In the opening scenes Riker is having a good time on Risa when the woman with him introduces him to a new game where every success is rewarded to pleasurable sensations. Once back on the Enterprise he shares it with his friends and soon everybody is playing. It soon becomes clear than it is more than just harmless fun when Dr Crusher deactivates Data; the only being on board certain to be immune from the games effects. Not quite everybody is playing the game; Wesley Crusher, who is on leave from Star Fleet Academy, just wants to spend time with his mother and an attractive young engineer; Ensign Robin Lefler. As his mother and others pressure him to play the game he gets suspicious and starts to investigate how it works... will he and Robin be able to find a way to break everybody of their addiction to the game before they can spread it throughout Star Fleet.
This episode was much better than I'd expected; the game itself doesn't look anything special but that is the point it isn't really a game. As it projects an image directly into the eyes of the players it stimulates the brains pleasure centres, giving an almost sexual response, as well as imputing instructions from the aliens who have their own nefarious intentions. The return of Wesley Crusher was another cause for concern although the character seems to have matured while away; Wil Wheaton does a good job portraying his characters fear as more and more of the people he trusts come under the game's influence; the scene where he is finally forced to play the game is particularly tense; I couldn't help being reminded of a famous scene in 'A Clockwork Orange'. Guest star Ashley Judd is likable as Ensign Robin Lefler; it is a pity that she only appears in this episode as she was an interesting character. The final resolution is well handled giving the impression of a defeat just before the alien plot is stopped. Overall a solid episode which was much better than I'd expected.
This episode was much better than I'd expected; the game itself doesn't look anything special but that is the point it isn't really a game. As it projects an image directly into the eyes of the players it stimulates the brains pleasure centres, giving an almost sexual response, as well as imputing instructions from the aliens who have their own nefarious intentions. The return of Wesley Crusher was another cause for concern although the character seems to have matured while away; Wil Wheaton does a good job portraying his characters fear as more and more of the people he trusts come under the game's influence; the scene where he is finally forced to play the game is particularly tense; I couldn't help being reminded of a famous scene in 'A Clockwork Orange'. Guest star Ashley Judd is likable as Ensign Robin Lefler; it is a pity that she only appears in this episode as she was an interesting character. The final resolution is well handled giving the impression of a defeat just before the alien plot is stopped. Overall a solid episode which was much better than I'd expected.