We're back everybody, with another look at a Trek episode! We've been looking at some pretty goofy ones lately (Abe Lincoln in space, 1940s casino cliche land) so it seems a good time to veer in a different direction. Also: here be spoilers. Always forget to add that with these.
The Nth Degree is a Season 4 episode of Next Generation that sees the return of beloved guest character Reg Barclay. Apparently bringing Barclay back was something that took the writers a while: they loved the character but didn't want to tell the same story as they had with Hollow Pursuits.
What really makes Barclay work as a character (and likewise this story focused around him) is how he comes across as a real, believable person. Our main characters, while certainly with their own little blemishes, really can seem like Starfleet Superheroes... like they're the Space Avengers or something. Whereas Barclay with his extreme social phobias, nervous quirks and general discomfort makes him relatably human, and guest actor Dwight Schultz nails the visible awkwardness of the role.
What also works for Nth Degree is how genuinely funny it is. Despite not being a straight up comedy or farce (like Fistful of Datas) the show sprinkles in these delightful little moments throughout, such as Barclay's cringeworthy acting as Cyrano in the opening scene (Dr. Crusher's desire to run a theatre on the ship always struck me as odd, though Barclay as Cyrano is an effective literary parallel). By contrast, another scene you get is the then enhanced Barclay attempting to smoothly pick up Troi in Ten Forward, with Riker later asking her if it worked... which she smirks at and walks off. It's these little interactions and moments that feel so natural which give really good Trek episodes so much to them.
This story itself takes some inspiration from classic sci-fi tales, "Flowers For Algernon" jumps to mind, as it follows a man (Barclay) suddenly given super intelligence and abilities... exploring what that means both for himself and for the ship on which he serves. Unlike say a tragic monster character who's new abilities lead them to evil, Barclay's biggest crime becomes smug confidence, which thankfully isn't overplayed or used as some kind of cheap lesson in the end. Barclay is now the smartest person onboard but doesn't lord the fact over anybody, at first his instincts and intentions are still to want to help the ship from his same standing.
What frustrates him is how the tools to do so have become inadequate to his advanced state, which leads to his solution of merging his mind with the Enterprise computer. I remember this reveal freaking me out when I was younger, seeing this spooky blue light with these laser beams darting upon Barclay's head... his voice calmly explaining what has happened while his face just looks on without expression... seems something out of a classic horror movie. Once Barclay begins a dangerous experiment with the ship, the tragic monster plot appears to be where we're heading. You know the one: the crew comes up with a crazy solution just in the nick of time and somehow everything is back to normal. Instead, perhaps surprisingly, the crew actually fails to stop Super Barclay.
Fortunately for everyone, the experiment works and launches the ship into the middle of the galaxy, where an alien race appears (as a giant head on the bridge! Classic) to explain the reason for all the weirdness: they're driven explorers who never leave their own solar system and so bring other species to their world, learning about the universe that way. Kind of a lazy way of doing things but interesting nonetheless, just maybe don't try that with the Klingons or the Borg eh?
Barclay also appears on the bridge to help explain, now disconnected from the computer and his regular human smarts restored. They do hit the reset button on this story pretty quickly, which is its only weakness. It would've been nice to learn a bit more about these aliens beyond just one scene, or why this "travel across the galaxy instantly" propulsion technique could only be used this episode. Otherwise, hey USS Voyager! Stranded in the Delta Quadrant? Just travel to the middle of the galaxy and find these goofy aliens! Watch out for the Evil God from Star Trek V!.
It never feels like a high stakes episode, yet there are multiple moments with genuine urgency and tension. Nth Degree mixes good character scenes, humour, sci-fi horror elements and just a terrific performance by the guest star. Schultz's Barclay convincingly evolves through this episode from the nervous wreck we know... into a man given an intellectual gift he is slowly realizing... into a factual supercomputer attempting to happily explain how he's doing what's best for everyone. It never seems like he isn't himself or possessed by some other consciousness, rather that he is a different version of who he is. His comment in the final scene of feeling "smaller, much smaller" now that he's back to normal sums up the experience with understated self-reflection, telling you everything you need to know. It's a stellar episode, finishing strong on that closing bit of Barclay and Troi walking by a chess table and him making a brilliant move to win a stranger's game. "I didn't know you played chess?" "I don't!" Just great stuff. Warp 8 all the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment