5.3 — “Ensign Ro”
Plot: A terrorist attack against a colony on Solarion IV leaves Picard saddled with unpleasant orders and an unwanted new crewman–Ensign Ro Laren, the first Bajoran to appear in Star Trek. The Enterprise is instructed to find the Bajoran terrorist responsible for the attack and bring him to a Starfleet resettlement camp. But what if things are not as they appear?
Thoughts: Ensign Ro! I expected a less eventful episode. I didn’t realize that Ro was intended to be the start of Rick Berman and Michael Piller’s revolution against the ailing Gene Roddenberry’s strictures that everyone in the future is well-adjusted and gets along with each other.
Berman is quoted on Memory Alpha: “The other characters in the cast are relatively homogeneous; some might even say bland. So we wanted a character with the strength and dignity of a Starfleet officer, but with a troubled past, an edge.” That’s funny–TNG was supposed to have an edgy character with a troubled past, but somehow they initially (mis)cast Denise Crosby, instead of Michelle Forbes.
Ro’s presence, especially in the early scenes, brings such a different dynamic to the show that I almost find it jarring. She wins me over, however. Will Ro’s saga be the new ongoing story thread to replace the Klingon Civil War? Much as I enjoy the Klingons, there were parts of that storyline that never made sense. With this tale, TNG has leveled up again.
Hooray, the barber is back! I find it interesting that the cast actually includes a professional counselor, but no one on the ship would dream of going to anyone but Guinan with their problems.
The part of Ensign Ro was written for Michelle Forbes after she wowed everyone in episode 4.22, “Half a Life,” as Timicin’s unforgiving daughter. Director Les Landau helmed both episodes.
4.5 of 5 replicated blankets.
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