Television Review: Tin Man (Star Trek: The Next Generation, S3X20, 1990)

Tin Man (S03E20)

Airdate: April 23rd 1990

Written by: David Putman Bailey & David Bischoff
Directed by: Robert Sheerer

Running Time: 45 minutes

In the long and illustrious history of Star Trek and its numerous series, it is fascinating how many episodes have rather unexpected origins, their sources having little apparent connection to the franchise. One of the more interesting examples of this is Tin Man, a third-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Its genesis lies in a professional frustration. The episode is based on “Tin Woodman”, a 1976 science-fiction story by Dennis Russell Bailey and David Bischoff, which was nominated for a Nebula Award the following year and later expanded into a novel. Years later, after viewing the widely-panned second-season episode Samaritan Snare, Bailey and Bischoff were reportedly so incensed by its perceived poor quality that, together with Lisa Putman White, they resolved to show the production staff how it should be done. They adapted their own story into a speculative script, which was ultimately accepted. Due to Writers Guild regulations, Bailey and Putman White had to share a single credit under the pen name “Dennis Putman Bailey”, a curious footnote in the episode’s production history.

The plot begins with the USS Enterprise-D being intercepted by another Galaxy-class starship, the USS Hood, commanded by Captain Robert DeSoto (Michael Kavanaugh), an old friend of Captain Picard’s. The Enterprise is ordered to take aboard a specialist crucial for a vital and perilous mission. This specialist is Tam Elbrun, a Betazoid portrayed by Harry Groener. Owing to telepathic abilities far stronger than those typical of his species, Elbrun has been employed by Starfleet on delicate First Contact missions with alien races incapable of conventional communication.

The Enterprise is then directed to the Beta Stromgren system, whose star is on the verge of a supernova, with orders to attempt contact with a mysterious entity—a seemingly living spacecraft nicknamed “Tin Man”. The system lies within a region of space claimed by the Romulan Star Empire, necessitating a swift journey to arrive before two Romulan D’deridex-class warbirds. During the voyage, Tam does little to endear himself to the Enterprise crew. He behaves with a certain arrogance towards Picard, whose thoughts he can effortlessly read, while Commander Riker holds him responsible for the failure of a previous First Contact mission that cost forty-seven Starfleet personnel their lives. Counselor Troi, however, knows Tam from a psychiatric clinic where he was treated due to the psychological trauma of constant exposure to the thoughts of others. A significant development occurs when Tam realises he cannot read the thoughts of the android, Data, necessitating normal verbal communication; an unexpected friendship subsequently blossoms between them.

Upon arrival, one of the Romulan warbirds damages the Enterprise, not to destroy it but to slow its progress. When the Romulan vessel then prepares to obliterate “Tin Man” to prevent Federation contact, Tam telepathically warns the entity. The result is a tremendous burst of energy that utterly destroys the attacking warbird. A second Romulan ship arrives, its captain invoking the “right of revenge” and vowing to destroy “Tin Man”. Before this can happen, both Tam and Data are transported into its interior. There, the entity reveals itself as Gomtuu, the last survivor of an ancient species. Tortured by eons of loneliness, it had come to Beta Stromgren to end its existence. Tam, however, forms a profound empathic connection with Gomtuu and elects to remain with it. “Tin Man” then emits another energy burst, this time harmlessly pushing both the Enterprise and the remaining Romulan ship to a safe distance from the impending supernova. As the star explodes, Data is beamed back to the Enterprise bridge, leaving the ultimate fate of both Gomtuu and Tam deliberately ambiguous.

Tin Man is, by any measure, a very good episode. It handles its core concepts—the complexities of First Contact, the pathos of a sentient starship, and the curse of profound telepathy—with considerable skill and emotional resonance. The special effects for the era are quite impressive, and director Robert Sheerer executes his duties competently, though he later admitted to some dissatisfaction with the quality of the scenes set within Gomtuu’s interior. Nonetheless, the episode inevitably suffers in comparison with the grand classics of its remarkable third season. Its narrative, while effective, lacks the sheer originality and dramatic heft of those instalments.

The episode’s more minor flaws are substantially compensated for by Harry Groener’s impressive and nuanced performance. An accomplished stage actor, Groener portrays the first male Betazoid character in Star Trek history, conveying the inner anguish of a telepath traumatised by the relentless, invasive noise of other minds. His scenes of tentative connection with Data, followed by the transcendent communion with Gomtuu, are genuinely moving. The episode further benefits from the richly atmospheric score by composer Jay Chattaway, who made his Star Trek debut here and would go on to contribute extensively to the franchise.

The primary drawback of Tin Man, however, is its regrettable use of the Romulans. In this episode, they are reduced to simple, one-dimensional generic thugs, serving merely as a procedural obstacle. This portrayal stands in stark contrast to their established characterisation elsewhere in the franchise, both in The Original Series and in earlier Next Generation episodes like The Defector, where they are depicted as cunning, formidable, and intellectually sophisticated adversaries. Their role here as mere narrative cannon fodder feels like a wasted opportunity and a dilution of a compelling antagonist species.

Tin Man is a solid and thoughtful entry in The Next Generation’s canon, elevated by a strong central performance and a poignant exploration of loneliness and connection. Its legacy is somewhat overshadowed by the titanic episodes that surround it, and its handling of the Romulans is a conspicuous weakness. Yet, its unusual origin story—born from fandom and professional pique—and its earnest execution ensure it continues to be remembered as a noteworthy, if not definitive, chapter in the journey of the starship Enterprise.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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