We get a nice diversion into horror/thriller territory with this episode. Trek's secret sauce is it's versatility in what type of stories it can tell.
For season one this is a good episode but I wouldn't call it a great one. I can't help but be a bit of a backseat driver and ponder why they would not have had one of the bridge crew become a host for this alien creature? That is fertile ground for drama.
This episode is successful in creating a uneasy feeling throughout the narrative dump portion early on. This is the first time we see Starfleet itself becoming compromised and it was scary when I was 9 years old in 1989.
Picard has a great line in this one, "Friendship must dare to risk otherwise it is not friendship..." and Worf's protest of shore leave with "Swimming is too much like bathing..."
It's clear the alien creature was meant to continuing in later seasons but clearly got side lined for the Borg. I think they made the right call. With re-working this alien parasite creature could be an interesting ---- perhaps it has all the memories and is more adept at maintaining it's hosts identity? I cannot see this creature holding my interest like the borg based on what we have to work with here.
High marks for Riker for using his brain and infiltrating the dinner and Beverly Crusher for being smart enough to carry a phaser after a SOS message from Riker.
This is one of those episodes that loses it's impact power once you have watched it and know the mystery of the episode and that makes this an average episode for me.
For season one this is a good episode but I wouldn't call it a great one. I can't help but be a bit of a backseat driver and ponder why they would not have had one of the bridge crew become a host for this alien creature? That is fertile ground for drama.
This episode is successful in creating a uneasy feeling throughout the narrative dump portion early on. This is the first time we see Starfleet itself becoming compromised and it was scary when I was 9 years old in 1989.
Picard has a great line in this one, "Friendship must dare to risk otherwise it is not friendship..." and Worf's protest of shore leave with "Swimming is too much like bathing..."
It's clear the alien creature was meant to continuing in later seasons but clearly got side lined for the Borg. I think they made the right call. With re-working this alien parasite creature could be an interesting ---- perhaps it has all the memories and is more adept at maintaining it's hosts identity? I cannot see this creature holding my interest like the borg based on what we have to work with here.
High marks for Riker for using his brain and infiltrating the dinner and Beverly Crusher for being smart enough to carry a phaser after a SOS message from Riker.
This is one of those episodes that loses it's impact power once you have watched it and know the mystery of the episode and that makes this an average episode for me.