Best of Star Trek TNG---The Mind's Eye

"The Mind's Eye" was written by Rene Eschevarria and was the 24th episode of the 4th season.

Geordi LaForge comes back from a trip to Risa refreshed and ready to work. The captain welcomes aboard a Klingon Ambassador to help resolve a conflict between the governor of a Klingon outpost and rebels who are fighting for independence. The Klingon governor accuses the federation of conspiring with the rebels by providing federation weapons found at rebel headquarters as proof.

Meanwhile, Commander Data detects E-band emissions resonating at a low frequency aboard the ship and sets to work at traces their origins.

Then the Klingon governor hails the Enterprise and tells Picard that weapons were beamed down to rebel headquarters from the Enterprise. The ambassador suggests that the governor be beamed aboard the Enterprise to supervise the investigation and Picard agrees.

Data traces the E-band emissions to Geordi's visor and finds evidence on the shuttlecraft Geordi used to go to Risa underwent stress from a tractor beam. He heads toward cargo bay four where Geordi is witnessing the investigation as the ambassador and governor Klingons look on. There, Data alerts Security Chief Worf to intercept Geordi as Geordi heads toward the men and opens fire. He is stopped before he can kill the governor.

Data explains to them, after Geordi is taken away, that the E-band emissions were being transmitted at a local frequency and that the captain and ambassador were with Geordi all three times when the emissions were picked up. The ambassador refuses to undergo a search and the governor and his men take him into custody.

Then Geordi learns that everything he remembered from his trip on Riser didn't really happen and that he had been abducted by Romulans and programmed to kill the governor. The Romulans had the most to gain from a new war between the federation and Klingon Empire. The Klingon ambassador was conspiring with them.

I liked this episode because a main character is being manipulated by an outside force but it isn't overplayed like in other episodes. Both plots are exciting in of themselves and come together neatly at the end. The story was well-written and well acted.

NOTE: During the time Geordi is undergoing torturous treatment,  a female Romulan is seen only in shadow, This is foreshadowing Denise Crosby's return later as a Romulan, an episode tied in with "Yesterday's Enterprise."