Not to be confused with TAS The Eye of the Beholder this is one of those episodes I loved as a kid that today seems kinda weak. It certainly isn't as bad as season one Troi centered episodes, but it isn't quite the mystery masterpiece I had remembered it to be. I had forgotten that at least half the episode is actually a psychic flashback/dream that for some reason includes such details as Dr. Crusher making an empathic suppression drug that only exists in Troi's mind since there is no reason the actual murderer would want such a thing nor is there any reason to think Troi has used such a thing before. I do still love the scene where Geordi and Data find the bones in the wall of the Enterprise but it's impact is lessened since it only happens in the dream/hallucination. Side note: if the dude who killed himself really did kill the other two who were having an affair how did he get rid of their bodies? Did he throw both of them into the plasma first before killing himself?
We begin with Riker and Worf being called to a plasma conduit room in one of the nacelles. The door to to the exposed plasma stream is open and Lt. Kwan is at the door about to jump. Riker tries to talk him down, but he says, "I know what I have to do," and jumps to his death. Picard is shocked at orders Troi and Worf to work together to investigate why he may have killed himself. After looking through his logs and talking to his former girlfriend it seems like he wasn't depressed or in a state that had people worried about him. She and Worf visit the room in the nacelle where Kwan killed himself and when has a strong empathic vision of a woman in terror. Worf takes her to sick bay and Dr. Crusher finds she has high levels of neurotransmitters and starts working on a drug to suppress future visions. In Ten Forward Worf is thinking about Troi and has an awkward conversation with Riker where he kinda asks if it would be ok for him to date Troi, but Riker is too distracted by Lr. Corell to get his drift.
Worf and Troi return to the plasma chamber and the safety door is opened for her. I believe this is the point where we switch to her hallucination because up to this point the episode has included scenes without Troi but from her on out everything follows her. She starts with the memory impression again and she sees the woman in terror and also a distorted mans face but she isn't sure who's eyes she is seeing through. She also realizes it is taking place while the Enterprise was being constructed so she starts digging through the records of all the personnel who worked on construction who also currently serve and recognizes Lt. Walter Pierce as the man from her vision. She and Worf question him in engineering but he doesn't seem to know anything, but Troi notices something odd, she can't read him empathically. After a hard day of investigating Worf followers Deanna into her quarters and after both saying good bye a few times they kiss, and then he is waking her up the next morning with breakfast already prepared.
They head to sickbay and are preparing to continue the investigation, but Worf is needed by Ensign Calloway, and not just for official reasons which clearly upsets Troi. In the plasma chamber the stream has been turned off and Geordi is working with Data to scan a wall. Troi tells them there is something behind it and when Geordi adjusts the beam you can plainly see a skull and some ribs. After some analysis they figure out the bones belong to the woman in the vision and Troi figures out that the part with Lt. Pierce is a reflection, he is the perspective she is seeing. She and Worf head go to question him again but Troi isn't feeling well so Worf goes alone, but tells her he will come to her quarters after. Troi's door chimes, but it isn't Worf, it is Pierce. She calls for security and asks why he isn't with Worf. Pierce says Worf left and after calling him she asks the computer where Worf is, it replies he is in Ensign Calloway's quarters. Troi rushes in and finds Worf kissing her and in a rage grabs a phaser and kills him. She rushes to the plasma chamber but as she is about to jump Worf grabs her, only seconds have passed since she first looked into the chamber. Blah blah blah it was a psychic photograph.
Review: I don't know how I would change this episode to improve it, but something should have been done to tighten up the story a bit. It is classic "solve it all in the last two minutes" TNG, but I still enjoyed the majority of the episode. Definitely a few points off for a lackluster conclusion.
6 out of 10
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