Parallels

DVD, TNG S7 (Parallels)

For a story by Brannon Braga this is remarkably restrained in the fright factor, the weirdness quotient rising almost imperceptibly until we see actual changes that can't be explained away by a knock on Worf's head in a Bat'leth tournament. It's a mystery, but doesn't have the power to shock of similar tales, such as 'Frame of Mind' from last season. This features a gradual progression, which came across as a little bit of treading water, and, dare I say it, maybe even wasting some good time. If the story were remade today I expect we'd have got to the screaming Riker from a universe overrun by the Borg in the first act, and much more exploration of the parallels of the title might have been allowed. But it's best to judge episodes against the time they were made, and though this isn't a rollicking ride, it has its moments - many little nods (or bigger ones: Wesley's back!), and some fun at Worf's expense - for him it's mostly a headache!

For trivia, this episode could be a contender for squeezing most references into one episode. Although the alternate realities we see are mostly only glances into possible futures, they show some major changes, whether that be Geordi's death, Crusher's absence (this would have been an ideal point to bring back Dr. Pulaski, although it was fun to see 'Dr.' Ogawa!), the Bajorans as aggressors, and most chillingly, the Borg having assimilated every part of their galaxy - it was almost a kindness to blow up that bearded Riker's Enterprise. One of the big things that's barely even glimpsed, and will no doubt stand out much more in the Blu-Ray release, was a Cardassian Starfleet officer at conn. We'd already been shown a Ferengi at that station in a previous alternate reality episode, so why not? Whatever next, Borg characters joining a 'Star Trek' series?(!)

Having Wil Wheaton back as Wesley Crusher was a nice touch, though I'm glad this wasn't his final contribution to the series as it would have been a bit of a limp exit, especially after previous, legitimate visits had given him much more to do. It came across a bit like Tasha Yar appearing in 'Yesterday's Enterprise,' but without the same impact. His rank of Lieutenant was something to question: time being no different in the quantum universes, how had he gone from Academy to serving as an officer of the flagship in so short a time? Not that anything in parallel universes needs to be explained away, it can be chalked up to a shorter Academy program or a need to advance promising cadets to higher ranks quickly - if Jim Kirk could make Captain in the space of one film, this is nothing to make a song and dance about! On the subject of 'Star Trek XI,' this also long predated that film's transparent vertical consoles, so maybe they're all the rage in alternate realities?

Other questions could be about Picard not appearing to know Worf's age at his birthday party - as Captain you'd expect him to have the service records, including Date of Birth, of all his senior officers firmly in his brain, but he may have been having a little tease. I also wondered if Geordi's compromising position on the biobed in sickbay may have been a joke. In one reality he's fully covered, then in the shift to another, he's barely covered. Did Michael Dorn pull the sheet off or was it a serious point to show this is now a different reality? And the biggest question? Was Brannon Braga a proponent of Worf and Deanna's 'romance' or was he just trying to mess with our heads in the way he always loved doing with weird stuff? I can't imagine he was that bothered about future repercussions, but he certainly set the two characters on a strange path. Admittedly, it had been played up a few times before, probably in the episode mentioned here, 'Ethics,' when Worf thought he was going to die. He found solace in the thought that Deanna would be there for Alexander if he wasn't, and the boy created a new bond between them. I can't remember now if it was a real reality when Worf asked her to be… for want of the Klingon word, Godmother/Step-Sister, but it probably wasn't in the true universe. Maybe that's why he invited her to dinner at the end…

The episode is more enjoyable for the many trivia points than for being a gripping and original slice of (I want to say Klingon Chocolate Pie!), sci-fi action, so here are some other things I noticed: a rare mention of Worf's brother (not by name), when in one version of reality Kurn attended the Bat'leth tournament instead of Worf; an even rarer wide angle view of a Cardassian bridge on the viewscreen (perhaps the first, though they may have shown some of one in the pilot of 'DS9'); an image of Deep Space 5 (looking like a 'Star Trek II' spacedock); the first, and possibly only, image of Utopia Shipyards; Worf in red again (as he was in Season 1, and would be again in 'DS9' Season 4); and the return of the turquoise dress Troi used to wear - maybe she didn't look professional enough so they banished it? I should also mention the excellent effects work, which we can watch now and not blink an eye at, but which must have been mind-blowing at the time, what with Enterprises as far as the eye could see into the horizon and multiple Worf's merging in the shuttle. Though the less said about Data's Impressionist period, the better.

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