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Did you know that Ireland will reunify in the year 2025? That "fact" comes courtesy of "The High Ground," an episode of The Next Generation in which the struggles of Northern Ireland are echoed in the ongoing violence between Federation members the Rutians and disenfranchised rebels called the Ansata. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the Enterprise arrive to apply pressure on the Rutians to resolve differences with the terrorist underground, but when an Ansatan bombing results in the capture of Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), the mission changes. Guest stars Richard Cox and Kerrie Keane are very effective, respectively, as an Ansatan leader and the Rutian cop determined to bring him down. The episode also puts a rare spotlight on Picard as an action hero--he actually gets to punch out a terrorist at one point--and extends the teasing possibility of an eventual romance between the captain and the ship's comely physician. Not a classic from the series, necessarily, but a good one with interesting moral murkiness. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

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"In a world where children blow up children,...
everyone's a threat!"

That quote spoken by one of this episode's guest characters reveals the not-so-subtle indictment on the pros and cons of terrorism. In one of the series' most balanced installments, the writers have created a highly thought-provoking piece that correlates the similarity between the terrorist and the patriot.

When the episode first aired, one could clearly see that an intended comparison was to be made between it and the ongoing struggles in the Middle East. In light of the current world situation, the story has not lost its edge.

This is another triumph from the brilliant third season of the show.

Crusher and Picard caught in the middle and held hostage
After dealing with dangerous rebels in the previous episode, "The Hunted," the crew of the Enterprise is again caught between two sides in an on-going war. On the planet of Rutia while delivering medical supplies, Dr. Crusher is taken hostage during a terrorist attack. Finn, the leader of the terrorists, wants the doctor to help terrorist dying from the effects of interdimensional transporting. Meanwhile, Riker has contacted the leader of the Rutian police, Alexana Devos, who warns that the Federation officer will never be able to negotiate with the terrorists. To prove the point, Finn launches a second attack that not only ends with the capture of Picard but the death of several of the crew. Now Riker has to rescue them without becoming more embroiled in the planetary conflict.

"The High Ground" is another one of those episodes that suggests the Federation contains at least the same proportion of totalitarian systems as we have in the world today. For the third season of the Next Generation this is a fairly standard episode. The Enterprise arrives at a new planet and finds out there is more to the situation than meets the eye. The twist is simply which member of the crew gets the focus. Last time it was Troi, this time it is Crusher. To be fair, Beverly does not get as many opportunities to argue ethics with Picard the way McCoy did with Kirk, so it is nice to see Gates McFadden arguing passionately. Usually she is too busy saving people's lives to engage in lively debate. "The High Ground" is the exception to the rule. Given that, the admiration of Crusher and Riker for Finn and Devos respectively only gets in the way of the ethical debate.

"The High Ground" - Crusher gets kidnapped
I really enjoyed this episode, it is a Bev-centric episode, so if you like her, you will like this episode. She and Picard get kidnapped by terrorists, one of whom develops a thing for her, while Riker works with officials to find them. ... Read more

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Answering a distress call consisting of an Earth code that hasn't beenused in centuries, the Enterprise stumbles upon a utopian colony thatlaunched from Earth during the European hegemony (sometime between 2123 and2190). The utopians are a tribe of bawdy Irish hedonists (many of whom aredrunks, of course) who have turned their backs on technology in favor of simple farm living. They are so committed to their animals that they refuse to travel without 'em. Oh, how primitive! Oh, the comedy! The Irish tribe mentions "the other colony," which the Enterprise tracks down. This other colony is technologically advanced, but its members have depleted both their sexdrive and their genes through generations of cloning. In order to save both colonies, Captain Picard and the crew must play matchmaker between the intellectual ascetics and the hedonistic technophobes. Along the way, Riker gets a little action with one of the farm girls. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

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The Joy of Intergalatic Problem Solving: Send in the Clones!
A Federation diplomat once said the secret of his success was turning disadvantages into advantages, a philosophy that serves Picard well in this particular episode, which deals with two colonies established, by the Mariposa in the 22nd century. On the one hand we have the Bringloidi, colonists who need to be evacuated because their sun has started shooting off solar flares. The Bringloidi, who must have all come from Ireland since we are talking accents the like of which have not been heard on a starship Enterprise since Scotty was in his prime, insist on bringing their animals, along with their kit and caboodle. It makes for a lovely time in the cargo bay, don't you know now. On the other hand the Enterprise discovers there is a sister colony to the first, founded when the Marioposa crash-landed. Only five colonists survived, all scientists, who turned to cloning to populate the planet. However, there are now DNA problems and further cloning will soon be impossible. Now Picard has TWO problems to solve . . . or DOES he?

This is something of a fun episode. With all their animals the Bringloidi have turned the cargo bay into a pretty interesting place and they have no qualms about taking advantage of their hosts. It is rather refreshing to see folk who are so unrepentedly people of the land in the age of warp drive, even though these odd folks have both primitive tools and advanced computers. However, the emphasis is more on the group as a band of gypsies who have just happened to park on the Enterprise. But unlike holodeck creations, these people just do not want to go away. "Up the Long Ladder" makes up for the fact that for the most part Picard forgets he has all those annoying civilians and children running around on his ship. The main thing is I just love those Irish accents in the 24th century. ... Read more

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The Best Beverly Crusher Episode!
Star Trek - The next Generation is one of my favorite television shows, I loved it back when new episodes were still being filmed and I love it now. Dr. Beverly Crusher and her son Wesley are two of my favorite characters and unfortunately in the shows seven year run not enough episodes focused on Dr. Crusher but this one does and it is the best Beverly Crusher episode of the series and I highly recommend it! BTW: This show is now on DVD in complete season sets, I don't own any of the seasons on DVD but I hope to someday.

Dr. Crusher portrayed as someone who can figure things out
The most endearing quality of this episode is that it showcases Dr. Crusher as an intelligent woman who can figure things out on her own. This is in direct contrast to so many other episodes where her lines often reduce to a variant of "I don't know . . . "
The episode starts when her aged friend Dr. Quaice beams aboard the Enterprise and begins talking about having lost his wife and so many of his friends. After hearing this, Dr. Crusher visits her son Wesley in engineering, where he is conducting an experiment. During the climax of the experiment, there is a flash of light, but it is confined to engineering.
Beverly then goes to visit Dr. Quaice in his quarters, but cannot locate him. After an investigation, she learns that there is no record of his having boarded the Enterprise. This is only the beginning, as slowly the Enterprise crew disappears. However, those who are left do not find this unusual, and they begin questioning her sanity. Eventually, all are gone except Dr. Crusher and Captain Picard and Picard does not find it unusual at all. The fact that there are only two people on that enormous ship does not have an affect on him. He also vanishes, leaving Beverly alone on the ship.
Through all of this there are two occasions when a vortex of some kind threatens to engulf her and pull her off the ship. Finally, when the Enterprise computer informs her that the bounds of the universe are slightly bigger than the Enterprise, she realizes that she has been transferred to an alternate reality that is collapsing on itself. With the aid of the Enterprise crew in the true reality, she eventually returns to where she belongs. The Enterprise crew does not accomplish this alone, her return is accomplished with the aid of the Traveler, introduced in episode 6, "Where No One Has Gone Before."
I consider this a good, but not great episode. The showcasing of Beverly Crusher as a thinking person was refreshing, although the inclusion of the traveler seemed unnecessary.

Now, this is the way to feature Beverly Crusher
Poor Gates McFadden. Her "Beverly Crusher" was rarely given the opportunity to be the focus of a ST: NG episode. But, this third season chapter allowed the character to be showcased. McFadden plays the bewildered doctor with a conviction that she seldom got to reveal.

And it's a doozy: a tale of altered time, traveling aliens, and motherly love.

Where else but in "Trek" could those things coincide.

Mind boggling!
Dr. Crusher is my favorite actor/actress on this show. I'm an avid fan of all the Star Trek series, but TNG is my favorite of them all. :)

On this one, my son (12 yrs) and I were watching this episode on television. From the instant Beverly Crusher vanished, we knew something had happened with Wesley's experiment. We both voiced theories. About half way into the show, the truth hit me! I explained it to my son. (I won't reveal it here and spoil it.) As my theory was slowly proven to be correct, we found ourselves engrossed! There are only 3 episodes that have done this to us. (The other two are "True Q" and "The Game".)

Fans of the author Robert A. Heinlein will LOVE this one!

Captain, I trapped my mom in a static warp bubble
Dr. Crusher is visited aboard the Enterprise by Dr. Dalen Quaice, an old friend, who talks about old friends who have died and how he regrets not having told them how much he cared about them. . After getting her friend settled, Beverly visits Wesley in Engineering, where he is working on an experimental warp field configuration he calls a static warp bubble. The warp chamber emits a sudden flash of light and Dr. Crusher disappears. The next thing we know it is morning and Beverly shows up at Dr. Quaice's room for breakfast only to discover he is gone. Captain Picard initiates a shipwide search but as the search continues other crewmembers suddenly disappear. Not only that, those who remain have completely forgotten those who have disappeared. Within minutes, Beverly is left alone upon the Enterprise.

"Remember Me" is one of the better Next Generation techno-mysteries, as interesting as it is from the inside where Beverly is trying to figure out what is going on as it is on the outside where Wesley and La Forge are trying to rescue the good doctor. Of course the idle chit-chat with Dr. Quaice is a big clue as to what is happening to Dr. Crusher. Just as important, for a large part of the show Beverly is completely on her own, which means Gates McFadden gets a rare opportunity to carry several scenes entirely by herself. This could have been just one of those episodes where the mad scientist experiment of a child genius goes astray and almost takes out a parental unit, but there is definitely a nice edge to the situation. Is Beverly going insane or has the universe suddenly stopped making sense? I do not usually like to get bogged down in the physics of the Star Trek universe, but the human element in "Remember Me" certainly sustains the episode. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Ehhhh!
Captain Picard a meanie with a dark side? Why, because he yelled at Vash and wouldn't let her steal the Tox Uthat and sell it to people who will use it for evil purposes? Sounds like the only meanie with a darkside here is Vash. Anyway I did not like this episode, I know this episode was an attempt to add some romance into Picard's social life but it falls flat, partly because Captain's Holiday was a bit bland but mainly because Vash is such an annoying unappealing character, a greedy selfish meanie who really only cares about herself and doesn't care who she hurts with her greedy ruthless quest for fame and fortune! The episode Qpid which also features Vash is a much better episode mainly because it is such a funny episode and her character is a little more likeble in it.

Captain Picard in "The Maltese Tox Uthat"
Remember how the Enterprise crew always talks about vacationing on the wonderful planet Risa? Well we finally get to visit that paradise planet and it turns out our guide is Jean-Luc Picard, coaxed by Counselor Troi to finally get a little rest and relaxation. Of course, as soon as Picard arrives on Risa two Vorgons, who claim to be time travelers from the future, pop up and claim our hero is going to find a very powerful weapon that came from the future. The next thing we know Picard is involved in a search for the Tox Uthat with a mysterious and beautiful woman named Vash.

Given Picard's love of Dixon Hill mysteries on the holodeck, it is interesting that "Captain's Holiday" is very much in the Sam Spade tradition. This is really a Next Generation version of "The Maltese Falcon," and you can find for every character in that classic novel/film as well as following the plot line so closely. The initial twist, where an obviously uncomfortable Picard is essentially forced to go on vacation for his own good, merely sets up the "case." We also get our first introduction to the character of Vash, of whom we shall see more in the future.

like a lite beer
although not the most intriguing episode, i enjoyed it's light hearted nature. it provided an opportunity to see the romantic side of picard (what little his stoic personality was allowed to portray -- at that time). overall i liked the episode and was greatful they finally got him involved with someone. i mean without this episode there may have never been a QPID! and let's face it that one was hysterical! no, if vash had never come into the picture, we may have never known that picard likes his women fiesty, adventurous and down right mischievous.

Weak Trek
When I first popped this tape into the 'ol VCR I thought this might be pretty good. But then I saw the UGLY side of Picard. I would think that Ira Steven Behr (the writer) would know his character, but wrote Picard as an ediot and a big meanie in this episode. I hate to say it, but this was a very weak episode. I love TNG, but everybody has to make an episode at 5:00 on Friday I suppose. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

No matter where humans go, there will always be family
This is one of the most powerful of the TNG episodes, and it is based on the notion of family ties. Set in the immediate aftermath of Captain Picard's assimilation into the Borg collective, the Enterprise is in Earth orbit undergoing repairs. There are three simultaneous and independent tracks, involving Picard, Worf and Wesley Crusher.
The strongest of the three is the one where Picard goes back to his home village in France and stays with his brother's family. The family consists of his brother Robert, his wife and son Rene. Picard and his brother are at odds in every way, Robert is a bit of a Luddite, wanting only to tend his vines and is still extremely jealous of his successful brother. Picard meets an old friend, who tempts him to leave Starfleet and become the head of a major development project designed to create a new continent. To his surprise, Picard finds himself considering the position, which gives his brother an opening to question his courage. After being aggravated in ways only a brother can do, Picard lashes back, finally letting loose with all the feelings of inadequacy he felt when the Borg were using him. This has a healing effect on both of them, as they then proceed to get drunk and sing a duet. The scene when Picard leaves is very touching, probably the most emotional moment of the series.
Worf's human parents arrive on the Enterprise and their gregariousness at first embarrasses Worf, but he quickly warms to their presence. Eventually, the three of them sit down and they talk about his dishonor, a reference to his discommodation that took place in episode 65, "Sins of the Father." In true parental form, they tell him that even though they do not understand what it means, they still love and support him.
The third track involving Wesley Crusher could have been left out with no great loss to the quality of the episode. Wesley's father recorded a holographic message to him shortly after his birth and now that Wesley is old enough to understand, his mother gives it to him. He views it in the holodeck, but the scene lacks the emotional power of the other two tracks.
Although it lacks the special effects dynamics of most of the other episodes, the story line of this one is so strong that it doesn't matter. I rank it as one of the five best episodes of the TNG series.

Intriguing story- one of the best TNG episodes
I was drawn to this episode because it is so different from most TNG plots: no alien encounters, no epic battles or encounters with strange phenomena. In fact, there is no space travel at all! It is one of the few episodes I've seen that actually takes place on Earth, and you really get to explore a different, not-often-seen side of Picard and Worf.

The stories take place right after the Borg attack and the subsequent rescue and "deprogramming" of Picard. In search of perspective on the incident he travels to his home town in France and stays in his parents' house, now occupied by his brother, Robert, and his family (who, like Patrick Stewart, all have English accents!! Does anyone else find humor in this?). Robert feels Picard has lost touch with his roots, his heritage, that he has sacrificed his values to go gallivanting around the universe. Picard feels that Robert, who runs the family vineyard, is antiquated, foolishly resisting to acknowledge technological progress (Robert doesn't even have a food replicator in his house - how primitive!). Robert is not thrilled that his son wants to join Starfleet when he grows up; Picard thinks it's a great idea (or at least doesn't object). A war of wills develops, soul-searching ensues, and Picard eventually comes to terms with his ordeal with the Borg.

Worf also does some soul-searching when his human foster parents visit him on Enterprise. At first he dreads their visit, ashamed of having them discover his recent Klingon dishonor and embarrassed by their behavior around him. He feels distant from his parents, and vice versa, but some help from Guinan and a heart-to-heart talk with the folks help mend the relationship.

There is another minor, though heartfelt, storyline in which Wesley Crusher views a holographic message left by his late father shortly after Wesley's birth.

Overall, this is a great introspective, character-driven episode that really showcases the acting talents of Patrick Stewart and Michael Dorn. And as with all of the great TNG episodes, it is an allegory for our time, telling us that sometimes going boldly where no man has gone before simply means going home.

An intimate portrait of Picard's personal torment
In the wake of the two-part "Best of Both Worlds," the Enterprise is in need of major repairs and the crew is not in much better shape. "Family" covers a trio of storylines. In the two minor ones Worf has to deal with his human "parents," who have learned of his discommendation and Beverly Crusher receives a package containing a holographic message recorded by her late husband Jack for Wesley right after the boy was born. But the main story of this episode is on Jean-Luc Picard, who has returned to Provance and the family home, where his older brother Robert continues to run the family vineyard. Picard is having trouble coming to terms with what the Borg did to him when he became Locutus and led the Collective in the destruction of the Starfleet Armada. When an old friend offers Picard to become director of the Atlantis Project, which will create a new continent on earth, the captain finds himself considering the offer.

This is a relatively quiet episode, which does not make it any less intense. Although Worf and Wesley do not face crucibles as large as Picard's, these are very personal issues for all three. One of the reasons "The Best of Both Worlds" was the zenith of the series was because not only was it set up so well a year-and-a-half earlier, but because the episodes had repercussions that carried over to many of the show's better episodes. "Family" is certainly one of those, made even better by the fact that we get to explore the back stories of all Worf and Wesley as well as Picard. This another episode where you realize that Patrick Stewart is a very good actor and that he gives Jean-Luc Picard a lot of depth. Getting him to anchor this series was a masterstroke.

Picard's personal hell uncovered
Most of my 'Trek buddies consider this episode to be rather dull and uninteresting. It has no major interstellar conflict, no dire emergencies, nothing of real excitement. Ironically, the very things that makes this show a turn-off to my friends is what intrigues me. I don't always want to see people in firefights and ships exploding; I like moments of thoughtful introspection as well. And 'Family' definitely delivers in this department.

Basically a bookend to the two-part episode 'The Best of Both Worlds', 'Family' focuses mainly on Picard's coming to grips with his Borg assimilation by getting away from the rat race and visiting his family's home back on Earth. Once there, he's confronted by his brother, who makes every effort to provoke him, forcing him at every turn to realize that despite his best efforts, Picard's not infallible. Who knew there would still be dysfunctional families in the 24th century? Heh.

Seriously, though, I'm glad the 'Trek producers took this route to show that Picard would not instantly recover from his living nightmare. All too often you see the hero of a TV show or movie endure a highly traumatic moment, and then when it ends, there never seems to be any lingering effects of that trauma. The hero goes on, the same person as before, as if nothing happened. Not Picard, however- he's going to endure a slow process of recovery, and parts of his experience will always be with him. Subsequent 'Trek outings would take advantage of Picard's personal hell, including the TNG classics 'The Drumhead' and 'I, Borg', the Deep Space Nine premiere episode, and the 'First Contact' movie.

Also included in 'Family' is Worf giving his adoptive parents a tour of the Enterprise, all the while trying to make them understand his dishonor in the eyes of other Klingons. Also, Wesley Crusher finds out more about his late father. Even though I'm one of those TNG buffs who can't stand Wesley, I found his viewing of one of his father's holorecordings rather touching. Pretty sad, huh?

'Late

One of the best
This episode places Picard back in his hometown in France where he must come to terms with his emotions. He was mutilated by the Borg, forced to do battle and contribute to the deaths of thousands of Star Fleet members. At the same time he must come to understand his brothers feelings of jealousy toward him. The acting is superb and the ending is incredibly satisfying. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Words cannot describe how bad this is . . .
. . . But I'll give it a try. "Descent Part II" has all the faults of Part I, and then some. To an utterly stupid storyline, bad directing, and a lack of suspense and the necessary epic feel, Part II adds gratuitous cameos, a nonsensical storyline of Dr Crusher commanding the Enterprise (wasting heaps of time that could have been used to far better purpose), and - YET AGAIN - a "no consequences" conclusion. Many of these problems stem from the fact that Part I and Part II were written by different people, I suspect. The one good point is Brent Spiner - he does a scarily good job as Lore, now driven by a sense of destiny as well as his own superiority. But can anyone explain to me why Data can execute his brother and Dr Crusher can disobey an order, and neither are ever punished?

Maybe not better than part 1, but still teriffic!
"Descent, Part 2" is where the action gets going. The trouble with the Borg chasing the Enterprise, the struggle for survival on the planet, and much, much more! Even though you may like to see Part 2 of some episodes first, see them in order and you'll really like this guaranteed, but the first step is to convince yourself to watch it. Well, it's not going to kill you, so watch it!

Bev Crusher Commands the Enterprise!
The conclusion which I am not going to give away here involves the doctor driving the ship into the sun to avoid the Borg! This was one of the best scenes in the episode.

The next would be when Data rebels against his brother Lore. Originally planned to be a long and protracted battle between brothers ...the cost of the show forced the producers to have a brief fight scene. However the story ended in an unpredictable way. All of this to control Data's emotion chip.

I wish this episode had one more installment. It would show how Lore met the Borg. How did he get away from Data in his last appearence in "Brothers"??

Data's emotion chip becomes the subject in the first Next Generation film ...Generations.

Data and Lore against the Federation (and Hugh the Borg!)
At the end of Part I of "Descent," Data had joined his "brother" Lore and a whole lot of Borg in an effort to overthrow the Federation. The pair had capture Picard, La Forge and Troi. This radical change in Data is explained by the fact his ethical program has been disabled by Lore who is also feeding the Enterprise Second Officer a steady diet of addictive emotions. Meanwhile, Riker and Worf find another group of Borg on the planet, this one led by Hugh, the Borg who was given a individuality in the classic "I Borg" episode. Hugh explains that the individuality program had spread through the collective and the confusion in the Borg was being exploited by Lore. Meanwhile, Data has begun a series of inhuman experiments on his best friend, La Forge.

There is a lot happening in this episode, with the interaction between the Data-Lore and Borg storylines. Ever since Hugh was sent back to the collective, we have wondered what was the effect of his new found self-identity. Whatever we might have expected, Lore leading a group of rogue Borg was not it, so the writers get points for coming up with a fun twist. What makes "Descent" an above-average episode is the whole idea of Data gone bad. Even though you know that in the end he will come to his senses, this perversion of Data's programming is rather unsettling, especially as it plays against the android's relationships with his crewmates. I also appreciate the idea that the show made the decision to provide an ultimate resolution to one of the plotlines.

Data a traitor?
Part I left off with Picard, Geordi, and Troi surrounded by the Borg, and they find out that Lore is involved, and so is Data. Data is being controled by Data. Data takes Geordi's visor away from him, and later Commander Data does some experiments on him.

we find out that these particular Borgs' are separted from the collective, and we see Hue is there. (Hue was once rescued by the Enterprise crew, and the crew instead of sending him back to the collective with self-destruct computer codes to destroy the Borg, Picard and the crew are sympathetic and send him back, with computer program on indivduality.) This disorients the Borg, and have turned to Lore who will be their leader, and bring order to them. Picard, Troi, and LaForge, escape and break the control Lore and on Data. Once free from Lore's control, Data fights with Lore, and defeats him. Data is forced to destroy Lore. Hue and the rest of the Borg on that planet try and find order with their lives. ... Read more

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Sure, technology can make life easier, but when it advances tooquickly it can be fraught with peril, or raise questions people aren't readyto answer. For years, Dr. Farallon (Ellen Bry) has been working on anorbiting particle fountain capable of large-scale planetary mining. Eventhough it isn't quite finished and tested yet, Geordi and theEnterprise have been sent to determine whether or not it is a moreefficient method of mining than the more traditional means. Along with thislarge-scale invention, Dr. Farallon has also invented helper robots, whichshe calls "exocomps." A fan of Data's positronic brain, she has given herexocomps artificial intelligence. Turns out she may have given these exocompsa little too much intelligence, because they start acting in ways that looksuspiciously like sentient self-preservation. When Geordi and Picard gettrapped on the particle fountain as it's about to blow up, Data refuses tosacrifice a potential life form in favor of two proven life forms, eventhough they are the most important members of the Enterprise. Someexcellent ideas are touched on here, but they're not taken to the extremes(particularly the ability to mass-produce a life form), but the action scenesare well executed. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Another "Are little machines sentient beings?" episode
The Enterprise is checking out the space station at Tyrus Seven, where there have come up with a mining experiment that uses a plasma fountain to raise material from the planet's surface. However, La Forge has some problems both the technology and its creator, Dr. Faralon (Ellen Bry). It seems the good doctor uses tiny little robots called "Exocomps," and when one of them avoid destruction because it disobeyed an order, Data declares the Exocomps have displayed self-preservation and are therefore "alive." Having been put on trial for being a walking toaster ("The Measure of a Man," Episode 35), nobody in the Star Trek universe better understands how difficult it is to have human accept machines as sentient beings (Is it not ironic that the scientists are always narrow minded and the military types on the Enterprise are the enlightened ones in the future?).

STNG has dealt repeatedly with the question of what makes a being sentient and therefore capable of enjoying rights. The series has looked at this question using androids, holographic characters, crystals and even little robotic devices called Nanites ("Evolution," Episode 50). However, I must admit there is something of a twist to how the humans deal with the tiny little machines this time around that does take the argument to the next level, as Data himself points out to Picard at the end. On balance this is an average STNG episode.

The Quality of Life
The question of sentience versus property and the right to use it as seen fit by those considered sentient is once again in question as a brilliant scientist comes aboard the Enterprise with two things in her favor: a particle fountain that the Federation might have use for, and her invention of the portable repair crew she uses to do work that would take others hours: the Exo-Comps. Data realizes that the exo-comps are becoming sentient and are therefore alive, but everyone else seems to think he is mistaken, so Data has to make them realize this the only way he can when all other tests and their results fail to convince them; he traps Geordi and Captain Picard on the particle beam station as the beam is about to explode. Only through expressed consent of the exocomps can Picard an Geordi be rescued at the sacrifice of one of the little machines. And as a result, a better understanding of both the machines and Data formulate. It's a great episode in the exploration of both the extent of humanity's understanding of artificial intelligence and how much life should be cherished, whether man-made or nature born. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This is a Good One!
This is one of the best STTNG episodes! An accident on a planet involving a leftover devise from an ancient war leads to the death of a member of an away team lead by Worf, the victim is Marla Aster who leaves behind 12 year old son Jeremy. Worf who is feeling responsible because he was in charge of the away team mission that resulted in the death of one of his away team members trys to bond with Jeremy as he too was orphaned at an early age. Worf, Picard and Troi try to help Jeremy deal with his mother's death but are hampered by a imposter from the planet who takes the form of his Mother, it is only trying to help Jeremy because feels sorry for what happened but ends up causing much confusion for the poor kid! The interaction between Worf and Jeremy is truly heartwarming and the episode is recommended to any fan of Worf and Michael Dorn the actor who plays him!

Is one of the best episodes of a remarkable Sci-fi show
The Bonding is one of the best Worf episodes, well actually I personally think it is the best Worf episode! Michael Dorn shines in this episode and shows the more tender side of Worf but does so without making him too soft! Marla Aster dies during an away team search of a planet and when Worf learns that her young son is on board the Enterprise and that he is all alone because his father is also deceased he feels a connection to Jeremy because he knows what it's like to be an orphan and wants to do a Klingon bonding ritual with Jeremy to help him deal with the loss of his mother but that is complicated by the sudden arrival of Jeremy's mother Marla claiming it was all a mistake but Worf finds himself with the help of Captain Picard, Deanna Troi and Wesley Crusher trying to convince Jeremy that his mother is gone and that the lookalike is fake and not really her. If I could give this more than 5 stars I would gladly do that!

A custody battle between the Enterprise and Energy Beings
On a routine archeological expedition led by Worf, an exploding land mine kills Dr. Marla Aster. Captain Picard and Counselor Troi have to tell Aster's son Jeremy, whose father had died a few years earlier, that he is now an orphan. However, Jeremy is not alone. An energy being from the planet comes aboard the Enterprise and assumes the appearance of Jeremy's mother. Once upon a time the planet had two races: the energy beings and corporal creatures that became extinct after generations of warfare. The energy beings will make amends for the accident by creating a home for Jeremy on the surface, where they will recreate everything he could ever want: his mother, friends, and a family. Meanwhile, also feeling responsible for what has happened, Worf attempts to bond with young Jeremy as well, teaching him about the Klingon approach to death. The energy beings are insistent that they can better provide for Jeremy than the crew of the Enterprise. Jeremy, of course, wants to be with his "mother." Picard cannot allow this, but can he prevent the powerful energy beings from doing what they want?

"The Bonding" is one of those Next Generation episodes that remembers to deal with the consequences of having families on the new and improved Enterprise. For Worf there is not only the sense of obligation since he was the leader of the away team on the mission where Marla Aster was killed, but there is also his identification with the Jeremy as an orphan. Ironically, the energy beings from the planet parallel both of these feelings as well. Ultimately, the nice touch about this episode is that the energy beings are as benevolent towards the fragile physical beings as Picard and his crew routinely are towards the various suffering creatures they encounter while cruising around the Star Trek universe. Next to Picard, Worf was always the Next Generation character who was least comfortable with small children. "The Bonding" prepares the way for the introduction of Alexander into Worf's life in a few seasons, and continues the exploration of his Klingon heritage, which becomes more and more pronounced with each season as well.

Not one of the best episodes of a remarkable Sci-Fi show.
When the ship's archaeoligist dies on a mission, Worf has the sad duty of informing the woman's son. However, when the 12 year old is mourning the loss of his mother, his mother suddenly reappears and wants to take him down to the planet. But is she what she appears to be? ... Read more

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And you wonder why your brother hates you
This is one of my favourites TNG episodes. There isn't a great deal of action in it, and if you aren't a fan of Data you might not find it so interesting. But it is a good story in its own right, well-written and with some excellent set design. There is also some significant character insight and background explanation, with the seeds of future events being sown. You do need to have seen "Datalore" first.
A near-tragedy has struck the Enterprise. Jake Potts played a practical joke on his brother Willie - and now Willie is in quarantine, infected with a parasite that will kill him if he does not receive medical help beyond the abilities of the crew to provide. But as the Enterprise is en route to a Starbase medical facility, everything goes wrong as Data easily and inexplicably seizes control of the ship. I like to see what an android can really do! Despite all efforts to stop him, he pilots the ship to an unidentified planet. He beams down to the surface, where he is restored to his usual self by his creator, Dr Soong (previously unseen in the series). Soong has summoned Data via his "homing circuitry" to give him a gift - but with the unexpected arrival of Lore, Data's insane older brother, sparks begin to fly.
The framing story with Jake and Willie is somewhat irritating for the lines given to Dr Crusher and the artifical time pressure it exerts on the whole episode. Yet in showing up an alternative brotherly relationship, it does serve its purpose.

The interactions between the two androids and their creator are at the heart of this episode, though. We get more insight into Lore, into Soong, and into Data - who, surprisingly, does not come out of this episode very well, at least in my opinion. Lore is hurt, desperate and full of questions. By contrast, Soong is a megalomaniac, indifferent, at heart, to the suffering he has caused throughout his life, and blind to the implications of his own behaviour; while Data is self-absorbed and equally blind. Yes, as "Datalore" established, Lore is a monster - but he cannot help that, and he did not deserve what his father and brother have inflicted on him. Sadly, the end of the episode makes it clear that it is Data alone we are meant to feel for, with all questions about past dubious behaviour conveniently ignored. More courage from the writers on this point would have made "Brothers" an even stronger episode.
Even if the plot does not grab you, it's worth watching this episode for Brent Spiner's acting alone. He plays Data, Lore, and Soong, but does it so well that you never think of it as one actor playing three roles at the same time - you immediately accept them as three distinct characters.
Give it a try.

Okay, which android gets the emotion chip from Daddy?
The Enterprise is dealing with a medical emergency, taking a dying boy to a Starbase equipped to save his life, when Data goes into a trance. When life support on the bridge fails everyone evacuates except Data, who takes over the ship, flies it to a strange planet and beams down. Data then walks into the workshop of an old man, who turns out to be Data's creator Dr. Noonian Soong. However, that is not the only surprise as Data's "brother" Lore also arrives in a trance. Soong explains to them that he had implanted a homing device in their positronic brains that allowed him to summon them. Soong is dying, but he has a final gift for Data: an emotion chip. However, Lore wants this final gift from Daddy for himself.

Ever since we first learned that Data's creator had disappeared we have been waiting for Dr. Soong to show up and in that regard this episode is a lot less than we would have expected since the old man is dying. However, "Brothers" has less to do with filling in the back-story of Data and the good doctor, not to mention Lore, than it does with setting up a chain of events down the road by introducing the emotion chip. This will have major repercussions both for episodes of the series and the Next Generation theatrical films. Consequently this episode is more expositional than most, serving to set up some really good episodes in the future dealing with the emotion chip and Lore. Of course this episode also allows Brent Spiner some fun since he plays both androids and the creator in whose image they were made, meaning he basically gave the rest of the cast a very light week of work. "Brothers" is a key link in the evolution of Data and this episode will certainly rank higher with fans of that character.

"Brothers" Shows Spiner's Acting Ability
This is one of my favorite Next Generation episodes because it features Brent Spiner in three roles: Data, Lore and Dr. Soong. It's amazing to me, when I watch all three characters in the same scene -- all played by the same actor -- to realize that each character's personality and each performance is so distinctly different from the others. A lesser actor couldn't have pulled this off... This episode (along with ones like "Datalore" and "Masks", which allow Spiner to play multiple characters in the space of a 45-minute episode) is a gem. A must-have for all Spiner and Trek fans. Buy this one.

Brent Spiner is such a great actor and Star Trek rules!
Lore, Data's evil twin, comes back AND Data meets his father, Dr. Soong. Does it get any better? No! Brent Spiner shines as Data, Lore and Soong. This is one of my favorite Star Trek Episodes. ... Read more

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Worf on "How to Raise a Klingon Child in Space"
"New Ground" is one of those episodes where the title refers to two plot lines that end up colliding in the climax. On the personal side, Helena Rozhenko, Worf's human foster mother, shows up with his son Alexander in tow. Declaring the boy would be better off with his father she quickly departs. When Alexander is caught stealing and lying, Worf understands it is time for him to be a parent. He lectures his son about Klingon honor and figures that will do the trick. When Alexander continues to misbehave in class, Word decides to send the boy to a Klingon school. Meanwhile, on the science side of the episode, the Enterprise is working on a grand experiment to generate a Soliton Wave, which is basically a means of achieving warp speed without a warp engine. The experiment is going well at first; the Soliton Wave is pushing the test ship merrily along with the Enterprise following along. But then the wave destabilizes, destroying the test ship and threatening to destroy the planet at the terminus of the planned journey. The only way for the Enterprise to stop the wave is to fly through it and fire photo torpedoes to dissipate it. However, this will cause damage to parts of the ship and you will never guess where a pouting Klingon boy is when that happens.

I think the idea of having Alexander come live aboard the Enterprise with his father was inspired in part by the episode "Disaster" where Worf serves as the mid-wife when Keiko O'Brian has her baby. Certainly Worf is the last person aboard you want delivering babies or raising a child. The problem is that Worf, the only Klingon in Starfleet, raised by human parents on Earth after the death of his parents in the infamous Khitomer massacre, forced to live with the unjustness of his discommendation, apparently has no understanding of what his son is going through. Worf and Alexander discovered K'Ehleyr's lifeless body and even though there is nobody in the galaxy who better understand what the boy is going through than his father, Worf is conveniently oblivious to all of those factors. Still, it is worthwhile to see one of the show's characters have to deal with being a parent now that Wesley is off to the Academy and Ian (remember him?) is tooling around the universe somewhere as a tiny dot of light. This is certainly a rough start, but there will be some excellent episodes dealing with Worf and Alexander down the line. Final note: Alexander is not exactly a traditional Klingon name, which makes me wonder if K'Ehlyer had a sick sense of humor or was trying to do a Klingon version of "A Boy Named Sue." ... Read more

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Obviously, the ideas of repressed memories and regression therapy werein the air when the writers came up with this episode. The Enterprise is transporting to Kaldra IV a delegation of Ullians, an alien race of telepathic historians. The Ullians are "archaeologists of the mind" who have been collecting memories of individuals on many worlds to be included in an ambitious library. There are rules that the Ullians must follow in collecting memories, such as never to enter the mind of a person without permission. It's a rule that one of them breaks when he becomes creepily attracted to Counselor Troi. From a distance, at night, he invades a memory she has of one of her romantic entanglements with Commander Riker. He then takes on the role of Riker in her mind and forces himself on her, essentially raping her. Troi falls into a coma. Riker is immediately suspicious of the guy, and soon enough he's in an action flashback and then a coma. Then Dr. Crusher ends up in a coma, too. Meanwhile, there's no proof that the comas are being caused by the Ullians, who have been a peaceful race for generations. When Troi wakes up, the evil Ullian suggests a mind probe, which he does himself, where he plants a false memory. Everything turns out fine, of course, thanks to some investigative research by Geordi and Data. Though the topic may be dated by current standards, the execution is quite good. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Troi's mind is assault by another telepath
The Ulians are a race of telepathic historians and when the Enterprise transports three of them to their next planet of study you know what that this episode is going to focus on Deanna Troi. At dinner Tarman, the leader of the Ulians, goes out of his way to belittle his son Jev, a member of the team. When Jev flees the uncomfortable dinner Troi follows and tries to make him feel better. Later, as she prepares for bed, Troi is assaulted by a memory that becomes so intense it sends her into a coma. Dr. Crusher's examination reveals nothing wrong and when Riker questions Jev, the last person to see Troi before her collapse, the Commander slips into a coma as well. Then Crusher thinks about subjecting the Ulians to a memory probe at which point she becomes the third member of coma city. Data and La Forge begin tracing back the planets the Ulians have visited looking for clues. When Troi regains consciousness she cannot remember what happens. But then, as Jev probes her memory in what he says is an attempt to prove the Ulian's innocence, Troi declares that Tarman mentally raped her.

The idea of telepathic mind rape was a pivotal moment in the film "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," when Spock got the information he needed from Lieutenant Valeris. Suffice it to say this treatment of the subject is not as dramatic in "Violations." It is certainly fortunate in the 23rd century that apparently all of these telepathic races are so benign because if the Ulians, the Betazoids, or any of the others wanted to wreck havoc you would have to think they could certainly get away with it. This is a below average episode featuring Troi, where once again she is more of a victim than an active agent in saving the day. They certainly have a hard time doing right by her character on this show. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Officer Exchange Program
Riker's Honor

Riker boards a Klingon Bird of Prey as part of an officer exchange program. This is another Next Generation gem with lots of action. Riker has to fight the first officer he bumped from command and has to watch his back. Promotions are gained by assassination! The Klingon captain believes that the Enterprise was responsible for a virus that begins to eat the hull of the Bird of Prey. All these ingredients make for Next Generation Classic!

William Riker, First Officer of the Klingon Crusier Pagh
Few things are as much fun as a Starfleet Officer Exchange Program and no one gets the short end of the stick more often than Commander Riker (a subtle suggestion that if you like this episode you should read Peter David's STNG Novel "A Rock and a Hard Place"). The Enterprise gets Ensign Mendon, a Benzite who notices strange creatures attached to the hulls of spaceships but does not want to say anything until he has completed his exhaustive research. Riker? He gets to be First Officer aboard the Klingon crusier Pagh. The comic twist is that Riker has done his homework. He is perfectly willing to eat the stomach churning Klingon food and beat up the ship's Second Officer to gain the respect of his new crewmates. The problem of course is that since Ensign Mendon did not feel it was necessary to report the gigantic interstellar parasite on the side of the Klingon ship, the Klingon captain comes to the conclusion this is some sort of sneak attack by the Enterprise. For him the only possible move is to go back and attack the Enterprise. For Riker the only possible way to head off this problem is to challenge the captain, take command of the Pagh, and order the Enterprise to surrender or else blow it to bits.

This is a fun episode, rather lighthearted given the all the other life and death crises afflicting the Enterprise crew during the second season. It is certainly nice to see Riker fully develop his sense of humor and with that beard Jonathan Frakes certainly looks like he could go toe to toe with a bunch of Klingons. Of course even if they are allies of the Federation, the Klingons remain that wacky bunch of hotheads (not to mention hard heads with those reinforced skulls) we have all come to know and love over the years. Given that at this point the series has only begun to really start exploring the idea of Worf as the only Klingon in Starfleet, Riker's temporary duty is an interesting look at the flip side of the coin. But Starfleet might want to rethink assigning Benzites anywhere near hazardous duty.

A Matter of Klingons!
Cultural education and social exploration aside, this episode rocks! It is fun to see Klingons from an outsider's perspective, true, but it's fun to see Klingons period. "A Matter of Honor" showcases Commander Riker and it is Riker at his very best. The only comparable Riker episodes (in quality) might be "The Pegasus" and "Second Chances". As Riker attempts to fit in with a Klingon crew as their first officer, he first must gain the crew's respect. This is no easy task for a "weakling human" but Riker succeeds is showing the Klingons that he is no weakling and will not be bullied. Riker learns a lot about this pround species and, in the end, the Klingons learn a bit about humans, too. The result is that both Riker and this crew of Klingon ruffians grow and mature. And when Riker returns to the Enterprise, there is a sense of understanding and camraderie between him and the Enterprise's resident Klingon, Lt. Worf.

Great episode, maybe the best of season two.

Excellent to study differences in cultures
Many of the Star Trek episodes from the Next Generation make good educational case studies. Much of the series writing was reviewed by Communication Theorists to insure interpersonal consistency. The result was character development that was believable and observable. Many colleges and universities around the country use this episode to study the impact that moving into a new and unknown culture can have on the individual. Riker must do what he can to fit into the Klingon command structure while preserving his own identity. The story does a good job of pointing out how easy it is to misunderstand events when viewed from only one perspective and how important it is to not carry our cultural predispositions into another culture. To a certain extent, it advocates the idea of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". However, it also shows that the host culture can learn from having an outsider identify options that may not have been considered before. All in all, it is fun to watch and makes the classroom more interactive as students discuss what they see. ... Read more

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The Enterprise answers a distress call to find a wounded young Borg (Jonathan Del Arco) on a desolate planet. After taking the Borg on board at Crusher's insistence, the crew wrestles with their fear and hatred of the most dread enemy the Federation has ever faced, while Picard and Geordi hit upon a devious plan to infect the Borg collective with a computer virus planted on their captive. Dr. Crusher is appalled at the plan, former Borg victim Picard is torn between his military instincts and ambassadorial benevolence, and Guinan has never been more merciless. And then they get to know this lonely little Borg lost, whom they name Hugh, who starts to shake the collective mentality and embrace his individuality. This fascinating chapter in the Borg saga puts a face and a personality to the relentless enemy, and casts the ruthless Federation plans of what is essentially genocide into an uncomfortable light. But their ultimate solution is a benign twist on the Borg campaign of assimilation. Hugh returns in episode 152, "Descent, Part I," and episode 153, "Descent, Part II." --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Viva La Resistance!
The Enterprise investigates an automated distress call on a small moon. Sensors reveal scant, faint signs of life from a crashed ship. When the away team beams down, they find the remains of 4 dead Borg - and one (Jonathan Del Arco) that is barely clinging to life. Dr. Crusher takes her Hippocratic Oath to the extreme when she insists that the Captain allow her to beam aboard not only the Federation's most deadly and feared foe, but the same race of aliens that once abducted and maimed him, forcing him to act as the aggressor against earth.

Picard bends to Crusher's will, then has an epiphany. Once the Borg is healed, they would have to beam him back to the crash site, to await the arrival of his fellow Borg to rescue him. Why not use this opportunity to finally destroy the Borg - all of them, by supplanting this one with a virus that will eventually make their hardware/software components unusable. Crusher objects, but Picard is determined to use this young Borg as the ultimate in assymetrical warfare.

Some of his chips are damaged and must be replaced to save him - and Geordi is given the task of introducing a program into the chips that will cause a systems crash when the Borg is picked up by his compadres. The Borg continues to rant on about "Resistance is Futile," and "You will be assimilated," and Geordi takes it stride with a smirk and a smart retort. In an effort to engage in a more mind-stimulating dialogue with the Borg as he makes repairs to his circuits, he names him Hugh. The name sticks.

Guinan, whose people were scattered throughout the galaxy because of the Borg, hates the species and looks forward to the end of all of them - until she meets Hugh and realizes there is a person under all those implants.

Del Arco has an innocent, sweet face that adds to the allure of this gentle child in Borg clothing. Perhaps assimilated as an infant, he has never known individuality before he was on the Enterprise, and it changes him profoundly. Picard, on the otherhand, has been a strong, hearty individual his entier adult life and yet his individuality did nothing to affect the Borg when he was assimilated. The Borg do not procreate, they assimilate... so everyone in the Borg Collective was once an individual - some were assimilated later in life, and yet none make an impact upon the Collective.

The crew somehow thinks that Hugh will be different, however, making changes in the hive mind. As Spock would say, "highly illogical."

Despite this major hole in the plot, no episode with the Borg will bore the viewer. The mere thought of them sends chills up the spine of any Trekkie or Trekker. They are the epitome of evil - right in the same company as Alien and Predator - except for at least the Predator plays fair.

Eye Borg
Another great entry in ST:TNG's Borg saga, "I, Borg" features our Starfleet stalwarts facing the standard weekly moral dilemma(s) and their own prejudices & preconceptions following the rescue of a single Borg, eventually given the name Hugh, from a crash site. Captain Picard is especially torn between his respect for life in all its forms versus using the Borg captive as a weapon against its own kind (being thrown into the collective and forced against your will to kill and destroy will do that to you). His role playing of his Borg persona Locutus from the "Best of Both Worlds" cliffhanger at the climax makes for one of the episode's more disquieting moments. Through it all, Hugh develops from a part dependent on the whole into a fully realized individual, with repercussions that would be followed up in the subsequent Borg saga two-parter "Descent". If you're a big time Borgophile like myself, this one's unquestionably a must-have!

Sadly, I used to enjoy this eppie a LOT more (as well as all the others) before a Trek-viewer friend pointed out that Captain Picard has a bit of a lazy eye! It's not as obvious as Worf's (Michael Dorn) slight lack of proper ocular alignment, but it is perceptible if you look hard enough. The hell of it is, I never noticed it before! But that's not the worst of it... every time I do see Patrick Stewart on the tube now, be he Picard, Gurney Halleck, Leodegranz, or that guy in "Conspiracy Theory", I see it each and every time, to the point of being somewhat distracting.

Yes, I know, you're probably thinking, "what kinda sick weirdo focuses on- and is distracted by- some TV star's physical shortcomings? Get over it!" Hey, I can't explain it... it's just one of those weird things. Shatner had his hairline (before his priceline, heh), Doohan had his missing finger, Nimoy had his substabdard singing ability... and Stewart has his eyeballs staring in slightly different directions. It's just kinda freaky, you know?

Needless to say, I have one less buddy I watch TV with nowadays...

'Late!

Some of my best friends are Borg...
The Enterprise traces a strange transmission signal back and discovers a wrecked Borg scout ship on a moon. Only one of the Borg has survived the crash and Captain Picard allows Dr. Crusher to beam the Borg aboard the ship. Crusher discovers that the Borg's biochips were damaged in the crash, which means he is cut off from the Collective. Picard sees this as a golden opportunity destroy the Borg by creating new biochips that contain a computer virus that will spread through the Collective. However, while La Forge is working on the biochips he engages the Borg in conversation and the two become friends. La Forge even gives the Borg a name, "Hugh." To the surprise of everyone, Hugh becomes an individual who can say, "I am Hugh" instead of "We are Borg." This turn of events creates a fascinating dilemma for Picard: On the one hand the Captain was transformed by the Borg into Locutus, where his knowledge of Starfleet was used to destroy the armada trying to defend Earth. But on the other hand, this is Jean-Luc Picard, who has defended the rights of sentient beings from his android Second Officer to flashing crystals to nanites to holographic characters. Beyond the personal dilemma, there is his obligation as a Starfleet officer to end the threat of the Borg once and for all.

"I Borg" offers another rare opportunity to see Jean-Luc Picard when he is not at his best, although his emotional involvement in this situation is perfectly understandable. However, at the heart of the episode is Jonathan Del Arco's performance as Hugh, who does a nice job of overcoming the inherent limitations of Borg speak to affect his transformation from member of the Collective into autonomous individual (pay attention to the subtle changes in his inflections over the course of the episode). Obviously this episode pre-shadows the addition of Seven of Nine to the Yoyager crew. There are no easy answers to Picard's dilemma, here as we shall find out at the end of the following season in "Descent" (Episode 152), when we learn the consequences of Picard's decision.

Individuality matters
This episode struck a blow to the face of prejudice and racism by showing that it's teaching and conditioning that make a person "good" or "bad," not the color of skin (or planet of origin). It showed that, if we are offered a choice, everyone can choose to be good, even a member of a race as evil as the Borg. Everyone needs to be viewed as an individual and not generalized or categorized based on race or gender.

The Enterprise finds a Borg. Some of the crew try to save it
This episode is very emotional. The crew of the Enterprise find a Borg drone. Geordie and Beverly name him Hugh. Geordie, Beverly, and Guinan try to save him from Jean-Luc Picard. This episode is for anyone who enjoys who has children and wants to teach them ethics, not for the action type. ... Read more

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When Picard refuses to allow Dr. Pulaski (Diana Muldaur) to perform an operation on him, even though she's qualified, she tells him to check into a hospital on Starbase 515. Turns out he needs a cardiac replacement because an earlier replacement was faulty, but he didn't want the operation done on the ship because he didn't want to appear weak. While he's gone, the Enterprise answers a distress call from some alien sad sacks whose shipis broken and who are far from home. Since they are reported as being a benign species of scavengers, searching the universe for things to make their ship go, the Enterprise sends over Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge to make thenecessary repairs. Deanna Troi assesses the situation and immediately sensesthat Geordi is in great danger, as he is something that will make their ship go and they will be loath to give him up. It's up to Riker to formulate a plan to get him back. As the crew of the Enterprise learns not to judge a seemingly idiotic race by their appearance, Picard learns there is strength in facing up to one's weaknesses. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

2nd Worst Episode!
I love Star Trek: The Next Generation and have loved most of the episodes of this magnificent TV show's long run but of the few episdoes that I don't like Samaritan Snare is high on my short list of least favorite episodes and is #2 on the list. The Pakleds are really annoying and this episode is like watching a really bad B movie that could easily be made fun of by Mystery Science Theater! Ok, I have seen some silly episodes of STTNG that I actually liked but I can't say that for Samaritan Snare because it was beyond silly it was just plain dumb!

"We Like Things That Make Us Go!"...Pakled Captain
"We like things that make us go" and Picard's mechanical heart

In this episode we get to see two major events: La Forge's Crimson Force Field ALA the "Corbomite Maneuver" and we learn of Picard's mechanical heart. The A story is about aliens that retro fit technology from other planets. The infamous Pakleds are pretty much as laughable as the Ferengi. The B story was an account of how Picard got an artificial cardiac replacement after a bar room brawl in his youth. Both of these elements make this one worth the price of the videocassette.

One Of The Worst TNG Episodes!
Star Trek: The Next Generation is one of my all time favorite TV shows and I loved the majority of the episodes but of the few that I don't like, Samitarian Snare is one of the worst, the whole plot with those annoying dopes called the Pakleds is the main reason I didn't like it, they are the most boring, uninteresting Star Trek alien race ever created and the whole plot was ridiculous! The other plot with Picard needing an artificial cardiac replacement and traveling on a shuttlecraft with Wesley while he was on his way to his operation and Wesley on his way to take some type of Star Fleet test was better but could not make up for the goofy Pakleds who ruined the episode! I'm sure glad that the Pakleds never became recurring characters and were limited to this one episode!

Picard Has to Have a Heart, or, The Pakleds That Roared
How ironic that after providing the equivalent of a new mission statement and a fresh start with the previous episode, "Q Who?" that the series follows up with this rather tepid entry. There are two plot lines. The first has Captain Picard in need of a cardiac replacement. In seems that as a lad Picard had made some unfortunate remarks concerning the parentage of a Norsican that resulted in a fight during which he was stabbed through the heart. The second plot line has La Forge beaming over to help repair a supposedly disabled Pakled ship only to be held hostage unless Riker beams over the Enterprise's computer records. However, the Pakleds are--and there is no nice way of saying this--not the brightest stars in the universe. Of course while Riker is dealing with this clowns there are complications with Picard's operation. A biomolecular physiologist is needed and wouldn't you know it, the only one close enough to save the day is Dr. Pulaski and she is stuck on the Enterprise during the, uh, crisis.

Consequently this is a trivial little episode. The Pakleds are pests more than serious threats, especially since we found out in the previous episode about the Borg. However, Picard's little aside to Wesley about how he came to need a new heart will result in the wonderful "Tapesty" episode (#141) from Season 6, where Q gives Picard a chance to live that particular moment over. This only goes to show what good writers can do with little details. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Good Episode
The Enterprise NCC-1701-D is waiting for its next mission. While the crew take a few days to rest the Enterprise is hit by a quantum filament. This has some of the best lines in this season (i.e. Worf to Keiko "You may now give birth." and then Keiko shoots back "That's what I've been doing!"). Also in the this show Troi is in command which is somthing Ro doesn't approve of. Riker atuck with just Dats's head (Good lines come from Riker while he is fooling around with Data's head)after Data's body is damaged. Picard stuck in a turbolift with three children and then has to climb up a turboshaft with them. La Forge and Crusher st