Is that the one where Ro Laren and LaForge are "out-of phase" because of some Romulan phase shifting device ? I have to watch the episode again (and currently busy with season 5 of the complete series box).But from what I remember is that basically Ro and LaForge are out of phase their environment is not, so they inhabit the "normal environment" so they breathe the same oxygen as the crew does and are able to walk on the floor, only the moving through solid objects is a bit of a mystery which is highly unlikely and was probably done for entertainment value.

That's the one. Gotta do some suspension of disbelief to ignore the flaws. But still a decent episode.

Yeah the inconsistencies in this episode really stood out to me as well, especially with the ability to move through normal matter but only when convenient. For example when Ro and LaForge cause the Romulan weapon to overload in Ten Forward and they jump behind a table to take cover, throwing themselves down to the floor. Why didn't they phase through the floor like they would through a wall? And why would taking cover help? Isn't the weapon phased as well and just pass through the normal matter they're taking cover behind anyway when it explodes? How were they able to set the weapon down on normal unphased matter without it falling through? But, yeah, like Moonglum9 says, it's still a decent episode. It kind of leads up to the episode The Pegasus which is one of my favourite.

@revengine said:

Yeah the inconsistencies in this episode really stood out to me as well, especially with the ability to move through normal matter but only when convenient. For example when Ro and LaForge cause the Romulan weapon to overload in Ten Forward and they jump behind a table to take cover, throwing themselves down to the floor. Why didn't they phase through the floor like they would through a wall? And why would taking cover help? Isn't the weapon phased as well and just pass through the normal matter they're taking cover behind anyway when it explodes?

Another funny thing about that scene you mention in Ten Forward is when they are diving for cover, they disturb a bundle of balloons that they dive next to.

@Moonglum9 said:

Another funny thing about that scene you mention in Ten Forward is when they are diving for cover, they disturb a bundle of balloons that they dive next to.

The balloons must have been phased. No other explanation.

LaForge and Ro still cast shadows while they are out of phase, maybe even reflections if you look hard enough.

maybe the whole episode was out of phase

In spite of problems in episodes like NEXT PHASE, Next Generation was mainly much better with science references than most science fiction shows and movies. For example, most show/movie writers had no idea what a galaxy was and kept throwing the word around because it sounded cool. (Particular blatant example was SMALLVILLE, where the Kryptonians supposedly colonized several "galaxies" but somehow got wiped out when their home planet blew up) ) In Star Trek they not only had a coherent notion of a galaxy but mapped out part of it, with the various Quadrants and a Galactic Rim.

The easiest retcon for the floor stuff is that the ship uses artificial gravity, some kind of energy fields presumably coming up from the floor on each deck. So it was the energy field, not the material of the floor, that kept LaForge and Ro from passing through. (Although arguably in that case, they still should have been walking on something below floor level, but oh well.) Those energy fields were not present in the walls, so they could pass through walls without difficulty.

@Knixon said:

The easiest retcon for the floor stuff is that the ship uses artificial gravity, some kind of energy fields presumably coming up from the floor on each deck. So it was the energy field, not the material of the floor, that kept LaForge and Ro from passing through. (Although arguably in that case, they still should have been walking on something below floor level, but oh well.) Those energy fields were not present in the walls, so they could pass through walls without difficulty.

I had similar ideas to explain it away in my mind as well.