"Star Trek: The Next Generation" Imaginary Friend (1992)

Director:

Gabrielle Beaumont

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator)
Edithe Swensen (teleplay) ...

TV Series:

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987)

Original Air Date:

2 May 1992 (Season 5, Episode 22)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

While investigating a nebula clustered around a star, the Enterprise encounters a sentient being who...

Plot Keywords:

Imaginary Friend | Captain | Ferengi | Andorian | Space

Cast

  (Episode Credited 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
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Guinan
Noley Thornton	...	Clara Sutter
Shay Astar	...	Isabella
Jeff Allin	...	Ensign Daniel Sutter
Brian Bonsall	...	Alexander Rozhenko
Patti Yasutake	...	Nurse Alyssa Ogawa
Sheila Franklin	...	Ensign

Company:

Paramount Television

Trivia:

Noley Thornton would appear two years later as Taya in the DS9 episode "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Shadowplay (#2.16)" (1994).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Clara Sutter: I like to cook all kinds of stuff. Like yoghurt and raisin salad, chocolate chip pancakes and... purple omelettes.
Counselor Deanna Troi: [disgusted] Purple omelettes?
Clara Sutter: You put grape juice in the eggs. Isabella doesn't like it very much. She says it tastes funny.
Counselor Deanna Troi: I can see her point.

Movie Connections:

References The Bad Seed (1956)

When we were children . . .

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

ST:TNG:122 - "Imaginary Friend" (Stardate: 45832.1) - this is the 22nd episode of the 5th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

This episode (another child-oriented episode) goes into reasons why a child would develop an imaginary friend (including moving around a lot).

While the Enterprise is exploring a rare nebula that formed around a neutron star, a being from that nebula enters the ship and takes the form of Isabella, an imaginary friend of a little girl named Clara.

Soon, Isabella takes Clara to explore parts of the ship, including those that are off-limits to children. What is Isabella's purpose with Clara and the Entperise in general? Find out in another great 5th season episode.

Trivia note: Patti Yasutake stars again as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa. She mentions Risa (the popular vacation spot for the Enterprise crew). We also see Brian Bonsall as Alexander Rozhenko, Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan, and Keiko O'Brien is mentioned. The arboretum is seen again too.

Geordi also mentions his Starfleet parents, how busy they are and on two different starships. And, Troi's love of chocolate is apparent here (hot chocolate, chocolate cake).