LogFAQs > #970193584

It was an assignment day (went alright, for the most part) and I'm mildly sleep deprived, so, this is far later and possibly far more rambly than usual.

Episode 13: Time Squared

Time travel episodes are usually fun and this was no exception.

Stewart is afforded a greater opportunity than usual to stretch his acting chops. Plays Picard as a man haunted by the sight of his other self brilliantly. The little unsmile he gives when he asks for Troi's comments betrays that he is racked with doubt, even before time travel is given as an explanation. His anxiety only grows worse as he learns more about the situation and finds it increasingly harder to recognise his other self as him.

Stewart's contortions and twitches does amazing work at showing the confusion and agony the other Picard is going through. Even when he's recovered, there still remains a distracted air about him.

Riker likes to cook and we learn that he was raised by a single father who may not have been the best parent ever. Quite defensive over the reaction to his food. Fairly gentle with suggesting that maybe Picard needs to reign his natural instincts in.

La Forge finds the food dubious even before he starts eating. Very perplexed and annoyed at the counter intuitive way of powering the shuttle.

Worf can't get enough of eggs. Can't believe for a second that Picard would ever abandon ship, so, he gets points for faith.

Troi is visibly agitated when they discover that the Enterprise will be destroyed. I think she oversells other Picard's emotional state a little bit. Doesn't fully believe her own defence of Picard's mental state, judging from the inability to look Pulaski in the eye.

Data finds the whole experience of cooking distasteful. Spiner's expressions are great, especially when he's exploring the shuttle.

Wesley is already a square, so, this may have been a wise miss.

Pulaski likes booze, which tracks, honestly. Bit concerned about Picard's cavalier treatment of his other self. Does a good job at arguing her point with Troi.

O'Brien puts in an obligatory appearance.

Still loving the drama free cold opens. Great way to explore characters who otherwise would have little to do all episode. The score works wonders in selling just how haunting the very presence of future Picard is. That it mostly only chimes in when our Picard is consciously thinking of his other self is tremendous. Once again, they use visual and audio artefacting to develop the horror of the logs. The vortex is beautiful. Reminds me of the Janus vortices from Shattered Universe.

It's difficult to talk about the themes without bringing up the production fact that Q was supposed to be behind all this. It seems like this would've been Encounter at Farpoint Q, where the aim is to antagonise for the sake of teaching a lesson. And it seems like the lesson is to consider other thought processes. La Forge and Data set this up with the blatantly impossible (in universe) manner of setting up the shuttlecraft, but it's Picard who really needs to learn it. Riker outright explains to him that he needs to curb his natural instincts and not run on automatic. Because, even with the foreknowledge that some seemingly correct decision, isn't, Picard nevertheless goes through the typical motions upon encountering the vortex and gets zapped for his trouble. He's singled out because the vortex is intelligent and is specifically trying to teach him that seeing the universe through a myopic view (where, somewhat, ironically, every problem is of a universal type with a universal set of solutions) ultimately leads to an endless repetition of the same motions through life, even if you are apparently exploring.

Its only after he makes the counter intuitive decision to plunge into the heart of the beast (a solution he automatically dismissed as obviously wrong) that the day is saved. Other Picard can't learn this lesson. Even when he's looked at his failure in the face, he plugs on in a confused stupor, unable to fully see the world around him and insisting he needs to leave the Enterprise to save it. Specific details (like whether it's Riker or another Picard who sees him off) may change, but he will always be doing the same thing endlessly. Even if the vortex never emerged, this Picard would still see the universe through the same view and be the same man, forever. And it's why he needs to die by our Picard's hands. The only way forward is to kill your own past self before he becomes a permanent, repetitive future and, so, actually change. Job finished, vortex/Q buggers off. Even though he succeeds, its not perfectly happy, though. The price of becoming someone new is having to confront who you really are right now and Picard is having difficulty accepting just how limited he used to be.

Maybe it's just in comparison to the previous confusions, but I actually found this to be pretty great.

The Icarus Factor, tomorrow.