A Look at The Mind's Eye (TNG)

[@ravenwilder4099]

"This is a long and difficult journey back for him ... and we'll just assume that it worked out, I guess." That's the Star Trek way!

[@johnpotts8308]

Hey, even assuming they needed any time to recover is a step forward. After his time with Gul Mudred, Picard was back at work the next week

[@andrewshearsby8125]

Man O'Brien suffers even in simulations... But unlike Geordi is the most important person in Starfleet history

[@SophiaOfAthens]

O'Brian truly suffers and shines in Deep Space 9 where the writers loved messing with him every season as those were the best stories of that series. Man, I feel so bad for O'Brian having spent 20 years in a prison inside his own mind, and believing he was in an actual prison only to find out it was just their say of punishing criminals (or really curious people...).

[@BobSentell]

"This is a dilly of a pickle" floored me.

[@myriadmediamusings]

Maybe we can say that’s where the programming for Rutherford’s implant came from.

[@rlg1976x]

The interesting thing in the episode is that the way they find out that the "Federation" weapons are fake is that they're more energy efficient than real Federation weapons.

[@MrDj232]

Romulans make tiny black holes to power their ships. Aside from the Borg they're probably the most technologically advanced recurring species in Trek.

[@zephyr8072]

It sure would be a shame if someone wrote a series ser in the far future where the Romulans forgot all about their singularity power sources and their entire star empire and instead all went to become second-class citizens on Vulcan in a botched version of reunification. But that’d never happen, surely.

[@VoidNull9222]

It does sort of fit the Federation and Romulan mindsets though. The more militaristic Romulans would want to make the best version of a weapon possible while the pre-Dominion War Federation probably wouldn’t see the need to do so

[@SingularityOrbit]

@@zephyr8072 Fortunately, that hasn't happened yet. There's no sign that Romulans, or _Discovery-_ era Vulcans for that matter, aren't using artificial singularities for power. There's only the fact that they're still using warp drives, which require a warp core -- a power source attuned to the needs of warp drives -- which are frequently matter/antimatter power sources but can actually be anything that generates enough power, so long as the warp core can balance the power between reactor and drives. As for the star empire, lots of people get this wrong. A space empire isn't tens or hundreds of billions of the same race populating hundreds of worlds. It's one world/nation with a few colonies and a lot of conquered territories. Colonies didn't have to be more than a few thousand people to crank out resources, between 23rd/24th Century technology and the world-smashing power of even a single starship. It's entirely possible to have dozens of worlds under the thumb of Romulus, while at the same time having the vast majority of the Romulans still living on that one world. The conquered worlds provide tributes as needed when a Romulan ship visits, and they don't get up to anything the Romulans don't want them doing. Then, in the late 24th Century, the Romulan star system is wrecked, and suddenly they have no homeworld anymore. Their colonies were never built to house billions of people,and living on the land of a conquered world is far more vulnerable a position compared to lording over them from orbit. That led to the Romulans making some bad decisions under stressful conditions, suffering for it, and . . . well, slowly losing their high-and-mighty view of themselves as generations went by. So at least some of the managed to return to Vulcan in a peaceful manner. In the far future, when the Burn happened, it's probably fortunate that Romulan still used warp drive, even if it was powered by artificial singularities -- if they'd gone on to transwarp or some other weird stardrive system then others would have probably assumed that the Burn was some Romulan scheme.

[@marcelblock2454]

​@@VoidNull9222it fits with the philosophy of both federation and romulan empire. Federation tech is usually straightforward and save, while the empire is willing to risk a lot for an advantage, cloaking, black hole generators and the brainwashing tech we see in this episode are all risky but yield high rewards if successful.

[@Bruwulf]

I think the spilling drink thing was a test. Something harmless but out of character, to make sure their programming and control of Geordie was actually working in situ, not just in their controlled environment. A test run.

[@sigra999]

There would be the need to verify the result of that spilling-test. And somehow I doubt the romulans went through O‘briens laundry 😂

[@TheZetaKai]

Was the Klingon ambassador present in Ten Forward at the time?

[@bruceknee4941]

​@@TheZetaKai yes you see him in the background at another table.

[@KingOfMadCows]

John Fleck, who played the Tal Shiar agent who brainwashed Geordi in this episode also played Koval, the head of the Tal Shiar, in "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges."

[@marshallhuffer4713]

He also played the Sulliban Silik in Enterprise.

[@thebaccathatchews]

If i had a nickel for every time Geordi got abducted and had his visor hacked, I'd have two nickels. It's not much, but it's weird that it happened twice.

[@john1701q]

That is why he got the ocular implants for "First Contact"

[@drockjr]

Hey, look! Geordi spilled his drink on Obriens notoriously always screwed up shoulder. It's a nice touch it was the same shoulder.

[@FocusedOnDestiny]

I don't understand how none of these starships have simple cameras. Even the fact that the Romulans captured a shuttle & there was no alert or even a "dash cam" to let the Enterprise know what happened is crazy. The Federation is their own worst enemy.

[@SingularityOrbit]

We give Trek so much credit for predicting things, but they didn't predict the kinds of driver aids found in modern automobiles. Of course, if they had predicted them then they'd have had to spend minutes of episode time explaining how the Romulans fooled the early warning systems and, say, holographically futzed with the shuttle's cameras. It's probably best to imagine that, whenever we see something simple happen between ships in Trek, there are about a dozen countermeasures and counter-countermeasures firing off automatically, and what the characters talk about are the events that result from everything else happening.

[@CaptainJZH]

Federation is so trusting they're against ALL kinds of surveillance

[@SingularityOrbit]

@@CaptainJZH At the same time, you have to enter a passcode or personal ID (it's not clear which Picard means in "The Bonding") just to use a computer panel aboard the _Enterpride-D._ That's supposed to be logged by the computer. So in this episode, Geordi must have not only erased, but replaced all the traces of his activities. There's probably some kind of worm program involved there, quite possibly one that the Romulans supplied to Geordi. Actually, I don't remember -- is there anything in the episode to suggest that the Romulans altered his badge or visor to aid in his assassination mission? Maybe they installed a "tap five times to shut the badge off" feature.

[@mikegates8993]

Between how bad their cyber security is and how incompetent the Red Shirts are, I'm beginning to think "lax security" might be the Federation's planet of hats.

[@TF2CrunchyFrog]

Especially because the ship's computer which is technically a A.I. (but one that isn't allowed to act without orders) keeps constant tabs on where everyone is, as you can simply ask "Computer, where is X?" or the Enterprise's computer might even realize "Person X is no longer aboard the Enterprise" although it depends on the script if the computer will warn the officers someone is missing by itself, or wait until asked where that character is.

[@jonleonard1555]

5:54 Honestly, Troi should have figured out there was something amiss, since Geordi has never seemed to have that kind of luck on the show (Yes, obviously at some point by Picard Season 3, he did, but that's not now).

[@john1701q]

Geordi got laid? Yeah, that is cause for concern. Better investigate.

[@lordofuzkulak8308]

Been years since I last watched this episode, but fairly sure my interpretation of the drink spilling has always been that it was a glitch; he still had some lingering ‘kill O’Brian’ order floating about in his subconscious, but it could only manifest as something like spilling a drink on him partly because it wasn’t an active order and partly because Geordie was resisting the programming.

[@northerntoe]

The Romulans had Geordie perform a series of tasks when he got back to the enterprise to confirm, he was fully indoctrinated and ready to carry out the orders Spilling the drink on OBrien was one of those things It was also a nice fake out because we just seen him casually murdering OBrien

[@bradwolf07]

I always forget this episode is the first one we get a glimpse of Not-Tasha (I tend to forget the Half Romulan's name) And poor O'Brien, even in simulations he gets the short end of the stick. No wonder he jumped ship to DS9

[@Grayvorn]

Is her name Sela?

[@bradwolf07]

@@Grayvorn yes, Not-tasha's actual character name is Sela

[@zephyr8072]

Geordi: “I’m the chief engineer of the Federation flagship, can I take one of those big executive shuttles to Risa?” Picard: “No. you’re taking the space equivalent of a three wheeled van and you’re going to like it.” Geordi: “Damn socialism.”

[@CaptainJZH]

Meanwhile Picard gets to take a big executive shuttle to drop Wesley off at the Academy

[@john1701q]

Where is the toilet on that thing? Where does he sleep? Does it even have a replicator for food and water?

[@CaptainJZH]

@@john1701q obviously it beams your shit and piss into space unfortunately they had to combine the replicator with the transporter so Geordi kept trying to beam out but kept getting drenched with Earl Grey

[@bruceknee4941]

​@@CaptainJZH wouldn't that open up many questions? Like every federation starbase has an orbit of poop around it? Saying the replicator reuses it makes more sense

[@myriadmediamusings]

I wonder if sharp eyed viewers and listeners even at this time were able to notice the shadowy romulan, how they sounded familar despite their skin of evil.

[@mightybluespider]

They?

[@Willpower-74205]

I knew the voice of Denise Crosby right away, but it was composited in post-production. Playing the physical role of Sela was an unnamed stand-in since Crosby herself wasn't on the set when that scene was filmed. 🖖😎👍

[@kevinkeeney9418]

Yeah, it was pretty obvious, and putting the actor in shadows drew attention to it. What wasn't obvious was where they were going with it.

[@kyle857]

I've seen all of these multiple times on the actual website, but I always stop by to leave a like and comment. Merry Christmas, Chuck!

[@KingSidJames]

Hey guys lets test this phaser in front of the fecking warp core! WTF ???

[@boobah5643]

Yeah, you'd think that a cargo bay or (since they'd used that set already this episode) even the holodeck would be better places to test it than in the middle of engineering.

[@bildo1977]

This episode also begins the trend of Data foiling Sela’s plans.

[@BrianDrake-gs4zk]

"You're the worst Manchurian candidate ever!". Um what about Liev Schreiber Chuck?

[@KnightRaymund]

I think the drink was a test. Real O'Brien this time. And to make sure the signal works.

[@jasonscarborough94]

Chuck: While we're on the subject of crap... Me: Wait, how'd Neelix get into an episode of TNG?

[@SageofStars]

12:27 And once again, you have fallen for their machinations, Chuck. Those chips? They were actually made...on REMUS! Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!

[@arlibrarian]

To be fair to Troi, I suppose it’s to be expected Romulans would have a way to account for detection of their work by telepaths.

[@S1nwar]

a very relaxed pre corona chuck

[@john1701q]

Troi really does suck at her job.

[@mikegates8993]

Her job could be doorstop and she'd find a way to suck at it.

[@Nickelodeon81]

I sense it

[@All2Meme]

Makes one wonder how she got the job in the first place, doesn't it?

[@SciFlyGal]

I was always a fan of the headcanon that “counselor” is a euphemism for political officer, and she’s mainly there to keep the crew loyal.

[@mikegates8993]

@@SciFlyGal Considering one of her patients stabbed someone after a session with her, she's bad at even that job.

[@kradeiz]

It’s too bad this never came up again irt Geordi. His “But I remember everything!” in the final scene with Troi was rather tragic as he realizes that his memories on Risa were fabricated.

[@Jokie155]

Just like O'Briens massive prison PTSD for something he didn't even do.

[@kradeiz]

@@Jokie155 Yeah, I’m not asking for a massive arc for this stuff but some lingering consequences would be nice, even for a few episodes.

[@zephyr8072]

Ah yes, the Inner Light problem. Hell, remember the producers didn’t even want a single followup to Picard being assimilated with the writers having to fight for just one episode before going back to business as usual.

[@bthsr7113]

@@zephyr8072 Excuse me.... WHAT!? They only got 1 episode to follow up the most traumatic parts of his life, one of the darkest days in recent Federation history, and one of the most important two parters in the show!? F_(K!

[@DeconvertedMan]

EYE see what they did here.

[@horaciosi]

(15:23-15:51) Something that Voyager should've done.

[@S1nwar]

10:07 looks like geordi is invisible form the waist down

[@Thraim.]

Poor dumb Geordi.

[@fredrikcarlstedt393]

Wonder what is worse, being tortured by the Romulans or being tortured by the Cardassians .

[@MKDumas1981]

Yes.

[@mikegates8993]

Dear lord, the Romulans wore such ugly outfits in these early seasons. I wonder if another reason Garak had that one Romulan Senator killed as punishment for their civilization's terrible fashion sense.

[@zephyr8072]

Compared to what? Federation pyjamas? Klingon medieval peasant cosplay? Cardassian gimp suits? I think you’re just jealous of their fabulous gay shoulderpads.

[@mikegates8993]

@@zephyr8072 No, if I wanted fabulous gay shoulder pads, I'd pick Saiyan armor over anything the Romulans wear. At least the Saiyan armor has better color balancing and somehow doesn't look as stiff and uncomfortable.

[@KianaWolf]

@@mikegates8993 Well saiyan armor _is_ extremely stretchy. When they say one size fits all, they mean it!

[@WDC_OSA]

I'm gay and I pilot a Type 15 shuttlepod

[@kyle857]

💀

[@MKDumas1981]

"Oh, my." - George Takei

[@bthsr7113]

So having not seen these episodes, and seeing these reviews for the first time, do the Romulans actually get any consequences for these not just repeated border incursions, but blatant tampering with valued Federation personnel? And if the Romulans didn't have any consequences, is that because of genuine political calculations or the Federation being all "not the face!"?

[@mikegates8993]

Considering all of this culminates in the Klingon civil war, on top of the Borg invasion, the troubles with the Cardassians, and Dominion War, I'd say it's that the show never had a chance to have any consequences. Though one could argue what happens when their sun goes nova could be considered karma.

[@JosephDavies]

This is one of the (many) reasons that Nemesis was such a major disappointment. A lot of these plot threads remained dangling, and we were finally getting a Romulan movie! Romulans on the big screen! And then it ends up being about some human and the Romulans are barely in it. And then JJ Abrams comes in with the "next" film and just... wipes them out. Off screen.

[@bthsr7113]

​@@JosephDaviesI mean, there had to be a big event to send off the old timeline.... but with the new timeline being the one to fall off, it had produced some rather complicated consequences for other writers to deal with or resolve. And how Picard handled the setup for the new status quo.... very suboptimal.

[@harlequin75]

I am Canadian. How do you know we are not plotting despite Quebec?

[@pearsegallagher9832]

algorithm comment

[@DarkLordDiablos]

Duras is pronounced "Doo-ras" not "Duh'ras".

[@rc8937]

TNG era alien civilizations: 1. Klingons = Imperial Japan 2. Romulans = Soviet Union 3. Cardassians = Germany (Interwar period)

[@jlev1028]

I don't know why you said "interwar period" and not "Nazi era". It's not like the Third Reich dominated the 1920s. The Weimar Republic lasted longer.

[@rc8937]

@@jlev1028 None of these comparisons are perfect, but in the TNG episode "The Wounded" Captain Maxwell warns Picard that the Cardassians are secretly rearming. The Germans were doing the same throughout the Interwar period, not just under the Nazi regime. Of course, by the DS9 era we know everything changes.