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"The Survivors" is a third-season episode that truly echoes the kind of sci-fi mystery that made the original series so memorable. When the Enterprise responds to a distress call on the planet Rana IV, the crew finds that the entire planet has been devastated, with the only remaining structure being a single house on a lovely, landscaped yard. The occupants are an elderly couple, Kevin and Rishon (John Anderson and Anne Haney), who cannot explain why they were unharmed. Picard is suspicious, more so because empath Deanna Troi is unable to read the couple's emotions--and, in fact, finds herself driven nearly mad by music in her head that keeps getting louder. Before Picard can do anything, however, the same alien vessel that attacked the planet suddenly appears and focuses its wrath on the Enterprise. In the ensuing cat-and-mouse game, the secrets of the seemingly innocent and aged couple gradually come unraveled, as Picard searches for an answer to the question. Cannily written by Michael Wagner and directed by Les Landau, this is the kind of story that suddenly veers in the direction you least expect, powered by a subtle performance by Patrick Stewart and a stalwart one by veteran character actor John Anderson, one of those actors whose name may not be familiar but whose face is instantly recognizable. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not likely to Make the Top Ten List....
But "The Survivors" is a beautifully acted tale with a dignified and compassionate performance from veteran character actor John Anderson. His "revelation" to Captain Picard at the installment's ending moments is stunning, bringing to the surface all the years of toiling as a "heavy" in so many films and television shows. It is this rare occasion when the actor showed that he could portray a sympathetic character whose actions are based solely on love and loneliness.

Picard has to solve the Case of the Elderly Uxbridges
Responding to a distress call from a colony on Rana Four, the Enterprise discovers that everyone on the planet is dead except for an elderly couple, Kevin and Rishon Uxbridge. The Uxbridges have no explanation for the attack, but in the grand tradition of colonists everywhere they refuse to leave their home. But this is not the only mystery. An alien warship suddenly appears, fires on the Enterprise and then runs away. The warship then returns with better weaponry, this time forcing the Enterprise to retreat. Figuring out that the two mysteries are somehow related, Picard tells the Uxbridges that the Enterprise will remain in orbit to protect them. Again the alien warship appears, but this time it destroys the Uxbridges and their home. However, when Picard monitors the site from orbit, the house and the old couple reappear. Picard is coming closer and closer to the truth.

A simple episode with a rather interesting mystery, "The Survivors" is a different sort of love story. It is also one of the better mysteries to confront Picard outside of a holodeck Dixon Hill adventure. This is not one of those mysteries you are going to figure out from the clues, but when all the pieces are put together you will admire the completed puzzle. "The Survivors" is also about responsibility and justice on a more than human scale. One thing I have always appreciated about Star Trek: The Next Generation is that the show was not afraid to confront things bigger than ourselves. Ultimately, the progress of humanity in the Star Trek universe is judged not only by how Picard et al. deal with the "lesser" lifeforms but how they respond to the "greater" powers as well.

Survivors
In this episode, the Enterprise responds to a distress signal to discover a colony that's been wiped out. A closer scan reveals a small patch of land that has not been destroyed with two survivors. Attempts to evacuate the survivors meets with another attack from the aliens.

For it's time, the battle between the alien vessel and the Enterprise was pretty darn cool. In addition learning about this retired couple who survived the attack kept me interested through out the episode. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Worf has a REALLY nasty bad day
Parallels is arguably the most enjoyable "alternate reality" episode of all time. From its inception, one of the underlying messages of TNG is "anything and everything is possible." Parallels takes this to the extreme. I really enjoyed the way the normally unflappable Worf becomes increasingly baffled when confronted by weird gifts, ever-changing realities and the truly awesome (frightening?) discovery that he's suddenly married to Deanna Troi -- a fact he doesn't remember and probably never even consciously considered. The storyline shifts very quickly between realities and is downright surreal. I loved every minute of it. Non-TNG viewers might find Parallels confusing, but fans will definitely appreciate it. A lot.

A great "what if?" episode!
Two things make "Parallels" great:

1. It's a Worf episode. You can't go wrong there.

2. It features parallel (or alternate) realities. Trek has almost always been successful with this type of episode. Remember classic Trek's "Mirror, Mirror"? Or TNG's "Yesterday's Enterprise"? You get the idea.

It's fun to see our favorite characters in new roles. As Worf bounces around from reality to reality (he hit one of those time warp/quantum flux space anomalies that seem so common in Trek), we see an Enterprise where Captain Picard was lost to the Borg, Riker is now the Captain and Worf is Riker's first officer. We see a reality where Wesley Crusher is the chief security/tactical officer. Another reality has a Cardassian flight control officer and the Federation is at war with the Bajorans! And in yet another reality, Worf is married to Troi! Fun all around!

Usually, this type of episode would feature Riker or Picard or Data as the central character bouncing through parallel universe to parallel universe. But this time it is Worf. It isn't that Worf doesn't get his own stories (only Picard and Data had more in TNG's seven year run), it's just that Worf stories are generally tied into Klingon politics or raising his son Alexander. It's nice that we get to see Worf as the central character in an episode dealing with time and space rather than the interworkings of Klingon politics.

Strong episode and one of TNG's best. It is a darn, fun episode, too. Worf as first officer...what could have been...

interesting
the fact its changing from one alternate realty to another is an interesting plot in itself. It's an episode you can watch over and over.

Great episode!
The ... Voyager equivalent to this episode is "Non Sequitor". This episode, unlike "Non Sequitor", is excellent. Through this episode we get to see how life could have been different for Worf, with many different possibilities. Looking back now, I don't know why the Worf-Troi romance ever went on -- I think Troi and Riker are meant for each other, but that doesn't wreck this excellent episode at all!

The only TNG episode worth buying.
I'm not a THG fan, but this episode is as good as best from any of the shows. Worf keeps shifting from parallel universe to universe. The differences are at first subtle, then more and more pronounced. The only way it could have been better is if Worf had stayed in a universe where Riker was captain. ... Read more

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"Crossover" is a runaway favorite with fans, and it's easy to see why. The alternate universe is a dark, twisted place full of intrigue and high weirdness--and Kira Nerys's evil twin running amok in black stretch vinyl. We're talking kitten with a phaser. We're talking the whole reason for Starfleet's temporal policy department. Watch as alternate Odo rules hapless Terran miners with an iron fist. See Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) perform actual hard manual labor in the mines of Terok Nor; think silently that after the way he behaved in the episode's teaser, maybe he deserves it. Meet a kinder, gentler Quark who rescues hew-mons from their torturous fate. Marvel as Kira flirts with herself. All this while alternate Garak schemes... it's just too wondrously bizarre for words.

The story has its roots in the original series' "Mirror, Mirror"--a fact openly referenced in the screenplay. Thanks to solid writing and a lot of inside humor, the ensemble cast plays it to the "alternate" hilt. Special kudos to Nana Visitor as the coquettishly perverse Intendant--a woman with an ego so large she gets a charge out of having her alternate self around to talk to. Kudos to the DS9 station as the eerie Terok Nor, which looks like a slice of juicy film noir. Watch for Colm Meaney's poignant performance as Smiley and Armin Shimmerman's softened Quark. Both alternates offer subtle twists on their core characters. Watch"Crossover" for the hoot value; treasure it for the nuances. --Kayla Rigney ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Sequels (especially long-posted ones).
"Crossover" is the sequel to the Original Series episode, "Mirror, Mirror." Watch Kira's mirror universe double wear a lavender dress at a party for Kira. Watch as Odo's double, when he pulls out a phaser, Bashir shoots him, and he explodes into a million pieces, it looks gross for the first couple of times you watch it, and if you're an young adult or a teenager, it might even scare you. It certainly scared me! Also, watch as Sisko makes a belly laugh at Kira, and watch as Bashir does serious labor for the boss of ore processing. I tell you, it is just when the Cardassians made slaves of Bajorans in the ore processing center. Watch for what I mean when you watch "Civil Defense." My summary ends.

Talk about your "TWISTED SISTERS"!
The first, and best, of the four DS9 episodes inspired by the classic "Mirror, Mirror", allows several of the principal players in the series a chance to "step out of character" as their counterparts in a parallel universe. Avery Brooks ("Sisko") gets to "cut loose" and be a bit less formal as his alter ego is truly his opposite. Nana Visitor ("Major Kira") has the opportunity to examine her more alluring side, as her "alternate" is a somewhat sex-obsessed "intendant" of an oppressive regime. "Odo", played by Rene Auberjonois, gets the ruthless overseer treatment and "O'Brien", Colm Meaney's series role, becomes a drone to do the bidding of the Intendant and her minions.

The only character that seems no different than the one in "our" world is the mysterious "Garek", as played by occasional guest Andrew Robinson. The "tailor" on DS9 always had an air of mystery about him, belying a hidden sinister past.

A major highlight of this first-year installment is the MILK BATH.

It is to die for.

Kira and Bashir get thrown into the "Mirror Mirror" universe
Remember the "Mirror, Mirror" episode of the classic Star Trek? You know, the one with the brutal alternative universe where Spock has a cool goatee. Well, a runabout carrying Kira and Bashir gets thrown into that reality, where Spock's reforms left the Empire unprepared for the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Here Bajor is a major influence and it is the ruthless Kira of this reality who rules the planet from Terok Nor (Remember the Cardassian name for DS9?). Fortunately the good Kira and Bashir encounter not only the roughish Sisko of the mirror universe, but also Quark and his version of the Underground Railroad. "Crossover" is another one of those fun episodes where the actors get to play their characters with a wicked twist, and while the evil Kira does take a milk bath, this is not really a great episode. The series will return to this particular story line in the future with some episodes that have rather touching implications for some of the DS9 characters.

A good episode; start of Alternate Universe series
A good episode, one of the better Alternate Universe series' ones. Its interesting to see the characters seem completely different, except for Quark, who dies in this episode. Oh well ;)

excellent, one of DS9's best
This episode is, in some ways, better than it's source: "Mirror, Mirror." Of course, it doesn't have Kirk, Spock, or McCoy, but the DS9 cast is an excellant substitute. "Crossover," did accomplish what "Mirror, Mirror," didn't do. It showed the darkness of the mirror universe, and it made your hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Great performances by everyone. This is an episode that belongs in a collection ... Read more

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The lives of 8,000 colonists, and the ultimate fate of Kira Nerys, hang in the balance in this exceptional fifth-season episode of DS9. The trouble begins when the Defiant investigates a mysterious planet in the Gamma quadrant, penetrating an energy barrier and causing conflicting timelines that must be resolved. In one timeline, Sisko and his crew encounter the Gaian villagers, who are the descendants of... Sisko and his crew! In the other timeline, 200 years earlier, the ship crashes and its survivors--including the dying Nerys--become the progenitors of the thriving Gaian colony. While the time-travel dilemma may seem routine, René Echevarria's thoughtful teleplay--a hybrid of two freelance story submissions--places noteworthy emphasis on Odo's unspoken love for Nerys, which is finally expressed when circumstances call for intimate disclosure. Echevarria also deserves praise for not compromising the devastating outcome of the Gaian timeline; for Nerys and Odo alike, it's a hard-hitting consequence that gives the entire episode an emotional and thought-provoking spin. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (7)

After 200 years Odo finally tells Kira about his feelings
The old paradox about going back in time and killing your grandfather which means you were never born and therefore could not go back in time and kill your grandfather is the key idea behind "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," Episode 120, "Children of Time" (Written by Gary Holland and Ethan H. Calk, Aired May 5, 1997). The "Defiant" is investigating a planet surrounded by an energy barrier in the Gamma Quadrant, when the ship is crippled and Kira gets duplicated for a moment. Without medical attention back at DS9 she is going to die. However, on the planet they find a colony led by Miranda O'Brien, who tells them that in two days when the "Defiant" tries to departs, the barrier will cause the ship to crash on the planet 200 years in the past. This colony was founded by the crew of the "Defiant" after Kira died and they became resigned to their fate. Sisko is convinced that since they know what is going to happen, this time they will be able to escape; but that means the colony will not longer exist. Yedrin, a descendant of Dax, has a plan to duplicate the "Defiant" when it enter the barrier; that way the crew can go home and the colony will be preserved when the other "Defiant" crashes.

Now, that is a pretty good plot line and a nice "Star Trek" time travel paradox, and whatever decision Sisko makes you know he is going to have second thoughts. So there is another one of those passionate debates that Sisko seems to thrive on. But the pivotal moment in "Children of Time" comes when Odo, still alive after 200 years and looking more human than ever, tells Kira something he never got to tell her when she was alive. If you thought that the war between the Dominion was a long time in coming, that is nothing compared to the Constable's unrequited love for the Major. Good thing there is a war going on back home on DS9, because Odo is going to have some 'splanin' to do when he gets back. This is a pretty good "Star Trek" time travel episode on the basis of just the situation facing the crew, but with the Odo-Kira bit thrown in it becomes something special. More importantly, there are clearly some elements here that are going to be continued.

Children of Time
This is definitely one of the finest DS-9 episodes - and there are a LOT of DS-9 episodes to choose from that were wonderful. This episode was beautifully written, poignantly directed, and features superb performances by Nana Visitor and Rene Auberjonois. The ending is surprising, effective, and heart-breaking, all at the same time. If you are a DS-9 fan, this episode belongs in your collection.

One of DS9's Finest Episodes
I'll spare you another synopsis (you can just read the ones below). But it's a wonderful episode...to me, it is on my list of the Top 5. For those of you who love Odo & Kira the way I do, this episode is a biggie--it directs their "close" friendship to a certain path. The ending is shocking...but it leaves a huge mark. If you loved watching them in "Crossfire," then you want to see this one!

one of DS9's finest hours
A very powerful and intriguing episode, definitely the best show of season 5, IMO. It is a reset-button episode in many ways, but that's largely unavoidable. This episode does a lot to advance the Odo/Kira story thread and it does a great service to most of the main characters in how they might react to meeting their descendants. Leave it to staff writer Rene Echevarria to pen another compelling character piece using a novel sci-fi premise.

Given that we know the Defiant and her crew will return to the station, the inevitable reset-ending comes with a twist that is appropriate and very fitting though a bit unsettling. Not only does it prevent the show from closing arbitrarily, but it provides us with a bit of shocking insight into Odo and what he might be capable of.

Great script, good setup for future episodes dealing with Odo <-> Kira, and sharp acting from the entire ensemble. This one's definitely a keeper.

BTW, it's amazing how much future-Molly looks like Chief O'Brien who's supposed to be her great-great-great-great-great grandfather. Nice casting job :)

One of DS9's strongest emotional episodes
Deep Space Nine will largely be remembered, at least by me, for the grand and sweeping epic that comprised its entire last season, and with good reason. However, one sometimes had to do some digging around in there for the character stuff (not to say it wasn't there-- it was-- but it was often secondary in importance). In this episode, however, there's no connection to the over-arching plot and no giant space battles, and so we get to see the characters in a very unique situation (well, not entirely unique on Star Trek, but still unusal). They get to meet their descendants. Furthermore, they are forced to choose between erasing those people from the timeline and getting home themselves. They know that some of them, including Kira, will die in the crash, and the rest will never see their families again. But they don't have the right to deny their descendants existence. The "version" of Odo who has lived on the planet for 200 years is a very compelling character, especially as a tragic lover. Overall, this is one of my favorite single DS9 episodes, and it can be watched on its own-- whereas the last 7 or 10 episodes, while forming an extremely exciting plot, really do all have to be watched in order to see that plot. So unless you're up to the daunting task of collecting the entire Dominion War, this episode (along with the comic classics "Little Green Men" and "Trials and Tribble-ations") should be at the top of your list. ... Read more

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When the Enterprise detects a foreign object floating in space, a relatively primitive probe of some sort, the crew members are surprised when abeam of energy is able to penetrate their shields. Before they know it (andbefore the credits), Captain Picard is knocked down and psychically linked tothe probe through the beam. In Picard's head, he is on a desert planet where everybody thinks he is Kamin, a man recovering from a fever, even his wife. He quickly ascertains that he is not in a holodeck program, that he's not a prisoner, that there is no way to find--much less contact--the Enterprise, and that everybody thinks he is nuts for believing he is astarship captain. On the bridge, Dr. Crusher and company are trying tounderstand the beam's effect on Picard, while on the desert planet entire yearsare passing. Kamin gives up on ever finding the Enterprise. Over theyears he falls in love with his wife and starts a family. Though previousepisodes have explored the fact that Picard has foregone personal relationshipsin favor of his career, here he is forced to live a stable family life and, inso doing, finds out that not only is he good at it, but he likes it. When thebeam turns itself off 20 minutes later, Picard emerges changed, having been given the chance to live the life he never thought he wanted. Excellent acting supports a strong and thoughtful script. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (18)

One of the most amazing hours of television ever....
"The Inner Light" is one of the most amazing hours of television that I've ever seen, and quite possibly the greatest Star Trek (original, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager) episode of all. And the thing is, it's not even really science fiction per se..."just" a great story filled with excellent acting, directing, ideas, and emotion! Not much!! :)

Where do I even begin to praise "The Inner Light?" Well, for one thing, Patrick Stewart is amazing as Kamin, a married man (to a beautiful woman named Eline) living in the community of Ressic on the planet Kataan, which is in the midst of what people think is just a very bad, extended drought. What really is happening is that the planet is dying, and there's nothing the inhabitants can do except to save a piece of their world in the form of a probe whose purpose is to find "someone who could be a teacher, someone who could tell the others about us." A thousand years later the probe finds that "someone" - Picard - who it locks onto in order to allow him to live most of a lifetime in only 20 or 25 minutes!! What this does is allow Picard to experience everything he never could as a Starship captain - a wife, children, rootedness in a community, and much more. This episode is worth watching for that alone, but there's so much more!

Besides Patrick Stewart as Kamin, let me just list a few other great things about this episode (in no particular order): 1) Patrick Stewart's real-life son Daniel does a fine job as Kamin's son Batai (named after Kamin's late best friend); 2) Kamin's passionate -- and classic -- advice (knowing that the planet is dying) to his daughter, Meribor on whether she should marry her boyfriend Danek "sooner rather than later" is powerful: "Seize the day, Meribor. Live now! Make NOW always the most precious time! Now will never come again" (Meribor's response: "I love you father"); 3) the oily 'Administrator,' who condescendingly assures Kamin that his idea for atmospheric condensers will be considered (Kamin, of course, knows that "there will be no condensers"); 4) the beautiful, haunting music, especially of the flute that Kamin plays; 5) the end of the show, when Riker hands Picard the same flute and leaves Picard to hug the flute to his body as he tries to hold on to what he has just experienced, the woman he loved, the children and grandchild he had, etc.; 6) the friendship between Picard and Council Member Batai; 7) the love that grows between Kamin and his wife, Eline, and in particular the scene where Kamin says he wants to build something but needs her permission first, and the look on Eline's face when he says "a nursery," and much more.

What's amazing about "The Inner Light" is that, although not a phaser is fired, and although 95% of the show takes place off the Enterprise, this is still a great Star Trek episode - maybe the best ever (ranking up there with "City on the Edge of Forever" and "Yesterday's Enterprise"). Poignant, thought-provoking, dramatic, mind-boggling - these are just some of the adjectives that come to mind with "The Inner Light." In sum, this is one of the most amazing hours of television ever. Buy it now; watch it now!

Bittersweet
Anyone who says television is a barren wasteland has never sat and watched "Star Trek:TNG". "The Inner Light" has to be one of, if not the best, moments in TV history! This episode will make you smile, bring a tear to your eye, and perhaps win you over to the "world" of Star Trek(if you are not already there!). Watch as Picard "lives" an entire lifespan, a brief moment in "real-time", as a mysterious probe imparts the final chapter of a long-dead civilization into his mind, and leaves a parting gift, a simple flute(seen again in later episodes), as a "Thank You" and tender reminder of his "experience". It don't get no better than this!

A life-changing episode (for me as well as for Picard)
Twelve years ago (it's now May 2004), my husband and I, who were/are big Star Trek-TNG fans, saw this episode when it first aired in spring 1992. We had been trying to decide whether to have children--a scary decision since we knew it would change our lives drastically, and the world isn't always a safe place. Captain Picard's words (in his other life) halfway through the episode, when he was watching his children, hit us like a ton of bricks: "I never used to think I needed children to complete my life; but now, I can't imagine my life without them." (That's probably a pretty close quote considering I haven't watched this episode in years!) The story, the change in Picard, and the music that accompanied it worked together to change us. Four months later, I was pregnant; that baby, Brian Geordi (guess where his middle name "Geordi" came from?) just turned 11 years old last month. He celebrated his birthday with us and his 7-year-old brother, Daniel. Funny--our Brian Geordi seems destined to be a talented engineer just like his namesake; he can do advanced math (high school level) in his head in seconds and has an amazing understanding of physics and astronomy--he can keep up with many of the theories Stephen Hawking explains in his books and can manipulate abstract ideas in "3-D" in his mind. The kid builds with anything he can get his hands on, and he draws (in great detail) what he doesn't have the materials to build. He's enthusiastically trying to come up with a design for the first warp engine; the kid just might get us there someday. His little brother makes just about every moment a delight--finds fun, humor, and joy in almost everything and uses this talent to great advantage with us and his teachers when he's in trouble.

We've been watching our "Star Trek-TNG" first season DVD set with the boys during the past year, so they're now familiar with the story and the characters. They love just about all the Star Trek movies (Kirk's and Picard's crews), and they're starting to be able to pick up on our allusions to characters and quotes--"You will be assimilated"; Worf's "Assimilate THIS!"; getting caught in a temporal loop (believe me, this happens with kids!); Data's comment on the pronunciation of his name: "One is my name; the other is not"; etc. Now, it's time for these two boys to see the Star Trek episode that helped get them here.

Picard was right; I can't imagine my life without my boys; how empty it would have been compared to my "other" life . . . and how lucky I am that I didn't miss it. It's changed me and taught me more than I can imagine, and I discovered that love is so much more than I ever knew (both harder and better). Now, I can say that I have truly LIVED. Sorry for the mushy review--but as you read the comments of the other reviewers, you'll see that this episode touched many, many people. (God sends His messages and wisdom in many forms . . . and it's come to me through Star Trek more than once. I am eternally grateful to both.)

The Only Episode of This I've Ever Voluntarily Watched..
I can't help it, as ridiculous as this feels I'm not mearly inclined, but propelled to review this; the only episode of any Star Trek thing I've ever taken upon myself to watch. I have to fall to my knees and praise Margot, almost like an unrepented love of this reclusive, secondary veteran actress that I grew up with. Margot; age, biography and possibly real name which were never known to anyone but the casting directors who have chosen her, gives her most shining and thankful performance of her now 20 year career as Captain Picard's wife in what people say was the most wonderful episode of this show. In a plausibly poetic tale, Picard is struck unconscious on board by an invisible force, and lives a lifetime as another man in his dream. As his crew struggles to wake him, we see him lost in a small, futuristic-ancient community where everyone knows who he is but him. He soon adapts to his life, and begins to accept it as normalcy being the husband of a sweet, motherly woman (Margot Rose) and educated scientist who works feverishly to save this dying civilization. He fathers two children who he fears will live only to see the end of this world, and painfully loses a close friend (Richard Reihl) who stood at Picard's side as confidant and teacher. All while Picard leaves shards of memory of the Enterprise further and further in the past, and conforms to this dying community that we learn had searched for a teacher in the future to tell of itself. I loved Margot in '48 HRS.' as prostitute Casey, the short-lived sitcom 'Report To Murphy' as Baker along side Michael Keaton and all of the short, sometimes mearly seconds-long roles she has had in dozens of movies and television shows..And that was a treat for me to see her in a strong and important role like this one...I wish there was more to read about this mysterious 'part-time' actress...

The most poignant thing I have ever seen on television...
There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said by the other reviewers but I had to add to the tribute - this is, by far, the most amazing episode of any television show I have ever seen. Never have I been so moved by a tv show. I have been a lifelong Trekkie, but never has Star Trek shined this brightly.

I have seen it at many times, but I never fail to be moved by its delicacy, emotion and absolutely in-depth exploration of Jean-Luc Picard, as opposed to Captain Picard. Later episodes that feature the flute always left me with a lump in my throat as I relived the emotion of this episode. Superbly done, no praise is enough. If you never buy any other episode - at least buy this one. You won't be sorry. ... Read more

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The B-story in "Heart of Stone" is a very strong one, dealing with tough, personal issues that strike a resounding chord with many fans. Choosing pride in oneself over pride in one's family is the hardest life decisions to make, and yet Nog (Aron Eisenberg) does this the moment it's culturally acceptable for him to do so. Upon completing his rites of Ferengi adulthood, Nog marches into Sisko's office and offers him a bribe--to be his apprentice! Rom's son wants to be the first Ferengi to join Starfleet. Sisko (Avery Brooks), yet again, displays his deeply rooted prejudice by interpreting Nog's action through human eyes. The relationship between the young Ferengi and the seasoned Terran Commander is strained, to say the least. But their hidden commonality is revealed by an explosive confrontation--and it's a doozy. "Heart of Stone" is all about willful blindness and harsh truths. Brooks and Eisenberg turn in excellent performances; it's easy to see why Eisenberg was chosen to carry the meaty "It's Only a Paper Moon" in season 7.

Actor Rene Auberjonois (Odo) is the very definition of consummate professional in the episode that cemented Kira/Odo fandom. Literally. In spite of a weak script, both he and Nana Visitor (Kira) manage to make believable one of the most spectacularly inane A-stories ever filmed. It goes to prove that a show peopled with classically trained stage actors can survive just about anything. A must-own for all Kira/Odo and Nog fans. --Kayla Rigney ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A pivotal episode in the development of the series
It has always been the character driven episodes of "Trek" that have been my favorites. "Heart of Stone" remains acting tour de force for both Rene Auberjonois and Nana Visitor.

While others may find this particular installment slow-moving and irreverent, I find it to be dynamic and most essential to the DS9 saga.

Childish and forced
Episode title: Heart of Stone

Written by: Ira Steven Behr & Robert Hewitt Wolfe

Directed by: Alexander Singer

"Heart of Stone" continues in the tradition of "Life Support", the episode preceeding it, with packing tide-turning events for the whole show to idividual episodes as spontanious and ungrounded events, insteafd of handling those changes with proper care and presicion.

"Heart of Stone" deals with one of the strong themes of season 3, the hidden love Odo feels for Kira.

And how originally have the writers dealt with the subject that is finally being adressed?

Kira and Odo, while returning from a Bajoran colony in the Delta Quandrant, stumble onto a Maquis raider who leads them to a remote cavenous planet of the Badlands. When they get there, Kira's foot gets stuck to a living chrystal that grows rapidly.

Meanwhile on DS9, we get to experience the horribly executed B-plot of the episode deals with Nog's sudden decision to enter Starfleet Academy, a decision that has a big role in the developement of the character later on, so it definitely shouldn't have been introduced as a spontaneous whim.

The plot of the story is overly simplistic and childish, underestimating and frustrating the viewer, as overly melodramatic scenes accompanied by bad dialogue and clumsy timing carry the viewr through the episode that doesn't do it's duty in deepening the characters it dels with.

The ending of the story is mostly a reset, even if we are being reminded of a few things nearly forgotten after the third seasons jumpy ride through different aspects of the show.

A good example of what you get if you force developement and closure to a series that has no clearly established storytelling archs yet.

The unrequited love of Constable Odo for Major Kira
Major Kira and Odo are in a roundabout chasing a Maquis terrorist to a moon in the Cardassian badlands. During their search of some caves on the moon the pair separately. Then Odo hears Kira cry out for help. Her foot has become stuck in a crystal formation that keep growing and threatens to cover her completely in a few hours. Of course the peculiar qualities of the moon make it impossible for Odo to use his communicator or the transporter. Despite his efforts, the crystal grows until it covers everything but Kira's chin. She tries to get Odo to leave, but he refuses to because he loves her. When Kira responds that she loves Odo too, the Constable knows that something is very wrong here.

There is nothing like discovering that an emotional moment is not what you really think it is, but you know how impossible it is for the characters on Star Trek to have a love life (there is an episode of Voyager that does the same thing with the Doctor and Seven). But Odo is a tragic figure in the scheme of things, especially as played by the Tony Award winning actor Rene Auberjonois, and "Heart of Stone" explores that quite nicely. The episode's sub-plot back on DS9 deals with Quark's brother Rom, who displays some talent in the field of engineering. Both of these storylines will be continued in future episodes.

fans of nog, you'l like it !
Although only half is centured on Nog, it's where he starts his starfleet career, and the struggles he went throught to get it.

An okay show, if you like the romance/friendship type
It was one of those episodes that I would recommend watching before you watch the late fifth season episodes through the end of the series. You'll find out why soon. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This ingenious and highly entertaining episode finds Worf (Michael Dorn) joining his son, Alexander (Brian Bonsall), and Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) in a 19th-century, Wild West playground on the Enterprise's holodeck suite. The simple computer program, featuring six-shooters, saloons, and heroes and villains, however, gets far more complicated when an experiment conducted by Geordi (LeVar Burton) and Data (Brent Spiner) inadvertently turns the entertainment into a dangerous trap.

Suddenly, every bad guy is an evil version of Data, whose advanced android abilities quickly escalate the gun-totin' mayhem. While this story sounds similar to the science fiction film Westworld, the episode is largely played for laughs and whimsy. Spiner, a consummate character actor, gets a rare opportunity to play a variety of personalities, and Sirtis throws herself into good-natured, Western genre clichés. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Worf takes on Data in a Spaghetti Western on the holodeck
La Forge is trying to hook Data up to the main computer at the same time that Worf, Alexander and Troi are on the holodeck for an adventure in the Wild Wild West. When there is a sudden surge in Data's positronic brain during the process there is a bizarre tradeoff between these two events: Data begins speaking like he is from the Old West and the villain in the hologram program not only looks like Data now, he also has the androids abilities. Oh, and just to make things really interesting, the holodeck's safeguards are now off. What started out as a pleasant outing for Worf, filled with violence and confrontations of honor, quickly turns into an exercise in keeping the trio alive long enough for somebody to figure out what is going on and save them.

As the previous reviewer so aptly indicated, this is yet ANOTHER episode of STNG where something goes wrong with the holodeck (starting with Episode 13 "The Big Good-Bye" and reaching its heights with the Professor Moriarity episodes #29 "Elementary, My Dear Data" and #138 "Ship in a Bottle"). Even by that standard "A Fistful of Datas" is a below average episode of the series, although admittedly they probably had a blast filming this one, Brent Spiner in particular. Note: One of the nicest touches in this episode is that Captain Picard is still practicing on his Kitaan flute from "The Inner Light" (Episode 125), which will be important in the upcoming episode "Lessons" (Episode 145). I appreciate this attention to detail and character development much more than the holodeck nonsense in this episode.

The holodeck malfunctions...once again
Alexander drags Worf to the holodeck to the Wild West and Troi shows up as the "mysterious stranger" (I'm really not into the whole Worf/Troi thing). At the same time, Geordi is running a scan on Data and the two merge- resulting in Wild Westerisms in Data and too many Datas in the holodeck. Several cute and funny lines and good sets, but overall not one of my favorites. ... Read more

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The return of Scotty! When the Enterprise spots a Federation transport ship that had disappeared 75 years earlier, they encounter a massive gravitation field where no star is apparent. The ship had crashed on a Dyson Sphere, a massive structure the size of a planetary orbit built around a star, which allows the people living within it to harness unlimited energy. Investigating the wreckage of the ship, Chief Engineer Geordi discovers the transporter is locked in a weird mode, and when he unlocks it out pops Captain Montgomery Scott, a.k.a. Scotty (James Doohan), from the original Star Trek series. Though the plot involves Geordi and Scotty teaming up to save the Enterprise after it gets trapped inside the sphere, the heart of the episode revolves around dealing with the elderly. Throughout, Scotty tells stories of the good old days to a younger generation that doesn't really care, specifically Geordi. Picard recognizes the importance of generations who came before, so he forces past and present chief engineers to work together and learn from each other--which they do. In that sense, "Relics" is a sweet tribute to the original show, and what it has to teach. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Most Overrated TNG Episode of All
Every time this appears on "all-time best" Star Trek lists, I cringe. Trekkers (myself among them) tend to suffer from over-sentimentality about their beloved heroes, and I believe this sentimentality excuses the obvious tone of this episode. If the old Enterprise bridge was not a setpiece in this particular trek, I don't think fans would have thought much of it. The Dyson Sphere plotline is as lame as the cotnrived manner in which Scotty survives the crash of the Jenolin is convenient. Not to mention Scotty's musing that Jim Kirk must've dragged the Enterprise out of mothballs to rescue him, despite the fact that Scotty watched him "die" at the beginning of Generations. [Don't remind me; I know the movie came after this episode. But it remains a continuity problem.]

However, for its strong character development, this episode merits three stars. But it surely isn't "Unification."

Star Trek Crossovers do not work.
That's the feeling one gets when we see Scotty revived by being suspented in transporter matrix for 75 years and then we have a large continunity error when Scotty remarks "I knew Jim Kirk would bring the Enterprise out of moth balls and come look for me." Despite the events that we saw in Star Trek; Generations. Bottom line, don't see this episode or that movie, It's an insult to all the fans of the original Star Trek series.

The return of the original Star Trek Miracle Worker
The Enterprise follows as very old distress call and discovers the USS Jenolan, crashed on the surface of a Dyson's sphere, a two-hundred million kilometers in diameter surrounding a sun (and one of the great theoretical scientific pipe dreams around). The away team discovers a jury-rigged transporter still working and even after 75 years there is a pattern still caught in the machine. La Forge pushes the magic button and Captain Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) of the original Star Trek. This surprising development results in two major problems: the first is that Scotty is now half-a-century behind the engineering of the day instead of a quarter-of-a-century ahead. You know he wants to mess around in the Engine room, which certainly drives La Forge crazy. The second problem is that the Dyson's sphere threatens to trap the Enterprise the same way it did the Jenolan. What Picard needs to save the day is some sort of engineering miracle worker...

I certainly enjoyed "Relics" a lot more than I thought I would have, mainly because the episode treats the character of Scotty with such respect. There is a marvelous scene where Scott grabs a bottle and calls up the bridge of the old Enterprise-A, bemoaning the sad fate that has brought him far into the future (where they insist on having synthetic alcohol and other horrors). Having Scotty around causes problems for Picard and his crew for most of the episode, which also rings true to me. Certainly Doohan is given a lot more to do in this episode than any two you can name from the original series. A very rewarding episode for fans of both series.

The Most Successful of the Crossover Shows
James Doohan reprises his "Scotty" role in this truly satisfying entry in the later Trek series. He provides a "bridge" between the old and the new as an "Old World" man transported to a time where he surely does not belong. The scene on the holodeck-simulated Enterprise is touching and beautifully acted by Doohan.

Special effects are found throughout, but they do not overshadow the on-screen actors. Of the cast, Levar Burton shines as Geordi who is in awe of "the engineer above all engineers."

A history meeting and an enjoyable hour.

Star Trek: The Next Generation "Relics"
Touching story of a Starfleet Officer who is rescued from his ship's transporter beam after being trapped there for 75 years. I like this episode because it features Scotty, from the original Star Trek, and when he notices all the advancements that have been made in 75 years aboard the Enterprise-D, he starts to feel antiquated and useless. But when the Enterprise-D faces danger, Scotty and Chief Engineer LaForge are called upon to use Scotty's old ship to save the Enterprise, making Scott feel useful again. ... Read more

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Original airdate: 2-7-93. Stardate: 46531.2. While the premiere seasonof DS9 was sharing airtime with the final season of The NextGeneration, writers were encouraged to bridge the gap between the series,which resulted in lightly enjoyable episodes like "Q-Less," in which Capt.Picard's omnipotent nemesis (played with fey sarcasm by John de Lancie) givesequal time to Sisko and the crew of DS9. Also making the leap from theNextGen episode "Qpid" is Vash (Jennifer Hetrick), Picard's paramour andintrepid archaeologist, rescued by Dax from the Gamma Quadrant and arriving onDS9 with valuable artifacts that Quark is eager to auction off forprofit. It all leads to the revelation of a mantalike alien life form, which isold hat for Trek fans, so this episode's greatest asset is the banterbetween Q and Vash, in their one and only DS9 crossover. --JeffShannon ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Q-Tip
It's a good thing that The Next Generation's Q is in this episode, because he single-handedly saves it from sinking. Which is not to say that it's wonderful, or that it would have been utterly awful without him. It's just that the whole story manages to balance out completely, making this what I would describe as a completely average episode.

In any case, the plot revolves around the omnipotent and all-powerful Q getting dumped by his human girlfriend because she's fed up with him. In my (albeit limited) experience, there are only two kinds of Q episodes, and from the description, you can already see that this is a Goofy Q episode rather than a Q Threatens To Destroy All Of Humankind On An Idle Whim episode. Once the crew realize that Q is on board, they prepare themselves for the worst, and although trouble does arrive, it isn't from the direction they were expecting.

There are too many parts of this episode where Important People spout Important Technobabble. So, it's quite amusing to see Q blatantly taking the mickey out of this Star Trek cliché (in fact, many of Q's jokes are meta-textual; presumably an omnipotent entity would realize that he's just a fictional character on a late twentieth century TV show). The station is put in danger, and there's a race against time to save everyone's life. There's even a countdown at the end, although it isn't terribly exciting. There are some good jokes and sharp dialog in this one, which do make it more interesting than the average Stop The Station From Exploding episode.

Q and Vash pay a fun filled little visit to Deep Space Nine
Q shows up at Deep Space Nine with Vash; apparently the two have had a falling out since Q promised to show Vash the universe (Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode 94, "Qpid"). Strange power fluctuations begin to affect the space station, but Q insists he has nothing to do with it. Yes, only seven episodes into the series and already John de Lancie shows up as Q. Of course Q cannot possibly have as much fun with Sisko as he does with Jean-Luc Picard, and while de Lancie's performance is wonderful, this episode is a trifle. Sisko and his merry crew are a step behind virtually the entire episode and why Q would ever be obsessed with Vash is light years beyond me.

All Deep Space Nine episodes are top rate!
The thing about Deep Space Nine is that the characters and direction carries the series. Even when the story line is not the greatest, it is still interesting and never boring. One of the best science fictions lines ever.

Doesn't Vash mean "Cow" in French, or something?
This is a typical first season DS9 plot. The series is in its infancy, so they need to tie it back to some other Trek-ism or Trek characters to build some plot. Try again. And next time keep Vash out of it...

Vash, the evil archaeologist chick from Picard's (TNG) past, shows up on DS9 with Q. Which of course means mayhem and mischief. Yes yes. We've seen it all before. Yes yes. We know you are omnipotent and everywhere, Q, but enough of the cameos... You were cute up until your 50th appearance.

So, Vash and Q come aboard. Vash has a whole bunch of artifacts plundered from the Gamma quadrant. Great. The artifacts become the object of Quark's desires. One of the artifacts is dangerous and going to destroy the station. How original. You know, it's funny. I don't understand how, in the Trek universe, artifacts never seem to corrode or rust. Like Data, they always seem to be fully functional...

Then, when the Daystrom institute invites Vash to give a lecture about the artifacts, I threw something at the tv screen. Honestly! I always thought the most important scientists in the Federation would know the difference between a scientific archaeological survey and looting. I guess not.

Q-less? Plot-less more like it!
In a desperate attempt to draw audiences similar to that of The Next Generation Q was drafted into this poor episode that does nothing for the series, or the ratings. The intelligent, witty and irritating Q of Next Gen fame is no where to be seen, instead we have a guy who can appear and re-appear at will each time giving some clues to help the failing plot move along. Terrible. A wonderful scene takes place with Sisko and Q boxing, but is it worth the 43 minutes of rubbish? Q works in the Next Gen and Voyager, but not on DS9. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Will Dr. Bashir be Starfleet's new and improved EMH?
Now that Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) is back at DS instead of the Changeling that had taken his place, he is approached with an interesting offer from Starfleet. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," Episode 114, "Doctor Bashir, I Presume?" (Story by Jimmy Diggs, Teleplay by Ronald D. Moore, Aired February 24, 1997), has Dr. Lewis Zimmerman (Robert Picardo) arriving at the station and informing Bashir that he has been chosen as the model for the new version of Starfleet's Emergency Medical Hologram (it seems the crew of "Voyager" are not the only ones who noticed that the EMG is not exactly user friendly). This means that Zimmerman has to learn everything he can about Bashir, from interpersonal relationships to what his childhood was like. The latter is what turns to be the rub, because this means interviewing Bashir's co-workers, friends, and family. But Bashir pointedly asked Zimmerman not to talk to his parents. Of course, the next day Bashir's parents, Richard (Brian George) and Amsha (Fadwa El Guindi), arrive at DS9 and the doctor goes through the nearest roof.

Despite its comic premise and title, "Doctor Bashir, I Presume?" takes a very serious turn as we learn there is a secret about Bashir that could destroy his career that really comes out of left field, except for how it explains Bashir's status as a medical wunderkind. This makes for an interesting change of pace, because when this episode started I was thinking about them doing this same basic story line with Dr. McCoy or Beverly Crusher (why not, right? Just think of what Bones would have to say about this whole process). But then this episode abandons all notions of comedy and heads for the dark side.

For a long time I was not sure what the point of revealing Bashir's deep dark secret was in the context of the series, but it seems to me that there is a notion of introducing what prejudice is like in the idealistic "Star Trek" universe and to have a moment where the other DS9 crew members look at Bashir with truly different eyes. Ultimately the payoff here is something that could have been better set up in earlier episodes, with a tantalizing tidbit dropped here and there throughout the previous couple of seasons, but that would have required this idea to have been out there before Season Five, and I do not think that was the case. An interesting episode, but one that does serve as the springboard to much down the road.

Please state the nature of the medical emergency!
Dr. Lewis Zimmerman arrives on Deep Space Nine in an attempt to convince Julian Bashir that he would make the perfect model for his new emergency medical hologram (EMH) but to make a more accurate, friendly and efficient doctor Zimmerman needs to take an in-depth look at Julian's background, including his parents.

But Bashir has a secret, a HUGE secret that will put his very career in danger. A good episode that features Bashir's parents for the first time and obviously marks the guest appearance of Robert Picardo of Voyager fame.

Bashir I Presume
It was a very good episode because we finally got to find out why Bashir kept beating O'Brian in darts. Other than that i like the idea of a hologram of Bashir, espeacially because Zimmerman who was creating the promgram himself, is the EMH for all starships. I thought it was a good episode. When it's available i'll probably buy it. ... Read more

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"Shades of Gray" was one of the weakest episodes of TNG's first two seasons and proved a particularly flat finale for season 2. It's hard to believe that, in only two seasons, the writers had come up so dry that they cobbled together a kind of greatest-hits show, in which much of the episode consisted of filler from earlier programs. The nominal plot involves Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), who is scratched by a thorn on an unfamiliar planet while doing a geological survey. The thorn injects him with microbes that begin to infiltrate his nervous system, and it's up to Dr. Pulaski (Diana Muldaur) to figure out how to stop the organism from killing Riker. She discovers that stimulating Riker's memory with electricity has an effect, but happy memories strengthen the invading organism--so she must find a way to provoke Riker's worst memories to negate the organism's hold.

Frakes spends much of the episode flat on his back, simulating sleep, while director Rob Bowman cuts to a collection of clips from earlier episodes. The positive memories all have to do with his prowess with women, as he cuts a swath through the known universe. The negative vibes come from clips of the death of Tasha Yar and the few episodes in which Riker was the crew member in the most jeopardy. Mostly the clips serve as a survey of the various facial-hair fashions Frakes sported in the first two seasons. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The writers are more comatose than Riker is
One thing about the next generation series that has always annoyed me is the character of the chief medical officer of the Enterprise. Whether it is Dr. Crusher or Pulaski, the most common line seems to be, "I don't know . . . " Even twenty-first century doctors don't talk like that, and they don't have the advantages of another couple of centuries of medical knowledge and intelligent diagnostic computers. In this episode, the line is repeated by Dr. Pulaski until the point of boredom is reached. Dr. McCoy of the original series sometimes said it, but not as often and always with a tone of irritability rather than bafflement.
What saves the episode is the courage shown by Commander Riker as he faces death. While on a simple survey mission, he is pricked by a thorn that injects microorganisms into his leg. They infiltrate his nervous system and rapidly migrate towards his brain. His humor and good grace as the organism invades his brain shows us all how we should face a death that we can see as it approaches. Of course, Dr. Pulaski finally wises up and determines that negative emotions will kill the bugs. By stimulating those emotions electronically, Riker is cured and awakes with a quip on his lips.
In the original series, the lines given to Dr. McCoy occasionally got predictable and routine, including the classic, "He's dead Jim." However, it never reached the point that it does in the next generation. This episode is one of the worst offenders and while watching it, I did something I rarely do when watching any Star Trek episode, entered into a bored state.

Riker's Greatest Hits!
Are you sick and tired of NextGen episodes that actually make efforts to be original, and not rely on stock footage? Are you a big fan of Commander Will Riker? If you said, "yes" to both of these questions, then "Shades of Grey: Riker's Greatest Hits" is just the thing you've been looking for! Be amazed by the desperate measures a TV/movie production studio will take to pad out the episode total of a writers'-strike-shortened season! Be relieved by the fact that this show marks Dr. Pulaski's final NextGen appearance!

A few of Number One's more memorable (so to speak) recycled moments in this eppie include:

- The exploding-head scene from 'Conspiracy'!
- The death of Tasha Yar ('Skin of Evil')!
- Getting dragged into and submerged in a nasty pool of black sludge ('Skin of Evil')!
- his first encounter with Data on the Holodeck ('Encounter at Farpoint')!
- Disciplining a Klingon subordinate ('A Matter of Honor')!
- Ordering the activation of the Enterprise's self-destruct function ('11001001')!
- Helping in the rescue of a couple of Klingon renegades ('Heart of Glory')!
- Reconciliation with his dad ('The Icarus Factor')!
- The bevy of babes he's seduced ('Angel One', 'Up The Long Ladder', etc.)!
- ...and many more amazing Riker scenes!

SPECIAL BONUS: Less than 2 minutes of Wesley Crusher footage overall! That's right- you need endure only a minute-and-a-half of NextGen's most reviled teen prodigy in this Greatest Hits collection! Or you can just fast-forward right through it to save you the pain and annoyance!

But wait, there's more! Act now, and Amazon™ will include a handsome illustrated single-ply cardboard slipcase and soft temporary lamination absolutely free of charge! What a deal!

So don't delay-- get "Shades of Grey: Riker's Greatest Hits" today! (Hey-- that last sentence kinda rhymed and stuff!)

'Late!

"Data, Something's got me!"
"Shades Of Grey" ended Star Trek: The Next Generation's troubled second season, a gift to Paramount for footing the bill on "Q Who". At least Riker's memories are interesting; "Data! Something's got me!"

Necessity is the Mother of a whole bunch of flashbacks
It is pretty ironic that the third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation ends with the classic "Best of Both Worlds" cliffhanger, because the second season ends with this particular tribute to the art of montage. The show might have been a success in syndication but it was still expensive, and "Shades of Gray" is what they came up with the money for special effects ran out. The justification for the flashbacks is that Riker gets stabbed by a plant while on a survey of this week's unexplored planet. The plant infects him with microbes that will kill him once they reach his brain. Apparently the microbes are not traveling via his circulatory system, otherwise the episode would be over at this point. Dr. Pulaski, in her last episode, has fun putting long rods into Riker's head so she can stimulate Riker to have various memories of all the fun times he has had aboard the Enterprise (e.g., the death of Tasha, fighting his father, etc.). This is because "bad" memories hurt the invading microbes. Consequently, this is an atypical "flashback" episode because usually a television series celebrates the good times on the series, not the bad ones. So, if you do not like Riker, "Shades of Gray" has to be your top choice of an episode that puts him through the wringer. Fortunately, the Next Generation never comes close to ending a season on so low a note ever again.

Low-budget fiasco of necessity
This episode was the result of a very low budget and an uncertainty at the time about the future of the series. Almost half of the episode is scavenged from former episodes. The limited budget that the studio had imposed on the writers and the rather extravagent special effects used during the second series meant that the episode had to be made on a shoestring. This is a ploy used in many different TV series; Star Trek: TNG is certainly not unusual in this. However, for dedicated fans, such episodes end up in their "most disappointing" category. As far as the limitations of flashback episodes go, and considering the questionable quality of the first two seasons, this is not a bad result. However, being what it is, it is certainly one of the lower points of the series. I would, however, rank it somewhat better than such episodes as "The Last Outpost" and "Justice." ... Read more

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Q eating a chocolate sundae: what a concept. Popular with Trek fans, the godlike imp Q (John de Lancie) makes his sixth appearance on The Next Generation, but this time with a difference. Stripped of his amazing powers by the Q Continuum--his immortal overseers--the condescending space-pest becomes a mere humanoid on the Enterprise, adding an extra headache for Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), already busy trying to keep a moon from crashing into a Federation planet. Assigned to crew duty, the humbled Q is escorted everywhere by Data (Brent Spiner), who introduces the skeptical alien to such fleshly pursuits as ordering chocolate treats. When Data makes an extreme sacrifice to protect Q from an old nemesis, the narcissistic fellow is uncharacteristically moved to heroic action of his own. The episode was made strictly for fun (most Q episodes end up rather profound, but this isn't one of them), and de Lancie has great sport with his alter ego's sudden ordinariness. Corbin Bernsen (LA Law) makes a surprise appearance as Q2, Q's annoyed boss. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Sudden mortality would be very hard to take
It is easy to understand the popularity of the Q character in the Star Trek: The Next Generation series. The myths of cultures from Africa to Native Americans all contain tales of the trickster. Mythology experts Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz wrote:

"Of all the characters in myths and legends told around the world through the centuries-courageous heroes, scary monsters, rapturous virgins-it's the Trickster who provides the real spark in the action -"

which indicates that most people are more interested and influenced by gods that are obnoxiously omnipotent rather than the detached unemotional overseer. The dialog of the Q episodes also seems to be crisper, both in content and in delivery.
This episode begins with the Enterprise desperately trying to alter the course of a moon that is about to crash into an inhabited planet. Q suddenly arrives and claims to have been stripped of his powers and turned into a human. Of course, the Enterprise crew doesn't believe him, thinking that this is just another of his charades. Although Q is portrayed as being self-centered, his actions are quite human, as suddenly he finds himself subject to pains in the stomach, back and hands. After being omnipotent and capable of moving planets, sudden mortality would be very hard to handle.
Things get worse, as a creature with a grudge against Q arrives and begins to attack him. It is able to penetrate the shields and deflects the Enterprise from their mission. Captain Picard is able to discern that Q chose to be placed on the Enterprise because he knew that they would protect him from his enemies. Since the creature is powerful enough to destroy the Enterprise, Q takes a shuttle and goes out to meet his death. At the last moment, Q recovers his powers and solves the problem.
There is a great deal of philosophy in this episode and it is unfortunate that the Enterprise crew is unable to appreciate it. Only Data seems able to understand what is happening. The conversation between Q and Picard where Q states that he wishes to die for the sole reason that it can now happen to him is a very significant event. When Q walks up to Data in sick bay and tells him that he is a better human than Q will ever be we are witnessing one of the best scenes in all of the Star Trek episodes. I found myself wishing that this had been a two-part episode where the situation was explored in greater detail.
From the first TNG episode we are exposed to the desire of Data to be human. This is a reflection of the human bias of the writers and the producers. I personally consider that to have been a mistake that the producers never had the courage to correct. In this episode, they do make a slight correction. When Q expresses disgust with being human, he is expressing the opinion that most creatures in the galaxy would have. Namely, that being turned into a human would not be considered a positive event in their lives. It is most unlikely that any android as sophisticated as Data would aspire to be human.
This is one of the top ten episodes of TNG. In it, the topic of becoming a human being considered a reason to die is explored. The conclusion and the manner in which Q repays Data for his instruction is wonderful.

He's Baaaack
This is I believe one of the funniest Q epsiodes. Q shows his sense of humor at it most hilarious. Poor q has no powers na dhas to live as a mere mortal human. Data trys to save him, despite q's past antics. Q is whining and complaining, but is too funny. Guinan gets in on the act and gives him a taste of his own medicine ouch!

Definitely can watch this one over and over!

Favorite Episode
I have, as of late, seen countless episodes of STar Trek: TNG thanks to my room-mate unfortunately coming across about 100 episodes at a clearance sale. Most of the episodes are entertatining enough and after spending time with the characters you generally do start to feel for them. However I find most episodes either too timid to celebrate their weirdness or too afraid to truly explore the philisophical undertones they present.

This episode is guilty of none of these things, this episode is merely a really good time. I don't know if the writers were having a good day or Joh de Lancie is just a brilliant improvisationalist, whichever it is, this is the only episode of Star Trek that I actually laughed out at, that is, laughed out loud at things that were supposed to be funny. (Yes the miniature model of the Exxon disaster that kills Tasha Yar is a laugh a minute but I doubt that it was intentionally so.)

I have seen about 50 episodes so far and this is by far my favorite. Yes that is fifty hours of my life riped away in the span of a month. Now that I am an official Trekkie I'll never get a date again, oh wait I never get them anyway, at least now I have an excuse.

THE Episode to see for all Star Trek Newcomers
This is one of the episodes of Star Trek:TNG with one of my favorite characters of the show: Q! This is the episode for everyone who is a newcomer to Star Trek to watch and be in awe and total amazement. After watching this episode, you will become a die-hard Star Trek fan like me and want to watch as many episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (and maybe even the other series) as you possibly can. This episode, I truly believe, displays Q's best acting and dialogue performance, EVER, from all of his appearances on all the series. He is incredible here in his ability to rouse the other members of the crew and in his acting and, especially, speaking, abilities. He is, dare I say, hilarious in what he says to Capt. Picard, Data, and Worf....and how he says it! But, don't forget about the storyline of the asteroidal moon falling from the sky to its respective planet, Bre'el Four. Can, or, more precisely, will, Q save the planet and restore the moon to its proper orbit? "There are millions of lives at risk. If you have the power...."

"It¿s difficult to work in a group when you're omnipotent."
"Deja Q" is an episode that you knew we would get around to seeing one day, sooner or later. The Enterprise is trying to help Bre'el IV, who's moon is about to break from orbit and destroy their world. Just to complicate matters, Q suddenly materializes. Apparently the Q Continuum has stripped Q of his powers and sent him off into the universe. However, they allowed him to pick what type of life form he would be for the rest of his natural unborn days and Q picked human. Picard, suspicious that Q is responsible for what is happening to Bre'el Four's moon, puts their strange visitor in the brig. Eventually Q is released because even if he no longer has his powers, he still has knowledge that can help them restore the moon's original orbit. Of course this is when the Calamarain, an ionized gas cloud that is just one of the many species that Q has messed around with in the past, arrives upon the scene and attacks the ship in order to get at Q. Finally, Picard knows that Q decided to become human because the one being in the entire universe who would save his sorry behind would always be Jean-Luc Picard.

This is a wonderful episode simply because we get to John De Lancie's best performance as Q. Without his powers we learn that Q would still be Q and you have to love watching De Lancie put subtle shadings on Q's roguish behavior given his new circumstances. Picard and Q would never admit what they really think of each other, mainly because that would spoil all the fun, but this is about as close as they ever get. "Deja Q" makes it clear that the reason these two play off each other so well is that they really understand each other, even with all the smoke screens and other distractions they throw in the way. There is also the additional pleasure of seeing the Enterprise crew trying to treat Q as a "normal" person and the appearance of Corbin Bernsen as Q (not our Q but a different Q, because, after all, not all Q are alike). This off beat Q adventure is one of the best. ... Read more

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Did you know that Ireland will reunify in the year 2025? That "fact" comes courtesy of "The High Ground," an episode of The Next Generation in which the struggles of Northern Ireland are echoed in the ongoing violence between Federation members the Rutians and disenfranchised rebels called the Ansata. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the Enterprise arrive to apply pressure on the Rutians to resolve differences with the terrorist underground, but when an Ansatan bombing results in the capture of Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), the mission changes. Guest stars Richard Cox and Kerrie Keane are very effective, respectively, as an Ansatan leader and the Rutian cop determined to bring him down. The episode also puts a rare spotlight on Picard as an action hero--he actually gets to punch out a terrorist at one point