“Frame of Mind” is episode twenty-one of season six of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Riker is being questioned by an out of sight Data about his actions and whether he’s feeling guilt. Then he starts to stumble over what he’s saying and laughs and asks if they can go back. Dr Crusher is watching from some seats and says that’s enough for tonight. It’s a play they’re rehearsing. The doctor reassures Riker and he leaves, going over his lines. He bumps into someone leaving the turbolift and Riker stares after him, an alien lieutenant.
Riker meets with Captain Picard in the captain’s ready room; the Enterprise is heading to Tilonus IV. The government collapsed and it’s total anarchy. A Federation research team was on the planet; Riker’s job is to find and evacuate them. There are no local authorities, only factions vying for power. They’re desperate for weapons and technology and some are rumoured to be using torture to gather information. A Starfleet research team would be a prime target. Riker thinks it would be best if he went in alone and undercover. The captain agrees; Worf will brief him. Riker says he’ll have to back out of the play after all. The captain reassures him there’s plenty of time before they arrive. And if Riker backs out, Dr Crusher will come after the captain to play the part.
Worf is briefing Riker, who isn’t taking it as seriously as Worf would like. Worf starts demonstrating with a blade used in a barter ceremony and accidentally cuts Riker. Riker says maybe he wasn’t paying attention and heads to sickbay. The doctor treats him, but Riker says it still hurts. They are talking about the play as Geordi and another engineer bring in an injured third who stares at Riker.
In Ten Forward, Riker discusses the matter with Troi. For the last few days Riker has felt as if everyone is staring at him and talking about him. As if he was in Frame of Mind. The play. It makes him uneasy. Troi reassures him and says maybe he’s just getting into the part. It’s sometimes okay to explore the dark side of your character. Riker rubs his face where he was cut and sees the lieutenant from the turbolift.
The play’s performance meets applause. Except from the alien. Then Riker is in an actual room like the one from the play and there’s another alien there, the same species as the first. Who says they have a lot of work to do. Riker asks where he is and how he was taken from his ship. The other tells him to relax. And asks his name. Riker can’t remember. The other says this a delusion, they contacted Starfleet and they’d never heard of Riker. He’s Dr Syrus. Riker says his head hurts. Syrus says Riker hit it on a door trying to escape. Riker is in Ward 4 of the Tilonus Institute for Mental Disorders. They’ll talk more later.
After Syrus leaves, a voice says that he’s been told by Syrus that he might enjoy a couple of hours in the common area. Two people come to escort Riker there, one with a drawn weapon. Once there, Riker is left whilst an orderly goes to get food. A woman comes over and says she’s a Starfleet officer too, from the Yosemite. She’s managed to fashion a communicator and is speaking to ships in orbit who are going to beam them out. The communicator is a spoon. When the orderly returns with the food, he takes the spoon from her. Riker remembers the orderly’s name. Mavek. Mavek says that Riker killed someone and is essentially winding Riker up until Riker goes for him and gets sedated. And Riker wakes up in his bed on the Enterprise.
According to Dr Syrus, the Enterprise is a delusion and Riker isn’t there. They’ve been treating him for this delusion for some time. Even Riker isn’t certain which is real and which is not. But he starts doubting that the Enterprise is real.