Future Imperfect

Commander Riker's birthday celebration is interrupted as he, Geordi La Forge, and Worf are sent down to a huge cavern on Alpha Onias III, an uninhabited Class M planet, to investigate unusual readings. After their arrival, the cavern suddenly fills with toxic gases, and the three officers fall unconscious.

Riker awakens in sick bay to find that sixteen years have passed. He is now Captain of the Enterprise with Data as his first officer, and Picard has been promoted to Admiral, with Deanna Troi serving as his aide. Riker cannot remember any event after the Alpha Onias III mission, which Doctor Crusher explains is a side effect of a viral infection he contracted on the planet, and his memories of the intervening events may or may not return.

Riker learns that he was married, is now widowed, and has a son (Chris Demetral) named Jean-Luc (named after Picard). He is further startled when Tomalak — a Romulan commander who was formerly an archenemy of the Enterprise, now an ambassador — beams onto the ship to negotiate a peace treaty with the Federation. Despite Picard's reassurances, Riker is hesitant to reveal sensitive Starfleet information in negotiating the treaty.

As Riker struggles to adjust to his new life, numerous inconsistencies arise. The Enterprise computer is uncharacteristically slow, numerous systems experience minor technical glitches, and Geordi is unable to correct the problems. Finally, Riker discovers that his late wife "Min" is Minuet, a fictional holodeck character he once met.{{efn-lr|As depicted in 11001001 (S1E15, 1988).{{cite web |last1=Hunt |first1=James |title=Revisiting Star Trek TNG: Future Imperfect |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/revisiting-star-trek-tng-future-imperfect/ |website=denofgeek.com |date=March 6, 2015 |publisher=Den of Geek |access-date=December 30, 2020}}}} Riker realizes that the entire "future" he has been experiencing is a charade and confronts Picard and Tomalak on the Enterprise bridge, with more inconsistencies arising as he does so, proving his suspicions. Suddenly, the false future fades away, revealing a Romulan holodeck. Commander Tomalak is revealed to be behind the simulation, the object of which was to trick Riker into giving away the location of a key Federation outpost. The Romulans, Tomalak explains, were fooled by the intensity of Riker's memories of Minuet and had incorporated her into their fantasy on the assumption that she was real.

Riker is put in a holding area, where he meets the boy whose image the Romulans had used to create his "son". The boy identifies himself as "Ethan". Together, they manage to escape and briefly elude their Romulan guards. However, as the two are hiding from their pursuers, Ethan inadvertently refers to Tomalak as "Ambassador", instead of "Commander". Riker realizes that he is still in a simulation; confronting Ethan over it, he demands that the game end immediately and that he be allowed to leave.{{cite web |last1=Hunt |first1=James |title=Revisiting Star Trek TNG: Future Imperfect |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/revisiting-star-trek-tng-future-imperfect/ |website=denofgeek.com |date=March 6, 2015 |publisher=Den of Geek |access-date=December 30, 2020}}

Everything disappears once more, leaving only Riker and Ethan back in the cavern on Alpha Onias III. Riker is then able to contact the ship and learns that Worf and La Forge had beamed up without incident, but the Enterprise was unable to locate him. After Riker advises the captain that he will presently report back after learning more about his situation, Ethan confesses that he had created the simulations, using sophisticated scanners to read his mind and create the "reality" they experienced. Ethan's planet had been attacked and his people killed; his mother had hidden him in the cavern for his own safety, with all the simulation equipment, before she died; and Ethan, all alone, had been yearning for real companionship. Realizing Ethan's intentions were not hostile, Riker offers him refuge on the Enterprise. Ethan accepts Riker's offer and after Ethan reveals his true form as a grey alien named Barash, the two beam onto the ship.{{cite web |last1=Hunt |first1=James |title=Revisiting Star Trek TNG: Future Imperfect |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/revisiting-star-trek-tng-future-imperfect/ |website=denofgeek.com |date=March 6, 2015 |publisher=Den of Geek |access-date=December 30, 2020}}

Zach Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode a grade A−.{{cite web |title=Star Trek: The Next Generation: "Future Imperfect"/"Final Mission" |url=https://www.avclub.com/star-trek-the-next-generation-future-imperfect-fin-1798166755 |website=The A.V. Club |date=December 9, 2010 }}

In 2017, Popular Mechanics said that "Future Imperfect" was one of the top ten 'most fun' episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.[https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/tv/g3205/most-fun-star-trek-next-generation/ popularmechanics.com] In 2019, CBR rated "Future Imperfect" the 5th best 'holodeck' episode of the Star Trek franchise.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-best-holodeck-episodes-ranked/ |title=Star Trek: Ranking the 20 Best Holodeck Episodes |date=January 4, 2019 |website=CBR |access-date=March 26, 2019}}

In 2016, Empire ranked this the 26th best out of the top 50 episodes of all the 700 plus Star Trek television episodes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-star-trek-episodes/|title=The 50 best Star Trek episodes ever|date=July 27, 2016|website=Empire |access-date=June 29, 2019}}

In 2020, Tom's Guide listed this as one of the best episodes for Riker (played by Jonathan Frakes).{{Cite web|url=https://www.tomsguide.com/reference/next-generation-characters-star-trek-picard|title=A guide to Star Trek: Picard's Next Generation characters|last=Honorof|first=Marshall|website=Tom's Guide |date=February 8, 2020 |access-date=February 12, 2020}}

"Future Imperfect" was released in the United States on September 3, 2002, as part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation season four DVD box set.{{cite news|last=Ordway|first=Holly E.|date=September 9, 2002|title=Star Trek the Next Generation – Season 4|newspaper=DVD Talk|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/4560/star-trek-the-next-generation-season-4/|access-date=November 19, 2014}}

{{notelist-lr}}

• Star Trek The Next Generation DVD set, volume 4, disc 2, selection 4.

{{wikiquote|Star Trek: The Next Generation#Future Imperfect .5B4.8.5D|Future Imperfect}}

• {{IMDb episode}}
• "[http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/03/star-trek-the-next-generation-rewatch-qfuture-imperfectq Future Imperfect]" rewatch by Keith R. A. DeCandido
• {{Memory Alpha|Future Imperfect (episode)|Future Imperfect}}

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{{Star Trek holodeck stories}}

Category:Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4 episodes

Category:1990 American television episodes

Category:Holography in television

Category:Television episodes about amnesia

Category:Television episodes about birthdays

Category:Television episodes directed by Les Landau