Star Trek: The Next Generation Booby Trap (1987–1994) Online

ST:TNG:54 - "Booby Trap" (Stardate: 43205.6) - this is the 6th episode of the 3rd season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

While investigating a 1000 year old ship that is left over from an ancient battle, the Enterprise begins to have problems. It's up to Geordi LaForge, with the help of a holodeck version of Dr. Leah Brahms (played by Susan Gibney - she will appear again in "Galaxy's Child") as they go into the Enterprise's past to learn about how to deal with the present. In fact, this holodeck Brahms is actually a human representation of the Enterprise computer itself!

This episode begins the "failed romances" for Geordi LaForge starting with Christi in this episode. Whoopi Goldberg also makes another appearance as Guinan - she mentions that she attracted to bald men. And Picard is seen showing his rare "happy" side when we see his love of history (in this case the form of the 1000 year old ship). Also, there's a mention of Picard building a "ship in a bottle" which will be a later TNG episode title.

Another brilliant episode which continues the strong 3rd season of The Next Generation.

The Enterprise has unsuspectingly gotten enmeshed in an asteroid field that is absorbing power from them. There is also a radiation factor that will ultimately kill the entire crew if something isn't done. It is, as the title indicates, a booby trap that has claimed other victims. It is now up to the resolve of Picard and the technical expertise of Geordi LaForge to come up with a solution. He is stonewalled at each turn and ultimately decides to go into the Enterprises original specs to see what can be done. In so doing he raises the holographic image of Leah Brahms, an engineer most closely associated with this aspect of the ship. It turns out that she is absolutely beautiful (looking like a latter day Ingrid Bergman) and Geordi, who has had a series of failures romantically, gives her a personality that is somewhat teasing and inviting. She is still the master of her craft and gets into shouting matches with Geordi. The parry and thrust at what the Enterprise can do to solve the problem. There are some wonderful scenes as Picard maintains his cool despite a problem of gargantuan implications. Very good science fiction, utilizing one of the crew's most interesting characters. .

A Promelian Battle Cruiser (an ancient ship of war considered destroyed during a major destructive conflict with a race called Menthars, that ended with asteroids and wreckage as a reminder of just how devastating war can be) is discovered at Orelious IX thanks to "an ancient interplanetary code" that was sending out a distress signal the Enterprise discovered while charting the war between two alien species who battled until both were extinct.

The Enterprise experiences energy loss and technical malfunctions while holding near the Promelian ship (within the asteroid scattering), soon losing all power as radiation will infiltrate their ship if an answer isn't uncovered to escape from a "booby trap" energy field siphoning off their resources.

Picard taxes Geordi LaForge on finding a way to maintain the Enterprise's shields and the chief engineer must get a little assistance from Dr. Leah Brahms, responsible for most of the design of the ship, including the Dilithium Chamber in Engineering. Through her logs, information stored in the computer banks, and even recreating her personality and image for Geordi, they will try to figure out a way to give the Enterprise enough energy to somehow make it out of the energy field caused by the Menthars' radiating asteroids. An idea of allowing the computer itself to direct the Enterprise through asteroid field is at first contemplated, but it could come down to old fashioned experience and ingenuity, using their brains, their mind instead of depending on machine to get them out of this predicament.

The is classic Trek, really, and functions as a fine vehicle for Levar Burton who would have a fabulous third season with a heaping helping of storyline dedication given to him and he delivers. It's classic Trek in that it has an inexplicably difficult problem burdened on Picard that involves keeping his ship operational as an energy field with radiated rock surrounding it gradually deprives it of what it needs to remain active and running. Geordi earns his Chief title in this one, having to look at the Enterprise back at the beginning, to get an understanding of how to increase energy levels as to prolong their life support and hold off radiation exposure before it turns fatal to the crew of the ship. We see the ship darkened, the computer reminding them of deflector shields failing, and the crew growing concerned, yet Picard's impeccable resolve and ability to stare right into death and keep his composure is a statement in regards to his character and command. This also allows us to see Geordi dealing with "woman issues" trying to figure out how to score with a young woman named Christi (Julie Warner, of Doc Hollywood fame) who doesn't seem romantically interested in him while he finds himself falling in love with a holographic image and personality cribbed from various resources by the computer. Susan Gibney, as Leah, radiates in her role and leaves quite an impression; once we get an indication of what she really seems like, you can understand why Geordi responds so warmly to her. This episode also shows Picard in a jovial, enthusiastic state after visiting the ancient ship he read about as a child, providing amusement to his crew. This also has the "ship in the bottle" comment by Picard, befuddled that Riker, Worf, and Data are baffled by this boyhood activity. Picard has a really nice moment with Riker where he dotes on the imaginary adventures he had while building model ships; that, and their conversation on flying machines and machines now flying them also resonates. Include the discovery of a ship so fitting for study and holding possible clues as to how to right the wrongs that left the dead crew to perish, Data trying to make some of the Promelian Captain logs presentable as to learn from his mistakes, and "Booby Trap" is just another example of how The Next Generation began to excel in the third season.

When the Enterprise hears an old distress signal they happen to come up on an 1000 year old Promelian ship that was involved in a war with the Menthars so many years ago. It seems that over one thousand years ago the ship sent out the distress signal, due to some reason, being unable to get out of an asteroids belt so the crew perished.

Now the crew of the Enterprise goes to investigate the ship but after returning to the Enterprise they find out that they are losing power and radiation will flood the ship if the shields do not hold up to the decrease in power. It seems that Enterprise is in the same bobby trap that the Promelian ship was in many years ago.

Geordi will have to find a way, with help from records of Doctor Leah Brahms hologram files, to save the Enterprise from a certain disaster. This will prove to be an interesting trip to the holodeck where we learn more about Geordi than we have learned so far in the series. We also get to see an usual excited Picard, early in the show, when he gets to head an away team to the stranded Promelian ship. An entertaining episode that is exactly what we expect when we watch the series. Great watch.

survivors of Orelius IX? LaForge a bit pathetic

The Enterprise has arrived in the proximity of Orelius IX--the location of an Armageddon-like battle in space a thousand years ago. Both sides destroyed the other and little is left except an exploded planet--a vast monument to the stupidity of war. While in this region, the ship begins receiving distress signals from a long-dead ship. Naturally, the Captain is curious and an away team investigates. However, once near this ship, they realize that they, too, are in trouble. The same devices that caused this ancient ship to become stuck in space are now holding the Enterprise firm. Additionally, something in space is now causing a HUGE drain on the ship's energy as well as bombarding the ship with lethal radiation. It sure looks like they are screwed. To deal with this seemingly insurmountable problem, Geordi brings up a holo-creation of a brainiac scientist who built the Enterprise and together they look for a solution to their dilemma.

The other theme in this one is LaForge's pathetic dating life. It begins with him completely striking out with a fellow crewmember and ultimately ends with him becoming infatuated with the holo helper. Will LaForge ever get to meet this lady in person? Yup--two years later she'll re-appear in "Galaxy's Child" and you'll learn whether the real Dr. Brahms is anything like her holo alter-ego.

In some ways this episode is quite original and interesting. But, like many of the lesser episodes, just about everything (other than a brief landing on the dead ship they discover) takes place aboard the Enterprise--making the show a bit stagy and slow. Worth seeing, though it also has a high creepy factor, as LaForge seems amazingly desperate and lonely.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Roddenberry's second creation of an elite group exploring space through humanity is a remarkable milestone for not only television but the sci-fi genre itself. As it quips repetitively, it dares go where no one has been before, and analyzes the good and bad of the nature. And it's that wide range of nature that is touched down, in all its hokum that it calls for, the answers are overwhelming to all the questions thrown out to it. Unlike the previous series, it has much more characters to handle which is a double edge sword. On the pro section, it helps writers jump in on diverse categories through them and swoop in as much as material possible through their individual perspective and still keep it all inside a definite and familiar circle.

On the other hand, it also is challenging to fiddle around these many characters on screen, especially the amount of new contents and eerie ideas each episode comes up with, it increases the possibility to lean towards flaws. And yes, it has its own limitation, but in its own gullible range and potential, it just simply works. Plus, what's fascinating is despite of being brimmed with these many personas floating about in the space, they haven't allotted any stereotypical specific characteristics to the characters, their species and nature may definitely vary, but a cheesy note is strictly prohibited in Enterprise-D.

The infamous Capt. Jean-Luc Picard played by Stewart who is mostly known by this role from his career, is exceptionally well crafted character that is simply nothing but a good leader and add Stewart's performance to that, the outcome is your iconic character that survives decades easily. Sirtis as the consciously enhanced counselor fits perfectly in the ship and the makers makes sure either they keep her up front to notify the shady part of the plot or distracts her wisely to advance the plot.

Frakes, once again, a competent leader and warrior that is more explored into love affairs while Dorn as a hot head and Burton as the most adapting and willful learner on the ship helps make the environment more engaging and realistic. Spiner as the android, Lt. Commander Data, who means nothing but business, unfortunately, is the guy that means the least amount of business, often relied upon for the humor, he might be explored thoroughly but is rarely projected with sincerity.

Personally, I prefer Stewart's mellow equation with Wheaten who looks up to him as a father figure and adds the right amount of emotion to it, McFadden's friendly relation too helps on spicing up this dish. The guest cast coming in- often playing the antagonist- invests equally and perpetually to this scoreboard. Advancing further than the previous series did, this journey also brings in rich traditional rituals and their own quirky references to the table. Star Trek: The Next Generation is your typical space ride, floating without any control it grabs everything like a child, and in its innocence and honesty it is one breathtaking ride.

Season 03

Upgrading to a better result than the previous season, this one installs the additional morale lessons among all new innovative ideas that are also brimmed with fresh perspective and incredibly productive methods.

Boobo Trap

This situationally complex and innovative ideas works because it personifies both nature and artificial intelligence where the threats aren't threats but just a coincidence, at the end both the parallel tracks sums up emotionally and intellectually the season's best adventure yet.

'Booby Trap' is a fine example of the demand for miracles a captain places on his chief engineer. A distress call lures the Enterprise into an immobilizing energy field, while lethal radiation levels continue to increase on board. To escape it, Geordi takes the holodeck with a recreation of the grand matriarch of modern propulsion. It's kind of refreshing that, in the end, simply killing the power and steering in the wind does the trick. It's a very low-tech solution, which is a surprise for this show.

One good thing about this is we get to see Picard's lighter side as he reminisces about building a ship in a bottle as a boy. The downside is LaForge's nonexistent love life, which has him romancing holograms. But it's a good dramatic episode and the worsening situation in the trap offers great tension.

7/10

It doesn't get any better than this. The Enterprise rolls up on a long dead battle cruiser. Captain Picard insists on going over to check it out, finding it's crew still at their posts, and even a data module of the captains last log entry, taking responsibility for the ships demise and praising his crew. Soon the crew realize that they are trapped in the same situation that killed the Prometheans'.

Anyway, Geordi finds a way to get the Enterprise out of the same energy draining trap that killed the Promethian's ship. By using a simple stick and rudder setup, with Picard at the controls, they get through the field.

After ward, they destroy the old ship so that no one else has reason to investigate and get trapped as well.

I know this is a common theme in Sci-Fi, perhaps one of the oldest and most basic, but for me, it never gets old. I always imagine that I am the one the gets to go over and take a look, and I would have the same reaction as Captain Picard when he got back. "Thrilling, Just thrilling!"