"Star Trek: The Next Generation" The Child (1988)

Director:

Rob Bowman

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator)
Jaron Summers (writer) ...
(more)

TV Series:

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987)

Original Air Date:

19 November 1988 (Season 2, Episode 1)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Deanna is impregnated by a unknown alien life-form, and Dr. Katherine Pulaski joins the Enterprise as the ship's new Chief Medical Officer.

Plot Keywords:

24th Century | Captain | Starbase | Investigation | Alien Species

Cast

Patrick Stewart	...	Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Commander William T. Riker
LeVar Burton	...	Lieutenant Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn	...	Lieutenant Worf
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Commander Data
Wil Wheaton	...	Wesley Crusher
Diana Muldaur	...	Doctor Pulaski
Seymour Cassel	...	Lt. Cmdr. Hester Dealt
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Guinan
R.J. Williams	...	Ian Andrew Troi
Colm Meaney	...	Chief Miles O'Brien
Dawn Arnemann	...	Miss Gladstone
Zachary Benjamin	...	Young Ian Andrew Troi
Dore Keller	...	Crewman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Majel Barrett	...	Enterprise Computer (voice) (uncredited)
Michael Braveheart	...	Crewman Martinez (uncredited)
Lorine Mendell	...	Crewman Diana Giddings (uncredited)

Directed by
Rob Bowman

Writing credits
Gene Roddenberry		(creator)
Jaron Summers		(writer) &
Jon Povill		(writer) and
Maurice Hurley		(writer)

Produced by
Burton Armus	....	producer
Rick Berman	....	co-executive producer
Mike Gray	....	producer
Maurice Hurley	....	co-executive producer
Peter Lauritson	....	associate producer
David Livingston	....	line producer
John Mason	....	producer
Gene Roddenberry	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dennis McCarthy

Cinematography by
Edward R. Brown		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Tom Benko

Casting by
Junie Lowry-Johnson

Production Design by
Richard D. James

Set Decoration by
Jim Mees

Costume Design by
William Ware Theiss		(original costumes)
Durinda Wood		(as Durinda Rice Wood)

Makeup Department
Sue Forrest Chambers	....	makeup artist
Carolyn Ferguson	....	hair stylist
Gerald Quist	....	makeup artist
Richard Sabre	....	hair designer
Michael Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Sam Freedle	....	unit production manager
Wendy Neuss	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Les Landau	....	first assistant director
Robert J. Metoyer	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Joe Longo	....	property master
Richard McKenzie	....	set designer
Michael Okuda	....	scenic artist
Al Smutko	....	construction coordinator
Rick Sternbach	....	senior illustrator
Herman F. Zimmerman	....	original set designer (as Herman Zimmerman)

Sound Department
Alan Bernard	....	sound mixer
Wilson Dyer	....	sound editor
Alfred T. Ferrante	....	adr/foley mixer
Mace Matiosian	....	sound editor
Bill Wistrom	....	supervising sound editor
James Wolvington	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Dick Brownfield	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Robert Legato	....	visual effects supervisor
Gregory Jein	....	model maker (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Cronn	....	chief lighting technician
Brian Mills	....	first company grip
Lowell Peterson	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Elisa Goodman	....	casting associate
Helen Mossler	....	casting executive

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cha Blevins	....	key costumer
Janet Stout	....	costume supervisor

Music Department
Alexander Courage	....	composer: main title theme
Jerry Goldsmith	....	composer: main title theme
Gerry Sackman	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Alan Kaminsky	....	driver generator operator

Other crew
Cosmo Genovese	....	script supervisor
Diane Overdiek	....	production coordinator
Susan Sackett	....	production associate
Tracy Tormé	....	creative consultant
Eric A. Stillwell	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gene Roddenberry		creator

Makeup Department
Allan A. Apone	....	makeup artist
R. Christopher Biggs	....	special makeup effects artist
Dean Jones	....	makeup artist
Michael R. Jones	....	makeup artist
Nina Kent	....	makeup artist
Michael Key	....	makeup artist
Mike Smithson	....	makeup artist
Rick Stratton	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ron Dempsey	....	dga trainee
Bruce Sears	....	dga trainee
Richard 'Dub' Wright	....	assistant director

Art Department
Lloyd A. Buswell	....	construction foreman (seasons 1-7)
Sharon Davis	....	graphics assistant
Dragon Dronet	....	weapons, specialty props and miniatures
Jim Dultz	....	assistant art director
Gregory A. Weimerskirch	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Marty Church	....	foley mixer

Special Effects by
Edward J. Franklin	....	special effects
John Palmer	....	special effects coordinator
Robert Cole	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Les Bernstien	....	motion control
C.W. Fallin	....	motion control operator
Simon Holden	....	digital compositor
Bruce Jones	....	visual effects producer
Gray Marshall	....	motion control operator
Karl J. Martin	....	digital artist
Chris B. Schnitzer	....	motion control technician (seasons 6 and 7)
Steven J. Scott	....	digital compositor
Ken Stranahan	....	visual effects
Greg Stuhl	....	miniatures: Greg Jein, Inc.
Peter Webb	....	digital compositor
Peter W. Moyer	....	visual effects compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Rick Avery	....	stunts
LaFaye Baker	....	stunts
Chuck Borden	....	stunts
Ericka Bryce	....	stunts
John Cade	....	stunts
Anthony Cecere	....	stunts
Erik Cord	....	stunts
Alex Daniels	....	stunt creatures
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts
Terry James	....	stunts
Maria R. Kelly	....	stunts
Steve Kelso	....	stunts
Dan Koko	....	stunt double: Jonathan Frakes (1987-1991)
Lane Leavitt	....	stunts
Scott Leva	....	stunts
Tom Morga	....	stunts
John Nowak	....	stunt double
Rex Pierson	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunts
Michael J. Sarna	....	stunts
Gary J. Wayton	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Block	....	director of photography: second unit
Brian S. Cooper	....	electrician
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician
Frederick Iannone	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera

Editorial Department
Alan Chudnow	....	assistant editor
Tim Tommasino	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Scott Cochran	....	scoring mixer: advertising music
John Debney	....	conductor

Other crew
Gregory Benford	....	scientific consultant
Hala Gabriel	....	production accountant
Dolores Hundley-Arce	....	assistant accountant
Suzie Shimizu	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Paramount Television

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1987) (USA) (TV)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Company:

Paramount Television

Trivia:

This season introduces a number of changes to existing sets and new ones that make up the Enterprise. Ten Forward is seen for the first time (although in the series finale, it is indicated it existed during the first season), the set used for cargo bays is often used as one of the shuttle bays, Sickbay gets a few tweaks such as overhead lighting along the wall where the biobeds rest, and the port-side hallway that leads to the observation lounge loses its standard ship corridor wall dressings. Also several elements on the bridge have been redesigned.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When one of the plasma specimen begins to grow, there is a great deal of hand-wringing about what to do. Riker does suggest to jettison the module, but Hester Dealt explains that it would remain harmful and endanger any ship or planet it comes into contact with.

Quotes:

Commander William T. Riker:I don't mean to be indelicate,
[turns to Troi]
Commander William T. Riker:but who's the father?
Counselor Deanna Troi:Last night, *while I slept*, something, that I can only describe as a presence, entered my body.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard:A life form of unknown origin and intent, is *breeding*, right now, inside of Counselor Troi. Our purpose here today is determine what course of action we need to take.
Lieutenant Worf:The decision is clear. The pregnancy must be terminated to protect the ship.
Commander William T. Riker:[as the bridge crew is discussing the issue, Troi hears a heartbeat within her mind, and looks down at her stomach, then back up to the conference room screen which shows a gestating fetus. The crew's voices are muffled, but can still be clearly heard as Troi is focusing on the baby growing inside her] This situation presents a danger to us and the counselor. It's an invasion, of what, I don't know.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Offspring (#3.16)" (1990)

The adventure continues . . .

ST:TNG:27 - "The Child" (Stardate: 42073.1) - this is the 1st episode of the 2nd season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This episode marks the first of many firsts.

1. Dr. Beverly Crusher has gone off to head Starfleet Medical and won't come back until season 3 (trivia: this is a position she will later hold after Star Trek: Nemesis).

2. In her place is Dr. Kate Pulaski (played by Diana Muldaur - who is a Star Trek veteran, having starred as Lt.Cmdr.Ann Mulhall/Thalassa and Dr. Miranda Jones - 2 separate characters in 2 separate episodes of the Original Series). She is very much like Dr. McCoy in her disdain for technology - this is made apparent with her initial disregard for Data.

3. Geordi La Forge is now chief engineer (after the rotating chief engineers of the 1st season) and now has a yellow uniform instead of red.

4. Worf is now also upgraded to chief of security, filling the spot that Tasha Yar had until she died. Worf also has a yellow uniform in place of red now, AND better makeup effects for his face than in the first season.

5. Commander Riker now has a beard - he won't be clean-shaven again until Star Trek: Insurrection - a good 10 years from now!

6. Whoopi Goldberg makes her first of many appearances as the bartender Guinan - she is a mysterious figure supposedly a friend of Picard's - this mystery will slowly unravel itself as the seasons progress.

7. In the same vain, Ten Forward, the bar that Guinan runs is shown for the first time. Ten Forward will be seen in many of the episodes.

8. Troi gets the hairstyle we're accustomed to from this episode on - "Old Bunhead" as she was known in season 1 is no more.

9. Troi names her "child" Ian Andrew, after her father.

10. Colm Meany returns, this time in charge of the transporters - he wasn't seen since the pilot episode "Encounter At Farpoint".

11. You can see many new Enterprise shots, including seeing the Enterprise physically go into warp from the point of view of inside the ship (in this case in Ten Forward).

Indeed, the second season slowly but surely feels more like the series we will come to know as it becomes more comfortable being a series of its own, and not one that relies on Star Trek's past.