I thought that this episode was excellent for 2 reasons: 1) the acting was utterly convincing; 2) it took on an important and controversial subject without preaching and without being totally one-sided. While the United States is a long way from being one of the most ageist societies on Earth, there are tensions between the generations. While few people, other than the late former Colorado governor Dick Lamm, who claimed that older people have a "duty to die", have advocated the elderly, or at least the disabled elderly, commit suicide, there are those among the younger generations who feel that older employees should leave the workforce - commit career suicide - to make room for younger people (I myself was a victim of this, being "quiet fired" from a contract position with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by managers who wanted to get rid of the 60-somethings)
Some have complained about the ending. But I did not take the ending as an advocation of ritual suicide by the elderly. And I do feel that the episode would have had less impact had it ended with Timicin deciding to maintain refugee status aboard the Enterprise - it would have just been another Captain Picard saves the day episode rather than one that made viewers a little uncomfortable.
Some have complained about the ending. But I did not take the ending as an advocation of ritual suicide by the elderly. And I do feel that the episode would have had less impact had it ended with Timicin deciding to maintain refugee status aboard the Enterprise - it would have just been another Captain Picard saves the day episode rather than one that made viewers a little uncomfortable.