Schisms
- Episode aired Oct 17, 1992
- TV-PG
- 45m
Commander Riker's inability to fall asleep begins to show in other members of the crew in other forms, putting the Enterprise on the trail of a mystery.Commander Riker's inability to fall asleep begins to show in other members of the crew in other forms, putting the Enterprise on the trail of a mystery.Commander Riker's inability to fall asleep begins to show in other members of the crew in other forms, putting the Enterprise on the trail of a mystery.
- Lt. Shipley
- (as Scott T. Trost)
- Starfleet Ensign
- (uncredited)
- Crewman Martinez
- (uncredited)
- Lt. Hagler
- (uncredited)
- Ensign Kellogg
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe poem "Ode to Spot" later appeared in A Fistful of Datas (1992).
- GoofsConsidering an emergency has been called in, the cargo bay security and medical teams weren't exactly rushing to the scene.
- Quotes
Lt. Cmdr. Data: Throughout the ages, from Keats to Jorkemo, poets have composed odes to individuals who have had a profound effect upon their lives. In keeping with that tradition, I have written my next poem in honour of my cat. I call it "Ode to Spot":
Lt. Cmdr. Data: Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature, / An endothermic quadruped, carnivorous by nature. / Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses / Contribute to your hunting skills and natural defenses.
Lt. Cmdr. Data: I find myself intrigued by your sub-vocal oscillations, / A singular development of cat communications / That obviates your basic hedonistic predilection / For rhythmic stroking of your fur to demonstrate affection.
Lt. Cmdr. Data: A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents, / You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance. / And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion, / It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.
Lt. Cmdr. Data: O Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display / Connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array. / And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend, / I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.
- ConnectionsFeatured in TrekCulture: 10 Scariest Star Trek Episodes Ever (2020)
- SoundtracksStar Trek: The Next Generation Main Title
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage
I know this because my other, a well known Middle Eastern figure, suffers from this, and regrettably assigns it a religious cause; supernatural forces.
This episode of Star Trek tries to bring that to the Star Trek the Next Generation audience, and gives an alien explanation for the phenomenon. It's another episode that brings personal issues to the fore as plot fodder, but it's pretty ham-fisted, and offers a non-solution by trying to make the audience feel better by giving an alien or outside source for the condition.
That, as opposed to aliens abusing the condition for their own means, which this episode sort of does, but not really, or not sufficiently.
Again, Star Trek the Next Generation was designed for a broader and younger audience, and so the episodes are not as well written nor dynamic as they might otherwise have been.
The lighting is very bright and full of fill light as opposed to key light and fill light for the background. It gives the show a hospital like look and feel. Again, perhaps implying that one the viewer is no longer watching the show and no longer a die hard fan that their issues may be over.
Sleep paralysis is a very scary thing. Just stream a session off of YouTube or some other online media venue, and watch people struggle with it. But, in the end its harmless. I'm just sorry that this episode of Trek didn't do a better job of addressing the condition.
- Blueghost
- May 11, 2023
Details
- Runtime45 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1