"Star Trek: The Next Generation" Unnatural Selection (1989)

Director:

Paul Lynch

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator)
John Mason (writer) ...

TV Series:

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987)

Original Air Date:

28 January 1989 (Season 2, Episode 7)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The Enterprise responds to a distress call from the USS Lantree, and find her crew dead, apparently from old age...

Plot Keywords:

Captain | Ferengi | Andorian | Space | Klingon

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
Patricia Smith	...	Dr. Sara Kingsley
Colm Meaney	...	Chief Miles O'Brien
J. Patrick McNamara	...	Capt. Taggert
Scott Trost	...	Ensign

Company:

Paramount Television

Trivia:

The title is a parody of the term "natural selection" which is the process by which favorable inheritable traits become more common in successive generations and was first defined by Charles Darwin in his book "On the Origin of Species" (1859).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Enterprise intercepts the USS Lantree, they remote access the ship's functions. But they do not remote pilot the shuttlecraft.

Quotes:

Lt. Commander Data: What is your condition, Doctor?
Doctor Pulaski: Not exactly up to factory specs.

Losing a battle with time . . .

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

ST:TNG:33 - "Unnatural Selection" (Stardate: 42494.8) - this is the 7th episode aired in the second season of The Next Generation. I want to say right off the bat, I really like this episode a lot because it deals with the subject at the very heart of Star Trek - that of the unknown. The episode deals with excelled aging. This episode also shows how stubborn and adamant Dr. Pulaski can be (just like a good ol' Southern Doctor we know very well and as Counselor Troi points out like a familiar captain of the Enterprise-D!). We also get more background on Pulaski - transporter chief O'Brien (who is given more of a role in this episode) she has NEVER used the Enterprise transporter before (just like the aforementioned Southern Doctor). This episode also shows the first real launch from the shuttlebay via the shuttlecraft's perspective. And look out for the great aging makeup effects.