5
The Enterprise is investigating a malfunctioning subspace telescope and find an unidentifiable alien probe near it. Geordi and Barclay are doing a closer inspection with a shuttlecraft when the probe hits the shuttle with a passive beam. Geordi and the shuttle are no worse for wear but Barclay was knocked out by the encounter.
Later in sickbay Barclay is given a clean bill-of-health by Crusher but he immediately beings displaying out-of-character traits and behaviors. He first suggests a new medical-scanning technique to Crusher, is able to modify the ship's shields to survive a close-range torpedo explosion as the ship flees the alien probe, he devises a means of repairing the telescope that can be done in a shorter length of time (and can prepare the technology for the technique in a fraction of the time it's estimated it'd take to set it up) and later when the technique show signs of failing, putting both the telescope and ship at risk, he builds a means to interface his mind with the ship's computer in order to save the day.
During this time he also displays many other unusual behaviors (for him) including showing more confidence with himself, losing many of quirks, ticks and mannerisms; more confidence around women enough to ask Troi out on a date, superior acting chops during a rehearsal/class than what he had shown days before as the lead in a production of Cyrano de Bergerac.
All of this naturally raises concerns with the crew but they decide to take no action as Barclay has shown to not be a threat.
His interface with the computer proves to be a permanent one and as his intelligence, power, and link to the ship's systems grows he creates a new means of propulsion for the ship taking it 25,000 light-years away to the center of the galaxy in moments. Once there Barclay returns to the bridge as his normal, old, self as the crew is talking with an ethereal alien head that has appeared on the bridge. The alien is a Cytherian, a race that is also exploring the galaxy but brings their subjects to them rather than going out looking for them. Their interface with the telescope and shuttle computer failed but they were able to interface with Barclay and use him to take the Enterprise to the Cytherian home world.
After a few days of exchanging knowledge with the Cytherians the ship is returned to its original position, saying it'd take years for Federation experts to compile the gained knowledge. Barclay is his old self, remembering the events that made him what he was but is unable to remember how he was able to pull them off. As he's leaving on a date with Troi in the arboretum he shows that maybe he hasn't completely been returned to normal as despite never playing it before, he's able to make a chess move for a patron in 10-Fwd telling her the move will allow her to mate her opponent in just a few more moves.
This isn't an episode I am too fond of. I like Barclay okay as a character (though I still wonder why he's not medicated or something to help his various disorders he has. If we can medicate people today to help them with social and other anxieties it seems something could be done with Barclay) but this one I don't think does a whole lot for him. Dwight Schultz does a good job in the role, especially in the enhanced performance during his drama class, and in his more confident conversations he has but, still, the episode for me doesn't "sit right." Mostly because it leaves me with a lot of questions on how it's possible that the ship made this trip and *nothing* is retained on how it was done?
The crew also seems a bit too quick to accept that what's happening is okay. Sure they make the argument that right now he's being a help (in fixing the telescope quicker) and he's not really done any harm but they also seem to realize the encounter with the alien probe could be behind this and don't seem to think maybe he's being influenced or eventually will pose a threat. They just too easily accept that he's "the most advanced human who's ever lived" with an IQ in the quadruple digits and is debating advanced sciences with a hologram of Albert Einstein.
I do think the ending is interesting and wish we could have seen more of what happened between the ship and the Cytherians to get a better of feel of who and what they are.
I also think this episode is sort-of trying to be a back-door "fix" of Star Trek V. The Cytherian explorer shows himself to be a giant head and they live in the center of the galaxy. This is all similar, of course, to "God" the creature Kirk and co. meet in The Final Frontier. It *might* also explain how the ship was able to reach the center of the galaxy so easily, perhaps Cybok was similarly impacted by a Cytherian probe or something sent out by the "God" creature and he went out on a similar mission. Yeah, still leaves open a LOT of holes and questions that still don't line up, but the similarity between the two aliens and their location is hard to ignore.
I don't hate or dislike this episode too much but it's not usually one I revisit often. There's just not enough "spark" in it to keep me entertained, in spite of how much I like Barclay's character.
Also notable, the episode makes pretty good use of the Treknobabble here as some of times when Barclay spouts it off it often has another character responding with a
or it's spouted off at least in a manner that's SUPPOSED to leave us confused on what was said.
Grading the episode I'd maybe give it a C-. It has it's moments, sure, but at the same time it's hard for me to get into it.
The Enterprise is investigating a malfunctioning subspace telescope and find an unidentifiable alien probe near it. Geordi and Barclay are doing a closer inspection with a shuttlecraft when the probe hits the shuttle with a passive beam. Geordi and the shuttle are no worse for wear but Barclay was knocked out by the encounter.
Later in sickbay Barclay is given a clean bill-of-health by Crusher but he immediately beings displaying out-of-character traits and behaviors. He first suggests a new medical-scanning technique to Crusher, is able to modify the ship's shields to survive a close-range torpedo explosion as the ship flees the alien probe, he devises a means of repairing the telescope that can be done in a shorter length of time (and can prepare the technology for the technique in a fraction of the time it's estimated it'd take to set it up) and later when the technique show signs of failing, putting both the telescope and ship at risk, he builds a means to interface his mind with the ship's computer in order to save the day.
During this time he also displays many other unusual behaviors (for him) including showing more confidence with himself, losing many of quirks, ticks and mannerisms; more confidence around women enough to ask Troi out on a date, superior acting chops during a rehearsal/class than what he had shown days before as the lead in a production of Cyrano de Bergerac.
All of this naturally raises concerns with the crew but they decide to take no action as Barclay has shown to not be a threat.
His interface with the computer proves to be a permanent one and as his intelligence, power, and link to the ship's systems grows he creates a new means of propulsion for the ship taking it 25,000 light-years away to the center of the galaxy in moments. Once there Barclay returns to the bridge as his normal, old, self as the crew is talking with an ethereal alien head that has appeared on the bridge. The alien is a Cytherian, a race that is also exploring the galaxy but brings their subjects to them rather than going out looking for them. Their interface with the telescope and shuttle computer failed but they were able to interface with Barclay and use him to take the Enterprise to the Cytherian home world.
After a few days of exchanging knowledge with the Cytherians the ship is returned to its original position, saying it'd take years for Federation experts to compile the gained knowledge. Barclay is his old self, remembering the events that made him what he was but is unable to remember how he was able to pull them off. As he's leaving on a date with Troi in the arboretum he shows that maybe he hasn't completely been returned to normal as despite never playing it before, he's able to make a chess move for a patron in 10-Fwd telling her the move will allow her to mate her opponent in just a few more moves.
This isn't an episode I am too fond of. I like Barclay okay as a character (though I still wonder why he's not medicated or something to help his various disorders he has. If we can medicate people today to help them with social and other anxieties it seems something could be done with Barclay) but this one I don't think does a whole lot for him. Dwight Schultz does a good job in the role, especially in the enhanced performance during his drama class, and in his more confident conversations he has but, still, the episode for me doesn't "sit right." Mostly because it leaves me with a lot of questions on how it's possible that the ship made this trip and *nothing* is retained on how it was done?
The crew also seems a bit too quick to accept that what's happening is okay. Sure they make the argument that right now he's being a help (in fixing the telescope quicker) and he's not really done any harm but they also seem to realize the encounter with the alien probe could be behind this and don't seem to think maybe he's being influenced or eventually will pose a threat. They just too easily accept that he's "the most advanced human who's ever lived" with an IQ in the quadruple digits and is debating advanced sciences with a hologram of Albert Einstein.
I do think the ending is interesting and wish we could have seen more of what happened between the ship and the Cytherians to get a better of feel of who and what they are.
I also think this episode is sort-of trying to be a back-door "fix" of Star Trek V. The Cytherian explorer shows himself to be a giant head and they live in the center of the galaxy. This is all similar, of course, to "God" the creature Kirk and co. meet in The Final Frontier. It *might* also explain how the ship was able to reach the center of the galaxy so easily, perhaps Cybok was similarly impacted by a Cytherian probe or something sent out by the "God" creature and he went out on a similar mission. Yeah, still leaves open a LOT of holes and questions that still don't line up, but the similarity between the two aliens and their location is hard to ignore.
I don't hate or dislike this episode too much but it's not usually one I revisit often. There's just not enough "spark" in it to keep me entertained, in spite of how much I like Barclay's character.
Also notable, the episode makes pretty good use of the Treknobabble here as some of times when Barclay spouts it off it often has another character responding with a
or it's spouted off at least in a manner that's SUPPOSED to leave us confused on what was said.Grading the episode I'd maybe give it a C-. It has it's moments, sure, but at the same time it's hard for me to get into it.
Last edited:
