History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E14Conundrum

* EasilyForgiven: The ''Enterprise'' crew wiped out a Lysian destroyer with few dozen hands aboard and crippled the defenses of their central command, which you would think would cause some sort of repercussions. However, when it is revealed that they were manipulated by Satarrans, expressing their solemn apologies for what happened is all it takes for Lysians to forgive them. Then again, it's not like they had the means to make any demands from Federation.

* ThisIndexTouchesItself: Implied. Riker is impressed by the functions of the Holodeck and claims he could create some "fun programs" with them, while saying this next to [[BeligerentSexualTension Ro]].

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Implied. Riker is impressed by the functions of the Holodeck and claims he could create some "fun programs" with them, while saying this next to [[BeligerentSexualTension Ro]].

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: This is ultimately [=MacDuff=]'s downfall -- he fails to take the ''Enterprise'' crew's pacifistic nature into account, assuming they will simply follow the orders they think they have been given. Instead, they start to question the morality of their supposed mission, especially when it becomes clear that the Lysians [[NoSell aren't even remotely a match for the Federation]]. When [=MacDuff=] realizes they're having doubts, he attempts to manipulate [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Worf]], dropping hints about the possible need for a mutiny if Picard won't go through with it, but it doesn't work -- in the end, the Klingon is no more willing to fire on a defenseless enemy than the rest of the crew, especially when [=MacDuff=] starts [[VillainousBreakdown yelling]] for him to [[NoKillLikeOverkill fire all weapons]] at a station which, it was already established, could be destroyed with a single photon torpedo.

* GutFeeling: The other main reason [=MacDuff=]'s plan falls apart: this whole situation ''feels'' wrong to the crew.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: This is ultimately [=MacDuff=]'s downfall -- he fails to take the ''Enterprise'' crew's pacifistic nature into account, assuming they will simply follow the orders they think they have been given. Instead, they start to question the morality of their supposed mission, especially when it becomes clear that theLysians [[NoSell aren't even remotely a match for the Federation]]. When [=MacDuff=] realizes they're having doubts, he attempts to manipulate [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Worf]], dropping hints about the possible need for a mutiny if Picard won't go through with it, but it doesn't work -- in the end, the Klingon is no more willing to fire on a defenseless enemy than the rest of the crew, especially when [=MacDuff=] starts [[VillainousBreakdown yelling]] for him to [[NoKillLikeOverkill fire all weapons]] at a station which, it was already established, could be destroyed with a single photon torpedo.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: This is ultimately [=MacDuff=]'s downfall -- he fails to take the ''Enterprise'' crew's pacifistic nature into account, assuming they will simply follow the orders they think they have been given. Instead, they start to question the morality of their supposed mission, especially when it becomes clear that the Lysians aren't even remotely a match for the Federation. When [=MacDuff=] realizes they're having doubts, he attempts to manipulate [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Worf]], dropping hints about the possible need for a mutiny if Picard won't go through with it, but it doesn't work -- in the end, the Klingon is no more willing to fire on a defenseless enemy than the rest of the crew, especially when [=MacDuff=] starts [[VillainousBreakdown yelling]] for him to [[NoKillLikeOverkill fire all weapons]] at a station which, it was already established, could be destroyed with a single photon torpedo.

After [=MacDuff=] has recovered, he continues to beat the war drums. Picard has moral issues with blindly following orders to kill people he doesn't know, particularly against such seemingly weak foes, but [=MacDuff=] insists that everyone is counting on them to end the war and save lives. He then goes behind Picard's back to Worf, noting that they are NotSoDifferent and asking his support to override the captain should he fail to do his duty.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[Theatre/{{Macbeth}} MacDuff is not of woman born.]]

** Riker examines his horga'hn from Risa, which he lent to Picard in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E19CaptainsHoliday Captain's Holiday]]."

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: This is ultimately [=MacDuff=]'s downfall -- he fails to take the ''Enterprise'' crew's pacifistic nature into account, assuming they will simply follow the orders they think they have been given. Instead, they start to question the morality of their supposed mission, especially when it becomes clear that the Lysians aren't even remotely a match for the Federation. When [=MacDuff=] realizes they're having doubts, he attempts to manipulate [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Worf]], dropping hints about the possible need for a mutiny if Picard won't go through with it, but it doesn't work -- in the end, the Klingon can see as well as everyone else that their situation just doesn't add up, especially when [=MacDuff=] starts [[VillainousBreakdown yelling]] for him to [[NoKillLikeOverkill fire all weapons]] at a station which, it was already established, could be destroyed with a single photon torpedo.

* DidntThinkThisThrough:
** Even if [=MacDuff's=] plan had succeeded, did it ever occur to him or the Satarrans that the Federation might not take kindly to having one of their ships getting hijacked and the crew being manipulated into fighting their war for them under false pretenses?
** Also, [=MacDuff=] didn't seem to consider that the crew might become suspicious of the set-up once it became obvious how much they outclassed the Lysians technologically.

* PatrickStewartSpeech: Even suffering from amnesia, Picard manages one of these, [[FridgeBrilliance because that's one of his skills]].

* DramaticIrony: The audience knows the crew's real occupations while the crew themselves struggle to figure it out. We also know that the Federation's war with the Lysians is false and that [=MacDuff=] is an imposter long before the crew does.

* DramaticIrony: One of the few times we can see it ''in real time''.

* ReverseWhodunnit: Of a sort: We viewers know that this [=MacDuff=] guy isn't part of the crew, and this war with the Lysians is a fabrication. We just don't know what's really going on or how he figures into it.

* AmnesiaEpisode: And not a bad one, really.

* BackstoryInvader: [=MacDuff=] tries to pull this off. Interestingly, the direction for the episode doesn't go out of its way to present him as a "new guy"; there's no closeup shot with ominous music or anything when we first see him. If you had never seen TNG before, you might not know there was anything special about him at all. Even regular fans might think he's just some random helmsman or other officer, until the crew manifest is recovered.

* BlingOfWar: Invoked--this is the reason why Worf thinks he's the captain, given his shiny sash. Naturally he's a little embarrassed to discover that the baldric isn't a symbol of rank, he just wears it as a token of pride in the Klingon part of his heritage.
* BottleEpisode: Dialogue-driven episode that uses only existing sets, has one guest star only and is shot with minimal special effects.
* ComplexityAddiction: [=MacDuff=]'s plan suffers from this upon reflection. He's got the technology to selectively erase both computer and organic memory, as well as implant his own information. You'd think he would have found a simpler way to use that technology to end the war than hijacking a shipload of total strangers, insinuating himself into the crew, and railroading them into fighting the war for him.

* DidTheyOrDidntThey: It's left ambiguous as to whether Riker and Ro slept together during their amnesia. (Although given that we last saw Ro, in the bedroom scene, saying, "And what makes you think you're going to get any sleep, mister?", what are the odds that they settled down to a nice game of pinochle and a cup of cocoa?) [[WomanScorned But Troi's not very amused in the end.]]

* FridgeLogic: In-universe, the main reason [=MacDuff=]'s plan falls apart. Too many things just don't add up.

* MomentKiller: At least as far as Troi is concerned, when Ro interrupts a tender moment between her and Riker. As for Riker--he just proceeds to [[IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow have a tender moment]] with Ro instead.
* MoreDakka: Worf reports that the ''Enterprise'' has 275 photon torpedoes in its inventory. For a ship dedicated to peaceful exploration that's operated by an organization that insists it's not a military, ''during peacetime'', one wonders what the hell kind of situations Starfleet thinks the ''Enterprise'' might find herself in that would require a standard loadout of that many antimatter weapons.
** Mind you, they have by now faced the Borg on multiple occasions, and plenty of other threats besides. The ''Enterprise'' and Starfleet are dedicated to peaceful exploration in general, but at the same time, Starfleet has a policy of equipping its starships to at least ''modestly'' handle themselves. Concurrent with this period in the ''Trek'' universe, Starfleet was making its first purpose-built warships (the ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Defiant]]'' class) in a direct response to the walloping their fleet had taken at Wolf 359.

* PunchClockVillain: We really don't know enough about the Lysians, the Satarrans, and their war to make any judgments, so we really can't call [=MacDuff=] anything more than someone trying to do his duty to his people. [[note]] In retrospect, the Lysians were pretty quick to start shooting at a strange spacecraft that they knew nothing about. The information [=MacDuff=] plants in the ''Enterprise'' computer explicitly paints the Lysian Alliance as "genocidal," but the truth of that statement is, like everything else, up for debate. For all we know, the Lysians are the aggressors in the war and [=MacDuff's=] plan was one of last resort. Of course, this also means that Picard and Company might even have helped him if he'd just ''asked''. [[/note]]

* SchizoTech: The Satarrans have memory-altering technology far more advanced than anything the Federation has seen, but their weapons tech is way behind. With how easily one guy took over the ''Enterprise'', a massively powerful warship from a civilization they knew nothing about, it's entirely possible they didn't think they ''needed'' weapon tech.

* ShoutOut:
** The brief glimpse of [=MacDuff=]'s true physical form shows that the Satarrans closely resemble the aliens from ''Film/TheyLive'', another race who make use of illusion and subterfuge to get humans to do their dirty work for them.
** The episode's plot has similarities to ''Film/CrimsonTide'', in which the ship is given attack orders they can't verify and TheCaptain and his NumberTwo disagree on what action to take, both aware that the wrong choice will cost numerous lives. The roles are reversed, though -- in ''Crimson Tide'', the captain wanted to press the attack while his XO was more hesitant; in this case, it's the opposite.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Data and Troi at the beginning of the episode. (Incidentally, ''you'' trying playing "intuitive" chess against a computer some time and see how far it gets you.)

* TechnicianVersusPerformer: Data versus Troi in their chess game. Troi is the Performer, playing by intuition, whereas Data, as an android, is incapable of being anything other than the Technician. Surprisingly (and perhaps unrealistically), Troi wins.

The ''Enterprise'' is heading for an uncharted sector of space where there have been indications of warp-capable civilizations, in the hopes of making FirstContact. Meanwhile, Doctor Crusher is tending to people in Sickbay, Troi and Data are playing chess in Ten Forward, and Ro and Riker are arguing about a point of procedure. So, a typical day, really.

Things take a turn for the not-so-typical when they reach said corner of space, and encounter a small spacecraft of unknown design. Sensors indicate a single lifeform aboard, but whoever they are, they don't reply to a hail, and start scanning back. The scan soon turns into an attack: a wave of green light sweeps through the ship--and suddenly, no one can remember who they are.

Our amnesiac heroes try to figure out what just happened. They know they're on a starship, they're all wearing matching uniforms, and there's the wreckage of another ship outside. Logic dictates they're the crew of a ship and they've just suffered some kind of attack. The guy with the lumpy forehead and the fancy sash assumes that he's in command, since he's the most heavily decorated, and starts acting as such. His top priorities are weapons control (after all, if they really have been attacked, they have to be prepared for another), and assessing just how widespread this amnesia problem is.

It turns out that it's shipwide: no one aboard can remember who they are, although they seem to have retained their skills and training (the doctor knows how to diagnose injuries, the engineer knows what the engines do, etc.) The tall guy with the beard and the navigator with the funny nose head down to Ten Forward, where they meet an android serving drinks and a woman who seems to have an empathic ability that no one else does. And for some reason neither of them can quite put their fingers on, this woman and the tall guy seem familiar to each other...

Checking the computer systems, the blind guy who seems to be the computer expert finds that the memory files have also been erased. But he manages to get a list of the command crew. That bald guy who's trying to get everyone to calm down and think about this situation? That's Jean-Luc Picard, the Captain. The guy with the baldric? Worf, the Tactical Officer (Worf is bummed he's not in charge and ashamed that he assumed he was, but Picard consoles him with the fact that nobody remembers anything anyway). The blind guy? Geordi La Forge, Chief Engineer. The navigator with the funny nose? Ensign Ro Laren. That android down in the bar? Data, the Operations Officer. The empathic woman? Deanna Troi, Ship's Counselor. The tall guy with the beard? Second Officer William Riker. The shifty guy over there? First Officer Kieran [=MacDuff=].

Hey... wait a minute...

Anyway, once the crew figures out who they are, they gather for a meeting. La Forge has managed to get a little more information out of the computer. Like the memories of the crew, the computer memory files have been selectively deleted. Any personal data or historical logs are gone. All they know is some general information and their current mission:

They are the crew of the ''Enterprise'', flagship of the United Federation of Planets. The Federation is currently at war with another power, the Lysian Alliance, and the ''Enterprise'' was on a secret mission to destroy the Lysian command center. The memory loss they've experienced is in keeping with rumors Federation intelligence has been hearing about a secret Lysian weapon that's been disabling Federation vessels. The ''Enterprise'''s mission is a crucial one for ending the war, and they are under strict comm silence orders. So they have no way to contact the Federation and confirm all of this. Despite some obvious misgivings, Picard orders the ''Enterprise'' to move forward.

Meanwhile, crew members are trying to get to some point of normalcy. Riker escorts Troi back to her quarters, where she expresses her unease: something about this whole situation doesn't feel right at all. Riker shares her unease, but he thinks it's just because they're at war; war never feels right. Bidding Troi a good night, Riker returns to his quarters... to find a provocatively-dressed Ro waiting for him.

[[BoldlyComing Well now...]]

The next day, the ''Enterprise'' reaches Lysian space. They are immediately accosted by a Lysian warship. Surprisingly, the ship doesn't immediately attack; in fact, they open a hailing frequency. Picard is about to answer, but [=MacDuff=] advises against it: this might have been what they did the first time. The situation is taken out of everyone's hands when the Lysian ship gets tired of waiting for a response and opens fire. The Lysian weapons, shockingly, don't even dent the hull of the ''Enterprise'', and when Picard reluctantly orders a return fire, all it takes is one phaser blast to destroy the ship.

Picard is disturbed by this turn of events; being forced to kill someone he doesn't even remember has made him even more anxious to get his memories back. He consults with Doctor Crusher to determine if anything can be done. Crusher has a theory that their memories have not been erased, but simply blocked off by some biological agent in their brains, and if they can remove that agent their memories will return. She's worked up a possible treatment, but without access to everyone's personal medical records she's reluctant to test it out. [=MacDuff=] volunteers (how convenient), but when he suffers some kind of seizure in the middle of the procedure (again, how convenient), Crusher decides to scrap the whole thing.

Later, after [=MacDuff=] has recovered, Picard calls him into his Ready Room and expresses his concerns. Picard has serious moral issues with this entire situation: he's being asked to blindly follow orders he doesn't remember getting the first time, orders which require him to kill people he doesn't know. And the encounter with the Lysian ship, whose weapons technology was clearly no match for the ''Enterprise'''s, has filled him with tremendous doubt. [=MacDuff=] expresses his sympathy with the Captain, but he reminds him that they are at war, and the possibility of saving Federation lives must naturally outweigh one man's moral qualms.

After this conversation, [=MacDuff=] speaks to Worf privately. He notes that he and Worf are NotSoDifferent: the ''Enterprise'' is a diverse ship full of experts in science, engineering, and diplomacy, and they're both clearly the experts in combat. And he wants Worf's assurances, from one soldier to another, that they have each other's backs--and that Worf will back him if the situation should arise that they need to make a hard decision the Captain can't. Worf isn't very enthusiastic about this possibility; like everyone else in the crew, he's starting to feel like something is very wrong here.

Meanwhile, a restless Troi visits Riker, once again feeling like somehow they have a connection. Riker manages to confirm this: while searching his quarters, trying to figure out who this William T. Riker guy is, he found a book with a handwritten dedication in it: "To Will, From Deanna, With Love." They are about to share a tender moment, but then Ro comes in and breaks up the party.

The ''Enterprise'' encounters very little resistance as it progresses through Lysian space: all they meet are a few automated defenses that they easily steamroll over. Until finally they reach the Lysian command center. It's a space station with a crew of thousands--and weapons technology a hundred years behind the Federation's. [=MacDuff=] urges Picard to destroy the station, but Picard has had enough of this. There is ''no way'' the Lysian Alliance could possibly be the mortal enemy of the Federation if ''this'' is how advanced they are. At any rate, he's not about to end thousands of lives without being absolutely sure it's necessary. [=MacDuff=], on the verge of VillainousBreakdown, tries to take over, but he's quickly shot dead by Worf and Riker. In the process, his disguise is damaged: he's not even ''human.''

Now that she knows that the procedure is actually safe, Doctor Crusher starts to restore everyone's memory. Things are slowly getting back to normal--except for poor Riker, who has the most awkward meeting imaginable with Ro and Troi...[[note]]Because, of course, it's completely Riker's fault that Ro jumped on him.[[/note]]

* BottleEpisode: Dialogue-driven, using existing sets, one guest star, and minimal special effects? Check, check, check, check.