“The Enterprise is ordered to undergo a series of tests that will propel the ship at unfathomable speed.”
It’s the Wesley episode! This is the episode that kickstarts the whole Wesley storyline that is present throughout the series. Sure there were episodes before this one that show he is a smart panda, but this is the episode that sets him on his journey. It is also where Picard officially starts his mentorship with “The Boy” as it were, but that’s not what I want to talk about. I’d like to point out how awesome Picard is.
When they go to the place where thought is manifested, Picard nearly used the effect to get the answer to what the place was. If it wasn’t for Riker interrupting him, Picard may have gotten a full explanation of their current predicament. This is some incept level stuff.
Unlike everyone else who was able to master their mind and end their manifestations, Picard went above and beyond and used the manifestation of his grandmother. He was asking her the hard questions. While he didn’t get the answer from the manifestation, he did come to realize the power of the place. His mind, as is shown in later episodes is strong and resilient.
