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In this outing, the Enterprise-D answers a distress call from Dr. Ira Graves, brilliant cyberneticist (W. Morgan Sheppard). Grizzled, old Graves lives all alone on some sort of research planet with (of course) his gorgeous blond assistant, Kareen Brianon (Barbara Alyn Woods). An away team is dispatched and it soon becomes obvious that Graves is dying. For reasons that elude rational thought, Data develops an instant rapport with the scientist, who was his "father" Noonien Soong's mentor. Behind closed doors the android and the scientist bond, but Graves dies anyway. Kareen is beamed aboard the Enterprise-D to continue with her stimulating career as gorgeous blond research assistant.

Data, however, begins acting like a sybaritic idiot, which is, strangely, exactly how Graves behaved. It doesn't take long for the intrepid Captain Picard to ascertain that Dr. Graves downloaded himself into Data's neural net before he died. Graves's obnoxious core being has pushed Data's sweet, easygoing self far down into memory-dump land. We're talking big-time multiple-personality conflict here. Throw in an old-guy-in-young-android-body lust story and there's something for everyone. And it's well-written and well-acted, too. "Schizoid Man" lays the groundwork for the brilliant "Measure of a Man." It's a whole lot of fun, and at the same time quietly asks the viewer important questions about Data's right to exist. This is an all-around standout episode. --Kayla Riggney ... Read more

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Data's Past
Data's Grandfather

Dr. Noonien Soong had a mentor; the great Dr. Ira Graves. He must have taught Soong the technical dilemma of creating a sentient machine. For those of you who don't know Soong created our favorite android. In this episode, the doctor who is dying wants to transplant his soul into Data to live forever. The Data/Graves personality attempted impress Kareen; his assistant. He had romantic feelings that he could not act upon because of his age difference. If he used Data's body he felt he had a chance. Overall this episode stands out as one of those human dramas that don't have any phaser battles. However, it was interesting to see Data develop his social skills as a sentient machine.

Android in the spotlight: Data's turn to be possessed
If it not already clear by this point, there is an emphasis on the character of Data in the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The android is the main focus of more episodes (e.g., "The Measure of a Man," Episode 35) than any other character, and is almost always involved in the major sub-plot as well (e.g., "The Outrageous Okona," Episode 30). With all this attention it is not surprising that every once in a while things get a little out of hand. In "The Schizoid Man" the Enterprise rushes to the aid of Ira Graves (played by W. Morgan Sheppard), the greatest mind in the universe now that his disciple Noonian Soong, Data's creator, has disappeared and is presumed dead. Very much interested in learning more about the man who is his "father," Data has long conversations with the terminally ill Graves, even going so far as to reveal the location of his "off" button. Somewhere along the way Graves had discovered how to transfer his life's knowledge into a computer and the dying man decides the android would make a much better host than some descendant of Big Blue. Data announces to the rest of the away team that Graves has died, but it soon becomes clear that the second officer is acting quite differently, especially when he starts beating people unconscious. Now that he has Data's body, Graves intends to create an android body for his lover, unless, of course, Captain Picard finds a way of stopping this mad scheme.

Picard's solution in "The Schizoid Man" is rather pedestrian, if not outright predictable, but the episode does provide Brent Spiner with an opportunity to flex his acting muscles a lot more than usual. The idea of putting a human being's consciousness inside a computer is rather intriguing (what if you preserved the greatest minds of the galaxy in such a fashion?), but nothing ever comes of it in future episodes. When you think how much computers have changed in the last ten years, or even since you bought your last one, and you extrapolate that sort of rapid progression several centuries into the future, you would have to think they could come up with better scenarios for all that computer power than running the holodeck. ... Read more

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This episode is devoted to giving background information and context forthe acerbic new chief medical officer, Dr. Katherine Pulaski (Diana Muldaur).When the Enterprise answers a distress call from the Lantree, a supply ship, they discover the crew has died ofa mysterious virus that caused them to age rapidly. They trace the ship back to the Darwin Research Station, where the disease is ravaging most of the population. The only ones it's not affecting are the children, who have been bred to resist all disease. Dr. Pulaski makes a leap of faith, believing the children are free of the disease, but Picard doesn't want to put his ship at risk, so Pulaski ends up examining the child on a shuttle. Well, she contracts the disease, and it has the effect of making her look more and more like former first lady Barbara Bush. It's up to the crew of the Enterprise to find a cure for this dreaded Barbara Bushdisease. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

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Genetic experimentation on children, I think not!
The Enterprise receives a distress signal from another Federation ship and when the Enterprise arrives, all the crew members are dead from old age. Given that many of the crew members were in their thirties, it is clear that an unusual disease broke out on the ship. The other Federation ship is placed in quarantine and the Enterprise proceeds to its last port of call, which is the Darwin Genetic Research Station.
Upon arrival, the Enterprise crew learns that the adults at the station are also infected, but the children are uninfected. The children were the experimental subjects of the station, being created with hyperactive immune systems that render them invulnerable to the disease. However, they could be carriers, so one is beamed up encased in plastic so that Dr. Pulaski can examine him. Unfortunately, she cannot solve the problem without removing the plastic, which she is finally allowed to do aboard a shuttle. She catches the aging disease, but does find out that it is the immune system of the genetically altered children that causes the disease. Dr. Pulaski is ultimately saved by being taken through the transporter and regenerated by using her old transporter pattern records.
This is a very weak episode, starting with the fact that genetic experimentation is being done on children. It seems impossible to believe that such experiments would be done on anyone, much less children. The "solution", restoring aged people back to their youth by taking them through the transporter is ridiculous and would render medicine obsolete. It also raises a logical impossibility. Since Dr. Pulaski is regenerated using an old pattern then her memories of the recent events would have been erased, as they could not have been in her personal transporter pattern. Of course they were not.

playing God has some bad consequences
The Enterprise receives a distress call from the U.S.S. Lantree, a limited armament cargo ship with a compliment of 26 men and women aboard. Suddenly communication stops, but the comlink is still open. The Enterprise cannot get the Lantree to re-transmit, so they race to the coordinates at Warp 7 only to find no life signs on the Lantree. Not knowing what is over there, they use the computer to gain access to the Lantree's main viewer to look at the bridge - as they zoom in to the faces of the dead crew, they see that they all appear to be in their late 80s and 90s, perhaps even older.

Dr. Polaski scans the bodies remotely to see that they have died of natural causes - old age. According to Starfleet records, the crew had just left a star base 3 weeks earlier, all in perfect health. One crew member was treated for a mild case of Thelusian flu, but otherwise, all were healthy.

According to the ship's log, their last stop was Darwin Station, a space station where the scientists play God by manipulating the DNA of their "children" so that 12 year olds look like normal adults in their 20s, fully developed, and they have telepathic and telekenetic powers as well. As the Enterprise approaches, the doctor at Darwin Station asks for help, as everyone (except the "children") has been infected with some disease that ages them rapidly. They believe they were infected by the people on the cargo ship, but Polaski & Picard tend to think the opposite is true.

Picard and Polaski get into a verbal war on regulations and policies as Polaski seeks to study one of the children and Picard maintains a deathgrip as the guardian of security for his ship. In a famous retort to Polaski, Picard states, "...and doctor, I never discourage input, but it would be nice if once in a while, you'd let me finish my sentences."

Picard caves in and let's Polaski beam one of the "children" onto a space shuttle with Data as pilot. Things go well for about 20 minutes, then suddenly Polaski experiences accute arthritic pain - the initial symptom of the debilitating disease. The Enterprise is in a pickle - it looks like even though the children are not infected, they are carriers - but their caretakers (or "parents") will be dead of old age in a matter of 2 or 3 days, and his chief medical officer is now infected as well.

With Data's help, Polaski finds the source of the illness, but is a cure in sight? Picard, Geordi and Data put their heads together with Chief O'Brien to come up with a scheme that just might save the day. O'Brien is now a more prominent character and Polaski gets less opinionated about Data's personhood. There are holes-a-plenty in the plot, but it is still enjoyable.

Deadly Years Part 2
In this one a virus spreads among a colony that ages everyone. Pulaski was the only one who caught this virus that's a variation of the original series episode "The Deadly Years." While not the same plot; the result is the same. Everyone gets to age fifty years overnight.

Picard's magic transporter brings back the old Dr. Pulaski
The Enterprise responds to a distress call from the Lantree and finds everyone in the crew dead, apparently from old age. Retracing the ship's route, the Enterprise discovers that the mysterious disease has already infected the staff at the Darwin Genetic Research Station. The head of the station wants Captain Picard to evacuate the children, who are the products of the station's genetic research but who do not appear to have been infected. Picard allows Dr. Pulaski to examine one of the children on a shuttlecraft, but within moments of contact the doctor has contracted the disease. Pulaski, an expert on viral propagation, goes aboard Darwin Station, although she has little hope of finding a cure before the disease claims her life. Meanwhile, Picard and his crew seek a way of saving her and all the others. In retrospect, this is the one episode from the second season-and therefore the entire series-that specifically focuses on Diana Muldaur's Kate Pulaski. I want to make some cute comments, but I can not top Andy's "Barbara Bush disease" idea (see above), but the title of this review is certainly tongue-in-cheek.

This particular episode has always fascinated me because of the tremendous implications of the solution for the Star Trek universe. Picard uses the transporter to filter out the genetic changes in Pulaski because of her coming into contact with the disease. Of course, there is a slight problem in that Dr. Pulaski usually shuns transporters and they are forced to track down her pattern. Finding an example of her "clean" genetic material is more easily solved. What immediately struck me is where do you logically stop once you have opened up this particular Pandora's box? What diseases can you not eliminate by this method? Can you restore amputated limbs or reverse the aging process? The transporter is now the most important medical tool in the entire galaxy. My one failed attempt at a Next Generation novel tried to follow up on all these interesting questions, with the sick and dying of the entire quadrant seeking a cure from Picard. It would seem to be that this approach has significant implications that would need to be studied, and which would ultimately providing a rationale for why Pulaski left the Enterprise. What can I say? I hate loose ends (and even WESLEY got a TWO official sendoffs). ... Read more

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New-school Trek meets old-school comedy in this lighthearted episode. The Enterprise comes to the aid of dashing, lovable rogue Captain Okona. Okona's easy wit charms the ladies of the crew and inspires Data to learn about the peculiar human trait of humor. Okona is soon in hot water as two different factions demand his surrender, while Data is up to his ears in shtick with the help of Guinan and a holodeck comic played by Joe Piscopo. Piscopo is given alarmingly free reign in defining what is funny, but it is Brent Spiner's playful illustrations of Data's poor comic touch that come off best. Also keep an eye out for a young Teri Hatcher in the transporter room, appropriately cast as an attractive crew member. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Data as Henny Youngman, "Take my Worf, please"
The lovable rogue is as much a fixture of human literature as the dauntless hero. Roaming the universe, charming and breaking hearts, falling into trouble and always managing to escape, they are also a type of hero. In this episode, the Enterprise encounters a disabled ship whose only occupant is Captain Okona, definitely a rogue. Upon beaming aboard the Enterprise with the damaged part, Okona immediately begins charming the crew. Loaded with sex appeal, many female crewmembers succumb to his charms.
All this is interrupted when a ship armed with only lasers arrives and demands that Okona be turned over as a criminal. Willing to fight the Enterprise to uphold their honor, the captain of the ship accuses Okona of impregnating his daughter. Soon after this, another ship with similar weaponry arrives and the captain of that ship also demands that Okona be turned over to him. His accusation is that Okona has stolen a national treasure.
According to Starfleet regulations, the only course of action open to Captain Picard is to release Okona and then ignore the consequences. However, Okona chooses to stand his ground and force the issue. It turns out that Okona is not guilty of any of the crimes he is accused of. He was simply a convenient target for people trying to hide their actions.
A concurrent thread in this episode is Data's attempt to understand human humor. Joe Piscopo guest stars as a holographic stand-up comic who tries to teach Data how to tell jokes. The scene where Piscopo tries to teach Data the classic Jerry Lewis funny teeth and lisp routine is hilarious. It is one of the funniest scenes in the entire TNG series. One of the other funniest moments in the TNG series is also in this episode. When accosted with the laser bearing ship, Picard deadpans to Riker, "In case we have to surrender to them." The smile on Riker's face is very well-acted. The episode closes with Data trying to be funny by telling jokes like, "Take my Worf, please."
This is one of the better episodes because the scenario is one that is believable and it is funny. Like those who first explored the surface of the Earth, most of the beings who will be the first traders and explorers in space will be rogues. This is independent of species and culture of origin.

By-the-numbers second season episode...
This episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" stands as the perfect example why second season just wasn't all that good. It's does everything it can to be the best episode it can possibly be, but in the end serves as a forgettable episode with a predictable story and not much in the way of action or suspense. Bill Campbell is great as Captain Okona, but is given too little screen time for him to develop his character. Too much screen time is given to Brent Spiner as Data, who is working with a holographic image of Joe Piscopo to learn how to be funny. There is a great scene with Guinan, but one gets the feeling the writers didn't have enough interesting things to do with the Okona plot that they spent half the episode with Data. Overall, it's not a particularly bad episode. It's actually pretty good. The problem lies in the lack of plot development.

So So!
Not the worst TNG episode, but not all that great either! I have liked some rogue type characters in TV shows, movies and books but this Okona is just too annoying, and the episode was kind of dull, definitely not one of the better more adventurous and thrilling episodes!

Piscopo saves the episode
William O. Campbell, who stars as the Outrageous Okona was almost cast as Riker in the Next Generation pilot. He went on to star in the Rocketeer by Disney. This episode he plays an interstellar scoundrel. A Han Solo in the Next Generation mold. He's involved with an on board conflict between two warring familles from different worlds. The real highlight in this episode is when Data meets Joe Piscopo on the Holodeck. Wanting to see if he can tell a joke; Piscopo shows him how to see humor in everyday life. It made an otherwise run of the mill episode much better. The B story on the holodeck saved the show.

An android walks into a bar without a sense of humor . . .
The Enterprise makes the mistake of resucing Captain Okona from his disabled cargo ship. The charming rogue makes a great impression on the crew until a pair of ships show up, with the captain of each demanding that Okona be turned over to them immediately. One claims that Okona fathered his daughter's child while the other charges him with theft of a priceless jewel. Ultimately this is just a story about two crazy kids in love. The more interesting part of the episode is the sub-plot with Data, who is unable to understand Okona's jokes. Data ends up turning to guidance from Guinan, who introduces him to a holodeck comic played by Joe Piscopo. This is an amusing but minor diversion, however it does represent one of the recurring story arcs that emerges in the second season of the Next Generation, namely Data's quest to become more human. In that regard it is an interesting link in the chain.

Speaking of interesting things, the character of Okona is played by William O. Campbell (a.k.a. Billy Campbell), who played Quincy in "Bram Stoker's Dracula," and who should not be confused with William Campbell who appeared in the original Star Trek as Trelane in "The Squire of Gothos" as well as Koloth in "The Trouble With Tribbles" (a role he reprised on Deep Space 9 in "Blood Oath), was married to Judith Exner the professed mistress of John F. Kennedy, and was reputed to be the imposter who replaced Paul McCartney in the Beatles during the infamous "Paul is Dead" joke played out by John Lennon. Fascinating , huh? You just cannot make this stuff up. ... Read more

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Riva (Howie Seago) is one of the best mediators in the universe, and the Enterprise is assigned to transport him to Solais V, a planet that's been undergoing a bitter civil war for years. It turns out that Riva is aNew Age deaf mute whose thoughts and ideas are communicated through athree-person chorus that follows him around wherever he goes, but he's good at his job anyway. On the way to the planet, however, Riva seems more interested in hitting on the empathic Deanna Troi than studying the history of the conflict. His cockiness not only jeopardizes the mission but his own chorus aswell. With the help of Data and Troi, Riva is forced to find new ways to do his old job. Though the episode points to resolution, credit must be given to the writers for not tying up all of the loose ends by the finale. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

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Finally, A-Not-So-Boring-Second-Season-Episode
"Loud as a Whisper" is one of the greatest second season episodes. The Enterprise has to go to the Romatis star system to pick up 'The Greatest Mediator the Federation Has.' When they get there, they meet him and his chorus (Leo Damian as Andonis, Marnie Mosiman as the Woman, and Thomas Oglesby as the Scholar). We learn two things;1.His name is Riva(Played by Howie Seago;Beyond Silence), and 2.He's a deaf-mute that communicates through his chorus, each speaking in a certain area of experteece(or however you spell it, hey! I'm a kid.). Right off the bat, Riva likes Troi(Marina Sirtis). He meets the crew, and becomes a friend to Geordi(LeVar Burton). He asks if Troi would show him to his quarters, and leaves the Woman and Scholar behind, taking Andonis with them. Then we find out that when not needed, the rest of the Chorus is actually alot nicer than you think. Meanwhile, Troi and Riva make dinner plans for after the briefing that Riva brags his little heart out. The the dinner rolls around and it's interrupted by one of the factions that have been fighting on Solaris 4. They have broken the 'cease-fire' and Riva stops them. Riva, the Chorus, Riker(Jonathan Frakes), and Worf(Michael Dorn), transport down to the surface, only to find a horrible fate. One of the guys on one of the factions goes crazy and shoots the Chorus, leaving Riva alone and confused. Captain Picard(Patrick Stewart) tries to talk to him, but can't. He asks Data(Brent Spiner)to learn sign language* so they could get on with the negotiations and get the heck out of there. Troi asks him what his secret is and he said 'The real secret is turning a disadvantage, into an advantage'. She also wants to know why he couldn't do that. He dismisses Data and they transport down to the surface. There Troi explains that he is going to teach both factions sign language to stop the fighting.

*Watch for this mistake; Data is going to show Picard some of what he learned. He meant to say in dialogue and sign:
Data:This is blue. This is the blue ocean. This is the blue ocean at sunset. This is...
What he really said was:
Data:This is 5. This is the 5 oceans. This is the 5 oceans at...

Loud as a Whisper ends too abruptly
Howie Seago portrays a deaf negotiator in this episode. It has the feeling that somehow the script was cut off at the end. The whole episode was built upon the fact the first negotiators were killed by the opposing side of aliens. Seago's character had to establish a dialogue with them again. What was frustrating was that you see him beam down to the planet and not see the result of his efforts. This would have been better as a two part episode.

Thoughtful episode about a deaf mute Federation Diplomat
One of the constants in the Star Trek universe is that the Federation's diplomatic corps is comprised almost entirely of incompetent buffoons. This episode is the exception that proves the rules. "Loud as a Whisper" is fairly creative both in terms of its main character and its resolution of the crisis situation. Another aspect of the future in Star Trek is that physical disabilities are easily managed. Blind Geordi Le Forge has a visor that allows him to see while Jean-Luc Picard has an artificial heart.

In this episode we meet Riva, played by Howie Seago, a mediator so accomplished they added the word "peacemaker" to the Klingon language because of his efforts. A deaf mute, who communicates through a chorus of three individuals who translate his thoughts and emotions into words, Riva is attracted to Counselor Troi. However, as soon as Riva and his chorus beam down to Solari V, one of the soldiers opens fire and disintegrates the chorus. The away team escapes with a distraught Riva back to the Enterprise. Picard has Data learn Riva's gestural language, but the negotiator refuses to return to the planet. Data might understand the words Riva wants to communicate, but not his emotions.

"Loud as a Whisper" is one of the best episodes of the second season, intelligently constructed and thoughtfully written. I especially like it when Riva explains to Troi that one of the secrets of successful negotiations is to turn disadvantages into advantages as a nice philosophical point with practical consequences. My only real complaint is that the dictates of the story necessitating getting rid of the chorus, which is a shame because it is fascinating to watch the four beings act as a single unit. The solution to the problem is rather primitive by 24th-century standards, but certainly rings true with those of us stuck in the barbaric past of the planet Earth. ... Read more

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On their way to the Morgana Quadrant, which has yet to be visited by a manned Federation ship, the Enterprise runs across an amoeba-like hole of blackness in space. Sensors do not indicate any energy or form, probes shot into it disappear without a trace, and even Counselor Troi can get no sense from it. Worf calls for a yellow alert, relating an old Klingon legend of a giant black space that devours entire ships. When the void engulfs the Enterprise, they find themselves lost within it, unableto find their way out. Then things start to get weird. Other vessels show up. ARomulon battle ship and a Federation star cruiser appear, but they are strangely empty. Turns out the void is one of those giant, uncharted sentient beings that is trying to learn about humans and the concept of death, and is doing so by killing members of the Enterpriseone at a time. Once again, the contradictions of humans are on trial, and it'sup to Captain Jean-Luc Picard to talk the ship and all of humankind out of trouble. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

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An intriguing situation gets a so-so lackluster treatment
As scientists traveling the galaxy in search of new civilizations to observe and hopefully interact with, it's been all too rare when those tables are turned on the crew of the Enterprise. Early on in this series the recurring character of Q was introduced who would return from time to time to attempt to confound Picard and crew. Here the Enterprise encounters another being not unlike Q who traps the starship in an experimental laboratory.

While visiting the Morgana Quadrant on an exploratory mission the Enterprise sensors pickup a void in space. Upon investigation the null space initially perplexes the crew as they survive an attack by a Romulan starship and witness an inexplicable appearance of their sister ship, the Yamato. When the Yamato doesn't answer the hails from Enterprise and scans show no life forms present Riker and Worf beam aboard it. They discover the ship completely empty and that it isn't composed of the metals normally used in a starship construction - and it also has the annoying habit of randomly altering the design. The away team returns and the Enterprise attempts to leave the void but finds they are mysteriously trapped. After Dr. Pulaski suggests that they are in a laboratory of sorts an entity appears onscreen, having only eyes and a mouth. He introduces himself as Nagillum, a scientist who wishes to continue his research on the crew so he can gain an understanding of their emotions and limited life spans. To prevent the unacceptable loss of a third or more of his crew Picard initiates the auto-destruct sequence and that presents an interesting riddle for Nagillum.

The main problem with this episode is that there simply isn't enough time to define the plot elements; the ending seems particularly rushed also. The reasons for Nagillum's establishing a vast laboratory in space and the apparent super-powers at his command aren't satisfactorily handled. Data makes many statements such as "Sensors detect nothing," or "I still cannot detect anything", etc., but this isn't adequate enough as a potential explanation. When they first begin experiencing the conundrums no one brings up the possibility of Q's presence; when Nagillum finally makes his presence known explaining his purpose, shouldn't Q naturally come to mind? Maybe not, but I thought so. Some other events happen that don't seem to make sense either: When they first encounter the Yamato why don't they attempt to download the ship's logs to read them before boarding? Nagillum can create replicates of Troi and Data - why doesn't he do the same with Picard and have him abort the auto-destruct sequence with an unsuspecting Riker? When Picard and Riker initially set the auto-destruct sequence they go to the Engineering section - why? If they wanted privacy they could've gone into the captain's Ready Room or his quarters. It seems an odd choice to go to Engineering. And Haskell's presence at the helm is all too convenient, serving only to remove Wesley from harm's way; also Haskell's dialogue is a bit strained as well, he comes off as being too unstable to be considered for a bridge officer's position.

On the upside there is a great opening sequence with Riker and Worf defending themselves against some rather formidable looking alien ogres. The scene develops nicely convincing you they are on an away mission that has gone horribly awry before revealing they are on the holodeck - an obvious parallel to the encounter with Nagillum. In addition Worf receives some further interesting character definition here. Dr. Pulaski is eased along here also, having some interaction with Data and contributing the needed insight and sensibility of a skilled scientist. Riker's frustration with his experience aboard the Yamato and his anxiety about terminating the auto-destruct sequence adds some levity as well.

Negilum Strikes
The Nefarious Negilum

The alien name of Negilum is a play on words. Originally Richard Mulligan of Empty Nest and Soap was sought to play this role. Unavailable the producers had to utilize another actor for this one. It's an average entry. However there are some good scenes in the beginning with Worf on the holodeck in his training program. There's another good scene were Worf and Riker beam aboard another galaxy class ship to investigate this ridiculous Negllum nemesis. It turns out the alien wants to investigate the crews reaction to senseless death at the cost of the lives of the Enterprise crew. With the few dramatic sequences I'd have to say that it was worth the price.

The scene where Data asks Picard "What happens when one dies" was very poignant and showed there's an intelligent life form writing the script. For all it's faults it was an enjoyable episode that stands up to repeated viewing.

Better to die free than to die as lab rats
The Enterprise investigates a black area of space only to be sucked into a void where their sensors reveal nothing and communication with the outside is impossible. When a Romulan warbird suddenly decloaks and is destroyed as soon as they fire at it, Picard knows it was too easy. Then the Yamato, a Federation Galaxy Class starship arrives. Riker and Worf beam over to check it out and find everything different, most notably the appearance of a bridge area behind every door. When they return to the Enterprise and the Yamato disappears, Picard suspects they are being tested like rats in a laboratory and refuses to participate in the experiment. This prompts Nagilum, the entity that is the void, to make an appearance. Nagilum is interested in continuing his scientific investigations and is specifically curious about the "limited existence" of the beings on the Enterprise. After killing an ensign to check out its initial hypothesis, Nagilum declares it will have to kill a third of the ship's crew to really understand the phenomenon of death.

I have to mark this episode down one star, although it has one of the better titles, because its resolution employs one of my pet peeves: I hate it when the good guys win because the bad guys are stupid. The premise for the episode is certainly nothing new; after all, the Next Generation series begins with Q doing field research on humanity so Nagilum is doing the same thing, just in a laboratory seeting. Overall, "Where Silence Has Leave" has a compelling mystery with a payoff that is not as satisfying as the set up.

Great episode
In this episode the Enterprise encounters a void.. and becomes trapped in it. Soon a mysterious alien entity speaks to the crew and tells them the he is curious about death and wants to perform experiments on the crew!

This episode has a guest star Earl Boen as the voice of the alien probable best known for Dr. Silberman in the "Terminator" movies ... Read more

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You know those aliens who give anal probes to rural farmers andperform cattle mutilations? Well, Earth is not the only focus of theirsurgical investigations, as the Enterprise is loath to discover. Asthe episode opens, Commander Riker has been having trouble sleeping. Rather,he's been falling asleep fine but waking up unrested. Soon others begin tofeel "off" in a similar way. Then Geordi somehow winds up with a foreignbacterial infection that interferes with his visor. The trouble is traced toa subspace rupture in cargo bay four. Expanding on the late-'80s phenomenonof recovered memories, a group therapy session on the holodeck reconstructsthe alien operating room that they all believe they've been taken to, givingthem comfort in knowing the alien violations are really happening. Meanwhile,the subspace rupture is expanding to the point where it may destroy theEnterprise, and they need to figure out a way to stop it. The ultimatemessage of this episode is that there are forces in the universe that we maynever understand, and it's more than likely that these forces are malevolent.Oh, and Data learns that poetry cannot be good or interesting if it's justtechnical formalism without emotional substance. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

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Schisms
I was searching for this episode for over a year. "Askme.com" gave me the title/episode number, and "Amazon.com" to purchase it. This was one of my favorite "Trek/NG". It was a haunting episode which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I've been around since Kirk. It's worthy of any collection.

Someone is doing weird science experiments on the crew
The Enterprise is busy mapping the Amagosa Diaspora when several of the crewmembers report unsettling visions to Counselor Troi. When she gathers Riker, La Forge and Worf on the holodeck, they are able to reconstruct an examination table that looks like something from a torture chamber. Meanwhile, in Cargo Bay 4 an area of subspace instability has suddenly appeared, and, as we all know, there are no coincidences in space...

The mystery part of "Schisms" is certainly an intriguing set-up, but the payoff is less than stellar. The scene when Dr. Crusher informs Riker than his arm is a teeny bit shorter because it had been amputated and reattached is where I start to lose it with this episode. What I do like about this episode, besides Troi getting to do her job with the bridge crew rather than some unknown person brought in just for a particular story, is that the ending is not a clean resolution. "Schisms" is certainly one of the darker STNG stories.

One of my favorites!
I love this episode because it combines your classic UFO abduction stories with Star Trek, to create a unique and exciting episode. Another thing I like about this episode is that it's probably the erriest one, especially (in my opinion, anyway) in the scene where the abductees recreate the alien craft on the holodeck. Star Trek fans will definitly get their money's worth!

one of the dumbest, most pointless STTNG episodes
This episode is a rather pointless exploration of alien abduction theories. All the suspense is contrived, and the episode never really goes anywhere, nor does it do anyhting experimental. It just sets up a situation, never resolves it, and never goes back to it later in the series. For UFO conspiracy buffs only, unless you're a completist. ... Read more

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In "Heart of Glory," Worf's Klingon heritage is examined and testedagainst his loyalty to the Enterprise. After detecting a disturbance inthe Neutral Zone, the Enterprise discovers the remains of one ship and adamaged cargo vessel whose life-support systems are failing. A rescue team sentin to find the survivors discovers a trio of Klingons and brings them back tothe ship. These Klingon officers don't trust the peace with the Federation and are also wanted by the Klingons for crimes that they have committed. The officers question Worf's dedication to his race, wondering aloud if his instincts have been dulled by living with civilized men, and try to goad him into joining their revolution. "Heart of Glory" does an excellent job at adding depth and personal history to the Worf character by forcing him to make decisions he'd rather not make. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (6)

"The true test of a warrior is not without, it is within."
The Klingons arrive on the scene in "Heart of Glory" to shake things up in the 24th century. Even though there is an alliance in place between the Klingon Empire and the Federation, you can always rely on those classic warriors to stir up trouble anyway.

The Enterprise-D rescues three Klingons from a damaged Talarian vessel. Unknown to Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), the Klingons are actually fugitives. One of them dies from his injuries after coming aboard. Soon after, the other two fugitives start to devise a plan to take over the ship. They ask Lieutenant Worf (Michael Dorn) to aid them but he remains loyal to his comrades. Eventually, a final showdown ensues in engineering between Worf and one of the fugitives.

"Heart of Glory" was the first Star Trek: The Next Generation Klingon episode and it did not disappoint. The howling during the Klingon Death Ritual was hokey but seeing the Klingons as Star Trek adversaries once more sure rekindled fond memories of their appearances in the original series. The guest performances were solid with Vaughn Armstrong turning in a strong effort as Korris and Charles H. Hyman complimenting him in his role as Konmel. And wasn't that a great moment when that Klingon battle cruiser appeared on the viewscreen? Talk about stirring up those feelings of nostalgia. The Federation and the Klingon Empire are inextricably connected in Star Trek lore and reinforcing this connection in the Next Generation era was a welcome development indeed.

The Klingon equivalent of romantics
Given that humans of different creed find it so difficult to understand each other, any interaction with a different bipedal species is bound to be a diplomatic and social minefield. As someone who has traveled internationally, I had to undergo crash courses in local manners, and it certainly takes effort to avoid making blunders. Even simple hand gestures are considered obscene in some cultures.
Without question, a major component of Star Fleet training would be an appreciation for social and cultural differences. Therefore, I was surprised at the reaction of Picard and the other human members of the Enterprise crew when they witnessed the Klingon death ritual. Two Klingon renegades bent on restoring the martial qualities of the Klingon empire hijack a ship, defeat a pursuer and then are rescued from the damaged ship by the Enterprise. Their true purpose is discovered and they are jailed, only to escape, leading to the death of one. The other makes it to engineering with a phaser, where one shot could destroy the Enterprise.
Worf then confronts the fugitive and finds himself being confronted as to how much he really is a Klingon. That scene is one of Michael Dorn's finest moments as Worf. He is clearly torn between his Klingon heritage, his time with humans and his Star Fleet training, as the fugitive pleads with Worf to join him and become a true Klingon once again. The Enterprise crew senses Worf's personal dilemma, as they are clearly reluctant to let him confront the renegade.
This episode is only average, although it is good, demonstrating what must be the Klingon equivalent of romantic war. There are holes in the plot. In any military vessel, there is no way that someone in the brig could ever make it to a location where they could destroy the ship. Nevertheless, there are points where you do not know what Worf will do, which gives it an acceptable degree of tension.

a question of Heart
"Heart of Glory" was the eagerly anticipated first-season Klingon story, and it did not disappoint! Worf's mysterious past was finally revealed: how as a child he had been orphaned, to be rescued and raised by a Human Starfleet couple. Many tantalizing facets of Klingon warrior culture were introduced in this episode. Among them, the death-howl, the stashing of covert weapons on one's person, the Bushido-like concept of Honor. And here originated the enduring theme of the Klingon Heart, which would torment Worf through seven seasons of Next Generation and conclude in Deep Space Nine. From the start, Worf's heart is conflicted by Klingon nature and Human nurture; the values of an Imperial warrior against those of a Starfleet Officer. Sometimes Worf would embrace his Klingon heart and sometimes reject it. He would love and avenge a mate, and refuse a dying enemy a transfusion of his blood. He would quit the Federation to join in a Klingon civil war, then show Human compassion for the son of his most hated nemesis. He would impart to culturally-deprived Klingon youths the xenophobic prejudices of their warrior hearts. And ultimately he would renounce it all -- the Chain of Duty, his career, and his Klingon honor and Heart of Glory -- by following his Human heart to save the life of his Trill mate, Jadzia Dax.

Are You a True Klingon?
Heart of Glory or .......Are You Truly a Klingon Warrior?

The Enterprise is called to assist a Talarian Freighter that's been commandeered by Klingons. Taken aboard they ask Worf to leave the world of Starfleet and join his fellow Klingons for "glorious battles." When the rebel Klingons are put in the brig they naturally escape and go to the engine room to take over the ship.

In one of the best scenes with Worf to date; he has to convince the Klingon soldier not to fire his weapon on the engines. In classic Worf fashion he resolves this problem. This character didn't believe in political correctness. He tells this disturbed Klingon that one does not have to battle and maim to be a true Klingon. The battles are fought and won in the heart. That is the nature of a true warrior. The fight to do the right thing and obey your conscience.

Our first in-depth look at the only Klingon in Starfleet
A relatively simple episode, "Hearts of Glory" is the first Next Generation episode to take a look at the character of Worf (then in his short hair phase). Investigating a battle in the Neutral Zone, the Enterprise finds three Klingons, one of whom has lethal wounds, aboard a damaged freighter. When a Klingon ship arrives on the scene its captain tells Picard the men are fugitives who had attacked and destroyed a Klingon cruiser and demands they be turned over to him. The pair of Klingons are put in a holding cell but then make good their escape. After one is killed the other goes to Engineering where he threatens to blow up the dilithium chamber unless he speaks with Worf.

If Data is the babe in the woods on Next Generation then Worf is the stranger in a strange land. His backstory that he was raised by foster parents on Earth after surviving the Khitomer Massacre has received scant attention at this point in the series, although in future episodes (#65 "Sins of the Father" and #100-101 "Redemption") the idea that Worf's family is in disgrace because his father was accused of being a traitor will focus more on the Klingon honor that becomes the soul of Worf's character. "Hearts of Glory" provides the first real look at Worf as a Klingon and at the Klingon's as something more than the Soviet Union's evil empire dressed up in allegorical form. Finally, Worf receives some dignity as a character and Michael Dorn receives more to do than make deep throated growls and snarls in the background. ... Read more

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An effective riff on the old "what's real and what's not" shell game, "Frame of Mind" is probably as close as Star Trek, in any incarnation, ever got to the paranoid mind-bending reality shifts of a Philip K. Dick novel. The opening seems to show Riker trapped in a mental hospital, but the melodramatic lines and Jonathan Frakes's hammy overacting (intentional, it turns out, and quite amusing) cue us that something is not right. Sure enough, he's only rehearsing the role of an incarcerated madman, his part in a play being directed by Beverly. But walking the decks, he has the distinct feeling he's being watched, and he keeps running into an alien lieutenant he's never seen before. There's no time to worry about it, however, since he must prepare for his new mission, an undercover mission to the warring planet Tilonus IV.

Though he's somewhat jumpy and fatigued (probably too much immersion in his role, Troi suggests), Riker goes on with Beverly's show; but rising from his bow, Riker finds he's no longer on a set of a mental asylum, but in the Tilonus IV Institute for Mental Disorders. From then on Riker shifts back and forth between the Enterprise and the hospital, gradually losing his grip on which, if either, is merely delusion. This cleverly constructed story appears initially to be an easy one to suss out, but odd little details and unexpected twists keep you on your toes. And the production design is quite striking, from the subtly Caligari-esque hallways of the Institute to the lovely and inspired special effect near the end when the various visions tormenting Riker one by one shatter and fly apart. --Bruce Reid ... Read more

Reviews (8)

over the edge...
Will Riker is portraying a criminal in a mental hospital... for a play on the Enterprise. Data portrays one of the psychologists in this one-room drama. Riker finds the imagery disturbing and wrought with conflict ... rightfully so.

Any image of a somewhat sane person in an insane asylum is enough to make the viewer quiver.

Before you know it, it seems that Riker is taking his role of actor too personally... he begins to find himself literally within the play that never ends. A spooky officer he sees in the turbolift is suddenly his captor in this hospital of horrors.

It is clear that Riker is truly losing his mind as he shifts from reality to pseudo reality and back and begins to be unsure of himself and what is real and what is fantasy.

Is he under some alien influence? Has he just had too many friends assimilated and now he's totally snapped? I don 't want to give away the spoiler, but suffice to say, this is one heck of a thriller. This could have easily been a 2-part episode. The special effects are new and the imagery is stark, complex, surreal and definitely from the dark side of psyche.

Even the clothing and lighting seems to be in shades of grey and everyone in the cast acts a little more serious than normal.

This was the season when the characters are fully developed and come into their own... and this is one of the best episodes in the lot.

You may not want to watch this one alone!
At one point in 'Frame Of Mind' Troi tells Riker not to be afraid to explore the dark side of his psyche. Accordingly, the sixth season of TNG saw the series take a much darker tone to some episodes. "Man Of The People", "Schisms", the two-part "Chain Of Command" and "The Face Of The Enemy" each featured dark and disturbing themes. By comparison 'Frame Of Mind' is pitch-dark, terrifying and unsettling. The sets designed for this show summon up the most frightening memories we have stored inside ourselves from our exposure to horror films. If you are familiar with silent films of the German Expressionism era you will recognize that influence here.

Riker is preparing to perform in a play on the Enterprise titled 'Frame Of Mind'. The play details the recovery of a patient at an asylum who may or may not be receiving questionable treatment from his doctor. Very soon the scenes that Riker is performing in the play gradually begin to happen to him in reality. Before long he comes to believe that he really is a patient committed to a doctors care at a mental institution; that the Enterprise and crew are actually a delusion of his maddened state. But soon even that scenario begins to fall apart and Riker no longer knows what is real and what isn't.

This is an episode that demands repeat viewings as it's shifting realities are difficult to keep track of - let alone for Riker! The creative staff behind 'Frame Of Mind' does a great job of keeping us off balance, maintaining a surrealistic feel to the entire proceedings. The final sequence of realities shattering away like broken glass is an excellent effect. And Jonathan Frakes is exceptional in what is probably his most demanding performance of the series; he's literally in every shot. One scene that is played out several times in Riker's "realities" is a portion of the play he and Data are performing. As the doctor, Data says to Riker, "I see you're becoming agitated again." Riker immediately responds, "You bet I'm agitated!" Each time this scene is played out Riker says his line more emphatically, responding with uneasy confusion or righteous anger fitting to each separate occasion this happens.

Overall, 'Frame Of Mind' has the feel of an early 20th century gothic horror film with its emphasis on set design and the nefarious appearance of the institute's doctors. It is also derivative of the best stories of Philip K. Dick who continually had his characters dealing with ever changing realities induced by drug usage. If you've seen this episode then you probably already own it; if you haven't seen it yet, buy it. You won't regret it. Like me you will find yourself going back to it again and again.

Frame up
Frame of mind is altered by aliens

Jonathan Frakes puts in a terrific performance in this episode. While performing in a play aboard the Enterprise he is transported to another reality. In this other dimension the play is reality for our unsuspecting first officer. Out of all of the episodes I've never seen the Riker character so frightened and unsure. It's a testament to the under rated acting ability of Frakes. I think that he could also carry the show as ship's captain and it's unfortunate that the powers that be didn't make Riker captain and kept Next Generation going a few more seasons.

This is another one of those episodes that you can see over again. It has scenes where Riker can't believe the fact that he may be imprisoned forever. It's not one of those galactic battle episodes but worth your time.

Is Will Riker in a play or a mental hospital (or both?)
Riker and Data are rehearsing a play called "Frame of Mind," where they play the patient and doctor in a mental hospital. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is heading for Tilonus Four, where the government has collapsed and the warring factions are using torture to get military information. A Federation research team on the planet is now a prime target, so Picard orders Riker to get them back to the ship when the Enterprise gets to Tilonus Four in five days. Riker's plan is to go alone disguised as a Tilonian merchant. However, that night when the play is over, Riker receives a standing ovation and then finds himself in the Tilonus Institute for Mental Disorders. An attendant claims Riker was admitted after stabbing a man to death. Riker protests that he is sane, but they drug him into submission, at which point Riker awakens from a "dream." The next night the performance of the play is mixed with being in the psycho ward on Tilonus Four, until Riker can no longer tell what is real and what is not.

What makes "Frame of Mind" a great episode is that although you know this cannot "really" be happening, you have no idea what is actually going on until the final minutes of the episode. The sense of disorientation and confusion that afflicts Riker actually carries over to the viewers and when Riker actually shatters the false reality, it is a marvelous special effect. This is one of the few STNG episodes that gives Jonathan Frakes an opportunity to do some serious acting and he gives one of his best performances as Riker.

"There's a lot More Going on Here Than You Realize"
So says the enigmatic alien Riker repeatedly encounters throughout the episode. That's an understatement. Things aren't quite the sane (uh, same) for Riker when, following a dress rehearsal for a play (Frame of Mind) in which he plays a man imprisoned and tortured in a mental institution, he has a brief, unsettling encounter with a strange--apparently new-- crew member. And from that point on things for Riker deteriorate rapidly as his distinction between what is the play and what is real blurs. Who is the sinister crew member and what does he have to do with Riker's conundrum? Atmospheric episode with evocation of the sinister keeps you guessing right up to the surprise denouement. Arguably Frakes's best work in the series. ... Read more

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Dr. Crusher and the Mystery of the Metaphysic Shield
At a scientific conference, Dr. Crusher meets Reyga, a Ferengi scientist who claims to have invented a metaphysic shield that would protect a ship as it flies through the corona of a star. Crusher invites Reyga and a group of scientists back to the Enterprise to test the Ferengi's theory. The new shielding is installed on an Enterprise shuttle, which will be flown by one of the other scientists, a T'Karian named Jobril. At first the experiment is successful as Jobril flies the shuttle into the corona safely, but then he reports having difficulty breathing. Jobril returns to the Enterprise but then dies. Shortly after that, Reyga also dies, an apparent suicide. However, Dr. Crusher is very suspicious. She thinks someone sabotaged the metaphysic-shielding device and killed Reyga. Now, all she has to do is prove it.

"Suspicion" is another one of those "I Love a Mystery" episode in the series, the twist being that it is Crusher who gets to play the detective this time around (and if she has to perform an autopsy on Reyga despite the fact his family forbids it and Captain Picard gives her a direct order not to, then Beverley will do it because, well, that's the way the episode was written!). What it interesting is how much she is alone on this one. I love the idea that there is a brilliant Ferengi scientist, a far cry from their first appearance on STNG as almost feral beings. The vistiing scientists constitute the group of usual suspects and there are plenty of red herrings to discount. This is an average episode of the series, which stands out only in regards to giving Dr. Crusher something to do that does not involve Wesley.

Dr. Crusher Does Something Interesting!
The Next Generation's women are weak. I don't know if this is because the actresses, Gates McFadden as Dr. Crusher, Marina Sirtis as Counslor Troi and (ugh) Denise Crosby as Lt. Yar, were incompetent or the writers/creators of TNG just did not know how to write women (I suspect the latter though Crosby is a poor actress regardless) but they just did not do much on TNG (especially early on) and have, in my opinion, been fairly weak characters (though both Troi and Crusher grew stronger as characters later in TNG's run). I'm not anti-woman here, just anti-bad characters/bad writers. I sometimes wonder if our TNG trio of women was hired for their appearance rather than their acting ability.

"Suspicions" is not a great episode but at least Dr. Crusher is interesting here as she attempts to solve the murder of a Ferengi scientist. The mystery is secondary to me because I'm more interested with Dr. Crusher's rebellion in this episode. She defies Starfleet regulations, Federation protocol, Captain Picard's orders and Ferengi tradition all in the name of justice. Go Doctor go! I don't mean to put down the mystery (it's actually fairly clever) but I appreciated a strong and well-rounded Dr. Crusher more than the particulars of a "whodunnit".

Good episode, I could've given it four stars instead of three but what the heck. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Should have been so much better
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. When a story is as reliant on plot holes and the stupidity of the characters as this one is, you know you're in trouble.
This story should have been epic. Instead, it was perfunctory and rushed. There was no real sense of the crisis the reappearance of the Borg caused; everything was focused narrowly on the Enterprise, with no recognition that anything else counted. The direction was very flat, and the writing so bad as to be laughable in places. The special effects, make-up, and art design needed to be a lot better, too.
Worst of all, there was no emotional depth to this episode. Moments that should have been shocking, or moving, or chilling, just weren't. Nor was there any sense of how very much all this should have mattered to Data.
"Descent Part I" needed a comprehensive re-write, a better director, and about twenty more minutes to really highlight what mattered. It was throughly flat, when it needed to be the exact opposite.

This One Kicked Buns!!!
This episode had alot of excitment and the Enterprise travels over warp 180!Yes,180!I love this episode because it has advanced borg men.This is the most coolest episode I have seen with the borg.As you know,people that are not importent without hearing their last names die.I liked the storyline to it.I enjoyed part 2 aswell.

I don't know about the other reviewers, but this rocks!
I watched this video, and thought: there couldn't be a better episode. But that's just me. I mean, I've only watched 1/8 of Star Trek The Next Generation. So don't blame me if I'm wrong, but I just plainly like this show, and you'll probably like this cool pool of entertainment.

Lore Returns with the Borg!
In this one Lore aquires a following that includes Hugh the Borg. Remember him? Hugh was the Borg Picard attempted to revive to it's human origins. The Borg have the capapbility to think on their own. That's what made them so dangerous.

It begins with Data, Riker and Worf with an away team beam to a station that was finished by the Borg. The big problem here was Data enjoyed destroying the Borg that eventually attacked the team.

What Data doesn't know is he was being controlled by Lore the whole time. That is why he was "feeling" hatred toward them.

This one is a keeper. It stands up to what I call the repeated viewing test. You can watch this one along with part two a few times and still find it entertaining.

We get to see Data question his way of life aboard the Enterprise.

The only fault I find is the music. If Paramount ever releases these with a new DVD set; the music should be more dramatic. The producer Rick Berman doesn't believe in overpowering music. I disagree. The music in this one would have set the sinister tone and threat the Borg presented. And it just wasn't there because the music was so dull.

Data gets emotional over killing a Borg
The Enterprise responds to a distress call from an outpost and arrives to find only dead bodies and a group of Borg. During the fight, Data strangles one of the Borg to death in a fit of anger. When the Enterprise chases after the Borg ship, it disappears. La Forge tries to figure out how the Borg managed to escape while Data spends time on the holodeck trying to recreate his emotional experience. When the Borg attack a second colony the Enterprise pursues the Borg ship and follows it into an energy vortex at which point A couple of Borg beam onto the Enterprise bridge. Worf kills one and they capture the other while the Borg ship escapes. When Data visits the Borg in the bridge they have an interesting discussion about the android's emotional experience. The Borg fiddles with a device on this arm and suddenly Data is willing to do anything to feel emotions again. The Borg promises Data that their leader can give Data what he needs, whereupon the android helps the Borg escape in a shuttlecraft. The Enterprise follows them to a planet where Picard, La Forge and Troi discover a large building. Inside they Data, a whole bunch of Borg, and...Lore! It turns out Lore is the leader of these Borg and that Data has joined his brother. Together, the sons of Soong promise to destroy the Federation. (To be continued)

Once again we get the Borg for a season finale as Data's desire to be more human takes a bizarre turn. Data suddenly declares he would be willing to kill La Forge, his best friend, just to experience the anger and pleasure he felt when he killed the Borg. The appearance of Lore at the end is certainly a nice twist, since it means there is a logical explanation for Data's radical personality change. What is not clear is why the Borg, or to be more specific this particular group of Borg, following Lore? For answers, see Part 2 of "Descent." ... Read more

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Ambassadors from the planet Iyaar arrive on the ship as part of acultural exchange and throw everyone--particularly Worf and Troi--into atizzy. As Worf, Michael Dorn shines in a role where he's got to repress hisviolent side, as the Iyaaran he is assigned to show around becomes more andmore demanding, temperamental, and rude. Acting polite in diplomaticsituations is just not his cup of tea, but it's very funny watching him try.Troi has a different problem. She has to teach her diplomat about eating forpleasure instead of just for nourishment, and the overabundance of chocolateand cake that results almost turns her off of dessert for good. Meanwhile,Picard has left on a shuttle to visit the planet Iyaar, but an energydisruption field forces him and his Iyaaran pilot to crash-land on thenearest M-class planet. The pilot dies and Picard meets Ana, a survivor froman earlier crash who falls instantly and obsessively in love with him, to thepoint where she nearly rapes him. Not to give anything away, but the missionof the Iyaarans is to learn more about strange human emotions firsthand, justas it was the mission of the writers to examine basic human emotions from analien perspective. A fun episode, but not very deep. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

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Perplexing Liaisons (as opposed to the Dangerous kind)
Captain Picard is headed for the Iyaaran home world as part of a cultural exchange when the shuttle crash-lands, injuring the pilot, Voval. Picard goes off in search of help when he is knocked out by a plasma burst and awakens inside a wrecked freighter being taken care of by a woman named Anna, who claims to be the sole survivor of another crash. Claiming she loves Picard, Anna refuses to let Picard go and blocks every attempt to get them rescued. Meanwhile, back on the Enterprise, the crew has to endure the two Iyaaran ambassadors, one of whom wants to eat every dessert Troi can provide him while the other insists of getting of Worf's bad side.

The Iyaaran's certainly get the better of this cultural exchange. "Liaisons" is one of those episodes where there is more than meets the eye to Picard's situation. What makes this a slightly above average episode is that what is happening on the Enterprise is as much a part of the mystery as what is going on with Picard on the planet below. There are also some fun moments to be had with Worf and Troi's encounters with the ambassadors as well as with Picard playing hard to get. At the end of the day, "Liaisons" is a slightly above average STNG episode.

Good and amusing episode
This episode deals with several alien representatives visiting the Enterprise and learning about the culture of the Federation

Lt. Worf is very annoyed by the person he is assigned to. Can he finish the assignment without losing his cool? ... Read more

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The Prime Directive is put to the test in this interplanetaryexamination of the war on drugs. While studying an irregular star, theEnterprise answers a distress signal from a ship that is being pulledinto a planet's gravity. When contacted, the captain of the ship comes across as fatalistic and possibly drunk. When told to put his crew in the transporter, he ships over his cargo instead, forcing the Enterprise to scramble to try andsave the crew. The cargo is Felicium, a hyper-refined drug needed by the Ornarans to fight a plague on their planet. Unfortunately, the payment for the drug goes down with the ship. The emissaries from the other planet, the one that produces the drug, don't want to let go of the cargo without payment because production of Felicium is their planet's only industry. When Dr. Crusher discovers that the drug is a narcotic and not a cure, Picard has a moral decision to make that will affect both planets. Meanwhile, Wesley has a lot to learn about the history of drug addiction in various cultures. Though a little preachy, the restrictions of the Prime Directive ultimately make this episode interesting. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An entire planet held in chemical slavery
Throughout the history of Earth, when advanced cultures encounter others with a lower level of technology, there is rarely a merging of the cultures to create a new one. The advanced culture generally annihilates the lower one, or at the very least renders it a fraction of what it was. Even today, localized Amazonian cultures are being destroyed as their land is taken over by developers. Therefore, one of the greatest ideas put forward in the original Star Trek series was the principle of the Prime Directive, where Star Fleet personnel are sworn to avoid interference in any culture they may encounter. However, after it was initially put forward, many of the subsequent episodes in the original series tended to ignore it. Therefore, one of the most positive features of the next generation was the change where the Prime Directive was once again taken seriously.
In this episode, the Enterprise is on a routine scientific mission when they receive a distress signal from an ancient freighter. After rushing to their aid, the Enterprise crew finds the freighter crew behaving strangely, more worried about rescuing their cargo than themselves. It turns out that the system contains two planets, Ornara and Brekke, where there is a centuries long plague on Ornara, held in check by a product produced by Brekke. The only industry on Brekke is the production of the "cure" and Ornara is their only customer. After observing the reaction when the victims are treated, Dr. Crusher realizes that the cure is in fact a drug, and the plague was cured centuries ago, something that the Brekkians have understood for centuries, but they have never informed the Ornarians of that fact.
Dr. Crusher vehemently argues with Captain Picard that he must do something to alter this situation, but he refuses, citing the Prime Directive as the justification for his inaction. In order to maintain their market, the Brekkians finally agree to let the Ornarians have the drug on credit, but Picard manages to find a way to alter the situation without violating the principles of the Prime Directive.
It was pleasing to see that, despite strong pressures to the contrary, Picard sticks to the principles of the Prime Directive. He clearly understands that what may appear to be the proper action in the short term can often be a long-term disaster. The short conversation that he has with Dr. Crusher in the turbo lift is one of the classic scenes in the series, where he is speaking as a person rather than as the captain.
The ending is also a classic one, where even though Picard understands that he had no choice, he still dislikes it. I have said many times that Start Trek is at its best when the Enterprise crew is interacting with new cultures. In this case, the interaction is a troubling one, where one planet is held in a state of chemical slavery by another one. Nevertheless, Picard is able to find a solution, although it is not one that leaves a residue of good feeling.

The martians that say, "take me to your dealer"
Symbiosis......or ....How much for that shipment of Felicium?

In this episode of Next Generation; Picard deals with a dependent culture on drugs. The Ornarans and the Bekkians. The Ornarans are the dependents and the Bekkians produce the "cure" for a disease that has left the Ornaran planet long ago. The only dramatic sequence was when Merritt Butrick's character, "T'Jon" threatens to zap Riker with the electrical powers he possesses. If he doesn't get his dose of the Felicium it's over for our favorite first officer. Other than that there is a struggle between both worlds who depend on the other for survival.

It's one of those episodes that you can live without unless you want to see Merrrit Butrick in a role other than Kirk's son. Judson Scott, from the Wrath of Khan makes and appearance here as the Bekkian leader.

One of the better Prime Directive episodes of Star Trek
In the Star Trek comic book there were a couple of issues devoted to Jim Kirk being on trial for violating the Prime Directive with characters from various episodes getting their chance to point accusing fingers, sort of like the last episode of "Seinfeld." The moral high ground of the Prime Directive is certainly idealistic in its conception, but it results in a host of Star Trek episodes dealing with how hard it is to obey the letter of the law when confronted with the inequities of the universe. As a drama based on the imperative of obeying the Prime Directive no matter what the situation, "Symbiosis" is one of the best of these episodes.

In "Symbiosis" Picard stumbles upon a con game of interplanetary proportions. Responding to a distress call from an Onaran freighter, the first attempt to transport the crewmembers to saftey results in the arrival of the ship's cargo instead. Yar rescues four of the crew, two Onarans and two Brekkians, all of whom care more for the rescued cargo then their dead mates. The cargo in question is Felicium, a medicine that is the only product produced by the Brekkians for their only customers, the Onarans. It appears the Onarans suffer from a deadly plague and that Felicium, while not curing the disease, is the only thing that relieves the symptoms. However, Dr. Crusher runs her tests and discovers Felicium is not a medicine, but a drug. The Onarans are not ill, they are addicted, and the Brekkians have been exploiting this situation for generations. Even though the payment for this shipment was destroyed with the freighter, the Brekkians give the Felicium to the Onarans, because otherwise the addiction will wear off and the Onarans will finally figure out they have been tricked. Of course, despite Crusher's vehement insistence that they must expose the Brekkians' charade, Captain Picard can not violate the Prime Directive.

It occurs to me that Gene Roddenberry and his heirs needed to learn a lesson from Isaac Asimov when it comes to this Prime Directive nonsense. Asimov, who's work is echoed in the idea that Data has a positronic brain, developed not one but three initial Laws of Robotics, because he knew that one black and white rule was not going to be good enough in a universe of shifting grays. The Laws of Robotics, like the Prime Directive and the Golden Rule, are all based on the same dictum, expressed in the Hippocratic Oath as "first, do no harm." To do nothing in regards to the situation on Onara is to do harm. Silence assumes assent, and Starfleet has assented to too many evils in the name of the Prime Directive. There has to be a better way, but too much water has gone over the dam at this point to really fix the problem. Besides, it is not like Starfleet ever courtmartials Kirk, Picard or Sisko (So why does Janeway keep obeying the Prime Directive while Voyager is stuck on the far side of the universe?). I still think that having a series of rules similar to Asimov's laws, that would require Picard and crew to work out what is or is not acceptable in a given situation, would have been a good idea.

Prime Directive
This often overlooked and underrated gem is one of my favorite episodes from Season 1 of the Next Generation. In most episodes the Prime Directive is used as a stumbling block. Here we see how important the Prime Directive really is. Look for guest spots by Star Trek II's Merritt Butrick (Kirk's son David) and Judson Scott (One of Khan's followers). Also this is the last episode filmed with Denise Crosby (Skin of Evil was actually filmed before this episode). Look for her wave at the end as Picard and Crusher exit the Cargo Bay. A really interesting and cleverly written episode. ... Read more