Captain's Holiday

"Captain's Holiday"
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 19
Directed by	Chip Chalmers
Written by	Ira Steven Behr
Featured music	Dennis McCarthy
Cinematography by	Marvin Rush
Production code	167
Original air date	April 2, 1990 (1990-04-02)
Guest appearances
Jennifer Hetrick as Vash Karen Landry as Ajur Michael Champion as Boratus Max Grodénchik as Sovak Deidre Imershein as Joval

"Captain's Holiday" is the 19th episode of the third season of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the 67th episode of the series overall.

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Federation starship USS Enterprise-D. In this episode, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is talked into taking shore leave on the resort planet of Risa, where he finds himself drawn into an archeological adventure with a woman of questionable ethics ("Vash" portrayed by Jennifer Hetrick) and pursued by a nefarious Ferengi (Max Grodénchik).

Plot

Strongly pressured by the crew of the Enterprise, Captain Picard reluctantly agrees totake a vacation on Risa, a pleasure planet. Shortly after he arrives, he is kissed by a woman he has never met, as it turns out an attempt for her to fend off a Ferengi named Sovak. Sovak accuses Picard of conspiring with the woman, Vash, who has in her possession an optical disc that he wants. Picard has no interest in the quarrel and returns to his room to discover two Vorgons who identify themselves as time travelers from the 27th century, searching for powerful weapon called the Tox Uthat capable of stopping the fusion reactions of a star. The 27th-century scientist who invented it traveled back in time to hide it. According to their historical records, Picard will locate this object on Risa.

Picard confronts Vash, about the Tox Uthat. She claims to be the former assistant of an archaeologist who had discovered the location of the Uthat, and that the disc was given to her for safekeeping. Picard and Vash use the information on the disc to determine the Uthat's hiding place. When they arrive at the location where the Uthat is buried, the Vorgons appear to witness the discovery of the Uthat. Sovak then arrives with a phaser rifle and has Picard and Vash excavate the site by gunpoint for hours. However, the Uthat is not there. The Vorgons leave, confused because this doesn't line up with their historical record. Sovak, in his obsession, refuses to believe that the Uthat isn't there, throws away the rifle, and starts digging while Vash and Picard return to to the resort.

After their arrival, the Enterprise returns to pick up Picard. He catches Vash attempting to sneak away from the resort and surmises that she arrived days earlier, located the Uthat, and devised a plan to create a ruse that would fool Sovak into thinking the Uthat was lost. She reveals the hidden Uthat and the Vorgons reappear, demanding it. When Vash suggests that the Vorgons may have ulterior motives, Picard has the Enterprise use the transporter to destroy it. The disappointed Vorgons reveal that Picard has acted just as their records said by destroying the Uthat, admit defeat, and leave. Vash and Picard have a final intimate exchange before they say goodbye to each other.

See also

• Qpid episode in Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Q-less episode in Star Trek: Deep Space 9

References

• Star Trek The Next Generation DVD set, volume 3, disc 5, selection 3

External links

• "Captain's Holiday" at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com episode

• "Captain's Holiday" at Memory Alpha
• "Captain's Holiday" rewatch by Keith R.A. DeCandido
• Tox Uthat at Memory Alpha
• "Captain's Holiday" rewatch by Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club