"Star Trek: The Next Generation" Dark Page (1993)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Les Landau

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator)
Hilary Bader (writer)

TV Series:

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987)

Original Air Date:

30 October 1993 (Season 7, Episode 7)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

While establishing diplomatic relations with an alien race called the Cairn, Deanna's mother experiences a mental breakdown and falls into a coma...

Plot Keywords:

Nightmare | Medical Examination | Captain | Warp Speed | Commanding Officer

Cast

Patrick Stewart	...	Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Commander William T. Riker
LeVar Burton	...	Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn	...	Lieutenant Worf
Gates McFadden	...	Doctor Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Commander Data
Majel Barrett	...	Lwaxana Troi
Norman Large	...	Maques
Kirsten Dunst	...	Hedril
Amick Byram	...	Cmdr. Ian Andrew Troi
Andreana Weiner	...	Kestra Troi

Trivia:

René Echevarria, who gave an uncredited polish to the script regretted having to tone down Maques' comical attempts at language.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Deanna is being chased by the wolf, she flees into a room whose automatic doors shut behind her. When the wolf jumps up against the "solid metal" doors, they flex inwards.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Captain's log, stardate 47254.1 - A delegation of the Cairn have just come on board. This telepathic species has no concept of spoken language and is being instructed in its use by... an old friend.

A page from Lwaxana's past.

ST:TNG:159 - "Dark Page" (Stardate: 47254.1) - this is the 7th episode of the 7th and last season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

This episode deals Lwaxana Troi coming onboard the Enterprise to act as interpretor to a new telepathic species, the Cairn, who has no concept of a spoken language. However, one of the delegate's little girl, Hedril (played by a very young Kirsten Dunst) makes Lwaxana very sad. Soon, she falls unconscious, having retreated into her mind. Troi tries to go into her mother's mind to find out what's happening - it has to do with her past and it all has everything to do with Hedril.

Definitely the saddest of the Lwaxana episodes, where she is usually very comedic, but it's nice to see this side of Lwaxana.

Trivia note: Worf mentions he does not like telepaths. We see the arboretum again too. We see Troi's father too. Data also refers to his dream analysis (from "Birthright" and "Phantasms"). Mr. Homn is also mentioned (though doesn't appear in this episode).