Cheap Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 52: Who Watches The Watchers? (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 52: Who Watches The Watchers?

While some may fault this episode for its depiction of religion as just another superstition which 24th-century Earth has moved beyond, it's far more than just an anti-religious rant. "Who Watches the Watchers" is a thoughtful examination of the show's "Prime Directive" and how much damage can be caused when that law is broken, however unintentionally. This one definitely belongs on any TNG fan's top ten list.

Gene's Star Trek
"Who Watches The Watchers" is a refreshing change of pace for Star Trek: The Next Generation. It features some great location work. It offers a challenging mission for Picard; he must convince the Mintakans that he is not a God. He succeeds and is able to enlighten the Vulcan-like race. Picard is especially principled and courageous in this episode. To uphold the Prime Directive and to convince the Mintakans that he is not a God, the good Captain takes an arrow through the chest. Pure Star Trek.

The Picard rejects godhood over the Mintakan people
"Who Watches the Watchers" is a translation of the latin phrase "Quis cusotdiet ipsos custodes," from Juvenal's "Satires" that was quoted as the epigram of the Tower Commission Report in 1987. This Next Generation episode strikes to the heart of the problematic Prime Directive that Starfleet personnel are sworn to uphold. Whether you think of this as a choice between the lesser of two evils or as how many wrongs make a right, this is a most provocative episode.

An anthropological studies group on Mintaka III has been observing the inhabitants, a proto-Vulcan race in their planet's Bronze Age. The anthropologists are hidden in their observation post behind a holograph screen, but their reactor is malfunctioning and the Enterprise is on its way to affect repairs. However, right before help arrives their is an explosion, injuring the scientists and bringing down the screen. A Mintakan sees the post, the wounded scientists, and the away team that beams down from the Enterprise. But when he is discovered, the Mintakan falls off a ledge and is injured. Dr. Crusher has no choice but to beam him to sickbay. When the Mintakan sees Picard, he believes the Captain to be an Overseer, one of the gods of his people. Dr. Crusher's attempt to erase the Mintakan's short-term memory fails and when he returns to his people he starts to tell them about "The Picard."

There are several fascinating things going on in "Who Watches the Watchers." First, you have the Mintakan's attempt to extrapolate a belief system based upon what he has witnessed. Second, you have the head of the anthropologists wanting Picard to beam down from on high and give the Mintakans a set of rules, or what lesser beings would call a religion. Third, you have Picard caught in the middle, because he cannot put things back the way they are, he cannot let the Mintakan continue to tell his wonderous stories, and he cannot fully assume the mantle of "The Picard" with all the rights and privileges therein. There is no perfect solution to this mess and to fault the resolution of the plot for not being perfect does not detract from the overall strengths of this episode. In the final analysis you have to think that these sorts of situations must happen a lot more often in the Star Trek universe.