History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E11ThePegasus

* GrowingTheBeard: In-universe example and related to the Trope Name rather than the Trope. Riker growing a beard during the interim between Seasons One and Two is finally given an in-universe explanation: he was tired of hearing people comment how young he looked.

* OnceMoreWithClarity: An interesting variation with the Altair III Incident. That's been part of Riker's character backstory since the TNG Pilot and the broad strokes were well established there. What this episode does, instead, is to expand on those broad strokes by finally providing the context for Riker's behavior during the incident. The ''Pegasus'' mutiny -- how a younger, less-experienced Riker blindly followed Pressman's illegal orders and most of his shipmates died -- is revealed to be ''why'' the older and more experienced Riker ''refuses'' to blindly follow orders and why he was willing to stand up to [=DeSoto=] and then later to Picard if he felt they were in the wrong.

* IHaveMyWays: Deconstructed. After Pressman declines to answer Picard's request for clarity about some of the ''Pegasus'' Incident's stranger details, the Captain uses his network of contacts and friends at Starfleet Command to get a copy of the JAG Report anyway. However, once starts making calls, Picard quickly learns ''why'' nobody officially knows what exactly happened aboard ''Pegasus'': The JAG Report was classified and buried by Starfleet Intelligence (to conceal the Mutiny, and with it the evidence of the Cloaking experiment). Because of this coverup, even Picard, with all his connections and friends inside Command, can't easily get at the document. Picard admits later to Riker he had to call in a ''lot'' of favors just to get a ''look'' at the Report.

* IHaveMyWays: Deconstructed. After Pressman declines to answer Picard's request for clarity about some of the ''Pegasus'' Incident's stranger details, the Captain uses his network of contacts and friends at Starfleet Command to get a copy of the JAG Report anyway. However, it turns out the reason nobody officially knows what exactly happened aboard ''Pegasus'' is because said Report was classified and buried by Starfleet Intelligence (to conceal the Mutiny, and with it the evidence of the Cloaking experiment). Because of this coverup, even Picard, with all his connections and friends inside Command, can't easily get the document. Picard ends ups having to call in a ''lot'' of favors just to get a ''look'' at it.

* IHaveMyWays: After Pressman declines to provide clarity about some of the questions about the loss of the ''Pegasus'', Picard uses his network of contacts and friends at Starfleet Command to get a copy of the JAG report anyway. However, it then gets deconstructed, because Picard learns the Report was classified and buried by Starfleet Intelligence (to conceal the Mutiny, and with it the evidence of the Cloaking experiment). So even with his personal network, Picard ends ups having to call in a ''lot'' of favors just to get a ''look'' at the document.

* IHaveMyWays: Even though the ''Pegasus'' incident report was classified, Picard uses his personal network of contacts to get a copy anyway. Even still, he admits it ''wasn't'' easy to read the report and that he had to call in quite a few favors just to get a look at it.

* ResolvedNoodleIncident: An interesting variation with the Altair III incident. That's been part of Riker's character backstory since the TNG Pilot and the broad strokes were well established there. What this episode does, instead, is to expand on those broad strokes by finally providing context for Riker's behavior during the incident. The events of the ''Pegasus'' mutiny -- how a young, less-experienced Riker blindly followed Pressman's illegal orders and most of his shipmates died -- are revealed to be ''why'' the older and more experienced Riker ''refuses'' to blindly follow orders and why he was willing to stand up to [=DeSoto=] and then later to Picard if he felt they were wrong.

---> '''Ron Moore:''' I am proud to say that I've written another InsaneAdmiral. They must put something in the water at Federation Headquarters.

* ForWantOfANail: While entertaining Pressman, Picard reveals he very nearly passed on Will's candidacy to become the ''Enterprise''-D's inaugural XO. While Riker's credentials ''were'' impressive, they still didn't really tell Picard anything about Riker or his character. Picard was about to put the file aside to review the next candidate when his eye caught mention of the Altair III Incident and Will's actions during it. Reading that saved Riker's candidacy, as it told Picard ''everything'' he needed to know: That Riker was more concerned with the safety of his ship and crew than with accomplishing the mission and that he wouldn't hesitate to stand up to Picard if he felt the Captain was in the wrong.

* ResolvedNoodleIncident: An interesting variation with the Altair III incident. That's been part of Riker's character backstory since the TNG Pilot and the broad strokes were well established there. What this episode does, instead, is to finally provide the context for Riker's behavior during the incident. The events of the ''Pegasus'' mutiny -- how a young, less-experienced Riker blindly followed Pressman's illegal orders and most of his shipmates died -- are revealed to be ''why'' the older and more experienced Riker ''refuses'' to blindly follow orders and why he was willing to stand up to [=DeSoto=] and then later to Picard if he felt they were wrong.

* ResolvedNoodledIncident: A unique variation with the Altair III incident. That's been part of Riker's character backstory since the TNG Pilot and the broad strokes were well established there. What this episode does, instead, is to finally provide the context for Riker's behavior during the incident. The events of the ''Pegasus'' mutiny -- how a young, less-experienced Riker blindly followed Pressman's illegal orders and most of his shipmates died -- are revealed to be ''why'' the older and more experienced Riker ''refuses'' to blindly follow orders and why he was willing to stand up to [=DeSoto=] and then later to Picard if he felt they were wrong.

* OnceMoreWithClarity: Downplayed with the Altair III incident, as that's been part of Riker's character backstory sine the TNG Pilot. That said, the revelations of this episode ''do'' re-contextualize the incident by revealing the events on the ''Pegasus'' -- how Riker blindly followed orders and most of his shipmates died -- are ''why'' Riker was willing to stand up to [=DeSoto=] and then later to Picard after transferring to the ''Enterprise''.

* OnceMoreWithClarity: Downplayed with the Altair III incident, as that's been part of Riker's character backstory sine the TNG Pilot. That said, the revelations of this episode ''do'' rec-contextualize the incident by revealing the events on the ''Pegasus'' -- how Riker blindly followed orders and most of his shipmates died -- are ''why'' Riker was willing to stand up to [=DeSoto=] and then later to Picard after transferring to the ''Enterprise''.

* LackOfEmpathy: Despite having been the ship's captain, Pressman doesn't show the slightest regret for the deaths of his crew, bluntly telling Riker "we're not here for a memorial service" when Riker wonders how many of the crew died when the ''Pegasus'' rematerialised inside the asteroid and being unmoved by Riker's writing off the mutineers as "cowards" whose deaths were [[NeverMyFault their own fault]].

* MoralMyopia: Pressman believes the most important quality for a soldier is following orders from a superior without question. Meanwhile Pressman thinks his superiors were foolish for signing the Treaty of Algeron and tries to get around it.

** Also the (unseen) Admiral Raner, head of Starfleet Security, who is stated to have authorized Pressman's mission, as well as the secrecy surrounding it, so presumably she was also part of the conspiracy.

* KarmaHoudini: It's unknown whether the other officers who sided with Captain Pressman and Riker on the ''Pegasus'' twelve years ago were ever punished for their role in the conspiracy.

* TheMutiny: Most of the crew of the ''Pegasus'' mutinied against Captain Pressman, who was violating the treaty with the Romulans to develop cloaking technology, though Pressman does have permission from certain higher-ups in Starfleet. Riker acknowledges the ambiguity of the situation during his confrontation with Pressman, though he's now firmly in the camp of the mutineers.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Picard tells Riker that he will bounce back from the revelation that he was complicit in a crime because of the respect he has since earned, and because he came froward when it truly mattered. No word on how this will affect Lt. Riker from "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E22SecondChances Second Chances]]", who was just as guilty as Commander Riker, but never had the chance to earn that same respect or come forward when it mattered.

. SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: The fallout's effect on Riker's career. Picard makes it clear that while Riker won't be cashiered out of the service, his role in the original coverup ''will'' likely cost him much of the respect he's earned with Command in the 12 years since the incident. It's telling that following this episode (and despite obvious manpower shortages due to the Dominion War), Command won't offer Riker another Captaincy until [[Film/StarTrekNemesis nearly a decade later]].

* InvisibilityCloak: Taken UpToEleven with one that makes a starship not only invisible but also able to pass through solid matter.

It's that time of year again, the holiday that brings joy to all the peoples of the ship: "Captain Picard Day." Naturally, he's uncomfortable being seen as a larger-than-life figure by the children - he even gets some ribbing from Riker over it - but he must continue the tradition and select a winner of the various drawings and sculptures of him. Thankfully, the day is interrupted by Vice Admiral Blackwell from Starfleet, who immediately reassigns the ''Enterprise,'' and informs Picard that they'll be taking on a passenger from Starfleet Intelligence. It turns out the passenger is Admiral Erik Pressman, who so happened to have been Commander Riker's captain on his first assignment out of the Academy: USS ''Pegasus''. And as it also turns out, the ''Pegasus'' is the reason they're out here. The Romulans have found her.

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: The theme of the episode. Riker regrets following orders and not joining the mutiny against Pressman's immoral orders. When Pressman and Riker discuss the ideal qualities of a First Officer, Picard wants someone who will do what he feels is right regardless of whether he'd be technically insubordinate in doing so. Riker has done this in the past, which is why Picard chose him. By the end of the episode, he finally gains the courage to disobey Admiral Pressman. Ironically, however, Pressman was himself breaking rules, so Riker will find himself in trouble for ever having followed his orders in the first place.