Qpid

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 44741.9: Picard is readying a speech on the subject of the planet Tagus 3, whose archaelogical digs are off-limits to outsiders, to be delivered to a group of distinguished archaeologists, and is surprised to find that Vash, a very fondly remembered acquaintance from his visit to Risa, is present as well, no doubt to fulfill her nefarious urge to go treasure-seeking. She and Picard seem to be able to agree on nothing, which catches the attention of Q, who, to force Picard to admit that he does indeed love Vash, sends the crew, Vash, and even himself, into Sherwood Forest. Picard, of course, becomes Robin Hood, his crew become Robin’s merry men, Q becomes Guy of Gisbourne, and Vash, naturally, is the damsel in distress…a role she doesn’t play willingly, or, indeed, correctly!

Order the DVDsteleplay by Ira Steven Behr
story by Randee Russell and Ira Steven Behr
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Jennifer Hetrick (Vash), Clive Revill (Sheriff of Nottingham), John de Lancie (Q), Joi Staton (Servant)

Notes: Clive Revill, the Sheriff of Nottingham in this story, also has another well-known science fiction saga in his resume: he provided the voice (and a shimmering but fuzzy image) of the Galactic Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 (Ian McDiarmid took that role over in 1983’s Return Of The Jedi when the Emperor finally made a personal appearance in the saga).

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

Silicon Avatar

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45122.3: Riker, Crusher and Data visit a new colony site when the Crystalline Entity that wiped out all life on Data’s home world appears unexpectedly and attacks, forcing the colonists and visitors underground. The Enterprise returns and finds that the planet has been left barren. The colonists are rescued, and the crew, joined by Dr. Marr, investigates the damage. Marr, whose son was killed by the Entity long ago, believes that Data, like his “brother,” is aiding the Entity. During the investigation, Marr is convinced that Data is not responsible for the attack and finds that his memories of his home include memories of the colonists who died there. She asks him to recite some of her son’s diary and decides she must avenge her son, but Picard wishes to try communicating with the Entity.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Jeri Taylor
story by Lawrence V. Conley
directed by Cliff Bole
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), Ellen Geer (Dr. Marr), Susan Diol (Carmen)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Unification II

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45245.8: Spock is promoting the idea of reunification of Romulus and Vulcan. Pardek gains Spock an audience with the Proconsul, Neral, who says he will endorse reunification. Picard is skeptical, to the annoyance of Spock, who thinks Picard’s impression of him has been colored by Sarek. Neral is plotting with Sela to invade Vulcan with stolen Vulcan ships in the guise of a peace envoy and escorts. Riker gets the truth about the vessel destroyed in the shipyard out of the Ferengi accomplice of the ship’s pilot. An intact Vulcan ship was to be delivered to the Neutral Zone border to Romulans for the invasion fleet. Picard, Spock and Data are taken prisoner when betrayed by Pardek. Sela prepares a hologram of Spock to read a statement about the peaceful mission of the Romulans. When Sela leaves to see the ships off, Data and Spock program the hologram to warn the Federation. The Enterprise intercepts the ships, but a Romulan Warbird destroys the Vulcan ships instead of allowing any evidence to remain of the invasion plot. Picard, Data and Spock escape, and rejoin Spock’s Romulan followers in a new hiding place. Spock insists on staying so that he may continue to influence opinions on Romulus, even if only on a small scale.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Michael Piller
story by Rick Berman and Michael Piller
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), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), Denise Crosby (Sela), Stephen Root (Neral), Malachi Throne (Pardek), Norman Large (Captain K’vada), Daniel Roebuck (Jaron), William Bastiani (Omag), Susan Fallender (Shalote), Vidal Peterson (D’Tan), Harriet Leider (Amarie)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Perfect Mate

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45761.3: After rescuing a party of stranded miners, the Enterprise continues its mission to take Ambassador Bre’em and his cargo – an unusual cocoon – to meet Alrik of Volt so that their two worlds can end centuries of conflict. But when a Ferengi shuttlecraft is spotted in need of immediate help, Picard is forced to pick up the two Ferengi, who actually faked their emergency. The nosy Ferengi damage Bre’em’s cocoon, which melts away to reveal the lovely empath Kamala, who grabs the attention of every man in her sight, and initially thinks that Picard’s authoritarian demeanor makes him her future mate. Kamala is being transported as the property of Bre’em’s government, and she is to be delivered – as a gift – to Alrik of Volt. Dr. Crusher convinces Picard that the ambassador’s treatment of Kamala as an object is inhumane, but the possible results of allowing Kamala free roam of the ship could be more risky than transporting her as cargo, since her very accurate empathic ability allows her to become the perfect mate for whomever she spends the most time with, whether that happens to be Riker, Worf, a group of unruly miners, Captain Picard…

Order the DVDsteleplay by Gary Perconte and Michael Piller
story by Renè Echavarria and Gary Perconte
directed by Cliff Bole
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), Famke Janssen (Kamala), Tim O’Connor (Ambassador Bre’em), Max Grodenchik (Par Linor), Mickey Cottrell (Alrik of Volt), Michael Snyder (Qol), David Paul Needles (Miner #1), Roger Rignack (Miner #2), Charles Gunning (Miner #3), April Grace (Transporter Officer), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Realm Of Fear

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 46041.1: The Enterprise locates the missing starship Yosemite, adrift in a matter stream between binary stars. A link between the two ships’ transporters must be established so an away team can investigate the Yosemite, but Lt. Barclay, assigned to the away team, reveals his life-long fear of transporting. Troi convinces him to overcome his fear long enough to beam over to the Yosemite. Beaming back to the Enterprise later, Barclay is sure he sees some kind of creature in the transport beam approach and touch him. Fearing he has contracted a psychosis caused by the transporter scrambling his brain, he becomes so preoccupied that Troi relieves him of duty while Geordi and Data begin reconstructing a mysteriously shattered sample container form the Yosemite, an experiment which reveals that there are indeed life forms in the matter stream. And Barclay is exhibiting early symptoms of something that may have killed the Yosemite’s crew.

Order the DVDswritten by Brannon Braga
directed by Cliff Bole
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), Dwight Schultz (Lt. Barclay), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Patti Yasutake (Nurse Ogawa), Renata Scott (Admiral), Thomas Belgrey (Crewmember), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Aquiel

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 46461.3: The Enterprise crew begins an investigation when the crew of a Federation communications relay station near the Klingon border is discovered to be missing, and there are signs on the station that someone has been killed with a phaser set on high power. Someone has taken the station’s shuttle, and records of certain subspace transmissions have been taken. In the course of the investigation, Geordi goes through the logs of Lt. Aquiel Uhnari, searching for clues about what happened on the station. There are signs that she had experienced personality conflicts with the station’s senior officer and only other occupant, and her logs mention visits from a belligerent Klingon. The Klingon is located by Picard, and the Klingons reveal that they have found Lt. Uhnari in the station’s missing shuttle. Geordi, who has come to “know” Aquiel through her logs, becomes personally involved in the investigation of the apparent murder of her superior officer on the station, but he has a hard time separating his responsibility to solving the mystery from his personal feelings.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Brannon Braga & Ronald D. Moore
story by Jeri Taylor
directed by Cliff Bole
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), Renee Jones (Aquiel Uhnari), Wayne Grace (Governor Torak), Reg E. Cathey (Morag), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Starship Mine

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 46682.4: The Enterprise stops at the Remler Array for a routine decontamination sweep. The sweep, however, requires the evacuation of the ship, since it will be conducted with a beam that is deadly to living tissue. At a nearby starbase, most of the crew tries to avoid Commander Hutchinson, an interminably boring officer hosting a reception. At the mention of horses on the planet, Picard decides to return to the Enterprise briefly to get his saddle, but while there, he notices that unauthorized modifications have been made by a team posing as starbase technicians. As the sweep begins with the aft end of the ship and moves slowly forward, Picard prepares to beam back to the starbase to warn security, but ship’s power is cut off due to the sweep, leaving Picard trapped on the ship with an unknown group of hostiles. Meanwhile, on the starbase, the rest of the Enterprise’s officers are taken hostage, and it becomes obvious that there is a well co-ordinated plan underway which involves the Enterprise.

Order the DVDswritten by Morgan Gendel
directed by Cliff Bole
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), David Spielberg (Commander Hutchinson), Marie Marshall (Kelsey), Tim Russ (Pel Orton), Glenn Morshower (Satler), Tom Nibley (Neil), Tim deZarn (Devor), Patricia Tallman (Kiros), Arlee Reed (Pomit), Alan Altshuld (Arkaria Base Guard), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Suspicions

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 46830.1: Dr. Crusher goes out on a limb by gathering some of the brightest minds in the galaxy aboard the Enterprise to listen to a proposal from Ferengi scientist Reyga for a powerful subspace shield. Skepticism and competition divide the scientists, but a demonstration is arranged, using an Enterprise shuttle. The pilot, who is also one of the scientists, dies when the experiment goes wrong. Beverly, already regretful for the failure of Reyga’s invention, suddenly finds herself in the middle of a murder investiagation when Reyga himself is found dead.

Order the DVDswritten by Joe Menosky and Naren Shankar
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), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), Patti Yasutake (Nurse Ogawa), Tricia O’Neil (Kurak), Peter Slutsker (Dr. Reyga), James Horan (Jo’Bril), John S. Ragin (Dr. Christopher), Joan Stuart Morris (T’Pan), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Dramatis Personae

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStardate 46922.3: A Klingon ship makes an unexpected return from a scientific mission in the Gamma Quadrant and self-destructs. A single member of the ship’s crew beams himself into Ops, dying shortly after cryptically announcing “victory.” As Dax and O’Brien start trying to piece together the mystery of the Klingon ship, divisions take place between members of DS9’s crew. Kira, still unsatisfied after losing an argument with Sisko about security arrangements for a shipload of possible allies of the Cardassians, begins to plot against the commander, quietly gathering loyal followers among the crew and threatening those who don’t sympathize with her cause. Sisko, in the meantime, goes into hiding supposedly for security reasons, as he and Chief O’Brien prepare for Kira’s imminent mutiny. Odo remains the only officer who hasn’t taken up arms with either side yet, since he has his own motive.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonwritten by Joe Menosky
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: Tom Towles (Klingon), Stephen Parr (Valerian), Randy Pflug (Guard), Jeff Pruitt (Ensign)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Liaisons

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate not given: An Iyaaran delegation visits the Enterprise for the first formal diplomatic function between Iyar and the Federation. Picard is scheduled to shuttle back to Iyar, while Iyaaran ambassadors Loquel and Byleth remain on the Enterprise. The Iyaaran shuttle taking Picard back to their homeworld crash-lands on a planet covered with violent electrical storms, one of whose plasma lightning bolts injures Picard when he leaves the shuttle to look for medical aid for the critically injured pilot. A woman named Anna, who has apparently been stranded alone on the planet for seven years, gets Picard to shelter inside a crashed freighter. On the Enterprise, ambassadors Loquel and Byleth test the patience of their respective hosts, Troi and Worf, while Picard has to contend with a woman whose isolation has driven her to try to keep him in the crashed vessel with her – but Picard learns that no survivors of the freighter’s complement or crew are actually still alive.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Jeanne Carrigan-Fauci and Lisa Rich
story by Roger Eschbacher & Jaq Greenspon
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Barbara Williams (Anna), Eric Pierpoint (Voval), Paul Eiding (Loquel), Michael Harris (Byleth), Rickey D’Shon Collins (Eric)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Cardassians

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStardate 47177.2: A Bajoran man arrives on DS9 with his adopted son, a young Cardassian who was abandoned when his people withdrew from Bajor. This draws the attention of the Cardassian government, particularly Gul Dukat, who claims he is eager to solve the dilemma of Cardassian war orphans left behind on Bajor. DS9’s resident tailor, Garak, seems to find Dukat’s sudden pledge to resolve the abandoned children’s situation ironic, since the boy in question is really the son of one of the civilian assembly who voted to pull the Cardassian military out of Bajoran space – one of Dukat’s political adversaries. Sisko and Dr. Bashir, aided and abetted by Garak’s cryptic advice, must decide the fate of the Cardassian youth, possibly deciding the end result of an internal power struggle whose combatants couldn’t care less about the boy’s situation.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonteleplay by James Crocker
story by Gene Wolande and John Wright
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Jay Chattaway

Cast: Avery Brooks (Commander Benjamin Sisko), Rene Auberjonois (Odo), Siddig El Fadil (Dr. Julian Bashir), Terry Farrell (Lt. Jadzia Dax), Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien), Armin Shimerman (Quark), Nana Visitor (Major Kira Nerys), Rosalind Chao (Keiko), Andrew Robinson (Garak), Robert Mandan (Kotan Pa’Dar), Terrance Evans (Proka), Dion Anderson (Zolan), Marc Alaimo (Gul Dukat), Sharon Conley (Jomat Luson), Karen Hensel (Deela), Jillian Ziesmer (Asha)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Eye Of The Beholder

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 47622.1: A young officer recently posted to the Enterprise commits suicide by leaping into an energy stream in one of the ship’s warp nacelles. Trying to find out why, Troi begins investigating the last days of the deceased by speaking to his friends and co-workers, and eventually winds up surveying the warp nacelle post, where she experiences an inexplicable emotional upheaval which may be an echo left by the partially empathic officer’s final burst of feelings and thoughts. She tries to probe this psionic artifact for its true meaning, and uncovers a betrayal which is older than anyone realizes.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Renè Echavarria
story by Brannon Braga
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: Mark Rolston (Lt. Walter Pierce), Nancy Harewood (Lt. Nara), Tim Lounibos (Lt. Kwan), Johanna McCloy (Ensign Calloway)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Emergence

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 47869.2: While rehearsing a scene from “The Tempest” in the holodeck, Data and Picard are amazed when they are nearly run over by the Orient Express, the famed 19th century locomotive whose itinerary never once included Prospero’s island. Investigation of this quirk is postponed by the Enterprise’s sudden jump to warp speed, and a fortuitous exit from warp just in time to avoid the ship’s destruction. When the crew concentrates the search to this problem, a strange modification of the ship’s circuitry is discovered, one which seems to be tying many disparate systems together. When the ship’s systems take measures to protect the growing anomaly, the truth becomes clear – this is no accident, but a new intelligence all its own taking form within the Enterprise’s hull.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Joe Menosky
story by Brannon Braga
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: David Huddleston (The Conductor), Vinny Argiro (The Gunman), Thomas Kopache (The Engineer), Arlee Reed (Bumpkin)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Collaborator

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStardate not given: The choosing of Bajor’s new Kai draws near, and some candidates are not above resorting to hardline tactics to discredit their rivals. When one of the top Bajoran traitors of the Cardassian occupation turns up on the station and is promptly pardoned by Vedek Winn, Kira’s suspicions are aroused, as is her anger when Winn accuses Vedek Bareil, the leading candidate in the race and Kira’s lover, of collaborating with the Cardassians. Kira makes every attempt to clear Bareil’s name as the election looms, but only discovers more evidence pointing him out as a traitor to the Bajora. By the time Kira learns the truth about Bareil’s involvement in a massacre that cost the lives of 43 Bajoran freedom fighters including the late Kai Opaka’s son, Winn has become Bajor’s new Kai.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonteleplay by Gary Holland and Ira Steven Behr & Robert Hewitt Wolfe
story by Gary Holland
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Jay Chattaway

Cast: Avery Brooks (Commander Benjamin Sisko), Rene Auberjonois (Odo), Siddig El Fadil (Dr. Julian Bashir), Terry Farrell (Lt. Jadzia Dax), Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien), Armin Shimerman (Quark), Nana Visitor (Major Kira Nerys), Louise Fletcher (Vedek Winn), Philip Anglim (Vedek Bareil), Bert Remsen (Kubus), Camille Saviola (Kai Star Trek: Deep Space NineOpaka), Charles Parks (Eblan), Tom Villard (Prylar Bek)

Notes: Gary Holland was in charge of writing and producing the promos, “next week” trailers and print advertisements for the Star Trek series at the time this episode was written and aired; he named Prylar Bek in honor of the founder of Beck-Ola, a production company to whom Paramount outsourced the actual making of its Star Trek promos and trailers.

LogBook entry by Earl Green