The Chase is the most fun TNG has been in a long while. And it adds in a solid thematic foundation as well as an important explanation for the series as a whole — dating back all the way to The Original Series.

The episode centers on Picard’s reunion with his old archaeology professor, Galen.  Galen’s surprise appearance on the Enterprise is for the sole purpose of recruiting Picard to embark on a profound adventure of discovery.  I like the whole angle of delving deeper into Picard’s love of archaeology — as well as his choices in life that led him away from the field and toward his current position as a starship captain.

Knowing this, Galen “tempts” Picard with a very special gift: a Kurlan naiskos.  It’s a 12,000 year old artifact that is a humanoid container with dozens of smaller figures within it.  As Picard explains, the Kurlan culture believed that we are all made up of a chorus of separate voices within us.  And here we have the thematic foundation for the episode — a chorus of one or more often competing voices making up the whole.

For Picard this means that his “archaeological” voice makes itself heard when Galen asks him to head off on a mysterious, but important quest.  As Picard explains to Dr. Crusher,  he’s quite happy with his past decisions to become captain, at the expense of archaeology.  But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a part of him that yearns for such a life.

The agony of his rejection of his former mentor and father figure is exacerbated when the Enterprise receives a distress call from the Galen’s shuttle.  Finding him under attack, the Enterprise destroys the attacking vessel and rushes Galen to Sick Bay, where he promptly dies in front of his former protege.

Picard them takes up the quest, finding himself in a race against Cardassians, Klingons and Romulans to piece together parts of a genetic puzzle.  Aside from the mystery itself, the chase is easily the least compelling aspect of the episode.  The Cardassian and Klingon rivals are just a bit too much of caricatures to really be of any use.

Ultimately, with all the rivals facing each other on a remote planet, Dr. Crusher surreptitiously  gets a sample of the missing DNA link, the puzzle is solved, a a mysterious figure appears.

It would seem that millions of years ago, a master humanoid race “seeded” various planets with their DNA — thereby influencing evolution of intelligent life across a huge swath of the galaxy.  And now we know why all the aliens on Star Trek look like humans.

At least the series  attempts to address the issue.  And I think the explanation is both profound and plausible.  As for the thematic elements?  All the races of the galaxy, humans, Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, are all part of the one race — all interconnected.  Brothers (and sisters) in the great drama of space and time.  As a final communication from a Romulan captain demonstrates, perhaps finding common ground is the first step toward true unity.

The Chase is classic TNG episode for its thematic, character and humanity explorations.  It creates a genuinely compelling and profound mystery.  And the archeological elements add a measure of mood and tone to the episode as well.  Where it falls flat, however, is in its portrayal of the “The Chase.”

Filed under: TNG Reviews