“We'll Always Have Paris”

"I've had it with Troi's annoying counseling sessions. First she confronts Picard on the bridge about the personal feelings she's sensing from him. Later she asks Crusher (not in so many words) how she's handling her jealousy of Jenice. It's time someone told this intrusive Betazoid to keep out of personal matters that don't affect the operation of the crew."

YES! I am so happy to see that in print somewhere, anywhere and I couldn't agree more! Too bad she never stops and if anything her directness concerning personal matters only gets more pronounced.

Regarding Troi "confronting" Picard on the bridge - she did no such thing.

She very clearly indicated she wanted to speak to Picard in private so as not to drag his personal feelings out in front of the crew. He was the one who said it wasn't necessary. It was only once he told her to go ahead that she discussed the matter on the bridge, and then it was in the turbolift alcove out of earshot of anyone else.

And she also very clearly stated that she was bringing the matter up because unresolved emotional issues can affect a commander's decision-amking process, making this very much a matter that "affects the operation of the crew" and in fact the whole point of Troi's presence on the bridge.

I barely remember this one! I was afraid it would turn out to be yet another holodeck premise, but there was very little of it. But the rest of the ep was so nondescript that is barely there. The way Data solved the situation left me thinking 'that's it?'. Btw, I don't remember Troi at all, but I can picture what you guys are saying. Being annoying is totally in tone with her character :p

If this is a two star episode, it must be barely so. The ending is extremely simplistic. More backstory on Picard is good though, so that raises it up some.

Even though Professor Manheim did some exposition, it either wasn't enough or the wrong info - what exactly did he expect to accomplish? And how is it this effect can affect places in other star systems? And why did he have "aggressive" alarm systems? What if it killed one of his fellow researchers? His facility already has a shield, that should be enough right? Because if it wasn't enough, then no amount of "aggressive" alarm systems are going to be of much use anyways.

Also, about Picard himself, if he was into women before he got deployed, shouldn't they still interest him, even if he doesn't act on them (say a look, or smile of appreciation). We even learn he had another old flame (I think) in measure of man.

Anyways, all of this drops it down to 2 stars, so think Jammer's assessment is right on the money for this one.

As far as these time/space twisting episodes go, I think this is one of the better and more plausible ones, and must be one of the original ones before Voyager made it an almost weekly plotline.

It's hard to believe that on a ship of 1000, the holodecks would be just sitting there not in use. I would imagine they're booked 24/7.

I agree with the 2-star rating when compared to all 7 seasons, but as Season 1 goes it's more of a 3-star episode. A bit clunky and dull in spots, yes, but I like how it digs into Picard's past, allowing Patrick Stewart to explore his character a little further.

To my mind, one of the first episodes that has a strong A and B story and manages to tie them together well to a sensible resolution.

The back story for Picard is nicely handled - his "enough of this self-indulgence" as he leaves the holodeck after Troi's entreaty for him to address his suppressed emotions is a classic. And I liked the time distortion element too, particularly the lift scene.

Good episode, I thought. 3 stars.

This episode just went on and on, i think it is the dullest episode

I don't like how they use Troi here and in most of the series. It is such a gross invasion of privacy that any emotion or feeling you have is subject to her asking you about it. In the real world, I think successful officers would tell her to piss off. If I come to your office for a session, let's do it. Unsolicited counselling sessions in this series are nothing more than her eavesdropping; and no better than someone putting a bug in your private residence and then approaching you about something that was heard.

Sure, they made it a tactical advantage when she could say for the 100th time "this alien is holding something back" or "not telling the truth".... however, the invasion of privacy and unsolicited counselling is something that would upset people greatly in the real world.

like many pointed out :

The backstory on picard is nice and ageless.

The "breaking the wall of our reality" storyline oversimplistic and not worked out well at all.
-the multiverse is a sound scientiffic theory, as are the multiple dimensions, DS9 handled this non-linear time thing a lot better and many cartoons did better (heck even justice league had a proper multiverse episode)

here are some lines how this story could have been MUCH improved by inserting more sci and less fi.

*so the prof made a multiverse doorway by tapping into non-linear time.
(since the multiverse is essentially "everything that can happen, will" going back in time and than back forth, allows one to visit all paralel universes.
-> the only thing that is known to be able to bend time is a wormhole
(since time freezes at the event horizon of a black hole, and a wormhole is essentially a tunnel between two event horizons of two black holes)
the problem being that wormholes are very rare in the universe and often instable, and would only connect 2 timelines, leaving for very little multiverse manipulation.
-> to be able to finely manipulate time, one would need to be able to create an artificial wormhole capable of projecting itself back in time.
-> that would indeed require a strong gravity well that has been strong, yet stable for a long period in most paralel universes.
-> a twin pulsar by nature fits that description, however one also needs somethimg to project that force upon, a fixed location, and thats hard since normally any location would move through space around a star.
-a neutron star fragment, as the fixit center of a tri-star system with two white dwarf stars both in eclipsical orbit crossing eachohers path would provide that but would a rare phenomene indeed.

with machinery one could create gravitons and use time dialation and gravity to project that black hole back in time to buit a portal into paralel universes.
With enough machinery and finetuningg it could even be controlled to step from one universe in some other at will.

-> however it would NOT be entering the full spectrum of the multiverse nor more than 3 dimensions, it would be like warp is to normal space, it may expand or schrink normal space, one still moves in normal space.

to enter the 4th and above dimension one would need quantum slipstream drives, and essentially break though the fabric of the universe itself (and for the multiverse, time itself but at that moment they would be the same thing)
however doing that would require far more exotic means than just a nice planetoid at the center of a pulsar.

Now if one would not be able to maintain the containment field on the graviton-partical containmentfield, one could have those black hole ripples merge with the natural pulsars radioation and "pulse" into space.
this could cause a small time-rewind every time the pulse hits, giving the chance to make different decicions, throwing the universe is an alternative path.
-> this would be no danger in itself, but it could be exploited, imagine knowning the outcome of an event a few seconds in advance and than take another aproach to prevent it, soon nobody would know what the "real" universe was and what was the mirror universe.

(a few nice battles or spieces that suddenly were not dead, or other chanced events can be trown into the storyline to emphase this)

as for the scientists illness, there really would be no illness, his illness was bogus.
but if you want to give him an illness, make it so that because his body absorbed a lot of gravitons during the accidental explosion, his body is "drawn" towards the original spacetimeline, however with every "pulse" the universe is moving further and further into an alterative timeline, without realising it (every chance to chance events will cause some events to be chanced) since all matter has a vibration that gives it a signature belonging to it's own universe, this makes the doctors body slowly growing ever more out of sink, eventually leaving him unable to process out food, water and air, because of a to large atomic vibration difference.
(sound is an vibration and sound can heal people or make them ill, imagine somebody scratching on a board, and than having that sound played inside every cell of your body.. it would make you sick indeed.

some explenation around these lines would have done the story tons of good.

Well never mind the pseudo science, here's another episode that never really gets off the ground.
The main story would work better it was revamped as a Doctor Who serial from circa 1978 starring Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor:
Professor Mannheim is conducting unwise illicit temporal manipulation experiments near a pulsar in remote space.
The High Council of the timelords, always keen to control the use of time travel by inferior species ,diverts the Tardis containing the Doctor, Leila and K9 to the secret asteroid research centre just as a horrific accident occurs turning Mannheim into a transdimensional vampire.
The hideous virus, actually an effect of exposure to the arcane energies of the other dimensions, gradually spreads to the other members of his research team and the Doctor Leila and their trusty Robot Dog unite the survivors while they try to find a way to shut down Mannheim's experiment.
In the closing scene of episode 4 after the unfortunate infected scientists are destroyed the survivors promise to close down any further research as the time travellers leave in their odd blue police box. Seconds after they leave a rescue mission led by Mannheim's wife's ex lover transmats down to the planetoid.

See?
Classic Doctor Who

Slow-paced episode with a ridiculously simple solution (once Data got the right coordinates and past the obstacles). Picard's old flame B-plot didn't do anything and I agree with Jammer that Troi's prying is tiresome/irritating. Both the incidents with prying into Picard's and Crusher's feelings was useless, got nowhere and added nothing to the story. Picard/Crusher resolved it themselves without Troi's help.
Some interesting potential with the experiments to meddle with time and the effects it had on the ship's personnel. The best part of the episode, for me, is when Data starts talking about the "hiccup" and when Picard cuts him off when he's going to use another body function as an analogy for another time incident.
Overall a pretty forgettable episode -- 1.5/4 stars from me.

Anyone have any ideas what bodily function Data was going to compare the Manheim effect to? Been forever since I've seen it but I'm watching it again with my parents right now, and I'm 99% convinced it's something sexual although they don't seem to think so. I was thinking orgasm, or specifically multiple orgasms, as many women experience?

I liked the suspense of the set-up: the Enterprise rocked by strange phenomena caused by a brilliant and reclusive scientist who is learning to mangle time.

The follow-through was weaker than the initial promise, but The A-story was still good enough to hold my interest - and was far.better than most season one plots.

As for the romance stuff: did anyone else find Beverly's yearning and jealousy a bit out of left field? "How can I compete with a ghost?" she says. We've been told she has a strained past with Picard ("Farpoint") and flirts with him while under the influence ("Naked Now"), but I never got any sense in earlier that she was lovelorn and trying to catch his eye.

I also found it surprising that she openly admitted her sense of "competing" to Troi . Competing for the sexual attentions of the ship captain - whether with ghosts of mortals - is unprofessional and disruptive. Shouldn't Crusher have been embarrassed and discomfited when Troi confronted her? And shouldn't Troi have firmly told her that ahe shouldn't be chasing after her commanding officer?

Again, random observations (I'm too addled to pull together a coherent review):

One: Michelle Phillips is lovely and deserved a better outfit than that loose metallic number. Also, I'm not sure I buy her as Picard's type, though.

Two: I wish we actually had more Beverly / Paul moments. As the more scientific members of the little quadrangle of love, they actually shared something Jean Luc and Janese didn't. I wish that could have been worked into the plot more. In fact, writing this, I wonder why they didn't make him a doctor, too, and have this be a medical experiment gone bad vs. a physics experiment. That would have added another layer to this.

Three: Yes, as time travel episodes go, it was a bit simplistic. But threat was great. And that leads me to No. 4.

Four: They got really lucky that this could be fixed with no real damage. But why would they just leave the Manheims to start right back where they started, giddy at the thought of screwin' with time some more as well as each other?

Bottom line: Nothing great, but it added to the general tapestry of the show, and I'm glad "Next Gen" devoted some time to backgrounds, family, personal history, romance. I like the variety. Not every episode can or should be epic. That said, I'm glad they didn't do this kind of show too often, either. Over the sweep of seven seasons, they had a decent balance on that.

Talking about personal unpleasant emotions is something I personally would rather avoid. But sometimes it’s necessary because they can linger in the background for a long time if not properly dealt with. To me it seems that Picard recognizes this or he would have found a way to avoid Troi or send her away. Of course when unpleasant feelings have been resolved it’s best to move on to something more pleasant. :-)

The reason why Troi is nosy is because Sirtis has a huge nose. She's pretty though.

Hot Take: after a rewatch of season one I’ve concluded that “We'll Always Have Paris”, while not the most earth shattering story, is the best directed, scripted, edited and acted episode of the inaugural twenty-six episodes; that amongst a sorry slog of poorly directed, written and acted entries this is the only instalment which recognizably strikes the familiar and confident tone and dramatic rhythm of mid-season three onward.

The writer's strike happened before the script for this episode could be finished. Several scenes (including the entire ending) were ad-libbed(!)

Amazing that the episode comes off as well as it does.

I've been rewatching Season 1, and I'd now deem "We'll Always Have Paris" one of TNG's best episodes. People complain that it's dull and nothing happens, but I find it pleasantly low key, moody and contemplative. Like "Casablanca", which influenced the writers, it's all about regret, the "disturbing ripples" of time and memory, and about sacrificing the things you love for a certain kind of freedom. I like that most of the episode is internal, happens all inside Picard's head. And like Gil says, it's arguably the best acted/directed episode of the season. There's a certain confidence about it.

Watching these old episodes also makes me seriously consider season 1 as being more interesting than 7, especially if you take away "All Good Things".

This one started out promising with some science fiction. However the mystery was so easily solved and the episode devolved into an episode of Love Boat. I wonder if the music helped make me think of that? Was this supposed to reveal Picard`s personality and history? It didn't really

6/10

I found the sci fun plot in this story difficult to follow. Time loops and paradoxes are always fun, but what exactly what going on here? It could have been bette explained.

Agreed about Troi, especially regarding confronting Beverly. It really had nothing to do with anything.

I really want to like this one as I love the premise of the sci fli plot, but it was just so poorly executed and explained and fell flat. 2 stars.

I liked this one.

The overall theme, about the relativity of time, the way the past leaks into the present, the way it enhances the present, but living in the past can paralyze us - literally (the time warping machine) and figuratively (long-ago Paris and more)- was a bit heavy handed, but overall it was well acted and well presented.

I liked getting some backstory on Picard. Patrick Stewart was absolutely excellent, letting us see the very reserved Picard's emotions . . . sort of. Just outstanding.

The entire cast, regulars and guest stars, did a nice job. I was entertained throughout, didn't get bored or zone out. And I especially liked the three Datas part. Only the one in the present could be effective, but luckily, Android Data knew who that was.

Winner winner replicator dinner!

Definitely a season 1 episode, but I actually rather like it despite it being rather forgettable. The slow pace is nice occasionally, it doesn't always have to be phaser fights and big action. Middle of the road for sure, but that's not so bad. There's a fantastically atmospheric and creepy score in the lab scenes which I really like too (Ron Jones of course).

Found this episode entertaining definitely one of the better in Season 1.

My only objection is that Picard was not a "young man" 22 years ago (from episode time). According to canon biography, Picard was 59 years old when took command of Enterprise, which would have made him 37 or 38 in this past. Certainly old enough to know his mind, and he would have been Captain of the Stargazer during that period. Maybe not willing to commit to anything other than career - but to my mind, out of character for Captain Picard to stand up a lady. He might have walked out on her in the cafe but he would have shown up. Could have found better plot device to set up premise of "what if."

Actor Patrick Stewart was 12 years younger than character he played. Writers must have been thinking of his age- 25 or 26 - not Picard.

Better than I remembered back in the 80s. Was that a twin pulsar system? Very pretty. I'm loving these remastered eps.

The turbolift scene was all kinds of awesome, especially as it starts with one timeline that ends up not being the one we follow. Good mind screw.

I didn't mind not getting any real meat in this episode. The ride was fun.

I like the characters and wish there was less ragging on, for example, Troi. And the Wes hate seems rather mean now, knowing what Wil Wheaton went through with people being assholes to him about Trek. I think it's more fun to rewatch all the great reaction shots littered across the episodes, explore the nature of humanity through a sci fi lens, and be exposed to a hopeful message about the future.

The resolution was fun but it could have been better. I wish that each Data had been more of a mirror of the previous one with identical movements and words just spoken with a brief delay to really have the tesseract feeling hit.

Still, S1 is starting to do better than I remembered. My first time watching it through was like a decade ago and I hated pretty much every moment of season 1. Maybe being locked in during a pandemic has made a show like this more comforting, but at this point I'm enjoying it a lot more than I would have expected, warts and all.

Worf really knocks it out of the park with his first permanent go at tactical. He fits right into the role so easily. Wonder why Yar just wasn't so "commanding" when she executed the same commands on the tactical station? A shame the writing for her wasn't the best too.

Wesley's jumper - fakey cosplay fleet gear again.

After some consideration I think you will find that the Vulcan Science Directorate has determined that time travel is impossible.

They really dropped the ball on this one. Which is a shame, because as @Sarjenka's Little Brother’s says, Mrs. Manheim was very pretty.

Plus, seeing the cafe in Paris was a real treat! This marks our first view of "contemporary" (read:future) Earth in a Star Trek episode! We only got to see 20th century Earth in TOS.

Yes, as @Kat S says, 22 years ago, Picard would have been in his late 30’s. For Picard to stand a woman up at 37 is a real dick move. Now if the writers had instead made it 32 years ago, then standing her up would have been understandable (not great, mind you, but at 27, still something you can forgive). Seems the writers were confused about… time ;) Which I suppose was the whole theme.

And speaking of the theme, here's where they really dropped the ball.

The three time periods - the 3 Datas - should have been clearly reflected in Picard’s romantic interests over the three stages in his lift:

- The Past - the memory (“ghost”) Picard had of her in his mind.
- The Present - the still-beautiful but now married Mrs. Manheim; and
- The Future - which for Picard, should have been … Beverly! How did they not lock that down?

No wonder Gates McFadden left in season 2. If they couldn’t even get something this simple done right, what was the point of her staying.

Oh yeah, and they show Troi bringing Mrs. Manheim to spend some quality alone time with Picard on the holodeck. Like wtf? As a reward, I suppose Picard will have a little fun drinking with Troi - far more fun than Kirk had drinking with Spock,

https://youtu.be/wd0-JjxyPHY?t=56

PICARD: It's called the Blue Parrot Cafe, and you're buying.

I would say that this is one of the best Season One episodes. Granted, that isn’t saying much - I would only give it a 5/10 - but still.

I think the problem you noticed with Picard’s age comes from the fact that Picard is actually supposed to be considerably older than Patrick Stewart. Picard, in this episode, is supposed to be 59 or 60 years old. So yeah, “22 years ago” would put him on his late 30s, which doesn’t make much sense. Stewart, however, was only 48 at the time he played a 60 year-old character. “22 years ago” for him would mean he was only 26, which makes more sense. The writers seem to have based that line on the actor’s age instead of the character’s.

As for why Crusher wasn’t used as Picard’s “future” love interest.... that’s because the decree came down from on high (I believe from Roddenberry himself) that the show absolutely could NOT have long-term romantic relationships between main cast members.

Ah, Jean-Luc - dedicated to the one you love, eh? That café should have been in San Francisco not Paris, then you could have been California Dreaming.. Mind you, that time slip should have ensured it would always be Monday, Monday.. (Enough already! I'll get me coat...)

I've always been quite fond of this episode , especially coming as it did after the awful Skin Of Evil. Somehow it reminded me of the movie 'Casablanca' with Picard as Rick, and his old flame whisked away years before by someone more brilliant and dedicated to a cause. Perhaps they should have had Data or Wesley to tell us that the problems of three people don't amount to a hill of beans..

It's not perfect by any means. The production is dire compared to the normal slick TNG values, with unsophisticated jump cuts from one scene to another, and the dialogue is sometimes clunky. The actor who plays Prof. Mannheim is just awful, and the scene where Data 'solves' the crisis by grab-handling a plastic container with red lights on it, then manhandling (androidhandling?) it into something that looks like it belongs in Dr Who's TARDIS, is somewhat laughable.

However, the episode has both holodeck activity, and time paradoxes, both favourite elements with me. And good to see Michelle Phillips offstage. One of the better offerings from Series 1, despite the flaws. I'll give it 3 stars.

@borusa QUESTION Did tou mean this episode borrows partd of the plot or premise from a Dr who episode or vice versa?? Or neither??

No comment on Data's use of a contraction? (Says "It's me" when triplicated in Manheim's lab.)

The first season wasn’t as hard and fast about Data never using contractions as the show would eventually become (though a few slip by throughout the series).

I am 38 and i can relate to Picards hesitance towards a long term relationship. Like Simon Pegg once said, todays men age and mature slower than previous generations. He referred to manchilds that despite aproaching their forties still behave in a very inmature way, while our grandpas fought in World War 2 in their 20s and therefore grew up much faster.

Thats the reason why i dont agree with many people here that it is a plothole that an almost 40 year old Picard would not be sure about a long term relationship. My own gramdma was already married at 20, my father with 32, and i am still unmarried.

Our perception that Picard cant be insecure about a long term relationship in his late thirties is based on cultural Standards of the early 20th century.

In the 24th century people live longer and age slower (propably one reason why they chose that the character of Picard is older than the actor who is portrying him) and have more time to grow up, so i am fine with an almost 40 year old Picard getting second thoughts about the relationship with Janice.

Hilarious that after this Professor opens a door into another dimension and nearly wipes out the galaxy in the process Picard is cool with him just returning to the planet and continuing his experiments.

This episode was a bit better than I remembered. I liked the personal development for Picard and the sci-fi premise was a little creepier than I had recalled. Sort of like Timescape crossed with Time Squared. It still has some of that season 1 strangeness.

That said, good thing the alternate dimension wasn't the one Sam Neil discovered in Event Horizon.

OK so during a very uneven Season 1, which has been uneven at best, up until this episode you had already rated SIX season 1 episodes LESS than 2 stars. Yet you give this intolerable drivel 2 stars.

"OK so during a very uneven Season 1, which has been uneven at best, up until this episode you had already rated SIX season 1 episodes LESS than 2 stars. Yet you give this intolerable drivel 2 stars."

I like to think of Jammer's reviews like the SATs - at some point in the 2000s the scoring baseline got adjusted upward.

So it's actually worse than you imagine. This 2 star TNG episode is like a 4 star Discovery or Picard episode.

This one was just a little boring - what was the actual plot? Some scientist guy messing with time in a lab but no real threat seemingly occurs and Data can easily solve it. Oh and the scientist guy happens to be married to Picard’s old flame. Of all the theoretical physics labs in the galaxy you just happened to walk into mine!

Super dull and slow. One of the worst this season

Jammer pretty much nails this one. It isn't terrible, which actually makes it one of the better season 1 episodes, but there isn't much to it.

P.S. The mad scientist is played by the same guy who played "Sigmund Frood" in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.

This episode could have been so much better, but it suffered from bad writing by the old TOS staff and even worse directing, a staple of Season 1. Oh, and by this point when I was watching all those years ago, I wanted to toss Troi (aka Miss Buttinski) right out an airlock. They should have killed her off instead of Yar, who at least was pleasant to look at.

A slow burn of an episode and that's perfectly fine. It was a bit of a "day in the life of" one, and about Picard!

Wesley and Yar weren't here to cringe-ruin any scenes, but boy, did Troi step up to the plate in this one. I don't blame her, I blame whoever thought that putting a counsellor on the bridge was a good idea.

They have a fencing hall? A welcome touch having a random lieutenant as his opponent, who also gets some lines. If this was in a later season then 99% guaranteed that it would be Riker, Data or one of the other regulars when it cuts to taking the mask off.

@Lore's Cat,

The script that's available online - radically different from the finished episode - has Riker as Picard's fencing partner, too.

Is it ok that l like this episode just because of the hot French girl in the holodeck cafe?

Picard: "Enough of this self-indulgence."

Me: "No, no! MORE self-indulgence."

In “Where No One Has Gone Before,” I noticed that Picard’s reaction to seeing his mother on the ship involved far more than surprise. This guy has mommy issues. Guys that have those usually go through life with lots of hang-ups and are particularly closed off from their emotions, even to themselves as Picard is (“Enough of this self-indulgence!”) “We’ll Always Have Paris” doesn’t give us a reason for Picard’s woes, but I think it makes sense based on what we’ve seen from the earlier episode. Superficially, as “Paris” runs with, Picard would say that he didn’t want to be “tied down” by a woman — a very traditional Hollywood leading-man adventurer notion. I say he was afraid of facing deeper issues.

The only reason it matters is that we clearly see that Picard is troubled, which Troi picks up on as well. Sure, in a big way, who cares? Picard has an awesome career and is where he always wanted to be. There’s no reason for him to dwell on the past. And yet, he does. This is the “So what?” of the romantic plot. Maybe Picard’s paradise as a starship captain is not nearly as perfect as it appears to be and therefore isn’t truly a paradise. This is maybe, oh, the twelfth or so time that Star Trek has pointed this out. It’s one of the tropes of Gene Roddenberry’s creation.

My wife watched this episode with me, and she was pissed off at old Jean-Luc Picard. You just don’t stand her up. I played Armus’ Advocate for a bit and said that since it was only a first date, Jenice would simply move on from such a clear signal that things aren’t going to work, and best she learns that immediately rather than after becoming involved with the man. Shows you how much I know. “They were already in a relationship!" she argued. Oops. Yeah, apparently, she’s right. Far be it for me to be distracted during a romantic chick-flick plot and not pick up on everything (but I kid). My wife would be sending Picard to have a Holodeck session with a Sigmund Freud simulation post-haste to confront his mommy issues. Personally, I think she shouldn’t be holding her breath. This was a passable insight into who Picard is beneath the surface, but it’s still a space opera adventure show.

There’s probably a correlation between the science fiction time shenanigans here and Picard's personal life, being that Jenice is from his past and that reuniting with her throws his sense of time into turmoil just as her mad scientist husband throws actual time into turmoil. But that’s the extent of my analysis. If this indeed was something the writers were trying to point out, it’s severely muddled just like much of TNG has been.

Troi was good in the last installment, “Skin of Evil.” Here, she’s obvious and annoying. She’s used here in order to connect the dots for the audience that Picard is troubled upon encountering Jenice — as if we couldn’t tell by his body language on the Bridge or anything. She has a residue of a point about how distractions can lead to command inefficiencies, but considering Picard maintains professionalism throughout every second of the crisis, it comes off as Troi simply being a gossip and yenta, meddling in the captain’s private affairs. If he had started to make mistakes, *that’s* when she should maybe address it. Otherwise, let it go, Troi.

Speaking of “Let it go, Troi,” even worse was her catty scene with Beverly. This is where Troi becomes a literal reality-show busybody, getting Bev worked up for no reason whatsoever. Crusher, to her credit, sees it coming a mile away, as soon as Troi steps into the Sick Bay. There she is, being a doctor and tending to her patient, only for Troi to waltz in and accuse her of being jealous of a “ghost from Picard’s past” like she just beamed over from a *Grey’s Anatomy* rerun. That was irritating. Sure, there’s a little meat here, as when Beverly tells Manheim, “You must have been really something” (meaning, Jenice sees him as worthy of someone like Picard), but it isn’t affecting her work at all. Again, Troi should only be stepping in her crewmates’ shit if they call a counseling session with her, *or* if they start to display mental aberrations on the job. I want to see Troi being a profiler again, as she was in “Home Soil” and “Skin of Evil.” She may have great boobs, but she’s rather unattractive in this one.

As for boobs (I know, but look at my username), Michelle Phillips delivers a somewhat agreeable but ultimately flat performance as Jenice. She does her best but seems out of her element here. What I wouldn’t have given to have her go into some hardcore time-travel scientific spewing, as I bet that would have been unintentionally hilarious; in fact, why didn’t they just make her the scientist? Paul Manheim was a bore. Sir Patrick Stewart is game, but he and Phillips just didn’t have a good rapport with each other.

Finally, another trope of Star Trek is showing how mad scientists are often filled with too much hubris and quickly lose control of their creations or experiments. It’s a nice message, but this is one of the poorer executions. We have no idea why Manheim is meddling with time in the first place, other than probably only “to see if it’s possible.” This is the worst trait of folks like him. They never think about *if* they should be doing something, only whether they *can*. We probably shouldn’t be looking for ways of “opening other dimensions” as Manheim does. Have you seen *Stranger Things*, for example? It’s like that. Manheim’s lucky that this only gave him a bout of time sickness (see: LOST’s “The Constant”). If TNG had twice the budget it had, things could have been a lot worse!

There are some neat shots throughout the episode that showcase the time “hiccups,” but it’s a half-baked idea and the resolution is horrendously simplistic.

Oh, and please tell me we’re done with the Paris restaurant simulation. That maître’ d’hôtel was obnoxious. I did get a small kick out of the entertainer in the background playing some futuristic accordion made out of bongs and an air vent, but all I can say is, thankfully Picard speaks with an English accent and not a French one (but I kid).

The final minute is perfect:

-- Jenice: “So much for my dramatically romantic exit.” (Door appears); Hmm, that would take all the fun out of a *Matrix* simulation, considering “exit” is a loaded word.

-- Troi: “It’s across the square from the Zanza Men’s Dance Palace.” Hah! She would know! (Riker’s expression says everything).

-- Picard to Troi: “It’s called the Blue Parrot Cafe… and you’re buying.” Yup, see that? That’s what she gets!


Speak Freely:
Picard -- ‘Will that plug the hole?”
Data -- “Theoretically, yes.”

[Best out-of-context line yet]


My Grade: C-



NEXT TIME!!!! ON THE X-FILES!!!!! THE NEXT GENERATION!!!!

Trust No One!

Evil Parasites!

The Truth Is Out There!

@ PCP,

I agree with your wife that Jenice and Picard were already in a relationship. It seems like he was going to have one last romantic meeting with her before he shipped out, presumably right after graduating from the Academy. I think the idea is implied that this was a last chance for both of them to see whether he would stay or go, which is really crazy when you think about it. So crazy, in fact, that he realized it would be crazy to even show up. Most of the rest of the story seems to be layer upon layer of metaphor about this business of having part of himself stuck in the past timeframe, and wondering what he other future timeframe would be. They also layered in this Casablanca overlay, which is to my sensibility one set of metaphors too many.

So first of all a bit of trivia: I feel like maybe Paul Manheim is named after Karl Mannheim, who wrote Ideology and Utopia. The content of that book is sociological, and mostly irrelevant to our story, but Wikipedia does say this about his theory in it:

"Mannheim argued that the application of the term ideology ought to be broadened. He traced the history of the term from what he called a "particular" view.
[...]
Thus, to Mannheim, "ideas were products of their times and of the social statuses of their proponents."
[...]
He feared this could lead to relativism but proposed the idea of relationism as an antidote. To uphold the distinction, he maintained that the recognition of different perspectives according to differences in time and social location appears arbitrary only to an abstract and disembodied theory of knowledge."

My best guess is someone involved in writing the episode knew of the book and thought the "differences in time and location" was kind of applicable to our story. It's mostly a red herring, but maybe someone here will find this reference interesting.

Beyond this point, the whole episode consists of various metaphors about Picard and time. The episode starts off with fencing, and some Lt. stabs him with an epee (I think). We get this dialogue:

DEAN: I took advantage.
PICARD: No, no, Lieutenant, the advantage was yours.

A reference to Picard and Manheim, I suppose, and the foil's point perhaps references piercing through to the other 'dimensions'. Then this:

TROI: Confronting deep personal issues is not easy for you. You tend to suppress them.

And right after this it cuts back to the fencing area, with him putting the sword away in its case. The suppression she mentions, and...ahem...a metaphor for the obvious.

Then soon after some dialogue with Jenice, which includes this:

PICARD: You said there were only two of you left. What happened to the rest of the crew?
JENICE: They were working in the second lab. Something happened there a few weeks ago. They were all killed. It was a terrible accident. I don't know exactly what happened. So many brilliant, wonderful minds, just gone.

I found this bit of dialogue eerily similar to Turnabout Intruder, and so is the fact that the Captain is confronting an old flame. Maybe another red herring, but the names seem oddly similar: Janice vs Jenice? Eh.

MANHEIM: I have been on the other side. I have touched another dimension. Part of me is still there.
JENICE: Help him.
CRUSHER: Try to stay calm, Doctor Manheim. I don't think it's going to help you struggling against it.
MANHEIM: My mind is floating between two places. It is difficult to know which is which. There is no way to explain it.

A pretty blatant allusion to Picard's situation with Jenice, his mind in two times and locations at once.

JENICE: Why didn't you come to meet me that last day in Paris?
PICARD: I was afraid.
JENICE: Oh, I didn't want this.
PICARD: What?
JENICE: The truth.
PICARD: Oh, you want me to lie?
JENICE: Of course. A nice, soft, painless lie.
PICARD: Oh, I got the days confused. I thought it was Tuesday when it was Wednesday. I went to the Cafe Moulin instead of the Cafe des Artistes.

The dialogue is supposed to be droll here, like in Casablanca. The conflicting styles really don't work IMO. The confusion between days here seems like a bit of meta-joking by the writer about time distortions. Har.

JENICE: I've thought a lot about this over the years, and perhaps you're leaving out your greatest fear. The real reason you left.
PICARD: Which was?
JENICE: That life with me would have somehow made you ordinary.
PICARD: You're wonderful. And am I that transparent?

This may be an attempt at a Casablanca inversion. In that story, Rick had to give up staying with Ilsa, which he wanted to do, in order to serve a cause he didn't want to join, but felt he had to. Our story here seems to suggest that Picard really wanted to be in Starfleet, the opposite of Rick, and staying with Jenice would have been the sacrifice. In this story it's one he doesn't make.

Then the Troi/Crusher scene that PCP mentions:

TROI: I wanted to see how he was doing.
CRUSHER: The same. Nothing I do seems to make any difference. That's not why you're here.
TROI: I thought I was the empath.

This double-meaning dialogue is both about Manheim, and about Crusher's failed attempts to get Picard's attention. The script is pretty blatantly telling us she's wanted to get together with him, although frankly I haven't seen this clearly portrayed onscreen. Feels like a wistful invention by the writers that's unearned.

Here's a bit of strange dialogue, another Casablanca inversion:

MANHEIM: What I really wanted to talk to you about is Jenice.
PICARD: Doctor Manheim, I did not come here to discuss your wife.
MANHEIM: It is only this. If anything should go wrong, please, take care of her for me.
PICARD: Of course.
MANHEIM: She never would admit this, but she has had a terrible time these last years. Had we not been so isolated, she might have left me, and I never would have known. At least, not right away. Perhaps I'm not a man who should have a woman like her. She deserves better.

Paul seems to be asking Picard to resume his relationship with Jenice if Paul doesn't make it. Kind of the noble sacrifice Rick was making for Lazlo. He almost seems to regret being the guy to have won her.

Later on the time-problem is resolved by using Data, who says:

DATA: Oh, I see, sir. That is quite true, sir. I see time as a constant, whereas humans perceive time as flexible.

Maybe I'm reading a bit too much into the FX, but it's the middle Data who's in the correct timeframe to use the antimatter. If we view the others as slightly in the past and future, it's the "present" Data who's in the right place to seal the hole, maybe a way for the script to say that you fix problems in the past by living in the present. Right after this we get a revelation from Manheim:

MANHEIM: I feel like I'm coming out of a long tunnel. It's there. Not at all like I thought it would be. Different.
JENICE: Describe it.
MANHEIM: I can't, not yet. The only words that fit are too pale because the images are so vibrant. It's not like anything anyone has ever experienced before.

The wording here does the double-duty of sounding like being newly in love now that he's back in the present and seeing his wife. Also note him saying "Not at all like I thought it would be," which echoes what Picard said to Jenice much earlier in the episode:

JENICE: You've done well. A great starship in the far reaches of the galaxy. It's everything you'd hoped.
PICARD: Not exactly. Nothing works just as you hope.

Finally we get the Casablanca sendoff, along with another instance of Peter's law of untouched food and drinks. We get a scene that does little other than remind us that the episode is named after one of the most famous lines in film:

RICK: Inside of us we both know you belong with Victor. You're part of his work, the thing that keeps him going. If that plane leaves and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life.
ILSA: But what about us?
RICK: We'll always have Paris.

And the episode does end on this note, with Jenice going back with Paul to support him in his work. And actually I find this to be the only really touching scene in the episode. It's been made clear that she's been miserable for years, having nothing of her own, and being stuck on a remote planet. But Bogie says it all: You're part of his work, the thing that keeps him going. So it's her who makes the noble sacrifice, wanting so badly to help Paul to succeed. Picard doesn't have to urge her to go, she knows very well it's what she has to do.

So what does all this imagery, double meaning, and sublayers in every single scene give us? As usual, the S1 syndrome of having a loaded up story but a script which is lacking haunts us once again. They can fill up the text with as many references and allusions as they like, but without a solid teleplay it don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.

@ Peter G. -- "I think the idea is implied that this was a last chance for both of them to see whether he would stay or go, which is really crazy when you think about it. So crazy, in fact, that he realized it would be crazy to even show up."

Fair point, but he still could have at least joined her for that one last "tryst" before shipping out! I mean, what's the harm? Unless, of course, both of them, for some reason, thought that it was a strong possibility that he just might choose to give up his Starfleet career to "go see about a girl." This, as you point out, is pretty crazy. I think I might still take the position that he stood her up because of his likely mommy issues that make him a "hapless" romantic.


I have a confession to make. I have never seen *Casablanca*. (I know, here come the torches and pitchforks.) I did know that "We'll Always Have Paris" was named after a *Casablanca* line, but I guess that's why most of the context of this episode went right over my head. It seems like I might have appreciated it more if I had seen the movie.

I really liked your post here, so consider it my push to finally watch it. My wife and I plan on viewing it tonight, so maybe I'll be able to respond to some of your points soon!


Jammer, this is why I love this site. When I decided I wanted to finally give Star Trek a shot (the reboot movies inspired me to do so), I thought it would be fun to also share some thoughts of mine, as a newcomer, along the viewing journey. To this end I went in search of a forum, as I think Reddit is a bit too disjointed for this objective. That's when I found your site, and knew it was the right choice when I started to see the depth of commentary not only in your reviews and blog posts (I peaked at some non-Star Trek articles to avoid spoilers), but in the comment stream as well. I'm finally getting around to see arguably one of the best movies ever made because of the thoughtfulness inherent in your audience. Thanks for all you do!

@ PCP,

"Fair point, but he still could have at least joined her for that one last "tryst" before shipping out! I mean, what's the harm? Unless, of course, both of them, for some reason, thought that it was a strong possibility that he just might choose to give up his Starfleet career to "go see about a girl." This, as you point out, is pretty crazy."

Actually I think this is *exactly* what the writers wanted to imply, although I personally think it's crazy to script this. Basically, yeah, Jean-Luc was afraid that if he showed up he'd drop out of Starfleet to be with her, and didn't want to chance that happening. And I do think it's a nod to Casablanca, but at the same time the analogy fails for reasons you'll see after you watch the legendary film. It fails because of how different Picard is from Rick.

It is probably true that the implication is meant to be that Picard was afraid he would not ship out with Starfleet. But I think that it's also possible that he was just generally afraid of a serious relationship, that he has a big fear of emotional engulfment. In general Picard seems to avoid close personal attachments for reasons that seem to go beyond merely his career. Another way to read it is that Picard and Jenice were sufficiently serious that she would expect to try a long-distance relationship and that Picard anticipated that this would lead to a much more painful breakup later on, but didn't have it in him to give their relationship a clean break by meeting with her in person.

Anyway, this line I find hard to parse:

PICARD: It was fear. Fear of seeing you, losing my resolve. Fear of staying, losing myself. Fear that neither of these choices was right, and that, and that either would have

Sorry: "fear of seeing you, losing my resolve" reads most naturally to me as, "I was afraid that if I saw you, I would lose my resolve to break things off so that I can go to the stars." And then the next statement is "Fear of staying, losing myself," which seems to mean, "I was afraid that if I stayed with you I would lose my own identity." But then he says, "Fear that neither of these choices was right, and that, and that either would have," which suggests that there is a binary here -- that *either* he...loses his resolve or he stays? But aren't those the same choice? Or is there another way to read this line?

[Casablanca spoilers]

@Peter,

"Here's a bit of strange dialogue, another Casablanca inversion:

MANHEIM: What I really wanted to talk to you about is Jenice.
PICARD: Doctor Manheim, I did not come here to discuss your wife.
MANHEIM: It is only this. If anything should go wrong, please, take care of her for me.
PICARD: Of course.
MANHEIM: She never would admit this, but she has had a terrible time these last years. Had we not been so isolated, she might have left me, and I never would have known. At least, not right away. Perhaps I'm not a man who should have a woman like her. She deserves better.

Paul seems to be asking Picard to resume his relationship with Jenice if Paul doesn't make it. Kind of the noble sacrifice Rick was making for Lazlo. He almost seems to regret being the guy to have won her."

I see what you mean that it's a bit of an inversion, but I also think this one is an homage/swipe from this scene:

LASZLO: I know a good deal more about you than you suspect. I know that you're in love with a woman. It's perhaps a strange circumstance...that we both should be in love with the same woman. The first evening I came into this cafe, I knew there was something between you and Ilsa. Since no one is to blame...I demand no explanation. I ask only one thing. You won't give me the letters of transit. All right. But I want my wife to be safe. I ask you as a favor...to use the letters to take her away from Casablanca.
RICK: You love her that much?
LASZLO: Apparently you think of me only as the leader of a cause. Well, I am also a human being. Yes, I love her that much.

Of course Laszlo more or less offering to have Ilsa go on a plane with Rick is partly set up for the more famous actual ending. There are other scenes that suggest Laszlo wonders if Ilsa would be happier with Rick. One of the intriguing elements of the final play in Casablanca is that Laszlo probably is aware that Ilsa would rather be with Rick, and is making a sacrifice in going with him. I think he accepts that sacrifice because he loves Ilsa in *both* the selfish sense that he wants her at his side (even if she's unhappy) and the in the selfless sense that he wants her to be safe (even if she wants to put herself in danger by staying in hot water in Casablanca with Rick). In a way, he is accepting a sacrifice on her part, and in another he is making his own sacrifice, since he will ensure her life at the cost that he'll have her by his side always suspecting or knowing that she's unhappy. And all this is still balanced against his work, which is so central to him. Maybe there's something similar intended with Manheim (I wonder if "Paul" is a reference to Paul Heinreid), but the characterization is thin.

The reference to the Blue Parrot Cafe is another explicit Casablanca reference (Ferrari's club).

Anyway it is interesting, sort of, that this decides to invert the jilting in Casablanca by having Picard be the one to stand Jenice up. Picard, like Rick (until the end of the film), is fairly closed off in his own little castle. Picard is a moral man, whereas Rick has chosen to be radically neutral and present himself as unscrupulous, so the analogy breaks down, but the isolation is similar. Rick's isolation(ism) seems to stem from the heartbreak of Ilsa's jilting him (the way she eventually yells at him, "One woman has hurt you...and you take your revenge on the rest of the world.") and his rugged heroism and willingness to fight for the cause is restored once they "got [Paris] back" by her returning, albeit briefly, to him, and they are able to part a second time in a more satisfying (if still painful) way. What the inversion of who stands up whom might be saying (if it says anything) is that while Rick surely believes it's because Ilsa left him that he was left so wounded and heartbroken, it's maybe the heartbreak that matters, not who is the responsible party. But again, as you suggest, Picard and Rick are different enough that it's hard to draw too many conclusions.

@ William B,

Yes had forgotten that earlier scene where Lazlo offers her to Rick, which is echoed in the Manheim/Picard scene. In that sense I agree it's a straight copy, not an inversion, although it's interesting that Paul doesn't just say "take her, she'd be better off with you, but instead it's more Old Testament, like one brother taking her after the death of another, and these two instantly form this friendship of brothers by Paul's offer. So this offer is only should be die, and if have been great to have a later scene showing that this bond remains even though Manheim survives and Jenice goes with him. I feel on a character level it might have helped Picard quite a lot to now finally know that Jenice is going off with his blood brother, someone he trusts and is happy to take care of her. It's *almost* implied in the scene, but they don't make anything of it. Too bad.

Just watching this episode this evening. Honestly, I like it. Stewart's given some nice emotional stuff, Data has some good moments (including a rogue "it's" vocal contraction), although Riker has a LOT of bemused expressions in this one that makes me wonder if he was getting tired of having no decent bits of dialogue!

Nice use of the holodeck, and Paul Loomis does semi crazy beautifully.

Overall, 2.5 stars from me.

I've always liked this episode ever since i first watched it as a teenager in 1991!

I particularly like the eerie score, the mystery, some decent acting, and the French hottie on the holodeck.

I can see why other people might think it's a plodding pointless episode, but for the reasons above - and the nostalgic quality for me - i give it 3*.

I always thought the holodeck scene was the weirdest aspect of the whole episode. Was that woman supposed to be just some stood up lady the computer randomly inserted as flavor? Did Picard program her into the simulation? Is this supposed to be a program based on an actual recording of that specific date, time and place in history right down to Picard's lover appearing as part of the simulation? It's just a bit baffling.

Normally, if I’m going to blot down a review of sorts for a Trek episode, I take a few notes while watching, think it over for a minute, get on the business end of an edible or three, and stream-of-consciousness that mess. But this episode presents an unusual challenge: it’s crazily unremarkable. Here are the notes I managed while watching:

-Cafe des Artistes has a pretty tacky decor.
-Riker snatches the boss chair. Damn dude, the captains right there!
-Could you give yourself a high five while encountering yourself during a Mannheim effect? Or would that destroy the universe or whatever?
-The transporter Chief is named Herbert. What an establishment lackey.
-Butt out Troi, geez!
-Casablanca overlays: don’t really work without them nutzos.

I’m sure there’s some deeper effort available for punchier analysis lurking around the subtext of this episode, but for whatever reason, that’s all I could muster. Visualizing this outing is like remembering the details of a night out involving about five tequila shots too many. It’s a strange blur. Word on the street is this episode got the short end of a writer’s strike stick, which might explain some things. Greedy writers!

At the core of this episode is clearly Picard and his road less traveled. We join him, épée in hand, enjoying some relaxation time consisting of magnanimously skewering poor lieutenant Dean, whom we will never see again but technically got to see twice here because he gets to double dip his lines in the midst of some time loopy weirdness. Is this fencing opener a microcosm of the whole episode theme, with Picard surrendering the advantage initially only to come out on top in the end through the actions of a “desperate man”? Heck if I know, but I do like Jean-Luc in those form tight breeches! Speaking of tight pants, the Enterprise needs to investigate these time disturbance shenanigans so they beetle off to the Pegos Minor system. Pego being an archaic slang for wiener, I’m wondering if these soon to be striking TNG writers aren’t trying to plant some subtle seeds in the audience’s collective brain pans. I, for one, certainly hope so.

Anyway, as it turns out, Picard’s old flame is at the bottom of all this timey-wimey junk. To be precise, it’s Picard’s old flame’s new old flame who’s gotten himself wedged between dimensions. That little rascal! Oh, and he got his whole research team unceremoniously killed. Oops. Bad day at the ol’ office, freaking Mondays, right? Especially when they threaten to repeat into infinity.

Our dear Captain was definitely not ready to run into his old GF and her somewhat problematically aged, silver medal hubby. As a result, poor Picard finds himself in a tough spot, having to navigate the regret dredging ghosts of his past, confront the current state of his life, and save the whole space time continuum, all with Counselor Troi breathing down his neck! Even Bogey didn’t have to deal with this much crap! But in all seriousness, this is a perfectly adequate episode that just fails to really manifest any meaningful substance. Which is unfortunate, because the backstory for Picard is definitely welcome and interesting. Picard sacrificed his love for a literal trek through the stars. Sounds epic. Except that the episode is invoking comparisons to Casablanca in which the sacrifice being made by Rick is essentially being done to help save the free world from pure evil. If the material you’re subtexting yourself with makes your show seem less profound, you might have screwed up. Also, the time fracture emergency is too opaque to be interesting. Every time Dr. Mannheim has a chance to lay it all out for us, he gets all tongue tied and starts rambling on with the old “I can’t put it into words” chestnut, which doesn’t help engage the audience. And then, of course, Data just plops a canister into a thing and POW, problem kinda solved or something. None of it fully delivers. But alas, what can you do? We’ll always have a facsimile of Paris on the holodeck..

Some fleeting musings:
-Things aren’t all bad: no Wesley, no problem.
-Also, no Tasha. Maybe she was off showing Wes how they huff paint on Turkana IV. You know, just so he understands that drugs are bad and stuff…
-I’d have rather had Tasha than Troi this week. Sheesh, talk about prying..
-Definite Alternative Factor vibes to this one. That’s not a compliment.
-That being said, it’s increasingly difficult to slam even the worst classic Trek episodes(not that this is a “worst” you understand, it just happens to be here and now) in light of how progressively craptacular NuTrek has been. Just saying, we live in strange times.

2/4 self indulgent strolls down the Champs Élysées.

Oh wait, Tasha is already dead. Well, I guess she’s wheezing fumes in Valhalla..