[TNG] Season 6, Episode 24: Second Chances
Rating: 2
“Second Chances” is a big missed opportunity of an episode. It makes sense that the two Rikers are uncomfortable around each other, but that keeps them from interacting much, which is what we want to see. When they do, it’s sort of repetitive open hostility and nothing else, so most of the runtime ends up devoted to a romance plot. Why not explore what surviving in isolation for nearly a decade does to Riker? Has he accepted his fate and become more ascetic, or is he more feral? How has his time alone changed his view of Starfleet, of his former goals embodied in the alternate version of himself? What we get, instead, is that he’s just late sometimes and still has the hots for Troi, otherwise he’s basically the same. There’s a tiny bit of intrigue in how queasy the romance is, and they address Riker staying on the Enterprise instead of accepting a captaincy, but they’ve covered that plenty in other stories. The biggest plus – Marina Sirtis turns in a really good performance, and I like her having to deal with their split all over again, even though it probably doesn’t need the be the emphasis of the episode. Also Mae Jamison has a cameo!!
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