Gambit, Part I (S02E04)
Airdate: 11 October 1993
Written by: Naren Shankar
Directed by: Peter Lauritson
Running Time: 46 minutes
During what many fans consider the Golden Age of Star Trek, and particularly in the years following Gene Roddenberry's passing in 1991, the creators of Star Trek television shows began, perhaps inevitably, to drift away from some of the unofficial "commandments" that the Great Bird of the Galaxy had imposed upon his creation. This was a gradual but noticeable shift, and it affected even those series that most faithfully embodied Roddenberry's vision, such as The Next Generation, particularly as it entered its final season. The result was a sprinkling of episodes that abandoned the franchise's customary sense of scientific wonder or its tradition of social allegory in favour of straightforward, escapist space opera-style entertainment. One need not look far for an illustrative example: the first instalment of the two-part episode Gambit stands as a textbook case of this late-season tendency toward pulpy adventure over substance.
The plot commences in a suitably disreputable establishment on the planet Dessica II, where Commander Riker, Dr. Crusher, Counsellor Troi, and Lieutenant Worf have arrived to investigate the disappearance of Captain Picard. He had travelled there during a brief leave of absence to indulge his well-known passion for archaeology, only to vanish without a trace. Their inquiries lead them to a Yridian criminal by the name of Yranac (Alan Althsuld), who informs them that he witnessed Picard being vaporised by a phaser during a barroom altercation. Troi, employing her empathic abilities, confirms that Yranac believes he is telling the truth.
While most of the Enterprise crew struggle to reconcile themselves with the apparent death of their beloved captain, Riker becomes visibly and vocally angry, channelling his grief into a fierce determination to discover who was responsible. After securing permission from Vice Admiral Chakote to use the Enterprise for the investigation, Riker attempts to reconstruct Picard's movements, and the trail leads to Barradas III — a planet known for its archaeological sites belonging to the Debrune, an ancient offshoot of the Romulan species. An away team dispatched to the surface is ambushed by a group of armed humanoids who kill one Starfleet serviceman before the remainder manage to escape back to the Enterprise. Riker, however, is not among the fortunate; he is captured and brought aboard the vessel of those responsible for the attack.
The ship in question is commanded by one Arctus Baran (Richard Lynch), a humanoid criminal of the most unpleasant variety. Baran has developed the disagreeable habit of inserting neural servos into his crew members, enabling him to inflict excruciating pain at the slightest sign of disobedience or disloyalty — a management style that leaves little room for workplace disputes. Riker, much to his astonishment, discovers that Picard is in fact alive and serving aboard Baran's vessel under the alias of Galen, a rogue archaeologist. The supposed vaporisation witnessed on Dessica II was merely the result of Baran's people employing weapon-like devices that teleport their targets rather than destroying them. Picard, ever the strategist, advises Riker to adopt the persona of an insubordinate and disillusioned Starfleet officer willing to defect and join Baran's crew. As this new ruse begins to unfold, the Enterprise — now under Data's command — must find a way to rescue Riker, and the episode concludes with a cliffhanger as Baran's ship opens fire on the Enterprise after its shields have been lowered.
This is, it should be noted, not the first episode to take this particular thematic route. Picard's passion for archaeology, along with his propensity for becoming entangled with various shady characters whilst pursuing it, was already well established in the third-season episode Captain's Holiday. The script by Naren Shankar leans into this established trait but pushes it further, making the shady characters in question resemble nothing so much as space pirates — a trope that Roddenberry had unofficially banned from his vision of Star Trek, feeling that it belonged to a cruder and less sophisticated brand of science fiction. The space opera "vibes" are further enhanced by the Dessica II bar, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Mos Eisley cantina from the original Star Wars film, right down to its assortment of alien patrons and general atmosphere of low-life intrigue.
The direction by Peter Lauritson is solid and workmanlike, though never inspired; he keeps the narrative moving at a reasonable clip without bringing any particular visual flair to the proceedings. The episode's greatest asset is undoubtedly its cast. Patrick Stewart once again seizes the opportunity with evident enthusiasm to play a very un-Picard version of his character, albeit with the credible excuse that he is attempting to deceive his captors and adversaries. There is a palpable relish in his performance as Galen, a man who must suppress every instinct of Starfleet propriety in order to maintain his cover. The same can be said of Jonathan Frakes as Riker, who gets to explore a more aggressive and emotionally volatile side of his character than usual. The guest cast is equally strong: Richard Lynch, a character actor who became something of an icon playing sinister villains, brings his customary menace to the role of Baran, whilst Robin Curtis — known to Star Trek fans for playing Saavik in two of the feature films — appears as Tallera, Baran's Romulan henchwoman, adding a layer of intrigue and ambiguity to the villain's inner circle.
The episode opens with the shocking news of Picard's death, a development that would hardly fool any veteran "trekkie" watching at the time. Given that the episode is a two-parter, and that the main series protagonist is exceedingly unlikely to perish that early in the season, the revelation that Picard is alive is a foregone conclusion. This renders the scenes in which the crew members mourn his passing a rather weak red herring, since they lack genuine dramatic tension because the audience knows full well that the captain will be back before the credits roll on part two.
The episode ends with a brutally simple cliffhanger, the narrative feeling as though it has been mechanically sliced in two rather than arriving at a natural stopping point that might have allowed it to function as a self-contained chapter of a larger story. It is the kind of ending that less resembles the carefully constructed suspense of a well-crafted serial and more the abrupt severance of a film reel mid-scene — a commercial break writ large, with no particular artistry to soften the blow.
At the end of the day, Gambit, Part I is a solid episode of The Next Generation, competently executed and enjoyable enough on its own terms, but hardly too memorable. It benefits from strong performances and a certain pulpy energy, but it ultimately represents the kind of episode that one watches with mild pleasure and promptly forgets, a serviceable adventure that neither plumbs the depths of Star Trek's philosophical ambitions nor reaches the heights of its finest character dramas. It is, in the end, exactly what it appears to be: a reasonably entertaining diversion that passes the time without leaving a lasting impression.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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