Jammer's Review

Star Trek: The Next Generation

"The Masterpiece Society"

Air date: 2/10/1992
Teleplay by Adam Belanoff and Michael Piller
Story by James Kahn and Adam Belanoff
Directed by Winrich Kolbe

Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan

The Enterprise makes contact with a human colony that has been willingly isolated for 200 years but may face destruction in six days because of the gravitational forces that will be caused by a passing stellar fragment. The colonists live in a biosphere and have been engineered to be the "perfect" culmination of generations of eugenics. They do not take lightly to talking to outsiders, lest they disturb the delicate balance of their hermetically sealed mini-society.

"The Masterpiece Society" is essentially a Prime Directive episode, with the twist here being that the Prime Directive does not apply because the colonists are humans. The story takes quite a while to get going, and the plot aspects involving the attempt to deflect the stellar fragment away from the colony employ off-the-shelf TNG technobabble and problem-solving procedurals. But there are some decent arguments here. Geordi, for example, disagrees with the very notion of this colony. (He would've been terminated as a defective zygote the moment his blindness was discovered.) This episode tackles questions about the consequences of culture contamination in a way that is uniquely Star Trek. I was most persuaded by the character of Hannah (Dey Young), who sees the opportunities that lie on the other side of the bubble, and wants out.

But as an hour of TV, this is just way too dry. The "relationship" between Troi and colony leader Aaron (John Snyder) and the consequences that ensue are especially unpersuasive, with overwrought love-at-first-sight dialogue that has no emotional credibility. The colony itself comes off as a sterile soundstage. Meanwhile, an undeveloped character played by Ron Canada is basically unnecessary, serving as a mouthpiece of obstinacy without much of a reasoned perspective.

And while Picard (and the story at large, which remains ambivalent) says his place is not to judge this colony's way of life, I will observe that it's frustrating and mystifying to watch people argue in favor of a philosophy that basically stifles free will while making societal evolution impossible — even as it argues that it's doing the opposite. (Hannah at least is willing to stand up and declare her freedom.) But forget about arguing over an idealized philosophy: These people would all have been dead had the Enterprise not intervened, and yet at the end Picard is still wringing his hands over bringing in an imbalance that could destroy what this place originally stood for. Well, I don't think much of what it stood for; this society of unremitting self-important blandness could use some imbalance.

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10 comments on this review

Nic - Sat, Apr 2, 2011 - 4:53pm (USA Central)

I liked this one. The situation of the colony was a little extreme, but when you think about what is being done with genetics today, it doesn't seem that much of a stretch for the 24th century. And the philosophical issue of 'tampering' with who we are is certainly worth adressing BEFORE we actually reach that level of technology (if anyone hasn't read Brave New World I strongly recommend it).

As for the love-at-first-sight dialogue between Aaron and Troi, well he WAS genetically engineered after all. I would assume that everyone on this planet is a perfect flirt - to quote Q, "h

Nic - Sat, Apr 2, 2011 - 4:54pm (USA Central)

Frak. I pressed enter by accident. The Q quote I was about to add was "How boooorring!"

methane - Sat, Apr 2, 2011 - 5:07pm (USA Central)

I haven't watched this episode in forever, but I'm currently reading an interesting book on the philosophy of Trek (Deep Space and Sacred Time: Star Trek in the American Mythos) that I picked up at my library.

I just finished a chapter on the false utopias encountered in Star Trek, and this was one of the episodes they used to illustrate the difference between TOS and TNG. In TOS, Kirk repeatedly comes across a 'perfect' society and overthrows it, claiming the prime directive doesn't apply to a backward society.

In the TNG era, the idea of enforcing your ideals on another culture has fallen out of favor. Whenever Picard encounters such a 'paradise', he gives them a good talking to, and maybe they'll change on their own. It satisfies our current cultural ideals, but it takes more skill to make that an interesting script.

Nick Poliskey - Fri, Apr 15, 2011 - 8:43am (USA Central)

Although this was another in the long line of "season stupid" episodes, I thought the premise here was one fo the better of the series. I think had the acting been better, this could have been a classic sci-fi (ala the city on the edge of foerver). As a previous poster mentioned, with genetic engineering already extant we are rapidly heading towards a world where Geordi would indeed be destroyed as a Zygote.

One fascinating aspect of this episode and others like it, to me anyways, is peoples automotic response. I would be not to far off to say that Star Trek fans are liekly majority Liberal. Yet the reponse fans have to these kinds of episodes is a very conservative response. Geordi is making at heart a pro-life argument here.

If you had to say the idea of a genetically engineered "masterpiece society" was going to come from a George Bush type person or a Barack Obama type person, the truth is, the right wing HATES these kinds of ideas. this is a very left thing. And my big secret is that I kind of admire the concept, and found myself sympathizing with the colony leaders. I know post-WWII morals must hate everything that sniffs of eugenics, but I don't think trying eliminate the worst ailments, and producing a rich society that with no crime, and other postives, is somehow worse to the crap we allow in the modern world. Yeah, I am not with Picard and crew on this one.

Michael - Fri, Apr 15, 2011 - 10:35am (USA Central)

I liked this episode quite a bit actually. It's a quite reasonable take on this sort of scenario that avoids Kirk-style ethnocentrism and talks about the reasonable objections and observations that people in this situation might have. Yeah, it's a bit slow, and this story reinterpreted through VOY or ENT would have included a tedious phaser fight or some other action element and been no better for it. It's biggest failing is, I think, a failure to take chances.

Treks stance against eugenics has always been sort of cheap and cowardly, painting every application of the technology in a poor light. How much more interesting would it have been to have the dome people be truly advanced, with mental capabilities far superior to conventional humans? Imagine members had wanted to join the Federation, but were not allowed because they were too smart (see DS9) or where members of the Enterprise crew want to join the colony because they believe it is a breakthrough in human evolution? The story doesn't go far enough to place the characters in interesting places (mentally). It kind of assumes that the dome people are misguided and the Federation is the culturally evolved one, which is too bad.

Jay - Sun, Sep 25, 2011 - 8:02pm (USA Central)

I found this episode just as tedious and as it's sibling episode, Season 3's "The Ensigns Of Command". I'm not sure who annoyed me more Goshevan from the latter episode, who was a hard headed stubborn leader, or Aaron, the level headed stubborn leader (who for some reason struck me as looking like he was made of wax).

Also, interesting that two of the most excrutiating guest characters Trek has ever had, Martin here and Ch'Pok in DS9's "Rules Of Engagement" were both played by Ron Canada.

Captain Tripps - Sun, Oct 9, 2011 - 8:32pm (USA Central)

Well Trek is at least consistent when it comes to eugenics and the attitudes of the in universe humans, which probably has more than a little to do with canon history, mainly the Eugenics Wars.

Also with regard to DS9 they weren't forbidden to join Starfeet because they were "too" smart, but because the Federation did not support eugenics or genetic manipulation, nor did it want to reward those who broke the law, fearing it would encourage others to do the same just to keep up. Which again, harkens back to the experiences earth had with augments.

procyon - Tue, Jan 17, 2012 - 6:04pm (USA Central)

This episode was pretty likeable in my opinion, at least deserving of 3 stars.

I was immediately reminded of Huxley's "A brave new world" when I saw it.

Geography Nick - Thu, Jan 26, 2012 - 11:57pm (USA Central)

Nice review, Jamahl - thank you. What hasn't been pointed out yet is the potentially simple observation that Picard seems to jettison his otherwise unwavering - at times spectacular - commitment to the prime directive. I don't buy the reasoning that because they're human they somehow get a break. What seems to be at odds here is species vs. way-of-life. The implication that "seeking out new life," and respecting what you find, does not include civilizations derived from earth is at odds with what I understand as the spirit of the prime directive. This episode is rather profound, therefore, in that it challenges us to sharpen our perception of how the prime directive cuts the line between nature (new life) and culture (new civilization).

Nick P. - Fri, Jan 27, 2012 - 9:06am (USA Central)

Great Point Geography Nick (like the name).

That episode would have been very different had it been a group of Bajorans who were using Eugenics to advance themselves. And I am guessing since Bajorans are the classic "oppressed minority", Picard would have been far more favourable to their society.

Yes, this episode was handled very timidly, and could have been a great one.

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