Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Conundrum (1992) User Reviews

Very interesting dilemma

[kronomorte · 8/10 · 16 November 2011]

First off, there are plenty of plot holes if one wants to drill into that aspect of this episode. But I found the story interesting and my take on this episode was more about how the crew dealt with the 'conundrum'.

**Specific Spoiler** When they were trying to figure out what positions to take, and Worf took over, I found that funny, but also it works from a military view. Worf is instinctively tactical and protective and would be excellent to have in command during an emergency - he was the first to move forward and organize and although his plan was pretty much all about offense and defense it would serve just fine in such a situation and be completely appropriate during a command emergency. It might have been interesting to leave him in command and see how he responded to the less aggressive suggestions and viewpoints from the command team.

Only a series that had gone on this long could pull off an episode like this so well. It was very interesting watching the various people fall into their roles by nature - Riker overseeing and directing Ro, who was gung-ho, Geordi getting wrapped up in the computer/technical problems, Picard keeping a distance and trying to formulate an overall view of what was going on before taking any action that might add to the problems. This was very entertaining, but would not have been so if one didn't have a good familiarity with the crew from previous episodes.

I gave it a high rating because it was fun to see them find their place and eventually work out the mystery, and I was able to overlook some of the questionable aspects of the situation (such as 'memory wiping' being a good enough weapon to not need the Enterprise in the first place or having the tech to disable Data but not taking over as captain, etc..) All that aside, it was great to watch the crew come together by their very nature and overcoming the problem.

I Forgot Why I Liked This Episode

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 2 September 2014]

When one accepts a willing suspension of disbelief, he can go from there. I decided not to worry about how the loss of memory was accomplished and go from there. It was interesting how the pecking order began to be established. While Macbeth never appeared on Star Trek, MacDuff showed up here. We close viewers of Star Trek notice quickly that this guy shouldn't be here. What the heck is he up to? We find out quickly that he is a war monger. The neat thing is that while the crew didn't know who they were, they maintained their areas of expertise. Worf assumes authority which would be a natural leap, considering self-survival is the first thing they must establish. A things play out, they believe they are at war and have been for a long time. This helps to fuse them into soldiers, although Picard begins to have some doubts. MacDuff eggs people on, trying to convince them they must kill or be killed. Clues slowly surface and once they know their positions on the ship, it helps to define them. Unfortunately, it concludes so abruptly, we don't get to see the pieces fall into place. Still, lots of fun.

Conundrum

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 3 June 2012]

You know, there are a lot of really fascinating episodes sprinkled throughout the series of Star Trek: The Next Generation that might surprise Trek fans when they discover them. I think "Conundrum" is one heck of an entertainingly unique episode as it turns the Enterprise crew on its head. Get this for a premise: a "mind scan" wipes out the memory of the entire Enterprise crew. No one on board can remember their identity, personal experiences, as if a mental block represses anything that might recall who they are. Not only that, but personal and medical histories are completely removed from the memory banks of the Enterprise's computers. Even worse, computers indicate the Enterprise is caught in a war with a people who have inferior defense and weapon technology, known as the Lysians, their supposed objective to destroy the Lysian Central Command Outpost, only a few days away. The Enterprise encounters a Lysian cruiser with limited shields and weapons capabilities, certainly no match for a galaxy class starship. As the crew grapple with the reasoning behind this war, something doesn't feel right to anyone but Commander MacDuff (Erich Anderson), who just so happens to show up when the Enterprise crew's memory was wiped, with a rank higher than Riker's. That is obviously a red flag, especially when MacDuff starts reinforcing the mission and insisting on the Enterprise's firing upon the weak Lysian cruiser, a ship destroyed way too easily. Meanwhile, Picard asks Crusher to study known techniques that have been used to solve memory wipes in the past.

What makes this episode especially cool and intriguing is how the crew deals with not knowing who they are, realizing that they still maintain knowledge of how to run the ship, but unable to recall their identities. Worf, for a little while, assumes command and no one challenges him for the role! Riker and Ensign Ro conduct interviews with crew members, look into certain aspects of Enterprise computer functions, searching for possible problems, as does Geordi who heads to Engineering, soon accompanied by "bartender" Data (hilarious scene; how this is pulled off, Data making a certain drink for Troi because he lost a game, is a doozy), as they attempt to correct the block denying access to certain important files. Riker and Ro eventually even become romantically involved! Troi is the one who voices the most concern about this whole war mission and Picard is uneasy as well. What is importantly established here is that despite the erase of who they are, their key abilities are still alive and well. Each member has unique characteristics and personalities that equipped them for their roles on the Enterprise. It is amazing that the race that caused the memory wipe, quite a weapon to use against the enemy, would even need to bother with the Enterprise…if anything; they could just attack the Lysians using this memory wipe weapon. Dwelling on the flaws will cause you to lose sight of what makes the episode so much fun: despite the loss of memory, we follow the crew as they uncover answers to mysteries that have put them in the "conundrum", and even though they have lost memories, their humanity and moral compass won't allow them to just eradicate a species without logically looking at the situation from all angles. What I found truly enjoyable was how each character contemplates their possible functions and identities, such as (1) Geordi wonders to Data if there are a whole race of androids or maybe even an android for every starship, (2) Riker is in his living quarters noticing trinkets that describe hobbies of his, and (3) Troi addressing specific feelings for Riker that are undefined yet there.

A devious plot, that's for sure!

[planktonrules · 23 November 2014]

"Conundrum" is a really cool episode--with a very interesting and very devious plot. The Enterprise comes upon a strange ship. The ship begins scanning the Enterprise and suddenly EVERYONE (including Data) has their memory wiped. The ship is now filled with crew who have no idea who they are and who is in charge. It's interesting how some of the crew change personalities or assume things--such as Ro suddenly NOT being an angry and disagreeable lady and Worf automatically assuming HE is the Captain! But it gets VERY devious when you realize that there is a NEW second in command--a Commander McDuff. And, even more devious is that the computer system has been altered to tell them that they've been at war with the Lysians for years and are to proceed to Lysian space to destroy them!! So, the evil aliens at the beginning of the show are using the Enterprise and its crew to destroy their enemies! Nice folks, huh? So will the Enterprise figure out what's happening before it's too late?

This is a terrific episode with one huge problem--why didn't the aliens just make McDuff the Captain?! Then, their evil plan would have gone without a hitch. Still, despite this, the show is a really novel idea and impressed me because of this. Plus, I LIKE devious!!

Imaginative

[gritfrombray-1 · 10/10 · 23 February 2009]

This was a fun episode from Next Generation's best Season. We see the crew with their memories blocked early in the show and a new crew member on board. With a lot of suspense they establish their identities with a disappointed Worf being told he's the ship's Security Officer!Eventually it is established the Enterprise is at war with the Lyssians and they are under orders to destroy their home base. Commander Riker and Ensign Ro become increasingly close and even end up sharing a bed! The puzzlement between the crew was fun to watch and eventually Commander McDuff is found out to be the enemy and his plan is thwarted. Watch Worf, even through his memory loss, obey the Captain! The closing scene between Troi, Ro and Riker is quite funny and ended an episode I'm sure was designed just to get Riker and Ro into bed!!

The crew lose their memories

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 3 July 2015]

Shortly after this episode opens the Enterprise encounters a small alien ship; it doesn't appear to pose any treat so Picard doesn't worry when it starts to scan the Enterprise. Then suddenly the entire crew, including Data, find their memories wiped. They still have their skills but have no idea who they are or why they are there. The computer records are also unavailable at first so they will have to work out who is who. For the most part they guess their roles but there are some exceptions; Worf assumes himself to be the captain and amusingly Data is assumed to be the barman! There is also a new crewman; Commander MacDuff who seems to be one of the senior bridge officers. When they eventually access the computer they discover who everybody is, including MacDuff who is apparently second in command. They also find their orders… the Federation has been in a long war with the Lysian's and now the Enterprise is to destroy their command centre. As they head into Lysian space they start to feel something is very wrong; the Lysians are poorly armed and clearly no match for the federation; will they act on these concerns or follow the orders they found in the computer.

This was a really good episode with a great mix of drama and humour. The idea of the Enterprise being hijacked in such a way that the crew didn't realise it was interesting. The fact that there are often 'one episode' characters on the bridge means it isn't too obvious that MacDuff is the cuckoo on the nest until we are told he is second in command and there are logical reasons for why certain crew members don't know their true function on the ship; Worf's sash sets him apart from the others and Data was making a drink for Troi when the memory wipe occurred. More amusement comes from the usually argumentative Ensign Ro who thinks she may have been involved with Riker so let's herself into his room for a night of passion! This leads to a priceless scene at the end once they have their memories back. The cast do a great job making the strange situation believable; each character acting almost as they would normally but not quite due to their memory loss; seeing Michelle Forbes as Ensign Ro makes me wish her character makes me wish she was in more episodes. Overall a really good episode with some great ideas; there are some plot holes of course but these aren't too hard to ignore.

Who Are We?

[Samuel-Shovel · 8/10 · 18 April 2020]

In "Conundrum" the Enterprise's crew has temporary amnesia, forgetting who they are or what they're doing. They find themselves in the midst of a major war with an important mission without even knowing the proper command or channels. A new face shows up on the bridge.

I love a good high concept episode like this. It reminded me very much of a Twilight Zone episode. I sort of liked Worf as the captain and wished they would have played in that space a bit longer. That's my only real gripe. Everything else here is pretty fun.

REVIEW 2022

[iamirwar · 8/10 · 16 September 2022]

When an approaching alien ship wipes their memory, the crew struggle to put back together what happened.

We're in the Epsilon solar system checking out a series of sub-space signals and Lauren Ro is in trouble again.

This is one of those, face on the back of a spoon, Alice in Mad-land episode. Everyone and everything is off kilter, acting very strange. Nobody even knows who anyone else is, or who they themselves are... Despite this, the key players seem to figure out very quickly that they belong where they are.

These are the type of stories I like... everyone is confused, their lives and relationships are thrown about. And where did McDuff come from??? Back to square one.

I felt a little uneasy at the Ro - Riker love tag and this also tended to take the pace out of the story, but it is a very good episode which I enjoyed. I wonder if this was an attempt to give the Ro character a little more personality.

It could possibly have had a better pay-off, but never mind.

This Episodes Clue: Barry Huffman.

Shaking up the Bridge Dynamics

[romkevdv17 · 8/10 · 28 September 2021]

We've had a memory episode before that similarly emphasise the personalities and feelings of certain characters. Picard therefore is exactly who he should be, diplomatic (as MacDuff calls him) and questioning to the very last. Although Geordi, Data and Crusher do not play too much of a role in this episode, the former two have an interesting little conversation about Data's possible origins. It again explores the ideas about an android being so useful to Starfleet and the idea of Data representing a whole race. Although it is only briefly, it explores some of the concepts more emphasises in episodes about Data's daughter ('The Offspring') and the rights of Data ('The Measure of a Man').

Comedy plays throughout the episode in regard to the shaking up of the dynamics between characters. You can't help but chuckle seeing Picard as a helmsman while Worf is bossing him around. Funnily enough I didn't even realise MacDuff was the odd one out until he began bossing people around, it is not the first time they introduce characters into the crew only to evict them the next episode. That's why this episode works so well within Star Trek, although avid fans might suspect why this random person is suddenly a senior officer, some casual fans might not. Similarly, even when you realise he is the odd one out, the mystery remains and the reveal is a very satisfying and interesting idea of how war is waged by pretty much inserting a parasite on a superior ship to destroy your enemy.

Of course the funniest part of this episode is Ro Laren, Riker and Troi. It has been previously established (and emphasised in the beginning of the episode) the rivalry between Ro and Riker. Both of the actors do a great job actually creating a sort of newfound chemistry between the two, where Troi strangely enough seems less of a fit to Riker than Ro Laren does. Although perhaps that's because Troi is often sidelined or reduced to some minimal personality. Let's not forget the episode she lost her powers and the writers turned her into a rambling mess. I've heard many reviews speak highly in an episode that includes Ro Laren and I can't help but agree. The ending left me in tatters, very funny way to end that love triangle. While Riker is clearly a 'casanova' going around hitting on a bunch of women, you can't help feel a little sorry for him when all the blame is put on him. Troi claims that in times like this people do things they always wanted to and gets mad at Riker, while technically Ro was the one who snuck into his room and seducing him. It just makes it even funnier with his sigh of exhaustion at the end alone at the table.

Good plot, good character moments and a nice mix of intrigue, tension and comedy.

Questions abound

[Mr-Fusion · 8/10 · 10 May 2017]

'Conundrum' is an episode I hadn't seen before and it's greatness is due to its premise; an inventive way to shake things up on a long- running show. The crew suffer amnesia and find themselves at war with an unknown race, at the same time left to guess what positions they hold on the ship. this is how you get Word in the center chair, Picard at the helm, and data tending bar. It also (temporarily) rewrites the book on relationships; Riker shacks up with Ro while his history with Troi is nebulous. The payoff is in the final scene when both women are wise and Riker's in the doghouse.

But the episode's an inherent riddle. Why is there no intel on the ship and who's this new guy MacDuff as first officer? Why are they at war with the Lysians, and why does this feel like a dream? It's that morality Picard's struggling with that makes this entertaining.

8/10

Why not make him the captain.

[greig-21014 · 7/10 · 20 March 2021]

I never understood why Kieran doesn't come on board as the captain and not the first officer. He could have just given the orders to fire and ended his war. I'll never understand it. They can make everyone's memory disappear even Data's and implant a person as a crew member yet they don't make him the one in command.

DuffMAN!

[thevacinstaller · 8/10 · 6 April 2021]

A clever plot executed astutely on screen.

I do enjoy a star trek sci-fi / mystery blend and we have an excellent one in this episode. It was intriguing to watch the crew try to work through the loss of memory and the mission perimeters that they are on. The idea of each crew member maintaining a core identity despite the memory wipe was fun to watch.

Highlights for me was watching Worf assume control of the enterprise because of his interpretation that it was a ship of war based on the torpedo count. I also enjoyed Riker and Ro getting it on ----- Opposites do attract ---- At times I have found women who I absolutely cannot stand attractive despite all logic suggesting I should not.

It's interesting that the memory wipe eliminates the memory of who they are but previous skills remains in tact. Picard's core of genuine goodness ultimately saves the Enterprise from committing mass destruction.

This is some black op's schenanigans that the Romulan's would do.

We get drama, comedy, suspense throughout this one. TNG tends to success when multiple themes are firing on all cylinders.

We also get several Ensign Ro scenes and that equals quality in my books.

A good episode.

Plot holes, plot holes

[treggenberger · 6/10 · 20 May 2022]

A smart episode in some ways. A really dumb episode in others. Let's start with the fact that this has a Season 1-2 like ending of solving the conflict in the last two minutes of the episode. This creates two problems: 1. The resolution feels rushed and unearned. 2. It leaves several major plotholes. For one, why didn't MacDuff just make himself captain? Or why did he allow the crew to access the files that led to Crusher finding a potential cure? And also, aren't there children onboard the Enterprise? How does MacDuff account for that with his war story? The episode just pretends they don't exist.

The idea for this episode is actually really cool; what if a warring alien race manipulated the Enterprise into using it as a weapon? But the problem is the way they execute it, mostly in the pacing. Way too much time is spent trying to figure out who's who, and not enough time is spent with the, ahem, main conflict of the episode. You know, maybe have a real climax? Or save some time at the end to reveal who MacDuff was or how the frick he able to do all that to the Enterprise and the crew but not destroy a poorly defended space port? They don't explain it at all. This mystery episode is lacking any sort of reveal.

Also this episode has so much missed potential. I know it can't do everything, but if you're going to waste so much time at the beginning of the episode, can't you waste just a bit of time with the lower decks? Maybe explore some of their reactions to everything or incorporate those reactions into the plot. How about after the conflict is resolved, how about you just take out a minute to explore Picard knowing he killed 53 innocent people.

But overall it's not a bad episode. Like I said the premise is really engaging and I was actually enjoying it (despite the children plothole and slow pacing) until the last five minutes or so. There is some decent character exploration for a couple of the main cast. Ro is back, so that's great. This is actually one of the best directed episodes of TNG, using the shaky cam to great effect early on. But man did those last five minutes leave a bad taste. I don't see the hype this episode gets personally, but it's fine. Just really could have used a redraft or two. Or eight.

Who's who and does what on the Enterprise

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 22 August 2019]

The Enterprise comes across an alien vessel which sends a probe into it for a few seconds. When it's done no one on the crew even the Android Data has any memory of who they are. But accessing personal files they discover who's who and does what on the ship.

They've also added a new member of the bridge team. Erich Anderson is now number the executive officer with Jonathan Frakes moved down a notch. He seems to blend right in, but we know he's there for a sinister purpose.

A most sinister purpose. This was an intriguing idea for an episode, but I can't quite overcome the feeling that an alien enemy who could do this could do quite a bit more to the TNG crew if it had to.

Let's say that the better instincts of Jean-Luc Picard are not overcome in this situation.

Despite the Plot Holes, a good, fun Ep

[XweAponX · 20 November 2011]

I agree with the previous reviewer in that this sp had numerous plot holes and I even agree with that reviewers list of "conundrums" in "conundrum": but regardless of these, this episode moves fast and has some interesting interactions in it... Particularly between Ro and Riker.

When I first saw this ep during the 5th season of the original run of ST:TNG, I was drawn into it. Now, the Enterprise has superior tech to the Lysians and the Sutters, but it is not too far of a stretch, particularly in the opening scene where the Sutterian (?) ship wipes the memory of not only all of the races on the USS Enterprise, but Data as well. Let me explain why this could be "Incorrectly regarded as Goofs". Someone else conjectured, why could not the Sutterian do this to Lysian ships? Or to the Lysian High Command? Maybe those two races are similar, and the method used to selectively wipe the Enterprise "Aliens" would not work with the Lysians. I do not think the plot: of a single agent, implanting himself into a command structure that had already existed, to influence them to attack a culture of significantly less technology, is too far of a stretch at all. Because it happened with the US in Vietnam. Except the US learned the hard way, it does not take Technology alone to win wars, as the Vietnamese were experts in using lower tech to kill us and even would take our weapons and use our weapons against us. So, this Sutterian could have implanted himself onto a Federation Vessel just as easily.

As much as I hated Macduff's guts when I first saw him, I had to admire his gall. Even Worf has a healthy respect for "Unmitigated Gall". Now, the other matter: That Macduff had to 1) Scan the Enterprise 2) Selectively Erase long term memory while leaving learned skills 3) Manufacture an Identity for Himself and Implant himself at a higher rank than Riker 4) actually perform the selective erasure and then beam himself, fully disguised and clothed and RANKED onto the Enterprise Bridge and PLANT the false information into the computer- All in one instant - This is another thing, Incorrectly regarded as a Goof. How do we know, that this all occurred in the time that beam of Green light spread across the Enterprise? I think a better explanation would be that it took an amount of time for the Sutteran to accomplish all these things, and that the Enterprise Crew were held in a state of non-awareness, and when ready, the chronometers were started again.

Now, the Sutteran could have stolen a shuttle, or even made himself Captain, although I think that the Crew would not have accepted him in that role. We see that Macduff was wholly ALONE - He did not interact with the other crewmembers as Riker did. It would have been discovered, the crew would have resisted, a scenario like that even happened on STTNG where Picard was replaced, and the crew figured it out and relieved him of command.

Now the topmost events in the ep, are Riker's interactions with Ro, cos those characters had an already existing chemistry. I'm glad this was explored in this ep.

This was one of my Favourite Eps of the whole series. There was practically no "dead air" - It was all action throughout - And if not action, discovery. And the main plothole of the ep, the Sutterans lower tech, despite the power to alter memory, was touched on by Riker in the denouement of the ep.

Good concept and Michelle Forbes is great once again

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 28 September 2021]

Enterprise suffers an attack from another ship that erases specific aspects of the crew's memories.

This is an enjoyable episode with a strong concept and memorable character moments.

The story does not work as a mystery, but it places the crew in a very interesting predicament that allows the writers to psycho-analyse various characters.

Picard, Riker, Ro Laren, Worf, Counsellor Troi, and Geordie all have good scenes that allow most of them to emphasise aspects of their personalities that for some are quite repressed by memories.

Visually it is pretty strong with good use of character body language to portray a sense of unfamiliarity and in some cases it is quite humorous.

All performances are great, particularly Michelle Forbes who portrays some fairly distinct aspects of Ensign Ro's character in scenes that are set before and after the attack. Michael Dorn is entertaining as ever in a quite humorous reflection on Worf's natural inclination towards domination. Patrick Stewart is excellent as Picard's exceptional judgement breaks out during the moments of uncertainty.

A common top 10 entry

[derekcharles · 10/10 · 13 November 2023]

Ask any Trekkie to list their top 10, hell even top 5 and the vast majority will have Conundrum in their somewhere. A fantastic idea that sees the Enterprise crew attacked in a most original way, stripped of their memories, and thrown thru a loop by a single confederate who brings them to the brink of war.

There are many memorable moments in this episode, and in many ways we get to see the crew and central characters play against type as they find themselves in such a confusing situation. This allows for some dynamics that we would otherwise never see and the writers and cast are clearly having fun with it.

Of course, there are some minor issues with the plot. The question as to the discrepancy between the advanced neurological technology and the primitive weapons technology of the enemy species remains not truly answered, despite an offhand acknowledgment towards the end. One also wonders why McDuff didn't just make himself the captain while he was at it. Yet these are eminently forgivable quirks in another first rate episode.

More Fluff from MacDuff.

[ShogaNinja · 7/10 · 27 October 2008]

This is one of the cooler episodes in a long time. BUT, this episode has some major plot holes that are just downright embarrassing.

One: If the alien ship could wipe their memories, why not do that to their enemies and win the war that way?

Two: If you have wiped out all the memories of the crew, and installed one of your own, why not make yourself Captain? The second officer has no control over the crew as long as there is the captain in charge. Why not just work around this and make sure you are in charge to get the mission done your way. Besides, the Captain has to know the least about the operation of the ship than any other rank including ensign. And no one would ever call him on it if he didn't know something. When is the last time you saw Cpt. Picard fire photons, phasers, do a transport, or align the warp coils? Pretty much never. I think he controlled the helm on the Enterprise once before this. In fact this is one of the rare episodes where you see him man another station than the captain's chair.

Three: How could an alien race that was 100 years behind them have any understanding of how to wipe the crew's memory, get through their shields, or even run the ship at all? The memory wipe was instant. Which brings me to my next point.

Four: In which of the 5 seconds they were stunned did MacDuff become fully dressed in uniform, change the personnel files, and then get into position before they realized what was going on? Doesn't leave a lot of time for pre-mission briefing like studying their files while they are oblivious. Hardly something a technologically inferior race could handle.

Five: If you have the crew dead to rights, why not just transport them into space one by one( tell them they are going planet-side) and then take over the ship and its superior technology. It would be an intelligence coup. Besides, if Starfleet never knew it happened they would have no idea where to look for it. Especially amongst the technologically inferior.

Six: If a single photon torpedo was all it would take to end their war why didn't they just steal a bunch of those? Maybe a launcher or two. Grab a shuttle and go. You get a shuttle to take apart too. I believe they have phasers on them at least. If nothing else, they have advanced computers, and impulse engines to retro-engineer.

Seven: If they could understand Data enough to alter his circuitry wouldn't they be of a higher technological level than 100 years in the past?

Eight: Star Trek completely ignores the lessons of the past. Humanity is linear. We build upon the past. Things that have worked for 1000 years will still work in the future. Things like military tactics, commando style raids, intelligence coups, logistics, economy(I love how Picard "bought" a totem for Riker on Riza), EVEN THE WAY THE NAVY WORKS. None of this is applied. In the navy, an admiral runs the flagship not a captain. In the navy the flagship is usually a carrier, not a frigate which is a tiny boat used to help defend a carrier. In fact I would label the Enterprise as a cruiser which is much larger than a frigate. A Flagship has a fleet which surrounds it and protects it at all times while it attempts to complete a military mission. In the Star Trek universe, they would have you believe that the Enterprise is the only ship in the universe unless the story calls for more.

What the Enterprise is, really, is an ambassador's ship, and this makes about 0 sense from a navy perspective.

If I had made TNG I would have made the Enterprise a carrier with fighters a la Battlestar Galactica style. I would have made it a fleet. And Picard would be an Admiral. And there would be a war.

Ships don't run around too much in times of peace, other than as displays of power in ports of call. They are made for war. Instead of making humanity in the future a bunch of wussies, we could be more realistic and realize that we were bred to destroy things. Humanity is a war-like race. I know I have seriously digressed but from a Navy standpoint, BSG is a far more accurate view of the future in my opinion. They actually use navy terms and concepts and put them into action.

None of this makes any sense. From a completely oblivious standpoint, however, this episode is fun and different. The scene where the alien gets shot with the phaser is just awesome. The sound it makes and the visuals were cool as can be, even to this day.

I just wish they had hired a continuity crew to go through and make sure all of this stuff makes sense in fitting into the Star Trek Universe. If you ask me the Next Generation has more plot holes than all the other series combined. There are just WAY too many inconsistencies brought on by a need to write a decent episode, at the cost of the series' integrity. The reason I think this is, is because TNG was written by so many different writers. It feels like a pulp fiction novella series half the time.

Meh episode - too many plot holes

[busta_cap · 6/10 · 26 March 2014]

As others have noted this episode is a veritable Swiss cheese of ridiculous plot holes, and I won't go into them.

I just saw a rerun of this episode last night and was struck by how poor the performance of "Commander MacDuff" was. His delivery was awkward and unnatural, as if he had just learned them minutes before -- without a chance to really internalize them -- and was simply reciting them by rote. His speech to Worf, in particular, had an awkward cadence without any natural flow.

I can't recall seeing this actor in anything else, so I can't tell if he was just having a bad week when filming this episode, or if that's just how he is.

Duh?

[Wes54 · 1/10 · 19 June 2019]

Why didn't they use that beam on the Lysians?

I have a feeling this episode was just to create a love triangle between Will, Ro Laren, and Deanna.

Who is who, what is what?

[russem31 · 27 April 2006]

ST:TNG:114 - "Conundrum" (Stardate: 45494.2) - this is the 14th episode of the 5th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

After an unidentified alien ship scans the Enterprise, all aboard lose their memories, only knowing that they can pilot the ship. Also, a Commander Keiran MacDuff suddenly appears (he is not part of the actual crew).

This is a great suspense episode, trying to piece together what's happened. It's nice to be the audience member, watching the crew with amnesia trying to figure out who is who and in what position. And Worf thinks he is the captain! Michelle Forbes also returns as Ensign Ro Laren (who with her memory lapse romantically gets involved with a memory lapsed Riker!). And, Data thinks he's the bartender!

Trivia note: Worf notes that the Enterprise has 10 phaser banks, 250 torpedoes - so it's logical for him to deduce that the Enterprise is a warship!

"There's a good chance this is our ship."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 22 February 2024]

You realize something's amiss, (besides the memory loss), when Keiran MacDuff (Erich Anderson) is introduced as the first officer of the Enterprise, with Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) moved down a notch to second place. I had a little trouble with this episode, in as much as no one on the bridge crew was able to determine their actual identity but all were still in full faculty of their operational duties. That didn't quite make sense to me. For example, Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) used a sensor device on an injured crew member, and didn't know why, but knew it would work. I think the plot got stretched a little too thin here. What I did enjoy was the altering of personalities for a short time, like Commander Riker getting chummy with Ensign Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes), when ordinarily, they would be at each other's throat. In fact, Ensign Ro did go for Riker's throat, but in a totally different context. Then you had Worf (Michael Dorn), with his warrior nature, assuming he was in charge of the Enterprise, handing out orders to the bridge crew, including Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart)! What it boiled down to was an ingenious plot by an alien Satarran disguised as MacDuff using his incredible manipulative powers to gain a decisive war victory against long time enemies, the Lysians. Fortunately, the crew regained their wits soundly enough for Riker and Worf to disable the pretender, with the Captain voicing his regrets over the Lysian vessel that was destroyed when it seemed like they had no other choice.

A Senior Trekker writes...................

[celineduchain · 5/10 · 9 February 2022]

The Fifth Season of TNG contains some remarkably strong episodes while continuing to push the boundaries of what could be achieved within an episodic television format. It is notable for the tragic loss of its creator, Gene Roddenberry, who died on 24th October 1991 at the age of 70. His influence upon the positive depiction of humanity and diversity in Science Fiction endures to this day. Senior Trekker continues to score all episodes with a 5.

This episode has an interesting mind-wipe concept with the crew suddenly finding themselves struggling to remember who they are and what their relationship to each other is. Because of his big, fancy sash, Work automatically assumes he must be in charge. Meanwhile Data becomes the ship's bartender and Ro takes an unexpected fancy to Riker and moves into his quarters.

Most of the crew move rather too quickly through various stages of the puzzle to regain a knowledge of the ship's functions (the writers could hardly have switched everything off) but the ending, where the alien who has been controlling them is unmasked, is reasonably satisfactory. Well, I certainly didn't see it coming anyway.

Erich Anderson, who plays the disguised interloper Commander Keiran MacDuff, is more usually seen playing doctors and police officers but manages to fit pretty seamlessly into the Bridge Crew, only deepening the mystery. Having breakfasted upon Will Riker, Ensign Ro proceeds to the bar to discuss her experiences with his ex, Counsellor Troi.

Not a particularly memorable episode. No pun intended.

Where's Guinan when you need her?

[skiop · 25 February 2016]

The Enterprise is struck by some force which causes everyone to forget their identities but not their skills. The information they can retrieve suggests that the Federation is in a long-term war.

With Guinan's intuition (she's been familiar with alternate time lines at least twice thus far in the series), she might have been able to shed some light on what was going on, but I suppose in that case, there wouldn't have been much of an episode. Guinan is completely missing here and Data briefly serves as a bartender.

Still, it's one of the better episodes, a real mystery similar to "Clues" but much better than that episode.