Face Of The Enemy (Troi's Finest Hour?)

[Mr Silver]

I really think Face Of The Enemy is Deanna Troi's best centric episode. After so many wasted opportunities to do anything with the character, finally they found something that really worked in the penultimate season of the show.

Originally the writers were going to go with Crusher in the role as the "Tal Shiar Major", however this idea was dropped and they went with Troi.

I think Marina Sirtis is a decent actress (despite the mixed reception she gets from most trek fans) and she really stood out in this episode, blending attitude with diplomacy and pulling off a character within a character story.

For me, the beginning of this episode has to be one of the scariest things i've ever seen, When Troi gets up in the dark and walks over to the mirror, before turning on the lights and giving us a glimpse of a Romulan, when I was a kid, I remember seeing it for the first time and screaming in terror!! Perhaps a slight overreaction, but now as a grown man, I still won't watch it!! (Anyone else have a similar experience with the ep?!)

Discuss

 

[SPCTRE]

I think it truly is both Deanna Troi's and Marina Sirtis' finest hour throughout TNG. Overall one of my favorite episodes.

 

[Alrik]

Scream out in terror? Not so much, but then again I was in my 20's. I do remember it being a WTF moment though. And yes, Marina hit it out of the park in that ep.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Pretty good episode. I remember really digging it as a kid but now at 23 I'd say it's still a three-star hour but nothing mesmerizing. My girlfriend likes it something fierce from the time I showed her TNG and DS9 several months ago, though. It might have a thing or two to do with the fact that I was falling asleep by the time we watched it.

Never been a big fan of the very typical scream Troi makes at the end of the teaser, although I'll be the first to admit it's a fairly understandable reaction to waking up as a Romulan.

 

[Nero's Shadow]

Love this episode watched it not long ago, troi is fantastic her acting is very good she's play a romulan quite well. Best part of the episode is when troi speaks to the enterprise Rikers and Picard faces are priceless.

Comparing her on how she was introduced in Encouter At Farpoint and the season six episode was a great leap forward for her character.

 

[G2309]

I've always loved the epsode it was goodt see more of how a Romulan ship operated.
Marina Sirtis was great. Reading some interviews the writers recognised her as a good actor and felt she was wasted so they gave he something extra with the command test.
I always thought it be better if she was given the role of a diplomat. Who worked with Picard to understand cultures and talk with them.

 

[PianoWizzy]

I absolutely agree that it was her best episode. I think it was one of those extremely rare occasions when I actually liked this character [but maybe it's just because I can't relate to over-emotional people. cough cough].

Yea, the episode was a bit creepy but it's a good shakeup for Troi, IMO.

Also, I had a random thought that she would do terribly as a Vulcan, but yes, she made a good Romulan in the end. The irony.