Conspiracy

It's undoubtedly the best episode from season one and possibly the best episode of Next Generation. From the jump, it had the perfect amount of tension and believability and a great story. The only season one episodes that compare to its quality are "Datalore" and "Heart of Glory." The Federation's rules and benevolent nature are under assault by a mysterious force that might have originated from within the core leadership of its organization. Only a handful of its trustworthy senior officers seem to be aware of the problem, which is alarming in itself.

This episode's only flaws: its special effects are very dated and almost laughable by today's standards, and it relies on Jonathon Frakes's acting (groan) a bit too much.

"Conspiracy" ranks as one of the most disgusting installments in episode television history. The story line involves an infiltration of Star Fleet by "intelligences" bent on the destruction of the Federation. A longtime friend of Beverly Crusher visits the Enterprise and brings with him a sinister secret, revealed in a stunning confrontation with Worf.

As the conspiracy widens, Capt. Picard and Ryker return to Earth and come face-to-face with the "mother" of the conspiracy, setting the stage for one of the most dramatic and jaw-dropping scenes in Trek history.

'It's too bad that the producers didn't decide to continue with a follow-up episode that would tie up some of the loose ends from this memorable show.

Picard's old friend Captain Walker Keel contacts him via a top secret channel, alerting him to a clandestine meeting on a remote planet to discuss a possible conspiracy within the hierarchy of the Federation itself. When evidence of unusual Federation behaviour is discovered, the Enterprise heads directly to Earth to investigate.

Possibly the most controversial episode of season one, this paranoid thriller is an excellent adaptation of 'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers' but throws in a wild surprise with an unduly excessive amount of gore at the end. It's a bit silly in places but this feels far darker to most other episodes of the show and decidedly not family-friendly.

This TNG story reminds me so much of the fabled classic The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. As it turns out some real important Star Fleet personnel are having said bodies snatched.

Patrick Stewart and the Enterprise are summoned by the captain of the Horatio about a vital matter which is a plot to internally subvert the Federation. Then the Horatio is destroyed with an explosion. Which sends the Enterprise back to earth to investigate.

There is indeed a plot and all I can say is you have to see who's doing the plotting.

A version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

The overall story of Conspiracy is quite interesting, and certainly unique, at least to The Next Generation. We are left in the dark for precisely the right moments, and only in the end do we really understand what has been going on this entire episode, which in my eyes in quintessentially trek storytelling.

The special effects and practical effects, while only seen in greater detail in the latter half of the episode, are a bit rudimentary compared to todays standards, however considering that this was created in the late 80's, and for a television show no less, it meets expectations. Even incorporating tricky stop-motion to capture certain movements which would not be easy to do otherwise.

Where this episode is lacking however is in the way it is told. The story is great, but the whole episode feels like it's trying to fill the time with long drawn out scenes, and whole minutes of the episode feel like they should've been left on the cutting room floor, and instead been filled with more interesting exposition or a more dramatic rising action.

All in all the episode is one of the better ones from season 1, and definitely is worth a watch, although as many reviewers pointed out, it does contain some light gore elements, so very young children should probably sit this one out.