Cause And Effect: Why The Infamous Star Trek TNG Episode Drove Fans To Complain – Looper

The time loop structure of “Cause and Effect” may have caused many “Star Trek: The Next Generation” fans quite a bit of confusion on their first viewing, but they aren’t the only ones who were initially baffled by the episode. As it turns out, Jonathan Frakes’ ambitious directorial outing was boggling the minds of his “Star Trek: The Next Generation” castmates and the show’s crew before it even premiered.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” writer Brannon Braga recalled that reading the episode’s script was just as strange for some as watching the episode itself. “The early reactions to the script were similar to the reactions that the audience had when watching the episode, which was confusion,” he said. “Because you’re reading that script and you’re like, ‘Wait a second. There’s got to be a mistake here. The acts just keep repeating. Is this a joke?'”

With the repetitive elements of the episode proving confusing, the crew sought ways to subtly clue viewers in on the time loop, such as placed an emphasis on shooting the same scene in a variety of angles. “We had a plan that we needed to shoot each scene more than one way … we would shoot the master from either side of the room,” Frakes recalled. “But I really enjoyed the challenge. Once I realized that [Brannon] wasn’t f***ng with me, it was fun.”