Deanna Troi’s mother makes her first appearance aboard the Enterprise to remind her daughter of a long forgotten arraigned marriage. It turns out the ship’s councilor was promised to a not too bad looking human doctor named Wyatt. Troi is less keen, and feels conflicted about her feelings for Riker. Meanwhile, Wyatt and his family … More Mindful Healing, TNG: S1E11 “Haven”
The cautionary tales of artificial intelligence (AI) are fraught with terrifying scenarios. What if AI becomes too intelligent? Too powerful? Too adaptable? Few AI doom stories explore what Kirk and Spock encounter on this adventure: what if AI gets bored? The focus on excessive intelligence in the AI of previous stories has often been on … More Self-lost, TAS: S1E9 “Once Upon a Planet”
An icy moon illuminates the autumnal forest. The chorus of cackling young women join the woodland’s night symphony, magic in their hands and evil in their hearts. With murderous intent, they invoke the devil to carry out their evil plots, knowing they will hang in the gallows if discovered. Thus goes a typical accusation, or … More Magically Suspicious, TAS: S1E8 “The Magicks of Megas-tu”
Plants rarely make an appearance in Sci-Fi shows, and even less so as walking, talking intelligent lifeforms. With the Animated Series’s increased ability to explore new alien designs, Kirk and crew were able to meet a civilization of four-legged plant beings. Hoping to colonize the planet Phylos for the Federation, the Enterprise crew stumble upon … More Planting Peace, TAS: S1E7 “The Infinite Vulcan”
The Catholic historian Lord Acton once said that all power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. However, Abraham Lincoln posited that you must give someone power to truly test their character. Is it really true that power is a poison guaranteed to corrupt all people equally, or do corrupted people tend to seek out power … More Power Slide, TNG: S1E10 “Hide and Q”
Revenge is often seen as the most understandable or forgivable motivation to do harm, but when does it go too far? Should it stop at harmless pranks, or escalate to warping someone’s reality? An illegal Ferengi technology allows one to control another person’s perception of events. Captain Picard becomes the unknowing victim of this mind … More Best Served for Profit, TNG: S1E9 “The Battle”
A seemingly idyllic society welcomes everyone with perfect hospitality, that is, unless you step on a flower. Wesley Crusher finds out the hard way that some cultures go to great lengths to keep order. Hoping to establish a nearby colony, the Enterprise visits the planet Rubicun III, where the Edo live in bliss and innocence … More Keep off the Grass, TNG: S1E8 “Justice”
The Enterprise is assigned to ferry two quarreling sets of delegates to a mutual location. Already a difficult task for the diplomacy ship, Picard and crew must cater to their unruly guests while also tracking down a strange energy entity possessing the minds of crew members. The invasive lightening bolt originated from a passing energy … More Bolt of Enlightenment, TNG: S1E7 “Lonely Among Us”
Many are familiar with Jehovah’s Witnesses and other brands of zealous door to door evangelism. Aside from their recruitment practices, Jehovah’s Witnesses are most well known for their refusal to accept blood transfusions. Their beliefs interpret that ‘life’, or the soul, is in the blood. Modern blood transfusions have saved numerous lives, but are they … More Lifeblood, TAS: S1E6 “The Survivor”
Kirk crew are once again inundated with tribbles in this sequel to the classic Original Series episode “Trouble with Tribbles”. On their way to deliver a new seed grain, quintotriticale, to the starving population on Sherman’s Planet, the last thing the Enterprise needs is more tribbles. However, the prolific fuzzy space pet once again resurfaced … More Additional Division, TAS: S1E5 “More Tribbles, More Tribbles”
Hopeless Trekkie 