The Catholic historian Lord Acton once said that all power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. However, Abraham Lincoln posited that you must give someone power to truly test their character. Is it really true that power is a poison guaranteed to corrupt all people equally, or do corrupted people tend to seek out power … More Power Slide, TNG: S1E10 “Hide and Q”
Revenge is often seen as the most understandable or forgivable motivation to do harm, but when does it go too far? Should it stop at harmless pranks, or escalate to warping someone’s reality? An illegal Ferengi technology allows one to control another person’s perception of events. Captain Picard becomes the unknowing victim of this mind … More Best Served for Profit, TNG: S1E9 “The Battle”
A seemingly idyllic society welcomes everyone with perfect hospitality, that is, unless you step on a flower. Wesley Crusher finds out the hard way that some cultures go to great lengths to keep order. Hoping to establish a nearby colony, the Enterprise visits the planet Rubicun III, where the Edo live in bliss and innocence … More Keep off the Grass, TNG: S1E8 “Justice”
The Enterprise is assigned to ferry two quarreling sets of delegates to a mutual location. Already a difficult task for the diplomacy ship, Picard and crew must cater to their unruly guests while also tracking down a strange energy entity possessing the minds of crew members. The invasive lightening bolt originated from a passing energy … More Bolt of Enlightenment, TNG: S1E7 “Lonely Among Us”
A strange new guest, calling himself the ‘Traveler’, arrives on the Enterprise, along with a propulsion expert named Mr. Kosinski. Both were brought aboard to help improve warp engine efficiency. Kosinski has an inflated ego, and Riker is suspicious of him from the start. The first officer claims that Kosinski was only so successful on … More Unreal Machine, TNG: S1E6 “Where No One Has Gone Before”
The Federation makes first contact with the Ferengi in this little side adventure. Although they grow into a slightly more complex and nuanced race in later seasons, the first appearance of these big-eared aliens portrays them as completely snivelly and back-stabby. One reason for this is because as the Next Generation sought to differentiate itself … More Trade and Value, TNG: S1E5 “The Last Outpost”
Culture is a complex dance between the preservation of tradition, predictable communication, and the regulation of emotions. For example, mutual social understanding of what is expected within a specific situation can help people communicate without speaking, thereby saving them from having to say something potentially hurtful. Cultural norms keep people civilized and regulate behavior. They … More First One to Die, TNG: S1E4 “Code of Honor”
Of all the schools of thought which paint the landscape of psychology as a field, few command as much internet attention as personality theory. Whether your unique existential experience happens to be identical to that of a Disney princess, or if it can be summarized by a series of letters flanking a sliding scale, your … More Overexposure, TNG: S1E3 “The Naked Now”
Finally, we arrive at one of the greatest Star Trek franchises ever made, and said arrival was surprisingly mediocre. Fans of the show remember it for the iconic Captain Picard, the deeply philosophical issues it explored, and its high production value, the last of which finally brought Gene Roddenberry’s original vision to life. It is … More A Spineless Appearance, TNG: S1E1-2 “Encounter at Farpoint”
Hopeless Trekkie 