The Drumhead strives to recreate the success of TNG’s previous courtroom drama installment: The Measure of a Man. It doesn’t quite reach the same lofty heights, but it does represent a significant improvement in quality over the last few episodes. Indeed, while not perfect, The Drumhead benefits from improved directing, acting and, in particular, writing.

This episode is all about what happens when fear, prejudice and fanatacism are allowed to influence a society. When a Klingon spy is uncovered on board the Enterprise, the fear that the agent was not working alone pushes good people, including Worf, to begin scrutinizing their comrades to the point of fanatacism. And if there is one thing history has taught us: if you look hard enough at anybody, you can find fault. And, too, by the very nature of a conspiracy, if you are looking for one, you can often find evidence to support it — even where no such conspiracy exists. So by looking with fear, the crew, lead by the fanatical Admiral Satie uncovers Tarses — a person who seems to be hiding something.

What that something is, no one yet knows. But because appears suspicious, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, Admiral Satie and her team, aided by Worf, fanatically pursue Tarses’ history, even to the point of interviewing old neighbors, friends and classmates. What they discover is that Tarses’ grandfather is not a Vulcan, as he has told others, but instead a Romulan. And here is where prejudice takes over as well. Tarses is literally branded a traitor when the only crime he committed was falsifying his bloodline on his application to Starfleet.

I find the performance of Satie to be underwhelming. For such a pivotal character in the episode, her delivery and method just don’t carry an innate, ominous threat. And because this episode relied so heavily on her fanaticism, her subpar performance becomes a drag.

Also, unlike The Measure of a Man, The Drumhead doesn’t center on one of the main characters — not until the very end when Picard himself is placed on trial. As a result, its issues aren’t as immediately critical. That doesn’t mean they are any less relevant — in fact, they are rather more relevant today than those posed in The Measure of a Man, but because they do not center on a main character, their impact is lessened.

The underlying lesson draws from historical times such as the Salem Witch trials and the Spanish Inquisition, but its relevancy to our modern world is absolutely striking. As Picard says, “We think we have come so far… the torture of heretics and the burning of witches is ancient history… and then… before you can blink an eye… it threatens to start all over again.” And so his words of warning and principle to Worf carry even more weight today than they did sixteen years ago: “someone like [Admiral Satie] — will always be with us… waiting for the right climate to flourish… spreading disease in the name of liberty. Vigilance, Worf. That is the price we must continually pay.” Wise words, indeed.

The Drumhead is a solid episode because it is both riveting and relevant. With a change of story focus and portrayal of its main antagonist it would have been truly superb.

Filed under: TNG Reviews