Customer Reviews

Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 164: The Pegasus [VHS]

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The conflicting demands of duty & conscience have formed one of the most basic themes of all 3 Star Trek series. "The Pegasus" represents one of the show's best treatments of that theme, a story of intrigue which poses some hard choices for Commander Riker. Riker's first commanding officer, Capt. (now Admiral) Eric Pressman enlists the Enterprise to salvage the remains of the Pegasus, an experimental starship which they served on together, until it was lost, years before. The Pegasus' wreckage still contains top-secret technology, now in danger of being stolen by Federation enemies. But Riker's current captain, Jean-Luc Picard, begins to suspect that the Pegasus has darker secrets which both Pressman & Riker are hiding from him. Picard challenges Riker, forcing him to re-evaluate choices he made as a young man & consider whether the secrets that he & Pressman are protecting are worth the cost.

Pressman is portrayed by Terry O'Quinn, whose performace surprisingly anticipates his role on the TV series "Millennium" as Peter Watts.

Another guest star, Michael Mack, turns in a wonderfully smooth & predatory performance as the enemy commander, Sirol. In two pivotal scenes, Picard & Sirol engage in darkly comic exchanges of diplomatic niceties, full of thinly-veiled threats. Mack reminds us of why even people who know history are willing to forget the absurd roots of this enemy race, the "Romulans," as a sort of alien version of the Roman Empire; instead, he focuses on the features which make them unique: their elaborate manners & catlike cruelty. Mack's casting also introduces the idea that Romulans come in more than one shade of olive!

The script also works in a few moments of lighter humor. The stiking thing is that these moments are actually done well--Star Trek has been using puckish humor unsuccessfully for decades! Don't miss Jonathan Frakes' Patrick Sterwart immitation, or Picard's embarrassment over being a children's "role model"!

I love it when we find flaws and dark pasts in our favorite Trek characters. This time, Commander Riker is the subject and the secret he has been living with for twelve years is one that could alter Federation relations with the Romulan Empire forever!

Admiral Pressman, Riker's old commanding officer aboard the starship Pegasus, wants to retrieve the lost Pegasus because it has secret technology that the Pegasus crew had been working on when their experiments went awry (and the ship was lost). The key is that the Pegasus's crew was working on cloaking technology which, as the episode explains, is illegal for the Federation to use. Never mind the absurdity of such a treaty (c'mon, this is like the USA banning stealth fighter technology so we don't upset China and then allowing China to use stealth technology--it would be an incredibly stupid thing to do), the important thing here is the conflict generated among Picard, Pressman and Riker. Riker is torn between loyalty to his former commander and his duty to the Enterprise and the Federation. There are plenty of terrific, dramatic, and tense moments in this episode. As Riker, actor Jonathan Frakes shines here. Great episode all the way!

This episode, along with "Second Chances" and "A Matter of Honor", makes up what I call the essential Riker collection.

The Pegasus is one of TNG's best episodes, with great character development, mystery and intrigue, and new layers added to the substance of what makes up Starfleet and the Trek Universe. For those who haven't seen it, a nice twist in the plot regarding Pegasus and Riker's past; some excellent dynamics with Riker & Picard . . all in all a great show.

Plot: Riker meets up with his a former captain (now admiral), named Eric Pressman. Naturally, if an admiral turns up, there's a big problem that needs to be dealt with, as is this case. The USS Pegasus, an Oberth-class prototype with new technologies, was then Capt. Pressman's ship 12 years ago and Riker was the helmsman. Well, the ship is destroyed, except now, 12 years later, part of the ship has been found by the Romulans. So, the Enterprise is to quickly find the Pegasus before the Romulans do. But, there's more going on. Pressman and Riker both hold a dark, deadly secret about one of the pieces of technology on the Pegasus. Riker, who feels remorse over it, is torn between the admiral's orders and his sense of what is really right and true (and his loyalty to the rest of the ship and crew). I won't spoil the end, but I can say this, the hilarious teaser with the "Capt. Picard Day" disguises how dangerous the mission may end up!!! I really enjoyed this episode because it showed that if someone is above the law, there can be major consequences. It also had some things that have never happened to the Enterprise, including entering an asteriod. Arguably, one of the best episodes in series.