History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E24TheMindsEye

* ExactWords: Kell tries to weasel out of getting searched and revealed, telling Picard, "I will not be submit to being searched by you or anyone else on this ship." Vagh agrees--''he'' will have Kell searched on Krios, instead.

* ReverseWhodunnit: Of a sort. It's obvious early on that the Romulans are manipulating Geordi to do something against the Klingons, and before the final commercial break we learn the endgame of the plot as well as who their inside man is. The question is whether our heroes figure it out in time.
* ShootYourMate: Geordi has to shoot a holographic Chief O'Brien in his programming as an assassin. His brief hesitation leads to more brainwashing.

'''Vagh:''' And you speak the lies of a ''[=taHqeq=]''!\\

Meanwhile, Geordi has arrived in Cargo Bay 4, armed with a small phaser as per Kell's instructions. Seeing Geordi, Worf immediately rushes towards him, but is restrained by Vagh's guards, erroneously mistaking Worf's actions as hostile. Worf yells out a warning to Picard, who stops Geordi. Vagh is now quite convinced of a Federation plot against him, leaving Picard at a loss until Data arrives, revealing that Geordi has been acting under Romulan control, explaining the E-band transmissions that have preceded each suspicious act aboard the ''Enterprise'', which were transmitted directly to Geordi's brain through his VISOR. Kell, anxious to divert suspicion away from himself, asks whether a cloaked Romulan ship could be the source of the signals. Data says no, the signals would have to have been transmitted in close proximity to Geordi by a Romulan agent. As to who that agent is, Data reveals that only two people were close to Geordi at all three of the times a signal was recorded: Picard and Kell.

Data suggests that the Romulan agent must be hiding an E-band transmitter on his person. He recommends both Picard and Kell consent to a search. Kell blusters that, as a representative of the High Council, he will not consent to be body-searched, but Vagh has his bodyguards place the ambassador under arrest, saying they will take him back to the planet and search him there. Kell formally requests asylum aboard the ''Enterprise''. Picard coolly rejoins that he will be happy to grant asylum--''after'' Kell is absolved of any crime. Vagh signals the planet, and the Klingons are beamed away.

A shuttlecraft flies in space as we hear Geordi give a personal log entry. He's traveling to Risa to attend a cybernetics symposium and for shore leave. Although enjoying a drink, Geordi has become bored, so he asks the computer for a science trivia game. While playing, he notices a Romulan warbird has decloaked ahead, so Geordi stops the game and tries to send a distress signal, but nothing works, as the shuttlecraft is locked in a tractor beam and he's immediately transported off.

We cut to Ten Forward, or rather, a holographic recreation where Geordi, Taibak and his Romulan subordinates are sitting. Taibak orders Geordi to shoot and kill the holographic Chief O'Brien with a phaser, but while walking over, Geordi hesitates. After a little coercion, Geordi shoots and kills "O'Brien". Taibak tells his officers that Geordi needs another conditioning session.

On Krios, Picard vehemently denies the Federation's involvement until Vagh presents a confiscated phaser rifle taken from a rebel stronghold. It seems to be Federation-made. Picard asks if he may take it to analyze, to which Vagh is welcome. He's confiscated plenty.

Data works with Geordi in determining the legitimacy of the phaser rifle. Through careful examination, Geordi and Data find that the rifle had been charged with a power source in the terahertz range. Data notes that at least 327 species use this range, but Geordi narrows it down by who would benefit by driving a wedge between the Federation and the Klingons.

Geordi and Data join Picard in another meeting with Governor Vagh, concluding that the weapon is a Romulan decoy: a physically perfect duplicate, but being charged with Romulan energy sources, traces were left behind. Vagh is skeptical, since Krios holds no strategic value to the Romulans, so he still wants his own people to verify the findings. While in the office, La Forge's VISOR receives another distinctive E-band transmission.

On the bridge, Data and Riker detect another E-band emission, much larger than the previous ones. Acting under mind control again, Geordi beams down a crate of weapons from a cargo bay to the surface, deleting the transporter logs afterwards. Just as the ''Enterprise'' is about to leave, Vagh sends a transmission, telling Picard that they have intercepted the crate, and that they are not to not leave orbit until further notice, as a ''Vor'cha'' class attack cruiser and two Birds-of-Prey decloak and intercept them.

Meanwhile, Geordi has arrived in Cargo Bay 4, armed with a small phaser as per Kell's instructions. Seeing Geordi, Worf immediately rushes down, but gets restrained by Vagh's guards, erroneously mistaking Worf's actions as hostile. Worf yells out a warning to Picard, who stops Geordi. Vagh is quite convinced of a Federation plot against him, leaving Picard at a loss until Data arrives, revealing that Geordi has been acting under Romulan control, explaining the E-band transmissions that have preceded each suspicious act aboard the ''Enterprise'', which were transmitted directly to Geordi's brain through his VISOR. Kell, anxious to divert suspicion away from himself, asks whether a cloaked Romulan ship could be the source of the signals. Data says no, the signals would have to have been transmitted in close proximity to Geordi by a Romulan agent. As to who that agent is, Data reveals that only two people were close to Geordi at all three times when a signal was recorded: Picard and Kell.

Data suggests that the Romulan agent must be hiding an E-band transmitter on his person. He recommends both Picard and Kell consent to a search. Kell blusters that, as a representative of the High Council, he will not consent to be body-searched, but Vagh has his bodyguards place the ambassador under arrest, saying they will take him back to the planet and search him there. Kell formally requests asylum aboard the ''Enterprise''. Picard coolly rejoins that he will be happy to grant asylum — ''after'' Kell is absolved of any crime. Vagh signals the planet, and the Klingons are beamed away.

Later, Geordi is talking to Troi, where he begins to realize that his memories of his trip to Risa are false. Troi promises to work with him to restore his memory, and she begins by asking Geordi what happened after he saw the Romulan ship – a question that leaves Geordi stumped, and worried as the full horror of the violation against him begins to sink in.

!!Tropes featured in "The Mind's Eye":

''(cut to Geordi presenting the rifle to Governor Vagh)''\\

-->'''Geordi:''' No, the first thing I did was...wait a minute...

* BittersweetEnding: Data, Worf and Picard save the day, but Geordi is very shaken up over being a vessel for Romulan conspiracy.

* ColdBloodedTorture

* DissonantSerenity: Geordi smiles and enjoys a drink after shooting the holographic Chief O'Brien.
-->'''Geordi:''' Mind if I join you guys?
-->'''Yellow-Shirt:''' Sure!
* DramaticIrony: When Geordi shares his FakeMemories about Risa to Troi, she says "Geordi, I get the feeling that something special happened on this vacation, and I'm not talking about computers."

* ExactWords: Kell tries to weasel out of getting searched and revealed, telling Picard "I will not be submit to being searched by you or anyone else on this ship." Vagh agrees... ''he'' will have Kell searched on Krios, instead.

--> '''Picard:''' I have been...pleased to offer occasional assistance to the Klingon people in the past.\\

* ManchurianAgent

* TheMole / TheQuisling: Ambassador Kell.
* MoodWhiplash: Geordi is on his way to Risa, listening to pleasant guitar music...and a Romulan warbird decloaks. Cue OhCrap moment.

'''Picard:''' ''(DeathGlare, slowly walks forward and gets into Vagh's face)'' Vagh ''[=ghay’cha’ baQa’=]''!\\

* RecycledInSpace: ''Literature/TheManchurianCandidate'' [-IN SPACE-]! The scene where Geordi is ordered to kill a holographic Chief O'Brien is in direct homage to the film version.

* ThatsAnOrder: Data doesn't have time to explain to Worf why Geordi is a threat, so he invokes this.

Geordi returns to the ''Enterprise'' with no memory of his abduction and brainwashing. Data starts to find sporadic E-band emissions, and also works with Geordi in determining the legitimacy of the phaser rifle. Through careful examination, Geordi and Data find that the rifle had been charged with a power source in the terahertz range. Data notes that at least 327 species use this range, but Geordi narrows it down by who would benefit by driving a wedge between the Federation and the Klingons.

On the bridge, Data and Riker detect another E-band emission, much larger than the previous ones. Acting under mind control again, Geordi beams down a crate of weapons from a cargo bay to the surface, deleting the transporter logs afterwards. Just as the ''Enterprise'' is about to leave, Vagh sends a transmission, telling Picard that they have intercepted the crate, and that they are not to not leave orbit until further notice, as a ''Vor'cha''-class attack cruiser and two Birds-of-Prey decloak and intercept them.

The next morning, Vagh arrives to witness the investigation, only at Kell's insistence. Kell suggests visiting Cargo Bay 4. Picard agrees. Following a mounting trail of evidence, Data finds that the E-band transmissions would be compatible with Geordi's VISOR. He then goes to the shuttlebay and determines that the memory chips in Geordi's shuttlecraft have been replicated by Romulans, and that the hull has been subjected to stresses consistent with a tractor beam. He then calls Worf, ordering him to take Geordi into custody immediately.

'''Vagh:''' You swear well, Picard. You must have Klingon blood in your veins.

--> '''Worf:''' My motives in killing Duras were [[ItsPersonal personal]], not political.\\

--> '''Vagh:''' You speak the lies of a ''[=taHqeq=]''!\\

* {{Realpolitik}}: When Kell tells Worf that a lot of people in the Klingon government tacitly approve of his killing Duras, Worf protests that his motives were personal. Kell scoffs, "Motives. Who cares for motives? Humans perhaps. What matters is you ''acted'' that day."

'''Picard:''' ''(slowly walks forward and gets into Vagh's face)'' Vagh ''[=ghay’cha’ baQa’=]''!\\

* HumbleHero: Picard, when Kell tells him how much respect several high-up Klingon shave for him.

* AssholeVictim: Kell tells Worf that he did a service in killing Duras, saying that some High Council members were apprehensive about him getting named Chancellor.

The Romulans.

'''Picard:''' Vagh ''[=ghay’cha’ baQa’=]''!\\

--> "Who has the most to gain from a conflict between the Klingon Empire and the Federation?"\\

"The Romulans."

--> '''Geordi:''' Mind if I join you guys?
--> '''Yellow-Shirt:''' Sure!

* SmallRoleBigImpact: Just as Geordi is unwittingly about to try and kill Governor Vagh, Chief O'Brien comes up to him, asking for a little help. This simple, unwitting act delays Geordi long enough for Data's investigation to conclude, and thus ''barely'' avoid the killing shot; without this, it's likely Geordi would've succeeded once he got close enough.

Meanwhile, Geordi has arrived in Cargo Bay 4, armed with a small phaser as per Kell's instructions. Seeing Geordi, Worf immediately rushes down, but gets restrained by Vagh's guards, erroneously mistaking Worf's actions as hostile. Worf yells out a warning to Picard, who stops Geordi. Vagh is quite convinced of a Federation plot against him, leaving Picard at a loss until Data arrives, revealing that Geordi has been acting under Romulan control, explaining the E-band transmissions that have preceded each suspicious act aboard the Enterprise, which were transmitted directly to Geordi's brain through his VISOR. Kell, anxious to divert suspicion away from himself, asks whether a cloaked Romulan ship could be the source of the signals. Data says no, the signals would have to have been transmitted in close proximity to Geordi by a Romulan agent. As to who that agent is, Data reveals that only two people were close to Geordi at all three times when a signal was recorded: Picard and Kell.

Data suggests that the Romulan agent must be hiding an E-band transmitter on his person. He recommends both Picard and Kell consent to a search. Kell blusters that, as a representative of the High Council, he will not consent to be body-searched, but Vagh has his bodyguards place the ambassador under arrest, saying they will take him back to the planet and search him there. Kell formally requests asylum aboard the Enterprise. Picard coolly rejoins that he will be happy to grant asylum – after Kell is absolved of any crime. Vagh signals the planet, and the Klingons are beamed away.

On the bridge, Data and Riker detect another E-band emission, much larger than the previous ones. Acting under mind control again, Geordi beams down a crate of weapons from a cargo bay to the surface, deleting the transporter logs afterwards. Just as the ''Enterprise'' is about to leave, Vagh sends a transmission, telling Picard that they have intercepted the crate, and that they are not to not leave orbit until further notice, as a Vor'cha cruiser and 2 Birds-of-Prey decloak and intercept them.

* AssInAmbassador: Initially {{Subverted}} by Ambassador Kell, who comes across as a rather amiable Klingon--{{DoubleSubverted until it turns out that he's working with the Romulans}}.

The next morning, Vagh arrives to witness the investigation, only at Kell's insistence. Kell suggests visiting Cargo Bay 4. Picard agrees. Following a mounting trail of evidence, Data finds that the E-band transmissions would be compatible with LaForge's VISOR. He then goes to the shuttlebay and determines that the memory chips in La Forge's shuttlecraft have been replicated by Romulans, and that the hull has been subjected to stresses consistent with a tractor beam. He then calls Worf, ordering him to take Geordi into custody immediately.

Meanwhile, Geordi has arrived in Cargo Bay 4, armed with a small phaser as per Kell's instructions. Seeing Geordi, Worf immediately rushes down, but gets restrained by Vagh's guards, erroneously mistaking Worf's actions as hostile. Worf yells out a warning to Picard, who stops Geordi. Vagh is quite convinced of a Federation plot against him, leaving Picard at a loss until Data arrives, revealing that La Forge has been acting under Romulan control, explaining the E-band transmissions that have preceded each suspicious act aboard the Enterprise, which were transmitted directly to La Forge's brain through his VISOR. Kell, anxious to divert suspicion away from himself, asks whether a cloaked Romulan ship could be the source of the signals. Data says no, the signals would have to have been transmitted in close proximity to La Forge by a Romulan agent. As to who that agent is, Data reveals that only two people were close to La Forge at all three times when a signal was recorded: Picard and Kell.

Later, Geordi is talking to Troi, where he begins to realize that his memories of his trip to Risa are false. Troi promises to work with him to restore his memory, and she begins by asking La Forge what happened after he saw the Romulan ship – a question that leaves La Forge stumped, and worried as the full horror of the violation against him begins to sink in.