Power Play

Episode aired Feb 22, 1992
TV-PG
45m

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

3.2K

YOUR RATING

Action Adventure Drama Sci-Fi

A long-lost ship is found on a planet where cosmic storms prevented detection for 200 years. When a surface landing goes wrong, the away team is beamed back...with a few extra surprises.A long-lost ship is found on a planet where cosmic storms prevented detection for 200 years. When a surface landing goes wrong, the away team is beamed back...with a few extra surprises.A long-lost ship is found on a planet where cosmic storms prevented detection for 200 years. When a surface landing goes wrong, the away team is beamed back...with a few extra surprises.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

3.2K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
In the scene where the away team is thrown backward, Marina Sirtis broke her coccyx (her tail bone). It was an injury that caused pain for more than a month and made sitting extremely painful. She was the only one in the group who actually performed the stunt herself. She later reflected that anyone could have done it really because her face was barely even visible in the finished shot. "It could have been Worf in Troi's costume and we wouldn't have known the difference."

Goofs
The three host bodies removed the com devices to stop being tracked easily in the turbo lift. The three were shown without the devices and the devices were shown on the floor of the turbo lift. In 10-forward, all three are wearing com devices again. Correction: The three are seen collecting the com badges of everyone else in 10-forward, and they each put one of these on themselves.

Quotes
[the spirits of the convicts are caught in a containment field]
Troi/"Shumar": Nooo!
Troi/"Shumar": [threatens Picard with her phaser] Let them go or you will all die!
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Your threats are meaningless now.
O'Brien/"Kelly": We are still in control of these three bodies. We will not let them go.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Have you prepared to sacrifice the lives of these others? They'll all die when the cargo bay hatch is blown.
Data/"Mullen": You will die too, Picard!
Keiko O'Brien: I would die to save the life of my child.
Lieutenant Worf: To die defending one's ship is the hope of every Klingon.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: If you each know the officers you inhabit, then you know they're equally ready to give their lives for this ship. Free them now - and I will return you to the moon's surface.
[after a long pause, Troi slowly backs off]
Troi/"Shumar": I advise you, Picard, not to pass our way again.

Connections
Featured in Journey's End: The Saga of Star Trek - The Next Generation (1994)

Soundtracks
Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews16

Review

Featured review

7/10

You have no idea

A landing party from Enterprise return from a moon with their bodies inhabited by other life forms.

This is a fairly good episode with some decent character moments and opportunities for some of the main cast to play different roles.

The plot is a possession story that develops into decent hostage drama. There are some solid character exchanges, but no real suspense given that lives of main characters are at stake.

For me the most enjoyable aspect is seeing Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, and Colm Meaney playing antagonists. Troi and O'Brien make similar contributions in most episodes so this change is a breath of fresh air. Spiner is excellent, but seeing Data out of character is not that unusual as he occasionally plays other roles.

There are also strong moments for Picard, Worf, and (as ever) Ro Laren as the crew work to resolve the situation.

Visually it works well with some atmospheric set design, good special effects and tech concepts.