Comment by happens
6 days ago
That episode was uniquely creepy to me (together with episode 131 "Schisms") as a kid. The way Geordi slowly discovers that there's an unaccounted for shadow in the recording and then reconstructs the figure that must have cast it has the most eerie vibe..
Agreed! I think partially it was also that the "bodycam" found footage had such an unusual cinematography style for the show. TNG wasn't exactly known for handheld cams and lights casting harsh shadows. It all felt so out of place.
It's an interesting episode in that it's usually overlooked for being a fairly crappy screenplay, but is really challenging directorially: Blocking and editing that geeky computer sequence, breaking new ground stylistically for the show, etc.