Transfigurations
Season 3 Episode 25
Original airdate: June 2, 1990
Netfix Synopsis
The Enterprise finds a deserted planet and a downed ship’s lone survivor, who has no memory but possesses extraordinary healing powers.
My Brief Review
Once again I’ve skipped an episode. The one that immediately preceded this, “Menage a Troi” — well, the name tells you pretty much all you need to know — was pretty much the worst possible combination for me… Troi’s mom and a Ferengi. I really don’t think I could have taken it.
This is another episode I remembered from the old days. “John Doe,” the mysterious, amnesiac alien, is undergoing a transformation with a series of energy pulses surging painfully through his body. Yet he can also harness that energy to miraculously heal people — from Geordi’s much needed confidence boost, to O’Brien’s holodeck kayaking injury, to Worf, who he actually brings back to life after a jolt of his energy causes Worf to fall over a railing and break his neck.
A ship from John’s planet arrives and wants to take him back, as a prisoner. But Picard stalls long enough for John to recover his memory. His species is on the verge of an evolutionary transformation into non-corporeal beings of pure energy. Whoa! And he undergoes his metamorphosis right before the crew’s eyes. The final scene is a bit corny; he’s clearly wearing a white bodysuit (think Greendale Human Being) with post-production special effects to give him a yellow glow, but you can see the wrinkles in the suit on the top of his head, and hear his speech muffled by the part covering his mouth.
But never mind that. This episode ended on an inspiring note, one that was not lost on me with tonight being the final night before Donald Trump is no longer president.
Memorable Moment
John turning into a being of glowing bodysuit pure, radiant energy, of course!
Crew Rando
Nurse Temple doesn’t get called by name in the show, but she has several scenes and even some dialogue! Her pips suggest she’s a lieutenant junior-grade, so I guess that’s the difference. Ensign randos don’t get to talk!
Distance Rating: 4K
IMDb score: 7.0/10