Amazon.com

Commander Riker and Data are on the planet Melona IV overseeing construction of a new colony. Riker is also starting up an affair with one of the colonists and they seem happy together, which of course means she's doomed. Her destruction comes courtesy of the Crystalline entity, previously seen in the episode "Datalore" from season 1. The entity mines the entire planet for its energy, absorbing everything. All but two of the colonists are saved (Riker's girlfriend is killed when she stops to help another), thanks to a protective cave. Back on the Enterprise, the crew decides to pursue and study the entity, along with the help of xenologist Kyla Marr, who has devoted her life to studying it ever since it killed her son on Omicron Theta. She has no trust for Data because she knows that Data's "brother" Lore was responsible for luring the entity to Omicron Theta, but it's only with Data's help that she learns the secret to communicating with and possibly destroying the alien creature. Because the entity killed her son, she wants to destroy it before it kills again, and Riker agrees, but Picard would rather try to establish communications with it. Though the character of Marr is often annoying, and her communication with her son through Data's access to the Omicron Theta journal entries is a bit much, all is forgiven with an ending that is as brilliant as it is bittersweet. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The ending will blow you away!
Guest star Ellen Geer is memorable as a scientist that has motives, other than science, in her investigation of the mysteriously dangerous "Crystal Entity". The episode abounds in one revelation after the other, with an end that is possibly one of the series' most surprising...and thought provoking.

"Trek" doesn't get any better than this!

What's wrong with everyone's memory?
This is a good, solid episode - well made, and with some real depth to it.
The Enterprise crew are helping some colonists establish themselves on an empty planet when the Crystalline Entity, that "giant snowflake" that sucks the life energy out of entire planets, attacks. Starfleet sends a xenobiologist, Dr Kila Marr, to study the attack and find some way of dealing with the Entity. But she has secrets of her own, and the developing relationship between her and Data, set against the background of their mission, provides some real emotional depth as the tension rises.
There are some flaws with this episode. Dr Marr is allowed to get away with too much, and it seems that Data failed to tell anyone about the growing instability in her behaviour. It also seems that everyone has forgotten about the Enterprise's last encounter with the Crystalline Entity, where Lore proved that it was intelligent and that he could talk to it and understand when it talked back.
But those quibbles aside, this episode is very good. The acting is excellent, as is the pacing. The special effects are rather good, too. This episode also raises some thought-provoking questions. How do you react to a life-form that is so different from your own? How does it view the world around itself, and how can you deal with it? Star Trek: TNG at close to its best.

One Of The Best
This episode has everything! Family loyalty, communicating with an intelligence, and the want for vengence. This one is a keeper & I'd recommend it to any Trek fan...

Yet Another Star Trek twist on "Moby Dick"
Riker, Crusher and Data are visiting a new Federation colony on Melona Four while the Enterprise is conveniently off elsewhere. Suddenly the crystal entity that befriended Data's "brother" Lore in "Datalore" (Episode 14) appears in the sky above them. Data leads the group into some caves and when the Enterprise returns they find the planet has been stripped of all life by the "Silicon Avatar." As they track down the killer crystal, the Enterprise is aided by Dr. Kila Marr, a zenologist who is Starfleet's foremost authority on the crystal entity and who has a melodramatic interest in pursuing it since it killed her son when it attacked the colony of Data's home world. Just to make things interesting, Picard insists that they will try to communicate with the entity before trying to destroy it, if such communication is possible (apparently no one remembers that Lore had no problem communicating with it at all the first time around). Consequently, we have a test of wills between Captain Picard and Dr. Marr to see who will win out. Of course, Marr has a slight advantage because Picard has no idea what she wants to do. "Silicon Avatar" is a slightly below average STNG episode. We have seen better versions of "Moby Dick" on Star Trek and it is somewhat amazing that the crystal entity has avoided being tracked down by Starfleet as it goes around the universe stripping planets of all life. Also, it is interesting that Picard is more willing to talk to the killer crystal entity than he was to Ensign Ro in the previous episode. Ah, consistency is the hobgoblin of shows where different people write different episodes. But "Silicon Avatar" has to be the most pretentious STNG episode title ever.

Criminal Justice with No Laws
Many people seem to feel compassion and mercy for those who have done wrong and even killed, but I am seldom among them. But this episode shows us an unique situation in which a creature, the crystaline entity, seems to kill on a large level because of its nature. IT MAY NOT EVEN KNOW IT IS KILLING.

Now enter the mother of a victim, who, since the death of her 16 year old son at the hands of the creature, has been obsessed with the study and eventual destruction of the entity.

The crew of the enterprise figures out a possible way of communicating with the creature (reminiscent of the "Companion" from the original series). Despite the deadly nature and our contempt for the creature, I found my curiousity in what the creature "has to say" out-weighing my hate for it.

Five stars if it were not for the high standard set by so many other episodes! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Ferengi portrayed as powerful rivals to the Federation
This episode reintroduces the Ferengi, a new rival for the Federation. Their society is based on commercial interests and profit, although in this episode, revenge is the primary motivation. Many years ago, Captain Picard was commanding a ship called the Stargazer, which was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a ship of unknown origin. The Stargazer was on the verge of destruction, and Captain Picard used a desperate technique to destroy the attacking vessel. That action is now known as the "Picard maneuver" and is part of Star Fleet Academy training. However, the Stargazer was so heavily damaged that the crew was forced to abandon ship.
The attacking ship was Ferengi, although the Federation never learned that fact. It was commanded by the son of Daimon Bok, who is the commander of a Ferengi ship that requests a rendezvous with the Enterprise, although no reason is given for the request. Bok and his senior officers beam aboard the Enterprise and present Picard with the gift of the Stargazer, which is no longer a derelict. The ship is a Trojan Horse, as Bok uses it as bait to use a mind-altering device on Captain Picard. The device forces him to relive the battle, only this time he is alone on the Stargazer and he believes that the Enterprise is the enemy ship.
This episode serves to establish the Ferengi as legitimate rivals to the Federation. In episode 8, "The Last Outpost" the Ferengi are introduced, but they are portrayed as sniveling creatures, hardly worthy adversaries for the powerful Federation. In this episode, we see them as a species capable of building starships, with a command structure similar to that of the Enterprise. Riker's private conversations with the first officer of the Ferengi ship are more in the area of one officer to another rather than one species to another.
I rank this episode very highly, (4 1/2 stars is more accurate),as it corrects many of the errors made in "The Last Outpost." It also paves the way for Ferengi characters to appear in later episodes of TNG as well as the subsequent series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

"Let the dead rest, and the past . . . remain the past."
A touch of action, a more threatening portrayal of the Ferengi, and a peek into Captain Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) past was the combination that made "The Battle" one of the more intriguing episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation's first season.

Captain Picard is in for a surprise as the Enterprise-D rendezvous with a Ferengi vessel that is towing his former ship, the U.S.S. Stargazer. Ferengi commander DaiMon Bok (Frank Corsentino) offers Picard the derelict as a gift, but its return is actually part of a revenge plot against the Enterprise's captain who the Ferengi holds responsible for the death of his son

It is always a treat when Star Trek: The Next Generation fills in the gaps between the start of its series and the end of the adventures of the original Star Trek crew. "The Battle" provides insightful details into Picard's career before taking command of the Enterprise and is an important step in providing his character with more depth. The less comical portrayal of the Ferengi also was a welcome sight as they leave behind their energy whips and employ deception and guile instead to gain the upper hand.

Picard Battles Bok
Battle Scars

In another encounter with the Ferengi; Picard fights the devious Captain Daimon Bok. He's sworn revenge on him for killing his son twenty years ago. Back then, Picard was leading the Stargazer. Bok's son fired on the starship without warning. Our good captain returned fire and inadvertently killed him. The fact his son initiated the "Battle of Maxia"was of no consequence.

Bok returns the old Stargazer as a "gift" to the unsuspecting Picard. He has a mind control device to torture him. As a result, Picard can't understand why he's getting headaches. It's a thing of the past in the 24th century. After a lot of hallucinations and sleepless nights he returns to the bridge of his dead ship.

Who else but Bok is waiting for him to perform the final stroke to finish Picard. Without giving away the ending, this one has a good confrontation between the Captains. One of the better ones of the first season.

DaiMon Bok plays mind games with Captain Picard
One of the improvements on the original Star Trek you get with the Next Generation is a much better sense of the backstories on the characters. In "The Battle" we learn about the fate of one of Jean-Luc Picard's earlier commands, the Stargazer. The Enterprise rendezvous with a Ferengi vessel and after three days of waiting around, during which time Picard mysteriously starts getting headaches, DaiMon Bok of the Ferengi presents Picard with the derelict Stargazer. The ship had been lost seven years earlier in an encounter with an unknown spacecraft, which turns out to have been Ferengi. Bok dismisses what happened as an accident, but it turns out his son was killed in the engagement. A mind control device sends Picard over the edge and he tries to repeat history on the bridge of the Stargazer, only this time with the Enterprise as his target.

You must remember that "The Battle" represents the original conception of the Ferengi, where they are more the marauding pirates of the galaxy than the highest form of venture capitalists. Consequently, it is difficult to reconcile the vengeful DaiMon Bok with Quark and his brethren, although at the end Bok is relieved of command for having engaged in an unprofitable enterprise. You really do have to cut the show some slack with a lot of these early episodes and not hold the producers and writers to everything that happens this early (e.g., in this episode Deanna can sense bad thoughts from Bok, yet in "Menage a Troi" she and her mother complain they can not read Ferengi thoughts).

This is a fairly representative episode of the first season, where the situation is usually simple or easily contrived, but we are getting a chance to learn about these new characters and see them in action. Patrick Stewart gets to work out his acting chops in this episode, which is always enjoyable. If only the original uniforms did not look so cheesy in retrospect.

The Battle
This episode explores Captain Picard's past as captian of the USS Stargazer. The Stargazer is a previously unseen type of starship which was pretty cool. The episodes story is OK which deals not only with Picard's past but with Ferengi (sp) as well. Not bad for the first season. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Picard and crew do the time warp again
While returning to the Enterprise in a shuttle, Picard, Data, La Forge and Troi take turns being momentarily frozen in time. They are in an area of space pocketed with temporal distortions. When they get to the Enterprise there is a warp core breach in progress, which has something to do with a nearby Romulan warbird and, in turns out, aliens from another continuum. Picard and his cohorts have to figure out the mystery before every goes "ka-boom." "Timescape" is an average STNG episode, with some interesting variations on temporal distortions, but the series has done much better (e.g., "Cause and Effect," the classic Episode 119).

Great acting, good plot, and a terrific episode in general.
I think that Timescape is a wonderful episode due greatly to the fact that it more realist than most episodes. Now of course I like all of the episodes being a trekker and all, but sometimes the science is a bit looney. This episodes only science flaw was the ability to isolate the crew so well, but I guess it had to be done to keep the show interesting. Still, science aside, the acting was the most important part, you really could feel the tension and the surprise of the crew when they found the Enterprise frozen in time, {well slowed way way down at least} and because of that I keep watching it over and over again. The plot is also excellent, with complexities being added in every ten minutes or so, thus keeping you suspence about what is actualy happening. All in all an excellent performance and definantly worth buying.

The Enterprise and a Romulan War bird frozen in time
This is a rather intruguing episode about what we consider to be the natural progression of time, and how we sometimes view it as going too fast or too slow. While Picard and company are returning to the Enterprise from a mission, Troi suddenly sees the rest of the crew on the shuttlecraft freeze. Later on, when the crew returns to the Enterprise, they notice that their ship was fired upon by a Romulan Warbird, but it's frozen in time! What will happen to the Enterprise once time is restored to its normal progression? ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Welcome to the wonderful and wacky world of Reg Barclay
"Hollow Pursuits" introduces us to Lt. Reg Barclay (Dwight Schultz), quite arguably the most popular guest star in the Next Generation universe after Q. Come to think of it, Barclay is just about the perfect counterpart to Q since he lacks confidence, . When La Forge complains about Barclay's performance to Picard, the captain insists his chief engineer find a way to motivate the man. What neither knows is that Barclay is spending a lot of his free time on the holodeck, where he acts out inspired fantasies that cast the Enterprise crewmembers in supporting roles and allow him to act out his unrequited love for Counselor Troi. Of course the man is totally addicted to the giant interactive game. However, when Troi, La Forge and Riker are about to do an intervention the Enterprise suddenly starts accelerating faster and faster. The ship is going to self-destruct unless La Forge can fix the warp engines and you will never guess who is suddenly needed to help save the day . . .

Not only does "Hollow Pursuits" have a great title, it deals with two realistic problems of the Star Trek universe, namely the great danger of being addicted to the fantasy world of the holodeck and the fact that not everybody on the Enterprise can be as capable and confident as the bridge crew. In that regard it is very easy for most traditional Trekkers to identify with the character of Reg Barclay. During the last part of the third season on STNG, there were several episodes with absolutely hysterical scenes, and Barclay being caught on the holodeck with his fantasies out is one of the best.

My favorite Star Trek episode
This is my favorite ST:TNG episode, mainly because of the introduction of Reg Barclay, the extremely shy lieutenant with a crush on Troi. Dwight Schultz (Murdock on "The A-Team") plays Barclay very well. Having shown a talent for playing insane pilots and murdering psychiatrists("Diagnosis Murder"), among other things, Schultz reveals his versatility through his portrayal of Barclay's awkwardness and social anxiety. His behavior in the holodeck, as he fences with Picard and flirts with Troi (the Goddess of Empathy) make this episode hilarious.

Beyond Schultz's performance, I enjoyed the attitudes of the rest of the crew during the show. Their initial mockery of "Broccoli" gave way to offense when they saw how they were represented in the holodeck. Troi's indignation alone made the episode worth watching (she's funny when she's mad!). I would recommend this video to any Trekkies, of course, but also to fans of Dwight Schultz, as his acting is a large part of what makes this such a good episode.

"Hollow Pursuits"- Absolutely Hilarious!
This is one of my all time favorite episodes. Barclay, a junior officer who suffers from social anxiety and an extrememly nervous disposition retreats from interaction in the real world to the holodeck, where he creates alternate personas for the main crew of the Enterprise. Picard, Riker and (I think!) Data are the three musketeers, Crusher is a pastoral maiden who feeds Barclay grapes, and, best of all, Troi stars as the "Goddess of Empathy" dressed in Greek robes. When the crew finds out about this program, you can guess how they all repsond to their holodeck counterparts. The best point of the show- when Troi tells the Goddess of Empathy, who is spewing comforting pyschobabble to "stuff it." A must-see episode! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I like Meeno Peluce But?
I like Meeno Peluce but this video is TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE!! I haven't seen it yet but anything with Meeno Peluce in it is good! But one star comes off for the OUTRAGEOUSLY AND RIDICULUS HIGH PRICE FOR THIS MOVIE!! SELLER'S PLEASE LOWER YOUR PRICES OR YOUR VIDEOS WILL NOT SELL!! I GUARENTEE IT!! Thanks! Jimmy

It's OK But...
I haven't actually seen it yet, but if what the other reviews are saying is true, then I think that the people selling them shoud definaty lower their prices by about $35 since they don't seem to be very good to others and are such high priced, then I don't want to take the chance of wasting so much money that I don't have just to watch pre-assumed garbage of a movie.

For serious Voyagers! fans only
The reason I gave this video two stars was a matter of math. This video includes footage from two episodes of the sci-fi series about time travel that aired on NBC 1982-83, 'Voyagers!' - the series pilot and the Titanic/Louis Pasteur episode. The original scenes are the bright spots, and worth it for a fan who remembers the show and can't find episode copies elsewhere. Unfortunately, the editor for this video ravaged the material, clipping some scenes, flipping the original order of some scenes thereby causing discontinuity, and inserting idiotic segueways featuring a talking 'central computer' to cover the unneccesary damage. I think the worst editing disaster of all was the dubbing of new dialogue in for the characters at various spots, Jeffery Jones especially. It's clearly not the original actors' voices, and the added dialogue is inane. Had the two episodes of this inventive series been left in their original condition, this video would be worth four stars. The editing folly subtracts from that, leaving two, one for each episode.

What a disappointment!
If you were a fan of the Voyager TV show, DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT waste your money on this dreadful 90 minute compilation of some episodes. None of my favorite epidsodes were included (no Jesse James/Teddy Roosevelt, no Einstein, no Dickens' England). Worse, someone added the cheesiest special effects for time travel I've ever seen: the screen cuts to what appears to be a some slots from a giant computer and makes stupid noises. This stuff would have ended up on the cutting room floor of "Planet Nine From Outer Space"! If you enjoyed the TV show, just remember Jon-Erik & Meeno fondly and keep your money in your pocket. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Trek trickster Q (John DeLancie) puts a spin on It's a Wonderful Life when he gives Captain Picard a chance to replay the follies of his youth. Picard lies dying on the operating table after a freak energy discharge damages his artificial heart when Q shows up like a devilish Clarence the Angel, offering him a do-over of his destiny and save his heart. Suddenly the older, wiser captain finds himself a young ensign of 21 (still played by Patrick Stewart, though his twentysomething comrades seem not to notice), fresh from the Academy and ready to take on the world. Picard is determined not to make the same mistakes again on that fateful day at the Academy, but immediately feels the repercussions of his decision when he slingshots back to the present a changed man, careful and cautious and no longer the sum of youthful mistakes. Stewart carries through with his usual dignity and confidence, but the episode really comes alive when he embraces his inner rascal and lets the impulsive ensign out with a smile and a mean right hook. The impish Q really only came into his own in later seasons, when his devious tests revealed an odd, usually well-hidden benevolence, and this is one of his more thoughtful outings. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (7)

What if Picard never took chances?..He wouldn't be captain.
This one shows how if Picard never got into a bar room fight in his acdemy years...he would have never taken chances that would have led him to be a starship captain. Q shows Picard what would have happened had he not taken the big risks that led to his career. I love the scenes with him in a blue starfleet tunic as a researcher for the Enterprise. Another priceless scene is when he asks Riker how he can gain advancement in his career. He essencially gave Picard the brush off. You could see his career was going to be one of redundant reports and endless monotony.

This one is a keeper. It's the ultimate Picard episode that gives you a lot of insight into the character.

Sometimes a second chance is not all its cracked up to be...
The Away Team beams up a badly injured Captain Picard, who dies on the operating table because of problems with his artificial heart. In the proverbial bright light of the afterlife Picard encounters a godlike figure--who turns out to be Q. They are going to spend eternity together, but first Q would like to know if there is anything Picard regrets. After all, if he had a real heart he would still be alive. Q refers to an incident that Picard told Wesley Crusher about in "Samaritan Snare" (Episode 43), where his heart was damaged in a bar fight with some Norsicans. When Picard does indeed express some regrets over having been so headstrong as a youth, Q gives him a second chance: Picard is again a young ensign, two days before the encounter with the Norsicans that will end up with him having a dagger piercing his heart. If Picard can avoid that fight, he will not die 30 years later. The "mature" Picard finds a way to avoid the fight and Q congratulates him and returns him to the present--where "Lieutenant" Picard discovers he is an assistant astrophysics officer, described by his superiors as hardworking but not command material. Jean-Luc has to wonder if maybe he would rather be dead than live out the rest of his life like this.

I have thought about it and I have considered it, and I think "Tapestry" is the best of the episodes featuring Q. We have all seen movies and television shows that deal with the big difference made on lives by little things, but that does not take away from the high quality of this episode. The scenes between Picard and Q have a certain sharpness to them missing in other encounters because of the significance of the subtexts here: this is not only about Picard's "life" as in the opposite of death but also his "life" in terms of who he is at his core being. This is definitely one of the top 5 STNG episodes focusing on Picard. Discuss Topic: It seems the best episodes with Q are the always the ones that do not have Q in their titles. Talk amongst yourselves.

Excellent Episode With A "Dead" Captain Picard!
I must comment on this wonderful episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It involves my favorite , and probably most other Star Trek fans' favorite character, the abominable "Q". In this episode, Capt. Jean-Luc Picard faces death for the first time (and the last time) in my favorite Star Trek series. He perishes on the sick-bay table from a fighting accident and goes to heaven to meet.....who else than God himself, Q! Q welcomes him with open arms (actually, an open handshake) into his eternal world and Capt. Picard is surprised to see him, and does not believe the heavens is run by HIM! But, it is, and Q gives him a chance to make changes and right the "wrongs" that he did as a younger man.....a cadet fresh out of the Academy. This is to relieve Capt. Picard of any regrets that he had when he was alive, so Q doesn't have to hear him...."whining and complaining through time!" "How much time?" says Capt. Picard. "Eternity", replies Q! Q is humorous and witty as usual in this episode and transports him back in time to his Academy days. It is at the point in time just before he got stabbed through the heart by a Nausican where he was transported back to....to his dormitory room. If he can manage NOT to get stabbed through the heart, Q would bring him back to the present day. All of this is REAL, not an illusion that Q made up for his amusement. After many a disillusionment and losing his former friends from the Academy, he DOES manage not to get stabbed through the heart by that Nausican, and is brought back to the present day. But it's not the present day that HE remembered! In his NEW "afterlife", he is just an ordinary crewman serving under Capt. Thomas Halloway as an astrophysics officer! He doesn't like this one bit, and asks Comm. Riker and Counselor Troi if he can be more.....like captain of the ship. Comm. Riker replies, "....We'll see"!. Funny. Capt. Picard mumbles to himself my favorite line that he gives in this episode, "All right Q, you made your point. Having a good laugh now?" He then goes into the turbolift to give his assignment to Lieut. La Forge and is brought back to heaven by Q. He and Q have a one on one confrontation with Q giving him a verbal war of how good he has it now...."with a real heart beating in your chest!" Capt. Picard admits it was a mistake, and that now...."I would rather die on that bed than live the life I just saw!" Q grants him his request and Capt. Picard is revived on his sick-bay bed chuckling at his experience! Was it a dream, or was it a real after-death experience?

A philosopher's episode?
Great episode - brimming with Neitzsche's concept of eternal recurrence - Star Trek TNG seems to find philosophically pregnant themes like this often, to its credit!

100% Compliments! by Elliott Lewis UK
I am no major fan of Star Treck, however I watch it when I can, and thank the lord I did! This was by far the best episode of Star Treck Gen. to ever be showen. The story line is complex and gripping and it realy ilustrates an important fact of life... You have to take chances. In this particular episode "Q" gives the Captain a chance to re-live a part of his life, which indirectly lead to his death, but also helped him become the captain of the Star Ship Enterprise. This was a truly fantasic episode and strangley ironic. SO RECOMENDED! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Booby Trap: A story about a guy in love with his ship!
Geordi's long awaited date with Christi on the holodeck doesn't go as well as he planned; sadly he strikes out again with yet another woman. He laments about this to Guinan in Ten Forward who offers him comfort and reassurance before he returns to duty. Meanwhile the Enterprise is exploring an asteroid belt that is the site of an interstellar battle between two warring alien races and has been over for nearly 1,000 years. They pick up an alien S.O.S. and in tracing it to the source find a battle cruiser left over from the war and still intact. They board it to conduct research and also to determine the cause of the demise of that ship's crew. When they attempt to leave the asteroid belt it is discovered that they are now caught within a minefield that is draining the ship's power and is impossible to attempt to navigate out of. Geordi's effort to determine a means of escape leads him to recreate the Enterprise's design labs on the holodeck. When Geordi asks for some assistance from the computer on the holodeck it fabricates a replication of Dr. Leah Brahms, the starship's designer - who Geordi falls for.

'Booby Trap' is a superior second season episode that is brilliantly conceived and soundly delivered. Though the premise of finding an ancient alien warship floating in space amidst an undetected minefield is intriguing on it own, the creators concern themselves primarily with Geordi and his pursuit of a relationship. In less capable hands the story may have concentrated on the discovery of the antique hardware and the ship's eventual escape; however, the writers of 'Booby Trap' dealt with the dimension that Trek always places the highest importance on - what it is to be human.

Geordi is experiencing some painful feelings that a lot of people do, namely that life has unfairly dealt him lemons in the love life department. He also suffers from the same sense that many do in his situation, acutely aware of his loneliness, struggling to do something about it and having to continually reassure himself of his qualities when he doesn't succeed. The writers use this to their advantage having Geordi meet the proverbial "girl of his dreams" in the form of the starship he cares for beyond anything else. As Dr. Leah Brahms, Susan Gibney is both perfectly ethereal in appearance and gorged with all the same intimate knowledge of the Enterprise as is Geordi. Naturally the two begin to feel a strong attraction to one another but do realize the limitations of their relationship, which the writers emphasize in the credible and sensitive ending to the show.

Other elements worth mentioning include Picard's alluding to his childhood hobby of building ships in a bottle that gets a variety of quizzical and humorous responses from the crew; this theme would be brought back later for the aptly titled sixth season episode 'Ship In A Bottle', that dealt with the holographic Sherlock Holmes nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Dr. Leah Brahms would make a later appearance, in the flesh, in the fourth season episode 'Galaxy's Child' and inadvertently discovers Geordi's holographic representation. Also the incidental music used here is a cut above the usual, though still familiar sounding.

Can Geordi find true love before the booby trap hatches?
In the previous episode, "The Bonding," one of the Enterprise crew was killed when a land mine from a war long ago exploded on the surface of a planet. In this appropriately titled episode, the Enterprise encounters a much more sophisticated "Booby Trap." In a debris field from the last great battle a thousand years earlier between the now extinct Promellians and Menthars, the Enterprise responds to a distress signal and finds a pristine Promellian battle cruiser. When their engines suddenly fail and the Enterprise is surrounded by a high intensity radiation field, Picard realizes they are caught in the same trap of 100,000 aceton assimilators draining power that originally caught the derelict ship and killed off its crew. The clock is ticking, or whatever it is clocks do in the 24th century, and the race in on.

This episode provides a simple but effective deep space problem to be solved by the crew, but the most interesting part of this episode involves the sub-plot with Geordi La Forge, who has been having a real bad streak of luck with the ladies. While working on how to increase the ship's power to save their lives, La Forge recreates the original prototypes of the engines on the holodeck. Surprised it is an option, La Forge also has the computer create a representation of Dr. Leah Brahms, one of the key engineers on the original design team. While "Leah" helps La Forge solve their dilemma, the Chief Engineer finds himself drawn to this holographic creation. On the one hand this episode is another chapter in the interactions of the ship's crew with the wonderful creations of the holodeck (e.g., "11001001," Episode 16), but it also sets up a very interesting episode down the road when the REAL Leah Brahms the following season in "Galaxy's Child" (Episode 90). ... Read more

Amazon.com

This curious episode re-introduced the meddling Q (John de Lancie) to the show, following the quasi-villain's key role in The Next Generation's two-part pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint." Establishing a pattern for all his visits to the Enterprise, Q simply pops up on the starship's bridge while Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) makes haste for an important mission. In this instance, Q transports key personnel (Data, Geordi, Tasha, Wesley, Worf, and Riker) to a barren planet, where they battle horrid creatures wearing the uniforms of Napoleon's army. Most importantly, Q bestows his powers onto Riker (Jonathan Frakes), who then struggles not to use them--and fails spectacularly. The script by series staff writer Maurice Hurley (under the pen name C.J. Holland) was stripped of action by Gene Roddenberry in favor of a talky, philosophical approach to questions concerning human destiny. Things look and feel even more dry on the alien planet set, which looks like a holdover from the zero-budget third season of the original series. More positively, a climactic scene in which Riker attempts to grant his Enterprise friends their most cherished dreams is quite singular in its ensemble work and drama.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (5)

We learn about the ethical code of the "Q" continuum
This episode is in many ways a combination of two of the episodes of the original series. When "Q" is on the desert planet with Riker and some of the other officers, his speech and mannerisms are very similar to those of Trelane in "The Squire of Gothos." Riker is granted the power of the "Q", which is similar to what happened to Gary Mitchell in "Where No Man Has Gone Before." However, unlike Gary Mitchell, while Riker grows very arrogant, he maintains his fundamental humanity and does not turn into a monster that must be destroyed.
The most significant event in the episode takes place in the conversation between Riker and "Q" on the surface of a desert world. "Q" admits to Riker that the "Q" continuum is concerned that humanity is advancing quickly and they believe that over thousands of years, the human species may even advance beyond what the "Q" can do. At first, this seems absurd, as the relative evolutionary development between humans and the "Q" is roughly equivalent to that between humans and microbes. However, this demonstrates that the "Q" are governed by a very severe code of ethics when it comes to their interaction with humans. Even though "Q" treats the Enterprise and her crew like toys, the fact that the continuum is concerned about the potential of humans means that he is essentially powerless to affect it in any substantial way. With their tremendous power to alter time and space, it would be a simple matter for the "Q" continuum to eliminate any potential threat that humans may pose.
In the end, Riker renounces his powers and "Q" is forced to return to the continuum against his will, much like Trelane was forced to do. Nevertheless, we learn that even the "Q" have their limits, although we do not know if they are self-imposed or a requirement of an even more powerful authority. I rank it barely in the top quarter of TNG episodes.

"Oh, your species is always suffering and dying."
John de Lancie has always done an outstanding job whenever he has guest-starred as the mischievous and omnipotent Q. The unique interplay Q had with the crew, especially with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), was always amusing to watch as he never failed to cause some trouble whenever he could. In fact, Q-episodes actually developed into its own sub-genre of Star Trek: The Next Generation with many of them still remaining fan-favorites. Yet, every now and then there came along a clunker Q episode and "Hide and Q" was one of them.

Q intercepts the Enterprise-D as it is heading to a planet that has just experienced a terrible mining disaster. The entity grants Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) the powers of Q so that he can be studied by the Continuum. Eventually Riker comes to the conclusion that being a God is not all it is cracked up to be and declines Q's gift in order to remain with the Enterprise.

"Hide and Q" is one of the more serious Q outings that just comes across as too heavy-handed and too narrow in scope. The notion of having God-like powers given to Riker is intriguing but instead of exploring how this development will redefine his place in the universe and the implications of accelerated evolution, we are treated to Riker performing parlor tricks for his fellow crew members. "Hide and Q" had a chance to explore genuinely profound ideas but instead chose to limit its ambition by only exploring how Riker's friends would react to his new place in the galactic food chain.

Hide and Q ..........or Q Number 2?
Q Number 2?

In this poignant episode; the notorious Q decides that Riker is to become another member of the continuum. He takes his away team and Wesley and Worf perish in the first half of the episode! It's how Riker decides to bring them back that makes this story a keeper. This is what tempts him to the dark side.

Aboard the bridge, Picard has to deal with a first officer with the power of a God. Riker takes it upon himself to attempt to cure Geordi's blindness, make Data human and Wes into a mature man. It's the outcome of this tele-play that makes this one that I call a Q classic.

The Last Temptation of Riker, Courtesy of Q
One thing you have to admire about the Next Generation series is that they showed admirable restraint when it came to appearances by Q (and the same for Lwaxana Troi). Apparently the Q Continuum finds some hope for humanity on the basis of the Farpoint Station test and have decided to invite Commander Riker to join the Q. Given the power of the Q, Riker uses them to restore Worf and Wesley to life after the pair are killed during one of Q's little tests. Picard persuades Riker not to give into the temptation, but Riker's will power is put to the test during a particularly brutal rescue mission to Sigma III when he looks at the dead and wounded. Rethinking his decision, Riker uses his power to provide "gifts" to the bridge crew: Wesley becomes ten years older, Geordi is given sight, and Worf is provided with a Klingon female. However, when Data refuses the chance to be human, Riker and the others rethink exactly what they are being offered.

"Hide and Q" is one of the more thoughtful episodes from the first season although I always think Jonathan Frakes looks so baby-faced without his beard in these early episodes. The idea of Q as a meddlesome presence to the Enterprise's mission is being developed, but without the constant comic twists that will become standard fare. This is not only the second episode with Q, but also the second time the series explores the Riker character (see: Episode 7, "The Last Outpost"). At this point in the development of the Next Generation, Commander Riker is the Away Team Leader as the series tries to avoid the "Kirk beams down into danger" paradox that has the captain repeatedly putting himself into harm's way because he is the hero of the show and that is what heroes do. Eventually Riker's leadership abilities will be developed in other ways. The brief look into the hopes and dreams of the various characters is much more satisfying that the too little, too early examinations in "The Naked Now" (Episode 3).

Hide & Q
This episode marks the second appearance of the entity known as Q. Q gives Commander Riker the power of Q in an attempt to make Riker one of the Q. To this end, Q places the crew of the Enterprise in some 'games' to tempt Riker to join with him.

All in all it's not a bad episode for the first season. ... Read more

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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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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 reali