This is an episode I definitely remember watching for the first time. But as a kid only two things really stuck out to me: the Ferengi over acting (I wasn't wrong...) and the Picard Maneuver. I still don't like now they make the Ferengi keep constantly squirming around all hunched over to make them look less trustworthy, but at least the Ferengi Captain seems to have a solid plan for revenge. What I didn't remember about this one is how well paced and tense it manages to be. Wesley is in it enough to be annoying, but not so much to ruin it. Riker and Data both give solid performances and Brent Spiner seems to be figuring out how to act like a robot a lot better.
We begin with the Enterprise meeting up with a Ferengi vessel for a historic meeting. The Ferengi aren't responding to hails and the Captain has a headache. This, we learn, is very strange since people apparently don't get headaches in the 23rd century. The Ferengi captain eventually hails the Enterprise and Troi cuts him off to tell Picard the Ferengi captain named Bok is deceiving them. Bok wants to meet in person and Picard agrees to beam him over in one hour. Crusher examines Picard, but can find nothing wrong. Wesley rushes onto the bridge to tell them he has been playing the the sensors and has detected a ship coming in without a transponder. Rather than following General Order 12 they allow the ship to approach without raising shields (I am going to try and point out all future violations of General Order 12 as it is probably the most logical rule in all of starfleet).
Bok beams over with his first officer and asks if he is meeting the Picard. The captain responds that he is and Bok asks him about the Battle of Maxia and Picard replies that he does not. Bok reminds him of an incident from his days on the Stargazer. The Stargazer was attacked by an unidentified ship which it destroyed with some clever maneuvering by Picard. The Stargazer was so badly damaged it was abandoned. Just then the unidentified ship comes into range, it is the Stargazer! Bok tells him he is giving it to the Federation as an offering of peace. His first officer is alarmed by the lack of profit, but Bok ignores him and the Ferengi leave the ship.
Picard briefs his crew about the battle, he used high warp at close range to fool the sensors of the other ship into thinking his ship was at two places at once which made him somewhat famous. Picard is eager to get over to his old ship but Riker insists on checking it for safety first. After they do Picard goes over and enjoys some memories, but when he stops by his old cabin he is overwhelmed by the headache from earlier, and the source appears to be a red sphere in a chest with his belongings. Crusher finds him fallen over with pain and gets him back to the Enterprise, but she also has the chest brought to his quarters. While transfering information from the Stargazers logs Data finds a log entry apparently from Picard confessing to having attacked the unknown ship without provocation. No one on the Enterprise is convinced and Data sets to work proving it to be a forgery.
The headaches are a lot worse so Crusher sedates the captain. He sleeps it off in his quarters and we are shown the Ferengi captain manipulating the sphere to change Picard's thoughts. When he awakens he returns to the bridge and insists the Enterprise release the Stargazer from tractor beam. Wesley rushes into sickbay as Troi and his mother are talking about a strange anomaly in the captain's brain pattern. Wesley has found the source, the Ferengi ship. Dr. Crusher rushes to tell Riker, but it is too late, Picard has beamed to the Stargazer and raised shields. On the bridge of the Stargazer Bok explains to Picard that his son was captain of the ship Picard destroyed and this has been all about revenge. Bok uses his mind control to convince Picard the Enterprise is the ship from before and then beams out (despite the shields being up). Picard tries the Picard Maneuver on the Enterprise, but Data uses the tractor beam to keep it from hitting the Enterprise and Riker talks Picard into destroying the sphere with his phaser. We learn Bok has been taken into custody for unprofitable adventure and Picard beams back to the Enterprise (despite the shields still being up, again).
Review: I didn't expect to enjoy this one nearly as much as I did. The focus on Picard is a welcome change from focusing on the boy or other less well acted characters. It also gives us some history on Picard and lets Data save the day with his amazing computational power. No points off for Wesley being the worst since he isn't in this episode.
8 out of 10
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