Season 3 Episode
Who Watches The Watchers
Stardate: 43173.5

[Plot]
the crew go to help a bunch of guys that have been watching some natives on a planet. the thing breaks down and ends up injuring a guy and a native. the native gets beamed up and healed by doc crusher. then she fails to wipe the memory of the native. the event gets the natives to start believing that Picard is the Overseer, who is the "God" for the Mintakans, who inhabit the planet. The natives naturally run into problems. Mostly over wanting to access the Power of the Picard.

Riker and Troi are sent down to help out, after a third member or another member of the watcher guys is found by the natives. The natives don't know what to do exactly. Troi causes a distraction, and Riker carries off the Watcher guy. they get beamed up

Picard who had resisted any attempts to pose as a god, must listen and figure out a way to help Troi, who the natives are holding to deal with for the The Picard. one native ends up suggesting that Troi be sacrificed to the The Picard. Picard beams up Nuria, leader of the Mintakans and tries to talk to her.

Nothing works to get through her thick skull until Picard takes her to visit Sick Bay and a Watcher Guy dies. That convinces Nuria of the power and ability of the The Picard. When they go down to the planet again, in try to free Troi, Nuria mentions how Picard has power and ability but is not the Overseer or a god.

The native that had gotten healed, Liko, ends up shooting Picard with an arrow, after Picard basically dares him. He accepts dying to support his actions. Liko ends up shooting him in the shoulder.

Picard, with his arm in sling, talks with the Mintakans. He explains about what purpose the watchers were doing, and why Picard's people were on planet. A Mintakan asks for technological assistance. Picard points out that would be another kind of interference. Nuria mentions learning about stuff has shown that her people can develop as they need to. Picard speaks with them some, and did earlier tells the Mintakans about the Prime Directive.

Before he leaves, Picard is given a Tapestry [A new tracker appears!] from the Mintakans.

[Rating]
4 - Good episode: A few parts of the episode are above average - good plot points, clever use of effects and so on.

{Episode Commentary}
So, first off, we get to add a tracker about the various gifts that Picard will end up receiving over the series and will put on display. The Mintakan Tapestry will be joined by the Hyksos from Professor Galen, and the flute from Kataan/Katann courtesy of the Probe from the "Inner Light" episode (THat should be the episode where Picard becomes an alien and experiences a life drawn from the history of the planet right before the probe launches and gets encountered by Picard and the ship), and the dagger from the Tamarians from "Darmok" episode.

This episode is a bit mixed, in that the story works really well, and probably one of the most human and not annoying or idiotic observations of the Prime Directive and how it was supposed to work in practice and principle, before the PD (Prime Directive) turned into the later mess and the whole "Let's have an entire civilization get destroyed because we can't be bothered to help any or not". The PD really turns into a problem later on, as different people have different ideas of having to make it work or whatever.

The story with Picard is about his desire to avoid any religious trouble element, but due to weird, Picard acts more like the idea of religion is bad. The focus is really supposed to be on how Picard doesn't want to play god, but his dialogue always talks about how Religion or belief in the supernatural will somehow be putting the mintakans in superstition and fear and ignorance. It makes for a weird element that should have been cut with the greater focus about how doing the suggested God thing goes against Picard's principles. especially in regards to Truth.

Sadly, the show instead goes for making the Federation appear to be anti-religion. that somehow the Federation became the Federation by tossing out religion. that just never made sense because it employs lazy arguments of Picard's line about "superstition and ignorance and fear". this is all Gene and his personal opinion floating in. later episodes will include Federation religious stuff.

really, a much greater look at Picard being angry with being treated as a god and getting a way to help fix things while carefully keeping the Federation and its sense of self righteous morality in check. eh, that will be done better, later

So? Do fellow playgrounders agree? Disagree? Comments of your own? Get some discussing going on

Trackers)
Picard's Gifts: 1
Prime Directive Hell: 1
Q Messes with the Crew, For Laughs: 1
Doctor Who timey-wimey Destructo Enterprise Disco: 1
Klingon Rituals/Rites: 1
Poker Playing: 2
Gene Roddenberry ruins Star Trek: 3 ()
Redshirts Actually wearing a Redshirt Deaths: 1
Hidden Gems: 5
Funny Guest Star Appearances: 5 ( Ray Wise)
Rank of Miles: Ensign, Two Gold Pips
Prime Directives: 3
Patrick Stewart Speech: 4 (Did I miss an earlier one? I don't think so)
Riker "Patrick Stewart Speech": 1
Riker Romances Something/Someone: 2
Pithy Aesops: 1
Klingon Proverbs/Beliefs/Sentiments: 1) Drink not with thine enemy; A) Several in the Episode, "Heart of Glory";
Worfed (Worf loses to establish danger): 2
Holodeck Mishaps/Breakings/Issues: 1
Actually Alien Aliens: 1
Lore's Appearances: 1
*Data's Emotions: 3
*Troi Troubles: 1
*Money Matters: 1
Polarize the Phase Inverters: 1