Lower Decks
This episode is great because it takes the focus off of the main cast and gives us a look into some of the other members of the crew of the Enterprise. It's crew evaluation time, and we get to follow the adventure in front of the crew through the eyes of a group of ensigns, all hoping for a promotion.The ensigns are connected to a member of the senior staff. Sam is interested in becoming an officer and impressing Riker, Sito Jaxa is a Bajoran who has Worf as a mentor and a history with Picard, Nurse Ogawa works with Dr Crusher, and Taurik is a Vulcan engineer that works with Geordi.
Each of them is worried about the reviews and wondering what it will mean for the future of their careers. During the course of the story, each of them except for Sam is asked to help with part of a covert mission to help a Cardassian sympathizer get back to Cardassia.
Let's get to Picard's part of this story. Ensign Sito Jaxa may look familiar from an episode where the crew of the Enterprise is trying to absolve Wesley of charges for flagrant disregard for protocol and the death of a fellow cadet. She was a part of that group and struggled to continue her career after that mistake.
When we first see Picard interacting with the ensign, he is very cold, and since this is the first time we've seen Ensign Sito since the trial episode, it is feasible that he isn't happy with her being a part of his crew. Under the pressure of his stern reprimands, she tells about her time after the trial and how no one besides her instructor would fly with her for her pilot qualification exam.
After that encounter, Worf gives Sito some encoursgement through a harsh lesson. He gives her a fake test for a Klingon martial arts test where she is blind folded while he pushes her around and berates her. Sito finally has enough and stands up to Work who reveals that she needs to stand up for herself when she feels she is being unfairly treated.
When Picard and Sito meet next, Picard is still gruff and rude to Sito, and she suggests that if he doesn't want her on the Enterprise then she should be given a transfer. That is when Picard changes his attitude. He is the one that requested that she be stationed on the Enterprise to ensure that she would get a fair chance to prove herself as an officer.
Sito is asked if she will volunteer to pose as a prisoner for a Cardassian who has provided intel for the Federation. This will allow him to return home and possibly bring back more information in the future. This is made extra complicated because a s a Bajoran, Sito and her people have suffered under Cardassian rule for generations.
Sito agrees, and travels into Cardassian space, but she doesn't make it back alive. Picard's announcement in touching and shows just how much he cared about this Ensign that had only been a part of his crew for seven months. "She was the finest example of Star Fleet officer, and a young woman of remarkable courage and strength of character."
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