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"The Naked Now" is a must-own for all TNG fans. Who cares if it's basically a retread of the original series' "Naked Time" or that it breaks out every Star Trek cliché in the book? This episode lays the groundwork for fundamental relationship story lines that take seven years to unfold. Thanks to some nasty alcoholic space bug, the crew of the Enterprise-D loses all inhibition and has a good ol' time. See Picard and Doctor Bev get hot and heavy. Watch in awe when Troi asks Riker "Don't you want to be alone with me in your mind?" Find out what "fully functional" really means whether you want to or not. Of course, all good things must come to an end. (Un)fortunately, Dr. Crusher finds a cure and Wesley saves the day. "Naked Now" is so joyously and transcendentally bad, it's good. A number one guilty pleasure among TNG fans everywhere. --Kayla Riggney ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Interesting Episode Quite a crowd pleaser.
This is the second episode of TNG's first season making it the Second episode of the series. Officially is is listed as episode 3 because the pilot episode was a 2 part or "double" episode.

This episode is a spin-off of the TOS episode "The Naked Time" Basically the same type of thing happens. In this episode the Enterprise meets up with the U.S.S. Tsiolkovsky, in observing a star that is about to go nova (Named after the great Russian physicist and rocket scientist, Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky if you look closely you will notice that one of the plaques on the ship is written in Russian) The crew is acting in a strange manner. They then, in their drunken-like state blow out the hatch, decompressing much of the ship. The Enterprise crewbeams over to find the ship is a mess. The entire crew is dead, there are clothes strewn all over the corridors, naked people in one of the crew quarters with the environmental controls set to a winter-like condition. One crew member is found in a shower stall fully-clothed. The Enterprise crew returns to their ship and the ship is contaminated.

The Transporter's Bio filter and decontamination is unable to filter out the contaminant. It is a set of water-based molecules that are in a chemical like state that when passed on to a human, will affect the human body like alcohol. Now eventually the whole crew becomes "drunk", the star is about to go nova at any minute and the ship's controls have been taken over by Wesley!

This is a great episode and in it we leard about Data's full functionality. and the "multiple techniques" he is programmed with. The documenatry "Trekkies goes into this as well"

A poor retread of an episode in the original series
This is the first episode of Star Trek TNG that I saw and I was not impressed. It is a remake of episode 7, "The Naked Time" of the original series, so my first impression was that TNG would consist of storylines from the original series. Secondly, it lacked the panache of the original episode, having nothing to equal the dash of Sulu swashbuckling his way around the ship. Furthermore, and by far the worst feature, was that once the crew of the new Enterprise found the historical reference, all they had to do to stop the spread of the disease was to avoid touching each other. It was like they had never heard of biological isolation suits. They go around touching each other and then saying, "Oh no, I touched you and now I have it." These are not the actions of Star Fleet officers and they appeared to be pathetic bumblers.
Few of the actors seem able to carry off the role of acting intoxicated, and that is another problem. When the crew of the original series were infected, they acted out their repressed psychoses, which is quite different from pretending to be a stumbling drunk. Sulu was never more dynamic than when he was chasing his shipmates around with a sword. Captain Kirk was never more troubled than when his fears were uncontrollably bubbling to the surface.
Fortunately, the producers were wise enough to avoid doing this again, creating story lines either independent of the original series or having only a secondary relationship. The only redeeming feature of this episode is that it forces the characters to interact with each other, so we are able to see some of the underlying dynamics in their relationships.

I Liked The Episode!
Star Trek: The Next Generation is one of my favorite television shows and when they were still making new episodes it was the only show that I would be unhappy if I missed an episode. The Naked Now may not be the best episode of the series but I think it was pretty good and I enjoyed watching it and I like that they played homage to the Original Star Trek series episode The Naked Time. It was a nice tie-in to that show! As everyone knows this is the episode where the crew is exposed to some kind of highly contageous virus that makes the infected individuals act as though they drank too much booze and are very drunk. I'm not sure if the humor in this episode with Data the android acting as though he was drunk was intentionally funny or not but it sure was funny! which resulted in some I have this episode on video and I'm hoping to someday buy the complete seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation on DVD.

"It never happened."
It is still not clear whether "The Naked Now" was meant to be a homage to the original Star Trek episode "The Naked Time," a sequel to that episode, or whether it was just a plain repeat performance of it, but it is clear that this was one of the less inspired episodes of the first season.

After beaming over to the derelict U.S.S. Tsiolkovsky, Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) starts to exhibit some curious behavior upon returning to the Enterprise-D. It turns out that LaForge has become infected by a substance that causes anyone infected by it to lose their inhibitions. Eventually most of the Enterprise's crew becomes infected and the ship is placed in imminent danger as it finds itself in close proximity to a collapsing star with its engines disabled.

The decision to go with this story so early in Star Trek: The Next Generation's run seems a little puzzling. "The Naked Time" was noteworthy because it showed viewers aspects of Captain Kirk's crew that we had never been privy to before. However, since most of the characterizations of the Next Generation's crew had not been firmly established yet, showing the "other" sides of these characters had a rather muted dramatic effect since we were not yet used to the "normal" personas of these characters. This episode might have worked better had it been saved for one of the later seasons. Still "The Naked Now" was not a total lost cause as it did put to rest all questions over just how compatible Data (Brent Spiner) could be with a humanoid.

Sequels from the Original Series
The third episode, "The Naked Now", is the sequel to the Original Series episode, "The Naked Time." The story opens with a Federation science vessel, the U.S.S. Tsiolkovsky, studying a star, on the verge of going supernova. During the mission, the crew of the ship is exhibiting strange behavior, until one person of the crew blows a emergency hatch, killing the Tsiolkovsky's entire crew. The U.S.S. Enterprise is ordered to investigate, and finds that most of the crew are frozen, someone has been playing with the environmental controls, letting the heat suck out into space. Not long after, Geordi complains that Sickbay is too hot. It prompts Dr. Crusher to keep Geordi under observation.

Slowly, more crewmembers fall prey to the same strange feelings, prior to the Tsiolkovsky crew's deaths. ... Read more

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The starship Voyager wasn't the only vessel with a problem of finding itself too far from home. In "Where No One Has Gone Before," the Enterprise ends up at least a billion light years from Federation territory (compared to a measly 70,000 light years for Captain Janeway). The mystery of how it happened follows the arrival of an arrogant Starfleet consultant (Stanley Kamel) on the Enterprise. The insufferable guest claims he can increase engine efficiency, but the result plunges the ship into a dimension where the borders between time, space, and thought disappear. Meanwhile, Wesley (Wil Wheaton) realizes it isn't the consultant who is gifted but his subordinate, an advanced alien called "the Traveler" (Eric Menyuk). A somewhat wondrous episode, "Where No One" takes the Enterprise (and us) well beyond the usual black backdrop of space into extraordinary and beautiful territory. (Particularly haunting is a crystalline region that looks a bit like an ice cave.) The drama ratchets up when Picard and the others find their thoughts becoming reality; a tender moment between the captain and his late mother is quite special. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Where Wesley goes from a boy to an Ensign
The Enterprise is to be the subject of an experiment. An arrogant Starfleet propulsion expert comes on board with his alien assistant, claiming to be able to boost the output of the ship's engines. Even though his formulas appear to be nonsense, Picard rather tartly consents to the test, over the objections of his crew. They certainly get more than they expected, being propelled millions of light years beyond their goal. Everyone puts it down to a malfunction, but only Wesley Crusher understands that it was somehow the result of the actions of the expert's assistant.
That assistant is the only one who can return them, but in the first attempt, they enter a nether region where thoughts can become reality and the assistant, who is actually a "Traveler", grows sick and is on the verge of dying. Nevertheless, by marshalling all their thoughts, the crew of the Enterprise provides enough assistance to the Traveler so that they are able to return to their own galaxy.
This is the episode where Wesley Crusher makes the transition from "the boy" to Ensign Crusher. At the start, Picard and Riker refer to him as the boy, to the point where he has to remind them that his name is Wesley. Picard is also much more rigid in this episode than in others, until the end when he "promotes" Wesley, he is unwilling to accept dissent, cutting off all who try to explain circumstances to him.
Like some of the other early episodes, the principals are rigid and overly authoritative in their behavior. In my opinion, one of the primary reasons why the quality improves in later episodes is that the main characters become much less rigid in their actions, no doubt due in part to the actors adjusting to their roles. This episode is not one of the best, I rank it right in the middle of the group. It is most memorable for the fact that Wesley becomes a full member of the crew, opening up many plot possibilities for future episodes.

"Is Mister Kosinski what he seems? A joke?"
Certainly the most interesting development in Wesley Crusher's (Wil Wheaton) character during the first season was his initial meeting with the Traveler (Eric Menyuk) in "Where No One Has Gone Before." Not only was the Traveler the most interesting alien introduced in the early going of the series but the special bond he would form with Wesley would be integral to the evolution of the latter in future episodes.

Specialist Kosinski (Stanley Kamel) boards the Enterprise-D with boastful claims that he can magically improve the efficiency of the ship's warp engines. Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frankes) and Chief Engineer Argyle (Biff Yeager) are skeptical of their visitor but they allow him to continue with his upgrades. Wesley becomes intrigued with Kosinki's assistant, an alien called the Traveler, who turns out to be the secret behind Kosinki's past success. The truth behind the charade is exposed after the Traveler accidentally hurls the Enterprise into another dimension.

"Where No One Has Gone Before" starkly illustrates another difference the new Star Trek series would have from its predecessor. The special effects that depict the Enterprise's journey into the unknown are of feature film quality and easily outdoes anything seen on the original series. The guest stars are strong also with Menyuk turning in a very memorable performance as Wesley's future mentor. It is no surprise that the producers decided to make him a recurring character after his work in this episode. In sum, "Where No One Has Gone Before" was a welcome outing that broke a run of average episodes.

The outer regions of the Universe.
Original air date: October 26, 1988
Stardate: 41263.2

The U.S.S. Enterprise and crew bring aboard a cocky warp engines mechanic and his assistant to do tests on the starship’s new warp engines and even more.

The U.S.S. Enterprise has intercepted the U.S.S. Fearless and brings aboard a cocky warp engines mechanic named Kosinski and his assistant on board the Enterprise.

They head to Engineering and begin the first test, with the Enterprise going at warp 1.5. The assistant does a mistake and begins to dematerialize in the engine room. After that, the Enterprise goes into super-warp, going past warp 10. On the viewscreen, quasars and pulsars go flying past the Enterprise. Picard orders the starship to come to a full stop. The starship Enterprise ends up in a different galaxy than their own. La Forge calculates that the Enterprise has ended up on the far side of the Triangulum Galaxy, also known as M-33 and they left their own galaxy and passed two other ones. Picard asks Data how far they have traveled. Data says that the Enterprise has gone 2,700,000 light-years from their former position. That’s impossible! La Forge calculates that it will take the starship three centuries even at their fastest speed. Kosinski explains what happened to the Enterprise when they were in warp.

Picard asks Kosinski to do the same thing as before to get back to the galaxy they live in, and Kosinski agrees and heads back to the Engine Room. They do it again and the assistant begins dematerializing again and this time Riker sees what is happening to the ship. The Enterprise goes into super-warp and suddenly, disappears from the Triangulum Galaxy. The starship starts to shake violently. They stop again, and they aren’t in their galaxy but in another strange one. Picard asks what the place is called. Data says for his friend, “Where none have gone before.” The U.S.S. Enterprise’s present position is at least over a billion light-years from their own galaxy. Picard heads to the Engine Room and sees the alien dying. Later, in Sickbay, the alien calls himself a “traveler”. The reason the Enterprise is in this galaxy because the warp formula had thought in it. He also tells him that Wesley is special and must get the best attention like Mozart, the famous composer of the 17th and 18th centuries. As Picard tries to get to the Bridge, a crewman is thinking of fire and is trapped. Picard tells the crewman to put it out in his thoughts. It works, and he continues his duties. Picard talks to the crew to think of the Traveler or his or her duty, it might be enough to get the crew back to the Milky Way Galaxy.

Picard puts the starship on Red Alert and gets ready to go back to the Milky Way Galaxy. Counselor Troi and Lt. Yar tell Picard that there will be stress and general fear by the crew. Picard orders La Forge to set a retroactive course to get back to the Milky Way Galaxy, and The Enterprise goes to warp speed. They are getting faster and it is not enough yet. What’s worse, is that the alien is trying to dematerialize again. It was enough, and the alien disappears. What’s also great, is that the Enterprise is back in the Alpha Quadrant and back in their galaxy.

La Forge calls this trip through the universe a “sleigh ride.” Captain Picard summons Wesley and has been commissioned “Acting Ensign” Until Starfleet Academy can accept him. He is greatly pleased and accepts the offer.

This is my favourite TNG first season episode.

fan of tng
This is avery good season one episode.It was made when star trek The Next Generation was only six episodes old so the special effects and the way the actors play the characters is still a little shaky. That is the reason why I did not give it a five. Despite the things that I have just mentioned above this is a very good episode! I reccomend it to anyone who likes science fiction and appreciates good story telling. The acting is good in this episode but not as good as in other first season episodes like Heart of Glory or The Big Goodbye.However, those episodes are outstanding for the entire 177 episode run of the series.All in all it is worth getting due to the exitment and interest that the script brings to the viewer. This is a good episode to buy.

One Of My Favorites!!!!!
Where No One has Gone Before is one of my favorite TNG episodes, maybe it's just me but I actually felt sorry for Kosinski as he actually thought he had found a way to improve the warp drive and when the test backfired and they were propelled into a strange dimension he thought he had been the one who did it and when it turned out to be his assistant The Traveler who really did it he was humbled but also quite emotionally upset about it. OK, Kosinski was arrogant and standoffish but I still felt sorry for him! ... Read more

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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

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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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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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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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As the Enterprise docks at the new Federation outpost at Deep Space Nine, Worf is confronted with evidence that his father, believed killed at the infamous Kitamer massacre, may in fact be alive. Meanwhile, Data experiences visions after he's shocked by the sudden energy discharge from an alien artifact discovered by the space station's Dr. Bashir (Siddig El Fadil). The first episode of a two-part adventure splits between the two stories, exploring Data's dreams and Worf's nightmare. While Data prepares to investigate if androids really dream, Worf wrestles with the conflicting emotions of shame and hope (surviving a losing battle is tantamount to disgrace), yet he cannot help but secretly pray for such an unthinkable destiny and investigates the claim. When he discovers a secret colony where bitter enemies Klingons and Romulans live together in an unthinkable, utopian peace, his sudden arrival threatens their Eden. Brent Spiner reprises his role as Data's "father," the late inventor Dr. Noonien Soong, in a cybervisit to his son, while James Cromwell slithers under lizard-skin makeup as the mercenary informant. The story concludes in episode 143. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Star Trek subplot ever.
While Birthright Part I focuses for the most part on Worf's search for his presumably dead father, it's the fascinating subplot that stars a dreaming Data that really makes this episode soar above the norm. I watched this episode when it first came out, and I was pretty young at the time. The surreal scenes with blackbirds flying down the Enterprise corridor and a young Soong with his metalwork made a deep and long lasting impression on me. For the most part it was my first experience with surrealism, which I have gone on to appreciate in many forms. If they had made that subplot a full length episode it would have been one of the greatest-perhaps the greatest- Star Trek episodes ever.

Data and Worf deal with their absent fathers
The two-part "Birthright" story focuses on Worf and Data, each of who have to deal with their dead fathers. The Enterprise shows up at Deep Space 9 to help with the reconstruction of aqueducts on Bajor. An informant tells Worf that his father was not killed on Khitomer, but is a prisoner of the Romulans. Worf refuses to believe this story, since it would be a grave dishonor for a Klingon to be captured. But eventually the idea gnaws away at him and Worf forces the informant to take him to the site of the Romulan prison camp. Meanwhile, while helping Dr. Bashir of DS9 analyze an alien device, a plasma shock stuns Data, who has a vision of his creator Dr. Soong. Apparently the good doctor installed circuits that would allow Data to dream once he reached a certain level of cognitive development. Data begins to explore this new ability.

This episode made me realize that the crew of the Enterprise does not come from happy families. Worf is adopted, Data is an orphan, Troi cannot get along with her mother, Riker cannot stand his father, Picard quarrels with his brother, Crusher is a widow, and La Forge is a Starfleet brat with no sense of home. "Birthright" is an average STNG episode. Data's dreams are somewhat interesting but there is no real payoff to this development and you would think by now Worf has finally figured out how to reconcile his Klingon notion of honor with life in the rest of the universe. But I do appreciate the parallel look at this particular pair of "orphans" trying to deal with their absent fathers. ... Read more

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One of the beautiful things about Star Trek: The Next Generation is that the character dramas on the ship are often more important than the planetary politics that are taking place outside of it. Case in point: the episode "Man of the People." When the transport ship carrying Ambassador Alkar (Chip Lucia) to peace negotiations on a turbulent planet is attacked, the Enterprise is called on to escort him. Once on the ship, the randy ambassador starts hitting on Counselor Troi, despite the protests of what looks to be his jealous mother.

As it turns out, the reason he's such an effective negotiator is because he channels all of his negative, unproductive emotions into his partner, which causes her to age quickly and become cantankerous. When his "mother" dies, Troi becomes his next partner, but she starts aging really quickly, and gets really cantankerous in the process. Though his negotiations have been wildly successful, Picard and company decide Troi is more important than the shaky truce on the war-torn planet; so they cut him off from his repository of negative emotions, planet be damned! Though the arguments of the individual versus the masses are interesting, even more interesting is seeing Troi fully indulging in her id. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Once again, Deanna Troi falls for the wrong man...
The Enterprise rescues a freighter that was attacked by one of the warring factions of the planet Rekag-Sironi and beams aboard the Lumerian ambassador Ramid Ves Alkar and his mother Maylor. Picard will give the ambassador safe passage to the planet, where he will try to mediate the war. Alkar asks Counselor Troi to help him with the negotiations, at which point Maylor becomes very upset and dies. Alkar will not allow an autopsy to be performed, but does ask Troi to join him in the Lumerian funeral meditation. After the ceremony, Troi deteriorates physically and mentally. When a jealous Troi attacks Alcar as he prepares to beam down to Rekag-Sironi, Picard and Crusher finally make the connection. An autopsy reveals that Alcar's "mother" is only thirty years old. Picard beams down and demands an explanation from Alcar, who calmly reveals that he uses individuals such as Maylor and Troi as receptacles for his negative emotions until he uses them up and they die. When Alcar refuses to release Troi, Picard and Crusher have to come up with a way to save the Counselor.

If it were not for bad love, Deanna Troi would have no love at all. Being only half-Betazed must have some serious limitations because time after time, Troi ends up with men with major problems. Come to think of it, so does Beverly Crusher, but since the good Doctor is a mother and therefore no competition for Deanna, it is the Ship's Counselor who gets to suffer time and time again. "Man Of The People" is an average STNG episode, where once again the Federation has allowed a person who is not nice to rise to a position of power and prominence. Besides, getting to see Marina Sirtis made up to look twice as old as Lwaxana is no one's idea of fun. The comeuppance for Alcar is a retread solution from the original Star Trek, but is still a halfway decent resolution to the episode.

This One Rocks!
Fans of Peter David's "Imzadi" will LOVE this episode. There's a ton of Riker/Troi interaction. A visiting "diplomat" preys on women and uses them as receptacles for his negative emotions-so that he doesn't have to carry them to peace talks. The slimebag makes a beeline for Deanna. She eventually goes psychotic and starts to age rapidly. Riker's concern for her distress is very sweet. The final scene is worth the price of admission. Watch it and work on mentally blocking the Worf/Deanna debacle forever. Love it!

It was romantic and good at the same time. it was AWESOME!!
I was really pleased with this episode, because Troi gets to do only counselor stuff not any real things, but she got a WONDERFUL part in the episode. I really liked the Riker-Troi parts because he REALLY cares about her and he always protects her from danger. I give the episode 10 stars,because I think Riker is HOT!!!! I have seen EVERY episode in the " Next Generation" series, I'm a really big fan!!! ... 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 particularly pompous scientist (Ken Jenkins) is aboard the Enterpr