Descent: Part II 

Before Lore can run risky experiments on Geordi, Troi and Picard, the three seek a way to re-boot Data's ethical program that Lore switched off to pull Data to his side.

Director:

Alexander Singer

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (created by), René Echevarria

Stars:

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Patrick Stewart	...	Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Cmdr. William Riker
LeVar Burton	...	Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn	...	Lieutenant Worf
Gates McFadden	...	Dr. Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Commander Data / Lore
Jonathan Del Arco	...	Hugh
Alex Datcher	...	Ensign Zandra Taitt
James Horan	...	Lieutenant Barnaby
Brian Cousins	...	Crosis
Benito Martinez	...	Salazar
Michael Reilly Burke	...	Goval

Storyline

Picard, Geordi and Troi try to find a way to escape their cell after being imprisoned by Lore, whilst attempting to convince Data to do what is right as opposed to what his negative emotions (which Lore is feeding him) are compelling him to do. Meanwhile, Riker and Worf attempt to lead a rebellion against the self-aware Borg with help from an old friend.

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Plot Keywords:

opening recap | lore character | villain | season premiere | recap | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1993 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

46 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Only one female Borg appears under Lore's rule, and she has been permanently brain damaged by his experiments. Lore, otherwise, leads an all male society whose numbers aren't increasing.

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Goofs

In Star Trek: The Next Generation: Brothers, Data's emotion chip was seen as a small round sphere; here it is shown as a round flat disc with a triangular section missing from it (and still later, in the movie Star Trek Generations, it is seen as being much larger and an entirely different shape yet again). The reason Data's emotion chip looks different then it did in Star Trek: The Next Generation: Brothers is because it was damaged when it was removed from Lore. And in Star Trek Generations it looks square because we weren't seeing the actual chip, just the case it was stored in.

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Quotes

Lore: Aren't you going to thank me?
Lt. Commander Data: Thank you.
Lore: Don't mention it.

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Connections

Referenced in Star Trek Generations (1994)

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Soundtracks

Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User Reviews

Overcoming Your Programming

There are two issues at work here. The future of the Borg (disconnected) and the futures of Data and Lore. Data has been neutralized and a chip producing negative emotions installed. He has hooked up with Dr. Soon's miscreant throwaway child, Lore, who has become a threat to the Universe by engaging independent Borg (the product of Hugh's leaving the hive). This is mostly about Data and his ability to function (not unlike the Borg with his analytical side butting up against the good side). The problem for Lore is that he is unprincipled and evil and has no redeeming qualities. He destroys everything in his path for power, and because he is so transparent, he alienates those he must enlist in his schemes. Data begins to see the illogic of these actions, and while he longs to experience emotions again and to advance his humanity, there are things within him that block the pathways. Simply stated, he is only partially sure of things and that becomes a dilemma for him. This is a neat episode, even if one is concerned only with the fate of the crew members and Captain PIcard.