Tin Man is an ethereal installment of TNG, bringing together such themes as isolation, longing, and purpose. The characterizations, plotline, and especially the music transcend TNG and speak to a deeper, more profound sensibility. Unfortunately for the episode, the performance of its pivotal character, the brilliantly gifted and flawed Tam Elbrun is nearly critically distracting.

The Tin Man creature is wonderfully conceived — an ancient, mystical being, hollowed out to function as a starship, that has journied across the stars for millennia. Tin Man once played host to hundreds of crew members in a symbiotic relationship that enhanced both ship and crew — until a devastating accident left Tin Man alone and without purpose. The episode’s music does a masterful job of evoking the ancient yearning and melancholy of Tin Man and is a true highlight of the episode.

Tam is very well-written as a tragic and sympathetic character. He was born telepathic and has spent his entire life trying to find peace from the overwhelming flood of thoughts and feelings he receives, unwanted and uncontrolled, from those around him. He has had a long, difficult journey, including hospitalization and a tragic prior mission which resulted in the deaths of dozens of Starfleet officers. His sense of yearning is palpable. And the connection he forges with Data, another character searching for meaning and purpose in life, results in some of the best scenes in the episode. And his ultimate union with Tin Man is a culmination of purpose for both.

Unfortunately, Tam Elbrun also gives us the worst of this episode. His performance seems modeled on Troi, circa Encounter At Farpoint. The scenes where he gets overwhelmed with thoughts result in the same cringe-worthy overacting. And his overall affect tends to repulse the audience, rather than allow us to accept his flawed, yet tragic character. These mistakes in performance really detract from the episode. Had Tam been performed with a bit more accessibility, this episode could have been truly superb.

One other item of note concerns the Romulans who are, unfortunately, reduced to mere bogeyman status. It makes sense to have a familiar foe in this episode, and Romulans are a far more compelling race than Ferengi. But the fact remains that the Romulans become oversimplified and, thus, add nothing except a measure of conflict to the episode.

Tin Man has excellent concepts and themes and is created with a masterful musical accompaniment and visual effects. Unfortunately, the performance of the main character is a major distraction.

Topics: New Life, Romulans
Filed under: TNG Reviews