Schisms
- Episode aired Oct 17, 1992
- TV-PG
- 45m
Commander Riker's inability to fall asleep begins to show in other members of the crew in other forms, putting the Enterprise on the trail of a mystery.Commander Riker's inability to fall asleep begins to show in other members of the crew in other forms, putting the Enterprise on the trail of a mystery.Commander Riker's inability to fall asleep begins to show in other members of the crew in other forms, putting the Enterprise on the trail of a mystery.
- Lt. Shipley
- (as Scott T. Trost)
- Starfleet Ensign
- (uncredited)
- Crewman Martinez
- (uncredited)
- Lt. Hagler
- (uncredited)
- Ensign Kellogg
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe poem "Ode to Spot" later appeared in A Fistful of Datas (1992).
- GoofsConsidering an emergency has been called in, the cargo bay security and medical teams weren't exactly rushing to the scene.
- Quotes
Lt. Cmdr. Data: Throughout the ages, from Keats to Jorkemo, poets have composed odes to individuals who have had a profound effect upon their lives. In keeping with that tradition, I have written my next poem in honour of my cat. I call it "Ode to Spot":
Lt. Cmdr. Data: Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature, / An endothermic quadruped, carnivorous by nature. / Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses / Contribute to your hunting skills and natural defenses.
Lt. Cmdr. Data: I find myself intrigued by your sub-vocal oscillations, / A singular development of cat communications / That obviates your basic hedonistic predilection / For rhythmic stroking of your fur to demonstrate affection.
Lt. Cmdr. Data: A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents, / You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance. / And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion, / It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.
Lt. Cmdr. Data: O Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display / Connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array. / And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend, / I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.
- ConnectionsFeatured in TrekCulture: 10 Scariest Star Trek Episodes Ever (2020)
- SoundtracksStar Trek: The Next Generation Main Title
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage
This is a reasonably good episode that starts strongly, developing some decent intrigue, but for me when all is revealed it runs out of steam. It also is very heavy on technobabble dialogue which is clever, but not particularly cinematic.
The plot works whilst the mystery is being developed in the first half of the story. I like how everything is pieced together from bits of information revealed by different characters.
For me the holodeck sequence is the high point of the episode and there is great use of both the setting and characters.
Personally I found the final act to be a bit of an anticlimax and not nearly as tense as it tries to be. I won't mention details not to spoil, but at that point I was willing it to end.
Visually it is fairly atmospheric, with some great props and interesting set designs, but I would not describe it as having most memorable alien effects of TNG.
All actors give solid performance, particularly Jonathan Frakes who's character Riker has a large part of the episode's focus.
- snoozejonc
- Nov 8, 2021
Details
- Runtime45 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1