REALM OF FEAR


This is one of those episodes which doesn't leave one with much to say.
It was mildly entertaining, but not really either very substantial or very
exciting.

As is usual with Barclay episodes, the main attraction is seeing Dwight
Schultz in action.  He's one of the best actors on the show (even though
he only shows up once a season) and is able to transcend the rather limiting
nature of his character.  His expressions at the beginning while watching
each member transport were really priceless.

The other thing I enjoyed seeing was the level of professionalism with which
the problem was handled.  The officers didn't dismiss out-of-hand Barclay's
concerns, though they were skeptical.  But they offered support in the form
of examining the transporter.  O'Brien understood when Barclay said (in
what might have been the best scene of the show) that he had to find out
if he was crazy or not.  And Barclay's point to Picard that he wouldn't
have called the senior staff there if he wasn't absolutely sure of what
he had seen and Picard's trust in him was very pleasant to see.  The show
rightly steered away from the stupid plot device of disbelief on the part
of those with authority.

On the other hand, the basic plot was not particularly exciting.  Barclay's
transporter-phobia was pretty much beyond my ability to believe, given his
job in Starfleet.  Surely his fear would have been detected before *somehow*.

(One might ask, "But what about Doctor Pulaski?"  Well, we don't have any
evidence that she *never* rode a transporter before "Unnatural Selection",
just that she didn't while on the Enterprise and the ship she served on
before it.  Perhaps once she attained her rank she was able to be up-front
about it, but when she was younger she wasn't able to get away so easily.)

Second, well, the basic *concept* here did not thrill me.  Living creatures
in the plasma stream; big deal.  People trapped in the transporter.  Well,
okay, this might be interesting from a more philosophical point of view,
but seemed like a huge let-down given the build-up that the things in there
might be actively hostile (or perhaps animalistically hungry?).  I'd been
expecting a more exciting conclusion.  As it is, it seemed like anticlimax.

I did enjoy seeing the point-of-view image of transporting.  One of those
rare TNG special effects which works, and doesn't seem like money being
thrown gratuitously at the audience.

That's really all I have to say.  It wasn't so much a *bad* episode as
just, well, uninspired.

Grade: C


SEASON SIX AT A GLANCE:
Time's Arrow II: B-
Realm Of Fear: C
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Total Points: 4 2/3
Season Average: 2.333 (C+)