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The Game (episode)

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"The Game"
TNG, Episode 5x06
Production number: 40275-206
First aired: 28 October 1991
← 105th of 176 produced in TNG →
← 105th of 176 released in TNG →
  {{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered  
← 212th of 727 released in all →
Teleplay By
Brannon Braga

Story By
Susan Sackett & Fred Bronson and Brannon Braga

Directed By
Corey Allen
45208.2 (2368)
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Wesley Crusher visits the Enterprise only to see everyone behaving strangely on account of an addictive, mind-controlling game.

Contents

[edit] Summary

[edit] Teaser

Commander Riker is on shore leave on Risa, where he's been spending time with a Ktarian woman named Etana Jol. She teases him by taking his combadge, and then, to his disbelief, throws it out a window. She introduces to him a game involving a device that fits over the ears and projects signals into the eyes. This creates in the wearer's field of vision an image of discs going into funnels. When a disk goes into one of said funnels, the player is "rewarded" by receiving pleasure signals from the device. Etana says that the game can go as far as the player will take it, and Riker decides to continue playing.

[edit] Act One

Captain's Log: Stardate 45208.2. Commander Riker has rejoined the Enterprise from Risa, and we are on our way to an uncharted area known as the Phoenix Cluster. We're all anticipating this historic first look at the region.

Riker enters the bridge and notices that things are starting to get busy around the Enterprise. He says that five new science teams have just beamed in from the Zhukov with quarters filling fast. Captain Picard adds that on top of everything else, they only have two weeks to complete the exploration -- something that Riker doesn't like, as he thought they had five weeks. This is due to the recent addition of a diplomatic mission to Oceanis IV to the agenda. Picard tasks Riker to ensure that all the science teams have an equal chance to complete their research, which would be a tough juggling act, says Riker. Picard also tells the first officer that they also have a scheduled rendezvous with a shuttle carrying Wesley Crusher, who is vacationing from the Academy and could provide some much-needed extra help.

In Engineering, Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge is up to his neck in observation schedules, and explains to Riker the biggest hurdle would be sensor availability, a task made more difficult since two new exobiologists and three stellar cartographers transferred from the Zhukov. Getting down to business of availability, La Forge tells Riker that the lateral sensors are booked solid for planetary observation, and the Gamma ray scanner are being reprogrammed by Ensign Robin Lefler. La Forge compliments her work in engineering, remarking that she's the specialist for this mission. Lefler explains to Riker that they're increasing the available bandwidth of the sensors so more science teams can use the sensors at once. This is done by multiplexing the array, and Lefler assures the first officer that it will be done before they arrive. Riker tells Geordi that he's brought something back from Risa that he has to try. La Forge reluctantly takes a pass as he is running a full sensor recalibration in ten minutes, but promises to see Riker about it later.

In Ten Forward, Riker eyes Deanna Troi, who is enjoying a large chocolate sundae. Jokingly, he asks if she's depressed, to which Troi replies, "I'm fine, commander." She offers him a spoonful, but he politely declines, saying he doesn't like fudge. Troi smiles and tells Riker she never met a chocolate she didn't like. Getting technical, she divulges into the experience by explaining the best way to eat it and enjoy it, a detailed ritual which amuses Riker. He then tells her about the game he brought back from Risa, which he promises would be "better than chocolate".

[edit] Act Two

With the Enterprise and an Oberth class starship parked, Wesley is transported and is greeted by Chief O'Brien, who congratulates Miles on his daughter, Molly. He says that she's a spitting image of her father. Miles informs Wesley that the senior officers are in a meeting, and that Wesley can go to his mother's quarters. At Wesley's request, Miles hails the bridge and confirms that it's alright for Wesley to drop into the observation lounge to say hello.

A darkened room awaits Wesley, who looks around in confusion. The lights go on and Doctor Beverly Crusher greets her son with a big hug, followed by Picard. He speaks to him in Latin and Wesley responds back; Picard credits that his Latin has improved. Troi compliments the uniform as he is looking handsome, and Geordi says the uniform "drives the girls wild"". Worf offers him a Travokian pound cake which he made himself. Data then asks if their attempts to make him uncomfortable were effective. Wesley admits they were, having wondered if he was on the wrong ship. Riker asks Wesley to assist the crew with the Phoenix Cluster survey. La Forge wants him to settle first and them to see him in engineering to get started. Beverly then asks Troi about the game, and she invites the doctor to come by her quarters to check it out.

Wesley and Data talk about his time at the Academy, which Wesley found surprisingly challenging, as there's much more to know than starship operations. Data recounts his early days at the Academy, during which his lack of human understanding put him at a social disadvantage. One example was practical jokes, of which the android was a victim of several. Wesley completely understands and shares a practical joke that was played on him by fellow cadet Adam Martoni. Another obstacle was the Academy's annual Sadie Hawkins Dance. It was an awkward experience for both. Wesley admits he's not a dancer, and Data shares that he personally learned to dance thanks to Beverly, a talented former dancer. He offers to share what he learned with Wesley.

Getting right to work, Wesley begins to modify the planetary scans while keeping the datalines open for the stellar physicist. Seeing that he's having difficulties with the sensors, Lefler walks over and gives him a hand. They introduce themselves, but before they can chat, Lefler points out that Wesley's neutrinos are drifting, leaving Wesley scrambling to get back to work.

Conflicts arise between the stellar physicists and the planetary evolution team, with both of them wanting to be the first to use the thermal imaging array, Data reports. La Forge suggests they flip a coin, as they won't be able to finish the mission without working together. Data then is called away to sickbay by Beverly, who needs assistance. As he enters, she is working on an experiment using bio-active silica and needs her tricorder modified to a certain specification. Data agrees to help, but as he works on the tricorder, Beverly shuts him off. Troi and Riker enter sickbay and carry him to a bio-bed, and secure the doors to sickbay. Beverly begins to work on the android.

[edit] Act Three

Enjoying some tea with Picard, Wesley details his instructors at the academy: Nevakiovch for anthropology, Horn for creative writing. Picard is pleased to hear that Wesley met Boothby his first week. When asked how he was doing, and mused that Boothby may have told Wesley some stories about Picard in his academy days, Wesley admits Boothby didn't remember Picard until he saw an old yearbook picture. Boothby was very proud that Picard had become captain of the Enterprise, and showed Wesley a grand tour of the gardens - the very same tour Picard got when he was at the Academy. Wesley asked about the initials "A.F." that Boothby caught Picard carving in his prized elm tree, which Picard admits was an old acquaintance of his. His preoccupation with her cost him a passing grade in organic chemistry. Picard advises Wesley that whenever he meets someone whose initials he would carve in that elm tree, it should not interfere with his studies. Picard is then summoned to sickbay by Beverly.

Beverly explains to the captain that Data was complaining about a servo malfunction, and although her scans came up negative, he collapsed. La Forge determines that his higher signals are intact, but none of them are entering the rest of his body through his positronic brain, almost like a comatose state. Picard wants to be kept up-to-date on the situation.

In his quarters, Riker and La Forge end up with a dead end with no evidence to support a shutdown. The personal, diagnostic, and duty logs all show normal and a standard security sweeps shows nothing out of the ordinary. Riker assures the troubled La Forge that Dr. Crusher has everything taken care of, and suggests that La Forge takes a break to unwind. La Forge agrees, which opens the opportunity for Riker to introduce him to the game.

Still working on the sensors, Lefler's shares with Wesley her view of conduit configuration quoting her personal Law #36: You have to go with what works. The laws are her personal rules: whenever she learns something new, she makes a law so as not to forget it. To date, she has 102 laws. She credits Wesley's reputation for being good. Wesley realizes that Lefler knows more about him than he realizes. She admits she's heard about him from a few friends at the Academy. She also wants to know about the revenge prank he played on Adam Martoni. Wesley mentions there is another side to the story, and then Lefler inquires about his birthmark. Wesley complains he is at a disadvantage, as he hardly knows Lefler. While he needs to work on the sensor relays, he offers a chance to even the score. He invites her to meet him for coffee, but she counters with a dinner proposal, which he accepts.

Captain's Log, supplemental: We have arrived at the Phoenix Cluster, but it will take us several hours to determine the best possible location for which to conduct our survey. Commander Data's condition remains unchanged with no further indication to the cause of his collapse.

Beverly clears a challenging level of the game, but is interrupted by Wesley, who inquires about it. Embarrassed, she concedes that the game was meant for him, but couldn't resist trying it out. When offered a chance to try it, Wesley passes and instead asks about Data. She says La Forge has everything under control, and stops Wesley from going to help out, reminding him he's on vacation. Running late for his date with Lefler, Wesley promises his mother he will have time to spend together while he's on board. She then becomes adamant for her son to try one round of the game, but he insists he needs to get ready for his date. She tells Wesley to have a good time and sets the game down on a table.

Lefler begins to talk about her life in Starfleet; her childhood involved frequent moving, as her parents were highly in-demand as specialists. As a child, she enjoyed playing with a tricorder, as Wesley did with a warp coil. She concedes her parents didn't have much time to spend with her, even when she needed them, which prompted her to make her first law: you can only count on yourself. They begin to discuss the game. Lefler says all the engineers are going crazy over it. They glance over at crewman playing the game in a trance-like state. Lefler dismisses it as a fad, but Wesley wants to find out more before playing it. They team up to look into it, and as they leave Ten Forward, another crewman in a command red uniform begins playing.

The two begin to study the game, and what it does to the brain. The highest concentration of activity is the pleasure side of the brain, a key component in the game: it's addictive. Another unusual reading came from the pre-frontal cortex, which handles reasoning. Wesley concludes he needs to inform the captain about this discovery.

Wesley explains to Picard what he and Lefler discovered, having concluded it is psychotropically addictive. Picard is even further concerned when he learns the game affects the brain's reasoning center. Picard takes action and starts an investigation immediately, and thanks him for bringing it to his attention, mentioning how good it is to have him back. As Wesley leaves, he turns around, picks up the game he had hidden when Wesley arrived, and resumes playing.

[edit] Act Four

Wesley and Robin investigate the device in sickbay, and determine that it has a psychotropically addictive side effect, and that it stimulates increased serotonin production. Most worryingly, it also affects the brain's higher reasoning area. They also investigate Data's mysterious "malfunction", and determine that someone has severed a connection between his positronic brain and the rest of his body.

They deduce that he has been deactivated to be kept out of the way so that the game could be spread throughout the rest of the susceptible crew. To be safe, they create artificial game devices so that they will appear to have been affected as well.

After ensuring the entire crew has played the game, Captain Picard signals Etana's ship that they are prepared to distribute the device to other starships in the sector.

[edit] Act Five

After communicating with Etana, the bridge crew discover that Robin and Wesley have been deceiving them, and attempt to trap Wesley. He eludes them for a while, but is eventually captured and brought to the bridge where he is forced to use the game device.

At that moment, Data appears from the turbolift and flashes a palm beacon to disrupt the mind-controlling effects of the game. After the rest of the crew are subjected to the flashes, Worf locks onto Etana's ship with a tractor beam. After making it clear to Etana that she cannot escape, the Enterprise takes her to Starbase 82 to let Starfleet deal with her and her crew.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"Would you like me to leave the two of you alone?"

- Riker to Troi and her chocolate sundae


"I never met a chocolate I didn't like."

- Troi


"Your neutrinos are drifting."

- Robin Lefler to Wesley, who is a bit slow in disengaging a handshake with her


"Each wishes to be the first to use the thermal imaging array."
"Well, tell 'em to flip a coin. We've got to work together on this mission otherwise we're never gonna get it done."
"A coin. Very good. I will replicate one immediately."

- Data and Geordi

[edit] Background

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Starring

[edit] Also Starring

[edit] Guest Stars

And

[edit] Co-Stars

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

[edit] References

A.F.; anthropology; antimatter regulator; bioactive silicon; Boothby; brain; cadet; cherry; chili sauce; chocolate; chocolate chips; chocolate fudge; chocolate ice cream; Cleon system; Cochrane, USS; coffee; coin; coma; cortex processor; Creative Writing; dance; The Dancing Doctor; elm; Endeavour, USS; engineering laboratory; exobiology; frontal lobe; gamma ray scanner; horga'hn; Horne, Walter; ice cream; internal sensors; Jefferies tube; Ktarians; Ktarian starship; Ktarian game; lateral sensor; Latin; Lefler's Laws; Martoni, Adam; Merrimack, USS; mud; neurological behavior program; neuroreceptor; neutrino; Novakovich; O'Brien, Molly; Oberth-class; Oceanus IV; Organic Chemistry; palm beacon; Phoenix Cluster; physics lab; planetary evolution; plasma specialist; positronic brain; positronic link; power cell; practical joke; prefrontal cortex; psychotropic drug; reticular formation; Risa; Sadie Hawkins Dance; security alert; sensor array; septal area; serotonin; servo; shuttle; site-to-site transport; sonic shower; specialist; Spot; Starbase 67; Starbase 82; Starfleet Academy; stellar cartography; stellar physics; stellar physicist; synapse; Tarvokian pound cake; tea; thermal imaging array; three-dimensional chess; tricorder; warp coil; Zhukov, USS


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