‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Retro Recap – ‘The Mind’s Eye’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

There are a great many things we fear in life, and one of them… is losing control of the darkness that each and every one of us harbors within. Because we know what that darkness is capable of, and the harm that it can cause, and the terror of letting that loose and having to live with ourselves for doing so, is one big reason that we keep it in check. If anything, this is one of those rare fears that never quite fades from our mind, despite how skilled we become at keeping it suppressed… to the point where it haunts our dreams and it even finds its way into our stories. So that we always have that welcome reminder to do what we must to control it… so we don't face serious consequences for our furious actions, and this is relevant to our discussion today, simply because this fear was put on full display in the next episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

For ‘The Mind’s Eye’ saw one of the kindest and gentlest people on this series, indulge in his dark side… but not by force. No instead, Lieutenant Commander Geordi LaForge found himself face to face with a Romulan Warbird in Federation space on his way to Risa for a conference and well, while he was aboard their ship… horrible images were sent his way. Not out of spite, but to bring out his worst instincts so that Geordi could help the Romulans and their shadowy commander, put an end to the Klingon/Federation alliance by having him assassinate someone of power in the Empire. Something that LaForge didn't think he was capable of, but thanks to some fine work by the Romulan doctors, that all changed and they were equally as thorough in keeping this newfound ability from Geordi. In fact, he was so oblivious to his conditioning that his return to the Enterprise made it seem as though nothing had changed.

To the point where Geordi was able to handle his role in an investigation, that revolved around the Federation potentially supplying rebels with weapons to be free of the Empire’s grip, without breaking a sweat. And thanks to his fine, scientific work, that accusation was easily debunked. But regardless of LaForge’s efforts to save the day, someone aboard the ship had a special communicator with which to control Geordi, and minute by minute… he indulged in that darker side, without a memory of his actions and that of course led to more trouble and tension in this story and one powerhouse finale. Wherein Data had to race against time to stop Geordi from fulfilling his bloody destiny and thankfully at the lost possible second, disaster was averted, and the treaty was saved, but at quite the cost. For a Klingon Ambassador was revealed to be in on this mess and of course, Mister LaForge was looking at lengthy therapy to put the darkness back into its cage.

Which makes this particular tale, quite the fascinating experiment in fear and little else. For there is no deeper exploration of modern society or the human condition here. Just a fine reminder that there is ugly within and it is a wonderful thing that we keep it in check, since it can cause all kinds of trouble and really, all this episode does is remind us of the fact that sometimes… TNG and the STU in general enjoyed breaking from the norm to toy with stories that compelled and entertained and to top it off, this works thanks to the performances in this tale. Because LeVar Burton simply puts on an acting clinic in this episode and is able to shift from the love-able LaForge to a ruthless saboteur and killer in a matter of seconds and his acting and plight really does draw you into a story that manages to leave you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. 

Yet while that alone makes for a meaty episode and visceral viewing experience. We would be foolish to not point out the fact that this particular story is a harbinger of the future as well. Since the shadowy figure present in this tale, would play an important role in the ‘Redemption’ story arc and Spock’s arrival on the series as well. And they would also play a big role in the STU’s novel storytelling and Star Trek Online, making this quite the important keystone episode in many ways, one that is quite compelling when all is said and done and one that reminds us of the show’s versatility. However, if there is one complaint to log when it comes to this particular tale, it would have to be that the impact these events had upon Geordi aren't revisited. Which is a shame, since the show did a wonderful job of exploring the emotional fallout of Picard’s time with the Borg. But that’s really the only flaw in this tale and now that this mission has come to a close, it is on to another charming episode, one that explores the wonder and frustration that accompanies dating. Until next time.

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