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Professor Galen

Professor Richard Galen was a human male featured in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode The Chase .

He was portrayed by the late Norman Lloyd .

Born around 2269, for many years Galen served as a professor of archeology at Starfleet Academy. Among his more famous students were Jean-Luc Picard , Donald Varley , and Jadzia Dax . Galen was especially close to Picard, almost to the point of the two having a father-son relationship. Picard took so well to archeology that he considered a career in the field instead of continuing on in Starfleet, but ultimately decided to continue his Starfleet career, disappointing Galen. In the following years the two men lost touch with each other.

By the 2360s Galen was one of the foremost experts on Kurlan civilization in the Federation . In the 2360s Galen found that there were a number of worlds throughout the Alpha and Beta quadrants - including Earth, Qo'noS, Vulcan, and Cardassia among many others - where particular DNA strands had compatible protein configurations that could be linked together. Realizing that it was too well built to be natural, Galen knew that it was part of an ancient computer program that could be very profound or very deadly. Knowing of the possible danger, Galen went about collecting DNA strands in secret.

In 2369 Galen reached out to Captain Picard for assistance in completing the computer program, even though it meant Picard would have to leave Starfleet. Picard turned him down again, causing the Professor to leave the Enterprise in a huff. While on his way to Indrii VIII to see if that world's DNA had a piece of the program, Galen was attacked by a Yiridian destroyer. He was able to encrypt portions of his computer files but his ship was boarded and he was shot at close range by a Yiridian. The Enterprise soon arrived and destroyed the Yiridian attackers.

Beamed to the Enterprise sickbay, Doctor Beverly Crusher found there was little she could do for Galen. In his last moments of life Galen apologized to Picard for becoming angry over his refusal to give up the Enterprise . Using the information collected by Galen, along with those collected by the Klingons and Cardassians , Picard was able to complete Galen's work and assemble the computer program.

Instead of being a weapon or power source, the program turned out to be a message from an incredibly ancient progenitor race which had seeded a whole host of worlds with proteins which were incorporated into the DNA of the life forms that evolved on those worlds, and led to many worlds developing sentient bi-pedal life forms similar in form to the progenitor race. Picard believed that Galen would have appreciated the message but was disappointed of how the Klingons and Cardassians did not appear receptive to the message. He was pleasantly surprised that some Romulans were receptive to the message, and hoped the realization that humans and Romulans were not so different would lead to improved relations.

A year after Galen's death, Picard used his name as an alias while infiltrating a raider ship searching for pieces to the Stone of Gol, an incredibly destructive ancient Vulcan weapon.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation : "The Chase"/"Frame Of Mind"

"The Chase" (first aired 4/24/1993)

Or  The One Where "Peace On Earth" Is All It Says

I went to college because my parents wanted me to go to college, and because that's just what people my age were doing—there was no question about it, not once. The only real issue was what I planned to major in, but even that wasn't too mysterious. I was going to be a writer, I knew that, but to support myself before the writing career took off, my parents suggested I get a Bachelors in English Literature, with an eye towards teaching someday. Again, I did this because I'd heard others had done it. Stephen King was a teacher for a while, and really, what else was I going to do? But less than a semester away at school, I started having doubts. I was taking English classes regularly, and enjoying them well enough, but college drama was my real home, the only place where I could create anything approaching a social life. When I declared my first major, I threw caution to the wind and went with Theater. For the next few years, right up until I graduated, I thought I might try and make a go of it as an actor. I took English as a second major, but being a performer was more immediately exciting. Hell, I didn't even really need a degree. I could just move to Chicago and start scrounging for gigs.

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Ten years later (oh dear god), and I never tried to make it as an actor. I never tried to make it as a teacher, either, but to be honest, that was never much of a dream. I don't think I could've survived the stress of living job to job like struggling actors (if they're lucky) do, and I believe the choice I ended up making—to wander through the next seven or so years, over-medicated and uninspired, until I finally got my shit together—was the only choice I could've made. (Remember what I said before about regrets? Wait, why the hell  would  you remember. Are you taking notes?) That doesn't mean I don't miss performing, and that I don't sometimes wonder what might've happened if I'd taken the risk. Most lives have moments like that. If you're lucky, wondering what might have been won't be incredibly depressing. And if you're  really  lucky, you'll get a glimpse of what was down the road untaken, like Picard does in "The Chase."

That title sounds exciting, doesn't it? And this episode does have its exciting moments, but the actual "chase" part of it doesn't really become relevant till about halfway through. The first part of the ep deals with a visit from an old friend. Professor Galen, a mentor of Picard's from his academy days, visits the  Enterprise  with a special gift for his old student: an artifact made by the Master of Tarquin Hill, who is, in fact, completely irrelevant to this story. In fact, apart from providing a valuable clue and giving Picard a visual representation of his internal confusion, the artifact isn't important at all. What is important is that Galen wants to remind Picard of his passion for archaeology, so that Picard will agree to accompany him on a search for what may be the most important the discovery in the history of recorded civilization.

As for what that discovery actually is, well, Galen refuses to explain himself, and when Picard politely but firmly refuses the offer, explaining that as much as he'd like to go adventuring, the  Enterprise  isn't just some hobby he can drop when a another opportunity comes along, Galen becomes unreasonable. Really unreasonable, actually; the professor acts like a spoiled child, accusing Picard of making a mistake by choosing captaincy over a more scholarly pursuit, and resenting that Jean-Luc doesn't see things his way. It might be easier to understand Galen's anger here if he got into specifics, but he refuses to say what exactly he's looking for, only that it's incredibly important, huge even, and jeez, just get on the shuttlecraft, will you? He also doesn't mention that whatever he's looking for, he's not the only one looking for it, although it's possible he just doesn't realize this. Galen does not strike me as a man built for intrigue.

Maybe Galen doesn't tell Picard what's really going on because of ego—Hey, I'm amazing enough that my former student should agree to do what I say without justification, and if he doesn't, he doesn't get to play. Or maybe it's because he secretly fears that if Picard really knew what was going on, Picard would seize control of the mission in the name of the Federation. (Although Galen does how much easier it would be to do his work if he had a starship at his disposal, which sounds more like someone who wouldn't mind some help.) Whatever the reasoning behind the professor's recalcitrance, it ends up effectively getting him killed. After he leaves the  Enterprise,  a Yridian destroyer waylays his shuttle, holding the ship in a tractor beam and boarding it. When the  Enterprise  attempts a rescue, the Yridian ship is destroyed by a single hit (which confuses Worf to no end), and the professor is already doomed. Picard has him beamed to Sick Bay, but Beverly can't do anything for him. Galen mutters, "I was too hard on you," to Picard, and then he dies.

Which is how Picard finally gets drawn into the real meat of the story. "Chase" has a lot of fun showing our heroes first finding a series of number blocks on Galen's computer drives, and then trying to figure out what those blocks mean. They visit two of the planets Galen had already visited in his travels, and neither planet has any intelligent life on it. One planet is rendered completely barren of life while the  Enterprise  is in orbit around it, so clearly  something  is going on here. Eventually, Picard and the others figure it out: Galen was on a quest to find the missing entries in a series of DNA fragments which seem to comprise a kind of genetic computer program. To this end, he'd farmed DNA samples from each of the worlds he'd visited to finish the program (we never hear how the professor stumbled across this idea, or how he figured out which planets would have the code he needed). The  Enterprise  rushes to the Kurl system, where Galen purchased the relic he gave Picard at the start of the episode. There, they find Cardassians, who are also interested in the professor's work. And then the Klingons show up.

It's at this point that "Chase" goes from intriguing sci-fi/character study about regret to a kind of wacky espionage thriller, as Picard negotiates a brief peace between the three groups in exchange for information, only to be betrayed by the Cardassians almost immediately. The tonal shift is entertaining, and it gives more of a sense of urgency to the quest, but both the Cardassians and the Klingons are broadly drawn, turning the episode into another in the show's long history of "Man, humans are so much better than all these crazy, greedy aliens, huh?" stories. Instead of spending time with Picard as he deals with his need to satisfy Galen's legacy as well as salve his guilt over what happened to his mentor, we get silly villains being silly. There's even a scene when the Klingon captain (who, to the episode's credit, actually turns out to be the most honorable of the bunch of thieves) screws around with Data, for no plot purpose whatsoever. It's a funny scene, and I don't need every moment in an episode to advance the storyline, but it cuts down on any attempt at tension when we get five minutes of pure comic relief in the last act.

There are plenty of good ideas here. The secret behind Galen's search is a great concept, and the way everyone teams up together to find a solution manages to make use of most of the cast. (I especially like how excited Beverly is about everything. I never thought of this before, but Dr. Crusher is as into the geekier, more technical aspects of her work as Geordi is into his own. There's something to be said for having a positive female character who's super into science, without anyone needing to make a big deal out of it.) I'm not sure we're given enough of a reason to justify why other races are involved in the hunt. I get it, everybody thinks the program, once finished, will yield up some great treasure, but the way their expectations fit so neatly with what we know about them (the Cardassians think it'll be unlimited power, the Klingons think it will be a weapon) is uninteresting, and we never really know how they found out about Galen's research in the first place. I'm sure he wasn't subtle in his work, but given how reluctant he was to tell Picard anything, I'd be curious to learn how, say, Gull Oceat found out. There's something cartoonish about all of this, from the Klingon's posturing to the inevitable Cardassian betrayal to the arrival of the Romulans in the end game—it's like one of the sillier episodes of  TOS . Or, hell, an actual cartoon, some well-made and well-intentioned but ultimately shallow kid's show meant to demonstrate the hollowness of greed.

That's especially true of the conclusion of the chase. (Said chase, by the way, only really takes up about five minutes of screen-time. You could argue that the hunt had been on-going long before the  Enterprise  got involved, but it only really feels like a race to a shared goal near the end of the episode.) Everybody gets together on the last planet, Worf and his new buddy confront the treacherous Klingons, and then the Romulans show up, because they've been tracking the  Enterprise  ever since the Yridian ship exploded. While the rest of them argue, Picard and Beverly manage to get the last DNA sample. They finish the program, which reconfigures Picard's tricorder and delivers a message in the form of a hologram of a species that have been dead for billions of years. The alien doesn't offer weapons or power or anything concrete, beyond the knowledge that she and her kind manipulated primitive DNA so that the races of intelligent life in this universe would share her kind's shape—what we call humanoid. She reminds the group that they are all related somehow, hopes that they don't mind serving as a monument to her race, and disappears.

This is corny as hell. The idea that an ancient race engineered a coherent blueprint for sentient beings that would, many years later, make life easy on decades of make-up and costume artists, is ridiculous enough to be cool, sure. But "The real treasure is love!" is never a satisfying answer to this kind of mystery, and it comes with a sort of guilt-inducing moral superiority that makes it hard to take seriously. "Oooo, so you were expecting something concrete? Oh, you stupid minds! So childish and full of greed. We don't have toys to offer you—just the joy of our empty handed embrace!" Something like that. I'm sure the first time this trick got pulled, it was effectively clever enough to work, but now, it just smacks of laziness. At least "One Tin Soldier" had the decency to make it all rhyme.

With that in mind, though, this ending isn't  that  bad. It fits in with the overly broad goofiness of the episode's latter half, and just because something is corny doesn't mean it's terrible. And it fits in with  TNG 's utopian ideals, of a galaxy of life-forms slowly, tortuously coming together, despite their myriad differences. "The Chase" has a certain endearing optimism in its conclusion, right up to a scene when a Romulan commander makes it a point of saying farewell to Picard, hinting that maybe, at some future point, their two warring cultures might eventually find peace. This, to me, is  Trek  all over—idealistic to a fault, and more than a little naive, but so committed to its idealism that it can almost make you believe it's true. Or else should be.

Stray Observations:

• We never do find out what happened to those poor Yridians.
• The aliens who left the DNA program should've hooked up with the ones who sent out the probe that got Picard in "The Inner Light." That would've been something.
• It's a small point, but the fact that Picard never seriously considers going with Galen is one of the episode's smarter choices. He's upset at rejecting his mentor (for a second time), and he's guilt-ridden when Galen dies, but there's never any question that he might quit his job. As, of course, there wouldn't be.

"Frame of Mind" (first aired 5/1/1993)

Or  The One Where Riker Takes a Tour of the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

I usually avoid reading plot teasers for episodes before I review them. As I've mentioned, I'd seen a fair number of  TNG  episodes before starting this project, but it'd been years since I watched the show regularly, and there were plenty of episodes I'd never even heard of. So I decided, like I did with  TOS  (and like I'll be doing with  Deep Space Nine , which I've seen even less of than  TOS  and  TNG ), to go as blind as possible. If I stumbled across spoilers in comments, so be it, but I wouldn't seek them out, and I'd even avert my eyes from the few short sentences Netflix (or the IMDB) provided to describe individual eps. It's worked out well so far. This week, though, I did get a piece of what "Frame of Mind" was about before I sat down to watch it. The name was familiar to me, and while I'd never seen it before, I had vague memories of Riker acting crazy. The plot teaser read, in effect, "Riker finds himself in a mental institution, where he's told that his life on the  Enterprise  was a delusion. Now he has to figure out what's real, and what isn't it."

This sounded cool—it's like that  Buffy  episode from the sixth season, "Normal Again," only without any of the meta-commentary. But while that is a fairly accurate description of what happens in "Frame," it suggests a level of conventionality that the episode doesn't possess. For once, going in with expectations worked to my advantage, because it meant I was completely fooled by the cold open. Riker is talking to someone off-screen (someone who sounds a lot like Data, but that could mean anything). He's out of uniform and clearly agitated, arguing about his innocence, and his sanity. The off-screen presence suggests Riker has committed some horrible crime, but Riker denies this. So, I'm thinking, we're doing an in media res opening, and Riker is already in the asylum. The back story of how he got there will just come out in the dialog.

Then the camera pulls back, and we realize that Riker is actually rehearsing a scene from a play, with Data as his co-star. Beverly's directing, but she's not entirely convinced by Riker's performance. The play's called "Frame of Mind." From that moment on, the episode had me. It's a simple twist, and you could even argue it's just as familiar as my original concept. These days, it seems like people are constantly putting fictions inside of fictions inside of fictions, metarduckens designed to make your brain explode instead of your heart. Maybe it's just getting caught off guard (by a show that doesn't surprise me that often at this point) because I made the wrong assumption that sold me. But really, this isn't a game  TNG  plays very often, and, as the rest of "Frame" ably demonstrates, that's a shame. Even if depicting mental anguish isn't really what the show is about, they do a damn good job of it.

The episode kept catching me off guard even after the cold open, not because the plot is so hugely different from anything we've seen before (it reminds me a bit of "Schisms," the episode where Riker and other crewmembers kept losing time to alien abductors), but because of the way that plot is presented. "Mind" gets by with minimal hand-holding, something I've expressed my admiration for many times before. We're given clues, but nothing in the episode telegraphs what's happening, and there's no explicit, hard truths until the very end. The audience should have some basic ideas by the midpoint; we know that Riker isn't really crazy, that the alien race that has him locked up is playing some kind of dirty pool, and that in order to escape, he'll have to find some way to break their spell. But the script never confirms these assumptions until it has to. More, it goes out of its way to seemingly contradict them, getting a great deal of suspense out of both Riker's plight, and the curiosity over how that plight could possibly be resolved.

Riker's working on the play, running lines and pushing himself before the performance. Picard tells him about an upcoming mission on Tilonus 4. The planet has fallen into civil war, and both sides are desperate for an edge in weapons and technology, which makes the Federation team stationed on the planet a perfect target for kidnapping and torture. The team has gone into hiding, and it'll be Riker's job to go undercover and contact them for extraction. This is a standard expository scene; we've had dozens of them on the series before. It sets up what will most likely serve as the main conflict of the episode. Since I'd heard that Riker was going to be held in some kind of asylum, it seemed logical to assume that the Tilonians would capture him while he was on the planet, then attempt to break his mind for interrogation by drugging him and convincing him that his past was a hallucination he needed to exorcise.

That's fine, but there was something clunky about wasting a whole scene with Picard for this information, especially when this was followed by a scene with Worf instructing Riker on the proper way to blend in on Tilonus. It's not a terrible sequence, but we've had Riker go on missions before, and by this point in the show, starting with a briefing is just too predictable and flat a way to introduce the plot. There's no momentum here, and by telling Riker what he needs to accomplish, we now know what to expect. We know what we'll need to get through before the  real  episode starts, which is a bummer.

Except it's not that simple; in fact, it's not clunky at all. There's a new crewmember Riker keeps seeing around the ship who strikes him as… off, somehow. And then, while Worf is demonstrating the proper use of a Tilonian ceremonial dagger, he accidentally cuts Riker's forehead. It's not like Worf to be so clumsy, and it's not like the show (or any show) to have a moment like this for no good reason.  Riker goes to see Beverly to have his wound healed, and on the way out of Sick Bay, catches a glimpse of a burn victim. This upsets him so terribly he goes to Troi for answers; all she can tell him is, maybe he's given himself over completely to his role in the play. And that's a good thing, right? Acting is all about going a little mad. In fact, Riker has given himself so completely that at the performance that evening, he wows the crowd to a standing ovation. And then the crowd disappears, and Riker finds himself in a real cell that looks a lot like the stage set, only less fake. There's a calm doctor there to tell him that everything will be all right, and to remind him that there's no such thing as William T. Riker of Starfleet. They called the Federation. No record of such a person exists.

The rest of the episode keeps working to throw you off guard, by never letting the status quo settle between the  Enterprise  or the Tilonian asylum. We know the things the doctor tells Riker can't actually be the truth, which means there's more to the asylum than meets the eye. But what does that mean when Riker finds himself back on the  Enterprise  after a length sojourn in Ward 47? It's not just some dream he's having, and we can be reasonably sure the character isn't going insane. (This is because in fiction, given the choice between strange phenomena and insanity, the smart money is always on the former. Not so true in real life.) By repeatedly switching back and forth between both places, "Mind" makes it difficult to pick up the thread of exactly what's going on—and where in some episodes that could be pointlessly frustrating, here it simply serves to put us even more firmly on Riker's side.

Which makes it even more interesting when Riker surrenders to the Tilonian version of events as quickly as he does. Usually in this sort of story, you'd expect the hero to firmly resist all attempts to break his mind, and for his determination to eventually win through in the end. Riker does finally beat his captors, but before that happens, he capitulates to the doctor's assertion that everything about the  Enterprise  is fake. He doesn't look weak in doing so, and it makes for another fun shift in expectations (as well as fitting in, in a subtle way, with Picard's behavior in "Chain of Command"; even heroes can be dismantled). It also, probably unintentionally, draws out the central conflict in his delusion. Since the  Enterprise is  real, by going along with the delusion, Riker forces his mind to try and sustain an unsustainable premise. And on top of all that, it feels honest. We like to pretend that we have strong, unbreakable ties to our version of reality, that only a crazy person could mistake delusion for the real world. But really, none of us is as solid as we pretend to be. Our concepts of existence are just aggregates of experience, a rough average of all the moments we've lived through, and the only reason each new moment feels as solid as the last is that we're never offered any choice in the matter.

Riker finally comes to his senses, and it turns out neither the  Enterprise  nor the asylum are actually real, at least not his recent experiences in them. The Tilonian who, in Riker's hallucination, had served as the head of the hospital (as well as appearing regularly on the  Enterprise  as a lieutenant), is actually attempting to drain information from Riker's brain, and the delusions he's been experiencing are his mind's way of coping with the process. Riker gains consciousness long enough to get rid of the plug in his temple (which just happens to be where Worf cut him, a wound recurred throughout the episode), grab his communicator and escape back to the real ship. It's an abrupt conclusion, mitigated somewhat by the coda, in which Riker starts taking down the set of the "Frame of Mind" play, but it doesn't diminish the rest of the episode. Really, with a story this strong which relies so much on confusion and mystery, the ending would have to be a bit of a let-down.

"Mind" is one of the darkest  TNG  episodes yet, and it inspires Frakes to turn in some of his best work in the series. He hasn't had much to do in a while beyond smirk, so it's good to see him get a chance to show off his chops in a role that requires him to be manic and terrified for a large portion of his screen-time.  TNG  has been testing the limits of its format in the past two seasons, for good and bad ("Time's Arrow" springs to mind in the "Dear god, never again!" category), and "Mind" more than justifies the experimentation. I had a great time throughout the episode, trying to guess what would come next, and failing more often than not. For a series to be still capable of surprises this late in its run is a fine thing indeed.

• Henceforth, the Tilonians should be known by their true-name: the Earheads.
• This episode also reminded me of  House 's "No Reason," in which the good doctor gets shot, and then, well, it gets weird. It's one of my favorite episodes of the show (back when the show was good enough that I could legitimately have favorite episodes from it), so I guess I'm a sucker for this sort of thing.

Next Week:  We have our "Suspicions," but finally managed to determine the "Rightful Heir."

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery’s tng connection explained - "the chase" & who are the progenitors.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery's huge season 5 tng connection explained by showrunner, star trek reveals why tribbles are no longer a threat in discovery.

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episodes 1 & 2!

• Star Trek: Discovery season 5 continues the story of the Progenitors discovered by Captain Picard 800 years ago.
• Captain Burnham embarks on a treasure hunt to uncover the Progenitors' technology with potential for peace or conflict.
• The legacy of the Progenitors in Star Trek: Discovery raises questions of power, unity, and morality in the 32nd century.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is a surprising sequel to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Chase", continuing the story of the enigmatic Progenitors 800 years after they were discovered by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). As Discovery is set 800 years after the TNG era, it can often feel forced when the show tries to marry up these two ends of the Star Trek timeline . However, the magnitude of Picard's discovery about the Progenitors justifies the secret being hidden for centuries, and it could have fascinating implications for the future of Star Trek 's 32nd century.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 1, "Red Directive" opens with Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) exploring an 800-year-old Romulan scout ship at the behest of Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg). Kovich was less forthcoming than usual with information about the USS Discovery's "Red Directive" mission , forcing Burnham to seek help from Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) in learning more. Tilly uncovered recordings left by the Romulan scientist Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeman), revealing Discovery 's links to Star Trek: The Next Generation 's original Progenitor treasure hunt, led by Captain Picard.

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

Picard’s Original Progenitor Treasure Hunt In TNG Explained

In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episode 20, "The Chase", Picard's former archeology teacher, Professor Galen (Norman Lloyd) asked the Enterprise captain to join him in solving a 4.5 billion-year-old mystery. Picard initially declined Galen's offer, but circumstances forced him to reconsider when his mentor's shuttle was attacked. Galen left behind files that contained huge blocks of numbers that were indecipherable without further information . Picard had the Enterprise retrace Galen's journey in the hope of finding out more about the archeology professor's strange code.

"The Chase" was directed by Jonathan Frakes, who returned to direct the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Eventually, Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) discovered that the numbers refer to DNA strands of multiple different alien species. The combined strands form a shape that resembles an algorithm, a program implanted in the DNA of multiple species, for reasons unknown . It quickly became clear that Picard was not the only person seeking answers about Galen's mystery, as the Cardassians and Klingons also sought to understand what this ancient program could be. Negotiating a truce between the two factions, Picard and Crusher gained enough information to lead the Enterprise, Cardassians, Klingons, and Romulans to the planet Vilmor II, where they make a monumental discovery.

TNG’s Progenitors Created All Humanoid Life In The Star Trek Universe

The treasure on Vilmor II was knowledge about life itself, delivered via a holographic message left behind by an ancient humanoid species. The sole humanoid species in the universe, these aliens wanted to leave a lasting legacy after their own extinction. And so, 4.5 billion years earlier, the ancient humanoids seeded their DNA across multiple planets in the Star Trek universe , influencing the evolution of countless species. Star Trek: Discovery reveals that since Picard revealed his findings, Starfleet have been calling the ancient humanoid species The Progenitors.

The Ancient Humanoid in Star Trek: The Next Generation was played by Salome Jens, who would go on to play the Female Changeling in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

Not unlike the broken treasure map from Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons" , the Progenitors' message was broken into fragments and contained within multiple alien species' DNA. The Progenitors' intention was that, upon coming together to piece the fragments together, the disparate alien races would unite under their common origins. Sadly, this wasn't the case in Star Trek: The Next Generation , as the Klingons and Cardassians refused to believe that they could possibly originate from the same species . However, the Romulans were more thoughtful, setting up Discovery 's season 5 premiere.

Star Trek: Discovery showrunner Michelle Paradise reveals why season 5's treasure hunt mission is a direct sequel to a classic TNG episode.

Discovery’s Romulan Scientist And His TNG Link Explained

At the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase", Captain Picard discusses the Progenitors' message with a surprisingly open-minded Romulan commander. The message has had an effect on the Romulan, who tells Picard that he hopes to one day stand alongside humanity as friends. Star Trek: Discovery reveals that one of the members of TNG 's Romulan landing party, Dr. Vellek, continued to research the Progenitors and eventually found where their ancient technology was hidden. However, Vellek was very aware that such technology could be as deadly as it is profound, and went to extraordinary lengths to hide his findings .

Both the crew of the USS Discovery and intergalactic outlaws Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) have access to Vellek's journals. However, both parties have very different intentions for the Romulan scientist's life's work. Captain Burnham hopes that recovering the Progenitors' technology will provide a sense of meaning, while Moll and L'ak are attracted by the price tag . Vellek remained hidden for 800 years, until his corpse was discovered in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, which proves just how desperate he was to keep the location of the Progenitors' technology a secret.

What Does Star Trek: Discovery’s Progenitor Link Mean For Its Final Season?

In Star Trek: The Next Generation , the Progenitors had hoped the truth about humanoid life in the galaxy would bring a new era of peace and understanding . However, rather than become inspired by their commonality, the Klingons and Cardassians instead feud with each other, disgusted that they could be somehow genetically related. 800 years later, and in the wake of the hostilities caused by The Burn, the Progenitors' message could be the very thing that finally unites the galaxy in Star Trek: Discovery 's finale . However, it may not be that simple.

For one thing, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will continue the story of the 32nd century, and the Progenitors' message of commonality will dramatically reduce any sense of conflict in the universe. More interestingly, Dr. Kovich seems to want to get his hands on the technology, not the message. The Progenitors' technology would allow Starfleet to influence the evolution of other species , power that would set them up among the gods. This feels like too much power for a shifty character like Kovich to possess.

Whoever possesses the Progenitors' tech in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 has the very building blocks of life itself. In the right hands, that could lead to profound discoveries that lead to renewed peace and prosperity for the Federation in the 32nd century. In the wrong hands, enemies of the Federation could use those building blocks for their own nefarious purposes. That's a huge concern as Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery continue their treasure hunt. Sooner or later, Captain Burnham will have to make a choice about how she deals with the legacy of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Progenitors.

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+

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Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

Gambit, Part I (episode)

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Production
• 3.4 Cast and characters
• 3.5 Continuity
• 3.6 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-stars
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stunt double
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8 References
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

" I'm sorry, but I think he wants to stay! "

Commander Riker , Dr. Crusher , Counselor Troi , and Lieutenant Worf investigate Captain Picard 's whereabouts in a musty bar on Dessica II , describing him as a "smooth-headed" Human . They find Yranac , a Yridian criminal sitting at a table in the bar who knows something – after the group promises him safe passage on their starship , he admits to seeing Picard the day before, asking a group of aliens questions about archaeological artifacts. Crusher's tricorder scans confirm Starfleet fiber traces and Human cellular debris exposed to some kind of high energy field , and faint traces of micro- crystalline damage in the floor material. Yranac tells Riker that he was not finished talking and continues his story. He explains that a fight broke out and Picard was vaporized by a weapon. Troi empathically confirms that Yranac is telling the truth.

Act One [ ]

Most of the USS Enterprise -D crew accept Picard's death , and plan on attending a memorial service arranged by Troi. However, Riker refuses to attend the service, and is instead focused on finding out who murdered Captain Picard. Troi believes that Riker should give the eulogy but he refuses, believing that either she or Crusher, who knew Picard the longest, should instead. Troi tells Riker that the crew should face up to what has happened. Riker is in command now and the crew looks to him for guidance. Troi notes that a memorial provides a sense of completion and starts the healing process. Riker tells her he will not be giving the eulogy because he will not be at the service. Troi begins to admonish him but an angry Riker cuts her off and says that he does not want to heal. He points at his chest and tells her that he has a wound there. He does not want it to get better and he does not want to pretend that everything is all right. Troi knows that Riker is angry and he raises his voice and informs her that " damn right, " he is angry. Riker says he will stay that way until he finds whoever's responsible for Picard's death. Troi finally gets angry as well and says that he is acting very selfishly. She angrily tells him he is not the only one in pain, does not have the monopoly on loss, and that the entire crew is hurting. She continues to berate him, saying that he has a responsibility to the crew. Riker tells her that that is enough. As Troi turns to leave, Riker offers a heartfelt apology. He assures her he is not concerned about revenge, only justice. Picard died in a bar fight for nothing and someone has to answer for that. Once that is achieved, then he can mourn the loss.

In the captain's ready room , Vice Admiral Chekote from Starbase 227 offers his condolences to the commander and questions his request to delay a mission to the Argus sector . Riker asks the admiral for permission to investigate Picard's death on the basis that he lacks confidence with the authorities on Dessica II – one of whom is known to be corrupt. Admiral Chekote agrees with Riker but asks if he is capable of pursuing this matter. Riker answers that the captain's death hit him pretty hard. He confesses that while he may not be completely objective, he states that he is determined to find those responsible and will not rest until he does. Satisfied, Admiral Chekote grants his request by placing the Enterprise on detached duty and wishes him luck in his investigation.

Riker interrogates Yranac in his assigned quarters . When the Yridian asks for an Enterprise shuttle in exchange for further information, Riker throws him against the wall and threatens to turn him over to the Klingon Empire due to his having twelve outstanding warrants for fraud and petty theft . This threat suddenly makes Yranac cooperative and he suggests instead that he be taken to a Federation rehabilitation colony. Riker demands he start talking. Yranac tells Riker that those who killed Picard mentioned they were heading for the Barradas system . Riker taps his combadge and orders that Data set a course for the system at warp 6.

Act Two [ ]

Crossfire foiled

The crew arrives at the system 's only class M planet , Barradas III , which happens to also be home to a two thousand year-old Debrune archaeological site. Despite the planet being unpopulated, sensors detect energy signals emanating from the surface. Riker orders Worf to assign a security detail to the away team that he will lead, and assigns Geordi La Forge as well, leaving Data in command. Before leaving, Data questions Riker why he's leading the away team and reminds him if Picard was here, his place would be on the bridge and not leading the away team. Riker finishes his sentence and responds with " not this time… " and leaves the observation lounge . Riker is still very much driven by finding justice for their slain captain.

" We've got one casualty and Commander Riker has been taken captive. "

After beaming down, the crew discovers that most of the artifacts have been stolen, and the ground has the same micro-crystalline damage that was found at the bar on Dessica II. While Riker, Worf, La Forge, Kellogg , and a few ensigns are exploring, a variety of humanoids ambush the away team , killing one ensign. La Forge tries to hail the Enterprise but the signal is being jammed somewhere on the surface, which is also causing interference preventing the away team from being transported out. After the away team exchange fire on the attackers, Riker suggests to Kellogg that they may be able to setup a crossfire if he were to move to a nearby field of trees. While in position, Riker is knocked down from a blast and the attacking party lay down suppression fire on the away team making them unable to retaliate and beaming off planet with a captured Commander Riker.

Act Three [ ]

La Forge briefs Data on the attack just as a mercenary ship appears on sensors readying to attack the Enterprise . Data raises shields and calls for red alert as the mercenary ship opens fire, doing no damage to their shields. The Enterprise pursues the mercenary ship but Ensign Giusti reports that the ship has faded off of their sensors, and has escaped. Data then orders the helmsman to return to the planet.

In a briefing, Data informs the senior staff that Starfleet Intelligence has confirmed that a ship matching the mercenary vessel's configuration has been involved in many raids in this sector. The advantage they have is they are virtually undetectable by their long range sensors.

Riker is taken aboard the mercenary ship , which is commanded by Arctus Baran . Riker finds that a neural servo has been implanted within his body which allows Baran to inflict severe pain on him. Everyone on the ship has similar devices implanted in their necks , which is how Baran controls his crew. As the crew argues over the ramifications of having a Starfleet officer onboard, a "smooth-headed" crew member demands that Riker be killed immediately. As he turns, Riker is shocked to see that it is Picard.

Act Four [ ]

Riker discovers that Picard is posing as a smuggler named Galen . Picard tells the crew that he is familiar with Riker – he is a Starfleet officer with a history of insubordination who was once even relieved of duty due to a " Cardassian incident [!] at Minos Korva ." Riker plays along, acting the part that Picard is describing. Picard then secretly manufactures an intermix chamber malfunction, giving Riker a chance to fix the malfunction and prove himself to Baran.

" Look, he's no use to us. Finish him now. Let me do it for you. "

At Barradas III, La Forge thinks the micro- crystalline patterns found could be left over from a high-energy transporter beam. Data connects the artifacts' value to the Romulans, since the Debrune are related to them, the leader of the attack party was Romulan, and the ruins on the planet Picard was killed also related. They identify Calder II as the likely next target, which also has a small Federation science outpost.

Later, Picard visits Riker in his quarters and reveals that he went to study an archaeological site on Dessica II, only to find that it had been ransacked. Tracing those responsible to a bar , Picard confronted them, but was captured and taken prisoner. Picard explains that the criminals have configured some of their weapons so that if they shot someone or something, it activates the transporter and beams them away – which is why the people in the bar thought he'd been vaporized when shot. Picard reveals that they are looking for specific ancient artifacts of Romulan origin, and that Baran is having Picard search through the relics they've stolen for these specific artifacts.

Picard asks Riker to help him infiltrate the crew of the mercenary ship. As Picard and Baran had never gotten along very well, Picard asks Riker to befriend Baran to help learn more about his plans. Picard also asks Riker to play into the role of a less than perfect, insubordinate Starfleet officer who is ready to betray the Federation . When Baran suddenly enters the quarters, Picard backhands Riker and he falls to the floor. Picard tells Baran that he was interrogating Riker for information that he couldn't get from him. Baran forcefully insists to "Galen" that he is to be informed when any interrogations are being conducted on his ship by activating the neural servo on Picard's neck. After recovering from the shock, Picard leaves and kicks Riker in the back while on his way out.

Act Five [ ]

The mercenaries travel to Calder II in order to obtain more artifacts from a Sakethan burial mound , despite the fact that the planet is also home to a Federation science station . Picard convinces Baran to use Riker to gain access to the planet in order to avoid a battle. Baran agrees with Picard's plan, but wants the ship prepared for battle in case it fails.

In a cargo hold, Picard is analyzing lot number 478-B of archaeological items for Baran. He is scanning the items one by one as Tallera, a Romulan, enters. She tells him that Baran believes he is moving much too slowly in regards to his analysis of the last lot of items. Picard snaps back that if Baran wants the analysis done more quickly, he should do it himself. If he wants it done correctly , he should let Picard do it his own way. Tallera asks if he enjoys living dangerously, as Baran could kill him swiftly by activating his control device. Picard doubts that, as he has increased the identification process by a factor of ten and is the best person on the ship to analyze the artifacts. Picard says he does not like operating in the dark and wishes to know why he is scanning these archaeological relics. Tallera says that if Baran believed it were necessary to inform the crew of the reason why, he would have already. Picard wonders if she knows why and Tallera says that what Baran knows is what she knows as well. Picard wants to understand why they are risking their lives stealing artifacts and who wants them. Tallera sees no reason to tell him but assures Picard that she does not share everything with Baran either. When she promises that this conversation will stay between them, Picard tells her he does not care if Baran hears it, as he knows full well what he thinks of him as a leader and that he would not last five minutes in command without his control device. He sees that Baran's power is based on fear and intimidation. Tallera sees this as a prelude to mutiny . Picard believes that if someone were to challenge Baran's command, the rest of the crew would follow. Tallera tells Picard that she likes him and can tolerate someone like him – only to a point. She tells him that she will complete their mission and get what she is promised. If Picard stands in her way, she will deal with him herself.

On the mercenary ship's bridge, Riker is unable to convince the outpost's Lieutenant Sanders to drop their deflector shield without proper authorization from the Federation Science Council . Before Baran can order the outpost destroyed, Picard configures the disruptors to fire a phase-resonant pulse at the precise frequency to disable the outpost's shields with one shot. With the shields down, the mercenaries begin beaming the artifacts from the planet, getting all but two before the outpost re-raises their shields. Just as Baran orders the outpost destroyed, their ship is hit by phaser fire from the just-arrived Enterprise .

Riker orders acting captain Data to disengage

Baran threatens to kill Riker unless he orders the Enterprise to retreat. Riker hails the ship and orders Acting Captain Data to disengage. Then, Riker attempts to use his access codes to bring down the Enterprise 's shields, knowing that his codes would have been immediately changed upon his capture. Data understands the ruse, and orders that the shields be dropped, despite Worf's objections. As soon as the shields drop, Picard opens fire, and a disrupter blast strikes the Enterprise 's starboard warp nacelle , seemingly crippling it.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Memorable quotes [ ]

"My friend tells me you know something about the man we're looking for. " "The only reason I'm talking to you is that I have a sister too. " (Riker looks questioningly at Worf) "I explained to him that we are looking for a man who impregnated your sister. " (Riker nods) "So you can imagine how much this means to me. "

"I think you've had a little too much to drink. You better leave. On your way, Yranac. " (Crusher pulls a phaser on the bartender) "I'm sorry, but I think he wants to stay. Sit down.'" "That's my sister. She's angry. She's got a vicious temper. I wouldn't cross her. "

" You'll like this. The man got what was coming to him. When they knocked him down, one of them took out a weapon and fired. He was vaporized! " " He's telling the truth. "

" Deanna, I'm sorry. This is not about revenge. This is about justice. The captain died in a bar fight for nothing . Somebody has to answer for that. Then, I can mourn. "

" I read your report, commander. My condolences to you and to your crew. Captain Picard's death is a loss to the entire Federation. "

" If Captain Picard were here… " " He's not. " " I realize that, sir. But if he were and he wanted to lead an away team, you would tell him that the captain's place… " " …is on the bridge. Not this time. "

" Oh, don't bother, commander, you can't remove it. It's a neural servo connected directly to your nervous system. This setting is usually sufficient. However, if necessary, it can go much higher … (Riker screams in pain) " These devices were the idea of my predecessor. It's a convenient way of enforcing discipline. " " What happened to him? " " He failed to enforce it with me. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Final draft script: 26 July 1993 [1]
• Premiere airdate: 11 October 1993
• First UK airdate: 31 January 1996

Story and script [ ]

Jonathan Frakes films a scene from the episode

• "Gambit" grew out of a spec script submitted by Christopher Hatton back in the sixth season . The story broke one of Gene Roddenberry 's long-standing Star Trek taboos – specifically, that there would be no such thing as space pirates. Although initially skeptical, Michael Piller and Jeri Taylor later returned to Hatton's story as it provided an opportunity for a "less talky romp". Rick Berman , aware of the taboo but willing to consider the proposal, tied a red bandana around the bust of Gene Roddenberry on his desk while discussing the story. He explained, " I just blindfolded it as a joke one day. Whenever they come up with a story I don't think Gene would like I blindfold him when we discuss the story…I take it on and off, depending on who's in here. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 265)
• Hatton's original script followed Picard's point of view and did not involve Riker. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 265) Hatton would provide the story to another episode this season, " Thine Own Self ".
• Naren Shankar observed, " We say we'll never do the 'rodeo' show and " A Fistful of Datas " comes along. " Shankar was unsure whether the story would work expanded into two parts. " To me, it's one of the classic television problems: if you start off the show by saying the captain's dead, no one's buying it…and you're just marking time until the captain's revealed. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 265)
• Shankar's original idea for the Vulcan Isolationist Movement involved them planning to literally phase Vulcan out of the universe to avoid cultural contamination from other species. " Everyone was afraid it was going to be like a Space: 1999 episode. The notion was to dimensionally shift the planet so you couldn't get to them. In that sense, it would be pure isolation. I still think that's a cool idea. Nobody else does, however. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 292)
• Brannon Braga was one of the story's opponents. " When the story was purchased, I was not attracted to the campy, swashbuckling elements and was afraid it would just look very corny. I don't think we do campiness very well – especially in the way we tried to do it with 'Gambit.' It came off like Buck Rogers: The Series and why do that? Is that good? We try many different mediums. I was curious as to why we were involving ourselves in a medium that is not usually a respected one. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 292)

Production [ ]

• The bridge of Arctus Baran 's ship is a massive redress of the USS Enterprise -D's battle bridge , with the most notable elements remaining from the original set being the viewscreen and the ceiling. Also, the chairs on the command center were taken from the bridge of the USS Enterprise -A from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .
• The mercenary vessel's bridge is later redressed as the bridge of the USS Pasteur in " All Good Things... ". One of the central consoles was a stock set element that also appeared in "All Good Things…" when the Romulan Commander Tomalak leans over it to address Picard through the viewscreen .
• This episode contains the longest phaser fight shown on screen, with over seventy shots. According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., pp. 265-266, all explosions were done in post-production due to a fire season ban on live explosives on location at Griffith Park 's Cedar Grove . Likewise, all damage stains on rocks were done digitally.
• The large "vest" worn by the alien bartender on Dessica II was later reused as Maquis fatigues worn by Ayala in the Star Trek: Voyager episodes " Caretaker " and " Repression ".

Cast and characters [ ]

Curtis with makeup artist Michael Key

• On casting Richard Lynch as Arctus Baran , Jeri Taylor commented, " Richard was simply the best person who read for the part. Peter Lauritson who directed the first episode, knew his work, liked him, and really wanted him. It's always a problem to find worthy adversaries for Picard. You need an actor who has the power, stature, and presence to go toe to toe with him and if you don't have that, you don't have an episode. Richard brought all of this and for his campiness and the sort of stereotypical things he has done, he has that undeniable power and I thought it was a good trade. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 292)
• Robin Curtis ( Tallera ) previously played Lieutenant Saavik in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home .
• Sabrina LeBeauf ( Ensign Giusti ) is best known for her role as Sondra Huxtable in The Cosby Show . Her character was named for a friend of Naren Shankar . Director Peter Lauritson recalled, " Sabrina was a fan, and though she's a professional, I think sitting down at the controls of the Enterprise kinda unnerved her a bit, but she picked it up and did fine. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 265)
• Bruce Gray previously played Chekote in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " The Circle ", which aired only six days before this one (it originally aired on 3 October 1993 ).
• Caitlin Brown previously played Ty Kajada in DS9 : " The Passenger ".

Continuity [ ]

• The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 266 notes that Picard may have chosen the name "Galen" in honor of his mentor, Professor Galen , who appeared in " The Chase ".
• The alien race of the Debrune is mentioned as an "ancient offshoot of the Romulans." The Romulans are themselves an ancient offshoot of the Vulcans.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 78, April 1994
• In feature-length form, as part of the UK VHS release Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Full Length TV Movies : Volume 9, catalog number VHR 4109, 8 May 1995
• As part of the US video collection Star Trek - The Greatest Battles : 3 April 1997
• As part of the UK video collection Star Trek - Greatest Battles : 16 November 1998
• As part of the TNG Season 7 DVD collection
• In feature-length form, as part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete TV Movies collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William T. Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• Richard Lynch as Arctus Baran
• Robin Curtis as Tallera
• Caitlin Brown as Vekor
• Cameron Thor as Narik
• Alan Altshuld as Yranac
• Bruce Gray as Chekote

Co-stars [ ]

• Sabrina LeBeauf as Giusti
• Stephen Lee as Bartender
• Derek Webster as Sanders

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Lena Banks as operations division ensign
• Eugenie Bondurant as female marauder
• Cameron as Kellogg
• Goldie Ann Gareza as command division officer
• Kerry Hoyt as operations division ensign
• Michael Moorehead as science division ensign
• Keith Rayve as command division ensign
• Lincoln Simonds as operations division officer
• M. Smith as Human marauder
• Baran's mercenary ship computer voice
• Andoran bar patron
• Boslic bar patron
• command division ensign (voice)
• Corvallen bar patron
• Nausicaan bar patron
• Three alien bar patrons
• transporter chief (voice)
• Tygarian bar patron

Stunt double [ ]

• Mark Riccardi as stunt double for Jonathan Frakes

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner and Richard Lynch
• Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis and Robin Curtis
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden and Caitlin Brown
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

4th century ; accelerate ; alien ; analysis ; antimatter flow regulator ; archaeological survey ; Argus sector ; away team ; bar ; bar : Barradas III ; Barradas system ; Baran's mercenary ship ; BC 011 ; Betazoid ; businesswoman ; Calder II ; Calder system ; cell structure ; cellular debris ; class M ; combadge ; command code ; compositional analysis ; computer ; court martial ; day ; death ; Debrune ; Dessica II ; Dessican authorities ; disruptor array ; DNA ; Draken IV ; Draken system ; energy sheath ; eulogy ; fraud ; Federation ; Federation Archaeological Survey ; Federation Science Council ; fraud ; Galen ; gold-pressed latinum ( latinum ); height ; Hood , USS ; intermix chamber ; Klingon ; Klingon Empire ; knife ; lateral sensor array ; leader ; " long shot "; lot number ; manual override ; maximum warp ; memorial service ; mercenary ; meter ; Milky Way Galaxy ; Minos Korva ; money ; month ; murder ; mutiny ; Nafir ; neural servo ; outpost ; particle signature ; petty theft ; phase-resonant pulse ; phaser bank ; photon torpedo ; planet ; plasma coupling ; plasma flow converter ; power converter ; power shunt ; pregnancy ; psionic resonator ; quarters ; red alert ; rehabilitation colony ; remodulation sequence ; Romulan ; ruin ; Sakethan ; Sakethan burial mound ; Sakethan glyph stone ; scientific expedition ; search team ; Sector 2158 ; security personnel ; sensor ; shield generator ; shuttlecraft ; smuggler ; smuggling ; spectral analysis ; Starbase 227 ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Intelligence ; Starfleet Operations ; shield generator ; Stone of Gol ; thief ; transporter lock ; transporter room 2 ; type 4 deflector shield ; Vulcan ; warrant ; Yadalla Prime ; Yonada Prime ; Yonada Prime system ; Yarnac's sister ; Yridia I ; Yridian ; Zoraster II

External links [ ]

• " Gambit " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Gambit " at Wikipedia
• " Gambit " at MissionLogPodcast.com
• "Gambit, Part I" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " Gambit, Part I " at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 2 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 3 PRO Season 2

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published May 11, 2022

How Star Trek: The Next Generation Shaped My Biggest Decision

One writer and fan shares how Captain Picard guided him in making a key decision

StarTrek.com

We all make thousands of choices a day. Mostly these are inconsequential, simply determining what clothes we wear, what route we take to work, or what we watch in the evening to wind down. But sometimes, choices impact our lives in more fundamental ways. These choices are often made by balancing our rational and emotional judgements but, when the right decision is imperceptible, where do we look to for guidance?

In the British university system most people choose to study only one subject. That choice can impact the rest of your life, and can take some people years to make. However, leaving high school, I chose to study law at university without much difficulty.

It was a subject that I long been interested in, and the idea of standing up to make a compelling argument about what was right and what was wrong, in the pursuit of justice, appealed to me as a young optimist with a fast mouth.

However, not everything went to plan. I ended up dropping out of my course, without any alternative arrangements for my immediate or long term future. Confronted by a seemingly impossible choice, I eventually found the inspiration for a much needed course-correction by following the example of Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

My first year at university was hard. The academic side of the law course was manageable, and I had a useful talent for late night study sessions fueled by black coffee so strong it would’ve made Captain Janeway wince. This initially helped me to stay on top of my assessments, exams, and other projects. I got good grades, and found the majority of the course’s content compelling.

Instead, what I struggled with was the non-academic side of university, which turned out to be equally important. I was privileged to have an endless pool of support from my family, but that support could only go so far. Thrust into the British university system, as someone who wasn’t naturally outgoing or sociable, I found myself struggling to connect with new people. I felt like I’d forgotten how to make and maintain friendships, and I was living with people who I couldn’t build relationships with - as hard as I tried.

Seeking respite, I spent much of that year rewatching Star Trek , The Next Generation in particular. More so than any fictional time or place, the 24th century’s Enterprise-D felt like a home away from home. Just as some people find comfort from the sound of rain against a window, I found comfort in the hum of the ship’s warp drive, and the background noises of the bridge. When I watched TNG, I felt that I was in the presence of people who were confident, professional, and always in search of what was right - not what was expedient. The example set by the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise kept me grounded.

Nevertheless, without close personal relationships at university, my motivation to complete my law degree faltered. I felt increasingly directionless, and began to question whether or not law was the right course for me. With growing uncertainty, and without the personal ties to anchor me to the course, I started to miss lectures and seminars. Naturally, I fell behind on my study, and it was my grades that suffered the consequences.

As the issue worsened, I withdrew from my study of law more and more. I knew I couldn’t continue with my course; for many reasons it just wasn’t working. But I also knew I wanted to stay in university. Everything else aside, I loved studying, and engaging deeply with a complex subject.

So, I had to choose a new course, a whole new direction to mark a fresh start. To stop studying law, and start something new was the single biggest choice I’d ever had to make; it could end up impacting my whole life, and would certainly determine how I spent the next three years at least. The only problem was, I had absolutely no idea where to begin.

Every time I thumbed through the prospectus, I’d hope that some kind of epiphany would strike me; some sort of “The Nth Degree”-style boost to my cognition that would grant me clarity of thought. However, no matter how many times I looked, no matter how many times I sought the advice of others about my conundrum, I couldn’t choose a new subject.

The problem wasn’t that there weren’t any subjects I was interested in. The problem was that there were too many: language and linguistics; art history; ecology; international relations; human geography; history and philosophy; astrophysics, and so much more.

Okay, so maybe I wasn’t quite qualified to study astrophysics, but the rest of the subjects were open to me. I only had to figure out how to choose one.

On a rain-soaked afternoon, a common occurrence in the north of England, I was re-watching “The Chase”. This time, the episode spoke to me in new ways. As a student, I was gripped by the references to Captain Picard’s own time in education. A young Jean-Luc Picard studied archaeology under the tutelage of the mercurial Professor Galen at Starfleet Academy, beginning his love for the subject.

In fact, more than one of TNG’s episodes center around Captain Picard’s passion for archaeology, and his adventures as he pursued various artifacts, or sought to solve a mysterious galaxy-spanning archaeological puzzle. Sometimes the extent of that passion would be a source of conflict. After all, in “Family” he considered resigning his command of the U.S.S. Enterprise to helm the semi-archaeological Atlantis Project back on Earth instead.

Rational, thoughtful, cultured, and measured:  I saw in Captain Picard a model of who I wanted to become. The captain of Starfleet’s flagship was renowned for his sound judgment; his entire crew relied upon it every day for their security. I needed to choose a subject to study; so I checked back in the prospectus, now looking for archaeology while not even knowing if the subject was an option.

It was, and the more I read about the study of archaeology, the more interested I became. If archaeology was good enough for Captain Picard, it was sure that it would be good enough for me. So, in the absence of a clear next step, I relied on the captain’s judgment and applied to study archaeology with a surprising sense of conviction.

I was accepted onto the new course, which I completed over the following three years. As it turns out, the archaeology depicted in the 24th century isn’t exactly like the archaeology of today. Much less time is spent chasing alien artifacts to uncover the origin of intergalactic life, and much more time is spent dusting bits of broken pot and bone. I loved it nonetheless. The core values of archaeology that resonated with Captain Picard resonated with me too. Star Trek provides a vision of the future, and through archaeology we can construct a vision of the past.

Like Captain Picard, my career has taken a different direction, and my time in archaeology ended when I graduated. But, now, I look back on my time as an archaeology student with nothing but satisfaction and gratitude. My degree in archaeology stands as a testament to the enduring international legacy of a TV series that ended almost three decades ago - without Star Trek I wouldn’t have it.

It isn’t uncommon to be inspired by a fictional character, but, every so often, that inspiration has a tangible impact on your life. Those characters can’t make our decisions for us, no matter how much we wish they could. But their example can act as a guide.

When I struggled to make my biggest decision I looked to Star Trek and Captain Picard.

James Osborne (he/him) is a freelance writer from the UK. As a lifelong science fiction enthusiast, he covers film and tv news for a number of publications as well as writing feature pieces and reviews. You can find him on Twitter at @Writing_Bits.

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Star Trek Just Changed a Classic Next Generation Era Team for the Better

Star Trek: Prodigy goes deep into Star Trek lore to redefine one of the most infamous Starfleet groups.

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This Star Trek: Prodigy article contains spoilers.

Starfleet Academy might be a school for the best and the brightest of the Federation, but it is still a school, complete with its cliques and bullies. That’s what the kids of Star Trek: Prodigy learn in the first episode of the animated series’ long-awaited season two premiere.

Now in the Alpha Quadrant after escaping the Delta Quadrant and the evil Diviner, the Prodigy kids are now on Earth and hoping to gain acceptance to Starfleet Academy. That application gets a boost when Admiral Janeway brings them aboard Voyager for a mission to find the lost Chakotay . But as Voyager ‘s Doctor (once again voiced by Robert Picardo) escorts the kids to their stations, they run into a trio of haughty pre-cadets, who sport fancy insignias.

These three pre-cadets hope to become members of Nova Squadron, a once-forgotten unit that has gotten a lot of attention lately. Certainly, ’90s Trek fans should be very familiar with the significance of this reference.

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Viewers first met Nova Squadron way back in “The First Duty,” one of the most memorable episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Written by Ronald D. Moore and Naren Shankar and directed by Paul Lynch, the season five episode “The First Duty” finds Picard visiting Starfleet Academy and checking up on Wesley Crusher. He learns that Wesley has joined the elite group of pilots known as Nova Squadron, but has also come under scrutiny after one of their members died under mysterious circumstances.

Wesley knows that the cadet died because the Nova Squadron was practicing the Starburst Maneuver, a dangerous configuration that was banned by Starfleet. The Squadron attempted the maneuver under the influence of Nick Locarno , the son of a powerful Admiral. Wesley initially falls in line with the other members of the squadron, omitting the truth, until Picard delivers one of his best speeches, lecturing the young Crusher about a Starfleet member’s first duty.

After “The First Duty,” Locarno was reimagined as Tom Paris for Voyager , but Nova Squadron fell into obscurity. At least until the Squadron returned in the most recent season of Star Trek: Lower Decks , bringing Locarno back with it.

Throughout the fourth season of Lower Decks , a mysterious ship collects lower deckers of various ships. In the final episodes, Mariner discovers that the ship is piloted by Nick Locarno, who wants to form his own Starfleet of the overlooked people. Although motivated by his own hubris, Locarno claims to want revenge for what happened to Nova Squadron.

Although the show does name-check the Cerritos, Prodigy has different plans for Nova Squadron than either Lower Decks or TNG . Most of this new group stays quiet (which is shocking given that one of them is a Lurian— Morn would never shut up), but Vulcan member Maj’el (Michaela Dietz) does play a major role in this season.

Maj’el goes with the Prodigy kids through time on their search for Chakotay. Not only does her devotion to logic help give order to the kids when they’re in disarray, especially encouraging the sometimes erratic Dal, but she embarks on a romance with the Venusian Zero.

But Nova Squadron’s best moment comes later in the season, when a massive ship under the command of Asencia and Drednok fires upon Voyager. The young Nova Squadron, with Dal among them, jumps into their fighter ships and gives fans a sequence more common in Trek ‘s longtime rival Star Wars .

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This version of the Nova Squadron has some commonalities with Locarno’s group, particularly a hot-shot attitude that makes them daring pilots. However, they also show a key quality that Locarno never understood. This Nova Squadron possesses a selflessness that drives them to sacrifice their own safety for the good of others. They understand the first duty of Starfleet Officers, a duty to the truth and to the principle that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

The addition of Nova Squadron to Prodigy continues the show’s look at Starfleet from the outside. As the kids cling to the hope of inclusion that Starfleet and the Federation promise, Nova Squadron presents a warning for the most ambitious among them (read: Dal) that being the best of the best can have its dark side.

Star Trek: Prodigy season two is now streaming on Netflix.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

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