Episode cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Patrick Stewart | ... | Capt. Jean-Luc Picard | |
Jonathan Frakes | ... | Cmdr. William Riker | |
LeVar Burton | ... | Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge | |
Michael Dorn | ... | Lt. Worf | |
Gates McFadden | ... | Dr. Beverly Crusher | |
Marina Sirtis | ... | Counselor Deanna Troi | |
Brent Spiner | ... | Lt. Cmdr. Data | |
Charles Lucia | ... | Ambassador Ves Alkar (as Chip Lucia) | |
Patti Yasutake | ... | Nurse Alyssa Ogawa | |
George Wallace | ... | Adm. Simons (as George D. Wallace) | |
Lucy Boryer | ... | Ensign Janeway | |
Susan French | ... | Sev Maylor | |
Rick Scarry | ... | Jarth | |
Stephanie Erb | ... | Liva | |
J.P. Hubbell | ... | Ensign |
The Enterprise comes to the rescue of a transport ship after it is attacked while carrying Ambassador Ves Alkar to a mediation between two constantly warring planetary factions. Alkar asks for another freighter to avoid a military appearance but Admiral Simons agrees security requires that Picard remain his host. Alkar arrives with his 93-year old mother, a witch whose aggression and warnings not to have close contact with Ves are rather scary, as her hateful thoughts are to Troi, but soon she is found dead in his quarters. Dr. Crusher doubts a natural cause of death, but without danger to the ship, Picard must respect the ambassador's objection against an autopsy on traditional grounds. Troi agrees to take part in a ceremony requiring empathy, after which she turns much more emotional, irritated and seductive, even scratching her lover Riker. Troi is also aging rapidly, so now Picard allows an autopsy, which proves the late Sev Maylor is no genetic relative of Alkar, who admits the ... Written by KGF Vissers
Troi meets a handsome ambassador accompanied by what appears to be his mother. The mother is aggressive and vitriolic toward Deanna. When she dies, Troi participates in what is termed a funeral ritual, but in the process a sort of id impulse is transferred into her brain. She begins to act like a harlot, enticing men and becoming possessive of the ambassador. She is also beginning to age rapidly. It turns out that this guy has the ability to send his baser instincts to another person so that when he negotiates he is free of those negative things. The fact that the host dies doesn't seem to matter to him. He is manipulative and though good at negotiations, immoral. Picard tries to intervene, but there is a significant summit between to warring factions (isn't there always?) and he sees this as more important. Deanna lies, dying on an operating table, grey hair and wrinkles taking over. Interesting episode.