This one makes me squirm every time, especially because all the twists make it hard to remember what will happen when. The music, particularly the slightly distorted piano, really sets the mood. I'm not much of a Jay Chattaway fan, but he rises to the occasion here.
Now, about the ending...the "it was all just a dream" reveal doesn't ruin anything because it's obvious that Riker was suffering from delusions of some kind. However, after the shock of seeing Riker's surroundings shatter like glass, I expected his escape from the real captors to be more dramatic than a brief scuffle followed by "beam me up Scotty...I mean, no-name transporter chief du jour."
For maximum effect, watch this episode by yourself in a dark room, preferably late at night.
Now, about the ending...the "it was all just a dream" reveal doesn't ruin anything because it's obvious that Riker was suffering from delusions of some kind. However, after the shock of seeing Riker's surroundings shatter like glass, I expected his escape from the real captors to be more dramatic than a brief scuffle followed by "beam me up Scotty...I mean, no-name transporter chief du jour."
For maximum effect, watch this episode by yourself in a dark room, preferably late at night.