LogFAQs > #926371604

Star Trek: The Next Generation - "The Inner Light"
Nominated by: Poke

In what I consider one of the quietest episodes of Next Generation, Picard's journey through another life always has given me mixed emotions. The ending of this episode is phenomenally powerful and moving. Words oftentimes can get in the way of a scene. Here, the power of silence and the use of shadows creates an intimate moment of vulnerability in Picard. In fact, from the beginning of the series, it's clear that when we receive these intimate moments, they are often the best ones. TNG created Picard as a mutt-mix of Gilbert and Sullivan's legacy as well as Master and Commander cast member. The result is a character that very often refuses to emote publicly. Our insights into tender moments of weakness therefore feel so powerful in comparison.

As for the episode's narrative and plot, it's not actually all that special. What IS special is the performance and the gimmick at the end. Much like a certain DS9 episode I watched, allowing characters to live out their lives and then return to where we left them is often a very liberating motif in science fiction. It gives characters wisdom in such a wonderful way. How exciting it would be to go back and relive your life with knowledge of everything you could do differently! This episode plays a bit of that up while focusing primarily on showing Picard's growing comfort in the wrong life. It's really quite moving in the end.

While this episode doesn't necessarily progress any relationships on the Enterprise or in the galaxy, it's often been cited as one of those amazing concept pieces that TNG did the best of any Star Trek series, and for that I have to tip my hat at the quality of what I've just witnessed once again for the umpteenth time.

Storytelling: 8/10
Characterization: 10/10
Scarlet Factor: 10/10
Overall Rating: 28/30
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"It is too easy being monsters. Let us try to be human." ~Victor Frankenstein, Penny Dreadful