2x21 Peak Performance

[7.9/10] For reasons that will be apparent to anyone who watches “Shades of Gray”, this is the real season finale for Star Trek: The Next Generation, and it feels up to that august task. It’s basically field day on the Enterprise, with a war games simulation that pits Riker and his handpicked comrades on an old derelict against Captain Picard, Starfleet’s flagship, and the rest of the crew. There’s nothing at stake but pride, but it sets half of the cast to compete against the other half, with the extra zing that comes from our heroes using their wits and guile against one another rather than against an external force.

But there’s a fly in the ointment who takes away some of the fun of that (for the crew, not for the audience). Kolrami, a master tactician and strategist from a species known for their prowess in those areas, boards the Enterprise as a Starfleet observer. He’s there to judge our humble crewman for their performance during the games and makes no secret of his sense of superiority and disdain for anything he deems below his capabilities, Commander Riker especially.

It’s a smart framing for the episode. The Starfleet vs. Starfleet setup gives the audience a thrill we don’t normally get to see, but the presence of a naysaying but authoritative skeptic adds some stakes to the theoretically academic encounter.

I have to say, I unexpectedly loved Kolrami. He’s the opposite of what I normally like from Star Trek and television generally. He looks silly, chews the scenery, and is anything but subtle or reserved. But he’s just delightful in his obsequiousness and hateability, bringing a haughty smugness and pointed personality that gives him a real presence, while making it eminently satisfying when our heroes prove him wrong and leave him chastened and almost flattering. He’s a big character, but he works as a foil in what’s otherwise a friendly family feud.

“Peak Performance” also marks itself as a season finale by finding something for everyone in the cast to do. The chief beneficiary of that on the Hathaway (the Kirk-era starship used for the war games) is Riker himself. This is another opportunity for him to play captain, demonstrating not only the improvisation in battle but also the people management skills that mark him ready for the big chair when he decides to take it.

At the same time, though, the episode finds meaningful ways for the rest of his charges to contribute. Worf finds a way to surprise the Enterprise by tapping into the ship’s sensors and creating an illusion of a Romulan attack to buy the underpowered vessel a chance to go on the offensive. Geordi has the chance to prove himself a miracle worker by generating an unexpected two seconds of warp from a ship that’s not supposed to be capable of it. And even Wesley Crusher proves himself a little cunning, finding an excuse to beam back to the Enterprise and smuggle over a school science experiment with the antimatter they need to make it happen. It’s not much, but it gives each of these major players a moment in the sun and a chance to show their value.

Back on the Enterprise, most of the character focus rests with Data. He loses a game of “Strategema” (basically futuristic video game stratego) to Kolrami and suffers a crisis of confidence because of it. Data assumes something must be wrong with him because he made no technical errors and was still defeated. His journey is one to discover that he too can employ lateral thinking, that he has his own style and approach, and that one setback when deploying the rigid methods he’s used to isn’t a damning statement that something’s somehow wrong with him.

Both Troi and Pulaski contribute to this plot thread and Data’s recovery. Troi uses her skills as ship’s counselor to provide Data some comfort and support, and Pulaski is in the rare position of treating the android like a human being weighed down by feelings. “Peak Performance” doesn’t give them as much to do as some of the other cast members, but again, they each have moments to shine and be true to their characters, and they even to prompt the captain to get involved.

That’s the funny thing about the episode. As a finale, it’s less focused on the show’s ostensible main character than it might be. Instead, Picard is there mainly to support his two lead officers. He reads Kolrami the riot act about Riker, lauding not only his aptitude for creative strategies and unexpected tactical moves, but also a “joviality” that wins the loyalty of his charges. Likewise, he gives one of Star Trek’s great speeches that stirs Data from his stupor, about fulfilling your duty even when you have to face self-doubt and that “It is possible to commit no errors and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.”

It’s telling that for TNG, Picard’s role is not just the hero captain who single-handedly saves the day, but the mentor and supporter of his people, who’s quicker to champion and rehabilitate than do anything to seize credit or glory. It’s a great look for Jean-Luc and one that makes “Peak Performance” not just about how he leads this crew, but about how he’s lifted them up.

Of course, both Riker and Data rise to the occasion, which is especially necessary and thrilling when a real enemy shows up. The twist that a Ferengi ship begins attacking in the middle of the war games throws a nice monkey wrench into the proceedings. It brings our heroes back together, having to find a way to marry the tactics they were planning to use on one another to fend off this foe. There’s some nice setup and payoff with Riker earning his crew’s trust to use the Hathaway’s wobbly warp drive under perilous circumstances and a ruse from none other than Data that fools the Ferengi into giving up. The finish is a tribute to the outside-the-box thinking and inventiveness that the first and second officers of the Enterprise exemplify.

Data even beats a suitably chastened Kolrami at Strategema, frustrating the supercilious jerk by playing for a draw rather than a win. It shows Data’s ability to find those unique and outside the box solutions that the crew of the Enterprise has to pull out of their hats on a regular basis to face down the unknown and unexpected challenges on the final frontier.

The episode closes with Data smiling, surrounded by friends who cheer on his success. It’s a great lasting image for the de facto end to the show’s second season, one where skill, creativity, and most importantly camaraderie are valued. The battle is always with yourself, first and foremost, and this would-be finale, “Peak Performance” nevertheless finds a way for everyone in the crew to win.