ALL SCI-FI

[Bogmeister]

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WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS episode #17 / Air Date: 2/15/88
written by Hannah Louise Shearer; Directed by Kim Manners

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The Enterprise crew come across the mythical planet of Aldea. Riker waxes poetic about this rumored perfect world and society where the people were able to devote all their efforts towards the arts & culture — it's like a space age version of Atlantis.

Aldea has always been hidden, due to some planet-enveloping cloaking technology, but the leaders there have decided to reveal themselves to the Enterprise.

Why? Well, there's the story . . .

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The story, as it turns out, is that Aldea is a deteriorating culture and . . . they need kids.

There are no kids there. For whatever reason, the Aldeans pick out half-a-dozen kids from the Enterprise, plus Wesley, and kidnap them using their superior transporting technology.

Why those 7 kids?

They did a scan beforehand, but I don't get how just 7 kids can turn things around there. Why not take a hundred — that's probably about how many there are on the ship.


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It's an interesting starting off point, but the episode isn't able to do much with the premise except point out how there are actual families serving aboard the ship. Oh, and Picard has to stifle his discomfort around kids here. Dr. Crusher gets to worry about her son again (see Justice).

BoG's Score: 5 out of 10


BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus

[Bud Brewster]

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Well, despite the weaknesses in this story, at least it's not just a blatant attempt to lecture the audience on some contemporary social issue. As noble as that might be, what the fans of this series (and all the Star Trek series) crave is science fiction — not social parables.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with having both in a well crafted story.

As usual, I watched the episode while preparing Bogmeister's review to be posted here, and I liked it a little better than he did. It had a good concept, interesting characters, engaging drama . . . and some really cute kids!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)