Synopsis: The Enterprise D discovers a ship abandoned, except for Chief Engineer Scott from the original Enterprise, who has been kept alive in a transporter beam for seventy-five years.
This episode features an appearance by the character affectionally called “Scotty” from Star Trek: The Original Series, and it is interesting how young and fresh his ideas are to the crew members of the twenty-fourth century. And it can be seen as an illustration of the relationship between the Senex and the Puer archetypes, which Archetypal Psychologist James Hillman felt was foundational to understanding the relationship between all archetypes because of the pull between the energy of these two opposites.
Originally when Captain Montgomery Scott comes aboard the Enterprise D, her Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge dismisses Scott as not having the knowledge necessary to be of assistance in the newer engineering department. La Forge is embodying the energy of the Senex, or wise man archetype, and Scott that of the Puer, or eternal youth. This is further displayed when an emergency arises, and Scott puts forth an unconventional plan to save the day and tells La Forge that he has spent his whole life trying to figure out crazy ways of doing things. Again, even though chronologically Scott is older than La Forge, his energy is much more adventurous. Yet at the end of the episode, when Scott tells La Forge to cherish his days as Chief Engineer, because once it’s done, it’s done, he reverts back to what might be considered more natural for his chronological age. Either that, or La Forge has become more youthful from his experience with Scott.
Original post created 28 October 2021
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