History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E22SkinOfEvil

* ApocalypseHow: It's implied (though never stated outright) that the original inhabitants of Vagra II devastated the surface and wiped out nearly all life through their warlike ways, before purifying themselves of their negative aspects. They then left the barren world and left Armus, who was created by said purification, as the only thing living on it.

* AngstWhatAngst: Invoked, defied and justified. In the scene immediately after Yar is pronounced dead, the officers are arguing with each other on whether Tasha's death was justifiable. Picard shouts them down and tells them at the moment it's irrelevant, because there are two crewmembers who still need their help, and mourning can wait.

* InelegantBlubbering: Armus's screams when Picard is delivering his TheReasonYouSuckSpeech sound very much like weeping. Watching it melt back into a puddle is similar to seeing [[PoseOfSupplication someone curling up in grief]].

'''Picard:''' But you will still be here! In this place! [[AndIMustScream Forever! Alone! Immortal!]]\\

* AndIMustScream: Armus is trapped alone on a dead world with nowhere to go and nothing to do, never to be reunited with the glorious beings who abandoned him there. Forever. And how he screams when Picard rubs that fact in.

* ZerothLawRebellion: Data ponders this possibility about Armus.
-->'''Data:''' Curious. You are capable of great sadism and cruelty. Interesting. No redeeming qualities.\\
'''Armus:''' So what do you think?\\
'''Data:''' I think you should be destroyed.\\
'''Armus:''' A moral judgment from a machine.

* TropesAreTools: While it may be a cliche, there's a reason why the HeroicSacrifice is the generally preferred way for a regular character to die, especially if it's a (theoretically) action-oriented character like Yar.

* EvilIsPetty: Armus isn't too bright or clever, and all it wants is to torment people for its own amusement, but in rather pedestrian ways like "make Data point guns at everyone." Everyone else refuses to give it the emotional hand-wringing he desires, which frustrates it to no end, and after killing Yar, their deaths no longer amuse him, he is lonely, and the next worst thing it does is envelope Riker and then spit him back out alive again when it is bored. Data even spells out this "Death is no longer sufficient to eliinate its boredom. Basically, Armus is revealed as an attention-starved bully.

-->'''Picard''' : A great poet once said: "All spirits are enslaved that serve things evil."
'''Armus''' : You do not understand. I do not serve things evil; I ''AM'' evil.
'''Picard''': ''(smiling wryly)'' Oh, no. You're not.

-->'''Armus:''' I am a [[TitleDrop skin of evil]] left here by a race of Titans who believed if they rid themselves of me, they would free the bonds of destructiveness.\\

* TragicMonster: For all the evil Armus commits, he had no choice in being created as the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil thing]] he is. And is incapable of being anything else. [[AndIMustScream Forever stranded and alone]] on a barren planet with his rage and hatred and loneliness.

* TragicMonster: For all the evil Armus commits, he had no choice in being created as the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil thing]] he is. And is incapable of being anything else.[[AndIMustScream Forever stranded and alone]] on a barren planet with his rage and hatred and loneliness.

* DamselInDistress: Deanna. Trapped in a wrecked shuttle, unable to do anything against Armus.

** Worf is also seen bristling when he's given a FieldPromotion to Security Chief when Tasha is killed. Seeing as KlingonPromotion would be a big thing throughout the following years, it seems strange to see Worf do this.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The last time we see an ''Enterprise'' chief engineer other than Geordi, in this case Leland T. Lynch. None of the remaining first season episodes mention a chief engineer, and when Season 2 begins, Geordi has been promoted to the post.

* AngstWhatAngst: Invoked, defied and justified. In the scene immediately after Tar is pronounced dead, the officers are arguing with each other on whether Tasha's death was justifiable. Picard shouts them down and tells them at the moment it's irrelevent, because there are two crewmembers who still need their help, and mourning can wait.

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* EvilIsPetty: Armus isn't too bright or clever, and all it wants is to torment people for its own amusement, but in rather pedestrian ways like "make Data point guns at everyone." Everyone else refuses to give him the emotional hand-wringing he desires, which frustrates him to no end.