This episode starts out as usual-The Enterprise is en-route to "Pacifica"-Some kind of Pleasure Planet, Troi loosely describes it. Maybe it was one of Gideon Sietek's terraformed worlds (See Deep Space Nine, S2, "Second Skin").
But this pleasurable interlude is interrupted by a Code 47 transmission from one of Picard's old Friends, Walker Keel (Jonathan Farwell) who has them divert instead to the "Worthless Chunk of Rock" Mining Planet Ditalyx B-Where Picard has a tryst with Walker Keel, Tryla Scott (Ursaline Bryant) and the first Bolean we ever see, Captain Ryxx (The Hills Have Eyes' Michael Berryman).
Walker has no proof, but he thinks there is a conspiracy in Starfleet Command. But Picard is not going to commit himself yet, although he does agree to keep his eyes open and his back watched.
So, The Enterprise D continues on towards Pacifica... Until Worf scans a disturbance in the next sector over, which was of course Keel's ship "The Horatio" being blown into tiny chunks.
That being too much of a coincidence, Picard lets Riker and the rest of the Bridge Crew in on it, and they all agree to go to Earth. Upon Arrival Starfleet Command immediately contacts them, and one of the Admirals is Picards friend Admiral Quinn (Ward Costello) who had a similar concern about a Conspiracy in an earlier episode. With him is Commander Remick (Robert Schenkkan) who was with Quinn, the Enterprise Crew does not have fond memories of Remick.
Quinn asks Picard to be beamed up, but when he gets to the ship, Picard sees right away it's not Quinn: So Picard leaves Riker on the ship and beams down into who knows what.
The other two Admirals tell Picard that Keel's Ship imploded. At this time, they ask Picard what he knows about Conspiracies: The Vulcan Admiral plays their existence down, saying "Conspiracies Only Exist in Paranoid Delusions: 'For Those Who Believe'"- I had originally thought , is this was a jab at the X-Files, but the X-Files were not even being made at the time. Maybe this episode of Trek gave Chris Carter the idea.
On the Ship, Quinn tries to Assimilate (He used that word after he had gotten beamed up) Riker with an Alien Parasite. Quinn, an older man, beats the crap out of Riker, Geordi and Worf, only to be stopped by Crusher with a Phaser on "Kill"- And when they get Quinn to sickbay, they see the parasite on his brain-stem.
As Crusher is looking in on Quinn, Riker's hand grabs Crusher: We don't know at that point if Riker had been Assimilated. But at Starfleet, Picard goes to Dinner with the Admirals, who are eating some kind of Mealworms. In walks Tryla Scott, and then we know that the Admirals knew Picard's intentions. Picard tries to leave but it stopped by Riker, who seems to have been taken over.
But it was a ruse by Riker to get his phaser down to Star Fleet headquarters, he blasts the admirals, and the Parasites leave their bodies... They chase one of the little buggers into a room, and Remick is sending a Signal somewhere. The Parasite runs right into Remick's mouth and he swallows it!
In nearly perfect parody of Picard, Remick, while his NECK bulges in and out, says "We mean you no Harm-We wish a Peaceful Coexistence"-At that moment WE KNOW, they intend the exact opposite of what Remick has said. So Riker and Picard vaporize the guy and the Alien Queen which rises up out of his headless body.
This story was to be linked to The Borg threat, but that idea was dropped due to cost. I think of it as simply a loose End, which will come up to bite Trek on the Arse in some future series which deals with events after the 24th century: Too bad it was never continued, maybe in some way it will be: Comic Book, Novel, or New Series.
As it was, this episode refers to Alien, The Puppet Masters, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Invasion, and even the Deep Space Nine S1 episode "The Passenger" - It is a subject that has been treated by many Hugo-Award winning Science Fiction writers like Heinlein, Pohl and Silverberg.
I'm making this review NOW because I have just watched the Blu-Ray version of this episode, and the visuals are done so well, especially when the Queen rises up from Remick's remains. VERY WELL DONE. I watched this episode in HORROR when it was on Television. It made me jump, a very fine episode.
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