked escape pod (he escaped in it! and it\u2019s a pod!) for more than a month. Then, the ship takes a three week cruise towards John Doe\u2019s home space, even though he says he doesn\u2019t want to go there.<\/em> It\u2019s a good thing this Enterprise<\/em> isn\u2019t on a 5-year mission, because 5% of it would have just been squandered for no apparent reason. I think this may be the longest time lapse during a single Star Trek episode. \u201cThe City on the Edge of Forever\u201d took place over what, about two weeks? Possibly \u201cThe Paradise Syndrome\u201d took up more time (six months?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Whatever shortcomings exist, this episode is worth it for Worf\u2019s lessons on love to Geordi in the teaser. \u201cWords come later. It is the scent that first speaks of love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To my eyes, Geordi is equally hapless before and after Worf\u2019s lessons, and his burst of courage that never really pays off. Is he different forever now? Or is it just the Wizard of Oz effect? But that worked because the Wizard told<\/em> the Lion it would work (which isn\u2019t what happened here). This reminds me of Sybok in Star Trek V<\/em>, taking away a character’s inner pain with a touch, although that story made more sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This episode is pretty dumb, even before the officer from the other ship starts to force choke everyone. It’s derivative of a number of other episodes, notably TNG 3.11, “The Hunted” (fugitive with superpowers turns out to be a misunderstood good guy whom the Captain is reluctant to surrender to authorities from his home planet), itself a rehash of TOS 3.15, “Let This Be Your Last Battlefield.” At least it\u2019s not offensive (it’s a little sad this is part of my judging criteria). Beverly is even given an independent love interest to break her out of her going-nowhere-slowly love story with Picard. On the other hand, I had to seriously refresh my memory to remember a single thing about this episode, a week after I first watched it. So, 1.5 of 5 crash victims with exposed brains. Ew!\ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n

http:\/\/en.memory-alpha.wikia.com\/wiki\/Transfigurations<\/a>