Samaritan Snare

Two parallel stories are happening in this TNG episode. First Captain Picard is going to a star base for an operation. Making the voyage with him is Wesley Crusher who has been doing OJT on the Enterprise and if he can pass this Star Fleet entrance exam he'll get some credits for the Academy.

But while Patrick Stewart and Wil Wheaton are on board a shuttlecraft going to the star base, the Enterprise answers a distress call from a Pakled space ship.

The Pakleds are a roving band of nomads who act real dumb, but aren't as dumb as they look. They steal and scavenge and when their cobbled together ship breaks down they decide to keep Geordi LaForge who has come over to effect repairs. He's probably a handy fellow to have around they reason.

Leaving quite a dilemma for Jonathan Frakes as he tries to get LeVar Burton back from these bottom feeders.

Captain Picard and Wesley Crusher get to really know each other finally on that voyage. We learn for the first time that Picard has an artificial heart that needs repair and maybe replacement. Something he did not want the crew to know. And Picard is full of sound advice for Wesley for the academy and for life.

I really did enjoy the Pakleds, they make this story.