S1E21
The Arsenal of Freedom
⚠ Spoiler alert This recap gives away what happens in this episode.
Episode Summary & Review
Summary
While investigating the disappearance of the star ship Drake, an away team beams down to a strange planet where they received a message about arms sales upon arriving in orbit. Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher vanish during the mission and the Enterprise comes under attack.
Our Take
A solid mid-season outing that finally gives Riker command of the ship while Picard and Crusher sweat it out in a cave. The sentient weapons-dealer sales pitch is a fun gimmick, and Beverly gets more to do than usual, though the away team scenes drag once the novelty wears off. Worth a watch for fans of the Picard/Crusher dynamic, but nobody’s missing a classic here.