The Prime Directive has produced some compelling, thought-provoking stories during the Next Gen series. "Who Watches the Watchers" is no exception. Dark Shadows' own Maggie Evans, Kathryn Leigh Scott has a great part as the female leader, Nuria, of a race of Vulcans named Mintakins similar to humans in that they live in huts and hunt with crossbows. They are considered by the Federation as sensibly thinking realists who have "abandoned the belief in the supernatural as a deity", his name the Overseer. They are considered a developing people certain to do great things. An outpost, holographically hidden, with a few scientists monitoring the Mintakins from a safe distance (or is it?) suffers a serious malfunction that sends surges of electric charges that harm them. The outpost reappears and now can be seen by the outside world. A father and daughter Mintakin, Liko and Oji (Ray Wise and Pamela Adlon), are going about their daily routine when the outpost can be seen by them. Liko climbs to see what it is, notices the away team beamed down to rescue the fallen scientists, shocks himself on the electrically charged building, falls a few feet, and is transported by Dr. Crusher's order to the Enterprise. The Pulaski brain wipe doesn't work on Liko and his memories on board the Enterprise remain intact. His stories of a god named the Picard places the Enterprise crew in a difficult position regarding "contamination" by interfering inadvertently in the Mintakin way of life, as Liko starts to change his people's views on a powerful deity who can do wondrous, supernatural things, certain he can control the weather or bring loved ones back to life. When the Mintakin's find a missing scientist, Riker and Troi will have to beam down disguised as them hoping to recover him without further damage. Damage control is what I would say Picard tries to implement, even beaming Nuria on board hoping to convince her that he is a flesh and blood lifeform, not a god worthy of worship. Picard is a little ticked off at Crusher for bringing Liko on board, but this is that sticky area where the Prime Directive Federation law, this special philosophy that discourages interference, can possibly be challenged. When Riker is successful in returning the scientist to the Enterprise, Troi is held captive by a conflicted Liko who is afraid that the Picard will be angry for the loss (Liko overheard Picard say he wanted this man back aboard the Enterprise) and might have to punish her to appease him. Conflict in how to correct a series of events that set in motion paranoia and fear based on wrongfully perceived information and that debate on how far to go to halt what could develop into chaos and holy war really places Picard in a fascinating quagmire; seeing him work this out really makes this episode great. This episode has been (or could be) seen by some as a treatise on religion and how belief in a god or God can cause more harm than good. Some passionate dialogue by Picard to the outpost's lead scientist might fuel this even further. But I just view this as another episode that examines the complexities of the Prime Directive and how an accident can trigger an upheaval of complications.
Review of Who Watches the Watchers
