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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

Reviews (1)

3 million refugees descend upon DS9 and Bajor
A damaged ship comes through the wormhole carrying four Skrreeans, a race that has been freed from the oppression of the T'Rogorans by the mysterious Dominion. The Skrreeans believe the wormhole to be the "Eye of the Universe," that will lead them to their true home, Kentanna. Sisko sends ship out to guide the rest of the Skrreeans and soon there are three million of them in vessels around DS9. While Sisko and Dax search for a planet to serve as the new home for the Skrreeans, their leader Haneek decides that Bajor is really Kentanna.

"Sanctuary" is one of those Star Trek episodes that obviously speak to contemporary concerns, in this case the refugee problem that afflicts war torn corners of the globe. Of course the Bajoran provisional government turns down the Skrreean request to settle. Given what they went through under the Cardassian occupation it is not surprising that Bajor would reject three million refugees (or immigrants if you want to think of the Skrreean farmers that way). "Sanctuary" is a thoughtful and slightly above-average DS9 episode. ... Read more

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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 second half of a two-part drama finds Commander Sisko (Avery Brooks) and his Cardassian counterpart, Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), working closely to uncover a conspiracy by Maquis terrorists to provoke a major war between the Federation and Cardassia. The crisis is also personal for Sisko, who discovers that an old friend from Starfleet, Cal Hudson (Bernie Casey), has joined the rebels.

The story by series creators and executive producers Rick Berman and Michael Piller (with a teleplay by Ira Steven Behr) may be DS9's most explicit illustration of how this spinoff show worked hard at proving its legitimacy as a different kind of Star Trek while also connecting with the canon's established legacies. Yet the episode's focus, quite wisely, is on Sisko, who discovers (not for the last time) that the treacherous times in which he finds himself routinely claim old loyalties and shift alliances around in unexpected ways. Avery Brooks carries the ball here, though Marc Alaimo is wonderful in some of his earliest explorations of Dukat's multiple contradictions. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Sisko and Gul Dukat forced to work together to avert war
Calvin Hudson, the Federation attache to the colonists who is now a member of the Maquis, tries to convince Sisko that the Cardassians are supplying their colonists in the Demilitarized Zone with weapons. The Maquis have kidnapped Gul Dukat to learn more about these shipments, but the Cardassian claims he knows nothing about them. When Legate Parn, a high-ranking Cardassian official, visits DS9 the claims Dukat is indeed responsible for the weapons shipments and the Maquis can do with him what they like, Sisko becomes convinced Dukat is telling the truth. The enemy of your enemy is your friend, which means Sisko and Dukat end up working together, a fact that sticks in both of their craws throughout this episode. One of the more solid story arcs in the Deep Space Nine series is the continuing chess game Sisko and Dukat play out in episode after episode. This two-part DS9 episode ends much better than it starts, mainly because the larger conflict gets boiled down to the thoughts and efforts of the two opponents, Sisko and Dukat.

A stellar conclusion.
"Maquis 2" is an excellent, riveting, and down-right stellar episode, both in terms of concluding Part 1, and in being a dramatic success. Again, the story focuses wisely on Sisko, who is performed to perfection by the amazing Avery Brooks. Interesting issue's arise in this episode, but not in a such a way that they become overstated or preachy. The show mainly focuses on Sisko's conflict with his old friend Cal Hudson, which culminates in an exciting battle sequence. This puts the introduction of one of DS9's better on-going plots on a very personal issue. In a nutshell: an excellent character show, with wonderful drama, and a good set-up for many seasons to come. A must-see! ... Read more

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Star Trek fans know that the character Miles O'Brien (ColmMeaney), the Irish-born engineer with a very small role on The NextGeneration, grew into a major figure on Deep Space Nine, befittingMeaney's rising prominence in film (The Snapper). The episode called"Whispers" places the actor at the center of an unnerving,Twilight Zone-like story in which O'Brien returns to the station following an assignment inthe Paradas system, only to find that everyone is treating him distantly.Commander Sisko (Avery Brooks) assigns him to meaningless work and denies thechief his usual security clearance on important matters. Meanwhile, theengineering crew lies to him, Odo (Rene Auberjonois) talks to him as if were a suspect, and O'Brien's closest friend, Dr. Bashir (Siddig El Fadil), andhis own wife (Rosalind Chao) regard him mechanically.

Suspecting a conspiracy afoot, O'Brien finds ample evidence that a kind ofInvasion of the Body Snatchers scenario may be underway, and he boltsfrom the station in a Runabout under a hail of fire. Searching for answers, thegood chief runs smack into a cruel discovery about the nature of destiny and identity. A fine mystery from beginning to end, "Whispers" draws upon a favoriteStar Trek theme, that of questionable realities and fear of madness.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Whispering Imposter!
This is not so much a review as it is a search for an answer. The episode "Whispers" in which Miles Obrien returns to DS9 to find that all is not as it should be stikes a remarkable resemblance to the movie staring Gary Sinise - IMPOSTER. I'm curious as to which story is the original. As this episode was part of DS9's second season and the movie came out much later, it appears as though there was a slight "borrowing" of a story line here. If anyone has seen both the episode and the movie and can offer some enlightenment, please do so. Thank You.

'The Spy Who Wouldn't Come In From The Cold'
Returning to DS9 after a short absence Miles O'Brien slowly finds that he has stumbled unto a potential conspiracy that the Federation may or may not be a part of. As he tries to untangle what he believes is a plot to disrupt an upcoming peace conference, the Chief is constantly diverted and encounters many peculiarities among the crew members. The conundrum becomes a full blown conspiracy when he is summoned to Odo's office where the DS9 staff officers draw weapons on him and order him to surrender! I don't want to give away the mystery any more than that, but be certain that you watch this one if you haven't yet.

Borrowing liberally from the 1956 sci-fi masterpiece "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" and mixing in a small dosage of "Blade Runner" and adding just a touch of "The Manchurian Candidate", the writers of DS9 create an exceptional mystery. The political themes and undertones so present in those classic films are retained here as well, injected occasionally building an uncomfortable amount of tension for the Chief to endure.

Flashback episodes can be cliched and pedestrian by nature but the Star Trek writers breathe new life into that tiresome vehicle here. "Whispers" is a uniquely filmed episode because O'Brien is featured in literally every shot. Every line of dialogue that is heard in this episode is a conversation that he has with another of the DS9 crew members. This technique works great for the story as we become totally convinced that O'Brien is right to suspect the crew of deception. Also, the ending of this episode is well constructed - it provides a great twist and a satisfying explanation for the strange happenings.

A few notes: In this show O'Brien is referred to as a replicant, the term used in the film "Blade Runner". Wisely, both the Trek creators and writers decided against using the term android which would have caused some small confusion considering it is so closely associated with Data. Using replicant also works effectively because in "Blade Runner" the replicants were on the run - O'Brien eventually does too toward the end of the episode. I've noticed also that O'Brien has to be DS9's most durable and put-upon crew member. After this ordeal he would suffer through worse personal trials on such episodes as the later "Tribunal" and "Hard Times".

Miles O'Brien returns to DS9 and finds the Twilight Zone
Chief O'Brien is racing to the Paradan system in the Gamma Quadrant to get the Paradans to call off a peace conference that is supposed to take place on Deep Space Nine. We then learn that O'Brien had visited the system a week earlier and had returned to DS9 to find everybody was...different. Even Keiko was treating him strangely. "Whispers" reminds me of some of those classic episodes of "The Twilight Zone" where some unfortunately character finds themself displaced from their reality. There is even a final twist to this episode worthy of the best the Zone had to offer. I especially like seeing Colm Meaney given more to do than run around doing engineering stuff providing an additional element of unease to the Chief's adventures this time around.

An excellent mystery show.
"Whispers" is an excellent stand-alone mystery. It's so complex, you can watch it two times and it will still be interesting. The first time, when you have no idea what is going on, the mystery angle as O'Brien tries to figure out what is wrong with everyone on the station, is done so well, you don't want it to end. The second time through, when you know is really going on, everything comes on a different level. That is difficult to write and perform, but everyone delivers in a marvelous way. Even though "Whispers" has no impact on the series' plot-arc's, it is still a wonderful show, worth seeing.

One of Star Trek's best
Although Colm Meaney has been an underused actor throughout Deep Space Nine's seven year run, almost every episode of the series that has focused on his Chief O'Brien character has been superb.

"Whispers" is not only the best Chief O'Brien episode, it's one of the best Deep Space Nine episodes, and quite possibly, when taking all four incarnations of Star Trek into consideration, one of the best Star Trek episodes. Meaney plays out the paranoid element of the story perfectly, the music was better than Trek's (at least TV Trek) usual sub-par fare, and the story kept you guessing until the end (is there something wrong with O'Brien, or is there something wrong with everyone else?). Not to be missed. ... Read more

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"Give me two good actors in a room," said frequent DS9 and Next Generation director Winrich Kolbe in Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman's book Captains' Logs Supplemental, "and I prefer that over six bad actors hanging from a rope on the Matterhorn."

Kolbe got his wish in "Armageddon Game," one of the early DS9 episodes to highlight the superb chemistry between costars Colm Meaney (who plays chief engineer Miles O'Brien) and Alexander Siddig (known as Siddig El Fadil at the time, and the actor portraying Dr. Bashir). The two Starfleet characters are assigned to a laboratory orbiting T'Lani III to implement an agreement between the feuding T'Lani and Kellerun societies, who wish to dismantle a biochemical warfare system known as the Harvester. Before the chief and the physician can finish the job, however, Kellerun soldiers overrun the lab and O'Brien is exposed to the Harvester's dangerous contents.

A number of times on DS9, Bashir and O'Brien find themselves in harm's way together, allowing the show's writers (Morgan Gendel in this case) and directors (such as Kolbe) to bring a rare sort of actorly texture to the proceedings. Meaney and Siddig simply click together with their excellent, often funny dialogue, some of it quibbling, much of it pure banter about the most human, everyday things: family, love, decisions once made, etc. A very rewarding show. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

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O'Brien and Bashir, presumed dead but still arguing away
Chief O'Brien and Doctor Bashir, Deep Space Nine's resident odd couple, are overseeing the T'Lani and the Kellerun as they destroy their weapons stockpile of "harvesters." Assassins attempt to kill the officers, so that no one will ever be able to recreate the weapons, but O'Brien and Bashir escape. However, the Chief is infected by the final batch of harvesters. The T'Lani and Kellerun ambassadors report the death of the two Starfleet officers and even provide a clip of O'Brien causing the accident that killed them. However, Keiko insists the record is false because Miles never drinks coffee in the afternoon.

This is an average but still solid episode of DS9, offering this particular pair of Star Trek characters a chance to return from the dead. Most of the fun in the episode is the way O'Brien and Bashir snipe at each other, no matter what else is going on around them. However, the best part of this episode is the nice little comic twist at the end. I have to admit, I never saw that coming and I do not think anybody else did either.

A pretty good episode
This was a pretty good episode. It mainly focuses on O'Brien and Bashir's frienship when the two are trapped on a planet. Although nothing groundbreaking, it is entertaining and contains a pretty cool battle sequence. ... Read more

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Odo's latest case reopens his very first case aboard DS9
Constable Odo has been on Deep Space Nine longer than anybody else and in "Necessary Evil" we not only learn how he came to the station but also of an early encounter with Kira Nerys. When Quark is shot, Rom explains to Odo how the two Ferengi had just discovered a list of Bajoran names on the other side of a wall plate in one of the promenade shops. This information leads Odo to reopen the unsolved murder case that had caused Gul Dukat to bring the shapeshifter to DS9. The shop had belonged to a Bajoran named Vaatrik, whose widow had accused Kira of the murder. The episode goes back and forth in time as Odo pursues both investigations and finally arrives at the truth. "Necessary Evil" is a much better detective story that all of the Dixon Hill fantasies Picard sloshed through on The Next Generation. Besides, this is one of the few times Odo gets to work a case without somebody interfering, which makes it a first rate DS9 episode for fans of the Constable.

Trek noir
This episode had a spectacular film noir feel to it, with Odo serving as the PI figure and Kira and Pallra as mysterious femme fatales that could lead to Odo's untimely demise if he trusts the wrong one. It's a great story of murder, blackmail, and lies set against a dark, spaceborne version of a Nazi concentration camp.

Top 5
Without question Necessary Evil is one of the best hours of Trek that you'll ever see. Once again Peter Allan Fields shows his enormous tallent and one wonders what seasons 3 and 4 would have been like had he added a few of his masterpieces. Kira and Odo are the stars here, yet it's the intricate plot that forces you to look into the minds and modivations of these characters - tearing apart your assumptions about who they are and replacing it with the cold, hard, yet believable truth. This will always remain a Top 5 episode for me.

"Nessacary Evil" is nessacary for every fan!
"Nessacary Evil" is, after all of DS9's 7 year-run, still one of the most popular episodes of the series. The show is done in both present DS9 time, and marvelous flashback scenes to when the station was under Cardassian occupation. The direction is wonderful, making this a truly compelling show. But, standout characterizations are the key here, and they shine. The basic's of Odo's persona are revealed in the episode, as well as a dark chapter from Kira's past. Wonderful performances all across the board (as usual). The show is a very effective look into the Cardassian occupation, Major Kira's past, and Chief of Security Odo. A must see.

One of the best
This is still one of DS9's most highly regarded episodes, and for good reason. The story embraces a rather film noir style both with its murder mystery plot and its dark, unsettling atmosphere. The plot, told mostly in flashbacks, deals with the sordid past of several characters, including Major Kira, Odo, Gul Dukat and Quark. The opportunity taken to portray these characters during the time of the Cardassian Occupation is not wasted, and Odo and Dukat are memorably portrayed in this different environment. The story is engrossing and well-paced, with just enough sensation, humor and mystery to add breadth to the story. The ending is also a bit of a surprise, but an appropriate one. What makes 'Necessary Evil' a standout episode also encapsulates what was great about DS9 in general - the eagerness to be different and daring, to be unafraid of taking chances with its characters and telling stories more disturbing than its sister shows, but more compelling and rewarding in the end. ... Read more

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Why should randy William Riker get all the ladies? When 16-year-oldSalia (Jaime Hubbard) boards the Enterprise in order to be escorted to Daled IV, the planet she is destined to rule, Wesley Crusher gets an immediate crush on her. She seems to like him, too, much to the displeasure of her overprotective guardian Anya (Paddi Edwards). Wesley roams the ship asking for dating advice while Anya tries to lock Salia in her room. Of course,Wesley is following that unwritten Enterprise rule that encourages flings with people and aliens from outside of the ship, which guarantees theywill be short-term affairs. It's a pattern established by Picard (see episode 24, "We'll Always Have Paris"), where duty and ambition always take precedenceover personal relationships. Back to Wesley, though. When Wesley discovers thetrue nature of this alien life form, he must come to terms with the fact thatlooks aren't everything. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

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Teenage glandular activity leads to interspecies crush
As humans move out into the stars and encounter other species, we will take our basic functions with us. Even though we may move around in giant ships faster than the speed of light, our bodies will still require that we eat, sleep, perspire, excrete waste and teenagers will still experience hormonal overload. In this episode, Wesley meets what appears to be a teenage girl (Salia) who smiles sweetly at him, immediately setting the glands working.
However, the girl is being ferried to a planet where she is to assume the throne and rule the planet. Two groups have been engaged in an ongoing war and it is hoped that the new monarch will be able to unite the planet in peace. Of course, the smitten Wesley has no idea how to approach her and he seeks advice from Worf, which is hilarious. His description of the Klingon mating ritual is wonderful to behold and of no use to Wesley. After experiencing that dead end, Wesley seeks out Commander Riker, who enlists the aid of Guinan. Their dialog over the table is some of the best in all of the Star Trek episodes. Clearly not to be taken seriously, the frustration on Wesley's face is superb.
Wesley finally manages to meet Salia, when she seeks help in using the food synthesizers. Unfortunately, her guardian (Anya) strongly objects and this is when Wesley learns that Salia is not human. This is devastating to his young heart, and he spends some time moping around licking his emotional wounds. To his credit, he manages to overcome his sorrow and sees Salia off in the transporter room. Worf and Anya also have a clash, and yet in the end, they clearly reach a level of mutual understanding and respect.
One aspect of TNG that I consider to be a dramatic improvement over the original series is the emotional activity between humans and other species. If we ever encounter other intelligent species, there is no doubt that passionate emotions will be involved and that will eventually lead to sex. In many ways, the first interspecies sexual activity with extraterrestrials may be even more traumatic to the collective human psyche than the existence of the other species. It may take some time before sex between species is not considered bestiality, as it is a near certainty that the extraterrestrials will have far less biology in common with humans than humans do with dogs, sheep and goats.
I rank this as one of the better episodes, because it deals with the emotional trauma of a human able to maintain an emotional attachment to a member of another species after learning that she is not human. Hopefully, this is a harbinger of the future and will not always be nothing more than a theme in science fiction entertainment,

Wesley in love? I think I'm gonna be sick...
Aw gee-- it's Wesley's first teenage romance! Isn't that just precious? Isn't that beautiful? Isn't that... absolutely DISGUSTING! And he's fallen for some teenaged future-leader-of-a-wartorn-world who can morph into a giant Chewbacca-lookin' thingy when she gets angry! Heh, who knew Wes had a Wookiee fetish, hmm? And people call ME a sicko...

Speakin' of "Star Wars" ripoffs, our teenaged alien chick is accompanied by a very strict and overprotective guardian who kinda reminds me of Nurse Ratchett from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and Balbricker from the "Porky's" flicks, and morphs into a Wookiee-thingy AND an Ewok-thingy! The former of which she uses to try and scare Wes away from her charge during the climax. Bet'cha his uniform pants were brimmin' over after this confrontation, heh. Sadly, she stopped just short of killing the little twerp. Some freakin' guardian SHE is...

Oh yeah, this eppie also features a precious moment in Ten-Forward with Guinan and Riker showing Wuss-ley how to sweet-talk his newfound love. Some of Riker's comments about Guinan's (heh) beauty are really reaching for it in this scene! I mean, have ya ever taken a good look at Whoopi Goldberg? No offense, but she ain't exactly what one would consider a paragon of glamour. Just ask Ted Danson...

'Late

Wil Wheaton acts!
I'm not a big fan of Wil Wheaton as Ensign Crusher and I've always thought the show would do better without him (and did do better after he left). However, I have to offer praise for his performance in this episode. He actually acts like a teenager with overactive hormones with a need to explore, for the first time, what love is. It reminded me a lot of when I was his age.

The highlight of this episode is the humor. Worf explaining Klingon flirting rituals is humorous!! Then there is a scene where Jonathan Frakes (Riker) and Whoopie Goldberg (Guinan) are flirting with each other for a moment. I actually had to laugh out loud at this.

There was nothing really memorable about this episode and it doesn't stand out as a favorite, but I would recommend it regardless.

THE DAUPHIN (Wesley in Love)
This is one of my all-time favorite episodes of TNG. Wesley falls in love with Salia, a beautiful girl on her way home to rule over a planet. Ignore the silly monster costumes and enjoy the genuine heart and emotion of this episode dealing with first love!

Wesley Crusher tries to survive the pains of first love
The Enterprise is transporting Salia and Anya to the war torn planet of Daled IV. Salia, the Dauphin, is the daughter of parents from the two sides of the conflict and for sixteen years has been preparing to assume her role as leader, thereby bringing peace. As soon as Salia and Wesley see each other, you know there are going to be problems. Especially since Anya turns (literally) into a ferocious beast in order to defend her charge. Anya tells Salia to stay away from Wesley and Captain Picard orders Wesley to stay away from Salia. But do those lovesick kids listen? Actually this is one of the few romantic episodes during the first couple of seasons on the Next Generation, unless you count Riker and Picard being intrigued by a holodeck fantasy. The best part of the episode is when Wesley seeks advice on romance from the crewmembers, including Worf. Jaime Hubbard is a nice match for the gangly Wesley, but the best performance is Paddi Edwards as Anya, kicking Worf around. The basic plot line is predictable, since love never lasts long on this or any other Enterprise, but there are a few twists and you have to like any girl who's primary form is a shimmering pillar of light. ... Read more

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The crew's much-needed shore leave has to be postponed when they runacross anomalies in the space-time continuum. Hiccups in time are causing occasional moments of déjà vu. The distress signal from Dr. PaulManheim (Rod Loomis), a scientist who's been working on experiments in nonlineartime, puts Picard into a bit of an emotional funk. You see, 22 years prior, Picard was supposed to meet a woman in a café in Paris--a woman whom he loved and who loved him. He stood her up for fear of being tied down by a relationship, choosing instead his Starfleet career. Needless to say, the old flame (Michelle Phillips) ended up marrying Manheim, and now it's up to Picard and the crew of the Enterprise to save them both. "We'll Always Have Paris" is an engaging examination of the personal sacrifices made bya workaholic, played against the backdrop of a smart, action-packed story. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Picard relives a moment of great weakness
On their way to a base to engage in some much-needed shore leave, the Enterprise suddenly experiences a brief looping of time. After verifying that the loop did indeed occur, they discover that it was not an isolated event, as it propagated across several thousand light years. Shortly after this, they receive a distress call from Dr. Paul Manheim, a scientist known to be conducting research in the fundamentals of time.
The situation is complicated because Manheim's wife is Captain Picard's first love, someone he was to have met in a café in Paris many years ago, but didn't due to an admitted lack of courage. Which raises the interesting human dilemma that some people who find it easy to face down physical danger fold like a cheap tent when faced with emotional danger. In order to prepare himself for meeting, Picard goes to a holodeck and has it recreate the café where the meeting was to take place.
Arriving at the laboratory, the Enterprise is able to rescue Dr. Manheim and his wife, the only two members of the research time still alive. Clearly, there is still a great deal of attraction between Picard and Mrs. Manheim, which stirs feelings of jealousy in Dr. Crusher. Dr. Manheim is phasing between dimensions, which is damaging his body, so we are once again made to suffer through more instances of Dr. Crusher saying she doesn't know what to do.
Eventually, Dr. Manheim recovers enough of his senses to explain to the Enterprise crew how to bypass the security system in his lab and heal the rift between the dimensions. Data beams down alone and manages to place antimatter in the rift at the right time so that it is sealed.
In terms of human interest with Picard as the focus, this is one of the best episodes in the series. We see him reliving his past, clearly with some sense of regret over his inability to let his emotions take some control over his life. While it is not part of the plot, it does raise the issue that perhaps that is one of the reasons why he is an excellent star ship captain. The feelings of jealousy in Dr. Crusher are also very evident, and both characters play their emotional conflicts very well. The ending scene where both Picard and Mrs. Manheim are in a holodeck simulation of the Parisian café is a classic example of two people putting closure to a part of their life. While they both still have deep feelings for each other, they clearly understand that they must part and they do so with a great deal of dignity.
The one part of the episode that I found detrimental was the role of counselor Troi, whose actions seem out of synch with the rest of the plot. When Picard first realizes that he will be meeting his first love, he obviously reacts with strong emotion. Before Picard can even leave the bridge, Troi stops him and offers him counseling services. We do not need to be told that Picard is undergoing emotional turmoil and he is rightfully annoyed at what should be considered an intrusion. Later, Troi approaches Dr. Crusher, expressing concern over her feelings of jealousy. Once again, this is an instance of over-zealous counseling. The feelings are of no danger to the ship and one would hope that the crew would be able to express natural emotions without having the counselor attempting to get involved in every instance.
Relying on one of the oldest themes in human existence, finding a long lost love, this episode shows Picard at his most vulnerable, where even he demonstrates weakness. Despite this, Picard also shows his greatest strength, in leading the Enterprise crew to the successful completion of a task that had to be done. This episode is good, but not great, slightly better than average when compared to all others.

Au contraire....
Contrary to the review "Time Distortion" just previous, I would have to say that chemistry of a former affair between the characters of Picard and Jenice was, in fact, in evidence. But this former connection was played with subtlety and maturity, not foolish hot kissing and furtive groping, as is so much in evidence on current television. The former affair would have had its after effects, years later, very plausibly in the way it was protrayed. It made an interesting foil to the time distortion story, as well as help to flesh out the human side of Picard's normally brusque character, a necessary development in the first season towards building audience interest in the new series. And it didn't hurt that Michelle Phillips was cast as Jenice - she played the part with the right mix of chic, loveliness and grace. This episode is one of my favorites, as it addresses the age-old story of lost loves, regrets, ambition, and other roads taken, all as a universal theme of the human condition.

Time Distortion
Manheim's Experiment

The highlight in this episode was not the flirtatious romance between Picard and Jenice (Michelle Phillips). It kind of fell flat because there was no chemistry between them. The effects shots that makes this one a keeper? The scenes where Data is attempting to plug the dimensional "hole" in the space time continuum. He exists in three different time lines simultaneously in the climatic scene.

The whole premise where Manheim spent his life studying time travel was tragic. A miscalculation put him in multi-dimensions. Why the producers threw in the former romance is a mystery to me. There was no spark between Philips and Stewart that led me to believe that at one time they loved each other.

Data saves the episode in this one. It was the only saving grace that put this one in my first season favorites list. I can understand how the producers must save money for the season. However, a little character conflict might have made this a dramatic episode. I see the contrast in the episodes done on Voyager and how far the producers have come in making the series more interesting for viewers.

Time to reveal Jean-Luc Picard's tragic romantic past
After reality starts to replay itself all over the ship, the Enterprise receives a distress call from the famous Dr. Paul Manheim. Fifteen years previously Manheim and his group of young scientists had disappeared trying to prove the doctor's theories concerning time. On Vandor IV the crew find everyone dead except for the doctor and his wife, Jenice. When the time distortions continue, Manheim confesses his experiments opened a rift to another dimension and if they can not seal this rift then reality will no longer exist, the laws of the universe will be undone, and life as we know it will come to an end. But more important than all that, we learn 22 years earlier Jean-Luc Picard had broken off a love affair with Manheim's wife!

As the first season of Next Generation draws to a close we have a belated effort to developed Picard as a romantic figure, although having Michelle Phillips play the role of Jencie is a very good start indeed. The series had began with the captain being pretty much the anti-Kirk and a celibate father-figure, career officer, who was married to his job. Ironically, in the end Picard will prove to be much more of a romantic figure than Riker, who was clearly set up to be the smooth talking stud on the show. The climax of this episode, where a trio of Datas have to figure out which one is at the correct point in the time continuum to seal the rift, is well done and a very nice last second hurdle to be overcome in solving the problem. It is that payoff to the other plotline which elevates "We'll Always Have Paris" above the melodrama of Picard's imitation "Casablanca" tragic past (For added fun, think of how the title applies to the crisis part of the episode rather than the romantic part). ... Read more

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"Blood Oath" features another Dax-centered plot, this one trading on the way time plays tricks on those who befriend the symbiote and its host. This time, Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) encounters a trio of aging Klingons that the symbiote had befriended when it was in its previous host, Curzon Dax. Curzon had sworn a blood oath with the three Klingon generals that he would help them avenge a grievous loss; an enemy known as the Albino had killed the generals' families during a war decades before, then disappeared. But when the Klingons locate the Albino and come to DS9 looking for Dax, they are surprised to find a woman in Curzon's place--and it takes time for Jadzia to convince them that she should be allowed to fulfill Curzon's oath. She also must wrestle with the idea of hunting down and killing a man outside the arena of battle, which makes it a little too close to murder. Some enjoyable Klingon interplay and a nice Wild Bunch sort of ending, as the Klingons take on their final battle. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (9)

You can go home again!
Three veterans from the original Trek return in older versions of their earlier selves and a new part entirely. John Colicos and Michael Ansara reprise their roles as Klingon warriors and William Campbell, memorable in the classic "Squire of Gothos" episode, also dons the garb of a member of the warrior race.

What I liked most about this series is its use of skilled character actors and this episode is no exception. The three thespians relish their roles and play them with much gusto. The storyline allows each to bring his distinctive interpretation of a Klingon officer. They balance perfectly and play well with the younger Terry Ferrell in the role of the popular "Dax".

This is indeed one of the best in Trek history.

For Dax and a trio of Klingons, it is a good day to die
Three of the fiercest Klingon warriors from the original classic Star Trek show up at Deep Space Nine: Kor (John Colicos), Koloth (William Campbell) and Kand (Michael Ansara). The trio have shown up looking for Curzon Dax, with whom they made a blood oath to slay their greatest adversary, the Albino. When they discover Jadzia Dax instead they refuse to let her come along, so she gets a bat'leth and kicks their butts around for a while. However, while they are on their way to confront the Albino, Dax figures out there is something wrong with their mission. "Blood Oath" is not a great episode, but it is certainly well above average. Getting to see this trio madeup as the new improved Klingons is certainly a blast, but not as much fun as watching the three veteran actors ham it up with each other throughout the episode. Finally, there is Jadzia as a fierce Klingon warrior; no wonder Worf is going to fall for her when he shows up on the series. "Blood Oath" is a fun episode and one of the best Klingon episodes of Star Trek.

Classic Trek Klingons Visit DS9!
In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's second season, we see this wonderful series really begin to grow and mature. This is exemplified by the episode "Blood Oath".

Three Klingons, each of whom first appeared in The Original Series, return to Star Trek! Kor (from the TOS episode "Errand of Mercy"), Koloth (from "The Trouble with Tribbles") and Kang ("Day of the Dove") all meet up with Dax on DS9 to fulfill a Blood Oath the four of them took over 80 years ago. It seems a renegade Klingon swore revenge on Kor, Koloth and Kang and succeeded in fulfilling that promise by killing each of the threesome's eldest sons. Curzon Dax, who was negotiating peace treaties with the Klingon Empire at the time and had become close to Kang, took a Blood Oath with Kang and company to one day find the renegade and kill him. Only problem is that the Oath was made with Dax's previous host, Curzon and not Jadzia, Dax's current incarnation (you're familiar with the Trill, right?). Kor doesn't have a problem with this but Kang and Koloth only see a young woman with little experience and their mission of vengeance seems ill-suited for her. Eventually, Dax convinces them to let her come along, not fully realizing how violent it will be and what it means to take a life.

This is a powerful episode and the violence that marks Jadzia's coming of age is not glorified: It is violent, bloody and tragic. Jadzia grows here but it is a maturation process that she could have done without. Klingons claim that killing in a just cause is glorious but all we see is death and destruction. A coming of age indeed but one that Jadzia realizes she could have skipped.

This is the best episode of DS9's first two seasons. It is a good Klingon episode and, perhaps, the best Dax episode.

A Tribute to Three of the Greatest Klingons of ALL TIME
Three of the Greatest Klingons since Kahless himself reprise their roles from the original series. Kang (Michael Ansara), Koloth (William Campbell) and Kor (John Colicus) reunite with their old frind Dax to forfil there Bload Oath of 84 years to take vengence for the murders of their first born sons.

A trully great episode... I would have given it 5 stars, but I did not like the fact that they did not give Kang and Koloth a chance to come back in further episodes. But still it was great none the less.

Please read
This is not a review. I just did not know where to write to.

The Start Trek video information is very, very poor. I really did not expect this from Amazon. There are more than one video manufacturer and episodes numbers vary. How can we choose something without a summary of the story ?????? Also the "quotes&trivia" session's text is the same for all episodes. For trivia info, fine, but quotes !!! The headline says quotes from episode XXX and they are all the same - a shame, really. ... Read more

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Viewers of Star Trek: The Next Generation were introduced to theMaquis late in the syndicated run of that series. A loose-knit organization ofdisenfranchised Federation colonists--abandoned after a new treaty with theCardassians meant some Federation planetary systems were now in Cardassianterritory--the Maquis refused to give up their homes and resorted to terroristmethods to provoke a new war between the old enemies.

The drama of the Maquis' fight was inherited by Deep Space Nine in "TheMaquis, Part 1," in which well-disguised acts of terrorism nearly fool Cardassiaand the Federation into believing each side is attacking the other. WhenCommander Sisko (Avery Brooks) is assured by his Cardassian counterpart, GulDukat (Marc Alaimo), that war is not intended, the two set about trying to findsome answers. Clues point to a conspiracy by the Maquis rebels, one of whom isan old friend of Sisko's from Starfleet. This passionate traitor tells Sisko that the Federation is ignoring signs that Cardassia is breaking its treatyobligations, and that the Maquis are committed to stopping the menace.

This episode certainly represents the degree to which Deep Space Ninebecame the repository of Star Trek's complicated intergalactic politics.The most intriguing thing about the Maquis is that their grievances pointdirectly to questionable judgment on the part of the Federation, which hasabandoned millions of its own people to the wolves of political expediency. Foronce in the history of Star Trek, the good guys have a black eye. (Thesecond half of this two-parter is available as Star Trek: Deep SpaceNine, Episode 41.) --Tom Keogh ... Read more

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The Maquis attack the Cardassians in the Demilitarized Zone
Remember when the Federation signed a treaty with the Cardassian that traded some planets while rearranging the boundaries between the two in the STNG episodes "Journey's End" and "Preemptive Strike"? Well, there are some repercussions for Deep Space Nine. When a Cardassian vessel explodes after leaving DS9, Gul Dukat and Sisko investigate and find ships of both Cardassian and Federation design fighting in the demilitarized zone. After the Cardassians produce a "confession" to blame Federation terrorists for the destruction of their ship, Gul Dukat is kidnapped by the Maquis, the resistance group comprised of disgruntled Federation colonists and renegade Starfleet officers. While not technically a crossover with the Next Generation, "The Maquis" does cover parallel events, which is a neat idea. However, I do have to admit that any treaty that trades planets between the Federation and Cardassia and makes none of the colonists on any of the planets involved happy, is a pretty bad treaty from a political standpoint, although it obviously engenders some interesting Star Trek stories. To be continued...

Maquis Part 1, A Good One!
"Maquis, Pt. 1" is one of the better Sisko stories of the fantastic 2nd Season. This also sets-up one of DS9's ongoing plotlines that are dealt with in many seasons to come. Sisko is caught in the middle of a conflict between and old friend and a Starfleet treaty. This is a compelling show with some standout scenes between Sisko and Dukat. If you are trying to collect pivotal episode's from DS9's run, or just want some riveting drama, this is for you. The only fault is the performance from Bernie Casey, who doesn't deliver on the level he should be. Other than that, everything is golden.

not one of the best episodes
Not really a good episode This is a part 1 and 2: But the plot is good. maybe a 2 & 1/2. ... Read more

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The Federation freighter Odin has been disabled by an asteroid. There are no signs of life on the ship, but three escape pods are missing, so the crew of the Enterprise take a trip to the nearest planet, Angel One, to see if they can locate any survivors. The civilization on Angel One is "similar to mid-20th-century Earth," except the gender roles are switched. Women are the hunters and natural leaders, while the men aretreated as pretty ornaments and playthings. You can imagine how well that playswith Riker. But it's Riker who, in pure Shatner mode, nearly gets lucky with theleader of Angel One, Mistress Beata (Karen Montgomery). Well, it turns out thethree survivors are fugitives from justice because they've been inspiring themen on the planet to campaign for equal rights, and the women just don't likethat. Meanwhile, the Enterprise has been incapacitated by a mysterious virus. The obvious politics of this episode are nicely balanced by the entertainingly "girlish" costumes worn by the men on the planet. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

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"Klingons appreciate strong women."
"Angel One" undoubtedly was intended to be an insightful commentary on the nature of gender dynamics and sexual politics when it was originally conceived. Unfortunately, it comes across as something that not even the most generous viewer would describe as "enlightening." Essentially it wound up in its final form as something closer to the television equivalent of bird cage liner.

The Enterprise-D arrives at planet Angel One to search for survivors from a lost Federation freighter. They discover that the male survivors are considered fugitives due to their refusal to embrace the planet's matriarchal ruling structure. Yet, the men refuse to return to the Federation when discovered because they have found spouses on the planet. After the fugitives are captured, Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) attempts to transport them to the Enterprise-D but abandons his plan when the danger of shipwide contamination by a virus from the planet arises.

Watching Riker save the day in "Angel One" by relying on his "manliness" will either strike you as offensive or will cause you to guffaw uncontrollably. Either reaction is undesirable and speaks to the multitude of problems inherent in this episode from start to finish. Even if you disregard the sloppily-constructed male-female-battle-of-the-sexes angle of the story, the manner in which the threatening virus and the danger in the Neutral Zone come out of left field makes you wonder if any care or serious creative thought actually went into the writing of "Angel One." Ring up this outing as one of the low points of the first season and an episode to avoid whenever it appears as a re-run on cable television.

Riker does the "When in Rome . . ." thing
One of the plot lines of this episode involves the recurring theme that I consider the greatest weakness of TNG. The chief medical officer of the Enterprise, whether she be Crusher or Polaski, never seems able to handle medical problems quickly. When medical problems arise, in this case a dangerous viral infection spreading throughout the crew, Crusher's lines reduce to variations of "I don't know . . .". Considering that only the very best medical minds could be in Star Fleet and the Enterprise is the flagship of the Federation, it is absurd to believe that the only officer who can overrule the captain would appear to be so lacking in capability. Of course, she eventually stumbles on the solution and the crew is cured.
The second major plot line involves the Enterprise searching for survivors of an accident involving another ship. When the ship was destroyed, the nearest planet is one where women are the dominant sex and the males are smaller and subservient. The Enterprise goes to the planet and establishes contact in an attempt to search for survivors. It turns out that there were survivors and they are the leaders of a mini-rebellion against the matriarchal hierarchy.
While it is sensible that Riker would adopt the appropriate attire for a meeting with the headmistress of the planet, his interaction with her is absurd. At one point in Riker's conversation with her, when he is arguing against the death sentence pronounced against the rebels, the headmistress ends a line with , " . . . that attitude." Commander Riker is the second in command of the Federation flagship and a trained diplomat. The headmistress is of course the leader of a planet and also must be a diplomat. It is very hard to believe that they would engage in a conversation at the level of a lover's quarrel. People in their positions would not speak to each other that way.
The premise of a female dominated society is an interesting one, worthy of being the major plot in an episode. However, the implementation leaves a lot to be desired and I consider this one of the weaker TNG episodes.

Shirtless Riker Ain't No Kirk!
Angel One or......Shirtless Riker ain't no Kirk!

In this episode a repeat of Roddenberry's "Genesis 2" concept is part of the plot. The short version?.....Well folks, Mistress Beata is going to execute a band of rebels on her home world. Riker, Tasha and Troi are part of the away team. It's a place were women rule men! Commander Riker must avert what could be a terrible war. Hey.....this sounds like it could be a good Saturday Night Live routine!

Riker on the Planet of the Reverse Gender Stereotypes
One look at the original crew of the Next Generation and it is clear that Gene Roddenberry was interested in advancing gender equality in the 23rd century. The original Enterprise just had Uhura at Communications, but now we have a female Chief Medical Office, Security Chief and Counselor (although the first couple of seasons of "Deanna Troi, Babe Counselor" rather counterproductive, only reinforced by the fact that Marina Sirtis looked a lot sexier in a regulation Starfleet uniform). The idea of gender equality was also advanced in several first season episodes, most notably "Angel One." The title is the name of a planet where not only is there a matriarchal society, but we find the female hunters to be bigger and stronger than the males. Consequently, Angel one is the Planet of Reverse Gender Stereotypes, an idea that is played out to the point that Riker gets to wear one of the skimpy little outfits worn by the native men. The conflict is that there is a group of men, who landed on the planet in their escape pods from a Federation freighter, who wanted to be treated equally to the women. Better yet, there are a group of dissident women who want to treat them that way as well.

"Angel One" represents Star Trek's enduring commitment to providing allegorical critiques of contemporary concerns. However, the fact that once again it is the presence of the enlightened Terrans that bring understanding to the alien culture is getting a bit repetitive, but then the captains of the Enterprise always like to skirt the Prime Directive whenever possible. Speaking of being repetitive, I notice that this is the fifth time in the first fifteen episodes that the Enterprise has responded to some sort of medical emergency. Life sure is rough in that quadrant during the 23rd century. You would think Starfleet would just station a medical vessel out there and let the Enterprise get back to its mission of exploration. ... 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

Reviews (4)

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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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

Reviews (3)

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 opp