S2.E10

The Dauphin

Name: The Dauphin
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Released: 1989-02-18
Duration: 45 min
Rating: 6.2
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton

Episode aired Feb 18, 1989
TV-PG
45m

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

3.7K

YOUR RATING

Patrick Stewart, Paddi Edwards, and Jaime Hubbard in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Action Adventure Drama Sci-Fi

Wesley falls for the young future leader of Daled IV, unaware just how dangerous the girl's protective and overly restrictive guardian can be.Wesley falls for the young future leader of Daled IV, unaware just how dangerous the girl's protective and overly restrictive guardian can be.Wesley falls for the young future leader of Daled IV, unaware just how dangerous the girl's protective and overly restrictive guardian can be.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

3.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Daled IV rotates only once per revolution around its sun, shrouding one side of the planet in eternal night, while It is always day on the other side. This condition, which does exist in nature, is called "tidal locking". Because most planetary bodies have a natural tendency to become tidally locked to their host body over a long enough time, it is thought that such planets may be common and could possibly host life, particularly in systems orbiting red and brown dwarf stars, which have lifespans much longer than other main sequence stars. Daled IV might be an "eyeball planet", a hypothetical type of tidally locked planet where the tidal locking has led to features that make it resemble an eyeball.

Goofs
As the Enterprise approaches Salia's home world the ship is contacted by a terawatt source on the planet to which the crew responds with 'that's more power than the Enterprise can generate' and 'it means we can't respond' (due to atmospheric interference) The message gives beam-down coordinates. How can the Enterprise transporters punch through interference that Coms cannot? There are many example throughout the series of the crew talking to but unable to beam to the ship due to interference.

Quotes
Wesley Crusher: [to Riker] What should I say? How do I act? What do I do?
Commander William T. Riker: Guinan, I need your help. Could you step over here a minute?
Guinan: Sounds simple enough.
Commander William T. Riker: [to Wesley] Now, first words out of your mouth are the most important. You may want to start with something like this.
[to Guinan]
Commander William T. Riker: You are the most beautiful woman in the galaxy...
[to Wesley]
Commander William T. Riker: But that might not work.
Guinan: Yes! Yes, it would.
Commander William T. Riker: [to Guinan] You don't know how long I've wanted to tell you that.
Guinan: But you were afraid.
Commander William T. Riker: Yes.
Guinan: Of me?
Commander William T. Riker: Of us. Of what we might become...
[Wesley tries to interrupt]
Commander William T. Riker: ... or that you might think that was a line.
Guinan: Maybe I do think it's a line.
Commander William T. Riker: Then you think I'm not sincere.
Guinan: I didn't say that. There's nothing wrong with a line. It's like a knock at the door.
Commander William T. Riker: Then you're inviting me in.
Guinan: I'm not sending you away.
Commander William T. Riker: That's more than I expected.
Guinan: Is it as much as you hoped?
Commander William T. Riker: To hope is to recognize the possibility; I had only dreams.
Guinan: Dreams can be dangerous.
Commander William T. Riker: Not these dreams. I dream of a galaxy where your eyes are the stars and the universe worships the night.
Guinan: Careful. Putting me on a pedestal so high, you may not be able to reach me.
Commander William T. Riker: Then I'll learn how to fly. You are the heart in my day and the soul in my night.
Wesley Crusher: [interrupting] I don't think this is my style.
Guinan: Shut up, kid!
[to Riker, saucily]
Guinan: Tell me more about my eyes.

Connections
Featured in Star Trek: The Next Generation: Shades of Gray (1989)

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

User reviews27

Review

Featured review

4/10

Weak episode but some of it is so bad it's good

Enterprise transports an important passenger and Wesley becomes romantically involved with her.

I found this to be one of the weakest entries in the second series mainly due to the lack of chemistry in the romance and the terrible visuals. It does have some saving graces that make it just about watchable, such as Guinan's contribution to the final scene and the unintentional humour generated by some of the effects and physical performances.

The story is a fairly uninspired teenage romance doomed to failure with some reasonable themes around parental attachment and protectiveness. I did not care for the relationship at all, as it is one of those typically bad 'they're in love because they are' type situations. Romances rarely work on episodic television as there is only 45 minutes to get you invested and the ingredients to make it work are not possible in such as short space of time unless its particularly cleverly written and well acted. For me a screen couple either have to go through something meaningful together from which the love develops or the actors need sizzling chemistry from the moment they share the screen. Neither of this happens in 'The Dauphin'.

As a romance, it is nowhere near as bad as it is an attempt at a creature concept. The visuals are truly horrible, with costumes and camp physical performance that would look bad in the original series. In addition to this the general visuals are awkward and poorly choreographed. The fight scenes, the entry of the security team and Wesley's first sight of his love interest are but a few examples of unintended comedy.

The less said about the scenes where Wesley seeks romantic advice from the crew members the better as most of it is pretty cringe-worthy, particularly Riker who comes across as creepy as ever when trying to be amorous.

Performances are generally decent. Will Wheaton is solid, but is no romantic lead and likewise Jamie Hubbard. Paddi Edwards does well with some quite poor material, as does Michael Dorn. The standout performer is easily Caryn Johnson as Guinan in two scenes, but mostly so in the final sequence where she is effortlessly natural.