‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Retro Recap – ‘Future Imperfect’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When we think of what makes life worth living, a lot of ideas come to mind. Such as our friends and family, since they do a wonderful job of lifting our spirts up on a consistent basis. Or we think of our hobbies since they too bring us joy and fulfillment and if we’re lucky, we think about our career. Since a quality job, one that keeps us ignited and driven also makes the days worthwhile. But what’s truly fascinating about all of these elements, is that they all share in one common thread. In that, they all generate incredible and uplifting memories, the kind that can send us soaring when the going gets tough.

Which means that in many ways, the real key to what makes life worth our while; are the memories that we generate. For they are with us every single step of the way since we carry them in our hearts and our minds, and the best part about them, is that no one can take them away from us. But that doesn’t stop us from fearing that particular possibility. Because the imagination knows no bounds and sometimes it ponders upon what our life might be like, if by chance the wonderful memories we’ve forged… no longer exist within the confines of our mind. And oddly enough, this is an unsettling concept that Star Trek: The Next Generation opted to put on display in its next episode and that made ‘Future Imperfect’ one fascinating tale.

Because this story really does do a fine job of exploring how critical our memories are to not only our happiness, but to how we function, all by putting Commander William T. Riker through the wringer. Because shortly after he passed out from noxious gas on an away mission designed to discover whether or not the Romulans had a foothold on a barren and isolated planet, he awoke aboard the Enterprise… sixteen years after that fateful day, without a single memory of anything past slipping into unconsciousness. A surprise that was attributed to a strange virus, according to the good doctor. But that also meant that now Captain William T. Riker had to fill in those gaps and figure out a way forward and this just made for some powerful moments.

For Will was in essence, forced to grow right before our eyes to be the captain that the Enterprise needed in regard to an important set of negotiations with the Romulans, and be the father to a son that he didn’t know. And all of that really did hammer home the fact that without our memories to guide us and lift us up in life, we would struggle for certain. But thankfully, it turns out that this was all a ruse and that in the end, a lonely alien, armed with his own personal holodeck made these events take place, in the hopes of having a friend around. A wish that Commander Riker was willing to grant, by taking him away from his desolate place so that he could find a new home amongst the stars, giving this tale quite the happy ending for certain.

In the end however, while this episode does do a good job of exploring an obscure fear in a dynamic manner, let’s be honest… it’s hard to really take something away from a situation that likely won’t ever happen to us. Which means that the story had to have some other kind of deeper meaning in mind and when you take a moment to think about it, you realize it does. Since it basically speaks to the need to cherish our memories, and make as many of them as possible, since you never know when the universe will rob of us them. Which is a theme that kind of ties into ‘Remember Me’ without all the gravity of death surrounding it, and kudos to the show for offering up these thoughts by way of a supremely unique story. One that allowed for the cast to shine as their ‘older’ selves and also kept us guessing every step of the way. Until next time.

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