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Patrick Stewart

Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Jonathan Frakes

Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

LeVar Burton

Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

Michael Dorn

Lieutenant Worf

Gates McFadden

Doctor Beverly Crusher

Marina Sirtis

Counselor Deanna Troi

Brent Spiner

Lieutenant Commander Data

Barbara Tarbuck

Governor Leka Trion

Nicole Orth-Pallavicini

Kareel Odan

William Newman

Kalin Trose

Patti Yasutake

Nurse Alyssa Ogawa

Franc Luz

Odan

Rachen Assapiomonwait

Crewman Nelson
(uncredited)

Majel Barrett

Enterprise Computer
(voice)
(uncredited)

Joe Baumann

Crewman Garvey
(uncredited)

Thomas J. Booth

Enterprise-D Ops Officer
(uncredited)

Michael Braveheart

Crewman Martinez
(uncredited)

Tracee Cocco

Ensign Jae
(uncredited)

Did you know

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Trivia
During the filming of this episode, Gates McFadden was seven months pregnant.

Goofs
When a renegade ship attacks the shuttle carrying the ambassador and Commander Riker, Captain Picard inexplicably does nothing to protect the shuttle and his first officer. The Enterprise could easily disable the attacking ship without destroying it, yet all the Enterprise does is lock a tractor beam onto the shuttle, effectively allowing the shuttle to be a sitting duck until it is within the Enterprise's shield bubble. However, Riker's shuttle was already a sitting duck as the controls were down, and the Enterprise firing on the alien ship would surely inflame an already precarious situation. Once the Enterprise locked onto the shuttle with the tractor beam, the alien ship immediately withdrew - which was the desired effect.

Quotes
Counselor Deanna Troi: You can't be open to love if you don't risk pain.

Connections
Referenced in Inglorious Treksperts: Brannon's Quarantine Playlist w/ Brannon Braga (2020)

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

Good Trill intro but should have been better

Dr Crusher is in a relationship with a Trill mediator on a negotiation mission.

This is a mediocre episode that introduces a brilliant concept within a fairly uninspired story.

The plot serves the higher purpose of introducing the Trill species to the franchise, which is fantastic idea that comes to fruition in Deep Space Nine and continues in Discovery. However, it is unfortunately framed within another bland Star Trek romance and not helped by a fairly clichéd subplot.

'Dr Beverly' and Odan are another in a long line of Trek couples who are in love just because they are. I could not invest in their relationship because it did not develop on screen. All his presence does is disrupt the dynamic of TNG lead characters so psychologically I think found myself routing against them so things get back normal. Crusher is a good character as a starship medical officer, but not as a swooning love interest.

The subplot has been done to death in Star Trek and in particular TNG. Mediation between two conflicting species was wearing thin before this episode and it feels unnecessary other than to give Odan a reason to be involved.

I enjoyed the visuals, particularly the Trill creature effects and surgical scenes.

There has been much written about how things finish between Crusher and Odan. For me it works fine to draw a line under what is pretty bland screen romance, but it is very reflective of 1991 and how the producers were unwilling to risk alienating the audience they obviously deemed not ready for a bisexual relationship. For me it finally gets interesting in that scene but they chose to stay away from it.

All performances are good, with Gates McFadden leading it strongly and supported well by the other cast members.