I remember when this episode first aired... It was spooky, surreal, and suspenseful. Usually in Star Trek episodes you can spot the "solution" beforehand, or else a character reveals a plan that you know will work, although you assume that it will be a close call. Not so here. Because of the time warp, you know that somehow things will turn out okay, but you really don't know how, and the anxiety level ratchets up each time the crew fails to avert disaster. The show honestly leaves you hanging until the end. This was "Groundhog Day" in the year BEFORE Groundhog Day. (Connection????) The acting is amazing because even though the same scene is repeated several times, the viewer remains rapt in attention. Underrated, sublime episode.
32 Reviews
One of the best Trek episodes; wonderful!
ahifi30 June 2009
Cause and Effect not only successfully manages to balance excitement, action and logic - it also manages to uphold this while repeating the same incident over and over.
The opening will have you hooked as the Enterprise suffers in the hands of a time loop, forced to replay the same event, with the crew failing to remember past events of the previous cycle.
While the episode does have questionable flaws, one cannot deny the technical mastery employed here. This is everything a Star Trek fan wants in one episode!
*head explodes*
Cause and Effect not only successfully manages to balance excitement, action and logic - it also manages to uphold this while repeating the same incident over and over...?
The opening will have you hooked as the Enterprise suffers in the hands of a time loop, forced to replay the same event, with the crew failing to remember past events of the previous cycle.
While the episode does have questionable flaws, one cannot deny the technical mastery employed here. This is everything a Star Trek fan wants in one episode!
*head explodes*
Cause and Effect not only successfully manages to balance excitement, action and logic - it also manages to uphold this while repeating the same incident over and over...?
Frakes helms one of the most intense ST:TNG episodes ever!
garrard15 April 2006
Jonathan Frakes (better known as First Officer Ryker) directed this time-travel installment that features no less than four spectacular destructions of the Enterprise. Trapped in a time loop, Jean-Luc and crew must discover a means to prevent a devastating collision between the Enterprise and another starship. Each time the mishap occurs the crew is flung back in time to a period prior to the calamity. Data discovers, through small "clues," what is happening and must make right the situations that leads to the catastrophe.
The episode features a last minute cameo by Kelsey Grammar as the captain of the other doomed ship.
The episode features a last minute cameo by Kelsey Grammar as the captain of the other doomed ship.
TNG distilled into one episode
Mr-Fusion15 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Well there's one hell of an intro for you; 'Cause and Effect' begins on the bridge in chaos and the Enterprise spiraling off into an explosion. Credits!
The ship is caught in a causal loop, and every time it explodes, the sequence begins anew. After a while, various crew-members (Dr. Crusher, mostly) feels the deja vu and try to sort things out. One reason why this episode is so effective is the writing; the repetition works because you want these people to put the pieces together and save the ship. The other is Frakes' direction, and he spices things up with different camera angles.
But it's not as simple as just saving the day. What's causing the destruction is another ship having the same problem (captained by Kelsey Grammar in a nice bit role), except that while the Enterprise has been trapped for 17 days, they've been missing for 80 years(!). There's a real gravity to this ending.
All in all, it's a fantastic episode, and has all of the technobabble and roundtable debate of classic TNG.
10/10
The ship is caught in a causal loop, and every time it explodes, the sequence begins anew. After a while, various crew-members (Dr. Crusher, mostly) feels the deja vu and try to sort things out. One reason why this episode is so effective is the writing; the repetition works because you want these people to put the pieces together and save the ship. The other is Frakes' direction, and he spices things up with different camera angles.
But it's not as simple as just saving the day. What's causing the destruction is another ship having the same problem (captained by Kelsey Grammar in a nice bit role), except that while the Enterprise has been trapped for 17 days, they've been missing for 80 years(!). There's a real gravity to this ending.
All in all, it's a fantastic episode, and has all of the technobabble and roundtable debate of classic TNG.
10/10
Frasier's back!
russem3127 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
ST:TNG:118 - "Cause And Effect" (Stardate: 45652.1) - this is the 18th episode of the 5th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
This is another great episode not only because it deals with one of my favorite themes, time distortions, but also because it features a cameo by Kelsey Grammar as Captain Bateson (he is now the 3rd "Cheers" cast member to guest star on Star Trek - the first two being Kirstie Alley as Lt. Saavik on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Bebe Neuwirth as Nurse Lanel in the TNG episode "First Contact").
The Enterprise has entered the unexplored Typhon Expanse and become trapped in a time loop where the ship is on a collision course with an older Federation Starship, each time leading to the Enterprise's explosion!
Can they find a way out of it? Watch and see!
Trivia note: Michelle Forbes stars again as Ensign Ro Laren, as does Patti Yasutake as Nurse Ogawa. And, we see the crew poker game again (seemingly every Tuesday night).
This is another great episode not only because it deals with one of my favorite themes, time distortions, but also because it features a cameo by Kelsey Grammar as Captain Bateson (he is now the 3rd "Cheers" cast member to guest star on Star Trek - the first two being Kirstie Alley as Lt. Saavik on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Bebe Neuwirth as Nurse Lanel in the TNG episode "First Contact").
The Enterprise has entered the unexplored Typhon Expanse and become trapped in a time loop where the ship is on a collision course with an older Federation Starship, each time leading to the Enterprise's explosion!
Can they find a way out of it? Watch and see!
Trivia note: Michelle Forbes stars again as Ensign Ro Laren, as does Patti Yasutake as Nurse Ogawa. And, we see the crew poker game again (seemingly every Tuesday night).
All hands, abandon ship!
snoozejonc3 October 2021
The Enterprise is caught in a time loop.
This is an excellent temporal sci-fi episode with some memorable character moments.
The plot is clever and unfolds in a pretty entertaining way with a number of simple scenes used to unravel a good sci-fi mystery. We know everything is going to work out fine, but how they solve the problem is compelling to watch. What makes it more impressive is that it predates the movie 'Groundhog Day'.
Dr Crusher, Commander LaForge, Lieutenant Data, Commander Riker, and Captain Picard all have strong moments in a story told in a quite unique way. Gates McFadden leads it strongly for large periods and the other cast members contribute well.
Visually it is brilliant, with a lot of scene repetition off set by multi-angle cinematography, and good editing.
The only disappointment to come out of the episode was the lack of follow up to the Bozeman and crew in any other episodes or Trek shows. Especially with the untapped potential Kelsey Grammer brings to the screen here.
This is an excellent temporal sci-fi episode with some memorable character moments.
The plot is clever and unfolds in a pretty entertaining way with a number of simple scenes used to unravel a good sci-fi mystery. We know everything is going to work out fine, but how they solve the problem is compelling to watch. What makes it more impressive is that it predates the movie 'Groundhog Day'.
Dr Crusher, Commander LaForge, Lieutenant Data, Commander Riker, and Captain Picard all have strong moments in a story told in a quite unique way. Gates McFadden leads it strongly for large periods and the other cast members contribute well.
Visually it is brilliant, with a lot of scene repetition off set by multi-angle cinematography, and good editing.
The only disappointment to come out of the episode was the lack of follow up to the Bozeman and crew in any other episodes or Trek shows. Especially with the untapped potential Kelsey Grammer brings to the screen here.
Typical Brannon Braga TNG Ep.
XweAponX20 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
On of his best actually - Despite my grief with Braga over destroying the Enterprise D "Just Because it Didn't Fit well onto a 16:9 Widescreen Format"- and some of his other writing mistakes, he DID write a number of great STTNG eps. He never should have been elevated to Producer status. back when the Beimler/Manning team was producing the series, the show quality jumped to a high degree. Later, was was simply Berman/Braga and they drove the Trek universe into the ground. But this ep was made right before that happened - Braga was simply the story editor at this time, the series was enjoying it's highest peak at this point.
Time Travel has been used in Trek since TOS. As a matter of fact, if some Trek ep got backed into a corner, they would always write some kind of Time anomaly to "fix" it.
Regardless of this overuse of Time in the Trek 'Verse, this episode explores a unique idea: The idea of a Temporal Causality Loop - And so the Enterprise is stuck in a short loop of Time and are doomed to live it over, forever and ever, unless they can figure it out.
There are some interesting things here: As Dr Crusher is attending her plants, she is humming a musical phrase, which subtly changes each time she sings it in each subsequent loop. And no matter what she does, she cannot seem to prevent a glass of wine from being knocked over - Even with foreknowledge of the accident. And due to this, we ask ourselves, will the Crew be able to actually MAKE a different choice, when the "time" comes? I think there was a DS9 or Babylon 5 ep that parodies this ep - actually it was a Stargate SG1 episode, "Window of Opportunity" which parodied this. But this ep came first. It is a rather disturbing episode, and there are subtle themes that change, some of them in small ways, but always, the events of the timeline always occur at the exact same time.
And so this Ep deals with "Foreknowledge and Predestination", or Predestination vs Determinism.
Time Travel has been used in Trek since TOS. As a matter of fact, if some Trek ep got backed into a corner, they would always write some kind of Time anomaly to "fix" it.
Regardless of this overuse of Time in the Trek 'Verse, this episode explores a unique idea: The idea of a Temporal Causality Loop - And so the Enterprise is stuck in a short loop of Time and are doomed to live it over, forever and ever, unless they can figure it out.
There are some interesting things here: As Dr Crusher is attending her plants, she is humming a musical phrase, which subtly changes each time she sings it in each subsequent loop. And no matter what she does, she cannot seem to prevent a glass of wine from being knocked over - Even with foreknowledge of the accident. And due to this, we ask ourselves, will the Crew be able to actually MAKE a different choice, when the "time" comes? I think there was a DS9 or Babylon 5 ep that parodies this ep - actually it was a Stargate SG1 episode, "Window of Opportunity" which parodied this. But this ep came first. It is a rather disturbing episode, and there are subtle themes that change, some of them in small ways, but always, the events of the timeline always occur at the exact same time.
And so this Ep deals with "Foreknowledge and Predestination", or Predestination vs Determinism.
Gripping Time Loop Episode
Hitchcoc3 September 2014
This is one of those shows that grabs you from the beginning and carries you through to the very end. It starts with the Enterprise doing some exploring in a new sector and ends with a collision with another starship. Before this happens there is a poker game, an appearance by Jordi in sick bay with an ear infection, Beverly in her quarters hearing voices and feeling like she's been there before, and coming face to face with a huge cosmic storm, out of which comes the other starship. Everything ends with Picard screaming, "Abandon ship!" Now everything goes back to the opening with the ship on its exploratory mission and everything happens again. Eventually, the poker players begin to feel like they know things, including the cards that will be dealt. Crusher knows she will be called to sick bay but can't explain why. She also knows ahead of time that Jordi will be there. Picard is reading a book, but believes he has read the first few chapters before. Crusher, at one point, records the voices and Data is able to hear Picard's screams to abandon ship. They must plot a strategy because they are sure they are in a time loop. But how do you warn the crew in the next recurrence of the events what it was that destroyed the Enterprise. This is superb science fiction.
Best Episode of TNG Ever?
Samuel-Shovel28 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
In "Cause and Effect" the Enterprise gets stuck in a time loop with the same events replaying over and over again. But as more instances of deja vu occur within the crew's memories, the timeline begins to slightly alter with each passing repetition.
There's a reason this is rated so high; it's an absolute classic. One thing that doesn't get talked about enough is the directing done by Jonathan Frakes. How he shoots each new iteration from different camera positions and angles really makes it feel fresh and not stale when we watch the poker scene for the 4th time. A very clever move. Great all around.
There's a reason this is rated so high; it's an absolute classic. One thing that doesn't get talked about enough is the directing done by Jonathan Frakes. How he shoots each new iteration from different camera positions and angles really makes it feel fresh and not stale when we watch the poker scene for the 4th time. A very clever move. Great all around.
Star Trek meets Groundhog Day meets Edge of Tomorrow - Highly enjoyable!
ddt_eagleeye3 April 2018
Damn. This Episode shows how much creativity and sophistication the writers put into the show and how much movies of today are inspired by it.
The basic premise is that Enterprise is stuck in a destructive timeloop, where the crew begins to realize they're reliving the same chain of events time and again with every further iteration adding little bits and pieces of the incident residing in their memories.
It is a classic story of "What happened if you would relive the same day every day?" like seen in Groundhog Day for example, but with its own genuine and fresh take on it. Highly enjoyable!
One of the most fascinating TNG episodes ever
padresteve5 September 2019
When I first saw this episode when it came out I was intrigued, but the more often I see it on DVD or Netflix I find it more and more interesting. The slow process of discovery as the crew sorts through the time loop and discover clues to their plight grow on me every time I watch it
Caught in a time loop
Tweekums9 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
In the opening sequence we see the Enterprise collide with another ship and explode and after the credits there is no suggestion that it was a simulation; in fact there is no immediate reference to it at all. Instead we see Dr Crusher, Data, Rika and Worf playing poker; it seems like another game but after winning Crusher states that she had a feeling Riker was bluffing; nothing abnormal though. She is then called away to treat Geordi and this time there is a stronger feeling of déjà vu. More strange events occur until the Enterprise encounters a space-time rift; moments later another ship emerges and despite using the tractor beam to deflect it they collide and the Enterprise explodes. We then return to the poker game only this time it isn't just Dr Crusher who has a feeling of déjà vu. The events play over and over; each time a little more is remembered but the end result is the same; they will have to find a way to send a message back in time to avoid the collision.
This is a gripping episode that had me hooked from the moment it became clear that the destruction of the Enterprise wasn't a simulation. While we see the events several times they are sufficiently different that they don't seem overly repetitive. Details of what is happening emerge gradually; for example the voices Crusher hears and the reason Geordi was feeling unwell. The ultimate reason they are able to escape does seem a little far-fetched and it is a little surprising that they can remember the order cards are drawn in their game but can't recall what action led to the crash; still these are minor quibbles that one thinks about after watching rather than major problems.
This is a gripping episode that had me hooked from the moment it became clear that the destruction of the Enterprise wasn't a simulation. While we see the events several times they are sufficiently different that they don't seem overly repetitive. Details of what is happening emerge gradually; for example the voices Crusher hears and the reason Geordi was feeling unwell. The ultimate reason they are able to escape does seem a little far-fetched and it is a little surprising that they can remember the order cards are drawn in their game but can't recall what action led to the crash; still these are minor quibbles that one thinks about after watching rather than major problems.
Excellent idea but gets a bit tedious
stevesheldon-2255710 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I don't know how they could have improved on it, though, because unlike Groundhog Day the entire crew is stuck and has to figure that out together. So that means you can't have humorous encounters with unwitting participants by a protagonist who knows he's stuck. Bill Murray's character knew from the moment he woke up every day that he was stuck. That's where the humor was and what made his journey to being a better person possible.
This show is more like a thought experiment.
This show is more like a thought experiment.
This sort of episode makes me want to rip my eyes out!! I hated it!
planktonrules24 November 2014
Currently, "Cause and Effect" is one of the highest rated episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"...and I have absolutely no idea why. I found it to be incredibly repetitive and dull--and just the sort of show I hated!
The show begins with the Enterprise blowing up! However, after the credits roll, it begins again--and a series of events once again lead to the ship exploding. And then, the whole thing starts up again and again! Apparently the ship is caught up in some sort of a time loop. Eventually, however, they come out of it...but it seems to take FOREVER!
My least favorite episodes are usually the ones that are stuck aboard the Enterprise for the entire show. They tend to be more dull, stagy and cerebral. As for me, I would MUCH prefer aliens and excitement-- and this one offers none of this. Instead, you have the same lines repeated again and again--and the longer this happens the more some members of the crew start to sense something is amiss. Dull....amazingly dull.
The show begins with the Enterprise blowing up! However, after the credits roll, it begins again--and a series of events once again lead to the ship exploding. And then, the whole thing starts up again and again! Apparently the ship is caught up in some sort of a time loop. Eventually, however, they come out of it...but it seems to take FOREVER!
My least favorite episodes are usually the ones that are stuck aboard the Enterprise for the entire show. They tend to be more dull, stagy and cerebral. As for me, I would MUCH prefer aliens and excitement-- and this one offers none of this. Instead, you have the same lines repeated again and again--and the longer this happens the more some members of the crew start to sense something is amiss. Dull....amazingly dull.
One of the best episodes of any Star Trek series
Zaffy-122 July 2017
A favorite episode.
If I wanted to introduce someone to the Star Trek Universe for the first time, "Cause and Effect" would definitely be among the suggested episodes.
This is what Star Trek is supposed to be, not the mindless action thing that has been reduced to in the recent ST movies...
A solid 10 for this one.
If I wanted to introduce someone to the Star Trek Universe for the first time, "Cause and Effect" would definitely be among the suggested episodes.
This is what Star Trek is supposed to be, not the mindless action thing that has been reduced to in the recent ST movies...
A solid 10 for this one.
One of my favorites
alci3507 March 2022
When starting a new TNG binge watch, this the episode I'm most looking forward to. I remember it from beginning to end, yet I still want to see it over and over again. I love it. I do also get the urge to play poker :p.
Easily in my Top-10 of All-Time!
spasek21 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Absolutely fantastic--and frankly, nearly flawless--episode of STNG. I count this episode as one of the very best ever done in Star Trek.
The Enterprise finds itself stuck in a causality loop, in which the crew experiences the same day over and over again. So, the age-old question becomes: does the effect create the cause, or does the cause create the effect? The irony of the answer is that it is actually both.
Typically a person with great intuition is able to pick up the subtle nuances of change. Quite often--but not always--women are usually more capable in this area. It didn't surprise me that Dr. Crusher is the first one to pick up on the "deja vu" and realize that something was off. I like how she becomes the focal point--and also the hope--for the Enterprise's chances of getting out of it.
I also enjoyed how it took several runs-through before they were finally able to discern a solution.
I'd always wondered, however, that with the Enterprise's systems down, they were still able to activate a tractor beam. But this really doesn't matter, as Data finally understands that his suggestion for a solution is the wrong one.
They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. On a deeper level, this is really what this story is about. How many times will you repeat the same mistakes when the solution is always the same? Until you make a different choice, that is! This is true of people, families, and countries, for how often has history--in fact--repeated itself with tragic and catastrophic consequences?
The Enterprise finds itself stuck in a causality loop, in which the crew experiences the same day over and over again. So, the age-old question becomes: does the effect create the cause, or does the cause create the effect? The irony of the answer is that it is actually both.
Typically a person with great intuition is able to pick up the subtle nuances of change. Quite often--but not always--women are usually more capable in this area. It didn't surprise me that Dr. Crusher is the first one to pick up on the "deja vu" and realize that something was off. I like how she becomes the focal point--and also the hope--for the Enterprise's chances of getting out of it.
I also enjoyed how it took several runs-through before they were finally able to discern a solution.
I'd always wondered, however, that with the Enterprise's systems down, they were still able to activate a tractor beam. But this really doesn't matter, as Data finally understands that his suggestion for a solution is the wrong one.
They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. On a deeper level, this is really what this story is about. How many times will you repeat the same mistakes when the solution is always the same? Until you make a different choice, that is! This is true of people, families, and countries, for how often has history--in fact--repeated itself with tragic and catastrophic consequences?
Absolutely loved it!
marvinstang25 June 2021
Also love how everything still feels "natural" in a very good way, yet very surreal! Hard to explain, there's still this certain openness that's often missing, for example, with fast paced blockbuster movies (Also due to the shot sizes).
Again, really hard to explain, but fantastic!
Again, really hard to explain, but fantastic!
Great episode and interesting plot
sabri40027 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I normally like time related episodes and this is no exception. The story was solid and it unraveled well. My only "gripe" is the ending. The Bozeman crew were caught up in the time loop for approximately 80 years yet the Enterprise crew realized in about 15 days that's something was wrong with feelings of deja vu. Why didn't the Bozeman crew realize they were stuck in groundhog day after all that time? Still love the episode.
REVIEW 2022
iamirwar18 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Reference to the nacelle's have been a regular occurrence in recent episodes... have the writers found a new word to play with? But boy are we in big trouble.
And it all started so peacefully on our way to the Typhon Expanse.
I think I remember this episode and if it's the one I think it is, I remember it as one of my favourites from first showing 30 years ago.
This is the kind of episode I like... the story revolves around that thing out of the window whilst personal relationships and interaction are nowhere to be seen. It's looking good that we are not trying to reinvent the wheel.
This is a story that involves the entire ensemble and these are usually the better episodes.
Of course, the premise of the story has been repeated many times but it is worth watching, especially for the way the crew deal with the problem. It leaves is with a thought provoking quandary that makes for brilliant tv.
Just out of interest, but how do the crew determine whether its night or day? I am sure the ship has its own chronometer but on what time zone is it set? Let's say it is based on the last Starship that they visited... but do they follow a 24 hour earth day, or do they extend or shorten their day?
They would have no need for months or years as the seasons don't change but I suppose being predominantly earthlings, they will follow the customs of that planet.
Of course, they follow star-dates, but that isn't really observed as ships-time.
This Episodes Clue: Tossed Salad and Eggs.
And it all started so peacefully on our way to the Typhon Expanse.
I think I remember this episode and if it's the one I think it is, I remember it as one of my favourites from first showing 30 years ago.
This is the kind of episode I like... the story revolves around that thing out of the window whilst personal relationships and interaction are nowhere to be seen. It's looking good that we are not trying to reinvent the wheel.
This is a story that involves the entire ensemble and these are usually the better episodes.
Of course, the premise of the story has been repeated many times but it is worth watching, especially for the way the crew deal with the problem. It leaves is with a thought provoking quandary that makes for brilliant tv.
Just out of interest, but how do the crew determine whether its night or day? I am sure the ship has its own chronometer but on what time zone is it set? Let's say it is based on the last Starship that they visited... but do they follow a 24 hour earth day, or do they extend or shorten their day?
They would have no need for months or years as the seasons don't change but I suppose being predominantly earthlings, they will follow the customs of that planet.
Of course, they follow star-dates, but that isn't really observed as ships-time.
This Episodes Clue: Tossed Salad and Eggs.
Data --- destroyer of the enterprise.
thevacinstaller8 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Quality sci fi storytelling.
The question of why Dr. Crusher has a higher ESP power than the other crew is not explained but i'll write down that down as we need to give Beverly some screen time. I have a thing for Beverly Crusher and her flowing mane of hair but she is a solid actresses and captures that eerie feeling that the show was attempting to get across.
I just love the idea of the Enterprise crew from another time loop are helping the Enterprise crew is subsequent time loops. Wonderful idea and well executed.
I like when star trek swings for the fences and comes up with creative storytelling like this episode has.
It's getting a 9 for delivering a quality sci fi episode filled with suspense and mystery.
The question of why Dr. Crusher has a higher ESP power than the other crew is not explained but i'll write down that down as we need to give Beverly some screen time. I have a thing for Beverly Crusher and her flowing mane of hair but she is a solid actresses and captures that eerie feeling that the show was attempting to get across.
I just love the idea of the Enterprise crew from another time loop are helping the Enterprise crew is subsequent time loops. Wonderful idea and well executed.
I like when star trek swings for the fences and comes up with creative storytelling like this episode has.
It's getting a 9 for delivering a quality sci fi episode filled with suspense and mystery.
Great episode... great episode... great episode...
robertm-8532317 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this was a very interesting episode.
I mean, the teaser starts with the Enterpirise blowing up. How can that not be a good episode?
What gets me is how many people called into their TV stations telling them something was wrong with the episode. I mean, how stupid are people? Didn't ever occur to them that it was a frickin' LOOP when after the teaser the Enterprise is un-blown up?
Kinda makes me think that all the research indicating people who are big fans of Star Trek are really bright may not be that accurate after all.
Anyways, love the ending with Frasier showing up, I was hoping for someone to say "NORM!" on the bridge of the other ship when someone came out of the turbolift.
I mean, the teaser starts with the Enterpirise blowing up. How can that not be a good episode?
What gets me is how many people called into their TV stations telling them something was wrong with the episode. I mean, how stupid are people? Didn't ever occur to them that it was a frickin' LOOP when after the teaser the Enterprise is un-blown up?
Kinda makes me think that all the research indicating people who are big fans of Star Trek are really bright may not be that accurate after all.
Anyways, love the ending with Frasier showing up, I was hoping for someone to say "NORM!" on the bridge of the other ship when someone came out of the turbolift.
A good epi with one glaring oversight
dalefl13 May 2021
This is a pretty good episode and it works despite it being about the same incident happening over and over again. Frakes' directing and a clever use of different camera angles is what makes that possible, along with good performances from the cast.
Still, there is one thing about it that I can't help thinking about every time I see it. Why did they spend the whole episode trying to prevent the collision by deciding whether to use the tractor beam or depressurize the bay? Why didn't they use both methods simultaneously? In the time they spent deciding they could have easily initiated both procedures and avoided the collision the first time. To put it in perspective, if I'm driving and I have to avoid hitting something I'm steering AND braking. I'm not wasting any time deciding which one would work.
Still, there is one thing about it that I can't help thinking about every time I see it. Why did they spend the whole episode trying to prevent the collision by deciding whether to use the tractor beam or depressurize the bay? Why didn't they use both methods simultaneously? In the time they spent deciding they could have easily initiated both procedures and avoided the collision the first time. To put it in perspective, if I'm driving and I have to avoid hitting something I'm steering AND braking. I'm not wasting any time deciding which one would work.
Stupid episode
GoldenGooner041 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
So the ship is 36 seconds away from another Star Ship hitting it and the "Captain" asks for suggestions? I mean WTF, This episode don't show Picard in a very good light, if he has to ask for suggestions with 36 seconds left. That whole 10 seconds ruined a very clever episode for me.
A good cure for insomnia
skiop21 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Crew members play poker, Dr. Crusher checks LaForge for headaches, the Enterprise crashes with another ship and explodes, and then the events repeat themselves, with the crew getting increased feelings of deja vu on each iteration of the loop, until they can communicate to the next iteration how to avoid crashing with the other ship and thus escape the time loop.
Yes, that's the whole episode, in its boring glory. It also doesn't make a lick of sense that while the Enterprise crew remembers events and hears voices from past iterations, the captain of the other ship, which has been in the time loop much longer, hasn't.
Yes, that's the whole episode, in its boring glory. It also doesn't make a lick of sense that while the Enterprise crew remembers events and hears voices from past iterations, the captain of the other ship, which has been in the time loop much longer, hasn't.
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