This episode is pure soap opera, but in a good way. It’s testament to the strength of the characters that have been built up over the course of the series that this episode is even possible, without even a hint of anything beyond pure character reactions to drive the plot forward.
Another sign of the changes in the series is the fact that this isn’t really a stand-alone episode – it relies on a lot that has come before (*Best of Both Worlds* and *Sins of the Father*) to make any sense. It’s the first episode (outside of the two-parters) to be that interrelated with other episodes.
The bottom line is that I was expecting to not enjoy this one (I had a vague memory of not enjoying it on a previous viewing), but actually found this to be a pitch-perfect change of pace after the season opener.
Suspension of disbelief problems: I was having some real troubles with the fact that it appears that the small French village Picard grew up in is situated somewhere in England, judging by the accents.
183 down, 554 to go. Only another 14 episodes to get through this long weekend.