Timescape is a decent plot driven episode that, unfortunately, is not particularly well-paced. Nor is it easily accessible, despite the occasional humor. Episodes that deal with the mystery of time are usually esoteric or implausible. The problem is trying to dramatize an abstraction. And to do so usually depends on all manner of technobabble. Timescape is no different. And that leads to an episode that, literally, takes its time – too much time. Fortunately, Timescape does present a sufficient mystery that keeps things interesting.

The episode begins with Picard, LaForge, Data and Troi returning to the Enterprise on a runabout – essentially a suped up shuttle craft. However, their return journey is fraught with bizarre occurrences. First, from Troi’s perspective, everyone else on board seems to freeze for a few seconds – either in mid sentence or, in Picard’s case, in the middle of sipping some tea. Then Troi herself freezes for a couple of minutes. Next, one of the shuttle’s engine suddenly registers as having been in operation for 47 days. Finally, Picard notices that a bowl of what was once fresh fruit has suddenly become rotten. He reaches for it, and screams in agony.

The sequences of events are sufficiently diverse enough to create an element of mystery. But given the episode’s title, and the nature of each anomaly, we’re not entirely surprised when we learn the reason behind all of the occurrences: the space-time continuum has somehow been fractured. But that’s not the end of the mystery.

Following the trail of temporal anomalies, the runabout crew happens upon a disturbing scene: The Enterprise is facing a Romulan Warbird, apparently in battle, in suspended animation. There seems to be an energy beam from the Enterprise to the Warbird. But there is also a damaging salvo of disruptor fire from the Warbird into the Enterprise’s saucer section. It’s a surreal setting, helped along by some solid effects work.

The mission, then, is to figure out what’s going on and, somehow, prevent the Enterprise’s destruction. In order for the runabout crew to beam over to the Enterprise we’re subjected to a technobabble explanation that amounts to little more that creating a pocket of time around each person – kind of like an air bubble. I don’t mind the obvious plot device all that much, except that TNG does tend to delve (or is that indulge?) a bit too far in the babble. It’s essentially meaningless chatter and it just slows down the pace of the episode.

Once on board the Enterprise the mystery deepens. We see Romulans on the bridge, in the transporter room, and in sickbay – where Dr. Crusher has been hit, point blank, by a disruptor. Even more alarming is the situation in the Engine Room where a warp core breach is already well underway. And now things are even more serious than before.

What follows are a series of events that lead us to the ultimate cause behind everything. Unfortunately, the unraveling of the mystery simply isn’t as enjoyable as establishing it. The scenes are just too boring. And the final solution is so far out there that, while it’s interesting as an abstraction, it just play out particularly well within the context of the story.

It seems that some beings have stored their young in the warp core of the Romulan ship. When the Enterprise tries to provide the Romulan engines with energy, the reaction shatters the time continuum and threatens the lives of the young. Two aliens, who appear as Romulans, try to stop the flow by firing on the Enterprise. And now we know what has transpired.

And now the crew must find a way to reverse the events to prevent them from happening all over again. Again we’re subjected to more technobabble that, essentially, robs the final solution of all measure of suspense. And intrigue. The episode just never manages to hit its stride. And as a result, it just drags on too long.

There are a few humorous moments  meant to break up the plodding pace: such as Riker’s close encounter with Data’s cat, Spot; or Picard drawing a smiley face in the expanding cloud from the warp core breach; or Data’s attempts at figuring out what it means to say “a watched pot never boils.”  And some of them are enjoyable enough to find their way into The Picard Song. But they’re just not enough to overcome the overly deliberate, almost glacial pace.

Timescape is one of those classic TNG episodes in the sense that it uses its characters and settings to create a solid story. But it’s missing the human element, the exploration of humanity. And, too, it’s over reliance on esoteric concepts and technobabble solutions makes for a story that takes too much time to tell.

Topics: Romulans, Time Travel
Filed under: TNG Reviews