OK, I’m just going to point out the obvious: this is *Die Hard* on a starship. The ever-reliable TV Tropes [records over 20 TV shows that have gone the same way](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DieHardOnAnX).
Everything is competently done, there are some nice individual bits, and it’s fun watching Picard in his commando mode. But there’s no heart in this, no passion. *Die Hard* works because John McClane has a personal stake in it. But despite this being Picard’s ship, he never seems that angry about what’s happening. He just goes about his business, foils the thieves, and then we’re done.
The business on board the station just feels like a distraction from what we’re watching as well. I’m sure some of it stems from budget concerns (action scenes are expensive, hostages in a room are cheap to film), but it kills the momentum and takes away screen time from Picard’s story. Even the element of growing tension the baryon beam sweeping through the ship isn’t used to much effect outside of the final scene. The episode just feels like a misfire – could have been fun, doesn’t get beyond dull.
Distracting Star Trek moment: Tim Russ playing one of the mercenaries, who would later go on to play Tuvok in Voyager.
263 down, 474 to go.