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This somewhat patchy drama never quite comes to life until late in the episode, when Patrick Stewart gets a chance to play Captain Picard as a man literally possessed. While escorting delegations from two feuding planets to a Federation outpost, the Enterprise passes through a mysterious cloud containing intelligent life in the form of pure energy. One such entity alternately enters the bodies of Worf (Michael Dorn), Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden), the ship's computers and, finally, Picard. The script by Dorothy Fontana, based on a story by Michael Halperin, burns up a lot of time treating the basic idea as a mystery, with Data (Brent Spiner) even going so far as to adopt the mannerisms and vernacular of Sherlock Holmes. (A dubious element, though Spiner does get some great comic mileage out of it.) Again, it's Stewart's ingenuity that makes one forget the story's problems, playing Picard in a way that seems off by a few, unsettling degrees. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (7)

An attempt to do too much in an hour
This episode suffers from attempting to do too much, and what it chooses to do is predictable. The mission of the Enterprise is to transport delegations from two different warring planets to a peace conference. One species is feline in nature, using live animals as food and obviously playing with that food for some time, as a cat does, before killing and eating it. The other species is reptilian, and each would much rather kill the other than make any attempt at peace.
The Enterprise crew is obviously disgusted with their behavior and it would have been possible to create an interesting story using this as a premise. Unfortunately, while the two species hunt each other while on the Enterprise, a truly preposterous notion, a different storyline is the main one.
On their way to the peace conference, the Enterprise alters course to investigate an energy cloud that is traveling at warp speed. As the Enterprise passes near the cloud, an energy being comes aboard, takes possession of several members of the crew and causes many systems to malfunction. The members of the crew all appear to be dunderheads, totally unable to understand what is happening. Finally, the alien takes possession of Captain Picard and embarks on a course of action where the outcome is obvious.
In no way is this one of the better episodes of TNG. It would have been a much more interesting story if the energy being had been left out and the emphasis placed on the crew's attempt to make peace between two deadly enemies, where both have applied for membership in the Federation. Despite all the time spent on the two different species, we learn nothing about what happens at the peace conference.

"Sorry, wrong species."
If there is any lesson to be learned from "Lonely Among Us," it is to steer clear of strange clouds in space that have the ability to travel at faster-than-light speeds. You never know when a discharge from the cloud will attempt to take over your body so caution is strongly advised.

The Enterprise-D beams aboard delegates from the Antican and Selay governments in order to transport them to Parliament for diplomatic negotiations. On their way to their destination, the ship encounters a cloud in space. An energy bolt from the cloud boards the Enterprise and quickly takes over the bodies of various crew members as it jumps from host to host.

The often-used "body possession" story premise produces lackluster results in "Lonely Among Us." The drama that the episode strives for is undermined by our knowledge that nothing serious is going to happen to Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) once he leaves the ship and the strange B-story involving the alien delegates which vacillates between horror and comedy. In fact the entire notion of the ship being attacked by a cloud can't help but come across as goofy. Record "Lonely Among Us" as another bump in the road in Star Trek: The Next Generation's early going.

I like this video.
This movie is great. I like this movie because I'm a Star Trek fan. I like all the things this episode gives. I like the action, characters, and the acting. I highly recommend this to future fans.

One Of The Best Season 1 Episodes!
Lonely Among Us is one of the best TNG sesaon 1 episodes. A strange energy cloud briefly takes over the minds of several crew members including Worf and Dr. Crusher before finally taking over Captain Picard's mind which has him acting very strangly indeed. A very good episode!!!!

The Mysterious Cloud
The Cloud Creature

This is one of the first of what I call the mysterious cloud....or writer's block episodes. This was done better with the original series episode "Obsession." It's Star Trek tradition when ideas run dry.....throw in the mystery cloud! However, as opposed to the ones done on Voyager; this one was exciting to watch.

Picard was possessed by this cloud and it takes control of the Enterprise. Blue lightning bolts are emitted from his body when he holds the bridge members hostage. With all this happening; the cannibal diplomats aboard the ship were trying to eat one another on their way to the planet, Parliament.

I wish the writer of this episode; D. C. Fontana, was asked to stay on staff. As a former member of the original series writers; she had a tremendous amount of experience to offer. I often wonder how different the show would be with her input.

For all intents and purposes this one is worth the price of the video. It doesn't suffer from lack of action/adventure elements. The story shows us how the crew pulls together when our favorite captain is incapacitated. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Very Good Wesley Crusher Episode!
I'm a big fan of Star Trek The Next Generation and Wesley Crusher is one of my favorite characters but I do admit that they did go a little overboard at times with the whole Wesley the boy genius thing but I still like the character anyway. The First Duty is one of my favorite Wesley Crusher episodes and I believe it was the second episode that guest-starred Wil Wheaton as Wesley after he left the show as a fullfledge member of he cast. In this episode Wesley messes up big time when he is part of a coverup involving the death of a fellow Starfleet Academy cadet and this episode shows that even Wesley the boy genius can make mistakes.

Wesley the rat
(continued...)

Man, I'm just havin' the time of my life at this here party! Good thing I decided to throw it, hmm? All right, time for me to open another present! Now I wonder which one I should... hey, howzabout this small rectangular one? It looks to be about the same size as a VHS tape. Which means it probably IS a VHS tape (hopefully, the giver kept the receipt so's I can exchange it for the DVD version). Okay, here we go...

*RIP* >Crinkle< *TEAR*

Hey, what the--?! The NextGen eppie 'The First Duty', featuring the daring exploits of "Wuss-ley" Crusher, my most hated Star Trek character?! What is this, some sorta sick joke?! Um, what's that? Oh, it's a "gag gift", you say? Well, it definitely succeeded in making me gag, that's for sure!

Hey, I remember this particular adventure- this one's where the Wuss-boy and his Starfleet Academy squadron buddies are investigated following a deadly accident. Apparently, Wes and his cohorts were performing a very dangerous and highly illegal maneuver that went awry, resulting in the death of a teammate. But they don't tell the investigating officers that; instead, they whip up a story about pilot error on the deceased's part (whilst making a perfectly legitimate maneuver, 'natch) being the cause of the tragedy. Conveniently, the Enterprise is making a stopover to Earth during the grilling, and Captain Picard decides to commence a little investigation of his own into the matter. Eventually the good captain uncovers the truth and confronts Wes with damning evidence of his duplicity in the affair, which forces the kid to rat out his fellow cadets like the weasly little fink I always knew he was (hmm... "Weasly Crusher"... has a pretty good ring to it, don'cha think? Not quite as good as "Wuss-ley", but it'll do in a pinch)! Actually, if I were confronted with concrete evidence of my involvement in a cover-up, I'd probably sing like a stool-pigeon and sell out my buddies to save my own worthless neck, too! Sheesh, I never thought I'd see the day when I'd actually admit to having Wussley-like tendencies, but there you go...

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go pop a few Prozacs to get over this sudden onset of depression...

(To be continued...)

Trouble at Starfleet Academy...
The First Duty

The Wesley Crusher Academy Episode

Wes got himself in trouble with his classmates in this one. A fellow classmate dies in a tragic accident. a A flying maneuver with some small ships at what was sopposed to be a test run for an impressive display at the graduating class. Well, to make a long story short; Wes is asked to cover up the fact that their squad leader made a huge miscalculation. Their ships few too close together causing the tragic death of the unseen classmate. It's a good little episode where Wes learns not to go along with questionable charismatic leaders. Incidentally, the actor who protrayed this leader went on to play Tom Paris in Voyager; Robert Duncan McNeil.

Wesley gets busted.... Again
Wesley Crusher has gotten busted again and this time, it might cost him his Starfleet Career.

He and the people is his squadron have had a shuttle accident and a cadet died as a result. The others barely managed to survive. The squad leader, played by Robert Duncan MacNeil, (Tom Paris) tries to cover up the cause of the accident.

The accident was actually caused by them performing a banned manuver called a diamond-slot formation. This manuver was considered too dangerous to be performed by inexperienced pilots.

The investigation by the Enterprise crew gets closer and closer to the truth and Wesley is faced with making one of the most difficult decisions.

This episode has a special appearance by Ray Walston (My Favorite Martian) as Boothby, the groundskeeper at Starfleet Academy.

This is one of the best 50 episodes for the Next Generation series.

Wesley Crusher messes up big time at Starfleet Academy
The Enterprise is returning to Earth so Captain Picard can give the commencement address at Starfleet Academy (wouldn't you like to hear that speech?). Part of the graduation ceremonies will be an exhibition by Nova Squadron, an elite flying team that is a 23rd century version of the Blue Angels and which includes Wesley Crusher. However, before the Enterprise arrives Picard is informed that there has been an accident involving Wesley's team: all five ships were destroyed and one of the cadets, Joshua Albert, was killed. In the official investigation into the accident it quickly becomes clear that the surviving cadets are not telling everything they know and when Data and La Forge find evidence that contradicts Wesley's version of events (good thing they brought the entire ship from defending the frontier to Earth instead of just sending Picard on a shuttle or something) it is time for Picard to sit that young man down and read him the riot act (i.e., to remind him of a cadet's "first duty").

"The First Duty" is one of the more memorable STNG episodes in terms of guest stars: Ray Walston makes his first appearance as Boothby, the legendary gardener at the Academy, and Robert Duncan McNeill plays Cadet Locarno, the leader of Nova Squadron, in what is retrospectively a dry run for his role as Tom Paris on Star Trek: Voyager. Locarno certainly comes across as the type of forceful young leader that would lead poor little Wesley astray; he is essentially a shade more reckless young Jim Kirk. For those fans of the series who were never enamored of the character of Wesley (you people know who you are) this must be a refreshing episode since certainly we have never seen the wunderkind mess up like this before. The entire episode presents Wesley as a sullen, moody, little wimp, which is pretty much how he ends up "leaving" the series for good. "The First Duty" foreshadows the changes in store for Wesley's character as the series gets ready to abandon the idea that he is going to grow up to be a great Starfleet captain. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas....
....without watching this episode of one of my favorite TV shows of all time, Northern Exposure. Christmas in Cicely, Alaska as experienced by the quirky, lovable characters of the town. This episode is filled to the brim with the spirit of the season, along with the not-so-spirit-filled attitudes that often go along with the season; in short - real-life! I've always been impressed with the way all the loose ends of the various plot lines are all resolved in the end - usually with only a musical score playing as we watch the characters go about the business of life. This episode is no different. I admit to getting choked up over Joel's gift to Maggie and Holland's gift to Shelly. Watch it and you'll see what I mean!

One of the Greatest TV shows ever!
"Northern Exposure" really is one of the best TV shows ever written. The show centers upon the real lives of an eclectic group of people living in a tiny Alaskan town. They all WANT to be there with the exception of Dr. Fleishman, a displaced New Yorker, who has alot to learn about life and living in Alaska. A must see for someone looking for more than just "fluff" and canned laughter. The location filming is an added plus to this wonderfully written and performed Emmy-award winning show. I lived in Alaska and the people who are there are truly special as this show most accurately captures.

A beautifully written episode, exquisitely performed!
This is probably my favorite episode of the entire wonderful "Northern Exposure" series. Everyone tries to deal with the holidays in their own ways...and to help their friends and loved ones through them. Maurice is surprised by a visit from the Korean son he didn't know he had; Maggie complains about having to go home for the holidays, but then is disappointed to learn that her parents don't want her to come; Joel seems even farther away from home than usual; Marilyn dances the ceremony of the raven; and to top it all off, Holling (John Cullum) sings the "Ave Maria" for a homesick Shelly. A beautiful episode that will linger in your heart!

VERY GOOD!
I loved this video is a video I have not seen before.. watched it and I just loved it.I am avid northern exposure fan... there not airing this on a&e so just bought it.. don't regret a penny of it

The best TV series holiday episode ever
As far as I am concerned, this "Northern Exposure" episode embodies the true holiday spirit, whatever one's religious or spiritual beliefs might be. The characters demonstrate how they truly care for each other and respect each other's traditions and beliefs. After I watch "Seoul Mates," I wipe away a tear and wish that real life could more often reflect this ideal. ... Read more

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Ladies and gentemen, meet Sherlock Holmes's older brother, Mycroft. Oneof the most delightful surprises in the Holmes canon of stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle, the introduction of Mycroft is wonderfully realized in this Granada Television adaptation. Charles Gray stars as the larger-than-life yet shadowy Holmes sibling who rarely leaves his beloved Diogenes Club and, in effect, runs the British government with his long memory for policies and details. The case he brings to Sherlock (Jeremy Brett) and Dr. Watson (David Burke) is unnerving in its suggestion of real brutality: a professional interpreter of Mycroft's acquaintance was kidnapped and threatened with harm the night before if he did not agree to translate for another hostage, a Greek man under obvious duress and probable torture. The subsequent investigation runs afoul of some truly nasty people who will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. But before that happens, we're treated to the memorable moment when Sherlock and Mycroft essentially compete in their analysis of an old soldier seen from a window. Great stuff. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Crime story, not detective story
Conan Doyle has let us down. There's little deduction in this story. Strangely, it's a tale of crime, not subtle at all. However, the dramatization, acting, and ambiance are as usual outstanding.

Another masterpiece from Granada
Well, what can I say, besides typical English quality throughout, as usual! This episode, once again with the genius Jeremy Brett as Holmes (after him it must be an impossible task to play the role as Conan Doyle's detective for any actor), also introduces Sherlock Holmes brother Mycroft and has a thrilling story about a Greek man held prisoner and tortured in a house by a couple of sinister blokes who tries to persuade him to sign a paper. An innocent greek interpreter falls into danger as he gets involved against his will, and his situation becomes especially dangerous as he decides to reveal everything to Sherlock Holmes. The story, the acting, the directing and the Victorian atmosphere -- everything is splendidly made, and quite close to Conan Doyle's novel. The high tempo ending scene on a train is unforgettable.

Besides the title characters I will especially say hats off to George Costigan for his brilliant performance as the laughing villain, a man who comes close to the devil himself -- and plays him (with glasses and a splendid austrian accent) in a way that makes a chill run down your spine, as well as delivering somewhat of a comical satire on Peter Lorre. One of the best psycopaths I've ever seen on film! Don't miss it.

In addition I can only say: see all of Granada's Sherlock Holmes series! You won't be dissapointed.

A Wonderful Episode
This was the first episode I watched of the Granada series but it definitely was not the last. It is largely faithful to Arthur Conan Doyle's short story. The main difference is that the ending was changed but I personally feel that it made the story better. While I found Doyle's ending to be quite intriguing on paper, I think that the non-canonical ending works better on screen. And I can not compliment Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Holmes enough. He was wonderful. He was marvelous. He was incredible. I most definitely concur with those who consider his performance to be definitive. David Burke was also great as Watson. He portrayed the doctor exactly as the character should be portrayed. The other actors in this episode are great as well. I would highly recommend it.

One exciting ending!
One of my favorite Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes. The Greek Interpertator has one of the first appearances by Mycroft. The ending is neat, where Holmes, Mycroft, and Watson are on a train following the criminals. Enjoy!

Outstanding and creepy
One aspect of this series that I have always enjoyed is the sly humor that the writers, directors, composer, and actors brought to their respective roles. There are marvellous things in this episode; George Costigan's spot-on Peter Lorre impersonation is great black humor already, but watch how even a small touch from the little man sends people twice his size hurtling through a doorway! He's a fitting match for the triumvirate of Holmes, Holmes, and Watson. Charles Grey and Jeremy Brett obviously are having a lot of fun playing the two brilliant brothers, and David Burke is appropriately puzzled and intrigued by the bizarre Diogenes Club. He also actually functions as a doctor in this episode, though he seems to prescribe 'brandy' as his medication of choice. Still, everyone is marvellously convincing. The addition of the train chase at the end is a distinct improvement on the original story and completely in character--my favorite bit is when Holmes gives Watson complete analyses of each person in each railway compartment as they search for the killer. My one complaint is that we never learn what became of the deed that the poor Greek prisoner had to sign--it must have been pretty important! But that's a small complaint. For good, stylish, noirish fun, this is one of the best episodes of this fine series. ... Read more

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When Troi rises sleepily and clicks on the cabin lights, she's as surprised as the viewer to learn she's on a Romulan warbird, and has been dressed and surgically altered to match. Her confusion is quickly dispelled by the ship's subcommander N'Vek, who explains that, in the interests of a mission too delicate to risk, it was regrettably essential that a Starfleet officer be kidnapped and thus masqueraded. So far as everyone else on the ship is concerned, including N'Vek's superior officer Commander Toreth, Troi is now a major in the highly feared Tal Shiar, the Romulan intelligence division, and has secured the warbird to transport a secret cargo. At the same time, the Enterprise has been charged with transporting a unique prisoner, Ensign DeSeve, a defector to Romulus who has returned to the Federation after 20 years.Once on board, DeSeve demands to speak with Picard, to whom he relays a message from Spock: a set of coordinates and a request to go there to pick up a delivery.

It was a sly move of the writers to place an espionage mission requiring stealth, imperiousness, and a ruthless willingness to succeed at any cost on the warm-and-fuzzy shoulders of Troi, and much of the show's pleasure comes from seeing how readily she (and Marina Sirtis) rises to the challenge. There's only one brief burst of the counselor's whiny emotionalism; once Troi has realized what's at stake, she barks out her commands with glorious disdain, and her icy parries with Carolyn Seymour's proud, honorable Toreth are easily the show's highlights. After sustaining a good deal of tension throughout the episode, the ending comes off as a bit anticlimactic. But then, you wouldn't really expect the counselor to ever blast her way out of trouble, would you? --Bruce Reid ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Different perspectives
This is a good episode for two reasons. Since much of it is set on a Romulan warbird, we get to see things from the Romulan perspective for a change. Personalising the enemy is a ploy that is handled very well in "Face of the Enemy".
The other reason this episode works so well is the change in Troi's role. Personally, I find the character not very interesting (admittedly, that's mainly the fault of the writers) and Marina Sirtis' acting range rather limited. But Troi/Sirtis does a good job here, playing up to her role as a member of the much-feared Tal Shiar for all she's worth. Watching her terrify those around her as a means of concealing her own fear is good TV - and it's even better TV when her Romulan captor/helper is forced to realise he's created a monster.
I don't buy the concept that more secret missions like that Troi is engaged in can proceed as a result of her efforts. But that's not so important. "Face of the Enemy" is an enjoyable, though-provoking episode, in which you see one of the usual suspects acting wildly out of character - and doing it surprisingly well.

Counselor Troi wakes up as a Romulan Intelligence Officer
In one of the best teasers to open up a STNG episode, Counselor Troi wakes up on a Romulan Warbird and discovers not only has she been kidnapped, she has also been surgically altered to look like a Romulan. N'Vek, the vessel's sub-commander, explains that she must pretend to be Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar. The vessel is transporting three boxes of cargo that contain a high-ranking government official and his aides, who want to defect. N'Vek and the others are all part of the underground movement Spock was working with in "Unification" (Episodes 107 & 108). When the Warbird rendezvous with a freighter in the Kaleb section, Troi and the cargo will transport over and return to the Federation. In the meantime, Troi will have to put up with the suspicions of the Warbird's Captain (Carolyn Seymour), who is no fan of the Romulan secret police.

Choosing to kidnap Troi for this mission is certainly an interesting choice, to say the least, since the Counselor is usually the last person entrusted with anything this important. Of course, because she is telepathic this allows Troi to know that the captain of the freighter has no intention of delivering the cargo to the Federation, which adds a good plot twist. Because Troi (Marina Sirtis) is working against type, not to mention the fact that she does not have to deal with Lwaxana in this episode, this is an above average episode featuring the character. Certainly the best scenes are when Troi is facing down the Romulan Captain. "Face of the Enemy" is actually one of Troi's finest escapades and I appreciate the fact that after it the show did try to take the character a little more seriously. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that when Edward Jelico was captain of the Enterprise he ordered Troi to start wearing a standard Starfleet uniform instead of those touchy-feeling dresses.

Counselor Troi & the Romulans: The Best of Both
I've never been fond of Picard's "left hand", Counselor Deanna Troi, nor am I a big fan of the Romulans. While the former is played by a barely adequate actress who's trying to play a cardboard character, the latter has a ton of potential but it is potential not yet realized. This fine episode succeeds because it finally makes both Troi and the Romulans interesting.

Troi is kidnapped in a complex plot by jaded Romulans who, with the aid of the Federation, are trying to help a few prominent Romulan politicians defect to the Federation. This would be a huge political victory for the Federation and a big blow to the Romulan Empire. Troi is forced to play the role of a Romulan intelligence officer on a Romulan warship. The story is intense as Troi clashes with the commander of the Romulan ship and she (Troi) is almost exposed as a fraud on several occasions (seems she was kidnapped for her empathic abilities and not her knowledge of Romulans--which is almost nil).

Marina Sirtis, who plays Deanna Troi, comes across as a very capable actress here and I come to the conclusion that she would have been better served by the creators and writers of TNG if they had fleshed out Troi more. Troi's inabilities are not the fault of Sirtis, at least so it seems here.

This is a strong episode and, at the time, was both my favorite Troi episode AND my favorite Romulan episode. Pretty cool, eh?

Creating a world and a culture in 50 minutes
As always, plots involving Romulans seem to turn on points of honor as well as action and treachery: FACE OF THE ENEMY has all of them.

A human defects -back- from the Romulan Star Empire at the behest of Ambassador Spock, with word that Vice Proconsul M'ret wishes to defect. A victory? Perhaps: but Counselor Deanna Troy has been kidnapped by Spock's Romulan insurgency and modified to resemble a Tal Shiar operative (murdered for the occasion) and placed on board the KHAZARA, commanded by Toreth, another Romulan commander with a grudge against the people who killed her father for treason.

In a twisty plot during which Troi's Betazoid empathy makes her put on an imitation of an unscrupulous Romulan that is too good to be comfortable, Spock takes another step toward Unification via "cowboy diplomacy" and STAR TREK creates the inside of a Romulan warbird and its crew's customs.

Superbly economical worldbuilding. And, incidentally, superb research material if you happen to be writing a book on Romulans. ... Read more

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Having already gone down the "evil twin" route (with Data and Lore) but still wishing to explore ideas of doubles and doubling, the writers of "Second Chances" involve Riker in a plot that would later be exploded into the Gwyneth Paltrow indie film Sliding Doors. Once upon a time, young Lieutenant Will Riker was the last crew member beamed off of a planet as its distortion field intensified. Eight years later he returns to the same planet as Commander Will Riker and learns that he both did and he didn't make it off the planet. The distortion field caused him to split into two, one of whom made it and one who didn't get away. Like bickering brothers, once the two Rikers meet, they don't get along. One thing that helped Lieutenant Riker get through his eight years as a castaway was thoughts of his main squeeze at the time, counselor Deanna Troi. When Lieutenant Riker finds out Commander Riker chose career over romance, he sees it as a chance to make things right. Then again, maybe it's just in his nature to choose career first. Jonathan Frakes hams it up in his dual role, while the true second chance belongs to Troi, who quickly falls back into a relationship with the Riker who didn't leave her on purpose. She's the true heart of the story, even though the twin Rikers get all the screen time. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A 'Cast Away' in the Star Trek Universe
Each Star Trek series has had shows that dealt with transporter malfunctions that boggle our minds and sometimes challenge our ethics. ST: TNG's "Second Chances" is one of the superior efforts by the Trek writers to do something significant with a potentially hoary old storyline. The Enterprise and crew travel to a planet where Will Riker had been serving until eight years earlier. Riker recounts to some of the officers how he barely escaped the planet before its natural distortion field interrupted the transporter beaming him up. There is a brief door opening in the distortion field allowing for some of the crew to beam down and recover important scientific equipment and data that had to be left behind eight years ago. Upon arrival Will Riker comes face to face with the biggest conundrum of his career - an identical twin! The two Rikers initially are convinced that each other is a fraud. Further complicating matters is the obvious difference between the two. Commander Will Riker is career oriented, diplomatic, staunch; Lieutenant Will Riker is brash, risk taking, driven. They naturally collide over issues surrounding the recovery of equipment and data at the base which brings things to a head, but that isn't the real story here.......

When Deanna Troi first meets Lt. Riker he sweeps her up into his arms, kisses her passionately and tells her how he survived his eight years of isolation thinking of her and knowing that one day they'd be together again. But he finds to his regret that he is lovelorn; the Will Riker that made it out decided to concentrate on his career and ended his relationship with Troi several years earlier. Later on Beverly Crusher convinces Troi that she should explore the possibility of having an intimate relationship with Lt. Riker if thats what she had wanted at the time when she and Cdr. Riker broke up. I don't want to say any more about the episode as most of it has been recounted here in other reviews. I do want to emphasize that though the episode features identical Rikers it is really about Troi and to a greater extent how such seemingly insignificant things as the passage of time, environment, inspiration and choices change us significantly, compromising decisions we have yet to make about our lives. This is an excellent, superior and affecting episode of the entire Star Trek television series.

Regrettably the Star Trek Universe did not have room enough for two Will Rikers as the Lt. Riker - now known as Tom Riker - met an unfortunate demise in an episode of Deep Space Nine. A pity too as it would have been interesting to see the two Rikers but heads from time to time, not to mention the two of them getting together with their father.

Riker and Troi receive an amazing blast from the past
If the previous episode where the great Kahless returned to life did not prove that anything was possible in the Star Trek universe, then certainly "Second Chances" puts the series over the top. The Enterprise visits Nervala Four, a planet that can only be visited every eight years because of a severe distortion field. The last time Starfleet visited the planet, a young Lieutenant Riker barely got away in time--or did he? Riker leads an Away Team to retrieve the valuable scientific data that was left behind during the previous hurried evacuation. But not only do they find the data, they find--Lieutenant William Riker. Apparently when Riker beamed off the surface eight years earlier the beam was reflected, creating to identical Rikers. The point of all this scientific mumbo-jumbo quickly becomes clear: "Lieutenant" Riker is still in love with Deanna Troi. Not only is she confronted with a man who has always loved her deeply, "Commander" Riker is forced to justify his life and the decision to put his career in Starfleet over his romance with Deanna.

For several seasons the creators of STNG regretted that brief moment in the pilot episode when Troi telepathically called Riker "Imzadi." The idea of the former romantic relationship between the two was pretty much abandoned, but then Peter David wrote the best selling "Imzadi" (my hardcover copy is autographed by Marina Sirtas) and the past history of Riker and Troi started to work its way back into the series. Granted the set up for this episode is one of the great contrivances of all time, but it does provoke some serious reflection on the part of the characters. My biggest complaint is that the "other" Riker is pretty much jettisoned after this episode, although he does pop up a couple of more times. But having brought up these weighty issues, the series essentially abandons them. It would have been more interesting to have this be a recurring sub-plot for a while. Oh well.

Second Chances and Roads Not Taken
Transporter accidents seem to be one of the biggest threats in the Star Trek universe. Why, oh why does anyone even use those things? It seems there is at least one transporter mishap per season of not just The Next Generation but Classic Trek, DS9 and Voyager as well. But if the story warrants it and the writers know what they're doing, the transporter accident can be used as a wonderful story device.

In the sixth season episode "Second Chances", we find out that a transporter malfunction split First Officer Riker into two seperate beings some half-dozen or so years ago. This second Riker is as much a "true" Riker as the one we've seen walking around the Enterprise for the last six seasons. He's not a duplicate but he's the same Riker who, because of the accident, has lived a very different life over the past several years marooned on a planet, a planet that has an atmosphere that will not allow communications or shuttles or transporters in or out except once every several years or so. This atmosphere is what caused the accident when part of the transporter beam "bounced" off the atmosphere and sent one Riker to a ship and the other to the planet, trapped for over six years.

I've hoped I've explained the situation good enough. Anyway, the Rikers meet face to face when a "window" opens and the Enterprise discovers the other Riker. This is a fascinating episode. When the marooned Riker finds out the Enterprise Riker has lost his ambition and has turned down command after command, it makes for good drama. The marooned Riker still is ambitious and wants to get his own command as soon as possible. And he wants to romance Troi again as well (the Enterprise Riker broke off their romance AFTER the accident) because HE was still romantically involved with her before the malfunction.

Cool episode and a good look at Riker: Who he is now, who he was and who he could have been. The creators of this episode were fairly bold in leaving both Rikers alive (even though the marooned Riker joins another starship at the end). But, according to insiders, this episode could have been a lot better.

The writers of this episode originally wanted to kill off the Enterprise Riker and replace him as first officer with Data. In turn, they wanted the ambitious and young-acting second Riker to become the flight control/helm officer on the Enterprise. These writers wanted to shake things up and alter the status quo. But the producers, acting cowardly, killed the idea. Too bad! It would've been great to see an ambitious and cocky LIEUTENANT Riker flying the ship every episode! Instead, we get the same ol' stuffy COMMANDER Riker. Oh, well. This was a great episode, anyway. And one of three TNG episodes that make-up, what I consider, the "essential guide to William Riker collection" (the other two are "A Matter of Honor" and "The Pegasus").

"Second Chances" is one of my favorite episodes--of any Trek series.

The Road Not Taken
In "Second Chances," the consequences of a long-ago accident resurface to give Commander Riker a glimpse of the road not taken, in his life. In the process, we get a more thoughtful look at one of Star Trek's most basic premises.

A few key science fiction concepts have always been Star Trek staples: phaser weapons, warp drive, transporters. However, surprisingly few Trek stories have dealt directly with the issue of how such technologies might "warp" basic facts of human life. "Second Chances" really does so, imagining the unsettling results of a transporter malfunction. As anyone who's ever watched the show knows, "transporters" enable matter to be instantaneously "de-materialized" at one location & "re-materialized" at another--literally recording the (molecular?) "pattern" of an object & faithfully reproducing it at second site. As difficult & dangerous as this sounds, the Trek universe presupposes that ordinary people routinely (& safely!) travel this way, 300-400 years from now.

Earlier stories have dealt with some obvious risks of this technology: for example, travellers killed as their "patterns" were lost or scrambled in transit. They have also dealt with improbable outcomes: a man split into "good" & "evil" twins, for example. Here, something more intriguing happens:

Years before the episode, a malfunctioning transporter had re-materialized Will Riker *both* at his intended destination & at his point of departure, in effect creating 2 absolutely identical men out of 1 original. One is left stranded & alone in an abandoned base on a remote planet. The other has a brilliant career, leading to his assignment to the Enterprise. Originally the same man, they have lived lives as different as Robinson Crusoe & Horatio Hornblower. Despite these different experiences, neither can be said to be the "true," "original," or "real" Will Riker. So that when the castaway Will Riker is rescued, both men must come to grips with the their different lives--as well as their feelings for the same woman: Riker's longtime love & best friend, Deanna Troi.

The story of the "castaway" Riker later resumes in the pivotal DS9 episode, "The Defiant," in which TNG & DS9 storylines involving the Maquis, the Cardassians, & the Dominion also come to an important crossroads. ... Read more

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Nicknamed "Die Hard on a Starship" by Trek fans, this action-packed episode features Picard in a one-man battle with terrorists who invade the evacuated Enterprise. Stranded on the ship during a baryon sweep (a space-age decontamination procedure with a deadly beam that combs through the entire ship), Picard plays a ruthless game of cat-and-mouse against a well-stocked platoon, armed with little more than a crossbow and his wits. Data provides comic relief in the hilarious opening scenes as he learns small talk tips from a smarmy and garrulous commander (Glenn Morshower). The two excitedly trade trivialities through a cocktail party ("I had no idea anyone could talk about nothing for so long," exclaims an exasperated Riker), but the comedy soon gives way to one of the most ferocious adventures of the series: Picard takes no prisoners. Future Star Trek: Voyager costar Tim Russ (Tuvok) and Babylon 5 regular Patricia Tallman (also a busy Star Trek: TNG stuntwoman) are among the gunmen. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Captain Picard = Bruce Willis
The episode's nickname "Die Hard on a Starship" is the perfect way to describe it, a highly un-Trek-like violent adventure. While the ship is undergoing a routine baryon sweep to cleanse it of the excess particles, the senior staff is attending Commander Hutchinson's reception, an affair to be noted for its extremely boring nature. Captain Picard soon escapes to retrieve his saddle on the ship so that he can do a bit of horse back riding only to discover a plot to steal the volatile trilithium resin from the ship's engine, a byproduct whose only use is for weapons.

As Picard attempts to stop them on the ship, the rest of the senior staff is taken hostage by the terrorists' helpers on the planet. Using Geordi's visor, they hope to knock their captors out and regain control.

This episode is a refreshingly different 45 minutes from the usual plots and allows the actors to stretch a little bit. Picard has some of the best sequences here, next to "Best of Both Worlds" and "Chain of Command", and Data gets off some really funny lines by imitating the boring Commander Hutchinson at the reception. Watch for Tim Russ of Voyager's appearance, and try to count the nostrils on one of the male terrorists (I got up to about twelve). A great episode and well worth paying for.

Die Hard in Space
This one could have been called Die Hard in Space. It's about a terrorist group on the Enterprise while the entire crew are stuck on a space station ...waiting for the "barion sweep" to get rid of some radioactive particles on the big E. Well as Picard returns to the ship to get his saddle he bumps into the terrorists. This is a real action intense episode that actually expands on the character of Picard. If you think he's a wimpy starfleet captain your in for a surprise here.

Good thing Jean-Luc Picard wanted his own saddle...
The Enterprise is docked at the Remlar Array where the ship will be cleansed of barion particles that have accumulated because of five years of warping around space. But since the beam used to remove the particles kills living beings, the entire crew has to be off the ship. To get out of dealing with bureaucrats on the planet below, Picard goes back aboard to fetch his saddle: he intends to go horseback riding. The Captain spots an open junction box and when he inspects it a worker threatens him with a laser welder. Picard knocks the man out and quickly discovers that he cannot get off the ship and that the workers onboard are going to steal trilithium resin, the highly toxic but apparently valuable waste product produced by the warp drive. Only Jean-Luc Picard can stop them from their evil plans.

I am really jealous because Joe White's review of this episode as "Die Hard: The Next Generation" nails this one on the head. I cannot improve on that title because it captures this episode perfectly. We might be surprised of how Picard is able to lay traps and sabotage the theft attempt, but then he was picked to lead a commando raid in the two-parter "Chain of Command." Of course, it is fun to see the Captain getting down and dirty to save the day and while this is certainly not a great episode, it is great fun from start to finish.

Captain Picard in Die Hard: The Next Generation
Sometimes Star Trek: The Next Generation gets bogged down by pretentious moral studies or pompous political agendizing in it's storytelling. Once in a while, though, TNG steps back from it's oft-times arrogant posturing and gives us a solid action-adventure yarn.

"Starship Mine" is such an episode and it succeeds because it is simply this: Picard is trapped alone on the Enterprise with ruthless thieves who are trying to steal "trilithium resin", a lethal substance given off by the Enterprise's engines that can be used to make terrorist weapons of mass destruction.

This episode greatly resembles the first Die Hard movie in it's plot and Captian Picard is Bruce Willis here. Picard foils the plans of the thieves and saves the day through cleverness and a few fist-fights.

Fun episode and a welcome change of pace for this excellent series that need not have an important moral tale to tell every single episode. It's okay to step back and present the viewer with a rousing adventure such as "Starship Mine".

Non stop action
Picard must save the ship from thieves and he is the only one on the ship because the starbase is performing a maintenance sweep on the ship. A lot of non-stop action, one of Picard's best next to Chain of Command and Best of Both Worlds. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Wesley has a mad attitude.
While Picard is forced to relocate a group of North American Indians from a planet they have settled, one of the colonists causes Wesley to re-examine his future.

Admiral Nechayev informs Picard that a settlement between the Cardassians and the Federation has created new borders between the two powers, placing some Federation colonies in what is now Cardassian territory. Picard is given the assignment of evacuating one of those planets, a 20-year-old enclave of North American Indians located on Dorvan Five. He reminds her that the American Indians were once unjustly forced off their land seven centuries before, but Nechayev stands firm, ordering Picard to remove the settlers by any means necessary.

Picard and Troi meet with the members of Dorvan Five's tribal council, who express their unwillingness to leave. Meanwhile, Wesley Crusher, who is taking a break from Starfleet Academy, confuses everyone with his strangely mad attitude. A villager named Lakanta, recognizes Wesley, and approaches him saying that he has been waiting for him for two years, and can help Wesley find the answers his troubled spirit seeks.

Wesley goes to the Indian village, but is confused when no clear path presents itself. He talks with Lakanta about his puzzlement. Meanwhile, Picard meets again with the council, and is informed that the group has no intention of leaving. Picard sadly says that he has no choice but to remove them, but one of the leaders, Anthwara, says he does not believe Picard will do this, and reveals that one of Picard's ancestors was involved in a brutal massacre of Indians seven hundred years before. Anthwara states that Picard was somehow chosen to right this wrong. Surprised by this revelation, Picard leaves the meeting, then discovers that three Cardassians have landed on Dorvan Five.

Picard asks the trio's leader, Gul Evek, to leave, reminding him that the Indians have six weeks left to evacuate. Evek, however, is anxious to begin surveying the planet and refuses. Picard reluctantly orders Worf to prepare an evacuation. Meanwhile, Lakanta takes Wesley to the Habak â€" a traditional ceremonial chamber where he begins his spiritual odyssey. Soon, he finds himself face-to-face with his father, who says Wesley has reached the end of a journey which started after the elder Crusher's death, and must now find his own path. His experience over, Wesley wanders back into the village and finds Worf preparing to remove the Indians by transporter. Deeply affected, Wesley suddenly takes the side of the North American Indians.

Furious, Picard confronts Wesley about his behavior, but Wesley, simply resigns from Starfleet. While packing to leave, he tells Beverly about his vision, realizing his father was telling him not to follow in his Starfleet footsteps. Beverly understands and reminds him about the Traveler, a mysterious alien being that once said her son was destined for something different. Wesley returns to the standoff on Dorvan Five, where Lakanta reveals himself to be the Traveler. With the Traveler, Wesley has begun a new journey, which will take him to other planes of existence. Meanwhile, Picard is able to convince Evek to avoid another war with the Federation by allowing the Indians to maintain their colony under Cardassian jurisdiction. The U.S.S. Enterprise then departs, leaving behind Wesley, who will study with the Indians as the next step in his journey.

Oh no, not ANOTHER Wuss-ley episode?!
Sheesh... I guess it wasn't bad enough that Wussley- whoops, Wesley Crusher brought the NextGen show down a bit when he was a regular, now we discover he's gifted with the ability to shift himself to other dimensions! The Traveler, a being who's alluded to Wesley's burgeoning abilities in two previous eppies, returns here to help him along his path to discovering new realities without requiring a vehicle (as well as making a lotta NextGen trekkies hate his guts). Too bad he didn't show the kid how to shift himself to sci-fi limbo and strand him there forever! But, at least Wes resigned his commission as a cadet, so there is a bit of an upside to this whole sad affair (thus two stars instead of one)...

'Late

more than just wes
to me this episode is so good because it shows the plight of the american indians continuing on into the futrue. transplanted so many times they now end up on another planet ! this episode awakens your conscience and makes you remember how bad the human race can really be.

The final twist of fate in the life of Wesley Crusher
Wesley Crusher is on board the Enterprise during a break from Starfleet Academy as the ship heads for Dorvan Five. This particular planet is going to be turned over to the Cardassians as part of the negotiated peace treaty. The Enterprise has been ordered to remove the Federation colonists. However, these colonists are descended from North American Indians and not only do they not want to leave their new home, they believe that Picard is under some sort of obligation to help them because one of his ancestors crushed a revolt by their ancestors in the 17th Century. Meanwhile, Wesley, who is walking around in a really bad mood, makes friends with an colonist who insists a vision revealed Wesley would visit Dorvan Five. In the vision room Wesley experiences a visitation from his father, Jack, who tells the boy he has been following a path that was not his own and the time has come for him to begin his own journey.

From the first episode of STNG, it was obvious Wesley Crusher would grow up to be a great Starfleet Captain. "Journey's End" destroys that future Wesley and replaces it with...well, we are not exactly sure what, but it seems to be one of those next steps in human evolution type deals. For most of this episode Wesley is the complete bratty kid many viewers accused him of being early on in the series. What redeems the episode somewhat for me is the appearance of the Traveler (previously seen in "Where No One Has Gone Before," Episode 6 and "Remember Me," Episode 79), although the idea of Wesley being rewarded for his petulant behavior is not exactly a happy thought. The problems with the colonists on Dorvan Five also seems a bit contrived as a personal crisis for Wesley, Picard or anybody else for that matter. What is missing is what happened to Wesley in between this episode and his previous appearance to make him want to abandon his boyhood dreams. Good thing his father set him straight. In retrospect it is interesting that apparently no one in the Star Trek universe has seen neither hide nor hair of Wesley after he and the Traveler went their merry way. Certainly no one expected this would be the final fate of Wesley Crusher, so in that regard you have to give "Journey's End" some bonus points.

Wesley Reunites with The Traveler
In this episode, Wesley Crusher resigns from the academy. He seems troubled and curt with everyone...not the humble and likeable Wesley we've come to know. However, while Picard struggles to obey his conscience and avoid a forced relocation of a small group of planet dwellers to satisfy the treaty with the Cardassians, Wesley finds 'the path' that he's been heading toward all his life.

I like this episode very much. ... Read more

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In the conclusion of the story begun in episode 142, Worf finds himself a prisoner in a secret hidden society on a tiny planet. According to the village elder, a former Romulan military commander, "We've put aside the old hatreds. Here Romulans and Klingons live in peace. I won't let you destroy what we've made." Worf, himself something of a Klingon orphan raised by humans, becomes the younger generation's tie to their roots and culture, teaching them Klingon history, mythology, and rites of passage that have been kept from them. At his best, Worf is a 24th-century incarnation of Beauty and the Beast's ferocious hero by way of a Spartan soldier, but this warrior's code of honor and loyalty are tempered with what can only be described as humanism. It's rarely been explored as smartly as in this episode. In the face of interspecies harmony, Worf must confront his own reflexive, one might say instinctive, racism, and he emerges as a true philosopher warrior. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (2)

disappointing second-parter
Following the superbly-scripted first part of "Birthright", the second part is a tremendous let-down. Pursuing rumors of his father's possible whereabouts, Worf discovers a Romulan prison camp for Klingon survivors of the Khitomer Massacre. Although Mogh died honorably in battle, his comrades opted to live in dishonor as POWs, and have even conceived offspring during their years of captivity. These Klingon youngsters have been raised with their Romulan guards, and know nothing of their warrior birthright. Enter Worf, whose undying hatred toward Romulans cannot tolerate this peaceful coexistence with an enemy race. As he begins to foment bigotry in the youngsters, and surreptitiously teach them their heritage, he falls in love with a hybrid girl. Now the benevelent Romulan commandant has a dilemma: the disgraced Klingon POWs will never be accepted on either homeworld, Worf can not be permitted to leave and reveal their existence, yet he cannot stay and destroy the harmony of the camp. Reluctantly, the Romulan orders Worf's execution. This episode appears hastily-written, poorly-developed. Worf's "romance" with Ba'el in particular, seems superfluous. Why would he fall in love with the irritating, simpering, whiny child in the first place; and how could such a legendary bigot so quickly overcome his revulsion of her interspecies conception? The writers missed several opportunities to develop this relationship. Perhaps if Worf had taken Ba'el on the hunt instead of the boy Tok, taught her of her Klingon birthright, then his growing feelings for her might have seemed more realistic. If Ba'el had been the first to stand in Worf's defense, instead of the last, their romance might have had more purpose in the episode. As it is, the only explanation for her inclusion was to provide a titillating scene of Worf spying on her bathing. And although Worf succeeds in "liberating" the Klingon youths, including Ba'el, from their captivity, his "love" for the hybrid maiden ends with this episode. As a Klingon fan, I was eagerly awaiting this sequel to the excellent first half of "Birthright", but the episode failed to deliver. Worf, raised by Humans, a discommended exile of the Klingon Empire, the sole member of his species in Starfleet, continues to vacilate in character development. How is it that he rejects his heritage, and yet is its staunch advocate? And how can he be qualified to teach it to others?

Worf teaches the true Klingon way to some ignorant youths
The two-parts of "Birthright" deal with Data and Worf dealing with the legacies of their fathers. Data discovers Dr. Soong had installed circuits in his positronic brain that give the android the ability to dream, which he explores throughout the episode. Meanwhile, Worf has gone to a Romulan prison camp to see if it is true his father did not die at Khitomer but was captured instead. However, Worf discovers not only that his father was indeed killed at Khitomer but also that the Klingons there do not want to leaves. Knowing their families would consider them dishonored, they agreed to remain at the camp. More surprisingly, the Romulans decided to stop being guards, with the commander even taking a Klingon wife. To keep this secret, Worf can never be allowed to leave. But when the young men are sent to guard Worf, he begins to teach them the true Klingon ways of which they are all ignorant.

The Worf plot line dominates the second part of "Birthright," and once again we get Worf, the only Klingon in Starfleet, extolling the virtues of the true Klingon way to a group that consists of two warring species living peacefully together. What is wrong with this picture? Of course, Worf gets their Klingon blood boiling and chastises their parents for having forgotten the very system that dictates they should have killed themselves rather than ever being taken prisoner. Maybe I am the only one who sees the irony here, but you would think at some point Worf would have SOME small regard for multi-culturalism. Michael Dorn does get into teaching those good old Klingon ways and for once he has a willing audience, but this still ends up being an average STNG episode. ... Read more

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A subspace relay system located near the Klingon border is found to be deserted save for a friendly, tail-thumping dog. The two crew members are gone, the shuttlecraft is absent, and signs that a murder occurred stand in their place. Searching for clues, Geordi reviews the taped personal logs of Lieutenant Aquiel Uhnari, the junior officer at the relay, which have much to say about the high-handed arrogance of her supervisor, Lieutenant Rocha, and the continual provocations of Morag, a Klingon starship commander who patrols the sector. The lead looks promising, and while Picard engages in the delicate negotiations necessary to allow a Starfleet investigation to question a Klingon officer, Geordi continues viewing Uhnari's reports and letters home, eventually (wait for it!) becoming enamored of a woman who exists only on a prerecorded video. Until, that is, an indignant Klingon governor hands over Lieutenant Uhnari to the Enterprise. Now she's the prime suspect. Riker in particular is gunning for her, apparently because Rocha's records reveal him to be or, increasingly likely, to have been a fine young hotshot officer. Geordi, however, is not convinced; when he voices his doubts, Riker accuses him of perhaps lacking a certain objectivity regarding the situation. An episode that starts off swimmingly--the mystery is initially fairly intriguing, and Uhnari's communiqu&eacute;s offer a window into a boring, lonely Federation job almost unique in the series--rather quickly flounders on the shoals of bad acting, ludicrous character motivation (did Geordi learn nothing from his virtual and real encounters with Leah Brahms?), and a rather underwhelming climax that is possible only because each and every person on the ship overlooks something that's glaringly obvious to anyone watching at home. --Bruce Reid ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Where or where has the coalescent being gone?
The Enterprise arrives at a communication relay station near the Klingon border, but receives no replies to its hails. An Away Team discovers the station deserted and a shuttlecraft missing. All they find are traces of blood from one of the two station officers, Lieutenant Aquiel Unari, and her dog, along with some unidentifiable charred remains that Dr. Crusher takes back to the Enterprise. When Picard contacts the Klingon governor, he arrives with Aquiel, who was found in the missing shuttle on the Klingon's side of the border. Aquiel insists the other station officer attacked her and while she knows she escaped she does not remember anything else that happened. Then, just to make things really interesting, Crusher discovers the charred remains are from a coalescent being that absorbed the other station officer before taking on his shape. The question is . . . where is that being now?

It is a good thing Captain Picard is a mystery fan, because there sure are a lot of mysteries out there in space. "Aquiel" is pretty much an average one of these types of episodes because any one who has seen "Alien" is going to have a good idea what the twist is going to be. It is nice to see that there is a Klingon official who is not a blustering idiot, but the idea that La Forge has zero luck with women is really getting old. ... Read more

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Talk about your visions! Suffering from a spiritual crisis, Worf heads out on a religious pilgrimage to reconnect with his faith and his Klingon heritage and witnesses the return of the empire's first and greatest hero, Kahless the Unforgettable (guest star Kevin Conway), from the dead. Rationalist Worf is dubious of his claims and Gowron (the general that Worf helped make his people's leader) fears his influence. "Did you ever fight an idea?" he hisses. "There's no body to destroy!" The appearance of Kahless threatens to split the Klingon Empire with a holy war, especially when DNA tests prove him to be the real thing, but just how real is real? Conway makes a ferociously hearty Klingon with a booming laugh and a love of life: "Have you no joy in your heart?" he challenges his humorless followers. The story takes an easy way out, the kind of diplomatic concessions that's par for Gene Roddenberry's utopian future, but Kahless's passion and Worf's spiritual doubts lend the drama enough heft to make up for it. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Worf comes face to face with the Great Kahless!
STNG certainly made every effort to explore Worf's Klingon heritage to the point that we became convinced the only true Klingon in the universe was the one serving in Starfleet. In "Rightful Heir" they finally go over the top involving this recurring subplot. Worf is having a severe crisis of faith and so he undertakes a pilgrimage to Borath, the sacred planet prophesized as the place when the great Kahless will return. After ten days of intense meditation without any results, Worf is ready to go back to the Enterprise, but the priests convince him to stay. During his next meditation Kahless actually returns to life! The Klingon High Council has the Enterprise bring Kahless to a meeting with Gowron, the Head of the Council. Gowron, skeptical of the miraculous return of the greatest Klingon of them all, presents a sacred knife stained with the actual blood of Kahless. However, everyone is stunned when Dr. Crusher reports there is an exact DNA match between the two. Gowron challenges Kahless to a fight, and when the current leader wins, Worf becomes convinced something is not quite right here. After all, who could ever hope to defeat Kahless?

Once again it is clear that Worf is probably not a true Klingon because the inevitable conclusion is that he is so much better than Gowron and the rest of the boys on the High Council. "The Rightful Heir" is really scrapping the barrel for new ideas to explore Worf's inherent sense of alienation. What is appreciable in this episode is the idea of the wavering line between a real man and his enduring myth. No one, not even the invincible Kahless, could live up to the legend that is created after their death.

The Return of Kahless
Star Trek: The Next Generation frequently explored the Klingon species, their government and their history. Many of TNG's best episodes revolved around Klingon political intrigue and Klingon culture. Season six's "Rightful Heir" continues this tradition of stories that focus on one of Trek's most interesting species. But, this time, it isn't wholly satisfying.

The story is this: A group of fanatical Klingon monks, in an attempt to fulfill the prophetic return of the "father" of Klingon honor and religion, clone Kahless and succeed in making this prophecy come true. At first, they hide the fact that this Kahless is, in fact, a clone. The Enterprise soon uncovers this scandal but even though Kahless the Clone may not be the "real" Kahless, at the least, he is Kahless's heir. Chancellor Gowron, the current leader of the Klingon Empire, takes exception to this clone of the Klingons' spiritual leader and first emperor and civil war is threatened because this Kahless figures that HE should be leader. The Federation does not want civil war to break out so a compromise is reached between Gowron, Kahless and the Federation. Lt. Worf, the Enterprise's Klingon security chief, plays a key role in this good but somehow unsatisfying episode.

I'm not sure why this episode left me wanting. Maybe I was hoping that this would be the real Kahless and not a clone. But that would have been too gutsy for Star Trek: The Next Generation, a series which arrogantly denounces religion as superstitious and foolish. As if the creators/writers/producers of TNG know it all.

Oh, well. A good episode nonetheless. ... Read more

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Every once in a while on The Love Boat, Captain Merrill Stubing would be given his own chance at romance and love, but the writers would always have to find a way to get rid of Stubing's paramour by the end of the episode, lest they have to start writing in a new main character. In that vein, Captain Picard meets Lt. Commander Nella Darrin (Wendy Hughes), the sassy new head of Stellar Sciences. Sparks fly in Ten-Forward when Picard sees that she's also an accomplished musician. Those who saw episode 125, "The Inner Light," in which Picard is transported into an alternative life, knows he plays the flute, but it is Darrin who gets him to start playing duets. Soon enough duets become dates, and Picard starts to worry about conflicts of interest in dating a member of his crew. Things are brought to a head when they reach a planet whose firestorms are threatening a colony, and she's the one best equipped to set up a risky deflector shield array. Two things are certain: her life is in danger, and she won't be joining the Enterprise as a major crew member. If the ending is less than satisfying (it could have been much worse), it is nice that Riker isn't the only who gets a little nookie on the show. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

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Gorgeous Music
This is one of my favorite episodes. The music is absoluely lovely!

Watch and learn
The only thing I'll say about "Lessons" is that this is one of those episodes that shows you why the next generation is admired for both its wonderful story lines but also its top notch acting. Definitely one for the ages. All ages. A timeless classic episode.

P.S. If you liked this episode I highly recommend "The Inner Light".

Jean-Luc Picard opens himself up to the possibility of love
When Picard visits his Ready Room at 3 in the morning he is perturbed to discover that all the major computer systems have been allocated to Stellar Cartography. Picard goes down there to find out what is going on and discovers he has ruined an attempt to take precise gravometric readings run by Lieutenant Commander Nella Darrin, who explains how they are attempting to predict the configuration of an emerging star system to an obviously fascinated Captain. Later Picard listens why Darrin plays the piano for a Mozart trio. The next thing he knows, she is visiting his quarters while he is practicing on the flute he received in "The Inner Light" (Episode 125). Soon they are playing duets and then they move of to kissing. Everyone is happy for the Captain and his newfound romance, but then the Federation colony on Bersallis Three requests an emergency evacuation because of a massive firestorm. Darrin leads the teams that set up the thermal deflectors that will protect the colonist during the evacuation, but when it becomes clear the deflectors will have to be manually calibrated continuously during the storm, Picard orders the teams to hold their position until the evacuation is complete. When the last colonist is transported, Picard orders the teams to be beamed up, but two of them are lost, including the one with Darrin.

Unlike James T. Kirk and his woman of the month revolving door love life, the romantic moments of Jean-Luc Picard are few and far between, most notably in "The Perfect Mate" (Episode 121). That is why these moments are worth cherishing. While it is enjoyable to hear Patrick Stewart declaim anything from Shakespeare to the phone book (he is down the road right now doing "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"), he can also craft eloquent moments of silence as he does in this episode where he sits alone in his quarters, looking at his flute and trying to come to terms with the loss of Darrin. No wonder Stewart was picked as the television actor of the 1990's.

Refreshing & emotional
Though not the standard Star Trek fare, this episode allows personal glimpses into the life of the very quiet and reserved Captain of the Enterprise. Picard lets down his guard, letting the lovely and talented Commander Darren get close. He learns a great deal about himself in many ways, and finds himself faced with some very difficult decisions. There are also references to his earlier experience with a probe through which he lived another lifetime - a very emotional and personal time for him. The music they play throughout, including music from that other lifetime, highlight this insightful and introspective episode. ... Read more

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One man's terrorist is another man's saint!
Ensign Ro (Michelle Forbes) dons the garb of Federation spy as she infiltrates the Maquis, Federation colonists along the demilitarized zone dedicated to fight the Cardassians residing there. Ro's loyalties to her new comrades and the mission are tested throughout the episode and her final decision makes for a thoughtful, if predictable, denouement.

Well-acted by Forbes and John Franklin-Robbins as the elderly resistance fighter, this installment also features two scenes "to die for": (1) Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) pretending to "pick up" Ro at a bar as part of the subterfuge to gain information about the mission and (2) the Captain's silent response to Ro's decision.

The Return of Ro Laren and our Introduction to the Maquis
"Preemptive Strike" features the return of Ro Laren, promoted to Lieutenant and back from advanced tactical training. Obviously something is in the wind. Then Admiral Nechayev visits the Enterprise to brief Captain Picard on what has happened to the Federation colonists who remained in Cardassian space after the peace treaty was signed (see "Journey's End," Episode 172). Apparently the colonists are having second thoughts about living under Cardassian rule and have formed resistance groups known as the Maquis, whose actions have become more and more aggressive, thereby threatening the existing peace. Nechayev wants Ro to go under cover and infiltrate the Maquis, her reputation in Starfleet serving as a cover story. Ro successfully joins the Maquis, becoming very good friends with the leader of her cell. With the information she has gathered, Picard plans to bait a trap for the Maquis with a convoy. However, when the Cardassians murder some colonists, Ro finds herself remembering the Cardassian occupation of Bajor and having second thoughts about where her loyalties lie.

"Preemptive Strike" is an interesting penultimate episode for STNG. What it does provide is a link to the future, since the Maquis will become important charactes on Deep Space 9 and Voyager. You have to remember that originally Michelle Forbes' character was going to be on DS9 as Sisko's Bajoran second in command, but the actress wanted to pursue a film career (she ended up back on television on "Homicide"). What makes this a great episode are the scenes between Picard and Ro. Usually it is the captain who finds himself in the mind of some ethical dilemma with repercussions for the entire universe, but this time he is on the outside looking in.