A l t e r E g o 9 Posted May 27, 2005 Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation Season: 2 Episode #: 1 Production #: 127 Episode Name: The Child Original Air Date: 11.21.88 A plasma plague races out of control on a densely populated World and the Enterprise is dispatched on a medicinal emergency mission to deliver samples of the dangerous Plague to a Research Station so an antidote can be developed. In route to the Station a mysterious Unknown in the form of a glowing blue light comes stealthily aboard Ship and impregnates Counselor Troi as she sleeps. Troi, aware of what's happened reports to the new Ships Doctor Katherine Pulaski who, after doing an examination announces the Baby will be full term in only 36 hours! After the Childs birth it continues to grow at an accelerated rate reaching the age of 8 years in only one day, Troi names the baby Ian Andrew Troi after her Father. It's a very curious and loving Child and appeared to be perfectly harmless but Picard puts the Ship on Security Alert anyway. Meanwhile Wesley considers his future and whether it will be aboard the Enterprise or back at Starfleet Headquarters with his Mother, (who has taken the position of head of Starfleet Medical since last season) with encouragement from Guinan he decides to stay where he is. Then danger threatens everyone as an unknown form of radiation begins causing the Plague samples to grow threatening to break out of its containment and kill everyone if the source of the radiation is not found and stopped. You guessed it; it's coming from the child Ian. Not wanting to be the cause of every ones death aboard ship Ian tells his mother and a small group of senior officers that he has to "go". Troi is heartbroken but understands the logic and lets him go. Ian whispers something comforting in her ear then returns to the same form of energy as when he came aboard and exits through the window back out into space. With his departure the disease stops growing and all is well again, the ship and crew continue onward with their mission... Ok lets face it; this was a "date movie" episode but I don't mind saying I liked it. I gave this one a four for the way it kept the true motives and intentions of the Alien under wraps for most of the episode. It did a good job of first leading me to believe it was sinister in nature then did much pulling of the heart strings after its peaceful nature was disclosed. 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 Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan Diana Muldaur as Katherine Pulaski Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher Guest Cast: Seymour Cassel as Hester Dealt Director: Robert Bowman Written By: Jaron Summers & Jon Povill and Maurice Hurley Related items: plasma plague Strain No. 9 audet IX Oby VI Rachelis System subspace field inverter Ameb Arneb Repulse, U.S.S. Shuttlecraft 10, Repulse Delovian souffle Mareuvian tea Prometheus nectar Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HRH The KING 0 Posted May 29, 2005 Hated this episode. Those episodes based on Counselor Troi are always poor IMO. This one was no different. Her "grief" at losing this alien child was totally unbelievable. One may wonder why she didn't feel violated by this alien force which impregnated her without her permission. An incredibly dumb episode. Rating = 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MANVERU 0 Posted September 6, 2005 Didnt like it. the topic of the episode was boring at best, and the only thing amusing was seeing Riker get into a hissy fit over someone getting "inside" his "girl" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
youbroughtheryouRiker 2 Posted December 1, 2007 2. The grief seemed fake, and it just seemed like they were trying too hard to jam to plot lines together, making them hang together by the thinnest of threads. Didn't work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GhostofMajorHayes 10 Posted December 16, 2007 A sad ep. Hated it for that reason. Gave it a 1. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaptainsBeauty 0 Posted December 21, 2007 (edited) I enjoyed this ep despite the other comments made here. Regardless of Troi being violated, Ian was still her child and she carried him and was entitled to love her baby. I thought the episode was good and touching. Only a mother that loses a child can imagine what Troi went through. I give the ep. a 4. Edited December 21, 2007 by CaptainsBeauty Share this post Link to post Share on other sites