The Enemy (episode)
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
| This article is written from the Real World point of view |
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| This article is written from the Real World point of view |
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| "The Enemy" | ||
|---|---|---|
| TNG, Episode 3x07 Production number: 40273-155 First aired: 6 November 1989 | ||
| ← | 54th of 176 produced in TNG | → |
| ← | 54th of 176 released in TNG | → |
| ← | 161st of 726 released in all | → |
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| Written By David Kemper & Michael Piller Directed By David Carson | ||
| 43349.2 (2366) | ||
La Forge and a Romulan are trapped on a planet ravaged by electromagnetic storms.
Contents |
[edit] Summary
The Enterprise intercepts a distress call from a craft within the Neutral Zone and Picard chooses to set aside Federation diplomatic policy and quietly respond. The Enterprise is just about to reach the vessel at maximum warp when the object plummets to the surface of an inhospitable, though life-supporting planet.
Powerful electromagnetic storms on the surface are obscuring all scans and Picard orders an away team to beam down to the surface to look for survivors. Riker, La Forge and Worf are dispatched, and great care is taken in maintaining a transporter lock on them. As the team disperses it is made clear that the atmosphere is very harmful and that it causes slow health decay.
Riker concludes that it was a Romulan craft they had been pursuing from the appearance of the remains. He finds a dead Romulan and orders the team to return assuming that it was a single-man craft. La Forge falls into a large chasm and his VISOR is damaged. Worf and Riker split up to search for him, but only find another Romulan, this one alive enough to feebly attack Worf.
Worf and Riker beam back with the wounded Romulan to avoid being stranded on the planet when the transporter window closes. Upon return to the ship, Wesley launches a neutrino beacon that can be seen by Geordi's VISOR. He must alter its signal to alert the Enterprise to beam him up.
On the planet, Geordi melts a silver ore, fashions it into a pole, and uses it to get out of the pit. He sees the neutrino beacon. Making his way towards it, Geordi is knocked out by a Romulan.
Back on the ship, the Romulan is dying. Dr. Crusher determines that he needs a special ribosome from a compatible donor to live, one too complicated to replicate. As it turns out, only Lieutenant Worf has the compatible ribosome. Citing his parents' deaths at the hands of Romulans, Worf refuses to donate his blood. At the same time, Picard engages in dialogue with the Captain of a Romulan Warbird. They agree to rendezvous in the Neutral Zone, where Picard will hand over the dying Romulan found on the planet.
On the planet, the Romulan whose name is Bochra, holds Geordi at disruptor-point. Geordi attempts conversation with Bochra, however, the Romulan is very reluctant to relinquish authority or accept help, even after he is injured by falling rocks. The electromagnetic radiation has debilitating consequences for the Romulan as he becomes paralyzed and is unable to walk. Similarly, Geordi’s nervous system is compromised by the EM radiation, rendering him unable to process the signals he receives through his VISOR, and thus blind. Their only hope is being able to sense the neutrino stream. Bochra suggests using the tricorder in conjunction with Geordi’s VISOR to do so, but Geordi cannot perform this task blindly. So, Bochra offers to be his eyes while Geordi directs him as how to connect the tricorder and VISOR. Finally, they are able to detect the location of the neutrino beam.
Back on the ship, the Enterprise is still waiting anxiously to hear back from Geordi, when they find out that the Romulan ship has crossed the Neutral Zone and is entering Federation space. In response to the urgency of the situation, Picard asks that Worf volunteer to donate his blood to the Romulan in sickbay because they cannot afford causing an incident if the Romulan were to die onboard a Federation starship. Worf respectfully refuses to do so and Picard, without further pursuing this, lets him go. While he informs Dr. Crusher as to Worf’s decision, she tells him that the Romulan has already died.
In the meanwhile, the Romulan ship approaches the Enterprise giving them one last chance to return their officer to them. When Picard informs him that he is dead, the Romulan ship powers its weapons. At this instant, the signal-pattern from the neutrino beacon modulates, indicating that Geordi found it and is alive. They also detect a second life-form in addition to Geordi. They realize, however, that they cannot transport them with the shields up. At the same time, if they lower their shields, the Romulan will strike. The EM window that allows for transport is closing, however, and they need to act quickly. Given that one of the people trapped on the planet is a Romulan, Picard hails the Romulan ship, explaining the situation and asks that they not fire on the Enterprise while it is transporting them over. Tomalak, the commanding officer on the Romulan ship, keeps ignoring Picard but he also does not fire when Geordi and Bochra are beamed right to the bridge.
Picard tells Tomalak that he can transport his man back to his own ship. Bochra insures Tomalak that he has not given them any information and that in fact Geordi saved his life. Tomalak, who until the very end still refuses to acknowledge any wrong-doing on his side, is pleased. Geordi and Worf escort Bochra back to the transporter room so that the Enterprise can escort the Romulan ship out of Federation space.
[edit] Log Entries
[edit] Memorable Quotes
"Thank you, Wesley!"
- -La Forge, when he sees the probe
"You're my prisoner!"
"Right... Congratulations. Surely a strategic triumph for the Romulan Empire. "
- - Bochra and La Forge when first meeting
"You're lying!"
"I never lie when I've got sand in my shoes."
- - Bochra and La Forge
[edit] Background Information
- The launch of the class 3 probe is stock footage from the episode "Where Silence Has Lease".
- This episode marks the first of four appearances of Romulan Commander Tomalak.
- The plot point of Worf letting Patahk die by refusing blood met great resistance among some of the writing staff and Michael Dorn when first suggested by Michael Piller. It was kept to emphasize the alien aspects of the Worf character. (ST: TNG Companion)
[edit] Video and DVD releases
- Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 28, November 1991.
- UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 3.3, 1 May 2000.
- As part of the TNG Season 3 DVD collection.
[edit] Links and References
[edit] Guest Stars
- John Snyder as Bochra
- Andreas Katsulas as Tomalak
- Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien
- Steven Rankin as Patahk
- Michael Braveheart as Martinez (uncredited)
[edit] References
Centurion; class-3 probe; D'deridex-class; distress signal; Galorndon Core, geiger counter; Pearl Harbor; Pi; neutrino; positron; ribosome infusion; Romulans; Romulan Neutral Zone; Romulan scout ship; security team; Station Salem-One; Tomalak's Warbird; tricorder; ultritium; VISOR; Vulcans
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