The Icarus Factor

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 42686.4: Riker, offered a command of his own patrolling a hazardous area of deep space, is also offered advice and a long-overdue retraction of old hostilities from his father, but the impetuous first officer refuses all of this in an attempt to maintain an image of independence in the eyes of his crewmates and his father.

Order the DVDsteleplay by David Assael and Robert L. McCullough
story by David Assael
directed by Robert Iscove
music by Ron Jones

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Diana Muldaur (Dr. Pulaski), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien), Mitchell Ryan (Kyle Riker), Lance Spellerberg (Ensign Herbert)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Pen Pals

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 42695.3: While on an extended research patrol through a star cluster whose planets’ geologic activity rips them apart from inside, Data on the Enterprise makes contact with a primitive being on one of these planets which is now in immediate danger and has to plead with the prime directive- conscious Picard to help his newfound friend.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Melinda M. Snodgrass
story by Hannah Louise Shearer
directed by Winrich Kolbe
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Diana Muldaur (Dr. Pulaski), Nicholas Cascone (Ensign Davies), Nikki Cox (Sarjenka), Ann H. Gillespie (Ensign Hildebrant), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien), Whitney Rydbeck (Ensign Alans)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Q Who

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 42761.3: Q returns once more to the Enterprise to plead his case to Picard for a position as a crewman on the ship after being expelled from the Q Continuum. When refused, the godlike alien propels the Enterprise thousands of light years to prove to Picard that some threats are too much for humanity, and the Borg is one of these threats…

Order the DVDswritten by Maurice Hurley
directed by Rob Bowman
music by Ron Jones

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), John de Lancie (Q), Lycia Naff (Ensign Gomez), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan)

Notes: This episode is the first to show the Borg, a race first mentioned (though not by name) in The Neutral Zone. According to writer/producer Maurice Hurley, the Borg were originally intended to be insects instead of cyborgs; budget shortfalls meant costuming cutbacks, even to the point that “stillsuit” costumes from Dune were heavily redressed as Borg costumes.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Samaritan Snare

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 42779.1: Riker and the crew attempt to rescue Geordi from a slow witted crew of Pakleds who claim to need the chief engineer’s technical expertise, while the captain, who is at a medical research base receiving a heart transplant, is about to die in the hands of a surgeon not possessed of Dr. Pulaski’s skill.

Order the DVDswritten by Robert L. McCullough
directed by Les Landau
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Diana Muldaur (Dr. Pulaski), Christopher Collins (Grebnedlog), Leslie Morris (Reginod), Daniel Benzali (Chief Surgeon), Lycia Naff (Ensign Gomez), Tzi Ma (Biomolecular Physiologist)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Up The Long Ladder

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 42823.2: Signals arrive from two colonies in a distant star system, one of which is found by the Enterprise crew to be a motley collection of “primitives,” and the other, a group of clones whose gene pool is fading. The clones need fresh genes from the crew and are willing to use force to ensure their survive.

Order the DVDswritten by Melinda M. Snodgrass
directed by Winrich Kolbe
music by Ron Jones

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Diana Muldaur (Dr. Pulaski), Barrie Ingham (Danilo O’Dell), Jon de Vries (Wilson Granger / Victor Granger), Rosalyn Landor (Brenna O’Dell), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Manhunt

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 42859.2: The Enterprise crew welcomes some fishlike Antedian delegates to a peace summit and, on short notice, Troi’s bothersome mother. Mrs. Troi, now in a phase of increased sexual activity, has come to the Enterprise to “visit” Picard, which meets with disapproval from Counselor Troi and amusement from Riker – while the captain hides in the holodeck generated world of Dixon Hill once more.

Order the DVDswritten by Terry Devereaux (a.k.a. Tracy Tormè)
directed by Rob Bowman
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Diana Muldaur (Dr. Pulaski), Majel Barrett (Lwaxana Troi), Robert Costanzo (Slade Bender), Carel Struycken (Mr. Homn), Rod Arrants (Rex), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien), Robert O’Reilly (Client), Rhonda Aldrich (Madeline), Mick Fleetwood (Antedian Delegate), Wren T. Brown (Transport Pilot)

Notes: Tracy Torme used a pseudonym for this episode and The Royale, having since stated this his original scripts for both episodes were rewritten against his wishes.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Emissary

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 42901.3: The Enterprise becomes the temporary home of a priority-one emissary from the Federation who has been sent to deal with a dire emergency – a crew of 23rd century Klingons in suspended animation is about to be awakened by their ship’s “alarm clock” to wage war against the former enemies of the Klingons – the Federation.

Order the DVDstelevision story & teleplay by Richard Manning and Hans Beimler
based on an unpublished story by Thomas H. Calder
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Ron Jones

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Diana Muldaur (Dr. Pulaski), Suzie Plakson (K’Ehleyr), Lance Le Gault (Captain K’Temoc), Georgann Johnson (Admiral Gromek), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien), Anne Elizabeth Ramsey (Ensign Clancy), Dietrich Bader (Tactics Officer)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Peak Performance

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 42923.4: The Enterprise undertakes Federation-mandated wargames, as Zacdorn tactical observer Sima Kolrami observes and, more often, pesters the crew. Picard is pitted against Riker in a maneuver that is harmless until a Ferengi attack puts the crew of the Enterprise and the Hathaway, Riker’s vessel in a no-win situation – to which Riker has the key.

Order the DVDswritten by David Kemper
directed by Robert Scheerer
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Diana Muldaur (Dr. Pulaski), Roy Brocksmith (Sirna Kolrami), Armin Shimerman (DaiMon Bractor), David L. Lander (Ferengi First Officer), Leslie Neale (Ensign Nagel), Glenn Morshower (Ensign Burke)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Shades Of Gray

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 42976.1: While exploring a new planet with Geordi, Riker is stung by an alien thorn whose poison creeps up his spine toward his brain. Pulaski brings him back to the ship and tries to trigger emotional responses to destroy the poison by forcing the first officer to remember his past adventures.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Maurice Hurley, Richard Manning & Hans Beimler
story by Maurice Hurley
directed by Rob Bowman
music by Ron Jones

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Diana Muldaur (Dr. Pulaski), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Evolution

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 43125.8: While the crew of the Enterprise races against the clock to launch a space probe for a critical experiment, a culture of experimental microbe-machines accidentally released by Wesley threatens to render the Enterprise uninhabitable.

Season 3 Regular 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)

Order the DVDsteleplay by Michael Piller
story by Michael Piller and Michael Wagner
directed by Winrich Kolbe
music by Ron Jones

Guest Cast: Ken Jenkins (Dr. Paul Stubbs), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), Mary McCusker (Nurse), Randal Patrick (Crewman #1)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Best Of Both Worlds Part II

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 44001.4: The main deflector dish has no effect on the Borg because, having assimilated Picard and converted him into their spokesman, Locutus, the Borg know now every strategy and contingency that Picard had been informed of before his kidnapping. Riker is promoted to Captain by Admiral Hanson, who then leads a fleet of 40 starships to Wolf 359 to confront the Borg, but the fleet’s efforts are in vain – every starship is annihilated. Riker orders a cunning attack consisting of awkward strategies that Picard would never have carried out or expected, and an away team kidnaps Locutus and returns him to the Enterprise. Data then links up to Locutus to access the Borg communication network, and every approach he takes to disarm the Borg down fails until the Borg arrive at Earth to begin their domination of the Federation. Data triggers the Borg regeneration process, putting every Borg to “sleep,” but this also triggers the self-destruction of the Borg ship. Picard is freed from the Borg, Shelby returns to Starfleet to rebuild the fleet, and Riker remains on the Enterprise to continue serving as first officer. However, staring out the window of his ready room, Picard’s face indicates that all is not well…

Season 4 Regular 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 (Ensign Wesley Crusher)

Click here to watch a video previewOrder the DVDswritten by Michael Piller
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Ron Jones

Guest Cast: Elizabeth Dennehy (Lt. Commander Shelby), George Murdock (Admiral Hanson), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), Todd Merrill (Gleason)

Notes: Of course, it was not even thought of at the time of this episode’s production, but one of the very few survivors of the Borg attack at Wolf 359 later turns up in his own series: Commander Sisko of Deep Space Nine, the premiere episode of which features scenes of the battle between the Borg and the Federation that was mentioned in this episode.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Brothers

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 44085.7: While rushing a young boy to a Starbase medical facility after his older brother played a cruel practical joke on him, the Enterprise is suddenly diverted from her course and headed for an unknown, out-of-the-way planet. What no one realizes until it’s too late is that Data is responsible for this, having been taken over by a homing signal that leads him to his creator, Dr. Soong, who had been thought dead for many years. Data has been called home to be given an upgrade – emotions – but the unexpected arrival of his jealous android “brother” Lore at Soong’s hiding place puts Data’s upgrade and his creator in jeopardy…

Order the DVDswritten by Rick Berman
directed by Rob Bowman
music by Ron Jones

Guest Cast: Brent Spiner (Dr. Noonian Soong), Cory Danziger (Jake Potts), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Adam Ryen (Willie Potts), James Lashly (Ensign Kopf), Brent Spiner (Lore)

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

Darmok

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45047.2: The Enterprise and a Tamarian ship rendezvous at El-Adrel IV and Tamarian Captain Dathon opens communications. The Tamarians speak incomprehensibly, using English words laced with names from their culture. After the contact fails, Dathon and his first officer argue over Dathon’s statement, “Darmok and Jelad at Tenagra.” Dathon vanishes, and Picard is kidnapped via transporter. Both are beamed to the planet, where Dathon attempts to communicate again. Picard deciphers the language, finding that it is based on Tamarian folklore and metaphors. “Darmok and Jelad at Tenagra” refers to two heroes who traveled separately to a distant island, defeated a mighty beast, and left together. El-Adrel is home to such a creature, and Dathon hopes that the Tamarians and the Federation can begin a friendship by likewise defeating a common enemy. When the beast attacks, Picard is immobilized by an attempt to rescue him through interference projected from the Tamarian ship, while Dathon is mortally wounded. Picard can now negotiate in the Tamarian language – if he survives the creature’s next attack.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Joe Menosky
story by Philip Lazebnik and Joe Menosky
directed by Winrich Kolbe
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), Paul Winfield (Captain Dathon), Richard Allen (Tamarian First Officer), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Ashley Judd (Ensign Lefler), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green