- Counselor Troi's mother visits the Enterprise and becomes infatuated with a man whose culture forces him into a suicidal ritual called "The Resolution."
- The Enterprise has two special visitors: first Counselor Deanna Troi's terribly flippant, meddling mother, Betazoid ambassador Lwaxana Troi, then also top researcher Dr. Timicin, who comes to try to help his home planet Kaelon II revitalize its dying sun with helium emission and photon torpedoes. Both guests prove meeting opposites, falling in love. The experiment is a partial success, only promising scientific progress without immediate results. Alas the minister in charge refuses to allow Timicin to continue: their law dictates he must commit ritual suicide, called 'The Resolution' when he turns 60 in a few days being then considered a burden for the younger generations, despite his excellent condition of mind and body. Picard has no choice but accept under the Prime Directive, Lwaxana tries to convince her flame by emotions and reason, as nobody is better qualified to continue the crucial research, which strikes a chord.—KGF Vissers
- Deanna Troi's mother Lwaxana is on board the Enterprise visiting her daughter. She sets her sights on Dr. Timicin, a renowned scientist who has come aboard the Enterprise. He believes he has found a way to re-energize his world's dying sun. Timicin takes a liking to her - and she to him - and they commiserate after his experiment fails. She's shocked however when he tells her that he will now be returning to his home planet to die. He's not ill - but he is about to reach the age of 60 at which point it is customary for his kind to end their lives. Lwaxana is understandably upset and she does her best to convince him to break with tradition. He eventually requests political asylum on the Enterprise but in the end finds he has little choice but to his cultural tradition.—garykmcd
- The Enterprise has two special visitors: first Counsellor Deanna Troi's terribly flippant, meddling mother, Betazoid ambassador Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett), then also top researcher Dr. Timicin (David Ogden Stiers), who comes to try to help his home planet Kaelon II revitalize its dying sun with helium emission and photon torpedoes. This is Federation's first contact with the rather reclusive race on Kaelon. The new technology is a test and the system of revitalizing a sun has never been practically proven historically. Timicin has spent 40 years of his life working on this technology. The technology is the means to control the photon torpedoes to deliver the explosives in a particular sequence on the target sun, to kick start its dying nuclear fusion process.
Timicin is the quiet and dignified type. He has a daughter, and a grandson, although his wife died a few years ago. Lwaxana is her usual loud self and is clearly interested in Timicin. Both guests prove meeting opposites, by falling in love. The experiment is a partial success, only promising scientific progress without immediate results. The core temperature rises from 60 million kelvin to the target 220 million kelvin, but then gets out of control and returns back to its original state. Timicin is distraught. When alone, he admits to Lwaxana that he is on his way home to die. Lwaxana escalates the matter to Picard. Alas the minister in charge B'Tardat (Terrence E. McNally) refuses to allow Timicin to continue the experiment. Picard argues that it is progress that the core temperature reached the target for a few moments and with scientific calibration, a more stable state might be achieved. B'Tardat is adamant, their law dictates he must commit ritual suicide, called 'The Resolution' when he turns 60 in a few days being then considered a burden for the younger generations, despite his excellent condition of mind and body.
Picard has no choice but accept under the Prime Directive. Lwaxana is not allowed to beam down to the surface to confront B'Tardat herself. She cries to Deanna about her feelings. Timicin will be killed for no good reason. Lwaxana tries to convince Timicin by emotions and reason, as nobody is better qualified to continue the crucial research, which strikes a chord. Timicin and Lwaxana have sex.
Timicin explains that 15-20 generations ago there was no resolution, but then old people were left in old age homes to rot for many years. Hence this system was put in place. Lwaxana believes that old people should expect younger ones to care for them in their old age. Lwaxana cannot understand why the age is 60 years, and Timicin says that at this age people are still in command of their mental faculties and can say goodbyes to their loved ones in a coherent manner. They are not yet invalids. She still argues that Timicin is the best suited to carry on the research as the planet has 30-40 years left at best.
Timicin works on the test data from the last explosion to figure out a new explosion sequence of the proton torpedoes for the star, that will be more self-sustaining. Timicin needs more time to test his theory on a computer simulation and officially asks asylum on board the Enterprise from Picard.
Timicin tells B'Tardat that he can finish his work in less time and that the planet needs to revisit the practice of the resolution. B'Tardat sends warships to intercept the Enterprise. B'Tardat sends Timicin's daughter Dara (Michelle Forbes) to try and convince him not to abandon the planet's traditions. Dara is very emotional and admonishes Lwaxana for poisoning her father's mind. Timicin decides to go back to his planet and says a tearful goodbye to Lwaxana, who decides to join him on the planet for the ceremony.
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