Thursday, July 16, 2015

TNG: Peak Performance

            Other than the weird game with the finger cups I didn't really remember much of this episode, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I still think A Matter of Honor is a better Riker episode, but so far this is a close second. It also shows the rest of the crew being highly efficient at their jobs and even has decent rolls for both Pulaski and Wesley. Worf continues his run as a total badass with fun parts for both Geordi and Data as well. I guess what makes this episode work so well is it does a really good job of using the strengths of the various crew members to both show tactical efficiency and a sense of crew cohesion.
            The episode begins with the Enterprise picking up renowned Federation strategist Kolrami to help with with a war game they are going do against the 80 year old USS Hathaway. Riker will command the Hathaway with crew of his choosing against the Enterprise. Riker is up for the challenge and even challenges Kolrami go a game of strategema, a reflex/tactical game Kolrami is the grandmaster of. Riker only manages to make it a few moves, but Data is intrigued by the game. Riker beams over with Worf, Geordi, and Wesley plus some random extras and they get to work getting the Hathaway in working order.
            Geordi finds the warp engines totally incapable of functioning but Wesley manages to trick the Enterprise crew into letting him pick up his school project that has just the parts they need to get the warp engines working, but only for 2 or so seconds. Still it should be a good surprise. Worf gets to work programming the computer to fool the Enterprise sensors into thinking they are being attacked by Romulans. Back on the Enterprise Pulaski manages to talk Data into challenging Kolrami to a strategema game which Data loses after putting up a serious fight. This causes Data to fall into a deep period of self doubt which Picard has to order him to get out of. 
            Eventually he fight is on and the Hathaway uses Worfs trick to do some serious simulated damage to the Enterprise. But suddenly a Ferengi vessel appears and actually opens fire on the Enterprise. Even though they have no weapons Picard refuses to retreat and abandon Riker and the Hathaway. The Ferengi demand the Hathaway but are denied. Data and Geordi come up with a plan to fake the destruction of the Hathaway with photon torpedoes and the momentary burst of warp. It works and Worf fools the Ferengi into thinking another Federation vessel has arrived and they retreat. In the final scene Data has a rematch with Kolrami who eventually storms out. It seems Data found a way to not lose, but also not win indefinetly which really pisses off the master stragest

            Review: This is a really fun episode that almost makes me regret that this is just about the end for Pulaski. Seeing where they were going with her character makes her earlier demeanor make a little more sense, but she is still an awful doctor with terrible bedside manner. 


8 out of 10

No comments:

Post a Comment