Finally it feels like TNG is getting some footing. This episode felt much more mature while still feeling like it wouldn't have been out of place in TOS. I think what really sets this ahead of the other TNG episodes so far is that it has a B story that is as interesting as the A story. In fact for almost two thirds of the episode it isn't even clear if the B story about dueling (literally) delegates is in fact the A story since we don't know the origin of the mysterious force that seems to be taking over the ship until pretty late. It also introduces Data's obsession with Sherlock Holmes that would be continued in several more episodes. The fact that Riker is outright laughing at Data smoking a pipe and pretending to be Holmes is exactly what this one needed.
The episode opens with the Enterprise receiving delegates from two planets in the same solar system that both want to join the Federation, but who also both intensely hate each other. The lizardmen we see beaming aboard immediately smell that the other delegates are on board and insist on having their quarters moved away from the other. The mission is to get both delegations to planet Parliament (I am listening to non-stop Parliament while writing this review to get in the mood) where they will resolve their differences. Back on the bridge Geordi detects a strange energy cloud that seems to be effecting sensors. For some reason Geordi and Worf are sent to fix it but Worf is hit with some sort of Energy discharge and passes out. Geordi summons Dr. Crusher to check on him but when he awakens Worf starts fighting and has to be sedated.
The delegates are still causing trouble with on party insisting on live food which Lt. Yar finds extremely offensive. In sickbay there is a blue light that moves from Worf to Crusher. Worf suddenly can't remember what he is doing there and Crusher wanders off absentmindedly. She finds her way to the bridge eventually and is clearly disoriented. She touches the science station and the light passes from her into the computer. The ships engines stop working and Crusher can't remember how she got there. They mess around a bit and the head engineer is killed by a similar blue discharge in engineering. The meat eating delegates are caught lurking near the other delegates quarters with the weapons they kill their food with and for some reason they don't just assign them guards then and there. Troi seems to be on the path to figuring out an alien presence has made its way aboard when it takes over the captain.
Picard reverses course back towards the energy cloud they passed though early raising suspicion among pretty much all the senior staff. Crusher tries to order him to submit to an exam, but she doesn't seem to have as much fortitude as McCoy and doesn't follow through. The delegates are pissed to be delayed from getting to the Parliament planet (concert) and they even attack Riker mistaking him for one of the other delegates. When they get to the cloud Picard drops the ruse that he isn't an alien and knocks out the whole ship it kinda looks like and beams himself into the cloud as, "energy only." Why the transporter has such a setting isn't clear. They search for a bit, but just as hope seems to be lost Troi detects his consciousness. Riker brings them into the cloud allowing the captain to enter the computer. Data manages to beam him back into a body reconstructed from the pattern in the buffer. As a kicker Lt. Yar rushes in to tell them there is a pool of blood outside one of the delegates quarters and one of them is missing. Picard tells Riker to handle it and cut to credits.
Review: I know I have seen this one before since I remembered the energy cloud parts, but I ended up enjoying the delegate story quite a bit as well. Not all the way to what I am looking forward to later in the series, but definitely getting there.
7 out of 10
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