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Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2 Episode 22

Shades Of Gray

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3.7

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AIRED: 7/17/89

Stardate: 42976.1 Riker is infected with an alien organism that takes over his mind. Dr. Pulaski must force Riker's mind back to a state where it can access primitive survival skills.

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Fan Episode Reviews (18)

All things considered, this should be worse....

5.0

By uk6strings, Oct 31, 2012

.... The idea behind TNG season two finale "Shades of Gray" is that Riker contracts some kind of alien infection that must be combated with survival memories - but it's really just a clip show, featuring various different scenes from TNG's worst two seasons standing in for Riker's "memories." "Shades of Gray" has a reputation for being a terrible episode and rightfully so - but it is also widely considered the worst TNG episode of all-time. I do not go quite this far. "Shades of Gray" is undoubtedly a terrible episode; a lazy, corner-cutting effort born out of the writer's strike made simply to finish off the season. However, while certainly dull and pointless, "Shades of Gray" is not quite as irritating or insulting as such true TNG bottom-dwelling episodes as "Code of Honor," "Haven" or "The Outrageous Okona." Since "Shades of Gray" is simply dull rather than unbearable, I'll put it ahead of a few others in the TNG series.moreless
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What is the connection between the title "Shades Of Gray", and the actual (ahem) "plot"???

1.0

By Pawpcorn, Oct 16, 2012

How exactly did the term "Shades Of Gray" apply here?

That term usually applies to discussions about how most things are neither all GOOD or BAD, but some shade of gray, in between...???

In that context... where's the connection to that term... and this show?

Or was the "Gray" referring to the "gray matter" of Riker's brain???

All so confusing, lol

Pawpcorn
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Unintentionally hysterical.

10

By Croweyes1121, Sep 18, 2011

Why did I give this episode a perfect score? Because it's the most fun I've had watching a Trek episode in years. Don't misunderstand, this is truly an atrocious way to spend 45 minutes. On the other hand, it's also extremely funny if you can MST3K the hell out of it for the duration. There's no setup at all, just Riker sitting there all gimped out after having been stabbed in the leg by a vine. Dr. Pulaski discovers that the microbes invading Riker's body are slowed down by feeding his mind negative memories, and proceeds to spend the remaining two thirds of the episode "tightening the beam" of negativity. Each time she does this, the growth is slowed even more, and she pauses to debate what to do next with counselor Troi. They decide in their wisdom to tighten the beam even more, which (shocker!) slows the growth rate of the microbes yet again. She then pauses to say something along the lines of "I don't know how much longer he can withstand this", and then tightens the beam even more, which helps yet again - apparently even taking the time to record a log entry right in the middle of the procedure. It's complete filler and shows off her complete ineptitude as a doctor just before she departs the show. Troi's over-acting is classic, with lines like "hang on, Will...hang on!" just begging for laughter. In the end, they tighten the beam so much that it stops the growth - at which point, apparently the microbes just vanish without a trace, because they never actually succeed in *reversing* the process at all. Seriously, watch this and take a shot every time the doctor and Troi decide to "refocus and tighten the beam even more" and you'll be plastered by the time the credits roll. Just classic Trek in every way.moreless
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Riker is disabled by a deadly virus and is put into stasis, forced to relive his old memories.

1.0

By Celedorian, Jul 21, 2011

Hands down, the worst Star Trek episode of all time. (It, was conceived during a writer's strike and shot in three days with hardly any money) It's bad enough that it's the only clip show in the history of the franchise, (happening at the worst time it could: all the clips are, of course from TNG's two worst seasons.) What's worse is that the "story" in this episode necessitates that the clips get quicker and darker as the episode approaches its climax. So as the episode nears its resolution, we end up watching all the suffering that has happened on the Enterprise D during the first two seasons of the show. Thankfully, after this bump in the road, the TNG would flourish.moreless
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The main storyline Commander Riker gets a nasty thorn that injures him. It then poisons him with nerotoxins that attack the nervous system. Riker almost faces death on this one, but Dr pulaski saves him by inducing survival memories. I as a Star Trek fanmoreless

2.0

By Pink_Floyd_AL, Jun 21, 2011

The main storyline Commander Riker gets a nasty thorn that injures him. It then poisons him with nerotoxins that attack the nervous system. Riker almost faces death on this one, but Dr Pulaski saves him by inducing survival memories. This is Dr Pulsaki's last season. Good news Doctor Crusher will return next season. This episode is not a good season ending episode. I as a Star Trek fan thinks this one is at the bottom of the barrel. I rate this one a 2.0. *The whole second season started late due to a writer's strike. Resulting in a short season.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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LeVar Burton	Lt. Cmdr. Geordi LaForge
Jonathan Frakes	Cmdr. William T. Riker
Diana Muldaur	Dr. Katherine Pulaski (Season 2)
Marina Sirtis	Counsellor/Lt. Cmdr. Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner	Lt. Cmdr. Data
Patrick Stewart	Captain Jean-Luc Picard

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Colm Meaney	Miles O'Brien	Recurring Role
Whoopi Goldberg	Guinan	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (3)
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- If you watch carefully Riker opens his eyes in the end scene when he's supposed to unconscious.
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- Three quarters of the way through the episode, Dr Kathrine Pulaski makes a Medical Log (Supplemental) entry. As she does so, although the Enterprise is supposed to be in the vicinity of a distant uncharted planet, the shot of the Enterprise in orbit clearly shows North America on the planet surface.
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- Geordi wears absolutely no protective gear when he and Data go back down to the planet to get a sample of the plant that attacked Riker.
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QUOTES (3)
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- Riker: Captain, one of the things I've learned on these voyages and so on this ship and from you...is that most lifeforms act out of an instinct for survival--not out of malice.
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- Pulaski: I just want to be certain you still know who you are.
  Riker: Of course I know who I am - I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise.
  Picard: (joking) I'm delighted that you are feeling better, Captain. The Admiral and I were worried about you.
  Data: Captain, I do not believe you have the authority to promote me to the rank of Admiral.
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- (while Riker is scanned by a medical assistant)
  Riker: This bug is persistent, I'll admit that. But I'm not worried. We Rikers are ornery, too. As a matter of fact, my great grandfather once got bit by a rattlesnake. After three days of intense pain...snake died.
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NOTES (5)
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- This is the only episode in the series to contain both Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher) and Diana Mulder (Dr. Pulaski), although McFadden only appears in stock footage.
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- The writer's strike affected the number of episodes shot in the second season. There were only 22 episodes made while all other seasons had 26 episodes.
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- Worf (Michael Dorn) does not appear in this episode.
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- This episode marks the final appearance of Dr. Katharine Pulaski (Diana Muldaur) on the series.
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- This episode developed as a means to save time and money due to the ongoing writer's strike at the time. It is (to date) the only "clip show" - an episode that showcases clips from previous stories - within any of the Trek series. Due to its strained nature, it ranks on many fans' "least favorite episodes" lists.
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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