Bang the Drumhead Slowly
Despite its myriad flaws, there’s something irresistible about that anal retentive vision of the 24th century we know as Star Trek: The Next Generation. Sure, everyone is such a goody goody that even those with a perfectly working pancreas can lapse into a diabetic coma. The Frenchman talks with a received pronunciation accent. Patrick Stewart’s acting ability was light years ahead of the rest of the cast. The ship’s head shrinker has a Mediterranean accent when her mother’s is quite American (or maybe Canadian). The emotionless robot makes friends, misses people, etc…
The other aspect that seems to bother some is that most of the stories are thinly veiled morality plays meant to teach some kind of lesson, even more so than it’s 1960s parent. This was the reality of the Reagan/Bush America that spawned this series. There were the occasional episodes that were surprisingly delightful. One episode, written during the beginning of Desert Storm (February 6th, 1991 to be exact) and aired shortly after on April 29th, diverged from the morality play formula to present a political allegory. In light of military tribunals, court cases, detainee rights and a fear mongering administration, things said during “The Drumhead” need to be repeated.
The title of the episode refers to battlefield court-martials. Drumheads were used as improvised writing tables to record the proceedings.
The basic plot is fairly standard. A Klingon aboard the Enterprise is secretly transmitting Federation secrets to the enemy Romulan Empire. At the same time, an explosion in the warp core (engine) occurs. An uptight Admiral (Satie) is brought out of retirement to investigate the incidents. Naturally she thinks them related and begins to question the crew. She brings with her a pair of assistants: a pretty piece of eye candy and a Betazoid assistant. The Betazoid is telepathic/empathic and serves as a human lie detector during the interrogations.
While Uptight Satie and her living lie detector make the crew uncomfortable, two officers investigate the explosion. Lieutenant Data, the Enterprise’s android Pinocchio, and Lieutenant Geordi LaForge, who has the dual role of Data’s Jiminy Cricket and the nerd who can never get the girl and is therefore and unimpeachable source of the truth, discover that the explosion is actually an accident caused by an equipment fault. (The fault, like an impressively large amount of Star Trek dialog is unimportant technobabble.)
At the same time, Admiral Uptight questions a crewman who is a cross between a Vulcan and a Human (you can substitute Chinese-American here if you like.) As it is revealed that our crewman’s job required him to have contact with the Klingon spy, the living lie detector picks up that he is hiding something. LLD doesn’t have enough precision to pin down what it is, but it’s enough circumstantial evidence to link the two together in Admiral Uptight’s little mind.
Our favorite frenchman, Captain Picard, does some of his own investigating by questioning the crewman in a less confrontational manner. (Amazing what you get when you’re nice to people.) It turns out that the crewman lied on his application and he is not half Vulcan, but rather half Romulan. (Now you might as well substitute Japanese-American.) This revelation will end his career. However Uptight’s lack of proof that the explosion was anything but an accident doesn’t stop her from seeing conspiracies everywhere.
Robbed of her easy victory, Uptight takes the investigation up the command ladder and her quest culminates in the questioning (trial) of Captain Picard himself. It is here where Picard naturally turns Satie’s methods against her using her father’s words, a respected Federation judge (or something.)
Picard gets all the best lines in this episode and the naked, naive idealism is absolutely wonderful. It’s the in your face, bat you over the head, no subtlety here presentation of basic principles that need to be beaten into some people.
During the crewman’s investigation, Worf, the security officer sets up surveillance on the crewman. He and Picard have the following exchange:
Worf: He refused to answer the question.. about his Romulan grandfather.
Picard: That is not a crime, Worf. Nor can we infer his guilt because he did not respond.
Worf: If a man is not afraid of the truth, he would answer.
Picard: No. We must not let ourselves think that. The Seventh Guarantee is one of the most important rights granted by the Federation. We cannot use one of the fundamental principles of our constitution and turn it against a citizen.
Worf: Sir… the Federation does have enemies… we must seek them out…
Picard: Yes… that’s how it starts. But the road from legitimate suspicion to rampant paranoia is shorter than we might think. Something is wrong here, Worf… I don’t like what we’ve become.
You can easily transfer this to the current scandal on warrantless wiretapping and the like. It is a shame that the current administration doesn’t adhere to the nation’s principles like Picard does.
When the trial turns to Picard himself her makes the following statement:
I am deeply concerned by what is happening here. It began when we apprehended a spy, a man who admitted his guilt and who will answer for his crime. But the hunt didn’t stop there. Another man, Simon Tarses, was brought to trial — and it was a trial, no matter what others may call it.
Unfortunately, it was a trial based on insinuation and innuendo. Nothing substantive against Crewman Tarses was offered, much less proven.
This man has a Romulan grandfather. For that, his career stands in ruins. Have we become so fearful? Have we become so cowardly that we must extinguish a man because he carries the blood of a current enemy?
I remind you… we are not descended from cowardly people. We come from those who were willing to think the unthinkable, speak the unspeakable… … and to defend with passion ideas and causes which were, at the moment, unpopular.
Admiral, let us not condemn Simon Tarses or anyone else on the basis of half-truth. I implore you… do not continue with this proceeding. End it here.
This causes Admiral Uptight to question Picard’s loyalty and fitness for command. He responds:
There is a saying… which many of us have heard since we were school children… “With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied — chains us all, irrevocably.”
Those words were uttered by Judge Aaron Satie — as wisdom and warning. The very first time any man’s freedoms are trampled… we are all damaged. I fear… that today… on this starship… we are forging that chain.
This causes Admiral Uptight to break down.
Obviously, this is a great case against legislation like the USA PATRIOT act.
A final exchange between Picard and Worf summarizes the lesson learned:
Picard: We think we have come so far… the torture of heretics and the burning of witches is ancient history… and then… before you can blink an eye… it threatens to start all over again.
Worf: I believed her… I helped her…I didn’t see what she was.
Picard: Villains who wear black hats are easy to spot. Those who clothe themselves in good deeds are well camouflaged.
Worf: I think… after yesterday… people will not be as ready to trust her.
Picard: Maybe. But it won’t stop her. She — someone like her — will always be with us… waiting for the right climate to flourish… spreading disease in the name of liberty. Vigilance, Worf. That is the price we must continually pay.
The lesson is simple and elegant and it is a shame that those in power have forgotten it. It falls to the citizen to enforce it.
This is a marvelous episode. It is as relevant today as it was over seventeen years ago. Watch it if you get the chance.