User Reviews

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.

History has shown that an attempt to impose "perfection" or "utopia" on people is fundamentally incompatible with human freedom. Human beings are not insects. Each individual needs to be free to think for himself, even at the cost of losing someone's idea of "perfection". That is the lesson to take away from this episode. Another issue tackled is that of defining less than "perfect" life as worthless. Geordi points out that he would not have existed if he was aborted due to his blindness.

ST:TNG:113 - "The Masterpiece Society" (Stardate: 45470.1) - this is the 13th episode of the 5th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

This is an interesting episode dealing with a genetically engineered society who have sequestered themselves into a biosphere - so no one can get out. This is partially a commentary on the Biosphere 2 project which was began in 1991 (this episode aired in February 1992), about whether life can be self-sustaining inside an enclosed structure.

The Enterprise warns them that a stellar core fragment will pass by their colony on Moab IV, thereby destroying them, but because they are in a biosphere, they are unwilling to leave. The situation becomes more difficult when the leader of the biosphere, Conor, and Troi, become romantically involved, and several of the colonists eventually also want to leave (because now they see more than their biosphere world because of the Enterprise)!

A true example where Star Trek and contemporary reality interact.

Trivia note: it's noted by Picard that lower band frequencies were commonly used in the last century (200 years before). And, a "ship in a bottle" is mentioned here - this is an ongoing motif in the TNG series.

The Eugenics Wars on Earth occurred in 1992-1996 because the Augments, created in the 1950s and by 1992, lead by Khan Noonien Singh, had taken over a quarter of the Earth. After that, genetic engineering was banned.

That's ancient history for TNG in 2364-2370 but strange that this history is not mentioned.

The core theme in this episode is the effect that the Enterprise crew will have on the society but it is barely explored. The character Martin Benbeck repeated issues warning but with no substance and they are readily dismissed by the leader.

They are so concerned about "contamination" that they might choose to die rather than be "contaminated" by outsiders but they discussion no alternatives to immediately beaming down an away team. The obvious solution is to first have a meeting over the view screen, as is done all the time. Best if the planet has no view screen, so the Enterprise beams one down, and everyone on the planet is amazed at this machine appearing out of thin air.

The outcome of this virtual meeting is that a team must beam down to the surface. Then, discussions and romance then naturally develops between the people who work together.

To limit contamination, the teams would have been told not to discuss their societies but, with a little thought, the differences could become apparent through their actions. The simplest is an Enterprise member who starts whistling while he works. The planet's tech would say "oh, I can't do that, I don't have the genes for music." which naturally shocks the Enterprise tech who encourages the person to try. They could also fall into talking about themselves, with the planet tech asking "Why were you chosen to be a tech" and the tech replies "I wanted to be a pilot, but my vision was not good enough." Another could say "well, actually, I'm a medical assistant but I'm being trained to help engineering as well" Lots of little interactions that could be more interesting and impactful than the Troi romance.

We could see villagers with telescopes looking at the Enterprise in orbit and quietly discussing what like would be like up there.

That would be far better than the idea that the team would beam down into a city square and Troi would hang out on a planet hyper-concerned about contamination is ridiculous and even worse that she violates her ethics. Far more natural for an engineering team member to step too far and cause a problem because they are not as experienced with such a restriction.

The plot needed a reason for the female scientist, Hanna Bates, to visit the Enterprise and find a solution that relied on Geordie's blindness. Unfortunately, the writers repeat the same tired mistake about moving an object. Instead of applying a large force for a short time, they could apply a small force for a long time. They also need to apply an equal and opposite force, otherwise the Enterprise will be moved instead of the fragment. The writers clearly favor simple short action scenes rather than more complex episode-long actions.

Of course, they did not even consider if the changed trajectory would now impact a larger inhabited planet.

The Enterprise is on a mission to warn the human colony on Moab IV about a massive stellar fragment that's approaching them. The Moab's are a secret society that don't care much for interaction with outside worlds... yet they only have six days before seismic activity caused by the stellar fragment, will make their world uninhabitable. The clock is ticking. It's a no brainer.

Both Troi and La Forge have made new friends, but I cannot help thinking of Alan Partridge whenever Aaron Conor is on the screen.

Hannah: "It was the wish of our founders that no one would have to suffer a life of disabilities." Geordi: "Who gave them the right to decide whether I should be here? Whether or not I might have something to contribute?"

It's a contest between a world created by and for genetically engineered human beings who think they're smarter than the rest of us. Much as I appreciate that the episode is trying to deal with the moral question relating to genetically engineered beings, the indifferent attitude of the Moab's to their impending annihilation doesn't seem very smart.

Indeed, Aaron and Deanna seem to have found time to get it on...

Again, this is an episode that relies more on dialog that it does on action, so it is a bit slow and pedantic. I get the feeling that the writers didn't really know what they wanted to do with the story. The Moab's seem more than friendly for a world where each person has a specific role in the structure of their society.

Sadly, the story is too boring. As such a race as the Moab's has never really existed, it is hard to imagine how such a people would really behave. I am guessing that this fact also plagued the writers of this one.

This Episodes Clue: Cagney & Lacey, The Dukes of Hazzard, Simon & Simon...

It's slow, but it's all put together with lots of believably characterizations, with one notable exception I'll mention later.

This is a great one because what this colony is doing is absolutely plausible based on human history and absolutely chilling for the same reason. Of Trek stories, this is very high on the "possible" scale.

The part of the leader, Aaron, is well written and very well played by John Snyder. This kind of role could easily be written as a mustache twirling villain, but that's been done to death and then some. He's personally, honest and earnest.

The colony's scientists behave very believably when they see what's beyond the dome. They think their society is ultimately a silly joke, and for reasons literally bred into them- they are curious and want to see what's really out there.

I thought the romance subplot between Deanna and Aaron was the best of its sort I've ever seen in Trek, and I'm hardly a fan of romance subplots. It's gradual and believable and doesn't feel at all tacked on. They KNOW they are being very foolish and let things get out of hand. Also the chemistry between the two is far higher than it ever was between Deanna and Riker.

I do think they overly hammered the anvil of the fact that Geordi would never have been born in this society. It's good, but they kind of beat it to death.

However, the way Geordi instantly knows Hannah is lying about the dome breach because his visor would pick it up is great. It's low key and perfectly consistent with the capabilities the visor has previously been depicted with. And it was great that Geordi waited until they were alone to confront her.

Now, the annoying flaw is that Picard seems to keep reversing himself, and especially at the end suggesting the Enterprise visit was as damaging as the colony being destroyed by the comet. Makes no sense.

Dead Colonists or Dead Way of Life for the Colonists, that is the fundamental question.

It's also the reason I despise characters like Martin. For all his zealotry and fanatical ranting, each and every time he is faced with the fact that, had the Enterprise not contacted them, and had Aaron not accepted their offer of help, the colonists would all be dead anyway.

Every time Martin goes off on a rant at someone, the other character points out that they'd all be dead if they followed his way of thinking. And every time he ignores them and runs away or avoids answering and continues to make pointless argument. I get it, there are people like this IRL, so it's a legit character, with a legit flaw.

What makes it so funny, or perhaps frustrating, is that this is a supposed "perfect" society, bred for superiority, and they all sit around and do nothing with all that genius. What challenges do they face? What does their society need that isn't already provided? So what's the point? What are they fighting so hard to protect?

The most frustrating characters outside of Martin, are Troi and Aaron. They spend a few days together, becoming more attracted to each other, which culminates in them spending the night together. Nothing wrong with that, im real life. But in this series, Troi is supposed to be acting on behalf of the Enterprjse and Captain Picard.

Which begs the question, why? Why do Picard or Riker not beam down originally to discuss what the society is facing and what must be done to save them? The only answer I can come up with is, they wouldn't have been able to write in the love story conflict.

Then she and Picard have an inane conversation where Troi tells Picard she thinks they're making their society work just fine, as he's criticizing the whole venture of "perfect societies." Then he asks her if she'd like to live her life with her entire future already written, and she gives the idiotic answer that she "doesn't know." Which considering her entire career and way of life, you'd rightly expect a resounding "No!"

But Troi's almost falling in love, and so all looks rosy in the commune. And then after the threat is passed and all is well, several of the colonists have decided they don't want to live within the confines of their "perfect society" any longer.

When Picard gathers the officers together to discuss giving them asylum, Troi stupidly tells Picard they just cannot, because what will happen to their "perfect" society then? She doesn't give a fig leaf for the individuals who are desperate to get off the planet while they can, because Aaron will certainly never answer another outside call again now that this has happened so they either leave now or their stuck. But Troi's selfishly thinking only of Aaron and how it will affect him and his job. I found that repulsive, and completely out of character for her.

When Picard does finally meet with Aaron, after all the danger has passed and the "damage" is done, he tells Aaron he cannot refuse the colonists asylum. And even tho Aaron is feeling the pull of the outside world himself, he still begs Picard to not give in to them, because his duty and only purpose is to serve the society and repair the damage done by the Enterprise being there.

Then Aaron and Troi have a final goodbye where Aaron tells her he loves her and he always will, because for all the supposed perfect mates for him within their society, he's never and will never love any of them. It's really sad commentary for continuing this way of life at all. Actually for ever even beginning it.

So, Enterprise grants asylum, Riker comes in to tell Picard they're all onboard, twenty three of the colonists, and then Picard starts lamenting the situation and questioning if they've been true to the Prime Directive. Which I find a cop out the writers stuck in there right at the end.

Of course the Prime Directive doesn't apply, they're human. Doesn't matter if their ancestors ran away to start a so-called perfect society or not. They're still human and therefore not subject to the PD.

And bottom line, Picard waffling about it after it's all over and said and done, doesn't change the fundamental fact that if they'd not accepted outside help in order to protect their way of life, they'd all be dead anyway.

This is one of the more interesting episodes of Star Trek TNG. Again a (then) current controversial research was brought to light in this episode and its pros and cons were weighed carefully.

Enterprise tries to save a planet from imminent destruction by a fragment of a neutron star. In this planet people have been born by selective genetic engineering: blocking out genes with faults and disabilities and creating people for each vocation with the perfect set of traits for that particular vocation. While the team aboard Enterprise try to help this planet the rest of this episode deals with the possible disadvantages of such a genetically engineered society.

In this nobody spends any part of their time searching their souls for what they want to do and what they would be good at - since they are designed and born to fill a particular job (artist, doctor, engineer, diplomat etc.). However their technology has not advanced as much as the Federation has in spite of all this. Geordi makes an insightful remark about this saying may be necessity had been the mother of invention in the Federation's case. If you do not struggle with anything you will not be motivated to find something to fix it. Another ironical situation when the technology behind a blind man's visor helps save a planet where a blind man is not genetically accepted is interesting.

Well, they blew the Prime Directive all to hell in this episode, didn't they? Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) throws in a caveat at the end of the story by stating that what the Enterprise had done by taking members of the colony on Moab IV aboard was okay because they were human. I don't see how that makes any difference, but of course the Enterprise had to intervene earlier, or the entire planet might have been destroyed by the stellar core fragment heading straight for it. There's a nice contrast here between growing up in a perfect society where everyone and everything is bio-engineered, and one in which we're allowed freedom to make our own mistakes and develop as human beings. That's what was lacking on Moab IV, and what scientist Hannah Bates (Dey Young) came to understand by helping Commander LaForge figure out how to power up the Enterprise's tractor beam to divert the star fragment from crashing into the planet. I wish the writers would come up with a story that didn't require the Enterprise itself to just barely miss a deadline that would terminate life support. What was it, like five seconds here? The closing dialog between Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Riker brought little consolation to questioning the whole Prime Directive argument, but seeing as how they saved an entire planet from destruction, I think the captain would have been able to sleep well that night.

A minor nitpick - ever since Wil Wheaton left the cast as Ensign Wesley Crusher, the replacement ensign has never been addressed by name. Sheila Franklin has been sitting in the ensign's chair for a number of episodes by now, and I don't think her name as Ensign Felton has ever been mentioned.

Whether people agree or not with equalities n 2023, we all at least know that people with disabilities or addiitonal needs are both present and very much part of our societies.

The reveal that a supposed error (Geordi's vision) for Moab IV would have led to him never being born, for being seen as defective, would yet save the day.

For all of us able bodied people, who have a "leg up" in society, let us not ignore the power that showing the person with a supposed disability is the most useful person in the room.

And this, despite what some rather odd people in recent times seem to have totally missed, is what Star Trek has been about since day one.

In "The Masterpiece Society" the Enterprise must assist a secret settlement of humans that have created a society built around the concept of genetic engineering. But contact with the crew and Federation technology threaten to unravel the fabric of a societal experiment centuries in the making.

For how long and problematic a history with genetic engineering the Star Trek universe has, I was absolutely floored by how relaxed all members of the Enterprise were to discovering these humans giving it another go. Don't they read their history books? Doesn't Khan's name mean anything to them?

Discounting that little side note, this episode is just plain boring for the majority of it. I can't really even think of anything of note to discuss. I guess I found the ending quite dumb. Picard apologizing for this uppity society and them "destroying" it by taking asylum seekers feels tonally off.

The Enterprise tries to save an Earth colony from an incoming stellar fragment. We learn that this colony is perfectly balanced, with its members genetically modified and in perfect balance with nature. The stellar fragment might not do as much damage to them as the crew's presence and the desire of those fascinated by the Enterprise's technology to leave.

Troi once again falls for a handsome man with whom a long-term relationship is not possible.

This episode seems to have a pro-life message. It's argued that this colony has no right to terminate fetuses with imperfections, because they could develop into people with something to contribute. Perhaps it's meant to only apply to detectable defects (e.g. Down's Syndrome), but it seems to be preaching against terminating pregnancies in general.

I didn't really think this episode was especially good or bad. The concept of a such a selectively bred society should be seen as fairly ridiculous to anyone with half a brain. Only a real handful of people left at the end of the episode, so what would happen if some natural event caused you to lose the same people?

The acting was fine, though I found the colony leader to be fairly annoying to watch and listen to. The science is pretty off, such as saying that a neutron star disintegrated, but I get it's more about the story.

Overall you won't miss much by skipping ahead on occasion or just entirely skipping the episode.

This episode can really go all the way to hell. The comparisons being made, the horrible way women were written in the episode (specifically Troi). Very unpleasant experience especially towards the end. The last 'prime directive' scene can frack all the way off. All the way. If that society couldn't stand taking s bit of criticism from the outside before collapsing, it was clearly going to collapse some time or other. Just BAD writing.

Well, the best part of this episode was a very small scene of the Engineer from the surface walking around engineering in a brown tight skirt. That's it's for my positives.

The writers attempted to work in a love angle between Troi and Synder but they had the bare minimum of build up and absolutely no chemistry whatsoever --- I wasn't buying it.

Hannah is probably the best part of this episode with her discovery of what life is like out of the bubble she lives in and the fact that Levar Burton can work well with pretty much any actor.

The prime directive angle was pretty flaccid. It certainly was better to save the colony from certain (?) destruction from the core fragment then the fallout from cultural contamination.

There was nothing compelling about the genetically engineered society for me to latch on to. I cared nothing for their plight or the consequences that resulted from Enterprises help.

We get an after school special scene about how disabled people are useful and it's not human to breed chance out of the human equations.

The episode should have steered far more into the genetically engineered versus natural human angle and less so on the prime directive fallout.

The pacing was glacial in this episode and it was a battle to keep myself engaged while watching it.

I consider myself a Trekkie, and have this episode to blame if I were to drop out of those ranks. The Enterprise is tasked with monitoring the impact upon a solar system of a stellar core fragment. It scans the system and finds that there are life forms on a supposedly uninhabited planet. Well...

After the viewer gets past the snub to physics of having such a stellar fragment emit visible light (how? WAY too small for fusion) the viewer is introduced to the 'colony' of perfect design. I was reminded that this episode came out a year and a half before "Jurassic Park" but was hoping for a character, like Data, to remind all concerned that to control for so many variables is impossible, especially over two centuries. The viewer, if an experienced Trekkie, should be waiting for the other shoe to drop, a large boot at that, of hearing a reference to the Eugenics Wars and Khan Noonien Singh. But no...

Then, the love story begins, and the all-too-easily anticipated asylum requests begin. The viewer should enjoy this episode if he likes the director's use of close-ups, the likes of which this galaxy has never seen before!