The High Ground 

While visiting a planet under civil war, Dr. Crusher is taken hostage by an opposing faction of the planet's ruling government.

Director:

Gabrielle Beaumont

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (created by), Melinda M. Snodgrass

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
Wil Wheaton	...	Wesley Crusher
Kerrie Keane	...	Alexana Devos
Richard Cox	...	Kyril Finn
Marc Buckland	...	Waiter
Fred G. Smith	...	Policeman
Christopher Pettiet	...	Boy

Storyline

When most away-teams are visiting the Ruthian planet under civil war since 70 years between two continents, Dr. Crusher is taken hostage while attending local wounded by an Ensata (western continent) autonomist faction of the ruling government which uses terrorist techniques such as bomb attacks. Her son Wesley Crusher is assigned to Lieutenant Worf's technology team, and spots radiation traces indicating the use of life-threatening dimension shift techniques abandoned by Federation research because of the health toll, which fit perfectly the Ruthian government's nightmare, 'inverters' used by the Ensata revolt to dodge all scans. Her keeper Kyril Finn, the Ensata leader, shows the great need for medical aid their side is not getting from the Federation, alas the inverter causes DNA warping she can't treat, and explains how he hopes to make the Federation end the bloody conflict at last. Discussions and attacks go on...

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Plot Keywords:

female police officer | dimensional jump | woman abducted | terrorist | bomb | 

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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:

27 January 1990 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 9, Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first episode of the "Star Trek" franchise to be both written by a woman (Melinda M. Snodgrass) and directed by a woman (Gabrielle Beaumont). The only other "Star Trek" episode to be completely written and directed by women is Star Trek: Enterprise: Exile (2003), which was written by Phyllis Strong and directed by Roxann Dawson. All other "Star Trek" episodes directed by women were either written by men or co-written by a team of male and female writers.

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Goofs

When the Away team beams into the underground lair of the terrorists, Commander Riker wears his Red Command/Operations uniform as normal. Shortly after the generator is taken offline, he seems to wear a Yellow uniform, but that is just a play of shadows caused with poor light conditions.

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Quotes

[Crusher has managed to talk the Ansata boy out of shooting Devos]
Alexana Devos: Already another one to take his place. It never ends.
Commander William T. Riker: He could've killed you. He didn't. Maybe the end begins with one boy putting down his gun.

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

The wars of Ruthia

On a visit to Ruthia it's Dr. Beverly Crusher is taken captive by separatists who want a whole different nation on the eastern continent. Those forces are led by Richard Cox and Gates McFadden's skills are needed for their wounded.

But it isn't just battle wounds they're concerned with. In order to achieve surprise the separatists have some kind of jaunting technique which allows them to spring up and materialize almost undetected. Imagine if the Palestinians or the IRA ever got a hold of that.

In fact this episode is taken from the IRA and British struggles. Cox is a charismatic insurgent leader and Kerrie Keane is a Margaret Thatcher like prime minister.

Those jaunting techniques involving radiation is also deleterious to the health of one using them. The effects are cumulative and the Federation discovered them and abandoned them centuries ago. More than one doctor even Beverly Crusher can deal with.

Is it a hopeful end or will the wars keep going? Be your own judge when you see this TNG story.