A stellar core fragment is going to pass close to a planet with a small human settlement; it will cause seismic activity that will certainly destroy the populations bio-dome leaving them exposed to the toxic atmosphere. This shouldn't be a problem as the Enterprise could easily transport them to a new world; the problem is they are genetically engineered isolationists who believe and contact with outsiders will ruin their society. Each person is engineered so they will suit their allotted task in life and be happy with that position. They agree to allow three people to beam down to coordinate a plan that might avoid an evacuation. Geordi quickly establishes a rapport with the colonies lead scientist, Hannah Bates, and the pair return to the Enterprise where the latter is astonished to see how science has progressed outside their closed society. Back on the planet Troi has developed a more intimate relationship with Aaron Conor, the colony's administrator. The stellar fragment is deflected but the colony isn't unaffected, having scene what is going on outside their sealed dome, several members have decided they wish to leave; Picard must decide whether or not he should take them even though it would leave the society without key people.
The idea of a 'perfect' society created by genetic engineering or selective breeding, where imperfect foetuses are aborted, will inevitably lead to comparisons with the eugenic programmes espoused by the Nazis even though in this case the society appears to work up to a point. Thankfully that comparison isn't directly stated here even though the society is ultimately saved thanks to Geordi; a character who's blindness would mean he wouldn't have had a chance of life there. This more subtle approach lets the viewer make up their own mind about the rights and wrongs of such a society. Guest stars Dey Young and John Snyder are good as Hannah and Aaron; although the speed with which the latter's character got involved with Troi was a little surprising given their attitudes to genetic perfection she isn't even human! The concluding dilemma about whether to allow some colonists to leave was more interesting than the danger from the stellar fragment as its outcome couldn't be guessed. Overall an interesting episode that raised some interesting moral questions without preaching excessively.
The idea of a 'perfect' society created by genetic engineering or selective breeding, where imperfect foetuses are aborted, will inevitably lead to comparisons with the eugenic programmes espoused by the Nazis even though in this case the society appears to work up to a point. Thankfully that comparison isn't directly stated here even though the society is ultimately saved thanks to Geordi; a character who's blindness would mean he wouldn't have had a chance of life there. This more subtle approach lets the viewer make up their own mind about the rights and wrongs of such a society. Guest stars Dey Young and John Snyder are good as Hannah and Aaron; although the speed with which the latter's character got involved with Troi was a little surprising given their attitudes to genetic perfection she isn't even human! The concluding dilemma about whether to allow some colonists to leave was more interesting than the danger from the stellar fragment as its outcome couldn't be guessed. Overall an interesting episode that raised some interesting moral questions without preaching excessively.