TNG has a few eps where Riker is the lead character but in this one, he carries the show AND he does a good job. When I saw this episode this first time, I was confused and completely wrapped up in his insanity... in a good way. I believed he was going insane.
Riker has a solo mission to be disguised and dropped into an alien society in order to locate and rescue a federation group that has been caught up in the societies civil unrest. what we dont know until the end, is where the mind control begins and reality ends for Riker. Hes been the main character in a play prior to taking this mission and at first he thinks he knows the difference but every time he thinks hes acting, the stage and the characters become real. Has his life on the Enterprise been all in his mind? Are his close friends just different aspects of his personality? Did he really kill another man in an alley? Was it on purpose or self defense?
This episode does a good job of blurring these lines and keeps the viewer on their toes. Even when hes being told the truth and we think his real friends are trying to help him, that "reality" is shown to be imagined also. Once Riker starts to take control, everything unravels. Its reminiscent of the original Twilight Zone story lines. Fans of TZ and TNG will love this episode.
Riker has a solo mission to be disguised and dropped into an alien society in order to locate and rescue a federation group that has been caught up in the societies civil unrest. what we dont know until the end, is where the mind control begins and reality ends for Riker. Hes been the main character in a play prior to taking this mission and at first he thinks he knows the difference but every time he thinks hes acting, the stage and the characters become real. Has his life on the Enterprise been all in his mind? Are his close friends just different aspects of his personality? Did he really kill another man in an alley? Was it on purpose or self defense?
This episode does a good job of blurring these lines and keeps the viewer on their toes. Even when hes being told the truth and we think his real friends are trying to help him, that "reality" is shown to be imagined also. Once Riker starts to take control, everything unravels. Its reminiscent of the original Twilight Zone story lines. Fans of TZ and TNG will love this episode.