"Suddenly Human" is the third episode in a row that has the focal point of family. Here we have a fairly interesting topic that I don't think is executed well at all. A human boy was taken during a war by an alien race. This alien race has embraced him as one of their own and assimilated him so fully into the culture that he no longer identifies as an earthling. Only his repressed memories of his parents show any inkling of his remembrance of this former life. So is it right for the Enterprise to take him back to his people, even if he doesn't wish it?
I think where this episode misses is in tackling the issue of how young Jono comes to be Talerian in the first place. He's basically the spoils of war and Endar claims him as a tit-for-tat son since his own biological one was killed in a skirmish with some humans. The crew takes this line of reasoning as "well that's their culture" and shrugs. I'm all for accepting other cultures, but this one involves the kidnapping of young infants. Is the Federation just going to let this slide? This is never addressed.
Obviously the final decision should be up to Jono and he chooses to stay where he is comfortable, with the Talerians. This makes sense. Regardless of how he got to where he is, this is his home now. Picard was kind of silly to assume he'd just want to reassimilate into human culture because he's got a grandma he's never met. The culture clash is too great, especially for a rebellious teen like Jono.
I think where this episode misses is in tackling the issue of how young Jono comes to be Talerian in the first place. He's basically the spoils of war and Endar claims him as a tit-for-tat son since his own biological one was killed in a skirmish with some humans. The crew takes this line of reasoning as "well that's their culture" and shrugs. I'm all for accepting other cultures, but this one involves the kidnapping of young infants. Is the Federation just going to let this slide? This is never addressed.
Obviously the final decision should be up to Jono and he chooses to stay where he is comfortable, with the Talerians. This makes sense. Regardless of how he got to where he is, this is his home now. Picard was kind of silly to assume he'd just want to reassimilate into human culture because he's got a grandma he's never met. The culture clash is too great, especially for a rebellious teen like Jono.