LogFAQs > #970684234

Episode 12: The High Ground

Eek, a terrorism episode. Reminded me far too much of Law and Order and similar shows.

Picard's relationship with Wesley has softened considerably. It's great that he admits that, while he broadly understands the political situation, he frankly doesn't care about it. I'm not sure about his tackling of Finn. I can't tell if it's the camera or my inability to accept Stewart doing something like that, but it doesn't look right.

I appreciate that Riker rapidly loses his patience with the police state's antics. He doesn't seem as empathetic to Devos's story as he has been to other characters. Facial expressions seem significantly blanker. Maybe Frakes didn't care or maybe I'm over thinking it.

La Forge gets up to some quick thinking and takes a dive that's about as graceful as Picard's tackling.

I'm liking that Worf is more vocally concerned about his friends these days. Apart from that, he gets shot, but it doesn't really matter.

This is supposedly a Crusher episode and she does about as well as Troi, which is to say, quite poorly. She suffers through the standard kidnapping plot, including developing far too much sympathy, bordering on the romantic, for the villain and even tries to confess her love for Picard. The actual plot may be shit, but McFadden's acting is pretty sound for such a deliberately nothing part. Her initial refusal to engage with Finn is accompanied with a fantastically contemptuous look she gives him and her exasperation with all the nonsense around her is similarly great.

Troi, presumably, does some counselling work with Wesley, but she doesn't have much. I'm not exactly surprised.

Data offers an interesting question on the efficacy of terrorism tactics which does lead to a standout scene where Picard practically admits that neither he nor the episode is particularly qualified to make any kind of statement on the issue.

Wesley shows some concern for his mum. I don't know, maybe it's a similar situation with Riker, but some actors don't seem to give much of a shit here. Or the fact that I didn't like the episode is making me a bit sour on individual aspects. In any event, he's harmless.

Finn and Devos (for that is, apparently, her name. Don't remember it being explicitly stated, but perhaps I had already partially zoned out) are pretty standard clichs for their character type at best and outright unlikeable at worst. Devos fairs better, but only because I think more of an attempt was made to make her sympathetic through her tragic waffling. Doesn't quite succeed, but I recognise the effort. Finn's introduction alone, with the standard, overly affable "you hungry?" routine gave me a clue that this probably wasn't going to be the best story. Drawing pictures of his prisoner makes him a bit of a creep. He's gets to make some halfway decent points, but they are, again, very much in standard mode.

They do a decent job of making the police state seem appropriately fascistic. What they fail on is making anyone care about the conflict between the factions. There's token mention of a desire for independence, but it's done in the most abstract way that it ultimately becomes a meaningless motive. Would actually benefit from a bit more worldbuilding. I actually like the effect of the dimension shifting, with the brief eruption of light. The little boy (completely missed the name, if he even has one) is the most transparent of sympathy baiting. I did like, though in a more bemused than genuine sense, how, after Finn died, everyone is framed in shadow to highlight the severity. It's not technically bad directing, but alongside everything else, it comes off as very heavy handed. Finn's plan to directly involve the Federation was actually kind of interesting.

Apparently, the episode was initially about the American revolution, before being rewritten to resemble the Troubles in Ireland. This could potentially have been an interesting, if controversial, bit of social commentary, although I'm not sure I'd trust an American production to do well on issues an ocean away. Its a moot point, anyway, since, apart from a bit of standard criticism on violence and the like, we have a very important episode that manages to say absolutely nothing of value. Having Data, and, to a lesser extent, Finn, flag up the sometimes complicated morality of terrorism is good, but they sidestep the issue as soon as they possibly can. It is kind of typical, though, that the characters default to helping the powers that be. If we had the necessary worldbuilding to allow this planet to actually resemble a society at all, let alone the fractured Irish one, it could have been halfway decent. As it is, I'm typing about a complete void.

Some good acting from McFadden, but it's practically vacant as an episode and has, what i assume is, an unintentionally unlikeable guest cast.

I take it "Q" has become the (annoyed grunt) of episode titles. Let's try to avoid a repeat of this in Deja Q.