Who Watches the Watchers

It gets me right in the feels. My favorite episode after The Inner Light.

Living under the prime directive should preclude carelessness. The people researching a race of people (who look like Vulcans) end up blowing their cover. This draws the Enterprise crew into the mix and they are observed by the inhabitants. Beverly, following her Hippocratic oath beams up a native who falls from a precipice when startled. When he awakens on board the Enterprise he sees Picard in a soft light and assumes he is a god who has used his powers to save him. Of course,things get truly complicated because the confusion that ensues presents complex moral situations that need to be remedied.To complicate things, Riker and Troi, dressed like the inhabitants, are stuck on the planet. As they bide their time, trying to convince these people that their beliefs are simply superstitions, a man is captured who had disappeared when all hell broke loose. Since "the Picard" is seen as a god, they have to figure out what to do with this incapacitated stranger. Jean-Luc beams the female leader aboard to do what he can to try to show her that they are not gods, the Enterprise isn't Valhalla, and he is only a human at a different stage of history. The prime directive certainly complicates things. It's sort of like the U. S. Bill of Rights. It may not allow you to do what you interpret as right, but at its foundation it is right and proper. Without it, all sorts of bad stuff can happen and civilizations would be changed forever. It also keeps those who think they have all the answers in check. Excellent episode.

Boy, does the Federation screw up this time!!! A group of scientists are observing a bronze age civilization on Mintaka III. As per the Prime Directive, the scientists are hiding behind fake rock in the hills-- shielded from view by the Mintakans. However, their holoscreen malfunctions and the Mintakans SEE them! Sadly, when Picard tries to undo this harm, he accidentally ends up creating a new cult that worships HIM as their god!! So, in trying to undo the damage, they just make things worse!! Should Picard just give up once and for all or is there some way he can possible fix this huge mess?

This is a pretty intriguing show and shows just how much damage can be done unintentionally. Additionally, seeing Picard, the god, trying to dig his way out of this mess was rather entertaining.

This is a super episode of Star Trek, a true classic.

What is so great about this episode? The answer is simple. This episode illustrates one of the great flaws of human beings, namely the insanely extreme actions they will take to force others to believe whatever nonsense they themselves decide to believe.

This massive flaw in human being is at the root of endless billions of instances of humans mistreating other humans. Happens every day, in endless ways.

This understanding is not some religious or atheist lesson. People behave this way about endless issues, not just whether god exists or not. People mistreat others for not accepting socialism or communism or democracy or fascism or any number of political systems (all of which are bogus). People mistreat others for not accepting certain kinds of medical treatments. Hell, people kill each other for supporting "the wrong" sports team!

So yeah, the lesson this episode takes on is far more general than religion. The lesson is intellectual independence... or lack thereof. Shall we deal with other humans by intimidation and force, or should humans simply have conversations with each other, and let each draw their own provisional inferences, and update them as they accumulate more and more experience.

Great idea. Great story. Great writing. Great episode.

This is one of the best episode of Star Trek that involves the seriousness of the Prime Directive. It handles it really well, that's all I can say without spoiling it. You realize by watching this episode how important the Prime Directive is and how difficult it is to decide what to do when it may have been accidentally violated. It's a fun episode from start to finish.