The Hunted

DVD, TNG S3 (The Hunted)

A rogue soldier, programmed to survive at any cost, using every trick in the book, simple solutions to difficult situations, thinking on the fly, three steps ahead of everyone else... what does it remind you of? 'Star Trek' does Jason Bourne! It doesn't quite live up to that tagline, but it's pretty close. Worf finally gets a worthy opponent, but if 'TNG' ever scoffed at The Original Series' polystyrene rocks it should recall the scene in this episode where Worf is knocked senseless by some large plastic crates - when he wakes up he pushes them off and they rock back and forth revealing their lack of weight!

The story, too, didn't make a lot of sense. Ostensibly Roga the rogue was following a plan to disrupt the Enterprise's sensors so they couldn't track him, yet they couldn't track him anyway because he could shield his lifesigns. What?! Who cares when we get to see a five man team, including Riker, Worf and O'Brien, get chucked around the set like paper dolls. I love it when, having subdued the criminal, Riker yells at the burly Klingon sitting on Roga's chest: "Get him to a holding cell!" What was he going to do, he couldn't move without the guy escaping!

James Cromwell makes his Trek debut as the Prime Minister of a world wanting in on the Federation. It was small roles like this that led him to accept the offer of playing legendary warp drive inventor Zefrem Cochrane in 'Star Trek: First Contact', even though he had reached high status thanks to his starring role in 'Babe', and it could have been seen as a backward step to go into sci-fi when he'd just become bankable star material. His role isn't as meaty in this episode, but he's suitably snooty and officious in a restrained, political way which makes Picard's refusal of Federation membership much more enjoyable!

Troi gets to interact with a manly, roguish, stubbly guest star without any romantic interlude (mainly because he'd have been more likely to kill than kiss), but Dr. Crusher is barely seen and I can't help feeling her role hasn't been used to its potential. She shows up back on the ship at the beginning of the season, presumably they promised her some good scenes, but she's hardly been used. She used to have moments with Picard in a friendship that was unique to the pair, but it appears her absence from the ship and the series has meant that interaction has been nixed. Even so, on the whole these last couple of episodes have shown a welcome increase in action, while still displaying the intelligence and intellect of the series.

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