Dreamscapes in Star Trek: A Narrative Crutch or Compelling Storytelling Device?
In the episode "The Life of the Stars" from "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy," Sam, a sentient hologram, needs to return to her home planet of Kasq for reprogramming due to recent trauma. Captain Ake and the Doctor accompany her on this journey. They are beamed into a black-and-white nether-space that resembles Starfleet Academy but with cherry blossoms falling from the ceiling, created by the Kasqians as a dreamscape for interaction.
The use of interactive dreamscapes in "Star Trek" episodes has become a common storytelling trope, with characters falling into comas or projecting their consciousness into a dream world to resolve conflicts. This trend is evident in various episodes across the franchise, including older ones like "Shades of Gray" and newer ones like "Vaulting Ambition" from "Star Trek: Discovery."
Dreamscapes in "Star Trek" pose two main issues. Firstly, they lack dramatic tension as characters battle internal struggles while physically inactive. Secondly, the reliance on dreamscapes to resolve conflicts feels contrived, sidestepping real-world resolutions. This storytelling device is overused in newer "Trek" episodes, as seen in "Forget Me Not" from "Discovery," where characters navigate a psychic dreamscape that feels more like a perfume commercial than a compelling drama.
One of the most egregious examples of dreamscapes in modern "Star Trek" is in the "Star Trek: Picard" episode "Hide and Seek," where Admiral Picard falls into a coma and experiences visions of his deceased parents while facing real-world dangers. This episode exemplifies the overreliance on dreamscapes as a narrative crutch in contemporary "Trek" storytelling.