Here’s an episode that makes me want to punch someone in the back of the head. A fine enough mystery, some cool effects, but just BAD decision making. My problem, this time, is with Worf.
Now — Mr. Worf, I know you have it rough. Every single frickin’ time you make a suggestion Picard shoots you down. “Sir, I suggest we raise shields,” you say. . .and Picard always has to humiliate you by jiving you with some “we are here to make contact, Mr. Worf, not posture for battle.” And then, of course, the probe or energy mass or whatever starts zapping the shit out of the ship.
But just because Picard is always dissing you doesn’t mean you can slack off on your job. You are chief of security. Didn’t you think to, I dunno, maybe attach a webcam or something at LaForge’s work station to make sure he doesn’t mutate into a glowing blue alien??! Because everyone knew he was going to. Everyone on that away team 5 years back became a glowing blue alien and then disappeared — and LaForge was the last one. Dr. Crusher basically made a big announcement. And then. . .no one thinks to watch him? WTF?!?
Best is when he does disappear – he is on the holodeck. Fine. So when you, Mr. Worf, and the others race on the holodeck, what do you do? You begin searching the nooks and crannies of the planet program LaForge created. “You check inside the structure! I’ll go behind that ridge.” Now, I know this makes for a cool moment that mirrors exactly what happened 5 years prior (discovery of ripped uniform) but, shit, this is NOT what a chief of security should do. A chief of security should bark out “END PROGRAM!” and then quickly spot the missing LaForge in the little black room with yellow grids. Ridiculous!!!!
I get very angry about things like this.
Punching someone in the back of the head will do you more harm then your victim. If you must attack from the rear, I’d suggest going for a kidney.