Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) The Battle (1987) User Reviews

Let the dead rest and the past remain the past

[snoozejonc · 6/10 · 17 May 2021]

Enterprise encounters the Ferengi and Picard's previous ship the Stargazer.

This is an interesting insight into Picard's past and has some decent character moments from Riker and Wesley, but generally the story isn't hugely compelling.

It has another slowly unfolding problem for the crew to resolve and is littered with exposition dumps about Picard's history on the Stargazer. I think these glimpses into the captain's previous command are more interesting than what's going on in the current story.

The Ferengi are far less annoying than their introduction during The Last Outpost, but as villains they are nowhere near as credible some of those established in the original series and the likes of what is to come in TNG.

Picard is portrayed as a bit more vulnerable and it gives Riker some strong moments in command. Wesley is in full teacher's pet mode and looking thoroughly pleased with himself after figuring out something important to the plot. This likely annoys people who dislike the character, I just find it quite comical thinking about the portrayal of Starfleet crews of elite service personnel having this character get them out of trouble. Bok does a fun bit of villain monologging.

Visuals of Picard reliving the past are very good, particularly the ghostly crew members and pyrotechnics. However the spheres look a bit naff and not particularly threatening.

Performances are mostly solid, with Jonathan Frakes on decent form and Patrick Stewart great as always. Will Wheaton's acting is fine, he just does that smug smile as always that grates on viewers. Gates McFadden is a mixed bag as ever. Marina Sirtis has an incredibly striking physical presence but much like the previous episodes her character does not have that much to contribute.

Picard is being controlled....again

[Shrewdthewise · 6/10 · 10 February 2021]

We are on episode 8 of the series here and this is probably the fourth or fifth time that Captain Picard is being controlled/manipulated mentally by someone or something. And every single time the crew seems oblivious through half the episode. "The Captain is acting strangely, I wonder why?"... By this point they should just assume that he is once again being possessed or controlled by an alien force!

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the series, but I do hope that this plot device is put to rest soon because at a third of the way through season one it's already played out.

Give? the Ferengi?

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 18 October 2017]

Back in his younger days Captain Picard commanded a smaller starship not as powerful or as grand as the Enterprise but one with which he defeated a more powerful Ferengi vessel at like John Paul Jones the cost of that selfsame ship the Constellation.

Now it is being offered to the Federation and to Patrick Stewart in particular as a gift by the Ferengi. That alone is enough to raise a few eyebrows among humans and Ferengi.

This out of character gift is being offered by Daimon Bok played here by Frank Cosentino. But Cosentino has a most ulterior motive in wanting Picard to take the ship in tractor beam tow. In fact Picard starts behaving rather strangely once that happens.

This business with Captain Picard and Daimon Bok would be continued in another episode in TNG's last season. The two really ought to be seen back to back.

Reaching into Picard's past

[russem31 · 8 April 2006]

ST:TNG:10 - "The Battle" (Stardate: 41723.9) - this is the 10th episode to enter production but the 9th to be aired on TV. Finally, 10 episodes in, Picard's past starts to come to light - in this case, we get to "see" events of 9 years ago during the battle of Maxia when Captain Picard, then in command of the Stargazer, destroyed an unidentified vessel (which 9 years later we now know was a Ferengi ship). This is the second episode to show the Ferengis, this time showing that profit isn't the only thing that drives a Ferengi (at least not via Ferengi law). Future episodes will deal more with Picard's past, but this is an interesting first. Much recommended.

The Road To Redemption

[anarchistica · 7/10 · 17 March 2020]

After a disastrous first appearance the Ferengi show up again here and manage to redeem themselves - mostly. No more hopping around, but they still kinda lack a filter. At least they're shown not to be complete idiots, to care about their family and to have some notion of justice.

The plot does involve Picard being controlled by an alien force - again, and Wesley noticing stuff the rest of the crew don't notice - again. A few tweaks could've made this a much more solid effort. Still, it's engaging and weirdly reminiscent of Best Of Both Worlds.

Picard in conflict with his past

[robert_s01 · 7/10 · 17 September 2008]

"The Battle" is the first ST episode ever that really started to explore one single character (Picard, in this case). And that's not just mentioning some facts about his former life but really making him relive his past experience. The Ferengi "thought maker" and the revenge plot around Daimon Bok wanting to make Picard pay for killing his son in the Battle of Maxia are just McGuffins to enable Patrick Stewart to add some depth to his character by exploring it. So Star Trek is not always about exploration of the outer space but also of the inner space (the human mind, memory, psyche or whatever you want to call it). Patrick Stewart has the chance to carry the whole show and he delivers a marvelous performance, dropping his shield of reason and authority and portraying a weak and almost helpless Picard tormented by a strange pain (although created by the Ferengi device on screen, this represents his unfinished business with this event of his past in the subtext). Dr. Crusher is also convincing as the caring physician trying to help the pain ridden Captain and stating that for her the Captain's health is not only a matter of duty but of deep personal care.

Rob Bowman (director) moves on with creating modern ST aesthetics by delivering some nice shots of the improved Captain's quarters set and supporting Stewart's acting abilities with some close up shots gratefully taken by the latter. This episode marks the point in Star Trek where "real" acting moved in. This moment at the latest should have made it clear to the producers that they had a first rate actor on top of their show granting them much space to play with the character...

But as many good points this one may have, it's again Wesley Crusher who almost ruins it with his silly moments (incidentally finding out about the connection between the Ferengi and the Captain's headache and his silly remark on "adults", intended as a comic relief but resulting in hating that character even more. Character? That would be an exaggeration, wouldn't it?)...

Ferengi misrepresentation in film

[snarky-trek-reviews · 6/10 · 8 February 2021]

Here we have another example of anti-Ferengi propaganda from the imperialist Federation. Damon Bok brings Picard two gifts in the spirit of friendship: Picard's old ship the Star Gazer and a thought amplification device that allows him to relive his memories from his time on board. Wouldn't you want the opportunity to say, relive a make out session with your high school sweat heart in your first car? I know I would.

It's unclear as to whether Picard was the Star Gazer's helmsman or its Captain. It is also unclear as to whether or not Picard was acting in self defense or with murderous intent when his former ship was lost. What is clear is the Federation's fear and mistrust if not out right hatred of the Ferengi, a peaceful people who want little more than to spread prosperity through out the alpha quadrant.

In exchange for his generosity, Damon Bok is stripped of command after his first officer is manipulated by Riker. I'll admit, Damon Bok should have sold Picard the Star Gazer at a fair price, but the Federation doesn't use money so how was he supposed to do that in the first place. Damon's throughout the quadrant should learn from Bok's mistake and keep any generous impulses they have in check. Especially when it comes to dealing with the Federation.

There's some good Picard back story here, but not much else. It's a quality episode by season 1 standards, but not all that memorable when considering the series as a whole.

Verdict: Watchable.

As average as they come

[rcyoung-02426 · 6/10 · 24 April 2023]

This episode had some interesting things going for it. While the Ferengi are one of the worst villains in Star Trek history, they are actually used better here, in comparison to other episodes.

One of the themes here involves the idea of Picard potentially having PTSD, as he receives his old ship as gift from the Ferengi. However, it turns out to not be what it seems to be, which makes the episode less compelling.

The show would eventually explore the theme of PTSD in later episodes, and even one of the movies. However, the failure to lean into this interesting premise, leads to a rather disappointing emotional payoff.

The Ghosts in Picard's Closet

[Samuel-Shovel · 6/10 · 11 June 2019]

In "The Battle" the Enterprise is sent on a diplomatic mission of unknown purpose with the Ferengi. It turns out they are returning an old Federation ship, the Stargazer. Picard used to command it before him and his crew were forced to abandon it after taking heavy damage in a space battle with an unidentified ship. Picard destroyed his enemy but was never able to salvage the Stargazer. Now the Ferengi are returning for free with no profits to speak of.

Picard has been suffering of headaches of late which is odd since common headaches have been basically cured for decades now. They seem to be getting worse now that the Stargazer is under Enterprise control. We learn that the Ferengi vessel is emitting low frequency waves that match Picard's brain waves that Crusher scans.

It turns out the DaiMon of the ship has a vendetta against Kirk. The ship the Stargazer destroyed with the Picard Maneuver was captained by the son of the current Daimon. He's forgoing profit for this revenge mission. He uses a pair of spheres that control Picard's mind.

Picard beams over to the Stargazer alone and the DaiMon convinces him he's back to the original battle. Picard tries to attack the Enterprise in his confusion by Data counteracts the Picard Maneuver with the ship's tractor beam. Riker is able to snap Picard out of it and gets him to destroy the mind control sphere. The first officer takes control of the Ferengi vessel, jailing the DaiMon for this unprofitable venture.

I've never been a big fan of the Ferengi as a serious villain but I do kind of enjoy this episode. We get to see some ghosts in Picard's closet via the flashback scenes and dream-like sequences. I like that he's a bit older and starts questioning his own sanity and memories when he hears the doctored Captain's Log. There's barely any Wesley in this episode which I deem a plus.

I also like the mutual understanding and respect we see between the two first officers here. Both their captains are caught up in their own plot while the two Number Ones are forced to command their respective ship's without them.

The plot goes by pretty quick with no big lulls or boring scenes. As far as Season 1 thus far, this has been one if the highlights... which isn't saying a whole lot.

USS Stargazer

[gritfrombray-1 · 10/10 · 13 July 2007]

This was the first decent Ferengi episode of the series and the viewer was hungry for knowledge on them. Picard's past was delved into as well, a brave move for such a young show. Picard goes to Doctor Crusher with a headache and interestingly she says she doesn't often hear of them! The Ferengi arrive and Daimon Bok is hell bent on avenging his dead son whose ship Picard destroyed whilst commanding the USS Stargazer. The Ferengi have a mind controlling device and Picard boards Stargazer and engages Enterprise. We learn of a now established 'Picard maneuver' and it is about to be used on the Enterprise. Data quickly devises a plan, using the Enterprise's superior power to overcome the Stargazer. We see here one of Data's first admissions of rarely being wrong when Riker says 'I hope you're right Data', Data responds, 'no question of it, sir'! The Stargazer is immobilised and Riker gets through Picard and the situation is resolved. A vengeance story well told, Bok would return........

Ferengi Revenge

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 26 July 2014]

A Ferengi captain is on a mission of vengeance. He contacts the Enterprise, hailing Picard as a hero, and returning a ship that was in an historic battle nine years previously. Interestingly, a Ferengi ship was destroyed by Picard, so what's going on. The Ferengi, being consummate businessmen, are acting strangely, offering the ship to Picard. Meanwhile, Picard begins suffering debilitating headaches that have no obvious source. During the events that follow, it is obvious that the Ferengi captain is causing all this. It appears that he needs to change history for some reason, making Picard appear a coward. This is an interesting episode although the science is suspect. So often we have to accept machines, allowing our skepticism to subside. The Ferengi captain has conveniently created an orb that can affect the human brain. No one ever explains how he does this. Anyway, the table is set and the villains are in place. Go along for the ride. A decent enough episode.

There is not much profit when it comes to revenge.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 10 November 2014]

This episode begins with something very strange--the Ferengi want to GIVE something away! As folks familiar with the show would realize later, the Ferengi would NEVER just give something away...and obviously there is a catch. In this case, they return a lost Federation ship, the Stargazer, back to Picard--a man who served aboard the ship during an encounter at Maxia where the ship destroyed a Ferengi vessel that attacked them. Obviously this is an attempt by DaiMon Bok to exact revenge for this incident...but how will this result in his punishing Picard?

Had the Federation come upon the Ferengi offer of a 'gift' later in the series, it obviously would have been seen as a trap. However, this was only the second encounter with this annoying species--so the humans have no idea what's REALLY going on in this episode. So, it is not a weak episode--just one that explains just who the Ferengi are and how they think.

This is a very good episode--not just because of what it has to say about revenge but because it gives some wonderful insights into the psyche of the Ferengi. All in all, one of the better episodes of season one.

Taking another swing at the Ferengi and landing on base.

[thevacinstaller · 6/10 · 1 March 2021]

We get a nice little revenge character focused story in this one. The performance of DaiMon Bok is quite good and helps to give the Ferengi more depth then was provided during their first reveal. Far more interesting then a frothing at the mouth goblin creature.

With any good revenge arc, I find that I need to identify with the antagonist in some form in order for the story to have any impact. Losing a child is a solid motivation and is something I can latch onto.

We get some Riker diplomacy work in this one via influencing the ferengi commander and he ends up getting through to Picard by yelling at him through the viewing screen.

This wasn't exactly an episode that had me on the edge of my seat but it was competently executed. It just seems to be missing an ingredient or two in the sauce.

Beverly Crusher Hair Update: Bev's hair was in fine form in this episode. Luminous and full and even brought a bit of the bounce back.

ST TNG: The Battle; "First Officer to First Officer"

[WhiteFerrari · 5/10 · 25 August 2020]

'The Battle' is yet another episode which begins with mystery and interesting ideas but is too thinly plotted and lacking depth and therefore peters out half-way.

The dynamic between Dr. Crusher and Picard continues to be playful and entertaining. The direction in the first scene of the crew aboard the Stargazer is wonderfully fluid in its blocking. I also like the Battle of Maxia story as told by Picard in the conference room very much, especially his humility. The writing, however, is weaker when it concerns his getting 'lost' in the events of his past.

On the other hand, the Ferengi are still eye-rolling caricatures, although they are at least able to remain somewhat dignified compared to their appearance in 'The Last Outpost'. Riker, as far as I'm aware, can generally manage two emotions: confusion/concern and glee. His eye twitch to denote concern is so cliched it becomes laughable.

Kazago's "As you humans say, "I'm all ears"" is a horrible pun. I also found the music underwhelming and misused. As has frequently occurred in previous episodes, poor writing choices that break the rules set up seemingly at will result in plot developments being more frustrating than exciting. I would also note a pattern of rushed endings that force a "clever" moral wrap-up in a far too mechanical manner.

Medicine, Military Tactics, and Thought Control Devices in the Star Trek World

[Rizar · 15 September 2009]

"The Battle" (Episode 8, Season 1, Air Date 11/16/87, Star-date 41723.9) consists of a revenge story by an angry Ferengi father (named Bok), rare medical mysteries, and thought control devices. I initially thought the episode didn't have much to offer (and I still think it's on the light side of ideas), but we do learn a few interesting things about the Star Trek world.

The revengeful Ferengi (DaiMon Bok) spent his life accumulating money to buy two thought disruptors (and amplifiers) to use against Picard. He uses this technology to send thoughts to Picard, create painful sensations in Picard's mind (just a headache at first), and force Picard to have delusions.

Bok is able to take control of Picard and force him to relive past memories. First Bok gives Star Fleet a gift of Picard's old USS Stargazer ship. His goal is to use his thought manipulator devise to get Picard to transport over to the Stragazer and attack the Enterprise, thinking it was the old Ferengi vessel from 9 years prior. All of this is done through signals sent to Picard's mind and to get Picard killed.

Bok also creates fake log entries to create false evidence against Picard, and in general to make Captain Picard feel disoriented and regretful of destroying a Ferengi vessel at the battle of Maxia. (Bok's son was the DaiMon of that vessel.) In any case, I was interested to see a discussion on Star Fleet medical advancements. Headaches are so rare that Dr. Crusher can't believe Picard even has one. Apparently, the Star Trek world has advanced so much that it has mapped most of the causes of pain in the brain.

Plus we continue to get glimpses into command structure, for only Dr. Crusher can order Picard around (to require him to have further medical testing). We also saw this in 'Lonley Among Us' (episode 6, Season 1) in which the crew had to make certain Picard was under alien influence before relieving him of command (the First Officer could do it if he was certain of an alien influence and had the consent of the other top officers, but Dr. Crusher could relieve Picard on her own if she had medical evidence of unfitness).

We also get to see a very cool military maneuver, now called the Picard Maneuver, in which he once quickly went into warp speed to make it appear that his ship was in two places at once so that an enemy vessel might fire on the wrong image of his ship.

A few minor themes include Data's search for any tampering in Picard's old log files. Data also uses his advanced reasoning to create a counter to the Picard Maneuver. It's good to have an android on hand! So I saw two main SF themes: medical advancements and ship military tactics in the Star Trek world. I have seen the tag 'SF military' (or thereabouts) on Amazon and other sites, so many films and books are built around the theme of SF war in the future. This episode is in that tradition, with the addition of a revenge story, medical mystery, and thought control devices. We also find out more about Picard's history and Data's abilities.

"Consider it an act of friendship."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 28 August 2023]

The Ferengi are back following their initial appearance in the fourth episode of this series, 'The Last Outpost'. I didn't think they were formidable enemies of the Federation in that story, and that's reinforced here, although their leader DaiMon Bok (Frank Corsentino) had a sinister revenge planned for Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) that he'd been waiting nine years to implement. Apparently, Picard ordered the destruction of a Ferengi vessel when it provoked an attack against the Captain's prior command, The Stargazer. Bok's son was killed during that encounter, with Picard using a first-time offensive maneuver that came to be named after him.

The encounter with the Ferengi this time leads to a bit of bait and switch on the part of DaiMon Bok. Feigning friendship and mutual cooperation, Bok secretly employs a thought device to induce severe headaches in the captain, while simultaneously altering his perception of events nine years ago with an altered voice log that contradicted the historical record of the event. Leave it to Data (Brent Spiner) to uncover the deception, and aid Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) in rescuing Picard, now aboard the immobilized Stargazer that the Ferengi discovered floating along in the Xendi Sabu System.

While one obviously expects the Enterprise crew to emerge successful during this encounter with the Ferengi, the surprise for me was when DaiMon Bok's first officer Kazago (Douglas Warhit) removed his boss from command for failure to honor a profit motive in offering the Stargazer to the Enterprise-D. Done off screen, I thought that was a bold maneuver, kind of unprecedented for a pirate-like alien race. I also thought Kazago had the best line of dialog in the story when he responded to Riker's suggestion to help each other - "I'm all ears."

A Senior trekker writes.....................

[celineduchain · 5/10 · 20 December 2021]

Writing in 2021, it is great to see that I am not the only person taking a retrospective look at Star Trek, the Next Generation. When this series was first released in 1987, a little less than twenty years after the end of the Original Series, many people thought that, without Captain Kirk and his crew, it couldn't really be Star Trek. However, original creator Gene Roddenberry, was fully invested in the casting, writing and overall look of the new series, so let's see how it shaped up:

This is the episode where Captain Picard is targeted with a mind control device by a renegade Ferengi out for revenge for the death of his son many years earlier. Its not bad.

This series first arrived in the UK via Blockbusters, the VCR hire company. This was BEFORE it was shown on television in 1990 and I can remember the sense of anticipation, the heavy plastic boxes and the aficionados leaving their telephone numbers so they could be notified when the latest instalment was in.

A Star Trek film, The Voyage Home, had been released the year before to great acclaim, reawakening an interest in all things "Trek" in a way that the previous films had not.

Many of us cherished these early Next Generation episodes; all the more so because we had almost forgotten about the original Kirk-era Star Trek. If indeed we were old enough to remember it at all.

In fact, Next Gen and the VCR watch-as-you-please phenomenon was probably responsible for making the original series cool again.

Thank you, Sir Patrick and the rest of the cast.

(Senior Trekker scores every episode with a 5)

The wrath of DaiMon Bok

[amusinghandle · 5/10 · 24 December 2023]

Well, it worked for TOS.

Star Trek goes back to the golden goose and manages to create a tribute band cover of the Wrath of Khan.

I love that a lack of selfishness is grounds for dismissal aboard a Ferengi ship. I am going to give DaiMon Bok a free pass on this one --- losing a kid is tangible provocation for a revenge arc. This guy plays the long game since it was 8 years ago but I suppose it took that long to save the money for the thought controlling device.

Our favorite ensign was able to spearhead the discovery that Picard was being manipulated/controlled by a beam of energy. What would we do without this guy!?

There is nothing glaringly terrible about this episode but it just doesn't keep me on the edge of my seat. Knowing that the Ferengi are clearly behind the headaches greatly diminishes the reveal of the revenge plot arc.

All of the pieces are here but they just did not fit together in this one.