Customer Reviews

Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 147: Frame Of Mind [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

So says the enigmatic alien Riker repeatedly encounters throughout the episode. That's an understatement. Things aren't quite the sane (uh, same) for Riker when, following a dress rehearsal for a play (Frame of Mind) in which he plays a man imprisoned and tortured in a mental institution, he has a brief, unsettling encounter with a strange--apparently new-- crew member. And from that point on things for Riker deteriorate rapidly as his distinction between what is the play and what is real blurs. Who is the sinister crew member and what does he have to do with Riker's conundrum? Atmospheric episode with evocation of the sinister keeps you guessing right up to the surprise denouement. Arguably Frakes's best work in the series.

Will Riker is portraying a criminal in a mental hospital... for a play on the Enterprise. Data portrays one of the psychologists in this one-room drama. Riker finds the imagery disturbing and wrought with conflict ... rightfully so.

Any image of a somewhat sane person in an insane asylum is enough to make the viewer quiver.

Before you know it, it seems that Riker is taking his role of actor too personally... he begins to find himself literally within the play that never ends. A spooky officer he sees in the turbolift is suddenly his captor in this hospital of horrors.

It is clear that Riker is truly losing his mind as he shifts from reality to pseudo reality and back and begins to be unsure of himself and what is real and what is fantasy.

Is he under some alien influence? Has he just had too many friends assimilated and now he's totally snapped? I don 't want to give away the spoiler, but suffice to say, this is one heck of a thriller. This could have easily been a 2-part episode. The special effects are new and the imagery is stark, complex, surreal and definitely from the dark side of psyche.

Even the clothing and lighting seems to be in shades of grey and everyone in the cast acts a little more serious than normal.

This was the season when the characters are fully developed and come into their own... and this is one of the best episodes in the lot.

Riker agrees to become part of a play that Dr. Crusher is directing. Later, we find that he is on a planet, captured and the play matches his incarceration. The whole episode questions whether he is captured, just acting, or dreaming it all. Great episode!

At one point in `Frame Of Mind' Troi tells Riker not to be afraid to explore the dark side of his psyche. Accordingly, the sixth season of TNG saw the series take a much darker tone to some episodes. "Man Of The People", "Schisms", the two-part "Chain Of Command" and "The Face Of The Enemy" each featured dark and disturbing themes. By comparison `Frame Of Mind' is pitch-dark, terrifying and unsettling. The sets designed for this show summon up the most frightening memories we have stored inside ourselves from our exposure to horror films. If you are familiar with silent films of the German Expressionism era you will recognize that influence here.

Riker is preparing to perform in a play on the Enterprise titled `Frame Of Mind'. The play details the recovery of a patient at an asylum who may or may not be receiving questionable treatment from his doctor. Very soon the scenes that Riker is performing in the play gradually begin to happen to him in reality. Before long he comes to believe that he really is a patient committed to a doctors care at a mental institution; that the Enterprise and crew are actually a delusion of his maddened state. But soon even that scenario begins to fall apart and Riker no longer knows what is real and what isn't.

This is an episode that demands repeat viewings as it's shifting realities are difficult to keep track of - let alone for Riker! The creative staff behind `Frame Of Mind' does a great job of keeping us off balance, maintaining a surrealistic feel to the entire proceedings. The final sequence of realities shattering away like broken glass is an excellent effect. And Jonathan Frakes is exceptional in what is probably his most demanding performance of the series; he's literally in every shot. One scene that is played out several times in Riker's "realities" is a portion of the play he and Data are performing. As the doctor, Data says to Riker, "I see you're becoming agitated again." Riker immediately responds, "You bet I'm agitated!" Each time this scene is played out Riker says his line more emphatically, responding with uneasy confusion or righteous anger fitting to each separate occasion this happens.

Overall, `Frame Of Mind' has the feel of an early 20th century gothic horror film with its emphasis on set design and the nefarious appearance of the institute's doctors. It is also derivative of the best stories of Philip K. Dick who continually had his characters dealing with ever changing realities induced by drug usage. If you've seen this episode then you probably already own it; if you haven't seen it yet, buy it. You won't regret it. Like me you will find yourself going back to it again and again.

Frame of mind is altered by aliens

Jonathan Frakes puts in a terrific performance in this episode. While performing in a play aboard the Enterprise he is transported to another reality. In this other dimension the play is reality for our unsuspecting first officer. Out of all of the episodes I've never seen the Riker character so frightened and unsure. It's a testament to the under rated acting ability of Frakes. I think that he could also carry the show as ship's captain and it's unfortunate that the powers that be didn't make Riker captain and kept Next Generation going a few more seasons.

This is another one of those episodes that you can see over again. It has scenes where Riker can't believe the fact that he may be imprisoned forever. It's not one of those galactic battle episodes but worth your time.

I really enjoyed this episode, it draws you in until you, like Riker, don't know which reality is real. Parts of it are even a little scary! One of the more enjoyable and interesting eps!

This is definatly the best episode of Star Trek : TNG. If you haven't seen it, buy it now!