A Matter of Time

DVD, TNG S5 (A Matter of Time)

What stands out for me is how easily Rasmussen was trusted. There was no time for him to earn the crew's trust, they just accept what he says at face value without asking for any proof, except for the fact that his ship is made of a material they haven't discovered yet - surely there are plenty of materials Starfleet doesn't know about, but that doesn't mean someone hasn't invented it! However much I love all the talk of 22nd or 26th centuries, knowing the twist coming at the end meant that Rasmussen's presence on the ship was merely coincidental to the 'main' event on the planet. Unfortunately, this was a rather dull storyline, though I would praise the excellent matte paintings of the surface, whether it was the snowy base or the Enterprise's attempts at blasting holes in the surface. The old grey uniforms make an appearance, worn by grey old men doing grey old things, and the danger and import of the situation never fully comes across, as anything more than a part of Picard's rant about history, the past and the future.

I was expecting Rasmussen to be discovered in some ingenious way, slowly revealing himself by his lack of knowledge, or being accused at a key moment of not knowing what was going to happen, such as when he looks so nervous during the Enterprise's attempt at saving the planet. Instead it comes to a head inside his little tinfoil ship (why does future tech always look silver and shiny?), the phaser (which, incidentally he holds with his finger well away from the button leaving Data an easy opportunity to disarm him when he's leaning into the cockpit, though it was unnecessary as we find out), stops working thanks to the computer remotely deactivating it. Is that a new thing? I don't think we've ever heard of the computer having that capability!

So all of Rasmussen's bluster, his flitting around like a particularly irritating fly on the wall, making smug comments, intimating he knows so much, was all an act while he picked up a few bits of technology so he could pretend he invented them back in his own century. If I had a time-pod I'd be zipping round the universe at different places, not trying to improve my life back home, but this inventor seems to lack imagination, perhaps the reason why he fails. The performance was good, and he was quite a fun sort of character, giving Beverly the chance to show off her comic timing, Data, his strange, but plausible habit of listening to several musical compositions at the same time, and Picard to get angry and speak for a lot of captain's that would like a rant against the reverence for the timeline!

If the story isn't up to much, the episode does at least provide some fun and fascinating references. Right from the start, and to foretell the theme of the episode, Picard mentions the nuclear winters of the 21st Century (something we have to look forward to, according to the Trek calendar of events!), which was perhaps the earliest reference to the Third World War coming in the mid-21st Century, the aftermath of which was seen in 'Star Trek: First Contact,' (and perhaps something like that was referred to in 'TOS'). He also mentions Khan Singh (as a poor argument against saving the lives of children who might grow up to be someone nasty). We don't learn much of the 26th Century since Rasmussen won't, and can't, tell. We know they have time travel ships, though it's unclear whether it was Federation or not, and that they're happy to visit the past. What we don't know is why Temporal Investigations (something we'd hear of later, in the spinoffs) don't intervene (and almost never do) when people travel from their own time. How did Rasmussen decide to come to the Enterprise, what repercussions would it mean for his non-ancestors, and where did the pod go? These questions are all thrown up in the last minutes, and consequently there's not a very satisfying feeling of conclusion to the story.

According to Crusher the 22nd Century didn't have quarantine fields so they used surgical masks and gloves. Is that why the NX-01 crew rub themselves with gel for decontamination? We've certainly seen Phlox wearing such apparatus to perform surgery, which makes me wonder if the creators of 'Enterprise' made sure any mention of that century was used as reference for the series. Worf says there weren't any phasers at that time, although we see the new weapon at the beginning of 'Enterprise' - this could mean that there weren't phasers before this, and Worf was hardly going to know the exact date phasers were invented, so for half of that century he'd have been right! We also get the first reference to the Enterprise-B, albeit indirectly, as Riker's questionnaire includes questions about the last two Enterprise's. Most importantly for the series, was the first mention of the Temporal Prime Directive, even though it obviously hadn't actually been created then, but Picard talks about the time when there is a temporal version of the prime directive, and until then he'll do whatever he feels is right (much like Captain Kirk).

If Rasmussen had been a bit more sensible, had tried to be unobtrusive and less of a smug, excited child, he might have succeeded in his plan, but at least he got second prize: he got stranded from a time of danger and insecurity to a time where there is no poverty or troubles at home. He might be annoyed to begin with, but I'm sure he went on to be happy with his lot. He might have wanted to make money and have a good life, but in the 24th Century there is no money so he can have a good life without it. I couldn't help noticing in one scene in the scientist's operations room on the planet when Geordi is talking to the ship, that int he background the technician looks like she's wearing a red nose at first! It's actually a big red dot on the transparent board, but until she moves it's quite funny!

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