5.12 Violations

Rating: 2.5

When the Enterprise transports a group of aliens called the Ullians, one of them, Jev, abuses his mind-probing powers to mind-rape Troi and then renders Troi, Riker, and Crusher into comas. Jev subsequently pins the blame on his father, Tarman, but is discovered when his desires for Troi force him to attempt to rape her again.

Comments

John Logan, the scriptwriter of the tenth Trek movie (Star Trek: Nemesis) blatantly reused this Troi mind-rape idea. Many other parts of his script were similarly lifted verbatim from earlier Trek episodes. He quaintly called this a ‘homage’, but I prefer to use the term ‘uninspired hack with nothing to add to the Trek universe or its characters’.

Nits

Picard says that the Federation has no precedent for dealing with what Jev did to Troi, Riker, and Crusher. How about assault? After all, they ended up in comas because of an attack on their mind. Does it matter that no hands were laid on them? And Picard has a history of making mistakes when it comes to these situations. In the third season episodeThe Survivors, Picard tells Kevin, "We have no law to fit your crime." Yet Kevin’s crime was basically genocide.

Memorable Moments

•    Troi explaining what she remembers – or doesn’t remember – after emerging from her coma, while the doctor (sorry, I don’t know his name) can be seen in the background, making expressive faces. Well blocked shot

Quotable Quotes

"…But I think no one can deny the seed of violence remains within each of us. We must recognize that because that violence is capable of consuming each of us as it consumed your son."
- Picard