Synopsis: The U.S.S. Cerritos is confronted by a Drookmani salvage vessel while Tendi faces her inability to spacewalk.
This episode can be seen an illustration of how the conscious ego integrates bits of unconscious material into itself by what Carl (C. G.) Jung called a complex. Jung felt that complexes were not a negative thing, but instead, he saw them as a way for the conscious ego to become aware of bits of unconscious material, which was the first step in psychic healing.
In “Terminal Provocations” the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos is in a dispute with Drookmani salvagers over the ownership of Federation cargo they found. Meanwhile, Ensign D’Vana Tendi admits to Ensign Samanthan Rutherford that she has never space walked, which may be required after the standoff has been rectified. Rutherford tells Tendi that he has created a holodeck training program, where she can learn the skill. The holodeck program Rutherford created has an animated instructor, Badgey. Unfortunately Badgey malfunctions and attacks them, and Rutherford has to admit to Tendi that Badgey may not have been ready to activate yet, but that he wanted to impress her. Meanwhile, Ensign Fletcher makes a mistake that requires Ensigns Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler to send an isometric core out an airlock, which ends up destroying the Drookmani ship.
In this episode, when Tendi admits to Rutherford that she has never learned to spacewalk, this can be compared to when the conscious ego acknowledges a bit of unconscious material through a complex. When Rutherford brought Tendi to the holodeck and tried to help her learn how, but then was frustrated because the holographic trainer, Badgey, malfunctioned, can be compared to how the ego integrates the bits of unconscious material into itself. Sometimes, like here, it is not always a smooth process, but the action of doing it is one step toward making the ego stronger and the psyche more whole.
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