Weekend Trek “Frame Of Mind”

For some reason, Dr. Crusher keeps directing plays featuring Commander Riker in various roles.  That even got made into a joke on Star Trek: Lower Decks.  But what happens when the play gets a little too real?  Jimmy and Tom talk about that below.

“Frame of Mind”

Riker might be losing his mind.

jimmy:  No Romulan ale and no holodeck make Riker something, something.

tomk:  Go crazy?

jimmy:

tomk:  Wow. He has a large mouth.

jimmy:  That’s what she said. I’m not sure what that means.

tomk:  He unhinged his jaw just like those aliens tried to unhinge his mind.

He’s off enjoying all kinds of bizarre entertainment now.

jimmy:  Even those jerky aliens wouldn’t stoop that low.

tomk:  He was that broken.

jimmy:  But not crazy. He said so.

tomk:  But he didn’t know for a while there.

jimmy:  Right up until he started shattering everyone.

tomk:  And that was when he was sane.  When he was shattering everyone with the finest special effects 90s syndicated TV could afford.

jimmy:  Yeah, there was no upgrading that for the Blu-ray release.

tomk:  That was how we all knew it was in his mind:  because it was so shoddy.

jimmy:  Though there was a surprising lack of trombones.

tomk:  That should have made Riker more suspicious.

jimmy:  And Data smiling.

tomk:  There are more disturbing things.

jimmy:  That is disturbing.  More disturbing than this guy?

tomk:  Nah.  That guy’s just annoying.

jimmy:  The Batman Who Annoys?

tomk:  The Batman Who Wouldn’t Take a Hint and Go Away for a While.

jimmy:  Maybe he’s just waiting for Worf to apologize to him for nicking him with a ceremonial blade?

tomk:  That was a trick.  Worf would never make a mistake that silly.

jimmy:  That was the first clue that something was amiss.

tomk:  That’s why they need you there to point out such glaring mistakes.

jimmy:  I know!

tomk:  Too bad you don’t exist in Riker’s psyche. It could be Troi for emotions, Worf for aggression, Picard for intellect, and you to point out glaringly obvious continuity issues like the lack of trombones.

jimmy:  See, it just writes itself.

tomk:  Lt Impossible, report to the bridge.

jimmy:  Aye Captain!

tomk:  Commander Moosely has your new assignment.

jimmy:  Now it’s getting as silly as a spoon communicator.

tomk:  Are you saying the Moose would not outrank you?

jimmy:  Oh, probably.

tomk:  Then what’s the problem?

jimmy:  A moose in Starfleet?

tomk:  Is it any sillier than Lwaxana Troi is an ambassador?

jimmy:  Good point.

tomk:  Now, your assignment requires you to play second male lead in Dr Cousin Minka’s play.

jimmy:  I can do that. I’m not crazy, I’m fun!

tomk:  Good. Hopefully you won’t see weird alien guys everywhere.

jimmy:  What if they were nice aliens, like Alf?

tomk:  The kind that eats all your food (and some house pets) and doesn’t get a job?

jimmy:  Just don’t invite him to Data’s quarters.

tomk:  Unless you want to see the Spot Protection Protocols.

jimmy:  That could get messy.

tomk:  Messy enough the alien might be using a spoon to call for help.

jimmy:  There is no spoon. No wait. There is a spoon. There is no communicator.

tomk:  And the fork?

jimmy:  It ran away.

tomk:  Forks run?

jimmy:  So I hear.

tomk:  From whom?

jimmy:  Mother Goose. But in those days they referred to forks as dishes.

tomk:  They did?

jimmy:  That or I ruined the joke. I’m going with the former.

tomk:  Fine. Go into the corner and think about what you’ve done.

jimmy:  Aw man.

tomk:  Yes, that corner with the ice cream sundae bar.

jimmy:  Aw man!

tomk:  And hopefully it isn’t all in your head because bad aliens kidnapped you and put another reality in your mind in order to drive you insane.

jimmy:  Hopefully not, because I love ice cream!

tomk:  The Garbage Day Guy is serving.

jimmy:  …

I’ll survive.

tomk:  And the Beaver got his whole family in line ahead of you.  And they look hungry.

jimmy:  This is as bad as having to watch Riker’s play over and over.

tomk:  There’s one worse thing.

jimmy:  Don’t do it.

tomk:  Sorry, Jimmy. You don’t get to watch the play over and over. You get to be in it.

jimmy:  Am I Riker or Data?

tomk:  Yes.

jimmy:  Demanding.

tomk:  And possibly demeaning.  Your costume may include an adult diaper.

jimmy:  I’m glad we never got to that part of the play in the show.

tomk:  Well, this may be your nightmare.

jimmy:  It’s starting to sound like it.

tomk:  But you still get ice cream.

jimmy:  That’s good. Riker did not.

tomk:  Riker found inner peace through turmoil.

jimmy:  Did he find inner peace?

tomk:  That depends. Is he fine by the next episode?

jimmy:  Probably, that’s how these shows work.

tomk:  What about Picard’s long term trauma from Borg Assimilation?

jimmy:  Almost never talked about.

tomk:  But it does get talked about.  “Almost never” is not the same as “never”.

jimmy:  But in general, all things wrap up nicely by the end of the episode and start anew the next episode.

tomk:  

jimmy:  Exactly.  And sometimes much quicker than usual.

tomk:  Was this quicker than usual?

jimmy:  No, but sometimes.

tomk:  Good.  I don’t want to know if Riker was singing how he still needs the Kwik-E-Mart.

jimmy:  That’s in Beverly’s next play.

tomk:  Or, in the next episode, Beverly investigates a possible murder.

jimmy:  In a play?

tomk:  Nope.

jimmy:  It must be a holodeck adventure then?

tomk:  Nope.

jimmy:  Geez, an honest to goodness murder mystery?

tomk:  Yup.

jimmy:  I guess we should, ahem, investigate.

tomk:  Yes, because we can’t let someone get away with murder.

Next:  “Suspicions”