You know, "11001001" is an episode I'm quite surprised I didn't remember anything about. I started to wonder how I could forget about such a terrific, exciting, and unique episode, featuring quite a fascinating group of computer-dependent aliens (who speak in binary language!) knows as the Bynars. For some reason the Bynars, who are assigned to boost the technological capacity of the Enterprise's sophisticated computer banks, "gain access" to the ship (more like commandeering the Enterprise), while Captain Picard and Commander Riker are on the Holodeck, with Lt. Commander Data and Lt. Geordi LaForge having evacuated the remaining crew (they could not contact Picard or Riker) due to the possible release of the Anti-matter in Engineering, certain to cause catastrophic results. How were the Bynars able to get Picard and Riker's attention during all of this..a very realistic, intuitive, and charming holographic brunette doll played by Carolyn McCormick (Law & Order), as Minuet, within a recreated New Orleans jazz club. With an emptied Enterprise, soon Picard and Riker decide to set Auto-Destruct and get to the Bridge, hoping to keep the Bynars from taking the Enterprise, discovering the four of them near death. It turns out that a supernova plays an important part, as well as, information stored on the Bynars world needing a place of temporary existence in the grand scheme of things, with Picard and Riker having to figure out how to save the aliens from complete extinction. Another scintillating parable about the dependency on technology and how that can lead to total annihilation, not to mention, seeing Riker and Picard working cohesively side-by-side to examine and avert a difficult situation. Riker is given a good brunt of the episode, and pretty early we see that this series was a bit more interested in developing their characters, showing him really responding intimately with Minuet who casts a spell on the commander. With the crew stuck on Starbase 74, it is neat spending time with just two people on board the Enterprise (the frustration of not being able to rescue Picard and Riker, and allowing the ship to be taken, is established well in Data's acceptance of responsibility (which is absurd, but understandable that he would "feel" this way) and Yar's multiple attempts to get a ship to catch up to them). I have a hard time not imagining this isn't a lot of fun for Next Gen fans. There's plenty of special effects eye candy such as the Enterprise docking at the visual dynamo of the Starbase and showing characters moving about inside the ship as it is docked. I think this will considered by some to be a sleeper episode, maybe found on many top 20 Next Gen fan lists.
Review of 11001001
