Star Trek: The Next Generation 4.24

The Mind's Eye

Lieutenant Commander La Forge is captured by Romulans while on his way to a conference. He is brainwashed and returned to the Enterprise unaware of what happened to him. The Enterprise is on its way to Krios, a Kligon outpost, when Lieutenant Commander La Forge returns. Klingon Ambassador Kell is aboard the Enterprise to mediate a dispute with Vagh the governor of Krios who has accused the Federation of supplying arms to rebels.

Vagh provides Captain Picard with one of many weapons that were taken from rebels. It looks like a Federation weapon but when La Forge and Data analyze the weapon they conclude that it was powered up by a Romulan source.

Geordi secretly beams weapons down to the surface of Krios which are quickly found. Governor Vagh is enraged. Captain Picard launches an investigation but the data logs have been wiped and there is no trace of who transported the weapons.

Captain Picard invites Governor Vagh to come aboard the Enterprise to witness the investigation. 

Lieutenant Commander La Forge receives orders from a Romulan agent aboard the Enterprise. He attempts to kill the governor but is stopped by the efforts of Data and Picard.

Thoughts

There is a shadowy person who is present when La Forge is brainwashed. Their voice is heard but they are standing in the shadows and their face cannot be seen. I know who this person must be but their identity is not revealed in this episode and they are not in the credits.

This was an excellent episode. I rank it right up there with 3.15 (Yesterday's Enterprise). It is partly the plotting and the pacing. It is also the acting performance by LeVar Burton, especially in the final scene where La Forge is meeting with Counselor Troi to discuss what happened to him. It was very moving and very good.

Larry Dobkin played the part of Ambassador Kell. He directed an episode of The Original Series. He is the only person to have directed an episode of The Original Series and appeared in an episode of a spinoff series.

John Bleck played the part of Taibak, the Romulan in charge of brainwashing Geordi. This is his only appearance in an episode of The Next Generation but he made guest appearances as a number of other characters on Deep Space 9. He played Silik, a Suliban, on several episode of Enterprise.