Violations

'Violations' sure is an apt title for an episode involving a telepath who's forcibly manipulating the crew's memories (obvious rape metaphor). The one thing I kept thinking about was that scene in "The Undiscovered Country"; Spock violently mind-melds with Valeris. Except that was torture for information when the stakes were high; there was a clear purpose.

Here, it's just something an alien does for kicks. It's needlessly edgy, especially with the manic visions and dramatic camera-work. Why prey on women's fears if you're going to wrap everything up nice and neat in the end and it's all status quo again?

This is a bizarre episode, to say the least.

5/10

In this episode, a race of strange people who can read people's thoughts and memories come aboard the ship. Oddly, during their time on the ship, various crew members fall into comas--and they undergo extremely vivid and traumatic brain probings. In one of these, Troi is 'mind raped'. Can the crew figure out exactly what's happening?

This episode is one I would caution people about watching. If you've been a victim of sexual assault, seeing the rape sequence could easily be very traumatic--perhaps too traumatic. And, even if you were never a victim, the show is supposed to be entertaining-- and what the heck is entertaining about this?! Because of this, it all seems a bit exploitative and unsavory. Plus, as some have pointed out, there doesn't seem to be any definite resolution. Rather unsatisfying and one I urge you to think about twice before watching.

Enterprise hosts a telepathic race who can read the memories of others.

This is a disturbing episode that has a strong psychological-horror concept, but is presented in a fairly unimaginative way.

The plot contains the solid and very sinister idea of mind rape, but the story tells it in quite mundane way (if that's possible). The trauma each character experiences is fairly compelling. Likewise is the mindset of the creep who perpetrates it, but when you know what's happening from the start and it ends exactly as you imagine, it pretty much fails as a mysterious narrative (if that was ever the intention).

Picard and Riker have some strong moments dealing with the problem along with Data and Geordie. All actors are on good form, especially Patrick Stewart, playing Picard as very careful in his response to an unproven attack on his crew members.

Counsellor Troi has the most difficult scenes to endure and Marina Sirtis performs well. Gates McFadden is also good.

Visually it works, particularly the memory invasion scenes that have the desired effect.

For me it's a 6.5/10 but I round upwards.

Finally, a disturbingly honest story of how "centuries of human evolution" fail to eliminate our persistent problem of moral evil, whether from a snide remark, road rage or sexual assault.

The "entertaining" stories of the early seasons of TNG lack the depth and honesty that this one episode contains. This episode is disturbing...as it should be.

This episode makes Riker look bad. It is disturbing because they show Riker forcefully force Troi. They did not make it clear whether it is a "memory" or a implanted "memory". Also is disturbing that the alien' trial was not shown.