This episode opens with Riker, apparently in a psychiatric institution proclaiming that he is innocent of a murder while his interrogator calmly assures him otherwise; it turns out this is just a play he is rehearsing and the interrogator is Data. Afterwards he starts to feels somewhat paranoid and bumps into an alien crewmember as he returns to his room. Later as he prepares for an away mission Worf accidentally cuts him with a dagger and he goes to sickbay for treatment; after it is treated he still feels pain. Later that night he and Data perform the play to much applause
apart from the unknown alien officer who just stares at him. As he takes a bow the audience vanishes and he finds himself being questioned by an alien doctor; he is in fact in an alien asylum and his captors tell him that the idea that he is a commander on the Enterprise is part of a psychotic delusion. He refuses to believe them and several times he finds himself back aboard the Enterprise only for that reality to shatter leaving him in the asylum
ultimately he can't believe anything he sees or experiences; even a rescue attempt proves to be a delusion. Will he ever find reality again and will he recognise it if he does?
This is one of the darkest episodes of the entire series; both in terms of its tone and literally thanks to the darkened interrogation room. Most of the time the viewer is as much in the dark as Riker as to what is real and what is a drug induced delusion. We don't know why he is being accused of murder or whether or not he has actually killed anybody; we can assume it is linking to his away mission but that is only speculation as it is first referred to during one of his delusional episodes. The whole cast does a fine job but it is Jonathan Frakes who carries the episode with a brilliant performance; he convinces us that Riker is slowly losing his mind thanks to what his happening; he perfectly captures Riker's frustration, confusion and despair. Overall I must say this was a brilliant episode; fans of films like 'Perfect Blue' and 'Inception' that feature delusions within delusions and we rarely know what is real should love this I did!
This is one of the darkest episodes of the entire series; both in terms of its tone and literally thanks to the darkened interrogation room. Most of the time the viewer is as much in the dark as Riker as to what is real and what is a drug induced delusion. We don't know why he is being accused of murder or whether or not he has actually killed anybody; we can assume it is linking to his away mission but that is only speculation as it is first referred to during one of his delusional episodes. The whole cast does a fine job but it is Jonathan Frakes who carries the episode with a brilliant performance; he convinces us that Riker is slowly losing his mind thanks to what his happening; he perfectly captures Riker's frustration, confusion and despair. Overall I must say this was a brilliant episode; fans of films like 'Perfect Blue' and 'Inception' that feature delusions within delusions and we rarely know what is real should love this I did!