This episode has one major good thing: it is rather funny, at least amusing. It's special effects must have been quite something when the show was first aired (but not so much now).

I noticed one thing, I like Beverly better somehow in this episode then later on in the series. Somehow, she acts better here than in later seasons. Data and Captain Picard are very well portrayed when they are intoxicated, but like the other crewmembers, they are a bit too fast recovering from the infection - it but isn't it always so in Star Trek?

Data and Tasha's intended love scene and all that followed was very funny.

The music, to me, is very cheesy and since this is the second show of the series the acting is kind of stiff. Data's character isn't to my liking in the first 16 episodes of The Next Generation. He is too stiff and not very funny except when he's intoxicated. The early Data make up is somehow a bit strange compared to later seasons. He lacks his later wonder and childlike curiosity.

I also missed the fast flying stars at warp. There is one major contradiction on one issue. The "sickness" is said to be caused by the shifting gravity of the star. Well, this for one thing is kind of strange since the ship is supposed to be shielded from such things. But since this isn't actually an infection, it isn't supposed to be transmitted. Still, it is, and it starts working after five seconds to ten minutes which by itself is also rather strange. Then, Beverly makes a statement, on why the vaccine isn't working - "Maybe it's mutated somehow." Now this is just plain impossible, a gravity shift would not mutate! It might have been better to call it "more severe" since in this case it was a
star collapsing, not a planet as in the Original Series episode, "The Naked Now", where the sickness first appeared. I also didn't like when people had been "infected", the signs and hints
were so very obvious

As you can see, there is much more bad written than good. That however doesn't mean the show was all bad. It had some good points but it was not original in any way. Somehow, I think I've seen it before... The almost bad acting didn't help, but Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner kept the show alive. It was still a good continuation from the pilot to introduce the cast, but as they aren't quite developed yet, the "out of character scenes" didn't work as well as they might have.

RATING:

out of 5

I always enjoy episodes where a crossover between the Original Series and the current era shows itself, such as this one, where the crew of the gallant starship Enterprise contracts the deadly Psi-2000 virus.

Being the normal way Starfleet is, the Enterprise is going to meet with the Tsiolkovsky, a science ship watching a Red Giant get hauled down by a smaller companion star. Messages from the ship indicate some rather... unusual behavior from the crew.

As the away team sent over begins its search they find the remains of a big party, where Riker and Data locate a bridge monitor showing the blown hatch, Yar and La Forge find frozen stiffs, and Geordi becomes the first victim in the epidemic with a *woosh* sound. You'd think in a situation such as this there would be rules and regulations to follow. "If crew is acting drunk, possible reasons a, b, c..." Not real good on the Starfleet part there.

One thing I also dislike is that Doctor Crusher can't find anything wrong in the readings from the away team! The Psi-2000 virus was already seen, catalogued and cured way back in the mid 23rd century by Dr. McCoy. Plus, if Geordi was quarantined in sickbay, where are the restraints? Guards?

We do see one touching moment here, where Geordi takes off his VISOR and we all see his blind eyes, and how the VISOR is attached. As Yar gives her report later to Picard, we see Geordi being examined by Crusher and Troi. Dr. Crusher makes yet another idiotic comment, about 'there's no chance of disease'. There are methods today that doctors know of tracking disease, but Crusher some how doesn't use them.

As Riker and Data search for answers on the bridge, they locate the records of the Enterprise's predecessor's file on Psi-2000. Here we see a goof on the computer's readout: The Constitution-Class shown is that of the Refit Style, not of the Original Series style.

Yar seems to have broken entry into Troi's quarters, where we see that she also, is infected. She wants to borrow some of Troi's clothes, then leaves! Troi gets infected in this scene as well. We also see the ship becoming even more infected, with make out sessions in the corridor, and Yar having fun with a young officer in the junction.

Wesley gets way too much freedom. He seems to have taken control of Engineering with his Picard Command 9000 unit. We get to see the Chief of the Week as well, one has got to ask themselves, what was going on that the Enterprise was going through Chief Engineers quicker then a five year old could go through a toy store?

Picard then orders Data to go escort Yar to sickbay, and we get to see something very rare. Yar in a lovely piece of clothing showing a hefty piece of midriff. Here is where we see the famous "fully functional" scene, and the part which boggles my mind. How does the android Data become infected? He is not made of organic components, only mechanical.

Crusher seems to have (somehow) gotten the formula to dilute the infection, but Geordi is still drunk as a Frenchman. Also, here Riker, infected by Troi, infects Crusher. Time is of the essence, since a stellar core fragment has blown off and is headed to the Enterprise. Picard tries explaining things to Wesley, in order to get control of the ship. These feelings, Wesley are natural, soon you will get hair on your chest and your voice will deepen... oh wait, wrong subject.

As we see Data's usual speedy handling of the isolinear chips, Jean-Luc and Beverly are getting a little more familiar with each other, respecting each other none the less. Somehow Wesley and Data end up saving the ship, yet drunk. Crusher has cured Geordi. One thing I don't see is how the puny Oberth-Class could be used as a push off for the much... much... larger Enterprise. Basic physics disallow this. Grumble. A somewhat good episode in the end, with a lot of unusual errors and grumbleness.

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