TNG – Family

Plot – The trilogy of The Best of Both Worlds and Family are what I consider to be the pinnacle of what TNG achieved and it is about halfway through its run. Whilst it does baffle me that a show that has conquered the schedules and realised how to make this reboot of the Original Series work in ways that it’s progenitor never could, it would never hit those heights again. DS9 did the opposite; literally getting better and better with each season. Voyager was intermittently brilliant but often hit new heights at random points in its latter half. Enterprise scored its best season at the end of its run. Only TNG started off terribly, figured out precisely what it should be doing and then completely forgot how to do that.

Saying that this is one of the best ever Ron Moore scripts is a huge statement given the wealth of exceptional material he wrote for Trek. Besides all the terrific character development and the fact the show dared to flirt with serialisation for a moment, what I love about this episode is its structure. The first half is all (wonderful) set up for a climax that delivers a triple (Worf, Picard, Wesley) blow of extreme sentiment, extremely well judged by the director and one of the few episodes of Trek that can successfully bring me to tears.

Character – Worf is still dealing with his dishonour of being rejected by his own people and so this seems the perfect time for his mother and father to beam on board and see if he is alright. He greets his parents warmly and even when they are telling his friends embarrassing stories about his childhood Worf has a gleam in his eye. Even when they are burden it is clear that he has the utmost respect and love for them. When he finally chides them for their overbearing excitement, he is still smiling.

On the back of being violated by the Borg, Captain Picard chooses to go home and visit his family. Of course, he gets a visit from Troi before he goes asking him to psychoanalyse why he is choosing this time to go and see them. Crikey, she’s annoying. It’s the most casual you will ever see Jean-Luc Picard, strolling into town in his civvies. He’s used to everyone respecting him but his brother just thinks he is an arrogant son of a bitch. Deeming to come home and visit his family is just about the most insulting thing he could to his brother. These dynamics all feel so real. Picard looks haunted by the fact that his family home hasn’t changed at all when his life has been one of constant development. He considers a role on Earth that would certainly be a step down from his current role…is that because he wants a change of scene or because he is running away from having to face the horrors of the Borg again?

His brother is such a hideous old curmudgeon that I couldn’t help but fall in love with him. He has a constant look on his face as though he has stepped in dog shit when around his brother…but I fear that is the look that is permanently slapped on his face. He feels in constant rivalry with Jean-Luc, who is Captain of the flagship of the Federation whilst he is a humble wine maker.

Watch the scene where Beverley opens the box of items from storage on Earth that recalls her dead husband. You can see the conflict and the pain and the happy memories all rolled into one on her face. This is vitally important characterisation because for a few scant moments Dr Bev feels like a real person and not a cog in the narrative and Gates McFadden sells it. I’m often critical of both Beverley Crusher’s characterisation and McFadden’s performance so these moments are even more special for me.

Production – Mid TNG is the shaggy dog Worf look, where he sported a huge bouffant haircut and rocked a werewolf look (Mark Twain exclaims as much when he sees him). Michael Dorn is so much more visibly comfortable in the role in season four than he was in the early seasons but I wouldn’t truly like the style of Worf until he transferred onto DS9. They were obsessed with making him look more streamlined and rocking.

The pullback from the vineyard to show the matte painting of the farmhouse and the surrounding countryside is quite beautiful. It’s the kind of visual that we are unused to in TNG – which often pushes technology over nature – which makes it all the more startling.

The farmhouse aesthetic is something I am quite unused to on TNG; all rustic and charming. So much of TNG is cold metal, bland lightning and leather chairs that this is a hugely pleasurable shift on the eye.

The chair in Worf’s quarters has to be seen to be believed.

Best moment – I love the idea of O’Brien’s dad chasing a nurse around sickbay when he visited the Enterprise. What a shame that we never got to meet this roguish fella.

The emotions that bubble over between Jean Luc and Robert Picard in the vineyard are raw and violent and their confrontation is long overdue. Picard is frightened after his experiences with the Borg and it takes a brave man to admit that. His brother is jealous of his career and has wanted to spit that in his face for a long time. Watching this get down and dirty in the mud is a glorious spat, one of the best ever TNG scenes, because it handles some extreme emotions with skill. I was wreck after watching Picard breakdown. It was the way he went from laughing at the absurdity of his situation to falling to pieces as he remembers what the Borg forced him to do. Patrick Stewart breaks my heart. I personally don’t think he is ever finer. The best bit: ‘I still don’t like you, Jean Luc’ at the end.

Wesley’s silent reaction to his father’s speech remains Wil Wheaton’s finest achievement on this show. Sometimes you can project an awful lot of emotion without saying a word.

I wish they hadn’t done that – It is astonishing that Michael Piller had twist the arms of Gene Roddenberry and Rick Berman to convince them that this coda to The Best of Both Worlds was vital, given that they both wanted to get back to good old-fashioned storytelling afterwards. Picard has essentially been raped by the Borg, Piller argued, and needed time to heal. It is to their credit that Roddenberry and Berman both agreed that it was the right thing to do afterwards.

A reason to watch this episode again – TNG could have been called Star Trek: Family for all the times it spotlighted the relatives of the crew. Certainly, season seven could be. What you have is a two-part blockbuster that takes more risks than the rest of the series put together followed by a gorgeous, intimate character piece that highlights so many of the regulars at their best and accentuates that TNG family feel like no other. These three episodes are also the strongest the series ever was visually. Family is a delightful, revealing, beautifully scripted piece that sees this cast at their all time best. It feels like the series has stepped out of a shadow and truly earned its stripes in its third season and this is where they can take a breath and acknowledge that what has emerged is something quite special. For an episode that lacks any plot and pushes vivid character first and foremost, it is one of the best.

***** out of *****

Clue for the next episode: