TNG: We'll Always Have Paris

            I wish I had seen this episode since it originally aired, but I am pretty sure this is my first time seeing it since then. I remember the scene of Picard fencing and I remembered Picard alone in Paris, but that's about it. The whole time/dimension (there actually isn't a difference between space and time if relativity is correct) portal/rip thing threatening the galaxy. I think this episode is also trying to explain how the captain is still single after all these years.
            Of course we begin with them on their way to shore leave. Picard is fencing in the fencing lounge (this is clearly not the holodeck, I guess when it is the captains hobby...) showing off his sword skills. Just as the match concludes there is a skip and time seems to repeat itself. Picard rushes to the bridge, they experienced it as well. Then a distress call comes in from a Dr. Manheim which visible distresses the captain. He sets off at warp 8 to investigate and explains Dr. Manheim is a leading experimenter in the field of time and time distortions. Troi can feel that something else is bothering him, but Picard refuses to discuss it. He rushes to the holodeck and goes into a recreation of a Paris cafe where he was supposed to have met a woman many years earlier but didn't show up. 
            They arrive at the source of the distress signal and Riker confirms to the captain that the time distortion was felt across a wide area centered where to distress signal is coming from. After lowering the forcefield the doctor and his wife are beamed to sickbay. Picard arrives and is recognized immediately by Jenice Manheim, evidently the woman he missed in Paris. On the way to the bridge they again experience a time loop indicating the problem is getting worse. They try to beam down but between the forcefield and the time distortions it doesn't work.
            The doctor briefly awakens and explains he is trapped between dimensions. After Data tells him how widespread it is he tells them how to beam down and turn close the rift that is causing all the problems. Picard finally manages to get some alone time with Jenice and she confronts him about standing her up. He finally admits he thought he would have to give up his life of adventure if they were together. Troi tries to talk to Dr. Crusher about Picards ex showing up, but she isn't having any of it. The plan is to have Data beam down since he deals with the time distortions well and try to dump antimatter into the rift as a distortion hits. After blasting some of the security systems and a brief discussion with some alternate Data's he manages to close the rift. Dr. Manheim recovers quickly and wants to get back to work. Picard takes Jenice to the Paris cafe in the holodeck and they have a nice good bye.

            Review: This manages to have both an interesting scifi adventure story and a character story for Picard at the same time! Not the deepest the series will get on either count, but a solid episode either way.

7 out of 10