Star Trek The Next Generation would follow up on their "The Neutral Zone", from the first season, with "The Enemy", to further illustrate the fragile "peace" between The Federation and The Romulans. An unidentified craft located on a Federation planet, Galorndon Core, under heavy electrical storms that run havoc to the nervous system of humanoid beings, as well as, disrupting the ability to communicate, use tricorders for readings beyond five meters, and creating "ghosts" that leave Chief O'Brien in a difficult position to transport away team members on the planet when "windows" (moments when the storm doesn't interfere, allowing clear readings to pick up people on the planet) don't exist.
The wreckage on the planet is of a Romulan vessel which had been purposely exploded, but why it is on a Federation planet to begin with raises obvious suspicions (
considering the fact that, according to the treaty, if a Romulan ship crosses a neutral zone, a total violation—separating Federation space from Romulan space—it would be declared an act of war) to Picard. When a dying Romulan officer is found in bad condition on the planet (he tries to strangle Word immediately), he is incapacitated by Worf, brought aboard the Enterprise. Geordi, however, walks into a hole, with Riker and Worf unable to find him. Having to transport due to the window's closing, Riker must leave Geordi behind temporarily.
Making matters worse, a Romulan warbird is at the Neutral Zone border, wanting to cross over to retrieve his officer, but Picard insists he doesn't break the treaty due to the violation it represents. Trying to locate Geordi when the window isn't available will cause problems in itself, but Wesley Crusher comes up with the idea of a probe emitting neutrinos that might be noticeable to LaForge's visor which could pick them up. But Geordi has a development he couldn't have prepared for—a second Romulan. Centurion Bochra (John Snyder) smacks Geordi in the back of the head; holding his phaser on Geordi, Bochra is the victim of falling rocks from a high mountain that topple on him. Even as Geordi helps him, Bochra still holds his phaser on him. The two will have to work together as the electric atmosphere is starting to cause physical harm to Geordi and Bochra (Bochra is starting to get body tremors and suffering mental deterioration and Geordi's vision is deterred because the electrical interference from his visor).
Meanwhile the Romulan on board the Enterprise is about to die unless someone donates blood needed to restore him to health. The only one compatible—in a twist of irony only Trek could give us—Worf is the only one with the properties in his blood that can be used. Will Worf be able to put aside his hatred for Romulans or will he let the dying officer perish? That moral dilemma is commonplace in Trek. The planet is quite a nightmare, basically uninhabitable if you wish to use technology; dark, full of electrical charged atmosphere, and heavy winds, one can barely walk much less live on such a waste of planet in space. Seeing Picard trying to avert a war with the Romulan empire, having to risk being destroyed at the end when it will take lowering his shields in order to transport Geordi and Bochra to the Enterprise, and trying to convince Worf to agree to the transfusion (of course as his physician, Dr. Crusher expects him to just agree); all in a day's work when you are the captain on board the Enterprise.
The second Geordi episode in a row and I couldn't be happier
it was really nice seeing some treatment towards him, and through Burton's character, an actual partnership develops between a Federation officer and an untrustworthy Romulan officer. In the Trek universe, stories allow for such complications as a means to explore how two men from totally different worlds must co-exist in order to survive. Trusting the other man when you are unsure of the results—making such difficult decisions—are part of what makes Star Trek so special. Worf's decision was practically made for him when the dying Romulan officer told him he didn't want his Klingon blood polluting his body (he calls it "Klingon filth"). Being a fan of Babylon 5, it was cool seeing Andreas Katsulas as a Romulan Commander incensed with Picard for allowing his officer to die instead of bringing him to the Neutral Zone. Katsulas would bring that sly, false-smiling, potentially-treacherous personality to his B5 character, G'Kar and it fits a Romulan trying to keep the intentions of his people being in Federation space illegally (he claims it was a piloting error!) perfectly. You can just look at him and tell he wouldn't dare be on the up-and-up with the Federation on anything that divulges possibly real sinister intent on the part of the empire. I really enjoy the interactions between Katsulas and Patrick Stewart as both play the exchange of ship leaders as expected. Picard knows Katsulas' Commander Tomalak is full of it, while Tomalak's sole purpose is to conceal secrets and keep the Federation from knowing the real reason why the Romulans were on that planet. It is all a game and the two actors are exciting to watch. To avoid war and how Picard does so has always been a pleasure to watch to me. In this episode, it is no different.
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