There isn't much of note in this episode. An old man grows young to settle an old score. Bad makeup, bad acting, and badly planned away missions ensue as the story unfolds. The final scene is okay and the episode resolves on a moral note, one of TNG's better qualities. Wesley is nowhere to be found which is great and we see more of diplomat Picard, the best version of the character.
What is noteworthy here is who the federation promotes to admiral. Mark Jameson is the rule, not the exception, when it comes to federation leadership. 45 years prior to this mission, Jameson armed both sides of a conflict on an alien world in order to end a hostage situation. As the planet fell into civil war, the federation shrugged its shoulders and promoted Jameson to admiral. That really tells you everything you need to know about the intentions of federation leadership. That Picard goes along with Jameson after he finds out instead of immediately relieving him of duty and confining him to quarters tells you even more. The federation is rotten to its core, concealing the chaos it creates and the people it conquers underneath the guise of benevolent diplomacy.
Verdict: Educational but forgettable.
What is noteworthy here is who the federation promotes to admiral. Mark Jameson is the rule, not the exception, when it comes to federation leadership. 45 years prior to this mission, Jameson armed both sides of a conflict on an alien world in order to end a hostage situation. As the planet fell into civil war, the federation shrugged its shoulders and promoted Jameson to admiral. That really tells you everything you need to know about the intentions of federation leadership. That Picard goes along with Jameson after he finds out instead of immediately relieving him of duty and confining him to quarters tells you even more. The federation is rotten to its core, concealing the chaos it creates and the people it conquers underneath the guise of benevolent diplomacy.
Verdict: Educational but forgettable.