The Next Generation 6x21 "Frame of Mind"

rating: **

the story: Riker tries to figure out why he's been committed to an asylum.

similar to: "Phantasms"

my thoughts: This is a fun Riker episode, one of his most memorable (things kind of got sparse for Number One after the second season, when he was still in the running to replace Picard as the most interesting commanding officer of Next Generation; strangely enough, this was the exact fate of Chakotay in Voyager, too), in which numerous perspectives are juggled, including his memories of performing in one of Crusher's plays, his being locked in an asylum, and deciding if he's really crazy or someone's just trying to make him think he is...

So, I repeat: fun!  Although, like the later "Phantasms," the basic idea seems to have been inspired by Data's dreaming in "Birthright, Part 1" (I guess I'm not the only one who felt unsatisfied by how that played out). 

Bottom line, without too much analysis required, is that you can lose yourself in this one without worrying too much about its significance.  That's the mark of a good, not great, episode.

criteria analysis: franchise - series - character - essential

notable guest-stars:
Susanna Thompson