5.26 Time's Arrow (Part 1)

Rating: 2.5

A cave on earth is found to hold possible clues that an alien race visited there in the 19^th century. The cave also holds Data’s severed head: proof that he traveled back in time and died. The Enterprise investigates on an alien planet and discovers the aliens – and Data is transported back, to the time of Mark Twain. Surprisingly, Guinan is also there, but she has no knowledge of Data or any of her future. Pursuing the mystery, and hoping to retrieve Data as well, an away team of Picard, Riker, Troi, and Geordi go through a rift to travel back in time.

Comments

This is the first of a two-part season-ending ‘cliffhanger’ episode. It features an interesting premise and some good dialogue for Data.

This episode was co-written by Joe Menosky and Michael Piller.

Marc Alaimo is one of the poker players. He later starred as the Cardassian Gul Ducat on DS9.

Nits

It’s an interesting coincidence that on one of her very rare away missions, Troi is specifically needed to sense the unseen life forms.

Almost all of the scenes in the 19^th century are stilted and poorly produced. They feel more like holodeck scenes and less like real life in the 1800s.

When Data is playing poker, the ante is four bits (50 cents). He sells his communicator for 3 dollars and receives three coins of the same size, then tosses one coin (1 dollar) into the ante. No one says anything and he doesn’t take any change. Well, I suppose these are card sharks and they don’t care; I’m just surprised Data doesn’t know.

Memorable Moments

•    Data’s head rising up from behind the disembodied head found in the cave

•    Data’s amusing glances in the elevator as he stands between Riker and Troi.

•    And if you thought the only time the cast of NextGen were filmed in a washed out tinted light was when Worf, Data, and Picard rode a dune buggy in Star Trek 10, you forgot about the final scene of this episode. The crew is filmed in a bright blue-tinted light while glowing aliens ingest blue streaks through holes in their foreheads!

Quotable Quotes

"I expect to make new friends – and then outlive them as well."
- Data, telling Geordi about his master plan

Riker: It’s just that our mental pathways have become accustomed to your sensory input patterns.
Data: I understand. I am fond of you too, Commander. And of you, Counselor.

"If we find Commander Data, it may be our fate to die with him, in the past. If our remains are in that cavern, they would have turned to dust long ago."
- Worf’s Glass-Is-Half-Empty revelation

"If you don’t go on this mission, we’ll never meet."
- Guinan’s cryptic message to Picard