[7.0/10] I don’t know how I feel about the Pakleds. They’re pretty comical as enemies go. They’re all rubenesque. They speak in very simple, repetitive words. To be frank, they scan as developmentally disabled, which makes the whole storyline a little uncomfortable. The styling and presentation of them leaves me scratching my head, wondering what exactly the show was going for when it conceived of them and their “overgrown toddler” affect and demeanor.
But the other side of the coin is that they represent something: both a unique challenge for Commander Riker given temporary command of the Enterprise, and the notion of wanting to advance without doing the work. Both are elements I like, even if the presentation is a little off and, if I’m being candid, kind of annoying.
On the challenge side, it’s unique to have Riker and company face an enemy that is a pack of idiots but also a pack of idiots who have you over a barrel. The Pakleds may be dunces, but they use their simplicity to their advantage, sending out mayday signals to attract would-be helpers and then hold hostages to gain technology and other resources. It’s honestly a little devious, more of a sharp ploy than I’d otherwise be inclined to give the dullards for. And it makes for a good explanation as to why the soaring smarties of Starfleet would fall for the trap -- it takes advantage of their good nature.
More than that, it puts Riker in a situation where he has to negotiate with a ship full of single-minded jerks who are too simple to reason with. When they take Geordi hostage, and spring unexpected defensive capabilities they’ve pilfered from other ships, it removes the Enterprise’s superior force as an option, forcing Riker to get creative in how to rescue his crewman without giving up valuable technology that the Pakleds are plainly not ready for.
But that quality also makes them thematically relevant to “Samaritan Snare.” The Pakleds wanted to advance without doing the work. So they found a way to cheat, to violate ethical norms and the basic dignity of people who tried to help them in order to go beyond their capabilities. The result is a group of people who have the tech, but not the understanding of how to use it or what it’s really for, in a way that leaves them vulnerable to better, more savvy operators in the universe.
It strangely ties into the B-story of this episode, which sees Captain Picard flying in a shuttlecraft to a nearby Starbase with none other than Wesley Crusher. It’s a lsower, slice of life plot thread within the episode, but also my favorite part. A thirteen hour trip shared between the captain of the Enterprise and the lowly (if precocious) ensign he’s a reluctant father figure to gives the pair a chance to chat about life.
We learn that Captain Picard didn’t always cut the figure of discipline incarnate. He was an unruly cadet who got into barfights (something we see in more depth down the line) and had to work to woo women and made reckless mistakes that now leave him having to undergo a medical procedure that he thinks threatens his image. It’s a chance to show a more human side of Picard. He’s a little vain (with the excuse of pragmatism), not wanting to show weakness or vulnerability to his crew. And he also wasn’t born the dignified commander, but rather had to learn his way through education, yes, but also through experience.
He passes this on to Wesley, and commits to the theme the episode seem to be trying to impart to the young ensign. There’s more to becoming an officer, to living a life, than just knowing the ins and outs of Starfleet training. It takes commitment, certainly, but also an appreciation for the unpredictability of practical experience and a broader intellectual and personal curiosity to make one ready for the challenge Wesley aims to undertake.
There may be no more heartening a quote from the good captain than “It takes more. Open your mind to the past. Art, history, philosophy. And all this may mean something.” In a funny way, it ties into the Pakled storyline, where the villains have the form but not the substance of what they extract from their unwitting victims. It’s not enough just to know the raw details; you have to find the poetry in them, the broader thoughts and passions behind your missions, personal or professional, for them to be something beyond an exercise in checking a box.
So much of Picard’s oratory in TNG is about the broader perspective on humanity or the Federation or diplomacy. It’s nice to see one center on the personal, on the way to live life, that brings the decorated leader, ironically, a little bit more down to Earth.
That said, the attempt to add some excitement to his little heart replacement. He’s anxious about a routine procedure that turns out to have complications, which it takes Dr. Pulaski to fix. It’s plays mostly like false jeopardy. Despite Tasha’s demise, it seems pretty unlikely the show would off the lead character three-quarters of the way through the series.
More to the point, it’s unclear why he doesn’t want Pulaski doing the procedure in the first place. Is she a gossip? Does he not want her to see him vulnerable like that? Is it even a vaguely romantic suggestion? Whatever it is, it’s weird, and the whole heart transplant element doesn't really work for the drama it’s intended for.
The same goes for the conclusion to the Pakled stand-off. Without being able to negotiate or blast his way out of the situation, Riker decides to trick the Pakleds, making them think the Enterprise is even more powerful than they thought. It’s a nice idea, and I’m always pleased when characters have to find clever ways to beat their foes than just phasering or talking their enemies to death. But the mechanics of the ruse are fairly opaque and not terribly satisfying despite the hinting communications with a captured Geordi.
Still, in the end, while both stories have their faults, they work just well enough to pass muster, and more than that, to fit together in a strange way. Whatever else the Pakleds are, they’re a cautionary tale, about not attaining status without understanding and how that leaves you vulnerable. Whatever else Picard is, he’s a man who still has his vanity and his regrets (like never having a family), but who forged himself into a person worthy of leading humanity into the unknown and looking after the souls in his care. Wesley would be lucky to follow in the good captain’s footsteps, and to avoid the lurching, bulbous ones of the Enterprise’s enemies of the week.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-02-20T00:00:43Z
[7.0/10] I don’t know how I feel about the Pakleds. They’re pretty comical as enemies go. They’re all rubenesque. They speak in very simple, repetitive words. To be frank, they scan as developmentally disabled, which makes the whole storyline a little uncomfortable. The styling and presentation of them leaves me scratching my head, wondering what exactly the show was going for when it conceived of them and their “overgrown toddler” affect and demeanor.
But the other side of the coin is that they represent something: both a unique challenge for Commander Riker given temporary command of the Enterprise, and the notion of wanting to advance without doing the work. Both are elements I like, even if the presentation is a little off and, if I’m being candid, kind of annoying.
On the challenge side, it’s unique to have Riker and company face an enemy that is a pack of idiots but also a pack of idiots who have you over a barrel. The Pakleds may be dunces, but they use their simplicity to their advantage, sending out mayday signals to attract would-be helpers and then hold hostages to gain technology and other resources. It’s honestly a little devious, more of a sharp ploy than I’d otherwise be inclined to give the dullards for. And it makes for a good explanation as to why the soaring smarties of Starfleet would fall for the trap -- it takes advantage of their good nature.
More than that, it puts Riker in a situation where he has to negotiate with a ship full of single-minded jerks who are too simple to reason with. When they take Geordi hostage, and spring unexpected defensive capabilities they’ve pilfered from other ships, it removes the Enterprise’s superior force as an option, forcing Riker to get creative in how to rescue his crewman without giving up valuable technology that the Pakleds are plainly not ready for.
But that quality also makes them thematically relevant to “Samaritan Snare.” The Pakleds wanted to advance without doing the work. So they found a way to cheat, to violate ethical norms and the basic dignity of people who tried to help them in order to go beyond their capabilities. The result is a group of people who have the tech, but not the understanding of how to use it or what it’s really for, in a way that leaves them vulnerable to better, more savvy operators in the universe.
It strangely ties into the B-story of this episode, which sees Captain Picard flying in a shuttlecraft to a nearby Starbase with none other than Wesley Crusher. It’s a lsower, slice of life plot thread within the episode, but also my favorite part. A thirteen hour trip shared between the captain of the Enterprise and the lowly (if precocious) ensign he’s a reluctant father figure to gives the pair a chance to chat about life.
We learn that Captain Picard didn’t always cut the figure of discipline incarnate. He was an unruly cadet who got into barfights (something we see in more depth down the line) and had to work to woo women and made reckless mistakes that now leave him having to undergo a medical procedure that he thinks threatens his image. It’s a chance to show a more human side of Picard. He’s a little vain (with the excuse of pragmatism), not wanting to show weakness or vulnerability to his crew. And he also wasn’t born the dignified commander, but rather had to learn his way through education, yes, but also through experience.
He passes this on to Wesley, and commits to the theme the episode seem to be trying to impart to the young ensign. There’s more to becoming an officer, to living a life, than just knowing the ins and outs of Starfleet training. It takes commitment, certainly, but also an appreciation for the unpredictability of practical experience and a broader intellectual and personal curiosity to make one ready for the challenge Wesley aims to undertake.
There may be no more heartening a quote from the good captain than “It takes more. Open your mind to the past. Art, history, philosophy. And all this may mean something.” In a funny way, it ties into the Pakled storyline, where the villains have the form but not the substance of what they extract from their unwitting victims. It’s not enough just to know the raw details; you have to find the poetry in them, the broader thoughts and passions behind your missions, personal or professional, for them to be something beyond an exercise in checking a box.
So much of Picard’s oratory in TNG is about the broader perspective on humanity or the Federation or diplomacy. It’s nice to see one center on the personal, on the way to live life, that brings the decorated leader, ironically, a little bit more down to Earth.
That said, the attempt to add some excitement to his little heart replacement. He’s anxious about a routine procedure that turns out to have complications, which it takes Dr. Pulaski to fix. It’s plays mostly like false jeopardy. Despite Tasha’s demise, it seems pretty unlikely the show would off the lead character three-quarters of the way through the series.
More to the point, it’s unclear why he doesn’t want Pulaski doing the procedure in the first place. Is she a gossip? Does he not want her to see him vulnerable like that? Is it even a vaguely romantic suggestion? Whatever it is, it’s weird, and the whole heart transplant element doesn't really work for the drama it’s intended for.
The same goes for the conclusion to the Pakled stand-off. Without being able to negotiate or blast his way out of the situation, Riker decides to trick the Pakleds, making them think the Enterprise is even more powerful than they thought. It’s a nice idea, and I’m always pleased when characters have to find clever ways to beat their foes than just phasering or talking their enemies to death. But the mechanics of the ruse are fairly opaque and not terribly satisfying despite the hinting communications with a captured Geordi.
Still, in the end, while both stories have their faults, they work just well enough to pass muster, and more than that, to fit together in a strange way. Whatever else the Pakleds are, they’re a cautionary tale, about not attaining status without understanding and how that leaves you vulnerable. Whatever else Picard is, he’s a man who still has his vanity and his regrets (like never having a family), but who forged himself into a person worthy of leading humanity into the unknown and looking after the souls in his care. Wesley would be lucky to follow in the good captain’s footsteps, and to avoid the lurching, bulbous ones of the Enterprise’s enemies of the week.