Frame of Mind (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Last updated
"Frame of Mind"
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 21
Directed by James L. Conway
Written by Brannon Braga
Featured music Jay Chattaway
Production code247
Original air dateMay 3, 1993 (1993-05-03)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"The Chase"
Next 
"Suspicions"
Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6
List of episodes

"Frame of Mind" is the 147th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation , and the 21st episode of the sixth season. Written by Brannon Braga and directed by James L. Conway, it first aired on May 3, 1993, and focuses on First Officer Riker as he grapples with conflicting realities. [1] [2] The episode incorporates elements of the Tom Stoppard play Every Good Boy Deserves Favour , which had recently been performed by members of the cast. [3] [4]

Contents

Plot

During a dry run for a covert mission, Riker is accidentally injured by Lt. Worf, and while Dr. Crusher heals the head wound, some pain persists. He then performs in "Frame of Mind", a play in which his character is confined to a mental asylum, and delivers a soliloquy regarding the nature of being sane. At the play's conclusion, one officer frowns, ignoring the ovation the audience delivers. As Riker straightens from a bow, he is alone, trapped in a cell similar to the set. As he is locked in the cell, Riker hears an alien humanoid doctor deliver a line from the play.

In the asylum cafeteria, Riker becomes agitated when he is reminded that he killed a man, prompting doctors to sedate him. Awakening on the Enterprise, Riker flees from an alien doctor only to find himself back in the asylum cell, where medics use holographic projections of the Enterprise to convince him that the asylum is the true reality. This succeeds in convincing Riker to ignore what he believes is a hallucination of Dr. Crusher, who tries to alert him to an impending rescue attempt, which succeeds in returning him to the Enterprise - which Riker remains convinced is an hallucination. To prove this, he fires a phaser at himself, revealing that he remains in the asylum cell. In a bid to destroy the cell he sets the weapon to overload, and after it detonates, finds finds himself back on the theatre stage taking an ovation. Refusing to accept this as real, Riker pounds on the wall of the set, shattering that reality.

Finally coming to on an operating table, with a device inserted into his head where he has been experiencing pain, Riker struggles free and uses his communication badge to request an immediate beam-out. Back aboard the Enterprise, Dr. Crusher tends to his wounds, and Riker learns that he had been taken prisoner on the covert mission. The strange experiences had been prompted by his resistance to efforts to scan his brain to discover strategic information about the Federation. Riker returns to the set of the play one last time to dismantle it.

Production

The story was written by Brannon Braga and directed by James L. Conway, and it is focused on some experiences of First Officer Riker. [2] Braga's initial idea for the story was: "What if Riker wakes up in an insane asylum?" [5] Conway had previously directed TNG episodes "Justice" and "The Neutral Zone" in season one. [2]

The show guest stars Susanna Thompson as Jaya, her second appearance on The Next Generation. Thompson would later return in the Deep Space Nine episode "Rejoined", and as the Borg Queen in several episodes of Star Trek: Voyager . [5] David Selburg, Andrew Prine and Gary Werntz also guest star. [5]

Reception

In 2001, The A.V. Club rated this episode an "A−" and said it was actor Jonathan Frakes' best performance so far in the series. [1]

In 2012, Keith DeCandido of Tor.com gave the episode a rating of nine out of ten. [6]

In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter rated "Frame of Mind" the 68th best episode of all Star Trek episodes [7] and the 16th best episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, [8] and again in May 2019 they ranked it as one of the top 25 episodes of this show, describing it as a "dark and ambitious" episode with a script that played with the audience's sense of reality. [9]

Wired ranked "Frame of Mind" as one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation in a 2012 review, and quoted writer Ronald D. Moore: "I thought it was interesting how 'Frame of Mind' used a play as a bridge to drive Riker between reality and madness," Moore said. [10]

In 2017, Heroes & Icons listed this episode as one of 18 Star Trek episodes featuring scary or eerie content. [11]

In 2017, Den of Geek ranked this episode as one of the top 25 "must watch" episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. [12]

In 2019, The Hollywood Reporter listed this among the 25 best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. [13]

In 2020, Den of Geek ranked "Frame of Mind" as the fourth most scary episode of all Star Trek franchise television episodes. [14]

In 2021, Screen Rant ranked it the second scariest episode of all Star Trek franchise episodes. They praised actor Jonathan Frakes performance and a high-quality story. [15]

Releases

The episode was released as part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation season six DVD box set in the United States on December 3, 2002. [16] A remastered HD version was released on Blu-ray on June 24, 2014. [17] [18]

On November 3, 1999, this was released on LaserDisc in the United States, paired with "Suspicions". [19] The two episodes together had a runtime of 93 minutes, and it had a Dolby Surround audio track. [19]

See also

TNG
Voyager
Other

Related Research Articles

<i>Star Trek: First Contact</i> 1996 film directed by Jonathan Frakes

Star Trek: First Contact is a 1996 American science fiction film directed by Jonathan Frakes in his feature film debut. It is the eighth movie of the Star Trek franchise, and the second starring the cast of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the film, the crew of the starship USS Enterprise-E travel back in time from the 24th century to the 21st century to stop the cybernetic Borg from conquering Earth by changing the past.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Riker</span> Fictional character from Star Trek

William Thomas "Will" Riker is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe appearing primarily as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation, portrayed by Jonathan Frakes. Throughout the series and its accompanying films, he is the Enterprise's first officer, and briefly captain, until he accepts command of the USS Titan at the end of Star Trek: Nemesis. He is the husband of Deanna Troi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Frakes</span> American actor and director (born 1952)

Jonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor and director. He is best known for his portrayal of William Riker in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and subsequent films and series. He has also hosted the anthology series Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, voiced David Xanatos in the Disney television series Gargoyles, and narrated the History Channel documentary, Lee and Grant. He is the credited author of the novel The Abductors: Conspiracy, which was ghostwritten by Dean Wesley Smith.

"Cause and Effect" is the 18th episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 118th overall. It was originally released on March 23, 1992, in broadcast syndication. It was written by Brannon Braga, who sought to write an unusual type of time travel related plot, and directed by cast member Jonathan Frakes.

"The Measure of a Man" is the ninth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 35th episode overall. It was originally released on February 13, 1989, in broadcast syndication. It was written as a spec script by former attorney and Star Trek: The Original Series novelist Melinda M. Snodgrass. It was directed by Robert Scheerer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I, Borg</span> 23rd episode of the 5th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation

"I Borg" is the 23rd episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 123rd overall. It was originally aired on May 10, 1992, in broadcast syndication. The episode was written by René Echevarria, with help from executive producer Jeri Taylor. It was directed by Robert Lederman, the film editor for The Next Generation, one of two directing credits he received during the course of the season.

"Future Imperfect" is the 82nd episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is the eighth episode of the fourth season.

"Timeless" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of Star Trek: Voyager and was also the series' 100th episode.

"These Are the Voyages..." is the series finale of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. The 22nd episode of the fourth season and the 98th of the series overall, it first aired on UPN in the United States on May 13, 2005. It is a frame story in which the 22nd-century events of Star Trek: Enterprise are recounted in a 24th-century holodeck re-creation that is folded into the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Pegasus", which aired eleven years earlier. It features guest stars Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis and Jeffrey Combs, as well as a voice cameo from Brent Spiner. Series creators Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, who co-wrote the episode, conceived "These Are the Voyages..." as a valentine to Star Trek fans.

"Death Wish" is the 18th episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, the 34th episode overall. The episode originally aired on February 19, 1996. The episode features a new member of the Q Continuum named Quinn, and appearances by Star Trek: The Next Generation alumni William Riker and Q.

Flashback (<i>Star Trek: Voyager</i>) 2nd episode of the 3rd season of Star Trek: Voyager

"Flashback" is the 44th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager airing on the UPN network. It is the second episode of the third season.

"The Thaw" is the 39th episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 23rd episode of the second season. In this science fiction television show, the crew of a spaceship discover aliens who are mentally connected to a computer. The spacecraft finds a planet that was destroyed by a solar flare, and the survivors are in hibernation pods.

"A Matter of Honor" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 34th episode overall, first broadcast on February 6, 1989. The teleplay is written by Burton Armus, based on a story by Armus, Wanda M. Haight and Gregory W. Amos, and directed by Rob Bowman.

"The Offspring" is the 16th episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the 64th episode of the series overall.

"Phantasms" is the 158th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The sixth episode of the seventh season.

The Pegasus (<i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i>) 12th episode of the 7th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation

"The Pegasus" is the 164th episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 12th episode of the seventh season. It was written by Ronald D. Moore and directed by series cast member LeVar Burton.

"Night Terrors" is the 91st episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation; the 17th episode of the fourth season.

"Chain of Command" is a two-part episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It aired as the 10th and 11th episodes of the sixth season, the 136th and 137th episodes of the series.

"Lower Decks" is the 167th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is the 15th episode of the seventh season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borg</span> Fictional faction in Star Trek

The Borg are an alien group that appear as recurring antagonists in the Star Trek fictional universe. The Borg are cybernetic organisms (cyborgs) linked in a hive mind called "The Collective". The Borg co-opt the technology and knowledge of other alien species to the Collective through the process of "assimilation": forcibly transforming individual beings into "drones" by injecting nanoprobes into their bodies and surgically augmenting them with cybernetic components. The Borg's ultimate goal is "achieving perfection".

References

  1. 1 2 Zack Handlen (2011). "Star Trek: The Next Generation: "The Chase"/"Frame Of Mind"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  2. 1 2 3 "Star Trek: The Next Generation Rewatch: "Frame of Mind"". Tor.com. 30 November 2012.
  3. Wilcox, Rhonda V (2010). "The Star Trek franchise". In David Lavery (ed.). The Essential Cult TV Reader. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 244–259. ISBN   978-0-8131-2568-8.
  4. P., Ken (July 27, 2004). "An In-Depth Interview with Jonathan Frakes". IGN.com (Interview). Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  5. 1 2 3 "6 Things to Know About "Frame of Mind"". StarTrek.com. May 2, 2018.
  6. DeCandido, Keith (2012-11-30). "Star Trek: The Next Generation Rewatch: "Frame of Mind"" . Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  7. Hollywood Reporter 'Star Trek': 100 Greatest Episodes
  8. "'Star Trek: The Next Generation' — The 25 Greatest Episodes". The Hollywood Reporter . 21 September 2016.
  9. "'Star Trek: The Next Generation' - The 25 Best Episodes". The Hollywood Reporter . 23 May 2019. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  10. Scott Thill (2012). "The Best and Worst of Star Trek: The Next Generation's Sci-Fi Optimism". WIRED. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  11. "18 eerie, disturbing and downright scary Star Trek episodes". H&I. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  12. Sven Harvey (18 October 2017). "Star Trek: The Next Generation's 25 must-watch episodes". Den of Geek .
  13. "'Star Trek: The Next Generation' - The 25 Best Episodes". The Hollywood Reporter . 23 May 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  14. "The Scariest Star Trek Episodes". Den of Geek . 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  15. "10 Scariest Episodes Of Star Trek, Ranked". ScreenRant. 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  16. Ordway, Holly E. (December 6, 2002). "Star Trek the Next Generation – Season 4". DVD Talk. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  17. Marnell, Blair (June 20, 2014). "Exclusive Video: Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6 Gag Reel". Crave Online. Archived from the original on July 3, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  18. Lipp, Chaz (February 28, 2015). "Blu-ray Review: Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Six". The Morton Report. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  19. 1 2 "LaserDisc Database - Star Trek Next Generation #147/148: Frame of Mind/Suspicions [LV 40270-247]". www.lddb.com. Retrieved 2021-02-24.