LogFAQs > #972756270

Episode 21: Frame of Mind

Every day I wake up...

Picard's just using Riker to duck out of the play.

Riker's too hard on himself. His go at being an agitated, fidgety and furious mental patient is quite good. Must be fun for Frakes to act as an actor. I imagine that sort of a meta role is a treat for most actors, actually. Going through different modulations of the same speech was quite interesting. Keeps joking about his apparent mission. His looks of paranoid recognition are chilling. I like that he immediately goes to Troi whenever he's unsure of himself. Frakes must have also had fun deliberately exaggerating his performance in Crusher's play. Full of confusion and agitation when he's in the ward. His "no" after being told he killed someone was a bit hammy. As were his blowups at "Suna" and when his quarters becomes the ward, though these latter two cases are a bit more effective. There's some other great bits like his sobbing after the reflection and flinching away when Crusher talks to him. Justifiably angry as he tears apart the stage.

La Forge explains a casualty's condition.

Worf's impatience with Riker is one of the more obvious signs that something is up early on. Even this version is able to experience genuine guilt when he does wrong.

Crusher is quite encouraging and gives good acting advice. Nervous during the performance, but overjoyed when it goes well. Very affectionate with Riker.

Troi continues to give good advice and reassures some of Riker's concerns.

Data's advice is slightly less helpful, but Spiner strikes again and makes the Doctor seem like someone completely different. Gives an ill advised compliment.

Syrus manages to pretend to be a reasonable doctor quite well, but he offers a few sadistic and smug looks as he leaves.

Quite like Bloom, especially as they use her to tease what may be going on.

Mavek is a smug bastard whos still nicer than some orderlies you hear about.

It's clear going in that this is going to be a brain bender. Starting with no establishing shot, with a dishevelled Riker shot like a hostage video and letting us believe its a real scenario for a bit. Funny to see a random crewmember look at him like he's a nutter when hes rehearsing down the corridor. Worf's behaviour and the suddenness of La Forge dragging a dying man in all contribute to an uneasy atmosphere. Syrus showing up everywhere and then replacing Data is quite chilling. Some great horror music when Riker's being guided through the asylum. Many cuts between the two worlds to highlight his deterioration. The reflection sequence is quite anxiety inducing with the projections giving very simple, but frank lines at an increasingly rapid pace. Quite like the shatter effect. And the sudden applause when he figures it out. Clever to use his uniform as a way to show we're in reality.

I don't know nearly enough about the specifics of Jung's work as I would like to, so, while I'm aware of the more surface level details of concepts like shadows, individuation and the like, it wouldn't surprise me if I've missed a few references here and there. It does seem that they're using it mainly for flavour, though, since the main point of the episode is questioning which world, if any, is actually real. The most interesting part for me was the portrayal of the asylum as a sinister place. I've always had conflicted thoughts about asylums. On the one hand, I wouldn't dream of denying the existence of mental illness or the need to help people suffering from them. On the other, there is historical precedent (less so now, but still occasionally occurring) for what exactly counts as a mental illness to be decided somewhat arbitrarily, to say nothing of how abusive the staff at such places can be or the many sociological studies where perfectly sane people have checked themselves in in order to better examine the treatment and "culture" of the patients, only to find getting out quite a difficult process due to not immediately agreeing with the doctor opinions of their alleged condition. I suppose this anxiety, as well as the unnerving nature of insanity in general is why they make for such good horror locales. Riker's play character, the dreariness of nearly catatonic individuals slowly playing with simple toys, a blatantly abusive orderly and the threats of lobotomy are all uncomfortable reminders of how appalling this area can sometimes be.

A pretty good psychological thriller and a wonderful showcase for Frakes.

Suspicions is next.