Preemptive Strike
Oh dear. For the Next Generation's last real single-hour episode,
we dive head-first into the saga of the Maquis debacle.
Its first and possibly only good chapter was
TNG's earlier "Journey's End" story,
but the name by which this arena of story-telling is most easily identified
makes its debut in the saga's second chapter on Deep Space Nine's second season,
the two-part sprawl of exposition known as (you guessed it):
"The Maquis, Parts 1 & 2".
A curious little minus point here is that this third chapter assumes
that all TNG viewers also watch DS9 in parallel, and will therefore have knowledge of
what the word "Maquis" means, who they are, and what has happened in this
arena between "Journey's End" and now. Some small section of dialogue
addressing this would not have been amiss.
What we essentially have here is an episode that wants to do for Ro Laren
(previously famous as an Ensign, but now promoted to Lieutenant)
what "Journey's End" did for Wesley and
"Firstborn" did for Alexander,
and that is to wrap up perceived storylines and loose ends for these characters
before TNG goes off the air. (I'm not sure many viewers actually thought
wrap-ups were needed for any of these characters, but it's certainly more
interesting an idea than most standard reset-button adventures.)
But I think both "Journey's End" and "Firstborn"
were far superior in what they gave the 7 regulars to do during the episode.
Though we have a fairly decent outing here from Ro's perspective, which is
central and primary today, with a nearly pitch perfect execution from director
Patrick Stewart, the narrative is a bit of a disaster for maintaining my investment
in the 7 regulars. They get quite little to do here, and what little there is
completely disrupts my ability to root for them.
This is a greater pity after we consider that the main adventure of the two-part series finale
following this only happens for Picard, and the crew that we continue to follow into the movies
don't really get to participate in it. That adds an extra burden on this episode
to see if they get some justice here.... Nope.
The search for their last great real television hurrah
has to retreat even further back to.... "Emergence".
Oh dear. This is not looking good.
Sadly, most Starfleet characters actively participating in today's adventure are
backing a very icky idea. It started with a boneheaded Federation-Cardassian treaty
that absolutely cannot be accurately labeled with the word "peace", since the ONLY
thing we ever see it do on all three Star Trek series produced around this time
is create a feeling of injustice that incites people to take up arms.
We never see any character willing to claim to have been a participant in creating it; it's faceless.
Most critically, none of the colonies that would have to move have actually agreed to it,
meaning it was not negotiated properly and it essentially becomes a big Federation lie to the Cardassians.
This is not Roddenberry's Federation anymore, or anything with genuine improvement in it.
I don't think it's okay to just go along with the reasoning that
it possibly reflects something today's governments would do,
or what past governments have done, because the point of the show
should not be to successfully condition the viewer to go along with crap.
Star Trek was meant to be the show that showcased something better from us Earthlings.
Of course, the real architects of this incitement treaty are Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor,
and other participating members of the writing staff, who believe conflict is a necessity
for their stories, who have been trained that that is a requirement for an exciting script
and trained in how to use it. I've had similar training myself. They may never dare to question it.
I do. I think there are more elegant options available to make compelling viewing,
a more simple fundamental element underneath that makes a show compelling, whether that element
goes through conflict (which can still fail if you don't know what you are doing) or goes through something else.
To what extent is a media diet of constant conflict itself restlessly psychotic? Will we dare
to better ourselves in that area as in any other?
What might have been most grand is to see Picard take his ship straight back to Starfleet headquarters,
go right over Admiral Nechayev's sympathetic but ineffective head, capture the entire
Starfleet top brass with particular interest to anyone involved with this incitement treaty,
and scan them for alien parasites, Borg implants, mind control wave-forms, outright stupidity,
or any other compromising conditions. They did similar in season one's "Conspiracy";
it seems now's an apt time for a check-up.
Too Risky? Starfleet HQ too well defended? There are many good smaller-scale options....
Always an option: Do no evil. Resign your commisions BEFORE lifting a hand against any man or woman
defending his home. Wesley did it in "Journey's End". Picard will in
"Insurrection".
While some have argued that it should be an easy choice for many of these colonies to
uproot and get the heck out of Dodge, knowing that the good old utopian Federation
has more than enough resources to provide them all they want, yes I agree, that could indeed
be a fabulous choice. But it is each COLONIST's choice. Starfleet has no place trying to be
the muscle that makes that choice for them and forces them either way. Best element of the
Prime Directive: Back off where you are clearly not wanted.
And let's keep in mind, if they're already out in the middle of disputed nowhere
instead of the heart of some highly-populated Federation city,
they probably have plenty of their own reasons to prefer it that way.
Better: Obviously the incitement treaty did not gain the agreement of the colonies expected to move.
Picard was brilliant in "Journey's End" for arranging the negotiation that the treaty should have
been all about, with the colony leaders at the table with the Cardassians, and Starfleet facilitating
and keeping the peace. That would have been a good idea anyway if the Cardassians do dispute
the claims of colonists on a number of border planets.
What does Picard and crew do here instead? Tell lies and set traps for his fellow man and woman
who want to defend their homes and keep their families safe. They get a negative score on the values
meter today.
Ro's choices are a bit more constricted. And she feels it. There's an interesting parallel
here with her debut story at the start of season five, titled (you guessed it):
"Ensign Ro", where she's also been forced into a tough situation
while carrying a hidden agenda, and doesn't know quite how to unravel the giant tangle.
Guinan makes a nice pitch about how the best way out while still holding your head high
is to trust a man named Picard and the crew he leads, which proves to be the undoing for
some corrupt higher-ups in Starfleet. Good show all round.
Here, I think Ro tries to make the same choice, during her meeting with Picard in the bar,
when she confesses her doubts about the situation. Sadly, sorry, he's not with her this time,
rattling off consequences of what will happen if she deviates from the mission and assigning
Riker to mind her because he doesn't trust her anymore. That's when she clams up,
tells him what he wants to hear, and then goes her own way. At THAT point, she's Maquis con-artiste,
and he's her mark.
Picard had no idea where he was aiming in this one, and it doesn't feel like anybody else on his crew
had much say or influence in the matter one way or another. Their varied perspectives might have been
interesting, but do not appear anywhere. And I have to say, this episode feels much more
like a Deep Space Nine episode than a Next Generation episode, since our TNG crew have so little to do in this one,
and we're spending most of our time elsewhere listening to Bajoran victimhood stories.
I'm on the fence about liking the older gentleman that befriends Ro. He seems well-intentioned,
but why should he suggest making Bajoran hot-pockets so spicy that it melts your mouth apart?
Don't make food that kills people's taste buds. That's idiotic, and there's enough idiocy in the Maquis story
and the incitement treaty already.
Well, I have to say, I prefer Ro's season 5 debut episode "Ensign Ro". Picard stays on his principles
and his toes, he earns Ro's trust, and they nail a corrupt Starfleet admiral to the wall.
I prefer the ninth film "Insurrection". Picard stays on his principles,
his crew follows his lead, and they nail another corrupt Starfleet admiral to the wall.
Even in "Journey's End", Picard slips a bit and loses Wesley's faith, but he gets
back on his principles and presses on to negotiate a decent settlement - One colony down, several dozen more to go.
But here.... he's way off his principles, totally loses Ro's trust, and she embarrasses his now corrupt back to the wall.
Dramatically done, yes, but not my cup of tea, and it's an episode that doesn't really explore
the issues to the straightforward core like I hope I have done here.
The massive Starfleet corruption masquerading as "peace" doesn't seem to have had its façade
sufficiently punctured for the characters or a good many members of the audience to recognize.
It's a muddle that I'd be embarrassed to hold up as an example of good Star Trek.
A bit of the opposite, I think.
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