Star Trek: The Next Generation - 10 Best Episodes Not About The Main Cast
2. The Wounded
Though it came as no surprise to fans of Colm Meaney, The Wounded was the first episode to truly showcase what a fantastic actor the Irishman is. Here, the Cardassian Wars are first introduced which, even though now finished, left a lasting effect on the men and women who fought in them.
When Captain Maxwell of the USS Phoenix seemingly goes mad and begins attacking Cardassian bases and ships, Picard turns to O'Brien, as O'Brien had served with Maxwell on the USS Rutledge.
It is a grim episode. While Maxwell may be the man committing the crimes, O'Brien displays his own bias and hate toward Cardassians when he comes face to face with the Cardassian officers traveling aboard the Enterprise. While they attempt to engage him in friendly conversation, he can barely keep his resentment in check.
The difference between O'Brien and Maxwell is his ability to, or at least his attempt to, put his anger in the past where it belongs. He goes to the Phoenix, sitting down with Maxwell and helping the former commander to understand that, though his intentions may have been to safeguard the Federation, his actions were wrong. They share a song together and the crisis is averted.
The Wounded ranks as one of the greatest episodes in Star Trek for depicting PTSD. It is not always a matter of shaking in a corner, lost in memories. As shown through Maxwell, the scars of war take a long time to heal - driving reasonable people to unreasonable acts.