Future Imperfect

Friday May 4 |

Title: Future Imperfect
Season: 4
Episode: 8

Written by Vivian Ong

This Friducation was a first for us new design interns, Jenn and I. Future Imperfect was the Star Trek TNG episode of choice for the day, constantly putting us in states of confusion, shock and excitement.

The episode starts off with Commander Riker enjoying his birthday party with the crew of the Enterprise. However, it is interrupted when Captain Picard requests Riker, Geordi and Worf to investigate unusual readings on what was thought to be an uninhabited planet. As they beam down, the three officers cautiously explore the area, believing it to be the Romulans’ secret base. Suddenly, toxic gases start to surround them. Their attempt to transport back to the ship fails and they fall to the ground in coughing fits, losing consciousness.

Riker wakes up in sick bay to find that sixteen years have passed and that he is a widowed captain of the Enterprise with a son named Jean-Luc. His last memory is of the transporter having problems, unable to beam the crew members back to the ship. Doctor Crusher informs him that his amnesia is the result of the viral infection he contracted during that away mission, also telling him that his memory over the past 16 years may not return. Roles have shifted; Data is now Riker’s first officer, Picard is admiral, while Counselor Troy is now serving as Picard’s aid.

Numerous differences and inconsistencies within the Enterprise make Riker questionable and alert. Riker is surprised, as “Ambassador” Tomalak, an enemy of the Enterprise, is on the ship to negotiate a peace treaty with the Federation. The Enterprise computer constantly lags, Geordi is without a visor, and Data is unable to answer when Riker quickly asks him computational questions. Finally, his late wife’s image on the computer is revealed to be Minuet, a fictional holodeck character he previously fell in love with. This is all proof to Riker that none of the current events are real.

Riker confronts Picard and Tomalak, which leads to the program freezing and the false reality disappearing. Riker is now within a Romulan holodeck. “Commander” Tomalak is the one responsible for the trickery, in an attempt of obtaining the location of a key Federation outpost. Tomalak explains that they had been fooled by Riker’s intense memories of Minuet and therefore incorporated her into the fantasy, assuming she was real. Riker is then put in a holding deck, meeting the boy, named Ethan, that the Romulans used as an image for his “son.” As a team they are able to escape the Romulans and get into hiding. Riker realizes he is still in a false reality, after Ethan refers to Tomalak as “Ambassador” rather than “Commander.”

Ethan confesses to creating the simulations in Riker’s mind. His planet had been attacked, and everybody killed, including his mother. Ethan is imaginative, innocent, and yearning for companionship. He finally reveals himself as an alien named Barash. Riker offers Barash a home on the Enterprise, which Barash accepts. Upon beaming onto the ship, Riker learns that Worf and Geordi had beamed up without difficulty.

The conclusion of Future Imperfect produces feelings of contentment, as Barash is able to find a new home and Riker is no longer trapped in a perplexing multi-layered reality.

Source: wikipedia

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