The Child (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

"The Child"
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
Deanna and her son Ian
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 1
Directed by	Rob Bowman
Written by	Jason Summers Jon Povill Maurice Hurley
Featured music	Dennis McCarthy
Production code	127
Original air date	November 21, 1988 (1988-11-21)
Guest stars
Diana Muldaur - Dr. Katherine Pulaski Seymour Cassel - Hester Dealt Whoopi Goldberg - Guinan R.J. Williams - Ian Andrew Troi Colm Meaney - Miles O'Brien Dawn Arnemann - Miss Gladstone Zachary Benjamin - Young Ian Dore Keller - Crewman
Episode chronology
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List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes

"The Child" is the 27^th episode of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The first episode of the second season.

Overview

In this episode, ship's Counsellor Deanna Troi gives birth to a mysterious child, while the Federation Starfleet Starship USS Enterprise transports a dangerous cargo.

Plot

As the Enterprise's new chief medical officer, Dr. Katherine Pulaski, is brought aboard, the Enterprise prepares to travel to collect plague specimen samples from the planet Aucdet IX in a large bio-containment module, so that Starfleet Medical on Science Station Tango Sierra can study and devise a cure for a plague that is out of control in the Rachelis System. On leaving the starbase, a ball of energy passes through the ship unnoticed, eventually settling into Troi's quarters. The next day, Pulaski finds that Troi is pregnant; the fetus is developing at an accelerated rate and would be fully developed in 36 hours. Troi has no idea who the father may be. Though Pulaski gives her the option to terminate the pregnancy, Troi decides she will carry the child to birth.

While the Enterprise arrives at Aucdet IX and begins to transport the samples aboard, Troi gives birth to an apparently normal boy she names Ian. Ian continues to develop rapidly; within a day, he appears as a four-year old child and already developed mental facilities. Troi finds Ian overly curious, purposely putting himself in physical harm. With the samples collected, the Enterprise begins transit to Starfleet Medical, but finds one of the plague strains is growing, despite the presence of the containment field; should it continue growing, it will rupture the field and expose those on board to the plague. They trace the sample to one exposed to Eichner radiation, but are aware of no sources of it on board the Enterprise or nearby space.

Ian confides to Troi that he is the source of the crew's problems and will have to leave. Troi senses Ian is dying, and calls for medical assistance. As Pulaski tries to keep Ian alive, Data reveals that Ian is the source of Eichner radiation. Ian dies in Troi's arms, and turns into the ball of energy. It settled into Troi's hands, communicating telepathically with her for a moment, before leaving the ship. Troi reveals that Ian was a life-force entity, curious about the Enterprise and its crew, and went through the process of being born and growing up to live as one of them. With Ian gone, the plague sample returns to normal, and the crew continues onto Starfleet Medical.

Story history

"The Child" was originally written as an episode of Star Trek: Phase II. It developed from a story pitch by Jason Summers, and was written as a script by Summers and Jon Povill, who shared credit on the resulting teleplay. As a result of Povill's work on the script, he became Story Editor on the series. With the abandonment of Phase II, "The Child" was also abandoned.

However, in 1987, a second Star Trek television series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, came on the air. Unlike Phase II, which featured the original characters in a new five-year mission, TNG featured new characters, with some closely based on additional characters proposed for Phase II. A major Writers Guild of America strike took place in the summer of 1988, leading to the start of many fall seasons being delayed. At that time, the producers of The Next Generation decided to look into the Phase II archives for scripts. Upon the termination of the writer's strike in August, Maurice Hurley, the head writer and a co-executive producer for season 2, did a quick script revision, and the episode was soon filmed. The script was originally focused on the proposed new character of Ilia, who had been the basis for the TNG character Deanna Troi, and was relatively easy to adapt. The episode, which was the second season premiere, aired in November rather than the usual September. The writer's strike would also result in the last episode of the season "Shades of Gray", being the only clip show in Star Trek's history.

The original script was published in 1997 in a book about Phase II by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.

Notes

• The episode introduces Dr. Pulaski, portrayed by Diana Muldaur, as the ship's chief medical officer, replacing Dr. Crusher (albeit only for the second season).

• The episode features the introduction of the ship's bar/lounge known as Ten Forward, as well as the first appearance of Guinan, the ship's El Aurian bartender and Picard's confidante. She offers advice to Wesley Crusher about doing what he wants instead of submitting to the desires of others. He takes her advice and requests to remain aboard the Enterprise after the departure of his mother, and the crew obliges. The episode has La Forge as a full lieutenant and Chief Engineer. Both La Forge and Worf are wearing gold (Operation) uniforms.

• Riker also gains his mustache and beard in this episode; after Jonathan Frakes returned for filming having grown it, he had intended to shave it off for the new season. However, the producers liked it so much that they asked him to keep it. He would eventually shave it off many years later in Star Trek: Insurrection, only to grow it back in the final TNG film, Star Trek: Nemesis.

• Geordi LaForge is promoted from Lieutenant Junior Grade to Full Lieutenant and made the Enterprise's new Chief Engineer.

• Worf changes uniform from red to gold as the official head of security.

References

• Star Trek The Next Generation DVD set, volume 2, disc 1, selection 1.

External links

• The Child at the Internet Movie Database
• "The Child" at TV.com
• "The Child" at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• The Child at StarTrek.com
• Star Trek: TNG Episode Summary
• TV Home Next Generation Episode Guide
• The Child rewatch by Keith R.A. DeCandido