| Star Trek: TNG episode | |
| "The Child" | |
 Deanna and her son Ian in "The Child". |
|
| Episode no. | 27 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 127 |
| Airdate | November 21, 1988 |
| Writer(s) | Jason Summers, Jon Povill, Maurice Hurley |
| Director | Rob Bowman |
| Guest star(s) | Diana Muldaur, Whoopi Goldberg, Seymour Cassel, Colm Meaney, R.J. Williams, Dawn Arnemann, Zachary Benjamin, Dore Keller |
| Year | 2365 |
| Stardate | 42073.1 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "The Neutral Zone" |
| Next | "Where Silence Has Lease" |
"The Child" is the first episode of the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was first broadcast on November 21, 1988.
In this episode, ship's Counsellor Deanna Troi gives birth to a mysterious child, while the Federation Starfleet Starship USS Enterprise transports a dangerous cargo.
Contents |
Plot
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This plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (January 2008) |
Stardate 42073.1 : the USS Enterprise picks up Dr. Katherine Pulaski, the Enterprise's new chief medical officer (Dr. Beverly Crusher has been reassigned to Starfleet Medical). Meanwhile, Lieutenant Geordi La Forge, newly appointed Chief Engineer, is showing off his design for a specimen container, to be inserted into a large bio-containment module.
The Enterprise sets course for Aucdet IX to hand over dangerous plasma plague specimens, for transfer to the Federation medical station at Tango Sierra in the Rachelis system to help study a plague outbreak. As the ship gets underway, a ball of energy passes through the hull and explores the ship, finally drifting into Counselor Troi's quarters. While she sleeps, the ball of light slips under her blanket.
Jean-Luc Picard, informed that Dr. Pulaski is in Ten Forward, finds her there with Troi who has something important to tell him. In an urgently arranged meeting, Dr. Pulaski announces to Picard, Riker, Data and Worf that Troi is pregnant; that the conception occurred about eleven hours earlier, but on her first examination the fetus was already six weeks old; that at this rate, Troi would give birth within the next 36 hours. A stunned Riker asks who the father is. Troi says while she slept she felt a presence enter her body - she then announces firmly that she will have the baby.
The Enterprise finally arrives at Aucdet IX where Lt. Commander Hester Dealt comes aboard.
Troi begins labor; Pulaski needs help with the delivery, and Troi suggests Data, who is intrigued, saying that he understands the technical aspects of life's creation but not the process. When the child is born, Troi names him Ian Andrew after her father. Later, Picard and Pulaski visit Troi's quarters, and find that Ian now appears to be a child of four years, and already talking.
Pulaski has an issue with Data, who corrects her on the pronunciation of his name. She cannot understand why this should matter to a machine, and it is the first of several occasions in the series where she tries to belittle him as a "mere android".
Pulaski and Picard pay Troi and Ian another visit. Ian burns himself, yelps with pain, then comments that his face is wet (from tears), a new sensation for him. Pulaski suggests that Ian has burned himself on purpose. Picard agrees, "For the experience", and asks Ian directly, "Why are you here?". A confused Ian doesn't have a direct reply.
The viral samples being now aboard, the Enterprise gets underway. Down in the cargo bay, Dealt is alarmed by readings from the containment module, indicating growth in one of the samples. Geordi suggests the ship's warp field is somehow responsible. Pulaski and Riker leave the bridge to assist. Pulaski wonders why this one strain of virus is growing, and asks Dealt about its etiology; he says the sample is stimulated by Eichner radiation and scans for it, getting a positive reading. Pulaski asks what would emit such energy. Data suggests a few things but none are aboard.
Back in Troi's quarters, Ian seems upset. He senses he is the cause of worry on the ship and adds that he has to leave or things will get really bad for everyone. Troi panics, sensing the boy is dying. She calls for Dr. Pulaski, who rushes in with Picard, Riker and Data behind her and scans Ian. His life signs are fading rapidly. Data's own scans indicate the boy is the source of the radiation. Pulaski says there is nothing she can do. Troi weeps as Ian takes his final breath, but soon the boy's body begins to glow and dematerialize. The tiny mote of light that entered the ship earlier floats above the bed. Everyone looks on in wonder as the light enters Troi's open hands. She seems to communicate with the light, which then drifts away through the bulkhead and out into space.
The viral growth stops. Troi explains that Ian was a life-force entity. He found the Enterprise and became curious to know more about the crew. He decided the best way was to go through the process of being born, in order to live as one of them. She states he never meant any harm and that she will miss him.
The Enterprise finally reaches the Rachelis system. Wesley states he wishes to remain on the Enterprise, feeling this is where he belongs, although he will miss his mother greatly. Picard asks if had discussed the matter with her; he admits he wanted the Captain's permission first. The Captain agrees after some ribbing from crew on the bridge, and the ship gets underway.
Production
"The Child" was originally written as an episode of Star Trek: Phase II. It developed from a story pitch by Jason Summers, and was written as a script by Summers and Jon Povill, who shared credit on the resulting teleplay. As a result of Povill's work on the script, he became Story Editor on the series. With the abandonment of Phase II, "The Child" was also abandoned.
However, in 1987, a second Star Trek television series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, came on the air. Unlike Phase II, which featured the original characters in a new five-year mission, TNG featured new characters, with some closely based on additional characters proposed for Phase II. A major Writers Guild of America strike took place in the summer of 1988, leading to the start of many fall seasons being delayed. At that time, the producers of The Next Generation decided to look into the Phase II archives for scripts. Upon the termination of the writer's strike in August, Maurice Hurley, the head writer and a co-executive producer for season 2, did a quick script revision, and the episode was soon filmed.[1] The script was originally focused on the proposed new character of Ilia, who had been the basis for the TNG character Deanna Troi, and was relatively easy to adapt. The episode, which was the second season premiere, aired in November rather than the usual September. The writer's strike would also result in the last episode of the season "Shades of Gray", being the only clip show in Star Trek's history.
The original script was published in 1997 in a book about Phase II by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.[2]
Character changes
The start of this season marks the most significant changes to be seen at the start of any season of the series. In later seasons, there would be subtle changes at most.
The episode introduces Dr. Pulaski, portrayed by Diana Muldaur, as the ship's chief medical officer, replacing Dr. Crusher (albeit only for the second season).
The episode features the first appearance of Guinan, the ship's El Aurian bartender and Picard's confidante. She offers advice to Wesley Crusher about doing what he wants instead of submitting to the desires of others. He takes her advice and requests to remain aboard the Enterprise after the departure of his mother, and the crew obliges. The episode has La Forge as a full lieutenant and Chief Engineer. Both La Forge and Worf are wearing gold (Operation) uniforms.
Riker also gains his beard in this episode; after Jonathan Frakes returned for filming having grown it, he had intended to shave it off for the new season. However, the producers liked it so much that they asked him to keep it.[3] He would eventually shave it off many years later in Star Trek: Insurrection, only to grow it back in the final film, Star Trek: Nemesis.
References
- ^ Susan Sackett (2002). Inside Trek: My Secret Life With Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry. HAWK Publishing Group. ISBN 1-930709-42-0.
- ^ Reeves-Stevens, Judith and Garfield. Star Trek: Phase II: The Lost Series. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-56839-6.
- ^ Nemecek, Larry (1992). The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-88340-2.
External links
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