# Help my co-worker identify her favorite Star Trek: NG episode? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494 "2004-02-27T17:45:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RitzyRae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/1 "2004-02-27T17:45:14Z")
My friend and co-worker is \*desperate \* to find this Star Trek: The Next Generation episode (and she doesn’t remember much): Riker thinks he is in some sort of psych ward, but he isn’t… but he is… but he isn’t… somehow in the end he is able to see his captors for what they truly are, by not believing the whole thing is real. She knows it wasn’t the first season and believes Riker may have been bearded by this time. She also thinks Dr. Crusher was aboard the Enterprise, not Pulaski. TV Tome doesn’t seem to cover NG, and the episode lists elsewhere are almost endless. Can anyone help? If you can help figure it out, she will rush out and buy that particular season right away. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/2 "2004-02-27T17:58:29Z")
The episode is “Frame of Mind.” IIRC it was shown in the sixth season. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/3 "2004-02-27T18:00:28Z")
Frame of Mind. Season Six. ---
**Author:** ![RitzyRae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/4 "2004-02-27T19:14:56Z")
Wonderful! Thank you. She now loves you both. I just knew you people would know straight off. ---
**Author:** ![RitzyRae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/5 "2004-02-27T20:09:36Z")
Okay. She really likes this “mind game” theme. Are there other really good episodes of this type that she might like? I seem to remember a Deep Space Nine episode about O’Brian that was along these lines. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/6 "2004-02-27T21:39:05Z")
> [@RitzyRae](#): > > I seem to remember a Deep Space Nine episode about O’Brian that was along these lines. The O’Brien episode is **Whispers** , season 2. (Excellent, Excellent episode, BTW) ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/7 "2004-02-27T23:05:38Z")
Mind game type episodes…let’s see… My favorite episode, and the one that got me re-hooked on the show, was “The Inner Light” in the 5th season. Not dark at all, but there is an element of “What the heck is going on here?” for the first few scenes. In the same season there were “Conundrum” and “Cause and Effect”; while those weren’t exactly mind games, they did involve the entire crew in trying to solve some mysterious deadly memory problems. Season 4 had one of the creepiest episodes of the series, “Night Terrors,” but “Remember Me” was more like “Frame of Mind” with Dr. Crusher questioning her own sanity. If she hasn’t seen the series finale, “All Good Things”, it involves Q leading Picard through a large, humanity-threatening time-travel puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/8 "2004-02-28T00:29:09Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > In the same season there were “Conundrum” and “Cause and Effect”; while those weren’t exactly mind games, they did involve the entire crew in trying to solve some mysterious deadly memory problems. And let’s not forget **“Clues”**. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/9 "2004-02-28T00:47:09Z")
“Parallels” was another mind game-type episode. But my all-time favorite, already mentioned, was “Cause and Effect.” Hands down my biggest “what the hell?” moment. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/10 "2004-02-28T05:38:45Z")
**Dooku,** funny story about “Cause and Effect”… An old ex of mine was attending college during TNG’s run, and his dorm had a fairly large contingent of Trekkers who’d take over the common room to watch together each week. Punctuality was highly recommended. Anyone who showed up late and was foolish enough to ask “So what happened in the teaser?” received the standard non-reply “The ship blew up and everybody died.” Then came the week “Cause and Effect” first aired… ---
**Author:** ![Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fang)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/11 "2004-02-28T07:20:29Z")
[hijack] OK, I remember from watching TNG with my dad when I was much younger an episode that I’m trying to find out the name, etc. of. Now my memory of this is very sketchy, but there was something wrong with the transporter, I can’t really remember what, maybe people getting stuck or something. I’m pretty sure that every time somebody transported, you would see these “creatures” in the transporter, which I guess looked kind of liked giant striped snakes. I really don’t remember much about the episode, hell it may have been a TOS (but I don’t think so). Sorry about the singularly unhelpful description, but I would be very grateful if anybody had a clue what I was talking about? So, anybody? [/hijack] (Sorry for the hijack also, but I figured the OP’s question was already answered and TNG fans were likely to be in this thread.) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/12 "2004-02-28T07:40:10Z")
That was _Realm of Fear_, season 6. A Mr. Broccoli episode. (Mr. Broccoli is my hero.) ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/13 "2004-02-28T07:40:28Z")
**Fang** : Read this and see if it’s [“Realm of Fear.”](http://sttng.epguides.info/?ID=302) ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/14 "2004-02-28T08:52:20Z")
No mention of _Chain of Command_ Parts I and II? The whole two hours is about capturing Picard and breaking him down until he’s a quivering mass. The best psychological episode of any of the series and maybe the best episodes of any type of all the series period. ---
**Author:** ![Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fang)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/15 "2004-02-28T17:31:40Z")
Wow, I think that was it. This board never seems to amaze me. Now I’ll have to locate a copy of the episode and see. Thanks, guys. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/16 "2004-02-28T18:02:15Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > That was _Realm of Fear_, season 6. A Mr. Broccoli episode. (Mr. Broccoli is my hero.) I thought his name was Barclay. I’m almost positive. He is by far my favorite non primary character. Was the Data dreams ep called Nightmare? The one where Worf eats the Troi “cellular peptide cake… with mint frosting”? ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/17 "2004-02-28T23:25:37Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > I thought his name was Barclay. I’m almost positive. He is by far my favorite non primary character. > > Was the Data dreams ep called Nightmare? The one where Worf eats the Troi “cellular peptide cake… with mint frosting”? It is Barclay - Broccoli was a less than kind nickname other crewmembers gave him. There’s a scene somewhere where Picard accidentally says it to his face. The Data nightmare episode was Phantasms, season 7. ---
**Author:** ![emekthian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecae2f/32.png) [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-co-worker-identify-her-favorite-star-trek-ng-episode/231494/18 "2004-02-29T03:23:04Z")
Realm of Fear. That was a pretty good episode. I remember I was watching it at my grandmother’s house, because I heard that it would show what transporting would look like from the POV of the person being transported. However, we had to leave about 20 minutes past the episode’s start, and we arrived at my house five minutes before it ended. So I missed all the transporter stuff!