Rascals

PIcard, Ro, Guinen, and Keiko are accidentally filtered through an ion cloud. When they are transported on board they have returned to their childhood body, but with all their adult intelligences intact. This is a puzzle for sure, but when a couple Klingon vessels attack and ultimately board the ship, they have bigger troubles. As it turns out, it is not the Klingons; it is a group of Ferengi rogues who have commandeered the old Klingon vessels and now have moved on to the Enterprise, the purpose to sell it to the Romulans. The regular crew is transported to a planet that was to be explored and the children are left behind, among them the four mini-adults. Of course, the plot takes an expected route when the Ferengi begin to be too comfortable on the ship, full of themselves as usual. It allows the children (who are in grave danger) to begin a plot that feeds off the stupidity of the Ferengi. This is one of those just plain fun episodes that isn't to be taken too seriously, but there is still an element of danger.

Funny, interesting, unique, and a good story to boot. Everything one looks for in a good episode, but I wish it was an hour longer! Easily my favorite.

Premise: Four Next Generation characters are reverted to Children, but keep their adult memories.

Everyone who watches this episode says "I Wish". Most of us would want to stay that way, I know I would.

But there is always one person who will be a Party-Pooper: Here, it is Ro Laren. In Sharp Contrast to Guinan who is having the time of her 500- year plus life. But Ro has a point. Most of us when remembering Childhood don't have fond memories of it, because we were short, awkward, and bumbled around until we were 17 or so. Ro can't be blamed much, because her Childhood included starvation, torture, terrorism, and finally escape from an internment camp much like Velos II. But as far as Guinan is concerned, she knows how to make any situation into a party, which she does here and drags Ro right along with her.

David Birkin makes another appearance on Trek, originally he was Picard's nephew Rene in the 4th Season 2nd episode "Family". This is ideal, as there would be a family resemblance- This gives the episode a lot of clout, especially when dealing with Picard.

As far as Keiko, Ro and Guinan, Caroline Junko King from "3 Ninjas Kick Back" looks a lot like a younger Rosalind Chao (Despite really being Japanese). Megan Parlen from "Hang Time" does a very convincing Mini-Ro, but the prize goes to Isis Jones as Young Guinan- and in fact the only other film or Television credit she has is for playing a younger version of Whoopi Goldberg in "Sister Act 2".

It wasn't enough just to find kids that looked like Picard, Keiko, Ro and Guinan - The physical attributes were not enough to make us believe that these were all younger versions of our principles victims of the week's conundrum - It was the way these kids actually became our four "Conundrumites" down to the last earring of Ro's and Facepalm of Picard's.

Megan and Isis when having their little arguments are a lot like Whoopi and Michelle when they first met in Ten Forward. Isis is intrusive and gets right into Ro's business- Just like Guinan did to Ro in her debut episode.

Caroline and Colm are still "Mr and Mrs O'Brien" and Caroline's every movement is what Keiko would do, down to the pulling of Colm's ear.

And David Birkin's Picard is nothing else but perfect, especially in talking to his Number One "Dad" Riker.

It was all just so much fun- if anything, Trek is supposed to be fun as well as whatever else it is- and here, it is.

The award for this ep goes to Alexander's toy whatever it is... that thing looked very familiar, like I had seen one of those before. There is a YouTube video made by the person who acquired the prop where they show the thing in close-up. I remember when I was a teenager, I had some kind of solar powered toy that had a dome on the top and I thought this toy might have been one of those. But it might have been some other toy, and the prop makers for trek acquired it and made it work for them. As it was, the prop makers inserted a radio controlled car to the underside of the prop and that is what made it move around. But I have been trying to find out the origins of Alexander's toy ever since I saw this episode... I know I have seen one of those things before.

As far as the other aspect of this episode goes: The Enterprise D could easily vaporize two old Klingon Jalopies. And of course, the D was taken by surprise. We can suspend disbelief by just assuming these Ferengi were Lucky Shots. Ultimately, they were merely Ferengi and outsmarted themselves. Mike Gomez is Daimon Lurin, who is "In Business for Himself" and not part of the Ferengi Alliance. I never thought actual members of the Ferengi Alliance would be as stupid as he was, even though they had been "Foolish" a number of times. But here they are bumbling, inept fools. Tracey Walter re-appears again as a Ferengi, this time "Berik", and one other, "Morta" played by Michael Snyder.

This episode is a clear revelation of what happens when The Three Stooges try to take over a Galaxy Class Starship - They get their asses handed to them on platters by Kids. But that is par for the course, Ferengi always kick themselves in whatever glands they use when they start thinking of Females...

And Profit.

Edit: this is in reference to somebody's review who made a comment that "their uniforms shrunk"- well, their uniforms did not shrink, when the "children" are first beamed onto the transporter pad, you can see that their clothing is several times too large. In fact there was a scene in Picard's quarters where he is fitting himself into a newly tailored jacket, made for a smaller version of himself. Their clothing did not magically shrink when they got caught in the energy field, they were issued new uniforms. Also: Ensign Ro talks about being back at her station in her "own uniform", indicating that she is wearing a new uniform.

'Rascals' is the first TNG episode in a long time to . . . eh, it just doesn't do anything for me. It's clear that they were going for something light-hearted with a title like that, but it's the execution that's a problem. The science involved is flimsy (it's just there to explain the problem away) and even though the child actors are able, the absence of Patrick Stewart just saps this of any dramatic wright.

And then the Ferengi walk in, and things were already silly enough.

5/10

This has to be one of the silliest episodes in the entire Star Trek franchise history yet it probably is one of the most engaging.

Patrick Stewart, Rosalind Chao, Michelle Forbes, and Whoopi Goldberg while returning to the Enterprise in a shuttle craft encounter an energy storm and return to the Enterprise as they were when they were just about hitting puberty. Gates McFadden thinks with a little work, some genetic readjustment they can be restored. If that was possible Dr. Crusher would get a Universal Noble Prize and be honored more than the discoverer of Viagra.

When some Ferengi however take over the Enterprise it's these younger selves who save the day. It's all quite amusing.

If this is the secret of eternal youth. I'm not sure why these four want to be adults again. They get a chance to do something every one of us dream about, a lifetime do over.

It's that universal lament that I've said thousands of times, "if I knew then what I know now". These kids really do.