This episode involves a crystalline entity that absorbs the energy from the matter that it consumes. It has attacked several Federation colonies in the past and now has attacked a colony that is being visited by the Enterprise crew. The entity does not kill off any of the colonists except for two of its members which remained a mystery at the end of the episode. An elderly scientist who has devoted her life in learning as much about the entity comes aboard the Enterprise. However, she harbors anger and guilt on board because her son was killed by the same entity. Picard takes the position that there should be an effort to communicate with the entity while other crew members are intent to destroy it. The crew devises a method of sending graviton pulses which seems to stimulate the entity. The female scientist proceeds to send massive graviton pulses which then overloads on the entity and eventually destroys it. The episode's focus was on the female scientist's guilt on leaving her son by himself when he died. The other focus was on whether to try to establish contact with something that appears to be malevolent. A thought provoking episode that might have had a few plot holes which can be easily overlooked. In this episode, Data plays a guitar.
34 Reviews
What are we supposed to do? Greet it warmly and tell it not to kill anymore?
CCsito22 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Sad episode
a-gordon-237411 April 2022
I think this episode is more about what you would do if a mindless creature murdered your child / mother / someone close you. (In this case, how Dr. Marr feels about losing her son.)
If a bear ate your mother in front of you, would you just say "well it was hungry and that was just instinct, it didn't mean anything by it" or would you not try to kill the bear out of anger and heartbreak?
That's what this episode is about. The harshness of nature.
It's a pretty good, but sad episode. At first Dr. Marr comes across as being crazy, but then you quickly realize she was driven crazy by the death of her son. Who wouldn't be? So as the episode progresses, we being to relate more to her. I think it's a good episode because of the way it makes us think about someone's extreme emotional response to a horrible situation. It's part of being human.
If a bear ate your mother in front of you, would you just say "well it was hungry and that was just instinct, it didn't mean anything by it" or would you not try to kill the bear out of anger and heartbreak?
That's what this episode is about. The harshness of nature.
It's a pretty good, but sad episode. At first Dr. Marr comes across as being crazy, but then you quickly realize she was driven crazy by the death of her son. Who wouldn't be? So as the episode progresses, we being to relate more to her. I think it's a good episode because of the way it makes us think about someone's extreme emotional response to a horrible situation. It's part of being human.
The Entity's back and it gets its Captain Ahab
Mr-Fusion13 April 2017
'Silicon Avatar' clearly defines the issue (the crystalline entity doesn't care if people are setting down roots; it needs to feed!). But while Picard wants to try and communicate with it (learning and all that), seemingly everyone else around him wants it destroyed; including a bitter scientist with a revenge thirst. The lynch mob has a good point because people are dying, but then again, the fractal menace reminds me of V'Ger and even the alien probe from "The Voyage Home", so it's not the most vile of creatures.
But this is a Moby Dick parallel, and it really comes down to the character of Dr. Kila Marr (Ellen Geer), and Geer does a good job spitting forth the hurt and seething hatred for this thing; and I think it's a nice way of readdressing the entity from episodes past and giving it some sort of closure.
7/10
But this is a Moby Dick parallel, and it really comes down to the character of Dr. Kila Marr (Ellen Geer), and Geer does a good job spitting forth the hurt and seething hatred for this thing; and I think it's a nice way of readdressing the entity from episodes past and giving it some sort of closure.
7/10
The Crystalline Entity returns!
russem3125 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
ST:TNG:104 - "Silicon Avatar" (Stardate: 45122.3) - this is the 4th episode of the 5th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
This is a continuation of the 1st season episode "Datalore" which introduced the Crystalline Entity (making a welcome return in this episode). While surveying Melona IV, Riker and his Away Team watch while the aforementioned creature attacks the planet and kills two colonists.
When Riker and team return to the Enterprise, they meet Dr. Kila Marr, a scientist obsessed with the creature, because it killed her son. When Picard announces he wishes to communicate with the Entity, Dr. Marr's true intentions will soon be unleashed.
Trivia note: the scene where the colonists run away from the Entity at the beginning of the episode is similar to Star Trek: Insurrection when Picard and crew and the Ba'ku run away from the Son'a weapons. And we see Data playing a guitar, continuing his study of musical instruments throughout the series.
This is a continuation of the 1st season episode "Datalore" which introduced the Crystalline Entity (making a welcome return in this episode). While surveying Melona IV, Riker and his Away Team watch while the aforementioned creature attacks the planet and kills two colonists.
When Riker and team return to the Enterprise, they meet Dr. Kila Marr, a scientist obsessed with the creature, because it killed her son. When Picard announces he wishes to communicate with the Entity, Dr. Marr's true intentions will soon be unleashed.
Trivia note: the scene where the colonists run away from the Entity at the beginning of the episode is similar to Star Trek: Insurrection when Picard and crew and the Ba'ku run away from the Son'a weapons. And we see Data playing a guitar, continuing his study of musical instruments throughout the series.
Would we really want to communicate with a creature that destroys worlds?
Tweekums19 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This episode opens on the apparently idyllic world of Melona IV where Riker is getting an invitation for dinner, and more, from an attractive scientist; then suddenly the sky darkens and the colony comes under attack from the crystalline entity; an infamous destroyer of worlds. At Data's suggestion they hide in underground caves and only two people are lost, including Riker's date. When the Enterprise gets to the scene the colonists and away team are rescued and a team led by xenobiologist Kila Marr investigate the scene hoping to find clues about the entities actions. She has very personal reasons for studying the entity; it killed her son many years before when it was aided by Data's brother Lore. Not surprisingly because of this she is initially suspicions of Data but as she learns that he was programmed with the memories of the dead colonists, including her son, she grows closer to him. Once the entity is discovered she is shocked to discover that Picard intends to communicate with it rather than trying to destroy it!
Star Fleet is famous for its keenness to avoid confrontation but the idea that one would try to communicate with a 'Destroyer of Planets' rather than destroy it seems a bit far-fetched. Picard's comment comparing the entity to a whale devouring cuttlefish was somewhat spurious we might not condemn the whale but you can bet that if the cuttlefish had intelligence they would. The way the story was written we were clearly meant to believe Kila Marr was wrong but I'm sure most viewers will agree with her views. Guest star Ellen Geer does a fine job as Marr and Brent Spiner is great as Data during the scenes where he accesses the memories of Marr's son. Overall a rather mixed episode that leaves us thinking the 'good guys' were wrong.
Star Fleet is famous for its keenness to avoid confrontation but the idea that one would try to communicate with a 'Destroyer of Planets' rather than destroy it seems a bit far-fetched. Picard's comment comparing the entity to a whale devouring cuttlefish was somewhat spurious we might not condemn the whale but you can bet that if the cuttlefish had intelligence they would. The way the story was written we were clearly meant to believe Kila Marr was wrong but I'm sure most viewers will agree with her views. Guest star Ellen Geer does a fine job as Marr and Brent Spiner is great as Data during the scenes where he accesses the memories of Marr's son. Overall a rather mixed episode that leaves us thinking the 'good guys' were wrong.
Nobody gets It
XweAponX7 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is less about the crystalline entity and more about Dr. Kyla Marr turning Data into some kind of resurrection of her dead son.
It also gives the viewer a hard choice, as the crystalline entity is represented as intelligent. Unfortunately it can only exist by sucking the life out of everything living around It.
And there is also the question of why didn't it finish off The rest of the colonists hiding in the cave? Did it really think that Lore was there?
There were no good solutions for the crystalline entity, or for Dr. Kyla Marr, whose entire life was focused on destroying it. And she dragged the enterprise into the middle of her private little war while turning Data into something he never was intended to be.
The madness of Dr. Marr is well documented by actress Ellen Greer, whose mother Herta Ware ironically played Captain Picard's mother in the first season episode "where no one has gone before". She approaches the character as just a little bit off at the very beginning, and then her relationship with Data changes from Icy to warm, and then even adulatory, you just had to know that there was something wrong there.
Unfortunately this episode stopped any further development of the entity and finding out exactly what it was, where it came from and if it really was intelligent.
It also gives the viewer a hard choice, as the crystalline entity is represented as intelligent. Unfortunately it can only exist by sucking the life out of everything living around It.
And there is also the question of why didn't it finish off The rest of the colonists hiding in the cave? Did it really think that Lore was there?
There were no good solutions for the crystalline entity, or for Dr. Kyla Marr, whose entire life was focused on destroying it. And she dragged the enterprise into the middle of her private little war while turning Data into something he never was intended to be.
The madness of Dr. Marr is well documented by actress Ellen Greer, whose mother Herta Ware ironically played Captain Picard's mother in the first season episode "where no one has gone before". She approaches the character as just a little bit off at the very beginning, and then her relationship with Data changes from Icy to warm, and then even adulatory, you just had to know that there was something wrong there.
Unfortunately this episode stopped any further development of the entity and finding out exactly what it was, where it came from and if it really was intelligent.
The Crystalline Entity: Part II
Samuel-Shovel6 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
In "Silicon Avatar" an older scientist who has spent her life researching the crystalline entity comes aboard the Enterprise to study it after Riker, Geordi, Data, and Crusher encounter it on an away mission. But this scientist's interest turns out not to be purely academic when the crew learns her son was killed by the entity. Her vendetta against the being soon becomes apparent when she devices ways of killing it.
The ending of this one kind of ruins it for me. It's apparent what her plan is a million miles away, yet no one does anything to stop her. Picard is too intelligent to just let this lady trick him into killing it. It's a bit ridiculous. Troi should also know what's in the works just by her emotions. Data should come up with the hypothesis that the scientist will kill it. Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves.
The ending of this one kind of ruins it for me. It's apparent what her plan is a million miles away, yet no one does anything to stop her. Picard is too intelligent to just let this lady trick him into killing it. It's a bit ridiculous. Troi should also know what's in the works just by her emotions. Data should come up with the hypothesis that the scientist will kill it. Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves.
I Have to Admit, I Favored Her Side
Hitchcoc31 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The Crystalline Entity is a mass murderer. It attacks planets, absorbing every bit of life (both flora and fauna) and leaves the planets wastelands. Riker has a brief talk with a young woman and as they are about to continue some research on the planet, this horror from space comes down and begins to do what it does. The people run for a cave, but the young woman is killed as she attempts to save an old man who has fallen. The rest make it to a cave to wait things out. They hear the horrible rumblings above them and then silence. Soon, they are surprised by the Enterprise away team, coming to the rescue. When they arrive at the surface, they find that earth-like planet has been reduced to a desert. Back on the Enterprise, the crew awaits the arrival of Dr. Kila Marr, an expert on the Entity. She is amazed that for the first time there are survivors of the thing. She immediately suspects Data of being responsible for the events because his "brother" Lore was responsible for leading a mass of people to their deaths. She is a complex person who chose this endeavor when the Entity killed her son as it wiped out another planet. She is beset by guilt. She eventually makes peace with Data, but her self-disappointment stays beneath the surface.
One thing I need to mention. Picard seems to feel that even though the Crystalline Entity has killed tens of thousands, it may well be a sentient creature, to be negotiated with. Hitler was a sentient creature. Joseph Stalin was a sentient creature. I know that Picard is an explorer, but I would be hard pressed to give up my life for something so murderous I found some of the dialogue pontificating and hard to accept.
One thing I need to mention. Picard seems to feel that even though the Crystalline Entity has killed tens of thousands, it may well be a sentient creature, to be negotiated with. Hitler was a sentient creature. Joseph Stalin was a sentient creature. I know that Picard is an explorer, but I would be hard pressed to give up my life for something so murderous I found some of the dialogue pontificating and hard to accept.
Plot Holes Return!
ShogaNinja21 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is a good episode visually for the series as we finally get to see the crystalline entity up close and in action. The scenes on the planet were very memorable from the first time I saw this episode when it aired on national television. But, as sometimes happens in Star Trek TNG, unfortunately there's a huge plot hole.
When Doctor Mar(sp?)socialized with the crew she was seething with feelings of revenge and hatred for the crystalline entity because it killed her son on Omicron Theta where Data was built. They were aware of her drive to study the crystalline entity after his death and her motivations thereof. The captain first asks Troi if he can trust the Dr. to be impartial, and then later calls the Dr. into his ready room to avoid arguing in front of his crew. Clearly, you wouldn't need a Betazoid to figure out where that woman's obsession was. When she went to destroy the entity with her graviton pulses Deanna Troi, an empathic half-betazoid looks to Picard like a child and says " I think something is wrong!" Instead of "Watch Out I sense murderous intent coming from the Dr. " in the first 5 minutes of contact with the woman thus saving the entire mission of contact with the entity. The console is screaming (usually indicating something negative might be occurring), meanwhile Worf stands there off-camera useless while insubordination is occurring on the bridge. Picard and Riker, pleading/ordering her to stop - motionless, Data also pleading, completely clueless as to what to do. Worf couldn't tackle her or even better vaporize her? Deanna couldn't sense? Data couldn't crush her hand and make her tell the code? And then Data and Geordi can't beat an old lady's hastily constructed subroutine program? From a story perspective this episode was a complete failure of th crew. From a writer's perspective it was not very well thought out. I believe this occurs more often in Star Trek because they were willing to accept scripts from many different writers, and didn't pore over them very well before production.
They still had control of the ship. Shut down main power for gosh sakes, turn the ship around, go to warp, SOMETHING. Captain the ship! Lay in a course of campiness... Warp Factor 9... Engage.
When Doctor Mar(sp?)socialized with the crew she was seething with feelings of revenge and hatred for the crystalline entity because it killed her son on Omicron Theta where Data was built. They were aware of her drive to study the crystalline entity after his death and her motivations thereof. The captain first asks Troi if he can trust the Dr. to be impartial, and then later calls the Dr. into his ready room to avoid arguing in front of his crew. Clearly, you wouldn't need a Betazoid to figure out where that woman's obsession was. When she went to destroy the entity with her graviton pulses Deanna Troi, an empathic half-betazoid looks to Picard like a child and says " I think something is wrong!" Instead of "Watch Out I sense murderous intent coming from the Dr. " in the first 5 minutes of contact with the woman thus saving the entire mission of contact with the entity. The console is screaming (usually indicating something negative might be occurring), meanwhile Worf stands there off-camera useless while insubordination is occurring on the bridge. Picard and Riker, pleading/ordering her to stop - motionless, Data also pleading, completely clueless as to what to do. Worf couldn't tackle her or even better vaporize her? Deanna couldn't sense? Data couldn't crush her hand and make her tell the code? And then Data and Geordi can't beat an old lady's hastily constructed subroutine program? From a story perspective this episode was a complete failure of th crew. From a writer's perspective it was not very well thought out. I believe this occurs more often in Star Trek because they were willing to accept scripts from many different writers, and didn't pore over them very well before production.
They still had control of the ship. Shut down main power for gosh sakes, turn the ship around, go to warp, SOMETHING. Captain the ship! Lay in a course of campiness... Warp Factor 9... Engage.
Good but weak ending that could have been much more dramatic.
wwcanoer-tech26 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Much of the episode was good but the ending required more thought to be believable and could have been far more engaging.
Dr. Marr has stated that she wants to kill the crystalline entity. Picard tells her that they must try to communicate with it first, which is of course the right action. Picard never has that conversation again, ever, even as they are on the way to approach the entity. Doesn't ask Data or counsellor Troi if they have seen any indication that she wants to kill it. Troi should have been monitoring her on the bridge and felt her deception or hate.
When Dr. Marr says that the entity is beautiful and then shows joy that it is responding to their signal, I thought that she had changed her mind, but so close to the end of the episode, not much time left for a joyful outcome of learning to communicate and providing an alternate power source.
My biggest problem is how incredibly slow the crew is to react to her sabotage. It took 40 seconds for Picard to order her to stop the transmissions and another 40 until it exploded. (felt like forever)
As incredibly implausible that a visiting science researcher could lock out Geordie and Data or prevent shutdown of a system, Star Trek viewers often must accept this.
It's a fairly dull ending. A much more invigorating ending would be for the beam to be stopped and then the entity to react. Would it run away and need to be chased? Would it attack the Enterprise? (To emit the gravitons, were the shields down?!)
Picard could have saved the entity by rotating the ship (if the graviton emissions are a directed beam) or simply moving away from the entity, so that they would be too far to hurt the entity (if not a beam, the intensity would rapidly drop by 1/distance cubed).
This would end either with (1) a showdown with the entity in which Picard finally must destroy it or (2) the entity running away, and thus it will continue devouring worlds and will now see Enterprise as an enemy. Does the Enterprise chase it or is it too fast to catch?
Where there is one life form, there are probably others. What ramifications will killing one have?
If it is the only one, then humans have eradicated yet another species.
Dr. Marr has stated that she wants to kill the crystalline entity. Picard tells her that they must try to communicate with it first, which is of course the right action. Picard never has that conversation again, ever, even as they are on the way to approach the entity. Doesn't ask Data or counsellor Troi if they have seen any indication that she wants to kill it. Troi should have been monitoring her on the bridge and felt her deception or hate.
When Dr. Marr says that the entity is beautiful and then shows joy that it is responding to their signal, I thought that she had changed her mind, but so close to the end of the episode, not much time left for a joyful outcome of learning to communicate and providing an alternate power source.
My biggest problem is how incredibly slow the crew is to react to her sabotage. It took 40 seconds for Picard to order her to stop the transmissions and another 40 until it exploded. (felt like forever)
As incredibly implausible that a visiting science researcher could lock out Geordie and Data or prevent shutdown of a system, Star Trek viewers often must accept this.
It's a fairly dull ending. A much more invigorating ending would be for the beam to be stopped and then the entity to react. Would it run away and need to be chased? Would it attack the Enterprise? (To emit the gravitons, were the shields down?!)
Picard could have saved the entity by rotating the ship (if the graviton emissions are a directed beam) or simply moving away from the entity, so that they would be too far to hurt the entity (if not a beam, the intensity would rapidly drop by 1/distance cubed).
This would end either with (1) a showdown with the entity in which Picard finally must destroy it or (2) the entity running away, and thus it will continue devouring worlds and will now see Enterprise as an enemy. Does the Enterprise chase it or is it too fast to catch?
Where there is one life form, there are probably others. What ramifications will killing one have?
If it is the only one, then humans have eradicated yet another species.
I felt like socking Picard on the nose!
planktonrules22 November 2014
This episode begins with Riker about to get his groove on with yet another alien when out of nowhere comes that dreaded Crystaline entity. It kills some of the settlers (depriving Riker of some more nookie) and the rest miraculously survive and are rescued by the Enterprise.
Soon, Dr. Kila Marr (Ellen Geer--daughter of Will Geer, by the way) comes to the Enterprise to monitor the entity as they pursue it. It seems that in addition to knowing more about the killing machine that anyone, her son was also killed by it--and she is ticked! However, Picard soon makes it clear that his goal is NOT to kill it (even though it basically eats planets) and wants to try to establish contact with the crystalline entity). Naturally Dr. Marr is NOT pleased with Picard's namby-pamby attitude. What's next?
This episode was unusual in that I really found myself hating Picard. I understand about the Federation's whole Prime Directive thing, but the creature eats planets...and he wants to try to be it's pal! He also seems indifferent to the thousands (and perhaps billions) of folks it's killed. And, at the end, SHE is seen as a baddie because Dr. Marr wants to kill it. I say KILL IT!!! A strangely unsatisfying episode.
Soon, Dr. Kila Marr (Ellen Geer--daughter of Will Geer, by the way) comes to the Enterprise to monitor the entity as they pursue it. It seems that in addition to knowing more about the killing machine that anyone, her son was also killed by it--and she is ticked! However, Picard soon makes it clear that his goal is NOT to kill it (even though it basically eats planets) and wants to try to establish contact with the crystalline entity). Naturally Dr. Marr is NOT pleased with Picard's namby-pamby attitude. What's next?
This episode was unusual in that I really found myself hating Picard. I understand about the Federation's whole Prime Directive thing, but the creature eats planets...and he wants to try to be it's pal! He also seems indifferent to the thousands (and perhaps billions) of folks it's killed. And, at the end, SHE is seen as a baddie because Dr. Marr wants to kill it. I say KILL IT!!! A strangely unsatisfying episode.
Sometimes the captain is wrong.
M_Exchange5 July 2018
Other reviewers have done a great job at expressing their disgust with the crew for trying to "reason" with the murderous thing and attempting to understand it. I don't really like the manner in which the script puts the audience in the awkward position of almost hating the captain for his Neville Chamberlain-esque approach in this show.
But I wanted to PRAISE the OUTSTANDING ACTING of Ellen Geer in this episode. She even made me slightly emotional. NAILED IT.
But I wanted to PRAISE the OUTSTANDING ACTING of Ellen Geer in this episode. She even made me slightly emotional. NAILED IT.
The story falls short of Ellen Greer's performance
snoozejonc5 August 2021
Enterprise has another encounter with the crystalline entity from the previous episode 'Datalore'.
This a fairly good episode with some decent character moments but for me it's not written well enough for certain scenes to work.
The plot has a great central theme with the guilt and revenge obsession of someone who has lost a child driving many scenes of great emotional drama. However, the resolution falls short on plausibility and lacks any real explanation about the nature of the crystalline entity.
The writers clearly lacked the screen time to tackle both Dr Marr's Ahab-like obsession and give enough background information to the entity that might allow the audience to empathise with Captain Picard's stance and Lieutenant Data's final observation. The result for me like some other viewers, particularly as a parent, I find myself siding with Marr, viewing Picard as a bit sanctimonious, and resenting Data for kicking a grieving mother with mental health issues when she's down.
Marr has a lot of screen time and Ellen Greer gives a fantastic performance. Her character is not the only parent to suffer after choosing to focus on a career over parenthood. This is a theme addressed before with Riker's father, but in less tragic circumstances. Her character is written and performed so well I sympathised with her situation.
Data makes a strong contribution to the drama, particularly in his scenes with Marr. His lack of emotion is a perfect foil for Marr's character and, as ever, Brent Spiner does a great job.
Picard's character is written to be consistent with the Federation values he often upholds, but I do not think it works in this episode for the reasons stated above. If there was time to properly define the entity as something other than a mass murdering threat to life like the classic 'The Devil in the Dark' it would have worked better. Ironically, Picard gets his own Ahab moment in the movie 'First Contact' and has to be talked round from some vengeful behaviour .
Other characters such as Riker and Troi are not written well either. Troi in particular could have solved a few of the plot holes that hamper the final resolution, but she is conveniently quiet on certain aspects of Marr's frame of mind. Riker is the only major character supportive of Marr and it is implied (intentionally or not) that he too might be out for revenge after the entity prevented his latest conquest.
Visually it is very strong in the scenes involving the entity and on the planet surface.
This a fairly good episode with some decent character moments but for me it's not written well enough for certain scenes to work.
The plot has a great central theme with the guilt and revenge obsession of someone who has lost a child driving many scenes of great emotional drama. However, the resolution falls short on plausibility and lacks any real explanation about the nature of the crystalline entity.
The writers clearly lacked the screen time to tackle both Dr Marr's Ahab-like obsession and give enough background information to the entity that might allow the audience to empathise with Captain Picard's stance and Lieutenant Data's final observation. The result for me like some other viewers, particularly as a parent, I find myself siding with Marr, viewing Picard as a bit sanctimonious, and resenting Data for kicking a grieving mother with mental health issues when she's down.
Marr has a lot of screen time and Ellen Greer gives a fantastic performance. Her character is not the only parent to suffer after choosing to focus on a career over parenthood. This is a theme addressed before with Riker's father, but in less tragic circumstances. Her character is written and performed so well I sympathised with her situation.
Data makes a strong contribution to the drama, particularly in his scenes with Marr. His lack of emotion is a perfect foil for Marr's character and, as ever, Brent Spiner does a great job.
Picard's character is written to be consistent with the Federation values he often upholds, but I do not think it works in this episode for the reasons stated above. If there was time to properly define the entity as something other than a mass murdering threat to life like the classic 'The Devil in the Dark' it would have worked better. Ironically, Picard gets his own Ahab moment in the movie 'First Contact' and has to be talked round from some vengeful behaviour .
Other characters such as Riker and Troi are not written well either. Troi in particular could have solved a few of the plot holes that hamper the final resolution, but she is conveniently quiet on certain aspects of Marr's frame of mind. Riker is the only major character supportive of Marr and it is implied (intentionally or not) that he too might be out for revenge after the entity prevented his latest conquest.
Visually it is very strong in the scenes involving the entity and on the planet surface.
What the scientist did was horrific.
rodain-567854 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Not a very good episode, but even more so because the "so-called" scientist was hell bent on revenge; something that has been told through the annals of history to be an extremely flawed ideology.
She completely ruined her science career for doing nothing but fulfilling something she felt her son would've wanted her to do... on that he didn't.
Most people will agree with her intentions because we still in a century of having a very primitive mindset. The average intelligent human being today (living in the early 21st century) would have rooted her on like a fanatic football fan with their mouth full of beer and hot dogs.
But this isn't today (thank goodness), and what the scientist did is something that a primitive human being (living today) would have done.
She was wrong on ALL accounts, and the crystalline entity, for which was not evil nor had evil intentions, was plain and simply "cold murdered".
She should not only lose her career, but should be locked up away for life until hers expires, like she did to the defenseless entity that was interested in making contact to perhaps amend for its actions.
The entity was not a mass murderer, but she is most certainly now a murder.
P.S. Picard was way ahead of the bunch in this episode. My congrats for him being extraordinarily enlightened in the face of adversaries.
She completely ruined her science career for doing nothing but fulfilling something she felt her son would've wanted her to do... on that he didn't.
Most people will agree with her intentions because we still in a century of having a very primitive mindset. The average intelligent human being today (living in the early 21st century) would have rooted her on like a fanatic football fan with their mouth full of beer and hot dogs.
But this isn't today (thank goodness), and what the scientist did is something that a primitive human being (living today) would have done.
She was wrong on ALL accounts, and the crystalline entity, for which was not evil nor had evil intentions, was plain and simply "cold murdered".
She should not only lose her career, but should be locked up away for life until hers expires, like she did to the defenseless entity that was interested in making contact to perhaps amend for its actions.
The entity was not a mass murderer, but she is most certainly now a murder.
P.S. Picard was way ahead of the bunch in this episode. My congrats for him being extraordinarily enlightened in the face of adversaries.
Revenge is bittersweet!
garrard15 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
While this one does not usually list among "Trek" favorites, it is one of mine. 40's star Ellen Geer guests as "Dr. Kila Meer," a much respected scientist on board the Enterprise to study the mysterious "crystal entity" that had appeared in an earlier episode that introduced Data's brother, Lor. Though Dr. Meer appears to be genuinely interested in the crystal life form, she hides an ulterior motive: seeking retribution for the death of her son at the hands of the entity.
With the assistance of the crew, specifically Data, Dr. Meer is able to carry out her plan, much to the dismay of the android and the captain.
With the assistance of the crew, specifically Data, Dr. Meer is able to carry out her plan, much to the dismay of the android and the captain.
"As long as you're alive, he'll be alive."
classicsoncall12 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I'd have to agree with a lot of viewers here who thought Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) demonstrated a lack of judgment in his approach to the Crystalline Entity. I guess he's entitled to do so every now and then, but this was just too obvious, I think the writers blew it on that score. The Crystalline Entity made its initial appearance known in the first season episode titled "Datalore", in which Data's brother summoned the 'creature' to Omicron Theta, which it destroyed without provocation, and along with it, the son of Dr. Kila Marr (Ellen Geer). When an away team barely escapes another coming of the Entity on the planet Melona IV, Dr. Marr arrives on the Enterprise hoping to interview everyone who escaped its destructive power for their individual impressions. Although dismissive of Data at first because he was the evil Lore's brother, Dr. Marr comes around when she discovers that Data can summon up memories of her son before he died. He can even emulate her son's voice, which makes her weepingly nostalgic over her loss. By following the residual particles left behind by the Crystalline Entity with gamma radiation, the Enterprise tracks it down to the Brechtian Cluster, where Dr. Marr locks down a continuous beam of gravitons to destroy it to avenge her son. Marr's triumph is short lived however, when Data delivers her the bad news. Marr's son, proud of her success as a scientist, would not have wanted her to kill the Crystalline Entity. As with Captain Picard, this was one time I thought Data could have reserved judgment and kept the bit of unhappy news to himself.
I'm not at all surprised by the people rooting for the Dr.
txriverotter4 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
As many people have covered the plot of this episode, I'll just stick to how I personally felt about it.
Dr. Marr was wrong. She was obsessed with her son's death and her own guilt. Guilt because she pursued her career and left her son with strangers, and he died when Lore led the Crystalline Entity to them. She had been consumed with this guilt and hatred for so many years she wasn't in her right mind any longer.
The Crystalline Entity was just a living being, feeding on what it needed to survive. It wasn't a malevolent being looking for people and planets to destroy. It was hungry and looking for what sustains it.
LORE is evil. He used the Entitiy's needs to accomplish his own destructive ends. HE is the one who wanted all those people to die for NO REASON other than his own pettiness, selfishness and hatefulness, and he led the Entity there.
I completely agree with Captain Picard that every being has a right to life. Human beings are no more or less important than any other living being on this planet. And the truly awful thing is, they were beginning to communicate with the Entity. Who knows what might have been?
The problem I have with the episode itself is the fact that the "best" crew in Starfleet, continues to allow psychopaths access to their computers. This is the second person, that I recall, that's wiped out a civilization or life by taking control of the Enterprises's computer.
And somehow the "best" crew in Starfleet can't ever react in time to undo any damage. I'm thinking of the jerk scientist and his once-in-a-lifetime experiment that got messed up when Wesley fell asleep during his own experiment. The beings that evolved and moved around the ship messed with his super important human stuff, so they had to die.
The crew knew his feelings and still let him have access to the computer. Same with Dr. Marr. Why is that? Lazy writing?
Dr. Marr was wrong. She was obsessed with her son's death and her own guilt. Guilt because she pursued her career and left her son with strangers, and he died when Lore led the Crystalline Entity to them. She had been consumed with this guilt and hatred for so many years she wasn't in her right mind any longer.
The Crystalline Entity was just a living being, feeding on what it needed to survive. It wasn't a malevolent being looking for people and planets to destroy. It was hungry and looking for what sustains it.
LORE is evil. He used the Entitiy's needs to accomplish his own destructive ends. HE is the one who wanted all those people to die for NO REASON other than his own pettiness, selfishness and hatefulness, and he led the Entity there.
I completely agree with Captain Picard that every being has a right to life. Human beings are no more or less important than any other living being on this planet. And the truly awful thing is, they were beginning to communicate with the Entity. Who knows what might have been?
The problem I have with the episode itself is the fact that the "best" crew in Starfleet, continues to allow psychopaths access to their computers. This is the second person, that I recall, that's wiped out a civilization or life by taking control of the Enterprises's computer.
And somehow the "best" crew in Starfleet can't ever react in time to undo any damage. I'm thinking of the jerk scientist and his once-in-a-lifetime experiment that got messed up when Wesley fell asleep during his own experiment. The beings that evolved and moved around the ship messed with his super important human stuff, so they had to die.
The crew knew his feelings and still let him have access to the computer. Same with Dr. Marr. Why is that? Lazy writing?
Mother bear on the hunt.
thevacinstaller31 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Right off the bat, I will give Dr. Marr a pass. Forgive and forget are noble lofty ideals to aspire to ---- but ---- If you killed my child, you need to die whether it was a part of your nature or not and not even a Guinan pep talk can convince me otherwise. I appreciate the writers creating a story with a character who has a realistic response to the fallout caused by the crystaline entity.
I do like how Picard takes the other side of the argument though. Sure, a dispassionate viewing of the situation could see an opportunity to attempt communication with the creature. What's intriguing about the episode is the portray of Dr. Marr as irrevocably damaged by her son's loss and her own perceived abandonment of him for her career. The guilt of his loss and her decision to leave him with her friends leads her to change her career path to one of revenge. I completely understand her motives (and would likely do the same) but it is extremely sad to see her entire career after his death be dedicated to the goal of finding and killing the entity. Even commander boyscout Riker is on board with killing the entity after it killed one of his potential mating partners. Very human.
An excellent episode that shows the power grief has in causing people to become completely unhinged.
I do like how Picard takes the other side of the argument though. Sure, a dispassionate viewing of the situation could see an opportunity to attempt communication with the creature. What's intriguing about the episode is the portray of Dr. Marr as irrevocably damaged by her son's loss and her own perceived abandonment of him for her career. The guilt of his loss and her decision to leave him with her friends leads her to change her career path to one of revenge. I completely understand her motives (and would likely do the same) but it is extremely sad to see her entire career after his death be dedicated to the goal of finding and killing the entity. Even commander boyscout Riker is on board with killing the entity after it killed one of his potential mating partners. Very human.
An excellent episode that shows the power grief has in causing people to become completely unhinged.
Normally the most civilized of men
bkoganbing25 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This TNG story finds the Enterprise encountering the Cyrstalline Entity again and
they have to rescue Riker, Data (for the second time), and Dr. Crusher from a cave
where they have taken shelter from it. It kills mercilessly and one Enterprise
crew member Susan Diol is killed.
However they've picked up noted scientist Ellen Geer who has made a life study of it because in another annihilation her son was killed. Data was the only one who escaped and she has it against him.
Normally Jean-Puc Picard is the most civilized of men. But I'm really in sympathy with Geer on this one. Patrick Stewart wants to communicate with it and it's an it no doubt there and Geer wants it destroyed.
For what happens you watch the episode. Good guest star turn by Ellen Geer.
However they've picked up noted scientist Ellen Geer who has made a life study of it because in another annihilation her son was killed. Data was the only one who escaped and she has it against him.
Normally Jean-Puc Picard is the most civilized of men. But I'm really in sympathy with Geer on this one. Patrick Stewart wants to communicate with it and it's an it no doubt there and Geer wants it destroyed.
For what happens you watch the episode. Good guest star turn by Ellen Geer.
One of The Episodes Where People Act HUMAN
asfhgwt-19 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
(Hard to believe this was first shown 23 years ago!....)
ST crews always act so freakin' noble it makes me want to throw up. I realize that they're part of what is essentially a military organization, but they never screw up, know fear, act impulsively or selfishly, and are just sooooooo ready to sacrifice themselves, that it's simply not realistic in the slightest. This episode is a welcome exception.
I actually cheered, and cursed that crystalline killer when Dr. Marr blew it up in an act of pure revenge. "Good for you!" I shouted "F--- that g------ thing!" I felt elated, and also pleased that someone in Star Trek had finally done something *human*, unlike 99.9 percent of the perfect people in that fictional universe.
Naturally, I detested Data's "your son wouldn't have approved" put-down and the pronouncement that she had ruined her scientific career, since that pulled us all right back into the "so freakin' noble" zone. If that scene had been deleted this would have been a perfect episode for me.
ST crews always act so freakin' noble it makes me want to throw up. I realize that they're part of what is essentially a military organization, but they never screw up, know fear, act impulsively or selfishly, and are just sooooooo ready to sacrifice themselves, that it's simply not realistic in the slightest. This episode is a welcome exception.
I actually cheered, and cursed that crystalline killer when Dr. Marr blew it up in an act of pure revenge. "Good for you!" I shouted "F--- that g------ thing!" I felt elated, and also pleased that someone in Star Trek had finally done something *human*, unlike 99.9 percent of the perfect people in that fictional universe.
Naturally, I detested Data's "your son wouldn't have approved" put-down and the pronouncement that she had ruined her scientific career, since that pulled us all right back into the "so freakin' noble" zone. If that scene had been deleted this would have been a perfect episode for me.
The Crystalline entity strikes again
anthonylesley11 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The Crystalline entity for s1 ep12 Datalore returns in this episode and attacks a colony and kills two people Riker, Crusher, and Data were on the planet it attacked and survived with a bunch of others. After the attack a Dr. Marr a specialist on the entity joins to investigate why it didn't kill everyone, she at first thinks Data was in contact with it like Lore was, later she tells Data that her son Raymond "Renny" Marr who was sixteen was on Omicron theta the planet were Data was found and the first place the entity attacked. Dr. Marr wants to kill the entity while Picard wants to Communicate with comparing it to whale. After hearing a ships crew being killed by the entity and then hearing Data speak in her son's voice Dr. Marr kills the crystalline entity
Revenge is a Bad thing
nicofreezer3 December 2021
What the doctor did was wrong , so wrong for a human in the 24th century, she was all about revenge. To kill it just when they had a chance to comunicate, what a shame, even the Great William Riker was wrong for the first time in the show in this one.
Only Captain Picard was right, he was the intelligent beeing, the entity had the same right to be in Space than us. I already had massive respect for Picard but This episode prove once again the Amazing Captain he is.
The way he act here is the same than Kirk and Spock would have act Revenge is primitive human emotion , that we still have in the 21st century. Thats why many people in the comments agree with the doctor, because they are primitive human.
Only Captain Picard was right, he was the intelligent beeing, the entity had the same right to be in Space than us. I already had massive respect for Picard but This episode prove once again the Amazing Captain he is.
The way he act here is the same than Kirk and Spock would have act Revenge is primitive human emotion , that we still have in the 21st century. Thats why many people in the comments agree with the doctor, because they are primitive human.
The worst aspects of Star Trek on full display
frankelee12 January 2018
Star Trek is about a socially advanced humanity who wear their benevolence and wisdom on their sleeves, but in actuality it's a television show written by a bunch of TV writers who are not from a socially advanced humanity. And sometimes they just botch it up horribly. This episode shows the worst side of Star Trek, when the characters become pompous, morally superior, and dumb. It kills the believability, because such people could not make it very far in even a fantasy version of our world, and certainly couldn't bear the weight of responsibility for other people's lives successfully. In this episode Captain Picard isn't a morally responsible leader, he's a farcical caricature of one. And because of that, it's just not a worthy entry into Star Trek lore.
REVIEW 2022
iamirwar12 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It's a nice day on Melona IV. Wil Riker, the lucky dog has got himself a date, even if Carmen only has a tent. Weird crystal thing in the sky has other ideas. Of course, lets make for the nearest cave. Carmen stops to help an elderly man.
You would think they would have found an alternative way out before they blocked off the cave entrance. That green and pleasant land is no more.
The Crystalline Entity is no newcomer to the crew. This was the same Crystalline Entity that devastated Omicron Theta at Lore's behest. As a consequence, the woman scientist appointed to research the attack on Melona IV arrives with a personal dislike of Data.
An episode that starts well, stumbles a little, struts and then fails to fall.
Four episodes in to season five, and although this is not the strongest episode so far, it is certainly to be highly regarded. Motherly regrets have rendered the original outline of this story, secondary to the mothers-love aspects of the story and that has taken it away from where it could have been so much better. Maybe too much of a goodnight John-Boy feel to it.
Still, they cannot all be the best of season.
NB. Personally, I think Doctor Marr did the right thing. Why would you want to talk to an entity that has destroyed entire worlds and killed millions? Even if Captain Picard did manage to communicate with the entity, there is no guarantee that it wouldn't be hostile. Picard referenced the Great Whale to try and justify his wishes to communicate, yet he could just as likely be dealing with a shark.
This Episodes Clue: Bertolt.
You would think they would have found an alternative way out before they blocked off the cave entrance. That green and pleasant land is no more.
The Crystalline Entity is no newcomer to the crew. This was the same Crystalline Entity that devastated Omicron Theta at Lore's behest. As a consequence, the woman scientist appointed to research the attack on Melona IV arrives with a personal dislike of Data.
An episode that starts well, stumbles a little, struts and then fails to fall.
Four episodes in to season five, and although this is not the strongest episode so far, it is certainly to be highly regarded. Motherly regrets have rendered the original outline of this story, secondary to the mothers-love aspects of the story and that has taken it away from where it could have been so much better. Maybe too much of a goodnight John-Boy feel to it.
Still, they cannot all be the best of season.
NB. Personally, I think Doctor Marr did the right thing. Why would you want to talk to an entity that has destroyed entire worlds and killed millions? Even if Captain Picard did manage to communicate with the entity, there is no guarantee that it wouldn't be hostile. Picard referenced the Great Whale to try and justify his wishes to communicate, yet he could just as likely be dealing with a shark.
This Episodes Clue: Bertolt.
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