Written by John Edward BetancourtIf there is one constant when it comes to Star Trek as a whole, it is the fact that for the most part, every iteration of the show managed to tell a complete story on a regular basis. Sure it was usually wrapped up in a single hour, but it was a gratifying feeling to know you experienced a complete and thorough telling of a story. Which is why those episodes that never quite gave us resolution still remain frustrating in my mind, simply because they broke the mold of such quality television. But there is one episode I'm constantly reminded of that always stands out as the most incomplete tale in the history of the franchise, The Next Generation's 'Time Squared'. In this particular episode, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise discovers a solo shuttlecraft adrift in space. Upon bringing it aboard the crew is faced with an unexpected surprise. Not only is this exact shuttle already parked in the shuttlebay, but inside the craft...is another Captain Picard. The crew gets right to work to uncover the mystery of two Picards, but what they discover is that the second Picard is from the future and where he comes from the Enterprise will be destroyed with a loss of all hands. Now it is up to the Picard of the present to figure out how to change the future and save his ship and crew. The first surprising twist to this tale is the incredibly dark and ugly feel that goes with it. There is a sense of doom that permeates the entire story and well, it makes for an episode of Trek that leaves one uncomfortable. It's not gory or scary, there's just a sense of hopelessness to this one that is most certainly out of place. At the same time however, this is an episode that has some intriguing questions that arise when the Enterprise finds itself trapped inside a vortex that is believed to be a sentient entity. Said vortex is the reason that future Picard will abandon his ship moments before it is destroyed and it is the reason this whole time travel conundrum will supposedly happen again. It's an interesting principle that sadly goes nowhere resolution wise. We never find out what the entity is or what it truly wants. We never uncover exactly why future Picard is so unlike the Picard we all know and love, it is just an intense episode where (SPOILERS) Picard is eventually forced to kill his future self in an effort to save his crew. If you haven't had the chance yet, check this season two episode of TNG out to get an idea of just how anti-Trek and out of place it truly is. It will entertain you for sure, but I have a feeling that like me, you'll be scratching your head when the end credits roll.
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