Object

Geordi La Forge's Performance Evaluation of Reginald Barclay

Formal engineering evaluation document (PADD) created by Geordi La Forge to detail Barclay's professional shortcomings, used as justification for transferring him off the *Enterprise*. Picard repurposes it in a ready room confrontation to expose crew biases and reframe it as a mentorship directive, setting up Barclay's later redemption.

3 appearances

Purpose

Evaluates subordinate performance to recommend personnel transfers

Significance

Picard transforms the report from a transfer justification into a mirror for crew biases, forcing Geordi to confront discomfort and commit to pulling Barclay into the team—setting up Barclay's later redemption amid ship-threatening crisis

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments

S3E21 · Hollow Pursuits

Picard’s Rebuke: The Weight of Leadership and the Burden of Barclay

Reginald Barclay's performance report is the linchpin of this event. Picard grips it metaphorically (via the computer screen) to dismantle Riker and Geordi's arguments, using its contents to force them to confront their biases. The report is not just data—it is a mirror reflecting the crew's collective hypocrisy. Its 'unsatisfactory' rating becomes a call to action, demanding mentorship over transfer.

Before: Displayed on the computer screen, serving as the initial justification for the transfer request.

After: Symbolically 'dismissed' as Picard shifts focus from Barclay's failures to the crew's responsibilities.

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S3E21 · Hollow Pursuits

Picard’s Rebuke: The Weight of Leadership and the Cost of Dismissal

Reginald Barclay's performance report is the formal basis for Riker and Geordi's request to transfer him off the Enterprise. Picard wields the report as a tool to dismantle their arguments, pointing out specific incidents of Barclay's awkwardness while exposing the crew's impatience and nicknames like 'Broccoli.' The report is not just a document; it is a mirror held up to the crew, reflecting their biases and forcing them to confront the humanity behind the ratings. Its role in the event is to serve as both evidence and a catalyst for Picard's moral intervention.

Before: Displayed on a PADD, serving as the formal justification for Barclay's transfer request.

After: Reframed by Picard to highlight Barclay's past service and potential, its significance shifts from a tool of dismissal to a prompt for mentorship.

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S3E21 · Hollow Pursuits

Picard Forces Geordi to Confront His Bias: A Leadership Reckoning

Reginald Barclay's performance report is the initial spark for the confrontation, displayed on Picard's computer screen. The report's 'unsatisfactory' rating is the starting point for Riker's skepticism and Geordi's admission of discomfort. However, Picard quickly dismantles its significance, using it not as evidence of Barclay's failure, but as a symptom of the crew's collective failure to integrate him. The report's contents—detailed in the scene as 'poor evaluation' and 'sharp glances'—become a catalyst for Picard's rebuke, forcing Geordi and Riker to confront their biases. Its role is functional (providing data) and thematic (symbolizing institutional judgment and the crew's complicity in Barclay's isolation).

Before: Displayed on Picard's computer screen, its contents visible and central to the initial discussion. The report's 'unsatisfactory' rating is the focal point of the crew's criticism of Barclay.

After: The report's significance is reframed by Picard, who uses it to launch his challenge to the crew. Its contents are no longer the basis for a transfer request but a call to action—evidence of the crew's responsibility to Barclay rather than their right to exclude him.

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