Plot Synopsis: Geordi La Forge and Ensign Ro are believed dead after a transporter malfunction. However, they soon discover that their state may not actually be death.
Plot A and B Analysis: The teaser has a couple of nice hooks. The Enterprise is responding to a Romulan scout ship’s distress call. Ro, Riker, Geordi and Worf beam over, assess the situation, and Ro and Geordi try to beam back with a piece of equipment to replicate. They apparently die on the return transport. Plot A is about Ro and Geordi, the closely intertwined plot B revolves around the crew working with the Romulans and planning Ro and Geordi’s memorial service. The crew saves the lives of the Romulans and the Enterprise continues to get the Rommies ready to head back home, while in the 11th minute Ro wakes up to find that nobody can see or hear her, and she can pass through solid objects. She hooks up with Geordi to find him in the same state. Ro is convinced they are ghosts, but Geordi doesn’t believe that for a second. This being Star Trek, Geordi is right. We learn that the Romulans were trying to combine a matter-energy inverter with a cloaking device, which explains Geordi and Ro and is what caused their engines to go kablooey. There’s a phased Romulan, the dirty Rommies are planning on destroying the Enterprise, and how will Ro and Geordi ever get back to normal? This is a well-paced, original plot that results in a satisfying experience throughout.
Favorite Scenes: The entire scene on the Romulan scout ship does a good job showcasing how the crew work together as a team in a crisis situation: Picard directing the crew on the Enterprise, Riker working with his team on the scout ship, Worf helping and active, Data arriving in a crucial moment, well coordinated to save the lives of our enemies; all this after losing two of their own. It’s a wonderful example of professional teamwork. There are several nice little moments in this episode. In the 21st minute Ro is talking to Picard when Geordi enters and says “excuse me, captain” even though the dude has no idea they’re even there! I’ve always found it a bit funny, and realistic also–old habits. Listening to Data and Worf discuss ideas for a memorial service, Picard talking about Geordi, Ro talking to Picard in his ready room, Ro and Geordi fighting the Romulan, and the climax where Geordi and Ro are trying to get de-phased–all are good to watch.
Use of Cast/Characters: This is an unsung part of the episode, but if you watch during the 5th minute, here’s a good example of Picard’s command style on the Bridge. Patrick doesn’t try too hard to order people around or “command” or give hurried orders, like you see most other actors do. He has a steady confidence as he issues orders, in an unhurried but professional way. It characterizes how he works as captain that would make me completely comfortable serving under him. Frakes’ command on the Romulan scout ship is a good contrast, and works well also. We learn Riker has known Geordi longer than anyone else on the ship. Worf’s main contribution is to change Data’s mind about what the memorial service should be like, and Klingons view it as joyful. Geordi gets some character development as we learn about the first time Picard met him, how Geordi stayed up all night refitting the engines after a remark he’d made. Data is the one who puts everything together at the end of the episode. Troi and Beverly don’t have much to do. This is a Geordi and Ro episode, and they are both great, working well together and off of each other. Ro’s character softens up in this episode, as she really gets put through the ringer with Geordi.
Blu Ray Version: Pause at 12:16. It’s clear enough to read Beverly’s schedule now, and if you look at it, you can tell that this is actually Deanna Troi’s schedule that they reused from Imaginary Friend for this shot.
Nitpicks: There are the standard nitpicks with ghost stories. Why can Ro and Geordi pass through walls and people, but not floors? Why does their altered state mess up their communicators, but not Geordi’s VISOR? Also, in a somewhat well-known mistake Picard refers to Ro’s court martial as a result of her actions on Garon IV, when actually it was Garon II as we learn from Ensign Ro and Conundrum.
Overall Impression: This is a wonderful plot-driven, high concept episode from start to finish. There’s a lot going on and TNG just assumes the audience will be able to keep up with what is going on with Ro and Geordi, and why. We also have Romulan intrigue, the crew coping with two apparent deaths, and the 44 minutes fly smoothly by. There is never a dull moment. This is a strong episode, and I’m happy to rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
Behind the Scenes/Trivia: It occurs to me that this episode revealed a way to counter the phasing cloak technology: anyons. This is what de-phased Geordi and Ro, so wouldn’t it work on any ship that was phased? Finding the ship would be tough, but anyon emitters at certain key points would ensure that phased ships could not pass through undetected. Or even easier, just scan for chroniton fields. According to the director this was one of the most difficult episodes to make because of the technical requirements of having the ‘ghost’ effect, which was extremely tough at the time. This is an episode that never mentions a stardate, and the only way we get it is from Ro’s death certificate: 45892.4. This episode was nominated for an Emmy in Sound Mixing.
Remember the graviton field generator, because the exact same prop is used in the great seventh season episode The Pegasus, which has the Federation phasing cloak. A good way to link the episodes, which are linked anyway for using the same experimental technology. At 12:38, looking at Ro’s personnel file, we see that some of the mistakes are fixed from Conundrum. Her homeworld was corrected to Bajor, and her years at the academy were shortened from six years to four. In an interview, Michelle Forbes said this is the episode that marked a change for her character: “I think when I softened was during the episode with LeVar. If everyone goes through life being that hard and that tortured you’re bound to die from some sort of disease. We all have to have awakenings in our life. I think it was more about that. Life threatening experiences soften up the soul and makes one more aware.” Finally, if you don’t get the wonder twin powers reference, it’s from the Super Friends cartoon. Check out this video of them in action.
Missable/Unmissable? I’d say this one is pretty unmissable, especially since we have an indirect tie-in to another episode in season seven. The next episode is the greatest of them all.
This review makes me want to re-watch this great episode again asap, thanks!