Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) The High Ground (1990) User Reviews

Okay episode with strong Gates McFadden performance

[snoozejonc · 7/10 · 18 June 2021]

The Enterprise crew get caught up in the internal politics of a planet suffering from terrorist activities.

This is a reasonably good episode that tackles a relevant subject in a fairly simplistic way. There are however a number of decent moments for the regular characters, particularly Dr Crusher.

The plot is quite simple with Crusher being kidnapped whilst Picard and the crew work to rescue her and battle terrorists. It starts off with a relatively unremarkable first half, but it gets more compelling later on as they direct their hostilities towards the Enterprise. There is nothing particularly memorable in what is presented on the subject or terrorism, other than that it's bad and this is underpinned by what becomes of Finn. Saying that the Northern Ireland reference does stand out, but more for the fact that it was controversial at the time of production and now because it's looking to be an inaccurate prediction.

Speaking of Finn and the guest characters, they are not particularly memorable for me. I do not think he is written particularly well and feels like a caricature. Devos is slightly better and she has a decent chemistry with Riker.

The main characters have a number of good moments. Dr Crusher holds firm on her ethical beliefs throughout the episode and has plenty of solid screen time. The likes of Data, Geordie, Wesley, Worf, Picard and Riker also make their own contributions to the resolution of the story.

The visuals are fairly good, particularly the action sequences. The sets are okay, but largely forgettable.

Performances of the regular cast members are all good, with Gates McFadden standing out with what I think is her best performance so far. As for the guest stars, Richard Cox does not convince me as a terrorist leader at all, but Kerrie Keane is fairly solid.

For me this one is a 6.5/10 but I round upwards.

Much better than its rating

[joesoundman · 8/10 · 22 December 2022]

Few episodes tackle such a controversial topic - subtly offering a mild support of something forbiddenly wrong - as this one. There are entire nations Americans loathe merely for having terrorists abide there - whether that nation endorses them or not.

One of the leaders involved in the Irish religious conflict was giving an interview on NPR, after the conflict was resolved. He made a point of great import: terrorists operate from a position of futility. Ie, terrorists don't expect to win; they try to forcibly impact the situation so that others can eventually provide the equitable outcome, as Finn does here. They expect to be martyred, not victorious.

Even ISIS, for those that have read deeply into their MO, do not expect victory via themselves; they and all terrorist groups already knowing they have not the power to overcome that which they fight against. Some may be surprised to learn that ISIS believes they are paving the way for their true savior - get ready - Jesus Himself - to arrive and set things aright (yes Jesus is a great prophet in the Qu'ran).

Finn's and his cohorts' Jesus is the Federation, which they believe has the overwhelming power to set things aright in their world, one that has oppressed them , with the right coercion. And like most terrorist groups, they are indeed martyred. But not all of them. Riker's greatly impressive statement to the chief enforcement officer - "Maybe peace begins with one boy lowering his weapon" - provides the possibility of hope that both sides want.

Richard Cox is brilliant as Finn: complex, talented, educated, dedicated, and ruthless. And through his articulation, we are forced to consider that position of futility, and why - from the point of view that our culture demands we should never consider lest we become sympathetic. And so in this episode, some risky and unpopular ground is trod in the process.

The great majority of us here in America would never agree with terrorism, and despite my seeming softness to terrorism here, I also deplore it, as the loss of innocent lives is always unconscionable. But by the end of the episode, we at least begin to understand the desperation that causes it, and the despairing futility that turns it so horrific.

Its parallel to today is obvious.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 16 November 2014]

It's obvious that this episode is based on various terrorist organizations of the day--such as the IRA and PLO. This isn't surprising, as all the Star Trek franchises have a history of making episodes with contemporary parallels.

In this episode, the Enterprise is visiting the Ruthian planet--a place which has been plagued with terrorist attacks for many, many years. It seems that the Ensatan separatists want their own homeland and they seem willing to do just about anything to bring about this change--including kidnapping Dr. Crusher. But there is another reason for taking her prisoner, as the Ensatans are experiencing serious genetic damage due to their use of dimensional shifting--a practice long abandoned by the Federation since it will eventually kill those who use it.

Naturally the Enterprise want the Doctor back but they also don't want to be picking sides or get pulled into the conflict. Unfortunately, the Ensatans don't see it that way and soon are targeting the Enterprise and its crew.

Overall this is a decent episode, though some might be offended at the moral relativity. In other words, terrorists and those fighting them in this one are basically the same. This is sometimes true...sometimes not in real life. But its message is compelling nevertheless.

"You hate them as much as they hate you."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 13 December 2023]

It was true in 1990 and it's still true while watching today, with parallels that are frightening. One can immediately relate to struggles in the Middle East and terrorist activity that threatens a country denying separatists a homeland. There's even mention of the Ansata terrorists living in underground tunnels. One of the story's projections of peace in Ireland however, won't happen by 2024, since we're only a couple weeks away as I write this.

While on a medical supply mission to Rutia IV, Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) is abducted by Ansata terrorist leader Kyril Finn (Richard Cox). The Enterprise crew is helpless to retrieve her because the Ansatas utilize a form of transport utilizing a dimensional shift, unable to trace, but leaving those who use it to suffer destruction of their DNA leading to a slow and painful death with no known cure. Leader Finn is not oblivious to that fact, but is willing to become a martyr for his cause, that of achieving their own territory for his people on the Western part of the Rutian continent. Dr. Crusher was deemed a potential help in finding a cure for the dimensional shift malady, with Finn in no mood to discuss negotiations with rival leader, Alexana Devos (Kerrie Keane). Now, I'm not sure if I missed it or not, but I don't think the name of the Rutian leader was ever mentioned. I only got it from the cast list on the title page for this episode.

The resolution to the story seemed an atypical one for 'Next Generation', in as much as it had Alexana Devos killing Finn when members of Finn's militia materialized with weapons in the isolated area where Dr. Crusher, and now Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) were being held hostage. When a young Ansata boy picked up a weapon to continue the fight, he was convinced to put it down as a symbolic beginning to what one would hope would be a successful transition for the Ansatas to achieve freedom and dignity in their own country. It's one of those episodes where it's left to the imagination of the viewer if that outcome would ever be achieved.

Science Fiction as scifi is intended to be

[kneegroow · 25 July 2007]

This episode deals with the repercussions of terrorism. Not on its victims. But on the not inoccent-at-all bystanders: .

The crew of the Enterprise.

It poses the question of whether we should intervene in local affairs. Nowadays it can be seen as a commentary on the Israeli occupation, and annexation of the West bank,

or the Northern Ireland situation.

Hereby SF fullfills it function as social commentary on present day. This can be seen as Sci-Fi function to society. It is a mirror to our present day society.

Terrorism

[gritfrombray-1 · 10/10 · 7 June 2007]

Only got to see this episode years after it was released as it was banned from terrestrial television in Ireland for a very long time. The concept is a big one and terrorists, who have been crying out for independence for 75 years, abduct Doctor Crusher. The leader of the Ansata terrorists, Kyril Finn, has no real demands but more a trying to be noticed attitude to the kidnapping. Riker negotiates and hits a dead end at almost every turn. On the Enterprise Data and Picard discuss terrorism and it's success rate. The show was brave enough to even say that Ireland had been reunified due to terrorism! When the Ansata attack the Enterprise they use an interdimensional form of transport and in a flash of brilliance Wesley realizes they could be using a form of travel called folded space travel and a method could be used to detect the energy pattern. The Enterprise has now lost it's Captain and he is being held with Doctor Crusher. Picard's conversation with Beverly is interesting and shows the damage done to the abductee's psyche by their captor. The Enterprise crew eventually find the base and Finn is killed by one of the police from the planet. She makes it clear that his capture would have incited more violence. Now he's a martyr. A good episode showing bullets do not answer all problems. After this being banned for many years in Ireland and England a satellite station showed it with the reunification of Ireland being carefully edited from it. Only recently has a new TV station been brave enough to show it in it's unedited form

True Social Commentary at Its Best

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 16 August 2014]

This is certainly one of the best of "The Next Generation." An away team is enjoying a meal in a restaurant when there is a terrorist attack. An explosion results in several casualties. Unfortunately, Beverly Crusher, who as a doctor feels a moral imperative to help the wounded is captured and brought to the den of the insurgents. This turns into a classic representation of a civil war where there has been murder and mayhem for some time. Beverly is enlisted to attend to the needs of the insurrectionists as they also have casualties. She does her job but will not speak. A young charismatic man named Finn talks to her and tries to convince her to look at the events from two sides. The dominant culture has had a stranglehold on people for as long as he can remember and he is willing to die for his cause. Beverly smugly reminds him that there are other ways to do things and violence is never the way. He reminds her that the universe is scattered with bodies, the result of her own ship's actions, even if they are righteous. Many have compared this to the conflicts in Northern Ireland and it is no coincidence that the leader of the rebel forces is named Finn. A really provocative episode.

A layered look at Terrorism and viewpoints.

[thevacinstaller · 9/10 · 16 March 2021]

Wow, I have watched TNG many times but I must have been day dreaming when watching this one previously ---- this is a great episode.

This episode deals with a complex situation and presents many differing view points on it but stops short of telling the viewer who's interpretation is correct. I LOVE that in an episode of star trek and tv in general.

I personally enjoyed the performance of the actor who played Kyril Finn. He conveyed a broken down, morally/ethically compromised man who has been changed by his experience being a terrorist.

I could see this episode hitting a sore spot with some in countries that have been the victims of terrorism. This episode raises some very uncomfortable questions about perception and the downward spiral of revenge/trauma on societies.

I also appreciated that Kyril was not written as being completely insane. He's portrayed as being an 'ends justify the means' but he is played with a melancholy edge at times to elevate him beyond a simple villain.

There's a lot to talk about and debate in this episode. That's equals a great episode of star trek to me.

Mixed Messages

[rryouse · 5/10 · 1 January 2021]

I don't know what Star Trek was trying to say here. We have a group of terrorists terrorizing a population and gleefully murdering men women and children with no explanation given other than that they feel oppressed. But in what way? We are shown no evidence of said oppression. Sure the police arrest a bunch of them after a bombing, but what do they expect the police to do? They say they want their freedom but we are given no details on their demands or desires. I felt zero sympathy for the terrorists and plenty of sympathy for the rest of the populace.

Let's preach about prime directive and then casually violate it

[serpwidgets · 4/10 · 15 January 2022]

There are a bunch of poorly written things in this episode. First Beverly refuses to eat or talk, and then for no reason suddenly changes her mind. Why? So that the story can continue. Beverly's motivation is that the episode needs to do something... I guess?

Next the crew continuously talk about how they cannot interfere in the conflict, and their only concern is getting their hostages back and they won't take sides. So when they find the terrorists' location what do they do? They beam in **and bring the leader of the one side with a weapon so that she can murder the leader of the other side.** WHY?!?!? There was absolutely no reason for them to bring her along, especially since it is a direct violation of the prime directive. Even telling her or her government where they located the terrorists would be involving themselves and taking a side in the conflict, yet after all their talk about noninterference they took it so much further than that.

But hey it served the plot by allowing the leader to make a speech, and not even a good one at that. Oh wait, that didn't even serve the plot, the story would have been pretty much the same had they just rescued the hostages and left without her being there.

On the bright side, I am looking forward to the Irish reunification in 2024, which is only two years from now!

There are numerous issues with this episode.

[tautangata · 1/10 · 25 March 2022]

The terrorist's were made to look like they made terrorism for the hell of it, having no other reasons for this groups adherents except recognition? Recognition of what? This question not being asked made the story one sided in favour of this seemingly apartheid state.

Then the Federation going against the prime directive, in helping with the illimination the apartheid's enemy's leader of a minority people, whose motivations remain unknown.

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

[celineduchain · 5/10 · 10 January 2022]

New uniforms, new credit sequence and Doctor Crusher returned to us but was Season 3 of The Next Generation really as good as we remember? Some of that enthusiasm may have have been generated by relief that the series had not been cancelled but the 1990's also heralded an era of considerably more stability behind the scenes. Senior Trekker will continue to score every episode with a 5.

If the Hunted was a Vietnam episode then the High Ground was definitely "Breakfast in Belfast". The controversy over the "United Ireland" remarks blinded everyone in the UK to its other qualities (or lack of) for a long time and it was even denied a television release until certain scenes were expunged. An awful lot of people on both sides suffered and died during the Troubles and American commentary, much less American money, was extremely unhelpful to those who gave up so much to try to bring them to an end. Of course, the World has turned and no-one, least of all the majority of Brits, would be surprised if Star Trek didn't actually get its projection about the unification of Ireland right in this case.

So what does the High Ground look like today?

The depiction of a hostage situation where, despite being bound for a number of hours, the victim is barely dishevelled and expresses the need for neither a drink of water or a bathroom is frankly risible. The rapport between Beverley Crusher and her kidnapper is also pretty insulting to anyone who has found themselves in that situation and the plot point about cellular decay being caused by the sub-standard transporter is confusing, so say the least. The weary Police Inspector describing terrorists attacking school buses could have been lifted straight out of Tel Aviv but the intention of the participants to show that there is more than one side to such conflicts is clearly expressed.

A flawed attempt at a message episode but, nevertheless, still a challenging watch.

A Dr. Crusher Focused Episode

[Samuel-Shovel · 3/10 · 4 October 2019]

In "The High Ground" Dr. Crusher is kidnapped while on a humanitarian mission to aide a world coping with a faction of terrorists vying for independence for their continent. The separatists' leader implores Crusher to help the ill in his faction. They have been inter-dimensionally traveling to infiltrate government compounds, but it is slowly killing them, causing their cells to deteriorate. When the guerillas attempt to blow up the Enterprise and end up capturing Picard instead, it's up to Riker and the planet's security chief to find the hideout and rescue the two Federation hostages.

The guest actors here are probably some of the worst we've seen on the show in a while. The two main ones can't really hold their own and this episode asks way too much emotional heavy lifting from Gates McFadden. She's not the greatest actor on the show and this is not her fine hour.

The plot is pretty simple when you get right down to it. There's no nuance, no deep-thinking required of the viewer. The concept will always be interesting (as we'll always have warring factions such as these unfortunately) but the show's writers don't really do anything thought-provoking or exciting with it.

While not as bad as say "The Price" this has to be one of the bigger misses of Season 3.

Terrorism and its repercussions

[russem31 · 17 April 2006]

ST:TNG:60 - "The High Ground" (Stardate: 43510.7) - this is the 12th episode of the 3rd season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Beverly Crusher, who is trying to help wounded based on a terrorist attack on a non-aligned planet, is taken hostage. Based on what she learns, she comes to see what terrorism means first hand.

This episode deals how terrorism is started, what the effects are, and how such a crisis can be resolved. It also shows how far these "terrorists" are willing to go, even if it's irrational and inevitably means their own deaths (in this case because of a technology that is a double-edged sword).

Yet another lame social commentary failure.

[zac-warsteiner · 1/10 · 18 August 2020]

Once again, garbage writers do a terrible job attempting to 'teach' the lesser people about enlightenment. A shallow, heavy-handed reactionary tale of terrorists and how their cowardice and evil is somehow justified because of vague claims of injustice and victimhood. And yet again, the writers fail to convey anything better than low-IQ individuals can lap up. See reviews extolling the virtues of Ireland's failure to free itself and PLO ruining property values by existing. Further, the unintended effect of YET ANOTHER failure of Starfleet Security proves how completely worthless they are. Not to mention how insane it is that every single sapient in the universe knows every single system on the Enterprise by rote. Seriously, this series is embarrassing. On the pro-side, at least the head terrorist, incorrectly called charismatic by said low-IQ individuals, gets what's coming to him. He's literally murdering his own people and picking a fight he would NEVER win, just to link this awful story to Star Trek. Fail on every level.

Crusher

[darkdementress · 5/10 · 28 March 2020]

Dr crusher would of never passed her entrance exam to star fleet. I wasn't a fan of this episode, it has lots of logical and story goofs and the focus on crusher always makes me snore. Her son is annoying enough.. Somehow he always has answers that work and that the officers and even data never can figure out.. shut up Westley!

This has no basis relating to Star Trek nor Federation Space

[jseph1234-262-617488 · 4/10 · 20 July 2022]

This is another annoying, non-sequiteur episode that has nothing to do with the wider conflict within the Federation. The ridiculous capturing of Dr. Crusher was just annoying beyond belief.

I couldn't watch this episode because of the heavy-handed way of preaching and trying to make me swayed to a particular view-point.