You Are Cordially Invited…

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStardate 51247.5: The war is still going on, but the celebratory mood on the station following the return of Starfleet has yet to wear off. Worf and Dax decide to get married on DS9 so that Alexander can attend before his transfer. While Worf undergoes a “Klingon bachelor party” (involving fasting and various torments) with his friends and son, Dax is evaluated by Martok’s wife Sirella, who must approve all marriages into the house. But Sirella finds Dax distinctly lacking. Will Dax prove her worthiness? Will Worf get to have his dream wedding? And will Bashir and O’Brien survive the bachelor party?

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonwritten by Ronald D. Moore
directed by David Livingston
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: J.G. Hertzler (Martok), Marc Worden (Alexander), Shannon Cochran (Sirella), Chase Masterson (Leeta), Aron Eisenberg (Nog), Max Grodenchik (Rom), Sidney Liufau (Atoa)

Original title: Once Upon A Wedding…

LogBook entry by Tracy Hemenover

The Bonding

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 43198.7: Worf’s conscience struggles with a fatality under his command as a deceased crew member’s young son confronts an alien life form that attempts to take on the physical and psychological characteristics of his mother.

Order the DVDswritten by Ronald D. Moore
directed by Winrich Kolbe
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Susan Powell (Marla Aster), Gabriel Damon (Jeremy Aster), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Defector

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 43462.5: A legendary Romulan strategist/warrior assumes a new identity and races to warn the Federation of a massive Romulan invasion in the near future, but his attempts are thwarted by the crew’s prejudice and suspicions, not to mention the Romulans themselves, eager to do away with both the defector and the Enterprise.

Order the DVDswritten by Ronald D. Moore
directed by Robert Scheerer
music by Ron Jones

Guest Cast: James Sloyan (Setal / Admiral Jarok), Andreas Katsulas (Commander Tomalok), John Hancock (Starfleet Admiral), S.A. Templeman (Holodeck “John Bates”), Patrick Stewart (Holodeck “Michael Williams”)

Star Trek: TNGNotes: Although produced after The Bonding, The Defector was the first Star Trek spec script bought from writer and fan Ronald D. Moore, who would become one of the series’ most frequent writers, the co-writer of two of the four Next Generation feature films and numerous Deep Space Nine episodes, and later became the showrunner of the highly acclaimed 21st century remake of Battlestar Galactica. Prior to this script catching the attention of executive producer Michael Piller, Moore had not successfully sold a single television or film script and had no agent.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Yesterday’s Enterprise

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 43625.2: The derelict Enterprise NCC-1701-C, thought destroyed 24 years ago, emerges through a temporal rift, rewriting history for the crew of the Galaxy class Enterprise: the Federation is losing a war to the Klingons, Tasha Yar is still alive and fighting – and the crew of “yesterday’s” Enterprise must return to their own past to restore the timelines. And only Guinan can tell that anything seems out of place…

Order the DVDsteleplay by Ira Steven Behr, Richard Manning, Hans Beimler and Ronald D. Moore
from a story by Trent Christopher Ganino and Eric A. Stillwell
directed by David Carson
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Denise Crosby (Lt. Tasha Yar), Christopher McDonald (Lt. Richard Castillo), Tricia O’Neil (Captain Garrett), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Sins of the Father

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 43685.2: The Enterprise receives a Klingon first officer on the Federation exchange program, Commander Kurn, who tests Worf’s nerve and turns out to be the security chief’s brother, seperated from Worf at birth. Worf learns that their father has been indicted on charges of betraying the Khitomer Outpost – which is where he died. The execution will be carried out on Worf’s family name, and he returns to the First City of the Klingon Empire and discovers the true traitor, but also finds that even Klingons can be totally dishonest and dishonorable, and after Kurn and Captain Picard become the targets of assassins, Worf pays for a crime his father did not commit with his own honor.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Ronald D. Moore and W. Reed Moran
based on a teleplay by Drew Deighan
directed by Les Landau
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Charles Cooper (K’mpec), Tony Todd (Commander Kurn), Patrick Massett (Duras), Thelma Lee (Kahlest), Teddy Davis (Transporter Technician)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Family

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 44012.3: In drydock at Earth Station McKinley, the Enterprise is undergoing extensive repairs while the crew, most notably Captain Picard, recover from the Borg invasion attempt. Picard returns to France for a less than warm welcome from his brother Robert, while Worf’s human foster parents beam aboard, concerned about Worf’s feelings since his dishonor from the Klingon Empire.

Order the DVDswritten by Ronald D. Moore
based in part on a premise by Susanne Lambdin and Bryan Stewart
directed by Les Landau
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Jeremy Kemp (Robert Picard), Samantha Eggar (Marie Picard), Theodore Bikel (Sergey Rozhenko), Georgia Brown (Helena Rozhenko), Dennis Creaghan (Louis), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), David Tristan Birkin (Rene Picard), Doug Wert (Jack Crusher)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Reunion

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 44246.3: The Enterprise is intercepted in deep space by a Klingon battlecruiser occupied by K’mpec, leader of the High Council of the Klingon Empire. With him is K’ehleyr, Worf’s former lover, who has visited the Enterprise before. This time she acts as Picard’s aide in a role K’mpec has chosen for him – the neutral arbiter to oversee the handover of the dying K’mpec’s powerful position to one of two contenders: Duras, whose cover-up of his father’s actions cost Worf his honor; or Gowron, a Klingon “outsider” about whom little is known. But sabotage, including the assassination of K’mpec, begins to point toward evidence of Romulan involvement…and Worf must deal with the possibility that his son (by K’ehleyr) may lose his honor if Worf reveals his relationship to him.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Thomas Perry & Jo Perry and Ronald D. Moore & Brannon Braga
story by Drew Deighan and Thomas Perry & Jo Perry
directed by Jonathan Frakes
music by Ron Jones

Guest Cast: Suzie Plakson (K’ehleyr), Robert O’Reilly (Gowron), Patrick Massett (Duras), Charles Cooper (K’mpec), Jon Steuer (Alexander), Michael Rider (Security Guard), April Grace (Transporter Technician), Basil Wallace (Klingon Guard #1), Mirron E. Willis (Klingon Guard #2)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Data’s Day

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 44390.1: Data records his observations of an average day in the Enterprise to be relayed to Dr. Bruce Maddox, a Federaton cyberneticist who once expressed an interest in disassembling Data to learn about how the android works, but now is content to let Data reveal that for himself. But as the day progresses, from the nervous, soon-to-be-married couple of Chief O’Brien and Keiko to the transport of a secretive Vulcan ambassador to the Neutral Zone, Data finds out that this isn’t going to be an ordinary day…

Order the DVDsteleplay by Harold Apter and Ronald D. Moore
story by Harold Apter
directed by Robert Wiemer
music by Ron Jones

Guest Cast: Rosalind Chao (Keiko Ishikawa), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Sierra Pecheur (Ambassador T’Pel/Subcommander Selok), Alan Scarfe (Admiral Mendak), Shelly Desai (V’Sal), April Grace (Transporter Technician), and Spot

LogBook entry by Earl Green

First Contact

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate not given: Riker, having undergone facial surgery to look like a Malcorian and beamed down to Malcor III to coordinate other surgically disguised cultural observers from Starfleet, is injured in a riot and taken to a hospital, where his true nature is slowly deduced by Malcorian doctors while Riker remains out of touch with the Enterprise. Picard and Troi try to find open-minded individuals among that planet’s leaders and scientific minds, but discover that, like on late 20th century Earth, such people are few and far between.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Dennis Russell Bailey, David Bischoff, Joe Menosky, Ronald D. Moore and Michael Piller
story by Mark Scott Zicree
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Ron Jones

Guest Cast: George Coe (Chancellor Durken), Carolyn Seymour (Mirasta Yale), George Hearn (Berel), Michael Ensign (Krola), Steven Anderson (Nilrem), Sachi Parker (Nurse), Bebe Neuwirth (Lanel)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

In Theory

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 44932.3: During the Enterprise’s investigation of a dark-matter nebula, Lt. Jenna D’Sora, recently having broken up with a longtime boyfriend, becomes attached to Data, who at first protests that he has no human feelings, and then attempts to emulate emotions. In the meantime, the density of the matter in the nebula pulls off an astonishing disappearing act – making an entire class-M planet fade from existence. And whatever caused that is in the path of the Enterprise.

Order the DVDswritten by Joe Menosky and Ronald D. Moore
directed by Patrick Stewart
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: Michele Scarabelli (Lt. Jenna D’Sora), Rosalind Chao (Keiko), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Pamela Winslow (Ensign McKnight), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice), and Spot

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Redemption

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 44995.3: The Enterprise is summoned to the Klingon homeworld so Picard may fulfill his final duty as arbiter of the succession of power there. Gowron intercepts the Enterprise before it arrives, warning Picard that Klingon civil war is brewing. Gowron, about to take control of the empire, is challenged by Lursa and B’etor, the sisters of Duras, who offer his son Toral as an alternative candidate for the throne. Picard, attempting to remain completely neutral in order to avoid accusations that the Federation is taking a hand in Klingon politics, denies Toral’s challenge. Those who would the family of Duras attack Gowron’s ship as he and Worf discuss the redemption of Worf’s family honor. Worf’s brother, Kurn, who now leads four squadrons of Klingon ships, saves Gowron from the attackers, but the victory is only temporary. With the revelation that Kurn is also a member of Worf’s family, Gowron returns Worf’s honor to him. Gowron then requests Federation assistance from Picard, who refuses, citing the recent attack as strictly internal Klingon matters to be dealt with only by the Empire, without Federation interference. Worf requests a leave of absence to stay temporarily on Gowron’s ship. When Picard denies permission to do this, Worf resigns from Starfleet and leaves anyway. After Worf departs, the Enterprise leaves the Klingon homeworld to avoid any further involvement. But on the Klingon planet, in the quarters of Lursa and B’etor, a Romulan officer in the shadows steps forth and predicts that Picard may return because “humans have a way of showing up when you least expect them.” And this is very true, for the words come from a woman who bears a very strong resemblance to Tasha Yar…in Romulan uniform.

Order the DVDswritten by Ronald D. Moore
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Robert O’Reilly (Gowron), Tony Todd (Captain Kurn), Barbara March (Lursa), Gwynyth Walsh (B’etor), Ben Slack (K’Tal), Nicholas Kepros (Movar), J.D. Cullum (Toral), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), Tom Ormeny (Klingon First Officer), Clifton Jones (Helmsman), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice), Denise Crosby (Sela)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Redemption II

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45020.4: War erupts between the forces of Gowron and those of the family of Duras. The forces of Duras are winning even after Gowron’s fleets destroy all of their possible supply bases. Picard plans to take starships the Klingon/Romulan border to act as a blockade against Romulan aid to the Duras followers. Various Enterprise officers are assigned to other ships, most notably Data as captain of the starship Sutherland, whose first officer, Hobson, objects to serving under an android commander. Commander Sela, half-human, half-Romulan daughter of Tasha Yar, demands that the Federation leave the border. Guinan reveals that Sela is the product of the Tasha Yar who was sent to the Enterprise-C by Picard. Gowron launches a surprise attack on their enemies. Lursa and B’etor send a plea for aid. Sela tries to slip past the Sutherland, but Data foils the plan and the Romulans are revealed and forced to retreat, leaving Lursa and B’etor helpless. They escape and abandon Toral, leaving him to Gowron. Gowron offers Worf a chance to slay Toral, but Worf chooses not to judge Toral by his father’s actions and rejoins the crew of the Enterprise. As later noted when they unexpectedly arrived at Deep Space Nine, the Duras sisters are listed by the Klingon government as renegades, but still remain at large with at least one ship of their own, trying to raise capital for a second grab at the throne of the Klingon Empire.

Order the DVDswritten by Ronald D. Moore
directed by David Carson
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Denise Crosby (Sela), Tony Todd (Kurn), Barbara March (Lursa), Gwynyth Walsh (B’etor), J.D. Cullum (Toral), Robert O’Reilly (Gowron), Michael G. Hagerty (Captain Larg), Fran Bennett (Admiral Shonti), Nicholas Kepros (Movar), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Timothy Carhart (Lt. Commander Hobson), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), Jordan Lund (Kulge), Stephen James Carver (Helmsman), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Disaster

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45156.1: On a routine day, Picard takes the three winners of the ship’s school science fair on a tour. Beverly pesters Geordi, who is checking fuel tanks in a shuttlebay, to audition for a play; Riker, Data, Worf, and a pregnant Keiko relax in Ten Forward, and O’Brien and Troi perform bridge duties. When an undetectable object collides with the ship, emergency systems isolate everyone where they are. Picard is injured and must rely on the scared children; Riker orders Data to risk his life to reach engineering; Worf must deliver Keiko’s baby when she goes into labor; Geordi and Beverly are caught between a fire and several tanks of unstable fuel; and Troi is trapped on the bridge with a minimal crew and Ensign Ro is all too ready to point out the worst case scenario: unless the ship’s antimatter supply is stabilized, the Enterprise could be destroyed.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Ronald D. Moore
story by Ron Jarvis and Philip A. Scorza
directed by Gabrielle Beaumont
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Rosalind Chao (Keiko), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Michelle Forbes (Ensign Ro), Erika Flores (Marissa), John Christian Graas (Jay Gordon), Max Supera (Patterson), Cameron Arnett (Ensign Mandel), Jana Marie Hupp (Ensign Monroe)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Ethics

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate not given: Critically injured by falling containers in a cargo bay, Worf is paralyzed from the waist down, and Dr. Crusher can offer little in the way of hopes for complete recovery. The visiting Dr. Russell sees Worf’s injury as a perfect chance to test her new device, which can – in theory – replicate entire organs after scanning the DNA of the original. Crusher disagrees, however, citing Russell’s device as experimental at best, and refusing to allow Russell to operate. When Worf – claiming that life as an invalid would be a dishonorable burden to he and his family – begins to try to enlist Riker’s help in committing suicide, Crusher is forced to let Russell attempt to restore Worf’s spinal cord – an operation that could easily end the Klingon’s life, leaving many of the crew concerned for Worf as well as Alexander.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Ronald D. Moore
story by Sara Charno & Stuart Charno
directed by Chip Chalmers
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Caroline Kava (Dr. Russell), Brian Bonsall (Alexander), Patti Yasutake (Nurse Ogawa)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The First Duty

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45703.9: The Enterprise is heading back to Earth so Picard may deliver Starfleet Academy’s commencement address, and the crew is also looking forward to an aerial stunt display performed in orbit over Saturn by Nova Squadron, the Academy’s elite flight group, including Wes Crusher. As the Enterprise arrives, news reaches Picard and Dr. Crusher that Nova Squadron’s five planes have collided during a practice maneuver, injuring four of the pilots and killing one of them. An inquiry is launched into the accident, and squadron leader Locarno – backed up by Wes and the other cadets – testifies that blame lies on Cadet Joshua Albert, who died. Picard, while the investigation is underway, pays a visit to his old friend Boothby, the Academy gardener since Picard’s days as a cadet. Wise old Boothby, and later Picard himself, begin to wonder if perhaps the surviving cadets of Nova Squadron aren’t simply diverting the responsibility for their own mistake.

Order the DVDswritten by Ronald D. Moore and Naren Shankar
directed by Paul Lynch
music by Jay Chattaway

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Jacqueline Brooks (Admiral Brand), Ray Walston (Boothby), Robert Duncan McNeill (Nicholas Locarno), Ed Lauter (Lt. Commander Albert), Richard Fancy (Captain Setalk), Walker Brandt (Hajar), Shannon Fill (Sito)

LogBook entry by Earl Green