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A comet discovered by the Enterprise is found to be the archive of the ancient D’Arsay civilization. Soon parts of the starship are being converted to artifacts of this culture. The program also targets Data and makes him impersonate different iconic characters. Eventually, Picard and the others deduce that Masaka, the most feared character, and her pursuer, Korgano, share a cycle much like Earth’s sun and moon. With time running out and direct override impossible, Geordi finally locates the archive’s transformational program just in time for Picard to assume the “mask” of Korgano and “chase” Masaka off her temple throne. Once Masaka is subdued, both the ship and Data return to normal without the whole society of characters that were once within him. summary by Ex Astris Scientia

The only thing I found fascinating about this - otherwise completely stupid - episode was Brent Spiner’s performance. Those different personalities surfacing one after another, signalled by his whole body language, it’s a must-see, not only for Trekkies.

When retrieving radioactive debris from a downed probe on pre-industrial Barkon IV, Data loses his memory and unwittingly spreads the fragments throughout a village. Data befriends a family and especially their daughter Gia. But when the villagers are showing more and more signs of radiation sickness, they put the blame on the strange looking man. They finally lynch and bury him, but the Enterprise manages to locate and salvage him. In the meantime, on the Enterprise, Deanna has passed her last exam for promotion to commander, the subject of which was to be able to condemn one crew member to death in order to save the ship. summary by Ex Astris Scientia
Cool! Two separate stories, I’m not sure which was more interesting. Data with his memory lost was excellent, as usual. I particularly liked his interaction with that village “doctor”.
The other plot, with Deanna… well, I know a lot of people believe she should have never been promoted but I disagree. Also Riker, not giving her a clue was a nice touch. All in all, highly recommended.

Four young Enterprise ensigns, Nurse Ogawa, Taurik, Sito Jaxa and Sam Lavelle are expecting their promotions. It seems that Lavelle and Sito are both up for the same job as ops relief. Sito, who was involved in the accident in Wesley’s squadron at Starfleet Academy, receives a severe lecture by Picard and a strange lesson in self-defense by Worf, while Nurse Ogawa has to deal with a Cardassian, and Ensign Taurik is to shoot at a shuttle with a phaser. The reason is that Sito is going on an undercover mission where she is to disguise as the Cardassian’s prisoner, to infiltrate the Cardassian Union. The mission fails, and the two are probably killed. Lavelle’s promotion at this cost leaves a bad feeling in him, but the friends and Worf keep bolstering and comforting each other. summary by Ex Astris Scientia
Now this one was completely unnecessary if you ask me. Well, the idea of showing some of the lower staff was good and, if you ask me, I’d love to see more of thes in general but… why kill Sito?! Worf was sweet, though.

Following her grandmother Felisa Howard’s funeral on Caldos IV, Dr. Crusher finds diaries revealing that the old woman had a young lover named Ronin. Ronin appears to have romanced her family’s women for centuries. Ned Quint, a friend of her grandmother, warns Beverly about Ronin, but after some odd sensations of pleasure she is finally ready to resign from Starfleet. When Ronin kills Ned, then disables Picard, Data and Geordi and finally reanimates her grandmother’s body, Beverly has to kill Ronin who is actually an anaphasic lifeform. summary by Ex Astris Scientia
Now I know this episode has been ridiculed on more than one occassion. I believe it’s considered one of the worst of the series in a caouple of stats I’ve seen.
Honestly, I don’t get it. I mean, I can understand those tired of technology plots, time travels etc but this one? Just a nice, slow, romantic story with a twist. What is so wrong with that? The climate was cool.

Nikolai Rozhenko, Worf’s foster brother, has been living on the primitive planet Boraal II for some time, where he played more than just a cultural observer. When the planet’s atmosphere is about to dissipate and the rest of the crew is just watching how every living being dies, Nikolai has created a duplicate of the caves on Boraal on the holodeck in order to save at least some of the natives. Picard and Worf are outraged, but now they have to go along with Nikolai’s plan. One Boraalan, Vorin, accidentally steps out into the Enterprise, and when he can’t cope with this new experience, he commits suicide. A new home for the people is found and the Boraalans are transferred there. Nikolai stays with them. summary by Ex Astris Scientia
Heh! Prime Directive at work again? I bet every Star Trek fan has sympathised with Nicolai all the time. What I don’t understand is why Picard was so furious? After all, he also has a fascinating history of violating the Prime Directive. I know, it was done for the plot purposes but it’s highly illogical IMHO. I think it would have been more credible if Picard was on vacation or something and Riker was in command. Or anyone else, but not Picard. It made the whole concept ridiculous in my eyes…

Admiral Erik Pressman leads the Enterprise on a mission to recover the U.S.S. Pegasus which he and Riker, at that time one of his junior officers, had to abandon years ago. He doesn’t tell Picard the whole story, and he demands that Riker be silent about the events on the Pegasus. Actually, Pressman was testing a phase cloaking device, illegal according to the Treaty of Algeron, the crew mutinied, and the few crew members loyal to their captain had to leave the ship. When they discover traces of the ship, Pressman orders the Enterprise to enter a narrow rift leading into the interior where they find the Pegasus, partially submerged in the solid rock. Obviously the phase cloak suddenly failed. Aboard the Pegasus Pressman and Riker are going to salvage the cloaking device, but a Romulan Warbird has sealed the entry to the asteroid, leaving the Enterprise trapped. Riker reveals Pressman’s secret, and the phase cloaking is installed on the Enterprise, so that the ship can pass through the solid rock. In open space Picard orders the cloak to be deactivated, because he wants to make Pressman’s violation of the treaty public. summary by Ex Astris Scientia

Interesting question about loyalty here. For a moment I was really wondering what Riker would do… no, just teasing. It was obvious but still fun to see.

After returning from a victorious bat’leth competition, Worf notices that reality changes from one moment to another, beginning with the color of his birthday cake. The changes become more severe, and at some point he is not able to return fire during a Cardassian attack because the console configuration suddenly becomes unfamiliar - causing Geordi’s death. Also, he is now married to Deanna and he is the ship’s first officer under Captain Riker. The only constant is that Geordi was always close to Worf when he slipped into another reality. Data finds out that Worf’s quantum flux is out of sync with the rest of the universe, and the VISOR’s subspace pulse triggers his transition from one quantum universe to another. Wesley discovers a subspace fissure where countless of these universes intersect and which widens after an attack by the powerful Bajorans of this universe, so that thousands of Enterprises from the different universes keep popping up. Finally the correct Enterprise for Worf to return to is found, but as Worf is on his way, he is attacked by an Enterprise that wants to prevent his return because in their reality they are among the last survivors of a successful Borg attack. Captain Riker orders to fire at them, and the weakened ship explodes. The rift is finally sealed when Worf reaches his own universe, and he also travels back in time just prior to his birthday surprise party - but the surprise is that there is no party in his universe, but just a visit by Troi who has a present for him. summary by Ex Astris Scientia

Hu-Hah! One of my favorite themes at work again! And how beautifullay done! That’s just great! Amazing episode!

While the Enterprise is helping in reheating the cooling magma core of Atrea IV, Juliana Tainer, married to one of the participating scientists, introduces herself as Soong’s ex-wife and, in a manner of speaking, Data’s mother. When pressed, she tearfully admits that she was against Data’s creation and wanted him dismantled when they left, all because of fears he could become like evil Lore. On Atrea IV her husband is injured in a plasma cave. When Data joins her there, the instability forces them to jump from a cliff and her arm is severed, confirming his guess that she is an android. When Soong’s real wife died, he implanted her memory into this new body which imitates the human functions much more perfectly than Data, so that even Juliana herself has no idea that she is an android. summary by Ex Astris Scientia

A very touching episode. Data is… well, his usual self, but his mother gives a wonderful performance. I particularly loved the ending: let Juliana live… I had tears in my eyes the first time I saw it. And the second, too.

When the Enterprise searches for the missing medical ship Fleming in the Hekaras Corridor - the only safe route through an area filled with tetryon particles - a Ferengi ship suddenly opens fire. DaiMon Prak claims that his ship has been disabled by a Federation buoy, and the Enterprise is attacked the same way only a few hours later. It turns out that Rabal and Serova, brother and sister from Hekaras, want to prevent all ships from engaging warp drive in the corridor, for they think warp drive destroys the fabric of space. Serova sacrifices herself by opening a subspace rift in which her ship is destroyed, thereby proving that their theory is correct. The Federation declares a general warp speed limit of Warp 5, to prevent further damage until a solution to the problem is found. summary by Ex Astris Scientia
Hm… environment protection.. One of my Trekkie friends actually wrote a story where this issue was being addressed permanently. I mean, not only one system but the whole Galaxy had to be protected for longer than just one episode. Consistency issues, eh? I’ve always believed that a LOT of fanfiction is much better than some of the original Star Trek…

The Enterprise visits Kesprytt because the Kes, unlike their xenophobic neighbors on the planet, the Prytt, have applied for Federation membership. When Picard and Beverly beam down, the transporter beam is redirected and they are taken prisoners by the Prytt. They manage to escape with the help of a Kes agent, but they discover that they are telepathically linked to each other, so that Beverly learns that Picard was once attracted to her. On the Enterprise the Kes have installed a security office, and their behavior soon becomes as paranoid as that of their enemies. Riker finally tells them to leave, with the remark that the UFP will definitely turn down their application. After reaching the Kes border, Picard and Beverly can finally be beamed up again. summary by Ex Astris Scientia

Heh! One of the most hillarious episodes I’ve seen! So much is going on between those two… Really, given both relationships - I mean Picard / Crusher and Riker / Troy - I’d definitely choose this one as more interesting. Don’t you just wish they’d all made up their minds finally and stopped torturing each other? LOL! Real life is not that simple, either…