Emergence

The final season of Star Trek, the Next Generation gave us some splendid episodes and also a fair share of stinkers. Everyone knew by this stage that they would not be renewed and attempts were made to wrap up various story lines before they said their final goodbyes. There is still a great deal to be enjoyed.

Well, this wasn't as bad on re-viewing as I had anticipated. I'm afraid what had lodged in my mind was the "Enterprise computer gains higher intelligence and gives birth to a collection of bendy-straws" storyline. Apparently, the well known SFX company Industrial Light and Magic are credited with this particular creation. Hardly their finest hour.

The rest of the episode looked good. This was assisted, no doubt, by the opportunity to use sets which had already been constructed by the studio for other productions: the luxurious train carriage and the New York street scenes added visual impact and would otherwise have been beyond the budget of a weekly television series. Mingling aspects from various holodeck programmes added a surrealistic component as well as some enjoyable costume cliches but having Counsellor Troi attempt to psychoanalyse the ship's computer in order to get it back under control was a step too far.

Well known film actor David Huddleston and Trek regular Thomas Kopache both managed to keep a straight face as they contributed their considerable skills to this melange of nonsense and Sir Patrick demonstrated great professionalism as he conducted an apparently serious discussion about the computer's benign intentions and understandable wish to reproduce.

This was another episode where the writers decided to bolt on a bit of Shakespeare by having Data perform a scene from the Tempest. Brent Spiner's exaggerated, self-reflecting parody as the sage Prospero was unworthy of some of the finest verse ever written. This particular play has a fantasy element all of its own and was the inspiration for the classic Science Fiction film Forbidden Planet. There are some excellent adaptations out there for anyone who might be interested in seeing it performed without the unnecessary mockery.

Senior Trekker scores every episode with a 5.

"Emergence" was one of the last episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and it is the sort of show that makes you think that perhaps the series had run its course and was ready to wrap.

The show is a holodeck episode and I should point out that that I almost always hate episodes that take place in the holodeck--which is exactly why I disliked it. It seems that something in the computer system is showing signs of sentience and it's centered on one of the holodecks. When the crew enters to see what's happening, they see various disparate characters from various programs on a train. Using metaphors as a guide, the crew decide to help the conductor get the train to where it's going--as otherwise the ship will continue behaving very unpredictably.

It's a holo episode. If you like 'em, you'll probably like this. If you think they show evidence of poor writing, then you won't. I didn't.

At least that's what the captain says.

The episode seems to be an allegory for a psychologist unable to crack someone's personality to get them to stop doing whatever it is that's causing problems. Somem unknown intelligence is forming on the Enterprise and taking over. When brute force doesn't work Captain Picard suggests the crew respect it and interact with it.

The plot takes center stage here by letting the communication's and conflict motifs that is Star Trek The Next Generation take center stage. That is in spite of the faux science from a white dwarf, with the crew being very static and trying to negotiate with a dream like thought process on the holodeck.

I've knocked the show a few times, and I think rightfully so, and more specifically the powers that control the creativity of the shows that all audiences watch. And this one, in spite of a more plot oriented story with some story dynamics, is still very static.

The episode proposes that a new life form that seems to pose a danger might need to be interacted with on an intellectual level, again with a lot of excuses that the ship and whatever's infecting it won't shut down the holodeck.

Things work out in the end but with no real tangible explanation. There's no explanation as to what invaded the Enterprise-D though Captain Picard gives some possible explanations as to the wherefores of how and why the thing came into being, but no real explanation as to what its reasons were, and that's lacking.

It's lacking because otherwise, like much of this show, you get these moments in the story that cannot be addressed by the crew. And that's a motif for Star Trek The Next Generation as a preparatory measure for young net users interacting with other net users from other nations or areas around the world.

In short not every conflict can be resolved, you cannot discern the motivations of things or others who are foreign to you. Did it work? Did it serve the world or society as a whole? I don't know, but I don't think so. The theme may have had some tangential application or perhaps influenced some people, but by and large media with ideas of any form can only reinforce your own personal values, unless there some truly new ground breaking philosophy, which there isn't.

The best I can say is that this episode still follows the presentational format and personal interaction motif established in the first seasons. And again, the actual presentation is non-dynamic, very much in the field of manipulative psychology, and otherwise not really intriguing no matter how it was framed story wise nor presented visually.

But, the fans ate it up. So, take that for what it is.

As we approach the final episodes of season seven it is obvious that the writers are having a difficult time bring new plots into the scripts. In this offering we have another story of a developing life form. But the writers reach deep down on this story and the new life form is the Enterprise itself.

It all begins on the holodeck when a program malfunctions and begins running more than one program. Then the Enterprise begins operating on its on accord as if the ship is thinking for itself. And as with all these types of programs it will be up to the crew to help with a possible emerging life form.

This was a rehashed story that has been used many times in the series. But what saved this show from becoming another repeat plot was the way the episode used the holodeck program characters to tie the story together with the main plot. It was a new way to bring an old story-line to life. As we approach the end of the series this episode proved that you can do new things with old plots. Which should have been used on many of the episodes in weak season seven.

I don't understand why so many don't highly score this episode. I mean David Huddleston being on it deserves a high score in itself, before taking in the story.

I love all holodeck episodes usually anyway, and this one with a mix of characters, all out of time, is especially fascinating, and on the Orient Express no less! Only thing missing is Hercule Poirot!

Then we talk about emerging intelligence- here in 2023 it couldn't be more significant. It would be nice to think that the world in 2370 still exists with majority humanoids and we haven't all evolved into AI, however we know that the Star Trek universe is still basically fantasy. And in this episode there is a happy ending! A great entertaining episode.