2.1 — “The Child”
Plot: It is a time of transition aboard the Enterprise. While new Chief Engineer La Forge prepares a containment unit to transport plague samples, Counselor Troi is impregnated without consent by an alien of mysterious origin and unknown intent.
Thoughts: Here we are back again! The ship has a new doctor, lounge, and bartender. Riker has a beard. Troi and Wesley have new clothes. Worf and Geordi are wearing new colors, and have new jobs. They did a good job with the special effects on this episode.
I don’t know what to think about the plot of this one. If you watched the Phase II fan series with us, the story seems very familiar. That’s because both shows were adapted from a script prepared for the television series Star Trek Phase II, which was intended to continue the stories of Kirk, Spock, and the rest, before being scrapped in favor of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Producer Maurice Hurley rewrote the script so they would have something to shoot quickly at the end of the Big Writer’s Strike. The fan film was shot using the original script. The pregnant crewmember was supposed to be the Deltan Ilia, whose character was loosely used as a template for Troi. The idea of an an entity made of energy entering the ship from deep space was also used in TNG 1.7 — “Lonely Among Us.”
So, there’s an effectively creepy premise, which automatically creates high stakes for Troi. Yet it is treated very nonchalantly. It’s like they wanted to press all drama out and prove you could make a revolutionary story like that dull. I could not help thinking what severe trauma the writers are putting Troi through, first with the pregnancy, then with the loss, and for what? There are no scenes that get inside Troi’s head and confront what’s happening to her. It seems she has no personal misgivings or apprehensions, or if she does, no attention is paid to them. Somehow this episode, of all episodes, is still all about the men.
In the briefing room scene, they talk about abortion and linger over footage of a fetus, which comes off as bold, given the political climate. The words rape and violation, however, are never mentioned. The child, who seems to be his own father, apologizes for leaving Troi in that brief scene, but never for imposing on her without consent. Why should he? He made it so pleasant for her. What does she have to complain about?
I found the scenes referencing Beverly Crusher to be jarring. The facts are that Gates McFadden got fired, and Maurice Hurley didn’t have the decency to even bring her back for a guest spot to say goodbye to the fans or to her son. Yet the actors have to play several jolly scenes where they talk about her like a dear friend who is so happy with her promotion. I feel bad for her, even as I think “No way is that character qualified to be the lead medical officer of Starfleet.”
Pulaski, so far, is fairly abrasive. It will take a while longer for me to decide whether I like her. The actor Diana Muldaur was a featured guest star in two episodes of TOS, 2.20 “Return to Tomorrow,” and 3.5 “Is There In Truth No Beauty?”
There are puppies! So, not all bad. Mirina Sirtis proves again that she can act, although I hear she’s not crazy about this episode. She must have had questions when she read the script.
Borrowing the rating system from TheViewscreen.com: warp two out of six.
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