I am pretty sure I didn't like this episode the first time I saw it. Or at the very least I didn't get it. When I was a kid I, like Wesley was impressed with how cool Picard was for getting into a fight and I didn't understand why Riker didn't let Worf storm the Pakled ship. Now that I am a bit older I enjoyed the scenes of Wesley and Picard on the shuttle a hell of a lot more and I am still not sure why they didn't commando raid the Pakled ship. Dr. "her greatest virtue is empathy" Pulaski continues to be obnoxious. She does save the captains life after he refuses to let her touch his heart but of course has to stay after he awakens to taunt him about it.
The episode begins with Picard telling Pulaski he would rather spend 6 hours in a shuttle with Wesley than let her mess with his heart. Wes is understandably nervous about all this but he has to go to the same starbase to take more academy exams for some reason? I guess as long as he keeps taking tests he can stay out of the actual academy and keep piloting the flagship. Just as they get on their way Riker receives a distress call from a distant star system and rushes off to take care of it. They arrive and find a ship full of idiots. The Pakled are barely able to say they have a problem let alone describe what it is. Geordi volunteers to go over to help. Worf objects but Riker can't see the harm. Just after Geordi beams over Troi (who wasn't on the bridge earlier for some reason) rushes in a says the Pakled are lying and Geordi is in trouble. But of course they ignore her.
Geordi gets to work fixing the ship and we check in on the captain. He and Wesley are having a tense conversation, but eventually Picard offers Wesley a sandwich and tells him the story of losing his heart in a bar fight. Wesley doesn't really get it, but it relaxes Picard to see someone so young and eager, even if he won't take a hit to stop asking why he never married or had kids. Back on the Enterprise Troi is being proven correct. As soon as Geordi finished his work the Pakleds shot him with his own phaser and turn on their shields they had carefully hidden. They demand Geordi make phasers for them and demand the Enterprise turn over the content of its computer.
Back at the starbase Picard goes into surgery and Wesley goes to take his tests. Riker decides the best way to get Geordi back is to trick the dumb Pakleds. He comes up with a plan to covertly tell Geordi to turn off the weapons on the Pakled ship as the Enterprise impressively vents hydrogen. It works, and just in time! Picard's surgery is going poorly and they rush back to the starbase so Pulaski can save the captains life and then gloat about it ruthlessly.
Review: For an episode with both Pulaski and Wesley in it this one is pretty watchable. They keep Pulaski away from Data which is always a good call. Wesley is only there to look like an idiot and learn from the captain and I could watch Patrick Stewart tell me stories all day without complaint.
6 out of 10
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