3.02 The Ensigns of Command

Rating: 2

The Sheliak, an arrogant non-human race that has a very tentative and complicated treaty with the Federation, has discovered a colony of humans on one of their worlds, and has demanded that they be removed immediately – or they will be destroyed.

Comments

Ooooh, another ‘evacuation’ show! But I’m still all tingly from the movie Star Trek: Insurrection. J Seriously, this subject seems boring to me. The side-plot of Data and the woman who loves him is dated. Her love of computers and machines, which might have been somewhat interesting when this show aired, is now commonplace.

O’Brien plays the cello, and Data plays the violin.

Mart McChesney, who delivered the evil voice of Armus in the season 1 episode Skin of Evil, returns here as the Sheliak captain.

When Picard asks Geordi to fix the transporter problem, even though it is impossible, I assumed he would fix it and save the day. In reality, he is never able to fix the problem, which is a refreshing twist.

Nits

Data beams down to a planet where the people all walk around without any pets, noise, motorized or wheeled transport, and they meet in a big open square – funny, it is so much like every other planet they beam down to.

Memorable Moments

•    After Picard finds a loophole in the treaty with the Sheliak, he informs them that they will have to wait six months for the Grisellas to emerge from hiberation. He then cuts off the Sheliak captain mid-sentence. Worf informs Picard that the Sheliak are hailing the Enterprise (this is the first time they have done so, and a major coup for Picard; he now has the Sheliak realizing that they must communicate properly). Picard’s gamemanship reaction? Rather than answering the hail, he strolls around the bridge, completely ignoring the constant buzzing of the hail, even stopping to wipe some dust from the Enterprise plaque.

Quotable Quotes

Picard: Well, how are we progressing, Mr. LaForge?
Geordi: Exactly as you’d expect, sir.
Picard: Splendid, splendid, carry on.
(Picard’s subtle sarcasm about Geordi’s ongoing failure to fix the transporters).