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Title: The Game (26 Oct 1991)
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| Episode complete credited cast: | |||
| Patrick Stewart | ... | Capt. Jean-Luc Picard | |
| Jonathan Frakes | ... | Cmdr. William Riker | |
| LeVar Burton | ... | Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge | |
| Michael Dorn | ... | Lt. Worf | |
| Gates McFadden | ... | Dr. Beverly Crusher | |
| Marina Sirtis | ... | Counselor Deanna Troi | |
| Brent Spiner | ... | Lt. Cmdr. Data | |
| Ashley Judd | ... | Ensign Robin Lefler | |
| Katherine Moffat | ... | Etana Jol | |
| Colm Meaney | ... | Chief Miles O'Brien | |
| Patti Yasutake | ... | Nurse Alyssa Ogawa | |
| Wil Wheaton | ... | Wesley Crusher | |
 |
Diane Hurley | ... | Woman (as Diane M. Hurley) |
| Majel Barrett | ... | Enterprise Computer (voice) | |
On its way to the uncharted Phoenix cluster, the Enterprise gets a visit by shuttle from Starfleet Academy Cadet Wesley Crusher on leave, all help being welcome now that research time has been cut to two weeks. Everyone is happy to see the popular, brilliant boy back and hear about his faring, some exchanging some of their own cadet memories. New Ensign Lefler, about his age, takes a personal interest in him and vice versa. Wesley wisely wonders why the computer game Riker brought back from shore leave so quickly became popular or rather addictive before he tries it as they all insist. He discovers it stimulates the pleasure center but affects the higher brain functions, and Data wasn't incapacitated by accident but disconnected by players because android computer brains are immune for the game. Alas, by now Wesley is the only unaffected human, all the others hunt him down after Picard took orders for the game's distribution to other ships and bases from tailing Ktarian ship commander... Written by KGF Vissers
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'The Game' has good intentions - mind control, that time-honored trope of scifi - and it's even served up as a classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers tale (how can you go wrong with paranoia?). But there's an inherent silliness to the execution of the game itself that's dissonant with the rest of it. It's easy to suggest brain-washing if the device is tapping into the frontal lobe, but do they really need the implied orgasmic satisfaction? That just makes it all very weird.
But if you can get past that, this is a good vehicle for Wesley to save the day . . . and kiss Ashley Judd, which is an undeniable win. I don't actively oppose this episode, and there are some positives (like Crusher getting the upper hand on everyone else), but it's such an oddball game to (very nearly zombify the crew of Starfleet's flagship.
6/10