Customer Reviews

Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 71: Sarek [VHS]

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

 

 

Mark Lenard shows his strength as an actor when he faces off Patrick Stewart. Sarek is raving mad from a rare Vulcan illness and Picard tries to help him regain his dignity. Mark Lenard has worked with Sir John Geilgud and Lawrance Olivier and his classical acting style compliments STNG and the scene with Picard was wonderful. I am sorry Mark Lenard passed away.

Scriptwriter and novelist Peter Beagle creates a splendid vehicle for the classical acting skills of Patrick Stewart and the late, much-loved Marc Lenard, who shows us the heart of a Vulcan whose logic made life so difficult for Spock.

One caveat. The music that makes Sarek weep isn't Mozart but Brahms.

Famous Vulcan ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard), also known as the father of Spock, is very old, on his second wife, and going through an emotional crisis. Emotional? A Vulcan?

Sarek boards the Enterprise with his second wife, also a human, Perrin, along with some Vulcan aides so that he may be present during a meeting between the Federation and the mysterious Legarans.

Counselor Troi feels emotions from Sarek and during a musical performance in his honor, Picard and many others in the Senior Staff see Sarek crying and subsequently whisked away by his Vulcan companions.

Dr. Crusher surmises he is suffering from Bendii Syndrome, an incurable disease that removes the emotional control that Vulcan's prize among all other attributes in their culture. Sarek is desperate to complete this one final mission, but Picard is worried that Sarek might flip out at the wrong moment and ruin the negotiations with the Legarans.

With pleadings from Perrin, Picard tries to see another logical alternative to their predicament. He agrees to a risky ritual - to mind-meld with Sarek so that Sarek can briefly maintain control over his emotions while in his meetings with the Legarans. Picard becomes a mental basket case, overwhelmed with nearly 200 years of pent-up emotions that have been so carefully surpressed through decades of Vulcan teachings and meditations. Everything comes out at once, the love for Perrin that his Vulcan façade won't let him reveal, his anguish over the loss of fellowship with his son Spock, the loss of his first wife and so many other emotions of anger, rage, lonliness, passion and love all come bubbling to the surface like a volcano.

Can Picard hold it together while the lionshare of his locus of control is on loan to Sarek? Is Picard's self control enough to protect Sarek through the negotiations? Before their mind-meld, Sarek warns Picard that they will share each other's thoughts and refers to the act as "a terrible intimacy." Enough to make most grown men pee in their pants, but not Picard, who is willing to risk his career and his very mind to help a dignified man retain his dignity through the annals of history.

While Mark Lenard (Sarek) is my favorite Trek actor, Patrick (Picard) is also very moving and convincing in this episode. The decline of health for Sarek is heart-wrenching to witness yet the dignity and grace of Mark's performance is absolutely 1st-rate. If you like Sarek, you may want to also check out Unification--it completes his story in some interesting ways.

I also mourn Mr. Lenard's death. This is one fan that will never forget him!

any epsidoe including sarek is always good, It was yes I will us e the term "fascinating " to see picard and sarek mindmeld. poor picard had to endure the onslaught of vulcan emotions, so sarek could get on with business. the part with sarek's wife and picard where he talks about how much sarek loves her and she replys I know I;ve always known a sweet scene.