‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Retro Recap – ‘Remember Me’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

If there is one unfortunate constant in the universe that each and every one of us have to deal with at some point or another in our lives… it would have to be, death. Because eventually we are going to have to reconcile the fact that our friends and our family members are going to fade away into the great beyond, and so will we. And while that means we need to brace ourselves emotionally for the void their loss will create and do everything we can in life in order to feel comfortable with our own end… we tend to put those preparations to the wayside and understandably so. Simply because it’s terrifying to ponder upon that particular constant and no one wants to make that a priority.

So, we simply put it to the back of our minds until the time comes to handle it, leaving one to wonder… if there is indeed a proper way to prepare one’s self for the hardest aspects of adult life and it just so happens that Star Trek: The Next Generation took the time to offer up some kind of answer to that question in its next episode. For Doctor Beverly Crusher was forced to face this this harsh reality in ‘Remember Me’ in the most unique and terrifying way imaginable. Because shortly after an old friend came aboard the Enterprise for transport, one that was facing the end of his career and pondering upon his own final chapter, Beverly suddenly noticed that something strange was happening aboard the ship.

In that, not only did her friend disappear without a trace from the Enterprise and the Federation’s memory banks, but he also faded away from everyone’s memory since no one remembered interacting with him in the slightest and this problem only continued to worsen. For soon other members of the crew began to go missing as well, leaving Beverly to wonder if she was losing her mind or if something more was at work here, and it turned out to be the latter. Because she and the audience came to discover that a warp bubble experiment that Wesley conducted, sucked her into a universe where her worst fear of losing everyone that matters to her is realized and in the end, it takes Wesley and the return of the Traveler to save her from this waking nightmare.

But while this episode ends on a particularly happy note, everything that comes before it, is quite dark and bold. Because the subtext in this episode is clear in that, those we love can disappear on a moment’s notice and their sudden exit will indeed feel raw and confusing and it is stunning to see a Star Trek tale point that out, and of course offer up a supremely positive message about that harsh reality in the process. For this tale also answers that all-important question, by pointing out that the only way to truly prepare for the end of those we care about… is to cherish them and everything wonderful they bring to the table, and to relish in every moment we spend with them. Because then their exit won’t seem so jarring and heartbreaking because our hearts are full of wonder in regard to those who say goodbye and that makes this episode quite moving and poignant.

Because that really is some sound advice, and it doesn’t sugar coat the fact that you can never really prepare for the end since it is so sudden and so jarring and this episode deserves all kinds of credit for handling this concern of ours in a brilliant and subtle manner, and really in the end, this is just a great episode through and through. For not only did it have something powerful to say, but it finally let Gates McFadden take the center stage in a compelling manner and once again, season four continues to impress, by offering up another powerful story revolving around a more unique aspect of the human condition and hopefully it keeps this trend going. Because this is making for some incredible storytelling, the kind that stays with you long after the episode has come to an end. Until next time.   

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