In what is considered one of the most sexist episodes of The Next Generation, the Enterprise crew looks for survivors of a freighter crash on the planet Angel One. On this non-Federation planet, only women were hunter, leading to their current positions of power, supposedly because they are larger and physically stronger than the men. … More Divided We Fall, TNG: S1E14 “Angel One”
Somewhere out of the tangled knot that is nature vs. nurture, siblings sharing the same environment and similar genetics can often be polar opposites. One theory suggests that because children within the same family are competing for similar resources and parental attention, they diversify in order to occupy a unique niche. Brothers playing … More Corrupted Data, TNG: S1E13 “Datalore”
From the first adventure narrated around a fire to the very latest high tech video game, humans are storytelling creatures. The lasting power of fiction resonates within us all. Stories communicate information in a way that leaves an impact on the listener, as we see ourselves in the protagonist’s struggles and learn from their choices … More Choose Your Own Misadventure, TNG: S1E12 “The Big Goodbye”
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 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”
A strange new guest, calling himself the ‘Traveler’, arrives on the Enterprise, along with a propulsion expert named Mr. Kosinski. Both were brought aboard to help improve warp engine efficiency. Kosinski has an inflated ego, and Riker is suspicious of him from the start. The first officer claims that Kosinski was only so successful on … More Unreal Machine, TNG: S1E6 “Where No One Has Gone Before”
The Federation makes first contact with the Ferengi in this little side adventure. Although they grow into a slightly more complex and nuanced race in later seasons, the first appearance of these big-eared aliens portrays them as completely snivelly and back-stabby. One reason for this is because as the Next Generation sought to differentiate itself … More Trade and Value, TNG: S1E5 “The Last Outpost”
