The Game

One of my favorite TNG episodes has the Enterprise becoming a captive of a subversive alien race which gets the Enterprise crew members addicted to a three dimensional video game. The only ones not affected are a visiting Wesley Crusher from Starfleet Academy and Ensign Robin Leffler.

Both Wil Wheaton and Ashley Judd would have gotten a bit more romantically involved if it weren't for the fact that they realize what is going on and spend the entire episode both running from the familiar friends and family in the crew and trying to figure out how to counter the addiction to the game which allow aliens to control the minds of the crew.

Wheaton and Judd remind so much of Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter running from the pod people in Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. The parallels are too obvious to ignore.

Poor Wesley Crusher can't even rely on his mother, a frightening prospect for anyone.

Great episode and great homage to Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.