TNG Rewatch: 7x11 - "Parallels"

[Trekker4747]

Worf is on his way home from a Bat'leth Tournament where he's won first place, but is dreading his return as it is his birthday and he fears the crew has a surprise party awaiting him.

Sure enough, he turns out to be right as Riker had organized a party of Worf much to Worf's annoyance. (Or perhaps is restrained delight.) Almost right away Worf begins to notice odd things happening around him, small changes to circumstances. First he notices his birthday cake is a white cake when earlier when he cut into it it was chocolate; then he's greeted by Picard when Worf had initially been told Picard couldn't attend. Worf mostly seems to shrug off these oddities and takes part in the party and later his duties as the ship investigates problems with a Starfleet deep-space telescope array. As the investigation continues the changes become larger and harder to ignore, people changing positions around Worf suddenly and before long entire conversations that Worf had been part of seemed to have never happened at all.

It comes to a crisis point when Worf suddenly finds himself at tactical with unfamiliar configuration, the ship is attacked and takes damage, but Riker is quickly able to fight off their attackers. Worf relieves himself of duty and goes to his quarters where he's soon greeted by a very talkative, and intrusive, Counselor Troi who begins to act more intimate with Worf than he is used to, Troi wonders why her behavior is so odd for a wife. This naturally comes as a shock to Worf and he tells Troi about the odd things around him and how no one will believe him, Troi assures him she believes him and will help him to a solution.

They take problem to Data who in talking with Worf is able to get a theory going and thinks events might be tied to Geordi, when they go to visit Geordi sickbay they find him dead from injuries sustained in the earlier attack, nevertheless they find a connection between Worf's odd experiences and Geordi's VISOR. Data is soon able to come up with a theory on what is happening.

Building on the theory that for every action there's nearly an infinite possible reactions, no one reaction takes place. They all take place, each circumstance building into its own universe. Worf, somehow, is traveling between these universes after being exposed to a "rupture" in the barrier between realities in the shutlecraft. Geordi's VISOR was able to "kick" Worf into another reality. Data believes it's possible for them to find the rupture, find Worf's true reality, and return him to it.

At the fissure as the ship searches for Worf's proper reality the ship is attacked and this causes an instability in the rupture that causes other Enterprises to arrive in the area. Data believes if they're able to find the Enterprise from Worf's reality, get their shuttlecraft, and send Worf back through the fissure it should restore all universes to normal.

They do, he goes, and it happens.

Back on the "correct" Enterprise Worf finds everything returned to normal and that in his reality, Riker did not plan a surprise party; though he is greeted in his quarters by Troi and Worf seems to take steps to begin a more romantic relationship with Troi by inviting her for dinner and champagne.

----------

This is one of the better, and more convoluted, episodes of Season 7.

The episode was written by Brannon Braga and really shows the signs in it of the problems we'd run into with Voyager (and the rest of this season) of things not making sense and sometimes the scope of an idea being good but then bogged down by technobabble and it not making much sense under scrutiny. It's by no ,eams the worst example of this and, infact, it's one of the better (if not best) episode when it comes to these Braga tropes but all of the hallmarks are there that'll later bring us much greater turds during Voyager's run. Where sometimes the scope of the "idea" takes precedence over things making any lick of sense.

Here things don't make sense in "how" Worf is traveling between realities? "Uhhh... a fissure and Geordi's VISOR!" isn't a good enough explanation. Why is Geordi's VISOR giving off a significant subspace field? I mean it likely gives off *some* tiny field with its circuitry since computers int he 24c work on a FTL speed, but I don't see how the VISOR would give off enough of a field to kick Worf into another universe simply by Geordi entering the room. Why does entering the fissure suddenly return all of the Enterprises to the proper universes? Why does the problem in the fissure pull Enterprises from all over into this universe? (Don't tell me all of these Enterprises just happened to be in the area of the fissure in their own universe, since the Borg-battled Enterprise obviously wouldn't have been.) Since there's "nearly an infinite" number of quantum realities it seems awfully damn lucky the "right" Enterprise was pulled into this universe within moments of the fissure's rupture rather than days, weeks, years or eons from now.

Again, all of the hallmarks of a Braga Illogical episode are here, it just happens to get some hand-waving as it's actually a decent episode.

It seems odd that certain aspects of the universe properly "escalate" and never "backtrack." The first changes are small and minor, then bigger things change, then once Picard is dead and Riker is in command Picard never reappears, once Worf is married to Troi, that never goes back, once Geordi is dead he never comes back. What a dramatically convenient escalation of changes!

So, wait, Troi and Worf got married and they moved into... Worf's tiny junior officer's quarters and not Troi's larger more elaborate quarters her profession apparently affords her? And why does it matter that Worf "locked" the door? If they're her quarters shouldn't she be able to "unlock" the door and enter it no matter what?

Why is the shuttlecraft in the "proper" universe on the proper ship? Why didn't it switch into at least the first alternate universe along with Worf? It seems suggested that Worf is physically moving between universes, since he can be scanned and it can be determined he's from a different universe. But is portrayed it seems he simply "inhabits" ("Quantum Leap" style) the new universe's Worf, hence he's in that Worf's clothes and all.

Ugh.... Honestly I can nit-pick this all day long, Again, Braga episode.

But it is a good one, and there is some enjoyment here. Even if it starts that absurd and soon forgotten romantic relationship between Worf and Troi.

I also liked seeing Wesley back on the ship as the Tactical Officer, and some nice emotional stuff with Riker being in command following the loss of Picard in the Borg incident, and Riker's talk with "our" Picard was nice. It was also an interesting touch to see the Enterprise from a universe where the Borg succedded in taking over the Federation. Though one does wonder how the ship has remained more-or-less held-up and functional over the last few years and how Riker, Worf, and any other crewmembers are even beginning to function on any level on that ship.

Ok, I'm done. I'm over thinking this episode, I know it. But, dammit, Braga!

 

[Paradise City]

I think it's a fun episode and I like the way Worf is tested here in the various ways. Dorn has Worf nailed as Worf struggles to tackle human social rituals, the unnerving and confusing assault on his reality that follows on from the time shifts, his unexpected relationship with Troi and so on. It's cool to see Crusher make his cameo too. It's cool that they killed LaForge but they should've followed through with that with some repercussions for his colleagues rather than the kind of easy going indifference that we do see.

That so-many Enterprises make their appearance just comes across as this episode getting a bit too carried away and a bit comic. I personally wish they resolved this episode without having to do that . But overall I enjoyed the episode.

 

[tomalak301]

Love this episode. I wish it would have been two parts so we can see more alternate enterprises. The one where the Borg won would have been interesting to explore.

 

[FormerLurker]

My only complaint about your review:

"First the cake was chocolate. Then it was yellow."

 

[Timo]

Some of the nitpicks I think warrant counter-picks. But I'll refrain from adding my own further issues with the story logic, since as you say, the supply of minor complaints or major question marks is endless...

Some changes escalate? Isn't it actually logical and consistent that they all do? That is, nothing that once changed ever reverts back to "closer to normal", let alone all the way back to how it used to be. Worf is walking along a forking path, and every turn takes him farther from the beeline, one or two new parameters at a time.

Worf can't lock the door? Surely he would do so with his personal code (the 21st century way), rather than with a code specific to that door (the 20th-century-and-before way), thereby blocking access from everybody else including people who previously happened to frequent that cabin. (And it's a modular cabin at that - possibly larger than Troi's former one this time around - as we see whenever the set is used for something else than the usual Data's (LaForge's, Worf's, take your pick) quarters.)

The shuttlecraft did shift with Worf at least once - after all, the show opens with Worf already in an alternate reality! There's a surprise party in his bedroom, while the episode concludes with Worf "back home" but the equivalent timepoint has just Deanna there, no surprise party. Or then Worf, when emerging from the anomaly, immediately shifted into a shuttle native to the surprise-party universe, and the original shuttle never appeared in the story, not until our heroes spotted her aboard the just-Deanna-there universe ship.

OTOH, Worf probably does "travel physically". He just travels without taking any luggage, including clothes (since why should those be an exception?). And he travels to universes that are exactly compatible with him, with the destination prepared to receive him, clothes in readiness and all - after all, he has infinity to choose from, so there's always a universe where the local Worf is holding the appropriate pose for instant 1:1 substitution...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Terok Nor]

This is the best episode of Season 7 besides All Good Things. I know that doesn't sound like high praise but I do enjoy this episode.

 

[Trekker4747]

Worf can't lock the door? Surely he would do so with his personal code (the 21st century way), rather than with a code specific to that door (the 20th-century-and-before way), thereby blocking access from everybody else including people who previously happened to frequent that cabin. (And it's a modular cabin at that - possibly larger than Troi's former one this time around - as we see whenever the set is used for something else than the usual Data's (LaForge's, Worf's, take your pick) quarters.)

Well, we've never been really shown that door locks are something needed in the 24c as doors either open at presence or command. For a "private" door like the Ready Room or the quarters we know there's a "doorbell" that requires someone to say "Come" or some other command in order for the door to open. For entering one's own quarters they press a button and, presumably, biometrics verifies the person is someone allowed access to that room. (How personal quarters work.) And Picard's Ready Room door opens for him approaching but everyone else has to "ring the bell." (Presumably the door is programmed to open for whomever has the watch, as it opens for other people (Riker, Data, Geordi, etc.) when they have command in Picard's absence.)

But in one of the alternate timelines Troi is Worf's wife, so why does she need special permission to enter the room even though Worf "locked" the door? The door either should have seen her as someone allowed to go through it, or pushing her finger to the button should have granted her permission. Regardless of the door's state of being locked/unlocked. She's allowed in that room they're her quarters as much as Worf's so she shouldn't be denied access. To equate it 21st century terms, this is a lot like a spouse being home and their partner coming to the locked front-door and having to knock because they forgot their key. Only in this case Troi *is* the key.

This is the best episode of Season 7 besides All Good Things. I know that doesn't sound like high praise but I do enjoy this episode.

Best episode? Eh, I think there's a couple that are better but you're right, it is pretty slim pickings.

On a front of "alternate universe" I'd have liked to have seen:

One where Worf's recovery from spinal surgery wasn't so remarkable, so he's in 24th Century equivilant of a wheelchair or has those mobility-helpers Crusher was going to outfit with him that gave Worf limited movement.

 

[FormerLurker]

Better yet, he's equipped with leg braces that are essentially bionic legs. That would be fun.

 

[Timo]

But in one of the alternate timelines Troi is Worf's wife, so why does she need special permission to enter the room even though Worf "locked" the door?

Because the purpose of the locking was to keep everybody else out?

There's no reason Worf should be unable to lock the door that way. It's a setting he should be able to choose at will: "Only I may enter, others need to buzz (and if a superior officer tries an override, inform me first so that I can grab my clothes or sword, dependin')". Even if our heroes don't normally choose that setting, and even if it's a bit trickier to set up than the regular ones (Worf still remains the Security Chief, after all). And it's also a setting Worf would automatically choose, especially when unaware of his own marital status.

That's the way computers are locked today: "I may open"; "My trusted circle may open"; "It's open". Doors don't do that much yet because they are dumb - but 24th century doors are not dumb. And there's no reason why they should be. Heck, their ability to analyze the behavior of the user and correctly predict when to open and when not to is a feature one could trivially install in a door today (And could have installed in the 1970s already, but the "trivial" part comes from the necessary computing and sensing systems being dirt cheap nowadays).

Timo Saloniemi

 

[RAMA]

This episode not only ranks as one of the best episodes of the 7th season, but on many people's top 10/20 lists. It's strength isn't the science--though it does introduce us to a totally different theory of alternate universes than is normally used in Star Trek, and one that is in more favor now in the real world--but the different aspects of Worf and that one horrifying Borg infested scene with Captain Riker in it. That alone makes the episode a winner.

 

[Trekker4747]

There's no reason Worf should be unable to lock the door that way. It's a setting he should be able to choose at will: "Only I may enter, others need to buzz (and if a superior officer tries an override, inform me first so that I can grab my clothes or sword, dependin')". Even if our heroes don't normally choose that setting, and even if it's a bit trickier to set up than the regular ones (Worf still remains the Security Chief, after all). And it's also a setting Worf would automatically choose, especially when unaware of his own marital status.

But they're Troi's quarters too, regardless of how Worf thinks this universe is made-up the door and computer should know Troi lives there and has every right to be in there as Worf does and Worf can't keep her out of her own room.

 

[Marsden]

I wonder what would happen if the Borg were able to achieve this kind of travel. I could be wrong, but I would assume most if not all collectives would be compatible and want to assimilate all realities, making the Borg an extradimentional threat as well. Even if just the Borg from that one reality decided to assimilate all realities, that would certainly be a big problem.

 

[Timo]

But they're Troi's quarters too, regardless of how Worf thinks this universe is made-up the door and computer should know Troi lives there and has every right to be in there as Worf does

Yup.

and Worf can't keep her out of her own room.

Why not? What possible rule could there be to stop Worf from locking his wife out? Locking is just a privacy setting, and at that particular moment Worf wants privacy. If he wanted, he could set the door to only accept red-haired people, or to only accept people if they arrive at even hours. It's his decision to make, as long as it doesn't contradict the ship's fundamental operating rules or put anybody in jeopardy.

(For that matter, Worf could lock the room to Observation Lounge 47 so that it only allows him, Wesley and Spot. Locking of this type isn't something specific to doors or quarters - it's specific to the user, and can be taken with him to any arbitrary place or time.)

If Worf isn't allowed to lock the door to stop his wife, why is he allowed to lock the door at all? Everybody aboard the Enterprise is aboard for a reason, and could argue that they be allowed into Worf's inner sanctum whenever they please. And somebody like the Duty Medical Officer would have a better justification for that than Worf's wife - it's a fundamentally good thing to monitor Worf's health constantly! But if Worf can plead privacy, he can plead that against anybody and everybody.

Even if just the Borg from that one reality decided to assimilate all realities, that would certainly be a big problem.

Hmh? The Borg have failed to conquer the one reality we usually follow because they lack the strength ("manpower") needed. If they were to attempt conquest of several realities, they'd just spread their forces thin and fail even more spectacularly.

Now, if the Borg from all possible Borg-containing realities joined forces, they might cause trouble in the one specific reality they concentrated on. Which is sort of the reverse of the scenario you proposed.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Trekker4747]

Yup.
Why not? What possible rule could there be to stop Worf from locking his wife out?

That it's her home too and, thus, it's illogical and unfair for her to be locked out of it?

Locking is just a privacy setting, and at that particular moment Worf wants privacy. If he wanted, he could set the door to only accept red-haired people, or to only accept people if they arrive at even hours. It's his decision to make, as long as it doesn't contradict the ship's fundamental operating rules or put anybody in jeopardy.

So... Worf is entitled to privacy in his room per "his decision to make" but Troi *isn't* allowed access to her own home? So what is she then to do for privacy?

If Worf isn't allowed to lock the door to stop his wife, why is he allowed to lock the door at all? Everybody aboard the Enterprise is aboard for a reason, and could argue that they be allowed into Worf's inner sanctum whenever they please. And somebody like the Duty Medical Officer would have a better justification for that than Worf's wife - it's a fundamentally good thing to monitor Worf's health constantly! But if Worf can plead privacy, he can plead that against anybody and everybody.

See, now this is just being plain silly. There a fundamental, and huge, difference between doors plain not being locked and anyone allowed to come and go as they please and the door being locked to someone who should have free access to that room given that it's THEIR ROOM! (And, it is possible for the medical officers to get emergency access to a room, we've seen this numerous times.)

But it's rather absurd for someone to be "allowed privacy" when that privacy negates someone getting access to their own home. If you locked a spouse out of your shared home they could gain access to the home by calling the police. Afterall, they have as much of legal right to the home as the person inside does. (Though, in the case of a likely heated domestic situation it's possible one party or the other would be made to stay elsewhere for up to 24 hours to prevent a domestic abuse situation. Though the laws and rules on this can vary based on jurisdiction, but I know someone who was held from his home for a full day because the police were worried about a domestic situation after he was (accidentally) locked from the home. He was granted access, but only enough to get things for an enforced hotel-room stay.)

So, again, it comes down to Troi being locked out of her home. Which shouldn't be possible. She has as much of a right to that room as Worf does, as far as the computer would know, and it should have let her in. Even if Worf had done something to prevent the door from opening either at Troi's presence or by tapping the button she should be able to simply ask the computer or do something on the outer panel to "unlock" the door and get in. Again, it's her home, she belongs there as much as Worf does.

 

[Nyotarules]

One of my favorite TNG episodes, I liked the idea of Worf/Troi since seemingly mismatched couples work in the real world lol The on again, off again long love affair with Riker was boring.

 

[Kevman7987]

I'm just irritated we never saw a version of Data that was human because Soong had kids instead of building androids because he chose another scientific field. Would have given Spiner a day off from being sprayed down with gold-flecked gray body-paint.

 

[Trekker4747]

One of my favorite TNG episodes, I liked the idea of Worf/Troi since seemingly mismatched couples work in the real world lol The on again, off again long love affair with Riker was boring.

Problem is Worf, and Klingons in general, like it rough. Does Troi really have in within her to withstand Worf in bed?

 

[Starbreaker]

I really love this episode. I'm a sucker for alternate universes and Worf, so this episode was right up my alley. I think it's one of the first few episodes I saw in reruns as a kid and it made a strong impression on me. The Worf-Troi stuff is absurd, but whatever. Maybe if it had only been in this episode, it would have just been an inside joke, but the arc of the 7th season and them trying to hook up is a little weird knowing the characters. Even Frakes and Sirtis thought it was dumb.

Just from browsing the wiki, it looks like there are some mentions of this episode in Q-Squared, which I haven't read in 15 years. I kind of want to read that again now.

 

[Granola Gwen]

The ending was always so freaky to me with all the enterprises and what not, almost felt unreal. Definitely one of my favorite episodes playing with the unknown of space. Worf and Troi was a random match (I don't really care for them together or not) but at least they tried to pair them decently in the past with Alexander themed plots.

I'm just irritated we never saw a version of Data that was human because Soong had kids instead of building androids because he chose another scientific field. Would have given Spiner a day off from being sprayed down with gold-flecked gray body-paint.

That would have been an amazing parallel universe.

 

[cultcross]

There parallel universes idea works better for this sort of story (same but different) than the usual Star Trek Mirror Universe, at least later in the DS9 era. It made no sense given what happened after the TOS visit that the same people would have ended up on deep space nine just in different roles or costumes. But it does make sense that small changes along Worf's timeline would make for a range of similar but subtly different universes. The only gripe would be one that was caused by production limitations - Worf was always on the Enterprise, and Yar died in every variation.
The actual episode was good, I really enjoyed it.