Is "The Inner Light" overrated?
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I think on a purely emotional level, it's terrific and showcases great character work.
But the technical aspects of the plot seem suspect to me. We're told the probe shuts down after it finishes transmitting to Picard. I don't remember if we're given any further information on it or not. But it seems odd to me that a race would build a probe to transmit their story to exactly one person and then shut off (perhaps forever). I mean, Picard could have died the next day, making the probe's purpose of memorializing the Kataanians fairly pointless.
I think it would be a neat idea to suppose the probe has actually encountered hundreds or even thousands of beings and fed them the Kamin story. Picard was simply the last in a long line before the probe's power ran down. It would be interesting to think of a storyline where these recipients are drawn together by the shared experience of living one man's life. But that's somewhat similar to a Voyager episode where an uncountable number of people are forced to live out some ancient war crime hallucination as a way to memorialize its long-dead victims.
But the technical aspects of the plot seem suspect to me. We're told the probe shuts down after it finishes transmitting to Picard. I don't remember if we're given any further information on it or not. But it seems odd to me that a race would build a probe to transmit their story to exactly one person and then shut off (perhaps forever). I mean, Picard could have died the next day, making the probe's purpose of memorializing the Kataanians fairly pointless.
I think it would be a neat idea to suppose the probe has actually encountered hundreds or even thousands of beings and fed them the Kamin story. Picard was simply the last in a long line before the probe's power ran down. It would be interesting to think of a storyline where these recipients are drawn together by the shared experience of living one man's life. But that's somewhat similar to a Voyager episode where an uncountable number of people are forced to live out some ancient war crime hallucination as a way to memorialize its long-dead victims.
It's great & moving & all. However, my inner 9-year-old is still bored to tears by it.
And while I appreciate Patrick Stewart's performance, I always had a hard time relating to Captain Picard on the show. I was always more of a Commander Riker fan. (Come to think of it, with the exception of Kirk, the captain is rarely amongst my favorite characters on any of the Star Trek shows.)
And while I appreciate Patrick Stewart's performance, I always had a hard time relating to Captain Picard on the show. I was always more of a Commander Riker fan. (Come to think of it, with the exception of Kirk, the captain is rarely amongst my favorite characters on any of the Star Trek shows.)
I do not believe it is overrated *in comparison with other TNG episodes.* (Yes, that was a disclaimer. :-) It remains head and shoulders above most eps in premise, content and delivery. If it had been longer, the defects in execution and nuance could perhaps have been corrected. However, I don't know that it interested me enough that I would've wanted to see it as a two-parter. For TNG ensemble fans, it may have suffered some as an ep that was very centered on a single character. Nonetheless, it remains one of the very few eps I can still clearly remember to this day, even by name.
I actually liked those scenes. They conveyed the passage of real time quite well.
I don't think the episode is overrated, and find that most people who dislike the episode seem to miss the point.
And slightly off-topic, has it ever been stated exactly how long Picard was living as Kamin (in his mind, of course?). Some people give pretty ridiculous estimates, like 70 years; to me it seems more like 40-odd years.
Good point there about Picard. While I certainly liked him more than Kirk, yeah I said it, he wasn't my favorite TNG character. His best moments were when he outwitted an enemy with his mind and those weren't used enough.
The Captains were always good characters, but rarely my favorites either. Spock was my favorite on TOS. Data on TNG. Tie between Kira and O'Brien on DS9. The Doctor on VOY. Archer was the only captain who was my favorite from his series.
It's hard for me to view this one objectively anymore. I think it succeeds in adding some depth to the Picard character and giving Stewart something substantial to work with. Plotwise it poses an interesting "what-if" scenario. The science is pretty bad though- how much sense does it make for a pre-warp civilization to be able to build a probe like that? There's also not much in the way of social commentary or a political point to the story- there is perhaps a little bit of a point in Picard's efforts to lead his people towards scientific solutions for their problems, but only just. It's an entertaining capsule story, but I tend to think of episodes like "Darmok" or "The Drumhead" as being more valuable intellectually, and episodes like "Yesterday's Enteprise" or "The Best of Both Worlds" as being more quintessentially Trek-like, because Star Trek really should be about spaceships and phasers and speculative technology. If you'd asked me fifteen years ago though I would probably have rated it in the top 5 episodes.
I completely agree. Patrick Stewart in the final moments of the experience: "Oh...oh it's me!" is riveting to me everytime, and honestly I just got goosebumps typing it out and hearing his voice in my head...
Same here, as I just saw it again the other night. Also him playing the flute at the end always brings a lump to my throat.
This episode is really good, dont get me wrong. but i never liked the way Picard has now (in his own mind, which is al lthat matters right?) lived 2 life times. He actually believes he lived that life for 60 sumt years. So i never understould how he could jus disconnect from that life and not have completely changed as a person,. how would he remember how to captain a starship? He would surely need time to get to know everyone again? 60 years or however long it was is more than enough time to forget some1.
The time he was there was jus too much for me, if he'd been in this alternate life for say a year, it would have been easier to digest for me personally.
The time he was there was jus too much for me, if he'd been in this alternate life for say a year, it would have been easier to digest for me personally.
Heh, that's a good point. Gotta wonder which one would actually mess up your "real" life more, a few days of assimilation by the Borg, or forty (or seventy) years of assimilation by a dead species?
^ Precisely, glad someone else can see it from my POV, i find this episode recieves far too much love.
However the final scene of Picard playing his flute as the end credits begin was very moving.
However the final scene of Picard playing his flute as the end credits begin was very moving.
I don't know how something subjective like liking an episode of TNG can be accurately quantified to qualified as overrated.
I think The Inner Light is an outstanding Star Trek episode, and it's one of my favorite hours of Trek in the entire franchise.
Does that make it overrated? Not for me, I'm going to go on liking it.
I think The Inner Light is an outstanding Star Trek episode, and it's one of my favorite hours of Trek in the entire franchise.
Does that make it overrated? Not for me, I'm going to go on liking it.
We used "The Inner Light Suite" at our wedding. It set the perfect tone, and the Trek fans really appreciated it!
It would have been an interesting episode if they had shown Picard living the entire life and then revealed it had happened while he was unconscious on the floor of the bridge. However, it feels a bit too contrived thinking of it that way.
It would have been an interesting episode if they had shown Picard living the entire life and then revealed it had happened while he was unconscious on the floor of the bridge. However, it feels a bit too contrived thinking of it that way.
I don't think it's overrated at all. It's still among my favorite TNG episodes. It was a very powerful story, emotionally. I still get misty at the end. (The scene with the flute) The idea of a civilization knowing it's doomed, and having very little time left, uses what resources it has to ensure that it isn't forgotten. It's touching and really makes you think.
To me "The Inner light' was one of the best, only on par with "The Measure of a Man"
In both cases, soul searching, but not in a bad cheesy way. What is our existance, who are we, when we find out, what does that mean?
I was Poed they did not follow up on it as you all said.
In both cases, soul searching, but not in a bad cheesy way. What is our existance, who are we, when we find out, what does that mean?
I was Poed they did not follow up on it as you all said.
I've thought vaguely about the common criticisms of the ep very occasionally since it first aired, but this thread has really made me examine my own assumptions about the hour. I admit that while I certainly see where the criticism comes from, I STILL can't, no matter how hard I try, change my mind about how wonderful this episode is to me.
I think in that retrospect it both a) makes me love it even more and b) helps me to understand better those who love ST episodes that didn't work for me. I love it and other people don't, which can easily happen vice versa for other eps of either TNG or other series. IDIC wins inequivocably here.
I think in that retrospect it both a) makes me love it even more and b) helps me to understand better those who love ST episodes that didn't work for me. I love it and other people don't, which can easily happen vice versa for other eps of either TNG or other series. IDIC wins inequivocably here.
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