Star Trek TNG - Season 6 - Episode 03
Star Trek TNG - 6x03 - Man of the People
Originally Aired: 1992-10-5
Synopsis:
A Lumerian ambassador uses Troi to achieve success. [DVD]
Problems
- How is Troi's aging magically reduced?
Factoids
- There's an "Ensign Janeway" in this episode. No relation, I'm sure... ;)
Remarkable Scenes
- Worf directing a martial arts class. Cool!
- The old woman: "Have you mated with him yet?!"
- Troi being life-force raped.
- Troi toying with Riker.
- Troi being mean to Ensign Janeway.
- Beverly performing an illegal autopsy.
- Beverly faking Troi's death.
My Review
I like the impunity the ambassador had throughout the episode. It shows us that sometimes people just get so famous and important that even haneous crimes they commit seem to be overlooked. The ambassador reminded me somewhat of OJ Simpson, except in this case getting what he deserved in the end. Despite the fine story idea, the execution was rather drab. The story was caught up in Beverly's medical mystery, the conclusion of which was obvious. The only interesting part was the climax, in which it's fun to watch Picard and Beverly manipulate the ambassador. His death was fitting, albeit a bit convenient. My main problem with this episode is the number of TNG cliches. A diplomatic mission, a mystery guest star with a secret, and more Troi suffering scenes. I've thus marked it down a bit.
The following are comments submitted by my readers.
- When Crusher proposes to kill Troi so Alcar will break his link, Riker reacts immediately. Crusher responds that she will be able to revive Troi as long as thirty minutes do not elapse before resuscitation. Why thirty minutes? In "The Neutral Zone," Crusher revived humans who had been frozen for hundreds of years.
- After making a scene in Ten-Forward, Troi gets escorted out by Riker. They board a turbolift and the doors read "08 Turbolift." Ten-Forward is on deck 10, not deck 8.
- At the end of the show, Picard predicts that Alcar will attempt to find another person as soon as Troi dies. To protect Alcar's intended victim, he contacts Transporter Room 2 and tells them to lock on to the female in Alcar's quarters. But when he wants to beam her out he says, "Picard to Transporter Room 3. Energize!" How does the transporter chief in Transporter Room 3 know what to do? Picard gave his instructions to Transporter Room 2.
The only scene that is really worth watching more than once to me is Troi cutting down Ensign Janeway... I laugh every time.
Mind rape in various forms is getting to be a little ho-hum aboard the Enterprise. It seems like something similar comes up at least once a season.
What we get here is little more than another Troi-in-mental anguish episode. This one gets marked up a little because Marina Sirtis gets to walk around in sexy dresses and she does a great job acting, especially in the scene someone mentioned above where she breaks it off in Ensign Janeway, who probably needed to hear that anyway.
This one loses a couple of points, however, when Troi transforms back in to her old self. I just can't buy that she's instantly back to her regular appearance as soon as the mind lock is severed. The tissue changes (wrinkles, discoloring, gray hair) aren't going to disappear instantly. I know this is minor and mostly cosmetic, but it irked me. Still, not a terrible episode. I give i a 3.
I just want to point out that OJ was not acquitted simply because he was famous, he was acquitted because he was black and famous.
I just want to point out that OJ was not acquitted simply because he was famous, he was acquitted because the prosecution monumentally bungled the case, leaving A LOT of room for reasonable doubt. The only folks who think otherwise either didn't follow the trial or already wanted a guilty verdict before they heard any of the evidence presented. Our previous commentor--who I assume managed to post from an alternate universe--seems to be laboring under the misapprehension that being black is somehow a "get out of jail free" card in the American judicial system. Don't worry! America still puts a lot of black folks behind bars (or worse)!
A much better comparison could be made between the ambassador and Bill Cosby, although Mr. Cosby's long string of crimes had not been widely publicized at the time this review was written.
Agreed, this episode has an interesting idea but the execution could have been better. I was perfectly satisfied watching the episode but it is just OK, not one of the memorable episodes.