The Second Season of Star Trek the Next Generation has often been downplayed due to multiple production and writing staff problems, and several major cast changes. Although of mixed quality, it does contain some outstanding and brilliant episodes, and Senior Trekker is extremely grateful to all those people who worked so hard under difficult circumstances to keep it on our screens.
This episode had already been on the shelf for a while by the time it got made; it was originally written for Lt Ilea of the ill-fated Phase II. Marina Sirtis once pronounced it one of her favourites although, even at the time, the involuntary impregnation was more appropriate for the horror genre than for Sci-Fi. Nowadays, it wouldn't be considered appropriate for EITHER and a benign alien would be expected to choose a less invasive way to experience humanity.
Star Trek has always prided itself in the desire to learn about and understand other cultures. Senior Trekker, herself a new Mum when this was released, never understood how a woman who's costumes nearly always showed off plenty of cleavage, wore a back-fastened outfit that came up to her chin in order to give birth. Won't we nurse our new-born babies in the 24th Century?
(Senior Trekker scores every episode with a 5)
This episode had already been on the shelf for a while by the time it got made; it was originally written for Lt Ilea of the ill-fated Phase II. Marina Sirtis once pronounced it one of her favourites although, even at the time, the involuntary impregnation was more appropriate for the horror genre than for Sci-Fi. Nowadays, it wouldn't be considered appropriate for EITHER and a benign alien would be expected to choose a less invasive way to experience humanity.
Star Trek has always prided itself in the desire to learn about and understand other cultures. Senior Trekker, herself a new Mum when this was released, never understood how a woman who's costumes nearly always showed off plenty of cleavage, wore a back-fastened outfit that came up to her chin in order to give birth. Won't we nurse our new-born babies in the 24th Century?
(Senior Trekker scores every episode with a 5)