{"id":6195,"date":"2015-09-21T05:01:35","date_gmt":"2015-09-21T05:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/44-Suddenly-Human"},"modified":"2015-09-21T05:01:35","modified_gmt":"2015-09-21T05:01:35","slug":"44-suddenly-human","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relivethemajesty.com\/index.php\/2015\/09\/21\/44-suddenly-human\/","title":{"rendered":"4.4 — \u201cSuddenly Human\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n

4.4 — \u201cSuddenly Human\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plot:<\/strong> Responding to a distress call from a Talarian vessel, the Enterprise<\/em> rescues a human teenager who has been raised by Talarians ever since being taken prisoner as a youth following the destruction of his colony and the murder of his parents. The boy thinks he is Talarian, and wants to return to their society. Should Picard let him go, or return him to Starfleet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thoughts:<\/strong> A run of good episodes at the start of Season Four continues here. There are a few points, however, which make this entry a step below the top tier for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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First, there is some fudging around the circumstances of Jono\/Jeremiah\u2019s abduction (or rescue?) from the destroyed colony. Was the “Galen Border Conflict” based on some kind of legitimate territorial dispute, or was this just a basic pillaging\/war crime situation? Sometimes the script seems to want to portray Jono as a foundling rescued from a battlefield, and other times as a murder\/kidnap victim. There’s a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Is Endar running a criminal piracy operation, or providing a supportive home for wayward youth?\u00a0Are Jono\u2019s feelings of loyalty the product of brainwashing and systematic abuse, or is\u00a0Endar a good, loving father, who the crew is quick to misunderstand based on cultural prejudice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If this were the story of a child raised in a terrorist cell, or kidnapped by the Manson cult or something, and the child was being used to perpetrate more violence, I think most people would agree the authorities should not send him back. If this is more of an innocent Tarzan story, it makes more sense for Jono to return.\u00a0I feel like the episode wants to move so quickly to a pat ending that it fails to make hard story choices, and thereby lets the characters out of making hard choices as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I tend to agree with Picard\u2019s resolution, but even better would be to provide for Jono to have continuing relations with Starfleet and his family after returning to the Talarians, so he can keep a foot in both worlds. He may be old enough to make his own decision, but he\u2019s still awfully young to be making an irrevocable one. There is an opportunity for him to build a bridge between the two cultures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Another issue is pointed out by Michael Pillar, quoted on Memory Alpha (http:\/\/en.memory-alpha.wikia.com\/wiki\/Suddenly_Human<\/a>): \u00a0“I think that episode was marvelously written by Jeri Taylor and it was strong enough to hire her on staff. I was disappointed by the show primarily because the aliens weren’t alien enough. I felt there was some miscommunication on some level. The whole idea of that show was missed because these savage, different alien type creatures turned out to be very human.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I initially thought the Talarians were supposed to be Telerites (from \u201cJourney to Babel\u201d), and was confused about what happened to their pig noses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On another note, I guess it\u2019s easy to forgive someone for stabbing you in the chest when he doesn\u2019t end up doing any harm? Seems like it would have been just as easy for Picard to die instantly, which would have been a whole different kettle of fish.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Still, this is an interesting story, with good pacing and drama. 3 of 5 Talarian hammocks.<\/p>\n\n\n

http:\/\/en.memory-alpha.wikia.com\/wiki\/Suddenly_Human<\/a>