Cheap Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 21: The Arsenal Of Freedom (Video) (Larry Shaw, David Carson, Gabrielle Beaumont, Timothy Bond, Kim Manners, LeVar Burton, Richard Compton, Jonathan West, Marvin V. Rush, Michael Vejar) Price

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Customer Reviews of Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 21: The Arsenal Of Freedom

The Enterprise-D arrives at the planet Minos in search of the U.S.S. Drake. Upon beaming down to the planet, the away team is attacked by floating energy weapons and Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) is seriously injured upon falling into a sinkhole. Meanwhile, the Enterprise itself is under siege from an undetectable enemy in space. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) eventually learns that the disappearance of the Drake and the attacks on his away team and his ship are all tied to the missing Minos people themselves.

Watching the crew be put in peril and learning that all the dangers they faced were part of a sales pitch gives an awkward feel to this episode. It's like watching a used-car salesman terrorize a prospective buyer by taking him as a passenger on a reckless jaunt down the freeway in order to demonstrate the merits of a particular car. Well, at least we got a peek at the battle bridge in action again which is always a cool sight. Too bad it was only used to destroy a floor model of a sales product. You would think the writers would have thought of a better situation in which to showcase the battle bridge, but then again you would think that episodes like this one would not have moved beyond the drawing board stage.

when salesmen go in for the kill
The Enterprise tries to find the Drake, a ship Riker was once offered a command on, but passed up to be on the Enterprise. They believe the ship may have crashed on Minos, a now uninhabited planet other that the remnants of war-torn buildings, tropical plants and some wildlife.

An automated sales pitch message comes on the main viewer - a salesman tells about "The Arsenal of Freedom" on Minos, where the best deterrent to war is a strong armament. The away team beams down to locate any sign of the Drake. They find melted tritanium (a material used in the hulls of Federation ships) and know the ship's fate was not a good one.

Suddenly, Riker sees his old Academy friend, Paul, on the surface... Paul was the captain of the ill-fated Drake. It sure looks like Paul, but he doesn't know answers to simple questions and he gives off no bio readings. It turns out to be a clever surveillance device meant to gather information to defeat the enemy. The attack orbs continue to improve after each attack and soon become unstoppable as the automated salesman continues to show off his weaponry for sale.

The other plot is Geordi's growth as an officer. He is left in charge, even though he is not the highest ranking officer and he and the chief engineer get into a machismo contest of words that is way over the top in the cheese meter... and yet another lame excuse to do a saucer separation.

More character growth for Crusher and Picard and a decent episode.

Arsenal of Freedom or....Separation Anxiety!
Geordi commands the Enterprise!

While on a mission to find the missing U. S. S. Drake; the big E encounters a world that sells weapons of war. The away team: Data, Tasha and Riker, find a holographic captain from the Drake. After discovering the fake; a flying robot weapon attempts to eliminate them.

Meanwhile, Picard and Doctor Crusher also beam on the surface. The good doctor falls into a cavern taking the captain with her. Geordi separates the saucer section and goes looking for Picard and crew. This one is the most fx heavy of the season. It shows Geordi taking his first steps as a captain. Fighting off the chief engineer who wants to bump him from the center seat!