Takara_Soong 4 Posted May 27, 2005 Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation Season: 3 Episode #: 12 Production #: 160 Episode Name: The High Ground Original Air Date: 01.29.90 While on a mission to deliver medical supplies to a war torn planet, Beverly Crusher is kidnapped by a group of terrorists. Members of the terrorist group are dying from the effects of an interdimensional transporter and need a doctor to treat them. It soon becomes apparent that the leader of the group, Kyril Finn, is enamoured with Beverly but that doesn't stop him from planning an attack to destroy the Enterprise. Cast: Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard Jonathan Frakes as William Thomas Riker Brent Spiner as Data LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge Michael Dorn as Worf Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher Guest Cast: Kerrie Keane as Alexana Devos Richard Cox as Kyril Finn Marc Buckland as Waiter Fred G. Smith as Policeman Christopher Pettiet as Boy Director: Gabrielle Beaumont Written By: Melinda M. Snodgrass Related Items: Rutia IV inverter shuttlebus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HRH The KING 0 Posted May 30, 2005 (edited) Outstanding episode. Nice title too because it has a double meaning. "The High Ground" can refer to the "moral" high ground or a tactical stance in battle. This episode is in the same dark spirit of DS9 and it's obvious that by this point, Roddenberry's influence over TNG was virtually at an end, which allowed the wonderful Melinda Snodgrass to write a dark, complicated story with an open ending that allowed the viewer to make up their own minds. Roddenberry wouldn't have allowed most of the stories in this third season and certainly wouldn't have approved of a story about sympathetic terrorists/freedom fighters. Some people worship Roddenberry as a messiah figure. I certainly do not. All the roles in the episode were performed superbly, even Wesley Crusher. The Ansata leader was charismatic and charming and totally sympathetic. Very deep and well written and you could certainly understand his position. Gates McFadden was superb in this episode. Her feelings towards Finn again natural and logical and I loved the way he subtlely won her over and she started developing Stockholm Syndrome where hostages begin to sympathise with their captors. The woman who played the beleagured police and security leader was also outstanding in her role. When this episode was broadcast in the UK, we were still dealing with the IRA so it was always broadcast late and edited. The line about "Ireland being unified in 2025 through terrorism" was removed from British broadcasts due to the fact that under the circumstances the line would be incredibley offensive to British audiences, myself included. Still, I love controversial stories and subject matters. I love dark complicated and morally ambiguous Star Trek episodes. Gold Standard Episode. Rating = 5 Edited May 30, 2005 by The King Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
youbroughtheryouRiker 2 Posted December 14, 2007 Very good episode. I give it a 4. I think the Ansata's leader tried just a little too hard to walk that line between loathsome and likable. The dimensional jumping byproduct of the episode fascinated me the most, and Picard's abduction added a twist. But the whole episode still seemed just a little wooden, as enjoyable as it was. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites