Star Trek: The Next Generation
"Frame of Mind"
Air date: 5/3/1993
Written by Brannon Braga
Directed by James L. Conway
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
Riker rehearses the part of a man locked in an insane asylum in a play called "Frame of Mind" that Crusher is directing and he's supposed to perform tomorrow. (Have you ever stopped to consider how weird it is the crew seems to spend so much time staging plays in their free time?) But strange things are happening. Riker keeps slipping into a reality where he actually is institutionalized in an alien mental ward whose holding cell looks exactly like the set of the play. And you thought he had things bad when he couldn't get any sleep in "Schisms."
"Frame of Mind" combines the slowly escalating psychological dread from "Schisms" and the uncertain nature of reality from "Ship in a Bottle" and wraps them into a premise where reality becomes so much an open question that we have no idea what's truly going on until the show is over. It's a brilliant and conceptually driven piece of sci-fi writing from Brannon Braga on one of his better days, featuring a storyline that is simultaneously (and paradoxically) straightforward and labyrinthine, with a protagonist who is put through the terrifying wringer of experiencing two separate lives and not knowing which one of them is real. Facts from each reality spill into the other. Ultimately, Riker must face the possibility that he is losing his mind.
It all has something to do with an undercover mission on an alien world that Riker is (or perhaps already was, in the past) supposed to go on a few days after his play's performance. But the play still hasn't happened, and after spending a day in the alien mental hospital, he wakes up on the Enterprise on the morning he's supposed to perform. He performs the play. He hallucinates (or maybe not) an alien whom in the mental ward is his therapist, Dr. Syrus (David Selburg). He grabs the guy and shouts at him. He's embarrassed. A turbolift door opens and suddenly he's walking the halls of the mental ward. He crosses back into that reality and finds that it seems more and more real, while his memories of the Enterprise, explained to him as delusions by his psychiatrist, seem less and less so.
This might not work as well as it does if Jonathan Frakes' performance didn't carry us through it. But Frakes turns in a solid performance as a protagonist who is slowly broken down by the Kafkaesque weight of not being able distinguish reality from fantasy, slowly losing his grip as things fall apart. (This story would've been perfect for Miles O'Brien.) Like many of Braga's best conceptual stories, the truth lies is in the details (see also "Cause and Effect"). In this case, the way little details manifest themselves in each of Riker's realities and subsequently cascade throughout the story (the cut on Riker's temple that never heals, the way he was jumped from behind in an alley in his memories from the supposed murder he committed, etc.) makes for a puzzle that's always intriguing, sometimes dizzying. The production design of the mental ward is appropriately disorienting, hostile, and atmospheric.
The way the plot resolves itself — with the events of the entire episode essentially being a construct of Riker's mind as a defense mechanism attempting to ward off an alien mental probe — means that "Frame of Mind" isn't actually even required to hold together as a plot where you can figure out what's real, what clues have meaning, or why. Because, ultimately, none of it is real, which allows the story to become completely unhinged in its final act. Trying to "solve" it as a puzzle is ultimately not the point — which for some may come as a mild disappointment. But if you examine the pieces and how they were built from Riker's memories of recent events, it still holds up marvelously as a plot. But more important is how "Frame of Mind" exists at a level of dreamlike incoherence, with bizarre imagery and a ground that keeps shifting. This episode is about a concocted reality with cracks in it, which Riker is ultimately able to poke at until the entire surface of the looking glass shatters.
Previous episode: The Chase
Next episode: Suspicions
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97 comments on this post
Fri, Aug 31, 2012, 12:09am (UTC -5)
But this one was ruined by the revelation that it was all just a dream--something similar completely ruins S7's "Eye of the Beholder". Don't get me wrong the atmosphere was certainly creepy especially the final scene where he wants to take down the stage in Ten Forward to give himself peace of mind but the fact that it was a defense mechanism in response to an invasive interrogation procedure to gather information just took all the air out of it for me.
I'd give it 2.5 stars only.
Fri, Aug 31, 2012, 1:29am (UTC -5)
Anyway I remember going back and rewatching some episodes multiple times because they were so intriguing to me. Yesterdays Enterprise, Measure of a Man, Best of Both Worlds, Inner Light, 10111011011000111101, and the episode with the title that was a bunch of numbers etc. I always had thought the oddball episode I kept going back to was Frame of Mind. Every time I saw it I loved it but never thought "oh hey this is classic Trek".
Now granted this is an episode I haven't seen in years so I do not have a current opinion on it. But from what I read and what I remember I actually found Jammers four stars surprising. But in a good way. I need to watch this one again but I would like to say thanks for the rating. In my head I was expecting to read this review and see maybe a 3 or 3.5 at best.
Thank you Jammer. (:
Fri, Aug 31, 2012, 5:01am (UTC -5)
Even on repeat viewings, my heart drops when that alien talks into her spoon.
Fri, Aug 31, 2012, 12:25pm (UTC -5)
However, what it lacks in character it makes up for in atmosphere and direction. It reminded me of a "Twilight Zone" ep. with a Star Trek coda that explained how it all took place rather than leaving it a complete mystery. I'd say 4 stars is a bit generous, but not an offensive grade either. Probably would get 3.5* from me.
Fri, Aug 31, 2012, 2:00pm (UTC -5)
Certainly doesn't hurt that Frakes does one of the finest performances of his career.
Sat, Sep 1, 2012, 9:28am (UTC -5)
Still, I liked Frame of Mind, partly because it gives Riker something to do again. Season six is where Riker really becomes a secondary character, and this is arguably the second-to-last Riker vehicle in TNG (Pegasus is a Riker episode, but Second Chances is more of a TOM Riker episode).
Frakes isn't the cast's best actor, but he had his moments -- and he's better than Sirtis who becomes a much more central character (regrettably) in seasons six and seven.
Sat, Sep 1, 2012, 2:26pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Sep 1, 2012, 6:58pm (UTC -5)
Wed, Sep 5, 2012, 11:17am (UTC -5)
This is one episode I could re-evaluate, and I might enjoy it more, if only for the acting.
Thu, Sep 6, 2012, 5:40am (UTC -5)
Sat, Sep 8, 2012, 8:58am (UTC -5)
Sun, Sep 9, 2012, 1:57pm (UTC -5)
So glad you could identify Frakes costume--he was probably so agitated because of the complexities of the role. lol.
Sun, Sep 9, 2012, 7:22pm (UTC -5)
I actually spoke to him at a sci-fi con three years ago and it never occurred to me to tell him that story. Probably for the best - I probably would have come off like Annie Wilkes from "Misery" if I had!
Mon, Sep 10, 2012, 4:03pm (UTC -5)
One thought. I disagree on Frakes being a bad actor. He is no Stewart, but he is top 3. I think the problem is that after BOBW2, the creators just didn't know what to do with him. I think BOBW2 was the worst thing to ever happen to this character. If that could not get him a command, nothing could, and we as the audience knows this. For one thing, how cool would it have been if Riker STAYED as Captain, and Picard was promoted to Fleet admiral? Already by that point TNG was better than TOS, but imagine how much more the rest of the cast could have done in the last few seasons if Picard was fleet admiral, and Riker still had a believable career (and data, worf, etc...)
BTW, Picard would not even have to leave the enterprise, in the Navy Admirals can stay on ships for years..Why couldn't Picard? BIG missed opportunity.
Mon, Sep 10, 2012, 4:49pm (UTC -5)
God, if I had known back then that there would one day be this great invention called DVD where you can have an entire season of television in a tiny box!
Wed, Sep 12, 2012, 12:11pm (UTC -5)
The real problem, as you noted, is that the creators really ran out of things for Riker to do in the last four seasons (particularly the last two). As I've noted elsewhere, he's often akin to Scotty in the original series -- the guy running the ship while Kirk (Picard) and Spock (Data) go have adventures.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in Nemesis, where Riker has Trek's least important fight scene with Shinzon's viceroy. The fight added nothing to the movie -- a movie where some key character tidbits were cut for time.
Riker was my favorite character growing up because of the role he played in the early seasons. But they really marginalized him late in the series, which might have coincided with Frakes taking more runs at directing.
As Riker was marginalized, Picard was more of a focus. That was fine, as long as it didn't go off the deep end (e.g. the stupid Argo part of Nemesis). It also gave more screen time to Troi, which was an unfortunate choice, because Sirtis was the worst actor in the cast and making her more central necessitated some ridiculous plot holes. Good example: She knows everything there is to know about Romulan engine rooms in 'Timescape' about a year after not knowing what a warp core breach was in "Disaster".
And making Troi a full commander -- when Data was still a Lt. Cmdr -- was just laughable.
Thu, Sep 13, 2012, 1:54pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Sep 15, 2012, 1:26am (UTC -5)
Half a star.
Sat, Sep 15, 2012, 2:17pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Sep 17, 2012, 9:45am (UTC -5)
Sun, Jan 6, 2013, 5:42am (UTC -5)
I give it half a star however for Data's hilarious advice about Riker's acting: "Humans have a tendency towards irrationality. Perhaps you should tap into that part of your psyche."
Crusher:"Yes, thank you, Data."
Thu, Jul 4, 2013, 8:02pm (UTC -5)
My only complaint is the same complaint I have for virtually every other decent TNG episode -- a strong, dramatic delivery that is hastily resolved and trivially explained away in the last 3 minutes of the show. It always feels so unrewarding.
That aside, this one kept me on the edge of my seat.
Thu, Jul 4, 2013, 8:09pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Aug 29, 2013, 10:34pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Sep 6, 2013, 10:12pm (UTC -5)
Just as an aside, I remember being asked to write a great escape story in high school drama class. It ended with the line 'just as the tiger was about to sink his jaws in me, I woke up.' I got a C.
Sun, Nov 3, 2013, 6:14pm (UTC -5)
We could also ask why Data can escape from his monotone when he's acting but not in his day to day life.
Tue, Dec 24, 2013, 7:33am (UTC -5)
The final scenes of reality shattering is very well done.
Frakes is brilliant in this as well. Some top notch acting.
Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 5:31am (UTC -5)
Mon, Feb 10, 2014, 7:38pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Feb 17, 2014, 8:11am (UTC -5)
Fri, Jun 27, 2014, 4:32pm (UTC -5)
Wed, Jul 2, 2014, 2:14pm (UTC -5)
Jammer, why do you think that this episode would have been perfect for Miles O'Brien?
Sat, Jul 5, 2014, 3:53am (UTC -5)
Sat, Jul 5, 2014, 6:55pm (UTC -5)
But this episode is kind of exhausting to watch, like being stuck in a fun house for an hour.
As far as Riker being stuck in a fictional reality, I much prefer Future Imperfect.
Wed, Apr 29, 2015, 12:22am (UTC -5)
Especially when it's totally obvious near the end, as the play's audience applauds and cheers Riker for pushing against his aggressor. I just love the notion of self-help enacted symbolically, through the reality we "construct" unconsciously for ourselves. I actually prefer this resolution to the "alien controlling everything" reveal.
So there's some love for the ending!
Sat, Aug 1, 2015, 10:31pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Aug 21, 2015, 4:36am (UTC -5)
I only ask because the play Riker was supposedly rehersing. Did seem like it would be a real good one so I'm interested does it exist?
Wed, Sep 30, 2015, 6:25am (UTC -5)
It has a nice creepy atmosphere and a decent performance by Frakes but that is all it has. Unlike "Schisms" it never really achieves take-off velocity. "Schisms" set out to be legitimately frightening and it achieved that goal wonderfully. "Frame of Mind" never ascends beyond the level of mild uneasiness. When the standout sequence is the final "shattering" effect at the end of Riker's delusions (which was some really good F/X work - credit where it's due), you know the story never really went anywhere.
It's got a good concept, even if it all ends with the cliched "it was just a dream," so it's not "bad," but it could have been much more. Jonathan Frakes deserved a meatier role since, as everyone has been quick to point out, they really weren't doing much with Riker as a character by this point in the show.
And, just a little tidbit that annoyed me, we once again get the writers confusing anarchy and chaos. The whole plot begins with the assumption that the planet has descended into total anarchy when the government collapsed. But, just like in "Legacy," what we're shown, or lead to believe, is that there are simply several factions on the planet now instead of one world government. That's not anarchy, unless you want to claim that we, here in the real world, live in a state of total anarchy. And, what they seem to be implying is that anarchy = chaos. They did this exact thing back in "Allegiance." These people really need to get a dictionary! Anarchy is the absence of "rulers," not the absence of "rules." That extra "r" in that world makes a world of difference. If you want to see a good representation of anarchy watch "The Lord of the Rings" - hobbits live in a state of anarchy. If you want to see chaos, watch "Mad Max." But, in the end, all of that is pretty minor since the focus of the plot is clearly not on that but on Riker's delusions, so I can't get too upset about it.
5/10
Thu, Oct 8, 2015, 3:27pm (UTC -5)
I thought Frakes' performance was always verging on the affected rather than the brilliant, and for me failed to carry the episode in the way that Patrick Stewart carried The Inner Light, say. 2 stars.
Fri, Apr 1, 2016, 10:07pm (UTC -5)
It's easy to see why this episode is so polarizing. It succeeds brilliantly in some ways, and falls flat in others. For some people, plot trumps atmosphere. An unsatisfactory plot resolution can undercut earlier scenes even if you found them powerful while watching them. I was hooked almost instantly by the first scene, and was disappointed when it seemed like that might just become a minor subplot. Frakes was challenged to show some range, and generally succeeded. There was a "No!!!" moment before a commercial interruption that fell flat, but it's hard to decide where the blame for something like that lies. Frakes turned in a strong performance elsewhere, so maybe editing used a weak take, or the other actor had a negative impact, or something else. I also found some of the special effects a bit cheesy and dated, which I find pretty forgivable in this show.
I'm not sure what the other self-described former mental patient's objection is, but I think this episode succeeded spectacularly in setting the tone. I believe it's the darkest one I've ever seen, and succeeded in being anxiety provoking and uncomfortable to watch, and I enjoyed seeing a very different, emotionally honest feeling, side to Riker. This story was a lot more about emotion than plot, and their (IMO) huge success with this aspect made it very easy for me to forgive the ones on which that fell short.
Wed, Apr 20, 2016, 7:11pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Aug 18, 2016, 9:44am (UTC -5)
I agree with what Lisana said about Data. Brent Spiner not only plays a brilliant android, here he plays a brilliant android who plays a corrupt and menacing psychiatrist. That's really impressive.
Sat, Sep 10, 2016, 10:13pm (UTC -5)
Frankly, halfway through the episode I no longer cared what was real and what wasn't.
Thu, Nov 10, 2016, 7:06am (UTC -5)
Wed, Dec 28, 2016, 10:53pm (UTC -5)
Jonathan Frakes' perfomance was amazing. I can understand how the "it was all a dream" ending could disappoint people. However, I liked it. It was the first time that there wasnt anything to figure out, there wasnt really anything that pointed to the resolution. The audience is supposed to sit back relax and enjoy the ride. The fact that very little made sense, truly put me in Rikers position and involved me in the experince.
4 out of 5: The one time that "it was all a dream" is acceptable.
Sat, Dec 31, 2016, 6:11am (UTC -5)
Tue, Jan 17, 2017, 10:57pm (UTC -5)
As for Frakes acting, yeah it got a bit hammy, and there were some weaker moments (why any writer ever writes a character to tell "No!" Is beyond me), but he reminded me a lot of shatner and that was kind of fun!
Sat, Jan 21, 2017, 2:08am (UTC -5)
We all know that this kind of "events turn out to be imaginary, hit reset button" story becomes cliche in later Trek series. Here it's still highly enjoyable, tautly paced, unpredictable, and compellingly executed -- especially by Frakes in a bravura theater-style performance. And I like the thoughtful idea that the make-believe memories were a mental defense mechanism
The problem with "Frame of Mind" -- and the reason I would give it 3 1/2 star rather than 4 -- is that the plot doesn't make any sense if think about it too hard. It's all about the surface and moment, very little about believable characters or motivation. Consider: What is Riker's mission on the planet? Why do the aliens want to extract strategic information about the Federation from his mind? How did they know who he was and where to find him? Did Riker or the Federation do anything to give them reasonable cause for villainy? This stuff just doesn't hold together at all. Again, let's ask: Is there a prime directive issue here and did Riker violate it by using the transporter in front of the aliens at the end?
Like third-season TOS, these questions are all too complex for this black-and-white story. Unlike "Cause and Effect," where the high-concept plot twists didn't depend on stock villains, this show gives us a hostile group of aliens and tells us nothing about them or their motives. Since Braga apparently couldn't be bothered to tell us anything about them, they become one-dimensional baddies without any reason for their actions here. And for me, four-star Trek *always* needs well-rounded characters with at least a token motivation for what they do. So while this show is good, it's not among the best for me.
Thu, Jan 26, 2017, 6:48pm (UTC -5)
But the show managed to fool me with EVERYTHING being a dream in an inception like dream within a dream situation, so I think that's the source for me having a more fond reaction to this than normal.
Sat, Mar 11, 2017, 10:01am (UTC -5)
It's obviously not intentional, but it helps paint the impression of the senior staff as being an elite, higher class than the common background extras. Even their later episode "the lower decks," the characters depicted may be lower rank, but the impression is that these are younger members of that same elite, the people being groomed to step up into the roles of the senior staff, rather than actual generic background crew. Compared to similar episodes of Stargate SG-1 ("the other guys") and Babylon 5 (...name escapes me, but they had an ep that followed a couple of minor maintenance workers), they really fail to convey what I think they were aiming for in that one. Heck, in some ways even Voyager did a better job with the ep where Janeway decided to reach out to the overlooked and isolated misfits in the crew.
Fri, Apr 21, 2017, 9:13pm (UTC -5)
Also wondering, did O'Brien transfer to DS9 back in that one two-parter where Data learns to dream but TNG never mentioned it because they assumed you watched DS9 and having it mentioned twice would be redundant? And is there an explanation for why Guinan is gone or does she just disappear just as suddenly as she appeared?
Mon, Apr 24, 2017, 11:26am (UTC -5)
You've got this a little mixed up. The episode you're describing is "Birthright" which is a TNG episode from season 6. As for Guinan not showing up, my guess is that Whoopi Goldberg was filming Sister Act 1 & 2 and didn't have time to appear on TNG as a recurring character.
Fri, May 5, 2017, 8:56pm (UTC -5)
The good: Frakes' acting - very convincing for somebody who is questioning why he's in a mental hospital, what is going on etc.; the creepy surroundings of the mental hospital, portrayal of patients; the explanation of Riker's mental defense tendencies that brought about the dreams etc.
The bad: I thought it was a bit frustrating to watch about half-way through - was unable to see the point; the ending resolution ("it was all a dream") is a bit of a copout and Riker's perfectly fine again. Would have been good to get more resolution about the aliens from the world where Riker was supposed to go undercover. Too much time spent on the back and forth between Riker's dreams and reality and not enough on his undercover mission on the alien world.
I don't see how Jammer can rate this 4 stars but I don't get what's up with those who crap on this episode. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
It's not an episode I'd like to re-watch although I'd probably pick up on some clever things in it if I did. I think this episode deserves 2.5/4 stars, mainly for what has to be one of Frakes' strongest performances of the series.
Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 1:46am (UTC -5)
Wed, Aug 2, 2017, 1:38am (UTC -5)
One of Trek's better mind game episodes. And Trek has quite a few.
Sun, Sep 17, 2017, 10:45pm (UTC -5)
The Macedians, as in the Mickey-"D"-ans, as in McDonalds, as in the golden arches on their foreheads.
All in good fun of course.
Mon, Oct 2, 2017, 3:43am (UTC -5)
And Jay you dont like this episode because you were a mental patient? Get tougher skin dude! This episode is about aliens abducting Riker to gain some sort of information. Not to be PC about mental hospitals!
Mon, Oct 2, 2017, 3:46am (UTC -5)
And Jay you dont like this episode because you were a mental patient? Get tougher skin dude! This episode is about aliens abducting Riker to gain some sort of information. Not to be PC about mental hospitals!
Sat, Oct 21, 2017, 1:07pm (UTC -5)
Kindly fuck off about Jay's experience with mental health. You have no idea what you're talking about, and you're belligerent about it to boot. Two very annoying tendencies to co-occur.
Mon, Oct 23, 2017, 2:31pm (UTC -5)
O' brien would never pull this off in a million shots.
Fri, Nov 3, 2017, 11:25pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Nov 7, 2017, 10:51pm (UTC -5)
@Doug:
Get over yourself. This is a TV show. We all have problems, and Ive been there before. I didn't disparage him or his "condition" in any way. Maybe you should heed my advice and try not being offended by everything for a change. And quit hiding behind political correctness to the point where you can't even think for yourself.
Mon, Jan 1, 2018, 3:09pm (UTC -5)
The whole episode is one big, psychotic breakdown, which is both good and bad. Frakes is a good physical actor due to how he "lumbers" around. How cool would it have been if his character still suffered the effects of his mental illness for the rest of the series?
Mon, Jan 22, 2018, 9:28pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Jul 9, 2018, 2:00pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Jul 10, 2018, 3:47pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Jan 27, 2019, 6:26am (UTC -5)
The woman talking to her spoon was a good moment. The rather was rather tiresome.
At least it was a whole episode of Riker without his damned trombone. Or him trying to bone someone.
Wed, Feb 20, 2019, 5:51am (UTC -5)
Wed, Mar 13, 2019, 8:31am (UTC -5)
It's just hard to look good next to Patrick Stewart.
3 star episode. Liked the story and the way it kept me guessing
Mon, May 6, 2019, 9:37pm (UTC -5)
This was a good Riker episode. It did feel like a torture theme too close to Picard's episode with torture. The ending was also pretty quick but not bad at all.
The moody psychological structure worked for me.
Mon, Jun 3, 2019, 12:08am (UTC -5)
We are not lead to believe that what he is experiencing is reality (unless you spend most of your time just simply thinking oh, which one of this is real.
Wed, Jul 31, 2019, 3:19pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Dec 17, 2019, 9:51am (UTC -5)
The lasting impression I got from the episode wasn't helped by its final scene, which struck me as being *really* bad in its direction. We get Riker destroying the asylum set, and I'm all ready for this to be a cathartic explosion of destructive energy focused squarely on him -- but instead we get a wide shot of him ripping some panelling off, and that's it. Come onnnn.
(... also, while I'm not usually one to rag on decades-old TV for less-than-optimal effects -- hell, I grew up with bubble-wrap monsters on Doctor Who -- the "glass shattering" on the various settings/people looked like a bad PowerPoint slide transition. Took me out of the scenes.)
Tue, Apr 14, 2020, 1:05am (UTC -5)
It would have been cool if TNG was coming to an end but Berman or somebody wanted to create a sci-fi thriller and this was how they introduced the series. Minus the return to the Enterprise, of course. It turns out Riker is just a murderer with a vivid imagination.
If it's just a dream and he's going crazy, they could have gotten lewder with Troi. It's not like they never did that before. Maybe even Crusher. I thought I saw a Space Candle in the mental ward common area, let's get down.
Fri, Aug 14, 2020, 12:04am (UTC -5)
But yes, I definitely notice how often the crew is involved in a play. Iāve was never a big fan, but at least this one didnāt have Data talking about method acting.
Not bad and solid work from Frakes. It looked like the opening scene had Frakes on a two minute long take, playing someone acting. Not bad at all.
Fri, Aug 14, 2020, 12:12am (UTC -5)
Mon, Oct 26, 2020, 1:21pm (UTC -5)
That's a real 'wow' moment when Riker fires the phaser on himself and we see that the reality we thought we recognised was just another layer of the illusion. Hitchcock would have been proud.
A few niggles though - the ending is a bit anti-climactic and perfunctory. The emergency transport is a bit too easy. Frakes acts out of his skin here, but should we really see Riker acting as well as he does, in the play? Frakes is an actor, Riker isn't.
And on a Starship with a number of serviceable holodecks, why would you have a set constructed and dismantled by a stage crew?
Anyway - not really the sort of thing I watch TNG for but nonetheless superb for that. Bravo.
Fri, Nov 13, 2020, 11:38am (UTC -5)
Fri, Feb 19, 2021, 9:08am (UTC -5)
Fri, Feb 19, 2021, 9:20am (UTC -5)
Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 3:03pm (UTC -5)
The problem.
Somehow I did not like it.
Wed, Jul 21, 2021, 4:36am (UTC -5)
Mon, Aug 30, 2021, 3:30am (UTC -5)
The episode seemed to depend a lot on the viewer's familiarity with hoary clichƩs about mental institutions and mental health. The unhelpful, condescending doctors, the abusive nurse(s), the confidant-turns-out-to-be-crazy switcheroo, and of course Riker's generic "crazy person" illness. You know, hallucinations (misidentified as delusions), twitchiness, violent emotional outbursts, sweaty heavy breathing, bulging eyes, inability to complete sentences or make commonsense observations...
I am also of the opinion that Frakes, as much as I respect him as a director and a Trek alumnus, is the weakest actor on the show. He basically has two modes: normal and shouty. I liken his performance in this episode to Adam Sandler's in "Punch Drunk Love." The role leaned heavily into his instincts as an actor, and while adding "twitchy" to his shouty mode represents a 50% increase in his acting modes, I can't quite agree this was a great performance. It was just tailor-made to fit his strengths.
Anyway, I was relieved to see a few people upthread managed to take this Riker episode as their cue to continue irrationally bashing the women on the show. Solid evidence I'm still in the real world. Whew.
Mon, Aug 30, 2021, 1:29pm (UTC -5)
I thought they cleared that up pretty well in the coda with Riker and Troi. The aliens weren't feeding Riker the whole mental hospital shifting reality mind screw, that was created by his brain resisting the mind probe. Much like in The Inner Light, Riker's entire "dream" could've taken place over merely 10 minutes of real time when to him it seemed like days had passed.
Wed, Nov 3, 2021, 3:24am (UTC -5)
Frakes is not Patrick Stewart, so his performance canāt be compared with āThereā¦ areā¦ FOUR LIGHTS!ā. But itās nevertheless a very solid effort, and better than anything heād done before as Riker.
I also loved the effects - the shattering of walls and scenery which was much more effective than the ādissolveā theyād do now using Final Cut Pro.
The opening was also effective - the close-up on Rikerās face maintaining the illusion of reality, while only Dataās voice as the doctor told us it was a play performance.
Itās not typical Trek, but itās worth its 4 stars.
Wed, Nov 3, 2021, 3:36am (UTC -5)
- ā¦ (it was all a dream") ā¦
No, it wasnāt. It was all Rikerās mind creating constructs as a defence against the effects of an alien mind probe.
Wed, Nov 3, 2021, 2:13pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Nov 4, 2021, 3:12am (UTC -5)
I understand your point, but the phrase ā it was all a dreamā was used specifically in terms of it being a cop out - which it wasnāt of course. Though it was - inevitably - a bit of an anticlimax (how else could they have ended a Trek episode without damage to a regular crew member?)
Fri, Mar 11, 2022, 8:32pm (UTC -5)
āI can understand how the āit was all a dreamā ending could disappoint people.ā
At least Riker didnāt wake up and find Patrick Duffy in the sonic shower.
Wed, Jun 1, 2022, 12:25pm (UTC -5)
What a mind trip! It gave me tingles down my spine a few times. One of Star Trek's bestest episodes ever!
Tue, Sep 6, 2022, 2:18pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Mar 19, 2023, 2:48pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Jul 27, 2023, 1:35am (UTC -5)
Thu, Jul 27, 2023, 1:37am (UTC -5)
Thu, Jul 27, 2023, 8:35am (UTC -5)
Thu, Jul 27, 2023, 10:29am (UTC -5)
Because the whole thing was in his mind.
"I'd have to watch it again, but I remember having the idea that Riker has already been captured by the start of the episode."
Agreed, we don't see anything in reality until the final few minutes of the episode. As Riker said in the coda, "The preparation for the mission, the play, those were recent experiences, fresh in my mind." Based on some of the earlier dialog, it seems the play probably did happen before Riker's mission (assuming Riker's fantasy incorporates accurate depictions of real conversations). What doesn't make as much sense is that the theater set was just left up for days afterwards. When Riker is finally returned to the Enterprise, Crusher says that she and the stage crew were going to tear down the set "tomorrow morning" which suggests some amount of urgency. Maybe the crew didn't have openings in their duty rosters to tear down the set until the next weekend or something like that.
Of course, this is a Brannon Braga script, and as I've said numerous times before, he always botches details like this in his mind-screw timey-wimey episodes.
Sun, Sep 3, 2023, 12:04am (UTC -5)
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