Talk:The Inner Light (episode)

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Contents 1 Episode talk page 1.1 Maintenance links 2 Writer comments 3 Similarity to Superman? 4 Unsourced opinion 5 Removed comments 6 The Implications of 'The Inner Light'

[edit] Writer comments

These comments were recently posted by the author of this episode. Thought I'd post it here until I or someone else got a chance to harvest useful data.--StAkAr Karnak 19:23, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

Here are his comments, saved for antiquity, in case said blog goes offline:

As the writer of "Inner Light," I enjoyed reading yor comments. The journey form pitch to script was arduous -- I brought some version of this story to the producers seven times before it was even approved as a story in development. But what each incarnaton had in common was a "mental probe" of some sort that beamed experiences directly in to the recipient's head. Originally, it was a riff on the Fuji blimp -- a 30th century adverstising tool, which Picard and crew didn't realize at first. The tale grew in richness as the "blimp" became a probe whose purpose was to pass along the memory of this dead civilization.

As a huge Beatles fan, I thought it would be fun to name this episode after an obscure B-side track -- and (I thought this was obvious) "Inner Light" (I dropped the "the" for the screen title) captured the theme of the show: that Picard experienced a lifetime of memories all in his head.

Incidentally, I later pitched a sequel to this episode that I think fans would have liked to see. Remember, all the people in his inner light experience were really actors in this "video loop" sent out by the probe. What if, I posited, the Kataan civilization actually had a Plan B - a rudimentary space vehicle that could be launched - and what if Aline (Picard's "wife"), or, more acurately, the Kataan actress who played Aline, was selected to be maong those few survivors who would be sent off before the Supernova hit? And so, my episode-to-be went, the Enterprise encounters the Kataan ship - Aline is revived from suspended animation - and brought on board. To Picard, THIS WAS HIS WIFE! All his thoughts are 100% real - hence his ability to play that alien flute at the end of "Inner Light" (quick PS - the producers made fine sport of me for suggesting this bit and all had a good laugh; but somehow they decidced to give it a go and I've heard form fans who consider it one of th emost moving episodes in the series) -- so here he is with his long-gone wife - and she doesn't know him form a hole in the wall! Interesting dynamic, isn't it?

The producers again said no.

Welcome to showbiz.

- Morgan Gendel

[edit] Similarity to Superman?

I'm surprised the Trivia or References sections don't mention the similarities between this story and Jor-El being the only scientist on Krypton to try to save/preserve their world's memory. I don't know if it's the sort of info you'd want on there, so I thought I'd post it here in the Discussion area.

[edit] Unsourced opinion

Eline's constant reminders to Kamin to put away his shoes are a metaphor to that he is literally walking in another man's shoes. Her final words are "Remember, put away your shoes."

I'm taking this out, as it is an unsourced interpretation of the episode, not a fact. AndroidFan 18:38, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Removed comments

Removed the following comments:

By its own admission is not certain: * "Kamin" is German and Russian for "fireplace" and Swedish for "stove". Whether this has a deeper meaning or is just coincidence is not certain.

Unless connected to the ep somehow, incidental things shouldn't be in articles:* Incidentally, "Kataan" is Hebrew for "small" (קטן)

Nitpick: * In the final scene when Picard is inspecting the flute it is clearly visible that there is no hole for the air to blow through.

Not relevant to MA: * The term inner light is used by Douglas R. Hofstadter and Daniel C. Dennett in the introduction to their anthology The Mind's I (1981) to describe consciousness: "From the inside, consciousness seems to be an all-or-nothing phenomenon – an inner light that is either on or off."--31dot 22:18, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Removed the following comment, as we generally don't note similarities unless they were deliberate and there is proof of it.

• The idea of imparting a lifetime of memories in a short period of time was also used when Miles O'Brien was convicted of espionage by the Argrathi (DS9: "Hard Time").--31dot 00:07, 30 August 2008 (UTC)

[edit] The Implications of 'The Inner Light'

I've just been watching 'The Inner Light' again. It's a wonderful episode but there are a number of questions that come from it that mainly concern what the probe actually did and how real were Picard's experiences.

My basic understanding is this and I hope someone will either confirm or take issue with it. What happens is not a simulation. A beam is fired at Picard which transfers his mind into a being several hundred years in the past. The fact that this being looks like Picard is merely a dramatic device. But how could this civilization be able to create a device capable of doing something like that? If they did, it does seem a technological miracle.

Another question is the appearance of Picard's lost loved ones at the end. If this isn't a simulation it seems to me that there are two options. One that this is something artificial the probe was designed to do. But how is that possible? Placing the lack of technology to one side for a moment, then the only way these dead people could interact with Picard is that they don't and this part was simulated which would mean Picard's final encounter with his loved ones didn't really happen. Which doesn't seem to be what the episode wants us to think. The second possibility in my opinion would be that the probe has somehow established a link to these people as well and brought them here to have this conversation with Picard. I think the second works better within the episode.

So, what do you guys think? I only saw this episode for the first time this year so I don't know what the general feeling would be about this. Thanks.

– Bcoleridge 18:41, 1 November 2008 (UTC)

The device most definitely did not "transfer" his mind anywhere, not to the past. This probe essentially transfered memories into his brain, slightly adapted to his own experience. That pretty much answers the second question, too. --OuroborosCobra ^talk 19:00, 1 November 2008 (UTC)

The probe created something that was interactive, like a holodeck program, except entirely in Picard's consciousness. Someone's memories might have beeen part of it, but Picard was free to act as he would. And, whatever the probe's technology was, it accelerated Picard's experience - he "lived" 25 years in 25 minutes.

Like I said, transfered memories slightly adapted to his own experience. Possibly the same way as what was done to O'Brien in "Hard Time". --OuroborosCobra ^talk 22:14, 1 November 2008 (UTC)