The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion: Revised Edition

by Larry Nemecek

  NEW GROUND

  * * *

  Production No.: 210 Aired: Week of January 6, 1992

  Stardate: 45376.3 Code: ng

  Directed by Robert Scheerer

  Teleplay by Grant Rosenberg

  Story by Sara Charno and Stuart Charno

  GUEST CAST

  Helena Rozhenko: Georgia Brown

  Alexander. Brian Bonsall

  Dr. Ja’Dar: Richard McGonagle

  Kyle: Jennifer Edwards

  Ensign Felton: Sheila Franklin

  Computer Voice: Majel Barrett

  * * *

  On the eve of testing the Soliton Wave, a historic new drive system, Worf receives an unexpected visit from his foster mother, Helena Rozhenko, and his son, Alexander. To Worf’s surprise, Helena tells him that he must take custody of his son for the boy’s own good.

  The lieutenant soon discovers what his mother is talking about: he finds Alexander has been lying and acting up in class. After Worf threatens to send him to a rigorous Klingon school, Troi points out Alexander may be feeling neglected after his mother’s death and his father’s virtual abandonment of him.

  When the Soliton Wave experiment goes awry and reaches power levels that could wipe out a colony in its path, the Enterprise must start a “backfire” receives an unexpected visit from his fostereffect, using its photon torpedoes. As they prepare to break up the wave, Alexander is visiting his favorite animals, unaware that the biolab is unprotected by shields. He is trapped there when the wave is penetrated; a fire breaks out in the lab, forcing Worf and Riker to rescue him.

  Worf then realizes how much he would miss his son if he were sent away; Alexander agrees to remain aboard the Enterprise.

  Worf and Troi find newfound common ground over raising Alexander.

  For the only time this season, the writing credits carried no staff names; still Michael Piller credited Ronald D. Moore with lending “a big hand” in the polishing of Grant Rosenberg’s teleplay, taken from a story by TNG veterans Sarah and Stuart Charno, who wrote “The Wounded” (186).

  After child actor Jon Steurer originated the role of Alexander in last season’s “Reunion” (181), the slightly older Brian Bonsall—who’ll best be remembered as Andy, the youngest Keaton in the later seasons of Family Ties—was brought in; he had the series track record desired for what was now to be a recurring role. Alexander’s age became a topic of some discussion and not a little confusion when he first appeared in “Reunion” so soon after his apparent conception in “The Emissary” (146), but some clues are provided here. His birthday, the forty-third day of Maktag, is a nice bit of trivia, but his stardate birth, 43205, falls during the time of season three’s “Booby Trap” (154), only 304 stardate units after K’Ehleyr’s first Enterprise visit and 1,041 units before the boy turns up with his mother later—although 1,000 units are generally considered to be a year. Of course K’Ehleyr’s half-human makeup may have altered Alexander’s maturation process from the Klingon norm.

  A nice bit of continuity was provided by the Klingon legend of the fighting brothers Kahless and Morath, whose statue Worf refers to in his quarters. Kahless the Unforgettable was one of the evil images in an original-Trek episode, “The Savage Curtain,” in 1969. The statue was a stock piece, but the figures “grew” Klingon ridges thanks to Michael Westmore’s deft touch.

  The experimental Soliton Wave glider is a re-dress of the Mars defense ships that were easily picked off by the Borg in “The Best of Both Worlds,” Part 2 (175).

  HERO WORSHIP

  * * *

  Production No.: 211 Aired: Week of January 27, 1992

  Stardate: 45397.3 Code: hw

  Directed by Patrick Stewart

  Teleplay by Joe Menosky

  Story by Hilary J. Bader

  GUEST CAST

  Timothy: Joshua Harris

  Transporter Chief: Harley Venton

  Ensign Felton: Sheila Franklin

  Teacher: Steven Einspahr

  * * *

  The Enterprise is sent to check on the missing USS Vico, a research ship sent to explore the interior of a Black Cluster—the remains of hundreds of protostars. The cluster generates gravitational tidal waves that are capable of buffeting a starship but pose no real danger.

  Data finds a lone survivor among the wreckage of the Vico, a boy named Timothy, who tells his rescuer an alien vessel destroyed the ship. The evidence soon indicates otherwise, however, and Troi urges Data to foster his friendship with the boy to get the real story. Timothy, meanwhile, is so impressed by Data that he takes to mimicking the android.

  Picard orders his ship into the Cluster to further investigate the Vico’s demise, whereupon the shock waves surprisingly grow more intense. The captain urges Timothy to recall what he can of his ship’s destruction, but the boy steadfastly refuses to change his story of alien invaders, until Data tells him androids do not lie. Timothy then breaks down and says he destroyed the Vico by accidentally touching a console.

  Incredulous, Picard, Troi, and Data convince him that cannot be, that his action was just a coincidence. Timothy has trouble believing them, however, especially when he hears more and more power being ordered to shields; he tells Data his ship did the same thing. As a huge wave approaches the Enterprise, Data finally realizes that all shields should actually be lowered: they’re magnifying the waves’ effect. Timothy decides to drop his android act, but he and Data vow to stay friends anyway.

  This big Data—little Data episode provided a charming turn not only for the android but for ship’s counselor Troi as well, expanding on the depiction of her duties. “Jeri Taylor and I say that since we’ve been here the counseling scenes have become much more numerous and realistic,” Michael Piller said. “But that expertise doesn’t come from practicing—it comes from being a patron!”

  We also get a rare bit of Geordi background in this story, learning of a traumatic fire he suffered through at age five before receiving his first VISOR. The scenario was originally one of the memory scenes not used in “Violations” (212).

  This time around, Harley Venton’s transporter officer who also appeared in “Ensign Ro” (203), is named Hutchinson in the script, although the name remains unspoken. The USS Vico is a new model of Star Trek III’s Grissom, built and detailed as a wreck by Greg Jein. The Breen, one of the races suspected of having destroyed the Vico, were mentioned in “The Loss” (184) as a race that could not be sensed telepathically.

  Data and Timothy (Joshua Harris) study the art of painting.

  VIOLATIONS

  * * *

  Production No.: 212 Aired: Week of February 3, 1992

  Stardate: 45429.3 Code: vi

  Directed by Robert Wiemer

  Teleplay by Pamela Gray and Jeri Taylor

  Story by Shari Goodhartz, T. Michael Gray and Pamela Gray

  GUEST CAST

  Keiko O’Brien: Rosalind Chao

  Jev: Ben Lemon

  Tarmin: David Sage

  Dr. Martin: Rick Fitts

  Inad: Eve Brenner

  Lieutenant Commander Jack Crusher: Doug Wert

  Crewman Davis: Craig Benton

  Computer Voice: Majel Barrett

  * * *

  The Enterprise takes aboard three Ullians, members of a race of telepathic historians who do their research by probing their subjects’ long-forgotten memories. Their leader, Tarmin, is surprised by the crew’s reluctance to be probed, while his son Jev is embarrassed by his father’s continued attempts to gain the crew’s permission. That evening Troi has a flashback to a romantic encounter with Riker—but Jev replaces Riker in her memories. As she struggles against him, she lapses into a coma.

  The same thing happens to Riker, who remembers a shipboard disaster that cost a crew member’s life, and then to Beverly, who is forced to recall the time years ago when Picard took her to see her late husband’s body.

  Picard is increasingly suspicious of the Ullians, but they protest their innocence. Troi finally comes
to and readily agrees to be mind-probed by Jev about the night she slipped into a coma. This time it is Tarmin who takes Riker’s place in her dreams.

  The elder Ullian is taken into custody, but when Jev visits Troi, the flashback returns and she realizes he’s the real mental rapist. The timely appearance by Worf and Data saves her. Researching a history of similar comas on other worlds, they had discovered Jev was the only Ullian present when all the incidents took place.

  A forced memory: Beverly Crusher views her husband’s corpse with Picard.

  Tarmin apologizes for his son, saying he’d thought his once-violent race had put memory rape behind it.

  This story began as the second outline TNG bought from Shari Goodhartz; the first was “Night Terrors” (191). This script evolved through numerous drafts, each of which approached the rape metaphor differently. Jeri Taylor and Pamela Gray, an intern, came up with the atypical science fiction angle of mental rather than physical assault.

  “We had been doing so many political shows that the success of this one reminded us that maybe we could do more with the mental side of SF, exploring the bizarre possibilities of psychological dramas,” Taylor said.

  Lots of memory flashbacks were generated for every major character before those of Troi, Riker, and Beverly were chosen. One alluded to Ro’s yet-unexplained trouble on Garon II, mentioned in “Ensign Ro” (203), while another involving Geordi’s childhood brush with fire was so popular that Joe Menosky picked it up to use in the previous episode, “Hero Worship” (211). Goodhartz’s first treatment had featured Miles O’Brien as victim.

  Director Robert Wiemer sought and received permission from Rick Berman to use a number of different camera tricks to set apart the bizarre memory scenes implanted by Jev, then used conservative camera work in the “reality” scenes to heighten the contrast between the two. The tricks included the use of wide-angle lenses during Beverly’s flashback; at one point both Gates McFadden and Patrick Stewart are sitting on the moving dolly (rolling camera crane), generating an eerie floating effect.

  After several mentions and one false start (“Where No One Has Gone Before”/106), the time of Jack Crusher’s death is finally established here, albeit vaguely. Actor Doug Wert makes a brief reappearance here in a casket, after having been seen earlier in “Family” (178).

  The Riker-Troi flashbacks caused a stir of their own, Jeri Taylor remembered, from fans who were disappointed that later episodes did not continue the rekindled intimacy between the two (105, 148, 184). The fans had obviously missed the point that these scenes were flashbacks. In this sequence, though, we do learn that it was Troi who decided to cool their relationship for the sake of professionalism when they learned that they had both been assigned to the Enterprise.

  Other trivia: Keiko’s grandmother was named Obachan, and Geordi got his first pet—the Circassian cat mentioned in “Galaxy’s Child” (190)—at age eight.

  THE MASTERPIECE SOCIETY

  * * *

  Production No.: 213 Aired: Week of February 10, 1992

  Stardate: 45470.1 Code: ms

  Directed by Winrich Kolbe

  Teleplay by Adam Belanoff and Michael Piller

  Story by James Kahn and Adam Belanoff

  GUEST CAST

  Aaron Conor: John Snyder

  Hannah Bates: Dey Young

  Martin Benbeck: Ron Canada

  Ensign Felton: Sheila Franklin

  * * *

  While monitoring the progress of a neutron star’s core fragment, the Enterprise crew is shocked to learn of an unknown human colony on Moab IV, now threatened by the fragment—and even more surprised when the residents refuse to relocate.

  Aaron (John Snyder) and Martin (Ron Canada) describe their fragile society to Troi and Riker.

  Their leader, Aaron Conor, explains that the colony has been genetically planned and engineered to be the perfect society. Any contact with outsiders is bound to be corrupting. Conor reluctantly agrees to let Enterprise officers beam down to discuss the danger posed by the fragment.

  The colony’s chief scientist Hannah Bates begins working with La Forge to develop a tractor beam that will be powerful enough to deflect the core fragment. When Bates must beam aboard the Enterprise with Geordi to continue her research, Troi stays behind, fascinated by the soft-spoken Conor. After spending the night with him, she berates herself for allowing the brief affair, knowing her Betazoid DNA would not be welcome in the genetically closed colony.

  Ironically it is the VISOR of an “imperfect” blind man that inspires the needed tractor beam enhancement; but to install the equipment necessary to deflect the fragment, fifty more people from the Enterprise will have to beam down.

  Conor reluctantly agrees to their presence. The engineers’ plan works, and the fragment is diverted. But the colony’s problems are far from over. Hannah, after a taste of the outside world, decides to leave. She fakes an alarm to force evacuation, but Geordi sees through her ruse. Yet despite pleas from Conor and other colonists, Bates and twenty-three others decide to leave. Conor decides he can’t stop them, despite the irreparable damage their departure will cause.

  Picard is left to wonder which ultimately posed the greater threat to the colony, the core fragment or his ship’s “help.”

  In the most reasoned and focused Trek position on selective human breeding since 1967’s “Space Seed,” Picard echoes the classic Roddenberry-inspired argument against eugenics as dehumanizing and a detriment to free choice. Michael Piller himself took over this script after it had passed through five other writers’ hands over a season and a half. He struggled mainly with the question, “What exactly is a genetically engineered society?”

  Hannah’s laboratory, once again, was built over the frame of the old two-level movie bridge set with the “science lab” set pieces in place; her computers use black-on-white, almost Macintosh-like computer visuals.

  CONUNDRUM

  * * *

  Production No.: 214 Aired: Week of February 17, 1992

  Stardate: 45494.2 Code: cn

  Directed by Les Landau

  Teleplay by Barry M. Schkolnick

  Story by Paul Schiffer

  GUEST CAST

  Commander Keiran MacDuff: Erich Anderson

  Ensign Ro Laren: Michelle Forbes

  Kristin: Liz Vassey

  Crewman: Erick Weiss

  * * *

  After being scanned by an unknown alien ship, Enterprise crew members discover both their own and their computer’s memories have been selectively wiped out.

  Though they can’t remember their names or their functions, they’ve all retained the knowledge necessary to operate the ship. They grope their way to some kind of structure: Worf assumes command; Data decides he’s the bartender in Ten-Forward; and Ro feels attracted to Riker, Troi even more so. Finally the ship’s computer is able to provide them with name, rank, and serial number; among the bridge crew is Commander Kieran MacDuff, listed as first officer.

  The computer also reveals their mission: the Enterprise is part of a fleet fighting a decades-old war with the Lysians. Their current assignment, to be conducted under radio silence, is to destroy the aliens’ Central Command.

  Picard grows concerned, though, when the Lysian vessels they meet prove no match for his ship. His conscience finally forces him to call off the attack. Angered, MacDuff tries to assume control of the ship. Worf stuns him, and the phaser blast reveals that MacDuff is actually an alien.

  Dr. Crusher soon restores the crew’s memories, whereupon they identify MacDuff as a Sartaaran, a race that’s been at war with the Lysians for decades. Despite their skill with computers and memory suppression, his race’s weak weapons technology forced their thwarted hijacking of the Enterprise.

  One of several amnesia stories from season four, this episode was put on hold for a year and then developed into this script, which Michael Piller felt didn’t quite do justice to the original and fascinating tale of drafting soldiers by rewriting thei
r memories. Staff and fans alike, though, loved the Riker-Troi-Ro triangle that emerged here, especially the fact that all three retained the memory of their past “interactions.”

  In his cabin, Riker plays few notes of “The Nearness of You,” the song he played for Minuet on the holodeck in “11001001” (116), and looks over his horgah’n from Risa, first seen in “Captain’s Holiday” (167).

  Curiously, while the ships of the two warring sides were not new staff designs, the Lysian command center miniature dates all the way back to season one, when it was hazily photographed as the Edolord over Rubicum III in “Justice” (109).

  His memory erased, Picard doesn’t suspect the true nature of his “Number One,” Commander Kieran MacDuff (Erich Anderson).

  POWER PLAY

  * * *

  Production No.: 215 Aired: Week of February 24, 1992

  Stardate: 45571.2 Code: pw

  Directed by David Livingston

  Teleplay by Rene Balcer, Herbert J. Wright, and Brannon Braga

  Story by Paul Ruben and Maurice Hurley

  GUEST CAST

  Keiko O’Brien: Rosalind Chao

  Lieutenant Miles O’Brien: Colm Meaney

  Ensign Ro Laren: Michelle Forbes