Ethics (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

"**Ethics**"
"Ethics"
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
Episode no.	Season 5; Episode 16
Directed by	Chip Chalmers
Story by	Sara B. Cooper; Stuart Charno
Teleplay by	Ronald D. Moore
Featured music	Dennis McCarthy
Production code	216
Original air date	March 2, 1992
Guest appearances
	Patti Yasutake - Alyssa Ogawa; Brian Bonsall - Alexander Rozhenko; Caroline Kava - Toby Russell;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "Power Play"	Next →; "The Outcast"
	List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes

"Ethics" is the 116th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The 16th episode of the fifth season.

Plot

In a storage bay, Worf is hit by a barrel that falls from above. His spine is damaged, resulting in paraplegia. Dr. Crusher consults a specialist, Dr. Russell, who suggests a risky, possibly life-threatening, experimental, untested procedure that may allow Worf to regain all mobility; essentially, they clone his spine, extract the original and replace it with the new one. However Dr. Crusher does not think the risk is worth it.

Dr. Crusher recommends implants that transmit neural signals which would allow him to regain about 60% of his mobility. However, Worf does not like the idea of being an injured warrior nor "lurching through corridors" so he considers his life to be over.

Dr. Russell volunteers to assist in treating injured colonists whose transport had struck a mine. Crusher finds that she has used an experimental drug on a patient who subsequently died, and quietly but strongly reprimands Russell for not using proven methods first.

Worf asks Commander Riker to assist him in performing a ritual suicide, but Riker does not wish to help kill a friend. Riker points out that it is his son, Alexander, that the ritual states should assist. Unable to ask his son, Worf decides to risk undergoing the untested spine replacement procedure, against Dr. Crusher's advice.

The operation proceeds as planned until Worf loses synaptic function, resulting in cardiac arrest and apparent brain death. In tears, Dr. Crusher informs Troi and Alexander of his demise, but minutes later they are pleasantly surprised as Worf revives due to the redundancies built into his body that back up even his neural functions.

Later Dr. Russell enters Dr. Crusher's office, and Crusher tells her that while she is delighted that Worf will recover, she is horrified by Russell's immoral methods of putting her own interests in collecting research data and gaining recognition for herself above patients' interests and lives. Russell silently leaves the room.

Back in his quarters, Worf relearns to walk, and accepts help from Alexander in mastering the use of his legs once again.

References

Star Trek The Next Generation DVD set, volume 5, disc 4, selection 4.

External links

Template:StarTrek.com link

v t e Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes
Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Season 1	"Encounter at Farpoint, Part I" "Encounter at Farpoint, Part II" "The Naked Now" "Code of Honor" "The Last Outpost" "Where No One Has Gone Before" "Lonely Among Us" "Justice" "The Battle" "Hide and Q" "Haven" "The Big Goodbye" "Datalore" "Angel One" "11001001" "Too Short a Season" "When the Bough Breaks" "Home Soil" "Coming of Age" "Heart of Glory" "The Arsenal of Freedom" "Symbiosis" "Skin of Evil" "We'll Always Have Paris" "Conspiracy" "The Neutral Zone"
Season 2	"The Child" "Where Silence Has Lease" "Elementary, Dear Data" "The Outrageous Okona" "Loud as a Whisper" "The Schizoid Man" "Unnatural Selection" "A Matter of Honor" "The Measure of a Man" "The Dauphin" "Contagion" "The Royale" "Time Squared" "The Icarus Factor" "Pen Pals" "Q Who" "Samaritan Snare" "Up the Long Ladder" "Manhunt" "The Emissary" "Peak Performance" "Shades of Gray"
Season 3	"Evolution" "The Ensigns of Command" "The Survivors" "Who Watches the Watchers" "The Bonding" "Booby Trap" "The Enemy" "The Price" "The Vengeance Factor" "The Defector" "The Hunted" "The High Ground" "Deja Q" "A Matter of Perspective" "Yesterday's Enterprise" "The Offspring" "Sins of the Father" "Allegiance" "Captain's Holiday" "Tin Man" "Hollow Pursuits" "The Most Toys" "Sarek" "Ménage à Troi" "Transfigurations" "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I"
Season 4	"The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" "Family" "Brothers" "Suddenly Human" "Remember Me" "Legacy" "Reunion" "Future Imperfect" "Final Mission" "The Loss" "Data's Day" "The Wounded" "Devil's Due" "Clues" "First Contact" "Galaxy's Child" "Night Terrors" "Identity Crisis" "The Nth Degree" "Qpid" "The Drumhead" "Half a Life" "The Host" "The Mind's Eye" "In Theory" "Redemption I"
Season 5	"Redemption II" "Darmok" "Ensign Ro" "Silicon Avatar" "Disaster" "The Game" "Unification, Part I" "Unification, Part II" "A Matter of Time" "New Ground" "Hero Worship" "Violations" "The Masterpiece Society" "Conundrum" "Power Play" "Ethics" "The Outcast" "Cause and Effect" "The First Duty" "Cost of Living" "The Perfect Mate" "Imaginary Friend" "I, Borg" "The Next Phase" "The Inner Light" "Time's Arrow, Part I"
Season 6	"Time's Arrow, Part II" "Realm of Fear" "Man of the People" "Relics" "Schisms" "True Q" "Rascals" "A Fistful of Datas" "The Quality of Life" "Chain of Command, Part I" "Chain of Command, Part II" "Ship in a Bottle" "Aquiel" "Face of the Enemy" "Tapestry" "Birthright, Part I" "Birthright, Part II" "Starship Mine" "Lessons" "The Chase" "Frame of Mind" "Suspicions" "Rightful Heir" "Second Chances" "Timescape" "Descent, Part I"
Season 7	"Descent, Part II" "Liaisons" "Interface" "Gambit, Part I" "Gambit, Part II" "Phantasms" "Dark Page" "Attached" "Force of Nature" "Inheritance" "Parallels" "The Pegasus" "Homeward" "Sub Rosa" "Lower Decks" "Thine Own Self" "Masks" "Eye of the Beholder" "Genesis" "Journey's End" "Firstborn" "Bloodlines" "Emergence" "Preemptive Strike" "All Good Things..., Part I" "All Good Things..., Part II"

v t e Star Trek: The Next Generation
Characters	Beverly Crusher Wesley Crusher Data Geordi La Forge Guinan Miles O'Brien Keiko O'Brien Jean-Luc Picard Katherine Pulaski Q William Riker Ro Laren Deanna Troi Worf Tasha Yar
Episodes	Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Films	Generations First Contact Insurrection Nemesis
Video games	The Next Generation (1993) The Next Generation (1994) Generations: Beyond the Nexus A World for All Seasons A Final Unity Generations Klingon Honor Guard Birth of the Federation Hidden Evil
Related articles	Awards Cast Novels Pinball Role-playing Game USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) "These Are the Voyages..." Technical Manual Countdown Picard

Plot

See also

References

External links