123. Too Short a SeasonFORMULA: The Counter-Clock Incident + The Doomsday Machine + A Private Little War
WHY WE LIKE IT: Jamison's mistakes highlight how competent the regulars are.
WHY WE DON'T: Boooooooooooooooooooring. And the rubber make-up deserves a mention here too.
REVIEW: If 11001001 was memorable, this is completely the opposite. I guess the problem is that we're supposed to care for Jamison, someone outside the TNG family that pretty much acts as the "incompetent Admiral/Ambassador/Commodore" of the week. And here I thought those days were gone with the 60s. Another key point that reminds one of the original series' worst moments is the magical nature of Jamison's fountain of youth. The herbs and chemicals he's taken do something that's totally unreasonable scientifically, and it all ends in irony. Unfortunate that this fable is so dull then.
The rest of the plot is equally forgettable because we don't care about Jamison, nor is it plausible that no one feels able to remove him from command despite showing signs of instability and ill health. Other than that point, the crew is quite competent in this one, even Worf and Tasha, who are usually bad shots just to keep the action going a little longer. I liked Picard's reaction to Jamison's violation of the Prime Directive and his later takeover of the situation. Data uses his physical prowess, Geordi uses his VISOR to good effect, etc. I wish they'd be that on the ball in better episodes. It's all wasted in this snore-fest.
Did I mention that the ageing make-up is thoroughly unconvincing and stiff? Do I really need to?
LESSON: Some scars never go away.
REWATCHABILITY - Low: Though the regulars do their best, putting the focus on a third party serves them badly. Life is too short to watch this one again any time soon.
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