History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E4Gambit

* NoSell: Picard defeats the psychic amplifier by emptying his mind of violent thoughts. Without those, the weapon has nothing to amplify, rendering it harmless.

--->'''Data:''' Any further objections should be given to me in private, not in front of the crew. I do not recall Commander Riker ever publicly showing irritation with his captain as you did a moment ago. [[note]]Apparently Data forgot the time Commander Riker got into a public shouting match with Captain Picard on the bridge in the episode ''[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E23Sarek Sarek]]'', an event he himself witnessed.[[/note]]

* BorrowedCatchphrase: Data gives an order with "Make it so."
** A gestural version appears as well, when Data imitates his captain when he straightens his uniform in the style of Picard.

* JustJokingJustification: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO4Bq2H7-r0 Data, he was just joking. You know that, right?]]"

** Worf and Data's conversation about the duties of an Exacutive Officer is nearly identical to the one that Decker and Kirk had in ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture''. In both cases, the XO (Decker and Worf) pointed out that one of their duties was to offer alternatives to their Commanding Officer. And in both cases, the Commanding Officer (Kirk and Data) eventually listen to and execute the ideas.

* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: Worf is plainly irritated with how Data (now acting captain) proceeds after Riker is kidnapped-- even voicing that irritation on the bridge in front of everyone else. The trope is lampshaded after Data has to reprimand Worf and threaten to replace him as acting first officer. Worf apologizes and makes great effort to be a supportive first officer afterwards.[[note]]Apparently Data forgot the time Commander Riker got into a public shouting match with Captain Picard on the bridge in the episode ''Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E23Sarek'', an event he himself witnessed.[[/note]]

--->'''Data:''' Any further objections should be given to me in private, not in front of the crew. I do not recall Commander Riker ever publicly showing irritation with his captain as you did a moment ago.

* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: Worf is plainly irritated with how Data (now acting captain) proceeds after Riker is kidnapped-- even voicing that irritation on the bridge in front of everyone else. The trope is lampshaded after Data has to reprimand Worf and threaten to replace him as acting first officer. Worf apologizes and makes great effort to be a supportive first officer afterwards.

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Baran controls the entire crew via an AgonyBeam-generating device, and Picard surmises that if he were to spark a mutiny, the rest of the crew would back him up. [[spoiler:Which they eventually do.]]

** Worf and Data's conversation about the duties of an Exacutive Officer is nearly identical to the one that Decker and Kirk had in [[Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture]]. In both cases, the XO (Decker and Worf) pointed out that one of their duties was to offer alternatives to their Commanding Officer. And in both cases, the Commanding Officer (Kirk and Data) eventually listen to and execute the ideas.

** Worf and Data's conversation about the duties of an Exacutive Officer is nearly identical to the one Decker and Kirk had in [[Film/StarTrek:TheMotionPicture]]. In both cases, the XO (Decker and Worf) pointed out that one of their duties was to offer alternatives to their Commanding Officer. And in both cases, the Commanding Officer (Kirk and Data) eventually listen to and execute the ideas.

* InformedAttribute: The psychic amplifier is described as a legendary weapon of awesome destructive power. However, even ignoring its WeaksauceWeakness, it takes several seconds for the amplifier field to build and can only be directed against a single opponent. We might assume that, with practice or skill, it could do much more - and/or was quite effective ''back in the day'', [[TechnologyMarchesOne but not so much now]] - but none of that is ever shown.

Tallera, the ship's Romulan fist officer, pays Picard a visit as he is analyzing the latest artifacts. She questions him over his illogical behavior, constantly antagonizing Baran when the only thing keeping him alive is his expertise. Speaking of which, one of the new artifacts just returned a positive match for the signature he wants.

* CallBack: Picard mentions that Riker was relieved of duty during the incident from "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E10ChainOfCommand Chain Of Command]]"
* CantKillYouStillNeedYou: Why Picard is upfront about his lack of respect for Baran -- as long as his skills are needed, Baran will just have to put up with it.

* DramaticIrony: The audience is let in on the twist that Tallera is an imposter. Then we get a scene with Picard and Tallera working together to formulate their plan, with Picard seeming to grow closer and closer to figuring her out.

* TheMainCharactersDoEverything: When Riker decides to hop down to the planet to look for the mercenaries who took Picard, acting first officer Data points out that he shouldn't go, as his place is on the bridge, and that he would have said the same thing to Picard. Riker ignores him, gets captured, and is very lucky to escape without his chief engineer or chief of security being hurt in addition to the redshirt that takes a hit. Later on, Geordi, Data and Worf go back down to the planet, with Troi also apparently down there with a search team. Missing its regular Captain and First Officer, Second Officer Data, Chief Engineer Geordi, Chief of Security Worf, and Troi, the ship would be operating on quite a skeleton crew.

* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: Worf is plainly irritated with how Data (now acting captain) proceeds after Riker is kidnapped--even voicing that irritation on the bridge in front of everyone else. The trope is lampshaded after Data has to reprimand Worf and threaten to replace him as acting first officer. Worf apologizes and makes great effort to be a supportive first officer afterwards.

* WeaksauceWeakness: The Stone of Gol can only kill someone if they have violent or aggressive thoughts. The ancient Vulcans dismantled it because, after the teachings of Surak had suppressed their formerly violent emotions, the weapon was now useless. Unless it had some long-range abilities, was able to be used against people the wielder couldn't see, or had some kind of potential area or mass effect on populations, the Stone as shown at the end of the episode isn't any more useful than a hand phaser at close range.

* WoundedGazelleGambit: Starship version. When the mercenary ship fires on the Enterprise, Worf finds that they are doing negligible damage due to Picard sabotaging the weapons. Data decides to play along by simulating damage and returning fire at 25% power to pretend they are weakened. The mercenaries take the bait and decide to leave as a phaser blast at 25% power still does a lot of damage.

--> '''Baran:''' We have only one more artifact to find...and once Galen confirms it's genuine, his usefulness on this ship will come to a very sudden end.

* InformedAttribute: The psychic amplifier is described as a legendary weapon of awesome destructive power. However, even ignoring its WeaksauceWeakness, it takes several seconds for the amplifier field to build and can only be directed against a single opponent. We might assume that, with practice or skill, it could do much more, but none of that is ever shown.

* TheWorfEffect: Now he's getting it from ''Riker''.