The Mind's Eye (episode)

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Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)

"The Mind's Eye"
TNG, Episode 4x24 Production number: 40274-198 First aired: 27 May 1991
←	97th of 176 produced in TNG	→
←	97th of 176 released in TNG	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered
←	204th of 727 released in all	→

Teleplay By René Echevarria Story By Ken Schafer and René Echevarria Directed By David Livingston
44885.5 (2367)
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En route to Risa, Geordi La Forge is taken prisoner by a Romulan ship and mentally conditioned to assassinate a Klingon governor in order to implicate the Federation as enemies of the Empire and unbalance relations between the two governments.

[edit] Summary

"Captain's log, stardate 44891.6. The Enterprise has been ordered to accompany a special emissary from the Klingon High Council to the Kriosian system, where one of their colonies is fighting for independence."

While on his way to Risa for a cybernetics symposium and shore leave, Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge's shuttlecraft is captured by a Romulan warbird, and he is subjected to intense mental conditioning. While an impostor is sent to Risa to impersonate him, La Forge is fed several horrific images via his VISOR implants, and made to kill Chief Miles O'Brien in a holographic simulation.

At the same time, the USS Enterprise-D escorts Klingon Ambassador Kell to the Kriosian system, where a Klingon colony is fighting for its independence. The governor of Krios, Vagh, accuses the Federation of providing aid and weapons to the Klingon rebels. Captain Picard steadfastly denies the accusation, but Vagh produces weapons seized from the rebels which appear to have come from the Federation.

When La Forge returns, he has no memory of the Romulan abduction. After his return, however, Data notices that the ship's sensors are detecting sporadic E-band emissions. Data tries to pinpoint the source of the emissions, and also works with La Forge to analyze the weapons seized from the Klingon rebels. They detect subtle differences between the seized weapon and any Federation weapon, and upon further inspection, determine that the weapon had been charged with a terahertz power source, used by 327 known species. Eventually, they can determine that Romulan technology was adopted to charge the rifle.

Picard realizes that the Romulans are once again trying to destroy the alliance between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, which placates Vagh for a short time. Vagh takes the seized weapon for an inspection by Klingon technicians. However, he contacts Picard soon afterward and tells him that the Klingons have intercepted a transport of weapons intended for Krios which came from the Enterprise. An investigation ensues, and Data and La Forge determine that an unauthorized transport was sent from cargo bay 4, but the memory chips in the computer were erased to hide the offender's identity and the power was routed through the replicator pathways to attempt to conceal its origin.

As tensions between the Klingon colony and the Enterprise continue to mount, a Klingon attack cruiser and two Klingon Birds-of-Prey uncloak and surround the Enterprise, threatening to attack if the ship attempts to leave orbit. Ambassador Kell offers to beam down to Krios to force Vagh to come aboard the Enterprise to witness the ongoing investigation, in an attempt to convince him of the Federation's innocence. However, before Kell leaves, La Forge visits him in his quarters, where it is revealed that Kell is conspiring with the Romulans, and that Kell has been implanting commands within La Forge's mind, including the command to transport the weapons to the Klingon rebels. Kell instructs La Forge to murder Governor Vagh when he arrives from Krios and claim he acted on behalf of Starfleet in support of the colony's independence.

Kell's transmission to La Forge is detected by the Enterprise's sensors, and Data is able to trace it to Kell. Following a mounting trail of evidence, Data finds that the memory chips in La Forge's shuttlecraft have been replicated by Romulans, and that the hull has been subjected to stresses consistent with Romulan tractor beams. He orders Lt. Worf to take La Forge into custody immediately, which causes a commotion and stops the assassination of Vagh, but with only a moment to spare.

Vagh accuses the Federation of a murder plot, and asks Picard to explain, at which point Data intervenes and reveals that La Forge has been under Romulan control – through a process Data defines as "brainwashing," though he acknowledges that brainwashing is a questionable term. Data also reveals that the only two people who could have been relaying commands to La Forge were Picard and Kell. Kell refuses being searched for an E-band transmitter, stating that he is a representative of the Klingon High Council, and will not be searched by anyone on the Enterprise. Vagh tells Picard that he agrees with Kell, and says that the Klingons will search him. Kell requests asylum aboard the Enterprise, and Picard says that he will grant asylum only after Kell is absolved of the crime of which he is accused.

The episode ends with La Forge undergoing counseling with ship's counselor Deanna Troi, where he begins to realize that his memories of his trip to Risa are false. Troi promises to work with him to restore his memory, and she begins by asking La Forge what happened after he saw the Romulan ship – a question that leaves La Forge stumped, and worried as the full horror of the violation against him begins to sink in.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"List the resonances of the sub-quantum states associated with transitional relativity..."
"That's easy!"
"... in alphabetical order."

- The shuttlecraft computer and La Forge, while playing word games to pass the time

"Sequence 0-1-0. Maximum power to the shields. Kill the music."

- La Forge, upon seeing the Romulan Warbird.

"You are preparing to grant them independence?"
"Well, perhaps. Conquer them again later, if we wish."

- Captain Picard and Ambassador Kell

"Governor, you speak as if we were enemies, not allies."
"And you speak the lies of a tah-keck!"
"Vagh guy'cha b'aka!"
"Gentlemen!"
"You swear well, Picard. You must have Klingon blood in your veins."

- Picard, Governor Vagh, and Kell

"One could speculate that the E-band was being used as some form of covert communication."
"We need more than speculation, Mr. Data. We need to know who what where when and why."

- Data and Riker - Listen to this quote^file info

[edit] Background Information

"The Mind's Eye" was based upon the classic film, The Manchurian Candidate. Director David Livingston, a fan of the film, unsuccessfully attempted to get an actor from the film to appear as an extra on this episode. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) Instead, Livingston introduced a homage shot in the scene where a brain-washed Geordi kills a holodeck version of O'Brien. (Trek: The Unauthorized Behind-The-Scenes Story of The Next Generation)
Although remaining unseen here, Kriosians appear in the Season Five episode "The Perfect Mate" and the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Precious Cargo".
Larry Dobkin, who plays Klingon Ambassador Kell, directed the Original Series episode "Charlie X".
Ambassador Kell wears the same sash that the Klingon ambassador wore in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
The Romulan and Klingon transporter effects of the 24th century are seen for the first time in this episode.
Sela is played by an extra in this episode; Denise Crosby only provided the voice, and went uncredited.
This is the second appearance of the tactical laboratory after "The Emissary", though it looks completely different here.
Krios in this episode looks different from Krios as seen in "The Perfect Mate". Here, Krios is blue; in the latter episode it is green.
The map of the region surrounding Krios that Worf and Kell look at in the tactical lab was later slightly modified and re-used as a map of the Typhon Expanse.
The matte painting used for the surface of Krios is a re-use of the painting originally created for "Angel One". The painting was extensively "Klingonified" for this appearance.
The footage of the three Klingon warships was re-used footage from the Season 4 episode "Reunion".
The large shuttlebay set doubles as shuttlebay 2 and cargo bay 4 in this episode.
The master systems display in main engineering is seen in several close-ups. All inside gags (the hamster wheel, the duck, Nomad, a Porsche) were removed, however.
This is the first episode to be directed by David Livingston.

[edit] Video and DVD releases

Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 49, 8 June 1992.
As part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek: The Next Generation - 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition, under the "La Forge" section, 29 September 1997.
UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 4.8, 1 October 2001.
As part of the TNG Season 4 DVD collection.

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Guest Stars

Previous episode:
"The Host"

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 4

Next episode:
"In Theory"

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The Mind's Eye (episode)

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

Contents

[edit] Summary

[edit] Memorable Quotes

[edit] Background Information

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Guest Stars

[edit] Co-Star

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

[edit] Stunt double

[edit] References

[edit] Other references