Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season 1, Episode 21

“Arsenal of Freedom,” like much of Season 1 of The Next Generation, is not an amazing episode, but it is an all around entertaining one. I appreciate adventures that utilize the entire cast, and this one gives everyone something to do for a pretty well-rounded Trek outing. What really makes the episode is its spotlight on Geordi La Forge, as he deals with a leadership crisis while most of the senior staff is off the ship. It’s one of his character’s best moments in the series.

“Arsenal” is classic Trek and contains a lot of familiar beats established by The Original Series – an extinct civilization whose demise illustrates a cautionary moral, the crew getting stuck on a wacky and not too convincing planet set (the name of which is a reference to classical antiquity), a wacky alien phantom, crazy shit trying to kill them, a starship battle, a comrade who isn’t what he appears to be, medical tribulations, conflict over who’s in charge, etc. Although everyone is involved to some capacity, La Forge’s storyline is the only one that is special; everything else is workmanlike but not much more.

The Enterprise approaches planet Minos to investigate the disappearance of the USS Drake (perhaps launched from the Degrassi Shipyards in Toronto), a ship commanded by an old friend of Riker’s, Captain Paul Rice. Riker talks his boy up about how arrogantly capable he is (even beating the not Kobayashi Maru test) and how he can handle absolutely anything, so you know he’s 100% dead. Also, the Drake command was offered to Riker, who turned it down to be first officer of the Enterprise. This establishes a long-running character trait of Riker’s refusal to take starship commands offered to him.

We also learn that Minos is home to a civilization of infamous weapons dealers, who gained fame during the Erselrope Wars for supplying arms to both sides. What could go wrong! But the planet now seems mysteriously absent of humanoid life. Despite that, the Enterprise receives a signal from the planet, and are greeted by a cheerful salesman welcoming them to Minos – “the Arsenal of Freedom!” Hey, that’s the name of this episode!

Played with endless pep by character actor Vincent Schiavelli, he makes a lasting impression. Despite his upbeat demeanor, he still gives a trademark haunting vibe as he emptily shills his wares and the Minosians’ motto – “Peace through superior firepower.” The whole opening spiel is great and I always love over-the-top ad copy that satirizes capitalism. “To be totally armed is to be totally secure! Remember: the early bird that hesitates gets wormed!” It has the classic Verhovenian overtones of Robocop and Starship Troopers. Picard tries to converse with the salesman, but it proves to be just a recording.

Riker, Data, and Yar beam down to the planet to investigate. Data immediately detects that something is tracking and monitoring them. I know that the lush plant set is a budget-friendly way of creating an alien setting, but it’s also kind of funny that they’re searching for what happened to the planet’s inhabitants in the middle of a jungle. It’s like if they beamed down into the middle of the Brazilian rainforest – “Oh my god, where is everybody??? There’s no sign of the people at all!” Yeah, maybe if you beamed down into an actual city, maybe…?

Anyway! They all spread out and it’s not long until Riker comes across his old bud Paul Rice. I really wish the episode had let this scene breathe a little bit more. After getting only a couple of sentences out, Riker is contacted by Picard who lets him know that the only life sign readings are the away team. Which is a totally odd and random thing to suddenly chime in about? It immediately lets Riker know that this thing is not actually his friend and diffuses the tension of the scene. It would have worked better if Rice’s robotic behavior tipped Riker off instead of the Enterprise. In actuality, the image of Rice is an intelligence-gathering device and thus he continually drills Riker with questions about his ship’s tactical strength and details while trying to be oh-so-casual about it. The actor does a good job of remaining in an uncanny valley of being cordial enough but still not quite human. For example, when Riker mentions the Drake, Rice’s program skips a bit and incorporates that tidbit of info into his program. It could have been a much creepier and unsettling scene if we watched it slowly dawn on Riker instead of being spoiled at the start.

Riker gives some nonsense answers to the device until it reveals its true form as a floating gold machine. It encases him in an energy field that puts him in stasis, while Yar destroys it with her phaser. Picard and Dr. Crusher beam down to investigate Riker’s condition, with La Forge put in command of the bridge. Troi, attempting to be useful, reminds Picard that his place is on the Enterprise. But he’s not interested in staying out of danger this week, mom!

While Data tries to use his phaser to destroy the stasis field, another identical device appears and starts firing energy blasts at everyone. While running away, Crusher and Picard tumble down into an open hole and wind up in a subterranean cavern. She sustains some serious injuries, while he remains oddly intact. Hey, good thing you didn’t listen to Troi, pal!

Yar and Data manage to destroy the attacking weapon, but notice that it seems a little faster and smarter than the last one. It’s at this point that everyone’s communicators stop working, putting them out of contact with each other and the Enterprise. Data manages to find the right phaser frequency to free Riker, who seems none the worse for wear.

On the Enterprise, La Forge is about to beam everyone up when the ship is suddenly attacked by an unseen force. Unable to detect them, the ship is rocked again by weapons fire. This week’s chief engineer Mr. Logan bellyaches to La Forge about what their plan is and heads up to the bridge to speak to the manager. Oy. Since he outranks La Forge, he forcefully suggests that he lead the ship to get out of danger. Geordi refuses, as he was placed in command by Picard and won’t step down until he or Riker relieves him.

The ships gets attacked again, and La Forge tries to formulate a plan to deal with it while also fighting off Logan. It’s a really impressive performance by La Forge as he handles everything by himself. This is the first major spotlight the series has given his character, and the way he diplomatically defuses Logan’s challenge to his leadership while dismissing him from the bridge is great. In a smaller way, the episode also allows Worf to come to the forefront and be a more active character since Yar is off the ship.

On Minos, Riker, Data, and Yar are attacked by another device. This one proves to be even tougher as it’s equipped with a shield. The three of them are able to defeat it, but just barely. Data notes that they’re being launched about every 12 minutes, and Yar doesn’t know how they’ll handle the next one.

Picard tends to Crusher’s wounds, and their subplot is the classic “tending to an injured comrade” scenario Trek likes. Crusher needs to stay awake, because like the many sleepovers I attended in childhood taught me – if you fall asleep first, you die. She uses her knowledge of plants and roots to direct Picard to apply some medical mumbo jumbo to her wounds. Roots, what can’t they do? Clot wounds, catapult a young Levar Burton to stardom, fuck up the foundation of a house, and more!

Hey speaking of that guy – on the Enterprise, they’re dealt another punishing attack from their invisible adversary and still aren’t able to hit it. With the power failing and the ship teetering on the edge of destruction, La Forge tells Logan to come to the bridge. When he does, Geordi orders the ship to warp away from the planet. Logan seems aghast that they’re abandoning the away team. Exceeeept… this is what you were needling La Forge to do like ten minutes ago, bud. This shit always drives me up the wall – when a character complains that another character isn’t doing something. And then when they do it – oh no, you monster! Bones did the same thing to Spock in “The Tholian Web.” You just want to complain, don’t ya?

But La Forge only brings the ship out of range of the planet before coming to a stop. He then tells Logan that he’ll need him to take command… of the saucer section. LOL, here’s the keys to mom’s minivan, buckaroo. Knock yourself out.

La Forge intends to take the stardrive section back to the planet to defeat their attacker and rescue the away team. As everyone scrambles to prepare the ship, he goes into Picard’s ready room to collect his thoughts. Troi enters, and as is her wont, expresses her Concerns. Not about Geordi, who she says is handling the situation perfectly, but the bridge crew he’s commanding who don’t have a lot of battle experience. She urges him to show his confidence in them since they draw their strength from his leadership. Actually useful advice from Troi!

Picard searches the cavern they’re in as he tries to keep Crusher focused and awake. She mentions that her medicinal knowledge of plants comes from her grandmother, a colonist on Arvada III. Which was apparently yet another disastrous colony that WE GET NO DETAILS ON. C’mon, at least tell us what kinds of roving gangs this hellish planet had? Singing gangs? Smelly cheese-eating gangs? Gangs of inconsiderate people who refuse to leash their dogs and who don’t obey the reservations others have made for public park gazebos? I reserved this three goddamned months ago for my niece’s quinceañera, Karen and Doug. Get your own, and clean up your dog’s poop, you fucking menaces!

(Anyway, Crusher’s grandmother sounds like an interesting and standup lady. Hopefully we’ll get an episode focusing on her eventful life as a swashbuckling herbalist, avid candle enthusiast, and absolutely nothing else about her.)

Picard stumbles upon a control panel that conveniently shows a readout of the very weapons system that has been attacking them. A hologram of the salesman materializes before Picard, who identifies the weapons system as the Echo Papa 607, their proudest achievement. The salesman speaks highly of its capabilities, including bringing down enemy ships. Picard realizes what destroyed the Drake (besides Kendrick Lamar) and what is now after his own ship. The salesman boasts at how the system is able to adapt and improve itself to overcome any adversary. Picard asks what happened to its creators – the people of Minos.

“Once unleashed, the unit is invincible – the perfect killing system!” the salesman says gleefully, not really hearing him. “You poor fools,” Picard says as the truth dawns on him. It’s a familiar theme Star Trek has hit many a time – the folly of war, especially in the perfection of technologically advanced weaponry. Minos is yet another victim of its own success in constructing a war machine that is too good at its job. It’s also a thinly-veiled critique of unrestrained capitalism that is also on brand for Trek – the only thing left of these people is a lifeless automaton that’s trying to sell more death and destruction. It’s tragically ludicrous. Or ludicrously tragic? You be the judge.

Picard hears another unit being launched at the away team and tells the salesman to abort it. “Why would I want to do that?” he asks, not understanding. Riker and his people finally find the chasm they tumbled down. Data volunteers to join them by just jumping down the apparent 30+ feet distance to the bottom. Which makes it all the more funny how Crusher looks like she’s been run over by a truck (and buried several feet in sand) and Picard is just totally somehow fine after tumbling down the same distance. She probably tensed up. Whenever you fall three stories down, you gotta watch your breathing and just go with the flow, man. Life’s not a race, broski.

Data hilariously drops down this hole and lands safely at the bottom as Yar and Riker fret over how they’re going to tackle the incoming Echo Papa.

On the Enterprise (the cool headless half), La Forge gives some encouraging words to junior officers Solis and T’su as they approach Minos again.

Meanwhile, Picard and Data watch the control panel screen helplessly as the Echo Papa aggressively circles Riker and Yar’s position. Crusher suggests they just shut it off, and Picard asks the salesmen to do so. He’s hesitant, but Picard’s insistence makes him think that he’s made a sale, at which point he deactivates the system and the unit attacking Riker and Yar disappears. Which seems like an effective sales technique – hey, if you spend money your friends won’t die! Gotta try that sometime.

Picard signals La Forge that all is well (oh, are communications back up? OK), but he’s a little busy not getting the ship destroyed. La Forge orders the Enterprise closer to Minos, hoping that their adversary will follow them and reveal its presence in the atmospheric turbulence despite its cloaking device. As the ship heats up and its shields are pushed to the brink, the Echo Papa also lights up in Minos’ atmosphere. They’re able to lock weapons and finally destroy the sneaky little bastard.

Arriving back on the Enterprise, Picard refuses to retake command of the ship from La Forge, and allows him to remain in the captain’s chair until he reconnects with the saucer section. It’s so great. Geordi happily obliges as he sits back down with Picard and Riker behind him. La Forge would of course get promoted to chief engineer in the next season and eventually find his way to the captain’s chair, and this episode is the first indication that he has the right stuff for command.

“The Arsenal of Freedom” is a solid Season 1 TNG outing that finds something for all the crew to do, as well as a few new faces. It’s like comfort Star Trek viewing, containing a lot of familiar themes that are still satisfying all the same. The Minos plotline is pretty standard stuff, but the real fun is watching the characters deal with it and rise to the challenge.

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Stray Observations:

• Seriously, Data leaping down is one of my favorite things ever. If I was better at video editing I would have Data falling into so many things – a shark’s mouth, a ball pit, a shark’s mouth inside of a ball bit… The possibilities are endless.

• In his opening message, the salesman urges visitors to lock onto his signal and beam on down! In retrospect, it would have saved everyone a lot of trouble if they had done that in the first place.

• Why doesn’t the unit attacking the Enterprise also shut down when the surface ones do?

• The episode has kind of a Space Quest adventure vibe. Beaming down to a mysterious planet, getting attacked by enemies, discovering a subterranean control area, talking to a holographic alien spitting out necessary backstory.

• There’s something so unintentionally hilarious about this part, the way everyone’s heads are swiveling everywhere but still somehow miss the weapon just slowly making its drive-by attack while Data is only slightly perturbed because he’s too busy hosing down Riker with his phaser. Followed by the weapon sliding away like a carnival game target/Looney Tunes character through the jungle. Ain’t he a stinker?

• I like this overhead bridge shot:

• Presented without context:

• I’m posting way too many GIFs from this episode! But every single one is totally 100% necessary.