While the basic premise is interesting enough, this episode just has too many flaws. Some of them are evidence of just sloppy writing; with a little more care, the story could have been much tighter.
1) At the opening, Picard announces that they're picked up an "automated signal" from a shuttlecraft. But just a minute later, Worf announces that communication with the shuttle is not possible because the shuttle is without power. Well, call me dumb, but it seems to me that sending out an automated signal suggests that communication IS possible and the shuttle is WITH power.
2) Polaski tries to revive Picard II and the result is that it virtually *kills* him. But then a short time later, Picard orders her to try again, and she does, and this time it works just fine. Huh?
3) The whole idea seems to be that Picard II is completely out of phase with this time, which is why his readings are all strange, why he reacts backwards to the stimulant, why he can't grasp the reality around him. But if he's so out of phase, how is it that Troy has no problem reading him at the very outset, so clearly as to be *certain* that he's really Picard? This in particular seems like a lazy means to establish plot to the audience, rather than something that makes sense within the framework of the story.
4) After an approximately one minute run of full warp power (roughly timed by my tivo), we are informed that the engines can't handle the strain and Geordi can't hold it, and they have to execute a full stop. However, at 0:46 into the episode, Geordi announces that they are again at maximum warp; at 0:47 he says "Captain, I can't hold it any longer, if we don't shut down *right now*, we are going--" and Picard cuts him off and tells him to hold position. And he does. All the way until 0:57. Now, to be fair, that included a 4-minute commercial break. But, at least *some* of that time counts, because Picard leaves the bridge as we go to commercial and arrives at sick bay as we return. So it's still roughly *10 minutes* that Geordi has no problem holding the full warp power after he protested that he couldn't. By that point, the engines should be a shambles, but he has no problem providing "all the power you can muster!" Now remember, it is well-established that Geordi doesn't exaggerate in his reports to the captain (in "Relics", he tells Mr. Scott this explicitly). So when he says he can't hold it any longer, we have every reason to believe him. Yet it's a completely lie, he holds it another 10 minutes, no problem, and still has power to spare. Again, sloppy writing.
5) Perhaps the most egregious: the whole vortex-being thing makes *no sense*. Where did it come from? Where did it go? What did it want? Why did it want Picard? Troy says the being is not thought but instinct, yet wanting one particular individual sure sounds like a thought, not an instinct. The whole point of the vortex was it was trying to pull the ship in, yet when the ship voluntarily flies in, absolutely nothing happens.
This flaw is so bad that the script even acknowledges it, having Picard muse at the end about how the whole thing doesn't make any sense. But having the characters acknowledge this flaw doesn't make it any less of a flaw.
At the end of my recent viewing of the episode, I was thinking to myself that the whole thing might have made sense if it was some kind of test by Q. Well, it turns out I was right! Apparently, this episode was originally intended to be a two-parter featuring Q. It's a pity they didn't follow through with that idea.
1) At the opening, Picard announces that they're picked up an "automated signal" from a shuttlecraft. But just a minute later, Worf announces that communication with the shuttle is not possible because the shuttle is without power. Well, call me dumb, but it seems to me that sending out an automated signal suggests that communication IS possible and the shuttle is WITH power.
2) Polaski tries to revive Picard II and the result is that it virtually *kills* him. But then a short time later, Picard orders her to try again, and she does, and this time it works just fine. Huh?
3) The whole idea seems to be that Picard II is completely out of phase with this time, which is why his readings are all strange, why he reacts backwards to the stimulant, why he can't grasp the reality around him. But if he's so out of phase, how is it that Troy has no problem reading him at the very outset, so clearly as to be *certain* that he's really Picard? This in particular seems like a lazy means to establish plot to the audience, rather than something that makes sense within the framework of the story.
4) After an approximately one minute run of full warp power (roughly timed by my tivo), we are informed that the engines can't handle the strain and Geordi can't hold it, and they have to execute a full stop. However, at 0:46 into the episode, Geordi announces that they are again at maximum warp; at 0:47 he says "Captain, I can't hold it any longer, if we don't shut down *right now*, we are going--" and Picard cuts him off and tells him to hold position. And he does. All the way until 0:57. Now, to be fair, that included a 4-minute commercial break. But, at least *some* of that time counts, because Picard leaves the bridge as we go to commercial and arrives at sick bay as we return. So it's still roughly *10 minutes* that Geordi has no problem holding the full warp power after he protested that he couldn't. By that point, the engines should be a shambles, but he has no problem providing "all the power you can muster!" Now remember, it is well-established that Geordi doesn't exaggerate in his reports to the captain (in "Relics", he tells Mr. Scott this explicitly). So when he says he can't hold it any longer, we have every reason to believe him. Yet it's a completely lie, he holds it another 10 minutes, no problem, and still has power to spare. Again, sloppy writing.
5) Perhaps the most egregious: the whole vortex-being thing makes *no sense*. Where did it come from? Where did it go? What did it want? Why did it want Picard? Troy says the being is not thought but instinct, yet wanting one particular individual sure sounds like a thought, not an instinct. The whole point of the vortex was it was trying to pull the ship in, yet when the ship voluntarily flies in, absolutely nothing happens.
This flaw is so bad that the script even acknowledges it, having Picard muse at the end about how the whole thing doesn't make any sense. But having the characters acknowledge this flaw doesn't make it any less of a flaw.
At the end of my recent viewing of the episode, I was thinking to myself that the whole thing might have made sense if it was some kind of test by Q. Well, it turns out I was right! Apparently, this episode was originally intended to be a two-parter featuring Q. It's a pity they didn't follow through with that idea.