Gambit, Part II (episode)edit this page

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Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)
"Gambit, Part II"
TNG, Episode 7x05
Production number: 40277-257
First aired: 16 October 1993
← 156th of 176 produced in TNG →
← 156th of 176 released in TNG →
  {{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered  
← 286th of 727 released in all →
Teleplay By
Ronald D. Moore

Story By
Naren Shankar

Directed By
Alexander Singer
47160.1 (2370)
← Arc: Gambit (2 of 2)  
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  Arc: {{{wsArc2Desc}}} ({{{nArc2PartNumber}}} of {{{nArc2PartCount}}})  
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Picard and Riker try to find out what the pirates want while the Enterprise pursues them.

Contents

[edit] Summary

The USS Enterprise-D is hit with a barrage of fire from the mercenary vessel where Riker is being held prisoner. The Enterprise fires back, forcing the mercenary ship to withdraw. Data orders the crew to let the ship go, assuming that this is what Riker wants. Later, on the mercenary ship, Riker and Picard stage a heated argument. Their acrimonious relationship arouses Tallera's suspicions, and she later interrogates Picard. Her questions stop when Picard's tests reveal that they have found one of the artifacts they are looking for. They immediately notify Baran, who is being fooled by Riker's portrayal of a less-than-ideal Starfleet officer. Baran says he might like to continue to work with Riker, and tells him to kill Picard.

Alone with Picard in his quarters, Riker fills him in on Baran's plan, including the fact that he is supposed to kill Picard after the authenticity of the final artifact is confirmed. Riker reveals that they are headed to the Hyralan sector to pick up the artifact, which will be Romulan in origin, from a Klingon transport ship. Picard, however, states that the artifacts are actually all Vulcan in origin. Tallera bursts in and pulls a phaser on Picard, demanding to be told his true identity. Tallera reveals that she is a Vulcan intelligence officer on a mission of her own. The artifacts being sought are fragments of the mythical Stone of Gol, a powerful weapon she believes is being sought by a Vulcan isolationist group. She explains that the stone is a psionic resonator, a device that focuses and amplifies telepathic energy. If the stone were reassembled and used by a trained telepath, the weapon could eliminate the entire Vulcan council with a single thought.

Meanwhile, in the Hyralan sector, the Enterprise is surprised to encounter a Klingon ship. Suspicious, Data commands the right to inspect the vessel. When the mercenaries learn what has happened, Baran orders Riker and Picard to invade the Enterprise and retrieve the artifact, then secretly tells Riker that he expects him to kill Picard after the raid.

Picard, Riker, and Narik materialize onto the Enterprise and look for Koral, the Klingon pilot who possesses the artifact. Once Picard identifies it as the item they are seeking, Riker pulls a phaser on him. However, Picard is faster and instead shoots Riker, apparently killing him. Picard and Narik then return to the mercenary ship, and Riker, who was really only stunned, regains consciousness and explains the situation to the Enterprise crew. Back on the mercenary ship, Picard attempts to lead a mutiny, but Baran reaches for the control device connected to the patch in Picard's neck and activates the device, killing himself instead of Picard. Picard then explains that he switched the transponder codes. Next he orders the crew to deliver the artifacts as planned.

On the Enterprise, Riker notifies Vulcan security that their operative is on her way, and learns that the Vulcans have no one stationed on any mercenary ship. Meanwhile, Picard realizes that Tallera is hiding two resonator pieces. Picard stops her as she prepares to go, ordering her to leave one piece behind. They find the third resonator piece in a cave, where Tallera uses the now-completed device to kill Narik and Vekor. She turns on Picard just as Riker, Worf, and two security guards materialize in the cave. Picard orders them to drop their weapons and to clear their minds of aggressive thoughts, realizing from the images on the resonator that it can be stopped with peace. The plan works, and Tallera drops the now-useless weapon. She is taken into custody, and the resonator is given to the Vulcans, and they assure Picard that they will destroy all three fragments.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"Mr. Worf, I am sorry if I have ended our friendship."
"Sir, it is I who has jeopardized our friendship, not you. If you will overlook this incident, I would like to continue to consider you my friend."
"I would like that as well."
"Thank you, sir."

- Data and Worf, after Data reprimands Worf in the captain's ready room


"Will, you always seem to be after my job."

- Picard, to Riker


"Don't worry, he's only stunned."
"I must admit, I am experiencing a similar sensation."

- Troi and Data, after Riker was shot at


"I am not certain that using this clause as an excuse to conduct a search would be consistent with the spirit of the Treaty. However, if Koral wishes to contest our actions, he can file a protest with the Judge Advocate General's Office. Bring the shuttle aboard."

- Data deciding to use a "health and safety inspection" in the search for the Stone of Gol.

[edit] Background Information

[edit] Story and production

  • Ronald D. Moore commented, "I felt we ran out of story in 'Part II'. There were places where I was treading water. We had to find the lost ark and I didn't know what the lost ark was. Instead, we had a device from ancient Vulcan myth that had mythic properties that you explain are telepathic focusing properties. I was trying really hard to make this thing work and in the end, I just said, 'All right, maybe we should just go for it and make this a classic Gene [Roddenberry] kind of message and go for "think happy thoughts" and make it something which tied into the backstory of Vulcan and of Surak and peace.' I thought it would fit in nicely. I'm not sure if it did. It might have just fallen in on its own gooeyness." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)
  • In early drafts of the script the psionic resonator was much more powerful, capable of killing millions of people at a time. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
  • NBA star James Worthy's appearance as Koral came about due to a chance meeting with Robert O'Reilly on an airplane. Worthy admitted his desire to appear on the show. At O'Reilly's urging, Worthy met with Rick Berman and Michael Piller, who in turn asked Jeri Taylor for suitable cameo roles. This timed perfectly with the need for filler elements in this episode, and thus Koral was created. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
  • Naren Shankar based the Vulcan subplot here on Spock's admission in TOS: "Journey to Babel" that a Vulcan could kill for a logical reason. He decided to take a different tone for the Vulcans: "We went for people who very logically felt that Vulcan's problems were linked to contamination by illogical people, so in a logical sense you say 'Get rid of them'...a very logical way to arrive at racism." (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
  • Initially the Vulcan god of death was bald, until Rick Berman ordered hair to be etched on to avoid resemblance to Patrick Stewart in close-ups. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
  • Ronald B. Moore, effects supervisor, is incorrectly credited with an initial "D" in the end credits, which confuses him with writer and producer Ronald D. Moore.

[edit] Continuity

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Main Cast

[edit] Guest Stars

[edit] Co-Star

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

[edit] Stunt doubles and stand-ins

[edit] References

Baran's mercenary vessel; bloodwine; health and safety inspection; Hyralan sector; mythology; psionic resonator; symbology; Toron-class; T'Karath Sanctuary


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"Gambit, Part I" 		Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 7 		Next episode:
"Phantasms"
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