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arctic-aqua@reddit

Why the heck did they not just make him Captain? I mean if you can plant the fake identity, make him in charge. The only reason why it failed was because Picard said no. It would have been a much more interesting dynamic if they gave Picard a different identity.

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BigMrTea@reddit

Somebody on here said this was their first episode of TNG, so they had no idea McDuff was evil. That's wild to me.

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not4rea@reddit

I similar experience, this was one of the first episodes I saw, and wasn’t too familiar with the cast. Did not know he was the bad guy.

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TheSecretDecoderRing@reddit

That's hilarious. I love the episode but it always bugs me that they couldn't think of a better way to incorporate "McDuff" so he wasn't so obviously a plant who popped in out of nowhere.

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SadLaser@reddit

It's meant to be obvious to the viewer. It's what creates most of the tension.

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TheSecretDecoderRing@reddit

I get that, I know it wasn't all just some big oversight.

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BigMrTea@reddit

I think the idea was to do a Columbo-style mystery, where we know what is going on, but we watch to see the detectives figure it out.

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Privateer_Lev_Arris@reddit

Precisely. We’re in the know and we’re watching the crew slowly figure it out. We also know that things will come to a head and some type of confrontation will occur.

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BigMrTea@reddit

It's a fun reversal of what we usually get

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Ralph--Hinkley@reddit

Honestly, the first time I saw it, I was 15 when it aired, I assumed he was just a new guy until the end.

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furrykef@reddit

The "new guy" was first officer, though.

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Complete_Entry@reddit

Farpoint did the same thing... technically. New guy on a new ship.

Granted Riker didn't want to kill a ton of people.

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Ralph--Hinkley@reddit

I was a blank slate with no expectations, man. I was caught up on their duties before they figured out their ranks, and of course, I knew he was FO, I waited to see the reveal at the end because I couldn't have guessed it.

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DeedleStone@reddit

Wasn't this already after a great mystery one where we solve it along with the crew? I'm thinking of that episode where those aliens wipe everyone's memories except Data, and the clues end up pointing to him doing a cover-up. Both of these are some of my favorites.

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havron@reddit

"Clues" season 4. Yeah, great episodes.

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FailingForwardly@reddit

Well they did it better in Voyager by integrating a saboteur within the crew they were present for MANY episodes before the scheme was revealed.

I am of course talking about Nelix's efforts to poison the crew.

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maaaxheadroom@reddit

That bastard poisoned the ship with his rank cheese.

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Proper-Application69@reddit

Didn’t he start an infestation, of electro-matter transcubers around the ship, with his cheese?

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maaaxheadroom@reddit

Umm… yeah… what you said!

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Proper-Application69@reddit

“Get the cheese to sick bay!”

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KotoElessar@reddit

At least when Rutherford and Boimler did it, it was on purpose.

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Privateer_Lev_Arris@reddit

It was the Leola gambit

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DarwinGoneWild@reddit

How was it obvious? None of them had any memories so they had no way to know he was a plant.

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Malnurtured_Snay@reddit

For the audience. Unless, as in one person's experience, this was your literal first episode of TNG.

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BigMrTea@reddit

I will never not love that story, lol.

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TheSecretDecoderRing@reddit

For us, not them.

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Phazon2000@reddit

This was my second or third episode. I had no idea… I just thought mainstays rotated their appearances occasionally I had no idea how StarTrek utilised their ensemble cast.

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JoeyJoeJoeJrShab@reddit

I wonder if the experience would have been similar if they started with "Rascals". When Riker explains the computer system to the Ferengi, he's using a bunch of made-up technobabble (as compared to the real technobabble words we Trekkies are familiar with).

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SSV-Bravado@reddit

ngl this literally also happened to me as a child. i thought that there was an XO position vs just #1

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epidipnis@reddit

It was one of my first few. I hadn't seen him before, and they did an excellent job not using any cues, visual or musical, to hint at the fact that he was a villain.

I think it's clever.

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fhrblig@reddit

That might have been me. I saw this back when I was in high school and I had only seen a few episodes, so I didn't catch on to him at all until later in the episode.

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mittenknittin@reddit

I had watched most of seasons 1 and 2, gave it a miss for a couple of years, and watched again with a friend who insisted I’d like it. Conundrum was the first new episode I’d seen, and I was SO confused. “So this new person is supposed to be there, but that other one isn’t? And she’s getting along real well with Riker, but actually they hate each other?“

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CromulentDucky@reddit

This was the 2nd or 3rd episode I saw, at age 9 or so. I was also confused.

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ohsinboi@reddit

Could have been my comment you saw, I had no idea 😂

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mikesmithhome@reddit

haha that's me! first episode i ever saw and was hooked for life

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SissyCouture@reddit

“I am decorated as well”

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tommytraddles@reddit

Should've just knocked everyone out but Worf and Data.

They'd have exterminated that race in five seconds flat.

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Rattlecruiser@reddit

Data felt his vocation as a bartender though. Might have bought them some... green... drinks.

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Zeal0tElite@reddit

Worf being like *Look at my sash! I must be the captain" is so Worf.

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SissyCouture@reddit

One of my favorite Worf moments. Followed by responsibility for jumping to conclusions

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AndrewtheJepster@reddit

"conundrum" Season 5

Keirian McDuff was the dude's name if memory serves.

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bakulaisdracula@reddit

I was gonna say “that one” with “THAT guy”

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Torquemahda@reddit

I had Macduff, but I was stuck on the name. All I could come up with was Tabula Rasa (blank slate in Latin).

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Soul_Eatah@reddit

Path Of Exile in a tng post.

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SadLaser@reddit

Keirian McDuff was the dude's name if memory serves.

Close, but no. It's Kieran MacDuff, not Keirian McDuff.

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AndrewtheJepster@reddit

That's why I added the disclaimer, because I was certain my spelling was off.

Thank youuuu

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Johnsendall@reddit

If memory serves?!

gif

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nathantravis2377@reddit (OP)

Right on point my friend, well done.

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ForceGhost47@reddit

One of my favorites

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Unanimous_D@reddit

This should be the first episode any TNG virgins should see first.

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ftaok@reddit

Worf’s line, “I am decorated as well” lives rent free in my head.

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road_runner321@reddit

I like this scene in particular for Worf's reaction to their identities.

At first I thought he was reacting petulantly when he found he wasn't in command, but really he was mortified that he had unwittingly assumed authority over his true commander. It's like that scene where Data gives him a private scolding and Worf immediately understands and corrects his behavior. Worf is a goddamn professional; he genuinely wants to help his crewmates and do the best job he can.

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gamevlog21@reddit

Commander MacDuff, and the episode I think was called Conundrum

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Remote-Pie-3152@reddit

C’mon, I know she had a troubled past but referring to Ro as “the intruder” is a bit harah.

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LavishnessPrimary@reddit

That one episode with the orb

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JoeyJoeJoeJrShab@reddit

I don't remember anybody's name. Are you sure this is the usual crew? I assume the guy in the back left is the captain, based on his uniform.

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theglobalnomad@reddit

It's been long enough that I had to look up the plot on Wikipedia for this one.

"With no knowledge of their prior contentious relationship, Commander Riker and Ensign Ro Laren are immediately attracted to each other and engage in a brief sexual relationship."

Classic Riker behavior...

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bbbourb@reddit

Still offends me they had a "Kieran MacDuff" but O'Brien wasn't in it?

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Physical-Name4836@reddit

I remember seeing that one for the first time. I was so concerned it was going to be an on going problem, I was young and didn’t quite understand the monster of the week outline of the show.

So try to Imangine every issue the enterprise faces could be permanent, that’s how i watched the show. It was stressful, good stressful but every week was really an emotional ride for men

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StillhasaWiiU@reddit

I call refer to this episode as "Memory loss and the case of: "Who the f is this a***?"

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45runs@reddit

Kieran Culkin. Also love how Worf wants to blow the shit out of everything as soon as possible.

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factoid_@reddit

It’s the one with the guy who had the ability to brainwash the crew of a ship a couple hundred years more advanced than their own but couldn’t just use that weapon to attack their enemy

Also their enemy apparently was the God of the people on the planet from Justice.

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LithoSlam@reddit

He probably could use that weapon to attack the enemy, he just doesn't know how to use it properly. He could have made himself an admiral or something so he would be the top of the command chain, but he didn't.

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PuckArBuile22@reddit

gif

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Lawrenceburntfish@reddit

XO Presley

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defconz@reddit

One photon torpedo could name that episode.

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Cool-Coffee-8949@reddit

“Worf’s Bad Haircut”

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Desperate_Hyena_4398@reddit

Me?

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Machinax@reddit

I love how subtly McDuff was introduced in the cold open. It was a wonderful "Wait, what?" moment.

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Malnurtured_Snay@reddit

MacDuff, ancestor of he who slay MacBeth, clearly!

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GoatApprehensive9866@reddit

I thought MacDuff created the beer Barney drank 🥴

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Malnurtured_Snay@reddit

MacDuff gets the fuck around.

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KotoElessar@reddit

I'll get you beer Baron

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Conscious-Victory-62@reddit

No you won't!

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epidipnis@reddit

Lay on, MacDuff!

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geobibliophile@reddit

I watched TNG from the beginning but I was still young enough to think MacDuff really was the Executive Officer. I just figured he hadn’t been a focus of an episode before!

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Bob4Not@reddit

They go a great job gaslighting the audience

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nathantravis2377@reddit (OP)

I remember being very confused on the first watch back in mid nighties on VHS or analogue Sky broadcast, I thought I'd missed a big story change and this McDuff was real. The reveal was awesome.

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Bob4Not@reddit

“I do not fire on defenseless people”. Such a great episode

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HeadCartoonist2626@reddit

I can't see anything but Ensign Ro when she's on screen

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epidipnis@reddit

She bothers me too.

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FlamingPrius@reddit

CommanderMacDuffdidnothingwrong!!

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anisotropicmind@reddit

MacGuffin

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Privateer_Lev_Arris@reddit

I’m not good with episode names but I think the intruders name is McDuff or something like that.

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butterfield66@reddit

Clues. Can't remember the intruder's name, though.

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Unit_79@reddit

I loved how this episode explored the personalities of the crew - each gravitating to what came naturally to them.

I also love how Ro told Riker she’s pretty sure they bang a lot.

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Radioactive_Tuber57@reddit

Riker at the door to his quarters: How do you know I don’t snore in my sleep?

Ro: What makes you think you’ll get any sleep?”

She was so spicy in that episode. Too bad the character didn’t last.

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nathantravis2377@reddit (OP)

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Unit_79@reddit

I’ll be in my bunk.

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OmegaRedXIII@reddit

Good ole McGuffing, i mean McDuff lol

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gaiusjozka@reddit

Where Silence Has Lease, part 78. Nagilum never actually let the Enterprise leave the void, and instead lets the crew believe they're living out their lives exploring space in an episodic fashion.

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Negative-Engineer-30@reddit

damn Satarrans...

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Bucket1984@reddit

Pretty sure the intruder is always Riker.

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josephrbates@reddit

They call him Photobomb.

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Mass-Effect-6932@reddit

Conundrum, and Commander Kieran MacDuff.

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outtatime_88MPH@reddit

●●● Commander Kieran MacDuff (Erich Anderson)

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outtatime_88MPH@reddit

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PizzaWhole9323@reddit

The evildoer is standing in the back. Dun dun Dunnnnnn!! And music sting over cut to commercial.

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mcgrst@reddit

Mr Woof

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OscarDivine@reddit

The invader was Ensign Ro in Riker’s quarters

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phiwings@reddit

She may have been in his quarters but I’m pretty sure he invaded her right after.

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OscarDivine@reddit

Lots of invading going on that episode

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Educational-Try-1496@reddit

I don’t remember his name but its a later season, its the guy who’s head is peeking in the back of the group, his species has weak tech for war but good tech to manipulate people, and he’s trying to get the Enterprise to win their war for them against defenseless people.

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nathantravis2377@reddit (OP)

I just learned the guest star actor, Erich Anderson unfortunately died last year. Rest in peace sir, and you were also great in Friday 13th Part IV 1984.

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ElectricMayhem999@reddit

Conundrum Cmdr Macduff Great ensemble ep!