Relics, much like Sarek and Reunification, Part II, is a Star Trek fan’s dream come true. The difference for Trek fans is that Sarek has always been a minor character, whereas Scotty, like Spock, was one of the principle cast of the original series. And so to see the former Chief Engineer one more time is something very special indeed. Unfortunately, the end result isn’t as much of a treat as it could have been.

As the episode begins, the Enterprise has discovered something called a Dyson Sphere: an awesome engineering feat in which a star has been completely surrounded by a metal skin, allowing the inhabitants of the inner surface to harvest an infinite supply of energy. It’s a glorious concept for science fiction, and its inclusion in this episode is quite enjoyable.

To their surprise, the crew of the Enterprise discover the wreckage of the USS Jenolan on the outer surface if the sphere. Riker, LaForge and Worf beam aboard and discover something unusual about the transporters: they’ve been locked into a diagnostic cycle and they contain what appears to be the pattern of a survivor.

LaForge energizes the beam, and the legendary Scotty appears. And I have to say, as a ploy to get Scotty to be alive during TNG, this was exceptionally plausible. Being then tech-genius that he is, it’s highly likely that Scotty could have figured out this kind of survival method.

Unfortunately, from here, the episode takes a series of wrong turns, most notably with Scotty’s character and performance. Instead of spending some time establishing Scotty’s character and highlighting just how he would have felt after awakening after 75 years, instead of dealing with his feelings at such a shock, the episode dives right into full old-guy telling “When I was your age…” stories. It’s cliché, it’s pedestrian, and Scotty deserved better. It’s as if the writers assumed everyone would already know everything there is to know about Scotty and his time. Perhaps most TNG fans do know, but it’s still a mistake to make such an assumption.

The result is that Scotty’s character comes off as annoying and patronizing when he should instead be empathetic and tragic. Admittedly, part of the problem is the performance of Scotty himself, but a great deal of blame must be shouldered by the decision to have Scotty be the typical fish out of water. It fits thematically with the notion of Relics, but it just doesn’t play out very seamlessly onscreen.

Perhaps Scotty’s best scene is when he goes to a Holodeck recreation of the original Enterprise bridge. For starters, seeing the bridge again is a real treat. But what makes the scene work so well is Picard, who gives a very good performance — good enough to also raise Scotty’s performance. And the manages (finally) to drive home the tragedy and sadness of Scotty’s circumstances.

After that, Scotty and LaForge return to the Jenolan to try and retrieve some data. While there, the Enterprise becomes trapped within the Dyson Sphere, so the two engineers must work together to make the old ship space worthy again. And here we have the thematic connection: just because something is old, that doesn’t mean it’s worthless, or without purpose.

In the end, the two engineers manage to sacrifice the Jenolan to save the Enterprise. It’s an entertaining enough sequence. And the developed camaraderie between the two is enjoyable to watch. But it isn’t enough to overcome the episode’s shortfalls.

Relics is an episode that many a Trek fan will love, and justifiably so. I happen to enjoy this episode quite a bit. But objectively speaking, there are a number of mistakes, including the fact that the Enterprise hangs around in the star’s whateversphere when it could have just put some distance between itself and the danger — not to mention the outright error of being able to beam two people through a shield. The result is an episode that, while a treat for Trek fans, just isn’t very good.

Filed under: TNG Reviews