A Matter of Perspective
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| Star Trek: TNG episode | |
| "A Matter of Perspective" | |
 The holodeck court in "A Matter of Perspective". |
|
| Episode no. | 62 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 162 |
| Airdate | February 25, 1990 |
| Writer(s) | Ed Zuckerman |
| Director | Cliff Bole |
| Guest star(s) | Craig Richard Nelson Gina Hecht Mark Margolis Colm Meaney |
| Year | 2366 |
| Stardate | 43610.4 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "Déjà Q" |
| Next | "Yesterday's Enterprise" |
"A Matter of Perspective" is a third season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation first broadcast on February 25, 1990.
[edit] Plot summary
Riker comes back to the Enterprise having visited the Botanica Four research space station. There, he had met with Dr. Apgar, a scientist studying Kreeger waves. Suddenly, just as Riker beams back, the space station explodes, and Apgar is killed.
Soon, an investigator named Krag arrives from Apgar's home planet of Tanuga Four. Krag demands that Riker be extradited to face trial, under the Tanugan justice system's edict of "guilty until proven innocent".
Picard is unwilling to submit to this demand, and instead requests the trial be held on the Enterprise holodeck, where the crime can be easily re-enacted.
Some hours later, the inquiry begins with holodeck simulations based on Riker's testimony. In Riker's version of events, Apgar was angry from the start, and Apgar's wife Manua tried to seduce the hapless Riker. Apgar found them together and jumped to conclusions, and then threatened Riker's life. Riker returned to the Enterprise, at which point the station exploded for reasons unknown to him.
Krag then produces some evidence to the contrary. Researchers have found evidence of a focused energy pulse coming directly from where Riker was standing, and the prosecution believes Riker fired a phaser directly at the reactor core, then beamed away to escape the explosion.
In the meantime, the crew have detected a burst of unknown radiation and are investigating.
The next person to give testimony is Apgar's widow, Manua. According to her, Riker tried to rape her, and then punched Dr. Apgar when he was discovered. Riker objects to the testimony, but Troi tells Riker she didn't think Manua was lying - what she said is what she remembers happening, from her perspective. Then, a second radiation burst occurs, this one in sickbay.
Data ultimately determines that the periodicity of the radiation bursts corresponds with the energy output of the field generator down on the planet. With this information in hand, Picard then deduces what in fact occurred, and explains to the court.
Dr. Apgar had actually managed to create Kreeger waves, which explains the recurring radiation bursts. However, Apgar lied about it so he could get rich weaponizing the technology. When Riker arrived, Apgar became concerned that the Federation was on to him, and tried to figure out a way to drive the Enterprise away. Ultimately, he decided to murder Riker and rig it to look like an accident. He set up his converter to deliver an energy beam to zap Riker, but the beam accidentally bounced off the transporter beam as Riker was headed back to the Enterprise and it destroyed the reactor, and thereby the station.
Riker is exonerated, and the case is dismissed.
[edit] Trivia
This episode, about an incident reported from several points of view through courtroom testimony, and involving jealousy, betrayal and murder, is reminiscent of Akira Kurosawa's classic movie, Rashomon.
| Preceded by: "Déjà Q" |
Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes | Followed by: "Yesterday's Enterprise" |
